ABCNews.com(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the allegation against his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should go through a process. There there shouldn't even be a little doubt, Trump said of the process. Hopefully the woman will come forward, state her case, Trump said Tuesday. He will state his case before representatives of the United States Senate. And then they will vote, they will look at his career, they will look at what she had to say from 36 years ago, and we will see what happens. And as he did earlier in the day, Trump said he didn't think the FBI should be involved, despite Democrats' insistence that, before any public hearing with the nominee and his accuser, the FBI should look into an allegation made by professor Christine Blasey Ford, 51, that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school decades ago in suburban Maryland. Kavanaugh, who was back at the White House on Tuesday for the second day in a row, has repeatedly denied the alleged encounter ever happened. The president said he has not personally spoken with Kavanaugh since the allegation surfaced, saying specifically I thought it would be a good thing not to. Trump pointed out that Kavanaugh has had multiple background checks throughout his career and called his history "impeccable." "I feel so badly for him that he is going through this," Trump said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The sexual assault allegation became public after the contents of a letter Ford sent to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, were disclosed to several media outlets. Asked if he believes the allegation is political in nature, the president said: I don't want to say that. Maybe I will say that in a couple of days, but not now, Trump said earlier on Tuesday. Trump, however, attacked Democrats for holding onto the allegation, saying it was a terrible thing that took place when the story surfaced over the weekend. It's a terrible thing that took place and it's frankly a terrible thing that this information was not given to us months ago when they got it, Trump said. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing ahead with plans to hear testimony from Kavanaugh and Ford on Monday. This, despite the numerous calls from Democrats to slow down the process and allow the FBI to re-open its background investigation into Kavanaugh so that they can determine the facts of what happened to Ford in high school, when she alleges Kavanaugh forced himself on her. "She's been asking for the opportunity to be heard and she's being given the opportunity to be heard on Monday," McConnell told reporters. "She could do it privately if she prefers or publicly if she prefers. Monday is her opportunity," he said. Democrats have been writing to White House Counsel Don McGahn and to Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley to request the FBI re-open its investigation into Kavanaugh but to no avail. Democrats are also crying foul over Grassley's decision to not allow other witnesses besides Kavanaugh and Ford to testify. Grassley has said Ford has still not accepted his invitation to appear before the Judiciary Committee on Monday. However, McConnell and GOP leadership are forging ahead with the hearing. "There have been multiple investigations. Judge Kavanaugh has been through six investigations in the course of his lengthy public career. We want to give the accuser the opportunity to be heard and that opportunity will occur next Monday," McConnell reiterated. "I think that gives her ample opportunity to express her point of view and Judge Kavanaugh of course has been anxious for days to discuss the matter as well," McConnell said. This is a developing story. Please refresh for details. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 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. editorial@tribune.com Vikram Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, September 17 Ravinder Raina, state BJP unit president, on Monday said the party would sweep the municipal polls in the state and would back candidates in the panchayat polls that are being held on the non-party basis. We know that the NC and the PDP will field proxy candidates despite having announced boycott of these polls. We will expose their hypocrisy, said Raina while talking to The Tribune. For the panchayat elections, Raina said since the contest was on a non-party basis, the BJP would remain a watchdog of the proceedings. He said the party had readied its activists and leaders for both the elections and its workers were reaching every nook and corner of the state to mobilise people to vote for the party for better future prospects. The BJP will sweep both the elections with a big margin and its elected candidates will work at the grass-root level to address problems of people, said Raina. Regarding the challenges and opportunities for the party in both the polls, Raina said, The party which is close to people wins and we will grab all opportunities coming our way. As the RSS is likely to back the party, Raina said, But being the parent organisation, the Sangh will support the BJP. The state in charge and other national leaders will pay routine visits to the state, he said. He also said that under the dynamic administration of Governor Satya Pal Malik, the elections would be hassle-free and peaceful, said Raina. Next Mayor will be from our party: Panthers Jammu: Announcing to field candidates in all 75 wards of the Jammu Municipal Corporation in the upcoming urban local bodies polls, the J&K National Panthers Party has claimed that the next Mayor would be from their party. This was announced by Panthers Party chairman Harsh Dev Singh during a meeting in Jammu. He appealed to various sections of society to vote and support the Panthers Party candidates in the elections to uphold the Dogra pride and honour. He said the people of Jammu had been let down by all parties, including the BJP, Congress, NC and PDP. With the Congress having receded into oblivion during the last four years, the BJP had disappointed the people of Jammu to the extent that their faith in the political system had been largely shattered, Harsh Dev claimed. He said the people were now eagerly looking towards the Panthers Party. TNS editorial@tribune.com Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, September 18 In face of terror threats and a boycott call, over 850 candidates have applied for BJP ticket in the urban local bodies elections in the Kashmir valley. Not only men, even a good number of women have also expressed their desire to contest the poll on the saffron partys ticket. There are names of 860 candidates in the panels of the ticket aspirants prepared by the district committees of the Valley for the civic poll, said Narendra Singh, BJP general secretary and Kashmir unit in-charge, adding that the party had finalised the candidates after a proper scrutiny of the aspirants. Encouraged over the unexpected response of the party workers, Narendra Singh claimed the BJP would create a history in Kashmir this time. The party high command has already directed the state leadership to contest the elections seriously to create space for the BJP in the Valley, he said, adding that the party had sought adequate security for the candidates. The BJP has suffered a severe setback after the militants started selective killings of partys vistaraks who are working to spread the saffron partys footprints in the Valley. Two prominent party leaders Gowhar Bhat and Shabir Ahmed Bhat were killed by militants recently in south Kashmir. The BJP is likely to leave urban local bodies of north Kashmir for its coalition partner Peoples Conference as part of its undeclared seat arrangement. Meanwhile, the party has finalised the names of its candidates for all 79 civic bodies of the state and a formal announcement in this regard will be made on Wednesday evening after a meeting of the election committee of the party. During a two-day hectic exercise, the screening committee has finalised the candidates for the elections. After the formal approval of the election committee, the names will be made public, said a senior party leader, who is a member of the screening committee. 79 municipal bodies editorial@tribune.com Amir Karim Tantray Tribune News Service Jammu, September 17 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated two smart fencing pilot projects along the International Border (IB) here. The smart fence stretches of 5.3 km and 5.5 km were constructed under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS). It is a historic moment not only for the Home Ministry but also for the entire country as after introducing the CIBMS, our borders will become more secure, Rajnath said after inaugurating the project. The first-of-its-kind project was envisaged by the Home Minister during his visit to Israel in November 2014. During my visit to Israel, I saw this project there and thought of implementing it in the country to ensure our borders are safe, he told mediapersons in Jammu on Monday after inaugurating the first phase of the project. The CIBMS will cover 226 km of vulnerable areas of various borders all over the country and the Indo-Pak border in J&K. The first two pilot projects were installed on the Indo-Pak border here as it is considered sensitive. The work on the project was started early last year. Under the project, sensors, thermal image cameras and other equipment have be installed in vulnerable areas along the International Border where patrolling becomes tough in harsh weather. Giving details of the new technology being used, Additional Director General (ADG) of BSF (logistics) AK Choudhary said whatever was needed on the ground to plug the loopholes would be done. The CIBMS will observe the movement underground, underwater and everywhere and the gaps will be plugged, the ADG said. The Home Minister said, I feel after introducing this technology, our borders will become more secure than ever before. Earlier, our border personnel used to stay there physically during extreme weather. Indo-Pak is a sensitive border and sometimes our BSF men die because of Pakistani firing. Though we give a befitting reply to the Pakistani firing, at times, BSF men face casualty. The CIBMS will reduce the physical presence and patrolling. It will reduce the stress of border personnel and allow fast action, he added. Rajnath said the performance of the pilot projects would be monitored and loopholes would be plugged to make them foolproof. Visits Makwal outpost Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday visited the Makwal border outpost and had a firsthand account of the control room of the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS). He inaugurated two pilot projects under the CIBMS at the BSF Jammu frontier headquarters at Paloura this morning. He complimented the BSF for realising the pilot projects. Speaking to the media at the Makwal border outpost, around 800 meters from the Zero Line, Rajnath said: The CIBMS is the integration of the technology available to create a system which will help in securing the borders and the country. By sitting at the command control centre, the BSF can get all information of the activity along the IB, be it infiltrators trying to enter this side or having their facial composure. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Amir Karim Tantray Tribune News Service Jammu, September 17 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said there was no change in Pakistans attitude towards India and that it did not know how to behave with ones neighbours. I dont feel there is a change in Pakistans approach even after Imran Khan has taken over. But I pray a change occurs, he said. The Union Minister was addressing reporters after inaugurating a smart fence a pilot project under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) at the Border Security Force Jammu frontiers headquarters here. Commenting on Pakistans approach towards fuelling unrest and disturbing peace in Jammu and Kashmir by sending in militants, Rajnath Singh said, We cant change the nature and attitude of Pakistan. It is in their blood and they will have to try to change themselves. On its part, India has done whatever was needed. Breaking protocol, our PM visited Pakistan to boost ties, but if Pakistan is not willing to mend its ways, what can be done? The Home Minister also appealed to the NC and PDP to participate in the urban local bodies elections. On the operations against militants in Kashmir, he said, The security forces have great mutual understanding and synergy and this is visible. editorial@tribune.com Amir Karim Tantray Tribune News Service Jammu, September 18 As the investigation in the Jhajjar Kotli terror incident is in progress, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other security agencies are looking for the alleged main conspirator who helped in ferrying militants to Kashmir from Dyalachak. The alleged conspirator, Ashiq Hussain, who is the brother of arrested truck driver Riaz Ahmed, plotted the ferrying of militants from near the International Border in the Jammu region to Kashmir. Sources said Hussain used to get the information about the infiltrating militants and the pick-up point. He was in touch with handlers in Pakistan, militant commanders in Kashmir, and three ultras who were gunned down by security agencies on September 13. However, he was not in the truck, which was used by the militants to go to Kashmir, said a source. After the truck driver and his accomplice were arrested, Hussain has gone underground, the source said. During the investigation, the security agencies came to know about Hussains involvement in the racket. Riaz Ahmed told the police and other agencies about the involvement of his brother in the plot, the source said. Hussain, who was in Jammu, acted as the main courier, guide and financier. After his brother was arrested, he has gone underground along with other associates working in Kashmir, he added. The police have handed over the case to the NIA which has got the custody of Ahmed and his accomplice Muhammad Iqbal, a BSc nursing student. Though the NIA is handling the investigation into the case, the police and other security agencies are also helping it to trace the persons wanted in the case, said a senior police officer. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 17 After the NC and the PDP, the CPM on Monday said it would boycott the upcoming panchayat and urban local bodies polls. Slamming the Centre for going ahead with the elections despite opposition from mainstream parties in the state, the CPM said the decision showed the arrogance of the BJP-led Central government. The government should have convened an all-party meeting to discuss this issue. Unfortunately, it has not been done. Keeping the prevailing situation into consideration, the CPM has decided not to participate in these polls, said Ghulam Nabi Malik, state secretary, CPM, in a statement. The decision of the government to go ahead with the panchayat and urban local bodies elections despite the majority of mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir deciding not to participate shows the arrogance of the BJP-led Centre, Malik said. editorial@tribune.com Srinagar, September 17 The separatists on Monday called for a complete boycott of the upcoming panchayat and civic body polls. We once again make a fervent appeal to the freedom-loving people of Kashmir to observe a complete election boycott, said a statement of joint resistance leadership led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik. While rejecting any electoral process as a substitute to the right to self-determination, the separatist leaders termed the election as a political gimmick to hoodwink the international community that the people of Kashmir enjoy the Indian democracy freely. They said in 1953, when the constituent assembly was created, all 76 MLAs were elected unopposed and the people abstainedfrom any voting process. The contemporary world is not familiar with such kind of democracy. TNS vinaymishra188@gmail.com Suhail A Shah Kulgam, September 17 Mourning the death of his 17-year-old-son, Lance Naik Mukhtar Ahmad Malik (43) of 162 Battalion of the Territorial Army was shot dead at his house in Kulgams Churat village today morning. Officials said the family was preparing for Rasm-e-Chauram (post-death ritual) when the militants barged into the house. They found him on the first floor and started questioning him about Army deployment. Shoot me but dont ask me questions, those present quoted Malik as having told the killers. Sources, quoting a relative, claimed the killers entered posing as mediapersons. That is, perhaps, why Maliks two sons and kin had a scuffle with some local scribes. Maliks son Shariq had sustained serious injuries in a road accident. Battling for life at the Army Hospital, he died on September 14. Once an Ikhwan (a pro-government group active in the Nineties) commander, Malik rarely visited his home for fear of being killed, said sources. editorial@tribune.com Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Tral, September 17 Outside a saw mill, 22-year-old Tariq Ahmed (name changed) is working as a small-time labourer. Dressed in ragtag clothes, the youth is trying hard to come to terms with his new job of a labourer. A few days ago, this Special Police Officer (SPO) was wearing a neatly ironed khaki, bubbling with zeal and dreaming to become a permanent employee. But militant threats crashed his dream. The young man resigned and is now constrained to work as a labourer to feed his family. Ahmed is one among over a dozen SPOs who resigned in the militancy hit Tral subdivision of south Kashmirs Pulwama district last month. The resignations were the fallout of the relentless militant attacks on policemen and SPOs. At least 33 policemen, including seven SPOs, have been killed by militants this year the highest in over a decade. There is no alternative to life and that is the simple reason I resigned, said Ahmed. At Luraw Jagir, a village on the outskirts of Tral town, four SPOs, including two cousins, have resigned. The village with a population of 1,325 has witnessed an attempt to kill an SPO. The attack triggered a series of resignations. The imam of the local Jamia mosque in the village announced their resignations before the congregational Friday prayers. But the resignations have not completely allayed their fears. The SPOs and their families continue to be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The fear among these former SPOs families is visible. They peep through windows whenever any visitor knocks at the door. After resignation, he has shifted his base to Srinagar where he is working at a bakery shop, said a family member of a former SPO at the village. He did not even turn up to celebrate Eid among the family members. The family refused to share details about the former SPO. A local villager said some of the SPOs were even summoned by the forces after their resignations. They have resigned but they are living in constant fear, a local said. In the neighbouring Pastoona Sayedabad village, where an SPO survived a bid on his life, tension among the SPOs is palpable. At Chankatar village in Tral, the SPO who was abducted by militants and subsequently released on the appeal of his mother, has also moved out of town. He is living at his relatives house in north Kashmir, Qamar-un Nisa, mother of the former SPO, said. We have been visiting our homes freely but now, the situation is really bad, said another SPO from Pulwama district, who despite the threats, has not resigned. If I resign, what will we eat? We do simple jobs on a paltry salary like many others but I wonder why we have become a target in the war, he said. Caught between devil and deep sea The SPOs and their families continue to be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The fear among these former SPOs families is visible. They peep through windows whenever any visitor knocks at the door. "After resignation, he has shifted his base to Srinagar where he is working at a bakery shop," said a family member of a former SPO at the village. "He did not even turn up to celebrate Eid among the family members." Why target us? We have been visiting our homes freely but now, the situation is really bad. If I resign, what will we eat? We do simple jobs on a paltry salary like many others but I wonder why we have become a target in the war Special Police Officer ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Ramesh Batlish From 2019, JEE (Main) will be conducted in two phases, the first for admissions to BE/BTech from January 6 to 20, 2019 and the second phase for admissions to BArch/ BPlanning between April 6 and 20, 2019. After being taken over by NTA, there will be no major impact as far as the pattern of the examination is concerned. The exam will have the same papers as in the CBSE-conducted test last year. Except for the exam mode, the pattern remains unchanged. Paper 1 will be completely held in the computer-based mode, and in Paper 2, mathematics and aptitude test will be computer-based, whereas drawing will be pen-and-paper based. All the multiple choice questions will carry 4 marks each for the right answer and negative marking of 1 mark for an incorrect answer. In JEE (Main) Paper 1, 30 MCQs will be asked from each subject (physics, chemistry and mathematics) making it a total of 90 questions. The question paper will be available in English, Hindi and Gujarati (for students of Gujarat, Daman & Diu and Nagarhaveli). Paper 1 will be conducted in two sessions per day and the candidates need to book their slots. Paper 2 includes a total of 82 questions. 30 MCQs in mathematics section, 50 from aptitude and two questions will be there in the drawing test. All the MCQs carry 4 marks each (with 1 negative marking) and each drawing test question carries 70 marks. Modifications made by NTA 1Early mock tests: NTA has started student registration for JEE (Main) mock tests from September 1, 2018. Candidates will be able to practice with these tests to get a better understanding of the exam pattern, how to prepare and what to expect in the actual exam. 2Common service centres (CSCs): The authorities have set up 1.5 lakh CSCs across the country to help candidates in urban as well as rural areas in application form filling and submission. 3Age limit: The criteria of age limit has been removed from JEE (Main ) 2019. Candidates who have passed their Plus II in 2017, 2018 or are appearing in 2019 can apply for the exam, irrespective of their age. 4More than one attempt: JEE (Main) 2019 will be held twice a year in January and in April. Candidates can choose to appear for either one or both. 5Revised application fee: The application fee has been reduced for different categories for JEE (Main) 2019. 6Mode of test: JEE (Main) 2019 will be a computer-based test for Paper 1; however, for Paper 2, mathematics and aptitude will be in computer-based mode and drawing will be in pen and paper mode. Paper 1 will be in two shifts per day, whereas Paper 2 will be in one shift only. Selection process Cut-off & results: Being the screening test for JEE (Advanced) 2019, NTA will announce the qualifying cutoff of JEE (Main) 2019 in the first week of May after the announcement of the result of the April exam. The results for the first exam will be announced on January 31, 2019. The results of JEE (Main) will be the scores obtained by the students in the exam they have appeared in January, April or both. The results will be devoid of ranks as it will be compiled on the basis of better scores of candidates appearing in both the exams. Common rank list: The Common Rank List for JEE (Main) 2019 will be available in the first week of May after the declaration of the results of the April exam. The better of the scores of candidates who have appeared in January as well as April tests will be considered for ranking purposes, while the scores of the candidates who have appeared for just one exam will be used as it is. The common rank lists will denote the all-India and category ranks of the candidates in addition to the details of the candidates and marks obtained. The JEE (Main) rank will be the basis for admissions to the NITs, IIITs and GFTIs Major changes in the evaluation process To ensure that no candidate is at a disadvantage or highly benefited, normalisation of marks will be enforced for the purpose of ranking. Students will be ranked on the basis of their percentile scores, which will be calculated as per a pre-determined formula. Percentile score shows the percentage of candidates who have scored equal to or below a particular percentile in an exam. It is the normalised score and not raw scores. After normalisation, each topper of a session will get the same percentile of 100 which is the desirable one. Also the marks between the lowest and highest scores are also converted to the respective percentiles. In case of percentile tie: When two or more candidates obtain equal percentile scores, then ranking will be sorted depending on their percentiles in mathematics, then physics and then chemistry. If the percentiles remain same after this too then the older candidate will be ranked higher and same rank will be allotted to the candidates for a tie after this situation. First attempt compilation of NTA scores: After the JEE Main I will conclude in January, the result that will be declared on January 31 will display the four NTA scores for each of the three subjects (mathematics, physics, and chemistry) and the total NTA score for that attempt. NTA scores will be the percentile scores calculated as mentioned above. Second attempt compilation of NTA scores: The scores will again be calculated for the total and that of the three subjects individually as mentioned for the first attempt Compilation of NTA score for JEE Main 2019 result and merit list/ ranking for Paper 1 The ranking or merit list will be compiled as follows: In case of candidates who have appeared for both the attempts the best of the two NTA scores will be used. Here the total NTA score will be used for ranking purpose and not those of the subjects. In case of candidates who have appeared for only one exam, the four NTA scores of that attempt will be used for the preparation of the merit list The final NTA scores will be used to rank the candidates and the JEE Main 2019 result declared. In case of any tie, the inter-se-merit guidelines mentioned above in this article will be used to resolve it. FIITJEE expert Remember the key points that will decide your rank in JEE Main will be: How well you have mastered the important topics in each of Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics How much practise you have done on similar levels of questions as asked in JEE Main How well you have perfected on your timing of solving an objective type question How much attention you have given to time management & Strategy apart from covering your syllabi. How much calm & confident you are when you take up the actual exam. Students are however advised to give in the best shot as it is finally the relative performance in the actual exam that will fetch you a good rank in JEE 2019. Inter-se-merit will be resolved as follows: Candidates who scores more marks in Aptitude Test will be ranked higher In case the tie is unresolved, Candidates who scores more marks in drawing test will be given the higher rank Lastly the age of the candidates i.e. the older candidate will be awarded the higher rank If the tie remains unresolved, the candidates will be given the same rank. Terms for rank declaration The ranks derived as shown above will be used for the purpose of admissions to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. The JEE Main 2019 All India rank and All India Category Rank will be declared on April 30 once the JEE Main II NTA scores are compiled. Rank list preparation for Paper II The raw marks for both attempts will be considered for candidates who have given both the attempts and the better of the marks considered. For candidates who have appeared for only one attempt, the raw marks obtained for the same will be used. Rank lists will be prepared as per the marks obtained as mentioned above. How will the scores for Paper II be calculated? ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Students who have cleared Class XII and are looking forward to have overseas exposure through under graduate degree programme from Canada can apply for this scholarship. The scholarship covers programme of management and organisational studies, social sciences, arts, social justice and peace studies. Eligibility: The applicant must have cleared Class XII with an overall aggregate of minimum 75 per cent and must have English language proficiency with 6.5 in IELTS, 580 marks in TOEFL, 4.5 in TWE or 20 marks in each section of IBT or score 56 in each section of PTE. Mathematics is not mandated in Class XII while applying for the admission in any of the programme. Details: The eligible students will be given scholarship up to CAD 17,000. The option of transfer to Richard Ivey School of Business is also open in the third year of the programme. Deadline: October 31, 2018 How to apply: Online only. Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/JC/KUC1 Mexican government scholarships Students looking forward to take specialisation with masters degree, doctoral, or conduct research at under-graduate-level, in any of the participating Mexican educational institutions in Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) are invited to apply for this scholarship. Eligibility: Bachelors, masters degree or Ph.D holders (according to the course for which the scholarship is applied), scoring at least a GPA of 80 on a scale of 1 to 100 or equivalent are eligible to apply. Also, the candidate must have been enrolled for a course in one of the participating university. Details: For master and specialisations a monthly stipend of 9800.96 Mexican Pesos or Doctoral and Post-doctoral studies, a monthly stipend of 12251 Mexican Pesos will be provided. Adding to this, health insurance, visa expense, registration and tuition fee for the course will be covered. Deadline: September 28, 2018 How to apply: Online. Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/JC/MGS7 Schwarzman Scholars Programme This programme aims at seeding leadership skills and professional networks in the students, who want to pursue post-graduation from Schwarzman College based in China. Eligibility: Applicants pursuing or holding graduation degree by August 1, 2019, having proficiency in English language and are aged between 18 to 29 years, are eligible to apply. Details: Tuition fees, accommodation, travel expenses, study tour, books, laptop and smartphone, health insurance and stipend of $3,500 will be awarded to the selected students. Deadline: September 27, 2018 How to apply: Online. Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/JC/SSP4 Academic excellence international masters scholarship Students holding bachelors degree in any field who can self-fund their masters degree programme are invited by University of Essex, UK, to continue their further education through this scholarship. Eligibility: Applicants who have applied for the full-time taught masters degree programme (excluding MBA) in 2018-19 and have scored 55 or 60 per cent in NOOSR Tier 1, 60 and 65 pwer cent in NOOSR Tiers 2 and 3, are eligible. Details: Candidate scoring 60 per cent in NOOSR Tier 1 and 65 per cent in NOOSR Tier 2 & 3 will be receiving 5,000, whereas 3,000 will be rewarded to those scoring 55 and 60 per cent in NOOSR Tier 1, NOOSR Tier 2 and 3 respectively. Deadline: September 30, 2018 How to apply: Candidates need to make an online application. Short source URL: http://www.b4s.in/JC/AEI2 Inputs courtesy: www.buddy4study.com RS Dalal RS Dalal Recently, the newspapers were abuzz with reports about the Armys proposal to abolish the rank of Brigadier. The move is surprising, for it is a powerful rank and is embedded in the psyche of people in North Indian states, where battles have been fought and won by our brave forces. If pay parity and perks is an issue, surely, there can be some other ways of going about it. Why bury forever the grand old lofty rank? The rank of Brigadier is instantly recognised, evoking warmth and respect. When my elder brother, who retired as Commodore from the Navy, accompanied me to our ancestral village for the first time, I faced problem explaining his rank to the village folks. They knew nothing about Naval ranks. Then an idea hit me. I announced that he was Brigadier saheb from the Indian Navy! There was instant sparkle in their eyes, and respect for him. They got busy shaking hands with him, nudging me to the background. Imagine, such a regal rank is facing extinction! Is it not, that certain words, ranks and designations speak louder than actions? These get enriched and endeared through slow seasoning and constant usage over decades and centuries. Brigadier is one of those treasured ranks. In this part of the country, especially in Punjab, and to a large extent in Haryana, people love words that are mouthful when spoken. As they say, it must leave a flavour in the mouth and continue to ring in the ears for a while. In the police, when the authorities switched over from the old Police Kaptan saheb to Superintendent of Police, we felt like a lemon squeezed hard. SP when pronounced sounded a bit sissy (due apologies to feminists). At the first opportunity, during terrorism days, we, on our own, upgraded it to SSP, which sounded grand. Consider the new rank of ADGP created in the police department, just to add extra pay and allowances which were better done ingeniously rather than upsetting the applecart! It sounds befuddled, like randomly reading English alphabet. Then, there used be one majestic post of Chief Secretary, now there are ACSs dime a dozen. The rank and file jokingly translates additional as faaltu (extra). Many years ago, the police department devalued the time-tested, battle-scarred rank of DIG Police through a quirk of fate. It was around the late nineties that the government of the day was tottering. Opportune time for favourites to mount pulls and pressures. Suddenly, all coveted field posts of DIGs were upgraded to the rank of IG. Some of the youthfulness and sparkle of the field rank was lost. Why take the jump in a hurry! monicakchauhan@gmail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Former Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday reiterated the Congress demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the Rafale jet deal and accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of leveling false allegations on him in the matter. Antony said the BJP Government had jeopardised national security by being unable to procure the Rafale aircraft in time despite citing emergency purchase for the April 10, 2015 direct deal with the French Government. He also said Sitharaman had tarnished the reputation of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited nationally and internationally by saying it did not have the ability to manufacture 108 Rafale jets in India. On Sitharamans previous charge that Antony had delayed the procurement of the jets despite the deal being ready in UPA times, the former Defence Minister said the accusation was unfair. The Finance Ministry at the time had objections to the life cycle cost approach concept, which was new and I told them to take the matter to the Cabinet Committee on Security. A senior BJP member also wrote to me at the time and I as minister acted with responsibility by referring the issue to the CCS, Antony said at a press conference today. He accused Nirmala Sitharaman of suppression of facts and said BJPs claim that 36 jets negotiated with the French government in 2015 were cheaper was false. If the deal was indeed cheaper why did the BJP Government not negotiate for all 126 aircraft and why only 36? asked Antony. He then said the Modi Government had claimed emergency purchased as the reason behind scrapping the UPA time deal and negotiating a new deal. The first aircraft will be delivered by September 2019 and the 36 jets by September 2020. All the 126 aircraft are not arriving before 2030. So where is the urgency clause now? Antony asked. He also accused the Government of undermining the prestige of HAL by saying it cannot make the aircraft in India. If there is any firm that can make the aircraft it is HAL, Antony said. Asked by The Tribune whether the Congress planned to move the Central Vigilance Commission against the Rafle deal, Antony said the first demand of the party was the JPC. The Congress added that at an appropriate time it will also petition the CVC and CAG to fulfill their constitutional obligation of looking into the Rafale deal on their own. amansharma@tribunemail.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Australian culture, arts, food, music and sports will woo indians through six months of a festival to be organised till March of 2019. The people-to-people celebration will involve some 75 events across 20 cities in India hosted by the Australian high commission and multiple partners. It has long been my conviction that connections between people will be the defining feature of the Australia-India relationship. With Australia Fest, we aim to deepen the engagement between our two countries and further strengthen our people-to-people ties, said Australian high commissioner Harinder Sidhu at launch of the festival. Last year, some 300,000 Indians visited Down Under with a significant 18 per cent increase in the number of tourists. The number of Australians visiting India for the corresponding period stood at 290,000. Some 68,000 Indians students are currently enrolled for education programs in Australia. The envoy hopes that the festival will promote Australia as a favourable, pleasant and welcoming destination for Indians and existing two way trade at 27 billion Australian dollars will also receive a boost. The festival has roped in prominent celebrities as brand ambassadors, including MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan, music composer Raghav Sachar, and author John Zubrzycki whose latest book Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinns: A Magical History of India has just released. Some of the festival highlights include tour of Bangarra Dance Theatre- internationally acclaimed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company, modern Australian jazz and Bengali folk music fusion by The Three Seas, and acts by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow among others. When it comes to food, the people of India must be the most passionate Ive met and I know theyre also some of MasterChef Australias most loyal fans! said celebrity chef Gary Mehigan, in remarks via video link. Mehigan praised young Indian Chefs for enthusing originality, sustainability and native ingredients into their cooking as they travel more widely. On the occasion the envoy also hoped that India and Australia will be able to conclude a Free Trade Agreement and also begin nuclear commerce in near future. She hoped that RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) negotiations would see substantial conclusion by this year end. RCEP aims to weave in China, India, Japan, ASEAN members and Australia, South Korea and New Zealand into a regional trading bloc. gspannu7@gmail.com Dehradun, September 18 A Class 10 girl was allegedly gang-raped by fellow students at a boarding school in Sahaspur in Dehradun district and the matter was kept under wraps by the school authorities for over two weeks, according to the police. Nine peoplefour students accused of perpetrating the crime and five members of the school staff including its director, principal and administrative officerhave been arrested, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar said. The matter came to light on Monday, over a month after it took place on August 14, he said. The survivor first confided her ordeal to her elder sister when she realised that she might be pregnant. Her elder sister, who studies in the same school, drew the attention of school authorities to the incident but instead of reporting the matter to the police, they tried to hush it up, the ADG said. They threatened to throw the two girls out of the school if they disclosed it to anyone, he said. The school authorities are even accused of trying to abort her pregnancy, the ADG said. However, the elder sister of the girl later shared it with a relative who informed the police about it. The arrested students are aged between 16 and 18 years. The school staff arrested is its director Lata Gupta, principal Jitendra Sharma, administrative officer Deepak Malhotra, his wife Tanu Malhotra and a maid named Manju. According to the police, on August 14 the girl was taken to the backyard of the hostel by a classmate on the pretext that a teacher was calling her. When she reached there she found another classmate and two seniors waiting for her. They forcibly took her behind the bushes and allegedly raped her, the police said. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Panaji, September 18 Congress legislators in Goa on Tuesday met Governor Mridula Sinha and demanded floor test by the BJP-led government to prove its majority in the Assembly. The move came at a time when 62-year-old Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is admitted in the AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment. The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test. Kavlekar said the governor assured them that she would get back on the issue in the next three-four days. During the meeting with the governor, the Congress MLAs contended that the Parrikar-led coalition falls short of a majority in the 40-member Assembly and that the Congress has the required numbers to form the government. "Let the state government prove on the floor that they have majority or else we can show that we have more legislators than them," Kavlekar told reporters after meeting Sinha. The Congress has 16 seats in the Assembly. The state is being ruled by the BJP with the support of Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), NCP and Independents. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, GFP and MGP have three each and NCP has one. There are also three Independents. The Congress legislators also urged the governor not to allow dissolution of the Assembly. Kavlekar said the BJP might force dissolution of the Assembly and another election in just one-and-a-half year. The Assembly polls in the state were held in February last year. "The BJP has a habit of recommending dissolution of the House when they don't have numbers with them. The governor should not allow such action in Goa as Congress is the single largest party in the House," Kavlekar said. "We don't want another election within one-and-a-half years," the Congress leader added. "If the (BJP-led) coalition can't run the government, then we are ready to take over," he said. Kavlekar said a "race has begun within the government for chief ministership" as Parrikar is hospitalised. "Some of the BJP leaders are in touch with us as they are upset because their own party is talking about hiring the leaders from outside for CMs post," he claimed. Kavlekar said the Congress will announce its chief ministerial candidate when the governor summons one-day session of the Assembly to conduct a floor test. "There is absolutely no dispute amongst us on who would be the Chief Minister. We will reveal the name when floor test is called," he said. Congress Legislature Party had yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Governors office on Monday but could not meet Governor as she was out of station. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Panaji, September 17 With Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar hospitalised, Goas main opposition party, Congress, submitted a memorandum to Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday, staking claim to form an alternate government. The move came at a time when the BJP high command has sent three senior leaders Ram Lal, BL Santhosh and Vinay Puranik here to meet the state party leaders and allies to take stock of the political situation. Parrikar, 62, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is currently admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The Congress, which has 16 members in the 40-member state Assembly, submitted a memorandum to the Governor, urging her not to dissolve the Assembly and instead invite the party to form the government, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said. He said the BJP has a habit of forcing Governor Rule in a state where they fail to rule and the Congress will not allow it to happen. Goa is being ruled by the BJP-led alliance headed by Parrikar. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and MGP have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from Nationalist Congress Party also support the BJP. All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by Kavlekar, went to the Raj Bhavan but could not meet the Governor as she is out of the state. The party urged the Governor not to consider dissolution of the Assembly, which is a possibility considering internal fighting in the ruling alliance and illness of Parrikar, Kavlekar said. He said the Congress has support of legislators from other parties and can form the government, if given a chance. We will prove our majority on the floor of the House, he said. Earlier, BJP leader Ram Lal said the Goa Government was stable and no demand had been made for a change in the leadership. He said this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members. He said the BJPs alliance partners conveyed that they would agree to any decision taken by the saffron party. Kavlekar said the state was not in a position to face another election within one-and-half year due to whims and fancies of the BJP. Having another election means stress on the state exchequer, he said. Earlier too, the Congress had staked claim on May 18, 2018, to form the government in Goa, citing the example of Karnataka where the largest party BJP was invited to form the government after the Assembly polls threw up a fractured verdict. The Congress had said that it had not been invited to form the government in Goa after the Assembly polls in March last year despite it emerging as the largest single party. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Ananya Panda Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Newly-elected president of Delhi University Ankiv Baisoya of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has been accused of furnishing a fake certificate of Thiruvalluvar University for securing admission in MA in Buddhist Studies in Delhi University. The Congress student wing NSUI alleged that Baisoya of ABVP had submitted fake mark sheet for taking admission to MA in Buddhist Studies in Delhi University, an allegation rubbished by the right-leaning ABVP calling it nothing but a slander campaign by the NSUI. The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) released a letter from Thiruvalluvar University sent in response to a communication from the student's body. It stated that the BA certificate submitted by Basoya from the university is fake. The NSUI said a marksheet was presented by Baisoya for taking admission in MA (Buddhist Studies), but the Thiruvalluvar University clearly refused to have enrolled a student of such name and a marksheet of that serial number is not in their record. In a statement, the ABVP termed the NSUI allegation a propaganda. National media convener of ABVP Monika Chaudhary also questioned the authenticity of the letter. Delhi University has all the right to verify documents of not only Ankiv rather they must verify documents of all DUSU office bearers to stop rumours in future, she said. Delhi University gave admission to Ankiv Basoya after due verification of its documents and its the process of the university. Even today DU has all the right to verify documents of any student enrolled in university. But it is not the job of NSUI to provide certificates to any person, the ABVP leader said. However, NSUIs national secretary Saimon Farooqui claimed, The mark sheet (copies of which were circulated on social media) was presented by Ankiv Basoya for taking admission in MA Buddhist Studies. The university clearly refuses to have enrolled a student of such name and a mark sheet with such serial number is not in their record. The ABVP is following the footsteps of their parent organisation RSS and also BJP where the candidates contest and win the election by unfair means, alleged the NSUI leader. The development came a day after the Delhi High court directed the Delhi University to keep secure the EVMs used in the recently-conducted DUSU elections on a plea by three candidates of the NSUI suspecting a rigging in the DUSU results. The NSUI has alleged that while seven EVMs of the total 126 used in the DUSU elections were missing EVMs had been tampered to favour the ABVP. The DUSU chief election office had admitted to glitches in some EVMs on the counting day following objections raised by the NSUI candidates followed by the counting being stopped for several hours on September 13. On the latest allegations of fake degree by the new DUSU president, the DU administration could not be reached for comment as of now. editorial@tribune.com Tribune news Service New Delhi, September 17 Members of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) clashed on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus this morning. The violence erupted hours after results of the JNU Students Council were declared. Both sides accused each other of assaulting their activists and later lodged cross-complaints at the Vasant Kunj police station. Newly elected JNUSU president N Sai Balaji said the ABVP randomly attacked students and that he was also assaulted by them. The AISA alleged that a former student was almost lynched outside Sutlej Hostel whereas the ABVP on its part claimed its several activists were attacked by students associated with the Left. I was called to the scene at Sutlej Hostel. As elected JNUSU president, I went to ensure Pawan Meenas (AISA activist) safety who was attacked by ABVP students with sticks. I saw a mob led by Saurabh Sharma (former JNUSU joint secretary from the ABVP) attacking students with sticks, Balaji claimed. He also alleged that the rival party openly threatened him, former JNUSU president Geeta and some others of dire consequences if they intervened to stop the violence. Later, Balaji was allegedly beaten up while sitting in a PCR van. Our supporters were attacked by criminals hiding as champions of Communist ideology. Around 15-20 Left workers were attacked, said Monika Chaudhary, ABVP national media convener. Secure EVMs: HC monicakchauhan@gmail.com Mumbai, September 18 India's first woman IAS officer post-Independence, Anna Rajam Malhotra, died at her residence in suburban Andheri here on Monday, her family sources said. She was 91. The last rites were performed in the city, they said. She was born as Anna Rajam George in Kerala's Ernakulum district in July 1927. She shifted to Chennai after her schooling in Kozhikode to pursue higher education at the University of Madras. Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre. She then served in the Madras state under Chief Minister C Rajagopalachari. She married R N Malhotra, who served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1985 to 1990. She is also known for her contribution in setting up the country's modern port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) near Mumbai. She was the chairperson of the JNPT during the execution. Malhotra was given the task of JNPT as a part of her deputation in the Central government. In 1989, she was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award. Malhotra had worked under seven chief ministers of Tamil Nadu. She had worked closely with Rajiv Gandhi when he was in charge of the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi. She had served in the personnel section of the Union Home Ministry during her central services, her family sources said. Post retirement, Malhotra was serving as a director of Hotel Leela Venture Ltd, they added. PTI shalender@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 At a time when Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is flagging off high number of vacancies in lower judiciary and consequent pendency of cases with the chief justices of high courts, the latest government data suggests that of the total pending cases (2.5 crore), over 22 lakh are decade-old and are languishing in subordinate courts. According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), the pending cases in the subordinate courts account for 8.29 per cent of the total pending cases. Of the total 22,90,364 cases pending in the lower courts for 10 years or more, 5,97,595 (5.97 lakh) are civil and 16,92,769 (16.92 lakh) criminal. The NJDG is a part of the ongoing e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project. It works as a monitoring tool to identify, manage and reduce pendency of cases. The e-committee of the SC had launched the NJDG to provide data on cases pending in the district courts across the country. The same is further segregated into civil and criminal cases and then broken down on the basis of the number of years they have been languishing in courts. Prasad, like his predecessors, has been urging chief justices of the HCs to fast-track the cases that are pending for over 10 years. They have also been requested to physically verify the pending cases in the lower courts under their respective jurisdictions and reduce pendency by increasing the number of judicial officers. Piling up 5.97 lakh civil cases of the total 22,90,364 pending in lower courts 16.92 lakh criminal lawsuits still languishing in subordinate courts rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Tuesday gave approval for the procurement of two additional regiments of the Akash missile, an air defence weapon. These Akash Missile Systems will be supplied by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles and will include seeker technology. It possesses a 360- degree coverage and will be of compact configuration with reduced signature. The upgraded Akash Weapon System is an operationally critical equipment which will provide protection to vital assets. In all, the DAC okayed the procurement of equipment for nearly Rs 9,100 crore. The DAC also gave approval for progressing Design and Development of Individual Under-Water Breathing Apparatus for T-90 tanks developed by the DRDO. The DAC also approved the design and development of test equipment for guided weapons system of T-90 tank. The equipment is being developed by the DRDO. shalender@tribune.com Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service Kolkata, September 18 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday jointly inaugurated the construction of a friendship pipeline and two railway projects through video conferencing. The 130-km India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project will connect Siliguri in West Bengal and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The Rs 364-crore project will be completed in 30 months and the capacity of the pipeline will be 1 million metric tons per annum. This will be the first such pipeline through which diesel will be supplied to Bangladesh. Initially, Bangladesh will receive 2.5 lakh tonnes of diesel per annum and gradually, the supply will be increased to 4 lakh tonnes. The two countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhales visit to Dhaka. Speaking on the occasion, Modi described the cooperation between the two neighbours as an example for the world. He said the proposed pipeline would energise, not just Bangladeshs economy, but also the relationship between the two countries. Besides the pipeline, the two leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual-gauge rail lines in the Dhaka-Tongi section and the dual-gauge rail line in the Tongi-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she would expect continued support from India for developing Bangladesh. I look forward to continued support from the government of India in our development pursuit. Im quite sure well get such many happy events in the days ahead for the welfare of our people, she said. Friendship pipeline 130-km pipeline will link Siliguri to Parbatipur Rs 364-cr project will complete in 30 months 1 million metric tons per annum is the capacity For Diesel supply This will be the first pipeline through which diesel will be supplied to Bangladesh. Initially, Dakha will receive 2.5 lakh tonnes of diesel a year and later, the supply will be raised to 4 lakh tonnes. uttara@tribuneindia.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said there was no proposal before her to bring down the strength of the Indian Army. Sitharaman, who was addressing women journalists at the Indian Women Press Corps on Tuesday afternoon, was asked about the proposed restructuring of the army and reports that its numbers could be cut down. Choosing her words carefully, Sitharaman said there was no proposal before her, adding that Army chief General Bipin Rawat and his senior commanders were discussing a report is based on report of committee headed by Lt Gen DB Sheketkar (Retd). The committee recommended making the army leaner and having a certain teeth to tail ratio (military euphemism for ratio of fighting units and support services). The proposal has yet to reach the Ministry of Defence. Speaking about a promised panel promised panel to induct more women in the Short Service Commission (SSC), Sitharaman said details of the proposition were being worked out. The Prime Minister had announced a permanent commission on Independence Day during his speech from the Red Fort."We are working to get all three services to see that more areas will be available for women to be join as permanent officers," the defence minister said. Army chief has ordered four studies to review the structure of the Army. A review is slated in first week on October and another one in end-October. On the issue of getting the S 400 air defence missile system from Russia, Sitharaman said: Negotiations are in final stage. We have to see when we can sign. Our relationship with Russia is longstanding it's a constant issue of balancing and we have balanced (between US and Russia). During Indo-US 2+2 dialogue, the CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) was not raised. Referring to the overarching security information exchange (COMCASA) the Defence Minister said: We are the only non-NATO country to get the deal. It is an historic step forward in strengthening relations with US. Rafale On being asked about former Defence Minister AK Antonys allegations why Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was not made the Indian partner in the Rafale deal, Sitharaman said one of the things that did not happen during UPA was that HAL and Dassault could not work together. "To say that we have not taken care of HAL is incorrect, the UPA did not care of IAF or HAL," Sitharaman said, adding it is for UPA to answer whether HALs terms were appealing enough. All questions on HAL should go to UPA it is them who did not sign the agreement, she said. She dismissed Congress partys calls for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) saying: Why JPC? We are discussing it. We are talking about it in parliament. Countering Antony on why the central government limited itself to only 36 Rafale jets if the price was low, Sitharaman said: No plane is not an over-the-counter purchase. Weve had to negotiate the price. Our basic price is 9 per cent cheaper than the one negotiated by UPA. On being asked about what is happening in Jawharlal University (JNU), of which she is an alumna, the Defence Minister said: since the past four-five years what is happening in JNU regarding slogans and pamphlets being distributed (by a section of students) is anti-India. I will call them anti-national. On Mallya When asked about press reports that said the Central Bureau of Investigation downgraded their lookout notice for embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya before he escaped the country two years ago, Sitharaman refused to comment, instead questioning the former regime UPA over "indiscriminate" lending to Mallyas failing Kingfisher Airlines. I refuse to comment on CBI's working. But the question is why did UPA allow more loans in 2011 despite Kingfisher being on the verge of closure, she asked. Mallya revealed recently he had met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and offered to settle his dues before he left the country in March 2016a bombshell that had rivals questioning the ministers role in his escape. Adding to this debate were press reports that revealed that the CBI, one of the several agencies investigating cases of fraud against Mallya, downgraded its lookout circular from detain to merely inform, which critics say allowed him to leave with any hindrance. Mallya left the country in March 2016, leaving a trail of unpaid loans worth Rs 9,000 core that a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India have since been struggling to get back. The CBI is currently battling in a UK court to have him deported to India. shalender@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said no proposal had been placed before the government to cut down the number of troops in the Army even as she asserted that Indias relationship with Russia was longstanding and required constant balancing. The Defence Minister, speaking to women journalists at the Indian Women Press Corps, said details of the promised permanent commission for Short Service Commission women officers were being worked out. The Prime Minister had announced this option in his Independence Day speech. We are working to get all three services to see that more areas are available for women to join as permanent officers. On the proposed restructuring and reports that the 1.3 million-strong Army could be downsized, Sitharaman said there was no such proposal before her. The matter is still being discussed within the Army and has not reached the Ministry of Defence (MoD). What Army Chief General Bipin Rawat discusses with his senior commanders is based on a report of the committee headed by Lt Gen DB Sheketkar (retd), she said. The committee has suggested making the Army lean and mean with a certain teeth to tail ratio (military euphuism for ratio of fighting units and support services). The Army Chief has ordered four studies to review the structure of the Army. A review is slated in the first week of October and another later in the month. On the issue of getting the S-400 air defence missile system from Russia, the minister said negotiations were in the final stage. We have to see when we can sign. Our relationship with Russia is longstanding. Its a constant issue of balancing and we have balanced (between the US and Russia) it, she said. During India-US 2+2 dialogue, the issue of CAATSA (Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) was not raised, the minister said. Referring to the overarching security information exchange (COMCASA), she said: We are the only non-NATO country to get the deal. It is a historic step forward in strengthening relations with the US. CONGRESS CHARGES Government has jeopardised national security by ordering 36 jets instead of 126 the UPA negotiated for defence preparedness Governments Rafale deal squandered national interest by forgoing transfer of technology to HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) If NDAs base price is lower, why didnt negotiations involve all 126 jets, why only 36? Wheres justification for emergency purchase when 36 jets wont arrive before 2022? GOVTs COUNTER The UPA was in power for 10 years. It didnt finalise Rafale deal. It is not enough to talk; you have to prove intent as well HAL, Dassault couldnt agree on production terms. Why didnt UPA ensure HALs terms were appealing for Dassault? UPA didnt take care of HAL These arent over-the-counter purchases. Every order has to be placed & timeline related conditions honoured The first jet comes in September 2019, aircraft take time to arrive. Mr Antony knows that Hug was avoidable On Punjab minister Navjot Sidhus claim over Pakistan move to open Kartarpur Gurdwara corridor, the Defence Minister said: I speak as Raksha Mantri, hence double responsibility. Navjot Sidhu should have avoided hugging the army chief of Pakistan (Qamar Javed Bajwa). He (Sidhu) is a popular man, his action has demoralised soldiers and people. SC defers hearing The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing on a petition seeking a stay on the Rafale deal after the petitioner said he was unwell and would like to file additional documents to support his allegations. The court posted the matter for hearing on October 10. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 17 Though the BSP is yet to come on board, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday kicked off his partys campaign for the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh elections with a road show in Bhopal. Back in Delhi, the Congress made light of Gandhi's electoral splash in MP, saying he had visited Mandsaur earlier as part of poll preparations. A road show by Gandhi is, however, being seen as formal campaign launch of the Congress at a time when an electoral understanding with the Mayawati-led BSP is yet to be reached. Former minister and convener of the Congress core committee for 2019 Lok Sabha elections Jairam Ramesh said: What is new in Gandhi going to MP for campaign. He has gone there earlier also. He said negotiations with the BSP were underway. But it was evident that the Congress and BSP were locked in power play over the number of seats each will contest should they go together in MP to prevent the division of non-BJP vote. The idea of larger Opposition unity has been floated and nurtured by Gandhi over the past some months now. It will be put to test in MP. Although MP Congress chief Kamal Nath had recently said that he would deliver an alliance with the BSP soon, Mayawati has struck a dissonant note by arguing that hers is a national party which expects respectable seats even though she is for the unity of anti-BJP forces. Gandhi has, meanwhile, asked his Chhattisgarh workers to open channels of communication with BSP. uttara@tribuneindia.com Dhaka, September 18 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cited the cooperation between India and Bangladesh as an example for the world to follow, as he and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the construction of a friendship pipeline project through video conferencing. The 130-km India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The project, which is estimated to cost Rs 346 crore, will be completed in 30 months and the capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum. Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's visit to Dhaka. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said two countries were neighbours, geographically and family, emotionally, an official press release said. Modi said the proposed pipeline would further energise, not just Bangladesh's economy, but also the relationship between the two countries. He said the project will boost the friendship between India and Bangladesh and the pipeline will help fulfil energy needs of Bangladesh at cheaper rates. Besides the pipeline, the two leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual-gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi section and the dual-gauge rail line in Tongi-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway. Modi said Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Railway project would improve connectivity between the two countries and generate more revenue. He expressed confidence that the proposed railway project will contribute to the process of strengthening national and urban transport in Bangladesh, the statement said. PTI vinaymishra188@gmail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 17 Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee created a flutter in political and social media circles today with his near endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership on the latters 68th birthday. I extend my warm wishes to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi on his Birthday (sic). May you be blessed with a long, healthy & happy life and continue to serve the nation for many more years to come. #CitizenMukherjee, former President wrote on his Twitter timeline, triggering a trail of both bouquets and brickbats. Mukherjees politically nuanced message on the PMs birthday took the Congress by surprise, with the party refraining from any official comment on what the former President had to say. All a senior Congress leader mentioned when asked if any party leader was attending the RSS event in the capital today was: I can speak for myself. I dont intend to follow in the footsteps of Pranab Mukherjee. The jibe was for Mukherjees previous move of addressing a Sangh gathering at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur some time back. Congress leaders privately acknowledged the significance of Mukherjees may you serve the nation for many more years wish for Modi on the eve of 2019 General Election preceded by Assembly polls in four states. The former Presidents message followed a previous birthday greeting for the PM by Congress president Rahul Gandhi who wrote, Happy birthday to our PM Narendra Modi ji! Wishing him good health and happiness always. Social media circles remained abuzz after Mukherjees birthday wishes for Modi, with some people complimenting the former President for endorsing Modi as the next PM, and some simply targeting him saying he is angry with the Congress. Pranabs is not happy with Congress leadershipopenly endorsing second term to Narendra Modi, said one troll. Another message read: What does this indicate? Pranabda has more faith in Modiji to lead the nation for the next 10-15 years and make India greatest in the comity of nations. Opposition leaders who took to Twitter to wish the PM were TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, National Conferences Omar Abdullah, RJDs Tejasvi Yadav and former Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TDPs chief N Chandrababu Naidu and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti gave the ritual of greeting on Twitter a miss. shalender@tribune.com Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 19 Sporadic incidents of violence and skirmishes, mainly between Congress and Akali groups in five districts, were witnessed in Punjab during Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls on Wednesday. The voting percentage was recorded at 58 per cent. Mansa topped the polling chart, recording 71 per cent turnout, followed by Mohali and Sangrur (both 65 per cent). Lowest turnout was witnessed in Gurdaspur district where 47 per cent voters cast their vote. Following incidents of "booth capturing", the State Election Commission has received recommendations for a re-poll for 31 polling booths, including 22 in Muktsar, eight in Amritsar and one in Moga. The re-poll will be held on September 21. Counting will be conducted on September 22, Friday. Incidents of alleged booth capturing were reported from a number of places in Muktsar, Bathinda, Moga, Patiala and Ferozepur districts. There were reports about ballot papers being torn and polling closed even before the maarked time of 4 pm. The polling staff were also manhandled, while mobs brandished swords, iron rods and batons at certain places. Except on odd complaint, polling in the Doaba and Majha regions was largely peaceful. Over three-dozen people were injured during the poll-related violence in Ferozepur district as Akali and Congress workers clashed at several places. Stray incidents of gunshots being fired at about a dozen places were reported from Patiala district. A small child was injured in a melee after firing was reported at Dulewal village in Bathinda following a clash between Congress and SAD workers. Jharo village in Sangrur district, too, witnessed a firing incident. Former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal allegedly roughed up a Congress supporter at Mandi Killianwali in Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district. Former Akali minister Sikander Singh Maluka staged a dharna at Kangar village in Rampura Phul against alleged booth capturing by Congress. Residents of Dhaula boycotted elections to protest against the incidents of sacrilege. Residents of Hasta Kalan village of Fazilka district boycotted polling due to bifurcation of the panchayat. The Akali Dal alleged that nominations of a large number of party candidates were cancelled, mainly in the Majha region. The party also levelled allegation of poll officers indulging in helping the Congress candidates by stamping ballot papers at many places, including Dera Bassi, Dhuri and Kumbarwar villages. Following attempts for "booth capturing" in New Rode (Gurupur) village in Moga district, the district administration has recommended to the state election commission to cancel the polls. A re-poll has been recommended at Bakhsiwal in Patiala district, where Bahadar Khan, personal assistant of Cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra, was allegedly seen polling bogus votes inside a polling booth. The Bathinda Deputy Commissioner has recommended re-poll at Dullewala village in view of booth capturing, while Sangrur DC has sought a detailed report from Dhuri Tehsildar after allegations of fake voting in Kumbarwal polling booth. A total of 354 zila parishad and 2,900 panchayat samiti members are to be elected through these polls. There are 22 zila parishads and 150 panchayat samitis in the state. editorial@tribune.com Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 17 Seeking to dispel misconceptions about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat today said it was the most democratic and self-reliant organisation that functioned with consensus and where even he, as the RSS chief, could be questioned. Bhagwat narrated an incident when he was questioned by a young swayamsevak over his prolonged absence from the shakhathe daily morning training meeting of the Sangh. If you want to see the most democratic organisation, come to Sangh, he told the audience at a lecture series on the Sanghs perspective about IndiaFuture of Bharat: An RSS Perspectiveat Vigyan Bhavan, the premier convention centre of the government. I will present the reality, my aim is not to convince you. To be convinced or not convinced is your right, he said, initiating the event that has evoked much interest, especially around the list of political invitees. Opposition leaders who were invited for the event, however, were conspicuous by their absence. Barring former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, no other non-BJP leader could be spotted, even though organisers claimed they had sent invites to all political parties to come and hear the Sanghs views and question if not convinced. Bhagwat said the RSS was only interested in personality development and, in turn, building a strong nation. Even coordination committee meetings (with the BJP) were only meant to exchange notes over welfare works and not to dictate any policy matters, he said. The Sangh, since its early days of foundation, has only been interested in grooming people towards nation-building, Bhagwat said as he spoke about its originswhen Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the RSS with the intention of promoting the concept of a united India rooted in Hinduism ideology. Bhagwat said the organisation only operated on members donations to their guruthe Bhagwa Dhwaj (saffron flag) and did not take any outside help. Looking for legitimacy beyond its core support base, this is the first time the RSS, which is known to generally maintain a low profile, is organising such an event. Though it claims to have no political affiliations, there seems to be worries over perceptions regarding its stance on minorities, caste-based quota, food habits due to influence of fringe groups and hardline Hindutva groups. Worries are also there about rise in factionalism between Hindu castes and attempts by non-BJP leaders to carve a soft Hindutva image. Rare praise for cong rchopra@tribunemail.com United Nations, September 18 In a veiled reference to Pakistan, India has said safe havens in Afghanistans neighbourhood have for years provided safety for the dark agendas of various terror outfits like the Taliban and the LeT. India also called for crippling the illicit drug trade which provides financial sustenance to these terror outfits. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a Security Council debate on Afghanistan on Monday that the Taliban, aided by their supporters, continued to pursue military operations perpetrating violence and destruction, like the recent attack in Ghazni, over several parts of Afghanistan. These offensives are planned and launched by those who are harboured in safe havens in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan. These sanctuaries have, for years, provided safety for the dark agendas of ideologically and operationally-fused terror networks like the Taliban, Haqqani network, Daesh, Al-Qaeda and its proscribed affiliates such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, he said. Akbaruddin said the agendas of these terror organisations drew financial sustenance not only from extortion and forced levies and taxes, but also benefited significantly from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistans natural resources. Citing estimates, he said 60 per cent of the Talibans revenues are from the drug trade and poppy cultivation is said to be the largest cash crop in Taliban-controlled areas. He expressed concern that while a Security Council resolution adopted earlier this year to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) did focus on linkages between extremism, terrorism, drug production and illegal exploitation of natural resources of Afghanistan, it fell short of expectations in striving to cripple the Talibans drug trade. The Secretary Generals current report also fails to address this very key issue in an adequate matter, he said. He asserted that templates for curbing illicit trade by terrorist networks existed, saying that it is estimated that when targeted, the Islamic States oil revenue fell over three years by nearly 90 per cent from a monthly high of USD 50 million to just USD 4 million. However by contrast, the opium produced in Taliban-controlled areas is estimated to account for 85 per cent of global illicit production, valued between USD 1.5 billion and USD 3 billion. PTI editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, September 17 Popular painkiller Saridon will be available on medical stores across the country, with the Supreme Court on Monday allowing the sale of the drug and three other banned fixed dose combinations (FDCs). A Bench of Justices RF Nariman and Indu Malhotra issued notice to the Centre and sought its reply on the plea filed by some drug makers and pharma associations. The medicines whose sale was allowed were Piramal Healthcares Saridon, GlaxoSmithKlines Piriton, Juggat Pharmas Dart and another drug, the details of which could not be immediately known. The SC, however, did not grant any relief to the other medicines falling in the list of 328 FDC drugs which were banned by the Health Ministry by its September 7 notification. FDCs are two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio into a single dosage form. The Delhi High Court had earlier allowed Indian pharma major Wockhardt to sell its Ace Proxyvon tablets, which is a mixture of three saltsaceclofenac, paracetamol and rabeprazol a combination that is banned. The pharma firm, which claimed to have been manufacturing and selling the drug for over 11 years, had contended that it has not been provided with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board report, based on which the decision was taken. It had claimed that the only reason given in the September 7 notification was that the combination had no therapeutic value. The medicine is reportedly prescribed for people with painful rheumatic conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The Health Ministry had, through a notification of March 10, 2016, prohibited 349 FDCs for manufacture, sale and distribution under Section 26 A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The notification was then contested by the pharma companies in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. The HC in December 2016 had quashed the ban on the FDCs, which was challenged by the Centre in the apex court. The SC had in December last year set aside the HC order and referred the banned FDCs to DTAB for re-examination. Complying with the apex court direction, an expert panel set up by DTAB, in its report to the Centre, had stated that there was no therapeutic justification for the ingredients contained in 328 of the 349 FDCs, which may also involve risk to humans. PTI Notice to Centre on pesticides ban plea editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 17 The Supreme Court today decided to examine the material collected by the Pune police against five activists arrested last month for their alleged Maoist links and hinted at setting up a panel if the evidence was found to be cooked up. First of all we must have a look at the material. If we find the material is cooked up, we will set up an SIT How can we adjudicate against them (Maharashtra Police) without hearing them and looking at the material? a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said. Every criminal investigation is based on allegations and we have to see whether there is some material, the Bench said during hearing of a petition filed by historian Romila Thapar and four other intellectuals challenging the arrests. The Bench, which also includes Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud, extended for two more days the house arrest of the five activists while posting the petition for further hearing on September 19. They have been under house arrest since August 29. In a pan-India crackdown on August 28, poet Varavara Rao was arrested in Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj in Faridabad and Chhattisgarh and civil liberties activist Gautam Navlakha in Delhi for suspected Maoist links. The Maharashtra Police alleged the arrested activists were planning to carry out violence in the country and ambush security forces and the raids were part of a probe into a conclaveElgar Parishadheld at Bhima-Koregaon on December 31, 2017, which allegedly triggered violence the next day. On Monday, the Centre entered the scene in support of the Maharashtra Government to oppose the petition filed by Thapar and four others. Naxalism was becoming a big problem that had spread throughout the country, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh said justifying the Centres intervention. ASGs Maninder Singh and Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Maharashtra Government, respectively, said an impression had been created that subordinate courts would not hear the accused. What is the situation or the case which has not been entertained by the courts below and what is that aspect which creates doubt in their minds, that the lower judicial forum wont hear them? Singh asked. This will set a dangerous precedent, he said. We entertained the case on the foundations of liberty. Issues like independent inquiry come at a later stage. Let the accused seek relief below. Meanwhile, our interim order (for house arrest) may continue, the Bench responded. shalender@tribune.com Aditi Tandon & Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 The government today rejected Congress demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the April 10, 2015, deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets between India and France saying the matter was already being discussed in Parliament. What JPC? We are already discussing the in Parliament, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said two hours after her predecessor AK Antony reiterated Congress demand for a JPC, and asked what the government feared. The Congress will tomorrow petition CAG and soon also the Central Vigilance Commission as it believes these bodies have the constitutional duty to take suo motu cognisance of the Rafale deal. The Defence Minister returned fire after Antony questioned the government on a range of issues, including exclusion of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from the offset partnership clausesomething that was part of the UPA time negotiations. Sitharaman counter-questioned Antony asking why his government didnt ensure HALs terms were appealing enough for Dassault to make it an offset partner in UPAs times. One of the things that didnt happen during UPA tenure was that HAL and Dassault could not work together. You (the UPA) have not taken care of HAL. You have not finalised the Rafale deal. The deal didnt happen because Dassault Aviation and HAL could not agree on production terms, she said. traineesubeditor@tribuneindia.com Thane, September 18 Two men allegedly beat up some police personnel and a tempo driver during the Ganesh idol immersion ritual at Dombivili town here in Maharashtra, police said Tuesday. The Dombivili police received a complaint Monday night that the accused were thrashing some people at the idol immersion site Chola Talao during the ongoing Ganesh festival, Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said. A team of police personnel rushed to the site where they spotted the accused beating a tempo driver and manhandling some women, she said. When the police team tried to intervene, the accused allegedly beat up a police inspector, a sub-inspector and some constables, Narkar said. Additional police force was then called at the spot but by the time the personnel arrived, the two men fled, she said. A search was on for the accused, she said, adding that offences were registered against them under IPC section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). PTI. amansharma@tribunemail.com London, September 18 Britains counter-terrorism officers on Tuesday conducted a series of raids on homes in central England in connection with what it described as allegations of extremist activity in India and fraud offences. The West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) led investigation covered addresses in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham, where searches remain ongoing and no arrests have been made so far. Detectives are searching a number of properties as part of a West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) investigation. The residential addresses in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham are being searched today (Tuesday) by WMCTU with the support of East Midlands Special Operations Unit Special Branch (EMSOU-SB), a West Midlands Police statement said. The searches are in connection with allegations of extremist activity in India and fraud offences. No one has been arrested, it said. While the security forces have not released any further details on the nature of the raids or the suspects targeted in the operation, a UK-based Sikh outfit issued a statement expressing concern that Indian police officers may be in the UK and could be targeting Sikh activists through British police. Sikh Federation UK, a group that campaigns for the creation of an independent Sikh state, said: We have just held a very successful 35th Annual International Sikh Convention in the West Midlands and Indian police officers here in the UK would have picked up and no doubt raised concerns with the level of support we are receiving during our lobbying and political activity for an independent Sikh State, Khalistan. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Bathinda, September 17 With the canal-based irrigation system in a bad shape and the water table depleting at an alarming pace, the farmers are at the receiving end in Malwa. Some areas are facing waterlogging, while others are crying for water. Continuous seepage of water from the damaged brick-lining of the Rajasthan Feeder (RF) and Sirhind Feeder (SF) canals has left 11 villages of Faridkot waterlogged. The Hydrological Investigation Division of the Agriculture Department has found that 11 villages, situated near the banks of the RF and SF canals in Faridkot district, are reeling under waterlogging and salinisation problems due to excessive seepage of water from the damaged side and bed lining of these canals. Seepage woes Sources in the Agriculture Department revealed that after the construction of these two parallel twin canals in 1960s, the groundwater table had risen from 140 ft in 1960 to the present level of about 3 ft due to continuous seepage of water from the deep cracks and damaged side lining of both canals. Besides, causing an extensive loss of water, these cracks and damaged side lining is seriously affecting crop production in an area of 3.5 lakh acres in Punjab due to waterlogging. Due to high loss of water in seepage, the farmers at the tail end of these canals are the ultimate sufferers, as they get little or no water. As per the estimates of the Directorate of Irrigation and Power Research Institute, Punjab, there is seepage of about 1,800 cusecs of water from the RF and SF canals due to damaged side and bed lining of the canals. Repairs awaited Seven year back, the state government had mooted a proposal of relining of 97 km of the RF and 100 km of the SF canals and it was approved by the Central government to be completed in four years. However, the project could not take off so far. The RF and SF are two parallel channels starting upstream of the Harike Headworks. Earlier this month, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh also met Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari and discussed with him the relining of the Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals. Tail-end misery Fazilka is perhaps the only subdivision where non-perennial canal system exists for irrigating the crops. Farmers have been bearing the brunt of canal water crunch ever since the commencement of the sowing season. Official sources said seven distributaries, namely Fazilka, Jandwala, Southern, Roranwali, Hauzkhas, Chackpakhi and Khuranj, offer water to Fazilka subdivision villages, and most of them fall at the tail-end of these canals. Canal Department sources said 1,050 cusecs of water was required to irrigate the fields these days, but only about 500 cusecs was released in these canals and that, too, on rotation basis. The subsoil brackish water is unfit for irrigation purposes. The theft of water by affluent farmers had worsened the situation. In Ferozepur, the main problem is in the Ladhuka and Mamdot distributaries as both these channels run along the international border due to which the approach is not easy. In the Mamdot distributary, adequate water is not reaching the tail-end and same is the case with Ladhuka where the villages situated at tail-end, including Chakk Khiva, Ladhuka, Behak Haste, Lakho Ke Uthar, Lakho Ke Hithar Behak Vattu are facing scarcity of canal water. Sources in the Canal Department said the scheduled maintenance, including repairs and cleanliness, of the canal system had not been done for the last five years. In Abohar, there has hardly been any improvement in the canal water-based irrigation system. Various instances of breach in the sub-canals were reported due to discharge of excess water from waterlogged villages of the Lambi segment. No efforts were made to repair the breached walls, which were plugged using sand bags and that, too, with the help of affected farmers. In the last couple of months, many farmers, most of them in tail-end villages, had to block traffic on highways when their crops were deprived of sufficient water reportedly due to rotation system that was enforced citing low-level of water in dams. Ill-timed cleaning and de-silting The shortage of canal water has also hit the farmers in Muktsar district. At the time of sowing of cotton crop, a majority of canals were dry as the Irrigation Department had shut them for routine cleaning and de-silting purposes. The water supply was resumed after almost a month of the start of crop-sowing season. Incidentally, the farmers are still not getting adequate canal water supply to their fields as the canals are being closed on rotation basis. Mukhtiar Singh, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, said, If we release water in all canals and minors, the water level will remain low because of the shortage of water in the dams and headworks. The canals and distributaries are being run on the rotational basis so that adequate water reaches the villages located at the tail-end of canals. Will be revamped on priority We are aware of the condition of the canal water irrigation system and it will be revamped across the state on priority. As far as poor maintenance of canals is concerned, the budgetary allocation to the Irrigation Department was less last fiscal year due to which the work suffered. However, we will address all the issues concerning canal water supply to farmers soon. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Irrigation Minister Most of the areas in the Malwa region are largely dependent on tubewells for irrigation as the groundwater is unfit for the purpose and there is an acute shortage of canal water. The government has failed to provide the required quantity of canal water to the farm sector. There is a need to revamp the irrigation infrastructure and also boost the capacity of canals to address the irrigation woes of farmers. Joginder Singh Ugrahan, state president, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) (With inputs from Balwant Garg, Archit Watts, Anirudh Gupta, Praful Nagpal and Raj Sadosh) editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, September 17 Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa today urged PM Narendra Modi to consider the option of swapping land with Pakistan for the proposed Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur corridor. In a letter to the PM, Bajwa cited an example from 1962 when land was swapped in return for a piece of land at Hussainiwala where the cremation site of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru is located. He said, Start bilateral talks with Pakistan and propose to transfer the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur corridor to India in return for an alternative piece of land. Such a deal has a historical precedent. I offer this as an alternative to visa-free access so as to negate national security concerns that may arise. Bajwa had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2011, when he was the MP from Gurdaspur constituency. TNS rchopra@tribunemail.com Vishav Bharti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 18 Rubbishing Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badals claim that he was snubbed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the Kartarpur corridor issue, Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu on Tuesday said Swaraj had assured him that the draft was ready and the letter would soon be sent to Pakistan. Following the meeting between Sidhu and Swaraj on Monday, Harsimrat had claimed that the Punjab minister had made an unannounced visit to the External Affairs Minister and was told that the matter was already being pursued by me and that he had no business making false claims. However, Sidhu rubbished her claim saying he would not do politics on the religious issue. The appointment was taken in advance and the minister said that the draft of the letter was ready and would soon be sent to Pakistan, he clarified in a press conference here. He said former minister MS Gill accompanied him on his request as he had been pursuing the issue for long. In a separate letter sent to Swaraj, referring to the Pakistan governments offer of opening the corridor, Sidhu said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had held a meeting with all stakeholders and Sikh pilgrims yearning to visit Kartarpur Sahib would soon be fulfilled as they were ready to open the corridor. He said it was also reiterated by Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry through a tweet and a video interview to the BBC Punjabi on September 7. Chaudhry had said that Pakistan is willing to open the corridor and is waiting for Indias formal affirmation. Sidhu said he had requested Swaraj to send a formal request to the Pakistan government for an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur Sahib passage immediately after the current monsoon session. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 18 Less than 24 hours before the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the stakeholders involved in the process to take appropriate measures for ensuring fairness. The Bench of Justice Mahesh Grover and Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu also gave the State and other official respondents the liberty to adopt any or all such measures that may enhance the fairness of the election process, including the installation of CCTVs etc. Taking up the petition filed against Punjab and other respondents by Buta Singh Bairagi through counsel Saurabh Kapoor, the Bench said the plea was based on the petitioners apprehension that the zila parishad elections in Moga were likely to witness irregularities. The Bench added that a prayer was, as such, made for having in place adequate arrangements to thwart any untoward incident, such as the installation of cameras outside polling stations and other satisfactory measures to ensure safety of the ballot boxes. The Bench said it could not straightway be presumed that the sanctity of the election process would be permitted to be defied by the State or those responsible for the conduct of free and fair elections. We cannot lend any credence to the apprehension of the petitioner, but keeping in view the fact that nobody can deny the necessity of a fair election with no violence or irregularity, we deem it appropriate to direct the official stakeholders involved in the process to take appropriate measures to prove the apprehension of the petitioner wrong, the Bench added. Moga: Following the HC order, the district administration ordered the installation of CCTV cameras in at least 30 polling booths spread across 13 villages. Videography has also been ordered in at least 60 polling booths in more than 25 villages of the district. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Gurcharan Singh Babbar, president of the All India Sikh Conference (AISC), has submitted a written complaint against senior advocate Harvinder Singh Phoolka, who is fighting cases for the widows of 1984 Sikh riots, to Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik. The AISC chief said in the complaint that in 1984 along with a battery of lawyers Phoolka had submitted an affidavit on behalf of the widows to the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission. He alleged that since most of the widows were uneducated Phoolka chose to draft the affidavit in English and got their thumb impressions. The same document was submitted to the commission. He thus cheated them, he added. In the affidavit, Phoolka didnt mention the name of Congress leaders who were involved in the riots, the complaint reads, while questioning that why names of then Union Home Secretary MMK Wali, Delhi Lt Governor PG Gawai, Delhi Commissioner of Police Subash Tandon and other senior police officials were not mentioned. Babbar also alleged that when the widows were called by the Commission, the statements the widows gave were different from the affidavit. HS Phoolka, AAP MLA, has strongly reacted to the complaint made against him saying that such complaints were frivolous. These allegations have been doing the rounds as diversionary tactics since I started fighting the anti-riots case. Supporters of accused leaders have been making such baseless allegations, he said. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 17 After a decade, the ruling Congress is set to regain control of most of the zila parishads and panchayat samitis. More than 1.27 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect 354 members of 22 zila parishads and 2,900 members of 150 panchayat samitis. Amid apprehension of violence, over 50,000 Punjab Police cops will be on duty across the state on polling day on Wednesday. VK Bhawra, DGP (Provisioning and Modernisation), said a heavy police bandobast had been made to prevent any untoward incident. The elections are largely a direct fight between the Congress and the Akali Dal-BJP alliance, with the Aam Aadmi Party fielding its candidates on 30 per cent of the seats. With the nomination papers of many candidates of Opposition parties getting rejected or nominees withdrawing from the contest, the Congress is looking to sweep the elections. There have been 551 rejections/withdrawals out of 1,439 nominations for zila parishads and 3,879 rejections/withdrawals out of 10,276 nominations for panchayat samitis. Generally, these elections are won by the ruling party, which carries out the demarcation of all zones in the zila parishads and block samitis based on their pockets of influence. For a decade, the Akali-BJP alliance had control over 95 per cent of these rural bodies (except in Nawanshahr and some pockets of Patiala, where the Congress had won). This time, the SAD is hoping to win seats in Muktsar district and parts of Bathinda. Panthic issues have dominated campaigning, while local issues such as healthcare, sanitation and social security pensions have been ignored. Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar told The Tribune that the Akali-BJP alliance had been discredited by the voters, so their candidates were themselves withdrawing nomination papers. People will be voting for us on development. I agree that issues concerning these Panchayati Raj institutions are not being debated upon in these polls and realpolitik is taking precedence, but once we win, we will strengthen these institutions and work on giving them more autonomy. No effort on this front was made during the past 10 years, he said. Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal claims that his party has managed to come back with a bang after dispelling the false propaganda on sacrilege incidents spread by the Congress, through their Pol Khol and Jabar Virodhi rallies. However, the elections are being monitored by the Congress government. They have illegally rejected the nomination papers of our candidates, and in cases where they could not do that, our nominees have been forced to withdraw their papers. The State Election Commissions office is sitting on complaints and refusing to act. But we are giving the Congress a tough fight wherever our candidates are contesting, he said. Sources in the government said the bigger challenge would be the gram panchayat elections. Though these are to be held in October, the government is likely to postpone the same to mid-November after the paddy harvesting season gets over. uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 18 Ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party continue to criticise Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu over last months visit to Pakistan where he was caught on camera hugging the countrys army general Qamar Javed Bajwa. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday that Sidhus popularity made his action significantly worse. I speak as Raksha Mantri, hence with double (sic) responsibilitySidhu should have avoided that singular gesture of hugging the Army Chief. Hes popular: his action has demoralised soldiers and people, she said. Sidhu visited Pakistan on August 17 to attend the swearing in ceremony of Pakistans new Prime Minister Imran Khan in an event that continues to haunt him a month later. A camera caught Sidhu hugging Bajwa at the functionan act that was excoriated by his critics and gave his former party the BJP ammunition to target the Congress with. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 17 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today announced that a delegation would visit Pakistan to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan over opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa and other officials today visited Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur) and performed ardas at the spot bordering Pakistan from where Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib can be seen through binoculars. The SGPC and the DSGMC have planned year-long celebrations to mark Guru Nanaks 550th birth anniversary, starting on November 10-11 from Darbar Sahib, Dera Baba Nanak. Longowal said efforts were being made to ensure that identical deepmala and other events could be held simultaneously on both sides of the border. If both governments reach an agreement, the SGPC would be fortunate to build this corridor, including a bridge on the Ravi, he said. Sirsa said it was decided that the two top bodies of the Sikhs would take up the matter jointly. We have submitted a request to the Indian High Commission to approach its counterpart across the border to facilitate the delegations visit, he added. Meanwhile, AAP leader Jarnail Singh said in New Delhi that the Modi government's "insensitive" approach towards the corridor is hurting Sikh sentiments across the world. He said if there was no official proposal from Pakistan, the NDA government should take the initiative. Opening the corridor is a long-pending demand of the Sikhs. After Pakistan's Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa's assurance, their Information Minister Fawad Ahmed Chaudhary has said their government is ready to provide 'visa-free direct access' to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib," he added. No proposal from Pak: VK Singh New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh (retd) said here on Monday that no formal proposal had been received so far from Pakistan regarding opening of the corridor. "This issue has been going on for a very long time. There is nothing that has come about yet," said VK Singh, even as Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi. Sources said the corridor and Sidhu's recent interaction with Pakistan's Army chief during his visit to Islamabad were part of the discussions. TNS Sidhu pulled up by Swaraj, says Harsimrat New Delhi: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday claimed that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had "reprimanded" Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him to visit Pakistan recently for Imran Khan's swearing-in as Prime Minister. "External Affairs Minister (Swaraj) reprimands Navjot Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance granted for a private visit by hugging the military chief responsible for killing our soldiers," Harsimrat said. pti amansharma@tribunemail.com Chandigarh, September 18 Detailed security arrangements have been put in place for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls to be held in Punjab on Wednesday. While the ruling Congress has expressed confidence over registering a clean sweep in the local body polls, both Aam Aadmi Party and the Akali Dal-BJP combine are optimistic about there chances provided the state election commission ensures free and fair elections. Saying ruling Congress wants to win the elections by hook or by crook, opposition parties have expressed fear of large scale booth capturing by the ruling party workers. A total of 354 Zila Parishad members and 2,900 Panchayat Samiti members are going to be elected in the polls, officials said. There are 22 Zila Parishads and 150 Panchayat Samitis in the state. There are 1,27,87,395 total registered voters, comprising 60,99,053 female voters and 97 from the third gender. Tight security arrangements have been put in place with around 50,000 personnel from Punjab police deputed to prevent any untoward incident, officials said. A total of 17,268 polling booths will be set up and 86,340 personnel will be put on election duty. A total of 35 observers will be appointed to ensure peaceful conduct of the polls, officials said. The voting time will be from 8 am to 4 pm. The counting will take place on September 22. With the Congress being regarded as the most likely winner of the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls after a gap of ten years, the main contest will be between the ruling party and Akali Dal-BJP combine. Kin of a few state ministers, including Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, and some legislators, including Fatehjang Bajwa, Balvinder Singh, will try their luck in the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls. With Congress confident of victory on the back of fulfillment of poll promisesdebt waiver and good governance, Akali Dal, BJP and AAP have targeted the state government for not honouring promises such as smart phones for youths, raising shagun scheme amount, among others. Ever since the process of nominations started this month, opposition parties Akali Dal, BJP and AAP have accused the Amarinder Singh government of murdering democracy for allegedly stopping their candidates from participating in the upcoming polls by resorting to hooliganism. The opposition has even accused the state election commission of acting at the behest of the state government. A few clashes have also been reported between the Akalis and Congress workers during filing of nominations. Punjab cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Tuesday expressed confidence on registering a clean sweep by the ruling party in tomorrows polls. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said he fears Congress workers will capture booths and instigate violence. I was told by a senior police officer that the CM has given directions to all the SSPs in the state to not take any action against Congress workers, alleged Sukhbir. The Punjab election commission chief should resign as he seems to be working as a congress worker. If there is any incident of poll rigging and if our party worker is attacked, it will be the CMs responsibility, alleged Sukhbir. Main opposition party leaders echoed Sukhbirs views. Co-president of AAPs Punjab unit Balbir Singh said, Our candidates are being threatened by Congress workers. Liquor is being offered to lure voters by Congress workers. PTI shalender@tribune.com THOSE interested in the early history of India and Indian archaeology will read with equal profit and pleasure the annual report for 1915-16 of the Archaeological Survey of India a very interesting chapter on the Site of Padmavati by Pandit M.B. Garde. Padmavati was one of the well-known seats of learning during the golden age of Hindu Literature and it has been most vividly described by Bhavabhuti in his famous play of Malati-Madhava. But it has not been so far easy to locate it as the city was either deserted or destroyed. Cunningham had suggested that Narwar, a small village in Gwalior State, was probably the site of the famous city of Padmavati and this view was supported by the discovery of certain Naga coins in the region. But later investigations have brought out very interesting facts showing that the site of old Padmavati is at a village called Pawaya, about 25 miles to the north-east of Narwar. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Pithoragarh, September 17 Two persons were arrested on Monday after a WhatsApp exchange on a plan to allegedly kill Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while they were apparently drunk, the police said. The minister paid a visit to Dharchula town in this district on Monday. The police were alerted at 9:30 pm on Sunday. The two have been booked under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Section 66 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, Pithoragarh SP Ramchandra Rajguru said. We were alerted to the chat (about killing the minister) on a WhatsApp group at 9.30 pm on Sunday. We identified two persons between whom the chat was taking place and arrested them Monday morning ahead of the Defence Ministers arrival here, he said. The controversial message sent by one of the arrested duo reads as, Main shoot karunga Sitharaman ko, kal uska akhiri din hoga. (I will shoot Sitharaman, tomorrow will be her last day), the police said. It was being probed whether the duo had any criminal background or possessed any arms and ammunition, Rajguru said. The credentials of the admin of the WhatsApp group were also being looked into, the SP said. Though the matter was still under investigation, prima facie it appeared the duo was chatting in a state of inebriation, the SP said. The Defence Minister visited Dharchula town on Monday to inaugurate a mega medical camp organised by the Army on Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday. His birthday is being celebrated as Seva Diwas. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Nairobi, September 18 Twelve dead babies have been found stuffed in boxes and plastic bags in a Kenyan hospital, prompting an investigation on the orders of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. Sonko said he went to the Pumwani Maternity Hospital on Monday after he received reports of negligence. "During the impromptu visit, I uncovered 12 bodies of infants who died at the hospital mysteriously and their bodies hidden in boxes and paper bags inside a room," he was quoted as saying by CNN. In a confrontation captured on video and shared online, the Governor stormed into the hospital and demanded to know how many children died that day. A hospital employee told him only one died since Friday. Sonko ordered the employee to open several boxes and plastic bags kept in a room. They counted 12 bodies, the report said. It was not immediately clear what killed the babies or what happened to their mothers. Sonko said he suspended several top hospital officials, including the superintendent, the administrator and the ob-gyn physician on duty, following the incident. Kenyan officials demanded changes after the incident came to light. "The situation unearthed at Pumwani is saddening, heartbreaking and undeserving to any family," Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja tweeted. "Spoken to Director of Criminal Investigations to investigate concerned parties on the deaths of the babies as well as allegations of child trafficking and baby swaps," he said. IANS vermaajay1968@gmail.com Beijing, September 17 Typhoon Mangkhut, the years most powerful tropical storm to hit the Chinese mainland, barrelled into the coast of Guangdong province killing at least four persons and forcing evacuation of over 3.11 million people in the southern region after leaving a trail of death and destruction from the Philippines to Hong Kong. Mangkhut landed at 5 pm on Sunday on the coast of Jiangmen City in Guangdong province, packing winds up to 162 km per hour, according to the provincial meteorological station. Three persons were killed by falling trees in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, while another person died from collapsing construction materials in the city of Dongguan, Guangdongs disaster relief authorities said. More than 3.11 million people had been relocated and over 49,000 fishing boats were called back to port in the province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Work has been suspended at more than 29,000 construction sites and 640 tourist spots were closed. All high-speed train services and some normal-speed rail services have been suspended in Guangdong and Hainan provinces. The storm was still raging across southern Chinas coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan and rain and strong winds were expected to continue through Tuesday, the report said. Mangkhut made landfall in western Guangdong on Sunday afternoon before moving into neighbouring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, bringing with it torrential rains and gales. Though the worst appears to have passed for Guangdong province, local meteorological authorities warned residents to remain alert for floods and landslides in Guangxi. Mangkhut earlier lashed the Philippines, sparking landslides and building collapses that killed 65 persons, with 43 missing. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Hawthorne, September 18 A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon will be the first man to fly on a monster SpaceX rocket around the Moon as early as 2023, and he plans to bring six to eight artists along. Yusaku Maezawa, 42, will be the first lunar traveller since the last US Apollo mission in 1972. He paid an unspecified amount of money for the privilege. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the Moon, Maezawa said at SpaceX headquarters and rocket factory in Hawthorne, California, late on Monday. This is my lifelong dream. Maezawa is chief executive of Japans largest online fashion mall, and is the 18th richest person in Japan with a fortune of $3 billion, according to the business magazine Forbes. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described Maezawa as the bravest and best adventurer. AFP ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Seoul, September 18 South Koreas President and Norths leader Kim Jong Un drove together through the streets of Pyongyang on Tuesday past thousands of cheering citizens before opening a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between his hosts and the United States. Kim and Moon embraced at Pyongyangs international airport-where the North Korean leader had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted. The Norths unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people waved North Korean flags and another depicting an undivided peninsula-while the Souths own emblem was only visible on Moons Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands of residents, holding bouquets and chanting in unison Reunification of the country!, lined the streets as Kim and Moon rode through the city in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kims predecessors-his father and grandfather-lie in state. I am acutely aware of the weight that we bear, Moon told Kim as they opened two hours of formal talks at the headquarters of the ruling Workers Party, adding that he felt a heavy responsibility. The entire world is watching and I would like to show the outcome of peace and prosperity to the people around the globe, said Moon, whose own parents fled the North during the Korean War that left the peninsula divided by the impenetrable Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and technically in a state of conflict. Addressing his visitor in respectful terms, Kim praised him for brokering his historic Singapore summit with US President Donald Trump in June, adding: This has led to stability in the region and I expect more progress. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have since sparred over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the Norths final, fully verified denuclearisation, while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned gangster-like demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. Moon will hold another round of formal talks with Kim on Wednesday as he tries to convince him to make substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump. AFP 3rd meeting in 2018 Moon Jae-ins three-day visit is the first by a South Korean President to Pyongyang in a decade, after Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and Moons mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007 It is also the two leaders third meeting this year, after previous summits in April and May in the DMZ The South Korean president was accompanied by business tycoons, including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Limousine parade vermaajay1968@gmail.com London, September 17 UK Prime Minister Theresa May cautioned rebels in her party that unless they support her potential Brexit deal with the EU then they will face a potentially disorderly no-deal exit that the IMF said would make the UK significantly poorer. The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29 and yet little is clear: There is, so far, no full exit agreement and some rebels in Mays Conservative Party have threatened to vote down a deal if she clinches one. I think that the alternative to that will be having no deal, May told BBC TV. The fate of Mays government and her Brexit plan is in doubt because it is unclear whether she could command the 320 votes she needs in the House of Commons, the lower House of British Parliament, to approve a deal. May said that if she got a deal, she thought Parliament would ultimately approve it. Recent signals from Brussels have buoyed hopes that the UK and the EU can agree and approve a proper divorce agreement before the UK leaves, though the sides are still divided on about one-fifth of the detail of a deal. But many business chiefs and investors fear politics could scupper an agreement, thrusting the worlds fifth largest economy into a no-deal Brexit that they say would weaken the West, spook financial markets and block the arteries of trade. As Britain now faces a choice between a bad Brexit deal or a damaging no-deal Brexit, voters should be given another referendum, London mayor Sadiq Khan said. With Mays plans in doubt, many ministers have outlined the damage that they say a disorderly no-deal Brexit would do to the British economy and its reputation as a politically stable haven for investment. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned failure to get a deal would make the economy shrink. The economy will grow around 1.5 per cent this year, the IMF said. I very much hope and pray that there will be a deal between the EU and the UK, she said. Finance Minister Philip Hammond said the government should heed the warning from the IMF. Supporters of Brexit, who admit there may be some short term instability, say British ministers and business chiefs are spreading scare stories about the impact of a no-deal in an attempt to rally support behind Mays plans. Mays former foreign minister, Boris Johnson, attacked her Brexit plans, known as Chequers after the country house where they were hashed out in July, as a political car crash. The whole thing is a constitutional abomination, and if Chequers were adopted it would mean that for the first time since 1066 our leaders were deliberately acquiescing in foreign rule, Johnson said, referring to the 11th Century invasion which established Norman rule over England. He scolded May for her handling of the Brexit negotiations on the future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, the only land border between the EU and the UK after Brexit. EU meeting today May is set to take her plan to the EU at a meeting in Salzburg on Tuesday and hinted that the Europeans were ready to discuss proposals. This is a workable proposal,she said, in reference to her plan which envisages a common rulebook with the EU for trade. Agencies rchopra@tribunemail.com Beirut, September 18 Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military aircraft, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli missile strike, Russian and Israeli forces said Tuesday. The incident late Monday was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel confirmed that it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". The plane downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence had a crew of 15, who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military claimed Israeli pilots had attacked Syrian targets by using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". But Israel denied the accusations, saying: "When the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, (Israeli) jets were already within Israeli airspace". The Russian government stressed that the incident would have no impact on the fledging Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. Syria state media reported late on Monday "our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted", it said, quoting a military source. Moscow had earlier said rockets were fired from a French frigate positioned in the same area of the Mediterranean. But the French military denied any involvement, with spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger telling AFP the frigate Auvergne "did not fire anything last night". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from the forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police", Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy". And the European Union said it expected the accord to "guarantee the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus's military re-conquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. AFP Many people dont have much choice about when they retire. Illness, job loss or caretaking responsibilities push them out of the labour force, ready or not. But some people have the opposite problem: They do have a choice, and yet they cant quite bring themselves to quit working. Thank you for the feedback. We`ve taken it and have rejigged the itinerary partly to make it fewer days. I added roughly what we`re planning for days 14-21 also. General comments welcome and there are some specific questions below the itinerary. Day 1-4 - Sydney Day 5 - Sydney to Wollongong - Stop at the Sea Cliff Bridge - Wollongong Botanic Garden - Wollongong Head Lighthouse Day 6 - Wollongong to Murramarang NP - Nan Tien Temple - Drive via Berry and stop in Kiama to check out the blowholes Day 7 - Murramarang NP Day 8 - Murramarang NP End the day by staying somewhere closer to Eden - around Narooma? Day 9 - Eden Drive to Eden via the Sapphire Coast and stop and Tathra Wharf Lookout - The Pinnacles Walking Track - Killer whale museum - Ben Boyd Tower - Davidson Whaling Station End the day by staying in Gipsy Point or Mallacoota Day 10 - Something in Mallacoota? Walking tracks / Genoa Peak? Drive to Bairnsdale Day 11 - Walhalla Drive to Walhalla - Long Gully Extended Gold Mine - Walhalla Goldfields Railway - Old Walhalla Post Office Museum Day 12 - GOR day 1 Where to stay this night? Apollo Bay? Day 13 - GOR day 2 Day 14 - GOR day 3 and fly to Hobart in the evening Day 15-19 Tasmania (Hobart and Tasman Peninsula). Fly back to MEL. Day 20-21 - Melbourne (no car) - We're having trouble with day 10. Not enough time to do Thurra River walk in Croajingolong as planned. What's most recommended, maybe near Mallacoota or Gipsy Point? - Where to stay the 2 nights on GOR or a link to another thread? - Going from Walhalla to GOR, should we take the Sorrento-Queenscliff ferry to avoid Melbourne? - Is 2 days enough in Melbourne or should we consider cutting out Tasmania entirely and add something else in or around Melbourne? -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Hello fellow travelers, I feel very excited in planning this 7-9 day trip to Costa Rica trip for our family of 4 ( 2 teenagers). Please can you tell if the below looks good. This is based on some initial research: Day 1: Land at Santamaria airport. Stay the night in city. Is there anything unique in the city to see? Day 2: Drive in the morning to Jaco Beach. Stay the night. Is this worth going? Someone recommended it on one of the blogs. Day 3: Drive in morning to Manuel Antonio. Stay 2 nights. Day 5: Post lunch drive to Monteverde and stay 2 nights. Day 7: Drive in morning to Arenal. Stay the night. Day 8: Start at noon for Santamaria airport for return flight Any thoughts/suggestions would be helpful. Any "must sees" that I have missed? Tortuguero National Park? We could add may be a day to above but not more because of kids schools. Thanks so much!! We have 3 nights left over after our safari, and trying to figure out what to do. We are not really into beaches though we love discovering islands and new food. Is Zanzibar a good choice for us? We"ll be going home via Nairobi, so the other option is go to Ol Pejeta, but not sure if it"ll be disappointing after Seeing Serengeti. -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- Tripadvisor staff removed this post because it did not meet Tripadvisor's forum posting guidelines with prohibiting self-promotional advertising or solicitation. We ask all of our members to keep their forum messages free of self-promoting advertisements or solicitation of any kind - members affiliated with any tourism-related business should not include commercial contact information or URLs in their forum messages. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Hard to say about the bus. It will probably be 45-60 mins to get the VOA, clear passport control collect baggage and exchange some money. No guarantees. Never change all your money. Download a currency app onto your phone and familarise yourself with the exchange rates. When I arrive in Vietnam always have a predetermined amount to exchange usually $200. I already know what I should get. I got robbed of 2 million a couple of years ago after 36 hours of no sleep and with 30 schoolkids behind me screaming. I just wasn't paying attention. My elderly friend says he got stung for $500 at the money exchange at TSN Airport in July this year. Most people don't have a problem, but you must keep your eye on the ball. If you're planning on doing all those tours, then you'll probably need the 4 nights. Cu Chi takes a good half a day, the Mekong will be a full day, your city tour will probably be another half day, so all that might only leave you with a day there to get a real feel for the place at your own pace. Sometimes you get to see so much more when you're actually not looking for it. ;-) Scott It will be cold in the north. Sounds like a good trip. I assume you are aware of this below Vietnamese law clearly states that to ride a motorcycle of 50cc or greater you must have a local Vietnamese license. You can obtain one only if you have a visa that allows a stay of longer than 30 days. Tourist visas allow stays of only 30 days - so, as a tourist, you cannot obtain a Vietnamese license. World Nomads insurance policies, regardless of your country of residnence, state you must abide by local laws to be covered. Clearly, as a tourist, this is not possible in Vietnam. Wondering which route might be preferable to take into Vietnam when we leave Phnom Penh, and hoping people might have some wise words? Two options: 1. Blue Cruiser boat from PP to Chau Doc > stay overnight in Chau Doc to break journey as late arrival > morning bus to Can Tho > 2 nights in Can Tho before flying out. Or: 2. Giant Ibis bus from PP to HCMC > 2 nights in HCMC to get a feel for the city > morning bus to Can Tho & 2 nights here before flying out. Our flight home departs HCMC, and we definitely want to be in the city at least the day before our flight, which means we will have our last night there, whatever. So our original plan was to head to the Mekong Delta via Chau Doc, thereby bypassing HCMC, and saving it for last. However, I'm now thinking as we're going to be going somewhere to relax a bit after the Mekong Delta (Da Nang & surrounds OR Phu Quoc - not yet decided), having our Saigon time at the end of the trip might end up tiring us again! Or, we may have wished we'd stayed longer in the other destination, and travelling in via HCMC can give us a taste of the city. So it might be wise to go from Phnom Penh into HCMC after all, spend a couple of nights before Can Tho, and work out if we only want to just come back to HCMC the day before we leave, or have an extra night. The Chau Doc journey looks more interesting, though - but that's from sitting here in the UK and researching online! So - has anyone done both? What are your thoughts on this? Thank you! Edited: 3 years ago -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This post has been removed at the author's request. The author may repost if desired. Posts on the Tripadvisor forums may be edited for a short period of time. Once the edit period has expired, authors may update their posts by removing and reposting them. To read more about editing your posts, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/how_to_edit_your_posts Hi all, A friend and I are planning a trip to Vietnam this December, however will unfortunately only have 8 days there. We're looking at staying in hostels for most of the trip. We have booked our inbound flight to HCMC, and outbound from Hanoi. We're thinking of following the below itinerary: > HCMC - 2 nights > Da Nang/Hoi An - 2 nights (which one of the two should we stay in?) > Phong Na - 1 night (so that we can cover the National Park) > Ha Long - 1 night > Hanoi - 3 nights (can do 2 nights here, and add the extra night to Ha Long Bay above) What do you think of this itinerary? Are there any places we must include / should skip? Thanks in advance! I am holidaying in Vietnam in December, and my itinerary is already decided. However I am looking for a bit of advice on transit time in HCMC airport for one of the internal flights. I am needing to get from Phu Quoc to DaNang on the same day. I could book via Jetstar as one booking (still 2 flights) but the poor reviews really put me off! So I am looking at Vietnam Airlines instead, however this would mean booking as 2 separate flights. The 1st flight leaves Phu Quoc at 08.45 and lands in HCMC at 09.50. Options to fly on to Da Nang are at 11.30, 12.30 or 13.30. The 11.30 option makes me feel nervous as that is only 1.5 hours to disembark, collect our bags, and check in for the next flight. And doesnt allow any time for delays. But is 12.30 viable, or is this still too tight with 2.5 hours transit time at HCMC airport?! I completely understand there could be unexpected reasons for delays eg weather etc, which cannot be known now. Just looking for an opinion from those who might travel more frequently in Vietnam, and their advice on this matter. Thanks in advance for any help! The only issue is that it is our crazy New Year Holidays from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3, when may people return to their home town to cerebrate the New Year with their parents, relatives, or friends, so many long distance JR trains are crowded very much during the Holidays. Thus, the trains from Takayama to Matsumoto on Dec. 30 and Matsumoto to Tokyo on Dec. 31 might be crowded very much, although I don't know how much. Therefore, I recommend you to cut Hakone, and later go to Kawaguchiko instead from Matsumoto, as follows. Dec. 20: Tokyo Dec. 21: Hiroshima Dec. 22-24: Kyoto Dec. 25: Kanazawa Dec. 26, 27: Takayama: you don't have to stay at Shirakawago, which has only a few hotels, and you can leave your luggage at its bus center, while you explore the world heritage village for a few hours. Here is the timetable of the Nobi Bus from Kanazawa - Shirakawago - Takayama. Dec. 28: Matsumoto Dec. 29, 30: Kawaguchiko, instead of Hakone Dec. 31, Jan. 1-4: Tokyo. Take an highway bus from Kawaguchiko to Tokyo on Dec. 31 (@2 hour, 1,750 yen): here is the website to reserve it in advance. The last train combination you should take departs Kyoto at 11:32. With a change at Shinagawa, you then arrive at NRT before 15:30. If you want to allow more cushion, go with the 10:58 departure. Buy a bento (or two) to eat on-board. I usually go to the Isetan basement food hall. Since your trip is only 9 days, you should activate your JR Pass on the first Monday. You can then start using it on JR lines within Tokyo or perhaps take JR day trips beyond the city. Use Shinkansen to Odawara to get to the Hakone area (local Hakone transport is not covered). Use the Pass to go to Kyoto and all the way back to NRT airport. There is no need to move to Osaka just for one day. The two cities are 15-30 minutes apart when you use a JR Pass train (Shinkansen or limited express trains for speed and comfort). You can leave Osaka as an option. Osaka has a decent aquarium but if it's something you can see elsewhere, you might not want to spend 1/2 day there. Nara has Todaiji, Kasuga Shrine, a huge park and lots of deer you can feed, something for everyone. How do I get from the airport (JFK, LGA, or EWR) to Manhattan? What To Do During Layovers? Vacation Apartment Rentals Violate NYC Laws Hotels: Kitchenettes and kitchens in 100+ Manhattan Hotels Hotels: Two queen beds plus a kitchen/kitchenette Hotels: Guests under 21 years old (but at least 18) Hotels: Which ones charge an additional Resort or Facilities Fee Hotels: When is the best time to go for cheaper rates? What are the Must-See's and Must-Do's? How Do I Ride the Subway (UPDATED)? Tips, Hint and Suggestions for First Timers SCAMS to avoid in NYC What Will the Weather Be Like During My Trip? Any Good Websites for Researching My Trip? How Safe is New York? Where to Eat in NYC Where to eat in NYC - Part 2 Celiac in the City? (gluten free) Which Area Should I Stay In? Is There Cheaper Lodging Outside Manhattan? How Much Do I Tip People? Are the New York Pass, Explorer Pass or CityPass worth it? How Do I Hail a Taxi? Public restrooms/toilets. Where do you go when you GOTTA GO? Where are the best areas for shopping? How do I find Discount Tickets for Broadway Shows? What are the NYC Halloween events for 2021? Thanksgiving 2021 in NYC: What to Do & Where to Eat Christmastime in NYC 2021: Dates for the Trees-Windows-Markets-Ice Skating+MORE! Christmas Day 2021 in NYC: What to Do & Where to Eat What Should I Do on New Year's Eve? How Will I Survive the Cold Weather? Where are the Farmers Markets and Street Fairs? What is there to see and do near WTC/SOL/Brooklyn Bridge/SI ferry? What should I know about visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum? What Is There to See and Do in Brooklyn? How Do I Get to the Brooklyn Bridge? What Is There to See and Do in Queens? Exploring neighborhoods - where should I go and what should I see? Which is the best? ESB or TOTR or OWO? Which are the significant churches in Manhattan? Hidden Gems in the city - not so touristy How do I get from NYC to the Meadowlands and back? I'm Getting Married in NYC...what do I need to do? Should I Buy Knock-Off Purses? What to Do with Kids and How to Do It? What should we do at night -- especially with kids or under 21's? Places to eat (and drink) with a view Where is the Old FAQ? Trip Reports: Families with Young Kids - Add yours! Trip Reports: Groups of Friends - Add yours! Trip Reports: Couples - Add yours! Trip Reports: Families with Teenagers - Add yours! Trip Reports: Solo Travelers - Add yours! Trip Reports: Families of Adults - Add yours! Hi, I will be flying to NYC from Mexico City in March 2019. It will be my firts time there? My itinerary was changed so my arrival will be on thursday at 1:46 am, and will leave the following tuesday at 3:20 am. Should I book a hotel when I arrive, considering my arrival and the time that takes to get to Manhattan and I must go through security. I was considering pulling an "all nighter". Same for tuesday trip back home, I could check out on monday and start my journey back at around 10pm to the airport (again, it is an international flight). I would appreciate your comments and suggestions on what's best to take advantage of my time and save some money in lodging. Thanks! Re: Christmas in New York - where to stay - what to do? 10. Re: Christmas in New York - where to stay - what to do? -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Hi. We are going to hire a car for two days and do some sightseeing during those days. We will start from Denaru Island and then go to where...? I know that there is a road around the Viti Levu, which I suppose is paved and in good conditions. But are there other roads we are allowed to drive? We thought that one day we will drive to Suva via Coral Coast. We would like to stop at Sand Dunes and at the National Park. Are there any other interesting stops? On the second day, I believe that we would go to North Coast. Where to stop there and when/where to turn around and return? I would appreciate any tips and information relating to driving in Fiji, and any itinerary suggestions would be great. Thank you in advance. COHOES, N.Y. >> After several state and local officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, made calls for Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse to resign after domestic violence allegations surfaced again, members of the Common Council held a special meeting Monday night to discuss the situation involving the mayor. The special meeting was held in City Hall and was open to the public. Dozens of community members and city employees gathered into the council chambers, with many supporters of Morse voicing their opinion about why Morse should not resign. Last week, the New York State Police said that they had closed their investigation and that they found no probable cause to charge Morse. However, their investigation has been reopened after Cuomo called for Morse to resign on Sunday. According to the City Charter, the council legally cannot force the mayor to resign from his position and Morse made it clear on Monday that he does not intend to resign. Morse held a news conference earlier in the day Monday, where he said he never hit his wife or his daughter before, while also accusing his wife, Brenda Morse, of using drugs. I want to congratulate Shawn Morse on the courage he showed [during the press conference Monday], said city resident Bill Shea. .I also think its important to encourage people not to condemn on the basis of hypotheticals. I can guarantee the character of [Morse], he has more character and heart than anybody in this room that man spent 26 years, while you people slept, he watched your back he saved people, added Thomas White. After hearing from several residents, many of whom shared their support for Morse, members of the Common Council then began to share some of their thoughts on the situation with Morse. As councilmembers began to voice their opinions, with some voicing their concerns, supporters of Morse then began to yell back at members of the council. Common Council President Christopher Briggs said he was was torn about the situation since he realizes that many state and local officials have called for Morse to resign, but he knows that no one can force the mayor to step down. This is a real tough spot that the mayors in, this thing has grown and grown and grown to be some monster, that it is more than what it started off to be, so its not about Shawn and his personal problems, but its more its more about Shawn the mayor, not Shawn the individual, said Briggs. So Im struggling in my mind, what do you do? I kind of concluded its Shawns decision, we dont have the ability to remove him. It seems to me that one of two things are possible in this entire affair and I just want us all to consider it, the first is that Mayor Morse from day one has been totally 100 percent truthful, the second is that this entire thing is one mass conspiracy involving multiple people and multiple agencies, added Councilman Randy Koniowka, who announced last week his intentions to run for mayor next year. Theres really no in between here, either Mayor Morse has been open, honest and 100 percent truthful or we have an entire cast of co-conspirators that have lied and to me its hard for me to believe that. Councilman Bill Smith and Don Russell, each said that they believe the mayor has a right to due process and that he should not resign, unless he is charged with any crimes. Cohoes Democratic Chairman and Deputy Majority Leader of the Albany County Legislature, said after hearing Morse share his side of the story to him that he did not join in with his fellow Democratic colleagues in calling for Morses resignation. Councilman Steve Napier said that after seeing all of the elected officials calling for the mayor to resign, that he believes it is something really worth considering. Councilman William McCarthy said he hopes that the newest investigation is as quick as possible and that he hopes that Morse can continue to do his job as mayor during these personal issues. Morse also was in the crowd during the meeting and went up to the microphone several times to speak before the six council members. Every agency had found that none of it existed, I dont know what else I can do, I dont know what else I can say, this is politics, politics is dirty and people want to beat you when youre down, said Morse. I will tell you this right now, I was born and raised in the projects, [Im] an Irish Catholic, I aint down, I aint on my knees, I aint resigning and I will continue to do the work that Ive done since Ive been mayor and I will do it with great pride and I will represent the city with all I have. KEENE, N.Y. A majority of hikers support limits on trailhead parking, temporarily closing eroded trails, and mandatory education to prevent damage to sensitive parts of the Adirondack Park, a survey says. Findings are contained in an Adirondack Council report, conducted last fall, which questioned hikers climbing 4,059-foot-high Cascade Mountain, one of 46 peaks required to become an Adirondack 46er. Most hikers said they were more interested in taking a hike with a view than in bagging one of the 46 tall peaks. Conservationists view this as a good sign because the eastern High Peaks Wilderness Area has been negatively impacted by overuse, which threatens hiker safety, degrades natural resources, and detracts from peoples overall experience. Adirondack Park tourism has grown considerably in recent years, from 10 million people in 2001 to more than 12.4 million in 2018. About 80 percent of all visits occur in the six months from May and October. People love the Adirondack Park and the High Peaks, said William C. Janeway, the councils executive director. Hikers are keenly aware of the problems caused by too many people in one place at the same time. They see the trail erosion, damaged vegetation, trash and human waste. Because of the damage being caused, people are willing to be redirected to new locations and to be educated on how to leave no trace of their visit. There is very strong support for parking limitations and enforcement. A majority of those surveyed said they were willing to pay a fee to hike if the money was spent on protection and better management of the Forest Preserve, the council says. The 2017 survey was developed working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and conducted at the Cascade Mountain trailhead in Keene over two days last Columbus Day weekend. More than 200 hikers stopped and answered a series of questions related to their visits. When asked why they were climbing Cascade Mountain that day, 96 percent said they wanted a hike with a view; 75 percent wanted to climb a High Peak; 62 percent wanted to climb above 4,000 feet; 50 percent wanted the solitude of a wilderness hiker (despite the typical crowds at Cascades popular roadside trailhead); and, just over 15 percent heard about the hike on social media and decided to try it for that reason. Survey takers found that a significant number of people, when told about the availability of a shorter nearby hike (Mt. Van Hoevenberg) with a good view, chose that non-Wilderness Area destination, which involve climbing a 4,000-foot-high mountain. Hikers support education by a two-to-one margin (58 percent versus 30 percent), such as requiring all hikers to watch a video on how to hike and camp without damaging the forests, waters or wildlife, the survey says. They also supported parking limits by a margin of 68 percent to 20 percent, including enforcement of no parking zones outside of parking lots and on roadsides. The survey was a preliminary test, with data also collected on how to conduct a larger, more comprehensive survey in 2018, with a smaller margin of error. The Adirondack Council, after working with university professionals prepared and started to conduct a larger survey in 2018. The Department of Environmental Conservation issued a temporary revocable permit for interviews on state land, but is not the entity that constructed or is fielding the survey. Preliminary results and 650 interviews find that by more than two-to-one, hikers disagree with the statement overuse is not a problem and a majority disagrees that the state should prioritize recreational opportunities and infrastructure over wilderness character and sense of solitude. An online version of the survey is available at: http://bit.ly/SurveyADK. President Trump is getting his wish: Its all about him. The election, that is. New evidence indicates that the midterm elections in seven weeks will be the clearest referendum on a president in at least 80 years. But while it may delight the narcissistic president that the 2018 midterms are entirely about him, this is precisely what his fellow Republicans were hoping to avoid. With Trumps support at historic lows 60 percent overall disapprove of his performance, including 59 percent of independents Republicans scrambling to hold the House and Senate have been struggling in vain to make the election about other issues: tax cuts, Democrats personal foibles anything to avoid the election being about Trump. This has failed, bigly. Midterm elections have generally come to be seen as the electorates reaction to a presidency. But this one is on a whole different level. In no previous election, Gary Jacobson, a University of California political scientist who crunched the numbers, tells me, has the linkage between opinions of the president and how people are likely to vote been as strong as this time. Jacobsons research goes back to the 1930s, before which there was no polling and therefore no ability to compare. Jacobson, who presented his findings to the American Political Science Association recently and provided me with updated data, found in 93.1 percent of cases this year, voters approval or disapproval of the president is correlated with their planned votes for or against the presidents party in House races. Thats an all-time high. It averaged 86 percent in recent elections, 74 percent in the 1980s and 1990s. And it isnt just correlation its causation. Using regression analysis, Jacobson determined that for every percentage point movement in Trumps job approval rating, votes for Republican House candidates in the midterm elections move by 0.75 percentage points the highest effect ever seen. For Barack Obama, it was 0.50 percentage points. For George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, closer to 0.25 percentage points. There isnt as much data about Senate voting, but the relationship has been virtually identical. This has been caused by a combination of historical trends and Trumps uniquely polarizing status. Jacobson, working with data from Gallup, the American National Election Studies and others, writes that as recently as 1990, there was only a 31-point difference between how Republicans and Democrats rated the presidents performance in midterm election years. That jumped to a roughly 70-point gap during the midterms of 2006, 2010 and 2014. This year? Seventy-eight percent. At the same time, party loyalty the tendency of Democrats and Republicans to vote for their own partys congressional candidate has grown from the mid-70s in the 1980s to 90 percent in the past decade. This year? Ninety-six percent. This does not necessarily mean a Democratic wave, or even a victory. Democrats now lead by about 9 points in the generic House ballot which asks respondents which party they would vote for in a congressional election. But because of gerrymandering and the distorting effects of urban districts with Democratic supermajorities, Democrats would need to win between 53 percent and 55 percent of the popular vote, Jacobson calculates, to pick up the necessary two dozen House seats. And this years Senate map is even more daunting. But Trumps unpopularity seems to offset the benefit Republicans should get from the strong economy. Using results from previous midterms and factoring in the presidents approval and the growth in real disposable income, Jacobson reports that in conditions close to the current situation 2 percent income growth and Trumps approval at 40 percent Republicans would, by historic models, lose 33 House seats. Republicans in competitive races are in a bind. Among independent voters they need to win, Trump is a pariah. But among the Republican voters they need to turn out in high numbers, Trump has 78 percent approval. Their dilemma was evident on Thursday when Trump made the outrageous and false claim that the official death toll of 2,975 from last years storms in Puerto Rico was inflated by Democrats to make me look as bad as possible. (Even storm deaths are all about him.) Delicately, Republican candidates in Florida, who had been trying to win over Puerto Rican voters, tried to step away from Trump. Gov. Rick Scott, running for Senate, tweeted: I disagree. Rep. Ron DeSantis, running for governor, issued a similar statement. Good luck with that. Trump, later in the day, repeated his insulting and bogus claims. As Trump continues to repel, opinions of him drop and support for a Democratic Congress rises. It has the makings of a wave, but one that could recede before the election. We are destined for one of two outcomes: a massive repudiation of Trump, or an unthinkable affirmation of him. The stakes could hardly be higher. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. Do you want to further your studies abroad? Many international universities are offering scholarships for African students who wish to further their education abroad. These international scholarships give needy and bright students from Africa the chance to enjoy a partial or fully-funded tuition among other financial benefits. Read on for a list of scholarship opportunities, where they are offered, and requirements for application. If you are thinking of studying abroad, consider taking your time and effort to look for the most relevant scholarships, their availability, and where they are offered. Start your search early even before you think of preparing yourself for the actual studies. Note that some scholarships are not fully funded. If you apply for them, you will need to be able to raise extra money to complete your studies. Analyse the available opportunities to determine whether you qualify for a given scholarship or not. You should also consider applying for as many scholarships as possible to increase your chances of success. READ ALSO: Education sponsors in Kenya 2018 In this guide, you will find a list of available scholarships for international students from Africa for the period 2018-2019. You will know where to find the scholarship and how to apply. Note that each university, college, or organization has standards you must meet to qualify for their scholarships. Also, the information below may change. If in any doubt, contact the university offering the scholarship for more information. The AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship The AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship is an annual program that targets high-achieving students who wish to study a Bachelors Degree course in the US. It also targets individuals committed to social change and positive civic. The program is meant for international students who, after completion of their studies, will return to their home countries to improve under-served and under-resourced communities. It is offered by the American University in Washington DC, USA. How to apply Complete the AU EGLS application form. Submit the AU CFIS (AU Certification of Finances) form or a bank letter each showing a minimum of $4,000. Submit official IELTS or TOEFL score results. Complete and submit the Coalition Application or Common Application plus all other supporting documents before December 15, 2018, or January 15, 2019. Note that the selection process for the AU EGLS is very competitive. Priority is always given to applicants who complete their Coalition or Common Application, AU EGLS application, and the international admissions process. In this case, consider applying by December 17, 2018. 2. The Macquarie University Women in Management and Finance Scholarship Are you an African woman who excels in academics? Consider applying for the Macquarie University Women in Management and Finance Scholarship. The scholarship for Africans is awarded to female students by the Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, to recognize their academic excellence. It is a highly competitive learning opportunity based on a persons academic merit. The university awards the opportunity to future female applicants of courses in Finance and Management. These include: Masters of Applied Finance (Advanced) Masters of Business Administration Masters of Social Entrepreneurship Masters of Management Successful applicants for these masters scholarships for African students will receive AUD $15,000 towards their tuition fee. How to apply File your application for your selected degree through Macquarie Universitys main website. Obtain the universitys student ID number and submit your scholarship application through their website Note that you cannot apply for the scholarship if you have not completed your degree. To be eligible for the scholarship, you must hold an offer for the courses listed above, and be a citizen of any African country. You are also required to enroll in for studies on a full-time mode. 3. The Lester B. Pearson Scholarship The Lester B. Pearson scholarship is an annual program available for international students who want to study at the University of Toronto. As one of the many scholarships in Canada for African students, it is aimed at recognizing African and other international students who have shown exceptional achievement in their academic studies. It is also for students who demonstrate creativity and who also double up as leaders within their communities. Applications are ongoing, and scholarships are only available for 37 students. The deadline is January 15, 2019. How to apply A successful candidate will have to: Receive a nomination from their school Apply to pursue further studies at the University of Toronto, Canada from January 2019. The applicant will also complete an application for admission within the specified deadlines. Once the nomination is received after applying to study at the University of Toronto, an applicant will proceed to apply for the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship online. The scholarship covers books, tuition, incidental fees, and support for full residence. Note that eligible candidates are those that portray originality and creativity, demonstrate strong leadership skills, and are committed to community and school. 4. Australia Awards Scholarships If you have been looking for masters scholarships for African students, consider applying for the Australia Awards Scholarships offered by the Australian Government. These scholarships promote knowledge, enduring ties, and education links between Australia and its neighbours. These programs for African students aim to achieve sustainable development and reduce poverty. The scholarships are available for students that want to pursue a masters degree program in 2019. How to apply To apply for these scholarships, follow the steps below: Visit the official website to determine your eligibility. Choose your country and type of award. View course eligibility criteria. Each African country has its eligibility criteria. Start your online application. To apply for any Masters Scholarship in Australia through Australian Awards Scholarships, you will first have to find your course at any Australian university. Since this is an annual program, the application deadline is over a four-month period from September to December every year. These scholarships are only offered to students in the following fields of study: Agricultural Productivity Public Policy Extractives Note that eligibility varies by country. However, you must be a citizen of an African country and a holder of a Bachelors degree or equivalent to apply for the scholarships. READ ALSO: Ministry of Education Kenya scholarships 2018 5. Standard Bank Derek Cooper Scholarship The Standard Bank Derek Cooper Scholarship is meant for young Africans who want to study in the UK. The opportunity is one of the many full scholarships for African students that the Standard Bank has been offering for over 30 years. The program is open to graduate students who after their studies will remain residents of their respective countries where the Standard Bank has a presence. As a potential candidate, you must show exceptional academic excellence and need to have qualified on your merit in your application for a Masters degree program at Oxford University, London School of Economics and Political Science, or Cambridge University. How to apply To apply for this opportunity, you will first need to apply for your selected Masters course and funding. Each institution has its application dates. As such, you should refer to your institution of choice to get information about application dates. To be eligible, you must be a student that wants to pursue a Masters degree in qualifying fields of study. 6. The Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship Adobe Research is now accepting applications to their maiden Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship. The program is created to recognize the outstanding effort of undergraduate female students all over the world studying computer science, computer engineering, and other related fields. It is also intended to bring gender diversity to the world of technology. Qualifying students will take the scholarship abroad. The application deadline is set for September 28, 2018. How to apply To apply for the scholarship, ensure your application includes: A resume Academic transcripts from current or past university/institution Three references (Adobe will only request for these letters by mail) Answers to 4 essay questions that will be available once Adobe starts accepting applications Submission of 60-second multimedia or video describing dream career. The video is optional To be eligible for the scholarship, you must maintain an excellent academic record and be prepared to enrol as a full-time student for the academic year 2019-2020 at a university. 7. Australian Catholic University International Student Scholarship If you are looking for scholarships in Australia for African students, apply for the Australian Catholic University International Student Scholarship. The opportunity is available for both undergraduate and graduate students. The university is offering 20 scholarships, and each will last for the length of a recipients course. The scholarship is subject to excellent academic performance and academic merit. How to apply You can apply online by visiting the official website of the Australian Catholic University. The application dates are open from 1 September 2018 to 30 September 2018. In your application, ensure you have the following: Evidence of academic excellence. You must have an average of 80% in your previous studies. Academic records that include original translations, the official description of the grading system, and language documents. To be eligible, you must be applying for any ACU degree, you are prepared to study full-time, and you do not have any other award or scholarship. 8. Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) The Korean Government is inviting international students to study for non-degree and degree research programs through the KGSP program. The scholarship aims to give students from developing countries an opportunity to carry on with their studies at some of Koreas higher educational institutions. It also aims to strengthen Koreas networks worldwide and develop global leaders. The scholarship is offered annually, and undergraduate students can start applying from September 2018 to October 2018. For graduate students, the scholarship opens in February 2019. How to apply You can only apply for this scholarship through the Korean Embassy or at any of the 60 designated Korean universities. When making your application, ensure you have: A certificate of good health that shows you are physically and mentally healthy. A cumulative average grade point of 80% or higher in your previous studies. You are under 40 years if applying for a graduate degree. You are under 25 years if applying for an undergraduate degree. The duration of the program is a 1-year Korean language course plus 4-year Bachelors degree. The scholarship is one of the few opportunities for African graduates to study in Korea. 9. DAAD Scholarships in Germany for Development-Related Postgraduate Courses The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers scholarships for international students to study various postgraduate courses at participating German universities. These programs aim to provide academically educated professionals from Africa with specialized studies and promote their training further. Young professionals looking for scholarship opportunities for African students in Germany can apply for this program to advance their Masters or PhD studies in Education and Law, Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Engineering and Related Sciences, etc. How to apply You can make your applications directly to your respective course. Note that the application procedure is different based on the respective course you want to undertake. The application deadline is October 2018, and the next course starts in the 2019-2020 academic year. The scholarship length is 12-24 months depending on your preferred institution. Note that you can only apply for the scholarships if you work for a state or public authority or private company in Africa. You must also hold a Bachelors Degree in a relevant subject, and you have at least two years of work experience after your first degree. 10. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships These annual scholarships offered by the Swiss Government are aimed at promoting international exchange and cooperation in research fields between Switzerland and other countries. This free scholarship for African students targets young international researchers who have completed either a Masters Degree or a PhD. Those that hold a Bachelors degree are also welcome to apply for the scholarships. The scholarship duration is a maximum of 3 years, and successful students will have to undertake the programs at one of the participating universities in Switzerland. The programs are also available for full-time PhD students. How to apply To apply for the scholarship, you must submit: Your CV with a list of your academic publications A complete and signed research proposal 5 pages maximum A signed FCS application form A signed medical certificate Two copies of your passport Once you fulfill the above requirements, visit the official website, get the application package, submit before the deadline, which is usually between September and December, and wait for the selection process. If successful, you will start your scholarship in the 2019-2020 academic year. READ ALSO: Diploma scholarships in Kenya While there are many scholarships for African students, the competition for these opportunities is huge. As such, take your time to apply at least four months before the deadline. Also, ensure that you have all the documentation and you satisfy the requirements for applying for the scholarship and the program you are to undertake in the international university of your choice. Source: Tuko Kilimall is one of the largest and most popular online stores in Kenya and Africa that aims to become the superior in its field. This online shopping mall was established in July 2014 and has been providing a wide range of products such as mobile phones, clothing, office appliances, home appliances, baby products, hair care and beauty products, books, electronic gadgets and you can know more by getting Kilimall Kenya contacts. How to contact Kilimall Kenya Are you searching for Kilimall online shopping Kenya contacts? Whether you want to launch a complaint, offer suggestions or report an incident, you can use the different platforms the company has put in place. This can be through email, mobile phones, fax or telephone. Below is a detailed list of Kilimall customer care contacts and Kilimall Kenya phone contacts. READ ALSO: Where to Buy Affordable Wedding Gowns in Kenya Nairobi headquarters Derby Court, House No. 4 Ngong Road directly opposite Total Petrol Station near the Rocky Driving School Telephone: Phone No: : Toll-free: 0799 717 001 Kilimall Kenya email address: cc@kilimall.com Kilimall Kenya social media contacts Facebook page: Twitter handle: @Kilimall Mombasa station READ ALSO: Shopping malls in Nairobi Kenya (with photos) Station name: Moi Ave shop Chinese herbal clinic, Opposite Equity Bank, Moi Avenue Mobile No: (you can reach this pick-up station via this number. Dont use it in the shipping address) Kisumu station Station Name: Oginga Rd Shop Chinese herbal clinic, Al Imran Plaza, Ground floor along Oginga Odinga Road, Kisumu Mobile number: (you can reach this pick-up station via this number. Dont use it in the shipping address) READ ALSO: Top 9 Online Shopping Sites In Kenya Nakuru station Station Name: Kenyatta Ave Shop Chinese herbal clinic, Maombini plaza, Kenyatta Ave, Nakuru Company services Currently, Kilimall Kenya operates via its four stations, namely Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru. The online mall is headquartered in Nairobi. Their delivery services vary depending on the order (if the product is local or its a global order) and whether Kilimall or others are fulfilling the product. Usually, global orders may take approximately 15 to 30 days, and the payments have to be made in advance. If the order is being fulfilled by Kilimall, it will take about 24 hours to 5 days depending on your location. The payments can be made online or on delivery. However, if others are fulfilling the local order, it will take 2-5 days to be delivered thou you will be required to make an advance payment. READ ALSO: Online affiliate marketing in Kenya To shop, customers have to download the Kilimall app. Shopping with the app can bring you cash rewards and reliable customer services. You can also get vouchers that reduce the order value, delivery fees or both; this depends on the kind of coupon you get. Shoppers also benefit from kilibobs (these are the points you accumulate every time you shop on Kilimall) which can be redeemed as delivery or cash vouchers. For more details on how to buy, be sure to visit their website or contact them with phone number kilimall kenya. You will even find an illustration video on the Kenyan Kilimall YouTube channel. Download the Android app today and enjoy reliable online shopping services. READ ALSO: Infinix phones in Kenya shops and prices 2018 Source: Tuko - The vehicle was spotted by officers on patrol in Migori who also arrested its driver - Also arrested is the owner of the car and who was questioned to find out if he had information on the kidnapping - It was also revealed the vehicle was being used as a taxi in Migori - The driver was reported to have been detained for ten days for further investigations The vehicle believed to have been used in the kidnapping of slain Rongo University student Sharon Otieno alongside Nation Media journalist Barrack Odour has been found by police. The driver of the black Fielder saloon car was arrested by police officers from Migori and was taken for questioning to find out if he had any links to Sharon's killers. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Body of pregnant Rongo student who was kidnapped with journalist found in forest The driver of the black Fielder saloon car was taken for questioning to find out if he has any links to Sharon's killers. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: New suspects in murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno record statements The vehicle believed to have been used as a taxi in Migori was found on Sunday, September 16, and the driver arraigned before a Oyugis court on Monday, September 17, the Standard reported. The driver, Jack Gombe, was detained for ten days to facilitate further investigations into the murder case which has Migori County Governor, Zachary Okoth Obado, adversely mentioned. "We are holding the vehicle. We also arrested the driver," said a DCI officer privy to the arrests. READ ALSO: Who killed pregnant university student Sharon Otieno? Kenyans demand answers Also questioned was the owner of the car to establish if he was aware the vehicle, now parked at a police station, had been hired out to the kidnappers. Officers on patrol in Migori are said to have sighted the car while it was being driven by a senior county official, who may have hired it unknowingly. This came after Obado publicly declined being involved in Sharon's murder but acknowledged he had known her at a personal level. READ ALSO: The murder of Rongo University student is a lesson to girls, leave sponsors alone - MP Gladys Wanga The 26-year-old student's body was discovered abandoned in Kodera Forest, Homa Bay County. Source: Twitter Prior reports by TUKO.co.ke indicated also in police custody in connection with the murder of Sharon were Obado's personal assistant (PA), Michael Oyamo and former Member of County Assembly (MCA), Lawrence Mula The 26-year-old student's body was discovered abandoned in Kodera Forest, Homa Bay County, a day after she was abducted alongside Oduor. An autopsy report released by chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor revealed Sharon was beaten, gang-raped, strangled and then stabbed eight times together with her seven-month old fetus. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Winnie Pasaka's Story: From A Housemaid To An Engineer - Faces of Kenya - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko - Midiwo chided Treasury boss, Henry Rotich, for misadvising the president - He cited over-borrowing and introduction of 16% VAT on fuel as some of the bad moves by Uhuru - The ex-MP suggested the president should kick Rotich and his team out of office - According to Midiwo, the Treasury CS was the reason why Kenyans were suffering - Rotich insisted on implementation of 16% VAT on fuel despite strong opposition - Uhuru reduced the fuel tax from 16% to 8% following public backlash - A section of Kenyan leaders felt the VAT on fuel should have been retained at zero percent Former Gem Constituency Member of Parliament, Jakoyo Midiwo, has taken a swipe at the National Treasury boss, Henry Rotich, accusing the influential Cabinet Secretary of giving President Uhuru Kenyatta wrong pieces of advice. Midiwo accused Rotich and his team of making poor Kenyans suffer by persistently coming up with bad fiscal policies and misguiding the president on taxation and borrowing. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Gari lililotumika kumteka nyara Sharon Otieno lapatikana, dereva akamatwa Former Gem Constituency Member of Parliament, Jakoyo Midiwo, accused National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Henry Rotich, of misguiding President Uhuru Kenyatta by making bad fiscal policies. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: 190 Jubilee MPs attended State House meeting and Uhuru seems to have won them over Appearing on NTV Kenya's morning talk show on Tuesday, September 18, Midiwo claimed either the president was ignorant of the sufferings of Kenyans or he was surrounded by individuals who were giving him wrong pieces of advice. "I think the president is ignorant of the suffering of the Kenyan people. Whoever is advising the president, those people we call Treasury, how I wish Uhuru could kick them out of office so Kenyans can have a breather," he said. READ ALSO: Uhurus rejection of Financial Bill is win for those of us who remained sober - Moses Kuria Midiwo wondered why the government was borrowing from China but still following the rules laid down by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquartered in Washington DC, US. "You cannot be borrowing from China and following IMF rules. People working in Treasury, starting with Rotich, are good Kenyans, but are Kenyans who are working in the wrong place," the former lawmaker said. READ ALSO: Uhuru wants MPs to lower 16% fuel levy by half amid cries from Kenyans TUKO.co.ke understands Midiwo was referring to the decision by the Treasury to slap Kenyans with a 16% Value Added Tax (VAT) as part of the measures that were being taken to raise funds to finance government's development projects. The president however reduced the VAT on fuel to 8% and urged the lawmakers to support the new tax Bill as opposed to suspending it. The MPs had initially amended the Finance Bill 2018 to suspend the 16% VAT on petroleum products by another two years following public uproar over rising fuel prices and cost of living. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. When Uhuru, Ruto and Raila Met at State House - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The two officers dropped a pistol magazine at a crime scene after executing a robbery - Seven civilians were also been arrested alongside the two officers for the same crime - The case was filed in court and further investigations staged to net more suspects Two police officers and seven civilians were on Monday, September 17, arrested in Nakuru Country in connection to a robbery incident that happened on Friday, September 14. The robbery happened at the home of Eliud Langat within Olenguone area and the suspects are said to have dropped a pistol's magazine with 15 rounds of ammunition which gave them out. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: Gari lililotumika kumteka nyara Sharon Otieno lapatikana, dereva akamatwa READ ALSO: Top cop arrested for robbery with violence days after disbandment of Flying Squad According to a police report made at Olenguruone police station, the two officers and seven civilians were arrested by Flying Squad and detectives from the DCI. " Flying Squad detectives yesterday arrested nine suspects among them two police officers namely Constable Arthur Murithi and Felix Korir both attached at Molo and Kamara Divisional Headquarters respectively for the offence of robbery," read the report which was also shared on the DCI's Twitter page. READ ALSO: Police officer charged with terrorist links takes own life One of the officers in question, Murithi, was arrested with a Jericho pistol without a magazine. "The magazine is the one which was left at the scene of robbery by Felix Korir who is attached to AP Kamara Divisional Headquarters," read the report. During the Friday attack, Elvis Wafula, a worker at Lang'at's farm was assaulted by the suspects and sustained injuries on his head, wrist and legs. Wafula raised alarm leading to the attackers to flee but after robbing him off his mobile phone. During the escape, they dropped a pistol magazine. When police visited the scene, they recovered the magazine, screw driver, metal bar, open shoes and blood stained sheet. The other suspects who were arrested are: Patrick Kimani Ndungu, Cosmas Kipkurui Koech, John Muthama Gathecha, Douglas Kiplangat Kirui, Samuel Gagiri Nderitu, Bernard Kipkorir Cheruyiot and Geoffrey Cheruyiot Terer. The case was filed in court as detectives mounted a search for other suspects connected with the nine in question. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Kenya News: Raila Odinga - Kenya's Fuel Crisis Will Not Occur | Tuko TV. Source: Tuko - Kirubi's photo was shared online by Anerlisa Muigai who had hosted him at her office - Unlike before, Kirubi's health has improved and he looked better - The billionaire flew to the US in 2017 for colon cancer treatment - Earlier photos of hims showed a frail Kirubi with many claiming he would not make it Kenyan billionaire Chris Kirubi seems to be doing perfectly well as far as his health is concerned. Kirubi who has been ailing for sometime now recently stepped out looking all good and shiny, a clear indication he is getting back to his feet. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Gari lililotumika kumteka nyara Sharon Otieno lapatikana, dereva akamatwa READ ALSO: Raila visits ailing billionaire businessman Chris Kirubi at his Loresho home The latest photo of the billionaire looking all healthy was first shared on Instagram by Kenya's richest heiress, Anerlisa Muigai, who had hosted the loaded fella at her office. Anerlisa shared the photo in a bid to communicate to her fans and followers about her fitness regime. However, the comments section was overtaken by thousands of Kenyans who instead of engaging with the lass on fitness, thanked God for Kirubi's health and prayed for his healing even more. READ ALSO: Kenyas billionaire businessman battling acute colon cancer in the US Countless people praised the Lord for how Kirubi looked, claiming it was all a miracle. Some Comments: Mercy_bar - Omg he's looking good. God bless him and fight for him. Good health is the most expensive thing in life. Skinnygenes - He looks so much better God is good Arunga_e - Aaaaw! God heal him! He looks better. Please re-do the list. I'm loving the lunch meals. Armylis_gatwiri - Woow!God is good his health has improved. Purityngethe - Aaaw I love this Chris Kirubi more healthier we thank God for this. Rachaeledwambui - @ckirubi God is doing His wonders..Healing is your portion Sir. As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier, the billionaire flew to the US in 2017 for colon cancer treatment and jetted back to recuperate. Initial photos showing Kirubi in a frail condition had gone viral leading people into believing he was going to die. Then, news of his illness had just found its way to the public domain. READ ALSO: Award winning actress Shiro exits Auntie Boss show, denies she was fired However, their perceptions were flipped after photos of him hanging out with Mombasa governor Joho in a plane days after arriving in the country emerged. Unlike before, Kirubi looked healthy in a move that impressed a number of Kenyans. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: TUKO News One on one with Jasper Murume | Tuko TV Source: Tuko Kenya - Musalia said the government should be dissolved given the escalating stalemate over taxation - He noted Kenyans had lost faith and trust in the government as far as service delivery was concerned - The ANC leader argued the president's VAT tax proposal punished the very poor The current budget crisis is self-inflicted by Jubilee government due to lack of fiscal discipline among top leadership and might soon plunge the country into an abyss of economic doldrums if not checked. One of the Opposition coalition partners' Amani National Congress (ANC) leader, Musalia Mudavadi, has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to immediately dissolve the government in order to reconstitute it afresh, given the escalating stalemate over taxation. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Gari lililotumika kumteka nyara Sharon Otieno lapatikana, dereva akamatwa ANC party leader Musalia in a consultative meeting with Kakamega county elected leaders on Tuesday, September 18. They have called for dissolution of the government. Photo: ANC Official/Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Uhuru has wrong advisers - former MP Jakoyo Midiwo Speaking shortly after the party consultative meeting with Kakamega elected leaders at the party headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 18, Musalia noted Kenyans had lost faith and trust as far as service delivery was concerned. "Given the escalating stalemate over the budget and taxation, President Uhuru ought to think out of the box. In situations of paralysis like this, governments resign or dissolve. He should dissolve his current crisis ridden government to re-engineer it anew to regain a foothold in Kenyans confidence," he said. Though the former vice president backed up Uhuru's proposal to cut down Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products by half to 8%, Musalia appeared to be reading from a different script on the same. READ ALSO: Uhuru rejects Finance Bill 2018, 16% fuel levy here to stay He argued the proposal which he supported barely a week ago was punishing the majority poor. "I was supportive of the presidents capping VAT on petroleum products at 8%. However, the president anger is misplaced when his proposals attack the sustainability of the poor. It is as if he is punishing Kenyans for daring to oppose implosion of punitive tax," added the NASA co-principal. Earlier on the day, Raila Odinga led ODM MPs in supporting Uhurus stand on fuel tax, but on condition the fuel tax be implemented within a period of one year. READ ALSO: Uhuru receives Bill on 16% fuel levy as Kenyans eagerly await his next action "He was able to meet us half way, lowering the tax from 16% to 8%. NASA therefore offers its conditional support for the initiative to cut VAT from the initial 16%," NASA coalition said in a statement read by Junet Mohamed. In his State of the Nation Address on Friday, September 14, Uhuru asked MPs to amend the Finance Bill 2018 by reducing the proposed 16% VAT by half.. National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi convened a special sitting on Tuesday, September 18, to deliberate on the same. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: TUKO News Kenyans Angry Over High Fuel Prices - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest - The Kenya Pipeline recalled all the tankers that had left the company with the liquid - The company said it was an error and it would carry out investigations into the matter - Management clarified other brands of the company were not affected An unusual occurrence was witnessed in the morning of Tuesday, September 18, after tankers left Kenya Pipeline Company in Kisumu County heavily loaded with water instead of petrol. The company was forced to recall all the tankers that had left the company to supply fuel to other towns in Nyanza region. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Raila Odinga leads NASA MPs in supporting Uhurus stand on fuel tax Tankers left Kenya Pipeline Company in Kisumu County heavily loaded with water instead of fuel. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: ERC revokes license of independent oil importers leading fuel boycott over new tax One of the drivers of the tankers discovered he was carrying water after he realised a leakage of some liquid from his vehicle. "At first I thought the water was as a result of heavy rainfall that had rained the previous night but then looking closely I realised things were not right," said Abiud Jafar. Jafar raised alarm with the management of the company who responded immediately and recalled back all tankers that had left with the liquid. READ ALSO: 16% VAT: Fuel shortage hits Nairobi as govt threatens to punish protesting fuel transporters Kisumu depot manager Herman Munga said they were investigating the issue to determine what might have gone wrong in the loading section of the company. "We have received the complaints and called back all the trucks that were affected by the error and we will establish what went wrong," said Munga. He further clarified other brands of the company were not affected by the error and noted the institution was concerned on the effects the error would have had on the public. Motorists in Nairobi at a petrol station during the fuel shortage after 16% VAT. Photo: UGC Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Our MPs are thugs, Mutahi Ngunyi says as selfish legislators are scorned over double standards The incident came days after Nairobi private fuel distributors protested an increase in prices of fuel after the implementation of the 16% tax on petroleum products by the government which was later slashed to 8%. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news Breaking News Kenya: Raila Odinga: Kenya's Fuel Crisis Will Not Occur | Tuko TV Source: Tuko Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. With the State of Emergency set to be lifted at the end of this month, could the government Building up the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the key element of the strategy to deter the aggressor, and Ukraine praises the assistance of international partners, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko has said. He said this at a meeting with UK Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson, according to a statement posted on the website of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. "We praise the assistance from the United Kingdom, which is provided by British instructors as part of the Orbital training mission," Muzhenko said. Williamson, in turn, said that material, technical and advisory assistance is not an end in itself for the UK. According to him, teaching Ukrainians, British instructors learn a lot from them, for example, endurance and response to changes in operational conditions. I see things very simply. Ukraine is a sovereign state, and its sovereignty was attacked from the outside! The very fact that we are providing Ukraine with assistance is a deterrent. It is very useful that you are walking the path of reform, changing your thinking and approaches, Williamson said. The sides also discussed the directions of further cooperation between the armed forces of Ukraine and the UK in many spheres. op Ukraine's draft state budget for 2019 foresees a reduction in the financing of the Verkhovna Rada by 4%, to UAH 1.7 billion. The respective figures are envisaged in the distribution of expenditures of the draft budget for the next year, according to the official portal of the Ukrainian parliament. It is proposed to reduce expenditures on the parliament's legislative activity by almost UAH 14.5 million and on the maintenance and organizational, informational, analytical, material and technical support of the Verkhovna Rada by UAH 14.3 million. It is also proposed to reduce spending on the coverage of parliament activities by means of television and radio programs by UAH 31.8 million. Expenditures for the activity of the Verkhovna Rada in 2018 are projected at UAH 1.73 billion. op Ukraine is one of the most energy-intensive economies in the world. "Ukraine is one of the most energy-intensive economies in the world and it has huge potential for energy saving and energy efficiency," Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze wrote on Facebook. According to her, the process of creating a modern energy efficiency system in accordance with the EU directives has begun in Ukraine. "The Regional Development Ministry jointly with GIZ prepared a report on energy efficiency system in Ukraine, which is a thorough analysis of the state and prospects of energy efficiency in various sectors of the economy. The parties also plan to improve the bill on energy efficiency in accordance with the current situation in Ukraine," she clarified. ish The Government of Ukraine has agreed with the International Monetary Fund that the gas price for the population will increase step by step until April 2020. "The energy market has a very strong impact on monetary stability. Its an issue of the balance of payments, of the volume of our gas imports. We import greater volumes of gas than we get for transit. It has an impact on the currency, the GDP, our relations with the IMF," Chief Executive Officer of NJSC "Naftogaz of Ukraine" Andriy Kobolev said at the forum of the European Business Association, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. He expressed the opinion that the next year's economic stability would be strongly influenced by the ability of the government to reach a compromise with the IMF. "The negotiations are underway. There are two components that are important to understand: the price level itself - and, as far as I know, the government has reached a preliminary compromise. There is a principled agreement on price increase and reaching the so-called full market parity until April 2020. The pace is a matter that is being discussed now," Kobolev said. Kobolev refused to name a specific figure of the first increase in the gas price, but stressed that the figure, which was already voiced in the media (+ 25%), might not correspond to reality. It is also important for Naftogaz to eliminate intermediaries in the gas supply sector, he added. ol A meeting of the Permanent Moldova-Ukraine Commission on Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester River Basin was held in Chisinau. "Today we have approved the Commission's action plan, setting a high standard for the solution of all the issues under consideration. I am glad to note that representatives of many international organizations, diplomats accredited in Chisinau, members of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, representatives of the UN and the OSCE take part in today's meeting ... Today we practically have laid the foundation for further productive bilateral dialogue, said Deputy Ecology and Natural Resources Minister of Ukraine Mykola Kuzyo, an Ukrinform correspondent reports from Moldova. The deputy minister stressed that the Ukrainian government took very careful and responsible attitude towards the environmental issues, in particular, the protection of the Dniester River basin. The first meeting of the Moldova-Ukraine Commission on Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester River Basin was attended by representatives of different agencies of Ukraine and Moldova, including its Transnistrian region, which deal with the exploitation and protection of the river's water resources. ol In 2018, Ukraine for the first time will export corn to European countries. First Deputy Agrarian Policy Minister Maksym Martyniuk said this at a press conference in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. "I think that we for the first time will export corn to Europe in this year, because the quality of corn is satisfactory. At the same time, there were arid conditions in some European countries, and they have shortage in corn," Martyniuk said. According to him, Ukraine expects to collect corn in the range of 30 million tonnes in 2018. "We expect a gross harvest of 29.5 million tonnes, possibly about 30 million tonnes. This is much more than we had last year, when we gathered almost 25 million tonnes. And, accordingly, we expect that most of this harvest will be exported," the first deputy minister noted. He added that, according to the Agrarian Policy Ministry, in the 2018/2019 marketing year, the corn export forecasts amount to 22 million tonnes. ish The process of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has already entered the finish line. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said this at a meeting with the exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton (Canada), an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Ukrainians have been praying for hundreds of years to have a Ukrainian local Orthodox church. And the views of the Ukrainians were directed to the Mother Church and Constantinople. I am pleased that God has heard our prayers, and I am pleased that we have walked this path together, especially in the last three years, and as part of this path we can already say that we have entered the finish line," he said. Poroshenko also thanked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew "for courage and wisdom," which he showed in connection with the appointment of exarchs in Ukraine. Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon, in turn, said that he and Bishop Ilarion had arrived in Kyiv as representatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in order to "continue work on the already resolved issue that the process of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has already begun." op The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will have the necessary number of votes to terminate the Treaty on Friendship between Ukraine and Russia. The head of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko (BPP) faction in parliament, MP Artur Herasymov, said this live on the Freedom of Speech show on ICTV channel on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "I am confident that there will surely be 226 votes in support of this presidential initiative [on the termination of the Treaty on Friendship between Ukraine and Russia]," he said. In addition, Herasymov expressed confidence that this Thursday there would also be more than 300 votes in support of the president's proposal on amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the country's course to join the EU and NATO. On September 17, President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to terminate the Treaty on Friendship between Ukraine and Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is due to inform Russia on September 30 about Ukraine's desire to terminate the document. The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was signed in Kyiv on May 31, 1997. Under the terms of the treaty, the parties undertook, in particular, to "respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty" of the two countries and "confirmed the inviolability of the existing borders between them." op British assistance to Ukraine in defence planning, developing combat capabilities of the Armed Forces and training of military personnel is extremely valuable. "Political and military dialogue between the two countries remains active... The British assistance to Ukraine in defence planning, developing combat capabilities of the Armed Forces and training of military personnel is extremely valuable," Ukraines Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said at the meeting with British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, the Government portal reports. The Vice Prime Minister also expressed support for the United Kingdom in the context of the Salisbury case and condemned Russia's aggressive actions. The hybrid threats from Russia concern not only Ukraine, she noted. "The hot phase of the war against Ukraine continues, being also the war against the whole western world, though it is so-called a soft war. It could be counteracted with strengthening the unity of the western community," Klympush-Tsintsadze said. In turn, Gavin Williamson said it was important for the UK to find out how Ukraine responded to Russias hybrid threats. "A year ago, we did not even imagine that an incident similar to what happened in Salisbury might occur [in our territory]. Ukraine has an extraordinary experience in detecting, responding to and investigating hybrid threats, having experienced a full range of aggression from Russia. It's extremely important for the UK to interact with Ukraine as we are also aware of this danger," Williamson said. When discussing the implementation of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On National Security", the parties touched upon UK's support for Ukrainian reforms in the defence sector. In particular, Klympush-Tsintsadze expressed interest in the UK's experience in approaching the NATO standards in defence and industrial complex management. ol Ukrainian community in Singapore joined the international action Light a candle of remembrance dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine. "On September 15, 2018, the international action Light a candle of remembrance dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor the genocide of Ukrainian people of 1932-33 took place in Singapore," the Embassy of Ukraine in Singapore posted on Facebook. In particular, Ambassador of Ukraine to Singapore Dmytro Senik urged not to forget about the terrible tragedy of Ukrainian people, which had claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians as a result of Stalins repressions. The exhibition "Facts about the Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine" was also held at the embassy's premises. The Ukrainian community and diplomats attended the event to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor. On September 1, 85 days before the Holodomor remembrance day, Ukraine and the world began to honor the victims who died during the genocide of 1932-1933. ol The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Kenya in partnership with the Ukrainian State Film Agency organized the Ukrainian Film Festival. According to the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy, the festival was held for the first time in Kenya. It took place at Alliance Francaise de Nairobi on September 11-13. In order to introduce the diversity of Ukrainian cinema art, the movies of several different genres were chosen for the festival, in particular historical drama Chervony, an adventure fantasy film The Stronghold and a psychological drama Falling. Besides, aiming at promotion of positive image of Ukraine and highlighting the opportunities of obtaining higher education for Kenyan youth, the Embassy included additional videos into the festival programme. Thus, the short informative videos about Ukraine, its natural resources and rich potential, together with foreign students speaking about their experiences of studying in Ukraine were launched just before the movies started. The guests of the festival were students from one of the biggest higher educational establishments in Kenya University of Nairobi, as well as the representatives of the UN, diplomatic missions and cultural circles of Kenya. They discussed, among other things, further sanctions against Russia. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has met with UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson. The parties commended the intensity of the Ukrainian-British dialogue in the field of security and defense, according to the president's press service. Read alsoUkraine expresses solidarity with UK over conclusions about Russia's use of chemical weapons The president highly appreciated Great Britain's contribution to strengthening defense capabilities and training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He expressed hope for continued cooperation in that direction. The two officials also discussed prospects for tougher sanctions against the Russian Federation over the aggression against Ukraine and the chemical attack in Salisbury. Poroshenko praised Williamson's decision to visit the contact line in Donbas. Particular attention was paid to strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Britain in the framework of NATO and the UN, as well as bilateral cooperation in counteracting cyber threats. The parties noted the necessity to develop military political dialogue at the level of defense ministers and respective delegations. Ukraine's Defense Ministry has said Ukrainian and UK delegations held talks in Kyiv on Monday, September 17. "The parties discussed the global and European security situation, as well as threats the two countries are facing, issues related to reforms of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, technical defense and cooperation between the Ukrainian and UK Defense Ministries," the ministry said on its website. Read alsoPoroshenko meets with UK defense secretary Ukrainian Defense Minister, General Stepan Poltorak stressed the importance of UK assistance to Ukraine in defending its borders and developing democratic society. According to him, the parties noted the necessity to develop military political dialogue at the level of defense ministers and respective delegations. "We have discussed the possibility of further cooperation in course training, establishment of close cooperation between the defense industries of the two countries, as well as increase advisory support to develop capabilities of the Ukrainian army, particularly, command and control system, defense planning," he said. The parties also focused on discussion of issues related to the development of bilateral cooperation in issues related to the development of military infrastructure in Ukraine. "Our meeting was constructive and promising, as we have outlined landmarks and defined priorities. In November, as invited by my colleague, I am going to visit London where we will discuss once again all these issues and discuss them in details," Poltorak said. Peskov claims the Russian Federation puts paid to the Crimea issue. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity may be discussed only as part of the Minsk agreements rather than the Budapest Memorandum. "The settlement [of the conflict] in the 'southeast' of Ukraine may be addressed only within the Minsk agreements. All countries agree there is no other alternative to this document and are guided by the fact that the document must be implemented," he said, answering a question from an UNIAN correspondent in Russia whether the Kremlin agrees to return to the issue of Ukraine's territorial integrity within the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. Read alsoVolker: Moscow's military actions in Donbas "produce the opposite" Peskov also blamed Kyiv for the slow implementation of the Minsk provisions. What is more, he said, the Russian Federation puts paid to the Crimea issue. As UNIAN reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on August 28 that the Budapest Memorandum had turned to be an ineffective instrument. Ukraine was the world's third largest nuclear power when it signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances in December 1994 to become a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Russia was one of the signatories pledging to abide by the Memorandum but breached its obligations when it annexed Ukraine's Crimea and invaded Ukraine's Donbas in 2014, followed by signing of the so-called Minsk agreements. The other two signatories to the Budapest Memorandum were the United States and the United Kingdom. The UOC-MP does not recognize the local Ukrainian church, since several other local churches do not recognize it. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has said granting a Tomos of autocephaly to the Ukrainian church and the beginning of the creation of a local church in Ukraine may lead to a large-scale "split in Ukrainian society." "These actions may lead to a split in Ukrainian society, and for the next few years or centuries, people should reject the idea of a local church this is what we are most concerned about right now. The existence of two ecclesiastical jurisdictions will cut the body of our society very deeply and I do not know how to heal it afterwards. Of course, this will lead to a split in the entire Orthodox world," Metropolitan Antoniy (Pakanych), the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, said in an interview with the RBC Ukraine news agency. Read alsoPoroshenko meets with Orthodox envoys dispatched for independent church preparations (Video) He also said that "no one is immune from heresy and schism" if not to live in a conciliar way. "There have been cases in church history when the great patriarchs became heresiarchs and schismatics. The church lives its fullness. The episcopate does not act as it wants, or on someone else's task, but feeling how people live. People are not an electorate for us as at politicians, they are the people of God for us," he said. In addition, the UOC-MP says it will be unlawful and incorrect if the Verkhovna Rada passes a law under which the UOC-MP should change its name. "The members of our church are Ukrainians, citizens of Ukraine, and their church should be called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Do not artificially make millions of your own citizens strangers in their own country. This will lead to no good," Antoniy said. He stressed all legal methods would be used to defend the name. "We have a document called 'Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the UOC,' according to which, in very difficult situations, I will quote: 'The Church may appeal to its children with a call for peaceful civil disobedience.' This is an extreme measure but it is fixed in our social concept approved by the Council of Bishops," he said. Antoniy also said the UOC-MP does not recognize the local Ukrainian church, since several other local churches do not recognize it. Denisova believes it is necessary to look for new ways to return Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who is imprisoned in Russia, to his homeland. Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has welcomed the decision of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, to appeal to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, proposing the candidacy of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian penal colony since May 14, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Read alsoJailed Ukrainian filmmaker Sentsov nominated for Sakharov Prize media "Oleh is really worthy of it. He is suffering today in prisons of the occupier for his patriotic and life stance. He is a real fighter for basic human rights and freedoms," she wrote on Facebook. "The whole of Ukraine is fighting for Oleh today. We must look for new ways to return him to Ukraine and his relatives," Denisova added. As UNIAN reported earlier, on September 18, the Verkhovna Rada appealed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee to nominate Sentsov for the Nobel Peace Prize. Some 245 MPs voted for relevant resolution No. 9040 on Tuesday. The resolution comes into force from the date of its adoption. According to the document, the Verkhovna Rada instructed its chairman, Andriy Parubiy, to immediately forward the text of the parliamentary address to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Local residents write about the death of animals in agony, publishing photos of sick pets. Residents of Crimea continue to complain about the consequences of chemical leaks on the Russian-occupied peninsula. The situation is worsening not only in the town of Armyansk in the north of the peninsula, but also in the town of Yany-Kapu. Local residents write about the death of animals in agony, publishing photos of sick pets. "A neighbor's cat has died, vomiting brownish foam," people write on the network. People also suffer from what has been happening, while the authorities assure that the environmental situation on the peninsula is normal. "I have tears, runny nose, sore throat, headache, dizziness, and cough. The authorities say it's just a fog. Of course, we are used to chemical emissions here, but this has not happened before," a resident of Yany-Kapu said. As UNIAN reported earlier, acid leaks at the Crimean Titan plant were reported in Crimea's north in the early hours of August 24. Crimean environmentalists explained the leaks by heat and the lack of water in the North Crimean Canal. Children were evacuated from the affected areas for two weeks. A possibly repeat release of sulfuric acid in the town of Armyansk was reported on September 13. No Ukrainian army casualties were reported in the past 24 hours. Russian-led forces mounted 21 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas in the past 24 hours. "No casualties among the Ukrainian troops were reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, one enemy soldier was killed and another one was wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on September 18, 2018. Read alsoVolker: Moscow's military actions in Donbas "produce the opposite" Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns and small arms to attack the defenders of the town of Svitlodarsk, and the villages of Krymske, Luhanske, Starohnativka, Chermalyk, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne. The enemy also resorted to 82mm mortars to shell the Ukrainian positions near Lebedynske. In addition, the Ukrainian fortified positions near Pavlopil came under fire from 120mm mortars. "Since Tuesday midnight, Russian-led forces have mounted three attacks on the Ukrainian positions near Lebedynske and Vodiane, using heavy machine guns and small arms. There have been no casualties among Ukrainian troops from the start of the day," reads the report. The inconsistency of actions between new enemy units and those who are on constant combat duty leads to an increase in the number of incidents of "friendly fire." The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has said Russian-led forces suffer losses amid chaos in the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") following the assassination of its leader, Alexander Zakharchenko. It is reported the inconsistency of actions between new enemy units and those who are on constant combat duty leads to an increase in the number of incidents of "friendly fire" and, as a result, the aggravation of feuds between their military personnel. Read alsoRussian-led forces in Donbas step up control at checkpoints after Zakharchenko's death "In particular, a mass brawl between groups of terrorists occurred on September 15 as a result of another shelling of own positions by one of the units of the 1st Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces, resulting in two deaths from beating and over 10 people were seriously injured and hospitalized," the report says. As UNIAN reported earlier, "DPR" leader Alexander Zakharchenko was killed in an explosion in a Donetsk restaurant on August 31. Russian-controlled militants in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region claimed a "Ukrainian trace" in the blast, while Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed the accusations. The Ukrainian SBU, for its part, did not rule out the Russian special services' involvement in the assassination, adding that local feuds between local terrorist leaders could be the cause. A Russian IL-20 military aircraft with 14 personnel on board disappeared over the Mediterranean on Monday. A Russian maritime patrol aircraft with multiple personnel on board was inadvertently shot down by Syrian regime anti-aircraft artillery on Monday after the Syrians came under attack by Israeli missiles, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the incident. The U.S. official said the regime was actually trying to stop a barrage of Israeli missiles, CNN reported. A second official confirmed that Israel was responsible for the missile strikes on the Syrian regime. The Russian state news agency TASS reported that a Russian IL-20 military aircraft with 14 personnel on board disappeared over the Mediterranean on Monday. According to TASS, the ministry of defense specified that "the mark of IL-20 went off the radars disappeared during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia." Read alsoFive weapons to watch for as Russia, China launch war games The Israelis had fired multiple missiles against targets in the coastal area of Latakia where Russian has based much of its military presence, including aircraft. In an attempt to strike back against the Israelis, the Syrians launched extensive anti-aircraft fire, the official said and the Russian aircraft was hit. The U.S. found out about the incident because Syrian forces broadcast an emergency search and rescue radio call on an international frequency. The U.S. then got a direct message from another country about the type of aircraft and circumstances of the incident. The official would not identify that country, but it is likely that Russia is the only nation that would know exactly what type of aircraft was shot down. A spokesman for the Pentagon told CNN that the missiles were not fired by the U.S. military but would not speak as to who was behind the strikes. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman declined to comment on the reports. The aircraft was shot down by an anti-aircraft system the Russians sold to the Syrians several years ago, the official said. The Syrian air defense network in western Syria is very densely populated with anti-aircraft missile and radar systems. In February, the two-man crew of an Israeli F-16 ejected from their aircraft when a missile exploded near them, damaging their aircraft as they finished conducting a mission against Syrian forces. An Israeli defense official told CNN earlier this month that Israel has struck Syria 200 times in the past 18 months to prevent the deployment of Iranian weapons in the region. A virus that was destroying hectares of cassava plantations has broken out in two provinces in Zambia, the agriculture ministry said Monday. LUSAKA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :A virus that was destroying hectares of cassava plantations has broken out in two provinces in Zambia, the agriculture ministry said Monday. Cassava brown streak virus disease is characterized by patches of yellow mixed with the normal green color on the leaves of cassava plants. Zambian Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said official records have confirmed the existence of the virus in seven districts in Luapula and North-Western Provinces. He told reporters at a press briefing that the disease outbreak was a threat to the country's food security as cassava was the second most important food crop after maize. The ministry will need about 5 million Zambian Kwacha (465,375 U.S. Dollars) to effectively manage and contain the disease, Katambo said. The ministry has restricted the movement of planting materials from the affected areas, he said, calling on farmers to plant disease-free cassava tubers. Researchers from the Zambian Agricultural Research Institute say that the disease could have originated from neighboring countries. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Russia and the Czech Republic have discussed the ongoing implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project at a session of the joint working group on energy cooperation, Russia's Energy Ministry said on Tuesday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) Russia and the Czech Republic have discussed the ongoing implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project at a session of the joint working group on energy cooperation, Russia's Energy Ministry said on Tuesday. The working group session took place on Monday and Tuesday in Prague. Representatives of Russian corporate giants such as Gazprom, Rostec and Transneft also took part in the meeting. "Russia has informed its Czech partners about the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project and the long-term plans of the Russian Energy Ministry for developing the state program on renewable energy sources ... The Czech partners talked about the progress achieved in preparing for the expansion of the capacities of the Czech gas transmission system in the context of the Nord Stream 2 project implementation, as well as about plans to increase transit of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline," the ministry's statement read. In June, the Czech Republic's ambassador-at-large for energy security, Vaclav Bartuska, told Sputnik that Europe had no legal leverage to stop the Nord Stream 2 project from being carried out. The project envisages the construction of two gas pipelines that will run from Russia, through the Baltic Sea and to a hub in Germany. The project is a joint venture of Russian energy giant Gazprom, France's Engie, Austria's OMV AG, UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, and Germany's Uniper and Wintershall. The project has been welcomed by some countries in Europe, such as Germany and Austria, and opposed by others, including Ukraine, which may suffer transit revenue drops if Nord Stream 2 becomes operational. (@FahadShabbir) International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) and Airlangga University of Indonesia have agreed to work on exchange of delegations, bilateral cooperation in research and join projects for academic excellence. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) and Airlangga University of Indonesia have agreed to work on exchange of delegations, bilateral cooperation in research and join projects for academic excellence. A 9-member delegation from Airlangga University of Indonesia visited IIUI Tuesday and met with IIUI Rector Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, President IIUI, Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, Vice Presidents, Deans, DGs, Head of departments and faculty members. According to a press release, the meeting also discussed semester exchange programs and a draft was signed by both universities for bilateral cooperation which will be sent to relevant government quarters for consent. The delegation also had an information session with the academic staff and students of university for the degree and non-degree programs in the Airlangga University. "We are keen to discuss university scholarship programs and ways for join collaboration and the delegation is having a constructive visit to Pakistan" said Dr. Irfan Wahyudi, Department of Communication. The delegation hailed IIUI's urge towards biletral cooperation and termed it as a constructive activity. IIUI Rector Dr. Masoom Yasinzai urged Muslim countries to initiate trans-nation education among each other. He added trnas-nation education is a reality and future of countries. He maintained Pakistanis highly value the relations with Indonesia. He added that we will have to learn from experiences of rest of the world. He briefed about collaborations with Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University, Riyadh, Al- Azhar university, Um ul Qura University and suggested that in Islamic countries should start joint degree programs. IIUI Rector said that Muslim countries need to come closer through bilateral educational projects as this is a pre-requisite to excel in future. "We will have to find Indigenous solutions to the indigenous problems." While briefing about the IIUI faculties and departments, Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, President, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) said that university was intending to further expand its vision through collaborations and IIUI recently had signed four MoUs with different universities. He told that IIUI's Indonesian Alumni from various disciplines were on key posts in the Indonesia. He reiterated his resolve that university will continue the dissemination of islam's message of peace. IIUI President told that university was also mulling over holding a conference in Indonesia with collaboration of leading varsities there. Dr. Samina Malik, Dean faculty of Social Science hoped in her note that the visit will open new avenues for academic excellence and opportunities of exchange of experiences. The delegation members also visited faculty of social sciences and participated in the lectures in departments of media and communication studies, psychology, sociology and international relations. ALGIERS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 18th Sep, 2018) The Ministerial Meeting of the 14th session of the Joint Committee between the UAE and Algeria took place yesterday in the Algerian capital, Algiers. The meeting was chaired by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, and Abdulqader Al Mussahel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria. The UAE delegation included representatives of various Federal and local government authorities, as well as quasi-government and private companies. Al Mansouri said that the meetings of the committee were an opportunity to develop and reinforce the bilateral ties between the UAE and Algeria, through opportunities for cooperation and reaching practical suggestions on how to maximise these opportunities and overcome challenges. He also highlighted the excellent relations between the leadership of the two countries, which has led to the development of their bilateral ties while noting the visit of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to Algeria in 1974, when he met with the late President Hawari Bumadyan and inaugurated the headquarters of the UAE Embassy in Algiers on 7th August 1974. Al Mansouri expressed the UAEs happiness at the joint stance of the two Arab countries on many issues, such as Palestine, Libya, and Syria, while adding that he was looking forward to further coordination on regional and international issues, in an effective and positive manner. "During the Year of Zayed, we remember the noble values and wise diplomacy of the nations founder, Sheikh Zayed, who established the foundations of joint Arab action, based on solidarity, cooperation, mutual respect and not intervening in the affairs of other countries," Al Mansouri said. Regarding the economy, Al Mansouri highlighted the importance of the joint efforts of public and private sectors from both countries to building on their recent achievements and promoting mutual commercial exchange and investments. He called on Algerian exporters and importers to benefit from the UAEs advanced ports and logistical facilities, which are ideal centres for the launch, storage and transportation of goods from Algeria to Asian markets while noting that the UAE occupies the 11th position in the international index of logistical services, which includes 160 countries. Regarding investments, he explained the fact that Emirati investments in Algeria exceeded US$10 billion in various economic sectors while highlighting the opportunities for more Emirati investments, which desire to benefit from the Algerian market and the strategic location of Algeria as a gateway to European and African markets. He then lauded the investment partnership worth US$1.5 billion between the UAE and Algeria in the iron and steel sector that is expected to generate around 1,600 direct job opportunities and other indirect job opportunities. He also praised the partnership in the energy sector between CEPSA, a company owned by Mubadala, and Sonatrach Algerian, which is valued at $1.2 billion until 2043 and is expected to increase Algerian oil and gas production in the coming years. Al Mansouri called on the committees participants to discuss ways of reinforcing the civil aviation relations between the two countries, through holding more meetings and bilateral negotiations, with the aim of adopting an open sky policy and facilitating entry visa requirements to Algeria, which will directly encourage Emirati tourism and support the Algerian Governments plan to double the number of foreign tourists visiting the country to 4.4 million by 2027. Al Mussahel welcomed the visit of Al Mansouri and his delegation while stressing its importance in reinforcing the bilateral ties between the two countries and opening new areas of strategic cooperation, especially in the economy, investments, society and culture. He added that there are many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and highlighted the importance of cooperation in the areas of investment, energy, tourism, education, science and technology, sports, culture, food and agriculture. He also noted that the visit will have a direct and positive impact on improving the future strategic relations between the two countries. Both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, related to baseline installations, a project of the "Executive Programme of the Cooperation Agreement in Media Religious Affairs 2019-2020," and a project of the "Executive Programme for Media Culture Cooperation 2018-2020," as well as another MoU related to the technical cooperation between the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, ESMA, and the Algerian Institute for Standardisation. Sindh Minister for Alternative Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh has said 200 villages and 5,000 schools in rural areas of the province would be energized through solar power. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :Sindh Minister for Alternative Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh has said 200 villages and 5,000 schools in rural areas of the province would be energized through solar power. The minister, at an introductory meeting of his department here on Monday, directed the officials concerned to take immediate and practicable steps to implement this plan envisaged on the directive of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to supply electricity in rural areas of the province. The minister said Sindh province has numerous resources for generating renewable energy, which may cater to the power needs of the country through generation of thousands of megawatt cost-effective electricity. Imtiaz Shaikh said provinces require Federal government's permission over some aspects of alternative energy resources, therefore, he added, the Sindh government would take up such matters at the next meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) so that work could be started on pending renewable energy projects. He said alternative energy policy after making it more effective to be presented in the CCI meeting for seeking five-year extension in the policy. The minister said Thatta district has a vast place suitable for generating wind energy, and for this purpose 17 companies have expressed their interest. However, he added, work on such wind power projects could not be initiated due to lack of clarity about tariff. Imtiaz Shaikh said electric inspectors would be re-activated to address the complaints of over billing from consumers against power companies. Secretary Energy Department Rashid Hussain Qazi, briefing the minister about the performance of the department, said the projects of power generation through garbage are under consideration for Karachi and other cities of the province. For this purpose, he said talks are under way with the Sindh Solid Waste Management board. He expressed the hope that these projects would be finalised soon. The minister said as a pilot projects bio-gas plants are being installed in Badin, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Karachi's Malir district at the cost of Rs. 20 million so that bio-gas could be produced through dung to cater to the needs of domestic consumers. On the occasion, Director Alternative Energy Engineer Mehfooz Qazi told the meeting an alternative energy training institute and wind energy testing laboratory would be set up in Karachi in collaboration with a Japanese donor agency. He informed that a consultative meeting would be held at a local hotel here on October 13 in collaboration with World Bank to promote alternative energy. He said local and foreign experts and stakeholders would participate in the moot. Besides, he said a two-day International Energy Conference and Exhibition 2018 would be held in Karachi on November 28. Over 50 international experts and representatives of energy companies are expected to attend the conference. The event would also envisage the exhibition of solar and wind energy equipment. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2018 ) :Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls, Dr Sharman Stone on Monday appreciated the steps and efforts of the Pakistani government for successful legislation to ensure the human rights including the rights of women, children and minorities. She said that the incumbent government, especially Ministry of Human Rights, was very vigilant and active in solving the issues and protecting the rights of women and minorities. Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen M Mazari talking to the ambassador said that the government was committed to not only protect the rights of women and minorities, but also make them economically sound. The visiting Australia's Ambassador for Women and Girls, Dr Sharman Stone along with the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Margaret Adamson called on Dr Mazari here. High officials of the ministry were also among the attendants.They exchanged views on gender equality and protection of human rights especially the rights of women and girls. Dr Mazari apprised Dr Stone about the steps for ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly the rights of women, children and minorities. She said we are working on three further bills including Anti Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention & Punishment) Bill 2018, Pakistan Rights of Persons with Disability Bill, 2018 and Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2018. The draft of the bills had been forwarded to the law ministry for vetting and further process to present before the cabinet, she added. Dr Mazari also informed about prevailing human rights situation in the country including implementation of laws, policy and measures. She said besides the implementation of Hindu Marriage Act, the ministry had drawn up a new Christian divorce bill for the National Assembly, a press release said. The Australia's Ambassador for Women and the High Commissioner to Pakistan appreciated the endeavours of the government, especially the Ministry of Human Rights for the protection and promotion of human rights and sucessful awareness drive about women's right to inheritance. (@FahadShabbir) Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Senator Rehman Malik on Monday said that the government should bring reforms in the fiscal policy. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2018 ) :Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Senator Rehman Malik on Monday said that the government should bring reforms in the fiscal policy. Talking to media outside the Parliament House, he said that his party also wanted a Naya Pakistan,and reforms in country's fiscal and foreign policies could help Pakistan move forward on the track of progressand prosperity. The Chairman Lakhra Coal Management Sindh Abdul Samad Raisani has called upon the government to promote the local mining by discouraging coal export abroad in order to save valuable foreign exchange of six million US dollar daily. HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :The Chairman Lakhra Coal Management Sindh Abdul Samad Raisani has called upon the government to promote the local mining by discouraging coal export abroad in order to save valuable foreign exchange of six million US Dollar daily. Addressing a news conference here at a local hotel on Tuesday, Abdul Samad Achakzai along with representatives of all stakeholders said the Pakistan possessed rich mineral resources particularly coal and there is the need to utilize the huge quantity of country's coal instead to import of the same from foreign countries including South Africa and Indonesia. At present, he said that utilization of local excavated coal in power sector and other industries of the country was recorded very poor because of discouragement with claim that it was substandard following high quantity of sulfur and water. The installation of coal washing plants in the coalmine fields can provide the same quality of coal as being imported from other countries, he said and informed that around 13 million tons of coal worth 1.4 billion US Dollars was imported in the year 2017 and during the current year, the import of foreign coal is around 14 million tons worth 1.5 billion US dollars. If the government utilized only fifty percent of the local coal reserves, it can save one billion US dollars every year, he said and expressed deep concern over the plan of importing coal of 50 million US dollars daily for the next five years. He appealed to the Prime Minister Imran Khan, Federal Finance Minister and other high ups of the federal and provincial governments to encourage the utilization of local coal in power projects and other industries which would not only help in saving billions of dollars but also open another vista of employment of around ten million people. Abdul Samad Raisani informed that the mine owners of Sindh and Balochistan had attended a high level meeting under the chair of the Chairman Senate Mir Sadiq Sanjrani besides the representatives of concerned departments and FBR, leader of the house in Senate Senator Shibli Faraz and Senator Moula Bux Chandio were also present in the meeting which decided to convene a special meeting for ensuring the utilization of locally excavated coal, he said and hoped that the Chairman Senate would take personal interest into the matter and resolve this important issue. He said that banning on coal based bricks kiln units in Punjab from October 14, 2018 for a period of two months which imposed by the provincial government would not only bring financial crisis to bricks kiln owners and workers, but it would also affect badly to coalmine owners. He demanded of the Punjab Govt to withdraw directives for banning of coal based bricks kiln units. If the provincial government avoided reconsidering its decision, the coalmine owners would approach to the Supreme Court to get justice, he maintained. Talking about the issues of Lakhra Coalmines, Abdul Samad Raisani informed that besides 25 to 30 thousand workers of KPK who directly associated with coal excavation, around 15 to 20 thousand residents of the area are also attached with the coalmine industry of the field, but regretfully stated that they have no facility of communication, health, education and safe drinking water. He informed that the residents of the area have no other option except to take raw water of the river for daily usage including drinking purpose despite the fact that mine owners are contributing Rs. 120 million every year in medical and workers welfare fund. He said that the mine owners have decided to approach high ups of Sindh government to get details of the expenses of their contribution and if the departments concerned failed to provide details, than the owners would have no choice except to knock the doors of NAB, FIA and the courts of law. The mine owners have also decided to establish their own welfare fund and to spend the contribution for the welfare of workers and local residents of the area, he said and added that provision of health, education and drinking water facilities would be on priority. Abdul Samad Raisani also expressed grave concern over the decision of the formation of Sindh Coal Authority with utilization of powers of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC). The PMDC which formed in 1982 had played key role in providing training to local people through foreign experts and also finding coal in all the provinces of the country, he said and added that such decision would badly affect the investment of millions of rupees from PMDC contractors in Lakhra coal reserves. The Sindh Government should take the PMDC contractors into confidence before taking such decision, he added. He also expressed his grave concern over the law and order situation in Lakhra coal field and demanded the high ups of Sindh Police to ensure the rule of law by taking stern action against those who involved in criminal activities in the area. The Chairman Lakhra Coal Management Sindh has informed that next meeting of the mine owners of Sindh and Balochistan would be held in Karachi in the first week of October which will decide further line of action if the government failed to address their issues. Haji Shakeel Ahmed Khan and former Sindh Assembly Member Fakir Dad Khoso and others were also present during press conference. (@mahnoorsheikh03) Dr Umar Saif said that Bollywood needs better script writers. Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News 18th September, 2018) Bollywood often makes movies revolving around Pakistani spies, terrorists and extremists. However, in its over-smartness, India forgot to show the real building of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in one of its movies. This was pointed out by Punjab Information Technology board (PITB) Chairman Dr Umar Saif who shared a video on his social media page where an Indian movie features Lahores Arfa Karim Tower as ISI headquarters. Sharing the video, Dr Umar Saif also used some sarcasm, saying that Bollywood needs better script writers. Watch here: Pakistan and Denmark Tuesday agreed to ensure better coordination to facilitate introduction of therapeutic goods originated from both sides ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :Pakistan and Denmark Tuesday agreed to ensure better coordination to facilitate introduction of therapeutic goods originated from both sides. This was agreed during a meeting between Danish Ambassador to Pakistan, Rolf Michael Hay Pereira Holmboe and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Dr. Sheikh Akhter Hussain. Both sides discussed promotion of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical trade. The CEO DRAP apprised the Ambassador about regulations in Pakistan for registration of drugs and health & OTC products. He informed that DRAP regulates medicine in the country according to international best practices of quality, safety and efficacy. Furthermore, DRAP encourages local manufacturers to export to stringently regulated industries. In this regard, DRAP is moving towards adaptation of international best practices for harmonization of regulatory functions for ensuring better quality, safety and efficacy of therapeutic goods as well as providing a way for local manufacturers to export these products. The Danish Ambassador emphasized on opportunities in his country by meeting regulatory requirements. He also informed that nutraceutical products can also be exported from Pakistan after fulfillment of these requirements. Similarly, leading Danish companies in Pharmaceuticalmanufacturing have launched various educational programmesin Punjab regarding improving health of diabetic population. Senate Chairman, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, along with three members will proceed to Azerbaijan on a four-day official visit to participate in the 100th Anniversary of the Parliament of Azerbaijan. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :Senate Chairman, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, along with three members will proceed to Azerbaijan on a four-day official visit to participate in the 100th Anniversary of the Parliament of Azerbaijan. Senate Chairman said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoyed cordial relations and parliamentary exchanges, said a press release issued here. The delegation, led by Chairman Senate is includedLeader of the House in the Senate, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, Senator Sardar Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhel and Senator Nighat Mirza. Senate Chairman will also hold meetings with President, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan besides meeting with Chairman of the Mili Majlis of Azerbaijan. The invitation of this visit was extended by Chairman of the Mili Majlis of Azerbaijan. (@ChaudhryMAli88) DOHA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced the launch of a large-scale military operation to liberate the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea from Shiite militants from Ansar Allah movement, the commander of coalition forces on Yemen's west coast Gen. Ali Taniji said Tuesday. "The attack of troops on the side of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi with the support of the military Arab coalition on Al Hudaydah began from several directions," Taniji said, as quoted the WAM news agency. According to the commander, the Houthis lost their ability to resist. Coalition aircraft are bombing their positions on the outskirts of Al Hudaydah. The coalition reported that it had cut off the channel of supply of rebels in Hodeida from the city of Saada. According to Taniji, thousands of trained fighters of the Yemeni resistance will stop the Houthis' attempts to regain the areas of Al Hudaydah that were repulsed from them. In turn, the Al Masirah broadcaster, which is controlled by the insurgents, reported that the Arab coalition had inflicted a strike on the building of the naval faculty in Al Hudaydah. Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by president Hadi and the Houthi rebels for several years. The Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf nations has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. The situation in the war-torn country has deteriorated sharply since June, when the Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive to seize Al Hudaydah, a key port city for humanitarian aid, from the Houthis. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Baku, Sept 18 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Sep, 2018 ) :A court in Azerbaijan on Tuesday sentenced an opposition activist to six years for drug trafficking, in a case his party said was politically motivated. Orkhan Bakhyshly, 22, denied the charges brought against him at the court in Baku, capital of the oil-rich ex-Soviet nation. "I joined this fight for freedom, but the democratisation of our country and whatever happens to me, I regret nothing," he said ahead of the verdict, in comments reported by his Azerbaijan Popular Front party. "I appeal to the parents of young activists so that they will not be afraid and will not attempt to deter their children from the fight for democracy," the party quoted him as saying. According to the Popular Front, Bakhyshly was arrested on May 6, three days after having marked World Press Freedom Day by visiting the tomb of an Azerbaijani journalist who was assassinated in 2005. "It's precisely for this reason that he was arrested," the group said. Elmar Huseynov, who was shot and killed 13 years ago, was vocally critical of the country's regime in his work as an editor and a reporter. According to the NGO Reporters Without Borders, which ranks Azerbaijan 163 out of 180 countries for press freedom, the investigation into his death has never produced credible results. Rights groups say the government of the Caspian state has clamped down on opponents in recent years. President Ilham Aliyev's Aliyev secured a fourth consecutive presidential term in April with 86 percent of the vote in elections that international observers said were marred by "serious irregularities" and lack of competition. Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman will visit Israel on November 25-29, where he will hold talks with the Israeli leadership and deliver a speech at the country's parliament, Knesset, Rudolf Jindrak, director of the International Affairs Department of the Czech Republic's Presidential Office, said on Tuesday. PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman will visit Israel on November 25-29, where he will hold talks with the Israeli leadership and deliver a speech at the country's parliament, Knesset, Rudolf Jindrak, director of the International Affairs Department of the Czech Republic's Presidential Office, said on Tuesday. "Mr. President will hold talks with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Several ministers and a big delegation of Czech businesspeople will accompany the president during the trip," Jindrak told reporters. According to Jindrak, Zeman is also expected to deliver a speech at the Knesset and take part in the opening ceremony of the Czech House in Jerusalem, which Zeman himself considers as the first step to the relocation of the Czech Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In May, the Czech Republic opened a honorary consulate in Jerusalem. The issue of recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has been in the spotlight of media and governments across the world in the wake of the transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv, which was announced by US President Donald Trump in December, and implemented in May. Zeman, known as a supporter of Israel, has approved Trump's move. He also spoke about the relocation of the Czech Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, mentioning it for the first time during his visit to the middle Eastern country in 2013. (@rukhshanmir) TALLINN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik responded on Monday to a parliamentary request to study statements of Estonian Director of Foreign Intelligence Mikk Marran about Russia's "agents of influence" in the country's government, parliament and media, saying that Marran meant not Estonia but Western Europe. Marran's report, which was delivered at the Aspen Security Forum and published on July 24 by the Eesti Paevaleht newspaper, says that the Estonian intelligence service had identified a network of politicians, journalists, diplomats and businessmen who were allegedly "agents of Russian influence executing Kremlin's orders." The report did not contain specific Names, but Marran noted that these were people who had been on the sidelines of local politics a few years ago and then entered a parliament or a government. In his opinion, these unspecified people are implementing a "Russian plan of action." "I would like to clarify the context of Marran's speech before the experts. He spoke about methods, he did not mention any name of any politician in any state. I would like to emphasize that the foreign intelligence department is not engaged in activities within Estonia, in other words counterintelligence, so his speech has nothing to do with Estonia, and this story does not apply to the Estonian state. The report says about Western Europe, it becomes clear if you read the entire report," Luik said. The minister added that he did not have information that Estonian politicians, journalists, diplomats and businessmen could be "Russian agents of influence." "And I have to say that I have no reason to think so," Luik concluded. Estonian politicians have previously presented similar accusations against Russia. Moscow has repeatedly refuted and called allegations about Russia's meddling in the affairs of other countries unfounded. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that the statements of the Estonian foreign intelligence chief about "discovering the agents of Moscow's influence" among public figures of the republic are speculations aimed at diverting attention from the country's internal problems. Final assembly of the first HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Weapons System and Operational Flight Trainer is underway, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Tuesday. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) Final assembly of the first HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Weapons System and Operational Flight Trainer is underway, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Tuesday. "The Weapons System Trainer will be based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, home of the formal HH-60W training unit," the release said. "The Operational Flight Trainer will be at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, site of the first operational unit. " The current contract with the US Air Force calls for delivery of nine HH-60W helicopters, six aircrews, maintenance training and instructional courseware, with the system's deployment expected in 2020, the release explained. The Air Force plans to eventually purchase 112 HH-60W choppers to replace the aging H-60G Pave Hawk fleet, which performs critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all US military services, the release noted. (@FahadShabbir) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday expressed its condolences over the crash of Russian Il-20 military aircraft in Syria, saying that Damascus was fully responsible for the incident. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday expressed its condolences over the crash of Russian Il-20 military aircraft in Syria, saying that Damascus was fully responsible for the incident. The Russian Defense Ministry has said earlier that the Russian Hmeimim airbase had lost contact with the crew of the Russian Il-20 military aircraft at about 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Monday during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia. The ministry said on Tuesday that the Israeli military deliberately created a dangerous situation by using the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems. As a result, the Il-20 jet was downed by a missile launched by Syria's S-200 air defense system. The incident claimed lives of 15 Russian servicemen. "Israel expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire. Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident," the IDF wrote in Twitter. The Israeli military added that it also held "Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident." The IDF admitted that its fighters had carried out strikes on a facility of Syrian targets. "Overnight, IDF fighter jets targeted a facility of the Syrian Armed Forces from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon. These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat against it," the IDF said. The Israeli military noted that it had notified the Russian side about the strikes using the exiting "deconfliction system." "Israel will share all the relevant information with the Russian Government to review the incident and to confirm the facts in this inquiry," the IDF said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The people of Macedonia have to make their decision in the upcoming referendum for the country's new name based on their objective opinions, free of foreign influence, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said on Monday. BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2018) The people of Macedonia have to make their decision in the upcoming referendum for the country's new name based on their objective opinions, free of foreign influence, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said on Monday. Earlier on Monday, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who arrived in Skopje for a working visit, accused Russia of trying to influence the outcome of the referendum. At the same time, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has said there is no evidence that Russia or any other country has been engaged in an "anti-referendum" campaign in Macedonia, according to the B92 Serbian broadcaster. "I had a very similar question not a long time ago in this press room and I said very clearly that the citizens have to be informed when they go and vote [in] this referendum . .. in an objective manner, free of external interference, and they have historic opportunity to exercise their democratic rights," Kocijancic told a press briefing asked about the claims of Russia's alleged interference in Macedonia's affairs. On June 17, the Greek and Macedonian foreign ministers signed an agreement on the former Yugoslav Republic's renaming to the Republic of North Macedonia after a decades-long dispute. A referendum on Macedonia's new constitutional name will be held on September 30, and if the move is approved, the country will be able to seek NATO and EU membership. French President Emmanuel Macron's gesture to admit the responsibility of the French army for torture committed during the decolonization war in Algeria was the right step, albeit an insufficient one, since he still had to bring justice to all the families who lost their loved ones and open all archives to the public, MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) French President Emmanuel Macron's gesture to admit the responsibility of the French army for torture committed during the decolonization war in Algeria was the right step, albeit an insufficient one, since he still had to bring justice to all the families who lost their loved ones and open all archives to the public, Nassera Dutour, the spokeswoman for the Collective of the Families of the Disappeared in Algeria (CFDA), told Sputnik. Last week, Macron publicly admitted that the French army was responsible for the torture and death of Maurice Audin, a French mathematician in Algiers who joined the Algerian Communist Party and disappeared in 1957 after being arrested by French paratroopers. "We are very happy that it happened. But now we have to see what follows: will we see the whole truth? Whether one would be able to consult the archives? Would it give the truth about the death of all the people who disappeared during the war in Algeria?" Dutour, who also heads the Euro-Mediterranean Federation on Forced Disappearances (FEMED), wondered. Dutour said that Macron's move had to be followed by action, and that the recognition of guilt by France was not enough for those who spent decades not knowing what happened to their husbands and children. "An excuse, an apology is not enough. We need to know everything. The whole truth. I am the mother of a man, who disappeared, and now they would tell me 'sorry if he is dead, or dead of torture, or maybe he is alive, sorry for all these years.' No, it's not enough. One needs to know, how and what for. Why did I have to fight all these years like Audin's family did, so that finally we have nothing but recognition? This part of the history we already know, we want to know the other one ... President Macron made the first step, but he has to make other steps, first step is not enough. One needs to go to the bottom of things, to get to the bottom of the truth," the activist said. The Algerian War (1954-1962) led to Algeria gaining independence from France, which was eager to keep control over its North African colony. It was marked by brutalities on both sides, and was complicated by a civil war between different communities. It also led to a political crisis in France. (@rukhshanmir) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and visiting Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita discussed joint efforts to combat Iran's influence in the region and boost bilateral security cooperation, US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a readout. "[Pompeo and Bourita] discussed opportunities to expand our strong economic and security cooperation, including shared efforts to end Iran's support for terrorism and counter its malign influence in the region," Nauert said on Monday. Pompeo and Bourita also agreed to hold the next session of the US-Morocco Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC next year and discussed other regional and international issues, the readout added. Morocco and the United States share common concerns and consult closely on security, political and economic issues and sustainable development, according to published reports. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The questioning of Alexander Vinnik, who was arrested in Greece on fraud charges, was pushed forward to October 1, Vinnik's lawyer Timofey Musatov told Sputnik on Monday. "The questioning of Alexander Vinnik was postponed until October 1. Two French judges, police and operational staff attended [Monday] meeting. [However,] the meeting was postponed due to violation of procedural legislation in terms of the rights of the defendant to get acquainted with the charges and questions in his native language," Musatov said. Vinnik's lawyer in Greece Ilias Spirliadis told Sputnik that the French investigation had submitted its questions for Vinnik, but since they were not translated into Russian, the questioning was pushed forward. He also noted that Russian investigation also had sent it questions to Vinnik, noting that Russian investigators would soon visit Greene to question his defendant. "Russian judges will come to Greece, and in their presence Greek investigators will ask questions that have been transferred. Both French and Russian judges have no right to participate in the questioning," the lawyer explained. He did not specify the date of the questioning. Vinnik was detained in Greece in July 2017 at the request of the US authorities on various charges, including laundering $4 billion through bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange BTC-E, which was allegedly headed by Vinnik. The exchange has said that the Russian national had never been engaged in its activities. The suspect himself has denied the US accusations. In Russia, Vinnik is wanted for separate fraud charges, but he has denied some of them. France put the Russian national on the wanted list in June claiming Vinnik was complicit in extortion and money laundering on its territory. All the three countries have been seeking Vinnik's extradition. The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday welcomed the agreements reached by Russia and Turkey on Syria's Idlib, noting that they were an important step toward a political solution of the Syrian crisis and elimination of terrorists. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday welcomed the agreements reached by Russia and Turkey on Syria's Idlib, noting that they were an important step toward a political solution of the Syrian crisis and elimination of terrorists. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, which lasted almost 4.5 hours. They have agreed to create a demilitarized zone along the contact line between the armed opposition and government troops in Idlib by October 15. "The meeting of the Russian and Turkish leaders and the announcement of the agreement reached on the settlement of Syria's Idlib issue are an important and milestone step in eliminating remaining terrorists in Syria, which can contribute to resolving the Syrian issue, assist the peace process in Syria and end the presence of terrorist groups in this country," ministry's spokesman Bahram Qassemi said in a statement. (@FahadShabbir) United Nations, United States, Sept 18 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) ::United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday hailed a summit between Djibouti and Eritrea in Saudi Arabia, voicing hope in a statement that it would help create "greater peace" in the region. The summit brought together Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh and his Ethiopian counterpart Isaias Afwerki, according to the statement, under the auspices of Saudi King Salman. The two nations have been at loggerheads for decades over a long-standing border dispute. Qatar brokered a peace deal in 2010 but relations have remained strained. Guterres "trusts that this meeting will prove yet another step in the consolidation of recent peace and security gains in the Horn of Africa region," his statement said. The UN Secretary-General "hopes that the encounter between the leaders of Djibouti and Eritrea will initiate a process to settle all pending issues between the two countries and lead to greater peace, stability and development in the region."The meeting came in the wake of a summit also held in Saudi Arabia between leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia, former enemies, who signed an agreement bolstering a historic peace accord. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2018) The questioning of Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who was arrested in Greece on fraud charges, by French investigators was postponed until to October 1, Vinnik's lawyer Timofey Musatov told Sputnik on Monday. "The questioning of Alexander Vinnik was postponed until October 1. Two French judges, police and operational staff attended [Monday] meeting. [However,] the meeting was postponed due to violation of procedural legislation in terms of the rights of the defendant to get acquainted with the charges and questions in his native language," Musatov said. Vinnik's lawyer in Greece Ilias Spirliadis told Sputnik that the French investigation had submitted its questions for Vinnik, but since they were not translated into Russian, the questioning was pushed forward. According to a list of questions seen by Sputnik, French investigators already have more than a hundred questions to Vinnik, including where he spent vacations in the last five years, whether he withdrew cash from ATMs, what bank cards he uses, how the electronic cryptocurrency exchange worked and what was his role in it, whether he knew some people, phone numbers and e-mails, whether he was in Tenerife, whether he bought caviar for 41,000 rubles ($600) on a certain date, and some others. He also noted that Russian investigation also had sent it questions to Vinnik, noting that Russian investigators would soon visit Greece to question his defendant. "Russian judges will come to Greece, and in their presence Greek investigators will ask questions that have been transferred. Both French and Russian judges have no right to participate in the questioning," the lawyer explained. He did not specify the date of the questioning. Vinnik was detained in Greece in July 2017 at the request of the US authorities on various charges, including laundering $4 billion through bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange BTC-E, which was allegedly headed by Vinnik. The exchange has said that the Russian national had never been engaged in its activities. The suspect himself has denied the US accusations. In Russia, Vinnik is wanted for separate fraud charges, but he has denied some of them. France put the Russian national on the wanted list in June claiming Vinnik was complicit in extortion and money laundering on its territory. All the three countries have been seeking Vinnik's extradition. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Latvian counterpart Raimonds Vejonis in Beijing Tuesday. BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2018 ) :Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Latvian counterpart Raimonds Vejonis in Beijing Tuesday. Vejonis is in China to attend the annual meeting of the Summer Davos Forum in north China's Tianjin. "China stands ready to deepen political trust, expand economic and trade cooperation and enhance people-to-people exchanges with Latvia based on mutual respect and equality so as to benefit the two peoples," Xi said. Noting that Latvia is the first among countries in the Baltic Sea region to sign a document on cooperation with China on the Belt and Road initiative, Xi said the two countries should facilitate the alignment of their development strategies, increase cooperation in such areas as logistics and infrastructure construction, and help promote inter-connectivity between Asia and Europe. "China and Europe, as two stabilizing forces in the world and two major economies, should strengthen strategic communication, maintain opening up to each other, and jointly uphold multilateralism and build an open world economy through China-Europe cooperation, to contribute to world peace, stability and development," said Xi. This is the common responsibility China and Europe share, he said. Deeming the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe Countries (CEEC) "an important component of China-Europe relations" as well as "a bridge connecting the Belt and Road initiative with Europe," Xi proposed China and Latvia step up cooperation within the framework of China-EU and China-CEEC cooperation mechanism. Vejonis spoke highly of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative and the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, saying he hoped the two countries could strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, transportation, logistics and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. "Latvia is committed to promoting the development of Europe-China ties," said Vejonis. Xi and Vejonis also witnessed the signing of cooperative documents after their meeting. An Italian missionary priest in Niger has been kidnapped by alleged jihadists close to the border with Burkina Faso. The Italian Foreign Ministry is investigating the case. By Linda Bordoni Missionary Father Pierluigi Maccalli was kidnapped overnight in south Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso, allegedly by a group of jihadist militants. A Niger government spokesman said today it is the second abduction of a European national in the West African country this year. Father Maccalli of the Society of African Missions (SMA) is originally from the Diocese of the northern Italian town of Crema and had worked for years as a missionary in Ivory Coast before transferring to the parish of Bomoanga, in Niamey Diocese. A witness said the 57-year-old-priest was kidnapped together with a local nun. The region has been struggling to defeat jihadist groups, including some affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State, which are active along Niger's porous borders with both Mali and Burkina Faso. The Italian Foreign Ministry is in contact with the priests family and is working on the case. Father Maccallis family said it is gathered in hopeful prayer for the safe return of their loved one. Missionary spirit The Bomoanga parish where Father Maccalli is serving is described as an isolated and neglected area because of the lack of roads, communications and infrastructure. Its an area afflicted by structural poverty with serious problems that derive from lack of health care, lack of water, lack of education. Opposer of infibulation and female circumcision Deeply committed to wed evangelization with the promotion of human dignity, Father Maccalli has always been attentive to local issues, sustaining micro-credit projects for development and opposing some traditional practices such as infibulation and female circumcision. According to local sources this could be the motive behind his kidnapping. The Society of African Missions The Society of African Missions to which Father Maccalli belongs is an international community of Catholic missionaries who serve the people of Africa around the world. SMA was founded in Lyon in 1856. Its almost 1000 members come from Africa, America, Asia and Europe and work in a number of African countries as well as Europe, the Americas and Asia. Rescue operation at the massive landslide site at Itogon triggered by typhoon Mangkhut in northern Philippines. (AFP or licensors) Super typhoon Mangkhut that hit northern Philippines on Saturday, continued its path of destruction across southern China on Sunday, into Monday. By Robin Gomes Philippine authorities fear some 100 deaths due to strong winds, heavy rains, floods, landslides and widespread collapses brought by the super typhoon Mangkhut that slammed into northern island of Luzon on Saturday. Harry Roque, the spokesman of Philippine Rodrigo Duterte, said earlier on Tuesday that Mangkhut had left 63 people dead, 42 injured and dozens missing as it cut a destructive path across the country's largest and most populous island. According to Philippine senator and domestic Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon, about 3 million people were affected in the worst-hit parts of the Philippines and another 11 million further south face flooding that may bar any return to their rice farms. Typhoon Mangkhut, which Philippine authorities have recorded as the strongest of the year, has knocked out electrical infrastructure in seven provinces, creating disruption to over 4 million people. Agricultural damage is estimated at 14.27 billion pesos ($264 million). Landslide disaster Among the victims are at least 40 to 50 people buried in a partial hillside collapse near the mining town of Itogon in the Cordillera region, some 200km north of Manila. The tragedy hit when people were inside a shelter. As of early Tuesday evening, 16 bodies had been recovered from the site and identified by relatives. Only three people have been rescued from under the rubble alive. Police said a further 55 people were missing and 74 were injured. Accurate headcounts were hard to come by. Super typhoon Mangkhut that hit northern Philippines, continued its path of destruction across southern China on Sunday, before weakening on Monday. Baguio Diocese appeals for help Meanwhile, Baguio Diocese has appealed for help for the families and individuals especially at the evacuation centers of Benguet province. Fr. Manuel Flores, Jr., Social Action Coordinator of the diocese said that while evacuees in Baguio City were returning to their homes, a number of the municipalities were still isolated due to landslides. According to the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC), the most urgent needs are potable water, food, blankets and beddings. Aid The Philippine government has welcomed the first shipments of aid for the victims of the typhoon from abroad. Australia has pledged to provide over 572,000 US dollars in basic necessities such as mats, blankets and hygiene kits for up to 25,000 people. The United Nations Agency for International Development and the United Nations World Food Program (UN) are coordinating with the Philippines Department for Social Assistance and Development, in order to send at least 1,100 tons of rice to the country. Children missing school Children are also paying a heavy price in the wake of the devastating typhoon. The international non-governmental organization, Save the Children said on Monday that more than a million children are missing out on education as thousands of schools remain shut following Mangkhut. According to the Department of Education, more than 4,300 schools remain suspended because of damage caused by the storm or the ongoing use of classrooms as evacuation centres, affecting over one million students. At least 170 schools suffered flooding, while nearly 2,000 classrooms were either totally destroyed or suffered varying levels of damage. Save the Children is distributing aid to 800 of the worst-affected families, including hygiene items like shampoo, soap and cleaning products, as well as jerry cans, water purification tablets, pots and pans for cooking and plastic sheeting for temporary shelter. The childrens rights group is helping children get back to school quickly, and will provide livelihood support to farmers who suffered major crop loss. Save the Children has a long history of responding to typhoons and other disasters in the Philippines. China says it has no choice but to retaliate to U.S. President Donald Trump's 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, risking a further escalation of trade tensions between the worlds two biggest economies. On Tuesday, China announced a tariff hike on $60 billion of American products. In a brief statement posted online Tuesday, Chinas Commerce Ministry said, "To protect its legitimate rights and interests and order in international free trade, China is left with no choice but to retaliate simultaneously." On Monday, the Communist Party backed Global Times newspaper warned that if Trump went ahead with the tariffs, China would not just play defense. At about the same time the Commerce Ministry statement was released, a research director for North America and the Pacific at the Commerce Ministry also delivered a commentary on Chinas state-run CCTV news network. The official said the latest round of tariffs have brought uncertainty to ongoing efforts for representatives from both countries to meet again and hold trade talks. Under the partys strong central leadership, China has the resolve and confidence to press ahead and use deeper reforms and deeper opening up as well as the development of our domestic market to counter United States unilateralism, Li Wei said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing Tuesday in Beijing that talks are the only correct way to resolve the issue and accused the United States of being insincere. Last week, the United States extended an invitation to Chinas top negotiator, Liu He, to resume talks later this month in Washington. The $200 billion in U.S. tariffs go into effect in less than a week, on September 24, leaving the two sides little time to sit down. On Monday, President Trump warned, in a statement announcing his move, if China retaliates against U.S. farmers or other industries, Washington will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion in additional imports." The additional $267 billion in tariffs is expected to cover all Chinese imports to the United States. American and European businesses operating in China say that if Washington presses ahead with more and more tariffs, it is likely to only add to the challenges businesses are already facing. According to surveys conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the European Chamber of Commerce, trade tensions are already hitting and hurting supply chains of foreign businesses. Some companies have begun to move manufacturing away from China and the United States to avoid the impact of growing trade tensions, the European Chamber said. European Chamber President Mats Harborn said engagement on the part of Washington and Beijing is the answer. He said that what the United States is doing now is economic madness that risks creating a vicious cycle for business that could have an impact in China and elsewhere. But the root of the trade dispute is that Chinas reform is lagging behind its development, creating a reform deficit. Closing the reform gap will create better private companies in China, foreign companies, Harborn said. And reducing the reform deficit should also help reduce tensions in the ongoing trade war. In its annual position paper on European business in China, the chamber lists 828 recommendations for Chinese authorities to address that deficit. One of the key hurdles both private Chinese enterprises and foreign companies face is the dominant position state owned enterprises (SOEs) enjoy. State owned enterprises account for around 30 percent of the economy and yet enjoy nearly 70 percent of all financing, the report said. Unfair trade practices and the way SOEs contribute to an unbalanced playing field in China are key elements of the investigation the Trump administration carried out prior to launching its first round of tariffs. But how far China is willing to go to change is uncertain. Later this month, a meeting on SOEs will be held that many are expecting will be an indicator of the future course Chinas Communist Party leaders plan to chart. We hear that there is a move to make the SOEs stronger, bigger and better, Harborn said. Such ambitions are hindering the further opening and development of the vibrant private Chinese sector. If reform of SOEs is not on the agenda at the meeting, that would be seen as a clear provocation, given the current climate, he said. While the recent World Economic Forum on Asean, held in Hanoi last week, focused on the high-tech transformation of the region, inequality was also on the agenda. Asean is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with a combined gross domestic product of about $2.5 billion in 2016, according to a recent report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. But the region is also plagued by gross inequalities that have left a huge swath of the population in poverty or near poverty, who are vulnerable to economic shocks and natural disasters. Stephen Groff, vice president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), told the Forum, which was live streamed online, that the growing inequality in the Asean states would yield negative returns overall and impact social cohesion. In most of developing Asia, weve seen massive increases in inequality over the last several decades, he said. The trajectory of growth of inequality is what is worrying. And, it hasnt slowed down very much evidence of slowing down in most countries. In fact, it is speeding up. In Thailand, the top 1 percent controls about 58 percent of the countrys wealth, according to a report in the Asean Post. In Indonesia, the 1 percent controls about half of the wealth, while the richest four tycoons have more wealth than the poorest 100 million people. Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, the CEO of Plan International, an aid group, told the Forum that inequality was also shown in the large number of women and girls who cant get equal opportunities in education, employment, and social services. So the image of inequality for me is the disappointed look in so many millions of young girls and womens faces when they are told to stay in that place, she said. Groff of the ADB said rising inequality was threatening global growth as well as the well-being of people. Why we need to worry about it? Not just because it is important that all people should have equal access to opportunity, but because it also will threaten future growth globally. Ng Yeen Seen, CEO of the Center of Research, Advisory, and Technology, a Malaysian research institute, said that inequality is rooted in the unresponsive public policies of many governments, which serve the interests of the majority and leave minority behind. What I am saying today, in most governments, in most administrations, is that we tend to design policies for implementation for the majority, she said. Albrectsen said: To advance equality, there needs to be a change in structural issues and social norms to integrate more women into economic development. Young leaders, more senior leaders, government leaders, private sector leaders, start talking about the harmful norms that prevent their businesses or women in their businesses or them being able to attract women in their businesses, she added. Thats where that policy is going beyond the legislative part and into the part of really changing behaviors. Asean governments need to pay critical attention to their social protection policies to bridge the inequality gaps and promote the well-being of the people, said Groff. I think, at the end of the day, it comes down to really strong social protection policy, making the investment and social policy and human capital. It is going to address the continuing challenge of inequality. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his almost 200 member delegation have completed their first day of summit talks in Pyongyang, North Korea. While it's the third face-to-face meeting between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year, this inter-Korean summit also celebrated a number of firsts, according to South Korean spokesman Yoon Young-chan. Yoon told reporters Tuesday's events marked the first time Kim Jong Un has opened a summit in Pyongyang. The military band, he added, welcomed the South Korean delegation with music usually reserved for the upper echelon of North Koreas leadership. It was also a first when Moon and Kim walked along the red carpet at Pyongyangs Sunan International Airport and the South Korean leader inspected North Korean troops. Summit talks and first lady visits Following the welcome ceremony at the airport and separate lunches, the first session of the inter-Korean summit began at 3:45 p.m. local time, in the headquarters of the Central Committee of the North Korean Worker's Party. Prior to the leaders summit, Moons wife, Kim Jung-sook departed for Okyu Children's Hospital at 2:30 p.m. accompanied by Kims wife, Ri Sol Ju. Yoon Young-chan told reporters the pair would sign a guest book, view an X-ray or CT room, and possibly speak with children during their visit. They then traveled to the Kim Won Gyun University of Music and were accompanied by composer Kim Hyung-suk and K-pop stars Ailee and Zico. Choi Tae Young, president of the College of Music, welcomed the delegation who escorted them around the facility. Other South Korean envoys met with the chairperson of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Young-nam, Tuesday afternoon, while business leaders met with Deputy Prime Minister of Ri Yong Nam. Leaders from three of Seouls political parties were scheduled to meet the Vice Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, An Dong Chun. Delegates who represent civil society sectors met with Kim Young Dae, chairman of the Social Democratic Party. Following the summit, President Moon and the South Korean delegation will watch a performance of the Samjyun Orchestra at the Pyongyang Grand Theater, located on the Daedong River in Pyongyang. The day is expected to conclude at 9 p.m following a welcome banquet in Mokran Hall, a special facility dedicated to hosting foreign officials. During Tuesdays afternoon briefing to reporters, Yoon said it was unclear how much progress would be made on denuclearization issues and that it would be necessary to wait until after Wednesdays talks before any conclusions, if any, would be announced. The goal of lasting peace The primary focus of Moon's trip is to address ways to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula and avoid armed conflict between the two countries. His second priority is to facilitate North Korea-United States dialogue for denuclearization. Moon says denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula cannot be achieved without direct talks been Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. I have confirmed the true will of Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Trump several times. I believe that the denuclearization issue can be progressed at a rapid pace if the two leaders face each other again and talk, said Moon. Yoon Young-chan said Moon would relay the outcome of his denuclearization discussions with Kim directly to President Trump during the United Nations General Assembly later this month. Likely outcomes Handong Global University Professor Kim Joon-hyung called the third inter-Korean summit an extension of the first, during a Monday panel discussion in Seoul. We need to have a more concrete agreement on inter-Korean relationships and reducing the [military tension], he said. Citing the lack of progress on U.S.-North Korean dialog, Kim said, [South Korea] needs to have some kind of mediating role to [continue dialog]. He said that is contingent on what types of concession Moon can get from his North Korean counterpart and share with Trump. Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, told reporters at the same event that he thinks officials have communicated most of the outcomes of [the] summit meeting. However, if no agreements come out of the summit, Kim Hyun-wook said, I dont think there will be a meaningful summit between the ROK (South Korea) and the U.S. at the [United Nations General Assembly]. There will be no U.S.-North Korea [second] summit meeting, [and] no peace declaration. He said if that happens, coupled with a potential midterm election defeat for U.S. Republicans, that would be disastrous. Lee Ju-hyun contributed to this report. Alibaba chairman Jack Mas surprise announcement last week that he would step down as head of the worlds biggest e-commerce company, has sparked animated discussions on what would be his next career move and whether the Chinese government was behind the decision. Some analysts have suggested the government was keen to enhance its influence over global giants from China like Huawei and the so-called BAT club, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Such a move would leave little space for high-profile and largely independent players like Jack Ma. The Chinese government seems to be wanting to have a more direct say into the BAT, particularly in Alibaba and Tencent," said Lourdes Casanova, director of Emerging Markets Institute at Cornell. The government is saying, You have become so powerful because we have protected you against the big world players. It is time to give us back, she said trying to analyze the governments viewpoint. Ma and the Chinese government have not publicly commented on this speculation about the motivation for his announcement. Many believe Beijing needs to enhance its economic diplomacy at a time when it faces severe trade challenges from the Trump administration in the United States, and would like to see domestic companies take a policy driven approach instead of merely focusing on profit making. The government may also be worried about the rising influence of American, European and Japanese investors who have either struck collaboration deals with Chinese companies or bought heavily into their shares. Internationally established Chinese companies are a key part of Beijings economic diplomacy. They cut major deals in different countries timed with the visit of the countrys leaders. Alibaba has been particularly effective because it is buying stakes in a range of foreign companies and assisting in the export of Chinese goods through its online channels. The latest instance is Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to Russia this week, which was marked by a deal signed by Alibaba and the Russian Internet group, Mail.ru. Analysts believe Mas next career move would reveal if his decision was related to a Chinese game plan in the field of economic diplomacy. Mas soft power A lot of issues ride on his next move. Ma has not just represented Chinas soft power to the world, but also played a crucial role as an economic diplomat. He is formally relinquishing his position a year from now, and has named his successor, David Zhang, for the post. Industry players are asking whether he will continue playing this ambassadorial role for China or simply walk away from the spotlight. He is not going to stop being a businessperson. He still owns a large, majority shares. What we are talking really is about stepping away from that role of being a chairman and being an executive chairman, Jacob Cooke, CEO of consulting firm, Web Presence in China. Mas influence goes far beyond the narrow confines of the companys business, which include diverse investments in different parts of the world. Alibabas online sales platforms opened up new markets, fed new ideas and helped thousands of small and big Chinese companies to innovate and grow over the past three decades. The government is believed to have laid down rules about celebrity behavior favoring the low-profile approach and is opposed to business leaders developing a huge fan following for themselves. While many business leaders in China keep a low profile, Jack Ma shined not only in China but all over the world, Casanova said. Next move Ma will continue to play an important role in the business world, experts said. Some analysts expect him to become an investment banker, which will make him the second big Chinese force after the government-run China Investment Corporation in worldwide investment business. Hes going to basically move away from Alibaba into what is going to be a Chinese Warrant Buffet, Cooke said. Looking at South China Morning Post, e-commerce, block chain, I mean, portfolio investments. Ma met Trump and offered to help him create one million new jobs as soon as the new president was elected. But there are no signs Trump took up the offer. And yet, he will not gladly accept a government role to deal with the trade and investment challenges from Washington although he has deep connections in the United States, analysts said. Ma caused a bit of a surprise on Tuesday when he commented on the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China calling it a mess which might go on for the next 20 years. "It's going to last long, it's going to be a mess," he said. Casanova thinks Ma is taking a genuine break and will make up his mind on the next move after some time. I think we should not say no to the possibility of his going back to Alibaba too much, she said. Farmers worry about falling crop prices and lost sales overseas. Manufacturers fear rising costs and new foreign taxes on their exports. American allies overseas are furious. By any conventional gauge, President Donald Trump's uncompromising stance toward tariffs and the pain they've begun to cause U.S. individuals and companies so close to midterm elections would seem politically reckless. Yet Trump appears to be betting that his combative actions will soon benefit the country and prove a political winner. Ditching decades of U.S. trade policy that he says swindled America and robbed its workers, Trump insists he can save U.S. jobs and factories by abandoning or rewriting trade deals, slapping taxes on imports and waging a brutal tariff war with China, America's biggest trading partner. "Prior presidents in both political parties have never really moved to try to help and protect the American economy and its workforce, its farmers, its manufacturing workers, in a way of creating a level playing field," Larry Kudlow, the top White House economic adviser, told reporters last week. "They give it lip service, and then they back off. This president has no intention of backing off. None. Zero." Trump's apparent belief is that he and congressional Republicans can rely on the unswerving support of core GOP voters even in rural areas that have been economically hurt by his trade disputes and maybe succeed in delivering better trade deals before Election Day. Still, as an insurance policy against failure, the administration is providing $12 billion in farm aid to soothe trade-war wounds in rural America. All told, it's a high-risk political gamble. "It's still unclear ultimately how the issue plays in November," said Nathan Gonzales, publisher of Inside Elections, a nonpartisan newsletter. The U.S. and China have imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other's products in a rumble over American allegations that Beijing uses predatory tactics to acquire foreign trade secrets and to try to overtake America's global supremacy in high technology. Over the weekend, news reports indicated that the administration is set to announce tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese imports a step that that would significantly escalate the trade war between the world's two largest economies. Beijing has said it would swiftly retaliate against additional U.S. tariffs. Caught in the crossfire are U.S. soybean farmers, a prime target of Beijing's retaliatory tariffs, whose exports to China account for about 60 percent of their overseas sales. These tariffs make U.S. soybeans prohibitively expensive in China. That means lost sales for American farmers. Separately Trump has enraged U.S. allies like Canada and the European Union by declaring their steel and aluminum a threat to America's national security as justification for slapping taxes on them. On yet another trade front, the president would raise the stakes considerably if he carries out a threat to tax $340 billion in imported cars, trucks and auto parts action that would raise prices for vehicles Americans buy. What's more, Trump has threatened to kick Canada out of a North American trade bloc if it doesn't cave in to pressure to open its dairy market, among other things. Trump is running into resistance in pockets across the country. American farmers who rely on exports are facing retaliation from U.S. trading partners, which depresses export sales and prices of agricultural commodities. Manufacturers that buy steel and aluminum are being hurt by higher prices and supply shortages resulting from the tariffs on imported metals. Corporations fear that Trump's drive to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement will disrupt the supply chains that they've spent the past 24 years building across the United States, Canada and Mexico. If the trade war with China further escalates, consumers would face higher prices at the mall and online. The affected imports would range from handbags, luggage and textiles to a range of consumer electronics, including the Apple Watch and adapters, cables and chargers. On the basis of public opinion surveys, at least, the president's approach poses political risks. A poll released Aug. 24 by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 61 percent of Americans disapproved of the president's handling of trade negotiations. "The Trump administration has handed Democrats in the midterms at least a talking point, not just with farmers but with consumers," said Mickey Kantor, the top American trade negotiator under President Bill Clinton. Missouri's embattled Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, is trying to link her Republican challenger, Trump ally Josh Hawley, to a nail manufacturing plant that says it might have to close because the Trump steel tariffs have driven up its costs. Likewise in North Dakota, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is running ads tying her Republican challenger, Rep. Kevin Cramer, to Trump's "reckless trade war." Besides unveiling $12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by the conflicts, Trump is seeking to reach trade deals to show that his brass-knuckles approach will succeed in the end. He has said he expects to sign a deal with South Korea later this month during the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier this month, he announced an agreement with Mexico to replace NAFTA a move intended to pressure Canada to embrace a new North American accord on terms favorable to the United States. Plans are underway for a delegation from China to resume trade discussions with the Trump team as early as this week. In addition, Trump says his team has started trade discussions with Japan and has received interest from India. For the president, the bet is that America's trading partners will capitulate promptly to his demands, rather than delay negotiations in the hope that Democrats will take control of the House and possibly the Senate and leave the president in a weaker bargaining position. "There is some pressure to get results," said Philip Levy, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a White House economist under President George W. Bush. "They need to do something where they can say, `Hey, this different approach actually works.'" Trump is also relying on the loyalty of his supporters in rural America. He has called farmers "patriots" who are willing to absorb economic pain in the short run to buy time for him to negotiate trade deals more advantageous to the United States. Approval for Trump's performance is still running at 53 percent in rural areas, compared with 39 percent overall, according to an NPR/Marist poll released last week. Even if they're worried about the trade disputes, many rural Americans support Trump's stands on social issues such as immigration a sign that the president may have enough political leeway to drive forward with his hard line on trade. "Trump," said chief global strategist Greg Valliere of Horizon Investments, "has a lot of Teflon in the farm belt." Thousands of parents are withdrawing their children from schools in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon after armed men attacked and wounded dozens of people in their institutions. Separatists fighting for the Independence of the English-speaking regions of Cameroon had warned parents not to send their kids to school stating that they could not assure safety. Dozens of villagers and parents searched the forested areas around Sasse, a neighborhood in the Southwestern town of Buea early Tuesday, looking for students who fled after armed med attacked the Saint Joseph's College late Sunday. Several dozen people were wounded in the attack. Senator Charles Mbella Moki, a lawmaker from the English- speaking Southwest region of Cameroon who is leading the villagers, says they are happy they found the three students who were still missing. "With the assistance of some good Samaritans, we picked up some of the students who had escaped. Some of them had wounds, some of them were so traumatized," said Moki. "Some did not know where they were, some were in their night dresses and so on. In fact it was so pathetic, emotional but all of the student body of Sasse that was in school has been appropriately, adequately accounted for." Bernard Okalia Bilai, governor of the south west region of Cameroon, said an unknown number of armed men attacked the school, its students and staff. He said some of the children, with ages ranging from 9 to 17 years, received machete wounds and others were shot with locally made guns, but fortunately, none were killed. After the incident, parents withdrew their children from the school, which has more than 500 students. Half a dozen other schools in the English-speaking Southwest urged parents to take their children home. Other parents were already withdrawing their kids. Teacher John Nlom who left with his three kids from Saint Josephs College-Sasse says he does not trust the governor's assurance that they will be safe. "The governor himself who is saying that people should stay back, that they are protected, he is moving around with soldiers protecting him," said Nlom. "Will the soldiers protect all the people? That is the reason why I can not say. I have to leave." Cameroon's minister of secondary education, Professor Nalova Lyonga, is pleading with school administrators in safer locations to accept the displaced children even if their classrooms are congested. "Please accept all children who are transferring from the north west or the south west as a result of the crisis," said Lyonga. "Accept every child who comes in and who wants to move. Address the problem further up to the ministry, to the governors, the local administrators and then send it to us. Where there is an overflow, we are definitely going to move the rest of the students to some other place" Last month, armed separatists on social media warned parents against sending their children to school. They said they could not guarantee the safety of children at school since their fighters will be in running battles with the military to stop the organization of the October 7 presidential election. At least 70 schools have been torched since crisis began in Cameroon English-speaking regions in 2016 when teachers and lawyers protested the overbearing use of the French language in the bilingual country. Separatists took over and requested the creation of an English-speaking state and the government declared war on them. At least 300 people including 130 soldiers and the police have been killed. Many are missing. German luxury car brand Audi this week staged the global launch of a new electric sport utility vehicle on the home turf of rival Tesla, and highlighted a deal with Amazon.com Inc. to make recharging its forthcoming e-tron models easier. The Audi e-tron midsize SUV will be offered in the United States next year at a starting price of $75,795 before a $7,500 tax credit. It is one of a volley of electric vehicles coming from Volkswagen AG brands, as well as other European premium brands including Daimler-owned Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Cars and Jaguar Land Rover. All aim to expand the market for premium electric vehicles and also to grab a share of that market from Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla, which has had the niche largely to itself. "I want Audi to be the No. 1 electric vehicle seller in America over the long term," Audi of America President Scott Keogh told Reuters in an interview on Monday. Audi dealers, particularly those from California, where Tesla has made significant inroads, cheered the e-tron at Monday night's crowded event. Analysts on Tuesday expressed concern that the vehicle's driving range may not measure up to that of the Tesla Model X. Audi officials said they do not have official range estimates for the e-tron SUV under U.S. testing procedures. They said the vehicle should achieve a range under less rigorous European testing standards of roughly 250 miles or 400 kilometers. Keogh told attendees at Monday's event that an e-tron had made a 175-mile journey over the mountains east of San Francisco with range to spare. He also emphasized that the e-tron is designed to recharge more rapidly than rival electric vehicles. UBS analyst Patrick Hummel said in a note on Tuesday that the e-tron "fails to set new benchmarks in the premium EV segment, even though we consider it better than the Mercedes EQC." The EQC is a rival electric SUV the Daimler AG brand plans to launch in 2020. The e-tron's 95 kWh battery has less capacity than the 100 kWh battery used in the Tesla Model X 100D model, but more than the base Model X 75D. The Model X 100D is rated at 295 miles (475 km) of range by the U.S. government. Recharging Audi and Volkswagen are using the U.S. launch of the e-tron SUV in mid-2019 to take aim at one obstacle to expanding electric vehicle sales: the lack of convenient ways to recharge their batteries. Audi will partner with online retailer Amazon to sell and install home electric vehicle charging systems to buyers of the e-tron, the companies said on Monday. Amazon will deliver the hardware and hire electricians to install them through its Amazon Home Services operation. Amazon's partnership with Audi marks the first time the online retailer has struck such a deal with an automaker, and signals a new front in Amazon's drive to expand its reach into consumers' homes beyond the presence of its Alexa smart speakers in living rooms and kitchens. "We see charging installation as a very important business," Pat Bigatel, director of Amazon Home Services, told Reuters at Audi's launch event in San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Center. Audi executives said home charging stations would cost about $1,000, depending on the home's electrical system. Tesla offers wall connectors for home charging at a $500 list price, and will arrange for installation, according to the company. At the same time, Electrify America, a company funded by Volkswagen as part of its settlement of U.S. diesel emission cheating litigation, plans to launch next year the next round of installations of public charging stations, Electrify America executives told Reuters. Tesla has developed its own network of Supercharger charging stations with more than 11,000 chargers in North America. Electrify America plans to have 2,000 chargers installed by mid-June next year. Those will be open to any vehicle, and customers can swipe a credit card to recharge. "We want to work with all" automotive brands, said Giovanni Palazzo, Electrify America's chief executive. Lifting the curtain Audi has been heralding the launch of the e-tron SUV for some time, but until Monday it had not shared many details of the vehicle. The e-tron is electric, and has two electric motors one in the front and one in the rear driving all four wheels. The Hungarian factory building motors for the e-tron will start with a production pace equivalent to 200 vehicles a day, Audi officials said. In Europe, the vehicle will use cameras instead of conventional mirrors to give drivers a view to the rear. That feature is still not approved by U.S. regulators. However, in many other respects the e-tron is a conventional, mainstream luxury SUV. It offers seating for five, and its length and wheelbase position it in the center of the market for midsize, five-passenger luxury SUVs such as the BMW X5. The e-tron is 5 inches (13 cm) shorter than the Tesla Model X, and it has conventional doors. The Model X uses vertically opening "falcon wing" doors. The e-tron will have an advanced cruise-control system that can keep the car within a lane and maintain a set distance behind another vehicle, but the system will be designed so that drivers must keep hands on the wheel. Deep divisions between member states threaten to derail a European Union summit on migration, scheduled Wednesday in the Austrian city of Salzburg. Brussels wants to deploy EU border guards across the external borders, but frontline member countries like Hungary want to police their own borders. More from Henry Ridgwell in London. The Bosnian parliament on Monday approved long-delayed changes to a criminal code aimed at bolstering the rule of law and the fight against crime and corruption, which is expected to speed up the country's progress towards European Union membership. Bosnia's top court had given lawmakers a June deadline to bring the country's criminal procedure code into line with international standards, a key EU requirement for Western Balkan nations aspiring to join the bloc. But politicians from Bosnia's three rival ethnic parties could not agree on changes drafted by the Justice Ministry which included the use of undercover police personnel, communications interception, surveillance and the use of informants. The EU also considered the amendments proposed by the ministry to be too weak, and warned that Bosnian prosecutors would be deprived of one of the major tools to effectively fight against the most serious crime. A compromise solution agreed under international pressure allows the duration of investigative processes to be cut to a maximum of one year from up to 10 years previously, and reduces the scope for granting immunity to alleged offenders and witnesses. A majority of lawmakers in Bosnia's multi-layered parliamentary system have enjoyed immunity from prosecution and analysts in the country, which is mired in corruption, said politicians had resisted major changes to the law in order to keep this privilege. Disputes among Bosnia's ethnic leaders have nearly halted the Balkan country's progress towards the EU and NATO. Bosnia formally applied for EU membership in 2016 but the process of joining is expected to take at least a decade. U.S. President Donald Trump is raising the possibility he could order the declassification of more documents related to the investigation into Russia's election meddling. "We're going to see," Trump told reporters Tuesday while meeting with his Polish counterpart at the White House, repeating his allegation that the investigation itself "is a witch hunt." "What I want is total transparency," the president said. "The things that have been found over the last couple of weeks about text messages back and forth are a disgrace to our nation." Trump's comments come less than a day after he responded to calls from his allies in Congress and ordered the declassification of part of a secret surveillance warrant application as well as the text messages of senior Justice Department and FBI officials. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the information to be made public includes 21 pages of the 101-page June 2017 FBI surveillance warrant for former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, which was obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. It also includes reports of FBI interviews with Bruce Ohr, a high-ranking official at the U.S. Department of Justice, who had been in touch with former British spy Christopher Steele, who authored the controversial dossier on Trump's ties to Russia. The remainder of the declassified material includes text messages related to the Russian probe written by fired FBI Director James Comey, former deputy FBI chief Andrew McCabe, ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page. "Really bad things were happening, but they are now being exposed. Big stuff!" Trump wrote on his Twitter account early Tuesday. Despite the president's decision to declassify the documents, it is not clear when they will be made public. Both the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department issued statements late Monday saying they were working to comply with the order but had to review the documents first, "to ensure the safety of America's national security interests." Trump has consistently said some in the FBI and Justice Department are biased and tainting the independent investigation into whether his campaign collaborated with Russia to swing the 2016 election in his favor. Trump's supporters in Congress quickly praised the actions. "Americans deserve the truth about these egregious actions by government officials," Steve Scalise, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives tweeted late Monday. Another Republican, North Carolina Representative Mark Meadows tweeted, "Transparency wins. This is absolutely the right call." But California Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called the move a "clear abuse of power." And New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen accused the president Tuesday of "trying to undermine an active investigation through reckless declassification." Former law enforcement and intelligence officials have likewise expressed deep concern, some going as far as to label the president's decision a "serious assault" on the country's justice system. Others warn the consequences are likely to be far reaching, not because of the information in the declassified documents but because of the sources and methods that may be exposed. "Foreign sources with information useful for U.S. national security may stop cooperating, or be dissuaded from cooperating in the first place, with U.S. agencies," Paul Pillar, a former senior CIA officer now with Georgetown University, told VOA via email. "If I were a Russian with information useful to the United States, Trump's order would make me more nervous than before about my identity being kept secret, and thus less likely to share what I have with the U.S." Jeffrey Ringel, the director of The Soufan Group and a 21-year-veteran of the FBI, told VOA that his former colleagues, many of whom side with Trump, say they already feeling the impact. "They're having a more difficult time working with the public because the public has lost trust in the FBI," Ringel said. "People are less willing to cooperate. They're less willing to provide information. "President Trump's attacks on the intel community and on the FBI are having a very detrimental effect on the agents and the agents think that that is part of the reason," he said. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) aims to boost investments in Arab countries to 2.5 billion euros ($2.92 billion) at the end of 2018 from 2.2 billion in 2017, a senior official said Tuesday. The bank, set up by governments in 1991 to support the ex-Communist states of eastern Europe, has expanded its mandate in the past few years to invest in Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. "Last year we had a record 2.2 billion euros invested in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan," said Janet Heckman, managing director for the southern and eastern Mediterranean region at the bank. "Now we have Lebanon and Palestine added to our areas of operation last year," she added without giving details. EBRD invests in public infrastructure and to help the private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Poland's right-wing government sought to explain itself to its European Union peers Tuesday for the second time in three months amid concern about changes to the judiciary that the EU believes undermine its courts' independence. Polish Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymanski said upon entering the hearing before EU ministers in Brussels that he would defend changes to the judiciary brought by the euroskeptic PiS government. He is facing a tough task. In a joint declaration delivered by German Minister of State Michael Roth in the name of France and Germany at the start of the hearing, the two biggest EU countries said that despite numerous discussions already held with Warsaw, concerns about the rule of law in Poland have not dissipated. "On the contrary, since July 3 and the implementation of the new retirement regime for Supreme Court judges, the situation has become more urgent than ever," delegation sources quoted Roth as telling the hearing. The hearing is part of the bloc's procedure, called Article 7, used against countries that violate fundamental rights and the rule of law. The process first allows EU governments to formally warn a country accused of violating fundamental rights but could end in suspension of its EU voting rights. Sanctions on Hungary Poland's situation echoes that of Hungary, which the European Parliament last week sanctioned for flouting EU rules on democracy, civil rights and corruption. The process was triggered by the European Commission because the Polish government has enacted laws forcing into early retirement many Supreme Court judges, and it's trying to replace them with its own nominees. As a result, Poland was suspended Monday from the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ), which decided the Polish council was no longer independent because it was now appointed by politicians, rather than judges as before. The forced retirement of judges has been criticized by EU institutions, human rights groups and the opposition as going against the rule of law. The Supreme Court itself has asked the European Court of Justice, the EU's top court, to rule on whether the early retirement was legal, but an ECJ ruling may take months. In the meantime, the Polish Supreme Court ruled that the proposed PiS changes should be frozen until the ECJ ruling is made. However, President Andrzej Duda, who is backed by the PiS, has moved to appoint new Supreme Court judges nonetheless. "As we observe, in the last weeks, first steps are being taken to replace the Supreme Court judges," Roth said. This was problematic, he said. "We hope that Poland acts constructively and does not take actions which cannot be changed afterwards," he said. Many judges replaced The PiS has already replaced many judges at the Polish Constitutional Tribunal and the heads of regular courts. Since coming to power in late 2015, it has also tightened its grip on public media and controls over nongovernmental groups. The legal paralysis of the Polish Supreme Court poses additional difficulties because it is the institution that declares the validity of elections in the country of 38 million people. Poland is due to hold local elections in October. In August, the European Commission took a formal infringement procedure against Warsaw to a second level, giving Poland one month to reverse the changes or face a trial at the ECJ. But Warsaw has made no concessions and the commission is expected to file a lawsuit against it at the ECJ on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, could be sentenced as soon as Nov. 28, according to a joint court filing by prosecutors from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office and defense lawyers on Monday. Prosecutors have repeatedly deferred Flynn's sentencing date since he pleaded guilty in December 2017, even though Flynn's lawyer has said his client was eager to get the sentencing date on the calendar and put the ordeal behind him. The agreement now between both parties to set a sentencing date on Nov. 28, or the following seven business days, signals that Flynn's ongoing cooperation with Mueller's office is coming to an end. "General Flynn is eager to proceed to sentencing," his lawyer Robert Kelner told U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan during a hearing in July. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with Russia, in exchange for cooperating with Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. During that hearing, Kelner agreed with the judge's suggestion that a sentencing hearing could be held within 60 days of the conclusion of Flynn's cooperation with Mueller, rather than the usual 90 days so that the case could be expedited. Flynn was the first member of Trump's administration to plead guilty to a crime uncovered by Mueller's wide-ranging investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 U.S. election and potential collusion by Trump aides. Under a plea bargain deal, Flynn admitted in a Washington court that he lied when asked by FBI investigators about his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, just weeks before Trump took office. Trump has denied knowing anything about contact with Russians and his campaign and has called Mueller's probe a witch hunt. Russia has denied U.S. allegations that it interfered in the campaign. Residents in the eastern U.S. coastal states of North and South Carolina struggled to recover from Hurricane Florence Tuesday as the remnants of the storm moved up the eastern seaboard, dumping heavy rain that triggered new warnings of widespread flooding. Wilmington, North Carolina, one of largest cities in the state, is still mostly cut off by floodwaters, which are expected to keep rising there and in other areas in the region. Some 1,500 roads remained closed in North Carolina, where Florence dumped 91 centimeters of rain since Thursday, hindering relief efforts. "Flooding is still going to be a concern into the weekend and into next week," said National Weather Service forecaster Hal Austin. The North Carolina Department of Transportation posted on Twitter Tuesday that "Road conditions are still changing" and "What's open now may become impassable." Flash flood watches and warnings are posted from Virginia into Vermont and New Hampshire through Tuesday. Florence is now what forecasters call a post-tropical cyclone, with top sustained winds of 35 kilometers per hour. Several tornadoes damaged buildings in the Richmond, Virginia, area Monday afternoon, killing at least one person. At least 32 deaths are blamed on the storm, the majority in North Carolina. One victim was a 1-year-old boy who was swept from his mother's arms by floodwater. Hundreds of thousands of homes remained without power on Monday. President Donald Trump praised his administration's recovery efforts and predicted Democratic politicians would try to discredit them. Russia has reiterated its commitment to investing tens of billions of dollars in Hungary's energy sector, despite the ongoing European sanctions against Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin backed the deal Tuesday after hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Kremlin. Orban said his country's relationship with Russia was of great importance. "I am very glad that over the last years we have had balanced, predictable relations," he told Putin. Hungary's European Union partners see relations with Russia very differently and the bloc has enacted a raft of sanctions against Moscow following its 2014 forceful annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Orban's visit to Moscow was primarily about economic ties, said Ian Bond of the London-based Center for European Reform. "Hungary is one of the most dependent countries in Europe on Russia for its energy supplies. Not just for its gas and I think it gets about three-quarters of its gas from Russia but also because more than half of its electricity comes from nuclear plants, and 100 percent of the fuel for those nuclear plants comes from Russia. So it's very easy for the Russians to remind the Hungarians that a cold winter is coming if they want to exercise political leverage," Bond told VOA in an interview. After private talks at the Kremlin, Putin reiterated Russia's commitment to investing in Hungary through its state-owned nuclear giant. "Rosatom will start constructing two new energy units at the Paks nuclear power plant in the nearest future," he told reporters. The Paks nuclear project has caused alarm in Brussels, noted analyst Ian Bond. "Hungary is taking out a large Russian loan to cover the cost of it. This is something which ... the European Commission resisted and tried to block. Eventually, the commission grudgingly cleared the deal, but it's now running into delays, cost overruns and the like." As Hungary warms to Moscow, relations with Brussels are increasingly icy. EU lawmakers voted last week to initiate Article 7 punitive measures against Budapest for flouting the bloc's treaties on the rule of law. While Hungary has repeatedly spoken out against sanctions on Russia, so far Orban has resisted voting against the measures in the European Council, a move that would in effect veto them. "But it may be that as part of thumbing his nose at the rest of Europe now that he faces sanctions over the rule of law, that he may decide that he can actually afford to block the sanctions on Russia the next time they come up for renewal," Bond said. For now, it seems the Hungarian leader is not ready to take such a dramatic step, despite such close relations with Moscow. Iranian Kurdish militants who were targeted by Iranian missile strikes earlier this month at a headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan have declared intentions to step up their activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The rocket strikes, claimed by Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), hit the Iranian Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) offices in the Iraqi Kurdistan town of Koya, near the Iran border, on September 8. KDP said 15 of its members were killed and several others were injured in the attack. This tragedy requires that we work closely together to prevent more criminal acts from the Islamic Republic [Iran], Mustafa Mauludi, secretary general of KDP, told VOA. From this moment we will begin a new chapter of resistance against the regime in Tehran, for the sake of freedom of our nation, he added. KDP, labelled a terrorist organization by Tehran, is a splinter of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) which has engaged in a persistent guerrilla war against the Iranian Islamic regime since 1979 to achieve Kurdish national rights within a democratic federal republic of Iran. The group currently operates in exile in neighboring Iraqs Kurdistan region. Mauludi said his group will begin negotiations with other Kurdish opposition parties to unite forces against the government in Tehran, adding that informal talks about a unified Kurdish front were already underway even before the attack. Cross-border attacks Iranian officials have in the past blamed Kurdish separatists for several attacks against the Iranian border patrol forces near the Iraqi border. The IRGC in a statement last week said the strike on the KDP headquarters was due to incursions of "terrorist bands linked to the U.S." into Iran's West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces in northwest, an accusation denied by KDP. "The punishment of transgressors was planned following the recent months' wicked acts by terrorists from the Kurdistan Region against the Islamic Republic's borders," the IRGC statement said. U.S. accused Iranian officials claim the increased Kurdish insurgency is motivated by the U.S. and aims to create instability in Iran at a time when the economy is suffering significantly due to the U.S. sanctions following the American withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May. Irans official Press TV last week quoted IRGCs top commander Mohammad Bagheri as saying the strike inside the Iraqi territory was Irans right to defend itself from U.S. aggressions. Iraqi Kurdish officials and the PDK had made a written commitment not to conduct operations in Iran, but they have been breaking that promise over the past year due to the U.S. provocations," Press TV quoted Bagheri. A U.S. State Department official denied Washington is attempting to encourage militancy against the regime in Tehran. "The U.S. is not supporting Kurdish military activity against Iran," the official told VOA. "Our activities in Iraq stand in stark contrast with those of the Iranian regime, which is working on a daily basis, through violence and intimidation, to subvert the will of the Iraqi people and undermine Iraqs sovereignty." The official said that the U.S. is only working with the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan regional government as elected governments of the country, adding Irans goal is to spread instability in Iraq and maintain a pattern of malign behavior in the region. Iraqi-Kurdish position The Iraqi and Kurdish governments, which issued statements condemning the strikes as a violation of their sovereignty, say they want both sides to avoid using Iraq in their conflict. The Kurdish governments representative to Iran, Nazim Dabagh, told VOA that his government warned KDP leaders in the past that their bases could be attacked if they continued their activities against Tehran. Dabagh urged Iranian Kurdish militants to avoid military conflict, as it might ruin the security of the Kurdistan region. The military confrontation between the Kurdish opposition armed group and the Islamic Republic of Iran does not resolve the issues between both sides as much as diplomatic means do. Such confrontations only please the enemies of Kurds, the Kurdistan Region and Islamic Republic of Iran, Dabagh said. Increased militancy Experts say that the escalation between Iran and the Kurdish insurgency is expected to continue as militants feel embolden by internal and international pressure on the Iranian regime. According to Babak Taghvaee, a Malta-based Iranian analyst, the Iran-Iraq border point will likely witness more paramilitary attacks from KDP members and other Kurdish militants who might want to take advantage of the gap created when Iranian government forces leave Kurdish areas to suppress protests in other parts of the country. They have increased their activities because they believe Irans protests and the withdrawal of the regime might provide an opportunity for them to separate Iran's Kurdistan province, Taghvaee told VOA. Raman Ghavami, a London-based counter-insurgency analyst, said the Iranian regime could attempt to use the escalation with the Kurdish militants to gain support of Persian nationalists who oppose Kurdish statehood. Attacking Kurdish opposition groups and executing Kurds have been used as a tactic to get Persian nationalists support for decades. But the current situation inside Iran has made it difficult for the regime to get the same support as before. Tehran has therefore failed to use the Kurds to unite the central part of Iran behind the government, Ghavami added. VOAs Nike Ching and Zhiyar Omar contributed to this report. Authorities in western Mexico swamped by mounting murders from the country's drug war have resorted to storing dozens of corpses in a refrigerated container truck that in recent days has been parked in several towns, angering residents. The semi-trailer truck was noticed last week in a warehouse of a suburb on the outskirts of Mexico's second largest city Guadalajara, drawing the ire of the mayor of the borough, who said it was illegally parked. It then turned up, apparently abandoned, next to houses in a field further from the city, where neighbors complained it was emitting a powerful stench. Following complaints, by Monday authorities had moved it to a warehouse near Jalisco state prosecutor's office in Guadalajara, an official at the office said, declining to provide his name as he was not authorized to speak about the matter. The official said about 150 bodies were stored in the truck's container. Like other parts of Mexico, Jalisco is suffering from a crime wave that led to a record 31,000 homicides in 2017. The state is home to one of Mexico's most violent and powerful drug gangs, Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The surging numbers of deaths has overwhelmed Jalisco's morgue and work is underway on a new facility that would hold 700 bodies in its first phase, the state's general secretary Roberto Lopez told local media. "When it is built, these bodies will be transferred," Lopez said. He added that the new facility will be completed in a month and a half. On Monday, Lopez acknowledged that the use of the truck showed a lack of respect and promised to launch an investigation. The government "will not tolerate displays of indifference or laziness," Lopez wrote on his Twitter account. The identity of the bodies was not immediately clear and how they died, although Lopez was reported in Mexican media as saying they were unidentified victims of organized crime. The container was at a warehouse in the Guadalajara suburb of Duraznera for an unspecified amount of time until mayor Maria Elena Limon demanded it be taken away. She said on Twitter it had been removed on Saturday. A local Facebook group made up of truck drivers called "The Owners of the Road" said on Saturday the container had then been placed in a large field, but neighbors demanded that it be moved. Images in Mexican newspapers showed it parked near houses. "This affects our kids, it smells horrible and the longer it stays it's going to stink even worse," said Patricia Jimenez, a resident of the small town of Tlajomulco, describing the truck as a health hazard. Mexican media reported that the mobile morgue held 157 bodies, but an official count had not yet been announced by officials. "Game of Thrones" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won the top prizes at the Emmy awards on Monday on a night of upsets for the highest honors in television. HBO's "Game of Thrones" was named best drama series, beating last year's champion "The Handmaid's Tale." Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," about a 1950s housewife who turns to standup comedy, took home the Emmy for best comedy series. "Mrs. Maisel" also won four other awards, including a best actress for Rachel Brosnahan. Claire Foy beat presumed front runner Elisabeth Moss, star of Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale," to win for her quiet but formidable portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in Netflix drama "The Crown." "This wasn't supposed to happen," said a surprised Foy. Matthew Rhys took his first best drama actor Emmy for playing a conflicted Russian spy in the final season of the FX Cold War series "The Americans." "Saturday Night Live" won, as expected, for variety sketch series, taking its lifetime Emmy total to a record-setting 72 wins. "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" took the Emmy for best limited series and brought an acting trophy for Darren Criss, who played the gay serial killer who murdered the Italian designer in Miami in 1997. One of the biggest shocks of the night came when presumed front runner Donald Glover, the star and creator of the surreal hip-hop-inspired FX show "Atlanta," lost out in the comedy acting category to Bill Hader's hitman-turned-struggling actor in HBO's showbusiness satire "Barry." An Italian priest has been kidnapped in a part of Niger where a number of extremist groups are active, the West African nation said Tuesday. Government spokesman Zakaria Abdourahmane said authorities had not been aware the priest was in the country's southwest near the Burkina Faso border. He said investigations have begun to find the attackers and free the priest. No further details were immediately available. The Rev. Pierluigi Maccalli is a member of the Society of African Missions religious order. In Niger he had promoted initiatives to encourage an end to the cultural practice of female genital mutilation, which had sparked some local opposition to him, according to the Fides missionary news agency in Rome. In Rome, the Italian foreign ministry said it had asked local authorities in Niger's capital, Niamey, to give "absolute priority" to resolving the kidnapping but asked that they avoid "any initiative that could put Father Maccalli at risk." Burkina Faso's border with Niger and Mali is home to extremists who kidnap and kill officials, sometimes in connection with other Islamic extremist groups in West Africa's vast Sahel region. Attacks have risen in the past year as young men frustrated by poverty become radicalized. Niger for years has fought extremist groups linked to both al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization. Recently it has experienced a rise in kidnappings with ransom demands. Earlier this month in the Diffa region, a 70-year-old woman who was the mother of a national deputy was abducted by armed men on motorcycles. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 20 million FCFA ($35,000) but she was eventually released. "We did not pay ransom, the kidnappers brought her back," said her son, Boulou Boukar. Other abductions have been reported in the Maradi Region, which neighbors Nigeria's Zamfara state. A mixed patrol of Nigerien and Nigerian military has been set up for weeks along the border, according to Maradi governor Zakari Oumarou. Nigeria's Defense Minister Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali has been in Niger for two days discussing with President Mahamadou Issoufou the insecurity along Niger's southern border with Nigeria, where Boko Haram is present. "Our two heads of state have the same vision and we will continue to pool our resources in order to fight the resilience of Boko Haram," Ali said after the meeting. Peruvian opposition lawmakers on Monday criticized as unconstitutional a call by President Martin Vizcarra to hold a vote of confidence over his proposed anti-graft reforms, a high-stakes move that could force out the Cabinet and Congress. Late on Sunday, centrist Vizcarra declared four anti-graft bills he has proposed a matter of confidence in his Cabinet, summoning a debate in Congress on Wednesday. If the opposition-controlled Congress delivers a vote of no confidence, Vizcarra would have to replace his entire Cabinet. But because the current Congress has already dismissed one Cabinet in this government, the constitution allows him to respond by dissolving Congress and calling new legislative elections. The escalation in tensions between Congress and the presidency is ushering in a new period of uncertainty in Peru, the world's second-biggest copper producer that has a stable economy but has suffered a rocky year of political instability. Vizcarra's move was condemned by Popular Force, the conservative party with a majority in Congress. "It has errors and interpretations with unconstitutional undertones in both form and content," Congresswoman Ursula Letona, a spokeswoman for Popular Force, said at a news conference, without giving specifics. Popular Force lawmaker Daniel Salaverry, the president of Congress, said that Vizcarra's call for a vote of confidence did not comply with "some characteristics in the constitutional framework." Osias Ramirez, another Popular Force lawmaker, accused Vizcarra of trying to stage a coup d'etat against the legislative branch. Vizcarra denied the move was authoritarian. "On the contrary, a motion of confidence is done with strict adherence to the constitution and that strengthens the democracy," Vizcarra told journalists on the sidelines of an event on Monday. The procedure could be vulnerable to different legal interpretations. Under Peru's constitution, which was passed in 1993 by former authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori, no president has yet summoned a vote of confidence with the potential closure of Congress on the line. Vizcarra proposed the anti-graft measures, which include new rules for selecting judges and prosecutors and stricter campaign financing laws, in late July following an influence-peddling scandal involving judges, lawmakers and businessmen. Salaverry said the reforms, which would require modifying the constitution, should not be rushed. The fresh political tensions come six months after former president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned in a graft scandal on the eve of near-certain impeachment by Congress. It was unclear when the vote of confidence might be held. Salaverry said lawmakers would let Vizcarra's prime minister make his case on Wednesday but would start debate another day. "Gutted"."Empty" words critics for months have used to characterize the U.S. State Department as a place where many vacancies for senior positions were left unfilled and morale was badly bruised. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is pushing to bring the momentum back to the department and says he is actively working to restore the morale of American diplomats. "I know that American diplomacy is most agile and most effective when we have our entire team in place. We need to have that senior leadership team empowered," Pompeo told reporters at the State Department on September 14. The pace of staffing senior positions at State has largely increased. According to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), 20 ambassadorial nominations (including senior positions representing the U.S. to the United Nations) have been confirmed over a four-month period after Pompeo started the position as the chief U.S. diplomat, following the firing of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. In comparison, 52 ambassadorial nominations were confirmed between January 20, 2017 and April 25, 2018. AFSA is both a professional association and an exclusive representative for the U.S. Foreign Service. Last Thursday, four career diplomats were conferred as career ambassador, one of the highest and most prestigious ranks in the foreign service, after their nominations were confirmed by the Senate. Those confirmed include Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research Daniel Smith, and Charge d' Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Havana Philip Goldberg. The confirmations are seen as the latest sign that Pompeo is strengthening the department's leadership, where many top positions were left unfilled for more than a year before he took office in late April. No self-imposed restrictions Diplomatic sources said more significant than the supposedly higher promotion rates is the lifting of self-imposed restrictions put in place last year by Tillerson on the State Department's footprint at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Tillerson explicitly sought to limit the number of U.S. diplomats who were in New York for UNGA. But a current diplomat said under Pompeo, it appears there will be robust working-level engagement by State Department officials with their foreign counterparts. The diplomat added that it is a "recognition of the valuable work being done by career diplomats." Tillerson was under fire for not filling many vacancies of senior positions and slashing the budget of the State Department, bringing down the morale of the diplomatic workforce. "Pompeo certainly is trying to undo some of the wreckage of Tillerson's management," Laura Kennedy, former deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, told VOA. "He also benefits enormously from having a good relationship with President Donald Trump and from being more closely aligned with Trump on policy grounds," Still, Kennedy said she is troubled by "the apparently deliberate policy" of excluding career foreign service officers from nomination to the ranks of the assistant secretaries who "pretty much run the building." Pope Francis will tour Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia starting Saturday amid a child sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests that has challenged his leadership image. Francis' tour will begin in Vilnius Saturday morning. He will conduct public masses and private diplomatic visits through Monday, meeting with a different Baltic president every day. During the pope's last international trip to Ireland in August, a retired Vatican diplomat, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, accused Pope Francis of having known for years about sex abuse reports involving former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. That claim, combined with continuing fallout from the sexual abuse allegations in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, led to an 13 percent decline in Francis' favorability ratings in the United States, according to a Gallup poll published Tuesday. Some Catholic observers have characterized his visit this week as a show of support for the Baltic states, which in recent years have increasingly voiced concerns about aggression from their shared neighbor, Russia. What is left of tropical storm Florence is soaking the mid-Atlantic with buckets of rain as it drifts toward New England, leaving death and destruction behind in the Carolinas. Flash flood watches and warnings are posted from southern Virginia into Vermont and New Hampshire through Tuesday. Several tornadoes damaged buildings in the Richmond, Virginia, area Monday afternoon, with tornado watches posted for parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Florence is now a what forecasters call a post-tropical cyclone, with top sustained winds of 35 kilometers per hour (22 mph). But the storm's slow speed as it approached the Carolina coast late last week allowed it to pick up a huge amount of moisture. Authorities continue to worry about more floods, breached dams and landslides, particularly as Florence makes its way across mountainous regions. At least 20 deaths are blamed on the storm. Unfortunately, weve still got several days to go. People fail to heed warnings and get out, or they get into the floodwaters trying to escape their home. And thats where you start to see deaths escalate, Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told U.S. television networks. Some parts of North Carolina have already gotten about 100 centimeters (39 inches) of rain. All of that rain is swelling streams and rivers and creating what the National Hurricane Center called prolonged significant river flooding. Floods have cut off entire towns and cities in North Carolina, making helicopters the only way to get into these places and help the stranded. More than 700,000 homes have no power. One of the hardest hit cities in North Carolina was New Bern, a riverfront city not far from the Atlantic coast. Mayor Dana Outlaw said the city was hit by a three-meter (10 feet) storm surge at the height of the hurricane Friday. He said 4,200 homes were damaged. The White House said President Donald Trump would visit the storm-ravaged region in the coming days, but only after it is determined his arrival would not disrupt continuing rescue and recovery efforts. WATCH: N. Carolina Gov. Cooper speaks on Hurricane Florence Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday "a chain of tragic circumstances" is responsible for a Syrian missile attack that caused a Russian military reconnaissance plane to crash in the Mediterranean Sea late Monday. Putin's comments came several hours after Russia's defense ministry said "hostile" actions by Israeli fighter jet pilots led to Syrian air defense systems shooting down the plane. Putin did not criticize Israel but said he supported his defense ministry's statement. Putin promised to increase security for Russian troops in Syria, saying Russia will take "steps that everyone will notice." Russian military spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday that Israeli forces were carrying out an attack in Syria's Latakia province when they hid behind the Russian plane, using it to shield themselves from Syrian missiles. Konashenkov said an S-200 missile brought down the Russian plane, killing 15 people. Israel and Russia have for several years used a special hotline to notify each other of certain military actions in the region in order to prevent clashes. But Konashenkov said Israel gave Russia only one minute of notice of its operation, leaving the Russian plane no time to get out of the area. He called Israel's actions "irresponsible" and said Russia would have an "appropriate response." Israel's military disputed Russia's accusation it used one of its planes as cover, saying the aircraft "was not within the area of the operation" when it was hit. It also said "when the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, [Israeli] jets were already within Israeli airspace." The Israeli military blamed the militant Hezbollah group and and Iran for shooting down the plane and expressed sorrow for the deaths of the Russian aircrew. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the downing of the plane was "unfortunate" and a reminder of the "need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theater of operations." Mamman Nur, a senior figure in the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, reportedly has been killed by some of his own colleagues. Nur's men allegedly gunned him down Aug. 21 following an internal dispute, according to Nigerian media sources and others. News reports of the killing have trickled out in the last few days. Gyade Abdalla, an Islamist scholar in the country's northeast region where the group is based, has served as a trusted negotiator between Boko Haram leaders, as well as Nigerian government officials. He told VOA that Nur's men believed the Boko Haram figure was too lenient. A key point of dispute was Nur's decision to release schoolgirls kidnapped from the northeast Nigerian town of Dapchi, Abdalla said. Boko Haram abducted 109 female students from a secondary school in Dapchi in February. Nearly all of the girls were returned safely to their homes about a month later. Boko Haram also made headlines in April 2014 when it abducted 276 schoolgirls from a secondary school in the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok. According to #BringBackOurGirls, the social media campaign and organization that formed after the kidnapping, 112 girls are still missing. Nur led a faction of Boko Haram that broke away in 2014 from the militant group led by Abubakar Shekau. Nur's faction, which selected Abubakar al-Barnawi as its emir, established its operational base around Lake Chad north of Nigeria's Borno state. The group pays allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Nur also has been much more willing than other Boko Haram leaders to negotiate with the government about issues such as releasing captives. A fluent Arabic speaker, Nur networked extensively with other Boko Haram factions operating around Lake Chad, including in Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Abdalla suggested that Nur's death could weaken the Boko Haram faction. With no apparent successor to Nur, it could splinter further, Abdalla said. That would give an edge to the Nigerian government if it acted quickly to dislodge the group, he added. Malam Ibrahim Damaturu, an Islamic studies lecturer at Yobe State University, told VOA that Nur's killing was unsurprising because the entire Boko Haram organization was built on ignorance of Islam. He said some militants joined the group to advance personal objectives, and their competing goals were bound to produce friction. He said even Muhammed Yusuf, who founded the group in 2002, had conflicts with some of the followers. Aliyu Kontagora, a retired Nigerian army colonel now working as a security analyst in the capital, Abuja, said he believes Nur's assassination might lead to an escalation of deadly attacks in the area, as militants try to demonstrate their strength. Boko Haram, which promotes an extreme form of Islamist fundamentalism and opposes Western-style education, is blamed for the deaths of more than 30,000 people and for the dislocation of more than 2 million. UNICEF reported that Boko Haram, intent on destroying schools, had kidnapped more than 1,000 children in northeastern Nigeria as of April. This report originated in VOA's Hausa service. Hassan Maina Kaina is a stringer in northeast Nigeria. Salihu Garba reports from VOA's Washington headquarters. Slovak authorities have identified a possible witness in the murder of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak, whose killing last February led mass protests that forced the government to resign, a state prosecutor said on Monday. It was the first development in the case in the six months since the murder. "This person may have been present at or close to the crime scene around the time the crime was committed and may have information about the crime," the prosecutor overseeing the case told a news conference. He declined to answer questions on whether that person was a suspect or just a witness. Kuciak, who had written about political corruption in Slovakia, was found shot dead along with his fiancee Martina Kusnirova at their home outside Bratislava in February. They were both 27. The murder - which police have called a profesional hit - raised fears over media freedom in ex-communist Eastern Europe, and led to mass protests across the nation that forced the departure of previous police chief Tibor Gaspar as well as Prime Minister Robert Fico and interior minister Robert Kalinak. The cabinet was reshuffled with Fico's deputy Peter Pellegrini taking over as prime minister but the three-party center-left coalition stayed in power. The prosecutor, who declined to give his name, said authorities had also whittled down possible motives to two. He held up a sketch of the possible witness depicting a white man with a beard and dark hair who appeared to be in his late 20s to early 30s. He provided no other details. "Despite initial mistakes in investigation, we have narrowed down possible motives from 30 to two," the prosecutor said. "I believe we will be successful in the end." The update on Monday came after more than 300 Slovak journalists and publishers last month criticized police for the lack of progress in the murder investigation and alleged corruption described by Kuciak. "As no fundamental changes to the police or to the prosecutorial bodies have taken place, we have doubts about the independence of the investigation," they said in a statement. Kuciak had covered Slovak businessmen mentioned in the Panama Papers and also probed fraud cases involving businessmen with Slovak political ties. He had also been looking into suspected mafia links of Italians with businesses in Slovakia. Most Western Europeans favor at least some restrictions on the religious clothing that Muslim women can wear in public, according to research released Monday by the Pew Research Center. A median 50 percent of non-Muslim adults in the 15 countries surveyed said Muslim women should be allowed to wear religious clothing unless it covers their face. A median of 23 percent said that Muslim women should not be allowed to wear any religious clothing at all. Only 25 percent said they supported no such restrictions. Portugal stood out as the only country where a majority of respondents said Muslim women should face no restrictions, at 52 percent. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they would accept a Muslim as a family member. But even in this group, a majority of 55 percent supported banning facial coverings. This is not a small group of people, survey conductor Scott Gardner told VOA News. Even though the majority have open and positive feelings towards Muslims, even those who say they would accept a Muslim as a family member favor at least some restrictions. Portugal was again unique in this category, with 60 percent of those who would accept a Muslim family member saying they supported having no restrictions on clothing. The survey reflects government policy across the region. Last August, Denmark made it illegal for Muslim to wear facial coverings such as niqabs and burqas in public. Similar policies have been in enacted in Austria, Belgium and France in recent years as Muslim immigrants have flocked to Europe in large numbers, escaping violence in Syria and other majority-Muslim nations. Proponents of these policies argue that facial coverings are a security risk and that forcing women to veil their faces is sexist. Critics say the policies are targeted discrimination that reflects growing anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe. Generally, you could say a Muslim has a beard, Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun chair of Islamic Studies at American University told VOA News. But then a lot of Europeans, a lot of young men even, have beards. So, its difficult to say OK, this mans Muslim because he has a beard. A lot of Muslim men just wear trousers, ties, shirts just like other Europeans. But a hijab? Or an abaya, the full dress, that is specifically Muslim. The influx of Muslims into European countries has led to the rise of populist anti-immigration political movements in many of the countries surveyed, led by figures like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Marine Le Pen in France. It is not surprising, Ahmed said of the findings. "They reflect a mood in Europe today, which is a mood of increasing impatience and intolerance of the Muslim community. And that intolerance and impatience appears to be embodied in the symbolism of the Muslim dress. Turkey will send more troops into Syria's Idlib province after striking a deal with Russia that has averted a government offensive and delighted rebels who say it keeps the area out of President Bashar al-Assad's hands. The deal unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad's most powerful ally, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday will create a new demilitarized zone from which "radical" rebels must withdraw by the middle of next month. Damascus also welcomed the agreement but vowed to continue its efforts to recover "every inch" of Syria. Iran, Assad's other main ally, said "responsible diplomacy" had averted a war in Idlib "with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror". The agreement has put a halt to a threatened Syrian government offensive. The United Nations had warned such an attack would create a humanitarian catastrophe in the Idlib region, home to about 3 million people. The Idlib region and adjoining territory north of Aleppo represents the opposition's last big foothold in Syria. Assad has recovered most of the areas once held by the rebels, with decisive military support from Iran and Russia. But his plans to recover the northwest have been complicated by Turkey's role on the ground: it has soldiers at 12 locations in Idlib and supplies weapons to some of the rebels. Erdogan had feared another exodus of refugees to join the 3.5 million already in Turkey, and warned against any attack. In striking the deal, Russia appears - at least for now - to have put its ties with Turkey ahead of advancing the goal of bringing all Syria back under Assad's rule. That goal is also obstructed by the presence of U.S. forces in the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates which is held by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, and at a base near the borders with Jordan and Iraq. Analysts cautioned that implementation of the deal faced big challenges, notably how to separate jihadists from other rebels - a goal Ankara has been struggling to achieve for some time. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the "moderate opposition" would keep its weapons and the "region will be cleared of radicals". Turkey would "make additional troop deployments" and its 12 observation posts would remain. The deal was "very important for the political resolution in Syria". "If this (Idlib) had been lost too, there would be no opposition anymore," he said. Mustafa Sejari, a Free Syria Army (FSA) official, said the deal "buries Assad's dreams of imposing his full control over Syria". Yahya al-Aridi, spokesman for the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission expressed hope that a government offensive was now off the table for good. The Syrian government, in a statement published by state media, said it welcomed any agreement that spared blood. It also said the deal had a specific timeframe which it did not detail. "I see it as a test of the extent of Turkey's ability to implement this decision," Ali Abdul Karim, Syria's ambassador to Lebanon, said in an interview with Lebanon's al-Jadeed TV. "We do not trust Turkey ... but it's useful for Turkey to be able to carry out this fight to rid these groups from their weapons." "CATASTROPHE" AVERTED Moscow said the deal "confirmed the ability of both Moscow and Ankara to compromise ... in the interests of the ultimate goal of a Syrian settlement by political and diplomatic means". "Is this merely a stay of execution? Or is it the beginning of a reprieve?" U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock asked during a monthly meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Syria. The demilitarized zone will be monitored by Russian and Turkish forces, the countries' leaders said. But neither Russia nor Turkey have explained how they plan to differentiate "radically-minded" rebels from other anti-Assad groups. It was also not immediately clear how much of the city of Idlib fell within the zone. Putin said the decision was to establish by Oct. 15 a demilitarized area 1520 km (10-12 miles) deep along the contact line between rebel and government fighters. Naji Abu Hufaiza, spokesman for the National Front for Liberation said he did not have details of the agreement, but said that while he saw it as a success for Turkish diplomacy, his group did not trust Russia to uphold it. Idlib is held by an array of rebels. The most powerful is Tahrir al-Sham, an amalgamation of Islamist groups dominated by the former Nusra Front - an al Qaeda affiliate until 2016. Other Islamists, and groups fighting as the Free Syrian Army banner, are now gathered with Turkish backing under the banner of the "National Front for Liberation". The area is also the last major haven for foreign jihadists who came to Syria to fight the Alawite-led Assad government. Putin said that, at Erdogan's suggestion, by Oct. 10, all opposition heavy weapons, mortars, tanks, rocket systems would also be removed from the demilitarized zone. Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and analyst at Carnegie Europe, said it was unclear how Turkey and Russia would be able to separate radical fighters from other rebels. The hope is that Syrians "will be more inclined to be part of a demilitarization effort" while foreign fighters "have nowhere to go", he said. Earlier this month, Putin publicly rebuffed a proposal from Erdogan for a truce when the two met along with Iran's president at a summit in Tehran. Iran also welcomed the agreement. Honduras' supreme court indefinitely suspended the start of a trial Monday of eight men charged in the 2016 killing of prize-winning Honduran indigenous and environmental rights activist Berta Caceres. Judiciary spokesman Melvin Duarte said five related filings in the case have to be resolved first. Caceres' family and the organization she led said in a statement Monday that the court where the trial was to be held had not guaranteed the rights of the victims or the accused and that it would not be impartial. They petitioned that the case be moved to another court. "We seek justice amid adverse circumstances and even there find a criminal structure behind the death of Berta," her family said in a statement. Prosecutors said in a statement that the scientific evidence collected would be the key to convicting the suspects. Caceres was shot to death inside her home in La Esperanza in western Honduras on March 2, 2016, one year after winning the Goldman Environmental Prize for her leadership against a dam project. Two of the accused worked at one time for Desarrollos Energeticos SA, the company behind the hydroelectric project that Caceres and her group Copinh had battled against for years. Caceres had reported death threats from both of them. Another defendant was an active-duty military member, supporting assertions by Caceres' family that there was collusion between the company and state security forces. "The board of directors of DESA planned the killing of my mother," charged Olivia Zuniga, one of Caceres' daughters. Roberto David Castillo Mejia, who was executive president of DESA when Caceres was killed, was arrested last March in the killing, though he is not part of the suspended trial. Prosecutors allege he was in charge of handling logistics for the killing. The company said Castillo and its other employees were "totally unconnected" to the murder. Caceres had been threatened before and as early as 2009 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had ordered protective measures for her safety. Other members of Copinh had also been killed. The gunmen who killed Caceres also wounded Mexican activist Gustavo Castro Soto, who was at the home that night. Last year, a team of lawyers published a report after studying the case. They said it was a carefully planned effort and "there is evidence to link high-level state and non-state officials to the murder." The Honduran government has been under significant pressure from abroad to solve the killing in a country where impunity runs high. The group of independent experts warned of irregularities and sloppiness in the investigation. Last week, Caceres' daughter Berta Zuniga said in an interview with local radio that authorities want to limit the trial to the killing itself, but the family wants a broader airing of the years of harassment that Caceres suffered because of her opposition to the dam. "It is impossible, truly, to understand the crime against Berta Caceres without understanding what was happening in the community of Rio Blanco with the hydroelectric project Agua Zarca," Zuniga said. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold public hearings next week to hear from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of assaulting her three decades ago while the two were in high school. "To provide ample transparency, we will hold a public hearing Monday to give these recent allegations a full airing," Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said in a written statement. Republicans on the committee had hoped to hold a vote to move Kavanaugh's nomination forward as early as Thursday of this week. Republican leaders suggested the investigation into the allegations could be handled by phone calls between the committee members, Kavanaugh and his accuser. But a growing chorus of demands for full hearings including from some Republicans couldn't be ignored. President Donald Trump is standing by his nominee, saying that Kavanaugh has never, ever even had a little blemish on his record. Trump spoke to reporters Monday afternoon in the White House Roosevelt Room where he was peppered with questions just hours after Kavanaugh strongly denied that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl three decades ago. The president seemed resigned to senators delaying the Thursday vote. If they delay a little bit just to make sure everybody's happy they want to be happy, said Trump. I can tell you the Republican senators want to be a hundred percent happy themselves. The president explained that he wants to see a complete process for Kavanaugh. I'd like everybody to be very happy, Trump said. Most importantly, I want the American people to be happy because theyre getting somebody that is great. Trump expressed disappointment with opposition Democrats for sitting on the information, specifically mentioning Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who had met with Kavanaugh for "quite a bit of time" and did not bring up the allegation. Christine Blasey Ford alleged in a Washington Post interview published Sunday that Kavanaugh and a friend, both "stumbling drunk," cornered her in a bedroom at a house party in suburban Washington in the early 1980s and that Kavanaugh groped her. WATCH: Kavanaugh hearings continue She shared the information in a July letter to Feinstein, who forwarded the details to federal investigators. The senator said the decision to make the information public was Ford's to make. Trump said he had not spoken on Monday with his nominee, who was spending part of the day at the White House. When asked if Kavanaugh had offered to withdraw, Trump replied that was a "ridiculous question." In a statement earlier in the day, Kavanaugh said he had "no idea who was making this accusation" until the Post published its story. The federal circuit judge declared he had "never done anything like what the accuser describes." "I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity, he added in his statement released by the White House. Also on Monday, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, considered a key potential swing vote, tweeted that both Ford and Kavanaugh should testify under oath. Lawyer Debra Katz, who is representing Ford, said her client was willing to testify about her allegation before the Senate panel. Katz told news shows Monday that Ford, now a 51-year-old research psychologist at Palo Alto University in California, characterizes Kavanaugh's actions as "attempted rape," and believes "that if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped." Ford said in the interview with the newspaper that Kavanaugh threw her down on a bed, grinding his body against hers and trying to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she was wearing over it. Ford said when she tried to scream, he put his hand over her mouth. I thought he might inadvertently kill me, she was quoted as saying in the newspaper. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing. Ford said she escaped when Kavanaugh's friend jumped on top of them, sending all three tumbling. Republicans, some of whom see the allegations as a stalling tactic by Democrats, have been pushing to confirm Kavanaugh before Novembers midterm elections, when they could lose control of the Senate. A Judiciary Committee statement Sunday accused Democrats of hiding Ford's allegations until the eve of the committee vote. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the committee, said he would welcome hearing from Ford. Sen. Jeff Flake, another Republican on the committee, went further, saying he would not vote to approve Kavanaugh without first hearing from Ford. Feinstein, the top Democrat on the panel, led a number of Democrats calling for a delay in the vote. "I support Mrs. Ford's decision to share her story, and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation. This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee," Feinstein said in a statement released Sunday. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States is considering a request from Poland for a permanent U.S. military presence in the fellow NATO country, acknowledging that he shares Poland's concerns about possible Russian aggression. Poland has repeatedly requested a permanent U.S. military presence on its soil, offering up to $2 billion in funding for such a base. The United States currently rotates troops through Poland temporarily but permanently stationing forces there would be expensive because of costs that can include housing for families, schools and hospitals. Moscow expressed concern in May over reports about Poland's request, saying NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders undermined stability in Europe. Direct appeal On Monday, Polish President Andrzej Duda made a direct appeal to Trump for a permanent U.S. base when they met in Washington. Duda said at their joint news conference that he would name the base "Fort Trump," and that it would serve as a bulwark against what he considers a threat from Russia. WATCH: US-Poland relations Trump said he shared Duda's concern about Russia but that Russia respects strength and that the United States has strengthened its military under his leadership. "I am with the president. I feel that he is right," he said. Meeting Duda earlier in the Oval Office, Trump said Poland's request was under consideration. "We're looking at it very seriously, I know Poland likes the idea very much, and it's something that we are considering, yes," he said. Russian pipeline a concern Poland joined NATO in 1999 along with Hungary and the Czech Republic, and since then other former communist states, including Baltic republics bordering Russia, have joined despite Moscow's strong opposition. Warsaw could offer up to $2 billion in funding for a U.S. military base, according to a Polish Defense Ministry proposal reported by Polish media. A government source in Poland confirmed to Reuters that such a proposal had been made. Trump and Duda also expressed shared concerns about Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which they said could make Europe overly reliant on Moscow for energy and expose it to the risks of what Duda called "political blackmail" with shipments. But Trump said the United States was not looking to sanction companies that participated in the project with Russia. "We just think it's very unfortunate for the people of Germany that Germany is paying billions and billions of dollars a year for their energy to Russia," he said. Trump also said the United States was considering a visa waiver program for Poland. A volunteer medic and the man whose life he saved. A lawmaker whose Facebook post calling for protests in Kyiv's Maidan square helped bring down a president. These are some of the characters featured in a virtual reality reconstruction of the bloodiest day in the 2013-14 street demonstrations in Ukraine, when dozens of protesters were killed in the final moments of Viktor Yanukovich's rule. Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the protests, a group of 14 journalists, designers and information technology engineers developed a program that lets a user to walk through the area around Maidan square. Videos of people who were there on Feb. 20 the bloodiest day of violence pop up to relate their experiences and explain the significance of particular spots. A transparent blue wall marks where Yanukovich's forces lined up to repel the protesters. For Alexey Furman, co-founder of New Cave Media, who covered the protests as a photojournalist, the experience of re-creating the event was cathartic. "It was a very traumatic morning [for me], as it was for hundreds of other people," he said. "I saw people getting killed." "I think the project actually helped fight the PTSD that I had because I'd been on Maidan dozens of times in 2013 and 2014," he said in an interview, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder. Painful memories He used to avoid Instytutska Street, which runs on a hill down to Maidan and was the scene of much of the bloodshed, because of the painful memories. "But now to be honest, I come to Instytutska and go like, 'Oh, we still don't have that 3-D-model. We have to work on it.' " The team said it took around 200,000 images to build the virtual reality model, a project funded in part with a $20,000 grant from Google Labs. More than 100 people were killed during the protests, and they came to be known locally as the 'Heavenly Hundred." A small strip of Instytutska was subsequently renamed after them. From exile in Russia, Yanukovich has denied Ukrainians' widespread belief that he ordered his special forces to open fire. At the end of the experience, the user meets two people whom fate threw together on Feb. 20 a wounded protester and a medical volunteer who held his hand over the wound "for a good 20 minutes maybe even more," New Cave Media co-founder Sergiy Polezhaka said in an interview. "Hiding in a tiny place under the tree ... waiting for danger to calm down a little bit, to save this protester's life this is the iconic image from that morning for me," Polezhaka said. The user will also meet the journalist-turned-lawmaker Mustafa Nayyem, whose Facebook post in November 2013, calling for demonstrations against Yanukovich's decision to pull out of a deal with the European Union, triggered the Maidan revolt. The protests in turn lit the fuse Russia's seizing and annexing of Crimea in March 2014 and the outbreak of Russian-backed separatist fighting in the Donbass region that has killed more than 10,000 despite a notional cease-fire. The U.N. secretary-general has welcomed an agreement reached Monday between the presidents of Russia and Turkey to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib region, saying it should "avert" a full-scale military operation and provide a reprieve for some three-million civilians."The secretary-general calls on all the parties in Syria to cooperate in the implementation of the agreement and ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access in all areas through the most direct routes," Antonio Guterres' spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Monday to create a 15- to 20-kilometer (9- to 12-mile) demilitarized zone inside what is already a de-escalation zone. Putin said Russian and Turkish forces would enforce the demilitarized zone, which would see the removal of the rebels' heavy weapons and the "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib, including the terrorist al-Nusra Front, by mid-October. The United Nations has been sounding the alarm bell on Idlib for weeks, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe if the Syrian government followed through on its plans to clear the last rebel stronghold. The U.N. estimates some 15,000 fighters are mixed in among the civilian population. More than a million of Idlib's residents are displaced from other parts of Syria and have sought safety in the de-escalation zone. Turkey, which already shelters more than 3 million Syrian refugees, feared a massive exodus into its territory if nearby Idlib was attacked. "Of course, everybody, especially the 3 million civilians in Idlib, want to know how long this agreement is going to last," U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told reporters. "Is it simply a temporary arrangement or can it provide the basis through which the threat of a massive military onslaught on Idlib can be removed on a more permanent basis?" "Russia alongside other Astana guarantors has and continues to undertake tremendous efforts to see that situation around Idlib resolved through negotiations and that civilians will not suffer," Russia's U.N. envoy, Vassily Nebenzia said. Russia, Iran and Turkey make up the group referred to as the Astana guarantors. They oversee what were originally four de-escalation zones in Syria, but of which Idlib is the last remaining. Nebenzia, who spoke during a regular meeting of the Security Council on Syria, added that a key part of the deal is a reaffirmation "to combat terrorism in Syria in all of its forms and manifestations." The newly appointed U.S. Special Representative for Syria Engagement, Ambassador James Jeffrey, called on all parties to commit to a lasting cease-fire and to take immediate steps to advance the peace process. "The only way forward is a genuine and inclusive political solution," Jeffrey told the council. Russian fighter jet downed "We hope that this agreement is expeditiously implemented," U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said in his briefing to the council. He said international humanitarian law must be respected and sustained humanitarian access allowed. But he warned that as the crisis in Idlib has been averted, there have been worrying escalations elsewhere. "This week fresh airstrikes were reported in Damascus that the Syrian government attributes to Israel; Israel has not commented," de Mistura noted. "And overnight, a Russian military aircraft was downed, killing 15 servicemen." The Russian jet was hit by Syrian anti-aircraft fire. WATCH: Syria solutions Israel has expressed "sorrow" for the downing of the Russian jet, but added that it holds the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah responsible for the incident. "Overnight, Israel Defense Forces fighter jets targeted a facility from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon," an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement. The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar is calling for members of Myanmars top military command to be investigated and prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya people in Rakhine State. The report by the U.N. fact-finding mission presents in searing detail what it describes as crimes that shock the human conscience. It says its year-long investigation has uncovered credible evidence that the Myanmar military has committed the most serious crimes under international law. Marzuki Darusman, leader of the mission, says the killings, gang rapes of women and girls, the burning and looting of homes and other atrocities in Rakhine State were well-planned. He says they were part of a deliberate attack on a specific civilian population, the Rohingya, by the Myanmar military, known as Tatmadaw. We have concluded that the Rohingya constitute a protected group, that the acts of the Tatmadaw and other security forces fall within four of the five categories of genocidal acts and, finally, that all the circumstances are such as to warrant an inference of genocidal intent, said Darusman. The eruption of violence in August 2017 triggered a mass-exodus of three-quarters of a million Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh. Darusman says the persecution that drove the Rohingya to flee Myanmar persists and that it is not safe for refugees to return. The report also accuses the Tatmadaw of committing acts in Kachin and Shan States that might constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Members of the fact-finding mission have drawn up a list of senior military commanders who, they say, must be investigated and prosecuted for genocidal acts. Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmars ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, scorned the investigators. He called their findings one-sided, lacking in impartiality and detrimental to his governments efforts to find long-term solutions to the situation in Rakhine State. He said his government has deep sympathy for the displaced, especially women and girls, and is ready to receive those wishing to return. The United States wants to invest in Greenland to enhance its "military operational flexibility and situational awareness," its Department of Defense (DoD) said on Monday. Greenland is strategically important for the U.S. military and its ballistic missile early warning system, as the shortest route from Europe to North America goes via the Arctic island. The U.S. intends to "pursue potential strategic investments vigorously, including investments that may serve dual military and civilian purposes," the DoD said in a statement published by the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen. Greenland picked Denmark as its partner in a planned upgrade of two airports last week, seeking to defuse a diplomatic row over how the projects, of strategic interest to both Washington and Beijing, should be financed. Greenland is a self-ruling part of the Kingdom of Denmark and while its government decides on most domestic matters, foreign and security policy is handled by Copenhagen. Denmark has been concerned that a Chinese investment on the agenda since Greenland's Prime Minister Kim Kielsen visited Beijing last year could upset its close ally the U.S. The DoD said in Monday's statement that it intends to analyze and, where appropriate, strategically invest in projects related to the airport infrastructure in Greenland. The one-page "Statement of Intent" did not go into financial details. "We welcome the American Statement of Intent, and look forward to discuss details of possible U.S. airport investments in Greenland," Greenland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, said in a statement. Greenland's government lost its parliamentary majority as a row between coalition partners escalated last week over how the planned airport projects should be financed. The U.S. Air Force is predicting it will need to grow sharply over the next decade or so, boosting the number of operational squadrons by nearly a quarter to stay ahead of increasingly muscular militaries in China and Russia, officials said. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters that the preliminary analysis drew partly from classified intelligence about possible threats in the 2025 to 2030 time frame, showing that the service, at its current size, would be unable to preserve America's edge. "The Air Force is too small for what the nation is asking us to do," Wilson told a small group of reporters ahead of a speech on Monday that will lay out her arguments. The Air Force analysis did not include a price tag and Wilson declined to speculate on costs. But such growth could conceivably cost billions of dollars, given the need to hire more personnel and buy substantially more aircraft, from refueling tankers and fighter jets to bombers, made by companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Wilson estimated the Air Force would need about more 40,000 personnel as part of the plan to have a total of 386 operational squadrons, up 24 percent from the 312 today. The increase would bring the Air Force to about 717,000 personnel, including the Guard and Reserve. The U.S. Air Force had 401 squadrons in 1987, at the peak of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel, squadrons are the core fighting units of the Air Force and are often composed of about 18 to 24 aircraft. The Air Force estimate is likely to set the stage for greater debate about military spending priorities, including within the Pentagon, where branches of the world's most powerful military already fiercely vie for resources. That competition is set to grow if President Donald Trump succeeds in creating a new "Space Force" as the sixth branch of the military, something he hopes to do by 2020. About one-sixth of U.S. federal spending goes to defense, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Although some lawmakers complain the Pentagon gets too big a share of U.S. resources, defense spending enjoys broad support in Congress. Growing Risk Trump last month signed a massive, $716 billion defense policy bill meant to help address shortcomings in the U.S. military, which is trying to shift its focus to challenges posed by countries like China and Russia after nearly 17 years fighting militants in places like Afghanistan. Wilson declined to get into details about classified analysis of future military threats. But she pointed to events already making global headlines, like how Russia staged its largest military exercise this month since the fall of the Soviet Union, mobilizing 300,000 troops. Pentagon officials believe the bigger challenge, however, will be staying ahead of China's rapidly expanding military capabilities. "The threat is growing," Wilson said. "We have to be clear-eyed about the world in which we live." Wilson acknowledged that the Air Force's estimates would be further refined in the weeks and months ahead. The latest analysis would be among the reports submitted to Congress in March next year that seek to address a basic question: What kind of Air Force America does America need? Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein noted that was different from the typical question of what is the best Air Force that the United States can afford, given current budget priorities. Wilson said: "We also know that there will be a debate about what we can afford - and that's fair." "But I think we have to be clear on what is needed to protect our vital national interest in this country," she said. The U.S. Air Force will next month introduce a new, more advanced aerial fuel tanker, the KC-46 Pegasus, that may some day be able to defend itself with a laser. Tankers re-fuel U.S. fighters and bombers in flight, allowing them to stay aloft longer and fly much farther. That important role makes tankers a key target for adversaries. Air Force General Carlton Everhart, who oversaw the planes acquisition process, says the Air Force is working to add the unconventional feature, allowing the tanker to fly closer to the fight than ever before. Everhart told VOA in a recent interview that Air Mobility Command, in coordination with Air Combat Command and Air Force Special Operations, will be testing lasers on airplanes in about two years. "Those things are coming on right now. I'm pretty excited about it," said Everhart, who recently stepped down as head of Air Mobility Command. The long-awaited tanker will carry up to 96,000 kilograms of highly flammable aviation fuel so it can refuel planes and helicopters in flight through a telescoping boom at its rear or through equipment on its wings. While the new tanker comes equipped with technology to make it less detectable to enemies, less detectable isn't the same as undetectable, and thats a problem for both the tanker and the bomber and fighter jets it refuels. Todd Harrison, the director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that because tankers are "so vulnerable," the Air Force must keep them far outside the threat ring of an adversary." "That means that our planes cannot go as far into enemy territory before they have to turn around to come back and hit the tanker again," Harrison said. Everhart said the idea of defending the KC-46 tanker with lasers is possible because the plane's engines can generate a massive amount of power. He said the extra defense would make the tanker better able to support the fighter and bomber aircraft during combat operations. If battle scenes from the movie Star Wars come to mind, with lasers shooting adversaries into oblivion, General Everhart says that's not the idea. He calls it a "purely defensive weapon." The laser could be used to blind the sensors on another aircraft, or an incoming missile, said Harrison of CSIS. "Or if it's a high enough power laser, it could actually be used to burn a hole to weaken the skin of an incoming missile or aircraft," he added. One major advantage of defensive lasers is that they don't run out of ammunition, an important feature on an airplane with limited space. As long as they have electrical power, they can keep firing. Once testing begins, it likely will take years before defensive lasers are fully operational. Everhart hopes the technology will be finalized on the KC-46 Pegasus during the 2020s. Russian arms control violations and other malign activities are eroding the confidence and trust required to extend a critical nuclear agreement between Washington and Moscow that expires in 2021, U.S. officials told lawmakers on Tuesday. "Russia continues to violate a series of arms control obligations that undermine the trust of the United States can place in treaties, including some that have served U.S. and allied security interests for years," Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Andrea Thomson said in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "The bottom line is that arms control with Russia is troubled because the Russian Federation apparently believes it need only abide by the agreements that suit it," Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy David Trachtenberg said. Negotiated by the former Obama administration, the New START treaty has limited America's and Russia's strategic nuclear arsenals since going into effect in 2011. U.S. officials said discussions have been held with their Russian counterparts on possibly extending or renegotiating the 10-year pact, but that Russian violations of an earlier accord between the United States and the former Soviet Union are a sticking point. "Russia has persisted in its violation of the INF [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces] treaty through its ground missile program," Thompson said. "This administration has utilized diplomatic, economic, and military measures to pressure Russia to return to compliance. The lack of any meaningful steps by Russia to do so diminishes our hope that it wants to preserve the INF treaty." Russia also accuses the United States of INF treaty violations. By contrast, both sides are believed to be adhering to New START's provisions. Asked whether the United States would extend New START, renegotiate the pact, or allow it to expire, Thompson said, "No decision has been made at this time." Republican Senator James Risch of Idaho applauded the Trump administration's skepticism about Moscow's intentions and apparent willingness to walk away from New START. "Trying to negotiate with people who aren't negotiating in good faith is a problem," Risch said. "They [Russian officials] are serial cheaters, they're serial liars, and you have to look at the other things they are doing in the world to judge what kind of a mind these people have as far as whether they are acting in good faith." But several Democrats argued New START provides a core benefit even if Moscow is violating other treaties. "New START gives us the opportunity to do the inspections [of Russian facilities] This is extremely valuable," Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland said. "We know North Korea has a nuclear program, but we don't know the specifics because we don't have inspections [of North Korean nuclear sites]. We don't have eyes on the ground." The committee's top Democrat, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, echoed the concern. "Would withdrawing or walking away from an agreement strengthen our hand or ultimately leave us without a seat at the table, without insight into our adversary's stockpile? Safer or less secure?" Menendez asked. Trachtenberg declined to speculate, but said, "We are taking a deliberate approach to our assessment of all of these treaties, including the New Start treaty. I don't see this as a rush to judgment on the part of the administration." The deputy under secretary of defense added, "Any decision on extending the treaty will and should be based on a realistic assessment of whether the New Start treaty remains in our national security interest in light of overall Russian arms control behavior." Several senators noted that U.S. lawmakers still don't know details of a private meeting in July between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. "We remain largely in the dark as to what the two leaders discussed or agreed to during their two hour closed session," Menendez said. "We do know that the Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov told reporters that important verbal agreements were reached at the Helsinki summit on arms control issues." Menendez added, "Has the president reached key decisions with Russia on arms control treaties? If so, why hasn't Congress been informed?" Thompson said she could provide no details of the Helsinki encounter, except that arms control was a topic of conversation. In the days following the destruction of Hurricane Florence, many coastal North Carolinians remained away from their homes. Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations across the southern state, making calls for help difficult to answer. with household pets trapped in crumbling shelters volunteers and donations have begun pouring in for support. Arash Arabasadi reports from the capital, Raleigh. One month after election-related violence in northern Uganda, two women who say they were brutally assaulted by security officers are still recovering from their injuries. The government has questioned the women's claims while stopping short of an explicit denial. Jane Abola and Asara Night were part of the campaign team for Kasiano Wadri, an opposition candidate in a by-election for a parliament seat. During a final planning meeting at a hotel in the Arua municipality on the evening of August 13, opposition legislators reportedly were forced to run and hide at the sound of gunshots. Abola says she ran into a bathroom, but was pulled out roughly and attacked by security officers on the order of a regional police commander. The officers demanded she tell them the whereabouts of legislator Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine. "He started kicking me, beating me with those sticks of theirs, their batons, the gun, pricking me with the barrel of the gun, using the butt of the gun," Abola said of the officers. "At one point he jumped on my back, said '[I] am going to kill you if you don't tell me where Bobi Wine is.'" An X-ray shows Abola now has damaged vertebrae in her lower back and needs immediate surgery. However, she does not have the $5,000 required to pay for the operation. Asara Night says soldiers cornered her in the same hotel that evening and beat her. "It was like, for those soldiers, today is our day," she said. "It reached a point I could not now realize the pain on my body, because it was too much. I could not now shout, I could not talk. They were just beating. Now when they realized I was not shouting, the only thing, they just had to carry me like a sack from the hotel. They threw me through the window outside. That's where I was carried to be thrown in the vehicle of the police." Night now wears braces on her back, hand and knee, and has constant headaches. The alleged beatings took place after an incident in which protesters threw stones at the convoy of President Yoweri Museveni, who was in the area campaigning for the ruling party candidate. Museveni has come under increasing criticism, both at home and abroad, for his government's heavy-handed response to any dissent. Bobi Wine, the president's most prominent critic, was arrested last month and charged with treason before leaving for the United States to receive medical treatment. Abola and Night maintain that their group did not cross paths with the president's on August 13, because Wadri's rally that night was in a different location in Arua. Both remain in Kampala hospitals, recovering from their injuries. No Ugandan official has specifically denied the women's allegations. Last week, however, Museveni said that anyone who alleged torture by security personnel would need to prove it in court. Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo says the Arua incidents are regrettable and that action is being taken. "When those soldiers, when those policemen eventually appear before the respective disciplinary committees, those committees, those disciplinary procedures will be transparent, will be public," Opondo said. The Uganda Law Society, in its quarterly report released Tuesday, condemned what it called the inhuman and cruel actions by security personnel in the Arua incident. 18 Sept. St. John's University Rome joins forces with Retake Roma, the non-profit volunteer movement which tackles the capital's urban decay, to undertake a special project near the university's campus in the capital's Prati district. On 18 September, from 16.00 until 19.00, St. Johns students will work with Retake Roma to help clean up the Prati neighbourhood. The students and volunteers will be joined by two special guests from the city or Rome - the president of Municipio I, Sabrina Alfonsi and the Assessora allAmbiente, Anna Vincenzini. St. John's University has been participating in Retake Roma events since 2016. Many of the Oromos at the rally talked about how they never thought that one day their flag and their leaders would be displayed so prominently in the heart of the city. They described themselves as born again after years of being oppressed and marginalized. The president has toyed repeatedly with shutting down the government to try to get more funding for the border wall, at times saying there would not be a shutdown and other times saying he would welcome one. Congressional Republicans are convinced that a shutdown just ahead of the midterms would be disastrous. It all prompted 17-year-old Tyler Campbell of Ontario to start a website listing domestic products to buy instead of imports. Since July, hes done dozens of radio interviews and appeared on TV five times, and his Made in Canada list is up to more than 500 companies and 750,000 views. It aims to steer Canadian coffee drinkers away from Tim Hortons and into Second Cup, and diners to the ketchup brand Primo instead of Heinz, and shoppers to packages flagged with the red maple leaf from Canadas flag. Despite the stem-winding performances of director Matt Torneys smart-talking ensemble all of them deft at delivering jabs that hurt inside the Jewish family but that make the audience laugh the plot doesnt warrant that heft. If I Forget is a good drama but not a mighty one, despite the way the Bethesda-raised Levenson (who wrote the book for the musical Dear Evan Hansen) links D.C. gentrification in 2000 to the gloomy new reality of Israel and the Palestinian territories as peace talks break down. The synchronicity of these two distant worlds is not always crystalline, though there is plenty of knotted history and arguments about tradition and expediency to keep you wondering where Levenson is finally going to land. Aside from giving the top-quality networks and streaming sites a chance to tout their nomination totals (and boast about their wins), do the Emmys really mean much anymore? Its all in the beholder. Although we tend to forget who won this years awards by the end of the week, the Emmys may prove useful as a way of sorting the best (or better) television shows from the other 450 or so scripted dramas and comedies that float past on a river that is now always at flood stage. He does state that, and I think the figures that he uses are convenient in terms of job numbers. But look more closely at wage stagnation and, in fact, wage decreases. Look at the ways in which the failure to invest in infrastructure has left African American communities stranded in terms of transportation. Look at the voter suppression that disempowers African Americans from being able to even control their own destiny in the places where they live. Look at the assault on education and the ways in which the Department of Education is prepared to leave students who are victims of for-profit colleges stranded. Look at the ways which they are seeking to fight and undercut affirmative action. All of these are also part of economic opportunity. And the president conveniently leaves that out of the narrative. Those are things that are necessary to give African Americans a chance. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy I have looked for every angle I can to try and remove politics from education policies in the city, and this is one more step toward making that happen, Grosso said. Any mayor, and not just this mayor, would have some sort of self-interest in controlling how information, and what information, gets out. On the campaign trail, Hogan often says that most Marylanders are happy with the direction the state is headed, which was not the case when he and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford campaigned in 2014 as the underdog candidates. The Goucher poll gives credence to that claim: 54 percent of residents say things in the state are headed in the right direction, compared to the 38 percent who said the same in September 2014. Barnes-Shell said she cannot comment on individual cases. But she said, generally speaking, when her office receives complaints, staff will do some initial inquiry to determine whether or not there has been an ethics violation, and then create a report to provide to the Board of Ethics. She said that they aim to complete the process within 60 days. Officials said that as the suspect ran, he grabbed at the waist of his pants. A police officer called for backup, and when other officers arrived, they went into the apartment building and found the suspect hiding in a laundry room behind a machine, officials said. Wrote David: I know that your first reaction will be a visceral repulsion, but as someone who has lived in D.C. and Maryland (Takoma Park), I am here to tell you that there are parts of NoVa that are not only habitable but even pleasant and congenial. Sure, you would miss Rockville Pike and the East-West Highway, but you would come to love Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard just as much. The move appears to signal that GOP leaders are willing to come to the table when a House committee meets on Sept. 27 to consider redistricting plans. It might also suggest they are wary of the map a federal court could impose if they miss the deadline and cannot persuade the Supreme Court to intervene. The water is everywhere flooding interstates, swamping homes and swelling rivers that keep climbing. The rain stopped falling, but the water remains, endless water clogging up the highway, overwhelming gauges meant to measure rivers, stretching out in every direction. Even though theres no substantial rain now in the forecast and the sun may be shining, rivers continue to rise, and we will see more flooding, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said at a briefing Tuesday. The storm has pummeled North Carolina, leaving people here stranded at home, blocked from traveling, sweltering as they wait for the power to come on and the water to recede. Florence, the storm that brought the misery, has gone from a hurricane to a tropical depression to a meandering system that dropped rain over the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. It left behind deaths in at least three states and carved an arc of destruction that had not fully become clear, though one preliminary analysis said could cost up to $20 billion in property losses. [Trump preemptively complains about Democratic response to Florence] Cooper said North Carolina had confirmed a 26th death from the storm, pushing the toll to 33 lives lost so far in the Carolinas and Virginia, including at least three children between the ages of three months and one year old. Florence and its deluge have washed out the normal contours of life across the Tar Heel State. Cooper said more than 1,100 roads remained closed on Tuesday, including Interstates 95 and 40 and other major routes. Images of Interstate 95 released by the North Carolina Department of Transportation showed the roadway flooded near Lumberton, N.C., and the department said there was still no safe/reliable route to or from Wilmington on Tuesday. One of the family homes of Edwin and Megan Curry, shown on Tuesday after the Lumber River in Lumberton, N.C., flooded. Edwin and his wife Megan planned for a disaster after being hit hard in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, but they did not expect the floodwaters to ever be as bad and certainly not so soon. (Eamon Queeney/For The Washington Post) More than 340,000 people still lacked electrical power, Cooper said. About 10,000 people had filled the states shelters, while many others sought sanctuary with family, friends or hotels. Cooper pleaded for patience, warning North Carolinians that heading onto the roads could pose intense dangers. I know it was hard to leave home, and its even harder to wait and wonder whether you even have a home to go back to, he said. But please, for your safety and the effectiveness of our emergency operations, do not try to return home yet. William Brock Long, the embattled FEMA administrator facing mounting questions about an investigation into his use of government vehicles, traveled to North Carolina this week and met with state officials, who praised him and his agency for their assistance. Im very pleased with where we are but I know weve got a long way to go, because this events not over, Long said at the news briefing with Cooper, where he was asked no questions about the investigation dogging him in Washington. Long said the next two days would be critical, adding: We realize this is going to be a big recovery mission. He described North Carolinas response to the storm so far as a model for other states and said it was important for him to be on the ground to help them overcome this hit. [More headaches as Florences waters overtake toxic pits, hog lagoons] Cooper said he believed there were plans for President Trump to visit on Wednesday, though he noted such plans can be fluid; the governor also said he would meet with the president during the visit. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that even with Florence gone, a stretch of the eastern United States spanning hundreds of miles from South Carolina to Virginia was still vulnerable to moderate or major flooding. Hurricane Florence will go down as one of the most significant rainfall events on record in the Carolinas, producing widespread, catastrophic flooding, according to the Weather Service. The highest observed rainfall total was in Elizabethtown, N.C., where just shy of 36 inches three feet of rain was reported. Swansboro and Gurganus both topped 30 inches, the service said. In Fayetteville, city officials reported the Cape Fear River had reached 59 feet above Hurricane Matthew levels, referencing the 2016 storm that flooded North Carolina by Tuesday morning and was expected to crest early Wednesday morning at more than 61 feet. The National Weather Service said a reading of the Rocky Rivers reach east of Charlotte was unavailable because equipment had been damaged by flooding and other gauges were also damaged by debris or were plunged underwater. Florences slow-motion onslaught has spurred environmental concerns, while public health officials have warned the flooding could wreak havoc on septic systems. [For farmworkers and homeless, Florence has been particularly harsh] The storm left people uncertain about what would come next. Delores Turner has been waiting for days at the Eastbrook Apartments in Wilmington to find out when her lights would come back on, when she would be able to refill her insulin or how she would be able to keep her medication cool. 1 of 75 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Tropical Storm Florence churns along the coast of the Carolinas View Photos More than 1.5 million people were ordered to evacuate from coastal areas of North and South Carolina. Caption More than 1.5 million people were ordered to evacuate from coastal areas of North and South Carolina. Chip Somodevilla Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. Turner, 76, was on her fifth day without power and had run out of insulin Tuesday morning. It was sweltering inside, flies buzzing around a refrigerator containing rotten food. Turners daughter was at CVS trying to refill the insulin. Even if she was able to replenish her supply, Turner did not know how she would keep the medication cold. She ran out of ice two days ago. She has not heard any information from her regular pharmacy about when she will be able to replenish her other medications. It seems to me they would have helped the senior citizens, but it dont seem to me like they care, Turner said, holding a thin fabric fan. She kept her door and windows open but sometimes used her walker to get to the porch when the apartment became too unbearable. I think I would die in here without any air, she said. Along the wall behind her couch hung a plaque: Dont Quit. Then a pickup truck turned into the parking lot with Jay Young at the drivers seat and Styrofoam containers of hot spaghetti in tow. He had come from Compassion Church in Wilmington after a social worker called about Turner needing help. When he walked into Turners apartment and shook her hands, her eyes lit up. Others headed out to try to find supplies. Henrietta McKoy said she had no power at her home in the Eastbrook Apartment complex, so she and three friends caravanned Tuesday morning to a food and water distribution site at Cape Fear Community College. Tracey Tyson, who was in the car, said she had not been able to keep her insulin cold and needed to go to a hospital. Tysons daughter is six months pregnant but had only been able to eat one meal a day, usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The others in the car were not sure what supplies would be available and hoped for toiletries and cleaning products, because they were worried about breathing in mold. You come in my house, it smells just like the sewer, McKoy said. McKoy said she had a hard time getting to the distribution center because friends only wanted to bring her along if she had gas money. She was worried she would not be able to take supplies back to those still at the apartment complex because others might think she was hoarding supplies for herself. Were supposed to come together, she said. It seems everybody is for themselves and not for other people. I wasnt raised like that. When McKoys Nissan pulled up to the front of the distribution line, a worker yelled to ask how many supplies he could hand over between the four households. He was then told the group would only be allowed two of everything. If they needed more, they would have to come back again tomorrow. Bob Hayes heard about the distribution on the radio and walked up to the line. He was told he could only take one tarp, even though his neighbors roofs were leaking. Im trying to get a tarp for all of them, he said. Behind him, a woman dragged a cart carrying her new bounty. This is a blessing, she said. Im grateful. (Eamon Queeney/For The Washington Post) In South Carolina, the rain also stopped, but Jess Whites problems had barely started. He lives near a swamp attached to the rising Waccamaw River just outside of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and his six-acre property has been flooded for days. The thigh-high waters had receded, but he expects they will rise again as the river swells, which White said could push a foot of water into his home. White said he has about two days to evacuate his neighborhood before flooding gets worse. He expects to lose his home, which has been in the family for three generations; he does not have flood insurance, he said, because he could not afford it. Its going to come back, said White, 42, who lives in Conway, a bedroom community northwest of the tourist town of Myrtle Beach. Its going to displace my families. Its going to be a mess. The flooding also will impact people who prepared this week for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, which begins on Tuesday night and continues on Wednesday. In New Bern, N.C., which was battered by flooding and saw hundreds of evacuations, Carla Byrnes, president of Temple Bnai Sholem, said the synagogue would be closed for the holiday. Of the roughly 110 congregants from five surrounding counties, two-thirds had evacuated, Byrnes said, while the temple itself had no electricity. Byrnes said any remaining congregants would have to travel instead to Greenville for services on the holiday, which is known as the day of atonement. Im of the opinion god will forgive us, Byrnes said. Phillips reported from Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Berman reported from Washington. During the six seconds, Jason Van Dyke was outside of his squad [car], he had no idea of the autopsy findings that wouldnt come out for weeks and months later, the prosecutor said. What he did see was a black boy walking down Pulaski . . . who had the audacity to ignore an order by the police. The death toll from Hurricane Florence rose Monday to 32, and the misery in the Carolinas might be many days from cresting. The historic storm has disrupted life for millions of people, and the surging floodwaters have spawned an environmental calamity across a vast region pocked with manure ponds and coal ash pits. Florence is gone, devolving into a wet atmospheric blob drifting toward the Northeast, and the sun has finally come out here. But life has not returned to normal. The Carolinas are rattled and anxious amid rising waters. Going anywhere in a vehicle is still perilous. Hundreds of thousands of people have no electricity, and many schools remain shuttered. The number of closed and impassable roads climbed to 1,500 in North Carolina, the U.S. Transportation Department said. Interstates 40 and 95, two of the states main transportation arteries, are only partially open. Many communities are isolated, including this storm-battered city wedged between the coast and the Cape Fear River. Thousands of people remain in emergency shelters across the state. First responders have rescued 2,600 people and 300 animals, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said at a news conference. Catastrophic flooding and tornadoes are still claiming lives and property. For most parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate, Cooper said. Authorities in North Carolina said late Monday that 25 people in the state had died from storm-related causes, while officials in South Carolina said they had confirmed six deaths linked to the storm. Officials in Chesterfield County, Va., linked one fatality to the remnants of Florence after a building partially collapsed during an apparent tornado that spun off from the storm Monday afternoon. Flooding from Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, N.C., on Monday. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post) Among the dead was 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch, whose body was found Monday in Union County, N.C., the sheriffs office said. Officials said the childs mother drove past barricades Sunday night and hit rushing water. She managed to get the baby out of a car seat, but the violent flood carried the boy away. I know people are eager to get back to work and get back to school, the governor said. I urge you, if you dont have to drive, stay off the road. As the regions waters rise, numerous environmental hazards are materializing in the Carolinas. The North Carolina Pork Council reported a manure lagoon breach on a small farm in Duplin County but said the solids remained contained. While there are more than 3,000 active lagoons in the state that have been unaffected by the storm, we remain concerned about the potential impact of these record-shattering floods, the council said on its website. Many hog ponds in eastern North Carolina were damaged during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, and the bacteria-laden liquid and solid waste flowed downstream to estuaries, inciting algae blooms and fish kills. Duke Energys two Brunswick nuclear reactors remain stable, but the isolation of the facilities by floodwaters, and the difficulty workers faced going to and from the site, led the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the weekend to declare a hazardous event. Duke Energy said no employees are stranded and there is no flooding at the site. In a number of locations in eastern North Carolina, the sewer- and drinking-water systems have been damaged or overwhelmed. We do have observed releases of wastewater from manholes, from overtopped sewer areas in the impacted zone, Reggie Cheatham, the Environmental Protection Agencys director of emergency management, said in a teleconference with reporters. Cheatham said the wastewater treatment system in Jacksonville, N.C., which experienced storm surge during Florences landfall on Friday morning, suffered a catastrophic failure. They basically had to deal with the storm surge, loss of power, and obviously shut down pumps, and the system completely depressurized, and they havent been able to bring that back up, he said. He said the wastewater system in Wilmington had released partially treated water into the Cape Fear River. Other sites experiencing releases of wastewater include the eastern North Carolina communities of Princeton and Kenansville, Cheatham said. Also in Wilmington, a second breach has occurred in a coal ash landfill at a Duke Energy facility. Flooding had damaged a containment wall this weekend and led to an estimated 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash flowing into a ditch not far from the Cape Fear River. Duke Energy employees and contractors worked with heavy machinery to create a new berm to contain the material. The company said the coal ash, which the EPA considers toxic, poses no hazard to the public or the environment. The details of the second breach remain unclear, Cheatham said. A CSX train hauling chemicals derailed late Sunday in Anson County, N.C., south of Charlotte and near the South Carolina border. Cheatham said eight cars derailed due to washed-out tracks. An unknown volume of diesel fuel spilled, but the fuel did not reach the nearby Pee Dee River, he said. Many people flooded out of their homes will not be able to return quickly. Some rivers in the Piedmont have hit their high-water mark and will begin to drop. But the story is different in the flat marshlands to the east, where the rivers will crest and then stay at elevated levels for many days, said Trent Ferguson, the South Atlantic Division water manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Flooding from Hurricane Florence on Monday in Leland, N.C., which is just outside of Wilmington along the Atlantic coast. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post) In Lumberton, N.C., a temporary berm hastily constructed to prevent the Lumber River from surging into the west side of town collapsed Sunday night, sending a blast of sand and mud across the road and unleashing torrents of water into neighborhoods. The sandbag barrier was built by volunteers late last week in hopes of preventing Florences floodwaters from pouring through a spot where Hurricane Matthew caused damage just two years ago. Lee Hester, deputy commander of Lumberton Rescue and EMS, estimated there were as many as 800 homes in the flooded neighborhood. Some people left after Matthew, he said. But there are still a lot of people there. By Monday afternoon, the sky had cleared and Lumberton residents had their first glimpse of sunshine in almost a week. But Florence was not finished wreaking destruction. The surging Lumber River engulfed streets and homes and made many roads in the city impassable. Here in Wilmington, people wait nervously for the Cape Fear River to crest. The water level hit 17 feet on Monday and is expected to rise to 24 feet by next weekend, said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. The river flooding feels like a second natural disaster, coming in the wake of the hurricane strike. Evacuees, do not return until you are notified to do so, said Woody White, chairman of the board of commissioners of New Hanover County, where Wilmington is located. It is not now. Bob Richling carries Iris Darden, 84, out of her flooded home as her daughter-in-law, Pam Darden, gathers her belongings in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., on Monday. (David Goldman/AP) Food is becoming an issue. It ran low at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center, according to Wayne Strauss, the hospitals food service director. With the usual supply routes cut off, the Army came to the rescue, sending a cargo plane from Fort Bragg, outside Fayetteville, N.C. It touched down on a Harris Teeter parking lot Monday afternoon. An assembly line of soldiers and hospital employees passed boxes of food, plates and plastic cups out of the back of the plane and into a waiting truck. The supplies will help us survive, Strauss said. New Hanover County officials said they also have received 20 truckloads of food and water from Fort Bragg, enough to sustain up to 60,000 people for the next three days. The trucks arrived Monday along back roads, led by savvy state troopers who knew how to get through the flooded lowlands. That route was for professional drivers only: No safe, stable and reliable route currently exists for the public to get to and from Wilmington, the state Department of Transportation said late Monday. About 800 people are staying in the countys newly consolidated shelter at Hoggard High School, and they are being fed by the county. One person died there Monday morning of natural causes, officials said. As a few more stores open, District Attorney Ben David warned that prosecutors will target any companies engaging in price-gouging. He also urged residents to get several estimates before hiring contractors to clean up and repair their homes. The storm could cost the region up to $22 billion, most of it in property losses, according to an analysis released Monday by Moodys Analytics. The company warned that there is a high probability that Florences costs will be revised significantly higher with added information or inland flooding. Troops work to pull a truck that washed away on Chicken Road outside of Lumberton, N.C., on Monday. Many roads in the swamplands between Lumberton and Pembroke are underwater after massive rains. (Eamon Queeney/For The Washington Post) Berman and Achenbach reported from Washington. Kirk Ross in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sarah Kaplan in Lumberton, N.C., Kristine Phillips in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Steven Mufson in Washington contributed to this report. Before long, she came upon several orange barrels along Highway 218, near Richardson Creek outside New Salem. They didnt exactly block the road, she said, but they were on either side of it. She pulled over and thought for a moment. The news had said that some of the roads could be dangerous unprecedented had been how the National Weather Service had described some of the floods but everything until now had been fine. British police say no Novichok link to mystery illness: British police said there is "nothing to suggest" that two people who fell ill at a restaurant near the scene of a March attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were exposed to the nerve agent Novichok. Police and paramedics descended on the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury after a man and a woman became sick on Sunday. Two others who came into contact with Novichok after the Skripals also were poisoned, and one of them died. Surging productivity and the general rise in incomes it brings would be welcome, of course, but that isnt sufficient. The same questions being raised about the advance of robotics in the workplace apply to machine learning. While new jobs would be created, many existing jobs from doctors and financial advisers to translators and call-center operators are susceptible to displacement or much-reduced roles. No economic law guarantees that productivity growth benefits everyone equally. Unless we thoughtfully manage the transition, some people, even a majority, are vulnerable to being left behind even as others reap billions. In Syria, while Trump did not eliminate Assad, he did enforce President Barack Obamas red line against the use of chemical weapons, punishing violations not once but twice and restoring Americas credibility on the world stage. Last week, Trump launched the U.S.-led coalitions assault on the Islamic States last stronghold on the Syrian-Iraqi border, which will eliminate its physical caliphate. And unlike Obama, Trump is not taking Americas boot off the terrorists necks. The Post reports that the president has approved a new strategy that indefinitely extends the military effort in Syria until a government acceptable to all Syrians is established and all Iranian military and proxy forces are driven out. Conservative columnist Patrick Buchanan, a die-hard isolationist, recently asked: Is Trump Going Neocon in Syria? You dont have to be a scientist to understand why that makes sense. We know from direct measurement that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 40 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when humans started burning fossil fuels on a large scale. We know from direct observation that carbon dioxide traps heat. We know from direct measurement that both atmospheric and ocean temperatures have been rising sharply. We know from direct measurement that warmer water takes up more space than cooler water, which is the main reason ocean levels are rising. The Palestinians are among modern historys biggest losers. You can argue that its their own fault that they kept balking at the peace deal that Israel would accept in hopes that if they waited and kept agitating, they could get more. The four-year-plus intifada that followed the Oslo agreement was a self-destructive waste for the Palestinians, poisoning good feeling in Israel. The same is true of Gaza, which greeted Israeli evacuation with continuing, self-defeating attempts to kill Israelis. Attempts to make voter registration as easy as possible are needed now more than ever. In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted a major portion of the Voting Rights Act that previously had prevented certain states from imposing harsh laws such as voter purges. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that between 2014 and 2016 states purged approximately 16 million voters from the rolls, a stunning increase from previous years. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court also approved Ohios aggressive voter-purge program that allows the state to remove someone from the rolls if he or she doesnt vote in a few elections in a row. Cases of mistaken identity are far from rare. People with the same name are often confused, as was the case with Ford herself. On Monday, Drudge Report tweeted a link to an article on another site that seemed intended to discredit her with negative comments by her former students. But it turned out that the reviews pertained to another California professor named Christine Ford. First, have professionals ask the questions. In 1991, senators questioning Thomas and Hill became the subject of national opprobrium, leading to ridicule in one of the most biting Saturday Night Live sketches ever. Some senators then and now are good questioners, some are not, but that is not the principal issue. The more important point is that senators are, above all, political actors as they should be. What these hearings require, however, is focused questioning designed to elicit facts; a quest to learn about events, not demonstrate opinions. This involves sensitive issues of memory and gender dynamics. Senatorial questioning racing against the clock, seeking to make points for voters at home is not the right model. To be sure, this brutal mass murderer ultimately has to go for the country to have any hope of future stability. Any political transition in Syria will, however, have to be a managed one that allows Assad and regime loyalists some say in choosing his successor. Otherwise, he and supporters will fear retaliation by a future government bent on revenge. We should withhold reconstruction aid for the regions of Syria that Assad controls until he is gone. But the international community should otherwise make it clear that we will no longer pursue his ouster in favor of a majoritarian successor. As much as this approach may insult our democratic mores, it is the only realistic option for the foreseeable future, given Syrian realities today. Where communities have come together to defend this valuable resource, in places such as Fort Wayne, Ind., and Columbus, Miss., there has been some success. Boulder, Colo., is currently grappling with proposed budget cuts that would drop the Carnegie Library for Local Historys hours from 25 to four each week. A coalition of local historians and researchers is pushing back, with activists peppering the library commission with emails and protesting at one of their meetings. Now, policymakers and staff in Boulder are working to rearrange the budget to keep the same library hours. We heard loud and clear from community that Carnegie was too important to cut, Boulder Mayor Suzanne Jones said. In the 36 hours since her name became public, Dr. Ford has received a stunning amount of support from her community and from fellow citizens across our country. At the same time, however, her worst fears have materialized, the letter said. She has been the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online. Speaking generally, Biden added, For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, youve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what shes talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not its been made worse or better over time. But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron. 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Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Channel NewsAsia | Sep. 17, 2018 Pilots with Singapore Airlines (SIA) are not allowed to consume alcohol within 10 hours from their flight duty, and there are stiff penalties set out in the Air Navigation Act if they are found to be under the influence of any psychoactive substances. "Our flight crew are prohibited from consuming alcohol within 10 hours from their flight duty," said an SIA spokesperson on Monday (Sep 17) in response to Channel NewsAsia's queries. "As the safety of our customers and crew is of utmost importance, substance or alcohol abuse will not be tolerated." The issue of alcohol consumption surfaced after an SIA pilot was suspended on Saturday for failing a random alcohol test conducted by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This resulted in the cancellation of flight SQ247 from Melbourne to Wellington. On its part, SIA said it does not conduct random alcohol or substance tests. "While no random alcohol or substance tests are conducted by Singapore Airlines, our flight crew are required to undergo any drug and alcohol tests by the relevant authorities," said the spokesperson. "In addition, our pilots also undergo a stringent medical check annually to ensure that they are fit to operate an aircraft." Singapore's Air Navigation Order states that pilots shall not fly if they are under the influence of any psychoactive substance - including alcohol, opioids and sedatives - which may render them unable to perform their duties in a safe and proper manner. Offenders face a jail term of up to five years, a maximum fine of S$100,000 or both, if convicted. There is no international standard as to how long pilots should avoid alcohol before they fly as it varies by territories and airlines. While SIA's rule is 10 hours, the "bottle to throttle" regulation is eight hours for the US Federal Aviation Administration as well as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. In India, pilots are not allowed to drink within 12 hours of a flight, as with pilots from Japan Airlines. Republicans are bracing for political aftershocks from the sexual assault accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh, with some expressing fear that the coming investigation will refocus the nations attention on an issue that could drive up the Democratic vote in the midterm elections. The initial hope that the conservative Kavanaughs appointment would encourage turnout by grateful GOP voters this fall has been tempered by new fears that more voters, especially independent women, might head to the polls with fresh anger about Republican handling of sexual impropriety after a new round of public hearings. Its not just about Kavanaugh but more about the midterms, Rick Hohlt, a Republican lobbyist and veteran strategist, said of the partys concerns. With more women running for public office than ever before and the majority of them being Democrats, we could have a 1992 situation. Thats a reference to the elections in 1992, dubbed the Year of the Woman after the number of women elected to the House nearly doubled, to 47, and the number of women elected to the Senate tripled, to six. The election came one year after Justice Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court despite allegations that he had sexually harassed a subordinate, Anita Hill, in the workplace. Even before the accusation against Kavanaugh surfaced, polls showed women preferred Democrats more than men did and were more likely to disapprove of President Trump, who faced accusations of sexual misconduct by 19 women before his 2016 election. A Washington Post-ABC News poll in late August found 58 percent of female registered voters intended to cast a ballot for a Democrat for Congress, compared with 45 percent of men. In an illustration of the changing dynamics, Democratic candidates for the House and the Senate enthusiastically expressed support for Kavanaughs accuser Monday, while calling for delays in the confirmation process to investigate the claims. Republican leaders pledged to properly look into the matter by the book, despite vocally expressing frustration over the timing of the claim. View Graphic These women have won their primaries. Will they be elected in November? I believe she is credible, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of Kavanaughs accuser during an appearance Monday on ABCs The View, a show that targets a female audience. We have to get to the bottom of this. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University in California, told The Washington Post in an article published Sunday that Kavanaugh had pinned her to a bed, groped her over her clothes and attempted to pull off her bathing suit at a house party in Montgomery County, Md., in the early 1980s. Both were then teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied the accusation. This is a completely false allegation, he said in a statement Monday. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone. Despite more than $8 million in spending on targeted ads meant to influence Senate votes of Kavanaugh, there has been little evidence to this point that his nomination would have much of an impact on the falls political landscape. While the nomination excited activists in both parties, pollsters say those forces largely negate each other, and some data suggests voters are less engaged about Kavanaugh than they were about the nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, Trumps first Supreme Court pick. Democratic senators who voted for Gorsuch from three states won by Trump North Dakota, Indiana and West Virginia have so far withheld judgment on Kavanaughs selection, without any negative impact on their polling. A woman protests against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh outside the Supreme Court Building on Monday. (MIKE SEGAR/Reuters) Democratic strategists say the dynamic could change in the coming weeks, especially if Republicans mishandle the investigation of Fords allegations. This is not just Kavanaugh that is on trial. It is the Republican majority that is on trial, said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster who has been working on Senate races. There is certainly a significant danger for Republicans if they are seen as railroading the nomination through at this stage or not providing a real public airing of the facts. Most Republicans said Monday that they were willing to allow more time to vet the claims by Ford, with Trump predicting a little delay and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) praising the Judiciary Committees plan to follow standard practice and regular order. The committee planned a new round of public hearings with Kavanaugh to investigate the allegation. Two Republican candidates in tight Senate races did express impatience Monday. I dont think the vote should be delayed, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican Senate candidate in Tennessee, said in a Monday morning radio interview before McConnell and Trump spoke. Rep. Kevin Cramer, the GOPs Senate candidate in North Dakota, called for Kavanaughs confirmation, absent significant evidence being brought forth immediately. Democratic strategists were keeping careful track of the statements, in the hopes that they could use them against candidates and contend that Republicans are little more than a rubber stamp for Trump. Before now, the argument was that the midterm politics played in Republicans favor, based on the idea that red-state Democrats would feel pressure to support Kavanaugh because Trump is popular in their states, said Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice, a group that opposes the Kavanaugh nomination. But now, if Republicans set out to smear a sexual assault survivor to steamroll Kavanaugh through, it will only further repel suburban women voters, who are already powering the November wave. Several Democratic House candidates running in suburban districts, where they hope college- educated female voters will help them to victory, released statements Monday emphasizing their respect and admiration for Ford in coming forward. I stand with Christine Blasey Ford, and I commend her for her bravery and seriousness with which she takes her duty as a citizen, said Katie Hill, a Democratic candidate for Congress in a district north of Los Angeles. Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat running for Congress in Northern Virginia, tweeted that she believed Ford, while Sean Casten, a Democrat looking to take a suburban Chicago seat, wrote that any senator who votes for Kavanaugh after these allegations is endorsing his behavior. If Kavanaugh is forced to withdraw, the political dynamic of the Supreme Court could be scrambled once again, officials from both parties said. Republicans could argue that the future of the Supreme Court really was at stake in the hope of mobilizing the Republican base, which polls show is less excited about the coming elections. If he doesnt make it, it could be way more helpful as a rallying cry for our base turnout, said one Republican consultant working on the midterms, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal polling. The Democratic base is already excited. If their base gets any more excited, they might have a stroke. Editors at the Epoch Times did not respond to several requests for comment, including emails and telephone calls. A Washington Post reporter visited the Epoch Times office in Washington but was turned away by staffers who said the publisher, Stephen Gregory, was not there. In past media interviews, Gregory has said the news outlet is not affiliated with the Falun Gong. Trumps advisers calmed him by giving him space to vent privately about Senate Democrats, whom Republicans accuse of improperly withholding the sexual assault allegation until now, officials said. Trump, who spoke Sunday with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), concluded that the confirmation process should continue to be mostly handled by senators and was content trusting them with it, as he had for Justice Neil M. Gorsuchs successful nomination last year, they said. The ad, in which James Bryce criticizes his brothers anti-police rhetoric, is the second in as many days unveiled by the PAC, which said Monday that it has reserved $1.5 million in TV and digital advertising for a district that Ryan has represented since 1999. 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 Clarification: This story was updated to make clear that lawmakers are investigating the origins of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs probe, that the interview of Bruce Ohr was attended by lawmakers as well as committee staff, and that its Trumps allies in Congress whove been focused on exposing what they say was a faulty case for launching the inquiry of Trumps campaign. We have a constitution, and we cant put our foot too far outside it, said Mohammad Umer Daudzai, an influential former cabinet minister. Although a tough critic of Ghani, he said that some opponents have gone too far, risking the collapse of elections and the government, as well. Most responsible leaders, he said, agree that we cant afford to let Afghanistan slide back into chaos. Unlike in the Western contemporary art, these painters take [a] literal rather than symbolic approach in order to be easily understood by the common people. There is no art for the sake of art in North Korea, Muhn said. But Putin, speaking in Moscow on Tuesday, played down claims of Israeli culpability. It looks most likely in this case that it was a chain of tragic chance events, because an Israeli aircraft did not shoot down our aircraft. But, without any doubt, we need to seriously get to the bottom of what happened, he said. But it also appeared as though the government and the Syrian opposition have different understandings of where the deal will lead, calling into question its chances for success. All that is known for now, according to the statements issued by Putin and Erdogan, is that the demilitarized zone is to be established by Oct. 15 along a horseshoe-shaped line roughly corresponding to the borders of Idlib province. Lets put some context on what the vehicles are that theyre talking about, Long said Sunday during an interview with CBS. So this job is incredibly complex. [On] my shoulders is Presidential Preparedness Directive 40, which means, you know, I have to make sure, FEMA has to make sure, that the executive branch of government works on its worst day at any given time regardless of what we see, and a lot of that is continuity of government. Those vehicles are to supply me with secure comms. The plaintiffs also drew on written testimony from computer expert Logan Lamb, who had alerted the executive director of the states Center for Election Systems of a separate vulnerability in a server that forms part of the election system. He discovered that flaw and the exposure online of the personal data of more than 6 million voters in August 2016, three months before the presidential election. Six months later, both problems persisted, Lamb said. I would very much like for us to set up a permanent base in Poland, which we would call Fort Trump, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday in a joint news conference at the White House. I firmly believe that this is possible. I am convinced that such a decision lies in the Polish interest and in the interest of the United States. Mining giant BHP has warned that rising trade tension between the US and China is hurting consumer confidence and business investment. In its latest strategic report released on Tuesday, BHP highlighted the economic risks posed by the trade wars, other protectionist measures and policy uncertainty in some of the world's major economies. Mining giant BHP has warned of the risks posed by US-China trade tensions. Credit:Bloomberg The miner said that while it was confident it "had the right assets in the right commodities", it warned that in the near term, rising trade tensions and unpredictable policy formation in some major economies were hurting "consumer confidence and business certainty. By extension, this affects investment and jobs". The warning from the mining heavyweight coincided with the announcement from US President Donald Trump that the US would slap another $US200 billion ($280 billion) of tariffs on Chinese imports. The US announced a 10 per cent tariff on more than 5700 Chinese products, effective September 24, rising to 25 per cent from January 1. Those caught contaminating berries across Australia with sewing needles must be caught and jailed, the federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said. In his first comments since the contamination scare sent shockwaves through the berry growing industry and forced supermarkets to dump their stock, Mr Littleproud said the government was always looking for ways to support farmers. "State agencies need to throw the book at them. Whoever this idiot is is lucky they havent hurt anybody. I'd expect penalties to include jail time," he told Fairfax Media. My thoughts are with every farmer caught up in this and the Coalition is always looking at ways to help farmers and we will continue to monitor developments as this unfolds. Shock jock Ray Hadley has been forced into an embarrassing backtrack, issuing an apology to former prison guard Demmi Zeschke for wrongly suggesting she had sex with an inmate at Long Bay prison. Ray Hadley was forced to apologise to former prison guard Demmi Zeschke, for wrongly suggesting she had sex with an inmate. Credit:Facebook In July this year, Hadley told his listeners that the 22-year-old prison officer from country NSW had sex with convicted drink-drive double killer Jarad Smith in a segment calling prisons "hotbeds" of forbidden sexual relationships. "Let me introduce you to a prisoner who is currently on day release. Jarad Smith, 23. Back in 2015, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. His ute hit two pedestrians in Rozelle," the 2GB host said on his top-rating morning program on July 25. A man was killed when he was hit while he was checking his load in the emergency lane on the Western Ring road. Credit:Jason South A 34-year-old man trying to secure a load on the back of a truck was killed when he was hit from behind by a 60-tonne crane in the emergency lane. The crane was believed to be straddling the emergency lane on the Western Ring Road when it hit and killed the man about 7.20am on Tuesday. The man from Melbourne's south-west was a passenger in the truck when he and the driver stopped to secure a load on the busy freeway at Deer Park. Desperate Melbourne Demons fans are willing to fly to Perth via overseas cities and pay thousands of dollars in a bid to get to Saturday's Preliminary Final. One fan is so keen to watch the game live she is flying from Melbourne to WA via Singapore. Shirley Pettman, left, with other Melbourne fans who are planning their best route to Perth. Credit:Darrian Traynor One-way flights from Melbourne to Perth are so scarce that fares can cost as much as four times the normal price. Shirley Pettman, a cheer squad member, told 3AW she started looking at flights during the game on Friday night, when Melbourne looked as if it would beat Hawthorn. The former head of the CSIRO's atmospheric research team and a former premier are among a group of more than 50 experts urging the West Australian government to permanently ban fracking in the state. The scientists will call on the government for a comprehensive ban on fracking. Credit:Bloomberg Graeme Pearman and Carmen Lawrence will visit WA's state parliament in Perth on Tuesday morning to call for the ban on fracking, with an open letter that also includes support from 2003 Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley and Climate Council chief Tim Flannery. The group penned the letter as they await the release of the final report by the WA Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into fracking. The WA Labor government called for the inquiry to decide on the future of the method after placing a moratorium on it throughout the state, as well as banning onshore gas fracking in the Perth, South West and Peel regions. Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un greeted Moon Jae-in with hugs and smiles on Tuesday as the South Korean President arrived in Pyongyang for a third summit between the two, aimed at advancing faltering nuclear talks and officially ending the Korean War. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, hugs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un upon arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Tuesday morning. Credit:AP Hundreds of North Koreans wearing suits and traditional dresses also greeted Moon, carrying flowers and waving unified Korean peninsula and North Korean flags. A sign behind them read: "We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang!" The two leaders stepped out of the same black Mercedes with open-top rear seats to arrive at Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon will stay. Hartford Archbishop Encourages Participation in Pastoral Formation Event on Homosexuality, Gender Contact: director of communications, 203-916-1156 NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 18, 2018 / "More than ever, we need, in the words of Pope Francis, 'to accompany' our brothers and sisters with same-sex attraction, to encourage them to live in friendship and virtue, and to do so in a way that is supportive, faith-filled, and prayerful," said Leonard P. Blair, archbishop of Hartford. "I encourage all those who have a pastoral responsibility to participate in this year's Conference in Hartford," the archbishop added. The conference will take place October 22-24 at the Archdiocese of Hartford's Pastoral Center (formerly St. Thomas Seminary) in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The three-day event aims to offer formation for men and women who work in either a pastoral or professional capacity with people who experience SSA or gender dysphoria. Specifically: clergy, religious, educators, workers in the health professions, and anyone involved in ministry or pastoral care, are invited to attend. An initiative of Courage International, the gathering will center on the theme "Proclaiming the splendor of truth with love," marking the 25th anniversary of Pope Saint John Paul II's 1993 document, Veritatis Splendor (Splendor of Truth). "John Paul II's prophetic document offers insight into the simplicity of the Gospel as an answer to today's more complex moral questions, including those relating to same-sex attractions or gender identity," said Father Philip Bochanski, executive director of Courage International. "How do we respond when someone comes to us trying to make sense of their same-sex desires or gender dysphoria? This conference is an important starting point for learning how to offer a response that is rooted in truth and authentic love," Father Bochanski said. The conference will feature presentations from acclaimed theologians, including Dr. Janet Smith, Dr. Mary Healy, and Fr. Paul Sullins. Participants will also hear witness testimonies from two Courage members featured in the documentary Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Paul Darrow and Rilene Simpson. This will be the fourth Truth & Love conference to date. Further details are available on the official page for the event: NOTES FOR EDITORS: Background on Courage International and Encourage Courage International is an apostolate of the Catholic Church that offers support to persons experiencing SSA who have chosen to live a chaste life. It was founded by Fr. John Harvey, OSFS, at the request of the late Cardinal Terence Cooke. The first Courage chapter meeting was held in New York City in 1980, and it was this initial group that developed the Five Goals of Courage: Chastity, prayer and dedication, fellowship, support, and good example/role model. Fr. Harvey was succeeded as executive director by Fr. Paul Check, who held the position from 2008-2016. Fr. Check was succeeded by Fr. Philip Bochanski in January, 2017. Today, Courage has over 150 chapters in fourteen countries. Courage International received canonical status in the Roman Catholic Church as a diocesan clerical public association of the faithful on November 28, 2016. EnCourage is an apostolate under the Courage umbrella, which provides support for families and friends of persons with SSA, and aims to teach them how to reach out to loved ones with true compassion. The group was first formed in 1987 by families in search of guidance and understanding for supporting their loved ones with SSA. In 1992, this group adopted the name EnCourage. Currently, their chapters can be found in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Italy, and the United Kingdom. For additional information, please visit us at Follow Truth & Love on social media: Twitter: Facebook: Follow Courage International, Inc. on social media: Twitter: Facebook: Share Tweet Contact: Ann Schneible director of communications,203-916-1156NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 18, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- The archbishop of Hartford is encouraging anyone with a "pastoral responsibility" to attend the upcoming Truth & Love conference, a formation event on caring for persons living with same-sex attractions (SSA) and gender dysphoria in light of Pope Saint John Paul II's Veritatis Splendor."More than ever, we need, in the words of Pope Francis, 'to accompany' our brothers and sisters with same-sex attraction, to encourage them to live in friendship and virtue, and to do so in a way that is supportive, faith-filled, and prayerful," said Leonard P. Blair, archbishop of Hartford."I encourage all those who have a pastoral responsibility to participate in this year's Conference in Hartford," the archbishop added.The conference will take place October 22-24 at the Archdiocese of Hartford's Pastoral Center (formerly St. Thomas Seminary) in Bloomfield, Connecticut.The three-day event aims to offer formation for men and women who work in either a pastoral or professional capacity with people who experience SSA or gender dysphoria. Specifically: clergy, religious, educators, workers in the health professions, and anyone involved in ministry or pastoral care, are invited to attend.An initiative of Courage International, the gathering will center on the theme "Proclaiming the splendor of truth with love," marking the 25th anniversary of Pope Saint John Paul II's 1993 document, Veritatis Splendor (Splendor of Truth)."John Paul II's prophetic document offers insight into the simplicity of the Gospel as an answer to today's more complex moral questions, including those relating to same-sex attractions or gender identity," said Father Philip Bochanski, executive director of Courage International."How do we respond when someone comes to us trying to make sense of their same-sex desires or gender dysphoria? This conference is an important starting point for learning how to offer a response that is rooted in truth and authentic love," Father Bochanski said.The conference will feature presentations from acclaimed theologians, including Dr. Janet Smith, Dr. Mary Healy, and Fr. Paul Sullins. Participants will also hear witness testimonies from two Courage members featured in the documentary Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Paul Darrow and Rilene Simpson.This will be the fourth Truth & Love conference to date.Further details are available on the official page for the event: www.truthandlove.com/conference2018 NOTES FOR EDITORS:Background on Courage International and EncourageCourage International is an apostolate of the Catholic Church that offers support to persons experiencing SSA who have chosen to live a chaste life. It was founded by Fr. John Harvey, OSFS, at the request of the late Cardinal Terence Cooke. The first Courage chapter meeting was held in New York City in 1980, and it was this initial group that developed the Five Goals of Courage: Chastity, prayer and dedication, fellowship, support, and good example/role model. Fr. Harvey was succeeded as executive director by Fr. Paul Check, who held the position from 2008-2016. Fr. Check was succeeded by Fr. Philip Bochanski in January, 2017. Today, Courage has over 150 chapters in fourteen countries. Courage International received canonical status in the Roman Catholic Church as a diocesan clerical public association of the faithful on November 28, 2016.EnCourage is an apostolate under the Courage umbrella, which provides support for families and friends of persons with SSA, and aims to teach them how to reach out to loved ones with true compassion. The group was first formed in 1987 by families in search of guidance and understanding for supporting their loved ones with SSA. In 1992, this group adopted the name EnCourage. Currently, their chapters can be found in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Italy, and the United Kingdom.For additional information, please visit us at www.couragerc.org and www.truthandlove.com Follow Truth & Love on social media:Twitter: @TruthandLoveRC Facebook: @TruthandLoveRC Follow Courage International, Inc. on social media:Twitter: @RCCourage Facebook: @CourageEnCourageRC CFAN Launches TV Program with Evangelist Kolenda for Spanish Speaking World Contact: CfaN, 407-854-4400, srodriguez@cfan.org ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 18, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a press conference that took place during Expolit 2018 in Miami, FL Christ for all Nations (CfaN) announced the launching of a new television program, Cristos Para Todas Las Naciones - a Spanish-language show with Evangelist Daniel Kolenda. The show will reach Hispanics on a global scale. It aired for the first time Sunday, Sept. 11, 2018. The program airs every Sunday at 9 pm CST/10 pm EST on ENLACE TV (a subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network). In 2014, Daniel Kolenda succeeded Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke as the President and Lead Evangelist of Christ for all Nations. CfaN has organized some of the largest events in history and recorded more than 78-million decisions for Christ. Each episode will feature CfaN's Lead Evangelist, Daniel Kolenda, as he shares a clear, impassioned gospel message to Spanish-language audiences in US and throughout Central and South America. Recently, Daniel ministered at KING OF KINGS Church (founded by Pastors Claudio and Betty Freidzon) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also has upcoming engagements in Guatemala, Mexico and Peru next year to continue in taking the Gospel to Latin America. Cristos Para Todas Las Naciones will be hosted by Amarilis Rivera. Perhaps best known for her work with Club 700 (the Spanish-language version of TBN's 700 Club), she is a respected TV personality in the Spanish speaking world. The show's Executive Producer, Sam Rodriguez, commented, "This program will be an essential tool for evangelism, for home groups, and to reinforce personal evangelism to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a clear and effective way in all Spanish countries around the world. It will be ideal to invite friends and family to watch weekly and online." The Press Conference had the presence of media outlets from different Latin American countries and cities in the United States, as well as the participation of former Miss Universe Barbara Palacios. She encouraged people and said she identified herself with Christ for all Nations' vision of reaching people with the gospel. "It excites me to know that multitudes of people will receive the message of salvation through this program weekly." Cesar Espanol, Enlace's Marketing representative, stated that it is a privilege for the network to have Cristos Para Todas Las Naciones in their programming since CfaN is a ministry with great outreach in other continents. "We are excited to serve as a bridge to connect Latin America to the message that God offers us through Evangelist Kolenda," he concluded. About Christ for All Nations (CfaN): Founded by Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke in 1974 and now led by Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, Christ for All Nations continues to pioneer mass-evangelism in Africa and beyond and to equip the church to fulfill Christ's Great Commission. To date, more than 78-million people have chosen to follow Jesus and hundreds of thousands have experienced the miraculous, healing power of God at a CfaN Gospel Outreach Campaign. With offices in 10 nations around the world, CfaN maintains a constant flow of written, spoken, music and video content that inspires millions to share the gospel with passion and clarity and to live lives that bring glory to God. To learn more about Christ for all Nations, visit CfaN online at www.cfan.org, or email srodriguez@cfan.org or call 407.854.4400. Ahead of EU Summit in Salzburg British Prime Minister tells Europeans to match Londons compromises. Arguments made against her Chequers plan to separate goods and services are at odds with other trade talks, she writes in an op-ed for WELT. Anzeige This week in Salzburg, EU leaders will discuss the UKs proposals for our future relationship with the European Union. A lot has been said about what the UK is asking for, so I want people to hear directly from me about what I am trying to achieve and the motivation behind it. The relationship between the UK and the EU will change profoundly with Brexit, but I am determined that we should still have the strongest possible economic and security partnership after the UK has left, because I believe that is in the best interests of all our citizens. Anzeige We will still be neighbours, we are still all part of the European family of nations and we all still champion the same beliefs. We all stand for freedom, democracy and the rule of law, underpinned by a rules-based global order in a world in which these are increasingly under threat. At the same time, it is my task to deliver the democratic decision of British voters to leave the supranational institution of the EU. That, of course, has consequences. The UKs market access to the EU will, for instance, be less than it is now. And the UK will no longer be in the EUs Single Market, either in whole or partially. We need the frictionless movement of goods So the question before both the UK and the EU is how to achieve the UKs departure from the EU while respecting both sides core interests and avoiding unnecessary damaging disruption. Anzeige That question is sharpest in Northern Ireland and the needs of Northern Ireland have been an important factor in our solution. Any settlement must respect the Good Friday Agreement that is the basis for Northern Irelands constitutional order and peace and stability there, and must be able to command cross-community support. A hard border, either between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, would not do so. To avoid a hard border we need the frictionless movement of goods. This is not the same thing as partial participation in the Single Market: British companies would not enjoy the same legal rights, for example. So that frictionless movement is at the heart of the new proposals we put forward this summer. A UK-EU free trade area for goods and agricultural products, together with a business-friendly facilitated customs arrangement, would avoid the need for customs and regulatory checks at our shared borders and protect the uniquely integrated supply chains and just-in-time processes on which jobs and livelihoods across our countries depend. It is profoundly in both sides economic interest, it respects the integrity of the Single Market and, crucially, no one else has come up with a proposal that could command cross-community support in Northern Ireland that is the only true foundation for stability there. Compromises on Brexit Anzeige The UK has evolved its position to bring forward this plan. And this has meant compromises on the kind of Brexit some people in the UK hoped for: a common rule book on goods - and strong commitments on state aid, social and employment policy and the environment, to ensure that trade between the UK and the EU would be fair. There have been arguments made against our proposals that have been at odds with the reality of trade negotiations elsewhere and indeed the current trading relationship between EU member states. For instance it is said that goods and services cannot be separated. But no free trade agreement the EU has ever concluded treats goods and services on the same basis. And most of the relevant services for goods are not covered by EU regulation in any case. Our commitments recognise that in future, when UK firms provide services into the EU, they will follow the same rules as firms in that EU Member State meaning they simply cannot undercut EU service providers. What we are proposing is a fair arrangement that will work for the EUs economy as well as the UKs, without undermining the Single Market. This would be balanced by a strong security relationship to keep all our citizens safe from threats at home and abroad. We are near to achieving the orderly withdrawal that is essential basis for building a close future partnership. We have already agreed the great bulk of the Withdrawal Treaty, including what matters most: ensuring that EU citizens settled in the UK and UK citizens in the EU can continue to live their lives broadly as before. We must stay good friends We will also honour our commitment to ensure that there is a legally operative Protocol on Northern Ireland, but that Protocol must protect the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and respects the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK, which the Commission's proposal does not. To come to a successful conclusion, just as the UK has evolved its position, the EU will need to do the same. Neither side can demand the unacceptable of the other, such as an external customs border between different parts of the United Kingdom which no other country would accept if they were in the same situation, or the UK seeking the rights of EU membership without the obligations. Anzeige With goodwill and determination on both sides we can avoid a disorderly exit and find new ways of working together. In or out of the EU, we are still all part of our European family of nations and must stay good friends who support each others safety and prosperity. The author is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Tim Nolting, Kimball County Commissioner, was elected secretary of the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) in 2017-18 and was selected to attend the National Association of County Officials Convention in Nashville, Tenn. in July. It was a privilege and an honor to attend, he said. He added that he did not travel and attend the convention on tax payer money, instead, the for-profit division of NACO paid for his attendance. I picked sessions that mostly involved community development, economic, social and artistic , he said. There is a big push these days that art is a huge contributing factor to the desirability of a community. Additionally, he attended a session on immigration reform and subsequently requested to be a part of that committee. In early July NACO received notice that the current White House administration wished to speak with elected county officials across the nation. August was the month set aside for discussions with elected county officials from Kansas and Nebraska. To that end, on Aug. 16 Nolting attended the White House Conference at our nations capital following a private tour of the White House. He and 35 40 others from Nebraska, including Banner Countys Bob Post, listened to and spoke with several officials throughout the day. They indicated that we would have time for dialog, but we really didnt, he said. But it was very informative. Presentations came from the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education, Frank Brogan, Under Secretaries Gil Kaplan and Gregory Ibach as well as Chris Mitton, Government Affairs Officer for the US Department of Transportation. Preston Cory, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who spoke about the Waters of the US issue and Kellyanne Conway, Assistant to the President, spoke about the opioid epidemic and what is being done to combat the national crisis. As she spoke the moderator came out and whispered to her. She stopped and said, Vice President Pence is here and would like to speak, Nolting said. He came out, visited with us briefly, came down and shook a few hands. He was very inviting, welcoming and voiced his appreciation for what he knew the counties did. Ben Carson, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spoke as well, Nolting said. He is working with Health and Human Services and HUD on social programs. The group also received a visit from Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, who talked about the Ag bill, including the USDA programs under that bill. Though it was a whirlwind day, Nolting was able to tour the Mall of America and visit the Viet Nam Memorial. I had never been to Washington, but I would definitely go back, Nolting said. I did not get to see everything I wanted to see. An offshore wind development company has its sights set on Bridgeport for a new multimillion-dollar project constructing turbines. Massachusetts-based Vineyard Wind is one of several companies vying for approval by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in response to its request for clean energy proposals. Pending DEEP approval, the company intends to partner with local companies to develop an offshore 800-megawatt wind-turbine facility that would provide power to the state. We are excited at the idea of creating more than 1,000 jobs and bringing billions in economic benefits to the state with this proposal, and we are equally thrilled to be working with our partners in Bridgeport, said Erich Stephens, chief development officer for Vineyard Wind in a press release. Vineyard Wind is a joint venture of Connecticut-based utility Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. In an earlier proposal, Vineyard Wind said it would provide energy at a very attractive fixed price. The companys proposal includes plans to invest $30 million into the project as part of a partnership with McAllister Towing, which operates the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry, and the recently opened Bridgeport Boatworks shipyard. The investment would go into improving the sites of both companies to accommodate staging and partial assembly of the turbines that would then be shipped to the facility site, which is to sit 14 miles south of Marthas Vineyard. Vineyard Wind has another, similar project also slated for the area that is undergoing the permitting process. Energy would be transmitted from the site to the mainland via cables buried up to six feet below the sea floor. In Bridgeport, along with setting up both waterfront sites, a portion of the investment is expected to go toward business and workforce development grants for companies and residents looking to contribute to the project and branch into the offshore wind-energy industry, Stephens said. City officials are speaking out in support of the plan. It goes in line with the path that Bridgeport has been taking over the last few years of being the focal point of green energy, said Joe Gresko, the citys director of sustainability, citing the citys work with fuel cells, solar panels and a planned thermal loop as examples. Its a nice way of rounding out our portfolio of renewable energy, he added. Several members of Bridgeports legislative delegation have sent a letter to DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee in support of the Vineyard Wind project. Vineyard Wind has committed, if selected, to partner with two Bridgeport-based companies to support the development of the harborside facilities of these Connecticut companies for use in constructing the Vineyard Wind Project, the delegation wrote. The partnership of these three companies and the resulting private investment in port infrastructure in Bridgeport will provide immediate job opportunities for Connecticut residents during the construction of the port and the Vineyard Wind project, as well as long-term economic development opportunity for Connecticut. DEEP is expected to make a decision by the end of the year. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON For Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and their Democratic colleagues, last-minute surfacing of a sexual-abuse allegation may do to Brett Kavanaugh what hearings did not: Delay confirmation or sink his Supreme Court nomination entirely. The allegation that Kavanaugh, as a high-school student, held down and groped a teenage girl developed into a full-fledged political firestorm Monday. The accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, came forward publicly over the weekend and offered to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee of which Blumenthal is a member. What we need now is a full, fair investigation by the FBI that involves witnesses, records and documents and enables the American people to know the facts, Blumenthal said in an interview Monday. There is no question that confirmation must be delayed. Blumenthal and five other Democratic senators on Monday filed a lawsuit to compel release of documents by the National Archives and the CIA on Kavanaughs years as associate counsel and staff secretary in the White House under former President George W. Bush. The White House said in a statement that Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify (Tuesday) if the Senate is ready to hear him. Late Monday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the committee would hear from both Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh on Sept. 24. The committee, Grassley said, would give these allegations a full airing in order to provide ample transparency. Blumenthal has been an out-front critic of Kavanaugh since President Donald Trump nominated him in July. As a Democrat in the minority, he peppered Kavanaugh in three rounds of questioning during confirmation hearings two weeks ago. But neither Blumenthal nor his Democratic colleagues on the committee landed blows sufficient to throw the Kavanaugh nomination off course. Nothing appeared likely to derail Kavanaugh until Blasey Ford, a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, stepped forward to recount how at age 15, she was assaulted by Kavanaugh, then 17, and feared he would inadvertently kill her. Blasey Ford recounted that, at a party in Washingtons Maryland suburbs, Kavanaugh was stumbling drunk as he pushed her down on a bed, tried to yank off her one-piece bathing suit and put his hand over her mouth to prevent screams. She told the Washington Post she escaped after a friend of Kavanaugh jumped on them and the three went toppling to the floor, enabling her to lock herself in a bathroom. Although the incident in question took place in the early 1980s and was relayed months ago to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the senior Democrat on Judiciary, the allegation took on a life of its own Monday. Republicans found themselves walking a tightrope between keeping the confirmation on track while not appearing insensitive to the complaint. At least three Republicans whose votes are critical to confirmation Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. said the allegation against Kavanaugh must be resolved before a vote takes place. Judiciary chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he wanted to try to resolve the matter through a series of phone calls with both Kavanaugh and Blasey Ford, a process Blumenthal said was inadequate. Informal phone calls are no substitute for a full, fair investigation, he said. Theres no margin of error for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. So theres no reason to rush through the investigation to meet an arbitrary Oct. 1 deadline. Republicans had pledged to confirm Kavanaugh by Oct. 1, the first day of the Supreme Courts 2018-19 term. Murphy on Monday joined Blumenthal in the fray. These are really serious allegations, Murphy said in a statement. Ive already made up my mind to vote against Kavanaugh, but for senators who are still undecided or had announced their support for the nomination, there is just no reason to rush this. A vote by the GOP-dominated Judiciary committee had been scheduled for Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had promised a full Senate vote next week, in time to get Kavanaugh sworn in before Oct. 1. That timeline Monday appeared to have been badly damaged, if not scuttled entirely. At the White House, Trump praised the 53-year-old D.C. federal appeals court judge for his outstanding intellect, saying Kavanaugh is respected by everybody; never even had a little blemish on his record. He joined Grassley in criticizing Democrats for an allegation that should have been brought up long before this. But he conceded it would take time for the allegation to be resolved. If it takes a little delay, it'll take a little delay, he said. For Blumenthal, Murphy and other Democrats, the leveling of the allegation against Kavanaugh arguably represents their last and best chance to keep the Supreme Court from adding a fifth reliable conservative who could tip the court rightward for a generation to come. For Republicans, delays in the confirmation process eat up valuable time they dont have. Further delays could push the confirmation vote past Election Day, raising the prospect that Democratic retaking of the Senate a longshot at this point could bring the curtain down on Kavanaugh for good. Blumenthal declined to directly address the high-stakes chess game unfolding over the confirmation. As a senator who declared his opposition to Kavanaugh on Day 1, Blumenthal was among those on the lookout during confirmation hearings for misstatements, inaccuracies or contradictions anything to offset Kavanaughs relatively smooth performance as an earnest, neutral jurist with no hidden agenda. Whether the allegation against Kavanaugh succeeds where previous lines of attack failed remains to be seen. If confirmed, he could be critical in votes that affect real people leading real lives in really destructive ways, for decades to come, Blumenthal said. dan@hearstdc.com Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. 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. Realty Seven This classic center hall colonial in south Wilton has been extensively remodeled and the recently improved home has a chefs kitchen and updated baths. The 49-year-old single family, which boasts nine rooms, has a spacious living room with a fireplace and a dining room. The family room is adjacent to the kitchen, which has a fireplace and sliders to a deck. There is also a large recreation room with a 9-foot Brunswick regulation pool table, a wet bar, a wine cooler, a refrigerator and an ice machine. The master suite offers a spa-like bath and walk-in closet and three more bedrooms. The hall bath completes the second floor. The finished level of this wondrous home which sits on 2.15-acres includes a play room, workout area and 1,000-bottle wine cellar. There is also a whole house generator, Nest thermostats, Lutron lighting system, Sonos sound system inside and out, a security system, irrigation system and invisible fence. Listing agent: Judy Robinson, Realty Seven, (203) 451-0480, robinson@realtyseven.com. Flicking through one of her client's Christian Dior brochures, Mrs Ada Harris is immediately enchanted. Above the exquisite dresses on which she sets her heart runs an enticing slogan: "Every woman a princess". It cuts to the core of this real world, post-war fairytale. Already a big success up in Sheffield, Daniel Evans has brought this heart-inflating new musical with him to Chichester. Adapted from Paul Gallico's 1958 novella Mrs 'Arris Goes to Paris, Rachel Wagstaff and Richard Taylor's trad tuner charts one lowly London charlady's efforts to scrimp and save enough cash to cross the channel and buy the designer dress of her dreams. It is a Cinderella story sewn into our world. Ada Harris's transformation takes almost five years and it happens, not by magic, but with sacrifice and hard work. Set in bombed-out Battersea after World War Two, it shows us a world ruled by ration books in which everyone has to make do and mend; Clare Burt's careworn Mrs Harris most of all. She's practically perfect: the crack in her voice suggests someone chipped by time, but her pursed smile could "put a shine on anything". At 400, a Dior dress equates to Mrs Harris' annual income and, while a lucky pools win gets her going, saving such a sum means taking on extra chores and cutting out little luxuries a haircut here, a sweet treat there. Richard Taylor's score tinkles with industry and, being laced through the dialogue rather than unleashing big numbers, it seems to be saving its songs up for later. If anything, Wagstaff's book extends further into fairytale. Paris, here, is a magical elsewhere a mirror image of workaday London that turns the rigid British class system completely on its head. Lez Brotherston casts the two cities in iron one up close and run-down; the other seen from afar, picture postcard perfect. His Dior-style dresses are jaw-dropping, so beautiful that Mrs Harris' eyes sparkle with aesthetic appreciation not social aspiration. Clever doubling means she meets her client's exact opposites: Louis Maskell plays a shambling photographer and a spick-and-span accountant, while Laura Pitt-Pulford goes from aspiring British actress to a glam French superstar who pines for normality. Mrs Harris's good deeds are, inevitably, repaid in full. It's so neatly done that it almost goes too far. Wagstaff piles fairytale on fairytale shy lovers come together, friends are reunited and a grief-stricken widow learns to let go. It's as sentimental as an MGM movie; a story so smooth it fills your throat with lumps. By the time Evans' own restrained and elegant staging bursts into bloom, it's too much for the tear ducts to take. Must be all that pollen But fairytales can also be mighty dangerous. Flowers for Mrs Harris is, deep down, a full-blown conservative pipe dream, and Mrs Harris herself an austerity postergirl. If Gallico's story looks sympathetic to the daily struggle it takes to get by, it is, in fact, the opposite; a fantasy that spins the possibility that double shifts and self-discipline, elbow grease and stoicism can bring about a brighter future. Mrs Harris' savings aren't just improbable, but all out impossible. As if a widowed charlady could cut back on fortnightly haircuts and give up ration coupons after five years of war for a Dior dress. It's George Osborne's utopia; one number about fixing the roof while the sun's shining' away from a musical budget speech. So, transfer for Mrs Harris? Only if it comes with a warning out front: 'Not every woman will become a princess'. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Rockford police said a 42-year old Rockford male suffered life-threatening injuries from a stabbing late Monday night. Police said the victim was stabbed in the 1800 block of Remington Road before midnight. Officers learned the victim had been paying for drugs when he was stabbed in the arm and abdomen. Police said the victim cooperated about the incident. The suspect is described as a 36-year-old black male, 60, 185 lbs with short black hair. The days of scrambling to secure toilet paper are over. But the pandemic is continuing to wreak havoc on supply ... Nearly Two-Thirds of Doctors Say They Could Be Forced to Stop Taking New Medicare Patients Texas Medicare patients could soon... Power and passion took centre stage Monday night when the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra celebrated one of the citys most revered musical sons as well as its newest hero. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Power and passion took centre stage Monday night when the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra celebrated one of the citys most revered musical sons as well as its newest hero. The third-annual Asper Foundation Opening Night Gala featured pianist Emanuel Ax performing Beethovens Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, popularly known as the "Emperor," with the program led by Russian-born maestro Daniel Raiskin, marking his debut as the WSOs new music director. Ax first arrived in Winnipeg from Warsaw, Poland with his parents in 1959, living in the North End before departing two years later to further his musical studies at the Juilliard School in New York City. After opening speeches by WSO board president Terry Sargeant, arts visionary/gala sponsor Gail Asper, Cathy Cox, the provincial culture minister, and Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, Ax took the stage for Beethovens monumental, three-movement work he performed on the same stage in 1985. Now in his late 60s, Ax performs with the vigour and conviction of a man half his age, with cyclonic gale force that belies his easy, humble demeanour. After Raiskin first set the tone with the orchestras regal opening chords during the Allegro, embellished by Axs declamatory flourishes, the pianist proceeded to display his fierce artistry, technical mastery and a rich tonal palette spanning gossamer light trills and delicate staccatos, to thundering chords ending at the extreme range of the keyboard. Its also remarkable that Ax has performed the Emperor for 40-plus years, yet the piece sounds wholly fresh and new, with the pianist delivering his florid passage work with military precision, including rhythmic accents that pierced like arrowheads. Witnessing a new music director taking full ownership of a podium for the first time is a rarefied event that only occurs in our city, on average, every 10 years. A second revelation on Monday night quickly became hearing the players, newly re-energized and clearly smitten with their new leader, also responding with fervour to Raiskins clear, expansive direction. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's new music director Daniel Raiskin showcased his musical passion during his debut Monday. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) This became particularly evident during the ethereal Adagio un poco mosso, which also showcased Axs graceful lyricism and long-arching phrasing. He cast a spell of luminosity while keeping things moving during this always-gorgeous central movement that some might arguably prefer at a more deliberate tempo. The segue into the finale that follows is one of classical musics greatest moments, in which a solo bassoon slips a semi-tone to usher in the Rondo: Allegro. After Axs first skeletal, rising chords, he then launched into its rollicking theme with each return in various guises growing in insistence until its resounding finish. As expected, the pianist received a rousing standing ovation with cries of bravo and a demand for three curtain calls. He rewarded the mostly older crowd with an encore of Schumanns Aufschwung (Soaring) from Fantasiestucke op. 12. The programs second half featured Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64,. composed in 1888, which offered an intriguing opportunity to see the St. Petersburg-born maestro, the son of a highly respected musicologist, lead music from his home city. 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. Raiskin immediately proved he has this passionate music in his blood and bones, conducting from a still point of an innate, deep understanding of its Russian soul. He allowed the well-paced, four-movement work to ebb and flow, laced with its recurring "Fate" motto theme first introduced with grave solemnity by the clarinets and low strings during the opening Andante Allegro con anima movement. But Raiskin's animated approach also instilled personality into this performance, allowing individual soloists and collective instrumental sections to come to the fore with their own voices, adding to the greater whole. Bravo to principal horn Patricia Evans for her gorgeously eloquent extended solo during the Andante cantabile second movement, joined by principal oboe Beverly Wangs own expressive lines. Then it became time for the lilting Valse, which also highlights the strings and winds, before the firestorm Finale, given greater backbone by particularly strong brass, including its clearly delighted trombones given licence to really blow. This built momentum until its enthralling climax that heralds triumph over the winds of fate. Once again, the crowd leapt to its feet with the nights second ovation for the orchestra and its newest maestro, seemingly a harbinger of even greater things to come for the 71-year old WSO as it begins its next chapter. holly.harris@shaw.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Her name is Barbie, and shes a real doll. Shes also a warrior and a survivor. A seven-year-old shepherd cross with perky ears who often looks like shes smiling, Barbie greets every person as if they are her new best friend. She crowds in for pats and soon rolls on her back, tongue lolling out to the side. The fact that she adores people, after the life she used to live, is just one of this little dogs amazing traits. Mindy Brown and Wes Hanney with Barbie at the Manitoba Mutts booth at Kildonan Place. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) "Shes a sweet girl who loves belly rubs and attention. We just cant seem to find her a home," said Jenn Taplin, Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescues executive director. "Shes just so nice and so gentle." Barbie has been living with her Manitoba Mutts foster family for more than a year now, and her rescuers would love to see her find a permanent home. She lived her first six years outside in a northern Manitoba community, a stray dog who gave birth to multiple litters of puppies and scrounged through garbage to stay alive. Barbies fortunes changed when Jasmine Colucci of K9 Advocates of Manitoba paid to have Barbie spayed and put an end to the endless cycle of pregnancies she was trapped in as an outdoor dog. Colucci couldnt find a foster home for Barbie, so Barbie had to be released. A short time later, Taplin and Manitoba Mutts went to the community on a rescue mission. They only had foster homes pre-arranged for three dogs, so on Aug. 20, 2017, they chose Barbie, her daughter Skipper and another dog named Ken, but also brought back some puppies and cats to be taken into care. Taplin took some video in the vehicle and Barbie steals the show, giving Taplin multiple licks on her face and then settling into the comfy seat with a big sigh. Its like she knew she had been saved. Barbie is a seven-year-old shepherd cross with perky ears who often looks like shes smiling. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) But Barbie still had some miles to go on her journey. "We brought her in and at her vet appointment, they thought she was pregnant as they felt something in her belly. We knew that couldnt be possible, so they did an X-ray," Taplin said. "What they thought might have been babies was actually stones, bone shards, sticks and garbage that she had been eating to survive. She was starving, so she was eating whatever she could find." It was also discovered that Barbie had heartworm, tapeworm and kidney worms. She needed surgery to remove a kidney and the trash she couldnt pass through her digestive system. Dogs get kidney worms from eating raw fish or frogs. Barbie has recovered, shes been featured on the Manitoba Mutts website and at adoption fairs, but there has not been even one application or inquiry about her. "It might be because shes an older dog because shes not very big," said Mindy Brown, who, along with her boyfriend, Wes, are Barbies foster family. "She is just a really sweet, friendly dog who greets everyone she meets with enthusiasm. Even when a stranger comes by the fence, she will jump up to try to kiss them and say hello." On a recent Saturday, Barbie was the dog of the day at a Manitoba Mutts booth at Kildonan Place Shopping Centre. She scooted over to meet everyone who stopped by, and she surprised one lady with a big slurp on the cheek as the lady bent down to pat her. Brown said Barbie is house-trained and kennel-trained, but needs a home without cats as she will chase small animals because she hunted for food for so long. 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. Four-year-old Clara Loney gives Barbie a belly rub at the Manitoba Mutts booth at Kildonan Place on Saturday. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) She adjusts best to older children since shes still learning not to jump when shes excited. Brown said Barbie also needs a slow introduction to any other dogs in her new home. "We have our own dog at home, Jules, a female husky mix, and they play together, but it took some time," Brown said. "Theyll never be the dogs that cuddle each other, but they lick each others faces and chase each other in the yard." Brown said Barbie knows how to sit on command and to wait on a mat to get her harness on to go for walks. The adoption fee for Barbie is $150 and includes parvo/distemper and rabies vaccines, deworming, spay/neuter, tattoo, heartworm/Lyme disease test and a health check by a Manitoba Mutts veterinarian partner. If you think Barbie is the girl for you and youd like to meet her, contact adopt@manitobamutts.org or visit manitobamutts.org or Manitoba Mutts on Facebook to see more photos of Barbie and other available dogs. ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk is promising to bring changes to city hall's process for awarding contracts on major capital projects that will deliver better value to taxpayers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk is promising to bring changes to city hall's process for awarding contracts on major capital projects that will deliver better value to taxpayers. The City of Winnipeg is awarding engineering, architectural planning and construction contracts with a one-size-fits-all model, Motkaluk said Tuesday, adding it's time city hall catches up with best practices employed by municipalities all over North America. "What I'm saying today is that when I'm mayor of Winnipeg, we're going to allow the professional public service to do their very best job using all the very best procurement practices," she said. "The adversarial lowest-bid (request for proposal) process we use today to procure engineering design work is inefficient, inadequate and leads to a rushed design process that results in increased costs in the long run." Motkaluk said the RFP model often prioritizes finding the lowest bidder over finding the most qualified candidate, which she says is an inefficient and ineffective way of awarding contracts. The over-reliance on the RFP model leads to major capital projects consistently coming in poorly designed, past due, over budget and caught up in litigation, Motkaluk said. While the candidate said she wouldn't scrap the RFP process completely, she said the city needs to be more flexible in using the right procurement model for the right situation. Motkaluk highlighted the qualifications-based selection (QBS) model, which she says is considered a best practice in multiple provinces, as an option the city can use when awarding engineering and architectural design contracts. "I'm not here to say that QBS is a model that needs to be employed every single time. What I'm here to say is that we know there are industry best practices that are not being employed by the City of Winnipeg," Motkaluk said. "We have an obligation to explore them all so we can get the best value for our taxpayer dollars." Motkaluk said forcing an RFP model on capital projects where a different model would work best creates problems that permeate all phases of the project and ultimately hits Winnipeggers in their pocketbooks. "I hear examples from a lot of Winnipeg's construction community where the jobs go off the rails because the planning wasn't done well... This is one of the things that leads to change orders and construction delays," she said. "It leads to all kinds of bad outcomes that ultimately have the City of Winnipeg taxpayers on the hook for more money." 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. Motkaluk points to academic and municipal studies that have shown the benefits with a QBS system, as well as support for the model from stakeholders such as the Manitoba Association of Architects and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. During the campaign announcement, Motkaluk chastised incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman for having a narrow reliance on the RFP model and refusing to be open to other options for awarding contracts. She said she's been told the City of Winnipeg says it is currently researching the benefits of the QBS model, but questions what is taking so long. "The point is how long does it take to investigate a model? I'm quite certain that the response that we got was really just a way of deflecting the question," Motkaluk said. ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe Mayor Brian Bowman may find himself in hot water with segments of Winnipegs Hindu community after a questionable photo from a local Sikh event held in the city surfaced this weekend. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Mayor Brian Bowman may find himself in hot water with segments of Winnipegs Hindu community after a questionable photo from a local Sikh event held in the city surfaced this weekend. On Sunday, Bowman attended a gathering at the Sikh Society of Manitoba, where he was photographed around a table with members of the local Sikh community. SUPPLIED A photo of Mayor Brian Bowman has surfaced from an event held at the Sikh Society of Manitoba on Sunday. Hanging on the wall behind Bowman is a portrait of Jarnail Singh Bhibdranwale, a controversial Sikh leader who has been denounced as a terrorist by the Indian government. Hanging on the wall behind Bowman was a framed portrait of a controversial Sikh leader and separatist, considered a martyr to some and a terrorist to others. The portrait was of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a man denounced as a terrorist by the Indian government. Hes been accused of fomenting communalist violence in the country in the 1980s in an effort to forge an independent religious state. On Monday, Bowman said he was unaware of the portrait in the room when the photo was taken and only learned about Bhindranwale the next day. "I am aware of this historical figure and how polarizing and divisive he is. Lets keep in mind I was asked to meet with Winnipeggers, not the individual in the portrait," Bowman said. "The short answer is I wasnt aware of the portrait behind me and no one raised it." Bhindranwales alleged activities and crimes include murder, robbery and incitement of violence against Hindus. In 1981, he was reportedly charged with the murder of a newspaper editor who had penned editorials critical of him. To some Sikhs, however, hes considered an important martyr and religious leader who stood up against oppression. Saranbreet Singh, a member of the local Sikh community who spoke with the Free Press but said he only represented himself and not the Sikh Society of Manitoba, said Bhindranwale is a misunderstood figure. "He was religious leader of the Sikh community. He raised his voice against the racism and discrimination Sikhs had to face at that time in India. The government attacked him, calling him a terrorist, but he was a religious leader and he was a good person," Singh said. Bowman said he plans to follow up with the Sikh Society of Manitoba to get a better sense of why that portrait is hanging on their wall. When asked what he would say to members of the local Hindu community potentially upset at the photo, Bowman said he recognizes he probably doesnt have the same historical understanding of the controversial figure that others do. "I dont know of any religion that doesnt have controversial figures in their past. Like I said, I wasnt asked to meet with anyone in a portrait; I was asked to meet with a group of Winnipeggers who are doing good work in the community," Bowman said. A spokesman for the Hindu Society of Manitoba declined comment when reached by the Free Press. Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk defended her rival when reached for comment, saying she too attended a Sikh gathering Sunday. She dismissed the photo as a "loaded controversy." "Winnipeg is celebrated as an open and inclusive mosaic of multiculturalism and we are all Winnipeggers. No candidate should be vilified for perceived associations simply because they accept an invitation," Motkaluk said in a written statement. "Meeting fellow Winnipeggers is not an endorsement of their political viewpoints." Bowman isnt the first Canadian politician to raise eyebrows for tangential connections to Sikh separatists. 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. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus recent trip to India sparked controversy after a Sikh separatist, with past ties to a terrorist group and a conviction for a politically motivated attempted murder, was invited to a government function and photographed with his wife. On the trip, local MP Kevin Lamoureux also found himself in hot water after a photo was published that showed him with a former Indian politician with alleged ties to an international drug cartel. Trudeau also caught flack in 2017 for being the first sitting Prime Minister to attend the annual Khalsa Day parade, which celebrates Sikh leaders such as Bhindranwale. Those incidents, and others, have led members of the Indian government to accuse some Canadian politicians of being weak on Sikh separatism. with files from Aldo Santin ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @rk_thorpe CentreVenture Development Corporation is looking for a partner or partners who specialize in affordable housing to develop the site of the old Public Safety Building. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CentreVenture Development Corporation is looking for a partner or partners who specialize in affordable housing to develop the site of the old Public Safety Building. A formal expression of interest (EOI) was issued Tuesday to non-profit housing developers across the country to participate in a joint venture for the development, construction and management of new affordable housing to be built on the southern portion of the property now known as the Market Lands. "This type of procurement is a more collaborative way of bringing people together who have different pieces of the puzzle," said Angela Mathieson, chief executive officer of CentreVenture, an arm's-length agency of the City of Winnipeg. The PSB property is part of the larger 2.4-acre parcel of land owned by the city between King and Princess streets, and William and James avenues. The PSB had been the headquarters for the Winnipeg Police Service for more than 50 years. The WPS moved into the former Canada Post warehouse at 245 Smith St. in 2016. The nearby parkade was closed in 2012, because it was considered structurally unsound. Council decided in April 2016 the PSB would be demolished and the entire site developed, after a plan had been drafted with community consultation. CentreVenture, the city's downtown land development agency, which is handling this project, has issued an international design competition for the entire site. The contract is expected to be awarded in December, and the winning firm will work with the partner developers on the detailed design components. Councillors are being asked this week to approve a demolition schedule that would result in some of the work being carried out by the end of 2018, with the removal of hazardous materials. The bulk of the demolition would be done in 2019, and site preparation for redevelopment in early 2020. The southern portion, about 0.8 acres, was originally gifted to the city in 1875 on condition it be used for public purposes. The caveat does not apply to the parkade property. 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. Mathieson said the plan is for the city to lease the southern portion to a group that would build and manage about 100 units of affordable housing, along with 1,100 square metres of ground-floor space as a cultural hub for arts organizations, a one-storey public market building, and a large public plaza. The norther portion, which includes the parkade and a small park on the King Street side, would be sold to a private developer through a traditional request for proposal, Mathieson said. Mathieson said the citys legal department advised civic officials and CentreVenture the affordable-housing development meets the criteria of the original caveat. Leasing the land to a group ensures the property remains affordable housing, she said, and it gives city hall control over the property. CentreVenture said the southern portion will be developed first, with construction to begin in 2020. An RFP for a mixed-use development on the northern portion will be issued in 2019, with construction to start after work begins on the southern portion. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA Federal officials are investigating Saturdays deadly derailment along the railway that leads to Churchill, an incident that could delay last-minute efforts to repair the line. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Federal officials are investigating Saturdays deadly derailment along the railway that leads to Churchill, an incident that could delay last-minute efforts to repair the line. "This derailment will certainly have any impact; were assessing that impact," said Murad Al-Katib, the head of grain giant AGT Foods and spokesman for Arctic Gateway, which took over the Hudson Bay Railway on Aug. 31. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Al-Katib, AGT Food Inc. director of corporate affairs and Arctic Gateway Group spokesman: This derailment will certainly have any impact; were assessing that impact. Repairs are ongoing in a race against time to restore rail service along the end of the line, patching up the May 2017 washouts between Gillam and Churchill before November's freeze-up. Some 450 kilometres west of where those washouts start, a train carrying gasoline and propane derailed Saturday afternoon, crushing two HBR employees south of Thompson. RCMP were called to the scene around 5:45 p.m., and flew to the site to find a 38-year-old worker from The Pas, whom officials pronounced dead at the scene. A 59-year-old from the same town was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Al-Katib said Monday morning hed heard the mans condition had stabilized. Neither workers were involved in the repairs, he said. He stressed crews will not compromise safety by rushing repairs to the May 2017 washouts. But he said Saturdays derailment might block ballast from reaching the scene, and staff may have to halt repairs and head west to fix the new damage. The federal Transportation Safety Board has dispatched an investigator to the scene. As of Monday afternoon, it was not certain whether the investigator reached the site, noting the area has poor cellular reception. The TSB said Transport Canada will separately probe whether regulations were followed, and if anyone is at fault. 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. Al-Katib, who was audibly shaken by the weekends news, said staff will co-operate with investigators to do "a root-cause analysis." On the weekend, Thompson deputy fire chief Selby Brown said the train went off the tracks on a washed-out trestle bridge in a swampy area. The RCMP said Monday officers at the scene reported it appeared there was no bridge over the Minago River, and it was unclear why. Police said the train might have knocked out the crossing, or someone could have removed it though foul play isn't suspected. Its unknown when the damage occurred, as a Via Rail train was scheduled to serve that route last Thursday, and Al-Katib said the railway was inspected just a week prior. The area has experienced heavy rainfall in recent days. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Adam Anhang's killer pointed in court Monday to the Winnipeg man's widow as one of three people who hired him, describing in chilling detail how Anhang fought for his life on a San Juan street 13 years ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Adam Anhang's killer pointed in court Monday to the Winnipeg man's widow as one of three people who hired him, describing in chilling detail how Anhang fought for his life on a San Juan street 13 years ago. Alex Pabon, a drug trafficker known on San Juan streets as El Loco (The Crazy One), said the widow, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos, met with him twice and made it clear she "wanted to kill (Anhang) because he had a fortune." Anhang, a 32-year-old businessman, had an estate worth $24 million and was preparing to divorce his wife. Vazquez-Rijos is accused of ordering the killing, along with her sister Marcia and a friend, Jose Ferrer Sosa. Pabon said his agreed-upon fee for the killing was $3 million, to be paid in instalments because the widow had other killings she wanted him for. Listening in court to Pabons matter-of-fact description of his sons murder left Abe Anhang, the victims father, visibly shaken. The 80-year-old man left the courthouse for two hours to compose himself after the testimony. Pabon confessed to Adam Anhangs murder and was convicted in 2008. But sentencing was delayed until after the jury trial of Vazquez is completed. He is expected to get a reduced sentence in return for co-operating with prosecutors. Pabon was brought into court Monday in handcuffs and ankle chains. Speaking through a Spanish translator, he said that he first met with Vazquez-Rijos in a restaurant owned by the accused, called the Pink Skirt, which Anhang had purchased for her. He often saw clients there for drug deals. Aurea Vazquez-Rijos is taken to the Federal Court in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico in 2015. (Carlos Giusti/El Vocero via AP) Referring to Vazquez-Rijos, he said: "She told me to kill the Canadian. When I killed him I should do it as if it were a robbery, that it would look like something real." Vazquez-Rijos offered to write him a cheque for $5,000 to buy a gun but he refused because it could easily be traced back to him. "In the robbery I should shoot (Vazquez-Rios) in the shoulder or the leg, and it would look like something real professional." It was arranged that on the evening of Sept. 22, 2005, Pabon would follow the couple on the street just before midnight as they left a restaurant in Old San Juan, heading for their parked car. They met for dinner to discuss the impending divorce. The murder took place almost as planned. Pabon followed Anhang and Vazquez-Rijos on a sidewalk across the street. But because he was unable to secure a gun from a friend, he slipped into a restaurant along the way and grabbed a kitchen knife, a pair of rubber gloves and a paper bag. Pabon had never met Anhang, so at one point along the route, Vazquez-Rijos made a head gesture in her husbands direction, to indicate to the hit man that he was to be the victim. "She made the signal, thats the Canadian," he testified. "She wanted me to do other jobs for her, to kill other people." Alex Pabon, the man allegedly hired by Aurea Vazquez-Rijos to kill her husband, Adam Anhang At a quiet intersection, Pabon approached the couple, holding a cell phone to his ear so as not to arouse suspicion. He confronted Anhang and said in English: "This is a robbery." Anhang responded by punching him in the face, and shouting to his wife: "Run, baby, run!" Ex-Winnipegger Adam Anhang was killed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2005. Pabon had a piece of cobblestone hidden in a paper bag, and struck Anhang on the side of his head with it, knocking him down. "He fell down and I took out the knife and started stabbing him and stabbing him, like a bat out of hell . . . I stabbed him in the jugular like I was trying to cut off his head. He grabbed the knife and tried to stab me with it. I finished killing him with a cobblestone to his face and stabbed him in different parts of his back." During the struggle, the killer said he heard someone from an adjacent building shout: "Let him go, you mother----er." Before leaving the scene, Pabon said he approached Vazquez-Rijos and struck her on the side of her head, as part of the plan to make her seem like an innocent victim. But he was afraid he may have struck her too hard. "I thought I had killed her too," he said. And the killer made another mistake that was to haunt him later. He forgot to take Anhangs wallet, which would immediately tip police off that the assault was not in fact a robbery. Pabon rushed home, showered and threw his bloodied clothes away. Then he called a friend and they drove back together to the scene of the crime to make sure Anhang was dead. 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 killer never collected his $3 million bounty. "How was it to be paid?" asked prosecuting attorney Jennifer Hernandez. "They were going to pay it in instalments, $100,000, $50,000, over a period of months or years," he replied. "She wanted me to do other jobs for her, to kill other people." Meanwhile, he would be paid for the Anhang killing once Vazquez-Rijos inherited his estate. That never happened. Pabon eluded police for more than two years but he never collected a penny. Vazquez-Rijos was indicted for the murder-for-hire in 2008 but she had fled to Italy. She was finally extradited back to Puerto Rico in 2015. city.desk@freepress.mb.ca PAUL Lacerte was hunting in northern B.C. when epiphany struck, as his daughter, Raven, dressed the moose theyd brought down. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. PAUL Lacerte was hunting in northern B.C. when epiphany struck, as his daughter, Raven, dressed the moose theyd brought down. "Wed harvested a moose, and Im watching her, and she was so fierce and powerful and so vulnerable in this place we call the Highway of Tears," the Victoria-based Indigenous community leader said Monday in Winnipeg, at the launch of the month-long anti-violence awareness Moose Hide Campaign. The Highway of Tears is a 724-kilometre stretch of the Yellowhead Highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert, infamous for the many women and girls, mostly Indigenous, who have been found murdered or reported missing in the area. As members of the Carrier First Nation, the Lacerte familys traditional hunting territory is on the land the highway runs through. "And so we had a moment of clarity, inspiration that came from the land: to tan that moose hide, cut it up into squares and give it to men, as an outward commitment not to do violence against the women and children in their lives. To stand up. To speak out. And to think about our privilege as men and to be better as men," Lacerte said. That was in 2011. Since then, the grassroots campaign has taken off, with a foundation established to work with hundreds of institutions across Canada that have taken up the cause. Some 1.2 million tiny squares made from tanned moose hide have been distributed to Canadian men and boys to wear on their jacket lapels each fall. Lacerte and his daughter, Raven, attended the Winnipeg launch, along with about 30 guests, including advocates for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, Manitoba Minister of Justice Cullen and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas. "Its important to have a grassroots movement like this to engage people," Cullen told the audience at RCMP "D" Division Headquarters. "Thats what its about, changing the culture." 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. Canadians are asked to answer the campaigns call and participate in its annual one-day fast from food and water, from sunrise to sunset on Oct. 18. Assistant commissioner Scott Kolody, commanding officer of Manitobas RCMP, said he will take part in the fast this year, as a symbol of his commitment to the cause. "The tragic reality is that violence against women and children is far too prevalent in our communities," he said. Dumas said ending the cycle is a form of healing which can only begin with the co-ordinated efforts of the countrys institutions and citizens. "There needs to be preventive things in place to do that. Theres ways we have to collaborate and work together to properly protect people so that it doesnt need to get to the issue of actually assaulting somebody," he said. alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA The House of Commons had a rowdy return to work Monday, as the Liberals kicked off the fall session by trying to push through key platform promises ahead of next Octobers election. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The House of Commons had a rowdy return to work Monday, as the Liberals kicked off the fall session by trying to push through key platform promises ahead of next Octobers election. This fall, Canadians will hear all about cannabis legalization, asylum seekers crossing into Quebec and the fate of the Trans Mountain pipeline. But closer to home, here are five issues on the top of Manitoba MPs agendas: Trade Appointed trade-diversification minister this summer, Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr is in charge of getting businesses to look beyond the United States to export their goods and services. On Monday, Carr kicked off debate on the legislation to ratify a trade deal with Pacific Rim countries. But economic data show Canadas existing trade deal with the European Union has led to minimal growth in Canadian exports, and far more European imports. Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press files) Trudeaus visit to Winnipeg this month included Canada Gooses launch of another jacket factory in the city, and the Liberals have highlighted the companys moves into Asian markets as an example for other firms. But Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen told reporters the Liberals have bogged down NAFTA negotiations by choosing to "lecture on things like gender rights and the environment." She claimed Trudeau "just seemed to tick a lot of people off" with the spectacle around his trip to India and snubbing Japan during trade talks. Social policy The federal Liberals have justified running a forecasted $18.1-billion deficit by launching a housing strategy, benefit reform and beefed-up baby bonus, wrapping these initiatives together as a poverty-reduction strategy. Theyll soon be under pressure to show how this debt is actually making a dent in places like downtown Winnipeg. Transcona-Elmwood MP Daniel Blaikie said a "pitiful amount" of money is coming upfront, with much more promised beyond five years from now. "It's so far in the future [] it's kind of fantasy money," he said. But Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux said boosting the Canada Child Benefit has had a huge impact on his own riding, and will eventually help people in the North End reach the middle class. "Its the middle class that drives the economy," he said. Public safety Winnipeg's rate of violent crime is double the national average, which city police attribute to a rise in methamphetamine use. Meanwhile, rural communities across the Prairies say poorly resourced RCMP detachments are leaving their homes vulnerable to robbers. The Liberals have voted to have parliamentary committee study both these issues. None of the three main parties has a detailed policy on either topic. Conservative MP Candice Bergen (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press) Bergen said the government ought to consider "tougher penalties, and certainty of penalties," instead of a bill tabled this spring that would roll back some sentences, which she said "sends a very weak message." Meanwhile, expect the governments gun-reform bill to shore up support and fundraising from both the Liberals and Tories voter bases. Seniors/pharmacare Trudeau appointed a minister for seniors issues this summer, to help craft policies on everything from dementia to elder abuse. Trudeaus visit to a West Kildonan retirement home this month illustrates the Liberals efforts to solidify support with seniors. Kevin Lamoureux said his riding has been buoyed by an increase to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and he expects the same from some form of pharmacare, though the Liberals have yet to reveal how far that policy will go. Kevin Lamoureux, Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader (Patrick Doyle / The Canadian Press files) The finance minister has already said they plan to fill gaps in existing private and public insurance plans, instead of replacing them with universal pharmacare. Blaikie said that undermines the seniors minister. 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. "If there's no clout for that minister to be able to reach across departments and build a strategy, then it really is just window-dressing. And I'm concerned that might be happening," he said. Carbon tax The Liberals largest point of contention with the provinces is their federal carbon tax, with Ontario and Saskatchewan outright rejecting a levy that comes into force in January. Manitoba is sticking to a flat tax, which will fall short of escalating federal targets in 2020. The Liberals have pledged to turn a blind eye until then, and hail the Pallister government as an example for others. That puts Manitoba's Tories at odds with their federal cousins, whose central policy plank is to kill any carbon tax. Meanwhile, as Conservative House leader, Bergen said the Tories will use "as many roadblocks as possible" to stall a bill aimed at reforming how officials regulate energy projects. The province says it's making progress in modernizing its regulatory system and reducing red tape. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The province says it's making progress in modernizing its regulatory system and reducing red tape. In releasing the government's first regulatory accountability report today, Finance Minister Scott Fielding cited the following examples: reducing the number of reports and the reporting frequency for funded agencies in the Family Violence Prevention Program to quarterly from monthly, resulting in a reduction of 9,292 regulatory requirements while ensuring important information is still being reported; 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. streamlining the program approval process for private vocational institutions, which resulted in decreasing processing time to two months from six to 12 months, and a reduction of 199 regulatory requirements; modernizing the emergency medical services protocols and procedures manual resulting in a reduction of 1,755 regulatory requirements while supporting the provision of effective, quality patient care; removing information requirements that were not being used for the Indigenous business registration form, which resulted in reducing the forms number of pages to two from 10; and reducing the regulatory requirements in the gambling research program by 380 including combining the application process into one application for programs that provide direct support to communities, local charities and non-profit organizations. In June 2017, Manitoba passed The Regulatory Accountability Act, which requires government to keep track of how many regulatory requirements exist and where they are located. Between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018, the number of regulatory requirements in Manitoba was reduced by 2.6 per cent, from 948,599 to 924,180. A move away from grocery-style shopping to one strictly controlled by staff is an idea being floated by the union representing Manitoba liquor store employees in the wake of a rash of thefts during the last year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A move away from grocery-style shopping to one strictly controlled by staff is an idea being floated by the union representing Manitoba liquor store employees in the wake of a rash of thefts during the last year. Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, said the union has asked for and received an urgent meeting with management at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation. Gawronsky said one of the ideas the union wants to discuss to reduce the amount of customer theft at Manitoba Liquor Marts is whether it would be better to go back to having customers fill in a form to order liquor, and having employees bring the product from a secured area to the cashier. "Sometimes, the old way is the best way," she said Monday. "We are alarmed by the brazen nature of recent robberies and we share the fear of Liquor Mart employees that this will continue to increase if additional new safety measures are not implemented. "We feel our members can be part of the solution and that they have valuable insight and ideas on how to improve safety. Talking about security solutions in public can undermine their effectiveness." Last week, MLL provided statistics which showed about $800,000 worth of liquor had been stolen from Manitoba liquor outlets in almost 1,300 thefts in the last year. It was also confirmed MLL has instructed its security guards not to intervene when thefts take place. In one such incident last week described by a spokeswoman for MLL as "shocking and disturbing" three teenage males, one armed with what turned out to be a fake handgun, grabbed two bottles of booze and ran to the door while one pointed the weapon at an employee. No one was hurt in the incident and three suspects were arrested and charged with armed robbery and other offences. Gawronsky said a meeting has been scheduled at the end of the month between the union and management. However, she said the union wants another meeting, which would include the employees themselves. She said her members have also reported thefts are a problem at liquor outlets across the province. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We want to sit down with the employer and police to find the right solutions to protect employees and the public," Gawronsky said. Andrea Kowal, MLL director of communications, said in a statement "Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries has a strong relationship with all of our unions and regularly meets with them to discuss issues." "Like the MGEU, we are very concerned about the safety and security of our employees. A meeting with the union has been scheduled and we look forward to sitting down to discuss solutions that address the issue of thefts in our Liquor Marts," she wrote. "We will not be providing any comment on what these discussions might entail." There are a total of 1,211 members of the MGEU who work at the provinces liquor stores, including 687 in Winnipeg, 302 in liquor stores elsewhere in Manitoba and 222 in other roles including administration, distribution and warehouse. kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Ontarios June election was one for change, and Doug Fords Progressive Conservatives emerged as the victors. Unfortunately, many voters believe their vote didnt count. Thanks to our first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, theyre right. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Ontarios June election was one for change, and Doug Fords Progressive Conservatives emerged as the victors. Unfortunately, many voters believe their vote didnt count. Thanks to our first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system, theyre right. Once again, theres an overwhelming majority provincial government in Canada elected by a minority of voters. Just over 40 per cent of voters supported Fords Progressive Conservatives. Almost 60 per cent voted for the other three parties. Given the 58 per cent voter turnout, that means only around 24 per cent of the public actually elected Premier Fords party. The Ontario election is yet another symptom of a democratic dilemma facing our country as a whole. A minority of voters elect the government, and then the leaders claim a mandate to make changes not widely supported by the majority. When voters are left to wonder whether their vote really matters, they lose confidence. When voters lose confidence, many just dont show up at the polls. The Pew Research Centre found that the top reason for not voting in the 2016 U.S. election was "dislike of candidates" (25 per cent), followed by those who "felt (their) vote would not make a difference" (15 per cent). Similar findings were received by Canadas House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform. When voters lose confidence, many protest. In 2018, there was a 1,300 per cent increase in the number of Ontario voters who formally declined ballots. Those 31,399 Ontario voters (0.64 per cent) essentially chose "none of the above." And when voters lose confidence, they also vote against candidates. Alan Abramowitz and Steven Webster have described this phenomenon in the U.S. as negative partisanship: "Americans largely align against one party instead of affiliating with the other." In other words, people vote for the party or candidate they dislike the least. Many Ontarians voted against Kathleen Wynnes Liberals, not for Fords Progressive Conservatives. Six in 10 voters had an "unfavourable opinion" of Ford, placing his unpopularity close to that of former premier Wynne. The outcome: voters disliked Ford a little less than Wynne. When voters lose confidence, strategic voting becomes an important choice. An Angus Reid Institute poll found that in the June election "fully half (50 per cent) of decided Ontario voters declared their choice (was) based not on the party they support, but the one they wish to block." Confidence in the representative outcome is crucial to democratic electoral systems. For a significant proportion of Ontario voters, the June election didnt meet this representative standard. It highlighted once again a representative dilemma in our political system. When citizens lose confidence that their views are represented, some look for alternatives. There are people and communities today who feel left out or left behind. Their frustration and anger stoke polarization and nativism. A political turbulence ensues, bent on upending any political, social or economic order. Ontarios election is a warning: Canada is not immune to these political currents. What needs to be done? Plenty at both the provincial and federal levels. In the last federal election, Justin Trudeau promised an end to FPTP federal elections. The report of the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform noted the perceived shortcoming that "FPTP fails to accurately represent the will of voters." Trudeau, now prime minister, has since abandoned that election promise. Bill C-76, Trudeaus electoral reform legislation, ignores the public feedback the special committee received and yet again fails to address the issue. 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. However, more recently Trudeau did say "if people want to talk about a different system that might benefit Canadians, like a preferential ballot, Id be open to that." The Ontario election is an occasion to resurrect this national conversation. A ranked or preferential ballot might be the easiest way to address both the federal and provincial representative dilemma. Voters want to vote for their candidate, not against those they dislike or fear. Its time to press both our federal and provincial representatives to demand such change. In the meantime, Ontarios Progressive Conservatives should remember that the majority of voters supported the vision of the other three parties. They were not given a mandate, but rather the opportunity to earn the trust of the public. Earning trust will involve the hard work of politics: consultation, collaboration and compromise. Voters will need to insist on this kind of politics. David Pfrimmer is professor emeritus and a fellow at the Centre for Public Ethics at Martin Luther University College at Wilfrid Laurier University, and a contributor with EvidenceNetwork.ca, which is based at the University of Winnipeg. Troy Media Marijuana will become legal in Canada on Oct. 17. Some students can hardly wait but are their universities ready? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Marijuana will become legal in Canada on Oct. 17. Some students can hardly wait but are their universities ready? In curricular terms, the institutional response has been impressive. Many Canadian universities have already begun new courses to prepare their students to thrive in the cannabis industry, which is expected to grow like a weed post-legalization. For instance, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, in British Columbia, has linked up with the federal governments National Institute for Cannabis Health and Education to offer an online course on the production and marketing of marijuana. So far, about 1,200 students have completed the eight-week diploma course. No doubt outreach programs will soon be springing up in shopping malls across the province. Its less clear, however, that universities are adequately prepared for the inevitable increase in cannabis use among students. Even without the imminent legalization, more Canadians have been using cannabis. According to Statistics Canada, use of the drug has more than doubled since 1985; in 2015, 28 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds admitted to having used it. Some Canadian campuses plan to impose blanket bans on the smoking of both tobacco and cannabis. This is in line with U.S. practice. Even the most liberal institutions in the nine states in which cannabis has been legalized, such as the University of California, dont allow students to smoke pot on their campuses because the drug remains illegal under federal law. Violating that law would imperil institutions federal funding. But Canadian universities have a choice. Its one that requires a careful consideration of the evidence around the effects of cannabis and an honest appraisal of what policy stances seem reasonable and enforceable in a permissive era. The positive spin that advocates put on smoking marijuana is well known. Students argue, for instance, that smoking weed is much safer than injecting opioids. No one will argue with that. Others claim that excessive alcohol use is far more damaging than the occasional joint. In a recent article in Macleans, a Halifax university student credited marijuana with rescuing his studies: smoking a small joint at the end of a busy day improved his sleep and, consequently, his course grades, he claimed. Nevertheless, a number of studies show that using marijuana has serious negative effects on the brains of young people, particularly on their cognitive function and their risk of developing psychosis. And many users wrongly believe that cannabiss main active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), exits the body quickly. In fact, it can be detected days later in police tests and can negatively affect academic performance. A 2012 report by Duke University shows that the earlier and the more frequently an individual uses pot, the greater their loss of intellectual function. Adults who begin using cannabis in their teens have a significant drop in their IQs by the time they are 40. Moreover, recent research shows that consuming marijuana and alcohol together can significantly increase the intoxicating effect of both substances. These consequences can be very serious for students and universities. 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. Education is not the only way to slow the consumption of marijuana, but its probably the most obvious remedy for administrators in the education business. However, students need real information that avoids both scare tactics and blanket reassurances based on unrepresentative anecdotes. A good example is Carleton Universitys web portal, which, as well as providing considerable amounts of information on marijuanas physical, cognitive and long-term health effects, also features links to advice, counselling and addiction services. Administrators can develop more realistic and effective policies by including students in discussions. Issues to be considered include whether designated pot-smoking areas should be established on campus, similar to the areas already designated for smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. Deciding such issues now, ahead of legalization, will avoid a confused winter whiteout and help keep Canadas students safe, healthy and happy though not too happy, pharmacologically speaking. Alexandra Burnett is an intern at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy in Winnipeg, where Rodney A. Clifton is senior fellow, as well as being emeritus professor at the University of Manitoba. Gabor Csepregi is professor of philosophy at the Universite de Saint-Boniface. Troy Media As hurricanes and wildfires dominate headlines and scream climate change, global leaders are emerging, taking bold action and finding new opportunities. So, where is Winnipeg in all of this? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/9/2018 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion As hurricanes and wildfires dominate headlines and scream climate change, global leaders are emerging, taking bold action and finding new opportunities. So, where is Winnipeg in all of this? Business and government leaders from around the world gathered last week in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), a high-level gathering to "celebrate the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors and citizens with respect to climate action." It highlighted a growing global consensus on the urgency and immediacy surrounding the need for bolder, stronger and more decisive action to tackle climate change. The GCAS stands out as one of the most diverse and high-profile showcases of global climate leadership to date, illustrating where and how major commitments are being made around the world, by actors large and small, public and private. More than 4,000 delegates and 600 global media were in attendance at the summit, which was coupled with hundreds of additional affiliate climate change events throughout San Francisco. This was big. And it happened on the heels of a recent day of global climate action (Sept. 8), which saw hundreds of thousands of citizens from around the world step forward and #RiseforClimate in nearly 100 countries. When following such events, one cannot help but feel a certain sense of momentum, even hope. Interestingly, cities are often the ones leading the way by picking up the torch when national and sub-national governments have not. One need look no further than C40 Cities, a global network that now includes over 90 cities, collectively representing more than 650 million people and one-quarter of the global economy. It is focused on "tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, well-being and economic opportunities of urban citizens." Driving the approach is not a fear of impending climate doom (although there are real concerns), but a positive vision for healthy, vibrant and resilient communities and economies. The notion is that what is good for people in terms of a healthy environment is also good for the economy. This approach is helping chart a new course for "decarbonized" economic growth. Cities around the world are also increasingly divesting capital from their holdings and pension funds away from fossil fuels. Recent reports show that, globally, more than 1,000 institutional investors have pledged to divest themselves of more than US$6 trillion in fossil-fuel assets. It is not only major cities such as Paris and San Francisco many others are joining the list, such as Seattle, Kansas City and even Minneapolis. The growth in this movement is exponential. To quote Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor and UN special envoy for climate action: "Most of the things that make cities better, healthier and more economically productive also reduce carbon emissions." This is about livable, walkable cities, about urban density and mixed-used neighbourhoods, about a robust small-business environment and a strong local economy, and is about healthier living all achieved by reducing carbon pollution in the air we breath. Shift back to Winnipeg, and one finds the debate rather slow to take hold. These are not trends Winnipeg has traditionally been comfortable with. So, rather than bold action and decisive leadership, we here in Winnipeg seem stuck on the sidelines, hoping for business-as-usual, seemingly waiting for some return to the safety and comfort of the familiar way. But that way was created last century, in a different time and different world. 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. As we chart a future course for our city, with an eye more keenly focused on the next century than the last, we start to see that bold climate action actually begins to solve our most immediate and pressing collective issues economically and socially. So, at a time of unprecedented challenges, we also find a seeming convergence of solutions. It is true that climate change raises difficult and uncomfortable questions for us all about our sustainability, competitiveness, health, economy, jobs, lifestyles and perhaps about our very future. The list is long. But as these growing global movements are showing, we have everything to gain. We become stronger, healthier and more competitive, while also tackling climate change. The C40 movement is a coalition of the worlds so-called "great cities," and I happen to believe that Winnipeg is also a great city, capable of being a leader in its own right. We need action and commitment from citizens, government and business alike. Opportunities to act lie right before us. A municipal election is underway, which is a great and timely occasion to push for bold leadership and decisive climate action. While the world gathered last week in San Francisco to raise its game and announce new commitments for climate action, we have an opportunity to challenge the candidates here at home. We can raise the debate and push for a defined vision. This evening, the mayoral candidates are meeting for a public debate specifically on the environmental needs of Winnipeg (University of Winnipeg, 6:30-9:30 p.m.). What a great opportunity to make a statement and press for climate leadership. Lets show up, send a message and take some bold climate action of our own. Derek Earl is a Winnipeg executive, strategist, political scientist and advisor to leading clean energy companies, economic development agencies and climate change organizations. WiGBits Headline News Would you like to receive our WiGBits? Signup today! WiG Entertainment News Would you like to receive our WiG Entertainment News? Signup today! Digital Issue Would you like to receive our Digital Issue? Signup today! editor's pick Some of Washingtons biggest trees are mysteriously dying From British Columbia to California, stands of bigleaf maples are dying, leaving bald patches in the forest canopy or even denuded hillsides. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. MAXIMUS, Inc. engages in the operation of government and human services programs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Services; U.S. Federal Services; and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers a variety of business process services, and appeals and assessments for state, provincial and national government programs. The U.S. Federal Services segment includes process solutions, program management, as well as system and software development, and maintenance services for various United States federal civilian programs. The Outside the U.S segment comprises of national, state, and county human services agencies with a variety of business process services, and related consulting services for welfare-to-work, child support, higher education institutions, and other human services programs. The company was founded by David V. Mastran in 1975 and is headquartered in Reston, VA. Read More Herc Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental supplier. It rents aerial, earthmoving, material handling, trucks and trailers, air compressors, compaction, and lighting equipment, as well as generators, and safety supplies and expendables; and provides ProSolutions, an industry specific solution based services, such as pumping solutions, power generation, climate control, remediation and restoration, and studio and production equipment. The company also sells used equipment and contractor supplies, such as construction consumables, tools, small equipment, and safety supplies; provides repair, maintenance, equipment management, and safety training services, as well as offers ancillary services, such as equipment transport, rental protection, cleaning, refueling, and labor. It serves non-residential and residential construction, specialty trade, restoration, remediation and environment, and facility maintenance contractors; industrial manufacturing industries, including automotive and aerospace, power, metals and mining, agriculture, pulp, paper and wood, food and beverage, and refineries and petrochemical industries; infrastructure and government sectors; and commercial and retail service, hospitality, healthcare, recreation, entertainment production, and special event management customers through its sales team, industry catalogs, as well as through participation and sponsorship of industry events, trade shows, and Internet. As of December 31, 2017, it operated approximately 275 locations in the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Herc Holdings Inc. is based in Bonita Springs, Florida. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected]ketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. 10 hours ago Freshpet, Inc Has Problems You Want To Own Freshpet, Inc Is Running Against The Wind Freshpet, Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) has problems but they are, ultimately, good problems to have. To start, demand for the product is so high the company literally can not keep up with it. Read Article The following companies are subsidiares of WESCO International: 1502218 Alberta Ltd., ALLNET Technologies Pty. Ltd., AXE Distribution Solutions Trinidad Ltd., Accu-Tech Corporation, Anixter (Barbados) SRL, Anixter (CIS) LLC, Anixter (Switzerland) Sarl, Anixter (U.K.) Limited, Anixter Argentina S.A., Anixter Asia Holdings Limited, Anixter Australia Pty. Ltd., Anixter Austria GmbH, Anixter Bahamas Limited, Anixter Belgium B.V.B.A., Anixter Cables y Manufacturas S.A. de C.V., Anixter Canada Inc., Anixter Canadian Holdings ULC, Anixter Chile S.A., Anixter Colombia S.A.S., Anixter Communications (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Anixter Communications (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Anixter Costa Rica S.A., Anixter Czech a.s., Anixter Danmark A/S, Anixter Deutschland GmbH, Anixter Distribuidor de Soluciones Empresariales e Industriales S.A., Anixter Distribution Ireland Limited, Anixter Dominicana SRL, Anixter Egypt LLC, Anixter Espana S.L., Anixter Eurotwo Holdings B.V., Anixter Fasteners Deutschland GmbH, Anixter Financial Inc., Anixter France SARL, Anixter Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Anixter Holdings Inc., Anixter Holdings Mexico LLC, Anixter Hong Kong Limited, Anixter Iletisim Sistemleri Pazarlama ve Ticaret A.S., Anixter Inc., Anixter India Private Limited, Anixter Information Systems LLC, Anixter International, Anixter Italia S.r.l., Anixter Jamaica Limited, Anixter Japan KK, Anixter Jorvex S.A.C., Anixter Limited, Anixter Logistica do Brasil LTDA, Anixter Logistica y Servicios S.A. de C.V., Anixter Magyarorszag Elektronikus Halozati Rendszer Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Kft, Anixter Mid Holdings B.V., Anixter Middle East FZE, Anixter Morocco SARL AU, Anixter Nederland B.V., Anixter New Zealand Limited, Anixter Norge A.N.S., Anixter Operaciones y Logistica s De RL De CV, Anixter Panama S.A., Anixter Pension Scheme Trustees Limited, Anixter Pension Trustees Limited, Anixter Peru S.A.C., Anixter Philippines Inc., Anixter Poland Sp.z.o.o., Anixter Portugal S.A., Anixter Power Solutions Canada Inc., Anixter Power Solutions Inc., Anixter Procurement Corporation, Anixter Puerto Rico Inc., Anixter Real-Estate LLC, Anixter Receivables Corporation, Anixter Saudi Arabia Limited, Anixter Singapore Pte. Ltd., Anixter Slovakia s.r.o., Anixter Sub Holdings B.V, Anixter Sverige AB, Anixter Thailand Inc., Anixter U.S. LLC, Anixter Venezuela Inc., Anixter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Anixter do Brasil Ltda, Atlanta Electrical Distributors, Atlanta Electrical Distributors LLC, Atlas Gentech (NZ) Limited, Avon Electrical Supplies, B.E.L. Corporation, Brews Supply, Brown Wholesale Electric, Bruckner Supply, CBC LP Holdings LLC, CDW Holdco LLC, Calvert Wire & Cable Corporation, Carlton-Bates Company, Carlton-Bates Company (CBC), Carlton-Bates Company de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Carlton-Bates Company of Texas GP Inc, Central Security Distribution Pty. Ltd, Communication Cables LLC, Communications Supply Corporation, Conney Investment Holdings LLC, Conney Safety Products, Conney Safety Products LLC, Distribuidora Materiales Electricos E-Supply Limitada, EECOL Electric, EECOL Electric Bolivia Ltda, EECOL Electric Corp., EECOL Electric Peru S.A.C, EECOL Industrial Electric (SudAmerica) Limitada, EECOL Industrial Electric Ecuador Limitada, EECOL Industrial Electric Limitada, EECOL Power S.A., EECOL Properties Corp, Eurinvest B.V., Eurinvest Cooperatief U.A., Fastec Industrial, HMH Pension Trustees Limited, Hazmasters, Hazmasters Inc., Herning Underground Supply, Hi-Line Utility Supply, Hi-Line Utility Supply Company LLC, Hill Country Electric Supply, Hill Country Electric Supply L.P., ICV GP Inc., Infast Group Limited, Inner Range Pty. Ltd, Itel Container Ventures Inc., Itel Corporation, Itel Rail Holdings Corporation, J-Mark Inc., LaPrairie, Liberty Wire & Cable Inc., Monti Electric Supply, Needham Electric Supply, Needham Electric Supply LLC, Obras Y Servicios Sunpark S.A.C., PT Anixter Indonesia, Potelcom Supply, Pro Canadian Holdings I ULC, RECO LLC, RS Electronics, Reily Electrical Supply, SASK Alta Holdings S.A., Services Voice Video and Data Distribution de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios Anixter S.A. de C.V., Signal Capital Corporation, Signal Capital Projects Inc., Stone Eagle Electrical Supply GP Inc., Stone Eagle Electrical Supply Limited Partnership, TVC Communications, TVC Communications L.L.C., TVC Espana Distribucion y Venta De Equipos S.L., TVC International Holding L.L.C., TVC UK Holdings Limited, Tri-Ed Puerto Rico Ltd. Inc., Trydor Industries, Voice Video and Data Distribution de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., WDC Holding Inc., WDCH LP, WDCH US LP, WDI USVI LLC, WDI-Angola LDA, WDINESCO B.V., WDINESCO II B.V., WDINESCO III B.V., WEAS Company S. de R.L., WESCO (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., WESCO Australia Pty Ltd, WESCO Canada GP Inc., WESCO Canada I LP, WESCO DC Holding I LP, WESCO DC Holding II LP, WESCO DC Holding III LP, WESCO DC Holding IV LP, WESCO Distribution Canada Co., WESCO Distribution Canada LP, WESCO Distribution HK Limited, WESCO Distribution II ULC, WESCO Distribution III ULC, WESCO Distribution IV Inc., WESCO Distribution Inc., WESCO Distribution Ireland Limited, WESCO Distribution NL B.V., WESCO Distribution Pte. Ltd., WESCO Distribution de Mexico S. de R.L., WESCO Distribution-International Limited, WESCO Enterprises Inc., WESCO Equity Corporation, WESCO Holdings LLC, WESCO Integrated Supply Inc., WESCO Integrated Supply Polska Spolka z o.o., WESCO Netherlands B.V., WESCO Nevada Ltd., WESCO Nigeria Inc., WESCO Procurement Canada ULC, WESCO Real Estate I LLC, WESCO Real Estate II LLC, WESCO Real Estate III LLC, WESCO Real Estate IV LLC, WESCO Receivables Corp., WESCO Services LLC, WESCO TLD Holdings Co. Ltd., WND Nigeria Limited, WireXpress Ltd., Xpress Connect Supply Hong Kong Limited, XpressConnect Holdings B.V., XpressConnect International B.V., XpressConnect Supply B.V.B.A., XpressConnect Supply Colombia S.A.S., XpressConnect Supply Inc., XpressConnect Supply Mexico S.A. de C.V., and XpressConnect Supply do Brasil Ltda. ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF's stock was trading at $35.13 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, HACK stock has increased by 92.5% and is now trading at $67.63. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Baker Hughes, a GE company provides integrated oilfield products, services, and digital solutions worldwide. Its Oilfield Services segment offers drilling, wireline, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention services; and drilling and completions fluids, completions tools and systems, wellbore intervention tools and services, artificial lift systems, pressure pumping systems, and oilfield and industrial chemicals for integrated oil and natural gas, and oilfield service companies. The company's Oilfield Equipment segment designs and manufactures products and services, including pressure control equipment and services, subsea production systems and services, drilling equipment, and flexible pipeline systems; and onshore and offshore drilling and production systems, and equipment for floating production platforms, as well as provides a range of services related to onshore and offshore drilling activities. Its Turbomachinery & Process Solutions segment provides equipment and related services for mechanical-drive, compression, and power-generation applications across the oil and gas industry, as well as products and services to serve the downstream segments of industry. Its product portfolio includes drivers, compressors, and turnkey solutions; and pumps, valves, and compressed natural gas and small-scale liquefied natural gas solutions. This segment serves upstream, midstream, onshore and offshore, industrial, engineering, procurement, and construction companies. The company's Digital Solutions segment provides sensor-based measurement, non-destructive testing and inspection, turbine, generator and plant controls, and condition monitoring, as well as pipeline integrity solutions for a range of industries, including oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, metals, and transportation. It serves through direct and indirect channels. The company is based in Houston, Texas. Baker Hughes, a GE company is a subsidiary of General Electric Company. Read More Conagra Brands, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks; Refrigerated and Frozen; International; and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. The Refrigerated and Frozen segment comprises branded, temperature controlled food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. The International segment consists branded food products, in various temperature states, sold in various retail and foodservice channels outside of the United States. The Foodservice segment focuses in the branded and customized food products, including meals, entrees, sauces, and a variety of custom-manufactured culinary products packaged for sale to restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the United States. The company was founded by Alva Kinney and Frank Little in 1919 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. Comerica, Inc. engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Bank, Retail Bank, Wealth Management, Finance and Other. The Commercial Bank segment involves in the middle market businesses, multinational corporations, and governmental entities by offering various products and services such as commercial loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services. The Retail Bank segment includes small business banking and personal financial services, which consist of consumer lending, consumer deposit gathering, and mortgage loan origination. The Wealth Management segment offers fiduciary services, private banking, retirement services, investment management and advisory services, investment banking and brokerage services. The Finance segment comprises corporation's securities portfolio and asset and liability management activities. The Other category consists of income and expense impact of equity and cash, tax benefits, charges of an unusual or infrequent nature that are not reflective of the n Read More Centrica plc operates as an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, North America, and internationally. The company operates through British Gas, Energy Marketing & Trading, Centrica Business Solutions, Bord GAis Energy, and Upstream segments. It supplies gas and electricity to residential customers, as well as offers energy-related services; and generates power from combined cycle gas turbines and nuclear assets. The company also provides installation, repair, and maintenance services for domestic central heating, plumbing and drains, home electrical, and gas and kitchen appliances; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, as well as offers breakdown services. In addition, it is involved in the procurement, trading, and optimization of energy; procurement and sale of LNG; and supplies energy efficiency solutions and technologies to residential customers. Further, the company produces and processes gas and oil; develops new fields to maintain reserves; constructs, owns, and exploits infrastructure; and engages in the social enterprise investment fund activities. Additionally, it provides vehicle leasing, commercial, and insurance services, as well as energy management products and services; and operates a gas storage and franchise network. The company was formerly known as Yieldtop plc and changed its name to Centrica plc in December 1996. Centrica plc was incorporated in 1995 and is based in Windsor, the United Kingdom. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. CVR Refining, LP operates as an independent petroleum refiner and marketer of transportation fuels in the United States. The company owns and operates a complex full coking medium-sour crude oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas; and a complex crude oil refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. It also controls and operates logistics assets, including approximately 570 miles of owned and leased pipelines; approximately 130 crude oil transports; a network of crude oil gathering tank farms; and approximately 6.4 million barrels of owned and leased crude oil storage capacity, as well as approximately 4.6 million barrels of combined refined products and feedstocks storage capacity. In addition, the company owns 170,000 barrels per day pipeline system that transports crude oil from Broome Station facility to Coffeyville refinery; approximately 1.5 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity, which supports the gathering system and Coffeyville refinery; approximately 0.9 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity at Wynnewood refinery; and approximately 1.5 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity in Cushing, Oklahoma, as well as leases crude oil storage capacity of approximately 2.3 million barrels in Cushing and approximately 0.2 million barrels in Duncan, Oklahoma. CVR Refining GP, LLC operates as the general partner of CVR Refining, LP. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in Sugar Land, Texas. CVR Refining, LP is a subsidiary of CVR Energy, Inc. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of BlackRock: Acero Cooperatief U.A., Acero Holdings I B.V., Amethyst Merger Sub LLC, AnalytX Hosting LLC, AnalytX LLC, AnalytX Software LLC, Aperio, Aperio, Aquila Heywood, Asia-Pacific Private Credit Opportunities Fund I (GenPar) Ltd., BAA Holdings LLC, BFM Holdco LLC, BLK (Gallatin) Holdings LLC, BLK SMI LLC, BR Acquisition Mexico S.A. de C.V., BR Jersey International Holdings L.P., Beijing eFront Software Company Limited, BlackRock (Barbados) Finco 1 SRL, BlackRock (Channel Islands) Limited, BlackRock (Luxembourg) S.A., BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco II Pte. Ltd., BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Limited, BlackRock (Singapore) Limited, BlackRock AP Investment Holdco LLC, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, BlackRock Advisors LLC, BlackRock Advisors Singapore Pte. Limited, BlackRock Alternative Advisors GP Holdings LLC, BlackRock Alternatives Management LLC, BlackRock Argentina Asesorias Ltda., BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG, BlackRock Asset Management International Inc., BlackRock Asset Management Investor Services Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Asset Management UK Limited, BlackRock Australia Holdco Pty. Ltd., BlackRock Brasil Gestora de Investimentos Ltda., BlackRock Cal 1 Investor LLC, BlackRock Canada Holdings LP, BlackRock Canada Holdings ULC, BlackRock Capital Holdings Inc., BlackRock Capital Investment Advisors LLC, BlackRock Capital Management Inc., BlackRock Cayco Limited, BlackRock Cayman 1 LP, BlackRock Cayman Capital Holdings Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco 2 Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco 3 Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay IV Limited, BlackRock Cayman Z Limited, BlackRock Channel Islands Holdco Limited, BlackRock Chile Asesorias Limitada, BlackRock Colombia Holdco LLC, BlackRock Colombia Infraestructura S.A.S., BlackRock Colombia SAS, BlackRock Company Secretarial Services (UK) Limited, BlackRock Corporation US Inc., BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc., BlackRock Enterprise Management Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Europe Development Management Limited, BlackRock Execution Services, BlackRock Finance Europe Limited, BlackRock Financial Management Inc., BlackRock Finco LLC, BlackRock Finco UK Ltd., BlackRock First Partner Limited, BlackRock France SAS, BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Fund Management Company S.A., BlackRock Fund Managers Limited, BlackRock Funding International Ltd., BlackRock Funds Services Group LLC, BlackRock Germany GmBH, BlackRock Group Limited, BlackRock HK Holdco Limited, BlackRock Holdco 2 Inc., BlackRock Holdco 3 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 4 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 5 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 6 LLC, BlackRock Hungary Kft, BlackRock Index Services LLC, BlackRock Infrastructure Management I LLC, BlackRock Institutional Services Inc., BlackRock Institutional Trust Company National Association, BlackRock International Holdings Inc., BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Dublin) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Korea) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Investment Management (Taiwan) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management Ireland Holdings Limited, BlackRock Investment Management LLC, BlackRock Investments LLC, BlackRock Japan Co. Ltd., BlackRock Japan Holdings GK, BlackRock Jersey Finco 2 Limited, BlackRock Latin America Holdco LLC, BlackRock Latin American Holdings B.V., BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock Lux Finco S.a r.l., BlackRock Luxembourg Holdco S.a r.l., BlackRock Mexican Holdco B.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura I S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura II S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura III S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager II S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager III S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager S de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Operadora S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, BlackRock Mortgage Ventures LLC, BlackRock Niagara LLC, BlackRock Operations (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., BlackRock Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock PC Holdings LLC, BlackRock Pensions Limited, BlackRock Peru Asesorias S.A., BlackRock Property Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Property France S.a.r.l., BlackRock Property Lux S.a.r.l., BlackRock Property Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., BlackRock Realty Advisors Inc., BlackRock Saudi Arabia, BlackRock Scale Holdings LLC, BlackRock Services India Private Limited, BlackRock Singapore III Pte. Ltd., BlackRock Slovakia s.r.o., BlackRock Strategic Investors GP LLC, BlackRock Strategic Investors LP, BlackRock Trident Holding Company Limited, BlackRock UK (Alpha) Limited, BlackRock UK (Beta) Limited, BlackRock UK (Delta) LP, BlackRock UK (Gamma) Limited, BlackRock UK (Sigma) Limited, BlackRock UK 2 LLP, BlackRock UK 3 LLP, BlackRock UK 4 LLP, BlackRock UK A LLP, BlackRock UK Holdco 2 Limited, BlackRock UK Holdco Limited, Blackhawk Investment Holding LLC, CIE Automotive, Cachematrix Holdings, Cachematrix Holdings LLC, Cachematrix Integrations Private Limited, Cachematrix Software Solutions LLC, Cachematrix UK Limited, FutureAdvisor Inc., Glass Mountain Pipeline, Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Advisors LLC, Global Energy & Power Infrastructure II Advisors LLC, Grosvenor Alternate Partner Limited, Grosvenor Ventures Limited, HLX Financial Holdings LLC, MGPA (Bermuda) Limited, MGPA (Exec) Limited, MGPA Limited, Mercury Carry Company Ltd., Mercury Private Equity MUST 3 (Jersey) Limited, Object Capital Technology Inc., Phoenix Acquisition B.V., Phoenix Acquisitions Holdings LLC, Portfolio Administration & Management Ltd., Prestadora de Servicios Integrales BlackRock Mexico S.A. de C.V., SVOF/MM LLC, St. Albans House Nominees (Jersey) Ltd., State Street Research & Management, Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC, Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC, Tlali Acero S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Trident Merger LLC, eFront, eFront, eFront (Jersey) Limited, eFront DMLT Holdings LLC, eFront DMLT Holdings S.R.L, eFront DR S.R.L, eFront Do Brasil Solucoes Informaticas Para Sistemas Financeiros Ltda., eFront FZ-LLC, eFront Financial Solutions Inc., eFront GmbH, eFront Holding II SAS, eFront Holdings SAS, eFront Hong Kong Limited, eFront II SAS, eFront Kabushiki Kaisha, eFront Ltd, eFront SAS, eFront Singapore Pte. Ltd, eFront Software Luxembourg S.a r.l., eFront Solutions Financeieres Inc., eFront d.o.o. Beograd, iShares (DE) I Investmentaktiengesellschaft mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, and iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC. HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial products and services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking products and services, such as current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services for ultra high net worth individuals; and wealth management services, including insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions. The Commercial Banking segment provides credit and lending, treasury management, payment, cash management, commercial insurance, and investment services, as well as commercial cards, and international trade and receivables finance services; and foreign exchange products, and capital raising and advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises, mid-market enterprises, and corporates. The Global Banking and Markets segment is involved in the provision of financing, advisory, and transaction services, including credit, rates, foreign exchange, equities, money markets, and securities services, as well as principal investment activities to government, corporate and institutional clients, and private investors. The Global Private Banking segment provides a range of services to high net worth individuals and families with complex and international needs. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA engages in the traditional banking businesses of retail banking, asset management, private banking, and wholesale banking. It operates through the following segments: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and Rest of Eurasia. The Spain segment includes mainly the banking and insurance business that the group carries out in Spain. The United States segment consists of the financial business activity of BBVA USA in the country and the activity of the branch of BBVA SA in New York. The Mexico segment refers to banking and insurance businesses in this country as well as the activity of its branch in Houston. The Turkey segment reports the activity of Garanti BBVA group that is mainly carried out in this country and, to a lesser extent, in Romania and the Netherlands. The South America segment comprises of operations in n Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Rest of Eurasia segment includes the banking business activity carried out by the group in Europe and Asia, excluding Spain. The company was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Read More DHX Media Ltd. develops, produces, distributes, broadcasts, and licenses television and film programs for conventional and specialty terrestrial and cable/satellite television broadcasters worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Content Business, DHX Television, and Consumer Products Represented. It focuses on children's, youth, and family productions; offers animation programs; and provides production services. The company also sells initial broadcast rights; the packages of programs; and reuse rights to existing series to individual broadcasters and other content exhibitors, as well as pre-sells series in development. In addition, the company holds broadcast licenses for Family Channel, Family Jr., Telemagino, and Family CHRGD television channels; and exploits the company's own and third party brands in toys, games, apparel, publishing, and other categories. Further, it licenses its brands, such as Peanuts, Strawberry Shortcake, Teletubbies, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, Johnny Test, In the Night Garden, and Twirlywoos, as well as music publishing and retransmission rights, and live tours. The company was formerly known as The Halifax Film Company Limited and changed its name to DHX Media Ltd. in March 2006. DHX Media Ltd. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada. Read More Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. operates as an independent specialty pharmacy in the United States. The company operates through Specialty and PBM (pharmacy benefit management) segment. It provides specialty infusion pharmacy, patient care coordination, clinical, compliance and persistency program, patient financial assistance, specialty pharmacy training, benefits investigation, prior authorization, risk evaluation and medication strategy, retail specialty, and hub services, as well as clinical and administrative support services to hospitals and health systems. The company primarily focuses on medication management programs for individuals with complex chronic diseases, including oncology, immunology, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, specialized infusion therapy, and various other serious or long-term conditions. It also offers PBM services, including electronic point-of-sale pharmacy claims management, retail pharmacy network management, mail pharmacy claims management, specialty pharmacy claims management, Medicare Part D services, benefit design consultation, drug review and analysis, consulting services, data access, and reporting, information analysis, and preferred drug management programs to managed care organizations, self-insured employer groups, unions, and third-party healthcare plan administrators and worker's compensation payers. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Flint, Michigan. Read More Embraer SA engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of aircraft and its parts for commercial, defense, and executive aviation sectors. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Aviation, Defense and Security, Executive Jet Business, Service & Support and Others. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production, and sale of commercial jets; and the provision of support services to regional aviation and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security segment engages in research, development, production, modification, and support for defense and security aircrafts, as well as other integrated products and solutions including satellites and information and communication systems. The Executive Jet Business segment deals with the development, manufacture, and sale of executive jets. The Service & Support segment provides after-service solutions and support to its customers through a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and competitive solutions to ensure operational efficiency of products manufactured by Embraer and by other aircraft manufacturers, extending the useful life of commercial, executive and defense aircraft. The Others segment refers to Read More The following companies are subsidiares of EnerSys: ABSL Power Solutions Inc., ABSL Power Solutions Ltd., Acumuladores Industriales EnerSys SA, Alpha Alternative Energy Inc., Alpha Broadband Services Inc., Alpha Innovations Industria e Comercio de Produtos Eletronicos Ltda., Alpha Innovations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alpha Mexico Network Power S.A. de C.V., Alpha Tech Energy Solutions India Private Limited, Alpha Technical Services Ltd., Alpha Technologies Ltd., Alpha Technologies Pty. Ltd., Alpha Technologies Services Inc., Alphatec Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Argus Research Ltd., Batterias Hawker de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Battery Power International Pte Ltd., Coppervale Enterprises Inc., DCPM Engineering Sdn Bhd, EH Batterien AG, EH Europe GmbH, EH Global Holdings GmbH, EH Swiss Holdings GmbH, ENAS Industrial Batteries Morocco Sarl, EnerSys (Chaozhou) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (China) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Chongqing) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Jiangsu) Huada Batteries Company Limited (94.7%) *, EnerSys (Luxembourg) Finance Sarl, EnerSys (Yangzhou) Huada Batteries Co. Ltd., EnerSys A/S, EnerSys AB, EnerSys AD, EnerSys AE, EnerSys AS, EnerSys Advanced Systems Inc., EnerSys Argentina S.A., EnerSys Asia Limited, EnerSys Australia Pty Ltd., EnerSys BV, EnerSys BVBA, EnerSys Battery Private Limited, EnerSys Brasil Ltda., EnerSys Bulgaria EOOD, EnerSys Canada Inc., EnerSys Capital Inc., EnerSys Cayman Euro L.P., EnerSys Cayman Holdings L.P., EnerSys Cayman Inc., EnerSys Delaware Inc., EnerSys Delaware LLC I, EnerSys Delaware LLC II, EnerSys Delaware LLC III, EnerSys Delaware LLC IV, EnerSys Delaware LLC V, EnerSys Energy Products Inc., EnerSys Europe Oy, EnerSys European Holding Co., EnerSys GmbH, EnerSys Holdings (Luxembourg) Sarl, EnerSys Holdings UK Ltd., EnerSys Hungaria Kft., EnerSys India Batteries Private Ltd., EnerSys JSC, EnerSys LLC, EnerSys Ltd., EnerSys Malaysia Sdn Bhd, EnerSys Mexico Holdings LLC, EnerSys Mexico Management LLC, EnerSys Participacoes Ltda., EnerSys Reserve Power Pte. Ltd., EnerSys S.r.l., EnerSys SARL, EnerSys SNC, EnerSys South East Asia Pte. Ltd., EnerSys de Mexico II S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys de Mexico S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys s.r.o., EnerSys sp. z o.o., EnerSystem Chile Ltda., Enersys Aku Sanaya Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Esfinco LLC, Hawker GmbH, Hawker Power Systems Inc., Hawker Powersource Inc., Hawker Systems GmbH & Co. KG., ICS Industries Pty Ltd, ICS Industries Pty Ltd., ICS Sheet Metal Pty Ltd., Industrial Battery Holding Ltda., International Communication Shelters Australasia Pty Ltd., Lancord Pty Ltd., Lenmic Pty Ltd., MIB Energy Sdn Bhd, N Holding AB, National Infrastructure Pty Ltd., National Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd., NaviSemi Energy Pte Ltd., NaviSemi Inc., New Pacifico Realty Inc., NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery DMCC, Outback Power Technologies Inc., Powercom (NSW) Pty Ltd., Powersonic S de R.L. de CV, Purcell Systems, Purcell Systems Inc., Purcell Systems International AB, Quallion LLC, Riverfront Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Shenzhen Huada Power Supply Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd. , SiteTel Shanghai Co Ltd., SiteTel Sweden AB, Telecomponents & Supply (Hong Kong) Ltd., The Enser Corporation, UTS Holdings Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (JB) Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (PG) Sdn Bhd, YCI Inc., and Yecoltd S. de R.L. de CV. Earnings Growth Earnings for Esterline Technologies are expected to grow by 1.73% in the coming year, from $4.62 to $4.70 per share. Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market The P/E ratio of Esterline Technologies is 29.37, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 14.27. Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector The P/E ratio of Esterline Technologies is 29.37, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Aerospace sector average P/E ratio of about 24.21. Price to Earnings Growth Ratio Esterline Technologies has a PEG Ratio of 2.78. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued. Ellie Mae, Inc. provides cloud-based platform for the mortgage finance industry in the United States. It provides Encompass, an enterprise solution that engages in running the business of originating mortgages, including marketing and lead management; loan origination and processing; underwriting; preparation of mortgage applications, disclosure agreements, and closing documents; loan funding and closing; compliance with regulatory and investor requirements; and enterprise management. The company's Encompass Digital Lending Platform helps lenders and investors across their workflow from the prospective customers to the point of loan delivery. In addition, the company provides education and training services; professional and technical support services; and loan product, policy, and guideline data and analytics services. Ellie Mae, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Read More Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo Read More Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Lennar: 360 Developers LLC, Alliance Financial Services Inc., Ann Arundel Farms Ltd., Aquaterra Utilities Inc., Arbor Mill Veteran Project 2018 LLC, Asbury Woods L.L.C., Astoria Options LLC, Autumn Creek Development Ltd., Aylon LLC, Azusa Associates LLC, B2 Milpitas LLC, BB Investment Holdings LLC, BCI Properties LLC, BMR Communities LLC, BMR Construction Inc., BMTD LLC, BPH I LLC, Bainebridge 249 LLC, Bay Colony Expansion 369 Ltd., Bellagio Lennar LLC, Belle Meade LEN Holdings LLC, Belle Meade Partners LLC, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, Blue Horizons Estates LLC, Bonterra Lennar LLC, Bramalea California Inc., Bressi Gardenlane LLC, Breton Park Lennar LLC, CAP IL 1 LLC, CL Ventures LLC, CML INACTIVE LLC, CML-MO HAF LLC, CML-MO HAF PARKING LLC, CP Block 6aS LLC, CP Block 8aS LLC, CP Block 9aS LLC, CP Center Apartments LLC, CP Center Garage LLC, CP Red Oak Partners Ltd., CP Vertical Development Co. 1 LLC, CP/HPS Development Co. GP LLC, CP/HPS Development Co.-C LLC, CPFE LLC, CPHP Development LLC, CalAtlantic Financial Services Inc., CalAtlantic Group, CalAtlantic Group Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Arizona Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Georgia Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Texas Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Washington Inc., CalAtlantic Mortgage Inc., CalAtlantic National Title Solutions LLC, CalAtlantic Title Agency LLC, CalAtlantic Title Group LLC, CalAtlantic Title Inc., CalAtlantic Title LLC, CalAtlantic Title of Maryland Inc., Camarillo Village Park LLC, Cambria L.L.C., Candlestick Retail Member LLC, Cardiovascular Medical Specialists LLC, Carolina Blue LLC, Carson 175 LLC, Cary Woods LLC, Casa Marina Development LLC, Central Park West Holdings LLC, Cherrytree II LLC, Club Bonterra Lennar LLC, Coco Palm 82 LLC, Colonial Heritage LLC, Columbia National Risk Retention Group Inc., Commonwealth Incentive Fee LLC, Concord Station LLP, Coventry L.L.C., Creekside Crossing L.L.C., Crest at Fondren Investor LLC, DBJ Holdings LLC, DCA Financial LLC, DTC Holdings of Florida LLC, Darcy-Joliet L.L.C., Durrell 33 LLC, EL Ventures LLC, EV LLC, Eagle Bend Commercial LLC, Eagle Home Mortgage LLC, Estates Seven LLC, Evergreen Village LLC, F&R QVI Home Investments USA LLC, FLORDADE LLC, Faria Preserve LLC, Fidelity Guaranty and Acceptance Corp., Fidelity Land LLC, Fox-Maple Associates LLC, Friendswood Development Company LLC, GDI MANAGER LLC, Garco Investments LLC, Greystone Construction Inc., Greystone Homes of Nevada Inc., Greystone Nevada Holdings LLC, Greystone Nevada LLC, Greywall Club L.L.C., HCC Investors LLC, HPS Development Co. LP, HPS Vertical Development Co. LLC, HPS Vertical Development Co.-B LP, HPS Vertical Development Co.-D/E LLC, HPS1 Block 1 LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3B LLC, HPS1 Block 50 LLC, HPS1 Block 51 LLC, HPS1 Block 52 LLC, HPS1 Block 53 LLC, HPS1 Block 54 LLC, HPS1 Block 55 LLC, HPS1 Block 56/57 LLC, HSP Arizona Inc., HTC Golf Club LLC, Hammocks Lennar LLC, Harbor Highlands Group LLC, Harveston LLC, Haverton L.L.C., Heathcote Commons LLC, Heritage Pkwy East Holdings LLC, Heritage of Auburn Hills L.L.C., Hewitts Landing Trustee LLC, Hingham Properties LLC, Huntley Venture L.L.C., Inactive Companies LLC, Independence L.L.C., Independence Orlando LLC, Isles at Bayshore Club LLC, KMC Real Estate Investors LLC, Kendall Hammocks Commercial LLC, Kentuckiana Medical Center LLC, Kingman Lennar LLC, LB/L Duc III Antioch 330 LLC, LCD Asante LLC, LCI Downtown Doral Investor LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor GP LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor LP LLC, LEN - Belle Meade LLC, LEN - OBS Windemere LLC, LEN - Palm Vista LLC, LEN BPT Investor LLC, LEN Mirada Investor LLC, LEN Notarize Investor LLC, LEN OT Holdings LLC, LEN Paradise Cable LLC, LEN Paradise Operating LLC, LEN-CG South LLC, LEN-Cypress Mill LLC, LEN-Ryan 1 LLC, LEN-Touchstone LLC, LENH I LLC, LENNAR HOMES OF TENNESSEE LLC, LFS Holding Company LLC, LH Eastwind LLC, LHI Renaissance LLC, LMC 10th & Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 144th and Grant Investor LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Holdings LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Investor LLC, LMC 360 Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 410 S Wabash Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Investor LLC, LMC 8th Avenue Apartment Investor LLC, LMC 990 Bannock Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Investor LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Holdings LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Investor LLC, LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC, LMC Build to Core III Investor LLC, LMC Build to Core III LLC, LMC Burnside Holdings LLC, LMC 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Union REIT-DC LP, LMV ATown REIT-DC LP, LMV Annapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Apache Terrace REIT-DC LP, LMV Block 42 REIT-DC LP, LMV Bloomington REIT-DC LP, LMV Bolingbrook REIT-DC LP (DE), LMV Central at McDowell REIT-DC LP, LMV East Village I REIT-DC LP, LMV Edina REIT-DC LP, LMV Fremont WS I REIT-DC LP, LMV Glisan REIT-DC LP, LMV Grand Bay REIT-DC LP, LMV II Grand Bay Pod V Holdings LP, LMV II Kierland Holdings LP, LMV II NoMo Holdings LP, LMV II Venture Developer LLC, LMV II Wynwood Holdings LP, LMV Kirkland REIT-DC LP, LMV Little Italy REIT-DC LP, LMV M Tower REIT-DC LP, LMV Millenia II REIT-DC LP, LMV Milpitas REIT-DC LP, LMV NE Minneapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Oak Park REIT-DC LP, LMV One20Fourth REIT-DC LP, LMV QR Build to Core Manager LLC, LMV Rio Bravo REIT-DC LP, LMV Scottsdale Quarter REIT-DC LP, LMV Tysons REIT-DC LP, LMV Vallagio III REIT-DC LP, LMV Victory Block G REIT-DC LP, LMV Warren Street REIT-DC LP, LNC Communities II LLC, LNC Communities IV LLC, LNC Communities V LLC, LNC Communities VI LLC, LNC Communities VII LLC, LNC Communities VIII LLC, LNC Pennsylvania Realty Inc., LNC at Meadowbrook LLC, LNC at Ravenna LLC, LS College Park LLC, LS Terracina LLC, LV Opendoor Investor LLC, LV Opendoor JV LLC, LW D'Andrea LLC, Lagoon Valley Residential LLC, Lakelands at Easton L.L.C., Legends Club LLC, Legends Golf Club LLC, Len - Little Harbor LLC, Len FW Investor LLC, Len Paradise LLC, Len-Angeline LLC, Len-Hawks Point LLC, Len-Land LLC, Len-Land West LLC, Len-MN LLC, Len-Verandahs LLP, LenCom LLC, LenFive LLC, LenFive Opco GP LLC, LenFive Sub III LLC, LenFive Sub LLC, LenFive Sub Opco GP LLC, Lenalto CMBS LLC, Lencraft LLC, Lennar Aircraft I LLC, Lennar Arizona Construction Inc., Lennar Arizona Inc., Lennar Associates Management Holding Company, Lennar Associates Management LLC, Lennar Avenue One LLC, Lennar Berkeley LLC, Lennar Bevard LLC, Lennar Bridges LLC, Lennar Buffington Colorado Crossing L.P., Lennar Buffington Zachary Scott L.P., Lennar Carolinas LLC, Lennar Central Park LLC, Lennar Central Region Sweep Inc., Lennar Chicago Inc., Lennar Cobra LLC, Lennar Colgate Urban Renewal Development LLC, Lennar Colorado LLC, Lennar Colorado Minerals LLC, Lennar Commercial LLC, Lennar Communities Development Inc., Lennar Communities Inc., Lennar Communities Nevada LLC, Lennar Communities of Chicago L.L.C., Lennar Concord LLC, Lennar Construction Inc., Lennar Cory Road LLC, Lennar Courts LLC, Lennar Developers Inc., Lennar Ewing LLC, Lennar Financial Services LLC, Lennar Flamingo LLC, Lennar Fresno Inc., Lennar Gardens LLC, Lennar Georgia Inc., Lennar Greer Ranch Venture LLC, Lennar Heritage Fields LLC, Lennar Hingham Holdings LLC, Lennar Hingham JV LLC, Lennar Homes Holding LLC, Lennar Homes LLC, Lennar Homes NJ LLC, Lennar Homes of Arizona Inc., Lennar Homes of California Inc., Lennar Homes of Indiana Inc., Lennar Homes of Texas Land and Construction Ltd., Lennar Homes of Texas Sales and Marketing Ltd., Lennar Homes of Utah Inc., Lennar International Holding LLC, Lennar International LLC, Lennar Lakeside Investor LLC, Lennar Layton LLC, Lennar Living LLC, Lennar Lytle LLC, Lennar MF Holdings LLC, Lennar MPA LLC, Lennar MPA WIP LLC, Lennar Mare Island LLC, Lennar Marina A Funding LLC, Lennar Massachusetts Properties Inc., Lennar Middletown LLC, Lennar Monmouth Redevelopers LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Victory Block G Mezz LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily Builders LLC, Lennar Multifamily Communities LLC, Lennar Multifamily Venture DC LP, Lennar New Jersey Holdings LLC, Lennar New Jersey Properties Inc., Lennar New York LLC, Lennar Northeast Properties LLC, Lennar 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and Broadway Holdings LLC, Menifee Development LLC, Mid-County Utilities Inc., Miralago West Lennar LLC, Mission Viejo 12S Venture LP, Mission Viejo Holdings Inc., Motomic Diagnostics LLC, Multibank 2009-1 CML-ADC Venture LLC, Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture LLC, NC Properties I LLC, NC Properties II LLC, North American Asset Development LLC, Northbridge L.L.C., OHC/Ascot Belle Meade LLC, One SR L.P., PD-Len Boca Raton LLC, PG Properties Holding LLC, POMAC LLC, PT Metro LLC, Pace Drive Holdings LLC, Palm Gardens At Doral Clubhouse LLC, Palm Gardens at Doral LLC, Palm Springs Classic LLC, Palm Vista Preserve LLC, Patuxent Infrastructure Inc., Pioneer Meadows Development LLC, Pioneer Meadows Investments LLC, Plaza Condominium Ventures LLC, Portside Marina Developers L.L.C., Portside SM Associates L.L.C., Portside SM Holdings L.L.C., Portside Shipyard Developers L.L.C., Prestonfield L.L.C., Quail Roost Lennar LLC, RCCF GP II LLC, RCCF GP III LLC, RCCF GP IV LLC, RCCF GP LLC, RES-FL EIGHT LLC, RES-FL SEVEN LLC, RES-FL VISION ONE LLC, RES-FL VISION TWO LLC, RES-GA CASCADE LLC, RES-GA DIAMOND MEADOWS LLC, RES-GA KAP LLC, RES-GA SOUTHERN PLANTATION LLC, RES-GA THIRTEEN LLC, RES-GA TWELVE LLC, RES-GA WEST LLC, RES-IL ONE LLC, RES-NC ONE LLC, RES-PA LSJ LLC, RES-PA POM LLC, RES-TX BOULEVARD LLC, RH Insurance Company Inc., RH MOA BBCMS 2017-C1 LLC, RH MOA CF 2017-C8 LLC, RH MOA LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C4 LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C6 LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 CLASS B LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 LLC, RL BB FINANCIAL LLC, RL BB INACTIVE LLC, RL BB-AL LLC, RL BB-FL ALHI LLC, RL BB-GA LLC, RL BB-GA RMH LLC, RL BB-IL LLC, RL BB-IN AA LLC, RL BB-IN KRE LLC, RL BB-IN KRE OP LLC, RL BB-IN KRE RE LLC, RL BB-MS LLC, RL BB-NC LLC, RL BB-OH LLC, RL BB-SC BROOKSA LLC, RL BB-SC CLR II LLC, RL BB-SC CLR III LLC, RL BB-SC CLR IV LLC, RL BB-SC CLR LLC, RL BB-SC CRRC LLC, RL BB-SC RACEDAY LLC, RL BB-TN BRISTOL LLC, RL BB-TN LLC, RL BB-TN RACEDAY TOWER LLC, RL BB-TX LLC, RL BB-WV LLC, RL CMBS Holdings LLC, RL CML 2009-1 Investments LLC, RL REGI ARKANSAS LLC, RL REGI Alabama LLC, RL REGI FINANCIAL LLC, RL REGI Florida LLC, RL REGI GEORGIA LLC, RL REGI INACTIVE LLC, RL REGI KANSAS LLC, RL REGI MISSISSIPPI LLC, RL REGI MISSOURI LLC, RL REGI NORTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI SOUTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI TENNESSEE LLC, RL REGI VIRGINIA LLC, RL REGI-AL HP LLC, RL REGI-AL VRC LLC, RL REGI-FL CRC LLC, RL REGI-FL ESH LLC, RL REGI-FL FT. PIERCE LLC, RL REGI-FL GDL LLC, RL REGI-FL ITALIA LLC, RL REGI-FL MRED LLC, RL REGI-FL RDI LLC, RL REGI-FL SARASOTA LLC, RL REGI-FL TPL LLC, RL REGI-FL VARC LLC, RL REGI-GA DRAD LLC, RL REGI-GA HAY DB LLC, RL REGI-GA MHU LLC, RL REGI-GA MPD LLC, RL REGI-GA RLR LLC, RL REGI-MO GMB LLC, RL REGI-MO MOSCOW MILLS LLC, RL REGI-MS Double H LLC, RL REGI-MS OCEAN SPRINGS LLC, RL REGI-NC CIL LLC, RL REGI-NC LITTLE WING LLC, RL REGI-NC MLD LLC, RL REGI-NC Mland LLC, RL REGI-NC RALEIGH LLC, RL REGI-NC SUGARM LLC, RL REGI-NM LLC, RL REGI-SC CTL LLC, RL REGI-SC LAKE E LLC, RL REGI-SC TDG LLC, RL REGI-SC TIG LLC, RL REGI-TN OAK LLC, RL REGI-TN SEVIERVILLE LLC, RL RES 2009-1 Investments LLC, RMF Alliance LLC, RMF Commercial LLC, RMF PR New York LLC, RMF Partner LLC, RMF SUB 1 LLC, RMF SUB 2 LLC, RMF SUB 3 LLC, RMF SUB 4 LLC, RMF SUB 5 LLC, RMV LLC, Raintree Village II L.L.C., Raintree Village L.L.C., Ral-Len BM LLC, Ral-Len LLC, Rannel Capital WeWork Series D LLC, Rannel Holdings LLC, Rannel Interests LLC, Rannel Investments LLC, Rannel Mortgage Investments LLC, Rannel Proprietary Investments LLC, Renaissance Joint Venture, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove II LLC, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove LLC, Reserve at River Park LLC, Reserve at South Harrison LLC, Rialto Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Rialto Credit Partnership GP LLC, Rialto Mezz Partners GP LLC, Rialto Mortgage Finance LLC, Rialto Partners GP II LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Debt LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Property LLC, Rialto Partners GP LLC, Rialto RSSF GP LLC, Riverwalk at Lago Mar LLC, Rocking Horse Minerals LLC, Rutenberg Homes Inc. (Florida), Rutenberg Homes of Texas Inc., Rye Hill Company LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada Holdings LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada LLC, Ryland Homes of California Inc., S. Florida Construction II LLC, S. Florida Construction III LLC, S. Florida Construction LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve South LLC, SPIC CPCO Inc., SPIC CPDB Inc., SPIC CPRB Inc., SPIC Del Sur LLC, SPIC Dublin LLC, SPIC Mesa LLC, SPIC NC Fremont LLC, SPIC Otay LLC, SPIC Springs LLC, San Felipe Indemnity Co. Ltd., San Lucia LLC, San Simeon Lennar LLC, Schulz Ranch Developers LLC, Seminole/70th LLC, Siena at Old Orchard L.L.C., Sierra Vista Communities LLC, Silver Springs Lennar LLC, South Development LLC, Southbank Holding LLC, Spanish Springs Development LLC, St. Charles Active Adult Community LLC, St. Charles Community LLC, Standard Pacific 1 Inc., Standard Pacific Investment Corp., Standard Pacific of Colorado Inc., Standard Pacific of Florida, Standard Pacific of Florida GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Las Vegas Inc., Standard Pacific of Orange County Inc., Standard Pacific of Tampa GP, Standard Pacific of Tampa GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Tonner Hills LLC, Standard Pacific of Walnut Hills Inc., Standard Pacific of the Carolinas LLC, Stoney Holdings LLC, Storey Lake Club LLC, Storey Park Club LLC, Strategic Holdings Inc., Strategic Technologies LLC, Summerfield Venture L.L.C., SunStreet Energy Group LLC, SunStreet Manager LLC, TCO QVI LLC, TICD Hold Co. LLC, TIH Hold Co. LLC, Talega Associates LLC, Temecula Valley LLC, Terra Division LLC, Terra/Winding Creek LLC, The Baywinds Land Trust, The Bridges Club at Rancho Santa Fe Inc., The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe Sales Company Inc., The LNC Northeast Group Inc., The Oasis Club at LEN-CG South LLC, The Preserve at Coconut Creek LLC, The Vistas Club at LEN-CG South LLC, Titlezoom Company, Treasure Island Holdings LLC, Treasure Island Member LLC, Treviso Holding LLC, Two Lakes Lennar LLC, U.S. Home Corporation, U.S. Home Realty Inc., U.S. Home of Arizona Construction Co., U.S. Insurors Inc., U.S.H. Realty Inc., UAMC Holding Company LLC, UB 2018C14 MOA LLC, USH - Flag LLC, USH Equity Corporation, USH LEE LLC, USH Leasing II LLC, USH Leasing LLC, UST Lennar HW Scala SF Joint Venture, VII Crown Farm Investor LLC, Venetian Lennar LLC, Vineyard Land LLC, Vineyard Point 2009 LLC, Vista Palms Clubhouse LLC, WCI Communities, WCI Communities Inc., WCI Communities LLC, WCI Towers Northeast USA Inc., WCI Westshore LLC, WCP LLC, WIP Lennar OHB LLC, Waterview at Hanover LLC, West Lake Village LLC, West Seattle Project X LLC, West Van Buren L.L.C., Westchase Inc., Westchase Ltd., Westfield Homes USA Inc., White Course Lennar LLC, Wild Plum JV LLC, Willowbrook Investors LLC, Winncrest Natomas LLC, Woodbridge Multifamily Developer I LLC, Wright Farm L.L.C., and YLRichards4Acres 2015 LLC. The Hershey Co. engages in the manufacture and market of chocolate and sugar confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America; and International and Other. The North America segment is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada. The International and Other segment is the combination of all other operating segments which are not individually material, including those geographic regions where the company operates outside of North America. Its brands include Hershey's, Reese's, and Kisses. The company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 and is headquartered in Hershey, PA. Read More Imperial Brands PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, markets, and sells tobacco and tobacco-related products. It offers a range of cigarettes, fine cut and smokeless tobacco, papers, and cigars; and next generation product (NGP) portfolio, such as e-vapour products, as well as oral nicotine and heated tobacco products. The company sells its products under various brands, including Davidoff, Gauloises, JPS, West, L&B, Bastos, Fine, Winston, News, Parker & Simpson, blu, Kool, Horizon, Jade, Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta, Backwoods, Skruf, Golden Virginia, Rizla, and Knox in approximately 160 countries worldwide. It also provides logistics services that include the distribution of tobacco and NGP products for tobacco and NGP product manufacturers; and various non-tobacco and NGP products and services. In addition, the company is involved in the management of a golf course; marketing of papers; restaurant business; distribution of pharmaceuticals, POS software, and published materials and other products; printing and publishing activities; and provision of long haul transportation, industrial parcel and express delivery, advertising, and support management services. Further, it owns the trademarks; and retails its products. The company was formerly known as Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and changed its name to Imperial Brands PLC in February 2016. Imperial Brands PLC was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Bristol, the United Kingdom. Read More Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF's stock was trading at $25.82 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, PCY shares have increased by 5.0% and is now trading at $27.12. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iShares Global 100 ETF shares split before market open on Wednesday, May 2nd 2018. The 2-1 split was announced on Thursday, March 29th 2018. The newly minted shares were distributed to shareholders after the market closes on Tuesday, May 1st 2018. An investor that had 100 shares of iShares Global 100 ETF stock prior to the split would have 200 shares after the split. Nabors Industries Ltd. engages in the provision of platform work over and drilling rigs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. The U.S. Drilling segment includes land drilling activities in the lower 48 states and Alaska, as well as offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment consists of land-based drilling rigs in Canada. The International segment focuses in maintaining a footprint in the oil and gas market, most notably in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. The Drilling Solutions segment offers drilling technologies, such as patented steering systems and rig instrumentation software systems that enhance drilling performance and wellbore placement. The Rig Technologies segment comprises Canrig, which manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools. The company was founded by Clair Nabors in 1952 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Read More iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF's stock was trading at $50.19 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, AOA stock has increased by 46.5% and is now trading at $73.53. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. KB Financial Group, Inc. engages in providing financial services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Other Banking Services, Credit Card, Life Insurance, Investment and Securities business. The Corporate Banking business segment provides services such as loans, overdrafts, deposits, credit facilities and other foreign currency activities. The Retail Banking business segment offers services such as private customer current accounts, savings, deposits, consumer loans and mortgage loans. The Other Banking business segment provides services relating to banking business besides corporate banking and retail banking services. The Credit Card business segment offers services such as domestic as well as overseas credit and debit card operations. The Investment and Securities business segment provides services such as investment banking and brokerage. The Life Insurance business segment provides products such as life insurance and wealth management. The company was founded on September 29, 2008 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Read More Premier African Minerals Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, evaluation, development, and investment of natural resource properties on the African continent. The company explores for tungsten, lithium, tantalum, fluorspar, xenotime, zinc, nickel, uranium, gold, specialty minerals, limestone, potash and limestone, and rare earth metals. It holds interests in various properties located in Zimbabwe, Togo, Benin, and Mozambique. The company was formerly known as G&B African Resources Limited and changed its name to Premier African Minerals Limited in April 2012. Premier African Minerals Limited was founded in 2007 and is based in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Northstar Realty Europe. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Northstar Realty Europe has received 195 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Northstar Realty Europe has received 89 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Northstar Realty Europe has received 68.66% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Northstar Realty Europe and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe NRE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe NRE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next The following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Piton Paints Limited, Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade Intelectual Ltda, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Coatings Technology Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel Unitary Enterprise, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams UK Coatings Limited, Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited (Japan), Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams. The following companies are subsidiares of Stryker: ActiViews, Aimago SA, Alcott Indemnity Company, Arrinex Inc, Arrinex Inc., Ascent Healthcare Solutions, Berchtold, Berchtold + Fritz GmbH, Berchtold Consulting GmbH, Berchtold Corporation, Berchtold GmbH & Co. KG, Berchtold Holding Switzerland GmbH, CHG Hospital Beds, Cactus LLC, Cardan Robotics, Changzhou Orthomed Medical Instrument Company Limited, Concentric Medical, Concentric Medical Inc., Entellus Medical, Entellus Medical Europe Ltd, Entellus Medical Inc., GYS Tech LLC, Gaymar Industries, Gongping (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., Groupe Bertec, HeartSine Technologies LLC, HeartSine Technologies Limited, Howmedica International S. de R.L., Howmedica Osteonics Corp., Hygia Health Services, Hygia Healthcare Services Inc., HyperBranch, HyperBranch Technology Inc., ITAPCo Limited, Image Guided Technologies, Imorphics Limited, Infinity MSD Corp., Infinity MSE Corp., Infinity MSF Corp., Infomedix Communications, Instratek, InstruMedics L.L.C, Invuity Inc., Ivy Sports Medicine, Ivy Sports Medicine LLC, Jiangsu Chuangyi Medical Instrument Company Limited, Jolife AB, K2M Germany GmbH, K2M Group, K2M Group Holdings Inc., K2M Holdings Inc., K2M Iberia Medcomtech S.L.U., K2M Inc., K2M Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, K2M Spine Solutions (Schweiz) GmbH, K2M UK Limited, Loon Intermediateco LLC, MAKO Surgical, MAKO Surgical Corp, Memometal Technologies, Mobius Imaging, Mobius Imaging LLC, Muka Metal, Muka Metal Ticaret ve Sanayi Anaonim Sirketi, NV Stryker SA, Nettrick Limited, Novadaq Corp, Novadaq Hong Kong Ltd, Novadaq Technologies, Novadaq Technologies ULC, OOO "Stryker", Orneo Ozel Saglk Hizmetleri Medikal Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, OrthoSpace, OrthoSpace Ltd., OrthoSpace US Inc., Orthomed (Hong Kong) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Orthovita, Orthovita Inc., OtisMed, P.C. Sweden Holding AB, Patient Safety Technologies, Patton Surgical, Pficonprod Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control, Physio-Control (Shanghai) Sales Co. Ltd., Physio-Control Brazil Vendas Ltda., Physio-Control Czech Sales s.r.o., Physio-Control Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Physio-Control Holdings Inc, Physio-Control Hungary Sales Kft, Physio-Control Inc., Physio-Control India Sales Pvt. Ltd, Physio-Control Investments LLC, Physio-Control Lebanon Sales Offshore s.a.l., Physio-Control Manufacturing Inc., Physio-Control Operations Netherlands B.V., Physio-Control Sales Limited Liability Company, Physio-Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Physio-Control South Africa Sales Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control UK Sales Ltd., Pivot Medical, PlasmaSol, Porex Technologies, SSI Divestiture Inc., SYK Costa Rica Services Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, SafeAir AG, SafeWire, Sage Products, Sage Products Coperatief U.A., Sage Products Holdings II LLC, Sage Products Holdings III LLC, Sage Products LLC, Scopis GmbH, Sightline Technologies, Small Bone Innovations, SpineCore, Spirox Inc., Stanmore Implants Worldwide, Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited, Stanmore Inc., Stryker (Barbados) Foreign Sales Corporation, Stryker (Beijing) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co Ltd, Stryker (Thailand) Limited, Stryker AB, Stryker Acquisitions BV, Stryker Asia Holdings CV, Stryker Australia LLC, Stryker Australia Pty. Ltd., Stryker Austria GmbH, Stryker B.V., Stryker Berchtold BV, Stryker Beteiligungs GmbH, Stryker Canada GP ULC, Stryker Canada Holding Company, Stryker Canada Manufacturing ULC, Stryker Canada ULC, Stryker Canadian Management ULC, Stryker Canadian Sales Holding Company ULC, Stryker Capital BV, Stryker China Limited, Stryker Colombia SAS, Stryker Communications Inc., Stryker Corporation (Chile) y Compania Limitada, Stryker Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Stryker Customs Brokers LLC, Stryker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stryker Delaware Inc., Stryker EMEA Supply Chain Services BV, Stryker Employment Company LLC, Stryker European Coordination Center BV, Stryker European Holdings Cooperatief U.A, Stryker European Holdings I LLC, Stryker European Holdings II LLC, Stryker European Holdings LLC, Stryker European Holdings V LLC, Stryker European Operations B.V., Stryker European Operations Holdings I BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings II BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings III BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC, Stryker European Operations Limited, Stryker European Technologies C.V., Stryker Far East Inc., Stryker Foreign Acquisitions Inc., Stryker France Holding SNC, Stryker France MM Holdings SAS, Stryker France SAS, Stryker Funding B.V., Stryker GI Services CV, Stryker Global Technology Center Private Limited, Stryker GmbH, Stryker GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Grundstucks GmbH & Co KG, Stryker Grundstucks Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Holdings BV, Stryker IFSC Designated Activity Company, Stryker Iberia SL Unipersonal, Stryker India Private Limited, Stryker International Acquisitions BV, Stryker International Holdings BV, Stryker Investment Holdings B.V., Stryker Ireland Holding Unlimited Company, Stryker Ireland Limited, Stryker Italia S.r.l. S.U., Stryker Japan Holdings BV, Stryker Japan K.K., Stryker Korea Ltd., Stryker Lebanon (Offshore) S.A.L., Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Stryker Luxembourg Sarl, Stryker Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Mauritius Holding Ltd., Stryker Medical London LP, Stryker Medtech K.K., Stryker Medtech Limited, Stryker Mexico Holdings B.V., Stryker Mexico SA de CV, Stryker NV Operations Limited, Stryker Nederland BV, Stryker New Zealand Limited, Stryker Osteonics AG, Stryker Pacific Limited, Stryker Performance Solutions LLC, Stryker Polska Sp.z.o.o., Stryker Portugal - Produtos Medicos Unipessoal Lda., Stryker Professional Latin America S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Puerto Rico Limited, Stryker Romania SRL, Stryker Sage Inc., Stryker Sales Corporation, Stryker Servicios Administrativos S.de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Singapore Private Limited, Stryker South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Stryker Spine SAS, Stryker Spine Sarl, Stryker Sustainability Solutions Inc., Stryker Tibbi Cihazlan Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Stryker Turkish Holdings BV, Stryker UK Ltd, Stryker Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Vietnam Company Limited, Stryker do Brasil Ltda, Surpass Medical, Synergetics, TG SP Holdings Corp, TSO3 Corp, TSO3 Inc, Trauson, Trauson (China) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Trauson (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (BVI) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings Company Limited, VEXIM SA, Vexim, Waterloo Bedding Co., Wright Medical Group, ZipLine Medical Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ZipLine Medical Hong Kong Limited, ZipLine Medical Inc., and eTrauma.com. Toyota Motor Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of motor vehicles and parts. It operates through the following segments: Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other. The Automotive segment designs, manufactures, assembles and sells passenger cars, minivans, trucks, and related vehicle parts and accessories. It is also involved in the development of intelligent transport systems. The Financial Services segment offers purchase or lease financing to Toyota vehicle dealers and customers. It also provides retail leasing through lease contracts purchase by dealers. The All Others segment deals with the design and manufacture and sale of housing, telecommunications and other businesses. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda on August 28, 1937 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Mueller Industries: ATCO Rubber Products, ATCO Rubber Products Inc., Aegis Oil and Gas Leasing Ltd., Amwest Exploration Company, Arava Exploration Company, Arava Natural Resources Company Inc., B & K Industries Inc., B&K Industries, B&K LLC, Bayard Mining Corp., Canco Oil & Gas Ltd., Carpentertown Coal & Coke Company, Changzhou Mueller Refrigerant Valve Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Climate Components LLC, DENO Holding Company Inc., DENO Investment Company II Inc., DENO Investment Company Inc., Die-Mold Tool Limited, Extruded Metals, Extruded Metals Inc., Great Lakes Copper Ltd., Halstead Industries, HeatLink Group, Heatlink Group Inc., Heatlink Group USA LLC, Howell Metal Company, Itawamba Industrial Gas Company Inc., Jungwoo Metal Ind. Co. Ltd., King Coal Company, Leon Water Enterprises Inc., Lincoln Brass Works, Lincoln Brass Works Inc., Linesets, Linesets Inc., MA Industrial Secured Lending LLC, MCTC LLC, MCTP LLC, MII Financial Corporation, MPC Foundry Inc., MPC Machine Shop Inc., Macomber Building and Land Corporation, Macomber Construction Company, Macomber Incorporated, Micro Gauge, Micro Gauge Inc., Microgauge Machining Inc., Mining Remedial Recovery Company, Mueller Brass Co., Mueller Brass Forging Company Inc., Mueller Brass Holding Company Inc., Mueller Canada Holding Co. Ltd., Mueller Casting Company Inc., Mueller Comercial de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Mueller Copper Tube Company Inc., Mueller Copper Tube Products Inc., Mueller East Inc., Mueller Europe Investment Company Ltd., Mueller Europe Limited, Mueller Fittings Company Inc., Mueller Fittings LLC, Mueller Formed Tube Company Inc., Mueller Impacts Company Inc., Mueller Industrial Realty Co., Mueller Industries Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mueller LBHC Inc., Mueller Middle East B.S.C., Mueller Packaging LLC, Mueller Plastics Corporation Inc., Mueller Plastics Holding Company Inc., Mueller Press Company Inc., Mueller Refrigeration Holding Company Inc., Mueller Refrigeration LLC, Mueller Refrigeration Products Company Inc., Mueller Southeast Inc., Mueller Streamline China LLC, Mueller Streamline Co., Mueller Streamline Holding S.L.U., Mueller Streamline II LLC, Mueller Streamline Trading LLC, Mueller Tool and Machine Inc., Mueller de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Muellux Holding Company I SARL, Muellux Holding Company II SARL, NICNA Mexico Proyectos S. de R.L. de C.V., NICNA Mexico Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Overstreet Hughes, Overstreet-Hughes Co. Inc., PexCor, Pexcor Manufacturing Co. Inc., Precision Tube Company LLC, Propipe Technologies, Propipe Technologies Inc., Sherwood Valve, Sherwood Valve Products Inc., Southland Pipe Nipples Company Inc., Streamline Copper & Brass Ltd., Summit Systems Inc., Tecumseh Products Co., Tecumseh Products Holdings LLC, Tube Forming, Turbotec Products, Turbotec Products Inc., U.S.S. Lead Refinery Inc., USSRAM Exploration Company, United States Fuel Company, Vemco Brasscapri, WTC HoldCo I LLC, WTC HoldCo II LLC, WTC Holding Company, Washington Mining Company, Westermeyer Industries, Westermeyer Industries Inc., and White Knob Mining Company. William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company earned $466.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.15 million. William Lyon Homes had a net margin of 3.04% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.98%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. View William Lyon Homes' earnings history. Zalando SE operates as an online fashion and lifestyle retailer. It offers a range of products, including shoes, apparel, accessories, and beauty products for women, men, and children, as well as free delivery and returns services. The company also sells its products through its Zalando Lounge; and brick-and-mortar stores in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Hanover, MAnster, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Ulm. It serves in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The company has a strategic partnership with Sephora SAS to create the online prestige beauty destination. Zalando SE was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Read More ON THE HUNT: Fox hunting still has practitioners - even if foxes are no longer among them Security forces held a total of 283 migrants across Turkey on Tuesday. In Turkeys northwestern province of Kirklareli, gendarmerie forces held 84 migrants of Iranian, Pakistani, Iraqi and Afghan nationality attempting to illegally cross into Bulgaria. One person was arrested on human smuggling charges, said security sources speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media. Additionally, gendarmerie forces held 199 migrants including children in the eastern province of Van at three separate checkpoints, sources said. The migrants include Afghan, Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals. Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began. Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $60 billion in aid and loans to African countries over the next three years. The expected announcement came at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) conference in Beijing on September 3-4. The event, which is held every three years, includes African heads of state and leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is the principal forum for Beijing to announce near-future loan and aid commitments to African countries and strengthen economic and political ties. Following the announcement, a barrage of articles in the US and its principal allies ran articles questioning whether Chinas loan and aid package was a new colonialism, in the words of the Telegraph. The Washington Post, for example, referred to unnamed critics who say that China is luring needy countries into debt traps. The New York Times sought to backhandedly characterize Chinese investment as fundamentally different from Western investment because it comes without demands for safeguards against corruption, waste and environmental damage. The US is notorious for exploiting aid and loans, either directly or through the IMF and World Bank, to further its economic and strategic interests. The NYT article reflects concerns in Washington that countries can turn to China as a means of maneuvering around US demands. Chinas aid package is somewhat vague and more of a target goal than a guaranteed commitment. According to Xi, the total includes $15 billion in grants, interest-free loans and concessional loans, all of which are a form of official development aid. It also includes $20 billion in commercial interest lines, a special $10 billion fund for development financing, and another special $5 billion fund for financing imports from Africa to China. Chinas role in the African economy and African development has dramatically expanded in the past 15 years. For example, its foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased from less than $US1 billion in 2003 to $40 billion in 2016. By comparison, US FDI to African countries went from $20 billion in 2003 to $69 billion in 2014, and then dropped to $52 billion in 2016. While Chinas FDI has increased, it lags behind that of the top three investorsthe US, the UK ($58 billion, 2015), and France ($54 billion, 2015). While Chinas role in Africa, specifically in energy and resources, has significantly expanded, its critics of the new colonialism are largely based in the old colonial powers that divided up Africa into spheres of influence more than a century ago. Chinas need for energy and raw materials for its industrymuch of which is to supply Western corporate giantsis bringing it into collision with established powers in Africa and elsewhere. The objections to Chinese influence are aimed at defending longstanding neo-colonial interests by stoking up anti-Chinese sentiment and, ultimately, preparing for war. While the US press whips up concerns about Chinas debt trap in Africa, the China Africa Research Initiative, run by Johns Hopkins in Washington D.C., at the heart of US imperialism, concluded earlier this year in a briefing paper, We find that Chinese loans are not currently a major contributor to debt distress in Africa. The paper analyzed 17 African countries that had debt distress. Of those 17 countries, eight were found to have either no debt or barely any debt from China. In six other countries, Chinese loans are larger but the countries have also borrowed heavily from other financiers. For example, while China has issued loans to the populous country of Ethiopia ($12.1 billion since 2000), the country has a total debt of $29 billion, with the rest of it primarily owed to the World Bank and Middle Eastern states. Or, as a second example, Ghana owes $25 billion of debt, less than $4 billion of that is towards China. The report found that in only three of these African countries, Djibouti, Republic of Congo and Zambia, was China the most significant contributor to high risk of actual debt distress. In the case of the Congo, the majority of Chinese investment was in mining copper and cobalt, minerals which are critical to electronics; electronics that are primarily produced in China for export by foreign companies. The report makes clear that while Chinese loans have grown significantly and play an important role in African development, they are still dwarfed by those of the World Bank and the major imperialist powers, who are responsible for the vast majority of debt in the continent. Another area where this is expressed is in official development assistance. In Xis announcement this month he stated that China would give $15 billion of foreign aid over the next three years to African countries. The $5 billion per year pledge is its largest ever, however, it is still less than half that of the US, who gave $12.25 billion to African countries in 2017. While Chinese aid has increased, its total pledge of interest-bearing loans has declined. In 2012, China committed to $35 billion of interest-bearing loans at its summit in Johannesburg. However, this year it is only committing to $20 billion. This reflects a general decline in Chinese loans to Africa since 2013. With an important exception, Chinese loans to Africa, according to data from the China Africa Research Initiative, declined each year from $18 billion in 2013 to $9 billion in 2017. This decline reflects both the slowing down of economic growth in China as well as the slowdown of exports coming from sub-Saharan Africa. In 2014, there was a sharp drop of sub-Saharan exports from roughly $450 billion worth of goods in 2013 to $300 billion in 2014. The decline has only marginally been reversed. The underlying reason for this drop-off was the decline in global commodity prices and the purchasing of raw materials following both a slowdown of growth in China as well as an oil glut in the US produced by widespread hydraulic-fracturing. The resulting fall in Chinese loans to Africa highlights the complex and contradictory character of Chinas capitalist development, particularly its unrealized ambition to transcend its role as a cheap-labor platform. The one exception to the decline in Chinese lending to Africa was a massive, $19 billion loan to Angola between 2015 and 2016. In 2017, Angola was the 9th largest oil exporter in the world, with over $30.5 billion worth of oil exports, almost 4 percent of the global total. It is Chinas third largest source of oil after Russia and Saudi Arabia. Oil is a critical aspect of Chinese loans and development aid in Africa. Since the late 1990s, Chinas domestic oil supply has been unable to meet its surging demand, due, principally, to a physical lack of oil. Chinese loans to Angola, for infrastructure and to survive the commodity downturn, are paid off with oil. However, the Angolan state faces a potential crisis. Its oil production is declining, due to the aging of its fields and inadequate funds for the expensive off-shore investment needed to revitalize it. A crisis of the Angolan state and economy would endanger the Chinese economy, or at least force it to become more reliant on oil produced by the US and its allies. Chinas desperate need for oil, and its difficulties in procuring supplies through its own means, likewise expresses the complex and precarious character of its capitalist development, especially in relation to the imperialist powers. The EU has launched disciplinary proceedings against Hungary. Last Wednesday, a two-thirds majority in the European Parliament voted in favour of a procedure that could, ultimately, lead to the withdrawal of the countrys voting rights in the Council of Ministers. Following Poland, Hungary, too, now faces sanctions for serious violations of EU core values. A so-called Article 7 procedure under the EU Treaty is the EUs strongest weapon against a member state. Some 448 members of the European parliament (MEPs) voted in favour of the procedure, 197 against, with 48 abstaining. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker supported the procedure, saying it must apply where the rule of law is in danger. Similar comments were made by many other EU representatives. The vote was preceded by a report that Green MEP Judith Sargentini had prepared this spring on behalf of the parliament. The report charges Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his right-wing government in Budapest of representing a systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary. The text refers to the undoubted restrictions on freedom of expression, research and assembly and to a weakening of the constitutional and judicial system in Hungary. Details about violations of the rights of minorities and refugees as well as the action taken against NGOs are also included in the report. The decision of the European Parliament now goes to the European and foreign ministers of the member states. If at least four-fifths agree with the European Parliament, the EU Council must give the Hungarian government the opportunity to comment. The member states must vote unanimously for a possible withdrawal of voting rights, although Hungary itself would not participate in the vote. However, such unanimity is unlikely. It is beyond question that the right-wing government of Orban has been building up an authoritarian regime for the last three legislative periods, which systematically abrogates democratic rights and acts brutally against refugees and their supporters. The European Unions criticism, however, is pure hypocrisy. As far as the refugee question goes, the EU states and Hungary are on the same page. At the urging of the EU, Orban systematically sealed off the so-called Balkan route, along which refugees try to reach Europe via the Balkan states. European politicians, such as German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer or Austrias Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, praised him expressly for it. Orban never made a secret of using barbed-wire fences and paramilitary units from right-wing groups against refugees. The European Peoples Party (EPP) faction in the European Parliament also supported Orban. Most recently, it became public knowledge that conditions prevail in the camps on the Hungarian-Serbian border that are comparable only with the concentration camps of the Nazis. Refugees are systematically denied food if they do not voluntarily agree to leave for Serbia. The criminalization of refugee aid workers in the context of the Stop Soros package was also tolerated by the EU. Governments in which right-wing extremist parties participate, such as in Austria and Italy, are not criticized in Brussels. The attack on democratic rights and the rule of law in Hungary is also part of a rightward development across Europe, for which the adoption of drastic police laws and the censorship of the internet in Germany provide clear examples. Even though the government in Budapest is the strongest expression of a pan-European rightward development, the Article 7 procedure against the country reveals the fierce conflicts within the EU. The attempt to subordinate the EU to the dictates and interests of the most powerful European states has strengthened nationalist tendencies in many countries. The vote of the EU parliamentarians in Strasbourg welds the front in Eastern Europe even closer together. An Eastern bloc is emerging, remarked finance daily Handelsblatt. Poland has already announced its veto if it comes to a vote in the Council. Every country has the sovereign right to implement the reforms in the country that it considers appropriate, the Foreign Ministry announced in Warsaw immediately after the vote in Strasbourg. An Article 7 case has also been running against Poland since December. For his part, Orban had already announced that he wants to block the procedure against Poland with a veto. The Czech Republic also declared its support for Orban. We are allies, said right-wing Prime Minister Andrej Babis in Prague. After the formation of a government this year, the coalition of the right-wing liberal ANO, the Social Democrats and the Communist Party is taking a much more EU-critical course. Similar voices prevail in Slovakia as well. The impact of the Article 7 vote on the balance of power in the EU parliament could be serious; Orban and others could leave the EPP and join the nationalists. Even the ultra-conservative leader of the EPP, Manfred Weber (Christian Social Union, CSU), said last Tuesday that he voted in favour of Article 7. Weve had enough dialogue, he explained. For a long time, Weber was considered a close ally of Orban. Other CSU MEPs, however, voted against launching the procedure. The breakup of the EU is progressing rapidly even before the European elections and the official withdrawal of Britain from the EU in the coming year. The division between East and West, between South and North is already clearly visible, the political analyst Radu G. Magdin in Bucharest told the Handelsblatt. The deep conflicts in the EU take place against the background of ever more open geopolitical tensions. While there have been widespread fears in the EU that Orban might have enjoyed too close ties with Russia, this is now increasingly true in relation to the US. Under the Obama administration, the relationship between Hungary and the United States had always been tense. However, Trump recently signalled greater commitment and closer ties with Hungary, similar to the case with Poland. For example, the US announced in July that it would cancel a $700,000 grant from the State Department to independent media outlets in Hungary. The State Department wants to use the money instead in other parts of Europe, it said. The message arrived. A huge victory, the New York Times quoted Andras Simonyi, Orbans former ambassador to NATO and later Hungarian ambassador to Washington. This sends a message that Hungary is OK, that Hungary is a democracy. With Washington increasingly seeing the EU as an opponent and less as a partner, and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas recently saying he wanted to recalibrate the transatlantic alliance and build up the EU as a counterweight to the United States, the US is seeking to take greater advantage of conflicts within the EU. South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday morning for a three-day trip and his third summit with North Koreas Chairman Kim Jong-un. Moon becomes just the third sitting president to visit the North Korean capital after Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and Noh Moo-hyun in 2007. Talks will be held today and Wednesday. According to Seoul, the summit includes three agenda items: improving inter-Korean relations, promoting US-North Korean talks for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, and reducing military tensions. As in the past, Moon has portrayed his trip as one of peace, claiming on Monday that the purpose of the summit was to remove the tension and possibility of armed conflicts caused by the military confrontation between the South and the North, and to reduce fears of war. This will likely include discussions on Moons call in his August 15 Liberation Day address for economic cooperation. He proposed special economic zones along the North-South border in Gangwon Province and an East Asia Railroad Community linking the South with other countries in the region. However, Moon also stated that he was pushing for Pyongyang to conform with US demands for denuclearization, saying that a new declaration or agreement between the South and the North is no longer important. Moon emphasized his role as mediator for Washington, saying, Because [denuclearization] is not something we can address ourselves, I plan to hold candid talks with Chairman Kim Jong-un on where we can find an intersecting point between the United States call for denuclearization steps and the North's demand for corresponding steps to guarantee its security and end the hostile relationship [between the US and North Korea]. A contingent of around 200 people joined Moon for the trip. This included Lee Hae-chan, Jeong Dong-yeong, and Lee Jeong-mi, the heads of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the Peace and Democracy Party, and the Justice Party respectively. All three are from so-called liberal parties in the National Assembly while the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and the Bareun Mirae Party, both right wing, were invited but chose not to take part. In addition, Moon is travelling with a contingent of corporate leaders including Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motors Group Vice Chairman Kim Yong-hwan, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, among others. That such a large number of business officials are included is indicative of the South Korean bourgeoisies agenda in North Korea. Whatever Seouls pretensions, peace on the Korean Peninsula means creating the conditions to open North Korea to economic exploitation, as an ultra-cheap labor platform. Genuine reunification, a legitimate desire among Korean workers that would include the ability to travel, work, and live where one chooses, is not on the table. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last week in Vladivostok summed up more succinctly what is in store for North Koreas working class, saying, North Korea enjoys copper, gold, iron ore, and abundant mineral resources. Its population of 25 million will no doubt become one of the worlds leading hardworking labor forces. Also in attendance to support these economic plans are the leaders of South Koreas two major trade union groups, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the so-called militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). KCTU leader Kim Myeong-hwan stated on Sunday, The KCTU will independently participate during this North-South summit in order to realize self-reliant unification and the establishment of a permanent peace. We will emphasize the need for an end-of-war declaration within the year and the suspension of sanctions on North Korea. He continued: We will also demand the removal of all weapons of war including [the US anti-missile] THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense), a product of the war era. We will call for solving the polarization of society through peaceful disarmament for an era of peace and the sweeping expansion of peoples and workers welfare. The KCTU hopes to convince workers to place their faith in Moon while obscuring the true nature of the talks with Pyongyang. The mass exploitation of North Korean workers will lead to attacks on wages and conditions of workers in South Korea in the name of remaining competitive. As it has previously, the KCTU will enforce these attacks on workers in both countries. The KCTU also hides US war preparations against China. If a peace treaty existed, according to the unions, then there would be no need for US forces in South Korea. However, the KCTU purposely ignores US preparations for war against China and instead lends credibility to the claims that North Korea is the cause of regional instability. Any declaration formally ending the Korean War would include the US and would cut across Washingtons rationale for maintaining forces in South Korea. That the KCTU believes it can push for self-reliant unification or other parochial approaches to inter-Korean relations, while ignoring US military plans, is proof that the unions and their supporters have no interest in waging a genuine anti-war struggle. War on the Korean Peninsula is also still a reality, especially as US-North Korean negotiations appear to be at an impasse. Washington is demanding North Korea denuclearize before offering any supposed relaxation of sanctions or security guarantees. It is within this context that the inter-Korean summit takes place. Moons offers of economic development are in contrast to threats from Washington, which the South Korean president will no doubt emphasize to Kim Jong-un. The olive branch US President Donald Trump held out to Kim Jong-un at their June 12 summit in Singapore was in effect an ultimatum to Pyongyang: join the US war drive against China or be destroyed. However, North Korea is not yet prepared to abandon its connections with China as it tries to gain some concessions from Washington. Kim expressed support recently for relations with Beijing, saying, I will join hands with President Xi Jinping to work actively to further develop the relations and friendship and continue close cooperation. In the end, Moons summit with Kim or a potential second summit between Kim and Trump will not resolve the issues in East Asia. Regardless of which direction Pyongyang takes, US war plans for China will only intensify, which inevitably involve the Korean Peninsula. With Quebecs October 1 provincial election less than two weeks away, opinion polls continue to show the right-wing populist Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ, Coalition for Quebecs Future) poised to win a majority, or at least a plurality, of the seats in the Quebec National Assembly. Led by former Air Transat boss and onetime PQ cabinet minister, Francois Legault , the CAQ combines calls for tax cuts, privatization, deregulation and other pro-big business measures, with phony promises of improved public services and rank right-wing nationalist appeals. Most prominent of the latter are its calls for a 20 percent cut in the number of immigrants Quebec receives annually, and a vow to expel immigrants who fail French-language and Quebec values tests after three years residence in Quebec. The CAQ, which was founded in 2011, has never finished better than third or won more than 27 percent of the vote in a Quebec general election. But it is currently the undeserved beneficiary of widespread popular hostility to the parties that have alternated as Quebecs government since 1970, the federalist Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) and the pro-Quebec independence Parti Quebecois (PQ). Polls at the beginning of the campaign indicated that both the PLQ and PQ were headed for their lowest ever share of the popular vote. The PLQwhich under Premier Philippe Couillard currently forms the government and has held power in Quebec City for all but 18 months of the last 15 yearsis at risk of garnering less than 30 percent of the vote for the first time since its formation in 1867. The PQ began the campaign with the support of just 18 percent of the electorate. It is now polling in the low 20s. Nevertheless, the PQ is still on course to win its smallest number of National Assembly seats since the first election it ever contested in 1970. Mass anger against the ruling elites agenda of austerity, rearmament, and war has fueled a succession of explosive social struggles in Quebec over the past six years. These include the six-month 2012 Quebec student strike, a wave of public sector strikes in 2015 that involved up to a half-million workers, and province-wide construction strikes in 2013 and 2017. The critical political question raised by the elections is: given the mass opposition to austerity and the deep disaffection with the traditional government parties, how is it that the CAQ, a right-wing Quebec nationalist party led by a multi-millionaire ex-businessman, is able to posture as the party of change and now stands on the threshold of power? The answer to this is to be found in the politics of Quebecs official left, that is the pro-capitalist trade unions and Quebec Solidaire (QS), the pseudo-left party that held three seats in the outgoing National Assembly. For decades, the unions have isolated and suppressed the struggles of Quebec workers while politically subordinating them to the big business PQ. They are fervent promoters of Quebec nationalismthe lie that Quebec workers have more in common with French-speaking capitalists like Quebecor boss and former PQ leader Pierre-Karl Peladeau than with workers in Canada or around the globe. The unions attitude to a genuine working class challenge to austerity was exemplified by their derailing of the 2012 student strike. When the strike threatened to become the catalyst for a broader working-class upsurge, the unions went into overdrive to shut it down. Under the watchword From the streets, to the ballot box, they worked to divert the opposition to the Liberals austerity program behind the PQ. Meanwhile, the unions ordered their members at the provinces universities and CEGEPs (junior colleges) to implement the governments anti-strike law, Bill 78, to the letter, and instructed unions in English Canada, in the name of Quebecs self-determination, to give the striking students no support. Ultimately the unions succeeded in their double-objective of politically asphyxiating the student strike and securing a PQ victory in the September 2012 election. Led by Pauline Marois, the union-backed PQ minority government did not take long to reveal its true face. It slashed social-welfare spending, imposed annual hikes in university tuition fees, and criminalized a strike by 75,000 construction workers. Moreover, to divert attention from its austerity agenda and split the working class, it brought forward a chauvinist Charter of Quebec Values, that in the name of secularism threatened teachers, nurses and other public sector workers who wore the hijab or other ostentatious religious symbols with firing, while protecting Quebecs Roman Catholic heritage. Quebec Solidaires raison detre is to revive illusions in the PQs discredited program for an independent capitalist Quebec and to second the union bureaucracys efforts to suppress the class struggle. During the student strike, it assisted the unions attempts to promote the PQ as a progressive alternative to the Liberals. It publicly urged the PQ to join it in an electoral alliance in June 2012 and, in the final days of the election campaign, announced it would give unconditional support to a PQ minority government for at least a year. In 2015, QS supported the public sector unions in straightjacketing the struggle against the Couillard governments brutal austerity measures within the framework of a collective bargaining negotiation, although it was evident from the outset that workers faced a political struggle that would require mobilizing the working class as a whole in defence of public services. Then when the unions signed contracts that left the cuts in services in place and imposed concessions on their members, QS hailed them as a victory. Unions stump once again for big business PQ In the current election campaign, the unions are once again stumping for the PQ. In the run-up to last months formal launching of the election campaign, major unions like the United Steelworkers (USW), Canadian Unions of Public Employees (CUPE), and Machinists (IAM) mounted a media campaign, focussed on electoral districts where the PQ is in a tight race, aimed at portraying the Liberals and CAQ as pro-austerity twins. The PQs poll numbers, however, indicate that after the experience of PQ governments in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s that imposed sweeping social spending cuts and used a battery of anti-worker laws to criminalize strikes, large sections of the working class have come to the conclusion the union-backed PQ is just another right-wing establishment party. A party of professionals, petty union bureaucrats and other upper middle-class layers, the ostensibly left-wing Quebec Solidaire is mounting an election campaign aimed at demonstrating to the elite that it is a fiscally responsible party that can be trusted with a share of power. It is advancing a series of modest reform proposals, such as a dental insurance program and a $15 per hour minimum wage, all of them costed to show they are entirely compatible with the current social order. QS is at pains to demonstrate its readiness to work with the parties of the Quebec elite to advance Quebecs interests. In the middle of the campaign its candidate for premier, Manon Masse, held a joint press conference with Couillard and PQ leader Jean- Francois Lisee to oppose any weakening of Canadas supply-marketing system as part of the NAFTA renegotiation. Earlier Masse said that in the event of a hung parliament the QS could prop up a minority PQ government or possibly even one led by the CAQ. This is entirely in keeping with the insidious role Quebec Solidaire has played over the past decade in the reactionary debate over the reputed threat that immigrants and religious minorities constitute to Quebec values. Rather than unequivocally denounce these claims, QS has repeatedly termed the accommodation debate legitimate and, like all the other parties, supports a ban on Muslim women who wear the niqab or burqa receiving public services. Given all this, it is not surprising QS has failed to find much traction within the working class. Opinion polls currently show it making modest gains on its 7.5 percent share of the vote in the 2014 election. The erosion, if not outright collapse of support for the traditional parties of the bourgeois establishment is an international phenomenon. This collapse is rooted in growing frustration and anger over rampant social inequality and mounting economic insecurity. But to date, it is largely right-wing populist and neo-fascist parties that have benefited from this electorally. Because the working class has been politically smothered by the unions and establishment left parties and prevented from advancing its own socialist solution to the capitalist crisis, ultra-right forces like Trump or the AfD in Germany have been able to come to the fore. They are drawing on the support of powerful sections of the ruling elite, who see them as useful for shifting politics far to the right and spearheading a break with bourgeois-democratic forms of rule. Under conditions where there has been a vast erosion of support for the Liberals and PQ, much of the Quebec elite is now ready to normalize the CAQ. Toward this end, the corporate media is claiming the CAQ is far different from the New Right in Europe or Trump in the US. The same was said about Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who big business propelled to power in Ontario last June. Yet now he is pushing through a hard-right agenda, including by invoking the notwithstanding clause to annul democratic rights and scapegoating refugees for the social crisis. The CAQs populism is cynical and reactionary. Should the October 1 election bring it to power, its real role as a tool of big business for intensifying the assault on public services and workers social rights will be quickly exposed, setting it on a collision course with the working class. Workers in Quebec, as across Canada and around the world, urgently need a new political orientation. In opposition to the unions and their nationalist pro-capitalist perspective, they must join with workers in Canada and internationally in the fight for workers political power and the radical reorganization of socio-economic life so as to make social needs, not capitalist profit, the animating principle. At least 100 people are presumed dead in the Philippines after Typhoon Mangkhut, described by experts as the most severe storm of 2018, struck the countrys north on Saturday. Over the following days, the typhoon left a trail of destruction across parts of Asia, including Hong Kong and southern China. According to Philippine authorities, 64 people have been confirmed dead in the wake of the storm. Many of them were killed by landslides, flash flooding and the collapse of makeshift accommodation that stood no chance of withstanding the storm, which was the equivalent of a category five hurricane when it battered the Philippines. There are fears that the death toll will rapidly rise. Rescue teams are only beginning to arrive in the most remote rural areas, and an unknown number of people remain buried after extensive landslides. Hundreds more have suffered injuries. Dozens of villages have been effectively cut-off from the outside world, as a result of the damage to roads. It is estimated that the storm affected some 5.7 million people across the Philippines. As in previous disasters to hit the storm-prone country, the poor and sections of the workforce engaged in low-paid, precarious work have been the hardest hit. At least 43 gold miners perished in a landslide in the municipality of Itogon in the northern province of Benguet. They were among hundreds of small-scale miners prospecting at a site that had been abandoned by Benguet Corporation, a major mining entity. The workers and their families were in makeshift shelters that were inundated with mud and top soil. According to the New York Times, the workers claimed to have formed a collective and struck a deal with Benguet to mine the site, in exchange for the company receiving a cut of any profits. The corporation has denied the claim. The Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, declared at a press conference on Monday that it was necessary to Give Mother Earth a respite from endless digging. His administration has claimed that it will investigate the mining operation at Itogon, and has posted troops at the site to prevent any further prospecting. Dutertes move is cynical posturing, aimed at defusing growing anger over the degradation of the environment and the tragic death of the miners. Successive governments and local authorities have tacitly endorsed illegal mining and logging activities that involve major corporations. The prevalence of small-scale mining, which involves up to 400,000 people across the country, is an expression of endemic poverty and limited job opportunities. One of the surviving miners at the site told the New York Times that he began working in the mines at the age of 15, and would work round-the-clock, two-week shifts, during which he would conduct dangerous dynamiting, punctuated only by occasional five-hour breaks. Farmers and other sections of the rural and regional poor have also been devastated by the storm. In comments to the Guardian, residents of Tuguegarao, the capital of the countrys northern Cagayan province, described fear and panic as the storm struck in the early hours of Saturday morning. One woman commented, I was scared, it was the sound of the wind that scared me, and then I heard a loud crash. She pointed to a tree that had pummelled a piece of corrugated metal that appeared to have been part of a fence before the storm. Local authorities declared a state of calamity in the city, as its streets were strewn with poles, and many of its houses and small businesses were destroyed. Farmers desperately sought to save their crops, but in many cases, to no avail. Some have lost acres of rice and food crops, which will exacerbate already high rates of poverty and food insecurity. One petrol station attendant told the Guardian, We have had no electricity here since 8pm on September 14, before the typhoon hit. It could take weeks or months to fix. This puts me out of work. And we are already struggling with funds for food. Maybe the government will help. The problem is with a food shortage, prices will rise. Questions are already emerging about the extent of government preparedness for the disaster. In many affected areas, there were no official evacuation centres. In some cases, those that did exist were ill-equipped to cope with the magnitude of the storm. The rescue efforts in rural areas also appeared a shambles and lacking in funds. Rescue workers, along with locals, have been forced to dig through mud in a bid to find survivors. Workers without electricity or running water have no indication as to when their basic utilities will be restored. This has also prompted warnings of disease outbreaks. This mirrors previous natural disasters in the Philippines. In 2013, the country was battered by Typhoon Haiyan, which killed over 7,000 people. Government agencies had not worked out any coordinated response before the storm struck. For days afterwards, survivors were forced to seek out food, water and shelter with virtually no government assistance. Typhoon Mangkhut also left a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and southern China. More than 1,000 roads were blocked in Hong Kong yesterday, after the storm felled trees and powerlines and knocked out traffic lights. An estimated three million people were evacuated from southern China. Four people reportedly perished in the storm, which lashed the country with gale force winds and resulted in flooding in some areas. Widespread damage was also reported in the gambling hub of Macau, which was struck by head-high flash-flooding amid the disaster. While storms are not uncommon in the region at this time of year, scientists have noted an increase in their frequency and intensity. While there is no data directly linking Typhoon Mangkhut to climate change caused by human activity, Katharine Hayhoe, a University of Texas professor and atmospheric scientist, told the Huffington Post: We do know that, on average, climate change is making storms stronger, causing them to intensify faster, increasing the amount of rainfall associated with a given storm, and even making them move more slowly. Music industry veteran Jason Jordan is taking a post as the North America managing director of ONErpm, a Brazil-based global music distribution, label services and rights management company. Jordan, who has served as vice president of A&R at Hollywood Records and senior vice president of A&R at Universal Music Groups Republic Records, will lead the companys American and Canadian expansion, overseeing several departments including marketing and label relations out of its Brooklyn office. ONErpm which stands for One Revolution Peoples Music and serves as a link between music creators and consumer-facing companies like Spotify and YouTube thinks of itself as a solutions company rather than a label or distributor, CEO and founder Emmanuel Zunz told Rolling Stone earlier this month, stressing that big companies keep trying a model that does not suit the interests of the artist. The company offers marketing, analytics and other resources to artists, video creators and music labels in addition to distribution services. Zunz said this week that Jordan will help us continue to redefine what it means to be a modern music company. ONErpm is the only company of this size operating as a hybrid between recorded music and distribution that is truly 100% independent, Jordan, who has signed artists such as Two Feet, Breaking Benjamin and BBMak in addition to launching a rights management company called SynchTank and presiding over the indie music publisher Imagem Music, tells Rolling Stone. In all of my experience in A&R or in a leadership role, I was frustrated because I wanted everyone to believe in an artist as much as I did and as much as the artist and their team did as well. In this role, I can now speak directly to their needs and address them as a true partner. Jordan says ONErpm aims to identify and sign new musicians from the U.S. and Canada who also want to operate successfully in the Latin America market a burgeoning scene that is important to every company with an international presence while also expanding beyond its established base in that market. My challenge is to scale our business here [in North America] in a meaningful way across all genres, including Latin music, Jordan says. He will manage teams based out of Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Nashville and San Francisco. President Trump may have a hard time focusing on a host of issues relevant to running the worlds most powerful nation, but theres one topic from which his attention never deviates: the Russia investigation. His tweets about the subject have increased dramatically as former confidants like Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort have reportedly offered to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Not even the anniversary of 9/11 prevented Trump from rousing himself out of bed to complain about the investigation, and his rants continued last week as Hurricane Florence closed in on the East Coast. But on Monday Trump did more than fire off a few tweets on the subject (although he did that too). In a surprising move, the president ordered the Department of Justice to make public a trove of top-secret, confidential information related to the investigation, including the text messages of several of his perceived enemies. Just in, an extraordinary statement from the White House: pic.twitter.com/bP2frd4HLn Philip Crowther (@PhilipinDC) September 17, 2018 The main course of the declassification order is the entirety of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act application to wiretap one-time campaign aide Carter Page. Trump has repeatedly and with little legitimate evidence claimed that the warrant was obtained illegally, and the FBIs surveillance of Page is one of the tentpoles of the presidents argument that the Justice Department is biased against him. Trump also ordered the release of additional documents related to the FISA application, as well as interviews conducted with Bruce Ohr, the official whose communications with Christopher Steele, the British intelligence officer hired by the Clinton campaign, have provided him with a starring role on the presidents Twitter feed. Ohrs text messages related to the investigation will also be made public, as will those of former FBI Deputy Directory Andrew McCabe, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, his lover, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page and former FBI Director James Comey. Story continues On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted his conviction that the declassification order will reveal that really bad things were happening. What will be disclosed is that there was no basis for these FISA Warrants, that the important information was kept from the court, theres going to be a disproportionate influence of the (Fake) Dossier. Basically you have a counter terrorism tool used to spy on a presidential Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018 .campaign, which is unprecedented in our history. Congressman Peter King Really bad things were happening, but they are now being exposed. Big stuff! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018 Big stuff! the president concluded. So far, there has been no real evidence to suggest the FBIs move to surveil Page was illegitimate. In July 2016, Page, then a Trump campaign aide, traveled to Moscow. Though he denied it after the trip was made public, he later admitted to meeting with senior Russian officials while abroad. He informed the Trump campaign of the trip prior to departing, and upon returning promised incredible insights and outreach from high-ranking members of the Russian government. Page left the Trump campaign in September, and a month later the FBI applied for the warrant in question, citing a concern that Page could be a Russian agent. Trump and his allies in Congress latched onto the surveillance of Page an example of the FBIs bias. A redacted version of the warrant application was made public in July, but to no real avail of those who had been pressuring the Justice Department to release top-secret materials relevant to the investigation, which was and is still ongoing. The released application revealed that the warrant was obtained legally, through conventional means and that the FBI was warranted in their desire to monitor Page. The application also noted that the controversial Steele dossier, some of the findings in which had been referenced, had been contracted by someone with a political motive, although it did not mention the Clinton campaign by name. Despite the footnote, the court still deemed the FBI to have had just cause to surveil Page. The warrant was subsequently renewed three times. The public release of the application was objected to by law enforcement officials. The wiretapping process is sensitive information, and concern was expressed that the declassification of confidential material could endanger the FBIs ability to contract informants to assist with investigations. The same concerns apply regarding Trumps order on Monday. The release of FISAs like this is off the charts. It is especially unprecedented considering that the FISAs have already gone through declassification review and the President is overruling the judgments of his subordinates to require expanded disclosure, tweeted David Kris, a former assistant attorney general for national security. The President has the literal authority to do this, but here, as in so many other areas, his exercise of authority is tainted by a severe conflict of interest, as he is a subject of investigation to which these FISAs pertain. Declassifying FISA documents while the investigation of which theyre a part is ongoing is an especially grave species of obstruction of justice an obstruction that endangers intelligence methods and sources, risks lives, and hurts national security, added Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, was similarly appalled. On Monday night, he called the the move a clear abuse of power meant to intervene in a pending law enforcement investigation by ordering the selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team and thinks will advance a false narrative. He also noted that law enforcement told him such an order would cross a red line. President Trump has intervened again in a pending investigation by ordering the selective disclosure of classified materials he believes to be helpful to his defense. The DOJ and FBI have previously informed me that release of some of this information would cross a red line. Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 18, 2018 The selective nature of Trumps order is puzzling, as USA Todays Brad Heath broke down point-by-point in a Twitter thread posted Monday afternoon. It goes only to the most recent surveillance application. And only parts of it. So, for example, the president has ordered that the government fill in these blanks -> pic.twitter.com/WgGLlGml9c Brad Heath (@bradheath) September 17, 2018 Since taking office, Trump has shown little regard for compromising the work done by U.S. intelligence agencies. In May 2017, he revealed highly classified information to two Russian officials visiting the White House, an act that intelligence officials said jeopardized an asset who had been providing information regarding ISIS. The continued insistence from Trump and some congressional Republicans that information related to the still-ongoing Russia investigation be made public is similarly dangerous. Unfortunately, the presidents attention is laser-focused on doing whatever he can to discredit the investigation. Even if the soon-to-be-released materials contain nothing of substance, their publication will provide Trump and his allies with a new opportunity to cry bias, just as they did when the redacted version of the application was released in July. With the midterms now less than two months away, the timing is opportune. Just ask Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who has long pushed for the public release of confidential materials relevant to the investigation. In this Sept 13 speech, Nunes said the declassification Trumo ordered tonight was necessary so Republicans can campaign on the issue of Democrats 'corrupting" the DoJ and FBI. https://t.co/shk9e5lpxd Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) September 17, 2018 The president had hinted in recent weeks that a declassification order could be forthcoming, and its probably not a coincidence that he pulled the trigger days after it was reported that Paul Manafort, who managed Trumps campaign for months, had agreed to cooperate with the investigation. The order is an unprecedented abuse of power and a marked sign of Trumps desperation to hamstring an investigation that, now entering its 17th month, only seems to be gaining steam. 1st SpaceX passenger: 'I choose to go to the moon!' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com SpaceX announced on Monday night that its first moonshot passenger will be Yusaku Maezawa, a billionaire estimated by Forbes to be the 18th-richest person in Japan. He'll be the first private passenger to visit the moon in the company's much hyped Big Falcon Rocket -- if the launch happens. "I choose to go to the moon!" said the 42-year-old Maezawa, who founded Japan's largest online fashion mall and is worth almost $3 billion. SpaceX has signed the worlds first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard our BFR launch vehiclean important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space. Find out whos flying and why on Monday, September 17. pic.twitter.com/64z4rygYhk SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 14, 2018 The announcement was made at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The launch is scheduled to happen in 2023. "I love the moon," Maezawa told ABC News' David Kerley following the announcement. "I like to do the things that never have been done before. So I want the challenge to go to the moon." The announcement was a relief for the Japanese billionaire, who punctuated a question about the announcement with "finally." He told ABC News he's long dreamed of going to the moon. "It's always been there, it's always been inside of me," Maezawa said, before transitioning to Japanese to say the moon has always "felt like it's protecting me." "In Japan, you look up at the moon, and it looks like a rabbit," he said, noting that 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. PHOTO: SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk, left, announces Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, right, as the first private passenger on a trip around the moon, on Sept. 17, 2018, in Hawthorne, Calif. (Chris Carlson/AP) It's not the first time the company has made this kind of announcement. In February 2017, SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced the first two paying customers had put down a deposit to fly around the moon without landing in the smaller Falcon Heavy rocket sometime this year. In June, the company announced that wouldn't happen. Story continues Earlier this year, on Feb. 6, the Falcon Heavy rocket successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, launching a red Tesla Roadster driven by a Starman mannequin. Earlier in the day, Musk was sued for defamation by the British driver he had accused of being a "child rapist" and pedophile via tweets and emails to media. (MORE: SpaceX founder Elon Musk sued by diver who helped with Thai cave rescue) SpaceX has succeeded in its goal of building reusable rockets. Aside from a handful of millionaires and billionaires hitching rides on Russian Soyuz rockets, space tourism has remained in an embryonic state since Dennis Tito became the first paying astronaut in 2001. But it looks like that lull may be coming to an end thanks to the efforts of SpaceX and its Big Falcon Rocketthe same rocket it hopes will one day carry people to Mars. Following the reveal last month of the members of the NASA team that will be the first crew to fly a manned mission aboard one of SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft, the company has now revealed its first paying civilian space tourist, billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the 42-year-old founder of Japanese fashion label ZOZO and a passionate art collector. However, Maezawa is not paying for a simple trip into orbit to hang out for a few days and then return to Earth. Instead, he will get to travel to the moon on a weeklong trip aboard a BFR, which will circle the natural satellite (talk about an Instagrammable moment) before heading back to terra firma. An art lover with a vision, the Japanese entrepreneur has decided to not just buy a seat on the rocket, but every seat availablein fact hes already made a down payment that will help with BFR development costs. (When asked, Maezawa did not reveal how much he has/will pay for the trip.) But hes not planning on throwing a space rager with his buddies; he wants to invite six to eight artists to share the trip with him to see what great works the journey to and up-close look at the moon may elicit from them. He even has a catchy name for the project: #dearMoon. Once the artists return to the Earth, they will compose a work inspired by their experience. The Willy Wonka-like catch? Maezawa has not yet chosen the artists who will accompany him and will be looking at top candidates from a wide range of disciplines, including painters, musicians, fashion designer, photographers, filmmakers, and architects. The mission is currently scheduled for 2023, so Maezawa will have some time to gather his dream team. Story continues Maezawa just has one request if you do get a call from him inviting you to join his journey. Please say yes and accept my invitation! Please dont say no! Rest assured Maezawa, I wont say no. Just have your people call my people. Launch Gallery: In Pictures: SpaceX Names Yusaku Maezawa as First Tourist to the Moon Related stories SpaceX's Interplanetary Rocket May Also Help You Commute to Beijing Virgin Galactic Back on Track Following Successful SpaceShipTwo Test The World's First Floating Space Hotel Is Coming Why Kellyanne Conway Is Being Called a Both a Hypocrite and "the Voice of Reason" Today Last week, Professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward with an allegation of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, who is currently going through a lengthy senate confirmation hearing. The allegations were first sent to the office of Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in late July by Ford's state representative, whom she contacted after hearing of Kavanaugh's nomination. In the account, Ford recalled Kavanaugh drunkenly pinning her down and attempting to remove her clothes at a house party in Maryland in the 1980s when she was 15 and he was 17. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Immediately following the account, the right questioned Ford (a registered Democrat) and Feinstein's timing. Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley wrote in a statement, It raises a lot of questions about Democrats tactics and motives to bring this to the rest of the committees attention only now rather than during these many steps along the way." He went on, "Senator Feinstein should publicly release the letter she received back in July so that everyone can know what shes known for weeks. RELATED VIDEO: FIRSTS Kellyanne Conway RELATED: Everyones Talking About Kellyanne Conway and Her Husband Heres Why On Monday, Ford's attorney revealed that she had agreed to testify. But Kellyanne Conway, a longtime advisor and counselor to President Trump, has surprised many by speaking up as an official representative of the White House on behalf of Ford. "This woman should not be insulted and she should not be ignored," she said on Fox News on Monday. "This woman will be heard." Given Conway's unwavering defense of Trump's unsavory ways, she has been called out on social media as both a hypocrite and "the voice of reason." "Is #KellyanneConway switching teams because this is the same woman who defended #Trump when he bragged about #sexualasdault on the Access Holllywood tape and when accused of misconduct by 19 women," wrote NBC News legal analyst Maya Wiley on Twitter. Story continues Is #KellyanneConway switching teams because this is the same woman who defended #Trump when he bragged about #sexualasdault on the Access Holllywood tape and when accused of misconduct by 19 women. https://t.co/LvyYhVmDsv https://t.co/b3VKKvSO26 Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) September 17, 2018 Kellyanne Conway is one of the most cynical characters in our nations history. She has spent the last 2 years doing damage control for sexual abusers and men who beat their wives (Trump, Porter, Lewandowski, Bannon, Puzder). This is all just a sick twisted game to her. Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) September 17, 2018 Kellyanne Conway is a voice of reason this morning. What next, will Sarah Huckabee Sanders tell the truth? Nah Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) September 17, 2018 Donald Trump Jr., on the other hand, doesn't seem to have gotten the memo about the White House's official response. He mocked Ford's allegation by posting a meme to Instagram of "Judge Kavanaughs [sic] sexual assault letter found by Dems" featuring a photo of a grade schooler's love note. In the caption, he wrote, "Oh boy... the Dems and their usual nonsense games really have him on the ropes now. Finestein [sic] had the letter in July and saved it for the eve of his vote... honorable as always. I believe this is a copy for full transparency." Charming. In an interview with the Washington Post published on Sunday, Ford said she decided to come forward publicly because her "civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation." Lokoja (Nigeria) (AFP) - Nigeria has declared a national disaster after severe flooding left about 100 people dead across 10 states, the country's main relief agency said on Tuesday. Heavy seasonal rains have caused the Niger and Benue rivers to burst their banks, inundating communities, farms and trapping tens of thousands of people in their homes. Sani Datti, from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told AFP: "We have declared a national disaster in four states -- Kogi, Delta, Anambra and Niger. "Eight other states are on the watch list. All these states have been the worst hit by the flooding. About 100 people have lost their lives in 10 states." Kogi and Niger are in central Nigeria while Delta and Anambra are in the south. The Kogi state capital, Lokoja, lies at the confluence of both rivers and has been virtually submerged because of the rising waters. NEMA said water levels on Monday were continuing to rise in Lokoja and had reached 11.06 metres (36 feet) -- approaching those of similar devastating flooding in 2012. Then, hundreds of people died and about two million others were left homeless in 30 of Nigeria's 36 states. More rains are forecast on Tuesday, according to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday he had approved the release of three billion naira ($8.3 million, 7.1 million euros) to buy medical and relief materials. Flooding along the rivers is a frequent occurrence during the annual rains, which fall from May to September. Datti said military personnel and equipment had been seconded to help the relief effort, as well as the evacuation of trapped residents from their homes. An Arizona man is accused of kidnapping and murdering two girls in separate incidents in 2012 and 2014, PEOPLE confirms. Christopher Clements, 36, has been charged with the murders of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez, who vanished less than one mile from each other, the Tucson Police Department announced at a press conference Saturday. On April 21, 2012, Isabel was taken from her bedroom in her Tucson home and her remains werent found for years. Maribel went missing on June 3, 2014, while walking from her home to her friends house nearby. Three days later, Maribels body was found near an intersection in Northern Tucson, Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said at the press conference. The Pima County Sheriffs Department investigated the case and Maribels manner of death was determined to be a homicide. Christopher Clements A break in the case came in early 2017 when the FBI received a tip that Clements had information about the disappearance of Isabel. In March, after speaking with Clements, local and federal authorities located Isabels remains in the same area where Maribels body had been found years earlier. Isabels manner of death was also ruled a homicide. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. On Friday, Clements was indicted on multiple felony charges including two counts of murder in the first degree. Additional charges include two counts of kidnapping of a minor and fourteen separate counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He is charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly entering Isabels home and taking her. Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall called Clements arrest long overdue. The heart-wrenching tragedies of Maribel Gonzalez and Isabel Celis murders have been compounded by a very long, long wait for justice, LaWall said. Christopher Clements was actually at liberty for the murder of Isabel Celis for a bit longer than she was alive. His apprehension was long overdue. Story continues To the families, our hearts go out to you for the tragic loss that youve suffered, for the long time that youve waited for a resolution, LaWall added. Clements is currently behind bars in Phoenix on unrelated charges, authorities said Saturday. He is being held on a $2 million cash-only bond for the new charges. He hasnt yet entered a plea or retained an attorney for the new charges. SAO PAULO (AP) Seven inmates are dead after a mass escape attempt from an overcrowded prison in northern Brazil. Para state's penitentiary authority says that six inmates were killed by other prisoners and the burned body of another was found in the prison in Altamira. Three injured inmates were taken to a hospital. The state authority said Tuesday that 120 inmates were involved in the escape bid through a ventilation shaft at about 1:30 a.m. The prison's capacity is of 208 inmates, but 374 are living there. Para police said prisoners destroyed bars, a nursery and an office in their attempt. Parts of the prison were set on fire but the blazes were extinguished after more than two hours. Para state authorities did not confirm that any of the inmates had escaped. A patch on the uniform of a U.S. Border Patrol agent at a highway checkpoint on 1 August 2018 in West Enfield, Maine: Getty Images New details have emerged surrounding Juan David Ortiz, the US Border Patrol supervisor accused of murdering multiple women in a vicious killing spree across Texas. The 10-year border patrol veteran killed at least four women throughout September, officials said during a Monday press conference, describing the suspect as a "serial killer". After believing he was identified, the 35-year-old began stockpiling weapons to prepare for a potential standoff with local police, investigators said. Mr Ortiz "was going to try to commit suicide by cop," according to Webb County Sheriffs Chief Deputy Federico Garza. The chief deputy told reporters Mr Ortiz "took advantage of this community, he had the trust of most of his victims, and he took that opportunity to commit this crime". "He knew that the victims were harmless, that they really didn't have a defence against him," he continued. "At this point, thats all we know at this time." Officials suggested the border patrol supervisor had a deep "hatred" for prostitutes, while alleging multiple of Mr Ortizs victims were part of the sex workers' community. Investigators are still working on discovering his motive and creating a historical outline of events to determine whether other killings had taken place. Law enforcement has not released any of the victims names, however, one is believed to be a transgender woman, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In an apparent planned attempt to kill himself, Mr Ortiz was going to brandish his cellphone to look like a weapon, according to Mr Garza. Instead, he was taken into custody this weekend in Laredo, Texas. The border patrol supervisor was arrested early Saturday after a fifth victim escaped from Mr Ortiz and found a state trooper. The suspect fled and was found hiding in a truck in a hotel parking lot in Laredo, about 145 miles southwest of San Antonio. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz told The Texas Tribune that after Mr Ortiz picked up the fifth woman she quickly realised that she was in danger. Story continues When she tried to escape from him at a gas station thats when she ran into a (state) trooper, he said. He also said that authorities believe Mr Ortiz had killed all four women since 3 September. Mr Alaniz said two of them victims were US citizens, but the nationalities of the other two were not yet known. "Its interesting that he would be observing and watching as law enforcement was looking for the killer, that he would be reporting to work every day like normal," he continued. Court documents show accused #BorderPatrol serial killer Juan Ortiz went by his middle name David when he was interacting with his victims. #khou11 #HTownRush pic.twitter.com/kOCJCM2YgA Janel Forte (@JanelKHOU) September 17, 2018 The suspect is being held on $2.5m bond on several charges, including four counts of murder. It is not clear whether he has been assigned a lawyer yet, or given a a chance to enter a plea. On Monday, national border patrol chief Carla Provost was forced to defend the agency she just recently began overseeing in August. Ms Provost said she was "sickened and saddened" by the allegations against Mr Ortiz, while adding, "I cannot imagine the impact this has had on the community". She called border patrol agents consummate professionals and said one supervisors actions were not indicative of my work force. There has been no lowering of standards, she added. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement saying that it was fully cooperating with the investigation. Our sincerest condolences go out to the victims family and friends. While it is CBP policy to not comment on the details of an ongoing investigation, criminal action by our employees is not, and will not be tolerated, the agency said.. The Texas Department of Public Safety, whose Texas Rangers are investigating, did not respond to enquiries. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Daily Beast The View/ScreenshotThe parade of conservative guest hosts auditioning to replace Meghan McCain continued this week on The View. And this time, yet another former Trump administration official took her turn, trying and failing to score gotcha points against the shows guest, in this case Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).Schiff, who was there to promote his new book Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could, fielding primarily friendly questions from the shows four left-lean ISLAMABAD/DUBAI (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia where, comments from his finance minister suggest, he will seek financial help to stave off the likelihood of another IMF bailout. Khan, on his first foreign trip since taking office last month, also plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, the Saudi Ministry of Media said. Pakistan is trying to avert a balance of payments crisis stemming from a large current account deficit, and analysts have said they expect it to sign up for what would be its 13th bailout package from the International Monetary Fund since the late 1980s. But Finance Minister Asad Umar said last month that an IMF rescue was a fallback option and that the government was exploring other avenues for assistance. That was broadly interpreted as seeking help from China and Saudi Arabia, which have both provided Islamabad with vast loans in the past. In 2014, six months after Pakistan obtained its last IMF bailout, Saudi Arabia loaned it $1.5 billion that the government used to strengthen its rupee currency. Umar and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi are accompanying Khan on the Gulf trip. Pakistan's foreign office said Khan would discuss "issues of bilateral interest" with Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pakistan's current account deficit widened 43 percent to $18 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, while the fiscal deficit has ballooned to 6.6 percent of gross domestic product. Khan's government came to power on the back of assurances to root out corruption and reduce poverty. On Tuesday it announced tax increases for middle and high-income earners and a spike in import duties on luxury products in a bid to raise 183 billion rupees ($1.48 billion) in additional revenue. [nL3N1W43VO] (Reporting by Saad Sayeed in Islamabad and Maher Chmaytelli in Dubai; editing by John Stonestreet) Luanda (AFP) - President Joao Lourenco and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa buried the hatchet on Tuesday during whirlwind talks in Luanda that follow several turbulent years between Angola and its former ruler. Following a meeting with his Portuguese visitor, Lourenco said "common sense and pragmatism would prevail so that relations between the two nations would be strengthened". The diplomacy marks an effort to move beyond the bitter legacy of Lisbon's colonial rule that ended in 1975 when Portugal withdrew without handing over power and Angola sank into civil war until 2002. Costa said he hoped for a return to "the development of economic and financial cooperation between the countries on an even footing that would contribute to the two nations' prosperity". Angola is a key trading partner with Portugal, and the third largest recipient of its investments. A major source of friction was removed in May when a Portuguese court decided that Angola's former vice president Manuel Vicente can be tried in Luanda, rather than in Portugal, on corruption charges. Lourenco had demanded that the trial take place in his country, "so that relations between Angola and Portugal can return to the level of the recent past". The two men marked the end of the two-day flurry of diplomacy by signing a strategic partnership agreement for the period until 2022. "We are watching eagerly the arrival of small and medium-sized Portuguese companies in the Angolan market... to create wealth that will create significant opportunities for the two countries," said Lourenco. Costa said Lisbon was ready to "grow Angola's presence" in the country. Lourenco will visit Lisbon for a return visit in November. Portugal, battered by the global financial crisis, avoided bankruptcy with a bailout from the European Union, while Angola has become the tenth largest foreign investor in the country. The visit by Costa, which has been postponed several times, was a "very important step" toward normalising relations, said analyst Alex Vines of Britain's Chatham House think-tank. Story continues They also signed a slew of agreements that include deals on Angola's debts to Portuguese businesses -- estimated to be in excess of 400 million euros ($470 million). President Lourenco has pledged to fight corruption and rebuild the economy of the second-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, which has still not recovered from the plunge in oil prices in 2014. He has ousted relatives of his predecessor from leadership positions at state institutions and public companies in an effort to stamp his authority on the country and break with his former mentor's checkered past. Washington (AFP) - The latest round of tariffs that US President Donald Trump has imposed on China appeared to largely spare Apple and other consumer electronics makers but they face increasing threats from the deepening trade war between the two economic giants. US officials on Monday slapped the tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports, but skipped consumer electronics like smartwatches and Bluetooth devices, in a reprieve for firms like Apple and fitness tracker maker Fitbit. But with retaliation from China expected, and Trump threatening to impose new tariffs on all Chinese-made goods, the relief may not last, according to analysts. "Consumer electronics makers got a short term reprieve, but what we're witnessing is a chess match and we don't know who will blink first," said Patrick Moorhead of the research firm Moor Insights & Strategy. "Both countries would be hurt significantly." Moorhead said Apple would be uniquely affected because it manufactures most of its products in China and also sells a lot there. "Most of Apple's revenue and profits are driven by the iPhone which is almost exclusively manufactured in China," the analyst said. Once the new round of tariffs takes effect on September 24, punitive duties will be in place on $250 billion in goods the US buys from China. The trade war has fueled concerns in the United States, especially in the technology and consumer electronics sectors, just ahead of the holiday shopping season that is important for both manufacturers and retailers. The tariffs "will create lasting harm to communities across the country," said Dean Garfield, president and chief executive of the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade goup that includes Apple, Amazon and other large tech firms. "China must change, but this is not the way to achieve the needed market access in China. More tariffs not only punish American consumers, manufacturers, and businesses of all sizes, they will also diminish the opportunity to negotiate with the Chinese and address longstanding trade issues." Story continues The Consumer Technology Association, which represents some 2,000 large and small firms in the tech sector, called the tariffs "bad policy" even if some key products were excluded. "We are especially concerned about retaliatory tariffs on printed circuit assemblies, routers and networking equipment," said CTA president Gary Shapiro. "They will stifle our global leadership in 5G (wireless networks), create an internet tax on businesses and cause uncertainty for companies." - Apple's plea - The administration excluded smartwatches and other connected devices after Apple warned of a negative impact in a letter to the US Trade Representative. "Tariffs increase the cost of our US operations, divert our resources, and disadvantage Apple compared to foreign competitors," Apple said in comments submitted September 5. "More broadly, tariffs will lead to higher US consumer prices, lower overall US economic growth, and other unintended economic consequences. As a result, tariffs will ultimately reduce the economic benefit we generate for the United States." Gene Munster of the research firm Loup Ventures said in a note to clients last week he did not expect Apple to take a major hit from the tariffs. A tariff on smartwatches and connected earbuds, Munster said, would lower Apple's yearly profits by just one percent. And he predicted the trade frictions would eventually wind down. "We believe, beyond two years, these tariffs will go away," he said. Moorhead said he believed some tech firms, however, are "secretly applauding" the tough stand by Trump because it may over time impact the imbalance in trade between the two countries. Buenos Aires (AFP) - Beleaguered ex-president Cristina Kirchner appeared in court on Tuesday to answer questions relating to a money laundering case, a day after an Argentine judge asked that her legislative immunity be lifted. The 65-year-old, who now sits in the senate, has recently appeared twice before a judge in a separate corruption case in which she is accused of having received tens of millions of dollars in bribes. Tuesday's appearance before judge Sebastian Casanello is related to a case known as "the K-money route" relating to $60 million dollars of capital allegedly expatriated and then repatriated in an attempt to legitimize it. "Not only do I know nothing about this transaction but there is no evidence that links me to it," said Kirchner in a written submission to Casanello. The money was allegedly moved around between 2010 and 2013, while the center-left Kirchner was president, having succeeded her late husband Nestor in 2007. The case centers around a former bank cashier called Lazaro Baez, who created a business empire in Santa Cruz, some 2,500-kilometers (1,500-miles) south of the capital Buenos Aires, where he won tenders for oil and public works during the Kirchners' presidencies from 2003 to 2015. Baez owns 25 ranches comprising 400,000 hectares in the southern Patagonia region, as well as dozens of properties and landholdings. Ten days ago, one of his properties was excavated in search of buried containers believed to be full of money, but nothing was found. A defiant Kirchner said in her statement that authorities could track her movements, tap her telephone calls and "dig up the whole of Argentine Patagonia" because "they will never find anything to implicate me as I never took any illicit money." - 'Unprecedented' - Kirchner said nothing to the press throngs outside the court in the Comodoro Py neighborhood but stated on Twitter that it was her eighth appearance before a judge, describing her situation as "unprecedented." Story continues Her last two audiences with judge Claudio Bonadio related to the "corruption notebooks" scandal in which a ministerial chauffeur kept meticulous records of millions of dollars of bribes paid by businessmen to government officials to win public works contracts. Bonadio asked on Monday that Kirchner's immunity be lifted so she can be remanded in custody. Argentina's Senate voted last month to partially lift Kirchner's parliamentary immunity so her three luxury homes could be searched for evidence that she took bribes. As a senator, she retains immunity from imprisonment, although not from prosecution. The "corruption notebooks" case has implicated more than a dozen former government officials and 30 elite businessmen. Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli has said a total of $160 million in bribes was handed over between 2005 and 2015. Kirchner is under investigation in seven corruption cases in total, but claims she is the victim of "judicial persecutions" aimed at derailing her bid to run for a third presidential term in next year's elections. She has compared her lot to that of Brazil's jailed leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, currently serving 12 years for having accepted a seaside apartment as a bribe. As the opposition's leading candidate, Kirchner has been commanding 30 percent approval ratings in opinion polls. Beirut (AFP) - Politics is playing out in a street of the Lebanese capital, with the naming of a road after a Hezbollah commander accused of masterminding the assassination of prime minister Rafiq Hariri. The backlash comes just days after the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a UN-backed court investigating the 2005 car bomb that killed Hariri and 22 others, began hearing closing arguments. The municipality of Ghobeiry, south of Beirut, recently renamed a street leading up to the Rafiq Hariri National Hospital after one of his accused assassins. Photographs spread across social media this week depicting "the Martyr Mustafa Baddredine Street," in honour of a leading member of the Hezbollah militant movement who was killed fighting in Syria in 2016. Badreddine is believed to be the alleged mastermind of the blast that killed Hariri, and was indicted by the tribunal but never tried. Reacting to the street name, his son and current prime minister Saad Hariri said Tuesday: "This is civil strife, par excellence, at a time when we're talking about eliminating discord." Ghobeiry lies in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, where support for Hezbollah is strong. The Ghobeiry municipality says it submitted a request to the interior ministry one year ago to rename the street as is required by law, but that the lack of a response from the ministry within a month indicated tacit approval. It insists its decision was "legal, normal, and legitimate". The interior ministry announced on Monday it rejected the municipality honouring "one of the main people accused" of killing Hariri. It said it would demand the street signs be removed. They were still up on Tuesday, according to an AFP photographer. Backers of Hezbollah were posting on Twitter in support of the Ghobeiry municipality, with the Arabic hashtag "Badreddine, even your name terrorises them". Opponents said the move was a "provocation," 13 years after Hariri's assassination. Story continues "This is just throwing salt on the wound," one user said. Saad Hariri was reappointed prime minister in May for a third term, but has failed so far to pull together a cabinet of ministers. Despite prosecutors pointing the finger at Hezbollah for his father's killing, Hariri has repeatedly insisted that Lebanon's interest lies in consensus, not conflict. Hezbollah has denied involvement in Rafiq's assassination and has slammed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as illegitimate. This is one in a series of 13 Yahoo News interviews with historians about defining moments in presidential leadership. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad, spoke to Yahoo News about Obamas defining moment of presidential leadership: the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Excerpts: When Obama came into office in early 2009, there wasnt much information about where bin Laden might be. They knew that there was a courier called al-Kuwaiti, who seemed to play some sort of role in al-Qaida that was important. Eventually they followed him to a city called Abbottabad, where he went to a compound where the people are going out of their way to keep a low profile while lying about who they are. Not super-unusual for the area, but unusual enough that Leon Panetta, who was then the director of the CIA, went to President Obama and said, We think we have a pretty good lead. There had been false leads in the past. It was 50/50 if bin Laden was in this compound. The option that became more and more interesting to Obama and his team was a SEAL team raid on the compound. It would be a covert operation under the direction of the CIA. The United States wasnt going to give the Pakistanis a heads-up about it. It would be covert, deniable, secret. Obama didnt make up his mind definitively until very late. He went around his war cabinet and asked them all to give their opinions. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said essentially, Dont do the strike. There are too many risks here. Gates, dont forget, had been in the White House when President Carter ordered the disastrous Iran rescue operation. And every time there was a meeting hed remind Obama that another Democratic president had mounted a special operation in a country a long way away. In the end, that had contributed to Carter becoming a one-term president. Story continues Vice President Joe Biden also said, Dont do this operation. Were going to anger the Pakistanis. Hillary Clinton came down [in favor] in the end. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was in favor. Admiral McRaven, who was going to actually [be in command] assured President Obama from a military point of view this was going to be like any other military operation that joint special operations command does every night in Afghanistan or Iraq. He inspired great confidence in everybody in the room. Obama went back to his residence, thought about it and came down at 8 the next morning and told his top national security advisers, Go! I think this is a classic example of presidential leadership. He had plenty of his advisers saying Dont do this. But thats the nature of real presidential decision-making you dont have all the answers. It was easy to say after bin Laden was killed that thats the decision I would have made. Thats supereasy to make that claim after you know the outcome. We know what history looks like looking backward, but its lived forward. You have to make a decision. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover thumbnail photo: President Barack Obama after making a televised statement on the death of Osama bin Laden, 2011. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP, Pete Souza/The White House/AP) Michel Barnier at a meeting of EU ministers about Brexit on Tuesday (Reuters) EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier has vowed to improve the blocs plan to prevent a hard border in Ireland in a bid to make a last-ditch breakthrough in negotiations. After talks with EU ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Barnier told the press his team are working on new proposals designed to de-dramatise an issue which risks causing a no-deal Brexit. We are ready to improve this proposal, he said. Work on the EU side is ongoing. It came after the UK government called for the EU to show flexibility in Brexit talks. MORE: Sterling jumps on hopes of Irish border Brexit solution Arriving at the meeting with Barier, Brexit minister Lord Callanan said: The UK has compromised and its now up to the EU to reciprocate. If were to get a deal there has to be compromises from both sides. The EU and UK are both committed to finding a backstop solution preventing the re-emergence of a hard border in Ireland, but they cant agree on what form it should take. The impasse has held-up Brexit negotiations for so long that EU leaders are set to push the deadline for a deal back from October to November. Brexit minister Lord Callanan at Tuesdays meeting of EU ministers (Getty) A little over 80% of the Withdrawal Agreement has been signed-off by both sides, according to Austrian minister Gernot Blumel, who spoke alongside Barnier. That means next to no progress has been since June when Yahoo Finance UK revealed the Withdrawal Agreement was 80% complete. Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney called for an intensification in talks on the Irish border after meeting Barnier in Brussels on Tuesday. MORE: Just 5% of Brexit issues resolved over three months What we havent got is any text from the British side in terms of their proposals to actually resolve the impasse that is there at the moment, he said. Barnier said his team are using trade data provided by the UK government to establish where, when and by whom checks on goods being imported to the EU could be performed. We can clarify that most checks can take place away from the border, he said. At company premises or in the markets. We need to de-dramatise the checks that are needed. Story continues The UK government says the EUs current backstop policy would challenge the integrity of the UK by creating a border in the Irish sea between Northern Ireland and mainland UK. Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney in conversation with EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier at Tuesdays meeting (Getty) Hitting back at that criticism on Tuesday, he said: What were talking about is not a border: not a land border, not a sea border. Its a set of technical checks and controls. He also stressed that the checks were caused by the UKs decision to leave the EU, its single market and the customs union. EU leaders are set to move the deadline for a Brexit deal back to November in a bid to give Barnier and his British counterpart, Dominic Raab, more time to resolve outstanding issues. But Barnier said he still saw the original deadline the European Council of October 18 as the moment of truth for a Brexit deal. MORE: Brexit deal deadline to be pushed back to November to avoid a catastrophe Its then that we shall see whether the agreement we are hoping for is within our grasp, he said. Irelands Coveney also stressed his opposition to the drift in the timetable for a Brexit deal. He said: We want to be in a position where EU leaders can be making real decisions in October. Some people seem to be suggesting that we can just move past the leaders meeting in October and into November; that is not the view of the task force and its not the view or Ireland. MORE: EXCLUSIVE: EU says publishing its Chequers analysis would risk jeopardising Brexit deal This is one in a series of 13 Yahoo News interviews with historians about defining moments in presidential leadership. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. David Maraniss, author of First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton, spoke to Yahoo News about Clintons defining moment of presidential leadership: getting an assault-rifle ban through Congress. The bill passed in 1994, but the provision banning those weapons expired after 10 years and has not been renewed. Excerpts: There had been mass shootings throughout American history, but at the time Clinton was becoming president, the use of assault weapons rapid-fire ability to kill as many people as possible in a short amount of time was just becoming part of the public consciousness. He was not ever in the vanguard of the gun-control movement, but he saw that there was public support for it and he could do it in conjunction with a crime bill that would emphasize that he was not soft on crime and yet go after gun control. That was a way of co-opting the Republicans, who until that point had dominated the whole issue of crime and law and order. The barriers to getting an assault-weapons ban done were the same as the barriers always are for any gun-control legislation, which is the fear of members of Congress that if they support any gun-control legislation, the NRA will raise and spend oodles of money to defeat them. So Clinton had to overcome some of those fears. The point he would always try to make is that the NRA leadership did not reflect the constituency, most of whom he would say were good-ol-boy hunters and fishers from places like where he grew up in Arkansas. He was pretty good at projecting himself as one of those good ol boys and that this was just common-sense gun control. They added a sunset clause to diminish the power of the NRA in opposing it. In retrospect, that sunset clause was disastrous. In that sense it reflected a larger point about Bill Clintons leadership, which was more tactical than long-term strategic. Story continues The assault-weapons ban, surprisingly, had some Republican support. And as limited as that ban was, in some respects it was the single strongest piece of gun-control legislation thats passed in 25 years. How many pieces of legislation can you say saved lives? There was always a sense among people who supported him that If only Clinton hadnt done these various things he could have been a great president. But you cant say if only with Bill Clinton, because the same drives that pushed him in positive ways, pushed him in negative ways as well. He had this larger appetite. So it was all Bill Clinton, whether he was doing something good or bad. That was Bill Clinton. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover thumbnail photo: President Bill Clinton unveils anti-gun violence initiatives in 1999. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Joyce Naltchayan/AFP/Getty Images, Dennis Cook/AP) WASHINGTON Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who has accused him of sexual assault when they were teens, will have the opportunity to publicly testify next week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced Monday. Anyone who comes forward as Dr. Ford has done deserves to be heard, Grassley said in a statement, promising to give the psychology professors allegations a full airing in a hearing scheduled next Monday. The extraordinary move effectively postponed Thursdays planned committee vote on the nomination, as Democrats had been demanding since Ford first spoke out publicly over the weekend. Moreover, Grassleys statement appeared to be a result of tremendous pressure from other members of the GOP Senate conference, who were increasingly wary about the prospect of an all-male Republican committee majority denying Ford an opportunity to speak just weeks before the midterm elections. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, told reporters on Monday that he informed leadership he could not support the judges bid to the high court without first giving Ford a chance to be heard. He said overwhelming resistance among GOP members of the committee contributed to the scheduling of a public hearing. The White House seemed to endorse the decision, with spokesman Raj Shah releasing a complementary statement Monday evening. Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation, Shah said. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him. Ford identified herself on Sunday as the author of a confidential letter sent in late July to two members of Congress in which she accuses Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school in the 1980s. Her lawyer said Monday she would be willing to testify about the alleged incident. There are an awful lot of questions, inconsistencies, gaps, and thats why, to be fair to both, we need to know what happened, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters Monday on Capitol Hill, several hours before Grassleys announcement. Story continues Collins, a key uncommitted senator on Kavanaughs nomination, said she doesnt know enough yet to say whether she believes Fords allegations but that having the opportunity to question her will help her make a determination. Obviously if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying, Collins added, noting the judge had emphatically denied the accusation in a phone call with the senator on Friday. GOP leaders initially appeared reluctant about delaying the vote on the Kavanaugh nomination, however. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, threw cold water over the prospect of a public hearing earlier Monday during an interview with CNNs Manu Raju: Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn throws cold water on a public hearing for Brett Kavanaugh. What Senate Democrats want to do is create a show trial, and I think it would be a mistake to reward bad behavior, he told us Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 17, 2018 Senators and Judiciary Committee staff also squabbled over how best to proceed on the nomination throughout the day prior to the scheduling of Mondays hearing. Grassley issued a statement earlier in the day that said he was committed to hearing from Ford in an an appropriate, precedented and respectful manner. The statement did not, however, address the possibility of inviting either Kavanaugh or Ford to testify in a public setting. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seemed to endorse Grassleys approach on the Senate floor earlier Monday, but he, too, did not raise the prospect of public testimony. Democrats welcomed the news of a public hearing but insisted that the FBI ought to be able to investigate the allegation first. I do think there needs to be some investigation first, and Im not sure this allows for that, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, told reporters on Monday evening about Grassleys announcement. A Department of Justice spokesperson, however, said in a statement that the allegation does not involve any potential federal crime, suggesting the FBI will not conduct any further investigation of Kavanaughs record. Next weeks hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT Monday, and both Kavanaugh and Ford are expected to answer questions. Senators will be looking closely at how both address the alleged incident. This is the best route forward, Flake said of the hearing. Obviously, these are serious charges, and, if they are true, I think they are disqualifying. The Arizona Republican added that he wasnt sure whether senators will be able to determine the veracity of the allegation in such a setting. I dont know how you can ever be sure, but its the best process we have. Its the process its the only process, he said. Related Coverage Alumnae Of Christine Blasey Ford's High School Circulate Letter Of Support Pressure Mounts On Republicans To Postpone Brett Kavanaugh Vote Drudge Report Dragged For Promoting Hit Piece On The Wrong 'Christine Ford' Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Prime minister Theresa May and EU Council president Donald Tusk (Getty) The deadline for a Brexit deal is set to be pushed back to November under plans to be discussed by EU leaders this week. The European Council summit on October 18 has long been the official cut-off point for an agreement on the Withdrawal Agreement and future relationship between the UK and EU. But the need for a separate Brexit summit in November has been raised in recent weeks as the two sides struggled to reach consensus on outstanding issues despite an intensification of talks. Now it has been confirmed that European Council president Donald Tusk will formally propose a new timetable at the EU leaders summit being held in Salzburg on Wednesday and Thursday. As we are reaching the last lap of negotiations, there is a need to plan the process ahead, said a senior EU official. MORE: Sterling jumps on hopes of Irish border Brexit solution In that context, president Tusk will propose an additional extraordinary European Council in November. That will be discussed in Salzburg. The delay is largely down to the impasse over a backstop solution to avoiding a hard border in Ireland that is acceptable to both sides. The EUs backstop proposal has been rejected by the UK because it effectively creates a customs border in the Irish sea, while the UKs plan was rejected by the UK because it was temporary and applied to the whole of the UK, rather than only Northern Ireland. In a bid to break the deadlock, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is drawing up new proposal that respects the UKs position. In his pre-summit letter to EU leaders, Tusk said the meeting will reconfirm the need for a legally operational backstop on Ireland, so as to be sure that there will be no hard border in the future. Donald Tusk and Theresa May meeting at Downing Street in June (Getty) Limiting the damage caused by Brexit is our shared interest, he added. Tusk also warns that a no-deal scenario remains quite possible, but finishes his letter by saying: If we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe. The other major Brexit issue on the agenda is the political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU which must accompany the Withdrawal Agreement. Story continues The EU have said the economic pillars of the Chequers plan UK participation in the single market for goods and a customs arrangement which would see the UK collect tariffs for the EU are unworkable. But prime minister Theresa May says Chequers is the only alternative to no-deal and will push the merits of her plan when she addresses the other 27 EU heads of state at the end of their dinner on Wednesday evening. MORE: EXCLUSIVE: EU says publishing its Chequers analysis would risk jeopardising Brexit deal The leaders will then meet for a working lunch without UK represenatation on Thursday for a discussion over their Brexit strategy with Barnier. If there is continued disagreement over the future relationship, the EU may put forward a detail-light political declaration in November in order to get a deal over the line. Its quite clear that when it comes to Chequers there are a number of elements where one can say that the convergence of views is taking place but its also clear that there are still differences of approach on a few fundamental issues, said a senior EU source. There are potentially two approaches: have a joint political declaration which is very much clear to the last point or to have a political declaration which while registering an agreement on a number of issues, leaves a certain space for negotiations in the future on a number of issues. I think this is going to be at the core of the debate in Salzburg. MORE: Juncker rejects Mays plan for frictionless trade after Brexit (Reuters) - A California surgeon and his girlfriend were arrested on charges of drugging and raping two women, a prosecutor said on Tuesday, adding that police were investigating the possibility that they victimized other women. The Orange County District Attorney's office also charged Grant Robicheaux, 38, an orthopedic surgeon, and Cerissa Riley, 31, with assault to commit sexual offense and possession of a controlled substance related to two incidents in 2016. They were arrested last week and released on bail. It was not clear if they had lawyers. They were scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 24. The district attorney's office said the couple was accused of raping one of the women and sexually assaulting a second woman with the intent to rape her. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters that Robicheaux had hundreds of videos and photographs of women on his phone who appeared to be intoxicated. The district attorney's office said that in Jan. 2018, authorities found large quantities of drugs at Robicheaux's home. Police have also accused Robicheaux of possessing unregistered firearms. (Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Bill Tarrant) A day care centre owner has been arrested after reportedly tying small children to car seats by their necks for hours in a dark cupboard. A US arrest warrant affidavit alleges Rebecca Anderson kept youngsters tied up in car seats for at least seven hours a day at her home day care centre, Beckys Home Child Care, in Texas. Anderson, 60, also allegedly yanked a six-month-old child by the bib around his neck, tying laces around the young childrens necks to limit their movement and giving them acetaminophen to keep them quiet. Texas woman Rebecca Anderson, 60, has been arrested after she allegedly tied kids to car seats and left them in dark rooms in her home-run day care centre. Source: AAP The father of the boy also told police he saw Anderson feed his child something from a liquid syringe. He witnessed this via a camera on his childs car seat, which he installed after becoming suspicious about Andersons behaviour. After executing a warrant, Anderson told police five kids were inside her home but four more were found, CBS 11 News reported. READ MORE ON YAHOO UK Fred and Rose Wests daughter fears her parents killed 30 more women Student, 26, killed in US shark attack was engaged to be married Teen questioned by police after g-force stunt leaves boy, 11, with horrific injuries Watch: Ryanair passenger films baggage handler stealing from suitcase Three were found in a dark bedroom closet strapped in car seats while another was found in the master bedroom. They had shoe-lace like threads tied around their necks. Anderson ran the daycare centre from her house where police allege they found four kids tied up. Source: CBS 11 Anderson added she did this to stop the kids from moving. Shes booked into the Dallas County jail on nine counts of child endangerment with bonds totalling $62,000. Jail records list no lawyer for her. Manchester Citys trophy parade. Manchester workers in the centre of the city have been asked to consider leaving work early ahead of Lyons Champions League visit to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening. Roads will be closed in the city at various times from 5pm onwards as police escort Lyon fans to Manchester Citys ground, and Transport for Greater Manchester has warned of congestion. There will be 55,000 fans combined from both clubs, and the logistical arrangements are expected to cause significant delays for those trying to get around the city. Transport for Greater Manchester has asked the public to avoid the area between 4pm and 7pm as the fans are moved through the city. Travelling to the Etihad Stadium tomorrow? Away fans are expected to walk from #MCR city centre to the match. Roads WILL be busier than normal between 4pm & 7pm. Plan ahead and enjoy the match!https://t.co/Qawt5bif8a pic.twitter.com/C3PaeO82ym TfGM (@OfficialTfGM) September 18, 2018 TfGM posted on Twitter: The walk up is expected to begin at 5pm from Shambles Square and make its way through the city centre towards the stadium. Along with ongoing road works around the Regent Road area, journey times for all road users are expected to increase on the night with significant delays expected. Our advice is for you to avoid travelling in and around the city centre from 4pm to 7pm. Can you leave work early prior to the evening peak? Can you work later and travel after the evening peak? If it is an option, can you consider working from home on the day? Public transport will be providing as much capacity as possible and this is recommended as the best travel option. Deadpool enlists Lorraine Kelly to open new Blockbuster Video ITVs Lorraine poses with Deadpool cosplayers outside the new Blockbuster on Bethnal Green Road. (20th Century Fox) Blockbuster Video has made a return to the British high street thanks to Ryan Reynolds wisecracking superhero Deadpool. TV superstar Lorraine Kelly opened up the brand new store which is open for two days only in Shoreditch, London to celebrate Deadpool 2s Digital Download, Blu-ray and DVD release. The store, which can be found at 133-135 Bethnal Green Road, is a recreation of the original chain that first opened in 1989, but in true Deadpool style theres only one movie gracing the shelves: Deadpool 2. With every shelf stacked full with copies of Deadpool 2, the red-suited Merc is giving away copies to any fan able to track down their original Blockbuster Video membership card, allowing them to queue jump and claim their limited-edition VHS case containing a digital download code for the film. But those unable to track down their blue and yellow laminated membership cards have another chance to claim a copy, by displaying their superpower to the cashier, inspired by the films X Force audition scenes. This will entitle you to a Superhero Edition membership card and a copy of Deadpool 2. Other retro treats will also be up for grabs. Deadpool 2 is available on Digital Download, Blu-ray and DVD now. Read more The Apostle trailer is BRUTAL Mary Poppins Returns set visit report Insane movie star fitness regimes Mexico City (AFP) - A sixth person has died from his wounds after being shot by gunmen dressed as mariachi musicians in Mexico City's famed Garibaldi Plaza, officials said Monday. The Friday night attacked shocked the capital city and sowed chaos in the centrally located square, which is famous for the musicians with the sprawling sombreros. The plaza was packed at the time with both locals and tourists at the start of a weekend of Mexican Independence Day festivities. The gunmen fired at least 60 rounds, then fled on motorcycles, according to investigators. The toll stood at five dead after the attack -- three men and two women -- and eight wounded. But another man, aged 32, died of his injuries in hospital, said prosecutors. Mexico City Mayor Jose Ramon Amieva meanwhile said investigators had identified the suspected shooters. He said the shooting was part of a turf war between two local drug gangs, La Union and Anti-Union de Tepito. Both gangs operate in a nearby neighborhood and have been fighting for control of Mexico City drug dealing business, especially since the alleged leader of La Union was arrested last month. "What's happening here? These two small groups are fighting over sales in this area, and with the arrest of the main leaders and their deputies, now they are fighting each other," he told journalists. Two of those killed had criminal records for robbery. The ESA's Solar Orbiter probe - ESA A devastating solar storm which could wipe out communications on Earth and fry power grids is a matter of when, not if the head of the Met Offices Space Weather Monitoring centre has warned. Extreme space weather has already caused widespread disruption, with a geomagnetic storm leaving six million people without power in 1989 while Apollo astronauts narrowly missed being exposed to deadly radiation in 1972 and solar flares in 2003 forced the crew of the International Space Station to take cover. The largest solar storm ever recorded, The Carrington Event in 1859, knocked out Telegraph systems and even set fire to paper in offices. To help forecast such devastating phenomena the European Space Agency is launching the Solar Orbiter probe in 2020 to monitor the Sun, and yesterday unveiled the spacecraft at Airbus ahead of a year of testing in Germany. The Solar Orbiter is heading for Germany where it will undergo testing Credit: Max Alexander Catherine Burnett, head of the Met Offices Space Weather Monitoring Unit said: Solar Orbiter is a research mission which in the long term will to understand much more about the Sun and why it behaves as it does, so in the future it should help us spot disrupting events so we can prepare for them. The threat of space weather to national infrastructure, UK industry and the wider public is such that it is now part of the Government National Risk Register and there is a need for forecasting to try to mitigate that risk. We try to advise when space weather will have an impact on technology, so were looking for solar flares which can knock out high frequency telecommunications, coronal mass ejections which have the potential to take out our power grids and solar radiation which impact satellite communications systems and GPS. We think that the big solar incidents, like the Carrington Event, happen between 1 in 100 or 1 in 200 years so it is a case of when not if we have one. The Solar Orbiter will carry a telescope to allow closer pictures to the Sun than ever before Credit: ESA Solar Orbiter will provide close-up views of the Suns polar regions, tracking features such as solar storms and the solar wind which causes Earths atmosphere to light up as the Aurora or Northern Lights. It will also help scientists understand how dynamo processes within the star the Sun's magnetic field. Story continues The north and south poles of the Sun flipped in 2013 and Solar Orbiter will also explore the phenomenon. And it will examine how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind in which Earth sits. The spacecraft has been built in Britain at Airbus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and the UK Space Agency has funded teams from University College London, Imperial College London and the RALSpace to design and build three out of the ten instruments on board. It is due to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Nasa Atlas rocket in 2020 and will be linking up with Nasas Parker Solar Probe will travel through the Suns atmosphere, while Solar Orbiter will observe the surface. UK Space Agency Head of Science Chris Lee said: This is an exciting time for solar science. UK research and engineering teams are at the heart of this mission which will help us understand more about our star the Sun and its effects on us all here on Earth. Quito (AFP) - A criminal court in Ecuador suspended a hearing on Tuesday meant to decide whether to call former president Rafael Correa to trial over the kidnapping of an opposition lawmaker in Colombia. Barely an hour into the hearing, judge Daniela Camacho postponed the hearing until Friday to provide more time to study prosecution documents into the 2012 kidnapping of Fernando Balda. Correa, who lives in his wife's native Belgium and cannot be tried in absentia, blasted the decision as "shameful" on Twitter, calling on the prosecutor in charge to "resign." "He had a month and a half to prepare for this hearing," fumed Correa. The hearing, attended by international observers on behalf of Correa, is due to decide whether or not he should face trial or if the case should be dismissed. In July, Ecuador's National Court of Justice ordered the arrest of Correa and alerted the international police organization Interpol. Correa dismissed that as a political "plot" led by his successor, President Lenin Moreno. The two were once allies -- Moreno was Correa's vice president from 2007 to 2013 -- but have since fallen out. The power struggle between the pair led to a crisis within their left-wing PAIS Alliance party, which has been in power since Correa won his first election in 2006. Moreno has recently come out on top in that struggle as Ecuadorans voted in February to bar Correa from making a comeback in 2021 by backing a referendum on reimposing presidential term limits. MORIA, Greece (AP) Some 2,000 asylum-seekers will be moved out of a severely overcrowded migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos this month, a Greek official said Tuesday as charities slammed conditions at the camp, which has raw sewage running out of its main entrance. Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said those being moved out of the Moria camp, which houses 9,000 people in a facility built for 3,100, will be sent to the mainland so their asylum claims can be examined. "The situation in Moria is indeed difficult, it is indeed at the limit," Tzanakopoulos said. Regional governor Christina Kalogirou had threatened to shut down the facility unless the Greek government improves conditions at Moria. Camp resident Ali Sajjad Faizy, a 19-year-old from Afghanistan, said conditions at Moria have steadily worsened and anyone who wants food has to stand in line for many hours. "It's completely full," he said. Doctors Without Borders has called for the emergency evacuation of vulnerable people at the camp to the mainland and other European Union countries, citing an increase in suicide attempts and self-harm among children in Moria and cases of sexual attack. "This is the third year that (we) have been calling on the Greek authorities and the EU to take responsibility for their collective failures and to put in place sustainable solutions to avoid this catastrophic situation," said Louise Roland-Gosselin of Doctors without Borders. "It is time to immediately evacuate the most vulnerable to safe accommodation in other European countries and to stop this never-ending cycle of emergency decongestions and the horrendous conditions we continue to witness in Moria." Thousands of people fleeing violence and poverty at home are still arriving at Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast. Between Friday and Sunday, more than 600 reached Lesbos alone. Under a 2016 deal between the EU and Turkey designed to halt the flow of refugees and migrants into Europe, those arriving on Greek islands are held in detention camps there and face deportation back to Turkey unless their asylum applications are approved. Story continues But the massive backlog of applications has led to severe overcrowding on the Greek island camps, even as authorities move hundreds of vulnerable people to the mainland. "What the Greek government is trying to do is to reduce the time required for a decision to be issued granting or rejecting asylum ... but there is always reality," Tzanakopoulos said. Tzanakopoulos said anti-immigration policies being pursued by Hungary, Poland and several other EU members had limited Greece's options to deal with the overcrowding problem. "We must all understand that the only way for an overall solution to the immigration crisis is (to achieve) an equal and proportional sharing of refugees throughout Europe," he said. Further to the east, Cyprus has been seeing an increase in the number of people arriving there to claim asylum. The EU's migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said Tuesday that the EU's new, upgraded border police could be dispatched to Cyprus. An EU team will arrive in Cyprus shortly to determine what kind of help the country needs. "Cyprus is not alone. Europe is at its side," Avramopoulos said after meeting with Cyprus' interior, foreign and justice ministers. "Cyprus is on Europe's borders and on the front line of the migrant and refugee crisis." Avramopoulos said the EU's new border police will be "more advanced and upgraded" from the current body, Frontex, and will have an estimated 10,000 staff within a few years. Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said it's "impossible" for Cyprus, a divided island nation with just over 1 million people, to absorb large numbers of migrants. ____ Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Nicholas Paphitis in Athens contributed to this report. (RALEIGH, N.C.) Flooded rivers from Florences drenching rains have swamped coal ash dumps and low-lying hog farms, raising pollution concerns as the swollen waterways approach their crests Monday. North Carolina environmental regulators say several open-air manure pits at hog farms have failed, spilling pollution. State officials also were monitoring the ongoing threat from the breach of a Duke Energy coal ash landfill near Wilmington. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan said Monday that the earthen dam at one hog lagoon in Duplin County had been breached. There were also seven reports of lagoon levels going over their tops or being inundated in Jones and Pender counties. Regan said state investigators will visit the sites as conditions allow. The large pits at hog farms hold feces and urine from the animals to be sprayed on nearby fields. The Associated Press published photos of a hog farm outside Trenton on Sunday with long metal buildings ringed by dark water. Satellite photos of the same farm taken before the storm show the location of a hog waste pit completely submerged under floodwaters in the AP photos. The N.C. Pork Council, an industry trade group, issued a news release Sunday night denying there had been confirmed spills and questioning the accuracy of APs reporting. In an email Monday, N.C. Pork Council chief Andy Curliss said the group was drafting an updated statement that was not yet available. An AP analysis of location data from hog waste disposal permits shows at least 45 active North Carolina farms are located in 100-year and 500-year floodplains. Federal forecasters predicted several rivers would crest at record or near-record levels by Monday, and high water could linger for days. Duke Energy said the weekend collapse of a coal ash landfill at the L.V. Sutton Power Station near Wilmington, North Carolina, is an on-going situation, with an unknown amount of potentially contaminated storm water flowing into a nearby lake. At a different power plant near Goldsboro, three old coal ash dumps capped with soil were inundated by the Neuse River. Story continues At the closed Sutton plant, Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said a full assessment of how much ash escaped from the water-slogged landfill cant occur until the rain stops. The company initially estimated Saturday that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced, enough to fill about 180 dump trucks. Sheehan said the estimate could be revised later. The coal-fired Sutton plant was retired in 2013 and replaced with a new facility that burns natural gas. The company has been excavating millions of tons of leftover ash from old waste pits at the site and removing it to a new lined landfill constructed on the property. The gray ash left behind when coal is burned contains toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead and mercury. Photos from the site provided to AP by Cape Fear River Watch, an environmental advocacy group, show cascades of gray-colored water spilling from at least two breaches at the landfill and flowing toward Sutton Lake, the plants former cooling pond which is now used for public recreation, including fishing and boating. Sutton Lake drains into the Cape Fear River. Sheehan said Dukes assessment is that there was minimal chance any contaminants from the spill had reached the river. Dukes handling of ash waste has faced intense scrutiny since a drainage pipe collapsed under a waste pit at an old plant in Eden in 2014, triggering a massive spill that coated 70 miles (110 kilometers) of the Dan River in gray sludge. The utility later agreed to plead guilty to nine Clean Water Act violations and pay $102 million in fines and restitution for illegally discharging pollution from ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. It plans to close all its ash dumps by 2029. Environmentalists have warned for decades that Dukes coal ash ponds were vulnerable to severe storms, potentially threatening drinking water supplies and public safety. Duke Energy should learn its lesson from this latest coal ash failure, and pledge today that it will remove all its coal ash from dangerous unlined riverfront pits, said Frank Holleman, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. If Duke Energys newly-designed and built landfill cannot withstand flood waters, there is even more reason to fear Duke Energys continued disposal of coal ash in unlined riverfront pits. ___ Associated Press investigative reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington. Data journalist Angeliki Kastanis in Los Angeles contributed. PARIS (Reuters) - French and British fisherman have reached an agreement to end a dispute over scallop fishing in the English Channel, a French Agriculture Ministry official said on Monday. The row, which arose as Britain negotiates its exit from the European Union, centered on the size of the boats that are allowed to fish in the Baie de Seine where scallops can be found in large quantities. French fishermen had accused the British of unfairly catching scallops in the Baie de Seine during the summer, when French boats are banned from doing so because of French regulations aimed at protecting shellfish stocks. The clashes had seen some French and British fisherman throw rocks and other projectiles at each other. Earlier this month, France warned it would deploy the navy if necessary in what has been dubbed the "scallop wars". "A deal has been reached and will be passed on to authorities in the two countries to be finalised," the French official said, giving no details. British fisheries minister George Eustice welcomed what he said was a "pragmatic" outcome. "This means our over-15-metre fleet will get the days at sea it wanted, while allowing the under-15-metre fleet to continue fishing in the area," he said in a written statement. Fishing rights are likely to become an increasingly sensitive issue as Britain negotiates its future relationship with the EU after Brexit in March 2019. (Reporting by Matthias Blamont in Paris and Elisabeth O'Leary in Edinburgh; Editing by Mark Heinrich) This is one in a series of 13 Yahoo News interviews with historians about defining moments in presidential leadership. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. Peter Baker, author of Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, spoke to Yahoo News about the younger Bushs defining moment of presidential leadership: standing up to anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination after the attacks on Sept. 11. 2001. Excerpts: Islam was a mysterious concept to most Americans at that point. Most Americans probably didnt know anyone who was Muslim and so they didnt know what to make of it. Is this something that is targeting us because they dont like us? Is this something that we should be afraid of? Bush didnt buy into the overall prejudice against Muslims. He understood that there were people who were good Muslims and bad Muslims, just like there are good Christians and bad Christians. And what he needed as a president who was fighting a war against a group like al-Qaida was allies who were Muslim. People who were going to help. Alienating them would be a mistake. One of the first things Bush did after 9/11 was visit a mosque in Washington. No president had done that before, but he wanted to make the point that whatever our war on terrorism was going to be, whatever the war with al-Qaida was going to be, it was not going to be a war with Islam. It worked to some extent. It didnt keep people who were anti-Muslim from being anti-Muslim, but I think it helped shape the common dialogue. Going to the mosque was an act of leadership. Presidents matter. Symbols matter. And the things they do, the things they say to the American public, particularly in moments of crisis, carry enormous weight. They signal what this country stands for. I think most historians will look at that period after 9/11 as the high point of Bushs presidency, when he had the country behind him, when he had the world behind him, when he rose to the occasion. He transcended the kind of rookie presidency he had been running up to that point and became, really, a national leader and a world leader. Story continues He would eventually, of course, lose that or squander that, depending on your point of view. But in that period, in the first couple of months after 9/11, he was probably at his high point. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover thumbnail photo: President George W. Bush disavows anti-Muslim sentiment after 9/11 in a speech at the Islamic Center of Washington in 2001. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images, Doug Mills/AP) This is one in a series of 13 Yahoo News interviews with historians about defining moments in presidential leadership. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. Journalist Barry Werth, author of 31 Days: The Crisis That Gave Us the Government We Have Today, spoke to Yahoo News about Gerald Fords defining moment of presidential leadership: his pardon of Richard Nixon. Excerpts: In June of 1972, several burglars were caught breaking into the Democratic national headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. They were arrested and charged, and then, in the ensuing months, it became clear that they were working under the auspices of the White House. Richard Nixon got through the 1972 election without very much being identified with this break-in. From January 1973 until August 1974, however, there was a series of revelations and bombshells that started to consume the Nixon presidency. It all culminated in his resignation in the summer of 1974. The question of whether to bring a president or a former president to justice was laying out there in Washington for somebody to take and put up on his back. Nixons successor, former Vice President Gerald Ford, had a tremendous need to get past this, and he did it in the only way that he knew how: He settled it on his own. It was courageous but it was also very costly. As Watergate was coming to a head, and Nixon was preparing to resign, Alexander Haig, Nixons chief of staff, went to Fords office with a piece of paper that had been prepared by Nixons lawyer. Its title was Permutations for the Option of Resignation. There were various ways that Nixon could leave office without being prosecuted. The last three involved pardons. The first was that Nixon would pardon himself and leave; the second was that Nixon would pardon everyone who was being investigated for Watergate, and leave; and the third was that Gerald Ford would ascend to the presidency and then pardon Richard Nixon. Story continues Ford did not agree to that. As he said later on, There was no deal because I didnt accept any deal. But the fact that he had actually considered this raised awareness all around that it was a possibility. So Nixon goes out in a blaze. He walks out, gets on the red carpet and goes to the helicopter with Pat, his long-suffering wife, and Gerald Ford and Betty Ford standing beside him. Ford clutches Betty and says, We can do this. And he walks inside and becomes the president of the United States while Nixons in the air on his way back to California. Gerald Ford was a terrific president for a month. He was open where Nixon was closed. He appeared to be honest where Nixon appeared to be dishonest. He was accessible, he was human, he was warm. Fords whole approach during his first month was to try to move the country toward the middle. He adopted what somebody else called the mantle of the presidential center, and he was wildly successful at this. He met with the Congressional Black Caucus, which Nixon had refused to do. He met with the congressional women, which Nixon had refused to do. And the country was wowed and refreshed and optimistic. Ford was very happy about that. He felt that the country was seeing that he was the right guy to put America back on a solid footing and to bring people together again. But I dont think any president has come to the presidency with as many challenges as Ford faced during his first month in office. The White House was in disarray. The economy was in the worst shape that it had been in since the Great Depression. And then there was a very complex array of international crises that he had to deal with. There was almost a war between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus. He also had to deal with what was going to happen to Nixon. Nixons chief aides were about to go to trial. Nixon himself had been named as an unindicted co-conspirator. The grand jury wanted to indict him. There was clearly a question of whether Nixon could and should be prosecuted. But nobody else in Washington was willing to step forward. Not the special prosecutor, not the grand jury, not Congress. Ford didnt have to pardon Nixon and there were a lot of people around Ford who were urging him not to. But in the end, Ford had more urgency about resolving this issue than anyone around him. It was a Sunday morning. It was the 31st day of Fords presidency. There had been no advance warning. He just went on television and announced that he was going to pardon Richard Nixon of any crimes he may have committed in office. Now, its important to realize that Nixon had not been indicted he hadnt been convicted of anything. So this was a carte blanche absolution. As it turned out, Ford was hasty. He wasnt political enough in his thinking. He thought the American people would forgive him. And if Nixon had been more apologetic, more contrite, they might have. But the weakness of Nixons admission left Ford hanging out by himself. Gerald Ford was betrayed by Nixon. Nixon left office with a 25 percent approval rating; a month later, Ford had a 71 percent approval rating. But when Ford announced the pardon, his approval plummeted, virtually overnight, to under 50 percent. And it never recovered. Gerald Ford tried harder probably harder than anyone to be a good president. But without the trust of the American people, that was an insurmountable challenge. Fords decision to pardon Nixon exemplifies leadership by demonstrating courage. By allowing himself to be the person identified with this dramatic move, he was putting himself in a position where he was shadowed by ambiguity for the rest of his political career. Thats the tragedy. It took almost 25 years for people who had originally been very critical of the pardon to decide that it really was a courageous act in the best interest of the country. Ford came into office with such promise with a deep appreciation for what the American people had been through and what it was going to take for them to heal. In light of how divided we are today, its not hard to wish that he had been more successful as a president. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover thumbnail photo: President Gerald Ford signs Richard Nixons pardon in 1974. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images, Wally McNamee/Corbis via Getty Images) Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - German business software giant SAP published Tuesday an ethics code to govern its research into artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to prevent the technology infringing on people's rights, displacing workers or inheriting biases from its human designers. "SAP designed these guiding principles to steer the development and deployment of our AI software to help the world run better and improve people's lives," the firm said in a statement. A group including engineers, theologians, political scientists and bio-ethicists put together a list of seven guidelines, ranging from respect for United Nations human rights principles to data protection. Following in the footsteps of better-known US tech giants like Google and Microsoft, SAP -- which makes software for some 400,000 firms worldwide to manage data on customer relationships, payrolls or inventory -- is wrestling with how to impose values on AI's systems of algorithms designed to ape certain aspects of human intelligence. Public figures like entrepreneur Elon Musk or physicist Stephen Hawking have warned of the dangers of out-of-control AI. "The danger of AI is much greater than the danger of nuclear warheads by a lot," Musk said at a technology conference earlier this year. But rather than a scenario like those depicted in modern classics like "The Terminator" or "The Matrix" of computer programmes running amok over their human creators, SAP's concerns are closer to home. Their seven points hit on contemporary concerns like transparency, safety and privacy. And one item on the list specifically warns of "a risk of causing discrimination or of unjustly impacting underrepresented groups" if AI inherits biases from human programmers -- a danger SAP hope to avert with more diverse development teams as well as "technical methods". - Creating 'free space' - Meanwhile it is the potential effect on jobs that is driving many warnings about the technology. Story continues In an interview published on the SAP website, chief financial officer Luka Mucic acknowledged that some people's jobs would disappear as machines take on more work. Nevertheless, "the changes brought by AI will most likely take shape just as other major technological developments throughout history, where new types of jobs were created" to replace lost ones, he added. Powerful German union IG Metall also chimed in on AI Tuesday. "Our answer to the challenges of AI is critical intelligence," said the union's co-president Christiane Benner in a statement, calling for firms to consult early with employee representatives before implementing the technology. "AI applications should unburden people and create free space for higher-value activities," she added. Not to be outdone by business and workers, Germany's federal government this month convened a "Data Ethics Commission" of its own, with ethical principles for AI among a range of fields it must pronounce on within a year. Athens (AFP) - Greece's migration minister on Tuesday pledged to improve living conditions for migrants in camps on islands in the Aegean Sea, where he said arrivals had doubled this summer. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Monday said that chronic overcrowding at camps on the island on Lesbos had led to an array of dire health consequences, including suicide attempts. "We will make every effort to improve the living conditions on the East Aegean islands," Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas told Greek radio station 24/7. He said migrant arrivals had almost doubled this summer compared to last year on the islands of Lesbos, Kos, Samos, Chios and Leros, which serve as gateways to Europe for migrants travelling from Turkish shores. "More than 70 percent of people" living in the Moria camp on Lesbos arrived this summer, he added. Government data on Monday showed there were more than 11,000 refugees and migrants on Lesbos, including nearly 9,000 in Moria, almost triple the nominal capacity. Nineteen NGOs including Oxfam, Caritas and Terre des Hommes earlier this month called for "immediate and urgent action" from Athens to end the "shameful" situation in Moria. MSF said its teams "are seeing multiple cases each week of teenagers who have attempted to commit suicide or self-harmed, and are responding to numerous critical incidents as a result of violence, child self-harm and lack of access to urgent medical care". "It is time to immediately evacuate the most vulnerable to safe accommodation in other European countries," the organisation said. The government has moved some vulnerable families from the island camps to the mainland, but has not been able to keep up with the sheer number of fresh arrivals. "On Sunday, 416 people arrived on the islands, including 324 on Lesbos," Vitsas said. He added that the European Union "has not done enough to deal with the influx of migrants in the eastern Mediterranean". Vitsas, along with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, will meet with European migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos in Athens on Wednesday to address the situation. Addis Ababa (AFP) - Askale Adacha, a 63-year-old living what she calls a "hand-to-mouth" life weaving clothes in the Ashewa Meda suburb of Ethiopias capital, lost what little she had. It began last Thursday when her neighbourhood filled with men carrying machetes and sticks, who descended on her house and accosted her daughter on the front porch. One of the men pulled out a knife, announcing he would cut off the 15-year-old's breasts. "Don't do this to my daughter. Do this to me," Askale pleaded. The man relented, but then the mob moved into the bedroom, poking the bed with sticks until her terrified son emerged from hiding. "I was begging them, please don't do this, he's just a kid," but the mob took him away anyway. "I dont know whether he's alive or dead," Askale said in an interview at a youth centre in the capital Addis Ababa that is her new, temporary home. Over the past days, suburbs of the Ethiopian capital like Ashewa Meda and Burayu were scenes of deadly violence that left 23 people dead and worsened ethnic relations in Africa's second most-populous country. On Monday, protesters angered by the killings blocked roads in Addis Ababa in demonstrations that left a further five people dead. Later that day, mobile internet service was shut down. "This type of incident won't continue," Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday while visiting a school housing people displaced by the clashes, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate said. But while Abiy has grown popular for championing aggressive reforms since taking office in April, he is also an Oromo, the countrys largest ethnicity who Askale and other victims of the violence blame for the attacks. "Ill never trust them again. I'll only trust the government," Shibo Shino said of his Oromo neighbours in Burayu. "I have children, I have properties there that Ive owned since 2005. Now, I have nothing." Story continues - House-to-house - Witnesses say the attacks began on Thursday and continued through the weekend, with mobs of Oromos hunting people from ethnic minorities. That same day, clashes broke out in the capital between young men from the city and people from the countryside who supported the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a once-banned group that returned to Ethiopia on Saturday following Abiy's political reforms. The violence was not confined to Burayu, Ashewa Meda and other communities on the border between Addis Ababa and Oromia, the Oromo region that engulfs the ethnically-diverse capital of about four million people. Desta Hailu, an unemployed resident of the town of Addis Alem 49 kilometres (30 miles) west of the capital said she had just returned to her house to collect her HIV medication when a mob dressed in the red-and-green colours of the OLF set upon her. "I heard people saying 'beat her, kill her,'" remembers Desta, a Dorze. She fled to the home of an Oromo neighbour who stood between the mob and her until they left. As the violence began in Burayu, Shibo said Oromia police intervened, but were powerless to stop the crowd from killing three people as they watched. They later pummeled a quadriplegic war veteran with sticks and stones, sending him to the hospital. "They targeted the Dorze and Gurage peoples," both minority ethnicities from southern Ethiopia, said Shibo, a Dorze. - No answers - After hauling away her son, Askale said the mob helped themselves to the contents of her home as she ran away. She found refuge in a mud-walled house along with about 18 others. Those who carried infants muffled their cries with their hands to avoid detection. On Saturday, the violence intensified again, and Askale listened to the screams of people who relatives were being killed or beaten in the streets. Not long after, she fled from the house, passing bodies left in the streets until soldiers helped her reach the youth centre where she shelters along with nearly 300 others. "We used to live with those people. We trusted each other," she said between sobs. "I dont know why they did this." To the Ethiopian government, she has one request: to know where the bodies of those killed have been buried. More than 20 schools in Illinois have installed active-shooter alarms that, when pulled, notify police that a shooter is on school premises. Users activate the security system which is similar to a fire alarm, according to the Chicago Tribune by removing the pull alarms plastic cover and pushing the alarms lever in and down. That alerts BluePoint (its maker) and local police. In addition to the wall-mounted boxes, some staffers can activate the alarm with a special fob they wear around their neck. The security systems arent cheap: One school spent about $90,000 to install 30 alarms around their campuses and an additional $40,000 on new security cameras, the Tribune says. Quite a few schools in Illinois have installed shooter alarms to alert students when an active shooter is on the premises. The alarms are blue and similar in design to fire alarms. (Twitter: @BluePoint_Alert) Henry Klucznik, a fifth grader at St. Benedicts Preparatory School in Chicago, told the Tribune that he is only two to three seconds away from the closest box. I feel a lot safer than I used to, he said. There are a few pros to having a system like this, John Matthews, executive director of the Community Safety Institute and a former chief of police, tells Yahoo Lifestyle: It may enable people to take cover quicker, and it may help police get there faster. However, he adds, at that point youve already got an active shooter in your school. Theres already something bad happening. There are other systems available that work in a similar way, Matthews says: Some have panic buttons that teachers can press; others have phone apps that connect a teacher with the schools office to let administration know whats going on. But the problem is that theyre all reactive, Matthews says. Our focus and attention needs to be on preventing these situations. Every single one of school shooters had many warning signs schools, teachers, students, and counselors knew about the troubled student, and because systems werent in place to address it, we ended up with a horrible situation, Matthews says. Theres nothing wrong with these notification systems, he says, but schools will likely benefit more from counseling and intervention systems put in place. Story continues Weve got to figure out how to stop these things from happening, Matthews says. Responding to them is great, but weve got to end these things. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. By Boureima Balima NIAMEY (Reuters) - An Italian priest was kidnapped on Monday in south Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso, the second abduction of a European in the West African country this year. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the kidnapping, which was confirmed on Tuesday by the Nigerian and Italian governments. West African states have been struggling to gain the upper hand over jihadist groups, including some affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State, which are active along Niger's porous borders with both Mali and Burkina Faso. The kidnapping took place in the village of Bomanga, in the southern Makalondi district, about 125 km (80 miles) from the capital Niamey. In a statement on Tuesday, Niamey's Archbishop Laurent Lompo said Father Pier Luigi Maccalli was attacked and abducted by "unidentified individuals" on Monday evening. Maccalli had been working in Bomaga for 11 years as a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA), a Roman Catholic missionary organization. Italy's embassy in Niamey has called on the local authorities to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Western powers, primarily France but also the United States, have deployed thousands of troops in the semi-arid Sahel region to combat what they see as a growing Islamist militant threat that targets both civilians and the military. In April, a German humanitarian worker was abducted by men riding motorcycles near Niger's western border with Mali. Last October the Islamic State's affiliate in West Africa claimed responsibility for an attack in Niger's borderlands that killed four members of the U.S. special forces and at least four Nigerian soldiers. "What is worrying us in particular is a bigger capacity of these terrorist groups to act, especially near the three borders," said a French diplomatic source, referring to Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. France has some 4,500 troops in the area. (additional reporting by Crispin Balmer in Rome, Sofia Christensen in Dakar and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Alessandra Prentice, William Maclean and Peter Graff) Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk strike a pose at SpaceXs headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. (Yusaku Maezawa via Twitter) SpaceX CEO Elon Musk today introduced Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa as the first paying customer for a trip around the moon. Finally I can tell you that I choose to go to the moon,' Maezawa said, echoing President John F. Kennedys famous phrase. Maezawa, 42, founded a mail-order retail business called Start Today in 1998, which spawned whats now Japans largest fashion retail website, known as Zozotown. His net worth is estimated at more than $3 billion. Hes made a name for himself as a musician and art collector as well as an entrepreneur. During tonights big reveal at SpaceXs headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., Maezawa said he intended to invite six to eight artists from around the world, on the level of the late Pablo Picasso or Michael Jackson, to go around the moon with him. I wish very much that such artists could go to space, see the moon up close, the Earth in full view, and create works that reflect their experience, Maezawa said. We better get that flight right, Musk said, dead-serious. This is a dangerous mission. Its definitely dangerous. Musk said Maezawa came to SpaceX to ask for the ride. He is, I think, the bravest person and the most willing to do so, Musk said. He stepped forward to do it. Were honored that he chose us. Musk did note that Maezawa invited him to come along, and Maezawa nodded along. I dont know all right, maybe well both be on it, Musk said. The trip would last around five days, and make a circuit around the moon and back without landing on the lunar surface. Maezawa declined to say how much he was paying for the trip. But its going to be free for the artists, so thats cool, Musk added. He said Maezawa has already paid a significant deposit on a fare that will have a material effect on paying for the cost of development of BFR. Story continues Musk said he expected the development cost to be on the order of $5 billion. He said that cost would be covered by revenue from SpaceXs launch business and from its Starlink satellite internet venture, as well as by fares like the one being paid by Maezawa. Theoretically, a fare that covers 5 percent of a $5 billion development cost would amount to $250 million. I dont think we can, obviously, do any percentage math. That would kind of give it away, Musk said. But its a material percentage. For what its worth, Musks net worth is currently estimated at $20.7 billion. Tonights announcement followed days of speculation over the identity of the first passenger and months of chatter about the capabilities of the BFR, an acronym for Big Falcon Rocket in its G-rated interpretation. Musk laid out his first design for the mammoth two-stage BFR in 2016 at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico, and refined it for the 2017 IAC meeting in Australia. The BFRs principal purpose is to carry settlers and their stuff to Mars, 100 passengers at a time. Last year, Musk said the BFR could be used for trips to the moon and other celestial destinations, as well as for suborbital point-to-point trips on Earth. Short-hop testing of the BFRs second stage, nicknamed the Big Falcon Spaceship or BFS, could begin as early as next year at SpaceXs launch site near Brownsville, Texas. Those tests will take the form of progressively higher up-and-down test flights. The flights to orbit and beyond may be launched from a platform floating at sea, Musk said. If all goes according to plan, spaceflights could start in the early 2020s. Maezawa is aiming to take his round-the-moon trip in 2023, accompanied by artists such as film directors, painters, fashion designers and musicians. However, Musk acknowledged that he was definitely not sure the project could meet the 2023 launch date. There are so many uncertainties. I mean, this is a ridiculously big rocket. Its got so much advanced technology. Its not 100 percent certain that we succeed in getting this to flight, Musk said. I think its pretty likely, but its not certain. The latest version of Musks vision specifies an overall length of 118 meters (387 feet), with a 55-meter-long (180-foot-long) second-stage spaceship. In comparison, NASAs Saturn V moon rocket stood 111 meters (364 feet) tall on its launch pad. The design includes two fins near the front of the spaceship and three fin-shaped landing legs in the back. The front fins and two of the back fins would be steerable to guide the ship to an aerodynamic landing at the end of each space mission. Both the second-stage spaceship and the first-stage booster would be reusable and refuelable. Musk said the launch system would be capable of putting 100 metric tons in low Earth orbit, and the second stage could be refueled in orbit to send that payload onward to Mars or other destinations. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell was quoted today as saying that the company had its eyes on the prize for an initial BFR flight to Mars in 2024, although she acknowledged that SpaceXs timelines often slip to the right. SpaceX said last year that it planned to send two private citizens around the moon in a Dragon crew capsule to be launched by a Falcon Heavy rocket. The company said the passengers paid a significant deposit for the trip but did not identify them. In February, SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy for the first time. However, Musk said that rocket would not be certified to carry people, which ruled out a round-the-moon trip on a Falcon Heavy. Instead, SpaceX shifted its future focus to the BFR. In response to a question, Musk indicated that Maezawa was one of the would-be passengers interested in the earlier plan. Its the same person, he said. Some have voiced concern that Musks focus on the BFR, as well as his involvement in other ventures such as Tesla, the Boring Company and Neuralink, would distract him from SpaceXs main business. But in a tweet sent out before tonights big reveal, Musk emphasized that the top SpaceX priority is to launch national security missions and to get the companys Falcon 9 rockets and Crew Dragon capsules ready to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceXs crewed missions are currently scheduled to begin by the middle of next year. Boeing is working in parallel to get its CST-100 Starliner capsule ready for crewed flights to and from the space station. Its timeline currently lags slightly behind SpaceXs, but both timelines are still subject to change. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg has said more than once that the first person to walk on Mars will get there on a Boeing-built rocket, in an apparent reference to NASAs heavy-lift Space Launch System. When asked about Muilenburgs claim tonight, Musk replied, Game on lets do it. For more information about Maezawas mission, check out the Dear Moon website, the @dearmoonproject Twitter account, and the #DearMoon hashtag. More from GeekWire: Amazon (AMZN) is known for selling nearly everything, from electronics to disinfecting wipes, but of course the e-commerce giant started out selling only books when it launched in 1994. In a fireside chat last week at The Economic Club of Washington D.C., Amazons chief executive explained the original business plan for the company focused entirely on selling books online an idea that occurred to Bezos in 1994 after calculating the nascent internet was rapidly growing at roughly 2,300% a year. I looked at that and was like, I should come up with a business idea on the internet and let the internet grow around this, Bezos recalled. And so I made a list of products and started force-ranking them, and I picked books, because books are super-unusual in one respect, which is there are more items in the book category than there are items in any other category, Bezos recalled. There are 3 million different books active and in print around the world at any given time. So, the founding idea of Amazon was to build a universal selection of books. Emailing 1,000 customers But after the company also began selling music and electronics in the late 1990s, Bezos turned to Amazon customers to figure out how he could further expand the business. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at The Economic Club in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 13. I emailed 1,000 randomly selected customers, and asked them, besides the things we sell today, what would you like to see us sell? Bezos recalled. And that answer came back incredibly long-tailed. Basically, the way they answered the question was whatever they were looking for at that moment. One of the answers was, I wish you sold windshield wiper blades, because I really need windshield wiper blades. And I thought to myself, we can sell anything this way! And then we launched electronics and toys and many other categories over time. The rest is history for Amazon, which now sells a wide array of items from third-party merchants, not to mention Amazon itself. During the companys second quarter, online store sales generated $27.2 billion, with nearly $9.7 billion generated from third-party sellers. Put another way: Amazon has built $840 billion of wealth for other people over the last 21 years, Bezos added. Story continues Those kinds of figures, as well as Amazons aggressive and successful push into areas such as cloud computing and advertising, have helped catapult Amazon into the stratosphere. The Seattle tech giants market cap crossed $1 trillion in early September, making it the second U.S. company to do so after Apple (AAPL) accomplished a similar feat in August. A bumpy few months Still, Amazon, like other tech giants, has had a bumpy few months. Amazon stock dipped over 3% on Monday following a Wall Street Journal report claiming employees accepted bribes in exchange for confidential information, bringing the companys market cap down to almost $931 billion. However, Bezos has cautioned employees in the past not to worry too much about fluctuations in the companys stock. At almost every all-hands meeting, I say, Look, when the stock is up 30% in a month, dont feel 30% smarter, because when the stock is down 30% in a month, its not going to feel so good to feel 30% dumber, Bezos explained. Instead, Amazons chief executive has his sights set on future quarters. None of the people who report to me should really be focused on the current quarter, Bezos explained. Sometimes, well have a really good quarterly conference call or something, and Wall Street will like our quarterly results. People will stop me and say, congratulations on your quarter, and I say, Thank you. But what Im really thinking is, that quarter was baked three years ago. Right now, Im working on a quarter thats going to reveal itself in 2021 sometime. And thats what you need to be doing: you need to be looking to two to three years in advance. Last weeks surprisingly frank discussion additionally covered a wide range of topics. The 54-year-old Amazon chief executive also reflected on his stepfather, a Cuban immigrant, and his mother, who had Bezos in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when she was 17 years old. He spoke of the virtues of getting eight hours of sleep each night, which enable him to make a small number of high-quality decisions. He also acknowledged that big businesses like his should be scrutinized. Bezos even disclosed Amazon would reveal the location of HQ2, the companys second headquarters, by the end of 2018 a long-awaited announcement expected to heavily impact the chosen citys local residents, labor, and housing. JP Mangalindan is the Chief Tech Correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Email story tips and musings to jpm@oath.com. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook. More from JP: This is one in a series of 13 Yahoo News interviews with historians about defining moments in presidential leadership. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. Michael Dobbs, author of One Minute to Midnight, spoke to Yahoo News about JFKs defining moment of presidential leadership: preventing nuclear war with Russia during the Cuban missile crisis. Excerpts: We came closer to World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis than at any time before or after. Khrushchev had a kind of romantic view of Cuba. It was a way of demonstrating superpower equality with the United States and showing that communism was capable of being successful in many other countries, including backward Third World countries. And [Castro] agreed to accept Soviet missiles in Cuba because he saw them as a means of preventing a U.S. invasion of the island [which had already been attempted with the Bay of Pigs and] which he was convinced was coming sooner or later. Khrushchev thought he would succeed in sending nuclear missiles to Cuba without the U.S. becoming aware of it until it was too late. But he miscalculated because the U.S. discovered these plans while they were still in progress, before the missiles were ready to fire. There was a secret phase of the crisis, a week before that information was made public, when Kennedy had the luxury of deciding what to do about it, how he was going to respond. Kennedy set up a group of 13 people which he called the ExComm, and they met every day, all day practically, deciding the American response. After a few days discussing all of the options, Kennedy wanted to know from his military advisers whether it would be possible to take out all the Soviet missile sites. They told him theyd have a good chance at taking out 90 percent, 95 percent, but they couldnt guarantee 100 percent. That raised the possibility that the Soviets could land a nuclear missile on an American city, which was unacceptable to the president. So he was looking for some alternative. The solution he adopted was a policy of a naval quarantine, or blockade, that at least won time for the diplomats to do their job. Story continues Kennedy goes on television and says that the Soviets have to pull their missiles out of Cuba. The nuclear forces on both sides were on high alert. The Soviet missiles were very close to becoming operational. Its easy to conceive of scenarios in which some kind of accident or miscalculation would have resulted in World War III. In the end, Kennedy and Khrushchev turned out to be on the same side. Even though they were natural antagonists, they understood that they needed to bring the crisis to an end before events got completely out of control. Kennedy sends his brother Bobby Kennedy to the Soviet Embassy and privately agrees that if Khrushchev takes his missiles out of Cuba the U.S. will remove similar missiles from Turkey. The Kennedys insisted on total secrecy, which the Soviets accepted. Khrushchev withdrew from Cuba, and there was no direct confrontation between the superpowers. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover thumbnail photo: President John F. Kennedy announces a naval blockade of Cuba in 1962. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP) WASHINGTON A president always sympathetic to fellow accused sexual abusers. A Senate with a razor-thin Republican margin. Women voters already rejecting the party, with midterms only seven weeks away. In a summer of stumbles for President Donald Trumps party heading into the coming midterm elections, now add a suddenly troubled nomination to the Supreme Court. What not long ago was believed would be a boost to Republicans has instead become the latest anchor threatening to sink the party, with neither the White House nor the GOP-led Senate sure of a safe path forward after the accusation by Christine Blasey Ford that high court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh once tried to rape her. Monday evening, Republicans chose to let Ford, now a psychology professor in California, testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee and to bring back Kavanaugh to hear his side a risky idea at best. Apart from the prospect of a dais packed with male Republican senators like Texas Ted Cruz grilling Ford (there are no female GOP senators on the committee) is the possibility that average Americans will find her believable. If she gets up there and is credible, its a real problem for them, one Republican close to the White House said Monday on condition of anonymity. And how he does is as determinative as how well she does. Perhaps to avoid that, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell previously endorsed a plan by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Judiciary Committees chairman, of conducting bipartisan interviews with Ford and Kavanaugh but not taking public testimony. Within hours, though, with several Republican senators speaking as if a public hearing were a given, one was scheduled for next Monday. White House spokesman Raj Shah, who has been shepherding the nominees movement through the confirmation process, said Kavanaugh welcomed the opportunity to answer the accusation. Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him, Shah said. Story continues Trump, in a Monday afternoon photo opportunity, said he had not spoken to Kavanaugh recently but continued to support him. Asked if Kavanaugh had offered to withdraw his nomination, Trump answered, What a ridiculous question. If it takes a little delay, itll take a little delay, he said, adding that he wants a full process and hear everybody out. Kavanaugh earlier Monday released a statement through the White House denying that the encounter as Ford described it ever took place. This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone, he said. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. That denial aligns with the approach Trump allies have taken when accused of sexual misconduct or spousal abuse in the past two years from Roy Moore facing an accusation of child sex abuse as he ran for Senate in Alabama to thenRepublican National Committee finance chairman Steve Wynn after he was accused of sexual harassment by female employees to former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who failed to receive a full security clearance because of domestic abuse allegations. In all those cases, Trump sided with the men, arguing that he believed their denials of the allegations. That approach fits with Trumps handling of the many credible sexual misconduct allegations against him over the years an approach he reportedly explained in detail to a friend. Youve got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women, he said, according to journalist Bob Woodwards new book, Fear, about the Trump White House. Youve got to push back hard. Youve got to deny anything thats said about you. Never admit. That tactic, if it ends with Republicans ramming Kavanaugh through despite Fords accusations, could wind up harming the party even further in the coming midterms. Pollsters across the political spectrum are finding a yawning gender gap, with female voters favoring Democratic candidates by as much as 25 percentage points. While men are favoring Republicans by single digits, women make up a larger percentage of the electorate. There are enough Republican and independent women who may just pause and say, This is too much, said Peter Hart, a Democratic pollster. Remember, a decision not to vote by some GOP women can be as critical as voting for the Democratic candidates. Kavanaugh, a judge on the powerful Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, spent much of Monday huddled at the White House. As late as last week, his confirmation to retired Justice Anthony Kennedys seat seemed all but certain. That began to come apart after reports that the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, California Sen. Diane Feinstein, was in possession of a letter from a woman alleging that Kavanaugh and a friend assaulted her decades earlier at a high school party. Previously not publicly identified, Ford put a name to the allegation and filled in details in an interview published Sunday in The Washington Post. Kavanaughs new travails reopen the question of why he was added to Trumps list of potential nominees in the first place. Trump, who had never shown much interest in who was or was not on the Supreme Court, essentially guaranteed nominations acceptable to Christian conservatives if they supported his campaign in May 2016, when he produced a list of 11 names given to him by the conservative Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation. Four months later, Trump added 10 names to the list and then said in a statement, This list is definitive and I will choose only from it in picking future justices of the United States Supreme Court. But Trump broke that promise last November. After choosing Neil Gorsuch from the pre-election list, Trump added five names to it, including Kavanaughs. Kavanaugh, like Gorsuch, had clerked for Kennedy, and some speculation centered on the theory that Kennedy would retire only if he was guaranteed that Kavanaugh would replace him. Also, Kavanaugh in 2009 wrote a law review article stating that sitting presidents should not be prosecuted and some speculated that he was chosen because of Trumps legal danger from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. The White House on Monday did not respond to queries about why Kavanaugh and the four others were added to the list of possible nominees despite Trumps promise. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Brett Kavanaugh has a clear record of lying under oath before the U.S. Senate. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images) This nation is suffering a significant breakdown of civility, bipartisanship and ethical behavior. For the Trump administration and the Republican leaders who enable it, truth is no longer a cherished value. To them, lying seems to be part of the strategy, a cynical weapon to be used against their opponents. This week, we are witnessing the full depth of that cynicism, as the White House and its supporters smear a woman who makes credible, significant accusations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. At the same time, another fact has become clear: Kavanaugh himself has a casual relationship with the truth and in that, he fits right in with the way President Donald Trump and his party behave. At the White House event announcing Kavanaughs nomination, the appellate judge offered a remark that seemed odd. Praising Trump, he said, No president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination. I personally found this hard to believe. How would Kavanaugh know that? Why would he be so sure and definitive about it? I did what we all do these days with the overwhelming list of lies coming out of this White House I figured that Republicans were all in on it, that this comment would stand as just another obviously false spin in the process of getting another illegitimate seat on the Supreme Court for a conservative judge. But it turns out this was only a glimpse into the nominees disturbing willingness to avoid the truth. In fact, theres clear evidence showing that Kavanaugh lied under oath during the 2006 confirmation hearing for his spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. I should know: I was one of the senators on the Judiciary Committee who questioned him. I asked Kavanaugh about his involvement as White House staff secretary in the highly controversial 2001 nomination of Charles Pickering Sr. to the 5th Circuit. Many of us were concerned about a 1994 hate crimes case in which Pickering decided that a 25-year-old, who had participated with two others in a cross burning, was deserving of a reduced sentence. Story continues During the Senates consideration of Pickerings nomination, we had also learned that the federal trial judge solicited and collected letters of support from lawyers who had appeared in his courtroom, some of whom had cases still pending before him. This was a clear breach of judicial ethics, so I asked Kavanaugh about it: Sen. Russ Feingold: My first question is this. Did you know that Judge Pickering planned to solicit letters of support in this manner before he did so? And if not, when did you become aware that Judge Pickering had solicited these letters of support? Brett Kavanaugh: The answer to the first question, Senator, is no. This was not one of the judicial nominees that I was primarily handling. But newly released emails show that Kavanaugh appeared to be the primary person handling Pickerings nomination, at least by 2003, and was heavily involved in pushing for his confirmation as early as March 2002. There are emails showing that Kavanaugh coordinated meetings with and about Pickering; that he drafted remarks, letters to people on the Hill and at least one op-ed for then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales about Pickering; that he advised Gonzales on Pickering strategy; and much more. One Department of Justice official even asked for Kavanaughs blessings and instructions before calling the nominee. Others may have been involved, but Kavanaugh played a decisive leadership role in managing Pickerings nomination and then lied to me about it. In another example, Kavanaugh had worked to advance multiple controversial judicial nominations from President George W. Bush during a time when a Republican Senate staffer named Manuel Miranda accessed and downloaded thousands of computer files belonging to Democratic senators. Because Kavanaugh could have been in receipt of the stolen documents, he was grilled by senators of both parties on the matter at his first confirmation hearing in 2004 and he denied any involvement. But emails released this year show that Kavanaugh received material from numerous emails, draft letters and memos laying out the legal arguments Democrats were going to make regarding Bushs judicial nominees, including talking points written by a staffer to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). One email even had the subject line Spying on it. Kavanaugh not only received that message, which mentioned a mole, but forwarded it to Gonzales. Leahy asked Kavanaugh about this regrettable episode in the 2004 confirmation hearing, and Kavanaughs responses were both unsatisfying and evasive. Taking all his testimony together, we see a clear pattern emerge: Brett Kavanaugh has never appeared under oath before the U.S. Senate without lying. As a onetime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I considered the truthfulness of judicial nominees as a non-negotiable quality. Lying under oath cannot and must not be rewarded with a seat on the nations highest court, and lies cannot remain unchallenged. So as an illegitimate administration goes to work attacking the credibility of a brave woman recounting her assault, lets recognize the enormously cynical hypocrisy: The nominee theyre desperate to protect is a calculated liar who uses dishonesty to advance his own career. And any denial of these accusations by Kavanaugh before the committee must be viewed in the context of his multiple earlier lies under oath to that same committee. This nomination can and must be withdrawn. Nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court must be held to a higher standard, and it is the job of determined senators to do just that. Russ Feingold served as a United States senator from Wisconsin from 1993 to 2011 and is the founder of @LegitAction. ALSO ON HUFFPOST OPINION Withheld Kavanaugh Documents Are A Constitutional Crisis In The Making Trump's Lesson For The GOP On Sexual Assault? Deny, Deny, Deny. Boys Like Kavanaugh Knew Rape Was Wrong, Even Way Back In The 80s Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Glenn Weiss stunned the audience at last nights Emmys by proposing to his girlfriend live on stage [Photo: Getty] Forget the outfits and the winners, last nights Emmys were dominated by just one thing, a live on-stage proposal, the first in the ceremonys 70 year history. Director Glenn Weiss had taken to the stage to accept his award for outstanding directing for a variety special when he took his girlfriend, Jan Svendsen, by surprise with a moving proposal. During the emotional acceptance speech, he revealed that his mother had died two weeks previously, before saying he loved his girlfriend. You wonder why I dont like to call you my girlfriend? Because I want to call you my wife, he said. Of course the room erupted into cheers, before Weiss added: I didnt ask yet! After she made it to the stage, he told her: This is the ring my dad put on my mums finger, 67 years ago. And to my sisters and brothers I didnt swipe it, dad knows I have it, OK? I want to put the ring that my mum wore on your finger in front of all these people and in front of my mum and your parents watching from above, will you marry me? She said yes! But even if shed have wanted to say no, would she have dared in front of all those people? Glenn Weiss isnt the only celeb who has gone in for the public proposal. Earlier this year Idris Elba proposed popped the question to his girlfriend, Sabrina Dhowr, on stage at a screening of his new film Yardie. But while social media swooned at his very public declaration of love, a spotlight hogging proposal is not the dream for everyone. Public proposals arent the dream for everyone [Photo: Getty] According to Tiffany Wright, Founder and Proposal Planner for The One Romance, the perfect question pop will vary from couple to couple, and while a PP (public proposal) may be one persons ideal, it can be anothers nightmare. Proposing in public is always a risky choice unless you know being the centre of attention is something your partner wants, Tiffany explains. Its certainly not for everyone and if you partner is the shy type then being asked a life changing question in front of thousands of people might be completely the wrong move. Story continues Once, it was the norm for such intimate moments to remain just that. Now, thanks in part to us increasingly living our lives under a social media gaze, unless you actually shout your proposal live from your Insta stories, you may as well not bother. But though a public declaration of love might seem like peak romance, for others its the ultimate passion pooper. YouTube and social media is defiantly to blame for the rise in public proposals, explains Tiffany Wright. People nowadays even snap chat mid proposal which takes all the romance away! See, we told you passion pooper. Then theres the motives behind a PP. No doubt for some public proposers, the intentions are genuinely well thought. I love this person and I want the world to know it! But for others, could there not be a teensy part of them that thinks being asked in front of an audience is the best way to coerce a yes answer? Are you really likely to say no when youre being asked in front of people already typing out their clapping hands and double heart congratulatory emojis? Talk about piling on the pressure! Cases in point: the Rio Olympics two years ago, where there seemed to be an odd mini trend of men popping the question to their girlfriends as they accepted their Olympic medals. The divisive move split fans down the middle about whether it was the ultimate in true romance, or a kind of controlling hijack of the womans professional moment of triumph. Public proposals: Are they fair? [Photo: Getty] And what about who come to regret getting down on bended knee in the public gaze? Take the example of the man who proposed to his girlfriend, an air stewardess on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Xi An to Yinchuan in May this year. She said yes, but according to the Daily Star has since reportedly been fired for neglecting passenger safety during her mid-flight proposal. Oops. Mishaps aside, for those who are determined to have their romantic moment in the spotlight, proposal planner Tiffany Wright has some suggestions of things to bear in mind. When people come to us wanting to propose to their partner one of the first questions we ask of whether they want a private or public proposal, she says. Quite often we find that the guy proposing is the one who wants to to it publicly (the appeal of a public proposal is the fact is it YouTube worthy!) but when we dig deeper we find that his partner is the type who would rather an intimate one on one proposal over something too exhibitionist! Recently we actually had a guy contact us who had already proposed to his girlfriend through another proposal planning company. They had convinced him to do it publicly and his girlfriend had hated it. So he contacted us a few weeks later and said he wanted to do it again but this time in an intimate and private way. It was probably one of be most beautiful proposals we have very arranged because it was purely just about be two of them no crowds, no cameras just them. But for some newly engaged brides and grooms, a public proposal is the actual dream scenario. Certainly, a beaming Jan Svendsen seemed delighted with last nights limelight stealing moment. And social media was awash with praise for the perfectly timed love display. The man thats gonna be with me, hes gonna propose to me on the Emmys, declared Saturday Night Lives Leslie Jones on Twitter. If you dont do that, then you aint serious about our love. For others, the ultimate in PDAs just isnt the one. And for those spotlight shunners, the sentiment behind a PP isnt enough to counter balance the embarrassment. In which case, the privacy of your own home, a deserted beach, on top of a mountain [INSERT DREAM PROPOSAL LOCATION] is far more fitting. For some, theres a time and a place for a marriage proposal and an audience full of strangers or a social media feed full of followers just isnt it. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK. Read more from Yahoo Style UK: Boy goes viral after he upstages mums proposal by peeing in background This has to be the most OTT proposal story weve ever heard The Internet is loving this sweet grandpas proposal recording fail CBS This Morning co-anchor John Dickersons essay on presidential leadership is based on a series of Yahoo News interviews with historians. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. The interview with Dickerson was produced by Kristyn Martin. _____ Presidential leadership has produced as many aphorisms as examples. Leadership is the ability to get men to do what they dont want to do and like it, said Harry Truman. President Coolidge defined the other end of the action spectrum: Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration has been minding my own business. Its not just presidents who weigh in. Presidential critics have a lot to say about leadership too. Its what they say a president lacks, when the president doesnt do what they want him to. In this collection, presidential leadership is defined by men who on at least one occasion focused their energies, and chanced their political fortunes, on something larger than their self-interest. Instead of the easy win, or easy out, they took the long view. This is usually called presidential character, and it was the original conception of the job. The founders believed that the mental and moral makeup of the chief executive would keep the nation in sync with its founding ideals of liberty and equality. A presidential leader had to be fixed on true principles as George Washington put it, in order to do the right thing for the country. These leadership moments meet that original definition, but the office has changed since its launch date. Presidents now campaign for office. Washington and his colleagues didnt. They thought the low business of grubbing for votes was antithetical to the job. It would lead to presidents who made decisions not by reason, but by what they thought the people wanted. These stories highlight presidents who faced down political pressure, either by winning over the public or by doing what they thought was right in the face of criticism. Story continues For FDR, leadership meant not resisting the electorate but recognizing that in a large, interconnected nation, only one person could meet the desperate national need. When Americas longest-serving president took office, the unemployment rate was 25 percent, 5,504 banks had closed their doors, and families gathered dandelions for dinner salad. His relationship with the country, built by his innovative communications skills on the radio, allowed him to take enormous risks on behalf of a trusting public. Those risks fundamentally transformed the government into a tool to manage the social impact of the modern age and propelled the presidency toward a celebrity office. The bond between the president and the nation was so profound that the nation grieved as if they had lost a loved one. As Doris Kearns Goodwin put it, Isnt it an incredible thing that one man dies and 130 million people feel lonely. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Emergency Banking Act into law, March 9, 1933. (Photo: AP) Though FDR knew how to minister to a needy public, he understood that even with the license to experiment granted during a time of national emergency, a president cannot push the country where it does not want to go. I cant go any faster than the people will let me, he said. Move too fast and the people will not only revolt, but theyll vote you out of office. So a successful president must know how to lead the public only as far as it is willing to go, without inciting revolt. Truman and LBJ each pushed beyond the political status quo to advance civil rights for African-Americans. Controversial at the time, both were nevertheless being consistent with Americas founding concern for equality. When Truman desegregated the military, it was not clear that Truman understood his actions would work out for him, says Cornelius Bynum. Thats what makes it such a courageous decision. The idea here is that he didnt know, but what he did know is that the idea of segregation in the military didnt sit well with him. Johnson, like Jimmy Carter, did not win office as a civil rights crusader. Both built their early careers using implicit or explicit appeals to white identity. Carter changed his tune almost immediately after taking office as governor of Georgia. Johnson evolved in office, becoming what Jonathan Darman calls the most significant president for the cause of racial justice. After the brutalization of peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, Johnson, energized by the heroism of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellow civil-rights activists, seized on the moment to push the Voting Rights Act, applying his legislative skills to persuade his former colleagues in the Senate. When his aides explained how difficult it would be, Johnson replied, Well, what the hell is the presidency for? Before he became known for leading America into war in Iraq, George W. Bush faced the formidable job of rallying the nation after 9/11. Recognizing the blood lust, as he called it, in some of the responses, he faced down anti-Muslim bigotry to uphold civil rights, and the First Amendment, for all Americans. Bill Clinton pushed for an assault weapons ban using a modern spin on Johnsons legislative approach. By wrapping his desire for a ban on rapid-fire rifles into a bill that also provided support for law enforcement and a crackdown on crime, he built a coalition from the left and the right to win passage. George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford faced the most direct political consequences of the leadership choices they made. Fords pardoning of Nixon tanked his approval ratings. Voters thought letting Nixon off the hook was a mere continuation of the trickery of his predecessor. The unelected president thought only through a pardon could he help the nation heal. Ford was not rewarded for the move. His presidency, which had begun with such promise, would never really recover. One month after Richard Nixons resignation over the Watergate scandal, President Ford signs his pardon in 1974. (Photo: Bettmann Archive via Getty Images) For Bush, the decision to break his no new taxes pledge affirmed everything his conservative critics had feared about him. Though the 41st president knew raising taxes would weaken support in his own party, he believed strengthening the long-term fiscal health of the country through a budget deal with Democrats was more important. Ultimately, the apostasy would win him a primary challenge and depress the turnout of the GOP base, which contributed to his loss to Bill Clinton in 1992. In foreign policy, presidents have more room to act than with domestic issues, but dashing risk-taking has enormous downsides. Had Barack Obama failed when he ordered the raid to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, he would have seriously wounded his presidency, roiled relations with nuclear-armed Pakistan and weakened America in the eyes of the world. The daring success of the bin Laden raid can leave the wrong impression about presidential leadership on foreign policy, however. It is usually through vision and persistence that presidents achieve greatness on the global stage. Nixon had his eye on transforming the U.S. relationship with China in the mid 60s, when he was a political outcast traveling to Asia as a private citizen. Once in office, he patiently and secretly re-engaged with a country the U.S. had been shut off from for a generation. When he landed in China in 1972 and met Zhou Enlai, the Chinese premier responded, Your handshake came over the vastest ocean in the world. Jimmy Carter lacked domestic political skills to whip Washington into shape, but he knew how to use his human skills to bring Menachem Begin to an agreement after the Israeli leader was ready to bolt from talks with his Egyptian counterpart Anwar Sadat. Carter also knew that when the deal fell apart, it was worth risking a trip to the Middle East to do the repair work himself. The treaty between the former adversaries has held for forty years amid historic turmoil in the region. Ronald Reagan, like Nixon, showed leadership by playing against his political type. Both were known as staunch anti-communists. Like Nixon in his outreach to the Chinese communists, the 40th president trusted the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, risking a backlash from his own party to negotiate a mutual reduction in nuclear weapons. Presidents campaign on grandiose promises, raising expectations of what can be done in an office that was designed to limit its occupant. I alone can fix it, promised candidate Donald Trump. But presidential leadership can also be defined by doing nothing. Eisenhower resisted his generals and the military industrial complex that encouraged defense spending and foreign adventurism. Some of the greatest strength is restraint, says Evan Thomas. Its by not doing. Its by not showing off. Its by not waving your arms. Its by not blustering. President Dwight D. Eisenhower told a nationwide radio and television audience in 1959 that talks with Nikita Khrushchev could lead to a Big Four summit conference. (Photo: Harvey Georges/AP) The same was true of John Kennedy, who went eyeball to eyeball with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev over missiles in Cuba. Though he was being pushed to take more bellicose action by his military leaders, Kennedy knew that a mistake or a misinterpretation could be catastrophic. Kennedy understood very clearly that if he made the wrong move the result could be nuclear war, says Michael Dobbs. We study presidential leadership moments because, despite the framers intent, the president is now the center of American political life. The fact that presidents of the past were able to overcome the challenges of their times offers hope that the presidents of today can do the same. This is particularly true in an age of heightened partisanship. Great moments of presidential leadership dont stand the test of time and invite our attention because they are high-scoring events for the chief executives home team. They are moments that last because they have benefited all Americans and shaped the world. Presidents and political parties seeking a road to greatness should remember this, and lift their aspirations from Twitter likes and retweets and toward enduring achievements. _____ John Dickerson has covered American politics since the 1990s. He is a former White House correspondent for Time and political director of CBS News, and he is currently co-anchor of CBS This Morning and a contributing editor to the Atlantic. He is the author of Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover thumbnail photo: The last thirteen U.S. presidents. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: From top left: Getty Images, AP (4), Getty Images, AP (4), Getty Images (2), AP) Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) meet on Aug. 23 on Capitol Hill. (Photo: Saul Loeb/Getty Images) Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has a brother who went to the same high school as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the 1980s, giving her a deeper insight into the atmosphere and culture of the elite private school world in Washington, D.C., as Kavanaugh faces an allegation of sexual assault from his teenage years. Brian Murkowski, the senators younger brother, was three years behind Kavanaugh at Georgetown Prep. A person who was in Brians class described him as a big-time partier and noted that the school seemed to really get serious and crack down on partying in 1986. Its not clear if Murkowski was there for all of high school, but he attended at least in his sophomore year. Its not clear how much Lisa Murkowski has talked to her brother, who stays out of the public eye. But shes evidently consulted him at least briefly, because Karina Borger, Murkowskis spokeswoman, said that Senator Murkowskis brother didnt know Kavanaugh. Still, the connection is one that gives Murkowski more to consider as she weighs the nomination. The senator is considered one of the most likely Republican no votes on Kavanaugh, but so far, shes been quiet about how shes leaning on confirming him. She is facing significant pressure to vote against Kavanaugh from activists on womens rights, health care and Alaska Natives. From the 1983/1984 Georgetown Prep yearbook, Brian Murkowski is in the top photo on the far right. (Photo: Georgetown Prep yearbook) Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California, has accused Kavanaugh of attempting to sexually assault her while they were at a high school party in the 1980s. At the time, she was 15 and a student at Holton-Arms, an all-girls private school in Bethesda, Maryland, and Kavanaugh was 17. Ford alleges that Kavanaugh and his friend locked her in a room and that Kavanaugh, who was drunk, held her down and tried to remove her clothes. She said that at one point he held his hand on her mouth to stifle her screams, but that she managed to escape. Lisa Murkowski went to high school in Alaska, but in 1980, her father, Frank, was elected to the U.S. Senate. That meant her family was spending more time in Washington, D.C., and that when it was time for her younger brother to attend high school, he went to Georgetown Prep. Story continues Brian Murkowski did not return a request for comment. This piece has been updated to reflect when Murkowski was at Georgetown Prep. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. This is one in a series of 13 Yahoo News interviews with historians about defining moments in presidential leadership. The interviews were conducted by Andrew Romano, Lisa Belkin and Sam Matthews, and the videos were produced by Sam Matthews. Journalist and historian Jonathan Darman, author of Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America, spoke to Yahoo News about Lyndon Johnsons defining moment of presidential leadership: the risky decision to pursue civil-rights legislation over the objections of his fellow Southern Democrats and his own political advisers. Excerpts: Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson really believed that what he needed to do was to get the country moving again behind a big cause. One of the things he discussed was civil rights. And some of Johnsons aides said to him, Theres a lot of danger in that. You should stay away from that because itll take a lot of the momentum out of your new presidency and spoil some of the goodwill that youve got coming your way. The South was solidly Democratic at this time. And Johnsons response was, Well, what the hell is the presidency for? Johnson believed that if he was ever going to move beyond the mythic force of the Kennedy presidency a force that was haunting him from the earliest hours of his own presidency he needed to do something big. And he saw the Civil Rights Act as his opportunity to do that. He says, We have talked enough about civil rights. We have talked about it for one hundred years. The time has come to act. Johnsons masterstroke was to take this emerging Kennedy myth and put it to work for himself. He says, The way that we honor John F. Kennedy is to complete the legacy that he started. And he really gets people behind that idea very quickly. The public reaction to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is strongly positive among both whites and blacks. It was only in the South and within the more extreme factions in his own party that his actions were criticized. Story continues So the immediate fears that Johnson had, early in his presidency about how civil rights might jeopardize his future in the 1964 election and the future of the party, dont pan out. It becomes pretty clear early that Johnson is a unifying figure who has broad support from the country. In 1964, Johnson just destroyed Republican Barry Goldwater all over the country. Johnson also gets a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and a huge 2-to-1 majority in the House of Representatives. He realizes better than anyone else that this is an opportunity to make significant legislation happen. The Civil Rights Act was not a perfect piece of legislation. It left unaddressed the issue of voting rights, which had been the key factor in African-Americans oppression in the South for the previous 100 years. Martin Luther King Jr. was aware of the slow timetable that officials in Washington were taking on the issue of voting rights. He and other leaders in the civil rights movement staged a major campaign in Alabama to draw attention to the issue by marching from Selma to Montgomery. They were, at first, worried that they were not going to get enough attention. But they chose, in Selma, a white establishment that was particularly inflammatory and particularly inclined toward violence. The countrys attention was riveted on Selma when marchers were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. People who were peacefully protesting were mauled in these horrific scenes by police, and it was another one of these moments from the 1960s that struck the nations conscience. This was something that was not supposed to happen in America. Johnson is presented with a choice. He has to react to it, because it is this moment that is crying out for leadership. He could just do what a lot of politicians would do, which would be to condemn the actions of the white officials in Alabama, and then move on. Or he can take this as an opportunity to move the ball forward in a major way on voting rights. And Johnson decides, in the hours after those horrific images from Selma are broadcast all over the country, that this is his moment. He is going to go before the country and speak, and say that now is the time when we will do something about civil rights and about voting rights, and solve this issue once and for all. The speech that he gave on voting rights was not like any other speech he ever gave. And I think that is because moral clarity is freeing for a president. He knew that he was doing the right thing on voting rights, and he was going to communicate that to the country in a very clear, direct and meaningful way. In his speech, Johnson famously speaks the words that had defined the civil rights movement: We shall overcome. People who were there described it as an almost ghostly feeling when they heard Johnson say that. They realized this was an historic moment they were living through. Johnson is a Shakespearean figure. You have vanity, you have deep empathy, you have cruelty and you have the most wonderful form of kindness. And hes ultimately a tragic figure. Because he sets out this goal for himself, and he achieves it. He does more for African-Americans than any other Democratic president had ever done before. But thats not ultimately what hes remembered for. His presidency gets overtaken by the war in Vietnam, and its excruciating for him. Still, Johnsons pursuit of civil rights shows leadership at the highest level, which is understanding that theres something greater than himself. He didnt come to the cause of civil rights for totally selfless reasons. He wanted to do something big, he wanted to be great and he understood that civil rights was an opportunity to do that. But the more he devoted himself to the cause of civil rights, the less it became about him. It really became about the cause. _____ Click below to view the rest of the 13-part series. Cover Thumbnail photo: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act in 1964. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP) By Alasdair Pal NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A victory for President Abdulla Yameen in a Sunday election in the Maldives could ramp up pressure on its finances, as the government stays the course on a Chinese-backed infrastructure boom that is in danger of swamping the economy. The Maldives under Yameen has grown closer to China - to the alarm of traditional ally India - with China funding roads, bridges and an extension to the international airport as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of infrastructure projects in almost 70 countries from Mongolia to Montenegro. But a Chinese takeover of a port in neighboring Sri Lanka and problems in several other countries have led to fears the initiative is a debt trap to hook countries into China's sphere. China dismisses that. Yameen is seeking a second five-year term in the Indian Ocean archipelago known for its sun-kissed tourist beaches and diving. His main rivals have been jailed on charges ranging from terrorism to attempting to topple the government, leading to doubts abroad about the legitimacy of the vote. The Maldives, a small economy heavily reliant on tourism, is one of the most at-risk countries of any involved with the BRI to the distress of debt, said the Center for Global Development, a Washington D.C.-based think-tank tracking the initiative. The center, using publicly available information, estimates Chinas loans to the Maldives at $1.3 billion more than a quarter of its annual gross domestic product. (GRAPHIC - Maldives: Chinese dominance - https://reut.rs/2MJ4JT4) An exiled former prime minister, Mohamed Nasheed, who wants to renegotiate the deals with China, told Reuters in June the loans could be more than $2.5 billion, without citing his source. Scott Morris of the Center for Global Development said China's loans gave it a dominant role. "That raises concerns to have such a dominant role being played by another government, Morris told Reuters. You have to think about what happens in a case of distress who calls the shots in that situation. China is not bound by the kinds of standards that other major creditors are. The two ratings agencies covering the country, Fitch and Moodys, both rate the Maldives as sub-investment grade, and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund see a high likelihood of distress if current spending continues. Moodys cut its outlook to negative in July, citing the boom in infrastructure spending as a cause for concern. "They have a massive infrastructure program and, as part of that, they have been raising debt, Anushka Shah from the rating agency told Reuters. There has been a big increase in debt since the infrastructure projects started." Fitch rates its outlook as "stable", but also cautioned over rising debt in its last update on the country in May. Yameen has brushed off worries. "The international community believes the Maldives can settle the debts, he told a question and answer session organized by the Maldives National University on Sunday. We are bringing foreign investment that is the biggest the country has seen. He declined to comment further when contacted by Reuters. POLITICAL RISK The Maldives economy has grown by an average of 6 percent a year for the last five years, buoyed by tourism and construction, according to Fitch. But both ratings agencies urged investors to be cautious in February after the Supreme Court freed political prisoners, against the wishes of Yameen, sparking a political crisis and leading several countries including China and the United States, to warm their citizens against travel there. "We take into account fairly elevated political risk in our rating, said Shah. "Political tensions affect policy and could also have some spill-over into the tourism sector. The political tension had little impact on visitor numbers, the government said, reporting that arrivals rose more than 10 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2018 - though visits from China, its biggest market, fell by more than 8 percent. The infrastructure boom is effectively a "bet" on being able to grow these numbers, said Morris. "But in the meantime, they have to be able to service that debt as it comes due," he said. (This story has been refiled to drop letter 'h' from end of president's first name, paragraph 1) (Reporting by Alasdair Pal, Additional reporting by Mohamed Junayd in MALE and Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO; Editing by Robert Birsel) The man identified as a witness to the sexual assault allegedly carried out by Donald Trumps nominee for the Supreme Court, has said he has no memory of the incident and does not want to speak publicly. Mark Judge, said by accuser Christine Blasey Ford to have been present when she claims Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her at a high school party three decades ago, told the senate he had no information to provide. In fact, I have no memory of this alleged incident, Mr Judge said in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. According to Reuters, he added: I have no more information to offer the committee and I do not wish to speak publicly regarding the incidents described in Dr Ford's letter. The comments from Mr Judge, who once wrote a memoir saying he spent several of his high school years completely annihilated on alcohol and trying to hook up with girls, came as Democrats and Republicans continued to exchange insults and barbs over the confirmation of Mr Kavanaugh. On Monday evening, after it emerged that Ms Ford had accused Mr Trumps nominee of trying to take her clothes off at a party in Maryland 32 years ago, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Chuck Grassley, announced both Ms Ford and Mr Kavanaugh would appear before senators next Monday to provide evidence. As a result, the vote by the committee, due to have been held on Thursday, will be delayed at least several days. Mr Kavanaugh was at the White House for a second straight day, but again did not meet with Mr Trump. The president said he was totally supporting Mr Kavanaugh and rejected calls for the FBI to investigate the accusation. I dont think FBI really should be involved because they dont want to be involved, Mr Trump said, according to the Associated Press. As for Mr Kavanaugh, he said: I feel so badly for him that hes going through this, to be honest with you.This is not a man that deserves this. Democrats are demanding that the FBI be given time to reopen its background investigation into Mr Kavanaugh so it can check the assertions of Ms Ford, the California-based professor accusing Mr Kavanaugh of assault. They say the hearing should not move forward until that investigation is completed. Story continues Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said an FBI investigation is essential to prevent the hearing from becoming merely a he said, she said affair. Republicans responded that reopening the investigation is up to the White House and they are sticking with their plans for a Monday hearing, with or without Ford's participation. Mr Grassley said on the Hugh Hewitt Show he had not received confirmation from Ms Ford that she would appear at the hearing, despite several attempts to reach her camp. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman @ChuckGrassley today announced that the Committee will hold a public hearing with Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. pic.twitter.com/523miClAVL Senate Judiciary (@senjudiciary) 17 2018 So it kind of raises the question, do they want to come to the public hearing or not, he said. Friends and allies of Mr Kavanaugh have been rallying to his defence. Kenneth Starr, the former special counsel who led the impeachment investigation of Bill Clinton and whose legal team included Mr Kavanaugh, said he believed his former colleagues denial. I have great confidence about the integrity of Mr Kavanaugh, he said at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington where he was hiding an event to promote a memoir, Contempt: A Memoir of the Clinton Investigation. He said he found the way that Senator Dianne Feinstein had failed to raise the issues brought by Ms Ford was improper. He said: Procedure counts. Meanwhile, those who believe it is essential Ms Ford have a chance to speak, demanded she be treated fairly. Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democratic member of the committee, said: I just want to say to the men of this country: just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change. NARAL Pro-Choice America Vice President Adrienne Kimmell, said: Senate Republicans, led by Senator Collins, are responding to Dr Christine Blasey Fords serious, credible, and totally disqualifying allegations of sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh by putting her, not him, on trial. Republican senators seem far more interested in putting Dr Blasey Ford on trial than finding out the truth about Brett Kavanaugh. It is shameful, but not shocking. The U.S. Energy Department's weekly inventory release showed a marginally smaller-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies. Despite the headline beat and a growing storage deficit, strong production and the expected power loss from Hurricane Florence weighed on the fuels price, which ended flat over the week. About the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since 2002 includes updates on natural gas market prices, the latest storage level estimates, recent weather data and other market activities or events. The report provides an overview of the level of reserves and their movements, thereby helping investors understand the demand/supply dynamics of natural gas. It is an indicator of current gas prices and volatility that affect businesses of natural gas-weighted companies and related support plays. Analysis of the Data: A Smaller-than-Expected Rise in Storage Stockpiles held in underground storage in the lower 48 states rose by 69 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended Sep 7, just below the guidance (of 70 Bcf gain) as per the analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts, a leading independent commodities and energy data provider. The injection was also lower than both the five-year (2013-2017) average addition of 74 Bcf and last years build of 87 Bcf for the reported week. Per the latest EIA data, the current storage remains well below benchmarks. At 2.636 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), current natural gas inventories are 596 Bcf (18.4%) under the five-year average and 662 Bcf (20.1%) below the year-ago figure. Fundamentally speaking, total supply of natural gas averaged around 87.8 Bcf per day, essentially unchanged on a weekly basis as the slight increase in production was offset by lower Canadian imports. Meanwhile, daily consumption fell 1.5% to 74.5 Bcf on lower power generation demand, which was partly offset by higher natural gas usage for residential and commercial cooling requirements. Story continues Natural Gas Price Flat Despite the headline beat, natural gas settled essentially unchanged last week based on Fridays close of $2.767 per MMBtu. While investors are encouraged by the low inventory levels following strong summer air-conditioning demand, they remain worried over unabated production from the Marcellus and Utica shale regions. In fact, dry gas output in the United States averaged 83.2 Bcf per day over the reporting week, up 14.1% from the year-ago level. Expectations of cool weather and demand loss associated with Hurricane Florence played further spoilsport. Positive Long-Term Thesis The fundamentals of natural gas continue to be favorable in the long run, considering the secular shift to the cleaner burning fuel for power generation globally and in the Asia-Pacific region in particular. The EIA predicts global demand for the commodity to grow 43% from 2015 to 2040. Countries in Asia and in the Middle East led by Chinas transition away from coal will account for most of this increase. And as the worlds largest gas producer, the United States has emerged as one of the key players competing with Russia and Australia among others to meet this soaring demand. With domestic prices struggling to break the $3 per million Btu threshold, American natural gas companies see a big opportunity in selling cheap U.S. production at attractive enough prices to rest of the world. In fact, more than 50% of the domestic volume growth in the near future will be used for export in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As per Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States will vie with Australia and Qatar as the top LNG exporter by 2022. New pipelines to Mexico, together with large-scale liquefied gas export facilities like Cheniere Energy, Inc.s Sabine Pass terminal and Dominion Energy Inc.s (D) newly constructed Cove Point export plant, have meant that exports out of the U.S. are set for a quantum leap. As per the Energy Department, gross liquefied natural gas exports are set to average 2.93 Bcf per day in 2018, increasing more than 50% from last year. Apart from surging exports, the replacement of coal-fired power plants and higher consumption from industrial projects will likely ensure strong natural gas demand. Finally, if the upcoming (2018-2019) winter turns out to be colder-than-normal, the surge in expected demand in the face of relative deficit of natural gas inventory could trigger a large rally in the commodity's price. Want to Own a Natural Gas Stock Now? The secular tailwinds mentioned above could see natural gas eventually settle well above the $3 per MMBtu mark before the end of the winter. The perceived price strength augurs well for natural gas-heavy upstream companies like Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation COG, Chesapeake Energy Corporation CHK, Comstock Resources, Inc. CRK, Eclipse Resources Corporation ECR, Gulfport Energy Corporation GPOR and Southwestern Energy Company SWN. However, if you are looking for a near term natural gas play, SilverBow Resources, Inc. SBOW may be a good selection. This company has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. SilverBow is engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties in the Eagle Ford shale located in South Texas. The companys production consists of 86% natural gas. In the last 60 days, two earnings estimates moved north, while none moved south for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen 7.5% in the same period. Best Electric Car Stock? You'll Never Guess It. Zacks Research has released a report that may shock many investors. One stock stands out as the best way to invest in the surge to electric cars. And it's not the one you may think! Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium battery power is set to shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, revenues that were already at $31 billion in 2016 are expected to blast to over $67 billion by the end of 2022. See Zacks Best EV Stock Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gulfport Energy Corporation (GPOR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Comstock Resources, Inc. (CRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Eclipse Resources Corporation (ECR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (COG) : Free Stock Analysis Report SilverBow Resources Inc. (SBOW) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Its a truism, but you really can insure everything from a surgeons hands to a half-time full-court shot promotion that pays out $1 million. One type of insurance thats common but not well-known is directors and officers insurance, which is taken out to protect a company and its executives from getting sued due to their actions running the company. Theres been controversy around many executives lately, including sexual assault allegations against now-former chairman and CEO Les Moonves and Telsa CEO Elon Musks tweet about taking the company private and generally questionable behavior. SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk speaks at an event to announce the name of the person who would be the first private passenger on a trip around the moon, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Hawthorne, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Because executives leading companies have fiduciary duties to their shareholders, giving false information, failing to respond adequately to a data breach, scandal, or other misconduct can be actionable, especially if it results in a stock drop, a fine, or other financial damages. The liability exists similarly for a board, whose job it is to supervise a CEO. Most companies have D&O insurance. For example, a source with knowledge of CBSs inner workings, which are not disclosed, told Yahoo Finance that it would be customary for the company to have it. For large companies, D&O insurance is often too risky for one insurer to handle on its own. To keep losses to a certain level, an insurer will limit its exposure, requiring a company to find other insurers to join in. All these policies are stacked in a tower. The first few million, for example, could be covered by one company, but any further liabilities would be passed off to the next policy which might have a higher limit, because its not first in line to pay up. According to Mike OMalley, SVP for public policy at the American Insurance Association, lawsuits usually occur after a massive stock drop or around mergers and acquisitions on either side. In almost all M&As, theres an attempt to allege the selling company should have gotten a higher price or the purchaser should have gotten a lower price, said OMalley. Generally, he said, D&O coverage excludes lawsuit coverage from deliberate criminal acts, but if the board of directors actions did result in a stock drop, the coverage could apply. Story continues While stock drops are the main instance in which D&O insurance comes in handy, there are occasionally other trends in the business world that precipitates a spike. Around 10 years ago there was an issue with CEOs having their stock options repriced so they had value, said OMalley. (Stock repricing means lowering the exercise price of stock options, which effectively sweetens CEO compensation because she or he would pay less for it.) A lot of shareholders sued at the time. Sometimes something new comes to light [like stock repricing] and a new trend starts. According to Shanda Davis, D&O product manager at Travelers, we could be entering into a new trend 2017 marked a 20-year high for class action lawsuits by shareholders against companies. Historically, youd really see a lot of the securities claims filed around financial disclosures, she said. One thing weve seen is an uptick in what we call event-driven claims claims stemming from things other than financial performance. These events can range from cybersecurity incidents, environmental impacts, fines from regulatory authorities, to some of the #MeToo headlines that has resulted in terminations, Davis said. One reason for the increase in claims stemming from non-traditional suits may be because of the financial crisis finally burying the last of its litigation, she said. The industry of lawyers bringing suits is active, and now that many of the old claims from that era are done, there is bandwidth to pursue a new field of alleged mismanagement. This could increase, Davis said. A Supreme Court decision from March 2018 (Cyan v. Beaver County Employees Retirement Fund) established that claims for errors or liability in a stock prospectus brought in state court are not removable to federal court. Basically what that said was if youre bringing a claim [based on liability from an investing prospectus] it can be brought in state court, said Davis. This means the number of claims could skyrocket, as more state courts can get involved in cases, not just federal trial venues. You might have one [IPO] with one fundamental issue that results in claims in multiple states, said Davis. For now, the industry is watching this closely. But since corporate policies are generally made annually, parties can react quickly if prices, payouts, and lawsuits change. Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, retail, personal finance, and more. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Tesla, Musk face criminal probe over go-private statements: Bloomberg Fujairah (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) - The head of OPEC said Tuesday that Iran remains "a very important member" of the oil cartel, as Tehran braces for a new round of US sanctions partially targeting its crude exports. "Iran is a very important member of OPEC... and we have no choice but to continue working with all parties," Mohammad Barkindo said at the Gulf Intelligence Energy Forum in the emirate of Fujairah. Iran remains "a very important exporter of oil," said the chief of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He did not specify how crude producers would compensate for declining exports from Iran, with new US sanctions due to hit the Islamic republic's oil industry on November 4. Iran's OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said Saturday that OPEC had "not much credit left" and slammed Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for turning it into a "tool for the US". Output from Iran has now hit its lowest level since July 2016, according to the International Energy Agency, as top buyers India and China have distance themselves from Tehran. US President Donald Trump has called for OPEC members, primarily US ally Saudi Arabia, to raise their production, and warned importers to stop buying oil from Iran or face American sanctions. In 2016, major producers both within and outside OPEC agreed to slash production in an attempt to boost prices following the 2014 oil market crash. Barkindo said a "permanent" framework of cooperation between the 14 OPEC members and 11 non-OPEC oil states, including the world's top producer Russia, was expected in December. Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A Palestinian died after being arrested during a raid in the occupied West Bank overnight, the Israeli army said Tuesday, with his family accusing soldiers of beating him. The army confirmed the death of Mohammed Khatib, 24, in custody but said he had not resisted arrest. "The army apprehended a Palestinian suspected of hostile activities in Beit Rima during the night," an army spokeswoman told AFP, referring to a village north of Ramallah. "He was arrested without violence or resistance from his part. He lost consciousness and was treated by Israeli soldiers at the scene." He died later in hospital, she added. The military did not provide further details on the reasons for his arrest. Khatib's brother Bashir told AFP by phone that the army had raided the house in the early hours of Tuesday morning. "They entered Mohammed's room while he was sleeping, and they beat him violently and we heard screaming," he said. "After a while he went silent, and a soldier carried him out on his back." In a statement, the family called for international witnesses to attend the post-mortem if Israeli authorities insisted on carrying one out. The Palestinian Prisoners Club said it held Israel responsible for Khatib's death. LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian opposition lawmakers on Monday criticized as unconstitutional a call by President Martin Vizcarra to hold a vote of confidence over his proposed anti-graft reforms, a high-stakes move that could force out the Cabinet and Congress. Late on Sunday, centrist Vizcarra declared four anti-graft bills he has proposed a matter of confidence in his Cabinet, summoning a debate in Congress on Wednesday. If the opposition-controlled Congress delivers a vote of no confidence, Vizcarra would have to replace his entire Cabinet. But because the current Congress has already dismissed one Cabinet in this government, the constitution allows him to respond by dissolving Congress and calling new legislative elections. The escalation in tensions between Congress and the presidency is ushering in a new period of uncertainty in Peru, the world's second-biggest copper producer that has a stable economy but has suffered a rocky year of political instability. Vizcarra's move was condemned by Popular Force, the conservative party with a majority in Congress. "It has errors and interpretations with unconstitutional undertones in both form and content," Congresswoman Ursula Letona, a spokeswoman for Popular Force, said at a news conference, without giving specifics. Popular Force lawmaker Daniel Salaverry, the president of Congress, said that Vizcarra's call for a vote of confidence did not comply with "some characteristics in the constitutional framework." Osias Ramirez, another Popular Force lawmaker, accused Vizcarra of trying to stage a coup d'etat against the legislative branch. Vizcarra denied the move was authoritarian. "On the contrary, a motion of confidence is done with strict adherence to the constitution and that strengthens the democracy," Vizcarra told journalists on the sidelines of an event on Monday. The procedure could be vulnerable to different legal interpretations. Under Peru's constitution, which was passed in 1993 by former authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori, no president has yet summoned a vote of confidence with the potential closure of Congress on the line. Vizcarra proposed the anti-graft measures, which include new rules for selecting judges and prosecutors and stricter campaign financing laws, in late July following an influence-peddling scandal involving judges, lawmakers and businessmen. Salaverry said the reforms, which would require modifying the constitution, should not be rushed. The fresh political tensions come six months after former president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned in a graft scandal on the eve of near-certain impeachment by Congress. It was unclear when the vote of confidence might be held. Salaverry said lawmakers would let Vizcarra's prime minister make his case on Wednesday but would start debate another day. (Reporting by Mitra Taj and Marco Aquino, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Doha (AFP) - Qatar Airways on Tuesday posted a net loss of over $69 million in the year to March 2018, blaming the "illegal blockade" against Doha by a Saudi-led bloc of countries. The tiny Gulf emirate's national airline said the period had been "the most challenging year in its 20-year history". Saudi Arabia and its allies broke off diplomatic relations with gas-rich Qatar on June 5, 2017. They closed all land, sea and air links with the emirate over its alleged proximity to Saudi Arabia's arch-enemy Iran and support for radical Islamist groups. Qatar has refuted the accusations, saying its Gulf Arab rivals are trying to seize control of Doha's foreign policy. In a statement, Qatar Airways said the blockade had directly impacted its revenues, slashing seat occupancy on flights leaving Qatar by some 19 percent. It said its fleet had been forced to ply longer routes, raising fuel costs, as well as cancelling flights to 18 destinations. The airline opened 14 new routes over the period but said they came with launch costs and warned that establishing a presence in new markets would take time. Its losses came despite a seven percent rise in revenues. That came after a bumper period in the financial year prior to the crisis, posting a 22 percent rise in net profits for 2016-2017. "This turbulent year has inevitably had an impact on our financial results, which reflect the negative effect the illegal blockade has had on our airline," said the group's chief executive Akbar Al Baker. However, he said, "the impact has been minimised -- and has certainly not been as negative as our neighbouring countries may have hoped for." WASHINGTON Senate Republicans agreed this week to hear from a woman who alleges that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teens, but theyre resisting calls from Democrats to bring in additional witnesses. Testimony from just Kavanaugh and his accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, wont be enough, Democrats said Tuesday. Thats simply inadequate, unfair, wrong, and a desire not to get at the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor. Even the plan to hear from just Kavanaugh and Ford seems to be in flux. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Tuesday that Ford hasnt confirmed she would attend the Monday hearing. Fords attorneys office did not respond to a request for comment. Fords attorney has previously said her client would testify. Democrats said people should cut Ford some slack on her response time, noting that she came forward on Sunday and that Grassley quickly scheduled a hearing without consulting her. To be treated fairly, she should have at least been asked if she was available that day, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said. Schumer said the FBI, which conducts background checks of judicial nominees, should investigate Fords claim that Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her when they were both high school students in the early 1980s. He said the committee should also hear from Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh classmate Ford said was in the room during the alleged incident. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of the lawmakers whom Ford first notified of the allegations, similarly condemned the lack of witnesses. What about other witnesses like Kavanaughs friend Mark Judge? What about individuals who were previously told about this incident? What about experts who can speak to the effects of this kind of trauma on a victim? she said in a statement. This is another attempt by Republicans to rush this nomination and not fully vet Judge Kavanaugh. Story continues Republicans have been largely supportive of having only two witnesses: Ford and Kavanaugh. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) said the public has heard from Judge already in his statement denying the allegations. I just dont think we need to draw it out, she told reporters. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, Hearing from the accuser and the accused is the appropriate way to do it. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key undecided senator on Kavanaughs nomination, on Tuesday called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to allow outside counsel to question both witnesses. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wanted to hear from both sides but also get this done as quickly as possible. But Democrats seemed to have coalesced around the message that more time will likely be necessary. Schumer said having only two witnesses, and then quickly holding a committee vote on the nominee, would repeat the mistake the Judiciary Committee made when it declined to hear testimony from additional witnesses who could corroborate Anita Hills accusations of sexual harassment by then-nominee Clarence Thomas, who now serves in the Supreme Court. We must not repeat the mistake of the Anita Hill hearings, he said on the Senate floor. They were rushed and were a debacle. Hill urged the Senate not to rush these hearings in an op-ed published Tuesday by The New York Times. Doing so would not only signal that sexual assault accusations are not important hastily appraising this situation would very likely lead to facts being overlooked that are necessary for the Senate and the public to evaluate, she wrote. That the committee plans to hold a hearing this coming Monday is discouraging. Simply put, a weeks preparation is not enough time for meaningful inquiry into very serious charges. Amanda Terkel contributed reporting. This was a developing story and has been updated throughout. Related Coverage Brett Kavanaugh Denies Sexual Misconduct Accusation Against Him Here Is What Brett Kavanaugh Said About Sexual Misconduct In His Hearings Brett Kavanaugh And His Accuser Will Publicly Testify Monday Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Rescuers on Monday, Septembers 17, continued to search for survivors from a landslide that swept through a village in the northern Philippines province of Benguet during Typhoon Mangkhut on September 15. The Philippines Star reported 43 people were killed and 30 were missing after a mountainside collapsed onto a building sheltering a group of miners in Ucab village near Itogon city. At least 64 people were killed when Typhoon Mangkhut, which is known as Typhoon Ompong in the Philippines, slammed into the north of Luzon island before sweeping towards Hong Kong and southern China, according to the AP. Credit: Ciriaco Santiago III via Storyful The city of Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, lowered the water levels behind Sanford Dam ahead of Hurricane Florences arrival, but it was not enough as the lakes waters breached the dam on Saturday night, September 15. During the breach, water washed out Alton Lennon Drive over the dam and rushed into the green space below. Three lakes Patricia Lake, known as the Big Lake, and North and Pine Lakes almost completely drained out by Monday. Images taken about an hour and a half before the breach, seen here, show water approaching the road. Credit: Holly Bussell Powell via Storyful With the worst of the heavy rainfall behind them, some communities in North Carolina are now faced with rising floodwaters and potential dam failures in Florence's wake, with flood dangers expected to extend for weeks after the storm. The Durham Fire Department reported via Twitter just before noon on Monday that major flooding along North Durham's Eno River has resulted in rescues and evacuations along Rippling Stream Road, with 11 rescues having been made in the area so far. Florence's flood risks persist in the Carolinas AP Photo/Garret Fischer First, at vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui voluptatum. 1/12 (AP Photo/David Goldman) Gerald Generette, right, and Maurice Miller look onto the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Florence in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind during Florence in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A flooded cemetery is seen during heavy rains from Florence in Marion, South Carolina, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Don Tantanella checks on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, North Carolina, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Coast Guard Road leading to the south end of Emerald Isle is seen after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A group of local fishermen keep an eye on the Cape Fear River as they stage for potential water rescues while additional flooding remains a threat from Florence, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Story continues On Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, floodwaters from Florence has cut off areas around Wilmington, North Carolina, forcing people to wait in long lines for fuel, food and other supplies. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers Samuel Knoeppel and Randy Haba approach to Willie Schubert on a stranded van in Pollocksville, North Carolina, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Hurricane Florence's aftermath. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Rockeem Williams walks down a street through floodwaters from Hurricane Florence, in Marion, South Carolina, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. "Please be aware of the river conditions if you live along any waterways in the area," officials urged via Twitter. Ashe County emergency management officials warned of the imminent failure of Headwaters Dam in Creston on Sunday night. The potential dam breach prompted a flash flood warning in the area through 8 a.m. EDT Monday. Officials urged residents living downstream of the dam to evacuate. The dam in the Headwaters Developmnet is close to capacity and is in danger of a breech. Anyone living downstream of 5010 Three Top Road should evacuate. Ashe EM (@Ashe_EM) September 16, 2018 Southeast of Charlotte in Hoke County, officials report that a dam at McLaughlin Lake sustained damage overnight on Sunday and might potentially breach. Nearby residents were under mandatory evacuation, but some are reportedly beginning to return home as of Monday morning. Hoke County - Rockfish area homeowners around McLauchlin Lake who evacuated are returning. #HurricaneFlorence rainfall damaged Overlake Drive, a dirt road that crosses the lake. Neighbors say they're relieved the nearby dam didn't breech, and impressed how things held up. @WNCN pic.twitter.com/hwT1iiwRyV Robert Richardson (@RobertReport) September 17, 2018 There were initial fears of a dam breach in Hope Mills in Cumberland County, North Carolina, as well. Although nearby residents downstream were asked to get out of harm's way as a precaution, officials clarified Sunday that the dam was intact despite rumors of a breach related to floodwaters triggered by Florence, CBS News reported. Hope Mills officials reportedly got the water level down to 96 feet prior to Florence's arrival, and after the hurricane's heavy downpours, the water level swelled to 105 feet, according to CBS News. Thirty minutes south of Hope Mills in Lumberton, a set of temporary levees broke on Sunday, according to the Washington Post. The failure happened in an area where a levee also failed during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The levees, initially built to protect the city's west and south sides from flooding, failed as water compromised the structures as it piled up on the Lumber River's north side, the Asheville Citizen Times reported. Rainfall in Lumberton reached 2 feet over the weekend, which pushed water levels in the Lumber River up to 25 feet, almost a foot higher than levels recorded during Matthew, according to reports. Bucharest (AFP) - The Romanian government announced Tuesday that its planned referendum to change the constitutional definition of "family", so as to prevent same-sex couples from marrying, will be held in October and spread over two days to maximise turnout. The plebiscite -- which Amnesty International has said would breach international human rights standards and amount to homophobic discrimination -- will be held on October 6 and 7, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said during a special cabinet meeting. Sources within her Social Democratic Party (PSD) said the decision to hold the vote over two days was intended to boost turnout among Romania's 18.9 million-strong electorate amid concerns that the minimum turnout of 30 percent would not be attained on just a single day. "This referendum is not against sexual minorities," Dancila insisted. Nevertheless, the initiative -- by a group called the "Coalition for the Family" -- would change the constitution to stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman, and not simply "spouses" as it currently states. A petition calling for a referendum on the issue had already collected three million signatures, persuading Dancila's government to go ahead. "All the legal conditions are fulfilled. The government has an obligation to organise this vote," the premier said. Romanian law doesn't currently allow gay marriages, but critics of the initiative say an explicit definition of what constitutes a family would make it almost impossible to change the law in favour of same-sex couples. The leader of Dancila's PSD, Liviu Dragnea, said the vote "will be a crucial moment for the fundamental values of the Romanian society", which is majority Orthodox christian. (MOSCOW) A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean early Tuesday, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defense ministry said. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. The Russian military said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast as it was returning to its home base nearby. The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense, Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russia said it would make an appropriate response to Israel. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. The Israeli military said earlier on Tuesday that it had no reaction, saying it does not comment on foreign reports. The Russian military said on Tuesday that the plane was hit by accident by one of the missiles, which were aimed at four Israeli fighter jets that were attacking targets in the coastal province of Latakia late on Monday. Russia said the Israeli aircraft pushed the Russian plane into the line of fire. The ministry accused the Israeli army of intentional provocation and said Israel did not warn Russia of its operation in the area until one minute before the strike. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday it had summoned Israel's ambassador in Moscow over the shooting down of a Russian military plane near Syria. The aircraft was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft systems but Moscow said Israeli air force jets flying in the same area had put the Russian plane in the line of fire. Israel's government has not yet commented. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on social media that the Israeli ambassador had been called into her ministry in connection with what had happened near Syria. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Osborn) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands after a joint press conference in Sochi - Anadolu Russia and Turkey agreed on Monday to a create a "demilitarised zone" between Syrian rebels and government forces in the northern city of Idlib, staving off a potential humanitarian catastrophe in the last rebel stronghold. During a summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to an agreement that "radically-minded" opposition fighters, including formerly al-Qaeda-linked ones that control parts of Idlib, would be withdrawn. Russian and Turkish military police would then carry out coordinated patrols of the zone - which would be 12 miles deep - from October 15, Mr Putin said. Both sides have already established observation points near flashpoints in the province but the latest development marks increased cooperation between the two countries, which back opposing sides in the war. Moscow is keen on strengthening ties with Turkey, at a time when Ankara's relations are at their lowest with the US. "I believe our joint statement following this meeting will give the region a new hope," Mr Erdogan said after the meeting. Syrian rebel fighters walk in a newly dug trench in the village of al-Zakat in the northern countryside of Hama province on September 17 Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP "At the moment, I believe, not only our region but also the world is looking at Sochi today," he added. Turkey, which supports and funds opposition groups in Syria, had been told by Russia to separate the estimated 10,000 Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters from the 30,000-40,000 more moderate ones in Idlib. But Turkey called instead for measures to target hardline militants while protecting civilians and avoiding an indiscriminate assault. "Let's not create an excuse and take a step like bombing there," Mr Erdogan said. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, speaking earlier on Monday, said the Bashar al-Assad government remained determined to drive HTS from the province. "Our government wants to give priority to reconciliation and to give all necessary measures in order to ensure safe corridors, and to secure the lives of civilians and to provide the basic needs of civilians in cooperation with UN humanitarian agencies," Hussam Edin Aala said. Story continues Residents of Idlib province and surrounding areas have been bracing themselves for a Russian-backed government offensive on the country's largest remaining rebel-held zone Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/ AFP The deal would see any offensive postponed until at least December 15, however it was unclear whether the Syrian government or its Russian allies were still planning an all-out assault. Russia-backed forces of the regime have massed around Idlib in recent weeks, which had sparked fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. Dozens were killed and injured in a flurry of Russian and Syrian air strikes earlier this month, however there has been little offensive action since then. As many as three million civilians are trapped in Idlib, buffered on three sides by Syrian government forces and a closed Turkish border to the north. The United Nations had warned that an all-out offensive would result in the "worst humanitarian crisis this century". There has been growing pressure on Russia to rein in Assad's forces. Turkey warned a fresh exodus of civilians fleeing fighting could see a fresh wave of refugees, which Mr Erdogan last week threatened to send to Europe. - Maxim Kuzovkov\\TASS via Getty Images Russia and Israel risked a military confrontation on Tuesday after a Russian reconnaissance plane with 15 people onboard was mistakenly shot down by allied Syria forces that were targeting Israeli jets. Russia's defence ministry said that Israeli F-16 pilots were using its Ilyushin Il-20 turbo-prop aircraft signal as cover while carrying out strikes against targets in Latakia province and put it in the line of fire from Syrian missiles. The aircraft was hit 22 miles off Latakias coast in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday evening as it was returning to a Russian airbase nearby. President Vladimir Putin was forced to step in to defuse the escalating row between the two countries, which have an uneasy alliance despite backing opposing sides in the Syrian war. Israel, which appears to have been targeting an ammunitions depot linked to the Lebanese Shia militia Hizbullah, denied it was its intention to provoke Syria into firing at the Russian plane. A IL-20PP reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Air Force taking Credit: Alamy However, the Russian defence ministry said they were given only a one-minute warning from Israel over their deconfliction hotline, leaving it with insufficient time to reach a safe area. Israeli pilots carrying out attacks on Syrian targets "used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences," Igor Konashenkov, Russian military spokesman, said in televised remarks. We consider these provocative actions by Israel as hostile. Fifteen Russian military service members died because of irresponsible actions of the Israeli military. It's absolutely contrary to spirit of Russia-Israeli partnership, he said. We reserve right for adequate response." Mr Putin later downplayed the incident, saying the downing of the plane was the result of "a chain of tragic circumstances" and that Moscow would look into boosting security for its servicemen. The Russian president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly spoke over the phone to clear the air. Story continues Israel and Russia have so far managed to carefully coordinate military action in Syria. Israel has carried out more than 200 attacks on Hizbollah and Iranian targets in Syria in the last few years in an attempt to stop its foes becoming too entrenched in the country. Moscow has never interfered. However, the latest incident marks the worst loss of Russian life to friendly fire since Moscow intervened in the conflict in 2015 and could change the way they view the Israeli raids, particularly so close to Russian bases. Improving relations between the two countries has been a source of tension between Russia and client state Syria, which is technically at war with Israel. Russian troops were recently sent to the border of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to act as a buffer between Syrian forces and the Jewish state. A general view shows Russian fighter jets on the tarmac at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia in 2016 Credit: AFP/Getty Images The Ilyushin aircraft was reported missing shortly after Moscow announced an agreement with Turkey to set up a demilitarised zone in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib. The two countries said they would be sending military police to patrol the area and help expel jihadists. The deal temporarily delays off an all-out offensive by Syrian forces to retake the province, which the United Nations had warned would spark the worst humanitarian crisis this century. The EU hailed a political solution for Idlib, but said any deal must protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access. Experts however warned that the agreement was lacking in detail and cautioned that it does not guarantee that an offensive is no longer on the table further down the line. November 2015: Turkey shoots down Russian jet for airspace 'violation' Late Night host Seth Meyers took a closer look at the allegation of sexual assault that has surfaced against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and expressed some skepticism about the judges denials. In a letter sent to two members of Congress in July, Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of trying to rape her when they were both in high school. After the accusation became public last week, 65 women signed a letter saying the nominee was a good person who has always treated women with decency and respect. You know whats a little incriminating? If you get accused of sexual assault and you just happen to have on hand a list of other women you didnt sexually assault, Meyers said. If the cops come to your house and say they want to ask you about a murder and you come to the door with a list of people you didnt murder, youll still be a suspect in that murder. Check out the video above to see what Meyers said about Paul Manaforts plea deal. Related... Seth Meyers Has A Not-So-Subtle Message For Donald Trump Seth Meyers To Trump: 'Dude, Get A Therapist' Donald Trump As A Hacker? Seth Meyers Loves The Idea Seth Meyers Cautions Donald Trump About The 'Perjury Trap' Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Soon Yi-Previn with Woody Allen Soon-Yi Previn has broken her silence to defend her husband Woody Allen against allegations of abuse and accused Mia Farrow, her adoptive mother, of twisting the #Metoo movement as part of a campaign of revenge. In an interview with New York magazine, she discusses falling in love with her mothers husband at the age of 21 and confronts accusations that Allen molested her adopted daughter Dylan Farrow. Whats happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust, said Ms Previn, 47. [Mia] has taken advantage of the #MeToo movement and paraded Dylan as a victim. And a whole new generation is hearing about it when they shouldnt. Dylan Farrow condemned the article written by Daphne Merkin, a friend of Allen saying it contained multiple obvious falsehoods and repeating her allegation that Allen molested her as a seven-year-old. Ms Previn had been brought to the US and adopted by Farrow and her then husband Andre Previn in 1977. I'm grateful to my siblings for standing by me and my mother. Statement from Matthew Previn, Sascha Previn, Fletcher Previn, Daisy Previn, Ronan Farrow, Isaiah Farrow, and Quincy Farrow: pic.twitter.com/aBjWFUJjdH Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) September 17, 2018 Her relationship with Allen, who is 35 years her elder, caused a scandal when it became public in the early 1990s. Farrow discovered the affair by finding naked photographs of Ms Previn at Allens home. The alleged molestation of Dylan happened at about that time, in 1992. I understand she would be angry don't get me wrong, she had every right to be, Ms Previn said of Farrow. But she was like a sinkhole taking everything down with her. Woody Allen and Dylan in 1989 Credit: Ron Galella/WireImage In the interview, she paints a picture of a cruel and heartless mother, and recounts the moment she was collected from a Korean orphanage at the age of six. Story continues I remember the second I laid eyes on her, said Ms Previn. She came to me, and she threw her arms around me to give me a big hug. Im standing there rigidly, thinking, Who is this woman, and can she get her hands off of me? She didnt ring true or sincere. Mia Farrow with daughter Dylan in 2003 Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images She claimed she was slapped and hit by Farrow as she grew up with her new family in Surrey. She tried to teach me the alphabet with those wooden blocks, she said. If I didnt get them right, sometimes shed throw them at me or down on the floor. Her account is disputed by Dylan and her siblings, who accused Ms Previn of trying to distract from the allegations against Allen. In a statement, Ronan Farrow, the journalist, described a devoted mother who created a loving home. But that never stopped Woody Allen and his allies from planting stories that attack and vilify my mother to deflect from my sister's credible allegation of abuse, he said. As a brother and a son, I'm angry that New York Magazine would participate in this kind of a hit job, written by a longtime admirer and friend of Woody Allens. NEW YORK (AP) Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of Woody Allen and the estranged adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, defended her husband against what she contends is unfair treatment in the #MeToo era and attacked her adoptive mother in her first public comments about the relationships in decades. New York magazine posted on its website Sunday night an in-depth article about Previn in which she talks of a troubled relationship with her mother and tells how she fell in love in 1992 with Allen, who was Farrow's boyfriend at the time. The 47-year-old said she and her mother clashed soon after Farrow adopted her and that her mother many times treated her like a maid. She denies being manipulated into a relationship by Allen. Previn told the magazine that she decided to speak out now because Dylan Farrow, who is an adopted daughter of Allen, is, in her view, unfairly accusing her husband of sexual abusing her when she was a child. "I was never interested in writing a 'Mommie Dearest,' getting even with Mia none of that," Previn told the magazine. "But what's happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust. (Mia) has taken advantage of the #MeToo movement and paraded Dylan as a victim. And a whole new generation is hearing about it when they shouldn't." She also said of Farrow: "Mia wasn't maternal to me from the get-go." An email sent to Mia Farrow's agent Sunday night was not immediately returned. The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual abuse, but Dylan Farrow has commented extensively on her allegations that Allen abused her in 1992 when she was 7-years-old. Allen was investigated but wasn't charged, and he has long denied inappropriately touching Farrow. In a statement in January after Dylan Farrow's allegations resurfaced, Allen reiterated his denial and accused her and her family of using the Time's Up movement "to repeat this discredited allegation." In separate statements posted on Twitter Sunday night, Dylan Farrow and Ronan Farrow say their mother is a good parent and that the New York magazine article is inaccurate and unfair. Dylan Farrow also noted that the New York magazine piece's author, Daphne Merkin, calls herself a longtime friend of Allen's. The director, who faced a wave of backlash earlier this year including several prominent actors vowing not to work with him again, is also quoted in the New York magazine piece. "I am a pariah," Merkin quotes the director as saying during a lunch. "People think that I was Soon-Yi's father, that I raped and married my underaged, retarded daughter." South Korean president lands in North Korea for latest summit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greeted South Korean President Moon Jae-in with a lavish welcome ceremony Tuesday at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, as the two leaders kicked off their third summit this year. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, hugged the first couple from the South at the red-carpeted airfield as a crowd of thousands lined up to cheer for them -- some holding national flags, some holding unified-peninsula flags and some holding colorful plastic bouquets. North Korea's ceremonial guards honored the South's delegation. Kim's influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, also was on hand to escort the visitors. PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes South Korean president Moon Jae-in and at North Korean citizens at Sunan International Airport, Pyongyang North Korea. Sep 18, 2018. (Pyeongyang Press Corps) (MORE: North Korea, South Korea agree to end war, denuclearize peninsula) Moon flew to Pyongyang Tuesday for the third inter-Korean summit with Kim. The South Korean delegation, which was about 200 people from all walks of life, including businessmen and musicians, landed around 10 a.m. local time. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in wave to North Korean citizens at a parade in Pyongyang, North Korea. Sep 18, 2018. (Pyeongyang Press Corps) Moon and Kim rode in a lavish parade, standing together and waving to the crowd from an open-top black Mercedes limousine. Tens of thousands of citizens dressed in colorful national costumes and waving flags and paper-flower bouquets lined up in the streets chanting Unification! The two leaders arrived at the Baekhwawon guesthouse, had separate luncheons, and then began the first of a three-day summit talk. You traveled to best places around the world but our accommodation is plain compared to developed countries, Kim told Moon just before going into closed-door meetings. Though our standards may be low, I hope you understand our efforts with full heart that we did our best to prepare the best accommodation and schedule [for this trip]. South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greet North Korean citizens at Sunan International Airport, Pyongyang North Korea. Sep 18, 2018. (Pyeongyang Press Corps.) PHOTO: South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stand facing the honor guards ceremony at Sunan International Airport, Pyongyang North Korea. Sep 18, 2018. (Pyeongyang Press Corps) A priority on the agenda is to ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Im Jong-seok, the South Korean presidential office's chief of staff, said at a press conference Monday. The two leaders will spend considerable time reviewing in detail the progress of their joint agreement made in April and then draw up a "concrete and practical" agreement. Story continues PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes South Korean president Moon Jae-in and at North Korean citizens at Sunan International Airport, Pyongyang North Korea. Sep 18, 2018. (Pyeongyang Press Corps) (MORE: US will halt joint military exercises with S. Korea, Trump says: Live updates) Moon also will focus on bridging the gap between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump regarding denuclearization. So far, the U.S. wants concrete steps by the North to prove denuclearization, for example, a "list" of nuclear facilities. On the other hand, North Korea wants a regime-security guarantee that includes declaring the Korean War over and signing a non-aggression peace treaty. It's "difficult to have an optimistic outlook" on the progress of denuclearization, although it will depend on the honest conversations between Moon and Kim to reach such an agreement, Im said. Strawberries are being dumped by the truckload in Australia as the countrys needle scare extends to other fruits. Nationwide fears about hidden sewing needles inside the fruit have caused have caused producers to jettison their strawberries. Growers have started using metal detectors and the Australian government has launched an investigation to restore confidence in the popular fruit. The government of Queensland state, where the contamination scare started last week, has offered a 100,000 Australian dollar (55,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for inserting needles into strawberries after six brands Donnybrook Berries, Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries, Oasis, Berry Obsession and Berry Licious were recalled. Footage released by Donnybrook shows truckloads of strawberries being dumped. Strawberries are being dumped by the truckload after the needle scare (Picture: Yahoo News) The scare had spread across the nation, with needles reportedly found in strawberries in all six Australian states. Police in New South Wales said on Tuesday that needles had been found in more than 20 strawberry punnets, and there were reports that a banana and apple also had needles in them. READ MORE ON YAHOO UK Fred and Rose Wests daughter fears her parents killed 30 more women Triathlete banned from all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant after downing 100 dishes Watch: Ryanair passengers films baggage handler stealing from suitcase In pictures: Chinas Typhoon Mangkhut forces 2.5 million to evacuate This picture of an invisible car is blowing peoples minds online Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt ordered the national food safety watchdog to investigate Queenslands handling of the needle scare. He directed Food Standards Australia New Zealand to investigate whether there are supply chain weaknesses that need to be fixed. The job is very, very clear. Protect the public and keep them safe, Mr Hunt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Both of New Zealands major food distributors, Foodstuffs and Countdown, announced on Monday they are taking Australian strawberries off their shelves because of the scare. Story continues New Zealand imports Australian strawberries when they are out of season locally from April to September, and both chains say the home-grown product will be on supermarket shelves soon. Queensland Strawberry Growers Association vice president Adrian Schultz said what had started as a single act of commercial terrorism had brought a multimillion-dollar industry to its knees. Im angry for all the associated people, its the farmers, the people who supply them, the packaging people, the truckies with families to support, who suddenly lose their jobs its far-reaching, Mr Schultz said. Major Australian supermarket chains Coles and Aldi have pulled all strawberries from their shelves across Australia except in Western Australia state as a precaution. Strawberries have been removed from supermarket shelves in Australia (Picture: AP) But Western Australia police announced on Monday that the first suspected needle contamination case has been reported in locally grown fruit. A man in the town of York reported to police that he found a needle in a sink after washing strawberries. The report came after a seven-year-old girl in South Australia state found a needle in a Western Australia-grown strawberry on Saturday. Western Australia Health Minister Roger Cook said the needle could have been inserted in the fruit after it arrived in South Australia. Strawberry Growers Association of Western Australia president Neil Handasyde said growers had received requests from major retailers and insurance companies to scan fruit for needles. Australian police said on Tuesday they had yet to identify a suspect or a motive. Chinmay Naik failed the class he needed to get his degree and wants Melbournes Supreme Court to overturn his grade It is not often a judge is asked to weigh in on the grading of university assignments, but that is exactly what has happened after a Melbourne student took his university to court. Chinmay Naik failed the class he needed to get his degree and wants Melbournes Supreme Court to overturn his grade and allow him to pass. Mr Naik failed an assignment about dogs because he handed the project in 19 days late and received a score of 12 out of 100. Refusing to accept the grade, he went to the Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman and then pulled Monash University in front of a judge. The 23-year-old student needs the grade to finish his degree and keep his visa. READ MORE ON YAHOO UK Fred and Rose Wests daughter fears her parents killed 30 more women Student, 26, killed in US shark attack was engaged to be married Teen questioned by police after g-force stunt leaves boy, 11, with horrific injuries Watch: Ryanair passenger films baggage handler stealing from suitcase The university said it double-marked the assignment and increased his score, but the student still failed. Mr Naik does not believe them and wants the judge to exempt him from the class. After going to the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman, Mr Naik then pulled Monash University in front of a judge. Source: 7 News The university says the most I could do was quash or set aside your mark and ask the university to mark it again, the judge said. Mr Naik then wrote to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull asking him to intervene, but did not receive a response. But he did get a reply from the Victorian government to whom he also appealed, saying it was unable to help him. I have the tenacity to keep appealing something that I feel was done wrong to me, he said. By Tulay Karadeniz and Suleiman Al-Khalidi ANKARA/AMMAN (Reuters) - Turkey will send more troops into Syria's Idlib province after striking a deal with Russia that has averted a government offensive and delighted rebels who said it kept the area out of President Bashar al-Assad's hands. The deal unveiled on Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad's most powerful ally, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will create a demilitarized zone from which "radical" rebels must withdraw by the middle of next month. Damascus also welcomed the agreement but vowed to continue its efforts to recover "every inch" of Syria. Iran, Assad's other main ally, said that "responsible diplomacy" had averted a war in Idlib "with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror". The agreement halted a threatened Syrian government offensive. The United Nations had warned such an attack would create a humanitarian catastrophe in the Idlib region, home to about 3 million people. The Idlib region and adjoining territory north of Aleppo represent the opposition's last big foothold in Syria. Assad has recovered most of the areas once held by the rebels, with decisive military support from Iran and Russia. But his plans to recover the northwest have been complicated by Turkey's role on the ground. It has soldiers at 12 locations in Idlib and supplies weapons to some of the rebels. Erdogan had feared another exodus of refugees to join the 3.5 million already in Turkey, and warned against any attack. In striking the deal, Russia appears - at least for now - to have put its ties with Turkey ahead of advancing the goal of bringing all Syria back under Assad's rule. That goal is also obstructed by the presence of U.S. forces in the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates that is held by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, and at a base near the borders with Jordan and Iraq. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis played down any notion the Turkey-Russia agreement had resolved the situation in Idlib. "Idlib is one of the most complex problems in a complex theater (of conflict) right now. So I'm quite sure it's not all sorted," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. Analysts cautioned that implementation of the deal faced big challenges, notably how to separate jihadists from other rebels - a goal Ankara has been struggling to achieve. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the "moderate opposition" would keep its weapons and the "region will be cleared of radicals". Turkey would "make additional troop deployments" and its 12 observation posts would remain. The deal was "very important for the political resolution in Syria". "If this (Idlib) had been lost too, there would be no opposition anymore," he said. Mustafa Sejari, a Free Syria Army (FSA) official, said the deal "buries Assad's dreams of imposing his full control over Syria". Yahya al-Aridi, spokesman for the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission, expressed hope a government offensive was now off the table for good. The Syrian government, in a statement published by state media, said it welcomed any agreement that spared blood. It also said the deal had a specific time frame, which it did not detail. "I see it as a test of the extent of Turkey's ability to implement this decision," Ali Abdul Karim, Syria's ambassador to Lebanon, said in an interview with Lebanon's al-Jadeed TV. "We do not trust Turkey ... but it's useful for Turkey to be able to carry out this fight to rid these groups from their weapons." 'CATASTROPHE' AVERTED Moscow said the deal "confirmed the ability of both Moscow and Ankara to compromise ... in the interests of the ultimate goal of a Syrian settlement by political and diplomatic means". "Is this merely a stay of execution? Or is it the beginning of a reprieve?" U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock asked during a monthly meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Syria. The demilitarized zone will be monitored by Russian and Turkish forces, the countries' leaders said. Neither Russia nor Turkey has explained how it plans to differentiate "radically minded" rebels from other anti-Assad groups. It was also not immediately clear how much of the city of Idlib fell within the zone. Putin said the decision was to establish by Oct. 15 a demilitarized area 15 to 20 km (10-12 miles) deep along the contact line between rebel and government fighters. Naji Abu Hufaiza, spokesman for the National Front for Liberation, said he did not have details of the agreement, but added that while he saw it as a success for Turkish diplomacy, his group did not trust Russia to uphold it. Idlib is held by an array of rebels. The most powerful is Tahrir al-Sham, an amalgamation of Islamist groups dominated by the former Nusra Front - an al Qaeda affiliate until 2016. Other Islamists, and groups fighting as the Free Syrian Army banner, are now gathered with Turkish backing under the banner of the "National Front for Liberation". The area is also the last major haven for foreign jihadists who came to Syria to fight the Alawite-led Assad government. Putin said that, at Erdogan's suggestion, by Oct. 10, all opposition heavy weapons, mortars, tanks, rocket systems would also be removed from the demilitarized zone. Earlier this month, Putin publicly rebuffed a proposal from Erdogan for a truce when the two met along with Iran's president at a summit in Tehran. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman and Tom Perry, Dahlia Nehme and Ellen Francis in Beirut, Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara, Dominic Evans in Istanbul, Thomas Balmforth in Moscow, Michelle Martin in Germany, Parisa Hafezi in Ankara, Daphne Psaledakis, Alissa de Carbonnel in Brussels, Michelle Nichols in New York and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by William Maclean, Richard Balmforth and Peter Cooney) Wisconsin GOP state Sen. Leah Vukmir, now her party's nominee against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, was once ALEC's national chairwoman. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images) Hundreds of Republican state legislators are already members of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a Koch network-backed conservative nonprofit that has played a major role in pushing laws restricting voting rights, rolling back regulations, pushing Stand Your Ground laws, privatizing prisons and sabotaging Obamacare over the past decade. But one of the groups top leaders might soon reach a higher level: The U.S. Senate. Wisconsin state Sen. Leah Vukmir, who is the GOP nominee to challenge Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November, isnt running from her ties to ALEC as the group is known for short on the campaign trail. Her ties to the group run too deep: Shes been a member since 2004 and a board member since 2013. She also served as the groups national chairwoman in 2016 and won an award for legislator of the year in 2009. A HuffPost review of Vukmirs legislative record since 2011 found she had introduced, co-sponsored or authored 24 different pieces of legislation that seem to draw directly from ALEC model policies. The bills allowed nursing homes to conceal records of neglect and abuse, barred labor requirements for public works projects, waded into wars over free speech on college campuses and required legislative approval to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. And in return, Vukmir has collected about $40,000 worth of donations to her federal and state campaigns from ALEC or its corporate partners, including a $1,000 check from ALECs CEO in 2017. Ive been involved in a national organization called ALEC American Legislative Exchange Council. I embrace it even though the left likes to call it a big Koch brothers conspiracy organization, Vukmir said last year during a meeting with a group of College Republicans. At a meeting of the Kenosha County GOP a few months earlier, Vukmir described ALEC as an organization that stands for everything Ive ever campaigned on from day one when I campaigned to be a member of the State Assembly. Story continues Baldwin, the most progressive of the 10 Democrats representing states won by President Donald Trump in 2016, has a steady lead in the contest, according to political prognosticators and public polling. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have not spent any money in the contest, although groups backed by the Koch network have continued to target Baldwin. ALEC, which is funded by a slew of major corporations like Pfizer, FedEx and T-Mobile, is best-known for bringing together major companies and Republican state legislators to write model policies for state legislatures to adopt. (The group claims to be bipartisan, but its known leadership is almost entirely members of the GOP.) But Vukmirs ascendancy and her potential election would mark the latest display of how ties to ALEC can help GOP legislators advance their careers. Baldwins allies are planning to make Vukmirs ties to the nonprofit a central part of their fall campaign, and her campaign has already released two television ads on Vukmirs ties to the group. Wisconsins U.S. Senate race is about who will put Wisconsin first, and Leah Vukmir has spent her past 16 years in Madison working for her corporate special interest backers and legislating ALECs agenda at the expense of Wisconsin families, said Brad Bainum, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Its clear that Leah Vukmir is not on Wisconsins side. Vukmirs campaign responded by noting Baldwin has also taken donations from executives and companies with ties to ALEC. Sen. Baldwin has taken over $20,000 this election cycle from companies or employees with ties to ALEC, said Jess Ward, Vukmirs campaign manager. This is what Wisconsinites hate about swampy Washington politicians like Sen. Baldwin. While ALEC has existed since the 1970s, liberal skepticism of the group peaked during the Obama era, as Republicans locked out of power on the federal level turned to the states. Democrats and progressives have blamed ALEC for things like the spread of laws cracking down on illegal immigration and strict voter identification requirements. Republicans including former EPA Administrator Scott Pruit, Arizona Reps. Debbie Lesko and Andy Biggs and Georgia Rep. Doug Collins were members of the group while serving in state legislatures. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Getty The Trump administration will impose tariffs on $200bn (152bn) more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the worlds two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tyres. The tariffs will start at 10 per cent, beginning Monday of next week, and then rise to 25 per cent on 1 January. Donald Trump made the announcement on Monday evening in a move sure to ratchet up hostilities between Washington and Beijing. Mr Trump has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on $50bn in Chinese goods. And China has retaliated in kind, hitting American soybeans, among other goods, in a shot at the presidents supporters in the US farm belt. Beijing has warned it would hit an additional $60bn in American products if Trump ordered more tariffs. On Monday Mr Trump threatened to raise the stakes again if Beijing should retaliate, adding a further $267bn in Chinese imports to the target list. That would raise the total to $517bn covering nearly everything China sells the United States. After taking in public comments, the administration said on Monday it had withdrawn several items from an earlier list of $200bn in Chinese imports, including child-safety products like bicycle helmets. And in a victory for Apple Inc and its American customers, the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products from the list of goods imported from China. At the same time, the administration said it is still open to negotiations with China. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns, Mr Trump said in a statement. Once again, I urge Chinas leaders to take swift action to end their countrys unfair trade practices. The two countries are fighting over Beijings ambitions to supplant American technological supremacy. The Office of the US Trade Representative charged in a March report that China is using predatory tactics to obtain foreign technology, including hacking US companies to steal their trade secrets and forcing them to turn over their know-how in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Story continues Mr Trump has also complained about Americas massive trade deficit $336bn last year with China, its biggest trading partner. In May, in fact, it looked briefly as if treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese vice premier Liu He had brokered a truce built around Chinese promises to buy enough American farm products and liquefied natural gas to put a dent in the trade deficit. But Trump quickly backed away from the truce. In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration was careful to try to spare consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The levies focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at the mall or via Amazon. By expanding the list to $200bn worth of Chinese imports, Trump risks spreading the pain to ordinary Americans. The administration is targeting a bewildering variety of products from sockeye salmon to bamboo mats forcing US companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the burden to their customers. In a filing with the government, for instance, Giant Bicycles Inc of Newbury Park, California, noting 94 per cent of imported bicycles came from China last year, complained there is no way our business can shift its supply chain to a new market to avoid the tariffs and warned a tariff increase of this magnitude will inevitably be paid for by the American consumer. Trump has reversed decades of US policy in favour of ever-freer trade. He campaigned on a promise to tax imports and rewrite or tear up trade agreements that he said put US companies and workers at a disadvantage. The presidents negotiating tactics do not work well with Chinas way of thinking, said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics in Los Angeles. I think things will get worse. I fully expect the tariff rate will go up to 25 per cent. Mr Sohn said he believed China will retaliate against every US tariff and the tit-for-tat exchanges will escalate until the US is taxing all Chinese imports $524bn last year. The US economy appears strong enough to withstand damage from the tariff battle, he said. In the short term, we will have higher prices and fewer jobs than we would have had otherwise, Mr Sohn said. Fortunately, the US economy is humming so we dont have to worry as much about what this will do to our economy. Mr Sohn said the Trump administration was pursuing a legitimate goal to get China to stop violating international trade rules. But he said the administration should have enlisted support from other major trading partner, such as the European Union, Canada and Mexico, and presented Beijing with a united front. Mr Trumps tariffs raise costs and create uncertainty for companies that have built supply chains that span the Pacific Ocean. Some companies are looking to move out of China to dodge the tariffs, said Ted Murphy, a partner at the Baker McKenzie law firm. Some will likely move to other low-cost countries that arent in the line of fire. Some will bring operations to the United States one of Mr Trumps goals. For years, multinational businesses went where the labour was cheapest, Mr Murphy said. Now the calculus is more complicated. AP (Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters) WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has intervened in an ongoing investigation of his 2016 presidential campaign, ordering the declassification of portions of a secret application for surveillance of a member of his campaign as well as the release of text messages exchanged by FBI employees involved in the investigating of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump on Monday directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department to immediately declassify portions of the June 2017 FISA court application regarding former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The president also demanded the public release of text messages exchanged by former FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, whose texts have provided regular fodder for Fox News and congressional Republicans intent on undermining special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. The FBI had previously released a heavily redacted version of the Page FISA application in July. Trumps defenders on Capitol Hill and in the conservative media have routinely used the Strzok-Page text messages to undermine the Mueller probe and suggest that the FBI is biased against Trump. Trump also ordered the public release of texts messages sent by former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, as well as Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. The president also ordered the release of notes on meetings with Ohr, who relayed information to the FBI collected by former British spy Christopher Steele about Trumps relationship with Russia. Carter Page arrives at the United States District Court Southern District of New York on April 16, 2018, in New York City. (Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Trumps selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team a clear abuse of power. With respect to some of these materials, I have been previously informed by the FBI and Justice Department that they would consider their release a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods, Schiff said in a statement. This is evidently of no consequence to a President who cares about nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self-interest. Story continues Its unclear how the selected pages of the Page FISA application would be released, and what the timeline is for the release of the FBI text messages. A Justice Department spokesperson said Monday evening that the DOJ and FBI were already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the Presidents order. The presidents order, the spokesperson said, triggered a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of Americas national security interests. This story has been updated with a statement from a Justice Department spokesperson. Related Coverage FBI Texts Reveal Major Flaw In GOP Theory Of 'Deep State' Plot To Defeat Trump FBI Agent Peter Strzok Calls GOP Hearing On Anti-Trump Texts A 'Notch In Putins Belt' The Mueller Investigation, Explained. Here's Your Guide To The Trump-Russia Probe. Ryan Reilly is HuffPosts senior justice reporter covering the Justice Department, federal law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs. Have a tip? Reach him at ryan.reilly@huffpost.com or on Signal at 202-527-9261. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. President Donald Trump has said he does not think the FBI needs to investigate sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. "I don't think the FBI really need to be involved because they don't want to be involved, Mr Trump said. If they wanted to be, I would certainly do that, but as you know, they say this is not really their thing, he continued, adding that he remained totally supportive of his nominee. The president has stood by Mr Kavanaugh amid an allegation that the judge sexually assaulted a student at a nearby high school when they were both teenagers. Mr Kavanaugh has vigorously denied the allegation, but some Democrats have called on the FBI to investigate further even if it means delaying his hearing by weeks. The FBI seemed unlikely to do so. A Justice Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that the bureau had no further role in the matter, as the allegation "does not involve any potential federal crime". "The FBI does not make any judgment about the credibility or significance of any allegation," the spokesperson said in a statement. "The purpose of a background investigation is to determine whether the nominee could pose a risk to the national security of the United States." "The FBI's role in such matters is to provide information for the use of the decision makers," the statement continued. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, meanwhile, declared the FBI probe closed in a radio interview on Tuesday, saying the bureau was not doing any further investigation. The chairman also questioned whether a judiciary committee hearing with Mr Kavanaugh and his accuser, California professor Christine Blasey Ford, would proceed as scheduled on Monday. Mr Grassley said attorneys for Ms Ford had not responded to multiple entreaties from his office over the last 36 hours. It kind of raises the question, do they want to come to the public hearing or not? Mr Grassley asked on the Hugh Hewitt Show. What would be the purpose of the hearing if Dr Ford doesnt want to respond? Story continues Ms Ford reluctantly made her identity public last week, after several news outlets reported on a letter she had sent to her senator months ago with her allegations. In the letter, and in a subsequent interview with the Washington Post, Ms Ford claimed Mr Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party in the early 1980s. She said the high school athlete pinned her onto a bed, put his hand over her mouth, and attempted to take off her clothes. She was able to escape when a friend of Mr Kavanaughs jumped on both of them. Mr Kavanagh has stringently denied the allegation, calling it completely false. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone, he said in a statement on Monday. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. He added: I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity." President Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his support for Brett Kavanaugh amid sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court nominee, saying hed like the accusations to be examined swiftly by the Senate Judiciary Committee. We are looking to get this done as quickly as possible, Trump told reporters before a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the White House. He is truly an outstanding person, as you know. Hes got an unblemished record. He is an incredible man, Trump continued. He is an incredible intellect. He will make an incredible Supreme Court justice. The president added: Im totally supportive. Im very supportive. I feel so badly for him thats hes going through this, Trump said later during a joint press conference in the East Room. This is not a man that deserves this. On Monday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced a Sept. 24 public hearing had been set for Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. Ford, however, has yet to commit to participate, though her lawyer says she is willing to testify in public. Trump said that Kavanaugh is anxious to testify. I dont know about the other party, the president said. But Judge Kavanaugh is very anxious to do it. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh listens during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Sept. 4. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Last week, reports surfaced that a letter had been sent to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., detailing Kavanaughs role in an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the early 1980s at a house party in suburban Maryland. Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist who teaches at Palo Alto University in California, reluctantly went public as Kavanaughs accuser in an interview with the Washington Post published on Sunday. According to Fords account, Kavanaugh and his friend forced her into a room at the party, and he pinned her to a bed on her back and groped her over her clothes, grinding his body against hers and clumsily attempting to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she wore over it. When she tried to scream, she said, he put his hand over her mouth. Story continues I thought he might inadvertently kill me, Ford said. In a statement, Kavanaugh categorically and unequivocally denied the claims. This is a completely false allegation, he said. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone. At the White House Tuesday, Trump said this is a terrible thing that took place though its unclear whether he meant the alleged assault itself or the way the allegation was made public, which he decried. Its frankly a terrible thing that information wasnt given to us a long time ago months ago, Trump said, accusing Democrats of springing the sexual assault allegation on Republicans. Thats what you have hearings for, he said. You dont wait until the hearing is over, then all of the sudden bring it up. Thats what they do, Trump said. Its obstruction; its resist. Its whatever you have to do. President Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on Tuesday. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP) But Fords public allegations against Kavanaugh sent shock waves throughout Washington, D.C., with several key Republicans, including Sen. Jeff Flake, joining Democrats in calling for a delay in the confirmation hearings until the allegations can be thoroughly investigated. Trump criticized Feinstein for not raising the assault allegations during Kavanaughs public hearings or in her private conversations with the Supreme Court nominee. When Sen. Feinstein sat with Judge Kavanaugh for a long period of time a long, long meeting, the president said. She had this letter why didnt she bring it up? Why didnt she bring it up then? Feinstein said she was trying to keep Fords claims against Kavanaugh a secret at the accusers request. After they leaked to the press, Feinstein said, she turned over Fords letter to the FBI. Trump said it wouldnt bother him if the FBI reopened its background investigation into Kavanaugh in light of the sexual assault allegations. The FBI said that they really dont do that; thats not what they do, Trump said. Now they have done, supposedly, six background checks as Judge Kavanaugh has gone beautifully up a ladder. Trump also said he would not direct the bureau to be investigate the allegations further leaving it up to senators on the judiciary committee to examine them. I dont think the FBI should be involved because they dont want to be involved. If they wanted to be, I would certainly do that, he said, adding: I think, politically speaking, the senators will do a very good job. They really will. Theyre going to open it up and they will do a very good job. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is seen as a key swing vote in the confirmation process, suggested on Tuesday that both Ford and Kavanaughs lawyers be given time to effectively cross-examine the accuser and the accused, followed by questions from senators. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, another key swing vote, told reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday that she hopes her colleagues can question Ford in a respectful manner. My hope is that all will be respectful, Murkowski said. Respectful of Dr. Ford and respectful of Judge Kavanaugh. ___ Read more from Yahoo News: The following statements were posted to the verified personal Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy. @realDonaldTrump : - "A lot of small & medium size enterprises are registering very good profit, sometimes record profits-there stocks are doing very well, low income workers are getting big raises. There are an awful lot of good things going on that weren't during Pres. Obama's Watch." Peter Morici [0601 EDT] - Tariffs have put the U.S. in a very strong bargaining position, with Billions of Dollars, and Jobs, flowing into our Country - and yet cost increases have thus far been almost unnoticeable. If countries will not make fair deals with us, they will be "Tariffed!" [0611 EDT] - Our Steel Industry is the talk of the World. It has been given new life, and is thriving. Billions of Dollars is being spent on new plants all around the country! [0615 EDT] - "Lisa Page Testimony- NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION BEFORE MUELLER APPOINTMENT." @FoxNews by Catherine Herridge. Therefore, the case should never have been allowed to be brought. It is a totally illegal Witch Hunt! [1023 EDT] - Immediately after Comey's firing Peter Strzok texted to his lover, Lisa Page "We need to Open the case we've been waiting on now while Andy (McCabe, also fired) is acting. Page answered, "We need to lock in (redacted). In a formal chargeable way. Soon." Wow, a conspiracy caught? [1036 EDT] - Americans deserve to know the lowest drug price at their pharmacy, but "gag clauses" prevent your pharmacist from telling you! I support legislation that will remove gag clauses and urge the Senate to act. #AmericanPatientsFirst [1410 EDT] - Join me in Las Vegas, Nevada at 7:00pm for a MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY! Tickets: http://bit.ly/2OwXsrg [1422 EDT] - Happy Constitution Day! http://bit.ly/2Owlin1 [1528 EDT] - Video tweet - http://bit.ly/2NSBSAc[1653 EDT] - It was my great honor to host today's Inaugural Meeting of the "President's National Council for the American Worker" in the Roosevelt Room! http://bit.ly/2NS3Ax7 [1753 EDT] - Just met John James of Michigan. He has every single quality to be your next Great Senator from Michigan. When the people of Michigan get to know John, they will say he is a true star. Also, distinguished Military and a Combat Vet! [1807 EDT] - Today, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we share our gratitude for all the ways Hispanic-Americans make our country flourish and prosper. Today, and every day, we honor, cherish, and celebrate Hispanic-American Workers, Families, Students, Businesses, and Leaders... (Video Tweet - http://bit.ly/2NS3R37) [2021 EDT] -- Source link: (http://bit.ly/2jBh4LU) (Compiled by Bengaluru bureau) New US tariffs on Chinese goods are expected to hit global trade flows. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The US decision to impose tariffs on another $200bn worth of Chinese goods could have major repercussions on nearly every country on the planet as international companies readjust their sales and supply chains. At home, Americans should expect higher costs. In China, exporters are preparing for a further sales slump. And the rest of the world is also bracing for the blowback. Economists and trade experts have outlined a myriad of knock-on effects that could be felt in countries around the world, including a deterioration in business sentiment, cheaper products on international markets and a ramp-up in industry lobbying efforts. Heres what to expect: The real pain will begin in January The Chinese currency has declined by 9% against the US dollar since April, meaning a new 10% tariff on thousands of Chinese items may not have as much of a direct impact as people may expect, said Rajiv Biswas, IHS Markits chief economist for the Asia-Pacific region. The tariff would simply negate the benefits of a weaker yuan for American importers. For now, theres no impact. The US administration probably understands that, he told Yahoo Finance UK. But the threat of tariffs jumping from 10% to 25% at the start of 2019 is the real concern. Thats when American businesses and consumers would really feel the pain, with higher costs for items including soy sauce, seafood and sewing machines. In the meantime, Nomura economists have noted that Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the costs of this trade war, which could hit consumer and business sentiment and drag down the economy. Lower prices abroad? Trade experts have outlined that the new tariffs could redirect the flow of Chinese goods away from the US and towards other markets, possibly leading to excess supplies and cheaper prices in other nations. Yes, Chinese products may be diverted to other markets. They may be sold at below-market prices, warned David Henig, a former UK trade negotiator and director of the European Centre for International Political Economy. Story continues Initially, there could be a slightly deflationary impact as Chinese products are rerouted to other nations, warned John Hardy, a currency strategist at Saxo Bank Group. A spokesperson at the European Commission said the EU was monitoring the situation to ensure there was no dumping of cheap Chinese goods into the European market, which would undercut European firms. Henig said this situation could provide an opportunity for EU industries to complain to regional authorities about Chinese dumping and make calls for protective EU tariffs to stem the inflow of competing goods. This would present a field day for lobbyists and lobby groups, he said, while creating further trade war tensions. Winners and losers Biswas from IHS Markit said there could be a huge range of winners and losers across Asia as a result of these new US tariffs. On the one hand theres South Korea, which exports a huge amount of semiconductor chips to China and boasts one of the largest chip manufacturing hubs in the world. Korean businesses could suffer dearly if the Chinese electronic products that use Korean chips are slapped with new US tariffs, said Biswas. This could lead to a drop in demand for Korean chips and put local jobs at risk. Similarly, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are also known for shipping a wide range of goods to China for inclusion in manufactured items that are subsequently shipped abroad, he said. They could also be hit by new US tariffs. Other low-cost manufacturing nations could benefit though as multinational firms shift their production away from China to avoid tariffs. Vietnam, Bangladesh, Brazil and Mexico could all get more business, Biswas said. In some cases, US tariffs could both help and hinder different sectors in a single Asian country, he said. Its a very complicated story about how these tariffs will affect [global] supply chains. Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump's conservative Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh, struck back Monday at an allegation that he committed sexual assault as a teenager, saying he was ready to defend his "integrity" before the Senate. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes -- to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said in a statement released by the White House in response to the accusation made by a California college professor. "I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation from 36 years ago and defend my integrity." Kavanaugh's defiance promised a major fight in the Republican-led Senate where his candidacy had appeared poised to sail through, giving Trump the opportunity to tilt the constitutional court to the right for years to come. Shortly before Kavanaugh's statement, the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, announced through her lawyer that she too was ready to testify before the committee. Ford claims that at a party Kavanaugh -- then a schoolboy -- drunkenly lay on top of her, tried to pull off her bathing suit and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. She has reportedly backed up her allegation by passing a lie detector test and providing evidence that she previously talked about the incident, even if she never went to the authorities. Trump's top female aide said on Monday that Ford's claims should be given a hearing. "This woman should not be insulted and she should not be ignored," said Kellyanne Conway. The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to vote on the Kavanaugh nomination Thursday. That would keep to a timetable in which the Republicans would see the judge safely confirmed before November midterm congressional elections in which Trump's party risks losing control of the legislature. A number of committee members have urged holding off on a vote following the bombshell allegation. However, Conway said any new testimony "should not unduly delay the vote." United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations on Tuesday cautiously backed a Turkish-Russian deal to create a buffer zone in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province that put off the threat of an imminent onslaught. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal reached between the Russian and Turkish presidents and called on all warring sides to implement it. He said the agreement to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib "should avert a full-scale military operation and provide reprieve for millions of civilians," a UN statement said. The United Nations had warned that an all-out assault on the province where three million people live would trigger a humanitarian catastrophe and possibly one of the worst bloodbaths of Syria's seven-year war. In an appeal delivered last week, Guterres had warned that a full-scale battle in Idlib would "unleash a humanitarian nightmare unlike any seen in the blood-soaked Syrian conflict." UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura also welcomed the agreement, telling a Security Council meeting that "we have seen crisis in Idlib averted". De Mistura said the de-escalation could open the door to holding talks on a new post-war constitution for Syria that could begin work in Geneva in the coming weeks. "We are determined to do all that we can to give it a chance," he told reporters after the meeting. - A temporary measure? - UN aid chief Mark Lowcock sounded a more cautious note, noting that the deal was not open-ended and could simply postpone military action. "Is this merely a stay of execution? Or is it the beginning of a reprieve, the first tiny glint of light at the very end of the darkest tunnel?" he asked. Civilians in Idlib want to know if this is a temporary arrangement or the first step toward completely removing the threat of military action, said Lowcock. Syria and Russia have been preparing military action in Idlib to bring the province under the control of Damascus, but Turkey, which supports some of the armed groups, had called for a ceasefire. Story continues During a meeting Monday in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached the deal on establishing the buffer zone. A 15-20 kilometer (9-12 mile) wide corridor will be established by October 15 from which all jihadist fighters must withdraw, paving the way for Turkish and Russian patrols of the area, according to the agreement. The deal was reached a week before world leaders are to gather at the United Nations for meetings on Syria and on a string of other conflicts raging across the globe. De Mistura suggested that the Idlib deal would provide some space for diplomats to try to advance efforts to end the war, which has killed more than 360,000 people. Brussels (AFP) - European leaders may need to hold an extra summit in November to clinch a Brexit deal and avert "a catastrophe" when Britain leaves in March, EU President Donald Tusk warned Tuesday. When European Union leaders meet this week in the Austrian Alps, they will discuss how to clear the last hurdles to a divorce deal and to a plan for future ties, he said. "We will discuss how to organise the final phase of the Brexit talks, including the possibility of calling another European Council in November," he said in a letter inviting the 28 leaders to the informal summit. The leaders who make up Tusk's European Council had been aiming to strike a Brexit deal at a scheduled October summit, but now seem to be on course to hold another last-ditch get-together in November. This would still give the British parliament and those in European member states enough time to debate and ratify the terms before the end of March, when Britain would otherwise crash out without a plan. "If we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe," Tusk wrote, warning of the fallout from no deal. - Salzburg summit - He stressed the need to ensure "there will be no hard border in the future" between Ireland and British Northern Ireland, which Brussels sees as key to preserving the peace agreement. EU officials and many British experts are also worried that a no-deal Brexit would damage economic and financial ties between the world's biggest trading bloc and one of the world's largest economies. One sticking point is the conundrum of the border between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and the Irish Republic, which will remain in the Union. The EU is standing by its demand for a legal backstop in any deal precluding a "hard border" Ireland that would undermine the Good Friday peace accord. It has proposed that Northern Ireland stay aligned with the remaining 27 bloc members after Brexit as part of a "backstop", or insurance policy to avoid the reimposition of border checks. Story continues But Britain, fearing the EU proposal would break up its territory, has suggested instead that the whole country remain aligned with the EU in certain areas, but only until the end of 2021. Ireland's foreign and trade minister, Simon Coveney, was in Brussels for pre-summit meetings, and warned a solution must be found by the October summit instead of being allowed to drag into November. "There is a need for an intensification of negotiations," he insisted. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria -- which holds the bloc's six-month rotating presidency -- will open the two-day summit on Wednesday evening in Salzburg. He will host a dinner where British Prime Minister Theresa May will brief her EU counterparts about the state of talks between her negotiator Dominic Raab and Europe's Brexit pointman Michel Barnier. Tusk said the 27 other leaders would meet on Thursday without May to discuss a statement of intent on future relations with Britain, which is to be announced along with the Brexit divorce deal. - 'Level playing field' - EU diplomats warn that British demands for partial single-market access could undermine "the level playing field" if Britain refuses to stick to EU health, labour and environment standards and seeks to make steel and other exports cheaper. Producing a possible new wrinkle in talks, a government-commissioned report said Britain should not offer preferential access to EU workers over those from outside the bloc after Brexit. One European diplomat told AFP he still expects May to seal a deal even though her own "Chequers" blueprint crosses European red lines and has angered hardline Brexiteers in her own Conservative party. But the diplomat expected little headway in Salzburg as both sides act cautiously before the Conservative Party conference on September 30. - Japan urges clarity - In Tokyo, Japan's foreign minister on Tuesday urged his visiting British counterpart to ensure clarity over Brexit amid signs Japanese businesses are growing increasingly nervous about Britain's future outside the EU. In August, May played down the consequences of a no-deal when she quoted World Trade Organization director general Roberto Azevedo as saying it would "not be the end of the world." But the International Monetary Fund warned Monday that such a scenario would inflict "substantial costs" on the British economy. Aside from the travails of Brexit, the bulk of the summit will tackle migration and security. By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, could be sentenced as soon as Nov. 28, according to a joint court filing by prosecutors from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office and defense lawyers on Monday. Prosecutors have repeatedly deferred Flynn's sentencing date since he pleaded guilty in December 2017, even though Flynn's lawyer has said his client was eager to get the sentencing date on the calendar and put the ordeal behind him. The agreement now between both parties to set a sentencing date on Nov. 28, or the following seven business days, signals that Flynn's ongoing cooperation with Mueller's office is coming to an end. General Flynn is eager to proceed to sentencing, his lawyer Robert Kelner told U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan during a hearing in July. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with Russia, in exchange for cooperating with Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. During that hearing, Kelner agreed with the judges suggestion that a sentencing hearing could be held within 60 days of the conclusion of Flynns cooperation with Mueller, rather than the usual 90 days so that the case could be expedited. Flynn was the first member of Trumps administration to plead guilty to a crime uncovered by Muellers wide-ranging investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 U.S. election and potential collusion by Trump aides. Under a plea bargain deal, Flynn admitted in a Washington court that he lied when asked by FBI investigators about his conversations with Russias then-ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, just weeks before Trump took office. Trump has denied knowing anything about contact with Russians and his campaign and has called Mueller's probe a witch hunt. Russia has denied U.S. allegations that it interfered in the campaign. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's government on Monday accused the European Union Parliament of meddling in its internal affairs after the legislator passed a resolution deploring the alleged torture of opposition politicians in the East African country. Robert Kyagulanyi, a Ugandan pop star and lawmaker, and MP Francis Zaake were allegedly tortured after they were arrested last month on suspicion of participating in stoning the motorcade of President Yoweri Museveni. The government has denied that security staff tortured the two men, saying the injuries visible on their bodies could have been sustained in scuffles as they tried to resist arrest. "For EU parliament to pass a resolution asking the courts of Uganda to drop charges is inconceivable...we see this as a premeditated attempt to hijack and subvert our institutions," government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told a news conference on Monday. The EU is a key source of budget support to Uganda and has helped fund construction of major highways and other infrastructure. Museveni's convoy was stoned as he left the northwestern Ugandan town of Arua where he had traveled to campaign for a ruling party candidate participating in a parliamentary by-election. Kyagulanyi, Zaake and dozens of their supporters were charged with treason for their roles in the incident. The two MPs are now in the United States and India respectively seeking treatment for their injuries. The detentions of the MPs and their supporters and reports of their torture sparked days of protest in different parts of Uganda. "Uganda takes objection to the tacit approval of undisciplined behavior by EU and some of its institutions of some of the politicians in the country," Opondo said, adding that the EU was hostile to Uganda because of "our emerging relations with China". Critics of Museveni accuse him of using security forces to suppress opposition to his rule but officials say Museveni, 74, enjoys genuine mass support. Parliament, which is tightly controlled by his ruling party, last year voted to remove an age cap on the presidency that would have barred him from seeking re-election in 2021. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa and Ed Osmond) Nikki Haley said Russia sought to evade sanctions on North Korea and then cover it up by suppressing an official UN report Nikki Haley at UN headquarters in New York City on 17 September. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images The US has accused Russia of wholesale violations of international sanctions on North Korea, secretly transferring huge quantities of oil and other commodities to the regimes ships at sea. In a heated session of the UN security council, the US envoy, Nikki Haley, said Moscow had systematically sought to evade sanctions on Pyongyang and then cover up its operations by suppressing an official UN report. Her Russian counterpart, Vassily Nebenzia, rejected the accusation and said his office had not tried to censor the report by a UN panel of experts, but had merely wanted Russian views to be reflected. But Haley said Washington had evidence of consistent and wide-ranging Russian violations. To evade port inspections, oil tankers come together over the high seas. North Koreans use hoses to transfer refined petroleum products to their ships to bring back home. Many tankers are willing to provide oil to make a quick buck, the US ambassador added. She said that the US tracked at least 148 cases of oil tankers delivering petroleum products in illegal ship-to-ship transfers, but did not make clear how many of these cases involved Russian ships. Haley said that the North Korean regime had obtained between 800,000 and 2m barrels of refined petroleum in the first eight months of the year well above the 500,000 barrels cap set by the UN. She listed other ways in which she said Russia had sought to blunt UN scrutiny and sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear weapons and missile programme. Step by step, sanction by sanction, and time and time again, Russia is working across the board to undermine the sanctions regime, Haley said, adding that last months UN panel of experts report contained evidence of multiple Russian sanctions violations. We have seen and read this report, the US envoy said. But when the panel submitted the report to the security council last week, we noticed something deeply troubling. The evidence of Russian violations that was detailed in the earlier report was missing. It had been removed from the open section of the report. Story continues Apparently, Russia threatened to prevent release of the report unless its demands to hide the evidence of its violations was met. To our deep regret, the panel agreed, Haley said. A European diplomat at the UN confirmed that a section on Russian sanction-busting had been removed from the expert panel report. We heard they were making changes and then last week, they made a quite different report, the diplomat said. The UK ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, said the panels report should be submitted in its original form, calling it extensive and well-researched. The UN did not respond to questions about the changes made by the panel of experts. In his reply to Haley, Nebenzia said that member states were entitled to communication with the experts panel to present evidence and counter-arguments. The report had not been redacted, he argued, but a particular passage on a Russian company had been removed only from the published version of the report. The panel of experts ... has become extremely politicised for reasons beyond our control, it has been almost taken hostage by Washington, which is trying to prevent the normalization of inter-Korean relations with all its might, Nebenzia said. Sanctions cannot replace diplomacy, he said. The security council row over sanctions-busting came at a time when the leaders of North and South Korea are preparing for a third summit next week in Pyongyang, in a bid to revive momentum towards defusing tensions and paving the way towards disarmament. Following his own summit with Kim Jong-un in June, Donald Trump had declared North Korea was no longer a nuclear threat. However, the UN under secretary-general Rosemary DiCarlo told the security council that there continue to be signs the DPRK is maintaining and developing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. The nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also said last month that it had grave concern over the further development of Pyongyangs weapons programme. Haley insisted however, that the Trump-Kim summit had set us on a path toward complete denuclearization. But she added: But were not there yet. And until we get there, we must not ease the powerful worldwide sanctions that are in place. Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed sorrow Tuesday for the downing by Syria of a Russian warplane with 15 people on board, saying it underscored an urgent need to resolve the Syria conflict. According to Russian and Israeli forces, the Syrian regime accidentally shot down the Russian Ilyushin-20 surveillance plane off the Syria coast late Monday. It was the worst case of friendly fire between Moscow and Damascus since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. "The United States expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed by Syrian regime anti-aircraft fire," Pompeo said in a statement. It "reminds us of the need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theater of operations." Russian President Vladimir Putin said the shoot-down, using the Russian-made S-200 air defense system, was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances." Israel has expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire." The deadly chain of events started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel confirmed that it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. The Russian military accused Israeli pilots of using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defenses," a charge Israel denied. Pompeo added that the shoot-down underlined the "urgent need to resolve the Syrian conflict" in accordance with UN resolutions and "to end Iran's provocative transit of dangerous weapon systems through Syria, which are a threat to the region." Victory for White House hardliners as secretary of state says US will cut number of refugees by 15,000 next year A displaced Syrian woman holds a toddler in a camp in Kafaldin. The US will reduce the number of refugees entering by a third. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images The US will allow no more than 30,000 refugees into the country in the coming year, down by a third from last years cap, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has announced. The latest cut reflects a victory by White House hardliners on immigration over both the state department and the Pentagon. When Donald Trump took office the ceiling on refugees the US was prepared to welcome each year was 110,000. Trump lowered that to 45,000, and significantly fewer were actually allowed in. The new ceiling marks a historic low since the US Refugee Act was introduced nearly 40 years ago. In announcing the cut, Pompeo said that the US would also process the applications of over 280,000 new asylum seekers, adding that over 800,000 asylum seekers were already in the US awaiting judgment on their claims. He claimed: These expansive figures continue the United States longstanding record as the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration. Some will characterise the refugee ceiling as the sole barometer of Americas commitment to vulnerable people around the world. This would be wrong, Pompeo said. In recent decades, the US has been the main destination for the worlds refugees, admitting three out of four million worldwide since the passing of the 1980 Refugee Act. However, the number of refugees admitted each year has dropped dramatically from the more than 200,000 in 1980. The International Rescue Committee aid organisation lambasted the lowering of the refugee ceiling. It issued a statement saying: The United States is not only abdicating humanitarian leadership and responsibility-sharing in response to the worst global displacement and refugee crisis since World War II, but compromising critical strategic interests and reneging on commitments to allies and vulnerable populations, including religious minorities and those whose lives are in danger because they assisted US troops and US missions overseas. Story continues According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the US resettled 33,000 refugees in 2017, while Canada admitted 27,000, ahead of Australia (15,000) and the UK (6,000). On a per capita basis, Canada was the most generous country when it came refugee resettlement. Those numbers do not include the number of asylum seekers who arrive by illegal means. Over 1.2 million came to Europe in 2015 and 2016, before the flow halved in 2017. Pompeos announcement of new refugee figures was unscheduled and came on a day when the administration was drawing critical scrutiny of Trumps pick for supreme court justice, Brett Kavanaugh. The secretary of state said that the Trump administration had decided to cut back on refugee resettlement because of the backlog in the number of asylum requests pending from foreigners already in the US. Critics say that backlog is due in large part to the administrations policy of slowing down the pace at which asylum requests are processed. The daunting operational reality of addressing the over 800,000 asylum cases demands renewed focus and prioritisation. The magnitude of this challenge is unequalled in any other country, Pompeo said. In consideration of both US national security interests and the urgent need to restore integrity to our overwhelmed asylum system the United States will focus on addressing the humanitarian protection cases of those already in the country. Pompeo claimed the new ceiling reflects our commitment to protect the most vulnerable around the world while prioritising the safety and wellbeing of the American people, as President Trump has directed. He also said that the US would focus on meeting the needs of refugees in their home regions, and stopping their displacement in the first place. The best way to help most people is to promote burden sharing with partners and allies, to work to end conflicts that drive displacement in the first place and to target the application of foreign aid in a smarter way, he said. However, at the same time the Trump administration is reportedly seeking to cut $3bn from the foreign assistance budget, despite opposition to such drastic cuts from Congress. Hong Kong (AFP) - The Vatican could send a delegation to China by the end of the month, Beijing's state-run media said Tuesday, with the visit potentially paving the way for a historic agreement on the appointment of bishops. Beijing and the Vatican severed ties in 1951, two years after the Communist party seized power in China. The decades-long standoff has split China's roughly 12 million Catholics between those who follow government-approved prelates and those in "underground" pro-Rome churches. Negotiations have been underway for several years between the two sides on the thorny question of the appointment of bishops, some of whom have been appointed by the Chinese authorities without being recognised by Rome. But the Global Times tabloid reported there are no longer "disputes over issues of principle" between Beijing and the Holy See. The Vatican delegation will visit in late September, it added, citing an unidentified source. "If the meeting goes well, an agreement could be signed", the newspaper said. The deal under discussion could see Pope Francis recognising the bishops appointed by Beijing without his approval. However, the current talks will not address establishing diplomatic relations between the two sides, the Global Times said. Previous attempts to restore ties have floundered over Beijing's insistence that the Vatican must give up recognition of Taiwan and promise not to interfere in religious issues in China. The Vatican is one of only 17 countries around the world that recognises Taipei instead of Beijing, but Pope Francis has sought to improve ties with China since he took office in 2013. By Dean Arrindell Sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh could slow and possibly stall his appointment to the high court. On Sunday, the Washington Post spoke to Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, who said that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers in the early 1980s. Ford sent a letter in late July detailing the allegations to her local representative, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., and to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ford said that when her identity began to be revealed and inaccurate information about her began circulating, she decided to come forward. She told the Washington Post, Now I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation. Kavanaugh calls the charge a false allegation. In his second denial statement, he said, I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone. The allegations and their revelation show certain similarities to Anita Hills 1991 allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Twenty-seven years ago, Anita Hill, then a professor at the University of Oklahoma, alleged that Thomas had sexually harassed her when the two worked together at the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Hill said that Thomas repeatedly asked her out, and that when she refused, described pornographic movies to her in graphic detail. Hill sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the allegations during Thomas confirmation process. At first, Hill did not want her name used publicly. After the all-white, all-male committee voted 7-7 to push through Thomas nomination, Newsday and NPR revealed Hills allegations, and she changed her mind and came forward. Here is a person who is in charge of protecting rights of women and other groups in the workplace, and he is using his position of power for personal gain, she said in an interview with NPRs Nina Totenberg. And he did it in a very just ugly and intimidating way. Story continues Both Hill and Thomas testified before the committee. Hill said that at first she was initially reluctant to come forward, but felt a duty to report the allegations to the committee. Thomas has consistently denied the allegations, and at the time, called the hearings a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks. Thomas was voted in by the Senate by 52 votes to 48, with the help of 11 Democrats. The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote Thursday on Kavanaughs nomination, but several senators, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, have said that Ford should be heard. Despite the similarities between the two cases, many factors have changed since 1991: The judiciary committee is more diverse, the #MeToo Movement has captured the public imagination, and Congress is far more partisan. Responding to the allegations against Kavanaugh, Hill said Friday that a fair and neutral process should be set up to investigate the allegations. The Senate Judiciary Committee should put in place a process that enables anyone with a complaint of this nature to be heard, Hill said. I have seen firsthand what happens when such a process is weaponized against an accuser, and no one should have to endure that again. By Dean Arrindell On Monday, President Trump announced tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. This comes on top of the $50 billion to $60 billion in Chinese import tariffs announced this March. The tariffs announced Monday are scheduled to take effect on Sept. 24 at 10%, and rise to 25% on Jan. 1. The tariffs exclude 300 items that could have been subject to tariffs, including smartphones, bike helmets, infant car seats and certain chemicals. China responded Tuesday, threatening to impose tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. The country has already imposed $50 billion in tariffs that target some of Trumps voter base, including farmers. Trump claims that China is trying to influence the U.S. election by focusing on farmers, ranchers and others through tariffs. China has openly stated that they are actively trying to impact and change our election by attacking our farmers, ranchers and industrial workers because of their loyalty to me. What China does not understand is that these people are great patriots and fully understand that.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018 ..China has been taking advantage of the United States on Trade for many years. They also know that I am the one that knows how to stop it. There will be great and fast economic retaliation against China if our farmers, ranchers and/or industrial workers are targeted! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018 Why is the U.S. in a trade war with China? Yahoo News explains. Tariffs are taxes or fees placed on imported items. A trade war begins when countries impose retaliatory tariffs on them. Trump spoke openly about trade long before he was president. In the 1980s, he often criticized Japan, saying, They dump the cars and the VCRs and everything else. Now he has turned his attention on trade to other countries, including China, because he believes the U.S. is not being treated fairly. Story continues Trump has criticized the U.S. trade gap with China, which was $505.5 billion last year, according to census data. His administration has accused China of stealing intellectual property, restricting access to the Chinese market and requiring American companies to hand over technology. What are possible implications of the trade war? While these tariffs are imposed to hurt Chinese manufacturers, they could also hurt American companies and consumers by raising the cost of producing goods and raising prices for consumers. And some economists warn that the tariffs could hurt U.S. economic growth. The tariffs imposed on Monday excluded 300 items from a previous list of items that were subject to tariffs, including smartphones, bike helmets, infant car seats and certain chemicals. Talks in May between high-level U.S. and Chinese officials ended without an agreement. Both sides say they want talks to continue. Sanaa (AFP) - Yemen's Huthi rebels accused the government and its Saudi-led allies on Tuesday of deliberately targeting food warehouses in Hodeida as they resumed an offensive on the rebel-held port city after an 11-week pause. "International food supply warehouses were targeted in Hodeida (late on Monday), a clear sign that there is a plan by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies to make warehouses and densely populated neighbourhoods legitimate targets of their terrorist operations," the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said. There was no immediate confirmation that any aid warehouses had been hit from the World Food Programme or other UN agencies battling the threat of famine hanging over millions of Yemenis. The Red Sea port of Hodeida is a vital lifeline for aid shipments to Yemen and the WFP has previously warned that any major fighting could halt food distributions to eight million Yemenis dependent on them for survival. The rebel leader accused the rest of the international community of not doing enough to stop the coalition resuming its offensive, which it described as "terrorism". "International tolerance of terrorism has only encouraged (the coalition) to plan and deliberately commit crimes," Huthi said. The coalition announced late on Monday that it was ending the 11-week pause it had observed while UN efforts to convene peace negotiations continued. Proposed UN-brokered talks in Geneva fell apart earlier this month when rebel delegates failed to show up, charging that they had not received promised guarantees for their return home afterwards. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the Huthis of receiving arms smuggled from Iran through Hodeida, a charge both Tehran and the rebels deny. The coalition first launched an offensive to retake the city in June, after capturing several of the province's smaller towns. The rebels seized the Red Sea coast along with the capital Sanaa and much of the north in 2014. The coalition intervened in March of the following year, when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in second city Aden. The conflict has since killed nearly 10,000 people and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 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. An Ethiopian restaurant in Jerusalem was closed by municipal inspectors on Saturday after a complaint was received from ultra-Orthodox residents against the establishment being open on Shabbat. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Shortly after the closure, the restaurant's owners decided to reopen the place but the move was met with a protest from a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside. Several secular residents of the neighborhood chased the demonstrators away. Inspectors arrive to close Ethiopian restaurant The issue of businesses running on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, has for years divided religious and secular Israelis. Many religious people argue that the closure of businesses maintains the Jewish character of the state while many secular people complain that it encroaches on their rights and causes serious inconveniences on the weekend. The ultra-Orthodox activists arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes before the beginning of Shabbat, by which time most restaurants and other businesses in the capital city have usually closed. Accompanied by inspectors, the protesters demanded the place be closed. Choosing not to confront the crowds, the owners of the restaurant left with the diners, and the inspectors locked the restaurant. Secular resident protests closure In response, a group of secularists, who advocate a more pluralistic governance in Jerusalem, came to protest against the closure. Yishai Pulvermacher, who is opposed to the closure of business on Saturday, condemned the municipalitys decision to shut down the restaurant. "This is a selective enforcement of the law against a small place run by members of the Ethiopian community. It does not bother anyone," Pulvermacher argued. Haredim protest outside restaurant, screaming "Shabbas" (: ) X "We have come to support restaurants that are open on Shabbat," said Ilya Lipzker, chairman of the Jerusalem Our Home partywhich is competing for a seat on the city council. There are restaurants and bars open with a permit. On Sunday we will appeal to the mayor and emphasize that inspectors can not do whatever they want. We will also examine legal options, he exclaimed. Laura Wharton, member of Jerusalem's City Council as a representative of the left-wing Meretz party, sent a letter to the municipal supervisor and the city's director general demanding that a clarification be given explaining the reasons for the selective enforcement of the law and how the municipal inspectors appear to have become the executive arm of the ultra-Orthodox. "I strongly condemn the campaign against the restaurants that are open on Shabbat, because the city belongs to everyone, even to the public that wants to go out on Shabbat," she vented. Einav Bar, deputy chairman of the Hitorerut (Awakening) faction in Jerusalem, who was active in the struggle against the closure of businesses on Shabbat, appealed to the municipal enforcement department with a request for an explanation regarding the illegal closure. The municipality of Jerusalem issued an official response, calling the incident an "error." "This is a human error, and we apologize for that. According to the law and the status quo there are open restaurants on Shabbat in Jerusalem and there is no change in this policy," the statement noted. A security guard whose suspicion was aroused by the terrorist who murdered the American-Israeli Ari Fuld on Sunday in a stabbing attack in Gush Etzion searched the attackers bag before the stabbing, but failed to search his pockets where the knife was concealed. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Moments before the attack on the 45-year-old from Efrat, his killer, 16-year-old Khalil Jabarin from the Palestinian village of Yatta, had decided not to enter a Rami Levy supermarket adjacent to where he carried out the attack after seeing security guards at the entrance. and sitting outside the supermarket. Khalil Jabarin After a brief scuffle with Fuld, who cahsed him and shot at him, Jabarin was neutralized by a passerby and taken to hospital. His remand was extended Monday evening by 10 days. One of the security officers of the Gush Etzion junction, identified as A, said "The terrorist was walking around attempting to enter several stores. Our security guards removed him from the premises. The guards did their work and managed to intimidate the terrorist, who therefore decided not to enter the supermarket." "Several civilians, cashiers and security guards spoke with the terrorist. One of the guards suspected something was up and tried to check his bag, but he didn't check his pockets. He didn't see the knife so he returned to where he was guarding," the security guard explained. "We saw him arriving with a bag, putting it aside and walking around without it. The minute we heard about the stabbing attack one of our security guards ran to the (shopping center entrance) to assist," he added. Ari Fuld According to the shopping center's employees, Jabarin was circling the mall for a long time before carrying the attack. Footage of the moments leading up tp the attack show him eating He spoke with several security guards in an area without security cameras before committing the deadly stabbing attack. Meir, the chief security officer of the supermarket chain in the Gush Etzion junction told Ynet, "I can certainly say that our security prevented the terrorist from entering our premises. Our security guards' performance and their presence at the supermarket's entrance and exit impeded him from coming inside." "Once a guard is stationed at the entrance it makes all the difference," he opined. The United States believes that a Russian military aircraft that Russian state media reported "disappeared" on Monday over the Mediterranean was inadvertently shot down by Syrian government anti-aircraft artillery, a US official said. The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the US government's operating theory was that the Syrian defenses accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles. US Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson addressed Monday the Syrian claims of engaging missile targets over Latakia. "I can unequivocally say this is not us," he said. UK Prime Minister Theresa May pledged on Monday to protect British Jewish identity and Israel's right to defend itself, in an attack on opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn in the run-up to his Labour Party conference next weekend. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter May told a United Jewish Israel Appeal dinner she was "sickened" by the idea that some Jews questioned whether Britain was a safe place to raise their children. Labour has been angrily divided this year over pockets of anti-Semitism which Corbyn himself has acknowledged. Critics suggest he should step down for failing to tackle the issue. PM May at UJIA dinner (Photo: AP) A poll in Britain's Jewish Chronicle earlier this month said that 40 percent of Jews would consider emigrating if Corbyn won power in a national election. In August Britain's former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks called Corbyn an anti-Semite and said comments about Zionists made by him in 2013, before he was Labour's leader, were the most offensive by a senior UK politician in half a century. Corbyn said five years ago that British Zionists "don't understand English irony " despite "having lived in this country for a very long time". "If we are to stand up for the values that we sharethen one of the things we need to do is give young Jewish people the confidence to be proud of their identityas British, Jewish and Zionist too," May said. "There is no contradiction between these identities and we must never let anyone try to suggest that there should be." Corbyn, a veteran campaigner for Palestinian rights who has moved Labour to the left, has pledged to eradicate anti-Semitism. This month Labour adopted an internationally accepted definition of anti-Semitism in hopes of ending the row. However, it also said that freedom of speech on Israel must be permitted, indicating that his hardline opposition to the country's policies would remain unchanged. Jeremy Corbyn (Photo: EPA) Last month, Corbyn said in his 2013 comments he had been describing some pro-Israel activists as Zionists, an explanation which failed to calm the furor. May said in her speech on Monday "nothing excuses anti-Semitismnot comedy, not satire, not even irony". May said she was committed to strong economic ties between Britain and Israel. "You can also count on my commitment to Israel's security, she said. "I am clear that we will always support Israel's right to defend itself." Current opinion polls show Labour roughly level with May's Conservatives. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot commended on Monday the late Ari Fulda former IDF paratrooper who was stabbed to death by a terrorist in Gush Etzion Sundayfor his efforts to prevent harm to others while severly injured, saying he was a "devoted warror." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Eisenkot's comments were made at a commemoration ceremony for the fallen soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade at Tel Nof Airbase, which was attended by Deputy Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi. GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan, Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and former IDF chiefs of staff Shaul Mofaz, Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon, and Benny Gantz. The IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot at the ceremony Monday (Photo: Amit Sha'al) During the ceremony, Eisenkot commended Fuld's efforts to neutralize the terrorist and prevent harm to others even after he was wounded. "The attack in Gush Etzion took the life of Ari Fuld, a reserve paratrooper. He was a devoted warrior until his very last moment. He tried to thwart the terrorist using all of his remaining strength, thereby preventing a much bigger attack," Eisenkot said. The lat Ari Fuld The chief of staff then addressed the bereaved families. "From the moment officers appeared on your door step delivering terrible news, every day is a day of remembrance and infinite longing. Thoughts of unfulfilled dreams, and the life he could have had if he were still with us," the IDF chief said. "All we can do is be worthy of their sacrifice and make a great effort to continue on their path voluntarily, responsibly and faithfully to strengthen the State of Israel," the chief of staff added in reference to all murdered victims of terror. Fuld Col. (res.) Yoni Ben Ari, the father of the late Maj. Hagai Ben-Ari, who was critically wounded during the 2014 Operation Protective Edge and passed away three years later, also spoke at the ceremony. "We, as members of the bereaved families, have no privileges when it comes to governments decisions and policymaking, but we do have a moral standing in demanding that hatred be preventedfor the sake of unity. There may be disagreements, we don't have to be uniform, but we must be united. There are more connecting threads that unite us, than which separate us," Ben Ari said. Ben-Ari with two of his children. The IDF chief of staff met with religious military cadets Friday at the Har Etzion Yeshiva in Alon Shvut, a well-established and prestigious institution of the religious Zionist movement. Eisenkot was joined by the head of the IDF Manpower Directorate, a senior IDF Spokesperson's Unit official, the Chief Military Rabbi and the Chief Reserve Officer, The chief of staff then visited the yeshiva's sister institution, the women's Migdal Oz Academy, and met with their rabbinic staff. In light of recent claims by rabbis that the religious rights of soldiers are being violated during their service, especially in officer training school, the religious cadets told the officers they do not feel that way and their values and beliefs are not being compromised. During the visit, Eisenkot spoke with the yeshiva students at the study hall, and expressed his gratitude for their service. The Chief of Staff with religious cadets (Photo: Ido Cohen) "Naturally, there are public debates in Israeli society, therefore I am especially happy to hear from cadets, graduates of the yeshiva, that they are successful in preserving their values alongside the friendships they foster with their fellow soldiers who come from various segments of Israeli society," Eisenkot stressed. "I am concerned that only two-thirds of potential enlistees choose to enlist. My message to young people in Israel is to seek the most meaningful service possible. Serving as a combat soldier is the most significant form of service," he added. In response to a question about a soldier who is ordered to compromise on his ideals and beliefs, Chief of Staff Eisenkot said: "When there is a blatantly illegal order, the soldier must not obey. During my 40 years of service, I have encountered only a few cases in which illegal orders have been issued." When a soldier is convinced that the order he received from his commander is clearly illegal and contradicts his values, the soldier must refuse to obey the order. The soldier must know that the order will be investigated and if he was right and it was in stark contrast to his values and beliefs, he will be cleared, but if not, he will have to face the consequences, the chief of staff concluded. An adviser to Iran's oil minister said on Tuesday that expected US sanctions on Iran's energy sector could not reduce the country's oil sale to zero because of high demand levels in the market, state TV reported. "Considering the high demand and low supply in the market, America's sanctions cannot drop Iran's oil sale to zero ... Other oil producers cannot replace Iran's oil," said Moayyed Hosseini Sadr, an adviser to Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh. In May, US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of an international nuclear deal with Iran and Washington reimposed sanctions on Iran in August. The United States has told countries to stop buying Iranian oil from Nov. 4 or face financial consequences. France was not involved in the disappearance of a Russian military aircraft over Syria, a spokesman for the French military said on Tuesday. Russia's defence ministry said overnight that one of its military aircraft with 14 people on board disappeared from radar screens over Syria at the same time that Israeli and French forces were mounting aerial attacks on targets in Syria. "We deny any involvement," Colonel Patrik Steiger told Reuters. An agreement between Russia and Turkey over the northwestern province of Idlib has "practically excluded" a Syrian government offensive in the region, the spokesman for the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission told Reuters on Tuesday. The "scenario of attack is practically excluded, at least for a period of time that is not small, and we hope that it will be permanent," Yahya al-Aridi told Reuters by telephone. Aridi said the deal announced on Monday had safeguarded the lives of millions of Syrians and was an indication that the "path of peace" must now be opened. The Russian Defense Ministry denounced on Tuesday Israels deliberate provocation in its alleged attack the previous day on the Syrian city of Latakia, that resulted in a Syrian response which accidentally downed a Russian military plane, killing all 15 people on board. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Russia blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. Russia said that Israel warned it of the impending strike just one minute beforehand and deliberately created a dangerous situation. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, and told him Moscow holds Israel wholly to blame for the shooting down of the Russian plane, Russian news agencies reported. In keeping with protocol, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations that it was behind the attack. Russian plane, file photo (Photo: Shutterstock) The Russian military said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast as it was returning to its home base nearby. Israel's ambassador in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry over the incident, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russia said it would make an "appropriate response" to Israel. "We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile," Konashenkov told Russian state television. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished." He said the Israeli pilots "could not have failed to see the Russian aircraft, as it was coming in to land from a height of 5 km (three miles). Nevertheless, they deliberately carried out this provocation." "This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership," the spokesman said. "We reserve the right to take commensurate measures in response," Konashenkov added, without giving details of what those measures would be. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that the Kremlin is "analyzing the situation" and does not want to speak further at this point. The Kremlin emphasized that Israel's short notice did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. However, Syria and Russia were quick to attribute the strike on the coastal city to the Israel Air Force. According to the Russian news agency Sputnik, the strike was intended to hit a warehouse storing drones and missiles. The Lebanese Al Mayadeen news channel, the main site attacked was the Technological Industries Corporation. Al Jazeera said that the missiles were fired from the sea, while CNN reported that according to TASS, the ministry of defense specified that "the mark of IL-20 went off the radars disappeared during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia." Arabic Sky News quoted sources claiming that the missiles hit a base housing Iranian militias. Attack on Latakia The Syrian Center for Monitoring Human Rights reported Tuesday that two people were killed in the attack. Russia's defense ministry said early on Tuesday that one if its military aircraft with 14 people on board disappeared from radar screens over Syria at the same time that Israeli and French forces were mounting aerial attacks on targets in Syria. France denied launching any missile strikes. The Ministry of Defence later said 15 Russian military service people had died because of what it described as Israel's irresponsible actions. A US official said Washington believed the aircraft, which is an Il-20 turbo-prop plane used for electronic reconnaissance, was inadvertently shot down by anti-aircraft artillery operated by Moscow's ally, the Syrian government. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at the Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel's Army Radio station that the shooting down is problematic both militarily and internally from a Russian perspective. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against archenemy Iran and its Shi'ite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said. President Reuven Rivlin visited Tuesday the family of the late Ari Fuld, who was murdered in the terror attack in Gush Etzion. "On the eve of Yom Kippur, I came to share with you our unbearable sorrow and tell you that the entire nation of Israel is with you. How wonderful your family is and how open and loving you are," the president offered his condolences. An urgent telegram about the 1973 Yom Kippur War was posted on the Israel State Archives website on Monday, which was sent by the former head of the Mossad, Zvi Zamir, warning that war was imminent and suggesting a plan to prevent it. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence was certain on the eve of the fateful war that the chances of a military confrontation were slim, but Zamir's report at 4am on the morning of the attack, gave a clear warning that war was imminent. The former head of the Mossad, Zvi Zamir (Photo: Yariv Katz) The State Archives website posted the telegram the former Mossad chief sent to then prime minister Golda Meir's military secretary Yisrael Lior, revealing that the Mossad chief warned about a joint attack of the Syrian and Egyptian armies, who planned to launch an offensive against Israel on Saturday, October 6, 1973, in the late afternoon. In addition, Zamir wrote that on September 25 the then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat had already taken the decision to embark on a war on the eve of Yom Kippur, but told no one about the planned date of the attack. According to Zamir, his source, Ashraf Marwanson-in-law of former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasserwhose name he omitted, said Sadat deliberately selected the date knowing that Jews fast as they mark a day of repentance, despite the fast that it also coincided with Ramadan. Then, on September 29, Sadat convened Egypt's National Security Council and informed the council members of his decision to violate the ceasefire agreement with Israel in the near future. The president told his advisors that the most opportune time for the attack in his bid to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, was not in front of him. The next day Sadat informed the Egyprian Supreme Council without mentioning when exactly the planned attack would take place. It was only on October 2, the former Mossad chief adds, that Sadat informed Egypt's minister of war, Ahmad Ismail, about the date of the attack, giving him a direct order to invite the representatives of the Syrian General Staff and inform them of the imminent war. The same day, Ismail met with Syrian officers in Cairo, and was already on a flight heading to Damascus the following day. Zamir's letter (Photo: The State Archives) Zamir, relying on the information provided by his agent Marwan, described the planned attack in detail, saying that it would open with a heavy artillery offensive, precipitating an aircraft bombardment on Sinai. Then, the crossing of the Suez Canal would commence, the telegram explains. According to Marwan, Sadat thought he could surprise Israel. In his letter, the former Mossad chief wrote that his source estimated there was a "99% chance" of an attack on Yom Kippur. Leaving a one percent margin of error, Marwan said that Sadat could still reverse his decision, even while "his finger is on the trigger." (Photo: IDF Archive) At the end of the letter, Zamir writes that according to his source, the war could be thwarted by publishing media reports intended to signal to Egypt, its military command included, that the Israelis were aware of Sadat's plan and were prepared for it. In his testimony before the Agranat Commission which was written in the aftermath of the war, former Chief of Staff Yigal Yadin asked the aid to Mossad Chief, Alfred (Freddie) Eini, why the Mossad did not pass on the urgent telegram to Golda Meir's military secretary. Eini said in response that military intelligence received the information. "There is a set of procedures dealing with information we receive. You need to transfer it to the prime minister, but it can take a few hours. I never thought to wake Lior at night," he said. Yom Kippur War, Archive (Photo: IDF Archive) Eini stuck with protocol and said that he called the military secretary in the morning, but he was in a meeting. "I left a message for him to call me as soon as he was out. Lior called before lunch and said that the cabinet held a meeting during which the prime minister heard that the Mossad chief had flown out of the country. "During our conversation, Lior said it would have been better had I taken him out of the cabinet meeting rather than waiting for him to become available," Zamir's aid added. Yadin then asked: Was there no fault in the procedure when a piece of information like this doesn't get to the prime minister and defense minister? "Presenting the information to the prime minister was not intended for operational purposes; it seemed unnatural for me to wake Lior in the middle of the night. I would wake Lior to tell him of a possible terror attack, which lies within his jurisdiction," Eini replied. Police officers serving at the Temple Mount arrested Tuesday five Al-Shabaab Al-Aqsa's operatives for disturbing public order. After ignoring police orders, the operatives were brought in for police questioning. The Israel Police Spokesperson said in response that 'The Israel Police will act with determination against any suspect who deliberately unsettles proper order to create provocations." Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, and told him that Moscow holds Israel wholly to blame for the shooting down of a Russian military plane near Syria, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday. Russia's Defence Ministry said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, with 15 Russian service personnel on board, was brought down by anti-aircraft batteries of Moscow's ally, Syria, in a friendly fire incident. But the ministry said it held Israel responsible because, at the time of the incident, Israeli fighter jets were mounting air attacks on Syria targets and had only given Moscow one minute's warning, putting the Russian aircraft in danger of being caught in the cross-fire. "We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile," Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state television. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished." Israel's military declined to comment, as did the prime minister's office and the Foreign Ministry. Iran has welcomed Tuesday an agreement between Russia and Turkey that averted a Syrian government offensive on the rebel-held province of Idlib. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: "Diplomacy works." He added that his visits to Turkey and Russia in recent weeks pursued the deal to avert war in Idlib "with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror." Iran and Russia are the main backers of Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey backs the opposition. The three countries have been mediating over finding a solution for Syria's seven-year conflict. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, also welcomed the agreement, adding that "it is an important and essential step for removing the remaining terrorists in Syria. Norrth Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday his summit with US President Donald Trump in June provided geopolitical stability and that he expects more progress. Kim began official talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang, crediting him with making Kim's "historic" summit in Singapore with Trump possible Israels security forces began placing a closure around the West Bank overnight Monday while shutting the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip as security forces take extra precautions ahead of Yom Kippurthe Jewish holiday of atonement and repentance. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The closure around the West Bank will continue until midnight between Wednesday and Thursday several hours after the conclusion of the 25-hour fast, which begins on Tuesday evening. The precautionary measure, which will also be accompanied by the presence of beefed up security forces in various locations, takes place against a background of heightened fears of terror attacks during the Jewish festivals on the month of Tishrei, particularly in the wake of Sundays deadly stabbing attack on 45-year-old Ari Fuld In addition, extra Magen David Adom (MDA) medical workers and volunteers will be on call and deployed in various areas in anticipation of a high number of dehydration case among the thirsty population fasting under Israels blazing sun. Additional paramedics and first-aid responders will be at the ready as more ambulances, emergency motorbikes and medical vehicles are put on standby. Emergency aid crews will also be put on the highest level of alert from the beginning of the fast until its end. Each year MDA encounters attempts to block its vehicles from travelling as the roads become entirely empty on Yom Kippur. Authorities have therefore urged the public to allow free passage of medical vehicles, warning that blocking them endangers lives. MDA ambulance (Photo: Ilan Keshet) More than 2,000 phone calls are made to the emergency 101 hotline service on Yom Kippur every year. In addition to cases of dehydration and other fast-related problems, pedestrians incur extra risk as thousands of cyclists take the opportunity to zoom through the empty roads, highways and streets, leaving unaccompanied children playing outside the synagogues during prayer services particularly vulnerable to accidents. Yom Kippur Fast times, 2018 MDA reinforcements will be particularly noticeable near and inside the Kotel as thousands of fasters flock to the unshaded holy site. As part of the high alert, two medical helicopters will also be placed on standby, ready to respond to possible evacuation calls from members of the public in remote areas in the north and south. Medical teams have appealed to synagogues to prepare before the fast begins a smartphone for emergency calls only and to install the MADA sheli app (my MDA) that will ease the task of locating the exact point of emergency. As shops and public transport cease operations throughout the country, the last plane was scheduled to depart from from Ben Gurion Airport at 1:50pm. The first plane at the conclusion of the fast will land at 9:30pm. The Kremlin said Tuesday that the downing of the Russian aircraft by Syria's air defense systems would not affect the agreement signed with Turkey on the Idlib issue. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday called the deal "a landmark and crucial agreement for Syria's future" and said the shooting down of the plane will have no impact on that deal. IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis addressed Tuesday the downing of the Russian plane in Syria. "Israel expresses its regret over the death of the crewmembers of the Russian plane that was shot down by Syria. The full responsibility for the incident lies with Assad's regime. " Manelis confirmed that the IDF attacked an arms shipment in a Syrian military facility, which was supposed to be transferred to Hezbollah and the Qods Force. Israel expressed regret on Tuesday for the loss of 15 Russian lives that was caused the previous evening when Syrian air defense downed a Russian plane while trying to intercept an airstrike launched by Israel, which claimed responsibility for the attack after originally maintaining silence. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Despite causing anger in Moscow, which vowed a measured response against what it described as Israels deliberate provocation strike which it said deliberately endangered Russian aircraft, the IDF insisted that the Syrian regime ultimately bore responsibility for the loss of life. Israel views Iran and Syria as full partners in the result of this sad incident, the IDF said in a statement. Missile remains of IDF attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman did not immediately issue any statement on the matter. Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry denounced Israels attack on the Syrian city of Latakia, that resulted in a Syrian response which accidentally downed a Russian plane. Russia blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. Russia said that Israel warned it of the impending strike just one minute beforehand and deliberately created a dangerous situation. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, and told him Moscow holds Israel wholly to blame for the shooting down of the Russian plane, Russian news agencies reported. In keeping with protocol, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations that it was behind the attack. The Russian military said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast as it was returning to its home base nearby. IDF attack in Syria Israel's ambassador in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry over the incident, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russia said it would make an "appropriate response" to Israel. "We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile," Konashenkov told Russian state television. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished." He said the Israeli pilots "could not have failed to see the Russian aircraft, as it was coming in to land from a height of 5 km (three miles). Nevertheless, they deliberately carried out this provocation." IDF attack in Syria "This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership," the spokesman said. "We reserve the right to take commensurate measures in response," Konashenkov added, without giving details of what those measures would be. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that the Kremlin is "analyzing the situation" and does not want to speak further at this point. The Kremlin emphasized that Israel's short notice did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. Energy costs and accumulated emissions are arguably top of mind for every property owners from residential to large-scale commercial. With some help from the industry, these factors are set to become more manageable. Property Council of Australia, together with Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), recently released a guide that can quickly cut energy costs and reduce emissions. Entitled Distributed Energy in the Property Sector Todays Opportunities, the manual assesses the nine most common distributed energy options for houses, apartments, commercial, retail and industrial property. In need of direction regarding the kind of technology to install in a property? The guide lists a broad range of proven technologies from solar PV and batteries to heat pumps, off-site renewables and demand management systems and indicates which are best suited for different property types. Moreover, it provides owners and managers helpful insights into the likely benefits and payback periods by scrutinizing the business case for investment. By citing the $3 million drop in annual electricity charges for Townsvilles James Cook University following the installation of thermal storage, among others, investors are expected to learn from the situation and replicate the best practices. CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth also emphasised the importance of attaining net zero emissions in the near future. Together with the Property Council, we want to make smarter, cleaner energy the standard when it comes to Australias built environment. Were confident that with more renewable energy and better energy efficiency measures, the property sector can achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with the potential to capture very significant energy savings in the process, he said. Property Council of Australia Chief Executive Ken Morrison, on the other hand, noted how higher wholesale energy costs and uncertainty regarding policy and market settings have led to unmatched cost pressures for households and businesses. Our industry leaders have shown they can deliver rapid improvements in the quality and performance of buildings and have taken action to mitigate against rising electricity prices and reduce emissions by investing in clean energy technology. The guide is available to download from CEFCs website. Last week, CoreLogic Head of Research Tim Lawless delved into market data examining the shifting values over the past year outside of capital cities. From there, he found a slowdown in regional dwelling value growth. The study revealed that, overall, regional dwelling values logged a 1.6% capital increased over the twelve months ending August this year. However the pace of growth has slowed, and, more importantly, the 1.6% increase was the slowest annual growth rate recorded since September 2013. Over the last 12 months, dwelling values across the non-capital city markets of every state also hiked except Western Australia which saw a 4.4% decline. Looking into regional New South Wales (NSW), which was up by 1.4%, Lawless noted that its value growth is the slowest it has been since April 2013. On the contrary, regional Tasmanias (TAS) 8% annual gain is the strongest it has been since March 2010. Digging deeper, trends for sub-regions market conditions vary. Of the 42 regional Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) regions, 24 saw an improvement in dwelling values over the past year with the remaining 18 recording a fall. Geelong, which was up by 11.8%, was the only region to record double-digit growth. Tasmanias South East (9.9%) and Launceston / North East Tasmania (9.3%), on the other hand, were the only two others to record growth in excess of 7.5%. Of those regions that have recorded growth over the year, nine are in NSW, five are in Vic, three are in QLD, two are in SA, one is in Western Australia (WA), three are in TAS and one is in Northern Territory (NT), Lawless explained. Central Queensland (-7.7%) had recorded the largest value fall over the year followed by Bunbury I WA and Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday (both 5.4%). Unsurprisingly, WA along with Queensland (QLD), dominates the list of regional areas in which values have fallen the most over the past year. Lawless also took the time to assess the price movement in different regions depending on the sector near to them. Those areas linked to the resources sector have continued to record value falls over the past year. With exceptions such as Mid North Coast, Illawarra, and Toowoomba, lifestyle markets and those close to capital cities have seen values grow. The quarterly figures also support the idea that regional housing market conditions were worsening over the recent months, as the number of regions recording value drops over the quarter was larger than the number recording a fall over the year. What does the slowdown in regional dwelling value growth imply? Data from the latest CoreLogic home value index suggested that the national market has become slightly pervasive in other areas. News Yuma, Arizona - This Monday, at approximately 7:10 a.m., YPD and YFD responded to the intersection of 40th St and 5 E for a report of a vehicle vs tractor trailer. The investigation revealed a semi-truck made a wide turn and the passenger car swerved to avoid colliding with the semi-truck. The passenger car went into a construction area causing a 4 steel pipe to penetrate through the vehicle which had impaled the driver pinning him to the vehicle. YFD personnel were able to free the 27 year old male driver and he was transported by a helicopter to a phoenix area hospital for treatment. At the time of this report the driver was listed as critical but stable. This case is still under investigation. The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - On September 4, a federal grand jury indicted Seitaro Kline, 39, and Carrie Kline, 34, in connection with the Criss-Cross Bandits bank robbery series. The Klines were wanted for a string of bank robberies, which took place throughout the Phoenix-Metro area between November 5, 2016 and July 24, 2018. The nickname came from the fact that the suspects alternated which one of them committed the bank robbery. During each robbery, the suspects utilized a robbery demand note, obtained a known amount of money, and fled the scene. The Klines, who are married, were indicted for nine bank robberies plus one count of conspiracy, additional charges may follow. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident. The FBIs Violent Crimes Task Force would like to thank the public for their help with this case along with the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office for their assistance with the arrests in this case. We would also like to thank the Phoenix Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Peoria Police Department, and Glendale Police Department for their work on these investigations. The two suspects have been charged in an indictment filed in federal court. An indictment is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for Arizona at http://www.azd.uscourts.gov/ or on PACER https://www.pacer.gov/ The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force is comprised of the Phoenix Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriffs Office, and the FBI. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Celebrate your freedom to read at the Main Library! On Wednesday, September 26th, readers are invited to play Banned Books Bingo at 4:00 p.m. Grab a bingo card and try to figure out why some of the great books in literature have been banned. Ages 13 and older welcome. There is no charge to attend. The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871. September 24th-29th marks the 36th Annual Banned Books Week! Observed since 1982, this annual American Library Association event reminds Americans to celebrate their freedom to read. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - This morning, at approximately 7:10 am, a motor vehicle crash was reported on County 12th Street at Avenue 5-1/2E. Additional information from Yuma Police Department personnel was that the driver was injured and trapped in the vehicle. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived at that location to find a passenger car on the north side of the road in a construction area. A 4 steel pipe had pierced the entire vehicle from drivers door thru to the passenger compartment and out the rear passenger door. The pipe was protruding out both sides of the vehicle and had impaled and pinned the driver. Emergency personnel worked with the onsite construction crew to stabilize the pipe while Paramedics provided patient care, and other YFD personnel used saws and other tools to disassemble the vehicle around the driver. The pipe was then cut on either side of the driver, who was now able to be removed from the vehicle and transported to a waiting helicopter. The process took approximately 90 minutes. The driver was conscious and able to communicate with rescue workers, and was transported with the imbedded section of pipe to a trauma center in the Phoenix area. The traffic crash is being investigated by the Yuma Police Department. 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. Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV. Read More Berekum College of Education understands the needs of most Ghanaians when it comes to higher education. The need for quality education for all students in schools depends on the teachers. Parents, government, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders may support learning institutions to facilitate good results from students, but the bottom line rests with the tutors and instructors. There is a lot of emphasis put on the teachers academic levels and qualifications. Highly trained teachers tend to have a better impact on students as opposed to standard teachers. This observation is arguably the primary reason behind the foundation and development of Berekum College of Education in Ghana. It is among the largest and the oldest college of education in Ghana. The school releases highly skilled professional teachers to public and private institutions. This article gives more details on the different programs offered at Berekum College of Education, the admission requirements and contacts of the school. Educating yourself is the only way through which you can increase your worth in an overly competitive world. The same is true for teachers in Ghana. As many people get into the field, competition tends to increase. As such, only those that have the best qualifications will be considered for equally competitive slots. To become one of the best, therefore, one has to enrol at a college that will help improve their skills. Berekum is a college that you can trust to get you there. READ ALSO: Catholic University College of Ghana fees and programs offered History of Berekum College of Education Berekum College of Education was established in February 1953. Nana Yiadom Owusu II, who facilitated the foundation of Berekum College, was the then Omanhene of the Berekum traditional government. He provided a 42-hectare piece of land where the college is currently situated. Berekum College started by offering 2-year certificate B program until in 1961 when it upgraded to offer a 4-year certificate A program. Berekum College of Education was officially accredited to offer a diploma program in 2007. The institution is celebrated to have released more than 80,000 teachers who have successfully ventured into various fields including civil service, politics, and law among other prominent careers. It has also undergone several changes and introduced new programs to become more competitive. Berekum College of Education courses Courses offered at Berekum College of Education are career and knowledge oriented. This is probably the key reason behind the prominence and competitiveness of Berekum College in Ghana. Currently, the college offers diploma courses and four-year degree courses on education. Under the degree program, the students are required to stay on campus for three-years for academic and professional skills. The last one year is an off-campus program, which is meant to expose the student to the working environment (teaching practice). This program is commonly known as the in-in-out. The courses offered in both categories are as follows: Bachelor of Education programs Bachelor of Education (Primary education) Bachelor of Education (History and Geography) Bachelor of Education (ICT and Mathematics) Bachelor of Education (English and Ghanaian language) Bachelor of Education (RME and Music) Diploma courses Diploma in primary education. It is offered for 3 years on a regular basis Diploma in primary education. Offered for 2 years on a regular basis Untrained teacher diploma in primary education. Offered for 4 years APCE admission system Fees charged at Berekum College of Education Berekum College of Education school fees are favourable to all students who get the opportunity to study at the college. However, the college has a right to change the existing fee structure with the approval of the government. The concerned department of the college has not released the latest fee structure for 2018/2019, which may or may not differ with the 2017/2018 fee structure. Given below is a guide of the fees charged based on the 2017/2018 fee schedule. The details are as follows: Level 100 A student will be required to pay GHC 1500 admission fees, GHC 200 SRC charges and GHC 100 hall dues. These charges apply once per year. On top of that, students are supposed to pay GHC 360 for UCC examination. Examination fees are paid every semester. Level 200 Students are supposed to pay GHC 1164, which includes SRC charges GHC 100, Hall dues GH 100 and examination fee of GH C360. Level 300 Students are supposed to pay GHC 788 for the whole year. This amount will include hall project charges of GHC 50 and examination fees of GHC 270. READ ALSO: Valley View University distance learning programs Berekum College of Education admission requirements Berekum College of Education admission requires the candidates to have certified several academic qualifications. For a student to be admitted to pursue a degree in education, he or she must have the following minimum qualifications: WASSCE holders Applicants must have credit (A1-C6) in at least six (6) subjects. These should include core Mathematics and English language with three (3) elective subjects, which are relevant to the course of study. SSSCE holder Applicants for this category must have credit (A-D) in at least six (6) subjects in the following combinations; three (3) core subjects including Mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects which are relevant to the course in question. TVET holders Candidates holding TVET qualifications, and are willing to pursue a degree in education should have credits in at least three(3) core subjects; core Mathematics and English language compulsory, and passes in three (3) elective subjects which are relevant to the course which the applicant is interested in. Students waiting for May/June NABPTEX or the WASSCE results are also encouraged to apply. There are also specific course option requirements, which are critical for admission to study the specific courses. Some of these qualifications and requirements are as follows: Bachelor of Education in general with specialization in primary and junior high school WASSCE applicants who want admission to pursue this course must have credit (A1-C6) in six (6) subjects as follow; three (3) core subjects including English language and core Mathematics and three (3) elective subject relevant to this course. SSSCE applicants who want to secure admission to pursue this course must have credit (A-D) in six (6) subjects distributed as follow; three core subjects including mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects, which are relevant to the course. Bachelor of Education in Science and Mathematics WASSCE applicants who want to pursue this course must have credit (A1-C6) in six (6) subjects as follows; three (3) core subjects inclusive of core Mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects which are relevant to this course. SSSCE holders who want to pursue this course must have credit (A-D) in six (6) subjects distributed as follow; three (3) core subjects including Mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects, which are relevant to the course. Bachelor of Education in French WASSCE holders who want to pursue this course must have credit (A1-C6) in six subjects as follows; three (3) core subjects including core Mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects including French. SSSCE holders who want to secure admission to pursue this course must have credit (A-D) in six subjects distributed as follows; three (3) core subjects including Mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects including French. Bachelor of Education in Technical/ Vocational Training WASSCE and SSSCE holders applying for admission to pursue this course must have credits in three core subjects; Core Mathematics and English language and three (3) elective subjects related to the vocational/technical course. Applicants with TVET qualifications must have credits in three (3) core subjects including Mathematics and English language and passes in at least three (3) elective subjects, which are relevant to vocational /technical training. How to apply to Berekum College of Education Qualified candidates who certify all qualifications can apply for admission into the Berekum College of Education. The procedure of applying is quite simple and is mainly based online. The procedure for the online application is as follows: All applicants will be required to pay GHC 150 application fees to Ghana Colleges of Education account at any branch of uniBank ltd Ghana. Any additional payment that the candidate may be asked to pay can be paid via mobile money wallet through Airtel money, MTN mobile money or Tigo cash by dialling *924*8#. After payment of all required charges, the applicant will be given the following information: Application admission serial number Personal identification number (PIN) Address of the admission website 4. The applicants will then be required to apply by visiting coeportal.edu.gh and follow the procedure to fill in the details required before they submit. Official names and honest information should be given when filling the form. After completing the online application form, the candidate will also be expected to print a hard copy. The hard copy should have attached, a passport size photo and results slip, then sent to Berekum College of Education. It should be addressed to the principal. Applicants should remember that incomplete forms will not be processed. Applicants will be notified of receipts of their payments with a text message. It is therefore essential to ensure that the applicant gives reliable contacts. Applicants who will be given a chance at the college will be notified by SMS. Those who will not get notifications should assume that their applications were not successful. Berekum College of Education forms of application are available at the Berekum Collage library. For more information, you can personally visit the college. Address of Berekum College of Education Berekum College of Education is a mixed college, which is located at Berekum town. Its official contacts include: Postal address: P.O. Box 76 Berekum Phone number: +233 035 222 2162 Email address: info@becoled.edu.gh Facebook: Berekum College of education Berekum College of Education is one the few government colleges in Ghana, that offers high-quality education to students. Students graduating from Berekum College of Education are competent in the job market. If you want to increase your chances of securing a job faster in the education sector, then this is the college to go to. READ ALSO: Anglican University College of Technology courses and admission requirements Source: Yen.com.gh Perez University College is a preferred destination for seekers of higher education. Like other universities, it offers you an opportunity to pursue your higher learning in a serene environment. Getting a chance to build your career in the best place is important. For anybody to acquire the right kind of education, the choice of school has to be the best. Quality education depends on the facilities, information dissemination, staff, and the level of commitment of the institution. In consideration of these factors, Perez University works harder to ensure it delivers the best to its students and improves the society in general. About Perez University College As far as quality education in Ghana is concerned, Perez university is a choice not to ignore. It will cater for your needs in business, as well as spirituality in theology. The school started through an initiative of the Perez International Chapel. It started as a Bible college in Tamale, in 1992 by Bishop Charles Agyinasare. At first, it was World Miracle Ministerial College (WMMC), and it later changed to Miracle Ministerial College (MMC), after its relocation to Accra. READ ALSO: Catholic University College of Ghana fees and programs offered Perez University College has two schools - school of theology, and school of business. School of business is an affiliate of the University of Cape Coast, while the School of Theology is an affiliate School of Trinity Theology Seminary. The two schools are duly accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Ghana, since 2007. Perez University is located off the Swedru-Winneba highway, about 5 min drive or one kilometre from the Winneba roundabout. Perez University got its accreditation on 15th November 2015 as the first university to be accredited in Pomadze-Winneba. Perez offers various courses and programmes, as discussed in this article. Courses offered at Perez University The main vision of Perez University is to be a top class world Christian entrepreneurial university that has local, national, and international influence. It has a mission of devotional training of students, to think critically, be morally sound, have an entrepreneurial outlook, as well as provide solutions to the challenges in the society. Holding first to this mission and vision, Perez University College courses align with its vision as well as mission. It mainly offers courses related to businesses and Christian virtues. They offer certificates, diploma and undergraduate courses as outlined below: Undergraduate courses School of business Perez school of business offers the following courses Bachelor of business administration(Accounting) Bachelor of business administration(banking and finance) Bachelor of business administration(management) Bachelor of business administration(human resource management) Bachelor of business administration(Marketing) School of Theology Perez school of theology aims at training their students to be critical and creative thinkers, enriched with the Biblical view of the world. It trains men and women who feel the call of God to serve in the church, as well as in the society, as ambassadors of Christ. Currently, Perez university programs in this school are not many, but there are upcoming programs, which are likely to increase in number, in the near future. It specializes in the following programs: Bachelor of arts in biblical studies The program's main aim is to produce church leaders, pastors and lay ministers who are competent in theological studies. Its main aim is to offer training and equip the candidates with sufficient knowledge and skills to interpret Biblical messages, using original Biblical languages, and still bring the real meaning, without committing an error of commission or omission. Certificate programs The university offers various certificate programs, from both schools. They are as follows: Executive Certificate in Ministry(accounting) General Business Certificate Exams(GBCE) Advanced Business Certificate(ABCE) Certificate in Entrepreneurship Certificate in Business Administration Certificate in ICT Certificate in Critical thinking and Logic Upcoming programmes In striving to fulfil its core mandate, Perez University College tries to respond to the main needs of the church and society. Concerning this, it has submitted two courses to the National accreditation board for approval. In case of approval, their training will be in two modes; sandwich and regular modes. The programs are: Bachelor of arts in church management /administration Bachelor of Arts in pastoral care and counselling. Perez university college fees Perez university tuition fees differ from one program to another. Depending on technicalities, and how involving a program is, the school has set different fees for each program. In order to get the tuition, and fee structure, you first apply for the program you wish to undertake. After reception of the application, the admissions adhere to the following: Produces an invoice, with the tuition and fees required for the program Sends the invoice to the students with the bank details clearly indicated for payment purposes. To access their school fee structure, you need to apply for admission. Perez university college admission Perez university college admissions body is involved with the admission of candidates. They give the entry requirements to the applicants and receive the applications. Once the processing is over, they are responsible for the release of admission list. The following are the set entry requirement for different courses: Admission requirements for business school The school will admit students who meet the following requirements, based on the national accreditation board, for entry into tertiary education level: West African examination council(WAEC) examination category They recognize these standards for the progression to tertiary education level in Ghana. Senior secondary school certificate examination(SSSCE) You must attain grade D or better in three core subjects (English, mathematics and integrated science or social studies), and a grade D or better in three elective subjects. West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) Applicant must have obtained grade C6 or better in the core subjects (English, mathematics and integrated science or social studies) and a grade C6 or better in 3 elective subjects General Certificate of Education(GCE) advanced level Applicant must pass in three subjects, with grade D or better, and pass grade 6 in five GCE ordinary level subjects, including mathematics, English and science ( for non-science students), and an art subject for a science student. Advanced Business Certificate Examination(ABCE) Applicants must have passed in three subjects (one of the passes should be a grade D or better). The applicant should also have passed in five subjects, including English language, mathematics, and integrated sciences, in the advanced business certificate examination. READ ALSO: KNUST student found dead on campus Mature student entry requirements Mature student entry provides a chance for people who did not get time to study in their early life, to advance their education. This mainly involves people who need to enrol in tertiary education, preferably while working. The applicants are not supposed to exceed 5% ( for public tertiary education institutions) and 20% (for private tertiary education institutions). They have the following entry requirement Be at least 25 years old. Must show proof of age, with a birth certificate or any other legitimate document, from the government. The document must be at least 5 years old during the time of application. Provide an introductory letter from the employee or any other document to show proof of employment if working. Pass the mature student entry examination, that is conducted by the institution itself. The exam captures English, mathematics, and an aptitude test. In the follow-up of these examinations, the applicants must produce proof of credit passes in English, and mathematics in WASSCE, SSSCE Or any other recognized standard high school examinations. Foreign qualifications. All foreign applicants who are willing to join Perez University will be referred to the National Accreditation Board. The board determines their credibility and eligibility for enrolling in a tertiary institution in Ghana. Note should be taken that SAT, TOEFL and other foreign qualifications cannot be accepted into the Ghanaian tertiary education institutions as entry-level qualifications. Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications The institution wills to admit higher diploma holders into the undergraduate programs. However, the applicants must meet the following qualifications Must have graduated with a good HND certificate (at least second class lower division). The applicant must have attained a two-year HND post working experience. Other diploma qualifications, which are found to have qualifications with HND, might be considered. Professional and other entry qualifications All the other professional certificates, and other qualifications, which are beyond the ones that have been mentioned above, must be referred to the National accreditation board. The board determines the applicant's eligibility and credibility to join the tertiary institutions, universities, colleges, and polytechnics. Perez University College student portal Perez university student portal is a platform where students can access all the information related to their programs. They use it for unit registration, checking their examinations results and to access all updates related to fee payment detail. The portal is important to every student, as it eliminates the need to go into offices for minor inquiries. Perez university college address If interested in contacting Perez University College for any information, you do not have to worry. All you need is to know their contact addresses, which will help you to get in contact and get your issues addressed. Here is Perez university college address: Physical address: No. 1 Perez University Drive; Gomoa-Pomadze, Winneba; Central Region-Ghana. Telephone numbers: Tel: +233 0332 091 007 Front Desk +233 0332 094 907 Registrar +233 0332 094 906 Finance +233 0332 094 905 Rector Email address info@perez.edu.gh READ ALSO: University of Ghana Medical School fees and admission Quality education is the number one factor every person looks at when looking forward to enrolling in an institution. Universities should not strive to get a higher number of students for the purposes of getting revenues. They should, however, endeavour to provide the best education that will benefit the society. Excellent skills and knowledge should be taught to learners who in turn benefit the society. Perez University College is one of the best universities in Ghana that has facilitated the dream of producing efficient candidates. It offers the best business programs and theology courses that you would not wish to miss. Enrol and get the best education ever. Conclusion Perez University College is a fledgeling university and is deliberate in its effort to produce quality graduates. Additionally, It provides an opportunity to mature students to meet their higher education aspirations. With Perez University College, there is no excuse for not pursuing your dreams. Have an active faith and take action; make your dream a reality. Source: Yen St.Augustines college Cape Coast, is the biggest senior high school in Ghana. Surprisingly, it is the first catholic sponsored institution in the country, specialized in training of male teachers. It has a population of about 1900 male trainees and around 90 working staff. In this article we have looked into the college courses and fees paid and the application process. About the College St.Augustines College Ghana, nicknamed Augusco, was established by the Roman Catholic Church during the year 1935 in Amissano (Near Elmina). Rev.William Thomas Portal was the first patron of the institution who served from 1936 to 1960.Currently,the patron is Rev Matthias Kobina Nketsiah who has served since 2011. Similarly, Fr.Maurice Brendan Kelly was the first dean of the school since 1930s and Mr. Joseph colonel the current dean, having served since 2008.It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of Ghana. Courses offered at St. Augustine's College The St. Augustine's College has six departments, each under a particular head of department. They include; Language Department English Social Science Department - Geography, history, government and social studies Mathematics Department - Core and elective mathematics Business Department - Economics, financial accounting, costing accounting and business management Culture and physical education Department - Religious and moral education, Christian religious studies, music and Physical Education Below is the core subjects and programs offered in the college. They are all internally examined. 1. English language 2. Mathematics 3. Integrated science 4. Social studies 5. ICT 6. Religious and moral education 7. Physical Education General Arts Under this category, geography and Economics are compulsory. Students are then required to select any two from the below list. 1. Music 2. Christian Religious studies 3. French Government 4. Elective mathematics 5. Elective ICT General Arts 2 Students under this category have literature and History as compulsory subjects. However, they are required to select other two from the below list. 1. Music 2. Christian Religious studies 3. French 4. Government Business 1. Accounting 2. Economics 3. Costing/elective mathematics 4. Introduction to business management Science 1. Physics 2. Chemistry 3. Biology 4. Elective mathematics 5. Elective ICT Agricultural Science Students undertaking this take general agriculture as compulsory subject. Similarly, those undertaking General arts 1 and general science can choose elective ICT as a subject. 1. Animal husbandry 2. General Agriculture 3. Physics 4. Chemistry 5. Music 6. French On the same note, all instructions, programs and also exams are carried in English; therefore, applicants should be proficient in the language. The St. Augustine's College admission requirements Due to the tight competition during the admission, students with minimum performances may not be guaranteed acceptance. However, such decisions are made depending with the students academic records, and a vacant availability in a particular program. Below are the admission requirements at the St. Augustine's College. 1. One should be a man to join since it is an all- male training institution. 2. One must have passed through West Africa Examination Council Basic Education Exams (BESE) or its equivalent in other countries. 3.Acceptable students should have placements from the Ghana Education Service Computerized school and placement system. READ ALSO: African University College of Communication courses, fees and admission requirements How to apply to join St. Augustine's College If you are looking forward to apply to join this college, you can visit their website to fill the online application form or contact them through the contacts below; Telephone: (233) - 03321-32129 Fax : (233)-03321-34878 Mobile : (233)-03321-32733 Postal Address: P.o Box 98, Cape coast, Ghana All international students willing to join St. Augustine College are, however advised to apply via the Ghana Education Service headquarters located in Accra. Any boy or man intending to join a teachers training college should consider St.Augustines due to the fact that; its a unique (all-boys) college, It has a great history and a catholic sponsored college therefore, good morals assured. However the school should strategize on offering courses in diverse languages to attract more students. Source: Yen - Wendy Shay has been compared with the late Ebony Reigns on many occasions - She has often been criticised and accused of wanting to 'copy' Ebonys style - Wendy Shay, however, said they should not be compared because they have different music genres Uber Driver hitmaker, Wendy Shay, has asked Ghanaians to stop comparing her with the late Ebony Reigns. According to Shay, they are different people with different music genres, and so people must not compare her with the late musician. This is contained in a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Graphiconline.com. READ ALSO: New video gives credence to Nana Ama McBrown pregnancy report Wendy Shay has come under intense criticism by some Ghanaians who claim she is copying the style of the late Ebony. She has constantly been reminded of how she can never be like Ebony, especially when she shares video of her songs on social media. Wendy Shay, since joining Rufftown Records months ago, has released three singles, Uber Driver, Bedroom Commando, and the newest one, Astalavista. Despite her strong performance so far, it seems Wendy Shay cannot escape the constant comparison to the late Maame Hw3 star. It is in this vein that she called on Ghanaians to stop comparing her with Ebony Reigns. READ ALSO: Do not sleep with your boyfriend for free - Juliet Ibrahim Shay explained that Ebony was a dancehall artiste, while she is an Afrobeat artiste, therefore, their output and performance are going to be different. I dont want people to compare me to Ebony because I am completely different from her. She was a Dancehall artiste and I am an Afrobeat artiste. Despite the fact that we come from the same record label, Rufftown Records, my style is completely different, Wendy Shay stressed. She was, however, full of praise for her late predecessor. No female artiste has been able to make the impact that Ebony made in less two years and I am so happy for her. Every song she released was a massive hit, from Poison to Maame Hwe, Hustle, Sponsor and Date Ur Fada, just to mention a few, she said. READ ALSO: Blame NPP government for cedi depreciation Kennedy Agyapong Wendy Shay further revealed that she was very comfortable with what Rufftown Records was offering her, adding that she had no intention of moving. I am impressed with the work Rufftown Records has done for me so far and I know they have bigger projects for me, she said. Earlier in the year, Wendy Shay came under a barrage of attack from social media users who slammed her for allegedly wearing a wig for three months. READ ALSO: Heavily pregnant Joyce Blessing displays wild dance moves in latest video Bullet, her manager, and CEO of Rufftown Records, waded into the controversy, telling people to mind their business because that particular wig was Wendy Shays brand. He further revealed that the hair had earned Wendy Shay a juicy ambassadorial deal which he said would be announced later. READ ALSO: Ive slept with pastors and politicians - Nigerian gay man reveals Kofi Annan Farewell Ceremony: Ghana Says Goodbye to Kofi Annan - Ghana News Today | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: My man must beat me to show he loves me Top actress Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen - The Ga-Dangme Youth group has claimed that the late Kofi Annan was buried on a stolen piece of land - They said the land rightfully belonged to the La Traditional Authority but was illegally taken over by government - The youth group has asked the government to return the stolen land as soon as possible The Ga-Dangme youth group has accused the government of burying the late Kofi Annan on a piece of land, which they claimed was stolen from them. According to the group, the land which is now called "New Military Cemetery" rightfully belongs to the people of La in Accra, but has been forcefully taken over by the government. This was revealed by a leader of the Ga-Dangme Youth, Prince Derek Adjei, in a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Kassaponline.com The late Kofi Annan Source: UGC READ ALSO: Blame NPP government for cedi depreciation Kennedy Agyapong According to Prince Derek Adjei, the piece of land which is now being used as a military Cemetery, was forcefully taken from the La Traditional authority by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). He slammed the government for allowing Kofi Annan, a well-respected international icon, to be buried on a land which he said was the subject of a huge controversy. He disclosed that the La Mantse, Nii Dr Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III, had written letters to President Nana Akufo-Addo to return that portion of land to the people of La, but to no avail. Derek Adjei lamented that the president had not accorded the La Mantse the necessary respect to even respond to the letters. READ ALSO: Ive slept with pastors and politicians - Nigerian gay man reveals The leader of the Ga-Dangme youth is reported to have said: The land doesnt belong to the Military; it belongs to the people of La. The Military took the vast land from the people of La illegally. After the Military stealing the land, the La Mantse (Chief) has written two petitions to the President over the issue, but several months after, President Akufo Addo has not even accorded the Chief any respect and courtesy to respond to his petition, yet people are being buried on the land. That aberration must stop now and the state must start being responsible and respectful to traditional authorities across the country not just in Accra. The use of the land by the Military for a cemetery is not even authorized by the District assembly where the President has his own representative. After stealing the land, theyve deliberately decided to bury very important personalities the likes of Kofi Annan, J.H Mensah, Prof. Atukwei Okai and former Vice President Amissah-Arthur there so that whenever we the indigenes speak about the stealing of that land, it will sound as though we are dishonoring the memories of these dead prominent Ghanaians. This is unfair to the people of La. Our lands must be returned to us immediately, Prince Derek Adjei warned. READ ALSO: New video gives credence to Nana Ama McBrown pregnancy report Meanwhile, the former UN Chief, Kofi Annan, died in his home in Switzerland on August 18, 2018, after a short illness. He was buried at the disputed New Military Cemetery in Accra on September 13, 2018. His funeral ceremony was attended by world dignitaries, with tributes flowing from all over. The late Kofi Annan was honoured with a 17-gun salute. His daughter, Ama Annan paid a chilling tribute to him, revealing the rich relationship that existed between the late icon and his children. His widow, Nane Maria Annan, also thanked God and Ghana for raising such an intelligent husband for her in the person of Kofi Annan. READ ALSO: Do not sleep with your boyfriend for free - Juliet Ibrahim Kofi Annan Farewell Ceremony: Ghana Says Goodbye to Kofi Annan - Ghana News Today | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Wendy Shay finally reveals why late Ebony Reigns cannot be compared with her Have national and human interest issues to discuss? 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 Per our cultural standards, pregnancies and childbirth are welcome happenings in the life of persons and family. But it is also commonplace to find men who are not willing to take responsibility of pregnancies. Usually, one would believe that a man who is financially sound would love to take care of a child. This therefore suggests that men without the means are the ones who deny impregnating women. YEN.com.gh has compiled five popular reasons men give for not accepting a pregnancy, no matter their financial status. READ ALSO: Mahama, Julius Debrah dragged to special prosecutor over GHc40 million cash 1. "It wasn't me." This excuse is a classic denial for perhaps any abdication of responsibility. When men use it in denying pregnancy, they are saying that the women involved have been unfaithful. A woman with multiple partners would obviously struggle to point to who actually impregnated her. And so if a man alleges that a pregnant woman has more than one partner, such a man may get out of taking responsibility. 2. "I used a condom/ You used a contraceptive" This reason is also not very different from the first one. A contraceptive is supposed to prevent pregnancy. Babies may be viewed as a blessing from God but not all men would want to take responsibility for them. Source: UGC But the thing most people forget is that no medical invention is 100% efficient. However, men who push out this reason are either not aware of this or may simply just be looking for a way out. 3. "It happened only once." Some men have been known to suggest that sleeping only once with a woman is not enough for such a woman to get pregnant. As ridiculous as this may sound, it is firmly believed by those who say it. This is obviously not true. Medical professionals will tell us that when the conditions are right, once is all it takes. 4. "I am impotent." Although this is very uncommon reason, it is as true as the rest. Most men, even beyond Ghana, would not like to accept that they cannot have children. But to get out of family duties, men can throw out these excuses a little easier than you think. READ ALSO: 7 students killed in head-on collision 5. "I don't care." Of the five, this reasons seems to be the most callous one. It is not exactly a denial of responsibility but rather denying that anything even happened to cause a pregnancy. Men who say they do not care would have to psyche themselves to believe that the past did not happen at all. Ghana News Today: Kofi Annan Burial Ceremony | Yen.com.gh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh - A government official, William Kusi Sabi, has argued that the government needs all of its 110 ministers to work - He added that everyone of them has a role to play and it is too early to judge the government's output The Deputy Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, William Kusi Sabi, has argued that it is unnecessary for the government to cut down the number of ministers. According to a report by 3news.com, Sabi added that all that matters is that the output of the ministers satisfies the governments agenda. Speaking on 3 FMs Sunrise show on Thursday, September 13, 2018, Sabi noted that he has no right to determine the number of ministers to execute the governments agenda, but is convinced everyone has a role to play. READ ALSO: Do not compare me to Ebony - Wendy Shay The President needs that number of ministers and everybody is also doing his work so I will not find any reason why anybody should not be there, he said. The current administration holds the record for the highest number of ministers working in government, and the number is yet to change, over 20 months after President Akufo-Addo assumed office. YEN.com.gh understands that a cross-section of Ghanaians believe the government is lagging behind in fulfilling many of the campaign promises. Sabi is however convinced that the government is on track, and it is too early to start judging the government on its promises. The four year period given to government has not ended, and the government knows that it has to start from some stages and to reach certain stages. You cannot just say that I will establish One District One Factory, and you come first month and all factories are made, he argued. He added the National Identification Authority (NIA) is working around the clock to give Ghanaians a new Ghana card. READ ALSO: Seth Terkper grabs a new offer at UGBS Ghana News Today: Lack of Evidence Against Former GFA President | Yen.com.gh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: Yen.com.gh Two airplanes, formerly used by Topbrass Aviation Services Limited, have allegedly been stolen from where they had been kept. The aircrafts, both Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 models, are the subject of court case in Nigeria. According to the report sighted on Guardian.ng, the planes have registration numbers 5N-TBB and 5N-TBC. Seagold Investment Limited and Topbrass Aviation Services were mentioned as the two parties who were in a legal battle over the crafts. It is also reported that certain individuals from the Nigerian presidency had paid for the planes even when a court had advised against buying them. READ ALSO: Denying the pregnancy - Some of the reasons Ghanaian men give The report also mentioned the fact that the planes cannot be found at where they are kept in the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. It is however believed that similar planes have been kept in another location but with their registration numbers wiped off. This has raised suspicion and put up another twist to the already complex story. In an expected reaction, social media responded with shock and jokes READ ALSO: 7 students killed in head-on collision In a related development, an official of an airline company has rubbished the fears that the planes were stolen. According to Captain Ado Sanusi, stealing a plane is almost impossible and thus one could only suggest the planes have been misplaced. Ghana News Today: Kofi Annan Burial Ceremony | Yen.com.gh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen YEN.com.gh is in possession of photos of a group of armed robbers who allegedly took a total of 377,943 from their vicitms. The gang of thieves then spent a substantial portion of the money on items such as designer watches, expensive shoes, and mobile phones. Information available suggests that the ringleader, Samuel Bonsu, and his accomplices used stolen cards to withdraw cash and go on lavish spending sprees. Bonsu, one of the suspects Source: adomonline.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kofi Annan buried on stolen land - Ga Dangme youth They were however caught red-handed on CCTV cameras as they toured luxury shops around London. Bonsu, working alongside Isaac Nai, 39, Junior Boakye-Yiadom, 28, and Bernard Kuffour, 30, drained 377,943 from their victims accounts between February 2015 and April 2016. Source: adomonline.com Source: UGC The scam was uncovered by internal investigators at Barclaycard and sent to the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) which eventually brought them to justice. It is believed the scam involved both phishing and smishing techniques to take over a victims bank account, tricking them with emails and texts into handing over personal information including PIN numbers. READ ALSO: 5 Ghanaian celebs who abandoned fame to preach the Gospel The fraudsters would then impersonate the victims to order new bank cards, transfer funds, and change contact details on the accounts. Detective Constable Lauren Smith, the lead investigator for the DCPCU, said this organised criminal gang was using sophisticated techniques to commit card fraud on an industrial scale. Source: adomonline.com Source: UGC At Wood Green crown court this week, Bonsu, from Walthamstow, was jailed for three years and three months after he admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. Nai was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of community service. Source: adomonline.com Source: UGC Boakye-Yiadom was given an 18-month suspended sentence, with 200 hours of community service. Kuffour was given a 22-month suspended sentence, and also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. READ ALSO: Seth Terpker grabs new job offer at UGBS Ghana Funny Tricky Questions: 6X9? | #Yencomgh Use the comments section below to share your views on this story. Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram Source: Yen - Two men, Robert Quarcoo and Patrick Agbovi allegedly purchased two government vehicles for GHC1,800, according to the 2017 Auditor-Generals Report - Robert Quarcoo bought a Mitsubishi pickup for GHC700 whiles Patrick Agbovi bought his for GH1000 - According to the auctioneer, Jacob Kumah Agboyibor, the Chief of Staff, Frema Osei Opare, approved the prices, so he cannot be held liable The 2017 Auditor-Generals Report, has revealed that an auctioneer, Jacob Kumah Agboyibor, sold a Mitsubishi pickup for GH700. Agboyibor, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Love Is Key Mart, is reported to have auctioned the vehicle with the registration number, GV 1337-Q with new engine belonging to the Central Tongu District Education Office. The vehicle was sold to one Robert Quarcoo at the sum of GHC700, whiles another one with registration number GV 1336Q, was sold to one Patrick Agbovi at GH1000. Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo Source: Supplied Source: UGC READ ALSO: 5 Ghanaian celebs who abandoned fame to preach the gospel The Auditor General, among other things, noted that the auction was not advertised as required by section 83 of Public Procurement Act (PPA), making the auction unknown to interested persons. The report therefore concluded that the basis of the sale, given the circumstances, is doubtful, and needs to be carefully examined. Reacting to the allegations, Agboyibor, speaking on Adom FMs show, Fabewoso, denied any wrongdoing. He claimed the auction prices were approved by Chief of Staff, Frema Osei Opare, thus he cannot be held liable. Agboyibor further noted that there are a lot of inaccuracies in the Auditor Generals Report, because he advertised the auction in many newspapers including the Ghanaian Times. The Director of Political Affairs at the Office of the Chief of Staff, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, however said the office does not determine auction prices. He explained that the administrative wing of the presidency handles such transactions to ensure due diligence is done. Bekoe stressed that Chief of Staff; Madam Frema Osei Opare has nothing to do with the auctioning of the Mitsubishi pick-ups. READ ALSO: I am NPP but I am suffering - Ken Agyapong blasts Nana Addo's government Ghana News Today: National Cathedral Drama / Kofi Anan to be buried back home | #Yencomgh: YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via Instagram or on YENs official Facebook page. Source: Yen Ghana The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, seems to be moving past his problems with Anas Aremeyaw Anas and suggests that the journalist give his attention to what is happening at BOST. On Tuesday, September 18, 2018, Kennedy Agyapong appeared on Adom TVs "Badwam" to surprisingly sing the praise of recent nemesis, journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. The MP has been involved in a back and forth with the investigative journalist since the end of May. The issue between them borders on Agyapong's view that Anas' methods in investigative journalism are unfair. As such, Anas has sued Agyapong for GHC25 million for defamation. But accorrdning to Mynewsgh.com, the MP is not presently thinking about the tussle between himself and Anas. READ ALSO: 7 students killed in head-on collision Anas has sued Kennedy Agyapong due to what the journalist claims is defamation against himself. Source: UGC Agyapong is quoted as saying: What is going on there makes me miss Anas. Investigations I have conducted there about the wrongful payments is more than Anas." "At this moment every well-meaning Ghanaian and civil society organizations built on integrity and national interest should be worried about the current development in the country." "...in the end it is the nation and the ordinary citizens that suffer the naked consequence of under-development and poverty. READ ALSO: I'm back with Shatta Wale - Michy BOST is the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited. The firm is responsible for the government's distribution of fuel to consumers through companies. Ghana News Today: Kofi Annan Burial Ceremony | Yen.com.gh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh Political pundits have, in recent months, expressed a myriad of opinions on the possible voting patterns of Ghanaians in the 2020 elections. With analysis based on the results of the 2016 elections, as well as the current trends in the country, many have literally predicted the results of the next national elections. The exercise is however one that may constantly keep Former President Mahama awake at night, as he may be eager to determine if he has another shot at presidency: READ ALSO: 56-year-old woman and 5 others arrested for stealing church items 1. Some NDC members are against his desire to be president A number of National Democratic Congress (NDC) members have expressed misgivings about Former President Mahama's intention to contest as the party's flagbearer. 2. NPP will be eager as they believe they can beat him again NDC's John Mahama garnered 44.4% in the 2016 elections, with about 1 million votes less than the eventual winner, NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo. This will prove to be a challenge for the NDC and Mahama as he will have to devise a strategy to overturn the results, if he becomes NDC's flagbearer. 3. His decision is unprecedented No former president in Ghana's recent history has ever staged a political comeback, and this opens the floodgates for varied possibilities in the 2020 elections. 4. His loss in the 2016 elections The then NDC flagbearer, John Mahama obtained 4,713,277 votes in the 2016 elections, representing 44.4%. His main competitor, the then Nana Akufo-Addo, garnered 5,716,026 votes, representing 53.9%. This will prove to be a tough challenge for Mahama and the NDC, as he seeks the mandate of the party to lead it into the 2020 elections. 5. Uphill task against an incumbent government Competing with an incumbent government for political power is almost always an arduous task, and John Mahama's bid to lead the NDC into the 2020 elections will need a special strategy to secure victory. READ ALSO: Auditor-General goes wild as auctioneer sells Mitsubishi pickup for GHC700 Ghana News: President Akufo-Addo Receives Remains of Kofi Annan | #Yencomgh Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen - Anas Aremeyaw Anas has notched yet another international award for journalism - The ace investigative journalist is taking home $11,000 in prize money, which has been described as the worlds largest journalism award prize money Ghana's undercover investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has been awarded the 2016 Excellent in Print Journalism at the 10th KCK Award for Excellence in Journalism. A story in the Crusading Guide newspaper, 'Anas Floors Derry', which follows 2016 judicial expose that highlighted corruption in Ghana's judiciary won the award gala held on September 17, 2018, at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, India. Tiger Eye's Asia representative, Sameer Tembe picked up the award on behalf of Anas. Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas Source: UGC READ ALSO: Ghanaian celebrities who abandoned fame to preach the gospel The 'KC Kulish International Award for Excellence in Journalism' was instituted in 2007 to promote the best works of journalist teams. It also to recognise journalists around the world who fight for human rights and freedom through journalistic practice. It is the world's largest journalism award in terms of prize money. This is the second time Anas Aremeyaw has won this prestigious award. In 2009, the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, gave the award to Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Ghana team for stories on Ghana's Madhouse and Chinese Sex Mafia. Malaysia's Ian Yee of the RAGE Investigative Journalism team won the 2017-KCK Award for his story on 'Students Trafficked' which exposed an international human trafficking syndicate operating through Malaysian colleges. READ ALSO: Nigerian musician praises Ghana airport Established in memory of the founder of Rajasthan Patrika, a Hindu language newspaper, Karpoor Chandra Kulish, the award has seen some notable investigative journalists been rewarded. Among them is Wanjohi Kabukuru from Kenya who won the award for the story, "How East Africa Lost Its Innocence" in New African magazine, London in 2014. Ghana News Today: Kofi Annan Burial Ceremony | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo deceiving us after we gave him GHC200K for campaign - Spare parts dealers 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 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. Capitalisms farming chaos Australia is in drought. Yes, I know, its not exactly news, is it? News outlets and chat shows have merely woken up at last to what country people have known for some years. The media are right in one respect, however: the situation is serious. The dams on rural properties even the creeks running through them both of which are relied on to provide water for stock, are all drying up. The little dam on my property is now just an almost empty mud puddle. Hay is in very short supply everywhere you go. Our usual supplier, up in the Hunter, has none in stock and, worse, has none growing either. Which means his customers have no feed and he has no income. Our alternative supplier, a local wholesaler, is endeavouring to import hay all the way from Tasmania. Even if he gets it, he is limiting customers to one bail each. That is barely adequate for hobby farmers with a couple of horses but is utterly useless for real farmers trying to keep their herds alive. And as for growing crops! The ground is baked hard in many areas. You can dig in it and you will find no moisture at any level: just dust. Right now, the fact of drought has finally been borne in on city dwellers. And the response has been heartening. Public appeals are being held to purchase hay for those without fodder for their farms. Primary schools in NSW are staging fundraising events, supermarket chains are matching donations received at their checkouts, Hoselink is donating $10 from each hose-reel sold for the purchase of hay. But sending round the hat, even among well-to-do business people, is no adequate response to this crisis. We need a co-ordinated response by state and federal governments with a two-fold purpose: firstly, to aid all who work on the land, not just corporate landholders or those whose investments in agriculture are not as profitable as they were; and secondly, to rescue agriculture from the private free-for-all it is now and bring it under popular control, with properties united so that economies of scale can apply and the people living on them can join together to collectively obtain the best results from them. Australia has always been (well, in modern times at any rate) the driest continent on Earth. And yet we merrily imported the farming methods of Europe, the wettest continent on Earth! The ruins of mud and stone homesteads scattered all across outback NSW, South Australia and WA stand as mute testament to the dashed hopes of settlers who were encouraged to take up small holdings only eventually to be forced off by the unforgiving harshness of the climate. Farming in Australia has always been conducted on the free enterprise system. Along the east coast in particular there was clearly an abundance of arable land. Those who arrived soonest seized huge areas for themselves. They simply squatted on farms the size of European principalities. This apparent abundance of land helped to foster what is technically called small holder mentality (this is my land). Their farms might be large but they were not centres of population. Far from it. They were all privately owned and worked by as few employees as the property owner could make do with. It was a lonely, unnatural existence. A boundary rider or the wife of a selector with a small holding might speak to no one (except her own small children, possibly) for weeks or even months on end. However, although grazing properties owned by a single pastoralist could cover thousands of acres (or even be so big they needed to be measured in square miles), they could not be worked by one person. Certain activities required a large if temporary workforce, eg shearing, rounding up cattle for branding or sending to market. Shearers performed a vital task in what for many years was the most prosperous industry in Australia wool. They were an itinerant workforce that walked from shed to shed in search of work. Of necessity, they banded together to defend their pay and conditions from graziers who typically regarded any money expended on employees such as shearers wages, food, living quarters, etc as a form of theft. The graziers set out to smash the shearers union using thugs and violence backed by the resources of the state, and for a short time they succeeded. However, the workers continued their struggle and stood together, so that ultimately they were successful. The sheep will be shorn union or they wont be shorn at all! Nevertheless, improvements in technology, and the shift away from wool, has meant that farms in Australia are today typically operated with what amounts to a skeleton workforce, often comprising just the owner and his or her family. This means that, whether farmers are raising fat cattle, growing wheat or trying their hand at some of the new, alternative crops, they are required to work very hard for a limited return. Most farmers in Australia survive on credit from the bank until they can successfully sell their produce. If they have any produce to sell, of course. In times of drought, the chaotic nature of capitalisms approach to agriculture becomes very apparent. Farmers, reduced to poverty, are walking off their properties or being forced to sell up in record numbers. It is no way to organise a societys supply of food or the raw material for clothing. Nor does it allow drought to be combated in an organised, scientific manner. Only by combining the knowledge and resources of those who work the land, scientists, industry and the state can a national calamity like drought in a time of global warming be effectively dealt with. Instead of each individual farmer trying to work out his or her own salvation, solutions need to be found for the agricultural sector as a whole. Only a society that is not solely concerned with seeking out sources of private profit to the exclusion of everything else can achieve that. We can make a start now, but until we embrace Socialism, the complete solution will remain out of reach. * Rob lives on a small acreage on the NSW Central Coast. Editorial Pacific voices In January Samoas Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele stated that a federal government frontbenchers criticism of Chinas aid program is insulting to Pacific Island leaders, and has the capacity to destroy Australias relationship with the region. The comments question the integrity of Pacific leaders Sailele said, pointing out that China gives assistance to Samoa that Australias aid budget cannot provide. China is Samoas second-largest aid donor behind Australia. The Australian governments International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells attacked Chinas Pacific aid programs, accusing China of Building roads to nowhere and of constructing useless buildings. The comments by the Development Minister have certainly surprised me, indeed, they are quite insulting to the leaders of Pacific Island neighbours, Sailele told the ABC. To me the comments seem to question the integrity, wisdom and intelligence of the leaders of the Pacific Islands. These kinds of comments can destroy the excellent relationships existing between Australia and the Pacific Island neighbours, particularly Samoa, he said. The Samoan leader said he disagreed with Senator Fierravanti-Wells claim that Chinese money was being misspent, and said the money has proved crucial in his countrys efforts to deal with the impact of climate change. He said China was better placed to provide this assistance to Samoa than Australia. I do not really know that Australia is able to finance the kind of assistance provided by China, Sailele said. The kind of assistance provided by China are those kinds which are not within the aid budgets of Australia. Sailele said there was a strategic element to Chinas aid in the region, and said the country had not asked Samoa to give it access to ports or airports. He said he would not speculate on how Samoa would respond if such requests were made. Fiji opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said Chinas role in Fiji grew when Australia and other nations began withholding aid during periods of political instability. When Australia turned its back on Fiji when we had our coups of 1987, and then briefly in 2000 and then 2006, you opened the doors for non-traditional partners to come in, he said. When our traditional aid donors shut the door on us, we had to survive. Chinas Foreign Ministry noted Chinas aid program had significantly fuelled development in Pacific nations and has been warmly welcomed. Samoan Prime Minister Sailele also lashed out at climate deniers and urged Australia to make deeper cuts to carbon emissions to help save Pacific Island nations from the disaster of climate change. He said that greater ambition is needed to stop impact of climate change and warned geostrategic competition is creating uncertainty for small Pacific countries. Australia, New Zealand and the US have been scrambling to reassert influence in the Pacific as their arrogant big brother attitude toward the Pacific Island Nations came back to bite them. Sailele also warned that climate change posed an existential challenge to low lying islands in the Pacific, and developed countries needed to reduce pollution in order to curb rising temperatures and sea levels. We all know the problem, we all know the solutions, and all that is left would be some political courage, some political guts, to tell people of your country there is a certainty of disaster, Sailele said. So any leader of any country who believes that there is no climate change, I think he ought to be taken to mental confinement. He is utterly stupid. And I say the same thing to any leader here [in Australia]. Other Pacific leaders including Fijis Prime Minster Frank Bainimarama and the Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine have also demanded Australia do more to cut emissions. The Samoan Prime Minister also took a swipe at Australian anxiety about Chinas rise in the Pacific, warning that brewing geostrategic competition was creating enormous uncertainty for small nations in the region. He warned against attempts at manipulation of Pacific Island nations by any major power. The concept of power and domination has engulfed the world, its tendrils extending to the most isolated atoll communities, he said. The big powers are doggedly pursuing strategies to widen and extend their reach, inculcating a far reaching sense of insecurity. Our partners have fallen short of acknowledging Pacific leadership, he said. Some might say there is a patronising nuance, believing Pacific nations did not know what they were doing, or were incapable of reaping benefits of close relationships with countries that will be in the region for some time to come. One has the tendency to be bemused by the fact that the reaction is an attempt to hide what we see as strategic neglect. After the Apology lets our strong voices speak After the Apology, a feature length documentary written and directed by Indigenous filmmaker and academic Larissa Behrendt, is currently being screened in communities across Australia. There was a series of screenings in Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory on August 22-23. The Stronger Families program, run through Anyinginyi Aboriginal Health Corporation, hosted separate screenings for women and men. A public screening was also held during the evening in the local Peko Park. The documentary explores the current crisis in Aboriginal child protection. More children are being forcibly taken from their families than at any time in Australian history and the numbers have more than doubled since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudds Apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008. After the Apology was produced by Pursekey Productions and lots of the research behind the film was done by the Jumbunna Institute, where I work at the University of Technology, Sydney. The film has a particular focus on the strong women leading a grass-roots protest movement for change, Grandmothers Against Removals (GMAR). The Grandmothers efforts to organise and fight to have children reunited with their families, and their message about the need for self-determination in child welfare, was well received in Tennant Creek. The small town is currently in the middle of a wave of child removals. I conducted interviews with community leaders and affected families after they had watched the film. Many people are confused: scared and deeply sad that so many children are being taken away, many placed in Alice Springs (500 kilometres south), or even further away, cut off from contact with their extended families. Child protection services in Tennant Creek have been the subject of intense public debate this year, following an horrific rape of a small child in February. A report by the NT Childrens Commissioner Colleen Gwynne, released in early May, documented an extensive history of neglect, homelessness, alcohol abuse and family violence in the family of the child victim. The report also showed that there were many efforts over the years made by extended family members to report risks, provide temporary care and keep the children safe. Rather than look at how these family members or Aboriginal organisations could have been better engaged and supported to change the childrens circumstances, mainstream media reports and NT government commentary bluntly called for more Aboriginal children to be taken into foster care. The Australian newspaper reported that 15 children were taken from Tennant Creek in a single week in the wake of the report. This in a community with between 1,500-2,000 Aboriginal people. In the NT and across Australia, Aboriginal children are overwhelmingly removed for neglect, rather than physical or sexual abuse. A number of local families described to me the shock-and-awe tactics used to take children away in recent months. Child protection workers and police, sometimes in large parties, are turning up without warning and grabbing children, without any meaningful consultation with families. Dianne Stokes Nampin, a Warlmanpa and Warumungu community leader who helped to organise the screenings, said After the Apology was a really good movie that had hit the community hard in Tennant Creek. We have a really sad feeling seeing our kids being chased and taken away by the police and welfare, she said. We are all telling the stories of how our old people were taken away, part of the Stolen Generations. They came back to us after many years, with lots of stories about being raped and abused in the homes. Now there is another Stolen Generation happening. We are so worried for them. A lot of the families cried watching that movie, we are thinking about our kids. But we got the message now. We need to stand up and be strong and talk back to the [white] people taking our children. They need to be home with us. There are calls locally for urgent action to improve the shocking living and social conditions experienced by many Aboriginal families, which impact heavily on child safety. According to a number of residents and service workers, the housing situation is the worst it has been for decades, with chronic overcrowding in dilapidated houses and many people sleeping rough. When the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) were cut in 2008, the town lost more than 300 jobs. Lack of opportunity is fuelling dangerous levels of alcohol consumption and family violence. The strength of culture and language is a source of great pride for many Aboriginal people in the Tennant Creek region. Despite many challenges, strong voices are speaking up for change. One local grandfather who has had a number of his grandchildren removed this year* said: They cant keep taking us backwards, back to the days of the Stolen Generations. We want to be going forward. We want our kids here with us, going hunting for bush foods, with us at ceremony time. They cant keep missing out, they are our future. * Interviewees must remain anonymous due to current Childrens Court proceedings. Padraic Gibson is a senior researcher at the Jumbunna Institute, University of Technology, Sydney. He worked on After the Apology and is assisting with the roll out of community screenings. To organise a screening, register your interest at aftertheapology.com/#take-action Koori Mail Keep uranium in the ground On a cold evening outside the WA state parliament over 70 protesters gathered on the resumption of sitting from the winter break to send a message to the Labor government and the state Australian Labor Party to keep true to its values and not proceed on any of the four pending uranium mining projects. Jo Vallentine standing with two of the traditional owners. (Photo by Desire Mallet) The four uranium mining projects are the Toro Energy project south east of Wiluna, Kintyre project in the Pilbara east of Newman, Mulga Rock project south east of Laverton and the Yeelerie mine south west of Wiluna. The first two were deemed no longer economically viable and the mines have closed while the Yeelerie project is being contested in the High Court on the basis the WA Supreme Court did not pay sufficient attention to the Aboriginal heritage claims in the area. Also that the go ahead of the mine could cause species extinction of native fauna and the Mulga Rock project which is run by the Twiggy Forrest-owned Vimy Resources and is awaiting a sign-off from the WA Labor government on a mine closure plan. Environmental groups including the WA Nuclear Free Alliance (which organised the evenings protest), Conservation Council of WA and Australian Conservation Foundation oppose any uranium mining or radioactive waste dumps in WA. Dave Sweeny, anti-nuclear campaigner for the ACF, commenced proceedings by welcoming the participants who had just completed the 8th annual 281 kilometre Walkajurra Walkabout from Wiluna to Leonora (where it is proposed to build a nuclear waste dump). Sweeney said it was important to keep uranium in the ground which ensured locking up intergenerational poison forever. There were Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who participated in the month long walk which began on August 8 and experienced the beauty of the harsh arid land first-hand as well as temperatures as low as minus 4C. The walk included a visit to the uranium mine at Yeelerie which was built in the early 1970s, a visit to the site of the proposed radioactive waste dump and a public meeting in Leonora attended by 50 people and at which Greens Senator Rachel Siewart, Greens MLC Robin Chapple and CCWA president spoke-the latter two who also spoke at the rally outside parliament. The projections which were shown on a large screen on the steps of the parliament were images of people holding a sign calling for the Permanent Banning of Uranium Mining, taken at various events such as May Day in Fremantle this year at which the campaign had a stall and selfies which went around the world. There was also an Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony on the steps of parliament house at which Fremantle state ALP member and minister Simone McGurk addressed the rally. There were also Aboriginal speakers from the local Noongar people as well as the traditional owners from country in Wiluna who spoke against uranium mining and the value of the land to their religion and spiritual ontology. They spoke of the need to stop digging up the earth for coal, fracking and uranium and use renewable energy which was cheaper and did not scar the environment/their country in the manner of non-renewable forms of energy. The Communist Party of Australia opposes the mining of uranium anywhere in Australia and the burying of radioactive waste in Australia in particular on land of cultural or religious significance to Aboriginal people. The CPA also opposes the use of nuclear energy and calls for an increase in the use of renewable energy which is cheaper to install and operate and has less impact on the environment and the worlds climate than non-renewable forms of energy. Taking Issue Rob Gowland Floundering in historys wake The Four Corners interview with Donald Trumps former strategist Steve Bannon yielded the information that as far as that worthy was concerned, the USA was already in a war with China. Since the super patriots of the US Right cannot conceive (let alone admit) that the US might ever be in the wrong over anything, it follows that in their opinion, any hiccup in trade or diplomatic relations between the USA and China must be the fault of China. And since they learnt what little they grasp of international relations mainly from watching Hollywood movies, they inhabit a curious never-never land where the USA is and always will be the most devastatingly powerful country on Earth, a country so awesome that other Powers tremble at the mere mention of its name. No wonder that Donald Trump, who thudded his way up from coarse and common origins to extreme wealth via property deals and reportedly money-laundering became the President-of-choice for the most fascist-minded sections of American big business. Trump now displays his woeful mix of ignorance and arrogance at gatherings of world leaders around the globe, seemingly unaware that history has passed on and left him wallowing in its wake. Happily cocooned in his belief in American superiority, Trump is busy showing how powerful he is by imposing large numbers of punitive tariffs on Chinese products and generally trying to provoke Beijing into a trade war. Meanwhile his armed forces are doing their best to provoke an actual shooting war over Americas right to sail its warships through Chinas maritime territory. However, numerous US commentators (as well as those in other countries that dont work for Rupert Murdoch) have noted that as far as a trade war is concerned, most of the truly effective economic weapons are in the hands of China, not America. Innumerable products sold by US retailers are sourced from China; the opportunities for Chinese authorities to impose bureaucratic delays or other restrictions on trade or production are too numerous to list. Many US producers are dependent on China to provide not only the labour but also the facilities and expertise that they can no longer do without. A request from Chinas Party or government for its people to boycott US products or US firms would meet with an enthusiastic and from an American point of view, very damaging response. In fact, such a boycott would have catastrophic consequences for the affected US businesses. So far, China has refrained from retaliating in that manner, but their patience is not likely to be unlimited. Most US manufacturing has moved to low-wage countries, much of it to China. But China itself is a huge and growing market. KFC is busy opening fast-food outlets all over the country. Starbucks has 3,300 outlets in China already but has plans to double that number. A consumer boycott supported by the Party or the government would have a disastrous effect on their income. A year or so ago, when South Korea yielded to US demands that it allow the Pentagon to install a missile shield in the country clearly meant to threaten China, the Chinese response was a series of government-encouraged boycotts that sent sales of South Korean-made Hyundais in China plummeting by more than half, decreased Chinese tourist traffic to South Korea by more than 60 percent and temporarily shut down 55 supermarkets in China run by the large Korean retailer Lotte. US outfits like retail giant Walmart, which sources from China all the 7,000 and more products it sells, view the possibility of a trade war with the Asian powerhouse with justifiable alarm. However, Donald Trump represents a different sector of US capitalism: neither retail nor manufacturing nor even commerce. Trump made his billions in property development and reportedly money laundering; but he was boosted into the White House by other billionaires with interests in coal and oil and similar polluting energy industries, industries that had Trumps unequivocal support. In the decades after WW2, their strategy was to gain control over as much of the worlds energy resources as they could. The socialist countries were an obstacle to achieving their goal but with the help of that nice Mr Gorbachev, they were able to overthrow Socialism in Russia and most (but not all) of Eastern Europe. Their glee at that victory has since turned to dust: although they have been able to extend NATO into the east, everywhere from Poland to Bulgaria, elsewhere the world is being reshaped in an entirely different way. Imperialism is still trying to gain control of not only global energy resources but also the worlds food and water, to achieve what they call full spectrum dominance. Unfortunately, they have already missed the boat. Their quest to control not only energy but also food and water is forcing countries that are not likely to benefit from this imperialist dream to co-operate in establishing an alternative economic future for the planet. Russia and China are co-operating to build up a formidable array of states that are not beholden to US imperialism for either their trade or their defence. These include oil-rich Iran and Venezuela as well as regional powerhouses Brazil and South Africa. The US response was to organise a palace coup in Brazil, attempt the assassination of President Maduro of Venezuela when economic disruption failed to win the national election there for the Right, and re-impose sanctions on Iran. Once again, as numerous commentators are pointing out, the US leaders are seemingly oblivious to the fact that those are the tactics of a bygone era, that here too, history has moved on and the leaders of capitalisms self-appointed leading nation are once again floundering in its wake. The world changed forever in 1917. It changed again in 1945 when the war that was supposed to rid the world of Socialism instead ended with the defeat of fascism, the collapse of colonialism and the emergence of a world Socialist system. The overthrow of Socialism in the USSR and Eastern Europe led some in the capitalist world to think that they had won after all, but the euphoria was short-lived. Instead of the uni-polar world they hoped for, they are now faced with a determinedly multi-polar world, one dominated by the two countries imperialism has long regarded as its two principal foes: Russia and China, both of whom are co-operating in the fulfilment of the Chinese-devised strategic plan known as the Belt and Road, which is moving world trade, commerce and communication rigorously to the East. And those who smugly (or glumly) think this is merely the maneuvering of rival capitalist blocs should bear in mind what Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the recent Congress of the Communist Party of China: Remember that we are building Socialism with Chinese characteristics not some other ism. On the working class and its allies During my two-week vacation in Germany last month it was clear to me that Germany, like the US, is at a crossroad. Dangerous developments connected with a rising fascist movement under the banner of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) are underway. Germanys Left Party (die Linke), on the other hand, could well be on its way toward mounting an effective fightback. Sahra Wagenknecht rejects the totally open borders approach that die Linke has held. First, the bad news The German version of the Nazis and KKKers who descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, last year are out and about in that country too. Theyre in the streets flashing barely disguised Nazi symbols (Displaying the swastika is still illegal in Germany) and shouting anti-immigrant slogans. But, like in the US, there are also the clean-cut, respectable politicians and commentators who yearn for a return to the days when Germany was great. I saw them on the afternoon and evening talk shows giving interviews and trying to put across the idea that the AfD is a party of decent Germans interested in a good life for the German people, free of immigrants and anti-social elements they claim are overrunning the country. Another major parallel is that Germany, like the US, is a wealthy and powerful player on the worlds economic stage. Capitalism in Germany results in less than 50 billionaires being worth as much as 41 million other Germans combined. The wealth gap, though not as big as it is in the US, qualifies as obscene. Children of single mothers are in overcrowded classrooms. Immigrants struggle to raise kids who are sometimes the victims of bullying and discrimination in schools. Seniors find it difficult to live on their pensions. Skyrocketing rents force them, and young people too, out of apartments and send them further away from the city centres. All of these problems are sharper in the East, the former German Democratic Republic, than they are in the West, the former Federal Republic of Germany. Enter then stage right: Into this situation came the AfD posing as the alternative to the establishment, explaining to the people that the cause of their woes is foreigners. The AfD lumps millions of German citizens into that category if they are different in any way (clothing they wear, religion etc). They condemn Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, for letting in all those Syrians and for cheating all of us real bio-Germans of benefits we should be getting. To the AfD being born in Germany and being a German citizen is not enough, apparently. What they are looking for is real bio-Germans, a scary term you hear some of their politicians mentioning on those talk shows. Are they having an effect? Up until the last national elections the AfD had no seats in the German Bundestag (parliament), having failed regularly to gain the required five percent of the votes to qualify for seats. Now, however, they have 92 of the almost 600 seats in that body. They are prominent among the clean-cut, smart talkers on TV. While most of them stick to their respectable imagery, some occasionally slip and reveal their true colours. One recently recalled on TV the years when Germany was great. Another, sounding like the guy in the White House was his kissing cousin, described rapists and drug criminals coming from Syria, Afghanistan and North Africa. Now the good, or at least better news When it comes to the right-wing thugs who carry on in the streets, Germanys youth have been turning out in huge numbers to overwhelm them with massive, peaceful demonstrations. On the electoral scene, however, the AfD has not been as easy to deal with. Now at about 15 percent in national polls that come out every day in the Berlin newspapers, the AfD is a hair behind the Social Democrats second place a second place that is getting weaker every day. Merkels conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is moving more to the right, under pressure from its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) in Bavaria and from the AfD. The CSU, fearful of losing first place there, with far under 50 percent of the support in that state, is also trying to win back voters it has lost to the AfD. There is some talk that the CSU may do something thus far verboten in the Christian parties enter into a coalition with the AfD. The Greens, once a party for which progressives had great hopes, are instead moving closer to big business. Perhaps the worst of these unfortunate situations on the electoral front is that of the Social Democrats. Once Germanys most powerful political party and having close ties to the labour movement, it has lost support and has entered into an unpopular coalition with the two Christian parties. Some of its members have even defected to the AfD which, like the Trumpites in the US, poses as a friend of the workers. This leaves us with die Linke Die Linke is the only party in the Bundestag committed to peace, opposed to the placement of German troops anywhere outside Germany, pushing for drastic hikes in the minimum wage, for affordable housing on a mass scale, for higher pensions, for improved child care and for improved care for the aged. It also is the leader, for all practical purposes, of the anti-fascist movement in Germany. To understand the significance of die Linke in German politics one has only to imagine a Germany without it. There would be almost no calls in the Bundestag for a policy of peace or for any policies that boost the working class and its allies. This important party, however, has been unable to exceed 11 percent, or, at times, 12 percent in the polls. While it has made slight gains in some of the West German states it has lost some support in some of the East German states. The aging and death of some of the older supporters in the East, people who supported socialism in the GDR days, have contributed to some of this slippage. Another problem for die Linke, ironically, results from some of the successes it has had. Die Linke has achieved power in Red, Red, Green Coalitions in three East German states and is the ruling party in one of them. In Berlin, for example, the mayor is a Social Democrat and the Vice Mayor is from die Linke. The ruling Senate has three Social Democrats, three die Linke members and three Greens. The conservative CDU, the pro-business Free Democrats and the AfD are completely frozen out of the government. The problem with these coalitions for die Linke is that it often gets blamed for situations it cant control and gets no credit for some of the things the coalition does achieve. It is viewed then by many who oppose the system as just another establishment party. People see and hear militant speeches and demonstrations by die Linke that are sometimes not matched by mass action from down below. Enter Sahra Enter left stage: Sahra Wagenknecht, 49, co-chair of die Linke caucus in the Bundestag. Polls in Germany have her as the second most popular political figure in the country, behind only Angela Merkel herself. Wagenknecht is frequently on TV, challenging the right-wing narratives. Her skills as an orator have helped propel her into prominence in the national debates. Left-wingers in Germany have rarely gained the popularity she has. Wagenknecht, who hails from the former German Democratic Republic, is married to Oskar Lafontaine, a former leader of the Social Democrats who left that party and joined die Linke because the Social Democrats had sold out the workers. Their personal union reflects die Linke as a whole which has in its membership committed Marxist Leninists on the one hand and left social democrats on the other. The two have announced the formation on September 4 of Aufstehen (Stand up, pronounced Owf-shtayen). Forty prominent German supporters will join them on that day in announcing the new formation. The purpose, they say, is to reach out to all those disappointed by the existing parties but in particular to members of the Greens, the Social Democrats and die Linke. The aim is to form a mass organisation that will mobilise on the local and national level against the rising tide of fascism in Germany and against the AfD specifically. They envision Aufstehen as a grassroots organisation that will lead mass activities by workers on the job, the youth, seniors, the jobless and others. Members would remain as members of the political parties to which they already belong. Aufstehen to impact all of the political groupings The idea behind Wagenknechts project is to impact all of the political groupings. Among the Christian Democrats, the approach would be to win people to demand a party whose politicians stop selling themselves to big corporations, with the same approach for the CSU in Bavaria. Among the Social Democrats, the plan is to offer an alternative for members angry about the party leaderships betrayal of workers, with the same approach for the Greens. And with die Linke, Aufstehen hopes to eliminate the lack of militancy characteristic of some die Linke leaders who focus mainly on gaining entrance to local and national legislative bodies. Aufstehen intends to mobilise enough people from all of these groups to both alter the right-wing course of the German economy and to successfully reduce support for the AfD. Indications are, however, that none of this will be easily achieved. First perhaps is the realisation that if Aufstehen gets off the ground powerful people will set their sights on destroying Wagenknechts career in the hope of course that such action would put an end to any movement she is so closely associated with. A second problem has to do with the way people on the left view immigration. Thus far die Linke has stuck strictly to a position that Germany must keep its doors open to all refugees. The party has always rejected the anti-immigrant appeals made by the AfD. Wagenknecht, however, rejects the totally open borders approach that die Linke has held. She said recently: The politically sensible dividing line is not between AfD resentments and the general morality of a border-free welcoming culture. A realistic left-wing policy equally rejects both of these maximum demands. It supports many in public life who voluntarily helped provide for the integration of the refugees. But at the same time, it does not leave it up to gangs of criminal traffickers to dictate to us which human beings are to be brought illegally into Europe. Asked if this view did not mean abandoning the left-wing commitment to internationalism, she replied: On the contrary, internationalism means fighting for a more just world economic order. It is those who plunder the natural resources of poorer countries, who supply weapons to conflict regions and dictate unfair trade treaties who are being nationalist. We reject that. Internationalism does not mean luring away the middle classes of poorer countries in order to push down wages here. In a world with no borders, it is the multi-national corporations who have the power. At present social levelling and democracy can only function within single countries for there are no levers on a global level which can be used. The countries must, of course, protect their citizens from the competition of job dumping. The dilemma for die Linke So the dilemma for die Linke is as follows. It is perhaps realistic in some ways to oppose policies which draw educated and well-trained people away from poorer countries while using some of them and some of those less well educated and trained to push down wages. The concern for many in die Linke and for progressives generally is can a left-wing party express this problem without grazing too closely to right-wing pastures? The other question, of course, is whether die Linke can continue to be the main Let them all come party and still be able to attract people away from the AfD? There is another parallel here with the US where progressives debate whether it is worthwhile to win back people who voted for Trump or whether it is better to just go out and try and build a new electorate altogether. Lafontaine has said: Aufstehen wants to appeal especially to those who have been disappointed for many years, who dont see themselves represented any longer in the political scene including those who voted sometimes for the AfD to express their protest. We want to win back those voters. Die Linke is grappling here with a problem we have in the US: how do you reach those misled into racist directions without abandoning them into the realm of the racists? The problem is complex. Aufstehen could well achieve a major change in a positive direction for politics in Germany. It could also fail to work as intended and even contribute to nascent splits within or the demise of die Linke. One thing is for sure, however. Life is not allowing Germanys Left and more important, Germanys working class and all its allies to continue on with business as usual. Peoples World Funding failing private schools in Africa How on earth did we get to the point where our aid spending funded schools which two African countries are trying to shut down, and which have been criticised by UN human rights organisations? Nick Dearden asks. On British PM Theresa Mays recent visit to Africa she was unashamed about using aid money to promote business interests, creating a UK-Africa relationship that is more and more about private investment. This isnt new the use of aid money to boost the profits of transnational corporations rather than undermine poverty has been a scandal for years. But one particularly shocking case that went entirely overlooked during Mays trip is British aid funding for low cost private schools in Africa. Not only are these schools unaffordable for the poorest people who should be benefiting from aid money, but the educational standards have been reported to be so low, the buildings so shoddy, and the teaching conditions so poor, that authorities in Kenya and Uganda are taking action to shut the schools down. Today, with the help of human rights and education experts from the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Culture Rights, the Right to Education Initiative and the National Education Union, I wrote to Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, to demand the immediate suspension of all funding to these schools. The facts make for painful reading. Bridge International Academies is a network of private pre-primary and primary schools, operating across Africa and Asia, using what it calls the school in a box model, a highly-standardised approach with scripted lessons which teachers have to deliver mechanically, word by word. Bridge draws investment from educational multinational Pearson, Bill Gates, the World Bank and the British Department for International Development (DfID). DfID has funded these schools with well over US$26 million from direct and indirect funds. The problems start with the cost. Although the schools are said to be low cost they are in practice too expensive for many parents. Studies in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria found the fees to attend the schools were significantly higher than the $6 per month claimed by the company. In Kenya, tuition fees alone ranged from $6.40 to $10.57 a month. But when you add mandatory items, such as uniforms, the monthly costs jump to an average of over $17 per month, well out of reach of poorer families. In Kenya, 58 percent of pupils interviewed reported that they had missed school due to non-payment of fees. A whopping 91.5 percent of parents admitted that they opted not to send all of their children to the schools, as they lacked sufficient funds. The vast majority of parents had difficulty paying rent, providing food, or accessing healthcare due to the effects of fees. In Liberia, campaigners report that children who previously accessed their local schools were turned away when Bridge took over and imposed restrictions. Then theres the quality of education received. Teachers in Kenya were found to be mostly secondary school leavers without formal teaching qualifications. Although the company is trying to recruit more qualified teachers, the scripted lesson plans, which are designed in the USA, are delivered on an e-tablet, which must be followed without deviation. This is great news for the companies that provide the technology, but not for the pupils who receive an education that even the teachers might not understand or be able to elaborate on. Teachers themselves have been found to work excessive hours of up to 65 hours a week, for a salary below the national minimum wage guidelines. One Bridge teacher told researchers: When you are sick, teachers are not insured ... maybe you cant afford to go to the hospital because our salary is so low. In Uganda one study found that Bridge had hired unlicensed and unregistered teachers, a violation of the countrys education law. Bridge schools themselves have been reported to violate basic health and safety standards, with some instructed to close on that basis. In fact, there are currently three criminal cases against three Bridge academy managers for failing to meet health, safety and sanitation. A New York Times journalist noted that in One of these schools ... The schoolyard fence was made of patched, bent grey metal and barbed wire. The school building itself was shabby and neglected. In the schoolyard, about 30 feet away from where children enter their classrooms, was a deep trench of fetid garbage and rotting bags of faeces. Finally Bridge stands accused of being opaque, making full assessment of the schools difficult. One extreme example relates to the experience of an independent researcher who was arrested at the request of Bridge in Uganda when attempting to collect evidence. The allegations were later considered baseless by the police. In Kenya, Bridge has used the courts several times to sue over defamation though they have lost all cases so far. No wonder then that Bridge has been the subject of strong campaigns in Kenya and Uganda. In August 2016 the Ugandan minister of education, Janet Museveni, announced to parliament her intention to close the 63 Bridge schools in her country, noting the teaching material used could not promote teacher pupil interaction and that poor hygiene and sanitation ... put the life and safety of the school children in danger. After lengthy court action and negotiations, there is still a standoff between Bridge and the government. In Kenya, Bridge stands accused of infringing the Basic Education Act. In one example from the west of the country, authorities decided in 2014 to close local Bridge schools for not complying with minimum education standards, including failure to employ trained teachers. The court confirmed in 2017 that 10 schools could be closed though there again, the situation is unclear as the company is negotiating with the authorities. In 2016, both the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child went as far as saying that the UK could be infringing its human rights obligations in its funding to Bridge and that it may have contributed to undermining the quality of free public education and created segregation and discrimination among pupils and students. How on earth did we get to the point where our aid spending funded schools which two African countries are trying to shut down, and which have been criticised by UN human rights organisations? Nothing in the Bridge case means we should slash the aid budget. This money could play a useful role in helping develop comprehensive free and public education across the world. Its exactly this model which helped undermine poverty and reduce inequality in Britain after all. But to achieve that we must move away from the idea that the market knows best when it comes to education. It doesnt. New Internationalist 20th Amendment is what we broadly campaigned for in 2015 MR has no moral right to seek office again Government is run on Buddhist principles Public Enterprise Development Minister Lakshman Kiriella, in an interview with the spoke about the current status of politics in the country, the possibly candidacy of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the financial position of SriLankan Airlines. Excerpts: Q What is your opinion on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa trying to obtain legal clearance to contest the presidency again? Mahinda Rajapaksa has no moral right to seek office again. He conducted elections in 2015, two yeas in advance because he could not govern the country. He cannot contest again. According to the 19th Amendment, it is very clear. Mahinda Rajapaksa had a role to play. He played that role. That was in crushing the Tigers which was a long-felt need. That was his role in the countrys history. He is not a person who can initiate economic development in the country. He was unable to bring democracy and ensure human rights in Sri Lanka. Why did he have elections in 2015? If his Government had remained, Sri Lanka would have faced economic sanctions. When I was in the opposition, I was the shadow minister for foreign affairs. I used to follow these international developments very closely. If Mahinda had won in 2015, by March of that year, you would have faced sanctions. Q You mean it has retrospective effect in that sense? Yes, it has. Q Have you studied it properly? Yes I have. Q Recently, President Maithripala Sirisena said it was the Prime Minister who was all powerful, not the President. What is your view? That is correct. Under the 19th Amendment, the President willingly gave away his powers to the Prime Minister. This is the first time in Sri Lankas history that the President has given away his power willingly to the Prime Minister. We may have shortcomings as the Government. I do no deny that. But, the Yahapalana Government established democracy and the rule of law. Today, the judiciary is totally independent. There is media freedom to a very large extent. We may have shortcomings as the Government. I do no deny that. But, the Yahapalana Government established democracy and the rule of law. Today, the judiciary is totally independent. There is media freedom to a very large extent At that time, the Government was behind certain unlawful activities like abductions, disappearances of persons, the white van syndrome and sacking of the Chief Justice. Now, there is crime, but, the Government is not behind them. We are running the country on Buddhist principles. There are no abductions, disappearances, killing journalists, setting fire to the media institutions etc. The Government is not involved in any violence. Mahinda boasted of being pro-Buddhist. To sustain Buddhism, there must be Amisa Pooja and Pratipatti Pooja. Amisa Pooja is building temples and monasteries. Pratipatti Pooja is following the principles of Buddhism. The Yahapalana Government has followed Buddhist principles by upholding human rights , the rule of law and human dignity. Q How do you view the international developments such as the United States pulling out from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)? We have to build up an argument. This is a clear set of double standards. One set of rules for the super powers, and another set for small countries. How can the UNHRC find faults with us when the country that supported the resolution on us violated the UN charter? This shows the double standards of the big powers. Q How is the United National Party (UNP) bracing for elections? We are ready. Ours is the single largest party in Sri Lanka. We are ready for elections. We are forming our party branches at village level. We are appointing new organisers. Q Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in India, said that his brother would be a contender for the presidency. Indirectly, it means former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be the candidate. How does the UNP view this? In my opinion, Gota can be defeated. That is as far as we are concerned. That is what I have to say. Q What is the reason for you to come to such a conclusion at this juncture? That is because he has too many skeletons in the cupboard. All those will be highlighted during the election campaign. It will be like the election campaign of Minister Sarath Fonseka at the 2010 Presidential Elections as the common candidate. When he was fielded, he was thought of to be the sure bet to become the President. When the campaign commenced, he succumbed. He exposed himself. Military men, in any case, do not make good campaigners. Q Minister Fonseka is your Cabinet colleague now. He is critical of the Government. What do you think of his conduct now? In the Cabinet, there is a thing called collective responsibility. You cannot speak out of turn. If you do not agree with the Cabinet, it should be taken up at the Cabinet itself. There is no point in holding press conferences and making statements to the media. It is an act of cowardice. We have the Cabinet meeting once a week. We can discuss everything there. Q How do you see the current status of the Government as far as the chemistry between the President and the Prime minister is concerned? In the run up to the Local Government Elections on February 10, 2018, it was low. It has improved now. Q What is the position of the Government or the UNP regarding the 20th Amendment to the Constitution? I have not gone into the details of the amendments. If it is to abolish the Executive Presidency and to give powers to Parliament, I will support it personally. How can the UNHRC find faults with us when the country that supported the resolution on us violated the UN charter? This shows the double standards of the big powers. Q What is the Governments position? Still we have not taken a decision. We have not studied it as a Government. Recently, when I met JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, I suggested to him to have a debate regarding this. We would like to know what it is about. He said it was too premature for a debate. The 20th Amendment is broadly what we campaigned for in 2015- the abolition of executive presidency and restoration of parliamentary power. Q As the Leader of House, how certain are you of getting this enacted in Parliament? It is too premature for me to say something. If it happens, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will like it. That is because he can contest again. Q Actually, the Government has undertaken its own constitution making exercise. It is already underway. You have made some progress. You even promised to present a draft of it to Parliament soon. Ahead of it, the JVP brought this out. Why is it? I think it is an option. The JVP would have intended to say that there are several options. The parties can decide at the relevant times what option should be taken. Q When are you going to present your draft? It will be done very soon. Q How far have you progressed? I think we would get a basic draft very soon. In it, you will find the points we have agreed upon and the points on which we have several options. All options will be tabled in Parliament for the perusal of MPs. Q It means there are areas to be reconciled among the parties. What are they? There is a question mark regarding the character of the Constitution- the unitary status. There are various versions of the unitary status. All those positions will be made known to Parliament. Once the draft is presented, the parties can debate it and reach some conclusion. Q What is the stand of the UNP regarding this matter? We believe in a unitary state, if there is agreement with other parties. Otherwise we will be flexible. That is because he has too many skeletons in the cupboard. All those will be highlighted during the election campaign. It will be like the election campaign of Minister Sarath Fonseka at the 2010 Presidential Elections as the common candidate. When he was fielded, he was thought of to be the sure bet to become the President. Q SriLankan Airlines is under your purview. What are the plans in place to restructure it? It is totally in debt now. It amounts to US $ 110 million. The plan is this. First, the directors are not drawing any salary now. They are not given free air tickets to travel abroad. They have set an example for the future. We are looking for a foreign investor. Why did we fall into this mess? Emirates was running this airline at big profit. During the Rajapaksa rule, the contract was terminated because the airline did not give free tickets to his entourage. At that time, the airline was run at US $ 20 million a year. That was prior to 2006 according to my guess. What has happened today? It is run at huge losses. This is a result of one foolish act. It was a personal decision to get rid of Emirates. If Emirates was there, the airline would have run it profitably. Their management style was good. We are in search of an investor. But, no investor is ready to take over the airline with such massive liabilities. We want to remove debt from the balance sheets of the airline. We will create a special account in the Treasury for this purpose. That is a Special Purpose Vehicle. The balance sheets will be free of debt. We have to remove debt from the balance sheets. We have to show investors that we are on the right path. There are so many parties who are interested. Q Can you name a few? There are several from Japan, China and Germany. SEOUL AFP, Sept17, 2018 - Denuclearisation will be high on South Korean President Moon Jae-ins agenda when he meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang this week, Moons office said Monday. Moon will fly to the North Korean capital on Tuesday for his third summit with Kim in the latest stage of a diplomatic thaw on the peninsula, although progress has stalled in denuclearisation talks between Pyongyang and Washington. We will push for North Koreas advanced denuclearisation and a reciprocal measure from the US by swiftly reviving sincere dialogue aimed at establishing new, peaceful relations, Moons chief of staff Im Jong-seok told reporters. Moon, who met Kim twice this year, was instrumental in brokering the historic Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim in June, when Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. Minnesota and Mississippi each has two Senate elections in November. In Mississippi, Senator Roger Wicker is up for reelection. In June he easily put away a Trumpist primary challenger Richard Boyanton 83-17%. The primary drew 157,170 voters, compared to just 87,931 in the Democratic primary, which resulted in a runoff between Howard Sherman (31.79%) and David Baria (30.98%)-- 713 votes separating them. In the runoff the following month Baria beat Sherman 58.6% to 41.4%. Baria will face Wicker in November. Wicker, something of a mainstream conservative, was lucky. Very well-known neo-fascist Chris McDaniel had jumped into the primary against him early but switched races when Thad Cochran announced he would resign. Governor Bryant appointed state Agriculture Secretary Cindy Hyde-Smith, another mainstream conservative, who McDaniel saw as a much easier target (even though someone, presumably McConnell, persuaded Trump to endorse Hyde-Smith ). That election, also on November 6, will be a non-partisan jungle primary with Hyde-Smith and McDaniel running as well as Democrat Mike Espy, a former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and some guy named Tobey Bartlee. OK, let me explain how this one works-- no party primaries and no party labels on ballot. To win 50% is needed-- which isn't going to happen, mandating a November 27 runoff. The winner serves the remainder of Cochran's term, which means they'll be running in 2020. Imagine in we wake up November 7 and control of the U.S. Senate will be determined by the November 27 runoff, presumably between Hyde-Smith and Espy! I'm sure you know Mississippi is a very red state-- PVI is R+9, so not as red as, for example, Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Louisiana, all of which something do elected Democrats. In 2016 Trump beat Hillary 700,714 (57.9%) to 485,131 (40.1%). The last time Mississippi went for a Democratic presidential candidate was when Jimmy Carter ran in 1976. As of the June 30 FEC reporting deadline McDaniel had raised $3,516,916, Hyde-Smith $1,653,930 and Espy $408,236. The U.S. Chamber off Commerce had already spent $2,100,000 bolstering Hyde-Smith and battering McDaniel. A Mason-Dixon poll released April 10, shows that Hyde-Smith would beat Espy 46% to 34% but that Espy would beat McDaniel 42% to 40%. That may or may not be predictive of what could actually happen on November 27 with control of the Senate hanging in the balance, but for Espy to have have any real shot at this, McDaniel has to beat Hyde-Smith. That doesn't look likely, but he's definitely appealing to the absolutely worst instincts of the Mississippi far far far right... which is pretty powerful in that state. So how does that appeal manifest itself? Let me count the ways; no let me show one example from Friday when McDaniel was taping a segment for Morning Joe. Watch: He defends his anti-hip hop statement (by blaming UC Berkeley) and defends his support for the Confederate flag (by blaming democracy) but when panelist Eddie Glaude pushes him on how he's going to convince the 38% of Mississippi voters-- African-Americans-- that he doesn't pose a danger to them. Notice that his blatantly racist response drew immediate and sustained booing from the live audience. Now why would anyone boo this? "Im going to ask them, after 100 years of relying on big government to save you, where are you today? After 100 years of begging for federal government scraps, where are you today?" Remember, that was specifically a question about black Mississippi voters. I wonder what he would say about these white Mississippi voters, McDaniels' base. Listen to the questions and answers carefully, especially when they get to the guy with the dental problems... I'm talking about the state of Mississippi. Weve been dead last for 100 years. And what happens is, if we keep dependent on that economic model, were always going to stay last." In August, McDaniel tweeted to his followers that "In light of all the political correctness and leftist hysteria, I'm curious about what you think: How should Robert E. Lee be remembered? McDaniel has less than 13,000 twitter followers but his question generated nearly 140,000 votes-- probably not the ones he was expecting or hoping for: UPDATE: Intruder In The Dust (1949) Keep in mind, this was filmed in Faulkner's hometown, Oxford, Mississippi. Skip turned me onto it and explained why it's so hard to find: "Perhaps that's because in the film the N-word is frequently delivered with all the dehumanizing nastiness the term was created for. I recently saw a DVD in a DC library and checked it out. The film is a stunner. Its a great time-capsule of life then." The drastic depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee against the US Dollar has increased the countrys national debt amount by Rs.1,000 billion since 2015, the Joint Opposition (JO) said today. Addressing a news briefing, MP Bandula Gunawardane said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe continues to mislead the people by saying that the former government was responsible for current colossal amount of debts. I challenge the Prime Minister to prove his claim. The debt amount has increased because of deprecation of the rupee which is a result of the governments fiscal mismanagement. The national debt amount has increased by Rs.285 billion in 2015, Rs.187 billion in 2016 and Rs.225 billion in 2017 due to depreciation of the rupee. When all this is added on to the increased debt amount this year, the total increase in the debt amount will be close to Rs.1,000 billion. The Premier can issue a statement if these facts are false, he said. He said the amount of all loans obtained to construct the Hambantota Port, the Mattala Airport, the Lotus Tower and the Akuregoda Defence Headquarters Complex was only Rs.300 billion. In order to prevent the rupee from hitting 200 against the US Dollar, he said President Sirisena should immediately suspend the New Trade Policy of the Government. This New Trade Policy is the epitome of the liberal economic principles of the government. If this was suspended, at least the pace of depreciation of the rupee will slow down. During the Rajapaksa government, depreciation of the rupee was 2% per annum and under the current government it is 6% per annum, he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla) Video by RM State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) will prepare a detailed project report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka, the PTI reported. This would be the first project for the AAI in the island nation and "we are trying to get engaged with our neighbours", an AAI official said. In a release issued on Monday, the AAI said it has signed an agreement with External Affairs Ministry for "preparation of a Detailed Project Report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka The official said all the technical and design aspects would be covered in the DPR, which is expected to be completed in three months time. "The AAI has developed more than 60 airports in metro and non-metro cities in India and now the AAI wants to leverage its expertise to other countries on a bigger scale," the release said. The AAI manages more than 120 airports in different parts of the country. When we talk of the people, we need to make sure we are precise as to what type of people we are referring to Despite repeatedly being duped in Elections since Independence, we, the people, have not realized the distinction If you happen to stumble upon Article 12 of the Constitution, which states all people are equal before the law, please, do not get too excited about it. As experience shows, it means virtually nothing to any serious minded person. Even a Fifth Grader knows that. Besides, there is no impediment to find amusement anywhere anytime, the document called the Constitution itself not being an exception. Amusement aside, the Constitution is silent as to who the people are, either. No, people are not a monolith. For example, it could embrace as wide and varied creatures, as the term animal refers to a mouse as well as a whale; it could mean those who go to prison for stealing a few coconuts as well as those who remain at large, though implicated in multi-billion dollar scams. It also includes the Tamil youth languishing in detention without charges as well as a top-brass officer of the Armed Forces enjoying all luxuries of liberty despite accusations of abduction and murder. Oh, People! What prompted such musings at this juncture was the recently staged Jana Balaya campaign organized by the Joint Opposition. Opinion is varied on the success of this much-hyped campaign on September 5. Literally translated, Jana Balaya means Power of the people (People, again!). What the organizers wanted was a substantial show of strength to the Government, riding on the wave of the February clean sweep at LG elections and to wrest the initiative again from the Government, which has suddenly sprung into action, launching programmes such as Gam Peraliya and Enterprise Sri Lanka. Watching footages of the protest, I could not help but wonder as to what motley a crowd, the people gathered, whose power was supposed to be demonstrated as the name suggests-were. There were those people who had to wake up pre-dawn and board buses, spending a gruelling and long journey to reach Colombo, from Moneragala or Mahiyangana; and then there were the People who came in thirty forty million rupee price tagged SUVs or Land Rover Defenders or what not, and descended on the scene like demigods. There were People who, for the want of a place to relieve themselves, had to look for nooks and corners in the city of Colombo as well as those, who had to lie on the pavement for a moments respite as the TV footage showed. Then, you saw the People who had VIP suits in five or seven star hotels, enjoying the luxuries such places of indulgence are wont to offer, to make an appearance and growl that they are there for the People! Again, there were the People who could not find a bus to go home, having come ready to lay siege to Colombo for days, at the behest of the organizers and left stranded till next morning (The milk packets not helping their cause, either). And then those people who at a snap of a finger could decide that it was curtain time and reach their mansions in Colombo in a matter of minutes. The Constitution does not make any difference between these different types of people at all and the Jana Balaya promoters did not clarify as to the category to which people, who were supposed to show their strength, belonged. If at all, it showed that we were so far away from being a modern or civilized people, despite all bravado that the entire universe revolves around Sri Lanka. From Baiyo to Wahallu Opponents of the Joint Opposition, used to employ the term baiyo to describe supporters of the former strongman and his clan, an allusion to the unqualified , blind and servitude like allegiance, nay adoration they have for the former. After the Jana Balaya, now the detractors use the term, slanderously of course, wahallu or slaves to describe them. Despite being generally averse to name calling, I feel, seeing those footages of the day, that such claims are not unfounded at all. The Government is over the moon that the protest did not accomplish anything, other than perhaps inconveniencing the public, who flock to Colombo daily for their livelihood, education, business or pleasure. The organizational shortcomings, which made it a flop has emboldened those Government chatterboxes to claim it a victory for them; well they can engage in that folly for another 1 years the most, if the status quo, with regard to political momentum, remained. They cherish the scenes of drunken protesters climbing up lamp posts, doing devil dances and some flat on the pavements after getting high as kites. They forget that those scenes seem a repeat telecast of scenes in such huge gatherings they organize themselves, i.e. May Day rallies. The UNP has a proven track record of drawing people by enticing them with alcohol, rice packets and santhosam, which they prefer to forget conveniently. Types of People The crux of the matter lies elsewhere. When we talk of the people, whether it is the power of the people or the Government of the people, we need to make sure we are precise as to what type of people we are referring to. If you do not make a distinction between those different types of people you end up misconceived in your perspective of many issues related to governance, rights and justice. For example, who thought that when this Government came to office, claiming to serve the people and deliver them from the clutches of the former regime, that they were referring to those people, who dealt in billions and were used to the silver spoon? And again when the Rajapaksas say they want to come back to office back for the people , what they mean is those people operating from VIP suits in seven star hotels and are adamant to stay away from the Special High Court or the State run hotel at Welikada? The constitution, folks, does not make any distinction; it is the brainchild of a brilliant, yet Neoliberal mind which was obsessed that the raw and unbridled power of market forces should dictate everything including who governs. Woe unto those, who await any allowance from those quarters! More disturbing, however is that despite repeatedly being duped in 15 General Elections since Independence and seven Presidential Elections, WE, the People, have not realized the distinction. The Jana Balaya, for me is not a pointer to the power of the Opposition or the future of the Government; rather it is yet another, repeatedly startling reminder that despite being handed down a representative democratic mode of governance by the Brits in 1948, we have never waded that phase of socioeconomic and political development, which classical political theory terms, the Serf System. We need to realize that Jana Balaya, or the power of the people, could mean very different things, to different people who live worlds apart! Until then, do not feel shy to enjoy the amusement the Constitution very freely offers us! A Sri Lankan, who was a former diplomat on contract from 2012-2015, has been arrested in Milan but he has no valid Diplomatic Passport in his possession any more, as claimed by reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Tuesday. In a statement, it said the Ministry has received media reports from Italy that a Sri Lankan with a Diplomatic Passport has been arrested at Malpensa Airport in Milan for allegedly trying to smuggle four youths into Italy. The Ministry initiated immediate inquiries to ascertain the veracity of this information. Accordingly, the Officials of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Milan have met the person arrested and have established his identity. It has been confirmed that the arrested person is not at present employed at any Sri Lanka Mission abroad or at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The person concerned does not hold a valid Diplomatic Passport and has travelled to Italy on an Official Passport issued to him on the basis of his employment in a government agency in Sri Lanka. It has also been established that this person had held a diplomatic assignment abroad on contract from 2012-2015 and was in possession of a Diplomatic Passport that had been cancelled, upon completion of his contract, the statement said. The United National Party (UNP) Working Committee will soon take vital decisions with regard to the national elections that are due in 2019 and 2020, Party General Secretary and Minister, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said yesterday. He said this at a ceremony held at the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya headquarters in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte to mark the 112th birth anniversary of former president J.R. Jayewardene. The UNP is keen to see that the next head of state is a nominee of the party," the minister said and added that the joint opposition candidate for the next presidential election will not pose a challenge to the party no matter who he or she would be. It will not matter whether the presidential candidate selected by the JO is a Rajapaksa or somebody else, the minister said. He said the UNP would emerge victorious at the national elections as it is currently in office. Paying a glowing tribute to former president Jayewardene, the minister said the late leader was a man who had a broad vision of the future. The way Mr. Jayewardene handled a crisis and his patience is a great lesson for young politicians. He was a man who kept himself updated with the changing world, he said. (Yohan Perera) LONDON AFP Sept17, 2018 - There is nothing to suggest that Novichok caused two people to fall ill in the British town where a Russian ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned by the deadly nerve agent, police said Monday. Parts of Salisbury in southwest England were sealed off and a hazardous area response team was called to the scene after the pair became unwell at an Italian restaurant on Sunday evening. Due to recent events in the city and concerns that the pair had been exposed to an unknown substance, a highly precautionary approach was taken by all emergency services, Wiltshire Police said in a statement. We can now confirm that there is nothing to suggest that Novichok is the substance. Police said the couple, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s, were assessed in hospital where they remained under observation. It was unclear if any crime had been committed, police said, adding that the events were no longer being treated as a major incident but enquiries were ongoing. It was in Salisbury in March that Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with Novichok, a powerful nerve agent created in the Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to meet Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday as international concern mounts over an expected Syrian government assault on the rebel-held province of Idlib. The leaders of the two countries that are on opposite sides of the conflict but key global allies will discuss the situation in Idlib at Putins residence in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, the Kremlin said. The situation with Idlib is acute, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti news agency on Monday ahead of the talks. He conceded there are certain differences in approaches between the leaders. Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly warned that such an offensive would unleash a bloodbath and humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib, which is home to three million people. Turkey has intensified negotiations with Russia to avert a possible attack, repeatedly calling for a ceasefire. Erdogan and Putin met previously on September 7 in Tehran for a three-way summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that saw the Russian and Turkish leaders openly disagree over how to deal with the rebel stronghold, which borders Turkey. MOSCOW AFP, Sept17, 2018 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government would provide police security to former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa if he requested. He told parliament that if Mr. Rajapaksa thinks that his life was at risk, he could request for security. "As I know, we may have to provide him security due to the rift in the joint opposition. Do not try to gain political advantages from this incident," he said. Mr. Wickremesinghe said he was surprised that opposition members who were silent when the common candidate's security was removed during the presidential election, were now bothering about the President's security. He said both he and the President had ordered an investigation into the incident. "CID will inform us on actions to be taken after the investigations. There is an investigation going on and we cannot reveal all the details right now," he said.(Ajith Siriwardana) The United National Party (UNP), the oldest political party in the country, recently celebrated its 72nd anniversary. It doesnt matter which political party is, the ability to come and remain in power is completely dependent on the manner in which they manage the economy. Hence, it could be seen that not only the UNP-led governments but also the Sri Lanka Freedom Party-led coalition governments prioritized economics, in order that they can develop the nation and satisfy the voters at the same time. However, questions arise when they try to please the voters rather than developing the nation. Even though this is a common factor in Sri Lankan politics, this article is to ascertain how the UNP economic policies that were made of neoliberal ideologies, contributed towards the economic growth and development in the country. UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam addressing a media briefing held in connection with their anniversary stated, Although we have been unable to come to power since 1994, we are confident that we would be able to form a united UNP government by means of the forthcoming presidential election. In my view, politics and economics are just like two sides of the same coin. Accordingly, only those who properly manage the economy can remain in power. In other words, right economic management results in sustainable politics. What can be observed in the UNP-drafted economic policies has been that they are highly mixed with neoliberalism and aimed at economic growth more than economic development. Consequently, peoples reactions to those policies also have been different from time to time. It is better to get an idea of neoliberalism, before going into the details of economic policies. Neoliberalism Neoliberalism is an economic ideology that advocates for liberalising the economy but differs from liberalism. This was firstly practiced by Augusto Pinochet in Chile, by Margret Thatcher in Britain and thereafter by Ronald Reagan in the USA. Due to its popularity as an ideology that paves the way for faster economic growth, many countries began adopting neoliberal policies as their economic agenda, having been further motivated by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Rule of market is a salient feature of neoliberalism. The state must minimize its intervention in the economic activities as much as possible, restricting its role to be the facilitator. Whenever the state gets involved in the economy, it opens a can of worms. Therefore, all it should do is to prepare the ground for the private sector to play well. Furthermore, the government should cut its expenditure on welfare, as it is identified as a waste of public finance. Nevertheless, it doesnt hesitate to promote tax concessions and other subsidies given to the private sector because it will encourage entrepreneurs to produce more. Privatizing state-owned enterprises is also accepted under neoliberalism. The government ought not to be engaged in businesses, so that efficiency and productivity at public organisations will be positive. Individual responsibility is promoted rather than government responsibility at the end of all these implementations. Policies The UNP is a party that introduced policies making lots of changes in the economy, having started following neoliberalism by opening the economy in 1978. What they did through an open economic policy was mainly trade liberalization. Businessmen were allowed to be freely engaged in imports and exports. Consequently, peoples living standard was uplifted. However, many local industries were challenged to survive, owing to the inability to compete with the imported items. Neoliberalism is against the fact that protectionism policies are implemented to protect the domestic industries. Accordingly, the UNP government let the market decide things in which only a few local businesses could survive, beating the market competition. Even though it is true that the UNP has been a pioneer to carry out some welfare measures like the Janasaviya and Mahapola scholarship schemes and free school uniforms, which in fact make a significant contribution to mitigate social inequality even today, then the UNP government under the leadership of President J.R. Jayewardene took strict actions to oppress trade unions by depriving the July strikers of their employments. This is really what was recommended by neoliberalism, as powerful trade unions distort the labour market by demanding higher salaries that lead to higher labour cost for companies. Privatizing public enterprises is the way for eradicating their inefficiency, as pointed out by neoliberalism. The private sector, being the engine of the economy, should be given opportunities to unleash their maximum potential without any limitation. Even under this government, they made several attempts to disconnect public ties with the corporate sector. Even if Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his budget speech proposed that Bank of Ceylon and Peoples Bank would be listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), it has not been put into action thus far. Though low taxes for businesses are promoted under neoliberalism, the current government has not been able to meet that requirement, due to the higher taxes in the economy. The fuel price formula recently introduced is also a sign of neoliberalism. The government must minimize its intervention in the economy by letting the private sector play. This is actually what the government wants to do by way of a fuel price formula. However, reduced government intervention will not ensure welfare for the public. Practice The culture in Sri Lanka is somewhat different from that of other countries; it is something that must clearly be understood before implementing westernized policies in the country. The public has been welfare-oriented throughout the history, emphasizing the fact that whenever the government attempts to accelerate the economic growth by cutting welfare expenditure, people change the government. The history says well, how welfare delayed economic growth in the country. Even though neoliberalism is an economic ideology that can accelerate the economic growth by facilitating the private sector to produce more, it has been popular only among the business community, not among the public, especially in Sri Lanka. This is the reason for slower economic growth in the country. For an instance, irrespective of political party, every manifesto presented by main political parties at election times consists of welfare-oriented promises that will please the public. These are to win elections at any cost. The UNP seems to have tried to avoid this trend and implement radical neoliberal policies for faster economic growth. As long as the ground is the same, changing players will not deliver the expected results. Thats why, even if the government proposed to list some public enterprises at the CSE, it is not yet put into practice, due to the objection by trade unions. Mismatch Neoliberal policies cannot be, in my view, considered policies suitable for countries like ours. Welfare expenditure can be reduced in a situation where people can afford to buy at least basic things. Otherwise, that will create a chaos in the country. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea that were behind us have now become developed by their own home-made policies. It has to be noted that some neoliberal policies recently implemented have pressurized the public. For example, measures like converting fertilizer subsidy into cash vouchers, converting school uniforms into cash vouchers and introducing a fuel price formula cannot be appreciated in a Sri Lankan context because they hurt the poorest. Even though it seems that being more welfare-oriented and ruralised will pave the way for power, it is not sustainable, ultimately leaving a mountain of debt to be settled. What the UNP leaders are expected to do is to have a balance between welfare and economic growth. (Amila Muthukutti is an economist) It is said that Sri Lanka has a free education system and a free health service. To some extent, it is true as the Government schools and hospitals do not levy fees legally from students and patients. However, in a sense, one cannot call the countrys education and the health services free because authorities have developed various methods to levy money from the students and the patients or push them to the wall, where they have to spend money for the same services. It is a well-known fact that the Government schools, especially those categorized as popular schools solicit hundreds of thousands of rupees as donations when students are admitted to them. In fact, they are not donations but some sort of ransom. For the past several decades, the Education Ministers have been saying in the month of January each year that they would not allow Principals to receive this type of donations but except for one or two incidents, where Principals were caught, no student can get admitted to most of the schools in the country without paying this donation. Trade Unions in the education and health sectors as well as Opposition and Leftist political parties are occasionally clamouring and sometimes taking trade union action against the purported moves by the Governments to privatise education and the health services. But they turn a blind eye when some of the sections of these services were left to be privatised in a subtle manner during the past two decades. Interestingly, it is the very people who are shouting at the top of their voices against privatisation who are implementing this subtle method of privatisation and benefitting from it.One cannot deny the fact that todays students cannot pass the GCE Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level examinations without attending tuition classes. The situation is such that the OL and AL students of even the most prestigious schools in the country are attending tuition classes. The irony is that in some cases it is the same teachers who are teaching in Government schools, who are conducting these tuition classes.And a considerable number of such teachers are those who are against privatisation of education. In short, education above Year 10 at the Government schools has been unofficially privatised with the help of those against privatisation. In the health sector, the privatisation is making inroads in an even subtle manner, with the help of some of the doctors. The purported scarcity of medicine, especially expensive ones, is one factor that compels the patients to spend money on them and sometimes to go to the private hospitals. Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne had to ban prescription of blood tests to be done at private laboratories for the in-house patients at Government hospitals some time ago. And the private sector having well-known that their businesses would thrive has opened so many permanent private laboratories around Government hospitals.It is logical to conclude that it is the doctors who are shouting against privatisation and not the patients who want those tests to be done at private hospitals. At the same time, authorities had announced several times that plans were afoot to issue bills to the patients at the Government hospitals just for their information on the expenditure that the Government incurs on the services provided to them.It is also a well-known fact that some of the doctors citing the shortage of medicines and certain facilities such as certain tests at the Government hospitals persuade and guide the patients towards private hospitals where they practise. One service in the health sector that is almost fully privatised by now is the service of attendants. There was a time when relatives of in-house patients at the Government hospitals had to beg with the doctors and the nurses to stay in the wards with their patients. Rarely were those requests entertained in those days. However, now the doctors and the nurses force the relatives to find somebody to stay with the patients at the wards. And there are people to be hired for this purpose in and around the wards and the hospitals. They charge at will, sometimes Rs. 2,500 per night, for this service. And now there are unregistered companies that hire such private attendants and these private attendants take charge of three or four patients or sometimes more than that at a time. Can we call education and health free? Bahrains top religious scholars warned Manama on Tuesday of the consequences of the regime s persistent crackdown against annual Ashura commemorations. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Bahrains top religious scholars warned Manama on Tuesday of the consequences of the regime s persistent crackdown against annual Ashura commemorations. A statement released by the scholars described the most recent arrest of two Bahraini Shiite clerics as a dangerous development. Sheikh Hani al-Banna and Sheikh Yassin al-Jamri were detained on Sunday following a grueling nine-hour interrogation. The sectarian persecution in the Ashura season of this year has led to the arrest of two scholars and preachers of the religious pulpit over the traditional Husseini reading throughout the country, the statement notes. We call for an immediate halt to this abhorrent sectarian policy, the scholars added. Ashura is a major part of the Shiite religious calendar when communities around the globe mourn the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein (AS). /257 Two police officers aged 29 and 31were killed when their motorcycle collided head on with a cab in Galgamuwa on the Anuradhapura- Padeniya Main Road last night, Police said. They said police officers attached to the Thambuththegama and Anuradhapura Police Stations were identified as residents of Ambanpola and Galle. The cab driver surrendered to the Thambuththegama Police after the accident and later he was handed over to the Galgamuwa Police. (Athula Bandara) Guatemala City (dpa), Sep 17, 2018 - Guatemalas Constitutional Court on Sunday ordered the government to allow entry to the country for a UN corruption investigator who had been banned by President Jimmy Morales. At a press conference, the courts judges said their unanimous decision was based on the 2006 agreement which created the UNs International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). Morales banned CICIG head Ivan Velasquez, who launched a corruption investigation into the president last year, from entering the country on September 4, citing security concerns. Days earlier, the president had announced that he had decided not to extend CICIGs mandate, which is due to expire on September 3, 2019. Weeks before that, Velasquez and the public prosecutors office had demanded that Morales immunity from prosecution be lifted due to alleged illegal campaign financing. CICIG has claimed that the source of some 600,000 dollars of Morales 2015 election funding is unknown. The countrys human rights ombudsman, Jordan Rodas, said Sundays ruling was excellent news for Guatemalan justice. Welcome commissioner Ivan Velasquez, [who will] continue the fight against corruption and impunity from Guatemala, he wrote on Twitter. The government indicated it had not yet received a copy of the ruling and did not issue an immediate response. State Minister Sriyani Abeywickrame said yesterday TID's DIG Nalaka Silva should be interdicted and arrested immediately over the alleged plot to kill President Maithripala Sirisena and former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. She told parliament that it was a serious matter and added that when there was an allegation involving criminal activity, what was done first was to interdict and arrest the person. She said they as government members, were not satisfied with the conduct of IGP Pujith Jayasundara. "We request that the IGP be removed and investigations initiated under a new IGP," she said. (Ajith Siriwardana) Oops....! We couldn't find that... 404 error Unfortunately the page you were looking for could not be found. It may be temporarily unavailable, moved or no longer exist. Check the URL you entered for any mistakes and try again. Alternatively, search for whatever is missing or take a look around the rest of our site. Bahrains Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society blamed the absence of political partnership and the expansion of tyranny for Manamas crackdown on annual Ashura commemorations. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Bahrains Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society blamed the absence of political partnership and the expansion of tyranny for Manamas crackdown on annual Ashura commemorations. In a Monday statement, the opposition movement blasted the detention and interrogation of numerous Bahraini Shiite clerics as well as the forcible removal of Ashura displays across the Gulf kingdom. Al-Wefaq described the measures as a blatant attack on religious freedoms. Every thought or practice that does not appeal to the government is assaulted by its various agencies without any respect for religion, thought, opinion or the others existence, the statement adds. Although Ashura is marked by all Muslims, it is a major part of the religious calendar for Shiite communities for whom it is a solemn occasion to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) in 680 AD. /257 Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi welcomed a recent agreement reached in Russia Sochi between Moscow and Ankara to create a buffer zone in Syrias northwestern province of Idlib, the last major terrorist stronghold in the Arab country. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi welcomed a recent agreement reached in Russia Sochi between Moscow and Ankara to create a buffer zone in Syrias northwestern province of Idlib, the last major terrorist stronghold in the Arab country. The summit between the Russian and Turkish heads of state and the announcement of the agreement on how to resolve the issue of Idlib in Syria is an important and fundamental step toward removing the remnants of terrorists in Syria, Qassemi said on Tuesday. Halting any violence and bloodshed while ridding the region of terrorism is among the most basic and fundamental pillars of the Islamic Republic of Irans foreign policy, he added. The spokesman further expressed hope that the results of the Sochi summit, which was held within the framework of the Astana peace process and a recent summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey in Tehran, could have an effective role in ending the Syrian peoples suffering and speeding up the expulsion of violence-seeking forces from the country. The leaders of Turkey and Russia said on Monday that they had agreed to create a demilitarized buffer zone to separate Syrian government troops from Takfiri militant groups in the of Idlib. It came after a trilateral summit held in Tehran on September 7 between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about the Syrian crisis. Following the summit, the three leaders issued a joint statement, reaffirming determination to continue cooperation until full eradication of terrorist groups in Syria. /257 Shipyard Launches Canadas Lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel The page you requested is only available to subscribers. 1. If you are a Premium Service subscriber, please log in here to access this story: Log-in : Password : 2. If you are not a subcriber, you can: -- buy access to this page: unlimited access for seven days costs 3.00 EUR + VAT (at 20%) if applicable. 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Clicking on the "Ok" button below will place the item in your shopping cart and return you to our home page, where you will be able to select additional stories. -- select additional stories and services from our home page and pay for them at the same time. -- see your shopping cart. You can also see the contents of your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the "Order" tab on the navigation bar at the top of any page, or by clicking on the "Your order" light blue link in the top right-hand corner of our home page, immediately under the log-on box. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Subscriber content preview BURIEN An older apartment complex at 149 S.W. 160th St. in Burien has sold for $5 million, according to King County records. The seller was Caldwell Enterprises LLP, which acquired the property in 1993 for $1.2 million. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A small apartment building at 4311 Dayton Ave. N. has sold for just over $2 million, according to King County records. The seller was 9527 A&D LLC which acquired the property in 2000 for $491,000. . . . Officers of High Command of Naval Region 4 and crew members of the Japanese submarine Kuroshio pose for a photo together (Photo: VNA) This is the first visit to Vietnam by the Japanese submarine. It is part of activities celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations and realising agreements between senior leaders of the two countries and their defence ministries. The visit is also expected to enhance mutual trust and understanding between the Vietnam Peoples Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, thereby deepening bilateral defence collaboration and contributing to peace, stability and cooperation in the region. While in Vietnam, officers of the submarine will pay courtesy calls on leaders of Khanh Hoa province and the High Command of Naval Region 4. In addition, they will also participate in sport and professional exchange events with officers and soldiers of the Naval Region 4 and visit famous destinations in Nha Trang city./. VFF Vice President and Secretary General Hau A Lenh (left) meets with CESE President Patrick Bernasconi. (Photo: VNA) So confirmed Hau A Lenh, VFF Vice President and Secretary General, during his working visit with CESE President Patrick Bernasconi in Paris on September 17 According to Vietnam News Agency, Mr. Patrick Bernasconi expressed his pleasure at receiving the VFF delegation to visit France and attend the AICESIS. In March, Mr. Patrick Bernasconi sent a letter to VFF President Tran Thanh Man on being ready to carry out cooperation with the VFF, confirming that the cooperation between CESE and VFF would contribute to promoting the Vietnam - France strategic partnership. On this occasion, Mr. Lenh congratulated CESE for successfully hosting and organizing the 2018 AICESIS in Paris. In the future, the two sides agreed to increase exchange in waste treatment and training of cadres; and promptly sign the bilateral cooperation agreement in environmental protection. On the same day, the VFF delegation attended the AICESIS 2018 Assembly, which was addressed by representatives from 14 European, Latin American, African and Asian countries, focusing on such subjects as digital revolution and its impact on socio-economic inequality, and the role of digital technology in administration and social partnership. Established in 1999, AICESIS aims to increase dialogue and experience sharing among members, on the basics of respecting the values of peace, security, democracy and human rights. It always cares for supporting the establishing of Economic and Social Councils in the world. The VFF officially became an AICESIS member in 2009./. The Week is a time, where EU Delegations around the world reach out to communities and partner organisations, highlighting positive global action and collaboration on climate change. This year sees two events: the first one from June 18th-24th and the second one from September 24th-30th. As planned, there is a workshop for 15 cities in Vietnam on climate action planning and targets, a seminar on circular economy for private sector and a high-level discussion on climate change. All these activities aim to engage central and local authorities, academics, civil society organisations to share experieneces and explore avenues for further collaborative actions. The EU is stepping up its international cooperation and support to partners outside the EU on fighting climate change. This is demonstrated through policy dialogues, capacity - building projects and climate finance. In Vietnam, the EU is supporting energy transition and, supporting the promotion of renewable energy, through policy dialogue as well as through concrete action such as training, advocacy and, as well as investment in the renewable energy sector in cooperation with national EU member states development banks. Beyond energy, the European Investment Bank also contributes to the financing of Mass Rapid Transit systems that will save important levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the transport sector. Besides, it provides financial support for climate adaptation, in the Red River delta, in the Mekong delta area, and in Central provinces together with EU development banks. The EU is also investing in climate-related education. In Vietnam, under an ERASMUS+ funded project, universities from Italy, Poland and Cyprus have been working together with three Vietnamese universities to build courses on renewable energy systems for students. As part of the project, the eight best students were selected to study in Europe and witness examples of solar, wind and other renewable energy projects. They came back with some great stories to share, and some new ideas about how to bring more renewable energy solutions to the nation. ''Fighting climate change is a priority in our partnership with Vietnam. We promote in particular Vietnam's energy transition, including through substantial financial support, as the energy sector is key for economic growth, but also the biggest emitter GHG'', said Ambassador - Head of EU Delegation to Vietnam, Mr. Bruno Angelet./. Dear @IlhanMN, I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by. Location of Mali United Nations (UN) delegates screened the equipment and flight technology the Salvadoran Air Forces (FAS, in Spanish) Gavilan I Air Contingent will use as it joins the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA, in French) in September 2018.... The Gavilan I contingent will consist of pilots and specialists in communication, maintenance, and weaponry. This is the third air contingent FAS deploys in MINUSMA; it will work simultaneously with the Torogoz IV contingent and the Airfield Ground Services Unit, Salvadoran Minister of Defense David Munguia Payes said during the UN experts visit. Their mission will be to provide air and land escort, and air fire support when required. We contribute to international security and peace by supporting transition authorities. Nicknamed the Little Bird or Killer Egg, the fast and nimble MD500 series of helicopters has long proven its worth as a scout and light attack platform. Amid limited resources, a small team from El Salvador has been using the chopper's capabilities to fly armed patrols, provide overwatch for forces on the ground, and even evacuate casualties in support of United Nations mission in the West African country of Mali, which has become one of the most deadly peacekeeping efforts in the world. El Salvador stands as a leader and role model to many other countries seeking to step up to the challenge of international peacekeeping. In 2015, after sending troops to peacekeeping missions with other countries, El Salvador achieved a major peacekeeping milestone in 2015 when it made its first independent contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Each step of the way, the U.S. Department of States Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) has supported El Salvadors efforts by working with the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver training, equipment, and related support. El Salvador started small, deploying its personnel embedded with other countries in order to gain peacekeeping experience. El Salvador partnered with Spains military in Lebanon, and teamed up with Chile for peacekeeping duties in Haiti. Today, El Salvador is a peacekeeping contributor in its own right, and currently has more than 100 peacekeepers deployed to the MINUSMA, a UN peacekeeping mission of 13,000 personnel from over 50 countries established in 2013 to support the political process and to help stabilize Mali. It used to be that a mention of United Nations peacekeepers in conjunction with El Salvador was a reference to the UN Observers Mission (ONUSAL) which was on the ground in El Salvador in the first few years after El Salvador's civil war ended in 1992. Today, however, El Salvador is sending out peacekeepers of its own to different parts of the globe. It happens without much notice, but for three years El Salvador has been sending military units to participate in UN peacekeeping efforts in Africa.From Dialogo, the Digital Military Magazine this week:The Salvadoran helicopter contingent first arrived in Mali in 2015. According to this article , the choppers operated by the Salvadoran air force have played an important role:El Salvador also has the only female helicopter pilot , Sandra Hernandez, in the UN mission in Mali.This role in peacekeeping for El Salvador has been supported by the US. From the US State Department The State Department puts in context El Salvador's recent role in peacekeeping: MINUSMA is the largest current peacekeeping operation of the United Nations. The mandate of the mission in Mali is very broad and includes such as ensuring security, stabilization and protection of civilians; supporting national political dialogue and reconciliation; and assisting the reestablishment of State authority, the rebuilding of the security sector, and the promotion and protection of human rights in that country. So far 173 peacekeepers have lost their lives in operations there. This Globe and Mail article offers a good overview of the turbulent situation in Mali. The World Conference on Science Literacy 2018 opens in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 17, 2018. Themed "Science Literacy for a Shared and Better Future," the conference has over 1,000 participants, including representatives from 23 international science organizations and 58 national science organizations from 38 countries. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] Israels first reaction to downing of Russian military plane The Israeli military blamed militant Hezbollah group and Iran for the incident. Yesterday in the Syrian province of Latakia there were several airstrakes. After downing a Russian II-20 aircraft, stress increased between Israel and Russia. SYRIAN AIR DEFENSES ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE PLANE Russian Defense Ministry blamed Israel in the downing of its military aircraft Tuesday, saying Syrian air defenses accidentally hit the plane while trying to repel an Israeli attack. RUSSIA BLAMED ISRAEL A Russian Il- 20 military aircraft with 15 servicemen on board has disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea, Russias Foreign Ministry said early Tuesday. "We regard these provocative actions of Israel as hostile. This is absolutely not in line with the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership. We reserve the right for an adequate response," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. ISRAEL LAID IT OFF ON SYRIA AND HEZBOLLAH After a while, the Israeli military made a statement about the accident. The Israeli military has expressed sorrow for the deaths of Russian aircrew downed by Syrian anti-aircraft fire and is blaming also the militant Hezbollah group and Iran for the incident. The military issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Syrias government is fully responsible for the shooting down of the Russian military aircraft over Syria and that Iran and Hezbollah are also accountable for this unfortunate incident. Presidents Erdogan and Putin agree on 'weapons-free zone' in Idlib Turkey and Russia on Monday agreed to turn Syria's northwestern Idlib province into a demilitarized zone. President Erdogan and Russian President Putin met in Russia's coastal city of Sochi. "We have agreed on the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the opposition- and [Assad] regime-controlled areas," President Erdogan said in a news conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin following a meeting between the two leaders. Following the news conference, Ankara and Moscow signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the stabilization of the situation in Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are prohibited. "I believe that with this memorandum, we have prevented a great humanitarian crisis in Idlib," Erdogan said. TWO COUNTRIES' DETERMINATION ON PEACE TO SYRIA "Russia and Turkey reaffirmed their determination to fight terrorism in Syria in all its forms. [...] The practical implementation of the planned steps will give an additional impetus to the process of a political settlement of the Syrian conflict, will accelerate work on the Geneva platform and will contribute to the return of peace to the Syrian land." The Russian president said that this approach was supported by the Syrian side. He said consultations with Damascus could be held in the near future. President Erdogan also said "terror nests" east of the Euphrates river posed the "biggest" threat for Syria's future. "The main structure that attempts against Syria's territorial integrity and threatens Turkey's national security is PYD/YPG," Erdogan said, adding these "terror swamps" should be drained. "ALL HEAVY WEAPONS HAD TO BE DRAWN" Putin said the demilitarized zone will extend between 15 to 20 kilometers (9-12 miles) deep into Idlib by Oct. 15. He added that the establishment of the zone would be accompanied by the withdrawal of armed groups, including the al-Nusra Front. The Russian President said all heavy weapons had to be withdrawn from the zone by Oct. 10, according to Erdogans proposal. This includes tanks, rocket launchers, guns and mortars of all opposition groups. He also said Russia and Turkey would restore transit routes between Syria's Aleppo, Latakia, Hama by the end of 2018. Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, visits a local legislators' liaison station in Quzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 16, 2018. Li made an inspection tour in Zhejiang on Sept. 15 and 16. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) HANGZHOU, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu has stressed the need to take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a guide to strengthen the work of local legislatures. Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks during a two-day inspection tour in east China's Zhejiang Province that ended Sunday. During the tour, Li visited a local legislators' liaison station and presided over a symposium attended by grassroots legislators. He also visited staff at the provincial legislature's office and held a forum with them. Quoting discourses by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on local legislation work, Li called on national and local legislatures at all levels to carefully study and understand the requirements and earnestly implement them in practice. Such requirements include upholding the CPC leadership over the legislatures' work, adhering to a people-oriented approach in legislation, ensuring the leading role of people's congresses in lawmaking, upholding the unity of China's legal system, making sure that legislation meets the needs of reform and development and improving the quality of legislation, according to Li. Li also asked legislatures at all levels to follow the requirements of Xi on promoting the spirit of the Constitution and comprehensively implementing the Constitution. He also visited an administrative service center and some townships in the province during the tour. 4 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- It's by spontaneously pointing at the Spreading Deadly Attacks by Islamist Terrorists cowardly Targetting innocent Civilian People throughout Germany and elsewhere in Europe, including the recent Murder of a Medical Doctor by a Somalian Mass Asylum Seeker/Irregular Migrant at his own Home City : the Nearby Offenbourg, shortly after earlier Popular Demonstrations against other Brutal Killings at Chemnitz, Kothen, etc., that Bundestag's President, Wolfgang Schauble, suddenly became Thoughtful, and Changed Tone : A "Metamorphose" had just occured, Unexpectedly Transforming what had meant to be just a Routine INTW to a usual Economic Review on National and Global Finances' update, into an Explosive Magma of Strong Emotion and Fast Track Lightnings of Genial Thoughts on Top Political Issues of Burning Actuality for that key Country with 90 Millions Population, right in the Middle of a European Continent Organized in a 350 MIllions Strong Collective EU Body, Navigating like a Ship at High Sea, through a Rocky Area, with the Responsibility of a Captain enTrusted by the People to Find the Right Way among Huge Waves and Threats to be again Attacked by Treacherous and Deadly Pirates, Protect it Bravely, Organise its own Defence, with a Sharp sense of Urgency, when innocent Human Beings, a Civilisation and its core Values are all at Stake, almost at the Same Time, in order to manage to Guide and Help Bring them at Safe Harbour... For such a purpose, No more Time, nor Space for Long, Diplomatic Subtelties of Global Financial speculations (Comp. Supra) : On the Contrary, it had to be Short and Sharp, Crystal-Clear and Right on the Key Point, Practical and Motivating, Energizing and Reassuring, Able to Bring Efficient Results where it's really Needed : - "We Must Understand the People !", --------------------- A Reference to "the Philosopher Karl Popper", served as Gateway : - "Popper's Credo - not very original but Effective: The Advantage of Freedom Systems (in a Society) is that They can CORRECT their MISTAKES !", the Experienced Schauble reminds. He suddenly points High up to "the Future of Mankind", and Observes the Fact that "Soon, 8 Billions of People wil be Living on this Earth", among whom, "2 Billions in Africa alone". => Therefore, "In view of the Enormous (Population) Problems, we must Not Bury our Head in the Sand", i.e., "we (Europe) should Not Dig in Behind our Borders, But (we) Must Try to Answer the Big Questions, Together", he advises. >>> Thus, "One Major Question of the Present is the Issue of Migration", Shauble starts to Move that Press Interview as HE believes that it Should be done... - "Now, it's Not Only our new Partners in Central-Eastern Europe (f.ex. the Group of "VISEGRAD" Countries, etc), which Complaint that it's too Cumbersome"... => Therefore, "We Must take this Seriously !", he Urged. - Since "Unfortunately, current (Migration) Policies are Not Sufficienty Good, also Nowhere in the West", the German Politician Critically observed, Pointing, f.ex.,, in this regard, to some "Choices of Donald Trump" in the USA, "or take the BREXIT" in the UK, "or (what he called) the Erosion of Democracy in (the Rest of) Europe", (etc). => Therefore, "it's Not Just to the East" of Germany (f.ex. in Saxony and/or Bavaria, where Popular Protests are more Lively), or Europe, (f.ex. among "VISEGRAD" Group Countries), because "We have it also Here", (i.e. at the West) : "This is, now, a Feature" of our Society ... - When an Establishment's Media's Journalist Criticises what he called "the Riots in Chemnitz", (i.e. the Popular Protests against the Brutal Murder of a Young German in Saxony, stabbed with Knife by 2 or 3 Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants from Iraq or Syria), then, Schauble reminds also the Fact that, even "during the (last) G-20 Summit, held in Hambourg, (North-Western Germany : See "Eurofora"s relevant NewsReports from that G20 Summit, f.ex., at : ...), we experienced, then, Massive Riots" too... - "This applies ...Both to the North and to South Germany, also for the Old (Western) and the New (Eastern) Lander (Federated States)", he observed. - In general, "We must Stop to speak with Arrogance", (f.ex. towards the Eastern Areas), "Otherwise, those People Feel that they are No longer treated as Equal Partners", Schauble warned. >>> - "Take, for instance, our Neighbours in Poland" : "Even if some developments in Eastern Europe might Bother me, then, I think :" - "Who are We, Germans, that we want to Explain to Poland (a.o.) How Freedom and the Rule of Law should be ?", (he Criticized, using a Famous Expression of Pope Francis, and which could Also be used vis a vis several Displaced and/or Exagerated, Hypocritical Criticism of Victor Orban's Hungary, by some who, in fact, serve some Shady Interests : Comp., f.ex. : ...). Poland and Hungary, as well as Other "Visegrad" Group, Central-Eastern European Countries, have, notoriously, been often Criticized for their Reluctance to Take, inside their National Territories, Islamized Non-European Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants who suddenly arrived massively through Turkey since 2015/2016+. >>> - In fact, "it's very Important that we do Not Sweep the Problems Under the Carpet !", Warned Schauble. - On the Contrary, we should "Take Seriously the People's Feelings : Something that we have Not Sufficiently done" until now, he Advised, (speaking Shortly After a Series of Popular Protests, f.ex. in Chemnitz and Elsewhere, whenever Innocent Civilian People were Brutally Killed by "Islamist" Terrorists who cowardly targetted them also Recently : See, f.ex. ...). - Currently, "there is no more Topical and Controversial Discussion than on the Issue of <> and Islam !", observed Schauble. - "If" they (claim that they) "do not feel treated Fairly, we must Listen to them", he advised. >>> - But, "at the same time, We must Make them Understand the Rules by which, We Want to live in Europe !", he stressed. - F.ex., "the Rule of Law, Tolerance and Human Rights", etc. "Most People in the World want to go along with such Principles". + Moreover, even if "Migration Policy is not always in the Institutional Framework of (EU's) Lisbon Treaty", nevertheless, We (EU Countries) Need, f.ex., an "African Policy, and to Fight against the Causes for which People are Fleeing" from there. And "'there is a lot of Work to be done"... => But, "(as British Economist Paul Collier shows), it makes No Sense to Include the African Migrants in Europe !", Wolfgang Schauble Denounced. - Certainly, "We (EU) Must Help those People who are in (Real) Need to come to us", (i.e. Real, Not Fake Refugees). "But, at the same time, We (EU) Must do more to Ensure that they have No Reason To Run away, any longer", he pointed out. => In practice, "this ... means that We (EU)May also consider to Help, in the case of one or another Criminal or Terrorist Regime in Africa, withOut using too much Force", the Top German Politician Suggested. >>> In fact, "the (African) Continent Needs a Chance !", Schauble stressed. In order "to Face their Big Challenges by themselves", he urged. - Even if, "in the Short Term, it's about Saving the People who are in Life-Threatening situation in the Mediterranean" Sea, >>> nevertheless, "at the Same Time, we must make it Clear that this is Not the Way to Europe !", Schauble firmly stressed. => Fustigating "the Cynical Business model" of "Human Traffickers"/"People's Smugglers", he Clearly underlined that : - "Whoever realizes that he has No Chance to enter Europe, will Not accept a Risk to Die !" (by making a Dangerous attempt to Cross the Mediterranean Sea)... - But, "this can only achieved by Europe; all Together : It requires the Force of All" : - I.e., "Not just the Mediterranean Countries, Neither Individual Agreements with Neighbouring Countries, such as Turkey", around Europe. >>> - Also because those Individual Deals (as f.ex. with Turkey) "Need, by Far, much More Money than what goes, until now, in Development Aid, or Borders Security !", the Experienced, former Long-Time Finance Minister of Germany, Denounced... Indeed, Turkey (after a notorious BlackMail on Europe, back on 2015-2016, when Ankara had thrown against Europe more than 1,5 Millions of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants, via its Smugglers and Land), has extorted from the EU more than 3 Billions uros, in fuill Grants (Not Loanw), each Year !... + In fact, "every uro Invested in Africa brings Much More Advantages, than what we Spend in this country (Germany) for Refugees", Schauble concluded. ---------------------------------------- Debates with AfD = "Exciting" ?!... --------------------------------------------- - The President of the Bundestag finds also that "its Debates have become quite Exciting", since it has "6 Factions inside", as he said in Reply to a Question on the Recent Entry of the Rightists of the "AfD" Party... - Indeed, "the Interest of the Public has Increased", Schauble underlined. Thus, "this Parliament met one of its Most Important Tasks in the Representative (Democracy) System !". - However, "I would Not Speculate on what extent the Parliamentary Rules might have Affected this (AfD) Party" of the Rightists, he carefuly reserved his final assessment on that point... ----------------------------------------------------------- Schauble on "Feeling Threatened" after Murder in his Home Town ! --------------------------------------------------------------------- On this occasion, Schauble pointed himself at the Fact that, Shortly After a Long Series of Popular Demonstrations with Strong Protests for the Lack of Protection of Civilian People from Risks of Deadly Islamist Terrorist Attacks, when another Young German was Stabbed and Killed with a Knife by 2 or 3 Irregular Migrants from Iraq/Syria who had arrived in Europe through Turkey,=> it's also anOthert German, a Medical Doctor (who was even, reportedly ...Helping "Refugees"), that was Murdered with another Knife by another Irregular Migrant from Turkey, just a few Days ago, this time ...in the very Home Town of the President of the Bundestag, at Offenburg, Near Strasbourg !.. - Indeed, Replying to a Journalists' Question about the previous Incidents at Chemnitz, (which is Located in the far away from here, Federated State of Saxony, (former East Germany), Schauble pointed himself at the Fact that it's "Also in My Constituency of Offenburg, where the 1st Murder occured, in Recent weeks"... + Moreover, Here too, the "alleged Perpetrator was an already Rejected Asylum Seeker...", who had Not been yet Deported, Shauble Denounced, showing that the Same Problem with the Killing of Chemnitz existed also in that subsequent Murder of Offenburg : I.e. that the Police and/or the Courts had Not yet managed to Deport such Irregular and Dangerous Individuals, with the Result to let them Free to Commit Atrocious and Brurtal Murders against Defenceless, innocent Civilian People, (i.e. the Same Problem as it had already happened even with that Horrible Truck Driving Mass Killer at Berlin's Christmas Market, a Year ago) ! - "The Ridge is Narrow", commented Schauble, in this regard : Even if "the vast majority of us are Willing to Help a fellow Human being no matter what colour, religion or nationality", nevertheless, "When we start FEELING THREATENED, in Our Own Security", then, "it Becomes Hard (Difficult)", he Denounced. => Indeed, "the State has the Duty to Guarantee Internal Security !", even the President of the Parliament denounced... >>>This was, Indeed, the Number 1 Popular Demand of all those (Rightists and various Other) Demonstrators who have Shaken the Public Opinion and most Medias Debates in Germany during the Recent Weeks : - "We Want to be Protected and Safe !", said most of their Placards. - And from this point of view, it does Not Matter Whether you Live in Chemnitz (former Eastern Germany, at Saxony's Lander), or in Offenburg, (Western Germany, near Strasbourg...", Schauble underlined. - "Because, ...this a Problem for all Germany, and Not Only for the City of Chemnitz or of the (Federated) State of Saxony" alone, he stressed. - And "Noone Disputes the Fact that Every Single Negative Incident (as those Brutal Murders) is Bad !", Schauble concluded. + Moreover, the President of the Bundestag clearly Rejected, as irrelevant, the Claim made by a Journalist (of Establishment's Medias) that the Rightists of the "Alternative" Party (AfD) would be "Exploiting" "'all" those Murders, and even "Rapes" by Radicalized Islamists... >>> - In fact, it's True that "the Mood of the Population is Tense", Nowadays, and this "is Due to the Developments in Recent Years", (i.e. since the 2015/2016 sudden "Tsunami" of 1,5 Million of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants thrown against Europe by Turkey, through its Smugglers, Schauble acknowledged. - "Therefore, you have to Deal Wisely", with such Incidents, "Neither Dramatize, nor Trivialize", he advised. => - "Above all, we Need to Understand the People !", the President of the German Parliament Urged in Conclusion. --------------------------- All this clearly slams an Establishment's Media's reported Claim (used as a Pretext for Censorship) that Deadly Incidents as that, f.ex. of Offenburg (Comp. Supra), would "not have a National/Federal Interest" (sic !)... + In Addition, it also clearly shows that the above-mentioned Problems have obviously reached a Level after which it's Not Credible, neither Sufficient at all, to merely Claim, once again, that all those Mass Migration Issues would be efficiently addressed just by another Promise to "Strengthen the Monitoring of EU's External Borders"... That's obviously a Good Move, but it does Not Address at all the currently "Hot" Issues (illustrated particularly after this New Series of Knife Attacks) about People's Need and Demand, here and now, for "Protection and Safety" inside Europe, (Comp. Supra). Chancellor Angie Merkel had revealed, a Year ago, that the Number of those Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants, among the 1,5 Million who came, already since 2015-2016, to Europe through the Balkans Route after intruding via Turkey, but whose Demands had been checked and found False, so that they were ready to be Deported, was, in fact, quite Limited, almost Tiny, comparatively. And most among the Perpetrators of those Recent Murders had Not been yet Deported, neither detained, until they Killed innocent Civilian People. Therefore, once again, here too, it's obvious that a Stronger Monitoring of EU's External Borders would be Good, but blatantly Insufficient, Nowadays. A fortiori when "FRONTEX"'s Interventions are Limited, in real Practice, into merely practicing the role of a ... "TAXI", (as Italy's Beppe Grillo had notoriously Denounced about alleged CoastGuards, whose activities, in fact, are Limited into merely ...Helping Bring inside Europe even More "Refugees", withOut doing practicaly Nothing in order to Stop them. (As also Many relevant Press Releases about the Recent Activities of "FRONTEX" around the Greek Islands of Aegean Sea, Facing the Turkish Coasts, clearly reveal, since they only speak about the "Rescue" or Facilitation of "Refugees"/Mass Migrants to enter Europe through Turkey and via Greece, withOut even mentioning any Attempt at all to Stop Smuggling them !).... These are obviously important critical points to take into account before final Political Decisions, f.ex. at the forthcoming Salzburg EU Summit Next Week in Austria. (../..) ------------------------------ *** (NDLR : Full initial INTW to "Handelsblatt", 13/9/2018, at : https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/bundestagspraesident-im-interview-mein-respekt-nahm-ab-wolfgang-schaeuble-spricht-ueber-sein-verhaeltnis-zur-bankenbranche/23054964.html) *** All3DP, a Munich, Germany-based operator of a global Internet platform for 3D printing, completed a current financing round as a part of the A2 Series closing. The new round was led by Bayern Kapital with two new Business Angels from the BayStartUP investor network. The company intends to use the funds to continue to grow operations and to expand its market position. Founded in 2014 by Mathias Plica, managing director, All3DP operates the online magazine All3DP.com, which informs about the possibilities of 3D printing in the consumer and business segments, and a price comparison platform, which connects its users to 3D printing service providers. The platforms customers come from all continents, but mainly from North America and Europe. More than 800,000 users visit the website every month, 40% of them from North America. FinSMEs 18/09/2018 Indigo Ag, Inc., a Boston, MA-based food production company, closed a $250M Series E funding round. Backers included Baillie Gifford, Investment Corporation of Dubai, the Alaska Permanent Fund, and the companys founder, Flagship Pioneering. The company, which has raised over $650M in total capital raised to date, intends to use the funds to execute on its product portfolio. Led by David Perry, President and CEO, Indigo Ag uses algorithms and machine learning to develop microbial products that increase crop yields in the face of environmental, disease, and pest stress. Indigo works with growers to sustainably produce high quality harvests. The company then connects growers and buyers directly to bring these harvests to market. Utilizing beneficial plant microbes to improve crop health and productivity, Indigos portfolio is focused on cotton, wheat, corn, soybeans, and rice. The company also announced the launch of Indigo Marketplace, a digital platform for buying and selling grain. Buyers can source grain with a range of characteristics (e.g. protein content, milling quality, variety) and production practices (e.g. organic, rain-fed, non-GM). In turn, growers may be paid a price premium based on the quality and identity of their crop. In addition, Indigo facilitates grain quality testing, transportation, and payment, all of which is managed through the platform. The company is licensed as a grain dealer across the 40 states in which it currently operates and expects licenses in the balance in the coming months. It has additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Sydney, Australia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. FinSMEs 18/09/2018 Nosto, a Helsinki, Finland-based provider of ecommerce personalization and artificial intelligence (AI) tools for retail, closed a USD $7.4m round of funding. The round, which brought total funding raised to date to more than $25m, was led by Tesi, Open Ocean and Idinvest. The company intends to use the new funds to invest in its machine learning core, omni-channel personalization and continued international expansion. Led by Jim Lofgren, CEO, Nosto provides an ecommerce personalization and retail AI platform serving more than 2,500 retail brands in more than 100 countries, Its personalization platform provides deep customer insights that drive real-time personalized shopping experiences across any touch point and any device through patented technology, proprietary machine learning algorithms, vast network of ecommerce data and dedicated customer success team. The company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm and Helsinki. FinSMEs 18/09/2018 Tamr Inc., a Cambridge, MA-based provider of a data unification platform, closed $10m in new equity funding. Backers included participation from Pear Tree Partners and Granite Hill Capital Partners. The new financing adds to the companys recent $18m raise announced in July. The company intends to use the funds to continue to grow operations. Co-founded by Andy Palmer, CEO, and Mike Stonebraker, Tamr provides an enterprise-scale data unification platform, which uses machine learning supplemented with customers knowledge to unify and prepare data across myriad silos to deliver insights. The solution based on the companys patented enterprise data unification software platform, Unify, is used by companies like GE, Toyota, Thomson Reuters, and GSK. Tamr also announced the appointment of new Board Observers in conjunction with its recent financing including: John McClellan, Partner at Pear Tree Partners; Masataka Otomo, Venture Capitalist at SBI Investment; and Mona Vernon, CTO of Thomson Reuters Labs. FinSMEs 18/09/2018 An American friend asked me: "Why is China successful?" This summer I went to east China's Zhejiang Province on holiday. The region has the most vibrant economy in the country. I asked my local guide what is the one word that defines his compatriots, and he said, "eagerness." That sums up who we are as Chinese. Chinese labor productivity grows at 9 percent annually, the highest in the world. The country has maintained a strong labor force and high rates of working women. This year, China broke into the world's top-20 most innovative economies for the first time. American multinational conglomerate General Electric started doing business in China as early as 1906, with its slogan "In China, For China." R&D from its 2,500 Chinese engineers has made GE even more competitive. When Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997) started China's reform and opening up 40 years ago, he not only shook up a stagnant economy, but also set the imagination of Chinese people free. Farmers were no longer chained to the field, workers were no more burdened by travail, and entrepreneurs became truly enterprising. In droves, Chinese people became porters and builders, canners and caterers, engineers and researchers, phone makers and shop owners. They are the beating heart of a growing economy and the backbone of an aspiring nation. Like the American pioneers in the West, they deserve every respect for their human ingenuity and determination. They are the real Chinese at their best. They are the good part of humanity. You may ask what is the government's role in all of this? I'd say it is the catalyst. The true chemistry is generated by the hands and feet of hundreds of millions of Chinese workers. I know some Americans perceive China as a "thief, robber and plotter" because it is richer, better, stronger and different. But this is not only wrong, it misses the point. Like a speeding car, China powers ahead because of a strong engine not because it jumps lanes. No one should be blamed for making efforts, especially if they are willing to join hands with others. In this sense, the Chinese share the same dream as Africans, Europeans and Americans. Colin Powell once said diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs. A great statesman stands tall because he understands humanity in friends and in opponents. The Chinese and American people are at another historical crossroad. Some say we are only connected by wallets; I don't agree. We are connected in more fundamental ways in our creativity, aspirations, and introspections. How we imagine each other will not only affect others, it will define who we are. English author Rudyard Kipling says "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." But adds, "There is neither East nor West when two strong men stand face to face." via.CGTN) Editor: WPY . , , . , TACC. " ... Addressing the Vietnam-Bulgaria Business Forum in Hanoi on September 18, the Bulgarian official hailed Vietnam as not only a traditional trading partner but also an important partner of Bulgaria in Southeast Asia. Bulgaria is willing to support the specific initiatives of the two sides enterprises, as well as strengthen exchanges and cooperation between Vietnamese and Bulgarian companies, in order to improve the trade and investment ties between the two countries, he said. Karanikolov affirmed the Bulgarian sides readiness to facilitate Vietnams investment in the areas of information technology, agriculture, services, transport and tourism, while creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to participate in Bulgarias industrial parks and high-tech parks. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Cao Quoc Hung, addresses the forum. (Photo: VOV) Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Cao Quoc Hung, said that Vietnam and Bulgaria reported US$109.16 million in two-way trade revenues last year, with Vietnam having exported US$38.36 million worth of commodities to Bulgaria. In the first eight months of 2018, two-way trade reached more than US$55 million, with Vietnam exporting roughly US$21.6 million worth of goods to the European nation. Bulgaria currently ranks 65th out of the 129 countries and territories directly investing in Vietnam, with nine foreign direct investment (FDI) projects remaining valid with a total registered capital of approximately US$31 million, he stated. Hung suggested that the two countries enterprises pay greater attention to exploiting each others potentials and advantages while strengthening trade promotion activities via meetings, workshops and international fairs, thereby designing appropriate business and investment strategies in each others market. According to Doan Duy Khuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vietnam and Bulgaria have many supplementary areas, including agriculture, healthcare, biotechnology, information technology and education-training. An overview of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Business Forum. (Photo: VOV) 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. Police in Arizona on Monday retrieved the bodies of four men who were apparently killed when their ATV drove off of a 400-foot cliff and ignited a 10-acre wildfire on Saturday. The crash occurred on a Forest Service road near Payson, between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Tire tracks found in the gravel suggest that the vehicle failed to negotiate a turn. 75-YEAR-OLD MAN TRAPPED IN CAR 13 HOURS WHEN POWER LOCKS FAIL Rescue efforts were hampered by the fire, which was spotted after the men were reported missing, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office said. The names of the victims have not been released and an investigation into the incident continues. With AP A truck built for Americas warfighters will be auctioned this month to help wounded ones. Pettys Garage, the custom shop run by NASCAR legend Richard Petty, has designed a special Warrior Edition Ford F-150 to be sold through Military Auto Source exclusively to active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The powerful pickup is powered by a 750 hp supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that breathes through a cat back Magnaflow dual exhaust with side pipes. The crew cab truck features a two-inch front leveling kit, Fox Racing shocks, flared fenders, 20-inch off-road wheels and a unique hood. Bed decals finish the look with a splash of The Kings iconic Petty Blue. Pricing for the production trucks has not yet been announced, but the first one will be offered at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas on September 27, with all of the proceeds earmarked for the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization. MORE TRUCK NEWS FROM FOX NEWS AUTOS Audi unveiled its hotly-anticipated E-Tron SUV on Monday night, and it looks surprisingly conventional given its role as the companys vanguard into the high-end electric car arena, where it will do battle with the head-turning Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace. Its battery-powered bona fides are on point, however, with an estimated range of 250 miles per charge and the capability to fill its 95 kilowatt-hour battery pack to 80 percent in as few as 30 minutes when plugged into the network of fast charging stations that parent company Volkswagens Electrify America unit plans to build as pennance for "Dieselgate." The all-wheel-drive E-Tron is powered by dual motors with a larger one in the rear - and its standard air suspension can raise it three inches for light off-roading capabilities. The official power output has not been released, but Audi said it can do the benchmark 0-60 mph sprint in about 5.5 sec. Similar in size to the Audis popular Q5, the E-Tron starts at $75,795, and a refundable $1,000 will get you on the waiting list for one when deliveries begin early next year. Alex Borstein had a big night at the Emmys, scooping up the award for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and chose an appropriately big-deal dress for the occasion: her wedding gown. This was from 20 years ago, Borstein, 47, told Glamour on the red carpet. The marriage didnt last, but the dress did. And I wanted to give it new life, so now its my Emmy dress. Before walking up to the stage to accept her award, Borstein did a quick change, stripping off her matching wrap-front bolero jacket. As for the opening line to the stars acceptance speech? I went without the bra. This article originally appeared in the New York Post. The delegation of Vietnamese enterprises features several famous brand names in the field of agricultural and aquatic product processing, such as Da Kao, Nam Viet, Pearl, Tan Phat, Hanoi Trade Joint Stock Corporation, Trung Nguyen Group, and TH Group. They are showcasing various Vietnamese products, such as cashews, tea, coffee, canned tuna and dairy products. Vietnamese businesses have expressed their hope that the event will promote Vietnamese agricultural products to Russian consumers, while allowing them to find partners to export their products to the Russian market. Located in the exhibition area for the Vietnam delegation are more than 10 booths run by Vietnamese enterprises. The rich and diversified goods have attracted great attention from local businesses and visitors. Trislap, a Russian professor from Riazan city, about 200km from Moscow, expressed his interest in Vietnamese products to Nhan Dan Newspapers Russia correspondent: "I am very interested in coffee products, especially Vietnamese coffee because I often enjoy the very good coffee presented by Vietnamese people at my school. I have come to this fair to look for the different coffee products like the ones I have already tasted. A booth for Vietnamese coffee producer Trung Nguyen Group. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Acting Head of the Department of Agro-product Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said that his ministry is focusing on expanding trade promotion and market development in Russia and Eastern Europe, in addition to traditional markets, such as China and ASEAN. As the 2018 WorldFood Moscow is a large-scale international trade fair gathering many major brands, the appearance of Vietnamese enterprises is very important, he said, adding that the Vietnamese enterprises booths have attracted a large number of visitors, which is proof of the attractiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products to Russian customers. Within the framework of the event, the MARD will organise a trade conference between Vietnamese enterprises and Russian ones, aiming to help Russian companies better understand Vietnamese agricultural products, so that they can find partners and sign business cooperation contracts. The 27th WorldFood Moscow expo attracts more than 1,500 companies from 62 countries and territories. At the last edition of the event, there were nearly 30,000 visitors to the fair. The 70th Annual Emmy Awards kicked off with a slew of political jokes and jabs as expected. But one remark from co-host Michael Che left many viewers upset. During Che's opening monologue with his fellow "Saturday Night Live" star Colin Jost, Che explained that his mother would not be watching the show on Monday night. "My mother is not watching," Che said. "She says she doesnt like watching white award shows because you guys dont thank Jesus enough." He continued, "Thats true. The only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex-crackheads." The joke didn't sit well with some viewers who took to Twitter to complain. "Okay @DaytimeEmmys #MichaelChe I am not a Republican neither an ex- crack head do I get to thank #Jesus according to your standards? Im a believer any and WILL thank JESUS! Really bad writing," one user wrote. "More Colin Just and Michael Che's opening monologue bombed harder than I ever could have dreamed," another tweeted. "Michael Che - do not knock JC - Jesus is just all right with me." "This has to be one of the dumbest remarks Ive ever heard from some Hollywood actor. Absolutely outrageous!" another tweet read. Before Che and Jost took the stage, the Emmys started with a song whose chorus was "We Solved It," a comic ode to the diversity of nominees and Hollywood self-satisfaction. "Saturday Night Live" stars and Emmy nominees Monday night Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson started the song, pointing out that Sandra Oh could become the first woman of Asian descent to win an Emmy. The comedians sang: "There were none, now there's one, so we're done." They were joined by Tituss Burgess, Kristen Bell, Sterling K. Brown and Ricky Martin, who declared the song "too white" and gave it a Latin turn. Andy Samberg showed up to ask in song if there was a place for a straight white male in the song before being sent off. Martin and Samberg were met with loud cheers inside Microsoft Theater. The Associated Press contributed to this report. It only took Henry Winkler more than four decades to take home his first Emmy of his career after he was first nominated for his role as The Fonz in "Happy Days" in 1976. Winkler, 72, looked bowled over when he won for best supporting actor in a comedy series on Monday for his role as Gene Cousineau on HBO's dark comedy "Barry." Once he took the stage amid roaring applause and a standing ovation, Winkler joked that he wrote his speech 43 years ago. Then Winkler quoted some advice he got in Hollywood, saying that "if you stay at the table long enough, the chips come to you." "Tonight I got to clear the table," he said. Winkler was nominated three times for his work on "Happy Days," in 1976, 1977 and 1978. His character Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli spawned a cultural craze and made him one of the biggest stars on TV. Winkler also was nominated for an Emmy in 1979 for an informational program and most recently in 2000 as a guest actor in "The Practice." Backstage after his win, Winkler joked with reporters that he was wearing rubber pants with a little powder, just in case he wet himself if he won. "But I had control," he joked. He expressed wonder at the win and the path his life and career have taken, saying he dreamed of being an actor when he was 7 years old living in New York City "with short German Jewish parents who did not want me to be an actor." "I was 27 when I started doing The Fonz. I'm now 72 and I'm standing right here in front of you with her," Winkler said, referring to his Emmy statuette. "Wow." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sandra Oh came close to making history at the Emmys. The 47-year-old actress missed out on becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win an Emmy in the lead actress category, in either comedy or drama, at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night. Oh already made history as the first Asian woman to be nominated in for her stellar lead performance as MI-6 agent Eve Polastri in BBC America's critically-acclaimed series, "Killing Eve." Claire Foy, who was named this year's winner, even acknowledged that she was a surprising choice for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy category. "This wasn't supposed to happen," Foy said when she took the stage to collect her first career Emmy. "Sandra Oh, I just love ya." Fans on social media took to Twitter to express their feelings on Oh's close Emmy call, many feeling she was robbed: Before the Emmy telecast, Oh opened up about the significance of her nomination, but cautioned people to be patient, as progress takes time, she said. Sandra Oh Reacts to History-Making Emmy Nomination: 'I Share This Moment With My Community' "Images are extremely important to culture, and being a part of that image making, I take a great responsibility, and I'm very grateful for my job to be able to do so. I hope that the wave continues and we see real change," she told ET's Kevin Frazier at the Emmys carpet on Monday. "But it's also [important] to be patient, you know what I mean? Because change is slow and I don't want people to ever give up on it." Emmys 2018: Sandra Oh Is the First Asian Woman Nominated in a Lead Actress Category "We can talk about how long it is, but change does take a long time, so the more that we talk about it, the more that we have opportunities to be in front of an audience, to say, 'Hey, we're a part of culture too,' I think just the better," Oh added. Oh's near-Emmy victory would have been a huge accomplishment for Asian actors in Hollywood, as she was the first Asian woman to be lauded by the Television Academy for a lead performance. Oh's would be-achievement would have come at a crucial moment in her career; "Killing Eve" marked her first major lead role after a solid career in supporting parts. Prior to this year, Oh previously earned five Emmy nominations in the supporting drama actress category from 2005 to 2009 for her portrayal of Dr. Cristina Yang on "Grey's Anatomy," but never won. Oh, who is Korean-Canadian, was up against formidable competition in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, which included last year's winner Elisabeth Moss for "The Handmaid's Tale," Foy for "The Crown," Tatiana Maslany for "Orphan Black," Keri Russell for "The Americans" and Evan Rachel Wood for "Westworld." Emmys 2018: Presenters Include Sandra Oh and Kit Harington Previous actors of Asian descent to win acting Emmys for their performances are few and far between. In 2010, "The Good Wife's" Archie Panjabi -- who is British-Indian -- was the first to win an acting Emmy, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 2017, Riz Ahmed -- who is British-Pakistani -- was the second to win for "The Night Of" in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category. Ahmed was also the first Asian actor, male or female, to win an Emmy for a lead role. In the 10-episode "Killing Eve," Oh plays Eve, a bored, desk-bound MI-5 officer who becomes entrenched in the high-stakes world of a brilliant psychopathic assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer) -- the latest killer she's been ordered to bring down. As their cat-and-mouse game intensifies, Eve's obsession with Villanelle reaches dangerous proportions. It's a character that holds special meaning for Oh, who spent most of her film and television career in largely supporting parts. Following her history-making nomination in July, Oh issued a statement to ET expressing her joy. "I feel tremendous gratitude and joy with this nomination. I am thrilled for [creator] Phoebe Waller-Bridges nomination and for the entire cast/crew of 'Killing Eve.' I share this moment with my community," she said. "P.S. I think my mother at this moment may actually be satisfied." In an interview with the New York Times, Oh welcomed her historic Emmy nomination, saying in July, "We've got to start somewhere. And Im happy to get that ball rolling, because what I hope happens is that next year and the next year and the next year, we will have presence. And the presence will grow not only to Asian-Americans, you know, from yellow to brown, but to all our other sisters and brothers... If I can be a part of that change, like [expletive], yeah, lets celebrate it." As one of just a handful of visible Asian actors working in film and television, Oh was candid when she spoke with ET in January about the importance of making sure she played her part in showing that people who looked like her are capable of subverting stereotypes. "I feel acutely aware of how important it is and I absolutely want to be a part of it in the best way possible," Oh said while promoting "Killing Eve." "The best way possible that I know how is to find the most interesting material and to do my best work for it. Its too important to not care about it or to not try and be out of the box in some sort of way." "The central voice of the show is a woman. The lead characters are women," she continued. "The people producing are women. There is still a lot more work to do in diversity in front and behind the camera, but to be actively involved in creating something... Where can I go and see myself in some way? Oh said she hopes the Asian community continues to be proactive about getting their voices and stories out into the world (a la the uber-successful "Crazy Rich Asians," Netflix's acclaimed teen romance "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," John Cho's equally revered thriller "Searching" and TV's "Fresh Off the Boat"). As she tells it, she feels more comfortable navigating this through creative avenues with color-blind roles like "Killing Eve" rather than politically. Definitely understanding deeply that its not enough and to encourage our own community to find its own voice in its own way, thats one thing that I feel we have not found our own footing yet. Because it has to be from us, uniquely in us, and theres a lot to explore in that because Asians are very, very diverse," Oh said. "Having been actively working in this space, where there has not been much representation at all and being [one] of the only visible faces, I feel like this is the only way that it works for me, I only look at it creatively. Any other way just isnt right for me." ABC News chief political analyst Matthew Dowd was slammed after calling Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas a sexual predator on Twitter when apparently attempting to smear Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. It was despicable and outrageous what happened to Anita Hill more than 25 years ago, and a sexual predator was given a lifetime seat on the SC. Lets hope history doesnt repeat itself in 2018, Dowd tweeted on Monday, obviously referring to a sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh. Justice Thomas, a conservative appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, faced an accusation that he had sexually harassed attorney Anita Hill during his confirmation process back in 1991. Under oath, Thomas repeatedly denied accusations from Hill that he talked about pornography, made inappropriate comments and sexually harassed her when she worked for him at the Department of Education. Hills accusations resulted in last-minute hearings but Thomas was confirmed and has spent the past 27 years on the bench. Dowds tweet was mocked by followers who called the comment despicable and disgraceful. Dowd is a bad joke, and his "independent" schtick is the second-funniest racket in Washington media after the @washingtonpost's "center-right" columnist, Free Beacon managing editor David Rutz wrote. Fox News contributor Sebastian Gorka said, THIS is why @realDonaldTrump is utterly justified in labeling the #FAKENEWS Media the Enemy of People. When accused of hypocrisy, Down responded, I have called Bill Clinton a sexual predator numerous times. Christine Blasey Ford publicly came forward Sunday to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual assault decades ago when they were both teenagers in prep school. The accusation immediately sparked comparisons to the situation surrounding Thomas. Earlier this year long before allegations against Kavanaugh surfaced -- Thomas was asked about the grueling confirmation process during an on-stage interview at the Library of Congress in Washington. I dont think the process is what it ought to be, Thomas said. I think that these are serious jobs, and they should be serious. I dont think they should become spectacles. Thomas continued: This is not the Roman Colosseum Were not gladiators. And I think were going to lose some of our best people who choose not to go through the ordeal. They dont want to have to fight the lion in order to be a judge or to be in government. And I think its our own fault for allowing this to happen. ABC News did not respond to a request for comment. Fox News Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Alex Pappas and Adam Shaw contributed to this report. Asia Argento tweeted Tuesday that Rose McGowan will be hearing from her lawyers shortly after she failed to retract her statement claiming the Italian actress admitted to having sex with Jimmy Bennett. To @rosemcgowan. The 24hr deadline given to retract your recent false statements about me has now passed. I must inform you & @raindovemodel that Ive instructed [law firm] Mishcon de Reya to seek substantial damages for deception, fraud, coercion and libel. You will hear from them shortly, Argento tweeted Tuesday. Argento threatened Monday to sue McGowan if she did not retract and apologize for the horrendous lies in her Aug. 27 statement. ASIA ARGENTO THREATENS TO SUE ROSE MCGOWAN OVER STATEMENT ON JIMMY BENNETT SEX ASSAULT CASE McGowan said in her previous statement that Argento texted her partner, model Rain Dove, saying she did sleep with Bennett and that she had been receiving unsolicited nudes of the actor since he was 12. The texts were published by TMZ just days before McGowans statement. "I received a phone call and series of messages from the being Ive been dating - Rain Dove. They said that they had been texting with Asia and that Asia had revealed that she had indeed slept with Jimmy Bennett," the actress said. "Asia mentioned in these texts that she didnt take any action on those images. No reporting to authorities, to the parents, or blocking of Jimmys social media. Not even a simple message 'Dont send me these images. They are inappropriate.'" There were a few other details revealed as well that I am not at liberty to mention in this statement as investigators do their job, she added. McGowan added that Argento said she was being extorted each month. Asia had mentioned that she was being extorted for a large sum of money every month by someone who was blackmailing them with a provocative image, McGowan wrote. No one in the room knew who the extortionist was. Now we know it to be a reference to this case. ASIA ARGENTO ACCUSER JIMMY BENNETT BREAKS SILENCE ON SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION The New York Times first reported the alleged sexual encounter between Argento and Bennett when she was 37 and he was 17, below the age of consent in California. Citing court documents, Argento, through her late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain, paid roughly $380,000 to Bennett after he confronted her regarding an alleged sexual encounter that took place in 2013 in a Ritz-Carlton hotel room in Marina Del Rey, Calif. During the alleged incident, Argento showed Bennett notes that she previously wrote to him and gave him alcohol. She kissed him, pushed him back on the bed, performed oral sex on him and then the two had intercourse, according to The New York Times. Argento, now 42, has denied the accusations, saying in a previous statement: I strongly deny and oppose the contents of the New York Times article dated 20 August 2018, as circulated also in national and international news. "I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false. I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett. Correction: An earlier version of this headline incorrectly stated that Reynolds' did not provide for his son. Reynolds left a trust for Quinton Anderson Reynolds. Burt Reynolds left his niece in charge of executing his will instead of his only son. According to court documents obtained by The Blast Monday, the late star named his niece Nancy Lee Brown Hess as the personal representative of his estate. The will was filed in Florida on Friday and was previously signed by the actor in October 2011. The documents revealed that the Smokey and the Bandit icon put his possessions into a trust that Hess will now control. However, he did not forget his son Quinton Anderson Reynolds, whom he adopted with his ex-wife, actress Loni Anderson. In the will, Reynolds said he will provide for the 30-year-old through a trust. I intentionally omit him from this, my Last Will and Testament, as I have provided for him during my lifetime in my Declaration of Trust, wrote Reynolds. A rep for Reynolds did not immediately respond to Fox News request for comment. Reynolds died on Sept. 6 at age 82 of cardiac arrest. Hours after his passing, Anderson, now 73, and Quinton told Fox News they will miss him and his great laugh. Burt was a wonderful director and actor, Anderson wrote. He was a big part of my life for twelve years and Quintons father for thirty years. We will miss him and his great laugh. Reynolds wed Anderson in 1988. The couple were married for six years before calling it quits in 1994. Reynolds once hailed Quinton as his greatest achievement in life. He is my greatest achievement, Reynolds recently told Closer Weekly before his death. Hes a wonderful young man and is now working as a camera assistant in Hollywood. He never asked for any help with his career, he did it all himself, and Im so proud of him. I love him very much. The Hollywood star insisted he had no life regrets. Theres nothing I can do about things that werent happy or good, he explained. I just try not to dwell on those. Regrets are not healthy its best to try and let go of those things that cant be changed. All of my experiences made me who I am today, and Im grateful for the positive ones. I dont think of my past as anything negative, and if it is negative, Ive forgotten it! Reynolds Hollywood career skyrocketed in the 70s after his breakout film role as Lewis Medlock in 1972s Deliverance. He went on to appear in nearly 200 films throughout his lifetime. He received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of adult film director Jack Horner in 1997s Boogie Nights. Despite Monday nights Emmy telecast being packed to the rafters with Peacock Network promos, there was still room for a handful of jokes regarding the crackdown on sexual assault in show business, some of which touched on the network's own misconduct woes. NBCs Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che co-hosted the event and their opening monologue poked fun at #MeToo despite NBC News Chairman Andy Lack and his top deputy, Noah Oppenheim, coming under scrutiny for the way theyve handled the historical movement. It is an honor to be here sharing this night with the many, many talented and creative people in Hollywood who havent been caught yet, Che said before Jost noted that audience members were allowed to drink in their seats this year. Yeah, because the one thing Hollywood needs right now is people losing their inhibitions at a work function, he joked. Things got particularly awkward when Jost made a crack about former NBC News reporter Ronan Farrow, who has been a star of the #MeToo movement and recently revealed sexual misconduct allegations against now-former CBS honcho Les Moonves. Netflix, of course, has the most nominations tonight. And, if youre a network executive, thats the scariest thing you could possibly hear except maybe, Sir, Ronan Farrow is on line one, Jost said to a loud applause. Its safe to assume Lack and Oppenheim werent laughing. The embattled duo famously refused to air Farrows reporting on Harvey Weinstein claiming it wasnt fit for air. But then Farrow took his work to the prestigious New Yorker and ultimately won the Pulitzer Prize and helped launch the #MeToo movement with the outing of Weinstein. While Che and Jost made a few wisecracks related to the #MeToo movement, there was no serious mention of the crackdown on sexual harassment in the industry. The women who have come forward were not honored whatsoever, as they have been in previous award shows. New York Post pop culture guru Maureen Callahan went so far as to call NBCs show tone deaf and in a scathing review. The first Emmy Awards ceremony of the #MeToo era was remarkable in one regard: It was utterly toothless, Callahan wrote. The entire plague of sexual abuse in Hollywood was almost completely ignored. The high-powered Lack recently released a 10-page memo addressing allegations by a former NBC News producer Rich McHugh -- who was working with Farrow on the Weinstein probe -- that they were ordered to kill the report following directions from "the very highest levels at NBC." Farrow, McHugh, a former Weinstein Company employee and Weinstein accuser Emily Nestor all have condemned Lacks memo publicly, insinuating that the disgraced Hollywood heavyweight would have been exposed as a sexual predator much sooner if it werent for NBC. Linda Vester, a former NBC correspondent who has accused anchor Tom Brokaw of sexual harassment, recently called on the network to conduct an independent investigation of misconduct in the news division. She told Fox News that Colin Jost and Michael Che may have been joking about TV executives fearing Ronan Farrow, but she feels the reality is quite serious. Farrow is leading the journalistic charge to break the wall of silence certain networks, including NBC, have kept around their sex scandals. Where Ronan has led, other reporters are following, and its going to be a painful reckoning, Vester said. Farrow has said he will tell his side of the Weinstein story in an upcoming book, Catch and Kill, which is expected to place blame on top NBC executives including Lack and Oppenheim. NBC also made a batch of negative #MeToo-era headlines when Lack refused to allow an outside counsel to investigate who knew about former Today star Matt Lauers sexual wrongdoings. Instead of enlisting a white-shoe law firm which has of late been de rigueur for other news organizations dealing with sex harassment NBC allowed General Counsel Kim Harris to conduct the review. Harris internal review eventually declared that NBC management was completely oblivious to Lauers pervy behavior. The results of the NBC review were mocked by media watchdogs and NBC employees alike, while former NBC News star Ann Curry declared she did not participate despite expressing publicly to the Washington Post that she had complained to senior NBC News executives about Lauers behavior. Rumors have been swirling around the media industry for weeks that The Daily Beast is close to dropping a bombshell report that will detail additional wrongdoings at NBC. While NBCs handling of sexual harassment issues during the #MeToo movement has been questioned, the network clearly excels at self-promotion. The entire broadcast was packed with past and present SNL personalities and a promo for upcoming NBC drama New Amsterdam ran during the closing credits. Vanity Fair even published a story headlined, How Lorne Michaels Turned the Emmys into a Commercial for SNL, which pointed out that Michaels the SNL creator produced the ceremony. The night ended up being one long commercial for the show, Vanity Fairs Joanna Robinson wrote. Throughout the night, SNL alums and current cast members represented an unusually high percentage of Emmy presenters. Attention, exotic animal enthusiasts: The Irwin family is returning to television. Their new show Crikey! Its the Irwins," will debut on Animal Planet on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. ET. It will follow Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin as they care for more than 1,200 animals at the Australia Zoo, located in Queensland, the Orlando Sentinel reported. 'SESAME STREET' CONFIRMS BERT AND ERNIE'S SEXUAL ORIENTATION AFTER FORMER WRITER'S COMMENTS The show comes more than 10 years after the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, who died in 2006 from a stingray injury. We work together, we live together. I love our animals and I love living here, Terri, 54, told People. Were excited to share our work at Australia Zoo and our conservation adventures with the Animal Planet audiences all around the world, she added. BINDI IRWIN POSTS TRIBUTE HONORING HER FATHER STEVE ON 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH The show will follow Bindi as she works at the zoos wildlife hospital, while her 14-year-old brother, Robert, will work with crocodiles, much like his father, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Were all about carrying on in our dads footsteps, Bindi, 20, told People. When Kit Harington first appeared on "Game of Thrones" in 2011, he didn't realize just how much his life was about to change. Speaking to reporters backstage after the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, Harington awknowledged that playing Jon Snow not only gave him a chance to be a part of a highly succesful series, but it also gave him his "future family." "I met my wife on this show, in that way it gave me my future family," the 31-year-old actor, who wed co-star Rose Leslie earlier this year, said. "That's the main thing it did for me." He continued: "It's changed it completely. The last 10 years. You cannot ask for a better job to have in your twenties, to take you through your twenties than to be an actor in 'Game of Thrones.' It's been the most amazing thing. It's changed it completely." In June, Harington and Leslie tied the knot at the actress' family castle in Scotland after meeting six years ago on the set of the HBO fantasy series. The pair played a couple as the characters Jon Snow and Ygritte. Leslie left the cast in 2014 and currently stars in U.S. legal drama "The Good Fight." The eighth and final season of "Game of Thrones" is set to air in 2019. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Huong said that, although the Thai ethnic group in Nghe An province have developed a unique weaving method using silk and cotton, their products are not widely marketed to customers. Therefore, she invited the locales to adopt their weaving method in her Ao Dai outfits with a hope that her designs would help to tell an interesting side of the indigenous culture of Thai people to customers. In the same effort to promote the charm of Vietnamese ethnic groups culture, during her visit to A Luoi mountainous district in the central province of Thua Thien Hue, Huong had the locales weave their traditional and characterise patterns on her textile fabrics, which she then brought home for her Ao Dai designs. When she gave feedback from her outcomes to the locals, they were surprised at the way their pieces of weaving were combined with Ao Dai creations. Following the success of the two working trips, Huong has also visited weaving villages of the Hmong ethnic people in Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province, and Dong Van district, Ha Giang province, to create similar orders with the locals. In addition to displaying samples of traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai, her fashion house in Hanois Tay Ho district also introduces to visitors how to apply the art of brocade weaving, the Dong Ho and Hang Trong folk paintings in the design and how to make an Ao Dai. Thanks to Huong, products from these traditional weaving villages have become more marketable, contributing to improving the locals income. Over the past few years, Lan Huong has also visited traditional crafts in suburban areas in Hanoi, as well as those located in the mountainous areas in the northern and central regions, to join hand with the local residents in reviving their long-standing practices, such as silver carving, embroidery, and footwear making. Huong has brought her Ao Dai collections to many countries around the world, including the Hotel de ville de Paris (Paris Municipal Administration), as well as museums in New York and Berlin, among other fashion stages at home and abroad. She shared that she wanted to introduce products which were totally made manually by Vietnamese people, using 100% Vietnamese materials, to international friends. Her collections have received a lot of compliments and acknowledgement from many foreign designers and they even asked her to take them to the traditional craft villages to make orders for their own products. In December 2016, Huong officially launched a Vietnamese Ao Dai space at her own Fashion House in Hanois Tay Ho district with an aim to provide visitors with a vivid overview of the traditional Vietnamese womens costume. The space is designed as a museum depicting the story of the Vietnamese outfit: its history of development, its different designs from various Vietnamese dynasties, and its popularity in the life Vietnamese people from the past until now. Visitors to the space can explore the process of making Ao dai, including designing, tailoring, embroidering and finishing them. They can also exchange talks with artisans from the silkworm farming villages of My Duc, Van Phuc Silk Village, Quat Dong Embroidery Village, and Trieu Khuc Weaving Village. Roseanne Barr has elaborated a bit on her previously announced plans to move to Israel as soon as The Conners premieres on ABC in October. Speaking on the Dr. Oz Show Tuesday, Barr, who is Jewish, was asked about previous claims she made that she would move out of the country to avoid being involved with the show. I dont want to be around, because, you know, I'll get drawn into a negative thing of defending myself, or being angry for being mischaracterized, she told the host. You know, I dont I want to stay away from it. I want to stay in a joyous, positive, happy place that I've worked my way to again in my life. Barr previously appeared on the Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Podcast where she announced that she was going to leave the U.S. for Israel when the spinoff to her wildly successful Roseanne reboot debuts. Im not going to curse it or bless it, Barr said of the upcoming spinoff (via People). Im staying neutral. Thats what I do. Im staying neutral. Im staying away from it. Not wishing bad on anyone, and I dont wish good for my enemies. I dont. I cant. I just stay neutral. Thats what I gotta do. I have some mental health issues of depression and stuff. I got to stay in the middle or Ill go dark, and I dont want to go dark again. Ive done it. After all, I was married to Tom Arnold. Barr was abruptly fired from her role on the ABC sitcom, which was canceled before being retooled as a spinoff that Barr will neither benefit from creatively nor financially. The decision was made after she posted a racist tweet directed at former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett in which she compared her to an ape and the muslim brotherhood. As for what she plans to do once shes relocated, Barr opened up to Dr. Oz explaining that she wants to study her Jewish background more. I want to be able to learn Hebrew, speak Hebrew fluently, because I read very slow. But I know the letters and I love the letters, but, I want to speak it, she explained. And also, Ive had quite a few teachers over the years that live there and, you know, I want to study. The appearance comes just one day after Barr was the butt of many jokes at the 2018 Emmy Awards, where several stars jabbed her for her political rhetoric and the abrupt cancellation of her show. Hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che noted in their opening monologue that shows like Last Man Standing and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were rescued from cancellation by other networks. Roseanne was canceled by herself, but picked up by white nationalists, Jost joked. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, a North Carolina synagogue said it plans to celebrate the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur as planned but there might be one problem. With Wilmington, one of North Carolinas largest cities, still mostly cut off by floodwaters from the hurricane, officials have begun distributing supplies and food to residents. But as the Chabad of Wilmington has already said it is prepared to open its doors to anyone who wants to pray and share in the upcoming holiday, it might not have enough kosher food for after the 24-hour fast ends Wednesday, The State newspaper reported. MEGHAN MARKLE RELEASING CHARITY COOKBOOK AS FIRST ROYAL SOLO PROJECT Yom Kippur, meaning Day of Atonement, begins Tuesday evening and lasts until Wednesday. Other Jewish organizations are racing to figure out how to get kosher food to the beleaguered communities in time including exploring the possibility of enlisting the help of military bases or the American Red Cross, according to Chabad.org. We have a truckload of kosher food for the community, but no way to get it to them, Rabbi Bentzion Groner, from Charlotte, told Chabad.org. HURRICANE FLORENCE COULD LEAVE DEADLY DISEASES, ILLNESSES IN ITS WAKE It will be days or weeks before trucks can resupply the city. And the shortages will continue to get worse, Chana Lieblich, a co-director of the Chabad of Wilmington, told the news outlet. There are about 3,000 Jewish residents in Wilmington, according to Chabad.org. Despite the shortage, the Chabad of Wilmington struck a more positive tone in a Facebook post. Yom Kippur is a time for reflection and renewal. A time to reconnect to G-d and start the year with a clean slate, it said. For those of us who have gone through the storm, who have to rebuild, clean up and move forward, we can certainly relate to the underlying theme that Yom Kippur represents. WAFFLE HOUSE CEO IN WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA HELPING KEEP RESTAURANTS OPEN AFTER HURRICANE FLORENCE So far, crews have conducted about 700 rescues in New Hanover County, where Wilmington is located. More than 60 percent of homes and businesses were without power, authorities said. At this time, things are moving as well as can be in the city, Mayor Bill Saffo said, adding that hes spoken with the governor about getting more fuel into the city. At least 32 people have died in the U.S. as a result of Hurricane Florence, once a powerful Category 4 storm that has since been reduced to a rainy, windy mass of low pressure. That figure includes 25 fatalities in just North Carolina. The Associated Press contributed to this report. MMA champion Conor McGregor has finally broken into the spirits game. The mixed martial artist announced the release of his new Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey an alcohol that, according to the press release, might have been a bit more than the Notorious athlete anticipated. It became a longer and more complicated project than originally expected, so McGregor turned to the worlds oldest whiskey distillery, located in Ireland, with a proven history of quality whiskey making. CONOR MCGREGOR ALLEGEDLY BLASTS TENNESSEE WHISKEY ON INSTAGRAM: ITS 'A CRIME' McGregor teamed up with David Elder, master distiller, previously of Guinness, to produce the Proper No. 12 brand alcohol. We created close to one hundred blends and ultimately selected what we knew was the one and only proper whiskey blend. We took the time to develop an incredible whiskey and Im excited to share it with the world, said McGregor. McGregor said he had been approached to endorse whiskeys over the years, but as a true born and bred Irishman, he wanted to create his own whiskey that would match his high standards and make his country proud, the press release said. The name of the whiskey itself Proper No. 12 is a reference to those Irish roots. CONOR MCGREGOR ANNOUNCES HE'LL 'TAKE OVER IRISH WHISKEY MARKET' WITH SIGNATURE BRAND I come from a place called Crumlin, in Dublin 12. Its a place dear to my heart. Its where I learned how to fight; it made me who I am today. Its a place Im still very much a part of every single day of my life. So, thats where the name came from. Its proper Irish whiskey and twelve is my hometown, said McGregor. Growing up on the streets of Dublin 12, I learned the values of loyalty and hard work. I respect other Irish whiskeys, but I am coming in strong, with passion and with purpose. I am the founder of this company and I am going to give it my all. And part of that all includes giving back the company has committed to donate $5 to local first responder organizations and charities for every case sold, up to $1 million annually. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS First responders all over the world are the unsung heroes who act with courage and answer the call of duty every day for people in need, McGregor said. I have great respect for these men and women. The 80-proof single-malt whiskey is launching in the United States and Ireland this month. Four little girls who all faced cancer together at Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital in Florida reunited earlier this month to pose for a monumental photo. They were all on active treatment the first time we did this, Alyssa Luciano, whose daughter Ava was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, like her friends Lauren and McKinley, told Fox 13 News. Its amazing to see how far theyve come from being bald little babies. The fourth member of their group, Chloe, was diagnosed with a rare lung cancer at around the same time. CALIFORNIA BOY, 1, BITTEN BY RATTLESNAKE AT DAYCARE, DAD CLAIMS The first time the four girls, now all between ages 4 and 5, gathered together for a photo shoot was in September 2016, and they were all dressed in pink. According to the hospital's blog, the photo shoot had been on the fly, but the girls became fast friends in the hospital halls during treatment. In September 2017, they gathered again for a special photo wearing T-shirts with motivational words on them. But this time, the girls were all able to don gold "survivor" T-shirts, making the photo even more meaningful. Were done, Laurens mom, Shawna Glynn, told the news outlet. She just rang the bell to signify that she has completed her treatment this past Monday. Glynn said the circumstances surrounding the girls friendship made it easier for them to cope. VIRGINIA WOMAN SEVERELY BURNED IN VAPE DEVICE EXPLOSION: REPORT Shes 3 years old and doesnt have any hair, but all of her friends in the hospital look the same way so it kind of gave her some normalcy. McKinleys mom, Karen Moore, said it was also reassuring to the parents, who quickly realized they werent alone. Just having other moms to relate to has been phenomenal, she told Fox 13 News. Just to have other people going through it at the same as us. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and the moms said they plan to meet again next year for another photo to track the girls recoveries. Health officials are attempting to combat a record number of syphilis cases in San Joaquin County after the area saw a 44 percent increase from 2016 to 2017, making it the second highest in the state. Were just trying to inform the public as much as possible that this is a public health concern in the county, Dr. Kismet Baldwin, a health officer with the countys health services, told Fox 40. If youre not treated you move onto the secondary stage and in the secondary stage you could have multiple sores like that but it could be in the mouth. The countys incident rate was 50.9 syphilis cases per 100,000 people in 2017, with only San Francisco tallying a higher number. Officials noted the danger of syphilis includes a risk to infants, as the sexually transmitted disease can be transferred to a fetus during pregnancy. TURMERIC BEHIND WOMAN'S LIVER PROBLEMS? According to the states department of public health, there were more babies born with congenital syphilis in California in 2017 than there had been since 1995, RecordNet.com reported. There have already been 16 cases of congenital syphilis so far this year. Syphilis can be cured with antibiotics, but treatment will not undo any damage already caused by the infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), syphilis can be spread by direct contact with a sore during sexual intercourse or oral sex. In pregnant women, it can lead to low birth weight, stillbirth, or premature delivery. If left untreated, babies may develop cataracts, deafness, seizures or death. Baldwin pointed to homelessness, changes in sexual behavior and a lack of access to proper health care as potential contributing factors for the increase, but said its hard to single any one factor out. CALIFORNIA BOY, 1, BITTEN BY RATTLESNAKE AT DAYCARE, DAD CLAIMS Its probably not going to end up being one thing, one specific thing, Baldwin told Fox 40. I think theres a lot of factors playing into it. County officials plan to offer testing to homeless individuals beginning next month, with one program coordinator saying that the population accounts for 20 percent of the syphilis cases. Ashleigh Gilleland was leaving a Florida restaurant with her fiance when she spotted a piece of paper folded underneath her car's windshield wipers. The 21-year-old from South Carolina, who evacuated the state due to Hurricane Florence, was expecting to find a nasty note about her parking instead, she found a letter that nearly brought her to tears. The handwritten note, written by a stranger, offered words of comfort for the Florence evacuee and included $5 and a Walmart gift card. "Saw your license plate is from South Carolina. Not sure if you evacuated from the storm, but just know Florida is praying for you and your state," the letter, signed by a woman named Chelsey, read. "When we had Irma, we evacuated to Alabama and received a similar letter on our car." 'LAWN MOWER PARENTS' ARE THE NEW 'HELICOPTER MOMS' Gilleland, who's expecting a baby boy in February, was stunned. "I was overwhelmed and automatically starting thinking about how I could pay it forward for someone else," Gilleland told Fox News. "The smallest gestures can make the biggest impacts on peoples lives." Gilleland and her fiance, David Greer, left their Myrtle Beach home on Wednesday and headed to Sarasota after receiving warnings about Florence, which made landfall near Wrightsville, North Carolina, on Friday as a Category 1 storm. At least 17 people 11 in North Carolina and six in South Carolina have died as a result of the powerful storm. The pair aren't sure how much damage their first floor apartment had as a result of Florence, but Gilleland is remaining positive. "Im hoping for the best," she said. "Fingers crossed we dont have any issues. Since the trip was so last minute, we really didnt even pack ... we kind of just took all of the clean clothes we had and the necessities and hit the road." 4 LITTLE GIRLS WHO BEAT CANCER REUNITE FOR TOUCHING PHOTO When Gilleland returns home, she's determined to find a way to spread the kindness she received from Chelsey. "I'm going to pay it forward once I get home because I know of all the devastation that has happened there over the past week. Myrtle beach needs some positivity," she added. Touched by Chelsey's sweet message, Gilleland posted a photo of the note and gift on her Facebook page. "This just made my day. Im so happy to know there are still great people in the world. Always pay it forward! Thank you Chelsey, I wish I could thank you in person," Gilleland wrote in the post, which has received nearly 7,000 shares as of Tuesday afternoon. Eventually, Gilleland was able to track down Chelsey and personally thank her for the gesture. "Just know I did it because I know exactly how it feels to have to evacuate," Chelsey told Gilleland in a Facebook message, which has been shared publicly. "It's a terrifying feeling and I have lived in Florida my whole life! That was my first time evacuating and I wanted to show the same kindness we received when we went to another state." Move over, helicopter parents and tiger moms a whole new breed of terrifying moms and dads has arrived, just in time for the new school year: the "lawn mower parent." In recent weeks, the so-called phenomenon of such parents has gone viral on Facebook after an anonymous middle school teacher shared the tale of a supposed run-in with a real-life lawn mower dad to educator blog WeAreTeachers. In the post titled "Lawnmower Parents Are the New Helicopter Parents & We Are Not Here for It, which has since received 2,300 likes and 12,000 shares on the social platform, the unnamed teacher recalls being summoned to the school's office to pick up something a parent dropped off for a student. Believing it would be an essential item, like an inhaler or money for dinner, the teacher was shocked to find that a father went out of his way to deliver an insulated water bottle for his daughter. NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER GOES VIRAL FOR '1,080TH DAY OF SCHOOL' SIGN "Lawnmower parents go to whatever lengths necessary to prevent their child from having to face adversity, struggle, or failure. Instead of preparing children for challenges, they mow obstacles down so kids wont experience them in the first place." Anonymous WeAreTeachers community member Showing up in a suit for the midday dropoff, the dad sheepishly began with Hi, sorry, before handing over the bottle, the writer says. Remy kept texting me that she needed it. I texted back, 'Dont they have water fountains at your school?' but I guess she just had to have it out of the bottle, the father reportedly said. He laughed, as if to say, 'Teenagers, am I right?'" the teacher remembered. Though the educator voiced empathy with "the motivations of a person not wanting to see their child struggle," he/she could not believe that the parent of a middle-schooler would be pampered over such a minor matter as forgetting a water bottle at home. The writer continued to define the lawn mower parents as those willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to prevent their child from having to face adversity, struggle, or failure. Instead of preparing children for challenges, they mow obstacles down so kids wont experience them in the first place, they added. Meanwhile, one professor of educational psychology says that such coddling can only stand to harm a childs long-term development. Growing up is about learning to continuously adapt to new and more challenging situations, says Dr. Jillian Roberts, associate professor at the University of Victoria, told Global News Canada of the lawn mower parent phenomenon. When parents deprive their children of opportunities to practice these skills, their parenting is actually detrimental to their kids. In fact, what they are communicating is: 'I do not think you are capable of handling this on your own.' FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Moving forward, the story struck a chord with many in the Facebook community. Our job is to prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child, one commenter wrote of the WeAreTeachers story. Love your kids enough to give them the tools they need to function as a member of our incredible society, another said. "I'm a lawnmower parent! My kid is out there mowing the lawn as I type this! another joked. Heads up, Texas pet owners: A veterinarian in the state warns that wild mushrooms could present dangers to dogs, specifically after prolonged, rainy weather. Hunter Bowen, a veterinarian with the Firehouse Animal Health Center in Round Rock, Texas, a city near Austin, told KXAN-News hes seen a lot of dogs and cats alike coming to the clinic with upset stomachs and other symptoms of wild mushroom poisoning. Wild mushrooms, which can be both toxic and nontoxic, typically grow after a period of rainy weather, which Round Rock has experienced in recent days, according to the news station. The perfect mixture of moisture, shade or cloudy weather, and rich, organic material in the soil causes the mushrooms to appear after rain, according to Scotts, a lawn care company. PHOTOS: STRANDED PETS GET RESCUED FROM RISING FLORENCE FLOODWATERS IN NORTH CAROLINA While not all mushrooms are toxic, the ones that are toxic are very toxic, the American Kennel Club said, adding that dogs, specifically, eat mushrooms because they explore the world by scent and taste, and the texture of a mushroom might also be intriguing to an inquisitive canine. Certain types of toxic mushrooms such as Amanita phalloides and Inocybe spp have a fishy odor, a scent that may also attract canines. Symptoms that indicate your dog may have eaten a toxic, wild mushroom include: vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, weakness, and abdominal pain or seizures, among other signs, according to the American Kennel Club, which also noted that different species of mushroom can cause different symptoms to appear. Some species of mushroom can cause liver failure and death, while others can result in neurological issues. VIRGINIA EMERGENCY OFFICIALS RESCUE DOG TRAPPED IN 35-FOOT WELL Mushrooms that can be deadly to dogs, according to the American Kennel Club, include: Amanita phalloides, also known as the death cap mushroom Galerina marginata, or the deadly Galerina or Galerina autumnalis Amanita gemmata, less formally known as the jeweled deathcap Amanita muscaria, sometimes call the fly agaric or Deadly Agaric Gyromitra spp., or "false morel" Inocybe spp. and Clitocybe dealbata mushrooms Its important to note Bowen also told KXAN-News that the runoff from the recent rains can get into streams and all the places that people like to take their dogs to play in the water in Austin. Bowen added that runoff can carry things from livestock pastures and just land thats not ever controlled or treated for parasites. In other words, a pup's upset stomach may be caused by something other than a toxic mushroom. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS It doesnt necessarily crop up while its raining Its like today, the first nice day after its raining, that well see pets come in with upset stomachs, he added. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trumps announcement Monday to impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products is already drawing fire, but the tariffs are justified and in Americas national interest. They are also good for the world. The president said tariffs of 10 percent will take effect Sept. 24 and will rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1. He added in a statement: Further, if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports. The tariffs will apply to thousands of Chinese products sold in the U.S., driving up prices to consumers and making U.S.-made products more competitive. In June, the U.S. announced tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese products imported annually into the U.S., prompting exaggerated and off-target criticism that is now sure to intensify. The Trump administration imposed tariffs on another $16 billion worth of Chinese products in August. I would say the policies that are embraced by the U.S. administration around trade represent the biggest risk today to the global economy, Philipp Hildebrand, vice chairman of BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, told CNBC. And Hildebrands prediction is by no means the most dire. Some of President Trumps critics are making it sound like the new decision to impose more tariffs on Chinese products will end international commerce as we know it. The fundamental problem facing the global trading system today is that since the turn of the century China has behaved like an outlaw at the center of world commerce. My fear is that the global trading system will start to crumble, and if that happens, this will just be the opening salvo in a much larger trade war in the world, said Emily Blanchard of Dartmouths Tuck School of Business before the new announcement. If it does unfold that way, our problems will get much, much worse. But if the worst-case scenario occurs and markets crash, economies collapse and the global trading system falls apart, dont blame President Trump. In reality, his policies are the best hope for continued free trade. The fundamental problem facing the global trading system today is that since the turn of the century China has behaved like an outlaw at the center of world commerce. As trade expert Alan Tonelson told me, China does not believe in trades fundamental principle comparative advantage. Beijing, therefore, is seeking dominance of all the crucial technologies of tomorrow. To corner the future, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched his decade-long Made in China 2025 initiative, which seeks near self-sufficiency in 11 sectors (5G wireless communications was added in January to the original 10 areas). CM2025, as the initiative is known in China, contains market-share quotas a clear violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. The initiative also includes subsidies and other features that almost surely run afoul of Chinas trade commitments. Made in China 2025 is just one of a series of industrial policies designed to make sure that the future is dominated by the Chinese. At the same time, Xi has been closing off Chinas economy to outsiders with tactics like discriminatory law enforcement actions against foreign competitors. Xi is also merging already gargantuan state enterprises back into duopolies and formal monopolies it looks like he is about to combine China Telecom and China Unicom to aid Beijings push to control 5G technology. At the same time, he is clubbing multinationals with Chinas now infamous Anti-Monopoly Law. For example, Beijings State Administration for Market Regulation in late July effectively killed Qualcomms intended acquisition of NXP Semiconductors by not granting approval. All eight other affected countries had approved the deal. Beijing is well-practiced in the art of not granting approval to foreigners. Take the case of American payment processors. In 2001, Beijing agreed to open its market to foreign competitors by 2006. China in 2012 lost a WTO case to the United States on the matter. China has, through theft and forced taking, grabbed U.S. intellectual property worth hundreds of billions of dollars each year. This has, with justification, been called the biggest theft in history. Nonetheless, Chinese officials despite promises from Beijing and persistent badgering from Washington are still refusing to issue rules permitting Visa, MasterCard and American Express into China. While Beijing stalled and dishonored promises to the companies, China UnionPay was able to obtain control of more than 90 percent of the Chinese market. The case of the payment processors illustrates how Beijing has gamed the global trading system. WTO rules, incredibly, do not impose a penalty for trade violations unless a country continues a violative practice beyond an adverse decision by a dispute-resolution panel. China has repeatedly taken advantage of that generous provision by committing obvious violations allowing time to injure foreign competitors as dispute panels deliberate and then remedying violations after adverse decisions. Or not remedying violations, as in the case of the American payment processors. The U.S. has won every WTO case it has brought against China since 2004 and many before that date yet Beijings trade behavior has only deteriorated, especially in the last five years. Unfortunately, the rules-based trading system has proven inadequate to constrain a country determined to flout rules. And the trading system has failed to stop the theft of intellectual property creations of the mind, such as inventions, designs, works of literature and artistic works that are often protected by patents, copyright and trademarks. As detailed in the U.S. Trade Representatives 215-page investigative report, issued in March along with other studies, most notably reports of the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property in 2013 and 2017 China has, through theft and forced taking, grabbed U.S. intellectual property worth hundreds of billions of dollars each year. This has, with justification, been called the biggest theft in history. The losses to the U.S. have been grievous. Yet no amount of Washingtons shaming, cajoling, negotiating, or threatening has stopped this rampant Chinese conduct. President Trump cant arrest Chinese officials for theft, but he can impose tariffs to deter further crime. The theft has been so large that some analysts, including Alan Tonelson, are arguing that the United States should simply avoid trading with China. In an email to me, the prominent critic said disengagement is the objective that would make by far the most sense. Disengagement is where America is ultimately headed unless President Trump is successful. His remedy is the tariffs imposed on China under the authority of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. In July, the president threatened to place tariffs on all Chinese products. Last year, the U.S. imported products worth $505.5 billion from China. Nobody like tariffs. As Jacques deLisle of the University of Pennsylvania points out: Tariffs and other measures targeting imports which are a principal mechanism of self-help, sometimes legally authorized, and a favored tool of Trump administration policy are crude and flawed instruments in an international economy characterized by complex global supply and value chains, many of which run through China. Yes, tariffs are not the perfect retaliatory instrument, but they promise to be more effective than other methods, like attempts at persuasion, bilateral agreements, or WTO cases. And tariffs just might do the trick with an export-dependent, debt-ridden China, which knows it does not have the means to resist the U.S. over the long-term. Whats really eating Trumps critics is that, as deLisle explains, the United States has not played its customary role as principal patron of a law-based, multilateral order. President Trumps self-help measures, like the Section 301 tariffs, may not pass muster under WTO rules. As a result, there is a risk that bypassing that organizations dispute-resolution panels will result in the end of the rules-based trading order. How so? Chinas retaliatory measures Beijing has already imposed tariffs on $50 billion of U.S. goods also bypass the WTO. The WTO, therefore, looks fragile. As an editorial published by Bloomberg Opinion recently noted, China has pushed to the breaking point the multilateral trading system. Because of persistent Chinese predation, the enforcement mechanisms of that trading system are now seen by victims and perpetrators alike as ineffective. Ineffective organizations, no matter how noble their purpose, do not last. So we might soon see the demise of the WTO, which as a practical matter means the end of the rules-based trading order. Those who criticize President Trump for his trade policy toward China are blaming the victim of what amounts to international crime. They should instead blame the culprit China. Something has to be done to stop Chinese criminality. Increasingly, the U.S. has an innovation-based economy, so theft of innovation is a critical threat. China will dominate our era if Americans cannot commercialize the technology they develop. So there is much at stake. Many call the struggle between the U.S. and China a trade war. If it is, it is the trade war of the century because the rules-based trading system will survive only if China loses in other words, if it is forced to comply with its obligations. Everyone, therefore, has a stake in seeing President Trumps tariff policy succeed. Democrat, Republican or independent, we all are victims of China. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The American people, some businesses and the nations health care will all be harmed to a considerable degree by the imposition of tariffs President Trump announced Monday on $200 billion worth of Chinese products imported into the U.S. each year. Once final, the tariffs are expected to increase the price of many items from China that Americans buy. President Trump said in a statement: The tariffs will take effect on September 24, 2018, and be set at a level of 10 percent until the end of the year. On January 1, the tariffs will rise to 25 percent. Further, if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports. During the summer, President Trump imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products. The new tariffs come on top of these. China responded to the opening shots of this new trade war with $50 billion in tariffs of its own on U.S. products sold in China. Expect Beijing to again respond in kind, dollar for dollar, yuan for yuan, to these latest levies. President Trump has said that increasing U.S. tariffs will encourage investment in American industry, bring jobs back to the U.S. from other countries, reduce our nations trade deficit with China and address concerns about Chinese theft of American intellectual property. Those are all laudable goals. Indeed, theyre important and worth fighting for. But raising tariffs on products from China wont get America where the Trump administration and top trade advisor Peter Navarro want us to be. Ultimately, tariffs are another tax and patients will be the ones who pay the steepest price. The increased U.S. tariffs threaten many leading industries that support millions of American jobs. U.S. tariffs often backfire, doing far more harm than good. Consider the impact of the tariffs on medical imaging equipment, apparatus and parts. This is a sector of the economy where American remains the undisputed global leader. A high-tech and high-growth industry, medical technology has been hailed as an American success story by dozens of bipartisan members of Congress. Driven by a desire to lead the world in innovation and create cutting-edge technology to improve patient diagnostics, the industry is also good for the U.S. economy. Last year it supported nearly 2 million American jobs and generated over $52.5 billion in exports, as well as a $1.1 billion trade surplus with the world. In other words, medical technology is an industry that should be commended not hamstrung. But when it comes to medical technology, it is clear that raising tariffs runs counter to the idea of putting American patients and workers first, however unintentionally. Higher tariffs on Chinese imports will impede patient access. For instance, tariffs likely will divert dollars away from valuable medical innovation to pay a tax on component parts that a U.S. company manufactures in China and then ships to the U.S. for final assembly by American workers. Complete systems are sold to U.S. health-care providers or exported. Tariffs on Chinese component parts will wipe out some American jobs. According to a recent survey conducted by the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), an association representing companies whose sales comprise more than 90 percent of the global market for advanced medical imaging technology, the tariffs would cost companies nearly $140 million per year. This money has to come from somewhere. To help make up for the shortfall, surveyed companies unanimously planned to reduce their U.S. workforces and decrease their investments in research and development to fund this new and unnecessary expense. Not only does this threaten jobs for American workers today, but it jeopardizes Americas position as a global leader tomorrow. U.S. companies and their employees have worked hard to get ahead, and tariffs will only end up punishing them. Further, the tariffs will undercut the competitiveness of American medical technology companies, helping foreign companies many of which are, ironically, from China catch up. This issue is more than just dollars and cents. Patients are not immune to the downstream effects of the tariffs. A small medical equipment company told MITA that it has heavily invested in streamlining so that health-care providers can purchase equipment at a lower cost and pass the savings onto patients. Because it is not possible to immediately halt component manufacturing operations in China, the company will have little choice but to scale back investment or pass on the tariff price increase to health-care providers. Ultimately, tariffs are another tax and patients will be the ones who pay the steepest price. With 9 in 10 Americans consistently complaining about the surging price of health-care and only 22 percent of Americans supporting the deeply unpopular tariffs, it is difficult to see how this policy works for them. These harmful outcomes are not inevitable. Policymakers have the power and choice to remove medical technology from the list of tariffs. It is that simple. The event has been co-organised by the Vietnam National Studio for Documentary and Scientific Films and the WallonieBruxelles delegation to Vietnam, following the success of the two seasons of FIFA Mons held in Vietnam in 2016 and 2017. The audiences will have an opportunity to enjoy five productions, including two tragedies, a comedy, an animation and a documentary, which have all won numerous prizes at top international film festivals. Each film will be screened free in its original language with Vietnamese subtitles. The FIFA Mons is one of the most reputable international film festivals with the aim of introducing films with the theme of love. FIFA Mons was launched in 1984 in the Wallonie region, Belgium. The festival first took place in 1985 and is organised every two years. The festival presents films with the subject of Love in the broadest meaning of the word. FIFA Mons has since become a reputable film festival in Belgium, Europe and around the world. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! When billionaire businessman and entrepreneur Donald Trump defeated big-government leftist Hillary Clinton for president, something critically important happened. Every American job creator and every American citizen who was struggling to make ends meet or searching for a job got a champion on their side. This was truly morning in America. To highlight the unprecedented success of President Trumps accomplishments and his America First agenda, Citizens United is launching a national media campaign to say thank you to our 45th president for his leadership. Our first in a series of television ads is titled "How We Feel" and it will run nationally on television for the next eight days. It will be complimented with digital ads in targeted states in the coming days. Finally there is someone sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office who has made a payroll and is an ardent believer in American exceptionalism and free market capitalism. The election of the ultimate political outsider Donald Trump to the presidency has created optimism in our private sector like never before. Businesses large and small know they have a person in power who thinks like them not like a politician and is managing our economy with that intuitive and innovative mindset. President Trump looks at our flourishing economy and believes that weve only just begun. Over 155 million people are currently employed in our country the most ever and remarkably, there are more job openings than unemployed people. Wages are increasing for our workers, and as USA Today reported recently: The long-awaited pickup in U.S. wage growth may have finally arrived. Average hourly earnings rose 2.9 percent in August from a year earlier, the sharpest jump since June 2009. Over the past half century, only two other 12-month stretches have seen unemployment at such a low percentage. Hope, growth and opportunity are all on the rise in Donald Trumps America. I could go on and on, so I will. Consumer confidence is at an 18-year high and small business confidence is at its highest level ever. A recent report from the National Federation of Independent Business stated: The small business engine continues to roar with the dramatic change in economic policies since November 2016. The good news doesnt stop there. Over 3.5 million jobs have been created since President Trump took office, including 201,000 last month. Our nations economy is growing at a robust 4.2 percent. There are reasons to feel good again in America. Our national unemployment rate remained at the historically low level of 3.9 percent last month. In fact, over the past 12 months the national unemployment rate has averaged 4.025 percent. Over the past half century, only two other 12-month stretches have seen unemployment at such a low percentage. From January through December 2000, the national unemployment rates average for the year was a similar 3.966 percent; and the lowest 12-month run over the past 50 years was in the year 1969, when unemployment averaged 3.491 percent. For Hispanics, the unemployment rate has never been this low for this long. Over the past 12 months, the Hispanic unemployment rate has been under 5 percent for nine months, including 4.7 percent currently. Before the Trump administration, the Hispanic unemployment rate fell under 5 percent on just one occasion, when it dipped to 4.8 percent in October 2006. The president wants entrepreneurs and job creators to think big and succeed. He fully understands the dignity associated with having a job and providing for ones family. The African-American unemployment rate hit its all-time record low of 5.9 percent in May. African-American unemployment had never been below 7 percent until the Trump administration, with the rate averaging 6.808 percent over the past 12 months. You can rest assured that President Trump is striving to keep our economy booming for years to come. He is renegotiating unfair trade deals for the American people and he has asked Congress to pass legislation that will make his tax cuts permanent for all hard-working American taxpayers. President Trumps America First agenda is focused on jobs, jobs, jobs for all Americans. His historic tax cuts and deregulation policies have gotten big government out of the way as Americans strive to pursue their hopes and dreams. The president wants entrepreneurs and job creators to think big and succeed. He fully understands the dignity associated with having a job and providing for ones family. He wakes up every morning and asks: Whats the next thing we can do to make this economy even better? Complacency isnt in President Trumps vocabulary and thats precisely the guy you want in charge. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The anonymous op-ed published this month in The New York Times allegedly written by a current Trump administration senior official received a great deal of news coverage for its criticism of President Trumps intellectual and psychological fitness for his job. The essay has become another piece of political fodder for debate between opponents and supporters of President Trump. But interest in this controversial piece extends beyond our shores especially to our nations enemies. Much of my career at the CIA was spent focused on Russia. If there is one thing I learned it was that President Vladimir Putin, who directs the lions share of Russias military and intelligence actions against the United States, continues like his Soviet predecessors to view the U.S. as Russias main enemy. I have a high degree of confidence that Putin analyzed the op-ed with the greatest of interest. And I believe he then directed his intelligence services to collect corroborating intelligence and prepare options for weaponizing its content, as a part of Russias espionage and information attacks on the U.S. Russian intelligence would first focus on learning more about the author, whose identity is known to The New York Times. Russia would not rule out the possibility that not one but perhaps a number of Trump administration officials collaborated on the piece. The Kremlin is the most sophisticated purveyor of fake news, including social media and networking manipulation and amplification through bots. We should expect the Kremlin to mount a full-court press targeting not only Washington officials with access to the authors identity, but also targeting The New York Times both through human intelligence operations as well as intrusions in cyberspace. Keep in mind that Russian hackers successfully targeted the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 presidential campaign. The New York Times should be prepared to defend itself from a Russian onslaught of phishing and social engineering attacks. Russia no doubt desperately wants to know who in the administration is operating against the president. In Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis, Graham Allison and Phillip Zelikow outline three approaches to understanding government behavior: ? The rational actor model, where governments like individuals make the most rational decisions based on a cost and benefit analysis. ? The organizational process model, which focuses on the standard operating procedures inherent to any bureaucracy. ? The government politics model, which focuses on how the key players both people and organizations compete for influence. This best reflects the high priority Russian intelligence would attach to understanding how senior Trump administration officials relate to one another and the president. Understanding these internal dynamics the alleged two-track presidency described in the New York Times op-ed would help Russia understand and predict U.S. policy with the highest degree of confidence. For Russian intelligence it is not important whether the anonymous op-ed writers claim that senior Trump administration officials are working to frustrate parts of the presidents agenda is in fact true. It also does not matter if the op-ed is correct in saying that President Trumps leadership style is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. Russia invented the term disinformation. The Kremlin is the most sophisticated purveyor of fake news, including social media and networking manipulation and amplification through bots. Russias goal is to sow cultural and political discord in the U.S. and degrade trust in our democratic institutions. Russia would eagerly insert these themes into its information operations with an eye towards degrading both the U.S. domestic political process as well as foreign governments trust in the Trump administration. Russian intelligence would seek to use its media platforms to sprinkle corroborating evidence to buttress the op-eds attacks on the president. Putin is always cognizant of the potential for an Arab Spring or Color Revolution to end his regime. So he would seek to influence brave Russian protesters not to look to the U.S. for inspiration in their struggle for liberty, freedom and democracy all absent in Russia. Russian intelligence is ruthlessly focused on ensuring the anonymous op-ed is transformed into a Pandoras Box, which might appear to be a gift to some of the presidents critics but becomes a Kremlin curse on us all. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! With each successive batch of text messages released between then-FBI agent Peter Strzok and then-FBI lawyer Lisa Page, the evidence supporting a politically motivated Deep State within the federal government spills out into the open. Based on my own experience, this particular set of text messages is the tip of the iceberg. While serving on the House Oversight Committee, I saw firsthand how those in control of our bureaucracy brazenly abuse their power spying, manipulating and misleading in an effort to perpetuate their stranglehold on the government. What I witnessed and wrote about in my new book The Deep State: How an Army of Bureaucrats Protected Barack Obama and is Working to Destroy the Trump Agenda was a bureaucracy that allowed agencies to become weaponized in the service of political battles. In the beginning, that meant protecting President Obama by using federal power to target political opponents or by covering the tracks of the corrupt or incompetent within his administration. By the time I left Congress, the Deep States focus had shifted to thwarting the administration of the newly elected President Donald Trump. My first run-in with the Deep State happened weeks after the Benghazi terrorist attacks of September 11, 2012. In an encounter highlighted in my book, I went face-to-face with a lawyer sent to Libya by Hillary Clintons State Department to act as a spy and ensure I did not ever get to the truth of what happened on that tragic night. When I refused to allow this State Department lawyer to participate in a briefing for which his security clearance was insufficient, he immediately called Clinton Chief of Staff and fixer Cheryl Mills to demand entrance to the meeting. His real purpose was to intimidate witnesses from being candid with a congressman. I won that battle and got the information I sought. But the effort to speak to witnesses, review documents, and debunk the ridiculous and false narratives told by political appointees and perpetuated by their Deep State allies was an uphill battle. Even with a select congressional committee empaneled to investigate, Congress was never able to pry from the Deep State many of the documents that would have confirmed or refuted the damning testimony of Benghazis heroes. Spying is just one trick up the sleeves of politicized bureaucrats. Powerful senior staffers with authority to classify, resist disclosure, and subvert oversight have perfected other strategies to avoid transparency and accountability. The Deep State manipulates congressional investigations by pretending to cooperate with document subpoenas. Those who are part of the Deep State bury congressional committees in piles of paper ostensibly responsive to the investigation, and then brag to the media about the number of pages they have turned over. In reality, many of those pages will either be fully redacted, duplicates of other pages, or irrelevant to the investigation. The media then dutifully report that the agency has turned over thousands of pages yet the public gets no answers. Meanwhile, the documents that would actually tell the American people the truth never see the light of day. Misleading the public about the nature of documents sought either by Congress or through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests is another art the Deep State has perfected. Agencies employ lawyers specifically to find reasons to withhold documents. In one May 2014 hearing, a TSA sensitive security information director testified that upon being hired, attorneys and FOIA processors trained him to hide information. The director testified that he was told: If you come across embarrassing information or whatever, (the chief counsel) will just hide it and come up with an exemption; because if you cover it with a FOIA exemption its so hard for the other person to challenge it, and it will be costly and difficult for them to challenge it, and theyre probably never going to see it anyway, so you just get away with it. Thats the way its done. There are solutions, which I outline in my book. But before we can address solutions, we have to acknowledge the problem. The Deep State is not just a conspiracy theory. No less than our very system of separation of powers and checks and balances is at stake. While we still have a president willing to check Deep State power, we must act to stop those who are part of the Deep State from undermining the most successful government in the history of the world. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! History does repeat itself. Back in 1991, a college professor named Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual misconduct that she claimed had occurred many years before. The accusation came at the last minute, after lengthy hearings that had shown Thomas in a highly positive light. Senators took the charges seriously, even though Thomas, who is black, said during his nationally televised confirmation hearing that the charges amounted to a high tech lynching. Now its happening again, with Professor Christine Blasey Fords accusation that Judge Brett Kavanaugh drunkenly tried to rape her when they were both teenagers at a party at a house in a Maryland suburb outside Washington. Kavanaugh says Fords accusations are completely false. Both are scheduled to face the Senate Judiciary Committee and the country in a televised hearing Monday. However, Ford has yet to accept the committees invitation to testify, leading Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to say Tuesday he might not hold the hearing Monday if Ford doesnt agree to testify. As with Hills accusations against Thomas, the way in which the accusation against Kavanaugh surfaced is highly suspect. Back in 1991, a host of liberal Senate staffers and interest-group partisans were involved in pushing forward the last-minute allegation of sexual misconduct against Thomas. This year, the rise of the #MeToo movement in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal gave the groups added hope that the Kavanaugh nomination could be sunk before a possible Democratic takeover of the Senate in the November elections. New senators elected in November will take office in January. Its unknown if the accusation against Kavanaugh will derail the confirmation of the judge, who has served on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for the past 12 years. Hills accusations failed to keep Thomas off the Supreme Court, where he has served for the past 27 years. Fords story is murkier and less documented than Hills was. According to Ford, she never told anyone about the alleged drunken attempt at rape for 30 years, until a couples therapy session. Her therapists notes do not mention Kavanaughs name. There is no pattern of abusive conduct whatsoever in Kavanaughs background. His denial of Fords accusations is clear and unequivocal. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone, Kavanaugh said in a statement Monday. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. Obviously, Fords accusation should be taken seriously. But we cant ignore that her memory about the alleged incident is very vague. Ford said she thinks it happened back in 1982, but isnt sure. She doesnt know who owned the house where the party took place, how she got there, or how she got home. Unless something new is discovered, this is a classic he said-she said issue. Then there is the way Ford brought her accusation forward. She didnt contact the Judiciary Committee, instead writing to a Democratic lawmaker. She didnt send her account to the FBI for investigation. Ford instead allowed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to sit on her charges throughout a lengthy confirmation hearing and Kavanaughs answering of 1,238 written questions during which time no one brought up Fords letter. Ford is insisting that she wanted to remain anonymous after she wrote her letter to the highly partisan Feinstein, currently running for re-election. But at the same time, Ford hired a lawyer, Debra Katz, who is a Democratic activist and spoke in public defense of President Bill Clinton when he was accused of sexual misconduct by Paula Jones. After hiring Katz, Ford then took a polygraph test, which she says she passed. But such a test only shows that she probably believes the story she is telling. All of this has prompted some honest liberals to blow a whistle. The San Francisco Chronicle, which has endorsed Feinstein for office every time since she first ran for mayor in the 1970s, published a scathing editorial questioning her actions dealing with Ford. The editorial said that Feinstein took the worst possible course by waiting until almost a week after Kavanaughs confirmation hearing to announce the existence of Fords letter. The Chronicle concluded that Feinstein did a disservice to her Judiciary Committee colleagues, who might have wanted to determine if corroborating accounts were available, or at least question Kavanaugh about the accusation in a closed session. Instead, Feinsteins colleagues were left in the dark. There is a chance that a televised Senate hearing could clear the air on Fords allegation. But I fear that, as with Anita Hill, the proceeding will degenerate into a media circus. Last week, before Fords allegation became public, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg criticized how Kavanaugh had been treated during his confirmation hearing. Ginsburg said the hearing became a highly partisan show. Well, Justice Ginsburg aint seen nothing yet. Just as with the Thomas vs. Hill showdown of 1991, I fear a new hearing on the allegation against Kavanaugh will extend the publics cynicism about the Senate, the Supreme Court and the process by which our government appoints people to high office. As Richard Epstein, a noted legal scholar at New York University puts it: What sane judge would like to be the next Supreme Court nominee? NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's accuser now has a name. She has come forward. She is Palo Alto University Psychology Professor Christine Blasey Ford. Ford says that, at a house party in the early 1980s, while they were both in high school in suburban Washington, D.C., a drunken Brett Kavanaugh tried to hold her down and sexually assault her. She said she was afraid at the time. Well, several Republican senators have already said they want additional testimony from both Ford and Kavanaugh. It looks like Ford will be testifying on Monday of next week before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But for the first time, because of this, Kavanaugh's nomination appears to be in some actual trouble. Democrats though are not waiting for more information -- They're already rendering judgment on what he did. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS) ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, AMERICAN POLITICIAN, EDUCATOR, AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST And we're looking at brushing a potentially and extremely concerning incident under the rug, which should not be occurring. CNN ANCHOR: Do you believe her story? SEN. DICK DURBIN: Well, I could tell you that it really does have a ring of truth to it. SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: I think the allegations of Professor Ford are extremely credible. I don't think the allegations that this is political at all. Senator Feinstein did the right thing, because when a woman is abused, it is her prerogative as to how, where, why, when, if at all it should come out. (END VIDEO CLIPS) Well, [as you can see from those quotes] they're all very, very deeply concerned. What's telling is that Democrats have known about this allegation for weeks. They could have asked Kavanaugh about it at any time during his hearings; he was sitting right in front of them. And that's of course what you would do if you cared about the answer to the question. But they didn't. Instead they waited. and the point, of course, was to derail his nomination. The timing was entirely political, anyone who says otherwise is not telling the truth. But what about the core story itself, what happened in the early `80s in suburban Maryland? Well, come to your own conclusions. -- People will come to their own conclusions. But for this show, we are not dismissing Christine Ford as a liar. Doesn't seem like she is, it seems like she sincerely believes everything she is saying. But that does not mean that she is right. Human memory is notoriously unreliable, especially over time. What were you doing one drunk night in the spring of 1982? You don't remember clearly? Of course you don't. It's been 36 years. Past a certain point, the past is unknowable and that's why we have statutes of limitation for crimes. Not because our desire for justice dims, but because the chance of achieving it does. Everybody knows this, the left included. This story doesn't have anything to do with justice actually or even with what Brett Kavanaugh may have done in high school. Underneath it all, anyone who lives in Washington can tell you, it's about abortion. Does anyone really believe the story would have surfaced if Brett Kavanaugh had pledged allegiance to Roe v Wade? Of course, it wouldn't have. Some of the very same people suggesting that Kavanaugh is a sex criminal once defended Bill Clinton when he was credibly accused of rape. The same group practically beatified Ted Kennedy. Kennedy, you'll remember, once killed a woman. Not metaphorically killed her but literally killed her. And yet Clinton and Kennedy supported abortion in all cases and therefore the left treated them as heroes, and swept -- speaking of under the rug -- their crimes into the dustbin of memory. Kavanaugh, though, may not support Roe v Wade, we don't really know. Therefore, he must be destroyed. It's pretty straightforward. Whatever the story is, it's not about protecting women. -- Don't buy that spin. The larger lesson though of this moment, in actually over the past two years, is that the left will not abide losing power, even temporarily. For liberals, political power is personal power. And without it, they are exposed and terrified. Some become vicious. If you've lost friends, since Trump got elected or have been yelled at over dinner or on an airplane, you know exactly what we're talking about. Liberals believe they were meant to run this country, our government and our culture. They have no intention of sharing control with you. If they're not in charge, they'll burn it down, which is what they're doing now. The question, the political question, for right now is will the Republican Party let them do this? If Republicans allow Kavanaugh's nomination to be derailed over an unprovable allegation you can't rebut, it's over. They'll never put a justice on the Supreme Court again. It'll be too easy to stop them. A single charge from 35 years ago will be enough, that's the precedent they would set. And let us pause, parenthetically, and say we may learn more in the coming week. Who knows, and the calculation may change. But as of today, there is no way to prove -- either way -- what happened 35 years ago in Bethesda, Maryland. It's an unsolvable mystery, again, unless something else comes up. So to just derail a nomination on the basis of it would be a brand new thing. Republican voters put up with a lot already, including a Party leadership that does not share their values or even like them very much; it doesn't hide it well. They vote Republican anyway in part because they would like to see judges, who care about the Constitution, sitting on the Supreme Court. Once that's gone, what's the point of voting Republican. Adapted from the September 17 edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The other day, my 10-year-old daughter asked me to name my favorite Jewish holiday. I thought about it for a few moments, and realized that the answer strange as it sounds is Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and prayer, which starts Tuesday at sundown and ends Wednesday night. My daughter was surprised she expected that it would be one of the fun holidays, like Purim (costumes and big parties), Hanukkah (candles and presents), or Simchat Torah (dancing and going crazy in the synagogue). None of the above. For me its Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. I dont enjoy fasting, so its not like Im driven by masochistic tendencies. I put Yom Kippur the top of the list because its the one day in the year when I can stay focused on one activity and one activity only, which happens to be the most important activity in my life connecting with God. Eating and drinking? Just a distraction. Bathing, or even physical contact with my wife its all off the table, for just one day. The gym? Not happening. Technology? Fuggetaboudit. So the question is why, if Yom Kippur is long and hunger- and headache-inducing, anyone would actually like it. Perversely, I like it because its long and repetitive. Heres why. Without the distractions of a normal day technology, email, phones, even food and drink and with the reinforcement that repetition provides, one experiences a depth of encounter with ones spirituality that the day is meant to provide. In traditional Judaism, the basic prayers are repeated on Yom Kippur, with variations, five different times over the course of the day. The experience of repeating those prayers, on an increasingly empty stomach, focuses the mind wonderfully. Ones thoughts may drift from time to time thats to be expected but its hard to ignore a vital message repeated five times, in five different ways, over the course of a single day. One of those repeated prayers is called the Ashamnu. We actually sing, as a community, a list of bad deeds ranging from A to Z in the Hebrew alphabet (okay, from Aleph to Taph). Thats right we actually sing out loud the things we did wrong, individually and as a community. Its not like were proud of ourselves for making mistakes. We use the list as a means of reminding ourselves that in the coming year, we can and must do better. Human beings are the only creatures on Earth capable of awareness, regret and change. So the Ashamnu is a baseline for behavior, reminding us of precisely the areas in which we need to do better. We sing our sins because we recognize that, as Shakespeare wrote, to err is human. (And to be forgiven, divine.) So we are not hiding our culpability or pretending to be better than we are. Instead, we are proclaiming it to the rooftops. What a relief it is to acknowledge that we arent perfect. We make mistakes. We do our best and sometimes our best isnt good enough. Sometimes, we dont even do our best. By singing our sins, we are accepting our humanity. Some Jews say the Ashamnu prayer daily, but we all only sing it in unison in synagogue services on Yom Kippur. I guess thats something you cant do on a full stomach. For more than two centuries, Judaisms more liberal branches have sought to make the Yom Kippur services more palatable by cutting out the repetitions and reducing the length of the service. Logically, that makes sense. If you say something once, that should be enough. But when you only say it once, you lose the benefit of the words and ideas echoing repeatedly across your consciousness, until you feel an increasingly deep connection with the ideas, with your own life experience, and with God. So, yes, the day can be long and repetitive. By late afternoon, its hard to deny that Im impatient, hungry and trying to stare hard enough at the minute hand of the clock to make it move faster. But without the distractions of a normal day technology, email, phones, even food and drink and with the reinforcement that repetition provides, one experiences a depth of encounter with ones spirituality that the day is meant to provide. The best explanation of Yom Kippur I ever heard came 40 years ago, when I was a college student. Rabbi Yisroel Deren at Chabad of Amherst explained things this way: The soul is a garment. This world is a muddy road. The soul gets spattered with mud. Yom Kippur is Gods dry cleaning service for the garment that is your soul. In by 8 a.m., out and and clean by 7 p.m. One Day Service! Works for me. Sometimes when Im fasting, the only thing I can think about is the fast Itself. But when I remember that Im visiting Gods dry cleaners, and Ive got the whole day to focus on that and nothing but that, the day takes on real meaning and I get to connect with the deepest part of my consciousness. I get to cut through the self-deceit and remind myself why Im here, where Im falling short, and the areas in which I want to do better. Its hard to explain all that to a 10-year-old, but shes a smart kid. In her own way, Im sure she already understands. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The Senate on Monday approved a package of sweeping bipartisan legislation to combat the nation's ongoing opioid and illicit drug epidemic by a 99-1 vote, just one month after President Trump called foreign shipments of the illegal drugs from China and Mexico "almost a form of warfare" and demanded legal action against opioid manufacturers. The news represented a rare moment of unity in the Senate amid a fiercely partisan midterm season, as both parties moved to address a national crisis that federal officials said has killed more than 100 people in the U.S. each day. California, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania each had more than 4,000 people die from drug overdoses in 2016, while seven other states each lost more than 2,000 people to drugs, according to the most recent figures available. "This legislation will help cut off the opioid crisis at its roots," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. "It will stop more drugs at the border, improve interstate monitoring, and encourage reform of prescription dosing." The legislation now heads back to the House of Representatives to bring it in line with the Senate's language. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was the lone dissenter. He slammed the legislation in a speech for creating a slew of "unaccountable federal grant programs [that] arent going to help much" and suggested that Congress was simply "throwing money" at what he called a very real problem. At a cost of more than $8 billion, the package of bills includes a variety of new guidelines and mandates for federal agencies, as well as additional restrictions to prevent the synthetic opioid fentanyl and other drugs from being shipped into the country -- a particular point of emphasis for the Trump administration. Known as the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act ("STOP" Act), that portion of the legislation requires that the U.S. Postal Service maintain the same kinds of electronic records about incoming foreign shipments that other commercial shippers, including UPS and FedEx, already provide. Those records include the contents of the package and the name of the sender. It was introduced by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, to assist customs agents after officials said the Postal Service was being used as a loophole for drug traffickers. We are being overrun with fentanyl, Portman, who studied the issue for more than a year while serving on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, told reporters. "It is 50 times more powerful than heroin. It is very inexpensive. It is coming primarily from China and coming primarily through our U.S. Postal Service, if you can believe it. President Trump has touted the measure, writing last month that the STOP Act would help "firmly STOP this poison from killing our children and destroying our country." Lee praised that portion of the legislation, but said the measure should have been voted on in the Senate individually and on its own merits, rather than "lumped together with dozens of other bills in this 350-page package." The Utah lawmaker compared the Senate's legislation to the Clinton-era Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which he said "failed miserably" despite "good intentions." "It is not an accomplishment for us all to go home and pat ourselves on the backs for spending vast amounts of money on a large, blanket, federal spending package if it will not actually accomplish its goal, laudable though it is," Lee said. "What we ought to do is focus our efforts on the state and local level where we can best tailor our solutions and effectively reach people succumbing to the grip of the opioid crisis. American lives depend upon it." Also included in the legislation is a provision allowing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require drug makers to package smaller quantities of drugs such as opioids, as well as expansive new grant programs designed to fund drug treatment and recovery centers and research funding for longer-term solutions. ROSEANNE BARR SAYS HER CHARACTER GETS KILLED OFF BY OPIOID OVERDOSE And the measures would more than double the number of patients to whom doctors can prescribe buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, to 275. "Helping people suffering at the hands of an opioid addiction has been one of the great causes of this Congress," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement after the vote. He added that the House and Senate bills are similar: "We direct federal agencies to create and expand community programs to increase access to treatment. We authorize grants to support recovery centers. And we prioritize stopping the flow of synthetic opioids into the country by closing shipping loopholes in the United States Postal Service." TRUMP CALLS FOREIGN OPIOIDS 'ALMOST A FORM OF WARFARE' IN CABINET MEETING In June, the House passed by a vote of 396-14 what top Republicans called a "suite" of opioid legislation that incorporated dozens of smaller bills, including one that encouraged states to hike coverage under Medicaid for individuals with substance abuse issues -- an affliction increasingly affecting the elderly. The House legislation also added methadone clinics to Medicare, among other measures. Its just one story after another of crisis and death and addiction. Its swept across the country, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told Fox News. People didnt really get its depth and scope and breadth until it was too late. The Senate bill differs slightly from the House bill in some regards. For example, the Senate bill orders the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) to review best practices for sharing confidential patient information among qualified medical personnel, where the House raised some privacy concerns by outright making such communications more straightforward. Last October, the White House declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, and the Trump administration has since taken steps to combat the national problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 115 Americans die daily from opioid-involved deaths. Opioids, including prescriptions and heroin, killed 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016. Overall drug overdose deaths in 2017 increased to 72,000, up nearly 6,000 from 2016. Preliminary data from 2018, however, suggested that the numbers may be trending downward in the wake of the Trump administration's efforts to curb the epidemic. In a Cabinet meeting in August, Trump sounded a note of alarm and optimism on the crisis. "Its a disgrace," Trump said. "And we can stop it. Fox News' Chad Pergram, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump announced Monday that he had ordered the imposition of 10 percent tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods starting next week. The tariffs will rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1 of next year. Trump added that if the Beijing government retaliates, he would pursue tariffs on another $267 billion in imports. "As President, it is my duty to protect the interests of working men and women, farmers, ranches, businesses, and our country itself," Trump said in a statement. "My administration will not remain idle when those interests are under attack." If the administration pursues what it calls "phase three" of the tariff strategy, it would raise the total value of affected Chinese goods to $517 billion -- covering nearly everything China sells the United States. Trump already has imposed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods. China has retaliated in kind, hitting American soybeans, among other goods, in a shot at the president's supporters in the U.S. farm belt. Beijing has warned that it would hit an additional $60 billion in American products if Trump ordered more tariffs. After a seven-week comment period, the administration announced that it had withdrawn several items from an earlier list of $200 billion in Chinese imports, including child-safety products such as bicycle helmets. And in a victory for Apple Inc. and its American customers, the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products from the list of goods imported from China. At the same time, the administration said it is still open to negotiations with China. STOCKS DROP FOLLOWING TARIFF THREAT "China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns," Trump said. "Once again, I urge China's leaders to take swift action to end their country's unfair trade practices." The two countries are fighting over Beijing's ambitions to supplant American technological supremacy. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative charged in a March report that China is using predatory tactics to obtain foreign technology, including hacking U.S. companies to steal their trade secrets and forcing them to turn over their know-how in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Trump also has complained about America's massive trade deficit -- $336 billion last year -- with China, its biggest trading partner. In May, in fact, it looked briefly as if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had brokered a truce built around Chinese promises to buy enough American farm products and liquefied natural gas to put a dent in the trade deficit. But Trump quickly backed away from the truce. CHINA WEIGHS SKIPPING U.S. TRADE TALKS In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration was careful to try to spare consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The levies focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at the mall or via Amazon. By expanding the list to $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, Trump risks spreading the pain to ordinary Americans. The administration is targeting a variety of products -- from sockeye salmon to bamboo mats -- forcing U.S. companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the burden to their customers. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The parents of the woman who is accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct have a connection to the Supreme Court nominee through his mother, a Maryland state judge, online court records show. Martha Kavanaugh granted a motion dismissing a 1996 foreclosure action against Ralph and Paula Blasey, according to the records. Christine Blasey Ford publicly came forward Sunday to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault decades ago when they were both teenagers in prep school. KAVANAUGH ACCUSER HAS NOT YET ACCEPTED INVITATION TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS A North Carolina bank brought the foreclouse action and five months later moved to dismiss the case. That was 22 years ago. I dont remember anything about the case, the trustee in the foreclosure, Harry Kelly, told Fox News before hanging up the phone. The lawyer for the bank did not return calls seeking comment. It is unclear from the online records if the property being foreclosed on was the Blasey home in Potomac, a well-to-do neighborhood outside Washington, D.C. CAL THOMAS: DEMOCRATS' KAVANAUGH SMEARS YE TANOTHER EFFORT TO REVERSE 2016 ELECTION RESULTS The records suggest that the dismissal was granted after the Blaseys and the bank cut a deal that avoided a sale of the property at a foreclosure auction. Martha Kavanaugh signed off on the motion after the case had initally been assigned to another judge. That other judge appointed Kelly the trustee. Ford revealed this week that she is the author of the previously anonymous letter given to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that detailed the allegations against Kavanaugh. Ford told The Washington Post that she told no one at the time of the alleged incident what had happened to her, including her parents. She said she was terrified that she would be in trouble if her parents realized she was at a party where teenagers were drinking. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Montana Sen. Jon Tester, a red state Democrat running for re-election in one of the closest Senate contests this year, has campaigned as a big hunting proponent, sending out mailers to voters that show him on his farm with his gun in hand. As we gear up for hunting season, Montanans know that hunting isnt just a sport it feeds our families, and it creates lifelong memories with our kids and grandkids, Tester says in the campaign flier. Montanans are lucky to have some of the best access, longest seasons and greatest hunting in the world. But according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks records reviewed by Fox News, Tester hasnt had a hunting license in six years. He last had one in 2012 the same year he was last on the ballot. Records dating back to 2002 indicate that the agency had no records of Tester having a hunting or fishing license for 12 out of the last 16 years. In 2012, Tester had a resident conservation and fishing, antelope and hunting access enhancement license. The agency said it has no records yet of Tester having a license this year. Testers campaign, responding to an inquiry from Fox News, denied that the candidate has portrayed himself as someone who frequently hunts, though an aide said he shoots his gun on his farm. Running a farm and defending Montana in the U.S. Senate doesnt leave much time for hunting, spokesman Chris Meagher said. Testers campaign said the senator kills gophers on his farm because theyre pests and shoots cows and pigs because he likes to eat them. The spokesman said Tester doesnt need a hunting license for that. In 2017, Tester tweeted a photo of him in a truck with a gun, saying he was "hunting gophers." Tester is challenged this year by Republican Matt Rosendale. The Fox News 2018 Midterm Power Rankings labels the race lean Democrat. MCCASKILL, TESTER VULNERABLE IN PIVOTAL SENATE RACES, POLL SHOWS Rosendale on Tuesday used the disclosure to paint Tester as out of touch. "It's pretty disingenuous to see Jon Tester talk about the importance of hunting when he's rarely had a hunting license, Rosendale said in a statement. It's not surprising though, Jon Tester has changed. He left behind his Montana values a long time ago. Meagher, Testers spokesman, fired back at Rosendale, saying the Republican has spent his career turning open lands into developments and pushing to transfer Montanas public lands while Tester is always fighting for access to public lands on behalf of all Montana hunters. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks records indicate Rosendale has had hunting licenses every year since 2002. In an effort to appeal to outdoorsmen, Tester and the state Democratic Party have sent multiple fliers this year about hunting. Ill fight to protect that from those who want to chip away at what we have here, Tester said in one flier, which included sunrise-sunset tables for determining hunting hours. Another flier paid for by the Montana Democratic Party shows Tester talking with outdoorsmen, and says, Jon knows that hunting is a way of life in Montana, and he will always protect hunters, anglers, and every Montanans right to be on our public lands. Guns have been an issue in the race: the National Rifle Association recently spent more than $400,000 in anti-Tester ads. But those ads have caused trouble for Rosendale after the Daily Beast posted audio last week of Rosendale discussing his conversations with the NRAs Chris Cox about the political group getting involved in the Montana contest. Rosendale and the NRAs political arm have denied engaging in improper coordination, saying those conversations were about an endorsement and not about the anti-Tester ads. Phoc said that over the past few years, the partnership between the two agencies has been fostered with various cooperation activities to share professional experience. From 2005-2012, the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) sent three delegations of senior leaders to Malaysia to learn about auditing standards and techniques, as well as information technology application in professional activities and personnel training. Within the framework of the ASEAN Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI), the National Audit Department of Malaysia supported the SAV in building, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of the ASEANSAI strategic plan. From 2008, the SAV has sent 15 officials to auditing courses in Malaysia. Phoc spoke highly of the Malaysian National Audit Departments assistance in the past years, affirming that all officials trained in Malaysia have acquired helpful knowledge and shown strong returning performances, helping to enhance the efficiency of the SAV. For her part, Madinah Binti Mohamad said that the National Audit Department of Malaysia boasts strength in training. Malaysias National Audit Academy was established in November 2005 and has organised one or two courses for international trainees each year since 2007, mostly in operational and information technology auditing. Each year, Malaysias State audit agency conducts 150-200 audits on issues related to operational enforcement and efficiency, she said. She said that looking forwards, the Malaysian National Audit Department will continue inviting the SAV to join the Malaysian technical cooperation programme on public auditing training. Specifically, the two sides will exchange delegations to study experience in digitalising paper procedures, building training courses on environmental and IT auditing, and the training model of Malaysia. As the role of ASOSAI Chair for the 2015-2018 period, the Malaysian Auditor General affirmed that Malaysia is willing to share experience with the SAV in the future when Vietnam takes charge for the 2018-2021 tenure especially in connecting members and evaluating challenges and problems facing the region, as well as global development trends for state audits, and implementing the ASOSAI strategic plan for the 2016-2021 period. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley on Tuesday raised the possibility that next weeks high-stakes open hearing to examine the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh could be canceled if the accuser doesnt accept the committees invitation. Grassley, R-Iowa, scheduled a hearing for Monday for Kavanaugh and accuser Christine Blasey Ford to answer questions from senators about the allegation. But Grassley said during a Tuesday radio interview that his office has reached out several times to Ford and her attorneys to discuss her allegation, but has heard nothing back. We have reached out to her in the last 36 hours three or four times by email and we have not heard from them, and it kind of raises the question, do they want to come to the public hearing or not? Grassley said on The Hugh Hewitt Show. Asked whether there would be a hearing if Ford did not agree to appear, Grassley suggested he couldnt see a reason to hold one. What would be the purpose of the hearing if Dr. Ford doesnt want to respond? Grassley said. TRUMP DEFENDS KAVANAUGH IN FIRST COMMENTS ON ALLEGATIONS Ford declining to appear Monday wouldn't neccessarily automatically kill the hearing. Another member of the committee, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, said I think so when reporters asked Tuesday if Republicans would still have the hearing with Ford absent. In the case Ford accepts the invitation, Grassley said he is considering the possibility of having an independent questioner ask all the questions to Ford. Ford, a California-based professor, revealed her identity over the weekend in a Washington Post report. She said that Kavanaugh, while in high school, pinned her down, tried to remove her bathing suit and put his hand over her mouth when she attempted to scream. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation. The announcement of the last-minute hearing evoked memories of the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, where senators scrambled to arrange a hearing after Thomas was confronted with sexual harassment accusations by law professor Anita Hill. Thomas denied the accusations and was narrowly confirmed. During television appearances on Monday, Fords attorney, Debra Katz, indicated her client was willing to take whatever it takes to get her story forth, and would testify before the committee under oath. But Katz has not confirmed that Ford will show up for Mondays open hearing, which would be aired live on television. Speculation about whether Ford will ultimately accept the invitation follows reports she was reluctant to go public with her accusation after tipping off congressional Democrats. Grassley, announcing the Monday hearing, said it would "give these recent allegations a full airing." White House spokesman Raj Shah said Kavanaugh is willing to testify. Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him, Shah said. Democrats have called for delaying Kavanaughs vote until there is a full FBI review of the matter. But Grassley told Hewitt on Tuesday that the FBI investigation is closed and that the FBI is not doing any further investigation. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh was spotted Tuesday arriving at the White House for meetings as he did the day before. President Trump on Monday stood by Kavanaugh, calling him one of the finest people that I have ever known while acknowledging a "little delay" may be necessary before the nomination is voted on in the Senate. In his first public comments on the controversy, the president also criticized Democrats over the timing of the allegation. I wish the Democrats could have done this a lot sooner because they had this information for many months," Trump told reporters at the White House. "And they shouldn't have waited until literally the last days. They should have done it a lot sooner. The president said hes open to delaying the confirmation proceedings in Congress while the allegations are investigated. "If it takes a little delay it'll take a little delay," Trump said. "It shouldn't certainly be very much." Kavanaugh has forcefully denied the sexual assault accusations Ford alleged took place while the two were in high school. "This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said in a statement. "Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making the accusation until she identified herself yesterday." All 10 Democrats on the committee on Monday have urged Grassley to postpone the vote on Kavanaugh's nomination. Multiple sources told Fox News Thursday's committee confirmation vote has been postponed amid the newly scheduled hearing. Fox News' John Roberts, Serafin Gomez, Chad Pergram and Nicole Darrah contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in Iowa Tuesday he's not ruling out a 2020 Democratic campaign for president, as he took his national campaign to promote Democratic candidates for governor to the early presidential testing ground. And while he said a decision remains months away, the former Democratic National Committee chairman touted his term as governor as a model for his party nationally. "We took a red state and made it a blue state," McAuliffe said in an Associated Press interview during a day of meetings with Democratic Party officials and activists in Des Moines. McAuliffe was adamant that his chief purpose for visiting Iowa was to promote candidates running in the November midterm elections, chiefly Democratic nominee for governor Fred Hubbell. The governorship is among roughly 10 in states now occupied by Republicans that McAuliffe said are within reach of Democrats. Democrats occupy only 16 governorships. Iowa is among 19 states McAuliffe has visited since leaving office this year, though none come with the same potential implications as Iowa, host of the leadoff 2020 presidential caucuses. McAuliffe is viewed as a moderate prospect in an emerging field that could include progressives such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. During the interview, he promoted civil rights policy such as his executive order to restore voting rights for felons, a move that reinstated roughly 173,000 -- disproportionately African Americans -- voters to the rolls in Virginia. Likewise, he cast himself as a fiscal steward, taking office with a budget deficit and leaving with a surplus. Though Democrat Barack Obama carried Virginia twice as a candidate for president, it has been an emerging swing state over the past decade. Last year, Democrats achieved sweeping gains in legislative elections, a feather for McAuliffe as he tests his profile nationally. "Clearly Terry's looking hard at it," said veteran Democratic strategist Jim Margolis, a top adviser to Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. "If he decided to, he could credibly make a run." McAuliffe also has influential friends in Iowa. He is in touch with Des Moines lawyer Jerry Crawford, a veteran operative and past campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton. McAuliffe said he also plans to campaign for Democrats this fall in New Hampshire, home of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, and this month held a fundraiser in Washington for Rep. James Smith, the Democratic nominee for South Carolina governor. South Carolina hosts the first Southern primary in 2020. "I don't rule anything out," McAuliffe said, though insisting his focus would remain on 2018 until after the election. "Then you have to make some decisions through the end of the year and into the first quarter of next year." NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The woman who accused Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of domestic abuse said on Monday that Democrats dont believe her story and threatened to isolate her over the allegations. Karen Monahan, a former girlfriend, came forward last month alleging that Ellison sent her threatening text messages and once screamed obscenities at her as he dragged her off a bed by her feet. Ellison has denied the accusations, saying he never behaved this way. He did acknowledge he was in a relationship with the woman. The allegations didnt lead to any immediate action against the congressman, except for the announcement that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would review the accusations. He went on to win the Democratic primary election for Minnesota attorney general. DNC CO-CHAIR, MINNESOTA REP. KEITH ELLISON DENIES ABUSE ALLEGATIONS FROM EX-GIRLFRIEND Monahan slammed the Democratic Party for its response to her allegations when compared to its treatment of Christine Blasey Ford. Ford has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of attempting to force himself onto her during at a high school party nearly four decades ago, prompting prominent Democrats to get behind Fords allegations. No, they don't, Monahan tweeted in response to a question whether the party believes womens stories. I've been smeared, threatened, isolated from my own party. I provided medical records from 2017, stating on two different Dr. Visits, I told them about the abuse and who did it. My therapist released records stating I have been dealing and healing from the abuse. She added: Four people, including my supervisor at the time, stated that I came to them after and shared the exact story I shared publicly, I shared multiple text between me and Keith, where I discuss the abuse with him and much more. As I said before, I knew I wouldn't be believed. Her comment came after another user pointed to comments made by Peter Daou, a Democratic strategist and former advisor to Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, who wrote in a tweet that the Kavanaugh accuser will be attacked, smeared, and demonized and that people must believe women. Many other Democrats and progressives who stayed silent when the accusations against Ellison emerged came out in support of Ford, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Tom Perez, chairman of the DNC, who urged to investigate the claims and Kavanaugh. Monahan went to reiterate that her story has nothing to do with politics. I have nothing to prove to anyone, I simply shared my story. People can believe it or not. I dont need anyone to affirm my humanity, I affirmed it, she wrote in another tweet. The fact that both parties only care if it scores political points is hypocritical, she added. Do you think a person who has dealt with any form of abuse by politicians is thinking about politics? No, we & are families are trying to heal. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The Pentagon on Tuesday unveiled its first cybersecurity strategy under the Trump administration, saying that America faces "an urgent and unacceptable risk" from "malicious cyber activities." A summary of the strategy obtained by Fox News said the U.S. has been "engaged in a long-term strategic competition with China and Russia," but also named Iran and North Korea as nations using cyber warfare "to harm U.S. citizens and threaten U.S. interests." "Russia has used cyber-enabled information operations to influence our population and challenge our democratic processes," the report said, adding that China has sought to steal sensitive information from the American government and "private sector institutions." In response, the summary said the Pentagon will "defend forward" by aiming to "disrupt or halt malicious cyber activity at its source, including activity that falls below the level of armed conflict." It also says the military aimed to "build a more lethal force ... for both warfighting and countering malicious cyber actors." It did not go into details of specific operations. In wartime, the strategy said, U.S. cyber forces "will be prepared to operate alongside our air, land, sea, and space forces" against America's adversaries. The cyber strategy released Tuesday is the Defense Department's first of its kind since 2015. It came two months after Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said he was concerned about the possibility of a "cyber 9/11." DAN COATS WARNS OF 'CYBER 9/11,' DESCRIBES RUSSIA THREAT "Let's say you shut down Wall Street for a week. What does that do to the world's markets and people's investments?" Coats asked at the Aspen Security Forum. "What about an attack on the electric grid in New England in January, that's sophisticated to take it out for three days. How many people will die?" Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and Gregg Re contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump's name appears on dozens of buildings worldwide, but if the leader of Poland has his way, properties like Trump Tower and Trump International Hotel may soon be joined by a conspicuously named military installation: Fort Trump. Speaking with Trump and reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Poland's president, Andrzej Duda, told Trump that he'd like the U.S. to create a permanent military base with that name in Poland -- and that Poland would pay more than $2 billion for the project. Duda emphasized that his country was "willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland." Trump said he would consider the proposal. Facing Russia's increased military activity in the region, Poland has been pressing for the 3,000 U.S. troops now deployed in Poland on a temporary, rotating basis to be upgraded to a larger, permanent presence. A 1997 NATO-Russia agreement technically forbids U.S. or NATO troops from being permanently based in former Warsaw Pact countries, including Poland. Over the summer, the U.S. ambassador to NATO told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday that the Trump administration was considering the move anyway. "We look at all offers made like that, but no decision is being made right now. But looking at it, yes," the ambassador, Kay Bailey Hutchison, a former U.S. senator from Texas, said on the program. Poland is one of five NATO nations that meet coalition guidelines that call for each member country to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense. Trump has hammered other NATO countries for not meeting that guideline; the fact Poland does meet the requirement was a key reason for Duda's warm welcome at the White House, officials said. NATO PLEDGES TO BOOST DEFENSE SPENDING AFTER STERN TALKING-TO FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP AT AWKWARD BREAKFAST Although Tuesday marked Duda's first visit to see Trump in the White House, talks have been underway for months to make the base a reality. In May, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told state Radio 1 he had held talks in Washington about having a permanent presence of U.S. troops in the country. Last month, Duda said that a U.S. base in Poland would "scare away every potential attacker" during a massive military parade that featured Polish and U.S. troops. Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine has caused anxiety in Poland and elsewhere, as Moscow has continued to support separatists in eastern Ukraine. U.S. and NATO troops were deployed to Poland and the region last year as a security assurance. Russia has taken other steps seen as hostile in the region in recent years, and a Dutch-led investigation revealed earlier this year that a Buk missile from a Russian military unit brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. The passenger jet was on its way to Malaysia from Amsterdam when it was blown out of the sky over Ukraine on July 17, 2014. All 298 passengers and crew were killed. POLAND HOLDS MILITARY PARADE, CALLS FOR MASSIVE US ARMY BASE AS DETERRENT TO RUSSIA Syrian forces' downing of a Russian military spy plane over the Mediterranean on Monday further escalated tensions between Russia and a key U.S. ally, Israel, which Russia has blamed for the episode. Trump said on Tuesday that he and Duda had agreed to bolster defense, energy and commercial ties. And he has said that the alliance between the two countries has "never been stronger." Duda credited Trump for making Warsaw the first stop on the U.S. president's inaugural European trip last year, and said Trump's speech was a "very important moment" for the relationship between the two countries. On energy, Trump reiterated his sharp criticisms of the proposed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, which he has dubbed a major, hypocritical giveaway that affords Russia tremendous strategic control over the region at a time when U.S. allies insist Russia is a major geopolitical threat. Calling the pipeline a "very bad thing for the people of Germany," Trump said the U.S. would hike liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Poland to help ensure energy independence and security in the region. "A tremendous amount of LNG will be exported to Poland," Trump said, after noting that "it's very unfortunate for the people of Germany that Germany is paying billions and billions of dollars for their energy to Russia; I can tell you the German people don't like it." Trump added: "The United States and Poland are deeply committed to energy diversity all across Europe. ... No nation should be dependent upon a single foreign supplier of energy. Poland has worked tirelessly to increase energy independence nationally and across central Europe." In a twist highlighting the delicate balance of international trade and politics, experts have warned that Trump's ongoing tariff back-and-forth with China may have indirect effects on that proposal, as China could potentially impose bruising taxes on LNG coming to the country from the U.S. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson, Amy Lieu and Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., condemned social media star Salt Bae on Monday after the Turkish chef appeared in a video with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at a restaurant. Video posted to social media showed Maduro, whose socialist country is in the middle of an economic disaster, eating expensive steak at one of the chefs restaurants in Turkey. I dont know who this weirdo #Saltbae is, but the guy he is so proud to host is not the President of #Venezuela, Rubio wrote in a tweet. He is actually the overweight dictator of a nation where 30% of the people eat only once a day & infants are suffering from malnutrition. Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gokce, calls meeting Maduro a once in a lifetime moment, according to The Independent. Maduro is also seen smoking a cigar with his wife Cilia Flores. This guy who admires dictator @NicolasMaduro so much actually owns a steakhouse in, of all places, #Miami, Rubio wrote, adding the restaurants phone number for anyone who wanted to complain. Maduro made the pit stop on his way back from China. Venezuela was once among Latin Americas wealthiest nations, holding the worlds largest proven oil reserves. However, a recent fall in oil prices accompanied by corruption and mismanagement under two decades of socialist rule have left the economy in crisis. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump amplified his support Tuesday for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the face of a sexual assault allegation, saying he feels terribly for Kavanaugh and his family. I feel so badly for him that he is going through this, to be honest with you, Trump said during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. I feel so badly for him. This is not a man that deserves this. Speaking from the East Room of the White House, Trump knocked Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein for waiting until after the confirmation hearings to send the allegations to the FBI. That's what you have hearings for, he said. You don't wait until the hearing is over and then all of a sudden bring it up. Over the weekend, Christine Ford, a California-based professor, said Kavanaugh, while in high school, pinned her down, tried to remove her bathing suit and put his hand over her mouth when she attempted to scream. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation. Ford went public after Feinstein released a statement to the media last week saying she had forwarded information about Kavanaugh to the FBI. Feinstein, who received a letter from Ford in July, has been criticized for not going public with it earlier. Why didn't she bring it up? Trump said of Feinstein. Why didn't the Democrats bring it up then? Because they obstruct and because they resist. That's the name of their campaign against me. They just resist and they just obstruct. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for Monday for Kavanaugh and accuser Ford to answer questions from senators about the allegation, though its unclear if Ford will accept the invitation. Thursdays committee vote on Kavanaughs nomination has been delayed as a result. It's a shame because this is a great gentleman, Trump said of the controversy. But the president said he believes we should go through a process to examine the allegations because there shouldn't even be a little doubt. Kavanaugh continues to deny the allegations and says hes willing to testify on the issue. I feel terribly for him, for his wife, who is an incredible lovely woman, and for his beautiful young daughters, Trump said. I feel terribly for them. The joint presser came after a day of meetings with Duda, the president of Poland. Earlier, Trump said he was "very seriously" considering a greater U.S. troop presence in Poland. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Poland was "willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland." The U.S. president said it was "something we will discuss." Facing Russia's increased military activity in the region, Poland has been pressing for the 3,000 U.S. troops now deployed in Poland on a rotating basis to be upgraded to a larger, permanent presence. A decision from the U.S. could come early next year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Rep. Devin Nunes, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, told Fox News exclusively on Monday that he believes President Trumps order to declassify several documents related to the FBI Russia investigation will expose the insurance policy that was referred to in text messages between FBI figures Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. In a text from Strzok to Page dated Aug. 15, 2016, the pair discussed an insurance policy in the event that Donald Trump went on to win the presidential election. I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andys office that theres no way he gets elected but Im afraid we cant take the risk. Its like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before youre 40, the text read. The text messages between Strzok and Page have been used by Trump to bolster his claim that the Russia collusion investigation is a rigged witch hunt. Democrats, by and large, dont look at these texts as helpful in their case, but claim that the agents were never influenced by their comments. Nunes said he believes the declassification will provide exculpatory evidence for the president. He said the new information will shed new light on the dozen or so 302s from Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, which could show the interactions between ex-British spy Christopher Steele, Fusion GPS and many other rotten apples within the FBI. A lot of people think that the insurance policy was getting the FISA warrant on [former Trump campaign aide] Carter Page, he told Laura Ingraham, host of The Ingraham Angle. We actually believe it was more explicit than that. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump had ordered the documents released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Justice Department "[a]t the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency." House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called Trump's decision "a clear abuse of power." "[Trump] has decided to intervene in a pending law enforcement investigation by ordering the selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team and thinks will advance a false narrative," Schiff said. "With respect to some of these materials, I have been previously informed by the FBI and Justice Department that they would consider their release a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods. "This is evidently of no consequence to a President who cares about nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self-interest," Schiff added. Trump also ordered the Justice Department to release text messages from a number of the key players in the Russia investigation "without redaction" -- including Ohr, Strzok, Lisa Page, former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. A Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News that the DOJ and FBI "are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order." ODNI spokesperson Kellie Wade told Fox News: "As requested by the White House, the ODNI is working expeditiously with our interagency partners to conduct a declassification review of the documents the President has identified for declassification." Nunes said the presidents orders are clear and anticipates the copies being sent out to the press in days. This is really full transparency for the American people, Nunes said. Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain, Jake Gibson, Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Just days before the Senate Judiciary Committee was set to vote on Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation, Christine Blasey Ford publicly came forward to accuse the federal appeals judge of sexual assault decades ago. The sexual assault allegation first came to light in the form of a letter obtained by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who sent shockwaves through Washington when she announced last week she forwarded it to the FBI. Feinstein is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with deciding whether to formally recommend a Supreme Court nominee to the full Senate for a vote. But Ford publicly came forward in an interview with The Washington Post over the weekend, saying her civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation. She has accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed during a house party in Maryland in the early 1980s, attempting to remove her clothes and putting his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. At the time of the alleged incident, Ford was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17, she said, adding that Kavanaugh was drunk. I thought he might inadvertently kill me, Ford said. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing. She said she was able to escape when Mark Judge a friend of Kavanaughs who has come to his defense after the allegations became public jumped on top of them. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations, saying, I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time. Judge said he has no recollection of the alleged events. Kavanaugh and Ford are both set to testify before lawmakers on Sept. 27. Read on for a look at four things to know about Ford. Ford is a college professor Ford is a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California. A biostatistician, she specializes in the design and analysis of clinical trials and other forms of intervention evaluation, according to the university. Her work has also been published in several academic journals, covering topics such as 9/11 and child abuse. KAVANAUGH ACCUSER MAY TESTIFY UNDER OATH, KELLYANNE CONWAY SAYS, AS LAWYER OPENS DOOR Ford has also taught and worked at Stanford University since 1988, according to a Holton-Arms alumni magazine, the Bethesda, Maryland, school from where she graduated, The Wall Street Journal reported. She teaches at both schools in consortium, according to the newspaper. The magazine also noted she is an avid surfer, and she and her family spend a great deal of time surfing in the Santa Cruz and San Francisco areas. Her husband has backed her allegations Russell Ford, her husband, also told The Washington Post that his wife detailed the alleged assault during a couples therapy session in 2012. During therapy, he said his wife talked about a time when she was trapped in a room with two drunken boys, and one of them had pinned her to a bed, molested her and tried to prevent her from screaming. He said he remembered his wife specifically using Kavanaughs name. She said during the session, Russell Ford recalled, she was scared he would one day be nominated to the Supreme Court. KAVANAUGH FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AFTER ACCUSER BREAKS SILENCE, REPUBLICANS WORRY IN PRIVATE ABOUT MIDTERMS Ford provided a copy of the therapists notes to The Washington Post, which detailed her recollection of being assaulted by young men from an elitist boys school who would become highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington. Additional notes from a later therapy session said she discussed a rape attempt that occurred when she was a teenager, The Washington Post reported. Shes a registered Democrat Ford is a registered Democrat who has given small monetary donations to political causes, according to The Washington Post. She has donated to ActBlue, a nonprofit group that aims to help Democrats and progressive candidates, The Wall Street Journal reported. KAVANAUGH STAUNCH GUN-RIGHTS DEFENSE AMONG HUNDREDS OF DECISIONS IN SPOTLIGHT She is also among the thousands of medical professionals who signed onto a Physicians for Human Rights letter in June decrying the practice of separating children from their parents at the border and urging the Trump administration to stop it. Ford already took a polygraph test Once it was clear that Kavanaugh was President Trumps pick to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, Ford contacted The Washington Posts tip line, according to the newspaper. She also contacted her representative in Congress, Democrat Anna Eshoo. She sent a letter to Eshoos office about the allegations that was passed onto Feinstein. After she retained the services of Debra Katz, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney, she took a polygraph test administered by a former FBI agent. According to the results shared with The Washington Post, the test concluded that Ford was being honest. Fox News Gregg Re and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Welcoming the diplomat, Trump wished him a successful working tenure. The US President took this occasion to thank the warm welcome to him by the Vietnamese State and people during his visit to Vietnam and attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in November 2017, and extend his greetings to Vietnams leaders and people. Ambassador Ngoc also conveyed the greetings by Vietnamese senior leaders to the US leader. He said that the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership is developing strongly and dynamically more than ever, driven by mutual understanding and effective cooperation in numerous fields, at both bilateral and multilateral levels. He affirmed Vietnam is willing to work with the US to boost win-win cooperation, for the interests of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The race to replace Rep. Paul Ryan in Wisconsin just got even more heated as a Republican group released a new attack ad targeting the Democratic candidate using his own brother. In the ad, James Bryce discusses his brother Randys criminal record and past comments about police officers. Randy is a Democrat who faces Republican Bryan Steil in Wisconsins 1st congressional district. James Bryce, who has been a police officer for more than 23 years, talks about an increase in attacks on law enforcement officials in recent years. The ad was released by the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), a super PAC with ties to Ryan. From my perspective, this has been motivated in part by cop-hating rhetoric, James Bryce said. When people refer to police officers as terrorists that hits a little close to home. As James Bryce spoke, the video showed a 2012 tweet from Randy that linked to an article in The Progressive regarding arrests of demonstrators in the U.S. Capitol. In his tweet, Randy wrote, When police become the terrorists I dont think people want to be represented by someone whos shown contempt for those in law enforcement. Thats one of the many reasons why Im voting for Bryan Steil for Congress, he said. FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTIONS Earlier this week, CLF announced a $1.5 million ad buy in Wisconsins 1st congressional district. The first ad highlighted Randys numerous arrests. Randy, a union worker known for his Iron Stache, was arrested in 1998 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He pleaded guilty, but initially failed to appear in court; he ultimately received a suspended sentence. In 1991, he was booked for marijuana possession, trespassing and theft, among other charges. In 2000, he was arrested for driving with a suspended license; he was arrested for a similar charge in 2003. Hes been arrested a total of nine times, according to reports. Randy, who has been endorsed by progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and labor activist Dolores Huerta, has apologized for the DUI, saying he was immature and made a horrible, thoughtless decision. DEMS NOMINATE UNION LEADER IRON STACHE RANDY BRYCE, DESPITE DUI ARREST AND CHILD SUPPORT DELINQUENCY CLF Executive Director Corry Bliss said the new ad summarizes everything you need to know about this race. Randy Bryce is unfit to serve and will not win this race, Bliss said in a statement. But David Keith, Randys campaign manager, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the ad just showed Republicans are very scared because they know that this seat is prime for the taking, and Randy Bryce is in a unique position to win it. You dont go negative if your numbers are good, Keith said. Ryan, who has been House Speaker since October 2015, announced in April he would not be seeking re-election, opening up the seat for a contentious election. Steil is a former aide to Ryan who had his backing in the GOP primary. Fox News has ranked the race as leaning Republican. Fox News Peter Doocy and Gregg Re contributed to his report. Tourists on a whale cruise were treated with a spyhop last month when three humpback whales launched one-by-one in succession off the coast of Nova Scotia in a rare triple breach. Edmond Giroux was aboard the Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises when he began filming the three whales that surfaced near the boat on August 17. Get ready! a man who is most likely the tour guide is heard saying. Its going to be a triple breach! The whales could be seen first breathing through their blowhole, then diving down, one by one, and then rising above the water, twisting their majestic bodies and then splashing horizontally down back into the ocean. Spyhopping is animal behavior -- usually whales or some sharks -- exhibit when they vertically poke their head half-rise out of the water to view the surroundings near waters surface, according to the National Geographic Society, citing oceanographers. The boats onlookers clapped in awe and squealed with glee. Oh! Howd you know that? a passenger was heard saying in the video. The tour operators wrote in a Facebook post that whales surfaced after a dive and swam and/or drifted over to them. One interacted with us before joining the other two logging for many minutes before take off, the whale cruises wrote. Adam Dickinson told his children to steer clear of a massive jelly-like blob they stumbled upon on a New Zealand beach early Monday. The family surrounded the creature, which appeared to be moving. It was unlike anything Dickinson had ever seen before. "My initial thought was don't let my kids touch it as they went running up to have a look," Dickinson, who lives in Stanmore Bay, recalled to Fox News. The large creature washed up on Pakiri Beach, roughly 55 miles north of Auckland. MYSTERIOUS FUR-COVERED SEA 'MONSTER' WASHES UP ON BEACH: 'COULD IT BE SOME ANCIENT CREATURE?' Dickinson's children compared the pink creature to a "volcano." It was pretty incredible and really hard to describe, Dickinson told Yahoo7. It almost looked like a load of muscles contracting." It was clear the creature, which Dickinson later discovered was a lion's mane jellyfish the largest species of jellyfish in the world wasn't dead. "It's alive," Dickinson's son confirmed. The family stared at the jellyfish, and sure enough, it continued to move. It was pretty amazing to see. Also, the other jellyfish we found on the beach, we turned them upside down to see if it would look similar to this one and none of them did," Dickinson told the news station. This one was definitely different. We have never seen anything like it. It was pretty cool. A lion's mane jellyfish, also known as the "giant jellyfish," can grow as large as a blue whale. Its tentacles can reach 190 feet long and it can have a bell diameter of up to 7 feet, according to Oceana, an international conservation organization. SCIENTISTS FIND 3 BIZARRE NEW SEA CREATURES IN PITCH-BLACK PART OF PACIFIC OCEAN The majority of lion's mane jellyfish live in the Arctic and Pacific Ocean, where waters tend to be cooler. "Its mane of long, hair-like tentacles hanging from the underside of its bell-shaped body is the inspiration behind the lion manes common name," Oceana explains in a blog post. "The mouth is situated on the bellys underside, surrounded by tentacles that are divided into eight clusters of up to 150 tentacles each." This type of jellyfish typically feeds on plankton, small fish and other tiny organisms. The lion's mane jellyfish packs a powerful sting, typically using its toxic tentacles to paralyze its prey. NASA has unveiled the first images from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), its $337 million alien-planet hunting satellite, and the results are nothing short of incredible. Included in the first batch of pictures are the Large Magellanic Cloud and the bright star R Doradus, among several other planets and stars that could potentially be home to alien life. In a sea of stars brimming with new worlds, TESS is casting a wide net and will haul in a bounty of promising planets for further study, Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement. This first light science image shows the capabilities of TESS cameras, and shows that the mission will realize its incredible potential in our search for another Earth. NASA'S NEXT PLANET HUNTER IS READY TO FIND UNDISCOVERED WORLDS In April, TESS was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is expected to identify thousands of planets in our cosmic backyard, adding to the bounty provided over the past decade by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. The planets discovered by Kepler are too distant and too faint for practical study. But those found by TESS should be close enough for mega telescopes in the future to detect any atmospheric signs of life. The images were taken by TESS' four wide-field cameras during a 30-minute period on Aug. 7, NASA said. Included in the images are parts of 12 constellations, "from Capricornus to Pictor, and both the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the galaxies nearest to our own," NASA added. The bright spots are two stars, Beta Gruis and R Doradus, which NASA said "saturate an entire column of pixels on the detectors of TESSs second and fourth cameras, creating long spikes of light," due to the intense brightness. This swath of the skys southern hemisphere includes more than a dozen stars we know have transiting planets based on previous studies from ground observatories, said George Ricker, TESS principal investigator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research in the statement. SPACEX BFR: FLY ANYWHERE ON EARTH IN UNDER AN HOUR TESS' background NASA's astrophysics director, Paul Hertz, said missions like TESS will help answer whether we're alone or just lucky enough to have "the best prime real estate in the galaxy." Still on the lookout from on high, Kepler alone has discovered more than 2,600 confirmed exoplanets. Even more candidates await confirmation. The exoplanet count, from all observatories in space and on Earth over the past couple of decades, stands at more than 3,700 confirmed with 4,500 on the strong contender list. About 50 are believed to potentially habitable. They have the right size and the right orbit of their star to support surface water and, at least theoretically, to support life. WEIRD SOLAR SCIENCE: HOW NASA'S PARKER PROBE WILL DIVE THROUGH THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE Scientists speculate that the habitable or so-called Goldilocks zone the distance from a star where it's neither too hot nor too cold to support life, but just right with the potential for liquid water at the surface should be much closer to red dwarfs than it is in our own solar system. The orbits of any planets in these systems should be fairly short. NASA and others stress that TESS will not look for atmospheric or other signs of life; it can't do that. That all-important job will be left to Webb, the next-generation successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that's grounded until at least 2020, and even bigger observatories yet to come. If life, indeed, is detected out there be it microscopic or some higher form scientists like to think robotic explorers would be launched from Earth for closer inspections. NASA project manager Jeff Volosin notes the technology for reaching these faraway worlds, or even communicating, doesn't yet exist. "For me, just knowing they're there would be enough," Volosin told the Associated Press in April. "Just knowing that you're not alone." Fox News' James Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia Canadian firefighters caught a rare, terrifying phenomenon on video last month when a 200-foot-tall fire tornado sucked their firehose into the sky and melted it. Fire destroyed our line, Instagram user M.C. Schidlowsky, who was part of the fire crew in British Columbia, wrote. It threw burning logs across our guard for 45 minutes and pulled our hose 100 plus ft. in the air before melting it. Thats definitely a first. Fire tornados, also known as fire vortices, are not tornadoes in the true sense of that word. They occur when a gust of extremely hot air blows through the fire at a certain angle, producing a spinning momentum, which then sucks up embers and debris. In July, the massive Carr Fire in California produced a vortex with winds clocked at 143 mph by the National Weather Service. WHOOLY MAMMOTHS WILL ROAM NEW JURASSIC PARK-STYLE THEME PARK IN TEN YEARS, RUSSIA SAYS Schidlowsky noted that the tornado itself reached 200 feet. In the video, two firefighters struggle to grab the hose as it flaps in the air. The Canadian fire they were battling was near Vanderhoof, British Columbia, and it has now been contained. Its like a dust devil or a fire whirlit sucks in the debris and thats what makes it a fire tornado, British Columbia Wildfire information officer Forrest Tower told the CBC. They do happen but they are very rare. Its kind of cool she was able to capture one on video. Long extinct cave lions may be about to rise from their icy graves and prowl once more alongside woolly mammoths and ancient horses in a real-life Jurassic Park. In less than 10 years, it is hoped the fearsome big cats will be released from an underground lab as part of a remarkable plan to populate a remote spot in Russia with Ice Age animals cloned from preserved DNA. Experiments are already underway to create the lions and also extinct ancient horses found in Yakutia, Siberia, seen as a prelude to restoring the mammoth. Regional leader Aisen Nikolaev forecast that cooperation between Russian, South Korean and Japanese scientists will see the miracle return of woolly mammoths inside 10 years. He said: The prospect was no longer fantastical. "Today, technology is developing at an explosive pace, and what yesterday seemed to be scientific nonsense, today is an absolutely clear prospect for scientists. Mr. Nikolaev claimed the remarkable return of the extinct beasts will be possible because of DNA material of the giants found in the permafrost in Yakutia, also called Sakha Republic. He said: "We are actively working with South Korea. Thanks to cooperation with Korean and Japanese scientists, in my opinion, this [cloning a mammoth] will happen in the next decade." In 2014 he first proposed an Ice Age Park with mammoths to act as home for them to roam, he said. Further details of the incredible plans for the new world class paleo-genetic scientific center will be unveiled next month when Vladimir Putin hosts a major investment forum. The cloning laboratories some sunk deep in the permafrost soil aim to extend research by Russian scientists who are already working closely with South Korean specialists hoping to restore extinct species. Yakutsk is capital of diamond-rich Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia, where 80 percent of finds of samples of Pleistocene and Holocene animals with preserved soft tissues have been made. The scheme of the new center will be unveiled at the 4th Eastern Economic Forum hosted by Putin opening on Sept. 11 in Vladivostok. It will aim to study extinct animals from living cells and to restore such creatures as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave lion and breeds of long-gone horses, reported The Siberian Times. The cloning scientists are already using DNA from the ancient animals has been preserved in remains encased in frozen soil or permafrost for tens of thousands of years. The center will be based at Russias Northern-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) which is seeking further investment for the extraordinary project. Expert Dr. Lena Grigorieva who drafted plans for the center said: There is no such unique material anywhere else in the world. But scientists would also explore ways of helping fight human diseases, she said. We study not only Pleistocene animals another line is the study of the history of settlement of the North-East of Russia, she said. "Northern ethnic groups have a unique ancient genetic structure. Such studies will help in the study of rare genetic diseases, their diagnosis, prevention. The university has an existing close cooperation with South Korean SOOAM Biotech Research Foundation, led by cloning expert Professor Hwang Woo-Suk. There are also links between Russian scientists and trailblazing Harvard University geneticist Professor George Church who plans to inset woolly mammoth genes into an Asian elephant embryo by 2020. Prof. Church has revealed to Sun Online how a cloning project was on the verge of being able to grow a baby mammoth in a lab. His team of leading Harvard scientists have been using DNA recovered from a woolly mammoth found perfectly preserved in ice in Siberia after dying 42,000 years ago. By merging genes from the mammals with that of elephants their species may be resurrected. The team is set to publish in the coming weeks scientific papers laying out in detail their revolutionary technique in creating and implanting mammalian embryos. Speaking to exclusively to Sun Online, Prof. Church said: We have already revived dozens of genes and are testing them in elephant cells. We are focusing on a reviving mammoth genes and making a mammoth/elephant hybrid and help them spread to vast wild, arctic climates. Using a genetic engineering technique called CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing, his team of scientists can cut and paste strands of DNA into elephant stem cells with a precision not seen before, paving the way for a woolly mammoth embryo. Prof. Church said he wants to then grow a hybrid woolly mammoth/elephant hybrid within an artificial womb rather than using a female elephant as a surrogate mum. It is estimated this will take at least 22 months. The professor believes this will allow woolly mammoths herds to begin once more plodding about the arctic and while doing so save the world. Along with other measures, it's hoped the woolly mammoths will create an environment which could stop Siberia's permafrost melting and then releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gases. The doomsday scenario has been dubbed as the methane bomb because if it happened it would dramatically worsen climate change, melting the ice cap and flooding countries across the world. And there is clear evidence that this is already happening. Bubble like mounds have been popping up like a geological plague and some have already burst and spewed out toxic gas which damages the atmosphere. But the worst of this ticking time bomb has yet to happen. Much of the methane is still trapped underneath by the permafrost layer which is fast disappearing and threatens to release the gas at any moment. An area where this is starting to happen is the Yamal Peninsula. Shocking aerial footage has revealed thousands of methane-filled craters which threatens to happen across Russias frozen far north. Ironically, melting ice here revealed preserved woolly mammoths that are now being used in the cloning attempts. And if the huge furry mammoths/elephant hybrids were to be brought into being, Prof. Church said they could repopulate these freezing wastelands and help lock in the lethal fumes. He said: Cold-resistant elephants would flatten the insulating snow and supporting trees in winter and favor the highly heat reflective grass in summer. They would also help capture new carbon by enhancing the photosynthetic capacity of the vegetation. Should Prof. Church and his Harvard uni team successfully clone woolly mammoths they would be taken to an extraordinary Ice Age safari park currently being developed by Russian scientists. Called the Pleistocene Park, the 20,000 hectare zone in the furthest stretches of remote Siberia has been created in a bid to recreate an Ice-Age ecosystem. Experts believe grazing woolly mammoths would also compact the snow in the winter and grass in the summer all of which lowers the permafrost temperature. This story originally appeared in The Sun. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced Monday night that entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa would be the first private person to fly solo around the moon aboard the company's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) launch vehicle. Maezawa, a 42-year-old from Japan, is a billionaire who founded Zozotown, an online retail shop. The excited future space traveler exclaimed at the event, "I choose to go to the moon." He said the trip will take place in 2023, giving him plenty of time to prepare. Prior to the announcement on Monday, Musk took to Twitter to show off two new images of the BFR. The images of the BFR show a rocket with fins on the side. It also has a forward moving wing near the nose, Musk wrote on Twitter. The event was held at the company's Hawthorne, Calif., headquarters, conveniently located next to a design shop for Tesla, Musk's other company. The Musk-led space company called the announcement "an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space." SpaceX's BFR The BFR is SpaceX's upcoming two-stage reusable spaceship system that will weigh 9.7 million pounds and be capable of taking a 330,000 pound payload to Mars and lower-Earth orbit (LEO), officials say. The BFR, announced in September 2017, eventually will replace SpaceX's other launch vehicles, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, as well as its Dragon spacecraft. In April, Musk posted a picture to Instagram (since removed) of what he described as the main body tool for his companys BFR interplanetary spaceship. In an interview in March, Musk said the ship was currently being built, adding "I think we'll probably be able to do short flights, short sort of up-and-down flights, probably sometime in the first half of next year." Shortly after his successful Falcon Heavy Launch, Musk said he expected a full-scale test of the massive rocket within the next few years. Musk described a slightly scaled-down 348-foot-tall rocket in September 2017 and announced that the private space company aimed to launch two cargo missions to Mars in 2022. He called the goals at the time aspirational. Two more cargo missions are set to follow in 2024 to provide more construction materials, along with two crewed flights, according to earlier reports. The window for launching to Mars occurs every two years. Fox News' Nicole Darrah and Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia. North Carolina officials are warning motorists against using transportation apps in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Florence due to flash flooding. GPS navigation companies are not keeping up with all the road closures and are directing people onto roads that are confirmed closed and flooded, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said in a release. While a Twitter user said the Google-owned Waze app helped her navigate around flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, NCDOT advised against using it. Waze and other travel apps are great but they are unable to keep up with the road closings, NCDOT said in a tweet. It is not safe now to trust them with your life. This storm, this flooding, these road closings are worse than Matthew, and theyll get even worse. Please stay safe! NCDOT also encouraged residents to stay put unless theres an emergency. Although the storm has passed in some areas, travel conditions across the state are deteriorating as flood waters continue to rise and trees fall because of saturated grounds, NCDOT said. HURRICANE FLORENCE COULD BRING LIFE-THREATENING FLOODS, CONDITIONS TO AREAS AWAY FROM COASTLINE AS WELL A map in a catastrophe is only so good as its ability to capture real-time information either from sensors or people, Steve Goldsmith, a professor who directs Harvard University's Data-Smart City Solutions project, told The Associated Press. He noted Waze, in particular, relies on a large community of users inputting data about the latest road conditions. But while the app might have more information, it will be less well organized. HURRICANE FLORENCE COULD LEAVE DEADLY DISEASES, ILLNESSES IN ITS WAKE Google said in a statement Monday that it uses both algorithmic and manual methods to account for emergency road closures on Google Maps and Waze. The company said it's working with local authorities on the ground, including South Carolina and North Carolina transportation agencies and several county governments. Here Technologies, which supplies mapping systems to many carmakers, said it's also working with local authorities to update road closures, though there can be a lag time in getting the latest information if the vehicle isn't connected to the service. The Associated Press contributed to this report. China's chilling dictatorship is moving quickly to introduce social scorecards, in which all citizens will be monitored 24/7 and ranked on their behavior. The Communist Partys plan is for every one of its 1.4 billion citizens to be at the whim of a dystopian social credit system, and its on track to be fully operational by the year 2020. An active pilot program has already seen millions of people each assigned a score out of 800 and either reap its benefits or suffer its consequences depending on which end of the scale they sit. Under the social credit scheme, points are lost and gained based on readings from a sophisticated network of 200 million surveillance cameras a figure set to triple in 18 months. The program has been enabled by rapid advances in facial recognition, body scanning and geo-tracking. The data is combined with information collected from individuals government records including medical and educational along with their financial and internet browsing histories. Overall scores can go up and down in real time dependant on the persons behaviour but they can also be affected by people they associate with. If your best friend or your dad says something negative about the government, youll lose points too, the ABC reports. The mandatory social credit system was first announced in 2014 in a bid to reinforce the notion that keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful, according to a government document. In a Foreign Correspondent episode, to air on the ABC tonight, financial credit system Alipay, Tianjin general manager Jie Cong, summarised the system in black and white. If people keep their promises they can go anywhere in the world, he said. If people break their promises they wont be able to move an inch! MODEL CITIZENS Under the system, those deemed to be top citizens are rewarded bonus points. The benefits of being ranked on the higher end of the scale include waived deposits on hotels and rental cars, VIP treatment at airports, discounted loans, priority job applications and fast-tracking to the most prestigious universities. Dandan, a young mother and marketing professional, is proud of her high score. If she keeps it up her infant son will be more likely to get into a top school. China likes to experiment in this creative way I think people in every country want a stable and safe society, she said. We need a social credit system. We hope we can help each other, love each other and help everyone to become prosperous. BOTTOM OF THE SCALE But it doesnt take much to end up on the wrong side of the scale with an estimated 10 million people are already paying the price of a low rating. Jaywalking, late payments on bills or taxes, buying too much alcohol or speaking out against the government, each cost citizens points. Other mooted punishable offences include spending too long playing video games, wasting money on frivolous purchases and posting on social media, according to Business Insider. Penalties range from losing the right to travel by plane or train, social media account suspensions and being barred from government jobs. Chinese journalist Liu Hu is one of millions who have already amassed a low social credit rating. Liu Hu was arrested, jailed and fined after he exposed official corruption. The government regards me as an enemy, Liu Hu told the ABC. He is now banned from travelling by plane or fast train. His social media accounts with millions of followers have been suspended. He struggles to find work. This kind of social control is against the tide of the world. The Chinese peoples eyes are blinded and their ears are blocked. They know little about the world and are living in an illusion. Liu Hu said. Seventeen people who refused to carry out military service were last year barred from enrolling in higher education, applying for high school, or continuing their studies, Beijing News reported. Uighur poet and filmmaker, Tahir Hamut, who fled to the US, told the ABC that Chinas surveillance system suddenly ramped up after the end of 2016. Since then, advanced surveillance technology which weve never seen, never experienced, never heard of, started appearing, he said. This story originally appeared in news.com.au. In a reception for visiting Bulgarian Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov in Hanoi, Deputy PM Hue said he hopes Bulgaria will increase investment in Vietnam in fields that overlap between the formers strengths and the latters needs, such as healthcare, high-tech agriculture, IT, renewable energy, and urban management. He highlighted the traditional friendship between the two nations, affirming that their political and diplomatic ties have been promoted fruitfully through visits made by their high-ranking leaders. The two sides have continued to maintain consultations on issues of their common concern and closely cooperated at regional and global forums, especially the UN, the ASEAN-EU cooperation mechanisms, and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), he added. According to the Vietnamese official, economic and trade cooperation has recorded positive development, however it remains limited and is yet to live up to its full potential. Two-way trade only reaches around US$100 million per year. Bulgarias investment in Vietnam is also modest, reaching only US$30 million. The Deputy PM also called on the Bulgarian side to create favourable conditions for Vietnams agricultural products to access the European country, and asked Bulgaria to back and promote the official signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He stressed the need to soon convene the 24th meeting of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Intergovernmental Committee on economic and science-technology cooperation, thus discussing how to expand economic and trade links between the two nations in the coming time. For his part, Emil Karanikolov affirmed that the Bulgarian Government attaches great importance to Vietnam and congratulates the nation on its socio-economic achievements during its Doi moi (renewal) process. Bulgaria will actively push the EU to soon sign the EVFTA and be one of the first countries to approve the agreement at the parliament, he said. With cooperation mechanisms between the two sides, especially Bulgarian incentives for Vietnamese commodities, we hope to become a gateway for Vietnamese products to enter European markets, he added. He also informed the host about his working sessions with the Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade, representatives from the Hanoi Peoples Committee, and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group. The driver responsible for leaving an unattended rental car near a terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Sunday morning and throwing Terminal 4 into chaos as a result is getting off with just a ticket and a towing fee. The man, whose mistake resulted in the delay of hundreds of flights and dozens of cancellations, has been issued a ticket for $52 and ordered to pay an additional fee of $75 for towing the car, Phoenix police confirmed. Police have submitted a report to the Transportation Security Administration for possible civil penalties, the Associated Press reported. PARTS OF AIRPORT SHUT DOWN AFTER WOMAN SLIPS THROUGH SECURITY ZONE Officials had initially shut down part of the Arizona airport and evacuated all passengers after someone called to report a suspicious rental car left in a curb lane at the airport shortly after 7 a.m, AZ Central reported. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport officials announced shortly before noon on Sunday that operations were finally returning to normal after shutting down Terminal 4 as a precaution during a police investigation into the unattended vehicle. The terminal closure caused flight delays and cancellations of Southwest flights, as well as American Airlines, Air Canada and British Airways aircraft. PHILIPPINES AIRPORT PASSENGERS PANIC AFTER SEEING SNAKE IN DEPARTURES LOUNGE Phoenix Police Sgt. Tommy Thompson confirmed that a bomb squad had worked to make sure the vehicle was not a danger before the terminal could be reopened. An airport spokeswoman said three of the four security checkpoints at the terminal had closed as a result of the incident, and the Sky Train stopped dropping passengers at the terminal. Sgt. Thompson later stated that the driver, who was not named, would likely be facing nothing more than a parking citation, which he was told would amount to $56. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Displaced passengers on Twitter, meanwhile, had called for the driver to be punished much more severely. One woman, who claimed she missed out on a friend's bridal shower as a result of the delays, shared an open tweet to the driver, saying she hopes the convenient parking job was "worth the trouble" he or she was about to get into. Another, Ryan Hintze, called the driver an "idiot." "An inconsiderate person decided to waste thousands of people's time and inconvenience them," wrote Hintze in a Twitter direct message, according to AZ Central. "I hope the idiot who left the rental car gets tracked down and punished to the fullest extent of the law." A Delta Air Lines pilot has been grounded after being indicted for misleading government officials about a major depressive disorder in hopes of continuing his career in the skies. A Delta spokesperson confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that U.S. Air Force veteran Adam Asleson is no longer actively flying with the carrier in the wake of being indicted in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office, the 39-year-old from Peachtree, Ga., was charged on Aug. 28 for falsely reporting to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that he did not suffer from any mental disorders including depression or anxiety, though he previously sought help from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a major depressive disorder. Instead, Asleson allegedly told the FAA that he received VA disability benefits for knee strain and tinnitus. EASYJET PASSENGER DRAGGED OFF FLIGHT BY COPS FOR MAKING A COMMENT ABOUT BLOWING THE PLANE UP According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Asleson falsified the medical records to obtain airman medical certificates. He reportedly began flying for Delta in 2017. Asleson was arrested on Aug. 28 and released on a $10,000 bond, as per the news release. That same day, three other pilots, who are also receiving disability benefits from the VA, were indicted for making similarly false statements to the FAA regarding their medical history that may have disqualified them from piloting planes. Asleson will make his next appearance in court on Oct. 3. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Representatives for Delta returned Fox News request for comment on the story with the following statement: Delta pilots are held to the highest standards of professionalism, honesty and integrity. Once made aware of the situation, we opened an internal investigation and are working cooperatively with the authorities, the Delta spokesperson said. The pilot in question is no longer actively flying. American Airlines has appologized to the rapper who accused two employees of being "racist" after they allegedly questioned his first-class ticket. Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, a D.C.-based recording artist who goes by the name Wale, tweeted about the alleged incident Sunday evening, which occured on a flight from New York to Los Angeles. DELTA AIR LINES PILOT GROUNDED FOR CONCEALING 'MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER' TO KEEP FLYING Initially he was just complaining about the flight delay after being stuck on the runway for what he said was a half-hour and counting. American Airlines Twitter account responded to Wales complaints, apologizing for the wait and blaming the delay on aircraft maintenance. It was then that Wale accused two specific employees of questioning his place in first class. How about ur employees Megumi and Don told me ur [sic] not supposed to be in first class Im calling the police, he tweeted. He also shared a photo of his ticket showing his seat assignment, 4F, in the first class cabin. He then accused the airline of being racist and asked what they planned on doing about it. American Airlines is now appologizing for what they claim was a system error that didn't register Wale's seat assignment. When the flight was delayed, passengers had to deplane due to the maintenance issue, and when they reboarded, the airline said many passengers sat in the wrong seats. A spokesperson for the airline said in a statement that the flight attendants were just trying to figure out why he wasnt listed on the flight in the first place. His seat was inadvertently dropped in the system when they boarded back. When the flight landed [in Los Angeles], he was sitting in his correct seatbut he wasnt showing on their tablets as being on their aircraft, a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement. We just want to apologize to Wale for what really occurred here, the spokesperson said. We understand his frustration...Hes a good customer of ours. He flies with us regularly. We really just want to apologize profusely, the spokesperson said. After Wale first tweeted about the incident, a spokesperson for the airline released the following statement: Discrimination has no place at American Airlines. From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity is a way of life at American. Every day, our team members work to make American a place where people of all generations, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religious affiliations and backgrounds feel welcome and valued, the spokesperson said in a statement. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS In July, the NAACP lifted a travel advisory it had placed on American Airlines following several incidents of reported racial discrimination. NAACP President Derrick Johnson announced at the time that the company was making improvements that address worries about African-Americans being subject to discrimination or even unsafe conditions while flying. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Navigating the airport is about to get a whole lot easier for United Airlines customers, as the carrier has rolled out a color-coded process to streamline boarding across its 1,000 gates worldwide. The Chicago-based carrier announced the news on Sept. 18 via press release. Maria Walter, Uniteds managing director of Global Operations Strategy, explained to Fox News that the decision to simplify the process was inspired by customer feedback. We heard from our customers, that waiting in lines especially for certain groups was very long. We worked with our employees to then test all sorts of ideas, from going into airports and conducting tests on live flights, Walter said. DELTA AIR LINES PILOT GROUNDED FOR CONCEALING 'MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER' TO KEEP FLYING Now, United has slashed its number of boarding lines from five to two, which will feature a color-coded process of staggered boarding call to welcome customers aboard their flights, USA Today reports. First, airline staffers will call Premier 1K, Global Services frequent-flyers, active military and families traveling with children under two-years-old to board. This group can simply board from their seats without having to enter either the blue 1 lane and green 2 lane, a United rep confirmed to Fox News. Next, the boarding order will call for first and business-class customers, as well as plus Platinum and Gold level frequent flyers to board via lane 1. Then, Group 2, comprised of Silver-level frequent-fliers, select United credit card holders and travelers who have purchased priority access or boarding privileges with the carrier, will enter through lane 2. Meanwhile, members flying Economy Plus, United Economy and Basic Economy, comprising Groups 3, 4 and 5 will remain seated until Groups 1 and 2 have boarded, and then enter through Lane 2. Members of Groups 1 and 2 who arrive late to the gate area will be able to board via Gate 1. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS In addition, United app users will receive new notifications when boarding begins for their flight, eventually expanding these notifications to text messages, as per the release. Digital displays in the gate area will also feature updated boarding information. The streamlined boarding process first debuted at Los Angeles International Airport in February. One sheriff's deputy was killed and another was wounded Monday after a shootout with a suspect in Sacramento County, California. Deputy Mark Stasyuk, 27, was fatally shot in Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County Sheriffs Department said in a press release late Monday evening. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital. Deputy Julie Robertson, 28, was reportedly shot in the arm, and is in stable condition. A bystander was also shot during the incident, but is expected to recover. The suspect, who was also taken to a hospital, was awake and speaking after the shooting, Fox 2 KTVU reported. The two officers were responding to a disturbance call at a local business around 2 p.m., and were given no indication that the suspect was armed or dangerous, according to the press release. Neither deputy was wearing a body camera during the shooting, the station reported. The sheriff's department did not immediately respond to Fox News' inquires about the incident. Another deputy with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department was killed and two California Highway Patrol officers were injured in August 2017 as they investigated a car-theft ring. "It's an incredible hole that never quite gets filled in the hearts of our department," Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said, according to the station. Stasyuk, who had been with the department for almost five years, is survived by his wife, as well as his mother, father and sister. Robertson has been there for two and a half. Fox News' Benjamin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report. An "Inside Edition" crew who baited "smash and grab" thieves in California's San Francisco Bay Area were the victims of a true robbery resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. In an effort to report on rampant robberies in the area, "Inside Edition" employees filmed themselves planting GPS trackers inside items that were placed in a car parked in an area well-known for theft. The trackers were placed inside of a $250 speaker and a purse just before reporter Lisa Guerrero explains "for [their] last trick," they also placed video cameras throughout the car in the event the products get stolen. Sure enough, two people were soon spotted robbing the vehicle. A man was seen in the segment smashing open the car's back window, pulling out the handbag and throwing it to a woman sitting nearby before removing the speaker. BANK WORKER TEXTED 'GO SIGNAL' BEFORE 2 MEN TRIED ROBBING $75G FROM WOMAN, OFFICIALS SAY According to a man whose surveillance footage caught the incident, he said "it all lasted maybe 20 seconds." The "Inside Edition" crew then tracked down the speaker and confronted the duo as they walked into a train station. "You've got my speaker right there, you just broke into our car," Guerrero says, telling the man they've "got it on camera." While the man tries to shy away from the cameraperson, and, at one point even pushing the camera down, the reporter informs him "five million people are going to see [him] steal that." Refusing to give it back, the man says he's going to call his mother an offer Guerrero encourages. "Inside Edition" said the man eventually left the speaker, and they later moved on to track the stolen purse, which was found in a garbage can. While the crew was interviewing the man captured on camera in the initial theft, their actual crew car was broken into via the "smash and grab" method, leaving "thousands of dollars worth of equipment" stolen. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, more than 31,000 people reported "smash and grab" robberies in the city in 2017 alone. It's not easy being green. A measure passed by Californias state legislature last year is causing a bit of road rage, as more than 200,000 low- and zero-emission vehicles are set to lose their decals that allow them to drive in the car-pool lane without another passenger. The decal program, which the state started back in 2012, was meant to boost the number of clean-air vehicles in California. Instead, it has congested the HOV lanes, according to the Los Angeles Times. Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, drivers who received the white and green clean-air stickers before 2017 will have to purchase a new vehicle to qualify. Drivers could obtain the decals if they buy a used car that did not previously have one and would have qualified under the previous programs requirements, the paper reported. A new income threshold will also eliminate certain drivers from participating in the program. Not being able to use the carpool lane will definitely affect my day-to-day, Kitty Adams, a driver of a decaled 2002 electric Toyota RAV4,told the paper. Critics argue that the focus should be on clamping down on drivers who illegally use the lane without a sticker or passenger, which represents one out of every four vehicles, the paper reported citing data from Caltrans. There needs to be a message that the CHP is taking enforcement seriously, Dave Moreno, who is set to lose his stickers, told the Times. Im honestly not seeing it. A California Highway Patrol officer told the paper law enforcement is doing everything it can, but is stretched thin covering the 915 miles of freeways and highways in Los Angeles County. The aunt of the Massachusetts man killed Saturday by a shark in the waters off Cape Cod said she begged her nephew to stay away -- but he laughed off her fears. Marisa Medici told the Boston Herald on Sunday she kept asking 26-year-old Arthur Medici not to go to Cape Cod, but that's where her nephew wanted to go "every day." "Always I asked him, Dont go. Please, dont go. Hed say, Aunt, theyre not going to bite me. The sharks dont bite me. Im Superman! He was always making jokes about himself," she told the Herald. Medici is the state's first shark fatality since 1936. He was bitten on the legs while boogie boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, officials said; however, specifics of his injuries and the type of shark that attacked him have not been made public. I didnt know that he would die doing something that he loved. But he did, Marisa Medici told the Herald. WATERS CLOSED FOLLOWING CAPE COD SHARK ATTACK; BEACH MANAGER SAYS PEOPLE WILL NEED TO USE 'COMMON SENSE' AFTER FATAL INCIDENT Medici's cousin, Sarah Medici Coutinho, told Boston 25 on Monday the 26 year-old had a laugh that "filled up a room" -- but understood the serious risks of his hobby. "He loved to surf, we knew it was dangerous," Coutinho said. "We knew there were sharks around the area. We would ask him not to go, my mom would ask him specifically not to go sometimes, but he loved to surf. He passed doing what he loved, and he was happy surfing." Family members have set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs, and to pay for transporting Medicis body to Brazil. The crowd-funded account had surpassed $29,000 as of Tuesday morning. Officials in Wellfleet told Fox News on Monday morning the reopening of the beach for swimming is being discussed, but "no decision has been made at this time." Signs telling visitors of the beach closure have been placed at entrances since the fatal attack. Fox News' Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report. A New Jersey school district has fired a bus driver who got lost on the first day of school. Montgomery schools Superintendent Nancy Gartenberg says the unidentified male driver was unfamiliar with the route and failed to go on a required practice run. The driver left Orchard Hill Elementary School with 37 students Sept. 6 and later became lost. Jennifer Lafaman told the school board she got in her car to find her son, a kindergartener, when the bus didn't arrive. Lafaman says she found the bus "nowhere near the bus route" two hours after it was supposed to drop off her son. School officials have issued an apology and say drivers will be required to report to the transportation office next year to ensure that they know their routes. In an interview to Latin American network TeleSUR, Diaz-Canel said that after US President Donald Trump came into power, relations between Havana and Washington have faced a "serious setback." "We don't deny the possibilities of dialogue with the Trump administration but it has to be between equals, where our sovereignty and independence are respected. Cuba isn't going to make any concessions," he said. Diaz-Canel said Washington rolled back thawing links by dictating measures that are "totally unacceptable" for Cuba. "If this aberrant attitude is maintained, there will be no dialogue. We should ask Trump if he wants to talk but it can't be from a prepotent position," he said. Last year, Trump signed a presidential memorandum toughening US policy towards Cuba, a document that prohibits US companies from doing business with firms associated with Cuba's military, and restricts US citizens' travel to the Caribbean nation. According to the Cuban president, the new policy aims to limit Cuba's economic development and goes against the will of most US citizens, entrepreneurs, academics and other sectors. "There is an important business and agricultural sector that wants relations and investments with Cuba. Also universities, academics and scientists want greater engagement and exchanges between both countries," he added. Relations were also hampered by alleged "attacks" on US diplomats in the island which led to the partial closure of the US embassy in Havana and the expulsion of 15 Cuban diplomats in Washington. "In the midst of rolling back relations, they created a fallacy. We have not attacked anyone," Diaz-Canel said. After months of investigations, security agencies of both countries have demonstrated that the alleged attacks never took place. The Cuban leader also urged Trump's administration to lift the economic blockade on the island which has become the main obstacle for its development. According to a recent report released by the Cuban Foreign Ministry, economic losses caused by the US blockade on the island totaled over US$4.3 billion between April 2017 and March this year. Elizabeth Smart said the impending release of Wanda Barzee should concern the public because the convicted kidnapper is still a big threat and possibly holds onto beliefs that led her to help with her kidnapping more than 16 years ago. Smart, 30, a soon-to-be mother of three, told CBS This Morning on Tuesday she heard Barzee, 72, still holds onto teachings written by husband Brian David Mitchell, who held her captive for nine months when she was 14. I do believe she's still a danger, Smart told CBS anchor Gayle King. Through my sources, I've heard that she's still carrying around this 'book of revelations' that Brian Mitchell wrote ... that said he should kidnap me, and not just kidnap me but six other young girls, and that we'd all be his wives ... clearly, she hasn't let it go. "[Barzee] is still a big threat, and not just to me but to the public in general, I mean, to any person who's vulnerable out there, she added. ELIZABETH SMART URGES AUTHORITIES TO RECONSIDER PLANNED RELEASE OF KIDNAPPER WANDA BARZEE Barzee spent 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to helping Mitchell kidnap Smart in 2002. She was convicted on both state and federal crimes and was transferred to the Utah state prison in April 2016 after finishing a federal sentence in Texas. Utah's Board of Pardons and Parole had denied Barzee early parole following a June hearing, which she chose not to attend. They said she also had refused to take a psychological exam and set a release date of January 2024. Last week, however, officials announced Barzee had served her full sentence after crediting time she served in federal prison. She is expected to be released this week. Smart recalled Tuesday how Barzee encouraged Mitchell, who is serving a life sentence, to rape her. I know just how bad she really can be. She would encourage him to rape me. She would sit right next to me. Like, the side of her body would be touching me, Smart said. FAMILY OF ELIZABETH SMART KIDNAPPER SAYS THEY WON'T TAKE IN FELON WHEN SHE'S RELEASED Smart said shes been assured Barzee will be closely monitored after her release. I have been informed on who the agent is, who the federal agent is, who will be supervising her, she said. And I do believe that he will do the job to the best of his ability. I have faith in him. I just lack faith in her. Barzees niece told The Deseret News she will not be taking in Barzee. She needs help, the niece said, adding her family is not capable of handling Barzees mental needs. Fox News Barnini Chakraborty contributed to this report. A former Louisiana State Police Department cadet was arrested after he tried to blackmail a former Army co-worker by forwarding lewd photographs to the victim's employer, police said. Jimmy Kassis, 26, of Thibodaux, was booked Friday on nonconsensual disclosure of a private image. EX-OKLAHOMA STATE SENATOR GETS 15-YAER PRISON SENTENCE FOR CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING While Kassis was employed by the U.S. Army, state police said he sent nude images of his co-worker to that persons Army general in February. Police said Kassis intended to send the lewd images to the victims other employer in a bid to blackmail his co-worker. State police spokesman Sgt. Jared L. Sandifer said Kassis was terminated as a cadet after they discovered the pending Army investigation. Kassis started the Louisiana State Police Training Academy on May 27, WAFB reported. Louisiana State Police investigators obtained search warrants on Kassis cell phone and home in Thibodaux. MAN PULLS GUN ON COLORADO DEPUTIES DURING TRAFFIC STOP, DRAMATIC BODY CAMERA VIDEO SHOWS An arrest warrant was obtained for Kassis on Aug. 6, but he fled the state. Police in Van Buren Township, Mich., said on Aug. 31 they had arrested him on an outstanding warrant, The Times-Picayune reported. Kassis was extradited back to Louisiana on Sept. 14. Its unclear if he has a lawyer. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A former Republican state senator in Oklahoma was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Monday for child sex trafficking. Ralph Shortey, 36, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised probation once he's released from prison. U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti also said a fine -- which could be as much as $250,000 -- will be imposed on the former two-term lawmaker at a later date. Shortey appeared in court and made a statement saying he hoped the sentencing will be closure to those involved, FOX25 News reported. Shortey pleaded guilty in November in exchange for prosecutors dropping three child pornography charges against him. He said at the time the plea deal was in the best interest of him and his family. OKLAHOMA POLICE RELEASE BODY CAM FOOTAGE OF FORMER STATE SENATOR CAUGHT WITH UNDERAGE MALE The former state senator, who represented southwest Oklahoma City, was arrested in March 2017 after police caught him in a hotel room with a 17-year-old male. Police said they went to the room after receiving a welfare check call placed by the teen boy's father. The officer said police smelled marijuana coming from the room. Shortey, a father of four, was accused by officers of hiring the teenage boy for sex. He resigned shortly after the arrest and his wife obtained a divorce earlier this year. The Moore Police Department released body camera footage of Shortey in the hotel room with the boy. He told officers he and the teenager were having a conversation in the room. A police report indicated a search of the teen's tablet computer uncovered a series of sexually explicit exchanges in which Shortey referred to him as "baby boy" and offered him cash in exchange for sexual stuff. OKLAHOMA STATE SENATOR CHARGED IN CHILD PROSTITUTION CASE The FBI became involved in the case following Shortey's arrest and searched his Oklahoma City home. The FBI discovered Shortey had previously used fake names to send and receive child pornography and to go on Craigslist to seek casual encounters with males, the younger the better. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Florence has dropped more than 8 trillion gallons of water since making landfall last week in North Carolina, according to an unofficial estimate. The National Weather Service in Raleigh said Tuesday morning an unofficial, radar-estimate of the total rainfall from the merciless hurricane-turned-tropical depression was about 8.04 trillion gallons of rain in the Tar Heel state. The number was estimated using the average rainfall over the state and not actual gauge-measured amounts, the NWS said in a tweet. Florence, a once powerful Category 4 hurricane, has claimed at least 32 lives across three states 24 in North Carolina alone and has left city after city inundated with upwards of 30 inches of rain in some areas. The flooding unfolded just as forecasters predicted and more is expected as Florence makes its way slowly north, bringing with it more water to already drenched areas. Federal and local officials have been monitoring the environmental implications of the excessive flooding, especially at the several open-air manure pits and coal ash landfills that were breached by flood waters. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is also monitoring Duke Energys Brunswick nuclear power plant, which was in the direct path of Florences eye when it made landfall late last week. A spokeswoman with Duke Energy told Fox News on Tuesday that the plant was safe and that floodwaters did not enter the facility. She said the plants two reactors remain shut down and they expect to restore power to all customers in North and South Carolina by late Sept. 26. Shannon Brushe also pushed back at reports the Brunswick plant had been insulated because of the floods and damage caused by Florence. She said about 300 employees stayed at the plant during the storm to provide around-the-clock support, but that they were never stranded. On Monday, it was reported the plant had been placed under an unusual event classification by the NRC its lowest emergency classification and that the plant itself had limited accessibility by personal vehicles because of floods and damage from the storm. The News & Observer spoke to one of the storm riders at the plant, who said employees were sleeping on cots and using portable toilets because water had been shut off at the facility and toilets didnt flush. The roads around the plants are largely impassable. Brushe said there no dire situation at the plant and that all employees had planned to remain at the plant during the storm because of the potential of flooding. She said additional supplies was airlifted in after the storm and that a nearby Walmart opened its doors Monday. No one was expecting to go home that night, she added. NRC spokesman Joey Ledford told Fox News in an email Monday that the twin-reactor nuclear plant is stable and poses no threat to public safety. In a subsequent email on Tuesday morning, Ledford said the status at the plant had not changed overnight and that there continued to be limited access to the site due to flooding in the area. Brushe said some of the workers who were at the nuclear plant during the storm have been able to leave. Those who lived nearby checked on their homes, while some crew replacements have been able to get to the plant. About 30 miles north, a Duke Energy landfill in Wilmington holding potentially toxic coal ash suffered a breach. The company said about 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash flowed from its Sutton Plant near the Cape Fear river. The Environmental Protection Agency called it a second breach, while the company said its all part of the same erosion event. The release of water and ash has stopped and its being repaired, Brushe said. Fox News' Travis Fedschun and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A few feet forward, and the Jayhawk helicopter strikes trees; a few feet to the side, and it hits power lines. Coast Guard pilot Matt Delahunty, out of Elizabeth City, N.C., carefully hovered the aircraft over a flood victims home, where Steve Lewis stood on his roof waving an American flag as water rose to the second floor of the residence. It came in fast, Lewis told Fox News during the helicopter trip. My house is pretty much a wreck. The crews demeanor remained even-keeled and confident throughout the flight, so it was hard to tell that this was their first roof rescue. Holy cow! flight mechanic Ryan Johnson exclaimed, after helping hoist Lewis into the helicopter. My adrenaline! Johnson said urban rescues are a rarity for the U.S. Coast Guard out of Elizabeth City. About 99.9% of our cases are done offshore in the middle of the ocean with nothing else around, he added. In neighborhoods, crews have to maneuver around snag hazards, like trees, antennas and power lines. Darren Harrity, a rescue swimmer well known for his herculean-like rescues, said theres definitely adrenaline involved, but not so much nerves. We train for this type of stuff. However, beneath Coast Guard members military hardness and seemingly invincible spirits are just Carolinians, witnessing their home states growing devastation from floodwaters. After finishing a long day of successful rescues, Johnsons eyes welled up, Im about to get emotional now, he warned. I hugged my kids pretty tight a couple of days ago when I got home. Its just home, so its pretty emotional. Heavy rain from Florence has ended across North Carolina, but historic flooding persists with several rivers remaining at major flood stage. The area we were at today, I actually have family members that were impacted pretty severely from the storm, so it has a very close emotional tie, Johnson said. Delahunty agreed, saying once the adrenaline subsides from a rescue, the reality of fellow Carolinians condition really tugs on his heartstrings. Delahunty embraced an emotional survivor, carrying nothing but a few trash bags, who said she doesnt have flood insurance. At that moment, I wasnt a Coast Guard officer anymore, I was just a fellow human being, so I asked her if I could pray with her and I prayed with her, Delahunty recalled. The crew is reminded during every rescue mission of the utter devastation in their home state the helicopter providing indescribable views from above. But this team of four Matt Delahunty (pilot), Lindsey Cockburn (co-pilot), Ryan Johnson (flight mechanic) and Darren Harrity (rescue swimmer) told Fox News it is an honor to serve the community that has provided them with so much. Its great to be able to give back to everything its given me, Johnson shared. Delahunty said this is what they signed up for. We get to be part of a really cool, just really amazing opportunity to be an answer to prayer for people who, in many cases, have been stranded for days now, he added. With more than 3,000 Coast Guard members responding to Florence, crews have rescued 193 people and 91 pets in North Carolina as of Sunday evening; these numbers are expected to grow, as some rivers have yet to crest. Heading into another week of long, emotional workdays, Cockburn said she copes with exposure to the devastation by reminding herself of peoples resiliency. People will come back from this; it might take a while, but people will come back from this. A San Francisco environmental sensor company is partnering with Google to turn the tech giant's roving Street View fleet into mobile pollution detectors -- a move critics fear ultimately will be used to justify more regulations. Google announced it was teaming up with Aclima to install the air quality sensors in 50 Street View vehicles. The detectors can provide breakdowns of how much carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter are in the environment. The data from this fall's initial roll-out in the U.S. and Europe is set to be made available as part of the public dataset on Google BigQuery and "will be available upon request to advance air quality science and research," according to a news release. "These measurements can provide cities with new neighborhood-level insights to help cities accelerate efforts in their transition to smarter, healthier cities," Google Earth Outreach Program Manager Karin Tuxen-Bettman said in the statement. Those "insights" have some warning the technology will "come back with a bite" against average Americans. "It wont be long before do-goody governments take the data from these Street View vehicles and use it to justify more crackdowns on, say, carbon dioxide, or on whatever other gaseous emissions they deem worthy of cutting," Washington Times' opinion editor Cheryl K. Chumley wrote. CALIFORNIA ANGERS SOME ZERO-EMISSION DRIVERS BY TAKING AWAY DECALS THAT ALLOW THEM TO USE CARPOOL LANE Earlier this year, sensor-equipped Google Street View cars hit London's roadways with the goal of gathering hyperlocal pollution data in order to help craft policy, TechCrunch reported at the time. London mayor and noted Trump-critic Sadiq Khan billed the air quality monitoring network, which also used fixed sensors on buildings, as the most sophisticated in the world." Since 2015, Google has been using the Aclima-equipped Google Street View cars, which have driven more than 100,000 miles in California to collect data in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley. Data from the vehicles was used to produce a peer reviewed, scientific study on air pollution levels in Oakland. That report found pollution levels can vary from five to eight times along a single city street. Officials are now looking to take the technology worldwide. As air pollution and climate emissions pose an urgent challenge to human and planetary health, partnering with Google to scale Aclimas environmental intelligence platform in Street View cars will activate awareness about local air quality in communities around the world where this information doesnt currently exist, Aclima CEO Davida Herzl said in a statement. A Missouri-based organization is bringing a North Carolina staple to areas trying to recover from Florence. Operation BBQ Relief said in a statement Tuesday that it had deployed its group of barbecue enthusiasts to Wilmington and Fayetteville to support recovery efforts by providing hot meals to displaced residents and first responders. The organization said the Wilmington and Fayetteville deployment locations are capable of producing up to 50,000 meals per day. Currently about 100 volunteers are serving pulled pork, pork loin sandwiches, vegetables, rolls, buns, green beans, corn and baked beans. It has not been an easy task. David Marks, chief marketing officer for Operation BBQ Relief, told Fox News about the conditions of the relief effort: No power, everyone is searching for ice, people sleeping in cars at gas stations waiting for gas to arrive, and they have been at those pumps for at least four days at this point. The organization was established in 2011 following a devastating tornado in Joplin, Mo. Marks told the Greenville News that the nonprofit formed out of a shared desire to work toward a common good. We compete against each other and the competition is fierce, but the brotherhood among competitive barbecuers is really tight and everybody will help each other, Marks said after arriving in Wilmington on Monday afternoon. And this is really just an extension of that. The organization has deployed in response to natural disasters including severe flooding in South Carolina in 2016, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A man was arrested Monday night after a massive fire ripped through a New York City mall parking garage, sending thick black smoke into the air and injuring 21 people. Avon Stephens, 23, was taken into custody on arson charges hours after the fire inside the four-story garage at Kings Plaza mall, officials said. Security cameras captured Stephens at the scene moments before multiple cars caught fire. Im sorry. I apologize, Stephens was allegedly heard saying Monday as he was led to the police cruiser. MORE THAN 200 FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO MULTI-CAR BLAZE INSIDE NEW YORK CITY MALL PARKING GARAGE Mall security identified Stephens as a homeless man who slept in the garage and had been asked to leave the area, the New York Post reported. Stephens is expected to appear in court Tuesday. The blaze at the garage in Brooklyns Mill Basin neighborhood began around 9 a.m. Monday and quickly escalated. More than 250 firefighters worked to contain the fire for nearly three hours. Photos and videos from the scene showed black smoke billowing into the air. The explosion-like noises were caused by tires bursting, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. I heard, Boom! Boom! Boom! Mike Wright, who lives nearby the scene, told the New York Post. The next thing I know, firetrucks are coming out. I look up, and there is this huge plume of smoke all over the neighborhood. Nigro said 18 firefighters and three other people suffered injuries including smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. The garage stores about 120 vehicles for a nearby car dealership. Many of those vehicles were on fire when officials arrived. University of Michigan officials have criticized a professor's decision not to recommend a student for a study program in Israel. The school said in a statement Tuesday it opposes boycotts of Israeli higher education institutions. It adds "injecting personal politics" in decisions related to supporting students "is counter to our values." Professor John Cheney-Lippold initially said he couldn't write a recommendation letter for junior Abigail Ingber because of an academic boycott against Israel. He later told The Michigan Daily the boycott stance is "personal" and says he's not anti-Semitic. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment from Ingber. Some have called for boycotts over Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Supporters say the boycotts are a nonviolent way to promote the Palestinian cause. Israel says it aims to delegitimize the Jewish state. ___ Information from: The Michigan Daily, http://www.michigandaily.com * The Republic of Korea (RoK)s President Moon Jae-in said on September 18 that his visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would be a success if it helps to restart the DPRK-US dialogue. * Thai Narcotics Suppression Bureau said on late Monday that US$76.7 million worth of methamphetamine pills and heroin were intercepted on September 16 in Thailand's Upper Central Province of Sukhothai. * China and Russia on September 17 agreed to further enhance energy cooperation through the mechanism of China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee. * Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on September 17 met with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in his office in Algiers over bilateral partnership and development in all fields. The two leaders exchanged views on major issues of common concern, particularly illegal immigration and cross-border terrorism. * Four people have been confirmed dead in Guangdong as Super Typhoon Mangkhut ravaged the southern Chinese province, local authorities said Monday. * Foreign ministers of Cuba and Ghana, Bruno Rodriguez and Shirley Botchwey, respectively, expressed on September 17 their mutual interest in deepening economic relations and continuing to strengthen political ties, particularly in international forums. * Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said Monday that the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear deal would cause serious repercussions on the regional and international peace and security, Press TV reported. * The opening ceremony of Exercise Pandaroo 2018 was held in Canberra on Monday, marking the start of a joint exercise by soldiers from the Australian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army. This is the fourth joint exercise since 2015, which will last till September 28. * At the official meeting with US Defense Secretary James Mattis, who was on an official visit to Macedonia on September 17, the host President Gjorge Ivanov said that NATO and European Union (EU) membership continue to be the main strategic goals and priorities for Macedonia. * A UN envoy on September 17 voiced concern about political challenges that he said might derail the parliamentary elections in Afghanistan next month. * At least 95 Palestinians were wounded on Monday evening in their clashes with Israeli soldiers on the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza health ministry said. * Regular security forces will be re-deployed to secure Mitiga International Airport in Libya's capital Tripoli, Interior Minister Abdussalam Ashour announced Monday. * The Libyan navy said on Sep[tember 17 that 57 illegal immigrants on a rubber boat were rescued off the country's western coast after its clashes with smugglers. * Over two dozen militants and security personnel have been killed as clash erupted between the government forces and Taliban in the northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan on September 17, provincial police chief Ekramudin Sari said. A 2-year-old Missouri girl died Sunday afternoon after she was struck by an ice cream truck during a family outing, reports said. Felicity Karam was with family in the town of Wentzville, which is 40 miles east of St. Louis. She was taken to get ice cream and was hit while she was corssing in front of the truck, police told Fox 2 St. Louis. The driver of the truck had served ice cream to the family moments before the accident and is "terribly distraught," St. Louis' KSDK-TV reported. The toddler was rushed to the local hospital where she died from her injuries, the station reported. "She will be missed by so many," Rachel Zeik, her aunt, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign . Zeik called her niece's death a "freak accident," The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Stan Stnav, president of Cool Times Ice Cream (the truck's owner), said the locally owned company is "especially heartbroken," because they often get to know the kids and parents in the area. "Our hearts go out to the family of the little girl who died in this tragic accident in Wentzville yesterday," Stnav said. "We have never had an accident like this and deeply share in this familys pain." An illegal immigrant and member of the notorious MS-13 street gang was convicted Monday by a federal jury on several charges, including a violent 2017 attack on a man in Nashville, prosecutors said. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, 31, of El Salvador, was accused of inviting a person to his home after the man asked him to stop disruptive gang activity at a nightclub. Once at the house, Serrano-Ramierz pointed an assault rifle at the man before strangling him with the rifle strap. He continued the assault by "spraying bleach into his eyes and then attempted to suffocate him by placing a plastic bag over his head, prosecutors said. The 31-year-old then clamped the man's finger with a pair of pliers while holding the rifle on him, telling the man if he told anyone about the assault that he would kill him and his mother. MOM HONORED BY TRUMP AFTER MS-13 KILLED HER DAUGHTER IS STRUCK, KILLED BY SUV NEAR MEMORIAL SITE MS-13 is one of the most violent and dangerous gangs in America, and the conduct that occurred in this case is further evidence of the gangs ruthlessness, said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Brian Benczkowski said in a statement. Video of the assault was recovered from an in-home security system at the 31-year-old's home was presented at the trial, which also showed him packaging and selling cocaine. During a search of the home, authorities seized an AK-47 assault rifle; multiple rifle magazines; 582 rounds of ammunition; body armor; and a small amount of cocaine and marijuana, according to prosecutors. Serrano-Ramirez, who went by the street name Frijole, was indicted in August 2017 and convicted Monday on all counts after a 3-day jury trial. Authorities said the 31-year-old had previously been deported, and illegally re-entered the country before the assault. The jurys verdict will ensure that another violent criminal alien will be removed from our community for a very long period of time and he will have little, if any, chance of ever inflicting harm outside of his new home - a federal penitentiary, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Donald Cochran said in a statement. Serrano-Ramirez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 30 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced in January 2019. A newly promoted Navy chief petty officer -- who had recently been granted a protective order due to alleged "domestic violence" -- was reportedly discovered dead in her home Monday, and investigators say her "death was not from natural causes." The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office has not released the name of the person found dead in a home on Jacksonvilles Northside, but family members identified the person to First Coast News as 37-year-old Andrea Washington. She was a mother of three. Deputies were called to the home for a medical emergency and found a body inside the residence, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said. A cause of death was not immediately released, but police said the "death was not from natural causes." There was no immediate information on any suspects. A judge had granted the Navy chief a protective order about two weeks ago due to domestic violence at her home, First Coast News reported. Washington reported she was pushed, kicked and had a gun pulled on her by a man she was living with, the media outlet reported, citing the protective order filed Sept. 4. Washington reportedly said the two argued over household bills. She was slated to appear in court on Monday. MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING WIFE AT SEA SOUGHT TO INHERIT HER ESTATE, PROSECUTOR SAYS Phantom McClendon, a family friend of Washington, told First Coast News that Washington was pinned on Friday for Navy Chief Petty Officer. MILITARY COUPLE ESCAPING FLORENCES PATH GIVES BIRTH IN FLORIDA HOSPITAL The goal of making chief is a major accomplishment and for her to make it after all these years...and the simple fact that she cant even enjoy it. She couldnt even go to work in her freshly pressed khaki uniform," McClendon told First Coast News. I just sent her a message on Friday right when she got pinned and told her 'Im proud of you.' A request for a comment from the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office was not immediately available. A Dallas-area black man mistaken for a thief last year as he tried to unlock his own truck had his hands in the air and was begging not to be shot when a police officer shot him twice, a prosecutor said Tuesday. Dallas County prosecutor Bryan Mitchell told jurors during opening statements in the trial of former Mesquite officer Derick Wiley that Lyndo Jones was struck in the back as Jones backed away. Wiley, who is also black and who was subsequently fired from the department for use-of-force violations, is charged with aggravated assault in the Nov. 8 shooting. Jones filed a lawsuit in January that said his recovery has been "fraught with multiple returns to emergency rooms." Authorities have said Jones was shot after Wiley responded to a report of someone breaking into a vehicle, setting off its alarm. A 911 caller reported a man trying to enter the truck was acting erratically, according to testimony Tuesday reported by KXAS-TV. Body camera video played for jurors showed Wiley responding and ordering Jones to the ground after finding him in the truck. Jones goes to the ground but eventually gets up and appears to start running before turning and pleading not to be shot. Jones' attorney said Wiley placed his foot on Jones' neck, causing a pain that prompted Jones to get back to his feet. A lawyer for Wiley said the officer was forced to make a split-second decision after being led to believe the suspect was burglarizing the truck. Video played for the jury showed Wiley telling investigators that he thought Jones was armed. "I thought he was going to kill me," Wiley said. Authorities determined that Jones did not have a weapon. The trial is expected to last through the week. The aggravated assault charge carries a sentence of between five years and life in prison, and up to a $10,000 fine. District Attorney Faith Johnson previously said her office will "seek the maximum" sentence. Colorado prosecutors want a judge to block the release of autopsy reports for a woman and two young girls who were killed and dumped at an oil work site, arguing that the cause of their deaths will be critical evidence during trial for a man charged with killing his family. Releasing information from the autopsies could influence witnesses and affect future jurors, District Attorney Michael Rourke said in a request filed Monday. Autopsy reports are generally public records in Colorado, but judges can decide to seal them under certain conditions. Rourke asked Judge Marcelo Kopcow to rule that releasing the reports would "do substantial injury to the public interest" and to order the coroner's office to reject public requests for the documents. "Shanann Watts, Bella Watts and Celeste Watts were murdered and their bodies moved from the initial crime scene," Rourke wrote in the request. "There is a great deal of interest surrounding this case and at this time, the cause of the deaths has not been made public. Consequently, the observations and findings contained in the coroner's autopsy report will be critical evidence at trial." The judge had not yet ruled on the request. Christopher Watts, 33, a former oil and gas worker, was charged in August with killing his pregnant 34-year-old wife, Shanann, and their daughters, ages 3 and 4. He has told investigators that he killed Shanann Watts because she had strangled their daughters after he told her he wanted to separate, according to court records. Police have said Christopher Watts killed his family inside their suburban Denver home, then drove their bodies to an oil site owned by his former employer. The girls' bodies were found submerged in an oil tank, and Shanann Watts' body was found in a shallow grave. A friend had asked police to check on the family when she could not reach Shanann Watts by phone. Over the next few days, Christopher Watts did interviews with local television stations and spoke about wanting his family to return home. He has not formally entered a plea and is jailed without bond. Watts' public defenders said in a recent statement that they will not comment on a pending criminal case. They have raised their own concerns about media interest in the case. The attorneys sought to limit media access to Watts' court appearances and asked the judge to order prosecutors to investigate potential leaks to media outlets. The judge rejected that request, writing that he had no authority to order such an investigation. In Florida, the past two years have been the deadliest in prison history. In Pennsylvania, 50 staffers became sick recently and 33 inmates were hospitalized, triggering a 12-day statewide prison lockdown.The culprit: synthetic marijuana, or K2. The drug is flowing into prisons across the country, and has become one of the leading causes of death among inmates, experts say. Law enforcement officials call it one of the most dangerous drug problems the correctional system has ever seen. This is a national phenomenon Ohio, Mississippi, Arkansas and others have all seen a spike in occurrences and drug-related overdoses, said Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel. And now its our turn. On August 29, Wetzel closed 25 prisons to visitors and halted most mail service for its 46,768 inmates after what correction officials believe was a mass exposure to K2. We had to stabilize the situation, said Wetzel. This has been building over the last two months. In July, we had 22 inmates with drug overdoses, 23 in August and a series of about 50 staff reported illness. The increase in overdoses has prompted the department to launch new security measures and policies, including drone-detection equipment, high-tech body scanners and possible lifetime bans on prison visits for anyone caught trying to sneak drugs into prisons. The goal of the security measures, Wetzel said, is to try to stop all drugs from entering the prison through several known methods, including regular mail, outside books and publications, drones and visits from family and friends. The new measures will cost Pennsylvanians $15 million. But Pennsylvania is not the only state experiencing deadly K2 outbreaks in its prisons. According to a report by the Miami Herald, the past two years have been the deadliest in Florida prison history. The top killer, according to an internal Florida Department of Corrections audit: synthetic marijuana, more commonly called K2 or Spice the same substance found in the Pennsylvania prison system. Last year alone, the Florida corrections department confiscated 56,549 grams of K2. The Arkansas Department of Corrections was one of the first systems to implement increased security measures after logging 1,136 reports of K2 last year. The department placed a ban on newspaper clippings and original pieces of mail delivered to inmates after officers discovered paper laced with the drug. Now, prisoners receive personal pieces of mail after the staff has photocopied it. Even Texas, the nations largest state-run system with 110 prisons, has seen a spike in K2 use among inmates. "K2 is the new drug of choice, inside and outside of prison," said Inspector General Bruce Toney of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, during a 2017 interview with the Houston Chronicle. Typically, the chemical-made drug resembles marijuana and is sprayed onto dried plant matter and packaged for resale. But Wetzel believes that in Pennsylvania, the drug has been sprayed onto paper or liquefied into printer ink and fed into the prison through inmate mailings, much like in Arkansas. Employees began complaining of shortness of breath, fast heart rates and dizziness, said Wetzel, The odorless substance makes it so hard to detect. Without these added security measures, we just wouldnt have the staff to stop it. Inmates are attracted to the drug because its so difficult to detect during random drug tests. K2 is particularly appealing to the prison population, said Patrick Trainor, a special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, because its psychoactive substances traditionally go undetected during a urine test. Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone, director of medical toxicology at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine, said the growing use of K2 among the inmate population could be catastrophic. Any drug use in prison is a problem, Perrone said, but when you are intermixing K2 [a compound that is constantly evolving] with fentanyl like weve seen throughout the region all summer it can be a disaster waiting to happen. Pennsylvania State Police and corrections staff will continue to investigate the sources of illegal drugs, but the status of those probes are unclear. In the meantime, Wetzel, who said his goal is to stop all drug traffic into the prison, believes safety will help provide a healthy environment for all inmates. The vast majority of inmates are doing the right thing, he said, but we cant create a rehabilitative environment if it isnt safe. A University of California Berkeley Police Department employee said officers endured dehumanizing and bullying behavior when they were asked by students not to use public restrooms during a demonstration on campus because their presence was upsetting them. The unnamed UCPD security patrol officer, who has 25 years of campus community service, sent the email to UCB Chancellor Carol Christ last September amid right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos 2017 appearance on campus saying hes never been treated with such disrespect and disregard, according to a document obtained by a Young Americas Foundation (YAF) public-records request. The officer said, aside from violating the law, restricting police officers and employees from using a publicly accessible restroom, in a publicly accessible building is unconscionable. JUDGE TOSSES $23M LAWSUIT LINKED TO BERKELEY PROTEST VS. MILO YIANNOPOULOS How can we foster a sense of community policing when the campus community, that we work hard to protect, has such disdain for us as fellow human beings that would deny us such a basic human function, he wrote. If we treated a member of the campus community in this way we would most certainly be held accountable and rightly so. The demoralized officer ended his letter with a plea: Im not looking for any one person or persons to be held accountable for this incident rather an understanding that we too are human beings and that we look forward to the day that we are accepted into the campus community. Dan Mogulof, a UC-Berkeley spokesman, confirmed the incident with Fox News. Some students did express concern about uniformed officers using restrooms in the student center building, and the campus police department (UCPD) was made aware of their request, Mogulof said. While UCPD command staff understand that a police presence can be upsetting to some, they made clear that complying with the request would not be possible given the number of police presence on campus during the day in question. BERKELEY DECLARES 'CLIMATE EMERGENCY' WORSE THAN WORLD WAR II, DEMANDS 'HUMANE' POPULATION CONTROL Mogulof said the school was doing its best to promote understanding and avoid unnecessary conflict. We have nothing but the deepest respect and appreciation for the law enforcement officers who work hard to keep out community safe. At the same time, the campus administration and the UCPD are aware that the extraordinary number of extra officers we needed at that time to uphold our paired commitments to Free Speech and security was disconcerting to some. Mogulof called Yiannopolos event the most expensive photo op in the universitys history, which the administration said cost the school $800,000. Meanwhile, Antifa demonstrators and students also protested when conservative commentator Ben Shapiro made an appearance, costing the school another $600,000. BERKELEY POLICE ARREST 20, SEIZE 'DOZENS OF WEAPONS' AT OPPOSING PROTESTS YAF spokesman Spencer Brown, told Fox News Berkeleys actions are teaching students to distrust the police instead of preparing them for the real world. Berkeley is treating its police officers as second-class citizens, giving preferential treatment again to the apparently-fragile students and disrespecting the very people who protect them from the likes of Antifa, Brown said. Not only has UC Berkeley disrespected its officers by putting them in harms way without allowing them to do their jobs via a stand-down order during campus protests, but theyve now disgracefully told officers that they cant use the same bathrooms as students. Berkeley had a series of protests last year after speakers like Yiannopoulos and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro made appearances on campus. Stranded by Florence's epic floods days after the hurricane hit North Carolina, Wilmington residents lined up by the hundreds Tuesday for free food, water and tarps, while officials managed to open a second route into the surrounded city. The death toll from the storm rose to at least 34 in three states, with 26 fatalities in North Carolina, as Florence's remnants brought heavy downpours to the heavily populated Northeast, triggering flooding in New Hampshire and New York state. A tornado warning was issued near Salem, Massachusetts. Four days after Florence began unloading more than 2 feet of rain that paralyzed much of North Carolina, the sun was shining again in parts of the state. But officials warned that the flooding isn't over and is expected to get worse in some places. "I know for many people this feels like a nightmare that just won't end. I know many people are tired of the present and are scared of the future," Gov. Roy Cooper said. "But please know we will not give up on you." In Wilmington, population 120,000, workers began handing out supplies using a system that resembled a fast-food drive-thru: Drivers pulled up to pallets lining a street, placed an order and left without having to get out. Todd Tremain needed tarps to cover up spots where Florence's winds ripped shingles off his roof. "The roof is leaking, messing up the inside of the house," he said. Others got a case of bottled water or military MREs, or field rations. An olive-drab military forklift moved around huge pallets loaded with supplies. Items have been brought into the city by big military trucks and helicopters, which also have been used to pluck hundreds of desperate people from atop homes and other structures. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said that two routes were now open into Wilmington, which had been cut off by floodwaters. Still, officials encouraged evacuees to stay away until conditions improve. The governor said 16 rivers were at major flood stage, about 10,000 people were in shelters across the state, approximately 343,000 were without power, more than 1,100 roads were closed, and emergency workers reported rescuing and evacuating more than 2,200 people and around 575 animals. President Donald Trump boasted on Twitter: "Right now, everybody is saying what a great job we are doing with Hurricane Florence and they are 100% correct." He warned that the Democrats will soon start criticizing the government response, and "this will be a total lie, but that's what they do, and everybody knows it!" The dead include a 1-year-old boy who was swept away after his mother drove into floodwaters and lost her grip on him. Authorities in Virginia said one person was dead after an apparent tornado. ___ Waggoner reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press photographer Steve Helber in Pollocksville, North Carolina, and AP writers Jonathan Drew in Lumberton, North Carolina; Gary Robertson in Raleigh; and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Follow Martha Waggoner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 An outspoken critic of China's internment camps who now lives in Istanbul says his wife and son face potential deportation to China because Turkish authorities might bar them from entering the country. Omir Bekali, a Kazakh national, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Turkish authorities are holding his wife and 2-year-old son at the airport in Istanbul and are accusing them of using fake passports. "My family has been split in two," he said by phone from the airport. "They didn't let me see her. I've been waiting here. My heart is hurting." Bekali was among the first to speak publicly about the ordeal he endured in new indoctrination camps in China's far western region of Xinjiang camps that China denies exist. Bekali told The AP in a report in May that he and dozens of other Muslim minority Kazakh as well as Uighur detainees were held in camps for months and forced to disavow their Islamic beliefs, criticize themselves and their loved ones and give thanks to the ruling Communist Party. The camps are estimated to hold upward of 1 million people and reports about them have drawn growing criticism of China from the U.N. and the U.S. The U.S. is considering sanctioning Chinese officials responsible for the stifling security crackdown in the region. Bekali returned to Kazakhstan after being released from detention but moved to Turkey earlier this year, fearing for his safety. His wife, Ruxianguli Taximaimaiti, 45, a Chinese ethnic minority Uighur, and their youngest son Mukhamad Bekali were to join him in Istanbul this week. They arrived in Istanbul on a plane from Almaty on Sunday night. Bekali, who had been waiting for them at the airport, got a call from his wife telling him that border police weren't letting them into the country. Turkish airport authorities accused his wife and son of holding fake passports, Bekali said, and had earlier booked them on a flight back to Kazakhstan, where she no longer has a valid visa that would allow her to stay. "I'd rather die here in Turkey then go back," she had told Bekali at the time. It was not immediately clear if they boarded any flights. Attempts to reach Turkish airport police for comment on Monday were unsuccessful. If they are sent back to Kazakhstan, Bekali said, authorities in that country would likely deport his wife back to China where she could be punished for his criticism of the indoctrination camps, leaving nobody to take care of his son. Xinjiang, the tense region where most Uighurs live, has been enveloped in recent years in a vast dragnet of police surveillance which authorities insist is needed to root out separatism and Islamic extremism. Critics of China's policies in the region and the harsh restrictions imposed on Uighurs and Kazakhs have been punished severely. Zhang Haitao, a Han Chinese electronics salesman who complained online about the treatment of Uighurs, was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2016. Prominent Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti, a moderate critic of the government's policies in the region, was handed a life sentence in 2014 on charges of fanning ethnic hatred. Bekali said the uncertainty over his wife and son's fate had reignited a persistent anxiety he had about China and the detention he had left behind. "I feel like I'm a thief, hiding and sneaking around. The pressure is enormous," Bekali said. "I can't live like an ordinary person. We have no way to live safely in the 21st century." CANBERRA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of Exercise Pandaroo 2018 was held here on Monday, marking the start of a joint exercise by soldiers from the Australian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army. This is the fourth joint exercise since 2015, which will last till September 28. Hosted by the Australian Army's 6th Brigade, the exercise this year will see participants undertaking adventure training activities, including abseiling and sea kayaking, focusing on teamwork, friendship and trust among participants from the two countries. "In recent years, bilateral defense tie between Australia and China has been developing steadily, which played a positive role in deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two nations," said Senior Colonel Wang Jingguo, Defence Attache of the Chinese embassy in Australia. "Through the joint exercise, our soldiers could learn from each other and improve together," he said. "The exercise helps promote the mutual understanding and trust between the two armed forces." Brigadier Cameron Purdey of the Australian Army said that the exercise is a "fantastic opportunity for us to continue developing our relationship among junior soldiers and junior officers." The soldiers, 10 from each side, were welcomed by indigenous Aunty Tina Brown with a smoke ceremony. Then Colonel Wang and Brigadier Purdey gave patches to all participants. "We buddied up the Australian and the Chinese," said Maj. Terri King. "It is important for them to understand that language is not the barrier. Language can be cut down so quickly and so easily." Fu Dingli, a 24-year-old Chinese soldier who went abroad to join such exercise for the first time, told Xinhua that he was looking forward to gaining more field experience and building relationship with the Australian counterparts. In the following 10 days, soldiers from both sides will have exercises in the Blue Mountains and Sydney regions in New South Wales. Exercise Pandaroo 2018 followed Exercise Kowari earlier this month featuring Chinese, Australian and U.S. armed forces, and Exercise Kakadu, Australia's largest maritime military exercise to which China sent a warship for the first time. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Throughout Mexico City, uninhabited buildings with gaping cracks lean at precarious angles and some displaced people are still living outdoors a year after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake killed 228 people in the capital and 141 more in nearby states. Bureaucracy and physical and legal hurdles have delayed demolition of hundreds of tottering structures. In other cases owners carried out repairs that were purely cosmetic masking damage that is likely to be revealed in the next quake. Corruption has continually undermined attempts to enforce building codes. Tearing down buildings in a metropolis of 21 million is a daunting task. "It has to be done surgically, almost brick by brick," noted Ruben Echeverria, spokesman for the northern borough of Gustavo A. Madero. But the slow pace of demolition, let alone rebuilding, is frustrating both to those who lost their homes and to those left living amid shattered eyesores that look like they could collapse at any time onto sidewalks and streets still cordoned off after the Sept. 19, 2017, quake. Of about 411 buildings marked for demolition, only 62 have been taken down, and almost 1,000 more that were seriously damaged have yet to be reinforced. On a recent morning, a handful of people returned to the six-story beige- and salmon-color apartment building across from a park in the trendy Condesa neighborhood that they had called home until the quake punched yawning holes into the masonry and left it listing to one side. They had just gotten word that it was finally going to be torn down, and civil defense workers took them inside one-by-one to rescue belongings small furniture, pictures, tax documents, water-stained pillows trapped inside during the nearly 12 months when nobody was allowed to enter. "Seeing it like this, in ruins, it hurts. ... Basically if you walk through certain parts of the Condesa, what there is, is ruins," said Mila Molints, a yoga teacher and voice-over artist who was a partner in a tea shop on the ground floor. "And I think that's very sad, that there are still these holes like monuments to the earthquake." Molints said the delay has taken a toll on residents' confidence in local authorities. "In the end, I think the government's function is to protect its citizens," she said. "But I think it would be better for the government to take charge of these situations, or at least pay attention." That seems a tall order: It wasn't until three months after the quake that the city government passed rules prohibiting the same engineer or architect from signing off on the safety of a building that he or she designs. The quake placed in doubt the city's reliance on self-policing developers hire the regulatory experts who certify the safety of the buildings they put up. An investigation by the civic group Mexicans Against Corruption revealed one case in which a structural engineer approved the designs of three buildings that collapsed, killing dozens of people. The same engineer had his license renewed and was even consulted on regulatory changes and building reinforcement after the quake. Other, equally chilling cases were uncovered: A heavy steel billboard atop one apartment building had been ruled illegal by authorities since 2010, but was never taken down. Experts say its weight probably contributed to the collapse of the building, where 11 people died. An office building where 49 people died had been deemed so unsafe by government experts that a government agency was warned not to rent offices there in 1997. Nothing was ever done to force the owners to correct the building's problems it was leaning considerably nor were other prospective tenants informed. Nobody has been successfully prosecuted for building collapses, even though experts found evidence of deficient construction in several cases where builders submitted false paperwork, used cheap materials or simply built atop older, unstable structures. Nor has a single apartment building been reconstructed. What authorities have managed to erect is a daunting bureaucratic pyramid of paperwork for victims to get their buildings evaluated, repaired, demolished or replaced. Rebeca Moreno, who works with a coalition of civic groups formed after the quake to help victims, said the government "came out with 122 regulations about what had to be done, and the victims couldn't be checking the internet all the time to see what new rules they had to follow to start repairing or rebuilding." "They required that people prove ownership of their properties when it is known that 50 percent of people in Mexico City don't have proof of ownership, they don't have titles," she said, because the cost of registering properties has historically been high. What little progress has been made seems to have come from the unsung heroes: demolition workers who break down the upper floors of buildings too tall to use heavy machinery, and quake victims who have slept outside, demonstrated and blocked streets to pressure the government. Hector Toledo is a civil engineer whose apartment was one of 450 damaged in the quake another block of 40 apartments nearby collapsed completely, killing nine people. About 100 of his neighbors are living in tents and makeshift sheds and using foul-smelling improvised toilets in outdoor camps. Toledo counted on his hands the number of demonstrations residents had to stage before the government agreed to rebuild and reinforce their apartment buildings. In all there were 300 protest meetings and five big rallies when they blocked streets. "If we hadn't been united, we would have lost everything, even the land" where the apartments stood, Toledo said. Still, he estimates it could take another year before their apartments are finished. Leticia Rosales, a retired government office worker, is one of the lucky ones. Workers are busy laying the foundation of a new apartment tower to replace hers, which was badly damaged and later razed. Still, her meager government monthly aid stipend of 3,000 pesos ($160) is coming to an end, and she still doesn't know how much she will have to chip in for rebuilding. "They haven't told us how much, and that's what has all the neighbors in anguish, because a lot of people were still paying mortgages on their old apartments," Rosales said. For many who couldn't find their ownership documents or never had them, the quake and its aftermath meant a total loss. In front of one damaged building on the city's north side, about 20 residents have blocked the street with sawhorses and packing crates to demand the city help repair their warren-like apartments that were built without reinforcing columns behind the old facade. Authorities refuse, claiming the place was damaged not by the quake but by a subsequent gas explosion. Officials also say the residents do not have title to the property. "They say we are squatters, but we are owners," said Gloria Ramirez, who sells food on the street to make ends meet. She and other residents spend the nights in tents, though police recently tried to clear their camp and re-open the road to traffic. Others, more fortunate, have begun rebuilding lives. At the building in Condesa, industrial engineer Simon Zuman lost his apartment, his office and his street-level falafel counter catering to neighbors and the dog-and-stroller set who frequent the park on weekends. Zuman has relocated to a newer building in the neighborhood, where he has lived his whole life and is loath to leave despite its vulnerability to quakes atop the spongy ground of a former lakebed. He's also reopened the falafel counter around the corner. Inside the place he called home for 16 years, he took a last look at its cracked columns and crumbled walls. Gathering a few things like mementos from his university days, he loaded them in an SUV and got ready to drive away. "And I'm off. And It's over. That chapter of my life is closed," Zuman said, choking up. He said he wasn't sure whether he'd return the following week to watch the demolition: "I don't know. Maybe yes. It will help me close the circle." next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 EU leaders grapple this week with two of the biggest threats to the entire European project: the messy divorce with Britain and their failure to share responsibility for people seeking sanctuary or better lives in Europe. Their summit in Salzburg, Austria, starting Wednesday evening launches a series of monthly meetings that runs to December aimed at overcoming key differences with Britain, as its departure next March fast approaches, and agreeing the shape of future ties. The summit also focuses on the plight of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea after Italy's anti-migrant government recently denied entry to a number of rescue ships, endangering lives and embarrassing its EU partners. Both challenges have raised disturbing questions about the viability of the EU, and Europe's inability to manage migrant arrivals statistically minor compared with the numbers being hosted by Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey has fueled far-right support in ballot boxes across the bloc. With just six months to go before Britain leaves the first time a country has ever done so EU Council President Donald Tusk warned Tuesday that "unfortunately, a no-deal scenario is still quite possible." Tusk, who chairs the dinner talks Wednesday and informal sessions on Thursday, wants the 27 leaders minus British Prime Minister Theresa May to spell out just how detailed they need an agreement to be on future relations, and whether any wiggle room should be left for last-minute negotiation with London. He also expects them to underline the need for a failsafe mechanism to ensure that goods, services and people flow freely between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland after Brexit. The leaders are expected to agree to meet again in mid-November to sign Britain's withdrawal agreement, hopefully leaving enough time for parliaments to endorse the deal. May's Conservative government remains divided over how close an economic relationship to seek. She wants to keep Britain aligned to EU rules in return for free trade in goods and an open Irish border. But EU leaders insist that London cannot cherry-pick the best parts of membership and avoid the costs and responsibilities of leaving. Still, Tusk believes that in the weeks ahead "if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe" of Britain crashing out without a deal. Tusk also wants the leaders to turn the page on a summer of tension over migrants in the Mediterranean. "I am hoping that in Salzburg we will be able to put an end to the mutual resentment and return to a constructive approach," he wrote in a summit invitation letter. Leaders will be asked whether they want to fast-track a plan to beef up the EU's border agency to 10,000 personnel by 2020. Guards would have powers to check ID papers and stamp travel documents, detain people crossing borders without authorization and help deport those refused entry. Many nations deeply oppose having their borders policed by staff from other countries. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Monday he was pleased the EU is "finally" taking Europe's outside borders seriously with the agency plan, "but it's not right if they want to take the right of border protection away from us and if Brussels wants to direct the defense of Hungary's borders." The summit will also focus on suggestions to screen people rescued at sea in ships off-shore or to deposit them in any country in northern Africa that might be willing to take on the responsibility in exchange for funds and other incentives. Tusk, who last weekend held talks in Cairo with general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, urged the leaders to consider cooperation on migration with Egypt, saying that "it is worth recalling that the Egyptian authorities have made the fight against smuggling and trafficking their priority." next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 U.N.-backed investigators who examined a crackdown by Myanmar security forces that caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighboring Bangladesh issued a searing critique Tuesday of the United Nations' own response to the human rights crisis. In a 432-page report, the members of a "fact-finding mission" on Myanmar fleshed out preliminary findings and recommendations released in a shorter version three weeks ago. The investigators reiterated that senior Myanmar military leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya during a deadly crackdown that erupted in August 2017 following militant attacks on security posts in Rakhine state. The full report also provided new details about the investigators' concerns about the how the United Nations reacted during that spasm of violence. The investigators pointed out the "only statement" from the U.N. resident coordinator's office "was to condemn the ARSA (militant group) attacks and losses suffered by the Myanmar security forces." The fact-finding mission was created by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council in March 2017 after years of abuses against ethnic minorities in Myanmar, with a focus on the period since 2011 when the country began opening up after decades of isolation under a long-ruling military junta. Though the investigators looked at the treatment of minority groups across the Southeast Asian nation, their mandate came just six months before crackdown against the Rohingya in Rakhine, injecting the mission with far greater importance to help detail those abuses, crimes and human rights violations. The full report provides a detailed analysis of violence in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine states, much of which has been documented and made public through collection of witness accounts, satellite imagery and other sources of information. It pointed to allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes on the part of the military and other security forces, including murder, torture, pillaging, execution without due process, rape, sexual slavery and taking hostages. It said some acts by ethnic armed groups and the Rohingya militant organization ARSA could also constitute war crimes. Crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide can be considered by international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court, but Myanmar is not a party to the ICC and its government has snubbed a ruling by the court's judges that said the ICC has jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes against the Rohingya. The investigators decried little or no response from the Myanmar government to their findings, which were provided to it in advance. On Tuesday, Myanmar has a chance to respond directly to the allegations: its new ambassador in Geneva, Kyaw Moe Tun, was set to speak during an "interactive dialogue" at the Human Rights Council, after the fact-finding team shared some of its findings with the 47-member body. The full report's critique of the United Nations focused not only on its response to Rohingya crisis, but its efforts across the country. For example, the investigators noted that the U.N. had rolled out a "Human Rights Up Front Action Plan" in Myanmar in 2013, but said its "human rights driven" approach was "rarely, if ever, pursued." "Rather, it was largely 'business as usual', with development goals and humanitarian access prioritized only," the authors wrote. They cited allegations that some U.N. personnel who tried to pursue a human rights agenda "were ignored, criticized, sidelined or blocked in these efforts." They alluded to criticism from Fieldview Solutions, an outside group that works to advance human rights, in July that cited some in U.N. and humanitarian circles for not doing enough to expand their "political space" in Myanmar, and alleging: "The Myanmar government has learned that it can count on U.N. and humanitarian self-censorship." The U.N. experts said they regretted that some U.N. entities and staffers showed "a lack of cooperation" with their work, and "appeared to view it as a threat, rather than a means to address the most deep rooted human rights challenges facing Myanmar." "This attitude and approach must change," they added. The investigators did acknowledge that some people in the country had faced "intimidation and reprisals" for their "engagement" with the United Nations. The team reiterated their urgent call for "a comprehensive, independent inquiry into the United Nations' involvement in Myanmar since 2011, with a view to establishing whether everything possible to prevent or mitigate the unfolding crises was done," as well as drawing lessons and "as appropriate" making recommendations on accountability. They also said a second fact-finding mission should be authorized to examine the continued threats to human rights of the Rohingya and others throughout Myanmar. The investigators bemoaned that "there has been no review of what happened, of where the approach taken had some positive effect and where it did not, and of how the U.N'.s approach could be improved in future crises." next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 South Korean President Moon Jae-in began his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday with possibly his hardest mission to date brokering some kind of compromise to keep North Korea's talks with Washington from imploding and pushing ahead with his own plans to expand economic cooperation and bring a stable peace to the Korean Peninsula. Kim gave the South Korean president an exceedingly warm welcome, meeting him and his wife at Pyongyang's airport itself a very unusual gesture then riding into town with Moon in an open limousine through streets lined with crowds of North Koreans who cheered and waved the flag of their country and a blue-and-white flag that symbolizes Korean unity. The made-for-television welcome is par for the course for Moon's summits with Kim. Hours after his arrival, Moon began an official summit with Kim at the ruling Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang. The two were joined by two of their top deputies spy chief Suh Hoon and presidential security director Chung Eui-yong for Moon, and Kim Jong Un's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, and senior Workers' Party official Kim Yong Chol for the North Korean leader, according to Moon's office. The results of their talks weren't immediately available. Seoul officials earlier said the talks would focus on how to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, decrease military tensions along their border and improve overall ties. The North's media said the talks would reaffirm their commitment to Korean peace, unity and prosperity. During a conversation at the Paekhwawon guest house where Moon was to stay, Kim said North Koreans hope diplomacy will yield positive results. "I think it was our people's wish that we come up with good results as fast as we can," Kim said, according to South Korean media pool reports. Moon responded that "Our hearts are fluttering, but at the same we have heavy hearts," and added, "We have built trust and friendship between us, so I think all will be well." The two are to meet again on Wednesday. More than in their previous encounters, when the mere fact of meeting and resuming a dialogue was seen as a major step forward, Moon is under pressure to leave Thursday with some concrete accomplishments. One of Moon's objectives and one that also interests Kim was clear from the people he took with him. Traveling on Moon's government jet was Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong and other business leaders, underscoring Moon's hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, however, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. But the nuclear issue was sure to cast a shadow over negotiations on joint projects. Before leaving Seoul, Moon vowed to push for "irreversible, permanent peace" and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. "This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks," Moon said Tuesday morning just before his departure. "It's very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want." But as Moon arrived, the North's main newspaper lobbed a rhetorical volley at Washington that could make Moon's job all the more delicate, blaming the United States alone for the lack of progress in denuclearization talks. "The U.S. is totally to blame for the deadlocked DPRK-U.S. negotiations," the Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial, using the initials of the North's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It said Washington is "stubbornly insisting" that the North dismantle its nuclear weapons first, an approach "which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues," while failing to show its will for confidence-building "including the declaration of the end of war which it had already pledged." While signaling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kim's strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. Rarely do the North Korean official media even mention the word denuclearization. Talks between the United States and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kim's meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. For Kim, the timing of the summit is good. North Korea just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark its 70th anniversary. China, signaling its support for Kim's recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. That's important because China is the North's biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. To keep expectations from getting too high, Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements. Some progress along those lines is already underway. South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the North's city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of agreement could be on a formal statement on ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas' shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Korea's capital for summits, but the first since 2007. ___ Kim reported from Seoul. AP journalists Kim Tong-hyung and Foster Klug contributed from Seoul. Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Latest on Brexit (all times local): 9:30 p.m. European Union Brexit envoy Michel Barnier says his team is studying new ways to check goods moving into Northern Ireland in an effort to overcome a major obstacle in the negotiations. Brussels and London are still seeking a solution that would keep the border open between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland, just six months before Britain leaves the bloc. Barnier said Tuesday that his team believes most checks on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland "can take place away from the border, at a company premises or in the markets." The goods could then move freely from Northern Ireland into Ireland. Barnier said that the EU is examining which goods "need to be checked. And where, when and by whom these checks could be performed." He added: "In no case will it constitute a border." ___ 4:30 p.m. BMW says it is scheduling a weeks-long shutdown of its Mini plant in England to coincide with Brexit as insurance against supply hiccups from a disorderly British departure from the European Union. The German automaker says annual maintenance at its Cowley factory will begin April 1 the first working day after Brexit on March 29 and last several weeks. The shutdown usually takes place in summer. BMW said Tuesday that it had made the decision "to minimize the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit." The company said it considered that "worst-case scenario" unlikely, but added "we have to plan for it." Britain and the EU have not yet finalized their divorce agreement, stirring fears among businesses of disruption to trade. ___ 1:40 p.m. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Tuesday that the U.K. will flourish with or without an agreement on its relationship with the European Union after it leaves the grouping next year. A "no-deal" Brexit is possible, he said in an interview in Tokyo, "but I don't think it's in anyone's interest for that to happen. So that's why we are cautiously optimistic that we will get a deal. But there's a lot of work to do to get there." British Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday to meet other EU leaders. She needs to win over both the European Union and critics of her Brexit proposal within her own Conservative Party. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29. ___ 12:25 p.m. A top European Union official says Britain and the EU could yet fail to reach an agreement on the terms of their divorce, just six months before the U.K. is due to leave the bloc. EU Council President Donald Tusk wrote Tuesday that "unfortunately, a no deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe." His warning came in an invitation letter to EU leaders for a summit in Salzburg, Austria, starting Wednesday evening. Tusk, who will chair the meeting, wants the 27 leaders minus Prime Minister Theresa May to reach agreement on the terms of a text outlining their future relations with Britain after it leaves next March. Hours after his state media apparatus blasted the United States for spewing "gangster-like" rhetoric that has "deadlocked" denuclearization talks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un credited the "historic" June summit with President Trump as helping to stabilize the region. As Kim and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in held talks in Pyongyang, state-run media accused conservative politicians of using gangster logic and demanding the Hermit Kingdom give up all its nuclear weapons before any further progress could occur. "The U.S. is totally to blame for the deadlocked [North Korea]-U.S. negotiations, the statement said. The U.S. is stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first' which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues, saying that other issues may be discussed only after the 'complete, verifiable and irretrievable dismantlement of nukes' of [North Korea]." The statement added: "The U.S. is demanding unilateral and gangster-like claim forcing [North Korea] to act without showing its movement. The conservative politicians of the U.S. are taking the lead in persisting in such gangster logic." TRUMP SAYS 'NO REASON' FOR COSTLY US-SOUTH KOREA WAR GAMES, RELATIONSHIP WITH KIM JONG UN IS 'VERY GOOD' North Korea demanded a sincere approach to the denuclearization talks moving forward. "The U.S. should think twice and have an honest and diligent attitude toward the [North Korea]-U.S. dialogue with sincerity and bold decision. And this is also beneficial to the U.S., the statement said. Later, during his meeting with Moon, Kim told the South Korean leader the meeting he had with Trump in Singapore stabilized the security situation in such a volatile part of the world. "President Moon helped find the start of the historic North Korea-U.S. talks," Kim told Moon, according to Yonhap News Agency. "Thanks to this [U.S.-North Korea meeting], regional conditions stabilized and a more advanced outcome is expected." Kim added: "I once again express my gratitude for efforts made by President Moon." The leaders of the two Koreas had their first in-depth talks in Pyongyang on Tuesday, kicking off their third summit overall and one that's expected to address several major topics. NORTH KOREA ACCUSES US OF 'HATCHING A CRIMINAL PLOT TO UNLEASH WAR' WHILE TRYING TO CONTINUE DIALOGUE South Korea also hopes the summit prevents North Koreas dialogue with Washington from imploding. Kim agreed in June to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and to destroy a major missile testing site. But although North Korea has taken some steps toward that end, U.S. officials have demanded more serious disarmament moves before the Hermit Kingdom begins receiving outside concessions. North Korea and U.S. talks have since stalled as both sides refuse to budge. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mexican investigating after residents complained of a foul smell coming from a refrigerated truck reportedly found 157 unidentified bodies in the back of the trailer near the city of Guadalajara. Neighbors complaints about the truck caused authorities to change its location a few times. It went from a morgue parking lot to another government-run lot, before it finally wound up in a field behind a housing development. The bodies were stored in the truck due to overcrowding at morgues. State and local authorities have struggled as an unprecedented number of bodies pile up from Mexico's rising tide of violence. Officials recorded 16,339 homicides across Mexico in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 17 percent from the same period of 2017. Morgues in several of the country's states have run out of room. MEXICO FINDS 124 CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRANTS ABOARD TRUCKS "This is a demonstration of insensitivity on the part of some public servants," said Roberto Lopez Lara, the Jalisco state interior secretary. He said the truck would be moved back to the morgue and an investigation would be carried out to see who made the decision. While refrigeration can slow the decomposition of bodies, many of the corpses had been recovered from clandestine graves in the state and are already rotted, officials said. Javier Perlasca, an inspector for the state human rights commission, said that "this was a mistake...and it is bothering the neighbors" as well as causing pain for victims' families. DAMAGED BUILDINGS, GRAFT HAUNT MEXICO CITY YEAR AFTER QUAKE "It is time to end these comings and goings that only outrage and hurt people," Perlasca said, adding the bodies should be given a decent burial. Reuters reported that authorities in Jalisco were working on making a new facility that would hold 700 bodies. The facility was expected to be completed within the next month and a half. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defense ministry said Tuesday. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. The Russian military said that the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the coast late Monday as it was returning to its home base nearby. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russian state television quoted a Defense Ministry statement as saying that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, that Israel is "fully to blame" for the deaths. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. Russian news agencies later in the day quoted the ministry as saying that a rescue team has located the wreckage in the sea and has retrieved some bodies and some fragments of the wreckage. Both the Israeli military and Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment on the Russian claim. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Russia's dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of the Syrian government, after a year of airstrikes by the U.S. and its coalition partners against the Islamic State group, increased the specter of dangerous confrontations in the skies over Syria. Turkey's troops are also on the ground in northern Syria and are patrolling the skies over the region as Ankara seeks to ramp up its influence there and curb the expansion of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against archenemy Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. Throughout the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained continuous contact with Russia. Netanyahu frequently travels to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Syria issue. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at the Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel's Army Radio station that the shooting down is problematic both militarily and internally from a Russian perspective. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said. ___ Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to say the plane came down late Monday, not early Tuesday. A Russian military spy plane carrying 15 over the Mediterranean Sea was downed Monday by an anti-aircraft missile from Syrian forces, prompting finger pointing by Moscow over what is called an "intentional provocation" by Israel. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that the Il-20 "coot" jet was hit 22 miles off the coast as it was returning to the Russian base near the Syrian city of Lattakia. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russia said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strikes, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. RUSSIA: WEST IS OBSTRUCTING AID TO SYRIA, RETURN OF REFUGEES The Russian defense minister told his Israeli counterpart that Israel is "fully to blame," according to Russian reports. Konashenkov called Israeli military's actions "irresponsible" and viewed them as "hostile," according to Reuters. "This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership, Konashenkov said, according to the wire service, citing Interfax news agency. The ministry accused the Israeli army of "intentional provocation." We reserve the right to take commensurate measures in response, Konashenkov said, according to the report. He did not specify what the measures would be. Russia President Vladimir Putin reportedly expressed his condolences for those killed. RUSSIA SAYS DRONE ATTACKS ON ITS SYRIA BASE HAVE INCREASED A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway. Israeli and French fighters were attacking targets at the time, Moscow said, according to Reuters. A spokesman for Frances military denied any involvement. Israels military, prime ministers office and the Foreign Ministry declined to comment, Reuters reported. The Il-20 is a military version of the Il-18 passenger airplane, which first flew in 1957 and is seen as one of the most durable planes from the Soviet era. Kitted out with electronic equipment and external antennae, it is still used by the Russian Air Force today, according to globalsecurity.org. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the United States Central Command, referred questions on the incident to the Russian Defense Ministry, the New York Times reported. The U.S. was not involved in any strikes in Western Syria or in the shoot down of any planes tonight, Urban said on Monday evening, according to the paper. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at the Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel's Army Radio station that the shooting down is problematic both militarily and internally from a Russian perspective. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Acupuncture, an ancient traditional Chinese medical technique, is increasingly embraced by patients and doctors in the United States, attendants at a conference in San Francisco said Sunday. The First National Conference of Chinese Medicine and U.S. Chinese Medicine Development Strategy Forum gathers more than 300 Chinese medicine practitioners. Huang Xiansheng, president of the American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (AACMA), one of the event organizers, said he saw the potential of introducing acupuncture to more patients and promoting traditional Chinese medicine to the U.S. mainstream, though traditional Chinese medicine faces both challenges and opportunities in the United States. In particular, Huang said acupuncture is getting to be recognized as an alternative treatment to certain conditions. Currently there are about 45,000 licensed acupuncturists in the United States. "Traditional Chinese medicine is a cultural treasure of the Chinese civilization, and it provides 'distinguished footnotes' to the world's medical diversity," said Xiao Xiayong, Chinese cultural counselor in San Francisco, at the conference. He told the conference that the Chinese government attaches great importance to developing and promoting traditional Chinese medicine. The conference on Sunday, co-hosted by seven Chinese medicine organizations in California, New York, Florida, Washington D.C. and Massachusetts, was aimed to integrate traditional Chinese medicine into the U.S. mainstream medicine and provide a platform for exchanges. California Assembly Members David Chiu, Phil Ting and Evan Low, both of Chinese descent, attended the conference to show their support. Chiu said he was born in the family of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and that he supported a California legislature to include acupuncture in insurance coverage. Low said it is important to boost the acupuncture community and have acupuncture included in insurance coverage. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Syria welcomed Tuesday the Turkey-Russia deal declaring a demilitarized zone around Idlib province but vowed to keep up its campaign against "terrorism," either through military action or reconciliation deals with the opposition. The Turkey-Russia deal reached a day earlier was welcomed by the Syrian opposition and rebels, saying it improved their standing after consecutive defeats elsewhere in the country to government forces following military offensives and tight sieges leading to surrender deals. "It will revive the revolutionary spirit," said Alaa Moadamani, a fighter who moved from the Damascus suburb of Daraya in 2016 and has settled in Idlib after an evacuation deal. Idlib is the last rebel-held corner of Syria, although foreign troops and local proxies remain in areas adjacent to Idlib and the country's east. Countries around the world have welcomed the deal because it prevented a feared Syrian government military offensive against the overcrowded rebel-held enclave in northwestern Syria. But the agreement, which calls for disarming the rebels including some of the world's most radical fighters, raised concerns about how it would be implemented. Many feared that, like previous cease-fires, it may end with renewed violence. Syria's Foreign Ministry said the deal came after "intensive consultations" between Moscow and Damascus. Moscow has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad since 2015, turning the tide of the war his forces were struggling to win. Syria welcomes any initiatives that stem the bloodshed, the ministry said. "It also reaffirms that it will continue its war against terrorism until it liberates every inch of Syrian territory either through military operations or local reconciliations." Syria said the deal reached during talks in Sochi in Russia is bound by a timetable that must be respected, calling it a continuation of previous de-escalation zones. Russia, Turkey and Iran have declared four de-escalation zones around Syria since last year, all of them but Idlib ended in a military offensive and deals in which the rebels surrendered. Those who refused to accept government authority were bussed to Idlib, now home to nearly 3 million people. A pro-Syrian government newspaper, Al-Watan, reported Tuesday that the agreement envisions three stages that will end with the government's authority restored in Idlib. The first phase is to establish a de-militarized zone along the front lines separating government and rebel forces by Oct. 15. Then the rebels are to hand over their heavy weapons by Nov. 10. A third stage, according to the Al-Watan, will see government institutions return to Idlib after insurgents withdraw from residential areas. In declaring the agreement Monday, the Russian and Turkish leaders only spoke of the first two phases. None mentioned the Syrian government regaining authority in Idlib. Such a proposition threatens to undermine a deal put in place in the absence of a political solution. Idlib is home to some of the government's staunchest opponents, including civilians and insurgents. On the other hand, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the deal ensures the continuity of Syria's moderate opposition. Speaking on Tuesday, he said the agreement would allow civilians and anti-government rebels, backed by Turkey, to remain in the 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) deep demilitarized zone and "retain light arms." Without the agreement, "there would have been no opposition left," Cavusoglu said, calling it crucial for a lasting political solution. The minister said the demilitarized zone would be cleared of "radicals" and heavy weapons, such as tanks and rocket launchers. Cavusoglu also said Turkey would need to dispatch more troops to patrol the area, along with Russia, while also retaining its 12 observation posts. Information about possible links between a Russian businessman who died in mysterious circumstances and U.K. intelligence services will remain secret for security reasons, a British judge said Tuesday. Judge Nicholas Hilliard is leading an inquest into the death of Alexander Perepilichnyy, who collapsed and died while jogging near his home south of London in November 2012. Police initially said the 44-year-old died of natural causes, but the inquest is considering whether he might have been murdered. Before his death Perepilichnyy had been helping Kremlin critic Bill Browder expose a $230 million Russian tax-fraud operation. Lawyers for Perepilichnyy's insurer, Legal and General, asked to see any evidence about possible links between the Russian and U.K. intelligence agencies. Legal and General attorney Bob Moxon Browne said the nerve-agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March showed "the lengths to which the Russian state are prepared to go to make an example or punish people perceived as enemies, traitors or turncoats." The British government argued against releasing material connected to the intelligence services. Hilliard said in a written ruling that the material in question was "marginal" to resolving the question of how Perepilichnyy died. "I am satisfied that the balance comes down in favor of non-disclosure," he said. The long-running inquest is due to resume Friday. After the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury, the U.K. government said it was looking again at the deaths of 14 other people linked to Russia. It said this month it did not plan to reopen any of the investigations. Skripal and his daughter were released after long hospital stays. Authorities have not disclosed where they are living now for security reasons. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Tuesday said Europe should lessen its dependence on Russian gas and diversify energy sources, speaking at a summit to improve ties between eastern Europe and the U.S. and the European Union. "There is great security in energy diversity," Perry said in comments made in the Romanian capital, Bucharest. "Energy security is tantamount to national security." He asserted that Europe's dependence on Russian gas has increased from 30 percent to 40 percent in recent years, calling it "a cause for concern." Perry said countries of Central and Eastern Europe are facing "challenges due to a single (gas) supplier and Russia's aggressive posturing." He cited a nuclear project in the Czech Republic and offshore oil and gas drilling in the Black Sea as alternative energy sources. Perry was a key speaker at the Three Seas summit Initiative, which aims to boost connectivity in Eastern Europe and reduce the gap between Eastern and Western EU states. Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country wants the U.S. to play a key role in Eastern Europe, to strengthen the continent as a whole. "The United States is standing with us," said. "We have the will and commitment to make the European project stronger." Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, a centrist with pro-Western views, called the economic presence of the U.S. "a catalyzer for economic cooperation in the area." Iohannis, who hosted the two-day summit, announced that Germany, "which has multiple economic interests" in the region, would become a partner state in the Three Seas initiative. He also announced that Slovenia would host the next summit in 2019. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Perry, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and other heads of state discussed some 40 government-approved projects that aim to boost regional connectivity in transport, energy and the digital fields. Grabar-Kitarovic called for the economic gap between "the so-called East and West Europe," to be wiped out and for all EU citizens to have "identical and standard" rights. The Thee Seas initiative is a cooperation of European Union members located between the Adriatic, Baltic and Black seas. Austria is the only member that wasn't formerly communist. The first summit was held in 2016. U.S. President Donald Trump attended the second summit in 2017 in Warsaw, Poland. The people of Venezuela are victims of genocide and the first- narco-dictatorship of the 21st century, claims prominent opposition leader and former political prisoner Antonio Ledezma. This is a premediated massacre, the worst of its kind because it is against its own people, the 63-year-old exiled politician told Fox News on Monday, ahead of a speech at the Oslo Freedom Forum in New York. The worst part of it is seeing the children dying of malnutrition, and the women dying of breast cancer because they can no longer get cancer medicine. Ledezma said another 300 children are expected to die this year due to malnutrition alone, and maintains several hundred, possibly thousands, of people have been shot dead since protests began almost five years ago. And from February to May of last year, he charged, there were more than 130 political assassinations orchestrated by the government. Under this regime, you will die in one of three ways, he said. Either by protesting and the forces will shoot you, or because of lack of medicine or a lack of food. Ledezma, who is advocating for a UN-led humanitarian intervention in Venezuela, expressed exasperation that world leaders have not come forward to officially designate Venezuelans as victims of genocide. It is incredible how this regime is starving its own people to death, he said. We have all seen the pictures. We have all seen the videos and the proof of what is happening. Why is the international community not calling this a genocide? Because that is what it is. Graphic images and vivid accounts from those inside Venezuelas crumbling socialist economy have ranged from hospitals stuffed with wailing patients unable to receive medication or professional treatment to women forced into prostitution, to polls indicating the average Venezuelan survives on just one scavenged meal a day. That's a sharp turnabout of treasures for the oil-rich country, which throughout the 1970s and 1980s was considered the wealthiest nation in Latin America, and a beacon of stability and prosperity for those fleeing other conflicts. Socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, and instituted a range of policies that critics say set in motion the economic death spiral from which the country has not recovered. Chavez was succeeded after his death in 2013 by Vice President Nicolas Maduro, who campaigned on the promise to continue the Chavez legacy. Maduro himself studied in Cuba, and was a member of the ultra-left-wing Socialist League. The Venezuelan people have always been very hard-working and hey never wanted anything handed out to them, what happened was that they fell into the hands of socialist populists, Ledezma said. Venezuela now is the first-known case of a narco-dictatorship. This is a failed regime under the management of mafias and gangs. Ledezma said numerous branches of the Venezuelan government are involved in inciting gang violence, including unions who claim to be on the side of the people, but are directly connected to the government. These are the people connected to the drug trafficking. If you need cement or anything like that, you go through them, but this is all collected by unions, of mobsters who work with the mafias to bring the supplies in, he vowed. Then you have all the teenage gangs who have grown up under this regime. Its a whole generation that has just become gangs. Its the only way of life that they know. And then all the parts of the intelligence service, militia groups who are part of the police and even the jail directors pushing the violence. Ledezma himself knows firsthand what it means to be a victim of the Venezuela clampdown. His own nightmare began with a late- night raid on Feb. 19, 2015, when he was detained by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service at his office while serving as the mayor of the capital city of Caracas under charges of being involved in an American plot to overthrow the government. I got more than one thousand days in jail without any commodities or basic necessities. Of the 1,000 days, I only got an audience with a judge one time, and they gave me 26 years in jail, he recalled. In my 1,000 days, I was moved to three different jails. There were torture chambers and then finally house arrest. I lived in a tiny apartment, I could not go outside or do anything. IRAN, IN SHADOW PROXY WAR WITH SAUDIS, EXPANDS ITS PAKISTAN INFLUENCE WITH WORLD'S ATTENTION ON ROHINGYA MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS IN BURMA ALSO FACE BRUTAL PERSECUTION Human Rights groups decried his arrest as politically motivated, and without evidence. Maduros imprisoning of opponents has been broadly criticized by much of the international community since he took power, and served as the impetus last year for the Trump administration to impose sanctions against Maduro and a host of other government officials. Nonetheless, Ledezma did the unthinkable on the morning of Nov. 16 last year, when he quietly slipped past his guards outside his tiny house arrest apartment and journeyed with scores of other refugees into neighboring Colombia on foot, arriving the following day. In security camera footage he showed to Fox News, which has never been publicly revealed due to security reasons, an unrecognizable Ledezma can be seen in a black and white hoodie strolling nonchalantly - head down - with a group of people through the metal turnstiles, passing from one nation to the next, without being apprehended. People always ask me how I did it, he said with a sly smile. Thats how. Ledezmas escape was praised by opposition supporters around the world. The now-outspoken human rights activist currently lives in Madrid, Spain, with his immediate family all of whom also had to flee their country. Despite vehement denials of wrongdoing by the Maduro leadership, scores of human rights groups have accused the government of egregious violations of international law and arbitrary detainment of thousands who took to the streets to protest against the government. Human Rights Watch reports that once detained, government agents are known to subject opponents to an array of abuses including severe beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, sleep deprivation, being hung in stress positions and sexual abuse in some cases rape. Ledezma warned that as conditions in the country further deteriorate, without humanitarian intervention, the migration crisis too will worsen spilling out into neighboring nations. He cautioned that already some four million people 12 percent of the Venezuelan population now belong to the diaspora, having fled the chaos. And what is crazy is that people are doing this by foot sometimes they are walking thousands of miles, taking up to one month. You see people walking along the highway in a straight-line, walking all the way to Chile, Ledezma opined. This is the worst mass migration in South America, what is happening is worse than in Syria. Last month, the UNs International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned the refugee situation was indeed building toward a crisis moment, comparable to that of the massive Syrian refugee flow to countries across Europe in recent years. Despite condemnation of his government by much of the international community, Maduro attributes the economic meltdown on opposition leaders colluding with the United States. Earlier this month, the President announced new economic measures he called a magic formula, which would serve as a re-balancing process to improve the falling currency. Ledezma sees only one way to end the Venezuelan crisis. That is, he added, to take Maduro out of the country. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn] BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China has called on Sweden to guarantee the safety and legitimate rights of Chinese tourists, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday. "In the early morning of Sept. 2, three Chinese tourists, including two elderly, were brutally treated by local police on the outskirts of Stockholm," Geng told a routine press briefing. "The Chinese Embassy in Sweden and Chinese Foreign Ministry have successively lodged representations with the Swedish side, calling on the Swedish side to conduct a thorough investigation, respond to the Chinese tourists' reasonable appeal in a timely manner and inform the Chinese side as soon as possible. This photo published by the Global Times allegedly shows Swedish police ejecting a Chinese national from a hotel in Stockholm, Sweden on September 2, 2018. [Photo: huanqiu.com] "As of now, the Chinese side has neither received any update of the investigation from the Swedish side, nor any response from the Swedish police to the Chinese embassy's demand for a face-to-face communication," Geng said. "This is not in line with diplomatic and international common practices," Geng said. "We urge the Swedish side to attach importance to the Chinese side's concern and take concrete measures to guarantee Chinese tourists' safety and legitimate rights." YouTube is reworking the video game focused side of its platform to address some of the discoverability issues that crept up since its launch of YouTube Gaming in 2015. The company detailed some of those coming changes in a recent blog post, noting that many of the features found in the standalone YouTube Gaming app are headed to the main YouTube, but that the app itself is being retired in March 2019. Speaking with Polygon, YouTube Gaming head Ryan Wyatt explained that the standalone app made it difficult for creators to grab the attention of new people since many of those potential viewers were browsing for content on YouTube proper rather than the YouTube Gaming app. The problem is, if you didnt have the app, or you werent using the gaming hub to kind of like discover this content, creators werent as discoverable, Wyatt told Polygon. So many of these users are just using YouTube and the regular YouTube experience. Youd have some people that funneled through into the gaming app, or the gaming destination, but we were finding we still werent touching many people daily. Going forward, YouTube users can access a video game focused hub on YouTube that sorts streams and video content by top games, top streams, and other criteria. The new features are already live for those in the US and will roll out to other countries in the future. For A Good Cause: Ways you can help others Fight against electronic crime : Bonn on the way to becoming a cyber capital BONN The city of Bonn and fellow campaigners want to focus on protection against internet crime. An association to be founded under the name Cyber-Security-Cluster Bonn is to help develop the Bonn/Rhine-Sieg district into a nationally and internationally recognised location. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Cyber attacks are one of the big issues of current times. Companies and institutions in Bonn also regularly feel the pain of being targeted by hackers. The city of Bonn now wants to make a contribution towards the fight against electronically organised crime by joining an association to which institutes from science, business, research and education as well as authorities and other areas of cyber security are committed. The goal, according to the draft statutes of the yet to be formed association called Cyber-Security-Cluster Bonn, is to contribute towards developing and expanding the Bonn/Rhine-Sieg district into a nationally and internationally recognised location for cyber security. The association wants to achieve this goal through close cooperation and networking among members, the acquisition of funding and the promotion of knowledge exchange through involving the university, for example. Location of cyber weapons agency still undecided Some activities aimed at raising Bonns profile as a centre of excellence for cyber security and encouraging public dialogue about these issues have been in existence for several years, the city administration emphasises in its draft resolution. In 2013, the Fraunhofer FKIE and Deutsche Telekom started the Bonner Dialogue for Cyber Security (BDCS). The relevant city council technical committee must now decide on the membership, followed by the council itself at its meeting on 27 September. The administration is proposing supporting the association with Euro 15,000 in the first three years. Thereafter, the annual contribution for Bonn will be Euro 10,000. Meanwhile, the location of the cyber weapons agency planned by the federal government with its around 100 employment posts has not yet been decided, a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defence told the GA. As reported, the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of the Interior are planning to establish the interdepartmental authority. It should enable the federal armed forces and the security authorities to actively prevent cyber attacks. The federal armed forces and the federal Ministry of the Interior will not only invest in new technologies, but will also strengthen their own expert networks and national clusters which, in turn, would again cover the Bonn Cyber-Cluster. Bonn as a location for cyber security The city of Bonn is now home to several public bodies specialising in cyber defence. The largest employer is the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), which is to move into a new building opposite the Caesar Research Centre at Bonns Rheinaue in a few years with around 900 employees. Directly adjacent, the Bundeswehrs Cyber and Information Space Command (Kdo CIR) has been leading the newly formed branch of the armed forces since last year, comprising a number of associations based outside Bonn. The federal governments Information Technology Centre (ITZ) also operates from Bonn, based at Am Probsthof. 37-year-old critically injured : Police in Bonn are searching for this man Bonn Police are using this photofit to search for an unidentified man alleged to have critically injured a 37-year-old man in Bonns city centre last week. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken A week after a 37-year-old was stabbed and seriously injured in Bonns city centre, police are now using a photofit to search for the suspect. As reported, a dispute between the 37-year-old and the currently unidentified man, during which the 37-year-old was critically injured, allegedly occurred outside the McDonalds on Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz at around 6.20am last Wednesday. According to witnesses, the suspect fled on a bicycle. As investigations to date have not identified the man, police have now issued a photofit of the unidentified man by court order. The suspect can also be described as follows: he is thought to be between 45 and 60 years old and to have a stocky build. He wears his grey hair in a plait and was wearing a black cap with red imprint at the time of the incident. He made off on a mens bike on which there were several blue plastic bags. Those with information about the suspect can call police on 0228/150. Those with information about his whereabouts should call police on the emergency number 110. An annual report on the global development of artificial intelligence is issued in Shanghai on Monday. TANG YANJUN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE President says China willing to share opportunities created by technology China is willing to promote development, maintain security and share results with other countries in the field of artificial intelligence, President Xi Jinping said on Monday in a congratulatory letter at the start of a gathering in Shanghai that has drawn some of the world's top AI luminaries. The president said China is willing to share development opportunities in the digital economy with other countries and called for joint efforts in promoting AI for the benefit of mankind. Xi stressed the importance of dialogue and cooperation in the booming sector, as China is quickly climbing the ranks of AI, which is starting to revolutionize everything from manufacturing to social governance in the world's second-largest economy. In the letter read by Shanghai Party Secretary Li Qiang at the 2018 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Xi said the new generation of AI is booming on a global scale, and it requires deepened cooperation and joint discussions among nations to deal with new AI subjects like law, security, employment, ethics and governance. Xi envisioned the development and application of AI as greatly enhancing the level of economic and social development and improving public services and urban management. Xi's remarks were echoed by Vice-Premier Liu He, who called for investment in AI research and cross-border collaboration to collectively address the complex ethical and legal questions raised by the technology. "We will encourage 'zero to one' original research and beef up efforts to defend intellectual property protection in the IP-intensive sector," Liu said at the opening ceremony. "Zero to one" refers to creating something new and taking it to the first step. Liu also proposed creating a more favorable environment for related private sector and small and medium-sized enterprises, which comprise an important pillar of the thriving industry. The country accounted for 48 percent of the world's total AI startup funding last year, consultancy CBInsights said. Chinese technology powerhouses including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and iFlytek have delved into specific fields using AI, including smart city administration, medical diagnosis, autonomous driving and voice recognition. "Smart technologies will penetrate into every aspect of society in the coming three decades," said Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba, a company that uses AI to predict customer needs and rejuvenate offline shopping, among other endeavors. The proliferation of data with more people generating far more information in China than in any other country is the fuel for improving AI, according to Kai-Fu Lee, founder and CEO of Sinovation Ventures. The conference also has witnessed the formation of an AI-themed academic alliance bringing together world-class universities like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and China's Tsinghua University. "The move is part of the push to close China's top-notch AI talent gap in order to fulfill its AI supremacy," said Tang Xiao'ou, founder of SenseTime and professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo taken on Sept. 16, 2018 shows an exhibition area during the annual conference of global aviation World Routes in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) PHNOM PENH/GUANGZHOU, Sept 17 (Xinhua) -- Earlier this year, 32-year-old Chinese businessman Wu Yuwen came up with a bold idea of opening a commercial air route by himself to link Cambodia's Sihanohkville with his hometown in the southeast Chinese province of Guangdong. Despite more than a decade's experience in cross-border trade, furniture manufacturing and hotel management in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, he barely knew anything about the airline industry till this year. Wu's new business was born thanks to the changes brought by the Belt and Road Initiative to Sihanohkville, the second largest city of Cambodia. NEW AIRWAYS FOR BUSINESS The fledging industrial parks in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) , jointly established by China and Cambodia in 2008, experienced a boom in recent years after the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative launched in 2013. As of August, a total of 125 companies from all over the world had invested in the SSEZ, including 108 Chinese companies which offer over 21,000 local jobs, SSEZ President Chen Jiangang told Xinhua. Yet for Wu and many others, the problem is enduring a tough journey to reach there. Wu's hometown is Jieyang, a small city in Guangdong, which had no direct flight to Sihanoukville till June this year. He had to take a three-hour high-speed train to the capital city of Guangzhou, and then take a flight from Guangzhou to Phnom Penh in Cambodia before driving five hours to Sihanoukville. "It's a waste of time, and very exhausting," Wu said. His company had to keep a business convoy both in Guangdong and Cambodia for commuting. Along with business opportunities, people are flocking to Sihanoukville and have caused a considerable burden to Wu's convoys because many Chinese entrepreneurs investing in Cambodia come from Jieyang and two nearby cities of Shantou and Chaozhou. Wu sensed the urgent need for a direct route linking airports in Sihanoukville and Jieyang. After months of preparation, he reached an agreement with the Cambodia Sky Angkor Airlines in June to open a direct charter flight from Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport (JCIA) to Sihanoukville. The one-way journey takes only two and a half hours. Furthermore, the figures of passengers are better than expected. As of late August, the route has a passenger load factor of over 90 percent from Jieyang, and the percentage of return trips has reached 80 percent, which means profits, Wu said. Today, there are regular flights from Jieyang to Cambodia on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons. Additionally, the Lanmei Airlines of Cambodia has joined the charter route, which makes the number of flights on the route increase to six per week. "Putting wings on the Belt and Road Initiative" is how General Manager of JCIA Company Guo Dajie describes his job. The airport's goal is to become "an important link of the air routes between China and Southeast Asia," Guo said. AIR ROUTE OF TECHNOLOGY "The Chinese wings" bring not only tourists and investment, but also technology innovation and exchange. In August, China's Hainan Airlines opened a direct flight from Guangzhou to Tel Aviv, which is also the first direct route from Guangzhou to Israel. With the new route, the number of flights between China and Israel has increased to 10 per week. "It is also 'the route for technology', which will witness the development of cooperation on technology innovation between the two countries," said Qi Yaoming, secretary of the Board of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Co., Ltd. "I think that it is very good to the relations of tourism, economy and business between the two countries," said Israeli Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz at the opening ceremony of the first Guangzhou-Tel Aviv flight held at the Ben-Gurion International Airport of Israel. A month before the Inauguration of the route, China-Israel Technology Innovation IP Trading Platform was set up in Zhuhai, a city located in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong. The first four patents traded on the platform are all from Tel Aviv University of Israel. China and Israel announced in March 2017 an innovative comprehensive partnership. From January to May of this year, the number of passengers of China-Israel air routes exceeded 80,000, which nearly doubled that of the same period in 2016, data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) showed. The opening of the Guangzhou-Tel Aviv route is expected to promote the number of passengers between China and Israel to reach 220,000 for the whole year, said Rao Zhiteng, regional director for Central South of Marketing Department of Hainan Airlines. CHINESE AVIATION'S BIG MAP Presently, the annual conference of global aviation World Routes, running from Sept. 16 to 18, is ongoing in Guangzhou. This is the second time in three years for this industry event to be held in China. Chief Brand Officer of World Routes Steven Small said when considering the bids to host 2018 World Routes, they returned to China because it is set to become the world's largest aviation market within the next five years. Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, also hope to seize the opportunities in the new round of development. Taking Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (BIA) as an example, its route map so far has covered more than 210 destinations on five continents, and among them 86 are international ones. The BIA company's Chairman Qiu Jiachen told Xinhua that in the next three years, the BIA will try to open 30 international routes from Guangzhou to Madrid, Chicago and Boston, seeking to become a global aviation hub. According to the CAAC's latest statistics, for the 2018 summer-autumn aviation season, a total of 29 Chinese airlines operated regular round trips from 47 cities in China to 81 cities in 37 countries along the Belt and Road. The number of flights per week reached 2,849. At the same time, there are 90 airlines from 37 countries along the Belt and Road operating regular flights from 84 foreign cities to 52 Chinese cities, with more than 2,346 flights per week. "(China's) Civil aviation is highly internationalized and standardized. It has unique advantages for promoting the Belt and Road Initiative and elevating China's opening up to a new level," said Zhang Qing, a senior official of CAAC. As the SSEZ in Cambodia aims to develop itself into a fully functional model of industrial park with 300 resident companies and up to 100,000 workers, Wu has a plan for his future business. "I'm confident that in the future I'll start a cargo transportation business," Wu said. The leader of a Christian human rights organization based in the U.S has shared disturbing video footage of a cross burning atop a church in China's central Henan province. Bob Fu, head of China Aid, shared a video of the burning cross, which reportedly caught fire as authorities destroyed it as part of an ongoing crackdown on Christianity in the province. The organization notes that such incidents have occurred multiple times during cross demolitions in the last few years. The increased persecution of Christians is the result of the revised Regulations on Religious Affairs, which which went into effect in February. The regulations, which define the administrative framework around religious activities, claim to "protect citizens' freedom of religious belief." However, government officials keep a tight rein on religious activities and allow only officially recognized religious institutions to operate. A church elder in Henan recently told China Aid that local authorities required that the church leaders read the new regulations to congregants for 10 minutes for each church service, and pastors and elders should write down their thoughts. Earlier this month, activists filmed footage of what appeared to be piles of burning bibles and forms declaring that the signatories had rejected their faith. Chinese authorities allegedly forced the believers to sign the forms or risk being expelled from school or losing welfare benefits, Fox News reports. Also in September, Henan authorities simultaneously raided several churches throughout the province, abusing and detaining some Christians. In March, footage emerged of Communist Party officials using a crane to rip a cross off the Shangqiu Catholic Church South Cathedral in Henan. Church-run academies for children have also been shut down in Henan province. Last July, Communist government officials accused teachers of "brainwashing" students with Christianity in their explanation for why they had to shut down the academy. Writing on Twitter, Fu said, "The international community should be alarmed and outraged for this blatant violation of freedom of religion and belief." Four Democratic senators in the discussion as potential 2020 candidates are joining the fight to turn state legislatures blue, recording ads for Sister District, a Democratic group connecting volunteers to down-ballot campaigns from far away.Getting involved in a state race is one of the best ways you can spend your time between now and Nov. 6, says Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in one of the videos.Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who this past weekend was in New Hampshire as part of his ongoing exploration of a presidential run, is also part of the effort, as are Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who are sometimes mentioned as possible 2020 contenders. The Daley name A deep resume Five years ago, Bill Daley spent four months running for governor.He quickly raised more than $1 million while promising to fix the state's dire finances. Then the D.C. political insider who had served other politicians but never run for office himself abruptly pulled the plug, deciding he wasn't up for the "enormity" of the job after all. He vowed never to seek public office again.On Monday, Daley is launching a bid for one of the nation's most enormous political jobs, one his brother and father held for a combined 43 years: mayor of Chicago.So why is the 70-year-old Daley now up for a job that arguably is just as, if not more, demanding than being governor?"The state of Illinois is great. They had a lot of problems, and I thought I might be able to bring something there, but this is home. This is where I live, this is where I've lived and this is where I'll die," Daley said. "That's the difference. I've seen my father and brother try to lead this city, the difficulties of it, but the joy they got of trying to make a difference and help people. And the people of Chicago have been extremely good and kind to our family."We all have tried in many ways to give something back," Daley said, "and this may be the ultimate way I can try to give something back."Daley's challenge, however, is to make the case that his candidacy is more back to the future than simply going back in time.His brother, former Mayor Richard M. Daley, departed City Hall in 2011 after overseeing a long run of economic growth and political stability -- but also leaving the city's finances in shambles. Bill Daley's surname alone will open him up to attacks from opponents, who could try to tag him with some of his kin's least-popular legacies, like his father's old-school machine politics and his brother's much-loathed deal to privatize the city's parking meters.Daley also will face criticism for his strong ties in the financial sector, from New York's Wall Street to Chicago's LaSalle Street. His political party is moving to the left nationally, with many centrist establishment Democrats like him struggling to gain a foothold with an increasingly more liberal electorate. And after three flirtations with running for governor, Daley will have to convince Chicagoans that he's for real this time.Those obstacles aside, Daley brings private sector and government experience to the race, including top posts with major corporations like JPMorgan Chase and stints in Washington as special counsel and U.S. Commerce Secretary under former President Bill Clinton and White House chief of staff under former President Barack Obama. That background positions Daley to contend he's best fit to oversee the city's continued economic growth.With strong ties to corporate donors and personal wealth he can tap, Daley should have the financial resources to get his campaign message out in the expensive Chicago media market, an area where the field's existing candidates have struggled so far. And perhaps most advantageous of all, the Daley name gives his candidacy instant credibility as someone voters will closely consider before heading to the polls Feb. 26."I love this city. I've spent my entire life in this city. My kids are all in the city. My grandkids are in the city. All my siblings are in the city. So, I hope at this stage in my life I can add something to future of the city," Daley said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune when asked to explain why he's running. "We've got a lot of issues like every city does. My goal is to try to help make Chicago safer, stronger and more affordable for all the people in Chicago."Daley said he will make the city's recent struggle with crime and policing under Mayor Rahm Emanuel his No. 1 issue at a time when gang conflicts and gun violence have led to a spike in shooting deaths on the South and West sides and historically safer, predominantly wealthy white neighborhoods have had bouts with carjackings and robberies. Daley said he'll also run on a platform of strengthening neighborhoods and making the city more affordable, a complicated case for him to make given that his brother's financial stewardship of the city in part necessitated Emanuel's run of record tax and fee increases.Perhaps recognizing how his budding candidacy may be cast given his corporate background and most recent job as a hedge fund managing partner, Daley is pitching himself as a candidate of the neighborhoods from a family that knows them all too well."I can't win the election by being the business candidate. Business and the private sector is vital to the future of this city, and they have to be supported. ... But I know where the votes are, and I know where people live," said Daley, whose brother John Daley is a Cook County commissioner and Democratic committeeman of the family's ancestral 11th Ward centered in the Southwest Side's Bridgeport. "Most of the people of Chicago live in neighborhoods that are outside of the core of the city. That's where I hope to go and get my votes."The last time Daley surfaced in Chicago politics was in April when he called a Sun-Times reporter to complain about Emanuel's blaming of former Mayor Richard M. Daley for the city's financial problems. Although Emanuel never mentions his predecessor by name, Daley said the implication had been clear and it was "unseemly" for the mayor to continue to blame his brother. By contrast, Daley said his brother had shown "class" by not commenting on Emanuel's moves at City Hall."I love my brother, and we're very close. I can tell you I criticize him better than anyone, because I know him better than anyone. And I have to his face, told him where I think he's wrong. That's what I do," Daley said in a 20-minute interview at the Loop high-rise office of a political consultant. "He's made mistakes, and he's not perfect by any stretch. I'll defend him to the day I die -- not everything he did -- but for what he's tried to do to make this a better city and what he gave and his wife gave to the city."When Emanuel took office in 2011, he walked into a $636 million budget deficit and pension funds that were billions of dollars in the hole after years of skipped contributions under Daley that were exacerbated by the Great Recession.Daley signaled he intends to distance himself from -- and publicly disagree with -- some of his brother's decisions as mayor, though he didn't specify which ones. Asked how he'll respond when political opponents try to make him answer for his brother's financial shortcomings, Daley shot back: "I wasn't there. I didn't do it.""People will want to try to say all things and everything Rich Daley did positive or negative, you should either get the credit or get the blame for. Well, that's not me," he said. "My name is Bill Daley. It is not Richard M. or Richard J. It is Bill Daley, and I will try to stand on my record and what I've done and what I've been involved in and what I hope to bring to the city of Chicago for the leadership over the next four years."Daley's decision to run comes after Emanuel shook Chicago's political landscape earlier this month by announcing he'd drop his bid for a third term to spend more time with his wife, Amy, and to write an unspecified "next chapter" of his life. Emanuel left a race that already included a dozen challengers, including former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, businessman Willie Wilson and onetime federal prosecutor and former Police Board President Lori Lightfoot.Daley becomes the first candidate to formally join the race since Emanuel's departure, and he'll use the campaign slogan "Chicago Together." Several other high-profile politicians are weighing a bid, including Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, state Comptroller Susana Mendoza, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and 2011 candidate and City Hall veteran Gery Chico.Whoever runs, Daley will have the most recognizable name. His father, Richard J. Daley, served as mayor for 21 years before dying in office in 1976 and is considered Chicago's most powerful political boss. Richard M. Daley presided over City Hall for 22 years, declining to seek re-election in 2011.Richard M. Daley's era was punctuated by financial woes and included corruption scandals that took down top aides and allies. But his tenure also is remembered as a stabilizing time when racial chasms in the city's politics were narrowed. The downtown boomed with development at a time when other Rust Belt cities struggled, and Chicago was beautified in many ways, most notably with the construction of Millennium Park.As Daley seeks to become the clan's third mayor, he ticked off key objectives: drive down crime, keep the city's economy growing and make living in Chicago more affordable. All speak to a desire to steer Chicago onto a stable path."Obviously safety is the No. 1 issue in Chicago, and I don't care what community you're in, whether it's from West Garfield or Edgebrook or Englewood or Streeterville or Beverly, that's the No. 1 issue," Daley said. "So, we've got to try to do something about that. We need to not only reduce crime, but we need to make people feel that they're safer."Emanuel's administration has struggled with a spike in shootings and homicides in the last two-plus years that has come as the Chicago Police Department has been placed under increased scrutiny after the Laquan McDonald police shooting scandal. White Officer Jason Van Dyke's murder trial for the death of the black teenager, whom he shot 16 times on a Southwest Side street, continues this week.The fallout also included a federal civil rights investigation into the Police Department that found widespread misconduct and excessive force and recommended a consent decree, in which a federal court enforces reforms to the department. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued Emanuel to force a consent decree, and the two submitted a proposed agreement in court last week.Daley said that the consent decree is necessary, but that it "is not something that is going to change the culture or change the Police Department overnight.""They didn't get into losing the trust of the people of Chicago over a short period, so it will take a while," Daley said of the Police Department. "But while that's going on, and the professionalism of the Police Department increases, we have got to be supportive of the men and women of the Police Department putting their lives on the line for us every day. ... The last thing we need is the police officers feeling not supported and feeling less anxious and less willing to do the job to keep us safe."Daley said he would focus on continuing to grow the city's economy while trying to bridge the gap between the financial success of downtown and the lack of it in Chicago's most struggling neighborhoods. He alluded to a common complaint that raising property taxes and other taxes and fees have made many areas of the city less affordable."With the taxes, can people afford to live in the city unless you're extremely wealthy?" said Daley, who lives on the Near North Side. "We can't have a vibrant city if our neighborhoods aren't getting stronger."Chicago's next mayor will face a steep increase in required payments to Chicago's four public employee pensions, which currently are $28 billion in debt. Emanuel has floated the idea of borrowing as much as $10 billion to ease the immediate burden. Daley said he'd wait to see if details of such a proposal emerge before commenting on whether it's a good idea.He said if Democrat J.B. Pritzker is elected governor, there would be a chance to overhaul the state and city's entire financial picture, a nod to the billionaire's hope to institute a graduated income tax and ease the reliance on property taxes."You can't just raise taxes. If that's people's answer, you will kill this city," Daley said of the pension problem. "If that's what people think is the answer, then you can build a highway that is one way going out of the city, because this city has to be more affordable."Daley enters the race with extensive business experience and as a veteran of the national political scene.His business resume includes: partner at the law firm Mayer Brown; president and CEO of Amalgamated Bank of Chicago; president of SBC Communications (now AT&T); and Midwest chairman of JPMorgan Chase. He previously served on the corporate boards of the Boeing Co., Boston Properties, EDS and Merck & Co. and recently joined the board of American Financial Exchange, according to his campaign. Daley stepped down as managing partner of the Swiss hedge fund Argentiere Capital to run for mayor but remains an investor, his campaign said.On Daley's political resume: Special counsel and three years as commerce secretary under Clinton, chairman of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and about a year as Obama's chief of staff.As special counsel for Clinton, Daley helped pass the North American Free Trade Agreement, which could complicate his relationship with unions with whom the deal remains deeply unpopular. As Obama's chief of staff, Daley was in the Situation Room with other senior White House officials as the president monitored a U.S. Navy Seals raid in Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, a famous photo that could make its way into a campaign ad.Like Emanuel, Daley's politics are that of a centrist, business-friendly Democrat. During his tenure as mayor, Emanuel has been derided by his critics as "Mayor 1 percent" for his close ties to wealthy business executives, and the progressive wing of the party including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has openly campaigned against him.Daley, though, said he doesn't think the populist and more progressive headwinds that exist nationally play as much in Chicago -- at least at City Hall."There is no left or right or middle way to fill a pothole or pick up the garbage or try to keep our community growing," Daley said. "They want government to respond to them. It's got to be efficient, more effective bringing services to people and then trying to solve some of these problems in neighborhoods that are struggling mightily right now."Daley said he's proudest of his efforts to bring people together in politics. He pointed to his work as commerce secretary when Republicans held the majorities in Congress, contending he still got things done with the likes of the late Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain. He said he tried to do the same as Obama's top aide but that Republicans weren't interested in compromise.In fact, those efforts were at the center of a rare staff shake-up in the Obama White House, as some Democrats complained that Daley's efforts at helping Obama strike a "grand bargain" with then-Republican House Speaker John Boehner weakened the president's political standing in Washington. Despite the turmoil, Daley had pledged to stay on as chief of staff through the 2012 November election.But much like his aborted bid for governor, Daley surprised Obama and others when he offered his resignation in January 2012 after spending the holidays with family."In the end, the pull of the hometown we both love, a city that's been synonymous with the Daley family for generations, was too great," Obama said in the State Dining Room then with Daley by his side.Now, the pull is to the ultimate home for a Daley -- the fifth floor mayor's office at City Hall."I'm not going to change my name. That's not going to happen. Look, some people like us, some people don't. Some people like my brother, he got elected six times," Daley said. "So, for his tenure, people were positive, obviously, based upon the results. I've got to go out and earn that. I don't take anything for granted." With the noxious odor of red tide hanging in the air and a fresh wave of dead fish washing up on nearby Gulf beaches, a large crowd of people incensed about the devastating algae bloom that has plagued the region for months directed their anger at Gov. Rick Scott during a campaign event in Venice Monday.Protesters jammed the sidewalk and spilled into the street around Mojo's Real Cuban, forcing Scott to enter the restaurant through the back door and leave the same way after just 10 minutes as members of the crowd shouted "coward."Scott didn't take any media questions during the brief, tumultuous event and did not give a speech to the group of a few dozen supporters gathered inside the restaurant. He mingled briefly with supporters before departing..@FLGovScott avoided protesters and came in the back. Crowd inside restaurant chanting "Rick Scott" to drown out protesters outside. Music inside restaurant also super loud.pic.twitter.com/hIKOiedEFp-- Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson)September 17, 2018The Republican governor is on the defensive about his environmental record as he tries to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. Protesters gathered Monday took aim at Scott for cutting funding for environmental agencies early in his first term, arguing Scott's cost-cutting and deregulation have kept the state from implementing measures that could have helped minimize naturally occurring red tide blooms."The more I learn about red tide the more I can point to Rick Scott making it worse," said Venice resident Rich Peabody, 71. "It's not his fault, but he's making it worse."Peabody stood by the back door to Mojo's and shouted "coward" at Scott as he left the restaurant..@FLGovScott exits back door after just 10 minutes in restaurant crowd booing and shouting "coward"pic.twitter.com/ixiyxE1juV-- Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson)September 17, 2018"He's a coward; he wouldn't face these people," said the semi-retired Peabody, who moved to the area nine years ago. "Look at our beaches."Scott supporters who came out to see the candidate said it's unfair to blame the governor for the algae bloom when red tide has been documented going back centuries."We have an extreme amount of red tide this year, but it's something we've seen since the American Indians," said Sarasota resident Patricia Pool, 58, as she waited for the governor to arrive at the restaurant.But Scott's critics say his policies have exacerbated the problem. Red tide blooms start offshore but can feed on nutrients found in nearshore waters. Leaky septic tanks, lawn fertilizer found in stormwater runoff and other factors can add to nutrient levels in nearshore waters.Scott signed off on legislation that repealed a mandatory septic tank inspection program. The inspections were intended to identify failing septic tanks that are leaching pollutants.The governor also cut $700 million from the state's water management districts, which help implement a range of water quality programs. And Scott reduced staffing at the state Department of Environmental Protection and pushed to speed up and streamline environmental permitting, leading some to accuse the state of cutting corners in protecting the environment.In recent years Scott has moderated his approach to environmental issues and supported increased funding for some environmental programs, but the policies from his early years as governor are the source of frequent criticism from environmental advocates as he seeks Nelson's Senate seat.Scott has responded, in large part, by criticizing Nelson's environmental record, arguing that the senator should have done more to try to solve the algae problem during his years in Congress."Gov. Scott is working hard to find solutions while Bill Nelson is nowhere to be found," said Scott spokesman Chris Hartline. "Nelson promised 30 years ago in a campaign ad that he was going to fight to protect Florida's environment. We're still waiting to see anything besides empty promises."Scott supporter Christian Ziegler echoed that line of attack as protesters lingered outside Mojo's following the governor's departure."You look at Bill Nelson, he's been in Congress 30 years and what has he done?" said Ziegler, a Sarasota GOP activist who is running for the Sarasota County Commission and was at Mojo's to greet Scott.The unusually strong red tide bloom that has lingered along a vast stretch of Southwest Florida coastline for nearly a year and a separate blue-green algae bloom that originated in Lake Okeechobee and is fouling estuaries on both coasts have mushroomed into major campaign issues in Florida's midterm election.Sarasota resident John Citara, 52, came out to protest Scott's visit wearing a white hazmat suit and a gas mask.Citara said he used to take his sons to the beach on a regular basis to go swimming, but now they go to document the environmental devastation."Once you wipe out the economy and the tourism, Florida's dead," Citara said. "If this doesn't show us we need to do things differently and hold people accountable, what will?"Nokomis resident Kim Hileman, 60, moved to the area from Pennsylvania in April "for quality of life.""Thinking I would escape the snow and enjoy the warm weather and beaches," Hileman said.But there have been very few nice beach days since Hileman moved south. So on Monday she led the crowd outside Mojo's in a chant of: "Hey hey ho ho red tide Rick has got to go." The "red tide Rick" moniker was featured on a range of other signs.Jane Hunter helped organize the protest as a leader with the liberal-leaning Englewood Indivisible group."We need to make a statement back to our community and the Scott campaign that you can't just totally befoul the Southwest coast of Florida and then run for Senate and vote against the environment," Hunter said. "Nope. Not gonna happen. There needs to be some accountability."Scott declared a state of emergency last month covering seven counties -- including Sarasota and Manatee -- impacted by the red tide bloom.The governor also has directed $9 million in grant funding to help communities cope with the bloom."While red tide is a naturally occurring algae that has been documented along Florida's Gulf Coast since the 1840's, Gov. Scott is fighting to use all available resources to help impacted communities, including declaring a state of emergency and providing millions of dollars in grant funding to Southwest Florida counties for cleanup and recovery efforts," Hartline said. Former state Sen. Ralph Shortey was sentenced Monday to federal prison after he tearfully apologized in court for "leading a double life of sin for the past few years."A judge ordered Shortey to serve 15 years in prison for a sexual tryst with a teenage boy at a Moore hotel early March 9, 2017."I have begged God's forgiveness, and I hope that this all is another example to everyone to live a true life and to be what you say you are," Shortey said at his sentencing in Oklahoma City federal court.Shortey, 36, pleaded guilty in November to child sex trafficking and faced up to life in prison.U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti imposed far less time than prosecutors had sought but more time than Shortey requested."I believe, based on Mr. Shortey's tragic background, the judge did the right thing and showed him some leniency," defense attorney Ed Blau said.Shortey will be on supervised release for 10 years after he gets out of prison and must pay $5,100 in special assessments. He also must register as a sex offender.How much victim restitution, if any, will be determined later.The victim told the FBI they had smoked marijuana, undressed and just started fooling around at the Super 8 in Moore when police officers knocked on the hotel door.The victim was then 17.The age of consent for sex in Oklahoma is 16. Shortey was indicted, though, for child trafficking because it is illegal under federal law to affect interstate commerce by soliciting anyone under the age of 18 for commercial sex.Shortey ran afoul of the federal law because he offered in a Kik message to pay the teenager for "sexual stuff" and then took him to a hotel.Shortey, an Oklahoma City Republican, first won election in 2010 as a "family values" conservative. He resigned in disgrace on March 22, 2017.A further investigation discovered he had been using fake names for at least five years to send and receive child pornography. He also had used pseudonyms to go online on Craigslist to seek casual encounters with males, the "younger the better.""We can be guy friends to everyone else but privately we have fun maybe even boyfriend type stuff," he wrote in a 2012 Craigslist ad. "I've always wanted something like that. This could even be a daddy son type of thing behind closed doors."Discretion is a must," he also wrote. "Very open minded!"Shortey was married to his high school sweetheart at the time. She divorced him this year.During his lengthy apology Monday, Shortey paused and began crying as he talked about his ex-wife and their four daughters."I've left them with nothing but pain, destruction and insecurity in their future," he told the judge. "I'm ashamed beyond understanding for what I have done to them."He vowed to spend the rest of his life repairing that damage and working to leave something for them.He also apologized to the victim, who was not in court. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. McKenzie Anderson said the teenager has nightmares, worries Shortey will someday come after him and feels like an outcast.Shortey and the victim had met for sex before, at Shortey's coffee shop. The two first met in February 2016 through a Craigslist ad. The victim was then 16.The prosecutor told the judge there were other victims, including two boys who sent Shortey sex videos in 2012. One boy, who was 17 at the time, sent six such videos of himself after Shortey emailed him commercial pornography, according to the FBI."This investigation reinforces the message that the victimization of children will not be tolerated by law enforcement," said Kathryn Peterson, the FBI special agent in charge of the Oklahoma City office.The judge Monday dismissed three child pornography counts against Shortey. Prosecutors asked for the dismissal pursuant to a plea agreement.Revealed during the sentencing was that Shortey endured a "hellish" childhood that included physical abuse, sexual abuse and exposure to pornography.Shortey never knew his father, his mother abused drugs and he lived in poverty for a time on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. He had to have extensive surgery when he was 3 after an older brother shot him in the leg by accident.After moving to Oklahoma, he was bullied in school because of a stutter and his weight."It's tragic because my client overcame so much from his childhood to become a business owner and to become a state senator. And those demons that followed him from his past led to the self-destructive behavior," his attorney, Blau, told news reporters.The defense attorney has complained that Shortey was selectively prosecuted in federal court "for spectacle" due to his elected position. Shortey initially was charged with prostitution offenses in Cleveland County District Court."If he'd been prosecuted in state court, he would have gotten far less than 15 years," Blau said Monday after the sentencing. "Given the magnitude of cases that you normally see in federal court, this was far below what's normal."The case attracted national attention because of the circumstances and because Shortey was one of President Donald Trump's earliest supporters in the state.Former state Sen. Ralph Shortey asked Monday for 10 years in federal prison, the minimum the judge could give him under the law for child sex trafficking.Prosecutors asked for a punishment within federal guidelines, which are intended to promote uniform sentences across the country. Under the facts of Shortey's case, the guidelines called for around 24 to 30 years in prison. This summer, a Pennsylvania grand jury released an explosive report, accusingmore than 300 Catholic priests in the state of sexually abusing 1,000 children over seven decades. Despite the number of accused, only two priests reportedly can face criminal prosecution.Pennsylvanias statute of limitations only allows victims of child sex abuse to file criminal lawsuits until they reach the age of 50. Civil cases can be filed until the victim is 30 years old.The Pennsylvania report has prompted attorneys general in at least six states -- Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York -- to review or investigate clergy sex abuse cases. But the concern is not just with the Catholic Church. Recent events have brought attention to sexual abuse, assault and harassment in Boy Scouts of America, USA Gymnastics, Hollywood and the halls of government.Amid this national conversation, a growing number of lawmakers want to expand the window that victims of child sex abuse have to file civil and criminal lawsuits. Some want to eliminate these time limits altogether. If history is any indication, it will likely be an uphill battle.The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill in 2017 that would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations and raise the cutoff age to file a civil lawsuit to 50. That measure has stalled in the House. State Rep. Mark Rozzi, who describes the Senate bill as weak, introduced his own bill that would eliminate criminalcivil statutes of limitations as well as provide a two-year window from the day the law goes into effect for victims to sue for past abuse. Members of the Senate and House disagree over whether the retroactive window would be unconstitutional.In New York, where child victims have until age 23 to file civil and criminal lawsuits, Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal is pushing the Child Victims Act, which would raise the ages to 50 and 28, respectively. Her bill would also create a one-year retroactive window. The Child Victims Act passed the Assembly in May, but the Senate's Republican leaders have blocked the measure from making it to the floor for a vote.Rosenthal believes the growing understanding of the issue will help her legislation pass."We've seen Republicans who were [opposed to] the bill for years. After that Pennsylvania report, they turned 180 degrees and said 'Now I support it,'" Rosenthal says. "None of the facts changed in New York. They just saw their constituents were rising up."Measures to change statutes of limitations for child sex abuse have faced challenges for years.Since 2010, New Jersey state Sen. Joe Vitale has pushed a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for certain civil child sex-abuse offenses; it would also expand the definition of defendants who can be liable for such offenses. The measure previously stalled by a lack of votes, but Vitale has pledged to keep fighting for it. (New Jersey removed the criminal statute of limitations in 2001.)Advocates like Mark Crawford say the key to providing justice to all victims is a retroactive window. Any legislation that doesn't include a retroactive option would be a "grave injustice," he says.Crawford, the New Jersey director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is all too familiar with the legal hurdles that statute of limitations present. He is a victim of clergy abuse himself. He says he did not fully realize his trauma until 1996 when he was 35 years old. By then, the statute of limitations on his case had expired.Crawford argues that just as corporate businesses can be liable for past infractions that caused public harm, the same principle should apply to the church."We have an institution that protected itself over the need to protect children," he says. "[The church] never wants to go back, but it was complicit as an entity, and there is a moral obligation to fix this."The Catholic community has mixed views on eliminating statutes of limitations, though lobbying groups for the organizations have largely fought against the bills Patrick Brannigan of the New Jersey Catholic Conference, a public policy arm for the church, says his group will cooperate to address this issue and would be willing to do a retroactive window -- but only for individual abusers.Tyler McClay, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, argues that the accused may not receive fair legal treatment as memories fade and evidence disappears from past cases."These are very difficult cases to defend even if all the witnesses are alive," he says. "I think the concern with the window bills is getting into the due process. ... I think the dioceses are committed to trying make it right for anyone who has a substantiated claim to try and offer them assistance."The potential cost of retroactive legal action is also a concern among the church.Dennis Poust, spokesperson for the New York State Catholic Conference, worries that the financial impact of opening up old cases will trickle down to the people who rely on the Church for social services or education," he wrote in an email toDespite peoples perceptions, the Church is not flush with money, especially upstate."Of the survivors who report their abuse, their average age is 52, according to a study conducted in Germany. Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea, a North Carolina-based clinical psychologist who has treated sexual abuse victims for decades and written extensively on clergy abuse, has mixed views on the value of lawsuits when it comes to a survivor's healing process. She says lawsuits can bring some relief for victims, but that relief can be limited. Sexual abuse affects every aspect of the persons functioning, she says, adding that in addition to long-term problems with substance abuse, intimacy and self-esteem, studies also show abuse victims tend to have higher rates of physical illness.Lawsuits can't heal everything, but "it's about fairness," says Marci Hamilton, a lawyer and the CEO of Child USA, a think tank dedicated to stopping various types of child abuse. According to Child USA , Delaware is a model for these laws. The state eliminated the criminal statute of limitations for all child sex abuse offenses in 2003 and eliminated the civil statute in 2007. It also created a one-time window from 2007 to 2009 for victims to file retroactive lawsuits.The country has largely relied on the Catholic Church to oversee itself on this issue, says Hamilton, and its time for more government intervention. This years Pennsylvania grand jury report is not the first scandal highlighting clergy sex abuse. An investigation published in 2002 byrevealed sexual abuse and systemic cover-ups within the Archdiocese of Boston. It led to criminal charges against several priests.Mitchell Garabedian is a Boston lawyer who represented some of the victims in those cases. Since that time, he says there has been a lot of talk and little action from the Catholic Church. But today, he feels great momentum nationally and hopes the renewed attention will lead to legislative change. For the first time since President Donald Trump's election, voters on Tuesday directly weighed in on immigration policy. They soundly rejected Measure 105, which would have overturned Oregons so-called sanctuary state law.The measure would have removed protections for the undocumented at a time when Trump has made opposition to immigration central to his agenda. Itfailed 62 percent to 37 percent, with 82 percent of votes reporting.Ahead of Tuesday's vote, No on 105 spokesman Peter Zuckerman said, We need to win this campaign -- and win it big -- so we don't see similar measures like it popping up [across] the country. ... By voting no, we can show that Oregon wants no part in the immigration policies of [U.S. Attorney General] Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump.The victory for immigration advocates is a contrast to four years ago, when undocumented immigrants in Oregon suffered a crushing defeat. Voters overwhelmingly rejected a statewide ballot measure that would have allowed them to legally drive.Anti-immigration advocates cite crime as a top reason for being against sanctuary laws, but there is substantial evidence that undocumented immigrants are no more criminal -- and indeed may be less criminal -- than native-born Americans.The law enforcement community, which is most affected by this law aside from immigrants, wasdivided on the issue.Sheriffs who backed repealing the sanctuary law argued it "undermines respect for law in significant ways." In a recent public letter , they wrote that the law "tells illegal immigrants that Oregon considers immigration law violations so inconsequential as to be unworthy of police and sheriffs attention. In doing so, it legitimizes those violations and encourages more.But others argued that repealing the law could have bred fear among immigrants and prevented them from reporting crimes.Trust is the foundation of good policing, Andrea Williams, another spokesperson for No on 105 and the executive director of the immigrant rights group Causa, told a local TV station . When local law enforcement plays the role of federal immigration, immigrants become too scared to come forward to ask for help from the police when theyve been victimized, or to share critical information to help solve cases when theyve witnessed a crime themselves.Williams also argued that repealing the sanctuary law could harm people who everyone agrees have the right to be in Oregon.Its about whether or not were going to be a state where people who are brown, like me, could be stopped by police for no other reason than were thought to be an undocumented immigrant," she said.Oregon's sanctuary law is the oldest of its kind and has been in place since the late 1980s. Until recently, it attracted little controversy.For her part, Gov. Kate Brown, the Democratic incumbent who won reelection on Tuesday, defended the law. She argued at a press conference in July that the states efforts to prohibit racial profiling have been effective and that nothing about its sanctuary status prevents law enforcement from policing criminal behavior.Several other states have similar laws. After California passed a sanctuary law last year, the Trump administration sued to block it. But in July, a federal court largely dismissed the lawsuit. Description GIS 18 September 2018: The tourism industry, the Export Processing Zone, the financial services as well as other various key sectors are highly reliant on a good transport network, thus the need for a good air connectivity which is reliable and secure. The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement today at the Sugar Beach Hotel, Flic en Flac on the occasion of the Aviation Day. The Minister of Tourism, Mr Anil Gayan, the Chairman of Air Mauritius, Mr Arjoon Suddhoo, as well as other eminent personalities were present on the occasion. The event is being hos ted by Air Mauritius in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association Aviation Days in view to update concerned stakeholders on the state of the Aviation Industry and the current issues it is facing. In his address, the Prime Minister highlighted that our local airline is connected to 40 destinations worldwide and has recently acquired two A 350-900 aircrafts out of the eight aircrafts as part of its fleet modernisation programme. The new aircrafts will offer enhanced passenger experience as well as comfort, operating efficiencies and technological innovation and will allow Air Mauritius to improve its products and competitiveness in the current dynamic and challenging market environment, he stated. Highlighting that Air Mauritius has played an important role to transform the air connectivity in the country, the Prime Minister underlined that the company helped in bringing Mauritius closer to its main markets, thus giving an impetus to key sectors of the economy. Since the last three years, passenger traffic has increased by 9.3% and aircraft movement by 5.4%. The tourism earnings in 2018 have also increased by 3.7% to reach Rs 62.5 billion, he stressed. Referring to the successful aircraft leasing company, Veling, Prime Minister Jugnauth pointed out that it is a niche aircraft leasing business with a portfolio of aircraft under its ownership and management, comprising B777 on lease to Emirates and A340 aircraft on lease to Sri Lankan Airlines. He lauded the companys ability to purchase, finance and manage large aircrafts adding that Government will encourage the development of such companies. Speaking about measures implemented as regards the development of the airport, Mr Jugnauth stated that part of the old terminal is being refurbished to the tune of Rs 225 million and will be completed during the first quarter of 2019. This terminal will be able to accommodate around half a million passengers, he added. Furthermore, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with ADP International for the expansion of the existing facilities at Sir Seewoosagur International Airport and at Plaine Corail Airport in Rodrigues. Prime Minister Jugnauth underpinned that in view of the new threats and challenges faced daily at the airport, liquid explosive detectors and modern X-ray machines have also been acquired to increase the safety levels of our operational environment. For his part, the Chairman of Air Mauritius, Dr Arjoon Suddhoo, dwelt on Africas eagerness to have a national carrier which will generate a sense of national pride and will show a certain level of development . Aviation, he said, is at the heart of global economic development and is widely recognised as a key contributor to economic and social development. As regards the importance of air connectivity, Dr Suddhoo highlighted that over time Governments have come to understand the importance of air connectivity built on global standards and to include it as a priority in their economic strategies. According to him, air connectivity is important for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) since it is a key development driver and will help to foster tourism growth. The SIDS comprise 60 airlines, 370 aircrafts and carries around 90 million passengers, he added. The Chairman of Air Mauritius underlined that as a strategic partner in the tourism industry and playing a key role in the economic development of the country, Air Mauritius however still faces daunting challenges such as liberalisation, fuel price, competition, taxes and charges, strike, and activists. Hence the need, he said, for diligent partnering and consolidation of alliances and the infusion of digital technologies in aviation management and airport operations such as A1, Block chain, Big data and data analysis. The Conference The objective of the conference is to gather world class industry leaders and experts from the aviation sector to discuss key issues and trends affecting the industry with special focus on SIDS and African airlines. Mr Alexandre de Juniac, DG and CEO of IATA, the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and the CEO's of several airlines namely Air Botswana, Air Seychelles, Air Tahiti, Emirates, Rwandair, and South African Airways were present. Representatives of Small Island Development States and African Airlines including the Regional Airlines, Civil Aviation Authorities and Airports also attended the conference. Aviation experts are invited to talk about identified topics and panelists will then take over for discussions. The themes discussed during the conference include: Current state profitability, market opportunities for Africa, and economic benefits of aviation; Industry trends with special emphasis on Aviation Ecosystem and challenges for Small island states; Issues: Infrastructure, Private-public partnership, Taxation and high industry costs. The Center for Digital Government presented the Best of California Awards today during the California Digital Government Summit.The Best of California Awards recognize state and local government organizations for innovative technology initiatives.This years Best of California awards honored 15 winners including , which uses advanced video analytics through underwater light fixtures, high-definition cameras and sensors to help lifeguards and other employees identify swimmers at risk of drowning reducing the average response time from 9.5 seconds to 1.7 seconds., which offers more than 360 economic development incentives for businesses in one place. Formerly scattered across thousands of local government and state agency websites, the Gateway puts all incentives in one online location and provides a tool for local governments and state agencies to showcase their incentives in an online marketplace to attract more businesses.The Eureka chatbot answers commonly-asked questions about businesses and trademarks 24/7 via the agencys website, helping better serve the approximately 400,000 customers who called the agency for help last year. Users can also provide feedback, which the chatbot uses to continually improve.State and local government agencies across California are focused on providing innovative technology to citizens and businesses, said Teri Takai, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. The Center for Digital Government is excited to honor the California technology organizations that are leading the way to provide responsive, citizen-centric services.Best of California Award winners are selected by a panel of judges based on several criteria, including collaboration among agencies, innovative use of technology, economic benefits and improving public services and business processes. Brady Tacdol, Project Manager, California Department of Transportation Melody Hayes, Deputy Director, California Department of Health Care Services - Medicaid Management Information System (CAMMIS) Division Eureka Chatbot, California Secretary of State The California Business Incentives Gateway, California State Treasurer's Office AI-Driven Video Analytics Drowning Prevention System, County of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation #SupporLA Hashtag Campaign, County of Los Angeles Child Support Services Video Comment for the County's Recommended Operational Plan, County of San Diego JELS (Justice Electronic Library System) Dependency Document Distribution System, County of San Diego IT Initiative for Implementation of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act; California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Cannabis Control, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Public Health, and California Department of Technology Project Management Leadership Academy (PMLA), California Department of Technology Electronic Health Record System (EHRS), California Correctional Health Care Services Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), County of Ventura IT Services Department Mobile Application Featuring Check-A-Ticket, California State Lottery On-board Diagnostics (OBD) Data Analytics and Profiling, California Bureau of Automotive Repair Health and Human Services Agency Dashboards, County of San DiegoThe Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. The Center provides public- and private-sector leaders with decision support and actionable insight to help drive 21st-century government.The Center is a division of e.Republic , the nations only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.For more information, please contact: Janet Grenslitt , Director of Surveys and Awards916-932-1363 Shanghai math teacher Zhang Yuhong is busy preparing herself for her third journey to teach in Britain, next January. The 35-year-old has been working as a math teacher at the Shanghai Tianshan No.1 Primary School for 10 years. She was one of the first Shanghai math teachers sent to Britain under an academic exchange program between China and Britain in 2014. "Math teachers from Shanghai have been well-received in British schools. I am excited that I am able to use the English version of a popular set of Shanghai math textbooks during my third teaching trip to Britain," said Zhang, referring to the English version of the series Real Shanghai Mathematics. In March 2017, Harper Collins signed an agreement with the Shanghai Century Publishing Group at the London Book Fair to publish the books. The series of 36 books was introduced to British students in September 2017. Zhang said all math teachers sent to teach in Britain must attend training courses offered by Shanghai Normal University, in addition to taking English language courses, whether or not they have experience. Since the exchange program started in 2014, about 200 math teachers in Shanghai have joined, bringing their valuable experience in math education to about 8,000 primary and middle schools in Britain, according to the Shanghai Normal University, which is responsible for carrying out the program in China. According to Zhang Minxuan, the person in charge of the program, more than 80 Shanghai math teachers will visit British schools in 2019. By 2020, a total of 10,000 British schools will have been visited by Chinese math teachers. In the meantime, British math teachers get the chance to do job shadowing in Shanghai, sharing ideas on education with their Chinese peers, under an exchange program between China and Britain. In 2016, the UK Department of Education announced that it would spend 41 million pounds ($53 million) on a four-year program to spread the Shanghai Teaching for Mastery Program in the country, because Chinese students perform significantly better than their British counterparts in math. Chen Yilin, a math teacher from the Shanghai Luwan No. 1 Central Primary School, was one of the teachers who finished the exchange program in Britain in January. During her two-week stay, she found that math programs from China and Britain had different teaching approaches. "In a British classroom, teachers like to use various kinds of teaching tools, and tend to put more emphasis on stratified teaching, with students divided into groups according to their ability," Chen said. "The Shanghai mastery approach emphasizes a step-by-step approach," she said. Adaptations were made Though the deep-rooted differences between the two countries are considered a difficulty, Chinese teachers in the UK have shown respect for the British teaching approach and adjusted their own teaching plans when necessary. "Before delivering courses to British students, we usually have a discussion with our British peers in local schools," said Zhang. "We discussed which math concepts we should pick to teach during the two-week teaching practice in accordance with the level and the needs of the students." Chen believes that both the British and Shanghai styles of teaching have pros and cons. "Chinese students are good at solving problems with the specific knowledge they have gained, yet they sometimes are stuck in inertial thinking, but British students of the same age sometimes have more divergent ideas when facing intricate tasks," Chen said. Overall, British schools have shown a great interest in the Chinese math teaching approach and hope to learn from it through introducing math teachers and math textbooks from Shanghai. "I was frequently asked by British peers about how to teach students at different levels in the same class," Zhang said. She always explained that the Chinese math textbooks had helped a lot. Chen took part in the English translation of the Real Shanghai Mathematicstextbooks. She said that the books will be used as a reference by some of the Shanghai math teachers teaching in Britain. She said the books are basically translated into English word for word, with some adaptations. It was the first time that a whole series of Chinese textbooks have been transferred to the national education system of a developed economy. She said she was very impressed by a British-themed math class, in which a teacher used different materials to help introduce the math concept of classification. Unlike teachers from Shanghai, whose only focus is in mathematics, British math teachers with general education backgrounds are able to offer more interdisciplinary courses with math concepts, Zhang said. Xinhua Out Front Who's Who in Smart Cities Cisco Siemens Microsoft IBM Hitachi Huawei SAP Panasonic Ericsson GE Public Safety Connectivity Transportation/Transit Data Digital Equity Smart city solutions are designed to solve a host of issues common in urban areas across the U.S. From intelligent streetlights that monitor traffic from pedestrians, bicycles, cars and more to sensors that monitor air quality, smart city front runners are using IT to make their communities more efficient and improve quality of life for residents.For our full infographic, click here The following cities got a boost on their path to becoming future-ready when they were named finalists in the U.S. Department of Transportations Smart Cities Challenge. Of 78 applicants representing 85 cities in 36 states, the following seven cities received $100,000 as well as public- and private-sector consulting help to further develop their pitches. The ultimate victor (and recipient of $100 million in implementation money) was Columbus, Ohio , though all participants found value in refining their plans by participating in the challenge.proposed a Mobility Marketplace to help connect underserved communities, like those without traditional bank accounts, the disabled and the elderly, to economic opportunity through improved mobility.set out to enhance equal access to health-care services and cut infant mortality rates, especially in communities of color, with a centralized traffic signal and transportation data system that offers multimodal trip planning and a single payment system, and integrates with doctor visit scheduling.sought to mitigate negative impacts of freight movement, especially on underserved communities, by establishing a connected corridor for freight with connected parking and traffic information systems, which reduced pollution, congestion and engine noise in adjacent communities.wanted help to quantify and analyze data related to urban travel and quality of life, including traffic movements, accident data, air pollution and resident health.aimed to take on high air pollution levels through a series of emission-cutting efforts, like converting the citys vehicle fleet to electric, adding charging stations, converting streetlights to LED and using sensors to monitor air quality.planned an aggressive outreach campaign to engage underserved communities in the development of new, smart transportation options that serve all residents needs.acknowledging that housing costs are lengthening commutes into the city, wanted to invest in tools to support carpooling like dedicated lanes and curb space, and an app to connect carpoolers needing rides.[slideshow-break]According to Navigant Research, here are the top 10 suppliers of smart city technologies:[slideshow-break]Smart cities are safe cities that use connected tech like camera networks and shot detection tools to fight crime and contribute to the overall quality of life. Among Schenectady, N.Y.s smart city projects are a Wi-Fi data network that lets police download dashcam video from cars to the central network as they go about their patrols.Universal connectivity is also at the heart of most smart city blueprints, like that of Louisville, Ky., which plans a 115-mile fiber deployment, boosted by its selection as a Smart Cities Readiness Challenge grant winner.As host to the annual Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas is considered a hotbed of tech innovation, especially when it comes to transportation. The Las Vegas Innovation District is now home to a data-gathering connected corridor and an autonomous shuttle to service nearby casinos. New Orleans envisions on-demand minibuses for low cost connections to underserved communities, while Boston proposes radically programmable streets that can transform from loading zones to through streets to street hockey lots according to demand.Intelligent streetlights are propagating across U.S. communities large and small, offering energy savings as well as data-gathering opportunities. In San Diego, $30 million will pay for 3,200 sensor-laden streetlights that will feed data into the citys open data network.Running through seemingly all smart city plans is a desire to ensure all citizens can participate fully in the benefits of their connected community. While providing Internet access to the wider community, cities are also working to ensure that Internet infrastructure can withstand disasters. Organizations like New York Citys Digital Equity Laboratory spurred by the extensive communications damage from Hurricane Sandy are helping to develop stronger networks. Wi-Fi projects in six parts of the city are strengthening networks that support residents and first responders during crises.[slideshow-break]For GovTech's more smart cities news, check out the interactive map plotting our ongoing coverage across the country.[slideshow-break] A recent BuzzFeed article focused on the work of several teachers who have leveraged Instagram and Teachers Pay Teachers to promote and sell the classroom resources they make. In so doing, these teachers are serving as social media influencers and creating personal educational brands of themselves.Im not sure these teachers influencing and branding efforts cross ethical lines, though they could. In reading about these Instagram self-promoters, I was reminded of last years debate over teachers who served as brand ambassadors for ed tech companies and the ethical concerns this raised.The dispute started with a 2017 New York Times article that highlighted a North Dakota teacher who branded herself and her classroom practices and developed a large social media following as a result. The teacher also became a brand ambassador for some ed tech companies, receiving software and company swag in exchange. Another teacher featured in the article had become a brand ambassador for 3-D printing and coding companies in exchange for expensive equipment for his classroom.In the article, comparisons were made between the teachers and the products they promoted with the way the pharmaceutical industry has leveraged its influence with medical doctors over the years, offering valuable freebies to those willing to prescribe a companys medications.Comparing schoolteachers to medical doctors is a stretch, especially considering the salary disparity of their professions and the chronic underfunding of public schools. But its a valid point when educators become ambassadors for a particular company or product, raising questions about their objectivity. And depending on the individuals level of influence within a school or district, purchasing decisions can be swayed.Apple's Distinguished Educators, Google for Educations Certified Innovators, and Microsofts Innovative Education Experts are all efforts by industry leaders to bring educators into their folds as brand ambassadors, and offer them various honors and opportunities in return. Smaller ed tech companies are also trying to leverage teachers influence in similar ways. Its not unusual to visit the vendor hall of an ed tech conference and find teacher brand ambassadors working in their associated companies booths, or presenting conference sessions on a companys behalf.For a school district, having teachers with the expertise required to become a brand ambassador for a particular product can have its advantages especially if the district has already adopted specific digital tools the teachers are promoting. If a Google for Education Certified Innovator leads a schools teacher professional development session using Google Classroom, it can add an additional level of credibility to the class.For those of us who have worked in districts with individuals who became brand ambassadors for a particular product or company, we should be wary of our colleagues enthusiasm for their adopted partners. As a district administrator with employees who also served in brand ambassador capacities, I had to manage both the employees influence, as well as their leave requests to travel on their associated companys behalf. (We required staff to take personal days for such travel.)Over the past several years, there have been several high-level school district administrators in the news who led their districts to make ed tech purchases from companies with whom, it was later revealed, they had relationships that personally or professionally benefited the administrator. Though by scale these administrators transgressions dont compare to a teacher who simply serves as a brand ambassador at a technology conference, nonetheless it can be a symptom of the same concern: public education employees vested with doing whats best for their students, who may opt instead to focus on building their resumes.Having employees who work in brand ambassador capacities is not an inherently bad practice for school districts. But individuals interested in doing side work for education-related companies or for their personal brands should be sure that in doing so theyre not compromising their objectivity and integrity as district educators. And in dealing with situations or questions where conflicts of interest may arise, educators with brand relationships should be up-front and transparent about their affiliations, and recuse themselves if necessary. Its not unlike a hiring situation where a person has a friend applying for an open position. Simply putting in a good word for the person is a potentially acceptable practice, as long as one is clear about the existing relationship and doesnt push additional influence on the friends behalf.To prevent possible issues, school districts should have in place clear and well-publicized policies that define expectations for employees ethical behaviors and state what constitutes a potential conflict of interest. These policies should also include the types and amount of compensation employees can receive from third parties. By example, the Dallas Independent School District has a thorough (though somewhat dated) employee Handbook of Ethics and Integrity that covers these topics.With education-related companies seeking educators endorsements, coupled with the far-reaching scope and influence of social media, the lines defining educators advocacy roles are becoming blurred. As a result, the importance of current, inclusive, widely publicized and enforced school district employee ethics policies are more important than ever. (TNS) - The sun burst through the storm clouds for the first time in days Monday, but the most terrifying threat from Hurricane Florence was yet to come.The muddy Cape Fear River, thick with debris including entire trees, swelled to incredible heights through Fayetteville, coming uncomfortably close to bridges and inundating buildings and ravines along its banks. The river level was near 54 feet by afternoon, still shy of the peak from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 but well on its way to projected maximum of nearly 62 feet by 8 a.m. Tuesday.How high the river would rise, and what that will mean for thousands of homes and businesses from Harnett County to the coast, was the biggest question Monday after the dangers from flooded creeks and tributaries appeared to diminish. A mandatory evacuation order is in place for anyone within a mile of the Cape Fear in Cumberland County, a distance that comes within two blocks of the Market House.The true scope of the disaster across the Sandhills remained unclear, four days after the monster hurricane began to lash Fayetteville. Florence's flooding appears to have been much more widespread than Matthew, sparing some Fayetteville neighborhoods that were swallowed by water two years ago but inundating thousands of acres of Moore, Sampson, Robeson and Bladen counties. From the sky were images of rural homes surrounded by brown water, interstates and major thoroughfare resembling rivers, and cars swept off roads and into gullies, the fate of their occupants unknown.The storm was blamed for at least 17 deaths in North Carolina and six in South Carolina. They included an 86-year-old Fayetteville couple killed when their house caught fire after a power failure. Carl and Patricia Flanagan died Friday night in their home in the Briarwood Hills subdivision.Residents, some still without power, ventured outside Monday to assess the damage and begin the clean-up. Others crowded into whatever stores and gas stations were open to stock up on supplies and get a break from cabin fever.Nearly 1,500 people and 114 pets were in Cumberland County's shelters, and another 1,592 evacuees filled shelters in Robeson County.Florence dropped over 20 inches of rain in some areas, pushing Cross Creek in downtown Fayetteville well over its banks and sending firefighters, swift-water teams and law enforcement on rescue missions through Sunday night. Fears of a potential breach of McLaughlin Lake dam in Hoke County put authorities on alert downstream along Rockfish Creek, which flows into an already flooded Hope Mills Lake. The dams survived.The dam is holding and the dam is working properly, Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner said. Theres a lot of water down there, but its working.According to the National Weather Service, more rain is possible until Wednesday, when temperatures warm into the 90s. The heat could pose risks for people still without power. Warner said she has heard from residents frustrated that they had not gotten their power back. The town is served by Duke Energy, Lumbee River Electric Membership Corp. and South River Electric Membership Corp.Electricity was the least of the worries of families along the Lower Little River. Spring Lake firefighters and Fort Bragg soldiers rescued people from apartments that were rapidly flooding. Major routes through Spring Lake and north of Fort Bragg were under water.Travel to the south into Robeson County also is difficult. Lumberton, devastated by Hurricane Matthew two years ago, saw flooding along the Lumber River.Fort Bragg leaders conducted their first fly-over of flood-ravaged parts of the state on Monday, with three general officers surveying the damage from Fayetteville to Lumberton from aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.The helicopter carried Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, the acting senior commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg; Maj. Gen. James Mingus, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division; and Brig. Gen. Christopher Mohan, the commander of the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command.They flew from Simmons Army Airfield south along the Cape Fear River to Elizabethtown then to Lumberton and north along Interstate 95 to the Little River and to the north and west of Fort Bragg before completing the trip.Massive flooding was sighted in Lumberton, Spring Lake and parts of Moore County, with numerous roadways including N.C. 87 and N.C. 210 to the north of Fort Bragg in danger of being covered in floodwaters.The most extensive damage was seen in Lumberton, where Interstate 95 and numerous homes and businesses were covered by the swelling Lumber.A Robeson County spokeswoman said 62 people, two dogs and two cats were rescued by boat or military-style MRAP vehicles during the worst of the storm.The rescues were a joint effort between the city, county and FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams, the spokeswoman said.Without solid numbers on the extent of damage across the region, it's also unclear how long the recovery may take. It could take months, if not years, to fully assess damage and rebuild.At its peak, the storm caused more than 50,000 Public Works Commission customers to lose power. At the peak of the winds, PWC workers were unable to use bucket trucks to fix utility lines. By Monday morning, PWC was reporting that all but about 7,200 customers had their power restored.PWC CEO David Trego urged patience."Despite dealing with thousands of downed trees that impacted power lines and weather conditions that included heavy rains and winds, PWC crews, our mutual aid partners and other staff at PWC have been able to restore power to over 80 percent of those customers who were out during the peak of the storm," Trego said.Power to 2,000 customers was restored Monday morning, he said.Government offices throughout the region remained closed as officials devoted their attention to emergency management. In Cumberland County, schools will be closed through at least Wednesday. Robeson County schools, several of them severely damaged by flooding, may not reopen for some time.While residents began the tedious work of cleaning limbs, pine cones and other debris from their yards, larger trees are still blocking roadways.Access to food and gas improved Monday, although it remained spotty. At a BP station on Robeson Street on Monday morning, motorists were seen quickly pulling up to the pumps when they saw a tanker arrive.It will be a long time before things return to normal, said Susan Holder, an assistant county manager in Sampson County.We know that this is disaster response and another cycle of disaster restoration and recovery is next, and we know it will be a long process, Holder said.Staff writers Drew Brooks, John Henderson, Michael Futch, Monica Holland, Jaclyn Shambaugh, Sammy Batten and Greg Barnes contributed reporting for this story.Staff writer Rodger Mullen can be reached at rmullen@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3561.2018 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.)Visit The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at www.fayobserver.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) A new report predicts autonomous technology could lead to the loss of about 300,000 trucking jobs, but its author said the bigger concern is that many of the new positions created could offer lower pay and poor working conditions.The trucking industry will actually likely add more new jobs in positions like logistics and new driving jobs, said Steve Viscelli, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania and the reports author. But he said its possible many of the new jobs, many of which might be related to growth in ecommerce, will be for independent contractors with lower wages. Its important to think now about what those jobs might look like and develop public policies that ensure workers can earn good wages once the technology eventually takes off, he said.Ohio has about 68,500 truck drivers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency didnt have data for Clark or Champaign counties.The big concern really is not that were going to run out of jobs for truckers, but its the quality of those jobs, Viscelli said.While Viscelli noted some reports have predicted as many as 2.1 million jobs could eventually be lost due to automation, he said that also includes segments like local pickup and delivery jobs that are unlikely to be replaced by technology. He predicted the most at-risk jobs will be long distance drivers representing about 294,000 workers.Kevin Burch, president and partner of Jet Express in Dayton, said truck drivers shouldnt be too concerned, arguing there are still plenty of hurdles preventing widespread use. Burch, immediate past chairman of the American Trucking Association, said it could be decades before the industry can reliably operate without a driver in most trucks. He predicted most students in the industry now wont have to be concerned during their career.There are so many things they have to figure out. The autonomous truck is probably 25 years out, Burch predicted.Vicellis report agreed widespread use of fully autonomous technology is likely at least two decades away, but argued policy makers should be thinking now about what jobs in the industry might look like. It pointed out many of the long-haul jobs most at risk typically offer the best pay and benefits, and said theres concern many of the new jobs will potentially pay far less.Rather than the suddenly jobless scenario that has been suggested, however, autonomous trucks, e-commerce, and economic growth are together poised to create many new trucking jobs, the report said. Twenty-five years from now there will likely be many more jobs moving goods than there are today. The question is whether or not most of those jobs are going to be good jobs, with healthy working conditions and living wages.In Springfield, Clark State Community College has about 20 students enrolled in its Commercial Drivers License program and is seeing an increase in enrollment as demand for drivers has spiked.Most local driving positions start on second or third shift, but drivers can earn between $1,000 to $1,250 per week in a local position now, said Duane Hodge, director of the Clark State Commercial Transportation Training Center.Clark State added a weekend CDL course option and demand is stretching our capacity, Hodge said. The small investment in time and money make it a highly sought after career that is currently still viable and well-paid. Industries change and the CDL industry welcomes any changes that add to the demand for local jobs. Clark State will be here to meet those needs.Viscellis report argued self-driving trucks will soon be able to operate on highways, although it will take significantly longer before the trucks can operate on crowded, less predictable local streets with pedestrians. And humans will still be needed to perform many tasks including fueling, inspections and paperwork. The most likely scenario, according to the report, would involve human drivers bringing trailers from warehouses to autonomous truck ports near major highways.An autonomous truck would haul products over long stretches of highway and a human driver would recover the shipment and take it to its final destination. The report also reviewed several other possible scenarios including platooning, in which several autonomous trucks would closely follow a lead truck with a human driver.Many of the solutions being proposed now for workers whose jobs are replaced by technology included retraining for new careers, Viscelli said. But the trucking industry now is largely dominated by older men without high school degrees, many of whom live in rural areas.All of that makes them much harder to retrain for comparable jobs, Viscelli said. Everyone wants to look at retraining as a silver bullet.Instead, he argued retraining needs to be one component that can be combined with other policies. (TNS) If approved later this year, Port of Chehalis' 2019 budget will include the first installment of funding in a region-wide telecommunications project that has so far only been in the planning phases.The 2019 draft budget currently shows a staff-recommended capital project putting $200,000 toward a multi-port project to acquire and rehabilitate fiber-optic Internet connections from Portland to Seattle along the I-5 corridor.I think this could be a real big boon for the community, said Port of Chehalis Chief Executive Officer Randy Mueller. Having that much fiber and being able to access it could really open the door for the types of businesses that wouldnt otherwise consider Lewis County, because that infrastructure wouldnt be here.The entire estimated cost of the project is $5.6 million. Mueller said during the discussion that $5.2 million of that is just to build, while the other $400,000 is for maintenance and repairs over the next 20 years.We have had a series of conversations off and on, just kind of updating them about this project, Mueller said. The parallel conversations were happening at all the other ports that were participating. At the staff level, its really about the finances what do we recommend, what do we have available as far as resources.Mueller first introduced the I-5 corridor project to the Port of Chehalis commissioners in late May. At the time, Mueller said the ports would essentially build the backbone for fiber-optic Internet, which is the fastest form of broadband technology.Broadband is high-speed Internet access that is faster than dial-up. If the project goes forward, the Port of Chehalis would partner with the ports of Tacoma, Olympia, Vancouver, Ridgefield, Whitman County, Skagit County and Kalama.Port of Whitman County Chief Executive Officer Joe Poire has led efforts for building the fiber-optic Internet infrastructure. The Port of Whitman County began building infrastructure for fiber-optic Internet in 1999 and built 90 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure to Spokane.Other ports that could be involved are also drafting their 2019 budgets, and will invest in the project in increments of $200,000. Port of Chehalis is the smallest of the participating ports.Were essentially operating on the same timeline as far as budget cycles, Mueller said. This is the time of year the ports are planning for 2019. Those ports are also having the conversation with commissioners about level of participation.The ports have discussed the project being a publicly-owned LLC. It would be a separate entity that is governed by the ports, but is its own corporation.Mueller said the ports are currently working on three aspects of the project budgeting, governing documents for the LLC and negotiations about the physical work for placing fiber.This was the Port of Chehalis first discussion on the 2018 supplemental budget and 2019 draft budget. Mueller said the first budget meeting is typically a discussion, while the second meeting will have an actual budget draft.The commissioners cancelled their Sept. 27 meeting and will not meet again until October. Both October meetings Oct. 11 and Oct. 25 are set to include budget discussions. Muller said Thursday that he expects both documents to be complete by the end of October. Minneapolis chief information officer of seven-plus years will retire later this fall after more than two decades in state and local government.Otto Doll, who became the city's IT lead in February 2011 after 15 years as CIO of South Dakota, confirmed tothat his last day will be Nov. 30. He informed employees during a monthly IT Department all-staff meeting on Sept. 11, Doll said. The process to replace him is unclear.The former CIO of South Dakota from July 1996 to January 2011, Doll had connected all first responders and even parks personnel in the state on a statewide radio system; and had helped level the playing field for lower education, connecting 660 lower education school buildings around the state to the Internet. He learned he wouldnt be retained under then-new Gov. Dennis Daugaard; but far from an ivory tower experience, the CIO said his work in South Dakota had helped him get focused on the issues and challenges of the general population as well as, in the case of the state, the various counties and cities.And so, I think ultimately, when you move into a local government, i.e., a municipality whether its a city, maybe even a county, youre even closer to those issues, said Doll, a recipient of's Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers award in 2005. Minneapolis, he noted, was emerging from the Great Recession upon his arrival having sustained significant cuts to staff, capital outlay and departments was having to reset itself on how to proceed with far fewer resources than they had had in previous years. With his guidance, the city implemented a digital equity strategy aimed at empowering low-income and immigrant families and minority youth with skills and abilities.One such program, the Fix-It Tech Event , continues today, partnering minority students with IT professionals empowering the former as IT staff to solve residents computer and connectivity problems. Doll called it a win-win proposition, pointing out it gave young people some of their first exposure to IT work and let existing staff train the vocations next generation of employees.More globally, in 2014 , the city launched its Intelligent Operations Platform; and somewhat later, the analytics hub that enabled data sharing across city, county and state resources. Its analytic tools enabled a closer look for concentrations of things and patterns to improve overall decision-making and prioritization.Initially, Minneapolis used the technology to identify bad landlords to help them meet legal requirements and regulations but subsequently turned its focus to affordable housing, scrutinizing poverty levels and other dynamics to create a current picture of the situation.These types of tools allow them to craft what the real picture is and so you see these progressions. It doesnt stay still, because it seems like every time you answer one question you come up with 20 more, Doll said, adding the platform is constantly poking at the data to tease out more knowledge.In 2015, the city brought its help desk and desk-side support functions back in-house during the transition from one outsourcing provider to another, saving $1.5 million annually in ongoing operational costs but also improving operations to a level that, No. 1 was noticeable by our user base but also seemed to meet [their] needs, the CIO said.Elsewhere in the enterprise, Doll led the push to improve infrastructure upkeep by reducing the percentage of systems deemed beyond their useful life. That number, which hovered around 45 percent when he arrived, is now down below 5 percent. The city enacted an open data policy in December 2014 and implemented bodyworn cameras for police officers and a video evidence maintenance system to accompany it with officers across all five precincts equipped by early 2017. In 2015, Minneapolis also stood up an enterprise land management system that integrated licensing and permitting processes from four separate departments into one cohesive information system.Asked what challenges his successor will inherit, Doll said one will likely be working with the idea that problems are not usually defined by some need for a technology but, rather, how do we get some outcome. But he said hes not entirely retiring from what is now a 40-plus year career.I must admit, Im not going cold turkey. I plan on doing some things still, in coming years, Doll said. On Oct. 3 (rescheduled from Sept. 20), many U.S. citizens will receive a message from the president called Presidential Alert. As the title suggests, this is not a case of political pandering, but a test of a nationwide public alert system.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will test for the first time a messaging system that will allow the president to issue warnings and communications directly to citizens in the event of an emergency. The Thursday message, which is similar to an Amber Alert, will read THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. reports that the message should arrive at about 2:18 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 3, if your carrier is among the more than 100 that are part of the system. F1's governing body has cleared Ferrari to keep using a controversial airbox fan. In the Singapore pits, the Italian team was fitting a new bespoke 'cooling' device to its airbox, having been told by the FIA to stop the practice of crudely covering the on-board camera with a bag of ice. It is believed Ferrari is determined to obscure the camera so that rivals cannot look into the cockpit and at the steering wheel settings of the 2018 car. Germany's Bild newspaper said the FIA has cleared Ferrari to keep using the solution used by the Italian team in Singapore. "We looked and it and the view is not blocked. It would only be a problem if the view was blocked," said F1 race director Charlie Whiting. However, while the camera's view is not completely obscured by the 'cooling' solution, it is believed Ferrari has succeeded in blocking the view of the cockpit. "We'll take another look, but it's not our top priority," Whiting insisted. (GMM) Bertrandt held a ground-breaking ceremony at the Bertrandt Technikum in Ehningen for its new 15-million high-voltage battery test center. In April 2019, the two-storey building with a floor area of around 1,200 m will be ready for occupancy and the test equipment will be ready for use. Bertrandt is investing in an extension of the existing high-voltage test center to meet the ever-increasing requirements in terms of quantity and performance of high-voltage test resources. In the future, we will be able to functionally protect high-voltage batteries from the module level through hybrid batteries to batteries for purely electric vehicles under various climatic and load conditions. The range of services is supplemented by a special high-voltage workshop for the construction of battery prototypes. Moritz Knebel, Team Leader Testing for Environmental Simulation E-Mobility and Head of the Test Center In total, there will be six test rooms, each housing two 16 m climate chambers with four high-voltage channels. The channels can be coupled together to test for very high power up to 1,600 kW. The climate chambers have a temperature range of -40 C to +120 C. Furthermore, a total of four engine rooms are to be built in which twelve battery testers with a capacity of 400 kW each, a voltage of 1,200 V and current with 1,200 A and a total of 24 high-voltage channels are available. The investment in high-voltage battery testing is integrated into the Groups existing activities in the field of electromobility. The charging infrastructure topic is being worked on in the Munich and Monsheim branches. In Monsheim and also in the Tappenbeck branch near Wolfsburg, the focus is on the electric motor. Lucid Motors executed a more than US$1-billion investment agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), through a wholly owned company of PIF. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties made binding undertakings to carry out the transaction subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The transaction represents a major milestone for Lucid and will provide the company with the necessary funding to commercially launch its first electric vehicle, the Lucid Air, in 2020. Lucid plans to use the funding to complete engineering development and testing of the Lucid Air, construct its factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, begin the global rollout of its retail strategy starting in North America, and enter production for the Lucid Air. Lucid and PIF are strongly aligned around the vision to create a global luxury electric car company based in the heart of Silicon Valley with world-class engineering talent. Lucid will work closely with PIF to ensure a strategic focus on quickly bringing its products to market at a time of rapid change in the automotive industry. TIANJIN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said Monday that he's optimistic about China's economic growth. Over the past 40 years, there have been many critics and pessimists who always forecasted that China's economic growth would come to an end, but they turned to be wrong, Schwab told Xinhua in Tianjin ahead of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2018, also known as Summer Davos. "I remain optimistic," he added. China's GDP expanded 6.8 percent in the first half of the year, above the government's annual target of around 6.5 percent. The growth has remained between 6.7 percent and 6.9 percent for 12 consecutive quarters, highlighting its economic resilience. Schwab pointed out that the world economy is facing many challenges, such as trade frictions, possible downturn due to the natural economic cycle, debt problems and the impact of global warming. Countries should recognize the challenges, join forces and eliminate the risks in the global cooperation, he added. When recalling his first visit to China around 40 years ago, Schwab admitted that "it was very different. It was a poor country." China launched its reform and opening up policy in 1978. The long-held policy has not only brought rapid and sustainable development but also enabled the country to have contributed greater momentum to the global economy. Calculated with constant prices, China's GDP rose 33.5 times in the 1978-2017 period, representing average annual growth of 9.5 percent, much higher than the world average of about 2.9 percent during the same period. But GDP growth is not China's only concern, as Schwab put it, China has also realized the importance of improving people's lives and protecting the environment. To play a better role in the world economic arena, he suggested the Chinese government be responsive and responsible and take on certain social responsibilities and obligations on a global level to help make the global system more open. To help China further integrate into the world economy, the first China International Import Expo, the world's first import-themed national-level expo, will be held in November. "It's very important. We need open markets, but we also need a certain equilibrium between exports and imports to safeguard global peaceful and collaborative relations," Schwab said. Established by the World Economic Forum in 2007, the Summer Davos Forum is held annually in China, alternating between the two port cities of Tianjin and Dalian. Themed "Shaping Innovative Societies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution," nearly 200 meetings will be held from Tuesday to Thursday. More than 2,000 politicians, businesspeople, scholars, and media representatives will attend the event. Schwab sees innovation as the most important factor for competitiveness in the future. "Competition of the future will be not so much based on the ability to produce with low costs. It will be determined by being the first in adapting and adopting new innovative products and services," he explained. To shape China into an innovative society, he encouraged the country to foster more startups, build more infrastructure, and help people understand the changes will ultimately benefit their lives. A spread of dishes at Adda. Photo: Noah Fecks Even the late Anthony Bourdain as dedicated to singing his hometowns praises as he was to ferreting out great food no matter where it hid could not offer much enthusiasm for New York Citys collection of Indian restaurants. I cannot recommend any Indian restaurant in New York, he told Vogue India last year. Ive been spoiled. While the excuse feels somewhat lame, and Bourdain may have been forgetting some standout spots, its telling that his comment went more or less overlooked by New Yorks legion of culinary defenders, largely because they tend to overlook the citys Indian restaurants, too and rarely give the cuisine the same respect thats afforded to others. Thats not to say New York City is actually devoid of great Indian food, but it is true that Indian chefs in New York have a difficult time breaking through to mainstream awareness. Adda, which just opened, but is still hiding in Long Island City next to a 7-Eleven and across the street from CUNYs La Guardia Community College, may be one new restaurant that helps move the needle. The room is so bare-bones casual that it can feel like dinner at a friends house that comes with a bill at the end, and an all-day student special takeout lunch box costs just $6.43, but the cooking by chef Chintan Pandya is likely to open more than a few eyes to what Indian cooking can really be. Kale pakoda. Photo: Noah Fecks Pandyas personal favorite dish on the Adda menu is his seasonal saag, a silky layering of baby spinach, baby kale, chili oil, butter, garlic, and mango. It is easily the best thing this writer has eaten all year, and it costs just $5. There is plenty more to like: Cauliflower achari soaked in Amul cheese is as addictive as blue-cheese-covered buffalo wings. Bhatti da Murgh offers succulent chicken under a sharp armor of herbal crust that delivers the spices flavor and texture in equal measure. Tandoori poussin is as buttery, tender, and flaky as fish. And when a friend, a biology professor who studied in India, tried the supple, spicy goat meat of the junglee maas, he was flummoxed: I dont know of a molecular process that can do that to protein other than the Fountain of Youth. Chintan Pandya is truly his generations visionary chef, says Vikas Khanna, perhaps the worlds most-famous Indian chef. I have been very proud of his work and ethics. He revisits Indian cuisine and at the same time reinvents it with a soulful twist. Hari Nayak, of Cafe Spice and Modern Indian Cooking fame, agrees: A lot of chefs, including me, are trying to educate the mainstream that theres more than whats been popular since the 60s. Chintan is leading the way. Ive been in New York for 20 years and hes a once-in-a-generation chef. Chicken biryani: slow-cooked chicken, green chilijunglee maas: goat curry, Adda chili blend, red oniondahi batata puri: chatpata aloo, tamarind, and mint chutney yogurt. Noah Fecks. Chicken biryani: slow-cooked chicken, green chilijunglee maas: goat curry, Adda chili blend, red oniondahi batata puri: chatpata aloo, tamarind, and m... more Chicken biryani: slow-cooked chicken, green chilijunglee maas: goat curry, Adda chili blend, red oniondahi batata puri: chatpata aloo, tamarind, and mint chutney yogurt. Noah Fecks. Pandya himself, however, is surprisingly humble. His personal mantra inspired by the Mahabharatas Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture translates to Do your work. Dont worry about the results. Pandya got his start cooking at a hotel restaurant in his native Mumbai. Over the next five years, he took personal treks across India to consult its aunties the Indian version of abuelas or nonnas to gather the most specific, unapologetic, uncompromising, ghar-ka-khana (home style) recipes he could find: Kashmiri lotus root kofta, Malvani prawn curry, Rajasthani junglee maas, Awadhi biryani from Lucknow, murgh rezala from Calcutta, and on and on. He deep-dived into Parsi cuisine (Indian Persian food) and got hungry for more diversity: I keep thinking, How can I grow? How can I grow? After his five-year treasure hunt across India, Pandya worked in Singapore, then a drive-by consultancy in Cleveland, and a no-go idea in Atlanta before becoming the executive chef at Junoon, New Yorks only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant. Theres nothing bigger than Junoon for Indian. Theyre the topmost, Pandya explains, pointing out that he felt pressure to raise the rating to two stars. I was trying my level best to take it to the next level, and I could not make a difference. Of course, you can ask the owners of acclaimed restaurants like Cosme and Le Coucou, neither of which holds a Michelin star, how important they really are for success and prestige in New York, but Pandya nevertheless left the restaurant after 11 months. His follow-up was Rahi, an upscale playground of daring riffs on Indian flavors like squid-ink upma with octopus and calamansi aioli. Rahi was noticed by some of the citys critics (Robert Sietsema called one dish surprising and unforgettable, while Pete Wells wrote that its food is the most exciting among a crop of relatively casual new Indian spots.) Paneer khurchan: homemade Indian cheese, peppers, tomatoesseasonal saagBhatti da Murgh: chicken leg, mustard, coriander. Noah Fecks. Paneer khurchan: homemade Indian cheese, peppers, tomatoesseasonal saagBhatti da Murgh: chicken leg, mustard, coriander. Noah Fecks. If Jean-Georges Vongerichten isnt confined to Alsatian fare, Pandya figures, why should he feel stuck in his Gujarati or Mumbai upbringing? There is an expectation that Indian should adapt, he says, but you would never ask a French chef to make bouillabaisse with lamb instead. He calls the education he got from those treks to aunties hard-core Indian, and when asked to point out the most hard-core dishes on Addas menu, Pandya instead circles three items: kale pakoda, masala fried chicken, and the chicken tikka burger. These, he says, are the only dishes that arent hard-core. This is the goal of Adda: I want to share Indian food with more people, not more Michelin inspectors. Pandya will happily explain, in great detail, the history of any of Addas offerings even the local favorite Thums Up cola, but the end of his description is always the same. Its a very simple dish, hell say. Anybody who cooks it right will be able to achieve this youre just tasting it the way it is supposed to be. Chintan Pandya, in Addas dining room. 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Leave him alone. Until the recent past SEOUL, Sept. 18 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in left Tuesday for Pyongyang for a summit with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, a live broadcast at the Seoul press center showed. Moon took a helicopter to the Seoul Air Base outside of Seoul from the presidential Blue House to shun a traffic jam during the morning rush hour. An airplane carrying Moon and his entourage, including presidential secretaries, cabinet members, businesspeople, lawmakers and entertainers, departed for the DPRK's capital city at around 8:50 a.m. local time (2350 GMT Monday). It would fly directly across the western inter-Korean sea boundary to the Pyongyang International Airport, where a welcoming ceremony is set to be held. Moon and his entourage, composed of over 150 delegates, are slated to arrive in Pyongyang at about 10 a.m. local time. It will mark the third time in less than five months that the leaders of the two Koreas sit down face-to-face. Moon and Kim met for the first time on April 27, and held their second meeting on May 26. Moon is scheduled to stay in Pyongyang for three days till Thursday. His visit will be for the third Pyongyang summit between the two Koreas, with the first and second ones held in 2000 and 2007 respectively. Moon said Monday that he aimed to have lots of frank talks with the DPRK leader during his three-day Pyongyang visit in a bid to defuse military tensions across the inter-Korean border and facilitate the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Haiti - FLASH : Haiti has a minister in charge of Patriotism Yesterday Monday, at the ceremony inauguration ceremony of the Prime Minister of the Republic, Jean-Henry Ceant at the National Palace was read an order dated September 14, 2018 and published in the Official Journal Le Moniteur No. 161 -A, in which he was appointed 3 delegate ministers. Text of the Order : "[...] Given the order of August 5, 208 appointing the Prime Minister ; Given the order of September 5, 2018 appointing the members of the Ministerial Cabinet ; ORDER Article 1st.- The citizen Joseph Patrick Sully, was appointed Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of electoral matters; The Citizen Stephanie Auguste is appointed Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Human Rights and the fight against Extreme Poverty The citizen Guy Francois Junior, was appointed Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Citizenship and Patriotism. [...]" HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Security : Inauguration of the new Minister of Defense The Minister of Defense, Mr. Enold Joseph, was installed yesterday, Monday, September 17th. The ceremony was held at the Ministry premises in the presence of the Director General of the MD, Colonel Louis Marcelin Daniel, the Minister and the Director General of the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities, Messrs. Jean Marie Reynaldo Brunet and Fednel Monchery respectively, of executives and employees of the Ministry of Defense, relatives and friends of the new minister. In his special address, the new Defense Ministry official thanked the President of the Republic, Jovenel Moise, as well as the Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant for having set his sights on himself in order to carry out the government policy on national defense. Aware of the challenges ahead, Mr Joseph said he was measuring the enormity of his responsibility by promising to work closely with the Ministry of Defense's staff and employees to continue the work initiated by his predecessor, the Outgoing Minister Herve Denis, to which he made very appreciative remarks. For his part, the Minister of the Interior who carried out this installation, drew the attention of the new tenant of the Ministry on the peculiarity of the national and international context which surrounds his taking office. As a colleague and collaborator, he made a point of inviting Enold Joseph to get down to work quickly in order to tackle the climatic hazards faced by the country during the mid-hurricane season. He also reminded the new Minister of Defense of the challenges of updating the FADH for the country. He invited his counterpart to contribute to the development and implementation of the national defense policy. Minister Joseph ended his speech by renewing his commitment to work towards the endowment of the country with an army worthy of the national epic. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : The MINUJUSTH encourages to continue the efforts Ms. Helen La Lime, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), welcomes the ratification by the Parliament of Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant General Policy Declaration and his installation in office today. Ms. La Lime also wishes to commend the efforts by S.E.M. President Jovenel Moise, the President of the Senate, Mr. Joseph Lambert, and the President of the Lower Chamber, Mr. Gary Bodeau, that led to a constructive dialogue between the Executive and the Legislative and allowed an agreement for the installation of the new Prime Minister and his Government to be reached. The head of MINUJUSTH reiterates the United Nations' commitment to continue its partnership with the Haitian authorities to implement the Mission's mandate as part of the exit strategy, built in collaboration with national authorities, for a transition toward a United Nations presence in the country without peacekeeping operations by the end of 2019. Ms. La Lime encourages all stakeholders to continue their efforts in strengthening the rule of law institutions in the country, consolidating the professionalization of the National Police of Haiti, promoting and protecting human rights, as well as fostering sustainable economic and social development, within the framework of President Moise's seven priority axes and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Installation of the Minister of Economy and Finance The Minister of Justice and Public Security Jean Roudy Aly, on behalf of Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant, proceeded yesterday Monday, to the installation of the new Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Ronald G. Decembre. The ceremony was attended by the outgoing Minister of Economy and Finance, several ministers of the new government, parliamentarians, executives and employees of the MEF and the MJSP. The country expects a lot from you "Welcome to PM Ceant and his government, which I have just installed in their new role, the country is expecting a lot from you, and I wish you every success in this difficult mission in this particular historical context," Jovenel Moise See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25562-haiti-politic-inauguration-of-prime-minister-jean-henry-ceant.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25565-haiti-petrocaribe-the-pm-ceant-must-allow-the-nation-to-see-clearly-what-happened-dixit-jovenel-moise.html Florida : Mobile Consulate The Consulate of the Republic of Haiti in Orlando informs the Haitian Community of Central Florida that the next "Mobile Consulate" will be held Thursday, September 20, 2018 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Philadelphia Church of the Nazarene located at 820 Soltman Ave. Fort Pierce, FL 34950. For more information: 407-897-1262 PetroCaribe : 5 new complaints "5 new complaints will be filed [as part of the management of PetroCaribe funds] this week at the Cabinet against Sofia Martelly, Olivier Martelly, Michel Martelly, Laurent Lamothe, Jocelerme Privert, Felix Baustista, Wilson Laleau, Yves Germain Joseph, Jean Max Bellerive and others, "informs Andre Michel A government beyond the wacky projects "The riots of last July were a violent cry of disapproval of the unidirectional cynical policies of the Executive, the nonchalance of the Legislative and the predatory behavior of the country's economic elites.The time is for reflection and national consultation, "said Gary Bodeau, Speaker of the Lower House, on Monday. So he said he hoped "I hope that this new government will go this time, beyond the speeches of circumstance, empty promises and wacky projects. I want to believe that it will place young people at the heart of its public policies." 20 Taiwanese are in the country for... According to President Jovenel Moise more than 20 Taiwanese are in the country for projects on the railway, ring road, cement plant, hydro dams and agriculture. HL/ HaitiLibre China is now the worlds largest chili producer and consumer, according to a national conference on chili planting held in Zhecheng, central Chinas Henan province last Sunday. China produces 40 million tons of chili every year, said Zhao Yumin, secretary of the events organizing committee. Zhao revealed that China is home to 30 million mu, or 2 million hectares of chili, accounting for over 12 percent of the countrys total cultivated land designated to vegetables. Citing Zhecheng as an example, president Zhang Yuxiang of the Chinese Agri-produce Marketing Association introduced that there are currently 106 villages in the county that were engaged in chili planting. More than 5 million mu of chili had already been planted in the county, increasing income for over 150,000 people, she added. Zhecheng has a 400-year history of growing chili. It has the largest chili market north of the Yangtze River, permeating 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, said Liang Hui, Party chief of the county. The chili produced in Zhecheng is exported to nearly 20 countries and regions including the US, Canada, Australia and Indonesia. The county trades as much as 600,000 tons of chili each year, with a trade volume mounting to 7 billion yuan ($1.02 billion). (HedgeCo.Net) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. allegedly misled users of a dark pool operated by one of its affiliates. The SECs order found that Citigroup misled users with assurances that high-frequency traders were not allowed to trade in Citi Match, a premium-priced dark pool operated by Citi Order Routing and Execution (CORE), when two of Citi Matchs most active users reasonably qualified as high-frequency traders and executed more than $9 billion of orders through the pool. The SEC order also found that Citigroup failed to disclose that over a period of more than two years, close to half of Citi Match orders were routed to and executed in other trading venues, including other dark pools and exchanges, that did not offer the same premium features as Citi Match. Citigroup also sent trade confirmation messages to certain users that indicated their orders had been executed on Citi Match when in fact those orders had been executed on an outside venue. The SEC also found that CORE failed to register as a national securities exchange in connection with its operation of Citi Match. Market participants deserve to make informed decisions about where they execute their orders, said Joseph G. Sansone, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Divisions Market Abuse Unit. All trading venues, regardless of their trade volume, must ensure that their users have accurate information, particularly about key issues like order routing. The SECs order found that Citigroup violated an antifraud provision of the federal securities laws and that CORE violated a registration provision. Without admitting or denying the findings in the SECs order, Citigroup and CORE have agreed to be censured. Citigroup will pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling $5,437,475 and a penalty of $6.5 million. CORE will pay a penalty of $1 million. Juha Lavapuro, a professor of public law at the University of Turku, and Martin Scheinin, a professor of international law and human rights at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, have expressed their concern about the deterioration of the principles of the rule of law in Finland. Repeated revisions made deliberately to undermine the rights and legal protection of asylum seekers are an example of malevolent use of legislative powers. Attacks against the constitutional catalogue of basic rights and the professors of constitutional law who interpret it are but a taste of bigger strikes, he writes. Lavapuro states that it has become the rule rather than the exception that populist movements, after rising to power, will launch a silent coup to bring courts, news outlets and other critical institutions of the civil society step by step under as tight a control as possible. Although the populists rise to power seems to have slowed down in Finland, France and the Netherlands, the threat has by no means been eliminated. Election results from our western neighbour are a plain cautionary example of this, he adds. Finland, he underscores, must take action to consolidate the institutions that uphold the principles of the rule of law and the constitutional regulation regarding them. Scheinin, on the other hand, is not particularly concerned about the continuing rise of populist parties. I believe that making such forecasts will rather resuscitate populist movements, the existence of which depends on continuing growth in popular support. If the support stabilises or begins to decrease, populism will lose its charm. In Finland, the Blue Reform will vanish from the political landscape next year and the Finns Party will see its popularity drop to around 10 per cent, he states. He argues that the real threat to the principles of the rule of law is the spinelessness of the ruling parties. Populist parties, he points out, seek not to win over the majority of the public but rather to constantly gain visibility and exacerbate polarisation. Their primary option is typically to stay in the opposition, says Scheinin. But sometimes a path to the government may open up in circumstances where it is difficult to form a majority government. Harnessing the ruling parties [] to pull the wagon of the populists is the most important reason, why the principles of the rule of law may be under threat also in Finland. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi Lardot has been charged with violation of official duty in a massive malfeasance case revolving around Jari Aarnio, a former head of drug enforcement at Helsinki Police Department. Robin Lardot, the director of the National Bureau of Investigation (KRP), has been suspended from duty with immediate effect pending the outcome of court proceedings, according to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry of the Interior on Monday said Lardot has been suspended in order not to jeopardise public confidence in the police during the court proceedings, even though the alleged wrongdoings took place before he assumed his duties as the director of KRP. Lardot, however, is in such an influential position according to the ministry that the court proceedings could impede his ability to perform his duties. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Tero Kurenmaa, a deputy director at KRP. Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen charged Lardot with violation of official duty last spring for alleged wrongdoings committed while he served as the head of the National Police Board in 20102013. She also brought charges against Chief of Helsinki Police Lasse Aapio, ex-National Police Commissioner Mikko Paatero and ex-Chief of Helsinki Police Jukka Riikonen. Also Aapio has been suspended from duty. Both Paatero and Riikonen, in turn, have already retired. The charges are related to the use and registration of police informants in investigations conducted by the drug crime unit of Helsinki Police Department. Aapio, Lardot, Paatero and Riikonen are all believed to have neglected their official duties by failing to address the problems in the informant practices. The main hearings in what will be the largest police-related criminal case ever in Finland will begin at the District Court of Helsinki in October. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi A freshman at the School of the Gifted Young at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, gives a presentation during a seminar as part of the Science and Society course. XU MINHAO/FOR CHINA DAILY Early access to undergraduate studies helps academically talented young people exploit their potential to the fullest. Zhu Lixin reports from Hefei. Early this month, Zhu Yuanhao and six other students sat in the conference room of the School of the Gifted Young at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, and answered questions posed by a group of reporters. The school's students rarely give interviews, partly to avoid overexposure and partly because most of them are younger than 18, and therefore juveniles. "Too much exposure to media reports may place unexpected pressures on young students and can sometimes make them a little arrogant, so we seldom permit reporters to interview them," said Chen Yang, dean of the school. Zhu was the first to answer a question. As the only student in the group from the school's senior class, he decided that it was his responsibility to soak up the pressure on behalf of his peers, even though the 19-year-old was not the oldest scholar in the room. In most cases, students who show exceptional academic aptitude at an early age can be recommended to the school by their teachers. To gain entry, they have to take the gaokao, the national university entrance exam, years ahead of schedule. If they pass the exam and an interview, they will be accepted by the school for undergraduate studies. Palestinian protesters run to take cover from tear gas canisters fired by Israeli troops during clashes near the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, on Sept. 17, 2018. At least 95 Palestinians were wounded on Monday evening in their clashes with Israeli soldiers on the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza health ministry said. (Xinhua/Stringer) GAZA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 95 Palestinians were wounded on Monday evening in their clashes with Israeli soldiers on the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza health ministry said. Of the 95 injured, 26 were shot by live gunshots, while others suffered suffocation after inhaling tear gas, Ashraf al-Qedra, the ministry spokesman, told reporters. The protests in northern Gaza were organized by the Gaza-based highest commission of the March of Return to defy the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave. The demonstrators threw stones and burned tires to the border fence, while Israeli soldiers used tear gas and live gunshots as reponses. According to health ministry in Gaza, Israeli forces have killed at least 177 Palestinians, and injured 19,000 others since March 30, the first day of the ongoing Palestinian "Great March of Return" rally against Israel's 12-year crippling blockade and the U.S. embassy move to the disputed holy city of Jerusalem. Efforts exerted by Egypt and UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov have so far failed to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Jim Willbanks superbly written, extensively researched book on Lt. Gen. James F. Holly Hollingsworthknown by his radio call sign Danger Seven-Niner shows readers why Holly is one of only three Texas A&M heroes with statues on the universitys College Station campus. The other two are Texas legends and A&M presidents: Lawrence Sullivan Sul Ross (a Texas Ranger, Confederate general and governor) and James Earl Rudder (famed World War II commander of Rudders Rangers, one of the heroes of the D-Day assault at Normandys Pointe du Hoc). Rarified company; yet Hollingsworth clearly deserves the honor. Hollingsworth, born on March 24, 1918, was a Texas-sized, Patton-trained, aggressive combat leader who always led from the front (his six Purple Hearts attest to that). Holly excelled in World War II, the Cold War (Europe and Korea), Vietnam and Washingtons political battleground. But luck plays a part in any military career, and fortune frequently smiled on this farmers son. After his graduation from Texas A&M in 1940, Hollingsworth was assigned to Maj. Gen. George S. Patton Jr.s 2nd Armored Division in time to hone his tank officer skills in the groundbreaking 1940-42 training exercises known as the Tennessee, Louisiana and Carolina maneuvers. Hollingsworth was perfectly positioned to excel in the armored divisions actions throughout the war: bursting through Normandy hedgerows, racing across France and Germany and leading the first American troops into Allied-occupied Berlin. Hollingsworths lead from the front command style made him a bullet magnet, but despite his frequent wounds, he always wanted to be upfront in combat instead of in a rear command post bunker. And in Vietnam helicopter mobility provided senior leaders the unprecedented ability to directly command combat engagements. In Hollingsworths first Vietnam tour (1966-1967), he was assistant division commander of the 1st Infantry Division, commanded by the uncompromisingly ruthless Maj. Gen. William E. DePuyinfamous for bragging about how many subordinates he relieved from command. Although the two personally got along, Hollingsworths courage and single-minded commitment to his soldiers welfare distinguished his outstanding leadership from that of the unforgiving and deliberately callous DePuy. On Hollingsworths second tour (1971-72) he was senior U.S. adviser to Army of the Republic of Vietnam forces in Third Regional Assistance Command, the area north of Saigon to the Cambodian border. That is where he provided his greatest contribution to the Vietnam War. In this section of Danger 79er, the author is clearly in his elementnot only is Willbanks todays finest Vietnam War historian, but he also was one of the embattled U.S. advisers present during the bitter, costly, but ultimately successful effort at the Battle of An Loc, resulting in the defeat of North Vietnamese Army forces in that region during the communists 1972 Easter Offensive. Willbanks describes Hollingsworths tremendous impact:The generals omnipresence over the city, even in the thickest of the fighting, was one of the major factors that helped sustain the advisers throughout the battle. Even when things looked the worst, he was in the air over the city encouraging the advisers and their counterpartsthe old warrior knew that the men on the ground needed his personal encouragement, and he exposed himself repeatedly in the deadly airspace over the city to give it. Even when the advisers were convinced that the defenderswere about to be overrun, the gruff voice of Danger 79er convinced themto hold onit meant everything to those on the ground at An Loc. Perhaps inevitably, Hollingsworths aggressive actions ran afoul of his Washington superiors, who were overly anxious to hold up An Loc as an ARVN-led battle that validated President Richard Nixons Vietnamization program to put South Vietnamese officers in control of combat operations previously led by Americans. With Patton-like bluntness, Hollingsworth candidly told reporters he would kill every one of these [NVA] bastards before they can get back to CambodiaIm movin to the north and Im exploiting the success we had at An Loc. Hollingsworths frankness, implying that he, not ARVN commanders, led the fighting, ignited a critical firestorm. But Hollys luck held. His Vietnam boss, Gen. Creighton Abrams (another Patton-trained fighter) staunchly backed him. In October 1972, Abrams became Army chief of staff and assigned the fiery Texan to command U.S. forces in another global hot spotSouth Korea. Hollingsworth died at 91 on March 2, 2010Texas 174th Independence Dayand is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His contributions to the Army and the nation are too many to detail here, but his distinguished service in World War II, Vietnam and the Cold War fully justify his Texas A&M statue. Holly was a soldiers soldier, an exceptional combat leader whose life is expertly recounted in Willbanks outstanding biography. Jerry D. Morelock Chinas protection of intellectual property rights has been grounded on the international norms and rules in terms of legislation, content, standards and remedies, as the country has revised related laws, regulations and judicial explanation before and after it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. It is true that the international society does not have mature multilateral rules on technology transfer yet. But China still promised before joining the WTO that technology transfer would never be a prerequisite for the governments approval of foreign investment. The Chinese government has always taken a clear stand to protect intellectual property rights. China has never used legal policies or administrative procedures to force foreign enterprises into the so-called technology transfer when the latter invested in the country. The transfer of technologies by some enterprises and individuals are normal commercial conducts based on the will of the market entities. Even if there were individual technology transfers arousing disputes on intellectual property rights protection, they should be submitted to related judiciary offices for arbitration based on investigation. The US accusation on Chinas failure to protect intellectual property rights distorts facts and cannot hold water. By unilaterally initiating the trade dispute, as well as the Section 301 investigation and the Special Section 301 review, the US only cares about its own interests regardless of objectiveness and justice. Such groundless accusation comes from the US misinterpretation of Chinas laws and practices on intellectual property rights protection. It is narrow-minded and selfish for US to make such move. The rising unilateralism and trade protectionism of some countries in recent years have become a negative factor impeding international efforts on intellectual property rights protection. The international intellectual property rights protection system, centered with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, has two characteristics: the consistency of protection rules and the restraints on dispute-settlement mechanism. The Agreement stipulates the procedures of consultation, mediation, arbitration, appeals, and execution. It requires contracting parties to resort to the WTO dispute settlement system to solve disputes involving intellectual property rights, rather than taking unilateral trade retaliation. Most of the disputes related to intellectual property rights between China and the US were resolved by consultations or handed to the WTO for arbitration since China entered the organization. However, the US abandoned the dispute settlement mechanism and resorted to unilateral trade retaliation since this March. Such practice is a betrayal of the basic WTO spirits and disappointed the international society. The US labels itself as a leader and guider of economic globalization and intellectual property rights integration. But the country has for times broken international rules for its own interests. It not only shadowed the effectiveness and authoritativeness of related international rules, but also brought huge uncertainties to the global protection mechanism of intellectual property rights. US media admitted that initiating the trade war was not the only intention of the Section 301 investigation. The US, who sees innovation-based intellectual property rights as its competitiveness and core interests, is invoking conflicts by fanning the so-called accusations of forceful technology transfer and infringement of commercial secrets. What the US did means that the high technologies have become a battleground where the international community hopes to seek a dominance. Faced with the complicated changes in international arena and the internal demand for development, China will do more to promote opening-up, comprehensively deepen reform, and pursue innovation-driven development. In addition, it will also implement stricter rules of intellectual property rights protection and accelerate related global cooperation. (Wu Handong is the honorary director and professor of the Center for Studies of Intellectual Property Rights, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law) Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Chinas reform and opening up policy, an important engine driving up its economy in the past 40 years, would ensure a high-quality economic growth in the future, scholars and entrepreneurs agreed at a high-level seminar kicked off in Beijing on September 16. During the China Development Forum Special Session organized by China Development Research Foundation, academic and business representatives have shared their opinions on Chinas huge achievements over the past four decades, and looked into the prosperous future under the deepening reform and opening up. Chinas GDP, calculated at comparable prices, achieved an average annual growth of 9.5 percent in the past 40 years, far above the world average of 2.9 percent in the same period, said Li Wei, Minister of the Development Research Center of the State Council. With its GDP exceeding 80 trillion yuan in 2017, China had become the worlds second largest economy, the largest industrial country, the largest merchandise trader, the biggest holder of foreign exchange reserves, and the second largest nation regarding research and development input, Li added. Over the past four decades, 700 million Chinese have been lifted out of absolute poverty, accounting for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction in the period. The life expectancy of the Chinese rose to 76.7 in 2017 from 67.8 in 1981. Besides, the average years of schooling for residents above 15 years old has increased to 9.6 in 2017 from 5.3 in 1982. China has made itself a primary driving force for global economic growth by maintaining its contribution rate at over 30 percent for years. On one hand, China provides the international market with huge amount of high-quality products at low prices as the worlds largest exporter, while on the other hand, the country offers other countries a chance to share its economic fruits by allowing global commodities to access the market with over a billion consumers as the globes second biggest importer. As a developing country that attracts the most foreign capital, China has offered dividend of its economic development to foreign-funded enterprises. In addition, Chinese companies are also accelerating their overseas expansion, which is in turn promoting economic and technological development of their investment destinations. Chinas reform and opening up had brought and would continuously bring huge benefits to both China and the rest of world, remarked Robert Zoellick, Chairman of the Board of Alliance Bernstein Corporation and former president of the World Bank. He believes that a more open policy will better facilitate economic globalization, suggesting that China keep deepening reform and opening up to prop up confidence of the global market. Reforms on property right and market should be propelled simultaneously to ensure effectiveness of economic system reform, Yang Weimin, deputy director of Committee of Economic Affairs of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said when elaborating on how to reassure China high-quality development through reforms in the next step. He described property right and market as the most effective incentive, and the most useful way for allocation of resources respectively to realize the goal of economic system reform. China would improve proprietorship and its derivatives including contracting right, right to use, right of management, leasehold and usufruct to perfect the property right mechanism, he elaborated on the countrys tasks in the next phase. In addition, China should reduce the government interference in resource allocation and let the market to decide, Yang added. The private sector had made huge progress since the reform and opening up, and Chinas economic development in the next phase should depend more on independent innovation, said Fan Gang, president of China Development Institute. He called on Chinese entrepreneurs to carry forward innovation spirit in both technologies and market models, saying effective measures should be adopted to further develop the private sector and vitalize the economy. Foreign guests invited to the event also expressed their expectation for Chinas openness, saying it would benefit every country in the world. China released an important signal as it reduced tariffs on imported cars from 25 percent to 15 percent, said President of BMW Group Region China Jochen Goller. He noted that China had professional employees and well-built infrastructure, which would continue to make the country a hot investment destination for transnational companies. China should play a more important role in the international community in the future, lauded Zoellick, citing the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank that set an example in many aspects. Zhu Min, Chairman of Tsinghua Universitys National Institute of Financial Research said that China must keep its own momentum for robust growth while opening to the world in this competitive market. To further deepen reform and opening up is a piece of good message both for China and the world, he remarked. Music Modernization Act Vote Expected A n official email sent to the offices of all U.S. Senators on Monday evening stating that the Music Modernization act had officially been hotlined, began a 24 hour countdown for a voice vote by the full Senate late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday. On Monday, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren became the 75th of 100 Senators publicly endorsing the bill. Her full support had been in question. Senate leadership appears confident that they have overcome any objections to the bill. If one Senator votes no, it will open the bill to debate in the Senate, as well as, new amendments. Given the overflowing pre-election Senate docut, this could delay the next vote until November or even kill it for the foreseeable future. Senators were sent a final version of the bill on Friday. The bill did not include any of the changes proposed by Sirius XM and opposed by music industry trade groups. Sirius XM objected to the portion of the legislation that would force them to pay for the use of pre-1972 recordings. We'll be following developments closely. Share on: Superintendent Barbara Malkas tells the City Council last week about the Sandy Hook Promise activities taking place in the schools next week to address student social isolation and prevent bullying. North Adams Recognizes Child Cancer Month, Sandy Hook Promise Kathy Arabia explains some of the activities the AYJ Fund is involved in the fight against a deadly childhood cancer. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The city is recognizing initiatives for children this month that are designed to raise awareness of childhood cancer and the effects of bullying. Mayor Thomas Bernard read two proclamations last Tuesday recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the city's participation in a weeklong program from the Sandy Hook Promise, a gun-violence prevention movement built on the 2012 mass shooting at the Connecticut elementary school. Go Gold for Kids With Cancer in September is a national effort by the American Childhood Cancer Organization to raise awareness of the effects of cancer on children. Joined by Kathy and Joseph Arabia, Bernard read off some of the statistics for children suffering from cancer. Some 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day in the United States, and cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death for children. More than 40,000 children are treated for cancer every year and while the survival rate for most cancers is now high, the effects of the treatment can cause chronic or life-threatening problems when they get older. Yet only about 4 percent of federal funding goes toward childhood cancer. The Arabias established the AYJ Fund in memory of their daughter Anna Yan Ji Arabia, who died at age 13 from gliomatosis cerebri, a deadly brain cancer with a survival rate of less than 1 percent. Their efforts have raised awareness of the disease and funds toward research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "It is a type of cancer that still does not have a cure but we're fighting every day to make a difference and we so greatly appreciate the fight that this community is in with us," Kathy Arabia said. "We have received an unbelievable amount of support and we're grateful for that every day." New discoveries are happening all the time, she said, and we need continue to raise the survival success rate. Among the events happening this month, are the upside-down trees at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art being lighted up in gold and an AYJ Fund corn hole tournament at the Armory on Saturday, Sept. 29, to raise $10,000 to support local children with cancer and research. To participate or sponsor the tournament, contact the Arabias at 413-662-2903, 413-652-1602 or www.AYJFund.org. Sandy Hook Promise "has identified social isolation defined as the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely or treated like you are invisible as a risk factor associated with violent, suicidal behavior," read the mayor, and such behavior can lead young people to become victims of bullying, violence and depression. The organization has established a "Start With Hello" curriculum for Grades 6 through 12 "to reach out to those who may be in chronic social isolation and to create a culture of inclusion." The North Adams Public Schools will participate in Start with Hello Week from Sept. 24-28. Superintendent Barbara Malkas said it was an opportunity for the entire community to really make an effort to reduce social isolation. "We have a week of activities planned and we're hoping all of you ... will get involved and join with us," she said. On Monday, Sept. 24, students will be encouraged to wear green and the schools will begin the program. The high school, for example, will have a photo booth for students to have their photos taken with a Start With Hello message. Tuesday, Sept. 25, is the annual Walk to School Day in the elementary schools and at Drury High School, members of the Student Council will welcome their peers entering the building. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, will be "nobody eats alone day" with a focus on ensuring no one is isolated during lunchtime. Thursday, Sept. 27, is Compliment Day. Rather than finding something to criticize, students will be encouraged to say something nice. "I think that goes a long way to building a very positive community," Malkas said. The school system is also looking for community members to sign up to be at the schools on the morning of Friday, Sept. 28, she said, "to welcome our students as they come into the building that day so that they know that Start With Hello is not just an expectation for how children interact with each other but for how adults interact with each other as well." "I think this is a great opportunity for the North Adams Public Schools to participate in a nationwide event and help to reduce the incidents of isolation and bullying that we want to make sure that no child has to experience," the superintendent said. iciHaiti - Politic : The European Union reiterates its commitments alongside the Haitian State The European Union and its Member States welcome the ratification of Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant's policy statement by the Haitian Parliament https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25543-haiti-flash-vote-of-confidence-at-the-chamber-of-deputies-for-jean-henry-ceant.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25536-haiti-flash-vote-of-confidence-in-the-senate-for-jean-henry-ceant.html ; it is a necessary step towards solving the important political, economic, social and financial challenges facing the country. The urgency of reviving economic growth and investment, creating jobs and repairing the social fabric, as well as completing institutional and structural reforms, are important issues that await the new government team and which will have to be overcome in consultation and with the contribution of all the forces of the country. The European Union and its Member States are ready to bring their full support to the new Government as well as to all actors in the political, economic and social life of the country in order to contribute to strengthening the political and institutional stability of the country, a condition essential to its development. S/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - Security : Arrest of 111 Haitians at sea The MV Sea Pursuit vessel of the Turks and Caicos Islands Maritime Police last week intercepted yet another illegal ship from Haiti. On board the wooden ship, 85 men and 26 women totaled 111 people. The boat was intercepted Tuesday, September 11th after being detected by the coastal radar system at 12:10. The detainees were transported to South Dock Harbor and handed over to members of the Task Force Operation Guardian who escorted them to the detention center for treatment. S/ iciHaiti Russian aircraft with 14 aboard goes off radar near Hmeymim airbase in Syria MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Russian aircraft with 14 servicemen on board went off radar near Hmeymim airbase in Syria Monday evening, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement. "On September 17, at about 11 p.m. Moscow time (2000 GMT), the communication with the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft was lost when it was over the Mediterranean Sea, some 35 kilometers from the Syrian coast, on its way back to Hmeymim airbase," the statement said. The Hmeymim airbase has launched a search and rescue operation, added the statement. Earlier on Monday, Syrian media reported a missile attack on the Syrian city of Latakia. The Syrian government has yet to name the party behind the attack but the state TV was pointing to Israel as the perpetrator. Prepare yourself, because this will come as a shock. Hold your phones tight! Weve had many a cracked screen litter these paths. With these ominous words ringing in our ears, we stood, clutching our phones, gazing up at a stone tower. A cannon snuck out of the small window, and then, we heard a blast. All that remained was smoke and cardboard confetti. The man responsible for the auditory assault leaned out, waved, and disappeared. Once we recovered, our guide Luca, relieved at the lack of broken phones, told us about this ceremony. The fortified Lotrscak Tower, dating back to the 13th century, was built to guard the southern gate of Gradec (Upper Town). In those days, the bell tower was used to tell time. It ran at 9 pm every evening to let people know the gate was locked, and 9 am again, once it opened. A cannon shot was fired at noon to let the bell ringers know the time. Now its a tradition, he adds. Firing the cannon today is a job of honour. Theres a uniform, a few minutes work and applause, but the man in the tower remains hidden. View of Zagreb Cathedral from Upper Town Zagreb is often considered an underrated destination in Croatia, losing out in popularity to places like Split and Dubrovnik, now overrun with Game of Thrones fans. As I find out, its a city that doesnt try too hard to sell itself. Its greatest assets, be it in history, culture, food, and science, are barely celebrated. Its what makes discovering them all the more rewarding. Take Nikolas Tesla, for instance. One of the countrys most famous sons, he was out of the limelight for most of his life. In Zagreb, they revere him the greatest mind that ever lived. A pensive statue of Tesla, created by another great son of the soil and his friend, Ivan Mestrovic, sits at the beginning of a buzzing street named after the inventor. I discovered another tribute to Tesla in the Upper Town a series of graffiti, showcasing his contributions to the world. This is overshadowed by a giant blue whale painted on a rundown building above it. French street artist Etien created two anamorphic murals the whale and, on the ground nearby, a turtle that appears to be swimming in air. My visit to Zagreb begins with an exploration of the Upper Town, where Luca spoke about the two original settlements on the hills of Kaptol and Gradec. Lanterns dotted the streets, each of which possess a number plate, run on petroleum, and are turned on and off every day by one man. I also witnessed the changing of the guards ceremony at the citys most photographed church, St Marks. Here, the red uniforms and cravats of the guards match the churchs roof, sporting the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia. Zagreb Cathedral Meet you under the clock I find the quiet usually associated with churches at the Stone Gate. This gate was built into one of the many walls surrounding the city, and completely burned in 1731. Only one thing survived, a painting of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus, he says. Today, the linen painting has a home in a small chapel, which abounds with tokens of gratitude for wishes answered. She is the patron saint of our city, whispers Luca. As we leave, I pass by another historic monument, the Black Eagle Pharmacy, the citys oldest pharmacy running since 1355. A plaque on it mentions that Dante Alighieri (writer of Divine Comedy) grand-grandson Niccolo worked in it. Around the corner is an unusual museum dedicated to another kind of healing. The Museum of Broken Relationships is a physical treasure chest of stories of lost love and heartbreak. Each exhibit tells a story, though some of them one explicit account of child sexual assault are a little hard to digest. I seek solace in the museums gift shop, which offers eraseres to wipe out mistakes, and pencils to break when in pain. A good place to shop for less snarky souvenirs is the Dolac market, a popular farmers market selling cream cheese, olive oil, sauerkraut, cravats, and cheap food. It is here that I first spot the famous spires of the Zagreb Cathedral. View from highest point, Zagreb 360 The Roman Catholic neo-Gothic cathedral is the tallest building in the country, with its 108 metre high peaks. It has seen much damage, a fire in the 13th century and then an earthquake in 1880 a stopped clock on the outside showcases the time 7.03 when the earthquake hit. Inside, I find frescoes, stained glass windows, a Baroque pulpit, and three ornate chandeliers believed to have once belonged to a casino in Las Vegas. The spires tower over the city and are best viewed from the Zagreb 360 observation deck on the 16th floor of a skyscraper in the main square in Lower Town. From here, I get the clearest view of the two hills, and the Ban Jelacic square. Dotted with musicians and performers, it has the equestrian statue of Ban (governor) Josep Jelacic and a clock to the west. The clock is a meeting point. You will always find people saying, Ill meet you under the clock, says Luca. Another popular meeting spot, for witches once upon a time, was at the other end of the square. The Mandusevac Fountain was built above a natural spring that provided Zagreb with drinking water. This place also has a legend connecting the spring with the citys name. On a hot day, a battle-worn Croatian war leader asked a beautiful girl, Manda, to scoop some water for him. The Croatian word for scoop up water is zagrabiti the spring was named after the girl and the city after that scoop of water. Zagreb, where every fountain and clock tell a story! Tesla graffitti Useful information Flights: Mumbai has flights (one stop) to Zagreb; it is connected to other European capitals/cities via bus (Flix/Eurolines). Visa: Schengen, opt for multiple entry on the form. Stay: Dots Hostel in Donji Grad has neat and comfortable rooms named after different European cities; their breakfast is excellent. Shop: Pick up local and organic produce, including olives, truffles, blueberry wine at the Heritage Croatian Food, off the Central Square. Explore: Spend a relaxing (and free) afternoon exploring the Lenuci Horseshoe (the Green Horseshoe), a U-shaped system of city squares with parks. Festival guide PIF, the International Puppet Theatre Festival September 1521 The festival was founded in Zagreb in 1968 and includes workshops, book promotions, exhibitions, plays, competitions for children, and performers from all over the world. Zagreb International Chamber Music Festival October 12-20 This cultural event showcases some of the worlds most prominent musicians performing as ensembles in six thematically conceived concerts, covering music from baroque to contemporary authors. PSSST! Film festival November 8-10 An international festival of silent films (of all genres), it also showcases programmes and projections of selected classical and contemporary films. By Lawrence Davidson Part IFragmentation September 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The United States is politically fragmenting. It would seem that the various cultural and ideological stresses impacting the nation are destabilizing the countrys two traditional political parties. At this point in the fragmentation process we can identify four political groupings. They are (1) those of Democratic Party persuasionand it should be noted that the Democrats are being stressed by contesting interpretations of just what the party stands for; (2) those of continuing Republican Party persuasion, which by now really represents a small rump party of Trump supporters; (3) the independents now bolstered by what once was the moderate multitude of the Republican Party as well as a growing number of ex-Democrats on the disaffected left; and (4) the mass of apolitical Americans who have always been alienated from politics and usually do not vote. This last group also may well be growing. Lets look at these four groups in more detail against the backdrop of contemporary events. Part IIDemocratic Party under Stress There are reported to be some 43 million registered Democrats in the U.S. We know, however, that the Democratic Party has been having trouble translating their numbers into continuous electoral success. Why so? Part of the answer has to do with the fact that the party leaders concentrate on recruiting and satisfying a constituency of centrists. This not only leaves the leftists consistently frustrated, but also often disappoints ordinary liberals. One problem with this strategy is that the Democrats have to compete for that center element with Republicans, who are out to recruit the same centrist voters. The resulting split vote often leaves the Democrats as electoral losers. Of course, the moderate Republicans are now politically adrift, but that does not mean they will become Democrats. As we will see, they have at least one other option. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Another major problem with todays Democratic Party is its stagnant leadership. The leaders who represent the party machineNancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives and Charles Schumer in the Senateare products of the traditional political scene described above. They are rhetorically stuck on the theme of broadening the middle class through the creation of an ever better economy. However, economies by their very nature not only expand but also contract. New concerns such as resurgent racism (embraced by many older middle-class white men) and the threat of ecological disaster seem beyond their political awareness. And, their ability to deal with backlashes due to issues such as abortion, drugs, immigration, LGBTQ rights and the like have been ineffectual. Thus the present Democratic leadership is out of touch and has been proven incapable of responding to the countrys shifting domestic social problems. As far as foreign policy goes, both Democratic leaders are ignorant and have lost sight of what are real U.S. interests abroad. In Schumers case, he has long ago sold out to the Zionists. Schumer has but one foreign policy issue that interests himIsrael. It is against this background that Bernie Sanders mounted his rebellious opposition against Hillary Clinton (another machine politician) in 2016. It is also against this background that several long-term urban-based Democratic politicians have recently lost their primary bids to more daring and progressive challengers. For those of us who see themselves as serious leftists, this appears to be a forward-looking turn of events. However, due to an increasing number of alienated conservatives who now characterize themselves as independents progress in this direction might be hard to maintain. Part IIIThe Rump Republicans The Republican Party has already gone through the sort of identity crisis now challenging the Democrats. That crisis literally destroyed what was the traditional Republican Party. The process began with the rebellion of the partys once marginal Tea Party faction and has now been completed by Donald Trumps leadership coup. The result is a rump party. By the term rump party I mean the residual of a once larger group, many of the members of which have been pushed away by policy positions they can no longer support. In this case an extreme rightwing Republican faction captured what was a more centrist conservative organization and remade it in its own image. This faction had long been present among the Republicans. One saw a glimpse of its potential in the 1964 presidential candidacy of Republican Senator Barry Goldwater. The rise of the Tea Party Republicans around 2008-2009 captured many of the Republican primary elections in the south and west of the country. The main interest of this faction is the dismantling of big government. For instance, there should be no welfareindividual or corporate. There should be little or no government regulation of the private sector. Whole departments of the federal government (for instance Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, etc.) should be shut down or privatized because when run by the government they are supposedly both inefficient and intrusive in peoples lives. One might think that this equals greater liberty, and that is certainly the Tea Party interpretation of their ends. However, the odd thing about this brand of rightwing liberty is that it is quite compatible with certain expressions of fascist authoritarianism. For instance, most Tea Party politicians take a hard, punitive position on immigration policy. There isnt a lot of concern about police brutality against minorities, and the movement is generally supportive of gun rights. These positions have made an alliance, at least on domestic issues, with an authoritarian Donald Trump, easy to achieve. However, as the Trump-Tea Party alliance became more powerful within the Republican party, numerous traditional Republicans (for instance, those who believe that compromise between the major parties is the best way to govern) started to back away from the party. Thus, when you read that the Trump bump has become a tsunami because he has a 90% approval rating with Republican primary voters and two thirds are in the strong approve category, dont take the claim at face value. You have to ask, 90 percent of what overall number? Is that overall number getting smaller and smaller? As a Brookings study tells it, for Republicans, party identification took a sharp drop at the end of George W. Bushs second term and never really recovered. The trend seems to have taken another drop after Trumps election. It may be the case that self-identifying Republicans now represent no more than 21.6 percent of the electorate as a whole. Part IVThe Independents The Republican Party isnt the only one losing members. The Democrats are too, just at a slower rateat least as of now. Overall what this means is a steady rise in those who now see themselves as independents. Forty-two percent of politically aware Americans described themselves this way in 2017. This was up from 39 percent a year earlier. The number has been generally climbing since 2009. One reason why independents are independent is because neither political party has been able to solve the problem of social transition in America. The problem isnt so much an economic one as one of social ideologythe old question of what sort of values the country should stand for. Since the 1960s the nation has been generally transitioning from a white-ascendent, segregated, sexually straight and gender-biased place to a more racially equal, integrated, sexually open, gender-tolerant society. You would think that any decent person would see this as a good way to go. But most human beings are only decent within their acculturated groupwhich may well be a prejudiced oneand to hell with most others. That attitude has led to the political blowback that has brought with it the Trump presidency. The alienation felt by independents doesnt mean that they are all liberals. While it may be true that many of them would favor greater compromise and cooperation in governing, these are not easy ends to achieve, particularly within a political culture dominated by special interests. Nonetheless, to the extent that neither the Republican Party nor the Democrat Party has the political will to advocate and practice such a strategy, they will continue to shrink in numbers. Then, new parties may be organized and/or the number of Americans who simply drop out of politics altogetherthat is become apoliticalwill grow. Part VThe Apolitical There is a sense in which being apolitical should be the default position of a majority of Americans. This follows from the fact that most folks operate in small, local environments and, if they were to develop any deep interest in politics, it too would be the local sort. This situation has to be qualified by the further fact that many U.S. citizens believe that all politics is corrupt in nature, as well as the awareness that the true movers and shakers are well-funded special interests. The end product is a citizen who is often left with a sense of powerlessness melded with disgust. Thus, in presidential elections the turnout nationwide is usually below 63 percent of eligible voters. The apolitical sector may well grow very fast in the next decade as independents withdraw into apathy and indifference. If this happens, it is likely to hurt the Democrats more than the Republicans. That is because the Democratic machine politicians are counting on the alienated Republicans to cross the political line to their side. For better or worse, that is not the only option those people have. Most of them have been Republicans for their entire lives, and it took a narcissistic sociopath like Donald Trump to push them away. Their inclination is not to run and vote for a Democrat. It will more likely be to stay at home on election day. And this may be only half the bad news for the Democrats. We have seen how their leadership is stuck in a status quo rut. Schumer and Pelosi are going to be more comfortable trying to cater to centrist Republicans than leftist Democrats. The more they pursue the former, the more they push the latter first into the ranks of the independents and then, barring the rise of a genuine Democratic Socialist Party, into the apolitical morass. Part VIConclusion It is a time of fragmentation and uncertainty for both political parties. Mass electoral rejection of Trump and his deplorable allies might lead to the recapture of the Republican Party by moderates, or maybe to a new party arising to give all those alienated conservatives a fresh home. Maybe the Democrats get new and dynamic leadership or maybe the old guard continues to run that party right into the ground. It is all up in the air. And what will be the fate of the Democratic Partys left wing? Will Bernie Sanders dare sponsor a new party if, as is probable, it becomes clear that the Democrats cannot be moved to the left? And what if he does dare? Will it prove viable within the American political milieu? Well, just keep in mind who now owns the U.S. political copyright on the traditionally communist-denoting color red. Those red states are Republicana sure sign that the political scene has turned topsy-turvy here on the homefront. Lawrence Davidson is a retired professor of history from West Chester University in West Chester PA. His academic research focused on the history of American foreign relations with the Middle East. He taught courses in Middle East history, the history of science and modern European intellectual history. http://www.tothepointanalyses.com ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy September 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Are we on the brink of a new war? It looks very much like it. Will it be justified? I do not think so. Can we stop it? It is worth a try. Almost everyone missed an amazing and worrying moment in Parliament last week, when Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt gave us a glimpse of the Governments thinking. They will go to war without waiting for the facts to be checked, and without recalling Parliament. In a very brief debate about the war in Syria, he was asked about plans now being openly discussed at high levels in Washington for a devastating attack on Damascus. This will be in response to a supposed atrocity that has yet to take place but about which the Americans openly say they already have evidence probably an alleged poison gas attack, in which we will see heartbreaking but unverified film of dead or dying children, from propaganda sources, and claims of multiple deaths from untraceable eyewitnesses. In my view, these claims are very similar to the claims of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq, used to bamboozle the British and American people into that catastrophic war; and also to the claims of mass rape and massacre, equally unproven, which were the excuse for David Camerons disastrous attack on Libya. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter These two wars together created the great march of migrants from Asia and Africa into Europe, which is transforming the continent and also led to the rebirth of Islamist terror. Yet those responsible do not learn, and continue to take us for fools. I have checked several of the Syrian poison gas claims in the past, by reading carefully the reports of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Here are the two most important: the OPCW never even went to the site of the alleged gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017, which was the pretext for a spectacular American cruise missile attack on Syria. I also found that there was no reliable custody chain for the samples supposedly taken from this site. This is vital for the detailed forensic work that alone can discover what happened and who is to blame. How important is this? Ask the OPCW. In April 2013, the OPCWs then spokesman, Michael Luhan, said quite clearly: The OPCW would never get involved in testing samples that our own inspectors dont gather in the field because we need to maintain chain of custody of samples from the field to the lab to ensure their integrity. So under its own rules the OPCW did not meet the conditions for a reliable investigation. But that didnt stop the warmongers. The governments that wanted to attack Syria anyway responded by turning to another organisation. This also didnt go to the site. But it took more or less the same evidence and concluded from it that the Assad government in Syria had used poison gas. Next came the supposed gas attack on Douma, near Damascus, on April 7, 2018. This was also followed by US bombing of Syria, this time assisted by us and the French. If such a person can be so wrong, what hope is there for a wise decision by our Government? In fact, the OPCW report from Douma (this time they actually got to the site) concluded that no organophosphorus nerve agents or their degradation products were detected. The OPCW is still looking into claims that chlorine was used, but it also made it clear that Russia and Syria did not block access to the scene. The UN Department of Safety and Security accepted a delay was necessary because it simply was not safe to visit. The OPCWs careful Douma report, barely mentioned in Western media, was obviously inconvenient to those who want a new attack on Syria. So, yet again, theres a rival report, by people who did not actually go to Douma. Even so they claim to have a vast body of evidence the Syrian government used poison gas there. Well, the Middle East is as much of an unexploded bomb today as Europe was in 1914. Saudi Arabia hates Iran, and Iran loathes the Saudis right back. Syria, which the West plans to bomb heavily in the next few weeks, is the close ally of Iran. Behind the Saudis stand the USA, Britain and France. Behind the Iranians stand the Russians and perhaps China. I cannot see what possible interest Britain has in getting involved in such a dangerous mess, which could land us in the worst and most widespread war for decades. Before we join any such action, we must wait for real hard evidence. Parliament, now on holiday for a whole month, must be recalled. Id suggest MPs do a bit of homework on the issue, too. Or we will all pay. It was widely claimed at the time that organophosphorus (sarin) and chlorine gas weapons had been used. In fact, the claims were so widely publicised that I know of one MP (and former Minister) who last week wrongly told a constituent there is conclusive evidence that the Syrian state used poison gas, and that Russia and Syria blocked access to the site. This article was originally published by " Daily Mail " - ==See Also== Tucker Carlson Are We Attacking Syria Now - Pentagon Preparing Syria Strike Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Government Can Spy on Journalists in the U.S. Using Invasive Foreign Intelligence Process By Cora Currier September 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The U.S. government can monitor journalists under a foreign intelligence law that allows invasive spying and operates outside the traditional court system, according to newly released documents. Targeting members of the press under the law, known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, requires approval from the Justice Departments highest-ranking officials, the documents show. In two 2015 memos for the FBI, the attorney general spells out procedures for processing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications targeting known media entities or known members of the media. The guidelines say the attorney general, the deputy attorney general, or their delegate must sign off before the bureau can bring an application to the secretive panel of judges who approves monitoring under the 1978 act, which governs intelligence-related wiretapping and other surveillance carried out domestically and against U.S. persons abroad. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The high level of supervision points to the controversy around targeting members of the media at all. Prior to the release of these documents, little was known about the use of FISA court orders against journalists. Previous attention had been focused on the use of National Security Letters against members of the press; the letters are administrative orders with which the FBI can obtain certain phone and financial records without a judges oversight. FISA court orders can authorize much more invasive searches and collection, including the content of communications, and do so through hearings conducted in secret and outside the sort of adversarial judicial process that allows journalists and other targets of regular criminal warrants to eventually challenge their validity. This is a huge surprise, said Victoria Baranetsky, general counsel with the Center for Investigative Reporting, previously of Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. It makes me wonder, what other rules are out there, and how have these rules been applied? The next step is figuring out how this has been used. This is a huge surprise. The documents were turned over by the Justice Departments Office of Information Policy to the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Knight First Amendment Institute as part of an ongoing lawsuit seeking the Trump administrations rules for when and how the government can spy on journalists, including during leak investigations. Freedom of the Press and Knight shared the documents with The Intercept. (First Look Media, The Intercepts parent company, provides funding for both organizations, and multiple Intercept staffers serve on the board of Freedom of the Press Foundation.) The memos discussing FISA are dated in early 2015, and both are directed at the FBIs National Security Division. The documents are on the same subject and outline some of the same steps for FISA approvals, but one is unclassified and mostly unredacted, while the other is marked secret and largely redacted. The rules apply to media entities or journalists who are thought to be agents of a foreign government, or, in some cases, are of interest under the broader standard that they possess foreign intelligence information. Jim Dempsey, a professor at Berkeley Law and a former member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an independent federal watchdog, said that the rules were a recognition that monitoring journalists poses special concerns and requires higher approval. I look on it as a positive, and something that the media should welcome. They apply to known media, not just U.S. media, he added. Certainly back in the Cold War era, certain Soviet media entities were in essence arms of the Soviet government, and there may have been reasons to target them in traditional spy-versus-spy context. And its possible today that there are circumstances in which a person who works for a media entity is also an agent of a foreign power. Not every country lives by the rules of journalistic integrity that you might want. But Ramya Krishnan, a staff attorney with the Knight Institute, said that concerns remained. Theres a lack of clarity on the circumstances when the government might consider a journalist an agent of a foreign power, said Krishnan. Think about WikiLeaks; the government has said they are an intelligence operation. Hannah Bloch-Wehba, a professor at Drexel University, said that a probable example would be surveillance of reporters who are working for somewhere like RT the state-funded Russian television network and as a consequence, anyone who is talking to reporters for RT. The reporters are probably conscious they are subject to surveillance, but their sources might not be. The guidelines, at least in the unredacted portions, do not say how to handle the information that is gathered or how to mitigate the risk of exposing journalists sources and sensitive information unrelated to an investigation (although they would be subject to minimization procedures if they pertained to a U.S. person, Dempsey noted). There is no requirement that the journalist be notified that their records were sought. The unredacted guidelines also do not discuss the scenario in which a journalist themselves might not be the target, but where surveillance is likely to reveal journalists communications with a target. Journalists merely by being contacted by a FISA target might be subject to monitoring these guidelines, as far as we can tell, dont contemplate that situation or add any additional protections, said Krishnan. Targeting journalists for surveillance, especially when trying to determine their sources, has historically been limited by First Amendment concerns. In 2015, after it emerged that the Obama administration had secretly seized phone records from the Associated Press and named a Fox News reporter as a co-conspirator in a leak case, former Attorney General Eric Holder instituted new guidelines that made the targeting of journalists in criminal cases a last resort, and said that the Justice Department ordinarily needed to notify journalists when their records were seized. The guidelines still worried advocates, however, because they left room for the use of National Security Letters. In 2016, The Intercept obtained 2013 guidelines that showed that National Security Letters involving the media required only two extra layers of sign-off. The Justice Department has since said that the FBI does not currently use the letters against journalists for leak investigations, but its not clear how often theyve been used in the past, or in other contexts. Journalists merely by being contacted by a FISA target might be subject to monitoring. Through an earlier Freedom of Information Act request, the Freedom of the Press Foundation obtained emails referencing a FISA portion of FBI guidelines for handling the press, but that glancing mention was the only clue that FISA could be used against journalists. Many journalists already worried that their calls and emails were likely to be swept up in dragnet acquisition of overseas communications authorized under a controversial provision of FISA, added in 2008, that allows intelligence agencies to acquire large quantities of electronic communications without obtaining individualized warrants for each target. Journalists could become entangled in such collection since many of them likely communicate with people who meet the broad definition of possessing foreign intelligence information which could include information on foreign affairs. That concern applied to journalists based in the United States, or U.S. citizens, who might have their end of a conversation picked up incidentally under the FISA provision; such incidental collection can then be tapped by domestic law enforcement for use against Americans in so-called backdoor searches. But the issue resonated even more with foreign journalists based overseas who could be spied on without triggering constitutional restraints. The 2015 memos, however, contemplate a scenario in which a journalist or media entity is specifically targeted for surveillance under various provisions of the act, either in the U.S. or as a U.S. person abroad. There are no publicly reported instances of FISA being used in this way. In their lawsuit for these documents, filed last November , press freedom groups expressed concern that the Trump administration may have jettisoned or loosened rules for investigating journalists, given the president and Attorney General Jeff Sessionss regularly expressed vitriol for the media and avowed interest in tracking down leakers, albeit those who in many cases do not appear to be disclosing classified information or otherwise violating the law. Sessions has brought three prosecutions under the Espionage Act for leaks to the media (two against individuals accused of providing information to The Intercept) and in another leak case, seized years of email and phone records from New York Times reporter Ali Watkins . That instance has elevated concerns that the administration is more aggressively going after reporters, even as the Justice Department maintains that the Holder guidelines are still in place. It is probably easier and quicker for the government to use traditional law enforcement tools, rather than FISA, to go after leakers, said Bloch-Wehba, especially since officials would not want to disclose intelligence methods if a case went to court. One concern would be evidence laundering, she said. They could learn something about a journalists source and then they go back and use ordinary methods to get the same information. The Justice Department and the FBI both declined to comment on the guidelines, including about whether they had been revised since 2015, how often FISA applications concerning journalists were made, and whether FISA warrants could be used in leak investigations. Correction: Sept. 17, 2018, 4:25 p.m. A quote from Hannah Bloch-Wehba has been amended to reflect that she said evidence laundering, not evidence wandering. This article was originally published by " The Intercept " - ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy 'Why Were They Killed?': Saudi-UAE Attack Hits Children In Yemen At least two children were killed in raids on Saada province as UN special envoy arrives in Sanaa for peace talks. Watch [Warning: Some viewers may find images in this video distressing] September 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - It was what everyone dreaded - two dead children. After sifting through a home turned to rubble, rescue workers finally found the bodies of three-year-old Nabil and new-born baby girl Sumood. Just moments earlier on Saturday, a Saudi-UAE military alliance, which has been carrying out air attacks on Yemen since March 2015, bombed their home in Saada province's Marran district, an impoverished area less than 40km from oil-rich Saudi Arabia, footage sent to Al Jazeera by Houthi rebels appeared to show. "These were civilians, they were little kids," said one of the rescuers, as their bodies lay strewn next to him on a rock. "What was their guilt, why were they killed?" said another, who managed to rescue other members of their family after the devastating attack. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Local news channel Saada News reported that the children were from an internally displaced family who had recently relocated to Marran after their home was previously destroyed. But in what has become the norm for millions of Yemenis, families have had to repeatedly resettle when the sounds of planes pass overhead and bombs dropping intensify. Air raids intensify Since 2015, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been carrying out air raids on Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, in an attempt to reinstate the internationally recognised government of President Abu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Hadi's government was toppled by Houthi rebels in late 2014 after the rebels stormed south from their stronghold of Saada, and captured large parts of the north. With logistical support from the US, the Saudi-UAE alliance has carried out more than 16,000 raids on Houthi-held areas in an attempt to reverse their gains. These attacks have targeted weddings, hospitals as well as water and electricity plants, killing and wounding thousands. According to the UN, at least 10,000 people have been killed in the war, but the death toll that has not been updated in years and is certain to be far higher. In July, the last month where statistics of air raids were available, Saudi and UAE jets launched 277 raids, 43 percent of which targeted non-military sites. The Yemen Data Project listed 108 air raids on Saada province, a region straddling the Saudi border that has been ravaged by violence since the start of the conflict. Hodeidah, which has also been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks, was targeted at least 101 times, the monitoring group said. Dire humanitarian situation The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing the warring parties to restart peace talks and arrived in Sanaa on Sunday to meet the Houthis as fighting resumed in the port city. Griffiths' visit to the capital comes after his push for peace talks last week with representatives from Yemen's internationally recognised government and the rebels fell apart before they could officially begin. That meeting, which would have been the first in nearly two years, was scheduled to take place in the Swiss city of Geneva on September 6. The Houthi delegation, however, did not show up, accusing the UN of failing to guarantee their safe return to Sanaa and secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. Lise Grande, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, and David Miliband, the president of the International Rescue Committee, are expected to hold a press conference in the town of Bajil on Monday to discuss the latest on the humanitarian situation. On Saturday, the Houthis signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN to take critically ill patients abroad for treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that 12 health conditions had been identified, including patients with cancer, chronic diseases and congenital anomalies. The UN has warned that continued conflict in Hodeidah, the entry point for the bulk of Yemen's commercial imports and aid supplies, could trigger a famine. An estimated 8.4 million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen, according to the UN. The country's three-year war has ensnared millions in what the European Union called the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22 million in dire need of assistance. This article was originally published by " Al Jazeera " - ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy By Finian Cunningham September 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - US Vice President Mike Pence may not have meant it, but his recent admonition to Paraguay to respect historic relationships between that country, the United States and Israel clumsily provoked sinister memories of the past. The move followed the decision last week by Mario Abdo Benitez, the newly elected president of the South American state, to reverse an earlier order to relocate Paraguays embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Benitez predecessor, Horacio Cortes, had followed the Trump administrations decision earlier this year in May to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Trumps declaration on the embassy issue sparked international condemnation because it lends support to the Israeli states controversial claim to Jerusalem as its sole capital. International consensus views the final status of Jerusalem to be a matter of historic negotiations to be worked out between Palestinians and Israelis. Significantly, only a handful of UN member states have followed suit in Washingtons embassy decision, Guatemala and Paraguay being two of them. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Now that Paraguays President Benitez has reversed the earlier embassy decision by his predecessor, both Israel and the US have shown their acute consternation, no doubt because it undermines the political momentum Trump and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu intended to generate among other nations to move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel has threatened to close its embassy in Paraguays capital, Asuncion. And Mike Pence was reportedly hot on the phone to Benitez last week urging him to remember past commitments and the historic relations the country has with both Israel and the United States. Given the backsliding from the US over a wide range of its own past commitments, Washingtons exhortation to Paraguay rings decidedly hollow. Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear accord, the Paris Climate Agreement, NAFTA, TPP, and trashing its promise not to expand NATO forces towards Russias borders, are just some of the commitments that the US has shown a self-serving disdain for. But it was the oblique, sonorous mention of historic relations made by Pence to the Paraguayan leader that is intriguing, if not a sign of gross insensitivity in this White House. The vice president didnt spell out what he meant. But given the history between the three states, much of it sinister, it was an unfortunate allusion by Pence. It is hardly an impetus for finding agreement on the Jerusalem embassy issue. Firstly, there is Paraguays dark and not-too-distant past of military dictatorship under Alfredo Stroenesser. Under his decades-long rule with an iron-fist, Paraguay gained the moniker of being a poor mans Nazi regime. The comparison was not merely rhetorical. Stroenesser was notorious for running death squads and torture centers against political opponents. Thousands were disappeared or murdered under his regime (1954-1989). Moreover, the oppression was conducted as part of the US-led Operation Condor program in which the CIA recruited South American dictatorships to eliminate emerging socialist movements. During the 1970s, Stroenesser was a key player in the fascist Operation Condor along with Chiles Augusto Pinochet and the other US-backed military juntas of Argentina and Brazil. So for Mike Pence to pontificate to Paraguay as having historic obligations to the United States is stomach-wrenching. How Pence expects favors from that nation now for its dubious Middle East policies is frankly bizarre in its ignorance of past American-sponsored barbarity in Paraguay. Mike Twopence a better name. As for Israel, the historic relationship that Pence adverts to is also woefully problematic. Paraguay was one of the main South American destinations for Nazi war criminals fleeing justice following the Second World War. The infamous ratlines run out of Europe, from Spain and Italy, were used to spirit top Nazi commanders into hiding on the other side of the Atlantic. As many as 10,000 Nazi officers were reckoned to have evaded war crimes prosecutions by availing of this route. Some of them were aided in their escape by the newly formed American CIA and its Gehlen Organization run by Hitlers former spymaster Major General Reinhard Gehlen who was recruited by the Americans to wage clandestine war against the Soviet Union. Among the most wanted Nazis who fled to South America were Adolf Eichmann, Walter Rauff and Josef Mengele. Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence officers in Argentina in 1960, and subsequently executed two years later in Israel after conviction for war crimes. Rauff, who as an SS colonel organized mobile gas chambers to kill East European Jews, reportedly died from natural causes in 1984 while living in Chile under the protection of the US-backed Pinochet regime. Mengele, the SS Doctor known as the Angel of Death due to his macabre and sadistic experiments on Auschwitz inmates, including pregnant women and children, lived for many years in Paraguay under the protected patronage of dictator Stroenesser. Mengele eventually died from a brain hemorrhage in 1979 after moving to Brazil. Here is where the current Paraguayan presidents own family history becomes uncomfortable. Mario Abdo Benitez father was a private secretary to the old Nazi-loving dictator during much of his despotic reign. There is no suggestion that the incumbent 46-year-old Paraguayan leader has any personal affiliation to the crimes of the past committed in his country, nor shares his fathers association with Stroessner and the latters affinity for Nazism. I am proud that the victims who suffered mistreatment and torture at that time are working with me today," Abdo Benitez told AFP. This is another era. If I had been rejected, they would not be with me. But one factor that may be influencing President Abdo Benitez is that he has Arab heritage owing to his fathers ancestry as Lebanese. Any such concern by Benitez for Palestinian national rights is of course legitimate and principled. One does not have to be Arab to share the grievances of Palestinians in being denied a claim to national sovereignty and in particular their historic claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. When the former Paraguayan president, Horacio Cortes, made the decision to relocate his countrys embassy to Jerusalem it was in May. The previous month, Benitez won the national election. He was thus president-elect when the embassy decision was hastily made by the outgoing administration. At the time, Benitez strongly voiced his opposition to that questionable last-minute ruling. Following his inauguration to office in August, the new president has hence moved to reverse the embassy relocation. It therefore seems that President Benitez is simply reversing an earlier decision which was not constitutionally sound. The pressure by Washington and Israel on Paraguay over the embassy matter is thus unwarranted. President Benitez said his decision to move the embassy back to Tel Aviv was to show that Paraguay is a country of laws and principles. Lobbying by VP Mike Pence is blatant interference by the US in the internal politics of this South American state. But so clumsy is Pence in this interference that his bluster about historic relationships dredges up a lot of sinister specters from the past with regard to the United States and its involvement with fascist regimes and Nazi war criminals. This article was originally published by " Strategic Culture Foundation " - ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Editorial - Global Times September 17, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The administration of US President Donald Trump will reportedly announce new tariffs on about $200 billion on Chinese imports. Meanwhile, Washington has invited Chinese officials to restart trade talks later this month. While Washington extends a carrot to Beijing, it is also swinging a stick. It is nothing new for the US to try to escalate tensions so as to exploit more gains at the negotiating table. The unilateral and hegemonic moves by the US will meet firm countermeasures from China. Against the backdrop of successive US offensives in the trade war, China will not just play defense. Nowadays economic and trade relations between China and the US are so closely connected that they will not be easily broken by unilateral hegemony . China will choose the most feasible means as countermeasures. The trade war occurs at the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. It is not only a challenge to the most important bilateral relationship in international politics of the past 40 years, but also a test for China to shape this relationship. China has never taken this trade war as an interim one, but a protracted one. The trade war launched by Washington, which targets "made in China" products and the Chinese market, has had a big impact on the global production and supply chain. Global economic prospects dim under unilateral US actions. China, as a main driving force of the global economy, is able to correct and push the global economy onto the right path. Domestically, China is undergoing steady and solid economic structural adjustments. On the foreign front, it is accelerating its cooperation network by promoting the Belt and Road initiative. This will not only consolidate China's ability to withstand the trade war, but also provide more choices for the future global economy. After several rounds of trade war, China has realized that the US government intends to decrease trade and economic integration of the US and China. The US wants to reduce the challenges from potential rivals with its "make America great again" ambition. Meanwhile, it can adjust its China policy to gain an upper hand in areas such as politics and security. The US still wants to shape Sino-US relations with its strength and consolidate its hegemony. However, today's world will not be easily manipulated by hegemony. China will not passively be subject to the US maneuverings, nor will it allow any super power to achieve its end by peremptory means. It's no longer the time when a country can achieve hegemonic dividends through coercion. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The trade war is in essence a conflict and rivalry between unilateralism and multilateralism. Internal contradictions in international relations have become sharper. The war will not only affect the trajectory of China-US trade relations, but also the existing global trading system rules and reforms. China will strengthen coordination and cooperation with all countries. China will explore ways to safeguard fairness and justice in the global economy, and will support free trade and the multilateral trading system. This article was originally published by " Global Times " - ==See Also== Will Chinas PETRO YUAN Destroy the PETRO DOLLAR? Part 2 Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy The central bank of Nigeria has released a Circular on the Regulation on Instant Interbank Electronic Funds Transfer Services in Nigeria. According to the Apex bank, all Nigerian banks that doesnt revert any failed electronic transaction to the customers account within 24 hrs will attract a fine of N10,000. The Central Bank also noted that the regulation will commence on October 2nd. The circular stated thus: All Deposit Money Banks, microfinance banks, other financial institutions, mobile money operators, development finance institutions, payment service providers and other stakeholders across the country are directed to comply with the directive. See circular below Social Democratic Party(SDP) presidential aspirant and former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke has reacted to news that the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has banned cell phones in polling units. Speaking at a meeting of stakeholders in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, the chairman of the commission said it had adopted this resolution in order to curb vote buying and selling. However, speaking via his twitter handle on Tuesday, the former Rivers State governor said the new move would encourage rigging and not the other way around. He wrote: INEC bans phones and cameras at polling stations. QED, let the rigging begin! Donald Duke (@Donald_Duke) September 18, 2018 Also reacting to the news, newly appointed chairman of Senator Bukola Sarakis media council for his presidential campaign, Mr Doyin Okupe says such can not stand. Okupe, who was formerly a Senior Special assistant to former president Jonathan said that INEC doesnt have such powers yet. He also said that Nigeria is not yet a Banana Republic and that such pronouncement totally infringes on the rights of Nigerians . He wrote: A new report from UNICEF, revealed that more people have access to mobile phones than toilets in Nigeria. Speaking during a two-day media dialogue on European Union (EU) Niger Delta Water Project in Port Harcourt, River State, UNICEFs Chief of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Zaid Jurji, said 140 million people in Nigeria have cell phones, while only 97 million have access to improved sanitation. Quoting a 2018 report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the UNICEF Chief of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) noted that the sanitation sector in Nigeria is severely under resourced, as sanitation is only 19 per cent of WASH budget. According to him, only 39 per cent Nigerians use an improved toilet that is not shared by more than one household. He added that 46 million people still practice open defecation on Nigeria, with 32 percent living in rural areas and 12 percent in urban areas. Zaid concluded his speech, by stating that the figure is far from the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG) target by 2030, which aims at achieving universal access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. At the event, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who was represented by the principal information officer of the ministry, Toye Falayi, urged media partners to sustain advocacy for improve water sanitation and hygiene. Alemillach from Spain is poplular on Qidian International China's online literature industry has attracted many foreign writers to join the creative team, injecting impetus to the sharing of Chinese literature, Beijing Daily reported on Sept. 17. The second Chinese Network Literature Convention concluded on Sept. 16, with a number of foreign web writers and translators present for the first time. Over 2,000 foreign writers published over 4,000 ebooks in English or their mother tongue on Qidian International, the website and application of Tencents ebook subsidiary China Literature, said content operation director Yang Chen. These online novels by foreign writers generally include Chinese elements such as immortal heroes, Chinese food and wuxia (martial arts). For instance, 28-year-old Moloxiv from Singapore includes cute pandas in his work, while Spanish writer Alemillach, once a traditional novel writer, recently published his first online piece, which depicts the story of finding one's real self from the perspective of a protagonist with memories of a past life. Yang said that China Literature, a leading online literature platform in China, has published over 200 translated works since May 2017, attracting over 13 million subscribers. He added that over 200 translators from all over the world have served Chinese online literature so far. Translation is not only switching from one language to another, but a type of cross-cultural communication, said a Singaporean translator who has worked on Chinese-English literature translation for more than three years. Such words as Jindan (golden elixir) and Yuanshen (primordial deity) are typical in Chinese literature, said the translator, but these words are hard to convey concisely in English. Now, a wider range of Chinese literature is reaching the western world through translation, he added. It may well provide more possibilities for western literature, as more western writers join in the creation of online literature, noted Shao Yanjun, an associate professor in Chinese literature at Peking University. Umar Bago (APC-Chanchaga), A member of the House of Representatives says he will support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger with 100 cars. Mr Bago, who stated this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna, said that the two leaders remained the only credible choices in the 2019 elections. He urged the electorate to vote for continuity in order to consolidate on the ongoing changes that would set the Nation on the path of progress. President Buhari has proved beyond reasonable doubt to be honest, sincere and committed to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians irrespective of political, tribal and religious differences. I am supporting the re-election campaign team of President Buhari and that of Gov. Abubakar Bello with 100 cars for massive sensitisation of the people of Niger, he said. The lawmaker said the vehicles would be distributed at a grand rally tagged, Niger Na Buhari Da LoLo Ne in Minna. Mr Bago said that the vehicles would be given to officials of the APC and other organisations to disseminate the numerous achievements recorded by Buhari and Bello. He said in the more than three years of the APC administration, the two have shown leadership style that Nigerians and the people of Niger were proud of. Mr Bago added that the gesture was part of his support to the two leaders whom he described as worthy ambassadors of the people and the party. I want to make it categorically clear that this gesture is stemmed out of my genuine love and commitment to the course of governance of our dear country and my state in particular. There is no gainsaying the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has in the last three years done what other presidents did not achieve within a similar period. We are all witnesses to the massive infrastructural development going on in different parts of the country, especially construction and rehabilitation of roads. We are also witnesses to the unprecedented development that Gov. Abubakar Bello has brought to Niger State within these few years that he got the opportunity to govern our dear state. I feel that these two leaders should be supported by every well-meaning Nigerian that has genuine love for the country. If for nothing, I believe we should support them so that we will continue to enjoy good governance in the next four years, he said. NAN Media mogul, Dele Momodu started a fire recently after he tweeted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commossion(EFCC) had frozen the account of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Osun state governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke. He also stated that the accounts of his nephew, music star David Adeleke aka Davido wasnt left out. I refuse to believe that anyone, in the name of politics, would freeze the bank accounts of a hardworking family THE ADELEKEs including that of this young icon DAVIDO who has done our country very proud God save our dear beloved nation I pray it is fake news pic.twitter.com/NiXs7t5ZT5 Dele Momodu Ovation (@DeleMomodu) September 15, 2018 However, it turned out the news was fake and was only to discredit the present administration. Dele Momodule, eventually apologized but that didnt spare him any bashing. When news of the freezing of family accounts of the Adelekes was going viral, The Boss made a few calls to those who should be in the know and our source confirmed the story and even mentioned the accounts were in FCMB. We hereby withdraw it with sincere apologies Dele Momodu Ovation (@DeleMomodu) September 16, 2018 Nigerians expressed their disappointment about the issue. They wondered why a seasoned journalist would go about spreading fake news. See some reactions below Dele Momodu, is a Nigerian journalist, and the new king of rumor and falsehood mongering and amplification, including incitement. He has now joined an elite group that includes Ben Murray Bruce, a Senator of the Federal Republic. HENRY Okelue (@4eyedmonk) September 17, 2018 Dele Momodu @DeleMomodu lost his bearing & sense of credibility since Bukola Saraki declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria. Momodu is an attempt to push Saraki into Aso Rock through the concrete walls have been manipulating facts to present lies as truth pic.twitter.com/sUsxj7Mjfj Onye Nkuzi Churchill Ph.D. (@Churchillnnobi) September 17, 2018 South Africas highest court has legalised the use of cannabis by adults in private places as Pro-marijuana activists cheered in the public gallery and chanted Weed are free now when the Constitutional Court gave its landmark ruling. In a unanimous ruling, judges also legalised the growing of marijuana for private consumption. Before now, South Africas governments had opposed its legalisation, arguing the drug was harmful to peoples the health. Three cannabis users who had faced prosecution for using cannabis brought the case, saying the ban intrudes unjustifiably into their private spheres. In his judgement, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said: It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption. It will, however, remain illegal to use cannabis in public, and to sell and supply it. The Cannabis Development Council of South Africa welcomed the ruling, and called on the government to drop charges against people found in possession of the drug. Jeremy Acton, the leader of the Dagga Party, which campaigns for the use of cannabis, said the ruling should have gone further to legalise the carrying of marijuana in public. Cannabis is referred to as dagga in South Africa. Senate president Bukola Saraki also a 2019 presidential hopeful has said that the continued abduction of aid workers and the school girl, Leah Sharibu by Boko Haram insurgents must stop. This comes shortly after news broke that a ICRC aide worker, Saifura Hussaini Ahmed, who has been held hostage by the terrorists was killed. The terrorist also threatened to harm Leah, who was abducted alongside her schoolmates in February from Dapchi. Speaking via twitter on Tuesday, the Senate president wrote: The continued abduction of the late Saifuras @ICRC colleagues, Hauwa and Alice, by the militants, alongside the captivity of the young Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, must end. Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) September 18, 2018 Saraki also called on the military to do all in their power to ensure that lives of aid workers are secure while urging them to rescue Leah Sharibu. He wrote : Up until recently, if you wanted to use Apple CarPlay and a navigation app, you had to use Apple Maps. But Apple finally changed that with the launch of iOS 12. The recent software update, which was launched to the public earlier this week, allows for third-party navigation apps to be used with CarPlay. While there are other options out there, the obvious go-to destination app for many people is going to be Google Maps. And with the release of iOS 12 and the latest update to the Google Maps app, that support is finally here. The update to Google Maps brings the version to 5.0 and its available to download and install on supported devices as of the time of publication. You can find a direct link to the app at the bottom of this article if you dont already have it installed. Once the app is updated or installed, users will be able to sync their navigational data to the vehicles display. There is a button to activate voice controls, but you still cant use Siri to control Google Maps directly. For those wondering, Waze has also confirmed it will be bringing CarPlay support to its app at some point in the near future, but no word on when that apps update will arrive. Google Maps navigational support in CarPlay has been a long time coming, and its more than likely a welcomed addition. A recent survey showed that while folks like Apples CarPlay for their infotainment needs in a vehicle, at least over Googles Android Auto, they still prefer Google Maps over Apple Maps. So this change should be a nice one. Our Take I still try to use Apple Maps as often as I can, especially for brand new destinations. Using the Apple Watch to get a buzz notification for when its time to turn or upon reaching a destination is a very nice feature. Still, Google Maps is the better service all-in-all, so its good to see it finally arriving for CarPlay. Download Google Maps Free [via The Verge Apple has started shipping out iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 for customers who pre-ordered it. The company has not updated the order status on its website but customers in the United States can use their reference number and head over to the UPS website to track their order. Apple had updated the status of most iPhone XS and Apple Watch Series 4 pre-orders over the weekend with preparing to ship status. Customers will need to enter their order reference number, their phone, number and zip code on over UPS website. The order number minus its last two digits can also be used instead of the reference number. Customers with a UPS My Choice account can see all the scheduled deliveries on Friday from the scheduled deliveries section. The above trick might not work for all customers in the United States who pre-ordered the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or the Apple Watch Series 4 as Apple/UPS servers might not have been updated with the required information. Apple will be shipping out these iPhones and Apple Watch units from China, so dont expect them to land on your doorstep anytime before September 21 i.e. the launch day of the devices. UPS and Apple will also hold back deliveries even if they land in the appropriate warehouse near your house until Friday for delivery. If your pre-order status has not changed, you might want to wait for a couple of days. If your order still does not ship, you can always head over to your nearest Apple store or retailers like Best Buy and Target on the launch day of the new iPhones to get your hands on the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. [Via MacRumors Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army in the Vostok-2018 drill in Russia. Chinas participation in the joint military exercise between China and Russia, dubbed Vostok-2018 or East-2018, which took place from Sept. 11 to 17, indicates strengthened military cooperation and bilateral ties between the two sides, an expert noted. China and Russia have been deepening military cooperation for more than a decade, evidenced by an increased frequency of joint military drills, said Jiang Yi, a researcher of Institute of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Sciences. For example, both took part in a joint military drill in Russia this August, which was held by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), marking the most recent in a number of joint naval drills conducted over recent years. The U.S. Newsweek also quoted an analyst as saying the Sino-Russian military exercise showcases close ties between the two countries, rather than suggesting the manifestation of Russias military strength. While Chinese-Russian military activities have, in the past, been predominantly symbolic and representational, they appear increasingly interactive, said an article published by the National Interest of the U.S. recently. The U.S. Wall Street Journal and Washington Post both pointed out that China and Russia are stepping up their efforts to promote military reform and modernization. The deepening trust between the two sides provides valuable resources for China, allowing the country access to Russias military technologies and the opportunity to learn from the latters combat experience in Syria and Ukraine, the media commented. The drills, described by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as the largest since 1981, involved almost 300,000 Russian troops, over 1,000 military aircraft, 36,000 tanks and other military vehicles, as well as 80 warships. It marked Chinas first time participating in an exercise of this kind and also the largest Chinese military delegation to join a military exercise in a foreign country, according to the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS). Media sources noted that 3,200 Chinese troops, along with more than 1,000 armored vehicles and 30 military aircraft entered Russia to take part in the exercise. The drills were aimed at consolidating and developing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for Chinas Ministry of National Defense. The exercise will further strengthen both sides ability to deal with varied security threats, which is conducive to safeguarding regional peace and security, he said. The drill does not target any third party, nor is it related to any regional situation, the spokesperson added. It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those... China and Russia on Monday agreed to further enhance energy cooperation through the mechanism of China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee. The agreement came as Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak co-chaired the 15th meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee in Moscow. Calling energy cooperation "an important part of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination," Han said it is also the most pivotal, wide-ranging and fruitful part of the bilateral practical cooperation. Under the guidance of leaders of both countries, the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee has improved overall planning and coordination so that bilateral energy cooperation has yielded positive results and maintained a good momentum of development, said Han. Since the 14th meeting of the committee held a year ago in Beijing, major strategic projects have made steady progress, said Han. He called on both countries to implement the consensus reached by the two presidents and continue to give full play to the mechanism of energy cooperation committee so as to lift cooperation levels, promote the cooperation to yield more results and make preparations for the 23rd regular meeting between Chinese premier and Russian prime minister to be held this year. Han put forward three proposals to further improve bilateral cooperation at next stage. Firstly, both sides need to effectively implement the ongoing project as well as signed projects to turn consensus into reality. Secondly, both sides need to expand new areas and methods of cooperation in line with a government-guided, market-driven and business-led principle so as to create a win-win energy cooperation partnership. Thirdly, both sides need to boost exchanges on energy technology, standards, talents and information and learn from each other in the hope of improving both countries' soft power in the area of energy. For his part, Kozak expressed welcome to Han for co-chairing the committee meeting as Chinese chair for the first time. Noting that energy is a priority of bilateral cooperation, Kozak said both presidents attached great importance to this area and helped promote cooperation personally. In recent years, great achievements have scored on energy cooperation, which greatly boost bilateral ties, said Kozak, adding that it showed the high mutual trust and close coordination between Russia and China. Russia has full confidence in bilateral cooperation in the future, and looks forward to working with China to make the best use of the energy cooperation committee and make adequate preparation for the 23rd regular meeting between the two heads of government, he said. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the major projects between the two countries in areas of oil, natural gas, coal and electricity, had in-depth exchange of views for future development and reached broad consensus. Han arrived in Moscow on Sunday for a three-day visit. This is his first overseas visit in his capacity as vice premier. He will head for Singapore on Tuesday to continue his tour. My Favorite Quotes Recent Quotes Portfolio Summary Your most recently viewed tickers will automatically show up here if you type a ticker in the Get Quotes box on the top of the page. Nancy Drew had a dog, too, a terrier Togo. Nancy named him after the courageous sled dog who ran the lions share of the famous journey across the frozen tundra to Nome, Alaska with the serum the townspeople needed to survive the diphtheria epidemic. I know, I know, we all thought that was Balto, who gets most of the credit, as he ran the last lap of the trip. But Togo was the one who ran the longest leg of the relay by 200 miles and swam through the ice floes of Norton Sound to save his team and driver. Apparently the ever-clever Nancy knew all along. The ofo bike sharing company is looking at a new fee when bikes go out of the established service area around Texas A&M University. Some residents in the area say the ofo bikes need tighter restrictions after they've ended up in unusual places. Along Fairway Drive in Bryan, neighbors say the rental bikes are causing problems. One of the yellow rental bikes is sitting on a rooftop. "Yeah, it's a joke but and I'll be honest when we first saw it we thought it was funny, but the joke's over," said neighbor Candace Scott. Scott says says she reported an ofo bike on the roof next door to the company, but it's been there for two weeks. "Somebody's gotta go up there and get that bicycle. I imagine ofo doesn't want to risk their employees going up there and chance falling off or damaging the roof," she said. Right now, the company has 2,500 yellow bikes in the College Station area with plans to add up to 500 more. College Station city staff said the company is considering a fee for rides outside the service area. The ofo app says they're adding a $5 fee for rides that go beyond geo-fence area where they're supposed to be used. Scott thinks the company should consider incentives for returning or finding the bikes. "I would think they could determine who the last person was that rented it and possibly get them to remove it. I'm sure they're going to say I left it at the corner," said Scott. "I think if it was handled immediately, it wouldn't become a problem. Now, it's a problem," she said. Other residents said they've not noticed problems with them, but do think students need to be mindful where they are leaving them. We've reached out to ofo for a response. We'll update this story with their response. I might as well start by stating the obvious: in a war there are deaths, injuries, destruction, blood, horror and then peace. But war fascinates us. Although negative, its force nevertheless remains an attraction and a world that interests, disturbs and enthralls us. Above and beyond the cruelty of any war, there is an element of heroism, of courage, adventure and surpassing oneself. Whatever the conflict, there will always be heroes. There will be stories told for years to come. Some names will be celebrated, while others will quickly be forgotten. War is as old as humanity. As is the measurement of time, by the way. As a result, they both have a lot of common history. As war became more modern, it needed more precision and more measurement. The watch therefore became an indispensable element in any war and for any soldier. In some cases, it was even a military secret. A lot of watch brands found themselves wound up in conflicts, with roles both minor and crucial. Some ended up, without their knowledge, on the wrists of soldiers, others forged partnerships with states and their armed forces. The military watch has thus become a highly sought-after item among collectors. This is because it embodies everything that watch lovers are looking for: there is the watch itself, its technical dimension, its characteristics and its innovations. Then there is its history, what it has lived through and what it conveys. Finally, there is the person who wore it, his battles, his life and sometimes his death. Modern warfare created the need for watches to meet the requirements of different armed forces. These timepieces have their origins in the navy and the marine chronometers installed in ships that plied and fought on the worlds oceans. But these chronometers were instruments that were part of the ship, rather than purely military items. As conflicts started to involve more technology, however, there was a need for watches to be worn by soldiers. The first world war saw the first officer and trench watches, which were used to coordinate different activities. It was the first conflict where strategists and officers were away from the front lines. So communication lines had to be improved and the need to have a common and shared time gained importance from a military perspective. Some functions also became indispensable on the battlefield. The small seconds is one example. Its presence shows that the watch is working and is a guarantee of coordination and efficiency, and sometimes of survival. Then there are the pilots, artillerymen and submariners... Just as everyone was dreaming of peace, the second world war broke out. With its new requirements (combat divers) and its technical progress. Once again, the watch was set to play an important role, on the wrists of combatants on both sides. The GIs had their Hamiltons, the British wore the dirty dozen ordered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Lemania, Longines, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex the pilots of the Luftwaffe had their IWC, Tutima, Hanhardt, Laco and Stowa and the kamikazes wore Seikosha. Later there were other conflicts with other watches: Benrus, Glycine, Tornek-Rayville, Bulova and Seiko in Vietnam, Dodane and Breguet Type XX for the French pilots, Rolex, Omega and CWC for British combat divers and Zlatoust for Soviet frogmen. Today the majority of soldiers active in different theatres wear the Casio G-Shock. But the list of military watches is of course much longer than these few names. With all this interconnected military and watchmaking history, there is one question that is rarely asked. In a conflict there are winners and losers, the good and the bad, heroes and criminals. As part of a soldiers equipment the watch is involved in combat and therefore runs the risk of being associated with one or the other. It can therefore become an object of celebration or recognition. Watch brands therefore have to navigate potentially choppy waters. When their watch might be associated with the winners or the heroes, there is of course no problem. But what happens when the same watch is worn by the losers, the criminals? This brings us to the heart of the matter Why Panerai? Panerai played a fundamental role in military history. The Italian brand developed the first watch that was intended exclusively for military use: the famous 3646. This was not just a purely military timepiece, it was also a military secret for a number of years, such was its importance in the success of secret navy diver missions by the Decima Flotigglia MAS (Mezzi dAssalto). Established in 1939, this combat diver unit was involved in a number of operations during the second world war. Between 1940 and 1943, its men fought alongside the Germans and sank a number of allied ships, often using human torpedoes (maiale). From 1943 the story becomes more complicated. As the Allies made progress in Italy, the regime changed and the Italian troops, including the Decima MAS, switched sides. But some of them chose to stay on the other side and continued to fight alongside the German troops, still wearing their Panerais. As the war was drawing to a close, Panerai continued to supply other armed forces, then slowly became dormant. It was revived only decades later and became one of the great success stories of modern watchmaking history. For many years Panerai used its military history to promote its large watches and and it still does so today. What is unique about the brand is this close link with the second world war. But also the fact that Panerai not only did not hide it, but actively promoted it. We can all remember the famous advertisement with a combat diver wearing a PAM. It is an image that is etched on the brand of all Paneristi and was often responsible for their initial interest in the brand. Yet again, war fascinates. The story of the Decima MAS is of particular interest here. Even though the men fought with the Axis powers, they had recognition and even admiration from all sides. It is such respect that allowed them to emerge alongside the victors at the end of the second world war. So associating Panerai with this unit was a risky gamble, but it paid off. But the story doesnt end there! This is why I am going to present two watches: The Panerai 720 and 721. Panerai PAM 720 and 721: divers watches in troubled waters The 3646 was standard issue for the men of the Decima MAS. They wore reference B. But they were also worn by the German divers, the renowned Kampfschwimmer (KSM). This unit was set up in 1943 and was active mainly towards the end of the second world war. And who do you think trained these first German marine commandos? The men of the Decima MAS. So it is little surprise that they shared their equipment, including their watches, which meant that the KSM also wore Panerais. They were identical to those worn by their Italian colleagues with just one exception: there was no logo on the dial, no brand name, nothing. It was empty, simple, non-identifiable and therefore anonymous. It was the 3646 D. 3646 Type D Panerai In 2017 Panerai presented two limited editions at the SIHH: the 720 (500 pieces) and the 721 (1000 pieces). These two models were almost identical re-issues of the 3646. Both of these models have all the aesthetic characteristics of the first military divers watch in history: the 47mm cushion-shaped case, the highly legible sandwich dial, the oversized 3, 6, 9, 12 numerals, blued hands, screw-in crown and fine lugs. Both are water resistant to 100 metres. Just two things distinguish the 720 from the 721. The strap (lighter in colour on the 720) and the lack of any markings on the dial for the 721. PAM 720 keeps the historical Radiomir Panerai inscription on the dial. This logo model was worn by the divers of the Decima MAS (reference 3646 Type B). The Anonymous was worn by the KSM (reference 3646 Type D). Apart from this, the two models are the same. They are both fitted with a splendid thick leather strap that goes perfectly with the watch. The original watches were also fitted with leather straps that needed to withstand intense underwater use, which is why they were so thick. The movement is the now classic manually wound P3000. Its a simple calibre and offers three days of power reserve. The original 3646 was fitted with a Rolex movement. The case back is in sapphire crystal, which reveals the movement, and is surrounded by the inscription Officine Panerai Brevettato. Of course its size is imposing. Its a Panerai, so it should be. I think these two watches are among the most beautiful in the current collection. Their place in horological history, their simple design and the Panerai signatures make them a must-have for any collector interested in the brand or in military watches in general. There are just a few things that might dampen their enthusiasm, so its time to hand over to the devils advocate. What does the devils advocate think? This subheading has never been so justified. One of the things that may make future buyers think twice is the historical, or ideological, connection, in particular for the Panerai 721. I have talked about this with a few collector friends and opinions differ. Nevertheless, the historical significance takes precedence and these two watches deserve a place in a collection and on your wrist. But I think it is important to understand their place in history before buying them. These are not watches that should be bought on a whim. They need to be understood and accepted. The other things that the devils advocate could point out are the size (47mm) and the use of a transparent case back. The 47mm cases are big, but they have their historical legitimacy. So the 720 and 721 should respect this diameter. This may put some people off, but I have a small wrist and I would wear them without hesitation. The transparent case back is a real concern. The P3000 is a simple calibre and I would have preferred a full case back like on the original 1940s model. How to wear the Panerai PAM 720 and 721? There are two ways to show off these watches. The first is to accentuate its military character. Choose a strap that looks even more vintage (the best are by Gunny Straps or Kostas Straps), light beige cargo pants by Brunello Cucinelli and a simple black T-shirt. A pair of Nike Air Max VT or SP (2012 or 2013) sneakers would be perfect, if you can find one! If you want to keep the military theme but add a little fun, go for a Brooks Brothers Red Fleece camouflage blazer or a Jay Kos suit. But if you do this, leave any other camouflage items in the locker room. A chambray shirt is the best option with the jacket, or a T-shirt and white sneakers with the suit. You can, however, also demilitarise your Panerai and your look. This allows you to distance yourself from its origins. Panerai fundamentalists will probably be shocked, but its something worth considering. First of all you need to change the strap. And why not add a splash of colour? There is only one option: bespoke from Combat Straps (Aaron Pimentel) to choose the material and colour to make your Panerai less bellicose. Match your watch with colourful chinos (how about pink, if youre in a summery mood?), a T-shirt with a Tunisian collar by Zadig & Voltaire and Tods Gomino in distressed denim. If youre going out, add a blazer by Boglioli, which will always be an Italian classic. Then its time to catch the last rays of sunshine with a Trieste Spritz. With peace of mind you can take a few moments to consider how lucky you are not to have to wear this watch in its original context. Egypt's Minister of Health Hala Zayed will appear before the Egyptian House of Representatives on Tuesday to give a report on the death of three patients on Saturday during a dialysis session in a hospital in the Nile Delta governorate of Sharqiya. Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek ordered on Saturday an immediate investigation into the deaths incident during the treatment session, which also resulted a number of infections and 12 coma cases among other patients. On Sunday, the prosecution team seized all of the equipment and tools and detained 15 doctors, employees, and maintenance workers at the Darb Negb hospital's dialysis unit pending investigation. The administrative prosecution has also opened a technical investigation into the incident. Search Keywords: Short link: NEWPORT, Ore. An 11-year-old girl from Orange County was recovered safely in Newport more than a week after being taken by her biological mother and spirited away, according to Oregon State Police (OSP). The foster parents of Kaia Fina reported her missing on September 6 from their home in San Clemente, California. Kaia's foster mother was last to see her, and believed that Kaia's mother Sera Fina might have picked her up. Despite descriptions of both Kaia and Sera and vehicle information of a black 2007 BMW, law enforcement agencies in California were unable to locate them. On September 17, OSP in Newport received information about the missing child and learned that they could be in Lincoln County. With help from local police and sheriff's deputies, troopers began searching for the BMW provided in the description from California. Around 7:40 p.m. on Monday, a trooper pulled up to a 2006 Lincoln Navigator parked on the shoulder of Highway 101 near Beverly Beach State Park to conduct a welfare check. The trooper quickly identified both Kaia and Sera from the photos provided. Sera Fina was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on the issued child abduction warrant and fugitive complaint, with bail set at $150,000. The Department of Human Services responded to care for Kaia. It was discovered Sera Fina had recently purchased the Lincoln Navigator the two were found in, and no longer had the BMW for which police had been searching. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A judge has tossed a lawsuit filed by animal rights activists in the name of a once-neglected horse, finding that animals don't have a right to sue. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports in doing so, Washington County Pro Tem Judge John Knowles on Monday refused to become the first judge in the nation to grant a non-human legal standing to sue. An abused horse in Oregon is suing its former owner for $100,000. (CNN) An abused horse in Oregon is suing its former owner for $100,000. (CNN) Lawyers from the Animal Legal Defense Fund had urged Knowles to let the 8-year-old horse sue for lifelong costs of medical care after the horse was discovered in March 2017 covered in lice, 300 pounds underweight and with frostbitten genitals. Its former owner, Gwendolyn Vercher of Cornelius, was convicted of animal neglect and paid some $3,700 in restitution. Lawyer Matthew Liebman argued that animals are sentient beings and noted that animals can be listed as "victims" of neglect or abuse in criminal cases. CLICK HERE for NewsWatch 12's previous story on Justice the horse and his lawsuit. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in Saskatoon on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. A video posted online shows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling chiefs he is upset about how time was managed in a recent meeting with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Matt Smith Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in which the two discussed recent developments in the region as well as joint efforts to achieve the interests of both states and those of the Arab countries, the presidential spokesperson said in a statement late on Monday. El-Sisi and Crown Prince Salman, who is also the Saudi defence minister, discussed Egyptian-Saudi ties and means to bolster mutual cooperation, the statement added. Search Keywords: Short link: EUGENE, Ore. -- After 28 years in Eugene, McGraths Fish House closed Friday at the Valley River Center Owner John McGrath said there have been more restaurants added in front of the mall and the cost of labor has gone up in the past few years. McGrath said the location wasnt profitable anymore. Many in the area were sad to hear the news. Im very sad and not sure where else to go because its proximity to the mall is wonderful, too, so normally, in the past, we didnt have to travel far after shopping, Eugene resident Lynn Rivas said. McGrath said they have offered jobs at other locations to all of their employees. McGrath still operates seven other restaurants, located in Corvallis, Medford, Milwaukie, Salem, Beaverton, Vancouver, Washington., and Boise, Idaho. EUGENE, Ore. -- A community discussion about education at Willamette High School was driven by real-time polling technology. State Representative Julie Fahey (D) held that discussion on Monday evening. In that community conversation, Fahey asked questions about what the community believes needs to be addressed about Oregon education and where future school funding should come from, amongst other topics. However, those questions were presented to the attendees in a multiple choice fashion. Fahey used a real-time polling system through a mobile website to gather input from people in the room, rather than a standard question and answer period. This lead to deep, multi-sided conversations about the topics that community member Bao Adam felt were beneficial. "We were able to see what other people were thinking," Adam said. "I was able to see where I stand with my thoughts and what I would like to see with the conversations we were having today. So, I think it was great." Fahey said this method of polling the public also helps her guide discussions and immediately see what people are most interested in talking about. "I think it also was a great guide for me to be able to ask questions of the people that came and to say, 'why do you support this and not support that?' and 'why do you think that class size is the number one thing we need to address in our schools right now?'" Fahey said. Fahey said she hopes to implement this polling system in future town hall meetings and community discussions, and hopes to have the same result that she had on Monday evening. Egypt's Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid discussed Egyptian-US military cooperation as well as counter-terrorism efforts with the Commanding General of US Army Central Lt. Gen. Michael X. Garrett, the Egyptian army said in a statement on Monday. Lieutenant General Farid and Lt. Gen. Garret discussed "developments in the Middle East, as well as regional and international efforts to eliminate terrorism and restore security and stability in the region," the statement explained. The talks come as Egypt and the US stage the Bright Star 2018 drills, which are running from 8 to 20 September at the Mohamed Naguib military base in northwestern Egypt, with the participation of a number of brotherly and friendly countries. During the meeting, Farid said Cairo is looking forward to further military cooperation with Washington, namely in joint military exercises to boost combat capabilities and exchange of expertise between the two countries. Garrett was quoted by the statement as stressing his country's keenness to deepen bilateral relations with Cairo in all fields, citing the Bright Star drills as an example of exchanging expertise and raising training capabilities. Search Keywords: Short link: ROCHESTER, Minn.- After 3 discussions at Committee of the Whole meetings, the Rochester City Council has approved establishing a city Community Development Department. The vision of the department is, "to be recognized as America's most innovative development services team. It's a team of people with a focus on development facilitation, small area planning, zoning compliance, and urban design. As far as funding goes, over 1 million dollars has been allocated from the 1998 and 2005 sales tax surplus. As part of the proposal, council has agreed to start the Community Developoment Director recruitment process immediately. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Health officials are urging Minnesotans to make sure their measles vaccinations are up to date before they travel after the state confirmed a third measles case. Last week the Minnesota Department of Health identified a case of measles in a 24-month-old child who recently returned from the Middle East, where measles are common. The Ramsey County child was partially vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella. Officials say the child was likely infectious between Sept. 6 and Sept. 14. It was the third travel-related case of measles in Minnesota in less than six weeks. Minnesota saw 75 measles cases in last year's outbreak. Olmsted County Public Health tells KIMT they don't foresee a widespread outbreak, but say vaccinations are key in preventing the spread. "Some people can't get vaccinated," Libby Schmidt, the disease control specialist at Olmsted County Public Health, said. "Those too young or those with weakened immune systems cannot get some certain vaccines and so it's really important that in order to protect them, we get vaccinated as well." Olmsted County Public Helath does have an immunization clinic. Walk-in hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. According to their website, Olmsted County Public Health Services charges an administration fee of $21 for each shot. The Health Department says measles outbreaks are occurring in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America. Officials say anyone who travels to these areas who is not fully vaccinated is at risk of contracting measles. ROCHESTER, Minn.- Its a new program offered by the Rochester Public Library aiming to help young children read in Olmsted County. The library recently received a grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation or SMIF. RPL will distribute 1,300 books to 650 preschoolers this fall. The goal is to enhance school readiness for children under five. Elizabeth Macaulay is a mother of three and frequents the library. She says a program like this will teach more than just literacy. It frees children to see a world perhaps they'll never see otherwise, said Macaulay. Each child will go home with at least two books. The literacy program is also offered in 20 other southern Minnesota counties. ALGONA, Iowa A not guilty plea is entered in a Kossuth County murder case. Jeffrey Lynn Winters, 61 of Livermore, is accused of killing Randy Page of Lu Verne, who was found dead in his garage on August 27. Police say they found four 9mm bullet casings near Pages body and several neighbors reported seeing a man who looked like Winters at Pages home. Law enforcement says a search of Winters home found an empty handgun holster and ammunition. Winters has filed a demand for a speedy trial on 1st degree murder but court records do not list any trial date. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Monday with Italy's Parliament Speaker Roberto Fico bilateral relations, efforts against illegal migration, and developments in the investigation into the murder of Italian student Guilio Regini, a statement by the Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady read. During the meeting, which was attended by Egyptian Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal and the Italian Ambassador to Cairo Giampaolo Cantini, El-Sisi reiterated Egypt's desire to intensify cooperation with Italy on parliamentary issues and across various fields. Rady said that Fico's visit to Cairo is the fourth visit by high-level Italian officials to Egypt in less than two months. Fico stressed the importance of the historical relationship between Egypt and Italy, pointing out to the growth in cooperation between the two countries across economic and trade fields over the recent period. Italy is one of Egypt's most important trading partners in the European Union, with Italian firms, including the energy giant Eni, making key investments in the country. Rady said that the president and the Italian parliament speaker also discussed efforts against illegal migration. The president said Egypt has demonstrated that it is a credible, pioneering partner in the fight against illegal migration, pointing out that Cairo has taken many economic and legislative steps on this issue since 2016. El-Sisi and Fico also discussed the crises in Libya and Syria, and cooperation in combating terrorism. The spokesman said that the case of the murder of Italian student Giulio Regini in Egypt in early 2016 was also discussed. El-Sisi reaffirmed to Fico Egypt's keeness to reach the truth, highlighting the Egyptian authorities' commitment to full transparency and cooperation between the Egyptian prosecution general with the Italian side. The president said he instructed the authorities to remove any obstacles in the ongoing investigations in order to determine the culprits and bring them to justice.. According to Rady, Fico expressed Italy's appreciation for Egypt's will to reach the truth, which he said both sides are searching for, through joint cooperation. Fico added that this would have a positive on Italian public opinion, explaining that a quick resolution to the case would bolster and strengthen relations between the two countries. Egyptian and Italian authorities have been cooperating for over two years in the investigation into the murder of Regini, who disappeared in Cairo on 25 January 2016 and was found dead 10 days later, bearing signs of torture. Search Keywords: Short link: MASON CITY, Iowa G8 Development is in default over the River City Renaissance Project. The Iowa Economic Development Authority gave the developer and Mason City until Monday to provide documentation that funding for the project is secure. City Administrator Aaron Burnett says G8 failed to meet that deadline. However, there will now be a 45 day period when G8 Development could cure the default by providing the proper documents. That deadline will be October 22. Mason City and G8 Development announced in July that funding was secure for the River City Renaissance Project but state officials say official documents proving that were never filed, something which must happened before any state funding can be approved for the multi-million dollar project. NEW HAMPTON, Iowa An Iowa City man is pleading guilty to driving over 100 miles an hour in Chickasaw County. Hamdan Ali Manea Mufreh Al Ahbabi, 22 of Iowa City, was arrested after law enforcement says he was clocked going 121 miles per hour on Highway 63 on February 13. He was charged with eluding but pleaded guilty to speeding. Al Ahbabi must pay a $280 fine and $100 in court costs. Dried out: Bed of the river Elbe in Magdeburg on July 08, 2018. (Photo: Marco Kaschuba) The four months period from April to July 2018 was the warmest in Germany since the beginning of weather recording. Many places reached new all-time as well as monthly records. In addition, the situation was aggravated by a drought since February. In August, about 90% of the German territory suffered under drought. Heat and drought led to severe forest fires in several regions of Europe and to crop failures in Germany. This is reported by the Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Dried out rivers, withered fields, forest fires and wildfires, damaged roads, deformed rails: The impacts of this years heat wave in Germany were and still are impossible to ignore. CEDIMs interdisciplinary Forensic Disaster Analysis (FDA) Group analyzed how temperature and precipitation developed in Germany and Europe until mid-August 2018, how drought and heat can be explained meteorologically and placed in a historical context, and which impacts they have on man and nature. The findings are summarized in the recently issued report Durre & Hitzewelle Sommer 2018 (Deutschland) (drought & heat wave summer 2018 (Germany)) (in German only). No New Heat Record Warmest Four Months Period The four months period from April to July 2018 is the warmest in Germany since the beginning of regular weather recording in 1881, says Professor Michael Kunz, Scientific Spokesperson of CEDIM and head of the corresponding working group at the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-TRO). In all four months, mean temperature in all federal states was at least 1.7 Kelvin (corresponding to a temperature difference of 1.7C) above the long-time reference value from 1981 to 2010. Overall, the temperature exceeded the standard value by 2.8 Kelvin. In the record summer of 2003, by contrast, the same four months period was 1.2 Kelvin colder on the average than in 2018. When including the month of August of 2018, the mean temperature of which is not yet available, but will be below that of 2003, the temperature difference is reduced somewhat in favor of 2003. The German heat record of 40.3C was not exceeded in 2018. On July 31, however, the city of Bernburg an der Saale in Saxony-Anhalt with its all-time record of 39.5C was quite close to this record. Many other places in Germany reached all-time or monthly records in 2018. Extreme Drought since February 2018 As regards precipitation, the months from February to July 2018 were extremely dry after a rather wet January. Altogether, the Germany-wide average precipitation in this six months period reached 61% of the usual amount of rain only, says Professor Michael Kunz. With 80.5% of the standard value, the precipitation level in the state of Saarland was quite good. With 52%, the state of Saxony-Anhalt reached the lowest value. Historic comparison, however, reveals that the six months period from February to July in 1922 and 1976 produced even lower Germany-wide averages than in 2018. The dryness prevailing from February 2018 increased with increasing temperatures and led to a drought of large dimension in August. The CEDIM report classifies agrarian drought based on soil moisture distribution from 1951 to 2015. This classification was developed by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ in Leipzig that calculates current soil moisture in its Durremonitor Deutschland (German drought monitor). Drought class 4 exceptional drought, the driest class means that soil moisture was below the actual value in 2% of the long-year simulation values and, statistically speaking, every 33 years only. In case of drought class 3, soil moisture was below the actual value in 5% of the cases. Drought class 2 means that moisture was below the actual value in 10% of the cases and for drought class 1 in 20% of the cases. On August 14, 2018, 89% of the German territory were under drought. Hence, its extension was much larger than in 2003, in which a maximum of 74% of the territory suffered from drought, Dr. Andreas Marx, Head of the UFZ Climate Office for Central Germany, says. In spite of the altogether very low amounts of precipitation, 2018 also had days of heavy thunderstorms with large rainfall volumes at many places. This locally caused severe damage. Heat and Drought in Europe Also other regions of Europe suffered from the extreme drought and heat. In Southwest Spain and South Portugal, the highest daily temperatures often exceeded 45C. Unusually high temperatures and drought also were recorded temporarily in the South and Southeast of England. Sometimes, warm air flows even reached the North of Scandinavia. In the latest report of CEDIM, the heat and drought of 2018 are explained by a large-area flow pattern that prevailed above Europe for months and was associated with constant high pressure above the North of the continent. In spite of some variations in spring and summer, this flow pattern constantly regenerated itself. In case of such a dominating general weather situation, Atlantic low-pressure zones with cool and cloudy air and precipitation hardly reach central Europe. Forest Fires and Disturbances of Road, Air, and Ship Traffic The impacts of the heat and drought were and are still of dramatic character: In many regions of Europe, in particular in Greece, Portugal and Spain as well as in Sweden, devastating forest fires occurred. In Germany, the biggest impacts are seen in the agricultural sector and mainly the North and East of Germany are affected, says Susanne Kubisch, doctoral researcher of CEDIM and KITs Institute of Regional Science (IfR). In August, the German Farmers Federation prognosticated a grain harvest of 36 million tons, which would be even lower than in 2003. The average harvest of the past five years is 47.9 million tons. Also forestry and fish farming suffer from negative impacts. Only, the winegrowing sector profits from the impacts of heat. Wine harvest will take place much earlier than expected. In road traffic, the heat damaged the roads and resulted in road closures and speed reductions. Train traffic was disturbed by deformed rails and embankment fires. In air traffic, planes were canceled or delayed. Due to the low water level, ship traffic on the rivers was restricted. This affected not only industry and transport, but also tourism. Recreation areas with rivers and lakes had to cope with the consequences of water shortage, while tourist destinations on the Baltic Sea and North Sea recorded increasing numbers of tourists, Christina Wisotzky, doctoral researcher of CEDIM and KITs Institute for Economic Policy Research (ECON), says. In agriculture and tourism, the heat wave had different regional impacts. Some branches in both sectors even profited. Altogether, however, the costs resulting from the impacts of the heat wave as a result of climate change outweigh the benefits. About CEDIM The Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology, CEDIM for short, is an interdisciplinary institution of KIT in the area of disaster management. CEDIM scientists study the causes, management, and prevention of natural and technical risks and develop concepts to enhance safety in a world with population growth, rapid urbanization, and climate change. Original Publication: Bernhard Muhr, Susanne Kubisch, Andreas Marx, Johanna Stotzer, Christina Wisotzky, Christian Latt, Fabian Siegmann, Maren Glattfelder, Susanna Mohr, Michael Kunz/CEDIM Forensic Disaster Analysis Group: Durre & Hitzewelle Sommer 2018 (Deutschland). 18 August 2018 Report No. 1. Abrufbar unter https://www.cedim.kit.edu More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center: http://www.klima-umwelt.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. Professor Peter Wurfel. (Photo: Lydia Albrecht, KIT) Peter Wurfel, professor emeritus of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), is awarded the Becquerel Prize 2018. With this prize, the European Commission honors the physicists fundamental contributions to the theory of photovoltaic energy conversion. Peter Wurfel developed basic findings relating to the conversion of light energy into electric energy and presented them in his highly regarded book Physik der Solarzellen (physics of solar cells). Wurfel is considered one of the pioneers of comprehensive photovoltaics research at KIT. The Becquerel Prize will be awarded at this years European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Brussels on September 24, 2018. The Prize is named after Alexandre Edmond Becquerel (1820 1891) who was the first to observe photovoltaic processes in 1839. The European Commission has been awarding the Becquerel Prize for outstanding merits in the development of photovoltaics since 1989, the year of the 150th anniversary of Becquerels classical experiments in which he discovered the photovoltaic effect. Peter Wurfel, retired professor of KITs Institute of Applied Physics (APH), essentially contributed to the understanding of photovoltaic energy conversion. While working at Universitat Karlsruhe (TH), one of the precursory institutions of KIT, he consistently applied a thermodynamic concept to explain conversion of radiation energy into electric energy, to present physical limits of the achievable efficiency of solar cells, and assess concepts for efficiency increase. His well-known book Physik der Solarzellen (physics of solar cells) presents the thermodynamics and optoelectronics of solar cells in high detail. The findings of Peter Wurfel paved the way for new photovoltaic technologies, such as selective contacts to reduce the loss of charge carriers and, hence, increase current flow of solar cells. The work of Professor Wurfel also influenced the development of new methods for characterizing solar cells, such as luminescence analysis. During several research stays at the University of New South Wales in Sydney with the renowned solar energy researcher Professor Martin Green, Peter Wurfel developed important publications on the efficiency of novel solar cell concepts. Innovative Materials and Production Processes: Photovoltaics Research at KIT From Fundamentals to Application Todays photovoltaics research at KIT focuses on various approaches to low-cost, environmentally compatible, and efficient solar cells. Researchers of many institutes of KIT cooperate with other universities and research institutions as well as with industrial companies to study innovative materials and concepts. Work extends from physical fundamentals to application. A focus lies on thin-layer photovoltaics as an alternative to conventional silicon technology. Research covers novel semiconductors, such as perovskites or CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-diselenide) and their nano- and microstructures as well as organic materials, such as highly cross-linked polymers. The semiconductors and organic materials promise to result in low-cost and environmentally compatible production processes. Moreover, they allow for flexible designs for e.g. facades and windows as well as for mobile applications, an example being solar glasses. Among the production methods are wet chemistry methods, printing, such as roll-to-roll printing on large-area flexible substrates, and deposition of semiconductor materials in a vacuum. Scientists characterize single material layers and their combination in solar cells with various materials science methods. Among others, they use synchrotron radiation of large particle accelerators. In addition, fundamental physical processes of light-matter interaction are investigated to optimize absorption of sunlight in solar cells. KIT researchers also work on tandem solar cells that combine various materials, such as perovskite with CIGS or silicon, or use complementary absorbing organic semiconductors. Such combinations of materials reduce losses in the absorption of sunlight and, thus, increase the efficiency of solar cells. An important aspect of photovoltaics is light management: to suppress the reflection of sunlight and reduce losses, scientists provide the surface of solar cells with biomimetic nano- or microstructures, such as structures of flower petals. To increase the distance covered by the light inside solar cells and, hence, reduce the material consumed to reach the same absorption, KIT researchers apply layers with periodic or disordered nanopatterns. Furthermore, electric contact wires at the surface of solar cells can be coated with optical metamaterials. These materials act like an invisibility coat and guide the light around the contacts in order to prevent shadow effects. Grids and Storage Concepts for the Energy Transition The interaction of solar modules, inverters, and batteries is studied at the Solar Power Storage Park on Campus North of KIT. With more than 100 modules producing 1 megawatt of total power and a battery storage system of several dozens of kilowatt hours, the Solar Power Storage Park of KIT is the biggest park of its kind in Germany. Here, researchers study how renewable energies can be controlled by novel prognosis and control algorithms, buffered smartly, and fed into the grid in a demand-driven and system-compatible way. More about the KIT Energy Center: http://www.energie.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. As was widely expected, yesterday President Trump made good on his word to implement an additional $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the United States. In response to his action, the Chinese government added tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. imports. It seems, at least for now, both governments are using big sticks with no carrots in sight. One major wildcard that was not anticipated was the fact that President Trump levied tariffs at a rate of 10%, rather than 25%. Although President Trump plans to ramp up tariffs to 25% by the end of 2018, initially tariffs levied will begin at 10%. This move seemed to avert major concern, resulting in a strong upside move in U.S. equities with only mild gains in the U.S. dollar and slight losses in gold and silver. Just after 4 PM Eastern standard time, gold is trading marginally lower with the most active December Comex contract currently down $2.90 and fixed at $1,202.90. Spot gold is exhibiting the same drawdown and currently fixed at $1,197.90, after subtracting a $3.20 decline on the day. According to the KGX (Kitco Gold Index), todays marginal decline of $3.20 contains selling pressure which results in a decrease of $1.75 with dollar strength accounting for the remaining $1.45. With the current trade dispute quickly transforming into a trade war, market sentiment was tepid in terms of a knee-jerk reaction. Because it is widely believed that the United States has less to lose from the current dispute, recent actions have been favorable to the U.S. dollar, and it had a real negative impact on the Chinese Yuan, as well as gold and silver prices. Although the dispute continues to provide dynamic headwinds for precious metals pricing, todays selloff in gold and silver were muted at best. It seems as though the market has largely factored in the current trade crisis. Chinas retaliation resulted in a tirade of Trump tweets in which the U.S. president warned China against retaliatory action toward U.S. farmers in the industry by saying, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately 267 billion of additional imports. It seems likely that the current trade dispute will get worse before it gets better. Even though President Trump said that the United States may make a deal at some point with China and that the United States is always open to talking, it seems at least for now that both countries will continue to use their arsenal of big sticks with no carrots in sight. For those who would like more information, simply use this link. Wishing you as always, good trading, GUATEMALA CITY, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The Guatemalan unit of U.S. miner Tahoe Resources Inc laid off an additional 169 workers on Monday, two weeks after the country's top court kept in place a more than 14-month suspension of operations at the company's Escobal silver mine. The layoffs at Minera San Rafael, Tahoe's local unit, now total 872 employees since the company's property was forced to halt operations last year after a Guatemalan court suspended the licenses. An environmental organization filed an appeal alleging that the country's Ministry of Energy and Mines did not consult with the Xinca indigenous people before awarding the Escobal mining license to Tahoe. Earlier this month, Guatemala's Constitutional Court upheld the suspension of licenses at the Escobal mine, meaning Tahoe must return to the Xinca for consultations in order to try to regain its license. "The uncertainty in which the (Constitutional Court) has maintained the case compels us to adapt," Andres Davila, a spokesman for the mine, said in a statement. Reno, Nevada-based Tahoe has argued that the mine is a key driver of growth in the local economy. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by David Alire and Julia Love; Editing by Peter Cooney) Reuters Messaging: david.aliregarcia.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) By Manolo Serapio Jr MANILA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The Philippines has ordered a review of more than 100 proposals for small-scale mining sites across the country following a landslide that killed 62 people including illegal gold miners, its environment minister said on Tuesday. The Southeast Asian nation has designated about 18 mining areas for small-scale mining locally known as Minahang Bayan. The areas are subject to rules regulating small-scale mineral extraction to ensure taxes are paid and environmental breaches are prevented. "We will be stricter in approving Minahang Bayan sites, and affirm whether they conform to standards that are safe especially for the miners," Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a statement. There are more than 100 pending applications for Minahang Bayan, Wilfredo Moncano, the head of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, told reporters. The order comes a day after Cimatu halted all small-scale mining in the Cordillera region in northern Philippines after heavy rains from super typhoon Mangkhut triggered landslides on Saturday which some government officials and large miners said were exacerbated by illegal small-scale mining. In the village of Ucab in the town of Itogon in the Cordillera, the death toll has reached 62 with more than 40 people still missing, said Francis Tolentino, an advisor to President Rodrigo Duterte and head of the government's disaster coordination. Some of those who died were illegally extracting for gold around the areas where Benguet Corp operated a mine that suspended operations in the 1990s. Benguet Corp said in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday that the illegal mining and gold processing activities there "are without the permission" of the company. The Philippines is the world's No. 2 nickel ore supplier after Indonesia. The government's focus on small-scale mining follows an earlier crackdown on larger miners many of which were ordered closed or suspended for environmental infractions. Last month, a government panel said 23 of 27 mines reviewed for compliance with state regulations will continue to operate, while the remaining four that failed the audit could face closure. (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Additional reporting by Enrico dela Cruz and Manuel Mogato; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) manolo.serapio.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net Twitter: @MannySerapio)) OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland will hold fresh talks on renewing NAFTA with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington on Wednesday, a spokesman for Freeland said on Tuesday. Freeland told reporters on Monday she would be meeting Lighthizer this week in another attempt to settle disagreements between the two countries over the trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump last month announced a side deal with Mexico - the third member of the pact - and has warned Ottawa that he is prepared to leave Canada out if it fails to accept terms more favorable to the United States. JOHANNESBURG, Sept 18 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand gained early on Tuesday as broad dollar weakness supported investor appetite for riskier assets after Washington imposing additional tariffs on Chinese imports.* At 0645 GMT the rand was 0.35 percent stronger at 14.8750 per dollar compared with its New York close of 14.9275.* Trade-war tensions have intensified as U.S. President Donald Trump imposed additional 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports on Monday .* Washington has imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products to pressure China to make sweeping changes to its trade, technology transfer and high-tech industrial subsidy policies. Beijing has retaliated and talks between the world's two largest economies to resolve their trade differences have produced no results.* The rand is expected to trade at 14.80 to 15.10 to the dollar on Tuesday, according to an early NKC African Economics note. * In fixed income, the yield on the benchmark government bond due in 2026 was flat at 9.250 percent. * Stocks were set to open higher at 0700 GMT, with the JSE securities exchange's Top-40 futures index up 0.07 percent. (Reporting by Nomvelo Chalumbira, editing by Larry King) Egypt's Ministry of Agriculture seized five lions and a large snake in possession of a local in the governorate of Qalyoubiya, and sent them to the Giza Zoo in Cairo. The ministry said the snake was Burmese python, one of the largest species of snakes, which is listed on the UN Convention on International Trade Endangered Species (CITES) list. The man, a circus trainer, used the wild animals for "display and photography purposes", the ministry added in a statement on Monday. The lions will undergo veterinary quarantine measures for 21 days and the python for 90 days, according to Mohamed Ragaie, the head of the ministry's central department of zoos and wildlife conservation. Regaie said in TV comments later that the man who owned the animals worked for an unlicensed circus that is not overseen by the ministry. He said the animals were kept in a residential area and moved during display time. The lions will be put on display within a month at the Giza Zoo in Cairo, he added. Environmental police also recently seized a large Indian snake that was used for photography in Cairo. Search Keywords: Short link: Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Lots of sunshine. High near 65F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. The general assembly of the Cassation Court slammed a statement on Tuesday issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the Rabaa dispersal court rulings. The statement issued by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet was beyond the powers and competencies of the UN human rights body, the assembly said. The assembly stressed that Egypt's judiciary was fair enough and followed constitutional and legal procedures before issuing any ruling. The assembly also called on the human rights commission to reconsider its position on this issue and to seek accuracy before publishing any similar statements in the future. A Cairo criminal court issued earlier in September a death sentence to 75 members of the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group in the criminal case known as "the Rabaa Dispersal Case." All convicted have the right to appeal the verdict within 60 days. In her statement about the trial, Bachelet criticized the trial and requested the appeal court in Egypt to overturn the death sentences. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed in Cairo on Tuesday the latest developments in Palestine as well the Palestinian reconciliation process with Azzam El-Ahmed, the leading Fatah party member and head of its delegation in the national reconciliation talks. In a statement following the meeting, the foreign ministry said El-Ahmed discussed with Shoukry the latest developments that are affecting the future of the peace process, which include the Jerusalem situation and the UNRWA crisis. Shoukry renewed Egypt's commitment to support all of the legal and historical rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. El-Ahmed also expressed his appreciation for Egypt's continuous efforts to support the Palestinian cause and finding ways to deal with the recent challenges, stressing at the same time on the importance of the Jerusalem and Palestinian refugee issues. Shoukry also discussed with El-Ahmed the efforts of Fatah party and the Palestinian authority to end the rift while the Palestinian official praised Egypt's role in the reconciliation. Search Keywords: Short link: By Kang Seung-woo As Southeast Asian countries are currently emerging as the darlings for Koreans' vacation destinations, they are keen on promoting their sightseeing spots. However, Maria Apo, director of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea, stresses that her country is ahead of its neighbors thanks to a number of specialties appealing to Korean travelers. Maria Apo, director of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Aug. 29. / Courtesy of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea "Our first main advantage is that the Philippines is, among Southeast Asia countries, very close to Korea. We are only four hours away," the director said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul. "Therefore, it can be a weekend holiday getaway. Koreans can go to the Philippines on Friday and then be back on Sunday and some can even be back on Monday early morning and go to work." She also said the second advantage is the country has 7,641 islands, recognized worldwide. "Many of them are world-renowned, meaning they are like Palawan and Boracay that have been cited by prestigious travel magazines of the world and given recognition of best islands in the world," Apo said, adding magazines include Travel + Leisure magazine, Conde Nast, Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor. "Even here, three of our islands _ Palawan, Boracay and Cebu _ garnered the top spot of a publication as best islands in the world." Tourists take a boat on the Puerto Princesa underground river. / Courtesy of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea The low value of the local currency is also encouraging Koreans to travel to the Philippines, according to Apo. "The No. 3 (advantage) is value for money, I think in terms of Koreans, when the Korean won goes a long way if spent in the Philippines. About 100,000 Koreans are living in the Philippines and we ask them why do you like the Philippines? They say we have value for money," she said. To Koreans, Cebu and Boracay are the Philippines' household tourist destinations. But Apo said her country has a myriad of sightseeing spots to wow Korean tourists including Palawan and Bohol Island. "Palawan is not known to many Koreans although it is a top attraction. One of its primary attractions is the Puerto Princesa underground river, which is eight kilometers long inside a mountain," she said, adding that people can travel the underground river by boat. She also said the archipelagic province is home to Tubbataha Reef, famous for diving, and El Nido and Coron that have nice areas for snorkeling and a lot of marine activities. Apo also boasted of Bohol Island that she described as a "geological wonder." "Carmen, one area in Bohol, has 1,760 hills equivalent to the height of a seven-story building. During summer, we call them chocolate hills because they look like Hershey's Kisses, while during the rainy season they are called green hills. Can you imagine an area with 1,760 hills?" she said, adding there are no other places in the Philippines with that geological feature. The tarsier is one of the oldest living primates in the world. / Courtesy of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea She also said the tarsier is something not to miss when you visit Bohol. It is the world's smallest primate and an endangered species found only in the Philippines and Indonesia. "It is one of the oldest living primates in the world. A lot of tourists go to a conservation sanctuary for tarsiers, where they can see them in the trees. It is part of a tour on Bohol," Apo said. "When you don't see chocolate hills and a tarsier, then you are not on Bohol _ even if you are physically on Bohol." Late last month, a Korean man was killed in Cebu and another Korean tourist came under gun attack in Manila in July _ even though his wound was not life-threatening. Such recent crimes are raising concerns over security among Koreans who plan to travel to the Philippines. Apo said her government is trying to take preventive measures as part of efforts to ease growing concerns. "Our president, Rodrigo Duterte, came here last June and had a meeting with President Moon Jae-in and part of their agenda was to ensure there will be protection for Korean tourists and citizens living in the Philippines," she said. "So hopefully, these are isolated cases and we have trained some of our policemen to understand tourists, and are doing seminars for them. Hopefully there is really a big campaign we need to do to assure tourists and policemen are also doing their job to see perpetrators get punished." She added that the Philippine government plans to start Korean language training in the customs at the airport, which will help Korean tourists be better understood by personnel in the government and in the airport. Land of K-pop, K-drama Last year, 448,702 Filipinos visited Korea _ with the Philippines becoming the sixth-largest source of foreign visitors after China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Apo said Korea is emerging as a really attractive travel destination thanks to hallyu, the Korean wave of pop culture sweeping Asia. "Korea is the land of K-dram and K-pop _ especially for the younger generation _ and they come to see the areas they see on TV, the K-dramas and maybe restaurants," she said. "I think Korea is also a unique place to visit because it is a blend of East and West. East is an Oriental part such as palaces that are very nice attractions to Filipinos and at the same time, the western culture is K-pop. It feels very western and modern. "So, it is a blend of those things." Other than K-pop, Apo said shopping is also encouraging Philippine people to fly to Korea. "What they shop for here _ especially women _ is cosmetics. We have Korean brands in the Philippines, but here they offer like gift sets," the director said. She added if Filipinos buy some cosmetic products here, Korean vendors give a bundle of extras _ a sharp contrast to the Philippines' straightforward pricing for a particular item. "I think that is very creative," she said. Last year, 1.6 million Koreans visited the Philippines, up 9 percent from a year earlier. Taking a closer look at the number of arrivals, it has steadily increased from 2011 to 2017. On the back of the winning vibe, its tourism department is set to continue the upward trend. "We will find a way to introduce more new products. Those who have been to the Philippines are like 1.6 million, so we would like them to come back in the coming years because if they have been to just one or two places, they have not seen the entire Philippines," she said. "So we will introduce other destinations, other forms of activities and more Filipino culture that they can also understand us and also our food." Audiences watch filmmaker Jee Hye-won's "Coming to You, Minu," the opening film of the 10th DMZ International Film Fesitival, at the utdoor stage of the Lotte Preemium Outlet parking lot in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Spet. 13. / Yonhap By Kang Aa-young Jung Sang-jin. A scene from musical "Matilda" / Courtesy of Seensee Company By Kwon Mee-yoo It has been 30 years since Roald Dahl's quirky yet funny young rebel Matilda made her debut. However, the children's literature character still lives on in the pages of the book as well as on the stage of theaters around the world in a musical adaptation, including a recently opened Seoul production. The Korean production is receiving standing ovations every night as audiences travel Matilda's whimsical journey through her apathetic family and ghastly school, standing up against absurdity. Catherine Mallyon, executive director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) which produced the musical rendition of "Matilda," said a good musical like "Matilda" does not happen overnight. The RSC began as the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and still Shakespeare's works take up about 60 percent of the troupe's repertoire, but the company also presents works of Shakespeare's contemporaries and today's writers. Some of the notable non-Shakespeare works produced by the RSC include "Les Miserables," "Wolf Hall" and "Matilda the Musical." Catherine Mallyon, executive director of the Royal Shakespeare Company / Courtesy of Seensee Company This is the fifth in a series of interviews with economic experts who analyze the state of the Korean economy and make policy suggestions. ED. Labor flexibility needed to boost productivity amid aged society By Park Hyong-ki Kim Jung-ho, professor of economics at Ajou University An F&F employee takes a photo of a model wearing a Discovery Expedition long padded coat at the clothing brand's pop-up store in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of F&F By Park Jae-hyuk Outdoor brands in Korea will continue to rely on long padded coats for the second consecutive winter, rather than setting a new trend, fashion industry officials said Tuesday. Although domestic clothing companies said they are looking for a new item to cope with the expected ending of padded coat fever next year, they have yet to come up with a blueprint for the future. A Discovery Expedition pop-up store opened in Seoul that day showed the tendency. The store displayed newly released long padded coats that the outdoor brand showcased on a runway last week, in addition to padded jackets of various lengths and colors. "As we think there still remain opportunities for long padded coats on the market, we decided to focus on the item this year," said F&F deputy general manager Seok Koung-hoon, who is in charge of marketing at Discovery Expedition. "We are thinking over our next step through continuous communication with our customers." F&F said Discovery Expedition added not only functionality, but also brand identity and style to its new long padded coats. The company also said its products feature diversity in terms of size, fabric and color. Discovery Expedition's rivals have also begun releasing upgraded padded coats for winter. On the day of the pop-up store's opening, Nepa released the Primia long down jacket, which is known as a favorite of actress Jun Ji-hyun. Millet released the new version of its Richelle padded coat, a day before the pop-up store's opening. Lotte Shopping will start selling 10,000 of its new long padded coats today at its department stores and outlets nationwide. The official sponsor of the PyeongChang Winter Games led the craze for long padded coats last year, as 30,000 of its "PyeongChang long padded coat" were sold within a month. Against this backdrop, some observers say the craze for long padded coats has already come to an end, citing hundreds of padded coat trades on online second-hand markets. President of the European Council Donald Tusk said on Tuesday the EU should discuss the potential to step up cooperation with Egypt, the council said on its website. "After my visit in Cairo, I have no doubt that we should also discuss the potential to step up cooperation with Egypt, including in the area of migration," an invitation letter by Tusk to the members of the European Council ahead of the informal meeting in Salzburg on 19 and 20 September 2018 read. "It is worth recalling that the Egyptian authorities have made the fight against smuggling and trafficking their priority. As a result, there have been no irregular departures from Egypt to Europe this year (compared to almost 13,000 in 2016)," he added. Tusk also called for endorsing the initiative to call an EU-League of Arab States summit in early 2019. Search Keywords: Short link: North Korea's state media reported Tuesday on this week's inter-Korean summit, calling it a "good opportunity" to improve ties between the two Koreas. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is to embark early in the day on a three-day trip to Pyongyang for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It follows his first summit in April and another in May, all of them held at the truce village of Panmunjom. "The Pyongyang summit aimed at implementing the Panmunjom declaration for peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history," the Korean Central News Agency said. Moon will stay in the North through Thursday during which he is to hold talks with Kim, which are expected to be dominated by discussion on denuclearization and inter-Korean relations. After the April summit, in particular, the two leaders agreed to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, halt hostile acts against each other and foster cross-border exchange. Their third summit comes amid stalemated negotiations between the North and the United States on ridding Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons since their historic summit in Singapore in June. The North wants phased and simultaneous reciprocal measures from the U.S. for measures it take to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. The U.S. claims that substantive denuclearization steps should come first before any concessions. (Yonhap) President Moon Jae-in, right, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after Kim crossed Military Demarcation Line (MDL) for the April 27 inter-Korean summit on the South Korean side of the Panunjeom truce village. Yonhap By Oh Young-jin, Jung Da-min Simple handshakes tell a tale of hope and disappointment. The first was between President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in June 2000. It was supposed to be a new start between the two antagonistic brother nations. In hindsight, it came too early to come to fruition. It took nearly 10 years to have the second between Kim and President Roh Moo-hyun in October 2007. It was too late in Roh's presidency, only two months before the presidential election in which the conservative Lee Myung-bak was elected. The third one took another 10 years between President Moon Jae-in, chief of staff of the late former President Roh, and Kim Jong-un, son of the late Kim, in April 2018. But it took only a short time before the two met again the following month. Now the third Moon-Kim summit is taking place. Three summits in five months. The first started when a war seemed likely between nuclear-armed North Korea and the U.S., which could not tolerate this. U.S. President Donald Trump more than once appeared to be the fuse waiting to ignite the first nuclear war. Or not. What does this shortened cycle mean? Is it a new era of inter-Korean cooperation that unites the two Koreas at least on a selective basis? Or will it prove to be a fleeting moment leading to further disillusion? The first seems more likely, but it remains an open question where it will take the two Koreas in the precarious world order that is in flux with the U.S. and China fighting for hegemony. This summit may reveal the answer. 2000 inter-Korean summit North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, left, grasps hands with President Kim Dae-jung, as Kim arrives at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on June 13, 2000, for the first summitbetween the two Koreas. Korea Times file 2007 inter-Korean summit President Roh Moo-hyun, left, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il at Baekhwawon State Guesthouse in Pyongyang, at the inter-Korean summit from Oct. 2-4, 2007. Yonhap 2018 inter-Korean summit LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, right, and SK Chairman Chey Tae-won are among President Moon Jae-in's entourage in Pyongyang. Yonhap By Oh Young-jin Top business leaders accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his three-day summit trip to North Korea Tuesday, were traveling light. They boarded the presidential flight at Seoul Airport in eastern Seoul. A dozen business leaders are included in the presidential entourage, but three stood out: Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong, SK's Chey Tae-won and LG's Koo Kwang-mo. Lee's trip is controversial because he is being tried for allegedly buying influence from former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and is standing trial. Lee was carrying a leather brief case. Chey carried a hard briefcase, while Koo, who became LG leader after his father's recent death, had a soft briefcase. Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from right, waits to board the presidential flight for Pyongyang. Yonhap Moon Jae-in and Kim Jung-sook on their way to Pyongyang on Tuesday. Joint Press Corps. By Dong Sun-hwa Fashion styles of the leaders and first ladies during the summit often deliver crucial statements. The Pyongyang summit on Sept.18-20 is no exception. On Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in wore a red striped tie and a black suit as he headed for Pyongyang. He is believed to have chosen red, the color that represents North Korea, to show respect. For the previous summit on April 27 at Panmunjeom truce village, Moon wore a blue tie and a dark blue suit. Many believed he selected blue, a peace symbol, to represent his hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and first lady Ri Sol-ju at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang Tuesday. Yonhap South Korea's first lady wore a white two-piece dress on Tuesday. It seems she chose white to underscore that the South and the North belong to the same people the "white-clad people." In April, Kim wore a one-piece dress with a big brooch. The first lady also seemed to have wanted to deliver a message of peace by wearing clothes of similar color to those of the President. From left are North Korean first lady Ri Sol-ju, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook at Panmunjeom on Apr. 27. Yonhap A train on Gyeongui Line in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, runs northbound toward North Korea in a test run for possible inter-Korean railway service running alongside the east coast of the Korean Peninsula in May 2007. Korea Times file Railway systems that run through the Korean peninsula to the Eurasian continent, if built, would help boost the economy of countries in the region, government officials and economists said Tuesday. At the 2018 KITA-CSIS Reconnecting Asia Conference, held in Seoul, South Korean government officials and economists from the Korea International Trade Association and Center for Strategic & International Studies spoke with one voice over the huge economic potential of railway networks that connect South and North Korea and countries like China, Russia and Mongolia. "Asia is integrating internally. South Korea is isolated from the world (geographically). We want Korea to be a leader in reconnecting Asia to the world," CSIS President & CEO John J. Hamre said at the gathering. Imjingang Station in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, connects South Korean district of Munsan to Gaesong in North Korea through Gyeongui Line railway. Korea Times file After sharing their ride to the state guesthouse in Pyongyang on Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leave the car to respond to the welcoming North Koreans. Yonhap By Oh Young-jin President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left in separate vehicles after the welcoming ceremony at the North's Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang on Tuesday morning. But when Moon arrived in the state guesthouse one hour later, he was in the same vehicle as Kim. According to North Korea watchers, the trip from the airport to the guesthouse takes about 30 minutes, but their trip took twice as long. Pyongyang citizens wave to President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday. Yonhap What took them so long and what did they do during their trip? If it had happened about 20 years ago during the first inter-Korean summit in 2000 between Kim Jong-il, the leader's father, and the late President Kim Dae-jung, it would attract a great deal of curiosity from the U.S. and China. As a matter of fact, it was said after the 2000 summit that the U.S. under President George W. Bush prioritized gaining access to the conversation between the two leaders because it was the first summit and the U.S. obviously did not know what the two estranged brother countries could be up to when left to their own devices. At that time, the circumstances played a role because the late Kim suggested to Kim spontaneously that they ride in the same car. It was more plausible because Kim was alone when receiving the South Korean leader. This time, the son was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju, while Moon was with his wife Kim Jong-sook. North Koreans in colorful outfits welcome President Moon Jae-in. Yonhap North Korean cold noodles are shown in this photo released by North Korean media on July 5, 2018. / Yonhap By Kang Aa-young All eyes are on Pyongyang-style cold noodles again as President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un will have lunch at Okryugwan in Pyongyang on Wednesday, the second day of their third summit. The restaurant, located on the banks of the Taedong River, is famous for authentic Pyongyang-style cold noodles. Moon tried Pyongyang-style cold noodles in April when he met Kim for their first summit at the Joint Security Area. Back then, Kim brought a batch of the noodles for a dinner banquet at the request of President Moon. North Korea's cuisine diplomacy created a cold noodle craze in the South after the first summit. Cold noodles are popular during summertime but a cold noodle craze in early spring is rare. It remains to be seen whether the post-summit cold noodle craze will return after their third summit. In the past, cold noodles were a winter-time specialty. Traditionally noodles were served in radish water with kimchi broth. Pyongyang and Hamhung, both in North Korea, are two well-known cities for authentic noodles, called naengmyeon or raengmyeon in North Korean dialect. Food columnist Hwang Young-chul said Hamhung cold noodles have different textures as they are chewier than those from Pyongyang because of the ingredients. "South Hamgyong Province on the east coast of the Korean Peninsula is cold and dry and thus it's hard to grow crops there. So people there add more sweet potato starch when they make noodles because wheat powder was hard to get, whereas people in Pyongyang use more wheat powder," he said. Because of the ingredients, the noodles are chewier in Hamhung than Pyongyang. The food columnist said cold noodles have become a popular cuisine to serve guests among Koreans because of the traits of the dish. "North Koreans tend to feel embarrassed about food stains on clothes while having a meal and they think of it as bad manners to serve food that can cause stains. So they try not to serve food that can embarrass their guests," he said. "It's their meal etiquette. It's being said South Koreans use the most amount of tissues when they have a meal. North Koreans aren't different from southerners. We both share the same culture." People from the Hamgyong region, since it is a cold area, liked spicy dishes that could help them keep warm. "Spicy sauce worked like a booster for them to fight the cold temperature." Pyongyang cold noodles, well known for their mild broth and texture, is considered the forefather of cold noodles, and mixed cold noodles is believed to have originated in Hamhung. Cold noodles from Hamhung feature white noodles as they are made by mixing buckwheat with potato or sweet potato starch. Though thin, it is hard for people to bite the Hamhung-style noodles because the texture is chewy. Because of the chewy texture, people use scissors to cut the noodles. Unlike in the South where it's hard to find restaurants serving authentic Pyongyang-style noodles, in North Korea most restaurants follow traditional recipes, according to Hwang. He said the popular categories of main dishes are similar to what South Koreans have, including rice, soup and noodles. "North Koreans tend to season less and their recipes are considerably shorter than ours. South Korean cuisine has slightly more colors with style," Hwang said. "Most importantly, North Korean food doesn't rely on imported ingredients. They only use domestic ingredients." They widely stick to traditional recipes, he added. South Korean businesspeople who had operated factories at the now-shuttered Kaesong complex said Tuesday they will prepare for a possible resumption of operations at the joint factory park as South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds talks with Kim Jong-un. Moon and the North Korean leader held their first round of talks on the first day of the historic summit largely aimed at seeking a breakthrough in the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang. Shin Han-yong, the head of a private task force representing South Korean firms that had operated factories in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, was included in Moon's 52-member entourage, which also encompasses government officials, politicians and selected figures from various other fields. "I think the fact that I was included in the list indicates the government's desire to discuss the restarting of the Kaesong complex with the North," Shin told Yonhap News Agency. "We will prepare for the reopening of the factory plant step by step, with hope for its reopening within the year," he added. Opened in 2004, the industrial park in the North's border town of Kaesong was hailed as a key symbol of economic cooperation between the rival Koreas as it combined South Korean capital and technology with cheap labor from North Korea. The Seoul government, however, halted its operation in 2016 in retaliation for Pyongyang's missile and nuclear provocations. (Yonhap) A medical equipment salesman enters the operating room at a hospital in Busan in this video footage taken in May. The patient died shortly after undergoing shoulder surgery by this unlicensed person instead of surgeon. / Yonhap By Lee Suh-yoon Starting next month, a Gyeonggi provincial government-operated medical facility will install closed circuit (CCTV) surveillance cameras inside operating rooms to more closely check on possible medical malpractice and abuse of anesthetized patients. It is yet to be seen whether the initiative will encourage other hospitals to follow suit amid growing public calls for the cameras following cases of botched operations by unlicensed employees or ghost doctors and sexual harassment of patients under anesthesia, as well as disputes over malpractice. Ansung Hospital, located in southern Gyeonggi Province, will start recording with cameras Oct. 1. Under this new system, surgeries will be recorded with the patient's consent and the clips will be stored for up to 30 days. This is the first time for a CCTV monitoring system to be installed in a public medical institution. After a test-run, five other medical facilities run by the provincial government in Suwon, Uijeongbu, Paju, Icheon and Pocheon will follow suit by 2019, according to the local government. "The operating room is completely sealed off from the outside and the surgery takes place while the patient is unconscious," Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-Myung said in an SNS post, Sunday. "Cases of human rights abuse in such situations make other patients frustrated and worried." The local government will also set aside 44 million won ($39,000) of its budget to purchase and install the CCTV systems at the medical centers. Supporters of the move say it is an appropriate response to a recent string of medical "accidents" and abuses in operating theaters. "We hope this new system in Gyeonggi Province's medical centers becomes a spark for similar initiatives in all medical institutions across the nation," the Korea Alliance of Patients Organizations said in a recent statement. "The National Assembly should pass laws making it mandatory to record surgical procedures unless the patient says no. Such a law should also include measures to prevent arbitrary viewing or manipulation of the stored video clips, through a proper management and auditing system." Doctors' groups, however, are uneasy about installing CCTVs in operating rooms, calling it "a breach of privacy." "There are doctors who don't like having their faces filmed at work, especially when the video is later stored somewhere," Jeong Seong-gyoon, spokesman for the Korean Medical Association, said in a phone interview with The Korea Times. "If the video is leaked, it could also mean a serious breach of privacy for the patient." Making it mandatory to film operations would also brand doctors as potential criminals, Jeong added. "We think the better way to prevent unlawful and immoral operations is having a separate watchdog to monitor medical procedures," he said. Some lawmakers have submitted bills to set up such a law, but their attempts have been blocked by the opposition from doctors' groups. Recently it was reported that a patient died at a hospital in Busan after shoulder surgery in May. It was found the patient was operated on by a salesman from the hospital's medical equipment supplier instead of a surgeon. The Korea International Expat Film Festival The Korea International Expat Film Festival (KIXFF) teams up with Retro Fest 2018: Rock This Town (a music festival featuring swing dance music; rockabilly style) for this year's festival which features 58 films submitted from all over the world, including Korea _ from both Koreans and expats. The film festival is happening at Emu Cinema near Gwanghwamun Station and runs from Sept. 29 to 30. Retro Fest 2018 will include live music, a live old style barbershop showcase, vendors selling vintage trinkets and a dance party in the basement of Emu Cinema on Sept. 29 to rock your blues away. On Sunday night there will be an awards ceremony to celebrate the winners of this year's fest. Attendees who purchase an all-access VIP pass worth 50,000 won will receive a goody bag featuring gifts from sponsors Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and CLIO Cosmetics. The all-access pass can be bought on the day, in cash or via Paypal, or on the website. For those who only want to see one or two films, individual tickets can be bought on the day for 10,000 won per person but those attendees will not be able to pre-book screenings and cannot attend any Retro Fest events. Food and snacks will also be sold at the event. Visit for ticketing or other information. I Wear* Experiment returns to Korea The Estonian electro band I Wear* Experiment is back for the third time, after performing at Zandari Festa 2016 and touring Korea on their own in January 2017. The band will bring its heavily experimental music to CJ Azit near Gwangheungchang Station on Line 6. Local openers include electro-rock bands LudiSTELO and MDSZ. The event is organized by DoIndie, a website providing news and information on the local music scene in Korean and English. The show is Friday at 8 p.m. and costs 15,000 won in advance or 20,000 won at the door. Visit for more information. Kizomba lessons Kizomba is a genre of dance and music originating in Angola in the 1980s. Meaning "party" in Kimbundu language, it is a slow, sensuous dance performed with a partner to an electronic beat. Every Sunday evening, Volstead in Itaewon offers Kizomba lessons. The intermediate lesson starts at 7 p.m. and the beginner class is at 7:45 p.m. At 8:30 there is a social dance and raffle. Participation costs 10,000 won and comes with a free drink. Visit fb.com/GlobalKizomba for more information. Volstead is south of Itaewon Station on the east side of the street. Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Mohamed Farid witnessed on Tuesday the activities of the "Bright Star 2018" military exercises. Farid said terrorism has become a dangerous phenomenon that threatens the whole world, lauding the success achieved by Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 in combating terrorism and drying up its ressources. The chief of staff also conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Minister of Defense Mohamed Zaki to the forces participating in the drills. Bright Star 2018 exercises started on 8 September at Mohamed Naguib Military Base in Hammam City of Marsa Matrouh and would run until 20 September. Ground, naval and air forces from Egypt, the US, Greece, Jordan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Italy and France are taking part in the drills. The 13-day drills are monitored by 16 countries. Search Keywords: Short link: North Korean citizens welcome President Moon Jae-in on the streets of Pyongyang. / Joint Press Corps By Kim Bo-eun, Joint Press Corps SEOUL/PYONGYANG _ President Moon Jae-in was given an enthusiastic welcome at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport upon his arrival Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and first lady Ri Sol-ju greeted Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook at the airport at around 10 a.m. Moon and Kim embraced and shook hands. Also present at the airport to greet Moon were top officials, including Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea; Workers' Party senior official Ri Su-yong; Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. With a military band playing in the background, hundreds of North Koreans at the airport cheered and waved flowers, the North Korean flag and the flag of a unified Korean Peninsula. The white flag with a blue Korean Peninsula symbolizing a unified Korea, was used for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February as well as the Asian Games in Indonesia in August. The North Koreans held banners that read "We welcome President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang" and "Let's begin an era of peace and prosperity with the people's united strength." Two North Korean children gave bouquets to the President and first lady, and the first couple inspected a North Korean Honor Guard. "Mr. President, the Korean People's Army are holding a march-past to greet your Excellency," said the honor guard's commander. Moon waved to North Koreans, and shook hands with them before he left the airport for the Paekhwawon Guest House. Around an hour before Moon's arrival, crowds awaited him at the airport, and rehearsals took place. The North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo-jong, vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, was seen making final arrangements at the site. North Korea held a car parade for Moon from the airport to Paekhwawon. North Korean citizens cheered as Moon and Kim traveled the streets of Pyongyang. Clad in traditional Korean clothes, they waved flags and chanted "welcome" and "unification." The road from the airport to Paekhwawon was under strict military control. Moon is the third sitting South Korean president to visit the North. The first was Kim Dae-jung who visited in 2000, and the second was Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. This is Moon's third meeting with the North Korean leader. The first two took place at the truce village of Panmunjeom. At the time, Moon greeted the North Korean leader at the military demarcation line (MDL). President Kim Dae-jung was also met at Pyongyang airport by then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un's father. Moon will stay in Pyongyang through Thursday, at the Paekhwawon Guest House for VIP foreign visitors. Presidents Kim and Roh also stayed at the same place. By Lee Min-hyung The two Koreas are set to narrow their differences on the disputed western sea border during their ongoing three-day summit, but experts voiced skepticism over the possibility that both sides can come to "specific terms." The issue has topped the military agenda of Seoul and Pyongyang for decades, because North Korea has never officially acknowledged the sea border, officially known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL), here. A series of military conflicts has even taken place in the area, with the North refusing to accept the line. "The North has not recognized the existence of the NLL during any of the previous inter-Korean declarations," said Lee Gyu-chang, a director at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "It will be very tough for President Moon to resolve the issue during the ongoing summit at a time when both sides have so far failed to reach a consensus on even its fundamentals," he said. In the April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration, the two Koreas agreed to establish a "Peace Zone" near the disputed western sea border. For this reason, expectations have surfaced that President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may sign a more updated agreement on the NLL during their third meeting which started Tuesday in Pyongyang. The two sides need to hold more dialogue over the issue until they reach a clear agreement, according to Moon. In other words, it requires more time and engagement between both sides before realizing that part of the Panmunjeom Declaration, the expert said. "The leaders of the two Koreas will focus more on other matters such as disarmament in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) during the summit, as they have had enough talks on the topic," he said. For two days since last Thursday, the two Koreas held working-level military talks to fine-tune a military agenda to be discussed during the summit. The Ministry of National Defense did not unveil detailed agreements during the dialogue, but reports said that both Koreas failed to reach a consensus over the NLL. Cheong Wa Dae also declined to comment on the details of what Moon plans to discuss in his meeting with Kim. "As leaders from the two Koreas exchanged their desire to turn the area into a peaceful place, there stands a reasonable chance that Moon and Kim may reach a more updated version of the agreement on the issue," a government official said, asking for anonymity. He concurred, however, with Lee that the issue is a task that requires time and patience from both sides. This is not the first time that Seoul and Pyongyang have sought to ease tension on the controversial western sea border. The NLL has been cited as one of the most tension-ridden areas where many South Korean soldiers and sailors have lost their lives after military attacks by the North. In March 2010, North Korea torpedoed the South Korean frigate Cheonan near the NLL, leaving 46 sailors from the South dead or missing. For years following the incident, inter-Korean relations reached their lowest ebb. But with the North's young leader expressing his desire for denuclearization this year, the two Koreas have been on a rapid track for reconciliation. Riding on this rare peace momentum, President Moon has engaged in three summits with his northern counterpart this year. Moon also called for the need for the leaders of the two Koreas to regularly engage with each other for lasting peace between the Koreas. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, hug as South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook, left, shakes hands with her North Korean counterpart Ri Sol-ju at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, Tuesday. The two Korean leaders are schedule to have their third summit from Sept. 18 to 20 to discuss denuclearization and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. / Joint Press Corps By Park Ji-won, Joint Press Corps SEOUL/PYONGYANG _ Compared to previous visits by South Korean leaders to Pyongyang, North Korea provided exceptional treatment for South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the welcoming ceremony. Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook landed at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport Tuesday where they were greeted warmly by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju. The South Korean first couple made their first appearance in the North stepping down from the presidential plane side by side, while the North Korean first couple waited to greet them to show their hospitality. The presence of the North Korean first lady was unexpected; it was the best treatment they could have given to the visiting South Korean leader. By Kim Hyun-bin When President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday, he was greeted by a crowd of North Koreans including its leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju welcoming him and his wife with open arms. The historic encounter was broadcasted live in South Korea in what seems to portray improved inter-Korean ties. Tensions might have been reduced in recent months, but many foreign journalists are skeptical on the progress of denuclearization of the North Korean regime. "On the surface, there hasn't been a huge amount of progress in denuclearization," said Nicola Smith, Asia correspondent at The Telegraph. "I don't think there will be significant progress in terms of denuclearization (in the third summit). I think when it comes to the big decision in disarmament that will have to be taken when President Trump's in the room." In recent tweets, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged his willingness to meet Kim for the second time. However, many journalists believe there needs to be some progress in denuclearization of the regime for the meeting to take place. "There needs to be some concrete agreement and that is probably Moon's main mission to come up with some sort of middle ground that can bring back North Korea and the United States to the negotiation table," said Kim Gamel, Asia-Pacific correspondent at Stars and Stripes. Many experts say North Korea seems to have made key steps in denuclearization, but also point out all the steps could be reversible as there have been no international inspections or verification processes. However, many believe the two Koreas have been making some progress as tensions on the peninsula have massively reduced in recent months. "I think when you compare where we were at this time last year when President Trump was denouncing Kim Jong-un as rocket man in the U.N. General Assembly and where we are now, tensions have massively reduced," Smith said. They have been making slow, steady, incremental steps in the right direction and that is an important part of the diplomatic process in building the foundation of what they hope is a bigger deal in peace on the Korean Peninsula, she added. By Kim Bo-eun Key allies of South Korea expressed wishes the ongoing inter-Korean summit would contribute to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hoped for the success of the summit, in a phone call with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, the foreign ministry stated, Tuesday. The two expressed their views on the summit late Monday, after a phone call earlier the same day, in which Kang informed Pompeo of the preparations for the summit. Meanwhile, referring to a U.N. Security Council meeting called by the U.S. to discuss sanctions on North Korea, Pompeo tweeted "Global sanctions are an essential part of efforts to achieve denuclearization. We are as committed as ever to enforcing them." China also expressed wishes for the summit to play a role in improving inter-Korean relations, and stated its support for the Koreas achieving denuclearization of the Peninsula as well as lasting peace and stability in the region. "China hopes that the summit in Pyongyang can achieve positive outcomes and play a positive role in strengthening the coordination and the interaction between South and North Korea, sustaining and consolidating the improving situation on the Korean Peninsula and continuously promoting a political settlement of the Peninsula issue," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a regular press briefing, Monday. "China will continue to fully support South and North Korea in improving their relations." and contribute to achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the lasting peace and stability of Northeast Asia at an early date," he said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga in a news briefing on Tuesday stated the key issue is whether North Korea will carry out its promise to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula according to the agreement produced at a summit between leaders of North Korea and the U.S. in June. The summit in Pyongyang between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un comes after weeks of stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. With denuclearization among the main agendas of the summit, South Korea is seeking for talks with the North Korea leader to lead to a resumption of talks between North Korea and the U.S. It is yet to be seen whether the summit will elicit a pledge from the North Korean leader on taking tangible and verifiable denuclearization measures, such as submitting a list of its nuclear inventory. Pyongyang has been calling for the U.S. to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War first, as a means to protect its regime. Differences over which measure should be taken first led to a deadlock in the denuclearization process. By Jhoo Dong-chan KB Kookmin Card has launched its first overseas subsidiary in Cambodia under a joint venture. According to KB Financial Group, KB Kookmin Card held an inauguration ceremony in Phnom Penh Thursday for KB Daehan Specialized Bank, a joint venture with LVMC Holdings, the Laos-based automotive firm listed in the benchmark KOSPI. The move is part of KB Financial Group's efforts to strengthen its foothold abroad. The card firm's parent group also established an asset management unit in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday. KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo and other executives, including, KB Kookmin Card CEO Lee Dong-cheol, participated in the ceremony with LVMC Holdings Chairman Oh Sei-young and National Bank of Cambodia Governor Chea Chanto. "Separate from KB Kookmin Card's launch in the country, KB has expanded its presence in Cambodia since KB Kookmin Bank opened its branches in Stueng Meanchey and Chbar Ampov in July," said a KB Financial Group official. "KB Daehan Specialized Bank will closely cooperate with KB Cambodia Bank to strengthen its marketing in retail sectors, including consumer financial, card and capital products." Under the deal with LVMC Holdings, KB Daehan Specialized Bank will immediately provide an auto loan service for Cambodian people who buy cars from the automotive firm's dealerships. The bank also offers mortgage loans for Cambodians. In the long term, the bank aims to expand its businesses to credit cards as well as the credit loan sector while opening more branches in other major cities in Cambodia. The group added KB Cambodia Bank will also start a check card service with its bank customers beginning next year. Model shows off a bralette from American Eagle Outfitters. Photos from South China Morning Post By Joanna Lam, Yujing Liu Chinese women are increasingly saying goodbye to push-up bras and reshaping one of the world's most important lingerie markets. Feeling good is in. And feeling sexy is no longer equated with cleavage. The change in mindset, catching up to a trend already seen in fashion-setting western markets, is creating opportunities in China, with a rush of domestic start-ups targeting women who prefer bras that are softer, wireless, seamless and comfortable. Global brands are also taking note. "Younger generations are the driving force of this market," Pascal Martin, a partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants, said about China. "The insatiable curiosity of younger women for global trends and brands, combined with their strong consumption power, makes them very attractive customer targets for lingerie brands." The overall intimate-wear market in China is expected to reach US$64.69 billion by the end of 2022, up from about US$43.42 billion in 2017, according to Frost & Sullivan. Tier-1 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen serve as the main drivers for sales of intimate wear, accounting for more than 30 per cent of total sales in the country. 6ixty8ight of Hong Kong says its core customers are young women aged 15 to 25 who like to splurge on bralettes, wireless and seamless bras (some styles pictured). Sales of wireless bras part of "athleisure" fashion have shot up 70 per cent in the past year in China, according to a report by CBNData and Tmall, the humongous B2C online retailer owned by Alibaba Group, which also owns the South China Morning Post. "Comfort and fabric are very important to me," said Peggy Marlene Lim, an Indonesian clothes designer living in Hong Kong, who says she has moved away from underwire bras. "Even my teenage daughter is following me now. She likes bralette, because she found those coming with laces very appealing. They look more natural than wire bras, too." Low market concentration, low barriers to entry and increasing living standards of Chinese consumers are providing a golden ticket for new players in the market. "The demand for athleisure bras will continue to increase in China and will become one of the trending items in the market," said Neil Wang, Frost & Sullivan's Greater China president. Chinese cotton lingerie brand Neiwai is the sole domestic start-up to be one of the top 10 underwear sellers on Tmall, alongside big global players like Victoria's Secret and Germany-founded Triumph. "It would be a little exaggerated to call it feminist," Neiwai's founder Liu Xiaolu, told China Daily in an interview in 2016. "But I wanted to create a brand that does not twist, suppress, or objectify women's bodies. Instead, it makes them comfortable and happy, which I think is a higher form of sexiness." Other Chinese brands include one-year-old start-up Dare One. "Satisfying their own needs instead of pleasing other people is definitely a trend found among female consumers nowadays," said Jet Liu, Dare One's founder and chief executive. Liu, a luxury retail veteran who worked for Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein Underwear in China, said Chinese consumers are increasingly clear about their needs, with a preference for products that are trendy, comfortable and versatile. Liu said the label's bestselling series are the non-wire bras and triangle bras. Dare One's offline sales, which account for 80 per cent of its revenue, will reach tens of millions of yuan this year, Liu said. The start-up expects to start making a profit by the end of the year after receiving 30 million yuan in a round of series A funding in March. Dare One has four brick-and-mortar stores in Beijing, Xian and Wuhan, and plans to enter coastal cities including Shanghai and Qingdao later this year and expand its network to 30 stores in 2019. Other Chinese players include Cosmo Lady, Huijie and 3Gun. In 2017, their sales revenue were around 7.8 billion yuan, 2.1 billion yuan and 1.6 billion yuan, respectively. Jacqueline Porje, CEO of 6ixty8ight, said the Hong Kong-based fashion and lingerie retailer's core customers are young women aged 15 to 25 who like to splurge on bralettes, wireless and seamless bras. "In general, comfort and quality are becoming more important to the consumers," Porje said. Global brands are also capitalising on the shift in the Chinese market, including American Eagle and Calvin Klein, both veterans in producing simple and sporty underwear. Adopting the motto of "The real you is sexy", American Eagle Outfitters' popular Aerie range is an example of the global trend toward simple and comfortable underwear. "With over 3,000 brands in China's underwear industry, the market is moderately fragmented with the market share of the top five brands being less than 10%," points out Wang of Frost and Sullivan. South Korea's President Moon Jae-in was greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on Tuesday (September 18) as Moon visited the North for his third summit with Kim, seeking to cement a breakthrough in faltering nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. The inter-Korean summit will be a litmus test for another meeting Kim has recently proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump, giving clues to whether Kim is serious about denuclearization, a commitment he made at their first encounter in June. Trump has asked Moon to be "chief negotiator" between himself and Kim, according to Moon's aides, after Trump cancelled a trip to Pyongyang by his secretary of state last month. Washington wants to see concrete signs of denuclearization by North Korea before agreeing to a key goal of Pyongyang - declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. (Reuters) Tens of thousands of North Koreans applauded and waved flowers as their leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in paraded through Pyongyang on Tuesday (September 18), ahead of a summit aimed at rekindling stalled nuclear diplomacy. Kim greeted Moon with hugs and smiles as the South Korean leader arrived in the North's capital to revive momentum in the faltering talks between Washington and Pyongyang over denuclearization and the prospect of officially ending the Korean War. A massive welcome ceremony at Pyongyang International Airport featured a large, goose-stepping honor guard and a military band. Afterwards, the two leaders travelled in a black Mercedes limousine with open-top rear seats to the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon will stay during his three-day visit. Kim and Moon briefly stepped out of the vehicle to greet and take flowers from people in the crowds who waved flags and shouted "Motherland! Unification!." (Reuters) By Arthur I. Cyr Prime Minister Theresa May and colleagues in Britain's government reconfirm the quality and effectiveness of her nation's police and intelligence work. On Sept. 5, the British government issued warrants for the arrest of two Russian nationals, Rusian Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, for attempted murder. Massive evidence has been assembled through high-tech means and old-fashioned, human-insight police work. The despicable effort in early March to murder Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England provides a grim reminder that the Cold War may be over, but Russia remains a dangerous and ruthless adversary. A police officer found the father and daughter unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury, a city near London. The Skripals and the police officer required hospitalization in intensive care. A Novichok nerve agent poisoned them. Novichok is the label for a highly lethal series of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union, beginning in 1971. Novichok is an extremely rare chemical not readily available to the public, or even the criminal underworld. The military nerve agent remains a product of Russia. Four months after the attack, residue of the poison left behind by the attackers struck down two more British citizens, in no way tied to government intelligence or security agencies, one of whom died. Boshirov and Petrov flew to Britain two days before the attempted murders. They entered the country on Russian passports. The British government worked quickly, identified them early, and continued to collect evidence. Skripal worked for the GRU, the military intelligence arm of Russia's government, until he retired in 1999. Later he confessed to working as a double agent for British intelligence from 1995. In 2006, a Russia court convicted him and imposed a prison sentence of thirteen years. In 2010, authorities freed him as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap, following the exposure of a ring of Russian espionage agents in the United States. During Skripal's trial, Russian media compared the damage done to state security to that of Oleg Penkovsky. That double agent provided important secret data to United States agents regarding Soviet military and intelligence resources. Information he provided is credited with helping President John F. Kennedy and associates maneuver successfully through the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. The Soviet state executed Penkovsky in 1963. According to one report, executioners burned him alive in a crematorium, a warning to deter others. Also in 2006, Russian intelligence defector Alexander Litvinenko mysteriously suffered poisoning in London. On his deathbed, he blamed the Russian government. In response to the March attack on the Skripals, Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, presented a truly strange defense. In a long, rambling statement, he introduced the name of Sherlock Holmes, the legendary fictional British detective. Nebenzya publicly compared the British government to Inspector Lestrade, the inept police officer regularly bested by the vastly more able Holmes. The Russian diplomat on this occasion proved himself inept, and unintentionally encouraged attention to another poisoning case. In November 2012, Russian Alexander Perepilichny suddenly collapsed and died while jogging near London. One postmortem test found traces of Gelsemium, a toxic plant. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, was a medical doctor who experimented with a range of chemicals and plants, including Gelsemium. Sir Arthur concluded the plant could alleviate nerve pain but was also dangerous. Holmes' genius combines human insight and technical expertise. The British government has done the same in handling the brutal Skripal case. Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." Contact acyr@carthage.edu Authorities must root out crimes of robbing state coffers The National Tax Service announced Monday it was launching a probe into high-income earners over possible tax evasion. Among the targets of intensive tax investigations are loan sharks extorting up to 2,000 percent in interest, famous restaurants suspected of evading taxes by erasing computerized records of cash sales, and cram school operators who divert funds by pretending to pay lecture fees to their spouses. The NTS made a series of announcements concerning its tax audit plans and the examples of tax evasion recently. Last Tuesday, the tax office said it would investigate 65 businesses and 28 individuals on suspicion of offshore tax evasion. In late August, the tax authorities vowed to look into all suspected tax evasion by large conglomerates abusing nonprofit foundations. Such intensive crackdowns on suspected tax evasion are more than justifiable. It is the grave crime of robbing the state coffers. At a time when the working poor feel a sense of relative deprivation because of the widening income gap, wealthy people's tax evasion can also cause social strife. Frequent tax evasion in Korea is due to the misconception that "only fools pay taxes honestly." And the tax authorities themselves are to blame in part for the misguided notion. In the past, tax officials used tax audits of large companies as a political weapon. The ruling elite made the most of tax probes to tame uncooperative tycoons. Likewise, those in power acted as if they had given great benefits to large businesses by exempting them from audits. All this has led to the social perception that the authorities did not conduct tax audits in a fair and objective way according to principles. All Koreans ought to expect punishment if they violate laws. Unless the rule of law is firmly established, Korean society can hardly be called a democracy. The same goes for tax evasion. The government should set up a firm principle that anyone who evades taxes will face punishment by all means. Regardless of the political and economic situation, the government must carry out tax audits and punish evaders thoroughly, strictly and fairly. President given wholehearted welcome in North Korea President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang, Tuesday for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During their first summit, April 27, Kim had promised Moon a huge welcome upon his visit to Pyongyang in the fall. Kim kept his word by showing up at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang with his wife Ri Sol-ju. North Korea's enthusiastic reception of President Moon was reminiscent of the first inter-Korea summit in 2000 between the incumbent leader's father Kim Jong-il and late former President Kim Dae-jung. The first day of President Moon's trip to Pyongyang was filled with some unique moments. During a welcoming ceremony, the commander of a military honor guard addressed Moon as "Your Excellency." Upon Moon's landing, the two shared a friendly embrace, reflecting an unprecedented level of trust between the leaders of the two Koreas established through multiple meetings. They have already met three times this year, showing it is possible for the leaders of the two Koreas to meet frequently. In May, they met for the second time after U.S. President Donald Trump had publicly canceled a planned summit with Kim in Singapore. During a media briefing after Moon's arrival, Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential secretary for public communications, said this was Kim's first time to host a summit in Pyongyang. Kim has previously participated in summits in Singapore and China, but has never held a summit in the North Korea capital. Another rare sight was the presence of the North Korean first lady to greet the South Korean President and his wife. Kim Jong-il had met South Korean presidents by himself during previous summits. Cheong Wa Dae explained that by diplomatic protocol, it is very rare for a first couple to appear together at the airport to greet a visiting head of state. It should also be noted that the summit was held in the headquarters of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. This is also a huge departure from inter-Korean summits during previous administrations as they were held at the state guest house of Paekhwawon. There is a lot riding on this trip. The international community is expecting Moon to act as a mediator to resume denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. There is a limit to what can be achieved with a couple of meetings, but Moon's trip will be considered a success if it can set the conditions for denuclearization talks to move forward. For this, Kim must show his full commitment to dismantling his nuclear and missile programs during his talks with Moon. Regardless of the outcome of the summit, the two leaders have already achieved the unthinkable by showing the world they can meet often like old friends. The peoples of the two Koreas are hoping that the growing trust between the two leaders will contribute to building lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. By Lee Seong-hyon Chinese leader Xi Jinping reportedly said he would willingly bless a trilateral peace declaration to end the Korean War. If true, that would signify that Beijing has made a concession to help break the current North Korea-U.S. stalemate in denuclearization talks. According to media reports, Xi, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Sept. 12, signaled that China would be willing to accept a trilateral declaration to officially end the war, participated in by the two Koreas and the United States apparently, without including China. "Currently, the parties are North Korea, South Korea and the United States. There is a Chinese saying, 'Let he who tied the bell on the tiger take it off.' They should continue to make efforts. We also need to assist them," Xi was quoted as saying by Radio Free Asia's Chinese language edition. The Chinese foreign ministry website didn't include Xi's remarks and its state media did not report on it. A formal declaration to end the Korean War, demanded by North Korea, has been a thorny stumbling block in negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program. What makes the negotiations even more complicated is the so-called "China factor." China is seen as the country that wields the largest influence on North Korea, something China denies. How the "China factor" influences the U.S.-North Korean negotiations has drawn keen attention. Trump has already openly complained, at least three times, that "China was behind" North Korea's defiant attitude that led to the negotiations being stalled. China has also been demanding to be included as a party to formally end the Korean War; although the report seems to indicate a change in its position. Xi's full remarks were not available. However, even with this limitation, it's unlikely that Xi meant what the media alleged. Rather, Xi seemed to underscore the consistent Chinese position that the United States and the two Koreas should be primarily responsible for resolving the Korean conflict, not China. Contrary to media reports, in fact China recently proposed a "four-party" declaration to Washington to end the war, with its inclusion. There is apprehension in Washington in looking at China's role, including the peace declaration. The U.S. reluctance has to do with its broader and fundamental strategy in the region, namely, the presence of its troops. Washington fears that a declaration ending the war would invite Pyongyang and Beijing to demand the withdrawal of these troops from the peninsula. After all, Washington has been justifying its deployment of troops on the grounds of North Korean threats. Therefore, if the North Korean threat is lifted, and if a formal peace declaration is made, then the U.S. will face a cardinal question: Why does it still have troops on the Korean Peninsula when there is "peace" there? This is the American dilemma. Washington will be also asked to justify its military alliance with Seoul. Pyongyang has sent an important signal. Kim Jong-un clarified to South Korean officials earlier this month that "declaring an end to the Korean War had nothing to do with the U.S.-South Korean alliance or U.S. troops in South Korea," according to Chung Eui-yong, the presidential national security adviser. China's position has been more adamant in demanding the withdrawal of American troops. But there are some emerging signs that this time-old position may be shifting. And this is worth looking at. To facilitate the current deadlock of what is widely touted as the "meeting of the century," China may be also shifting its position to accept the presence of American troops on the peninsula. First, China feels that its modernized PLA is now strong enough to face American troops in South Korea, a "mere" 30,000 of them. Second, China recently rediscovered the virtue of American troops in the region in restraining Japan's militarization. Third, China's change of heart is also seen partly motivated by its sense that if the Trump-Kim deal derails, there may not be another chance for a long time to come, due to hardening domestic conditions in the United States. Fourth, there is also a powerful sense of urgency to help to prop up Kim in his ability to maintain the domestic narrative for rationalizing denuclearization when he has been getting little from Washington in return. There are rudimentary signals from China in this regard, but Washington and Seoul should definitely talk to Beijing about this critical matter at this critical juncture. Lee Seong-hyon (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), Ph.D., is the Director, Center for Chinese Studies; and also the Director, Department of Unification Strategy at Sejong Institute. By Jaushieh Joseph Wu The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, set bold goals to shift the world onto a sustainable, resilient path. Participants also pledged the formation of a revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development including all countries, all stakeholders and all people, so that no one would be left behind. Despite such a pledge, Taiwan's 23 million people have been left out of this global effort. This violates the principle of universality upon which the U.N. was founded and deprives Taiwan as well as the international community of opportunities to work together for the common good. Taiwan, though not being allowed to participate in the U.N.'s meetings, activities and mechanisms, has never shirked its duties as a responsible stakeholder. In line with the agenda's recommendation, Taiwan released its first Voluntary National Review last year, detailing our whole-of-government approach to implementing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concrete results we have achieved include alleviating poverty, zero hunger, reducing the percentage of low-income households to under 2 percent, cutting the maternal mortality rate to just 11.6 per 100,000 people and under-five child mortality rate to just 2.4 per 1,000, and improving our literacy rate to 98.7 percent. All of these are well above U.N. SDG standards. Taiwan also provides development assistance to other countries. Through the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), Taiwan's official development assistance organization, we have launched various programs in the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. These programs aim to help countries in these regions to achieve clean energy, food security, food safety, sustainable agriculture, better education, health and well-being for all age groups, and disaster reduction and adaptation. TaiwanICDF also works with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to assist countries in Central Asia and Central and Eastern Europe to develop market economies and a green economy. While Taiwan's valuable contributions have been widely acclaimed around the globe, the U.N. continues to ignore what Taiwan can offer. Taiwan's tourists, experts and professionals are denied entry into U.N. premises simply because the U.N. does not accept the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s passport, which is recognized by almost every country in the world. The U.N. has refused to accredit Taiwan's journalists covering its meetings and activities, yet the work of such people is in the interests of the people of Taiwan and the world. We are extremely disappointed that the U.N. continues to misuse 1971's General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) to justify Taiwan's exclusion and isolation. As we have pointed out before, this resolution neither addresses the issue of the representation of Taiwan and its people in the U.N. system, nor defines the relationship between Taiwan and China. The so-called one-China principle has been challenged by many U.N. member states. It is wrong for the U.N., an organization created to serve all of humankind, to unilaterally define Taiwan's status. Article 1 of the U.N. Charter proclaims that the purposes of the organization are to "achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights." At this critical juncture when humankind is facing multiple challenges, global cooperation that includes all countries, all stakeholders, and all people is ever more important. By excluding a willing and able partner like Taiwan, the U.N. not only violates the fundamental human rights of Taiwan's 23 million people but also greatly harms human welfare. To ensure the U.N. remains relevant to all people, the organization should stand up to external pressures and open its doors to Taiwan. Jaushieh Joseph Wu is the minister of foreign affairs in the Republic of China (Taiwan). By Baek Byung-yeul KT is providing telecom services for the media covering President Moon Jae-in's third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Korea's second-largest mobile carrier signed an agreement with the inter-Korean summit preparation committee to provide telecom services during the three-day summit from Tuesday to Thursday. KT was the exclusive telecom service provider during President Moon's first summit with Kim on April 27. President Moon arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday morning where he is expected to have several meetings with the North Korean leader. As the main telecom service provider, KT built telecom networks and relevant facilities at the Main Press Center (MPC) set up in Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul. For about 2,700 journalists who have registered to cover the inter-Korean summit, the company has been providing telecom services since Sunday. KT has provided telecom services for journalists in the South since the first-ever inter-Korean summit in 2000. "To provide perfect telecom services, we deployed about 60 technicians to the DDP. Though there was not enough time to build the networks and relevant facilities, we have been working hard to provide flawless services," a KT official said. KT added its IT supporters have provided on-site IT services to minimize inconvenience caused by network issues. As they did during the April 27 summit, about 10 IT supporters have been providing IT services ranging from network connections to fast-charging services for journalists and media staff. "KT has played a significant role in strengthening trust between the South and the North by providing network services," Oh Seong-mok, president of KT's network business division, said in a statement. "Following the April summit at Panmunjeom, we will make our best effort to provide perfect telecom services for peace on the Korean Peninsula during this Pyongyang summit." By Jun Ji-hye LG Uplus is enjoying a surge in corporate value as the firm's innovative strategies, including the launch of a new flat-rate payment system giving unlimited data, have been well-received, according to analysts, Tuesday. LG Uplus CEO Ha Hyun-hwoi The nation's smallest mobile carrier is engaging in cutthroat competition with the second-largest mobile carrier KT in terms of market cap, with the former's having exceeded the latter's once in the last week for the first time. By Nam Hyun-woo POSCO shares have been heading south since the steelmaker announced a massive 45 trillion won ($40.3 billion) investment plan early this month as investors dumped the stock because of growing concerns of possible dividend cuts. Company stocks have also been weighed down by the news that employees have set up a union, ending its 30-year-long tradition of "management without unions." On Tuesday, POSCO shares closed at 296,500 won, up 1.19 percent from a day earlier. Despite this rebound, it has shed 7.2 percent since Sept. 3 when the stock closed at 319,500 won. It was due largely to foreigners' massive offloading of the stock. Foreign investors have been net selling POSCO since Aug. 7, and they net sold more than 360 billion won so far this month. The sharp downturn came after the steelmaker announced on Sept. 3 a 45 trillion won investment and 20,000-people hiring plan to upgrade its steel and battery capacities by 2023. The plan drew concerns from investors over dividends because the volume is nearly 2.5 times higher than its investments in the past five years. According to the plan, POSCO will spend 9 trillion won every year while the market assumption of POSCO's operating profit for this year stands at 5.5 trillion won. The 9 trillion won amount is even higher than the company's 2017 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 7.9 trillion won. EBITDA shows how much earnings the company made before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization is subtracted. It is preferred by companies making facility investments because it does not count in depreciation. Also, adding to investors' concerns is the recent organization of two labor unions at POSCO. The steelmaker has virtually been without a union for the past five decades. Though the union is in its early stage, industry officials point out that management-labor relations at POSCO will face a huge change, affecting the operation of the group. "Steelmaking is different from other manufacturing because blast furnaces need to be running 24/7," an industry official said. "If a conflict between labor and the management gets deep and labor opts to stage a strike, it will be a huge impact to management." While investors are expressing their concerns about POSCO, analysts say the market is "excessively concerned about the plan." "POSCO has dropped nearly 10 percent this month because of the 45 trillion won investment plan despite anticipation that China may ease regulations on steelmakers during winter," Korea Investment & Securities analyst Choi Moon-sun said. "We believe 15 trillion won out of the 45 trillion won plan is a reserve fund and the remaining 30 trillion won is not fixed," Choi said. "We believe six trillion won a year is a bearable amount for POSCO, whose EBITDA for this year is expected to reach 8.6 trillion won this year. POSCO does not require lending and has the leeway to increase dividends. Given its valuation, POSCO shares are irrationally undervalued." In the plan, POSCO will invest 26 trillion won to expand its steelmaking capacity, 10 trillion won for its battery materials businesses and 9 trillion won for energy businesses. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, second from right, talk with Ri Ryong-nam, left, deputy prime minister of North Korea in Pyongyang, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps By Baek Byung-yeul, Joint Press Corps SEOUL / PYONGYANG -- The heads of top businesses groups, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, expressed their hope Tuesday of building trust with North Korea in a meeting with senior officials in charge of economic affairs in the North. Seventeen chaebol owners arrived in Pyongyang earlier in the day as part of President Moon Jae-in's delegation accompanying him for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The business leaders met with Ri Ryong-nam, North Korea's deputy prime minister of the economy, according to pool reports from Korean journalists in Pyongyang. Introducing himself as "Samsung's Lee Jae-yong," the Samsung vice chairman said he hoped that the meeting would become a chance to built trust. "This is my first time in Pyongang. I found an inscription on the wall of a newly built building near Pyongyang Station that reads to devote to science and talent.' Samsung's basic business philosophy is to devote its technology and talent,'" Lee said. "While I have travelled all over the world, I have never seen such an inscription written in Hangul before. This is my first time to see this kind of message in Hangul and I just felt that we are all Koreans." Starbaps Korean food restaurant in Rome / Screen capture from Starbaps' Instagram By Park Jae-hyuk A Korean food restaurant in Rome has been causing a stir as its store logo highly resembles that of Starbucks Coffee. The restaurant, which has a sign in front it that reads "Starbaps" in a font similar to the one Starbucks uses, has a logo which is an obvious parody of the Starbucks logo. The Starbaps logo is illustrated with a symbol of bibimbap, instead of the famous twin-tailed mermaid. Considering that Italy's first Starbucks store opened in Milan earlier this month, the U.S. coffeehouse chain may take action against Starbaps if it regards the restaurant as an obstacle to its expansion in the "home of espresso." "If our U.S. headquarters recognizes the existence of Starbaps, it may take legal action against the restaurant," a Starbucks Coffee Korea spokesman said, adding that he did not know of the existence of Starbaps before The Korea Times asked about it. Since its opening in July, Starbaps has attracted Korean tourists in Europe with various Korean foods. According to the Korean restaurant's Instagram account, it also catered for the crew of JTBC's "Carefree Travelers," who visited Rome last week to shoot the reality show. However, many Koreans say they are ashamed of the Korean restaurant in another country. "I think we are not ethical enough to criticize Chinese copycats," an internet user wrote on a blog post introducing Starbaps. Another user said the store tarnishes the image of Korea. They warned of a possible lawsuit from Starbucks, citing strict attitudes of global brands toward parodies. Starbucks and other international companies have filed lawsuits against parodies of them in Korea, when the copycats sought profits from the original brands or damaged their reputations. In 2007, Starbucks filed a lawsuit against celebrity chef Baek Jong-won for trademark infringement, as he had run a coffee shop franchise named "Wonjobucks," which had used a parody logo illustrated with Baek's caricature, in place of the twin-tailed mermaid. After losing the lawsuit, Baek changed the name of his franchise to "Wonjo Coffee" in 2007. He rebranded the franchise as "Paik's Coffee" in 2008 and has maintained the name since then. In 2016, a fried chicken restaurant here was also ordered to compensate Louis Vuitton 14.5 million won ($12,800), as the restaurant named "Louis Vuiton Dak" had used boxes decorated with a pattern similar to that on the French luxury brand's bags. Although Louis Vuitton was unable to sue the restaurant for trademark infringement, as it does not have a trademark right in the restaurant business, the fashion house sued the parody store for an act of unfair competition, saying it tarnished Louis Vuitton's reputation. The Prevention of Unfair Competition Act bans the use of trademarks similar to those recognized widely. It also prohibits people from damaging distinctiveness and reputation of registered trademarks by selling, importing and exporting products using trademarks similar to those which have already achieved wide recognition. Baengmagoji station, the northernmost stop on the Gyeongwon line in South Korea. Photos from South China Morning Post By Lee Jeong-ho "We want to be back on track." A sign on the platform at the dead-end railway station, near the southern side of the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, spoke on behalf of many ahead of the inter-Korean summit on Tuesday. Baengmagoji station, located about 100km northeast of Seoul, is South Korea's northernmost station on the Gyeongwon line. It was originally an intermediate station after the 1914 completion of the line a 223km railway connecting the South's capital to the east-coast port city of Wonsan in North Korea but was left as a de facto terminus in 1945, when the two Koreas were first divided. A black sign indicating the end of the track and a yellow concrete barricade mark the dead end preventing passengers travelling further north. The black military trench nearby serves as a reminder that a formal end of hostilities has yet to be secured for the Korean peninsula. But the barricade is at odds with the wishes to be reunited that are in evidence around it. South Koreans have left notes and written poems at the scene, expressing their desperate hope for reunification. "Lord, we pray for reunification of North and South Korea and breaking of this border," reads a message written on a green butterfly-shaped note attached to the platform sign. The end of the Gyeongwon line, which South Korea hopes to reconnect with the North. A blue postbox The Northern Sky Post Box placed outside the waiting area, which invites letters from South Koreans wishing for reunification, provides another reminder of hopes of reconciliation. "The train once again screams out that it wants to be back on track. Yet there is nothing she can do except for stand still at the tip of the rail of sorrow, and watch the birds who can fly to the Northern sky," reads a verse attached to the postbox, written by poet Oh Geun-seong. These hopes will rise again as the two Korean leaders prepare meet in Pyongyang for three days beginning on Tuesday their third summit since March to boost inter-Korean economic projects, including the railway connection. South Korean president Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit the North Korean capital to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-un, at a time when the North and the United States are gridlocked on denuclearisation. The rail link is at the core of Moon's ambition to connect the two Korean economies, a plan to open up his reclusive neighbour to the world. At Panmunjom on April 27, Moon handed a USB drive containing a blueprint for economic integration to Kim. The proposal, "New Economic Map of the Korean Peninsula", includes the creation of three economic belts: one connecting the western coastal railway of the Korean peninsula to China, one connecting its eastern coastal railway to Russia for energy cooperation, and one on the current border to promote tourism. The station's postbox inviting letters wishing for reunification. The Gyeongwon line named as a fusion of Seoul's old name Gyeongseong and its North Korean end point Wonsan runs through the centre of this plan, because it connects the western and eastern lines via Seoul. South Korea launched the line's restoration in 2015, but work was suspended the following year because of worsening relations between the two Koreas. However, the project has resumed in South Korea as the railway has become a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation. Improvements to the railroad bridge between Yeoncheon and Baengmagoji have been under construction since early July, with the ultimate aim of reconnecting the line with the North. If the Gyeongwon line's restoration is completed, it will enable transportation of goods from Gangwon province in eastern South Korea to Japan via Wonsan, and restore its function as a logistics route, which it was before the division of the Koreas. Yet as moves are made towards reconciliation, Park Ok-hee, a tour guide at the station, said the area still carries many scars from the past. "Before the Korean war, this area was occupied by the North Koreans, and many historic sites show the area was a heavy battleground," Kim said. A clock counts the time that has elapsed since the armistice agreement, in front of the Labour Party's former Cheorwon headquarters, now a tourist attraction. An agreement between Russia and Turkey over the northwestern province of Idlib has "practically excluded" a Syrian government offensive in the region, the spokesman for the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission told Reuters on Tuesday. The "scenario of attack is practically excluded, at least for a period of time that is not small, and we hope that it will be permanent," Yahya al-Aridi told Reuters by telephone. Aridi said the deal announced on Monday had safeguarded the lives of millions of Syrians and was an indication that the "path of peace" must now be opened. Search Keywords: Short link: A missile strike on a military target in the coastal Syrian region of Latakia killed at least two people, a war monitor said Tuesday. The strike, carried out on Monday, targeted ammunition depots on the site of the technical industries institute and killed two fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Russian defence ministry said four Israeli F-16 jets had hit infrastructure in Latakia province, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. Search Keywords: Short link: (St. Joseph,MO) A new alternative energy plant could bring new jobs into St. Joseph, but not without closing down a street south of downtown. Riverbend Biofuels is interested in building a $250million alternative energy plant to convert used grease into jet fuel. The new facility would create 55-60 new jobs with an average salary of $65,000, but the construction of the new plant would require the city to shut down a portion of Monterey Street from 6th Street to 8th Street. Brad Lau, Vice President of Economic Development for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, said the property is already zoned for industrial production and the new structure will operate in addition to the biodiesel plant being restored by the company. "The closure of Monterey, that very small section between the railroad tracks and 6th street is critical for them to be able to move forward with the project, simply because they need the ability to have one continuous track between where the biodiesel facility is down to where the old railroad staging area used to be," Lau said. Lau estimates the 100 car fuel trains will return to St. Joseph to reload twice a month. The rails would transport approximately 70 million gallons of biodiesel and jet fuel each year. City councilman Russell Moore said the extended rail traffic could have a bigger impact on other streets. "The rail system does go through Monterey, it goes over to 6th street and passed 4th street and on out through the city, Moore said. That kind of length of a train, we're talking about tank cars, a 100 of them, that's going to close 6th street,4th street and probably Francis Street all at the same time." The Community Action Partnership (CAP) has an office at 817 Monterey and Executive Director Whitney Lanning is worried the train delays might hurt the response times for emergency services. "We really just want to make sure that if there are any safety issues, that we're not putting employment and economic development over safety," Lanning said. Lanning said the council work session on September 12 was the first that CAP had heard of the proposed project and the organization was concerned about how the plant will impact the quality of life of people living near the new facility. The other thing that we are really looking at is how this plant will effect if there are any toxicity issues,or if there is noise issues or travel or just general safety items that may not affect us immediately, but upon the creation of the plant, Lanning said. A representative from Riverbend Biodiesel said the companys investors have set October 31 as the deadline for the planning portion of the project, and is in need of the councils final decision. "We're just now hearing about it and there is a hard and fast deadline, we really want to make sure that the community and especially the city council is not making a rush to a decision that could have a long standing impact on the safety of our children and our families," Lanning said. The city council will have a second work session on the potential losing of Monterey Street on October 15 at 4 pm, and the council will vote on the closing of Monterey during the council meeting October 22. If the closing of Monterey is approved by the council, developers estimate the new facility could be in operation by 2021. Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza border, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said early Tuesday. Israel claimed the two had planted a suspicious object next to the border fence of the Israeli-besieged strip. A ministry spokesman said the bodies of two men had been taken to a hospital in southern Gaza after the 11 pm (2000 GMT) Monday strike. He did not identify them. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the shooting down of a Russian military plane near Syria's seacoast was the result of a series of tragic and chance circumstances. His comments appeared to somewhat defuse a possible crisis after Russia's Defence Ministry accused Israel of indirectly causing the incident. It said that while Syrian anti-aircraft had mistakenly shot down the plane of a close ally, Israeli jets flying nearby had put the Russian jet in the path of danger, and it threatened to retaliate over what it called a hostile act. "I looks most likely in this case that it was a chain of tragic chance events, because an Israeli aircraft did not shoot down our aircraft. But, without any doubt we need to seriously get to the bottom of what happened," Putin told reporters. Putin said Moscow's response would aim to secure the safety of Russian military personnel in Syria's complicated civil war, in which various outside powers have backed opposing sides. "As for retaliatory measures, they will be aimed first and foremost at further ensuring the safety of our military personnel and facilities in Syria. And these will be steps that everyone will notice," Putin said. Russia's Defence Ministry said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, with 15 Russians on board, was downed by Syrian government anti-aircraft guns in a "friendly fire" incident. But the ministry said it held Israel responsible because, at the time of the incident, Israeli jets were attacking targets in Syria and had only given Moscow one minute's warning, putting the Russian aircraft in danger of being caught in cross-fire. "We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile," Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state television. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Putin by phone on Tuesday and blamed Syria for the aircraft's downing but offered "all necessary information" for the investigation into the incident, Netanyahu's office said. Any dispute between Israel and Russia could crimp Israel's ability to carry out air strikes inside Syria on what it sees as the greatest threat to its security from the war - build-ups of Iranian forces or groupings of the Shi'ite Hezbollah militia. Since intervening in Syria in 2015, Russia has usually turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks. Israel has launched about 200 such raids in the last two years, Israeli officials say. Amos Yadlin, Director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, said on Twitter the downing of the Russian plane could "limit the bid to stop Irans entrenchment in Syria and the transfers of advanced weapons to Hezbollah." Israel Blames 'Inaccurate' Syrian Fire In a statement the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also voiced sorrow at the deaths but blamed the Syrian government and its main regional allies Iran and Hezbollah. The IDF said the initial Israeli inquiry into the incident found "extensive and inaccurate" Syrian surface-to-air anti-aircraft fire "caused the Russian plane to be hit and downed". "The Syrian anti-air batteries fired indiscriminately and from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air," the statement said. It added that by the time the Russian plane was struck, the Israeli jets were already back in their own airspace. The Russian plane was "not within the area of the operation" carried out by the Israeli jets, it said. After the incident, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, that Moscow held Israel wholly responsible, Russian news agencies reported. Israel's Foreign Ministry said its deputy ambassador in Moscow had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry but gave no details of what was discussed. The Russian Ministry said the meeting was to do with the loss of the Russian plane. In his conversation with Putin, Netanyahu's office said, the prime minister stressed the importance of defence coordination with Russia that had managed "to prevent many losses on both sides in the past three years" in Syria's war. At a monthly UN Security Council meeting on Syria on Tuesday, US Syria adviser James Jeffrey offered condolences to Russia for the loss of life. "The unfortunate incident reminds us of the need to find a permanent, peaceful, and political resolution to the conflict," Jeffrey said. "Cover" Moscow said its plane disappeared from radar as it came in to land at the Hmeymim air base in western Syria late on Monday. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Israeli F-16 jets carrying out air strikes used the Russian plane as cover to allow them to approach their targets on the ground without being hit by Syrian fire. "Hiding behind the Russian aircraft, the Israeli pilots put it in the line of fire of Syrian anti-aircraft systems. As a result, the Il-20 ... was shot down by the (Syrian) S-200 missile system," the ministry's Konashenkov said. He said the Israeli pilots "could not have failed to see the Russian aircraft, as it was coming in to land from a height of 5 km (three miles). Nevertheless, they deliberately carried out this provocation," Konashenkov said. "This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership." The Israel military said that overnight its fighter jets had "targeted a facility of the Syrian armed forces from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon". It said the weapons targeted in the Mediterranean coastal city of Latakia "were meant to attack Israel and posed an intolerable threat against it". The IDF said the "deconfliction" system used by Israel and Russia "was in use tonight", adding: "Israel will share all the relevant information with the Russian government to review the incident and to confirm the facts in this inquiry." Several countries have military operations under way around Syria, with forces on the ground or launching strikes from the air or from ships in the Mediterranean. Foreign powers involved in the protracted conflict - including Israel and Russia - operate hotlines to exchange operational details to avoid one side accidentally attacking the other's forces. However, diplomats and military experts have warned that the risk of inadvertent strikes is high. Separately, Turkey said on Tuesday it would send more troops into Syria's rebel-held Idlib province after striking a deal with Russia that has averted a government offensive there. Search Keywords: Short link: Members of Qatar's Al-Ghufran tribe organized a protest on Tuesday in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, calling upon the international community to take action against the regime's crimes committed against them. Al-Ghufran, one of the largest tribes in the small Gulf country, slammed Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's regime for violating international agreements by torturing and forcefully displacing its members and depriving them of their Qatari nationality. Hamad Khaled Al-Merry, one of the protesters, said the tribe has "a purely humanitarian, not political, problem" with the Qatari regime. "We came here today to present our case before the United Nations Human Rights Council," said Al-Merry. "Our demands are precise; the Qatari regime must be held accountable for its crimes against us, as they would against any other Qatari citizen, and restore our stolen rights." The protest coincides with the 39th session of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which started on 10 September and will conclud by 28 September. An Al-Ghufran delegation met with Mohamed Al-Nsour, chief of the OHCHR Middle East and North Africa Section, earlier on Monday in Geneva, handing him a letter that detailed the tribe's sufferings since 1996. The letter cited the regime's "barbaric crimes" against the tribe, such as banning its members from returning to Qatar, racial discrimination, forceful displacement, and torture. The delegation said that those who are banned from returning to their homeland are living in villages and deserts that are located on the borders with neighbouring countries to Qatar. The letter claimed that the alleged victims suffered "psychological disorders" and that some of them died in the "Qatari intelligence prisons." Qatari officials were also accused in the letter of "hiding facts" in a "deliberate, ruthless and harmful manner" to prevent "transparent humanitarian organizations" from knowing the truth. The document emphasised that the regime is using an "intimidation" approach against those who are in Qatar in an attempt to stop complaints or citizens from contacting the international humanitarian bodies. It stated that the security institutions in Qatar are surveilling Al-Ghufran members who call for their rights through the National Human Rights Committee. The Al-Ghufran delegation revealed that they have evidence of these violations and that they "fear for our people in Qatar" as state authorities "continue to rely on brutal practices" and disregard "human dignity." The delegation said that authorities are hiding evidence about their crimes by taking advantage of the absence of "awareness about legal rights and free, local TV channels", adding that there is no chance for the persons who suffered these crimes to find justice through the Qatari court system. The Al-Ghufran delegation announced they had previously submitted a petition to the OHCHR about the situation on 21 September, 2017. Al-Nsour expressed "regret" that Qatar's emir, premier, attorney general, top security officials and head of the National Human Rights Committee are aware of the "racial discrimination" that Al-Ghufran tribe is suffering from. Search Keywords: Short link: Tesla Inc. is under investigation by the Justice Department over public statements made by the company and Chief Executive Elon Musk, according to two people familiar with the matter. The criminal probe is running alongside a previously reported civil inquiry by securities regulators. Federal prosecutors opened a fraud investigation after Musk tweeted last month that he was contemplating taking Tesla private and had funding secured for the deal, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss a confidential criminal probe. Musks tweet initially sent the companys shares higher. Tesla confirmed it has been contacted by the Justice Department. Last month, following Elons announcement that he was considering taking the company private, Tesla received a voluntary request for documents from the DOJ and has been cooperative in responding to it, the company said in a statement released Tuesday following Bloombergs report of the investigation. We have not received a subpoena, a request for testimony, or any other formal process. We respect the DOJs desire to get information about this and believe that the matter should be quickly resolved as they review the information they have received. Advertisement The investigation by the U.S. attorneys office in the Northern District of California follows a subpoena issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking information from the maker of electric cars about Musks plans to go private, which he has since abandoned. The criminal inquiry is in its early stages, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Justice Department investigations, like the civil inquiries undertaken by the SEC, can take months. They sometimes end with prosecutors deciding against bringing an enforcement action. Tesla shares dropped as much as 7% on Tuesday morning to an intraday low of $275.50 before recovering somewhat. Tesla didnt have an immediate comment. Abraham Simmons, a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in San Francisco, declined to comment. SEC investigation SEC enforcement attorneys in the San Francisco office were already investigating Tesla before Musk sent his tweet on taking the company private. The existing investigation focuses on whether Tesla had issued misleading pronouncements on manufacturing goals and sales targets, according to two people familiar with the matter. Its unclear whether the criminal investigation is that broad. Prosecutors in securities fraud investigations could seek evidence on matters including whether company leaders intentionally lied to investors about the health of the business. Musk exposed himself to legal risk by tweeting Aug. 7 that he had the funding for a buyout even though that may not have been the case. Almost a week later, Musk said the basis for his statement was conversations with Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, which first expressed interest in helping take the company private in early 2017. Abandoned effort Teslas board then said that it hadnt received a formal proposal from Musk, who also is the board chairman, nor had it concluded whether going private would be advisable or feasible. Less than three weeks after his initial tweets, Musk abandoned the effort to take the company private. Now that Musks tweeting has attracted the Justice Departments attention, investigators there could extend their review to other public statements he made about the companys health, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Authorities could also look into the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Teslas chief accounting officer, Dave Morton, after less than a month on the job, the person said. Morton, a former chief financial officer for computer hard-drive maker Seagate Technology, joined Tesla the day before Musk tweeted that he was considering buying out some investors at $420 a share and taking the company private. Schoenberg and Robinson write for Bloomberg. UPDATES: 11:40 a.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Tesla. This article was originally published at 9:55 a.m. Japanese e-commerce billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be the first paying customer to travel around the moon on SpaceXs yet-to-be-developed BFR rocket, the company announced Monday night. In a presentation at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Maezawa who is worth $2.9 billion, according to Forbes said that his flight will occur in 2023 and that he wants to invite six to eight artists to accompany him. He called his trip around the moon a lifelong dream. For the record: A previous version of this article said Elon Musk estimated that development of BFR could cost $5 million. His estimate was $5 billion. Maezawa said he could not disclose how much he would pay for the trip, only that he had already submitted a down payment. Through a translator, Maezawa said in an interview with The Times that he chose SpaceX for this voyage because he wanted to go as quickly as possible and to support the company. He said he witnessed the first launch of the Falcon Heavy onsite in February. Advertisement I trust his company, his team and his BFR, Maezawa, 42, said of SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk. Musk said during the event that the trip should take about four to five days and that the company would do a bunch of test launches before putting people aboard. Lunar missions are SpaceXs first venture into the space tourism market. Other companies, such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, are planning to fly tourists into suborbital space. Passengers on Virgin Galactics spaceship pay $250,000 per seat. Last year, SpaceX said two private passengers had put down a significant deposit and would begin training to travel around the moon in late 2018 in a Crew Dragon capsule that would be launched atop a Falcon Heavy rocket. The company did not disclose the identities of the two individuals, and Musk would only say at the time that it was nobody from Hollywood. Maezawa was one of those individuals. The mission was intended to be a weeklong loop around the moon that would be super inspirational, he said. SpaceX has been developing Crew Dragon under a NASA contract to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. It is set to make its first flight in November, followed by a crewed flight in April. Falcon Heavy, the worlds most powerful operational rocket, made its first flight in February. By then, Musk seemed to have second thoughts about using Falcon Heavy and Crew Dragon for the lunar mission. He told reporters in February that development of a new rocket and spaceship system known as BFR was progressing quickly enough that Falcon Heavy would not need to be qualified to carry humans. The company has already developed a massive carbon fiber tank to hold liquid oxygen propellant for the rocket and subjected it to pressure tests, Musk said last year. SpaceX has also started to test the rockets Raptor engine, which will be fueled by liquid oxygen and methane. What we decided internally is to focus our future developments on BFR, Musk said at the time. If that ends up taking longer than expected, then well return to the idea of sending a Crew Dragon around the moon. BFR, which is key to Musks plans to colonize Mars, is currently being developed at a facility at the Port of Los Angeles. A SpaceX official estimated earlier this year that production and fabrication of the rocket would begin in about two to three years. On Monday, Musk estimated that development of BFR could cost $5 billion, though he hedged by saying it was probably not more than $10 billion and not less than $2 billion. The massive spacecraft system which, when stacked, will measure more than 340 feet tall will need to be transported via ship through the Panama Canal to reach its launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida, a company official said this year. SpaceXs workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, which is about 229 feet tall, travels to launch sites via truck. In addition to Mars and moon missions, Musk has also mused that BFR could be used for point-to-point travel on Earth. Last year, a video he showed at a space conference said the rockets maximum speed would be 16,000 mph, making a flight from New York to Shanghai as short as 39 minutes, though questions remain about the practicality of such a service. Analysts noted that SpaceX has a habit of taking on a number of projects at the same time and announcing new ones before current ones have been completed. So far this year, SpaceX has launched 16 times, a mix of commercial, national security and NASA payloads. It has been working to improve its turnaround time for refurbishing the first-stage rocket boosters it now regularly lands back on Earth. And the company is continuing to provide NASA with proof of qualification testing for its Crew Dragon capsule that is intended to show it is meeting all agency requirements, a company official said last month. On Monday, Musk tweeted that the top SpaceX priority was supporting the NASA crewed missions to the space station and launching national security payloads. Musk said during the event that less than 5% of the companys resources were currently focused on BFR. samantha.masunaga@latimes.com Twitter: @smasunaga UPDATES: Sept. 18, 10:50 a.m.: This article was updated to clarify that the information about BFR needing to be transported to Florida for launch came from a SpaceX official this year. Sept. 17, 8:50 p.m.: This article was updated to include an interview with Yusaku Maezawa and additional details from the event. This article was originally published Sept. 17 at 6:40 p.m. More than 2,000 workers whose ballots were impounded five years ago saw the results of their vote Tuesday an ouster of the United Farm Workers as their representative at Gerawan Farming, the states largest grower of peaches and other stone fruits. A preliminary tally showed 1,098 workers voted against the union founded by Cesar Chavez, while 197 supported the UFW, said Jesse Rojas, a spokesman for Pick Justice, the worker group that fought for three years to have the ballots opened. The count has not been officially validated by the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board, which will rule on 635 disputed ballots not enough to change the outcome and weigh whether owner Dan Gerawan unduly influenced the election process. The board has declared the process tainted several times, but a state appeals court judge in May said he found that some of the charges were not supported by the evidence. He ordered the board to count the votes and to reevaluate its finding. Advertisement Last week, the states highest court refused to review the case, leading to Tuesdays count. Workers with the Pick Justice campaign who had gathered since the early morning hours erupted in tearful celebration after the results of the five-hour tally were announced at the Fresno facility where the ballot box was opened. Theyre thrilled, Rojas said. Its an overwhelming victory. Anthony Raimondo, an attorney for the group, said the state labor board will have to prove that any influence on workers by Gerawan directly affected the outcome. Its going to be difficult, if not impossible, for them to meet the burden to show that the things they said happened affected the way workers voted, Raimondo said. UFW spokesman Armando Elenes, who confirmed the tally, called the vote a mockery of justice. They always wanted everyone to focus on the vote count because they didnt want anyone to pay attention to how they got there in the first place, he said. Gerawan said he was extremely proud of his employees. They fought for the same basic right to choose that all workers in the state enjoy. Im immensely proud of them. He added that the overwhelming margin constituted a complete repudiation of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board. Regardless, the vote result is a major milestone in decades of fighting between the UFW and Gerawan, marked by skirmishes in multiple courts. The decertification campaign against the UFW, which began in 2013, was the largest labor activity on California farms in decades. The anti-UFW drive was an irony for the union, which Cesar Chavez founded in the 1960s to organize and protect a largely unrepresented farm labor force. The roughly 3,000 workers who would be covered by a UFW contract at Gerawans Reedley facility balked at having to pay dues to a union that had been chosen more than two decades prior and had all but disappeared from the farm until 2012, a decade after the state passed a mandatory mediation law that allowed a mediator to impose a contract. The UFW first organized Gerawan workers in the early 1990s and was certified as their collective bargaining representative in 1992. Contract negotiations stalled for several years, after which the union shifted its focus to legal remedies in Sacramento. Gerawan contends that the union abandoned workers for more than 17 years. UFW contends it made several contract proposals that were rebuffed. The union eventually obtained a contract under the mandatory mediation law, which Gerawan unsuccessfully argued was unconstitutional. The contract remains under dispute and has not been implemented. It took six months of hearings that produced 20,000 pages of testimony from 130 witnesses to win the right to decide whether to keep the UFW as their representative. But the Agricultural Labor Relations Board impounded those ballots shortly after the November 2013 vote amid charges that the election was unduly influenced by Gerawan. The Agricultural Labor Relations Board will have several weeks to certify the results before taking up the broader issue of the fairness of the election. Silvia Lopez giving an interview in front of the ALRB Visalia office. We are currently waiting to go inside and verify that the ballots have not been tampered with. #FarmWorkerRights #UFW #ALRB #Corruption pic.twitter.com/xcwkUqfR0S Pick Justice (@PickJustice) September 18, 2018 geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com Twitter: @LATgeoffmohan UPDATES: Sept. 20, 4:25 p.m.: This article was updated to clarify the status of the United Farm Workers contract at Gerawan Farming. Sept. 18, 4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments and details from Pick Justice and the United Farm Workers. Sept. 18, 11:30 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Pick Justice spokesman Jesse Rojas and with details of the ballot count process. This article was originally published on Sept. 18 at 10:50 a.m. President Trump, who paid $25 million to settle allegations he defrauded Trump University students, and whose private-school education was covered entirely by his parents, was handed a legal defeat last week in his efforts to ignore a rule enacted by the Obama administration to protect student borrowers. Am I being unduly harsh? Not at all. The Trump administration, with wealthy, let-them-eat-cake Education Secretary Betsy DeVos riding point, did its best to avoid enforcing a rule put in place by President Obama after the messy 2015 collapse of for-profit Corinthian Colleges. Santa Ana-based Corinthian and 24 subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection after being fined $30 million for misleading students about their employment prospects. California subsequently won a nearly $1.2-billion judgment against Corinthian. Advertisement A key element of the Obama administrations rule, known as the borrower defense, prohibited for-profit colleges like Corinthian from forcing students to waive their right to sue or join class-action lawsuits as a condition of enrolling. The rule was supposed to take effect in July 2017. The Trump administration dragged its feet in implementing it, claiming it was too tough on the for-profit college industry, which lobbied aggressively against it. A federal court declared last Wednesday that the administrations go-slow stance was unlawful and arbitrary and capricious. On Friday, lawyers for the Education Department asked U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss for more time to review the Obama-era rule, which, again, was supposed to take effect more than a year ago. The department also asked for a 60-day grace period if the court insists it uphold the rule, which, one more time, the department was supposed to have done more than a year ago. Moss did not say when he would issue a ruling. As things stand, though, theres no question in his mind that the Trump administration could use some schooling. This case is not one in which delay only freezes the status quo; borrowers continue to be hurt every day, Moss wrote in a 57-page opinion. The delay harms not only borrowers like Plaintiffs who have already left predatory institutions and are saddled with insurmountable debt and worthless educations, but also current and future students. Lets underline some of those points: Borrowers continue to be hurt predatory institutions insurmountable debt worthless educations. Lets also highlight Moss conclusion that arguments presented in court by government officials seeking to delay the rule were procedurally defective and lack any meaningful analysis. Now lets appreciate the spectacle of our billionaire president and his billionaire Education secretary, neither of whom have ever attended a public school or borrowed money for higher education, attempting to mitigate a rule imposed after thousands of students were cheated by scheming, fraudulent for-profit colleges. The administrations position was that it would be too burdensome for these companies to comply with a rule protecting students, said Adam Pulver, an attorney with the advocacy group Public Citizen, which sued to force the Trump administration to follow the law. They sided with the industry, he told me. And for the industry, its just cheaper to defraud people rather than be honest and transparent. Last weeks ruling addressed both Public Citizens lawsuit and a similar action brought by California and 18 other states. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra called the decision a huge win. The court made it clear that they broke the law, he told me. This was the Trump administration thinking they could make their own rules. Shockingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the administration made clear from Day 1 that it didnt like the idea of empowering students to stand up to greedy for-profit colleges institutions that bear a more than passing resemblance to now-defunct Trump University. In hitting the pause button on the Obama administrations rule, DeVos cited a federal lawsuit filed in May 2017 by an association of California for-profit colleges challenging the greater accountability. She called the Obama rule a muddled process thats unfair to students and schools, and said she intended to draw up more industry-friendly regulations. Its time for a regulatory reset, DeVos declared. This from an administration whose leader pledged on the campaign trail that he would eliminate most government regulations because they were stopping businesses from growing. What makes Trumps and DeVos attacks on students particularly shameless is that it targeted primarily young people who want to better themselves and, in so doing, help boost the countrys economic fortunes. These arent people born with silver spoons in their mouths. By and large, theyre low- and middle-income folk who believe that hard work will be rewarded, and who are prepared to sacrifice to get ahead. You know, the forgotten men and women that Trump says he was born to defend. Toby Merrill, director of Harvard Universitys Project on Predatory Student Lending, said last weeks ruling makes clear that the administrations efforts to undermine students legal safeguards were illegal and had no basis in fact or the law. This is a major victory for student borrowers and for anyone who cares about having a government that operates under the rule of law, instead of as a pawn of the for-profit college industry, he said. I reached out to the Education Department for comment. No one got back to me. But the administration hasnt been shy in voicing its stand on predatory lending: It doesnt see what the big deal is. Just as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Trump has adopted a Kumbaya approach to payday lenders, DeVos Education Department apparently believes students should appreciate the teachable moment that comes with being muscled by for-profit colleges. If a few laws get broken along the way, well, live and learn. David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com. Tiffany Haddish sidesteps diversity question backstage: I didnt go to college for that Tiffany Haddish arriving at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Tiffany Haddish arrived backstage resplendent in a custom-made rainbow-striped dress inspired by the colors of the Eritrean flag, an homage to her late fathers heritage. (This is the only one thats out there right now, she said. This is an original.) Hi everybody, she greeted the crowd of journalists. Haddish was announced as the winner of the guest actress in a comedy series award last week at the Creative Arts Emmys for her Saturday Night Live hosting gig. It was hard to believe that you were actually the first African American woman to host SNL... one reporter began. I wasnt the first African American woman, I was the first African American female stand-up comedian, Haddish corrected. The reporter continued by suggesting the hosting gig was responsible for Haddishs quick ascent to stardom. Girl, my career had took off when I got onstage for the first time, Haddish said, politely but firmly. I knew I was going to be something; I just didnt know how long it was going to take. And its been almost 20 years. However, she admitted that it was difficult finding a role model to glean advice from regarding her SNL hosting job. I was doing my research when I found out they wanted me to host, and I wanted to ask advice from other women whove done it, she said. I was looking for female comics whove done it that I could relate to and I couldnt find any. I even called Whoopi Goldberg and was like OK, so tell me what its like. She was like, ' You the first. I was like, What? It was also difficult adjusting to the pace of SNL, Haddish said. Though shed come prepared with ideas, this is a machine thats been happening, and I had to, like, let go and let them guide me, she said. I just made sure my monologue was on point because Im a stand-up comedian first, and I just needed to make sure that was the main thing. And I did that. Haddish was also asked about this years record-breaking diversity among her fellow nominees and whether she had ideas for how progress could be furthered. Girl, no, I dont know how to do that, she said. I didnt go to college for that...If you was asking me how to structure a joke, I could help you with that part. But what you talking about right now, I dont know. I dont know. All I know is how to do my job. Thats somebody elses job, I dont know how to do that. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday his "historic" summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore stabilised regional security, and that he expected further progress at an inter-Korean summit aimed at reviving stalled nuclear diplomacy. Kim thanked South Korea's President Moon Jae-in for bringing about the Singapore meeting in June as the two leaders began their third round of talks in Pyongyang. "Thanks to that, the political situation in the region has stabilised and I expect more advanced results," Kim told Moon, referring to the Singapore gathering, at the start of their talks. The Kim-Moon summit will be a litmus test for another meeting Kim has recently proposed to Trump, with the South Korean president seeking to engineer a proposal that combines a framework for the North's denuclearisation and a joint declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War. Moon expressed gratitude for Kim's "bold decision to open a new era". The first session of the talks, which lasted for two hours, were held at the headquarters of the North's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee, with party vice chairman Kim Yong Chol and Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong, as well as South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong and spy chief Suh Hoon in attendance. LIMOUSINE PARADE Earlier, the leaders paraded down the streets of Pyongyang in Kim's black Mercedes limousine to loud cheers from nearly 100,000 North Koreans who waved flowers and chanted "Motherland!Unification!" Kim greeted Moon with hugs and handshakes as the South Korean leader landed in the North's capital with a mission to rekindle momentum in faltering talks between Washington and Pyongyang over denuclearisation and a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. As Kim escorted Moon to the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon will stay during his three-day visit, Kim said he wanted to produce a "bigger outcome at a faster pace" than the two leaders have achieved so far. Moon, himself the offspring of a family displaced by the war, has met Kim twice this year at the border village of Panmunjom. "You Mr. President are travelling all around the world, but our country is humble compared with developed nations," Kim told Moon. "I've been waiting and waiting for today. The level of the accommodation and schedule we provide may be low, but it's our best sincerity and heart." Moon said it was "time to bear fruit" and thanked Kim for his hospitality, which included a massive welcome ceremony at Pyongyang International Airport featuring a large, goose-stepping honour guard and a military band. During their motor parade through Pyongyang's landmark Ryomyong Street, a new residential district launched last year under Kim's initiative to modernise the city, Kim and Moon briefly stepped out of the vehicle to greet and take flowers from members of the crowd. "CHIEF NEGOTIATOR" Trump has asked Moon to be "chief negotiator" between himself and Kim, according to Moon's aides, after Trump cancelled a trip to Pyongyang by his secretary of state last month. Washington wants to see concrete action toward denuclearisation by North Korea before agreeing to a key goal of Pyongyang - declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. The conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces including South Korea technically still at war with the North. South Korea is pinning high hopes on Kim's remarks to Moon's special envoys earlier this month that he wants to achieve denuclearisation within Trump's first term in office ending in early 2021. "If North Korea-U.S. dialogue is restarted after this visit, it would have much significance in itself," Moon said before his departure. Underscoring the challenges ahead, North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun said on Tuesday "the responsibility falls squarely on the United States" for the stalled nuclear discussions. "It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities... without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war," the newspaper said in an editorial. On Wednesday, Moon and Kim plan to hold a second day of official talks after which they are expected to unveil a joint statement, and a separate military pact designed to defuse tensions and prevent armed clashes. Moon will return home early Thursday. Travelling with Moon are South Korean business tycoons, including Samsung scion Jay Y. Lee and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group. They met North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam, who is in charge of economic affairs, although Seoul officials said they did not expect any specific joint economic projects to be agreed given extensive international sanctions. The United States is pressing other countries to strictly observe U.N. sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. North Korea says it has destroyed its main nuclear and missile engine test site and has halted atomic and ballistic missile tests, but U.S. officials and analysts believe it is continuing to work on its weapons plans covertly. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia on Monday of "cheating" on U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Search Keywords: Short link: Across town from the glitter and glamour of the Emmy Awards, Roseanne Barr, the star of one of TVs most popular shows of the year, was holding court in a Beverly Hills theater, discussing her fall from grace and the theme of forgiveness. Barr, who was fired last May from the hugely successful reboot of her groundbreaking ABC series Roseanne after she posted a racist tweet targeting Valerie Jarrett, a former aide to President Obama, appeared with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach at the Saban Theatre for an event titled Is America a Forgiving Nation? The discussion was one of the embattled comedians first public appearances since her dismissal from the sitcom. More than 200 people paid $20 to attend the event, which organizers said was timed for the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday of atonement, and wasnt intentionally meant to conflict with the Emmys, where Barrs former costar Laurie Metcalf was nominated for supporting actress in a comedy series (Metcalf lost to Alex Borstein of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.) Barr was visibly emotional during the event, breaking down in tears as she described the toll her ouster had on her. Advertisement It physically defeated me, and I was just leveled, she said. It was so depressing, like a death. And although the topic of the evening revolved around forgiveness, she suggested that she had already done enough, had apologized repeatedly and expressed remorse for her tweet. She said it was more important to get right with my maker than to be forgiven. The joy is in knowing what you did wrong. Its the bravery and courage and self-reflection to get down to it and make it as right as you can. Roseanne Barr Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, comedian Roseanne Barr, and the editor of the Jewish Journal, David Suissa, participate in a discussion on atonement and repentance. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) She added, The joy is in knowing what you did wrong. Its the bravery and courage and self-reflection to get down to it and make it as right as you can. Im someone who is interested in healing my own soul. At another point, Barr described the stress of making the sitcom. It was harder than last time, she said, referring to the original version of Roseanne. During one emotional moment, she said she was moved by the support she received following her firing. I felt so much love that Ive never felt before in my whole career, from people of all colors, she said. Many of her comments centered on her plans to hit the stand-up circuit next year, going coast to coast. Though she didnt give details about cities, dates or venues, Barr called live comedy her first love and said it was a very healing thing to connect with an audience. The crowd responded with cheers and applause. Barr also repeated her intention to leave the U.S. to live in Israel for several months to study Judaism with her favorite teachers, and that she will not watch The Conners, the revamped version of Roseanne, which ABC will launch this fall. John Goodman, who plays Dan Conner, has said in interviews that the Roseanne Conner character will die. In a brief interview following the 90-minute program, Barr said that she is in the early stages of creating her new live show. Im formulating it, and Ive got to write material. Im kind of excited to be writing jokes again and centering on new things to say. She added that she had been told that her Roseanne character would die of an opioid overdose. Im not 100% sure, but my spies there, they said that, Barr said, noting that she was sad at the idea. The whole thing is just so sad. Its all so sad, she said. Im just gonna keep on, having a great life. As for a return to TV, which had been rumored, Barr said she has no immediate plans. I dont know Im 66. Im kind of old. I feel old, she said. I think Im just gonna do what I love for a while. Im writing its therapeutic. Maybe it was an unconscious effort to beat the Monday night blues, but the most noticeable trend on the 70th Emmy Awards red well, make that gold carpet was an emphasis on bright, bold and otherwise unusual (at least for an awards show) colors ranging from Dakota Fannings jade-green pleated chiffon crossover Dior dress with a tied back to Tracee Ellis Ross voluminous fuchsia Valentino gown. Other head-turners in candy-colored clothes were Regina King in a curve-hugging chartreuse strapless gown with a graceful arc of fabric across the breastbone; Tatiana Maslany in a custom lime green and black jumpsuit; and Leslie Jones in a custom iridescent pantsuit that seemed to waver between silver and pink depending on the light all by the color-loving designer Christian Siriano, who also gets credit for one of the nights hands-down stunners, Angela Sarafyans black, crystal-studded strapless gown. Allison Janney in Prabal Gurung, from left, Regina King in Christian Siriano, Tracee Ellis Ross in Valentino and Tatiana Maslany in custom Christian Siriano at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. (Marcus Yam, second from right, and Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Prabal Gurung, another designer known for his love of bold color, gets the credit for Allison Janneys eye-popping purple sequin-covered number as well as Tiffany Haddishs boldly color-blocked red, blue, green and yellow gown, which, she told E!s Giuliana Rancic, had been custom-made to incorporate the colors of the Eritrean flag as an homage to her father. Advertisement Emmys 2018: Best- and worst-dressed gallery There was a noticeable number of women wearing pants at this years Emmy Awards arrivals. In addition to Jones and Maslany, standouts in the trouser-clad department included Issa Rae in a custom pale-blue silk V-neck Vera Wang jumpsuit with a split-away skirt and hand-sewn, crystal-embellished bodice; Felicity Huffman in a double-breasted suit; Amanda Crew in a silver pantsuit worn over what appeared to be a blue tube top; and perennial awards-show pants-wearer Evan Rachel Wood, who brought along as her guest activist Amanda Nguyen, a recent Nobel Peace Prize nominee for creating the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights. Felicity Huffman, from left, Issa Rae in custom Vera Wang and Evan Rachel Wood in custom Altuzarra. (Allen J. Schaben, left and center, and Marcus Yam, right / Los Angeles Times) Wood also sported a blue ribbon on the lapel of her custom, floor-length Altuzarra black tuxedo coat with satin lapels and tuxedo high-waisted pants in support of the ACLU and its fight to reunite immigrant families separated at the border. Emmys fashion trends: Men on the red carpet skip traditional tuxedos to express themselves Although she managed to highlight two causes in a single trip down the gold carpet, she couldnt hold a candle to a fellow pants-clad attendee, black-ish star Jenifer Lewis, who turned out wearing a custom black and red Nike sweatshirt with a crystal-covered swoosh logo. I am wearing Nike to applaud them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against racial injustice and police brutality, she said. adam.tschorn@latimes.com For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn Judging by the nontraditional formal wear donned by leading men Ricky Martin, Justin Hartley, Antonio Banderas and the hosts of Queer Eye, a muster of peacocks has descended upon the 70th Primetime Emmys. Although the peak-lapel tuxedo in impenetrable black is a staple of the red carpet, mens sartorial selections at the Emmys on Monday were anything but staid. Several went with hues of white, midnight blue, olive green, red and also a plaid print. Sticking with black as the base color of his evening suit from Emporio Armani, Darren Criss experimented with a grey woven diamond pattern along with gold brocade accents. Darren Criss arrives for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards wearing Emporio Armani. (Nina Prommer / EPA-EFE/ REX / Shutterstock) Advertisement Karamo Brown from Queer Eye appeared to be a cross between a schoolboy and a barrister in his scarlet vest and matching knickerbockers worn under a black robe. Tan France, also from Queer Eye, matched him tonally with a red plaid suit, which was frayed at the hem. Jwan Yosef, left, and husband Ricky Martin arrive at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) White jackets draped the shoulders of Lakeith Stanfield and Milo Ventimiglia. Jonathan Van Ness from Queer Eye went a step further, allowing the world to see his chest through a sheer top. Emmys 2018: Best and worst-dressed gallery On the more conservative side of the style spectrum, navy has secured its spot on the red carpet as the alternative color for mens tuxedos, as seen on Banderas, Jimmi Simpson and Michael Stuhlbarg. Michael Che, co-host of the ceremony, went with a one-button tuxedo by Giorgio Armani sans bow tie. Also, 13-year-old Miles Brown experienced his own blue period in a midnight blue suit by Armani Junior. Jimmi Simpson arrives at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. (Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press) Simpsons silk jacket by Ermenegildo Zegna was a play on texture, printed all over with an E representing the brands first name. His stylist, Warren Alfie Baker, said the decision to go with the monochromatic ensemble in blue was simple. Emmys fashion: An enthusiasm for bright hues and a penchant for pants rule the arrivals red carpet Jimmi has the brightest blue eyes, and I really wanted them to pop on the red carpet, too, he said. The jewel tone of the Zegna jacket was too beautiful to pass up on. image@latimes.com For fashion news, follow us at @latimesimage on Twitter. Issa Rae, Mary Steenburgen and Leslie Jones formed their own pantsuit nation at Mondays Emmys in Los Angeles. The actresses stepped onto the gold carpet at the Microsoft Theater for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in pants-based ensembles that dazzled with thousands of crystals and shimmered with a metallic sheen. Nominated for supporting actress in a comedy series for Saturday Night Live, Jones stood out from the crowd in a glitzy iridescent suit by Christian Siriano. The look was accessorized with iridescent drop earrings and a big smile on the gold carpet. Amanda Crew, left, and Suzanne Cryer show off their ensembles at the 70th Emmy Awards. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement Steenburgen picked dusty rose and pink as her standout colors of the night, wearing a jacket and pants printed all over with pink diamonds. Overturning the sartorial stereotype besetting Silicon Valley, Amanda Crew and Suzanne Cryer from the HBO comedy series of the same name brought a heavy dose of rock n roll style to the arrivals red carpet with their shiny silver suits. While Crew layered a blue tube top under her sparkly jacket, Cryer offset the bright red floral trim on her suit with a black shirt (albeit one unbuttoned to her navel). Emmys fashion: Enthusiasm for bright hues and a penchant for pants stand out on the red carpet However, it was Rae who seemed to float in a sky-blue number by Vera Wang that combined a gown on top and wide-leg pants on the bottom. She told E! that she couldnt believe there were 3,000 crystals stitched onto her outfit. That took 100 hours to make, she said, and they killed it. Emmys fashion: Heres a closer look at our best- and worst-dressed list Issa Rae wearing a Vera Wang pant ensemble at the Emmys on Monday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times (left and right); Danny Moloshok / Associated Press (center)) image@latimes.com For fashion news, follow us at @latimesimage on Twitter. Actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Yara Shahidi, who portray on-screen mother and daughter, respectively, on ABCs black-ish, appeared to have also shared style genes at the Emmys on Monday. Both arrived at the Microsoft Theater for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in unconventional pink dresses as well as daring makeup that entailed using lipstick outside their pouts on their eyes and cheeks. Shahidi, who just started her freshman year at Harvard in Cambridge, Mass., didnt have much time to pick a gown for the big Hollywood event. Her glam team, including fashion stylist Jason Bolden and hairstylist Naivasha Johnson, flirted with the idea of showing a bit of her shoulders. Shahidi, who stars in the black-ish spinoff grown-ish on Freeform, selected a halter dress from Gucci that was accented with crystals along the neckline and a whimsical flower applique at the frocks center. Yara Shahidi (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images) Advertisement Check out the major fashion trends from the Emmys Its one of those things where its her first year at school, playing with the fact that [the dress is] very youthful and fun, Bolden said. We dont want to take it too serious. Complementing the topknot that Johnson twisted into Shahidis hair, the makeup that makeup artist Emily Cheng used on Shahidis face was inspired by watercolors. Makeup-wise, we kept it really simple to let the dress shine, Cheng said. Yara Shahidi (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Check out our Emmys best- and worst-dressed photo gallery To get the beauty look, Cheng soaked Beautyblenders sponge with SK-IIs facial treatment essence and used the sponge to apply Bobbi Browns foundation in Golden Honey and Warm Almond to Shahidis face. Cheng also dusted Beautyblenders power pocket puff with powder and packed it in Shahidis purse in case the actress had to get rid of a shiny complexion on the warm afternoon in L.A. Cheng then used Bobbi Browns matte lipstick in burnt cherry on Shahidis lips, cheeks and eyes. The technique was harmonious, and it tied together nicely, she said. Its also an ode to how fun makeup can be. For Emmy nominee Ross, who wore a voluminous strapless gown in hot pink by Valentino Couture, makeup involved using lipstick in a bold way on her face. Makeup artist Lisa Storey blended Charlotte Tilburys lipstick in Tell Laura, an orange-red lip shade, over Ross eyelids and dragged the color to a soft point at the ends with a lip brush. Tracee Ellis Ross (Associated Press) I loved the stain the lipstick made. Tell Laura is a fiery matte orange-red. When you blend out, it goes more orangey, Storey said. She also mixed two shades of Cheek to Chic blusher Pillow Talk and Love Is the Drug for Ross cheeks. On the actress eyes, Storey rubbed a creamy Eyes to Mesmerise eye shadow in a golden shade called Bette. We were very inspired in the moment, Storey said, adding that their challenge was figuring out how to play with that kind of look and still give it the elegance and make it elevated for [the] red carpet. It was [about] finding the balance on how to do it. Tracee Ellis Ross at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. (Nina Prommer / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock) image@latimes.com For fashion news, follow us at @latimesimage on Twitter. Christine Blasey Ford came forward Sunday as the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her more than three decades ago, an allegation that threatens to derail his confirmation. The news, revealed in an interview with the Washington Post, came just four days before the Senate Judiciary Committees plans for a preliminary vote on Kavanaughs lifetime appointment to the nations highest court. GOP leaders threw out those plans and agreed to reconvene next week to hear from Kavanaugh, who denies the allegations, a nd Ford. Who is the accuser? Ford, 51, is a psychology professor at Palo Alto University. Advertisement She earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from USC and has worked for 20 years as research psychologist and biostatistician in academia and the biotech industry. Ford earned a masters degree in epidemiology with specialization in biostatistics from Stanford University in 2009. She has previously taught statistics, research methods and psychometrics courses at Pepperdine and Stanford universities. The Post reported that Ford is a registered Democrat who has made small contributions to political organizations. She married Russell Ford in Half Moon Bay in 2002. What did she say happened? Ford told the Post that during a pool party in suburban Maryland, Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her down on a bed and groped her, trying to remove her one-piece bathing suit and other clothing. She told the newspaper that he covered her mouth when she tried to scream for help. She escaped when Kavanaughs friend jumped on the bed, sending all three tumbling off. Ford considers the incident an attempted rape, according to her attorney, Debra Katz. Why did she come forward? Ford first laid out her allegations in a letter delivered in July to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. At the time, she said she did not want to be identified. She told the Post she went public because her name was beginning to leak out and her civic duty outweighed her desire for privacy. Now I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation, she told the paper. A friend told the San Jose Mercury News that Ford expressed concern this summer about what would happen if her allegations were made public. Ive been trying to forget this all my life, and now Im supposed to remember every little detail, Jim Gensheimer, recalled Ford saying. Theyre going to be all over me. How did Kavanaugh respond? Kavanaugh has denied the claim. This is a completely false allegation, he said in a statement. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. Kavanaugh and Ford are set to testify publicly Monday about the allegations. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek UPDATES: 8:30 a.m.: This post was updated with comments from Fords friend. This post was originally published at 4 a.m. Civil liberties attorneys and community activists are fighting a proposed crackdown on people who disrupt public meetings at Los Angeles City Hall, arguing that the measure would violate their rights to free speech. Under the proposed rules, shouting from the audience and other unruly behavior could get people banned from attending City Council and committee meetings for several days at a time. Council members had argued that the restrictions are needed to maintain order and ensure that people feel safe at public meetings. The push to tighten city rules follows years of complaints about racial epithets, profane and misogynistic language and other outbursts from the audience during city meetings. Some neighborhood advocates say that behavior has made them hesitant to testify in person at City Hall. But the plan troubled some attorneys and activists, including the ACLU of Southern California, the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition and the Los Angeles Community Action Network, which advocates for skid row residents. Advertisement The council postponed a discussion of the proposal Tuesday due to a threat of litigation and to give council members the option of hearing from their lawyers behind closed doors, said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer. Dozens of people who showed up to oppose the plan vowed to return next week when the item is scheduled to be taken up. Banning people from attending future meetings is like a gag order, said Hamid Khan, coordinator of the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, which opposes government surveillance. He said council members were using the behavior of a few gadflies as an excuse to roll back the rights of Angelenos to petition their government. Council rules already allow audience members to be removed for behavior that disrupts the orderly conduct of public meetings, such as clapping, whistling, repeatedly waving their arms, stomping feet or uttering loud, threatening or abusive language. Under the proposed changes, someone who is ejected from a council or committee meeting could be barred from attending such meetings for the rest of the day. If the same person is removed again from another meeting within three business days, he or she could be excluded from meetings for the rest of that day and three more business days. And if the same person is kicked out again soon after that, the individual could be barred from participating for that day and the following six business days. City staffers say there has been an increase in such disruptions, often by the same small group of people. Earlier this month, frequent meeting attendee Armando Herman used profanity, a racial slur for African Americans and a vulgar word for the female anatomy while addressing the council. After Herman finished speaking, Council President Herb Wesson addressed Jocelyn Duarte, who had been sitting in the front row and covering the ears of her 10-year-old daughter while Herman spoke. Wesson told Duarte he would welcome a note indicating how offended she was by the comments. At that point, Herman began yelling from the audience and Wesson ordered him removed from the building for disrupting the meeting. Minutes later, Herman started shouting outside City Hall, loud enough to be heard by council members. Afterward, council members expressed frustration with such behavior, arguing that it was meant to offend and intimidate members of the public, especially children. Duarte, who had come to City Hall for a ceremony honoring the Salvadoran American civic group for which she works, said later that she felt threatened by Hermans behavior. Such hateful speech, she wrote in a letter to Councilman Mitch OFarrell, creates a hostile environment that is not conducive for others to exercise their right to freedom of speech. Herman called his language protected speech and disputed the idea that his behavior in any way threatens public safety. He said council members are changing the rules in an attempt to silence critical opinions. Ive been to hundreds if not a thousand meetings and now all of a sudden they dont like ... to be criticized, Herman said. Federal courts have found that public speakers cannot be removed simply for uttering profane or offensive words. Five years ago, a federal judge found that Los Angeles had violated the U.S. and California constitutions when it ejected two public speakers from meetings. Under California law, it has to be an actual, substantive disruption to the meeting, said Brendan Hamme, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California. Hamme said his group is concerned that the existing definition of disruption under city rules is overly broad. For instance, if someone is clapping briefly, its difficult to see how that would cause an actual disruption, he said. Attorney Wayne Spindler, who has repeatedly been kicked out of city meetings, argued that the city would not be able to successfully defend the new rules in court. Theyre disenfranchising people every day, said Spindler, who has sued the city over free speech and other issues. At council meetings, right now you get a minute and half the time they interrupt [you during] that minute. Two years ago, city leaders shortened the time that each person can comment on certain council agenda items from two minutes to one. The council also routinely turns down requests to speak about an issue if it has already been discussed in one of its committees, a practice that has frustrated some residents. During a two-minute public comment period at a council committee meeting on Monday, Spindler repeated a vulgar word for female genitalia 11 times while denouncing the proposed crackdown on audience disruptions. Spindler, whose law practice is based in the San Fernando Valley, also used a racist word for African Americans to describe council members and repeatedly referenced their Jewish heritage. Spindler was removed from the committee meeting at the end of his testimony. Councilman Paul Krekorian said he ordered him out because Spindler continued to speak after his allotted time had ended, creating a distraction. emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes UPDATES: 4:45 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from City Atty. Mike Feuers spokesman. This article originally published at 2:05 p.m. The Los Angeles homeless count has become an annual civic drama, starting with thousands of volunteers spreading across the county on three nights in January and ending five months later with the unveiling of the new number: 52,765 this year. The practice has been criticized for its implied precision as if it were possible to count a diffuse and reclusive population down to the last individual. But the effort has also faced criticism for leaving out important information, such as how many people become homeless during the year and how long they remain on the street. To fill in those gaps, the Economic Roundtable examined data collected by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority in 2017. After months of analysis, the group came up with a new statistical approach that yields a very different number: 102,278 reflecting the number of people who become homeless at one time or another during the year. Advertisement (Los Angeles Times) It means that for just about every person living on the street or in a shelter on a given night, another person was homeless at least once during the prior year, some of them more than once, the group found. Daniel Flaming, president of the Economic Roundtable, said the findings can provide a better understanding of why some people escape homelessness quickly after a job loss or an eviction while others become persistently homeless. That, in turn, could lead to better use of scarce resources, Flaming said. The analysis, published earlier this month, also looked at how long people stay homeless. What we see is that a lot of people make it out fairly quickly and dont need a lot of help, he said. Maybe a third are homeless for a year or more. The organizations goal is to develop analytical tools to find these high-need individuals before there is so much wreckage in their lives, Flaming said. The Economic Roundtable, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that seeks to guide public policy with research on economic, social and environmental conditions, has been critical of the homeless authoritys methodology, especially its reluctance to acknowledge statistical error. (The Economic Roundtable says the authoritys estimate of the annual homeless number could be high or low by up to 5%.) The groups project culminated in August when about two dozen volunteer analysts, with the help of the data sciences nonprofit DataKind, assembled for a weekend of computer coding. Data scientist Paul Beeman led one group that built interactive charts to illustrate the numbers in the homeless authoritys annual demographic survey. His goal of showing changes in the homeless population over several years ran into trouble when he found that the questions in the survey often changed. One question, for example, asked those who slept in tents how many others lived with them. Many didnt answer in some years because there was no way to report none. Beeman eventually concluded that without consistent data it was impossible to make a visualization that is representative to any sort of truth. Consequently, the web page his group produced covers only two years. It breaks down the homeless population in 2016 and 2017 by age, race and gender and other statistics, such as the reason for becoming homeless. The homeless authority, which reviewed the groups findings, said in a statement that it will soon post a USC paper that may address some of the concerns addressed in the latest Economic Roundtable report. The agency said it is working with USC on potential improvements next year. In a statement, it said it would consider the Economic Roundtables report but cautioned that it makes changes to its methodology to improve the accuracy and stability of the estimates, which it prioritizes over year-by-year comparability. A group led by Jane Carlen, the Economic Roundtables research statistician, examined what is called the annualized total how many people become homeless at any time during a year. The homeless authority makes its own estimate of the number but has never included it in its annual presentation. Besides being hard to express, the statistic had proved unreliable, climbing almost 70,000 one year, then sliding 80,000 over the next five years while homelessness was increasing. Carlen attributed the swing to inconsistent data collection and recommended changes to improve it. More important, Flaming said, Carlen and her team came up with new statistical methods to assess how long people remain homeless. According to their calculation, nearly half of those who become homeless obtain new housing within six months, but fewer regain housing after six months. After a year, 35% remain homeless. It could be possible, Flaming said, to prevent that slide into persistent homelessness with intensive help at the beginning. Our idea is to intervene early much more intensely than you normally would, maybe a $20,000 package to give them a new foothold in a new job, he said. doug.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @LATDoug In a scathing review of the states proliferating business improvement districts, a student project released Tuesday by the UC Berkeley law school accuses the nonprofit groups of systematically abusing homeless people. The report by the Policy Advocacy Clinic at UC Berkeley School of Law alleges that business improvement districts, or BIDs, are exacerbating the plight of the homeless by excluding homeless people from public places without addressing the causes and conditions of homelessness. The research paper, released online and at events in Los Angeles and other cities Tuesday, links the rise of the districts, which now number about 200 in California, to an increase in the number of anti-homeless laws. BIDs seek to enact, maintain, and strengthen laws that criminalize activity like sitting, resting, sleeping, panhandling, and food sharing in public spaces, the report said. Advertisement To enforce such laws, BIDs collaborate closely with local police departments and hire or contract with private security. The report was prepared for the Western Regional Advocacy Project, a San Francisco homeless advocacy group, which released it with a caustic statement. BIDs are a concerted and growing effort to erase from cities any sign of vast inequality while at the same time perpetuating it, the groups executive director, Paul Boden, said in a statement. BIDs work to manufacture the appearance of prosperity in the city square but that farce comes at the expense of basic human rights for the unhoused poor. The authors recommend that the state Legislature rewrite laws to prohibit using property assessment fees for policy advocacy and policing. Officers of districts contacted by The Times faulted the report as vague and oversimplified. To make this connection between BIDs and so-called anti-homeless laws and the increase in homelessness is a pretty simplistic view of what is a really complex social problem right now, said Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance, a nonprofit that oversees two Hollywood-area business improvement districts. Morrison, who also serves on the citizen oversight committee for the citys Proposition HHH homeless housing bond, appeared at City Hall recently to urge approval of a site in Hollywood for a homeless shelter. Is that public advocacy? Morrison asked. Should we stay silent on being in support of a homeless shelter in a Hollywood neighborhood? You cant have it both ways. Are they asking that our voice be silenced in a public forum? Business improvement districts are formed under state laws that allow property owners to assess fees on themselves to supplement public services. State and federal laws authorizing business improvement districts date to the 1960s in response to the decline of downtown districts. Initially operating under city oversight, the districts gained more independence with new laws in the 1990s allowing a majority vote of property owners weighted by assessment to petition the city to form a district and authorizing districts to spend money on direct services such as sanitation and policing. The report documented an increase in business improvement district formations after those laws were passed. During the 20 years from 1975 to 1994, 13 BIDs were established and 61 anti-homeless laws were enacted, it said. During the 20 years from 1995 to 2014, 60 BIDs were established and 193 anti-homeless laws were enacted. In Los Angeles, a consortium of business improvement districts has 38 member organizations. The districts have long been criticized for targeting homeless people for removal. But the new study argues that they are breaking state law by using mandatory property assessments some from public entities to advocate for legislation. Based on public records requests and about 100 responses from 189 California business improvement districts it attempted to survey, the researchers concluded that on average nearly 17% of their assessment revenue came from publicly owned properties. The paper also alleges that some districts stray from the legal requirement that assessments fund only activities that result in special benefits to the members. Los Angeles Downtown Industrial BID does not mention policy advocacy in its planning documents, yet in its quarterly reports to the city, it classifies activities like testifying at city council meetings and meeting with council staffers as assessment-funded, the report said. Estella Lopez, executive director of the district, responded that its members expect her to advocate with the city. My day is consumed with the working men and women of the industrial district who ask me questions and provide me with information they expect me to communicate to the city of Los Angeles, Lopez said. The report recommends changes in the law to prohibit spending assessment money on security and to clear up inconsistencies in state law over what constitutes special benefit. When theyre spending on policy advocacy, BIDs say it is providing special benefit, said clinical law student Shelby Nacino, an author of the report. The issue is that we think the Constitution and state law arent necessarily consistent, but policy advocacy doesnt represent a special benefit in any case, Nacino said. The report acknowledged that some business improvement districts engage with social services agencies to assist homeless people, but characterized the practice as part of their broader aim to remove homeless people. BID policy advocacy and policing practices are premised on the idea that laws criminalizing activities like sitting, resting, sleeping, and food sharing help homeless people, it said. In this view, anti-homeless laws encourage homeless people to access social services. Los Angeles business improvement district officials assert that their security officers actively help homeless people. Suzanne Holley, incoming president and chief executive of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, said it has partnered with homelessness nonprofit PATH to provide outreach teams which deliver direct support and connect individuals with much-needed services and supportive housing. It also has a 20-year relationship with Chrysalis to provide job skills and a path toward self-sufficiency for homeless people, Holley said. Our private security patrol is pretty much a first responder for people who are homeless, Morrison said of the Hollywood area business improvement districts. We have embedded an outreach presence into our security team. Our team will call paramedics for medical treatment for people who look to be incapacitated, will transport to local social services agencies, participate in team conversations on the best way to help a person. The districts security officers identified 14 homeless people in Hollywood who were most in need of services, Morrison said. The report said those efforts are often perceived as harassment. Homeless people often experience BID attempts to remove them as unjustified and cruel, it said. doug.smith@latimes.com @LATDoug President Trumps proposal to create a space force would cost nearly $13 billion over five years and require a sweeping reorganization of parts of the Pentagon and intelligence community including shifting the Air Forces Space and Missile Systems Center in El Segundo into the new military service according to an internal Air Force memo. The 15-page memo signed by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson offers the first official estimate of the near-term costs of building a sixth branch of the military to focus on fighting in outer space, and outlines the Air Forces ideas for doing so. The proposals differ significantly from those released last month by Patrick Shanahan, a deputy secretary of Defense, and suggest substantial infighting among the Pentagons top brass over how to build the new force. The memo, which was reviewed by The Times, represents a fundamental shift for Wilson, who opposed creating a space force until Trump publicly embraced the concept in June. The Air Force, which now handles space-related issues at the Pentagon, could see its budget and responsibilities sharply cut by creating a separate space force. Advertisement The president has clearly communicated his desire for a military department for space, Wilson wrote in what appears to be an acknowledgement that she can no longer oppose the White House plan. This proposal places the priority squarely on lethality and rapidly fielding space capabilities. But the Air Force plan, which includes shifting a major freestanding intelligence agency into the new service, is likely to run into heavy opposition from defenders of the status quo in Congress which may be the point of the memo. Details of the Air Forces plan emerged on the same day that Wilson gave a speech on the state of the Air Force that called for a huge increase in fighter and bomber squadrons, adding ammunition to critics who say the services focus on traditional aerial combat causes it to under-emphasize space. Trump began touting the space force to wild applause at political rallies this summer after he was lobbied by several members of Congress who had pushed the idea since 2016. They say the force is needed because Russia, China and other U.S. adversaries are building anti-satellite and other weapons that could threaten the U.S. militarys dominance in space. Shifting the Space and Missile Systems Center to the new service would move more than 5,000 military and civilian personnel who now work for the Air Force to the new service. It has an unclassified annual budget of about $7 billion out of a total Air Force budget of $8.5 billion for building and launching satellites and other space systems and an unknown classified budget. Only Congress can create a new military service alongside the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The legislative debate wont begin until next year, when the administration has said it will send a formal legislative proposal to Capitol Hill. But opponents will probably seize on the Air Force estimate that building the space force will cost $3.3 billion in the first year and $12.9 billion over five years as evidence that it would be too costly for a defense budget likely to be severely stretched in coming years. The Air Force plan calls for creating a space force headquarters by 2020 and making it fully operational by the following year, headed by a secretary of the space force and a four-star uniformed chief of the service, who would join the current Joint Chiefs. We propose a Department of the Space Force constructed in the form of an equal military department with a headquarters containing a Secretariat and General Staff to support a Service Secretary and a Chief of Staff and necessary subordinate officers, the memo says. The headquarters is likely to be at the Pentagon. A proposed new U.S. Space Command will probably be at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, where the Air Force has a lower-level command, though no location is specified in the memo. The memo estimates that the space force would add 13,044 personnel to Pentagon rolls, including more than 7,900 space force officers and enlisted service members. About 2,400 would be civilians and uniformed personnel at headquarters, while 2,600 more would be attached to a new space command or another existing command. The memo calls for keeping all current space personnel in the Air Force and other services until Congress establishes the new Department of the Space Force, an approach that could delay cuts in Air Force operations. The Air Force plan also proposes shifting the National Reconnaissance Office, an intelligence agency that is responsible for designing, launching and operating spy satellites, into the new service. The NRO is believed to have the largest budget of the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies. In addition, all military space-related programs in the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Advanced Projects Agency, NASA and several other agencies would transfer to the new branch. Such a sweeping plan is likely to run into heavy opposition in Congress, from those agencies defenders and from those who want to keep the primary responsibility for space with the Air Force. Shanahan, the deputy secretary of Defense, had suggested taking interim steps until Congress creates a standalone space force. He proposed creating a Space Development Agency to oversee satellite acquisition, and establishing a new top-level position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In a move to protect its turf, the Air Force memo recommends using its existing Space Rapid Capabilities Office for satellite acquisition until the space force is established. Our proposal avoids detours that do not support the presidents policy position, Wilson wrote in the memo. Moving programs to a temporary holding organization is not in line with the presidents intent. david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT Democracy may not always be pretty, but at Los Angeles City Hall, it can be downright ugly thanks to a handful of gadflies who are repeatedly turning routine government meetings into circuses. A small number of speakers regularly take the microphone at city meetings and spew profanities, racial epithets and sexually explicit language. They wander off topic and flash obscene gestures; they make animal noises from the audience. They shout in the aisles or scream in the hallways outside meetings. One gadfly has worn a Ku Klux Klan hood with a swastika on it. This isnt a new problem, but it seems to have gotten worse, with speakers using more aggressive and more hateful language to provoke a reaction. Council members argue that the unruly behavior is meant to offend and intimidate other people in the audience, and that has a chilling effect on public participation and disrupts government business. Its a delicate balance to protect free speech while preserving decorum in public meetings. Advertisement In an attempt to limit the bad behavior, the City Council has proposed toughening up on people who have repeatedly been kicked out of past meetings by banning them from future meetings for a few days or as much as a week. Theyre right that something must be done about disruption. But they need to tread carefully. Its a delicate balance to protect free speech while preserving decorum in public meetings, and the City Council has repeatedly been rebuffed by the courts for failing to strike that balance properly. This latest effort to swat at the most unruly gadflies is likely to prompt yet another lawsuit. The new proposal would bar people from attending any council or committee meeting for the rest of the day once they are kicked out of a meeting. If the same person is ejected from another meeting within the next three business days, he or she would be excluded from meetings for the rest of that day and three more business days. If the same person is expelled again soon after that, the expulsion would continue for that day and the next six business days. Federal courts have ruled that public speakers cannot be kicked out of meetings simply for using offensive or hateful language. A speaker has to create an actual disruption that stops or impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting to justify removal. (As an example, the spectators during the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh were removed for repeatedly interrupting and stalling the hearing; their removal was legal.) The challenge for city leaders, therefore, is to determine when behavior is actually disruptive. If a speaker asks to be heard about an item on the council meeting agenda, but then begins to rant on another topic, can he or she be ejected from the meeting even if the remarks are confined to the time limit? Is that disruptive or isnt it? A second question is whether it is legal to bar people from future meetings based on their past behavior. Civil liberties attorney Stephen Rohde has already warned that the proposal, if approved, would constitute an unlawful prior restraint. The greatest fear the founders had was that the government would not only censor you, but prevent you in the future from speaking, Rohde told The Times. You cannot muzzle and prevent someone in the future based on what theyve done in the past. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Rohde should know. He has successfully sued the city on behalf of past gadflies who were ejected and even banned from attending council meetings. U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson ruled in 2013 that the citys enforcement of its rules of decorum was unconstitutional because, while the speakers used highly inflammatory language and profanity, they didnt actually disrupt the meeting. While the City Council has a right to keep its meetings on topic and moving forward, it cannot sacrifice political speech to a formula of civility, Pregerson wrote. The Ralph M. Brown Act, Californias open meetings law, protects citizens right to have meaningful input into their local governments decision-making, in public at the time and the place where their elected officials meet. That right necessarily includes the ability to critique the performance of politicians, and it also includes the right to use profanity and to say some things that are offensive. Thats the price of free speech. The challenge facing the council is to protect that right while taking reasonable steps to avoid real disruption so that the work of local government can get done. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Ableism kills. Ive watched my fellow patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, suffer and even die from the ignominy of a suspect disease. Patients often cant get effective medical care, their disability insurance applications are rejected, their marriages are torn apart, theyre abandoned by their families, they end up in poverty and food insecurity, and sometimes they die, occasionally from the disease itself, more often from suicide. As terrible as this litany is, nothing has brought home to me the dangers of prejudice against those who are chronically ill like the new Netflix documentary series Afflicted. The television show follows the lives of seven people with bizarre health problems, including ME/CFS and mold illness, diagnoses I share. As the series unfolds, the agenda becomes increasingly clear: to show that the primary cause of these diseases is psychological. In Episode 6, each participant is shown while their parents and partners speak: I wonder, is he imagining this to the point that it becomes real? Is this in her head? Is it psychosomatic? Some of its in her mind, I guess. Advertisement Skepticism chokes the flow of research dollars. The patients are depicted as bleeding their loved ones dry of money and goodwill, as abandoning reputable doctors in favor of greedy quacks, and as being freaks utterly unlike normal healthy people. When I finished watching the series, I feared for my fellow patients for example, for Rebecca Handler, an ME/CFS patient who recently tweeted: She begged friends to take her in because her parents threatened to put her in a psychiatric ward. And, as she told me, they hadnt even yet watched Afflicted. Whatever Handlers parents believe, science is unequivocal about the reality of ME/CFS, as well as many other illnesses depicted in the series. In 2015, the National Academy of Medicine released a report that called ME/CFS a serious, chronic, complex, multisystem disease, rejecting the idea that it is psychosomatic and demanding that doctors take it seriously. Similarly, though chronic Lyme disease is often dismissed as a fake ailment, the science is clear that 10% to 20% of patients who get ideal treatment for documented Lyme infection are nevertheless left chronically ill. Mold and chemical sensitivities can be caused by an illness called mast cell activation syndrome, in which a type of immune cell overreacts to ordinarily benign substances, releasing a flood of inflammatory molecules. The series says nothing about such studies and findings. Instead, a psychiatrist who hasnt examined any of the patients featured in Afflicted offers explanations for their maladies ranging from past trauma to benefiting from illness to simple delusion. The filmmakers juxtapose these explanations with footage of the participants that suggest the psychiatrists musings apply directly to them. The filmmakers include few interviews with the patients mainstream doctors, while highlighting complementary alternative treatments the patients pursued, treatments the filmmakers themselves sometimes arranged at no cost to the participants, according to participant Bekah Fly. Fly says they even pressured her to pursue such a treatment against her doctors advice. Participants have described many more ethical failings, including that the filmmakers deceptively edited footage to make it appear that family members believed their loved ones illnesses might be psychosomatic when they emphatically did not. Our intention, protests Dan Partland, executive producer of the series, was to give the world a compassionate window into the difficulties of patients and families struggling with elusive and misunderstood illnesses. Whatever the series professed intent, Afflicted is a compendium of scientific and ethical flaws. The narrative that emerges is clear: These people are causing their own problems through their bad choices, and they are not like you. You are good and normal; they are bad and strange. Unsurprisingly, the series is amplifying the disdain already heaped on patients. Tweets like this one are common: If you're looking for a good laugh check out the drama on the #Afflicted hashtag. There's a lot of mental illness out there. People would rather pay fake doctors for vitamins and magnets than see a psychiatrist. Eviru (@Eviru) August 16, 2018 In a Reddit thread, several doctors confidently assert that the participants must be suffering from psychosomatic illness. And the participants have been deluged with hate mail, some calling on them to kill themselves. A group of writers, activists, artists, filmmakers, physicians, and scientists including me has released an open letter calling on Netflix to take down the show. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Fully dismantling the ableism fueling the series requires us to open our hearts to the awful possibility that we, too, could become horrendously ill with a disease doctors dont understand. But history shows that theres a shortcut to stop the disbelief: scientific research. Multiple sclerosis was called the fakers disease until MRI scans showed brain lesions. The understanding of ulcers, breast cancer, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis and many other illnesses developed similarly. But skepticism chokes the flow of research dollars. ME/CFS, the best funded of the diseases portrayed, gets a pathetic $15 million in research funding per year, according to the NIH which, given that about 1 million Americans are affected, amounts to $15 a patient. This is what makes Afflicted especially pernicious: Dismissing people like me as crazy leaves us unable to figure out why were actually sick. Julie Rehmeyer is the author of Through the Shadowlands: A Science Writers Odyssey into an Illness Science Doesnt Understand. She is a contributing editor at Discover. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Nearly two-thirds of Utah is public land, including the densest array of national parks, monuments, forests and wilderness in the lower 48 states. Federal agencies manage this vast maze of red rock canyons on behalf of all Americans. But the states elected officials seem to believe all this public land is their land. The best use of every acre, in the minds of Utahs governor and congressional delegation, is profit. Utahs political elite appears to believe in market capitalism above all else. Where many see wildness and refuge in remote and delicate desert country, they see potential mines, wells and pipelines. This much is well known. Less appreciated is the impact that Mormon culture and history exert on every Utah debate about public lands, the climate crisis and fossil fuel extraction. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints guides the views and values of its members, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the states citizens. Rural residents, especially, cherish their origin story, which begins well before Mormon settlers began their hardscrabble pioneering in the red rock wilderness. Advertisement The Trump administrations drive to hand over public lands to the fossil fuel industry is finding plenty of sympathetic souls in Utah. Mormons fault the United States for failing to protect them during the so-called Mormon Wars of the 19th century, when the governor of Missouri expelled them from the state; an Illinois mob murdered their prophet, Joseph Smith; and the U.S. Army came to the Utah territory to confront Mormon settlers there. This shared saga of trauma and escape underpins a deep distrust of the federal government in Mormon culture. The mindset meshes perfectly with the anti-regulation libertarianism adopted by Utahs Republican establishment. Utah politicians speak of liberty and freedom, but their fixation on shielding property rights from the reach of government weakens everything public the public domain, the public trust, the public commons. In southern Utah counties, conservative politicians and a new generation of Sagebrush Rebels drown out any calmer voices within Mormon communities that might advocate for land stewardship and restraint. Fox News and conservative talk radio amplify the drumbeat. The Trump administrations drive to hand over public lands to the fossil fuel industry is finding plenty of sympathetic souls in Utah. The attacks began in 2017, when President Trump eviscerated Utahs two large-scale national monuments, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears. In a cynical effort to make the presidents executive order permanent before the courts respond, Republican U.S. Reps. Chris Stewart and John Curtis followed up with two deeply flawed bills. The assault continues. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has scrapped Obama-era master plans for public lands surrounding Utahs national parks in favor of ramped-up oil and gas leases. The Bureau of Land Management has also rushed to approve plans that open up the formerly protected Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears to mining, off-road vehicles and privatization.Its impossible for citizens to adequately respond to each attack before another terrible idea is proposed. The latest arrived in May, when Curtis and Sen. Orrin Hatch introduced their Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018. The bill, drafted by the commissioners of a remote county with just 10,000 citizens, would create a new national monument and national conservation area. That sounds good, and such language allows the legislations sponsors to brand it as a step forward for conservation in Utah red rock country. But their claims mislead. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion If the Emery County bill is passed, nearly 1 million acres of land would lose consideration as wilderness, threatening the integrity of irreplaceable landscapes. In the San Rafael badlands, 12,000 years of Native American rock art and cultural heritage would receive no protection at all. No other bill currently before Congress would affect public lands on this scale 1.5 million acres. And yet the Emery County commissioners wrote the bill with little input from voices outside the county. The bill would put a significant amount of wilderness-quality land at risk and give local officials unprecedented authority over public land of national importance two poison pills sure to rouse opposition nationally and from Utahns who want the states public lands protected. Citizens packed a September hearing in Salt Lake City and addressed two empty chairs in lieu of Curtis and Hatch, who did not attend. Curtis and Hatch feel little need to listen. The values of Mormon Republicans hold full sway in Utah. Almost 90% of Utahs state legislature is Mormon, and 83% of its members are Republican. Its congressional delegation is 100% Republican and Mormon. With this closed circle, county officials know they can be brazen in their radical proposals for development on public lands. But these land-use decisions should matter to all Americans. They will have a profound effect on our ability to stabilize the climate, respect Native nations and protect our cultural and paleontological heritage. Let your members of Congress know that you care about preserving the red rock canyonlands of Utah, no matter where you live. Stephen Trimble is the author of several books, most recently Red Rock Stories: Three Generations of Writers Speak on Behalf of Utahs Public Lands. He serves on the board of the nonprofit Grand Staircase Escalante Partners. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook To the editor: In answer to the question of which countries have returned territory won during a conflict, victorious nations often keep conquered land; so did the World War II allies. France took Alsace-Lorraine, which it historically claimed, while the United Kingdom and the U.S. took nothing since neither had a historical claim to parts of Germany. The Soviet Union took portions of Germany, Finland and Poland. In contrast, Israel had and has historical claim to its territory and then some that precedes by millenniums the Arab conquest of the Jewish homeland, the Middle East and North Africa. Israel owes the Arabs nothing but peaceful neighborly coexistence if the Arabs were willing to accept it. Michael Wiener, Manhattan Beach Advertisement .. To the editor: When the Allies won World War II, their citizens didnt flood into Germany and build settlements on top of German houses. After the North defeated the South in the Civil War, the Union soldiers returned home as did the Confederate soldiers. Seizing and occupying the land of a defeated enemy isnt what is typically done in modern societies, and Israel has been doing just that in violation of a United Nations resolution since 1947. One letter writer says, The Palestinians have called for driving Israel into the sea and worse, but most of the world, for some reason, doesnt seem to care. What most of the world cares about is the apartheid rule Israel has imposed on Palestine and the ongoing violent clashes that are sparked by the encroaching Israeli settlements. David P. Lewis, Long Beach Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they both were in high school, signaled late Tuesday that she would not testify about the allegation until after the FBI investigated the matter. But GOP senators in charge of leading Kavanaughs confirmation process quickly rejected her request. The letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee from Fords attorneys threw into doubt plans for a high-stakes Senate hearing on Monday and capped a day in which Republicans and Democrats bitterly debated how to handle the allegation. An FBI investigation of the incident should be the first step in addressing her allegations, read the letter from Fords attorneys, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks. A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a nonpartisan manner and that the committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions. Advertisement The letter added that since Ford came forward with the allegation, she has been the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online. Republicans, who have rejected calls for an FBI inquiry, indicated they would move forward even if Ford didnt testify. Earlier in the day some Republicans suggested that Fords refusal to show up would raise questions about her credibility. The invitation for Monday still stands, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. Dr. Fords testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay. A key Republican, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a member of the Judiciary Committee who had said earlier in the week that the process had to slow down so that Ford could be be heard, seemed to suggest late Tuesday that he was joining his colleagues in demanding a Monday hearing. When Dr. Ford came forward, I said that her voice should be heard and asked the Judiciary Committee to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh, Flake tweeted. It did so. I now implore Dr. Ford to accept the invitation for Monday, in a public or private setting. The committee should hear her voice. But Democrats backed Fords call for an FBI investigation and hinted they may not attend the hearing if she does not testify. We should honor Dr. Blasey Fords wishes and delay this hearing, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement. A proper investigation must be completed, witnesses interviewed, evidence reviewed and all sides spoken to. Only then should the chairman set a hearing date. Privately, Republican lawmakers have expressed worry that the hearing may end in an inconclusive case of he said, she said, leaving lawmakers to make an excruciating decision about how to vote on a lifetime judicial appointment just weeks before the midterm election and in the midst of the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment. Even before the letter from Ford was released, plans for the Monday hearing were unclear. Mark Judge, a high school friend of Kavanaugh who Ford says witnessed the alleged assault, told the committee Tuesday he would not testify because he did not remember the incident. Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school but I do not recall the party described in Dr. Fords letter, Judge said in a letter to the Judiciary Committee. More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes. In media interviews in recent days, Judge has either denied the incident took place or said he did not remember it. He is the author of the book Wasted: Tales of a Gen-X Drunk, which details his drinking problem and blackouts as a student. Democrats said his sworn testimony would be crucial to reviewing the allegation. Feinstein said she wanted to hear from Judge and others. What about individuals who were previously told about this incident? Feinstein asked, noting that 22 witnesses were called during the 1991 confirmation hearing involving Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill. What about experts who can speak to the effects of this kind of trauma on a victim? This is another attempt by Republicans to rush this nomination and not fully vet Judge Kavanaugh. President Trump, during a news conference with the president of Poland, expressed support and empathy for Kavanaugh, and offered no comparable gesture toward Ford. I feel so badly for him that hes going through this, to be honest with you, Trump told reporters. He called Kavanaugh impeccable and said this is not a man that deserves this. Trump saw no need to involve the FBI. I dont think the FBI should be involved because they dont want to be involved, he said. This is not really their thing. The senators will do a good job. Trump blamed Democrats for waiting until shortly before a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Kavanaugh to raise Fords allegation, which Feinstein learned about in July. Feinstein has said she did not disclose a letter she received from Ford because Ford initially did not want to be publicly identified. Over the weekend, Ford told the Washington Post that during a pool party in suburban Maryland in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her down on a bed and groped her, covering her mouth when she tried to scream for help. She said she escaped when Judge jumped on the bed, sending all three tumbling off. Ford considers the incident an attempted rape, according to Katz, her attorney. Democrats said earlier in the day that the hearing was being skewed so heavily against Ford that they would understand if she did not want to testify. If I were her lawyer, Id be very concerned that its under these kind of totally disadvantageous conditions, said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Kavanaughs confirmation appeared on track as recently as a week ago. Republicans considered five votes up for grabs: moderate Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.). Now the future of Kavanaughs nomination rests largely on the shoulders of Collins, Murkowski and Flake. All three moderate Democrats who voted for Trumps first Supreme Court nominee are now considered far less reliable votes, according to GOP sources. All three have called for Ford to be heard. Collins said Tuesday that she wanted Kavanaugh and Fords lawyer to be able to question the opposing side. After that, she suggested, senators would be allowed to pose questions. Such an approach would provide more continuity, elicit the most information and allow an in-depth examination of the allegations, Collins wrote in a letter to the leaders of the committee. The latest from Washington jennifer.haberkorn@latimes.com Twitter: @jenhab UPDATES: Sept. 19, 4:30 a.m.: The story was updated with Flake. 8:05 p.m.: The story was updated with comments by Sens. Grassley and Corker. 6:15 p.m.: The story was updated with comments from Sen. Lindsey Graham and details from Fords letter. 5:45 p.m.: The story was updated with Ford saying she wanted an FBI investigation. 3:30 p.m.: The story was updated with comments from Mark Judge. 11:30 a.m.: The story was updated with comments from Sens. Mazie Hirono and Susan Collins. 10 a.m.: The story was updated with comments from President Trump. The story was originally published at 9:50 a.m. In Costa Mesas first forum of this election season, candidates for City Council and mayor voiced their thoughts on local issues Monday night and tussled over how to address them before a boisterous crowd of more than 200 people during a Feet to the Fire event at Orange Coast College. During roughly two hours, the discussion in the Robert B. Moore Theatre covered topics ranging from local homelessness to high-density development. The forum was split into two segments, one with only the two candidates for mayor current Mayor Sandy Genis and Councilwoman Katrina Foley and the other featuring those running for the three other available council seats. That setup gave the forum moderators Daily Pilot columnist Barbara Venezia, Los Angeles Times Community News Executive Editor John Canalis and Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana Jr. an opportunity to press for details on why Genis and Foley, who were once political allies, now find themselves on opposing sides of an election battle. Of particular interest was why Genis joined with two of her colleagues last year to remove Foley as mayor and appoint Genis to the position. Genis said Monday that she felt Foley at times didnt adhere to established policy, disregarded the councils consensus on some matters or went beyond the scope of the mayors powers. It is not the mayors job to order the city manager around; it is the council as a whole that sets the policy, Genis said. It is not the mayors job to order around department heads. She also alleged that Foley had at times bullied city staff members, a claim that Foley strongly denied. You need to be respectful of each other, you need to be respectful of the policies, you need to be respectful of precedent, Genis said. And when youre not, you throw out the checks and balances that are fundamental to our system of government. What were saying is its OK to be a dictator if youre a benign dictator? No. Foley disputed Genis claims about the rationale for the shakeup, characterizing them as vague or rooted in a false narrative. The true motivation, Foley said, was politics. She believes some members of the council didnt want her to have the mayors title during her current mayoral bid. Its a partisan issue, she said. I have always tried to work across the aisle and be a bipartisan representative. Potholes are not a party issue. Sober living, it requires bipartisanship. It is so critical that we work with our colleagues across the aisle. Foley said her positions on issues have been consistent and that the only person that has changed is Ms. Genis. I have always been somebody who advocates for what they believe; somebody who stands up when no one else is; somebody who is not unwilling to be the lone person out on the plank knowing that youre the lone vote because you know that its whats right, she said. This year marks the first time Costa Mesa residents will cast ballots directly for mayor. Its also the first time City Council members will be elected by districts, with voters in designated areas choosing a candidate to represent them. Seats are up for election in District 3, which includes College Park, Mesa del Mar and a portion of the upper Eastside; District 4, which covers a dense portion of the Westside south of the Fairview Developmental Center; and District 5, which wraps around District 4, taking in downtown and the remainder of the Westside. Homelessness was one of the main topics during Mondays forum. Largely, the candidates said they felt Costa Mesa should do its fair share to combat the problem but that other cities need to do the same. There are many, many locales across the county that have to pull their own weight, said District 4 candidate Steve Chan. Costa Mesa is doing a lot right now, said Arlis Reynolds, who is running in District 5. I think we need to continue to meet our commitments and then really put the pressure on other cities in the region. Development of permanent supportive housing, rather than just shelter beds, is another strategy that could be explored further, candidates said. Though the Fairview Developmental Center a 114-acre, state-owned property at 2501 Harbor Blvd. could present future opportunities in that regard, some candidates said its also important to ensure the site isnt viewed as the magic bullet for the entire countys homeless problem. Im concerned that if we open the doors at Fairview Developmental Center, which we do not own yet or may never own, we become the countys solution to everything, said Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor, who is running in District 5. Rebecca Trahan, also a candidate in District 5, said another option could be tearing down some of the problem, drug-ridden motels and allowing [the] homeless to have housing there, helping them get back on their feet. District 4 candidate Michelle Figueredo-Wilson said its vital for the Costa Mesa community to have a seat at that decision-making table. Were going to have to find somewhere to put these people so that we can help them, she said. I think from a policy standpoint, we need to be able to have the mechanisms in place as the city to say this housing isnt working. Candidates also were asked for their thoughts about high-density development and whether such projects may become more necessary in Costa Mesa, given the scarcity of vacant land. Manuel Chavez, a candidate in District 4, said no one is opposed to new housing but that any development needs to be done thoughtfully. Its an issue of, if were going to develop, we need to develop intelligently, he said. District 3 candidate Andrea Marr said additional density might make sense in some areas of the city such as north of the 405 Freeway but that such projects arent appropriate everywhere. I recognize the need to build more housing, but weve just got to be so much smarter about the way in which we plan our city, she said. In an R1 [residential] neighborhood and things like that, no, we dont need skyscrapers, said fellow District 3 candidate Brett Eckles. luke.money@latimes.com Twitter @LukeMMoney The founder of a music program that became the subject of a state investigation last year over allegations that flutes it distributed to children in several school districts including Newport-Mesa Unified and Fountain Valley were contaminated with semen has been indicted on federal charges of multiple child sex crimes, including production of child pornography. John Edward Zeretzke, 60, of Ventura was arrested Thursday on suspicion of coercing and attempting to coerce children to send him pornography of themselves and of traveling to the Philippines with intent to commit sexual misconduct with other minors, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Zeretzke, a musician and teacher, contracted with school districts across Southern California through his program Flutes Across the World. The new federal case is not linked to the state case involving Flutes Across the World, and none of the victims are local, U.S. attorneys office spokesman Thom Mrozek said Monday. He contacted the victims in our case on the internet, Mrozek said. The California attorney generals office declined to comment Monday other than to say the flute case remains under investigation. Zeretzky was ordered released from custody on $20,000 bond Monday, and his trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 6. He could face life in prison if convicted of all charges. The charge of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Zeretzke was a teaching artist for the Music Center of Los Angeles for more than 30 years, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2015. The website for Flutes Across the World has been taken down, but Zeretzkes site, Zworldmusic.com, remains and describes him as an award-winning composer, artist educator, humanitarian and performer. The website also says Flutes Across the World was designed to teach children how to make two flutes out of PVC pipes one to keep and one to be donated to a child in need. charity.lindsey@latimes.com Twitter @CharityNLindsey China on Tuesday announced a tariff hike on $60 billion of U.S. products in response to President Trumps latest duty increase in a dispute over Beijings technology policy. The announcement followed a warning by an American business group that a downward spiral in their conflict appeared certain following Trumps penalties on $200 billion of Chinese goods. The Chinese Finance Ministry said it was going ahead with plans announced in August for the increases of 10% and 5% on 5,207 types of U.S. goods. A list released last month included coffee, honey and industrial chemicals. The increase is aimed at curbing trade friction and the unilateralism and protectionism of the United States, the ministry said on its website. It appealed for pragmatic dialogue to jointly safeguard the principle of free trade and the multilateral trading system. Advertisement The Trump administration announced that the tariffs on some 5,000 Chinese-made goods will start at 10%, beginning Monday. They are to rise to 25% on Jan. 1. A Commerce Ministry statement earlier said Trumps increase brings new uncertainty to the consultations but there was no word on whether Beijing would back out of talks proposed last week by Washington. The United States alleges that Chinese industry development plans including Made in China 2025, which calls for creating global champions in robotics and other fields, are based on stolen technology, violate Beijings market-opening commitments and might erode American industrial leadership. American companies and trading partners including the European Union and Japan have longstanding complaints about Chinese market barriers and industrial policy. But they object to Trumps tactics and warn the dispute could chill global economic growth and undermine international trade regulation. The American Chamber of Commerce in China warned Washington is underestimating Beijings determination to fight back. The downward spiral that we have previously warned about now seems certain to materialize, the chamber chairman, William Zarit, said in a statement. Trump imposed 25% duties on $50 billion of Chinese products in July. Beijing retaliated with similar penalties on the same amount of American goods. The U.S. duties targeted Chinese goods Washington says have benefited from improper industrial policies. Beijings penalties hit soybeans and other farm goods from states that voted for Trump in 2016. Trump threatened Monday to add a further $267 billion in Chinese imports to the target list if China retaliates for the latest U.S. duties. That would raise the total affected by U.S. penalties to $517 billion covering nearly everything China sells the United States. Contrary to views in Washington, China can and will dig its heels in and we are not optimistic about the prospect for a resolution in the short term, Zarit said. No one will emerge victorious from this counter-productive cycle. The Chamber of Commerce appealed to both governments for results-oriented negotiations. As Beijing runs out of U.S. goods for retaliation, American companies say regulators are starting to disrupt their operations. Last week, the American Chambers of Commerce in China and in Shanghai reported 52% of more than 430 companies that responded to a survey said they have faced slower customs clearance and increased inspections and bureaucratic procedures. The U.S. government withdrew some items from its preliminary list of $200 billion in Chinese imports to be taxed, including child-safety products such as bicycle helmets. And in a victory for Apple Inc., the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns, Trump said in a statement. I urge Chinas leaders to take swift action to end their countrys unfair trade practices. Trump has also complained about Americas gaping trade deficit $336 billion last year with China, its biggest trading partner. In May, in fact, it looked briefly as if Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had brokered a truce built around a Chinese offer to buy enough American farm products and liquefied natural gas to put a dent in the trade deficit. But Trump quickly backed away from the truce. In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration took care to try to spare American consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The tariffs focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at the mall or via Amazon. By expanding the list to $200 billion of Chinese products, Trump may spread the pain to ordinary households. The administration is targeting a bewildering variety of goods from sockeye salmon to baseball gloves to bamboo mats forcing U.S. companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the cost to their customers. Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics in Los Angeles, said the Trump administration is pursuing a legitimate goal of getting China to stop violating international trade rules but that it should have enlisted support from other trading partners, such as the European Union, Canada and Mexico, and presented Beijing with a united front. Trump has strained relations with potential allies including the European Union, Canada and Mexico by raising tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. He demanded Canada and Mexico renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement to make it more favorable to the United States. UPDATES: 7:25 a.m.: This article was updated with the Chinese Finance Ministry announcing a tariff increase on $60 billion of U.S. products. This article was originally published at 4:55 a.m. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States is considering a request from Poland for a permanent US military presence in the fellow NATO country. Poland has repeatedly requested a permanent US military presence on its soil amid fears of Russian aggression, offering up to $2 billion in funding for such a base. US soldiers are now present on its soil through NATO's back-to-back rotation. Russia expressed concern in May over reports about Poland's request, saying NATOs expansion towards Russias borders undermined stability in Europe. "Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland, and certainly it's something we'll discuss," Trump said at the White House before a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. "We're looking at it very seriously, I know Poland likes the idea very much, and it's something that we are considering, yes," he said. Poland joined NATO in 1999 along with Hungary and the Czech Republic, and since then other former communist states, including Baltic republics bordering Russia, have joined despite Moscows strong opposition. Warsaw could offer up to $2 billion in funding for a US military base, according to a Polish Defense Ministry proposal reported by Polish media. A government source in Poland confirmed to Reuters that such a proposal had been made. Trump also said the United States was considering a visa waiver program for Poland. Search Keywords: Short link: A single paragraph in lengthy legal papers filed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller in the case of President Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has provoked a political whodunit in Jerusalem, where a statement that Manafort coordinated privately with a senior Israeli government official to tarnish a Ukrainian opposition leader as an anti-Semite has had a bombshell effect. The legal document, released Friday, states that in October 2012, Manafort schemed with the unnamed official to issue a public statement that would spur Obama Jews to turn against Yulia Tymoshenko, a pro-European Union former prime minister of Ukraine and rival to Manaforts client, then-President Viktor Yanukovych. Tymoshenko, who enjoyed wide support among Western liberals, was to be personally discredited as an anti-Semite following an electoral agreement that her Fatherland party signed with the Freedom movement, a right-wing nationalistic group with anti-Jewish origins. With secret advance knowledge of that Israeli statement, the indictment states, Manafort worked to disseminate this story in the United States. Advertisement Who, Israelis are asking, is the senior Israeli government official, and what did he get for it? Most suspicions are focused on one man: Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who served as foreign minister in 2012 and, as the Jerusalem Post reports, seems to be implicated in the affair. Questions surround a Russian-language press statement released by the Israeli foreign ministry on Oct. 27, 2012. Israel is concerned about the recently signed agreement between the Fatherland party and the extremist Freedom Svoboda party, whose anti-Semitic aggression has repeatedly caused consternation both in Ukraine and in Israel, the Cyrillic text read. These views remind us of the darkest pages of the history of the last century, which led humanity to the unrivaled catastrophe of World War II. Israel severely condemns all expressions of anti-Semitism and expresses the hope that common sense will prevail. Its beyond strange, said Danny Ayalon, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States who served as deputy foreign minister in 2012, and flatly denies being Manaforts unidentified partner. Israeli government press releases are not usually published in Russian, Ayalon noted, and the timing of the statements publication, one day before Ukrainian parliamentary elections, made it almost inconceivable. In addition, he expressed doubt that any declaration on a subject as delicate as anti-Semitism in the middle of an election in an important nation could have been released without his having been informed the move was under consideration. Days later, on Oct. 31, the Israeli foreign ministry posted, in English, a statement reading, Israel expresses concern at the growing strength of extremist anti-Semitic elements in Ukraine and at the election to the Ukrainian parliament of the Svoboda (Freedom) party, whose members have often voiced racist and anti-Semitic positions. Israel expects the Ukrainian government to take a strong stand against any manifestation of racism or anti-Semitism. A retired senior diplomat who requested his name not be associated with the affair, confirmed to The Times that the Russian language release was not drafted, handled or sent out by the ministrys spokesperson, as press releases usually are. Only the English version was. Lieberman, a native speaker of Russian, has not denied authoring the first statement, which was attributed to him in several contemporaneous publications. Instead, on Sunday, his bureau issued a statement defending the press release as a correct and timely condemnation of an anti-Semitic party that repeatedly spread its satanic doctrine and denied he ever met or spoke with Manafort. All the rest is science fiction for conspiracy theorists, the statement said. There is a growing clamor for an investigation, with former opposition legislator Zehava Galon writing a letter to Atty. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit laying out her suspicion that a crime may have been committed. The unnamed official may have received personal benefits or promoted personal interests in Ukraine and Russia, she wrote, or at the very least, abused his position in order to advance Manaforts interests. Her concerns stem from the contradiction between Israels general policy of ignoring anti-Semitic trends in Ukraine in 2012, whereas Lieberman published an official statement in October 2012 that accords with the indictments description. Ayalon, the former deputy minister, said Muellers indictment reveals a senior Israeli official operating as a foreign agent. In a best-case scenario, he says, the official may have done it for money. In the worst case, we are dealing with a mole. It comes close to treason. We cant ignore the possibility that Israels security interests were jeopardized by someone working on behalf of a foreign power, Ayalon said. Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent. Mexican authorities said Monday that they discovered three cargo trucks packed with 124 parched and starving Central Americans nearly half of them children. The trucks were stopped Sunday after they sped through an immigration checkpoint in the southern state of Oaxaca, according to a statement from Mexicos National Migration Institute. Inside, authorities found dozens of immigrants in dire condition. The immigrants, who were bound for the United States, told authorities that they had not eaten in days and had been denied water by their smugglers. They were provided medical attention and will be given the chance to apply for asylum to stay in Mexico, the statement said. Those who choose not to apply or who have their asylum claims denied will be deported to their home countries, it said. Advertisement The discovery was a reminder that tens of thousands of immigrants continue to try to reach the United States each month, despite President Trumps zero tolerance immigration policy and increased enforcement in Mexico. Nearly all of the immigrants traveling north were from Guatemala, a poor nation that has been roiled by crime and government corruption. Sixty of the immigrants were minors, including 15 who were traveling without an adult. The number of immigrant families arrested at the border last month was 12,774, up from 9,247 in July, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The total number of immigrants apprehended at the border was 37,544, compared to 31,299 in July. The Trump administration has described the increase as a crisis and used it to argue for a border wall and tougher action although the flow of migrants is down dramatically since its peak more than a decade ago. In fiscal year 2005, an average of 98,000 people were apprehended each month. In June, Trump halted his zero tolerance policy, which called for the criminal prosecution of all immigrants who illegally enter the United States and sparked a backlash by separating more than 2,300 children from their parents. With millions of dollars in funding from the United States, Mexico has stepped up enforcement of immigration laws in its territory, deporting more than half a million immigrants since 2014. At the same time, the number of immigrants seeking asylum in Mexico has risen sharply. Human rights advocates have repeatedly accused Mexican immigration agents of rape, assaults and other human rights abuses against immigrants. Robberies, kidnappings and violence carried out by smugglers and drug cartels are also common. In one incident in 2010, 72 kidnapped migrants were killed by a cartel in northern Mexico. Authorities said 11 people had been arrested and charged with human trafficking in connection to Sundays incident. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum In Mexico, officials and citizens routinely announce the discoveries of clandestine graves baring skeletal remains from the gang violence that has convulsed the country for years. The official count of the disappeared nationwide exceeds 30,000, and relatives of the legions of missing call that a low-ball estimate. But the macabre saga of a roving government-contracted truck ferrying the corpses of scores of apparent murder victims from one town to the next in western Jalisco state has added a bizarre new twist to Mexicos violent narrative. The episode has become a major embarrassment for Jalisco authorities, who have been in a blame-shifting mode since word emerged last weekend, in the midst of national Independence Day celebrations. Advertisement Some social-media denizens have dubbed the body-filled trailer the mobile pit, after the many fosas, or pits, that regularly turn up with human remains. Behind the episode of the itinerant truck and its gruesome cargo was a basic storage problem: Authorities in violence-plagued Jalisco say they have run out of space to put the ever-escalating numbers of unclaimed victims of violence. Current law bans cremation of the unclaimed bodies. Consequently, officials opted to store the reported remains of more than 150 people in a refrigerated semi-trailer that in recent days was parked in various towns angering residents who complained about fetid odors, dripping blood and gathering swarms of flies. The smell was horrible, a woman holding her baby girl told Telemundo in the town of Tlajomulco de Zuniga, one of the places where the semi-trailer was parked, in a field outside a residential development. The rented truck apparently set off late last week on its still-unexplained odyssey from morgue facilities in Guadalajara, the Jalisco state capital, to various densely populated suburbs. Human rights advocates denounced the unseemly abandonment of the dead. We express our indignation for this degrading treatment, declared one organization representing relatives of the disappeared, condemning the re-victimization of the missing and their loved ones. On Monday, Jalisco Gov. Aristoteles Sandoval fired the states forensic chief, citing grave omissions and a departure from protocol in handling remains. We will be scrupulous in the treatment and management given to the bodies, the governor vowed, pledging a thorough investigation. But the sacked former morgue chief, Luis Octavio Cotero, responded in interviews that he was being made a scapegoat and feared for his life. The trailer, and its grisly contents, have now been returned to the morgue grounds in Guadalajara, authorities say. Officials have not explained why it left there in the first place without authorization, according to Jalisco prosecutors. Officials say they are hastening to construct another morgue facility to handle the overflow of unclaimed bodies from the homicide epidemic. But residents near the planned new site have objected, delaying the project. Many questions remain about the case of the rolling morgue, as it has also been called on social media. It is still unclear who ordered the semi-trailer to leave the morgue grounds, and why it was parked and seemingly abandoned in at least two towns. Media accounts have said the truck contained 157 bodies, all homicide victims. But authorities have not clarified exactly how many corpses are inside and when and how the people perished. Why the bodies have gone unclaimed is another mystery. Officials have taken fingerprints, DNA samples and photographs of each of the deceased individuals, according to Roberto Lopez Lara, the Jalisco state general secretary. We plan to investigate because this is outrageous, Lopez told a radio interviewer. These are people, these are bodies. Jalisco, like much of Mexico, is experiencing a major increase in violence. During January-July this year, authorities reported 1,037 homicides an increase of more than 43% compared with the same period last year. In one notorious incident, three film students were kidnapped and executed outside of Guadalajara, and their bodies were dissolved in acid, authorities said. Officials blamed drug traffickers and called the slayings a case of mistaken identity. Jalisco is home to a number of smuggling syndicates, notably the Jalisco New Generation cartel, considered among Mexicos most powerful and ruthless. Cecilia Sanchez in The Times Mexico City bureau contributed. patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT South Korean President Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a summit Tuesday, hoping to salvage the stalled U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks and to pave the way for a second summit meeting between Kim and President Trump. Kim told Moon he wanted the two leaders to achieve a big outcome in their meetings Tuesday and Wednesday. The optics around the summit were designed to impress: Moon watched an honor guard of goose-stepping soldiers; he bowed low to North Korean citizens and shook their hands, and the two leaders stood side-by-side in an open-topped black Mercedes limousine, as people lined the roads in a carefully orchestrated display, waving flags and flowers, cheering and chanting for unification. The two leaders beamed as Kim welcomed Moon with a warm cheek-to-cheek hug at the airport before the leaders parade through Pyongyang streets. Kim and Moon had lunch at Paekhwawon State Guesthouse before holding talks for two hours Tuesday at the headquarters of the Korean Workers Party. Further talks are due Wednesday. Advertisement Before the talks, Moon said he was hoping for abundant results as a gift to the people of North Korea, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. The entire world is also watching, so [I] hope we will show the fruits of peace and prosperity to all people in the world, Moon said. Earlier, before departing the South Korean capital of Seoul, he said his objective was to secure the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks. The crunch issue at this weeks summit is whether the North Korean leader can offer evidence of concrete steps to give up nuclear weapons to satisfy the White House. The meeting also aims to reduce military tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul and improve relations. Before the two met at the party headquarters, Kim said Moon had played a key role in brokering the historic June summit meeting in Singapore with President Trump, the first between U.S. and North Korean leaders. Because of that, the regional political situation has been stabilized and more progress is expected, he said, according to local media pool reports. I think it was our peoples wish that we come up with good results as fast as we can, Kim said in comments at the Paekhwawon guesthouse, where Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook were to stay. Moon has emerged as the key mediator between North Korea and the U.S. The White House announced last week it was making preparations for a second summit between Trump and Kim after the North Korean leader wrote a very warm, very positive letter to the U.S. president requesting a second meeting. Moon and Kim will meet numerous times during the three-day trip, with the South Korean leader due to fly home Thursday morning. It is Moons third meeting with Kim this year and his first in Pyongyang. Moons meetings with Kim in April and May paved the way for the Singapore summit. After that summit, Trump tweeted, There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea, and called the meeting interesting and positive. But U.S.-North Korea talks since then have made little progress, raising doubts about how serious Kim is about giving up his countrys nuclear program after a series of weapon and intercontinental ballistic missile tests last year. Despite the historic nature of Trumps meeting with Kim, where Kim agreed to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, so little of substance has been achieved since that Trump last month canceled a trip by Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo to North Korea, citing the lack of progress by Pyongyang. That decision came after the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed grave concern that North Korea was continuing to develop its nuclear program. Pyongyang insists it has made progress by destroying a missile test site at Punggye-ri and a missile engine test facility at Dongchang-ri. In July, Pyongyang accused the U.S. of gangster-like demands in its key condition that North Korea give up its nuclear program completely before it gains rewards, such as the removal of U.N. sanctions choking the economy. But there have been more encouraging signs in recent weeks. During a recent North Korean military parade Sept. 9 marking the 70th anniversary of the nations founding, the government did not display its ICBMs, a move taken as a positive sign by Washington. Despite the concerns that North Korea is still pursuing its nuclear program, Trump was buoyed by news of the ICBM-free parade, tweeting, This is a big and very positive statement from North Korea. Thank you to Chairman Kim. He said the two leaders would both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! A day later, national security advisor John Bolton said the U.S. was waiting for North Korea to denuclearize, but could not make the country do so. Theyre the ones that have to take the steps to denuclearize, and thats what were waiting for, he said in a speech to the conservative Federalist Society. U.S. officials want concrete details about North Koreas nuclear arms and transparency on steps to dismantle them. The biggest hope for a breakthrough appears to be another face-to-face meeting between Trump and Kim, given the personal warmth between the two men. But without signs of significant progress from Kim at this weeks summit meeting, a second Trump-Kim summit could be delayed, or may not take place at all. The mouthpiece of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea, the newspaper Rodong Sinmun, blamed Washington for the stalled denuclearization talks in a sharp editorial Tuesday, arguing that the U.S. demand for North Koreas complete denuclearization without a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War was the main barrier to progress. A statement published Tuesday by the Korea Central News Agency, North Koreas state-owned news agency, said the summit between Moon and Kim offered an important opportunity to further accelerate the development of relations between Pyongyang and Seoul. Moon traveled with a delegation of dozens of officials, businessmen and celebrities, including the head of Samsung, Jay Y. Lee, currently on a suspended prison sentence for bribery. With North Korea under U.N. sanctions, the presence of billionaire businessmen was merely symbolic, designed to send a message to Kim about the advantages of relinquishing nuclear weapons. In April, Kim announced a strategic switch away from focusing simultaneously on developing nuclear weapons and the North Korean economy to concentrating solely on economic development. Tuesdays summit marked the third time a South Korean leader has visited Pyongyang. Kims father, Kim Jong Il received Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. robyn.dixon@latimes.com Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT UPDATES: 9:35 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the summit and background information. This article was originally published at 6:15 a.m. Russian officials Tuesday blamed Israel for the downing of a Russian military aircraft near Syrias Mediterranean coast that killed 15 people, even though the plane was shot down by Syrian air defenses. The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance turboprop, disappeared from radar screens late Monday night as it was approaching Hemeimeem, home to a Russian military base located 13 miles southeast of Latakia. The disappearance occurred around the same time four Israeli F-16 fighters were conducting a missile attack near the Syrian coastal city, said Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov, according to a report by Russian state-news operator TASS. The Il-20s wreckage was later found in the sea 22 miles southwest of Hemeimeem, said Russias defense military spokesman Igor Konashenkov on Tuesday. He added it had been shot down by a Syrian anti-aircraft artillery system retaliating against the Israeli strike. By using the Russian plane as cover, the Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire, said Konashenkov, according to TASS. Advertisement As a result, the Ilyushin-20, its reflective surface being far greater than that of the F-16, was downed by a missile launched with the S-200 system. Konashenkov insisted the Israelis could not but see the Russian plane, which was approaching the runway from an altitude of [3 miles]. Israel gave warning on a hotline set up with Russia less than one minute before the strike, Konashenkov continued, which left no chance for getting the Russian plane to safety. We view these provocative steps by Israel as hostile. Due to the Israeli militarys irresponsible actions, 15 Russian servicemen were killed, Konashenkov said. This is absolutely against the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership. We reserve the right to take adequate tit-for-tat steps. In an unusual move, the Israeli military acknowledged it had conducted the airstrike on Syrian territory controlled by the government of President Bashar Assad. Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis issued a statement expressing Israels sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire. He added that Israeli planes had targeted overnight Syrian army installations from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon. These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat against it. The United States, meanwhile, expressed sorrow for the fatalities. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said in a statement that the unfortunate incident reminds us of the need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syrias crowded theater of operations. Pompeo said the incident underscored the need to resolve Irans provocative transit of dangerous weapon systems through Syria, which are a threat to the region. Israel has long accused Iran of using Syria as a conduit to funnel weapons to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group and political faction with whom Israel went to war in 2006. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, on Tuesday that Moscow held Israel wholly to blame for the shootdown. Israel, for its part, held the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident adding that it also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking in a news conference in Moscow, said the incident looked like a chain of tragic circumstances, according to a report by the state-run English-news broadcaster Russia Today. Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Alexander Zemlianichenko / Associated Press) Russia would investigate the incident, Putin said, and boost security for Russian troops in Syria. These will be the steps everyone will notice, he said. Later Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Putin. According to an Israeli readout of their conversation, Netanyahu expressed Israels sorrow for the death of the Russian soldiers, laid responsibility for the downing of the plane on Syria, and underscored the importance of continued coordination between the two countries. Although it insists it has not interfered in the seven-year civil war in Syria, Israel has acknowledged striking hundreds of Iranian-affiliated targets, saying the attacks are aimed at hobbling Irans impact in the region and preventing its entrenchment in Syria. A report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition watchdog based in the U.K., on Monday estimated more than 113 members of Iranian forces and Tehran-backed militias had been killed in Israeli attacks in the last two months. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported late Monday that an unknown party had launched a missile attack on what it described as the Technical Industries Corporation in Latakias eastern suburbs. There was no mention of casualties, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition watchdog based in the U.K., said the attack, which had targeted the munitions depot, left two Syrian servicemen killed and at least 10 other people injured. Our air defenses are dealing with hostile missiles coming from the sea towards Latakia city and intercepting a number of them before they had reached their target, said a Syrian military source to SANA. The downing of the Russian plane illustrated the difficulties in operating over the crowded battle space Syrias skies have become, an area where pro-government air power, including Syrian and Russian warplanes as well as Iranian drones, contend with aircraft from a U.S.-led coalition along with the occasional Israeli or Turkish incursion. It has made for a volatile mix: In 2015, Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border, killing one of its crew members. That attack spurred a diplomatic row that saw Moscow impose economic sanctions on Ankara. Fears of similar clashes pushed Moscow and Washington to create what reports have described as a 24-hour de-confliction hotline. Russia has set up a similar framework with Israel and Turkey. Israel claimed that the system was in use early Tuesday, and that its fighter jets were already within Israeli airspace when the Syrian projectile was launched. The Syrian anti-air batteries fired indiscriminately and from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air, Manelis statement said. Mondays downing also hinted at the complicated relationship Russia has with Assad and Iran. Although Russia works with both of them in the fight against rebels in the country, and despite possessing advanced radar and missile systems to detect and stop most attacks, it has nevertheless tolerated coalition and Israeli strikes on Syrian and Iranian assets often without informing its putative allies. That hot-and-cold attitude was on display Monday, when Russia and Turkey announced a demilitarized zone in Idlib, the northwestern Syrian province that has become the last redoubt of the rebels. The agreement derails the Syrian governments plans to launch an assault on Idlib; in recent weeks, government troops and their allies have positioned themselves around the rebel-held province, according to state media, with officials insisting an operation was imminent. Speaking after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian resort city of Sochi, Putin said the two countries would jointly enforce a 9- to 12-mile-wide demilitarized zone. Later, Russias defense minister said there would be no offensive on Idlib. Turkey would oversee the withdrawal of the oppositions heavy weapons, tanks, missile launchers, artillery and mortars by Oct. 10, said Putin. Hard-line militants, including 10,000-15,000 Al Qaeda affiliated jihadis thought to be in Idlib, are also to withdraw. Control in the demilitarized zone would fall to Turkish units and Russian military police, and transportation traffic would resume on major highways in the area. In general, the Syrian leadership supports this approach, said Putin. Syrias foreign ministry insisted in a statement Tuesday that the agreement had come as a result of intense consultations between the Russian and Syrian government and with full coordination between the two nations. But it gave a lukewarm reception to the deal, saying in a statement quoted by SANA that although it welcomed any initiative to avert the spilling of Syrian blood it nevertheless insisted it would continue in its war against terrorism until it liberates every last inch of Syrian territories, whether through military operations or local reconciliation [deals.] Special correspondent Tarnopolsky reported from Jerusalem and staff writer Bulos from Beirut. Staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report. UPDATES: 11 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting. 9:20 a.m.: This article was updated with remarks from Netanyahu and Putin. This article was originally published at 3 a.m. Russian officials Tuesday blamed Israel for the downing of a Russian military aircraft near Syrias Mediterranean coast that killed 15 people, even though the plane was shot down by Syrian air defenses. The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance turboprop, disappeared from radar screens late Monday night as it was approaching Hemeimeem, home to a Russian military base located 13 miles southeast of Latakia. The disappearance occurred around the same time four Israeli F-16 fighters were conducting a missile attack near the Syrian coastal city, said Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov, according to a report by Russian state-news operator TASS. The Il-20s wreckage was later found in the sea 22 miles southwest of Hemeimeem, Konashenkov said. He added it had been shot down by a Syrian antiaircraft artillery system retaliating against the Israeli strike. By using the Russian plane as cover, the Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire, said Konashenkov, according to TASS. Advertisement As a result, the Ilyushin-20, its reflective surface being far greater than that of the F-16, was downed by a missile launched with the S-200 system. Konashenkov insisted the Israelis could not but see the Russian plane, which was approaching the runway from an altitude of [3 miles]. Israel gave warning on a hotline set up with Russia less than one minute before the strike, Konashenkov continued, which left no chance for getting the Russian plane to safety. We view these provocative steps by Israel as hostile. Due to the Israeli militarys irresponsible actions, 15 Russian servicemen were killed, Konashenkov said. This is absolutely against the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership. We reserve the right to take adequate tit-for-tat steps. In an unusual move, the Israeli military acknowledged it had conducted the airstrike on Syrian territory controlled by the government of President Bashar Assad. Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis issued a statement expressing Israels sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire. He added that Israeli planes had targeted overnight Syrian army installations from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon. These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat against it. The United States, meanwhile, expressed sorrow for the fatalities. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said in a statement that the unfortunate incident reminds us of the need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syrias crowded theater of operations. Pompeo said the incident underscored the need to resolve Irans provocative transit of dangerous weapon systems through Syria, which are a threat to the region. Israel has long accused Iran of using Syria as a conduit to funnel weapons to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group and political faction with whom Israel went to war in 2006. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, on Tuesday that Moscow held Israel wholly to blame for the shootdown. Israel, for its part, held the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident adding that it also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking in a news conference in Moscow, said the incident looked like a chain of tragic circumstances, according to a report by the state-run English-news broadcaster Russia Today. Russia would investigate the incident, Putin said, and boost security for Russian troops in Syria. These will be the steps everyone will notice, he said. Later Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Putin. According to an Israeli readout of their conversation, Netanyahu expressed Israels sorrow for the death of the Russian soldiers, laid responsibility for the downing of the plane on Syria, and underscored the importance of continued coordination between the two countries. Although it insists it has not interfered in the seven-year civil war in Syria, Israel has acknowledged striking hundreds of Iranian-affiliated targets, saying the attacks are aimed at hobbling Irans impact in the region and preventing its entrenchment in Syria. A report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition watchdog based in the U.K., on Monday estimated more than 113 members of Iranian forces and Tehran-backed militias had been killed in Israeli attacks in the last two months. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported late Monday that an unknown party had launched a missile attack on what it described as the Technical Industries Corporation in Latakias eastern suburbs. There was no mention of casualties, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition watchdog based in the U.K., said the attack, which had targeted the munitions depot, left two Syrian servicemen killed and at least 10 other people injured. Our air defenses are dealing with hostile missiles coming from the sea towards Latakia city and intercepting a number of them before they had reached their target, said a Syrian military source to SANA. The downing of the Russian plane illustrated the difficulties in operating over the crowded battle space Syrias skies have become, an area where pro-government air power, including Syrian and Russian warplanes as well as Iranian drones, contend with aircraft from a U.S.-led coalition along with the occasional Israeli or Turkish incursion. It has made for a volatile mix: In 2015, Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border, killing one of its crew members. That attack spurred a diplomatic row that saw Moscow impose economic sanctions on Ankara. Fears of similar clashes pushed Moscow and Washington to create what reports have described as a 24-hour de-confliction hotline. Russia has set up a similar framework with Israel and Turkey. Israel claimed that the system was in use early Tuesday, and that its fighter jets were already within Israeli airspace when the Syrian projectile was launched. The Syrian anti-air batteries fired indiscriminately and from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air, Manelis statement said. Mondays downing also hinted at the complicated relationship Russia has with Assad and Iran. Although Russia works with both of them in the fight against rebels in the country, and despite possessing advanced radar and missile systems to detect and stop most attacks, it has nevertheless tolerated coalition and Israeli strikes on Syrian and Iranian assets often without informing its putative allies. That hot-and-cold attitude was on display Monday, when Russia and Turkey announced a demilitarized zone in Idlib, the northwestern Syrian province that has become the last redoubt of the rebels. The agreement derails the Syrian governments plans to launch an assault on Idlib; in recent weeks, government troops and their allies have positioned themselves around the rebel-held province, according to state media, with officials insisting an operation was imminent. Speaking after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian resort city of Sochi, Putin said the two countries would jointly enforce a 9- to 12-mile-wide demilitarized zone. Later, Russias defense minister said there would be no offensive on Idlib. Turkey would oversee the withdrawal of the oppositions heavy weapons, tanks, missile launchers, artillery and mortars by Oct. 10, said Putin. Hard-line militants, including 10,000-15,000 Al Qaeda affiliated jihadis thought to be in Idlib, are also to withdraw. Control in the demilitarized zone would fall to Turkish units and Russian military police, and transportation traffic would resume on major highways in the area. In general, the Syrian leadership supports this approach, said Putin. Syrias foreign ministry insisted in a statement Tuesday that the agreement had come as a result of intense consultations between the Russian and Syrian government and with full coordination between the two nations. But it gave a lukewarm reception to the deal, saying in a statement quoted by SANA that although it welcomed any initiative to avert the spilling of Syrian blood it nevertheless insisted it would continue in its war against terrorism until it liberates every last inch of Syrian territories, whether through military operations or local reconciliation [deals.] Special correspondent Tarnopolsky reported from Jerusalem and staff writer Bulos from Beirut. Staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will host a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on North Korea on Sept. 27, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday. "That meeting will give the secretary a chance to update the Security Council on our efforts toward the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea as well as underscore the need for all member states to enforce existing sanctions," Nauert told a media briefing. Search Keywords: Short link: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) aims to boost investments in Arab countries to 2.5 billion euros ($2.92 billion) at the end of 2018 from 2.2 billion euros in 2017, a senior official said on Tuesday. The bank, set up by governments in 1991 to support ex-Communist states of eastern Europe, has expanded its mandate in the past few years to invest in Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. "Last year we had a record 2.2 billion euros invested in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan", said Janet Heckman, managing director for the southern and eastern Mediterranean region at the bank. "Now we have Lebanon and Palestine added to our areas of operation last year", she added without giving details. EBRD invests in public infrastructure and help the private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Search Keywords: Short link: STOLEN PURSES Radnor police are investigating the report of a theft of a purse from a car parked at the Willows on Darby Paoli Road in Radnor Sept. 2 between 2:10 and 3:30 p.m. According to police, the owner parked her car and walked her dog along Skunk Hollow Trail at 2:10. When she returned at 3:30 she found a rear passenger window was smashed out and her purse was missing. On Sept. 8, police in Ashburn, Georgia called Radnor police and reported the wallet was recovered. While on the scene of the first theft, police found damage to a black BMW that had a passenger door window smashed out. The owner of the car then arrived back while police were still on the scene of the first reported theft. The owner of the BMW reported she arrived at 3 p.m. to walk her dogs on the Skunk Hollow Trail. A brown purse containing a wallet was missing. ATTEMPTED FRAUD Radnor police received a report Sept. 4 from a Radnor resident that her husband received a letter reporting that the sender knew of a secret he was keeping from his wife. He said he would keep the secret if her husband paid $15,300 in bitcoin to a bitcoin account. Police have often warned that this is a common scam and no one should send money and report them to police. STOLEN CAR Radnor police are investigating the report of a stolen 2014 Ford Explorer that was taken from an apartment parking lot on Bryn Mawr Avenue sometime overnight between Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. and Sept. 5 at 8 a.m. The car was locked but a set of keys were inside the glove box, police said. ATTEMPTED THEFT FROM CAR A Radnor police officer was conducting a foot canvass of the Radwyn Apartments on Bryn Mawr Avenue Sept. 5 at 7:55 a.m. when he spoke with a resident of the apartment complex. The resident reported parking his 2001 Buick Park Avenue. When he returned to the car, the contents of the glove box had been thrown inside the car. Nothing was missing and the owner refused to complete a written statement at that time, police said. THEFT Radnor police took a report of a theft of a wallet from a car parked at the Radwyn Apartments on Bryn Mawr Avenue sometime overnight between Sept. 4 at 8:30 p.m. and the next morning. The owner said his wallet with debit, credit cards and cash was taken from the unlocked car. THEFT FROM BANK ACCOUNT Radnor police took a report Sept. 6 from a woman at Cabrini University that money was removed from her bank account after she was contacted about a job. The complainant told police she was contacted Aug. 4 about a full-time job offer. After several emails between her and the purported employer, she was told she would receive a check for $2,850 and to deposit it into her bank account. She was then to take $700 as her salary and the remaining $2,150 would go into a foster home account. Later, the complainant checked her bank account and found thousands of dollars were missing from her account. She was also told by her bank that the check she deposited was returned due to an unknown reason and she needed to contact the issuer. She was no longer able to reach the person she had been communicating with regarding the job. CAR THEFT Radnor police issued a crime alert for the theft of a vehicle which was discovered Sept. 15 in the early hours. The vehicle, a white Audi A4, appears to have been stolen during the overnight hours from the 200 block of North Aberdeen Avenue. The vehicles keys had been left inside. Radnor Police strongly advise everyone to lock all vehicles in their driveway and ensure no keys are left in vehicles that could be used to steal them. Please call 9-1-1 with any information about these incidents or when reporting suspicious activities. MIP Sept 2018 168 Managing IPs September issue is now online. The issues cover story focuses on Section 101 in the US, which governs patentable subject matter. We reveal new data that suggests findings of invalidity have dropped since Berkheimer v HP, the most important US subject matter eligibility case of 2018, and analyse the reasons for this. Also featured in the issue is: European in-house IP counsel discussing the prospects and problems of personalised medicine. AWA Asias IP strategy and patent team in Beijing looking at the China FinTech market, discussing available IP protection mechanisms and considering how revised guidelines could provide opportunities. Dmitry Andreev analysing issues in patenting blockchain-related technologies. A European trade mark double header, with David Stone discussing the difficulties of registering and enforcing shape trade marks in the European Union, and Managing IP analysing the most-important recent trade mark-related rulings from the CJEU, including cases involving Nestle, Puma, Louboutin and Red Bull. Vincent Violago and Nikko Quevada tak a look at AI and the issue of bias, including discussing patents directed to bias mitigation. We reveal the highest US patent damages awards so far this year, and reveal why higher damages may now be more achievable. The issue also features our international briefings, bringing updates from around the globe (also listed below), as well as our regular Utynam column of IP curiosities and controversies. Subscribers can read all this online now; non-subscribers can take a free trial for limited access. The September issues international briefings: Africa: African governments show increased interest in IP protection Australia: Change to Patent Examiners Manual creates uncertainty Austria: When is joint use of trade marks allowed? Brazil: Brazil offers attractive battleground for enforcing patents Canada: Examining different forms of protection for personality rights EPO: Applicant is responsible for checking patent text Europe: Messi scores trade mark goal at EU General Court France: Law on national domain images changes Germany: Determining litigation value in patent appeals India: Court rules in favour of Phillips in SEP dispute Japan: Examining proposed amendments to evidence collection procedures Malaysia: One Belt One Road brings opportunity and risk Mexico: Public order, morals and good customs prevent trade mark Netherlands: Supreme Court rules on role of description in claim interpretation Philippines: Breeding a superior duck Russia: Starbucks wins trade mark battle with One Bucks Coffee Singapore: Singapore ranked most innovative non-European country in world South Korea: Patenting a food-related invention in Korea Taiwan: IP office allows deferred examination of design applications Thailand: Supreme Court provides guidance on honest concurrent use Turkey: TPTO refuses trade mark solely due to bad faith UK: Patenting computer-implemented inventions US: Court allows laches defence in cancellation case Vietnam: New Law on Competition impacts IP 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 Kochi : With only a day left for him to appear before the Kerala police for the questioning in the Nun abuse case, Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal is seeking all the ways to evade an arrest. As per the latest reports, the Bishop has moved for an anticipatory bail plea in High Court. It is learnt that the Bishop alleged personal vendetta behind the case and termed the whole plot as a cooked up story. Meanwhile, the investigation team will question the Bishop on Wednesday. In a letter to Pope Francis, the Bishop had requested to relieve him from the administration of the diocese. In Kerala, the sister of the rape survivor nun on last day launched a hunger strike at Kochi demanding the Bishop's arrest. The Apple Story - Trump Tariffs Penalize US Multinationals US Taxation Fails Americans Trump tariffs are based on flawed pre-global doctrines, which penalize US multinationals, as evidenced by Apple. It is not China that fails Americans, but US taxation, as evidenced by Apple. In the pre-1914 era and during the protectionist interwar period, global economic integration declined drastically. As major corporations competed largely in home markets, their value activities were mainly domestic. Following World War II, the US-led Bretton Woods system ensured a greater degree of internationalization including systemic US trade deficits since 1971, decades before deficits with China. Thereafter in the 80s, US multinationals began to cut costs through offshoring as large chunks of productive capacity were transferred to emerging markets, especially in Asia. So today the eco-systems of US multinationals are increasingly global.Heres Trumps dilemma in a nutshell: While tariffs and tariff wars were typical to the era of domestic competition a century ago, they do not work in a more global era. Even made in China products feature diverse value-added inputs by multinational companies producing in, exporting from and selling in China.In a recent tweet, Trump urged Apple to manufacture in the US, not China. Its a bad advice. As prices would soar, Apples profitability would plunge since it makes 60%-70% of its revenues abroad. If the company would comply, its manufacturing price would soar because of higher labor costs, and loss of advanced manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure in China.The iPhone is not a marginal example. It alone accounts for an estimated $16 billion of the U.S. trade deficit with China. Made in China does not capture value-added Since iPhone alone accounts for some $16 billion of the U.S. trade deficit with China, lets use it as an example. According to data, the initial sale price of Apples iPhone X (64BG) was $999. The Trump administrations tariffs are based on the idea that since this smart phone is made in China, all value-added is captured in China and by China and thus it must be penalized by heavy tariffs. The breakdown of the iPhone X costs comprises both manufacturing costs ($378) and value shared between distributors and Apple ($621), which accounts for almost two-thirds of total costs. Another fourth of the total consists of various components made in South Korea, Japan, the US, UK, Switzerland, and Singapore. Chinas key contribution is in the basic manufacturing costs ($8) plus battery packs ($6), which is less than 4 percent of the manufacturing cost and 1.4 percent of the total cost of iPhone X (Figure). Figure How Apple Captures the Smartphone Value-Added, Not China iPhone X (64GB): Breakdown of Full Costs Black = Value shared between distributors and Apple Green = Modules made in several advanced economies Red = Basic manufacturing, battery packs in China White = Information not available Source: DifferenceGroup, IHS Markit and Reuters Is the iPhoneX an exception? No. Before the fall of Nokia, Europe captured 51% of the value-added of the Nokia N95 smart phone, even when it was Made in China, because the final assembly (read: China) involved 2% of the overall value-added. Obviously, the share of Chinese value-added differs by industries and companies, yet it tends be very low in the case of multinational companies operating in China, particularly in advanced technology. The same goes for such companies operating in India or other emerging markets. Made in China value-added does not go to China. That's precisely why Beijing seeks Chinas rapid transition from exports and investment toward innovation and consumption. After all, like Apple and Nokia, Chinese industry giants from Huawei and Xiaomi to Oppo and Vivo capture far more of the value-added. As Vice Premier Liu He has urged, China must innovate if it wants to be a world leader in science and technology. US taxation fails Americans, not China There is one critical difference, however. Through taxation, Nokias success benefited Finnish taxpayers and its European investors. Most EU multinationals are constrained by similar taxation rules. In contrast, Apples success does not necessarily accrue to American taxpayers because many US multinationals, unlike their European counterparts rely on creative tax accounting or tax havens. Theoretically, Apple should be the largest taxpayer in the world and pay $38 billion in taxes brought home from overseas and create 20,000 new jobs. But as Fortune has reported, thats all spin. Instead, Apple plans to collect a huge windfall from the Republicans corporate tax handout. Currently it holds about $252 billion - more than 90% of its cash - in profits offshore, where it can avoid paying US taxes. Indeed, before Trumps tax code overhaul, Apple would have paid $79 billion in taxes if it had brought the money home. But it didnt. Instead, it let the cash sit offshore for years. So its offshore profits will be taxed at a one-time, 15.5% repatriation rate. All other corporate profits will be taxed at 21% (down from the pre-Trump rate of 35%). In the postwar era, the old adage was Whats good for General Motors is good for America. What Apple and many other US multinationals are doing today may not be illegal, but it is part of a broader problem associated with Americas decline. Heres the bottom line: Chinese share of 2%+ of the value-added pie is not the problem. Trumps tariffs are a misguided solution to a wrong problem. The real question is why US companies lucrative profits yield so few benefits to ordinary Americans but such great benefits to few and wealthy corporate insiders. Dr Steinbock is the founder of the Difference Group and has served as the research director at the India, China, and America Institute (USA) and a visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more information, see http://www.differencegroup.net/ 2018 Copyright Dan Steinbock - 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. Dan Steinbock Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Omanization: a 20-year Process to Fight Volatile Oil Prices The stark realisation that the oil industry, with its volatile fluctuations, is an unreliable source of income for the Sultanate of Oman, has encouraged its leaders in 1988 to introduce what is commonly referred to as the Omanization of its economy. In short, this means that through its National Program for Enhancing Economic Diversification (Tanfeeth), the Omani government has decided to develop the following sectors: manufacturing, transport, logistics, and tourism. This they hope, will transform its economy from one that is less reliant on its oil reserves and expat workers, to one that is self-sufficient at its core. Many members of The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have already started this process over a decade ago, notably the UAE and Qatar and more recently KSA with many government reforms enabling it to concentrate on high tech and tourism. This represents a refreshing outlook on the GCC which is widely accused of being in control of the oil taps of OPEC, and thus, affecting oil prices across the world, something that has encouraged many countries to invest billions of dollars in non-oil industries such as electric cars and renewable energy. After a somewhat sluggish three years of oil prices affecting the sultanate economy, things are looking brighter so far this year. According to the National Center for Statistics and Information, Q1 has represented a 27.2% growth in total export revenue for Oman when compared to the same period last year. The total export revenue for the first quarter of 2018 hit OMR3.76 billion, compared with OMR2.96 billion in the first quarter of 2017. The value of oil and gas exports stood at OMR2.36 billion, equivalent to almost 63% of the total value of commodity exports in the first quarter of 2018, thanks to an increase in the price of Omani crude oil. Of the total exports from the oil and gas sector, OMR1.75 billion was from oil, while liquefied natural gas exports accounted for OMR394.3 million during the period, revealed the NCSI report. On the down side, the rating agency forecasts Omans fiscal deficit to remain at 5% to 7% of GDP in the next five years. Their debt will exceed 50% of GDP by 2019 and rise above 60% by 2021. This follows $5 billion worth of bonds sold only a year ago by the Omani government. It is nearly two years ago since Oman has launched a USD$200m Oman Technology Fund (OTF) to invest in start-up technology companies around the GCC and the world. At the time of the launch, Dr Ali bin Masoud bin Ali al Sunaidy, the Minister of Commerce and Industry said that the fund will invest for positive future returns, nationally and regionally. As part of the governments diversification strategy, technology and a connected digital society have been identified as key development areas for Oman and a significant driver towards an increasingly diversified national economy. He also added that The fund will put all their efforts towards positioning the sultanate as an attractive tech hub within the region, which will directly and indirectly benefit new and existing ITC businesses in Oman, while working to deliver sustainable future dividends that benefit the nation. This move is happening in conjunction with the rise of popularity in online betting in Oman, as some are looking for another possible revenue stream . It is important to note that gambling remains illegal in Oman, as it is in all the Arabian Peninsula, this is due to the nations very conservative interpretation of the Quran, which does not allow gambling. Perhaps this is something that will change, as countries such as the UAE are more lenient when it comes to horse racing, so who knows maybe in a few years time Arabian betting will become the norm to help boost the Oman economy. The Oman economy will continue to depend on its traditional oil industry to sustain its growth, however, glancing across to its neighbour the UAE and its ability to diversify its own economy to attract investment in other industries such as infrastructure, tech, and tourism will help to ensure that the Sultanate remains a strong player in the world economy. It remains to be seen how the shifting sands of the Oman economy will shape the future of Oman in the next decade. By Be Jardine 2018 Copyright Ben Jardine - 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. The Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo organised an evening showcasing the country's ballet skills topping it with a lecture introducing this art form's history in China Earlier this month on 2 September, the Chinese cultural attache and the head of the Chinese Cultural Center, Shi Yue Wen, hosted a ballet show and lectures by the National Ballet of China (NBC). NBC, known in China as the Central Ballet Troupe, was founded on 31 December 1959. Its visit to Cairo was accompanied by a lecture given by Xu Gang, the ballet professor and assistant artistic supervisor, who came with four of the ballet dancers. The evening started with pas de deux from Swan Lake, then an interesting lecture of what every move in ballet means, and how ballet is actually a play without words. While explaining this vocabulary, the dancers showed how they would say handsome, beautiful, tall, and other expressions. The instructor then invited the audience to actively participate by asking them to move with her. Some reacted enthusiastically, while some took videos with their mobile phones, and others just watched with a smile. This was followed by a talk about history of ballet, where the instructor discussed its beginnings in Italy as a representation a creative fusion between music, dance and fine arts, before it gained popularity in France and Russia. The lecturer explained that, in the middle of 19th century, the art of ballet went through many changes, underscoring two crucial names that contributed greatly to its development: the French-Russian choreographer Petipa and Russian composer Tchaikovsky, who wrote music to many iconic classical ballet pieces. Moving from Europe towards the East, the classical ballet reached China, just five years after the founding of "new China", which brought along international scholars to the country. In 1954, the first institution for the talented dancers, the Beijing Dance School, was founded and the classes were led by the best Russian dancers of the time, such as Pyotr Gusev. The establishment of the academic ballet school soon led to the first performance of the ballet Swan Lake (1959) with a full cast consisting of Chinese dancers. This was followed by the Experimental Ballet Company of the Beijing Dance School, which finally became the National Ballet of China. Dai Ailian was the principal of the school and one of the ballet company directors. Through constant Russian training and meetings from other schools across France, Britain, and Denmark, the company built a great repertoire, until it finally started to develop its own national character by introducing the Red Detachment of Women, a work which is based on real historical stories, telling how women went through actual struggles to change their fate and follow their dreams. In preparation for the Red Detachment of Women, the most famous Chinese choreographers, directors and musicians went to Hainan Island where the actual incidents and story took place, to be inspired by the reality and the fascinating landscape. This inspiration led to the final production of the ballet, which was presented in 1972 during Richard Nixon's visit to China. In this ballet, the choreographer and the costume designer introduced some bold variations to the usual western traditional ballet, including traditional Chinese cultural elements and a new experimental spirit. That performance was presented more than 4,000 times across 13 countries, including China, USA, France, Russia, and Singapore on the stages of renowned institutions such as the Lincoln Center, and within the Helsinki Festival and the Opera Paris Festival. The lecturer then added that while they were trying hard to have a national ballet character, they were also trying to explore different styles from different countries with an open mind. Soon, the NBC was recognized by all the international ballet choreographers. In the end, the evening at the Chinese Cultural Center saw numerous dances performed showcasing the skills of the Chinese dancers, including dances from the Song of the Earth, the Song of the Yimeng Mountain, and the Crane Calling. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: New waves of student protest have been erupting in the universities and colleges of Mexico City. Students in all the major universities in the capital have come out en masse in solidarity after 14 students at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) were injured by porros (semi-fascist shock groups) earlier this month. Originally published on the Marxist Student Federation website (UK). The protesters have not only called for the attackers to be brought to justice but are now making a stand against societal violence and the insecurity of daily life. On 3 September, students organising in support of teachers protests about low wages, were set upon by porros, leaving 14 severely injured. The victims belonged to the Science and Humanities Faculty of UNAM, which is the largest university in the country. After the attack, there were immediate solidarity protests from the other major universities in the capital: IPN and UAM. Embed from Getty Images On 5 September, the main campus of UNAM was inundated with 40,000-100,000 students calling for justice and for the authorities to reveal the masterminds behind the attack, who are suspected to be the university executives and the right-wing political parties who influence them. The attackers have been identified after intense popular pressure, but the puppet-masters remain unnamed. Revealing the corruption and brutality of the university bosses would escalate the rising tension the state is trying to reduce. Students vs the porros Porros are paid by the university executives to squash any form of student organisation. They are themselves reactionary students who have historically been used to break up strikes and protests by beating up protesters or vandalising campus facilities in order to intimidate students and create an image of delinquency to discredit the movement as a whole. They were utilised heavily in the 1980s as a counterinsurgency force by the PRI government. PRI is fused with the state apparatus due to its decades of dominance in Mexican politics. In return, the porros enjoy immunity from the law and certain benefits in university such as free subscription to courses and preferential treatment. Protests have continued to grow as more universities and colleges in Mexico City and the surrounding regions have come out in support. Following the proud traditions of the student movement in 1968, students organised themselves in Protest Committees across various institutions, which have scored many historic victories against the porros in the past but have not succeeded in eradicating their presence on campus. Organised, student protesters have revived the legacy of 1968 / Image: Marcel li Perello Now students have revived the legacy of 1968 with the forming of an inter-university assembly to better coordinate the Committees and agree on their demands and goals of the protest. 50 representatives from all institutions met on 5 September to plan student strikes of 24, 48 and 72 hours. The Assembly is calling for better pay for professors, improved teaching facilities to cope with the overcrowding of classrooms, free democratic elections of university directors and other executive positions, and an end to violence. Resentment against the system The size of the protests and the speed with which they have spread reflect the deep resentment that has built up over years amongst the youth towards the capitalist system. The porros are not the main problem but have become a point of expression that has unleashed the accumulated anger on campus. In the capital and across the country, the youth constantly feel on edge. The National Institution of Statistics (INEGI) reports that 76.8 percent of 18-year-olds nationally feel unsafe in their city. Women are violated and murdered on their way home from work on a horrifying scale. From January-July this year there were 387 reported cases nationwide of feminicidios (female homicides). Students all over the world must fight for free education and challenge the injustice and violence of a global capitalism / Image: Twitter, Hillary Goodfriend Add to this the decline in general living conditions. Mexico suffers from an increasing global trend of poverty in employment. Whilst the government celebrates annual reductions in unemployment figures, 49m workers fail to support cover their basic needs with their earnings. The average cost of living for a student in Mexico City is 14,350 pesos per month (581) set against average household income of a paltry 13,239 pesos per month (536). Now the students are saying: enough is enough! The movement's demands have now been expanded to resist the debilitating violence that workers and youth suffer on a daily basis. Violence is a tool employed by the state to hamstring the student movement and cause people to live in fear. However, violence is a sign of a weak state threatened by the power of the masses. Students and workers: unite and fight! Nevertheless, societal violence cannot be solved overnight with a street march. Striking and protesting are key tools of the movement, but an indefinite strike on its own is incapable of solving the deep-rooted issues that are inherent in capitalism. The Marxists in Mexico are directly involved in calling for a national protest to defend free, public education as well as protection from physical and economic violence. They also emphasise the need to link up the student movement with the wider labour movement. The protesters must realise the strength in organised struggle and join their cause with the militant trade unions such as CNTE and SME (teachers' and electricians' unions respectively). Students all over the world must fight for free education and challenge the injustice and violence of a global capitalism. They cannot successfully combat this alone. The students' struggle is the workers' struggle and it is an international struggle of the world working class. Solidarity with the Mexican students! Expel the porros! End state violence! Workers of the world unite! People with developmental disabilities not only have the ability to work, they want to work. "Ive been hired since day one and love every minute of it," said OMG employee Gail Stuart. About 20 percent of the staff at OMG Mongolian grill https://www.omgmongoliangrill.com/ in Butte have a disability and owners Tom and Kristi Cronnelly encourage other business owners to consider hiring those with disabilities. *** "OMG! I Have A Job!" Event To Increase Employment Of People With Developmental Disabilities 10/24 Butte http://www.matr.net/article-84762.html Helena, Montana, which boasted a population of 28,190 in a 2010 census, was completely revitalized by a startup company called SoFi https://www.sofi.com/ . SoFi is a contemporary finance company that offers low rates for mortgages, student loan refinancing and personal loans. A few years ago, the company contracted a programmer based in Helena to help them build their platform. That programmer, David Thompson, had no interest in moving to the tech city of San Francisco, so he convinced SoFi to start an office for their programmers and engineers in Helena. Thompson now manages over 100 employees out of two offices in Helena. The little town was revitalized and now even boasts two coworking spaces where new startups can be born. Thomas Griffin Forbes Technology Council https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/09/14/if-you-want-to-bootstrap-your-startup-do-this-one-thing/#4a92fc5a5675 (Many thanks to Brian Obert-Executive Director-Montana Business Assistance Connection (MBAC)-Gateway Economic Development District (GEDD)- http://www.mbac.biz for sharing) *** Choose Montana You should be in Montana growing your business and enjoying all that Big Sky Country has to offer. The Montana Governors Office of Economic Development is the states lead organization to help businesses succeed in our state. http://business.mt.gov/ 2018-09-28 11:30:00 Boise State University, Skaggs Hall Contact: http://www.VentureCapital.org Join us! Our Angel Work report is comprised of all the investment activity by Utah and Idahos Angel groups and Early Stage Venture Firms. This report includes total investments made by each investment group, investments by industry sector, Dry Powder in each firm, data analysis, trends and much more. This year we will also include a Deal Forum where four companies will pitch to a panel of local investors and receive industry insights and personal feedback. Presenting Companies Friday, September 28, 2018 Boise State University, Skaggs Hall 11:30 AM 4:30 PM Presenting Companies PickItUp http://startupcompete.co/startup-idea/internet-consumer-goods-social-entrepreneurship-services-it/pickitup/66283 Vacayrx https://vacayrx.com/ The Lending Coin https://www.thelendingcoin.com/ Slant3D https://www.slant3d.com/ Panel of Investors Heidi Huntsman Portola Street Advisors Kevin Learned Loon Creek Capital Mike Sadler Trolley House Ryan Poulson Micron Technology Purchase Ticket! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-boise-angel-worx-deal-forum-tickets-46990706468 VentureCapital.org | 120 South Main St. , Salt Lake City, UT 84101 The African Development Bank and the African Union Development Agency have agreed to jointly develop a blueprint for a pan-continental electricity network and market. The agreement to set up a Continental Power System Master Plan between the Bank and AUDA-NEPAD was unveiled, on November 29th, during a three-day workshop on the sidelines of Programme for Infrastructure Development (PIDA) Week held in Cairo. The workshop also produced the Masterplans terms of reference. The Continental Power System Master Plan will ensure that competitive electricity markets are developed at regional and continental levels, creating unique opportunities to optimally utilize Africas vast energy resources for the benefit of Africa, said Professor Mosad Elmissiry, a Senior Energy Advisor to AUDA-NEPADs CEO. The workshop was aimed at advancing the launch of an Integrated Continental Transmission Network (ICTN) to link national power utilities into regional power pools and, ultimately, into a continent-wide transmission network. Plans also include setting up a market for electricity trading. The Masterplan also will inform the energy component of a PIDA Action Plan, which focuses on key regional integration projects. Development of a unified electricity transmission network and market for electricity trading are viewed as a critical priority to improve the lives of people across the continent. Most state-owned electric utilities in Africa today are unable to secure the financial resources needed to implement required segments of regional interconnectors and associated national feeder lines, said Angela Nalikka, the Banks manager for National and Regional Power Systems, to explain the impetus for the partnership. The Bank plans to encourage private sector participation in transmission projects in the continent. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn [September 18, 2018] Seabury Solutions Assists DCA Mauritius to Enhance Operational Processes Through Cutting-Edge eAuthority Solution Seabury Solutions, a subsidiary of New York-based Seabury Capital Group LLC and the market leader in providing Information Technology solutions for the aviation industry, announced today that the Department of Civil Aviation Mauritius ("DCA Mauritius") completed the implementation of the company's industry-leading, multi-platform integrated system, eAuthority. Moving to a complete digital process and aiming for a paperless office, eAuthority will enable the department to oversee organizations, aircraft, and aviation professional certification and licensing. Inspired by ICAO, EASA and FAA regulations, the system is designed to increase efficiency of internal staff while giving real-time information to the management on a multi-platform dashboard. John Barry, Seabury Solutions Senior Vice President, explains: "When DCA Mauritius began the tender process it was clear they wished to get ahead of safety risks. The tools they wanted to put in the hands of their people should give everyone in the organization access to the correct data. In this way it would be possible to improve operational processes, strive towards a paperless office but critically important to measure the success. eAuthority with its integrated modules would bring single source data with cutting-edge BI, BPM, and DMS." DCA Mauritius ran a comprehensive tender process in 2017, which resulted in the selection of eAuthority, opting to implement eight of the 13 modules available to meet their current requirement. Among the implemented modules, DCA Mauritius selected the Aircraft and Organiztion oversight along with the complete SSP solution. In addition, each inspector can make more productive use of time via the inspection module with its mobile applications. With the configuration of the system and onsite training completed, the "go-live" took place in recent weeks. ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AVIATION MAURITIUS The Department of Civil Aviation Authority Mauritius ("DCA Mauritius") is responsible for the safety, regularity, affordability and efficiency of civil aviation operations within the territory of the Republic of Mauritius, and within the airspace under its responsibility. It is their aim to be recognized as the best regulator of civil aviation and the best provider of air navigation services in the region. http://civil-aviation.govmu.org ABOUT SEABURY SOLUTIONS Seabury Solutions is a subsidiary of Seabury Capital Group LLC and the market leader in providing Information Technology solutions for the aviation industry. With more than 15 years of experience and specialization in the development and implementation of world-class software solutions for aviation, Seabury Solutions has an unmatched reputation as a provider of cost-effective solutions in the industry. Three out of the four largest airlines in the world use the performance management systems built by Seabury Solutions. www.seaburysolutions.com ABOUT SEABURY CAPITAL GROUP Seabury Capital Group LLC ("Seabury Capital") operates a number of specialty finance, investment banking, technology and software companies with a core focus anchored in aviation, aerospace & defense, maritime, and financial services & technology. Since its founding in 1995, Seabury Capital has taken ownership stakes in software and asset management businesses servicing the aviation and travel industries. Within the last few years, Seabury Capital has expanded its portfolio by investing in early stage startup companies within the financial technology industry and structured investment products. In addition, Seabury Capital owns and operates FINRA and FCA regulated investment banking services firms in the U.S. and U.K., respectively, serving external clients as well as assisting the companies in which Seabury Capital has invested. Seabury Capital has operations in New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Chicago, Cordoba, Dallas, Dublin, Durban, Edison (NJ), Hong Kong, Houston, Jersey City, London, Los Angeles, Manila, Minneapolis, Singapore, Summit (NJ), Stamford (CT), and Tokyo. www.seaburycapital.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005590/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Student survey, community forums planned as Pennridge continues looking at school start times Friends on the Run hit the trail again Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, Letter to editor: Congress can get this right 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. Lelectricite est devenue, de nos jours, un besoin dune importance majeure, et cela, dans tous les domaines dactivite. Que ce soit dans les maisons ou [] 12 nabbed for abuse of 20 women over ... International Bomb attacks in Iraq kill 6 policemen Baghdad, Sep 18 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/18/2018 12:49:48 PM IST At least six police officers were killed on Tuesday and eight were wounded in two bomb attacks in Iraqs Saladin province, a day after government forces launched an operation against militants in the area, officials said. Police Lt. Col. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim said the first explosive device killed five officers and wounded four as they were travelling in a police vehicle in the Al-Fatha area, 50 km north of the provincial capital Tikrit, Efe news reported. In the second incident, one policeman was killed and four were injured by an explosive device at a guard post at a water treatment plant in Al-Shirqat. Iraqi security forces have recently carried out several operations in Saladin province against alleged cells of the Islamic State terror organization. BERLIN, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- German foreign minister Heiko Maas told press on Friday that he will appeal to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to prevent a major offensive of Syrian government against the rebel-held Idlib region. "We all know what is at stake. We must prevent the worst possible outcome, namely a new humanitarian catastrophe," Maas said ahead of a meeting with Lavrov in Berlin. The northern Syrian Idlib region on the border with Turkey is the last stronghold of Islamist rebels in the country. Maas warned on Friday, however, that an action against the militants did not justify putting the lives of three million inhabitants at risk who are currently caught in the cross fire. Earlier, German chancellor Angela Merkel said that it was "naturally right to fight these radical forces" while urging the Syrian government to ensure that civilians were protected. International aid groups have highlighted that a major offensive is likely to lead to chaos in the Idlib region and attempts by hundreds of thousands of refugees to escape the conflict by fleeing over the border to Turkey. Maas emphasized that Germany was only willing to heed Russian calls to support the reconstruction of Syria as long as certain conditions were met to ensure long-run stability and peace in the war-torn country. "As long as there is a political solution in Syria which leads to free elections, we are ready to take responsibility during the reconstruction effort," the minister said. Lavrov is currently visiting the German capital to mark the ceremonial conclusion of a year-long initiative to forge partnerships between cities in Russia and Germany. Additionally, both foreign ministers have announced plans to take first steps towards closer cooperation in the fields of higher education and research on Friday. By PTI NEW DELHI: India's exports of steel and aluminium products may become costlier and uncompetitive in the American market due to the US decision to impose duties on such goods, the government has said. The US has imposed duty of 25 percent and 10 percent on certain steel and aluminium imports. The decision was effective from March 23. India has already requested the US for an exemption to its steel exports, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. "Though it would be difficult to estimate what would be the quantum of impact on Indian steel and aluminium exports, the Indian exports may become costlier and uncompetitive in the US market especially against other countries who are exempted from levy of tariff by the US," he has said. He added that the protectionist measure on steel and aluminium is not in the best interest of furthering global trade. Iron and steel exports to the US stood at USD 309.18 million during April-January this fiscal. On the other hand, shipments of articles of iron and steel aggregated at USD 1.35 billion during the same period. He said that the duties imposed by the US is beyond the bound rate committed by America to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In a separate reply, the minister said India has raised this issue with the US highlighting that Indian steel exports are primarily of those items which are not domestically produced in the US and in no way threaten American industry. "The government has urged the US to exempt India from these tariffs," he said. By Reuters KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyers for a fugitive Malaysian financier wanted for his involvement in a multi-billion-dollar scandal launched a website on Monday to proclaim the innocence of a client they described as a global philanthropist, investor and entrepreneur. Low Taek Jho, who is suspected of having been close to former prime minister Najib Razak, is wanted by Malaysian and U.S. authorities on suspicion of being a key figure in a scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Low used to party with Hollywood stars but now his whereabouts are not known. He has previously denied wrongdoing and did so again in a letter posted on the website. Let me be clear: I am innocent, Low said in the letter. With hindsight I may have done things differently, like any young person, but any mistakes I made do not amount to the sweepingly broad and destructive allegations being made against me. Benjamin Haslem, a co-chief executive of a public relations company representing Low, Wells Haslem Mayhew Strategic Public Affairs, said in a statement to Reuters the website - www.jho-low.com - was created on behalf of Low "through his legal counsel, to provide information to the public". Malaysian police have issued arrest warrants against Low in connection with the 1MDB scandal. The U.S. Department of Justice says more than $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB, with some of the money used to buy a private jet, a superyacht, Picasso paintings, jewelry and real estate. Former Malaysian premier Najib, who founded 1MDB, has been charged by Malaysian authorities with money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power. Najib has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty. Low said in the letter many allegations against him had originated from blog posts, leaks from governmental agencies around the world or from unproven allegations filed in court, and he had never been given an opportunity to set the record straight. I have been paraded in effigy through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and photographs from my younger days plastered in tabloids across the globe, he said. This website is an effort to change that, he said. Before the scandal, Low rubbed shoulders with movie stars, models and celebrities like Miranda Kerr, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton. Kerr handed over millions of dollars worth of jewelry that U.S. authorities said Low had given her, her spokesperson said last year. By Express News Service BENGALURU: In a setback to Indias second largest IT exporter Infosys, an arbitration tribunal has asked the company to pay Rs. 12.17 crore the outstanding severance pay to the former Chief Financial Officer Rajiv Bansal. This amount would be in addition to the Rs 5.2 crore paid to Bansal. According to a regulatory filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, Infosys said, "The arbitral tribunal has communicated its decision in the arbitration proceedings in relation to the severance agreement between the company and its former CFO, Rajiv Bansal. Per the award, Infosys is required to pay Bansal the outstanding severance amount of Rs.12.17 crores with interest." Commenting on the verdict by the tribunal the company said, "Infosys will take legal advice for necessary actions to be undertaken in respect of the award." Bansal had quit Infosys in 2015 and the company had signed an agreement to pay him Rs. 17. 38 crore which was equivalent to his 24-month pay. However, Infosys founder N R Narayanamurthy among others had questioned the company's move to pay hefty severance money to the former CFO. The payment of such a huge severance package to Bansal was one of the reasons for the tussle between the founders and former board under the leadership of Seshasayee. The founders had termed this as a failure of corporate governance. At the same time, a whistleblower in his letter to the SEBI had termed the severance pay as "hush money" paid to silence the former CFO. As a result, the company had suspended the payments to Bansal after paying Rs. 5.2 crore. Later in 2017, Bansal had approached the arbitration tribunal to claim the remaining amount as offered by the company during his exit. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In a surprise move aimed at reviving the stressed banking sector through consolidation, the government on Monday proposed amalgamation of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. This will create Indias third largest bank after SBI and ICICI Bank, the government said, adding that the merged entity will have total business to the tune of Rs 14.82 lakh crore. Consolidation of banks was in our agenda and the first step has been announced, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here on Monday. Dena Bank has been placed under the prompt corrective action framework by the Reserve Bank of India with restrictions on lending, while Vijaya Bank is among the only two lenders to have reported a profit in 2017-18. Two strong banks can absorb a third bank to create a globally competitive bank, the FM said adding that no employee will face any adverse service conditions after the amalgamation. According to Rajiv Kumar, secretary, Department of Financial Services, the boards of all the three banks had already been advised by the government to consider the proposal, which will be taken soon. The government has not given any timeframe for the merger but experts feel it could take six months to one year.I do not know how long it will take but if you go by past experiences, it would take probably four to six months. It can be speeded up also, Bank of Baroda Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer P S Jayakumar told TNIE. DFS secretary Rajiv Kumar said there is no need to amend the Bank Nationalization Act. The scheme of amalgamation will be tabled in Parliament. Meanwhile, All India Bank Employees Association has opposed the move saying what is required is expansion of banks and not merger of banks. We have seen the example of the five associate banks merging with State Bank of India. No miracle has happened. On the other hand, it has resulted in closure of branches, increase in bad loans, reduction of staff, reduction in business etc, said C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA. Making sense of the amalgamation By Express News Service BENGALURU: With rains lashing the city over the past three days, potholes have opened up yet again. It was only last month that the government claimed to have covered all the potholes in the city. With rains expected for a few more days, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has an uphill task ahead in ensuring that the roads dont turn into nightmares for commuters, a feat they are unlikely to achieve, going by past performance. BBMP officials claim that till August end they finished fixing 21,043 of the 22,662 potholes in Bengaluru. According to them, there were hardly 1,000 potholes that needed their attention. However, just over the last three days newly-asphalted roads have yet again become pothole-ridden at various places, including Vijayanagar, Rajajinagar, Magadi Road, Chamarajapet, Shivajinagar, Mysuru Road, Girinagar, Mathikere, RT Nagar and Hebbal. Interestingly, there is no time wasted in the blame game to start. Mayor Sampath Raj told The New Indian Express that it was the responsibility of the contractor to maintain these newly-asphalted roads. The potholes on older roads, however, will be taken care of by BBMP. Since it is raining now, we have instructed the officials to fill the potholes with jelly stones. Once the rain subsides, these will be filled with bitumen and then asphalt, he said. BBMP is lagging behind on silt removal as well. Palike workers are seen removing silt from drains in some parts of the city, including Okalipura, Magadi Road, Majestic, Basavanagudi and Chamarajpet. A BBMP official said, This work is being done too late. KSNDMC had predicted rains in September earlier but we are yet to remove silt from many more drains. Tree branch leaves woman injured Following heavy rains, a tree branch fell on a woman in Malleswaram on Sunday. Raveena (21), who works at a saree showroom near Malleswaram, had stepped out after lunch when a huge tree fell on a car and a branch fell on her as she was standing nearby. Fortunately, she had no major injuries. She is admitted to KC General Hospital and has received stitches on her head. Her husband Venkatesh blamed BBMP for not checking weak trees. Mayor Sampath Raj visited the hospital and said she will be given Rs 2 lakh as compensation. According to BBMP control room data, tree falls were reported at Malleswaram and Rajajinagar among other places. Electric poles have fallen at Hoysalanagar ward in CV Raman Nagar constituency. Keep your umbrellas handy for 2 more days BENGALURU: Though the city witnessed a rain deficit this monsoon, it has been receiving excess rainfall for the last three days. Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) authorities are now predicting moderate to heavy rainfall for the next two days. According to KSNDMC, from June to August normal rainfall is 286 mm but Bengaluru received 208 mm. There has been a deficit of 24 per cent. However, in the last one week (September 11 to 17), there has been 69 mm rainfall as against 41 mm (66 per cent excess). KSNDMC Director Srinivas Reddy told The New Indian Express that there has been a low-pressure formation at the Andhra Pradesh coast and the influence of this has been on Karnataka. North Karnataka is likely to witness heavy rainfall in the next three to four days while the south interior parts of the state, including Bengaluru, will witness moderate to heavy rainfall. Toby Antony By Express News Service KOCHI: Post-flood, fishermen operating Chinese fishing nets, the historical fishing gear, are longing for help from government authorities. The Fisheries Department survey found that the mid-August deluge has damaged as many as 213 Chinese fishing nets, known in local parlance as Cheena Vala, in Ernakulam district. "We are yet to get any help for restoring the fishing gear since ours is not an organized sector. We approached civic bodies for financial aid, but nothing has happened yet. We cant repair the nets on our own because we dont have that kind of money," said P V Joy, a fisherman who operates Chinese nets in front of his house at Varapuzha. Most of these fishermen are already facing a financial crunch as their houses and household goods were severely damaged in the flood. "Currently, we are looking only on restoring our houses. We don't even have enough money to buy new household goods. Then how can we afford to repair the damaged fishing nets," he said. Derson Antony, the coordinator of Chinese Fishing Net Owners Association, said it would take at least Rs 1.5-3 lakhs to repair these historical nets. "A majority of the fishing nets in the Paravoor-Varapuzha region remains damaged. The fishermen on their own cannot repair the nets. Some of the nets were heavily damaged, and in some cases the entire frame has to be replaced. The Chinese fishing nets are part of the history of Kerala and they have to be conserved well," Dearson said. License The fishermen hope that the government will be merciful while providing compensations for damaged Chinese fishing nets as the majority of them operate without a proper license. Mahesh S, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department Ernakulam Zone, said of the 213 Chinese nets damaged, not less than 40 per cent have obtained the license. "We have sent a report to the government about the damaged Chinese fishing nets and the compensation to be given. Now, it is up to the government to decide whether Chinese nets without a license should be given a compensation or not. It will take around Rs 1.5 lakhs to repair the damaged nets," he said. No traditional carpenters Chinese fishing nets are said to have been brought to Kochi by famous Chinese explorer, Zheng He, 500 years ago. And today, there is a dearth of carpenters who possess the necessary skills to repair these nets. "The weight of the frame and the net have to be in right balance so that the net can take a dip in the water in right depth. Very few carpenters really know how to repair the Chinese nets. So repairing them after the flood will not be an easy task," Derson said. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA:A 16-year-old girl student of Nuzvid IIIT attempted suicide by consuming more than five anti-biotic pills on Monday afternoon. According to Nuzvid town police, the girl hails from Mandapet of East Godavari district and reportedly is studying second-year Pre-University Course (PUC). She is living in the campus hostel along with her classmates. A few days ago, the victim was accused of taking her roommates debit card and having withdrawn money from the ATM in the college campus. When her roommate received a text message about deduction of `3,000 from her bank account, she grew suspicious of her fellow roommates and lodged a complaint with the college management. Responding to the complaint, the college management told the girl (who lost her money) that they would collect the CCTV footage of the ATM and find the culprit.On Sunday, the victim heard a campus staffer discussing the issue and claiming that bank management agreed to give CCTV footage to the police recorded on the date when she withdrew the money. Afraid that the theft will come to light if the bank gave the CCTV footage to the police, she took the step to end her life and consumed anti-biotic pills, the campus officials told TNIE.Noticing the girls condition, her roommates informed the hostel warden and rushed her to the area hospital for treatment. She is said to be out of danger, said the Nuzvid police. Suicide Helpline OneLife: 78930-78930 Roshni, Hyderabad-based NGO: 040-66202000 By ANI LOS ANGELES: A beloved nanny is preparing to take to the rooftops of London with her magical bag in time for Christmas. Disney on Monday released a trailer for "Mary Poppins Returns." The musical sequel stars Emily Blunt in the role made famous by Julie Andrews in 1964. Mary Poppins returns to Cherry Lane to help the next generation of the Banks family through a personal loss. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her lamplighter friend, Jack. Dick Van Dyke, who starred in the original film, appears as the retired chairman of the bank. Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury also are featured in the movie, which is based on PL Travers' stories. Rob Marshall directs the film, which includes new original songs. "Mary Poppins Returns" opens in theaters Dec. 19. Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service Most Malayalis, when asked which role of Captain Raju is more dear to them, they would mention his character from Nadodikaattu, or August 1, or Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha. When I first saw Pavanayi from Nadodikaattu, I thought that was the actor's actual voice. It was only later, when I saw his mafia don character in Samrajyam, that I realised that it was not. I preferred seeing him in bad guy roles more. But Captain Raju was more interested in playing good/positive characters, says director Vinayan, with whom he worked on Kalyana Sougandikam (1996). "Apart from being a good actor, he was also a good human being. He was like an elder brother to me. He would come to our aid if some issue was troubling us. He loved the humorous character in Kalyana Sougandikam so much that he told me that from that point on he was only interested in substantial character roles. And his good looks and body language worked to his advantage. Though he was friendly with everyone, he was also very honest and clear about his stand on something. During the AMMA issue, he had no qualms about working with me," says Vinayan. Director Fazil says, "Even though he was mostly seen in negative characters, there was nothing negative about him and his life. He proved that he was capable of doing strong character roles like the one in Siddique-Lal's Kabooliwala. That role was tailor-made for him. And, of course, no one has done a comical villain role like Pavanayi from Nadodikaattu." Actor Jagadish also recalls some of his fond memories with the actor. "We became more close while we were shooting Thakshashila in Kullu Manali. It was a vacation time and I was with my family but he was not. He used to spend a lot of time with me and my family. After that we went to Delhi and we used to eat go shopping and dining together. He used to amuse my family with stories of military experiences and sing Hindi songs. In the initial phase of his career, he used to get tired of playing villain roles all the time. There was a time when he decided not to play negative characters anymore; but he later reversed that decision once he started getting good character roles. He felt that it was okay to play bad guys as long as there was a nice balance. He loved humour. There were occasions when he used to tell me that he regrets not doing more but then later he would say that he was proud of whatever he has accomplished so far." Murali Krishna CH By Express News Service Yet another Kannada girl is foraying into Telugu cinema. The girl of the moment is Nabha Natesh, who is set to make a splash with Nannu Dochukunduvate. Nannu Dochukunduvate is technically my second film in Telugu. My debut film Adhigo directed by Ravi Babu is still awaiting release. Hence, I would love to say Nannuas my first Telugu film, says Nabha. The 29-year-old girl is not a newbie to acting as she was a model and a popular theatre artist in Bengaluru, who made a mark on stage. I always wanted to do something that was beyond engineering. After a brief stint in modelling, I began my tryst in performing arts. For two years, I was part of several street and stage plays, which showed my passion for acting. Ive slowly realised that acting was my way of life and to satisfy my ambitions, I was drawn to the movies, recalls Nabha. She feels her base in theatre helped her to evolve as an actor. Being a theatre actor, I cannot do a scene without knowing the dialogues and the context. So, I didnt have someone prompting dialogues and it helped me to learn Telugu. Now, Im proficient in beginner level (laughs). She adds, My modelling background too worked to my advantage for presenting myself before the camera and also helped me understand the fashion trends. Having made her debut in Kannada opposite superstar Shiva Rajkumar in Vajrakaya, Nabha is little nervous to test waters in Telugu. I was completely nervous and little excited during the release of Vajrakaya, but this time, Im confident owing to the feedback Ive received from the people who have already watched my performance in the promos. Now, Im feeling little nervous as its a bigger canvas and waiting to see how the audience receives me, explains the Sringeri girl. Cast opposite Sudheer Babu, who is also the producer of the film, she says, Being the actor-producer of the film, he never had any starry airs and was of great help on the sets. Im really looking forward to the release. The starlet says she is not open to the idea of being typecast. I dont want to be typecast and whatever role I do should entertain people and thats what I set out to do. Whether its a commercial film or any other genre, I try to enjoy doing all kinds of roles that come my way, shares Nabha. Nabha says she never misses an opportunity to catch a Telugu release in Bengaluru. Im a Telugu movie buff and talk about films all the time. I love watching Pawan Kalyan and Allu Arjuns films a lot, signs off Nabha. Murali Krishna CH muralikrishna.db @newindianexpress @onlymurali An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, Sept 12, 2018. [Photo/VCG] Mainland students on the island targeted for information, they say Taiwan's intelligence agencies have been persuading students from the Chinese mainland studying at universities in Taiwan to provide confidential information to Taiwan's spy network by offering money, relationships and sex, security authorities said. The intelligence agencies have been targeting the mainland and recklessly stepping up information collection and infiltration activities for some time, An Fengshan, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Sunday. "Taiwan authorities should immediately stop all espionage targeting the Chinese mainland to prevent further damage to the increasingly complicated cross-Straits relations," he said. To prevent such activities, which endanger the development of both cross-Straits relations and national security, mainland security authorities recently launched an operation code-named 2018 Thunder, according to a report by China Central Television. More than 100 Taiwan-related spy cases have been handled during the operation, including the arrest of a group of spies from Taiwan and their recruits, security authorities said. Taiwan's intelligence agencies prefer to target postgraduate or PhD exchange students with majors in politics, economics, science or military technology because of their potential access to key information, security authorities said. The intelligence agencies have also planted a large number of agents at universities. They approach students from the mainland and offer money for information. In a case that was made public over the weekend, an 18-year-old exchange student from the mainland was targeted by a Taiwan spy calling herself Hsu Chia-ying at a party in 2011. She claimed to be a couple of years older than the student and an admirer of his talent. The pair began to date and the relationship soon turned sexual. Hsu showed great interest in the mainland student's major, which allowed contact with classified information related to national defense. Hsu asked the student to report on what he had learned on a daily basis after he returned to the university on the mainland. She also wanted to know details about the laboratories at the university. As a postgraduate student, the student had the opportunity to take part in projects in key State laboratories. When Hsu demanded more information, the student became suspicious. He wanted to end the relationship but Hsu objected, sending emails to his family and friends telling them that he had seduced her in Taiwan. Under pressure, the student continued to provide information to Hsu. Hsu's activities were discovered by security authorities in 2014. Her real name is Hsu Li-ting and she is actually 16 years older than the student. She is an agent of the Taiwan Military Intelligence Bureau, the authorities said. The authorities said that, over three years, the student provided Hsu with about 100 pieces of information on science and technology related to national defense and was paid about 45,000 yuan ($6,590). At the beginning, the Taiwan agents only ask students for nonconfidential information, such as academic documents, an officer of the Beijing State Security Bureau told CCTV, adding that they then offer money and later use the transactions to blackmail the students. They also encourage the students to become civil servants in suggested posts. Once a student reaches a key position, the agents use blackmail to get more classified information. Intelligence agents in Taiwan have also been using local foundations that fund students from the Chinese mainland to participate in academic exchange programs as recruitment tools. Efforts by Taiwan's intelligence agencies to target young people is an exploitation of the expansion of cross-Straits exchanges, security authorities said, calling the practice extremely vile. By IANS NEW DELHI: In an attempt to take on Chinese smartphone brands in India, Samsung is set to launch two new smartphones -- Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+ -- in India this week. Both the smartphones are likely to be priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, industry sources told IANS. The Galaxy J6+ is expected to come with dual rear cameras along with the support of an industry-first side finger print sensor. The Galaxy J4+ is likely to come with a new "emotify' feature that would allow millennial users to express themselves better. Earlier this year, Samsung launched Galaxy J8 and J6 mid-segment smartphones in India. In July this year, the South Korean tech giant reportedly sold over two million units of Galaxy J8 and J6 in the country. "Galaxy J" is Samsung India's most successful smartphone brand. By PTI NEW DELHI: A Dubai court has ordered for the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, official sources said late Tuesday. They said the court pronounced the judgement Tuesday after India had officially made the request to the gulf nation sometime back, based on the criminal investigations conducted in this case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). ALSO READ: CBI says it has not questioned Agusta deal middleman Christian Michel in UAE The full contents of the order against Christian Michel James (54) are expected to be known by tomorrow as the legal pronouncement is in Arabic and is being translated in English at the behest of Indian authorities, they said. The order is being seen as a major shot in the arm to the agencies-- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED -- probing the case. The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. ALSO READ: CBI seeks middleman Gerosa's extradition from Italy The money was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in "guise of" of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, it had said. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Michel has been extensively interviewed by the Indian media in Dubai in the past and both the agencies want him to join the probe to take the case forward. he ED had also brought on record, in the chargesheet, that the three middlemen "managed to" make inroads into the Indian Air Force (IAF) to influence the stand of the officials into reducing the service ceiling of the helicopters from 6,000 metre to 4,500 metre in 2005. AgustaWestland became eligible to supply the dozen helicopters for VVIP flying duties after this change. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through "criminal activity" and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Some organisations in southern Assam's Barak Valley are going for the jugular of a local Congress leader for sheltering three "Bangladeshis". They demanded that Zoynal Uddin Laskar, the spokesman of Hailakandi district Congress, be immediately arrested for his "anti-India act". "He is a retired block elementary education officer. How could an educated person like him rent out rooms to the Bangladeshis compromising the security of the country? He should have checked the persons' credentials," a leader of one of the organisations argued. The police, however, said Mohammed Hafiz Molla, Ayar Ali and Mohammed Bablu Molla from Bhulbari village of Gopalganj district of Bangladesh were not illegal immigrants. "They are not illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. They came on valid passports and visas. But instead of visiting places or relatives, they got involved in clothes business," Hailakandi superintendent of police, Mohneesh Mishra, told TNIE. He said the trio was in the custody of the police for interrogation and would be forwarded to a court."Once they come out of judicial custody, we will send them back to Bangladesh through the route which they used to enter India. We took them in our custody as we wanted to set a precedent or else people will come on tourist visas and get engaged in business," Mishra added. By IANS NEW DELHI: Six days after the Rewari gang-rape, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his "silence is unacceptable" and added "India hangs its head in shame as another one of its daughters is brutally gang-raped". "India hangs its head in shame as another one of its daughters is brutally gang-raped," said Gandhi on Twitter. "Prime Minister, your silence is unacceptable. Shame on a government that leaves India's women unprotected and afraid and allows rapists to walk free," he added. Even though two of the three main accused in Rewari gang-rape case continued to evade arrest, a Haryana court had sent three arrested men, including one main accused, to five-day police custody. One of the main accused, Nishu, as also Deendayal and Sanjeev Kumar, were earlier presented in a court in Kanina on Monday. They will be presented in court again on September 21. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Haryana Police on Sunday evening announced the arrest of Nishu. SIT chief Nazneen Bhasin had said that raids were on to nab two other main accused -- soldier Pankaj and Manish. The three main accused had gang-raped the 19-year-old woman on September 12. Deendayal is the owner of a tubewell room where the crime took place in Mahendragarh district. Sanjay Kumar is the medical practitioner who had treated the victim. Both did not inform police despite in the know of the crime. By Express News Service MUMBAI: Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam on Monday met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with a demand reservation for North Indian migrants belonging to backward classes in Maharashtra. People belonging to multiple castes have migrated from Northern parts of India to Mumbai in search of employment. They have been residing in Maharashtra for almost 2-3 generations now. Unfortunately, these people havent received the status of backward castes yet. This is denying them of their fundamental rights, Nirupam said in a letter which was handed over to CM Fadnavis. Incidentally, Nirupams meeting with CM Fadnavis followed meeting of Mumbai Congress delegation with AICC general secretary incharge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge seeking removal of Sanjay Nirupam from his position and replacing him with former IT minister Milind Deora. The delegation was led by former MP Eknath Gaekwad, MLA Amin Patel and former minister Baba Siddiqui amongst others. Nirupams meeting with the CM is being portrayed by a faction in the city Congress as a warning that if challenged, he is capable of splitting the party. Besides, Nirupam had earlier claimed to have been offered Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat by the BJP in 2014. By PTI IMPHAL: The Manipur Police Monday took out a rally from Moreh to Tengnoupal, along the India-Myanmar border, to protest incidents of mob violence in the state. The "men in uniform", numbering around 70 and led by Tengnoupal Superintendent of Police S Ibombcha Singh, was joined in by more than 500 volunteers of various civil bodies. "The two-km peace rally -from Moreh police station to Tengnoupal district headquarters - was taken out to generate awareness about the need for maintenance of law and order in the society," Ibomcha Singh told PTI. READ| Action taken against four policemen in Manipur lynching case A civil official, who did not wish to be named, said the peace rally was the first of its kind in the state. The rally came four days after a 26-year-old man was lynched by an irate mob at Tharoijam area of Imphal West district on suspicion of being a vehicle lifter. Local people had also set afire a car believed to have been used by "two of his associates". Five persons, including a havildar of India Reserve Battalion (IRB), have been arrested in this connection. The purported video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed that the four police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were "present at the spot when the victim was alive and lying unattended", Imphal West SP Jogeshwar Haobijam had said. While the sub-inspector was suspended, three other officers were terminated from their services. Haobijam had also said that the Cyber Crime Unit was tracking individuals who had uploaded clips of the bleeding victim. The lynching episode triggered sharp condemnations and sit-in protests by various social activists in the area. The Manipur Human Rights Commission has directed the state director general of police to probe the matter and submit a report by September 22. People in large numbers have also been organizing torch rallies here, demanding justice for the victim. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service JAMMU: The border guards on Tuesday evening recovering body of a BSF man, who had gone missing after being hit by Pakistani troops fire in Ramgarh sector in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. A BSF spokesman in Jammu said at around 10.40 am, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked in Ramgarh sector of Samba sector. He said a BSF party, which was on domination patrolling ahead of border fence, was fired upon by the Pakistani troops. The BSF men, he said, immediately took position and retaliated. "A BSF jawan was hit by firing from Pakistani troops. The area on Pakistani side has a protective bundh close to International Border," he said. The BSF spokesman said this side of IB is undulated, marshy and having thick sarkanda (wild grass) growth. "It made the immediate locating of the injured jawan difficult," he said. He said the situation was brought under control by BSF and ultimately body of the BSF jawan was recovered late evening. Sources identified the deceased jawan Hawaldar Narinder Singh of 176 bn. It is suspected that the jawan had died in attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT). Repeated attempts to reach out to Inspector General BSF, Jammu Raw Avtar could not succeed as he did not answer the phone calls.However, BSF spokesman said further action on clearing the area of any likely IED, booby trap, etc, are being taken by BSF men. The killing of the BSF jawan has taken place a day after Union Home Minister launched smart fencing project along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu. By PTI BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who heads the coordination committee of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government,today rubbished reports of dissent in the Congress and said media reports of it were 'baseless.' "There is nothing, no discord. Whatever is coming in the media does not have even an iota of truth. It is totally baseless," he told reporters after meeting the Jarkiholi brothers. Congress has been hit by internal dissent, triggered by a faction of MLAs led by minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is locked in a turf war with another minister D K Shivakumar. The Jarkiholi brothers' activities have led to speculations that BJP was fishing in troubled waters and was in touch with them to dislodge the government. The siblings are upset over Shivakumar allegedly trying to challenge their supremacy in Belagavi district through MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar. Siddaramaiah said there are six ministerial posts to be filled and many aspirants for the posts, leading to speculation in the media about dissidence in the party. The former chief minister claimed that BJP was trying to destabilise the government as many MLAs have said that some people from BJP had approached them. "It is true that the BJP is trying to destabilise this government. They have given up all the civility to come to power. There is no discord in our party," Siddaramaiah asserted. The chief minister said he along with Satish Jarkiholi and senior party functionaries would leave for Delhi Wednesday to meet party chief Rahul Gandhi to hold discussions on filling the six ministerial posts. Tomorrow, I will not discuss about the cabinet expansion. We will expand the cabinet at an appropriate time nobody has complained about the delay in expanding the ministry," he said. Earlier in the day, Satish Jarkiholi called on chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jarkiholi said he had discussions about issues pertaining to the development of Belagavi and his community and nominations to the boards, corporations and the legislative council. Another demand discussed was that one person from the scheduled tribe from Ballari should be made a minister. "There is no discord as being made out," he said. By PTI NEW DELHI: The opposition stayed away from the three-day RSS outreach event that started here on Monday alleging that it has a "pre-election agenda" to project that the outfit is "neither untouchable nor hated". None of the opposition leaders turned up for dialogue at the event -- "Bhavishya Ka Bharat - An RSS Perspective" -- organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP, even though the Sangh had claimed to have invited many of them. Many opposition leaders, including those from the Congress said they did not get any invite and would have stayed away even if invited. The event comes three months after former president Pranab Mukherjee addressed a function at the Sangh's Nagpur headquarters in June. Sources said this event was aimed at opening up the RSS for dialogue with such forces that are opposed to it. It was speculated that Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who attacks the RSS often and accuses it of spreading hatred in the country, would be invited for the event, but the party leaders denied having received any invite. When asked about the RSS event, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh downplayed it saying, "I got no invitation from the RSS (for the three-day lecture series). No mail, no phone call, no letter. Even if they invited me, I would not have gone." NCP leader Majeed Memon said it appears that the endeavour of RSS is to create some kind of an atmosphere that "it is not untouchable and not hated". "It is some kind of a pre-election agenda. People can understand it and therefore we do not want people to be misled." "They first called Pranab Mukherjee. He went there. Then they thought of expanding their reach to the whole country. But that would not work. It is now exposed that you (RSS) are now trying to expand your fold in order to grant some kind of benefit to the BJP," Memon said. RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav tweeted, "What role RSS played in freedom movement of India? Cozying up with invaders or spying for Britishers (sic)." Terming the RSS a "radicalised right-wing organisation", Muslim Political Council of India president T A Rehmani denied having received any invitation from the Sangh. Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said on Twitter, "From the horse's mouth - 'Mr Modi has allowed RSS the opportunity to get at state power' - PM Modi has become a Trojan Horse for the RSS to infiltrate Indian constitutional institutions. People of India will fight back in 2019 (sic)." Another Congress leader Salman Anees Soz said, "The world knows about the role of the Congress in the freedom movement. It is the RSS the world wants to know more about. For example, that inconvenient part about love for Nazism and Fascism." Congress leader Randeep Surjewala had earlier alleged that the RSS and the BJP have been spreading "fake news" for a while regarding sending invites for the event. "No such invite has been received by the Congress party and it is not a medal of honour. Their inherently hate-filled agenda is known to one and all," Surjewala had said. Launching the unprecedented outreach programme to make the organisation better understood, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said India's diversity must be respected, celebrated and it should not be a reason for any discord in society. On the first day of the three-day conclave he elaborated on the evolution of the RSS, which, he said, cannot be compared to any other organisation. Many leaders of the ruling BJP were present at the event, as were many Bollywood actors, artists and academicians. PHOTO: Brigadier Cameron Purdey greets Senior Colonel Wang Jingguo during the opening ceremony. (Supplied: Department of Defence) Source: ABC News Speaking in Canberra, People's Liberation Army Senior Colonel Wang Jingguo said it is up to Australia to decide whether its military wanted to challenge China's territorial claims in the strategic waterway. "Actually freedom of navigation exercises is not a problem, it has never been a problem in the South China Sea," Colonel Wang said. "All countries have their rights that their aircrafts and their ships have the full rights and freedom of navigating in the South China Sea." The rare public comments from Beijing's defence attache come just months after the ABC revealed Australian warships had been challenged by the Chinese military while transiting through the contested region towards Vietnam. US and British warships have recently challenged Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea by sailing within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands, but to date the Australian Defence Force has resisted pressure to conduct similar patrols. Colonel Wang has played down suggestions that relations with China would be damaged if Australia also conducted a "freedom of navigation" operation through the area. "Australia is an independent country. It is for the Australian Government and its people to make its own decision whether to conduct this kind of freedom of navigation exercise in the South China Sea or not," he said. Military activities begin with traditional welcome Colonel Wang's South China Sea assurances were made as he helped launch Exercise Pandaroo, a series of adventure training activities held each year between the Australian Army and the People's Liberation Army. PHOTO: Personnel from the Australian Army and People's Liberation Army line up to receive a traditional smoke cleansing. (Supplied: Department of Defence) Despite recent political tensions between Australia and China over claims of foreign interference, both nations have continued to maintain a much healthier military relationship. "Military-to-military relationship is a very important part of state-to-state ties," Colonel Wang said. Australian Army Major Terri King said Exercise Pandaroo was not aimed at de-escalating the recent strains between Canberra and Beijing. "We're here to solidify the relationship between the young PLA and the young Australians, hoping to forge long-lasting relationships that will take us into the future where we might not need to actually worry about de-escalation too much," she said. Earlier this month a Chinese warship was invited to Australia for the first time to take part in international war games known as Exercise Kakadu. By PTI NEW DELHI: Activists Tuesday lashed out at AAP's Haryana chief Naveen Jaihind for making "insensitive" remarks in connection with the gang rape of a 19-year-old woman in the state, saying it shows the patriarchal mindset of political leaders in the country. Condemning the BJP government in Haryana for giving only Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the Rewari gang rape victim, Jaihind told media persons in Rohtak that "he will give Rs 20 lakh to any BJP leader who gets sexually assaulted by 10 people". ALSO READ: AAP Haryana chief Naveen Jaihind says will give Rs 20 lakh if any BJP leader gets raped Jaihind, the husband of Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, said he stands by what he said. Maliwal did not respond to repeated phone calls by PTI. Women rights activist Shabnam Hashmi said the comments were "very obnoxious and irresponsible". "This shows the patriarchal mindset of these leaders who consider women an object," she said. Annie Raja, National Federation of Indian Women's general secretary, said it is a "criminal opinion". "He is trying to take political mileage out of the situation. These people do not consider women equal beings. After a few days, they apologise and escape by making such statements," she said. "We strongly condemn such statements and political parties should realise it and take action against such leaders," she added. General secretary of All India Democratic Women's Association, Mariam Dhawale, said politics of hate and violence needs to be curbed. "The comment is extremely unfortunate and such hate crime needs to be stopped," Dhawale said. The 19-year-old woman, a Class 12 topper from Rewari, was abducted from a bus stop in Mahendragarh district Wednesday. She was allegedly drugged and gang raped in an agricultural field, police had said. Police have arrested three persons, including one of the prime accused, in connection with the incident. Two key accused are on the run. Harpreeet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: The heads finally rolled in Rewari gang rape as Haryana Police suspended a woman assistant sub-inspector over alleged delay in taking action in the 19-year old gang rape case. Sources said that the ASI Hirani who was posted in the all-women police station in Rewari was suspended for delay in taking action on the complaint and negligence. Her suspension orders were issued on Monday. Earlier Rajesh Duggal who was Superintendent of police of Rewari was transferred on orders of the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Rahul Sharma came in his place. The victim's family had already alleged that the did not take prompt action on their complaint initially and delayed action by citing jurisdictional issues between Rewari and Mahendragarh. Meanwhile, residents of the village where the victim was allegedly gang-raped, claimed that the tubewell where the crime took place was infamous for nefarious activities. They alleged that earlier also a few girls were harassed by these vagabonds at the same place but no one complained. The Haryana Police is conducting raids at various places to nab the two other accused army man Pankaj and Manish. Already the three arrested accused were yesterday remanded to a five-day police custody. Also, the state health department is contemplating to transfer a medical officer posted in the government hospital in Rewari as the victim was allegedly not attended properly initially and provided proper medical treatment, said sources. The Congress on Monday demanded imposition of President's Rule in the state, alleging that the BJP-led government had utterly failed to tackle the law-and-order situation. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: A jawan of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was shot dead outside his home by Maoists in Jamui district of Bihar as the rebels believed he was a police informer. Sikandar Yadav, 30, who was working with SSB's 48th battalion in Jaynagar in Madhubani district, was dragged out of his house and shot dead with AK-47 guns, said DSP Ram Pukar Singh on Tuesday. The cold-blooded murder was perpetrated by a group of about 20 Maoists, some of them women, at Pondeythika village under Barhat police station on Monday night. The Maoists, dressed in police uniforms, knocked on Yadav's door. When he came out, the rebels tied up his hands and feet, dragged him outside the house and shot him dead, said police sources. While leaving the village, the Maoists chanted slogans, including "Death for all police informers," said sources. Yadav had come home on leave on September 15 and had been busy organising birthday celebrations for his five-year-old daughter, said sources. After the incident, police forces were sent to the village. Four southern districts in Bihar - Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui and Lakhisarai - are among the country's 30 districts most affected by left-wing extremism. Two districts, Nawada and Muzaffarpur, shed the "worst-hit" tag in the home ministry's latest assessment in April. Efforts by paramilitary forces and the state police to tackle Maoist violence in Bihar have shown positive results. With a marked reduction in incidents of violence perpetrated by the left-wing insurgents, Bihar is now ranked fifth among Maoist-affected states, below Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra. In the Union home ministry's rankings last year, Bihar was ranked third. During the first six months of this year, Bihar witnessed only 33 incidents of Maoist violence, according to the ministry's half-yearly review. By Online Desk The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the execution of death sentence of a man convicted in rape and murder of a four-year-old in Madhya Pradesh. The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur bench in its judgement had sentenced the convict to death. Supreme Court stays the execution of death sentence of a convict in rape and murder of a four-year-old. Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur bench in its judgement had sentenced the convict to death. ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018 The state, last year in December passed a new anti-rape law that awards death penalty for those convicted for raping minors aged 12 or less. By PTI GONDA: An eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from her house and raped by an unidentified person here, police said Tuesday. The girl was abducted Monday night while she was sleeping in her house and raped at a secluded spot. READ| Uttarakhand shocker: Class 10 student allegedly gang-raped in Dehradun school The perpetrator is yet to be identified, Superintendent of Police (SP) Lallan Yadav said. The girl is undergoing treatment at a Lucknow hospital, where she was referred to by a health facility here. Her condition was stated as serious, he said. The SP said a case was registered and the matter is being investigated. By PTI NEW DELHI: JNU students' union president N Sai Balaji hit out at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her statement alleging there are forces in the varsity which are "waging a war" against India and said she herself has not answered questions on Rafale deal. Sitharaman's comments came days after candidates backed by Left groups won all four key posts in the JNU Students Union elections and clashes took place between members of the RSS-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA). When asked about developments in the JNU, she had said, "There are forces which are waging a war against India and it is they who are also seen with elected representatives of students union. That makes me feel uneasy." "The kind of things which have happened in the last few years (in JNU) are not really encouraging at all. It is very different to have a party whose ideology you may not agree with. But the way in which they were probably got led by forces which are anti-India," she said. "They are waging a war against India, say pamphlets. Their brouchers say that. Such people leading the JNUSU or JNUSU members openly participating with such forces, you do not need to hesitate to say anti-India, therefore," Sitharaman said. The JNUSU president attacked the government, saying "The government wants the country to talk about the national versus anti-national debate. They want to divert attention from the real issues - the Rafale deal, the Jio university, unemployment." Sitharaman, who herself, is a product of the JNU, has not answered questions "why Ambani was helped in the Rafale deal". "They want to end public-funded education and encourage corporatisation while the common man talks about nationalism and anti-national elements," he added. On February 9, 2016, an event against Afzal Guru's hanging was held on the JNU campus during which "slogans against the country" were allegedly raised, propelling the varsity to the centre of a countrywide debate on nationalism. A JNU panel had in 2016 recommended rustication of Umar Khalid and two other students and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kanhaiya Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event. Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. Their arrest had triggered widespread protests. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress Tuesday said External Affairs Minster Sushma Swaraj should come out with her "version" of what transpired during the meeting with Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to end the controversy over their discussion regarding the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. While Sidhu claimed that Swaraj gave him an assurance that she will write a letter to the Pakistan government on a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, just four kilometres from the Indian border, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal made the counter-claim that he was reprimanded by the external affairs minister for meddling in what should be discussed between the two governments. Responding to a question over the controversy, Congress' communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said, "We would like to hear from Sushma Swaraj rather than source-based story being planted by the BJP, as to what transpired in a conversation between two people that is Sushma Swaraj and Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu. "The Punjab government minister has given his version, why does not the external affairs minister also give "her version" or issue a statement to put an end to the controversy. "Do the naysayers even realise how important a place of pilgrimage the Kartarpur Saheb corridor is for the minority Sikh community. Instead of berating Sidhu, should not the prime minister be ensuring that our Sikh brothers and sisters are permitted to have 'darshan' of a place which is important for Sikhs?" Surjewala said. He said the Congress expects the government to be not so "prejudicial" to the minority Sikh community. Sidhu may have intent, but he does not have the authority to open or not open a corridor, and the responsibility for that finally lies at the doorstep of the prime minister and the Ministry of External Affairs, Surjewala said. "They should publically say they will not permit any Sikh to go and have 'darshan' or go to 'Guru Ghar' as we call it. No problem -- I am sure Sidhu Saheb will stop at that," he said. "Why should BJP continue to nurture animosity for a person whom the defence minister also says is extremely popular cutting across lines of different political shades?" Surjewala said. His remarks came after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Sidhu's gesture of hugging Pakistan's army chief impacted soldiers back home and asserted that the Punjab minister could have "avoided it". "Sidhu has a lot of admirers somebody of that stature going there and then hugging the chief of the army, an army about which in India we have very clear feelings, it certainly has an impact on soldiers, it demoralises the people. I wish Sidhu would have avoided it (hug)," she said during an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corp (IWPC). Sumi Sukanya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), has batted for simultaneous polls, proposed by the Narendra Modi government, saying that lesser number of poll days will help in bettering the implementation of Right to Education Act for schoolchildren, as elections mean loss of almost 10 days in a poll year. The NCPCRs recommendations based on a research, which have been sent to Om Prakash Rawat, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), have argued that teachers should not be deployed as booth-level officers, as this is extra work and severely hampers their work in schools. Children get two kinds of resources from states, school buildings and teachers, and both these resources get disturbed during elections, said Priyank Kanoongo, NCPCR member (education). We therefore feel that one nation-one election will be beneficial for schools as it will cause least interference in educational activities. NCPCR cited that Section 27 of RTE Act, 2009 says that schoolteachers cannot be involved with anything other than state and Lok Sabha elections, census and disaster relief works, but its reviews have shown teachers being intermittently involved in election-related work, is coming in way of successful implementation of the Act. The NCPCR had asked the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration to prepare a report on the impact of elections on school education in 2017, which showed that in 2015-16, 15.14 per cent teachers in Indias 14.67 lakh schools doubled up as booth-level officials. The idea of simultaneous polls will be immensely beneficial for schoolgoing children in the country, Kanoongo said. Anil S By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the deluge, the salary challenge is giving the LDF Government tough times. With the High Court too coming out against forcing anyone to contribute, employees organisations are chalking out their next move. While several employees have their reservations, some former top bureaucrats have a different take on the issue. Employees bodies are considering whether to implead in the ongoing case before the HC. Members of the 2,000-strong pro-Congress Secretariat Association plan to give their dissent note. We welcome the HC verdict. We feel the government will consider the HCs views and act accordingly. We have already expressed our reservation, said Secretariat Association president J Bency. While many employees are not against contribution, the forced manner in which salary is collected irks many of them. I have given donations through my residents association, kids school, colleagues and friends in addition to an individual contribution. Now, how can the government insist on deducting my one months salary? The insistence that no contribution less than a months salary will be accepted is also wrong, said another Secretariat employee. On Saturday, the Chief Secretary issued an order stating the employees should not be forced to contribute to flood relief. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday should revoke the order. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA:Taking exception to BJP chief Amit Shahs remarks that he is enacting a drama with regard to the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him by court in Maharashtra, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said he was not out to get sympathy out of it. The NBWs were issued against Naidu and others in connection with a protest, led by the TDP chief, opposing construction of Babli project. Making it clear that he never received any notice with regard to the protest organised eight years ago, Naidu, however, alleged that the issuance of NBW against him was a political conspiracy. The saffron party is in power both at the Centre and in Maharashtra, so how can one rule out their hand behind the development, he averred. The Chief Minister participated in a discussion on Non-implementation of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act by the Centre in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. Naidu said, After learning about the construction of Babli project upstream Sri Rama Sagar Project in 2010, I in the capacity of the Opposition Leader of the erstwhile undivided AP, along with other party leaders, went to the project site to protest against it as the irrigation project would turn North Telangana into a desert. Then the Maharashtra police arrested us within AP border itself. After keeping us in custody for two days, they sent us to Hyderabad by special flight. So far I have not received any notices in connection with the protest. Stating that he will decide on the NBW issue in a day or two, Naidu took a dig at the TRS. Until the TDP was with the BJP-led NDA, Naidu said the TRS supported the Special Category Status (SCS) demand for AP. But once the TDP snapped its ties with the NDA, the TRS changed its stand suddenly. I appealed to the TRS leadership many times emphasising the need for unity between the two States for the benefit of Telugu people, he said.Taking potshots at the Centre and PM Modi, Naidu said We will continue our fight until achieving SCS, steel plant, railway zone and fulfilment of all other provisions of split Act. Modi Bday: Naidu silent, Lokesh does the honour Though Naidu ignored to convey birthday wishes to PM Narendra Modi, his son and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, who is away in China, conveyed his birthday wishes to Modi. XIAN, CHINA, Sept. 18 (ChinaMil) The Asia Pacific Military Health Exchange (APMHE) 2018, which is co-hosted by the Chinese and US militaries, opened in Xian, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province on September 17, 2018. This is the first time that the Chinese and US militaries jointly hold such conference in China. More than 500 representatives from 28 countries as well as 3 international organizations including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will participate in the conference and exchange views on the conference themeChallenges and Solutions: Strengthening Global Health. During the five-day conference from Sept. 17 to 21, about 200 academic meetings will be held on topics under six tracks, namely support operations for major missions, rising challenges posed to military medicine, total force health, performance optimization in medical services, preventive medicine, and service component exchanges, according to the official website of the 2018 APMHE ( http://www.2018apmhe.cn/english/ ) Meanwhile, the conference will offer a number of bilateral meetings, health ministerial forums, and round table talks on topics of support operations in UN peacekeeping operations and traditional medicine. The 2018 APMHE will also display the new medical equipment of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). At the opening ceremony, Major General Li Qingjie, vice director of the Logistic Support Department under China's Central Military Commission (CMC), delivered a keynote speech, stressing that military medical service forces of all countries should work together to safeguard the UN peacekeeping operations, strengthen cooperation and exchanges, and jointly promote the Asia-Pacific and global health governance. A US official thanked China for meticulously organizing the 2018 APMHE in his speech at the opening ceremony and expressed confidence that the conference would be a complete success. The US side is willing to cooperate more closely with militaries of other countries in the Indo-Pacific region to maintain health, security, and stability, the official added. General Song Puxuan, director of the Logistic Support Department under China's CMC, met with the heads of foreign delegations before the opening ceremony. He said that China is willing to strengthen exchanges with militaries of other Asia-Pacific countries in the field of logistics, conduct extensive practical cooperation, learn from each other, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, so as to promote the construction and development of each countrys military medical service. By Express News Service BENGALURU/ BELAGAVI: The worsening crisis in Congress has now necessitated direct intervention from party president Rahul Gandhi. Even as the state leadership is making attempts to find an amicable solution, the high command has decided to step in to save the coalition government. Rahul has called Satish Jarkiholi, MLA, to Delhi in an attempt to prevent the possible defection of some Congress MLAs to BJP, sources said. On Monday, Congress leaders in Bengaluru and Delhi decided to go full throttle to stop the disgruntled legislators from leaving the party. Also Read | Crisis helps Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah reassert his importance They were apparently concerned over the Jarkiholi brothers rocking the coalition and wary of BJPs alleged attempts to poach its MLAs. While former CM Siddaramaiah spoke to Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal asked Satish to rush to Delhi. Speaking to TNIE, Satish said, I will leave for Delhi, possibly on Wednesday. My visit is mainly to discuss the prevailing crisis with the partys top leadership. Read | Siddaramaiah is protector of the government: Karnataka Chief Minister Kumaraswamy He said his meeting has been fixed in an attempt to find a lasting solution to the serious problems in the party. He said he was aware where the political crisis in the state was heading to, and that the high command would be briefed about it. Stating that attempts were being made by BJP to resort to another Operation Lotus to hunt down the Congress MLAs, Satish said he would also discuss this issue. In Bengaluru, I will not meet any leaders except for KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao. Later, I will leave for Delhi, he said. Meanwhile, Ramesh met Siddaramaiah and is said to have demanded that one more MLA from their community be made minister and ensure that D K Shivakumar did not interfere in Belagavi politics. Read | Congress leader A Manju wades into row, accuses HD Deve Gowda's family of graft, demands probe However, after the meeting, Ramesh said there is no need for him to quit. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy too claimed that Jarkiholi brothers or other MLAs from Congress were not leaving the party. Ramesh reportedly held two rounds of talks with Siddaramaiah. Many leaders, including MLAs Dr Sudhakar and Bhima Naik met Siddaramaiah and the latter is said to have asked them not to precipitate the crisis and assured them of taking up their concerns with the party high command. MONDAY MELANGE: Siddaramaiah holds talks with Ramesh Jarkiholi and other leaders, asks them not to precipitate crisis. Satish Jarkiholi is summoned to New Delhi for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. BJP to wait & watch; BSY says since coalition has not been able to give stable govt, it wont matter if govt will survive or not. By Express News Service KOCHI: Franco Mulakkal, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar an accused of raping a nun on Tuesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that the victim does not have a case in her first statement that there was forceful sexual intercourse. Later, the victim in her statement under 164 of CrPC claimed that there was also forced sex, stated in the anticipatory bail plea by Franco Mulakkal. The High Court will consider the bail plea on Tuesday at 1.45pm. According to Mulakkal, the conspicuous silence of more than by the 44-year-old victim clearly reveals the allegations were false. The victim was not an ordinary nun as she held the highest post in the congregations as the superior general for nine years. The allegations made by the victim was wholly concocted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance for the actions taken by him against her. The allegation was that on May 5, 2014, and on May 6, 2016, the victim was raped by the Bishop 15 times in the room attached to St Francis Mission Home, Kuruvilangad. The bail plea stated that the victim was the superior general of the Missionaries of Jesus from the year 2004 to 2013. She was assigned as the mother superior and was posted at St Francis Mission Home, Kuruvilnagadu and was also Kerala in charge till 2017. The Bishop said that in November 2016, a lady approached the Superior General at Jalandhar and orally complained that the victim was having an illicit affair with a husband with her husband and the lady wanted the congregation to take action against the victim. Later the lady sent a detailed email with attachments to the superior general narrating the entire incident. The lady also handed over the copies of chat messages and also a photograph of the victim sister, which was all retrieved from the lady's husband's phone. Based on the complaint an inquiry conducted and the victim was removed from her post of the Kerala in-charge. Expressing bitterness, the victim preferred an application for a dispensation from religious vows and later it was cancelled. According to the Bishop, the victim sister was still disgruntled and started creating lots of issues at the mission home at Kuruvilangad. Unable to manage the issues created by the victim and other sisters, Sr Tincy, who replaced the victim sister's position as the mother superior, filed a complaint to the superior general. An inquiry conducted and the victim was transferred to St Clare's home, Pariyharam. However, the victim was not reported there till date. Franco Mulakkal pointed out that the victim was under the firm belief that he was the one who was behind the actions taken against her. She was inimical and deleterious towards the applicant and wants to bring down the applicant at any cost. The victim and her family member warned the Bishop of dire consequences if he continues to take adverse actions against her. There were threats that he will be manhandled if he arrived in Kerala. A crime has been registered by the Kuruvilangad police for the alleged threat against the Bishop. It was only thereafter that the victim filed a false complaint against the Bishop, the petition stated. By Express News Service PUDUCHERRY: In yet another case of sexual assault of a minor girl, police arrested a 23-year-old man on Monday night on charges of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. According to police, the accused Kanagaraj (23) of Thirukkanur lured the girl playing some distance away from his house on the promise of getting chocolates and sexually assaulted her after taking her to a secluded place. The girl suffered injuries in her private parts and was admitted to the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute (IGGGHPGI). The hospital authorities diagnosed rape and informed Kattterikuppam police about the incident. P olice along with Child Welfare Committee (CWC) officials visited the hospital and made inquiries with the girl and confirmed the rape. Following this, the mother of the girl gave a complaint to the police and Katterikuppam police arrested Kanagaraj under POCSO. He was produced before a judicial magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. By Express News Service HYDERABAD:The alliance formed by the Congress, Telangana TDP and CPI might still be in the fledgling stage but its leaders are toying with the idea of framing a common agenda and manifesto to test their luck in the upcoming elections. Congress, the grand old party, wants to lead the alliance and contest a majority of seats. We are working on a common agenda, said TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy after celebrating the Hyderabad Liberation Day at Gandhi Bhavan here on Monday. We are, at the moment, in talks with other parties and the leader will be decided only after arriving at a consensus, he said. The crucial issue of seat sharing among the 119 constituencies will have to wait as the Congress is yet to reveal its mind on the number of seats it wants to contest. We have had only one round of discussion on teaming up with other parties. But, discussions on seat sharing are yet to commence as the matter has not come that far, Reddy said. Only after deciding on the seat-sharing aspect with other parties will the list of candidates be out, he added. The Congress promised to make the TSRTC a government department. We will endeavour to include it in the manifesto. Besides, new buses will be hired, Reddy said. The party also promised to waive farm loans up to `2 lakh at one go and to give a dole of `3,000 to the unemployed youth. We will provide a seed capital of `1 lakh to six lakh women self-help groups. The minimum age for eligibility to get old-age pension will be reduced to 58 from 65, Uttam said.TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka called for formation of a peoples government by bringing the Congress to power. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The sensational honour killing at Miryalaguda organized by realtor Thirunagari Maruthi Rao has its links in Bihar also. The man who hacked Pranay twice on his neck and back is identified as Subhash Sharma, a notorious offender in Bihar. He was nabbed at Samastipur district in Bihar, while six others including Maruthi Rao, his brother Sravan Kumar, Mohd Abdul Bari, who was acquitted in the murder case of Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya were arrested and produced before the court at Miryalaguda. Though the accused were detained earlier, their arrest was officially announced on Tuesday. According to police, Maruthi Rao had approached Bari and other accused to execute the murder and the deal was finalised for Rs One crore. Maruthi Rao paid a part of the amount as advance and the balance was agreed to be paid after the murder. After the murder, Subhash Sharma fled to Bihar via Hyderabad and was in hiding. Based on the confession of Maruthi Rao and his brother, police identified his role in the murder. Based on the statements given by the other accused in the case, he was nabbed. He was produced before a court in Bihar and is being shifted to Miryalaguda on a transit warrant. Police are likely to file a custody petition against Subhash, to verify his criminal antecedents and role in the murder. P Pranay (25) was hacked to death by the family members of his wife last Friday, whom he had married about eight months ago. Pranay was accompanying his pregnant wife Amruthavarshini to hospital at Miryalaguda when the incident took place on Friday. By PTI BEIJING: China on Tuesday welcomed Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's maiden visit to Afghanistan and expressed its backing for their action plan for peace and reconciliation talks with the Taliban. Qureshi visited Kabul on Saturday during which he held a one-on-one meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and both the leaders agreed to join hands for peace and stability in the region. ALSO READ | Pakistan denies opening Afghan trade route for India Reacting to Qureshi's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that China commended the positive statements made by the two sides after the visit. "China is a friend and neighbour to Afghanistan and Pakistan. We hope they can develop their relations in sound and steady way," Geng said. We commend their positive statements. China support the two countries in implementing their action plan and move forward the Afghan reconciliation process," he said, without elaborating. "China will continue to play a constructive role in that and in moving forward trilateral cooperation China is in close touch with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the second trilateral meeting," he said. Since last year, China has been holding the trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the three countries in a bid to promote reconciliation with the Taliban. The Pakistani delegation also met Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani. Qureshi's visit came amidst the US' pressure on Pakistan to play more active role in arranging peace talks with Taliban rebels. By AFP TEHRAN: At least 19 people were killed when a bus and a fuel tanker collided in central Iran, state television reported on Tuesday. The collision, which occurred around 11:15 pm (1845 GMT) on Monday, triggered a fireball that engulfed both the truck and the bus on the motorway between Kashan and Natanz, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of the capital Tehran. "Based on preliminary investigations, the tanker swerved to the side, hitting the bus and causing an explosion and fire which killed 19 of the passengers at the scene," traffic police commander General Mohammad-Hossein Hamidi said. State television aired footage of firefighters battling the blaze as emergency crews rushed to take the wounded to nearby hospitals. Iran has one of the highest road death rates in the world, with health ministry officials reporting around 16,300 killed in the Iranian year that ended in March and a further 336,000 injured. Among the main causes are reckless driving the poor quality of the road network, particularly in rural areas, and the large number of domestically manufactured vehicles equipped with outdated technology due to US-led sanctions. By IANS BRUSSELS: The EU on Tuesday announced an emergency aid package worth two million euros to help victims of typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines. The funds will be given to humanitarian organizations already working in affected areas and "will address the most urgent needs of the communities stricken by the typhoon", Efe news reported. ALSO READ | Typhoon Mangkhut toll reaches 74 in Philippines "The EU is supporting those in need in the Philippines, many of whom are suffering the devastating effects of the cyclone," said European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides. "Our contribution will provide shelter, emergency relief items distribution, water and sanitation, food security for the most vulnerable among those who have lost their homes," he added. The European Commission's emergency satellite mapping service Copernicus was being used to map the most affected areas and a humanitarian expert had been deployed to assess the needs on the ground, according to the statement. ALSO READ | Hope fades in Philippines for dozens trapped in landslides On Tuesday, the death toll due to Mangkhut climbed to 74 in the Philippines as rescue teams continued to search for dozens of people buried in an abandoned mine, which collapsed owing to landslides. Mangkhut, the strongest typhoon of the season, had lashed parts of Luzon island on the northernmost tip of the Philippines on Saturday. By PTI DHAKA: India has handed over its third consignment of relief supplies to Bangladesh, including over 1 million litres of kerosene oil and 20,000 stoves, for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees in the country, who fled an army crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar. Bangladesh, which faced a big influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar, has called on the international community to intervene and put pressure on Myanmar to address the issue. ALSO READ | Aung San Suu Kyi says Myanmar's handling of Rohingya could have been better Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year when the military intensified the crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims. India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday handed over 1.1 million litres of super kerosene oil and 20,000 kerosene multi-wick stoves to Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Mofazzel Hussain Chowdhury at Cox's Bazar. The kerosene oil and stoves will address the energy needs of the displaced persons and contribute to environmental conservation in Bangladesh by reducing demand for locally sourced firewood. This is as per the requirement of assistance expressed by Bangladesh, the High Commission of India said in a statement. The relief supplies were then distributed to displaced persons at Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar. Vikram Doraiswami, Joint Secretary (Bangladesh, Myanmar) of the Ministry of External Affairs was also present on the occasion. This is the third phase of humanitarian assistance by India to Bangladesh to assist in its efforts to meet the requirements of displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. In September last year, India under the 'Operation Insaniyat', extended the first phase of humanitarian assistance comprising 981 metric tonnes of relief supplies. The relief material included rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among others to meet the immediate requirements of the approximately 3,00,000 displaced persons at that time. In May, 373 metric tonnes of relief material containing 104 metric tonnes of milk powder; 102 metric tonnes dried fish; 61 metric tonnes baby food; 50,000 raincoats; and 50,000 pairs of gum boots for the rainy season were handed over in Chattogram. ALSO READ | Myanmar struggles to digest global anger over Rohingya crisis India has always responded readily and swiftly to any crisis in Bangladesh in keeping with the close ties of friendship between the two countries, the statement said. India remains committed to continue assisting the government and people of Bangladesh in meeting the humanitarian needs of displaced persons from Myanmar, it added. By PTI NEW DELHI: State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) will prepare a detailed project report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka. This would be the first project for the AAI in the island nation and "we are trying to get engaged with our neighbours", an AAI official said. In a release issued on Monday, the AAI said it has signed an agreement with External Affairs Ministry for "preparation of a Detailed Project Report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka". Palaly airport is in northern Sri Lanka. The official said all the technical and design aspects would be covered in the DPR, which is expected to be completed in three months time. "The AAI has developed more than 60 airports in metro and non-metro cities in India and now the AAI wants to leverage its expertise to other countries on a bigger scale," the release said. The AAI manages more than 120 airports in different parts of the country. DAMASCUS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Syria's air defenses were triggered Monday evening by an Israeli missile attack on the coastal city of Latakia, which lasted for an hour and a half, state TV reported. The state media reports said the air defenses intercepted many missiles before reaching their targets, airing footages showing the air defense missiles beaming in the sky over Latakia and the nearby city of Tartus. The footages also showed areas that had been struck by the missile attack, which the TV said was carried out from the sea. It said the Technical Industries Corporation on the eastern outskirts of the city was hit. Pro-government activists said the 28 missiles were fired from the sea on military positions in Latakia. The attack caused a major power cut in Latakia but was later fixed and the electricity returned to the coastal city. Meanwhile, medical sources in Latakia said that eight people were wounded in the attack. Pro-government activists said the Russian-run Khmeimim air base in Latakia countryside took part in intercepting the missile attack on Latakia. Eyewitnesses said that heavy smoke was seen on the entrance of Latakia as the sounds of air defenses had reverberated across the city. The Syrian army, meanwhile, said in a statement that the Israeli attack was carried out from inside the Lebanese airspace, which led to the killing of two soldiers in the Technical Industry facility. The statement said the Israeli attack comes to lift the morale of the terrorists in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, after the "decisive" victories achieved by the Syrian army on several fronts. The army also warned of the "dangerous repercussions" of the attack, stressing the Syrian army's resolve to "squash terrorism and root it out of Syria." The attack is not the first one to target Syria as Israel has repeatedly targeted Syrian military positions during the crisis and over the past few months in particular. On Sept. 15, the Syrian air defenses intercepted a number of Israeli missiles that targeted the Damascus international airport, which was the latest in a string of Israeli attacks on Syrian positions. On Sept. 4, Israeli warplanes infiltrated into the Syrian airspace, targeting Syrian military sites in the central province of Hama and the northwestern province of Tartus, according to the Syrian army. In July, the Israelis targeted the scientific research center in Masyaf town in the central province of Hama, which wasn't the first time Israel targeted the facility. Israeli reports claim that Israel targets Iranian positions or weapons in Syria that could end up in the hands of the Hezbollah group in Lebanon. The Syrian government repeatedly accuses the U.S. and Israel of supporting the terrorist groups in Syria to prolong the war. By UNI SEOUL: Tens of thousands of North Koreans chanted "Unification!" and waved flowers as their leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in paraded through Pyongyang on Tuesday, ahead of a summit aimed at rekindling stalled nuclear diplomacy. Kim greeted Moon with hugs and smiles as the South Korean leader arrived in the North's capital to revive momentum in the faltering talks between Washington and Pyongyang over denuclearisation and the prospect of officially ending the Korean War. A massive welcome ceremony at Pyongyang International Airport featured a large, goose-stepping honor guard and a military band. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stand to inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Photo | AP) Afterwards, the two leaders travelled in a black Mercedes limousine with open-top rear seats to the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon will stay during his three-day visit. Kim and Moon briefly stepped out of the vehicle to greet and take flowers from people in the crowds who waved flags and shouted "Motherland! Unification!". Clean streets and high rise buildings were seen as the motorcade passed Ryomyong Street, a new residential district launched last year under Kim's initiative to modernise the city. Kim and Moon will hold formal talks from 3:30 pm to 5 pm (0630 to 0800 GMT), Moon's office said. The inter-Korean summit, the third between Moon and Kim, will be a litmus test for another meeting Kim has recently proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump. ALSO READ | North Korea's Kim sets denuclearisation time line, prompting thanks from Trump Trump has asked Moon to be "chief negotiator" between himself and Kim, according to Moon's aides, after Trump cancelled a trip to Pyongyang by his secretary of state last month. Washington wants to see concrete action toward denuclearisation by North Korea before agreeing to a key goal of Pyongyang - declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. "If North Korea-U.S. dialogue is restarted after this visit, it would have much significance in itself," Moon said before his departure. Underscoring the challenges ahead, North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun said on Tuesday "the responsibility falls squarely on the United States" for the stalled nuclear discussions. "It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities, without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war," the newspaper said in an editorial. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, is greeted by North Koreans as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Photo | AP) Moon, himself the offspring of a family displaced by the war, has met Kim twice this year at the border village of Panmunjom. Traveling with him are South Korean business tycoons, including Samsung scion Jay Y. Lee and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group. They will meet with North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam, who is in charge of economic affairs. On Wednesday, Moon and Kim plan to hold a second round of officials talks after which they are expected to unveil a joint statement, and a separate military pact designed to defuse tensions and prevent armed clashes. Moon will return home early Thursday. SANCTIONS PRESSURE This week's summit comes as the United States presses other countries to strictly observe U.N.sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. North Korea says it has destroyed its main nuclear and missile engine test site, and has halted atomic and ballistic missile tests but U.S. officials and analysts believe it is continuing to work on its weapons plans covertly. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia on Monday of "cheating" on U.N.sanctions on North Korea. ALSO READ | US imposes sanctions on North Korean IT firm Moon is hoping to engineer a proposal that combines a framework for the North's denuclearisation and a joint declaration ending the Korean War, Seoul officials said. The conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces including South Korea technically still at war with the North. But U.S. officials remain "unenthusiastic" about declaring an end to the war without any substantial action toward denuclearisation from the North, Seoul officials said. South Korea is pinning high hopes on Kim's remarks to Moon's special envoys earlier this month that he wants to achieve denuclearisation within Trump's first term in office ending in early 2021. Agreeing on a timetable is a core task for Moon, as it would induce U.S.N action, said Lee Jung-chul, a professor at Soongsil University in Seoul. "Given U.S. scepticism that South Korea may have oversold Kim's willingness to denuclearise, how President Moon delivers his sincerity toward denuclearisation to Trump would be a key factor for the fate of their second summit," Lee told a forum on Monday in Seoul. By Associated Press PYONGYANG: South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for his third and possibly most challenging summit yet with leader Kim Jong Un in which he hopes to break an impasse in talks with the United States over the North's denuclearization and breathe energy into his own efforts to expand and improve relations between the Koreas. Om what are by now familiar images of the two Korean leaders hugging and exchanging warm smiles, Kim greeted Moon at Pyongyang's airport. They walked together past cheering crowds and a military honor guard then took a drive into the city, where security was higher than usual. Traveling with Moon are business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong, underscoring Moon's hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. In this image made from video provided by Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, poses with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a photo on the podium upon arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Moon landed in Pyongyang for his third summit this year with Kim. (Photo | AP) Moon was expected to have talks with Kim on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Moon's chief of staff. Moon and Kim were also expected to hold a joint news conference on Wednesday if their two sets of summit meetings go smoothly. Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday. North Korea's state-run media reported early Tuesday that Moon was to begin a visit, but said little else. It said the two will reaffirm their previous commitments to "peace, prosperity and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula." Security was tight. Requests by The Associated Press to go to the airport or to drive around the city were denied. ALSO READ | North Korea's Kim sets denuclearisation time line, prompting thanks from Trump This is Moon's first trip to the North Korean capital, though he has met Kim twice at the border village of Panmunjom. He is under intense pressure from Washington to advance the denuclearization process. Before his departure he said he intends to push for "irreversible, permanent peace" and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. "This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks," Moon said Tuesday morning just before his departure. "It's very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want." But his chief of staff tried to lower expectations of major progress on the future of Kim's nuclear arsenal. Kim, meanwhile, is seemingly riding a wave of success. The North just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark North Korea's 70th anniversary. China, signaling its support for Kim's recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. That's important because China is the North's biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. While signaling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kim's strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. ALSO READ | South and North Korea open first liaison office for better communication Talks between the United States and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kim's meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. South Korean President Moon greeted by cheering crowds on visit to North Korea for denuclearisation talks https://t.co/XcGYBtUd5B AFP Interactive Graphic: https://t.co/n1OgTpPXuq pic.twitter.com/6Irgviwny3 AFP news agency (@AFP) September 18, 2018 To keep expectations from getting too high, Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements that "fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war" between the two Koreas. South Koreans wave their national flags during a rally to wish for the successful inter-Korean summit near the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that he will push for "irreversible, permanent peace," and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, during "heart-to-heart" talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week. The signs read: " Denuclearization." (Photo | AP) South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the North's city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of progress could be on a formal agreement ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas' shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Korea's capital for summits. Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun went to Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 respectively to meet Kim's father, Kim Jong Il. Those trips produced a slew of inter-Korean rapprochement projects, which were suspended after conservatives took power in Seoul. By AFP YANGON: Myanmar's powerful army should be removed from politics, UN investigators said Tuesday in the final version of a damning report reiterating calls for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. Demands have mounted for those who waged the campaign to face justice. The UN's 444-page probe is the most meticulous breakdown of the violence to date. It says the military's top leadership should be overhauled and have no further influence over the country's governance. IN PICTURES | Associated Press investigation: Myanmar security force rapes Rohingya women; finds the report Myanmar's military dominates the Buddhist-majority nation, holding a quarter of seats in parliament and controlling three ministries, making their grip on power firm despite political reforms which began in 2011. But the report said the country's civilian leadership "should further pursue the removal of the Tatmadaw from Myanmar's political life", referring to the nation's armed forces. The UN's analysis, based on 18 months' work and more than 850 in-depth interviews, urges the international community to investigate the military top brass for genocide, including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. WATCH | Rohingya refugees worry about food shortages as more arrive in Bangladesh Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017. But the UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats". The report says an estimated 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown and that was likely a conservative figure. Investigators said the Tatmadaw should be restructured and the process should begin by replacing the current leadership. Myanmar only recently emerged from almost a half-century of military junta rule and Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals. Their presence in parliament gives them an effective veto on constitutional changes, making any transition to full civilian control extremely difficult. Army 'atrocities' Three key ministries - home affairs, border and defence - are also in their hands, giving them carte blanche to conduct security operations with little oversight. "It is impossible to remove the army out of political life without changing the constitution, and the military have a veto over constitutional changes," Mark Farmaner, from Burma Campaign UK, told AFP. The UN team said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities -- including systematic murder, rape, torture and arson - were committed with the intention of destroying the stateless Rohingya, warranting the charges of genocide. The mission, created by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2017, did not focus its sights entirely on the army. ALSO READ | Successfully prevented Rohingya influx into country : BSF DG KK Sharma It directed specific criticism at Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military. While acknowledging that the civilian authorities have little influence over military actions, the report said that their "acts and omissions" had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes". Pointing to "deeply entrenched" impunity in Myanmar, the investigators said the only chance to obtain accountability was through the international justice system. They also pointed to failings of the UN's office within Myanmar, alleging that "quiet diplomacy" was prioritised and that those who tried to push the UN's Human Rights Up Front approach were "ignored, criticised, sidelined or blocked in these efforts". The independent UN team will present its findings to member states of the Human Rights Council in Geneva later on Tuesday, after which Myanmar will have a chance to respond to the allegations. It also repeated suggestions that crimes against the Rohingya be referred to the International Criminal Court, which concluded in August that it had jurisdiction to investigate even though Myanmar is not a member of the treaty underpinning the tribunal. Myanmar has dismissed the tribunals authority and analysts have pointed to the court's lack of enforcement powers. The investigators also recommended an arms embargo and "targeted individual sanctions against those who appear to be most responsible". By AFP MOSCOW: A Russian military jet carrying 14 servicemen vanished from radar over the Mediterranean Sea late Monday as Syria came under attack by Israeli missiles, the defence ministry said. "Connection has been lost with the crew of a Russian Il-20 plane over the Mediterranean Sea 35 kilometres from the Syrian coast as it was returning to the Hmeimim airbase," the Russian defence ministry said early Tuesday. The fate of the military personnel is "unknown," the ministry said in a statement which was carried by Russian news agencies. A search for the plane was underway. A search-and-rescue source told the Interfax news agency that the Russian warplane could have sunk in the Mediterranean Sea as a result of an "unforeseen critical incident" in the air. The ministry said that the jet had gone off the radar around 11pm Monday (2000 GMT) during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets over Syrian infrastructure in the province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. RIA Novosti news agency, citing a security source, said that Syrian anti-defence systems had countered a rocket attack. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. An Israeli military spokeswoman, when asked about both the reported Israeli strike and the Russian plane, said: "We don't comment on foreign reports." US not involved A Pentagon spokesman said the United States was not involved and declined to provide further details. "The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time," he said. The Russian defence ministry also said that rockets had been launched from the French Navy's frigate, The Auvergne, which was in the area at the time. "The French army denies any involvement in this attack," a French army spokesman said. The jet vanished from radar just hours after Russia said there would be no assault against Syria's Idlib as the presidents of Russia and Turkey agreed to create a "demilitarised zone" in the rebel-held province. After more than four hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said their two countries would "prevent a humanitarian tragedy." Putin said the two leaders agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops by October 15. This would entail a "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib including the Al-Nusra Front and also the withdrawal of heavy weaponry including tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, Putin said. Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict to buttress the Assad regime in 2015. Russia has previously lost aircraft during its Syria campaign. In November 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border, triggering a severe crisis in ties with Moscow. By AFP MADRID: Spain's prime minister on Sunday defended his government's controversial decision to go ahead with the delivery of 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, saying it was needed to preserve good ties with the Gulf state. His Socialist government announced earlier this month that it would block the delivery of the weapons amid concerns that they could harm civilians in Yemen where Saudi Arabi is engaged in a bloody conflict. But on Thursday Foreign Minister Josep Borrell announced the government had decided to deliver the weapons after all, angering humanitarian groups. Cancellation of the deal would jeopardise a much larger order for five Corvette warships worth 1.8 billion euros, to be built by Spain's Navantia shipyard in the southern region of Andalusia, with thousands of jobs at stake. Workers in the region, a stronghold of the ruling Socialist Party, had staged demonstrations pressing for the deal to go ahead. Asked about the policy reversal during an interview with private television La Sexta, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government risked "creating the image that it was revising its entire relationship" with Saudi Arabia if it did not deliver the weapons. "The situation was very complicated. The dilemma the government faced was breaking its commercial, economic and political ties with Saudi Arabia, with the impact this could have in some areas of the country, such as the Bay of Cadiz, or carry out a contract signed by the previous government," he added. Saudi Arabia, a longtime ally, had already paid 9.2 million euros (USD 10.7 million) for the bombs under a 2015 contract signed by a previous, conservative administration in Spain. Apart from the warship deal, Madrid has obtained juicy engineering contracts to build a high-speed railway linking Mecca and Medina, and a metro in Riyadh. Spain is the fourth largest provider of military equipment and weapons to the Gulf state, according to Amnesty International. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other allies intervened in 2015 after Huthi rebels ousted the government from the capital Sanaa and seized swathes of the country. By Associated Press WASHINGTON: The U.S. will slash the number of refugees it will accept for a second straight year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, insisting amid criticism from human rights groups that the country is still committed to providing sanctuary to people fleeing the world's danger zones. Up to 30,000 refugees will be allowed into the country next year, down from a cap of 45,000 this year. It will be the lowest ceiling on admissions since the program began in 1980. The announcement comes despite calls from global humanitarian groups that this year's cap of 45,000 was too low. Pompeo sought to head off potential criticism of the reduction by noting that the U.S. would process more than 280,000 asylum claims in addition to more than 800,000 already inside the country who are awaiting a resolution of their claims. "These expansive figures continue the United States' long-standing record as the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance," he said. ALSO READ | US ends funding of UN agency for Palestinian refugees The 30,000 cap is the maximum number of refugees the U.S. will admit during the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The actual number allowed in could be lower. So far this year, the U.S. has only admitted 20,918 refugees for the fiscal year set to end in two weeks, according to State Department records. President Barack Obama raised the ceiling to 110,000 in 2017, but the pace slowed dramatically after President Donald Trump took office and issued an executive order addressing refugees. In 2016, the last full year of the Obama administration, the U.S. welcomed nearly 85,000 refugees. Pompeo said the lower ceiling reflected commitment to aiding families forced to flee their homes by war, persecution or natural disasters while "prioritizing the safety and well-being of the American people." He cited the case of an Iraqi refugee who was arrested in California for killing a policeman in his homeland while fighting for the Islamic State organization. "This year's proposed refugee ceiling must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States," he said, citing U.S. contributions to foreign aid and other forms of humanitarian assistance. Amnesty International accused the Trump administration of "abandoning" refugees with the lower cap. "This is the lowest goal in the history of the program, and compounded by this administration's history of creating road block after road block for refugees to arrive, this must be perceived as an all-out attack against our country's ability to resettle refugees both now and in the future," said Ryan Mace of Amnesty International. Worldwide, there were some 25.4 million refugees last year, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, with many more people internally displaced within their home countries. Most aid groups and governments advocate resettlement as a last resort, preferring to allow refugees to return to their homes if conditions improve, rather than permanently moving to another country. During the ceiling announcement Monday Pompeo advocated U.S. efforts "to end conflicts that drive displacement in the first place and to target the application of foreign aid in a smarter way." Trump has made limiting immigration a centerpiece of his policy agenda. The Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy that forcibly separated families at the U.S. southern border sparked outrage among Republicans and Democrats alike. Last year Trump temporarily banned visitors from a handful of Muslim-majority nations, and insists he'll build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. ALSO READ | US hopes for 'reset' in ties with Pakistan, says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Trump has linked increased immigration to increased crime in the United States. Yet, according to resettlement agencies in the United States, the U.S. vetting process is one of the world's toughest. Of the 3 million refugees admitted to the U.S. since 1975, not one has been arrested for carrying out a lethal terror attack on U.S. soil, according to resettlement agencies. Most applicants to the U.S. refugee program spend at least three years being interviewed, undergoing biometric checks and medical exams, and filling out paperwork. Cases are screened by the Defense Department, FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. After they are resettled, refugees continue to undergo security checks in the United States for five years or more. The Trump administration added requirements, including longer background checks and more screenings for females and males between 14 and 50 from certain countries, including Iraq. By Reuters WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States is considering a request from Poland for a permanent US military presence in the fellow NATO country. Poland has repeatedly requested a permanent US military presence on its soil amid fears of Russian aggression, offering up to $2 billion in funding for such base. US soldiers are now present on its soil through NATO's back-to-back rotation. Russia expressed concern in May over reports about Poland's request, saying NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders undermined stability in Europe. "Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland, and certainly it's something we'll discuss," Trump said at the White House before a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. "We're looking at it very seriously, I know Poland likes the idea very much, and it's something that we are considering, yes," he said. Poland joined NATO in 1999 along with Hungary and the Czech Republic, and since then other former communist states, including Baltic republics bordering Russia, have joined despite Moscow's strong opposition. Warsaw could offer up to $2 billion in funding for a military base, according to a Polish Defense Ministry proposal reported by Polish media. A government source in Poland confirmed to Reuters that such a proposal had been made.Trump also said the United States was considering a visa waiver program for Poland. DAMASCUS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russian-Turkish agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in the last major stronghold in the Syrian province of Idlib won't be a permanent solution, analysts said. The deal of establishing a buffer zone between the positions of the Syrian government forces and the rebels in Idlib was declared after a summit between the leaders of Russia and Turkey, who met in the Russian resort city of Sochi on Monday. During a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the demilitarization zone will be established by Oct. 15. It will be created along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces with a depth of 15-20 km. The radical rebels will withdraw from the demilitarized zone along with heavy weapons. The deal was a surprising one as it came days after the leaders of Iran, Russia, and Turkey held tripartite summit in Tehran during which the Iranian and Russian leaders rebuffed a Turkish call for a cease-fire in Idlib. Iranian and Russian leaders backed a military offensive by the Syrian army to retake Idlib where al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front is located. At the Tehran summit, Erdogan called on the rebels to turn in their weapons after his cease-fire proposal was turned down. Later on, the Syrian army continued to send reinforcement to the frontline in Idlib, as part of the preparations that have been ongoing for a couple of months. Airstrikes by the Russian and Syrian side had stopped over the past few days but the ground shelling continued. Opposition activists said the Turkish side was attempting to put pressure on the al-Qaida-linked groups ahead of the anticipated offensive by sending in military backup to Turkey-backed rebels in Idlib. But on Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the anticipated military offensive in Idlib was not on the agenda anymore. Osama Danura, a Syrian political expert, told Xinhua that establishing a demilitarized zone in Idlib is not going to be permanent. "I think that the solutions that prolong the de-escalation zones' concept in Idlib are practically temporary and are not comprehensive or permanent," he said. He added the formula that was agreed upon by the leaders of Turkey and Russia would only postpone the confrontation between the Syrian army and the rebels and would give the Turkish side time to deal with the issue of the ultra-radical rebels in Idlib. Danura stressed that the Syrian government will not accept to live with "terrorists" in Idlib, noting that the situation there cannot move on like this for a long time. Hmaidi Abdullah, another analyst, said under the deal, the Turkish side has a big responsibility to put the rebels on a leash in Idlib. He said that putting the Idlib battle on hold would give the Syrian army a chance to jump to the next phase, the illegitimate presence of the U.S.-backed forces in northeastern Syria. His remarks came as Russian media reported that negotiations were underway between the Russian and the U.S. armies on the latter's withdrawal from the al-Tanf area in southeastern Syria. Maher Ihsan, another analyst, said that the deal averted Idlib a wide-scale offensive and ensured that the rebels would not dare to attack Syrian military sites. "It would also strip the Western countries of pretext to strike Syria," he said, as the U.S. and its Western backers were talking about having information that the Syrian army was planning a chemical attack in Idlib. The Syria side and its allies slammed the Western claims, saying the United States was plotting with the rebels to stage such an attack to justify another foreign attack on the Syrian army. BEIJING, Sept. 18 (ChinaMil) -- Chinas PLA Navy officially launched its 2019 pilot recruitment on Sept. 16. Four recruitment groups will be successively dispatched to 23 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions nationwide to test and select pilot cadets. The highlight of this year's recruitment is the selection of future carrier-borne aircraft pilot cadets. Through shifting from "shore-based" to "carrier-based" standards, the PLA Navy aims to build a pilot recruitment system with Chinese naval characteristics that can adapt to carrier-borne requirements". Recent and previous high school graduates between the age of 16 to 19 who have household and school registration within the recruitment areas and meet the relevant criteria can sign up for the recruitment, according to the Pilot Recruitment Office of the PLA Navy. Specific selection conditions and registration requirements can be enquired of the local education and enrollment departments or found on the PLA Navy's recruitment website. Navy pilot cadets will mainly receive basic undergraduate preparation and flight training during their school years. At the end of the fourth year, qualifying students will obtain a bachelor's degree in Engineering. They will also be appointed as deputy company commanders and awarded the military rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Cadets who complete the training of advanced jet trainer and obtain the qualification certificate will be awarded a second degree (Bachelor of Military Sciences). Moreover, they will have the chance to be promoted to company commanders in advance. "Some of the pilot cadets recruited this year will receive the top and most systematic training as carrier-borne aircraft pilots," said an official of the Pilot Recruitment Office of the PLA Navy. As a highlight of this year's recruitment, cadets selected according to carrier-borne aircraft pilot standards will have the opportunity to fly J-15 fighter jets. The official said that as an international service, naval aviators have many opportunities to participate in overseas visits, ocean escorting missions, and joint military exercises. Through these opportunities, they can broaden their horizons and exchange experiences with the world's finest pilots. Becoming a naval pilot is the best choice for those who want to become heroes of the sky and the sea. Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). It is another September 18th. September 18th, September 18th, from that miserable time on, I was forced to leave my hometown and abandon the endless treasure. Wandering! Wandering! read the lyrics of the song On Songhua River, a patriotic song about China's World War II-era invasion by Japan. Its a song full of pain for losing Chinese territories, and full of the hundreds of millions of Chinese people's hatred of the invader. For 14 years, millions of Chinese people united as one to resist the outside bullying, with the firm determination to defend national mountains and rivers till last breath, the unyielding will to shed blood for the revolutionary cause, and the enormous sacrifice of defending every inch of the motherland till the last drop of blood. The great victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression will be forever recorded in the annals of the Chinese nation and the annals of human peace. It has been 87 years since that miserable period, and it has been 73 years since the hard-won victory moment. But even people blessed with a long life cant survive the ruthless passage of time. Descendants of the Northeast United Resistance Army, witnesses of the Nanjing Massacre, victims known as comfort women Those who have witnessed Chinas War of Resistance and the Global War against Fascism are leaving us and will eventually pass away, but historical memories will never be forgotten. History is the most solid common memory of a country and a nation. It records the sufferings and struggles of the past and shows the light and glory of the future. Bearing history in mind doesnt mean to get trapped in the quagmire of hatred, but means to enlighten the future with history, so as to avoid the recurrence of tragedies and explore the paths to peace and development. Since the publication of Murayama Statement in 1995, successive Japanese prime ministers had always mentioned Japans responsibility for war against Asian countries in their speeches on Japans Day of Defeat, and reiterated the no-war vows. Until 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deleted the expressions of doing harm and no-war vows from his speech on Japans Day of Defeat. So far, he has tried to blur Japan's responsibility for doing harm for six consecutive years. Such words and deeds worry East Asian countries including China, because when "historical problems" are still too recent to be considered history, forgetting means betrayal, even meaning that the miserable history can be repeated at any time. On August 28th of this year, the Japanese government continued to render the security environment around Japan increasingly deteriorating in Defense of Japan 2018[01] and preached the China threat theory, with the intention of paving way for the Abe government to formulate a new version of National Defense Program Guidelines and accelerate military expansion. Its actions include developing large surface ships with jet fighters aboard, rapidly developing surface fleet, reinforcing its missile defense system, establishing a new amphibious mobile regiment (dubbed as Japans Marine Corps), and consolidating the Japan-US Security Alliance from a strategic perspective while attempting to move closer to NATO. In recent years, Japan has accelerated its speed of military expansion both overtly and covertly, and its defense spending has hit a record high after seven consecutive increases. All this puts the world on high alert. Since the end of the Second World War, the world has been in the post-war period. Although the "peace and development" has become the theme of the times, the seeds for war havent been completely eradicated; the right-wing forces and militarists are still eager to act; terrorism, local conflicts, and even wars are still threatening the peace and tranquility of the world. Keeping history in mind means creating a better future; not forgetting the war means maintaining peace. We will never forget the peace that our ancestors secured at the cost of their blood and lives. Meanwhile, we are also well aware that only development can consolidate the foundation of peace. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Chinese-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship. We still remember the beginning of the bloody battles and suffering 87 years ago, and also the hopes of the two peoples for the future when the treaty was signed 40 years ago. Since the beginning of this year, the Japanese government has shown some positive attitude in its relations with China. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, the improvement of China-Japan relations has continued to gain momentum. The launch of friendly commemorative events, including the exchange conference tended by more than 1,000 Chinese and Japanese university or college students and the 2018 China Festival to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Chinese-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship, have enabled young people from China and Japan to build friendship through exchanges and have consolidated the foundation of public opinion for the development of bilateral relations. Peace is like air and sunshine, which are often taken for granted, but when they vanish, people can hardly survive. History is unceasingly passing by, which is just the very reason for us to recall it now and then. Let us bear September 18th Incident in mind! Let us have more self-consciousness and sense of responsibility for defending peace. Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia of "cheating" on international sanctions against North Korea, saying Moscow is undermining U.S. efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. "Russian corruption is like a virus," Haley told a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday. "It is impeding our ability to achieve complete denuclearization in North Korea." Haley said she was upset about a report from the independent experts who monitor UN sanctions implementation. The United States had provided evidence to the experts of Russian violations, but the report presented to council members omitted the Russian violations. "Apparently, Russia threatened to prevent release of the report unless its demand to hide the evidence of its violations was met," the U.S. ambassador said. "To our deep regret, the panel agreed." Haley said the United States had no choice but to prevent publication of "the tainted report." "The difficult, very sensitive talks with North Korea are ongoing," Haley told council members. "The Trump-Kim summit has set us on a path toward complete denuclearization, but we are not there yet. And until we get there, we must not ease the powerful worldwide sanctions that are in place." U.S. and North Korean leaders met on June 12 in Singapore and agreed to that the North would dismantle its nuclear program. Haley said Moscow has systematically violated UN sanctions, particularly on oil exports, allowing Russian flagged vessels to transfer petroleum products to North Korean tankers on the high seas. Since January, Haley said the U.S. has tracked at least 148 instances of such transfers. "We estimate that, at least, North Korea has obtained over 800,000 barrels of refined petroleum products in the first eight months of this year," the U.S. ambassador noted. "That's 160 percent of the 2018 annual cap of 500,000. In reality, we think they have obtained four times the annual quota in the first 8 months of this year." With the 2018 once-a-year hop harvest well underway, I had a chance to visit Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn, Oregon, as the crew geared up for another busy year. In 2017 Oregon for the first time fell behind Idaho in hop production, going from the second to third place behind Washington's dominant Yakima growing region. But here in Oregon we have a blossoming independent hop growing and brokerage industry and a research and development program from Oregon State University that is well funded. Because of that, Oregon hop farmers like Crosby Hop Farm are still considered pioneers of the industry, discovering new hops and better ways of farming and breeding. Developed in conjunction with Oregon State University and Indie Hops, the Strata hop is one of the new Oregon created varieties of hops with potential to be a future break out star.Crosby Farm was first established by Albert and Mary Crosby in 1900 under the McCormick Donation Land Claim. That tradition carried on recently to Kevin Crosby, a fourth generation hop farmer who has passed on the running of the family business to his son Blake in 2012. Blake has overseen a transition in the farm from a simple hop grower selling bales to becoming large hop brokers who would then pelletize, resell, and distribute them, to becoming their own independent hop broker and even installing their own pelletizing machine. Crosby Hop Farm began to cut out the middle man and establish its own network of partner growers and a national hop sales team. The ability to pelletize their own hops was part of a huge investment that pays off in the long-term since most of the industry now uses pellet hops for great efficiency and cost effectiveness. Not many farms have the capability to pelletize their own product as well as go directly to the brewers, a strategy that has proved successful since the farm has doubled its acreage in the last seven years up to 420 acres and grows eleven different hop varieties. Crosby has proved that it is possible to do more than one thing well. As it stands, Crosby Hop Farm is the only Certified B Corporation farm and processor in Oregon; the farm also has Salmon-Safe hop certification and 100% renewable energy powered.Centennial hops are one of the most popular northwest hops that are also widely available and they often lead off the harvest by being the first ready to be picked, this year the harvest began with them on August 18th. "The weather was very warm all season," says Crosby marketing manager Zak Schroelucke, that resulted in early harvest for Centennial's that required increased watering. "The powdery mildew pathogen was more pervasive in some varieties as well," reports Schroelucke, but that overall it was a great harvest this year. Crosby is one of the leaders in Oregon in new and up-trending hop varietals which are often proprietary and licensed. Crosby was the first farm in Oregon to begin growing Amarillo's back in 2015, it's now one of the most desirable hops. Crosby is also betting big by dusting off an old hop called "Comet" to reintroduce it for some of it's new school flavors. This variety was first bred as a bittering high alpha acid hop, used for the bang for the buck of having a higher level of bitterness that allowed brewers to use fewer hops to achieve the desired bite. Comet just wasn't as strong as some of the other high alpha varieties developed at the time so it was tossed aside in the 70's until about five years ago. Comet has the new-school "wild American aroma" of tropical and citrus fruits that are currently highly desirable. "The citrus, ripe melon, pine, and tropical notes in Comet blew us away when we rubbed the hop after the first year harvest" says Schroelucke. Crosby is the first farm in Oregon to grow Comet hops that are being harvested for the first time this year. As with any hop it has it's downsides in that it's suceptible to downy mildew that develops in warm temperatures in wet climates which makes Oregon a risky place to grow Comet. On the plus side, Comet is resistent to powdery mildew.Idaho 7 is another hop new hop variety that Crosby Hop Farm is growing for the first time in Oregon. Idaho 7 was developed by Jackson Hop of Idaho but pelletized, co-promoted and brokered by Crosby. Idaho 7 is still in short but highly desirable supply, probably because it carries a strong pineapple aroma which is the hottest fruit flavor in beer and cider right now. Blake Crosby says that Idaho 7 really "sings when paired with other great hops" like other tropical new school varieties like Azacca and Strata. Strata is perhaps the most interesting, possibly a game changer of a hop for Oregon farmers and brokers Indie Hops which helped develop this variety with Oregon State University. Roger Worthington of Indie Hops is also the owner of Bend, Oregon's Worthy Brewing and helped develop many test hop breeds at the breweries on-site pilot growing program and through a grant to OSU. The first really successful hop out of the program is the X-331 aka Strata. You may have first heard or tasted this hop in a one-off IPA called Stratasphere from Worthy Brewing that went on to win a Gold Medal last year at the Oregon Beer Awards and was later drafted up to become a new year-round bottle release called simply Strata IPA. With early buzz for the Strata hop, Indie Hops (which does not grow their own hops) has partnered with Crosby Hop Farm to put a lot more of this variety in the ground and they are really making a splash this year. "After highlighting Strata at CBC 2018 in Nashville, we got a tremendous response from brewers," says Schroelucke. Indie Hops and Crosby are hoping that the Strata could become the next big proprietary hop, competitive with the likes of Simcoe and Citra. Strata's flavor has recognizable characteristics but paired with others in an uncommon way, it has "citrus and tropical aromas paired with a hint of cannabis-like character for complexity its an awesome flavor" as described by Schroelucke.To be one of the few hop farms and brokers to offer an emerging variety like Strata could be big business for Crosby and Indie Hops. Crosby Farm is one of the only hop farms to sell direct to brewers and the installation of their own processing and pelletizing equipment producing Type 90 hop pellets designed for craft brewers. The Type 90s are processed at a lower heat to keep more of the fragile hop aromas and flavors intact while Type-45 is more compact, processed at a higher temperature with more vegetal material removed for a more concentrated product. So you may see 45s more in big breweries trying to get bang for their buck while the Type 90s are excellent for dry-hopping when cost is less important than getting a noseful of aroma. Crosby Hop Farm is also unique in how much they open their arms to incoming brewers and even media such as myself to see the operation, right in the middle of the busiest time of year the hop harvest. "Today, the direct to brewer connection is even stronger as many visit the farm during fresh hop season to pick up the wet hop bounty, tour the fields and select their hops according to variety and lot after harvest" says Schroelucke.Bridgeport Brewing is an important local buyer for Crosby and one who has recently stated their intention to refocus as a hop-centric brewery. I visited Crosby one day with Bridgeport Brewmaster Jeff Edgerton as they were picking up fresh Centennial's for the breweries annual fresh hop brew. It was just the 2nd day of the hop harvest at Crosby Hop Farm and you could tell they were extremely busy, ducking tractors, machetes and whirling, sharp industrial equipment used to separate the bine and leaves from the cone I got to see the whole process up close. "Blake and his family are farmers at heart and know every square inch of their operations" said Edgerton who appreciates the multigenerational history of Crosby and their commitment to seeing the hops from rhizome, through processing, pelletizing and sales straight to the breweries. Edgerton and some of his brewers drove back 180 pounds of fresh whole cone hops for a fresh hopped German Marzen-style lager they are making this year called "Hoptoberfest." Using Crosby is an easy choice for Edgerton, "combined with the facts that they are local (less diesel to get hops to us), they grow a great variety of the highest quality hops, and they are genuinely good folks to deal with make Crosby Farms a slam-dunk for us." Last year they also brewed with Centennials but did a tiny batch of fresh hopped beer with Crosby's early small Idaho 7 crop that turned out delicious. Bridgeport has made some of the best fresh hop beers of all-time, I fondly remember the year they reintroduced a bottled Hop Harvest IPA in 2017 that was mind blowingly citrus fruit hop candy."We believe in doing everything that we can to preserve the delicate fresh hop aromas and flavors. So, dont add fresh hops on the hot side (during brewing) but instead we use the fresh hops as a dry hop by adding a few days into fermentation," says Edgerton on how he coaxes great flavors out of fresh hops. "This way the brew has stopped evolving large amounts of CO2 but is still warm. CO2 is a great solvent for hop aromas and flavors and can strip out what you are trying to keep in your beer if the brew is still producing copious amounts and blowing it out the tank vent. By waiting until the 3rd, 4th, or even 5th day of fermentation, we retain those compounds and get the most from our fresh hop additions." You can soon taste the product of Bridgeport Brewing and Crosby Hop Farm's work as Bridgeport releases Hoptoberfest as the fifth limited-edition release in their Hop Hero series. Look for it in 12oz cans and 22oz bottles in 13 states and Bridgeport's Hoptoberfest party on Saturday, October 6th at the brewpub in NW Portland. South Africa's highest court has legalised the use of cannabis by adults in private places. Pro-marijuana activists cheered in the public gallery and chanted "Weed are free now" when the Constitutional Court gave its landmark ruling. In a unanimous ruling, judges also legalised the growing of marijuana for private consumption. South Africa's government's had opposed its legalisation, arguing the drug was "harmful" to people's the health. It has not yet commented on the ruling, which is binding. Three cannabis users who had faced prosecution for using the drug brought the case, saying the ban "intrudes unjustifiably into their private spheres". In his judgement, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said: "It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption." It will, however, remain illegal to use cannabis in public, and to sell and supply it. The Cannabis Development Council of South Africa welcomed the ruling, and called on the government to drop charges against people found in possession of the drug. Jeremy Acton, the leader of the Dagga Party, which campaigns for the use of cannabis, said the ruling should have gone further to legalise the carrying of marijuana in public. Cannabis is referred to as "dagga" in South Africa. The court gave parliament 24 months to change the law to reflect its ruling. Adults who used marijuana in private would be protected by the ruling until the law was amended. The court did not specify the quantity of cannabis a person can grow or use in private. Parliament would have to decide on this, it said. For ten years their bedroom has been closed because he has an erection problem. The reason is that he went out with many girlfriends unti... She Gave the OK for Steel Used in Navy Subs. Now, a Guilty Plea (Newser) A registered sex offender jailed since last year has been charged in the kidnapping and killing of two Arizona girls who went missing in 2012 and 2014, authorities announced Saturday. Christopher Matthew Clements, 36, was indicted on Friday by a grand jury on 21 criminal counts, including murder and kidnapping charges in the deaths of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez, Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said. Celis went missing from her Tucson bedroom in April 2012, and her body was discovered in what was described as a rural area in March 2017. Gonzalez' body was discovered in June 2014, days after she went missing on her way to a friend's house, in the Avra Valley community near Tucson, not far from where Celis' remains would be found three years later. story continues below Magnus and other officials held a news conference to announce the indictment, the AP reports. But they declined to answer questions from reporters and did not disclose how the girls died or what prompted authorities to investigate Clements in the killings, except to say that the FBI in 2017 learned Clements might have information about the death of Celis. He then provided information to authorities that led to the discovery of Celis' remains, Magnus said. Investigators later discovered additional pieces of evidence, but they did not describe Saturday what they had found. Clements had already been in a Phoenix-area jail facing other charges when the indictment was issued; he was jailed in April 2017 on suspicion of burglary, theft and fraudulent schemes. Clements was charged and convicted in Oregon in 1998 of sex-related crimes and was required to register as a sex offender. (Read more sex offenders stories.) (Newser) Special counsel Robert Mueller is ready for a judge to sentence former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to a court document filed Monday. The move would bring Flynn's involvement in the Russia investigation to a close nearly a year after he pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with Mueller's team. It also comes just days after Mueller scored another key cooperator in former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who pleaded guilty last week after a long fight against the special counsel. Since Flynn's plea, prosecutors had repeatedly delayed his sentencing as the investigation continued. But in the latest filing, they say they no longer need more time, suggesting that US District Judge Emmet Sullivan set a date in late November or early December, per the AP. story continues below They also are asking the judge to allow them to file their sentencing memoranda no sooner than two weeks prior to the sentencing, a move that would keep the specifics of Flynn's cooperation from becoming public until after the midterm elections. Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general and a senior Trump surrogate during the presidential campaign, has been seen as a key cooperator in Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible involvement with Donald Trump's campaign. As part of the investigation, he admitted to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials during the presidential transition and about his Turkish lobbying work. (Read more Michael Flynn stories.) (Newser) The Emmy Awards were off and running Monday night, with Kenan Thompson announcing it was the most diverse group of nominees in Emmy history before he and a group of his fellow celebrities launched into a song-and-dance number, "We Solved It," declaring diversity on TV solved. Unfortunately, at the end of the song, the performers were informed it has not actually been solved, though that didn't stop John Legend from appearing onstage to close out the number with a resounding, "We solved it!" Hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost then took the stage, opening with #MeToo-inspired jokes right off the bat: "It's an honor to share this night with the talented people who haven't been caught yet," Che deadpanned. "The one thing Hollywood needs right now is people losing their inhibitions at a work function," Jost added. story continues below Jokes about everything from Ronan Farrow to the Roseanne to white people failing to thank Jesus in their acceptance speeches followed. Early reaction on Twitter seemed good, with one user saying, "This may be the best open ever" and another posting, "Holy shit they are killing this Emmys bit." The first award of the night was then given out, with best supporting actor in a comedy series going to Henry Winkler for Barry. See the rest of the night's winners here, or for more Emmys coverage, check out a buzzworthy red carpet sweatshirt, James Corden's #EmmysSoWhite joke, host Michael Che's "Reparation Emmys," or a winner who used his acceptance speech time in an unusual way. (Read more Emmy Awards stories.) (Newser) A trailer with at least 100 decomposing corpses was left on the outskirts of Guadalajara but it wasn't yet another drug cartel atrocity: Officials say it was brought there because a wave of violence has left local mortuaries completely full. Residents say they complained to authorities about the terrible stench from the trailer, which was shifted to the suburb of Tlajomulco after complaints from residents in another neighborhood, the Guardian reports. "We have a lot of children in this neighborhood ... it could make us all sick," said local man Jose Luis Tovar. The trailer has now been moved to an industrial area. story continues below Mexican law bans the cremation of victims of violent crime, reports the BBC, and authorities say they ran out of cemetery plots in which to bury the bodies. An official in the state attorney's general insists that the rented trailer was properly refrigerateddespite residents' complaints of flies and a foul smelland says there was "only" around 100 bodies in it, not 157 as claimed in some reports. Authorities say the bodies will be transferred when construction of a new morgue with more capacity is completed in about six weeks. (Some 166 bodies were recently found in clandestine burial pits in Veracruz state.) With youth unemployment at around 10 percent, the highest since the Asian financial crisis, young Koreans are no longer so fixated on landing jobs-for-life with a big conglomerate but are taking whatever they can get. For the longest time young Koreans would patiently prepare for job interviews and hope that the job market will improve, but now they are getting impatient and taking work on construction sites or in part-time employment. One 28-year-old graduate from the prestigious Korea University has been juggling part-time jobs since 2016 after being turned down by consecutive full-time employers. "Although I make less than what I could in a full-time job, I can enjoy more free time and my situation is not that bad right now," he said. (Newser) A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean early Tuesday, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defense ministry says. The ministry blames Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria, the AP reports. The Russian military said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 22 miles off the coast as it was returning to its home base nearby. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. story continues below Russia said it would make an "appropriate response" to Israel. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished," Konashenkov said, per Radio Free Europe. "This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership." The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. (Read more Syria stories.) (Newser) German doctors treating a member of Russian protest group Pussy Riot said Tuesday that claims he was poisoned are "highly plausible," but stressed they can't say how this might have occurred or who was responsible, the AP reports. Pyotr Verzilov has been receiving intensive care since arriving in Berlin from Moscow on Saturday, but his condition isn't life threatening, Dr. Kai-Uwe Eckardt of Berlin's Charite hospital told reporters. Verzilov's symptoms, together with information received from relatives and the Moscow hospital he was admitted to last week, "make it highly plausible that a poisoning took place," Eckardt said. He said Charite doctors have found "no evidence whatsoever that there would be another explanation for his condition." story continues below Eckardt said Verzilov fell ill on Sept. 11 after attending a friend's court hearing in the Russian capital, and was admitted to a Moscow hospital that evening with symptoms that included disorientation and widened pupils. Russian doctors suspected possible poisoning and treated him accordingly, emptying his stomach and performing a dialysis, Eckardt said. He said the symptoms indicate Verzilov, who arrived in Germany by private medevac Saturday, is suffering from an anticholinergic syndrome that can result from the disruption of the nervous system that regulates the inner organs. While doctors in Berlin haven't yet determined what was responsible for the poisoning, they said it could have resulted from various substances including high doses of some pharmaceuticals and plants that contain particular toxins. Eckardt said he expects Verzilov to make a full recovery and hopefully suffer no permanent damage. (Read more Pussy Riot stories.) (Newser) If North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was searching for the perfect propaganda set piece, something designed to show his people that he's a strong leader pushing inexorably for the long-promised prosperity they deserve, then South Korean President Moon Jae-in might be providing him with a unique opportunity during their summit this week, per the AP . Moon arrived Tuesday for a three-day visit. Throughout the first day, the South Korean leader could be seen grinning broadly as he and Kim enjoyed the ecstatic reception of a Pyongyang that seemed to have been painted, polished, and framed until it was the best possible version of itselfon the video that South Korean media traveling with Moon captured and beamed back to Seoul, at least. story continues below The optics of Moon's visit to Pyongyang are "reminiscent of the Chinese emperor receiving tributary missionswith a pan-Korean ethnic nationalistic twistthe Son of Heaven graciously receiving the barbarian envoy, dazzling the visitor with opulence, grace, and power," according to Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at Tufts University's Fletcher School. North Korea, Lee said, portrays all visits by foreign heads of state as reflecting on the "manifold virtues of the Great Leader," and that's especially true of "a Pyongyang pilgrimage by the leader of the illegitimate Korean state" to the south. Moon's office downplayed worries that North Korea could use his visit as propaganda, saying the enthusiastic welcome for Moon should be "seen just as it is." (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) If people hadn't heard of the celebrity chef Salt Bae before nowhe is Internet famous for his distinctive way of salting meata series of slams from Marco Rubio is helping change that. The Florida senator went after the Turkish chef, real name Nusret Gokce, because Salt Bae hosted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro at his restaurant in Istanbul and then boasted about it in a since-deleted video, reports the Observer. In Rubio's first tweet, he calls Salt Bae a "weirdo" and lodges his big complaint: Maduro is "the overweight dictator of a nation where 30% of the people eat only once a day & infants are suffering from malnutrition." Then Rubio makes the Florida connection. Noting that Salt Bae has a restaurant in Miami, Rubio posted the steakhouse's address and phone number and suggested that people call. He also added a critical tweet in Spanish. story continues below The senator took some flak for posting the restaurant's number, with some accusing him of "doxxing" Salt Bae and violating Twitter's harassment policies. The Washington Post, however, notes that Twitter has no restrictions about posting the phone number of public facilities such as a restaurant. Rubio also pushed back against the critics, saying Salt Bae deserved it for trying to score PR off "a criminal that is systematically starving the people of Venezuela." (Rubio is referring to conditions like this.) The Miami Herald notes that this isn't Salt Bae's first brush with controversy: The chef dressed up as another dictator reviled by many, Fidel Castro, soon after opening his restaurant in Miami. Rubio's parents were born in Cuba. (Read more Marco Rubio stories.) The U.S. on Monday stressed need for the UN member states to fully implement their UN sanctions obligations, a day before President Moon Jae-in's trip to Pyongyang, where future cross-border economic projects will be high on the agenda. Washington is concerned that any hasty commitment to business cooperation could jeopardize international efforts to press North Korea to denuclearize, especially since business with China is picking up at a rapid pace. Asked by Voice of America to comment on South Korea's top business leaders accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his trip to Pyongyang, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, "We expect all member states to fully implement UN sanctions, including sectoral goods banned under UN Security Council resolution, and expect all nations to take their responsibilities seriously to help end [North Korea's] illegal nuclear and missile programs." Mumbai: Cargill India on Tuesday announced foray into the rice bran oil segment through its Gemini brand, and said it is looking to grab 10 per cent market share in the segment in Maharashtra within one year. The company expects the new segment to contribute 2.5-3 per cent to its overall revenue. Health oil is an emerging segment. As our biggest market for Gemini is Maharashtra, we will initially launch in the state, as well as Karnataka, Milind Pingle, director, sales and marketing, Cargill food business - India, told PTI. Also Read | Russian military IL-20 jet with 14 servicemen aboard vanishes from radar off near Khmeimim Air Base in Syria We expect to achieve 10 per cent market share in Maharashtra in one year in the rice bran oil segment, he added. The company will source rice bran oil from a third party in Dhuri in Punjab, according to Pingle. The total rice bran market in the country is one lakh tonne annually, while the total market in Maharashtra is 20,000 tonne per year, he said. Gemini, which is in consumer brands of edible oils such as NatureFresh, Gemini, Sweekar, Leonardo Olive Oil, Rath and Sunflower brand hydrogenated fats, enjoys 30 per cent market share across all categories, according to him. The brand is available in variants including sunflower oil, soybean oil, groundnut oil and vanaspati. Pingle said Gemini rice bran oil will be competitively priced at around Rs 125-130 per litre and will be distributed across all channels. Read More | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar admitted to AIIMS This new segment is likely contribute 2.5-3 per cent to the overall revenue, he added. The company claims Gemini rice bran oil to have 40 per cent more oryzanol as compared to any regular edible oil, which reduces bad cholesterol in the body, and is fortified with Vitamin A, D and E. Going forward, Pingle said the company is looking at building its health and wellness portfolio in the oil as well as carbohydrates variants. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: First Information Report (FIR) was registered under Sections 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 461 and 465 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act (DMC Act) against Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari for breaking a sealed lock of a house in an unauthorised colony in Delhias Gukulpur while protesting against municipal officials apick and choosea System.A "FIR registered under Sections 188* of IPC and 461 & 465 DMC Act against Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari. On 16 September, he broke the sealed lock of a house in an unauthorised colony in Delhi's Gukulpur protesting against municipal officials 'pick & choose' system," as per news agency ANI. Correction: FIR registered under Sections 188* of IPC and 461 & 465 DMC Act against Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari. On 16 September, he broke the sealed lock of a house in an unauthorised colony in Delhi's Gukulpur protesting against municipal officials 'pick & choose' system. https://t.co/LNr2Mm2nJo a ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018 "If sealing is done in an illegal way, we will oppose and protest against it. I challenge Arvind Kejriwal to visit the colonies and answer the public in Delhi. We will also file an FIR, said Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari on FIR registered against him. New Delhi: The BJP in Tripura has won around 96 per cent seats uncontested in the three-tier panchayat bypolls in the state scheduled to be held on September 30, State Election Commissioner GK Rao said on Tuesday. Rao said that by-elections would be held in only 132 panchayat seats and seven panchayat samity seats on September 30. Also Read | Odisha: Maoist escapes from police custody, 7 cops suspended "By-elections would be held in only 132 gram panchayat seats, and seven panchayat samity seats on September 30 as the rest of the seats were won by the BJP uncontested," Rao told PTI. Bypolls were scheduled to be held in 3,386 seats- 3,207 in gram panchayat, 161 in panchayat samitis and 18 zilla parishad seats. However, 3,247 of these (95.89 per cent) were won by the BJP uncontested. Meanwhile, the Opposition parties alleged that elected representatives were forced to resign by the BJP and the BJP workers did not allow their candidates to submit nomination papers for the elections. The Opposition parties demanded the state election commission for postponement of the elections. The state election commissioner, however, said that the by-elections cannot cannot be deferred as no violence was reported in the offices where the nomination papers were submitted. Also Read | No relief from Centre, states for Nagaland disaster "There is not a single complaint against Block Development officers, who act as returning officers for gram panchayat polls or against district magistrates, who function as returning officers for zilla parishad polls," Rao said. The opposition Left Front had last week demanded rescheduling of the bypolls claiming that opposition candidates could not file nomination papers due to attacks and intimidations by miscreants belonging to the BJP. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday conferred the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2018 awards to 52 schools selected from among 6.5 lakh, including over 45,000 private schools, at an event held at the Ambedkar International Centre in the national capital, as a part of the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign launched by Prime Minister on September 15, 2018. Addressing the event, Javadekar said that cleanliness had now become a movement in which schools and students were playing a crucial role. Also Read | UP Board Exam 2019: Dates fixed keeping in view Kumbh Mela, says Dy CM The HRD minister also lauded Akshay Kumars Toilet Ek Prem Katha and Padman saying such films symbolised the changing picture of a changed India that is determined to achieve cleanliness. "No one would have imagined that films like 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha' and 'Padman' would be made and they would become popular. This is the changing picture of a changed India. This is our changed determination that we will achieve cleanliness," Javadekar said added. Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya (SBSV) initiative was launched by the HRD ministry in 2014 to ensure that all the schools in the country had access to separate functional toilets for boys and girls. Also Read | Haryana SSC Recruitment 2018: Last date to apply today Of the 52 awardee schools, 37 schools are from rural areas,15 from urban areas, 45 are government/government aided schools and 7 are private schools. The national awards for clean schools were based on a self-appraisal system, in which five parameters- drinking water, toilets, capacity building, behavioural change and washing hands, were evaluated. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Glenn Weiss decided to use his time onstage while accepting the Emmy award for best director for a variety special Monday to his advantage by proposing to his girlfriend on live TV. At the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, 57-year-old Glenn Weiss, a director and producer, won the Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special trophy and used acceptance speech to propose his girlfriend, Jan Svendsen. He bagged the trophy for helming the 90th Academy Awards earlier this year. Weiss asked Svendsen to come up to the stage and he began talking about his mother, who he said tragically passed only two weeks ago. Svendsen joined him onstage, and he presented her with a ring. "Jan, you're the love of my life, and my mom was right, never let go of your sunshine. You wonder why I don't like to call you my girlfriend? Because I want to call you my wife. I want to put this ring on your finger in front of all of these people and in front of my mom and your parents watching from above. Will you marry me?" he said. She replied with a "yes". Later in the ceremony, when "The Americans" star Matthew Rhys claimed the trophy for Lead Actor in a Drama, he quipped that his girlfriend and fellow nominee Keri Russell said, 'If you propose to me, I will punch you clean in the mouth.' For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been admitted in All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on Tuesday (September 18) with complaints of fever and problems in his eyes and knees. Kumar was admitted to the private ward of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) around 8.30 am. The exact diagnosis is yet to be known, a source told News Agency PTI. The chief minister was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and problems in his eyes and knees. The exact diagnosis is yet to be known, the source said On Saturday, Nitish Kumar had said that an "honourable agreement" was reached between Janata Dal United (JD-U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding the seat-sharing formula. "Honourable agreement has been reached with the BJP on seat sharing. A formal announcement will be made later," the Bihar chief minister had said in Patna. The JD-U had earlier expressed their dissent over the BJP's first draft of seat-sharing formula as the saffron party wanted to contest on 20 of the 40 Bihar seats and Nitish Kumar wanted equal distribution of 17 seats each handing the remaining six to Ram Vilas Paswan. In 2014, both the BJP and the JD-U had fought the elections separately with the saffron party winning 22 seats and the NDA 31. The JD-U had only managed to win two seats. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jammu: A BSF patrolling party was on early Tuesday fired upon by forces from across the Pakistan border in which one jawan was killed, the frontier guarding force said. The head constable rank jawan was suspected to have been hit by a fatal sniper shot from across the border when troops were clearing the tall sarkanda grass in front of their border post in the RS Pora area in the Ramgarh sector, at about 10:40 am, officials said. The body of the head constable rank jawan was recovered by a Border Security Force (BSF) search party late evening after over six hours as troops waited for sunset, and to sanitise the body for possible booby traps that may have been planted by the enemy, they said. Also Read | Manipur University row: VC AP Pandey suspended until completion of inquiry A BSF party which was on domination patrolling ahead of the fence was fired upon. BSF troops immediately took position and retaliated but the enemy bullets hit a jawan. The area on Pakistan side has a protective bundh close to IB, the force said in a statement. It added that the Indian side area is undulated, marshy and has thick sarkanda growth that made immediate location of the felled jawan difficult. The body of the jawan was found by a search party. It is suspected that he was shot with a precise aim by the Pakistani side when they were clearing the area near the fence, a senior official said. Read More | Bigg Boss 12, Day 2: Will Sreesanth become first villain of the house? Earlier, officials said, the a jawan was reported missing from along the International Border in Jammu region and was believed to have been hit by unprovoked cross-border fire. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Tearing into Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday accused him of misleading people about Pakistans alleged assurance on allowing Sikh pilgrims direct access to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, along the India-Pakistan border, next year. She also called the Congress leader an agent of the neighbouring nation. The gurdwara is located on the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, died on September 22, 1539. I think he is a new agent that Pakistan has found and they are using him as a puppet, and he is dancing to their tune. Let him dance and deliver to our people, Harsimrat said at a press conference on Tuesday. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi in Kurnool LIVE: PM Modi's silence on Rewari gang rape unacceptable, says Congress chief Sidhu had been criticised for hugging Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans oath-taking ceremony in August. When he (Sidhu) returned he was shown black flags, everyone was angry that he went there and hugged someone who kills our people. Instead of apologising, he played with people's sentiments...He said he hugged General as he said Kartarpur corridor will be opened, she said.But the truth is, no Pakistani government has so far communicated anything on this...Everyone forgot that he (Sidhu) went to an enemy nation. Weeks have passed, but the Congress minister couldn't produce any document, Harsimrat added. On Monday, Sidhu met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Harsimrat, however, claimed that Swaraj "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently to attend Imran Khan's swearing-in as prime minister there. Also Read | Modi In Varanasi: PM launches development projects worth Rs 557 crore "External Affairs Minister (Swaraj) reprimands Navjot Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance granted for private visit by hugging military chief responsible for killing our soldiers," Badal said.She also asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi if you would take action against Sidhu. I ask Rahul Gandhi that a minister of your party went to an enemy nation, betrayed our people and played with the sentiments of the Sikhs. Was this all done with your blessings? Will you take action against him or are you hand in glove with him?, Harsimrat asked. Giving details about the meeting with Swaraj, Sidhu on Tuesday said: We had a detailed discussion during the meeting, explained to her about the necessity of opening of the Kartarpur corridor. A formal request should go from India's side. The EAM said to me, 'the draft is being prepared and I will write a letter.Sources said Sidhu met Swaraj along with another senior Congress leader and a former Rajya Sabha MP to discuss the issue with her. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday dismissed the allegations by the Congress on the Rafale deal and said that the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dassault couldn't agree on production terms during the era of UPA government. The Deal didn't happen during the UPA. What also didn't happen during the UPA was that between HAL and Dassault they couldn't agree on production terms. So HAL and Rafale couldn't go together. Doesn't that very clearly say who didn't go together with HAL, under which government did that happen, Sitharaman was quoted by ANI as saying. Sitharamans remark came hours after former defence minister and senior Congress leader A K Antony, accused her of "suppressing facts" on the Rafale deal and denied his intervention back in 2013. Earlier in the day, Antony rejected the charge levelled by Sitharaman that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 had put the "final nail in the coffin" when the cost negotiation committee was giving final touches to the deal, saying the allegations were completely false and Sitharaman was deliberately suppressing the facts. Also Read | Defence Ministry okays procurement of military equipment worth Rs 9,100 Cr; negotiations on S-400 'almost complete' "Her allegations are completely false and she is deliberately suppressing the facts," Antony said. Antony also accused Sitharaman of trying to tarnish the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) both nationally and globally. The former defence minister also asked if the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA and why the government bought 36 aircrafts instead of 126 from the French company. "The Congress demands that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA's deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of its 36 Rafale deal, including per aircraft price of the same, to clear the doubts of the people and let the nation decide who is correct," he said, adding that Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that in the new agreement, the price is nine per cent cheaper than it was in the UPA deal. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it is 20 per cent cheaper and an IAF officer said it is 40 per cent cheaper, then "why did they not buy more than 126 if it was cheaper?" Antony asked. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi in Kurnool: 'All promises made by government broken by PM Modi' Sitharaman hit back at the Congress and said the Narendra Modi-led NDA government was getting the Rafale fighter jets at a rate nine per cent cheaper than what the UPA dispensation had agreed upon. "We have responded saying your basic price and the basic price that I am getting at, when compared with all the escalation and other things, is 9 per cent cheaper," the defence minister said. The UPA government started negotiating in 2012 with French firm Dassault Aviation to buy 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The plan was for Dassault Aviation to supply 18 Rafale jets in fly-away condition while 108 aircraft were to be manufactured in India by the company along with HAL. However, the deal could not be sealed. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Return of wet market signals end of IT mall From:Shanghai Daily | 2018-09-18 02:29 ONE of Shanghais earliest computer markets has been shut down and will soon be reborn as a modern wet market. Furongjiang Road Computer City Mall in Changning District began life as a street of electronic products in 1991 and was home to over 100 Internet and software companies. HK-listed Digital China began life there. However, the building is almost obsolete after two decades of great change in the market, due in the main to the slump in brick-and-mortar business brought by the online shopping era. Nearby residents are also keen to have a bigger and more up-to-date wet market to replace their current small, old-fashioned market. Renovations have been completed on the exterior of the nine-story building along with new drainage and fire sprinkler systems. Work is ongoing to turn the first and second floors into a wet market. The rest of the building will be turned over to AI businesses. Over 60 vegetable and food suppliers have signed up for spots in the new market which will feature a much cleaner environment and be directly supplied by farmers on Chongming Island. The digital market building previously had a wet market but it was removed two decades ago to accommodate the IT firms. The new market will open on October 31, when the old wet market will be closed. From the 1990s, the site was one of the most popular places in the city for people looking to buy computers and other electronic products. Over 100 companies selling and repairing computers were once stationed along a 500-meter section of Furongjiang Road. In 1998, the district government vacated the building and relocated the companies inside to become the famous Furongjiang Computer City. A smaller wet market was opened in a lane near Tianshan Road after the original market in the building was closed. New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said a Hindu Rashtra does not mean there is no place for Muslims as this concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions. Sangh works towards universal brotherhood. And the cardinal principle of this brotherhood is unity in diversity. This thought comes from our culture, which the world calls Hindutva. Thats why we call it a Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said on day two of the Sanghs three-day conclave, Bhavishya Ka Bharat An RSS Perspective, being held in the national capital. Also read | No RSS influence on Modi governments policies, says Mohan Bhagwat Asserting that the RSS philosophy is to take everyone along, he said, Hindu Rashtra doesnt mean theres no place for Muslims. The day it becomes so, it wont be Hindutva. Hindutva talks about one world family. Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, adding Hindutva was the essence of Indian cultural values and was aimed at fostering brotherhood among people of different faiths and views. The RSS chief termed Hindutva as synonymous with the concept of Bhartiya, which is used to define all Indians and is reflective of unity in diversity. The Sangh believes in Sarvepi Sukhinah Santu, which goes beyond the concept of maximum good of maximum people, the RSS chief said, adding that no single language or God bind us together. No single language or God bind us together. Our food habits, rituals and customs are not the same. We are divided in various states, languages, and castes. In spite of this, we claim to be the progeny of Bharat Mata and the followers of the universal human values, Bhagwat said. Also Read | Rafale row: Nirmala Sitharaman hits back at Antony, says UPA didn't support HAL in 2013 Bhagwat spoke at length about Hindus and Hindutva. He said Dr Ambedkar suggested that religion is not a code but a set of values and Hindutva is based on that set of values. While speaking in Parliament about Hindu Code Bill, Dr Ambedkar asked what is a religion? A value or a code? You consider a code as a religion. A code may change but not values. Our perspective towards religion is that it is based on values, the RSS chief added. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Japanese billionaire businessman, Yusaku Maezawa was revealed as the first tourist who will fly on a SpaceX rocket around the Moon by companys CEO Elon Musk. At the unveiling, Musk said Maezawa will fly to the moon aboard a new rocket called the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which is still in development. ALSO READ | Did you know your eyes have natural night vision mode? The Big Falcon Rocket was first announced in 2016, and was touted as the most powerful rocket in history, even more potent than the Saturn V Moon rocket that launched the Apollo missions five decades ago. I choose to go to the Moon, the 42-year-old billionaire said to cheers and applause at SpaceX headquarters in California, after being introduced by the aerospace company. "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon. I choose to go to the moon with artists. In 2023, as the host, I would like to invite six to eight artists from around the world to join me on this mission to the Moon. They will be asked to create something after they return to Earth. These masterpieces will inspire the dreamer within all of us." Maezawa said. "Until now, Americans are the only ones who have left Earth's orbit. A total of 24 NASA astronauts - all white men - voyaged to the Moon during the Apollo era of the 1960s and 1970's. Twelve walked on the lunar surface" he added. I choose to go to the moon, with Artists. #dearMoon https://t.co/ivMypEcWBZ Yusaku Maezawa aaa (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018 Earlier, Maezawa teased his announcement in several tweets, starting when he said there was a "big announcement" coming "about mid-September." Big announcement here soon. Please follow me and stay tuned!!! Yusaku Maezawa aaa (@yousuck2020) August 31, 2018 ALSO READ | Artificial Intelligence helps discover mysterious cosmic radio bursts Maezawa is the 18th richest person in Japan with a fortune of USD 3 billion, according to Forbes magazine. SpaceX's mysterious passenger won't be the world's first space tourist. Earlier, American engineer and multimillionaire Dennis Tito, who was the first non-astronaut to travel to the space, paid USD 20 million to spend eight days on the International Space Station in April 2001. The last space tourist was Canadian businessman Guy Laliberte, who flew to the International Space Station in 2009. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Russian IL-20 jet with 14 servicemen aboard disappeared from the radar off Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on early Tuesday. The Russian jet vanished off the radar while on its way back to the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria, the statement added. ALSO READ: Donald Trump slashes refugee acceptance to 30,000 for 2019: Pompeo Russian jet with 14 servicemen aboard vanishes from radar off Syria: news agencies (AFP) ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018 The Russian IL-20 aircraft vanished during an attack by four Israeli Air Force around Syrias Latakia province. A search and rescue operation has been organised. Syria is yet to comment on its involvement in the incident. Information on the 14 Russian servicemen aboard is awaited, it added. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The work on King Hamad Causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will start by mid-2021 and will be completed in three years, Saudi Arabias Ambassador to Bahrain has said. The tender for King Hamad Causeway will be issued after six months, Abdulla Al Shaikh was quoted by Arab News. The causeway will also include a rail line for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) network, cargo trains and vehicle lanes. Al Shaikh estimated that the cost of the project will be in the neighbourhood of $4 billion, adding that it will act as a new link between the two countries and will contribute to boosting trade in all fields. The new causeway, expected to be 25-km long, will run in parallel with the existing King Fahd Causeway, the only terrestrial link between the two kingdoms, which opened in November 1986. Manama : A Bahraini man in his seventies kicked out his 74-year-old wife after he got married to an Asian woman in her mid-thirties, the court heard. The woman had to resort to the Court of Urgent Matters in bid to return to the house and judges ruled in her favour, according to her lawyer Manar Al Tamimi. The Court of Urgent Matters issued an order with immediate effect to allow the woman return to her house because she has a valid marriage contract with him, although he expelled her from the house after his marriage with an Asian woman. My client spent her money on building and furnishing this house and its unacceptable for her to be kicked out, especially considering her age, Al Tamimi said. Manama : Amidst Bahrain making huge advancement in the implementation of different technologies in the financial sector, the regions first ever biometric payment network will be soon launched in the country, it was announced. Ithmaar Bank and Eazy Financial Services, with the support of Tamkeen, will soon be launching the biometric payment network in Bahrain. Once implemented, Ithmaar Bank customers will no longer be required to use their bank cards at ATMs. Instead, they will be able to use their fingerprint along with their PIN to process financial transactions. The implementation is expected to add convenience and stronger security in financial transactions. Speaking during a press conference held at Four Seasons Bahrain Bay yesterday, Eazy Financial Services CEO, Khaled Al Ahli said that customer needs were carefully studied before deciding on the technology. I think the payment process has never been about having an exciting experience, but we expect it to be convenient and practical with a good user experience as well as to have a secure way to transact. The world is changing quickly; there are cutting edge technologies and solutions coming out rapidly. We took a step back for a moment to understand the market and the behavioral changes. We found that people just wanted a practical and convenient way to transact, he said. What we found was that fingerprint would make that difference. We are all already conformable with using biometric technologies, so we decided to take this to the banking and financial sector, he said. With this you can use your fingerprint to make any payment or banking transaction. Whether you want to withdraw your cash from the ATM or make a transaction at a branch or make a purchase at a shop, all you would need is your fingerprint and PIN. The agreement is a result of the financial support of Tamkeen, with the support of the EDB and CBB, and will see the new Biometric Payment Network available in phases for Ithmaar Bank customers as early as Q1 2019. Police on Monday sent papers to prosecutors on a 69-year-old taxi driver on a charge of reckless driving resulting in death after his vehicle hit and killed the 45-year-old driver of a hire car in Tokyo's Roppongi district. According to police, the incident occurred at around 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Fuji TV reported that the taxi driver, Yasuhiro Minami, drove his car into the victim, Susumu Okada, knocking him onto the hood, and continued for several meters before hitting a traffic light pole. Police on Sunday said footage captured on the cab's drive recorder showed Minami's taxi accelerating before hitting Okada. Police said the two vehicles approached each other on a narrow four-meter road near the Spanish Embassy. Okada and Minami both got out of their cars and were arguing because neither vehicle would give way to the other. Minami told police he left the engine running without the brake on and his taxi started moving. He ran back and got in but before he could stop the taxi, it gained speed and hit Okada. Police quoted Minami as saying he stepped on the brake pedal but couldn't stop in time. - Japan Today New batch of officials in frugality breaches From:Shanghai Daily | 2018-09-18 02:29 About 10 city officials have been punished for violating the Partys frugality rules, Shanghais disciplinary watchdog said yesterday. The officials include senior officials with water, construction, police and village authorities who attended dinner parties, received gifts or cash, or banqueted at public expense, according to the CPC Shanghai Commission for Discipline Inspection. The commission asked for more frequent study sessions along with stricter management and supervision of officials ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. The Communist Party of China launched a frugality campaign in December 2012, the eight-point rules, to stamp out extravagance among officials. Among those punished were Wang Feng, deputy director of the construction management department of the water authority, and Bai Tao, deputy Party secretary and discipline inspection commission secretary of the citys water construction safety and quality watchdog. They attended a banquet in January and received 2,000 yuan (US$290) in cash each. Bai has been sacked from his Party and discipline commission roles and was ordered to pay back the cash. Wang received a warning after voluntarily returning the money. In a similar case, Xu Jianfu, deputy director with the quality and safety supervision department of the housing and construction commission has received a warning along with Xie Yiping with the construction department of the commission, for attending a banquet and each receiving 2,000 yuan in cash. Guo Shi, deputy director of Zhongshan police station in Songjiang District got an administrative demerit for attending a banquet and accepting mooncake coupons to the value of 1,000 yuan. Kathmandu, September 18 Though the central bank of Nepal had urged all commercial banks of the country to expand their services to all 753 local units across the country by mid-July, 97 of them still do not have any such financial institutions. Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada says only 656 local units have commercial banks. Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry, he says other units do not have banks as they lack basic infrastructures to open branches. The banks now have been told to extend their services to remaining 97 units as well at the earliest, according to him. If physical expansion is not possible, the banks have been directed to explore options to provide services without establishing their branches there. Meanwhile, Khatiwada claimed the government collected Rs 120 billion revenue in the first two months of current fiscal year, which is 37 per cent more than the amount of the same period last year. Tanko Yakasai, an elder statesman, says restructuring was conceived by Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, to destabilis... Tanko Yakasai, an elder statesman, says restructuring was conceived by Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, to destabilise the country. He said this at a public lecture organised by Africa Research and Development Agency (ARADA) in Kano on Sunday. There has been an ongoing debate on the issue of restructuring the country, with some of its proponent expressing different views on what it entails. Yakasai said those clamouring for restructuring should explain the real meaning of the concept to Nigerians. Restructuring, as many other problematic concepts, was conceived by Afenifere, an offshoot of Action Group, to destabilise the country, he said. It is upon those who are agitating for restructuring to tell Nigerians the real meaning of restructuring. For example, how will Nigeria look like after restructuring? What is your fate? If restructuring means constitutional amendments, there is laid down procedure for constitutional amendment. Because constitutional amendment is being conducted through elected representatives, and the North by virtue of its population has higher number of representatives, that is why they are afraid to call for constitutional amendment. Some people are advocating we should adopt the 1962 constitution. To the best of my knowledge, the 1962 constitution recognised four regions. Now we have six geo-political regions. But they failed to explain which regions should be retained or merged. If the Igbo who lost their wealth during the Nigerian civil war emerged prosperous and presently own 70 percent of Lagos industries, the north has no cause to fear any threat from other parts of the country. During the civil war, regional governments took over landed properties belonging to Igbos in their respective regions. But in Kano and entire northern part, the landed properties were handed over to the Igbos after the civil war. The British High Commission in Nigeria has made it clear that the recent visit of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is not an endor... The British High Commission in Nigeria has made it clear that the recent visit of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is not an endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari or any other candidate. Laura Beaufils, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, said this in her address, at an interactive session organised for journalists by the commission in Lagos. Beaufils also restated the UK governments commitment to spending 47.4million on Deepening Democracy in Nigeria Programme Phase 2 (DDiN2). Speaking on UKs role in deepening democracy in partnership with Nigeria, she insisted that the British government had no intention to influence the outcome of the 2019 general election. Immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, has described his sack as a blessing in disguise. Immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, has described his sack as a blessing in disguise. He said President Muhammadu Buhari deserves to be re-elected in 2019 following his developmental strides in Nigeria. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, quoted Lawal to have said this while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja. He said that those opposed to Buharis re-election were probably blind to his numerous achievements. I know that President Buhari has done very well to be re-elected over and over again, I wonder whether those still in doubt have not seen infrastructure, construction and other things he has been doing. I challenge those in doubt to come to Adamawa to see things for themselves, he said. Before his coming into office, I could not go to my village, I could not go to my farm or to my Local Government, but the situation has changed. Now, I can drive to my house even at 2 a.m, I can visit the remotest corners of the village with my family. I go to my farm in the forest and come back safely. If you have never faced an unsecured situation, you may not appreciate what I am saying, he said. He further noted that under the President Buhari-led Federal Government, all trunk A roads in Adamawa were now under construction or contracts awarded. He said such roads included; Yola to Gombe, Numan to Taraba, Yola to Mubi, Mararaba to Bama and many others under construction. The former SGF, however, said that in spite of the situation that surrounded his leaving office, he had no regret, adding that his sack was a blessing in disguise. Let me shock you, before I came into government, I have been in business, I was a very successful businessman. I am a world renowned IT consultant and I have a very large farm, spanning over 1,000 hectares, which I abandoned to join governance. I was earning N930,000 monthly as the SGF, now that I have returned to my farm and reactivated it after my sack, I now have 4,000 hectares under cultivation. Last year, I earned close to half a billion naira from my farm proceeds, I have a cattle ranch that I am developing gradually and I am back to IT consultancy, life is now good, he stressed. Lawal, who was speaking to the press for the first time since he left office, added that everybody who saw him now, complimented him, saying he was looking good and healthy. He, however, said that his sack from office, opened his eyes to a lot of things that were hidden from him, adding that lots of people he helped in the past, were actually planning his downfall. Referring to the scripture, the former SGF said; everything that happened to a man is for his own good; my sack I would say, is rather a blessing in disguise. Let me tell you, nothing happened to me. Right from the beginning of the saga, I knew that the whole thing was fabricated and that was why I did not give any damn from the beginning. Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is currently overseeing a divided Nigeria. Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is currently overseeing a divided Nigeria. Saraki, a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said this in Abeokuta , Ogun State on Monday. He was in the state to meet with PDP delegates ahead of the next month presidential primary. The former Governor was accompanied by a leader of R-APC Kawu Baraje, ex-governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, Director-General of his campaign organization, Muhammad Wakil and a Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye. Saraki said Nigeria no longer need a sectional leader like President Buhari. Today in Nigeria, we are here at the crossroads. The country is divided and to unite the country, we need someone who will make everybody feel a sense of belonging. Today, there is no sense belonging in some parts of the country. We need a president that rules and represents Nigeria. We want a president where everybody will say they belong here. Where there is no unity, there can never be progress. After unity, we can talk about development and progress. A lot of our people are suffering because you cannot give what you dont have. We need a visionary leader. It is time for us in Nigeria to have a visionary leader. We need a man that has the ability and that can perform. Today, there is a new order over the world; we have seen it in Asia, America, and Europe. We are seeing people bringing in new, dynamic and energetic presidents and more importantly, digital presidents. When we talk about insecurity, it takes a courageous leader to say this is right and this is wrong, this is fair and this is unfair. It is time we have a leader that will stand for justice, to do things the way it needs to be done. We should stop saying presidents can only come from one part of the country. A prosecution witness, Edwin Uduji, yesterday, gave details of how billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, known popularly as Evans, threatened to collect a fine of $10,000 for any fake 100 dollar bill.Uduji, an elder brother to a kidnap victim, Mr. James Uduji, told this to a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, while giving evidence at the trial of Evans, the Anambra State-born high-profile kidnapper.Evans is standing trial on two separate charges, bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder, before Justice Adedayo Akintoye.At the resumed trial, Uduji narrated to the court how he paid one million dollar ransom to the kidnappers of his brother.The witness, who was led in evidence in chief by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said he was contacted through phone by the kidnappers two days after his brother (James) was kidnapped, adding that he was made to speak with the kidnap victim.According to him, my brother told me that the kidnappers had agreed to collect one million dollars.He also said I should do everything possible to gather the money to save his life, because he sustained bullet wound from the kidnappers.Sourcing $100mAccording to him, the ransom was gathered from my brothers business distributors.Edwin said he had to change all the money into dollars through the bureau de change, adding that the ransom was paid in two tranches of 200,000 and 800,000 dollars.The instruction from the voice that usually called me, was that when I get the Naira equivalent, I must change it into crispy 100 dollar bills and that if there is any fake 100 dollar bill, I will pay a fine of 10,000 dollars.My brother (the victim) also pleaded with me not to make arrangements with security agents, so that the kidnappers will not kill him.On the day I dropped the first instalment of 200,000 dollars, the kidnappers instructed me through phone where to drop the money. I was made to drive round Lagos before they finally instructed me to drop it along Cele Expressway at about 2.20a.m on September 16, 2015.He said the second ransom of 800,000 dollars was paid in the eastern part of the country by his relative, Mr. Izuchukwu Ezeuko.Kidnappers asked me to swap place with my brotherHe also told the court that when it was taking time to get the ransom, the kidnappers asked that he be swapped with his brother (James), so the victim can get home and source the money easily.He said he told the kidnappers that he was hypertensive and diabetic, so he was told to take a drug that will last one month when he comes to take his brothers place.After listening to the argument, Justice Adedayo Akintoye adjourned the case until October 4 for continuation of hearing. The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of maximum security at the 58th Independence celebration, scheduled to hold from September 25 to October 1.Mr Gabriel Aduda, Chairman, 2018 Independence Day Central Organising Committee, gave the assurance at a news briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.We have looked at every possible risk that could arise, we are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that Nigerians are secure and the celebration is hitch-free.All the military and paramilitary are part of the planning committee and we are working to ensure there is no security breach in the course of the celebration.Let us not focus on the negative issues in the country, it is sad people may have lost their lives due to insecurity, but the fact that we are still united in Nigeria should be appreciated, he said.He said the nations freedom did not come on a platter of gold and there was need for Nigerians to remind themselves that they had come a long way in spite of the diverse challenges.According to him, Nigeria is not where it wants to be yet but she is certainly not where she began, considerable progresses have been made.He added that it had been several years since Nigeria had a full blown traditional independence celebration, adding the labours of our heroes past should no longer be downplayed.Aduda outlined the schedule of a weeklong activity to ensure a holistic participation of Nigerians in the celebrations.He listed photo exhibition on our National History with the theme: Footprints of our Political Leaders, holding Tuesday, September 25 to Thursday, September 27.He said that on Friday, September 28, there will be a Jumaat prayer at the National Mosque, followed by a Night of Nigerian Culture featuring drama, comedy, fashion, among others at the International Conference Centre.The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, he added, would host children from various Internally Displaced Persons Camp at Harrows Park, Wuse II, Abuja, on Saturday, September 29.The Independence Interdenominational Church Service will take place at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Sunday, September 30.On Monday, October 1 there will be a media broadcast followed by independence parade at Eagles Square by Para-military and Military, labour unions and Air Display by Air-force fighter jets over the skies.According to him, there will also be a dinner/gala night at the State House Banquet Hall to close the celebration.The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the 2010 Independence Day Bombing led to the low key celebration of Nigerias Independence in the past eight years. A pro-democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari over the replacement ... A pro-democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari over the replacement of former Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun with Zainab Ahmed. HURIWA said Buharis action of appointing his kinsmen to head security and sensitive areas of government with those who share same religion is a constitutional abomination which must be aborted forthwith. The organisation faulted Ahmeds appointment, claiming the appointee was the stepsister of the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. Recall that Adeosun had last week resigned her appointment as the Finance Minister over the alleged forgery of her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, exemption certificate. Following the resignation of Adeosun, Ahmed was appointed the acting Minister as her replacement. However, HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko lamented The decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to pick the reported step-sister of the Kaduna state governor (Nasir El-Rufai) Zainab Ahmed, a Fulani like himself as Finance Minister after the resignation of the immediate past Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who had to leave following swirling allegations of certificate scam. The rights group also berated the President for, concentrating key and strategic beats in the hands of only a section of the country. Against this backdrop, the body accused the, President of nepotism which violates section 14 (3) of the constitution. The statement reads, Why should this government concentrate the most important appointments in the cabinet such as Finance, Defence, Justice and the entire internal security team in the hands of a section of Nigeria and alienating others? This divisive tendency is a grave threat to national security and the survival of our union as a united political and sovereign entity. Total control of all security infrastructures and the concentration of same in the hands of the Presidents kinsmen who share same religion is a constitutional abomination which must be aborted forthwith. Home Just In From the Kathmandu Press: Tuesday, September 18, 2018 All major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Tuesday have given the top priority to Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis meeting with parents of Nirmala Pant, who was raped and murdered around two months ago in Bhimdutta Nagar of Kanchanpur district. The governments decision to restrict the import of sugar to a specific volume every year has also received significant attention as newspapers have analysed positive and negative impacts of the decision. Likewise, the House of Representatives preparation to hold elections for various thematic committees has also made it to the front page of some newspapers today. There are some other issues and events from political, sociocultural and economic sphares that have been featured on the front page of Kathmandu broadsheets today. Important Pant parents return home after PMs assurance Durga Devi Pant and Yagya Raj Pant, parents of Nirmala Pant, have returned home in Kanchanpur district of far-western Nepal after spending nearly one week in Kathmandu, pleading for justice, many newspapers have reported on the front pages. On the final day of the visit, they held a meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who assured the couple that the government would take action against the perpetrators. Meanwhile, Naya Patrika informs that the familys efforts to meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari to put forth their demand failed. What will be impacts of restriction on sugar import? Kantipur has termed the government decision to limit the import of sugar upto 100,000 ton for this fiscal year as the syndicate in the market, arguing it will make the daily consumable more expensive ahead of major festivals of Dashain and Tihar. However, domestic sugar producers are elated with the decision as it will help them sell their produce more easily, according to Abhiyan. Ignored Police accused of torturing suspect in another murder probe While police reportedly used force to make a suspect of Nirmala Pant murder accept the crime, which later got proved false, the law enforcers used the same means in forcing a domestic worker to accept his role in the murder of former ambassador Keshav Raj Jha, according to Kantipur lead story. The report informs that the National Human Rights Commission has launched a probe after police reportedly tortured Jhas cook Sanu Kanchha Tamang during the investigation. Biplav puts three conditions for talks Netra Bikram Chand Biplav-led Communist Party of Nepal has put forth three conditions to begin a formal conversation with the government in a bid to end the struggle, Naya Patrika reports. The party is currently in an informal communication with the government after the government formed a talk team few weeks ago. The conditions include: I) the government should clarify its perspective to the group, whether it is a political party or a violent group; II) the government should release its arrested leaders; and III) the government should not obstruct its activities. RJPN, Forum using state coffers to protest constitution Rajdhani claims in a three column story that two Madhesh-centric partiesFederal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party Nepalare preparing to observe the Constitution Day as the black day, protesting the 2015 constitution; that too using the state coffers. The Forum-Nepal is a part of the central government and leading the Province 2 government whereas the RJPN is also a coalition partner in Province 2. Both the parties have a strong presence in local governments of Province 2. No complaint against CIAA Chief nominee The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee says it did not receive any complaint against Naveen Kumar Ghimire, who has been nominated for the position of Chief at Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, according to a brief story in Nepal Samacharpatra. The Committee had set a deadline of Monday evening to file the complaints, but no one showed up against him, according to the Committees Undersecretary Keshav Aryal. Interesting Now onwards, you can pay tax online A snippet in Karobar reports that the government has introduced an online tax payment system on Monday. The government has taken a decision in this regard around six months ago, and the decision came into effect from Monday. The report adds that the new system will help the government control tax leakage and administrative costs. The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) said that part of activities to commemorate the countrys 58th Indep... The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) said that part of activities to commemorate the countrys 58th Independence Anniversary will include displays by the Nigerian Air Force jets and helicopters. This was announced in a statement by Mr. Gabriel Aduda, Chairman, 2018 Independence Day Organising Committee, on Monday in Abuja. Aduda said that movement of military hardware would also be part of the activities. He said the flight displays by fast Air-Force jets and helicopters would be within the airspace of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Aduda added that the major airspace to be affected include those of Eagle Square, the three arms zones, Keffi, Ado, Orozo, Karu, Nyanya, Guzape and Asokoro areas of the FCT. He said that the Air Force jet simulations involving a total of 27 air-craft assembled from various NAF units were planned for between Sept. 14 to 30 and between 10.00 a.m to 4.00 p.m daily. He, therefore, advised members of the public not to panic at the sight and sounds of the personnel and equipment maneuvers by the military and other paramilitary agencies. Citizens are therefore advised to go about their normal activities, he said. Senate President and presidential aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Bukola Saraki, yesterday, excited members of the party in Lagos as he assured them that he will do everything within his reach to ensure PDP produced the next governor of the state.Saraki, who spoke at the PDP secretariat in Lagos State, where he was endorsed as favourite candidate, said he had the medicine of the man terrorizing Lagos State.He said: What you have been fighting for many years, you will have it during the coming election because you now have somebody that has intention and charisma to deal with those disturbing you.I have a medicine of the man who regards himself as godfather terrorising Lagos State. We have their formula, come next year, PDP will take over Lagos.Saraki warned Nigerians to be mindful of presidential aspirants promising to restructure Nigeria, if elected president.He said restructuring agenda was not something a president could single-handedly promise as it required the input of the legislature.He said: Many aspirants will tell you that they will restructure Nigeria, but dont let them deceive you because restructuring is not something only a president can do because certain laws also need to change.So you need a president that has political sagacity to carry people along. But there are very few aspirants today that possess such charisma. Once I assume office, I will devolve more powers to the state.On unemployment, Saraki said no government could create enough jobs, stressing that it was only private sector that could do so.He said: You need a president that can speak private sector language. So, this is the time to elect the right president to lead the country.In Nigeria, we are at the crossroads and we need to save the soul of this country because we have not been so divided like we are currently across the country.In his response, Acting Chairman of Lagos State PDP, Alhaji Wali Hassan, assured the Senate President of their support, even as he commended him for the love he had for the party in Lagos.As you can all see, he had his primary and secondary school education in Lagos and his wife is a Lagosian, so we are going to support him, Hassan said.On his entourage were former Minister of State for Power, Alhaji Mohammed Wakili; immediate past governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada; Dr. Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan; Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye; and Chairman of the defunct nPDP, Kawu Baraje, among others.Meanwhile, while meeting with delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Saraki described Nigeria under the control of President Muhammadu Buhari as a divided nation, where citizens dont have a sense of belonging.He said: Today in Nigeria, we are here at the crossroads. The country is divided and to unite the country, we need someone who will make everybody feel a sense of belonging. Today, there is no sense belonging in some parts of the country.We need a president that rules and represents Nigeria. We want a president where everybody will say they belong here. Where there is no unity, there can never be progress. After unity, we can talk about development and progress. The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakars request for protection from President Muhammadu B... The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakars request for protection from President Muhammadu Buhari as shocking. The organisation reacted in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Mr Cassidy Madueke in Abuja on Monday. It noted that the request showed how inconsistent the former Vice President could be. It is apparent that Atiku suffers an irredeemable proclivity for playing to the gallery. This is what you get when you cannot put meditation to publicly expressed opinions. Same you claimed the President is the most incompetent president in the history of the country, yet, hours afterwards, same you were teary-eyed in petitioning for a privileged presidential security protection for you and your family, BMO said. An elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, has described the agitation for restructuring as a Yoruba agenda promoted by uninformed Igbo people.Yakasai said the agitation is another attempt to foment trouble in the country.He said this at a public lecture organised by Africa Research and Development Agency, ARADA, in Kano.His words: Restructuring, as many other problematic concepts, was conceived by Afenifere, an offshoot of Action Group, to destabilise the country.It is upon those who are agitating for restructuring to tell Nigerians the real meaning of restructuring. For example, how will Nigeria look like after restructuring? What is your fate?If restructuring means constitutional amendments, there is laid down procedure for constitutional amendment, because constitutional amendment is being conducted through elected representatives and the North by virtue of its population has higher number of representatives, that is why they are afraid to call for constitutional amendment.Some people are advocating we should adopt the 1962 Constitution. To the best of my knowledge, the 1962 Constitution recognised four regions. Now we have six geo-political regions. But they failed to explain which regions should be retained or merged.If the Igbo, who lost their wealth during the Nigerian civil war emerged prosperous and presently own 70 percent of Lagos industries, the North has no cause to fear any threat from other parts of the country.During the civil war, regional governments took over landed properties belonging to Igbos in their respective regions. But in Kano and entire Northern part, the landed properties were handed over to the Igbos after the civil war.In Kano, a committee was constituted under the leadership of Dr Uba Adamu who renovated Igbo properties vandalised during the civil war and returned them to Igbos after the war. But their properties in Port Harcourt were not given to them till date.On why he supported Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 against Muhammadu Buhari, Yakasai said: I supported Jonathan during the national conference, though I have never met him. Igbo and Yoruba have common enmity against Hausa. There is need to establish relationship with Southern minorities, because we share similar fate.Niger Delta has petroleum resources, North has human resources but they are lagging behind the West and the East in terms of education and economy.In his remarks, the Executive Director of ARADA, Sule Bello, said the lecture was organised to share experiences, sensitise people and develop a common roadmap on the development of Nigeria. Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, President of the Senate, has condemned the killing of Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa the humanitarian worker from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by Boko Haram terrorists.In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki stated that the killing of aid workers represents a new low by Boko Haram insurgents, while calling for immediate action by the military to ensure that Leah Sharibu and the other two Red Cross workers still in Boko Harams captivity are released.Saraki said: My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa the young 25-year old female international aid worker who was abducted and killed by Boko Haram.Such horrific actions have no place in Nigeria. I join all Nigerians and the international community in condemning this killing in the strongest possible terms.The killing of aid workers, who choose to go into troubled spots, both in Nigeria and around the world, represents a new low by the insurgents, as humanitarian workers are some of the most courageous and selfless people on the planet.Additionally, the continued abduction of the late Saifuras ICRC colleagues, Hauwa and Alice, by the militants, alongside the captivity of the young Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, must end.I call on our brave servicemen and women on the frontlines to do all that they can to protect the rescue workers on the ground and employ every God-given resource that is available to us to rescue Leah Sharibu and the ICRC humanitarian workers.We will continue to support the government, to ensure that peace and security are restored in the North-east, Saraki said. Senate President Bukola Saraki says the current administration is trying to implement his blueprint on commercial farming. Senate President Bukola Saraki says the current administration is trying to implement his blueprint on commercial farming. A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Saraki said this when he appeared before the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum at the Abuja residence of Edwin Clark, Ijaw leader. The man, who presided over the affairs of Kwara state for eight years, said when he spoke on the idea as a governor, he was criticised. Saraki said government has to create the environment for the private sector to flourish because it cannot do it alone. Seventy percent of our population are young people. Government alone cannot take us there, he said. Unless we have a private sector that is q0 times bigger than what it is today, forget it young people will still be roaming around carrying their CV looking for jobs in government that will never come. It will never come because those jobs will never be there. The only way they will get jobs is when we have private sector that have ability to create jobs, and to create the investments that will make it happen. Two million barrels a day, with population growing at three percent, is not enough. What you need to do is ensure other sectors, minerals, agriculture, are growing. As a governor, I came up and said you must have commercial farming. What I said over seven years ago is what is the blueprint today that the government is trying to adopt. When I said it then, I was attacked. Today, the country is still spending N2 to N3 billion and it will continue to do so. Anchor Borrowers programme, Presidential Fertiliser Initiative and Food Security Council are some of the agricultural programmes of the current administration. The presidential aspirant assured the elders that he has what it takes to turn around the fortunes of the country. He said leading the country is not a part-time job, insisting the occupant of the highest office must be youthful, energetic, and vibrant. Saraki said developed democracies are now rushing for capable youthful leaders in order to compete favourably with other countries. Where we are as a country today is too serious for us to take lightly. The Nigeria that we have today have never been so disunited, he said. When you go to many parts of the country, people will tell you Do I truly belong? Are we part of this country called Nigeria? On top of that, over a number of years, we have seen series of impunity. People are not held accountable. There is no inclusiveness in government. There is insensitivity and lack of empathy. So the first thing that is key to us is how do we unite this country. What kind of president can unite this country? Lack of insensitivity, these are the issues that are driving suspicion, pulling us apart. Anything else we talk, development e.t.c cant happen unless we bring everybody back. As such, he must somebody that can represent, somebody in any part of the country can say I think he represents Nigeria, I think he will be fair to me whether Im a Christian or Muslim, I think he will be fair to me whether Im a northerner or southerner. That gives us an opportunity of a platform to move forward. Secondly, more importantly, I think what has been one of our major problem is capacity. I think over the years we have voted on sentiments. We have left capacity and ability, and used sentiments to decide who leads us. That is why we are where we are today. But we need Mr. President that has the capacity, that has the vision that can drive and perform. Without capacity on the part of the leadership, Nigeria cannot progress even though God has continued to blessed the nation. There is no country that can provide for its people, take them out of poverty the way we are going about it. If it is about the work, my leaders, I know I am very competent and I know what needs to be done to put this country on the right path. I have shown my experience, apart from my eight years and Chairman Nigeria Governors Forum, I have shown what makes people work together. I have also shown that in the senate in the last three years, which has 18 former governors, despite all the efforts of the government. I believe I have been able to show leadership and capacity. Its okay for us to say we want to get rid of Mr. President. By getting rid of Mr. President, we might not fix Nigeria. I dont think we want to get rid of Mr. President without fixing Nigeria. The federal government has boasted that it has moved 10.073million Nigerians from poverty to prosperity.The minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma made the claim Tuesday while speaking on arrangements for the 24th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#24) held at the conference room of the ministry in Abuja.He said federal government had taken steps to move over 10 million Nigerians from poverty to prosperity as one of the key priorities of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP by investing in the people.According to him, the government had provided 8.96million school children under the Home Grown School Feeding Programme; over 297,000 poor and vulnerable Nigerians supported with cash transfer of N5,000; successfully disbursed more than 308,000 loans of N50,000 and above under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and 200,000 Young Unemployed Graduates Empowered through the N-Power scheme , while over 308,000 had been selected for consideration for the second batch.We have taken steps towards moving our people from Poverty to prosperity. Indeed, one of the key priorities of the ERGP is investing in our people.That objective has been behind many Government programmes, particularly the Social Investment Programme. Under this programme, we have empowered millions of Nigerian youths, women and children.To combat hunger and achieve food security, we have raised capital provisions for agriculture from N8.8billion in 2015 to N149.2billion in the 2018 budget. Over N82billion has been disbursed as credit to more than 350,000 farmers under the Anchor Borrowers programme. 14 moribund fertilizer blending plants have been revitalized through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI), with a total capacity of 2.3million metric tons of NPK fertilizer.Nigerias milled rice production has increased by about 60% and since 2016 eight new rice mills have been brought into production, he added.The chairman and CEO of NESG, Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola in his opening remarks, explained that the summit scheduled to hold from October 22-23, 2018 in Abuja with the theme Poverty to Prosperity: Making Governance & Institutions Work, would focus on using governance to lift Nigerians out of poverty.He assured that the summit would continue to be rallying point for both public and private sectors to various economic challenges plaguing the country.According to the minister, the focus of the summit will be on good governance as a path to sustainable human and economic development in order to achieve the goals of the ERGP.On the reason for low GDP growth in the country, he blamed it on insecurity and low oil production and assured that effort was on to meet the growth target.We are aware of the fact that the GDP growth in the last quarter was below the estimated target. This is because of the growing insecurity and low oil production but we are working hard to meet our growth target.It is important to note that the non-oil sector has been growing. That is why we have been working harder to be where we want to be. We will also work harder on agriculture to address hunger and food insecurity in the country.We cant do everything together. Agriculture was part of last years theme. This year is on governance. The ERGP runs on 2020 not focused on election.The Nigerian Economic Summit is organised annually by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria represented by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.The summit provides a forum for dialogue amongst top policy makers and corporate leaders. It brings together government officials, representatives of the private sector, development partners, the civil society and some members of academia to reflect on issues constraining our national development with the aim of building consensus so as to evolve common strategies and policy frameworks for addressing these issues. A pro-democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Tuesday urged the judiciary to prevail on President Muhamma... A pro-democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Tuesday urged the judiciary to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey subsisting court orders. HURIWA made the appeal while lamenting the continued incarceration of former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria also known as Shiite, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky. The body called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, President of Court of Appeal, Mrs. Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa and Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Adamu Abdul-Kafarati to fashion out a sustainable response mechanism that could avoid the collapse of the judicial system in Nigeria. HURIWA made the call in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko. The statement reads partly: Vexed by the lackluster and lackadaisical attitudes of the heads of the three mainstream Courts to the flagrant violations of subsisting court orders by President Muhammadu Buhari, we task them to defend the integrity of the court system. We challenge the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen; President of court of Appeal Mrs. Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, and Chief judge of federal high court, Mr Adamu Abdul-Kafarati to work as a team and support the head of the judiciary in Nigeria being the Chief Justice of Nigeria to fashion out a sustainable response mechanisms that could compel the head of the executive arm of government to comply with all binding court orders to avoid the collapse of constitutional democracy in the Country. We insists that the hierarchy of the judicial system in Nigeria is needed now more than ever to show courageous leadership by standing on the side of the constitution to demand strict adherence to the tenets of the principle of rule of law because allowing the naked desecration of the temple of justice by one branch of government and to continue to pretend that all is well will not augur well for sustainable democracy. Democracy survives when all the primary drivers of the process are compelled by all lawful means to comply with the binding rules governing constitutional democracy and most especially the rule of law. The group specifically condemned the heads of the different courts in the country for doing nothing whilst the head of the executive arm of government continues to disregard court rulings which amount to an unconstitutional conducts, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President of Court of Appeal and the Chief of Federal High Court are collectively charged to salvage the image of the court system and restore it to its constitutional pride of place. HURIWA carpeted judges heading the diverse segments of the judiciary in Nigeria for failing to exercise their powers such as boycotting all cases filed by the presidency and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation until such a time the president complies with half a dozen binding bail orders in favour of erstwhile National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki and the leader of Shiites Islamic Movement, Ibrahim El-zazaky. The body noted that time is not on our side to stop the coming catastrophe that may come by the persistence of these cumulative breaches of the principle of rule of law. How does the chief justice of Nigeria; the president of court of Appeal and Chief Judge of Federal High Court feel every day they go to work to realize that the head of the executive arm of government has consigned several binding judgments of courts to the dustbin of impunity? Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom state, says under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state did not benefit a kilometer... Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom state, says under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state did not benefit a kilometer of road from the federal government in 16 years. Akpabio served his two terms as governor under the PDP and had been a key member of the opposition party since 1999 until he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in August. Buhari in the 2015 election despite the fact he was a member of the PDP Speaking when he led elders from the state to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, Akpabio said his heart was withBuhari in the 2015 election despite the fact he was a member of the PDP The former governor, who was the senate minority leader, said there would be no be defection that will affect the chances of the APC in the forthcoming elections. Akpabio boasted that Akwa Ibom will be the first state from the south-south that the APC will win in 2019. He said what is left of the PDP in Akwa Ibom is a mere carcass as the body and soul of the party had joined the APC. Kathmandu, September 18 Whereas the Federal Parliament Secretariat is preparing to hold elections for chairpersons of various thematic committees in the House of Representatives this Friday, the ruling Nepal Communist Party has finalised the list of its candidates. Candidates of the NCP are sure to get elected unopposed or win the polls as the main opposition Nepali Congress is not in the position to challenge them. Likewise, the party has also convinced two Madhesh-centric parties to support its candidates as each of the two parties has got leadership opportunity in one committee. Interestingly, the Prime Ministers party has mostly selected the lawmakers close to the partys leadership so that the parliamentary committees cannot create much challenges in implementing the governments decision. The partys Standing Committee member Ghanashyam Bhusal, who is critical of party Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis policy, had expressed his desire to lead the Finance Committee. But, Oli and another Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to offer the position to lawmaker Krishna Prasad Dahal, who is close to Oli. Likewise, another anti-Oli leader in the party, Yogesh Bhattarai, has been blocked from leading the powerful Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee though both the chairs had assured him the position earlier. The position has been given to Laxman Lal Karna of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal. On a positive note, the party has decided to send women to lead seven among nine parliamentary committees it is going to head. Home Just In Pant murder probe: Team of women police deployed to Kanchanpur Kathmandu, September 18 The Nepal Police Headquarters on Tuesday decided to send an additional team, consisting of women officials only, to Bhimdutta Nagar of Kanchanpur district to investigate into the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant around two months ago. An official of the Headquarters informs that SP Durga Singh leads the team. The team has been assigned to establish coordination with the victims family and neighbours as well as local rights activities to assist the investigation process. Because this case is related to a girl child, we thought a team consisting of women officials only could make the investigation more effective, the source informs, We have left no stone unturned to conclude the probe at the earliest. Two days ago, the Headquarters had formed a powerful team to investigate if police officials were also involved in the crime. He also assured that findings of the investigation would be revealed soon. Kathmandu, September 18 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday directed Tribhuvan University, the countrys largest and oldest university, to produce qualified human resources that sell in the global market. He also suggested that the university concentrate its efforts on academic revival and qualitative development. He said the university should understand sentiments of the new generation as it is smarter than the previous ones. Speaking at a meeting of the universitys officials, Prime Minister Oli, also the ex-officio Chancellor of the university, also directed the officials to produce maximum results with minimum investments. Budget crisis is a reality across the country. Therefore, you should pay attention to achieving results with the available budget. New York Universitys Taub Center for Israel Studies will host Identity and Nationalism in America, Europe, and Israel, a discussion featuring journalist Peter Beinart, author Yoram Hazony, and Forward opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon, on Tues., Oct. 9, 7 p.m., at NYUs Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, Colloquium Room, 238 Thompson Street, 5th Floor [between West 3rd Street and Washington Square South]. The event, co-sponsored by the Forward, will center on the nature of political and social identity in the age of Trump, Bibi, and Brexit, with a focus on Hazonys recently released The Virtue of Nationalism (Basic, Sept.). The event, which will coincide with the launch of the Forwards October magazine, is free and open to the public. RSVP by calling 212.992.9797 or emailing rsvp.taub@nyu.edu. Space limited to availability. Hazony is a political theorist and biblical scholar who founded the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, where he is now the president of the Herzl Institute. Beinart, an associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, is also a contributor to the Atlantic, a senior columnist at the Forward, a CNN political commentator, and a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Ungar-Sargon, the Forward opinion editor, is a regular commentator on American Jewish affairs. Subways: A, C, D, E, F, M (West 4th St.). Editors Note: The Taub Center was established with a gift from the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation. The gift supports an endowed professorship and two graduate fellowships in Israel Studies, and funds lectures, seminars, scholarly colloquia at the Center, and other special programs for students, faculty, and the community. In addition to offering its own programming, the Taub Center works closely with NYUs departments to create cross-disciplinary programming, serving to broaden NYUs offerings in Judaic and Middle Eastern studies. For more, go to http://taub.as.nyu.edu/. 18/09/2018 - The risk of job automation is much higher in some regions than others within countries, meaning governments will need to address any widening of job inequality between one area and another in the coming years, according to a new OECD report. Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018: Preparing for the Future of Work finds that the geographic variation in job automation risk is strikingly high in the 21 countries for which data is available. The share of jobs at high risk nears 40% in some regions (e.g. West Slovakia) and is as low as 4% in others (e.g. the region around the Norwegian capital Oslo). Previous OECD analysis has estimated that around 14% of jobs across the OECD area as a whole are at risk of automation, while another 32% are likely to see significant changes. Within countries, the share of jobs at high automation risk varies the most in Spain, with 12 percentage points of difference between the highest and lowest risk regions. It is also high in the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic and France. The variation, reflecting in part the fact that the sectors and jobs most susceptible to automation are not spread evenly across countries, is the least in Canada, with just 1 percentage point between the highest and lowest risk regions. Austria and Italy also show much smaller disparities than the average. Technological innovation such as automation can drive productivity growth, generate new jobs and contribute to better living standards. But we must guard against any increase in regional divides in job quality and employment, said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. Our focus should be on improving skills and firm efficiency across all regions. Automation aside, Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018 finds striking differences in access to quality employment across different regions in OECD countries. Regional disparities have increased in terms of the number and quality of new jobs created, unemployment and educational attainment. More than half of all regions saw their working age population decline from 2010 to 2016. Cities and towns continue to attract young educated workers at the expense of rural areas. The share of people in temporary and part-time work also varies substantially between regions in the same country. In countries like France, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Spain or Greece the gap between regions exceeds 10 percentage points. In the French region of Auvergne, for example, the share of non-standard work was 33.6% of total employment in 2016 while in the Ile-de-France region that contains Paris the share was just 21.7%. Encouragingly, the report finds that 60% of regions in the 21 countries studied have created more jobs at a low risk of automation since 2011 than the number of jobs they have lost in high automation-risk sectors. Regions with a lower share of jobs at risk of automation tend to be highly urbanised with highly educated workers and a strong tradeable services sector. The report calls for greater efforts to enhance skills in the workforce, particularly in rural areas, and to improve efficiency in firms at regional and city level so that they can reduce the share of workers doing the kind of routine tasks that run a higher risk of automation. Both central governments and local authorities will need to juggle the need to enable automation to boost productivity with the need to manage the job losses that it could entail, particularly in regions that already have low productivity growth and high unemployment. Read Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018 Download the 36 individual country notes For further information, journalists are invited to contact Catherine Bremer in the OECD Media Division (+33 1 45 24 8097). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Eagle Scout project retires U.S. flags It was a beautiful two days at Lake Houston Wilderness Park when Eagle-candidate Tyler Wadell put together a somber yet brilliant flag retirement ceremony Aug. 17. Tylers father, Bryce Wadell, presided over the well-attended gathering. Air Force Academy graduate and Vietnam veteran combat pilot Lt. Colonel John Heimburger gave opening remarks and Scout London Stewart honored the departing flags and crowd with a perfect rendition of Taps. The next day, Scout campers and local volunteers from Northeast Harris County completed the construction of 10 hand-crafted, wooden frames that will serve as housings for the parks newly procured archery targets. Wadell was responsible for the design and solicitation of material donations, as well as the overall execution of this project. Wadell is a member of Troop 674, sponsored by the Atascocita Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Safety Focus Group makes recommendations to Huffman ISD At its Aug. 27 board meeting, the Huffman ISD Board of Trustees received a progress report from its safety focus group that was formed immediately following the Santa Fe school shooting last May. District Superintendent Dr. Benny Soileau explained that the objective for the group was to make recommendations to improve school preparedness in the event of a campus shooting. During the summer the committee met three times. When he introduced the groups chairman, Soileau said, Guy Smith was generous enough to chair that committee on behalf of the district. We had a lot of good ideas and we had a lot of tough conversations about what was right and what was not. Smith said, The makeup of the committee was 15 members representing various groups in Huffman. We picked folks that are out in the community that are involved, one, to bring input to the committee and, two, to go back out in the community to keep it informed. The purpose of the committee was to consider preventative measures. Smith, himself a former Huffman ISD trustee, explained the committee had a blank check when it came to the specifics of what to consider. Everybody came into the meeting with the attitude of: this is what I think we need to do. We had long discussions on everything from metal detectors to tasers, to blocking the hallways and every other measure that was possible, said Smith. Smith explained that during the discussions some of the things like installing metal detectors that everyone was talking about right after the Santa Fe shooting was brought up, which seemed to gain an instant backlash reaction. He noted, with one exception, the group felt metal detectors were not worth the money for what they brought to the district in terms of prevention and protection. Some of the schools biggest challenges are things the school doesnt control, but there are some things we think the district should try to support, said Smith. He described those things and how they might help. They included: more and better watch dog programs involving the parents, especially the fathers of students; considering the restructuring of counselor duties to provide more time for one-on-one and small-group interactions to address students mental and emotional needs; and development of a Web page linked to a computer icon that can direct students and others to join and participate in various groups and programs (Soileau said this recommendation was now in development by the district); increased police presence at the beginning and end of the school day; and K-9 dog patrols at certain times and places. Smith pointed out that this might be more for public show and confidence building than actual prevention but that, in itself, had value. The focus group also supported a more robust SHAC (School Health Advisory Council). Smith noted that the committee thought that the SHAC has a lot of potential to do some great things to identify and help kids at risk. We also talked about researching the possibility of our own police force, said Smith. He noted that the idea had been discussed many years ago and it did not make financial sense back then, but times have changed. The group would like the district to look into seeing if that is still the case or does it make sense to go a different route, Smith said. The trustees each thanked Smith for the groups dedication and hard work and indicated they would be taking these recommendations very seriously. In other business, the trustees received reports on the first day of school, which was the day of their meeting. All the schools opened without major problems. Of note was the successful opening of the recently completed Falcon Ridge Elementary School. Project Manager Tom Trial provided details about how close the team came to not making the deadlines, but with the help of everyone working together the school was ready. He pointed out that many of the teachers helped with moving furniture into the building on the Sunday before school started and the opening occurred on schedule. Falcon Ridge Principal Amy Turner provided a video of the first day of school in the brand-new building. The teachers started arriving around 6 a.m. in the morning and we just took it one step at a time. They were so awesome; I have never been with, or been so proud of, a group of teachers like these and how they worked together, said Turner. Soileau announced there would be a Falcon Ridge Open House for the public soon. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Monday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Huffman ISD Administration Building. HISD working to improve security coordination with area agencies At the Sept. 11 meeting, the Humble ISD Board of Trustees was updated about the first meeting of the districts newly created Advocacy Committee. The committee was established by the board to develop positions and consensus regarding school district issues that require working together with local, state and federal elected officials and agencies. The first meeting was Aug. 27. Trustee Robert Sitton attended and summarized the meeting to the other board members. It was a phenomenal meeting. The idea behind this first meeting was to talk about school safety and get all the stakeholders in the room and talk about how to collaborate with one another; how to handle first responders, those types of issues, said Sitton. Seventeen community members participated in the meeting. Sitton said the group represented a wide range of community interests and responsibilities. They included State Rep. Dan Huberty; Kingwood College President Dr. Katherine Persson; Humble City Manager Jason Stuebe; a representative on behalf of Houston City Councilman Dave Martin; and representatives from the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office, the Harris County Sheriffs Office, the Harris County Fire Marshalls Office, the Houston Police Department, Kingwood Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital, the Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce, and the Lake Houston Economic Development Partnership. The first-priority issue is school district safety and security coordination within the community. Humble ISD Police Chief Solomon Cook and Trustee Nancy Morrison are developing the issues and information that resulted from the meeting to be ready to review at the next meeting, Dec. 10. Sitton said that the committee hopes to complete a report of its findings and recommendations to the district and affected community agencies going forward. Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen, who also attended the meeting, said, We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In the event of a significant situation, all of these jurisdictions will have to come together and work together on a minutes notice. Chief Cook has committed the police to training together, drilling together and to do the various things to ensure all the basic functional components for safety are in place even when you have multiple jurisdictions. The district also honored its Secondary Education Teachers of the Year. Asst. Superintendent of Middle Schools Melissa Hayhurst recognized each middle schools Teacher of the Year. Asst. Superintendent of High Schools Trey Kramer did the same for each high schools Teacher of the Year. Fagen said elementary school Teachers of the Year will be honored at the October board meeting. Middle School Teachers of the Year are: Michelle Kirkpatrick (Timberwood), Simon Perry (Ross Sterling), Daniel Green (Riverwood), Matthew Smithson (Kingwood), Joshua Grimes (Humble); Michael Block (Creekwood), Baely Leone (Atascocita), and Amber Wal (Woodcreek). High School Teachers of the year are: Jeffrey Alexander (Quest Early College), Caryn Rasberry (Kingwood Park), Miguel Carlos (Kingwood), Katie Spence (Atascocita), David Watkins (Humble), Terri Hart (Summer Creek), Kevin Krueger (Community Learning Center), and Amy Walker (Career and Technical Education Center/CATE). Humble ISD High School Teachers of the Year were honored at the Sept. 11 board meeting. Winners and board members from left are: Board President Dr. Charles Cunningham, Amy Walker (Career and Technical Education Center/CATE), Jeffrey Alexander (Quest Early College), Caryn Rasberry (Kingwood Park), Miguel Carlos (Kingwood), and Katie Spence (Atascocita). Not pictured are David Watkins (Humble), Terri Hart (Summer Creek), and Kevin Krueger (Community Learning Center). Photos by Bruce Olson How is Humble ISD faring in reading, math? In 2017, the Texas Legislature mandated that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) simplify school ratings using a new A-F scale for the more than 1,200 school districts across the state. Proponents of the new A-F system, like Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have pushed for the new system since 2013, harshly criticizing the current rating system for being too difficult and complex to understand. The new ratings were just issued for the first time in August, but Humble ISD was not rated. Like many school districts in the Gulf Coast area, Humble ISD fell under the TEAs Hurricane Harvey Provision, meaning that districts affected by the storm were given some leniency. The provision allows schools that would have received a B-F rating to instead receive a Not Rated rating for the 2017-2018 school year. Harvey districts were issued a would be overall grade. Humble ISD received a grade of 88, or a B. In total, 334 districts across the state received B grades. Several nearby districts were not exempt from Harvey and received either As or Bs. Pearland, Katy and Clear Creek ISDs received As, while Conroe, Crosby and Klein received Bs. Last January, the TEA A-F grading system had a rocky start. TEA released a work-in-progress model to revamp the grading system for the 2015-2016 school year. That model graded schools on five different performance areas: Student Achievement, Student Progress, Closing Performance Gaps, Postsecondary Readiness, and Community and Student Engagement. The five grades were then combined into a single overall rating. The first attempt upset many school districts across Texas, including Humble ISD, which issued a strong statement entitled Five reasons why A-F ratings are not an accurate depiction of our schools. In general, Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen stated that the A-F ratings plan has been touted as simple and transparent. The truth is that the underlying calculations are anything but simple and transparent. At the time, Fagen also said in a Jan. 6 statement, We embrace accountability, but it is important to remember that these ratings are one data point, largely related to the STAAR test. Our high-quality work is not easily measured by one test. Humble ISD expressed concern that the new system utilizes a flawed methodology, inequitable comparison of wealthy and poor schools, and too much emphasis on once-per-year STAAR tests. The district wrote that the rules and calculations behind each letter grade are too complex, making it hard to truly understand just what a letter grade really means and thus creating false impressions. Furthermore, Humble ISD said the letter grades give no sense of what a school must do to improve. The TEA stated at the time that no inferences about official district or campus performance in the 2015-16 school year should be drawn from these ratings, and these ratings should not be considered predictors of future district or campus performance ratings. In the provisional ratings, Humble ISD overall received Bs in Student Achievement and Student Progress and Ds in Closing Performance Gaps and Postsecondary Readiness. Of the 41 campuses rated, 27 campuses received Ds or Fs in one or more of the four categories. The fifth category, Community and Student Engagement, was not rated. In the interim between January 2017 and August 2018, the old TEA rating system remained in place. Each Texas school received one of four ratings unacceptable, acceptable, recognized and exemplary. These current categories were used to design the new A-F grading scale. The new August 2018 TEA grading scale has been simplified. It grades schools in three areas. Student Achievement measures what students know by the end of the academic year, and it factors in state standardized test results from all subjects. School Progress measures how much better students are doing on the STAAR test this year versus last year. It also rates student academic performance relative to schools with similar percentages of economically disadvantaged students. And finally, Closing the Gaps looks at performance among student groups, including various racial/ethnic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and other factors. Seventy percent of the accountability rating is based on either the Student Achievement or Student Progress grade, whichever is higher. The remaining 30 percent is based on performance in the Closing the Gaps area. Given that Humble ISD was not officially graded by TEA this year, parents can turn to other assessments to get a sense of district performance. STAAR Data for the 2017-2018 school year was just released, rating grades 3 to 8 in reading and math. Humble ISD ranged from a high of 84 percent of fifth-graders passing the reading test to a low of 71 percent of sixth-graders passing the reading test. For math, 77 percent of fourth-graders and 86 percent of fifth-graders passed. The percentages indicate how many students are reading or doing math at grade level. When comparing STAAR data over three years (2016-2018), all Humble ISD scores in reading and math are higher than the state averages. Council approves tax, water rates The Humble City Council approved their budget Sept. 13, and among the approved items were property tax and water rate increases for residents. Seniors to benefit from city policies Mayor Merle Aaron stated, Jason (City Manager Jason Stuebe) worked extremely hard on the budget, trimming all the fat off and this is a very good budget. Each department with Jason in the lead did a great job on the budget. In fiscal year 2017-2018 the tax rate was 0.225 per $100 valuation. The new tax rate for fiscal year 2018-2019 is 0.2485. The water rates were also approved, and Aaron had this to say regarding those rates: We have to purchase 30 percent of our water from the city of Houston, so whenever their prices increase, so do ours. We must pass the cost on to our citizens, but we try to keep it to a minimum. In fact, our seniors pay a fixed rate and we absorb the cost for that. Private citizen, Arliss Bentley, addressed the council by stating, Ive lived here 45 years and I dont want to move, so Im here to please improve our city. On page 16 I noticed that its a request for 6 new positions. They are recommending $632,979.00. This is over a half a million dollars for a budget at one time. I was just wondering is there that drastic need? Is there a possibility that maybe we can strike two, add one each year? Aaron responded by saying, We are replacing several of our retired firefighters and so this is actually a minimum amount that we need Weve put it off and weve kicked that can down the road for years and this is something that we are just going to have to address. The Rankin Road street widening project is being spearheaded by ARKK Engineers. John D. Rudloff, senior project manager and principal engineer said, We will widen it 25 feet, improve the waterline and basins, and the pedestrian bridge will be recycled. We will bring it to much better condition than it is right now. Kingwood Park and Summer Creek high school students made a presentation to the council regarding their joint effort, Big Heroes Tiny Homes. The homes will be built by students of both schools to provide shelter for homeless veterans. The students have gained the support of Humble ISD and the private sector. Summer Creek Principal, Brent McDonald, was at the meeting to support the students including senior Natalia Andrade, who showcased the 3D model she created with the help of local architects. 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. Ilim Group Plans to Increase its Exports to China by 60% by 2023 An international conference organized by Ilim Group and Xiamen C&D Paper And Pulp Co. covered global trends in the pulp and board market and key investment projects aimed to increase Ilim's product volumes through 2022. Sept. 18, 2018 (Press Release) - An international conference attended by the largest pulp and paper industry players from Russia and China took place in Baoding, China. The event was organized by Ilim Group and Xiamen C&D Paper And Pulp Co., Ltd. The conference covered global trends in the pulp and board market and key investment projects aimed to increase Ilim's product volumes through 2022. The event was attended by more than 300 representatives of 120 companies. Analysts forecast that global demand for virgin fiber will grow by more than 30 million tons by 2030, and the demand for virgin corrugated materials will grow by more than 10 million tons. Over the last several years we've seen a strong focus on the environment and reduction of the environmental footprint. In 2017, China enforced a ban on the imports of a wide range of unsorted solid waste, which has triggered an increase in the manufacturing of environmentally friendly boards. Meanwhile the demand for packaging products is expected to grow in the next several years driven by improvement in the well-being of the population, domestic market development and expansion of trade, including e-commerce. The Business Plan of Ilim Group presented to the Chinese partners at the conference takes all those factors into account. Big Ust-Ilimsk is a large-scale project intended to strengthen Ilim's positions in China through construction of a new KLB line in Siberia. The project will be completed by 2022 to allow Ilim to increase its volumes of kraftliner and other packaging materials by 600 thousand tons per year. At the same time, the Bratsk Mill of Ilim Group is implementing the second stage of the upgrade project, including an upgrade of the KLB line. By the end of 2019, the capacity of the KLB line in Bratsk will grow by more than 100,000 tons per year. Upon completion of the project in Ust-Ilimsk and upgrade of the Bratsk Mill, Ilim Group will become one of the largest manufacturers of unbleached packaging materials globally with a total board output of 1.5 million tons per year, bringing its aggregate production output to over 4.3 million tons per year. This will give Ilim Group a leadership advantage as an importer of both bleached pulp and packaging materials to the Chinese market. In 2017, we delivered more than USD 1 billion worth of products to the Chinese market," said Ilim Group CEO Kseniia Sosnina. "And we are ready to move forward. Our key investment projects are aligned with what our customers need. In 2009, our deliveries to the Chinese market reached 1 million tons, while in 2017 we hit the 1.5 million tons' target. By 2022, we plan to increase our exports to China up to 1.9 million tons. Our strategic goal is to achieve 2.4 million tons in 2023. Ilim Group is the largest pulp and paper company in Russia. To learn more, please visit: www.ilimgroup.ru . SOURCE: Ilim Group WestRock Provides Update Following Hurricane Florence "We are pleased that we have had no reported employee injuries and do not believe we have suffered any material physical damage to our facilities during the recent storm. WestRock. Sept. 18, 2018 (Press Release) - WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK), a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, today provided an update following the landfall of Hurricane Florence. We are pleased that we have had no reported employee injuries and do not believe we have suffered any material physical damage to our facilities during the recent storm. We are working to restore normal operations at our facilities in the impacted region. We idled our kraft linerboard mill in Florence, South Carolina, in the middle of last week in advance of the landfall of Hurricane Florence. Yesterday, two of the three paper machines at the mill resumed operations, and we expect normal operations to resume after the transportation network in the region returns to normal. WestRock operates an extensive network of mill and converting facilities in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia that were in the storm's potential path. We incurred incremental costs in preparing these facilities and moving inventory, finished product and critical supplies in advance of the storm. With flooding expected across the region, we may have additional increased input and operational costs and issues in our supply chain, as well as experience negative impact from disruptions at our customers' locations. We expect to provide an estimate as to the impact on our business and financial results later this month. WestRock partners with its customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock's 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. To learn more, please visit: www.westrock.com . SOURCE: WestRock Company Ditzy is the word Richard Quinn uses most when describing his signature floral prints: "eccentrically silly, giddy, or inane" as defined by Merriam-Webster. The word conjures a kind of unseriousness, however, that couldn't be further from the spirit of his clothes and the milestones the designer has checked off in the last year. After a headline-grabbing audience with Her Majesty The Queen at his Fall 2018 show during London Fashion Week last February and a category-defying look (corset, trouser, plus dramatic train) in his trademark foil floral worn by red carpet queen Amal Clooney at The Met Ball, it's hard to describe Quinn as anything but deadly serious. So how does a young designer literally anointed after his first major collection decide what's next and keep the recent avalanche of momentum going without being buried in buzz? Ditzy is the word Richard Quinn uses most when describing his signature floral prints: "eccentrically silly, giddy, or inane" as defined by Merriam-Webster. The word conjures a kind of unseriousness, however, that couldn't be further from the spirit of his clothes and the milestones the designer has checked off in the last year. After a headline-grabbing audience with Her Majesty The Queen at his Fall 2018 show during London Fashion Week last February and a category-defying look (corset, trouser, plus dramatic train) in his trademark foil floral worn by red carpet queen Amal Clooney at The Met Ball, it's hard to describe Quinn as anything but deadly serious. So how does a young designer literally anointed after his first major collection decide what's next and keep the recent avalanche of momentum going without being buried in buzz? Quinn, born and raised in South East London, is arguably the platonic ideal of a Central Saint Martins grad. After completing his bachelor's degree at the illustrious school, whose alumni include John Galliano and the late Alexander McQueen, he won a grant from the Stella McCartney Foundation to continue directly on with an MA degree there. It was that MA collection, presented for Fall 2016, that made the fashion world take keen interest in the new designer who had an equally subversive love of acid florals and gimp masks. Quinn cited American artist Paul Harris as an inspiration for the uncanny head-to-toe looks while critics saw a direct line to Leigh Bowery, the artist, nightlife fixture, and spiritual godfather of much of London fashion. But it didn't much matter in the end where exactly Quinn was coming from -- the message was clear and exquisitely disturbing. After a mouthwatering collaboration with beloved London boutique Liberty in 2017 he took the store's famous calico florals and blew them up to Quinn-sized proportions Quinn was ready for the big stage of London Fashion Week. But the 28-year-old designer, less than two years out of school, could hardly have anticipated what was to happen next. "I knew something big was going to happen about a month before but they didn't tell me what. They would tell me little bits and pieces. And then the show... obviously you saw, " Quinn recalls over the phone from his Peckham studio this past July. He is referring to the now iconic picture of the Queen and Anna Wintour, chatting and at turns giggling like two pals just catching up between shows, in the front row of Quinn's Fall 2018 collection. The Queen was officially there to present him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design bestowed to a designer "who shows talent and originality, whilst demonstrating value to the community and/or sustainable policies." "I didn't know that kind of photo moment was going to happen. Even though I knew it was slightly going to happen, I had no idea how big it was going to become." Within minutes seconds really the image was on screens and front pages across the globe; any fashion-follower's Instagram feed was flooded with the same image repeated. "People were saying they were Photoshopped and stuff, them next to each other. It was quite fun to see it all unravel," he recalls. But the moment was very real and the attention on Quinn was immense. Instead of dwelling on it, or "rinsin' it" for all it's worth as Quinn says in his earthy lilt, he has made an effort, and wisely, to move on from the high wattage role of royal favorite. Despite being asked, he chose not to dress any guests for the royal wedding this summer. "It's more like we've moved on... that [moment] was great, but this is what else we're known for. That's why the Met was really good," he explains, referencing his red carpet coup of dressing Clooney, one of the evening's co-hosts, at the annual gala. "Her assistant called me, and we basically had a few texts from Amal [Clooney] and she just came down to the studio and it looked really nice. It wasn't really an intense experience it was more chill really. Two or three fittings," he demures. The notoriously catty and risk-averse Daily Mail called the look a "showstopper" and, Stateside, Harper's Bazaar described it as "incredible"(though for good measure New York Magazine's The Cut website named her trousers the evening's Most Polarizing Pants). Which is all to say it was a bona fide fashion moment and another out-of-the-park publicity win for Quinn. Runway looks from Quinn's Fall 2018 ready-to-wear collection His serenity about such high stakes moments and the gleeful risks he takes when it matters most speaks to his preternaturally chill attitude and also the rather nimble operation in his Peckham studio. Quinn has about 3 or 4 regular employees (his sister Grace does sales). "It's nice working like that. Sometimes more people equals more problems. We try and not have like loads of interns and a lot of carry-on. Just slick!" But despite his small team, chez Quinn is often filled with designers from other brands making good use of the Richard Quinn Print Studio, an open-access textile studio that Quinn established in partnership with Epson. Burberry and Ralph & Russo design teams will book it out for days at a time to experiment and create new fabric designs. "I knew that I was going to need a print studio and this was more of a modern way of working. You have control over color, form, and everything like that. And it's kind of a revenue stream as well," he says. The printing operation is a winning example of London's tight-knit fashion network at work. Just when we thought we couldn't be more obsessed with Victoria Beckham, she threw it back to her Spice Girl days, caught on camera rocking out to "Spice Up Your Life" in celebration of her namesake label's 10-year anniversary. Beckham rounded the corner of her decade-long milestone on Sunday with a show that was moved to the London Fashion Week schedule this year, as opposed to being staged in New York City where she has typically taken part in years past. It was only fitting, as Beckham is, of course, a Brit at her core. Last week, she rolled out the red carpet on one of her most gorgeous collections to-date with a new advertising campaign that is meant to throw it back to her iconic Jurgen Teller photos for Marc Jacobs more than a decade earlier, featuring a series of photographs of herself in varying obstructed poses inside a gigantic shopping bag. The campaign isn't the only way in which Beckham was looking back on her long and storied career, though, as she brought Posh to the party in after-hours celebration co-hosted by British Vogue. Wearing a tailored white blazer and golden pants as opposed to her alter ego's little black dress, Beckham was seen at her collection's after party dancing like no one was watching (and singing along!) to her own song, "Spice Up Your Life." Lucky for us, though, not only was an entire room of guests watching and dancing along with her, but the iPhone-captured videos are now all over social media so that we can play and re-play the epic scene to our heart's content. You can watch the full clip below but spoiler alert: Posh has still got it. We can't think of a better way to celebrate a decade at the helm of one of the most elegant fashion brands in business today. We don't yet know when the next Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will take place, but we do know where: New York City. Sometime this November the Angels will once more descend upon the Big Apple after a few years abroad in Shanghai and Paris. This is the 16th Fashion Show to take place in New York since the tradition began in 1995, and Victoria's Secret has been posting a series of NYC-themed images on Instagram to celebrate the homecoming featuring Angels carrying their wings while hailing taxis, exiting the subway, and running for trains at Grand Central Station. Login Instagram The line up isn't yet fully confirmed, but you'll see old and new favorites on the runway: Winnie Harlow is making her debut, and the likes of Barbara Palvin, Josephine Skriver, Elsa Hosk, Sara Sampaio, and Shanina Shaik will return. Login Instagram The Angels are probably grateful to come back home last year Gigi Hadid experienced last minute visa issues when trying to enter China and walk the show, and was forced to pull out at the last minute. Photo via Instagram Patently Apple posted a report yesterday titled "Judgement Day is Fast Approaching Apple, Google & Dolby in October's South Korea National Assembly Audit." In that report it was pointed out that Korea's Fair Trade Commission had opened their case against Apple at the same time that Samsung was recalling their Note 7. The timing appeared to be a retaliatory move against Apple for the Note 7 recall that Koreans blamed on the U.S. for "protecting Apple." Call it karma or happenstance, but it's now being reported that a case against Samsung for a fiery Note 9 has been filed in New York. The allegation was made that Samsung Electronics' next-generation Galaxy Note 9 went up in flames spontaneously in the United States. While Samsung Electronics launched an investigation into the case, it is concerned that the case might become the beginning of another battery disaster like the Galaxy Note 7 fire fiasco in 2016. According to the Korean report, Diane Chung, a real estate agent in New York, filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court in Queens County, New York, claiming damages and an injunction against the sale of the Galaxy Note 9 in connection with a fire involving the Galaxy Note 9. According to Chung, while using the Galaxy Note 9 in an elevator, the smartphone suddenly became hot so she put it into her bag. Then, Chung heard a whistle-like sound out of the bag and smoke came out of it. Chung tried to hold her smartphone with her hand but the heated-up smartphone burned her hand. It was reported that the fire was put out only after all things in her bag were thrown out of the bag and she put the smartphone into a bucket filled with water. Chung is demanding both damages and the halt of the device's sale, saying that she has been shocked by the accident and unable to contact her clients. CBS reported that the lawsuit reminded of the nightmare of the Galaxy Note 7 that haunted Samsung Electronics two years ago. At the time, dozens of the Galaxy Note 7 ignited or exploded due to battery flaws, which compelled Samsung Electronics to discontinue the sale of the Galaxy Note 7. The Korean report further noted that "The problem is that although Samsung Electronics expanded the battery capacity of the Galaxy Note 9 to 4,000mAh and was confident about its performance, a similar allegation surfaced. Samsung Electronics reduced the capacity of the Galaxy Note 8 battery to 3,300mAh after the Galaxy Note 7 with a 3,500mAh battery caught fire. But it increased the battery for the Galaxy Note 9. Ko Dong-jin, head of the IM Division of Samsung Electronics at a press conference last month that "The battery for the Galaxy Note 9 will be the safest battery ever. Customers do not need to worry about it anymore." The report ended by noting that "Samsung Electronics is taking the safety of its customers seriously. We have not yet received another similar case. Now we are looking into the case," Samsung Electronics said in a statement." Is Diane Chung looking for quick payoff from Samsung to settle the case and make it go away or does Samsung have another true disaster on their hands? For now it's way too early to predict that a single case of a fiery Note 9 will trigger another recall in the U.S. Though I'm sure tensions are high at Samsung's executive branch today. The New York Post was first to report on this story on Saturday followed by CBS News yesterday. IRAN: Nasrin Sotoudeh Sacrifices Family Visits To Protest Prosecutor's Demand She Wear Full Hijab 09/18/18 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran Detained human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has given up her family visitation right in protest against a prosecutor's demand that she receive visitors fully draped in a hijab. Nasrin Sotoudeh with her husband Reza Khandan and daughter Marvaneh "The prosecutor has sent a letter to me and my mother warning that if we don't observe the hijab, we won't be able to have visitation," Mehraveh Khandan told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) after attempting to visit her mother in Tehran's Evin Prison on September 16, 2018. Sotoudeh also refused to sign a written pledge stating she would wear the head-to-toe Islamic-style covering, called the "chador" in Farsi, which only shows the skin on a woman's face and hands. "After waiting in the visitation hall for half an hour, her cellmates told me that when my mother was asked to sign a pledge to fully observe the hijab, she objected and then protested by refusing to go to visitation and will not be making phone calls," Khandan added. Prior to her arrest, Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights attorney in Iran, served as the legal counsel for several women who had peacefully protested against the country's compulsory hijab law by removing their own scarves in public. Detained since June 3, 2018, Sotoudeh has been on a wet hunger strike for three weeks in protest against the trumped-up national security charges she is facing and the security forces' harassment of her family and friends. In mid-June, she threatened to completely remove her hijab in protest after security agents beat her supporters as they peacefully demanded her freedom outside the prison. Sotoudeh's husband, Reza Khandan-who had been publicizing case updates about his wife via his Facebook page-has also been detained since September 4 after being arrested by agents of Iran's Intelligence Ministry. Iran's Problems With America Won't End With Trump's Departure 09/18/18 By Shireen T. Hunter (source: LobeLog) According to reports in the U.S. media, former Secretary of State John Kerry in meetings with Javad Zarif , Iran's minister of foreign affairs, expressed the view that it would be better for Tehran to wait out the remaining years of the Trump administration before engaging in new talks with a Democratic successor. Actually what Secretary Kerry in his interview with Fox News host Dana Perino said was: " Well, everybody is waiting around talking about waiting out President Trump." Whether this statement amounts to Kerry advising Zarif not to engage with the Trump administration is debatable. However, it is not in Iran's interest to wait out Trump. Doing so would exacerbate Iran's many economic and political problems, prompt Washington to impose even more restrictions on Iran, and even increase the risk of potential American military attack. Such a strategy of waiting out Trump assumes that the policies of previous U.S. administrations toward Iran were significantly different from those of the Trump administration. It also assumes that a future Democratic administration, or possibly even a more moderate Republican president, would adopt a different approach toward Tehran. Yet the Iran policies of past administrations from 1988 onwards strongly indicate that such a change is unlikely to happen. A major reason for this skepticism is the changed international setting since the Soviet Union's collapse. The End of the Cold War and US-Iran Relations Throughout most of the 1980s, the U.S. approach to Tehran was greatly influenced by the Soviet factor and the ongoing Cold War. This is one reason why the United States did not pressure the Islamic Republic beyond a certain point and did not take direct military action against it, even during the hostage crisis of 1979-1981. Washington feared that excessive pressure and, even more so, military attack could provide Moscow with a pretext to move into Iran or otherwise dominate it. Since the USSR was already in Afghanistan, this was a real possibility. Moscow's domination of Iran would also have seriously undermined the U.S. position in the Persian Gulf. This latter concern was behind the enunciation of the Carter Doctrine. By 1987, the situation, and hence American calculations regarding Iran, began to change. This was the year that Mikhail Gorbachev started his reforms and announced the so-called New Thinking in Soviet foreign policy. According to this new approach, the USSR's foreign policy was to be determined by national interest calculations and not ideological competition with the West. And, according to the New Thinking, Moscow's foreign policy was to help its economic revitalization. This change in Soviet thinking was, in fact, the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Impact on U.S. Policy This change in the USSR's foreign policy outlook also meant that Moscow would no longer challenge the United States in the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf, including Iran. Thus, in April 1988, the United States attacked Iranian ships and oil platforms. These attacks eliminated any remaining Iranian hopes of defeating Iraq and led it to to agree to a ceasefire in its war with Iraq. After the end of the Iran-Iraq war, despite Tehran's overtures, America chose Saddam Hussein's Iraq as its new partner in the Persian Gulf only to be rudely disappointed when Baghdad attacked Kuwait in 1991. At that time, America made an overture to Tehran to join the anti-Saddam coalition. Iran's domestic politics did not allow such a bold gesture, but Iran remained largely neutral, which helped the anti-Saddam coalition's victory. Soon after the Soviet Union's collapse in December 1991, Secretary of State James Baker announced during a trip to Central Asia that the George H. W. Bush administration would block Iran's presence in the post-Soviet space. Then came the Clinton administration's dual containment policy, the 1996 economic sanctions, and the continued effort to keep Iran out of the developing regional energy and transport networks. The ultimate goal of the dual containment strategy was also regime change: through sanctions and other pressures, not the use of force. Under the influence of 9/11, dual containment changed into a policy of active regime change in several Middle Eastern states, of which Iran was one. The George W. Bush administration, for instance, included Iran as one of three countries in its "axis of evil." But even the Obama administration, especially while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, pursued a policy of pressure rather than incentives. Clinton's language regarding Iran was not much milder than that of Donald Trump. At one point, she said that, if Iran attacked Israel, America would obliterate it. She was also the first to talk about imposing crippling sanctions on Tehran. In fact, the worst of the sanctions came under the Obama presidency. Clinton also claimed that her insistence on severe sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table. The Obama administration, too, mulled over the idea of a military strike on Iran. Had Clinton won the presidency in 2016, she, too, would likely have pursued a harsh policy toward Tehran. The slow implementation of those aspects of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) related to sanctions relief under President Obama triggered Iran's complaints. During the remaining months of the Obama presidency, there were no breakthroughs in banking operations and no major U.S. investments in Iran. Immediately after the Obama administration signed the JCPOA, it raised the issue of missiles. In short, Donald Trump has merely escalated the dispute further. The essence of his policy, namely bringing Iran to its knees through pressure, is the same as those of the last four American administrations. Continuity of Policy U.S. policy toward Iran has been remarkably consistent because the main irritants in U.S.-Iran relations have remained the same since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Despite episodes of tactical cooperation in Afghanistan and even for a while in Iraq and offers to resolve differences, Iran's anti-American rhetoric and sometimes actions have continued. Also, Iran's position on Israel and the Palestinian issue hasn't changed. As long as Iran doesn't resolve its dispute with Israel, there's little hope of normalizing relations with Washington under any president. It is no secret that Israel and its supporters have greatly contributed to America's harsh policy toward Iran. In light of this history, waiting for Trump to go in the hope of getting a better deal from America will only lengthen the suffering of Iran and its people. In 1980, Iran delayed reaching an agreement on the hostage crisis in the hopes of getting a better deal from Jimmy Carter's opponent. This tactic, however, undermined Iran's then relatively moderate president, Abol Hassan Bani Sadr, enhanced the position of hardliners, and plunged the country into a devastating eight-year war with Iraq. The Trump administration has adopted a predictably hostile stance toward Iran. But Iran will probably not get an appreciably better deal from whoever comes next. About the Author: Shireen T. Hunter is a Research Professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Her latest publication is God On Our Side: Religion, Foreign Policy and International Affairs (Rowman & Littlefield, December 2016). Information Minister-Designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has dismissed suggestions that President Akufo-Addo is deliberately collapsing indigenous banks in the country. According to Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency, the challenges that have bedevilled the banking sector started way before the NPP came into power. Crisis In Fianacial Sector....Blame Gov't The Minority in Parliament have never lost a moment to lay blame at the doorstep of the current administration for the collapse of some seven indigenious banks. Late last year, UT Bank and Capital Bank were the first on the list of takeovers by the Bank of Ghana after it emerged the indigenous banks had fallen below the minimum capital requirement. On August 1, 2018, almost a year to the unfortunate finanacial news, the BoG merged five local banks; Beige Bank, Construction Bank, Royal Bank, uniBank and Sovereign bank into what it calls the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited. Governor of the BoG, Dr Ernest Addison explained that the move was part of measures to streamline the financial sector. Days after, the Minority in Parliament slammed government for not making the attempt to rescue the banks early enough. Minority Spokesperson on Finance Casiel Ato Forson asserted it is unacceptable that within a period of eight months three locally owned banks had collapsed. A Lot More Jobs Would've Been Lost If Speaking in an intervivew with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show Kokrokoo, Monday, the Minister-designate stressed that government has saved jobs in the banking industry despite claims of jobs losses in the wake of the banking crisis. According to him, even though some jobs have been lost in the crisis, a lot more people would have been out of work if the Central Bank had not intervened. "It is not true government is deliberately collapsing the banking system; government is working hard in satisfying ghanaians and soon everything will be fine and just as President Akufo Addo has already indicated those responsible will be punished....It is true that some jobs have been lost but it is also true that a lot more jobs have been saved," he said. Cedi depreciation Touching on the cedis sustained depreciation to some major foreign currencies, notably the US dollar, Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah asserted that though the local currency is trading at almost GHc5 to the dollar, the country is still seeing a slower rate of depreciation. Currently, one dollar sells for GH4.95. In just two weeks, the local currency depreciated 3.03% against the US dollar. But a 12 page report by the credit rating agency, S&P Global Ratings, published on 14th September, 2018, showed Ghanas economic performance improved which resulted in Ghana being upgraded from B- to B. It is stated in the report that S&P Global Ratings raised its long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Ghana to B from B-. The reputable credit rating agency added that Ghanas outlook is stable. The verdict by S&P Global ratings seems to have settled the debate on the economy in favor of the ruling NPP Government. The Information Minister-designate was of the view that, with Ghanas latest B rating published by Standards and Poor's (S&P) Global, foreign investors will continue to have confidence in the economy and will help the cedi to appreciate." He, however, cautioned against large withdrawals of cash to buy dollars and urged the general public, most especially business operators to "remain calm and believe in President Akufo-addos ability to fix the economy". 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 38-year-old Ghanaian banker convicted of the UKs biggest fraud, Kweku Adoboli has won a bid to delay being deported to Ghana. This is because a judge has awarded a judicial review for the case. Adoboli was set to be deported to Ghana on Tuesday, 18th September 2018 in accordance with the UK law which states that, if a foreign national has been sentenced to more than four years in prison the public interest requires deportation unless there are very compelling circumstances. Adoboli who has lived in the UK since he was 12 was in 2012 found guilty of fraud that lost his employer UBS $2.3bn (1.8bn) and was due to be deported to Ghana on Tuesday because he had never applied for a British citizenship. He was sentenced to seven years for the fraud but served half that time. According to theguardian.com, with just a few hours to his departure, Adobolis lawyers submitted an application for a judicial review of his case in a final attempt to prevent his banishment from his friends and family in the UK. Adobolis lawyers expect him to be freed from an immigration removal centre near Heathrow Airport within days and released on bail until the outcome of the judicial review, which could take several months. Reacting to the reprieve, Adobolis lawyer, Jacqui McKenzie said Common sense has broken out: sending a 38-year-old man to a country where he has not lived since the age of four was always madness, given that he has lived in Britain since the age of 12 and the UK is where his friends and partner live and where his family life is based. It is unquestionably his home. Lets hope that will be the judgment, as and when it is made. Hannah Bardell, Adobolis MP, who had led a campaign to keep him in the UK, said on Twitter: A really incredible result, we never gave up hope and well keep fighting! Immigration minister, Caroline Nokes who had earlier refused to intervene to review the deportation order despite appeals from 132 MPs and a petition signed by more than 73,000 people, explaining her decision said Adoboli committed a serious offence and as such the public expected robust action to be taken against him. She said, Although Mr Adobolis offence was not one of violence, he committed a serious offence and this was reflected in the length of his sentence. Financial crime, like all crime, has an impact on the society that we live in and the public expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crime. After consideration of all the individual circumstances of his case, the Home Office was satisfied that Mr Adobolis case does not meet any of the exceptions in the 2007 [Borders] Act and a deportation order was served on him on 22 July 2014. The decision to deport him has been upheld independently, at several stages, by the courts. His application to appeal to the court of appeal was dismissed on 28 June 2018 and on 13 August his application for a judicial review was refused. Nokes said the government was committed to a fair and humane immigration policy and she rejected the suggestion that Adobolis treatment was similar to that of the Windrush generation of immigrants. The Home Office recognises the weight of dissatisfaction towards the treatment of the Windrush generation and officials are working hard to put this right, she said. I do not believe that the issues faces by the Windrush generation, who were legally resident in the United Kingdom but did not have the documentation to prove it, are analogous to Mr Adobolis case. The former UBS banker in an earlier interview with the Guardian said deporting him to Ghana was a worse punishment than being jailed in the UK. Ive served my time, but Im being given an extra punishment a banishment and just because I didnt get around to becoming a citizen. This punishment is so much worse than being in prison, he said. Deporting me to Ghana worse than being jailed in UK Adoboli The Ghanaian earlier said deporting him to Ghana is a worse punishment than being jailed in the UK. I did four years in prison for a non-violent act, he said in an interview with the Guardian from the detention centre. Ive served my time, but Im being given an extra punishment a banishment and just because I didnt get around to becoming a citizen. This punishment is so much worse than being in prison. Source: ghanaweb.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 use of Marijuana or Cannabis, known in Ghana as wee or the devil's tobacco has been outlawed in the country, but it appears there is growing advocacy for a national discourse on the usefulness of the herb, and its possible legalization. Countries like Uruguay, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have legalized marijuana to be put into good use. Seasoned journalist Kwesi Pratt is appealing to the Government of Ghana to give legal validity or sanction to marijuana use because of its potential useful purpose in enhancing Ghana's economy. According to Mr. Pratt, research has proven that marijuana is significant to the health and cosmetic sector of an economy. There has been increasing discussion in public circles on the tenets of legalization of marijuana in Ghana. Unfortunately, most of the discussions in the public have all been based on moral justification and exaggeration of the effects of the marijuana plant with scientific evidence thrown out of the window. But contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo on Tuesday, September 18, he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that "the plant is used for medicinal purposes among others" and thus wants the government to "consider legalizing marijuana since its economic potential for the country was huge". He recounted that about 20 States in the US have already legalized it and encouraged its residents to grow the plant, hence generating huge revenues for the country. He wondered why Ghana has not yet woken up to the reality that it stands to be the winner through the foreign exchange generated from the cultivation and exportation of wee. Taking into account the recreational use of marijuana by some Ghanaians, Mr Pratt said he believed the government can control the smoking and abuse of the psychoactive drug. He warned if the government doesn't seize the opportunity to go into "wee farming, Ghana will import it in the next 20 years" at the countrys cost. Weve seen that its useful in the drug market. It is good for hair creams. It is good for body creams and so forth. Why are we not legalizing it? But were still using the Police to arrest wee farmers when the real criminals go scot free. As it stands now, Ghana risks importing wee in 20 years time, he stated. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/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 delegation led by the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea - Teodorin Nguema Obiang, son of the longtime president - has had $16 million worth of cash and luxury watches confiscated at an airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In October 2017, Mr Obiang was sentenced to a three year suspended sentence in France on charges of money laundering. Tutu Alicante is Executive Director of EG Justice, an NGO which advocates for human rights in Equatorial Guinea. He explains why he thinks many people in the country won't be surprised by the latest incident. The Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Brazil had not replied to a request for comment at the time of publishing. Source: BBC 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 South Africa's highest court has legalised the use of cannabis by adults in private places. Pro-marijuana activists cheered in the public gallery and chanted "Weed are free now" when the Constitutional Court gave its landmark ruling. In a unanimous ruling, judges also legalised the growing of marijuana for private consumption. South Africa's government's had opposed its legalisation, arguing the drug was "harmful" to people's the health. It has not yet commented on the ruling, which is binding. In April Zimbabwe became the second country in Africa, after Lesotho, to legalise the use of marijuana for medical use. Three South African cannabis users who had faced prosecution for using cannabis brought the case, saying the ban "intrudes unjustifiably into their private spheres". In his judgement, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said: "It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption." The judges did not specify the quantity of cannabis a person can use or have in private. It will, however, remain illegal to use cannabis in public, and to sell and supply it. The Cannabis Development Council of South Africa welcomed the ruling, and called on the government to drop charges against people found in possession of the drug. Jeremy Acton, the leader of the Dagga Party, which campaigns for the use of cannabis, said the ruling should have gone further to legalise the carrying of marijuana in public. Cannabis is referred to as "dagga" in South Africa. The court gave parliament 24 months to change the law to reflect its ruling. Adults who used marijuana in private would be protected by the ruling until the law was amended. The court did not specify the quantity of cannabis a person can grow or use in private. Parliament would have to decide on this, it said. Source: BBC 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 president of an Ontario Liberal riding association says he had "no prior knowledge" of an MP's decision to leave the government benches for the official Opposition. Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer looks on as MP Leona Alleslev, who crossed the floor from the Liberal party to Conservative party before Question Period speaks with the media in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday September 17, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld While I'm following established practice in some ways, I'm proud to be breaking a longstanding tradition. With the September Equinox 2018 issue of The Planetary Report, we are going open-access. And not just this issue; I'm making the entire 38-year archive of our flagship magazine, all 212 issues, available to everyone, paid members or not. This was my second-highest priority for my first year as editor -- second only to delivering the magazine on time. Going open-access isn't a decision that The Planetary Society took lightly. We discussed it at great length. It's an old habit -- even among staff -- to view a Planetary Society membership as a subscription to the magazine. So doesn't it devalue membership to make the magazine free to all? Our answer is a resounding NO. It's The Planetary Society's mission to educate, advocate, and inspire. Our members support our mission with their dues and donations -- by joining, our members are taking part in a global effort to make space exploration happen. We can educate and inspire more people by making The Planetary Report freely available. To make the magazine, like our website, open-access is to make our members' support travel farther. It helps us reach and include people who don't have the means to join us -- at least not right now -- but who nonetheless deserve to participate in the grand adventures of exploring our solar system and searching for life elsewhere. You can access a digital version of the September Equinox 2018 issue of The Planetary Report here. It is provided both as a web page and a PDF for your reading comfort. If you prefer to receive the print edition, four times a year, that's a perk that's still reserved for members. Of course, it being the 21st century now, nearly 20 percent of our members have opted out of the print version, preferring to read it digitally. Some of you have expressed a desire for a digital format other than PDF; I hope that the web page version meets your needs. If you would like to join this growing group, login to our Member Center (click here or look in the websites footer for the link). Once youve logged in, navigate to the Email Preferences screen and scroll to the bottom where you may select Ill save paper. Youll get your next Planetary Report via email. If you support educational efforts like The Planetary Report and planetary.org and are not yet a member, please consider joining. If you are already a member, thank you for your support. Enjoy the magazine! International partnerships provide the means for countries to participate in the exploration of space without having to create expensive, enabling infrastructure from the ground up. They can leverage the space capabilities of other nations while providing unique contributions to the benefit of their own industry and scientific base. This is the opposite of a zero-sum, competitive mentality of international relations; a rising rocket lifts all spacecraft, if you will. The European Space Agencys very existence relies on this model. Its BepiColombo missionas you will read in this issueincludes contributions from 13 European member states, the United States, and Japan. This coalition of nations is deeply invested in the success of the mission, spreading out the cost and also the political support. The United States recognized the value of international engagement in its space program from the beginning. NASAs charter directs it to pursue a program of international cooperation and cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations. This is often cited as one of the most practical benefits of the space program in the United States and has been used to great effect in the past for both human and robotic space projects. Cassini, with its major contributions from ESA, Italy, and others, survived the budget axe in the early 1990s in part due to the existence of international partnerships. The Shuttle-Mir program and then the International Space Station brought together former Cold War adversaries, creating an ongoing line of communication and cooperation even as formal relationships between Russia and the U.S. have strained. Now, lunar exploration is being positioned as an opportunity to cooperatively engage a large number of nations. Australias nascent space program will find itself with a plethora of partnership opportunities and not only with established programs like those of NASA, ESA, and Japan. Many other countries are developing productive space programs. China has ambitious goals to return samples from the Moon and Mars and has issued an open call to nations around the world to participate in its planned space station. India is also making great strides with its probes to the Moon and Mars. The United Arab Emirates plans to launch its own robotic mission to Mars in 2020, which could begin a new program of ongoing exploration as well. There is also the unknown, alluring opportunity for exploration and profit promised by the private space sector. Countries can work with non-state international partners, as Luxembourg has demonstrated by investing in a number of companies to position itself as a future leader in space resources. The benefits of strategic research and development, scientific discovery, and the strong relationships formed through the cooperative exploration of space are likely why so many countries have decided that space is a worthy cause for national investment. CHANGE-5 SAMPLE RETURN Change-5, scheduled to launch in 2019, is Chinas first lunar sample return mission. It will provide an opportunity to study new lunar samples in terrestrial laboratories for the first time since Luna 24. Geologists have solved numerous fundamental scientific issues in lunar science with samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions. The returned samples initiated a golden age of lunar research that continues to this day, as newly developed laboratory techniques allow scientists to perform new science on old samples. However, most of the Moon remains unexplored, and there are still many scientific questions that could be answered with new rocks and soil from the Moon. Change-5 will launch a large spacecraft stack including an orbiter with a re-entry capsule and a lander. The lander has no rover; instead, it has an arm to grab from the surface and a drill that can sample from a depth of 2 meters. The lander will have cameras and ground-penetrating radar similar to those on Change-3 and 4, plus a lunar mineralogical spectrometer that can take spectra in the visible to infrared range. The spacecraft will collect up to 2 kilograms (4 pounds) of samples, placing them into an ascending craft that will rendezvous with the orbiter and transfer the samples to the re-entry capsule. The orbiter will return the capsule to Earth. The Change-5 lander is set to land in the Rumker region in northern Oceanus Procellarum (41-45 N, 49-69 W). The Rumker region remains unexplored by robotic or human landing missions carried out earlier by the United States (Surveyor, Apollo) and the Soviet Union (Luna), and no samples have ever been returned from this broad area. The region includes the Procellarum KREEP Terrane, a prominent geochemically anomalous area on the Moon. It is characterized by high concentrations of radiogenic heat-producing elements (such as thorium, uranium, and potassium) in a thin crust. It has also had much more recent volcanic activity than most of the rest of the Moon, the end of a long, complex geologic history. It may include some of the youngest material on the Moon. (For the Moon, young means younger than 3 billion years old.) MERCURY ARRIVAL AND SCIENCE Two months before Mercury orbit insertion, BepiColombo will jettison MTM, its work complete; BepiColombo will use a chemical thruster system for the rest of the mission. Orbit insertion will start with a rocket firing on 5 December 2025. We will command 14 more maneuvers over a period of 100 days to bring first MMO and then MPO into their targeted scientific orbits. The two spacecraft will separate once they have reached the planned MMO orbit, and then MPO will continue to descend. Shortly after MMO separation, MOSIF will be jettisoned. This phase is operationally very intense. The first 6 weeks, from the first maneuver to reaching the MMO orbit, are mission critical. The spacecraft must reach MMOs orbit before Mercury reaches aphelion, a period when the BepiColombo orbits will spend periods of every orbit eclipsed by Mercurys shadow. Five maneuvers are required to reach the MMO orbit, spaced by only a few days. Because this period is so critical, we in flight operations will run this part of the sequence in a mode very similar to that of launch and early operations, with a fully capable backup ground station available for tracking and command uplink in case of adverse events at ESOC. All of ESAs 35-meter deep space ground stations will be used, and NASAs Deep Space Network will be asked to support us as well. After a 30-day commissioning phase, scientific operations will finally start in April 2026. The nominal science mission duration is 1 Earth year, with a built-in extension capability of another year. Operations will remain critical and very intense due to the short orbital period of the spacecraft (2.3 hours), the need to continuously operate the 11 MPO instruments in order to maximize scientific coverage of the planet, and the scorching thermal environment where external surfaces of the spacecraft are expected to experience temperatures up to 350 degrees Celsius (660 degrees Fahrenheit). As during cruise, the MPO solar array needs to be kept angled away from the Sun at all times. A substantial portion of our work in flight operations is to command the spacecrafts attitude profile (how the spacecraft and solar arrays point) during the normal operations mode and in any backup or safe modes. The spacecraft needs attitude updates no less frequently than every 20 days; the nominal plan foresees weekly updates. Approved in 2000, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury is finally getting ready for launch. The spacecraft has been undergoing its final integration and test activities at Kourou in French Guiana since the beginning of May. At ESOC, the simulation campaign for the launch phase has started. The countdown is running Embed from Getty Images Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza is among the speakers expected to appear at a protest taking place outside the Sacramento Convention Center during the CopsWest Training & Expo, an annual conference of 1,500 officers sponsored by the California Peace Officers Association. The conference coincidentally falls on the six-month anniversary of the officer-involved shooting of Stephon Clark, who was shot by Sacramento police after leading officers on a foot pursuit into his grandmother's backyard. According to the Sacramento Bee, anti-police protesters from Los Angeles have chartered a bus in order to attend the protest. Other community groups joining in the protest include Women for Equality, the Anti Police Terror Project, the Justice Team Network, and the Sacramento Justice League. During a news conference for a shooting that left one deputy killed and another injured Monday in Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones encouraged others to head to the convention center to support police. "We have a planned protest tomorrow at a statewide law enforcement conference down in Sacramento," Jones said. "I know people have this overwhelming urge to do what they can. ... One of the things you can do is go down there. Go down to the convention center tomorrow between 11 and 1 and show your support for law enforcement." Deputy Mark Stasyuk was shot and killed. Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. A deputy with the Sacramento County (CA) Sheriff's Department was shot and killed as he and another a deputy responded to a disturbance call at an auto parts store on Monday. A male subjectwhose name has not yet been releasedreportedly shot and killed 27-year-old Deputy Mark Stasyuk and injured Deputy Julie Robertson. The man reportedly opened fire on the two deputies as they arrived on the scene. Other responding deputies shot and wounded the suspect as he fled on foot, according to ODMP. The suspect then fled and was shot by two other responding deputies, according to the Sacramento Bee. The man was then taken into custody. Deputy Robertsonwho was shot in the armis expected to fully recover from her injuries. Deputy Stasyuk had served with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for four and a half years. The City Council in Dallas, Texas, has approved a new $1.3-billion general fund budget that includes pay raises for public safety workers. The starting pay for police officers and fire-rescue workers will now be $60,000, according to the Dallas Morning News. Police officers and fire-rescue workers hired within the last four yearsat starting salaries closer to $49,000will also receive pay raises to the new starting salary. Public safety workers currently making more than $60,000 will also get a three percent raise. A deputy with the Scott County (KY) Sheriff's Office who was shot last week has undergone multiple surgeries, but Sheriff Tony Hampton says that the man remains paralyzed. Deputy Jaime Morales was shot in the back while Scott County deputies and Georgetown police officers were assisting U.S. Marshals in apprehending 57-year-old Edward Reynolds of Florida. Moralesa two-year veteran of the sheriffs departmentis now reportedly off the ventilator and hoping to be discharged from the hospital later this week. According to WKYT-TV, the community in Scott County is trying to raise money so Morales will be able to pay bills purchase things like a wheelchair and a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Safeguarding freedom, building prosperity through Poland-US Strategic Partnership Poland and the United States share a common history and set of values that both nations hold dear. Recognizing that the international order is being challenged, the time is now for our nations to become stronger and more enduring strategic partners. Together, we celebrate the centennial of Polands recovery of its independence as well as commemorate the forthcoming 30th anniversary of the defeat of communism and the 20th anniversary of Polands membership in NATO. We reaffirm our respect for and commitment to common democratic values and principles, including freedom, independent institutions, and human rights. We express our deep conviction that further development of our trade, defense, and energy ties will strengthen the security of our two countries and the entire transatlantic area. We acknowledge the significant progress made in implementing the 2008 Declaration on Strategic Cooperation between the United States of America and the Republic of Poland, while recognizing the validity of all its principles and mechanisms it has established. Security and defense cooperation A strong and free Europe is of vital importance to the United States and Poland. A deeper, more collaborative U.S.-Polish security partnership and enhanced U.S.-Polish resolve is critical in meeting the current security threats and challenges to our shared security, and to ensure sustained stability as well as economic prosperity and development. This partnership is critical in light of growing security challenges characterized by aggressive Russian behavior, global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, organized smuggling of immigrants and tensions in the Middle East. Therefore, Poland and the United States will enhance co-operation and deepen our military-to-military ties, intelligence, law enforcement, and other security relations. We will intensify joint training and exercises, strengthen cooperation among military units as well as enhance sharing of experiences and know-how, inter alia by exchanging military personnel in command structures, education centers and training facilities. We will further our defense technology and industry partnership in areas that are critical to regional defense and deterrence, including facilitating access to any high-end defense technologies and armaments that the U.S. deems possible. In line with the North Atlantic Treaty and in the spirit of Polish-American strategic cooperation, we reaffirm our commitment to collective defense, to develop our individual capacity to resist armed attacks, and to maintain transatlantic security and stability. We are determined to work together and with our Allies to adapt the North Atlantic Alliance to an evolving security environment in which we face enduring challenges from all strategic directions. Poland and the United States welcome progress made by Allied Heads of State and Government since 2014 and are committed to implementing the decisions made at the July 2018 NATO Summit in Brussels. Both countries reaffirm their commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty as well as the principle of fair burden-sharing. Recognizing NATO Enhanced and Tailored Forward Presence in the Eastern Flank and the U.S. European Deterrence Initiative, Poland and the United States commit to explore options for an increased U.S. military role in Poland and we will intensify our consultations to determine the concepts feasibility. The results of these efforts will contribute to the defense not only of Central and Eastern Europe, but also of the whole Alliance. Poland is implementing a long term plan to modernize its Armed Forces and is steadily increasing its defense spending up to 2.5% of its GDP. The United States welcomes Polands commitment as an example for other Allies to mirror. We further value the U.S. deployment of the Aegis Ashore base in Poland as a cornerstone of the missile defense infrastructure in Europe and its important role in NATOs security architecture. Energy Poland and the United States will enhance cooperation on energy security. We will explore new opportunities stemming from the transformation of energy markets and we will work to ensure better energy diversification of Europe, in which private enterprise should play a key role. We will continue to coordinate our efforts to counter energy projects that threaten our mutual security, such as Nord Stream 2. Both Poland and the United States will support expanded efforts to enhance energy cooperation and diversification. Acknowledging the enormous potential for energy cooperation between the United States and Poland, both sides have committed to establish the U.S.-Poland Strategic Dialogue on Energy. Our two nations will continue to support governmental exchanges on energy issues to advance bilateral cooperation and reach a common view on matters of vital interest to both countries. Trade, investments, research and innovations Fair and equitable trade is as vital to our bilateral relationship as defense and security. Mutually beneficial economic relations generate growth and create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. We welcome the impressive progress our two countries business ties have made and recognize the importance of U.S. investments in Poland and the growing interest of Polish companies in the U.S. market. Our governments will work aggressively to fill the untapped potential, including through the Three Seas Initiative, which will further these goals with countries across this region of Europe. We further believe that a level playing field and non-discriminatory treatment is essential for successful investment, and we pledge to work together to resolve business disputes expeditiously and amicably. We also recognize the vital role research and innovation plays in our economic growth. Acknowledging potential benefits stemming from the pairing U.S. investment with high-tech skills in Poland, we will support efforts to strengthen partnerships in technology and science. Washington, September 18, 2018 BOCA RATON, Florida, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Numonix, provider of RECITE, the industry's single most versatile recording solution available for unified communications and Microsoft Skype for Business, today announced its new RECITE Client-Side Recorder for Skype for Business. Available for on-premises, hybrid and Skype Online in Office365, the RECITE Client-Side Recorder enables organizations to securely control access to their Office365 recorded interactions. Calls are recorded and stored centrally on a server in a location of the organization's choice. Recordings are digitally watermarked and tamper proofed and are inaccessible by unauthorized users. Sensitive customer information is protected with customizable security in profiles, permission and security measures. Numonix's new RECITE Client-Side Recorder is deployed as a quick application install on each computer the organization wants to record. All computers are synchronized to the main server on a real-time or scheduled basis. RECITE Client-Side Recorder is offered in addition to Numonix's multiple Certified Skype for Business server recording integrations. Benefits: Organization Control of Recordings Organizations can centrally store recordings on their own servers, in the data center or hosted in Azure, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud. Organizations can centrally store recordings on their own servers, in the data center or hosted in Azure, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud. Multiple Recording Options RECITE can be set up for automatic full-time recording with the option of not allowing users to turn off the recording function. It can also be set up to record on demand and/or save on demand. RECITE can be set up for automatic full-time recording with the option of not allowing users to turn off the recording function. It can also be set up to record on demand and/or save on demand. Secure Recordings Each recording features audit trails, security encryption and 100 playback permission profiles. Each recording features audit trails, security encryption and 100 playback permission profiles. Compliance Muting Pause/resume capabilities support PCI compliance. Pause/resume capabilities support PCI compliance. Quality Monitoring Supervisors can access quality monitoring scorecards and desktop widgets to assess and score agent performance. "We are excited to be the only Skype for Business Certified recording partner to offer a solution to record client-based calls for Skype for Business Online in Office365. Our Client-Side Recorder is a stepping stone in the migration story of premises-based and hybrid-to-cloud environments. Now, users have the ability to securely record and store interactions in the cloud or on-premises while protecting sensitive information and without sacrificing any feature parity they've come to expect from the RECITE product line," said Evan Kahan, COO of Numonix. For more information, please visit: http://numonix.info/2H33ksK About Numonix Numonix offers the industry's most versatile interaction recording solution for unified communications and Microsoft Skype for Business users and service providers. Featuring more than 300 customization options, a Windows 10-like tile dashboard, and enhanced omni-channel playback, Numonix's RECITE interaction recording solution provides advanced features at no extra charge, giving users complete control over how they experience their recordings and agent/customer data. RECITE empowers organizations to maintain a competitive edge, help ensure regulatory compliance, resolve disputes and enhance the customer experience. At Numonix, we believe you should be able to record and listen to your calls the way you want to. Numonix is based in Boca Raton, Fla. Visit www.NumonixRecording.com Numonix PR Contact: Teri Sawyer, T&Co. PR 714-801-1687 Numonix Press Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/341096/Numonix_LLC_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.NumonixRecording.com SOURCE Numonix With the theme this year as "AI and Emerging Technologies", the conference was opened with the launch of Teja Ventures, the first gender-lens vc fund for Asia, by Virginia Tan, Co-Founder and CEO of She Loves Tech. She remarked, "Teja Ventures is committed to investing in women-led and women-impact businesses, in particular incubating technology which can impact women positively. We see significant opportunities in the verticals of financial services, online-to-offline consumption, education and healthcare." Lesly Goh, the first ever CTO of the World Bank Group, gave a keynote speech on leveraging technology for the empowerment of women and girls. Her personal mission is to use technology as an equalizer, empowering women in the developing world to achieve their highest potential. She also encouraged women in the audience to "embrace change with courage and keep looking for new opportunities". China has made the development of AI and other advanced technologies a core pillar of its efforts to become a global leader in the fourth industrial revolution. Lynn Dai, Sensetime Product Executive Director and Tracy Zhang, Financial Times China Publisher, discussed the building of Sensetime, the world's most valuable AI company. A panel themed "Investing for the Future" consisting of leading female investors from Sequoia, Fosun, HarborVest and JRR Crypto, discussed their thoughts on growth opportunities in the Chinese market, the possibility of an incoming "capital winter" and the advantages/challenges they faced being women in the investment industry. Further sessions on AI and blockchain explored how women entrepreneurs in China are shaping the ecosystem. The climax of the conference came with the much-awaited finals of the She Loves Tech 2018 Global Startup Competition. With startups pitching from 12 countries, Canada's water-quality analysis startup, FREDsense, took home first place, while China's health monitoring device, Mira, came in second, and Israel's robotic wheelchair, ReSymmetry and Singapore's 4D AI imaging technology d'Optron came in third. She Loves Tech is committed to leveraging global resources to incubate and fund technology for women and technology by women. We look forward to expanding to more global locations in 2019 and showcasing the achievements and innovation of women in entrepreneurship, science and technology. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180917/2239750-1 SOURCE She Loves Tech 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 Mount Sinai Queens Opening New Infusion Center The last week of October was marked by an expansion of health care capacity in the borough, as Mount Sinai Queens celebrated the opening of... The Unofficial Election Results The unofficial election results from the general election on November 2, 2021, with well over 90% of scanners reported: MAYOR: Eric Adams (D) decisively... Batty Over Halloween Celebration Was A Treat! The Central Astoria LDCs 6th annual Batty Over Halloween Celebration held on Sunday, October 24 was a real treat for everyone who came out. Excited... Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. Russias DIA seeks to recover $28.9 million from ex-heads of Lenoblbank RAPSI 10:52 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) Russias Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) has filed a lawsuit against two persons formerly in charge of Lenoblbank seeking to recover 1.3 billion rubles ($19.1 million), $4 million and 4.9 million euros ($5.8 million) or about $28.9 million in total from them, the agency has stated. The DIA is a bankruptcy manager of the bank. The lawsuit against former board chairman of Lenoblbank Alexander Popov and former head of the banks Moscow branch Tatyana Zozulya was filed with the Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region. The claim will be reviewed on October 11. In July 2016, the DIA reported that inventory of the banks property revealed shortfall of 162.5 million rubles ($2.3 million). In December 2015, the court granted a request of Russias Central Bank and declared Lenoblbank bankrupt. In October 2015, the Central Bank revoked the banks license, noting numerous violations on the latters part, including high risk credit policy. Detention extended for Russian lawyer involved in Roscosmos embezzlement case RIA Novosti, Sergey Mamontov 11:53 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) Moscows Babushlkinsky District Court has extended detention of the chairman of the law firm Tretyakov & Partners Igor Tretyakov as part of a criminal case over embezzlement of 330 million rubles (about $5 million) from Roscosmos state space corporation, the courts spokesperson Maria Borovikova has told RAPSI. Thus, Tretyakov will stay detained until October 19. Earlier, the court detained two other persons, head of the S.A. Lavochkin Scientific Union Sergey Lemeshevsky and chief of the Unions legal department Yekaterina Averyanova. All the defendants are charged with embezzlement. According to investigators, the defendants have stolen assets of Roscosmos by signing fraudulent contracts for provision of legal services with the law firm. All the works were allegedly performed by the corporations own specialists. The overall sum of payments to the firm reached 330 million rubles. Moscow court extends detention for defendant in Presidents residence embezzlement case RIA Novosti, Aleksei Panov 14:59 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, July 18 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has extended until December 21 detention of the state-run company Atecks ex-chief Andrey Kaminov charged with embezzlement of over one billion rubles ($68 million) during construction and reconstruction of the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryevo (Moscow region), RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom. The court is also expected to review motions of the Investigative Committee seeking to extend detention terms for Kaminovs former deputy Stanislav Kyuner and former head of Stroyfacade company Dmitry Torchinsky. In August, the defendants in the case were presented with final charges. According to investigators, Kaminov and his accomplices organized a criminal group and committed a large-scale embezzlement. Investigators believe that the alleged criminals embezzled the state funds allocated for the execution of various construction projects of federal importance. Damage caused is estimated at around 225 million rubles (about $4 million) and was later raised up to over 1.3 billion rubles ($19.2 million). Prosecutors seek 10 years in jail for ex-St. Petersburg MP charged with corruption RAPSI 15:48 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) Prosecutors sought a sentence of 10 years in jail for ex-lawmaker of St. Petersburgs Legislative Assembly Svetlana Nesterova involved in a 4.8-million-ruble ($71,000) corruption case, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts told RAPSI on Tuesday. Moreover, the Krasnogvardeysky District Court was asked to fine the former MP 10 million rubles (about $150,000). Defense in turn demanded to acquit the woman. Sentencing of Nesterova is set for September 25. According to the Investigative Committee, from June 2013 to December 2014, Nesterova organized embezzlement of budget funds allocated for reimbursement of two non-governmental organizations expenditures for performance of social programs for senior citizens and people with disabilities. Investigators claim that she involved her assistants Vera Shishkina and Tatyana Kitova as well as the organizations director Svetlana Gasanova in the crime. Instructed by Nesterova, Shishkina, Kitova and Gasanova provided the Social Policy Committee of St. Petersburg, the chief controller of monetary grants, with false information on the scope and cost of services rendered upon social programs, the case papers read. Therefore, the accomplices stole budget funds, 4.8 million rubles of which were funneled to then lawmaker Nesterova. Kitova, Shishkina and Gasanova pleaded guilty. They received a 4-year suspended sentence each for complicity in embezzlement. Assets worth $206 mln owned by ex-MP and ex-managers of Siberian steel plant seized RIA Novosti 16:59 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) The Commercial Court of Kemerovo Region has seized assets worth 13.9 billion rubles ($206 million) belonging to the former State Duma MP Vadim Varshavsky charged with embezzlement and three ex-managers of Guryev Steel Works, the oldest plant in Siberia, according to court records. A motion to seize the assets of Varshavsky, Leonid Sergeyev, Vladimir Dvoryanchikov and Vladimir Yaskin has been filed by a bankruptcy supervisor of Guryev Steel Works, Sergey Rogov. Guryev Steel Works, the oldest plant in Siberia, was founded in 1816. In November 2016, the enterprise was declared bankrupt. The plant was a part of Estar group of iron and steel companies owned by Varshavsky. Varshavsky was also an owner of two other manufacturing plants Rostov Electrometallurgical Plant and Donbiotech engaged in grain processing. Rostov Electrometallurgical Plant was declared bankrupt in 2017. The former lawmaker is currently held in detention on embezzlement charges. According to investigators, he stole 2.5 billion rubles ($37 million) from Petrocommerce bank. Russian Education Ministry proposes to permit adoption by HIV positives RIA Novosti, Aleksei Naumov 12:59 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) Russias Ministry of Education and Science has drafted a bill allowing persons affected by HIV and hepatitis C to adopt children living with them. The documents version has been published on the official website of legal information. Amendments are proposed to the Family Code of Russia. Under current legislation, individuals suffering from certain diseases are prohibited from adopting children. The list of diseases is set by the government. The draft law would authorize courts to derogate from this provision of the Family Code in cases when children are living with a HIV positive person or a person suffering from virus of hepatitis C due to already formed family relations. The Education Ministry has drafted the bill to execute the Constitutional Courts judgement of June 20, 2018, declaring the provision contrary to the Constitution. Bill on reorganization of military courts reaches State Duma flashnord.com 17:38 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) Chairman of the State Duma Committee on state building and legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov has submitted a bill proposing to reorganize military courts in Russia to the lower house of parliament. According to Krasheninnikov, the bill was drafted to bring the military court system in line with a recently passed federal constitutional law establishing appeal and cassation courts of general jurisdiction, including military ones. The bill also reads that military and navy courts are to be renamed in accordance with current military division as well as location and number of newly formed district directorates of Russias National Guard. Authors of the bill also propose to establish a jurisdiction of new garrison military courts spreading it to territories with garrisons, military formations, agencies and institutions with military service. Krasheninnikov also proposed to rename military courts in another bill to sort their powers as first instance courts for criminal cases, including ones on terrorism. Number of crimes committed by teens increased in Russia - childrens ombudsman RIA Novosti, Alexey Nikolsky 13:59 18/09/2018 MOSCOW, September 18 (RAPSI) Childrens rights commissioner Anna Kuznetsova during an alignment meeting held in Pskov on Tuesday reported a rise in the teen crime rate in Russia, the ombudsmans press service told RAPSI. According to Kuznetsova, the number of young criminals at the age from 14 to 15 increased from 30 to 35% in 2017. Incidents connected with teenagers cruelty and aggression could make assertions about poor effectiveness of educational work in schools, the ombudsman stated. Kuznetsova proposed renewal of educational programs in schools and organization of the all-Russian monitoring of implementation of emerging standards to lower the number of crimes and offenses involving minors. Posted by Jay on at 12:01 PM CST Marvel has sent out solicitations for their December 2018 titles, including 7comics and two Trade Paperbacks!KIERON GILLEN (W) ANGEL UNZUETA (A)COVER BY JAMAL CAMPBELLAction Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler ChristopherGalactic Icon Variant Cover by Rod ReisTHE ESCAPE PART 3 Is there romance in the air for Luke and Tula? Is there romance in the air for HAN AND LEIA?! Is there romance in the air between a bunch of stranded rebels and enormous ravenous monsters? No. This last one is no.32 PGS./Rated T $3.99AGE OF REBELLION and AGE OF RESISTANCE chronologically tell a series of spectacular adventures featuring your favorite characters from ALL THREE STAR WARS TRILOGIES!Starting with AGE OF REPUBLIC this December, writer Jody Houser teams with artists Cory Smith and Luke Ross to spotlight four of the greatest heroes and four of the coolest villains from the prequel films during the waning days of the Old Republic. Witness the never before seen moments that define the characters, the incredible battles that shaped them and the eternal conflict between the light and the dark, good and evil!It all starts here in the pages of QUI-GON #1 and DARTH MAUL #1.With covers by Paolo Rivera, Luke Ross, Cory Smith and more!Checklist:STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLICDecember 2018QUI-GON #1DARTH MAUL #1January 2019OBI-WAN #1JANGO FETT #1SPECIAL #1February 2019ANAKIN SKYWALKER #1COUNT DOOKU #1March 2019PADME AMIDALA #1GENERAL GRIEVOUS #1This is the Age of Star Wars! STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC,JODY HOUSER (W) CORY SMITH (A)Cover by PAOLO RIVERAVariant Cover by CORY SMITHConcept Design Variant Cover by IAIN MCCAIGPROMO VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & ELIA BONETTIPUZZLE PIECE VARIANT COVER BY TBA (1 OF 27)Movie Variant Cover Also AvailableJEDI ORDER OR CHAOS?Considered one of the greatest Jedi Knights or the one who led them to their doom, maverick QUI-GON JINN is one of STAR WARS most controversial heroes. The JEDI MASTER is known to bend the rules and its gotten him into plenty of trouble with the COUNCIL. Now, in the face of a mission that goes awry, hes forced to confront his conflicting beliefs. What will Qui-Gon uncover about his loyalty to the Jedi vs his loyalty to the FORCE? Guest-starring MASTER YODA!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99JODY HOUSER (W) LUKE ROSS (A)Cover by PAOLO RIVERAVariant Cover by LUKE ROSSConcept Design Variant Cover by IAIN MCCAIGPUZZLE PIECE VARIANT COVER BY TBA (2 OF 27)Movie Variant Cover Also AvailableRISE OF THE SITH!A living weapon of rage and bloodthirst, DARTH MAUL has stayed in the shadows of CORUSCANT waiting for his chance to strike against the JEDI ORDER! However, since tasting his first blood, the SITH lord struggles to contain his desire for destruction and questions the wishes of his methodically plotting master. Could Maul have had another path in life, or was he always fated to follow a dark road? Guest-starring DARTH SIDIOUS!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99SI SPURRIER (W) EMILIO LAISO (A)Cover by ASHLEY WITTERGALACTIC ICON VARIANT COVER BY ROD REISWORST AMONG EQUALS: PART TWO! Rogue archaeologist DOCTOR APHRA has ten hours to cross a hostile megacity before the bomb implanted in her throat blows up. No big deal, right? And even if there ARE, say, insane cops and bounty hunters on her tailshes got a partner to help her! (Unfortunately that would be TRIPLE ZERO: the astonishingly unpleasant murder droid who yearns to see her dead.)32 PGS./Rated T $3.99(of 5)ROBBIE THOMPSON (W)LEONARD KIRK (A)Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMAVARIANT COVER BY MARCOS MARTINTHE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED! After spending a night in the brig, HAN SOLO is given one last shot at flight school Will Han be top gun, or will he crash and burn? Crash and burn if one of his top competitors gets his way! This mysterious rival is ripped from the pages of CLASSIC STAR WARS COMICS!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99CHARLES SOULE (W) GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & MORE (A)Cover by ELIA BONETTI & GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLIVARIANT COVER BY GABRIELE DELLOTTOGALACTIC ICON VARIANT COVER BY ROD REISFORTRESS VADER: FINALE! The FORTRESS is complete. The door will be opened. VADER finds everything he has ever desired. THE DARK LORD gets everything he deserves.32 PGS./Rated T $3.99(of 5)ROBBIE THOMPSON (W)WILL SLINEY (A)Cover by PHIL NOTOVARIANT COVER BY MARCO CHECCHETTOTHE FASTEST SHIP IN THE GALAXY! QIRA is alive! But shes working for the ruthless gangster DRYDEN VOS, who forces HAN, BECKETT and QIRA into an impossible heist. But where will this trio find the fastest ship in the galaxy to make the dreaded KESSEL RUN? Enter LANDO CALRISSIAN and the MILLENIUM FALCON!32 PGS./Rated T $3.99Written by SI SPURRIERPenciled by KEV WALKERCover by ASHLEY WITTERDoctor Aphra is behind bars. Again. But this time shes in Imperial custody, strapped to an explosive transmitter synced to a single hubdroid. Take one step too far? Kablooey! So what happens when Aphras captors send her hubdroid right into the middle of a war zone? And whats this rumor about the prison being haunted? Meanwhile, Aphras got information and its information the Rebellion wants. But how far are they willing to go and who are they willing to recruit to get it? Surely even our lovable rogue archaeologist cant find a way to make things even worse, right? Wrong. Because Aphras current flame, Inspector Tolvan, and Aphras ex, Sana Starros, are about to meet. Awkward. But thats nothing compared to a certain tall, dark shadow about to fall across her. Collecting STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #20-25.152 PGS./Rated T $17.99ISBN: 978-1-302-91153-9Written by CHARLES SOULEPenciled by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLICOVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & ELIA BONETTIContinuing the imperious rise of the Dark Lord! A Jedi makes a desperate deal. The Inquisitors mission evolves. And Darth Vader discovers a theft! And when the thief faces the consequences of the crime, Emperor Palpatine rewards Vader with a gift and a voice. Seeking the path to his destiny, Vader returns to the place of his greatest defeat. There, echoes from the past reach out to him both his own and the dark history of the Sith! Darkness rises above Mustafar as a brutal design begins to take shape. But the planets inhabitants will not take this desecration lightly and formulate plans of their own. Vaders fortress will stand but at a terrible cost. The fire will come to Mustafar and all will burn! Collecting DARTH VADER (2017) #19-25..168 PGS./Rated T $19.99ISBN: 978-1-302-91057-0 Black Rifle Coffee Company has announced a new roasting facility in Manchester, Tennessee. The new facility will not be a replacement for their facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah, but is intended to satisfy a quickly growing demand from the east coast. The new facility is part of Black Rifle Coffee's six million dollar investment into their presence in the state and should create 52 jobs over the next five years. As is the case with all positions at Black Rifle Coffee, in-state veterans will have first consideration. Check out the Black Rifle Coffee Company's website for more information about upcoming positions and the company's history. Here's what the company said in a recent announcement: Century's new Canik TP9 Elite Combat is now shipping to dealers according to a press release. The new pistol is a collaboration between Century and Salient Arms, a company that has made their name modifying Glock pistols. Century and Salient used the Canik TP9 Elite that was released in early 2017 as a base for the TP9 Elite Combat pistol. While the bulk of the upgrades you see on the pistol are a result of Canik development, Salient added a Nitride coated fluted match barrel, fiber optic sights, an aluminum magwell, and something the release described as a proprietary convex thread protector with 13.5 x 1mm left-hand threads. Canik's contribution to the collaboration included aluminum plus 3 magazine extensions, a new flat face trigger, an optics ready slide similar to the TP9 SFX that also accepts a charging handle, an extended magazine release like found on the TP9 SFX, components coated in Nitride or a high-wear nickel coating, and a brand new retention holster. More from Century: The countrys first Health and Wellness Centre, a second component of Ayushman Bharat, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April at Jangla in Chhattisgarh. From next week, people will have two options to choose from: either visit the centre or, now that all states are going to be covered by Ayushman Bharat, visit the hospital in other states. The third of the four-part series looks at the state's readiness for India's biggest public health scheme. Part 1: Why Gujarat is better prepared to launch Ayushman Bharat Part 2: Panipat: Where the health of Ayushman Bharat is in a shambles In the dead of a shivering winter night two years ago, Sammaiyya Cherpa of Pamed village in Bijapur, Chhattisgarhs worst insurgency-hit district, developed serious chest congestion, culminating in acute respiratory problems. He was rushed to the nearest hospital about 60 km away in Bhadrachalam in the neighbouring state of Telangana. The 60-year-old farm labourer, whose village lies in the liberated zone of the Naxalites, was admitted to a private hospital for his lung infection. When his relatives presented his health card, the hospital authorities in Telangana refused to accept it. The card had been issued under the Chhattisgarh governments ambitious health insurance scheme, the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana for non-BPL families and was valid only within the state. Cherpa recuperated and was asked to follow up on the treatment. On two such visits, he had to stay back for a couple of days in Bhadrachalam for further tests. When I returned home, the Naxalites summoned me and interrogated harshly about whether I had been to the police to pass on information about them, he said. In Pamed village, the residents cannot leave without receiving prior permission from the Naxalites. These days Cherpa is not only better but relaxed. Next time he falls ill, he no longer has to cross the state border from Chhattisgarh to Telangana and will not have to face a grilling from the Naxalites in his area. Thats because he can now get medical treatment in the new Health and Wellness Centre at Jangla, about 80 km from his home in his own state which opened after he fell sick. The centre is the countrys first and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April as part of the launch of the governments ambitious national health protection scheme, Ayushman Bharat, which will roll out from September 25 and aims to cover 10 crore poor and vulnerable families. The Health and Wellness Centre is a second component of Ayushman Bharat, in addition to the health insurance cover. Cherpa will have two options in future: either visit the centre or, now that all states are going to be covered by Ayushman Bharat, he can visit the hospital at Bhadrachalam in Telangana too. In Chhattisgarh, 40 lakh BPL smart card holders under the states existing MSBY will be beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat. We will be merging MSBY with Ayushman and those beneficiaries not covered under the national scheme will continue to benefit from the MSBY which will continue for non-BPL families, said R Prasanna, the states health director. Families pay a one-time fee of Rs 30 for getting an insurance (smart) card and the government pays the annual insurance premium for them. Each family needs only one card. In Chhattisgarh, awareness of a smart health card is very high and the usage rate is one of the highest in the country. In October 1, 2017, the annual insurance entitlement for hospitalisation was increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000. Chhattisgarh is seen as a well performing state when it comes to the national health insurance scheme as it has achieved enrolment of around 90 per cent of the 60 lakh families in the state by issuing 55 lakh cards, said Prasanna. The beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat will number 40 lakh families as it covers only BPL families. For the rest, the state scheme will continue. How ready is the state, which has been chosen for the pilot project, to launch Ayushman Bharat? Whenever the Centre says, we are ready to launch, said Prasanna. It is presently waiting for the tests on the software that has been developed in New Delhi to be completed, which is why a full-fledged launch has not happened. But the tenders for selecting the insurance companies are being finalised. Deciding which private hospitals come on board will depend on how the insurers empanel hospitals. The Ayushman Bharat cards have arrived and will be distributed once the Centre gives the go-ahead. About 135 Wellness and Health Centres have been identified for Ayushman Bharat. For each centre, Rs 64,000 has been issued for upgradation, said GS Dau, a government doctor posted in Lormi, Mungeli district. He says that people are enthusiastic, especially after hearing that the health insurance cover will increase tenfold from Rs 50,000 to Rs 500,000. Motilal Dewangan, who runs a tea stall in Mungeli, was initially not interested in a card but when the government increased the cover, he shut his shop for two days to battle the long queues to get one. I realise the importance now as the cover will increase to Rs 500,000 soon, he said. Some experts are, however, sceptical about the present model. The Ayushman Bharat scheme seems to have been designed without consulting the doctors, said ENT specialist Rakesh Gupta. He believes the budget provision for it is inadequate and also warns that, since doctors have not been consulted, it could turn out that some of the diseases which patients and hospitals think are going to be covered under the scheme, may not in fact be covered, given the small size of the premium. The result, he says, could be conflicts between private hospital managements and insurance companies. Gupta suggested the formation of a trust to monitor the execution of the scheme and urged maximum precaution in selecting the network of hospitals. Gupta, who heads the Congress partys medical cell, said the package rate and premium for the insurance company is low. When the volume of claims increases, the insurance company in the given premium will bear the loss and ultimately the patient will feel the heat, he said. Technical issues could also arise, he added. The authorities should look into the technical issues as many pockets of the state do not have internet connectivity. "The thumb impression needed to activate the card will be taken by a biometric device that requires the internet, he said. Doctors says that in rural areas, insurance agents often tell families to use their health insurance card only for serious illnesses so as to avoid exhausting the Rs 50,000 cover on minor ailments. Dewangan, for example, was given this advice. Last month, when his wife fell ill with fever and fatigue, Dewangan avoided using his card. He bought some medicine from a local chemist but his wifes condition deteriorated. Eventually, she was rushed to a private hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia. She recovered after 20 days. Mewangan ended up paying for the treatment from his own pocket. In future, with greater cover, he wont have to agonise as to which ailment he can use his card for. Photograph: Reuters. Stretched valuations and slowdown in DII flows are some of the reasons why Goldman Sachs cut its India rating to 'market-weight' Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com After remaining strategically overweight on Indian equities since 2014, global research and brokerage firm Goldman Sachs has cut its India rating to market-weight from over-weight. It expects the markets to consolidate ahead of the general elections and maintains a 12-month Nifty50 target of 12,000, which is over 5 per cent higher than the current levels. Indian equities, it says, have doubled over the past five years and have outperformed the region by 60 percentage points (pp) in dollar terms. Given the elevated valuations and the recent strong performance, we believe the risk/reward for Indian equities is less favourable at current levels, wrote Sunil Koul of Goldman Sachs in a recent co-authored report. While a less stable government at the Centre as an outcome of the general elections scheduled for 2019 is a key downside risk, any upside in corporate profits and a stronger foreign institutional (FII) inflow could surprise the markets positively, Goldman Sachs says. In terms of sectors, it has upgraded defensives and exporters and remains overweight on private banks, technology and metals. Rural recovery and housing plays, GARP (growth at reasonable price) and beneficiaries from the rupees slide against the US dollar are some of Goldman Sachs key investment ideas. Here are the five key reasons why Goldman Sachs has downgraded Indian equities: Stretched valuations Indian equities, Goldman Sachs believes, are the most expensive in Asia (27x average price-to-earnings) and are trading at a 58 per cent premium to region. At these levels, it says, equities have historically posted a negative return over three-six months. Macro headwinds Tighter financial conditions, weak activity data and higher oil prices (in rupee terms) are likely to see economic growth moderate, analysts at Goldman Sachs say. They forecast a current account deficit (CAD) at 2.6 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) versus 1.9 per cent in financial year 2017-18 (FY18) and expect the crude oil prices to remain elevated at $80 per barrel in the next three months. Earnings recovery priced in Despite unfavourable macros, Goldman Sachs says the markets have priced in growth in corporate earnings at the current levels. Nifty has compounded at 14 per cent over the past five years while earnings grew at 5 per cent. While profit recovery is underway, this micro catch up doesnt warrant a further upside. "Indian equities are pricing in a 17 per cent 10-year earnings growth on a compounded basis (CAGR) - the highest in the region, the Goldman report says. Slowdown in DII flows Even though domestic flows have slowed for four consecutive months, Goldman Sachs believes funds could potentially see lower equity inflows, as the yield gap between equities and bonds has dipped to a 10-year low. Event risk Lastly, the report cites event risk arising from likely increase in government spending/fiscal deficit ahead of the elections and possibility of a less stable government weighing on the markets in the near term. Among its closest neighbours, India leads in income levels or overall economic empowerment. However, it also leads in terms of income inequality, due to which the inequality-adjusted HDI suffers a bigger fall. Image used only for representational purpose. Photograph: Arko Datta / Reuters India has been ranked 130 among 189 nations in the United Nations Development Programme's human development indices for the year 2017. While the country was placed at the 131st spot in 2016, the report explicitly states that "it is misleading to compare values and rankings with those of previously published reports". According to the data, which is based on consistent methodology that shows real changes in values and ranks over time, India's rank actually moved one place from 129/188 to 130/189. India's HDI went up from 0.636 in 2016 to 0.64 in 2017, but grew at a slower pace, at 0.63 per cent, compared with 1.4 per cent in each of the preceding two years. This is in line with the slow HDI growth at the global level, from above 0.5 per cent in preceding two years to 0.3 per cent in 2017. (See chart 1) In comparison, however, HDI growth in Europe and Central Asia-the region with the greatest number of developed countries-has improved in the last year to 0.5 per cent, from 0.36 per cent in 2016. The reason for slow HDI growth in India can be ascribed to the stagnation in the primary indicators on which the HDI is based. (See chart 2) The expected years of schooling in 2017 stood at 12.3 years, unchanged from the 2016 level. The same holds true for mean years of schooling, which remained unchanged at 6.4 years. Such a situation demands an improvement in the age-specific enrolment rates in schools, suggest the report. According to the latest data, school enrolment has dropped from 94 per cent at the elementary level (Class 8) to 80 per cent at secondary level (Class 10) and 55 per cent at higher secondary level (Class 10+2). Further, the growth in national income per person in the country slowed down from 5.9 per cent in 2016 to 2.6 per cent in 2017. India's economy grew slower over the last two years, from 8.2 per cent in 2015-16, to 7.1 per cent in 2016-17, to 6.7 per cent in 2017-18, according to revised estimates. However, the overall growth masks the inequalities among the populace. Factoring in the inequality, India's HDI on this account fell from 0.64 to 0.47, showing an inequality loss of 26.8 per cent, worse than neighbours and regional average. The average loss due to inequality for medium HDI countries was 25.1 per cent and for South Asia it was 26.1 per cent. (See chart 3) Despite being the fastest growing developing economy, India's HDI at 0.64 was still lower than the overall HDI of developing economies group at 0.68, suggesting that human development follows economic development with a lag. Among its closest neighbours, India leads in income levels or overall economic empowerment. However, it also leads in terms of income inequality, due to which the inequality-adjusted HDI suffers a bigger fall. Even though North America still accounts for 60 per cent of Infosyss revenue, the company is starting to see good growth in Europe, which contributes around 25 per cent to the companys top line. Even Australia also has emerged to be a strategically important market, with a contribution of 10 per cent to the overall revenues. After the US, Infosys is planning to take its digital hub models to Europe and Australia as the Bengaluru-based company looks at expanding its onshore capabilities in order to serve these markets effectively. The company plans to begin by setting up one digital hub in the UK for which it has shortlisted four locations while it is also evaluating setting up such centres in two more European countries. In Australia, Infosys is looking at setting up two hubs initially before expanding further. We are building our onshore capabilities, and to that effect, the digital centers that we have built in the US and those we are starting in Europe and Australia, are actually allowing us to recruit college graduates in those markets, said Salil Parekh, chief executive officer and managing director of Infosys. In Europe and Australia, we are evaluating a few cities, though none of those have been announced. The intent is to launch digital hubs outside the US within the next six months, he said. In March, Infosys launched its first technology and innovation hub at Indianapolis, in the US, which was followed by another centre in Raleigh last month. The Indianapolis hub will help the firm work with clients in machine learning, artificial intelligence, user experience, and advanced digital technologies, including big data and cloud. Infosys is also using it as its global training centre to train, upskill and reskill its own employees as well as those from clients in digital technologies. The company is planning to open two more hubs in the US, including one in Hartford, Connecticut where it aims to hire 1,000 US workers by 2022. The Hartford hub will have a special focus on insurance, health care, and manufacturing serving. According to Parekh, the concerns by certain quarters that increased hiring by the company in onshore locations, including the US, would affect the profitability negatively while adding this will, however, led the company towards a higher margin trajectory as it will help in expanding the digital business that currently stands at 28 per cent of its overall revenues. Actually, overall its not margin dilutive for us but what its doing is it is building a resilient business model for the future, said Parekh. In fact, in one of our internal sessions, there was a view that as we are building a full pyramid in these locations, it will actually have positive impact on our margins, he said. Even though North America still accounts for 60 per cent of Infosyss revenue, the company is starting to see good growth in Europe, which contributes around 25 per cent to the companys top line. Even Australia also has emerged to be a strategically important market, with a contribution of 10 per cent to the overall revenues. Immigration constraints in the US over the past few years have not only forced Indian IT giants to actively hire overseas but also to explore markets outside the US in order to offset risks. The likes of TCS have around 30,000 employees while Wipro reported over 55 per cent local workforce in the geography, including heavy grants and partnerships with local universities for campus hiring. Parekh said the company had launched an aggressive recruitment drive in the US, especially through campus recruitment. In the past one year, Infosys has hired 1,500 freshers from across 40 campuses. It had earlier set up a goal to hire 10,000 local Americans for its US centres in the next couple of years. The company has so far hired over 4,700 people. My sense is that well exceed that target and we will go much beyond this. Because today the view is, we will have a significant number will come in the next 12 months, Parekh added. Outside of the US, the company has started doing campus hiring in the UK and Australia, though the numbers are far lesser as compared to India and the US. In the past 12 months, the company hired 80 and 25 campus recruits from the UK and Australia, respectively. Infosys is also actively reskilling and "refactoring" their employees into newer more relevant technologies even as they continue focus on campus recruitment through 6-10 weeks long programmes. Photograph: PTI Photo A likely western disturbance over north India during the weekend might cause heavy to very heavy showers in a few places, including New Delhi. A new low pressure over the Bay of Bengal and a western disturbance are likely to further delay the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon this year and cause rainfall over north India over the weekend. The rains were supposed to retreat from September 1. The revised forecast said the monsoon withdrawal would start from September 10-12. Now, it seems this will take longer. The withdrawal will not start this week, India Meteorological Department (IMD) director general K J Ramesh said. The rains usually start withdrawing from early September from western Rajasthan. The process is usually complete by end-October, signaling the end of the four-month season that starts in June. For the past few years, withdrawal has been delayed. The delay might aide planting of rabi crops, but if the showers are more than expected they might cause damage to the standing kharif harvest, particularly crops sown late. A likely western disturbance over north India during the weekend might cause heavy to very heavy showers in a few places, including New Delhi. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely over north India from 23 September All states must be warned for flooding, Jatin Singh, chief executive officer of private weather forecasting agency Skymet, tweeted. Till September 17, the southwest monsoon has been 9 per cent below normal with rains deficient in 12 of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions. These include west Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Gujarat, north interior Karnataka, Rayalseema, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the entire Northeast India. In many parts, the deficit is largely on account of low rainfall in the first half of the monsoon, but in others the conditions are staring at a drought. The data also showed that out of the 662 districts, the monsoon was normal in 62 per cent of them between June 1 and September 16. In the rest, it was deficient. Encouraged by the late withdrawal of monsoon, sowing of kharif crops has also picked up pace and crossed last years level - almost 1 per cent more than the area sown in 2017. Water levels in the 91 major reservoirs across the country were also at a comfortable 131 per cent more than last year and 114 per cent of its 10-year average. This should also augur well for the rabi sowing season. Photograph: Parivartan Sharma/Reuters Commissions of inquiry are potentially powerful instruments to fix responsibility on public functionaries, but everything possible has been done to blunt this instrument, says Dr Madhav Godbole, retired Union home secretary. Democracy and vibrant public life need the support of a number of institutions such as Parliament, the media, the judiciary and other specially authorised Constitutional and statutory bodies. One of them is the mechanism of the commission of inquiry appointed to look into definite matters of public importance. But it becomes frustrating if these institutions start functioning at cross-purposes, as has often been the case with the commissions of inquiry and the judiciary. The latest example of this is of the judicial commission of inquiry into the land deals of Robert Vadra, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law. The report submitted by Justice S N Dhingra to the Haryana government in August 2016 has been languishing since then as the state government had given an undertaking in the high court that the report of the commission would not be published till the petition challenging the appointment of the commission filed by former state chief minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda is decided by the court. Reportedly, there have been 26 hearings in the high court so far. In March 2018, the Supreme Court had urged the high court to decide the matter within two months. We are now in September 2018 and the case is still pending. (The Indian Express, September 5, 2018) Several questions arise from the plain reading of the news report. Knowing how matters can be dragged in the courts, should the state government have given an undertaking that the report of the commission will not be released till the matter is decided by the court? Why did the state government not request the court to permit it to release the report pending the court's decision in the matter? Why could the high court itself not have taken up suo motu the question of releasing the report, pending the decision in the case, since the Commission of Inquiry Act itself lays down that the report of the commission is to be made public within six months of its submission. This is not the first time that judicial proceedings have led to frustrating the very purpose of setting up of a commission of inquiry. I had dealt with these issues at length in my book, The Judiciary and Governance in India (2008). At the outset, the distinctive features of an inquiry by a commission must be noted. In such an inquiry, there is no plaintiff or prosecutor and there is no defendant or accused. The commission is not expected to act as a judge, but has to make every effort to arrive at the truth. Strict rules of evidence do not apply and the commission does not pass any order which is binding on the government. It merely makes recommendations based on its findings. It is left to the government to decide whether to accept the recommendations or to overlook them altogether. The main idea is to bring all facts to the notice of the people at large in open hearings, unless the matter pertains to State secrets or are such that the commission feels that they may not be made public till they are fully inquired into, as was the case in the inquiry regarding the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Looking at the above, it is difficult to understand why anyone should object to an inquiry by a commission. And even if such an objection is raised, the courts must lay down the strictest possible requirements before entertaining such pleas. The most scandalous case of challenge to the appointment of a commission of inquiry was by Indira Gandhi to the appointment of the Justice J C Shah Commission to look into the excesses committed during the Emergency,/strong>. She not only refused to take an oath and depose before the commission, but went to the extent of casting aspersions on Justice Shah, a former Chief Justice of India. When she was proceeded against in a criminal prosecution, as Arun Shourie had written in his book, Institutions in the Janata Phase (1980), the Delhi high court, going out of its way, knocked the bottom out of the Commissions of Inquiry Act and effectively provided a blanket cover for malfeasance and abuse of power. In another case pertaining to the commission of inquiry appointed by government of Maharashtra, on the Enron power project, under the chairmanship of a retired judge of the Supreme Court, the objection to the setting up of the commission was raised by the central government and Sharad Pawar, former chief minister of Maharashtra, who had approved the project. In this case, the Supreme Court gave ex parte stay, without giving a hearing to the state government. The stay continued for such a long time that the state government, which had reluctantly appointed the commission under intense public pressure conveniently decided to wind up the commission! The issues, which were considered to be of public importance according to the state government's own notification, ceased to be so due to the injudicious intervention of the apex court. Another striking case is that of the Liberhan Commission of inquiry in respect of the Babri Masjid demolition. The Government of India appointed the commission within two weeks of the demolition of the masjid in December 1992. It took 17 years for the commission to submit its report. This was the longest time ever taken by a commission of inquiry so far. But, a substantial part of the delays was accounted for by the stays granted by the Allahabad and Delhi high courts from time to time, when approached by concerned parties. I have been advocating over the years that the Supreme Court must lay down a guideline that any stay granted to the proceedings of a commission of inquiry should not be operative for more than three months and should automatically lapse at the end of such a period. Unfortunately, the apex court has not taken cognisance of this major hurdle in the working of the commissions of inquiry. Successive commissions of inquiry have highlighted yet another handicap which they had encountered and this was of the lack of contempt of court powers. As a result, the commissions had become weak and ineffective. Almost all such commissions are judicial commissions appointed under retired high court and Supreme Court judges. It was therefore disappointing to see that the national commission to review the working of the Constitution took a very restrictive view and recommended that no other court, tribunal or authority should have, or be conferred with, the power to punish for contempt of itself. I am of the view that it will be in the larger public interest if powers under the contempt of courts act are given to the commissions of inquiry. It is unfortunate that most of the institutions of oversight of India's robust democracy have fallen in disuse. The most prominent among these are Parliament and state legislatures. A number of statutory bodies such as Lokayuktas have become paper tigers. Commissions of inquiry are potentially powerful instruments to fix responsibility on public functionaries but everything possible has been done to blunt this instrument as well. Successive governments at the Centre have failed to take any remedial action. Though over four years have elapsed since assuming power, the Modi government's slogan of 'less government and more governance' has remained on paper as the Commission of Inquiry Act has not been amended in the light of experience so far. Unlike in most other democracies, the judiciary in India holds the reins of governance in the country. Let us hope that judiciary will not continue to contribute to undercutting the potency of commissions of inquiry. Dr Madhav Godbole is a former home secretary and secretary, justice, Government of India. 'The common belief in political circles is that if you provide reservation to somebody, s/he will automatically come up.' 'This is a very faulty understanding.' IMAGE: A Gujjar protest in New Delhi seeking 5 per cent reservation for the community. Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters A key bill to provide Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes has finally secured Parliament's approval. The 123rd Amendment Bill 2017 was cleared by the Lok Sabha on August 2, 2018, superseding the amendments passed earlier by the Rajya Sabha. The Bharatiya Janata Party calls it a historic bill while other parties describe it as a political move, passed with the coming assembly election in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. "Just giving Constitutional status will not make it a historic decision," Dr Satendra Kumar, below, professor at the Gobind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad University, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier. Do you think the 123rd Amendment providing Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Castes is historic? Or is it just a political stunt with the assembly elections in mind? I won't call it historic or anything like that. It is more political. Just giving Constitutional status will not make it a historic decision. If they had really wanted to do something, they should have paid attention to issues like sub-categorisation, creamy layer and the complex index of backwardness. What has happened in a simple effort. I am not denying there are some positive aspects to the amendment. It will definitely help, but you cannot call it historic. Will it empower the backward communities in India? Yes and no. Yes, it is different from the earlier commission (the National Commission for SC/STs) in the sense that it gives equal power to the commission for backward castes. It also gives the same power as civil courts to the commission which is a special feature under which the OBCs can go the commission and file a case. For example, if somebody feels discriminated against or if atrocities are committed against them, they can file a case at the commission. Till now, OBCs did not have access to such a court; they had to go to the police and the police may act or may not to the complaint. OBC is a very large umbrella category. On one side, there are powerful caste groups and on the other side, there are a lot of marginalised groups also. There is a large disparity within the OBC group itself. So, there is a fear of misusing the powers by the powerful groups. At the same time, it can act as a safeguard for the less powerful groups among the OBCs. So, it can empower and help these people. Now, to the no part of my answer. Just by providing Constitutional status to the commission will not cure the ills because a lot depends on implementation. Do you feel what is more important is a change in the attitude of society? We have had this commission of SCs and STs for quite some time, but it has not really been empowered even now. Yes, implementation has to happen, also the attitude of society has to change. The institution has to have the capacity to implement. Also, the leaders and bureaucrats have to have the attitude and willingness to implement them. Do we have the infrastructure to implement? What do you mean by infrastructure? The states: Do they have the capacity to implement the ideas? Do they have the resources to take care of the interests of these groups? What we need is a multi-layered programme. Reservation is just one aspect of the whole programme. The common belief in political circles is that if you provide reservation to somebody, s/he will automatically come up. This is a very faulty understanding. What is more important: Political will or attitudinal change in society? It is not one or the other; both are important. Political will is needed to implement policies. Intervention of the State is also very important in any society or country. At the same time, society at large has to play an important role in the whole exercise. If you look at how changes have taken place in south India, particularly in Kerala and Tamil where social and religious movements have played a crucial role in the way society changed. When a social movement becomes a political movement, it becomes a part of the State. Like the Dravidian movement became Dravidian parties and started dominating the political scene? Yes, these movements played a significant influence in the trajectory of the backward class movement and also in the development of these communities. Why do you think such movements did not happen in northern India? Is it because lack of education or because the other communities are very strong? There are a couple of reasons for this. In the northern belt, the coalition of Brahmins and Kshatriyas is very strong. They constitute around 20% of the population in north India, particularly in UP and Bihar. You should compare this with the 3% to 4% Brahmins in Tamil Nadu. More than that, these Brahmins have moved away from formal politics. The upper caste dominates formal politics in northern India or the cow belt. For example, they constitute more than half the population in UP and Bihar. So, they have their agenda in the political domain even if you have commissions for the backward communities. The Centre has said the NCBC applies only to the Centre and has no relation to the states. Are the states not supposed to implement the policies? It is like this. You have an institution that will be run by the central government like all central government-run organisations. You also have institutions run by the state governments. What happens is the Centre is not going to direct the state governments on how to function. The states can have their own list of OBCs and they can launch their own programmes. How does the NCBC function then? How will it empower OBC communities? Like I said earlier, the commission acts as a civil court. People can make a complaint at the commission if the police do not listen to their complaints. People can ask the NCBC to intervene if they feel their interests are not taken care of. This is only one aspect. What they have not looked into is the sub-categorisation of OBCs which is a long pending demand. After the Mandal report, various communities have been demanding this. The earlier NCBC also had demanded that the OBC community should be divided into three categories -- Backward, Most Backward and Extremely Backward. I feel they blew up an opportunity while creating the NCBC. They should have done two things. Sub-categorisation should have been introduced while creating the NCBC. They should have also looked into the creamy layer debate. Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, on Tuesday filed an anticipatory bail application in the Kerala high court, claiming that the allegations against him were a "cooked up" story to "wreak vengeance" against him. The bishop moved the anticipatory bail plea apprehending arrest in the non-bailable offence a day before his appearance before the special investigation team of the Kerala Police on Wednesday in connection with the case. The 54-year-old clergyman claimed that the allegations levelled by the nun, serving in a congregation under the Jalandhar Diocese, is "wholly concocted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance" for the actions taken by him on various complaints received against her. Claiming innocence, the bishop also said the complaint was "nothing but a fictional story" by the nun. The nun had accused the senior catholic priest of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016. The bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted," insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours. Mulakkal had on Saturday handed over the administrative charge of the Jalandhar Diocese to a senior priest. This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Bay Island Creoles Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Bay Island Creoles, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f6f887.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Bay Island Creoles and Garifuna are the only Afro-Honduran communities regarded as distinct ethnic groups within the country, having preserved an ethnic and cultural difference from the mestizo mainstream. They are also associated with traditional ancestral lands. According to the 2013 census, there are 12,337 people who self-identify as Bay Island Creoles. The majority of Bay Island Creole communities have more in common with other English-speaking zones along the Caribbean coast of Central America than with the Honduran mainland. They have maintained their essentially Afro-Caribbean identity and linguistic separateness despite pressures to assimilate. Along with working on foreign vessels, fishing has been a major source of income. Nearly 20 per cent of Bay Island Creole males still works on merchant ships, which perpetuates the tradition of finding employment off the island and sending money home. Significant mestizo migration to the islands, lack of employment, the decline in fish stocks and the ongoing destruction of the coral reefs is especially affecting the ability of Bay Island Creoles to maintain their livelihood and culture. Historical context Early Spanish colonial Honduras initially held great promise as an abundant source of precious metals. The first Africans arrived in 1540 to replace the rapidly declining, enslaved indigenous labour pool, especially in the silver mines, which proved more promising than gold retrieval. By the 1600s, many enslaved Africans had escaped and mixed in with indigenous people, poor Spanish migrants and freed blacks to form the range of identities that constitute the mainstream Honduran rural mestizo peasant culture. The second important stream of Africans was brought by British colonists. They came to the Bay of Honduras in the 1600s and 1700s for plantation work and natural resource extraction. Many of these mixed with the Miskito population. The other important Afro-Honduran group to arrive during the colonial era were English-speaking Afro-Caribbean Creoles. These were free persons who migrated to the Bay islands in the 1840s, along with a few white Cayman Islanders. Later they were joined by other Creoles from Jamaica and the Mosquitia. Bay Island Creoles practised a self-sufficient lifestyle centred on fishing and agriculture and produced many of the basic commodities they needed. Throughout the nineteenth century, they existed as an autonomous economic and cultural entity with little or no contact with the Spanish-speaking Honduras, preferring to link their culture and economy to Belize. From the 1920s, Bay Island Creoles began to abandon their agriculture-based lifestyle. English language skills enabled better-paying jobs for males on the Honduran mainland plantations and merchant ships. Although Honduras was given sovereignty over the Bay Islands by the British in 1860, in exchange for Belize, it was not until the mid-twentieth century that the first official steps were taken to 'hispanicize' the islands. Starting in the late 1940s, Bay Island Creole children were routinely punished for speaking English in school, and English language instruction was forced underground into private home schools. Nevertheless, assimilationist measures and 'hispanicization' did not gather significant momentum until the 1990s, with considerable mestizo in-migration prompted by the rapid growth of tourism. Mestizo immigrants from the mainland now comprise over 60 per cent of the Bay Island population. These changes have prompted Bay Island Creoles to redouble their efforts to maintain their cultural identity and language preferences. Garifuna and Creoles, as Afro-Hondurans, have a history of organizing together against racial discrimination. In the 1970s they founded the Fraternal Black Honduran Organization (La Organizacion Fraternal Negro Hondureno, OFRANEH) which still plays a prominent role in Honduran civil society. Current issues Positive developments have occurred in Honduras where the authorities have increasingly created national programmes for indigenous peoples and people of African descent. Despite being recognized as autochthonous with a history of acute marginalization, English-speaking Bay Island Creoles are not yet strongly organized to address their social and economic issues as a distinct population group. After years of negotiation primarily by the Native Bay Island Professional and Laborer Association, progress has been made in the development of the Cultural Bilingual Education Program for the Bay Islands, and increased special training for education and health workers. This points to the growing official acceptance by all levels of government in Honduras of the multicultural and pluri-linguistic nature of Honduran society, and the right of its ethnic groups to preserve their identity. On the other hand, the Bay Island of Roatan is now an attractive tourist destination and locale for expatriate residents. The 1998 amendment to the Honduran Constitution allowing foreigners to own property has resulted in more than 75 per cent of the land on the Bay Islands now being foreign-owned. Afro-Honduran Creoles and Garifuna hang on to only a very tiny share. These local groups traditionally maintained ecologically sustainable practices and are now particularly concerned about increasing housing density and the deterioration of terrestrial and marine ecology, which is permanently altering the overall physical and cultural environment. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Garifuna Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Garifuna, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f70157.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Garifuna are one of two Afro-Honduran communities regarded as distinct ethnic groups within the country, having preserved an ethnic and cultural identity apart from the mestizo mainstream. As with other indigenous communities, Garifuna are closely associated with traditional ancestral lands but are not recognized by the Honduran government as a people. Many Garifuna activists avoid calling themselves Afro-descendant, since they feel that it detracts from their unique culture and identity. The language, dance and music of Garifuna in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua was initially proclaimed in 2001 and then inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO as a part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Garifuna are the third largest minority or indigenous community in Honduras, numbering 43,111 people. They are the descendants of African-Carib populations from the Caribbean island of St Vincent who were exiled to the Honduran coast in the eighteenth century. While there are significant Garifuna populations in the cities, most are located in coastal communities extending from Nicaragua to Belize. Garifuna are distributed in some 43 villages in Honduras mainly in the departments of Cortes and Gracias a Dios. With at least 100,000 Garifuna living in the United States, millions of dollars from this group are pumped into the Honduran economy annually through transfer payments to relatives. Rural Garifuna communities live mainly on subsistence agriculture, fishing and foreign remittances. Unemployment is high, and many men emigrate in search of income, reinforcing the traditional matriarchal structure of the Garifuna family. Historical context Early Spanish colonial Honduras initially held great promise as an abundant source of precious metals. The first Africans arrived in 1540 to replace the rapidly declining enslaved indigenous labour pool especially in the silver mines, which proved more promising than gold retrieval. By the 1600s, many enslaved Africans had escaped and mixed in with indigenous people, poor Spanish migrants and freed blacks to form the range of mixtures that constitute the mainstream Honduran rural mestizo peasant culture. The second important stream of Africans was brought by British colonists. They came to the Bay of Honduras in the 1600 and 1700s for plantation work and natural resource extraction. Many of these mixed with Miskito. Garifuna waged a 40-year war of resistance against invading colonial powers until improved cannon technology forced them to accept permanent exile as prisoners of war. In April 1797, over 5,000 Garifuna were transported on British ships and left on the then deserted Honduran Bay Island of Roatan. Many later moved to the mainland and became allied with Spain. Garifuna fought with the Spanish against British pirates and military attacks. They also took the Royalist side against the independence-seeking local 'criollos' and became a highly marginalized population in post-independence Honduras. This support for those who were defeated prompted a further dispersion to Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize. On the relatively isolated coast of Honduras and other countries, Garifuna were able to maintain their language and other cultural practices. In their communities, women did agricultural work and men engaged in fishing and artisan activities. In the 1900s Garifuna men in Honduras began seeking income opportunities in Mosquitia logging camps and American-owned banana enclaves. This included becoming merchant mariners on fruit company boats and migrating to the US. As a result, Garifuna society has remained strongly matrilocal and oriented regionally rather than solely in a Honduran national framing. In 2001, UNESCO declared Garifuna culture a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Among other factors, this was due to their 'outstanding value, roots in cultural tradition, affirmation of cultural identity, contemporary cultural and social role, excellence in the application of skills, and risk of disappearing.' The status was confirmed through inscription on the UNESCO list in 2008. Garifuna and Creoles, as Afro-Hondurans, have a history of organizing together against racial discrimination. In the 1970s they founded the Fraternal Black Honduran Organization (La Organizacion Fraternal Negro Hondureno, OFRANEH) which continues to play a critical role in Honduran civil society. Garifuna social struggles, which gathered momentum in the 1980s, have increasingly centred on holding onto scarce land resources and fishing rights, which has strengthened their links with other indigenous groups. Current issues Positive developments have occurred in Honduras where the authorities have increasingly created national programmes for Garifuna and other indigenous peoples. As an indigenous and tribal people, Garifuna are entitled to rights and freedoms through the national Constitution as well as through ILO Convention No. 169, of which Honduras is a signatory. According to Article 346 of the Constitution, the Honduran government must 'adopt measures to protect the rights and interests of indigenous communities in the country, especially the lands and forests where they have settle'. However, Garifuna activists say that the current government disputes their status as a people, based on the belief that they came to the country from elsewhere, to which Garifuna themselves point out that they were present in Honduras long before the country became independent. Moreover, Article 107 of the Constitution prevents the sale of coastal lands to foreigners, but overseas tourism interests have been quick to find loopholes. The Garifuna community is particularly exposed to discrimination and human rights violations. Against a backdrop of entrenched discrimination, violence against Garifuna members also persists. For example, after two Garifuna members were killed with extreme brutality Amnesty International sent a public letter in November 2013 to all presidential candidates highlighting the various structural challenges that Garifuna members face. These include inadequate access to public services and decision-making processes, the absence of justice regarding crimes and abuses against the Garifuna, and the weak enforcement of the right to free, prior and informed consent. It called for greater protections for both Garifuna and indigenous communities from rights violations by state officials and non-state actors. Tourism-related issues pose the greatest danger on the mainland and at least four Garifuna communities on the north coast of Honduras are under unprecedented threat of disappearance. For over two centuries the remote isolation of the Honduran coast and the social marginalization of Garifuna beachfront communities served as a measure of protection. However, a new dynamic began to emerge following public statements in 2001 from the Honduran Tourism Secretary which claimed that hundreds of kilometres of pristine sun-drenched North Coast beaches were being wasted and should be 'developed for strong tourism.' In the years that followed many Garifuna have been evicted from their land in the Tela Bay region in northern Honduras, such as in Tornabe by government designation of a National Park and an environmental protected area. This property was later transferred to the Honduran Tourism Institute (IHT) which engaged in joint ventures with private sector interests. Tela Bay has been developed into a major tourist destination by the Tela Bay Touristic Development Society (DTBT). The first of the Tela Bay hotel resorts opened in 2013 and in September 2014, armed police evicted approximately 400 Garifuna individuals from land that was later illegally sold to San Pedro Sula businessmen. Repression has occurred against Garifuna leaders and communities working to defend communal territory, resources and culture from the mega-project. They have faced arson attacks, trumped up criminal charges, as well as abduction and threats at gunpoint by paramilitaries hired by real estate companies seeking to pressure Garifuna to sell their land. Nevertheless, Garifuna community leaders have continued their struggle. After petitioning the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2003, the Commission took their case to the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in 2013, specifically the Honduran government's violation of the collective property rights as well as the lack of judicial remedies for two Garifuna communities - Triunfo de la Cruz and Punta Piedra. After two years of deliberations, the Court ruled in favour of the communities in 2015. In December 2016, the Fraternal Black Honduran Organization (La Organizacion Fraternal Negro Hondureno, OFRANEH) noted that the government had still not begun implementation of the Court's decision. In addition to the violence and urgent land rights issues, Garifuna community leaders are also worried about the continued outflow of Garifuna migrants, especially to the United States. The migration was especially intense during 2013 and 2014, with as many as 60 Honduran Garifuna reportedly riding each day on top of the notorious and dangerous 'La Bestia' freight train heading north across Guatemala and Mexico to the United States border. The route is controlled by traffickers who demand large fees. Garifuna women who return have reported that they ended up in exploitative working situations. Garifuna activists note that some of their schools are virtually empty because of a large number of children also migrating to the United States. They worry about the threat this population depletion poses to the continued survival of Garifuna culture. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Lenca Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Lenca, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f708f7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Lenca, who number more than 450,000, are the largest indigenous community in Honduras and make up over 60 per cent of the indigenous population. Lenca live in the central department of La Paz, and the western departments of Lempira, Ocotepeque and Itibuca, as well as in some smaller communities in the northern part of the country. There are about 612 Lenca communities, many in remote hard-to-reach mountainous areas that lack basic services such as running water, roads or transportation. Lenca men engage in agriculture including coffee cultivation. The increasing resurgence of Lenca traditional arts such as weaving and pottery by Lenca women is helping to generate income as well as to preserve cultural traditions. Although Lenca have not retained their language, traditional Lenca social structures remain strong. Lenca traditionally expect all members to participate in communal life. Historical context In pre-colonial periods, Lenca controlled a large territory that extended from Guatemala to present-day El Salvador in the region of the Lempa river. During the Spanish invasion, the Lenca organized a decade-long war of resistance led by the warrior chief Lempira (after whom the national currency of present-day Honduras is named). Current issues In 2010, the Law on the Promotion of Public/Private Alliances was passed, allowing for the privatization of forty-seven rivers. Lenca have been actively resisting the construction of hydroelectric dams on these rivers that are within their territory. In the same year, Lenca organized into the Movimiento Independiente Indigena Lenca de La Paz - Honduras (MILPAH). One of the most high profile cases of resistance has been that concerning the Los Encinos Dam. Numerous Lenca leaders have faced threats and been murdered for opposing the project. In October 2014, 15-year old Lenca activist, Maycol Ariel Rodriguez Garcia, was found murdered. It is suspected that his death was in relation to his defence of the Gualcarque River. In 2016, Ana Mirian Romero, a Lenca activist and member of MILPAH, won the Frontline Defenders Award for her work in resisting the dam installation. She described how her home had been the target of an arson attack as well as invaded by armed men while she and her children were sleeping; Romero has also been physically assaulted while pregnant. By 2017, four Lenca activists had been killed since 2013 for their opposition to the Los Encinos dam. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Maya Ch'orti Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Maya Ch'orti, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f70d67.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile The Maya Ch'orti are descendants of the people who inhabited the capital of the ancient Maya empire of Copan in Honduras, who now live in the departments of Copan and Ocotepeque. According to the 2013 census, Maya Ch'orti number 33,256 people. Historical context Historically, Maya Ch'orti have lived in Ocotepeque, Copan, Cortes, and Santa Barbara. In conjunction with the more numerous and well organized Lenca to the south, Maya Ch'orti have for decades demanded that the central government return nearly 35,000 acres to indigenous people as was promised in an eighteenth-century agreement with the Spanish colonial government. This has put Maya Ch'orti indigenous rights advocates at great risk, as evidenced by the assassination of two leaders, Candido Amador and Ovidio Perez, in 1997. The Maya Ch'orti stated that both men were killed by order of local landowners. The Honduran police made arrests and laid criminal charges, but many observers believe justice has not been served and those really responsible have not been held accountable. In 1997, in response to massive protests by indigenous community groups - including a blockade of the Maya ruins of Copan - the Honduran government signed a legal agreement with Maya Ch'orti for the titling of 14,700 hectares of land but has since failed to deliver fully on that promise. According to a 2016 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, only 4,995 hectares have so far been registered with the community. Since 1997 the Chortis have blockaded the entrance to the ruins numerous times. In 2000, after a four-day blockade, the Honduran army tear-gassed protestors from a low-flying helicopter, despite an agreement to end the occupation. The injured, including those who were imprisoned, were denied medical treatment until a human rights lawyer effected their release. Meanwhile, private individuals have managed to secure titles and obtained judicial orders to evict Maya Ch'orti from their ancestral lands. Current issues Over the past decade, Maya Ch'orti leaders have been advocating for a resurgence of traditional indigenous values. Since 2002, the National Council of Indigenous Maya Ch'orti of Honduras (Consejo Nacional Indigena Maya Ch'orti de Honduras, CONIMCHH) has also been working to revive the language by offering Ch'orti language classes in several villages. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Miskito Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Miskito, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f71587.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile According to the 2013 census, Miskito are the second largest indigenous community in Honduras, numbering 80,007 or 11 per cent of the total indigenous population. Miskito in Honduras primarily speak the Miskito language and Spanish as well as some English (due to the British colonial influence). Miskito inhabit a large area in the south-eastern section of Honduras located on the Caribbean coast from Rio Platano to Gracias a Dios. Miskito traditional territory also extends into Nicaragua but is divided by present-day state boundaries. While other groups have integrated into urban centres, Miskito have largely remained in their traditional areas, engaging in agriculture and fishing. Miskito men often travel away from home for seasonal work, such as diving for lobsters and conch. Poor equipment and exploitative labour conditions result in serious health problems that have affected a large percentage of divers. This has been exacerbated by inadequate healthcare and educational facilities and the historical socio-economic marginalization of Miskito areas. Miskito are largely Protestants associated with the Moravian Church, which has a strong influence in contemporary Miskito life. Strong ties maintained by Honduran Miskito with their Nicaraguan counterparts have contributed to a resurgence and strengthening of advocacy by Honduran Miskito indigenous groups. Historical context The Miskito kingdom existed from 1633-1894 and reached from the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua to Honduras. In 1894, Nicaragua invaded and the international recognition of the Miskito kingdom ended. As in Nicaragua, Honduran Miskito were recruited by the British as mercenary forces in their rivalry with the Spanish (see Nicaragua) and became a powerful entity. Miskito territory remained largely autonomous as a protectorate until the region was relinquished by the British in exchange for Belize. Moravian missionaries promoted the formation of settled communities, and the decline of British and US economic enterprises on the Atlantic coast left Miskito communities relying on agriculture, fishing and some cattle raising After the destruction of Miskito villages during the Sandinista revolution in 1979, many Miskito fled to Honduras from Nicaragua. These refugees were resettled by the UNHCR into existing Miskito communities in Honduras. In the 1980s, both Miskito and the few remaining Tawahka communities suffered disruption from the flow of Miskito refugees as a result of the Contra war in Nicaragua. This dynamic increased the focus on indigenous issues in Honduras. Current issues The main concerns of Miskito, as with other groups such as Garifuna, are land rights and development of social programmes, especially related to healthcare and education. Beginning in 2012, the government launched a programme aimed at transferring land rights in the Gracias a Dios department to Miskitos. As of 2015, over 3,800 square miles were awarded. One of the major issues facing Miskito communities has been the policy of the Honduran government that seeks to encourage people who are landless to migrate east into Gracias a Dios. This has generated conflicts between the incoming migrants and Miskito swidden (shifting) agriculturalists who traditionally farm communally held indigenous lands. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Pech Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Pech, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f71ae7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Pech (Paya) were the original inhabitants of the Bay Island of Roatan but were relocated to the mining areas of the mainland by the Spanish during the early colonial period. There are now about 6,024 Pech confined to a few small communities in Olancho, Colon and Gracias a Dios. They have resisted total assimilation and, under the national bilingual programme, have attempted to develop Pech language courses and Pech teachers. Historical context Until the mid-17th century, Pech lived in a large territory near the border of Nicaragua. However, their land was greatly reduced after conflicts with neighbouring Miskito. Today, there are fewer than a dozen Pech communities in Honduras. The killing of Pech land rights activist and community leader Elipidio Martinez Chavarria in Dulce Nombre de Culmi, Olancho province in 2004 highlighted the vulnerability of Pech to violence connected to land-grabbing. In 2017, the Pech community received international attention when the Federation of Pech Tribes of Honduras (Federacion Tribus Pech de Honduras, FETRIPH) won the Equator Prize, organised by UNDP's Equator Initiative. The Federation unites 12 Pech tribes and fights to protect their ancestral lands. In particular, FETRIPH fought the creation of a 'people-free' national park which would have cut the communities off from their traditional livelihoods, especially the harvesting of liquidambar (sweet gum), used in fragrances. Instead, the Honduran government signed a co-management agreement with the Pech of the 34,000-hectare Anthropological and Forest Reserve 'Montana del Carbon'. FETRIPH has established a liquidambar cooperative that shares profits among community members and funds education and public health initiatives. Current issues Of the remaining Pech, only about half still speak the Pech language. There are some efforts by community leaders to revitalize the language, however, there has reportedly been inadequate assistance from the government in this area. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Tawahka Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Honduras : Tawahka, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9f71e67.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile The Tawahka are the smallest of the Honduran indigenous community with a population of 2,690 people. Tawahka live in a 233-hectare area of rainforest in the centre of the Mosquitia. Presently the group is struggling to have this space declared an indigenous reservation and to be considered as one of the most biologically significant areas of Mesoamerica. Many Tawahka communities have abandoned their language in the face of pressures to assimilate. Historical context Although some Paya and Tawahka-Sumu were absorbed within the larger Miskito group, the Tawahka, like the Mayagna Sumu in Nicaragua, had less contact with European trading activities and remained marginalized. In the 1980s, both Miskito and the few remaining Tawahka communities suffered disruption resulting from the Contra war through the flow of Miskito refugees from Nicaragua, which also increased the focus on indigenous issues in Honduras. Current issues Tawahka are struggling to retain control over the land they inhabit in the Mosquitia rainforest, which has been declared an eco-cultural biological reserve. In Olancho, Tawahka face threats to their land from both drug traffickers and extractive industries. Living as they do along the Patuca river, the Tawahka are also threatened by the Patuca III dam which is planned to be completed by 2018. Tawahka community representatives fear what the dam will do to their fisheries and river-dependent game; depleted water levels will hamper transport links and trade with other communities. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Italy : Roma Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date August 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Italy : Roma, August 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fae417.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile The Italian Roma community is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Italy. Though the exact size of the community is uncertain, it is estimated that there are between 120,000 and 180,000 Roma in the country - a significant proportion of whom lack Italian citizenship. Many are concentrated in settlements on the periphery of cities, where they are at risk of eviction or targeted attacks. Historical context The Roma community living in Europe descend from a population that spoke a derivative of Sanskrit, the praclito. Though the dates are uncertain, they are believed to have left the area between India and Pakistan around 1000 CE to come to Europe where they settled in starting from the Balkans. The first Roma probably arrived in Italy in 1392 as a result of the Ottoman and Serbian-Christian battle in Kosovo. By the middle of the fifteenth century, some communities of Roma had begun to settle in central Italy (Ferrara, Modena, Reggio and Finale Emilia). Nevertheless they faced continued discrimination and periodic edicts enforcing their expulsion. Italy's Fascist leader Benito Mussolini imposed a series of harsh measures on Roma after he took power in the 1920's, with some subsequently deported to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. More recently, large numbers of Roma migrated to Italy from elsewhere in Europe, particularly as a result of the war in the former Yugoslavia. Current issues Despite the 482/1999 Law that protects linguistic minorities, the Roma community is not officially recognized, limiting the exercise of some political and cultural rights. Against this background, the Italian government has long been criticized both for providing inadequate housing to Roma, as well as for its continuous record of forcible evictions. In 2016, there were an estimated 35,000 Roma living in decrepit and often dangerous camps at the edges of towns without access to sanitation, running water or other services. These settlements, besides being under constant threat of eviction by local authorities, have regularly been attacked by racist groups, with politicians themselves at times encouraging the violence. Following the announcement in March 2015 by Pope Francis of the 2016 Jubilee of Mercy in Rome - a major religious celebration expected to bring thousands of pilgrims and tourists to the capital - local authorities used the event as a pretext to carry out forced evictions of Roma settlements, which tripled to an average of nine evictions per month. Evictions have continued since then. In September 2016, the Milan authorities closed an emergency shelter, leading to 38 people (including 15 children), the majority of whom were Roma, being left homeless. They were not provided written notice, nor were they given alternative accomodation. A few weeks' later, two emergency shelters in Rome, housing primarily Roma, were closed - with only limited notice and alternative accomodation being offered. The European Roma Rights Centre noted that the alternatives were a camping site and a Roma-only shelter, which instead of a long-term solution simply drove the affected families into further segregation. Italy's treatment of its Roma minority received international attention in 2017, when hundreds were rendered homeless with the demolition of the Gianturco camp on the outskirts of Naples. According to some estimates, 1,300 Roma were affected. The eviction followed months of threats and heavy police presence, so some camp residents had already fled the area. A small group, comprising 140 people, were rehoused in a container park sited between a cemetery, a motorway and an airport. Racist graffitti on the perimeter wall highlighted the group's added vulnerability to the threat of violence in such an isolated yet readily identifiable spot; in fact, the containers had been built on a previous Roma settlement that had been burned down by arsonists. But the group housed there were still fortunate; other Roma families displaced from Gianturco had been forced to resort to living on a traffic island outside the train station. And in July 2018, the Italian authorities evicted more than 300 Roma from a camp on the edge of Rome, despite an injunction from the European Court of Human Rights to suspend the action and present plans to rehouse the community. Statelessness is also a key issue for Italy's Roma population, particularly for those who arrived as refugees during the conflicts of the 1990's in former Yugoslavia. Numbers are uncertain. In 2008, an Italian faith-based charitable organization estimated that between 10-15,000 Roma in Italy are stateless. At this point, they may belong to the second or third generation, and simply never had the chance to acquire Italian citizenship or regularise their stay. The widespread ostracization experienced by Roma has intensified since the appointment in June 2018 of right-wing politician Matteo Salvinia as Interior Minister. Salvini has stated that Italy's new government is planning to carry out a census of the Roma community in Italy to assist with the deportation of undocumented residents. Salvini's proposal was criticized as not only illegal, but also reminiscent of legislation passed under Mussolini targeting Roma. Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Kosovo : Bosniaks Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date March 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Kosovo : Bosniaks, March 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb2187.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Bosniaks are Muslim speakers of the Slavic languages (mainly Serbo-Croatian) who adopted Islam during the rule of the Ottoman Empire (1450-1912). Bosniaks were first recognized as a distinct category in the Yugoslavian census of 1961 as 'Muslims in the ethnic sense'. The term 'Bosniak' was adopted by Muslims in Kosovo whose first language is Bosnian from around 1999, after Bosnian was promoted as a language distinct from Serbian and Croatian following the Bosnian war. The Bosniak population in Kosovo was estimated at more than 35,000 in 1999, and approximately 57,000 in 2005. Bosniaks themselves have asserted their community was 75,000-100,000 prior to 1999, but Numan Balic, a Bosniak member of the Assembly of Kosovo, estimated that in the wake of the 2004 attacks in which 75 Bosniaks were killed, fewer than 35,000 Bosniaks were left in Kosovo. Current issues Like Turks, Bosniaks face increasingly limited recognition of their language rights. Bosnian is currently recognized for use in four municipalities. It is an official language in Prizren, Dragash and Pec, and in official use in Istok. There is also a shortage of Bosniak textbooks for primary and secondary education, and some Bosniak children educated in Albanian have limited options to learn in Bosnian or about Bosniak culture, history and traditions, even in supplementary classes. For these reasons, Bosniaks feel that for cultural survival, they need decentralization as much as Serbs do. But while the Ahtisaari Plan guaranteed six Serbian municipalities, the international community did not apply the same pressure to establish Bosniak municipalities. This is despite the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention on National Minorities (AC FCNM) emphasizing in 2005 that decentralization and local self-government reform were clearly relevant for minority communities in Kosovo and should be carried out in a manner that involves them. Like Turks, Bosniaks feel that in the newly independent Kosovo their options are either to assimilate or leave for countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosniaks have reportedly experienced discrimination as a result of some members of the Albanian majority believing that the community cooperated with Milosevic. Some Bosniaks displaced during the war have not returned for reasons similar to those of many from other smaller minority communities: a combination of bad memories, mistrust of the ability and willingness of local authorities to protect them, and lack of economic prospects in Kosovo. Updated March 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Kosovo : Gorani Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date March 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Kosovo : Gorani, March 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb2ac7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Gorani are a Slavic people who converted to Islam in the 18th and 19th centuries. They speak Gorani, a Slavic language similar to Macedonian. The community originates in and is named after the Gora region, after the Slavic word for 'mountains', in Kosovo's mountainous and southernmost Dragash municipality. Numbers in Kosovo are estimated to have declined in the wake of the conflict, but the community was estimated in the 2011 census (excluding North Kosovo) at 10,265 persons. Residing primarily south of Prizren, Gorani have one designated seat in the Kosovo Assembly but are largely excluded from meaningful political participation. Current issues The Gorani minority educated in Serbian have been caught in the middle of the political stand-off between Kosovo Serbs and Albanians, which has seen the effective creation of two education systems in Kosovo. Education in the Serbian language in regions where Serbs, Gorani and Roma reside is currently managed and funded by the Serbian Ministry of Education, and follows a Serbian curriculum, which differs from that in other Kosovo schools. Gorani were previously unable to receive education under the former Serbian curriculum from Kosovo educational authorities. Many Gorani also reportedly see speaking Serbian rather than Albanian as an impediment to relating to new Albanian majority national institutions. Gorani have also been hit by bad economic conditions, with many now living and working abroad for 11 months of the year. Their situation is exacerbated by the fact that Gorani businesses have been boycotted by Albanians, who see them as Serb collaborators because most are educated and speak in Serbian, and Gorani politicians were pro-Serb prior to the war. Like Roma and Egyptians, there is little in the way of financial assistance to support integration for Gorani, and community members have little faith in the ability or willingness of local institutions such as the criminal justice system to protect their rights. Updated March 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Kosovo : Turks Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date March 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Kosovo : Turks, March 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb31e7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Turks have been living in Kosovo for centuries and became a significant presence following the establishment of Ottoman rule in 1450. Turkish community leaders estimated their community's population at between 12,000 and 50,000 in 1999. Based on the 2011 census with OSCE data from North Kosovo, the European Centre for Minority Issues estimates that just under 19,000 Turks currently live in Kosovo. In Prizren, which remains the centre of Kosovo Turkish culture and heritage, Turks represent approximately 4 per cent of the population. Current issues Ironically, new laws enacted under UNMIK's supervision mean that Turkish minority communities had less opportunity to speak, hear, be educated in and use their mother tongue in official capacities than in the pre-Milosevic Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Following the signing of the Law for Use of Official Languages on 2 November 2007, Turkish is no longer recognized as an official language in some municipalities where Turks have been living for centuries. Under the 1974 SFRY Constitution, the Turkish language enjoyed equal status with Serbo-Croat and Albanian, but the new Kosovo Constitution only guarantees Albanian and Serbian as official national languages. The decision of whether to recognize the Bosnian, Roma and Turkish languages at the municipal level is left to the discretion of municipalities. According to the OSCE in 2014, Turkish was an official language in two municipalities, including Prizren, and a further four municipalities recognise it as a language in official use. Members of the Turkish community complain that broadcasting space for Turkish-language programmes is 20 per cent of previous levels; that, unlike in the SFRY, UNMIK ID cards are not produced in Turkish; and the government is no longer supporting the previously publicly funded Turkish-language newspaper. The lack of Turkish-language options for UNMIK ID cards means that Turks cannot correctly spell their surnames in identity documentation. This is in contravention of the right to official recognition of names written in minority languages, under Article 11 of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), applicable in Kosovo since 2001. While the right to have personal names registered in their original form is guaranteed under Kosovo's new Constitution, the use of minority alphabets in relations with the central authorities is not. Together with Bosniaks, Turks also face a lack of school textbooks and official education documentation published in their own language. This is in spite of provisions in both the Law on the Use of Language and the Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government in Kosovo, which supposedly guaranteed their right to mother tongue education from primary school to university. The result, in combination with bad economic conditions and a lack of jobs in which Turkish language can be used is that many Turks are migrating to Turkey for higher education, or permanently. Despite having lived in Kosovo for five centuries, they feel that, with the lack of widespread official recognition of Turkish language and identity, the only other option is assimilation. Updated March 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Latvia : Ukrainians Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date March 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Latvia : Ukrainians, March 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb54d7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Ethnic Ukrainians currently make up around 2.3 per cent of Latvia's population, according to 2016 official data The vast majority of Latvian Ukrainians are Russian-speaking and fall within the 'Russophone' category used by both Latvian officials and Russian civic groups. The majority of Ukrainians belong to mixed Russian-Ukrainian families and live in urban areas. Historical context There were fewer than 2,000 Ukrainians in Latvia before 1939. A large number entered the country after 1945 and particularly after 1959 as construction workers. However, like other communities from elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, they began leaving Latvia in large numbers after 1991. Current issues While proportionately more Ukrainians are non-citizens (54 per cent of the total Ukrainian population in Latvia), they share many concerns with Russians and Belarusians related to language and education. Although the prestige of the Ukrainian language among Ukrainians may be somewhat higher than Belarusian among Belarusians, a similar dynamic of pragmatic reliance on Russian rather than conversion to Latvian/Ukrainian bilingualism appears to characterise the Latvian Ukrainian minority. Within both groups there are advocates of Russian-speaking Belarusian/Ukrainian identities challenging the notion that linguistic and ethnic identities must coincide. As Russian-speakers, Ukrainians have confronted the same problems of exclusion in the workplace and in education as Russians, although they are not targeted by anti-Russian political discourse in the same way. However, reports suggest that over the past decade Ukrainians in Latvia have been turning away from the traditional practice of attending Russian schools. The flagship Ukrainian school in the country is the Riga Ukrainian High School, which is fully state-sponsored. A number of Ukrainian Sunday schools also exist. Yet there is no daily Ukrainian newspaper in Latvia, only periodicals, and no Ukrainian television programming. Like Belarusian, Ukrainian is limited to a weekly 30-minute radio broadcast. Updated March 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Libya : Imazighen Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date July 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Libya : Imazighen, July 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb61e7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Imazighen (singular: Amazigh), also referred to as Berbers, are the largest non-Arab minority in Libya. They are descendants of the indigenous populations of North Africa who inhabited the region prior to the arrival of the Arabs. Estimates of their numbers vary between 236,000 and 590,000 (4-10 per cent). Imazighen live primarily in western Libya, near the borders with Tunisia and Algeria. The largest Amazigh community in Libya is found in the Djebel Nafusa region, while the towns of Zuwara, Ghadames, Sokna, Awgila, Al-Foqaha and Jalu also have significant populations Imazighen retain the Tamazight language and customs and are made up of different ethnic groups. Most Imazighen adhere to a form of Sunni Islam intermeshed with North African pre-Islamic beliefs in sorcery and witchcraft. However, some Imazighen in Djebel Nafusa belong to the Ibadi sect of Islam, in contrast to the majority of Libyans who are Sunni Muslims adhering to the Maliki school of jurisprudence. Marriages are monogamous and women have a high status in Amazigh society. Historical context Once traders on the north-south Sahara caravan route, the ending of this and the 'pacification' of the desert deprived them of their traditional way of life. Under Colonel Muammar Al-Gaddafi, the Amazigh cultural identity was harshly repressed. Gaddafi portrayed Libya as a homogenous Arab nation with Arabic as the only official language. He denied the existence of the Imazighen as a distinct ethnic group, portraying their separate identity as a colonial invention. Beginning in 1973, Gaddafi launched a 'cultural revolution', destroying any materials that conflicted with the contents of his Green Book. Imazighen were prohibited from speaking Tamazight publically, publishing literature in Tamazight, forming cultural associations, or celebrating cultural festivals. They were also banned from registering their children with Amazigh names and many were forced to adopt Arab names. Some Ibadi religious rituals were also repressed. Amazigh activists were imprisoned and sometimes tortured for political activism or for travelling to attend Amazigh cultural events abroad. Given this history of discrimination and cultural repression, Imazighen in Djebel Nafusa were among the first to come out in opposition to Gaddafi when popular protests began in February 2011. Protesters in the main Nafusa towns of Naluf and Yefren called for Gaddafi's downfall and an end to the marginalization of the Amazigh people, demanding improved infrastructure and political representation. Fighting in the Nafusa Mountains between rebel forces and Gaddafi's forces blocked access to food, medical supplies and fuel. As fighting intensified by May, thousands of people fled across the nearby border into Tunisia - nearly 55,000 according to the UN OCHA. Following the expulsion of Gaddafi forces from Amazigh regions, there has been what observers have called a cultural and linguistic renaissance. Schools have begun to teach Tamazight, and a weekly Tamazight newspaper was launched. A law passed in 2013 recognized the Tamazight, Tuareg and Tebu languages and upheld the right of minorities to receive education in their mother tongue as a voluntary option. In August 2015, the first democratic elections for the Amazigh Supreme Council were held, and a body formed equally of men and women was created. Current issues The challenge of Amazigh leaders remains achieving full political participation in post-Gaddafi Libya and securing recognition for their rights, including by ensuring that the future Constitution includes Tamazight as an official language. The interim constitutional declaration issued by the National Transitional Council in August 2011 only vaguely alluded to Amazigh culture and rights, and Tamazight was not recognized as an official language. Moreover, the cabinet of Prime Minister Abdurrahim al Keib appointed in November 2011 did not include Amazigh ministers, angering Amazigh who fought against Gaddafi forces. Many took to the streets to protest their exclusion from the new political arrangement. In 2013, Imazighen announced their intention to boycott elections for the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC), the body tasked with creating a new Constitution for Libya. The CDC reserved only two seats for Amazigh representatives, two seats for Tebu, and two seats for Tuareg out of a total of 60 seats, which Amazigh leaders saw as insufficiently representative. Moreover, the majority voting rule would effectively prevent them from securing their demands within the CDC. The first and second draft Constitutions released in 2015 and 2016 respectively recognized the Tamazight, Tuareg and Tebu languages as being part of Libya's cultural and linguistic heritage, but maintained Arabic as the only official language. In January 2016, the Supreme Amazigh Council declared, 'We will not recognize any Constitution that is not agreed upon by all of Libya's sons - the Tebu, Tuareg, Amazigh and Arabs'. Reviving education in the Tamazight language after decades of repression, especially its written form, is another important Amazigh aim in post-Gaddafi Libya. Amazigh leaders have created textbooks and other materials to teach Tamazight in schools, but finding enough qualified teachers and resources to ensure that all Amazigh children have access to quality mother-tongue education is a challenge. Updated July 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Libya : Tebu Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date July 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Libya : Tebu, July 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb6ae7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Tebu (also spelled Toubou or Tubu) are traditionally nomadic, black tribes found in Libya, Chad, Sudan and Niger. There are at least 12,000-15,000 Tebu in Libya, though community representatives claim their numbers could be much higher, up to several hundred thousand. Most Tebu live in the Tibesti mountain range and the southern towns of Sabha, Kufra, Murzuq and Qatrun. Though converted to Islam by Sanussi missionaries in the nineteenth century, Tebu retain many of their earlier religious beliefs and practices. They speak a language belonging to the Nilo-Saharan family. Historical context Centred in the Tibesti Mountains and other parts of southern Libya, the early Tebu economy was based on pastoralism with the margins of survival widened by caravanning, slavery and raiding. The town of Kufra was located strategically on trading routes between central and northern Africa. In the latter half of the nineteenth century Tebu mobility was curtailed by conquest and policing of the southern desert, first by colonial powers and later by the independent states of Libya and Chad. At the time of Libya's independence, many Tebu living in isolated desert areas were not registered to receive civil documentation and became effectively stateless. The problem was exacerbated during the Gaddafi era, when Tebu fell victim to the regime's Arabization policies which saw many of them expelled from their lands and deprived of citizenship. Beginning in the 1970s, Libya became embroiled in a territorial dispute with Chad over the mineral-rich Aouzou strip, which it was attempting to control. After the Libyan military invaded the strip, they registered the local population as Libyan citizens. At this time, Libyan Tebu from other parts of the country were forced to come to Aouzou to re-register for documentation. After years of conflict between Libya and Chad, the International Court of Justice ruled in 1994 that the Aouzou strip should be returned to Chad, and Libya agreed to comply with the decision. In 1996, Gaddafi issued Decree No. 13 (1485), declaring that all those holding identification issued in Aouzou would be considered foreigners. In 2007, Gaddafi began a renewed campaign of forcibly depriving citizenship from Tebu, whom they labeled as Chadians. At the same time, new decrees banned Tebu from accessing state healthcare and education. This direct targeting by the regime prompted the Tebu Front for the Salvation of Libya, an armed group, to launch an uprising against the government. In November 2008, fighting between government security forces and the Tebu led to the deaths of 33 people in Kufra. In 2009, the government began expelling Tebu from Kufra and destroying their homes. Those who opposed the evictions were beaten or arrested. Tebu also found that they could not renew their passports and were prevented from registering children's births. As a result, many Tebu joined the rebels fighting against Gaddafi in 2011. Current issues Many Tebu remain effectively stateless in post-Gaddafi Libya. Although at some point during the revolution Gaddafi appears to have cancelled the 1996 decree that revoked Libyan nationality from all those associated with Aouzou, it is not clear how far this was implemented. Reportedly, Tebu still face problems applying for documentation and accessing public services, especially in towns where state institutions are dominated by the Arab majority. Tebu also continue to face racism and discrimination in Libya because of their dark skin colour. Xenophobic rhetoric continues on account of their ethnicity, fuelled by resentment against black mercenaries who supposedly fought with Gaddafi against the rebels in 2011. Some Libyans see black people as inferior, viewing them as descendants of slaves. Main Tebu demands since 2011 have centered on securing greater political representation at both the local and national level, and more economic development in their areas. Many areas inhabited by the Tebu suffer from economic isolation and neglect. In contrast to the oil-rich eastern region, the southeast of Libya has fewer resources and economic opportunities. Tebu protestors have demanded, among other things, that the town of Rebyana be connected to the nationality electricity grid. Politically, Tebu have asked for new local governance mechanisms to allow them greater political representation in Kufra, where the local council has long been dominated by Arabs. At the national level, Tebu representatives have two seats on the Constitutional Drafting Committee but have intermittently boycotted the process for the same reasons as the Imazighen and the Tuareg. Due in part to the lack of viable alternative sources of sustenance, some Tebu have become heavily involved in smuggling of arms, drugs and migrants across the southern border, bringing them into conflict at times with other communities. Beginning in September 2014, clashes with Tuareg militias led to the displacement of 18,500 people from the town of Awbari, most of whom were women, children and the elderly. In July that year, a week of clashes between Tuareg and Tebu in the town of Sebha left over 40 people dead. A peace agreement, brokered with the help of Qatar in November 2015, was finally implemented in May 2017 with the withdrawal of militias from both sides from the town. Tebu have also clashed with members of the Arab Awlad Suleiman tribe. The military force of the Awlad Suleiman tribe is known as the sixth division; it was involved in armed clashes with Tebu communities in February and March 2018, especially around Sebha. There were civilian casualties as well as reports that over a thousand people had to find shelter in schools when fleeing the fighting in Sebha's Tayuri district. Given reports that the sixth division is aligned with the eastern-based Libya National Army (LNA), there are fears that the rivalry between the latter and the internationally recognized Tripoli-based government is spilling over into the south and increasingly affecting communities such as the Tebu. Updated July 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Libya : Tuareg Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date July 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Libya : Tuareg, July 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b9fb76e7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Tuareg are nomadic, pastoralist tribes spread across the Saharan regions of Libya, Algeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Within Libya, estimates of their population size vary widely, ranging between 17,000 and 560,000. Libyan Tuaregs live primarily in the west and south-west of the country, especially in the cities of Ghat, Awbari and Ghadames. They speak the Tamasheq languages, which belong to same linguistic branch as Tamazight. The Tuareg population of Libya includes both the long-term inhabitants of the area, and recent immigrants who arrived from Niger and Mali beginning in the 1970s. Historical context Historically, Tuareg merchants and their camel caravans played a central in the trans-Saharan trade networks linking southern Saharan cities with the Mediterranean ports on Africa's north coast. Under Gaddafi's rule, Tuareg were often praised and glorified by the state. Unlike Imazighen, whose language rights were repressed, Tuareg were permitted to speak Tamasheq, which Gaddafi considered to be a dialect of Arabic. Thousands of Tuareg came to Libya from Niger and Mali in the 1970s, in the wake of severe drought in the Sahel during that time period. Gaddafi welcomed the Tuareg and encouraged their immigration, often referring to them as "Arabs of the South" and emphasizing their qualities as fighters and defenders. Gaddafi also went on to support Tuareg rebellions in Niger and Mali and invested in their regions. Many Tuareg were incorporated in the Libyan national army in the 1980s and were able to obtain citizenship and access state services. Other Tuaregs, especially women and children, who did not hold Libyan nationality, experienced the same types of marginalization common to other minorities under Gaddafi. In 2005, Gaddafi opened his doors once again to Tuareg fleeing conflict in Niger and Mali, and many found employment in the petroleum industry. Due to their good relations with the regime, some Tuareg sided with Gaddafi when civil war broke out in 2011 and provided protection to Gaddafi's family and close allies. Gaddafi was also rumored to have recruited Tuareg mercenaries from Niger and Mali to fight against the rebels. As a result, Tuareg were marginalized and treated with suspicion after the fall of Gaddafi. This is despite the fact that many Tuareg in fact opposed Gaddafi and his treatment of minorities, both before and during the revolution. Many were also victims of the conflict, with the Society for Threatened Peoples reporting that 500 Tuaregs from Ghadames had sought refuge in Algeria in September 2011. Current issues Tuareg have faced discrimination and racist harassment in post-2011 Libya due to the perception that they were Gaddafi loyalists. Together with other minorities in Libya, they are seeking a greater degree of participation in the political future of the country and guarantees that their cultural and linguistic rights will be respected. Like the Imazighen, Tuareg were granted only two seats on the Constitutional Drafting Committee and joined the Imazighen in their boycott of the process. Draft versions of the Constitution released since 2015 have recognized Tuareg culture and language as important parts of Libya's heritage, but have fallen short in offering true protections to the community from discrimination and other abuses of their rights. UNESCO has classified the language of the Tuareg as 'definitely endangered.' Lack of documentation is another ongoing concern in the Tuareg community. According to some estimates, approximately 14,000 Tuareg do not hold citizenship or official papers. Since Libya's 1954 citizenship law required applicants to prove that their mother, father, grandmother or grandfather was born in Libya, many of the semi-nomadic Tuareg could not apply for citizenship due to their frequent movement across the borders between Libya, Algeria, Niger and Chad as well as lack of documents proving their origin. Recently, the Tuareg have been embroiled in conflict with the Tebu in the southern town of Awbari, driven by disputes over oil and water resources and control of the lucrative smuggling trade in arms, drugs and migrants. Beginning in September 2014, clashes between militias from the two communities led to the displacement of 18,500 people, most of whom were women, children and the elderly. The two communities signed a ceasefire brokered by Qatar in November 2015, although sporadic clashes continued. IDPs began returning to the town, despite the fact that homes, infrastructure and services remained destroyed or heavily damaged; in May 2017 the conditions of the agreement were finally implemented with the withdrawal of militias from both sides from the town. Updated July 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Pakistan : Christians Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date June 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Pakistan : Christians, June 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ba0ae0e7.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Unlike many Hindus and Sikhs who emigrated to India at the time of partition, Christians for the most part remained in newly-founded Pakistan. According to the 1998 Census, Christians make up approximately 1.59 per cent of Pakistan's total population. In fact, the exact number is unknown and estimates range from less than 2 million to as many as 3 million. There are Christian communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including around 70,000 in Peshawar, but the bulk of Pakistani Christians live in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and numerous small communities in Punjab. History Christianity has a centuries-long history in South Asia, although many of Pakistan's Christian community are descendants of low-caste Hindus who converted under British colonial rule, in order to escape caste discrimination. Christians provided labour to British garrisons, and Pakistani cantonment towns still have Christian settlements. There were also Christian traders from Goa and elsewhere who settled in Karachi. Although Pakistan is a Muslim country, the legacy of the caste system continues to be reflected in profoundly discriminatory attitudes towards Christians among many people belonging to the Muslim majority. While Christians in Pakistan are overwhelmingly poor - working in menial jobs as cleaners, labourers and farmhands - there are notable exceptions. Christians have made significant contributions to social sector development in Pakistan, evident in the building of educational institutions, hospitals and health facilities throughout the country. Yet, like other religious minorities, Christians have faced discrimination and victimization throughout Pakistan's history. This is evident, for instance, in the nationalization of Christian properties and institutions under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (1971-77). Still largely unaddressed, this has resulted in a loss of control over the very educational and health institutions the Christian community has built. Since 2001, violence and discrimination against Christians has increased. Seen as connected to the 'West' due to their faith, Christians have at times been scapegoated for the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, as well as the immense human suffering seen as a consequence of interventions in other countries with large Muslim populations. Violence has not abated since then, with an unprecedented suicide attack on a Christian church in September 2013. In what was also the largest attack against the Christian community in the country's history, suicide bombers massacred more than 100 people at the All Saints Church in Peshawar as the service was ending. Prior to this, over 100 Christian homes were destroyed by two large mob attacks against Christian communities in Punjab in March and April 2013. Christians have continued to suffer targeted violence and other abuses, including land-grabbing in rural areas, abductions and forced conversion, and the vandalization of homes and churches. One of the worst cases involved the killing of a Christian couple, Shama and Shehzad, in November 2014 in the town of Kot Radha Krishna by a mob. The couple, who were parents to three young children with the eldest child aged six at the time, were beaten unconscious and thrown into an open furnace shaft after rumours circulated that they had desecrated a Qur'an. Other attacks by militants have also persisted, including in March 2015, the simultaneous targeting of two churches in Lahore by Taliban suicide bombers which resulted in at least 15 casualties. However, one of the worst incidents for the community took place in Lahore on 27 March 2016 when Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), bombed Gulshan-i-Iqbal park and killed more than 70 people, mostly women and children. Although the majority of the victims were Muslims, the intended target were the many low-income Christian families who had gathered in the park that day to celebrate Easter. Current issues While the recent spate of high-profile violent attacks against Christians have drawn considerable attention to their plight in Pakistan - including an assault in December 2017 on a church in Quetta, subsequently claimed by ISIS, that killed nine worshippers and injured 60 more - they are only part of the picture of everyday violence and persecution the community experiences, including the constant threat of blasphemy allegations. Neighbourhoods have been attacked, homes set ablaze and individuals burnt alive as a result of false accusations. In addition, many Pakistani Christians have been convicted of blasphemy under the country's repressive laws, including the widely covered case of Asia Bibi, who in 2010 was the first woman in Pakistan sentenced to death under 295-C after she was accused of religious defamation by Muslim women with whom she worked harvesting berries in rural Punjab. Despite sustained pressure from activists, international organizations and other groups to suspend the sentence, in October 2014 Lahore's high court upheld the decision.. According to data by the Centre for Research and Solidarity, of an estimated 434 blasphemy offenders documented between 1953 and 2012, 114 were Christians - meaning that, while estimates suggest Christians only make up a small percentage of the Pakistani population, they represent 26 per cent of those charged under the blasphemy laws. Besides the constant threat of violence, Christians also experience many forms of everyday discrimination in areas such as employment, where they are typically relegated to the most menial tasks, such as cleaning and garbage collection. At the institutional level, job quotas for religious minorities in the public sector remain largely unfilled, despite a five per cent minority quota in government jobs. In official government statistics from 2010-11, only 2.6 per cent of federal jobs were held by non-Muslims, and approximately 70 per cent were in the two lowest grades. Those government jobs filled by minorities are largely designated for sanitary workers, so they do not present a substantial challenge regarding the nature of work available to the Christian community and others. Christians are also among the country's most marginalized communities, with limited economic opportunities. In Lahore, for example, the Christian population accounts for the bulk of the city's sanitation workers and street-sweepers - a fact that reinforces their stigmatization - while most of their supervisors are Muslim. Like other vulnerable minorities, Christians are especially at risk of even worse exploitation: significant numbers of Christians residing in Sindh and Punjab work under harsh conditions as bonded labourers in areas such as carpet-weaving and the brick kiln industry. Christian women, in particular, face multiple forms of discrimination and so are vulnerable to a range of abuses, including forced conversion, forced marriage and sexual violence. Until recently, Christians in Pakistan were not by law afforded the right to divorce. Amended in 1981, the Christian Divorce Act only allowed a man to separate from his wife if there were charges of adultery, making divorce proceedings a humiliating process for many. This law led to many Christian women being forced to convert to Islam or be married according to Islamic tradition in order to obtain a right to divorce. The Christian divorce law was finally changed in May 2016, allowing couples to obtain a divorce without recrimination. The prevalence of forced conversion and marriage of Christians women in Pakistan is in part a consequence of gaps surrounding marriage and Personal Laws in the country. Although it is not possible to determine accurately how common this practice is, recent estimates suggest that between 100 and 700 Christian women (including minors), are victims of forced conversion and marriage each year. One positive development is the finalization of the Christian Marriage and Divorce Bill, which after extended discussions was sent to the law ministry in October 2017 for review. Updated June 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Pakistan : Sheedis Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date June 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Pakistan : Sheedis, June 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ba0aee17.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile The Sheedi community of Pakistan are the descendants of East Africans brought as slaves by Arab merchants between the eighth and nineteenth centuries. There is no reliable figure regarding the size of the community's population, with estimates ranging considerably from 50,000 to just under 1 million according to the Young Sheedi Welfare Organization (YSWO). Nevertheless, Pakistan is recognized as having one of the largest populations of Afro-descendants in Asia. Sheedis are based in southern Pakistan, with an estimated 50 per cent residing in lower Sindh, 20 per cent in the city of Karachi, and 30 per cent in Baluchistan. The majority of Sheedi are Muslim, but have distinct cultural traits linking back to their particular history. History Sheedis are a community based in southern Pakistan, the descendants of East Africans brought to this area as slaves between the eighth and nineteenth centuries by Arab merchants. Most are Muslims and believe their lineage can be traced back to Hazrat Bilal, the freed Ethiopian slave who was subsequently appointed as Islam's first muezzin. Nevertheless, since coming to the subcontinent, Sheedis have been continuously discriminated against, first for being slaves, then (under British colonial rule) for being black. Little has changed since Pakistan came into being in 1947: in a caste-conscious society where fair skin colour is still valorized, Sheedis continue to be stigmatized as a result of their African heritage. Although community members no longer have any direct contact with Africa, they still retain some African cultural traits. For instance, at festivals they play a tall drum, the mugarman, and dance the leva, both believed to be of East African origin. The elders still speak some words of the African languages spoken by their ancestors. However, these are continuously under attack from mainstream culture and are at risk of dying out. Current issues Sheedis still live in the same areas of the country to which their ancestors were brought as slaves: their status and economic prospects are still much the same now as they were before emancipation. Most still work as farm labourers for high-caste feudal lords. Sheedis face widespread discrimination in Pakistan from other community groups due to their appearance and the colour of their skin, especially in social matters such as marriage - the only other social group to intermarry with Sheedis are the low-caste fisherfolk clan - as well as in the workplace. Women, in particular, often encounter discrimination in livelihood opportunities and are badly paid by their employers. However, there has been evidence in recent years of increased mobilization among the community, including the formation of organizations such as the Young Sheedi Welfare Organization (YSWO), focusing on expanding access to education, health and livelihoods for Sheedis and other marginalized communities. Updated June 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Peru : Highland Quechua Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Peru : Highland Quechua, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ba0b2b37.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Highland Quechua make up almost one-third of Peru's total population. About 4.5 million Peruvians speak Quechua and 8 million identify themselves as Quechua. While in the countryside most men speak Spanish, many women, who seldom have occasion to travel to town, may be monolingual in Quechua. Language and dress are seen as significant in preserving traditional culture. The Quechua concept of pachakuti, a turning over of world/time (pacha), holds the possibility of a time when the pre-colonial order, at present below the earth, will return (kuti) to power. This belief is a source of inspiration for Quechua indigenous organizations. Historical context Quechua campesinos were among those worst affected during the manchay tiempo ('time of fear') initiated by Sendero Luminoso in the Quechua village of Chuschi in 1980. Initially the guerrilla movement was well received due to its education projects, its cadres' ability to speak the native language and their commitment to local communities, and its system of local justice. Subsequently, however, Quechua peasants were brutally repressed by Sendero Luminoso; community leaders were executed; indeed, anyone could be murdered for suspected 'collaboration' with government forces or for failing to follow Senderista ideology. In addition, Quechua communities in the conflict zones were also targeted by government counter-insurgency efforts. Migration to towns increased as children chose to leave home, but many thousands of Quechua were forced to the shanty towns of Lima and Ayacucho as a result of Sendero's activities and the military response. By the late 1980s Quechua communities had begun organizing themselves into defence committees (rondas campesinas) supported by the government, and it was this development, together with improved police and military intelligence, that led to Sendero Luminoso's downfall in 1992. Government policy in Peru has historically supported - at least at a rhetorical level - the cultural survival of the country's Quechua population. During the populist period (1930-50) governments promoted various folkloric festivals and organizations. The radical military government of General Juan Velasco (1968-75) used much neo-Incaic symbolism. It also promoted bilingual education and recognized Quechua as an official language in areas with a high proportion of Quechua-speakers. In addition, the military government issued new legislation protecting the lands of indigenous communities, although this was aimed primarily at Amazonian peoples; highland indigenous communities were transformed into peasant communities (and thus incorporated into class-based politics) in military nationalist discourse. Traditionally, there has been little collective organizing along ethnic-based lines in the Peruvian highlands. In recent decades, however, this has begun to change; in 1999 highland indigenous communities involved in mining conflicts formed Coordinadora Nacional de Comunidades Afectados por la Mineria (CONACAMI). There also exists a Coordinadora Nacional de Comunidades Campesinas e Indigenas de Peru. In addition, highland indigenous leaders have sought unprecedented alliances with Amazonian indigenous movements, through umbrella organizations such as Conferencia Permanente de los Pueblos Indigenas del Peru (COPPIP). In December 2016, Peru aired its first ever news broadcast that was entirely in Quechua. The stated aim of the news programme is to close the gap between Spanish and Quechua speaking communities. Current issues Quechua women have become active in shantytown organizations; there are also local radio programmes directed by women. These are aimed primarily at migrants and discuss topics such as terrorism, domestic violence and economic discrimination, and warn about the sale of unsafe contraceptives and agricultural fertilizer. There have been advances made in intercultural and bilingual education: increased state funding and institutional support, as well as recent entrepreneurial initiatives such as the provision of Microsoft Word and Google in Quechua. However, many Quechua reject bilingual education, protesting the need for a better education in Spanish in order to progress, and to confront the racism of mainstream Peruvian society. Many would rather their children spoke Spanish rather than their native language, and there have been vociferous debates among local NGOs and indigenous intellectuals about the issue. The Peruvian government recently created a multicultural state institution, Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo de los Pueblos Andinos, Amazonicas y Afro-Peruanos (INDEPA), which includes Quechua and Aymara representatives. As yet, however, it has not been able to procure any major legislative or constitutional changes. Collective land rights remain a major demand of indigenous organizations in Peru, but no fundamental revisions have been made to the neoliberal policies (challenging the inalienability and indivisability of indigenous communal lands) instituted during Fujimori's regime. Quechua communities - who often emphasize their campesino identity - are also embroiled in an important struggle for water resources, under threat especially from pollution caused by oil extraction. Updated May 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Peru : Shuar Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date May 2018 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Peru : Shuar, May 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ba0b3447.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Shuar belong to the Jivaroan ethnolinguistic group and live in the upper Amazonian region of Ecuador as well as Peru. Historical context In October 2011, some 500 indigenous Shuar men and women from Peru's northern Amazon blocked the Morna River to stop Canadian energy company Talisman from carrying out oil exploration on their ancestral lands. The area traverses land inhabited by Achuar, Shapra, Shuar and Kandoshi indigenous groups. It also crosses the internationally protected Pastaza River Wetland Complex, the largest wetland area in the Peruvian Amazon. Current issues As with many other indigenous communities, resource extraction continues to be a major issue. While the government has in recent years announced plans to strengthen protections, there have been extensive illegal or otherwise problematic activities linked to exploration and resource extraction. Those affected by projects worry about health effects and consequences of reduced access to necessary water and sanitation facilities. They are also particularly concerned about the risk of pollution and contamination of ancestral hunting and fishing grounds. Traditional hunting practices help guarantee food security and supplement any income gained from wage labour or other activities. Updated May 2018 Copyright notice: Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved. Iraq: Officials Threatening, Arresting Lawyers Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 12 September 2018 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iraq: Officials Threatening, Arresting Lawyers, 12 September 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ba0bd2e4.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. (Erbil) - Iraqi security officers are threatening, and in some cases arresting, lawyers seen to be providing legal assistance to Islamic State (ISIS) suspects and families perceived to be related to ISIS members, effectively denying them legal services, Human Rights Watch said today. Lawyers said that, fearing for their lives, they have stopped representing ISIS suspects or people perceived to be related to them. As a result, ISIS suspects are relying on state-appointed defense lawyers, who rarely provide an adequate defense, and families with perceived ties to ISIS suspects are generally left without access to legal services. "The Iraqi government is attacking lawyers for doing their job and is effectively preventing people who need legal services from getting them," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "In addition to being illegal, these attacks have a corrosive effect on the rule of law by sending a message that only some Iraqis have the right to legal representation." In July and August 2018, Human Rights Watch interviewed 17 lawyers working in and around Mosul for international and local organizations that provide legal services to those affected by Iraq's recent armed conflict. The services include defending people against terrorism charges and assisting families who lived under ISIS control to get the civil documentation they need to live in government-controlled areas, an well as for welfare benefits (known as Public Distribution System or PDS cards) that they lost during their time under ISIS. The lawyers all said they had witnessed or experienced threats and other verbal harassment by National Security Service or Ministry of Interior Intelligence and Counter Terrorism officers for providing legal representation to those viewed by security forces as "ISIS" or "ISIS families." One said an Interior Ministry intelligence officer detained him for his legal activities for two hours, while another said that intelligence officers detained two other legal aid workers for two months, finally releasing them without charge. The lawyers all said that officers automatically viewed certain people as ISIS-affiliated based on where they are from or their tribe or family name, or whether they or their relatives show up on a set of databases of those "wanted" for ISIS affiliation. The lawyers who assisted clients to obtain documentation said that while they do not ask potential clients if they have relatives wanted by the authorities, they have responded to the threats by rejecting clients if they have any indication that a family has a relative wanted or detained for ISIS affiliation. They said that representing these families would lead to further personal threats, and that even with their legal assistance, these families would be refused civil documentation. Iraqis lacking full civil documentation can readily be deprived of their basic rights. They cannot freely move around for fear of arrest, get a job, or apply for welfare benefits. Children denied birth certificates may be considered stateless and may not be allowed to enroll in school. Women unable to obtain death certificates for their spouses are unable to inherit property or remarry. Those with missing civil documentation need to go through a sometimes-onerous administrative process and benefit greatly from the help of a lawyer in passing through the different hurdles to obtain their documents. Four of the lawyers said they provided legal representation to ISIS suspects facing criminal prosecution. But all four said that they would only accept a client if they were convinced they were innocent, and were in prison erroneously, most often because they shared a name with an ISIS suspect. The head of one organization providing legal services said on July 13 that at the beginning of 2018, she attempted to open a project to provide legal representation to women and children held on terror charges. She hired a female lawyer, who quit within two months, saying the work was too dangerous. A second female lawyer and then a male lawyer she hired also quit for security reasons. "It is the end of the program," she said. Another organization's lawyer said he attended a meeting in Mosul in February between the deputy head of the National Security Service in Mosul and lawyers from the Mosul Bar Association. He said the deputy told the lawyers, "I advise you not to represent any terror suspects." One lawyer responded that some might be innocent, to which the deputy responded, "It doesn't matter," the lawyer said. He said that he and the other lawyers interpreted this to be a clear threat. He said that one lawyer ignored the advice and did represent a few terror suspects at the Nineveh counterterrorism court, but dropped the cases quickly after a court security officer approached him asking why he took the cases, and said, "are you with ISIS?" Over the last year, Human Rights Watch has also received information from judges and lawyers of over a dozen lawyers in Nineveh who are wanted, some of whom have been detained and are in prison on terrorism charges, including five in the Ministry of Interior Intelligence prison in Faisaliya, east Mosul. International law guarantees anyone accused of a crime access to a lawyer at all stages of criminal proceedings, including during the investigation, the pretrial proceedings, and during the trial itself. Under article 1 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, "All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of a lawyer of their choice to protect and establish their rights and to defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings." Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iraq, says everyone charged with a criminal offense has the right to defend themselves through legal assistance of their own choosing, as well as to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defense and to communicate with counsel of their own choosing. Under international criminal law, lawyers and judges can be prosecuted in exceptional cases when they have directly contributed to war crimes or crimes against humanity, including the war crime of executions following unfair trials. On August 30, Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to Haidar al-Agaili, a representative of the Prime Minister's Advisory Council, the Ministry of Interior's inspector general, and the deputy head of the National Security Service, requesting further information about why lawyers are coming under attack. Human Rights Watch also asked what measures the authorities have taken to end the attacks and requested information on the number of lawyers in detention on terror charges, and the basis for those charges. In his response on September 3, al-Agaili said that lawyers who experienced such attacks could file a complaint with a judge, the Bar Association, the Commission for Human Rights, or the Offices of the Inspector-General at the Defense and Interior Ministries, and that "there has been ongoing coordination between the Syndicate of Lawyers [Bar Association] and the Judicial Council, to end such cases of intimidation and harassment against lawyers." He added that, "If any such allegations come to be true, appropriate measures will be taken to deter those involved in such practices." The lawyers interviewed for this report said, however, that in their experience many judges in and around Mosul worked intimately with the security services. Comments that some judges made to Human Rights Watch dismissing claims of harassment and justifying the arrests of lawyers appeared to support those statements. Two senior members of the Bar Association also told Human Rights Watch that the arrests were justified and appeared to side with judges and security services in their comments. As a result, none of the lawyers had filed complaints with either body. None of the lawyers said they had approached the Independent Commission for Human Rights, or the Offices of the Inspector General. Al-Agaili also asserted that, "There are no cases of detention of individuals in the context of them being lawyers." Al-Agaili said that some allegations of ISIS-affiliation might stem from local communities that were forced to live under ISIS. He said the allegations did not stem from the security services. The inspector general should investigate threats by Intelligence officers against lawyers. The National Security Service should investigate threats against lawyers by its officers. The High Judicial Council should make public the basis for the prosecuting lawyers arrested last year on terror charges and ensure that no lawyers are prosecuted contrary to the UN standards. It should ensure that the rights of the lawyers and other detainees held on ISIS-affiliation chargeschoose their legal representation are fully met. It should take all necessary measures to ensure that those whom the authorities perceive as having ISIS affiliation should nonetheless be guaranteed nondiscriminatory access to courts and government identification documents. The Prime Minister and the Head of the Bar Association should issue statements calling for all Iraqi officials to fully respect provision 24 of the Law of Lawyers (No. 173 of 1965 with amendments), that a lawyer should not face personal criminal or civil consequences for legal submissions they make in proceedings on behalf of their clients. In line with its standing invitation to all UN experts, Iraq should invite the special rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the independence of judges and lawyers, to visit Iraq to investigate and make appropriate recommendations to combat the attacks on lawyers and the legal profession. International donors funding assistance to displaced families in Iraq and the legal profession should press for an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, threats, intimidation, and harassment by security officials of lawyers and other legal aid workers assisting the displaced. They should press both relevant civilian authorities and security officials to ensure unimpeded access to courts and civil registries for organizations providing legal aid and nondiscriminatory access to civil documentation for all displaced Iraqis, including those with a perceived ISIS affiliation or their families. "Now that Iraq says it has turned a corner, with an end to the war against ISIS, the authorities should make every effort to ensure that they respect and protect all its citizens' basic rights," Fakih said. "The Iraqi government should not be carrying out collective punishment." The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers state that anyone arrested or charged with a criminal offense shall, in all cases in which the interests of justice require it, be entitled to have a lawyer assigned to them who has experience and competence commensurate with the nature of the offense to provide effective legal assistance, without payment by the defendant if they lack sufficient means to pay for such services. The principles state that: "Governments shall ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference," and "shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics." They also state that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients' causes as a result of discharging their functions, and that lawyers shall have civil and penal immunity for statements made in good faith in pleadings or in their professional appearances before a court. Threats "Khaled," a lawyer for an organization providing legal assistance to people in and around Mosul, said that in February the intelligence director approached him in the Ministry of Interior's intelligence office in the town of Hammam al-Alil, where he was seeking security clearance and civil documents for local families displaced by the fighting to camps. All families must receive security clearance to get the documents or to return to their home areas. He said that the intelligence director said, "If you bring names that are on the wanted list, then we will interrogate you." Later that month, his organization was holding legal aid sessions at a schoolhouse in Mosul. After the first session, men who said they were intelligence officers from the Popular Mobilization Forces (known as the PMF or Hashd al-Sha'abi), which are under the prime minister's command, approached him, and one said, "This neighborhood has many ISIS families and you are not allowed to assist them." Khaled said he explained the nature of the organization and the basic humanitarian principles behind its work. But during the next two sessions he saw men in civilian dress who appeared to be monitoring the sessions, so the organization ended the project. "Mahmoud," who manages a team of lawyers for another organization, said that in the past months, intelligence officers threatened him in four different offices that issue new civil documentation. He said that in April he went to the Civil Status Directorate in Hammam al-Alil with a stack of files on behalf of local families displaced to nearby camps. But the Ministry of Interior's intelligence officer who grants security clearance refused to stamp the files and said, "You NGOs support ISIS and you are not afraid?" Mahmoud took this as a threat. In May, he went to the ministry's office in Qayyarah, 60 kilometers south of Mosul, for the same purpose. The officer there refused to stamp the files, without even looking at the names, and threatened: "You are here to defend ISIS families - we know what you are up to. You better watch out." Mahmoud said in early June he sent a team of lawyers to al-A'yadhia, 60 kilometers northwest of Mosul. The ministry officials got his phone number from his team and called him, ordering him to come there. When he said he was busy and could not, the officer threatened, "We will find a way to bring you here." He refused to stamp any of the files and the lawyers left. He said that most recently, in late July he had traveled to the Civil Status Directorate in Tal Afar, 60 kilometers west of Mosul, with a stack of files on behalf of local families. The ministry official there also refused to grant security clearance: "He refused to take the files and threatened, 'You are not allowed to come here to help IDPs get their identity cards. Your only job is to provide humanitarian assistance.' A lawyer for another organization said he went to Qayyarah's Civil Status Directorate with the files of two teenage boys whose father had died and whose mother had abandoned them. The lawyer said he approached a National Security Service officer to obtain security clearance to seek civil documentation for the boys. The lawyer said that the officer looked through the file and refused, saying, "If you bring me another case like this, I will take you to a place where you can't see the sun." Another person managing a team of lawyers for an organization, "Akram," said that in mid-June his team called him to say that security officers at the Mosul Civil Status Directorate were preventing them from bringing in files for security clearance on behalf of families that the officers perceived to be ISIS-affiliated. Akram said he went to the directorate and met with the senior security officer, who he thought was from the Ministry of Interior Intelligence, but who did not identify himself clearly. He said the officer told him to stop bringing these files to the directorate, saying, "We won't process them and if you continue to work on these types of cases and bring them to us, we will hurt you and your team." Two other lawyers said they received the same kinds of threats at the Civil Directorate in east Mosul and at the Nineveh counterterrorism court. "Ibrahim," who said he would never feel safe defending a suspect if there was any significant evidence of ISIS affiliation, said in early August the state appointed him to represent an ISIS suspect on trial at the Nineveh counterterrorism court. After the trial ended, he said an officer from the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) forces under Interior Ministry command approached him and said, "In the morning we bring one person and in the afternoon we take five people." Ibrahim said he understood this as a clear threat that he might be arrested. He complained to the judge on the spot, and said the judge admonished the officer. He said that in November 2017, he also received a call from an unknown number as he was driving through the main checkpoint into the city of Erbil and heard a voice threaten, "I know you are a lawyer with an organization who is helping ISIS and today you were at the court and now you are at the checkpoint going to Erbil," before hanging up. Arrests "Karim," another lawyer, said that in June he went to the Interior Ministry's intelligence office in Shirqat, 90 kilometers south of Mosul, to obtain security clearance for three local families displaced to a camp: An officer there looked at the files, checked their names against a database, and said they were "wanted." He then said I was not allowed to leave the office - he would take me to a judge to arrest me for cooperating with ISIS. I called my boss and after about two hours of high-level interventions by a few individuals, the officer let me leave the office, but confiscated the families' files. That whole time I was telling the officer I didn't know these were ISIS families. He said that since then he has feared arrest, even if he leaves his job. Khaled said that in January he was working in partnership with another local organization to help families from Bazwaya, a suburb east of Mosul, to obtain their civil documents. He said the partner organization's director called him to say that Interior Intelligence Ministry officers at the Bazwaya Civil Status Directorate had detained two of their staff when they were trying to get the families' files stamped. Khaled waited a month for the situation to calm down before visiting the office of the partner organization in Bazwaya. When he arrived, he said, two Interior Intelligence officers were stationed at the door. They blocked his entrance and asked him why he was there. He said he argued his way in and spoke to the head of the organization, who said it was because of Khaled and the files his organization had handed over for processing that his staff were detained. The organization's director later told Khaled that his staff members were released after two months without charge. When Human Rights Watch inquired into the lawyers who have been detained in Nineveh, two judges at the Nineveh counterterrorism court and a judge at the Mosul Criminal Court all said the lawyers were being charged for specific acts committed before or during ISIS's rule, or for more recently collaborating with families of ISIS suspects in identifying and murdering witnesses testifying against their relatives. Human Rights Watch asked to see the case files of the lawyers being charged, hoping to determine the basis of the charges against them, but judges refused, saying the cases were "top secret." One senior judge said that since the warrants were issued, private lawyers had stopped taking on defense cases of suspects they believed might be affiliated with ISIS, only taking on cases of people they thought were clearly wrongly charged, usually for having similar names to wanted individuals. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Iraq: Judges Disregard Torture Allegations Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 31 July 2018 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iraq: Judges Disregard Torture Allegations, 31 July 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ba0c8b34.html [accessed 9 November 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Failure to Investigate, Punish Security Forces Implicated in Abuse (Beirut) - Iraq's judges routinely fail to investigate security forces credibly alleged to have tortured terrorism suspects, Human Rights Watch said today. Judges also frequently ignore allegations of torture and convict defendants based on confessions that defendants credibly allege were coerced. Concern around the use of torture by the Iraqi security forces has increased considerably since the government's mass arrests of thousands of Islamic State (also known as ISIS) suspects. Although Iraq is a party to the United Nations Convention against Torture, it has no laws or guidelines directing judicial action when defendants allege torture or mistreatment. "Torture is rampant in Iraq's justice system, yet judges lack instructions for responding to torture allegations," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Defendants, including ISIS suspects, won't be able to get a fair trial so long as the security forces can freely torture people into confessing." Human Rights Watch reviewed files of 30 cases tried by Baghdad courts between 2009 and 2018 in which defendants alleged torture, and in June and July 2018, sat in on 18 felony trials of ISIS suspects in Baghdad. All of the cases but one were brought under Iraq's counterterrorism law, which can carry a death sentence. In 22 of the cases, judges refused to respond in any way to the allegations of torture. In several cases, the judge ordered a forensic medical examination and found signs of torture, but did not necessarily order a retrial or investigation and prosecution of the abusive officers. Iraqi authorities have long relied on confessions obtained through torture to achieve convictions. In 2014, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) reported that "judges regularly fail to take any action when defendants raised allegations before the court that they had been subjected to torture in order to force confessions in relation to the crimes for which they were standing trial." Iraq's Constitution prohibits "all forms of psychological and physical torture and inhumane treatment." Furthermore, "any confession made under force, threat, or torture shall not be relied on, and the victim shall have the right to seek compensation for material and moral damages incurred in accordance with the law." The Criminal Procedure Code also prohibits the use of "mistreatment, threats, injury, enticement, promises, psychological influence or use of drugs or intoxicants" to extract a confession. However, the Criminal Procedure Code gives judges full discretion to determine whether a defendant's confession is admissible, even if the defendant repudiates it. The procedure code also gives officials effective immunity from prosecution, by requiring approval from the "responsible minister" to refer the accused official for trial. Human Rights Watch spoke with three senior judges and five private defense lawyers in Baghdad. The lawyers said that, in the absence of laws or guidelines regarding allegations of torture, under the constitutional ban on torture, the judge should order a forensic medical examination to determine whether the defendant was tortured. If so, the judge should transfer the defendant from the custody of the offending officer, dismiss the confession, and order a retrial, as required under Iraq's 2016 Amnesty Law. But judges rarely ordered forensic medical examinations to investigate torture, the lawyers said. And when judges ordered a forensic report, they rarely ordered a retrial. Lawyers also said that they rarely had any success when they tried to invoke the amnesty law in terrorism cases to obtain a retrial when suspects alleged torture. In an exceptional case, a lawyer said he was able to get a detainee released using the amnesty law because the victim's family testified on behalf of the defendant that security forces had arrested the wrong man. Judges have also failed to transfer defendants from the custody of accused officers, the lawyers said. Any defendant who testifies in court that their interrogators tortured them is at risk of being tortured again when returned to prison to face the same guards. Article 123 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides that a detained suspect has the right to a lawyer within 24 hours of their arrest. But the security forces do not bring suspects before an investigative judge within 24 hours of arrest, as required by law, lawyers said, increasing the likelihood of torture. They estimated that terrorism suspects in Baghdad typically only saw a judge between 10 and 20 days after arrest, but that some detainees waited months or even years to be brought to court. The lawyers interviewed also said that they had never been allowed to attend a client's interrogation in a terrorism case, increasing detainees' susceptibility to torture. One consequence of the significant delays in appearance in court is that a forensic medical report, which a judge orders, may be unable to document the torture. In a 2014 case, a forensic report noted nine scars on the detainee's body, but concluded that, "The scars were inflicted more than six months ago and therefore cannot be identified." Concerns that judges ignore claims of torture extend beyond Baghdad courts, Human Rights Watch said. In Nineveh governorate, which contains the city of Mosul, a judge told Human Rights Watch in July 2017 that "many" ISIS suspects alleged torture in court and that he ordered a medical examination in each case - though he provided no details on the outcomes and conceded he never investigated or sanctioned their interrogators. In July 2018, six lawyers at the Nineveh counterterrorism court told Human Rights Watch that while allegations of torture by defendants were common, they knew of no case in which an interrogator had been investigated. Judicial authorities should investigate all credible allegations of torture and the security forces responsible, Human Rights Watch said. Judges should order transfers of detainees to different facilities immediately after they allege torture or ill-treatment, to protect them from retaliation. Iraq's High Judicial Council should issue guidelines on the steps judges are obliged to take when a defendant alleges being tortured in custody. Parliament should pass the draft Anti-Torture Law, which would require judges to order a medical examination of any detainee alleging torture within 24 hours of learning of the allegation. As it currently stands, the draft law provides criminal sanctions for the torturer as well as their commander; says that judges should dismiss all evidence obtained through torture; removes the torturer from the case; and requires officials to allow detainees to have their lawyer present throughout the investigative period. "When judges convict based on coerced confessions and disregard allegations of torture, they are sending a message to the security forces that torture is a valid investigative tool," Fakih said. "The Iraqi government needs to do much more to ensure that criminal investigations are genuine and impartial and that officers who torture detainees are appropriately prosecuted." Access to a Lawyer During Interrogations, Investigative Hearings Lawyers said that in terrorism cases, they were not allowed to attend a client's interrogations with security officers, unlike for clients accused of other types of crimes. This limited their ability to plead on behalf of their clients, including making allegations of torture. They said that getting access to terrorism suspects was nearly impossible except during court hearings, though it varied by the security force and the location. They noted a few cases in which lawyers or wealthy families were able to bribe officers to allow communication with detainees. The lawyers said that in terrorism cases they never seek permission to represent their clients at the initial investigative hearing out of concern that security forces and judges at the investigative court would label them "ISIS lawyers," subjecting them to arrest. They instead wait for the court to appoint a lawyer and only step in after the case is transferred to the felony court, where the risk of harassment and threats is significantly lower. In the 18 felony trials Human Rights Watch observed in Baghdad and Nineveh, private lawyers did not represent any of the terrorism defendants and the state-appointed lawyers did not actively mount a defense or seek investigations into torture claims. Detainees who rely on state-appointed lawyers face difficulties obtaining proper legal representation. A member of Iraq's Bar Association in Baghdad said that the state pays state-appointed lawyers 25,000 IQD or US$20 per case, regardless of the amount of time they spend. As a result, he said, lawyers have no incentive to meet their client before their investigative hearing, study the case file, or to continue to represent them in subsequent hearings. This lack of representation leaves defendants more vulnerable to abuse, lawyers said. Irregularities in Investigative Process Article 128 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that within 24 hours after arrest, an interrogator is to obtain a primary confession from the defendant, which the defendant signs and which the interrogator hands over to the judge in the case file. The judge should then interview the defendant to obtain a second confession, confirming the information in the case file and the charges. The defendant and judge should both sign the confession. Lawyers said that this procedure is not followed. In some cases the interrogator takes the primary confession directly to the judge, or the judge visits the prison and signs the primary confession. In other instances, officers bring the defendant to court, and before entering the courtroom, force the person to sign a blank paper. They then have a hearing in front of the judge, after which guards takes the defendant out of the room, and the judge signs a confession written by the court scribe or the judge, which may not reflect what was revealed at the hearing. One lawyer said he had represented a 30-year-old client who had been arrested at his home in Baghdad in August 2015 by the army's 54th Brigade. The defendant later told his lawyer that soldiers held him in Muthana Airport Prison and waterboarded him until he confessed to three alleged terrorist attacks in 2007. Once he confessed and his case was transferred from Baghdad's Central Criminal Court in Kirkh to the Central Criminal Court in Risafa, six months later, the lawyer requested a forensic medical exam. He knew the report would be too late to be accurate but told the judge about the waterboarding. The lawyer said the judge ignored the information. The lawyer contacted Baghdad police regarding the incidents his client had confessed to, and said the police responded that only one of them had occurred. The lawyer said he was able to demonstrate to the judge that two of the attacks had never taken place, and that the one that had occurred, in March 2007, took place while his client had been in prison. He secured his client's release. In a 2009 judgment, the judge referred to a forensic report that found scarring consistent with torture, but upheld the conviction by relying on what the case file said was other evidence. The court found that: The statements of the defendants were recorded, and they pled guilty to the charges before the investigative officer and judge. They later withdrew their confession to the charges before this court, claiming that they were tortured. The court reviewed the medical report of the defendants regarding their claims that they were tortured. The court also reviewed the blueprint of the crime scene and decided that the evidence against the defendants was enough to convict them according to the plaintiff's statements, backed by the statements of the witnesses. The lawyer said he argued successfully that the two defendants should be sentenced to 15 years instead of life because of the use of torture. Lawyers said that bribery was commonplace in the judicial system and admitted to bribing security officers and judges to secure their clients' release or better treatment. At the investigative stage the prosecution controls all the case documents, including any forensic medical examination report. The lawyers said they have to request access to the documents from the investigative judge. Sometimes the judge refuses and even if a judge allows access to the documents, it is usually only for a limited period. The lawyers said that generally they are only able to obtain copies of key documents needed to mount a defense, including a forensic medical report, by being "well connected or paying a bribe," as one put it. This makes it significantly harder for them to use forensic medical examinations in their client's defense. Refusal to Acknowledge Torture Allegations In 16 of the 18 trials of ISIS suspects in Baghdad Human Rights Watch monitored over the last year, defendants alleged that they had been tortured, including to extract confessions. In no instance did the judge take action base on the claim, although in some instances the judge asked the defendant in the courtroom to reveal any marks of torture. One lawyer said he observed at least four trials in the past year in which the judge said the alleged torture allegation was not credible because a coerced confession would have described a much more significant role with ISIS. Human Rights Watch monitored a trial at the Baghdad Central Criminal Court in June in which a 35-year-old defendant, detained in 2017 for an alleged improvised bomb attack in Baghdad, told the judge his confession was false and that his interrogator had broken both his hands. The judge ignored the defendant's request to examine his hands, but later ordered his release when his lawyer presented a police report proving the purported attack had never occurred. In July 2018, in Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, a defendant told the judge he had been tortured to extract a confession, but the judge ignored the allegations, independent court observers said. The defendant said that the officer who had tortured him had forced him to sign the confession blindfolded, with his hands bound. The judge rejected his request to let him demonstrate that his actual signature was very different. "The judge didn't even react to the plea, he just convicted him, and sentenced him to death," one observer said. One lawyer said that his client, 30, had been detained by the army's 54th Brigade in Baghdad in December 2015. The man, a local municipality employee, believed he was targeted because he objected to the culture of corruption and refused to accept bribes. He told his lawyer that when he was arrested, soldiers put a plastic bag over his head, took him to Muthana Airport Prison, and beat him and hung him from a rope for 10 hours. His lawyer said that after 10 days he was brought before the investigative judge: A friend of mine working at the court alerted me to the hearing, but I was scared to represent him there and end up myself getting threatened, so I attended the trial but as an observer. My client, who had a state-appointed lawyer, told the judge he had confessed under torture. The judge completely ignored this, and even worse, after reviewing the file, ordered a "deeper investigation." The lawyer said that he understood the order to conduct a "deeper investigation" as a green light to the interrogators to use torture. Several lawyers said this was a common phrase judges use in court if there is no significant evidence on the defendant, and if they want interrogators to exert more pressure. One lawyer said that a judge had ordered a "deeper investigation" by scribbling the phrase on one of his case files. This 30-year-old defendant sent for a "deeper investigation" later told his lawyer that over the next three months, the interrogators severely tortured him. They inserted a metal rod up his anus, electroshocked him, and beat him to obtain confessions to multiple crimes. The defendant was brought to court twice more during that time, first on charges of participation in two terrorist acts, where again he told the judge he had been tortured but was ignored, and then on charges of five terrorist acts. In that hearing, he confessed to all five acts, and then was transferred to another prison, the lawyer said. At this point the lawyer formally represented him and asked the judge to order a forensic medical report. The report confirmed broken bones and abuse, he said, but he was only allowed to see the report briefly in court and not allowed a copy. The lawyer contacted Baghdad police and obtained confirmation that the five alleged terrorist attacks that the defendant had confessed to had never occurred. In June 2017, upon reviewing the police report, a judge ordered the man's release, stating there was not enough evidence to convict him. The judge did not take any steps to investigate the torture allegations, the lawyer said. Investigations of Security Force Personnel Judges in Baghdad have not adequately investigated security force personnel implicated in torture. In the 30 cases Human Rights Watch reviewed in which defendants alleged torture, judges ordered a retrial in only three because of the finding of torture, but took no measures to identify the wrongdoers. In one case, in February in Baghdad's Central Criminal Court, a defendant told the judge that his interrogator had tortured him to extract a confession, independent court observers said. He named the interrogator, to which the judge responded that he knew the officer because "there have been a lot of complaints against him, he has a history of treating prisoners roughly." The judge then ordered a retrial. The observers said there was no indication that the judge had opened an investigation into the officer. In another case, a judge was initially willing to dismiss defendants' confessions because of torture allegations and seek a retrial, but in a later hearing accepted a second set of coerced confessions. The defendants were two farmers from Diyala who were arrested in late 2016 by military intelligence forces and taken to Muthana Airport Prison, their state-appointed lawyer said. His clients had a hearing soon after their arrest. With his support both told the judge they had been tortured, and denied the confession presented to the judge. The judge agreed to set it aside but called for a "deeper investigation" without taking steps to investigate the offending officers. The lawyer said: Suddenly on Sunday, only four days after the first hearing, I heard from someone in the court that they were back for another hearing. I rushed to court and saw that they were being represented by a new state-appointed lawyer and were just finishing their hearing. The lawyer told me that they had admitted to "everything." They both got 15 years for joining ISIS. I saw them as they left the courtroom, one had a huge bulging bruise on his left eye and later they told me they had been beaten with electrical cables and had been hung from the ceiling, but it was too late. There was nothing I could do. In two cases, a judge investigated allegations of torture without bringing a criminal case against the officers despite credible evidence of torture. The only case in which an officer was sentenced for torture was one in which the officer had cut off a prisoner's penis during an interrogation. In one case, a member of the Interior Ministry's intelligence service beat a 17-year-old boy with electrical cables, trying to extract a confession that the boy had stolen motorcycles in early 2018. A judge eventually released the boy without charge because of a lack of evidence and one month later, the family ordered a forensic medical report that confirmed the torture. The officer was investigated but found not guilty at trial after his lawyer contended that the medical report was invalid because the examination was after the boy's release, so there was no way of proving the source of the marks on his body. "Later the same officer contacted me," the lawyer told Human Rights Watch. "He killed a prisoner during a recent interrogation and needs me to get him off again." In a second case, a lawyer said the defendant was accused of participating in an abduction in 2013. After months in which he refused to confess, the Interior Ministry's intelligence forces, which had been holding the detainee at their office in Sha`b neighborhood, transferred him to the ministry's intelligence forces in another Baghdad neighborhood. Soon after, he confessed and was brought to court. The lawyer said he got the judge to order a forensic medical exam that found 14 signs of torture, including a swollen penis, a side effect of a common torture technique in which interrogators hang a full bottle of water from a string tied to a prisoner's penis. Despite the evidence of torture and the lawyer's complaint against one of the interrogators for torture, the defendant was found guilty and no one was convicted of torture. The lawyer said: If you can imagine, the judge released the officer on bail the same day we filed the complaint. He then delayed the case for a few months until the war with ISIS was in full force, and all officers were called to the front line including him. I realized then that we would not get anywhere with the officer, so I pushed for the release of my client, using the forensic medical report. The judge ignored it and gave him the death penalty and we have been appealing the case since then. In the 2009 case in which an officer cut off a detainee's penis during an interrogation, the officer was sentenced to three years in prison. The lawyer did not know if the officer served all three years, or whether he returned to his old post. The torture victim was convicted in a second trial in which fake witnesses testified against him, the lawyer said. In another case, the officers holding a detainee refused to comply with the judge's order for a forensic medical exam, preventing any investigation of the alleged wrongdoer. The lawyer said that Federal Police forces had detained his client, 34, from Baghdad, in 2012 for a robbery and murder that left a woman and her three children dead. The case was prosecuted as terrorism. The defendant confessed to a judge, but the defendant's wife told the lawyer her husband had told her he had been tortured - an officer allegedly raped him repeatedly with three dildos. The lawyer had the judge order a forensic medical exam but the implicated officer refused to take the defendant to the medical center for the examination. At a hearing in December 2012, the judge said that he was dropping the request for the medical exam, because "the lawyer had not followed up to implement the request," the court documents show. The lawyer said the judge told him later, "You did not pay the commander and now he is sick of you, so he will not take [the defendant] to get examined." Threats to Defense Lawyers All the lawyers interviewed highlighted the serious risks to their careers and personal safety if they took on cases of ISIS suspects. One said that Interior Ministry intelligence forces held the lawyer's client for three years, throughout which he maintained his innocence. After a hearing with an investigative judge, the judge ordered the defendant's transfer to a special investigative committee under the authority of the prime minister's secret service, and he was sent to Muthana Airport Prison in Baghdad, the lawyer said. Within months his client had confessed because of torture including electric shocks to his penis, the lawyer said, and was brought to Baghdad's Central Criminal Court in Kirkh: I got the judge to order a forensic report, which confirmed torture. I told the judge that because my client was tortured he should get a retrial. My client told the judge he was innocent. Before I knew it, the judge filed a complaint against me for "harassment of the court and interfering in the court's work" and hospitalized me for two days before releasing me without charge. In the meantime, he sentenced my client to death. The lawyer filed a complaint against the judge with his supervisor, but said no action was taken. 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Japanese billionaire, entrepreneur and online fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa, 42, announced: "I choose to go to the Moon". He is expected to lift-off on the Big Falcon Rocket, a launch system unveiled by Musk in 2016. The mission will mark the first visit to the Moon by humans since Nasa's Apollo 17 landing in 1972. The company said the flight represented "an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of travelling to space". Earlier on Twitter, Musk had already hinted that the passenger would be from Japan. Only 24 humans have visited the Moon - all of them Americans. Three of the Apollo missions - 8, 9 and 13 - orbited without landing, as this one will. However, the timeline for this launch remains unclear, and it relies on a rocket that hasn't been built yet. In 2017, Mr Musk announced that he would be sending two paying passengers on a loop around the Moon - which was to have launched as early as this year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Indian shares opened a tad higher on Tuesday despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing new tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, in a sharp escalation of the trade conflict between the world's two biggest economies. The benchmark BSE Sensex was up 68 points or 0.18 percent at 37,653 in early trade while the broader Nifty index was up 20 points or 0.18 percent at 11,398. Tata Motors lost 1 percent after cutting JLR production schedule at its U.K. plant Bank of Baroda slumped 11 percent, while Vijaya Bank edged up slightly and Dena Bank surged as much as 20 percent on merger news. Bank of Maharashtra jumped more than 6 percent after the RBI rejected its request to set-off accumulated losses worth Rs 2,543.7 crore from its share premium account. Glenmark Pharma rose half a percent after it received final approval from the U.S. FDA for a drug used to provide relief from menopause symptom. BHEL fell slightly after stepping into transportation sector. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Mining company Lonmin Plc (LNMIF.PK,LMI.L) announced Tuesday that the South African Competition Commission or SACC has recommended that the South African Competition Tribunal approves the proposed acquisition of Lonmin by Sibanye-Stillwater (SBGL). The approval would be subject to agreed conditions, which are agreeable to both Sibanye-Stillwater and the Commission. The Tribunal is the regulatory body which provides final approval for large mergers in South Africa.. It was in December last year that Lonmin and Sibanye-Stillwater agreed on the terms of a recommended all-share offer. Despite the Commission noting a vertical and horizontal overlap of Sibanye-Stillwater and Lonmin's activities in the PGM industry, the Commission found that the proposed merger is unlikely to substantially prevent or lessen competition in any of the affected by the proposed merger, the company said. Certain conditions pertaining to public interest concerns related to the merger, agreed to between the Commission and Sibanye-Stillwater, are consistent with Sibanye-Stillwater's approach to stakeholder engagement and its vision of "delivering superior value to all stakeholders". Lonmin remain fully committed to the Offer. Further announcements will be made in due course. In London, Lonmin shares were trading at 43.54 pence, up 3.67 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The majority of the European ended Tuesday's session with slight gains. Traders were in a cautious mood after the trade war between the U.S. and China escalated. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs on approximately $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The tariffs will initially be set at 10 percent compared to the 25 percent previously floated by the administration. However, the tariffs are set to rise to 25 percent on January 1st, and Trump said the U.S. would impose tariffs on another $267 billion worth of Chinese imports if China takes retaliatory action. A statement from China's Commerce Ministry shrugged off the threat and pledged to retaliate in order to safeguard Chinese rights and interests and the global free trade order. "The U.S. insists on increasing tariffs, which brings new uncertainty to the consultations between the two sides," a Commerce Ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson added, "It is hoped that the U.S. will recognize the possible negative consequences of such actions and take convincing means to correct them in a timely manner." The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index advanced 0.10 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip stocks increased 0.36 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, lost 0.52 percent. The DAX of Germany climbed 0.51 percent and the CAC of France rose 0.28 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. declined 0.03 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 0.23 percent. In Frankfurt, Osram Licht jumped 5.59 percent. The lighting manufacturer announced that it is very well positioned strategically and financially for the technologies and trends of the future. Electronic commerce company Zalando sank 13.13 percent. The company cut its 2018 outlook, citing the extended and unusually hot summer period and a delayed switch to the fall/winter season. MorphoSys dropped 2.53 percent after expanding its existing strategic alliance with LEO Pharma A/S. In London, online supermarket Ocado rose 0.79 percent after sales in its latest quarter increased 11.5 percent, in line with the group's guidance for the full-year. British American Tobacco fell 1.88 percent after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on the stock with an equalweight rating. Rival Imperial Brands dropped 1.77 percent. BBA Aviation advanced 0.96 percent after announcing the acquisition of Firstmark Corp., an aerospace focused aftermarket service provider, for a consideration of $97 million. Mining company Lonmin gained 0.29 percent. South Africa's competition watchdog has approved a proposed takeover of the company by Sibanye-Stillwater. Chemical group Clariant soared 7.86 percent in Zurich after it announced a new partnership with SABIC in the area of high performance materials. Italy's industrial orders dropped for a second straight month in July and at the fastest pace in six months, data from the statistical office ISTAT showed Tuesday. Industrial orders dropped a seasonally adjusted 2.3 percent from the previous month, when they fell 1.5 percent. In May, orders grew 3.3 percent. The latest decline was the biggest since January's 4.7 percent fall. Homebuilder confidence in the U.S. remained firm in the month of September, according to a report released by the National Association of Home Builders on Tuesday. The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index came in at 67 in September, unchanged from August. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 66. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Republican Senator Ted Cruz, R-Tex., has a significant lead over Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke among likely voters in the Texas Senate race, according to the results of a Quinnipiac University poll released on Tuesday. The poll showed Cruz with a 54 percent to 45 percent lead over O'Rourke among likely Texas voters, with 93 percent of voters saying their mind is made up. Cruz benefits from strong support among men and white voters and O'Rourke has big leads among black and Hispanic voters, while women are divided. The lead for Cruz also comes as 53 percent of likely Texas voters approve of his handling of his job as Senator compared to 44 percent that disapprove. Cruz also has a positive 52 percent to 43 percent favorability rating, while O'Rourke gets a divided 43 percent to 42 percent favorability rating. "The Texas U.S. Senate race between Sen. Ted Cruz and Congressman Beto O'Rourke, and Democratic hopes for an upset win there, have boosted talk of a Senate takeover," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "These numbers may calm that talk." He added, "Congressman O'Rourke may be drawing big crowds and media attention, but Texas likely voters like Sen. Cruz better." The Quinnipiac survey of 807 likely Texas voters was conducted September 11th through 17th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Crude oil prices edged higher on Tuesday, with traders betting on possible supply shortage after U.S. sanctions on Iran that come into force from early November. Saudi Arabia's remarks that it was comfortable with Brent oil above $80 a barrel, at least in the short term, supported oil's upmove. Rising geopolitical tensions after Russia blamed Israel for the loss of one of its reconnaissance planes shot down overnight by Syrian defense systems, too contributed to oil's rise. Crude oil futures for October delivery ended up $0.94, or 1.4%, at $69.85 a barrel. On Monday, crude oil futures ended down $0.08, or 0.1%, at $68.91 a barrel. Traders are also awaiting the outcome of the meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, scheduled to take place later in the month. The American Petroleum Institute is scheduled to release its weekly crude supply data later in the day. The official data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration is due for release on Wednesday morning. Traders are also weighing the prospects of a drop in crude demand due to escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. The U.S. government today announced a 10% tariff on about $200 billion in imports from China, staring next week. The tariffs will be set at 10% until the year-end, but would increase to 25% from January 1. U.S. President Donald Trump also warned that he would pursue tariffs on approximately USD 267 billion of additional imports if China takes retaliatory action. The Chinese government, which stated that the United States has not been "sincere" and it has no choice but to retaliate, has imposed tariffs on $60 billion in American products and this will come into force from September 24. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Editors Pick While reporting financial results for the first quarter on Tuesday, healthcare services company Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) reaffirmed its adjusted earnings guidance in the range of $5.60 to $5.90 per share. On average, 13 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of... Macy's, Inc. (M) said, beginning in February 2022, it will provide a debt-free education benefit program to its colleagues, investing approximately $35 million over the next 4 years. The program, available for regular, salaried and hourly colleagues, will cover 100% of tuition, books and fees for a wide... Shares of Fraport AG were gaining around 3 percent in the morning trade in Germany after the airport operator on Tuesday reported a third-quarter profit, compared to a loss last year, driven by strong recovery in demand. Citing the positive performance and the optimistic fourth-quarter forecast, the company lifted its fiscal 2021 earnings and revenue view. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday not only acknowledged Congress's contribution in freedom struggle but also admitted that the grand old party contributed to the country post Independence in a big way. His remarks came here during his address on the first day of the three-day lecture series on "Future of Bharat: An RSS Perspective". "Under Congress, a big movement started in the country. There were many great personalities who sacrificed their lives and who still inspires us. They inspired many common people to come forward for Independence. That stream (Congress) made a big contribution," he said. He said that the Rashtriya Swayansevak Sangh (RSS) does not believe in its own domination but in strengthening and enabling the society to take the nation forward. Presenting the Sangh's way of working and its views, Bhagwat said the Sangh's work is so unique that its comparison with any other organisation is not possible. "I will explain the working of the Sangh. My intention is not to convince you. Your judgement is your own prerogative. If you want to check out the facts that I give you, you must come closer to the Sangh and check for yourself," he said. "To understand the Sangh, one must understand its founder -- Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar," Bhagwat said and went on to relate the life and experiences that shaped Dr. Hedgewar. He related various anecdotes about Dr Hedgewar's life, his participation in the independence struggle and how he became convinced about the imperative need to train the people to create a strong and united society. He quoted many leaders and thinkers such as Rabindranath Tagore, communist thinker M.N. Roy, former President Dr Abdul Kalam, who came to believe that the society needs to be awakened to realise the strengths of its traditional values. Hedgewar, he said, interacted copiously with different ideologists and came to believe that all ideologies must come together to form a strong nation. Bhagwat said Dr Hedgewar felt the need to train people to work towards positively transforming the society and the nation. "It was with this objective that he announced the formation of the Sangh on Vijayadashmi day in 1925," he said. "RSS is a methodology. It's only work is 'vyakti nirman' (making good human beings). There should be good Swayamsevaks in every village and mohalla," he said. To bring out a positive change in the society, he said, the RSS objective is simply to motivate and train every Swayamsevak. Prominent personalities who attended the lecture series were Metro man E. Sreedharan, Manisha Koirala, Malini Awasthi, Anu Malik, Anu Kapur, Manoj Tiwari, Chetan Chauhan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Amar Singh, Swapandas Gupta, Madhur Bhandarkar, Hansraj Hans, Gajendra, and BJP leaders Ram Madhav, Ram Lal and Subramaniam Swamy. Several Union Ministers including Harshvardhan, Vijay Goel, Arjunram Meghwal and Alphons Kananthanam also attended the event. The Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order in which it had not given exemption to two-wheelers and vehicles driven by women in the national capital during the odd-even vehicle rotation scheme. A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta stayed the November 11, 2017 order of the NGT after the counsel appearing for Delhi government contended that apart from the two-wheelers, they also wanted exemption for vehicles driven by women due to "safety" concern. The NGT had directed that odd-even scheme, which is currently not in force in Delhi, would be applicable for all vehicles otherwise such relaxation would defeat the purpose of improving Delhi's ambient air quality. Under the scheme, odd and even numbered vehicles are to ply on alternate days. The top court while hearing the Delhi government's plea against the NGT order, also issued notice to the petitioner who filed the plea before the tribunal. During the hearing, the apex court also asked the counsel appearing for Delhi government why there is no odd-even scheme in force now. At this, counsel replied the scheme would be implemented based on the level of PM10 and PM2.5 and the ensuing months of winter would be the time for it. As per the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the odd-even scheme comes into effect automatically whenever the particulate matter PM10 and PM 2.5 rises to 500 microgram per cubic metre and 300 microgram per cubic metre respectively for 48 hours. Earlier, during odd-even scheme, exemption was granted to women driving four-wheelers due to safety reasons. The United Nations (U.N.) Women hosted its latest Ending of Violence in Samoa (E.V.I.S.) roundtable at the University of the South Pacific Alafua Campus last week. The main speaker was Doris Tulifau. She is a survivor of sexual violence who has been a vocal advocate for young Pacific Islander women. She founded Brown Girl Woke to help young Pacific Island women address sexual and physical abuse in their communities and has an extensive history of advocating for youth and survivors. As a Samoan we are selfless that we think about everyone else before ourselves for instance our parents, church, village, community, she said. Ms. Tulifau also spoke about how Brown Girl Woke engages with youth through arts to help them address taboo topics that affect them. Other guests included a student from the American Samoa Community College, Stina Scanlan. She shared two poems on being a victim of sexual assault and a friend that was a victim. The second performance was from Le Tiumasalasala dance group who hoped the art of performing can reach to a person to speak outside the family if students need to speak about taboo issues. Papalii Mele Maualaivao, of U.N. Women thanked everyone who contributed to a successful forum. The E.V.I.S. is an informal forum created to give participants a safe and open environment to share ideas, encourage discussion, and provide advice and support. It is open to any member of the public, and encourages those who are involved in ending violence against women and children space to participate. E.V.I.S. is supported by UN Women. Gaining knowledge in agriculture is crucial for young farmers to create job opportunities. A training workshop to build capacity of selected young farmers in agribusiness Management and contract farming will place in Salelologa from September 17 19 this week. The workshop combines the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (M.A.F.), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F.A.O.) to address employment challenges for the youth of Samoa and build the capacity of young farmers on agribusiness management. The trainings are part of a broader F.A.O. funded project called Strengthening capacity of Youth for employment and livelihood in Agriculture, which aims to strengthen capacity of youth to pursue agriculture as a livelihood and employment option. According to the Samoa 2012 School to Work Transition Survey, 40.3 percent of youth in Samoa leave school without graduating resulting in very limited opportunities for employment. Employment for youth is a big challenge for Samoa, said National Project Coordinator, Tommy Tuuamalii from M.A.F. Young women and men need to develop the knowledge and skills to enter the labour market, and to be provided with additional supporting services to secure employment opportunities. This workshop in Salelologa provided knowledge which will contribute to peoples livelihoods. Added Tuuamalii. F.A.O. agribusiness value chains specialist, Shukrullah Sherzad said, Through following value chain approach, F.A.O. is building capacity of young farmers on production, processing and agribusiness management. Sherzard noted that successfully managing a farm as a business requires farmers to know the value of its production, the income they receive from their farms and better knowledge of market access and farm management. Through the Agribusiness management and contract farming workshop F.A.O. is building the capacity of young farmers on farm as a business management and access to market through Contract Farming. The F.A.O. trainings are part of the wider United Nation Youth Employment Programme, where F.A.O., Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Ministry of Women, Community & Social Development Division for Youth, are collaborating to build the technical capacity of young farmers and school pupils in various aspects of agriculture development in Samoa. The project was launched on 11 April 2017 to help Samoan youth gain employment in the agriculture sector. A multi-stakeholder mission team led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (I.F.A.D.) has wrapped up its two-week mission to initiate the design of the Farming as a Business (F.A.B.) project in Samoa. The F.A.B. project is responding to the Government of Samoas request to I.F.A.D. to strengthen its engagement in support of the Governments Strategy for the Development of Samoa 2016-2020 and its Agriculture Sector Plan 2016-2020. The project, which is expected to benefit up to 7,000 rural families living on the island of Savaii, has a strong emphasis on building climate resilience into both production systems and through the value chain. The mission team held discussions with senior government officials of the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries, Finance and Women, Community and Social Development, farmers organisations, agri-businesses, potential project financial providers, sister UN food agencies the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Bank, and other international and bilateral agency partners. The mission also visited the island of Savaii to witness firsthand the different farming systems, crop processing methods and farm-gate marketing, and discussed opportunities for project intervention with the farmers, both men and women. A key innovative feature of this project is its overall emphasis on strengthening agriculture in Samoa away from vicious cycles of environmental degradation, economic dependence and vulnerability to climate change, towards virtuous circles of functional crop diversification, soil and water conservation, effective management of waste streams, food preservation, and other actions that build climate resilient farming systems. The mission team was led by Tawfiq El Zabri, I.F.A.D. Country Programme Manager for Asia and the Pacific, and Sakiusa Tubuna, I.F.A.D. Pacific Sub-Regional Coordinator. The F.A.B. project is expected to be implemented in 2019. MOSCOW (AP) The Russian military said on Monday that the missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board, came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia. The jet was shot down by a Soviet-made missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border, where fighting had been raging for months between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. The Netherlands and Australia announced in May that they believe the missile was transported to Ukraine from a military unit in the Russian city of Kursk. Russia has vehemently denied involvement and has over the years come up with various theories as to the cause of the crash, generally laying the blame on the Ukrainian side. Lt. Gen. Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters on Monday that the military had studied and declassified archives at the research center outside Moscow that produced the Buk missiles after the Dutch investigators displayed parts of the missile and their serial numbers. Parshin said the Russian archives show that the missile that was made of these parts was transported to a military unit in western Ukraine in 1986, and to Russia's knowledge never left Ukraine. Asked about the possibility that the separatists may have seized the missile system during fighting in 2014, Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov conceded that Russia does not have any documents proving otherwise but pointed to the statements of Ukrainian officials who have denied that separatists seized any of their Buks. The Joint Investigation Team, set up by nations that lost citizens in the MH17 crash, said in a statement that it has "taken note" of the information that the Russian military made public on Monday. The investigators said they had asked Russia for information regarding the serial numbers before but had not received a reply. The separatists in the weeks prior to the plane crash bragged on social media about shooting down Ukrainian military aircraft. On the day that MH17 crashed, a rebel commander posted that his troops had shot down a Ukrainian military plane. He later said his account has been hacked and that the rebels did not shoot down any aircraft that day. A highly placed rebel, speaking to the AP shortly after the crash, admitted that rebels were responsible. The rebels believed they were targeting a Ukrainian military plane, the person said. He did not speculate, however, on a possible role of the Russian military in the attack. The Russian military did provide material assistance to the rebels, and journalists sighted sophisticated weapons in the separatist-controlled areas that were never in Ukraine's arsenals. Oleksandr Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defense Council, said on Monday that Russia's claim is "yet another failed fake report that the Kremlin made up in order to cover up their crime that has been proven by the official investigation as well as independent experts." PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) Vendors selling everything from car batteries to "kangaroo essence" health pills have descended on Pyongyang for an international trade fair. Though North Korea continues to be one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world, this year's trade fair, which opened in the North Korean capital on Monday, includes more than 320 companies and is making something of a comeback, with many Chinese entrepreneurs taking part. Almost all of the companies with stalls at the fair are from North Korea or China. But several other countries are represented a Russian medical technology company is selling heart-beat monitoring wrist watches, for example, and the kangaroo capsules, supposedly good for the health, are being sold by a New Zealand company. Businesses from a few more countries, such as Italy and Cuba, are there seeking business opportunities, but aren't selling anything. Benjamin Qi, of the Beijing-based Ex-Easy Network and Technology Co. Ltd., said the number of Chinese at the fair this year had doubled or even tripled from the last couple of years. "Definitely they are looking for partners who can sell their products, that's the most important because after they have their sales here in North Korea then they can start making some factories or some other investment," said Qi, who helped make arrangements for Chinese participants. "But the first step is they should sell their products." O Ryong Chol, North Korea's vice minister of external trade, said in an opening address that the political climate on the Korean Peninsula has been changing fundamentally since leader Kim Jong Un met South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April and had a summit with President Donald Trump in June. Moon was due to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third summit with Kim. O said the North remains committed to building up its socialist economy and is ready to actively pursue trade deals with foreign countries. The trade fair itself was livelier and better attended than in the past few years, when the North was more actively testing its missiles and nuclear weapons and faced deeper political isolation. "The DPRK in the future, too, will extend developing external relations with other countries on a higher level on the principle of respect of sovereignty, equality and reciprocity," he said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea's trade fairs another one is held in the spring offer interesting insights into the country's often mysterious economic priorities. The local products displayed were mostly clothing, traditional medicines, cosmetics, processed foods and beverages. But several of the country's main electronics makers showed off their brands' flat-screen TVs, mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The Chinese vendors, mostly small or medium-sized businesses, focused on practical, daily life goods. At one stall, a Chinese salesman from Dandong demonstrated stick-free frying pans, while a few stalls down a salesman from a Beijing-based company showed North Korean women how easily his irons could smooth wrinkles out of a man's dress shirt. Qi said the companies select products that do not violate sanctions. "China also follows international sanctions," he said. "So all products that belong to the sanctions list are not allowed to come here. We only bring those products that are allowed." PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for his third and possibly most challenging summit yet with leader Kim Jong Un in which he hopes to break an impasse in talks with the United States over the North's denuclearization and breathe energy into his own efforts to expand and improve relations between the Koreas. Om what are by now familiar images of the two Korean leaders hugging and exchanging warm smiles, Kim greeted Moon at Pyongyang's airport. They walked together past cheering crowds and a military honor guard then took a drive into the city, where security was higher than usual. Traveling with Moon are business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong, underscoring Moon's hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. Moon was expected to have talks with Kim on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Moon's chief of staff. Moon and Kim were also expected to hold a joint news conference on Wednesday if their two sets of summit meetings go smoothly. Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday. North Korea's state-run media reported early Tuesday that Moon was to begin a visit, but said little else. It said the two will reaffirm their previous commitments to "peace, prosperity and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula." Security was tight. Requests by The Associated Press to go to the airport or to drive around the city were denied. This is Moon's first trip to the North Korean capital, though he has met Kim twice at the border village of Panmunjom. He is under intense pressure from Washington to advance the denuclearization process. Before his departure he said he intends to push for "irreversible, permanent peace" and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. "This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks," Moon said Tuesday morning just before his departure. "It's very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want." But his chief of staff tried to lower expectations of major progress on the future of Kim's nuclear arsenal. Kim, meanwhile, is seemingly riding a wave of success. The North just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark North Korea's 70th anniversary. China, signaling its support for Kim's recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. That's important because China is the North's biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. While signaling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kim's strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. Talks between the United States and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kim's meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. To keep expectations from getting too high, Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements that "fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war" between the two Koreas. South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the North's city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of progress could be on a formal agreement ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas' shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Korea's capital for summits. Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun went to Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 respectively to meet Kim's father, Kim Jong Il. Those trips produced a slew of inter-Korean rapprochement projects, which were suspended after conservatives took power in Seoul. Dear Editor Re: Church honours their pledge to help Photographer Penina Momoisea, who took some stunning photos of churches in Samoa, marvel at their grandeur in contrast to the simple fales that people live in (Coconet tv). Peninas observation is not unlike that expressed by many first-time visitors to the islands. Were truly a nation obsessed with church-building. But the obsession isnt unique to Samoans. Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder and director of Gospel for Asia, noted that when he was in the US seeking money for poverty-stricken families in India, he was struck by the immensity of the churches. He recalled going through the front door of one such church and thinking, the cost of the oak door alone could feed hundreds of starving children in India for weeks. We have literally hundreds of churches in Samoa. Not too long ago, the Congregational Church dedicated a Cathedral that cost members 17 million WST. What would happen if each church (or Samoan family) donate, say, a hundred dollars a month to the care of abused children at Samoa Victim? A hundred dollars a month is a drop in the bucket for many churches. Several times in the gospels, Jesus showed His love for the little ones (i.e. the vulnerable, the poor and powerless). In Matthew 25, a chapter after His discourse on the End Times, He commended and rewarded the acts of the righteous: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these (i.e. little ones) brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me. Someday, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We wont be judged for our sins (Christ paid for them all) but we will be judged for our works. I imagine Jesus asking, Son/Daughter, what did you do with the resources I gave you? I imagine many of us would reply: Lord, we put most of it into building the best-looking and God-honoring church in Samoa. Ive a feeling, Hes going to come back with: What of My little ones? Dan Pouesi Dear Editor Re: Living needs Rubbish again. Nobody is making judgment is whether you eat elegi or T-bone steak at home every other day. The same counter to those moronic arguments that if one wants to change policies then maybe they ought to go to Parliament instead of pulpit. What people decide to give is given with their freedom to choose. If they decide to give for show on Sunday morning then who are you to judge their 5 minute appointment with glory. If you want a new SUV with a $2000 alofa every Sunday then be a faifeau. The point is arguments can be thrown either way because theyre man made and thus deemed unrighteous. Your use of the word feagaiga as in faa- feagaiga is a blind stab in the dark in the hope to be relevant. Feagaiga is an agreement between two parties sealed under the authority of the Almighty, the same as the feagaiga between a man and a woman under God in matrimony. Its got nothing to do with giving. People have their right to want to be something whether short cited or with the gift of vision, its their choice. We only want them to understand, but utterly wrong to force our point of view for their compliance. My church practices tithing which means 10% for the house of God. I used to do it but not any more. I give what I can afford, which could be nothing or could be 10% or more. Tithe is an old testament contract between God an his people Israel. Any use of it in the new testament church is with reference to obedience, not a law. My conscience approves of it and thus its not sinful in the eyes of the Almighty. Im only saying this to assure other folks that their contract with Heaven above is guaranteed even without tithing. So far I only know of one church that the faifeau ask the church for a 4WD in Savaii, and its not E.F.K.S. Its one of those church that agreed to the tax. Youve made reference to taxing of the faifeaus in NZ and Australia. Not totally true. There may be tax in the person but a vast amount can be claimed on exemption in other areas if you understand the system. Check out the Australian 60 minute programme on Hill Song Church. Most if not all the faifeaus with SUVs as youve mentioned were bought by their sons or daughters whom have grown up to be successful in the community. Government ministers are driving around in government owned vehicles, totally not required by the nature of their jobs, that are being abused day in and day out. Is there a taxing law for the use of a vehicle far more expensive then the requirements of their duty, the dinner parties, the upper social structure of the community invites...No. Because it comes with the job. Every time a church Fono (koniferenisi) is held here, the business community and the country benefits from the influx of foreign exchange. Steve The Public Service Commission (P.S.C.) has terminated the services of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (M.W.T.I.), Afamasaga Sua Pou Onesemo. The decision was confirmed yesterday by the Minister of M.W.T.I., Papalii Niko Lee Hang, during an interview with the Samoa Observer. The P.S.C. made the recommendation and I endorsed their decision, Papalii said. The basis of the termination is poor management and a breach of contract. The Minister didnt elaborate on further questions about poor management and breach of contract. I received a letter from the P.S.C. outlining the recommendation. The letter also asked for comments on behalf of the Ministry. I endorsed their recommendation for termination. Attempts to get a comment from the P.S.C. have not been successful. Emails to the Chairman, Aiono Mose Sua, have not been responded to as off press time last night. Contacted for a comment, Afamasaga said he was not aware that his contract has been terminated. [I] didnt get any notification of termination, said Afamasaga. He maintained his innocence vowing to fight the decision to terminate his contract. In June, Afamasaga strongly rejected allegations of corruption leveled against him by a former Member of Parliament of the Government of India, Sh.P.K. Bansal. In his capacity as the Executive Director of a company called Ascent Navals, Mr. Bansal had written to the Chairman of the Public Service Commission on 28 May 2018, alleging corrupt and illegal practices by the Chief Executive Officer. When the Samoa Observer contacted Afamasaga for a comment then, he not only denied the allegations in the letter, he counter-accused Mr. Bansal and Ascent Navals of being corrupt themselves. These allegations is due to their frustration from numerous visits to Samoa and offers to myself and the Ministry that I continued to deny, Afamasaga said at the time. During the interview with the Minister in his office yesterday, Papalii said the Ministry needs a C.E.O. We have not had a C.E.O. for three months. An Acting C.E.O.s decision making are very limited. And so the absence of a C.E.O. has an impact on the projects of this office." The P.S.C. anticipates advertising the C.E.O. position by the end of the month. Afamasaga is the second high profile position holder at M.W.T.I. to be let go. In June, the P.S.C. terminated the services of Fepuleai Mark Alesana, Assistant Chief Executive Officer for the Maritime Division of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (M.W.T.I.). The Australian owner of a helicopter which the Ministry of Revenue plans to auction owes the Government of Samoa outstanding taxes. The impounded aircraft will not be released to the owner until the import goods and services tax (G.S.T.) payable on the helicopter is settled in full. This is the response from the Ministrys C.E.O., Matafeo Avalisa Viali-Fautuaalii, in response to questions from Samoa Observer on whether the Ministry will release the aircraft to Australian company, Red Balloon Helicopters Pty Ltd., who claims ownership of the aircraft. She did not say how much the company owes. But she said there were never any repeated attempts by the Australian company to get comments from the Ministry regarding the helicopter. In fact, there was a letter from the C.E.O. to Michael van der Zypp dated September 1, 2016, in which Mr. Zypp requested to re-export the helicopter back to Australia." In response to this, the C.E.O. advised that the helicopter can only be re-exported after settlement in full of the import goods and services tax (G.S.T.) that is due to the State (among others). Matafeo said on April 27, 2017, the Ministry advised the lawyer for Samoa Helicopters Ltd., Travis Lamb, inter alia that even if proof was presented confirming the true owner of the helicopter, the fact is import G.S.T. is owing on the helicopter. Section 102(2) of the Customs Act 2014 clearly provides that the duty is owed by the importer of the goods." An importer here includes, among others, the consignee of the goods; the consignee on the import entry is Samoa Helicopters Ltd. As such, until and unless the import G.S.T. payable on the helicopter is paid in full, the Controller has a right to the helicopter as per section 114, and has the power to seize and detain it as an uncustomed good under subsection 267(1)(a)(viii) of the Customs Act 2018. Matafeo also said the absence of the helicopters log book and service manual does not render the helicopter unusable. Not having the log books and the service manual would only affect the value of the helicopter, she explained. In her statement to Samoa Observer, Matafeo highlighted that parties who claim to have interest in the helicopter are to write to her to reconsider her decision in seizing the helicopter. The timeframe for written application for reconsideration is October 5, 2018. Once we receive the application, our Ministry will then assess the application." If the controller does not receive any application within this set timeframe, then the original intended auction will proceed under section 283 of the Act. In yesterdays front page, Australian pilot Michael van der Zypp said he has tried unsuccessfully over the past two years to get the Government of Samoa to release his companys helicopter. It is understood Mr. van der Zypp intends to travel to Samoa to put forward his case and is in touch with a local legal representative. The helicopter, according to aviation enthusiasts, will go for about US$750,000 (T$285,512) on the open market. A 47-year-old male has pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine, commonly known as ice. He has also pleaded guilty to possession of unlawful ammunition. Paulo Afamasaga entered the guilty plea through his lawyer, Lefau Harry Schuster, before the Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu. Afamasaga faced one charge of possession of unlawful ammunition, one charge of possession of narcotics and one charge of possession of dry loose marijuana leaves. The Samoa Observer understands the charges Afamasaga has pleaded guilty to were from 2012 when he was charged with his wife. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at the time. When he was supposed to appear in Court, Afamasaga skipped the country. On April 2013, the matter was called again in the Supreme Court for the prosecution at the time to confirm whether its true the couple had left the country. The Court was told the defendant and his wife had left. Earlier this year, however, the Ministry of Police was informed that the accused had returned. The Police arrested Afamsaga on 28 August 2018 and remanded him in custody. On Monday during the criminal mention hearing he pleaded guilty to all the charges. The matter has been set for sentencing on 5 November 2018 before Supreme Court Justice Mata Keli Tuatagaloa. Lack of evaluation into the implementation of legislative reforms targeting family violence is one reason there is minimal changes to the national rates of family violence in Samoa. This was highlighted in the National Inquiry into Family Violence report that was launched last week. According to the report, national rates of family violence, in particular against women and children have increased, despite legislative reforms made over the past 10 years to address it. It appears that for some decision makers, the law is a means to an end and that end might simply be giving the impression of social progress, the report states. In 1992, Samoa became party to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (C.E.D.A.W.) and since then has achieved impressive legislative reform, which does not appear to have impacted wider society. The Inquiry found various examples of a lack of awareness or willingness meaning that the legislative reform had little to no impact, the report states. The lack of implementation of the programme of legislative reform appears to derive from a lack of understanding or knowledge among law enforcement officials and the general public, and an unwillingness to abide by it because it contradicts engrained social attitudes. The key piece legislation in this area is the Family Safety Act 2013, which deals with protecting families and dealing with family violence, and established protection orders for anyone in any kind of domestic relationship. Protection orders are issued by the Family Court and can prevent perpetrators from accessing their victims for anywhere between two weeks and two years. Unfortunately, the serving of protection orders isnt perfect. In a public inquiry hearing, Solicitor Savalenoa Mareva Betham-Annandale told the Commissioners there were often delays in the serving of protection orders, putting victims at further risk. I wonder how many applicants experience these unnecessary delays caused by either M.J.C.A. not referring to police or police not serving the order. I also wonder how many people have the means to follow up and push for immediate serving as I do with my clients. Do police consider the safety of the victim when they fail to serve the orders? Savalenoa said. Furthermore, this cornerstone of protection in the law is hardly known about across Samoa. In the Samoa Family Safety Study 2017, 24 percent of people surveyed did not know what the Act was, and only 30 percent had heard of it but did not know the contents. The report also found that the lack of knowledge of the Family Safety Act 2013 was not confined to the public and interviews conducted revealed that Ministry staff were still coming to understand it and the Police are still in need of more training in the legislation, the report states. A Chinese expert is helping Samoan farmers navigate new trends of farming. Dr. Jim Liu is in Samoa a.s the key part of the China Samoa Agricultural Technical Aid Project Phase IV (C.S.A.T.A.P.) 2017 -2020, which provides ongoing practical support for farmers in Samoa. Located at Nuu, the demonstration farm is managed by Dr. Jim Liu, who has implemented a practical and sustainable farming system that not only provides technical support and advice to farmers, but also the material to put it into practice. During an official ceremony by the Chinese agricultural team and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, a handover of 100 tunnel and shade houses to 80 model farmers chosen from more 200 applicants last year was conducted. However, Mr. Liu said while there are no more tunnel or shade houses available, technical training and support is still accessible to farmers who want to improve on old farming systems and receive technical advice and support to improve their farms. I still get people calling me about the tunnel and shade houses, but they were already allocated and handed over to farmers who met the criteria set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. We have no more tunnel and shade houses, but we can still help with agricultural training and technical assistance. One of the biggest constraints of agricultural development in Samoa, Mr. Liu said, is a shortage of good cultivated land and the limitations set by traditional farming technologies still used today. You have to change the farmer system especially for crops and livestock, he said. For livestock, Samoa still uses the free range system and feed them only coconut, which is not enough and they grow too slowly. We need to use a whole new system to feed them properly and if we feed them properly they can grow faster. Mr. Liu has also developed an organic chicken feed made with mostly local ingredients, which is produced on site and readily available to farmers. He suspects that the next phase of the C.S.A.T.A.P. will focus on livestock as the Government looks to target import substitution. Maybe in the next phase we will try and work with farmers in providing machinery. Well look at how we can produce more free range chicken because Samoans eat a lot of imported chicken. But it depends on the Ministry, who has shown they are interested in livestock because we have got so many livestock products and they would like to see systems that help the farmers raise more chickens, pigs and cattle. Agro-machinery operation and maintenance technology is also available to farmers who want to clear the land, Mr. Liu said typically in Samoa, land is not prepared properly but it is vital to improving and producing high quantity and quality livestock and crops. The tractor is available for use but they must clear the land of rocks. Farmers do not prepare the land and this is one of the biggest constraints of agricultural growth in Samoa. Ninety percent of farmers raise chicken and pigs in free range system and it is crucial for them to clear the land. Mr. Liu added they plan to do more training on crop-livestock-biogas circulation agriculture technology and a possibility that digesters will be available to qualifying farmers who will be able to produce their own organic fertiliser, compost and bio gas. Coffee and cocoa processing machinery is also available to farmers. C.S.A.T.A.P. is based at the Crops division in Nuu. It is implemented by the Hunan Province Agricultural Economic cooperation. The Forum Fisheries Agency (F.F.A.), the Pacific Community (S.P.C.), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.) and the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P.) signed a landmark agreement with the European Union to help promote sustainable management and sound ocean governance in the Pacific Region. The Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership Programme addresses some of the most serious challenges faced by the region. Among these are the increasing depletion of coastal fisheries resources; the threats to marine biodiversity, including negative impacts of climate change and disasters; the uneven contribution of oceanic fisheries to national economic development; the need for improved education and training in the sector; and the need to mainstream a rights-based approach and to promote greater recognition of gender issues within the sector. This 5-year programme is funded by the European Union (EUR 35 million) with additional targeted support from the government of Sweden (EUR 10 million). The programme provides direct assistance through regional organisations to support regional and national level activities in the Pacific. The signing of this agreement marks the operational starting point of the implementation of the Programme by F.F.A., S.P.C., S.P.R.E.P. and U.S.P. It follows the agreement at the Our Ocean Conference in Malta, signed in October 2017 by the Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (P.I.F.S.) and the E.U. Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development. Mr. Jean-Louis Ville, Head of Unit for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific at the European Commission Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development, reaffirmed the role of the European Union as a reliable partner of the Pacific. Asa Heden, Head of the Swedish Regional Development Cooperation for Asia and the Pacific. Ocean Governance is a high priority in Swedens global agenda to overcome transboundary challenges. S.P.C. Director General, Dr. Colin Tukuitonga highlighted how the program aligns with the notion of a Blue Pacific as identified by Pacific Islands Forum leaders. The P.E.U.M.P. Program will focus on several key principles. First, the Programme will support Sound Ocean and coastal governance with a focus on biodiversity protection and sustainable use of fisheries and other marine resources. Second, P.E.U.M.P. will mainstream human rights and gender equality using a rights-based approach to improve the capacity of communities, men, women and youth, to participate in decision making and to encourage governments to fulfil their obligations around fisheries and coastal management. Third, the Programme will mainstream climate change and environmental issues with due consideration to biodiversity. Fourth, P.E.U.M.P. will aim to strengthen capacity at regional, national, sub-national and local level with a focus on education, training and research. This will help the next generation of Pacific decision makers and marine resource managers to deliver sustainable management across the sector with increased accountability. Additionally, the Programme will seek to promote equitable benefits for all the PACP countries whilst recognising the diversity of resources, needs and opportunities across the 15 PACP countries. The P.E.U.M.P. will facilitate sector policy dialogues, involving civil society organisations and non-state actors, including the private sector, at all levels, thus further contributing to ownership and sustainability beyond the lifetime of the programme. MOSCOW (AP) A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Syria forces responding to an Israeli airstrike, killing all 15 people aboard, in what President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday was "a chain of tragic accidental circumstances." The downing of the Il-20 highlighted the dangers posed by the conflicting interests of various powers in the crowded skies over Syria and threatened the close security ties between Russia and Israel. In an effort to maintain that relationship, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly called Putin to express sorrow over the death of the plane's crew, blamed the plane's loss squarely on Syria and offered to send Israel's air force chief to Moscow to share information about the incident. The Russian military said the plane was hit 35 kilometers (22 miles) offshore late Monday night as it was returning to the Russian air base in Syria. The incident triggered testy exchanges of blame between Israel and Russia. The Israeli military said its fighter jets were targeting a Syrian military facility involved in providing weapons for Iran's proxy Hezbollah militia, noting that it warned Russia of the coming raid in line with de-confliction agreements. It said the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the plane when the Israeli jets were already inside Israeli airspace. But the Russian Defense Ministry said the Israeli warning came less than a minute before the strike, leaving the Russian aircraft in the line of fire. It pointedly accused the Israeli military of deliberately using the Russian plane as a cover to dodge the Syrian defenses and threatened to retaliate. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian air defense," said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, to declare that "the Israeli side bears full responsibility" for the plane's downing and to warn that Russia "reserves the right to retaliate." But Putin took a more cautious tone, describing the incident as "a chain of tragic accidental circumstances." At the same time, he said Russia will respond by "taking additional steps to protect our servicemen and assets in Syria." "It will be the steps that everyone will notice," he said without elaboration. Netanyahu, who has maintained warm personal ties with Putin and frequently traveled to Russia for Syria-focused talks, noted the need for Russia and Israel to continue coordinating their action in Syria. At the same time, he emphasized Israel would not tolerate the Iranian military presence in Syria. Putin told Netanyahu that the Israeli raid violated Syria's sovereignty and breached the Russian-Israeli de-confliction agreement. He urged the Israeli side "not to allow such situations to happen again," according to the Kremlin. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war, but it has carried out scores of airstrikes against archenemy Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times, and Israel and Russia have maintained a hotline to prevent clashes between their forces in Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. "Until now, Russia's armed forces have granted Israeli jets the freedom to strike targets in Syria at will, on the condition that a sufficiently early warning is provided to Russia," said Charles Lister, a Syria expert with the Washington-based Middle East Institute. "The glue binding this gentleman's agreement the Putin-Netanyahu personal relationship will likely tide this issue over for the time being." Moscow has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly relations with both Israel and Iran. In July, Moscow said that it struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli security concerns. In response to Israeli worries, Russia also has shelved plans to arm Syria with sophisticated air defense assets, such as the long-range S-300 systems that could pose a significant threat to Israeli aircraft. The downing of the plane could change that. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at Israel's Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel Army Radio that the incident could have "strategic implications" for Israel's freedom of action in Syria. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said. Some Russian lawmakers and retired military officers called for a forceful response, saying Russia should provide Syria with the S-300 air defense systems and other sophisticated weapons to prevent any further strikes. Shoigu, the defense minister, warned his Israeli counterpart that "we won't leave such action without response." Russia's dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in September 2015 to support Syrian President Bashar Assad after a year of airstrikes by the U.S. and its allies against the Islamic State group increased the possibility of dangerous confrontations over Syria. The downing of a Russian warplane by a Turkish jet in November 2015 put Moscow and Ankara on the verge of military confrontation, but they later negotiated a series of de-escalation agreements for Syria together with Iran. "The implementation of de-escalation across Syria a year ago introduced a new reality to Syria, in which foreign states are now actively competing to assert their own influence over overlapping territorial space," Lister said. "Though appropriate measures have been put in place to manage this, the risk of state-on-state conflagrations like we saw overnight has never been higher. With a meaningful political settlement in Syria an increasingly far-fetched objective, this could well be the new reality we live with for years to come." The U.S. also expressed sorrow over the Russian deaths, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying it was a reminder of the need to find "permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theater of operations." Before the latest incident, Russia had lost at least seven warplanes and seven combat helicopters in Syria and also had seen dozens of troops killed in ground combat. And there have been other Syria-related deaths of Russians. A Russian passenger plane carrying tourists from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort crashed over the Sinai in October 2015, killing all 224 people aboard. The Sinai affiliate of the Islamic State group said it blew up the plane with a bomb smuggled on board. And in December 2016, a passenger jet carrying members of the Red Army Choir to a New Year's concert at a Russian military base in Syria crashed in the Black Sea minutes after takeoff from Sochi in southern Russia, killing all 92 people aboard. The investigation of that crash is continuing, but officials have indicated that pilot error was the likely cause. General Dynamics-NASSCO is about to begin building a new class of oiler ships for the Navy, work that signals a sharp upturn for the San Diego shipyard, which has had a tough year that included a serious construction accident. NASSCO will start cutting steel on Thursday for the John L. Lewis, the first of six oilers that will be built over the next few years at a cost of about $3 billion. The shipyard also could eventually win the right to build an additional 11 oilers, bringing in another $5 billion and keeping NASSCO busy well into the next decade. NASSCO also has been faring well lately in repair work; the company was just awarded a $218.7 million contract to fix and modernize the Bonhomme Richard, an 843-foot amphibious assault ship. Advertisement With options, the work on the Bonhomme Richard or the BR, as many call it could be worth $249.1 million, making it one of the largest Navy ship repair contracts in NASSCOs history. The shipyard is going to refit the BRs flight deck so that it can handle the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. NASSCO announced in March that it intended to hire 800 to 1,000 workers in anticipation of the oiler work and repair jobs, raising employment to roughly 4,000. But the shipyard didnt grow quickly, and NASSCO announced in August that it had notified 1,500 workers that they might be laid off. The warning was issued, in part, because of an accident in July in which its graving dock flooded, damaging the Miguel Keith, an auxiliary ship that the company is building for the Navy. NASSCO has been on the rebound and is expecting to ramp up in early 2019 as the oiler project gets fully underway. The oilers will be 742 feet long making them roughly 100 feet shorter than the BR, which will arrive at NASSCO late this year or in early 2019. The shipyard is currently repairing the destroyer Higgins, which fired Tomahawk cruise missiles against chemical weapons targets in Syria in April. Its also building a pair of 870-foot container ships for Matson Navigation, a commercial customer. The ships are among the largest ever built at NASSCO. As the largest shipyard on the West Coast, we are proud to be building and repairing some of the most innovative ocean-going ships anywhere in the world, said Dennis DuBard, a company spokesman. We are fortunate to be working through one of the biggest order backlogs here at General Dynamics NASSCO, both new construction and significant repair work for the U.S. Navy. The Television Academy voters have crowned the winners of the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, and despite the diverse crop of nominees, a few shoes dominated the ceremony (hello, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Which shows and stars made for the biggest snubs and surprises of the night? SNUB: Atlanta -- Even with HBO political comedy juggernaut Veep sitting out this years race, the FX auteur series from Donald Glover could not push through to take the comedy series category (Amazons freshman The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won instead). But this year Atlanta was also shut out of the other big categories for which it was nominated, including comedy actor, comedy writing, comedy directing and supporting comedy actress. SURPRISE: Bill Hader won the lead comedy actor trophy in his first time nominated in the category. His hitman-turned-wannabe-actor titular role on HBOs Barry won over Academy voters -- enough so that he beat last years winner Atlantas Donald Glover, as well as Emmy darling Ted Danson, who was nominated in the category for the first time since his run on Cheers. RELATED: Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, John Mulaney among the Chicago-area Emmy winners Advertisement SNUB: The Handmaids Tale -- What a difference a year makes. Last years drama series winner racked up a number of acting trophies, too, but this year it lost the major categories -- from drama series on down through the lead and supporting acting categories. Elisabeth Moss lost lead drama actress to The Crowns Claire Foy, while Joseph Fiennes was nominated for supporting actor but lost to Game of Thrones Peter Dinklage. For supporting actress, maybe it was case of splitting the vote, but none of the three women of Gilead took home the trophy, despite two of them winning Emmys last year. Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd and Yvonne Strahovski were nominated but lost to Westworlds Thandie Newton. Bledel won the guest drama actress award in 2017, while Dowd won supporting then. SURPRISE: Matthew Rhys -- The Americans star was nominated for his last time as Soviet spy Philip Jennings. While the FX drama was critically beloved, it hadnt picked up as much traction with the Academy voters through the years. Maybe it was the Jon Hamm effect, but Rhys pulled out the win, even against last years winner in the category, This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown. SURPRISE: Love is in the air -- Glenn Weiss, who won the variety special directing award, used his time on stage to propose -- with the ring his father gave his mother more than six decades ago. Presenter Sterling K. Brown stood off to one side of the stage, and his jaw dropped, while nominee Leslie Jones stood up in the audience pointing at Weiss girlfriend. It was clearly planned on Weiss part, but it threw everyone else, including his new fiancee, for a loop. SNUB: Versaces supporting cast -- The Ryan Murphy-produced limited series took only some of the awards it was expected to, notably limited series, limited series/TV movie directing (for Murphy himself) and limited series/TV movie lead actor (for Darren Criss). But despite having five more actors nominated across the supporting categories (Edgar Ramirez, Ricky Martin and Finn Wittrock for the men; Judith Light and Penelope Cruz for the women), it did not take either of those categories. SURPRISE: RuPauls Drag Race -- In only its second nomination in the reality competition series category, the VH1 drag queen program toppled The Voice, which had dominated for the past three years. Its also a history-making moment for RuPaul himself, who won the series and reality host awards this year. 1 / 29 Red carpet looks: Stay with us as we list the best and worst dressed at the 2018 Emmys. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times (center); Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 29 Tiffany Haddish in a custom Prabal Gurung gown that incorporates the colors of the Eritrean flag. Not only was it on-trend for the evening but it was one of our favorite looks. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 29 Yvonne Orjis black velvet gown with piping bodice detail is from the Georges Chakra Fall/Winter 2017 Couture Collection earns her a spot on this years best-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 29 Scarlett Johansson is on our best-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times (left); Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times (center, left)) 5 / 29 Rachel Brosnahan embodies Old Hollywood glamour -- and makes our best-dressed list -- with this one-shoulder Oscar de la Renta number. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times; Allen J. Schaben (right)) 6 / 29 Elisabeth Moss is another actress that that evoked Old Hollywood glamour on this years gold carpet thanks to a custom black silk double georgette Vera Wanbg ensemble that included a strapless sweetheart corset and a pencil skirt with a leg-accentuating slit detail. (Richard Shotwell / Invision/AP) 7 / 29 Gaten Matarazzos amber velvet Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket with brocade trousers -- and his lapel flair - make him a lock for our 2018 Emmy Awards best-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 29 Caleb McLaughlin is a sartorial standout in a look from Louis Vuittons spring and summer 2019 mens runway collection. (Jordan Strauss / Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) 9 / 29 Heidi Klum is on our best-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 29 Issa Rae, in custom pale-blue silk V-neck Vera Wang jumpsuit, is on our best-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 29 Trevor Noah is on our best-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 29 Angela Sarafyans crystal-studded Christian Siriano gown was one of the top looks of the evening. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 29 Nina Kiri is on our best-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 29 Regina King is on our best-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times (left) Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times (center and right)) 15 / 29 Kristen Bell in a white fitted dress is on our best-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 29 Hannah Zeile is on our best-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 29 Megan Mullally is on our worst-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times (left and right); Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times (center)) 18 / 29 Savannah Guthrie is on our worst-dressed list. (Nina Prommer / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutter) 19 / 29 Samantha Bee was on our best-dressed list last year, but not this year. She made it to our worst-dressed list. (Jordan Strauss / Invision/AP ) 20 / 29 Michelle Wolf is on our worst-dressed list. (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty (left); Valerie Macon / Getty (center); Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times (right)) 21 / 29 Darren Criss on our worst-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 29 Ellie Kemper is on our worst-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 29 Amanda Crew is on our worst-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 29 Samantha Elizabeth is on our worst dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 29 Alexis Bledel is on our worst-dressed-list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 29 Zuri Hall certainly is making a statement with her Emmys look, but this one is a bit much. Her gown looks as if she was wrapped up in someones 80s living-room drapes. Thats why she is on our worst-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 29 We didnt love Noah Schnapps logomania Emmys outfit for the 2018 Emmy Awards. Although hes wearing the it brand of the moment, this look goes overboard with logos. It would have worked better with an understated tie. Thats why his look is on our worst-dressed list. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 29 Amanda Brugel is on our worst-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 29 Jenifer Lewis made a political statement on the Emmys red carpet to support Nike and its support of athlete Colin Kaepernick, but this look is best suited for an afternoon at Runyon Canyon or a fitness class, not a red carpet. Thats why the look is on our worst-dressed list. (Allen J. Schaben) SNUB: The Tale -The HBO television movie from Jennifer Fox lost the TV movie category at the Creative Arts awards last weekend, and during the primetime awards its star Laura Dern also lost out on the lead actress trophy. SURPRISE: Alex Borstein won supporting comedy actress for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel this year, topping an incredibly competitive category of eight nominees total, including last years winner Kate McKinnon, who was predicted to win again. SURPRISE: Amy Sherman-Palladino not only won comedy writing, which many expected, but also comedy directing. In the latter category, she faced off against, but ultimately overcame, frontrunners last years winner Atlantas Donald Glover and Hiro Murai, who was nominated for the much-talked about stylized standalone episode of Atlanta entitled Teddy Perkins. This made her the first woman to win in both categories. SURPRISE: Merritt Wever won the supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie category, and although she was a prior winner -- in 2013 for Nurse Jackie -- this one was unexpected for her. She was up against two heavy-hitters from The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, which made more noise during awards season. MORE COVERAGE: Emmy winner Glenn Weiss proposes to his girlfriend during live broadcast Emmys 2018: The best jokes from Colin Jost, Michael Ches opening monologue Emmys 2018: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel finds the Emmy Awards marvelous Black-ish star Jenifer Lewis wears Nike on Emmys red carpet in support of Colin Kaepernick Between hosts and awards, Emmy night could be SNLs night Emmys hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost discuss the big night, their evolving partnership and Tina Feys advice Once upon a time in a college cafeteria, an ambitious student decided to make a difference. Ben Simon, CEO of Imperfect Produce, launching in San Diego on Sept.17, noticed an astonishing amount of food being wasted and created the Food Recovery Network (FRN) to give food to shelters and food banks. Along the way he met Ben Chesler and together they founded Imperfect Produce, a company aiming to reduce food waste and show people the beauty and lip-smacking goodness of ugly fruit. (Which isnt actually ugly, by the way.) The company is making a real impact, recovering over 30 million pounds of food in three years and donating more than a million pounds of food to local food banks, nonprofits and churches. The National Resources Defense Council and Feeding America reports that over 20% of produce in America is discarded, wasted or plowed over in the fields leaving 6 billion pounds going unharvested or unsold every year. Tony Masco, vice president of Midwest Operations, identifies part of the problem as the grocery store beauty pageant. He said, That carrot that has the twisted legs, that bell pepper with a streak of yellow, the grapefruit that isnt perfect or the kiwi with an indentation. It is all beautiful, delicious produce. But because there are certain standards for the grocery store, it never makes it there. Advertisement Delivery box from Imperfect Produce. (Courtesy photo) According to Imperfect Produce, which is also available in San Francisco and Los Angeles markets, there are six major factors for why a fruit or vegetable is disqualified from market as imperfect or ugly. They are size, asymmetry, scarring, discoloration, surplus and lack of a consumer market. So what happens to those wonky tomatoes, too-skinny asparagus or crossed legged carrots? Often these underappreciated but fully nutritious foods are left to rot or are plowed back into the ground. To stop the hemorrhaging of wasted food, Imperfect Produce sends team members into the fields to create working relationships with farmers, to educate both them and the consumer on viable produce, and as Masco states, to help sustain the farmers that struggle in this country. When launching into new cities, the company seeks out places to donate, including the local food bank and churches. Tony said, We arent going to waste the food! Its a critical piece of our mission. We want to make food accessible to all. Now that Imperfect Produce is rolling into San Diego, a number of collaborations have been set up to welcome the company, including a craft beer with Modern Times Andrew Schwartz incorporating Imperfect pears and lemons, and Puestos October Taco of the Month, which will include Imperfect squash and greens. Look for the Modern Times beer to be released in late September or early October, along with other restaurant pairings to be announced. In addition, Imperfect Produce is teaming up with Feeding San Diego as the local food bank partner. Imperfect Produces carrots with legs. (Courtesy photo) For those ready to dive into Imperfect Produce home delivery, there are 65 to 70 items available per week, and customers can choose all fruit, all vegetables, organic, traditional, or a mix. Delivery is 100% customized, and the price is based on what gets put in the box. On average, prices range from $13 to $20 weekly, or bi-weekly if preferred. Monthly service is also available, with all deliveries including a $4.99 fee. September 18, 1930 Evening Tribune The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year. Thursday, September 18, 1930 In 1930 trailblazing aviator Ruth Alexander was killed when her plane crashed in Point Loma shortly after taking off from Lindbergh Field on the first leg of a planned cross-country flight. Alexander held the worlds world's altitude record for light power planes 26,000 feet set July 11, 1930, at San Diego. Here are the first few paragraphs of the story: RUTH ALEXANDER KILLED IN SAN DIEGO AIR CRASH Falls After Hopoff on Transcontinental Flight BODY IS MANGLED IN WRECKAGE AS GAS TANK BURST Ruth Alexander, San Diego aviatrix, who hopped off from Lindbergh field here at 3:15 a.m., today, was killed instantly when her plane crashed four miles north of the field soon after her takeoff. The crash is thought to have been caused by an explosion of the gasoline tank. Her plane, a low-wing Barling monoplane, crashed into a hill near Plomosa Park, Point Loma. Her body was mangled in the wreckage. Parts of the plane were found several hundred feet from where the body and the motor of the plane fell. The young aviatrix had taken off from Agua Caliente, Mex., shortly before her stop at the San Diego airport, where she refueled her plane. Airport officials at San Diego said her gasoline tanks were full before the takeoff to Wichita, the only stop that she had intended to make in a proposed flight to Newark, N.J. Residents near where Miss Alexander was killed told police that they heard her plane flying close to the ground, and that a few seconds later they heard several crashes. Police from the Ocean Beach substation discovered the body and wreckage first. The coroner was notified. Other reports are that a Western Air Express plane had passed near the girls plane and reported to Lindbergh airport officials that the girl flyer was having trouble. No Western-Air or Maddux planes could be accounted for by the airport attendants. The motor of her plane bored a deep hole into the ground. Ruth Alexander, San Diego aviatrix, left the Agua Caliente, Mexico, airport at 1 oclock this morning and, after a brief stop at Lindbergh field for fuel, was scheduled to begin a one-stop flight from San Diego to Newark, N.J. Miss Alexander hoped to land her low-wing Barling monoplane at Wichita, Kan., the only stop she intended to make, about 7 oclock tonight. There she was to meet her parents, who live in Irving, Kan., but who are in Wichita to meet her. Tomorrow morning the daring girl flier planned an early start for Newark, where she expected to land about 5 p.m. Miss Alexander is the first woman to attempt the hazardous coast-to-coast one-stop flight She recently completed a non-stop flight from Vancouver, B.C., to Agua Caliente, Mexico, making the trip in 16 hours. She also holds the worlds altitude record for women in light planes. View anniversary front pages online at sandiegouniontribune.com/150-years. For more from the Union-Tribune digital archives, go to newslibrary.com/sites/sdub. Searching is free, with registration. A fee is required to view full stories. One Sacramento County sheriffs deputy was killed and a second was wounded Monday when a gunman opened fire during a routine disturbance call at an auto shop in Rancho Cordova, authorities said. The deputies responded to a Pep Boys store, where workers were having a conflict with a customer, Sheriff Scott Jones told reporters. As they approached, the suspect turned as if to run away but spun back around and began firing without warning, Jones said. Both deputies fired back. The suspect fled and, moments later, was confronted by two other deputies who opened fire. The suspect, who was not named, was then taken into custody. The slain officer was identified as 27-year-old Mark Stasyuk, who joined the department more than four years ago. A second officer, identified only as a 28-year-old woman, was struck in the arm and was expected to survive. Advertisement A bystander was also shot, Jones said, presumably by the suspect. Details about the bystander and the suspects conditions were not immediately available. There was nothing reported in the initial call, Jones said, that would have alerted the deputies that the suspect was armed. They were arriving at ... what we would consider a routine call, he said. Jones added that Mondays shooting marked the third time an officer was killed in the line of duty in Sacramento County since he became sheriff in 2010. Its incredibly difficult for all of us, myself included, he said. Its an incredible hole that never quite gets filled in the hearts of our department. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek A brush fire that sprang up in the Blanchard Canyon area of Tujunga on Tuesday morning quickly grew to four acres, threatening some homes, before firefighters brought it under control, authorities said. Firefighters were called to the 10200 block of North Mahogany Trail about 7:40 a.m. to battle a brush fire that had burned a quarter-acre and was moving uphill. By 8:07 a.m., the fire grew to 1.5 acres and at 8:40, the fire had consumed four acres, officials said. Video from TV news helicopters showed smoke from the fire drifting near several hillside homes. Three homes were in danger at one point, the LAFD said. Spokesman Brian Humphrey could not provide information about how close the flames were to residences or whether more could be threatened. The LAFD battled the flames using aircraft and fire engines, with assistance from the Glendale Fire Department. There were no evacuations ordered and no injuries reported. Advertisement Firefighters will remain on the scene to monitor hot spots, the LAFD said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com Twitter: @r_valejandra UPDATES: 8:55 a.m.: This article was updated with details on the containment of the fire. This article was originally published at 8:25 a.m. An American man living in Germany and going by the nickname The Player was indicted Monday by a federal grand jury in San Diego on charges of stealing nearly $100,000 in Social Security disability benefits by concealing his overseas residency for almost a decade. An arrest warrant was issued for 58-year-old Andre Lorenzo Jackson, who is believed to still be living in Billigheim, Germany, according to the office of Adam Braverman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. While allegedly collecting ill-gotten monthly Supplemental Security Income payments, the defendant, nicknamed Andre the Player Jackson, traveled abroad extensively and promoted himself through social media as a professional athlete, entertainer and musician, according to the indictment. Jackson is alleged to have collected $98,164 in fraudulent payments. Advertisement According to a 10-count indictment returned Friday, Jackson began defrauding the Social Security Administration in February 2005 by falsely claiming to live in San Diego and by concealing his extensive foreign travel. Through those alleged illicit actions, Jackson was able to continue collecting SSI payments he had started receiving in 1986, the U.S. government alleges. According to the indictment, Jackson fraudulently claimed to the Social Security Administration on numerous occasions that he was eligible to receive the benefits, which are available only to U.S. citizens and some non-citizen legal residents. Supplemental Security Income benefits are meant to provide a minimum income floor for the blind, elderly or disabled. While fraudulently receiving the payments through an American bank account, Jackson would withdraw the funds using ATMs or debit-card transactions to pay for his personal expenses, prosecutors said. Jackson is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars intended to help our countrys most vulnerable, Braverman said in a statement. Individuals who abuse the trust and generosity of federal programs will be brought to account. Jackson faces nine counts of wire fraud a crime that carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and one count of theft of public property, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence. An arrest warrant for Jackson remained sealed Monday, but prosecutors said he resides in Billigheim, a municipality in central Germany between Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Nuremberg. Staff writer Alex Riggins contributed to this report. A Carlsbad father and son who fraudulently secured more than $4 million worth of federal government contracts were sentenced to prison Monday and each ordered to pay at least $1.5 million in restitution to their victims. According to prosecutors, Joseph Glenn Osborne Sr., 68, and Joseph Glenn Osborne II, 31, falsified documents to become eligible government contractors and then defaulted on their duties including failing to deliver more than 100,000 cases of fruit juice and raisins to community food banks and lunch programs. The elder Osborne was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy and ordered to pay $1.7 million in restitution. His namesake was sentenced to a year in federal prison for falsifying documents to obtain money from the government and ordered to repay $1.5 million. According to prosecutors, U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez said during sentencing that the elder Osborne, who used some of his ill-gotten wealth for a down payment on a $2.7-million Rancho Santa Fe mansion, appeared to have made a life out of lying and cheating. Advertisement The Osbornes pleaded guilty to the charges in February, when the elder Osborne, a longtime government contracting consultant, also admitted to stealing more than $588,000 from three small businesses that hired him for consulting services. Prosecutors said Osborne Sr. promised to faithfully represent those businesses in obtaining and fulfilling contracts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Instead, he altered their banking information in an online federal system so that when the USDA paid on their contracts, the money went to him instead of his clients. He also admitted to lying to his clients when they questioned the missing payments. When one pressed him to take part in a conference call to explain where the money was, the defendant repeatedly and falsely claimed that he could not do so because he had been seated on a jury in a multiple-murder trial. The 68-year-old also admitted covering up his spending on the Rancho Santa Fe mansion by forging a pair of emails from a government employee to make it seem hed withdrawn government retirement benefits early. But he had no such retirement account, and the agency he claimed the payments came from did not exist. When the elder Osbornes clients cut off dealings with him in 2013, he and his son began a scheme to falsify financial statements so the sons newly created business would qualify as an approved USDA contractor. Among the false statements they made, the Osbornes said at the end of 2013, the business had a cash surplus of nearly $38,000. In reality, the business had a cash shortfall of more than $5,500. With the new business approved for federal contracting thanks to the fraudulent financial statements, the company won more than $4 million of USDA food supply contracts. But four of the five contracts were terminated when they failed to deliver the fruit juice and raisins to the food banks and lunch programs. The same year the Osbornes caused their companys suppliers and financing company more than $1.5 million in losses, they paid themselves more than $285,000. They also admitted to using other company money for personal expenses, including almost $10,000 for nightclub charges and luxury hotel stays, and thousands more for escrow and renovation expenses for the elder Osbornes mansion. The fraud continued even after the government contracts were terminated. While applying to the Small Business Administration to be readmitted to federal contracting, the younger Osborne lied about his fathers military history falsely claiming he was a retired Marine Corps colonel and provided several falsified tax returns for himself and his company. City News Service contributed to this report. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com San Diego City College has run $10 million over budget on what was supposed to be a $58.6 million plan to renovate three older buildings in the heart of one of the states oldest public community colleges. School officials confirm that it will now cost about $68.6 million to modernize buildings A, D and T. They house everything from engineering and technology programs to enrollment services to student and faculty meeting areas. The cost associated with the increase are related to the increasing cost of materials, work associated with seismically upgrading the buildings and unforeseen conditions, said Chris Manis, vice chancellor of facilities planning. In general the material costs have increased 20-percent to 30-percent over the last two years. Whenever we renovate an existing building we do our best to try to capture everything that will need to be replaced, but it is not an exact science. Advertisement Sometimes you dont know what is in the ground or behind a wall until get into the project. The renovations are part of Proposition N, an $870 million bond package approved by voters in 2006 by voters in the San Diego Community College District. The measure raised money to cover construction, renovation, as well as improvements to public safety, access and parking. Manis told the Union-Tribune that the cost overrun on the project will be covered by bond money. City College, as its commonly called, has long occupied a small campus near I-5 and Balboa Park. It has undergone huge expansion and renovation in recent years, but continues to struggle to attract students The price of operating the three large tented homeless shelters could go up by about $1 million under staffing changes the San Diego City Council is scheduled to consider Tuesday. The increase would bring the cost of operating the tents to $13.9 million in fiscal year 2018-19, but could result in more homeless people leaving the shelters for housing. Council members meeting as the San Diego Housing Authority on Tuesday are considering the staffing changes as part of recommendations made by Focus Strategies, hired by the city to be a third-party evaluator of the shelters. The group also recomended lowering the goal of how many people move into permanent housing after leaving the shelters. The goal is 65 percent, and the new goal would be 30 percent, which the evaluator considered more realistic. Advertisement The recommendations come after a June report found the tents were falling far short of the 65 percent goal, with only 12 percent exiting the shelters into housing at the time. The proposed staffing changes would shift the focus from searching for permanent housing, which is in short supply, to matching homeless people with a variety of housing solutions. The staffing increases would cost about $983,000, and a follow-up evaluation would cost about $50,000. The San Diego Housing Commission already had approved $10.1 million for the shelters and the citys adopted budget included $2.8 million in facility support for fiscal year 2018-19. When the idea of using large tented structures as homeless shelters was first discussed in June 2017, the projected cost was $17 a day per person. That projection did not include various social services for people. Under the adopted budget for the new fiscal year, the Alpha Project operates a 325-bed tent for $4.8 million, Veterans Village of San Diego operates a 200-bed tent for $3 million and Father Joes Villages operates a 150-bed tent for $2.2 million. Lisa Jones, senior vice president of homeless housing i nnovations at the San Diego Housing Commission, said the staffing change is intended to help people staying in the tents find housing faster. When the shelters first opened about nine months ago, city officials and support agencies had expected the first clients would be people who had case managers who already were working with them to find housing. That was not the case, Jones said. Many of the people in the shelters were not connected to agencies and had several high-level needs related to disabilities, mental problems, a lack of income and other issues. Under the proposed staffing change, 18 housing navigators would be eliminated, and 23 case managers and nine housing specialists would be added. While housing navigators help people get documents and benefits in order while matching them with housing resources, a housing specialist has a broader focus and may connect people with other alternative types of housing. That could include room-sharing, transitional housing, foster care, long-term nursing care and independent living homes, she said. A review from the citys independent budget analyst found the shelter programs lack an ongoing funding source to continue past fiscal year 2019. Money for the program had come from the Housing Commissions property reserve and had been re-paid by the citys Low-Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund, and the review found it was unclear whether that fund could continue to support the shelters. The City Council also is scheduled to consider adding 50 beds to the Veterans Village tent contingent on the receipt of Homeless Emergency Aid Program funds from the state. The city has applied for the funds and could receive $14.1 million while the Regional Task Force on the Homeless may receive $18.8 million. Homeless advocate Michael McConnell had been critical of the citys use of large shelters and said it should have been exploring the alternative housing that the new positions will seek all along. Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 With one month left in fiscal 2018, Congolese refugees are the largest group resettling in San Diego County, a change from a decade-long trend of Iraqis dominating lists of new arrivals. So far this fiscal year, 105 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have come to San Diego. In August, 16 of the 30 newcomers who resettled in San Diego were from that country. Two Iraqi refugees came to San Diego County in August, increasing the total number of Iraqis resettled here this fiscal year to 11, according to data from the State Department. For years, Iraqis were to be the largest group resettling in the county, and many established their new lives in and around El Cajon. The pair that arrived in August resettled in Oceanside, according to the State Department. Advertisement Congolese refugees tend to live in San Diegos City Heights neighborhood. The county also received seven refugees from the Central African Republic, four from Myanmar and one from Vietnam. The overall number of monthly newcomers for the county hasnt changed much in recent months with 32 arriving in July and 30 in June. Hundreds of Iraqis used to come to San Diego County each month through the federal resettlement program, making San Diego the county that resettled the most refugees in California. Unless Septembers numbers differ drastically from the rest of the fiscal year, that will not be true for 2018. San Diego County has taken in 245 refugees so far this year, just under half of the 511 refugees resettled in Sacramento. Many of the refugees resettling around the state capital are from Eastern Europe. More than half of the 46 newcomers Sacramento resettled in August were from Ukraine, Russia or Belarus. The change is largely due to the Trump administrations cutbacks to the resettlement program. More than 900 Iraqis resettled in San Diego County alone in fiscal 2016, the year before President Donald Trump took office. Close to 700 came to the county in fiscal 2017, most arriving before the president signed the first version of the travel ban in January. After Trumps series of travel bans first blocked entry from the country and then imposed additional vetting, Iraqi refugees virtually stopped coming. The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it will reduce the maximum number of refugees that the U.S. will take in fiscal 2019 to 30,000 from 45,000 this year. The actual number of arrivals for fiscal 2018 is 19,899, nowhere near either total. Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter A longtime Sesame Street writer is weighing in on the longstanding speculation that Bert and Ernie are gay. Mark Saltzman, who worked on the show for over a decade, says he always viewed Bert and Ernie to be a couple when he penned their scripts. I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were, Saltzman told Queerty in a new interview. I didnt have any other way to contextualize them. Saltzman added that the relationship between Bert and Ernie mirrored his relationship with his longtime partner, film editor Arnold Glassman, who died in 2003. Advertisement He says multiple people would call him and Glassman Ernie & Bert. Yeah, I was Ernie. I look more Bert-ish. And Arnie as a film editor if you thought of Bert with a job in the world, wouldnt that be perfect? Bert with his paper clips and organization? And I was the jokester, Saltzman told the outlet. So it was the Bert & Ernie relationship, and I was already with Arnie when I came to Sesame Street. So I dont think Id know how else to write them, but as a loving couple. I wrote sketchesArnies OCD would create friction with how chaotic I was. And thats the Bert & Ernie dynamic. Saltzman joined the Sesame Street staff in 1984, about 15 years after the Bert and Ernie characters were introduced on the show. He says he never explicitly told the shows lead writer that he drew inspiration from his own relationship for the characters, but said that definitely was the case. Thats what I had in my life, a Bert & Ernie relationship, Saltzman said. How could it not permeate? The things that would tick off Arnie would be the things that would tick off Bert. The Bert and Ernie characters have long been considered icons in the gay community and, in 2013, The New Yorker used a photo of Ernie laying his head on Berts shoulder on its cover to commemorate the end of the Defense of Marriage Act. On Tuesday, Sesame Street Workshop the nonprofit organization behind the popular show issued a statement contradicting Saltzmans comments about the characters. As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends, the statement reads. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets do), they remain puppets and do not have sexual orientations. Elizabeth Smart says kidnapper Wanda Barzee, due to be released from prison Wednesday, would encourage her husband to rape her during the time she was held captive. She would sit right next to me. Like, the side of her body would be touching me, Smart told CBS This Morning in an interview that aired Tuesday. Smart was taken from her Salt Lake City home at knifepoint by Barzees husband, Brian Mitchell, in 2002. Only 14 at the time, she was repeatedly raped and tortured for nine months before she was rescued. Mitchell is serving a life sentence. Barzee had been slated to stay in prison until 2024, but she is being released earlier than that because officials had miscalculated her sentence. Advertisement Smart was outraged by news of Barzees release, and Utah residents have also expressed concern. Barzees relatives do not want to have anything to do with her. I dont know all the conditions of her release, but I have been reassured multiple times that she will be kept a very close eye on, Smart told CBS. And as soon as she messes up, which Ive been reassured that she will, she will be taken back to federal prison for the duration of the five years. Elizabeth Smart speaks at a news conference last week. (Jeffrey D. Allred/AP) Smart told Gayle King on CBS This Morning that she was given a little bit of comfort after she was abducted when Mitchell told her that he had a wife, but that soon changed. But as soon as I saw her, I did not have that hope anymore, she said. Smart said she was raped every day by Mitchell, sometimes multiple times a day, and that Barzee was always close by. I mean, she was right there, Smart said. So, I mean, she there were no secrets. She knew what was going on. And, I mean, she just was the kind of woman that she was just evil and twisted. She recalled that the couple forced her to drink a large amount of alcohol. I was a 14-year-old girl, Id never touched alcohol in my life that I ended up throwing up and then passing out in it, she said. And both of them just let me lie there all night. And when I woke up the next morning, I mean, my face and my hair were completely crusted to the ground. And they both laughed. She laughed. She laughed just as much as he did, if not more. She said she is concerned for the community and for the public as much as she is for herself about Barzees release. I know just how bad she really can be, Smart said. The Catholic bishop of a northern Indiana diocese has released the names of 18 priests and deacons who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend said earlier this year that it was important for victims to see the names made public for all to see. It is my hope that by releasing these names, the innocent victims of these horrific and heartbreaking crimes can finally begin the process of healing, he said. The list of accused priests and deacons released Tuesday includes James Blume, Michael Buescher, Brian Carsten, William Ehrman, William Gieranowski, John Gillig, Gabriel Hernandez, Edward Krason, Paul LeBrun, Thomas Lombardi, Robert Mahoney, Eldon Miller, Edward Paquette, Cornelius Ryan, James Seculoff, Richard Stieglitz, Richard Thompson and James Trepanier. Advertisement Eight of the men are now dead, and the other 10 have been removed from the ministry. Two of them are behind bars. Gillig, who died in 2011, has the most allegations against him (nine). Ehrman, who is also dead, has eight allegations against him, while Paquette has seven. For the purposes of this list, a credible accusation against a priest or deacon of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is an accusation that, after a thorough investigation and review of available information, appears more likely true than not in the judgement of the Diocesan Review Board, and is accepted as credible by the Bishop, read a statement. The list may be updated as additional information is received. Rhoades said earlier this year that he would compile and release the list of names in response to a grand jurys findings that 300 predator priests had abused more than 1,000 children in Pennsylvania. With News Wire Services A partially dressed woman recorded wearing wrist shackles as she desperately rang the doorbell of a Texas home believes the chilling surveillance video is the reason she is still alive today. The footage, initially released last month by a neighbor and then later by police, sparked national headlines and almost immediately went viral. Within days authorities confirmed the mystery woman was alive and well, but declined to provide additional details. In her first interview since the ordeal, the woman who asked that she only be identified as Lauren opened up about the harrowing events that landed her on a neighbors doorstep at 3:30 a.m. the morning of Aug. 24. Lauren told Inside Edition that she woke up that night to her boyfriend, Dennis Collins, kneeling on my chest and stuffing some sort of cloths in my mouth, duct taping my entire head. I truly felt like when that was happening, like, I was going to die that night, Lauren continued. There was nothing behind his eyes, it scared me. I didnt feel like it was the person I knew. Advertisement She said Collins, whom she had been dating for about four months, bound both her hands and feet and then raped her. I just kept repeating in my head, God has more for me than this, Im not going to die here tonight, she recalled. The attack left her throat raw from screaming, she explained, so her captor allowed her to get a glass of water thats when Lauren said she saw her opportunity to escape. While I was getting a drink he turned around to go out and walked to the bedroom, and thats when I ran out the front door, she told Inside Edition. Lauren ran barefoot and pants-less into her dark neighborhood and desperately tried to flag down a car, which sped off as she approached. She was still wearing shackles around her wrist as she sought help from her sleeping neighbors. I just wanted someone to lay eyes on me, she said. I thought if someone saw me I would be safe. She eventually fled to a friends home and then sought sanctuary with her family in Dallas. Despite the horrifying ordeal, Lauren said she did feel some guilt for Collins death. He killed himself just five days after the surveillance clip of her made the round online, as police began to close in. He left behind a suicide note apologizing for the incident, Lauren revealed. I never wouldve killed you as you thought, he wrote. Im sorry for what Ive done and I wish I could turn back time. Love Dennis. Yes, love. Im sorry. Without the viral video though, Lauren said she does not know if she would still be alive today. I worried that if this video didnt come out and if he were not gone, I eventually would be, she said. Massachusetts state senators are looking for answers from Columbia Gas, the company that serves the areas north of Boston where dozens of explosions were started last week. The pressure in the pipelines running through Andover, North Andover and Lawrence was 12 times higher than their normal rates, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey said in a letter sent to Columbia Gas on Monday. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has reported that the pressure in the Columbia Gas system should have been around 0.5 pounds per square inch (PSI), but readings in the area reached at least 6 PSI 12 times higher than the system was intended to hold, the letter said. We write to request that you provide us with information in order to help the American people understand why this terrible disaster occurred, whether the company was sufficiently prepared to respond to an incident of this magnitude, and how we can prevent any similar tragedy in the future. Advertisement One person died and dozens were injured in the blasts Thursday night. Leonel Rondon, an 18-year-old junior in Lawrence, who had just gotten his license, was in the drivers seat of a car in his friends driveway when an explosion toppled a house and sent a chimney crashing down on top of the car, killing him. On Sunday, thousands of residents were allowed to return to their homes after the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency gave the all-clear. Columbia Gas announced Tuesday that it would donate $10 million to the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund. The gas explosions in greater Lawrence have devastated families and displaced many people, and this generous contribution from Columbia Gas will help residents with immediate needs, Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. This donation will jump-start efforts to support the Merrimack Valley with access to short term assistance and services during a most difficult time. With News Wire Services Controversial billionaire Elon Musk announced Monday night that Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa has signed with SpaceX to fly around the moon and he will invite six to eight artists on the journey. Maezawa, the founder of ZOZO, one of Japans largest online clothing retailers, will launch aboard a Big Falcon Rocket, which is the flagship for Musks space transportation company. The 42-year-old billionaire will be the first passenger to travel to the moon since the Apollo missions ended in 1972, Musk revealed at an event Monday at the companys headquarters in LA. After the SpaceX announcement, Maezawa said: Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon. Advertisement I choose to go to the moon with artists, he added. Maezawa reportedly has a net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Forbes. An avid art collector, he reportedly spent $110.5 million last year on a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat called Untitled. Federal authorities on Saturday apprehended 27 people on two boats suspected of entering the U.S. illegally, capping a week in which more than 50 allegedly undocumented immigrants were arrested on boats off the San Diego coast, officials said. The first of Saturdays incidents began around 12:50 a.m. when a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft spotted a panga-style vessel entering U.S. waters with 19 people aboard, CBP officials said. Boats from CBPs Air and Marine Operations unit intercepted the vessel around 2 a.m. about eight miles off the coast of Windansea Beach in La Jolla, CBP spokeswoman Agent Tekae Michael said. CBP personnel seized the smuggling vessel, and Border Patrol agents arrested two suspected smugglers and 17 passengers. Aboard the Panga were two minors, two women and 15 men, all Mexican citizens believed to have entered the U.S. without documentation, Michael said. All were taken to a Border Patrol station, with the pangas two operators facing potential human smuggling charges. Advertisement Around 3:30 p.m. the same day, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel stopped a pleasure craft that had entered U.S. waters from Mexican waters, Tekae said. Border Patrol agents arrested seven Mexican men and a Colombian woman who all admitted to being in the United States illegally and were taken to a station for processing. The 27 arrests Saturday came the same week that 26 other people were arrested in similar incidents. On the previous Sunday, Sept. 9, a Coast Guard vessel spotted a panga boat about a mile west of Mission Bay around 6:30 p.m. Coast Guard personnel detained the boat and its 19 occupants and contacted Border Patrol agents, who took custody of the individuals 15 men, three women and a 15-year-old boy whom officials said were all Mexican nationals without documentation to enter the U.S. Just a few hours later, in the early morning hours of Monday, Sept. 10, CBP Air and Marine Operations personnel intercepted a pleasure craft about a mile off the coast of Pacific Beach. It was carrying two Chinese citizens and five Mexican nationals, all men, who were taken into custody by Border Patrol agents. A similar incident in late August ended with Border Patrol agents arresting 19 suspected undocumented immigrants aboard a panga vessel about 15 miles off the San Diego coast. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com Authorities have identified a 20-year-old man who died when his car slammed into a tree on the Campo Indian Reservation early Sunday. The county Medical Examiners Office said Jonathan Jaroslav Shuster, a Campo resident, was found behind the wheel of a 2013 Honda Civic that hit a tree along state Route 94 near Church Road, just south of the Campo Reservation fire station. Another driver discovered Shuster inside the wrecked car just before 5 a.m. Sunday morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Advertisement Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com A worker digging in a Santee street broke a half-inch-diameter service gas line Tuesday morning, prompting sheriffs officials to close several nearby streets. The gas line was broken near the intersection of Cottonwood Avenue and Mission Gorge Road around 10 a.m., said Joe Britton, a spokesman for San Diego Gas & Electric. Crews were able to control the gas line at 11:05 a.m. As a result of the gas line break, sheriffs deputies were diverting traffic off Mission Gorge Road at Edgemoor Drive, Mission Gorge Road at Riverview Parkway, and Buena Vista Avenue at Cottonwood Avenue. Britton said the line was broken by a worker with a private contractor who was digging with a shovel. Advertisement Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com A woman was killed in a rollover crash Monday afternoon on state Route 94 in Spring Valley, and the cars driver was arrested after he and a passenger were found injured and hiding in a canyon about an hour after fleeing from the badly damaged sedan, authorities said. The single-car wreck happened just after 1:50 p.m. near the Campo Road and Sweetwater Springs Boulevard exit, California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Travis Garrow said. The black 1999 Mercedes-Benz was eastbound on the highway when its driver lost control, swerved toward the center divider and struck the barrier made of wood and steel, Garrow said. The sedan landed upside down on the barrier before rolling into the median on the opposite side of the highway. One passenger, an unidentified woman believed to be in her early 20s, was gravely injured and taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, the CHP officer said. Advertisement Unfortunately I just got word that she succumbed to her injuries there, Garrow told the Union-Tribune over the phone about 3 p.m. Investigators later learned she was sitting on the cars center console between the driver and passenger seats, Garrow said in a statement. After the crash, the driver and front seat passenger fled the scene, leaving the victim trapped in the severely damaged car until firefighters freed her. Investigators believe the driver was 27-year-old Spring Valley resident Rene Ruiz and his front seat passenger was a 22-year-old La Mesa woman. Witnesses saw them bloodied and injured running south across eastbound lanes of traffic. A perimeter was established and a roughly hour-long manhunt involving CHP officers, sheriffs deputies and a law enforcement helicopter ended about 2:45 p.m. when both Ruiz and his passenger were found injured and hiding in a canyon southwest of the highway off-ramp, Garrow said. Ruiz was taken into custody on suspicion of felony counts of manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run and driving under the influence of drugs, Garrow said. He was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, while the passenger he fled with was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest, also with serious injuries. Its still early in the investigation, Garrow said. Officers are responding to the hospitals trying to collect evidence as to what happened. Footage from the scene showed the roof of the Mercedes-Benz crumpled in the center with head rests sticking out from where the back windshield had been. Its got a tremendous amount of damage, San Miguel Fire & Rescue Department Battalion Chief Andy Lawler told OnScene TV. To survive something like that would be difficult. Its got severe damage to the top of the vehicle ... Two people are fortunate to have gotten out of the vehicle. Caltrans San Diego warned drivers to expected delays in the area through Monday night as the investigation continued. Twitter: @Alex_Riggins (619) 293-1710 alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 6:35 p.m.: This article was updated with the name of the driver, details about his arrest and additional details about the crash. 4:40 p.m.: This article and its headline were updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 3:25 p.m. Authorities have identified a 73-year-old road surveyor who was struck and killed by a car on an Emerald Hills-area road Monday morning as an Imperial County resident. Edward Dutton of Imperial was crossing the street on Geneva Avenue at Winston Drive in San Diego, surveying a street, when the vehicle hit him shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to police and the county Medical Examiners Office. The eastbound car then veered to the right and crashed into a parked vehicle, San Diego police Sgt. Tim Underwood said. The 25-year-old driver stopped after the collision. Dutton died at the scene, despite paramedics efforts to revive him. No other injuries were reported. In 2007, researchers associated with Stanford University released Getting Down to Facts, a massive compendium of studies of California public education. Here was arguably the key takeaway: Public schools have many needs that would benefit from additional funding, but no such funding was a good idea until profound reforms were in place that ensured schools would actually improve. Now Getting Down to Facts II has been released. Its executive summary makes some interesting new points starting with a dire warning about the growing cost of pensions, special education and facilities and again cites the need for higher funding. But its most compelling passage has to do with how backwards California is in refusing to use basic information about student and teacher performance to figure out what works and doesnt work. This data has been key to crafting reforms in states like Massachusetts and Florida. Why isnt it being evaluated? The limitations of Californias data system are not the result of technological difficulties, the summary dryly notes. Instead, data about teachers is not collected because the education establishment doesnt want to know which teachers are effective and which teachers struggle. In recent years the State Board of Education actually has made it more difficult to judge school quality, adopting the confusing Dashboard model that rates schools on a variety of factors some of which dont involve academics. This is daft. What was true in 2007 remains true in 2018: Before taxpayers are asked to spend more on schools, this aversion to basic accountability and to crucial, common-sense reforms must end. Advertisement Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion As soon as she said she would testify, it was clear the Senate Judiciary Committee should hear from Christine Blasey Ford, the Palo Alto University psychology professor who alleges that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school in the 1980s. Thankfully, enough Republicans grasped this instead of attacking her, the Democrats or the outlets reporting the late-breaking story. A confirmation vote set for Thursday has now been delayed, and Ford and Kavanaugh, who denies the allegations, will both testify before the committee next Monday. Its worth noting that it seems unlikely that Ford knowing the way her life would be turned upside-down this month made up this story. Its also worth noting that nothing about Kavanaughs history suggests he would have tried to rape someone. But one of these two people is not being honest. Given the intensity of the nomination fight and the fact that some senators have already engaged in look-at-me theatrics next Mondays hearing could be a circus. For the good of democracy, heres hoping the Judiciary Committee minimizes the posturing and maximizes the effort to evaluate the testimony of Ford and Kavanaugh. This may be asking too much in a polarized era in which the nomination was a partisan battle from the beginning. But a straightforward search for the truth is sorely needed. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Advertisement Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion San Diego residents have good reason to be deeply skeptical about City Hall. Its not just the disastrous City Council decisions in 1996 and 2002 to underfund pensions, which haunt city finances to this day. Just last year, the slowness of city officials in responding to a deadly hepatitis A outbreak could be a featured chapter in a textbook about sluggish government. But San Diego does have one grand tradition: identifying communities that have tremendous potential and then helping them reach that potential. East Village, Gaslamp and Liberty Station reflect the vision of past city leaders. Now city planners have identified another area that can join this list: the Midway-Pacific Highway community a 1,324-acre area bordered by Interstate 5, Interstate 8, the airport, Laurel Street and the eastern edge of Point Loma. A community plan update released in April and endorsed by the City Council on Monday calls for a transformation of the largely industrial area into a mix of dense housing, commercial projects, 30 acres of parks and a bay-to-bay trail. The number of housing units would go from nearly 2,000 to more than 11,000. There will be bumps in the road going forward concerns about congestion, housing affordability and more. But this doesnt mean the basic concept of a revitalized Midway isnt strong, appealing and achievable. The communitys coming makeover is something San Diegans should look forward to. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Advertisement Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion The emergence of dockless electric scooters on city streets this year and their instant popularity has been an interesting phenomenon. The scooters add a green transportation option to a city to a world that needs such options. That city officials have been welcoming and so far cool to regulating the scooters isnt necessarily a bad thing. But the time has come for a city-led effort to protect public safety. In recent media interviews, Dr. Vishal Bansal, medical director of trauma at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, and Dr. Michael Sise, the hospitals medical chief of staff, cited the growing number of people with scooter-related injuries turning up in their emergency room. Were having these electric scooters that can travel very fast, where theres no safety restraint, no effort to know if the riders are intoxicated, Bansal told The San Diego Union-Tribune. To me thats a public-health disaster in the making. The City Councils Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee is expected to take up the issue Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and his staff have been looking at relatively light rules that wouldnt necessarily require costly permits, as Los Angeles does, but would require scooter companies to indemnify the city and have liability insurance. The companies would be required to do a better job of emphasizing that its illegal to use scooters on sidewalks and to double up on scooters. The city may also seek to control speed in certain areas. A fee might be imposed to cover the cost of dealing with abandoned, damaged scooters. Advertisement In a phone interview with a member of The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, mayoral aide Greg Block said rule enforcement could be a problem going forward given limited police resources. While this is true, that doesnt reduce the need for clear, broadly publicized rules that discourage risky behavior. Its time for the mayor and City Council to rise to the occasion and protect the public. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion White House is not making smart choices Re Nominees accuser reveals identity (Sept. 17): Donald Trump promised to be a law-and-order president who would hire the best people. So far five former Trump campaign associates have pleaded guilty: Paul Manafort, Rick Gates; Michael Cohen; Michael Flynn; and George Papadopoulos. Among other things, one of the obvious problems with the Trump White House, with the help of Republican colleagues, is its vetting process. The fruits of their labor is becoming clearer. And now they want to rush the Brett Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court amid allegations of sexual misconduct? Will they never learn? Advertisement Steve Blumenschein Clairemont Digging into high school indiscretions is going to far The Democrats are using ridiculously low tactics in probing justice Kavanaughs alleged misconduct as a high school student. Unfortunately, they broke that ground already in the 2012 presidential campaign when they smeared Mitt Romney with supposed high school bullying. The extreme extent to which they pursue opposition research on the adolescent lives of conservative opponents has become both absurd and destructive. I believe that in evaluating anyone for office, his immature life before graduation from college, let alone high school, should be off-limits. Additionally, memories from anyones distant adolescence are fraught with error, often making it impossible to separate fact from fabrication unless there is a written record from that time. If the Democrats and their willing media accomplices have to reach back so long ago to find his lifes flaws, that means that Kavanaugh has led an exemplary adult life. Jeffrey Ridgway San Diego Dont disregard how long ago event happened Regarding Professor Ford who is accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault and possibly attempted rape over thirty years ago, I was once attacked by three guys when I was hitching a ride home in Upstate New York several miles from where I lived. I was outnumbered and one guy hit me several times. Fortunately some other guys (who I didnt know) came by and were able to get me out of there in their car. If I knew who any of the three attackers were now, Id fly back tomorrow and beat the hell out of one of them. Sixty years and I still remember it almost like it happened yesterday. I absolutely believe her. (And I would take a polygraph too). Robert Bridge Carlsbad How Kavanaugh issue plays out matters There definitely should be a hearing on professor Christine Blasey Fords allegation of sexual assault. Fairness demands it on behalf of her, Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the American people. This is true notwithstanding the twin difficulties of determining the truth in a 30-year-old he said, she said situation. There are those who would dismiss the claim as relatively insignificant drunken teen behavior. This is wrong for two reasons: Kavanaugh has unequivocally denied the claim, but if it is deemed true then he has lied on a material issue. And, again, if the claim is found true, his appointment sends this message to teenagers the offenses you commit in your teens, if you dont go to jail, wont affect your future. Rick Dunn San Diego Re Lets listen to Christine Blasey Ford (Sept. 17): Anyone (including the U-T) who thinks that the Kavanaugh hearing on Monday is intended to bring out the truth is naive. Not only did Ford recently pass a polygraph, she told her husband years ago and identified Kavanaugh. She also went through therapy because of it. Kavanaugh is still denying the charge. His position is not going to change unless a miracle happens. The GOP is still trying to jamb his appointment through. Will they get the polygraph examiner under oath? No. Will they get the witness to the attempted rape under oath? No. Will they get her therapist under oath? No. Will they get the FBI to impartially determine the facts of the matter? No. Is this only a show hearing? Yes. While it might be possible to view him as an honorable man if he admitted youthful (and drunk) wrong-doing, his dishonesty is clearly disqualifying. Robert Benson Mission Valley Sadly the latest round of the Kavanaugh confirmation is once again directly out of the Saul Alinskys agitator bible, Rules for Radicals, Rule 13 Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. Yet, another very heavy sigh. Wayne Bostic San Carlos Re Sen. Hatch says Christine Blasey Ford is mistaken in accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assault (Sept. 17): Sen. Orrin Hatch has revealed himself, and not for the first time, to be a cheerleader for a disappearing group of old, white, male chauvinists. His take on the alleged attack on a teen aged girl was predictable. Men rule, (I wonder what the genesis of that antiquated plan is), and women obey without question or challenge, Do the dishes, and cleave as directed. The role of a woman is to meekly accede to a mans whims. Give it up, Orin, and make yourself welcome to long-hindered progress in the twenty-first century, where serfdom is a social relic with no place in modern society. Stan Levin San Diego I am not supportive of the nomination of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court but it is ridiculous that an issue be made about a sexual incident that occurred 30 years ago when our sitting president has a chequered past. Jean Morgan Del Mar GOP should not rush Supreme Court confirmation I think we should wait until Trumps second term to find out if the people really want him to appoint a Supreme Court justice. Richard Maheu Serra Mesa Assuming the allegation is true, even without a confirming witness or any details and despite the political agenda, does it matter? Is a man or woman forever characterized by a single incident of bad behavior for the rest of their life? Destined to never rise above it, despite a subsequent life of value and purpose? John M. LaCrosse Oceanside Now that Bret Kavanaugh and his accuser have us positioned to see a rerun of the Anita Hill inquisition, lets see if that cabal of stodgy old men shamefully disgrace themselves again when they question Professor Ford as they did when they tried to humiliate and vilify Hill. Bonnie Graniero El Cajon Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Kudos for coverage of immigrant issues The Arts section has been a solid section every week, but your staff outdid itself with Our Immigrant Story, (Sept. 16). Proof that America still attracts foreign-born who contribute mightily to our culture. These are not mostly criminals as our president shouts about. Loved the Our Immigrant Story wrap you placed over the A section. It called out to be read. Important reporting the U-T is doing. Advertisement Richard Heimlich Carlsbad I wanted to let you know the Sunday articles on the immigration story in San Diego were wonderful and informative. Thank you for well-reported news that improves our world. Kay OBryan Point Loma Todays Our Immigrant Story and the Fall Arts Preview featuring immigrants is just what San Diego needs. The diversity of thought, talent and backgrounds brought by those from other countries makes our region - and country - wonderful and exciting. Thank you for this positive celebration of immigrants. Judy Piercey Rancho Penasquitos Be clear in reporting immigration status I read your report and noted that, while detailed in many ways, I noted a deficiency in recognizing the difference between those who came to be here through the actual immigration process and those that came over the border illegally. No one objects to immigrants, but we do object to those who bypassed the people standing in the legitimate line to enter the United States. Why should these people get to step all over the people waiting patiently to follow the legal process? Please try to use a little more effort in identifying obvious differences. Clay Baird El Cajon Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. A packed audience filled Ramona Mainstage to celebrate American Liberty Forum of Ramonas (formerly Ramona Tead) 100th symposium and to honor the contributions of previous chairmen Jim Fontana and Jim Tapscott with cake and a violin rendition of patriotic songs. As the main event, the audience viewed San Diego Countys premiere of Dr. Evelyn Markus documentary Never Again Is Now. This poignant documentary chronicles Markus 70-year family history with anti-Semitism in the Netherlands, first during World War II and then with it reemerging again. Evelyn Markus shares her documentary, Never Again Is Now, during an American Liberty Forum meeting in Ramona Mainstage. Marjorie Blakeney-Swan, J.D. Markus is a Jew born and raised in the Netherlands, where her family goes back more than 400 years. She is a second generation Holocaust survivor whose parents both beat the odds of surviving, as it is estimated that nearly 80 percent of Dutch Jews were killed in Nazi concentration camps. Her father was taken into hiding by Dutch Christians, and her mother and family were interned in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Her mothers family subsequently was transferred by train to go to a gas chamber in Theresienstadt Czechoslovakia as part of Hitlers Final Solution. On April 13, 1945, with the war winding down and American troops surrounding them on all sides, the Nazis abandoned the train with its cargo of 2,500 emaciated and ill Jewish passengers near Magdeburg. For the rest of Markus mothers life, she passed down the stories of the Nazi atrocities Jews endured during WWII, and she marked April 13 as a day of celebrating her second chance at life. The American soldiers who liberated the trains were from the 743rd Tank Battalion, 30th Infantry Division of the 9th Army. The prisoners were seized with joy at the sight of the American tanks and their soldiers they were instantly transformed from nonhuman slaves into a free people. Many of these Holocaust survivors and their families personally met and thanked their American rescuers in the past decade. Countless Jewish families have been able to grow and survive because of the United States and these liberators. Markus said she and her partner, Rosa Zeegers, who is also a second generation Holocaust survivor, noticed a marked increase in anti-Semitism, especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. They saw Dutch Muslims celebrating the attacks, children holding pictures of Osama bin Laden, and groups becoming more volatile and demonstrative in their approval of terrorism and their hatred of the Jews. The Holocaust as a subject ceased to be taught in schools because of Muslim children becoming hostile over the subject matter, and Jews had to become invisible so that they would not be threatened, humiliated or attacked, she said. When Dutch author and filmmaker Theo van Gogh was assassinated by Mohammed Bouyeri, member of a jihadist group, for making a film with Islamic critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali about violence against women in Islam, Markus and Zeegers decided to leave Amsterdam. Bouyeri stabbed a letter onto van Goghs chest which accused Dutch politics being dominated by the Jews. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim refugee and subsequent member of Parliament in the Netherlands, has criticized Muslim mistreatment of women, gays, and Jews. She was forced into hiding, then immigrated to the United States also. Upon return visits to the Netherlands, Markus said she and Zeegers have witnessed even further acceleration of an anti-Semitism such as pro-Palestinian rallies where Muslims chanted, Hamas! Hamas! Jews to the gas! Far-left Dutch politicians are joining and supporting these rallies as free speech. In the movie, Markus interviews various Jews, religious leaders, politicians, and noted former Muslim Ayan Hirsi Ali and practicing moderate Muslim Dr. Qanta Ahmed. All agree that Jews today cannot walk freely in the Netherlands, and throughout Europe, without being subject to calls of Cancer Jew, as well as of threats of violence. Both of these women advocate and educate Muslims to reform their feelings toward Israel and the Jewish people. Debunking Myths about the Islamic Faith, presented by Indivisible Ramona with We Love Our Neighbors Inc., strove to dispel misconceptions about the religion, Islam, and its Muslim followers. Approximately 60 people attended the community event, held Aug. 30 in the Ramona Library Community Room. Helen Hillix, a mental health professional, said she believes that polarizing beliefs stem from how people are taught differences true or not given that they are not born with them. We must challenge these myths or misconceptions or we wont be able to find the peace were looking for, she said. Three speakers covered the religious beliefs and practices of Islam: Aziz Purmul, who has a bachelors degree in economics and a masters in public administration, is the founder of We Love Our Neighbors Project. Saying he is dedicated to improving communication and forming relationships with our neighbors, he outlined the basics of the Islamic faith and practice. We love our neighbors, he said. I am here to explain that we are diverse. I am not here to convert. Aziz Purmul outlines the basics of the Islamic faith during the recent Indivisible Ramona forum in Ramona Library. Doug Sooley He described the beliefs and the five pillars of Islam that Muslims practice and punctuated his talk with supporting quotes from the Quran, stressing that Islam is a peaceful religion whose followers believe in God (Allah). Muhammed was a prophet and considered to be a messenger of God, he said. Arwa Alkhawaja earned a Master of Arts in leadership studies and Bachelor of Science in chemistry. Her topic was the Role of Women in Islam. She has given more than 100 introductory speeches about Islam at universities, community colleges and high schools. In terms of misconceptions shes heard, she said that it is not Islamic law that Muslim women are oppressed by fathers and husbands, nor are they forced to wear head covering they choose to wear it to honor God (Allah). Nor are prearranged marriages Islam law, although practices in some cultures do occur, she said. The Quran states that men and women are equal and both have duties and rights. No one is better than anyone in value, she said. What distinguishes us are our choices and actions not our gender, not our height. We all matter. Tehseen Lazzouni is the director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of San Diego (ISB), an educational resource organization she founded in 2000 to educate the San Diego community about Islam and Muslims. Tehseen was born and raised in Southern California and holds a masters degree in business administration from San Diego State University and a bachelors degree in management science from the University of California, San Diego. She spoke on Islam and Peace and described the many aspects of personal and national peace. The definition of Islam is peace, and violence is contrary to Islamic values, she said. Fighting is not allowed except in self-defense and against oppression. She explained the definition of jihad, a term that has come to mean an attack on non-Muslims, but in Arabic means striving for self-improvement internally, intellectually and economically to lift the condition from the downtrodden, and physically by fighting against oppression. Father Peter Sickles. Following a break highlighted by the contribution of homemade baklava from the speakers, Father Peter Sickles of St. Marys-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church in Ramona reminded the audience that Islam is a religion, not an ethnicity. Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in the same God but through different books. There are references in the Quran to Mary and Jesus and other Christian figures. The best way to turn hostility to friendship is to learn and visit, he said. Questions from the audience addressed concerns about Islam and some of its followers practices. A common theme in response to questions was that culture of specific regions, countries or ethnicities frequently override religious tenets. In summary: Islam is a religion, not an ethnicity. Father Peter Sickles. Violence is contrary to Islamic beliefs. Islam means peace. Peace is fundamental to Islam. Harm has been caused in the name of Islam, just as harm has been committed in the name of Christianity and other religions. Deeds committed in conflict with religious teachings are often due to culture rather than religion. Most Muslims live in peace. The speakers encouraged the audience to not judge all Muslims based on what a few do, any more than we should blame all Christians for what a few do. The definition of jihad is misunderstood. It has come to mean war against non-Muslims. It is an Arabic word that means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim. Women Muslims wear the hijab (head scarf) as a sign of their dedication to Islam. They are not forced to do so. Devout Muslims pray five times a day no matter where they are. It is not an act signifying violence to follow. The Quran includes mention of Christian figures such as Jesus and Mary and reflects the times, just as the Bible does. Education is an important part of Islam. The Golden Rule of Islam: Not one of you is a believer until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. Question: Can Islam exist within the U.S. Constitution given that it calls for a theocracy? Response: As a Muslim I must obey the law of this land. I am proud of being a citizen. Muslims and non-Muslims must take responsibility that there are so many misconceptions in the world. 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. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/18/2018 -- Beeswax is the creamy coloured substance used by bees to build the comb that forms the structure of their nest. Very pure beeswax is white, but the presence of pollen and other substances cause it to become yellow. On the basis of type, White Wax, Yellow Wax and others, Yellow Wax is the largest segment with around65.32% production share of the total market in 2016. Meanwhile, White Wax is more expensive, also account for about 25.69% market share in terms of production. Download Sample Copy of Bees Wax Market @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/18469 The comprehensive study offers an overview of the current state of development of the business as well as predicts the course of progress across different regions. A large number of factors including the major driving forces, threats and opportunities are taken into account to present an analytical picture of the industry portrayed in the report. The research further examines and provides data on the market by type, application and geography interspersed with illustrations and other graphical representations. The market analysis not only determines the attractiveness of the industry but also the evolving challenges and opportunities and their association with the weaknesses and strengths of prominent market leaders. Market Segment by manufacturers, the report covers the following companies: Roger A Reed, Strahl & Pitsch, Akrochem, Poth Hille, Paramold, Adrian, Bee Natural Uganda, Bill's Bees, New Zealand Beeswax, Frank B Ross, Arjun Bees Wax Industries, Henan Weikang, Henan Dongyang, Dongguang Jinding, Dongguang Longda, Dongguang Henghong, Dongguang Yiyuan Market Segment on the basis of Product, the report covers: - White Wax - Yellow Wax - Other Order a copy @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/18469 Market Segment on the basis of application, the report covers: - Food - Cosmetics - Pharmaceuticals - Other Key Stakeholders - Bees Wax Manufacturers - Bees Wax Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers - Bees Wax Subcomponent Manufacturers - Industry Association - Downstream Vendors - Available Customizations Key Topics Covered: - Bees Wax Market Overview - Global Bees Wax Market Competition by Manufacturers - Global Bees Wax Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018) - Global Bees Wax Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018) - Global Bees Wax Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type - Global Bees Wax Market Analysis by Application - Global Bees Wax Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis The study segments the complete Bees Wax market on the basis of different application, end-use, end-user, and production capability. From a business standpoint, the industry has been thoroughly examined across various countries located in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and others. The size of the industry for the forecast period 2018 - 2025 is evaluated on the basis of current sales figures and past financial report can be used to forecast the future sales. Complete report is available now @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/bees-wax-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact US: 40 Wall St. 28th floor New York City NY 10005 United States sales@marketexpertz.com +1-800-819-3052 Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/18/2018 -- Japan's military force includes Japan Ground Self-Defense force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Japanese air-force. Additionally, Japanese defense budget further includes expenditure on the special action committee on Okinawa and US force realignment. Among current programs in which Japanese companies are participating include self-propelled artillery, armored fighting vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, while its Marine time self-defense force is owing to receive more ballistic missiles defense-capable destroyers. Such trends are widely influencing Japanese defense industry and to evaluate them, Market Research Hub (MRH) has included a report titled "Future of the Japanese Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2023' to its repository. Rising expenditure on FMS has forced Japan's policy of building up its domestic defense industry to attain a level of autonomy in meeting defense requirements. The policy has been placed since 1970s and yet FMS acquisitions have very low local industry participation. Request For Sample Report: https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1894424 Japanese Defense Industry: Scope of the Report The report delivers information on analysis of Japanese defense industry with respect to market size forecast over foreseeable future. Factors those are influencing demand for the industry have been propounded in this report. The report provides future forecast, key market players, security services status and growth opportunities in Japanese defense industry. The report is all-inclusive research study that includes most-creditable and go-to forecast of the market. To determine future scope and performance of the market, macro- and microeconomic facets such as market drivers, restraints, trends and future opportunities have been analyzed. A systematic procedure has been followed to provide readers unified understanding of performance of the market. Scrupulous segmentation of the report commencing with executive summary and finishing with competitive landscape of key market players provide readers to leverage deep market insights. Executive summary provides market information in the form of market size with respect to value and volume. This information has been included in this report on the basis of each segment of the report. Individual company profiles and dashboard view of leading players operating in the global market is likely to aid clients to identify lucrative opportunities in the global market. Browse Full Report with TOC- https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/future-of-the-japanese-defense-industry-market-attractiveness-competitive-landscape-and-forecasts-to-2023-report.html Japanese Defense Industry: Research Methodology A robust methodology backed up by exhaustive research on the basis of comprehensive study of various market areas has been considered to evaluate market size and future recital of the market. Primary and secondary research was carried out to include key insights mentioned in the report. By garnering and analyzing the information provided by seasoned market analysts and studies and surveys of prominent groups has served as basis of primary research. Under secondary research, robust study of paid sources, trade journals and industry databases has been covered. With the tracking of all market segments metrics and analyzed geographies, a market attractiveness analysis is evaluated that is complementary to vital insights included in this report. Such approach towards research delivers readers with most cogitable and valid forecast of the Japanese defense industry over forecast period. Enquire about this Report- https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1894424 About Market Research Hub Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRH's expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps. MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients. Contact Us 90 State Street, Albany, NY 12207, United States Toll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada) Email : press@marketresearchhub.com Website : https://www.marketresearchhub.com/ Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/17/2018 -- The Top key vendors in Wheeled Tractor Machinery Market include are Deere and Company, CNH Global NV, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., AGCO Tractor, Farmtrac Tractor Europe, Kubota Tractor Corp, McCormick Tractors, Case IH, Deutz-Fahr, Claas Tractor, Kioti Tractor, Belarus Tractor, Massey Ferguson Tractor, Caterpillar Inc., SAME Deutz-Fahr, Fendt, Escorts, Valtra, Daedong-USA. Download Sample Copy of Wheeled Tractor Machinery Market @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/18437 Scope of the Report: The research methodologies used for evaluating the Wheeled Tractor Machinery market are inventive and also provides enough evidence on the demand and supply status, production capability, import and export, supply chain management and investment feasibility. The investigative approach applied for the extensive analysis of the sale, gross margin and profit generated by the industry are presented through resources including tables, charts, and graphic images. Importantly, these resources can be easily integrated or used for preparing business or corporate presentations. Market Segment on the basis of Product, the report covers: - Two Wheeled Tractors - Four Wheeled Tractors Market Segment on the basis of application, the report covers: - Agriculture - Industry - Construction industry Buy Wheeled Tractor Machinery Market Research Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/18437 The market intelligence study for the Wheeled Tractor Machinery market further provides an inside-out overview of necessary aspects associated with the product classification, important definitions, major orders and other industry-centric parameters. An underlying part of the study also maps the important factors associated with the recent events such as mergers and acquisition, collaboration and new product launches. In addition, the research lays down a robust groundwork for obtaining a vast amount of information that potential customers can use to increase their profits and reduce costs. The inclusion of data on market segmentation by type, application, and geography offers clarity presents an analytical picture of, what manufacturers are aiming for. The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the estimated growth rate of the Wheeled Tractor Machinery market for the forecast period 2018 - 2025? What will be the market share and size of the industry during the estimated period? - What are prime factors expected to drive the Wheeled Tractor Machinery industry for the estimated period? - What are the major market leaders and what has been their winning strategy for success so far? - What are the significant trends shaping the growth prospects of the Wheeled Tractor Machinery market? - What are the key challenges expected to restrict the progress of the industry for the forecast period, 2018 - 2025? - What the opportunities product owners can bank on to generate high profits? There are 16 Chapters to deeply display the global Wheeled Tractor Machinery market. - 1 Wheeled Tractor Machinery Market Overview - 2 Global Wheeled Tractor Machinery Market Competition by Manufacturers - 3 Global Wheeled Tractor Machinery Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018) - 4 Global Wheeled Tractor Machinery Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018) - 5 Global Wheeled Tractor Machinery Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type - 6 Global Wheeled Tractor Machinery Market Analysis by Application - Continue Browse the full Report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/wheeled-tractor-machinery-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact US: 40 Wall St. 28th floor New York City, NY 10005 United States sales@marketexpertz.com +1-800-819-3052 An international group of archaeologists has found a carved limestone altar at the Maya site of La Corona, located in jungle forest of the Peten in Guatemala. The altar is made of limestone and measures 4.8 feet by 3.9 feet (1.46 m by 1.2 m). It displays the image of previously unknown Maya king, Chak Took Ichaak, carrying a double-headed serpent effigy from which the sites patron gods emerge. It is accompanied by a column of hieroglyphs that record the end of a half-katun period in the Long Count Maya calendar corresponding to May 12, 544 CE. The discovery of this altar presents new evidence for how the powerful Kaanul dynasty began its two-century domination of much of the lowland Maya region. The discovery allows us to identify an entirely new king of La Corona who apparently had close political ties with the capital of the Kaanul kingdom, Dzibanche, and with the nearby city of El Peru-Waka, said Dr. Marcello A. Canuto, director of the Middle American Research Institute at Tulane University and co-director of the La Corona Regional Archaeological Project. For several centuries during the Classic period, the Kaanul kings dominated much of the Maya Lowlands, said Dr. Tomas Barrientos, director of the Center for Archaeological and Anthropological Research at the University of the Valley of Guatemala and co-director of the La Corona Regional Archaeological Project. This altar contains information about their early strategies of expansion, demonstrating that La Corona played an important role in the process from the beginning. Silver Moon's inaugural season is among 191 newly announced voyages for Silversea Cruises between summer 2020 and winter 2021. Pre-sale bookings opened today to Venetian Society members (past passengers) before sales open to the general public Oct. 1. Four ships in Northern Europe, three in Alaska and Russian Far East As well as five ships and 54 voyages in the Mediterranean including a 37-day, 28-port grand voyageSilversea will offer four ships and 29 voyages in Northern Europe, three ships and 21 voyages in Alaska and the Russian Far East and two ships and 10 voyages in the Arctic, among sailings in many other regions. More overnights in port will be offered than ever before. Every cruise longer than seven nights in Europe and Canada/New England will include an overnight port stay. Polar program Silversea's polar program will comprise 10 itineraries and 83 destinations in the Arctic and 11 itineraries and 26 destinations in Antarctica, including East Antarctica and the Ross Sea. Rare voyages to New Zealands sub-Antarctic islands and Australias Macquarie Island (all UNESCO World Heritage Sites) will enable travelers to view vast colonies of penguins and thousands of seals, while visits to Churchill and Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada, will take go to the polar bear capital of the world and the home of the worlds largest beluga whale population, respectively. Silver Cloud and Silver Explorer will make concurrent crossings of the Northwest and Northeast Passage. Iceland in-depth In Iceland, Silversea will offer more immersive experiences on both classic and expedition voyages, with new itineraries. Departing June 29 from Reykjavik, Silver Wind will circumnavigate the island in nine days. Other sample itineraries in Iceland include London to Reykjavik via Ireland and Reykjavik to London via Norway. As in 2019, the lines flagship, Silver Muse, will spend a full summer deployed in Alaska in 2020. Silversea will return to the Canary Islands on two voyages departing April 16 and Sept. 25, 2020, and Istanbul on two different itineraries, departing May 30 and Aug. 2, 2020. Moreover, the line will make maiden calls at El Hierro, Spain; Fishguard, Wales; Nordfjordeid, Norway; Siglufjorur and Patreksfjordur, Iceland; Durres, Albania; and Klaksvik, Faroe Islands. Free air and transfers included For the first time, Silversea travelers will get free economy-class air and transfers included as standard on all newly released voyages. Exceptions and market-specific conditions may apply. Itinerary specifics are here. The worlds largest cruise industry event focussed on the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas is this year hosted by the Port of Lisbon Authority and supported by MedCruise and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). In addition to Seatrade Cruise News coverage, live updates from the exhibition show floor and conference will be appearing over the course of this week on our Live Blog. Join the conversation #STCMed. Today, participants will take part in fam trips to tourist attractions in and around Lisbon and visits to Lisbons new cruise terminal and in the evening, the MedCruise VIP and Seatrade Cruise Med speakers dinner takes place. Part of Portugal Shipping Week The two full day event follows on September 19 and 20, featuring a showcase exhibition, conference and a full networking programme. It is an integral element of the Portugal Shipping Week and also the platform for the General Assembly of MedCruise which takes place on September 21. 200+ cruise line execs and managers registered To date, over 200 cruise line executives and cruise shipmanagers have already confirmed attendance, including AIDA Cruises; APT Touring; Azamara Club Cruises; Bernhard Schulte Cruise Services; Carnival Cruise Lines; Carnival UK; Celestyal Cruises; Columbia Cruise Services; Costa Cruises; CroisiEurope; Cruise & Maritime Voyages; Disney Cruise Line; Fred Olsen Cruise Lines; FTI Cruises; Genting Hong Kong; Global Cruise Lines Ltd; Holland America Group; Hurtigruten; Marella Cruises; MSC Cruises; Mystic Cruises; Noble Caledonia; Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings; Norwegian Cruise Line; National Geographic Expeditions; Ponant; Princess Cruises; Pullmantur Cruceros; Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection; Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd; Saga Cruises; Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours; Sea Cloud Cruises; SeaDream Yacht Club; Silversea Cruises; Star Clippers; TUI Cruises; V.Ships Leisure; Viking Cruises; Virgin Voyages and Windstar Cruises. President of Port of Lisbon Authority, Lidia Sequeira stated that: To host this prestigious event is recognition of the work we have been doing in the cruise sector for many years. The hope is that this event will give an important boost to the local and national economy of this sector, especially now that Lisbon is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to welcome all the cruise ships and their guests. Lisbon Cruise Terminal visit As part of the Seatrade Cruise Med itinerary, attendees will be able to visit the Lisbon Cruise Terminal, which opened its berths late in 2017. Lisbon Cruise Port (LCP), operator of the cruise facilities in the Portuguese capital and part of Global Ports Holding, invested approximately 22m in the new terminal building. The two day event includes an international exhibition which is a mix of ports, with nearly 50 represented, and destinations, tourism authorities, cruise associations, ground handlers, tour operators, port agents and technical equipment showcasing their products and services to the cruise industry. Key conference topics Alongside the exhibition is a comprehensive and refreshing look into industry trends impacting the regional cruise industry. With hand-picked speakers from across the industry, the topics will include: Keynote Addresses Industry Update by CLIA and Mediterranean update by MedCruise president, Airam Diaz Pastor; A look at the State of the Industry with top line cruise execs and Diaz Pastor, sponsored by Andalucia and Costa de Almeria; Meeting Future Demand in the Med and its Adjoining Seas; How the industry deals with air emission challenges; Hidden Gems uncovered, sponsored by Greek National Tourism Organisation; How new-build luxury yachts are impacting the upscale market in the Med; Making cruising welcome - a debate on challenges facing the cruise industry in ports and cities concerning over tourism and sustainability; The growing trend for the expedition cruise experience; How the industry is turning to new technologies and innovations Initiatives on the show floor include an Excellence Theatre with a series of Headway Talks and an immersive experience dome, brought to Lisbon by Immersive Adventures, where a series of presentations will take place in a 10x10mtr dome. 20 under 40 winners On Day 2 will be the unveiling of the winners in the 20 under 40 competition, which was launched by Seatrade Cruise News and sponsored by TVG Travel, to find 20 professionals from the global cruise industry who are under the age of 40 and already proved to be extraordinary at work. The announcement and presentation of the final 20 will take place on September 20 at the Excellence Theatre. At the welcoming reception on the evening of September 19, the Seatrade Cruise Awards, principal sponsor Oracle Hospitality, will be presented. Event sponsors and supporters Principal regional sponsors of Seatrade Cruise Med include: Republica Portuguesa-Mar; Lisboa Camara Municipal; Turismo de Portugal; Turismo de Lisboa; Lisbon Cruise Port; ANA Aeroportas de Portugal. Sponsors include: Andalucia Costa de Almeria; Caribbean Village; Delta Cafes; Docapesca; DP World; Gibraltar Tourist Board; Global Ports Holding; Greek National Tourism Organisation; Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services; Pasteis De Belem; Qatar Tourism Authority; Region Provence-Alpes-Cote dAzur; ViaVerde and Wartsila. Supporters include: Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). Official Carrier is TAP Air Portugal; The Media Sponsor is: BBC World News; Official Hotel is Olissipo Hotels; Mercy Ships is the Seatrade Cruise Med Chosen Charity; Sustainability Partner is EPAL. According to Clarksons Research the number of vessels either fitted or with scrubbers on order has reached 1,262 vessels, some 3.9% of the fleet existing fleet in tonnage terms, and 27.3% of the newbuilding orderbook. This compares to 983 vessels as reported by Exhaust Gas Cleaning System Association at the end of May this year. Read more: Scrubbers ordered or fitted for close to 1,000 vessels: EGCSA There has been particularly strong uptake in the ro-ro freight and VLCC sectors with newbuildings ordered with scrubbers accounting for 73% and 59% of the orderbook respectively. By fitting scrubbers owners will be able to continue using cheaper high sulphur heavy fuel oil rather than switching to more expensive 0.5% or less low sulphur fuels from 1 January 2020. A strong proponent of fitting scrubbers has been tanker owner Navig8 Asia, and speaking at Marine Money Asia on Tuesday, managing director Andrew Hoare, and he said not only could they say scrubbers worked they exceed performance from their perspective so far. We recognised that the IMO sulphur regulations are the most disruptive event our industry for over 20 years You can see clearly to date the price differentials and there are going to be opportunities, but there will also be a huge number of disruptions around the supply chain, he stated. However, despite positive experience if owners such as Navig8 Asia and the surge in scrubber orders, challenges remain around the option of choosing exhaust gas cleaning to comply with the 0.5% sulphur cap from 1 January 2020 not least the availability in terms of manufacturing of the equipment and shipyard capacity for installation. Read more: Scrubbers shown a little bit of love for large sized vessels Even if all decide to go for scrubbers its impossible, Sadan Kaptanoglu, president designate of Bimco and director of HI Kaptanoglu Shipping told the conference. Scrubbers also come with their own operational challenges, even if the business economics make sense in terms of potential cost savings on fuel post 2020 on the price spread between high sulphur fuel oil and low sulphur for some vessels. Leading shipowner, Andreas Sohmen-Pao, chairman of BW Group said: On scrubbers specifically its horses for courses. It depends on what size of ship you have, what the payback is, what assumptions you have on the long term price differential, whether you have capital to invest, and a whole host of factors. So I dont believe there is a single right or wrong answer. Nicolas Parrot, head of transportation sector investment banking APAC for BNP Paribas noted that it was very easy to look at a spreadsheet and make a decision, but there was also the factor of operations on the ship. This was echoed by Tim Wilkins, regional manager Asia Pacific and environment director, for Intertanko who said that what their members had been having was a commercial versus technical discussion. On the operational side Mario Moretti, senior director marine & energy for RINA, highlighted that it was a highly corrosive environment and was not an easy solution. Read more: Owners warned of operational and regulatory challenges with scrubbers Ang Chin Eng, secretary general of the Asian Shipowners Association commented, At the end of the day its business decision whether to invest in scrubbers, low sulphur fuel or LNG. Parrot from BNP Paribas said for scrubber retrofits financing was a real challenge as it really possible to have a mortgage on a scrubber so innovative financing methods were required. Published in three languages (Catalan, Spanish and English), PierNext (piernext.portdebarcelona.cat) aims to position itself as a platform for analysis and reflection on innovation, with a special focus on the port and maritime sector. Port of Barcelona president Merce Conesa and the port's Strategic Projects and Innovation chief Carles Rua unveiled the platform, which aims to stimulate global debate on the future of international trade, logistics and ports. As a digital hub providing information on the technological and digital transformation of the port sector, PierNext aims to energise the innovative ecosystem that has been generated in the Port of Barcelona in recent years through initiatives driven by the port itself and by operators and private companies. Hutchison Ports BEST terminal was the groups first semi-automated terminal and the most technologically advanced port development project in Spain. The mega boxship-capable terminal has an eight-track railway facility, which provides good connectivity to Southern Europe. Read More: Hutchison Ports launches new intermodal brand for Spain, Southern Europe Innovation and the digital revolution that is transforming our sector will be one of the axes defining the strategy of the Port of Barcelona in the years to come, said Conesa. Through PierNext, the Port of Barcelona aims to enrich Barcelona's innovation cluster with its specialised view of the port and logistics sector, which we consider to be full of opportunities and potentialities, mainly for startups and SMEs, she added. Barcelona is the fourth European city in terms of capital investment in start-ups (58% of all money invested in Spain) and ranks third among entrepreneurs looking to found a start-up. From the Port of Barcelona we want to add and to contribute to this. We aim to explain how the great digital revolution in our sector is happening, but we also want to show all the possibilities that this transformation can offer, both in terms of attracting investment and talent, said Conesa. PierNext contains seven sections, which correspond to the six main elements of the smart port model (logistics, mobility, economy, environment, people and governance) and one more (technology), which we have added because of its cross-cutting nature and to highlight innovations with a significant technological or digital component said Rua. The hub will be updated with weekly content presented in the form of reports, accompanied by videos, infographics and other graphical resources, and will also include contributions from international experts. PierNext is part of the Digital Port project, launched last year to promote the digitisation of the port environment and which has defined 54 priority initiatives currently in varying phases of execution. Within this process, we are creating applications, products and services to make us more efficient and competitive, both at the Port of Barcelona - as an organisation - and for the operators and customers of the Port Community, said Conesa. Ann Arbor-area entrepreneurs and tech industry insiders are still buzzing about the larger implications of Ann Arbor-based cybersecurity company Duo Security's early August sale to San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco for $2.35 billion. Duo, founded in 2010 by Dug Song and Jon Oberheide, is known for its two-factor authentication app that allows companies to control access by trusted parties to corporate applications and resources. Duo is also known for being the first and only "unicorn" in Michigan, a privately-owned company valued at over $1 billion. Most local tech companies and entrepreneurial organizations see the deal as wholly positive, with any downsides being quite small. For instance, Duo has had a longtime commitment to keeping its headquarters in Ann Arbor. With Song staying on as general manager of Duo after the buyout, most industry insiders don't think Cisco will move jobs out of the area. "Dug and Jon are very committed to the community, so I think it would be a surprise to even them if the local campus were relocated," says Joe Malcoun, cofounder of Ann Arbor's Cahoots coworking space and CEO of online sales software firm Nutshell. "They also amassed an incredibly talented team, and I have to imagine their ability to do so was immensely attractive to Cisco." It's also possible that Ann Arbor's affordable office space problem could intensify as the Duo deal brings more investors and entrepreneurs to the region, but most local tech industry insiders aren't concerned. "If we have such explosive growth that our biggest problem is having trouble finding office space, most people are willing to accept that for the price of prosperity," says Stewart Thornhill, executive director of the University of Michigan Zell Lurie Institute. Most local movers and shakers think the deal is good for the region for a variety of reasons, ranging from national recognition of the Midwest's viability in the tech sphere to the prospect that money earned in the deal will likely be invested back into the local tech economy. Proving the doubters wrong Emily Heintz, managing director and founder of EntryPoint, an Ann Arbor-based company that promotes entrepreneurship in southeast Michigan, met with Song and a group of venture capitalists shortly after the deal was announced. Song told the group that when he was fundraising for Duo in 2010, venture capitalists told him and Oberheide they couldn't successfully grow a tech company in Ann Arbor or anywhere else in the Midwest. "I think that they have successfully proved those early doubters wrong," Heintz says. Well before the Cisco deal, the largest of its kind in Michigan's history, Duo raised $70 million in its Series D funding round in late 2017, the largest round of venture capital raised by any Michigan company ever. "Duos acquisition is a powerful sign for Ann Arbor," says Jason Mars, CEO and cofounder of Clinc, an Ann Arbor-based company that developed a mobile, voice-activated, artificial intelligence platform. "The multi-billion-dollar deal signifies the health of our startup community and truly solidifies Ann Arbor as a global innovation hub. Duos acquisition mirrors a Silicon Valley story and puts Ann Arbor on the watch list of the top venture firms in the world. It is great to have visibility on this national scale." Thornhill says he thinks the most important aspect of the Duo-Cisco deal may be the role model it provides to other entrepreneurs. The deal proves the value of committing to build a company in Ann Arbor and investing in that community rather than fleeing to the coasts where startup capital is more readily available. "Any time there is a strong example set, like by this company, where local investors stuck with (them) and made this possible, that will provide a role model for other entrepreneurs that they don't have to move to Boston, Austin, or Silicon Valley to grow a company," Thornhill says. "They can do it here and take advantage of the lifestyle of a college town with smart, young graduates to work for you and a lower cost of living." A virtuous cycle Local businessmen and investors made money from the Duo-Cisco deal, and local business and tech industry leaders are excited about the potential for that money to be reinvested in new Ann Arbor-area startups, creating the opposite of a "vicious cycle." "Another way to look at the deal is from the economic multiplier point of view," Thornhill says. "All of us in the community are hopeful that will translate into more investments in more companies, and that will become a 'virtuous cycle,' with more cash invested back into the ecosystem. Sometimes one big success story can make a huge difference and get the flywheel moving." Malcoun says Song and Oberheide made their commitment to the region clear from the start. "They've always talked about new investment capital and new companies spinning out of Duo as inevitable," says Malcoun. "As a local investor and operator, this is what is most exciting to me. I can't wait to have new co-investors in deals, particularly ones who have operating experience. And I can't wait to see companies take shape because the founders have some financial security to start something new." Heintz says Ann Arbor already has the pillars of a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem: talent, community, capital, and research. She says she hopes the deal will "jumpstart" even more activity as Duo employees use their success to mentor and work with other companies to achieve similar results. Heintz says Song, Oberheide, and the rest of their team are all "strong supporters of the entrepreneurial ecosystem across Michigan." "It's a great thing to have that local talent that's so dedicated to the region being the feet on the street helping the entrepreneurial community grow," Heintz says. "I think we'll see a lot of impact on the entire community far outside Duo's success." Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com. All photos by Doug Coombe Press Release September 18, 2018 De Lima alarmed over Chinese-funded mining project in Zambales Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed grave concern over the suspicious construction of a P200-M worth Ferro-Nickel Plant nickel mining project in Candelaria, Zambales which would heavily be funded by Chinese investors. De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the government should carefully assess the environmental, social and economic impact of yet another mining project with China. "The indiscriminate mining operations in Zambales continue to wreak environmental havoc. Our mountains are stripped of top soil and our river waters are turning all red due to heavy mud," she said. "But what's worse, the government, particularly Mr. Duterte, is obviously willing to allow unscrupulous Chinese contractors rape our environment at the detriment of our natural resources as well as the livelihood of our local residents," she added. News reports showed that Fujian Hengrun Investment Co., Ltd of China and Filipino firms Westchinamin Corp. and Easternreach Mining Group, Inc. have agreed to put up Ferro-Nickel Plant in Candelaria, Zambales. The deal was reportedly sealed recently despite strong opposition of the residents of Zambales calling for an immediate halt to the indiscriminate mining operations in their province which continue to destroy their communities and affect their health. Although in detention, De Lima was shown some actual photographs of how the river in Zambales had alarmingly turned red due to the risky mining business. In October 2017, residents of Candelaria and Santa Cruz, Zambales pressed the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to support the cancellation of permits of the four mining firms by then Environment Secretary Gina Lopez because these companies mined the watershed and rendered their fishing grounds and farm lands unproductive. The mining companies cited include Benguet Nickel Mines Inc., Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. and Eramen Minerals Inc. The Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) expressed dismay over a 2018 Court of Appeals decision rejecting the appeal of local residents of Sta. Cruz, Zambales and Infanta, Pangasinan for the issuance of a Writ of Kalikasan with Permanent Environmental Protection Order against all mining operations in the northern part of the province. De Lima said there is a need to scrutinize all government dealings with regards to mining operations, especially the construction of a Ferro-Nickel Plant in Zambales, to be fully aware of their effect to the residents and impact to the generations to come. "The government has the obligation to protect the environment and at the same time ensure the wellbeing of the people. Abandoning the people by disregarding their safety and needs is an outright dereliction of one's duty," she said. The Senator from Bicol assured local residents from Candelaria, Zambales that she will "do anything in my capacity--even from detention--to help stop destructive mining operations in the province." According to one of the local residents in Zambales, there should be concerted efforts from the government leaders and residents to protect the environment and to enhance their livelihood. "Papayag ba tayo na mawawasak ang ating kapaligiran at batayang hanapbuhay? Panahon na para irehistro muli natin ang ating pagtutol sa pagwasak sa kinabukasan ng susunod na henerasyon," he said. De Lima, who remains detained on trumped-up drug charges, said the mining companies and local officials responsible for the destruction of the environment and people's livelihood in Zambales should not go scot-free and should be held accountable for their action. Based on records from ATM, destructive nickel mining operations in Zambales have resulted in farmers' and fisherfolk's loss of an estimated P250 million worth of livelihood annually in Santa Cruz Zambales alone. Last July, De Lima has filed Senate Resolution 778 which seeks a Senate inquiry into the apparent gaps in the country's environmental laws that compound the prevalence of human rights abuses in communities where there are large-scale mining. She said the proposed Senate investigation in aid of legislation should take an in-depth evaluation of the continuing negative impact of mining operations on the environment and human rights of local communities In August 2016, De Lima also filed Senate Bill 960 which seeks to ban black sand mining, which she described as "one form of environmental plunder" resulting to damage on the environment and livelihood of people in the surrounding areas due to floods and landslides. The New Zealand dollar fell against its trans-Tasman counterpart as investors were buoyed by more moderate tariffs in the US-China trade stoush. The kiwi declined to 91.22 Australian cents from 91.56 cents yesterday. It edged down to 65.84 US cents from 65.90 cents yesterday. The Australian dollar was the best-performing G10 currency overnight, recently up 0.5 percent to 72.18 US cents, as investors took heart from the US and China imposing smaller tariffs than initially feared. The US introduced a 10 percent tariff on US$200 billion of Chinese imports and China's responded by slapping 5-10 percent tariffs on US$60 billion of American goods. Australia's bigger export exposure to China typically means its currency reacts to events there more sharply than the kiwi. "Markets seem to be taking some solace that the recent tariff announcements could have been even worse, with this cross easing overnight," ANZ Bank New Zealand economists Liz Kendall and Philip Borkin said, referring the kiwi/Aussie crossrate. "Economically, we think this cross should continue to fall, but it would take a brave person to say the trade spat is over yet." Dairy prices fell 1.3 percent at the latest Global Dairy Trade auction, with whole milk powder prices down 1.8 percent to US$2,768 a tonne. A decline was expected. Traders will watch June quarter balance of payments due today. It is expected to show the annual current account deficit widened to 2.9 percent of gross domestic product from 2.8 percent in the first quarter. The Westpac-McDermott Miller consumer confidence will also attract attention. The kiwi fell to 4.5160 Chinese yuan from 4.5207 yuan yesterday and increased to 73.94 yen from 73.79 yen. It was unchanged at 50.09 British pence and traded at 56.42 euro cents from 56.36 cents yesterday. The trade-weighted index was little changed at 71.48 from 71.57. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. 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Related News: 10th November 2021 Morning Report Auckland International Airport Limited (NZX: AIA) Revises the Indicative Margin for Retail Bond Offer Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZX: VHP) Unit Purchase Plan Closes Oversubscribed Greenfern Industries Limited (NZX: GFI) Greenfern has commenced distributing GMP medications in Aus Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Reminder of Retail Entitlement Offer Closing Date Kathmandu Holdings Limited (NZX: KMD) Trading Update and Investor Day Presentation 9th November 2021 Morning Report EROAD Limited (NZX: ERD) Receives Overseas Investment Office Consent Informed Investor weekly market outlook 8th November 2021 Morning Report Government Statistician Liz MacPherson came out swinging at the suggestion that anyone - even the Prime Minister - is given a sneak preview into data such as quarterly gross domestic product reports. "There are 'absolutely not' any hints to anyone, including the Prime Minister, before the release of economic growth figures from Stats NZ," she said. "Stats NZ has strict embargo rules about tier-one statistics such as gross domestic product. These figures are market sensitive and are never given to anyone in advance of the release day." There is a short formal briefing for relevant government ministers in the hour before the release time of 10.45am on the day, but that is under strict embargo lock-up conditions, MacPherson said. "Even then ministers are not allowed to communicate the information to anyone else before 10.45am." The same is true for other so-called tier-one data including the balance of payments and international investment position, consumers price index, and labour market statistics. Earlier the kiwi dollar gained after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern mistakenly said she was "pretty pleased" with gross domestic product growth having received a "hint" ahead of Thursday's official release of the second-quarter economic data. Her comments were then downplayed by her chief press secretary who said she was referring to the government's June year financial statements and had "made a mistake." The data, due Thursday, is under particular scrutiny after the central bank last month kept the official cash rate at 1.75 percent and pushed out the timing of the first rate hike citing weak growth as a concern. Governor Adrian Orr reiterated that the direction of our next OCR move could be up or down. Economists expect the data to show GDP expanded 0.8 percent from the first quarter and 2.5 percent from a year ago, according to a Bloomberg poll of 16. The central bank is tipping growth of 0.5 percent. The kiwi has since dipped to 65.61 US cents versus 65.84 cents after Ardern's comments. However, it is largely weighed after the Office of the US Trade Representative released a list of approximately US$200 billion worth of Chinese imports that will be subject to additional tariffs. The additional tariffs will be effective starting Sept. 24 and initially will be set at 10 percent. They will rise to 25 percent from Jan. 1. "The real damage is being done by the tariffs," in particular the step up to 25 percent, said Tim Kelleher, head of institutional foreign exchange sales at ASB Bank. Investors are now waiting to see how China responds, he said. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 10th November 2021 Morning Report Auckland International Airport Limited (NZX: AIA) Revises the Indicative Margin for Retail Bond Offer Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZX: VHP) Unit Purchase Plan Closes Oversubscribed Greenfern Industries Limited (NZX: GFI) Greenfern has commenced distributing GMP medications in Aus Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Reminder of Retail Entitlement Offer Closing Date Kathmandu Holdings Limited (NZX: KMD) Trading Update and Investor Day Presentation 9th November 2021 Morning Report EROAD Limited (NZX: ERD) Receives Overseas Investment Office Consent Informed Investor weekly market outlook 8th November 2021 Morning Report Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday batted for blending subsidy with investments to make agriculture a sustainable and self-sufficient sector. The Finance Minister was at an event in the National Capital to release a book titled 'Supporting Indian Farms the Smart Way'. "There is lot of formalisation of economy taking place in several other sectors... We can see visible results, and it is leading to additional resources in the hands of the government. I don't think this process will now be reversed," he said. As India moves into the situation where governments have more resources, the ability to spend on sectors, which needs maximum support, will obviously rise, he added. "As resources grow, the capital and development expenditure will increase. Hopefully, the resource crunch to spend in these areas will not be there. This has encouraged us...the government year after year has taken conditional steps in order to make investments in agriculture in terms of subsidy support, price support, crop insurance support or the interest subvention support. "I do see a point on blending the subsidy support with the investment because, to have a model which sustains indefinitely only on subsidy will not be a sustainable model. Investments will make farm sector self-sufficient on ground. With much lesser subsidies a self-sufficient farmer may be able to serve the cause of Indian agriculture much better," he said. "We have now acquired position when we are growing much faster than the rest of the world and hopefully there are various avenues of further generating this growth. There are regions in the country that have not grown well in the past therefore there is lot of potential for growth," he said. Observing that public discourse occasionally gets impacted by populism, he said, good politics has to be blended with sound and rational policy. Chiyaan Vikram has acted in an advertisement titled Third Eye, issued in public interest to create awareness on installing CCTV in residences and shops. The awareness video idea was initiated by the Greater Chennai Police Department. Speaking at the launch event, Vikram said: It has now become mandatory to install CCTV in our respective places because it will reduce the crime rate. I believe that Chennai will soon become a safe place for women like Singapore. On the film front, Vikrams most anticipated commercial action entertainer Saamy Square in which he plays a cop is slated to release on September 20. The actor has almost finished shooting for Gautham Vasudev Menons spy thriller Dhruva Natchathiram and he also kick-started his new film with Thoongaa Vanam director Rajesh M Selva. STR- Sundar C's new film is expected to start in Georgia. Director Sundar and his team are currently on location hunting in and around Georgia ...Produced by Lyca Productions, the yet-untitled film is the remake of Pawan Kalyans Telugu blockbuster film Attarintiki Daredi. Megha Akash of Enai Nokki Paayum Thota fame reprises Samanthas role in the remake and only the intro fight sequence of STR will be shot soon in Georgia schedule. Apart from the intro fight, major portions of the untitled film will be only happening in Chennai and for the duet numbers, the team will again leave to foreign locales. Sources say that Sundar C is planning to wrap up the entire shoot in three months and the film is likely to be released for Summer holidays. "The United States anticipates up to 310,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Fiscal 2019. We propose resettling up to 30,000 refugees under the new ceiling," the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State department. The Trump administration has decided to take only 30,000 refugees next year in the country, slashing the intake from 45,000 in 2018. The US also anticipate processing applications of "more than 280,000 asylum seekers," he said. They will join over 800,000 asylum seekers who are already inside the US and are awaiting adjudication of their claims, he said, asserting that these figures testify to America's "longstanding record of the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance." Wary that the decision to cap refugees intake may face criticism, Pompeo said the ceiling on the refugees number should not be viewed in isolation from other expansive humanitarian programs. "Some will characterise the refugee ceiling as the sole barometer of America's commitment to vulnerable people around the world. This would be wrong," he said. "Other countries, when noting their humanitarian protection efforts, highlight their assistance to both refugees and asylees. The United States should do the same," he said. This year's refugee ceiling reflects the substantial increase in the number of individuals seeking asylum in US, leading to a massive backlog of outstanding asylum cases and greater public expense. US-China trade war enters new phase Washington, Sept 17 (AFP) Sep 17, 2018 President Donald Trump on Monday effectively broadsided one of the world's largest trade relationships, announcing plans to proceed with tariffs on another $200 billion in US imports of Chinese goods. Taken with the $50 billion in tariffs already in place, this means roughly half of everything Americans buy from China -- their largest source for imports -- is now subject to punitive import duties. Whole industrial sectors stand to feel the effects, including agriculture, manufacturing, textiles and retail. Meanwhile, China, which is America's third-largest export market, has vowed to counter-attack with plans to slap tariffs on another $60 billion in US exports, meaning about 80 percent of US exports to China would be subject to retaliation. Here is a rundown of some of the products in question. - Half of Chinese exports - The Trump administration says its aggressive stance is to pressure Beijing to change policies that allow for the theft of US technology and undercut American producers. Trump started out in July and August with a more modest $50 billion round of tariffs targeting aircraft parts, computer hard drives, machinery and appliances, optical and surgical equipment as well as autos -- goods Washington said had benefited from unfair trade practices. But Monday's announcement moves things up by an order of magnitude. According to a preliminary list released in July, the administration is now targeting $8.4 billion in plastics, $64.8 billion in electrical machinery, $55.1 billion in appliances and $25.8 billion in furniture as well as broad ranges of seafood and meat. Other items that have been on the US target list since the summer include milking machines for dairy cows, incubators for baby chicks, flight data recorders, x-ray tubes, bulldozers and arc lamps as well as motorcycles and mopeds. - China hits back - Chinese imports from the United States grew by nearly 500 percent over the past five years, such that as of 2017 Chinese buyers accounted for almost one in every five dollars in US export revenue. Beijing has since accused the United States of starting the "largest trade war in economic history." In retaliating, China in July announced tariffs on American agricultural goods and autos. Also in Beijing's crosshairs are exports like hybrid electric and off-road vehicles, coal, dump trucks, asphalt, MRI machines and motorcycles, among other items. Harley-Davidson will have to bump up the Chinese price of its iconic motorbikes at least 20 percent, a store representative in Beijing said. That adds to the American beef, pork, many types of fish, and dozens of fruits and nuts that were taxed in July. The most painful perhaps is the tariff on US soybeans, which chokes off a key export market for American farmers, who shipped $14 billion of the beans to China last year. If China then slaps tariffs on another $60 billion in US goods, this will bring total US exports subject to Beijing's retaliation to $110 billion, at 2017 sales levels. - Where Washington pulled its punches - With 50 days to go before crucial mid-term elections and many in Trump's own Republican party are queasy about Trump's trade wars, which have drawn loud objections from senior figures within the party. American officials said Monday they were conscious of the need for American businesses to find alternate suppliers before the tariffs hit. "If the tariffs go to 25 percent at the beginning of the year, you will have had almost six months to get your business ready for that," a senior administration official told reporters on Monday. In a further attempt to cushion the blow, Washington canceled plans to put tariffs on about 300 product categories, including hot consumer items like smart watches and Bluetooth-enabled devices, chemicals for manufacturing, agriculture and textiles, as well as bicycle helmets, and children's high chairs, car seats and play pens. Page Content Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, the Honourable Wycliffe Smith visited the Sister Regina Primary School on Monday to personally apologise to the Principal, Samantha Beaton and staff for the error made in his presentation to Parliament last Friday. This visit followed the Ministers discussion with the Chairperson of the Catholic School Board and telephone call to the Principal of Sr. Regina Primary where Mr. Smith apologised directly for his mistake. Mr. Smith said, I accept the responsibility for this error. It was a misplacement of the information received from the Catholic School Board, and it was my mistake to attribute the entire number from across all the schools under that foundation to only one school. It was quite unfortunate, but definitely not meant to misrepresent the management and staff of the Sr. Regina Primary School. On Friday September 14, 2018, Minister Smith updated Parliament regarding the status of the Education Sector post Hurricane Irma. In his presentation the Minister highlighted the status of educational infrastructure, the current status of the teacher shortage, as well as steps taken by the Sector to prepare for the current hurricane season. In error, the Ministers presentation included incorrect information related to the SKOS school board. Whereas the information presented in Parliament highlighted one school as having 11 non-qualified teachers and several others requiring exemptions for seven teachers, the presentation should have indicated that the SKOS school board had a total of eleven non-qualified teachers teaching across its six schools. Seven of these teachers require dispensation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. The Minister regrets the error in the reporting of the statistical information, and apologizes to the SKOS school board, the Parliament and the wider community, as it misrepresented the actual situation regarding the qualifications of the School Boards staff. Rather, the Minister applauds SKOS for the initiative taken, in working with the Ministry, in seeking short-term creative solutions to secure the continuity of quality education for its primary and secondary students. One year after the passing of Hurricane Irma, the Minister reported that all schools are operational with the exception of the Sister Marie Laurence School and the St. Maarten Academy Academic section. Both displaced schools are currently being housed at other locations awaiting the commencement or finalization of rebuilding efforts. The majority of subsidized schools have undergone significant repairs and are expected to be fully operational by January 2019, however there are several schools like the Milton Peters College which require more structural long-term interventions. The process of finalizing the repairs of the Public Schools are at varying stages, with the tendering process for repairs, which are to be finalized in the 2019-2020 academic year, currently ongoing. As it relates to the teacher shortage, the Minister also presented additional details regarding the current status of teaching personnel within the islands Public and Subsidized Schools. The total number of vacancies for the islands schools have decreased from almost 50 in July to a total of twenty seven vacancies within the Subsidized Schools and the Division Public Education. The SVOBE school board is currently in need of seven teachers including for the subjects Music, Dutch, Science and Geography. The FAVE school board is currently in need of two teachers for the subjects French and Integrated Science. The MAC school board is need of four teachers, one English teacher, one Visual Arts teacher and two Physical Education teacher. CBA school board is need of one Spanish teacher. NIPA is in need of a total of two teachers, one Maritime teacher and one Electrical teacher. The Division Public Education is in need of four Dutch teachers for its primary schools and four subject teachers for Automotive, English, Computer Repairs and Plumbing instruction and two technical assistants for Home Economics and IT for the St. Maarten Vocational Training School. The SDA, SPCOBE and SKOS school boards no longer have vacancies. Apart from these teaching vacancies there is also a need for 10 teacher assistants within the Public Schools. The Minister also highlighted in his presentation that school boards have signalled the risk of burn-out of their teachers, and in some cases increased sick leave, as many continue to work under less than ideal working conditions. Some with leaking roofs, some sharing facilities with other schools such that even staff rooms, and other recreational rooms are now being used for instruction, and yet others are working shifts to support continuity of instruction as facilities are awaiting repair. In terms of the preparations that are being made to enhance Safety and Emergency preparedness and response across all of the islands schools, the Minister reported that significant steps have been made and that all schools have developed or are in the process of developing their individual emergency and response plans. Multi-disciplinary teams consisting of the Fire Department, Police, Red Cross, Division of Inspection-OCJS and the Student Support Services Division are expected to review these plans with the schools and to support the development of final drafts. PHOTO CAPTION: Minister Wycliffe Smith with Samantha Beaton, Principal of the Sr. Regina Primary (left), Dr. Marlon Halley (2nd right) Chairman of the SKOS Board, and Jacqueline Green (right), Superintendent of the English Schools SKOS System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd9628580)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96ae740)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd9628580)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96ae740)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd961ffa8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96ae740)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96ae740)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd8cb8590)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd96c0ae8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd96c0ae8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd9588d48)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd95d9bb0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd9588d48)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd95d9bb0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd9585990)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd95d9bb0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd95d9bb0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd8cb94e8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd94a7970)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd94a7970)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd95121a8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96b7e88)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd95121a8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96b7e88)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd963abd8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96b7e88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd96b7e88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd8cb9130)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd9613590)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd9613590)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Just steps from Mt. Lookout Square is one of Cincinnatis most beloved Thai restaurants: Ruthais Thai Kitchen. Opened in 2001 by two Thailand natives, Ruthais serves authentic food in a small, cozy family atmosphere. And, for these small business owners, food and family have always been a big part of the story. From Thailand to Cincinnati Ruthais owner, Tim Tang, comes from a big family that has spread itself all around the globe. His fathers family (of twelve kids) is Chinese born and raised in Thailand, but many now live in the UK where they went to college. His mother was one of twelve kids as well, and was the only one who stayed in Thailand. The rest moved around the world, living in places like Australia and France. When Tang was young, with some of his aunts and uncles and cousins now in the US, his maternal grandparents chose Lexington, Kentucky, to settle down. He was just a teenager when he moved from Thailand to live with them. Everyone else was kind of doing their own thing, Tang says, so I was the one to come here to go to school and take care of them, you know, [do things like] mow the lawn for my grandparents. Like many in his family, Tang moved to the US to attended college. He studied at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and then, unlike his brothers who made their way back to Thailand, he came to Cincinnati for work. Tang met his wife, Ruthai Sanphasiri, here in Cincinnati when they worked together in a restaurant downtown. Sanphasiri is a Thailand native as well. She moved to the US with her aunt who had a Thai restaurant and grocery store. At their restaurant, while Tang works the front end, Sanphasiri is the lead cook. She makes sure things run smoothly in the back, he says. During the lunch shift, Tang serves tables and sometimes steps in to prep sushi. Thats the life of a restaurant owner, he says, and its something hes used to at this point. Opening a restaurant was not always his aim, but the restaurant industry is in Tangs blood. In Thailand, his mother worked for Thai Airlines but she also had a restaurant on the side. I have always been around the restaurant business. When I was younger, I would help out to eat the free food, he jokes. [My family] would work in the restaurant almost every day. Youd start with washing dishes, work your way up to busboy, then wait tables. Maybe one day youd cook. Almost twenty years ago, in Cincinnati, Tang was working in hotel management and part time in a restaurant. Though he and his wife had eaten at a few of the local restaurants, they didnt know the Mt. Lookout area very well. But they were living in Hyde Park and they spotted the storefront as they drove by one day. It had been an Empress Chili and then a deli; the adjacent, connected storefront was a wine cellar. In 2001, Ruthais Thai Kitchen and the Tang family moved in. A true Thai-flavored family business Ruthais Thai Kitchen occupies the lower level of a two-story commercial building. Except for the sign, the exterior of the restaurant is somewhat nondescript but the interior is scattered with Thai and Buddhist decor. (Some have been blessed by a Buddhist monk.) Tucked up in one corner, behind the register, stands a statue of the Thai goddess of wealth. Related to the more popular Japanese lucky cat or money cat, the goddess is said to bring wealth and prosperity. She waves her right hand to bring in the customers. The lunch crowd at Ruthais is mostly people who live or work in Mt. Lookout Square. The evening crowd has a lot of neighbors, especially the many young professionals who are moving into the Mt. Lookout/Hyde Park area. Tang has also noticed more and more Asian Americans and Asian students from UC or Xavier stopping in to dine, which is a good sign. If you can attract more Asians, you must be doing something right, he says. They know how its supposed to taste. The Mt. Lookout roll is a popular menu item. The menu at Ruthais is what customers would expect at a Thai restaurant in the US. Tangs favorite dish is the Spicy Thai Curry, but the R & T (meat and vegetables with a curry peanut sauce) or Pad Thai are probably the most popular menu items. (The dishes have simple, descriptive, customer-friendly names.) Customers also come in for sushi, choosing from both traditional offerings and specialty items like the UK Roll or the Mt. Lookout Roll, named in homage to Tang family history. Tang says the food is authentic Thai at least its as authentic as is possible in the States. Here, Thai chefs are limited to whatever available and affordable spices and produce they can buy. For example, Thai recipes in the US may be served with broccoli whereas, in Thailand, there would be more vegetables like collard greens. Also, Tang says, some dishes in Thailand would have a little different flavor and less variable spice levels. (For example, one would not walk into a restaurant in Thailand and order a 4 out of 10.). Curry always seems very spicy in Thailand, he says. And Pad Thai is cooked with less flavor in Thailand because everyone adds their own seasoning at the table. In addition to standard tables and seating at the sushi bar, one wall of the restaurant is lined with pillows on the floor. Tang says that not every Thai home has this traditional floor seating. He explains how it harkens to an informal Thai tradition of gathering with family or friends after meals, particularly when the group is too large to sit together at the table. Sometimes we like to sit on the ground, with a mat and some cushions, to get everyone together because we have such a big crowd, such a big family, he says. With all the relatives, its fun to sit on the floor. Today, Ruthais has irregular hours, in response to fluctuations in business. It makes no sense, Tang says, to be open when no one is coming in to eat. Now, during those afternoon hours between the lunch and dinner shifts, Tang has the freedom to pick up his two young kids from school and spend time with them before heading back to work. Except for their own children, Tang and Sanphasiris families are still spread far and wide across the world. But Ruthais Thai Kitchen has formed a family of its own over its 17 years in business. Tang is now watching his first regular customers leave town for college or new careers and his children are growing up alongside current regulars, just like he and his wife both did when they were kids. Plan your visit Ruthais Thai Kitchen is located at 3162 Linwood Avenue in Mt. Lookout. It is closed on Monday and open irregular hours throughout the week (they are posted here). Alcohol is BYOB with no corking fee. There is metered street parking on Linwood Avenue. Go Metro with routes 24 and 25x. Syria air defences intercept missiles targeting Latakia: state media Damascus, Sept 17 (AFP) Sep 17, 2018 Syrian air defences on Monday intercepted missiles targeting the northwestern city of Latakia, state media said quoting a military source. "Our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," the source said. That came shortly after the official SANA news agency reported "aggression on Latakia targeting a technical industries institute", without providing further information. Syrian state television broadcast scenes that showed a dark night sky lit up by a flashes of light lasting several minutes. Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that "violent explosions were caused by missiles targeting ammunition depots in the technical industries institute". He said the site on the eastern outskirts of Latakia belonged to government forces, but added it was unclear whether the depots were being used by regime troops or those of key ally Iran. The Syrian government regularly accuses Israel of targeting its military positions. On Saturday an Israeli missile attack targeted Syria's capital airport, SANA said, activating air defences which shot down a number of the projectiles. Syrian state media on September 4 said its air defences had downed several Israeli missiles in the coastal province of Tartus and in central Hama. This month, Israel acknowledged having carried out more than 200 strikes in war-ravaged Syria over the past 18 months, mainly against Iranian targets. It has also admitted to striking Syria to prevent what it says are deliveries of advanced weaponry to Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, which fights alongside Syrian troops and is an arch-foe of Israel. Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 and has since killed more than 360,000 people, with millions more displaced internally and to neighbouring countries. Moon flies to Pyongyang for third inter-Korean summit Seoul, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 South Korean President Moon Jae-in left for Pyongyang Tuesday for his third summit with Kim Jong Un as he seeks to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States. His plane took off from the military's Seoul Air Base for the 80-minute flight to the North Korean capital, live TV footage showed. He and his wife Kim Jung-sook were seen walking up the stairs, smiling and waving to well-wishers before boarding the plane. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the 1950-53 Korean War -- will make a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The rare visit comes amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula that has seen Moon and Kim exchange brotherly hugs and warm smiles at their first meeting in April at the Demilitarised Zone dividing the peninsula. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history." Moon, who met Kim again in May, was instrumental in brokering the historic summit the following month between US President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, when Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation," while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by telephone with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Sunday and Monday about the upcoming summit, a State Department statement said. The pair "vowed to maintain close coordination on continuing DPRK denuclearisation efforts and inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation," it said, stressing "the importance to maintain pressure until we achieve the shared goal of final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK." The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the North's leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament. "We will push for North Korea's advanced denuclearisation and a reciprocal measure from the US by swiftly reviving sincere dialogue aimed at establishing new, peaceful relations," Moon's chief of staff Im Jong-seok said. Moon will be accompanied by several business tycoons -- including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor -- and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. He has been pushing inter-Korean economic cooperation but several South Korean newspapers urged caution Monday, with the Korea Herald calling the businessmen's presence on the trip "untimely." "It is better to postpone economic projects involving the North until after negotiations to remove its nuclear program make substantial progress," it said in an editorial. And investment in the North was "fraught with risks and uncertainty," it added. But Moon's office said the inclusion of the businessmen was "not special," given the heads of major conglomerates had been in Pyongyang for the previous inter-Korean summits in the city. Other issues on Moon's agenda include improving inter-Korean ties and easing military tensions on the peninsula. Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip. Russia says military jet with 14 servicemen aboard vanishes from radar off Syria Moscow, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 A Russian military jet carrying 14 servicemen vanished from radar over the Mediterranean Sea late Monday as Syria came under attack by Israeli missiles, the defence ministry said. "Connection has been lost with the crew of a Russian Il-20 plane over the Mediterranean Sea 35 kilometres from the Syrian coast as it was returning to the Hmeimim airbase," the Russian defence ministry said early Tuesday. The fate of the military personnel is "unknown," the ministry said in a statement which was carried by Russian news agencies. A search for the plane was underway. The ministry said that the jet had gone off the radar around 11pm Monday (2000 GMT) during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets over Syrian infrastructure in the province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. RIA Novosti news agency, citing a security source, said that Syrian anti-defence systems had countered a rocket attack. Two killed in missile strike on Syria's Latakia: monitor Beirut, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 A missile strike on a military target in the coastal Syrian region of Latakia killed at least two people, a war monitor said Tuesday. The strike, carried out on Monday, targeted ammunition depots on the site of the technical industries institute and killed two fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Russian defence ministry said four Israeli F-16 jets had hit infrastructure in Latakia province, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. Moon landing: S. Korean leader and North's Kim begin summit Seoul, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 South Korea's president and the North's leader Kim Jong Un drove together through the streets of Pyongyang Tuesday past thousands of cheering citizens before opening a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between his hosts and the United States. Kim and Moon embraced at Pyongyang's international airport -- where the North Korean leader had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people waved North Korean flags and another depicting an undivided peninsula -- while the South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands of residents, holding bouquets and chanting in unison "Reunification of the country!", lined the streets as Kim and Moon rode through the city in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kim's predecessors -- his father and grandfather -- lie in state. The nuclear-armed North invaded its neighbour in 1950, starting the Korean War, and regularly stresses the importance of reunifying with the now far wealthier South. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the three-year conflict -- and Kim later began their formal talks. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history". Moon is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The first visit by a South Korean president to Pyongyang in a decade is also the two leaders' third meeting this year after previous summits in April and May in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. Moon has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where the North Korean leader backed the denuclearisation of the peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the criticism Tuesday, saying Washington was "totally to blame" for the deadlock and adding: "The US is stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first'." - 'Rosy headlines' - With Seoul and Washington moving at increasingly different speeds in their approaches to Pyongyang, Kim will look to secure more Southern-funded projects in the North. For his part the dovish South Korean president is looking to tie the two tracks closer together to reduce the threat of a devastating conflict on the peninsula. Moon will hold at least two rounds of talks with Kim and try to convince him to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump, whom he is due to meet later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself," Moon was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea", Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation "especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North", it added. "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." Moon was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. Moon -- whose poll ratings have been falling in the face of economic difficulties in the South -- has been pushing inter-Korean cooperation but South Korean media have urged caution, calling for substantial progress towards denuclearisation. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation." Syria downs Russian plane, Moscow blames Israel Beirut, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 Syria accidentally downed a Russian military aircraft with a crew of 15 onboard when its air defences went into action against an alleged Israeli missile strike, the Russian army said Tuesday. The incident, which happened late Monday, was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israeli pilots carrying out attacks on Syrian targets "used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences," the Russian military said. "15 Russian servicemen died," it said, adding Moscow reserved "the right to proper retaliatory actions" against Israel. It made no further mention of a French frigate the Russian defence ministry had earlier claimed also opened fire from the area on Monday. The French army had denied any involvement and Syria state media had reported late Monday that air defences had intercepted missiles targeting Latakia. "Our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," it said, quoting a military source. - Israel mum - According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some missiles did get through and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel, which did not comment on Monday evening's strikes, has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combattants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transportation routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. - Idlib reprieve - Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy." Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels and jihadists. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus' military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. Observers and residents of the Idlib region were sceptical however of a deal that appeared to be little more than a temporary fix. "This could be a win for diplomacy and that's what Syria needs more of to solve this crisis," said Lorraine Bramwell, Syria country director for International Rescue Committee. "However, we have seen previously how de-escalation deals haven't lasted long term," she added. Hundreds of people gathered in Binnish, a town in the rebel-held province of Binnish, following Monday's announcement in Sochi. "The demand of the Syrian people, since the very first day, has remained unchanged: it's the fall of the regime," said Wassim Souweid, one of the demonstrators. "I reckon this decision will not stop bombardments on civilians, will not offer any alternative to the people," he added. Myanmar military brutality against Rohingya 'hard to fathom': UN investigator Geneva, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 The level of brutality used by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya minority is "hard to fathom", a UN investigator said Tuesday, presenting a damning report calling for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide. "It is hard to fathom the level of brutality of Tatmadaw operations, its total disregard for civilian life," Marzuki Darusman, who heads a fact-finding mission into violations in Myanmar, told the UN Human Rights Council, referring to the nation's military. He presented the mission's 444-page report which lays out in horrifying detail a vast array of violations committed by Myanmar's powerful military, especially against the Rohingya Muslims. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingyas to flee over the border to Bangladesh. Demands have mounted for those who waged the campaign to face justice. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017. But the UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats". The report said an estimated 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown and that was likely a conservative figure. In his presentation Tuesday, Darusman detailed massacres in Rohingya villages, describing how people unable to escape "were rounded up and separated by sex." "The men were systematically killed. Children were shot, thrown into the river or onto a fire." Women and girls meanwhile were routinely gang-raped, with many of them "physically and mentally tortured while being raped," he said, pointing out that many had been severely bitten, in what appeared to be "akin to a form of branding." Darusman said the "scale, cruelty and systematic nature (of the sexual violence) reveal beyond doubt that rape is used as a tactic of war." "We have concluded that... the acts of the Tatmadaw and other security forces fall within four of the five categories of genocidal acts," he said. "All the circumstances are such as to warrant an inference of genocidal intent." A shorter version of the mission's report, published last month, had already called for Myanmar's army chief to resign and for him and five other top military commanders to be prosecuted in an international court for genocide. The longer version, presented Tuesday, also called for Myanmar's military, which dominates the Buddhist-majority nation -- holding a quarter of all seats in parliament and controlling three ministries -- to be completely removed from politics. Darusman lamented that Myanmar's government had not cooperated with the mission's probe. "Democracy requires a government that accepts scrutiny," he said, stressing that "it requires a legal framework that guarantees these rights for all, without discrimination." "In this regard, the democratic transition in Myanmar had barely begun and now it has come to a standstill." 'Etched in my mind': UN's Myanmar probe Geneva, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 A United Nations probe into abuses against the Rohingya committed by Myanmar's military, released on Tuesday, determined the level of brutality employed was "hard to fathom". Here are extracts from the speech delivered by Marzuki Darusman, chairman of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar in Geneva, as he unveiled the report. - 'Extreme brutality' - "With a heavy heart and deep sadness we have drawn conclusions, on the basis of the facts, that we never expected would be as grave as they are. What we have found are not only the most serious human rights violations, but crimes of the highest order under international law. "At the core of every incident and every human rights violation we examined was the extreme brutality of the Myanmar military (known as the Tatmadaw). "The facts indicate that its operations are consistently and grossly disproportionate to any discernible military objective. It enforces a vision of a Bamar-Buddhist nation that dominates the other 135 officially recognized ethnic minority groups, in which the Rohingya have no place. Moreover, it has no incentives to work towards peace or to respect human rights. This lies at the root of Myanmar's human rights problems, which have been documented for decades. "We have verified the destruction resulting from Tatmadaw operations in numerous sites across the three States. "It is hard to fathom the level of brutality of Tatmadaw operations, its total disregard for civilian life. I invite everyone here to judge for yourself. - 'Etched in my mind' - "The village Min Gyi (also known by its Rohingya name of Tula Toli) is etched in my mind. On the morning of 30 August 2017, Tatmadaw soldiers, accompanied by armed ethnic Rakhine and other ethnic minorities, descended on this Rohingya village, which is bordered on three sides by a river. Without notice, Tatmadaw soldiers entered by land, opening fire and burning houses. "As villagers fled in the opposite direction, soldiers fired directly on people trapped between themselves and the riverbank. Many people were shot and killed. Those who could not escape were rounded up and separated by sex. The men were systematically killed. Children were shot, thrown into the river or onto a fire. "The women and girls were taken in groups of five to seven to the larger houses in the village, where their jewellery was taken from them, They were beaten, and viciously raped. Many were stabbed and killed, along with their small children. The houses were then locked and set on fire with petrol brought by Tatmadaw helicopters. "The destruction was complete. All the Rohingya houses and structures in Min Gyi were burned to ashes. All its inhabitants fled or were killed. Lists carefully compiled by Rohingya community volunteers in the refugee camps suggests that approximately 750 men, women and children died that day. This included people from our villages who had sought sanctuary in Min Gyi. All the interviewees identified Tatmadaw soldiers as the main perpetrators. "This was not an incident of spontaneous inter-communal violence. The killing of civilians of all ages, including babies, cannot be argued to be a counter-terrorism measure. There can be no military imperative to rape women and girls or to burn people alive. It was a well planned, deliberate attack on a specific civilian population. - 'Akin to Branding' - "Another feature of Tatmadaw operations is sexual violence. Its scale, cruelty and systematic nature reveal beyond doubt that rape is used as a tactic of war. "During the 2016 and 2017 clearance operations, 80 percent of rape survivors who were interviewed by the Fact-Finding Mission said they had been gang raped, and of those, over 40 percent were subjected to mass gang rape. "Many women and girls were physically and mentally tortured while being raped - including being so severely bitten that it left permanent scars - it is difficult to believe that this was not an intentional act and akin to a form of branding. In Kachin and Shan state, women and girls, are commonly abducted for forced labour and raped while detained. - 'Persecuted from birth to death' - "In the case of the Rohingya, much of the animosity is attributed to historical reasons. The facts, however, indicate that there is more at play. Historical animosities do not explain the generally amicable relations prior to 2012 between ordinary Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine, who together comprise the majority of the population of Rakhine State. Relations deteriorated quickly that year, after hate speech against the Rohingya became more threatening, more vulgar and more pervasive. It was encouraged by the authorities, both civilian and military. It has only become worse since then, particularly since social media began to take root in Myanmar in 2015. "The general public is relentlessly exposed to such hate speech, as well as misinformation from the authorities. Such hateful messages are taught in the religious schools and the military academy, and through traditional media and social media. "This poisonous environment allows the Tatmadaw to maintain its self-proclaimed role as the 'protector of the nation'. Particularly during the last few years when it appeared that the process of democratization could have diminished its role, the Tatmadaw actively shored up its dominance by promoting the vision of a Bamar-Buddhist identity of the nation, unilaterally breaking ceasefires, and portraying the Rohingya as an existential threat. "The Rohingya are persecuted, from birth to death. Restrictions severely curtail their ability to earn a livelihood, to access health care and education, and to marry and have children, to take but a few examples. The authorities impose severe movement and other restrictions on all manner of daily life activities by the Rohingya. These restrictions have intensified since last year, and are the reasons behind the continuing flow of people to Bangladesh today. "These are the situation in which the remaining Rohingya are living. We take the occasion to emphasize that the same system of persecution would await any Rohingya who return. Neither the state of the physical environment nor discriminatory system allow for safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya to Myanmar at this time. There must be no repatriation without concrete human rights guarantees, including citizenship." The Myanmar generals accused of 'genocide' Yangon, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 A UN probe is calling for six members of Myanmar's military -- including its commander-in-chief -- to be investigated for 'genocide' against the Rohingya. A violent army crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 of the Muslim minority over the border into Bangladesh. Here is what we know about those the UN team has singled out as most responsible for the crimes. - Min Aung Hlaing - Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is the most powerful man in Myanmar. As well as controlling all branches of Myanmar's military, he wields significant political might with three ministries -- defence, interior and border affairs -- reporting to him. Military men also fill a quarter of parliamentary seats, giving the armed forces chief an effective veto over any constitutional changes. Min Aung Hlaing, 62, was born in Dawei in southern Myanmar but grew up in Yangon. He ditched his law studies after one year to embrace a military career, rising to the top in 2011 as Myanmar emerged from absolute junta rule. During the crackdown against the Rohingya, UN investigators say he was "well-informed of real-time developments" with "a full picture of what was transpiring, both on his orders and on his watch". Facebook removed his two official accounts last month, alongside 19 other individuals and organisations, to prevent them from using the website to "further inflame ethnic and religious tensions". Before Min Aung Hlaing's pages were taken down, they boasted a combined total of about 4.1 million followers. The army chief promptly switched to Russian social media platform VKontakte, but this week his account there was also taken offline. - Soe Win - A shadowy figure, Vice Commander-in-Chief Soe Win joined the military in 1980 and is known for his hardline stance and reluctance to speak publicly. As the military number two, Soe Win was "heavily involved" with managing combat deployments in Rakhine, according to Amnesty International. - Aung Kyaw Zaw - Lieutenant General Aung Kyaw Zaw is the highest-ranking Myanmar military officer to be targeted by both US and EU sanctions. He commanded the Bureau of Special Operations from 2015 to January 2018, making him fourth in the chain of command in the Rakhine operations last year, according to NGO Fortify Rights. The group also says he was "embedded...on the ground", increasing the likelihood that troops were acting under his direct orders. He was fired from the army in May this year for "weakness in serving duty", according to an army Facebook post, a move seen by many as an attempt to use him as a scapegoat. - Maung Maung Soe - The same fate awaited Major General Maung Maung Soe, formerly the chief of the military's Western Command, which includes Rakhine. He was reassigned in November to "inspect his responsibility over his weakness while working for Rakhine state stability", the military said, later declaring that he had been "purged" for poor performance. The US hit him with sanctions in December. - Aung Aung - The notorious 33rd Light Infantry Division (LID) is known to have played a leading role in committing atrocities against the Rohingya. Brigadier General Aung Aung is the commander and would have given orders for troops to target specific villages, Amnesty says. Its troops are implicated in the massacres in both Chut Pyin in Rathedaung township and Inn Din, where 10 Rohingya men were murdered in extrajudicial killings uncovered by two local Reuters reporters, who have since been sentenced to seven years in jail. The US has sanctioned the 33rd LID. - Than Oo - The soldiers of the 99th Light Infantry Division, under the command of Brigadier General Than Oo, are implicated in the Tula Toli massacre in Rakhine's Maungdaw township. His soldiers rounded up hundreds of Rohingya to a nearby river bank and opened fire on them, according to the US Treasury. Women and girls were raped and the lives of young children were not spared. In May, Than Oo was demoted to an auxiliary force. Syria shoots down Russian plane during Israeli air strike Beirut, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military aircraft, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli missile strike, Russian and Israeli forces said Tuesday. The incident late Monday was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel confirmed that it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". The plane downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence had a crew of 15, who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military claimed Israeli pilots had attacked Syrian targets by using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". But Israel denied the accusations, saying that "when the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, (Israeli) jets were already within Israeli airspace." The Russian government stressed that the incident would have no impact on the fledging Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. Syria state media reported late Monday "our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," it said, quoting a military source. Moscow had earlier said rockets were fired from a French frigate positioned in the same area of the Mediterranean. But the French military denied any involvement, with spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger telling AFP the frigate Auvergne "did not fire anything last night". - Israel mum - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from the forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. - Idlib reprieve - Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy." And the European Union said it expected the accord to "guarantee the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus's military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. Putin: plane downed in Syria after 'chain of tragic accidental circumstances' Moscow, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that "tragic accidental circumstances" led to the downing by Syria of a Russian warplane with 15 people on board. "It rather looks like a chain of tragic accidental circumstances," Putin told reporters, rejecting any comparisons with the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey in 2015. "An Israeli jet did not shoot down our plane," Putin said. The Russian defence ministry earlier Tuesday blamed Israel for the accident and warned of reprisals. Putin said he had signed off on the defence ministry statement. "No doubt we should seriously look into this," Putin said, speaking at a news conference after talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Moscow would beef up security for Russian military personnel in Syria as a priority response, Putin said. "These will be the steps that everyone will notice," he said, without providing further details. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims, calling the accident a "tragedy for us all." Late Monday Syria accidentally shot down the Russian plane, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli strike. The incident was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian plane was downed by a Russian-made S-200 air defence supplied to Syria. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean soon after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. Israel determined to stop Iran in Syria, PM tells Putin Jerusalem, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday that Israel would keep acting against its arch foe Iran in Syria, after a Russian aircraft was accidentally downed there by Syria during an Israeli missile strike. Netanyahu's office said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone that "Israel is determined to stop Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to transfer to Hezbollah lethal weaponry (to be used) against Israel." Netanyahu also "expressed sorrow" over the deaths of the 15 Russian crew members onboard and said Israel would assist Moscow in the investigation. He said Syria was responsible for the downing of the plane. The late Monday incident saw the Russian aircraft with 15 crew members aboard shot down by Syrian air defence in response to an Israeli raid. The incident threatened to damage relations between Russia and Israel, which had three years ago established a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in war-torn Syria. But earlier on Tuesday, Putin had said it was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances". Netanyahu's office said he offered "to give Russia all the necessary details to investigate the incident, and suggested sending the (Israeli) air force commander to Moscow". Israel said earlier it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. In a statement, the Israeli military also disputed Russia's initial assertion that it used the aircraft that was later downed as cover while it carried out the strike. It stressed its jets were already back in Israeli airspace when Syrian forces launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane. It also expressed "sorrow" for the deaths of the Russian crew members and said it held Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Iran and Hezbollah responsible. "Extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire caused the Russian plane to be hit and downed," the military statement said. S. Korean leader and North's Kim hold summit talks Seoul, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 South Korea's president and the North's leader Kim Jong Un drove together through the streets of Pyongyang Tuesday past thousands of cheering citizens before opening a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between his hosts and the United States. Kim and Moon embraced at Pyongyang's international airport -- where the North Korean leader had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people waved North Korean flags and another depicting an undivided peninsula -- while the South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands of people, holding bouquets and chanting in unison "Reunification of the country!", lined the streets as Kim and Moon rode through the city in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kim's predecessors -- his father and grandfather -- lie in state. "I am acutely aware of the weight that we bear," Moon told Kim as they opened two hours of formal talks at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party, adding that he felt a "heavy responsibility". At a banquet after the first day of the summit, Moon said the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of peace" were priorities. The South Korean leader said there would be challenges ahead but that he and Kim had "trust and friendship". Kim hailed his relationship with Moon, and said the pair would discuss "various issues ... in a frank and open-minded manner". The North Korean leader declared his backing for the denuclearisation of the peninsula at his Singapore summit with US President Donald Trump in June. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have since sparred over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the criticism Tuesday, saying Washington was "totally to blame" for the deadlock. "The US is stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first'," it added. Moon will hold another round of formal talks with Kim on Wednesday, as he urges the North Korean leader to make substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump. Moon is due to meet Trump later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "I wish this will be a summit that produces abundant results as a gift to the 80 million people of this nation for Chuseok," Moon said, referring to Monday's traditional holiday. - 'Rosy headlines' - The dovish South Korean president is looking to tie the inter-Korean process and the US-Northern talks closer together to reduce the threat of a devastating conflict on the peninsula. At the same time Kim will look to secure closer inter-Korean co-operation as Seoul and Washington move at increasingly different speeds in their approaches to Pyongyang. Analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea", Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would focus on "areas that promise economic benefits for the North", it added. "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." There have been many previous rounds of negotiations with the North, but deals have subsequently fallen apart -- Wednesday will mark 13 years to the day since Pyongyang agreed to abandon all of its nuclear weapons and return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has since carried out six nuclear tests and launched intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland. - 'First, second, third' - Moon's own parents fled the North during the Korean War that left the peninsula divided and technically in a state of conflict. His three-day visit is the first by a South Korean president to Pyongyang in a decade. It is also the two leaders' third meeting this year. Moon -- whose poll ratings have fallen in the face of economic difficulties -- was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. Moon has been pushing inter-Korean engagement, which is complicated by international sanctions against the North. South Korean media have urged caution, calling for substantial progress towards denuclearisation first. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation." US expresses 'sorrow' over downing of Russian aircraft in Syria Washington, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed sorrow Tuesday for the downing by Syria of a Russian warplane with 15 people on board, saying it underscored an urgent need to resolve the Syria conflict. According to Russian and Israeli forces, the Syrian regime accidentally shot down the Russian Ilyushin-20 surveillance plane off the Syria coast late Monday. It was the worst case of friendly fire between Moscow and Damascus since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. "The United States expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed by Syrian regime anti-aircraft fire," Pompeo said in a statement. It "reminds us of the need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theater of operations." Russian President Vladimir Putin said the shoot-down, using the Russian-made S-200 air defense system, was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances." Israel has expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire." The deadly chain of events started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel confirmed that it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. The Russian military accused Israeli pilots of using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defenses," a charge Israel denied. Pompeo added that the shoot-down underlined the "urgent need to resolve the Syrian conflict" in accordance with UN resolutions and "to end Iran's provocative transit of dangerous weapon systems through Syria, which are a threat to the region." Syria downs Russian military plane during Israeli air strike Beirut, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military aircraft, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli missile strike, Russian and Israeli forces said Tuesday. The incident late Monday was the most deadly known case of friendly fire between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention. Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances". The Russian Ilyushin plane dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria's Idlib province. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly chain of events started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel said it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It sees Iran's military presence in Syria as a threat, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Putin by phone on Tuesday his forces would keep acting against it. "Israel is determined to stop Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to transfer to Hezbollah lethal weaponry (to be used) against Israel," Netanyahu said, according to his office. Israel expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". The plane, downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence system, had a crew of 15 who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military accused Israeli pilots of using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". Israel denied the accusations, saying its jets were already back in Israeli airspace when Syrian forces launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane. Russia stressed the incident would have no impact on the fledging Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. However, Putin rejected any comparison with Turkey's downing of a Russian jet in 2015. "It rather looks like a chain of tragic accidental circumstances," he told reporters. "An Israeli jet did not shoot down our plane." - 'Tragic miscalculation' - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said also expressed "sorrow" over the Russian deaths, and said it showed "the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theatre of operations." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles, suspected to be Israeli, did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort town of Sochi. The two key actors agreed to create a demilitarised zone, 15-20 kilometres (9-12 miles) wide, along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be implemented by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police", Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. - Distrust in Idlib - Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending Syria's seven-year war, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy". United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the accord should avert an all-out military assault on the rebel stronghold and "provide reprieve for millions of civilians". The European Union said it expected it to protect "civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. But the deal was met with distrust by some of the three million Syrians living in the Idlib region. "The decision that came out was just a partial one. It doesn't solve the Syrian people's problem," said Wassim Sweid, one of hundreds of protesters who gathered in the rebel-held town of Binnish. "In my opinion, this agreement will not put a stop to the shelling." The UN had warned a fully-fledged ground assault could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people. Trump studying possibility of permanent US base in Poland Washington, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is seriously considering building a permanent US military base in Poland. "We're looking at it very seriously," Trump told reporters as he received Polish President Andrzej Duda in the Oval Office. "Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland," he said. "If they're willing to do that, it's something we will certainly talk about," Trump added. Such a move would fuel tensions between NATO, of which Poland is a member, and Russia, which would see a new, permanent US base so close to its borders as a threatening military expansion. Netanyahu and Putin defuse crisis after Israel downs Russia warplane Beirut, Sept 18 (AFP) Sep 18, 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to defuse a crisis on Tuesday after Syrian defences mistakenly downed a Russian warplane after Israeli air strikes. The incident late Monday was the deadliest known case of friendly fire between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention. Putin said it was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances". The Ilyushin plane dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria's Idlib province. The deadly chain of events started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia. Israel said it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It sees Iran's military presence in Syria as a threat, and Netanyahu told Putin by phone on Tuesday his forces would keep acting against it. "Israel is determined to stop Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to transfer to Hezbollah lethal weaponry (to be used) against Israel," said Netanyahu. Israel expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". Putin said Russia would beef up security for its forces in Syria, in what he called "steps that everyone will notice". The Kremlin said Putin also warned Netanyahu against carrying out such operations in the future. Putin "reminded" Netanyahu that such operations "violated Syrian sovereignty" and said "agreements around the prevention of dangerous incidents were not observed". "The president of Russia urged the Israeli side not to allow such situations from now on," it added. The plane, downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence system, had a crew of 15 who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military accused Israeli pilots of using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". Israel denied the accusations, saying its jets were already back in Israeli airspace when Syrian forces launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane. Russia stressed the incident would have no impact on the Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. - 'Tragic miscalculation' - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also expressed "sorrow" over the Russian deaths, and said the incident showed "the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theatre of operations". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles, suspected to be Israeli, did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two key actors agreed to create a demilitarised zone, 15-20 kilometres (9-12 miles) wide, along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be implemented by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police", Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes must be restored between Latakia and Aleppo, as well as those linking the port to Hama city, he added. - Distrust in Idlib - Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending Syria's seven-year war, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy". United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the accord should avert an all-out military assault on the rebel stronghold and "provide reprieve for millions of civilians". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. But the deal was met with distrust by some of the three million Syrians living in the Idlib region. "The decision that came out was just a partial one. It doesn't solve the Syrian people's problem," said Wassim Sweid, one of hundreds of protesters who gathered in the rebel-held town of Binnish. "In my opinion, this agreement will not put a stop to the shelling." The UN had warned a fully-fledged ground assault could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Countdown to Brexit No Deal Might Be the Worst Deal of All With just 200 days left to go until Brexit, a failure to secure a negotiated deal is looking increasingly possible. That would be disastrous for the European Union, but even worse for the British. If a fifth face were added to Mount Rushmore, which president would you choose? Ronald Reagan (40%, 14 Votes) Franklin D. Roosevelt (37%, 13 Votes) John F. Kennedy (20%, 7 Votes) Someone in the Civil Rights or Women's Rights movement would be more appropriate. (3%, 1 Votes) Total Voters: 35 Valmet hosts a Capital Markets Day today, September 18, 2018 in Helsinki Valmet Oyj's press release on September 18, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. EET Valmet hosts a Capital Markets Day for institutional investors and Analysts today, Tuesday, September 18, 2018 in Helsinki. The aim of the event is to provide information and an update on Valmet's progress in strategy execution and business outlook. Valmet's strategy and financial targets remain unchanged. "We have made consistent progress in our strategic focus areas and financial performance. Valmet's market position is strong and our offering, which combines process technology, services and automation, is unique. We are continuously developing and improving our technology, processes and personnel, while keeping customers at the core of Valmet's operations. Our systematic work for building the future continues", says Pasi Laine, President and CEO of Valmet. Presentation material and webcast Live webcast of the Capital Markets Day will begin at 12:00 noon EET at www.valmet.com/cmd2018. The presentation material will be available at the same address at approximately 11:00 am EET. A recording of the webcast will be available on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. The language of the event and material is English. Further information, please contact: Calle Loikkanen, Director, Investor Relations, Valmet, tel. +358 10 672 0020 VALMET Kari Saarinen CFO Calle Loikkanen Director, Investor Relations Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers. Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy. Valmet's net sales in 2017 were approximately EUR 3.1 billion. Our more than 12,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. Read more www.valmet.com, www.twitter.com/valmetglobal Follow Valmet IR on Twitter www.twitter.com/valmetir Processing of personal data This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Valmet via Globenewswire DGAP-News: Revelo Resources Corp. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Revelo Reports on Initial Drill Test of Its Cerro Buenos Aires Project 18.09.2018 / 14:30 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Revelo Resources Corp. (TSXV: RVL) ('Revelo' or the 'Company') is pleased to report that Teck Resources Chile Limitada ('Teck'), a 100% subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited, has completed an initial drill test of Revelo's Cerro Buenos Aires property in northern Chile, designed to test for a possible porphyry copper system. Teck signed an Option Agreement over the project in May (see Revelo news release dated May 29, 2018). The initial drill test by Teck comprised 3 reverse circulation drill holes (906 m total) that targeted a magnetic high anomaly in an area that is covered by approximately 70 m to 80 m of post-mineral pediment, located immediately east of extensive outcropping hydrothermal alteration on Cerro Buenos Aires Hill. The Teck drilling cut argillic and phyllic alteration, the latter associated with anomalous copper, molybdenum or zinc geochemistry, possibly representing the upper portions of a porphyry copper system associated with the magnetic anomaly. Cerro Buenos Aires Property and Drill Results Highlights: Widespread advanced argillic alteration extends over more than 5 Km north-south on the Cerro Buenos Aires hill located immediately to the west of the area drill tested by Teck, and is indicative of the upper portions of a porphyry copper and associated high-sulphidation precious and base metals system. The overall hydrothermal system is very large at least 20 Km 2 , with further extensions to the north. A key N-S splay to a regional fault system (Dominador Fault) lies along the eastern margins of the property. , with further extensions to the north. A key N-S splay to a regional fault system (Dominador Fault) lies along the eastern margins of the property. The area drilled by Teck is at topographically lower elevations and coincides with a magnetic high feature. Hole PL-LP-01 (total 300 m) was drilled close to the centre of the magnetic feature, as apparent on an analytic signal transformation of the magnetic data (see attached map), and passed through almost 70 m of post-mineral gravels before cutting a volcanic sequence of dacites and andesites displaying argillic alteration to 210 m and phyllic (sericitic) alteration to the end of hole. The transition from argillic to phyllic alteration coincides with an elevation of copper and molybdenum values based on Niton XRF results. -- Phyllic alteration is typically zoned above and to the margins of a hypogene porphyry copper centre. -- Phyllic alteration is typically zoned above and to the margins of a hypogene porphyry copper centre. Holes PL-LP-02 (300 m) and PL-LP-03 (306 m) were drilled on the northern and western flanks of the magnetic anomaly respectively, some 500 m north and 400 m northwest of PL-LP-01. Both holes passed through similar post-mineral gravel cover and a similar geological sequence and displayed the transition from argillic to phyllic alteration at approximately 150 m and 135 m respectively. Both holes show anomalous zinc values from Niton XRF as the transition to phyllic alteration occurs. -- Zinc is typically zoned distally around porphyry copper centres. -- Zinc is typically zoned distally around porphyry copper centres. Geochemical assays for all holes are pending. Previous drilling by Revelo in 2008 (PBA018, 019 & 020) located some 1.5 Km to the northeast of the Teck drilling, also revealed anomalous copper up to 153 ppm towards the bottom of the three holes, associated with argillic alteration. Hole PBA019 also cut a 2 m wide structure with highly anomalous silver (51.7 ppm), which like zinc, is typically zoned around the margins of porphyry copper centres. Tim Beale, CEO and President of Revelo commented, 'The initial drill test by Teck was undertaken as a proof of concept, and the results are encouraging for the presence of a potentially mineralised hypogene porphyry copper centre associated with the magnetic anomaly, at greater depths than those drilled to date. We await further studies and results from Teck, together with a decision as to possible next steps.' Tim Beale, CEO and President of Revelo commented, 'The initial drill test by Teck was undertaken as a proof of concept, and the results are encouraging for the presence of a potentially mineralised hypogene porphyry copper centre associated with the magnetic anomaly, at greater depths than those drilled to date. We await further studies and results from Teck, together with a decision as to possible next steps.' ABOUT CERRO BUENOS AIRES Cerro Buenos Aires lies along the Paleocene magmatic belt of northern Chile that hosts some of the most important copper and precious metals deposits in the country, such as Cerro Colorado (BHP Billiton), Spence (BHP Billiton), Sierra Gorda (KGHM & Sumitomo), Nueva Union's Relincho deposit (Teck-Goldcorp), El Penon (Yamana Gold), and Guanaco and Amancaya (Austral Gold). Cerro Buenos Aires is subject to an Option Agreement with Teck under which Teck can earn a 60% interest in the property in exchange for work commitments totalling US$4.8M and cash payments totalling US$425,000 over 4 years. Cerro Buenos Aires encompasses about 7,600 Ha of 100% owned tenement comprising both exploration and mining concessions of which Teck is optioning 1,500 Ha. Cerro Buenos Aires is easily accessible with excellent infrastructure, being located alongside the Pan-American Highway some 2 hours' drive from either the port cities of Antofagasta or Taltal, and is situated at modest altitudes ranging from around 1,600 m to 2,200 m. A new high-tension power line has been installed alongside the main road. For further details of the Cerro Buenos Aires Project please refer to the Cerro Buenos Aires Project page on Revelo's website ( www.reveloresources.com ). Dr. Demetrius Pohl, Ph.D., Certified Professional Geoscientist (CPG), an independent consultant, is the Company's Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosures for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators and has approved the written disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release. ABOUT REVELO Revelo has interests in an outstanding portfolio of projects prospective for copper, gold and silver located along proven mineral belts in one of the world's top mining jurisdictions Chile. The Company has a combination of wholly-owned projects (available for option, JV or sale), option agreements, royalty interests (non-producing to date), and equity interests in mining and exploration companies. Revelo's total exposure to mineral tenements in northern Chile, either wholly-owned or through royalty interests, is around 200,000 hectares. Revelo is a Canadian company and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: RVL). For more information, please visit Revelo's website at www.reveloresources.com . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD 'Michael Winn' Michael Winn, Chairman INVESTOR CONTACT Timothy J Beale President & CEO T: +1 604 687-5544 info@reveloresources.com www.reveloresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed 'forward-looking statements'. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Revelo expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words 'expects', 'plans', 'anticipates', 'believes', 'intends', 'estimates', 'projects', 'potential', 'indicate' and similar expressions, or that events or conditions 'will', 'would', 'may', 'could' or 'should' occur. Although Revelo believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Area Drill Tested by Teck To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3761/38704_a1537208440383_89.jpg Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to viewthe associated documentshttp://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/38704 Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to viewthe associated documentshttp://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/38704 18.09.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Although Iran has been aware of its serious deficiencies when it comes to air defense for over a decade, nothing it has done so far has made a major difference. Outsiders began to notice this effort in 2009 when the Iranian Supreme Leader separated most missile-based air defense systems from the air force and organized them into a separate air defense command. Despite vigorous efforts by the new Air Defense Force that did not produce air defenses that could keep up with the potential threats from the many enemies, Iran has acquired (especially the U.S., Israel plus the Arab oil states). Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been described as visibly alarmed at the inability of Iran to defend itself against the many enemy aircraft and missiles that could be used in wartime, especially for a surprise attack. Iran has been promising to destroy Israel and the United States since the 1980s and is now trying to take control of Syria and further threaten Israel. In response to that Israel has been fighting back and Iran is uncomfortable about how this is playing out. In response, Khamenei replaced the commander of the air force in August, the fifth senior military commander replaced in the last year. The current sense of urgency appears to have been caused by a late 2017 study of Iranian vulnerabilities to air attack. The study was published in an Iranian military journal so that everyone could see and this would generate useful suggestions for solutions. The list of vulnerabilities was basically a compilation of how Iran is generally defenseless against fifteen systems, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, smart bombs, ground penetrating bombs and other specialized air delivered guided weapons, like bombs that use lengths of carbon fibers (to short out electrical transmission lines) or monster bombs like MOAB or bombs that can create an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) that destroy electronics over large areas. Then there are the specialized defensive and offensive electronic systems carried by many aircraft, UAVs and missiles. The Americans and Israelis have surveillance satellite systems that monitor Iranian activity and can assist in attacks on Iran. The United States and Israel have most of these scary systems but many of these advanced weapons have been obtained by the Arab Gulf states and since 2015 the Arabs have been proving in Yemen that they really have learned how to use them. That includes the Arab operated Patriot anti-missile systems which have intercepted over a hundred Iranian made ballistic missiles fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia. The Supreme Leader apparently monitors Iranian progress, or lack of progress in this area and demanding that senior commanders come up with solutions. That has apparently not been happening and as long as more senior commanders get replaced it will indicate continued failure. The Supreme Leader is also aware of the fact that many Iranian air defense systems are fake or press release systems that were announced but never got into production or developed to the point where they actually work. The Supreme Leader seems to have been upset over the recent IRGC press release about the new Iranian stealth fighter. You dont have to be an aviation engineer to understand the critiques of this new aircraft. These detailed descriptions of why the new stealth fighter wont (or actually cannot) work as described. Many of these critical reports have appeared in overseas Iranian language media and the Internet. These critiques are no secret, especially from the Supreme Leader. On paper Iran has formidable air defense forces, in practice, most of this stuff is too old or too few to collectively make a big difference. Current Iranian air defenses consist of several hundred Cold War era warplanes in various states of readiness. None are seen as anything approaching a serious threat to aircraft the Americans, Israelis and Gulf Arabs possess. The Iranian ground-based air defense systems are not much better off. The key Iranian air defense system is the Russian S-300 PMU2. Also known as the SA-20C, deliveries began in early 2016 and two years later the four S-300PMU2 batteries were declared operational. Shortly thereafter, in May 2018 Russia quietly let it be known that Russia was not going to deliver S-300 systems to anyone in Syria. Israel has been publicly and privately urging Russia to institute such a ban and Russia decided Israel was a more valued ally. Israel made it clear in Syria that the Israelis have the upper hand in terms of tech and military capabilities. Russia needed those demonstrations so they could maintain their good relationship with Iran while also refusing to deliver S-300 systems to Syria. This was something the Iranians wanted and were willing to pay for. But the Russians were not willing to lose the good relationship they had (since 1948) with Israel. Nor were the Russians willing to risk having the S-300 defeated by Israeli SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) tactics and equipment. The Iranians may be willing to underestimate the Israelis, but the Russians prefer to be more realistic. The S-300 has impressive credentials. Each battery has a surveillance radar (range 300 kilometers) and command center plus four launcher vehicles, each carrying four missiles The S-300PMU missiles had a range of 200 kilometers and were considered somewhat similar to the American Patriot systems. Later models of the S-300 missiles had some capability to shoot down short range ballistic missiles but these SAMs only have a range of 40-120 kilometers. The SA-10/12 launcher vehicle also contains a guidance radar. The most recent version of S-300 (S-400) is supposed to be (according to Russia) superior to the American Patriot. But while the Patriot has over two decades of combat experience the S-300/400 has none. Iran also bought four batteries of older (1980s) S-300PT SAMs from Belarus in 2008. These were being sold off by Belarus and replaced by more recent S-300 systems. The S-300PT has a max range of 75 kilometers. Before the S-300PSU systems were delivered Iran claimed to have cloned the S-300 tech and developed their own version, the Bavar-273. None of these have been seen and are apparently another press release system. In 2011 Iran announced that it had test-fired U.S. made Hawk anti-aircraft missiles they had refurbished. Iran has been manufacturing its own copy of the Hawk missile, called Shahin and was also upgrading the Hawk fire control and radar systems. Iran, like many American allies, bought American Hawk anti-aircraft missile systems in the 1970s (the current religious government took over in 1979). Although 1950s technology, the Hawk, with a range of 25-45 kilometers, is reliable and quite effective against targets lacking a lot of countermeasures. The Iranians had the 1970 version, but further improvements were made in the 80s and 90s and Iran tried, with some success, to get some of those upgrades. Before the 1979 revolution, Iran had bought 150 Hawk launchers, and nearly a thousand missiles and other gear, sufficient to equip 16 Hawk battalions. While much of the original equipment has died of old age and many of the missiles were used against Iraqi aircraft during the 1980s war, there have been ample opportunities to keep Iranian Hawks alive. That's because there are still several countries using Hawk. Over 40,000 missiles were manufactured since Hawk entered service in 1960, and the U.S. only stopped using it in 2002. Since the Cold War ended in 1991, a lot of Hawk equipment has been retired. While the U.S. tried to prevent Iran from getting the Cold War surplus stuff, they were not always successful. Moreover, while Hawk was cutting edge in the 1970s, that means the tech needed to keep Hawk batteries (each with six, three missile, launchers) operational today is easier to get or make locally. The big problem for Iran is obtaining the technology that enables Hawk to handle modern electronic-countermeasures. This was a frequent cause for Hawk upgrades since the 1970s. Iran, in the meantime, has developed ways to keep up. The Iranian upgrades to Hawk have not really been put to the test and Hawk remains the most numerous Iranian SAM (Surface to Air Missile) air defense system they have. Iran may also have some operational American SM-1 ship-based air defense systems converted to operate from land bases. Iran says it has reverse-engineered the SM-1 but not much has been seen of it lately. Since the 1970s the U.S. Navy has upgraded its air defense missiles to SM-2, SM-3 and the recently introduced SM-6. In 2013 Iran announced it had built a factory to produce the Sayyad-2 anti-aircraft missile. This is an upgrade of the Sayyad-1, which was based on the old (1950s) Russian SA-2. Sayyad-1 entered service in 1999. Both Sayyad 1 and 2 copied much from the Chinese HQ-2, which is itself an upgrade of the Russian S-75/SA-2 system. Sayyad-2 appears to have incorporated technology from the American HAWK and SM-1 SAMs. Sayyad-2 is a two ton, two stage anti-aircraft missile with a maximum range of 80 kilometers and max altitude of 20,000 meters (65,000 feet). The Sayyad-2 has better electronic countermeasures than Sayyad-1 but it is still dependent on the ground radar for guidance to a target and is vulnerable to electronic interference. Sayyad-2 is believed to have a more effective warhead. None of the Sayyad missiles has been in combat and test firings have not been impressive. The Chinese HQ-2 has been in use since the late 1960s and has been upgraded several times with modern electronics, an improved warhead, better rocket motors, and more maneuverability and turned it into a much more effective HQ-2 early in the 21st century. Iran has been getting military technology from China since the 1980s. This apparently included the tech for the solid fuel rocket motors used by the Sayyad-2 and possibly some of the electronics. If an attacker does not have good electronic countermeasures the Sayyad-2 could be quite effective. China also has lots of S-300 and may have sold or leaked technical data on that system to Iran. Iran claims to have kept a number of other older Russian SAM systems in working order. These include over a hundred launchers for SA-5 and SA-6 SAMS along with radars and fire control systems. These may exist in some usable form but appear to be more press release systems. The same applies to more than a dozen press release systems revealed since 2010 that seem to exist only as a few prototypes if that. The army also has control of most of the short-range anti-aircraft gun systems. There are about 1,500 of these and comprise at least ten different systems with calibers ranging from 23mm to 57mm. Most are Cold War era Russian systems. These are effective against helicopters and any jets operating at low (under 2,000 meters) altitude. Iran also has thousands of MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems) similar to Russian models (or Chinese clones). As impressive as all that appears to be the Iranian leaders, despite knowing that they are on a mission from God, do not believe that makes Iran immune from the other death from above. In Bangladesh, police commanders are complaining that NGOs and the UN are discouraging Rohingya refugees from returning to Burma. Thats not hard to do but the accusations are disputed by the UN and NGOs, What is undisputed is that the NGOs do often have their own foreign policy and a tendency to try and work the mass media to persuade or coerce governments to work for them. This has led Bangladesh to impose restrictions on what the 41 NGOs operating in the Rohingya refugee camps. The basic problem here is Bangladesh cannot get Burma to take their Rohingya Moslems back. Bangladeshi officials regularly meet with their Burmese counterparts to discuss the issue. So far nothing has been accomplished in all these meetings but both sides declare that talks will continue. Talk is cheap and Burma will discuss the issue indefinitely without agreeing to take nearly a million of its colonial era population back. Thats the key to this as it was British colonial administrators that encouraged the Rohingya Moslems to move from what was then British ruled India (which was Hindu and Moslem) to the largely Buddhist Burma. Once independent the Burmese resented the presence of these alien looking Bengalis who were always good citizens but were never accepted. The Burmese are pretty confident they can get away with expelling the Rohingya because that is not a unique situation. Such expulsions are part of an ancient pattern that has become a common cause of large-scale disorder during the last century. This is all about the existence of large stateless populations and it is quite common in this part of the world and Bangladesh has produced more of these illegals than anyone else. Illegal migrants have become a more difficult problem since national states became the preferred form of government as that led to disputes over who belonged and who did not. The UN estimates that there are currently over ten million such stateless people. Most of the stateless are that way because they dont want to live where they, or their ancestors, came from. Thus there are at least a million Moslems in Burma who originally (often over a century ago) came from Bangladesh but dont want to return there. They prefer to live in Burma, where most of the population is Buddhist. India has a similar problem in its northeast tribal territories, especially Assam, where four million Bengali migrants (most of them or their ancestors entered illegally) are being denied citizen status. The tribal locals have long resented the illegal migrants, more so than the legal migrants. India sees this citizenship crackdown as a way to reducing support for local tribal separatist rebels. There are similar problems on every continent and no one has found an easy solution to these deadlocks. The Rohingya dispute has claimed some high profile victims and the most prominent is Nobel peace prize winner and Burmese national hero Aung San Suu Kyi. She is being blamed by a growing number of foreign admirers for not doing more to solve the Rohingya problem. She has been harshly criticized for not speaking out more forcefully against the recent conviction of two foreign journalists who were sentenced to seven years in jail for violating the official secrets act. The two had also exposed army atrocities in the tribal north, The punishment of two foreign journalists had a lot of popular support inside Burma, as has the harsh treatment of the Burmese Rohingya, especially those forced to flee the country. All politics is local and Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese Buddhist who sympathizes with the plight of the Rohingya but recognizes that most Burmese feel less certain about who is at fault here. Another problem foreign critics overlook is that the Burmese military (which took power in the 1960s) still has a lot of clout in Burma and were the first ones to make an issue of the Rohingya citizenship status, and also put the issue on hold in the 1980s when they were in power because a refugee dispute with neighboring Bangladesh was not in their interest. Now it is. Aung San Suu Kyi, who won international praise for her decades of efforts to get Burmese democracy restored in 2011 (after negotiating with the military dictatorship) agrees with this it is an internal problem policy and has the support of India and China, two neighbors that have faced similar problems that are still dealing with. Aung San Suu Kyi also agrees with the Burmese military that China is the best alternative (for investment and essential imports) if international economic sanctions are again imposed on Burma, as they were until the generals gave up most of their power and allowed the 2011 elections. Suu Kyi fears the Burmese military trying to seize control of the government more than she fears foreign media and diplomatic criticism. The military coup possibility is more important to most Burmese than the fate of the expelled Rohingya or how Burmese courts treat foreign journalists. The only one benefitting from the anti-Rohingya violence (which was instigated by nationalist Buddhist religious leaders) is the military, which was forced to give up a lot of their power in 2011 and agree to a restoration of democracy. But now the threat of international sanctions gives the military more power in Burma to resist corruption investigations and interference with their profitable, but illegal, activities in the north. China prefers to work with the Burmese military, which makes Burmese democrats uneasy. September 12, 2018: Bangladesh again proclaimed that it would never assimilate the Burmese Rohingya refugees, even those the Rohingya are ethnically Bengali and share the same religion as Bangladeshis. Most of the Burmese Rohingya come from families that have been in Burma for over a century and most speak Burmese and consider themselves Burmese. There has also been some intermarriage with ethnic Burmese (who are East Asian, like most Chinese rather than Indo-European as most Bangladeshis are) which means many Burmese Rohingya no longer look like Bengalis. September 9, 2018: China and Burma signed a CMEC (China-Myanmar Economic Corridor) agreement that enables detailed negotiations to begin on where a 1,700 kilometers long transportation corridor from southern China (Yunan province) to central Burma (Mandalay) and then west to the coast at the Kyaukphyu SEZ (Special Economic Zone) will be built and what it will consist of. The corridor would improve roads, railroads and build, as needed, pipelines and electrical transmission lines. This would be financed by China and built mainly by Chinese construction firms. CMEC paid special attention to the risk of a debt trap where Burma might find itself with debt it could not repay unless it turned over new facilities to Chinese ownership or control. This has happened in other nations, most recently in Sri Lanka. Burma needs the investment and since 1988 China has been the major foreign investor in Burma with projects totaling $20 billion so far. CMEC is the Burma component of the massive Chinese Obor (One Belt, One Road) effort. Obor is all about China building roads, railroads, pipelines and ports to make it easier for Chinese imports and exports to move around, from East Asia to Europe, Africa and more. Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand Sri Lanka and Burma are all Obor participants that are seeing billions of dollars in construction Chinese projects taking place and the terms of these deal tend to favor China, not the country where the construction takes place. Not surprisingly many people in these Obor countries see the Chinese investments as another form of colonialism. China prefers not to call it colonialism but rather seeking to expand its commercial activities. The Burmese tribes have long depended on Chinese cash and diplomatic influence to survive. China is working that angle as much as it can to get their costly development projects operational and want long-term peace with the tribes to keep the Chinese investments safe and profitable. Many of the tribal people are more willing to trust the Chinese than their own government which puts it all on China to make this work. While these Chinese projects often displace tribal people, usually without any compensation, the Chinese are more willing to make long-terms deals with the locals. For the Chinese, it is just business while the Burmese see the tribes as potential rebels and long-term antagonists. September 6, 2018: The ICC (International Criminal Court) ruled that Burmese officials were likely guilty of war crimes for what they did during the expulsion of their Rohingya Moslems. The ICC can indict, arrest and try suspected war criminals and has done so in the past (with mixed success). But Burma points out that it never signed the treaty agreeing to abide by ICC rulings and is thus not subject to them. But Bangladesh did sign that treaty and this sets up another of those international shouting matches that create a lot of media noise and not much more. Some Western nations impose sanctions on individuals named by the ICC but this restricts the international travel of these individuals (and their money) but little else. September 5, 2018: In the north, across the border in China (Kunming) Chinese officials held a brief meeting with four Burmese rebel groups (TNLA, Arakan Army, MNDAA and Kachin Independence Army) to try and establish some basis for a permanent peace deal in northern Burma. These four groups, also known as the Northern Alliance, have refused to sign the Burmese 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Those who did sign the NCA have made progress in working out differences with the Burmese government and military (which tends to do as it likes in the tribal areas of the north.) This was the first time China held such a meeting and was able to arrange it because the Northern Alliance members survive because of their access to China. The access is provided as long as the Burmese rebels do not let the fighting spread into China or interfere with Chinese commercial operations in Burma. August 21, 2018: In neighboring Thailand police made their largest drug seizure ever near the capital, arresting three men (all Thais) and hauling away 14 million methamphetamine pills worth $45 million when on the street. This shipment, apparently from northern Burma, was headed for Malaysia and possibly Indonesia as well. Thailand and Malaysia are well aware that they are part of a smuggling route that gets these drugs to locals as well as people throughout Southeast Asia. The Chinese Navy reached another milestone in August 2018 when they began retiring their first generation of replenishment (at sea resupply) ships. The retired ship was the Type 905 Hongzehu that entered service in 1980 to support tracking ships sent deep into the Pacific to collect information on Chinese ICBM tests. The warheads of these ICBMs were filled with instruments and the tracking ships collected that information. The Type 905s were 21,000 ton ships that carried 10,500 tons of fuel, 1,000 tons of diesel, 400 tons of water and 50 tons of refrigerated items (mainly food, but also medicine). By the 1990s the Type 905s were primarily resupplying destroyers on long voyages. In 2008 the Type 905s became regular participants in the four month deployments of Chinese warships (usually a destroyer and a frigate) and a replenishment ship to spend three months with the international anti-piracy patrol off Somalia. A single Type 905 could keep three destroyers supplied via at-sea refueling and was able to keep two warships operating off Somalia (although the 905s would make trips to ports to get more supplies itself). The Type 905s also had a helicopter pad and were armed with four twin-37mm anti-aircraft guns. Four 905s entered service in the 1980s but two were disposed of (one became a civilian tanker while the other went to Pakistan as a replenishment ship.) At the time the Chinese Navy had little use for at sea replenishment. In the 1990s China developed and put into service two Type 908 replenishment ships which had twice the capacity of the Type 905s and are still in service. The experience with the Type 905 and 901 ships led to mass production of Type 903 ships. The first of these entered service in 2004, eight have been built so far and more are apparently planned. In August 2017 China put Hulun Lake, its first Type 901 fast replenishment ship into service. This was a big deal. Chinese Navy officials noted that this fast supply vessel would, as expected, enable the only Chinese aircraft carrier (Liaoning) to operate much farther from its base and for longer periods. So far Liaoning and its escorts had not operated much farther than onboard fuel allowed. A second carrier, similar in design to the Liaoning, is nearly completed and expected to enter service by 2020 as are more Type 901s, with one more 901 already under construction. The Type 901 is the largest (over 40,000 tons) replenishment ship China has produced and similar in size and capability to the twelve American T-AKE replenishment ships. The 40,000 ton T-AKEs service a much larger fleet than the Type 903s and Type 901s. The T-AKEs are part of a larger replenishment fleet required by American warships operating worldwide. But China has been expanding its replenishment ship force as it puts more warships into service and expects to eventually (by the 2030s) to rival the U.S. Navy worldwide. The Type 901 has a top speed of 45 kilometers an hour (to keep up with a carrier task force) and room topside for two or more CIWS autocannon (similar to the American Phalanx) for anti-missile defense. At least one more Type 901 appears to be planned but the Chinese usually wait until a new ship type has a year or so at sea before more are ordered. The Type 901 seems more influenced by the four 48,000 ton T-AOE fast (45 kilometers an hour) supply ships the U.S. put into service during the mid-1990s. These are now being retired because the slower (37 kilometers an hour) T-AKEs and other supply ships got the job done more efficiently and cheaply. This is partly because the United States has access to more overseas ports for resupplying and refueling its carrier task forces. Meanwhile, other types of Chinese supply ships are appearing. In early 2016 China revealed a new, smaller (2,700 ton) replenishment ship for its growing number of island bases in the South China Sea. This is a RO/RO (Roll On/Roll Off) type ship so it is easier to drive vehicles off onto the docks being built on many of these tiny (some man-made) islands. The new ship also has a helicopter pad for small (four ton) helicopters like the Z-9. One of these new ships appeared in late 2015 and apparently more are being built. They will replace the collection of commercial ships currently used to resupply these island bases. Meanwhile, China has eight of its 25,000 ton Type 903A replenishment ships in service. During the first half of 2015 four of these ships were under construction simultaneously, a rare event for any country in peacetime. Since 2013 there has been a massive acceleration in the production of these ships. The first two of these tanker/cargo ships appeared in 2004. By 2008 these ships were regularly at sea supporting the task forces (each with at least two warships, plus the Type 903) sent to the anti-piracy patrol off Somalia for six month tours (which included additional port visits on the way home). The replenishment ship did just that, supplying fuel, water, food, and other supplies as needed. The replenishment ship would go to local ports to restock its depleted stores and return to the task force. China needed more Type 903s support the growing number of long distance training operations into the Western Pacific and the government has responded. One reason Chinese warships are now being seen all over the world (on official visits and to show off) is because there are enough replenishment ships to support this sort of thing. With more long distance cruises China has, since the 1990s, trained more and more of its sailors to resupply ships at sea. Its now common to see a Chinese supply ship in the Western Pacific refueling two warships at once. This is a tricky maneuver and the Chinese did not learn overnight. They have been doing this more and more since 2004, first refueling one ship at a time with the receiving ship behind the supply ship and then the trickier side-by-side method. This enables skilled supply ship crews to refuel two ships at once. China got a sharp reminder of how essential the replenishment ships are in April 2014 when they joined the international military effort to find missing flight MH370. China discovered it did not have enough Type 903s and without access to foreign ports for resupply the Chinese Navy could not sustain large numbers of ships far from China. Chinese naval planners have long warned of this and the political leaders are now paying more attention. China sent two dozen warships and support vessels into the southern Indian Ocean in April 2014 and it was obvious that without access to nearby Australian ports the Chinese ships would not have been able to remain in the area for long. The classic solution to this problem is a large fleet of support (sustainment) ships to constantly deliver food, fuel and other supplies to ships at sea. China is rapidly building such ships, but not enough of them to maintain a large force for an extended period. China is unlikely to obtain the overseas ports it needs to support its current expansion plans because Chinese expansion plans have angered nearly all the nations in area. China does have a few allies, like Pakistan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Burma. This would not be enough if it came to outright hostilities and some of these friendly ports blocked by neighboring countries that are at odds with China. This apparently led to the decision to build the Type 903. This logistical weakness is no secret but the Chinese have long played it down. After the April 2014 search for flight MH370 it became a much more visible issue. The MH370 search off west Australia was the largest Chinese fleet deployment in modern times. The made it clear that China could not yet keep warships at sea for long periods. This made the Chinese naval threat a bit less intimidating. But it was also obvious that this changes as China builds more sustainment ships and uses them regularly. That has been happening since 2014. This is all part of a Chinese navy effort to enable its most modern ships to carry out long duration operations. In addition to the ships sent to Somalia, the Chinese have been sending flotillas (containing landing ships, destroyers, and frigates) on 10-20 day cruises into the East China Sea and beyond. The Chinese have been working hard on how to use their new classes of supply ships most effectively. These vessels are built to efficiently supply ships at sea. In addition to learning how to transfer these supplies at sea the crews have also learned how to keep all the needed supplies in good shape and stocked in the required quantities. This requires the procurement officers learning how to arrange resupply at local ports in a timely basis. This was particularly important off Somalia, where warships often had to speed up (burning a lot of fuel in the process) or use their helicopters to deal with the pirates. Modern at-sea replenishment methods were developed out of necessity by the United States during World War II because of a lack of sufficient forward bases in the vast Pacific. The resulting service squadrons (Servrons) became a permanent fixture in the U.S. Navy after the war. Since World War II ships frequently stay at sea for up to six months at a time, being resupplied at sea by a Servron. New technologies were developed to support the effective use of the seagoing supply service. Few other navies have been able to match this capability, mainly because of the expense of the Servron ships and the training required to do at sea replenishment. China is buying into this capability, which makes their fleet more effective because warships can remain at sea for longer periods. CAMP GRAYLING, MI - Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, fire two FGM-148 Javelin Missiles in a volley fire during Exercise Northern Strike at Camp Grayling, Mich., Aug. 14, 2018. Camp Grayling, the largest National Guard center in the country covering 147,000 acres, offers many large artillery, mortar, tank ranges and maneuver courses. X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: The May agreement on national presidential and parliamentary elections being held in December is falling apart because many of the larger militias in and around Tripoli are refusing to cooperate. These militias are acting on their own to make sure they do not lose power or income because of a unified government. This is largely a problem with militias loyal to the UN backed GNA (Government of National Accord) in Tripoli. This is one of the reasons the GNA is the weaker of the two existing national governments, despite occupying Tripoli (the national capital and largest city in the country). While the GNA is based in Tripoli and recognized by the UN it has proved much less capable than its eastern (Tobruk) rival the HoR (House of Representatives). The most obvious sign of GNA decline is its inability to keep the Tripoli airport open. Since August 31st the airport has been closed most of the time because of rouge militias either attacking the airport with rockets or occupying it. The government has spent the last few days trying to assemble enough loyal forces to regain control of the airport. There are doubts, especially by the UN, that the GNA can maintain control of the airport or Tripoli itself. Without the airport, operational international flights have to land at Misrata (210 kilometers to the east) the third largest city in the country and drive to the capital. It was agreements between the GNA and HoR governments that made the December election plan possible but since May the GNA has declined to the point where it can no longer operate. The governments agreed to increase their cooperation (already functional enough) to improve the operation of the National Oil Company and the Central Bank of Libya. These two institutions are about the only two that are fully functional and are now looking to the HoR for protection. This security is essential because of the relentless efforts by various factions to corrupt the bank or the oil company. Keeping these two institutions going is essential to national survival because without the oil income living standards will plunge to levels that will force much, if not most of the current Libyan population to emigrate or starve. The bank and oil company may limp along to stave off mass starvation but the GNA and HoR are not getting together to hold the national elections, at least not in 2018. The two governments were supposed to have agreed on election terms and procedures by mid-September and that has not happened. Now a lot more is not happening as well. The collapse of the GNA and growing strength of the HoR and its military component the LNA (Libyan National Army) has meant that most of the gangsters have shifted their operations westward towards Tripoli and the Tunisian border. Most of the people smuggling is now directed towards Spain, which this year accounts for over 40 percent of the illegal migrants getting into Europe. Illegal migrant traffic is down over 40 percent this year (to 75,000 arrivals in Europe so far) and down 75 percent compared to 2016. About 1,600 illegals have died at sea this year. Italy is actively refusing to accept illegals and Greece is also difficult to get into. So now most of the smugglers concentrate on Spain, which is not happy with that and is becoming more hostile to the illegals and the smugglers involved. The smugglers have seen their income decline over 70 percent since 2016 because more and more of the Libyan coast is controlled and policed by the LNA and Italy has made it much more difficult to get illegals to Italy. The cost of moving operations westward (often more than once) and keeping the smuggling routes from the southern border open has been high. The LNA has also been moving south and occupying key towns used by the people smugglers as they moved their clients north. Far fewer of those illegal migrants are making the journey because so many have failed (and often died in the process) since 2o16. The people smugglers provided a lot of income for local militias and with the sharp decline in people smuggling activity most of the militias loyal to the LNA have suffered sharp declines in income. A lot of desperate militia leaders are fighting over a shrinking pot of gold. Meanwhile the LNA is run more professionally and is much more dependable when it comes to payroll and logistics in general (especially medical care for those wounded in combat). LNA commanders take care of their troops and keep their casualties lower than militia leaders will, or can. The LNA continues to defeat or absorb defiant militias, especially ones that are religion based or outright Islamic terrorists. While many Western nations consider the LNA, or at least some of its commanders, to be war criminals the fact is that pro-GNA faction leaders are no better and often a lot worse. The Arab nations that have long supported the LNA and its creator Khalifa Hiftar understand this and the fact that Hiftar is simply a more effective military leader. After living in the U.S. for over a decade, Hiftar knows first-hand what works. Hiftar always worked for the rival Libyan HoR government in Tobruk and has remained loyal to the HoR for as long as the LNA existed. Most Libyans, having little or no personal experience living in a much less corrupt and more productive Western economy, just want someone to make all the chaos and pain go away. There is no easy way to make that happen. A first step would be to form a united government. That is still a work in progress but at least an effort is underway. Hiftar is also popular in Libya (and with other Moslem governments in the region) for his steadfast and effective opposition to Islamic terrorists and Islamic radicalism in general. Hiftar has indicated that he might have to take Tripoli to end the war but he is not willing to fight a long and bloody battle for the city. More likely is he will continue his slow and methodical march west, where he encourages militias to join the LNA and only fights those that are basically Islamic terrorists. That does not include a lot of the pro-GNA militias composed of Islamic conservatives (and a few Islamic radicals). For decades the Kaddafi dictatorship encouraged Islamic conservatism (and promptly killed anti-Kaddafi Islamic terrorists). So a lot of Libyans are still comfortable with Islamic conservatism. But that means the Islamic conservative militias are willing to work with the LNA and a growing number already do, as do Berber and various tribes along the southern borders. Oil Boom The LNA continues to maintain security for oil production and movement (pipelines) facilities. Most of these are halfway between the coast and the southern borders. For August production hit a post-2011 record of 940,000 BPD (barrels per day). Thats a big increase from July (670,000 BPD). At the end of 2017 production was close to a million BPD but that was disrupted frequently in early 2018. The current goal is to reach 1.5 million BPD by the end of 2018 and 2.1 million BPD by the early 2020s. This is far in excess of pre-2011 levels (1.6 million BPD) but is necessary because of the need to finance reconstruction and adapt to the fact that the world price may be up now but is at risk of continuing to fall, despite OPEC (the Arab dominated oil cartel) efforts to reduce overall production and drive up the price. The problem is that the United States and Canada are producing a lot more due to new technologies (like fracking) that open up huge new sources that were long known but not reachable. The problem with increasing production is that it attracts more greedy militias seeking to get paid. September 14, 2018: The UN extended its operations in Libya another year, to September 15, 2019. The UN also admitted that it was not likely to meet the May goal of holding national elections by the end of 2018. September 10, 2018: ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) took credit for a failed attack on the National Oil Corporation headquarters in Tripoli. There were three attackers armed with guns and two of them wore explosive vests. The three attackers were killed, along with two security personnel. Ten other civilians were wounded. Two of the attackers killed themselves by detonating their explosive vests. The last major ISIL attack was in May, against the national election headquarters. That one also failed. There are believed to be over a thousand ISIL members still active in Libya and surviving in thinly populated areas away from the coast. These ISIL remnants survive by banditry and working for smugglers. There is a lot of less demand by smugglers for security services so ISIL struggles to remain operational in Libya. Security forces have detected small groups of ISIL members trying to establish themselves about 70 kilometers south of Sirte, which was the ISIL capital in Libya for about a year. The Sirte militias are even more hostile to ISIL since they drove the Islamic terrorists out in late 2016. The ISIL attack in Tripoli was made possible by the general disorder in the city over the last month. In the week before the ISIL attack at least 70 people were killed during battles between militias. Many more were wounded. September 1, 2018: The GNA government reopened the main border crossings to Tunisia. Libya had closed it for six weeks because of the dispute with Tunisia over smuggling operations based in Ben Guerdane (the area around the main crossing where much business is done). The closure was triggered in part by Tunisia ordering its security forces to crack down on Libyans who buy a lot of consumer goods in Tunisia and then seek to smuggle it into Libya. August 21, 2018: The UN, which keeps track of such things, reports that so far in 2018 about 130 civilians have been killed as a result of fighting in Libya (which now has a population of about six million). There were many more casualties among the military forces (LNA and militias) as well as the few Islamic terror groups still operating. Various surveys indicate that nationwide fewer than 500 civilians died during 2017 from the fighting between militias, Islamic terror groups, criminal gangs and the LNA. The armed men in these groups suffered higher casualties, most of them among the Islamic terror groups, which were considered legitimate targets by everyone. The Ferretti Group owns a number of shipyards across Italy and are one of the industry leaders in the design, construction and sale of motoryachts, with a portfolio of brands that include Itama, Mochi Craft and CRN in addition to the aforementioned builders The Group is present in the US through its subsidiary Ferretti Group America, and in Asia through Ferretti Group Asia Pacific Ltd. A network of approximately 60 dealers ensures the Groups presence in 80 countries worldwide. The Cannes awards are a proud moment for the Group, whose impressive fleet of 25 models from eight to 42 metres was commended for aesthetics and innovation, and earned some of the most prestigious awards in the sector. Winning is good for morals and for the method, because it repays the whole Group for the work done and tells us that we are doing things in the right way, comments Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi. When our boats are also rewarded by great commercial success, as it is happening, our satisfaction is double. The challenge continues: with these awards we raise the bar of beauty, style and performance more and more. But this is the beauty of the challenge and of being Ferretti Group. The six awards won by the Group are as follows: Ferretti Yachts 670: Best Layout Trophy, category 62 80 feet (18,50-24 metres); Riva 66 Ribelle: Best Exterior Design Trophy, category 62 80 feet (18,50-24 metres); Custom Line 120: Best Exterior Design Trophy, category 125 164 feet (38-50 metres) Custom Line Navetta 42: Best Innovation Trophy, category 125 164 feet (38-50 metres) Pershing 9X: Best Exterior Design Trophy, category 80 125 feet (24-38 metres) Riva 110 Dolce Vita: Best Exterior Design Trophy, category 80 125 feet (24-38 metres). The Ferretti Group are looking to continue their success at the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show, where they will be in attendance with an impressive fleet including Custom Line Navetta 42, Custom Line 120' and Riva 110 DolceVita. The Gibraltar government has announced that the new Notre Dame School is now completed, apart from some external works and landscaping which were slightly delayed by recent bad weather. The school is now being handed over to the Department of Education to be furnished and prepared ready for use. September 10th is National Day, probably the most important event of the year for the people of Gibraltar and especially so this year, as it was the last time it was celebrated with Gibraltar as part of the EU. Sir Joe Bossano / INFOGIB It was red and white (Gibraltar's national colours), it was exciting, it was emotional, especially when Sir Joe Bossano, former chief minister and Gibraltar's senior statesman, who has been in politics for 46 years, was granted the Freedom of the City to rapturous applause. As usual, the British political scene was well-represented with a cross-party selection of visitors including the Minister for Europe, Sir Alan Duncan. There were also reassuring words from British prime minister Theresa May in a video message: "For more than 300 years, the UK and Gibraltar have been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder....I can assure you that this will not change as we leave the European Union. We joined the EU together. We are leaving together. And, as we step forward into the latest chapter of our shared history, we will - once again - do so together. The Government of Gibraltar is fully involved in the Brexit negotiations, and nothing will ever weaken our commitment to the people who call the Rock their home. As long as the people of Gibraltar want to remain British, British is what the people of Gibraltar will remain," she said to loud cheers. The UK in EU collective, of which Bremain in Spain is a member, is awaiting the decision of the UK High Court as to whether it will hear its appeal against the UK government's response to the challenge over the alleged illegal spending limits of the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 EU referendum. If the decision goes in the collective's favour, UK in EU believes it could technically pave the way for invalidating the result of the referendum. In a written Summary Grounds of Resistance, which the collective has published on its website (www.ukineuchallenge.com), the government wholeheartedly rejected the claimants' challenge, requesting that "permission to apply for judicial review should be refused" on a number of grounds, including that the "claim is out of time" and that it is "substantively unarguable". The collective has since responded to the government and has requested that the UK High Court hear the appeal. "Complete transparency" Sue Wilson, Chair of Bremain in Spain and lead claimant in the case against the UK Prime Minister, said, "We took the decision to publish the Summary Grounds of Resistance and our response in order to provide complete transparency about the challenge and the repercussions of the Vote Leave campaign for members of the public." A response next week An answer from the High Court is expected some time next week and, should the court decide to go ahead, despite the British government's request that permission be denied, the case will be heard some time in October . Catalonia marked its annual regional holiday, the Diada, on Tuesday. The day is normally marked with lots of cultural symbolism but this year the centrepiece event was a huge rally through the centre of Barcelona in favour of independence. Separatist leaders called for those held over last year's illegal referendum to be released. Opposition parties claimed that over half of Catalonia's population, "who don't support independence", felt excluded. The PSOE socialist government, in office for only a few months, was embroiled in a scandal fuelled by a media frenzy this week over suspect university qualifications among politicians. Earlier this week, online newspaper eldiario.es published accusations that the 2011 Masters degree of the health minister, Carmen Monton, had been acquired with false marks. The minister denied any wrong-doing and was supported by the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez. But by Tuesday evening she was gone, amid new, indefensible accusations that over a dozen pages in her dissertation had been copied from sources including Wikipedia. By Thursday evening, Pedro Sanchez had been forced to agree to publish his own doctoral thesis after the pressure became inescapable. The document will be available online from today, Friday, as journalists wait to discover if there is any plagiarism in there. Sanchez, like Monton had done with her Masters, has said that his Doctorate is totally in order. This week's events affecting the PSOE party took the ongoing scandal over favoritism and corruption in university awards to politicians to a new level. Up to now it had focused on the conservative PP party. Earlier this year, the president of the Madrid regional government, Cristina Cifuentes, was forced to resign, in part after it emerged that the Masters degree she had been awarded was based on not going to class or doing any work. She too denied any wrongdoing at the time. The new leader of the PP, Pablo Casado, is also under investigation over allegedly receiving favours to get his Masters. He has also, so far, denied any wrongdoing. The spotlight moving to the PSOE party has been a welcome relief for Casado this week. The Masters of Cifuentes, Casado and Monton were all awarded by an institute linked to the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. That university has already disbanded its institute because of the scandal. But the suggestion that there are irregularities in the doctoral thesis of the prime minister himself could have much more significant consequences. Sanchez studied at a different university than the others. On Thursday morning he threatened legal action for those that questioned his honour. By Thursday lunchtime he had finally agreed to its publication. And journalists waited to analyse it. Office hours changing at MICA Family Centers At MICA, the last year has reinforced to us that families need our flexibility now more than ever in how they access our services. Fortunately, we have made changes to meet that need, including virtual visits, curbside pickup, and more. We have evaluated how we can use the lessons from this last year to better serve the needs of families, and that has resulted in making some changes at our Family Development Centers. Effective 11/1, MICAs Tama County Family Development office hours will change to Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. These hours are intended to be available ... This page no longer exists or may have been moved.If you believe this is a mistake please email VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aarons BCBUD Inc. a late stage ACMPR medical cannabis producer applicant, has launched their brand new website today. Aarons BCBUD is one of 500+ Heath Canada applicants under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes regulations. Currently there are over 116 approved medical cannabis producers in Canada and that number is expected to grow in the coming years. The company has engaged a number of plant science and industry experts to ensure that they meet the regulations set forth by Health Canada and those of their future customers. With recreational cannabis legalization a month away, Canadians will be able to purchase and use cannabis for recreational purposes. The specifics of how and where Canadians will be able to purchase cannabis will be left up to the individual provinces. Companies like Aarons BCBUD will still be filling the role of providing medical grade cannabis to patients in need of cannabis as a medicine. The company supports the use of cannabis as a medicine first and foremost. The core of Aarons BCBUDs philosophy is keeping all their products natural. This means that each plant is grown in local soil, without the use of harsh artificial fertilizers, and watered with purified natural spring water from a source located adjacent to their growth facility. Their state-of-the-art facility will have over 26,000 square feet of production space at launch and a further 21 acres of land available for future expansions. This means that Aarons BCBUD will be able to keep up with the high demand that cannabis legalization will bring to Canada for many years. We are very pleased to be launching our new website and moving ahead with our vision. The culture on Vancouver Island, where our facility is located, is very centered around natural and good living. Thats why at Aarons BCBUD we are looking to create new innovations in plant science and create a product that we can be proud of, Said William Marshall, founding partner with Aarons BCBUD. About the Website The company claims that they are in the late stages of their ACMPR license to produce cannabis for medical purposes. The launch of the brand Aarons BCBUD and the associated website coincide with the near completion of construction of their 26,000 square foot facility, located on British Columbias Vancouver Island. TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dynaCERT Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DYA) (OTCQB: DYFSF) (DAX: DMJ) ("dynaCERT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed an engagement letter with PI Financial Corp. (PI Financial), whereby PI Financial will act as lead agent on its own behalf and, if applicable, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (the Agents), for a private placement offering of up to $3 million of units (the Units) on a best efforts basis (the Offering), subject to certain conditions stipulated in the engagement letter. Pursuant to the Offering, the Company, through PI Financial, will offer Units consisting of one common share (a Share) of dynaCERT and one half (1/2) of one common share purchase warrant at a price of $0.25 per Unit. Each whole warrant (a Warrant) shall entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.50 for a period of 24 months from the date of closing of the Offering. The net proceeds of the offering will be used for international marketing of dynaCERTs line of HydraGEN Technology products in Europe, South Asia and the Middle East and general working capital purposes. The Units will be offered to accredited institutions and other accredited investors in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia and such other jurisdictions in Canada as PI Financial and the Company may agree, subject to certain exemptions and regulatory approval. The Units and the Shares and Warrants underlying the Units will be qualified investments for RRSPs, RRIFs, DPSPs, RESPs and TFSAs. The Private Placement is subject to the completion of formal documentation, receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the TSX Venture Exchange and other customary conditions. All of the securities sold pursuant to this offering will be subject to a four-month plus one day hold period starting from the date of closing. The Company shall pay a 7% cash commission and 7% broker warrants to PI Financial on its behalf, and on behalf of the Agents, in applicable circumstances. The securities offered hereby have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless the securities have been registered under the 1933 Act, or are otherwise exempt from such registration. About dynaCERT Inc. dynaCERT Inc. manufactures, distributes, and installs Carbon Emission Reduction Technology for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patent-pending technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through electrolysis and supplies these through the air intake to enhance combustion, resulting in lower carbon emissions and greater fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with all types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment, marine vessels and railroad locomotives. Website: www. dynaCERT .com READER ADVISORY Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to the potential expansion into new markets, industries and segments, such as diesel-powered use of any the dynaCERT products and sales. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. 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 the release. On Behalf of the Board Murray James Payne, CEO For more information, please contact: Jim Payne, CEO & President dynaCERT Inc. #101 501 Alliance Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1 (416) 766-9691 x 2 jpayne@ dynaCERT .com Investor Relations dynaCERT Inc. Nancy Massicotte (416) 766-9691 x 1 ir@dynaCERT.com Bedraggled, displaced Americans long to return home after hurricane Raleigh, United States, Sept 17 (AFP) Sep 17, 2018 In a makeshift shelter on the campus of North Carolina State University, hundreds of people who fled Hurricane Florence dream of going home, but have little idea about when that will happen, or if their homes survived the deluge. "Everybody wants to go home," said Dianna van Horne, a Red Cross worker helping some of the hundreds of thousands of Americans driven to this shelter near the state capital Raleigh by the torrential rains and storm surge that devastated the coast. Four-month-old Genesis, sleeping peacefully in the arms of her mother Rashaunda Dickens, was oblivious to the 300 or so other people living in cramped conditions here. Dickens left her home in the seaside town of Morehead City on Tuesday with her four children, just one step ahead of the storm. "The house that we were living in, the water came up to second floor, so we lost everything," she said. "The kids are scared. They don't really understand what's going on." Her eldest son Jeremy said he can't wait to get back to school and his normal life. "It's so loud in the room, everybody is snoring when I'm trying to sleep. And the beds are hard." Thomas Hammett has two tears tattooed by the corner of his left eye, which had probably never expressed better how his feels than right now. He fled his home in Otway with his two kids, Christopher, aged three, and Jerry, 11. "We can't wait to go back home and live a normal life again, hopefully on Wednesday," Hammett said. "We had to evacuate, it was too dangerous to stay. Some people have died down there. The neighbors told us our home was fine apart from a few branches down, so that's a relief at least." - 'We are all equal' - The fire alarm in the university's Friday Institute -- more used to academic conventions than huddled refugees -- went off in the early hours of the morning, forcing the huddled residents into the rain in their pyjamas, before joining the breakfast line. Despite their tribulations, most are doing their best to stay positive. "Everyone has been very nice, very helpful," said David Owens, a wheelchair-bound pensioner who had been through three other shelters before arriving in Raleigh, after a journey of some 500 miles (800 kilometers). "There are some very interesting people here to talk to, with stories that will humble you and make your heart cry," he said. Van Horne, the Red Cross official, said that despite their yearning to go home, the displaced people "are in a safe place and are making new friends." "Black, white, Hispanic people... we all come together here. We got on the same bus, we smell, we sweat, we are all equal," said Charles Williams, an African American ex-sailor. "Whether you make $20,000 or 200,000 a year, all the money you have won't do you any good. All that matters is we're all safe." NEW YORK and HELSINKI, Finland, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nosto, a leader in ecommerce personalization and artificial intelligence (AI) tools for retail, announced the closing of a new round of funding totaling USD $7.4 million led by European investment companies Tesi , Open Ocean and Idinvest . Nostos innovative retail personalization solutions have fueled a three-year growth rate of 260 percent in North America driven by deep relationships with 2,500 of the worlds fastest growing retail brands. To date, Nosto has raised more than $25 million from investors to further expand its leadership in artificial intelligence and deep learning for retail. Nosto has also driven a gross merchandise volume (GMV) of more than $10 billion through its customer stores, and clients using Nosto are averaging a 22 percent increase year over year GMV compared with the industry average of 14 percent. The companys momentum is driven by its patented technology, predictive AI-algorithms and successful expansion across Europe and North America. Were very proud of the momentum that were experiencing and the widespread adoption of our AI-powered personalization platform. This funding round comes on the back of major product advancements we launched earlier this month where client impact and results have been phenomenal. With these new products, we're now enabling retailers to personalize the entire brand and shopping experience in real-time based on our proprietary AI algorithms, which have trained across tens of billions of data points, said Jim Lofgren, CEO of Nosto. As we expand our offerings to deepen the personalization experience, we are confident that we will improve the customer and brand relationship and drive increased sales for retailers. Were grateful to our investors for their confidence in our growth and support in cementing our position as a leader in retail AI. The new funds will be used towards investments in Nostos machine learning core, omni-channel personalization and continued international expansion. About Nosto Nosto is the fastest growing ecommerce personalization and retail AI platform in the world. Supporting more than 2,500 retail brands in more than 100 countries, Nosto has fueled over 25 billion personalized experiences and delivered a gross merchandise volume (GMV) of more than $10 billion through its customer stores. Nostos end-to-end personalization platform provides deep customer insights that drive real-time personalized shopping experiences across any touch point and any device. Through its patented technology, proprietary machine learning algorithms, vast network of ecommerce data and dedicated customer success team, Nosto supports its retailers from its offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm and Helsinki. More information can be found at http://www.nosto.com/ . Media Contact: Heidi Davidson Galvanize Worldwide for Nosto Heidi@Galvanizeworldwide.com (914) 441-6862 Sellbyville, Delaware, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inventory Management Software Market share is poised to surpass USD 3 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The market growth is attributed to the rapidly growing global e-commerce landscape, retailers emphasizing on offering omnichannel shopping experience to their customers, and the increasing manufacturing output due to the adoption of Industrial IoT (IIoT). Inadequate supply of inventory may grind manufacturing operations into a halt. On the other hand, the excessive supply of inventory can cripple an organizations cash flow and pose a threat to its liquidity position. Either way, inefficient inventory management in manufacturing organizations can create serious challenges for the productivity of the companies. Hence, the demand for robust inventory management solutions in the manufacturing sector is expected to increase consistently over the forecast timeline. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2364 The advanced radio frequency system (RFID) segment in inventory management software market is projected to register an accelerated growth during the forecast timeline with an impressive CAGR of around 11%. The technology allows supply chain managers to identify individual products and components and to track the movement of the inventory throughout the supply chain right from the manufacturing unit to the point-of-sale. The systems are used for ensuring stock security, quality control, and for the prevention of over-stocking or under-stocking of products. The inventory optimization application is anticipated to exhibit a lucrative growth at a CAGR of over 9% between 2018 and 2024. Inventory management systems enable effective inventory optimization by allowing organizations to reduce inventory by a considerable percentage to free up working capital from unnecessary inventory buffers. This also facilitates reduced inventory carrying costs and increased customer service performance. The cloud model is projected to acquire an inventory management software market share of over 35% by 2024. The market growth is characterized by increasing awareness regarding the benefits of scalability, flexibility, and enhanced security offered by cloud platforms. SMBs can save significant costs on capital investments by opting for cloud-based inventory management software without the need for procuring dedicated hardware and software resources. Also, cloud providers offer pay-as-you-go services to their customers, allowing them to scale their usage of inventory management systems dynamically with respect to the changing market demands. The large organization market is projected to register an impressive growth over the forecast timeline with a CAGR of over 8%. Large enterprises invest significant resources in inventory management systems to ensure uninterrupted supply of inventory throughout the supply chain for avoiding any production or distribution losses. The solutions enable such businesses with large volumes of inventory to efficiently track the products at every stage. Browse key industry insights spread across 220 pages with 338 market data tables & 30 figures & charts from this 2018 report Inventory Management Software Market in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/inventory-management-software-market The manufacturing sector is expected to secure a inventory management software market share of over 25% by 2024. This impressive growth is attributed to the robust growth of the manufacturing sector after Industry 4.0, and the emergence of automation systems in manufacturing to rapidly increase production capacities. According to the UN, manufacturing globally contributed to 17% of the total economic value in 2016. This steady growth of the sector is expected to further fuel the demand for modern inventory management software to streamline and optimize the manufacturing process flows. Asia Pacific inventory management software market is projected to register an excellent growth with a CAGR of around 10% between 2018 and 2024. This growth can be attributed to a rapidly evolving e-commerce ecosystem along with heavy investments from venture capitalists to leverage the growing demand for online marketplaces. In 2017-2018, the retail shrinkage as a percentage of sales in the Asia Pacific region was estimated at around 1.75%, amounting to nearly USD 24 billion. To tackle the growing concerns related to the inventory shrinkage, the uptake of inventory management software in the region is expected to grow consistently over the forecast timeline. Companies operating in the global inventory management software market are focusing on technology innovations, strategic acquisitions, and mergers to strengthen their market position and to acquire new customers. For instance, in April 2018, SAP SE acquired Callidus Cloud Software, Inc. at USD 36 per share in a cash deal. This acquisition will strengthen the position of SAP in the inventory management market by integrating advanced CRM and sales optimization capabilities of the Callidus Cloud into its inventory management system. Similarly, in 2016, Oracle acquired one of the leading vendors of the inventory management software, Netsuite, to strengthen its market position and expand its customer base. Some of the key players operating in the inventory management software market are Ordoro, Fishbowl, Zoho, Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, Stitch Labs, Dapulse (Monday.com), Dearinventory, Brightperal, TradeGecko, Orderhive, Handifox, Veeqo, SkuVault, Megaventory, Wasp Barcode Technologies, Acctivate, Sage, Manhattan Associates, and KCSI. Make an Inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2364 Browse Related Reports: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Retail Market Size By Component (Solution [Chatbot, Customer Behavior Tracking, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Inventory Management, Price Optimization, Recommendation Engine, Supply Chain Management, Visual Search], Service [Professional Service, Managed Service]), By Technology (Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision), By Application (Automated Merchandising, Programmatic Advertising, Market Forecasting, In-Store AI & Location Optimization, Data Science), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, UAE, Israel, South Africa), Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 - 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/artificial-intelligence-ai-retail-market Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) Market Size By Product (LCD ESL, Segmented E-Paper ESL, Full Graphic E-Paper ESL), By Technology (RF, IR, NFC), By Application (Industrial, Commercial [Hypermarket, Supermarket, Non-Food Retail]), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/electronic-shelf-label-esl-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. "We are pleased the court recognizes the importance of allowing this case to move forward, and of ensuring that outdated and irrational policies regarding people living with HIV are not allowed to stand." Alexandria, Va. -- Today, a Virginia federal court ruled a case filed by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, along with pro bono counsel from Winston & Strawn LLP, challenging the military's discriminatory policies governing the enlistment, deployment, and promotion of service members living with HIV will continue by denying the government's motion to dismiss. The plaintiffs' motion to halt implementation of a new Department of Defense policy that likely would have resulted in the discharge of service members living with HIV was also denied because the Pentagon modified the policy after the plaintiffs filed the motion. "All service members with HIV want is for the Pentagon to let us do the jobs we signed on to do," said plaintiff Sgt. Nick Harrison. "These patriots love this country, volunteered to be soldiers, and look forward to the day that they can serve to the full extent of their abilities, and to not be impeded by misperceptions about HIV." These service members are being denied significant career advancement opportunities and even threatened with discharge due to the Defense Department's long-standing discriminatory policies. Left unaddressed, hundreds of service members who are otherwise fit for duty, including plaintiff Sgt. Nick Harrison, will be discharged from the military, suffering irrevocable harm to their careers and losing critical health care and other benefits. "We are pleased the court recognizes the importance of allowing this case to move forward, and of ensuring that outdated and irrational policies regarding people living with HIV are not allowed to stand," said Scott Schoettes, Counsel and HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal. "While we develop the record the Court needs in order to rule on the constitutionality of the Defense Department's HIV-related personnel policies, we will continue to be vigilant to ensure that service members are not being discharged solely because they are living with HIV under the Trump administration's new version of its "Deploy or Get Out!" Under long-standing DoD policies, those who are serving stateside after an HIV diagnosis are denied important career advancement opportunities and are not allowed to commission as an officer. Sgt. Harrison was denied a position in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps because his HIV prevents him from commissioning as an officer. Currently, service members who are diagnosed with HIV while in the military, like Harrison, are classified as non-deployable without regard to their fitness, while people who have already been diagnosed with HIV are not allowed to enlist or commission as officers at all. The revised version will create a new category of deployment-limited personnel that the military will not discharge under the new policy, and the government's lawyers have indicated that people living with HIV are likely to be reclassified into this category. OutServe-SLDN is also an organizational plaintiff in this case to advance the interests of its members who are living with HIV. In a companion lawsuit entitled Doe v. Mattis, Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN are representing an anonymous service member living with HIV who the Air Force refused to commission as an officer after he graduated from the Air Force Academy, despite recommendations from medical personnel. "Since we first filed this case, we have heard from many service members worried about how Trump's Defense Department will handle people living with HIV, so we are very pleased the Court denied the government's motion to dismiss," said Peter Perkowski, Legal Director of OutServe-SLDN. "The judge had some very pointed questions for the government about why it made sense for the military to invest as much as it had in Sergeant Harrison and then deny him this position as a JAG officer simply because he is living with HIV. We look forward to proving that decision was not only nonsensical, but unconstitutional." Read a copy of the Motion for Preliminary Injunction. Read more about the Harrison v. Mattis case here: www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/harrison-v-mattis. [Note from TheBody: This article was originally published by Lambda Legal on Sept. 14, 2018. We have cross-posted it with their permission.] Ending HIV as an epidemic in black communities is more than a battle about health care or viral suppression. It's also about stomping out the stigma that is associated with the virus, according to health care experts and advocates who spoke as part of a panel discussion this past weekend at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference. On Friday, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., a sparse but vocal crowd attended Words Matter: How Eradicating Stigma Can Lead to the End of HIV/AIDS, a panel presented by congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA). Rep. Lee opened the discussion by putting the event into a larger context. "We've had this brain trust for how long? Over 15 years now?" Lee said. "It's important that we keep beating this drum because people think we've accomplished our goals, that we are living in an HIV-free world. And of course, we know we have not." Rep. Lee is a longtime congressional champion of domestic and global HIV programs, having coauthored several pieces of HIV-related legislation, and she is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She pushed hard on the correlation between the politics and the epidemic. "Ending HIV/AIDS is a political struggle," Lee said. "We need those public officials to be accountable to our agenda or they don't need to be elected." David Johns addresses the "Words Matter: How Eradicating Stigma Can Lead to the End of HIV/AIDS" panel George Kevin Jordan The panel included several longtime advocates in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including Dazon Dixon Diallo, M.P.H., founder and president of SisterLove, Inc.; David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition; Gloria Crowell, director of HIV/AIDS Mission at Allen Temple; and Kevin Jones, executive director of Urban Coalition of HIV/AIDS Prevention Services (UCHAPS). Johns admitted to being surprised about having to keep discussing the epidemic in black spaces, saying, "One thing I didn't anticipate when I took the role on at National Black Justice Coalition was how much I would have to have conversations about HIV/AIDS with black folks in particular." He took note of the audience size (approximately 30 people) in correlation to the importance of the issue of HIV/AIDS and stigma in black communities. "It's still frustrating to me that this room is not filled," Johns lamented. It should be noted that, during this same session time, there were hundreds of mostly young attendees huddled into a packed auditorium to catch a glimpse of hip-hop star and activist Meek Mill and a plethora of celebrity panelists (Van Jones and Michael Eric Dyson, among others) as they discussed criminal justice issues, music, and social justice. It remains unclear whether being pitted against another panel with big name celebrities or, in fact, HIV stigma kept more attendees from joining the session. But, the low numbers did not go unnoted by the panel. The panel presenters were, however, undeterred. They dissected the definition of "stigma," largely underscoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s interpretation, and discussed how stigma impacts testing, care, and treatment. According to the CDC, stigma in regards to HIV is defined as follows: "[N]egative attitudes and beliefs about people living with HIV. It is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable." The CDC further reports: "Many of the ideas about HIV come from the HIV images that first appeared in the early 1980s. There are still misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted and what it means to live with HIV today." Johns noted, "This panel is important because, since the introduction of the epidemic in the '80s, black people have been dying at a disproportionate rate as a result of AIDS and HIV, and so much of that is a result of stigma." Related: Black Lives, Health Care Justice, HIV Stigma -- and Beyonce's Lemonade! Dazon Dixon Diallo, M.P.H., addresses the "Words Matter: How Eradicating Stigma Can Lead to the End of HIV/AIDS" panel George Kevin Jordan SEATTLE, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Regence announced that Julie Lindberg, MSW, has joined the company as Vice President of Clinical Services. Lindberg will oversee teams across the health plans four-state footprint, including; clinical service operations, utilization management, care management, post service review and reimbursement. Julies leadership will support our efforts to deliver best in class, patient-centered clinical services, said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, SVP, Health Care Services and Chief Medical Officer of Cambia Health Solutions. Her breadth of clinical experience and her expertise in serving consumers where they are, will be instrumental in continuing our work to offer integrated, cost-effective care. Ms. Lindberg joins Regence from Molina Healthcare where she served as the Regional Vice President of Health Care Services. She previously oversaw clinical operations for Molinas Medicare and Medicaid plans, serving approximately one million people across Washington, Utah and Idaho. Lindberg also led the integration of behavioral health with other clinical models and developed high-touch case management programs to improve health outcomes for members. Prior to her role at Molina Healthcare, she acted as director of Clinical Operations at Group Health in Washington. She earned her bachelors degree from Pomona College in California and her masters in social work from the University of California at Los Angeles. Her background as a licensed clinical social worker combined with strong direct patient care experience affords her a unique perspective to streamline services for Regence members. She will be based in Seattle, Washington. About Regence Regence serves approximately 2.4 million members through Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (select counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com. ROCHESTER, Minn., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southeast Minnesota REALTORS (SEMR) has become a shareholder in the largest MLS in the state of Minnesota, NorthstarMLS. MLS operations will be merged this fall. As a result, NorthstarMLS will represent approximately 19,000 real estate professionals, over 88% of those in the state. Too many of our members were paying to belong to two or more MLSs to get all the listings inventory they needed to do business. They had to double-input their own listings to get them into both systems, said SEMR CEO Karen Becker. But the cost savings and better efficiency are just a couple of the benefits of merging MLS operations with NorthstarMLS. She added, All our members will now have the most comprehensive and accurate property information for their sellers, and the most complete and up-to-date inventory for their homebuyers. We are also excited for the additional technology tools that will improve how members serve their clients. SEMR worked with real estate industry consultant Matt Cohen, Clareity Consulting, to help its MLS and Association leadership evaluate strategic options, to research and provide recommendations for addressing concerns, to help educate and collect feedback from broker participants, to engage with NorthstarMLS, and to create a communications plan which will be executed as the MLS operations merge. We are pleased to welcome SEMR as a shareholder, said NorthstarMLS CEO John Mosey. NorthstarMLS is implementing changes to better accommodate SEMR members' needs and we expect these will make our service even better for our current customers. We hope that other associations in our multi-state market region can see how committed we are about collaborating to create a more efficient marketplace for our brokers and agents and continue to be open to further dialog on MLS cooperation in any form. About SEMR Southeast Minnesota REALTORS serves over 1,000 members in 11 counties in southeast Minnesota. Southeast Minnesota REALTORS is committed to enhancing the business tools available to our brokers and agents and provides personalized customer service to assist members with their day-to-day business operations. REALTORS provide services to clients representing a wide variety of property types from metro residential to vacation properties to rural and farm to small town America. The economy in southeast Minnesota continues to grow and evolve with Mayo Clinics Destination Medical Center at its heart, contributing to a 7% increase in median home values overall. In 2017, over 6,000 homes sold through SEMR MLS in a highly competitive market. About NorthstarMLS NorthstarMLS supports over 18,000 real estate professionals in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. We provide participating brokers and agents with fast and reliable access to the information services and resources that make our property market function efficiently and effectively for both buyers and sellers. NorthstarMLS facilitated more than 87,000 real estate transactions valued over $24 billion in 2017 and provided access for real estate professionals to more than 22,000 Active listings, more than 1.5 million comparable and sold properties, and millions of property records from ALL Minnesota and Wisconsin counties. Media Contacts: Karen Becker Southeast Minnesota REALTORS 507-285-9833 karen@semnrealtors.com John Mosey NorthstarMLS 651-251-3207 jmosey@northstarmls.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0c51d28-cf7a-44e2-9aed-8fde95cc30a8 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/11eb3558-0355-4bf7-9ca9-717ab2603978 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ac9e53b-eb27-4a0c-b1bf-00d0417075bd http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e80332b-6200-4166-8add-e2154b96e0bf CROZET, Va., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantum sensors exhibit a high degree of sensitivity based on quantum phenomena such as quantum entanglement. They enable new markets and -- according to Quantum Sensors Markets: 2018 and Beyond, -- a new report published by Inside Quantum Technology ( www.insidequantumtechnology.com ), revenues from the quantum sensor market will reach $1.3 Billion in 2023 growing to $2.2 Billion by 2028. The research was conducted by Inside Quantum Technologys research division, IQT Research. More details of the report including a full table of contents, sample from the report and pricing are available at https://www.insidequantumtechnology.com/product/quantum-sensors-markets-2018-beyond/ Description of this report: This report provides a strategic analysis of the main products, markets and key companies active in the quantum sensor business. Quantum sensors considered in this report include atomic clocks, single-photon detectors, PAR sensors, quantum LiDAR and quantum radar, gravity sensors, quantum magnetometers, quantum imaging devices and others. The report also takes a look at materials used for quantum sensors, especially diamond and graphene. End user markets for quantum sensors that are covered in the report include: Transportation (Autonomous vehicles, navigation, GPS and air traffic control) Agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture Networked industries (telecom and smart grids) Construction and surveying Financial trading Medical imaging Defense and aerospace Research and development Internet-of-Things Many smaller traditional sensor firms are already active in the quantum sensor business to some extent, but some industry giants have also taken a stake in the sector including Bosch, Honeywell, HP, ST Microelectronics and Texas Instruments. Inside Quantum Technology includes highly granular ten-year market forecasts in this report in both revenue and (where possible) volume shipment terms. Each end-user sector is forecast by the type of quantum sensors being used. Some of the devices considered in this report such as PAR sensors represent relatively mature technology. Others gravity sensors and quantum LiDAR, for example are only beginning to make an impact. We believe, however, that all quantum sensor technology has strong commercial prospects ahead of it and that the business will also benefit from increasing levels of government and VC funding for quantum technology in general. There is also emerging technologies such as quantum photonics that will lead to new kinds of quantum sensor products being developed in the near future. From the report: The largest segment of the quantum sensor market is made up of atomic clocks, which will reach over $0.5 billion in revenues by 2022. Sales of atomic clocks are being driven by new applications such as smart grids and time stamping in the financial services industry, as well as growth of private navigation systems outside of public GPS. There are also important technological changes in atomic clocks, notably the emergence of chip-scale devices Medical applications for quantum sensors will reach almost $270 million by 2023 as the result of a broad range of fast growing applications in medical imaging and medical wearables. Quantum imaging devices may be used to supplement existing medical imaging modalities and there will be a large growth in demand for SQUID sensors as the result of the growing number of applications for magnetoencephalography (MEG), which can be more comfortable than MRIs The quantum sensors market will also provide significant opportunities in the future for specialty chemical companies and firms that sell novel materials in research quantities. For example, there is considerable materials development work around building new kinds of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). Quantum dots, graphene, silicon and industrial diamond appear to also have important roles to play in the future of quantum sensors. About Inside Quantum Technology: Inside Quantum Technology is the first company to be entirely dedicated to meeting the strategic information and analysis needs of the emerging quantum technology sector. In addition to arranging conferences and publishing articles of critical importance to the quantum technology sector, our consulting group, IQT Research, provides published reports on most of the important revenue opportunities in quantum technology. The quantum sensor report is part of a new series of IQT Research reports covering the commercial opportunities in the emerging markets for quantum technology products. Previous reports in this space include industry analysis studies on quantum key encryption, Quantum Networks and quantum computing. To purchase this report, please contact missy@insidequantumtechnology.com Press contact: lawrence@insidequantumtechnology.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yuyun Wahyuningrum (The Jakarta Post) The Hague Tue, September 18, 2018 11:34 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087735bc65 3 Opinion human-rights-abuse,human-rights,ASEAN,Myanmar,Rohingya-Muslims,crimes-against-humanity Free Twenty days after the 51st anniversary of ASEAN, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (the mission) reported on Aug. 28 that genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes had been committed by the Tatmadaw in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states. The mission was convinced there were reasonable grounds to hold senior military officials accountable for their genocidal intent to destroy the Rohingya as both an ethnic and religious group in Myanmar, in whole or in part. In the last 10 years, numerous reports and legal analyses have indicated that Myanmar, which joined ASEAN in 1997, has been responsible for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya. What makes this missions report important is its finding of genocidal intent. The mission established that such intent to destroy was pre-planned and under the commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to solve the unfinished job of the long-standing Bengali problem. The Tatmadaws (military) actions, the Mission argued, met four of the five defined prohibited acts in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, of which Myanmar is the state party: (a) killing; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm, (c) inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the group in whole or in part, and (d) imposing measures intending to prevent births. The enforcement of the prohibition of genocide rests on two pillars. First, the prosecution against genocide by the territorial state, or by any state that declares genocide falls under the rubric of universal jurisdiction. According to the 2001 Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction, crimes that are harmful to international interests such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture oblige states to bring perpetrators to justice, regardless of the crime site or the nationality of the perpetrators or the victims. ASEAN member states might consider the concept of universal jurisdiction to address the genocide of Rohingya. Second, the enforcement of the prohibition of genocide is the collective responsibility of states as enshrined under the UN Charter, and within the purview of the R2P (responsibility to protect) doctrine states may intervene in a country where a genocide is taking place with a view of protecting the targeted group. ASEAN member states are thus responsible for preventing or punishing genocide in Myanmar. The mission recommended ASEAN to engage Myanmar to develop strategies to hold the perpetrators accountable for their acts. The question remains on ASEANs non-intervention policy. Because of the principle, ASEANs engagement on the Rohingya issue has been conducted behind closed doors without concrete measures to solve the problem. ASEANs narrow understanding of the practice or a blanket application of non-intervention not only hinders achievements in the development of peace, security and economic growth, but also compromises the protection of human rights in the region. Scholar Eric Kuhonta says there is a continuum of unsolicited to solicited intervention. Military force is considered the highest degree of intervention, with non-interference the lowest level. In between, there are intervention practices such as diplomacy, cooperation, sanctions and humanitarian intervention. ASEAN needs to revisit the advice of Rudolfo Severino, the ASEAN secretary-general from 1998 to 2002, to consider reducing the non-interference principles on selected issues: genocide, the use of rape as a weapon of war, the worst forms of child labor, the deployment of child soldiers, trafficking in illicit drugs and the curtailment of freedom to practice ones religion. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has warned that the Rohingya crisis would affect peace and stability in the country as well as economic and political progress in ASEAN if it remained unaddressed. In her response, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi assured Indonesia that the country was committed to finding a solution to the problem and complying with the recommendations issued by the Advisory Committee for Rakhine state. On July 30, Myanmar announced the formation of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of gross human rights violations against the Rohingya. Civil society criticized this commission as another attempt to avoid international oversight. Yet commission members stressed that their mission was not to blame anybody for the violations. The Rohingya crisis is not an internal affair of Myanmar, but a regional and international crisis. ASEANs inaction on the Rohingya issue is evidence of a regional moral crisis. ASEAN should first, therefore, positively recognize the missions report and take steps to ensure accountability for the perpetrators in support of an international justice mechanism. At least, ASEAN member states should refrain from obstructing the international justice system, which deals with the criminal responsibility of individuals. There is a greater risk when the gross human rights violations in the region or elsewhere proceed unchecked. It means ASEAN allows for anyone living in this region to be the object of persecution on the basis of group affiliations or who they or we are. It is an offense to ASEANs core values of diversity, human rights and peace. *** The writer is a PhD researcher at the International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Hague and senior adviser on ASEAN and human rights at the Human Rights Working Group in Jakarta. The views expressed are her own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (SSAS), formerly known as Selasar Seni Sunaryo, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Sept 15 in Bandung. To mark the event, the gallery is holding an exhibition by Sunaryo titled Lawangkala, which will run until Dec. 23. Sunaryo, who graduated from Bandung Institute of Technologys (ITB) School of Arts and Design, presented a body of contemplative work. Wrapping and tying became patching and sewing. It is all up for interpretation. I hope someday a patch is no longer necessary, he said at the beginning of a press tour for the exhibition. In 1998, Sunaryo opened up his gallery with an exhibition titled The Inferno, showcasing installations and paintings wrapped with black fabric and tied with mattress straps. It was said to be born out of his restlessness in regard to uncertainties in the countrys politics as well as how the country seemed to be going nowhere after president Soeharto stepped down. The New Order made me feel agitated, Sunaryo said, who decided to close up his works with black fabric as a symbol of mourning. Twenty years later, in the same place, Sunaryo invited his guests, most of them journalists, to step into the gallerys main room through a bamboo tunnel. The tunnel, which went through the gallery and ended in the outdoor area, was named Lawangkala, or the door of time. The artist was inspired by bubu, environmentally-friendly bamboo fish traps that are still widely used in Indonesia. According to Sunaryo, once inside the trap, theres no way out. Theres an entry and exit point but time is not linear. Life is not straight, there are choices. The universe consists of causes and effects, he said. Read also: Ohana art gallery: A gem in rare space Going through the tunnels that seemed to split up the gallerys building, guests faced darkness. Light bounced from mirrors beside the tunnels, but views were still limited. The only direction to move was forward, to walk through the winding hallways; just like how people go through life, with no option to turn back time. Sunaryos other works in the exhibition are showcased in the B and wing room, on the lower floor of the main room. Curator Agung Hujatnikajenong said Sunaryos works were full of symbols and came from personal interpretations. His sensibility is something empirical. His experiences are instantly absorbed and then transformed subjectively. He can present something dark as a poetic thing. Abstracts are his thing, said Agung on the exhibition. Sunaryo said his gallery was meant as an incubator for artists to develop and prepare themselves prior to releasing their works for the public. I hope it can inspire the creation of similar spaces. We need this kind of incubator. It would be overwhelming for [art students] who just graduated to instantly work in the real world. We provide mentoring and curatorial process to prep them, he said. The gallery, for the first time in twenty years, charges entry fees at Rp 15,000 (US$ 1) to 25,000 ($1.67). Free entry is offered to seniors and children aged 5 and under. Whether to charge visitors has been an ongoing discussion. But even without fees people were still reluctant to come. In our first year, there were only 1,000 visitors. Now there are almost 40,000 visitors a year, Sunaryo added. (wng) Washington, DC, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After an exhaustive executive search, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced today that Ian Jefferies will become the organizations next president and CEO on January 1, 2019. Known as a trusted voice on rail and transportation issues, Jefferies honed the skills and expertise necessary to steer the worlds leading rail policy and research organization during his tenure as AARs senior vice president of government affairs and as a senior policy advisor on Capitol Hill. Jefferies will continue to lead the organizations legislative efforts through the end of the year and coordinate with AARs long-time President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger to ensure a smooth transition. For years, we have known that Ian understands both the policy and priorities of the rail industry, and he has been a proven advocate for our issues, said Jim Squires, the AAR board of directors chair and Norfolk Southern Corporation chairman, president, and CEO. Ian will extend a legacy of vision, leadership and energy to write an exciting new chapter for the AAR while ensuring that it remains a clear and trusted voice in Washington. I am honored to work for a bedrock industry that delivers every day for the economy, and I appreciate the confidence placed in me to guide the AAR as we work to build an even stronger future for rail, said Jefferies. As change accelerates in Washington and the transportation sector, freight railroads are on track to meet tomorrows challenges while remaining steadfastly committed to the safety, efficiency and sustainability that define railroading in America. Railroads are charting a bold path forward, and AARs dedicated team is armed with the knowledge and insight to help build tomorrows railroad today. Leading the industrys advocacy efforts in Washington, Jefferies has worked on a bipartisan basis to build consensus and broad coalitions in support of railroads policy priorities before Congress and the administration. Leading the AARs government relations department, Jefferies has helped secure significant legislative victories, including managing advocacy surrounding the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015, securing tank car safety enhancements in the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and defeating multiple efforts to increase truck size and weight limits. Prior to joining the AAR in 2013, Jefferies worked for more than a decade in government, including as a senior policy advisor to the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Government Accountability Office before working on Capitol Hill. Jefferies earned a B.S. in Economics from the University of Kentucky and a Masters of Science in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Founded in 1934, AAR is the world's leading railroad policy, research, standard setting and technology organization that focuses on the safety and productivity of the U.S. freight rail industry. AAR Full Members include the major freight railroads in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. AAR Railroad Affiliate and Associate Members include commuter railroads, rail supply companies, engineering firms, signal and communications firms and rail car owners. ### The 70th Emmy Awards featured pithy jokes, heartfelt speeches and a few life lessons. Here are a handful of key quotes from Monday's night gala in Los Angeles: - Boozing with colleagues - "This year, the audience is allowed to drink in their seats. Hope you're excited about that -- because the one thing Hollywood needs right now is a bunch of people losing their inhibitions at a work function." -- Emmy host Colin Jost, a regular on "Saturday Night Live" - Praise Jesus - "My mother's not watching tonight. She says she doesn't like watching white award shows because you guys don't thank Jesus enough. The only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex-crackheads." -- Jost's co-host and "SNL" partner Michael Che, who is black - God is a woman - "I don't even believe in God, but I'm going to thank her tonight." -- Emmy winner Thandie Newton ("Westworld"), following up on Che's riff - Losers at love and Emmys - "There are so many guys who didn't win with engagements rings in their pockets right now." -- Jost, after Emmy winner Glenn Weiss's surprise proposal - Comedy legend - "It's incredible that you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you." -- Legendary comedian and multiple Emmy winner Betty White, who is 96 - Offred or Kunta Kinte? - "'The Handmaid's Tale' takes place in an imaginary future where an entire group of people is violently forced to work and make babies against their will. It's what black people call history. It's 'Roots' for white women" -- Che, referring to the landmark 1970s television mini-series about slavery - Nazis are bad, right? - "The first Emmys were held back in 1949. Things were very different back then. Gas was 17 cents a gallon, a new home cost $7,000, and we all agreed that Nazis were bad." -- Jost, in a dig at President Donald Trump's failure to explicitly condemn a white nationalist and neo-Nazi rally in Virginia last year - Trump or Claire Underwood? - "I've been watching this very shocking dystopian drama called 'The News.' I'm on season 9,000. It gets darker and darker but I can't stop watching. They need to recast the lead. I'd prefer Robin Wright." -- Comedian Samantha Bee, cracking wise about the 45th president of the United States and her preference for Wright's "House of Cards" character Read also: Emmys fashion: white-hot, glamorous and political - Career advice - "When they call and say, 'Can you ride a horse?', don't lie. You will find on day one you're in the Kentucky Derby." -- Jeff Daniels, who won the Emmy for best supporting actor in a limited series or movie for Netflix western "Godless" - Keeping it real - "Ladies, when you use a public restroom, sit down. If you sit, we can all sit. Stop peeing on the seat." -- Alex Borstein, who won the Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy for "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to be selected as the Market Focus at the 2019 London Book Fair. Indonesia will focus on selling rights at the March 12 to 14 event at Olympia in the United Kingdom. Hilmar Farid, the Education and Culture Ministrys culture director general, told The Jakarta Post that writers would be featured at the event. Publishers there known to offer contracts if they like certain stories even before the authors start writing, Hilmar said at the Indonesia as Market Focus Country media reception in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Sept. 12. He said several Indonesian authors were in the UK on residential programs, among them Ratih Kumala (author of Cigarette Girl) and Reda Gaudiamo (author of Na Willa), and hoped more Indonesian writers could join such programs to get ideas that local publishers may find appealing. Hilmar Farid, the Education and Culture Ministrys culture director general, speaks during the Indonesia as Market Focus Country at the London Book Fair 2019 media reception in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Sept. 12. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira) Hilmar said an exhibition offering a complete Indonesian experience would be held at the London Book Fair, such as books, music and films and at the same time Indonesia would be introduced as an entity, rather than focusing on selling titles only. Hilmar perceived it to be necessary as Indonesian literature was not well-known in the UK. We lack writers who write in English. Almost all of them have to be translated, he said. A similar problem is faced by Jacks Thomas, director of the London Book Fair, who said people were thirsty for Indonesian literature. The single biggest barrier to actually getting your books is we cant read the language, Thomas said. Publishers look for tiny samples in English or, if theyre German, in German. Read also: Indonesia to be market focus country in London Book Fair 2019 Jacks Thomas, director of the London Book Fair, speaks at the media reception on Indonesia as Market Focus Country at the London Book Fair 2019 on Sept. 12 in Senayan, South Jakarta. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira) Meanwhile, Siti Gretiani, the coordinator of promotion and literacy of the National Book Committee (KBN), said English translators in Indonesia were improving. This is because nowadays the young generation are able to speak English well and theyre interested [in translating], but I havent found the best one yet, Siti said. She further explained that literature was more challenging to translate than nonfiction as a translator needed to understand the context and translate it without changing the original writers sense of language. Siti also said that a lack of exposure and the right literary agent were other problems faced by Indonesian literature in the international publishing sphere. 'Sitti Nurbaja' is among the books published by state-owned Balai Pustaka exhibited at the media reception on Indonesia as Market Focus Country at the London Book Fair 2019 on Sept. 12 in Senayan, South Jakarta. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira) When it comes to genre that Indonesia should bring to the London Book Fair next year, Thomas mentioned fiction, childrens books, Islamic books and graphic novels. Theres this huge movement around graphic novels. Theyre universally popular, Thomas said. Were looking to having some of them. Siti agreed with Thomas regarding genre. Literature and Islamic books because there is a large Muslim community there, Siti said. (mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 07:14 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087734b3a8 1 City tycoon,drug-user,cocaine,Richard-Muljadi,marriage,Cathedral-Church Free The Jakarta Police have rejected the request of detained businessman Richard Muljadi to marry at the Jakarta Cathedral this month. Richard, who was arrested on suspicion of using drugs, would only be allowed to hold a ceremony behind bars. Drug investigation director Sr. Comr. Suwondo Nainggolan said the businessman and heir to oil, gas and mining company PT Mulia Graha Abadi, had submitted the request through his lawyer, Hotma Sitompul. Weve discussed the request with Irwasda [regional monitoring inspectorate], the legal bureau, Propam [Internal Affairs Division], also with assistance from the Criminal Investigation Department [Bareskrim]. Weve decided that we wont release him so that he can marry outside the detention center, Suwondo added as quoted by kompas.com. Richard is detained at the Jakarta Polices detention center in South Jakarta. They still can get married but at the detention center, like other detainees [who want to get married], Suwondo said. Richard was arrested on Aug. 22 after police officers reportedly caught him sniffing cocaine in the bathroom of a South Jakarta shopping mall. The suspect is the grandson of lawyer, former judge and pharmaceutical tycoon Kartini Muljadi, the 44th richest Indonesian according to a 2017 Forbes list. (srz) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar, South Sulawesi Tue, September 18, 2018 07:30 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087734b6f4 1 National child-abuse,child-protection,child-protection-law Free Three children who had reportedly been locked up by their stepmother for years escaped from their home in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Sunday. The 11-year-old boy, 5-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy pried open a padlock on a door in the three-story shop house in Panakkukang with an iron bar. The younger children are now under the protection of Makassars Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Agency, but the elder boy was missing as of Monday. Agency head Andi Tenri Palallo said Monday that the two children were in a healing process, both physically and psychologically. She said they had both developed psychological problems because of suspected violent treatment at the hands of their stepmother. When we found them, both were in a bad state. They were starving and there were wounds on their bodies. The 5-year-old said they had been beaten and burned with cigarette butts. They were beaten with the iron bar they used to get out of the house, she said. Tenri said the three children had been adopted as babies. They had been kept indoors with several pets, including cats, dogs and snakes, and they were not allowed outside. Whenever the mother left the house, they were locked inside. Neighbors said they had seen the three of them standing by the window on the third floor of the shop house a few days earlier. They had gestured for help, waving and pointing to their stomachs and mouths. The 5-year-old said her brother had told her to separate from him, so that at least one of them could be free in case their mother found out about their escape. Locals found the girl about 200 meters from their house when she was running to find her brother, while the youngest was found in front of the shop house crying. The three children have different biological parents, and the Makassar administration has yet to find out the identities of their parents. Police arrested their stepmother, who is known as Acci, Memei or Ginsel, on Monday afternoon. Makassar Police chief detective Comr. Wirdhanto Hadicaksono said they were looking into the motive behind the alleged abuse. Police are also still waiting for a forensics report on the wounds of the two children. Wirdhanto said police were checking the adoption documents to find out whether the adoptions were legal or not. Were searching for the oldest child. We are distributing information through the media, so the boy can be protected, he said. Ardian Arnold, an official from the Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, said Monday as quoted by kompas.com that he had received information that a person living in Timika, Papua, financed the three children's needs and that the woman taking care of them received money transfers from that person. In a separate case earlier this year, a woman was arrested over alleged neglect of five adopted children. The woman was arrested on Feb. 28 in a hotel room in Central Jakarta, where she was staying with the five children, who did not attend school, the police said. The woman, CW, denied neglecting her adopted children. The 2014 law on child protection states that anyone who abuses or neglects a child can be punished with up to five years of imprisonment. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Maria Panina (Agence France-Presse) Sochi, Russia Mon, September 17, 2018 10:01 1149 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee80181a5 2 World #Putin,#Erdogan,Putin,Erdogan,talks,Syria Free Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Monday to try to come to an agreement over the Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib. The leaders of the two countries are on opposite sides of the deadly seven-year conflict but remain key global allies. "We have a lot of issues to discuss, including difficult ones," Putin said at the start of the talks at his residence in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. He added that the meeting would help "find solutions for where there are none yet." "I think not just the region, but the entire world has eyes focused on our meeting today," Erdogan said for his part, in comments that were translated into Russian. "I believe that the statement we will make after the Sochi meeting will give new hope to the region," he added. Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly warned that such an offensive would unleash a "bloodbath" and "humanitarian catastrophe" in Idlib, which is home to three million people. Turkey has intensified negotiations with Russia to avert a possible attack, repeatedly calling for a ceasefire. Erdogan and Putin met previously on September 7 in Tehran for a three-way summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that saw the Russian and Turkish leaders openly disagree over how to deal with the rebel stronghold, which borders Turkey. "The situation with Idlib is acute," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti state news agency ahead of the talks Monday. "There are certain differences in approaches" between the leaders, he added. - Mass exodus fears - The two men met as Turkey's military has sent significant reinforcements to Idlib in recent weeks, according to media reports. They were sent over the border Sunday and included tanks and other hardware, with a convoy of 50 military vehicles, according to the Hurriyet daily. Russia and Iran are key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Turkey however backs opposition fighters seeking the ouster of the Syrian leader, and has said a large-scale offensive against the rebels could trigger a mass exodus towards its border. Russian and Syrian air strikes, artillery fire and barrel bomb attacks have killed more than 30 civilians across the province in the past month, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The bombardment has slowed over the past week, however, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that the Syrian regime is not preparing a major offensive against Idlib, adding that Moscow will do everything to protect civilians. "What is being presented at the moment as the beginning of a Russian-backed offensive by Syrian forces is not a faithful representation of the facts," Lavrov said. "We are doing everything to ensure that the civilian population would not suffer," he said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday said Turkey was ready to cooperate with anyone in the fight against terror groups in Syria, but criticised the Damascus regime for using the presence of jihadist groups to legitimise a possible operation in Idlib. The Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, when the Assad regime launched a vicious crackdown on pro-democracy protests that evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and world powers. It has killed an estimated 360,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 17:10 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877368e90 4 Business bank-indonesia,intervention,rupiah-against-dollar,weakening Free Bank Indonesia (BI) intervened in the market on Tuesday morning as the rupiah weakened by 0.36 percent to Rp 14,934 per US dollar in the spot market. BI deputy director Dody Budi Waluyo said the rupiah depreciation was again caused by global pressure, particularly the trade war between China and the United States. The risk of a trade war between the US and China is still affecting emerging countries, said Dody in Jakarta on Tuesday as quoted by kontan.co.id, adding that the central bank would remain in the market to stabilize the rupiah exchange rate. US President Donald Trump has announced new 10 percent import tariffs for 6,000 products from China effective starting on Sept. 24 and this will be increased to 25 percent early next year. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve will also announce its monetary policy this month. Dody expressed the hope that the external pressure would not seriously affect the rupiah rate. He said BI would discuss the issue in the monthly Board of Governors Meeting, next week. Meanwhile, securities firm Monex Investindo Futures analyst Faisyal shared Dodys opinion, saying that because of the trade war, the US dollar was believed to be a safe haven for investors. The other currencies in the region also weakened against the US dollar on Tuesday. Faisyal added that the August trade deficit of US$1.02 billion announced by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) on Monday was also a source of negative sentiment toward the rupiah. The trade deficit is not good for the rupiah amid the trade war tensions, he added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom Tue, September 18, 2018 21:39 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877370710 2 Business #automotive,#Brexit,BMW,mini-cooper,Brexit,Britain,production Free BMW will stop production at its Mini factory in Oxford for several weeks to avoid supply disruption in case of a no-deal Brexit, the German auto giant said Tuesday. The carmaker will bring forward its annual maintenance shutdown at the facility in southern England to start on Monday April 1, 2019. Britain is to leave the European Union on Friday March 29 -- but trade talks have stalled between Brussels and London, stoking concerns over a so-called hard Brexit. "As a responsible organisation, we have scheduled next year's annual maintenance period at Mini Plant Oxford to start on 1 April, when the UK exits the EU," BMW said in a brief statement released to the media. The company added that the move was in order "to minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit". "While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it." The nation's largely foreign-owned car industry has repeatedly warned that a hard Brexit would hurt investment and ramp up costs. The maintenance works would meanwhile allow for essential updating and equipment replacement while there is no production taking place. "We remain committed to our operations in Britain," the company added. Britain is the only country in which the German group has production sites for all three of its automotive brands which comprise BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18 2018 State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II has signed an agreement with state-owned construction company PT Waskita Karya to construct a new terminal at Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, West Sumatra. With the signing of this cooperation agreement, Waskita and Angkasa Pura II will grow to become stronger companies, said Wasita Karya director of operations Didit Oemar Prihadi in a press release received by The Jakarta Post over the weekend. He said that the expansion of the airport with a total investment of Rp 363.9 billion (US$24.4 million) would become one of the foundations to help the region develop rapidly. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liliana Samuel (Agence France-Presse) Buenos Aires, Argentina Tue, September 18, 2018 08:08 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087734cc3a 2 World #Argentina,#corruption,Argentina,president,corruption-case Free Argentina's ex-president Cristina Kirchner was charged with corruption on Monday as a judge asked that her legislative immunity be lifted so she can be detained. She is accused of having accepted tens of millions of dollars in bribes in the notorious "corruption notebooks" scandal that has rocked Argentina's political and business elites. As a senator, Kirchner is protected by lawmakers' immunity from imprisonment, although not from prosecution. Unless that immunity is lifted, which is highly unlikely, she cannot be jailed, even if found guilty. However, last month the Senate did vote to partially lift her immunity so that investigators could search her three luxury homes. Kirchner is accused of heading an "illicit association." She has already been called in for questioning twice by Claudio Bonadio, the judge leading the wide-ranging corruption investigation, and is due to appear again on Tuesday. During her first two hearings she refused to answer Bonadio's questions, instead submitting a written statement, as is her right. Both Kirchner, 65, and her late husband, Nestor, whom she succeeded as president in 2007, are suspected of having accepted millions of dollars in bribes from businessmen in exchange for public works contracts. - 'Collusion' - According to Bonadio's indictment, released on Monday, "between 2003 and 2015, collusion between civil servants and business leaders created a system distributing bribes to civil servants," in which the company bosses "claimed to have succumbed to official pressure." In order to gain public works contracts, companies "needed to deliver a percentage of the total amount paid by the state to civil servants designated by Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Kirchner," added Bonadio. The payments were compiled by ministerial chauffeur Oscar Centeno in meticulous records kept in notebooks. More than a dozen former government officials and 30 elite businessman are implicated in the case first reported by La Nacion newspaper on August 1. Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli has said a total of $160 million in bribes was handed over between 2005 and 2015. At her last court appearance, Kirchner stressed her "categorical and strict denial" that she "committed any crime" or was involved in "any illicit activity." Also facing trial in several other corruption cases, she has previously accused Bonadio of carrying out "judicial persecutions" aimed at derailing a possible presidential run next year. Kirchner's immunity will not be lifted, according to Miguel Angel Pichetto, the head of the Federal Argentina group, the most represented in Congress; Kirchner is a member. Pichetto said immunity can only be lifted "in case of a conviction and not for remand." However, former president Carlos Menem, who served two terms from 1989-1999, has held onto his senate seat, to which the 88-year-old was re-elected in 2017, despite a seven-year conviction for smuggling arms to Ecuador and Croatia. A dozen other ministers have been remanded in custody, though, including deputy Planning Minister Roberto Baratta, whose chauffeur was Centeno. Planning Minister Julio De Vido and another of his deputies, Julio Lopez, did not need to be remanded in custody as they were already behind bars for other offences. Lopez's dramatic arrest in June 2016 gripped the nation as he was caught in the act of trying to hide nine million dollars in a Buenos Aires convent. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) North Carolina, United States Tue, September 18, 2018 10:30 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308773597f7 2 World #USA,#hurricane,Hurricane-Florence,victims,floods Free Rain-gorged rivers threatened further flooding on the storm-battered US East Coast Monday as the death toll from Hurricane Florence, now a tropical depression, jumped to 31. Emergency management authorities in North Carolina said an earlier toll of 17 had risen to 25 since Florence made landfall Friday as a Category 1 hurricane, with its aftermath threatening further flooding as well as potential dam failures and landslides. Six deaths have been confirmed in neighboring South Carolina, with the latest being the driver of a pickup truck who drove into standing water in Lexington County. "River flooding is dynamic and it's happening all over our state," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told reporters. "This is an epic storm that is still continuing," Cooper said. "This is a monumental disaster for our state." In Virginia, near state capital Richmond, emergency services said one man died after a building collapsed during severe weather, though it was not clear if that death was directly linked to Florence. More than a dozen rivers across North Carolina were at major flood stage on Monday or threatening to rise to critical levels. "Many roads in our state are still at risk of floods," Cooper said, warning people who have been evacuated not to return home yet and others not to go out if they do not need to. "Please don't make yourself someone who needs to be rescued," he said. Wilmington, on the banks of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina, was almost completely cut off by land but emergency management teams managed to truck food and water overnight into the port city of 120,000 people. North Carolina emergency department officials said 23 truckloads of Meals, Ready to Eat -- packaged US military rations -- and crates of bottled water had been sent into Wilmington. And a wave of solidarity rippled through hard-hit New Bern, where hundreds of people lined up as a local supermarket distributed fried chicken and hamburgers. "This community, the most marginalized and economically deprived in town, has been hit the worst. They are still is without power," said Braden Welsh, one of those behind the initiative. "We wanted to pump their spirit up." - Nearly three feet of rain - Local artist Kevin Bryant praised the effort, saying "it's good to get some support." "I lost everything in the flooding," he said. "We didn't think it would be that bad. It happened so fast." The National Weather Service released rainfall totals as of 2:00 pm (1800 GMT) for parts of North Carolina. The largest amount so far was in Elizabethtown, which has received 35.93 inches (0.91 meters). The most rainfall recorded in South Carolina was in the town of Loris, where 23.81 inches (0.6 meters) fell. More than 300 people remained Monday at a shelter on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Raleigh, the state capital which escaped the brunt of the storm. Thomas Hammett, of Otway, North Carolina, said he has been in the shelter for nearly a week with his two children, Jerry, 11, Christopher, three. "We had to evacuate. It was too dangerous to stay," Hammett said. "Some people have died down there." "The neighbors told us our home was fine apart from a few branches down, so that's a relief at least," he added. "We can't wait to go back home and live a normal life again, hopefully on Wednesday." In Fayetteville, the Cape Fear River was expected to reach major flood stage at 58 feet (17.6 meters) on Monday and to hit nearly 62 feet (18.9 meters) on Tuesday before receding. Entrepreneurs, Developers, and Students Converge at Free, Educational & Networking Event at University of Victoria 500+ Attendees Will Learn from & Connect with Professionals at GitHub, Workday, Sendwithus, HighTechU, and MetaLab VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What: Sendwithus, makers of Dyspatch , will be hosting their fifth annual Startup Slam at the University of Victoria on September 22. The free event provides founders, startup entrepreneurs, developers of all levels, and students a full day of networking opportunities, one-on-one meetings with experts, and workshops on Entrepreneurship, Product and Design, Beginner and Student Tech, and Advanced and Professional Tech. Created in 2014, Startup Slam has grown to be the largest technology conference in Victoria, drawing interest from around the globe. This year more than 500 attendees are expected to learn actionable strategies and best practices from experts at GitHub, Workday, Sendwithus, HighTechU, MetaLab, and more. A sampling of session topics at this years event include: The Future of Product Development: Fostering Innovation with Multi-Disciplinary Expertise What Silicon Valley Taught Me about Building World Class Products How to Build Inclusive Products in the Tech for Good Space Iterative Game Design: Learning from Failure BCom to Business Systems: How I Hacked a Career in Tech Startups Making a Blazing Fast Python Server in The Age of Node and Go Your New Studio: A Code Walkthrough of Android Studio When: Saturday, September 22, 2018 Where: The University of Victoria, ECS Building. Participants can register to attend at www.startupslam.io . We are fortunate to be able to give back to Victorias growing tech community, which has always supported Sendwithus and our growth, said Brad Van Vugt, co-founder of Sendwithus. Startup Slam, Battlesnake, and our involvement with HighTechU are incredibly important to us as a company and we look forward bringing technology students and professionals together to share ideas, knowledge, and expertise for a long time to come. About Sendwithus Dyspatch is an email production platform that helps Enterprise organizations create and change transactional and triggered emails faster, by centralizing template creation, approval, and publishing processes. The powerful API, visual editor, and built-in device testing allow for cutting-edge email strategy and execution while helping establish consistency in both branding and legal compliance across multiple teams. Sendwithus has been helping leading brands, including Microsoft, Autodesk, and Zillow craft exceptional communications experiences since 2013. To learn more about Dyspatch by Sendwithus, visit www.dyspatch.io . To join the Sendwithus team, visit www.sendwithus.com/careers . Media Contact Megan Tobin Vice President of Marketing megan@sendwithus.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 12:04 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087735ca8b 4 Business Garuda,lawsuit,Rolls-Royce Free Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has filed a lawsuit against Rolls Royce PLC and Rolls Royce Total Care Service Limited for Rp 640.94 billion (US$42.95 million) for alleged fraud concerning an agreement signed when Emirsyah Satar, who was later named a corruption suspect, was president director of the company. The lawsuit was submitted to the Central Jakarta District Court on Sept. 13, said Garuda Indonesia lawyer Ery Hertiawan in Jakarta on Monday. The agreement titled: TotalCareTM Agreement for the Trent 700 Engine Powered Airbus A330-300 Aircraft (Contract Reference: DEG 5496) No: DS/PERJ/DE-3236/2008 is null and void because of the fraud, Ery stated in the lawsuit document, as reported by kontan.co.id. The first hearing of the case is scheduled to be held on Wednesday. Garudas vice president of corporate communication Hengki Heriandono was not available for comment, as he said he was still in a meeting. From Garuda Indonesias financial report, it was known that the agreement had been amended several times. Amendments for tariff adjustments were made in 2012 and 2016, while a contract extension was made in 2015 until September 2017. On Dec. 22, 2017, Garuda received an offer for a contract extension, but there has been no agreement up to date. Emirsyah was named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly receiving bribes allegedly to help smooth the procurement process of Airbus engines produced by Rolls Royce from 2005 to 2014. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 10:11 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087735424c 1 National BPJS-Kesehatan,BPJS-Kesehatan-losses,deficit,budget,health,healthcare-services Free The government has allocated Rp 4.99 trillion (US$335.02 million) to bail out the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), a far cry from the estimated Rp 10.99 trillion deficit the state insurer is facing this year. Deputy Finance Minister Mardiasmo said on Monday that the ministry had issued a regulation stating that it would inject funds set aside in the 2018 state budget into the state health insurer. God willing, the money will be disbursed by the end of this week or the beginning of next week, he said in the joint meeting with the House Commission IX in Jakarta on Monday. To further assist BPJS Kesehatan, the ministry has devised a policy mix to be implemented over several years that will enable the agency to increase its revenue from more varied sources, including tobacco excise. The ministry has also issued a regulation that imposes a ceiling on BPJS Kesehatans operational costs. The regulations are expected to increase revenue by Rp 2.69 trillion to Rp 3.07 trillion. The policy mix is expected to take effect in October after President Joko Jokowi Widodo signed the revised presidential regulation on national health insurance. However, the assistance and additional funds are inadequate to cover the deficit BPJS Kesehatan faces this year. According to its annual work plan and budget, the state health insurer estimated this years deficit will hit Rp 16.58 trillion. The amount is based on this years deficit of Rp 12.1 trillion and the carryover deficit from 2017 of Rp 4.4 trillion. Based on the Development Finance Comptrollers recent review, BPJS Kesehatans deficit is estimated to hit Rp 10.99 trillion this year. BPJS Kesehatan president director Fachmi Idris said one of the main issues behind the recurring deficit was the underpriced premiums. He said the premium paid by the government for low-income participants, referred to as contribution assistance recipients, was Rp 23,000 each. The amount is lower than the normal premium of Rp 36,000. Meanwhile, independent workers pay a Rp 25,500 premium for third-class facilities and Rp 51,000 for second-class facilities every month. These amounts are below the actuarial valuation of Rp 53,000 for third-class and Rp 63,000 for second-class. As long as the government insists on maintaining the pricing structure, [BPJS Kesehatan] will always suffer from a deficit, he said. The problem will only accumulate as the number of inactive participants increases. Sigit Priohutomo, the chairman of the National Social Security Council, an independent body that oversees state insurers, said as of June, the number of inactive BPJS Kesehatan participants was 17.37 million out of 199 million. If these members paid their premiums, BPJS Kesehatan would at least have an additional Rp 800 billion per month, he said. BPJS Kesehatans deficit not only affects the state health insurer, but also healthcare facilities and pharmaceutical distributors all over the country. Earlier this month, the management of private hospital Karya Husada in Karawang, West Java, issued a letter to its specialists and dentists on the delayed disbursement of their honorarium because of a late payment from BPJS Kesehatan. The letter went viral after hospital director Pundi Ferianto posted a screenshot of it on his Facebook page, saying that the insurer had unpaid claims of Rp 6.6 billion for September. According to kompas.com, the insurers representatives talked to officials at its Karawang office, where they said they were committed to covering the claims. The Indonesian Pharmaceutical Association (GP Farmasi) also said late payments were affecting pharmaceutical distributors. In a letter sent by GP Farmasi to the Health Ministry in August, the association said several hospitals had yet to receive Rp 3.5 trillion in insurance claims, which was supposed to be paid in July. We cant receive our payment if hospitals havent received their money from BPJS Kesehatan, GP Farmasi executive director Dorodjatun Sanusi told The Jakarta Post recently. The Indonesia Hospitals Associations Jakarta chapter chairman Koesmedi said hospitals were not able to pay the mounting claims of pharmaceutical distributors, including claims incurred from the provision of medication or medical devices, because their deposited funds were used to pay their doctors and healthcare professionals. (ris) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Kuta Tue, September 18, 2018 14:57 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877360c53 1 National Nila-Moeloek,health,population,bali,meeting Free Health Minister Nila Farid Moeloek officially opened on Tuesday morning the inter-ministerial conference on the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), which is taking place in Bali from Sept. 18 to 20. The meeting, attended by at least 250 officials from 36 member states, is expected to address population and development challenges in developing countries, also known as countries of the Global South. Minister Nila particularly highlighted that developing countries were seeing an increase in their young and productive population as a result of high fertility rates. In Indonesia, the proportion of young population is estimated to reach its peak in 2030. Therefore, Nila further said, preparation and management in dealing with these situations were necessary. The conference will cover, among other things, the issue of the demographic bonus discussing how to leverage the demographic dividend low fertility rates and the aging population, as well as sexual and reproductive health. (ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 10:56 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087735b04f 1 Business oil-price,increase,revenue,subsidy,ignasius-jonan Free The increase of the global crude oil price has changed Indonesias outlook for revenue and subsidies, estimated to grow 50 percent to Rp 240 trillion (US$16 billion) and Rp 148 trillion, respectively by the end of this year. The government set its Indonesian Crude Price (ICP) for August at $69.36 per barrel, while the global oil price reached $78 per barrel for Brent crude on Monday. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said he expected to reap Rp 200 trillion from the oil and gas sector and Rp 40.6 trillion from the mineral and coal sector. But as global oil prices rise, subsidies must also rise, he said. Jonan explained the subsidy for Solar-branded diesel fuel was expected to reach Rp 29 trillion, or more than 300 percent higher than the figure in the 2018 state budget of Rp 7 trillion. Meanwhile, the subsidy for kerosene will increase by 63 percent to Rp 3.6 trillion. Jonan further said positive coal exports could also ease the oil and gas trade deficit, which in August reached US$1.6 billion, or 36 percent higher than the figure in July of $1.2 billion. Previously, the ministry opened a chance for coal exporters to add 100 million tons in 2018 in an effort to boost exports. With the assumption of the coal price at $60 per ton and if we add 100 million tons, we could get $6 billion. That will cover our low oil and gas trade deficit, he said. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 16:16 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877364928 1 National setya-novanto,e-ID,corruption,KPK Free Disgraced former House of Representatives speaker and graft convict Setya Novanto said he had been trying to collect debts from friends to repay the US$7.3 million he embezzled from the national e-ID project. His efforts, however, have not been successful. Those who owe [me money] run away, leaving [me]. Im surprised too, he said as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday. The former Golkar Party chairman said he would have to sell off his assets if the people who owed him did not pay their debts. Now I am an ordinary citizen. When I was a House speaker, its surely easy to talk [to people], he said. On April 24, the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Setya to 15 years in prison for his role in the e-ID graft case. The court also ordered him to pay Rp 500 million ($33,670) in fines and restitution amounting to S$7.3 million. Setya previously stated his ability to pay the restitution in installments. Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Febri Diansyah said the commission's asset tracking and evidence management unit was identifying the assets that belonged to Setya. The KPK said Setya had made three installments so far: Rp 5 billion during the trial, around $100,000 in June, and Rp 1.1 billion last week. The state will seize his assets and auction them if Setya cannot pay off the restitution. (sau/ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 09:54 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877352d30 1 Business IMF-WB-meeting,bali,economic-growth,bambang-brodjonegoro,#IMFWBG,#IMFWorldBankMeeting Free The IMF-World Bank (WB) Meeting from Oct. 8 to 14 in Nusa Dua, Bali, is expected to boost Balis economic growth amid the current economic slowdown. "The event can help boost Balis economic growth, National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said during the Merdeka Barat Forum in Jakarta on Monday. Since 2017, Balis economic growth has slowed to below 6 percent for various reasons, including the decreasing number of foreign tourist arrivals following the volcanic eruption. The minister explained that in October, Balis economy was predicted to grow by 6.54 percent, 0.64 percent higher compared to the last years growth thanks to the international event, which is expected to see the arrival of 19,800 foreign and domestic tourists. Bambang said without the IMF- World Bank Meeting, Bali's tourism would continue to slow until the end of 2018, and economic growth would be around 5.9 percent. He said preparations for the IMF-World Bank Meeting had contributed directly to Balis economic output worth Rp 5.9 trillion (US$395.73 million) in 2017 to 2018. "The estimated spending of 19,800 foreign and domestic tourists during the event will reach about Rp 1.1 trillion, he said, adding that Bali had also benefited from infrastructure developments ahead of the international meeting with an investment value worth Rp 3 trillion and the creation of 32,700 new jobs. Meanwhile, Bali is expected to get an additional gross regional product (GDP) of Rp 894 billion in 2018. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jose Devasia (Reuters) Kochi, India Tue, September 18, 2018 10:01 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877353167 2 World #religion,#India,India,Catholic,bishop,Sexual-assault Free An Indian Catholic bishop accused of raping a nun has written to the Vatican asking to step down as protests grow in India's Kerala state for him to be arrested. "Bishop Franco Mulakkal wrote a letter to Holy Father Pope Francis expressing his desire to step aside temporarily and requested to be relieved from the administration of the Diocese," the Diocese of Jalandhar, which he heads, said in a release issued over the weekend. Kerala police have called Mulakkal for a new round of questioning on Wednesday in the southern Indian state. The bishop has denied wrongdoing. The nun had accused the bishop of raping her repeatedly over two years from May 2014. She had sent a detailed letter to Pope Francis last week demanding action against the bishop. The Vatican had no comment on the situation in India. The case comes at a time when the Christian community, which accounts for 19 percent of the state's population, is reeling under an erosion of trust as sexual abuse cases involving the clergy pile up. A group of Catholic nuns launched a rare street protest more than a week ago in Kochi, the state's financial hub, demanding justice for the nun. The protest has gathered momentum with Christian bodies, activists, writers and locals joining in. The group spearheading the protest in Kochi will stage more such protests in various other districts on Tuesday, said Father Augustine Vattoli, coordinator of the Save Our Sisters Action Council. "We have started the protests demanding the arrest of the bishop. We will not end it without him submitting himself to the law," Vattoli told Reuters, expressing doubts over whether the bishop's offer to step aside was voluntary or at the direction of the Vatican. The Vatican does not disclose when bishops offer their resignation but only when resignations are accepted by the pope and become official. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, September 19, 2018 10:09 1147 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087736fa11 1 National healthcare,tobacco,smoking,health,BPJS-Kesehatan Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has signed a presidential regulation allowing the use of regional tobacco excise duty to help finance the national healthcare program, which has been beset by a growing deficit. [The regulation on national health insurance] is currently being processed by the Law and Human Rights Ministry, presidential spokesman Johan Budi told reporters at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday. The Healthcare and Social Security Agencys (BPJS Kesehatan) deficit is expected to surpass Rp 10 trillion (US$672.5 million) this year. During a joint meeting with House Commission IX members on Monday, Deputy Finance Minister Mardiasmo told lawmakers that funds collected from regional cigarette taxes for BPJS Kesehatan could amount to Rp 5.51 trillion this year. Indonesia is not only one of the largest smoking nations in the world, it also has one of the most liberal tobacco regulations. Antitobacco activists and some government officials have warned that stricter tobacco control was needed to stem the rising number of smokers in the country, which they say could derail the nations efforts to achieve its sustainable development goals (SDG). (ris/ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar Wed, September 19, 2018 05:43 1147 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877375184 2 National child-abuse,Makassar Free The Makassar Police named on Tuesday MR, 31, a child abuse suspect. Her three children reportedly fled their home in Makassar, South Sulawesi, where they had been allegedly locked up and abused. They are now under the protection of the local womens empowerment and children protection agency. Read also: Children escape from stepmother after years of being locked up MR faces five years in prison and Rp 100 million (US$6,730) in fines as per the Childrens Protection Law. Makassar Police chief detective Comr. Wirdhanto said investigators had questioned seven witnesses, most of whom were neighbors. Medical exams revealed bruises on the bodies of two children aged 2 and 5. The eldest, aged 11, was still undergoing a medical exam. The suspect admitted to the abuse. She said she carried out the abuse because they did not obey her, he said. According to Wirdhanto, MR had been facing financial difficulties and had to leave the three children at home without adult supervision to work every day. She said the eldest two were her biological children, while the youngest was adopted. However, she could not provide the birth certificates to support her claim, according to police, who plan to conduct DNA tests. Agency head Andi Tenri Palallo said this was the second time MR had been reported for alleged child abuse. Locals filed a similar report last year. She claimed to have been a victim of domestic abuse and promised to not do it again. But she eventually broke her promise, Tenri said. (swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 14:09 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308773605a9 4 Business trade-deficit,oil-and-gas,imports,ministers,coordination-meeting Free Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said that she wants to look into the reason for the increase in oil imports in August, one month before the Sept. 1 implementation of the mandatory use of 20 percent blended biodiesel (B20). Oil and gas imports were still high, which resulted in trade still being in deficit. Therefore, we will look into the implementation of the B20 policy and the increase in oil and gas imports. We want to know if it a trend or an anomaly, Sri Mulyani said in Jakarta on Monday as reported by kompas.com. She said she would coordinate with Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan and representatives of state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina and Bank Indonesia. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced on Monday that it had recorded a US$1.02 billion trade deficit in August, almost half of July's $2.03 billion trade deficit. The August trade deficit was mostly a result of the increase in oil and gas imports. Total imports in August reached $16.84 billion -- $3.05 billion for oil and gas and $13.79 million from the non-oil and gas sector. Oil and gas imports increased by 14.5 percent in August, compared to $2.66 billion in July. Exports decreased 2.9 percent to $15.82 billion in August -- $1.38 billion from oil and gas and $14.43 billion from non-oil and gas. The oil and gas trade deficit reached $1.66 billion. (bbn) Reno, Nevada., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enhance Skin Products Inc., (OTCBB: EHSK) regrets to make the following announcement: Dispute under Asset Purchase Agreement On September 7, 2018 Enhance Skin Products Inc. (the Company) served formal notice on Integumen plc (Integumen) of its intent to progress legal remedies in the event that the parties could not reach agreement on the settlement of various matters, including the payment of liabilities, by September 14, 2018. On September 14, 2018 Integumen requested additional time to respond, which the Company has declined given that Integumen has already had notice of the dispute since August 7, 2018 and consequently the Company intends to pursue legal remedies. Background to Dispute On December 2, 2016, the Company, Integumen Inc., Integumen plc (Formerly Integumen Limited), Donald Nicholson and Samuel Asculai completed on the Asset Purchase Agreement (the APA) executed on October 1, 2016. Pursuant to the APA, the Company sold to Integumen Inc. substantially all of its assets and certain of its liabilities under a under a plan of reorganization, liquidation and dissolution (the Plan). The Company initially received 2,632,868 ordinary shares in Integumen and following a capital reorganisation by Integumen currently holds 29,488,144 fully paid ordinary shares of one pence each of Integumen plc representing 11.19% of the issued and outstanding shares. This comprised a total nominal consideration of 3,030,000 ($3,963,240 )* less assumed liabilities of 320,209 ($416,272) (the Assumed Liabilities) and the amount of 76,923 ($100,000) owing under the secured promissory note issued by the Company to Integumen on July 7, 2016. In addition, Integumen Inc. assumed the costs of the Company of up to a maximum of 164,373* ($215,000) from the date of completion of the APA on December 2, 2016 until the date of dissolution under the Plan (the Post Completion Period Costs). Under the APA Integumen has guaranteed the performance of all obligations by Integumen Inc. As of August 31, 2018 Assumed Liabilities of 257,168* ($336,376) and Post Completion Period Costs of 146,254* ($191,300) remain unpaid. Integumen has made numerous representations to the Company with respect to the payment of these liabilities all of which it failed to honour. Consequently, on August 7, 2018 and August 20, 2018 the Company and related parties made various proposals to Integumen in respect of the settlement of obligations. Regrettably, no progress has been made on the settlement and the Companys UK lawyers served formal notice on Integumen on September 7, 2018 of the intent to progress legal remedies in the event that the parties could not reach agreement on settlement by September 14, 2018. On September 14, 2018 Integumen requested additional time to respond, which the Company has declined given that Integumen has already had notice of the dispute since August 7, 2018 and consequently the Company intends to pursue legal remedies. Additionally, on August, 29, 2018 Donald Nicholson, Enhances President & CEO resigned as a Director from the Board of Integumen citing, amongst other matters, conflict of interest in the negotiation of a settlement and potential legal action by the Company against Integumen. There can be no certainty that the Company will be successful in its claims or that a settlement can be reached with Integumen. Since the sale, the Company, acting as manager and trustee, has not engaged in any business activities except to the extent necessary to preserve the value of its assets, transfer its assets and knowhow, and hopes in due course wind up its business affairs and give effect to the dissolution of the Company in accordance with its previously disclosed Plan. Depending on the outcome of any settlement this would include the exchange of the Companys shares for Integumen shares and the distribution, in due course, of any remaining assets. The Company had intended to complete this before the end of 2017 as contemplated by APA but has been unable to do so due to the continued default by Integumen. *The UK Pound Sterling () amounts have been converted into US dollars at the closing US$/ sterling interbank spot rate on September 14, 2018 of 1.308 for the convenience of readers. Donald Nicholson, Enhances President & CEO stated that we are disappointed that the transaction with Integumen has not worked out as planned and will be endeavouring to retain as much value as possible for Enhance shareholders. We remain hopeful of a settlement with Integumen and completing the Plan For your information: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Yangon, Myanmar Tue, September 18, 2018 15:30 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877363bf9 2 World #Myanmar,#UnitedNations,UnitedNations,Myanmar,army,politics Free Myanmar's powerful army should be removed from politics, UN investigators said Tuesday, as they released the final part of a damning report reiterating calls for top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya Muslim minority. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. The UN's 444-page probe called for the military's top leadership to be replaced and for the institution locally known as the Tatmadaw -- to have no further influence over the country's governance. Myanmar's military dominates the Buddhist-majority country, holding a quarter of seats in parliament and controlling three ministries. But the report said that the country's civilian leadership "should further pursue the removal of the Tatmadaw from Myanmar's political life", referring to the nation's armed forces. The UN's meticulously detailed analysis, based on 18 months' work and more than 850 in-depth interviews, calls on the international community to investigate military top brass for genocide, including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting the military campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. But the UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats". Investigators said the Tatmadaw should be restructured and that the process should begin by replacing the current leadership. Myanmar only emerged from military junta rule after 2011 and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals. Their presence in parliament means they have an effective veto on constitutional changes, making any transition to full civilian control extremely difficult. The three key ministries - home affairs, border and defence - are also in their hands, giving them carte blanche to conduct security operations with little oversight. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 12:32 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087735dcf4 4 National bribery,bribery-case,Corruption-court,zumi-zola,Jambi,Councilors,KPK Free In an apparent revelation about the deep-rooted nature of corruption in the country, members of the Jambi Legislative Council (DPRD) have acknowledged that receiving money from executives in the provincial administration is a "tradition". Four DPRD Jambi members attended on Monday a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court as witnesses in the trial of graft suspect and non-active Jambi governor Zumi Zola Zulkifli, who stands accused of channeling Rp 16 billion (US$1.1 million) in bribes to dozens of DPRD members in order to influence the deliberations of the 2017 and 2018 provincial budgets. During the hearing, M. Juber, a councilor from the Golkar Party, and three others admitted to having received money from the administration, which they referred to as "uang ketok palu" (money for banging the gavel), to pass a decision, kompas.com has reported. "The [payment of] money is a tradition," Juber told Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors during the hearing. Juber said councilors would ask the executive for the money regardless of who was governor at the time. The money was given in return for the council passing the budget proposed by the Jambi provincial administration. Similarly, councilor Mayloedin from the Golkar Party said the term uang ketok palu had been around since 2009, however, it had never been a problem until the KPK launched its investigations in Jambi in 2017. "[The payments] are like water and flowed smoothly. The storm only arose in 2018," said Mayloedin, who also admitted to receiving money from Zumi related to budget deliberations. KPK prosecutors have previously claimed that Zumi channeled the alleged bribes through a middleman, Apif Firmansyah, who was Zumis treasurer during his gubernatorial campaign. In addition to the alleged bribery, Zumi has also been accused of accepting unlawful gifts amounting to more than Rp 40 billion in connection to infrastructure projects in Jambi from 2016 to 2017. (afr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 17:33 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877369f41 1 City deputy-governor,candidacy,jakarta,PKS,Gerindra-Party Free The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is willing to discuss candidates to replace outgoing Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno who is running for vice president in the 2019 election. The PKS Jakarta chapters sharia council head, Abdurrahman Suhaimi, said on Tuesday that the PKS had asked its coalition partner, the Gerindra Party, to not put forward another candidate for the sake of solidity This will show that the PKS and Gerindra are reading from the same hymn book, Suhaimi said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. Previously, the Gerindra Jakarta chapters head, M. Taufik, stated that the party had named him as the candidate to replace Sandiaga. Suhaimi said the PKS had received the presidential decree on the resignation of Sandiaga as Jakarta deputy governor. The letter had been submitted to the party's executive board (DPP). Earlier, the Home Ministrys director general of regional autonomy, Sumarsono, said the decree had been handed to Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. "It has been issued, still sealed, but it has already been given to Jakartas governor," Sumarsono told kompas.com on Tuesday. The council can now proceed with deliberations on Sandiaga's replacement as deputy governor after Anies submitted the decree to Speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi. (stu) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Tangerang, Banten Tue, September 18, 2018 17:08 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877368495 1 Business PLN,diesel,biodiesel,power-plants Free Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan called on state-owned electricity firm PLN on Monday to covert energy plants powered by fossil diesel fuel to plants powered by crude palm oil-based biodiesel. I expect that within two years from now PLN can convert its 2,000 MW power plants, especially plants that have low performance, he said in a speech to commemorate the 73rd National Electricity Day in Tangerang, Banten. Jonan said oil consumption currently stood at 1.3 million to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), which was projected to reach up to 2 million bpd by 2025, forcing the country to import large amounts of oil. Higher oil imports will affect the rupiah exchange rate. So PLN should immediately address the issue, in which it can collaborate with state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina to provide facilities to produce green diesel fuel, he said. Jonans statement came after Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data revealed a US$1.01 billion trade deficit in August, mostly caused by higher oil imports. The government introduced the mandatory use of 20 percent blended biodiesel (B20) to reduce oil imports. The government aims to lower fossil fuel composition in the national energy mix to only 1 percent by 2025 from 6 percent currently. The minister urged PLN to keep electricity rates at current levels despite though energy being generated from renewable resources. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura Tue, September 18, 2018 18:02 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087736b195 1 National Papua,police,violence,tortures,YudasGebze Free The Papua Police have denied allegations that they are responsible for the death of a Papuan fugitive who died shortly after his arrest. Yudas Gebze, a resident of Wanam village in Merauke, had been charged with attacking Egenius Blamo Gebze on May 10 and had been on the run for three months before his arrest last Thursday. A day later, Yudas was pronounced dead. His family alleged that the police had tortured him and were responsible for his death. Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. A. M. Kamal told The Jakarta Post that the police had followed procedure when arresting Yudas. The fugitive resisted arrest by pulling out a knife, he claimed. He added that the officers then fired a warning shot but Yudas allegedly resisted and fell on broken glass before trying to flee. Yudas was already injured when the officers arrested him, Kamal claimed, adding that he was then transferred to the Merauke Hospital, where he died hours later. Nelson Yustus Gebze, a local figure in Wanam village, doubted the polices account, saying that it was impossible that Yudas had died because he had fallen on broken glass. That does not make any sense, he said as quoted by Jayapura-based news outlet tabloidjubi.com. He confirmed that Yudas had been accused of a crime but added that the police should have arrested him without incident. (sau/ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 15:12 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308773630e6 1 Politics ulemas,GNPF,GNPF-MUI,Maruf-Amin,Jokowi,Jokowi-Maruf,Prabowo-Sandiaga Free President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's running mate in the 2019 election, Muslim cleric Ma'ruf Amin, has responded to a recent gathering of clerics and Muslim activists who declared support for presidential challenger Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno. Grouped under the National Movement to Safeguard Fatwas (GNPF), the clerics and activists held their second congregation, called Ijtima Ulama II, in Jakarta on Sunday, during which Prabowo signed an "integrity pact", committing to religion and mullah protection. Maruf Amin, the chief of Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), was a key person in the GNPF and his picture was on the posters of GNPF during the "defend Islam rallies" against Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama in late 2016. "For us [in Jokowi's coalition] there is no problem with Ijtima Ulama," Ma'ruf told reporters after attending a meeting with the Jokowi-Ma'ruf campaign team on Monday. Although the Ijtima Ulema claims to representing clerics, Ma'ruf, who is also the supreme leader of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), questioned who the clerics were and which pesantren (Islamic boarding school) they represented or were affiliated with. Ma'ruf said that 400 grand kyai (Muslim elders) and leaders of pesantren across the country, including senior NU cleric Abuya Muhtadi from Banten, West Java, gathered in Jakarta on Saturday last week and declared their support for Jokowi-Ma'ruf in the 2019 election. "We consider [support from pesantren] more significant," Ma'ruf said, "So for us, Ijtima Ulama II will not have any impact." Ma'ruf further brushed off concerns that the issue would create a division between Muslim leaders in the country, saying it was the clerics decision whether to take sides. "We feel at ease because grand kyai support Jokowi and Ma'ruf Amin, so [we are] very happy," Ma'ruf went on to say. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Tue, September 18, 2018 11:11 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087735bc4f 1 National Jambi,rape,prosecutors,Supreme-Court Free The Muarabulian Prosecutor's Office has appealed the Jambi High Courts verdict to acquit a 15-year-old rape victim in Jambi of abortion, saying her punishment would serve as a lesson. Prosecutor Fajar Rudi Manurung said the girl, who has returned to school, was not only a rape victim but also a perpetrator of abortion, which is illegal in Indonesia. The baby had formed complete body parts. And she killed the baby. Thats the aggravating factor, he said on Monday. He called on the public to wait for the Supreme Courts decision on the case, saying the court might have different considerations. Save Our Sisters spokesman Zubaidah, meanwhile, said the 15-year-old girl could not be charged with abortion because she was a rape victim. She said that the prosecutors should know that justice for rape victims involved being free from trauma. What the prosecutors are doing is only worsening [the girls] psychological condition. The Jambi rape case has attracted national and even global attention, with critics saying that the rape victim should have never been prosecuted in the first place. Indonesia bans abortion except for health reasons or for rape victims whose pregnancy is within 40 days of conception. (ahw) Buddhist leaders arrive at the State Palace for the first national meeting of the newly established Indonesian Buddhist Association (Permabudhi) on Tuesday. President Joko Jokowi Widodo said in his speech in the event that everyone should take part in promoting tolerance in the country and maintaining the nations unity.(JP/Seto Wardhana)(Permabudhi) on Tuesday. President Joko Jokowi Widodo said in his speech in the event that everyone should take part in promoting tolerance in the country and maintaining the nations unity.(JP/Seto Wardhana) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tue, September 18, 2018 21:19 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087736f558 2 SE Asia #SoutheastAsia,#Malaysia,Mahathir,review,death-penalty,cannabis Free Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday came to the defence of a man facing the death penalty for selling cannabis oil to patients, saying his sentence should be reviewed. Muhammad Lukman Mohamad, a 29-year-old father of one, was convicted of trafficking in cannabis, a crime punishable by death in Malaysia. He was sentenced to death by hanging on Aug. 30 and has filed an appeal, his lawyer, Farhan Maaruf, told Reuters. During the trial, Muhammad Lukman testified that he had only sold cannabis oil to help patients suffering from illnesses such as cancer and leukemia, Farhan said. The case sparked a debate over the use of marijuana for medical purposes, with many, including some lawmakers, calling for amendments to the country's harsh drug laws. A Change.org petition, which urged the attorney-general to free Muhammad Lukman, has garnered nearly 45,000 signatures. Asked about the case, Mahathir told reporters it should be reviewed. "No, I think we should review that," he was quoted as saying in a video recording of his comments seen by Reuters. Nurul Izzah Anwar, a member of parliament from Mahathir's coalition, said she would be writing a letter calling for the attorney-general to reconsider the conviction and penalty for Muhammad Lukman. "From the reports, it looks to be a miscarriage of justice," she said. The attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comments. Malaysia, like other countries in Southeast Asia, imposes harsh penalties for drug offences. Last year, parliament voted to remove the death penalty as mandatory punishment for drug trafficking and leave it to the judges' discretion instead. Earlier this year, an Australian mother of three was sentenced to death for trafficking more than a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine into Malaysia. Okinawa in Japan is where karate originated from, but it offers so much more than just being a birthplace of the globally popular form of martial arts. The island, for example, also offers natural and marine tourist destinations, such as the Gyokusendo Cave and the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, for those who want to explore more than its martial arts culture. The cave is one of the top tourist spots in the Okinawa World zone chosen by Jetstar Asia and the Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau, which recently invited The Jakarta Post and three other media outlets to visit the island. The pathways in the cave are based on a modern concept that is even friendly to disabled people. It features iron-plated paths for trekking, iron fences as route boundaries and an elevator that helps you reach the exit, which is located on a steep peak. For the residents of Tamagusuku Maekawa in Nanjo town, which is about 14 kilometers from Naha city, the cave has become a major part of their daily lives. In March 1967, when Okinawa was still under the control of the United States, a survey team from Ehime University studied and explored the cave for the first time. It was later declared safe to be developed into a caving adventure spot and facilities were installed for tourists. In 1971, the universitys survey team trekked 1.9 km into the cave and in 1972, it was opened to the public but only along an 800-meter path, Yuri Kinjo, a bureau staffer, said. Naturally lit: The Gyokusendo Cave offers exotic yet natural illumination that captivates anyone who visits it. (The Jakarta Post/P.J. Leo ) The team continued to explore Gyokusendo and in 1976 it was announced that the length of the cave was provisionally measured at 5 km, pending new findings, added Yuri whose father is a US soldier stationed in Okinawa. With the rising number of visitors engaged in caving, Gyokusendos management, in 1979, opened the Habu Museum Park in the cave zone and in 1996 this tourist zone was renamed Okinawa World. The entrance to the cave was also changed to extend its trek paths from 800 to 890 m. The cave is the largest and deepest in Okinawa Prefecture and the second deepest in Japan after the Akiyoshido cave in Yamaguchi Prefecture that is 8.9 km deep, with only 1 km being open to caving. The exotic beauty of the Gyokusendo cave is enhanced by rows of countless stalactites and stalagmites that form an attractive composition, combined with appealing lighting. Unsurprisingly, many people hastily assume that it is a man-made cave. The Gyokusendo Cave is generously illuminated and the air within it is cool as its circulation is well regulated. The iron-plated paths prevent tourists from becoming soaked by the stagnant water or mud pools as they trek down to the deepest part of the cave. Underground movement: Visitors go deep into the earth as they scale the pathways in the Gyokusendo Cave in Okinawa, Japan. (The Jakarta Post/P.J. Leo ) Okinawa World is also home to the Eisa dance, the islands energetic folk dance that is accompanied by drums and an Okinawan string musical instrument called sanshin (three strings), along with songs passionately sung to entertain tourists. It is also worthwhile to visit the Habu Museum Park, where tourists can observe the making of habushu (snake sake). Meanwhile, at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, visitors can see more than 740 fish species and tens of thousands of other marine life, according to the Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park. The aquarium was built near the beach so that the species can remain in their natural habitat. In Okinawan, chura is beautiful and umi is the sea. The Kuroshio Sea aquarium is the length of three Olympic swimming pools. Behind the 135-ton acrylic glass walls are three whale sharks, manta rays and various other species. The acrylic panels were listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in the world until they were beaten by the Dubai Aquarium in 2008. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium was the first Kuroshio Sea aquarium built for the 1975 World Fair Expo. It was organized to mark the third anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japan. After the event, the Expo Ocean Park was managed by the central government from 1976 and Kuroshio Sea was reopened on Aug. 8, 1979. Living rocks: Visitors marvel at manifold coral reefs in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. (The Jakarta Post/P.J. Leo ) The idea to build a new aquarium sprang up in 1989. Its initial design was ready in 1994 and its details were finished in 1995, followed by construction in 1996. The old Kuroshio Sea closed on Aug. 31, 2002, and the newly completed building was named the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which opened on Nov. 11, 2002, to mark the 30th anniversary of Okinawas return. The journalists wound up their Okinawa tour by cruising Kokusai Street. It was an enjoyable experience to walk on the street and mingle with local residents at souvenir shops selling various traditional handicrafts, ranging from shisa lions to bin-gata clothes. The street has several restaurants that offer Okinawas delectable cuisine, as well as the Eisa dance. After buying some souvenirs, a few Okinawan words were needed before departing: nifedeberu (thank you) and guburisabira (so long). REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gunderson Dettmer's Silicon Valley office has relocated to a newly-constructed building in downtown Redwood City, California. The new space reflects evolving work styles, efficient design and new collaboration tools to fit the firm's culture and is designed to appeal to lawyers and clients alike. "Our lawyers don't want corner offices - they want areas to collaborate and interact with colleagues and clients in a less formal, more dynamic and creative way. We experimented with our offices in San Francisco and Ann Arbor and discovered that having a smaller footprint means we spend more time working together while maintaining efficiency," said Ivan Gaviria, partner. Further, and true to our roots, we strive for a flat culture with teams working elbow to elbow, a philosophy and approach that is highlighted in the office design and that helps us continue to provide next-generation service. Occupying the top three floors in the building, the new office is also deliberately designed to take advantage of technology. Where the firm previously allocated 8,000 square feet to the library and records functions, with an online library and records stored digitally, the new office requires only 200 square feet devoted to those functions. Further, the conference rooms are more flexible to accommodate a variety of group sizes and configurations. The addition of flexible hotel offices for lawyers typically working in the collaborative, open environment ensures privacy when necessary and is balanced with open spaces that promote interaction and collegiality. "Beyond all the efficiencies implemented, when we first moved into our prior space in 2010, we didn't yet have a San Francisco office. Today, our Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices form one, integrated regional base to serve clients wherever they are in the Bay Area. The two offices are similar in their flexibility in design and really allow for a free flow of people between them - whether it's lawyers or clients," added Gaviria, who travels between the two offices regularly. Gunderson is the anchor tenant in a new building that features a high walkability score, easy access to public transportation options and a vibrant downtown with amenities including restaurants, theaters, a farmers market and more. The office is located at 550 Allerton Street, Redwood City, California. The addresses of the firm's offices in Ann Arbor, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Beijing and Singapore remain unchanged. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 18, 2018 19:28 1148 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087736dea4 1 News Ireland,Education,university,study-abroad,students,#university,#education Free Ireland looks to attract more Indonesian students to pursue higher education in the country, which is why Irish Education and Skills Minister Richard Bruton arrived in Jakarta on Monday. Speaking at a networking event between Irish universities and local education agents in Jakarta on Monday, Bruton highlighted Ireland's rapid growth in the education sector in recent years, saying the country had developed the sector into an area of competitive advantage and was creating strong potential in the studying experience. Bruton noted his countrys developments in agriscience, the new economy and high-tech research. According to embassy data, Ireland is currently home to 60 Indonesian students pursuing further studies across the country, including in the capital of Dublin and in smaller cities, such as Cork, Limerick and Galway. Read also: 10 best cities to study abroad To add to the education experience, said Bruton, international students pursuing tertiary education in Ireland could opt to remain in the country upon graduating to work for one or two years, depending on the level of education achieved. "One of the things we offer is the opportunity for students who study in Ireland to stay back and perhaps get a work experience with many of the both multinational and Irish companies that are leaders in their field," he said. Ireland, a country with a population of approximately 4.5 million, boasts 33 universities, many of which are strong in sciences and innovation. Meanwhile, its capital Dublin is home to the headquarters of several multinational companies, such as Google and Facebook, which create ample opportunities for internships and work experience. Also speaking at the event, Isobel Walton, Education in Ireland's ASEAN manager, emphasized the country's strength in research, noting that Ireland ranked second globally in nanotechnology. "Ireland is also one of the safest countries in the world," Walton added, a factor that she said students also considered important when choosing a destination to study abroad. According to Global Peace Index 2017, Ireland sits at number 10 of the safest countries on Earth. The list, compiled by Institute for Economics and Peace, ranks 163 nations according to their "levels of peacefulness". Verdict: Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. presents a vibrant picture of an extraordinary individual, with a vital political message at its heart. M.I.A. (aka Maya Arulpragasam) is a rapper whose songs have become part of the cultural cannon against all odds. This documentary tells her story through remarkable footage she has collated throughout her life. A documentary is certainly easier to make when the subject herself is passionate about documentary filmmaking, and therefore has filmed an extraordinary amount of her own life. Though her songs may be familiar (Paper Planes, Bad Girls), certainly to our generation, her life story isnt as familiar. You might be surprised to learn that Maya is the daughter of the founder of the Tamil Tigers - the resistance movement in Sri Lanka who fight against the ethnic cleansing of the genocidal government. Alongside this story - the story of Mayas family and history - we also see her rise to fame in the music industry, and how the two interweave. A political musician and a young woman, the documentary shows Maya at her most powerful and her most vulnerable. A woman whose story has often been twisted and co-opted by the media, this film gives her the platform to tell her own story in her own words. Its unbelievably powerful. From journeying back to Sri Lanka to reconnect with her extended family, to the creation of her first songs in her bedroom, to performing at the Superbowl with Madonna and Nicki Minaj - this journey is unlike anything youve ever seen before. A once in a lifetime look behind the curtain of pop stardom as well as a forceful piece of activism - the contradictions of this film mirror those of Maya herself. A complex figure, she lays out her journey with all its complexities and dares the audience to make a judgement. Accusations of terrorism and life in an active war zone are balanced by the highs of performing at a festival for the first time, dancing in her room, and her relationship with her husband and son. Theres a sinister undertone to the film - though Mayas strength is admirable throughout, theres a sense of desperation in the very fact that this film had to be made in the first place. The media cycles vicious treatment of her positions this film as an active and vital act of taking back control of her own narrative. Directed by Steve Loveridge - a close friend who appears in some of the footage - the trust between director and subject is clear from the intimacy of the documentary. This personal story sends a powerful political message, not only about the horrors suffered in Sri Lanka, but of the agenda that drives the news cycle here in the UK and in America. In an age of fake news dominating, its important to remember there are always multiple sides to every story, and that questioning our sources is as vital as ever. Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. arrives in cinemas on September 21st. Find out more on the official website. In a series looking back from its very roots to its stature in 2018, we're chronicling the rise of hip-hop through some of its most impactful and influential artists and tracks in the genre's history. Step one: the birth of hip-hop, from 1979 to 1985.Widely accredited as the first ever popularised hip-hop track created, 'Rapper's Delight' birthed the genre in a very unsuspecting way. The track itself features a funk-infused beat accompanied by simplistic, basic, near-comical lyrics encapsulated by the iconic hook:A far cry from modern hip-hop and definitely tardy to the hip-hop community (spearheaded earlier by DJ Kool Herc out of the Bronx, New York) 'Rapper's Delight' managed to accrue such a freakishly large commercial following it started tumbling over its success and gave wiggle room to new faces on the scene. A year after Rappers Delight Kurtis Blow muscled his way into the hip-hop mix with The Breaks. Equally as funky, with lyrics and flow just as simplistic as that of the Sugarhill Gang and repetitive end rhymes, the song is just sheer fun. Much like 'Rapper's Delight', it raised some eyebrows from the religious hip-hop forefathers, but succeeded in echoing the role of the MC in the 80s; that being to support the DJ, and not to be the main event. A whole song about breaks on a car, on a bus and on a planewhy not? The Treacherous Three were highly regarded as the first act to introduce a higher tempo rap into hip-hop music. The Harlem trio, spearheaded by legendary MC Kool Moe Dee, deliver on this track with another fairly simple flow. Lyrics delivered faster over the top with its fun and lively Sugarhill-esque beat makes Feel the Heartbeat an instant party hit, while also turning the tide on increasing the tempo of MCs and rappers. conscious Another Sugarhill Records classic, The Message is an icon in musical history. Featuring one of the most recognisable rhythms of the 80s, the song has been sampled so many times and made so many cultural cameos it's frankly unfathomable. What is even more unique about 'The Message' is that some regard it as the first conscious rap song ever created; the lyrics charter the struggles of poverty in America. A unique beat partnered with intense, powerful lyrics, Flash and his Furious Five took a grand step in defining the culturalof hip-hop. Afrika Bambaataa is a former gang leader turned spiritual leader and an innovator of sound. He's the man who meshed Kraftwerk electronica and funky breakbeats to create a piece of musical genius that is Planet Rock. The song, like most previous hip-hop music of the era, is fun and energetic. However, it's important to look at how Bambaataa widely experimented within the genre; he was bold in his endeavour to push the boundaries of breakbeat DJing and fuse the rhythms of electronica and funk to spread the history, culture and spirit of hip-hop throughout America and the rest of the world. Its Like That marks a change in the sound of hip-hop. Following in the pathway carved by the likes of Bambaataa, the genre swayed towards experimentation with funk, soul and all its quirks in between. Then, in 83, Run DMC enter into the mix. A rap duo from Queens who give us 'It's Like That' - a track that is bold in its abrasiveness, percussion-heavy, minimalist beat. There's none of the glitz or glamour that came with infused funk rhythms, rather a brashness, yet equally as fun and lively. 'It's Like That' marked a shift forward in hip-hop culture; the starting point for more street hip-hop, less club hip-hop. This track is probably one of the most silently impactful records in hip-hop history. It marks the first time that "The King of Soul" James Brown collaborated with a hip-hop artist and charters the beginning of Brown's close relationship with the genre. Since this record has come out, Brown may be one of the most sampled artists ever in hip-hop music, with his soulful voice being so incredibly appealing to producers and artists. The song itself is a thing of magnificence; Peace, unity, love, and having fun being the theme, over a gorgeous funky beat with synth flavourings sprinkled throughout, truly a beautiful blend of Bambaataa and Brown and of hip-hop and soul. beefs song One of the best rapof the 80s, Roxanne Shante vs rap trio U.T.F.O. began with this legendary track by Shante: Roxannes Revenge. The track is a response to a caricature used in a U.T.F.O.whose name was Roxanne, with a 14-year-old Shante freestyling for 5 minutes, dissing every member of U.T.F.O. over a boom-bap beat produced by legendary Queensbridge producer Marley Marl. One of hip-hop's first female MCs kicking off the revered tradition of beefing, Roxanne is an icon and even now has a Netflix documentary "Roxanne Roxanne" that chronicles her story. The first single released by 16-year-old LL Cool J - who, little did he know, would go on to become one of the faces of 80s music and a hip-hop Hall of Famer. The beat, adopting the more abrasive Run DMC style, with frequent record scratches and scraggy, dissonant effects is accompanied by a young LL rapping aggressively with that typical early 80s flow. The song hit mainstream success and allowed for LL to go on the legendary Raising Hell Tour with Run DMC and the Beastie Boys; a tour that skyrocketed the careers of all three acts, as well as record producer Rick Rubin. One of the most sampled, most ground-breaking and iconic songs in hip-hop history. Nearly every single line of Slick Ricks verse has been sampled on massive hit records: by Notorious B.I.G. on Hypnotize, Miley Cyrus on We Cant Stop, Beyonce on Party, as well as the Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg and NWA. Slick Ricks storytelling here is revolutionary: never before had an MC gone into such detail in painting a picture with his rhymes whilst being funny and engaging. For that dynamic storytelling ability, Slick Rick is a phenomenon in hip-hop's history. Most of us view taking photographs as a key component to travelling, a way to capture memories as well as to keep friends and family visually up-to-date on social media, and, perhaps also to show off the cool experiences we are having. There are many incredible destinations around the world that you must capture before the age of 30. You may ask: why before the big three-zero? Of course, there is no rule, but it is likely that teenagers and 20-somethings have fewer commitments than they will do later in life. Many young people are yet to settle down and have children or dependents to consider, and students especially are notoriously open to trying new things. Perhaps we simply have more energy. Here are 15 incredible photos you must capture before your thirties. 1. Angkor Wat at sunrise, Siem Reap, Cambodia Credit: Chloe Connolly Southeast Asia is perfect for the novice traveller because of its accessibility, cheap prices, and a multitude of things to see and do. For these reasons, the majority of backpackers in this part of the world are in their 20s. If you happen to visit the largest religious monument in the world (and you most likely will), it is absolutely necessary to be there for sunrise. The colours in the sky behind the silhouette of the temple are outstanding. 2. The limestone mountains of Halong Bay, Vietnam Credit: Ammie Ngo on Unsplash Another essential destination to visit for the perfect snapshot are the viewpoints in Ti Top Island, Cat Ba Island, and Cua Van Fishing Village. 3. The Bali Swing, Ubud, Bali Credit: Artem Bali on Pexels The famous Bali Swing in Ubud is a must-visit if you are craving the perfect Instagram shot. 4. Tiger's Nest Monastery, Bhutan Credit: Pixabay on Pexels Believed to be the birthplace of Buddhism, the monastery can be found 3,120 metres above sea level. Climbing up to this spot requires fearlessness, stamina, and determination. 5. The Taj Mahal, Agra, India Credit: Julian Yu on Unsplash Many people say that when it comes to India, you need to start young because you will want to re-visit over and over again, all thanks to the countrys vastness and diversity. A good place to start is the Taj Mahal, an iconic landmark, which is at the top of most tourists' bucket lists. 6. Australias Great Barrier Reef Credit: Belle Co on Pexels The breath-taking beauty that is the Great Barrier Reef is under threat; some scientists predict that the worlds largest coral reef, and one of the seven natural wonders of the world could be extinct by 2050 if we dont do something drastic to change this. With corals dying at an alarming rate, the next few years are the time to capture its beauty (without causing more damage to it, of course) before it is too late. 7. Al-Khazneh Temple, Petra, Jordan Credit: Brian Kairuz on Unsplash If you plan on visiting the stunning Petra in Jordan at some point in your life, you should really do it soon. The iconic Al Khazneh temple could look very different in just a few years time due to weather erosion and tourists touching its surface. 8. The sunset at Cafe Mambo, Ibiza, Spain Credit: Chloe Connolly Watching the sunset from Cafe Mambo will start your all-night party off the right way. Ibiza is famous as one of the best clubbing locations in the world. 9. The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France Credit: Eugene Dorosh on Pexels Photographing the most recognised monument in the city of love is not something that should wait for the post-30s. It is a staple image in Europe and the world. 10. The neon lights of HafenCity Universitat metro station, Hamburg, Germany Credit: Radouane Benhammou on Unsplash The colour-changing LEDs in the relatively new metro station provide an opportunity for vibrant snaps, reflecting the up-and-coming quarter of HafenCity. 11. Haiku Stairs, Oahu, Hawaii Credit: Nick Patel on Unsplash Otherwise known as the stairway to heaven, the Haiku Stairs are a steep and adventurous hiking trail in Hawaii with a total of 3,922 steps. 12. The Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn Bridge, New York, USA Credit: Reynaldo Brigantty on Pexels Brooklyn Bridge is one of the top locations for a skyline snap in the Big Apple. Visit the city in your 20s to make the most of its liveliness, late-night shopping, and its many sightseeing (and picture) opportunities. 13. Machu Picchu, Peru Credit: Scott Umstattd on Unsplash Walking to the ancient Inca city, Machu Picchu, is physically demanding but nevertheless one of the most spiritually magical experiences. 14. The colours and costumes of Rio Carnival, Brazil Credit: Pixabay on Pexels Immerse yourself in the craziness that is the biggest carnival in the world. The parades, full of revellers, floats and extravagant adornments, are just waiting to be photographed. 15. The Lake District National Park, England Credit: Wesley Henshaw on Unsplash Last but not least, the most popular national park in the UK offers mountains, sparkling lakes, and endless beauty. On our doorstep, there is no excuse to not explore this stunning area while we are young and capture its beauty. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page LAS VEGAS, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. (NYSE MKT: UWN) today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement with Maverick Casinos, LLC (Maverick). Under the terms of the merger agreement, Maverick will acquire all of the outstanding shares of the Companys common stock for $2.50 per share in cash, subject to certain minor adjustments. The transaction will result in the Company becoming a private company. The Manager of Maverick is Eric Persson. An affiliate of Maverick owns the Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino and Red Garter Hotel & Casino in Wendover, Nevada, along with various other assets. Maverick intends to fund the transaction primarily with debt financing from Nevada State Bank plus equity financing from Maverick. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. William Sherlock, Chairman of Nevada Gold, said, Our goal was to obtain the highest value in a sale of the Company. We believe the transaction announced today achieves our objective and provides immediate cash consideration for our shareholders. The transaction is subject to approval of a majority of the shareholders of Nevada Gold, the approval of applicable gaming authorities, completion of the sale of the Companys Club Fortune casino in Henderson, Nevada, which is under contract, and other customary closing conditions. The companies expect the transaction to close by the end of 2018. The Companys Board of Directors has unanimously approved the merger agreement. Rossoff & Company, LLC is serving as financial advisor and Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP is serving as legal counsel to the Company in connection with the transaction. About Nevada Gold & Casinos Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. (NYSE MKT:UWN) of Las Vegas, Nevada is a developer, owner and operator of 9 gaming operations in Washington (wagoldcasinos.com) and a local casino in Henderson, Nevada (clubfortune.com). Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "future," "intend," "plan," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, satisfaction of the conditions to closing the transaction in the anticipated timeframe or at all, the financing of the transaction, risks related to the financing of the transaction, the effect of the announcement of the transaction on the ability of the Company to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers, partners and others with whom it does business, or on its operating results and businesses generally, and the Companys ability to increase income streams, to grow revenue and earnings, and to obtain additional gaming and other projects. These statements are only predictions and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which include, but are not limited to, those identified and described in the Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Additional Information and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company plans to file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including a proxy statement. Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, the Company will mail the definitive proxy statement to each stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the transaction. STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO AND ANY DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION THAT THE COMPANY WILL FILE WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES TO THE TRANSACTION. The definitive proxy statement, the preliminary proxy statement, and other relevant materials in connection with the transaction (when they become available) and any other documents filed by the Company with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) or, without charge, from the Company by mail or online from the Companys website at www.nevadagold.com. The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company is set forth in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2018, filed with the SEC on July 26, 2018. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC in respect of the propose transaction. TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodman & Company, Investment Counsel Inc. (Manager) is pleased to announce Michael Costa as lead Portfolio Manager to the following funds: CMP 2017 Resource Limited Partnership CMP 2018 Resource Limited Partnership Dundee Global Resource Class Mr. Costa will be supported by the mining team of the Manager and its parent, Dundee Corporation. The Manager also announces that Jonathan Goodman will be appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Manager, subject to regulatory approval. Jonathan Goodman has over 30 years mining investment and operating experience. He has worked as a geologist, senior analyst, portfolio manager and senior executive, operating a mining company, leading a mining-focused investment banking group, and building extensive knowledge and relationships in the global mining resource and finance sectors over a distinguished career. Jonathan held the role of Executive Chairman of Dundee Precious Metals (DPM-T) from April 2013 to September 2017, at which time he was appointed Chairman, and was its CEO from 1995 until 2013. Mr. Goodman is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Corporation. Michael Costa has been Vice President and Portfolio Manager of the Manager since 2013. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Costa served as director with UBS Securities Canada and was responsible for managing the Fundamental Investment Groups Canadian investment portfolio. Prior to joining UBS, Mr. Costa served as Vice President at both Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York and Goldman Sachs Canada Inc., in Toronto. He graduated cum laude with honours in Economics from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. About the Manager The Manager is a subsidiary of Dundee Corporation (TSX:DC.A). The Manager is a registered portfolio manager and exempt market dealer across Canada, and a registered investment fund manager in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. About CMP CMP is a pioneer in flow-through investing, with a history dating back to when flow-through shares were first introduced by the federal government. Since its creation in 1984, CMP has successfully raised and invested over $3.0 billion in companies active in exploration and development efforts across Canada. When combined with the flow-through limited partnerships of Canada Dominion, the two form the largest flow-through investing platform in Canada, raising a combined total of more than $4.3 billion in assets throughout their history. For more information, contact our Customer Relations Centre at 1.866.694.5672 or visit www.goodmanandcompany.com. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Ecobond Paint, LLC Corporate Headquarters, Arvada, Colorado, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a recent article in Reuters, it was reported that Privatizing U.S. military housing was supposed to protect service members families. Instead, some of their children are being poisoned by lead. A Reuters investigation unearths dangers in base homes, lapses in military oversight, and a code of silence keeping families at risk. After his son was poisoned, a decorated colonel pushed the Army to ensure other children were not harmed in military housing. The article continued to say that after Army Colonel J. Cale Browns son was diagnosed with lead poisoning, contractors ordered their home they rented to be tested for lead. The results: At least 113 spots in the home had lead paint, including several peeling or crumbling patches, requiring $26,150 in lead abatement. Villages of Benning moved the Browns into another old house. James M. Barthel, creator of ECOBOND Lead Defender commented, our hearts are burdened when we hear about cases like this. All human life is important, but it feels so much more alarming when children are involved because as a father and grandfather, I can only imagine what these parents are going through. Our Lead Defender formula includes Bitrex, a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact which creates an added safety barrier to further protect children from lead poisoning by reducing the amount of paint chips or dust a child may ingest. Barthel continued. ECOBOND is the premier provider of environmental products focused on protecting human health from the dangers of lead. The patented Paint-it-on Leave-it-on formula is different than encapsulants and abatement because it is a lead-based paint treatment providing an easy and affordable solution to this devastating national health crisis. As reported in the Reuters story, abatement can be extremely expensive. According to the EPA, professional lead-based paint removal for the following three options costs about $8 to $15 per square foot or about $9,600 to $30,000 for a 1,200- to 2,000-sq. ft. house. ECOBOND Lead Defender comes in at .25/sq. ft or about $300-$500 for the same 1,200- to 2,000-sq. ft. house. Barthel continued, We want our U.S. Military which exists to serve the American people, and to defend the Nation, to enjoy peace of mind from their family being negatively impacted by the dangers of lead paint in their military housing. We are responding to this widespread documented crisis where Reuters reported that private contractors house some 700,000 Americans at more than 100 military installations nationwide, including an estimated 100,000 children ages 0 through 5. Fort Benning alone is home to some 2,000 small children. Of its 4,001 family homes, 2,274 have lead-based paint present in them, according to a Villages of Benning memo from November 2017. Barthel announced that, ECOBOND Paint, is ready to donate to the U.S. Army a supply of our patented lead paint treatment, ECOBOND Lead Defender. We are standing at the ready to Attachment Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. remaining of 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. Miami, Florida, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The evolution of the mobile technologies have played a significant role in the U.S. healthcare system. As the system continues to undergo significant transformation, substantial federal de-regulations are opening the doors for true innovation and challenging physicians with increasing patient expectations. But where is the mass market solution to bring doctors and patients together online? The healthcare industry is ripe for disruption: Physicians are increasingly pressed for time, patients have an average 29 day wait to see their physicians, and healthcare expenditure is skyrocketing to 20% of Americas GDP, the highest in the world, while many indicators show worsening performance. The simplest solution to all the pain-points of the industry is telemedicine. The global telemedicine market is expected to double from $25 billion in 2015 to nearly $58 billion in 2020. In the U.S., adoption of telemedicine technology has grown from 54.5% in 2014 to 61.3% in 2016, and nearly 80% of patients are now willing to try telemedicine solutions. To describe the magnitude of the transition, by 2024, virtual physician visits will surpass in-office visits, and by 2025, there will be an estimated 1.15 billion virtual physicians visits each year. Today, the vast bulk of this growth has been as a direct result of the major payers, insurance carriers and third-party administrators (TPAs) disintermediating the physicians and specialists income streams through the provision of telehealth services through call-center style disparate panels of physicians. We are pleased to celebrate one organization that is bravely taking the opposite approach and bringing patients and their own providers closer with the use of simple mobile technologies. Founded in 2016 by California native Matt Wanderer, Carie Health, or Carie as she is affectionately known in healthcare circles, is a groundbreaking telemedicine company built to address the nations unmet demand for high quality, affordable healthcare. Pioneering the mobile healthcare solution, Carie provides excellent healthcare accessible to all Americans while making it easier for physicians to get on board and make the complex transition to the participation in the growth of the telehealth industry and the wave of revenue associated with it. Carie makes physicians visits easier and more convenient through its groundbreaking platform that also provides physicians with residual income theyve earned. The company delivers a turnkey telehealth solution that extends the physicians reach, reduces after-hours support, and improves patient retention. With the companys patient onboarding tools, a personalized patient site, and proactive built-in digital marketing tools, patients can video consult with their primary care physician, specialist or any healthcare provider anytime, anywhere. People always want to compare us with other telehealth systems, which offer limited utility to doctor and patient alike. To be more accurate I encourage my friends and family to think of us as America's first full service virtual-care health system, were not competing with Teledoc, we owe them great thanks as they forged the path for companies like ours to exist. Unlike first-generation telehealth tools, our whole system aligns instantly with the the independent providers current tools allowing doctors from coast to coast to become visible online instantly, engage with their own patients better, and also pick up new patients who are looking for forward thinking local providers. Says Matt Wanderer, Founder & CEO of Carie Health. Carie is an innovative platform that was built to create a new and improved healthcare experience between a provider and their patients; one that elevates the relationship by reducing barriers of time, cost, and inconvenience. Carie instantly connects patients with their own trusted Doctors (or if preferred the next available local Doctor) creating a complete care solution, both in-office and virtually. Unlike standard Telehealth solutions, when you are talking with a Carie provider, and the situation calls for it, you can simply agree to drive over the office for an in-person visit. This is a new frontier. With the unique set of tools and a proprietary platform, Caries virtual healthcare technology has a clear opportunity to grow and scale within the telehealth market. Our recipe is simple and wildly revolutionary at the same time; we connect the consumer with their own doctor, let them maintain and even improve the core doctor-patient relationship. In collaboration with the brightest minds, in both the healthcare and technology industries, we came together to map how healthcare could be optimally delivered by learning from other industries and building a new healthcare delivery model. states CEO, Matt Wanderer. Whether you are are a doctor looking to ensure a durable practice for the next 30 years, or a patient who wants to give their favorite doctor a gentle nudge to sign up and access our free platform, visit us at www.Carie.com and begin your journey into the way healthcare should be! MBABANE The High Court has ordered that the condition to quarantine 16 black rhinos, which were purchased by Big Game Parks, for 30 days be deleted from the veterinary import permit. The order was granted by consent of the Big Game Parks Trustees and government. The trustees had taken the director of Veterinary and Livestock Services, Dr Xolani Dlamini, minister and principal secretary in the ministry of Agriculture to court, after Dr Dlamini imposed Regulation 6(3) of the Stock Disease Regulations of 1933 on the veterinary import permit. This regulation comes with restrictive conditions requiring that wild animals be held in quarantine for a fixed period upon arrival in the country. Big Game Parks purchased the 16 black rhinos from the Buffalo Dream Ranch in the North West Province and they were destined for Hlane Royal National Park in the Lubombo Region. order The order, which was issued by Judge Mumcy Dlamini following the consent of the parties, interdicts government from imposing any condition that has the effect of restricting the importation of the black rhinos. Government has also been ordered to stop interfering with the import of the rhinos described in the import permits. The order further declares that when acting in terms of Regulation 6(3), Dr Dlamini is not empowered by law to grant import permits subject to restrictive conditions requiring the isolation of wild animals upon arrival in the country, unless it is reasonably necessary and the animals are suited to confinement. Dr Dlamini was also ordered to, in exercise of his discretion in terms of Regulation 6(3) of the Act, notify the applicants for such veterinary import permits before taking the decision to grant the permits, subject to the conditions concerned. The applicants, according to the order, are to be granted the opportunity to make representations before the decision is taken, which allows for meaningful engagement with Dr Dlamini. The trustees, who were represented by Kenneth Motsa of Robinson Bertram, had applied that the court should stop the director from interfering with the import of the black rhinos. Terrence Reilly, who is a Trustee, submitted that Regulation 6 did not empower the director by law to grant veterinary import permits subject to conditions that affected them. Reilly informed the court that on July 25, 2018, Dr Dlamini approved Big Game Parks application for an import permit for the black rhinos and imposed the isolation condition. The granting of the import permit subject to this condition, according to Reilly, was in line with the policy adopted by the veterinary services in May 2018. The policy makes all veterinary import permits to be issued in terms of the Stock and Diseases Regulations, subject to some form of quarantine. Reilly argued that the director did not engage with the Big Game Parks Trust beforehand, to advise the trustees of his intention to impose the condition in respect of rhinos or any other species. MANZINI A National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) Senior Information Technology (IT) Officer has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the company E250 135. The alleged fraud and other offences are in respect of laptops, computers, printers, cartridges, office chairs and cellphones allegedly ordered from different companies on behalf of NAMBoard. The accused person, Frank Mpendulo Makhabane (30) of Big Bend, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Mthokozisi Dlamini after he was arrested and charged with 34 counts of forgery, uttering and fraud. In statements submitted in court, NAMBoards Chief Executive Officer Siphephiso Dlamini, alleged that in February this year, the organisation received demands for payments in respect of computers from various suppliers, which it was claimed had been purchased on its behalf by the IT officer, who is the accused person. We demanded to be furnished with the necessary documents in respect of their demand for payment from the company. However, we later discovered that fraudulent invoices were made by the accused, Dlamini alleged. The organisations Human Resources (HR) Manager, Silondiwe Nkambule, revealed that around March this year, they received an email from Lungile Malinga, who is employed by Data Net as a Sales and Marketing Officer, who made an enquiry of a laptop she alleged was loaned to NAMBoard at the request of Makhabane. In her email, she stated that the laptop was handed over to the accused person as a temporary measure while awaiting delivery of the proper one which had been ordered by NAMBoard. The ordered laptop was duly delivered to the accused person, she alleged. Meanwhile, Sisana Mondlane, the companys Chief Financial Officer (CFO), revealed that since she was fully conversant with the organisations procurement processes, she received demands for payment in respect of computers from various suppliers, which it was claimed had been purchased on NAMBoards behalf by the accused. We demanded to be furnished with the necessary documents in support of their demand for payment. The suppliers were NETCOMM, DATA NET and PC Systems, and the total amount the companies demanded was E234 730, Mondlane alleged in her statements. She also revealed that the Board had since committed to payment of the invoices in four instalments as per the attached letters of demand, and had since paid an amount of E138 730. MBABANE Dismissed! The court has dismissed the application filed by aspirant Manzini North MP Jan Sithole. Sithole had taken the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to court, where he was seeking an order interdicting the commission from conducting the Special voting and Secondary Elections, specifically for the Manzini North Inkhundla. He wanted the court to interdict EBC from proceeding with the abovementioned electoral process pending finalisation of the matter where Macford Sibandzes eligibility to stand for elections under Makholweni Umphakatsi was being challenged. Sitholes application was dismissed by Judge Ticheme Dlamini yesterday evening, after hearing arguments of both parties. Judge Dlamini said reasons for his judgment would follow in due course. In a brief interview after the judgment, Sithole said he was saddened that the principle of the rule of law had not been given an opportunity in this case. He said he was still convinced that the environment of free, fair and credible elections was still wanting. He went on to state that he felt continuing with the elections under the Manzini North Inkhundla without dealing with Sibandzes matter clouded the environment of free, fair and credible elections. My call was that the Manzini North elections should be stayed until the pending case against one of the candidates for the Manzini North Inkhundla was resolved, said Sithole. He said the rule of law should supersede the rush for elections at all cost. Sithole further pointed out that his call was not to stop the general elections but his focus was specifically on the Manzini North Inkhundla. According to Sithole, the application against Sibandze which was still pending in court, was prejudicial to his (Sithole) right to a fair, free and democratic election in the Manzini North Inkhundla, where he and Sibandze are contesting. I respectfully aver that it is prejudicial to my rights to a free, fair and democratic election for EBC to continue with the process of Special voting in the Manzini North Inkhundla, when one of the contestants involvement is being challenged, argued Sithole. DELTA, B.C., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Good Samaritan Canada (GSC) and Devji Holdings Ltd. have reached an agreement that has transferred ownership of Delta View Campus of Care to Good Samaritan Canada effective immediately. We are thrilled to welcome the residents, their families, staff, and volunteers of Delta View Campus of Care to the Good Samaritan family, says Julius van Wyk, CEO and President of Good Samaritan Canada. Our focus into the future will be to ensure that the quality of care and accommodations that Delta View has been known for is met and that we continue to build upon it. We are committed to working with the Devji family to make this transition as smooth as possible with continuity of care as our top priority. Assisted living, complex care, respite services, and dementia care will continue to be provided at the care home, ensuring the needs of aging individuals in the community are fulfilled now and in the future. After 42 years of working hand in hand with our residents, their families, our staff, suppliers, health authorities, and all three levels of government, we are pleased that Good Samaritan Canada will now take our organization to the next level by supporting, and enabling our team to achieve our vision of being a global leader in person centered care, said Jane Devji, CEO of Delta View Campus of Care. It has been the Devji familys privilege to have been a part of the community of Delta, where we were able to work together to improve the quality of life of seniors and those in need. We sincerely thank all of our staff and stakeholders, past and present, for their dedication to our residents, as well as ongoing support to our organization. We look forward to GSC carrying on the Delta View legacy of enriching the lives of those we serve and those who serve with us as well as our Hugs not Drugs approach to care. Delta View has been designed to provide safe, multilevel care with two buildings with capacity for 296 residents; 292 of which are complex care, and four of which are assisted living. The holistic model of care enables residents by providing the best physical, psychological, social, and spiritual care in a home-like environment. Good Samaritan Canada operates seven other care homes in British Columbia. They are a leading faith-based, not-for-profit, registered charity providing quality accommodations, health, and community care services and programs. With over 69 years of experience providing innovative and caring environments, their overarching culture of service and care make them a provider of choice for individuals and their families seeking a supportive place to call home. For media inquiries, contact: Julie Williams GSC Communications 780-504-2280 Aly Devji Delta View Campus of Care 604-501-6700 MBABANE Schools should continue operating as normal with immediate effect. This is according of a press statement issued by the acting Prime Minister Dr Vincent Mhlanga just after midnight today. The latest press statement supersedes the one that was issued by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education Dr Sibongile Mtshali around 3:30pm yesterday. In the statement sent earlier, government had called for schools to be closed today, tomorrow and Thursday and only reopen next week Monday because of the proposed TUCOSWA industrial action. Todays statement issued by Mhlanga states that in view of the fact that the nation was in the process of elections with no Cabinet and Parliament in office, there were a few things which needed to be addressed. The latest statement, No. 15/2018, states that the issues raised by TUCOSWA and the unions were attended to by the previous Cabinet and any outstanding issues would be dealt with by the next Cabinet. We, therefore, do not expect TUCOSWA and the unions and their members to continue, with their protest and strike action, reads the statement. The acting PM said in light of the above, all schools should, therefore continue operating as normal and all teachers and pupils should be in class. This statement supersedes the earlier statement by the Ministry of Education and Training suspending classes on September 18, 19 and 20, said Mhlanga. The acting PM reiterated that all teachers and pupils were expected to be in class on these dates. Earlier yesterday, government had taken a decision to close all schools until next week Monday. Through a statement issued by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Dr Sibongile Mtshali yesterday afternoon, the PS stated that schools were being closed because of the up-coming industrial action by public sector associations (PSAs). Press Statement No.7 of 2018 has since gone viral on many social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp and Facebook where the public was questioning its authenticity. The statement reads that schools were to be closed for the next three days which includes today, tomorrow and Thursday. Due to the uncertainty of the safety and protection of children during the proposed Industrial Action scheduled for September 18, 19, 20, 2018 planned by TUCOSWA, whose membership includes teachers, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, through the Ministry of Education and Training, advises that classes be suspended on the above mentioned dates, reads the statement. TUCOSWA is an acronym for the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland. As a result, government had earlier requested parents to ensure that their children were kept at home during the aforementioned dates. However, that has been cancelled Classes shall resume on Monday September 24, 2018, it reads. Meanwhile, last week Friday, over 6 000 teachers voted to strike which made it about 99 per cent of teachers calling for the action. The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) needed only 50 per cent of its members to vote for the strike action in order to engage in a protected mass industrial action of cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA). According to the official results which were released by the Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC), out of the 11 191 teachers who were SNAT members, a total of 6 233 cast their votes and of these only 61 balloted against it. The teachers had initially planned to engage in their strike action tomorrow. Meanwhile, government has continued to offer a zero per cent increment stating that its fiscal position currently did not place it in a position to offer anything higher. English French MONTREAL, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a time of short-lived boutiques and fleeting trends, a store that reaches its 30th birthday has a lot of merit. Boutique 5e Avenue, located on Laurier Ouest, is one of the rare business addresses that has withstood the test of time. Neither the changes in consumer habits, the many construction projects that disrupted Avenue Laurier, or changes in fashion and clientele could overcome this venerable independent boutique, which welcomes Montreal women of all walks of life, ages and styles to Outremont. What's the secret of this timelessness? The quality and diversity of the collections combined with exceptional service. Owner Danielle Gelinas is the architect of this success. She put the customer experience in the forefront, even before the term became fashionable. To do so, she relies on two factors that are especially appreciated because they have become too rare today: quality and service, two overused terms that become meaningful in this case. Danielle ensures a renewed offer that is always in the avant-garde of fashion, judiciously choosing creations for her customers. From season to season, the boutique organizes customer events to showcase new fashions and signature collections. The staff's friendly welcome, personalized service, warmth and competence, relevant advice, courtesy, discretion, respect for each customer's style, quality of the collections and even the layout of the boutique were all conceived to give the customer a sense of belonging that has been consolidated over the years. "We don't turn 30 every day!" Danielle Gelinas exclaimed about this important milestone and the reception that will be held in its honour on October 25. "I want to honour and thank the quality and loyalty of my customers. I feel privileged to serve them and hope to continue to do so for a long time!" The red carpet event will bring together the boutique's best customers as well as several personalities and dignitaries, including France Castel and Jean-Claude Poitras. Stylist, consultant, astute businesswoman, professional to her fingertips, Danielle created a boutique connected to the individual, in harmony with the customers who visit it. She and her team of in-store consultants cultivate the art of finding items that suit each customer's tastes and lifestyle. The customer, whether old or new, is received like a pampered VIP. "Every customer deserves our full attention," is the boutique's motto. This is how it built its enviable reputation. Among the brands offered: The famous French chic sporty brand Saint James; the German lines Marc Cain, Luisa Cerano, Cambio, Raffaelo Rossi, Brax and Repeat; Creenstone coats from Amsterdam and the luxurious Italian Cinzia Rocca coats; the American collections Lisa Todd and Eileen Fisher; and several accessories including the scarves of Canadian designer Suzie Roher. All world-class brands whose cuts and materials assure comfort and elegance. Boutique 5e Avenue is the ideal medium and high-end destination for timeless clothing and accessories appropriate for every occasion, big and small. 2013 Grand Prix du Design winner in the Commercial Space category, Boutique 5e Avenue offers an airy layout, contemporary elegance and impeccable aesthetics. With 3,000 sq. ft. of space, the atmosphere is pleasant, friendly and structured originally, on the cutting edge of design. Subdued atmosphere, spacious fitting booths, long counter with inviting stools, soft lighting. There is even a coffee break section for those accompanying the customers. Every detail has its purpose and contributes to the shopping experience. I want to take advantage of this 30th birthday to encourage women to thrive in entrepreneurship, believe in and invest in their dreams, dare to take risks and surround themselves with dedicated people who adhere to their business philosophy, Danielle concludes. For 30 years, Boutique 5e Avenue has been a beloved address for many of Montreal's leading personalities. For those of you who would not yet know it, this is an opportunity to discover it, especially since Avenue Laurier is more welcoming than ever, with the infrastructure work almost completed. Come to 371 Avenue Laurier Ouest at the corner of Avenue du Parc in Montreal. About Boutique 5 e Avenue A fashion destination for Greater Montreal's professional and active women for the past 30 years, Boutique 5e Avenue was founded in 1988. After working as a buyer for the boutique, Danielle Gelinas became co-owner in 1995. Then, in 2003, she took over as sole owner of the high-end fashion stop on Laurier Avenue. As a stylist, consultant and accomplice to her customers since then, Danielle Gelinas ensures that everyone has a unique shopping experience. Offering a judicious selection of constantly changing North American and European collections, Boutique 5e Avenue is the ideal destination for style and user-friendly choice in a refined space. Learn more by visiting: www.5av.ca . For information and media interviews with proprietor Danielle Gelinas: Ludovic Iop / Melissa Arauz Torchia Communications Tel: 514-288-8290, ext. 222 / 205 ludovic@torchiacom.com / melissa@torchiacom.com By Trend Spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev was appointed deputy head of the foreign relations department of Azerbaijans Presidential Administration on Sept. 17, a source in the Foreign Ministry told Trend. Because the post of the head of the foreign relations department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan is currently vacant (Novruz Mammadov held this post before his appointment as prime minister), Hikmet Hajiyev basically became acting head of the department of the Presidential Administration. Hikmet Hajiyev has been spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry since 2014. By Trend Its not hard to imagine what kind of troubles await the people led by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who turned his family into an object of political speculation, Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani presidents assistant for public and political affairs, wrote on his Facebook page on Sept. 18. Hasanov noted that there are individuals whose actions made their names go down in history, and who played an important role in the fate of people. Taking on the mission of saving this state [Azerbaijan] from the threat of extinction, national leader Heydar Aliyev devoted all his time and health to such a high goal as preservation, creation and development of Azerbaijani statehood, and, having fulfilled this task with dignity, wrote his name with golden letters in the history of the people, Ali Hasanov said. Heydar Aliyev passed away peacefully. This peace was granted to him by the boundless scale of his work and service to people. The great leader was confident that his policy would be continued in the future as well and will lead Azerbaijan to new victories, and the past 15 years proved how right the genius thought. Hasanov stressed that President Ilham Aliyev, having turned a small country into an authoritative, respected state, into a dynamically developing island of stability, when the world is facing confrontation and terror, demonstrated what a real politician can do. Director of the HSBC Debt Capital Market in London Odilbek Isakov has been appointed the adviser to Uzbekistan's finance minister and head of the new debt-management department in the finance ministry, the ministry announced. Isakov has held the position in HSBC since March 2016 and has worked in the bank for 12 years. He was nominated the Most Impressive Global Emerging Markets Banker by Global Capital in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He is a member of the Buyuk Kelajak (Bright Future) Expert Council. The new department of the finance ministry was formed by the presidential decree of July 21, which envisages acquiring a sovereign credit rating and appointment of a consortium of banks headed by JP Morgan Chase as a financial consultant to obtain the rating and issue sovereign bonds of Uzbekistan. En conference de presse, Eusebio Di Franceso est revenu sur le depart de Kevin Strootman (28 ans), lequel a ete regrette par les fans romains. Kevin Strootman voulait lui aussi une nouvelle experience, cetait sa decision , a-t-il confie face aux medias. Pour rappel, le club de la Louve na pas remporte la moindre rencontre, depuis le transfert du Neerlandais a lOM. Il tentera de le faire, ce mercredi, face au Real Madrid. Dion's first visit to Greece, where he has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the New York Times' Democracy Forum in Athens Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Terens Quick on Monday received the Canadian Ambassador to Germany and Special Envoy to the European Union Stephane Dion, who has also served as his country's foreign minister, ANA reports. The two officials discussed the very good relations between Greece and Canada and the strong presence of the Greek-Canadian community, which Dion described as valuable for Canada, as well as their shared concern over the rising far-right trend in the EU, which mostly focused on migration. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Remug License: CC-BY-SA Cyprus is one of the main Mediterranean competitors of the Greek tourism industry More Cypriot residents opted to travel abroad this August compared to August 2017, data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service, on Monday, show. On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, 184,285 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in August 2018 compared to 169,240 in the same month last year, recording a rise of 8.9%. In August 2018 there was a slight increase of 0.6% in the trips of Cypriot residents to Greece. According to the data 75,321 returned from Greece in August this year compared to 74,851 in August last year. On the other hand a drop of 13.1% was recorded in the trips of Cypriot residents to the United Kingdom, 17,000 this August compared to 19,571 in August 2017. Read more at CNA RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: FromNicosia License: CC-BY-SA With its glorious and evocative landscapes, vibrant local traditions and cultures, pure foods and legendary light, it was inevitable that Greece would reach the status of a top international wellness destination where visitors can combine authentic, non-commercial Greek treats with a rewarding yoga practice, meditation and healing, greekcitytimes.com notes in the following report and presents three yoga retreats in the country. Silver Island Yoga This lush, 60-acre islet in the Gulf of Volos is what you can literally describe as a getaway. Even though there is an element of understated luxury that has grabbed Conde Nasts attention, the way its run by Greek-South African sisters Lissa and Claire Christie offers a genuine experience of living the natural life. Electricity only runs for a few hours in the evening, food is fresh, seasonal and organic, the accommodations are in the style of traditional houses and above all the days are entirely dedicated to wellness. Instead of wasting hours checking your social media (there is no Wi-Fi) you can swim in tranquil tiny coves or take a kayak out to explore the shores, light a candle in the little church, read on your terrace, go for a walk along the rolling hills and olive orchards or even paint. When you are not doing yoga, of course. Run completely ecologically, using filtered rainwater, solar power and 100% biodegradable toiletries, Silver Island Yoga is an example of an ideal world. Although their courses run from April to October, they are already fully booked until mid July, after which you can choose to attend one week retreats with various teachers coming from around the world and centering on Relax, Rejuvenate, Revitalize, Quantum Yoga Retreat/Breath, Life, Yoga/Fierce Grace: Strength. Serenity and Surrender/Embodying the Warrior Creative Yoga among others. The day starts at dawn with two hours of yoga and ends with two hours of sunset yoga and can include meditation and other therapies. Pure Fitness on Ikaria Since gaining its Blue Zone reputation five years ago, Ikaria island has been attracting increasing numbers of wellness-oriented visitors and experts, while at the same time developing a holistic and ecological identity. For the second year in a row, Fotini Bitrou, who teaches Hatha, Restorative, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa yoga and runs purefitness on the Argosaronic island of Aegina year-round, will be running her retreat (24 29 June) on Ikaria. Classes take place at The Egg, the islands only space designed especially for yoga, dance and holistic workshops, which is in Avlaki village, and participants stay at the Karras Hotel just five minutes walk away. A vegan dinner is served every evening after class at sunset on The Eggs terrace, overlooking the sea. Apart from the free time students can enjoy during the day, Bitrou also organizes excursiobns to the Therma hot springs, known for their curative properties since antiquity, SUP yoga on the beach and other excursions combining explorative adventure with yoga or wellbeing. The group of students are also taken to the islands most notiorious Panygiri that of Ai Yiannis church in the village of Christos, Raches, where people come from aroud the world to dance to the music of acclaimed violinist Nikos Fakaros and his band, leap over fires and dance the midnight Ikariotikos in the dark. Dolphins Leap in Pelion The land of the centaurs could not be more inspiring as a place for profound spiritual and physical healing, with its incredibly verdant landscapes, running mountain waters and beaches with crystalline sea. Dolphins Leap Yoga Retreat are running a retreat in its fourth year that combines daily yoga classes (morning pranayama followed by dynamic yoga, and restorative yoga in the evening) in an olive grove that looks out to the sea with other holistic therapies such as sound healing with singing bowls, Tai Chi, Qui Gong and even systematic psychotherapy. During their free time, participants can opt to go for nature walks, snorkeling, horseback riding, receiving a massage or just relaxing at the nearby taverna. The simple but graceful accommodations can be single or shared, and there is also a pool to relax by. Read more at greekcitytimes.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: pixabay.com Saudi Aramco, a world leader in integrated energy and chemicals, said one of its units, Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy (Sada) held its first graduation for a cohort of 132 students representing 34 drilling and services companies. This comes in response to the oil and gas industrys rising need for thousands of skilled exploration, drilling and workover talent, and in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 workforce development aims. Dr Ahmed Al Fahaid, Governor of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) attended the ceremony along with senior Saudi Aramco officials including President and CEO Amin Nasser, Senior VP for Upstream Mohammed Al Qahtani, Northern Area Oil Operations VP and Chairman of Sada Board Dawood Al Dawood. Saudi Aramco said the Sada initiative was proposed in 2014 to achieve the dual goal of generating knowledge-economy jobs that meet the oil giants needs, and to create a more efficient training model that reduces costs and increases stakeholder competitiveness. It is estimated that nearly 90,000 Saudis must be trained over the next 20 years to support the industrys growth plans. The concept behind Sada is unprecedented, where companies that operate in a competitive market agree to cooperate in a win-win approach and join forces for the good of the industry. What is happening here is a true sense of responsibility and solidarity among industry players. It is a start, and will inspire others, remarked Nasser. "I would like to congratulate the cohort and wish them a successful career, and thank all of the stakeholders who made such collaboration possible," he added. The Academys training programme covers 20 months, beginning with onboarding followed by a 14-week field orientation; a 50-week academic segment covering different levels of English, math and occupational safety and health concepts; drilling and well site operation fundaments for four weeks; and practical or general and specific experience for 14 weeks. Al Qahtani said Saudi Aramco was proud of the fruitful relationship with the TVTC and the successful collaboration of the 34 companies funding the academy. "The Academy will play a great role in closing the talent gap and equipping Saudi students with the skills and capabilities required by drilling industry, and will complement the efforts to increase the share of local content in the energy-related products and services, as we will spend more than half a trillion Saudi Riyals on drilling activities over the next decade, in compliance with the goals and objectives of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030," he added. Lauding all Sada stakeholders for their participation, Al Dawood said: "The Academy presents a unique model where different companies join efforts collectively to create a unified and centralised training and development facility that serves and meets the requirement of the market as a whole." "Sada fosters Saudization in the drilling industry and will create a localized pool of talents complemented by the creation of new job opportunities for Saudis, as outlined by Saudi Vision 2030. The academy is part of the corporate social responsibility efforts of the drilling companies in Saudi Arabia," he stated. The Academy is being funded by 34 private drilling companies, withe logistical support provided by Saudi Aramco and the Technical Vocational Training Center in Abqaiq. Under the current scope of training that began in September 2016, Sadas comprehensive program ensures the job-readiness of workers ranging from rigman and junior services operator to skilled engineers, riggers and heavy equipment operators.-TradeArabia News Service TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Business and Macleans today ranked Explorer Research No. 189 on the 30th annual Growth 500, the definitive ranking of Canadas Fastest-Growing Companies. Produced by Canadas premier business and current affairs media brands, the Growth 500 ranks Canadian businesses on five-year revenue growth. Growth 500 winners are profiled in a special print issue of Canadian Business published with Macleans magazine and online at CanadianBusiness.com and Growth500.ca . Explorer Research made the 2018 Growth 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 400%. The companies on the 2018 Growth 500 are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today, says Deborah Aarts, Growth 500 program manager. Explorer Research is honoured to be on the Growth 500 ranking, says President Marc Inkol. As a privately held company, were investing in our people, product and processes to best serve our clients needs. This includes enhancing our state of the art Shopper Labs and investing in new technology such as Virtual Reality environments. About the Growth 500 For 30 years, the Growth 500 has been Canadas most respectable and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement. Ranking Canadas Fastest-Growing Companies by five-year revenue growth, the Growth 500formerly known as the PROFIT 500profiles the countrys most successful growing businesses. The Growth 500 is produced by Canadian Business. Winners are profiled in a special Growth 500 print issue of Canadian Business (packaged with the October issue of Macleans magazine) and online at Growth500.ca and CanadianBusiness.com . About Canadian Business Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving and most-trusted business publication in the country. It is the country's premier media brand for executives and senior business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada's business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. Learn more at CanadianBusiness.com. About Explorer Research Explorer Research was founded in 2003 and is North Americas leading privately held research firm specializing in shopper and packaging research. Known for its commitment to accurately assessing behavior, the firm advises a broad range of clients in CPG, QSR, Media, Financial Services and Retail. Expanding FMCG sector, retail sector, food and E-commerce industry in the country has attributed to the growth of the freight forwarding industry in the Kuwait, a report said. The growth of freight forwarding in Kuwait was supported by development in major industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, construction, agriculture and mining, added the report titled Kuwait Freight Forwarding Market Outlook to 2022 By Sea, Air and Road Freight Movement; By International and Domestic Freight; By Express and Normal Delivery; By Flow Corridors and By End Users (Oil and Gas, FMCG, Construction and Others) by Ken Research. The Kuwait market witnessed the entry of many foreign players as flexible policies were introduced by the government to boost the economic growth of the country. Entry of new players has further aided the demand in the freight forwarding market. Kuwait freight forwarding market segmentation By freight movement Sea (Inland Waterway and maritime) dominated in freight movement in freight forwarding market in 2017 due to major cargo transportation taking place through ocean such as oil and gas. The port of Shuwaikh is the major port used for sea freight and generates highest cargo volume. Sea is favourable for shipments which have heavy items involving a longer transit time and is a safe means of transporting goods at a reasonable cost. The majority of the industries have been majorly operating near to Shuwaikh port which further drives the demand for industrial freight cargo in the country. Air contributed second highest revenue share to the freight forwarding market majorly driven by the express shipments in the country. The international shipments also attributed to the freight movement through air. E-commerce market has driven the air freight market in the country. On the other hand, road contributed the least share and is generally used for the domestic shipments. By mode of freight International freight forwarding dominated the freight forwarding industry in Kuwait owing to the free trade agreements of GCC with European Free Trade Association and Trade and Agreement Framework Agreement with the US. Moreover, Kuwait has signed bilateral investment agreements with nations including Austria, Belarus, China, Croatia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India and others which further boosted international freight forwarding sector. The freight movements prevalent in the international freight forwarding include air and sea for the products and services to be transferred internationally. By type of delivery Express delivery shipments are time sensitive and the cost is generally higher than the normal delivery. Commercial documents, transport documents, financial documents and government documents involved in international trade such as quotations, sales contract, shipping order, doc receipt and other bills of exchange were observed to be generally traded through express delivery shipment in Kuwait. By flow corridors Asia flow corridor is the largest contributor in terms of revenue in the freight forwarding market. This growth has been attributed on the account of strategic location and trade strategy of various companies trying to expand their operations in other Asia Pacific countries. It was followed by Europe, North America, GCC and other flow corridors. By end-user Oil and Gas industry dominated the end user segment in Kuwait freight forwarding market. Kuwait has been a major supplier and member in the OPEC group. Oil comprises approximately half of Kuwaits GDP. This positively increases the revenue contribution of oil and gas industry in Kuwait freight forwarding market, due to rise in export of crude oil has significantly drive the demand for sea freight and domestic freight in Kuwait. On the other hand, FMCG sector is the second largest end user segment in Kuwait freight forwarding market as Kuwait largely relies on importing goods from other countries rather than manufacturing which automatically increases the use of air and sea freight to import majority of the products from other countries. Competitive landscape The freight forwarding industry in the country is moderately fragmented with the presence of both domestic and international players in the industry. Companies in the Kuwait have been focusing towards providing data oriented solutions and other services for operational excellence, timely customer support and the effective adherence of the consumers expectations, thus providing customer satisfaction and retain customers. Kuwait will witness construction of many new roads and bridges which will aid against the traffic congestion problem in the country and positively affect the trucking industry, hence aiding the domestic logistics. The freight forwarding industry in the Kuwait will continue to dominate the overall logistics market in the coming years. The government of Kuwait has allocated USD 80 billion budget in the year 2015 for construction and transportation project in the country which will in future aid the cargo transportation industry. TradeArabia News Service Kuwait, Freight, Ken In a world premiere, Alstoms hydrogen fuel cell trains entered passenger service in Lower Saxony, Germany, this week. The event was celebrated by Alstom, one of Europes largest railway manufacturers; the Minister of Economy and Transport of Lower Saxony; the Federal Ministry of Transport and the transport authorities of Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG); and Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (EVB) in Bremervorde on September 16. Before the many guests from Germany and abroad, the worlds first hydrogen fuel cell train rolled into the station. The Coradia iLint, built by Alstom in Salzgitter, Germany, is equipped with fuel cells which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, thus eliminating pollutant emissions related to propulsion. Two such trains have entered commercial service according to a fixed timetable in Lower Saxony. For the time being, it is travellers in EVBs Elbe-Weser network who can look forward to a world-first journey on the low-noise, zero-emission trains that reach up to 140 km/h. On behalf of LNVG, the Coradia iLint trains will be operated on nearly 100km of line running between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervorde and Buxtehude, replacing EVBs existing diesel fleet. The new trains will be fuelled at a mobile hydrogen filling station. The gaseous hydrogen will be pumped into the trains from a 40-foot-high steel container next to the tracks at Bremervorde station. With one tank, they can run throughout the network the whole day, thanks to a total autonomy of 1000 km. A stationary filling station on EVB premises is scheduled to go into operation in 2021, when Alstom will deliver a further 14 Coradia iLint trains to LNVG. This is a revolution for Alstom and for the future of mobility. The worlds first hydrogen fuel cell train is entering passenger service and is ready for serial production, emphasised Henri Poupart-Lafarge, chairman and CEO of Alstom. The Coradia iLint heralds a new era in emission-free rail transport. It is an innovation that results from French-German teamwork and exemplifies successful cross-border cooperation. Dr Bernd Althusmann, Lower Saxonys Minister of Economy and Transport, whose department has supported LNVGs purchase of another 14 hydrogen trains with more than 81 million, is impressed: With the test operation starting today, Lower Saxony is performing real pioneering work in local transport in cooperation with Alstom and EVB. The emission-free drive technology of the Coradia iLint provides a climate-friendly alternative to conventional diesel trains, particularly on non-electrified lines, he explained. In successfully proving the operability of the fuel cell technology in daily service, we will set the course for rail transport to be largely operated climate-friendly and emission-free in the future. The state government of Lower Saxony is proud of putting this trendsetting project on the track together with LNVG. The federal government has actively supported the development and testing of the new drive technology in Lower Saxony by providing funds from the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. - TradeArabia News Service Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, has become one of the first technology firms to register with 100 percent ownership in Qatar. In order to support its increased activities in the country, the company has also opened a new office in West Bay, Doha. Huaweis position as one of the first fully-owned technology companies operating in Qatar follows a May 2018 announcement that the country would open to 100 percent foreign ownership. The move is intended to accelerate the development in all economic and commercial activities, attract foreign capital inflow, and achieve economic diversification in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030. In line with the aim of driving the development of the ICT industry in Qatar, Huaweis new office will expand and enhance the companys activities in sectors with a key role to play in achieving the countrys developments goals. The opening of this third office will help Huawei better to serve Qatars national ICT and telecommunication needs and reinforces the companys long-term commitment to the country, the company said. Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai, president of Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Qatar, said: We welcome Huaweis expansion in the State of Qatar and look forward to their active contribution to the economy further. As an enabler of technology & innovation, CRA works with industry leaders and governments across the globe to encourage direct foreign investment in the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Collaboration with stakeholders is a hallmark of CRAs mandate and we will continue to boost and support development of similar new initiatives in the sector." Yahya Bin Saeed Al-Naemi, Assistant Undersecretary for Commerce, Ministry of Economy & Commerce (MEC), added: We are glad that Huawei has chosen to open a new office here in Qatar. ICT has a vital role to play in assisting Qatars growth into a competitive and diversified economy in line with The Qatar National Vision 2030, and we look forward to increasing our collaboration in the future. Frank Fan, CEO of Huawei Qatar, said: Huawei is proud to open a new office in Doha and to become one of the the first fully-owned technology companies in Qatar. This marks an exciting new period of growth for us in the country, and we are looking forward to expanding our activities and collaborating with our local partners and customers to further innovate and drive forward the local ICT industry. We thank the government of Qatar for their continued support and hope to work together for many years to come. ICT technology is at the heart of Huawei vision to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world in which 5G technology will underpin the next leap forward, where people, vehicles, homes and devices are fully connected, delivering new experiences, insights and capabilities. Huawei first established an office in Qatar in 2005, and currently employ 180 workers in the country. In recent years Huawei has launched a number of major projects in Qatar, including a new high-capacity CCTV storage project with Hamad International Airport, as well as a state-of-the-art IP Network Backbone with Qatar Rail. - TradeArabia News Service Saudi-based Designs Group, a pioneer in providing integrated hotel solutions as well as construction and management services, has announced its strategic alliance with Warwick Hotels & Resorts (WHR) for the management of new properties featuring 1,000 rooms in the kingdom. The agreement will come into effect from the beginning of 2019, said a senior company official on the sidelines of The Hotel Show in Dubai, UAE. Group CEO Engineer Mohammad Al Nadi said: "We are very pleased to collaborate with WHR for our upcoming projects in Saudi Arabia. These hotels are situated in prime locations and are being developed to offer world-class facilities." "We are confident that WHR will add great value to the projects with its vast global and regional experience and expertise. Our business strategy is in line with Saudi Vision 2030 that recognises the role religious tourism can play in diversifying the economy and is, therefore, fuelling the demand for quality hotels," he stated. "The market is currently undersupplied in terms of hotels and projected to show strong growth in future that we are well placed to capitalise on," he added. With the expected completion of the Holy Mosque and various infrastructure developments coupled with the anticipated recovery in the feeder markets economies in the mid to long term, the kingdom aims to welcome 30 million pilgrims by 2030. WHR senior vice-president and CEO for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) Jamal Serhan said Saudi Arabia was an extremely significant market for the group with a growing demand for hotels. Religious pilgrims currently contribute two to three per cent of Saudis GDP. Therefore, there are plans to roughly double the capacity to accommodate both Umrah and Hajj visitors to around 15 million and five million respectively by 2020. "We are delighted to expand our footprint in the kingdom where we already have seven hotels and are very excited to penetrate new destinations with a reputable partner like Designs Group. We are truly grateful to them for having given us this fantastic opportunity," he added.-TraderArabia News Service After successful 45-day operational tests, commercial operations at the new Duqm Airport passenger terminal have officially commenced, Oman's Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced. Oman Air Flight WY935 inbound from Muscat, which landed at 2:30 pm on Monday (September 17), was the first operational flight to land at the Duqm Airport terminal building, the ministry said in a tweet. Operations at the old terminal ended after the last flight, operated by Oman Air, took off for Muscat at 10am on Sunday, it said. The total area of the new passenger terminal is some 5,700-sq-m, with the capacity of the airport slated to be around 500,000 passengers per annum. The cargo terminal has been designed to accommodate 25,000 tonnes of goods annually, and with a runway that is four kilometres long, Duqm airport has the ability to operate internationally. - TradeArabia News Service ON THE MOVE: BNY Lands Regelman; Bennett to Hehmeyer BNY Mellon has appointed Roman Regelman to a new role as Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Digital. In this position, Regelman will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for the firms digital future and investing in client and internal digital capabilities, including data management, analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. He will build a new global team across the company, developing and attracting top digital talent. He brings over 25 years of experience in digital, operations and management consulting and launched several fintechs. Most recently, he was a Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he co-led their Financial Institutions Digital business. Regelman will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Charles W. Scharf, and will join the firms Executive Committee, BNY Mellons senior-most governing body. If you have a new job or promotion to report, let me know at jdantona@marketsmedia.com Hehmeyer Trading + Investments landed Roxanne Bennett for its Hehmeyer Capital Management group as a Managing Director. Bennett will work closely with Hehmeyer's current trading managers, identify new talent for Hehmeyer's managed futures platform, maintain investor relations, and help drive the evolution of the Hehmeyer Investment Platform. She has over 25 years of managed futures experience and, most recently, she was a MD with Price Asset Management, a registered commodity trading advisor and commodity pool operator. Bennett also spent over a decade at ABN Amro building managed futures portfolios and principally guaranteed products. Goldman Sachs has named investment-banking executive John Waldron as president and chief operating officer, effective Oct. 1. Stephen Scherr will become chief financial officer in November, succeeding Martin Chavez, who will become co-head of the trading division. Linq3, a technology solutions provider, announced a new leadership team. Led by Tom Spiegel, Linq3 Chairman and CEO, the executive team is responsible for executing the companys vision of innovation and transformation. The balance of the team are as follows: Matt Dillard, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Craig Fitzgerald, Vice President of Lottery Customer Success Management Mark Gibaldi, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) John Houseal, Chief Product Officer (CPO) Tom Lattie, Vice President and Controller Mark Smith, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Travis Smith, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Tom Spiegel, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer 1 2 next For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: State Street Opens Abu Dhabi Office LONDON, September 10, 2018 State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) announced today the opening of its first Abu Dhabi office, which will be located in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the countrys international financial centre. This is the firms second office in the United Arab Emirates, building on its 26-year presence in Dubai. To mark this milestone, State Street also unveiled a research1 paper that draws on survey responses from 306 institutional investors based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) responsible for more than USD $4.9 trillion in assets under management (AUM), who were asked about their outlook for growth and future economic trends in the region. According to the research, more than three quarters (78 percent) of those surveyed are optimistic about their own growth prospects in the Middle East. As a result of this optimism, 75 percent foresee growing inflows into Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) domiciled funds over the next five years. To find this level of concurrence and optimism among major institutions is unusual, said Liz Nolan, chief executive officer (CEO), EMEA, State Street and chairperson for State Street Global Advisors, EMEA. The results show there is an almost universally positive outlook and prediction of growth in MENA. Having had a presence in the region for more than a quarter of a century, we have a unique perspective on the institutional investor community, and their positive outlook mirrors our own. In a sign of growing sophistication and increasing risk appetite, 91 percent plan to diversify their portfolios to historically complex asset classes including: emerging market equities, hedge funds, and infrastructure. Furthermore, 42 percent state they will increase their allocation to exchange traded funds (ETFs); and almost three quarters (73 percent) believe there will be growth in demand for funds which are led by environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. Amongst the major initiatives identified as providing impetus for the development of the GCC region as a financial hub, Saudi Arabia is seen as an engine of growth, with key drivers of inflows cited by 83 percent of respondents as the inclusion of Saudi stocks in emerging market indices, as well as the Saudi Vision 2030 economic plan, which was cited by 74 percent of participants. The optimism about the economic outlook for the region is complemented by State Streets expansion. The firms new office will strengthen its current service offering for its Middle East clients in areas including global custody, accounting, risk and performance analytics, and securities lending, as well as indexed, overlay, multi-asset and active investment management. We extend our heartiest congratulations to State Street Corporation and welcome them to the ADGM family. State Street joins a rapidly growing list of global financial institutions that have chosen to anchor their operations in ADGM to better serve a fast-growing region with dynamic business and investment needs, said Richard Teng, CEO, Financial Services Regulatory Authority, ADGM. The strong endorsement by State Street demonstrates its confidence in the exciting prospects and opportunities offered by Abu Dhabi and the region. Their branch office attests to ADGMs strengths as a fast-growing and award-winning international financial centre. We look forward to supporting State Street in its global growth aspirations. The firms presence in the Middle East will be led by Oliver Berger, senior executive officer for State Street Bank and Trust, and Emmanuel Laurina, senior executive officer for State Street Global Advisors. View State Streets full 2018 Middle East and North Africa Regional Survey to find out more on drivers for growth, evolving investment strategies and data management outlook. 1 State Street commissioned Oxford Economics to conduct a survey of 306 investment professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, during August and September of 2018. Respondents represented sovereign funds, central banks, asset managers and pension funds. The survey captured views on MENA capital markets trends and evolving investment strategies. For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Mary Daly Named President of San Francisco Fed Theres a new president at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank. The West Coast branch of the Fed announced late Friday that its Board of Directors has named Mary Daly to the position of president and chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2018. Dalys appointment as the San Francisco Feds 13th president and chief executive officer was made by eligible members of the Banks Board of Directors with the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. In keeping with the Federal Reserve Act, only Class B and C Federal Reserve Bank directors those unaffiliated with regulated banks or financial institutions were permitted to serve on the Board of Directors presidential search committee and participate in the appointment process. Daly, who has been serving as the Banks executive vice president and director of Research since 2017, succeeds John C. Williams as head of the San Francisco Fed. Williams assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on June 18, 2018. After an extensive national search that involved meeting and interviewing multiple individuals from a diverse pool of qualified candidates, all of us on the San Francisco Feds Board of Directors are confident that Mary Daly is the ideal choice to become the next president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, said Alex Mehran, chairman of the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and chairman of the Boards presidential search committee. In addition to her profound knowledge of economics and monetary policy, Mary is one of our nations leading authorities on labor market dynamics. Her research in this area reflects her deep commitment to understanding the impacts of monetary and fiscal policy on communities and businesses at a local, regional and national level. The Federal Reserve System will be well-served by adding Mary Dalys expertise and voice to the Federal Open Market Committees deliberations, and the Twelfth District will benefit from her increased involvement with the diverse constituents in our District. Daly joined the San Francisco Fed in 1996 as a research economist and has since held positions of increasing responsibility including vice president, group vice president, and senior vice president and associate director of Research. She is a member of the Banks Executive Committee, the governance body responsible for strategic oversight of the institution, and former chair of the Banks Diversity Council. Daly is also a recognized leader within the Federal Reserve System, serving as executive chair of the Systems Committee on Research Management, and is a past chair of the Economic Advisory Group for the Systems Committee on Compensation and Benefits. 1 2 next For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: La voz del trade en las Americas LONGUEUIL, Quebec, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reunion Gold Corporation (TSX-V: RGD) (the Company or Reunion) is pleased to report significant progress of exploration work at the Waiamu gold project in Guyana and a 5,000 meters drilling program is scheduled to start next week. The Waiamu project covers approximately 39,000 acres in the Cuyuni River valley in northwest Guyana. A NE-trending clastic sedimentary sequence with interspersed mafic volcanics units, typical of the Guiana Shield greenstone belts of Proterozoic age, underlies the project area. This sequence has been strongly deformed and little metamorphosed. In the Waiamu area, this sequence hosts numerous artisanal gold workings, exposing gold-bearing quartz veins often forming dense swarms with significant volumes (Figure 1). Reunion has been executing a comprehensive exploration program, including regolith geochemistry, geological mapping, prospecting and trenching and initial results are very encouraging. An initial 5,000 meters core drilling program to test two prospects on the project is starting this week and a helicopter-borne magnetometry-radiometry survey over the entire project is scheduled to start next week. Regolith geochemistry on 260 km of cut lines and 71 km of ridge and spur traverses generated over 4,800 samples, which are being assayed for gold at the Actlabs laboratory in Georgetown. The 400 m by 50 m grid of regolith sampling defined at least seven anomalies, some independent from known artisanal prospects (Figure 2). These anomalies appear to be related to geological structures hosted preferentially by sediments and discrete felsic intrusive plugs, subparallel to the local NE trend. Extensive artisanal alluvial mining in the area (Figure 2) indicates that there are multiple primary sources of gold. Most of the historical artisanal mining was focused on two prospects: C (for Ceguinho) and SJ (for St. John) (Figure 2), both related to regolith anomalies, and which are being mapped and sampled in detail. Prospect C was mined by two pits, the most recent one being over 100 m across, from which hundreds of tonnes of mineralized material were removed and processed in an artisanal plant with a hammer mill and two centrifuge concentrators. Forty-two tailings samples collected downstream from the plant over a period of four months averaged 3.3 g/t gold, indicating good dispersion of gold mineralization in the quartz vein swarms. The Company has completed 17 trenches at the C prospect, with a total length of 1,140 m. Channel samples from these trenches across quartz vein swarms show several multi-gram values over several meters with best values at 86.5 g/t gold, 24.84 g/t gold and 15.82 g/t gold (13% of all samples report gold grades superior to 0.5 g/t gold). Trenching also allowed detailed structural mapping of the vein systems, essential for the orientation of drill holes being planned (Figure 3). The C prospect will be initially tested at depth by four drill holes for a total of about 1,000 m of core. Prospect SJ consists on the excavation by artisanal miners of the entire side of a small hill down to saprock level (Figure 4). The pit exposes both clastic sediments and a fine-grained felsic intrusive, which appears to be preferentially mineralized by gold-bearing quartz veining. Five trenches with 620 m of extent have already been dug, exposing quartz veining at least 200 meters beyond the pit walls and 21% of all samples report grades above 0.5 g/t gold including best values at 17.89 g/t gold, 15.1 g/t gold and 14.16 g/t gold (Figures 5 and 6). The SJ prospect is underlain by a distinct magnetic anomaly, which is interpreted to be related to an intrusion (Figure 7). Reunion has commissioned a detailed helicopter-borne magnetometry/radiometry survey of the entire property to not only delineate the SJ prospect anomaly, but also to map several NW/NE-trending geological structures transecting the project area that appear to have some control of gold mineralization. One of these lineaments appears to be the southeast continuation of the Aurora Mine structure. Rejean Gourde, the Companys CEO, stated: Considering that our first visit to this area happened less than one year ago, we have made very good progress. Our exploration work has demonstrated the presence of well mineralized system that remained formally unexplored until now. We look forward to the results of the drilling program and expect to demonstrate consistent gold mineralization at depth. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the project for an initial period of five years with a possible extension of up to two additional years by spending at least US$5,000,000 in exploration and development expenditures and making total cumulative option payments of at least US$1,000,000. Qualified Person Carlos H. Bertoni, P. Geo., a consultant to the Company and a qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical data contained in this press release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Companys control, including statements regarding completion of work program, potential mineralization, exploration results and statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions of the Company. Resource exploration and development is highly speculative, characterized by a number of significant risks, which even a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge may not eliminate. Such risks include but are not limited to: uncertainty of exploration results; misinterpretation of data, logistical problems, volatility of gold price; mining risks, uncertainties related to the Companys ability to acquire the Waiamu Project; and availability of financing for additional capital requirements, cost of exploration and development programs. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be 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 press release. About Reunion Gold Reunion Gold Corporation is a Canadian exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring and developing gold projects in the Guiana Shield, South America. The Company has entered into agreements to acquire an interest in the Boulanger, Dorlin and Haute Mana gold projects in French Guiana and in the Waiamu, Aremu and Arawini gold projects in Guyana. The Companys shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RGD. Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Companys website (www.reuniongold.com). For further information please contact: REUNION GOLD CORPORATION Rejean Gourde, President & CEO David Charles CFA, Investor Relations Telephone: +1 450.677.2585 Email: info@reuniongold.com Figure 1. Mineralized quartz vein swarms on pit wall at C prospect. https://www.reuniongold.com/photo-gallery?lightbox=dataItem-jm7vp0at Figure 2. Map of regolith geochemistry anomalies and interpreted surface geology. Historical alluvial gold workings are shown as orange stripes. https://www.reuniongold.com/photo-gallery?lightbox=dataItem-jm7zk7ct Figure 3. Map of C prospect area showing interpreted surface geology, trench locations and planned drill hole collar locations. Note tailings sampling site. https://www. reuniongold .com/photo-gallery?lightbox=dataItem-jm7zk7cu Figure 4. Photo of SJ prospect pit wall being cleaned for channel sampling. https://www. reuniongold .com/photo-gallery?lightbox=dataItem-jm7vp0as Figure 5. Map of SJ prospect area showing interpreted surface geology, trench locations and planned drill hole collar locations. https://www. reuniongold .com/photo-gallery?lightbox=dataItem-jm7zk7cu1 Figure 6. Example of channel sampling results on historical pit face at SJ prospect. https:// www .reuniongold.com/photo-gallery?lightbox=dataItem-jm81yizh Figure 7. Map of the Waiamu area showing magnetic anomaly coinciding with SJ prospect (reduced to the pole data from the 1972 low-resolution magnetometry survey of Guyana). Orange stripes represent historical alluvial workings. English Danish rsted has signed an agreement to sell 50% of the 1,218MW offshore wind farm Hornsea 1 to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Hornsea 1 is under construction and will be the worlds largest offshore wind farm when commissioned in 2020. As part of the agreement, rsted will construct the wind farm under a full-scope EPC contract. rsted will also provide long-term operations and maintenance services from its O&M base in Grimsby and provide a route to market for the power generated by Hornsea 1. Ole Kjems Srensen, Executive Vice President for M&A, Partnerships and Asset Management at rsted, says: This is our third partnership with GIP, and we are delighted to have one of the worlds largest infrastructure funds as a partner, in what will be the worlds largest offshore wind farm. The Hornsea 1 farm down is a landmark transaction which will create substantial value for our shareholders and reduce single asset exposure. The total sales price for Hornsea 1 comprises the price for the acquisition of a 50% ownership share and the commitment to fund 50% of the payments under the EPC contract for the entire wind farm (including the transmission assets). It amounts to approximately GBP 4.46 billion, which is to be paid between 2018 and 2020. GIP will partially finance its acquisition using a multi-tranche financing package of more than GBP 3.5 billion, containing a mixture of investment grade-rated project bonds issued to a consortium of blue chip institutional debt investors with strong UK presence, commercial bank loans and mezzanine debt provided by the Danish pension fund PFA, with some tranches guaranteed by EKF, Denmarks Export Credit Agency. The financing, which will be the largest single-project financing to date in the global renewable energy sector, was structured and led by rsted, and co-arranged with GIP. GIP also holds 50% ownership shares of two of rsteds German offshore wind farms, Gode Wind 1 and Borkum Riffgrund 2. The information provided in this announcement does not change rsteds financial guidance for 2018. We still see full-year EBITDA, excluding new partnerships, skewing towards the upper end of the guidance range of DKK 12.5-13.5 billion, and gross investments of DKK 16-18 billion. In addition to the above, rsteds full-year EBITDA for 2018, including the profit from the Hornsea 1 partnership, is expected to be significantly higher than the 2017 EBITDA level of DKK 22.5 billion. Approximately 85% of the total profit (EBITDA) from the transaction is expected to be booked in 2018. The transaction is subject to certain regulatory approvals, including from relevant competition authorities, and is expected to close in Q4 2018. Further information regarding the transaction can be found on orsted.com/investors. Facts about Hornsea 1 The offshore wind farm will have a total capacity of 1,218MW enough to power more than one million UK homes. Hornsea 1 will consist of 174 7MW wind turbines from Siemens Gamesa. The wind farm will cover an area of 407km 2 and will be located in the North Sea 120km from the UK east coast. and will be located in the North Sea 120km from the UK east coast. Hornsea 1 is expected to be fully commissioned in 2020. For further information Media Relations Tom Lehn-Christiansen +45 99 55 60 17 tomlc@orsted.dk Investor Relations Daniel Lerup +45 99 55 59 35 danil@orsted.dk Attachment I went there to inspire, but instead they inspired me It was a revelation for me, reflected Anisha Thapa as she returned to Sudan from a mission to Gaza and the West Bank. Anisha, Head of the Strategic Planning, Partnerships, and Communications Unit and the Innovation Focal Point for UNDP Sudan, travelled to Palestine to share advice based on innovation experiences in Sudan and to support intrapreneurs in UNDPs Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), under the auspices of the UNDP Innovation Facilitys Peer-to-Peer Exchange. She shared Sudans extensive experience with data innovation. One project is using new data sources (community radio talk shows) and analytics to measure citizen satisfaction with government services, SDG 16.6.2 (a Tier III Indicator). Another is exploring the capacity and efficiency of big data sources such as night time lights and mobile phone use to serve as proxies for measuring poverty levels. Both initiatives are being conducted in partnership with the Sudan Government and private entities from the telecom sector. Anishas animated presentations on these initiatives left colleagues in Gaza and the West Bank feeling inspired. Chikako Kodama, UNDP/PAPP Team Leader and Advisor for Governance, remarked: Anishas presentation explained that the processes of Sudans initiative were based on trial and error with an eye for managing risks. UNDP is not perceived as a risk-taking organization, but Anishas example showed us that we can take risks for the purpose of learning. And through experimenting with different innovation methodologies we can actually minimize risks and costs. Anishas presentations left colleagues in Gaza and the West Bank feeling inspired. Anisha Thapa/UNDP Sudan Our Palestinian colleagues were not the only ones to benefit. Anisha returned to Sudan re-energized and full of new ideas. In particular, she was impressed by UNDP/PAPPs collaboration with the Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence. This organization, established by presidential decree, was a perfect example of the kind of governmental partnership that Anisha would like to establish in Sudan. In Sudan as UNDP we are advocating for that kind of setup, that is owned by the government and that is prioritized by the government, Anisha remarked. She left Palestine excited to share this example with her government counterparts in Sudan. Having visited this office, through the Peer-to-Peer Exchange, talking to that team, and learning how they were able to create this kind of institution within the governance system despite constraints in a complex setting like the West Bank was a lesson learnt for me. Chikako was equally excited to further develop some of the ideas inspired by Anisha. She stated: It is a great opportunity because the Peer-to-Peer Exchange gave us the chance to learn from other Country Offices directly, I really hope that colleagues from UNDP and the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People will continue to engage with Peer-to-Peer Exchange so that hopefully we can share our experiences with other Country Offices in the future. This exchange occurred as part of the UNDP Innovation Facilitys Peer-to-Peer Exchange initiative in which Country Offices are invited to request support from innovation experts in other Country Offices to support them in strengthening their innovation agendas. Other Peer-to-Peer Exchange missions have taken place between Lesotho and Rwanda and between Benin and Togo with Lebanon-Lesotho coming up soon. Support has been in the form of advocating for innovation, identifying programme entry points for innovation, developing proposals, meeting with national partners, etc. The overall goal? To build on the Innovation Facilitys efforts over the past four years to build a global community of social innovators who have developed entirely new skills, and to tap into these sought-after advisors to transfer their knowledge, to inspire other colleagues with new approaches, and to build lasting connections of support as colleagues venture into the unknown, take risk, sometimes fail, and always learn. Taking advantage of this pre-existing distributed capacity is a key part of UNDPs new strategic plan; when we are able to leverage our own knowledge and experience on innovation for development, we are finding we are better able to infuse innovation into our programmes and projects, helping us achieve better results and realize the #NextGenUNDP vision. SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES UEX Corporation (TSX:UEX) (UEX or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters led by Cormark Securities Inc., pursuant to which the underwriters have agreed to purchase 28,571,429 common shares that qualify as flow-through shares for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (Flow-Through Common Shares) at a price of $0.21 per Flow-Through Common Share of the Company, on a bought deal private placement basis, for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately C$6.0 million (the Offering). The Company has also granted the underwriters an option to sell up to an additional 7,142,857 Flow-Through Common Shares at the offering price up to the Closing Date. The net proceeds from the sale of the Flow-Through Common Shares will be used to incur Canadian exploration expenses (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) related to UEXs projects in Saskatchewan. The Company will renounce these expenses to the purchasers with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2018. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about October 10, 2018 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About UEX UEX (TSX:UEX, OTC:UEXCF.PK, UXO.F) is a Canadian uranium exploration and development company involved in eighteen uranium projects, including seven that are 100% owned and operated by UEX, one joint venture with Orano Canada Inc. (Orano) and ALX Uranium Corp. (ALX) that is 50.1% owned by UEX and is under option to and operated by ALX, as well as eight joint ventures with Orano, one joint venture with Orano and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited, which are operated by Orano, and one project (Christie Lake) under option from JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited and operated by UEX. The company is also involved in one cobalt-nickel exploration project located in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan. The West Bear Project was formerly part of UEXs Hidden Bay Project and contains the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit and the West Bear Uranium Deposit. The eighteen projects are located in the eastern, western and northern perimeters of the Athabasca Basin, the world's richest uranium belt, which in 2017 accounted for approximately 22% of the global primary uranium production. UEX is currently advancing several uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin which include the Christie Lake deposits, the Kianna, Anne, Colette and 58B deposits at its currently 49.1%-owned Shea Creek Project (located 50 km north of Fissions Triple R Deposit and Patterson Lake South Project, and NexGens Arrow Deposit) the Horseshoe and Raven deposits located on its 100%-owned Horseshoe-Raven Development Project and the West Bear Uranium Deposit located at its 100%-owned West Bear Project. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Roger Lemaitre President & CEO (306) 979-3849 Forward-Looking Information This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such statements are based on UEX's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the West Bear Co-Ni Deposit drill program, UEX's drill hole results, uranium, cobalt and nickel prices, outlook for our future operations, plans and timing for exploration activities, and other expectations, intentions and plans that are not historical fact. Such forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions and is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from UEX's expectations include uncertainties relating to the, interpretation of drill results and geology, assay confirmation, additional drilling results, continuity and grade of deposits, fluctuations in uranium, cobalt and nickel prices and currency exchange rates, changes in environmental and other laws affecting uranium, cobalt and nickel exploration and mining, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in UEX's Annual Information Form and other filings with the applicable Canadian securities commissions on SEDAR. Many of these factors are beyond the control of UEX. Consequently, all forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by this cautionary statement and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments anticipated by UEX will be realized. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Except as required by applicable law, UEX disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All amounts in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION TO THE UNITED STATES BROOKFIELD, NEWS, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (TSX: BEP.UN; NYSE: BEP) (Brookfield Renewable) today announced that it has agreed to issue CDN$300 million aggregate principal amount of medium-term notes, Series 11, due January 15, 2029, which will bear interest at a rate of 4.25% per annum, payable semi-annually (the Notes). The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Brookfield Renewable and certain of its key holding subsidiaries. The Notes will be issued pursuant to Brookfield Renewables short form base shelf prospectus dated June 26, 2017, and a prospectus supplement and pricing supplement to be dated September 18, 2018. The issue is expected to close on or about September 20, 2018 subject to customary closing conditions. The Notes will represent Brookfield Renewables inaugural, corporate-level green bond in Canada. Under its recently implemented Green Bond Framework the proceeds are to be used to finance and/or refinance investments in renewable power generation and to support the development of clean energy technologies. The Green Bond Framework is available on Brookfield Renewables website and described in the prospectus supplement. The Notes have been rated BBB+ by Standard & Poor's Rating Services and BBB (high), Stable trend by DBRS Limited. The Notes are being offered through a syndicate of agents led by Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc., and HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., and including RBC Dominion Securities Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., and National Bank Financial Inc. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been approved or disapproved by any regulatory authority nor has any such authority passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the short form base shelf prospectus or the prospectus supplement. The offer and sale of the securities has not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to United States persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Brookfield Renewable Partners Brookfield Renewable Partners operates one of the worlds largest publicly traded, pure-play renewable power platforms. Our portfolio consists of hydroelectric, wind, solar and storage facilities in North America, South America, Europe and Asia and totals over 17,000 megawatts of installed capacity and an 8,000 megawatt development pipeline. Brookfield Renewable is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Further information is available at http://bep.brookfield.com . Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Brookfield Renewable is the flagship listed renewable power company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with over US$285 billion of assets under management. For more information, please contact: Media: Claire Holland (416) 369-8236 claire.holland@brookfield.com Investors: Divya Biyani (416) 369-2616 divya.biyani@brookfield.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Statements Note: This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as will, expected, intend, or variations of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the closing and use of proceeds of the offering. Although Brookfield Renewable believes that such forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, no assurance is given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information as such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Brookfield Renewable to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information. Except as required by law, Brookfield Renewable does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Former Argentina president Cristina Kirchner vehemently denies any wrongdoing in the notorious "corruption notebooks" scandal AFP/LUCIANO INGARAMO She is accused of having accepted tens of millions of dollars in bribes in the notorious "corruption notebooks" scandal that has rocked Argentina's political and business elites. As a senator, Kirchner is protected by lawmakers' immunity from imprisonment, although not from prosecution. Unless that immunity is lifted, which is highly unlikely, she cannot be jailed, even if found guilty. However, last month the Senate did vote to partially lift her immunity so that investigators could search her three luxury homes. Kirchner is accused of heading an "illicit association". She has already been called in for questioning twice by Claudio Bonadio, the judge leading the wide-ranging corruption investigation, and is due to appear again on Tuesday. During her first two hearings she refused to answer Bonadio's questions, instead submitting a written statement, as is her right. Both Kirchner, 65, and her late husband, Nestor, whom she succeeded as president in 2007, are suspected of having accepted millions of dollars in bribes from businessmen in exchange for public works contracts. "COLLUSION" According to Bonadio's indictment, released on Monday, "between 2003 and 2015, collusion between civil servants and business leaders created a system distributing bribes to civil servants," in which the company bosses "claimed to have succumbed to official pressure." In order to gain public works contracts, companies "needed to deliver a percentage of the total amount paid by the state to civil servants designated by Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Kirchner," added Bonadio. The payments were compiled by ministerial chauffeur Oscar Centeno in meticulous records kept in notebooks. More than a dozen former government officials and 30 elite businessman are implicated in the case first reported by La Nacion newspaper on Aug 1. Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli has said a total of US$160 million in bribes was handed over between 2005 and 2015. At her last court appearance, Kirchner stressed her "categorical and strict denial" that she "committed any crime" or was involved in "any illicit activity". Also facing trial in several other corruption cases, she has previously accused Bonadio of carrying out "judicial persecutions" aimed at derailing a possible presidential run next year. Kirchner's immunity will not be lifted, according to Miguel Angel Pichetto, the head of the Federal Argentina group, the most represented in Congress; Kirchner is a member. Pichetto said immunity can only be lifted "in case of a conviction and not for remand." However, former president Carlos Menem, who served two terms from 1989-1999, has held onto his senate seat, to which the 88-year-old was re-elected in 2017, despite a seven-year conviction for smuggling arms to Ecuador and Croatia. A dozen other ministers have been remanded in custody, though, including deputy Planning Minister Roberto Baratta, whose chauffeur was Centeno. Planning Minister Julio De Vido and another of his deputies, Julio Lopez, did not need to be remanded in custody as they were already behind bars for other offences. Lopez's dramatic arrest in June 2016 gripped the nation as he was caught in the act of trying to hide nine million dollars in a Buenos Aires convent. Shinhan Vietnam will provide the 24/7 e-tax payment service. - Photo Shinhan The four banks are Shinhan Vietnam, PG Bank, SHB and HSBC Vietnam. They will implement the service from September 20. GDC expects the participation of more banks in the scheme will better support and reduce costs for taxpayers. The e-tax payment would facilitate tax payment anywhere, anytime, reduce time and ensure immediate goods clearance. The customs authority will directly support enterprises to make payment documents from the original data and minimise errors in money transfer procedures. This could help shorten time to complete customs procedures for import-export activities to the average level of ASEAN-4 countries following the Governments instructions. Firms only need certificate authority (CA) to transfer money and authorise banks to pay taxes through their accounts without fees. To be qualified to provide the service, banks are required to upgrade their e-payment portal. French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne wants Air France KLM's new boss to roll out a development plan fast AFP/JOEL SAGET Benjamin Smith made the pledge in a video message to staff as he officially took up his new position as chief executive at the French-Dutch airline. His fixed salary is 900,000 euros (US$1 million) a year, but his total compensation can reach as high as 4.25 million if performance targets are met. The pay package was roundly criticised by unions, as it is more than three times the amount paid to Smith's French predecessor, who quit in May after gambling his job on getting staff to accept a pay deal that was rejected in a company-wide vote. "I have already made a personal investment by moving with my family to France," Smith says in the video, according to a French transcript obtained by AFP. "Today I have decided to make another investment by investing half my fixed salary in Air France-KLM's share capital," he said. "It's a way of demonstrating my confidence in our future success," he added. "I'm investing because I believe we can win in our market and become number one, but I also want to show my commitment." The airline has been battling stiff competition from low-cost rivals while also facing aggressive moves by Gulf carriers into Europe. And French pilots and other workers carried out a series of costly strikes earlier this year after management rebuffed wage demands, leading to losses the airline estimated at 335 million euros. Earlier this month Dutch pilots reached a deal on wages and working conditions with KLM management after threatening to walk off the jobs. Unions have also bristled at bringing in a foreigner - Smith is Canadian - to run a company in which the French government still owns a 14.3 per cent stake. But the government has defended his appointment, citing a 19-year career at Air Canada, where he led labour negotiations ahead of the launch of a low-cost subsidiary. The 47-year-old, who was chief operating officer at Air Canada, is also credited with turning the airline around in the wake of the 2008 global economic crisis. "We sought out one of the top professionals in the world," Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said on French television on Monday. "What is urgent now is a strategic plan," she stressed. "Obviously he will be meeting with unions and I hope everyone is going to contribute to this development project for Air France." She declined to be drawn out on whether the government planned to sell any of its shares to finance national development projects. The new competition law will create a legal framework to better manage economic concentration.- Photo forbesvietnam.com.vn Tran Phuong Lan from the Viet Nam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority said at a recent workshop to disseminate the Law on Competition 2018 that the law enables antitrust investigations, even for economic concentration deals conducted overseas that impact the market. The old Law on Competition 2004 has limited ability to investigate overseas deals. The new law would also help better control economic concentration deals which resulted in unreasonable increases in marine transport fees or medicine prices, for example, according to Lan. Regarding Grabs acquisition of Uber in Southeast Asia, including Viet Nam, Lan said that the antitrust investigation will be carried out until mid-November. This case will be handled following the Law on Competition 2018 if the investigation is still ongoing on July 1, 2019 when the new law comes into effect. In the 2004 law, an enterprise or group of enterprises with a market share of 30 per cent or more was considered dominant and restricting competition. However, the new law says that market share of 30 per cent or more does not always mean the antitrust regulations are violated if the dominant enterprises do not have significant impacts on the market. In a document sent to the competition authority, Grab said that its market share after acquiring Uber in Viet Nam was below 30 per cent but the ride-hailing firm did not provide detailed evidence for the figure. Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, acting Director of the Viet Nam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority, urged firms to study the new competition law carefully to avoid violations because there were many new points. Tan said that the Ministry of Industry was speeding up the compilation and issuance of decrees to instruct the implementation of the Law on Competition 2018. The law was expected to create a healthy competition environment to promote economic development, Tan said. The Law on Competition 2018 was passed on June 12. Rice plantation in the northern Philippines were devastated by Super Typhoon Mangkhut AFP/TED ALJIBE Residents of the storm's ground zero, in Baggao on the eastern flank of Luzon island, knew they would be hit full-force, but losing their livelihoods was a disaster they were willing to risk everything to prevent. "Our house was blown away. We were flooded," Diday Llorente, 55, told AFP. "But we did not evacuate because we didn't want to leave our carabao (water buffalo) and livestock." Llorente lives in the coastal farming area of Baggao that is home to some 80,000 people, and which took a direct hit from Mangkhut when it made landfall there in the pre-dawn darkness on Saturday. In this key farming region of northern Luzon island, a quarter of the people live in poverty - getting by on less than US$2 per day. Like many in the region Llorente is a small-scale farmer, eking out a fragile existence from the land. The two hectares (five acres) of corn she farms with her husband were drowned in flood waters. For farmers like her, there is no insurance to compensate for a destroyed crop or dead cow, and no rainy-day savings to bridge the gap. "If we think from their perspective, these are really their greatest assets ... whatever little they have is all they have," Lot Felizco, country director for Oxfam Philippines charity, told AFP. "It's really heartbreaking ... for people who already live in a very difficult and dangerous situation. What choices do they have?" she asked. "NO MEANS TO LIVE" The decision not to evacuate can have horrendous consequences. Many of the 7,350 people killed or missing in the nation's deadliest storm, Super Typhoon Haiyan of 2013, did not heed warnings of a heavy storm surge. Yet, for those in Baggao the threat of losing their produce, to the violent weather or to thieves, has a powerful influence. Aida Acopan, 59, evacuated from her home during the last massive storm that struck the area, 2016's deadly Typhoon Haima. She survived, but at a cost. "Someone broke into my house and stole half a cavan of rice ... so I didn't want to take any chances this time," she said. The loss was roughly 25kg of the staple that is consumed at every meal in the Philippines. Having sufficient supplies of it is a primary concern in rich and poor households alike. With that roughly US$10 loss in mind - worth more than a week's income for the Philippines' poorest people - and after days of increasingly urgent warnings from authorities last week, she came to a decision about what to do this time. "We decided not to evacuate," she said, standing outside her battered, but still standing home of concrete blocks and wood. The other problem with evacuating is that it does not come with any guarantees. Shelters in the Philippines are basic affairs, usually just some floor space in a school or gymnasium. "They (evacuees) lose whatever little control they have over the situation," said Felizco. But there are no guarantees either that staying with one's crops or animals will mean that they survive. In the case of Mangkhut, gusting winds topped 255 kmh and some areas got a month's worth of rainfall in a matter of hours. Mary Anne Baril stayed in her home as the typhoon uprooted trees, snapped power poles in half and flooded farm fields, including hers. "We're already poor, then this storm happened to us," she told AFP as she brushed away tears. "We have no other means to live." China has formally launched a World Trade Organisation challenge against the US' first round of proposed tariffs on Chinese goods. (Photo: AFP/Robyn Beck) His trade war with China escalated on Monday (Sep 17) to cover nearly half of all US imports from that country. It is by far the largest and broadest of several fights picked by Trump. Here is a summary of the ongoing conflicts: CHINA After weeks of threats, Trump followed through with 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion in imports from China, which take effect September 24, and are on top of the $50 billion already subject to 25 percent duties. The latest round of imports will face 10 percent tariffs through the end of the year, and then the rate will jump to 25 percent, giving businesses time to find new suppliers, officials said. The new taxes will hit a broad swath of products, including billions in Chinese-made voice data receivers, computer memory modules and automatic data processors. However, the initial list announced in July was reduced by 300 product lines, sparing consumer electronics like smart watches and bluetooth devices, and child safety products such as high chairs, car seats and play pens, among others. China has accused the United States of starting the "largest trade war in economic history," and has again vowed to retaliate with duties on $60 billion in US goods, but since the country only imports $130 billion in US goods, its ability to hit back with matching tariffs is now limited. Trump has threatened to target another $267 billion in goods the US imports from China. Beijing has filed a complaint in the World Trade Organization against the US actions. China vowed to retaliate against the new round of tariffs announced Monday by Trump. EUROPEAN UNION On June 1, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from the EU, Canada and Mexico. Trump has said the European Union is "possibly almost as bad as China" when it comes to trade, as a raft of retaliatory tariffs from Brussels came into effect on June 22. From blue jeans to motorbikes and whiskey, the EU's hit list of products targeted the most emblematic of American exports. Trump has also threatened to impose punitive levies on imported cars, something Germany's powerful auto industry particularly fears. But Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced a plan on July 25 to defuse the row, with Washington backing off the auto tariffs against Europe, at least for now. Both sides are now discussing how to pursue talks toward zero tariffs. But the European Commission is awaiting a negotiating mandate from EU member states. CANADA AND MEXICO Canada and Mexico, members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the US, have imposed their own counter-tariffs on US goods after Washington's steel and aluminum duties took effect. Those tariffs were imposed after Trump came to office demanding an overhaul of the "terrible" NAFTA deal. Complicated talks to that end have been proceeding. Last month, Mexico and the US finalized a preliminary agreement on a new NAFTA pact they intend to sign by December 1. Since then, Canada has been in intense talks to preserve NAFTA as a three-country deal, but negotiations remain hung up on the dispute resolution mechanism as well as on Ottawa's strict control over its domestic dairy market, which Trump has repeatedly railed against. JAPAN Japan is another target of Trump's steel tariffs, which Tokyo calls "extremely deplorable." Japan has informed the WTO that it plans to impose retaliatory measures on US goods to the tune of 50 billion yen ($455 million). It also wants an exemption from the threatened US duties on auto imports, which represent a major threat to its car industry as well as Germany's. IRAN In May, Trump announced he was abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposing sanctions in two phases in August and November, with the second targeting the country's vital oil and gas sector. That entails the potential for huge penalties against those who trade with Iran, including European energy firms and automakers. Europe has vowed to keep providing Iran with the economic benefits it received from the nuclear deal. But many of its bigger companies have already pulled out of the country before their investments could bear fruit, including Total, Daimler, Siemens and Peugeot. TURKEY Igniting a secondary skirmish, Trump last month said that he had doubled steel and aluminum tariffs on NATO ally Turkey amid a row over an American pastor held for two years on terror charges. The Twitter announcement on August 10 caused the Turkish lira to crash nearly 20 percent, and prompted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to claim Turkey was victim of a "political plot" and an "economic war." Turkey has in turn hiked tariffs on imports of several US products such as rice, alcohol, leaf tobacco, cosmetics and cars. Vietnamese companies, especially those in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, should participate in trade promotion programmes if they want to expand exports to Japan, according to the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade). Speaking at a seminar on promoting exports of farm produce and aquatic and fisheries products to Japan in Can Tho city on Friday, Nguyen Manh Hung, head of Vietrades international relations department, said bilateral trade rose sharply last year and again this year to top US$20.93 billion in the first seven months. Viet Nams main exports to Japan included garment and textile, vehicles and spare parts, machinery and equipment, fisheries products, wooden products, footwear, and fruits and vegetables. Hung said exports of agricultural and fisheries products faced difficulties. Vietnam exports only three fruits to Japan, banana, mango and dragon fruit, according to Hung. To qualify to enter the market, besides meeting quality standards, the fruits must undergo a hot steam treatment process to avoid insect infiltration. Aquatic products must meet strict food safety requirements. Dang Van Thai, director of Artex Gobelins Company in HCM City, who has more than 10 years experience in exporting to Japan, said Any kind of farm produce that is unique and remains unmodified sells well in Japan. When I went here, I noticed that Japanese are very fond of jasmine rice, which is grown in both Viet Nam and Cambodia. In supermarkets in Japan, jasmine rice is sold at very high prices. Hung said to increase exports to Japan, Vietnamese firms would need to better promote their brands as well as the advantages their products offer in that market. They should be more dynamic in participating in trade fairs and trade promotion programmes in that country so that consumers there could lay their hands on their products. Every year his agency sends business delegations to trade fairs and business matching events in Japan, and soon it would co-ordinate with the Can Tho Exhibition Fair and Trade - Investment Promotion Centre to identify enterprises for that purpose. This way, more Vietnamese agricultural products would penetrate the Japanese market in the near future, he said. Vietnam has two free trade agreements with Japan, the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, under which thousands of goods are exempt from tariffs. REGINA, Saskatchewan, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ted Nolan was pleased to present a $75,000 donation to First Nations University of Canada at their Regina Campus today. The funds will go towards their bursary program to grant Rose Nolan Scholarships to assist First Nations women seeking to improve themselves through education and training. Mr. Nolan will also present a $75,000 donation to Cape Breton University at an event in Inverness, Nova Scotia on October 1. As part of the partnership, both universities will hold the funds in trust and directly manage the scholarships. Ted believes that real strength in our world comes from women. I wouldnt be the man I am today without the love and support of my mother, said Ted Nolan, Founder of the Ted Nolan Foundation. Collectively, we need to support our First Nations women to ensure they get the opportunities they rightly deserve so they can become tomorrows leaders. We are honoured to be part of the legacy that Mr. Nolan has established in his mothers name, said President Mark Dockstator, First Nations University of Canada. The Rose Nolan Scholarship will make a significant contribution to the education of Indigenous women who are the keepers of our culture and traditions. The generosity shown to our female First Nations students by the Ted Nolan Foundation is transformational and is directly in line with what Cape Breton University values when it comes to the relationships with Canadas First Nations communities, said President & Vice-Chancellor, David C. Dingwall. We want to provide endless opportunities for our students and this contribution from the Rose Nolan Scholarship will provide extra support for Indigenous students on their path to a post-secondary education. In preparation for the 2019-2020 school year, First Nations women enrolled at First Nations University of Canada or Cape Breton University are invited to apply for the $5,000 Rose Nolan Scholarship which will be awarded annually by each of the universities. To be considered, members of a First Nations community in Canada will have recently completed at least one year of full-time studies. Eligible applicants must also provide educational achievements, career plans and community involvement, along with both an academic and community reference in a one-page essay. This funding brings the support of the Ted Nolan Foundation to First Nations women attending post-secondary institutions across the country to over $550,000. About the Ted Nolan Foundation Since 2002, the goal of the Ted Nolan Foundation has been to encourage Aboriginal youth to pursue academic growth for a better future. The Rose Nolan Scholarship is sponsored by the Ted Nolan Foundation and was established in 2004. Named after Teds mother who had an untimely death, due to an impaired driver in 1981, the Rose Nolan Scholarship was established to help First Nations women achieve their educational and training goals, while maintaining strong community involvement. About First Nations University of Canada First Nations University of Canada is a unique institution that specializes in Indigenous knowledge, providing post-secondary education for Indigenous and non-Indigenous student alike within a culturally supportive environment. The university provides a holistic educational experience, bringing together quality academic studies and courses in five Indigenous languages: Cree, Dakota, Dene, Nakota and Saulteaux. Our campus atmosphere is built on sensitivities, knowledge and understanding of the cultures, beliefs and traditions of First Nations. Students often say that our campuses feel like their home away from home. About Cape Breton University Cape Breton University is an Atlantic Canadian post-secondary leader, with a growing national and international reputation. Currently home to 3,500 students, CBUs vision of post-secondary education allows students to pursue dynamic fields of study that are ideally suited for success in liberal arts, business, health, education, science and technology. Students from more than 50 countries study at CBU and benefit from the universitys unique commitment to community, economic development, Indigenous learning, and research into many aspects of environment and culture. For more information, please contact: Sandra Nolan Merelda Fiddler Stephanie MacDougall Ted Nolan Foundation First Nations University of Canada Cape Breton University 705-941-0732 306-790-5950 ext. 2121 902-563-1199 tsnolan@sympatico.ca mfiddler@firstnationsuniversity.ca stephanie_macdougall@cbu.ca A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/303a92a7-f654-4e95-92a7-1f77387a52bb Chris Argent, PepsiCos senior director, public policy, government affairs and communication, APAC Chris Argent, PepsiCos senior director, public policy, government affairs, and communication, told VIR at the recent World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Vietnam that the country is a highly attractive growth market where PepsiCo is well-positioned. We are focused on expanding our food and beverage business in Vietnam through continued investment across our portfolio. Besides, PepsiCo will continue to independently operate its food business in Vietnam. PepsiCo enjoys success in the snacks category with the Poca brand, and intends to continue to invest in agriculture, innovation, and distribution to grow its food business across the country, Argent said. He added that the company is keen to do long-term business in Vietnam in the field of food and beverages, and Vietnam is one of the companys 20 priority markets across the globe, and eighth in the Asia-Middle East-North Africa region, although he did not mention detailed plans for the upcoming time. This year marked the tenth year of the cooperation between PepsiCo Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the framework of which the two sides founded a public-private partnership group on fruits and vegetables. Nguyen Duc Huy, general director of PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, said that this cooperation helped create a sustainable supply chain based on collaboration, promoting trade development, as well as opening up opportunities to raise living standards for hundreds of farm householdscontributing to the sustainable development of cultivation in Vietnam. Nguyen Duc Huy, general director of PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company He stressed that in the coming time, his firm will continue to study processing in order to create high added-value products made from artichoke, a specialty of the Central Highlands city of Da Lat, and bring these products to the companys distribution chains, while also educating farmers on cultivation skills that can help triple their output. He cited that in 2017 PepsiCo sourced over 5,000 tonnes of potatoes from Vietnam, and more importantly, saved 1 million litres of waters thanks to modern irrigation technology. Our success depends on securing sustainable supply chains for our key raw materials," said Huy. Since entering the market in 1994, PepsiCo has undertaken an investment programme of more than $500 million and now has five beverage manufacturing plants in Vietnam, a high priority market in PepsiCo's aggressive emerging and developing markets growth plan. Former English teacher Jack Ma, 54, has become a globally recognised figure through his constant travel and playful antics (Photo: AFP/JORGE SILVA) On the morning of Sep 10, Chinas most famous billionaire announced plans to step down as head of the company he founded. Jack Ma revealed he would leave his role as executive chairman of Alibaba Group, the e-commerce and internet behemoth he has led for its entire 19-year existence. In a letter to the 86,000 employees of Alibaba, Ma stated that he would remain as executive chairman for a transition period of one year, at the end of which he will hand the reigns to Daniel Zhang, who has served as CEO of the firm since replacing Ma in that role three years ago. Ma also announced in the letter that he intends to continue to serve on the companys board of directors until its annual meeting in 2020. In a heartfelt and eloquent letter characteristic of the charismatic entrepreneur, he expressed gratitude for, and confidence in, the organisation of whom he has been such a public face. This transition demonstrates that Alibaba has stepped up to the next level of corporate governance from a company that relies on individuals, to one built on systems of organisational excellence and a culture of talent development No company can rely solely on its founders. Of all people, I should know that. Because of physical limits on ones ability and energy, no one can shoulder the responsibilities of chairman and CEO forever. While it is yet unclear as to what exactly the future has in store for both Jack Ma and Alibaba, this will certainly mark the end of an era for the man, the company, and the Chinese business, internet, and technology culture of which they have been arguably the most central figures. FROM THE CLASSROOM, TO THE BOARDROOM, AND BACK AGAIN A former English teacher with a knack for inspirational public speeches delivered in both English and Chinese, Ma has used his natural gifts as an educator as a way to build his brand as a business leader. Alibaba employees, as well as many in Chinas business and tech community, famously refer to him as Teacher Ma, and his lessons on resilience, dedication and success have developed a cult-like following among many of the countrys aspiring entrepreneurs. Jack Ma is a master storyteller who is able to nimbly blend fiction and reality, giving both his customers and employees a vision that was easy to buy into, says Rui Ma, co-host of the Techbuzz China Podcast. No doubt about it, he is dear to the Chinese people, a homegrown hero. Ma seems to be planning on continuing his legacy as a teacher through education-focused philanthropic endeavours. I also want to return to education, which excites me with so much blessing because this is what I love to do, he explained in his letter. The world is big, and I am still young, so I want to try new things because what if new dreams can be realised?! A MORE LOW-PROFILE SUCCESSOR FOR A NEW ERA It is difficult to imagine David Zhang building the same cult of personality his predecessor did. Known as a mild-mannered and logical operator, Zhang is credited as the mastermind behind many of the moves that have turned e-commerce in China into not simply a trillion-dollar industry, but a lifestyle as well. Singles day, Alibabas annual festival of online-shopping madness taking place every Nov 11, is reportedly Zhangs brainchild. Ma is known for his showmanship, big ideas and desire for the spotlight, but Zhang seems to prefer the spreadsheet to the stage. Respected for his fondness for numbers and the day-to-day of business operations, Zhang joined Alibaba in 2007 as the finance head of the companys Taobao marketplace, which he helped grow into the worlds biggest e-commerce website, and the ninth most-visited site in the world. Zhang himself has discussed his differences in temperament and personality with his long-time boss. In an interview last year with The Financial Times, Zhang remarked that in contrast to Mas creativity and passion for new ideas, he himself has always been the guy who wants to keep (his) foot on the ground. Zhangs low-key style may be more appropriate for the business and political environment in which larger-than-life business leaders seem not to be celebrated in the same way they once were. It is often rumoured among the Chinese tech community that Jack Ma has not had as positive of a relationship with Chinas current political leadership as he did with those who were previously in power, in contrast with Tencent chairman Pony Ma, whose subdued, steady demeanour appears to be more to Beijings liking. As China deals with a troubled economy and trade tensions abroad, the personality cult around Xi Jinping has been ramped up to levels not seen in China since the days of Mao Zedong. Other high-profile political leaders have been purged, strict guidelines have been given for celebrity behaviour, and a crack-down on religion is also underway. It is clear that in Xis China, only one star can shine most brightly. For charismatic leaders such as Jack Ma, the environment is less friendly than it used to be. SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Automotive Industry Action Group ( AIAG ) announced last year the launch of the AIAG Core Tools Software (CTS) cloud-based software, as a replacement to the 15-year-old Microsoft Excel based CDROM. AIAG started with a Voice of the Customer Survey that showed over 80% of the automotive supply chain currently use Microsoft Excel to author and manage their Core Tools forms. The respondents strongly suggested a better solution that would include: Robust Security, Form Linkage, Project Management / Task Tracker, Reporting, and International, Multi-Lingual capability. The AIAG development team is creating a Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud application based on the Microsoft development tools and hosting will be provided worldwide via the Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing Platform . The software will support DFMEA, Process Flow, PFMEA, Control Plans, and Gage R&R studies, along with several other support forms that are referenced in the Core Tools manuals. Microsoft is committed to meeting our customers needs today, while helping them bridge to the future. The AIAG CTS solution, based on Microsoft Azure, will offer a robust alternative for organizations that need to improve their APQP and PPAP processes and continue to benefit from future technology developments, said John Reed, Director, Automotive Solutions at Microsoft. The expanded collaboration between AIAG and Microsoft will bring to the AIAG CTS Project technical expertise, marketing support, and experience with deploying and supporting a global, multi-lingual SaaS application across multiple Azure hosting centers, stated Scott Gray , Director, Quality Products & Services at AIAG. Our objective is to assist the supply base with better, faster, and lower cost solutions to support their quality improvement and product development initiatives. This product, designed with smaller supplier needs in mind, will make authoring and management of the essential core tools more effective and efficient, so that they can focus on developing quality products for their customers. Details of the partnership will be disclosed at the AIAG Quality Summit on Sep. 18 & 19 in Michigan. ABOUT AIAG Established in 1982, AIAG is a not-for-profit association where professionals from a diverse group of stakeholders including retailers, suppliers of all sizes, automakers, manufacturers, service providers, academia, and government work collaboratively to streamline industry processes via global standards development & harmonized business practices. Contact: Greg Creason Marketing Directory - AIAG gcreason@aiag.org The following statement of principles is meant to serve as a set of guidelines for the members of the Syria Small Group. It outlines a set of objectives for the Group members to pursue collectively and individually. It should guide interactions between members of the Small Group and other foreign interlocutors, particulary Russia, but also the United Nations and others. It is not intended to be a public document. Principles for a resolution of the Syria conflict 1. As a general set of policy goals, and as necessary conditions for normal relations with the Syrian governement that results from the UNSCR-2254 political process, the members of the Small Group seek a Syrian governement that : a) Neither sponsors terrorists nor provide safe haven for them; b) Is free from weapons of mass destruction and verifiably ends its weapons of mass destruction programs; c) Servers its ties with the Iranian regime and its militant proxies; d) Does not threaten its neighbors; e) Creates conditions for refugees to return in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner to their homes with UN involvment; and f) Both pursues and prosecutes war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity, or cooperate withe the international community in doing so. 2. The political process under UN auspices pursuant UNSCR 2254, resulting in constitutional reform and UN-supervised elections. The political process should result in accountability, transitional justice, and genuine national reconciliation. 3. There will be no international reconstruction assistance in Syrian-governement-held areas absent a credible political process that leads unalterably to constitutional reform and UN-supervised elections, to the satisfaction of potential donor countries. 4. A constitutionnal committee under UN auspices and control is the appropriate mechanism to discuss constitutional reform and elections and to arrive at a political resolution for Syria. The UN should convene the constitutional committee as soon as possible. 5. Recognizing that the constitutional committee must remain the UNs exclusive purview, the Group encourages the UN to incorporate all Syrian political forces needed to effect and implement constitutional reform and UN-supervised elections, particularly the Syrian governement, representatives from northeast Syria, and Syrian opposition figures willing to adhere to a solution in accordance with the principles described here. 6. The enduring defeat of ISIS and stabilization support to areas liberated by the Global Coalition and its partners are necessary components of a political resolution in Syria. 7. Any effort to mitigate the humanitarian crisis, particularly along the borders with Jordan, the Golan, and Turkey, consistent with the principles above, should be encouraged. 8. The Small Group will take all necessary steps to deter the use of chemical weapons in Syria. In addition, the following principles should guide members of the Syria Small Group in their engagement with the UN on the subject of constitutional reforms and the conduct of the UN-supervised elections. There are to be considered recommendations to the UN Special Envoy in his role overseeing the constitutional process. Constitutional Reform: 1. The Presidents authorities should be modified to achieve greater balance of powers and guarantees of independence for other central and regional institutions of governement. 2. The governement should be led by a Prime Minister with strenghened authorities and clear delineation of authorities between the Prime Minister and the President. The Prime Minister and governement should be appointed in a manner which does not depend on approval by the President. 3. The judiciary should enjoy greater independence. 4. Civilian oversight of a reformed security sector should be implemented, with clearly defined powers. 5. Authority should be explicitly devolved and decentralized, including on a regional basis. 6. Restriction on candidacy for elections should be removed in particular to enable refugees, dispaced persons and those who heve been exiled from Syria to stand, including for Presidency. UN-Supervised Elections 1. A transitional electoral framework that meeets international standards enabling fair and transparent participation, including a balanced and professional electoral management body, is needed. 2. The UN should develop a complet and current voter register according to agreed criteria that enable all Syrians to participate in elections and referenda. 3. A robust UN supervision mandate is needed, provided by a dedicated UNSC resolution, to enable the UN to ensure full responsability in the conduct of free and fair elections in Syria via a) the establishment of the electoral management body b) good offices and political support in the issuance of electoral legislation c) independly confirming that transitional electoral legislation and regulatory framework meet the highest international standards d) a role in day-to-day operations of transitional electoral management body and the handling of electoral complaints, e) a role in executive decision-making of the electoral management body and handling of electoral complaints, and f) endorsement of the results of elections and referenda during the transition, if the elections heve met the required standards. The special envoy for the Secretary General of the UNO for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, received a delegation of the Astana Group (Iran, Russia, Turkey) in Geneva, then, on 14 September, a delegation from the Syria Small Group (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United States, France, Jordan and the United Kingdom). From the Western side, ambassador James Jeffrey and Colonel Joel Rayburn led the US delegation, while the ambassador and ex-director of the Exterior Intelligence Service (DGSE 2012-16), Francois Senemaud, presided the French delegation. Each delegation handed the UN a secret document listing their demands, with a view to applying pressure to the intra-Syrian negotiations which are currently under way. Russia Today leaked the Western document [1], just as, two weeks ago, Kommersant had leaked the internal directives of the UNO [2]. First remark - point 3 of the Small Group document resumes the internal directive of the UNO : There will be no international reconstruction assistance in Syrian-governement-held areas absent a credible political process that leads unalterably to constitutional reform and UN-supervised elections, to the satisfaction of potential donor countries. Germany, which has participated in meetings of the Small Group, does not seem to have been represented at this meeting. The night before, their Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, had dissociated himself from this point. Just before he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, he tweeted that his country was ready to participate in reconstruction if there exists a political solution leading to free elections [3] [4]. While for the Small Group and the UNO, reconstruction will not begin until the potential donor countries have attained their war objectives, for Germany, it can accompany the process of political reconciliation. Second remark the different international interlocutors refer to resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015 [5]. However, the Small Group extrapolates the meaning of the text. Although the resolution of the Security Council states that the composition of the Constitution is the affair only of the Syrians between themselves, the Small Group declares that it must be drawn up only by a Committee placed under the auspices and control of the UNO. This is obviously aimed at sabotaging the decisions taken in Sotchi, in other words, to destroy what has been achieved over the last few months and oppose the role of Russia in the solution to the crisis [6]. The United States aim to conserve their status as the indispensable power, while the United Kingdom and France intend to pursue their colonial project. Third remark - the Small Group means not only to transfer the responsibility for the composition of the Constitution from Sotchi to Geneva, it already has an idea what it should be. This would be to reproduce the model that Washington has already imposed on Iraq, and which maintains a state of permanent crisis for the greater benefit of the Western powers. The powers of the President would be exclusively formal; those of the Prime Minister would be non-existent at a regional level; and those of the army would be limited. The colonial powers maintain their power in the Near East behind an appearance of democracy. They always manage to constitute governments which do not represent their people. Since 1926 in Lebanon and since 2005 in Iraq, the institutions have been conceived above all to prevent these countries from once again becoming nation-states. Lebanon is divided into religious communities, and Iraq into distinct regions according to the predominance of a religious community. As for Israel, it no longer has a representative government, not because of its Constitution it doesnt have one but because of its electoral system. Fourth remark while resolution 2254 specifies that elections must be held under the supervision of the UNO, the Small Group considers that the Syrian agency in charge of their organisation must work daily under the orders of the UNO, notably in matters concerning eventual complaints of fraud. In this way, the Western powers conserve for themselves the possibility of cancelling results which do not correspond to their wishes it would be enough to register a complaint and declare that it is valid. The Syrian People would have the right to vote as long as they fall into the trap which has been laid for them, and even then, on the condition that they vote for the leaders who have been chosen for them. In Europe, the citizens are seeking their sovereignty, in Syria, they are fighting for their independence. Second Annual GibCyber Event Gibraltars annual cyber event GibCyber in association with the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Government is being held at the University of Gibraltar on September 26th 2018. This lively and interesting cyber conference will aim to raise the bar on last years successful event that attracted a packed auditorium. With performances from renowned experts in their field such as Googles Chief Scientist Cassie Kozyrkov, child prodigy and ethical hacker Reuben Paul, Tech philosopher Nell Watson, and Charlie McMurdie, who served as Scotland Yards head of cybercrime, it is set to be another memorable experience. The event while centred round cyber security and artificial intelligence will also feature block chain and see speakers from across the globe deliver insights and demonstrations from the likes of the FBI Dark Trace, Fortinet, Nouveau, Hassans as well as from local talent such as Bayside Comprehensive Stewart Harrisons Cyber Centurions. The Bayside youngsters will be running Schools Out which will be one of the many break-out/activity rooms available on the day whereby they will teach the adults some cyber security. Amongst those activity rooms are what the organisers are calling forum rooms for audience interaction, Q&A's and to meet some of the speakers in zones they have labelled such as Artificially Yours, Shh Its Security, Dont cry for me Crypto and a Talk Techie common room as well as an Escape Room, if you dare. Event organiser Justin Manners said, We are honoured to be in association with the Gibraltar Government and RGP, and humbled at the support and interest from both local and international entities. It was important for us to push the boundaries on this event, as not only is that fitting with the speed of cyber, but it sits well with the venue, the university, a place that embraces change and one of learning. It is also a spectacular building, and we are delighted to be able to utilise its facilities in order for the delegates to experience everything GibCyber has to offer on the day. We strive to serve the delegates a rich and different experience. Even down to not having the traditional lanyards by planning to have an app to replace them so that all delegates can connect with any of the good and great on the day, as well as other functionalities in an event that encourages movement, flow and change. Asia Argento with Rose McGowan. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images In mid-August, the New York Times reported that Italian actress and #MeToo advocate Asia Argento had reached a deal to pay a former co-star Jimmy Bennett who accused her of sexually assaulting him as a minor. Shortly after, Argentos fellow-activist and Harvey Weinsteinaccuser Rose McGowan released a statement addressing the report, in which she said that text messages purporting to contradict Argentos denial of the allegation had been handed over to police by the person she was dating, Rain Dove. On Monday, Argento issued an initial threat: McGowan must retract her statement within 24 hours or face legal action. Now, on Tuesday, Argento tweeted that McGowan had missed the deadline, and that she has instructed a law firm to file a lawsuit against McGowan and Dove. To @rosemcgowan. The 24hr deadline given to retract your recent false statements about me has now passed. I must inform you & @raindovemodel that Ive instructed Mishcon de Reya to seek substantial damages for deception, fraud, coercion and libel. You will hear from them shortly. Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) September 18, 2018 To @rosemcgowan. The 24hr deadline given to retract your recent false statements about me has now passed, Argento tweeted. I must inform you & @raindovemodel that Ive instructed Mishcon de Reya to seek substantial damages for deception, fraud, coercion and libel. You will hear from them shortly. This was sent the day after Argentos initial tweet, which reads: Dear @RoseMcGowan. It is with genuine regret that I am giving you 24 hours to retract and apologise for the horrendous lies made against me in your statement of August 27th. If you fail to address this libel I will have no option other than to take immediate legal action. Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) September 17, 2018 In August, the New York Times reported that Argento had reached a deal to pay $380,000 to actor Jimmy Bennett, now 22 and her former co-star from the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things. Bennett had accused Argento of sexually assaulting him in a California hotel room when he was 17 years old and she was 37. (The age of consent in California is 18.) In a statement released after the report was published, Argento strongly denied the allegations. However, she did admit to agreeing to pay Bennett, claiming her late boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, had orchestrated the deal out of compassion for Bennett. But in the days following Argentos denial, text messages and pictures that seemed to contradict her denial began to circulate. On August 27, McGowan issued a statement about the texts, saying that they had been exchanged between Argento and Rain Dove, a gender-non-conforming activist and model. The statement reads, in part: I received a phone call and series of messages from the being Ive been dating- Rain Dove. They said that they had been texting with Asia and that Asia had revealed that she had indeed slept with Jimmy Bennet. Rain also shared that Asia had stated that shed been receiving unsolicited nudes of Jimmy since he had been 12. Asia mentioned in these texts that she didnt take any action on those images. No reporting to authorities, to the parents, or blocking of Jimmys social media. Not even a simple message Dont send me these images. They are inappropriate. There were a few other details revealed as well that I am not at liberty to mention in this statement as investigators do their job. 2. @rosemcgowan has released a lengthy statement in response to the allegations against Asia Argento. The last bit: "Do the right thing. Be honest. Be fair. Let justice stay its course. Be the person you wish Harvey could have been." pic.twitter.com/swAbuCFtX2 Yashar Ali (@yashar) August 27, 2018 Dove later released a statement as well, confirming that the text messages were theirs and that they had released the messages to police. This post has been updated throughout to reflect Argentos Tuesday tweet. Better Call Saul Something Stupid Season 4 Episode 7 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Photo: Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television Jimmy and Kims most intimate moments have always been carefully cast among shadows and light, like the old noir flicks they love to watch so much. Alas, their Purple Rose of Cairo romance is dimming down to blackand-white. All thats really left in bed beside Jimmy is the negative space hes been beckoning. Kim is there in body but distant in spirit, pursuing her own independent path, letting the months pass by while Jimmy dwells further on the fantasy that he and Saul can coexist, and that they can share a life with Kim. Yes, thats right: months. The show that has so dutifully (and to many viewers lament) shuffled its deck over the course of three-plus seasons (spanning roughly a calendar year in Saul time) jumps ahead a relative eon by journeying through Jimmy and Kims humdrum motions between spring 2003 and early 2004. Their split-screen divide is so subtle as to go taken for granted by each of them until the fateful evening when Jimmy joins his Kim as arm candy at a Schweikart & Cokley mixer. Drunk and stuffed on pass-around snacks, Jimmy hijacks some small talk about firm retreats and turns it into an escalating sales pitch for all-inclusive party-bus getaways to Aspen and Telluride. All Kim wanted that night was a charming date, but instead what reared its head was, as ADA Ericsen would put it, some scumbag disbarred lawyers who peddles drop phones to criminals. Is that really what Jimmy has become? The assistant district attorney may not know the whole story, as Kim cautions following their tense conversation about Huells arrest (more on that in a second), but Kims been so busy by design that shes still able to tell herself the man she shares a condo with is defined more by past trauma than present choices. The revelation that hes been peddling drop phones by the side of the road to second-tier drug dealers hasnt entirely sunk in, and so she takes his willingness to come clean on that count as a kind of collateral act of good faith. Glimpses of her former professional idol, Chuck (that cameo last week was more than crowd-pleasing), are evident in the way she practically pities Jimmy in her office and grows uneasy with getting him out of another bind. Like her pro bono clients, Jimmy is no lost cause. Whether shed normally volunteer time away from Mesa Verde and the Diana Penders of Albuquerque to fight on behalf of a bootlegger whose felonious bodyguard whacked a plain-clothes cop over the head with a bag of sandwiches is another story. (But hey, as she reasons, they were just sandwiches.) If Mike werent so won over by Werner, would he likewise be willing to let Kais insubordinate antics slide? It turns out excavating tunnels underneath Lavenderia Brillante is no more a dream job than Jimmys day gig at CC Mobile. And unfortunately, the crews warehouse oasis in parts unknown has started to feel more like the nuclear-winter outpost in American Horror Story: Apocalypse (or perhaps Aliens Nostromo ship, though battle with a murderous E.T. might provide a welcome adrenaline rush), no matter how many pints of beer and games of pinball are on offer. Foreshadowing of something tragic is everywhere, from the aforementioned tension between Mike and Kai to the concrete column one of his colleagues knocks over like a fallen Parthenon pillar. Werner, sweet as he is, may well be a goner, hardening Mike whos grown to let his guard down around the kindly kraut even further into his cementlike stance as a silent assassin. Thats all speculation, but so are any projections for when the eight-months-and-running endeavor to build out Guss meth lab might be wrapped. The bad news is it appears Mr. Fring is ready to forge ahead with at least one prog of his multi-point plan for regional underworld domination. Dr. Bruckner has helped rouse Hector to the point of, well, arousal. He can sit up, recognize and respond to colors and shapes, but most crucially as Gus grins upon detecting while watching the hospital as he prepares a traditional Peruvian seafood dish (naturally) he has a hankering to stare at nurses cleavage and panty lines. Dr. Bruckner could take his progress further, but Gus deems it more satisfying to stall his recovery right at the point where Hector can almost taste what he desires without ever savoring it. Dr. Bruckner was caught off guard but pacified by the donations made to her new clinical wing. Neither Mike nor Werner, however, will be thrilled that Guss urgency at growing his empire and rubbing that success in the face of his enemies has been newly stoked. All this makes the stakes seem reasonably low for Huell, who would do 18 months max for his sandwich-bag bonking but probably far less. So long as he doesnt run. And assuming Jimmy doesnt encourage him to run. But she has a feeling he will, and shes got a plan B. It involves a shopping cart full of colorful writing utensils and related stationery, but well have to wait another week to see what she has in mind. She may save the day, temporarily forestall Saul and big-picture have a better way, but as Werner (oh, Werner) says to Mike, You cant keep men locked away forever. Apart From All That Ehrmentraut = world-class strength. Who knew? Id go with 10,000 Waves. You, Huell, are no DB Cooper. All they had to say was, Episode writer Alison Tatlock worked on In Treatment. If only Jimmy could think small. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images The Emmy Awards opened tonight with a parody song and dance sequence about how the show had fixed its problems with diversity, and then undermined themselves for the rest of the night. The long, very-white show included oh-so many awards for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a surprising amount of love for Netflixs Godless and the horses in it, and a seemingly endless number of awkward pauses between hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost. Plus, there was a live TV proposal, and a mysterious appearance from Atlantas Teddy Perkins. You can find the winners list here, but for the true tally of how the night went, peruse our collection below of the highs and lows of this years show. LOW: Endless red-carpet spon-con. Ever wanted to hear Giuliana Rancic over-pronounce Samsung Galaxy 500 times a minute? E! has the coverage (and apparently, smartphone, tablet, and watch) for you. HIGH: The brief moment when Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson walked out at the top of the show, and we wondered if they would be hosting the whole thing. MEDIUM-HIGH: The increasingly awkward (and unintentionally meta) We Solved It song about how everything in Hollywood is okay now, with guests Tituss Burgess, Ricky Martin, Kristen Bell, Andy Samberg, Sterling K. Brown, RuPaul, John Legend, and the one of each dancers. So cringe-inducing its delightful shout-out to Sandra Ohs delivery of Its an honor just to be Asian from the audience. LOW: Colin Jost and Michael Ches tense, forced banter in their actual opening monologue. Someone get them them back to their Weekend Update desk, with some big cue cards and another SNL cast member to do the heavy lifting. HIGH: Brian Tyree Henry reacting to that monologue: Same. HIGH: Henry Winkler finally wins his Emmy. I wrote this 43 years ago! Winkler announced, joyfully thanking a list of names before telling his adult kids, You can go to bed now, Daddy won! Hooray for the Fonz, now and always. HIGH: Alex Borstein removing her jacket. Before walking onstage to receive her award, Alex Borstein took off her jacket as though she were about to do a striptease, told women to sit down when they use public restrooms, and called Amy Sherman-Palladino her friend (I love you and I hate you). Bonus: she wore her wedding dress! HIGH: Sandra Oh fully commits to her presenter bit. She tore apart her envelope as part of a joke about speaking her truth, believably freaked out, screamed that the winner was La La Land, and then shouted out a guy she dated in high school. He could have won a directing award! They lost touch! LOW: The presenters come out to banter after the nominees have already been introduced by some nameless announcer. Half the fun of the awards show is watching people internally freak out while trying to pronounce everything correctly, and if we dont get to watch that happens, what do we have in this lawless universe? HIGH: Rachel Brosnahan stanning for democracy. While accepting the award for Best Leading Actress in a Comedy, Brosnahan took the opportunity to remind everyone to register to vote. Mrs Maisel is a show about a woman whos finding her voice anew, Brosnahan said, and one of the most important ways to find and use your voice is to vote. HIGH: Teddy Perkins makes an appearance in the audience. If you arent going to win the Emmys, haunt them, whoever you are. LOW: Emmys history explainers with Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. In a very brief intro for Writing in a Limited Series, Bob Odenkirk and Aidy Bryant provided a goofy history of celebrities being forced to read bad scripted banter between awards. Those 20 seconds were milquetoast, and yet they were easily twice as funny as the actual Emmys history bits with Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. Rudolph and Armisens deadpan lack of preparation was purposeful, but it was paired with Colin Jost and Michael Ches seemingly unintentional complete lack of charisma, and the whole thing was less funny than a half-hour prestige comedy. AWKWARD MIDDLE PLACE: James Corden tried to address the direction of the evening by suggesting that everyone should get EmmysSoWhite trending. The crowd laughed uneasily. SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN A LOW BUT: Michael Che leads a Reparations Emmys segment, handing out Emmys to black actors, including Marla Gibbs, Kadeem Hardison, Jimmie Walker, Jaleel White, Tichina Arnold, and John Witherspoon, who were denied awards when their shows were on the air. Its a nice idea to highlight their work, undermined by Ches palpable boredom with everything involved with his hosting duties plus a cheap Geoffrey Owens joke about how hes working at Trader Joes. WHOA: The proposal. Glenn Weiss turned his acceptance speech for directing for a variety special for the Oscars into a proposal to his girlfriend. A baffling and yet movie choice, despite the fact that most public proposals feel very weird. The key upshot: Everyone in the audience reacted with genuine shock to something that happened that night for the first time. HIGH: Specifically Betty Gilpins reaction to that proposal. Shes crying and confused and overwhelmed, and so are we. HIGH: Thandie Newtons delivery of I dont even believe in God, but Im gonna thank her tonight after winning her Emmy. Good work, God. HIGH: The elation of The Americans team after Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg won an Emmy for writing the finale. The Americans crushed your heart into beet juice, but at least it won a damn Emmy! HIGH: Hannah Gadsby delivers the post-comedy Emmys presenters speech, makes the Emmys briefly, actually funny. Gadsby joked about how far shed gotten simply because she hates men. Nobody knows what jokes are. Especially not men, she said. Am I right, fellas? Then for the bumbling finale, after Stephen Daldry won an Emmy but wasnt there to accept it: So I guess I just leave now. HIGH: Matthew Rhys winning his first Emmy and acknowledging that Keri Russell said shed punch him if he proposed to her during the ceremony. LOW: Keri Russell not winning an Emmy, because that is bullshit. LOW: Lorne Michaelss odd Hey, at least TV networks still exist, so hooray speech in the middle of Netflix and Amazon winning everything else. LOW: How is this show still so long?! They cut out so many awards and give them out at the Creative Arts Emmys earlier, and yet the show still runs three hours. Three hours would be a respectable time for an awards monstrosity if more of it had been funny! LOW: The Sound Mix. If youre going to have so many bits, ya gotta mic the audience loud and proud. The sound mix made the whole thing play like one of those YouTube videos of Big Bang Theory without the laugh track. LOW: Game of Thrones for Outstanding Drama? The shrug says it all. Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood True Hollywood Story Season 5 Episode 9 Editors Rating 1 stars * Previous Next Photo: VH1 I dont know what I think about Brooke Valentine. On the one hand she has very pretty hair, on the other hand I dont have anything nice to say about her. We start this episode with Teairra Mari and Brooke meeting at a pond (?) like theyre extras in the Mary Poppins Returns trailer. Teairra is throwing bread in the water despite there being no ducks and Id just like to note that this is every bad for the environment. It breeds bacteria that make animals sick, although, again I feel compelled to mention there are no animals within ten miles of this man-made body of water. Together, Brooke and Teairra discuss Akbar, and the mixed messages Teairra was sending by hanging out with him after the revenge porn was leaked. Teairra explains that she was still confused about the situation and, at the time, she was choosing to believe his lies. This is enough an explanation for me because I am not a horrible person that blames victims. Unfortunately, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood reflects our current political climate where men are accused of wrongdoing and the women who accuse them are blamed, shamed, and defamed. Its apparent from this episode that we still have not made as much progress in trusting women as wed like to think. However, I do appreciate Brookes eagerness to attend Teairras press conference in support of her. Maybe shes not such a bad person In some empty event hall across town, Bridget performs at her album-release party. Shes been in the music industry for over ten years and she finally has a full album to show for it. I respect her tenacity and hustle and I also think she has a great voice. At this social gathering full of mostly background extras, Bridget invites the ladies to London for her radio tour. Nothing brings drama like a televised vacation, so I am beyond excited to see these women Locked Up Abroad together. (Sidebar I love that Teairra refers to all the women in a house together as Bad Girls Club because thats exactly what I imagine it as.) During this conversation, Brooke finds the time to encourage Moneice to attend Teairras press release. This is another moment where the thought that Brooke might actually be a good person crossed my mind. Jaywill arrives with ten minutes left in the event to and complain to Moneice about his L.A. Pride audition. Hes right to feel upset, but I dont think he should ask LaBritney, to not perform because he didnt get put on the lineup. If they are really friends, its a selfish thing for Jaywill to ask, and Moneice is just encouraging toxic behavior. Especially since she drops the rumor that LaBritney may or may not have had relations with A1. Lets hold onto this nugget because its going to come back. Teairra Maris press conference was really hard to watch. Its clear that shes really rattled by this entire scandal. Im so glad that shes fighting back against this abuse to show scorned men they cant get away with this. The most infuriating aspect of this scene was cutting to the other LHHH stars who were watching the press conference from the sidelines. Paris and Nikki seem like fair-weather friends. Im confused as to what Nikki contributes to the show other than being fickle. There doesnt seem to be anything real about her, even her story lines are not her own. Meanwhile, K. Michelle is comparing Teairra to Mimi. Does she know that minding her business is free? K. Michelle could have easily just had no comment, but instead she attempts to cast doubt on Teairra. She then takes it a step further and decides to get dinner with Akbar. If allegations could really undermine a mans entire career, why have I seen Akbar three times in this episode? This man gets more coverage for his wrongdoing than when he was just a regular guy with a harem. If K. Michelle doesnt put herself in foolery as she claims, he shouldnt have met with Akbar in the first place. Seems like everyone in this episode is showing their true colors Teairra, Brooke, and Moniece pop up on Nikkis brunch to confront her about not being at the the press conference. Nikki has 18 different excuses her parents were in the hospital, she doesnt want Akbar to sue her, Teairra was being selfish. These all seem suspect, but Teairra forgives her because she has a big heart. I can not relate to this. If my friends abandoned me like this, I would hold a grudge until we were in our Golden Girls era. But, to each their own. This next scene, I dont care about. Jaywill confronts LaBritney about the Pride organizers comparing him to her. This is wrong, but it has nothing to do with LaBritney. Jaywill tells her there is no comparison between him and her. Id describe this comment as lighting the match. LaBritney tells him he sounds bitter. Id describe this comment as pouring the gasoline. And then, Jaywill sex shames in words I wont repeat. Id describe this as setting the entire rehearsal studio ablaze. Watching Jaywill fight with LaBritney over a event thats supposed to be about being proud of who you are, makes me sad. I liked Kandi and the way he challenged masculinity. However, its apparent, Jaywill suffers from the same misogyny as the rest of the cast. Okay, lets talk about this studio session. RoccStar should have never gotten in the studio with Moniece in the first place if his description of her voice is not horrible. This man has credits, why doesnt he just work with people whose art he enjoys? Ahh, that would be asking too much from a man that cant mention a woman in his confessional without confirming whether hes slept with her. Of course, Brooke comes to the session and makes it about herself. She invited herself to the session in the first place. When Moneice defensively says that Brooke should take the record, shes trying to tell her friend that shes self-conscious. Its not hard to read between the lines people!!! But Brooke may be emotionally illiterate. How dare Brooke compares Moneice to Amber Diamond, when Moneice is responsible for the Americas Next Top Model theme song of yore. This is almost as disrespectful as making fun of her friend whos having a panic attack and then jumping on her friends record with RoccStar as an ambulance escorts that friend away. Hmm, sounds like Brooke is a bad person. Shes still not great hair though! The Real Housewives of Orange County A Peace Treaty, a Blind Date, and a Divorce No One Understands Season 13 Episode 9 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Photo: Bravo I think that Shannons friend Dr. Moon is totally a fraud. Its not because he told Shannon that the reason shes gaining weight is from a mouth problem which was pretty funny in that mean way that people can be funny while reading you to filth right to your face. Its not because Shannon went to him for her sprained ankle and he treated it by giving her some acupuncture in her wrist. Its not even because he thinks that he can use magnets as a diagnostic tool. The reason I think that Dr. Moon is a fraud is because he could figure out that something was wrong with Victoria Denise Gunvalson Jr.s liver but then he attributed it to all of her anger. The fact that he asked Vicki about her anger in relation to her liver and less about her more recent trip to Andeles makes me question this entire enterprise. Vicki did mention that she was angry at her ex Brooks, who faked cancer on national television, and that was only one of three times that she brought this ghost up from the past. (Just like Beetlejuice and Brandi Glanville if you say the name three times he shall appear.) The other was when she was in the car with Tamra and she joked that he looked old because, he has cancer. Hes very, very sick. Fucker. The third time was at her birthday party that her current boyfriend Steve Lodge threw for her at Vamanos, an off-brand Andeles. She told all of the guests that she really wanted to marry Steve and then said, But if you get sick, I want to see your medical records. Um, remember when Meghan King Edmonds PI found the medical records and Vicki still didnt believe them? So, maybe that wouldnt actually work. Also no one thinks that is funny. We need to talk about that birthday party for a second though. Steve threw a surprise party for Vicki and the only thing Vicki loves more than people paying attention to her and celebrating her existence is wait, there is nothing else in the world that she loves more. Throwing the party was nice and thoughtful, but the guest list seemed to include Vickis son Michael, her brother Billy (who flew in from Chicago to deliver two tequila shots wearing a shirt he stole from Cam on Modern Family), and all of Steves family. Yes, none of Vickis friends, no one from Coto Insurance, not even Briana on FaceTime with the grandkids or nothing. Steve is trying to separate her from her loved ones and take over her entire life. Maybe he does only want her for her money? So, in front of Steves mother, aunt, and the rest of his clan, shes hard-pedaling about how she wants to be Mrs. Steve Lodge, something that totally makes him uncomfortable and probably makes him even more uncomfortable in front of his mother. Then she starts with the Brooks jokes, which, unless these women were watching her show, wouldnt even make sense. And if they were watching her show, there is no way they would even let their son/nephew even date VDG Jr. in the first place! Anyway, enough on this sad party. We do have to talk a little bit more about Vicki and Steve and Kelly Dodd though because, and I hate to admit this, but Vicki is right about the Page Six article that got Kelly so upset. He didnt really take any swipes at her, just corrected who introduced her ex Michael to his current girlfriend. So, yeah, maybe she wasnt justified in talking to Steve at that big party. Even if she wasnt, it doesnt mean that Steve had to be so dismissive of her and pretend like he didnt know what she was talking about. He gave quite a lengthy statement and Im sure hes not used to talking to reporters. He probably would have remembered. Regardless, Kelly and Emily patched things up about Kelly freaking out at Emilys husband Ring Toe. It was so anticlimactic I kind of wanted to die. Just when you think this season is going to get a little bit of juice, the juice goes leaking out of the bottom like the container was as airtight as Brookss medical records. In classic Kelly Dodd style, as soon as Emily explained just what Kelly did she was like, Yeah, I was wrong. Tamra knows this is the pattern. She recognized that is what would happen even before Emily thought to have this meeting. Emily wasnt wrong when confronting Kelly. She says she doesnt mind that Kelly was upset with her husband, its just that she didnt want it to resort to name-calling. Kelly has a severe case of Brandi Glanville Disease (dont say her name one more time!) where even when she has a valid point she destroys it by overreacting and fighting too dirty. Kellys defense to Emily was, If I knew he was your husband I would have said that, to which Emily offered a very sane rejoinder which is, You shouldnt have said those things to anyone! The rest of the episode was spent with the women alone. We see Shannon go out on her first date since David dumped her. She met up with a very nice, handsome, overly chatty gentleman named Tom who probably shouldnt have had a drink before Shannon got there but Shannon was probably at least 20 minutes late so can we really blame him? Tom does have a whole bunch of cats though and that is an immediate red flag for me. What sort of cis het man in his 50s has more cats than a Sailor Moon episode? The answer should be none, because that is weird. Shannon wasnt so bad on her date, but she did show up wearing her highest heels and a sprained ankle. She hobbled into that date and Tom had to escort her over to the table. Im sure she loved that positive attention because she only got that from David when she finally used the Peloton bike he got her for her birthday. I feel like wearing flats and not limping around like an extra in Oliver! would have been more attractive than high heels and a hobble, but one never wants to go into the thinking process behind any of Shannon Beadors decisions. There is only so much time in any given life and I dont want mine to be spent doing that. (Oh wait. Isnt it already?) Finally we have Gina, who I love. Gina and her husband Matt, a hottie in his prime that we were robbed of ever seeing outside of two of Ginas Instagram photos, are getting divorced. I feel really bad for Gina about the whole thing. She seems genuinely sad about the decision but also like its the best thing for her and her family. Getting divorced must be an odd mixture of concern and uncertainty for any parent, but here is Gina going through it on national television. The big question I would have is whether or not Gina should even stay in the OC. Even if she were to get offered a second season on the show, maybe going back to Long Island where she can be around her family and have their assistance might make things a lot easier for her. Between Kelly and Shannon slurping up all the men, its not like there is a huge dating pool left anyway. I hope Gina makes it back to Merrick or wherever the hell shes from. I hope that she picks the kids up from her mothers house after a long day at her new job and brings them all home for Annies organic mac n cheese and tucks them into bed and then settles into her overstuffed couch with a steaming mug of herbal tea and thinks about the funny life she left behind full of matte gray pedicures, cocktail party warriors, and the glinting on the ocean that is so bright it can blind you into immobility. Montreal, Quebec, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2018 Concordia Annual Summit, which will be held in New York on September 24 to 25th, will feature distinguished speakers, including Oscar-Winning Actor, Jennifer Lawrence; President of Brazil, Michel Temer; Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne; Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Rick Houenipwela; CEO of the World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva; President of Microsoft; Bradford L. Smith; and many others. President of Arton Capital, Armand Arton, will be among the list of esteemed guests. Both a visionary entrepreneur and a devoted philanthropist, Arton brings his mission to life as the founder of the Global Citizen Forum, a platform which promotes global citizenship as a way of life, and the Global Citizen Foundation, which focuses on educating and empowering the next generation of future leaders. As a passionate speaker and global citizen, he has equally ensured his presence at many other global dialogues, such as The World Economic Forum, Crans Montana, and TEDx. Additionally, Richard Griffiths, a member of Arton Capitals Board of Advisors, was also recently appointed as Concordias Programming Advisor on the Good Governance & Democracy Pipeline, which focuses on issues ranging from the rule of law and international justice, to promoting democratic governance and working to build accountable and transparent governments. As a well-regarded global policy strategist and advisor, Griffiths serves as Senior Advisor for Dentons law firm and is a member of the organizations Public Policy and Regulation practice. In his capacity as advisor, Griffiths brings a wealth of expertise on governance issues in developing nations, ranging from international trade to nation branding, tourism, and other regulatory and public policy topics. The Concordia Annual Summit is one of our eras most innovative global forums, during which todays leading minds debate pressing global issues; from the rise of populism and the urgent need to engage the political middle, to the outlook for global development. As a Canadian-based financial advisory, Arton Capital has always highly regarded the companys involvement in such international policy forums and has actively participated in these critical discussions throughout the years. We started Concordia with this idea that the biggest problems of our time are too difficult for any one group to solve. Partnerships are required for facing these most difficult global challenges, and helping those who need it most, said Matthew A. Swift, the Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO of Concordia. Attachment Dan Stevens may have stolen many hearts in Downton Abbey, but for those of us who fell for him as the mysterious mercenary in The Guest, his new movie The Apostle looks like a wonderful return to sinister form. Gareth Edwards, who brought you The Raid films, directed this Netflix film about a man named Thomas (Stevens) who goes to a cult compound on an island in 1905 to rescue his sister. What he finds there is the charismatic and ominous group leader, played by Michael Sheen, who is just way too good at that sort of thing, and an unspeakable evil that he never could have predicted. The Apostle starts streaming on October 12. Few places in North Carolina got rain on Tuesday, but that didn't stop some bloated rivers from rising. Fourteen river gauges recorded levels above major flood stage, the North Carolina Emergency Management agency tweeted. Continents and regions Europe Florence Italy Southern Europe Accidents, disasters and safety Natural disasters Severe weather Tornadoes (weather) Weather Deaths and fatalities Earth sciences Floods and flooding Hurricane Florence Hurricanes Meteorology North America North Carolina Science Society South Carolina Southeastern United States The Americas Tropical storms United States Virginia Northeastern United States Federal Emergency Management Agency Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Government organizations - US US Department of Homeland Security US federal departments and agencies US federal government Many of those waterways were rising or cresting, though a few were receding. The Cape Fear River near Fayetteville was rising and has quadrupled in depth, and it's only going to get worse -- likely bringing more misery. But there are glimmers of hope in the wake of Florence. Some North Carolina residents were being told they can return home to the beachside community of Wrightsville. 'This isn't a river ... this is Interstate 40' Four days ago, the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville was 15 feet deep. By Tuesday afternoon, it had topped 60 feet -- and it still hasn't crested. Overflow from the river downstream has already created a new waterway on what used to be Interstate 40 in Pender County. "This isn't a river ... this is Interstate 40," the state's transportation department tweeted, along with drone footage of the scene. "This illustrates our message that travel in this area is impassable and unsafe." The good news was that the Lumber River, which has spilled into the town of Lumberton, was slowly receding -- though it was expected to still be at major flood stage on Sunday. When it comes to flooding, no one cares that Florence has left the Carolinas. Rivers gushing downstream toward already flooded cities mean more homes are at risk. "The next 48 hours are extremely critical," said Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Fayetteville City Manager Doug Hewett said 12,000 residents are "in harm's way" as the Cape Fear River keeps growing. He said the river is expected to crest at 61 to 62 feet around noon Wednesday. New death in North Carolina On Tuesday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper reported a 26th death in the state from Florence -- and warned the danger will continue. "I can't stress enough: Never drive through floodwaters. Don't drive around barricades," Cooper said. "Roads remain dangerous, and new road closings are still happening." More than 1,000 roads are closed across the state Tuesday, officials said, and about 343,000 people are still without power. Residents get glimpses of damage after Florence For the first time since Florence ravaged North Carolina, residents in the island town of Wrightsville Beach were allowed to return home Tuesday. But it will be a while before life gets back to normal. A curfew will be in place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and access to the nearest big city on the mainland -- Wilmington -- is still greatly hampered. "While the island itself did not sustain severe damage, at this time most roads leading to the Wilmington area are impassable due to flooding," the town's website says. Flooding so bad, the river gauge broke In North Carolina, cities such as Wilmington and Lumberton are bracing for more flooding. Wilmington was the epicenter of Florence's destruction. Rainfall totals of 26.58 inches have submerged much of the city, effectively cutting it off from the rest of the state. But by Tuesday morning, a bit of good news: Two roadways previously blocked are now passable, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said. Eastbound I-40 at Exit 373 and westbound US 421 at Exit 385 are now open. In Lumberton, where residents scrambled to plug the levee system, parts of Interstate 95 will remain closed until the Lumber River drops below 21 feet. That might not happen until next week, said Corey Walters, the city's deputy director of public works. But it's impossible to say how deep the Lumber River is now, because the official river gauge stopped working a few days ago. Walters estimated the current depth is about 25 feet. High waters have kept even FEMA crews and Duke Energy trucks away. Wilmington will have its wettest year in the city's 140 years of record-keeping. More than 86 inches of rain have fallen so far. On average, Wilmington gets about 43 inches by this time of the year. More than a dozen tornadoes strike Virginia Before Florence sputters out for good, it also struck Virginia with a litany of tornadoes. An estimated 15 to 20 tornadoes touched down in at least six counties Monday, the state's Department of Emergency Management Joint Information Center said. One tornado caused the first Florence-related death in Virginia when a building collapsed in Chesterfield County south of Richmond. Chesterfield Fire and EMS spokesman Lt. Jason Elmore tweeted drone footage of the tornado's destruction, including buildings that were annihilated. Learning 'how vulnerable we all are' In South Carolina, John Cassidy's 27-year-old printing business in Conway was on the brink of flooding Monday. Water was inches away from the door at Duplicates INK, but that didn't stop Cassidy or his employees. They were trying to get one last big order out before the water moved in, and they put sandbags around the biggest, most expensive pieces of equipment hoping to safeguard them. "It just makes you realize how vulnerable we all are," Cassidy said. "I've accepted it, my building is gonna be flooded. We're just going to deal with what we have to deal with and be as tough as we can be and move through it. It sucks." Cassidy said he continued working because he made commitments to his customers, and because 10 families rely on paychecks from the business. "We can't just shut the door down," he said. Cassidy plans to relocate his staff to a building in downtown Conway, CNN affiliate WBTW reported. He said several competitors and friends will help fill the company's orders for them. 33 deaths now linked to Florence Of the 33 storm-related deaths, at least 26 were in North Carolina, six were in South Carolina and one was in Virginia. They include: A 3-month-old who died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Dallas, North Carolina. One-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch, who was swept away by rushing waters Sunday and later found dead in Union County, North Carolina. An elderly Union County man whose body was found in his submerged car. Three people who died in flash flooding or "swift water on roads" in Duplin County, North Carolina. A woman who went into cardiac arrest in Pender County, North Carolina. When emergency responders tried to reach her, their path was blocked by fallen trees. An 81-year-old man who fell and struck his head while packing to evacuate in Wayne County, North Carolina. Florence's finale: Heavy rainfall in the Northeast On Tuesday, Florence was about 45 miles west-northwest of Boston, the National Weather Service said. It was moving northeast at 25 mph. The storm is expected to produce "heavy to excessive rainfall" throughout Tuesday in parts of the northern Mid-Atlantic states and southern New England. By Tuesday night, after its five-day assault on the East Coast, Florence was expected to finally move offshore into the Atlantic, where it will dissipate. FAIRFIELD, Ala. (AP) - A former elementary school teacher in Alabama has been arrested and charged with inappropriately touching a student. News outlets reported 40-year-old Kenya Deon Collins has been charged with one count of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12. Collins was a second-grade teacher at C.J. Daniel Elementary School in Fairfield. Fairfield Police Chief Nick Dyer said he could not disclose details about the crime because of the child's age but said it involved improper touching. Police began investigating in May, Dyer said the alleged abuse of the female student happened at the school but during after-school hours. He did not say whether the student was in Collins' classroom. It was not known if Collins has an attorney yet. Records show his teaching license expired in June. A Pisgah student was arrested after posting a threat on social media. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said a parent notified them of a Snapchat post a student sent out showing a gun and telling students not to come to school today. WAAY 31 went to the school today to learn more about the threat made and found out about another social media post that caused concern at the school. The Jackson County Schools superintendent said he was notified of that social media threat late last night and immediately notified parents and teachers of what was going on. "I made an all call around about 15-20 minutes later to the parents and faculty and staff of Pisgah school," said Kevin Dukes the superintendent. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said they arrested the suspect around one this morning. Parents were notified about the arrest around six a.m. Although the all-clear was given, another post, this time on Facebook, sent parents into a panic. "Then a parent had posted this morning that there was a threat. That the school was on lockdown. That there was a gun. And that false information caused other students to check out. And it caused confusion for other parents," said Dukes. Dukes reminds parents they should confirm any information concerning threats with the school system or with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. "From myself, whether it be a phone call, the Jackson County Board of Education Facebook page, my Facebook page, or the school Facebook page." The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said they're still investigating that threat. They also said they're investigating the post that was made this morning saying that the school had an active shooter and was on lockdown. That person could also be facing charges. The student is still in custody and will remain in custody until he faces a judge. Huntsville Police have arrested the step-father of the Blossomwood Elementary student who brought a gun to school that accidentally discharged and shot another student in the hand. The investigation into the shooting led HPD to obtain evidence about the gun, which was originally possessed by Letroy Cole Jr. He was arrested on two charges for unlawfully possessing a stolen firearm as a convicted felon and is currently being held in the Madison County Metro Jail on a $15,000 bond. Cole was charged by the Chicago Police Department for possession of cannabis in a May 15, 2014 case that was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony. He pled guilty and served one year in the Illinois Department of Corrections. VANCOUVER, B.C., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westhaven Ventures Inc. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to announce that it has received proceeds of $333,333.28 related to the exercise of warrants. The warrants were exercisable at $0.16. As of the date of this news release, the Company now has 73,374,139 common shares issued and outstanding. Plethora Precious Metals funds (Plethora) has increased their shareholdings via the exercise of 2,083,333 warrants. The warrants, acquired through a private placement transaction, had an exercise price of $0.16 and were set to expire on September 20, 2018. After consideration of this transaction, Plethora Precious Metals Fund owns 10,690,166 shares representing 14.6% of the Company on a non-diluted basis. Plethora acquired these securities for investment purposes, thus depending on the economic or market conditions or matters relating to the Company, Plethora may choose to either acquire additional securities or dispose of securities of the Company. The Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB) Westhaven owns a 100%-interest in over 35,000 hectares within the prospective SBGB, which is situated within a geological setting like those which host other significant epithermal gold-silver systems. It is close to major transportation routes and infrastructure allowing for cost-effective exploration. The SBGB is a 110-kilometre northwest-trending belt of intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks dominated by the Cretaceous Spences Bridge Group. Westhaven has been working on the SBGB since 2011 and believes these relatively underexplored volcanic rocks are highly prospective for epithermal style gold mineralization. On behalf of the Board of Directors WESTHAVEN VENTURES INC. Shaun Pollard" Shaun Pollard, CFO & Director About Westhaven Ventures Inc. Westhaven Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective resource properties. Westhaven is focused on advancing its Shovelnose, Prospect Valley, Skoonka and Skoonka North gold projects in British Columbia. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5521 or visit Westhavens website at www.westhavenventures.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. TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Select Opportunities Income Fund (the Fund) (TSX: BSO.UN) announces a distribution of C$0.15 per unit for the quarter ending September 30, 2018. The distribution will be paid on or before October 15, 2018 to holders of record on September 28, 2018. Eligible holders of the Units (Unitholders) may participate in the Funds Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP), where they may elect to automatically reinvest their dividends in additional Units. Details of the DRIP are available on the Funds website at www.brookfield.com. Unitholders who wish to participate in the DRIP should contact their investment advisor for further information and to enroll. Brookfield Investment Management (Canada) Inc. and Brookfield Investment Management Inc. (together, the "Firm") are the manager and investment manager of the Fund, respectively. Brookfield Investment Management Inc. (the Firm) is an SEC-registered investment adviser and represents the Public Securities platform of Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., providing global listed real assets strategies including real estate equities, infrastructure equities, multi-strategy real asset solutions and real asset debt. With approximately $20 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2018, the Firm manages separate accounts, registered funds and opportunistic strategies for institutional and individual clients, including financial institutions, public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth investors. The Firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., a leading global alternative asset manager with over $285 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2018. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com. The Fund uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Fund is routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfield.com. For more information, please visit www.brookfield.com or contact: SEATTLE, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Quality Food Centers joined forces to donate more than 41,000 pounds of protein to Food Lifeline. Smithfields contribution was part of the companys 2018 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Now in the programs 10th year, Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfields signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 167,000 servings, will help families fight hunger in western Washington. At Food Lifeline, we are incredibly thankful for this donation of wholesome protein that will support our mission of feeding hungry people today, and solving hunger for tomorrow, said Linda Nageotte, president and CEO of Food Lifeline. This generous donation of protein from Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes program will go far to help us close the gap on hunger for western Washington as a resource to a number of community partners in a variety of ways. Smithfield and Quality Food Centers representatives presented the donation to Food Lifeline at an event this morning. Members of each organization discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation, which will provide protein throughout the food banks service area, food insecure individuals across 17 counties. Through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste commitment, Quality Food Centers aims to end hunger and eliminate waste in our communities by 2025, said Zach Stratton, corporate affairs manager for Quality Food Centers. We realize that by partnering with programs like Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes initiative we are able to make a larger impact in our local community, while contributing to a greater cause across the country. This is the 44th large scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2018 Helping Hungry Homes tour. Since the programs inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 100 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide. As a food company, we understand that well-balanced meals are critical to supporting the vitality of communities across the country, said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. Providing for our neighbors in need is at the core of our social purposea purpose we are proud to support by relieving hunger and raising awareness of food insecurity nationwide. For more information about Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com . About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cook's, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curly's, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn . About Food Lifeline Food Lifeline rescues more than 40 million pounds of surplus food every year from farmers, manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants. They deliver this food to more than 300 food banks, shelters, and meal programs across Western Washington. In addition to providing nutritious food for more than 600,000 hungry neighbors every year, Food Lifeline is working to end hunger by helping protect the federal safety net, and working closely with organizations that battle poverty. About Quality Food Centers Founded in Seattle more than 60 years ago, QFC is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and operates 63 stores in Western Washington and in Portland, Oregon. QFC has a long history as a neighborhood grocer, offering the highest quality products, exceptional service, and the finest shopping experience in the market. In 2017, QFC donated $1.2 million to the communities it serves and donated 2.7 million pounds of food to local food banks in Western Washington and Portland, Oregon. QFC is a division of the Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). For more information, please visit our web site at www.qfc.com . Media Contacts: Dalton Agency for Smithfield Jana Beasley (904) 534-8568 jbeasley@daltonagency.com Food Lifeline Linnea Westerlind (206) 545-6600 linneaw@foodlifeline.org Quality Food Centers Zach Stratton (425) 990-5689 zach.stratton@qfci.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a1ed6c7d-99e2-43f1-b097-9865a7ab360d If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Chicago and Vancouver, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the request of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Green Thumb Industries Inc. (GTI) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF) wishes to confirm that the Companys management is unaware of any material change in the Companys operations that would account for the recent increase in market activity. 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 release. This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. About Green Thumb Industries: Green Thumb Industries (GTI), a national cannabis cultivator, processor and dispensary operator, is dedicated to providing dignified access to safe and effective cannabis nationwide while giving back to the communities in which it serves. As a vertically integrated company, GTI manufactures and sells a well-rounded suite of branded cannabis products including flower, concentrates, edibles, and topicals. The company also owns and operates a rapidly growing national chain of retail cannabis stores called RISE dispensaries. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, GTI has eight manufacturing facilities and licenses for 59 retail locations across eight highly regulated U.S. markets. Established in 2014, GTI employs approximately 400 people and serves thousands of patients and customers each year. GTI was named a Best Workplace 2018 by Crains Chicago Business. More information is available at GTIgrows.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Anthony Georgiadis, Chief Financial Officer, at ageorgiadis@gtigrows.com; (312) 471-6720 Source: Green Thumb Industries By WestKyStar & Paducah Public Schools Staff Sep. 18, 2018 | 03:29 PM | PADUCAH In addition, Criners entry entitled Reach Out and Take Hold earned the state runner up award in the argumentative essay category. Senior Grace Raber earned the states 3rd place designation in the informational/explanatory category for How Education Helped Save This Foster Childs Life. The three pieces will be published in this years Kentucky English Bulletin. The writing contest is sponsored and judged by English and language arts teachers from around the state, and the contest is open to all Kentucky high school students. Kate Criner, Paducah Tilghman High School junior, has been named state champion in the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts high school writing contest.Criners poem, Admirable Abuse, earned her the states first place designation in the poetry category. 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. By Tammy Thompson, WKCTC Sep. 18, 2018 | 06:34 AM | PADUCAH Marshall County's Olivia Fiser is a first year nursing student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. Another first for the 19-year-old is being the first recipient of the Bailey N. Holt Tribute Scholarship, which was awarded to her last month. The scholarship was established by Paducah Uniform Headquarters' owner Kimberly Davis in tribute to Bailey Holt, who was one of the students who died in the shooting at Marshall County High School on January 23, 2018. "The scholarship is really a big blessing for me and my family, said Fiser, who was able to use the $500 scholarship toward tuition this semester. "To be the first recipient of this scholarship is such an honor for me," said the 2017 Marshall County High School graduate. When Davis learned that Holt wanted to be a nurse, she wanted to honor Bailey Holt and her family. "One of her cousins is an employee of ours for 20 years. Her name is Suzann....when Suzann told me that she (Bailey) wanted to be a nurse, we knew we had to do something." Davis' first step was to contact West Kentucky Community and Technical College for guidance on designing the scholarship criteria, which includes being accepted in the WKCTC nursing program, earning a minimum 3.0 GPA and exemplifying qualities of scholarship, leadership and community service. Each applicant had to also submit an essay about why they wanted to be a nurse. "I knew Bailey wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse because she has her own plaque in Baptist Health Labor and Delivery (department)," said Fiser. "I've always dreamed of working in labor and delivery so I knew I would write about that. I can relate to her in that way." Holt's mother, Secret, said the labor and delivery staff at the hospital had the plaque made and named her daughter an honorary labor and delivery nurse. "She is in the labor and delivery department every single day looking over the nursing staff and the little babies. It's very special." In her essay, Fiser wrote that, like Bailey Holt, she didn't just wake up one day and decide to be a nurse; she's always known. "It's unreal, the values she has in place now. Bailey had those same values...it's a shame they couldn't have met," said Holt. Davis said the Bailey N. Holt Tribute Scholarship will continue for the next five years with plans to provide the 2019 recipient with complete clothing and clinical equipment needs. By The Associated Press Sep. 18, 2018 | 05:14 AM | PADUCAH A woman who worked at a troubled western Kentucky jail has pleaded guilty to prescription drug fraud. The Paducah Sun reported Tuesday that 54-year-old Lisa Kaylor's plea on 33 counts of attempting to obtain a prescription medication by fraud is unrelated to her work as a part-time McCracken County deputy jailer, from which she has resigned. She is one of five McCracken County jailers to be recently criminally charged. Another former deputy jailer pleaded guilty in March to official misconduct, while two former deputies are with sexual misconduct at the jail. And Jailer Tonya Ray is charged in connection with perjury and violating the state's whistleblower statute. Kaylor acknowledged issuing prescriptions for family members while working for a doctor. The plea agreement carries five-year sentences for each count, to run concurrently. ___ Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com Shooting victim said he pointed his gun at Rittenhouse By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 18, 2018 | 12:59 PM | PADUCAH The City of Paducah has released more results from the National Citizen Survey they conducted earlier this year.One of the survey's first questions related to how safe people feel in their neighborhood during they daytime hours. In the city's press release, they say 91% feel very safe or somewhat safe. This rating is very similar to the previous two surveys, where a 90% rating was received in 2016 and 88% in 2013.Paducah Police Chief Brandon Barnhill said, This question is extremely important to the Paducah Police Department since community safety is a concept that encompasses many factors ranging from the reduction and prevention of injury and crime to the ongoing engagement with a community to build strong and cohesive relationships. We work each and every day to maintain the safety of the Paducah area through great policing and detective work and by looking for opportunities to partner with businesses and citizens.Regarding the quality of fire services, the percent of positive responses (excellent or good) maintained a high percentage of 90% for 2018 and for 2016. In 2013, the rating was 87 percent.Paducah Fire Chief Steve Kyle said, Today across the country, the duties of a professional fire department involve much more than responding to structure fires. Paducahs Fire Department is no exception. We respond to structure fires in addition to emergency medical calls and various rescue situations. Furthermore, our department manages code enforcement, building construction, and fire prevention strategies for the City. Our role in the community has shifted from the sole concept of putting out fires. We are now the resource for community risk reduction.Earlier this year, the National Citizen Survey was mailed to 1500 randomly-selected households within the Paducah city limits, asking questions about livability (which includes city services), civic participation, governance, and various community characteristics.In addition to reviewing the results, the city is looking at the alignment between the community's responses and the citys strategic plan, which they adopted this year.The city will be sharing more survey data related to other topics over the next few weeks. On the Net: Estimados amigos, Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia. Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro. Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras. Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada. Helenio Herrera History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. Karl Marx If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Sun Tzu We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. Paulo Coelho Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 18, 2018 | LIVINGSTON COUNTY By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 18, 2018 | 11:56 AM | LIVINGSTON COUNTY An area school district has been awarded a grant for science, technology, engineering and math programs. According to a press release, Americas Farmers Grow Rural Education asked local farmers to help nominate rural schools to receive nearly $2.3 million in grants to enhance their STEM programs. The Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, has awarded the Livingston County School District a $25,000 grant. Livingston County School District will reportedly use the money to provide high school students skills and knowledge by participating in the CNC Plasma Arc Cutting curriculum, which includes hands-on experience using a real world industrial plasma cutting machine, positioning them for employment in a variety of occupations including machining, welding, drafting, design and commercial art. To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a public school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. Nominated school districts then submitted a grant application that outlined how they would use the funds to enhance their students STEM education. A panel of qualified teachers review the applications and narrow it down to the finalists. The programs Farmer Advisory Council, comprising about 30 farmers from across the country, then select the winning school districts. Grow Rural Education has awarded more than $16 million to more than 900 school districts since the program began in 2011. By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 18, 2018 | 10:38 AM | MARSHALL COUNTY The Marshall County Sheriff's Office is investigating several burglary and theft reports. Deputies say someone entered a storage building Sunday on Wadesboro Road and took items, including tools, valued at over $1,000. On Monday, several items were stolen from some storage units on Kashway Lane. Also on Monday, a resident of Griggs School Road told deputies someone entered a building she owned and took saddles and equipment. A resident of Brewers Highway told deputies someone took items from a pole barn on Monday, including electric wire and lights. Anyone with information on these crimes is asked to contact the Marshall County Sheriff's Office or call Marshall County Crime Stoppers at 270-527-COPS and remain anonymous. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 17, 2018 | MARSHALL COUNTY By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 17, 2018 | 08:58 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY A DUI and drug arrest was made Sunday in Marshall County as a result of a vehicle that was stuck in the median of I-69, (Purchase Parkway). The Marshall County Sheriff's Department reports that deputies were called to the 42 mile marker in reference to a vehicle stuck in the median. Upon arrival, the driver told deputies that he had missed his exit and was trying to turn around, when the vehicle became stuck. Further investigation by the deputies found that the driver, Ralph Travis of New Johnsonville, TN, was allegedly under the influence. Also allegedly found in the vehicle were boxes of Tramadol and Valium, with a shipping box that indicated it had come from Asia, and there was no prescription information. Travis was arrested and charged with 1st offense DUI-alcohol/drugs, and 3rd degree possession of a controlled substance. Advertisement By The Associated Press Sep. 17, 2018 | WILMINGTON, NC By The Associated Press Sep. 17, 2018 | 03:20 PM | WILMINGTON, NC Emergency workers delivered truckloads of food and water to Wilmington, a city of 120,000 people mostly cut off from the rest of North Carolina by Florence's still-rising floodwaters, as helicopters and boat pulled people from homes swamped by swollen rivers. The storm, which is blamed for the deaths of at least 19 people, still had abundant rain and top winds around 30 mph on Monday. Forecasters said it was expected to gradually pick up forward speed and complete a big turn toward the Northeast, which is in for as much as 6 inches of rain. Flooding worries increased in West Virginia and Virginia, where roads were closed and power outages were on the rise. About 500,000 homes and businesses were in the dark. In some places, the rain stopped after Florence moved on, and the sun peeked through, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents who were evacuated from the hardest-hit areas to stay away because of closed roads and flooding. "There's too much going on," he told a news conference. The death toll climbed by two as authorities found the body of a 1-year-old boy who was swept away after his mother drove into floodwaters and lost her grip on him while trying to get back to dry land. Elsewhere in North Carolina, an 88-year-old man died after his car was swept away. Florence was still massive, despite being downgraded to a tropical depression from a once-fearsome Category 4 hurricane. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bull's-eye. North Carolina emergency response officials tweeted that 23 truckloads of military meals and bottled water were delivered overnight to Wilmington , the state's eighth-largest city. One route into the city was reopened by midday Monday, officials said, but it wasn't clear which road was open and whether it available to the general public. Signs on a flooded highway leading out of town said "ROAD CLOSED," and many streets that weren't flooded were blocked by fallen timber. The smell of cracked pine trees wafted through hard-hit neighborhoods. Residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants for water and other basic necessities. Police guarded the door of one store, and only 10 people were allowed inside at a time. Desperate for gas to run a generator at home, Nick Monroe waited in a half-mile-long line at a Speedway station even though the pumps were wrapped in plastic. His power went off Thursday before Florence hit the coast, but he couldn't recall exactly when. "It's all kind of a blur," Monroe said. County commission Chairman Woody White said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city, located on a peninsula with the rising Cape Fear River to the west and more water to the east. To the north in Pollocksville, Coast Guard members used a basket suspended from a helicopter to rescue a man from the roof of a flooded home. About 70 miles away from the coast, residents near the Lumber River stepped from their homes directly into boats floating in their front yards. River forecasts showed that the scene could be repeated in towns as far as 250 miles inland as waters rise for days. Fears of what could be the worst flooding in the state's history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it wasn't clear how many had fled or even could. Victor Merlos was overjoyed to find a store open for business in Wilmington since he had about 20 relatives staying at his apartment, which still had power. He spent more than $500 on cereal, eggs, soft drinks and other necessities, plus beer. "I have everything I need for my whole family," Merlos said. Nearby, a Waffle House restaurant limited breakfast customers to one biscuit and one drink, all takeout, with the price of $2 per item. Julie Lamb, with her 15-month-old twins, stepped off a Coast Guard boat after being rescued from her parents' house, where the yard was submerged and water was still rising at Lumberton. Another boat was going back to get her husband, 4-year-old daughter and their pug dog. "We decided to stay with mom and dad here. During (Hurricane) Matthew the water never reached their house," she said. "But the water keeps coming up in their yard." As rivers swelled, state regulators and environmental groups monitored the threat from gigantic hog and poultry farms in low-lying, flood-prone areas. The industrial-scale farms contain vast pits of animal feces and urine that can pose a significant pollution threat if they are breached or inundated by floodwaters. In past hurricanes, flooding at dozens of farms also left hundreds of thousands of dead hogs, chickens and other decomposing livestock bobbing in floodwaters. Some stream gauges used to monitor river levels failed when they became submerged, but others showed water levels rising steadily, with forecasts calling for rivers to crest at or near record levels. The Defense Department said about 13,500 military personnel were assigned to help relief efforts. Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate homes along rivers. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000. Near the flooded-out town of New Bern , where about 455 people had to be rescued from the swirling flood waters, water completely surrounded churches, businesses and homes. In the neighboring town of Trenton, downtown streets were turned to creeks full of brown water. The rain was unrelenting in Cheraw, a town of about 6,000 people in northeastern South Carolina. Streets were flooded, and Police Chief Keith Thomas warned people not to drive, but the local food and gas store had customers. "As you can tell, they're not listening to me," he said. The two candidates for Virginia's sixth congressional district faced off on the issues during a debate Monday at Spotswood High School. Both State Del. Ben Cline and local activist Jennifer Lewis portrayed themselves as better connected with voters in the mostly rural district. Cline, a Lexington attorney, referred to himself as a "small town lawyer" during his opening statement. Lewis recalled her time growing up on a dairy farm throughout the debate, classifying herself working class. The two were questioned on a range of issues, including social security, immigration, gun control, the Trump administration's trade policy and Russian interference in the 2016 election. On the topic of healthcare, Cline pushed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a system more reliant on the private marketplace. Lewis expressed her support for a Medicare for all plan. The two natural gas projects under construction which cut through the district The Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines also entered into the conversation. Lewis strongly opposes the projects, suggesting a push toward renewable energy sources by 2050. Cline told crowd seated in the school's auditorium he has expressed concern about the safety of water to state and federal government officials. The questions were submitted by high school students across Rockingham County. The Spotswood Government Club sorted through the suggestions and narrowed down which topics they felt were most important to cover. "Social security, Medicare and the agricultural aspect, we are in a big agriculture area so that was nice to hear from both candidates," said Aidan Sheahan, a junior at SHS. After months of campaigning, the two candidates differ on the number one issue on voters minds heading into the midterms. "For farmers, it's getting a farm bill done. For many, it's making sure I-81 is improved. For others, it's making sure the economic success and the jobs that are being created continues and we make the tax cuts permanent," said Cline. "100 percent, it's healthcare," said Lewis. "People are facing here in the sixth district rising costs, lack of access -- people out in our rural areas of our district don't even have a provider." After denying reports that she had sexually assaulted a former underage co-star, Asia Argento says that she is now suing Rose McGowan over McGowan's statement regarding Argento and accuser Jimmy Bennett. Argento first sent a tweet on Monday directed at McGowan saying she must "retract" her statement within 24 hours or face legal action. Then today, she followed that up, this time including Rain Dove (who had texts from Argento regarding the incident, which they turned over to the police and got leaked to TMZ). "The 24hr deadline given to retract your recent false statements about me has now passed," Argento tweeted. "I must inform you & @raindovemodel that Ive instructed Mishcon de Reya to seek substantial damages for deception, fraud, coercion and libel. You will hear from them shortly." Dear @RoseMcGowan. It is with genuine regret that I am giving you 24 hours to retract and apologise for the horrendous lies made against me in your statement of August 27th. If you fail to address this libel I will have no option other than to take immediate legal action. Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) September 17, 2018 To @rosemcgowan. The 24hr deadline given to retract your recent false statements about me has now passed. I must inform you & @raindovemodel that Ive instructed Mishcon de Reya to seek substantial damages for deception, fraud, coercion and libel. You will hear from them shortly. Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) September 18, 2018 The NY Times reported last month that Argento had paid $380,000 to Bennett, who once played her son in a movie, after he claimed that she sexually assaulted him when he was 17 (which is under the legal age of consent in California). Argento adamantly denied they ever had sex: "I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett," she said in a statement, adding that her late boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, was involved in the decision to "deal compassionately with Bennett's demands for help," and Bourdain "personally undertook to help Bennett economically." TMZ then released incriminating text messages and a photo purportedly showing Argento naked in bed with Bennett. Those text messages apparently came from model and activist Rain Dove, who is currently dating McGowan. In her statement, McGowan said Dove told her about the accusations against Argento, adding that Argento admitted in text messages that she had slept with Bennett. In those text messages, which Dove turned over to the police, Argento wrote: "I had sex with him it felt weird. I didn't know he was a minor until the shakedown letter," one message reads. "The public knows nothing, only what the NYT wrote. Which is one sided. The shakedown letter. The horny kid jumped me." McGowanArgento's former "ride or die" friend and fellow leader in the #MeToo movementreleased her own long statement about the accusations. She wrote: I received a phone call and series of messages from the being Ive been dating- Rain Dove. They said that they had been texting with Asia and that Asia had revealed that she had indeed slept with Jimmy Bennet. Rain also shared that Asia had stated that shed been receiving unsolicited nudes of Jimmy since he had been 12. Asia mentioned in these texts that she didnt take any action on those images. No reporting to authorities, to the parents, or blocking of Jimmys social media. Not even a simple message Dont send me these images. They are inappropriate. There were a few other details revealed as well that I am not at liberty to mention in this statement as investigators do their job. "Youve spent and risked a lot to stand with the MeToo movement. I really hope you find your way through this process to rehabilitation and betterment," McGowan added. "Anyone can be be betterI hope you can be, too. Do the right thing. Be honest. Be fair. Let justice stay its course. Be the person you wish Harvey could have been." Argento later changed her statement to say Bennett "sexually attack[ed] her." A statement released by her lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, read, "Her relationship with Bennett was never sexual, but rather the relationship was a long distance friendship over many years. As revealed in texts messages published by TMZ, Asia stated 'The horny kid jumped meI had sex with him it felt weird.' She went on to relate that she became 'frozen' when he was on top of her and he told her that she had been his sexual fantasy since he was 12 years old. Asia chose at the time not to prosecute Bennett for sexually attacking her." Bennett's attorney, Gordon K. Sattro, told CNN his client is cooperating with an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Regarding Argento's statement alleging she was sexually attacked, he added, "If I were to sum up the letter from Asia and her attorney in a single word it would be 'hypocritical,' with a close second being 'non-sensical.'" We've contacted Argento's attorney for comment. While McGowan has not responded to Argento's tweets, Dove has: Sexual engagement did occur w/ a minor by a much older person in a position of power. Controversial age restriction or not, extortion or not, a lie was told to cover up this engagement. A lie that if believed wldve bn a gr8 injustice 2 the progress made w/ those accused of 2/3 Rain Dove (@raindovemodel) September 18, 2018 Members of the Hasidic community gathered across Brooklyn on Monday night to observe the annual pre-Yom Kippur kaporos rituala controversial atonement practice that involves reciting a prayer while swinging a live chicken over one's head three times, then handing it off to a butcher to be slaughtered. Roughly 50,000 live chickens are carted out to the street on trucks for the occasion each year, to be sold by local congregations for $17 per head (hens for woman, roosters for men). By sundown on Monday, parking lots and intersections across Williamsburg, Crown Heights, and Borough Park had transformed into ad hoc slaughterhouses, with crowds of families transferring their sins to the poultry. But just as the slaughter was getting underway, penitents in the kaporos epicenter of Crown Heights were met by a familiar foe: Hundreds of animal rights activists and members of the increasingly organized kaporos-resistance, who have in recent years attempted to disrupt the mass sacrifice. After a brief rally condemning the cruelty of kaporos, the group marched silently down President Street toward Kingston Avenue, where they collided with the lively, foul-smelling scene. "Murderers! Shame on you!" shouted a protester wearing a surgical mask and poncho, as she sprayed water in the direction of the chickens. Fired up members of the two sides screamed at each other from across the barricade, exchanging insults in English and Yiddish, as a group of young boys used their hats to block cell phone video taken by reporters and activists. A heavy police presence separated potential scufflers, and before long, a majority of the religious observers returned to their prayer ritual, while the activists continued nurturing the squawking animals. "The purpose is to try to provide love and care to the chickens in their final moments of life," explained a protester named Peter, who said he'd been demonstrating against the custom since 2013. "There's more of us every year." Surveying the scene, an older Hasidic man declared, "No matter what you do, we're still going to kill them." The moment 100+ animal advocates descended on Kapporos pic.twitter.com/V1roa8XZMh Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) September 18, 2018 In recent years, the anti-kaporos protest has become its own sort of ritual. Led by the Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos, high-profile showdowns have occasionally gotten ugly, with activists labeling the event an "animal holocaust," and Hasidic volunteers allegedly shoving protesters, and their young children, in retaliation. The animal advocates have also documented instances in which caged chickens resorted to eating each other, or were abandoned in parking garages and left to starve once the ceremony concluded. Despite promises that the meat is donated to charity, a video taken by one resident in 2015 revealed that the piles of bloodied, feces-covered carcasses sometimes wind up in the back of a garbage truck. While Monday's clash saw its moments of tension, particularly in the initial face-off, advocates on both sides said that, on the whole, the encounters were more peaceful than in past years. Pamphlets shared with protesters ahead of the event discouraged them from directly interfering in the ritual or taking the chickens home with themsomething that has happened in the past. "There was much less taunting and shouting from the practitioners," said Rina Deych, a longtime activist and one of the founders of the Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos. "Its hard to argue with a person who is just performing a kind deed, in this case feeding and giving water to chickens who have been languishing in crates for days without food, water, and protection from the elements." For the first time, members of the group Jewish Veg participated in the protest as well, circulating among the festivities to suggest that participants hold the chickens by their stomachs, instead of the more common, and painful, method of grabbing them by the wings. "As fellow Jews we believe it doesn't need to be done this way," explained Sage Max, a 21-year-old Program Associate with Jewish Veg from West Harlem, to a trio of young Hasidic girls. "You can hold them respectfully, you can give them food and water when you transport them. You can even use money." The teenagers seemed receptive to the ideas, Max said afterward, as did at least some some Orthodox parents. "They do seem more relaxed when you hold them this way," David Babinet told Gothamist, while instructing his young sons how to properly hold the chicken without hurting it. "I'm not trying to make animals suffer." But he added that he didn't appreciate the "offensive protesters," and wished the cops would keep them further away from the ritual area. Anti-kaporos protester Elliot Reed, dressed in a full suit and black gloves, had his own issue with the NYPD's enforcement priorities. He accused the police of intentionally turning a blind-eye to a slew of violations that come with kaporos, citing health code prohibitions on tossing blood and animal matter into the streets, unlicensed butchering, and conducting street activity without a permit. "If the traditional boiling of dogs and cats took place in Chinatown, I'd expect the NYPD to stop that too," he told Gothamist. Similar arguments were made in an ongoing lawsuit, filed three years ago by the anti-kaporos contingent, alleging that the slaughter is a public health risk. That complaint was previously dismissed by a Manhattan Supreme Court judge, and is now pending before the New York Court of Appeals. "Leaving chickens outdoors without food, water, or protection from the elements, denying injured chickens medical care, and disposing of their bodies in the streets are precisely the types of actions prohibited under New York law," read a brief filed earlier this month by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Hasidic adherents, meanwhile, see attempts to reign in the chicken sacrifice as an infringement on their religious freedom, and accuse protesters of stooping to anti-Semitism to make their point. Mordechai Lightstone, a community member who's active on social media, pointed to a video taken earlier in the night of a protester referencing the "inbreeding going on" in the Hasidic community. He said that New York's Orthodox population faces rising levels bigotry, and urged the activists to at least ask about the purpose of the ritual before shouting it down. "The reason we do it this way, as opposed to getting our chicken shrink-wrapped from the store and pretending it grew like that, is because when you go through this act, you see what's real and you have an experience, and it speaks to you," Lightstone told Gothamist. "It makes you think: What am I doing with my life, what am I doing for the fellow human beings around me?" "I see the humanity in the protesters, and respect their right to live in New York City," he added. "I hope they'll do the same for me." Neither the NYPD nor the NYC Health Department responded to Gothamist's requests for comment. The NYC Department of Transportation is warning everybody to forget about using a car to get around Manhattan later this month on six specific days when the U.N. General Assembly is in session. The city's dreaded "Gridlock Alert" is being expanded beyond the traditional ten days around the November and December holidays, and will this year include the week from September 24th to October 1st, when traffic will slow to its most enervating crawl of the year. During last years U.N. General Assembly, average motor vehicle speeds slowed to about 3 MPH in midtown, which translates to 20 minutes just to travel a single maddening mile. Last year, the slowest day for traffic within the district for the entire year was September 18th, 2017, the Monday of UN General Assembly week. This year, that day of reckoning comes on the 24th, and a Gridlock Alert is already in effect for that date, plus the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and October 1st. To be clear, the Gridlock Alert is nonbindingit's just a polite warning intended to scare people off the roads. The city is spending $500,000 on a multi-media PSA campaign encouraging everyone to try other modes of transportation, and Citi Bike will be offering a 50% discount on its 3-day pass from September 24th to October 1st. And the e-hail app Via will encourage people to share rides with a half price discount for customers who use the ominous promo code "GRIDLOCK." The concept of Gridlock Alerts was created by "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz when he served as the city's traffic commissioner in the 1980s. "The intent was to reduce the total volume of traffic coming in," Schwartz told the NY Times. And to lower driver expectations to keep them calm." Another strategy for reducing gridlock would be for the city to implement a congestion pricing plan, which would charge drivers a fee to enter certain zones in Manhattan and funnel money into mass transit improvements. Schwartz has been a longtime advocate for such a plan, and although Governor Andrew Cuomo came out in favor of congestion pricing last year, the proposal died in the legislature. But hey, at least we can spend half a million to alert everyone to the gridlock we seem incapable of doing anything meaningful about? #BIKENYC y'all. New MOOCs for agents of change Wits University has added two new courses to its free, online WitsX/edX learning platform. Starting in October, the two courses, Activism and Citizen Journalism through Media and Civil Society and African Media Policy in the Digital Age, focus on various aspects of activism, media, journalism, social media, civil society, and media policy and practice. Course: Activism and citizen journalism through media Media is a powerful tool for promoting social justice. If you are an activist involved in promoting or advocating for a social cause then this free online course is for you. Aimed at people working in civil society and NGOs, it provides a practical guide to using both traditional and social media to promote a social cause. The course was developed in collaboration with the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD), under the WitsX partnership. The course is designed to equip participants to produce a journalistic story using mobile media tools, to promote social justice. Participants will learn to: identify newsworthy issues; define the limits and possibilities of different mobile platforms and tools, and identify an appropriate strategy and platform/tool to reach a defined target audience. The course also promotes ethical and safe media practices. The course draws on the innovative work of the Citizen Justice Network. The lead academic is Paul McNally, from the Citizen Justice Network in the Wits School of Journalism. The course will run from 3 October to 31 October 2018. Additional information is available at: https://www.edx.org/course/activism-and-citizen-journalism Course: Civil society and African media policy in the digital age This free, six-week online MOOC offered on the WitsX/edX platform and delivered by Wits LINK Centre academics in cooperation with other African media policy experts. Media play a critical role in democratic societies by informing citizens, facilitating and building freedom of expression, and fostering access to information. This course will help you to identify the principles and components of democratic media policy and practice, and to identify strategies for effective civil society engagement with these matters in African settings. This course aims to empower civil society actors in support of a free, pluralistic and independent African media. It seeks to sustain the work of the late South African media activist, Jeanette Minnie, who was devoted to robust civil society engagement with African media policy. Her work showed the value of civil society and media personnel in impacting on state policy, law and administrative action in the interests of freedom, pluralism and independence for media. The lead academic is Visiting Adjunct Professor Justine Limpitlaw from the Wits LINK Centre. The course will run from 10 October to 21 November 2018. Visiting Adjunct Professor Justine Limpitlaw from the Wits LINK Centre. The course will run from 10 October to 21 November 2018. Additional information is available at: https://www.edx.org/course/civil-society-and-african-media-policy-in-the-digital-age About WitsX on edX In 2014 Wits University became the first African University to partner with edX, the online learning destination founded by MIT and Harvard to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) to a global learning audience. The first three MOOCs on the WitsX platform was launched in 2016 and to date 47 477 students have enrolled for eight courses on the platform. Three more will be added to WitsX and will start running in the first half of 2019. A Frankfort woman is facing felony charges for alleged welfare fraud, according to the Herkimer County Sheriffs Office. Brittany Oyer, 26, is charged with third-degree welfare fraud and third-degree grand larceny, both felonies. Deputies say Oyer fraudulently received more than $3,500 worth of benefits that she wasnt eligible for. Oyer was processed and arraigned in Little Falls Court, then released on her own recognizance. Shes scheduled to appear in court again at a later date. UTICA- Nurses with the Oneida County Health Department are urging parents to get their children vaccinated by Thursday September 20, or schools won't allow them to come. According to the health department, the state is being strict about getting children vaccinated. Schools could be fined $2,000 per day, per child if they're not vaccinated. The health department is providing more clinics so parents can get their child in for vaccines. They're requiring parents to call and set up an appointment first. Link to clinic times: http://www.ocgov.net/oneida/health/ImmunVaccines. Nurses said they will work with parents on cost of shots. Depending on what grade the child is in determines what kind of shots they need. Link to kinds of shots: https://www.cdc.gov/features/catchupimmunizations/index.html Again, the deadline for immunizations is Thursday, September 20. UTICA In Oneida County Court on Tuesday, a woman came face-to-face with the man who killed her father in a hit-and-run crash on the New York State Thruway last year. Everett Taylor, 23, of Rome, was sentenced Tuesday for his role in crash that killed 47-year-old Joseph Perrotti of Utica. Submitted photo of 47-year-old Joseph Perrotti of Utica Submitted photo of 47-year-old Joseph Perrotti of Utica On May 27, 2017, Taylor was driving a 2008 Hundai vehicle eastbound on the Thruway in Westmoreland when he changed lanes and struck the front tire of a motorcycle driven by Perrotti. Police say Perrotti and his girlfriend were both ejected from the motorcycle, and they both sustained serious injuries. Taylor kept driving and got off Exit 32 in Westmoreland, and he was then pulled over by sheriff's deputies who noticed the damage on his vehicle. Perrotti later died from his injuries on June 2. In July of this year, Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. The judge said Taylors crime actually began after the crash, when he left the scene. Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation, with the first six months to be served in the Oneida County Jail. Perrottis teenaged daughter addressed Taylor at his sentencing on Tuesday, bringing many of her family members to tears as she talked about all that Taylor had taken from her. He was the funniest person anyone could ever meet. And now he's gone, she said. I never imagined that I would lose my dad at 13 years old. And now, at my wedding one day, my dad cannot physically be there to walk me down the aisle or have our father daughter dance." In court on Tuesday, someone also read a statement from Perrottis girlfriends daughter, about her mother. Survivor Rosanna Pion is in a wheelchair, but taking steps and making progress, and still has a long road ahead of her in terms of recovery. Three Massachusetts cities are nearing a critical first step of recovery -- ensuring homes are safe and have power -- after a deadly series of fires and explosions last week, Gov. Charlie Baker said. But for families like Deborah Mojica, 43, and her son Julean Pizarro, 24, there remains an uneasy feeling even within their own homes. "I feel terrified being inside," Mojica said. "Every time I hear the siren of a fire engine, I think, 'Oh, my God, what's happening now.' " Mojica's comments show the broader issue still facing residents of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover on Sunday. At least one person, a teen, was killed and several more were injured when more than 60 suspected gas fires broke out in the three towns north of Boston. Thousands were evacuated, and 18,000 people lost power at one point. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Sunday that an underground regulator -- a device that measures pressure levels and then adjusts gas flow -- was attached to a gas line that was being capped off and taken out of service on Thursday. He said the NTSB would look into whether that had an effect. By 6:30 a.m. Sunday, utility workers accessed 8,600 meters, turned them off and cleared each home of gas in the cities, the governor said. All homes should have power restored by later in the morning, he said. Andover and North Andover announced schools will be open Monday, while Lawrence needs more time to "restore gas/electric to closed buildings and multiple other facilities in use for emergency services," according to a tweet from the school district. "We still have a very long way to go, but we're very happy that people can return to their homes this morning," Gov. Baker said. Andover Fire Rescue Chief Michael Mansfield likened the scene to "Armageddon." Leonel Rondon, 18, was killed after a chimney that had been blown off a home in one of the explosions struck a car in Lawrence, CNN affiliate WHDH reported. He died at a hospital, authorities said. Residents are still worried Nori Soto, 38, lives in South Lawrence with her three boys ages 19, 15, and 3. She was just getting home from work late last week when she saw smoke at the home across the street. "I saw the smoke and I had a panic attack. I ran inside my house to search for my kids and get them out," Soto told CNN. "I grabbed a bunch of my personal documents and ran to the park. It looked like it was going to explode and my knees were shaking." Soto said she went out and bought an electric stove because she's too scared to use the gas. "It's very dangerous. I've seen what it can do. It's like a time bomb," Soto said. Mojica and Pizarro also live in South Lawrence and said that a fire started in the basement of their home. They were told to evacuate but stayed because they were afraid of looters taking the little they have. Even so, she wasn't convinced it was safe to stay there. "I'm so tired. I can't sleep at night," she said. Leifri Liria, 29, lives on Springfield Street in South Lawrence with his brother and his brother's wife and kids. He said the family has been staying at his mother's place, not far from where they live, since the fires. "This is a situation with gas. You never know. That's why I haven't slept here," he said. "I'm terrified something will happen while I'm asleep." Investigation into what happened An investigation into what caused the fires and blasts remains underway, but on Saturday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said that a pipeline controller in Columbus, Ohio, noticed a pressure increase in a pipeline in Lawrence. The NTSB, which is investigating because transportation -- in this case, of natural gas -- was involved, will look into system procedures, operations and safety culture at Columbia Gas and its parent company NiSource, as well as construct a timeline of events surrounding the fires. "We are very interested to understand the operations of Columbia Gas. We will be looking at their record keeping, their procedural compliance, their procedures, their training, the oversight of their contractors," Sumwalt said, adding that he expects his agency to remain in the area through the week, if not longer. A full report on the exact cause may not be complete for up to two years, he said. There is no evidence that anything nefarious contributed to the fires, Sumwalt said. The next two phases of recovery, Baker said, will be assessing damage to the low-pressure gas system and having technicians inspect each piece of equipment that distributes gas. Police and fire personnel, as well as 120 utility representatives, will be on standby as people return to their homes, the governor said. Residents should contact authorities if they smell gas, or notice fire-related damage or anything odd with their gas appliances, he said. "It's going to be a complicated process to get you back to normalcy," Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said. Residents, he said, should make sure to keep lists of any expenses they incurred from their displacement, whether it's spoiled groceries and broken appliances or child care and lost wages. Authorities hope to have a plan -- and perhaps hotels -- for the dozen or so families permanently displaced soon, Rivera said. The Red Cross reported Friday that about 400 people were staying in shelters. The remaining displaced residents, which officials say are in the thousands, likely stayed with friends and family, Red Cross spokesman Jeff Hall said. Baker declared a state of emergency Friday and said New England-based Eversource would replace Columbia Gas as the lead utility in the recovery efforts. The governor and Columbia Gas of Massachusetts president Steve Bryant have quibbled over the utility's level of preparedness. TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) The Indiana Economic Development Corporation met at GE Aviation in Lafayette to talk about jobs in Indiana. It's also hoping to figure out how to help Indiana's Japanese automakers who get their steel outside the U.S. President Elaine Bedel said there may be some exemptions in their future. Bedel said the tariffs aren't all bad. She's heard Indiana is getting a lot more inquiries from foreign companies who say they want to produce here to avoid tarriffs. I guess it can have impact both ways," said Bedel. "So, it's kind of interesting how that happened. I was kind of surprised, I hadn't thought about it." The corporation is focused on increasing wages this year. The 2017 wage increased 3.74 percent. That ranked Indiana ninth of all the states at an average wage of $22.32. In order to increase wages even more, the state has decided to make some tough decisions. Bedel said one of them included paying for jobs to be retained at the U.S. Steel plant in Indiana. "If they do those plant upgrades here, we are going to be the production place of the future," said Bedel. "And that means our jobs are going to be here for 50 years or longer so, that's why we did it." The L train shutdown nightmare has already begun for some East Village residents who say their neighborhood is being ripped apart by the enormous project. At Monday nights L train shutdown town hall meeting at a church on Second Avenue, residents lodged a litany of complaints which largely echoed points made in a post by the influential East Village blog EV Grieve from earlier in the day: that their quality of life is being significantly degraded by construction noise and pollution around Avenue A and 14th Street, the main staging site for the L shutdown work. The town hall meeting began with a statement by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who observed, I think there is a lot of fear around what will happen when the shutdown occurs and I dont think it is misplaced. Three hours and dozens of public speakers later, it was apparent the fear is not just about how people will get to where they need to go, but what every day life will be like for many New Yorkers living near the construction site. For 15 months beginning in April of 2019, the L train will not operate between 8th Avenue in Manhattan and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, so the MTA can make replace the tracks and fix the tunnel that was flooded with millions of gallons of water during Sandy. Keith Powers, the city council representative for Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village residents admitted, I think many of my neighbors were surprised to learn this will be a 24/7 construction zone. One speaker, Cray Ferguson, who lives at Avenue B and 14th St, said the contractors begin work long before theyre legally permitted. He accused the MTA of constant lies and that they [do] not respond to anything...just the run up to [the L shutdown] is already disruptive and polluting. Some speakers feared for their health and safety. Multiple residents voiced a belief that asbestos was being improperly disposed of in dumpsters near their apartments, something New York City Transit president Andy Byford assured them isnt happening. He promised to post something on the MTA website detailing exactly what materials are being disposed of and that asbestos is not one of them, which requires completely separate disposal teams and procedures due to its high toxicity. If you all really think that, he said, then I think we owe it to you to get something up on the website to get your mind at rest. Several citizens also expressed concern about the considerable truck traffic, as one put it, that has already inundated the neighborhood. Another said shes experiencing more headaches and sore throats than usual and cannot open windows out of fear construction dust would enter her apartment. Byford pointed out they simply cannot do the work without trucks bringing materials in and out through the East Village shaftswhich will become elevators into the 1st Ave L station after the shutdown is completebut did offer that at the peak of construction, 30 trucks worth of debris will come out of the tunnel per day and 10 will be going in with new material. Byford also said that although the work inside the tunnel will be 24/7 to try and wrap up the project as quickly as possible, surface-level construction will not be all hours of the day. Although most of the concerns were specific to the staging site, some themes from the first shutdown meeting in the West Village were once again raised. Several speakers complained about the bike lanes on 12th and 13th Street, with one older man asserting that if we did enforce our bike laws, we would balance the budget and be able to build all the subways, which got some of the loudest applause of the night. The NYPD transportation bureau representativeperhaps referring to the overall point about enforcing the bike lanes rather than raising billions of dollars from red light ticketssaid this was a great point. Another older man, referring to the bike lanes and the 14th Street busway, asked the MTA and DOT representatives can we have all of your commitment to put things back the way they were when this is over? DOT commissioner Polly Trottenberg assured him that anything they were considering making permanent would be brought to the community first, which seemed OK by him. As long as we get something to say about it, that makes sense. Construction on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A (Christopher Robbins / Gothamist) Pollution from the replacement bus services were once again a frequent point of contention, with one woman, Georgette Fleischer, holding her four-and-a-half month old daughter while distressing over the dozens of buses per hour that will pass her apartment during peak hours. What are you going to say to this child if she gets asthma as a result of this plan? she demanded of the MTA and DOT officials while imploring them to use more electric buses. I wish I had more electric buses, Byford assured her. Earlier in the night, his presentation had revealed five electric buses and 10 hybrid diesel-electrics would be acquired by the start of the shutdown with 15 articulated electric buses to follow for use on the 14th St busway, but there simply arent any manufacturers producing articulated electric buses to buy more. You need to get them, Fleischer urged. By April 2019. We cant wait. We are getting as many electric buses as we can, Byford once again assured. If there was a way of buying electric buses from somewhere, we would do that. He then went on, as the baby cried into the mic, Its not that were unsympathetic...were not the enemy here. Were not evil. Were not out to cause problems for your children. I genuinely wish I could get more of those buses. Towards the end of the evening, as the umpteenth speaker urged him to do something about the construction noise near Avenue A and 14th, Byford took a moment to make a larger point. I think one of the reasons I find these sessions invaluable is that you really do sense the vibe, you really get a sense of what is the concern of the community. He vowed to speak to the project director the next day, addressing the copious notes he had been taking on the various points raised. They would move the construction equipment out of the bus stop and ensure the contractor abides by the law on work hours. Construction at the northwest corner of Avenue B and 14th Street (Christopher Robbins / Gothamist) The theme of the evening repeated ad nauseum had been striking a balance; between buses and cars, bicycle lanes and parking spaces, work and noise, pollution and productivity. But there was also a constant search of balance between the speakers and public officials; between empathy and assertiveness, expertise and community, speaking and listening. We cant not do the work because it has to be done, Byford said, once again trying to find the right balance. We should be doing it in a considerate manner. L train service will be shut down on weekends for preparatory work for the entire month of October, as well as weekends in November, February, and March. There are no more community meetings currently scheduled, but it is likely that will change. Aaron Gordon is a New York City transportation reporter and writer of Signal Problems, a weekly newsletter on the subway. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A proposed fee increase on heavy-duty commercial vehicles that use the Indiana Toll Road was negotiated without legislative involvement and with considerable secrecy, according to some Indiana lawmakers. The Indiana Toll Road Concession Company would give the state $1 billion over three years in exchange for the 35 percent toll increase under the proposal, The Journal Gazette reported. Gov. Eric Holcomb said he hopes to spend the funds on roads, broadband, trails and to attract new direct flight routes to the state's airports. The proposal is a tweak to a 2006 agreement that leased the tollway to a private company for an initial $3.8 billion payment. Former Democratic Rep. Win Moses, who was involved in the original agreement, said he's surprised Holcomb proposed the amendment without much public discussion. "I don't think anyone at the time thought it could be amended without coming back to the people's representatives," Moses said. Sen. Tim Lanane, the Senate Democratic leader, said legislators may consider requiring legislative vetting for future changes. "I didn't realize the governor could renegotiate on his own," Lanane said. "The Legislature should be involved out of respect for the separation of powers." Former Republican Rep. Randy Borror, who carried the original toll road lease bill, said he's confident the governor and advisers believe the move will benefit the state. He said he's sure that "at the end of the day, the appropriate legislators already have or will be asking appropriate questions." The Indiana Finance Authority will consider approving the new fee hike deal on Thursday. GARY, Ind. (AP) A northwestern Indiana woman has pleaded not guilty to neglect charges stemming from her 2-year-old daughter's shooting death. Twenty-two-year-old Dashana Fowler of Gary entered her not guilty plea during a Monday court hearing. She faces one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and three counts of neglect of a dependent. Fowler's daughter, Jayla Miller, died Sept. 4 after being shot in the head inside a home in Gary. Three other children were at the house during the shooting. Court documents say Fowler's son told investigators his sister reached under a pillow, grabbed a handgun and shot herself. The Post-Tribune reports that a Lake County judge granted a request by Fowler's public defender for a bail reduction hearing on Sept. 24. She's being held on a $150,000 surety bond. TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) The Tippecanoe School Corporation has 100 fewer kindergartners this school year, and a house bill passed earlier this year may have something to do with it. House bill 1001 was passed in March. Since then, parents, educators and lawmakers have expressed unhappiness about a provision in the bill. In Indiana, to get into kindergarten, you have to be five-years-old on or before Aug. 1. However, parents can appeal if their four-year-old missed the cut off. "Maybe they were born August 2nd, maybe they were born August 20th, we've typically enrolled those students," said TSC Superintendent Scott Hanback. Now under a new provision, the state won't give schools funding for four-year-olds. This change came under House Bill 1001. State Representative Sally Siegrist authored the bill that gave districts an additional $100 million from the state to account for an increase in unplanned students this past school year. "We wouldn't have been able to keep tuition supplements stable, because the amount we budgeted didn't include those extra 6,000 students," said Siegrist. The goal for the bill was to allow schools to have the amount they budgeted for, despite the unplanned statewide student increase. At that point, the kindergarten provision was not part of the bill. Once the bill passed out of the house and went over to the senate for approval, Senator Ryan Mishler felt the provision needed to be added. "Schools found a loophole and started enrolling kids at four and advertised a Pre-K program," said Mishler. "Then, they retained them for a second year of kindergarten at age five." Mishler felt if the State was going to help with funding, schools couldn't do that. "So the only way to stop that was to say 'that's fine but if you want to have your waiver process to allow a student in at four, you will have to pay for it.'" The school funding bill, along with the new kindergarten provision, was voted in by the senate. It went back to the house and they did not concur. "The reason I dissented was precisely because of the age cutoff date," said Siegrist. It went to conference committee because changes were made by the Senate. Most of the senators lined up with Mishler. In fear of losing the whole bill, Siegrist said the house concurred because the schools really needed those funds. "Nobody is happy, the house is unhappy, the superintendents are unhappy, parents are extremely unhappy," said Siegrist. The question then became the date lawmakers should use. Mishler said he wasn't dead set on Aug. 1, but that was the date decided because it lined up with the beginning of the school year. Hanback attributes the 100 fewer kindergartners this year to a low birth rate in 2013 and this kindergarten provision. Since the district was on their own for funding, this year they were strict about the Aug. 1 deadline. "There's not a whole lot of wiggle room there," said Hanback. "The appeal process still exists, but with schools not getting funding, it makes it hard to educate those students." CHICAGO (AP) Warmer and wetter climate in the Midwest could lead to the displacement of some cold water fish species in southern Lake Michigan and trigger die-offs in smaller inland lakes, according to a new report. The research published last week by Purdue University found the Great Lakes are warming along with the atmosphere due to the proliferation of greenhouse gases, the Chicago Tribune reported. The report on the impacts of climate change also determined summer surface water temperature in Lake Michigan has warmed about 3 degrees since 1980 and is projected to accelerate. Experts predict that water temperature will rise at least 1 degree a decade. A hotter climate can create issues for some game fish such as trout and salmon, which rely on cold, oxygen-rich water. The warming of Lake Michigan is expected to reduce the amount of time that such fish spend in the southern basin, where the chances of catching these species are limited by the shallower and more tepid waters. Most fish can't survive in the lake's open water since it's so deep and cold, but warming will likely open up more habitat for the majority of fish, said Tomas Hook, a professor of fisheries and aquatic sciences at Purdue and director of the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. It's unclear if the fish will be able to find sufficient food in those new waters, Hook said. Angler Carl Beutler of Westfield, Indiana, said fishermen are worried about the impact of long-term temperature shifts. "Short-term, it will just reposition where the fish are at," Beutler said. "Long-term, repercussions could be the destruction of spawning habitat, because they need a lower temperature to spawn. If the water temperatures increase, they are going to deteriorate before they even hatch." Inland lakes are also most at risk of increasing algae blooms, which would force cold water fish to occupy a shrinking area as water near the surface warms and oxygen levels drop near the lake bottom. "They can't really migrate much but up and down in the water column," Hook said. "I would expect to see more die-offs in those types of systems. A lot of aquatic species don't have the flexibility to migrate into new systems like terrestrial organisms do." China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page A 54-year-old woman was fatally shot in her Queens home by a police officer responding to a 911 call on Monday evening. NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said the woman "came at the officers with a knife and lunged at them," prompting one of the officers to fire at her three times, hitting her in the torso. The victim was identified by her boyfriend as Susan Muller. "One of the officers gave direction to put the knife down," Shea said during a press conference, noting that the woman was holding a 10-inch kitchen knife. "We know this because there was body camera video." He added, "It appears at this time, preliminarily, the 911 caller and the female was again one in the same." Two patrol cars responded to a 911 call about a burglary in progress at 52-14 69th Street in Maspeth just after 5:30 p.m. According to Shea, the woman who was shot first "directed the officers to the second floor upstairs apartment at that address. She also told the officers that she believed there was a female intruder in the home armed with a knife or a razor. The police officers entered the home to conduct a search for the intruder. As the officers were searching the home, the 54-year-old female that had met them in front and said that she called 911, entered the home behind the officers." At that point, Muller allegedly brandished the knife at officers, leading to the officer's shooting. Shea said 50 seconds elapsed between the time the officers entered the apartment and the gunfire. Muller died at the scene, and her boyfriend, Edward Rogers, told reporters that she had been delusional during the day and suggested alcohol may have been a factor. One neighbor, Kevin Tang, told CBS 2 there was often a commotion coming from their home: "They yelled a lot. I heard them yell pretty frequently. They did keep to themselves. They just didnt keep the noise to themselves." Tang also told the Daily News, "Shed usually start a lot of fights with (him). The police have come a few times. The police and an ambulance came a few days ago." "There is a history of calls to this location," Chief of Detectives Shea said. "I remember her as a very caring and lovable person and I could not see her getting volatile with the police, but I wasn't here when it happened," Rogers told reporters. According to WABC 7, "Rogers says that he does not fault police or question their response." "[Rogers] said she had become upset earlier in the day because a pharmacist didnt want to fill her prescription for painkillers for her knee, but added he wasn't sure why she called police because he wasn't home at the time," NBC New York reports. Airbus Broughton welcomes largest intake of apprentices in years This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Sep 18th, 2018 Airbus has welcomed its largest number of apprentices in decades as 140 budding engineer and support-function apprentices began their journey at the aerospace giants Broughton site. It is believed the number also represents the largest single-site intake of apprentices in one cohort by any organisation in Wales this year and includes 100 craft and 40 undergraduate apprenticeships. In addition, 10 graduate trainees started at the plant last week. New craft apprentice Kara Wright, 16, from Wrexham, left school this summer with an impressive 11 GCSEs, including Engineering, and was thrilled when she was accepted on to the apprenticeship programme. She said: Airbus has a great reputation as an employer and Id always wanted a hands-on job rather than be based in an office. Im proud at how far Ive already come since passing my GCSEs becoming an apprentice while completing a NVQ. Id love to pursue a career with Airbus, travel to the many different sites across the world, and maybe end up in a management role eventually. Paul McKinlay, Airbus Senior Vice President and Head of Broughton Plant, said: Airbus apprenticeships have proven to be a highly successful springboard for those wishing to pursue a career in the thriving aerospace and aviation sectors. Of course, we as a company benefit too by having the opportunity to work with and develop the next generation of engineering and support-function talent and we hope many of the apprentices joining us today will go on to have long and successful careers at Airbus. Gavin Jones, Head of Early Careers at Airbus in the UK, added: An apprenticeship at Airbus offers paid on-the-job training and invaluable work experience, all while still being able to further your education to either national diploma or university degree level. The value of our apprenticeship programme speaks for itself with so many going on to extremely successful careers in aerospace and aviation. Indeed, many of Airbuss current senior managers started their careers through our apprenticeship programme. Award winning recruiter celebrates a decade in Wrexham This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Sep 18th, 2018 A leading education recruiter is celebrating ten years based in Wrexham this month. New Directions Education held a celebration event on 4th September 2018 at their Wrexham Technology Park base attended by over 70 delegates from across the education sector and wider business communities. The business first opened its doors in Cardiff back in 1999 and is now the appointed managed service provider of supply staff to the education sector throughout Wales. Jenna Whittam, branch manager for the team said of the celebration, said: This is a wonderful opportunity for us to say a personal thank you for embracing us so freely to our North Wales community. To think back to our small beginnings in The Foundry with only two people working tirelessly to make this business work, to our current day situation with 18 people based in this office alone. We really have come such a long way. Speaking about the move to Wrexham back in 2009, Gary Williams, director of business development, added: The Wrexham office was our third branch to open for New Directions Education. It was a bit of a bold move on our part, but after visiting the region and being made to feel so welcome we knew it was set to be our jewel in the crown for North Wales. The team have relocated several times, but always within the parameters of Wrexham. To see the team come so far and support so many people across the region is just awe-inspiring. Such has been the success of the team; this year they opened a branch in Bangor to help support the North West education ambitions. The celebration event was attended by several dignitaries including the town mayor Andy Williams who praised the ambitions of New Directions. He said: It is wonderful to support this celebration. It is testament to the ambitions of the team that they have survived in an increasingly competitive landscape. It is wonderful to see a group of people who actually enjoy working to support our education system. It is their fluidity and consistency as a business that makes them so successful. New Directions recruit for all positions within the education community including teaching and support services and are always keen to hear from individuals looking for new opportunities across North Wales. More information about New Directions can be found here. Land Rover Defender stolen from Flintshire found in Wrexham This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Sep 18th, 2018 A Land Rover Defender which was stolen from Flintshire on Monday evening has been found by police in rural Wrexham. South Flintshire police team issued an appeal on social media for information after the red/burgundy Land Rover Defender 90 (similar to the one pictured above) was stolen from the Treuddyn area at around 8.30pm on Monday evening. In an early morning post on Facebook, a spokesperson for the South Flintshire team said: Good news, the vehicle has been located by officers from the Wrexham Rural area. Thanks to those who have shared this post. Land Rover Defenders have become a much sought after vehicle for organised criminal gangs to steal. Latest figures from leading rural insurer, NFU Mutual, reveal that claims costs for theft of Defender vehicles have risen 14% since 2016. Farmers, who rely on the iconic 44 to farm and tend to livestock, are finding their vehicles stripped of parts such as bonnets and doors, or stolen altogether as demand from across the globe increases. Clive Harris, agricultural vehicle specialist at NFU Mutual said: Whether theyre compromising keyless technology or dismantling Defenders, thieves are deploying a range of tactics to feed demand for classic and modern 4 x4s from organised criminal gangs operating around the world. While insurance can cover the cost of theft, it does not account for the inconvenience and business interruption experienced. People in rural areas are feeling increasingly vulnerable and farms, which rely on 4x4s for mobility as part their business, are left particularly hard hit. The Bagehot notebook in the Economist has urged the rise of a new generation of soldier-statesman as politicians steeled in war are well placed to unite a divided country. The Economist was founded in 1843 to agitate for the repeal of the Corn Laws (import tariffs) and was described by Karl Marx as the aristocracy of finance. Its column is named after Walter Bagehot, editor of the Economist between 1861-1877, banker, journalist and British constitutional expert and is written in Bagehots name. Currently authored by Adrian Wooldridge, it is considered a must read on British politics. The August 30 edition begins, Whenever it has been confronted with crisis in the past, Britain has summoned up leaders worthy of the challenge. Yet today it faces the crisis of Brexit [British exit from the European Union] without any leaders who deserve the name. Prime Minister Theresa May has dithered, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been on the wrong side of most of the serious arguments in post-war history. Boris Johnson, Mays likely challenger as leader of the Conservative Party, is regarded by his friends and enemies alike as shallow, showboating and self-serving. It is not only the current crop of leaders that earn Bagehots disdain. Those like Tony Blair and David Cameron, who slithered from Oxbridge to the cabinet while barely making contact with the public, have compounded the growing problem of trust in leadership in general, he writes. Bagehot does not examine the causes behind this state of affairsthe huge growth of social inequality, the monopolisation of all aspects of life by the financial oligarchy, and the resulting putrefaction and disintegration of bourgeois democracy. Rather, he holds out as an example to be aspired to, John McCain, Americas great soldier-statesman, whose death, he writes, is a reminder that Britain has another model of leadership to turn to: politicians who experienced the real world in the sharpest way possible before going into politics, but who are temperamentally sceptical of political dogma. The WSWS has analysed the outpouring of moral hypocrisy, cant and myth-making surrounding the death of Republican Senator John McCain by the Democrat and Republican apparatuses. The elevation of one of the most vociferous proponents of US military aggression into a political secular saint is bound up with the factional conflict within the US ruling class over foreign policyespecially against Russia. Its overarching objective is to overcome the Vietnam Syndrome, i.e., mass popular hostility to military interventions to prepare the political climate for an even greater explosion of US violence. The eulogising of the neo-con warmonger was also a phenomenon in Britain and for similar reasons. In the final analysis, the Brexit referendum and the vote to leave the European Union expressed the centrifugal pressures tearing apart the capitalist world order and the turn to nationalist reaction by the powers-that-be to direct class tensions outwards. Britains political class is at one anothers throats over the result and its consequences, but no factionLeave or Remainoffers any progressive solution to this crisis. All are committed to austerity and war, with their differences over how best to pursue thisfrom within the European Union or directly against it. Bagehot posits soldier-statesman as those best placed to overcome these divisions and unite the nation. They are in a unique position, he writes, to solve the biggest problem facing the country: the growing social divisions between the elite and the masses, the provinces and the capital, and indeed, between Brexiteers and Remainers. This is not just because they have access to a language of patriotism that is denied to people who have not risked their lives in combat. It is because they are probably the only members of the leadership class who have lived cheek by jowl, day in day out, with people from every class of society. Politics was defined by soldier-statesman for much of the post-war era, he writes wistfully, citing Clement Attlee and Harold Macmillan (First World War) and Edward Heath and James Callaghan (Second World War), a tradition [that] faded in peacetime ... That the tradition faded is due, in no small part, to widespread opposition to militarism, which had embroiled the globe in two world wars, and witnessed the horror of mass slaughter, fascism and the decimation of European Jewry. However, Bagehot celebrates that the tradition of solider-statesman is now being renewed, after a succession of wars in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. He gives as an example the uptick in the number of former soldiers turned MPs, of which there are now 52 of the 2016 intake, the overwhelming majority in the Tory Party48 Conservatives, compared to three Labour MPs and two Democratic Unionists. Bagehot name-checks Tories Tom Tugendhat (Iraq/Afghanistan), Adam Holloway (Iraq), Johnny Mercer (Afghanistan) and Rory Stewart (Iraq/Afghanistan), along with Labours Clive Lewis and Dan Jarvis (Afghanistan). Perhaps the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq will help to produce a new type of one-nation politics that can bring Britain back together after the shocks of the financial crisis and Brexit, he opines. The fact that these were illegal ventures, commissioned by war criminals and that they were opposed by millions of people is not referenced, and for good reason. The British equivalent of Vietnam Syndrome is the 2003 Iraq war. The outright lies and scheming by Tony Blairs Labour government, in concert with the military-intelligence services, to justify the US-led invasion had such an impact on political consciousness that parliament was forced to veto military intervention against Syria in 2013. This has not prevented covert British military action, but this is insufficient under conditions in which Brexit risks not only Britains position in Europe and, with it, its principal use-value for Washington, but the undermining of its role within NATO, i.e., the essential mechanisms through which it maintained a global political and military clout in the post-war period despite the loss of Empire. It acquires greater urgency given that the target of British and US aggression is no longer only largely defenceless, semi-colonial countries in the Middle East but Russia and China, both nuclear powers. Bagehots political concerns were amplified in his subsequent column, September 6, on Britains equilibrium of incompetence. It was previously common for one of Britains great parties to be in crisis when the other is in clover, he notes. Today, however, Britain is currently witnessing something unusual: both its main parties are in crisis at the same time, divided over their future direction, racked by factional fights and worried about leadership challenges. The two main parties are incompetent as well as divided and The cabinet and shadow-cabinet are stuffed with hangers-on. With the UK set to quit the EU on March 29, 2019just six months awayoptions are dwindling. With an eye to plans by sections of the Tories and the Labour right to form a new so-called centre-right party committed to preventing a government led by Jeremy Corbyn and dedicated to overturning Brexit, Bagehot warns, The British system makes it difficult for a new party to get off the ground. The right-wing split off from Labour in 1981the Social Democratic Party won enough votes to shore up [Margaret] Thatcher, he writes, but not enough to win significant representation in parliament. Efforts to emulate it today would still mean Britain leaving the European Union without a plan or a parachute. For Bagehot, the turn to solider-statesman raises the possibility of overcoming the problem of partisanship by instinctively reaching across party lines. His August 30 column specifically cites how Conservative MP Tugendhat points out that he has a personal bond with [Labours] Mr. Jarvis, with whom he served in Afghanistan, that transcends political divisions. In 2016, Tugendhat and Jarvis were promoted as the two Afghan veterans whodespite representing supposedly opposing partieswere once again fighting side by side in favour of Remain in the Brexit referendum. Both made NATO and the war drive against Russia central to their support. Jarvis said that a vote to quit the EU would be a gift to Putin, as NATO plays a big role in our national security and would be weakened if Britain leaves the EU. Tugendhat argued that Britains position in the EU was critical for the security of our allies. Today, under pressure from growing Russian expansionism, our friends are again under threat, he wrote. Tugendhat is a rising Tory star and serves as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in which capacity he has demanded a stepping up of British action against Russia and has condemned supposed British inaction in Syria as opening the way for Russia and Iran to intervene. Just days ago, the Spectator ran a flattering interview with the former lieutenant colonel under the heading [T]he next Tory leader should be from my generation, in which he was clearly speaking of himself. Jarvis opposed Corbyn in both Labour leadership challenges and voted in favour of military air strikes on Syria in 2015. In April, he announced he would run for the position of Sheffield city mayor and would retain his parliamentary seat if he won. He faced down objections to his unfair and undemocratic pronouncement, winning the backing of Labours National Executive Committee. He won the mayoralty. He is part of the Spirit of Britain group, alongside the likes of Stephen Kinnock, who has played a lead role in the attempts to remove Corbyn and who is now promoting the values of localism, community, patriotism, pragmatism as an alternative to the Hard Lefts criticism of NATO and capitalism. The ongoing strike by thousands of hotel workers in Chicago was on the minds of many workers at Fords Chicago Assembly Plant who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter this weekend. Housekeepers, cooks, servers, bellhops and others are on strike at 26 hotels in and around downtown Chicago, fighting back against poverty wages, grueling working conditions, and inadequate benefits. As has increasingly become the norm in the auto industry, hotel workers frequently suffer temporary employment and the lack of job security, with many hotel workers losing their health insurance over the slower tourist season in the winter months. The growth of opposition among hotel workers, as well as other workers in the United States and internationally, after decades of attacks on their living standards, raises the need for joint struggles of the working class, linking up hotel workers, autoworkers, steelworkers, teachers, UPS workers and others. While a united struggle is urgently necessary, the UNITE HERE union, which has close ties to the Democratic Party, is doing everything possible to prevent the strike from expanding, refusing to call out the rest of the 15,000 hospitality and service workers it represents in the Chicago area. Instead, the union has carried out closed-door negotiations, keeping workers in the dark in order to pave the way for another concessions deal. Alex, a temporary part-time (TPT) worker leaving at the end of his shift at Chicago Assembly, said, I heard the hotels are trying to replace the hotel workers. Thats just not right. Their union probably doesnt do anything for them just like the UAW here. They want to keep the workers hungry and starving. I say, keep the fight alive! he said, encouraging the hotel workers. If they pick anyone up from the street to do their job, it shows what a dirty business this is. Thats not how things should be. It may take time, but I really hope they win. It would be also nice if we fought together. Its getting worse and worse for everyone. Our strength is in our numbers. Charlene, a former TPT who was recently converted to full-time, sat in her car in the 85-degree Fahrenheit heat waiting to begin her shift. I support the hotel workers, she said. They work hard just like us, they should receive better benefitswages, healthcare, and everything it takes to live today. They cant survive on $12 an hour in Chicago. They deserve much, much more. The rent is high, gas goes up and down, food is getting more expensive, childcare is more expensive. Their pay rate should go up as well. We also deserve more money just like them. The two-tier system we have should go away. We do the same work. Some of us at the bottom of the totem pole do more work than those at the top. There should be no tiers. An autoworker going home said he worked at the Chicago hotel industry previously and supported their strike. Like hotel workers, many autoworkers are also forced by low wages to work multiple jobs, including driving their cars for Uber or Lyft. One autoworker took off his dusty blue overalls to reveal his nursing scrubs, a second job he was rushing to in order to pay off his student loan bills. Others at the Chicago Assembly Plant have previously worked at places like United Parcel Services, which chiefly relies on high-turnover and part-time employees who are young and highly exploited. Charlene, another Ford worker, spoke about the United Auto Workers corruption scandal and the millions in bribes paid to the UAW bargainers to sign pro-company deals. Were getting ready for another contract in 2019. So, they just take bribes and they screw us over. Just like the hotel workersthe union heads just want to load their pockets. While bureaucrats in the UAW get six-figure salaries, workers are forced to work in broken-down plants like Chicago Assembly, Fords oldest plant in continuous operation. Workers frequently complain of water leaks, holes, rats, cockroaches, broken elevators, extreme heat in the summer, cold in the winter, and dangerous accidents. One worker was crushed to death two years ago when a wall collapsed. Its hell in the factory here, Charlene said. Youre constantly working til youre beat. Its rough. They bring you water when they feel like it. When you feel overwhelmed on the line, there needs to be more help. Instead of team leaders sending people home, we should get more people going up and down the line giving us relief. They should end the TPT stuff too, she said, referring to the use of the highly exploited temporary part-time workers who have no rights. If youre doing full-time hours, theyre just putting categories on us so you dont get the benefits of a full-time employee. The union doesnt do anything for us. Meanwhile, the CEO and Ford make a lot of profits. The rich keep taking and taking from us, she said. The same thing happens for the hotel worker. Were the ones that keep the CEOs rich. They should compensate us, but they wont unless we join our struggles together. Thats the only thing we can do. We have to fight together. Over 100 council housing estates across London are to be demolished in the latest bipartisan attack on social housing in the UKs capital. The continuing social cleansing of the city, euphemistically labelled redevelopment, will see over 31,000 social housing residents forced to leave their homes, with 118 housing sites set to be demolished or regenerated over the coming years. This could lead to the loss of as many as 8,000 homes. The figures, obtained through a BBC Freedom of Information request, show that of the 118 estates to be regenerated, over 80 of them will be fully or partially demolished. On the Ebury Bridge estate in the London Borough of Westminster, for example, the local council plans to pull down 300 social homes, to be replaced by 750 new properties. Most of these properties will be sold at prices far exceeding the budgets of most social housing tenants. Only around 340 of the new homes will be classed as affordable, of which 287 will be council properties. However, given that affordable housing is defined as a property costing up to 80 percent of the average local market rentwhich in Westminster stands at a staggering 2,247 a monthclaims that these properties are a viable option for Westminsters evicted working-class residents are bogus. The London borough set to see the biggest loss of homes in the coming years is Southwark in South London, whose Labour-run council has given planning permission for hundreds of regeneration schemes. This will see the loss of 2,196 socially rented homes, according to data collated by Green party co-leader Sian Berry. These are only the most recent developments, following decades of social cleansing in the capitalcarried out under the auspices of successive Labour and Conservative mayorswhich have seen thousands of working-class people forced out of the city. Southwark has already been the stage for fierce battles over regeneration schemes, particularly on the Heygate and Aylesbury estates. Over 1,200 council homes on the Heygate estate were flattened between 2011 and 2014, with a luxury development named Elephant Park built on the site. Just 82 of the 3,000 new homes built on the site were socially rented. Out of 3,000 people housed in 1,276 units on the former Heygate Estate, only three could afford to come back to the area after it was demolished in 2014. Those evicted received just 40 percent of the value of their homes. The council sold the land for Elephant Park to private developer Lendlease for just 50 million. It is estimated that Lendlease will return a profit of 200 million from the Heygate gentrification. According to Berrys data, 624 council properties have already been lost in Southwark in the 15 years since 2003. Across the whole of London, the number of council homes demolished in redevelopment schemes since 2003 stands at 4,142. Between 2016 and 2017, London suffered a net decrease of 3,620 council homes, according to the governments own annual figures on housing stocks in London. This is the first time since 2014 that new council builds did not make up for the loss of council homes though regeneration projects and through Right to Buy schemes. When Right to Buy and stock transfers to housing associations are taken into account, the number of local authority homes in London has fallen by around 100,000 since 2003, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing. In response to this drive to socially cleanse the capital, Labour Party London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticised the government for failing to give London councils the freedoms required to ensure that homes sold under the Right to Buy scheme are replaced. In May, he pledged to build a further 10,000 council homes over the next four years. In July, Khan brought in legislation requiring London councils to ballot residents on major regeneration plans if they wish to secure City Hall funding. The inadequacy and hypocrisy of Khans supposed solutions are stunning. With currently around 250,000 Londoners on housing waiting lists, the proposed 10,000 home increase will do virtually nothing to reduce Londons enormous housing shortfall. Furthermore, Labour councils are every bit as complicit as Conservative-run local authorities in the reduction of council housing across the capital. If anything, Labour councils are by far the worst culprits. Of the 10 London boroughs with the worst records for social housing destruction through regeneration, seven have Labour-run councils. This includes the Labour-run boroughs of Southwark, Greenwich and Barkingthe three councils planning the destruction of the most social housing in the coming years, at a total of 2,196, 1,238 and 969 homes to be lost respectively. With 353 socially rented homes lost in Greenwich since 2003, these figures represent a marked increase in the projected loss rate. With the loss of these socially rented properties, many working-class tenants (or at least those who can afford it) will be forced onto expensive and insecure private rental contracts. But with London private rental costs consistently rising year on yearwith average rent in the capital now standing at 1,632 a month as of August this yearlower-paid workers and their families will be forced to Londons fringes and beyond. In some areas of London, including Camden, Lambeth and Westminster, average rent has reached the astronomical heights of more than 2,000 a month. In Haringey, supporters of the Momentum group, who back Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, are now in control of the council after winning their seats in Mays elections based on pledges to oppose a massive 2 billion sell off of public assets, including the demolition of 1,400 council houses on seven estates. Since their election, while formally ending the selloff plans, the programme of social cleansing is being continued by the new council leadership in other forms. These include plans to demolish the Love Lane estate as part of Lendleases 1 billion regeneration project, High Road West. Some 297 council houses will be flattened to make way for the development. Despite being promised it in Labours election manifesto in May, tenants at two tower blocks in the boroughs Broadwater Farm area are not being allowed a say, via a ballot, on proposals to demolish the blocks. Also in the Tottenham area of Haringey, property developer Argent is proceeding with plans to build the luxury Tottenham Hale Centre development, including 38 storey towers. This will comprise 1,036 homes with housing available for a social rent. The reduction in council housing is not just limited to London but is a nationwide phenomenon. According to government statistics, since 2010, the total stock of local authority housing has decreased by some 184,000 homes, from 1.78 million in 2010 to 1.6 million in 2017. Around half of councils in England have no social housing at all. In August, Theresa Mays Conservative government released a social housing green paper, in which it promised to [build] a new generation of council homes to help fix our broken housing market. However, the green paper did little more than propose minor reforms to the way in which councils can use profits from Right to Buy schemes and proposed to scrap a planned asset levy on higher value council housing. Across the Carolinas, a scene of utter devastation continued to unfold on Monday. Tens of thousands of people have had their homes destroyed by floodwaters caused by Hurricane Florence, now downgraded to a tropical depression. Fallen trees and flooded highways are blocking rescue attempts as stranded residents struggle to obtain food and water. Widespread power outages, landslides and tornadoes continue to imperil the lives of those in the region. Entire cities cut off from outside aid, police guarding storefronts against desperate refugees of the storm, dams threatening to burstthis apocalyptic scene is now a routine feature of American life during Hurricane season. The death toll from the storm has risen to 31, with one of the latest victims being an infant child who slipped from his mothers grasp after their car became trapped in the floodwaters. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared on Monday that some areas have not seen the worst flooding yet. This is a monumental disaster for our state. All of North Carolina, including the western and central parts of the state, has been impacted by flooding or has flood warnings in effect. Emergency crews have performed at least 1,000 rescues thus far. Fifteen thousand residents throughout North Carolina were said to be in shelters as of Sunday, with an additional 1,200 in South Carolina. Throughout the region, at least one million homes had lost power as of Sunday. County officials in the mountainous western part of the state have warned residents of potential landslides. The rains are expected to continue through Tuesday. State officials warned that flooding might continue until the end of the week. Various counties throughout the state have also been subject to tornado warnings, and two homes in Pikeville, North Carolina suffered damage from a suspected tornado on Sunday. Rivers throughout the state were categorized as being in major flood stage. In Hoke County, officials urged residents to evacuate due to the threat of a nearby dam failing. Wilmington has been completely cut off from outside access due to the floodwaters. As global warming fuels ever larger and more dangerous storms, the failure of the ruling elites to adequately prepare for these disasters stands as an indictment of capitalism. Weather forecasts predicted the impact Florence would have on the East Coast of the US at least a week in advance, and still dozens have lost their lives and thousands more have been turned into refugees. The resources exist not only to evacuate all residents from the targeted areas and provide them with food, shelter and medical aid, but also to build new storm infrastructure that would minimize the impact of future hurricanes. The reason this necessary work has not been undertaken is simpleit would not be profitable for the banks and corporations that dominate American political life. A predictable pattern has emerged whenever a major hurricane threatens the US. The president, along with the governors, mayors, and other politicians issue dire evacuation warnings, always conscious of the potential political damage of underselling the dangers of the storm. Once the storm hits, those who lack the means to evacuate are left to their own devices while the media offers saturation coverage of the event, without any analysis of the underlying issues. After the storm passes, those impacted by it have only the meager payouts offered by FEMA and the charity of their neighbors to rely on to put their lives back together before the next hurricane season. The entire northeast will be affected by Florence in the coming days as the storm breaks up and moves north. Major rainfalls can be expected as far north as New England. The North Carolina attorney generals office has received around 500 complaints of price gouging. The complaints are mainly related to merchants charging exorbitant rates for hotel rooms, gasoline, or food. Charging inflated rates during a natural disaster is a crime. Police have also arrested five people and charged them with looting a dollar store. It has been reported that the owner of the store had initially asked police not to press charges but relented after they applied pressure on him. The storm has caused at least five billion dollars in damage in eastern North Carolina alone so far, according to insurers estimates. Only 35 percent of homes and businesses in the impacted areas are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program. Those not covered by that program will have to seek compensation from either FEMA or the Small Business Administration. It is estimated that the storm will cost at least $20 billion in damages from insurance claims alone. Estimated costs for the storm as a whole have run as high as $180 billion, which would make it the costliest disaster in US history. This figure is very close to the estimated $174 billion that the countrys wealthiest individuals will save in 2018 due to the Trump administrations tax cuts. It is also roughly equal to the fortune held by Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon and the worlds wealthiest man. It is but a fraction of the over $1 trillion spent waging war against Afghanistan since 2001, and the trillions spent bailing out Wall Street in the decade since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Overwhelmed emergency responders were aided by a large volunteer rescue effort staged by workers across the southeast who came to the aid of flood victims. Informally dubbed the Cajun Navy because they originally started organizing rescue operations in the Louisiana area in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the group consists entirely of volunteers who organize over social media and bring their own trucks and boats into flooded areas. Thus far, the group has performed hundreds of rescues across the Carolinas, including aiding in the evacuation of a nursing home in Lumberton, NC. It is a testament to the solidarity and ingenuity of American workers that they have been able to mobilize such an effort. Workers of every race and ethnicity have participated in the volunteer rescue operations. This has not only exposed as a lie the media caricature of American workers as lazy, racist and selfish but has also raised the immediate question of what response workers could give if they had the full resources of the US economy under their democratic control. Occurring simultaneously with Hurricane Florence is the massive Typhoon Mangkhut in East Asia, which has killed at least 66 people in the Philippines and four in China. Just as in the US, workers across Asia have to contend with the indifference of their own capitalist governments in the face of natural disasters. More fundamentally, workers around the world are confronted with the urgent question of who should wield political and economic power. The capitalist class has demonstrated their prioritiesprotecting their property and maintaining their ability to exploit the labor of billions. Now the international working class must assert its own interests. Those interests cannot be realized within the framework of the capitalist nation-state system. Only through overthrowing the global capitalist class and replacing it with international socialism can the full resources of the world economy be mobilized to mitigate future disasters. The Trump administration and congressional Republican leaders were thrown into turmoil Sunday after the woman who charged Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh with sexually assaulting her when the two were high school students came forward publicly. Christine Blasey Ford, a clinical psychologist and PhD who has taught at Palo Alto University for two decades, allowed her name to be made public in an interview with the Washington Post arranged by her lawyer, Debra Katz. Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley said yesterday that he will call Kavanaugh and Ford to testify Monday, and will delay a confirmation vote originally set for this Thursday. Ford at first insisted on anonymity when she contacted the Post and her local Democratic representative in July with her account of an assault in 1982. She followed this up with a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to vote on Kavanaughs nomination Thursday afternoon. In August, at the urging of her lawyer, who anticipated a ferocious pushback by the Republican Party and the Trump White House, she took and passed a lie detector test about the attack. Her lawyer told the press that she changed her mind about demanding anonymity only when details of the charges began to circulate in Washington and she was contacted by numerous reporters, including Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker, who has spearheaded the use of anonymous or unverified claims of sexual misconduct to target prominent individuals in Hollywood and Washington. Ford has a well-established academic career as a clinical psychologist and biostatistician, with more than 50 published scientific works. A liberal Democrat who made a small contribution to Bernie Sanders in 2016, Ford signed a letter of protest earlier this year (under her professional name, Blasey), along with 5,000 other experts on child psychology and health, condemning the Trump policy of forcibly separating immigrant parents and children. Ford first discussed the attack during a family therapy session in 2012 with her husband Russell, without naming Kavanaugh specifically, describing him only as someone now high up in the Washington political establishment. Kavanaugh was then a judge of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, second highest to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh has denied the incident, claiming that he had never acted in the fashion described by Ford. His account was supported by the third person in the room at the time, Mark Judge, now a right-wing author. But according to Ford, Judge played a lesser role in the attack, helping Kavanaugh hold her down. Both youthsthen 17 years oldwere heavily intoxicated. Kavanaugh has asserted that he was not present at the party at which the alleged attack is claimed to have occurred. This may prove to be the central issue of fact in determining the credibility of Fords allegations and Kavanaughs denials. The Wall Street Journal published a vicious editorial questioning Fords motives and comparing her to Anita Hill, whose accusations of sexual harassment were largely dismissed in the Senate vote to confirm ultra-right Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991. The comparison, however, cuts across the campaign to push through the nomination of Kavanaugh, since Hills accusations are now widely accepted as true. The timetable at least, and possibly the Kavanaugh nomination itself, are now in question. In informal comments to reporters at the White House, President Trump suggested a short delay in the process might be required. If it takes a little delay, itll take a little delay, he said. It shouldnt certainly be very much. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley issued a statement Monday afternoon saying that since the accuser had come forward publicly she should be heard. Anyone who comes forward as Dr. Ford has deserves to be heard, so I will continue working on a way to hear her out in an appropriate, precedented and respectful manner, Grassley said. But he sought to limit the process to conference calls with Ford and then with Kavanaugh, in which both could address the members of the committee. Grassley was under pressure from Republican senators both on and off the committee not to dismiss Fords charges. Senator Jeff Flake, a committee member who is not seeking reelection, said he would oppose moving forward with Kavanaughs nomination until the sexual assault allegation is discussed. At least three other members of the Republican caucus, which holds only a narrow 51-49 margin, adopted the same position. There are, no doubt, crass political considerations on all sides of this conflict. As is so often the case, political differences are being fought out under the camouflage of sexual scandals. Nevertheless, allegations of so serious a character cannot be suppressed without a public presentation of evidence and testimony under oath. Whether this process leads to a reliable finding of facts is highly problematic. In the endbarring sensational revelationsthe outcome will be determined by political calculations. Senate Republicans are concerned that dismissing Fords allegations in the fashion of Anita Hill could lead to a debacle in the congressional midterm elections November 6. At the same time, they want to push through the nomination before the election in order to appease ultra-right evangelicals and avoid a complete collapse if the Democrats, against expectation, win control of the Senate. 404 This page could not be found . Only weeks after Sahra Wagenknecht of Germanys Left Party launched the #Aufstehen movement on a xenophobic, anti-immigrant platform, top associates of Podemos General Secretary Pablo Iglesias have come out in support of Italys far-right government. This comes amid reports that sections of Podemos are preparing to build an Aufstehen-type movement. Long-standing Stalinists Hector Illueca, Manuel Monereo and Julio Anguita posted an article titled Fascism in Italy? Dignity Decree in the pro-Podemos website Cuarto Poder. The Illueca-Monereo-Anguita article was widely covered in Spanish social media and bourgeois papers. In it, they endorse the Italian coalition government of Matteo Salvinis neo-fascist Northern League with the Five Star Movement led by Luigi Di Maio, Italys most right-wing government since Mussolinis overthrow at the end of World War II. The article unambiguously applauds the Italian neo-fascists recent Dignity Decree, hailing it as a turning point in the social policies applied in Italy since the eruption of neoliberalism. The decree cuts the maximum length for temp contracts from three years to two, but boosts fines payable to employees in cases of unfair dismissal. The article hails as brave, because it supposedly questions the neoliberal construction of the European market, the decrees sanctions against companies that relocate or make employees redundant after having received state aid. The Podemos authors also hail the Dignity Decrees provisions banning gambling advertising. They write, By proceeding in this way, the Italian government is assuming the defence of the popular classes against powerful and influential pressure groups. The authors conclude, The Italian government seems to be the only one that has taken note of the important Resolution of the European Parliament to fight job insecurity in which Member States are urged to eradicate precarious employment and promote quality, safe and well-paid employment. [] Like it or not, the Dignity Decree is a remarkable effort to defend the Italian people against the lords of finance and relocation. In politics you have to discuss facts and facts. Judging intentions is typical of inquisitors and poor minds that lack rational arguments. Fascism in Italy? Decree Dignity. The endorsement by top associates of Iglesias of a far-right government overseeing austerity and military intervention in Libya exposes the bankruptcy of Podemos. They are silent also on Salvinis terror campaign against migrants, including the closing of ports to fleeing refugees and attacks on the Roma population. This is because Podemos itself is based on a populist-nationalist programme, and significant sections within that party are thinking of following the path blazed by Wagenknecht and evolving toward a close alliance with right-wing and far-right forces. The articles authors are senior politicians closely tied to Iglesias, which underscores that their initiative reflects broader developments in Spanish Stalinist and academic circles. Monereo is a Unidos Podemos deputy in the Spanish parliament who belonged to the Communist Party of Spain and was a co-founder of the Stalinist-led United Left (IU) coalition and of Podemos. He is widely considered to be the political mentor of Pablo Iglesias. Julio Anguita Gonzalez was the mayor of Cordoba for the Communist Party from 1979 to 1986, coordinator of the United Left between 1989 and 1999, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) from 1988 to 1998. Iglesias has repeatedly tried to convince him to stand in elections as a Podemos candidate. Illueca, a labour and social security inspector in the province of Castellon and associate of Iglesias, has authored several books, including one this year titled Spain: A liberation project. He is currently working with Unidos Podemos to draft a new labour law. The turn to economic nationalism of layers within Podemos reflects the deep social and economic crisis of global capitalism, and the reaction of the affluent layers in the middle class in the leadership of Podemos to growing strike activity in Spain and internationally. The layers around Podemos are turning to an economic nationalist and militarist agenda, which takes its most unabashed form in the election of Trump and Salvini. They are, moreover, increasingly terrified by the implications of growing strike activity in Spain and internationally. According to the Spanish Confederation of Employers Organisations, the main business lobby, strikes called between January and August led to the loss of 9.5 million hours of work, up nearly 50 percent from 2017. There were 348 strikes in Spain during that time, in which 633,936 workers participated. The total number of workers participating in the strikes grew by 217 percent compared to the previous year. The major sectors include transport (Ryanair, airports, taxi, Deliveroo, metro), retail (Amazon, H&M), postal services, public health care, social services and many more. The rising tide of workers struggles in Spain and across Europe have terrified the Stalinist circles around Iglesias. They played a central role in negotiating the 1978 Transition to parliamentary rule with Spains fascist Francoite regime, with Communist Party leader Santiago Carrillo personally helping to draft the 1978 Constitution. In a 2012 interview, Iglesias himself hailed Carrillo, who oversaw the murder of Trotskyists and left-wing workers during the Spanish Civil War that brought the fascists to power. Now, they are desperate to block the emergence of a political movement in the working class challenging European capitalism on a socialist, that is, Trotskyist program. It is widely understood in the Spanish political system that leading circles within Podemos are following Wagenknecht, and preparing explicit alliances with right-wing or even far-right groups. According to Monereo himself, in an interview in Cuarto Poder last Saturday, they aim to build an association in the service of the Third Republic. This movement to replace Spains current constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary republic should emerge from a political and cultural debate that would go beyond Unidos Podemos and the left The Third Republic will not only be for the left, it will be democratic, federalist, a defender of social rights and will go beyond the left as we know it today. According to El Confidencial, the authors of the Cuarto Poder article are finalising the launching of a new political space on the Spanish left that completely disregards the tradition of this ideological current, that is to say, Podemos. El Confidencial adds that it will include prominent public figures such as Jorge Verstrynge. It will be preceded by a manifesto from which they hope to add more agreements, even from more to the right figures. Their objective, they insist, is to connect with broad layers of the population that are demanding security, order and protection. That is, the losers of globalization, who would reject, according to their theses, solutions to their problems with more Europe. Verstrynges participation in such a movement would not come as a surprise. A sympathizer of Frances neo-fascist National Front (FN), he was a founder of Spains main right-wing party in the post-Francoite era, the Popular Alliance (AP), and its general secretary from 1979 to 1986. After it merged with other right-wing groups in 1989, the AP became the Popular Party (PP), the name under which it is known today. After leaving to join the Spanish Socialist Party in the 1990s and becoming an adviser to Stalinist IU leader Francisco Frutos, Verstrynge became close to the Podemos leadership, especially Iglesias. He calls himself a protectionist, statist, and admirer of De Gaulle (the last great resister to the American Empire) and FN presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, whom he refuses to call a neo-fascist. He also admires Alain de Benoist, the main theoretician of the French New Right, which brought together the intellectual supporters of the FN. Iglesias repeatedly tried to integrate Verstrynge into Podemos, though this always provoked opposition from within the party. The presence of such forces inside Podemos, however, and the open overtures to Italian neo-fascism and the Spanish right being made from within Iglesias inner circle demonstrates their deep hostility to the working class and to Marxism. Vadim Zakharovich Rogovin, the greatest Soviet and Russian Marxist sociologist and historian of the second half of the twentieth century, died of cancer twenty years ago today, on September 18, 1998. He was 61 years old. Vadim Rogovin Rogovins greatest work was accomplished in the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR. Beginning in 1992, he began intensive work on what would become a seven-volume history of the revolutionary Marxist opposition, led by Leon Trotsky, to the Stalinist degeneration of the USSR. Covering the years from 1923 to 1940, Rogovins Was There an Alternative? is an unsurpassed work of historical scholarship, indispensable for an understanding of the Stalinist regime and the deep-rooted socialist opposition to its betrayal of the principles and program of the October Revolution. Rogovin documented the immense popularity of Trotsky, even after his exile from the Soviet Union in 1929, and established that the principal purpose of Stalins bloody terror in the 1930s was the eradication of Trotskys political influence. Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Rogovin had been working for many years, albeit under very difficult circumstances, on a sociological analysis of Stalinism. For much of his career, he was a scholar at the Institute of Sociology in Moscow. He entered the discipline of sociology out of a desire to find a setting in which he could study and write about the problem of social stratification in Soviet society. His research focused on inequalities in lifestyles and consumption, the social and political roots of the USSRs problems with labor productivity, and the meaning of social justice. Rogovins contributions to sociology, which were published widely in major journals and press outlets, consisted of such titles as, Justice as a Social-Philosophical and Socio-Economic Category (1982), The Human Factor and the Lessons of the Past (1984), and On Social Benefits and Privileges (1989). His open commitment to the defense of equality won him widespread popularity, a fact widely acknowledged in the USSR at the time and even noted by Western scholars. We publish here two tributes to Vadim Rogovin delivered by David North, chairman of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site, who worked closely with the great Marxist historian and sociologist between 1992 and 1998. The first was delivered in Moscow in May 1997, on the occasion of Rogovins sixtieth birthday. The second was delivered in May 2002, also in Moscow, at a memorial meeting marking what would have been Rogovins sixty-fifth birthday. _____________________________________________________________ Greetings to Vadim Rogovin, May 12 , 1997 It is both a great honor and great pleasure to bring the greetings of the International Committee of the Fourth International and those of the Socialist Equality Party in the United States to Vadim Rogovin on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday. That comrades and friends of Vadim have come to Moscow from all over the world on this occasion, demonstrates the immense value that is placed upon his work and life by an international audience of workers, students, and intellectuals who have been inspired and moved by his struggle for historical truth. I understand that this tribute has been organized by those colleagues and friends of Vadim Rogovin who have worked with him for many years. I am sure that those of you who have had the opportunity and good fortune to work with Vadim appreciate the extraordinary power of his intellect, the astonishing breadth of his knowledge, his seemingly inexhaustible capacity for mental labor, the amazing fluency of his thought, speech and writing, and, even more striking, his physical and moral courage in the face of adversity, the nobility of his character and goodness of his heart. There is not a single person here todayeven if there is someone here who perhaps disagrees with certain elements of his work and viewswho would deny that Vadim Rogovin is an exceptional human being. But I cannot help but wonder whether the members of this famous and prestigious institute fully appreciate the significance of the life that we are honoring today. In saying this, I intend no disrespect whatsoever to the members of this institute, many of whom, I understand, are among Vadims closest friends. There is a saying with which you are certainly familiar: a prophet is without honor in his own country. This phrase comes to mind as one considers the life-work of Vadim Rogovin, not only as a commentary on the difficulty, complexity, and paradoxes of his position in the intellectual and political life of contemporary Russia, but also because it encapsulates the tragedy of the former Soviet Union and the society that has emerged from its collapse. For, despite all the convulsive changes that have occurred here over the last decade, one thing has not changed: this remains a country which still cannot acknowledge, let alone pay tribute to, the life-work and thoughts of one of the greatest political and intellectual figures of its history, Lev Davidovitch Trotsky. Vadim Rogovin is a prophet of historical truth. And like all prophets, he challenges and confronts the society in which he lives with difficult questions that it would prefer to evade or ignore. The great historical question that Vadim has placed before his contemporaries is, Was there an alternative to Stalinism? He insists, on the basis of a profound study of Soviet history, that there was: that Stalinism was neither the inevitable nor necessary outcome of the October Revolution, but represented its betrayal and negation. In referring to Vadim as a prophet, it is not my intention to invoke the image of an austere and pleasure-denying ascetic, indifferent to and detached from the daily cares, concerns and joys of the world in which he lives. No one who knows Vadim could imagine him in a hermits cave. He is delightfully human, a connoisseur of ice cream and all things beautiful, a fanatical sight-seer, a man who partakes of life with an enthusiastic curiosity, and who loves poetry and the company of colleagues and friends. But the pursuit of truth is the commanding passion of his life. It is this fundamental element of his intellectual and moral character that makes Vadim Rogovin so exceptional a figure. We live today in a disoriented and distracted world, whose attitude to truth recalls that of Pontias Pilate, who, when told by a certain renowned prisoner that he had come into the world to bear witness unto the truth, replied, rather cynically, And what is truth? Pilate wished to suggest that the practical and successful man need not trouble himself with such an abstract problem, and that, at any rate, the definition of truth is a purely personal matter, which changes with the needs of the day. Some 2000 years have passed, but the pragmatic outlook of that Roman bureaucrat still has many adherents. From all quarters we are told that objective truth is a mirage, a burdensome philosophical construction and naive affectation of Enlightenment thought, with its foolish faith in the power of reason, that man would be better off without. The most powerful refutation of this contemptuous attitude toward the search for truth is to be found in the fate of the Soviet Union and contemporary Russia. In this country we see the horrifying consequences of the suppression of objective truth, which was concentrated in the systematic falsification of history. As one who lives outside Russia, I can only follow the conditions that exist in this country through the press and with the help of reports that I receive from Russian friends and co-thinkers. Those of you who live in this country are far better informed than I of the present state of affairs in Russia. But whatever your political views may be, as humane and decent people, I am sure you are deeply troubled by the innumerable statistical indices, not to mention visible signs, of economic breakdown and social decay. A tiny fraction of the population is wallowing in obscene wealth of unexplained origins, while the great mass of the people is suffering ever-greater deprivation. Many explanations of varying plausibility and quality have been given for the present state of affairs, but one thing must by now be clear. When the long-simmering crisis of Soviet society finally erupted in 1985, there was no one to be found who was in a position to understand, let alone provide a solution to, the problems confronting the USSR. It was not only the first secretary of the Communist Party who was overwhelmed and bewildered. Little help was forthcoming from Soviet economists, philosophers, and sociologists. The activities of the politicians and their advisers during the era of Perestroika resembled a game of Blind Mans Bluff. Programs that were announced with great fanfare on one day, were found to be unworkable on the second day, and forgotten on the third. What was lacking in those days was any sense of historical perspective. How could a path be found to the future without an objective and honest confrontation with the past? I recall reading in November 1987 Gorbachevs speech on the 70th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. Shamefully, Stalin was praised for his contribution to socialism, and, as always, Trotsky was denounced as the arch-enemy of Lenin. The entire speech was a tissue of lies and vulgar distortions. Upon reading this banal and dishonest speech, one could not help but shake ones head and comment with bitter sarcasm: And it is upon this rotten foundation that Gorbachev plans the renewal of Soviet society! A terrible price continues to be paid for the falsification of history and the denial of objective truth. It is a poignant fact that the year in which we celebrate Vadims 60th birthday is also the sixtieth anniversary of the most terrible year in the history of the Soviet Union, 1937. The events of that year, which were to have such tragic consequences for the fate of the Soviet Union and the cause of international socialism, also determined the direction of Vadim Rogovins intellectual life. Just three months before Vadim was born, Leon Trotsky replied to the Moscow frame-up trial of Radek, Piatakov and other Old Bolsheviks who had been condemned by Stalin. The Moscow Trials, he proclaimed, arose from the betrayal of socialism by the totalitarian bureaucracy. Every charge made by Vizhinsky against the defendants was a lie. Be it over our bleaching bones, Trotsky declared, the truth will triumph. Vadim Rogovin has dedicated his life to the victory of that truth, in which he believes so passionately. None of us can predict either the time when or the precise form in which the terrible social and political problems confronting the people of the former Soviet Union will find their solution. In the final analysis, the resolution of this crisis depends not only on events within Russia, but on the unfolding of the class struggle beyond its borders. But we can say with certainty that among the most important intellectual indications that a solution is in the process of being discovered will be the expanding circulation of the books of Vadim Rogovin. And we can also predict, with the utmost confidence, that the time is not too far off when our friend, colleague, and comrade, Vadim Zakharovitch Rogovin, will be acknowledged in Russia and throughout the world as not only one of the greatest historians of his age, but also as one of the most honest and principled men of his time. _____________________________________________________________ A Tribute to Vadim Rogovin, May 15, 2002 Today we meet to commemorate what would have been Vadim Rogovin's 65th birthday, and to celebrate the publication of the seventh and final volume of his magnificent historical cycle Was There an Alternative to Stalinism?, a history of the political struggle against the betrayal of the October Revolution from the founding of the Left Opposition in 1923 to the assassination of Leon Trotsky in 1940. There is a profound and moving symbolism in the combination of these events. In observing the 65th anniversary of his birth, we celebrate Vadim's life. In welcoming the publication of the seventh volume of his History, we honor Vadim's work. Every human life is both finite and infinite. It is finite in its individuality and physical mortality. But it is infinite both as an element of mans collective social being and, on that basis, to the extent that it gives conscious expression to the universal in human experience and thereby transcends the boundaries of finite existence. David North speaking at the memorial meeting in Moscow in May 2002 There are those who, to use the words of Trotsky, "carry on their shoulders a particle of the fate of mankind." In such people, this precious element of the infinite transcendence finds exceptionally intense expression. Their contribution to mankinds future lives on after them. The legacy of their lives enters into the consciousness of ensuing generations, and becomes the treasured and collective inheritance of all humanity. Such a life was that of Vadim Zakharovich Rogovin. Wherein lay the greatness of Vadim Rogovin? That question can be answered only by placing his life in the context of the times in which he livedespecially, in the context of the last decade of his life, the period of Vadim's greatest intellectual creativity. Much has happened in the former Soviet Union during the past 15 years. Today, it is not my intention to enter into an argument over the nature of the changes in the social and economic structure of post-Soviet society. There are among us, I am sure, many different opinions as to the nature and consequences of these changes. It was Vadim's view, which corresponds to that of the international Trotskyist movement, that the protracted crisis of the Soviet Stalinist regime was resolved in the late 1980s and 1990s in a manner that was politically reactionary and socially regressive. But there is one particularly notable feature of the intellectual environment of the last 15 years to which I feel obliged to call attention. Notwithstanding all that has happened since the mid-1980s, there has not emerged from the upheavals of Soviet and post-Soviet society a single political figure who commands international respect, let alone admiration. To the extent that mankind is searching for new and promising ideas, it occurs to no one to look for them in post-Soviet Russia. Virtually all those who have achieved prominence or notoriety have been exposed as mediocrities and rank scoundrels. Who, today, could speak of the "greatness" of Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Lebed, Sobchak (some of these names are probably not even remembered) and, excuse me, the present occupant of the Kremlin, without causing his audience to burst out laughing? All of these people were, or are, unconscious instruments of historical and social processes that they neither foresaw nor understood. I should add that blindness and mediocrity is not an affliction of political life alone. Perhaps I am poorly informed, but I believe that one can say, without serious contradiction, that the cultural life of Russia is as impoverished as its economy. Has there been produced, during the past decade, a single major novel, an important poem, a significant musical composition, or even a cinematic work that is truly worthy of international attention? Against the background of this intellectual and cultural wasteland, the work of Vadim Rogovin stands out all the more as a monumental achievement. The seven volumes of Vadim's history will endure as a major contribution to not only Russian, but also world literature. "Great history," wrote E. H. Carr "is written precisely when the historians vision of the past is illumined by insights into problems of the present." Herein lies the key to understanding the significance of Vadim's works. It was Vadim's preoccupation with the problems of his own time and his concern for mankind's future that compelled him to study, analyze and explain the past. Vadim's ferocious preoccupation with the problem of historical truth was not that of a simple moralist. Rather, it derived from a profound insight into the great problem of the epoch in which he livedthat the universal loss of social perspective, the decline of class consciousness, the all-pervasive political bewilderment and stupefaction of public opinion is the social price paid for decades of Stalinisms lies and falsifications. The destruction of historical consciousness has created a confused and disoriented people, unable to understand the nature of the social and political problems they confront and to discover a progressive solution to the crisis of their society. What was the task that Vadim set for himself during the last decade of his life? To refute the gross falsification of Trotsky's role in Soviet history; to counter the lie that Stalinism was the necessary and organic product of Marxism and the October Revolution; to answer the claim that there existed no alternative to Stalinism in the USSR. In discussion and in collaboration with the International Committee of the Fourth International, Vadim developed his interpretation of the Stalinist purges of the 1930s as a form of political genocide, directed against the representatives of Marxist politics and culture in the Soviet working class and intelligentsia. Vadim interpreted the terror of the 1930s as a form of civil war, directed by Stalin and his henchmen (Molotov, Kaganovich, Voroshilov, Beria, Yezhov, Mikoyan and others) against a suppressed but still powerful socialist opposition, whose greatest voice was Lev Davidovich Trotsky. Underlying this historical analysis was a concept of philosophical profundity. Vadim insisted that the motive force that determined the murderous character of the Stalinist regime was the striving for social privilegethe achievement of material benefits for the few, at the expense of the many. The social policy that found expression in the crimes of Stalin was the promotion and defense, by the bureaucracy that he led, of social inequality. The fundamental contrast between Bolshevism and Stalinism was precisely this: the historical objective of the former was the achievement of social equality; the goal of the latter was the protection of individual privilege. As Vadim wrote, "Stalin's greed for material things, his craving for limitless luxury in his everyday life were passed on to his descendents up to and including Gorbachev, all of whom, unlike the Bolshevik Old Guard, were unwilling to share physical difficulties and privations with the people." At the core of Vadim's philosophy of history was an unshakable insistence on the ontological validity of objective truth. The recognition of truth as the correspondence of subjective thought with objective properties and processes of social being, is the essential basis of scientific historical consciousness. This axiom must serve not only as the foundation for the study of the history of the USSR. At issue here is a truly international problem: that of coming to grips with the historical experience and lessons of the 20th century as a whole. It is not only in Russia that this problem demands attention. In my references to the blighted state of post-Soviet society, I did not mean to suggest that Americans and Europeans are enjoying a flowering of intellectual creativity. The situation beyond the borders of Russia is no less pathetic. In different forms and with varying degrees of intensity, one encounters throughout the world the same disorientation, confusion and ignorance. And, as in Russia, the source of this disorientation is the failure to assimilate and theoretically comprehend the historical events and experiences out of which the present emerged. And how can the experience of the past be assimilated and comprehended when even the factual components of historyespecially those related to the October Revolution and its aftermathare concealed and falsified? That is why the work of Vadim Rogovin is of world significance and has attracted an international audience. There are periods of history when revolutionary social upheavals shatter old barriers and clear a path for great advances in every sphere of human culture. In the wake of such upheavals, there emerge the geniuses who act as the spokesmen of the new age. They amplify all the progressive impulses of their time and endow them with the most profound, universal, and timeless form. But there are other, more difficult and painful periods of history, when creative genius must labor in isolation and in opposition. The exceptional figures of such an epoch are not men and women of their times, but men and women against their times. In this sense, there is a parallel between the life of Trotsky and the life of Rogovin. Had Trotsky died in 1923, he would have certainly lived on in history as one of the major figures of the ascendant Russian Revolution. But it was what he achieved during the last 17 years of his life, between 1923 and 1940his unyielding struggle against the Stalinist betrayal of world socialismthat ensured Trotskys historical immortality as the greatest and most important revolutionary thinker and leader of the 20th and perhaps even of the 21st century. Vadim's greatness, like that of Trotsky, manifested itself in political, intellectual, and moral oppositionin his courageous, principled and indefatigable devotion to historical truth, in an environment made rotten by decades of lies, cynicism, hypocrisy and cowardice. In opposition to the times in which he lived, Vadim Rogovin produced seven volumes that will live in world literature as a moral and intellectual milestone in mankind's reclaiming of its revolutionary heritage. The seventh volume of Vadim's book is entitled, The End is the Beginning. This title might also serve as a fitting epitaph for Vadim himself. Only his physical being left us on September 18, 1998. That which was immortal in Vadim's life and work lives with us and gains in strength from day to day. Latakia, Syrias major port city and a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assads government, came under a missile attack on Monday, apparently downing a Russian military plane with 14 military personnel aboard. The strikes came within hours of Russia and Turkey announcing a joint agreement to forestall a Russian-backed government offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib that had threatened to trigger a major Western intervention and a potential confrontation between the worlds two major nuclear powers, the US and Russia. The state-owned Syrian news agency SANA said that the missile attacks were aimed at the Technical Industries Corporation, which is connected to the Syrian defense ministry and is reportedly involved in the production of missiles. Syrian government sources said that the attacks came from the Mediterranean Sea, where both the US and Russia have built up naval forces in recent weeks amid rising tensions in Syria. The missile strikes apparently took place near a major Russian airbase at Hmeymim. Syrian sources claimed that the countrys air defense systems brought down a number of the missiles, which they said had been fired by Israel. Russian sources attributed the attacks to four F-16 fighter jets that had apparently flown over Lebanon and the Mediterranean to attack the port city. Israels Jerusalem Post speculated that Russian-Israeli coordination may have been involved. The Russian and Israeli military commands have established close deconfliction ties, and it is widely believed that Israeli strikes on Iranian assets in Syria have been cleared in advance with Moscow. But there were reports that Russian air defense systems were involved in shooting down the missiles fired at Latakia. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported that one of its Il-20 aircraft with 14 people aboard had gone off the radar screens during the attack, raising the prospect that it had been shot down by the Israeli warplanes. Personnel at the Hmeymim airbase have organized a search and rescue operation. Moscow also reported that the French Navy frigate FS Auvergne had fired missiles from the Mediterranean at the same time as the Israeli F-16 strikes. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Commander Sean Robertson, told Voice of America that he could unequivocally say this is not us. The US is insisting that a Syrian government anti-aircraft battery was accidentally responsible for bringing down the Russian Il-20. The strikes were accompanied by a power outage, but there were conflicting reports over whether it was caused by incoming missiles, or the result of a deliberate decision to shut down the electrical system to conceal possible targets. Electricity was restored shortly after the attack. The attack on Latakia comes just two days after Israel launched airstrikes on the Damascus International Airport, destroying hangars that reportedly contained weapons, as well as, according to some accounts, an Iranian Boeing cargo plane. Earlier this month an Israeli military official broke with Tel Avivs traditional no comment on strikes against Syria and acknowledged that Israel has struck at least 200 targets over the past 18 months with some 800 munitions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Saturday, just hours after the attack on the Damascus airport, that Israel is enforcing red lines in Syria, that include driving Iranian forces out of the country. The White House and the Pentagon have enunciated the same foreign policy aim, justifying the permanent presence of US troops, over 2,000 of whom are currently deployed in Syria, in the name not just of combating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but of countering Iranian influence in Syria and the wider region. The strike on Latakia undoubtedly had the support of Washington, whatever the direct role played by US forces, given US interests in keeping the Syrian conflict boiling. It came in the immediate wake of Mondays meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where the two heads of state announced an agreement to establish a jointly-patrolled demilitarized zone between Syrian government troops and the Western-backed rebels concentrated in Idlib province. Predominating among these forces is Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of Islamist militias led by the group formerly known as the Al Nusra Front, Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate. Putin told a press conference that the agreement provided for the withdrawal from Idlib of all radical fighters, including Al Nusra, and the removal from the demilitarized zone of all heavy weaponry. Erdogan said that the deal will prevent a humanitarian tragedy that could happen as a result of military action and that the agreement between the two countries would bring hope to the region. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu told reporters that there would be no offensive against Idlib, which had been predicted as imminent for the past weeks. Washington and its NATO allies, including France, Britain and Germany, had all threatened a major assault on Syria, invoking supposed plans by Damascus to stage a chemical weapons attack in Idlib. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, had claimed evidence that the rebels had prepared to stage such an attack by releasing chlorine, thereby providing the pretext for a US-NATO onslaught. Recent statements from Washington had broadened the threat to include a military response not just to a chemical attack, but to any Russian-backed Syrian offensive that involved civilian casualties. This from a US government whose own operations in Syria and Iraq over the past two years have claimed tens of thousands of lives and turned millions into refugees. Turkey, meanwhile, had moved its own forces into Idlib, with the daily Hurriyet reporting on Monday that tanks and some 50 military vehicles had crossed the border and headed toward the Jisr al-Shughour region in the south of the province, which had been targeted by Russian and Syrian government airstrikes. When Putin, Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met in Tehran on September 7, Putin had rejected Erdogans proposal for a ceasefire in Idlib, and both Moscow and Damascus had affirmed their determination to drive Al Nusra out of the province and re-establish government control. It would appear that, faced with a direct threat that an offensive would lead to a clash with Turkey, a NATO member, and a sustained military assault by the US and its allies, the Putin government decided to seek an accommodation with Ankara. It is by no means clear how this agreement will be realized, particularly in terms of the separation of the Al Nusra-led forces from the supposedly moderate Islamist militias backed by Ankara. These forces are unlikely to accept relinquishing their human shieldsa term used freely by the US media when talking about Washingtons enemies, but never in relation to its Al Qaeda-linked allies. Reports from Idlib indicate that Al Nusra has set up gallows in the province to hang anyone supporting a peaceful settlement with the Syrian government. Erdogan, meanwhile, told the press conference in Sochi that the biggest threat to Turkish interests in Syria was the presence of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which serves as the main proxy ground force for the US military in taking control of the countrys strategically important oil fields in the eastern part of the country. While the agreement in Sochi may have constituted a diplomatic coup for Erdogan, it is by no means viewed in the same light by Washington. The US and Turkey have been at increasing loggerheads over the US alliance with the Syrian Kurds, Erdogans rapprochement with Moscow and the imposition of US sanctions that have deepened Turkeys economic crisis. Whether Mondays assault on Latakia is only the beginning of a broader US-led escalation of a war of aggression against Syria will become clear over the coming hours and days. What is certain is that the explosive geopolitical conflicts concentrated in the struggle in Syria are threatening to erupt into a far wider regional and even world war. Latin America Costa Rican workers and students strike, protest tax reform plan Members of Costa Rican public sector and other unions and social groups, as well as students from the University of Costa Rica (UCR), carried out nationwide strikes and protests last week against a fiscal reform package being discussed in the nations national legislature. The plan, which the government claims is necessary to stop the growth of the national deficit, contains a number of anti-worker measures. The most hated of those is the replacement of the sales tax with a value added tax, which would end exemptions for some products and would tax services in addition to goods. Another proposal that has met bitter opposition would end tax exemptions on basic foodstuffs. Still others would cut unemployment assistance and some bonuses. The strikes and protests began on September 10 in various locales. When workers in the Caribbean region of Limon walked out and some attempted to block access to the RECOPE national oil refinery, police broke up the attempted blockade and arrested some protesters. In the capital San Jose, thousands of protesters carrying signs with Let the rich and the big capitalists pay, Im fighting for my kids food and future and similar slogans marched to the presidential residence and Legislative Assembly building. On the third day, September 12, riot police broke up blockades and prevented marchers from entering the Assembly building, and attacked a group of UCR students as well as a journalist who was covering the protest. President Carlos Alvarado has used sporadic acts of vandalism to call the strike illegal and denounce protesters as delinquents. On the 14th, the unions declared the strike indefinite until the government agrees to talk with them, while the government says it would not negotiate as long as the strike continues. Meanwhile, as AP has reported, Despite the pressure, the measure has advanced apace in the Legislative Assembly. Jamaica technical university lecturers hold sit-in, sickout over funding, salary issues Lecturers at the University of Technology (UTech) in Papine, St Andrew, Jamaica held a sit-in protest on September 11. The lecturers had held a meeting on the 10th and made the decision to refuse to work to protest the lack of funding for the institution. Another complaint of the lecturers is the failure of UTech to deliver on a salary raise promise going back to 2007. The Ministries of Finance and Education did not respond to their requests to implement the agreement to put the raise in effect, so the lecturers say they will call in sick until they get a response. Dominican Republic: Drivers protest rise in fuel prices Urban transport drivers held a four-hour walkout and protest on September 12 against fuel price rises. The drivers protested along a busy intersection, halting traffic. Police sent to the location fired shots into the air and launched tear gas at the drivers. At least ten people were injured by buckshot. Transport Workers National Central (CNTT) president Juan Marte complained in an interview that, due to corruption and diversions, money earmarked for fuel subsidies and operations never reaches the workers. He also denounced the recent announcement of a 5-peso (US$0.10) increase in the bus fare by the National Transport Federation (Conatra) business group, saying that there had been no increase in wages for workers. Argentine public health workers decide on 24-hour strike over salaries, job insecurity Public health sector workers at the Samic Hospital, El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina decided September 12 to stop work for 24 hours. The one-day walkout was called to press their demands for higher wages and the end of job insecurity, which takes the form of temporary contracts and little likelihood of being taken on as full-time permanent workers. Meanwhile, the State Workers Association of Calafate called for a strike on the same day to push its own demands: correct payment of salaries with respect to salary parity, delivery of overdue contributions to retirement and union funds since the beginning of 2018, guarantees of labor stability and fair wages in the 2019 budget. The United States Sun-Maid Raisins workers walk out in California On Monday, September 10, more than 500 workers at the Sun-Maid Raisins plant in Kingsbury, in Californias Central Valley, walked off their jobs and shut down the factory for two days, before management re-opened the plant using strikebreakers. Last Wednesday, the plant was reopened with a skeleton crew of less than one hundred nonunion workers. The Sun-Maid workers are demanding higher wages, a better healthcare plan, and more contributions to their pensions. The striking workers are members of the Teamster Union (IBT Local 431). On August 8, Sun-Maid and the Teamsters reached a tentative three-year agreement that coupled a fifty-cent yearly wage increase with substantial givebacks on health care benefits. Despite the Teamsters full endorsement of the deal, on August 12 the membership voted it down. On August 20, the company unilaterally imposed the agreement. Last Monday, 250 of the 500 workers began picketing the plant. Previous contracts between at the plant included full employer-paid health coverage for workers, after deductibles of $1,200 and $2,700 for individual and family plans, respectively. Workers will now have to pay $70 a month for individual plans and $80 for family plans, effectively canceling the first years wage increase, while leaving in place the same high deductibles. In addition to the health care dispute, workers at the plant denounced the fifty-cent-an-hour wage increase as too small. Most Sun-Maid workers are paid $14 per hour. Included among the strikers at the Sun-Maid plant are many veteran workers with greater needs for health care, and whose families rely on them for their health care. In response to the walkout, Teamsters Local 431 leadership has launched a campaign of damage control, including picketing by Dolores Huerta of the Farm Workers Union, support from the CTA and other Teamster locals. United Technologies workers strike Connecticut facility Some 188 workers at United Technologies Cheshire, Connecticut operations were set to strike Monday in a contract dispute after workers rejected a management contract proposal. Management has vowed to keep the facility open despite the strike. The main issue in the fight is the companys demand for significant concessions on health care. According to officials of the International Association of Machinists, wages would actually drop under managements proposal. UTC workers make less than those employed at the companys Pratt & Whitey and Hamilton Standard locations. IAM officials said the company crammed their substandard health care plan down the workers throats. Canada Cafeteria workers gear up for strike at University of Northern British Columbia Workers at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) who are employed by Chartwells, a subsidiary of food service giant Compass Group Canada, could be on strike as early as next week after returning an overwhelming strike mandate to their union, UNITE HERE. Chartwells contract with the school, which is situated in Prince George, expires at the end of the current school year and union negotiators are seeking assurances that jobs will not be eliminated when that happens. In addition to job security the union says that they are fighting against persistently low wages that are well below what their counterparts at other universities in B.C. are paid and leave their members living at or below the poverty line. Unionized dining hall workers and workers at the in-house Tim Hortons at UNBC have been working without contract for over a year. Strike looms at Canada Post Mail carriers across the country at Canada Posta Crown corporationcould be on strike or locked out as early as September 26 if a new deal is not reached before then. The 50,000 workers are members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). According to CUPW, over 94 percent of workers voted in favor of strike action earlier this month in support of a fight for better wages, job security and working conditions. The union is asking for a 3.5 per-cent annual wage increase and guaranteed minimum hours but Canada Post is only offering 1.5 per-cent in a four year contract without guaranteed hours. In addition CUPW is seeking to have the wages of urban and suburban carriers brought in line with city carriers. The two sides have been working with an arbitrator since June and the government is proposing mediation to avoid a work stoppage such as the last one in 2011 when Canada Post locked workers out before they were legislated back to work. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTHI) - A memorial service is set for four Indiana police officers killed in the line of duty. The Indiana Fraternal Order of Police Fallen Officer Memorial Service will be held on Thursday in Indianapolis. Among those honored will be Terre Haute Police Officer Rob Pitts. Pitts was killed in the line of duty on May 4th. Sergeant Joe Cox from Allen County, Conservation Officer Sergeant Ed Bollman, and Deputy Jacob Pickett from Boone County will also be recognized. The ceremony will also include the addition of three historical officers to the Indiana Memorial Wall for the 'Roll Call of Heroes' at the service. They walked stiff-kneed and hunched, their eyes wide to the whites as they emerged from the frontline of a war that must rank among the most stupid and wasteful of the last century. These young men were Eritrean conscripts. Their comrades had been left on the Zalembessa frontline, crushed into the soil by tanks and torn apart by artillery bombardments. Africa Continents and regions Eastern Africa Eritrea Ethiopia Isaias Afewerki Middle East Middle East and North Africa Political Figures - Intl United Arab Emirates No one then -- nor in the two decades that followed -- really knew why this war started. Much less why it kept going. It's over now, the result of diplomatic interventions from Arabia floated on a lake of petrodollars. The families of those who died in this obscure war -- in which perhaps 100,000 perished -- will take cold comfort from knowing their loved ones were the victims of what may have been the most violent family squabble in Africa's history. The sheer scale of death and the industrial savagery of the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia was reminiscent of World War II. In terms of the futile waste of humanity, it rivaled the meat grinding mess of the Western Front in WWI. And yet, those who died should have been looking towards an entirely different future. They were robbed of optimism that came from the recent end of another war, by the vanity and hubris of their leaders. After all, Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi and Eritrea's Isaias Afwerki, had been on the same side for many decades. As rebel commanders in the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, they had fought the Soviet-backed Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam from caves and bush camps through the 70s and 80s. Joining forces as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, they stormed Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, after Mengistu fled into exile in 1991. Together, they won. The EPRDF, under the leadership of Meles (note this is correct use of name) and Afwerki, appeared to be incorruptible Spartan warriors from Africa's Horn. They gave hope that Ethiopia could emerge as a beacon across Africa as the continent faced turmoil with the end of the Cold War. Early on things went well. Eritrea was granted independence in 1993 from big brother, Ethiopia. Afwerki became its first (and only) president. Meles was Ethiopia's Prime Minister. Five years later, they were at war. Neither nation ever adequately explained why. The conflict broke out in skirmishes over control of a vague border around a town or village called Badme. The arid flatlands became the casus belli that claimed tens of thousands of lives over the next two years. Some estimates suggest that upwards of 100,000 died. Meles and Afwerki had been close -- they were cousins. And now they were using all their years of experience or guerrilla war plus the vast armory of the former Ethiopian regime to smash their nations' youth into pulp. Dubbed a "crazy war" in the Horn of Africa by both Ethiopian and Eritrean media, it was a conflict that seemed to stem from nothing more than filial rivalry -- a notion that each side demanded and wasn't getting "respect." Respect, it seemed, was earned by throwing tens of thousands of young men and women into battle and squandering billions of dollars of currency neither nation could afford on a war of no strategic importance of any kind. This week the war came officially to an end. It didn't end because sense finally prevailed. The United Nations and regional powers had tried to get both sides to abandon the conflict -- even drawing up mutually agreed borders along arid plains and through mountain cuts, many times since 1998. Meles died six years ago. His death, perhaps, removed part of the reason for continuing what was mostly by then a cold conflict. But Afwerki remains in power. He's long had reason to keep his nation at war, as he has no democratic legitimacy of any kind. Eritrea sits on the Red Sea. Its capital, Asmara, is nestled in the cool highlands and boasts Italian colonial architecture and an ethnically homogeneous population (a rarity in Africa). Its tourist potential is vast. But 12% of its people fled the country by 2016 -- mostly to escape the forced conscription that enslaved tens of thousands into "national service", according to Human Rights Watch. Afwerki's dictatorship once needed the conflict with Ethiopia to harness the national resource keeping him in power. Universal slave-like indefinite conscription is easier to justify in times of "war." Now regional players have a more important role for both Eritrea and Ethiopia, so their pointless war has become a distraction. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are prosecuting their own conflict against Houthi rebels, Shi'a Muslims backed by Iran, in Yemen. Eritrea's coastline provides the coalition's forces with the havens they need to fight in Yemen. Allowing the Red Sea to be choked off between Eritrea and Yemen is inconceivable. So the UAE wants bases -- and will pay for them -- in Eritrea. The UAE has invested heavily in Eritrea and is promising to pay for an oil pipeline to link it to Ethiopia. On top of that, Ethiopia has received, or will get, a $1 billion deposit into its central bank and $2 billion in additional investments from the UAE, Ethiopian officials have said. It's too late for the broken youth of two decades ago. But Eritrea and Ethiopia have, effectively, been paid by Gulf nations to sign a peace accord in Jeddah under the indulgent eye of Saudi Arabia's King Salman. Let's hope they get value for their money. COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - A Columbus man has lost an effort to have his conviction as a habitual offender overturned on appeal. Shamor Billups, 27, was arrested on March 17, 2015, during an investigation into stolen firearms from a pawn shop. Investigators say Billups and another man entered the business and asked to see two firearms. The man was accused of grabbing the weapons and running toward the exit. One man was grabbed by store employees before he was able to get away. Billups was found a short time later coming out of a shed at his mother's home. He was arrested after police found a rifle, valued at $1,700, inside the shed. During a 2016 trial, a jury found him guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and prosecutors moved to sentence him as a habitual offender. Billups was sentenced to 10 years in prison but appealed claiming the habitual status is double jeopardy and evidence never showed he was actually in possession of the firearm. The Mississippi Court of Appeals upheld the conviction and sentence Tuesday. TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - The Tupelo Police Department held a get together Monday afternoon to meet with those in the community. The department held its 'Pop with a Cop' at the Busy-Lad Rent-All on McCullough Boulevard. Police served popcorn, beverages, and had games and activities for the kids. The family-friendly event gave people of all ages a chance to meet Tupelo police officers, to ask questions, and express any concerns. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Six people are taken to the hospital following a two-car crash. It happened just before 2:30 p.m. Monday on I-10 at mile marker 204 in Tallahassee. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Jacqueline Souter, 53, of Monticello lost control of her car, crossed into oncoming traffic, and was hit from behind by a van driven by Richard Dubose, 56, of Monticello. FHP says a three- and a four-year-old in the van were not properly restrained, and are in the hospital with critical and serious injuries. Dubose suffered minor injuries, as did two of the people in the car. One of the passengers' injuries are serious. THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - Two thousand pounds worth of plastic bottle caps are needed to fund one south Georgia university's project. Thomas University began their "Bottle Caps to Benches" initiative earlier this year, and in a matter of weeks, they'll do their first weighing to determine how much they've collected so far. April Penton, an adjunct professor at TU, says its purpose is to provide a bench to each city and county school in Thomasville and Thomas County. She says they're calling them "Buddy Benches." "If a child finds a need to have a friend, they'll just sit on that bench and somebody will see them and encourage them to come play, or sit down and talk or whatever it is," she said. "So a conversation bench for people who need a buddy." There's a drop-off site at each city and county school. If you want to participate in this project you can drop off plastic bottle caps to any building at TU, but it must a plastic "two" or "five" to qualify. She says each bench is equivalent to 200 pounds of bottle caps, plus $300 from the schools to cover all the costs. She hopes by May they will have reached their goal so they can create 10 benches. Source: WTXL Posted at 4:45 PM, Sep 17, 2018 MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- The remnants of the former Hurricane Florence are moving generally to the north into the Ohio Valley. Tropical Depression Joyce is in the eastern Atlantic, near the Azores, and is forecast to transition into a post-tropical cyclone in the next couple of days. The previous tropical Storm Isaac is still carrying a batch of moisture near Jamaica Monday afternoon, moving west-northwest. There are no immediate signs of re-generation into a tropical depression or storm. The moisture source is forecast to continue to impact the western Caribbean and possibly the central or western Gulf of Mexico later this week. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. MIDWAY, Fl. (WTXL) -- The blast of activity in the tropical Atlantic last week is now a thing of the past. Florence and Joyce are the only active named storms, and Florence is no longer a tropical cyclone. Florence is now no longer a tropical depression, though it can still bring some heavy rain to portions of the northeastern U.S. According to the National Weather Service, Florence is still expected to bring 2-4 inches of rain with locally higher amounts to the Northern Mid-Atlantic states and sections of New England. Joyce continues to hang on to tropical depression status. But it will likely die off in the coming days, impacting no one. Isaac's remnants are looking unhealthy and unlikely to re-develop. Even though the remnants may move into the Gulf of Mexico, the system poses no local threat. Chances of development in the next five days are nearly zero percent. You can catch the forecast on ABC 27 News starting at 5:00 each weekday morning, as well as ABC 27 News at Noon. First Alert Chief Meteorologist Casanova Nurse has your forecast at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and 11:00 this evening. Remember to follow WTXL First Alert on Social Media. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WTXLFirstAlert/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/WTXLFirstAlert Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-17 17:21:39|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Artists perform dance during the "Friendship Lasts Forever" music concert in Chicago, the United States, on Sept. 16, 2018. The "Friendship Lasts Forever" music concert was held here Sunday afternoon, offering thousands of Americans the opportunity to enjoy Chinese and American music, culture and the opportunity to celebrate China-U.S. friendship. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) CHICAGO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The "Friendship Lasts Forever" music concert was held here Sunday afternoon, offering thousands of Americans the opportunity to enjoy Chinese and American music, culture and the opportunity to celebrate China-U.S. friendship. Over 1,000 performers from both countries, including top tenor, leading pop music artists, orchestra, choir and dancers in traditional Chinese attire, performed at the two-hour gala concert at the Pritzker Music Pavilion in the Millennium Park downtown Chicago. In the concert, there were American groups performing Chinese pieces and vice versa. Chinese tenor Dai Yuqiang sang with his daughter "I Love you so," duet from the "Merry Widow" and "Drinking Song," duet from "La Traviata." U.S. soprano Juliet Petrus presented Chinese song "Mayila Variation," which drew a thunderous round of applause. A 100-person-strong choir performed both the U.S. song "America the Beautiful" and the Chinese song "Descendants of the Dragon." With over 30 art troupes from six states in the U.S. Midwest, the concert symbolizes what it means to be unified, not only in the enjoyment of performing arts but also in the sharing of culture. "Humankind has many common languages, and music is one of them," said Charlie Chen, 47, who has lived in the United States for 18 years and runs a business of his own, adding that the concert is an efficient way for American people to learn about China. Illinois State Representative Teresa Ma hailed music as an "international language" that can help people understand each other quickly. "Illinois is proud to have such strong relationship with China," she said. The China-U.S. relationship is one of the most important relations in the world, said acting Chinese Consul General in Chicago Liu Jun. "We must manage it well." He hoped the friendship between the two countries will last forever. This is the second year in a row for such a concert to be staged in Chicago. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-17 21:22:46|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- German police are continuing with the demolition of treehouses built by environmental activists in the RWE-owned Hambach forest, a police spokesperson told press on Monday. According to the spokesperson, 28 out of an estimated 50 forest dwellings had been cleared so far in an ongoing operation which witnessed intermittent clashes between security forces and activists. While the vast majority of at least 4,000 protestors who marched in Hambach forest on Sunday to protest its felling did so peacefully, police also reported 14 arrests and eight cases in which individuals had been injured. Police complained that some protestors had used "massive force" in an attempt to break down barricades erected to cordon-off the clearance area from the public. As a consequence, security officers were "forced to use physical violence, clubs, and tear gas, to prevent an uncontrolled entry into the danger zone of the forest." Up until Sunday evening, individual protestors attempted to return to the treehouses from which they had been removed earlier. The Hambach forest forms part of a property owned by German energy giant RWE which comprises the world's largest open pit brown coal mine. The Essen-based company plans to cut down 100 out of a remaining 200 hectares of woodland from October 2018 onwards in order for the site to be used for mining operations Environmental activists have vehemently resisted the development for years by moving into the threatened area, setting up makeshifts camps and erecting barriers. In late August, large numbers of police already advanced on the occupied forest to protect RWE workers removing obstacles and "obvious trash" on the one hand and collect evidence on the construction of illegal dwellings on the other. The treehouse settlement has become known as a symbol for grassroots resistance against coal power generation and deforestation across Europe. Police and local government authorities officially justify the ongoing clearance operation with concerns over fire safety and the structural integrity of the buildings there. Earlier last week, local government authorities ordered the inhabitants to leave their dwellings peacefully within 30 minutes before they would be removed forcibly. The police operation is one of the largest to be recorded to date in North Rhine-Westphalia and is supported by reinforcements from other German states as well as special forces commando. In response, the group of occupying activists, known as "Operation Undergrowth", said that they would offer non-violent resistance against the clearance. A member of group told the German press agency (dpa) that some forest occupiers had by now lived in Hambach for six years. "For many, this is their home", the treehouse resident said. "Operation Undergrowth" and several German environmental organizations have repeatedly urged the federal government in Berlin to impose a moratorium on the forest felling for coal power generation throughout the ongoing work of a special commission on Germany's planned phasing out of the technology. Organized resistance against the displacement and resettlement of homes, air pollution and environmental destruction caused by the "migrating mine" in Hambach forest started as early as the 1970s and has continued unabated ever since. Nevertheless, Herbert Reul (CDU), interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, has defended the eviction of the forest houses in the face of criticism. "The state must assert itself," Reul told the radio station "Deutschlandfunk", arguing that the authorities were now finally taking action against an illegal occupation that had lasted for years. Reul has previously described "Operation Undergrowth" as a group of "extremely violent left-wing extremists" who had travelled to Hambach forest from across Germany and Europe. "These self-declared environmental activists do not want to save tress, but rather seek to abolish the state", he said. Police told press on Monday that the situation in the forest was currently calm as of Sunday night. However, activists had begun staging further sit-in during the morning hours (CET) in a bid to obstruct the treehouse clearance. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-17 23:53:47|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 17, 2018 shows the venue of Summer Davos at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin, north China. The Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF), also known as Summer Davos, is set to kick off on Sept. 18 in Tianjin. This year's forum will feature a theme of "Shaping Innovative Societies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution." (Xinhua/Li Ran) TIANJIN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2018, or Summer Davos Forum, will focus on shaping innovative societies in the fourth industrial revolution, when it is held in north China's Tianjin Municipality this week. Nearly 200 meetings are to be held from Tuesday to Thursday. More than 2,000 guests from over 100 countries will attend the event. "The fourth industrial revolution has not only dramatically impacted the economy, but also all aspects of society, such as the impacts of artificial intelligence in healthcare and education," said Zhong Huibing, vice president of the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, who has engaged in the preparations of the annual meeting. A total of 12 sub-topics, raised by the Chinese side and discussed with foreign personnel of the World Economic Forum, cover fields such as the driving forces for economic growth, reconstruction of a global value chain and the choice of multilateral cooperation, China's free trade port, emerging engineering education, innovative industries, big data application and urban public security, and financial risk prevention. Premier Li Keqiang will address the opening ceremony of the forum, and hold talks with leaders from countries including Estonia, Latvia, Serbia, and Samoa, and exchange views with representatives of industry and commerce, finance, think tanks and media outlets. Established by the World Economic Forum in 2007, the Summer Davos Forum is held annually in China, alternating between two port cities of Tianjin and Dalian. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 00:03:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close COPENHAGEN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The world's largest Congress within Intelligent Transport Solutions (ITS) industry kicked off in the Danish capital city of Copenhagen on Monday. Under the main theme of "ITS-Quality of Life", the Congress aims to enhance people's daily life through smart mobility solutions, putting the user and their specific needs at the centre of the mobility system. During the five-day event, experts from the mobility sector will discuss concerns related to cybersecurity, resilience planning and winning solutions for the transport infrastructure. There will also be focus on multimodality and the journey to achieving true seamless and effortless mobility. Besides, cooperative, connected and automated mobility will be highlighted with special focus on the legal and safety aspects. Monday's opening session was attended by Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik, CEO of ERTICO-ITS EUROPE Jacob Bangsgaard, the European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc,the Deputy Mayor of Paris, Christophe Najdovski. Hosted in a different location each year, the ITS World Congress is an international meeting point for the mobility sector, rotating between Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. The Congress features more than 150 sessions, 400 exhibitors, several demonstrations and technical tours, and is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from over 100 countries. It includes also a series of associated events, social occasions and networking opportunities. As the host city of ITS World Congress 2021, Hamburg will be showcasing selected mobility projects from its ITS strategy at the Copenhagen conference. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 00:03:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and over 30 others injured when a Zambian bus they were travelling in crashed in Limpopo, South Africa, on Monday. "Eleven people are confirmed to be deceased," Makoma Makhurupetje, of Limpopo's transport authority, told Xinhua. Zambia's High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba confirmed that the bus, which was traveling from Zambia's Kitwe city to South Africa over-turned in the early hours of Monday at a place about 107 kilometers from Pretoria. He said the accident happened when the bus had a tyre burst, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle which overturned. The Zambian envoy said among the dead were eight men and three women while several others sustained injuries, according to a statement. The bus was carrying 50 passengers and five crew members, and the embassy, he said, was coordinating with the bus company to establish the details of the passengers. South African authorities are also identifying the nationalities of the victims. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 01:14:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan navy said on Monday that 57 illegal immigrants on a rubber boat were rescued off the country's western coast after its clashes with smugglers. Ayob Qassem, the Navy spokesman, told Xinhua that the rescue operation took place on Sunday evening, some 97 km off the coastal city of Zuwara. Qassem said the rescued are all men of African nationalities, mostly from Nigeria. A group of six gunmen on a yacht nearby was trying to stop the rescue operation as the navy boat approached, the spokesman said. The navy patrol responded to the armed resistance, forcing the yacht to flee toward the coast of Zuwara, about 120 km east of the capital Tripoli, Qassem added. The fleeing yacht, however, carried scores of women and children, he noted. Libya is a preferred point of departure for migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores to escape the insecurity and chaos plauging the North African country after the 2011 uprising. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 02:54:24|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close CHICAGO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Five studies from the University of Michigan (UM) found that two-minute bursts of in-class exercise breaks increased the amount of daily exercise for elementary children without hurting math performance. More importantly, when the practice was incorporated into classrooms across southeast Michigan, teachers found the breaks were doable and didn't disrupt learning. While 16 minutes doesn't sound like much, it adds up, Hasson said. Kids are supposed to get an hour of exercise a day-30 minutes of that during school. Most don't. The Active Class Space lab studies examined the effect of activity breaks on mood, cognition, appetite and overall physical activity of 39 children. A study done in real classrooms tested the feasibility of implementing inPACT (Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity). In the lab studies, kids aged 7-11 completed four experiments: eight hours of sitting, interrupted with two-minute low-, moderate- or high-intensity activity breaks, and eight hours of sitting interrupted with two minutes of sedentary screen time. The researchers found that when the sitting was interrupted with high-intensity activity breaks, children maintained their usual activity levels away from the laboratory, thereby burning an additional 150 calories a day without overeating. Unlike adults, children in the study didn't compensate for the increased exercise by sitting around after school or by eating more, said Rebecca Hasson, principal investigator and one of the lead authors. While mood was higher immediately following the screen-time breaks compared to the activity breaks, children reported positive mood during both the sedentary and exercise conditions, and they subsequently rated the activity breaks as more fun. Besides, after high-intensity activity, overweight and obese children enjoyed improved moods all day, Hasson said. This suggests children reflected upon the exercise and took more satisfaction in it. All of the activity breaks elicited the same level of math performance. Then Hasson took the exercise breaks to real classrooms. "We got a lot of pushback at first," Hasson said. "Teachers were worried it would make kids more rowdy, but 99 percent of kids were back on task within 30 seconds of doing activity breaks." Initially, the researchers requested that teachers do 10 three-minute breaks, but most teachers averaged between five and six breaks, about 15-18 minutes of activity. Schools in disadvantaged districts didn't complete as many activity breaks as schools in wealthier districts. Hasson is currently working to eliminate this disparity by adding elements of game playing--point scoring, competition, reward system--to increase physical activity enjoyment in the children. "Many kids don't have PE every day but they might have recess, and if they get 10 more minutes of activity there, it would meet that school requirement," Hasson said. "This doesn't replace PE, it's a supplement. We're trying to create a culture of health throughout the entire school day, not just in the gym." In the next step, the researchers will try five, four-minute activity breaks totaling 20 minutes, and gauge the impact on mood, activity levels, calorie intake and cognition. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 02:59:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Monday appealed to African countries to step up the fight against illicit drugs use and drug trafficking. "Africa has recently become a focus of drug trafficking and illicit use, posing a new challenge to international counter-narcotic efforts," said Majaliwa on the opening ceremony of the 28th meeting of heads of law enforcement agencies in Africa. Majaliwa said drug trade generates organized crimes, including human trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, dissemination of weapons and cyber crimes. "On the other hand, combating drugs will have a huge impact not only in the fight against drugs but also reduction in other organized crimes," said Majaliwa. He said it was of paramount importance for all countries across the globe to fight all types of illicit traffic of narcotics since there was no country which was safe from the vice. Majaliwa added that it was very critical to support and strengthen the international legal framework in the scope of drug control, which rested upon all the three fundamental UN conventions. He said in Tanzania drugs threatened human health, as well as people's social and economic activities, adding that researches revealed that at least 20 percent of people who took drugs also suffered from HIV. Majaliwa said the most consumed illicit drugs in Tanzania were cannabis followed by khat, heroin, cocaine and inhalants. However, said Majaliwa, Tanzania has seen significant progress in the fight against illicit drugs and a lot has been achieved. In September 2015, Parliament enacted a new Drug Control and Enforcement Act which led to the establishment of the Tanzanian Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority with the main role of curbing the supply, demand and harms associated with drug use. "Control measures have been taken towards preventing drug use and trafficking for domestically produced and imported drugs." said him. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 03:19:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish national school administration is not going to withdraw immediately "running tests" despite the death of a pupil following such a test last week in Espoo, southern Finland, the administration said on Monday. Matti Pietila, a senior official at the national school administration, told public broadcaster Yle that the tests are a pedagogical tool. "If we order these measurements to be discontinued, should we then order to stop any activity where the pupil catches breath?" Pietila asked. He said a careful decision will be required. Pietila believed it was unlikely that the tests would be dropped. In the test, pupils have to run 20-meter-long segments as many times as they are able to, or until a pre-fixed time limit. Aulis Pitkala, the city education services director at Espoo, told Yle that an ambulance was called when the pupil felt ill during the test last Thursday. The pupil died later in hospital. Pitkala said the school did not know of any health problems he may have had. Several cities, including Espoo and the capital Helsinki, decided to stop the tests for the time being after news about the fatality in Espoo. The running tests have been going on since 1999. They are part of the school health care, not a basis for defining the grades in physical education. A representative of the national trade union of teachers said that teachers had been required to carry out the tests. He claimed that the tests should be supervised by a health professional rather than a teacher. But one problem is that health status information regarding pupils is confidential and teachers do not have access to those records. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 03:54:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- A consultation meeting on the growing problem of African swine fever was held on Monday in Brussels, announced the Walloon Minister of Agriculture Rene Collin on his Twitter account. The Walloon, Flemish and Belgian Federal ministers of agriculture shared the table with the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety where they discussed the measures taken and to be taken to halt the problem of swine fever in the province of Luxembourg in Belgium. The issue of swine fever will be on the agenda in next week's informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Austria, according to Belgian Minister of Agriculture Denis Ducarme. African swine fever represents no legitimate danger for humans, but it affects mortality rates in the pig sector, a sector that represents 15,000 jobs in Belgium, according to Ducarme. Today, "we have no sign that this sector is unhealthy", he insists, but signs of excitement appear on the side of extra-community trade. Walloon Agricultural Minister Rene Collin announced that entering the security perimeter of 63,000 hectares in which dead corpses were found of wild boars infected by the virus is now prohibited until Oct. 14. This concerns not only walkers but also hunters and loggers. The authorities want to avoid at all costs the dispersion and spread of the virus. The goal is to find corpses of wild boars affected by the virus and to identify more precisely the exact location of the infection. "Then, once the perimeter is reduced, all the boars that remain there will be slaughtered," the minister said. At present, five corpses of wild boars have been declared positive for African swine fever, a disease that is non-transmissible to humans but highly contagious to animals. "Many other corpses are under analysis. We will arrive at tens or even 300, 400 boars, according to what the experts tell us," said Collin. The negative economic consequences of the spread of African swine fever in Wallonia could be potentially very burdensome. Breeders, hunters and loggers may all stand to lose money. "This is a very important crisis," says Rene Collin. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 03:59:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Syria's air defenses were triggered Monday evening by a missile attack on the coastal city of Latakia, the state TV reported. The air defenses intercepted some of the missiles before reaching their targets, said the report, adding that the missiles were fired from the sea. The TV aired footages showing the air defenses twinkling in the sky over Latakia city. Explosions were heard in Latakia, in what appeared to be an attack "whose source is unknown" targeting the Technical Industries Corporation in the city, according to the state media. The state TV said the Syrian air defenses are still triggered in Latakia to intercept the missiles. Meanwhile, pro-government activists said the Russian-run Khmeimim air base in Latakia countryside is taking part in intercepting the missile attack on Latakia. Eyewitnesses said that heavy smoke was seen on the entrance of Latakia as the sounds of air defenses are reverberating across the city. While the state media is yet to identify the party behind the missile attack, previous ones were carried by Israel. On Sept. 15, the Syrian air defenses intercepted a number of Israeli missiles that targeted the Damascus international airport, which was the latest in a string of Israeli attacks on Syrian positions. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 04:34:44|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close German Chancellor Angela Merkel (1st L) meets with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (1st R) in Algiers, Algeria, on Sept. 17, 2018. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Monday met with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in his office in Algiers over bilateral partnership and development in all fields. (Xinhua) ALGIERS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and Germany on Monday agreed to deepen cooperation and partnership to address prevailing issues of common interest, as part of a short official visit of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to Algeria. Merkel started her visit to Algeria by talks with Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, in which they discussed bilateral partnership in tackling illegal immigration and fighting terrorism. The two held a joint press conference after their meeting. Merkel told reporters that "Germany and Algeria have established close and structured security cooperation, including the fight against terrorism." She further hailed "the role of Algeria in the establishment of peace and security in a region marked by conflict, including its efforts in crisis resolution in Mali and Libya." Merkel noted that Germany and Algeria share convergent views as they both advocate that the resolution of the Libyan crisis should be reached by Libyan themselves rather than by external parties. She further specified that "it is in the interest of both Algeria and Germany to solve the Libyan crisis, because it is a matter of restoring peace and security in this country which is both neighboring Algeria and close to Europe." The controversial issue of illegal immigrants was also on the agenda of her talks with Ouyahia. He said that Algeria is committed to bringing back home all its nationals who are in irregular situations in Germany. Additionally, Merkel announced that Germany can contribute to the diversification process of the Algerian economy. Merkel said that "Algeria, whose revenues depend mainly on hydrocarbons, had to take 'a difficult road' in recent years, due to the fall of oil prices." Merkel indicated that the two countries had built a partnership in the field of energy, but more progress could be done together. "Success and progress of this bilateral partnership require an open and free civil society so that talented and creative youth of both countries could participate in this progress," she added. Ouyahia said that some 20 partnership documents in economic field are "under discussion" between Algeria and Germany. "Germany is Algeria's third partner, as their trade exchange hits around 4 billion U.S. dollars annually," Ouyahia added. Merkel concluded the visit by meeting Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. They discussed bilateral partnership and ways of developing in all fields. The two leaders also exchanged views on major issues of common concern, particularly illegal immigration and cross-border terrorism. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 05:19:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- A UN envoy on Monday voiced concern about political challenges that he said might derail the parliamentary elections in Afghanistan next month. "Operationally and technically, the preparations (for elections) are on track. Yet I remain very concerned that political challenges could jeopardize the tight timelines and derail the elections unless all political leaders engage constructively and peacefully to ensure that elections are held on time," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, told the Security Council. Security is also a serious concern, added Yamamoto, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). From a technical point of view alone, elections are possible, he said. "Candidates lists were finalized in time to enable the printing of the ballots to meet the deadline. The recruitment of the election officials is on track. The Independent Election Commission announced that more than 9 million had registered to vote." Many opposition parties, however, remain skeptical about the number of registered voters, citing both security concerns that would have prevented many people from registering and alleging fraud, said the UN envoy. UNAMA will do everything possible within its mandate and with the resources available to support a successful electoral process, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 06:00:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- A retrial is "very unlikely" to free Ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from serving a 12-year jail sentence, the chief justice of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) said on Monday. Chief Justice Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli told reporters his corruption case "was already exceedingly debated," so "it would be very unlikely to see any change" in the outcome. Since the two-time ex-president was convicted and sentenced to 12 years behind bars for corruption, his defense team has presented about a dozen appeals to higher courts. Last week, the STF resumed its review of a new appeal, this one brought against the court's own earlier six-to-five decision denying Lula's request to stay out of prison while pursuing the appeals process. The decision forced Lula to begin serving his sentence in early April, and to carry out his presidential campaign from behind bars. He has since been disqualified from running for reelection on Oct. 7 due to Brazil's Clean Record Act, which bars anyone convicted of a crime from standing for public office. Dias Toffoli, who took over as chief justice last week, said the review was likely to continue next month, "but it won't be in this month of September." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 06:45:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate will hold public hearing next Monday on the sexual assault accusations against Brett Kavanaugh, U.S. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, local media reported. Earlier on Monday, both Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist at Palo Alto University in California, said they are willing to testify before Congress about the allegations. "Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him," White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement Monday. Ford accused the judge of sexually assaulting her at a party in the 1980s when they were teenagers in high school. She came forward publicly over the weekend. "We hope that this hearing is fair and not another weaponized attack on a woman who has come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against a powerful man," Debra Katz, Ford's lawyer, told The New York Times on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 06:55:16|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 17, 2018 shows a general view of the United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan at the UN headquarters in New York. The top UN envoy in Afghanistan voiced concern on Monday about political challenges that he said might derail the parliamentary elections in the war-torn country next month. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy in Afghanistan voiced concern on Monday about political challenges that he said might derail the parliamentary elections in the war-torn country next month. "Operationally and technically, the preparations are on track. Yet I remain very concerned that political challenges could jeopardize the tight timelines and derail the elections unless all political leaders engage constructively and peacefully to ensure that elections are held on time," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, told the Security Council. From a technical point of view alone, elections are possible, he said. "Candidates lists were finalized in time to enable the printing of the ballots to meet the deadline. The recruitment of the election officials is on track. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced that more than 9 million had registered to vote." Many opposition parties, however, remain skeptical about the number of registered voters, citing both security concerns that would have prevented many people from registering and alleging fraud, said Yamamoto, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Several safeguards for the verification of the voters list and fraud prevention measures are being put in place. Despite these measures, skepticism remains, he said. Over the last few days, supporters of a coalition of political parties started to block several provincial election commissions demanding that additional safeguards be put in place. "These actions hinder the work of the IEC and jeopardize the holding of the elections on time. Political concerns must be addressed through institutional mechanisms and not through blockades," said the UN envoy. The parliamentary elections will undoubtedly be a major test for Afghanistan's young democratic institutions, he said. Almost one third of Afghanistan's over 7,000 polling centers could not open due to insecurity. This is raising concerns about inclusivity, he said. Yamamoto reminded Afghan political actors that continued international support is not something to be taken for granted. International support hinges on the continuation of the constitutional order in the country, he said. He urged all political actors and institutions to perform their duties, act responsibly, and to think of the Afghan people, bearing in mind the country's bitter past. "At this critical juncture the Independent Election Commission, as the lead institution on elections, will be looked upon to discharge its function with the highest degree of integrity, professionalism and with full accountability to the Afghan people. Afghan institutions and political leaders have the shared responsibility for the success of the elections." UNAMA will do everything possible within its mandate and with the resources available to support a successful electoral process, said Yamamoto. The UN envoy also expressed concern over the security situation in Afghanistan. In the first six months of 2018, UNAMA recorded the highest number of civilian deaths since the mission started to track civilian casualties, he said. "In recent weeks we have also seen a continuation of the disturbing pattern of attacks targeting the Shi'a Muslim community. Each death is an individual tragedy. But it is also a tragedy for the country: reconciliation becomes harder with each life lost." Insecurity is also taking its toll on journalists and aid workers. he said. This year alone, 13 journalists have lost their lives and many more were injured. This is the highest number of deaths in any country. Also this year, 23 aid workers have lost their lives, 37 have been injured, and 74 have been abducted, making Afghanistan the second most dangerous country in which this profession conducts its work when 2.2 million people are suffering from the country's worst drought in years. On the positive side, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer in February this year to the Taliban to engage in talks without preconditions has created unprecedented political space for peace, culminating in the temporary cease-fire in June, he said. It showed that reconciliation was possible. This newfound momentum was further supported by numerous citizen mobilizations, demonstrating the desire for a peaceful future. The second cease-fire in August, proposed by the government, was unfortunately not reciprocated by the Taliban, he said. "But peace processes rarely move along straight lines. ... Whatever setbacks may lie ahead, we are in a better position now than at any time in the past 17 years to commence the process which would lead to talks for a negotiated end to the conflict." The most difficult phases lie ahead. It will require resilience and persistence by all sides. The efforts of the Afghan government, which we hope would be reciprocated by the Taliban, need to be reinforced by a coordinated approach of the regional and other key countries to move forward, said Yamamoto. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 07:00:17|Editor: ZD Video Player Close GABORONE, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- About six children under the age of five years have died from diarrhoea in the past week in Botswana, the government said on Monday. Speaking at a press conference in Gaborone, capital of Botswana, Alfred Madigele, Minister of Health and Wellness, said in the past week alone, about 1,776 cases of diarrhoea have been reported nationwide. "It is the largest number to be ever recorded in the country in the last five years," he said. The minister said his Ministry is still investigating the cause of the outbreak, adding that preliminary results indicated that Rota Virus was implicated. He said the ministry have activated national rapid response team of public health specialists, nutritionists, paediatricians, pathologists, laboratories and other stakeholders like the World Health Organization to prevent the outbreak from becoming an epidemic. "Six teams have been dispatched to districts to make sure all coordination in terms of response are implemented in the right manner," he said. File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump talks with his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh at his nomination announcement in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 9, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate will hold public hearing next Monday on the sexual assault accusations against Brett Kavanaugh, U.S. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, local media reported. Earlier on Monday, both Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist at Palo Alto University in California, said they are willing to testify before Congress about the allegations. "Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him," White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement Monday. Ford accused the judge of sexually assaulting her at a party in the 1980s when they were teenagers in high school. She came forward publicly over the weekend. "We hope that this hearing is fair and not another weaponized attack on a woman who has come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against a powerful man," Debra Katz, Ford's lawyer, told The New York Times on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 07:35:22|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Miroslav Lajcak, President of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, speaks during an interview with Xinhua at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 11, 2018. Outgoing UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak has said that he is "cautiously optimistic" about world peace but cautioned against undermining multilateralism. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak on Monday outlined six major trends he identified during his one-year tenure on his last day in office, highlighting sustaining peace, combat against climate change and UN reform, among other things. At the 117th or last meeting of the 72nd session of the assembly, the UNGA chief identified the turning towards "preventive action" in sustaining peace as the first trend he highlighted in his closing speech. "We had excellent peacekeepers and mediators. The problem was that, by the time they got there, it was often too late," he said. "Essentially, we were trying to keep peace, when there was no peace left to keep. And we were leaving too soon - before the roots of conflict had been pulled fully from the ground." The UNGA chief takes pride in the fact that the 72nd session brought the two-and-half-year-old idea of sustaining peace to the attention of world leaders by organizing the first ever High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, where "preventive action" was given thorough discussion. Secondly, Lajcak talked about the world's focus on climate change, saying he has seen more and more member states reflecting the issue in their speeches. Giving an example, he said that "at last year's General Debate, climate change was the most frequently referenced item on the agenda. In fact, 85 percent of heads of state and delegations spoke about it," adding that "I predict we will see similar trends next week." Thirdly, he pointed to the growing ability of the General Assembly to adapt to major global shifts. Singling out the "migration crisis," which emerged around 2015 and 2016, he said this past summer saw the agreement on a milestone outcome - the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration. The world's first global compact for migration is set to be formally adopted in Morocco in December. "The General Assembly cannot get left behind. As the world's most representative body, it must stay ahead of the curve. Or at least be quick to follow it," he said. He noted the organ's ability to adapt to global shifts is particularly important, "as issues like Artificial Intelligence, data protection and the future of work take up more space in our daily lives." As to the fourth trend, Lajcak focused on reform, touching upon the General Assembly's endeavors as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' initiatives and the Security Council's discussion on this regard. During the 72nd session, the secretary-general released reform proposals in three areas: peace and security, management, and development. The General Assembly has, since then, decided to advance all three. He took the election of his successor for example, where unlike before, the process happened through a system of interactive dialogues with member states. As to the fifth and sixth trends, the UNGA warned that "the space for dialogue is closing" and "multilateralism is under threat." However, he expressed the hope that dialogue will eventually prevail. "Though our current political climate has trained us into our monologues, our instincts for dialogue run deeper." On multilateralism, he warned that "we are seeing a return to the exclusive clubs of the past" and that "history tells us that this is not the way forward." He said that "there is still time to counter this trend" and that "multilateralism is the only way." Before Lajcak's closing speech, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated him and the member states on the completion of "a very productive session" of the General Assembly. Guterres said that in addressing issues ranging from climate change and intolerance to disarmament and economic and social development, the assembly's invaluable role was again demonstrated as a forum for addressing "the full spectrum of the world's concerns and aspirations." Also, the UN chief expressed anticipation to working with President-elect Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, who took oath at the meeting as the 73rd president of the General Assembly. In a brief ceremony that concluded the meeting, the veteran Ecuadorian diplomat took over the gavel from Lajcak symbolizing the handover of power. As the fourth woman and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to serve in this capacity, Espinosa Garces said in a press encounter afterwards that she will work hard to protect multilateralism and make the UN relevant to all people. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 08:21:54|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close A farmer picks grapes in a vineyard in Baxoi County of Qamdo, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2018. The local farmers are encouraged to grow grapes as a business alternative to increase personal income. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng) Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 08:55:35|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in left Tuesday for Pyongyang for a summit with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, a live broadcast at the Seoul press center showed. Moon took a helicopter to the Seoul Air Base outside of Seoul from the presidential Blue House to shun a traffic jam during the morning rush hour. An airplane carrying Moon and his entourage, including presidential secretaries, cabinet members, businesspeople, lawmakers and entertainers, departed for the DPRK's capital city at around 8:50 a.m. local time (2350 GMT Monday). It would fly directly across the western inter-Korean sea boundary to the Pyongyang International Airport, where a welcoming ceremony is set to be held. Moon and his entourage, composed of over 150 delegates, are slated to arrive in Pyongyang at about 10 a.m. local time. It will mark the third time in less than five months that the leaders of the two Koreas sit down face-to-face. Moon and Kim met for the first time on April 27, and held their second meeting on May 26. Moon is scheduled to stay in Pyongyang for three days till Thursday. His visit will be for the third Pyongyang summit between the two Koreas, with the first and second ones held in 2000 and 2007 respectively. Moon said Monday that he aimed to have lots of frank talks with the DPRK leader during his three-day Pyongyang visit in a bid to defuse military tensions across the inter-Korean border and facilitate the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 10:20:58|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s top leader Kim Jong Un received South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday at the Pyongyang International Airport for their third inter-Korean summit. A smiling Kim is seen together with his wife Ri Sol Ju at the airport in the morning, as Moon and his wife stepped out of the plane to a huge crowd waving flowers, national flags and the unified flag of the Korean Peninsula, live broadcast in a press center in Seoul showed. Kim and Moon greeted each other with a hug and then inspected the guards of honor. Officials and military generals were also seen lining up to welcome Moon and his entourage composed of over 150 delegates including ministers, senior officials, lawmakers, businesspeople as well as entertainers. Moon, who is in Pyongyang for the third inter-Korean summit this year, is expected to move to the Baekhwawon State Guest House and meet with Kim in the afternoon. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 10:20:58|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A fisheries faculty from a Thai University said on late Monday that in less than two months, more than 20 sea turtles had been killed from plastic or fish net wraps. Thorn Thamrongnavaswasdi, vice dean of the fisheries faculty of Kasetsart University said that the sea turtles washed upon the shores of Phuket and Phang-nga beaches provinces could not survive as the trapped sea animals suffocated in plastic waste bags or struggled tremendously in fishing nets. The marine scientist said that more than 20 green turtles and Olive rieley turtles were found on Mai Khao beach in the Sirinart national park in Phuket and the beach in Thai Muang national park in Phang-nga province in the past two months. He said many were found dead with plastic or pieces of fish net wrapped around the turtles' legs or necks. Thorn also said turtles found injured had serious wounds and barely survived after they were taken to a rehabilitation center for treatment. Mai Khao and Thai Muang beaches have been the spawning ground for sea turtles which come to the beaches during October-February period. Thorn however said the leatherback turtles have been missing for four years now. "I mean, how many times have we warned about floating plastics in the sea and how dangerous these plastic bags can be on sea animals?" questioned Thorn. "Not all sea turtles are lucky though. If the sea is rough and trapped turtles are not visible to fishermen, the turtles drown in the sea." In June this year on World Environment Day, the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment along with several ministries, pledged to raise public awareness against the use of plastic papers by launching a campaign called "Beat Plastic Pollution: If you can't reuse it, refuse it". Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Gen Surasak Karnjanarat, said the campaign will start with concerted efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags with straps and styrofoam materials in their offices, starting June 5. Gen. Surasak said during the past 10 years, Thailand has produced about two million tons of plastic garbage every year. Of this, only 0.5 million tons are reused. Most of the plastic bags are contaminated or infected. The plastic trash not only affects health and the environment but also the country's economy as a whole, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 10:20:59|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close SYDNEY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australia's biggest mining company, BHP, has conducted the first blast at a new 3.6 billion U.S. dollar iron ore mine in the state of Western Australia, just three months after the company's board gave approval for the project. The South Flank mine in West Australia's Pilbara region is expected to start producing iron ore by 2021 and is hoped to continue doing so for a further 25 years. With an iron product of 62-63 percent, the mine will boost the average grade of BHP ore from the region by 1 percentage point to 62 percent. Most of the ore will be shipped to China to support the country's demand for steel. The blast marks the start of an 8.9 million tonne removal process, meaning there is a long way to go before the mine is operational, but during that time the project will ensure around 2,500 jobs as well as a further 600 ongoing roles. However, BHP intends to automate parts of its South Flank operations, with the use of fully automated drills and eventually trucks, boosting operational efficiency and safety. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 10:31:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Journalists watch a live broadcast of the arrival of South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Pyongyang International Airport, at the press center for the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 18, 2018. Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on Tuesday welcomed South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Pyongyang International Airport. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang) PYONGYANG, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday morning and was received with a grand welcome ceremony led by Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Kim and several senior officials, ceremonial guards and hundreds of local residents welcomed Moon at the airport with flowers, national flags and peninsula flags. The two leaders shook hands and hugged and greeted each other after Moon touched down. This is the first inter-Korean summit in DPRK's capital Pyongyang in 11 years. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the Pyongyang summit aims to implement the Panmunjom Declaration issued after the first inter-Korean summit in April this year. The Pyongyang summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korea relations that is making a new history," the KCNA said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 10:56:05|Editor: ZD Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Over 40 British politicians have shown interest in a parliamentary group recently set up to provide a platform for the country to engage and explore opportunities in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the group's first chairman has said. Faisal Rashid, chair of the newly launched All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for BRI and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), told Xinhua in a recent interview that he believes BRI is an opportunity for post-Brexit Britain. "I identified the BRI opportunity as massive, probably a game changer project," said Rashid whose business is in banking. "I thought this is just very very important for the UK to actually explore." "My main aim is to have a very fair, open and honest evidence-based understanding of BRI to explore, to provide it to the business community and also politically look at the geopolitics it will actually bring forward," he added. Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which are aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road on land and at sea. AWARENESS The APPG, officially launched on Sept. 10, is tasked with helping British parliamentarians gain a greater understanding of both BRI and CPEC projects, and to provide a platform for British businesses to engage in the above-mentioned projects and explore any opportunities. This will be achieved by organizing networking and evidence sessions, delegations, and by enabling high-level interaction between British businesses and Chinese and Pakistani governments, according to the chairman. Rashid became a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) in the 2017 snap general election. He had the political experience as mayor of Warrington, the town he now represents in the House of Commons. Although BRI is well known among leading British exporters, as well as major players in finance and legal services, Rashid believes that not every politician at Westminster is aware of the initiative. "BRI is not very well promoted at the moment in our parliament," he said. "What we are doing is to try to provide education through the new group. And you can only do that when you form these platforms." The chairman believes the new group will help MPs and members of the House of Lords to be more aware of it. OPPORTUNITIES The idea of building a parliamentary group on BRI emerged after Rashid visited China last year and attended meetings about investments and opportunities. Rashid said that from his point of view, the best thing about the initiative is connectivity across different parts of the world. "Connectivity is the key for the whole trade, for social, for cultural cohesion," he said. "I think in that term, it is an absolutely brilliant idea." But Rashid stressed that how that idea gets delivered, what happens through to how to achieve the idea is a question. "And that question needs to be asked again and again and when you have more clarity, people will understand BRI," he said. Describing BRI as "absolutely a great opportunity," Rashid said: "I see BRI as actually an opportunity for the UK." He said the group will aim to deliver reports on how British businesses can get involved in BRI, and also how BRI will impact the political situations in parts of the world. Rashid agreed that with Brexit on the horizon, the BRI initiative is even more important for Britain, saying: "Absolutely!" "Britain has a significant amount of experience in legal and accounting service," he said. "We have massive experience in terms of energy generation as well. These companies I am sure must be exploring opportunities, but we also need to engage middle businesses and SMEs as well." FUTURE Between 40 and 50 politicians at Westminster have so far shown an early interest in the group's formation since it was first announced, but now that the group is up and running, more MPs are expected to take an interest in its work, said Rashid. For Rashid it has meant meetings, dinners, round-table discussions and other events to enable him to spread the word about the new group. Within weeks details of the new parliamentary group will be circulated to all 650 MPs and about 800 peers who sit in the House of Lords. Bringing details of the group to every parliamentarian at Westminster is the ideal way to highlight and educate politicians about what BRI is all about, according to Rashid. "The all-party group's objective is to bring open and honest information to UK businesses so they can make their own informed decisions," he said. Rashid is also in the process of arranging a meeting with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British government department in charge of Belt and Road Initiative matters. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 10:56:06|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu (C) addresses a meeting of the UN Security Council on non-proliferation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 17, 2018. Ma Zhaoxu said that positive changes have occurred on the Korean Peninsula, which is good for a political settlement of related issues. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations said Monday that positive changes have occurred on the Korean Peninsula, which is good for a political settlement of related issues. "The situation is now on the correct track of dialogue towards political settlement," said Chinese ambassador to the UN Ma Zhaoxu at the Security Council meeting on non-proliferation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "China wishes to see both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea (ROK) implement the outcome of their summit," he said, expressing the hope that their summit on Tuesday will yield positive results. Commending the political will to dismantle nuclear facilities demonstrated by the DPRK, he urged all Council members and other relevant parties to consolidate this momentum. Three things are key, he said, citing the need to uphold the goal of denuclearization, address legitimate security concerns, and dialogue. "There is no military solution and confrontation is a dead end," he noted, proposing a dual track approach: the DPRK should suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and the United States and the ROK should suspend their joint military exercises. The ambassador said that his country has fulfilled Security Council resolutions on the DPRK and can submit a record of oil exports to that country. "China will handle violations, if found, in accordance with its laws," he said. The meeting was requested by the United States. Its UN ambassador Nikki Haley briefed the Council on issues related to the latest midterm report of the Panel of Experts on the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. The meeting came at a time of growing tension between permanent members, mainly the United States and Russia, over the implementation of sanctions on the DPRK, and, most recently, over the content and handling of the panel's midterm report. Haley issued a press release on Sept. 13 accusing Russia of pressuring the panel to modify its report, which described violations of sanctions by some Russian actors. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:01:06|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Six nests of the globally vulnerable lesser adjutant stork were found for the first time in the north of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia said in a press release on Tuesday. The nests were spotted last month by the wildlife monitoring team of WCS and the Ministry of Environment, the release said. "It is the first time that this globally vulnerable species has been found breeding in this protected area," it said. The lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) is a large stork with more than one meter in height and a wingspan exceeding two meters. Despite a global upper population estimate of 10,000, these birds are experiencing rapid population declines and their range is undergoing widespread contraction throughout Asia, the release said, adding that as a result, the lesser adjutant is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Lesser adjutants nest colonially, preferring the tallest trees in a habitat consisting of a patchwork of deciduous dipterocarpus, semi-evergreen and evergreen forests, the release said. The Eastern and Northern Plains of Cambodia boasts some of the best remaining examples of this highly threatened mosaic habitat, it added. Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary encompasses a total area of 292,690 hectares in eastern Cambodia. "Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary is an important habitat for these vulnerable species for surviving and breeding, due to the presence of dry forests, grasslands and wetlands in which they can feed on fish, frogs, reptiles, snails and small mammals," said Sot Vandoeun, WCS's wildlife monitoring coordinator. "Currently, deforestation has been a threat to, and severely affecting, the nesting habitat of lesser adjutant, particularly during the breeding season. Thus, protecting their nesting sites is very important to ensure the survival of this rare species," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:01:06|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close LUSAKA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A virus that was destroying hectares of cassava plantations has broken out in two provinces in Zambia, the agriculture ministry said Monday. Cassava brown streak virus disease is characterized by patches of yellow mixed with the normal green color on the leaves of cassava plants. Zambian Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said official records have confirmed the existence of the virus in seven districts in Luapula and North-Western Provinces. He told reporters at a press briefing that the disease outbreak was a threat to the country's food security as cassava was the second most important food crop after maize. The ministry will need about 5 million Zambian Kwacha (465,375 U.S. dollars) to effectively manage and contain the disease, Katambo said. The ministry has restricted the movement of planting materials from the affected areas, he said, calling on farmers to plant disease-free cassava tubers. Researchers from the Zambian Agricultural Research Institute say that the disease could have originated from neighboring countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:01:07|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Syria's air defenses on Monday intercepted many missiles fired from the sea at the coastal city of Latakia, Syria's state media reported. TV footage shows the air defense missiles beaming in the sky over Latakia and the nearby city of Tartus as well as areas struck by the missile attack. Media reports said the military-run Technical Industries Agency headquarters in Latakia was hit. Pro-government activists said 28 missiles were fired from the sea at military positions in Latakia. Eight people were wounded in the attack, which also caused a major power cut in Latakia, according to medical sources in Latakia. Eyewitnesses said that heavy smoke was seen on the entrance of Latakia as the sounds of air defenses had reverberated across the city. The Syrian government has yet to name the party behind the attack but the state TV presenters were pointing the finger at Israel, especially after the Pentagon denied carrying out the missile attack on Latakia. Some suggested that drones could be involved in the attack on Latakia, possibly launched from the rebels in the Idlib Province. Still, the attack is not the first one to target Syria as Israel has repeatedly targeted Syrian military positions in particular over the past few months. On Sept. 15, the Syrian air defenses intercepted a number of Israeli missiles that targeted the Damascus international airport, which was the latest in a string of Israeli attacks on Syrian positions. On Sept. 4, Israeli warplanes infiltrated into the Syrian airspace, targeting Syrian military sites in the central province of Hama and the northwestern province of Tartus, according to the Syrian army. In July, the Israelis targeted the scientific research center in Masyaf town in the central province of Hama, which was not the first time Israel targeted the facility. Israeli reports claim that Israel targets Iranian positions or weapons in Syria that could end up in the hands of the Hezbollah group in Lebanon. The Syrian government repeatedly accuses the United States and Israel of supporting the terrorist groups in Syria to prolong the war. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:01:07|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close GAZA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed late Monday in an Israeli air strike on eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip close to the border, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman for the health authorities in Gaza, told reporters that the two young men, identified as Ibrahim al-Najjar and Mohamed Khader, were killed by a missile fired overnight at Khan Younis. There were no other casualties. The Israeli army said earlier that they targeted three Palestinians who attempted to cut the barbed wire of the border fence and infiltrate into Israel. Two were hit and the third ran away. Al-Qedra also said 95 Palestinians were wounded in clashes which broke out Monday evening between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between northern Gaza Strip and Israel. In the protests organized by the Gaza-based highest commission of the "Great March of Return," demonstrators threw stones and burned tires close to the fence on the border, where Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and live gunshots at the demonstrators after they approached the border and cut its barbed wire. Besides, there was a fishing boat procession off the Gaza Strip coast to defy Israeli blockade. According to the health ministry in Gaza, Israeli forces have killed at least 177 Palestinians, and injured 19,000 others since March 30, the first day of the ongoing Palestinian "Great March of Return" rally against Israel's 12-year crippling blockade and the U.S. embassy move to the disputed holy city of Jerusalem. Efforts by Egypt and UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov have so far failed to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Photo taken on June 29, 2018 shows the construction site of the fifth span of the Padma Bridge on the outskirts of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. (Xinhua) by Naim-Ul-Karim DHAKA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative that envisions a great win-win connectivity between multiple countries is bringing plenty of opportunities to the world, a Bangladeshi expert told Xinhua in an interview. Faiz Sobhan, senior research director at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), a leading Bangladeshi think-tank, made the remarks on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the creation of the Belt and Road Initiative that Chinese President Xi Jinping in the fall of 2013 first proposed while visiting Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Xi's idea is more than just an infrastructure plan, Sobhan said, it is a comprehensive strategy that also focuses on creating a shared future in a fractured world. "Today we live in highly globalized world and as such global connectivity has become quintessential if any country wishes to increase their economic and social indicators by developing stronger ties beyond their national boundaries," said Sobhan, who has over two decades of experience on a wide range of international political, economic, social and security issues. Sobhan, who spent 13 years at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London prior to joining BEI, said China has always been known to be a very forward-looking nation and, has thus embarked on the Belt and Road Initiative. Sobhan praised the remarkable progress China has made in the past decades. "China has made remarkable strides in the economic sphere during the past two decades in particular," said the expert, who studied at the University of London and George Mason University in the United States. He said China's leadership has maintained a visionary outlook and continued on the path of economic and social development both at home and abroad. "The Belt and Road Initiative is, in that same vein, a grand vision China has had for helping to open up the world," said the expert, whose research includes issues related to regional cooperation, security, radicalization, terrorism, counter-terrorism, preventing and countering violent extremism. "It is a unique and monumental project with the hope that all the countries connected to it, should openly embrace it." South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, over the past two decades have made tremendous economic and social strides, said the senior BEI research director. Yet the countries in the region are still suffering from a massive infrastructure deficit, thus they now have ample opportunities to use the Belt and Road Initiative as a vehicle to strengthen regional connectivity, he said. In particular, Bangladesh which is a geo-strategically located nation and is considered a bridge to South and Southeast Asian countries, can avail the opportunity, said Sobhan. It is good that from the beginning of the Belt and Road Initiative, Bangladesh has expressed an interest in being a part of this grand project, as it was well aware of that it can only stand to benefit, the professor said. In the area of infrastructure development, Bangladesh has made remarkable gains in recent years thanks to China for its all-out support. "Work on a number of mega-projects, such as the Padma Bridge, supported by China, is progressing well and Bangladesh aims to continue developing its infrastructure," Sobhan said, adding that Bangladesh is well aware that the foundation of any strong economy is to have excellent infrastructure in place to foster economic growth and development. "For this reason, Bangladesh is suitably placed to be an important Belt and Road Initiative player in the years to follow," said the expert. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:21:10|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Guam Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio faced charges of official misconduct, reckless conduct and obstructing government function, according to a summons issued by the Superior Court of Guam on Monday. The document charging Tenorio, the Republican candidate for governor in November's election, was posted online and ordered him to appear in the Superior Court on Oct. 3. The document noted that Tenorio tried to grab a police officer's loaded gun from the holster six times at a BBQ Block Party on July 7 and in a second attempt the Lt. governor depressed the release button on a holster, lifted the firearm at eye level, dangling its barrel in the direction of a group of policemen who were on duty. Tenorio's attempts forced a policeman to push him to take back the firearm, causing him to stumble and scream, the document said, noticing that at times the 47-year-old defendant "reeked of alcohol and that his face was red." After the incident, Tenorio told the Pacific Daily News that he believed he did a right thing at the party and it would be a teachable moment for the officer. Tenorio also issued a statement Monday, saying that he was innocent. "I am 100 percent confident that the courts will find me completely innocent and reaffirm that my actions were in the interest of public safety," the statement said. "I will clear my name of this unfortunate politically motivated attack but not before these baseless accusations have tarnished this election season," it said. A misdemeanor conviction cannot prevent Tenorio from running for elected office, according to Guam law, unless the misdemeanor is related to a "crime of moral turpitude." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:21:12|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close CANBERRA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud on Tuesday demanded prison sentences for the offenders responsible for placing pins and needles in strawberries. In his first comments on the contamination scare, Littleproud said that the government would support farmers impacted by the contamination however they could. "State agencies need to throw the book at (the offenders). Whoever this idiot is, is lucky they haven't hurt anybody. I'd expect penalties to include jail time," he told Fairfax Media on Tuesday. "My thoughts are with every farmer caught up in this and the Coalition is always looking at ways to help farmers and we will continue to monitor developments as this unfolds." Initial speculation was that a disgruntled employee was responsible for the contamination but as more cases have come to light authorities have expressed concerns about copycat offenders. Contaminated strawberries have been sold in every Australian state except Western Australia and the fruits have been removed from supermarket shelves as a precaution. One person has been hospitalized after eating a contaminated strawberry. The contamination has been traced back to farms in Queensland and New South Wales. Authorities in Queensland have offered a 100,000 Australian dollars (71,600 U.S. dollars) reward for information that leads to the arrest of the culprit or culprits. Littleproud's comments came as it was revealed that the Australian Border Force (ABF) had joined the investigation and was prepared to deport any offender if they had come from a foreign country. Under Australian laws, people in Australia holding working holiday visas can only have their visa extended for a second year if they complete 88 days of paid work in regional Australia. The stipulation means that a large percentage of Australia's agricultural workforce is on a temporary visa. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:26:13|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has discussed the Korean Peninsula denuclearization over phone with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, said the U.S. State Department on Monday. The two talked by phone twice in the past two days on the eve of a widely expected summit between the leaders of Pyongyang and Seoul. Pompeo spoke by phone with Kang on Sunday and again on Monday, discussing South Korean President Moon Jae-in's meeting with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un, said Heather Nauert, the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, in a statement. The two sides also pledged to maintain close coordination on continuing denuclearization efforts on the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation, the statement added. The Moon-Kim summit, the third one between the two leaders, will be held in Pyongyang from Tuesday to Thursday, during which they were anticipated to hold a joint press conference to announce an agreement if their talks go well. It would be the first time that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is on the dialogue agenda for the inter-Korean summit meeting, according to the Blue House. The current DPRK-U.S. talks have been stuck in an impasse due to their differences in the scale of denuclearization, U.S. sanctions, and whether to issue a war-ending declaration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:46:15|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close SYDNEY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A shocked Sydney mother has found a needle hidden inside an apple that she bought from one of the country's major supermarket chains. The Seven Network reported on Tuesday that the woman said she discovered the object when she began cutting the apple into pieces for her children. "I just thought wow this can't possibly be happening," she said. "Not in apples. I'd seen the news about the strawberries and I'd been vigilant about cutting those up for the girls but to see this in an apple..." With similar contamination scares rocking Australia's strawberry industry this week, the latest bizarre incident of so-called fruit "terrorism" has angered Australian consumers and left authorities and producers looking for answers. But despite the announcement of a federal investigation into the matter, police have not yet been able to pinpoint the culprits. So far there have been cases reported in every state of Australia, sparking major fears of copycat attacks. Police in the State of Queensland also confirmed that a metal object had been discovered inside a banana purchased from a supermarket. With health warnings issued for Aussie strawberry brands, growers have looked for creative solutions to address the danger including metal detectors. However, many producers have been forced to dump their agricultural produce after countries like New Zealand put a block on Aussie strawberry imports. "I'm angry for all the associated people, it's the farmers, the people who supply them, the packaging people, the truckies with families to support, who suddenly lose their jobs, it's far-reaching," Queensland Strawberry Growers Association vice president Adrian Schultz said, adding that the attacks were akin to "terrorism". Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 11:51:16|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Wang Haiqing BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Korean Peninsula is witnessing another step forward where improving relations between Pyongyang and Seoul are concerned as the leaders of the two Koreas are meeting for the third time this year. But this time, the meeting is not being held at the truce village of Panmunjom, where the previous two inter-Korean summits took place. Instead, it is happening some 200 km away in the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which can be interpreted as a sign of growing mutual trust. The change of venue exceeds a symbolic gesture and reflects the good faith between the two Koreas to strive for stability and lasting peace on the peninsula, spearheaded by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un. In a further sign of the good faith, Kim greeted Moon at the airport on Tuesday. Despite the lack of a detailed agenda for the summit, it is known that Moon has two major objectives for his Pyongyang trip -- one, to continue developing inter-Korean relations, and two, to jumpstart the stalled DPRK-U.S. dialogue on denuclearization. On inter-Korean relations, a noteworthy element of Moon's delegation is that it is comprised not only of high-ranking officials and politicians, but also of business leaders. This is clearly a follow-up on their previous talks in the economic arena, which resonates with Pyongyang's decision in April to carry out strategic economic construction. In the lead-up to the summit, the two Koreas set up a joint office in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong, starting a round-the-clock communication channel that is forecast to become the "cradle of Korean co-prosperity," as South Korean officials have said at the launching ceremony. South Korea has also approved a plan to provide about 122.8 billion won (109.5 million U.S. dollars) in compensation to companies suffering losses due to government restrictions on trade with the DPRK. To demonstrate its good will, Pyongyang made a point of making the first Kim-Moon summit a centerpiece of its recent founding anniversary celebrations, with the joint declaration and pictures of the historic meeting on display on floats and in mass gymnastics. The anniversary parade also showed a much smaller arsenal, featuring weapons only of the conventional type. Based on what has already happened, it is safe to say that the Korean Peninsula has been pulled back from the brink of war. What Pyongyang and Seoul have done in the past few months to de-escalate tensions and nurture detente should be acknowledged. However, to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula needs concerted efforts by all parties involved, but it is known to all that the key to a final solution lies in the normalization of relations between Pyongyang and Washington. The conspicuous lack of progress in the DPRK-U.S. dialogue since the Singapore summit has left people across the world wondering if the meeting that has been heavily praised by U.S. President Donald Trump did actually achieve any breakthrough. As if to protest the lack of progress over the issue, Washington canceled a planned visit in late August by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang only a day after an official announcement of the visit. Without looking into the problems of its hard-ball approach over the issue, Washington has in recent weeks blamed others for its stalled talks with DPRK on denuclearization. To break the current stalemate, the United States needs to look inward rather than outward and rethink its approach to the denuclearization issue rather than making unfounded accusations against others. As a long-time supporter of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, China would like to see relevant parties, including Pyongyang and Washington, sit down for talks to seek a solution to the decades-long security conundrum. After all, it is the willingness to compromise that paves the way to a good deal, not threats of "maximum pressure" or accusations against others. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 12:11:18|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Journalists watch a live broadcast of the arrival of South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Pyongyang International Airport, at the press center for the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 18, 2018. Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on Tuesday welcomed South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Pyongyang International Airport. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang) PYONGYANG/SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on Tuesday greeted South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Pyongyang International Airport. Moon, who arrived at 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), is here for the third inter-Korean summit this year. Both of the two previous summits took place in the truce village of Panmunjom. Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju stepped out of an airport building to greet Moon as the plane landed. Several DPRK officials were already waiting beside the aircraft. Kim and Moon hugged each other and shook hands as the South Korean president got off the plane, together with his wife Kim Jung-sook. Moon has an entourage of over 150 members, including presidential secretaries, cabinet members, lawmakers, business leaders and representatives of the culture sector. The South Korean first couple were presented with flowers by two DPRK children, before shaking hands with senior DPRK officials waiting for his arrival. The DPRK officials included Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the DPRK leader and the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea (WPK). Moon and Kim inspected the guards of honor and greeted the welcoming crowd waving DPRK national flags and the white-and-blue peninsula flags. After the welcoming ceremony, Moon left in a black sedan for the Baekhwawon State Guest House in Pyongyang. Moon is scheduled to stay in Pyongyang till Thursday. Moon and Kim met for the first time on April 27 at the truce village of Panmunjom and had their second summit on May 26 there. Moon's visit to Pyongyang is the first by a South Korean head of state in 11 years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 12:16:20|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank's (ADB) said on Tuesday that it has approved a 150-million-U.S. dollar loan to protect a water basin of the Yangtze River. The ADB said the loan for a complementary set of initiatives to improve flood management, clean water supplies, and ecological conservation in the Longxi River watershed is a key project under ADB's new Yangtze River Economic Belt Framework. The Manila-based bank said the framework will provide around 2 billion U.S. dollars over 2018 to 2020 to support the twin issues of economic and environmental development in the upper and middle reaches of the river. It supports the Chinese government's focus on development along the Yangtze River and continues ADB's longstanding work in the area, the ADB said. "This project marks a new coordinated approach to managing the overlapping issues of floods, water quality, and the ecosystem that could be replicated throughout (China) and, indeed, elsewhere," said Senior Water Resources Specialist in ADB's East Asia Department Rabindra Osti. "The Longxi River watershed has suffered from some of the worst floods in Chongqing municipality and only by addressing the issues together, can we make the region safer and more prosperous over the long term," Osti added. According to the ADB, the Chongqing Longxi River Basin Integrated Flood and Environmental Risk Management Project will finance flood mitigation and preparedness measures including building ecological embankments, emergency shelters and access roads. "It will also install waste water management and water pollution control measures, as well as restore wetlands and landscaping alongside rivers and lakes. Importantly, each measure contributes to all three goals of managing floods, water quality, and the ecosystem," the ADB said. In addition, the ADB said the project incorporates a set of new non-structural measures so the local authorities are better prepared to simultaneously tackle the three goals. Among them, the ADB said the project will help the municipal government to draw up a Longxi River flood and environmental risk management plan and develop a flood and environmental risk footprint and accountability mechanism. "A river health monitoring system will provide real-time feedback to municipality staff -- a 'river chief' -- who will be responsible for tracking the well-being of the river basin. Local communities will also get help to implement solid waste management and early flood warning systems," the ADB said. The ADB said the measures applied through this project can be replicated in other similar watersheds along the Yangtze River Basin and in other countries in the Asia and Pacific region. ADB's loan will be supplemented with 228.67 million U.S. dollars in funding from district and county governments in the project area in southwestern China. The project is part of ADB's support to the Chinese government to help build inclusive and sustainable growth along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, an area encompassing nine provinces and two municipalities flanking the China's longest river. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 12:31:23|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close HANOI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The border guard force of Vietnam's central Quang Tri province said on Tuesday that they detained two Lao men who engaged in cross-border transport of 200,000 pills of synthetic drug. The duo aged 34 and 42 were arrested on Monday when transporting the drug in a pickup truck in the Vietnam-Laos border area. According to Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 12:31:24|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close SYDNEY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- An international team involving Australian scientists has solved the structure of a complex molecular machine, 1,000 times smaller than a human hair, which acts like a cellular "postal worker", packaging and shipping cargo around the cells of organisms from yeast to humans. "We're interested in how proteins move around in our cells," Associate Prof. Brett Collins from The University of Queensland told Xinhua on Tuesday. Collins, along with Dr. John Briggs at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Britain, led an international team that revealed the dimensional structure of retromer, a protein complex responsible for this cellular distribution. "Essentially, it's like a postal worker based at a cellular compartment called the endosome, the central sorting station of the cell," Collins explained. "Cargo is brought to the endosome from all over the cell, from the surface to other internal compartments, and retromer sorts this cargo, produces membrane tubules to encase it, and ensures its transport to the correct location." The team used cutting-edge technology called cryo-electron microscopy to view the full, assembled structure of retromer. "This microscope in is a box basically, so you put your sample in and you control it all with a computer," Collins explained. "And instead of using light it uses electrons so we're able to use that to image things at much higher resolution than a light microscope." Retromer disfunction is linked to Parkinson's disease and Collins said he hopes the research will lead to a better understanding of how and why it occurs. "We hope our work will allow scientists to better understand how mutations in retromer lead to neurodegeneration," Collins said. "In the very long term, this discovery could provide a basis for designing drugs to help target the retromer complex and treat disease." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:11:35|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's environmental authority has named and shamed 158 companies that discharged major pollutants at seriously excessive levels in the first quarter of 2018. Nearly half of the polluters were urban sewage treatment plants, and others included heat suppliers, coal chemical processing firms, and printing and dyeing companies, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Over 60 percent of the polluters were based in the provincial regions of Xinjiang, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Liaoning, and Hebei. The ministry has demanded local authorities thoroughly investigate the 26 most severe and persistent polluters, rectify their wrongdoings, and publicize the progress. Authorities will continue to strengthen regulation and strictly punish those responsible for environmental offenses, the ministry said. The move is part of China's campaign to fight pollution and environmental degradation. Tackling pollution has been listed as one of "the three tough battles" that China aims to win in the coming three years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:21:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (L) inspect the guard of honor in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Sept. 18, 2018. Moon arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a much-anticipated meeting with Kim, the third inter-Korean summit this year. (Xinhua/Pyongyang Press Corps) PYONGYANG/SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a much-anticipated meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the third inter-Korean summit this year. Moon and South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook landed in Pyongyang at around 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT). They were received by Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju at the Pyongyang International Airport, with a crowd in suits and traditional costumes waving flowers, national flags and the unified flag for the Korean Peninsula which features a map of the peninsula. "Warmly welcome President Moon Jae-in for a visit to Pyongyang," a banner in the background reads. The two leaders greeted each other with a hug and inspected the guards of honor before leaving together for the Baekhwawon State Guest House in a black sedan. They were seen later to step out of the same vehicle outside the state guest house. Moon's visit was closely followed in South Korea and was broadcast live at the Seoul press center. Kim and Moon met in the truce village of Panmunjom on the border on April 27 and May 26, respectively. Their meetings were seen as major milestones in the relations between the DPRK and South Korea. Moon is expected to stay in Pyongyang for three days through Thursday. The two leaders will meet for 1.5 hours on Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. local time (0630 GMT), Yoon Young-chan, Moon's senior press secretary, told a press briefing at the Seoul press center. Moon's entourage is composed of ministers, officials, lawmakers, business people as well as entertainers. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the Pyongyang summit aims to implement the Panmunjom Declaration issued after the first inter-Korean summit in April. The Pyongyang summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korea relations that is making a new history," the KCNA said. Before leaving for Pyongyang, Moon said he planned to have a lot of frank talks with Kim during his visit to the DPRK in order to bring "irreversible, permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula" and help restart the DPRK-U.S. dialogue on the denuclearization of the peninsula. Progress has been remarkable in the dialogues on the Korean Peninsula since the beginning of the year but there are still challenges as the United States and the DPRK find it not easy to get closer to each other in negotiations over the denuclearization of the peninsula. Moon is the first head of state from South Korea to visit Pyongyang in 11 years. South Korea's late presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun visited Pyongyang for meetings with then DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, father of the current leader, in 2000 and 2007, respectively. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:36:41|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States believed that the Russian aircraft that went missing on Monday over the Mediterranean had been mistakenly shot down by Syrian forces, U.S. media reported on Monday citing a U.S. official with knowledge of the incident. A Russian aircraft with 14 servicemen on board went off radar near the Hmeymim airbase in Syria Monday evening and the Hmeymim airbase has launched a search and rescue operation for the missing aircraft, said the Russian Defense Ministry in a statement. The Russian maritime patrol aircraft was accidentally shot down by the Syrian government's anti-aircraft artillery when they were fighting against missile attacks, reported CNN citing an anonymous U.S. official. Earlier on Monday, Syrian media reported a missile attack on the Syrian city of Latakia. The Syrian government has yet to name the party behind the attack but the state TV was pointing to Israel as the perpetrator. Sean Robertson, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, told reporters on Monday that it was not the U.S. military which fired the missiles. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:36:42|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank governor has called for continued efforts to expand the opening-up of the country's financial sector in a proactive and orderly manner. While China has made some progress in the financial opening-up, there is still room for improvement to meet the need of the sector's development, said Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, in a book published to mark the 20th anniversary of Chinese Economists 50 Forum, an academic organization. "Sectors that are more open tend to be more competitive, and less open sectors usually lag behind and accumulate more risks, as proved by the experience from China's reform and opening-up," Yi wrote in the book. He urged further easing restrictions on foreign equity, forms of establishment, and qualification of foreign shareholders of financial institutions. Law-making and policy-making should be more transparent to create a better environment for foreign-funded financial institutions, Yi noted. The Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect programs should be improved, and the Shanghai-London stock connect program should be launched as early as possible, he said. More efforts are needed to deepen reform of the RMB exchange rate formation mechanism, so that the market plays a more decisive role in the exchange rate and the yuan has more flexibility in fluctuation, said the governor. He also called for more convertibility of the yuan under the capital account and better macro-prudential regulation over cross-border capital flows, as well as an enhanced regulatory framework and stronger financial infrastructure that match the pace of financial opening-up. "Expanding the financial opening-up will inject fresh vitality into China's financial sector, help boost its overall competitiveness, and achieve higher-level, more profound and healthier development," said Yi. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:46:46|Editor: mmm Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- "Game of Thrones" and "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won top awards Monday evening at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, picking up outstanding drama series and outstanding comedy series, respectively. HBO's "Game of Thrones" returned to the Emmys after a year out of contention and led the nominations with 22 nods. The fantasy drama television series is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels. It's the third Emmy wins of "Game of Thrones" for best drama series following two wins in a row in 2015 and 2016. "The show is only as good as the people who make it. And we had the greatest cast, the greatest crew and the best producers in the business. And thanks to HBO for their vision. There is no better place to work," said producer David Benihoff. Martin, the prolific author of the series of books upon which the TV series is based, told Xinhua, "We may not have changed television, but as the first fantasy series to win Best Drama, we certainly changed the genre and opened the door for other quality fantasies." Peter Dinklage also won his third Emmy for most outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "Game of Thrones." Dinklage has been nominated in the category seven times and won the award in 2011 and 2015. "I had some concerns going into this role, because usually a role about someone my size usually does not have enough depth and layers to make it interesting. This was completely different. It's bittersweet to see it end," Dinklage told Xinhua. Amazon's "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" dominated the comedy categories with five honors including awards for Best Comedy and Lead Actress. When asked about the relevance of the show given the transforming effects of feminist activism on the political landscape of Times Up and #Me Too movements, writer/director/executive producer powerhouse, Amy Sherman-Palladino, told Xinhua, "You can't plan that kind of perfect timing. We never expected when this came out that Hollywood would be taking down so many trolls in real life. But, nobody gives you props for playing it safe, so we went for it." The series follows a housewife in 1958 New York City who discovers she has a knack for stand-up comedy and reinvents herself after her husband runs off with another woman. Rachel Bronsnahan got the last laugh when she snagged the Best Actress in the field for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." When asked why she thought the show was so successful, she told Xinhua, "Its aspirational. I've always wanted to play complex, interesting and grounded women. And it's about a woman who reinvents herself when her dream fell apart after she achieved everything she thought she wanted. And it's filled with joy at its core." Her co-star, Alex Borstein, who plays Mrs. Maisel's tough-talking Greenwich Village promoter, walked away with the Best Supporting Actress in a comedy. After doing a mock strip tease on her way to the podium, Borstein said, "To my children: this is all wonderful, but none of it matters. You do!" The 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and airing on NBC. It's an American award bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:46:46|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SYDNEY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australian residential property prices have plummeted during the June quarter, with Sydney and Melbourne leading the falls, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) data released on Tuesday. In the nation's eight capital cities, residential property sank 0.7 percent over the three month period, according to the data. "Sydney recorded the fourth consecutive quarter of falling property prices (-1.2 percent), while Melbourne property prices fell 0.8 percent, the second quarter of price falls for the city," ABS chief economist Bruce Hockman said. "The initial slowdown in these markets was spurred by regulatory changes and a tightening in the supply of credit to investors." "A drop in investor demand over recent months appears to be adding to the slowing in housing credit growth." Over the year to June, prices in Australia slipped 0.6 percent, making it the first annual decrease since 2012. In Sydney alone, the harbor city saw a 3.9 percent pull back in prices for the year, the largest decline since the March quarter in 2009. Tuesday's report comes just days after Martin North, the founder of Digital Finance Analytics, warned that over the next 12 months there could be a 40 percent slump in the real estate sector down under. While many other economists dismiss the predictions as alarmist, North told Australia's 60 minutes program on Sunday, "we've got a debt bomb, a debt crisis and at some point it's going to explode in our face," he said. "There's 1.22 trillion U.S. dollars held by the banks in mortgages for owner-occupiers and investors and that's about 65 percent of their total lending." "That's higher than any other country in the Western world by a long way." "There's probably no country in the world more susceptible to the ramifications of a housing crash than Australia. We are uniquely exposed at the moment." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 13:51:48|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's ex-president Cristina Fernandez was charged on Monday with corruption during her administration. Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio ordered Fernandez to be taken into custody. As a senator, Fernandez has immunity from being arrested, so the order cannot be carried out and must first be put to the Senate for consideration. Fernandez, an outspoken critic of her successor, President Mauricio Macri, has denied the accusations, describing them as politically driven to end her political career. The judge has also brought charges against former planning minister Julio de Vido and two other former officials. As part of the investigation, prosecutors have searched offices of several national and international companies, as well as properties belonging to Fernandez. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 14:51:59|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has cut mobile internet access in the capital city Addis Ababa, amidst deadly unrest that left five people dead in the city on Monday. Officials from the state telecom monopoly Ethio-Telecom weren't immediately available for comments on the reason for the mobile internet cut, or why the cut was restricted to Addis Ababa and its surrounding region. It is estimated that the majority of Ethiopia's 50 million plus mobile phone users browse webpages largely or exclusively through their mobile handsets. Earlier on Monday, Addis Ababa witnessed demonstrations in various parts of the city, as demonstrators were angry at reports of killings, looting and rape in Burayu town, located on the outskirts of the city. The demonstrations turned violent in parts of Addis Ababa, leaving five people dead during confrontations between angry demonstrators and security forces. Video clips showing dead bodies and looted houses and properties started appearing on Sunday on social media platforms causing grief and outrage in the city, which has largely been spared the violence that affected other parts of Ethiopia over the last three years. The violence on Saturday and Sunday in Burayu town followed recent clashes in Addis Ababa among local residents and youth from surrounding ethnic Oromo localities who came to celebrate the return from exile of Dawud Ibsa, leader of Oromo Liberation Front rebel group. Addis Ababa is an ethnically-mixed city of around 4 million people, but is situated within the larger Oromo-dominated Oromia regional state. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 14:52:00|Editor: mmm Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai will launch a fund of about 100 billion yuan (about 14.6 billion U.S. dollars) for developing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry, the municipal government said Monday. Major AI projects and platforms will be offered financial support up to 100 million yuan, and AI enterprises will also be granted access to data resources in areas including education, health care, and tourism, the Shanghai government said at the ongoing World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2018. The measures are part of Shanghai's efforts to promote the AI industry with a focus on attracting more talent and capital as well as optimizing the use of data resources. "Shanghai needs to seize the opportunity that the AI industry has created, and take full advantage of the city's abundant resources in scientific research, talent, data, and policy support to implement more new AI technologies," said Ma Chunlei, deputy secretary-general of Shanghai municipal government. The World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2018 is being held in Shanghai from Sept. 17 to 19. Themed "A New Era Empowered By Artificial Intelligence," the event is seen as an opportunity to boost AI development for both China and the world. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 14:57:01|Editor: ZX Video Player Close TIANJIN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring the works of three Italian art masters of the Renaissance period opened Tuesday in Tianjin. A total of 68 works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael will be shown at the exhibition in the Tianjin Art Museum. The exhibition will run through Nov. 14. The exhibits include paintings and sculptures as well as a large number of sketch manuscripts, which will offer audiences a glimpse into the creative processes of the three masters. "At the exhibition, the audience will also enjoy the splendid beauty of the Renaissance art and the humanistic light of Florence some 600 years ago," said a senior curator of the museum. The exhibition, sponsored by the Tianjin municipal government, is co-hosted by the Tianjin Art Museum, Nanjing Museum, and Italy's MetaMorfosi cultural foundation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 15:17:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A court in the Indian capital has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case of assault on the topmost bureaucrat by his party lawmakers. The alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash took place in February. According to police, the chief secretary was assaulted by some 11 lawmakers of Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Kejriwal when he had gone to the Chief Minister's residence for a late night meeting on government business. "Delhi Police probing the assault case has now submitted a 3,000-page charge sheet in the court, which has asked Kejriwal to appear in person on Oct. 25. Police have held Kejriwal, his deputy and 11 lawmakers of his party responsible for the assault," a lawyer said Tuesday. Charges of illegal confinement, criminal intimidation, assaulting a public servant and criminal conspiracy have been slapped on the Delhi chief minister and his lawmakers by the police in its charge sheet, the lawyer added. If convicted, Kejriwal and his lawmakers can get up to seven years in jail. The former civil servant-turned-politician's Aam Aadmi Party has, however, refuted the allegations of assault on the chief secretary and called the police charge sheet as "fake and laughable," accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of victimizing its lawmakers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 15:27:05|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A fresh positive polio case, affecting a 14-month boy, had been detected in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, bringing the number of confirmed cases of polio virus to 11 since January this year, a public health official said Tuesday. "The case was detected in the Police District 9, Loya Wiyali area of the provincial capital Kandahar city recently," Abdul Qayum Pakhla, the provincial public health director, told Xinhua. According to Pakhla, Loya Wiyali is located several kms north of the provincial capital city, where the residents use open toilets and have no access to clean drinking water. Polio virus could be rapidly transferred and the only preventable way was vaccination, the official added. In early August, Afghan Public Health Ministry, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), launched a nationwide five-day campaign to give immunity vaccination dose to 9.9 million children under the age of five. The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have been hindering the efforts to stamp out the infectious disease in the mountainous country as 1.2 million children from areas inaccessible to vaccination teams missed the latest vaccination drive. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 15:42:10|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and 28 others injured on Tuesday when a bus overturned in western Turkey, local media reported. The passenger bus skidded off the road and plunged into a ditch in Afyonkarahisar province, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals, the agency said, noting the cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 15:47:11|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 people were killed in a collision between a passenger bus and a trailer carrying flammable materials in the central Iranian province of Isfahan, semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday. The passenger bus was heading from Tehran to Kerman city in the southern part of the country, when the accident took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Javad Dorostkar from Isfahan police office told ISNA. Nineteen passengers of the bus were killed on the spot, and two others died later in the hospital, said Dorostkar. Also, 25 people were injured as the huge fire engulfed the two vehicles. The rescue operators of the Red Crescent of Isfahn province have moved the injured to the hospitals in Dorud city, the report said. The bus hit the rear end of the tanker and further details about the cause of accident will be announced after the due investigations. In July, 13 people were killed in a similar accident in Iran' western Kurdistan province. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 16:32:20|Editor: ZX Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Investors from the Philippines and China's Fujian province have signed 15 cooperation and joint venture agreements covering industry, agriculture tourism, and real estate collaboration, the Philippines' trade secretary said on Tuesday. Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a statement that these agreements were signed on Sept. 14 during a business networking conference in Manila between Philippine and Fujian delegation led by Fujian Governor Tang Dengjie. Both sides have also agreed on a deal on Philippine bananas amounting to 10.78 million U.S. dollars, Lopez said. Lopez added that both sides are now exploring more business opportunities to further strengthen their economic ties. The Fujian government initiated the high-level conference where both sides discussed trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines as well as the Philippine government's commitment to facilitate ease of doing business in the country. Lopez said the Philippines has strong historical ties with southeast China's Fujian Province and its people. "Our proximity with each other has attracted so many Fujian investors to do business in the country and partner with other Filipino business groups," Lopez said, adding that some of the known tycoons trace their origins from Fujian. "And now that we have renewed our relationship with China, we can push further our collaboration in enhancing trade and investment relations that would have mutual benefits for both parties," Lopez said. Lopez encouraged the Fujian investors to locate and expand their operations in the Philippines, saying the Philippines is a gateway to ASEAN market and the East Asian economies. Lopez also invited Fujian business delegation, particularly those from the construction and engineering industries, to participate in the ongoing infrastructure development program of the government and employ Filipino professionals. Fujian province, situated on China's southeast coast, was the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, which figures prominently in China's opening to the outside world. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 16:57:25|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A surge of influenza, including seasonal flu and swine flu, has been detected in Nepal's eastern Saptari district over the past weeks, according to authorities. The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the Ministry of Health and Population confirmed that the flu has been detected in Kanchanrup and Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality in Saptari which borders India. Prakash Shah, chief of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, told Xinhua on Tuesday that "seasonal flu has mostly affected children, elderly, women and pregnant women in Saptari district. Since we have set up health camps with expert medical professionals in the pockets areas, the situation is under control." The division chief said that among 24 collected samples of throat swab from the area, swine flu was detected in one case and Influenza A positive was detected in 12 cases. "Seasonal flu is common so we have asked the general public to remain alert and adopt preventive measures to remain safe from the flu viruses," Shah, who visited the affected district, told Xinhua. He further said that at least four persons have died in the district due to viral infection with secondary bacterial infection. The government has launched free health check-up camps at different locations following the complaints of high fever, headache, cough and sneezes by local residents. World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency District Support Officers have also been mobilized in the affected area. The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division informed that at least 3,500 patients of seasonal flu have been treated in the past one month. Following the possibility of a flu outbreak, local authorities have directed to close the schools in at least two municipalities of Saptari district. Similarly, information, education and communication (IEC) materials have been distributed in the affected areas to raise the awareness of local residents. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 17:02:26|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close An exhibitor works at the "India Tourism Mart" in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 18, 2018. The first ever "India Tourism Mart" was organized in India's capital New Delhi from Sept. 16 to Sept. 18 in a bid to showcase and promote India's tourist destinations to the world. (Xinhua/Zhang Naijie) NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The first ever "India Tourism Mart" is being organized in India's capital New Delhi from Sept. 16 to Sept. 18 in a bid to showcase and promote India's tourist destinations to the world. Around 225 international buyers from across the world such as north America, west Europe, east Asia, Latin America, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries are participating in the three-day event. The foreign travel and tour-operators from as many as 60 countries have congregated at the event held on the lines of major international tourism marts. The event provides an opportunity to the buyers to see the world-class tourism facilities available in India such as airports, hotels, tourist destinations, upcoming facilities, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions facilities), possibility in the field of adventure tourism and other niche products. Around 225 stalls have been provided to the sellers to enable them to interact with the buyers. During the inauguration ceremony, the country's Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons said that India's inability in the past to garner Chinese tourists in great numbers remained a concern for the south Asian country. He assured not to leave any stone unturned to attract tourist from neighbouring China in hordes. He also vowed to organize more frequent road shows in various Chinese cities to make Chinese people aware about India as Indian government turned its focus on Chinese tourists. "Our big focus is going to be on China. It's extremely important that we have exchange of ideas and meet people... I think India is just incredible and Chinese are going to love it. We want to do promotions in China in a big way because there is so much China and India share together," said the minister. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the Indian minister said that China was the only country where India had hired a public relation agency to advertise Indian tourism in various Chinese cities. India has already held several tourism events in three Chinese cities, last month, and now the Indian government is planning to increase the number of publicity events in China. Last year, India received more than 10 million foreign tourists. However, just nearly 240,000 of them were Chinese. India seeks to grab at least 1 percent share of China's strong 130-million outbound travelers as India plans to double foreign tourists arrival to 20 million by 2020. India has already extended "simpler" e-visa facilities for tourists coming from more than 160 countries including those from China. This category has recorded a 57 percent growth over the last year due to its easy procedure. Last year, 1.69 million foreign tourists were granted electronic visa. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 17:12:27|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A three-day meeting at the national level on "Multi-Sectoral Services to Respond to Gender-Based Violence in Nepal" kicked off in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens with support from the United Nations and the Women's Rehabilitation Centre to review progress, strengthen cooperation and share lessons learnt on the implementation of multi-sectoral services to address gender-based violence. Addressing the inaugural function, Nepali Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Tham Maya Magar said that the government is committed to addressing the gender-based violence at the national, provincial and municipal level by formulating right policies. "We already have many laws to minimize gender-based violence but implementation really takes long time. I am hopeful that the conclusions of this meeting will be helpful to formulate policies to minimize violence and to safeguards women's rights," Magar said. Stressing on the need of compliance at all levels, the minister further said that the newly formed local governments can form a mechanism to protect and promote women. The national event comes at a time when the cases of violence, especially rape, have increased at an alarming rate across the country. According to statistics, an average of three rapes is reported in Nepal every day, while the actual number could be higher as many incidents go unreported. UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal Valerie Julliand said that UN agencies are ready to work together with the Nepal government and civil society to combat gender-based violence. "The multi-sectoral response to gender-based violence will not just help women for recovery and empowerment, but will also help to eradicate poverty and will contribute to the country's development," Valerie said. The national-level meeting will conclude on Thursday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 17:17:28|Editor: ZX Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Russian aircraft with 15 people on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday but blamed a simultaneous Israeli strike as the cause of the mistake. The ministry said a missile from Syria's S-200 air defense system shot down the Il-20 surveillance plane with Russian servicemen on Monday by mistake because an Israeli airstrike took place at the same time. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed. This is absolutely not in the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership," the ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised message. The aircraft on its way back to the Russian Hmeymim airbase disappeared from radar on Monday night at a time when four Israeli F-16 fighters attacked targets in Syria's Latakia province. The Russian military in Syria received a notification about the Israeli airstrike one minute before it happened, which did not allow enough time for the Russian aircraft to move to the safe zone, Konashenkov said. "We reserve the right to adequate response actions," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 17:27:30|Editor: ZX Video Player Close HANOI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 35th ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) Board Meeting kicked off on Tuesday in Vietnam's central Khanh Hoa province, discussing opportunities and challenges posed by the fourth industrial revolution and the free movement of labor in Southeast Asia. Addressing the three-day meeting, Nguyen Thi Minh, Vietnamese deputy minister of finance and general director of the Vietnam Social Security, said that amid the new revolution, ASSA should have creative approaches and long-term visions to bring into play its members' strengths in terms of experience and technology, and enhance linkages among them to ensure sustainable social security for all people in the ASEAN Community. Some 170 delegates, mainly leaders of 20 social security institutions in all 10 ASEAN countries, attended the meeting which will adopt a joint statement on its goals and regional cooperation orientations in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. The Vietnam Social Security is scheduled to take over the rotating ASSA chairmanship from Thailand on Wednesday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 17:32:33|Editor: ZX Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A special court in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has set Oct. 10 to deliver the verdict in two cases of grenade attacks in 2004 that killed at least 24 people. Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 on Tuesday set the date to deliver judgement in the cases on conclusion of the arguments. The prosecution in its closing arguments again on Tuesday sought highest punishment to the offenders who were involved with committing the horrendous attack. Twenty-four people including ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party leader Ivy Rahman, wife of the country's ex-President Mohammad Zillur Rahman, were killed in the grenade attacks targeting now-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her rally in Dhaka on Aug. 21, 2004, when Khaleda Zia, chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was the prime minister of Bangladesh. Hundreds of people were wounded, including the then opposition party leader and AL President Hasina, the then opposition leader in parliament, who suffered minor injuries. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by an outlawed Islamist group -- Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami (HuJI). Some 49 people, including two members of Khaleda's 2001-6 cabinet and a HuJI leader, were accused in two separate cases over the blasts. Of the accused, 31 including two Zia cabinet members and three former inspectors general of police are in jail and 18 others including Zia's son Tarique Rahman, who has been currently staying in Britain, are on the run. Prime Minister Hasina on many occasions held Zia, her party and her son Rahman responsible for the much talked about August 21 grenade attack. Zia, who is serving a five-year jail term in a corruption case, said political vendettas are to blame in her son's prosecutions during Hasina's incumbent government against her opposition party. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 17:32:34|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Hadi al-Ameri, leader of Iranian-backed paramilitary Hashd Shaabi, said Tuesday that he withdrew his nomination for prime minister post, asserting the need for political consensus to make progress in the political process. "I announce to the Iraqi people that I withdraw my nomination for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) to opened the way for the electing another prime minister of Iraq, according to conditions set by the Marjiyah (or religious authority)," Ameri said in a press conference in Baghdad. "There is no choice but going to political consensus in the political process, and the preference of the public interest on the private one," said Ameri who heads al-Fatih (Conquest) Coalition, an electoral bloc which came in second in the May 12 national election, with 48 seats. On Sept. 13, outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also said that he will not hold onto the post of prime minister for a second term. "We do not cling to power, but we abide by the constitutional procedures," Abadi said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting, adding that the decision was made after what he has seen "from the political conflict over this post." Meanwhile, Abadi expressed his respect for "the directives of the Supreme Religious Marjiyah," the Shiite religious authority headed by the spiritual Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Earlier reports said Marjiyah does not support the Iraqi prime ministers in the past years. So far, the Iraqi newly-elected parliament named Mohammed al-Halbousi as parliament speaker and two deputies. Halbousi set Sept. 25 date for next parliament session and announced nomination for the post of president. According to the Iraqi constitution, the parliament will elect the president from among the candidates by a two-third majority of its members. Then, the elected president will ask the largest alliance to form a government within 30 days. The political blocs in parliament have yet to end their tough negotiations over forming the largest alliance to establish the government for the next four years, as both the Alliances, one backed by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Abadi, and another led by Ameri and former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, claim to be the largest alliance in parliament. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:02:43|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese investments in Africa have assisted African countries with independent development, according to a recent report by a leading Chinese think tank. The "China-Africa Direct Investment and Cooperation" report was jointly compiled by the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies and the Bureau of International Cooperation. According to the report, Chinese investments in construction helped African countries reduce the cost of building houses, roads, railways and bridges, while enhancing their capabilities to manage, operate and develop infrastructure through technical cooperation and training. Chinese enterprises employed an increasing number of local workers in infrastructure projects and selected African staff in key positions to attend training in China, the report said. China's investments in manufacturing in African countries have gradually shifted from "made in China" to "jointly made in China and Africa," the report read, citing an estimation that China's greenfield investments in Africa covered 77 manufacturing projects from 2003 to 2014, with a total volume of 13.3 billion U.S. dollars. The report listed more than 20 cases to illustrate how such investments enabled African countries to master new technology and improve manufacturing and exports. For example, Chinese company Good Time Steel Company Zambia Ltd. built a steel rolling mill in Zambia with 26 million U.S. dollars. The steel produced met market demand and was exported to surrounding countries. The report also analyzed challenges to Chinese investments in Africa from various perspectives and offered advice for China to expand its investments. Since 2016, China's direct investment in Africa has surpassed 8 billion U.S. dollars, according to an article by Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan in the People's Daily on Aug. 31. The article said that since 2016, China had secured more than 200 billion U.S. dollars worth of new contracts with African countries, making Africa its second largest overseas market for contracted projects. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:12:47|Editor: ZX Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israelis were getting ready for the holiest day in the Jewish calendar on Tuesday, when an entire nation would come to halt for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is a time of reflection for Jews. Jews traditionally fast on the day and hold intense services in synagogues through most of the day, asking for God's forgiveness. On this day, according to Jewish tradition, God "seals" the "Book of Life" in which each person's fate for the coming year is inscribed. The day begins on Tuesday at dusk and ends on Wednesday at nightfall. Throughout the night and on Tuesday morning, thousands of Israelis arrived at the Western Wall in east Jerusalem for penitential prayers ahead of the beginning of Yom Kippur. During the two-day holiday, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and other businesses and public institutions are all shut down. People completely refrain from using vehicles, except for medical emergencies. According to a statement released by Israel's Magen David Adom medical emergency service on Monday, every year, thousands of people need medical care. Eli Bin, Magen David's director, said he had raised the alert to the highest level and the stations will have more volunteers and paramedics. Israel's military announced in a statement that a two-day closure was being imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip starting overnight between Monday and Tuesday. Exit and entries to the Palestinian territories will be allowed only for humanitarian cases, the military said. As part of the closure, all of the checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza will be closed and Palestinians will not be allowed to exit or enter the territory, "except for humanitarian cases," the statement read. The closure will not be imposed on Israeli settlers in the West Bank settlements. Israel put closure on the occupied territories during most of the Jewish holidays, charging that Palestinian militants might use the holiday to carry out an attack. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:17:49|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- As many as 100 children have been hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, officials said Tuesday. The incident took place at Pathai village in the state's Begusarai district. "The children, aged between five and 12 years, complained of stomach pain and vomited after eating food at a religious event in the village late Monday evening," a health official said. "Later in the night, they were rushed to hospitals. All the children are now out of danger but undergoing treatment," the official added. A probe has been ordered into the incident, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:17:49|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry Tuesday said the Syrian government welcomes the Russian-Turkish deal on establishing a demilitarized zone in Idlib province in northwestern Syria, said state news agency SANA. The ministry said the deal came after "intensive consultations" and full coordination between the Russian and Syrian side. The deal of establishing a buffer zone between the positions of the Syrian government forces and the rebels in Idlib was declared after a summit between the leaders of Russia and Turkey, who met in the Russian resort city of Sochi on Monday. During a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the demilitarization zone will be established by Oct. 15. It will be created along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces with a depth of 15 to 20 km. The radical rebels will withdraw from the demilitarized zone along with heavy weapons. The deal was a surprising one as it came days after the leaders of Iran, Russia, and Turkey held a tripartite summit in Tehran during which the Iranian and Russian leaders rebuffed a Turkish call for a cease-fire in Idlib, which is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The Syrian army has been sending reinforcement to the frontline areas around Idlib as part of preparations to launch a wide-scale offensive to retake Idlib, where 3 million civilians live along with an estimated number of 50,000 rebels, including al-Qaida-linked ones. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:32:51|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Kim Jong Un (R), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), meets with visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang, DPRK, in the third summit for the pair this year, on Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Pyongyang Press Corps) PYONGYANG, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), began talks with visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday afternoon at the Workers' Party of Korea's headquarters in Pyongyang, in the third summit for the pair this year. There is yet no report on the results of the talks, which started around 3:30 p.m. local time (0630 GMT). The two leaders are expected to discuss three major topics: the improvement of inter-Korean relations, the possible ways to revive the stalled DPRK-U.S. denuclearization talks, and the elimination of military tensions and risks of war on the peninsula. Moon arrived in Pyongyang for his third summit with Kim this year. The previous two inter-Korean summits took place in the truce village of Panmunjom in April and May. Moon's visit is also the first by a South Korean head of state to Pyongyang in 11 years. Kim greeted Moon at the airport in person and they left in one black sedan after a grand welcoming ceremony involving ceremonial guards and hundreds of cheering civilians. The pair, escorted by a motorcade, smiled and waved to local residents while their car traveled past the Ryomyong Street in downtown Pyongyang. After the talks, the two leaders will watch a mass gymnastics and artistic performance "The Glorious Country" in the evening. They will resume talks on Wednesday morning and hopefully sign a peace treaty to end the military tensions on the peninsula. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) issued a report Tuesday morning announcing Moon's visit. It said that the Pyongyang summit aims to implement the Panmunjom Declaration issued after the first inter-Korean summit in April this year. The Pyongyang summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making new history," the KCNA said. The official newspaper Rodong Sinmun ran an editorial on Monday, highlighting the historic significance of the Panmunjom Declaration and calling for concerted efforts by the DPRK and South Korea to further improve their relations and jointly overcome the difficulties on the path toward reunification. On the South Korean side, Moon said before his departure for Pyongyang that he planned to have a lot of frank talks with Kim during his visit to the DPRK in order to bring "irreversible, permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula" and help restart the DPRK-U.S. dialogue on the denuclearization of the peninsula. The two leaders will also discuss economic cooperation. There are many business leaders in Moon's delegation of over 150 members, including executives from some of South Korea's largest conglomerates such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:47:53|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close QALAT, Afghanistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least four Afghan policemen and 20 militants were killed during clashes between security forces and Taliban militants in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province, a local official said Tuesday. "Taliban militants launched a coordinated attack on police checkpoints in Arghandab district of Zabul Monday night. They faced fierce resistance of security forces," Gul Islam Sayyal, spokesman for the provincial governor, told Xinhua. The violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by militants at a time when the country is preparing for parliamentary and district council elections slated for Oct. 20. Taliban militants did not make comments on the report so far. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:52:54|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fierce clashes between Somali regional forces of Jubaland and al-Shabab fighters erupted on Monday in Gedo region of southern Somalia, killing at least 16 from the both sides, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Jamal Hassan Farey, a senior commander of Jubaland forces, told reporters that they have launched heavy attack on al-Shabab fighters near Geedweyne in Gedo region in southern Somalia. "We have lost five soldiers and seven others sustained injuries during the fighting. We killed 11 al-Shabab fighters and seized weapons," the commander said. The commander said the move to attack al-Shabab came after a tip-off indicates that the militants were planning to wage offensive on Jubaland forces but they responded quickly and attacked them. Residents reported the fighting saying it lasted for several hours. "Both sides engaged in heavy fighting and there were casualties but we don't have figures," Abdiqani Ahmed, a resident in Gedo said. Independent sources said a military commander was among those killed in the fighting in the southern part of the Horn of Africa nation. The militant group frequently launches attacks in the towns bordering Kenya, targeting Jubaland forces and Kenyan troops. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:52:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel were killed following a suspected insider attack in northern province of Balkh Monday night, local police said Tuesday. The incident occurred in Char Bolak district at mid night when an ALP officer shot and killed nine of his comrades in a security checkpoint before fleeing the scene, a local police officer told Xinhua anonymously. He said a police officer was also wounded after the shooting and the shooter took weapons from the checkpoint. The government established the ALP, or community police, in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where army and police have limited presence. Shir Jan Duranni, the provincial police spokesman, confirmed the incident, saying an investigation was launched into the incident and further information would be released after the probe. Similar incidents had happened in the past when Afghan security force members turned their weapons against their fellow soldiers. Taliban militants often claim responsibility for the attacks. In January, 18 local pro-government militiamen were killed in a similar attack in Balkh province. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:02:56|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand Ministry of Education is looking at options to make the Export Education Levy (EEL) fund more sustainable by increasing the levy percentage to protect New Zealand's reputation as a study destination, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday. The EEL is a levy collected from international education providers to fund a broad range of activities including marketing and promotion. It also funds reimbursements for international students caught out by program and provider closures, Hipkins said in a statement. The ministry is asking education providers who enroll international students, such as universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, private training establishments (PTEs) and schools, for feedback on options for increasing the levy percentage, the first such increase since the levy was created in 2003. "Over the past year or so, calls on the levy has almost emptied the EEL fund," Hipkins said, adding that increased effort to monitor and address quality issues have led to a sharp increase in PTE course and provider failures, with international students needing to be reimbursed. "Our reputation as a destination for international students relies in part on our generous student protections, such as those funded by the levy. Leaving the levy at the present level is not an option," he said. The EEL is paid as a percentage of international tuition fees, currently 0.45 percent. The government is consulting on two options: increasing the rate for all international education providers, with a greater increase for PTEs, or just increasing the levy for PTEs, according to the ministry. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:12:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Armed clashes broke out in south of the Libyan capital Tripoli on Tuesday morning, causing power blackout in the south and west of the country, according to a security source. "The clashes erupted again in south of the capital since the early morning hours, particularly at the road leading to Tripoli airport and Mashroo al-Hadba in Abu Salim district," a source of the Interior Ministry told the Xinhua. "Explosions could be heard in different parts of the capital," the source said. The state-owned General Electricity Company said that electrical circuits 1-2 in southern Tripoli were damaged due to armed clashes, which disabled most power plants in western and southern Libya. The UN Support Mission in Libya recently brokered a cease-fire agreement between warring parties in Tripoli, ending heavy clashes that killed 78 people and injured 210 others. Tripoli recently witnessed violent clashes between government forces and the so-called Seventh Brigade militia from the city of Tarhuna, some 80 km southeast Tripoli. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:17:59|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. imposition of additional tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars' worth of Chinese goods came under intense fire Monday, as business leaders and trade experts opposed the escalatory move. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue in a statement on Monday slammed the tariffs as anti-growth. "The U.S. economy runs on pro-growth policies, but that's not what tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods deliver," he said. Donohue called back to a six-day hearing in August where more than 300 U.S. businesses and trade organizations pleaded that U.S. trade officials should rescind additional tariffs on Chinese goods, using statistics and props to show the reasoning behind such measures were ill-founded. "Today's decision makes clear that the administration did not heed the numerous warnings from American consumers and businesses about rising costs and lost jobs on Main Street, in factories, and on farms and ranches across the country," Donohue said, lamenting that the U.S. government had turned a blind eye to the overwhelming opposition by businesses. Hun Quach, vice president of the trade group Retail Industry Leaders Association, who has appeared repeatedly before trade officials to argue against tariffs, said in a statement that her organization was "extremely discouraged by the administration's announcement to levy tariffs on millions of products American consumers buy every day." "Tariffs are a tax on American families," Quach said. "Consumers -- not China -- will bear the brunt of these tariffs and American farmers and ranchers will see the harmful effects of retaliation worsen." Quach also expressed the concern that additional tariffs imposed before the traditional shopping season will put extra burden on consumers in the United States. Dean Garfield, the CEO of Information Technology Industry Council, called in a statement the additional tariffs "reckless." "President (Donald) Trump's decision to impose an additional $200 billion (in goods) is reckless and will create lasting harm to communities across the country," he said. "If implemented, these tariffs will have both short- and long-term effects on the United States -- from increased prices at the checkout counter to decreased leadership on the emerging technologies that will shape our future." Gary Shapiro, representing the Consumer Technology Association, questioned the legality of newly announced tariffs. "Today's retaliatory tariffs are not an effective trade policy and may violate U.S. law. Congress has not given the President or the USTR (U.S. Trade Representative) a blank check to pursue a trade war. These new retaliatory tariffs run afoul of the carefully tailored provisions of the Trade Act of 1974, which require any action to be within the scope of the Section 301 investigation," Shapiro said in a statement. Adam Posen, a leading trade expert and President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said at a forum Monday that the tariff strategy is destined to fail, as it will not resolve trade disputes but will stifle U.S. competitiveness and undermine consumption power of the U.S. working class. Jacob Lew, a former U.S. Secretary of Treasury, told the same forum that the path Washington should pursue is constructive engagement with Beijing to seek consensus and mitigate differences. Slapping tariffs against China will only make things worse, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:38:07|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close VALLETTA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Maltese Customs intercepted the largest ever drug haul, the Customs Department said on Monday evening. According to local media Malta Today, over 15 tonnes of cannabis resin was seized while in transit at the Malta Freeport on a container ship. "The containers, which were transiting through Malta on their way from Syria to Libya, were flagged as 'potential high-risk containers' following risk analysis performed by the Malta Customs Container Monitoring Unit," the Customs Department said in a statement. The Customs said that three of the containers had been said to contain pails of crockery detergent, while the other was declared to hold blow-torches. The drugs were estimated to be worth millions of euros, but the exact value will be determined following a purity analysis, according to the Customs. But it said that although investigations were still ongoing, the haul was definitely the largest of its kind in Malta, both in quantity and in value. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:38:07|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese man has been arrested for trying to illegally bring dozens of lizards out of Indonesia, a government official said on Tuesday. The 77-year-old man attempted to smuggle a total of 52 lizards, which he put in his luggage, to Japan at the Soekarno Hatta international airport in Indonesia's capital on Monday night, senior manager of aviation security of the airport Tommy Hadi Bawono said. "The man was busted for trying to bring reptiles alive. His act was found out during an X-ray scanning on his belonging in the security check point at terminal 3," Bawono said. All the lizards, including vaious species - gecko lizard, panana lizard and thorn lizard, were seized by authorities at the airport and handed to the animal quarantine officials. The Japanese man planned to bring the lizards to Japan in a flight of Garuda Indonesia to Tokyo, Bawono said. According to his testimony, the Japanese smuggler purchased the reptiles at a bird market in Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java. "He planned to sell the lizards to Japan. We are still probing the matter," Bawono cited. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:53:12|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close PARIS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Elysee Palace has made a small fortune by selling souvenirs featuring President Emmanuel Macron and other French elements in its online boutique and a pop-up shop set up recently. In just three days, nearly 350,000 euros worth of memorabilia were sold both online and in the pop-up store, with a total of 7,320 items sold through the virtual store opened online Friday, The Guardian reported. Sales were boosted by the opening of the pop-up shop in the Elysee's main courtyard during the weekend when more than 200,000 people took advantage of the 2018 European Heritage Days to visit the palace, The Guardian said. Royal mugs are a time-honored tradition in Britain and the White House has sold memorabilia for decades, but it is the first time for the Elysee Palace to offer presidential mugs and key rings for sale, Reuters said. The online boutique offers a catalogue of some 60 items, ranging from a 2-euro post card with Macron's portrait to a 24.9-euro presidential mug, and to a 250-euro 14k gold-filled bracelet printed with the national motto liberte, egalite and fraternite. T-shirts, canvas bags, key rings, stationery and watches are also among the abundant choice of gifts in the online store. All the items are made in France. However, the pricing of certain items might make buyers think twice, such as a 55-euro T-shirt embroidered with "president" or a 115-euro sweat shirt printed with "Francais" or "Francaise" across the front. According to the store's website, part of profits from the sale will be used to help fund the maintenance of the 300-year-old Elysee Palace. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:53:13|Editor: ZX Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The fourth China-Mongolia-Russia Think-Tank Forum kicked off here Tuesday to discuss the building of a trilateral economic corridor between the three countries. During the two-day event, some 120 experts and officials from the three countries are expected to submit their proposals and exchange views on intensifying the establishment of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor and strengthen trilateral cooperation. "The trilateral economic corridor, an important part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, is related to not only the economy but also various fields such as culture, science, tourism and people-to-people exchanges," Yadmaa Tumurbaatar, director of the National University of Mongolia, said at the opening ceremony of the forum. Themed on "China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor: Innovation and Co-Development," the forum will hold three panel discussions focusing on cooperation in energy, transportation, education, culture, science, technology and socio-economic issues. The China-Mongolia-Russia Think Tank Forum was jointly established by relevant agencies and associations from the three countries in 2015. The first forum was held in Mongolia's capital in 2015, with the second taking place in Inner Mongolia, China in 2016, and the third in Buryatia, a republic of Russia in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 19:58:14|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker (L, front), Romanian President Klaus Iohannis (C, front) and Croatia's President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (R, front) attend the Third Summit of "Three Seas Initiative" in Bucharest, Romania, Sept. 18, 2018. Europe needs to breathe with two lungs, one in the east and the other in the west, and the emphasis must be put on cooperation, using a common language, European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker said here on Tuesday at the Third Summit of "Three Seas Initiative". (Xinhua/Cristian Cristel) BUCHAREST, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Europe needs to breathe with two lungs, one in the east and the other in the west, and the emphasis must be put on cooperation, using a common language, European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker said here on Tuesday at the Third Summit of "Three Seas Initiative". "Europe needs to breathe with two lungs, one from the east and the other from the west, and if this does not happen, Europe will remain breathless and I feel that our Union is starting to run out of breath. So we must put more emphasis than ever before on cooperation, to use a common language for the East and the West," stressed the EC president. Juncker urged Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to encourage "new ways of communication between the two lungs" of the continent. "We support the 'Three Seas Initiative' and encourage you to open new ways of communication between the two lungs of the continent, but also between the North and South," said he said, stressing that "Only in this way will we be able to implement a dear project for all Europeans, no matter where they live, east, west, north or south. European connectivity is of paramount importance. We support all things, all the initiatives adopted here and all the ideas." The European official stressed that the European Union allocates money on infrastructure development for "quicker and easier" travels, spends money for energy and natural gas, but also for other investment projects. "We would like to make available all the financial means you need, all the financial possibilities the EU will have will be made available," Junker explained. Iohannis said, for his part, that potential for developing interconnectivity should be fully exploited, focusing on transport, energy and the digital market. The Romanian president hosts Tuesday in the Cotroceni Presidential Palace the Plenary Session of the Third Summit of the "Three Seas Initiative", attended by Juncker, along with heads of state, government or parliament of the platform's members. The "Three Seas Initiative" is a flexible and informal platform launched in 2015 at the presidential level, bringing together 12 EU members located between the Adriatic Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea.The first two summits of the initiative took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 2016 and in Warsaw, Poland in 2017 respectively. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:03:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday to undertake its responsibilities towards the escalating Israeli settlement activity in the Palestinian territories. The ministry said in an emailed press statement that the UNSC should shoulder its responsibility by working on preserving its resolutions concerning Palestine in order to "preserve what is left of the credibility of the entire international system." The ministry statement slammed what it described "the escalating settlement attack on the Palestinian territories in general and the new settlement plans to build 260 new settlement units in Hebron." It also condemned "the expansion of a settlement in southeast of Jerusalem by around 220 unity and the seizing of hundreds of acres of lands in the Jordan Valleys." The statement said that the U.S. President Donald Trump "provides cover and encourages unprecedented greed in settlement in the Palestinian territories, particularly Jerusalem." It stressed that settlement activity "requires the international community more than ever to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and hold Israeli officials for their crimes, violations and disobedience to international law and international humanitarian law." UNSC issued Resolution 2334 in Dec. 2016 that called for ending settlement activity in the Palestinian territories. Israeli left-wing right group Peace Now reported on Monday that Israeli authorities decided to build 794 units during the second quarter, compared to 279 in the same period in 2017. Israeli settlement activity, deemed illegal by most world powers, continues to be one of the main issues of disagreement since the stop of the peace talks between Palestinians and Israeli in 2014. The last round of U.S. sponsored negotiations between the two sides was ended after almost nine months of talks without achieving any breakthrough. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:23:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close GAZA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian fisherman, Said Habil, from the Gaza Strip, rides the waves everyday on his shabby boat in an attempt to catch fish despite numerous tight Israeli restrictions that hinder his work. Habil, who is over 60 years old, spent more than two-thirds of his life working as a fisherman. The old man complained since the Israeli blockade on Gaza in 2007, it was the worst time during his long career. Under the Oslo Peace Accords, signed between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993, Palestinian fishermen are allowed to fish in an area of 20 nautical miles (37 km). But Israeli Navy has reduced the fishing zone down to six miles, and sometimes to only three miles offshore, after Israel imposed a tight blockade on the enclave following Islamic Hamas movement's violent takeover of the seaside territory in 2007. Israel said it imposed the maritime blockade in order to staunch arms smuggling into the coastal enclave after Hamas seized Gaza. On his return to the Gaza seaport in the morning, Habil, who is also a refugee, showed satisfaction with a limited fishing catch that can provide the minimum requirements for his 10-member family. "We are satisfied with what we get. I hope that things will get better," Habil told Xinhua as he emptied fish into small boxes to be sold to fish sellers in a nearby market. In Gaza, fishermen usually spend the whole night on the sea and sail back to the only fishing harbor at daybreak. The comparison between the past and the present is difficult for Habil, who inherited the fishing career from his father and passed it to his sons. "Fishing was profitable in the past. It was easy to navigate the sea, we could reach al-Arish in Egypt, we did not have problems and our livelihoods were abundant," he sadly recalled. The old man added that the situation nowadays is extremely difficult, pointing out that Israeli harassment and restrictions "turned the sea into inferno." The sardine fishing season, which is considered golden for Gaza fishermen, has recently ended, leaving Habil and his colleagues fumed since the Israeli restrictions deprived them of a plentiful seasonal catch. "The sardine season starts in April and ends in May each year...Israel usually tightens its restrictions against us during this season," Habil explained as he finished moving his fish into the plastic boxes. Habil's youngest son, Mohammed, who is father of three children, has tried to find another and more comfortable job, but the deteriorating economic conditions and the high unemployment rates in Gaza have left no options for him but to work with his father. "In addition to the restrictions of the Israeli navy, we face difficulties in providing work supplies, especially the 300 liters of fuel needed everyday for the motorboat," he said. Dozens of Palestinian fishermen have been killed and hundreds have been arrested by Israeli naval forces in recent years. Coordinator of fishermen's committees in the Gaza Strip, Zakaria Baker, said two fishermen were killed and about 30 others were injured by Israeli naval forces since the beginning of this year. Baker said that since January, the Israeli forces arrested more than 50 fishermen, adding that they were usually released after hours of detention and investigation. The Israeli navy has also confiscated 18 Palestinian fishing boats since the beginning of the year, according to Baker. There are about 3,800 fishermen working on more than 700 boats in Gaza Strip, where 70,000 Palestinians are making a living out of fishing. "90 percent of these people are under the threat of poverty as a result of the difficulties and restrictions caused by Israel," Baker said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:23:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 170 companies from Germany will attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), according to Simone Pohl, delegate and chief representative of the Delegation of German Industry & Commerce in Shanghai. Germany was confirmed as one of the 12 guests of honor of the expo in July. The expo, which will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, has attracted 2,800 companies as exhibitors from over 130 countries and regions. Among them, there are 170 companies from Germany, mainly in the sectors of high-tech, manufacturing, automobiles, chemical industry, machinery equipment and food and beverage, which are Germany's strengths, according to Pohl. "We've heard that more than 150,000 domestic and international buyers are expected to attend the expo, which doesn't happen often," said Pohl. "So CIIE has received a warm response from the German business community, as they would like to establish closer business contacts with Chinese companies." "For the German and other foreign companies that are already in the Chinese market, CIIE is a great opportunity to deepen business ties between the German and Chinese sides," Pohl noted. "For the newcomers entering the Chinese market, CIIE is a starting point for them to learn about and experience the market." The first batch of exhibits from the German enterprises have been transported to the port of Hamburg and will arrive in Shanghai within a month. China has been Germany's largest trading partner for two years. Pohl said all the German companies have high expectations for the expo. "Germans like to plan things and prepare in advance. We plan to showcase not only the business side but 'the whole of Germany' during CIIE," Pohl added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:28:26|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KIEV, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached an agreement in principle on gas price adjustment, a key element for the continuation of the aid program for Kiev, local media reported Tuesday, citing a senior Ukrainian official. According to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Andriy Kobolev, the chairman of Ukraine's state-run energy company Naftogaz, said that the agreement envisages that gas prices for consumers in Ukraine will be gradually increased to the market level by 2020. The gas price hike is one of the main reforms Ukraine must implement for receiving the next tranche from the IMF's 17.5-billion-U.S.-dollar bailout program. Since 2015, the East European country has received about 8.7 billion dollars from the IMF, which helped prevent the collapse of the Ukrainian economy. The disbursement of the aid was suspended after April 2017. The IMF mission has been working in Kiev since Sept. 6. Earlier this month, Yakiv Smoliy, the head of Ukraine's central bank, said Kiev is counting on receiving the next portion of the IMF aid following the mission's visit to Ukraine. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:33:27|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MADRID, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish National Police force on Tuesday confirmed they have broken up a network dedicated to smuggling hashish into Spain from Morocco and distributing it throughout the country. The National Police said the operation led to seven arrests, including five Moroccans and two Spaniards, as well as the discovery of two drug warehouses, the seizure of two vehicles, 900 kg of hashish, an electric pistol and 1,000 euros in cash. The police explained that the network was able to bring the hashish into the port of Algeciras, in Southwest Spain, and from there it was distributed to places such as the Basque Region, in northern Spain, Catalonia, in the northeast and Valencia in the east. The operation is the result of an investigation which began in January. Spain's geographical situation at the southwest corner of Europe, which is close to the northern coast of Morocco, makes it the main entry point into Europe for hashish from the North African country. A Palestinian fisherman works at the seaport in Gaza, in Gaza City, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Stringer) GAZA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian fisherman, Said Habil, from the Gaza Strip, rides the waves everyday on his shabby boat in an attempt to catch fish despite numerous tight Israeli restrictions that hinder his work. Habil, who is over 60 years old, spent more than two-thirds of his life working as a fisherman. The old man complained since the Israeli blockade on Gaza in 2007, it was the worst time during his long career. Palestinian fisherman, Said Habil ,61, seen at the seaport in Gaza, in Gaza City, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Stringer) Under the Oslo Peace Accords, signed between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993, Palestinian fishermen are allowed to fish in an area of 20 nautical miles (37 km). But Israeli Navy has reduced the fishing zone down to six miles, and sometimes to only three miles offshore, after Israel imposed a tight blockade on the enclave following Islamic Hamas movement's violent takeover of the seaside territory in 2007. Israel said it imposed the maritime blockade in order to staunch arms smuggling into the coastal enclave after Hamas seized Gaza. On his return to the Gaza seaport in the morning, Habil, who is also a refugee, showed satisfaction with a limited fishing catch that can provide the minimum requirements for his 10-member family. "We are satisfied with what we get. I hope that things will get better," Habil told Xinhua as he emptied fish into small boxes to be sold to fish sellers in a nearby market. In Gaza, fishermen usually spend the whole night on the sea and sail back to the only fishing harbor at daybreak. The comparison between the past and the present is difficult for Habil, who inherited the fishing career from his father and passed it to his sons. A Palestinian fisherman displays his catch at the seaport in Gaza, in Gaza City, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Stringer) "Fishing was profitable in the past. It was easy to navigate the sea, we could reach al-Arish in Egypt, we did not have problems and our livelihoods were abundant," he sadly recalled. The old man added that the situation nowadays is extremely difficult, pointing out that Israeli harassment and restrictions "turned the sea into inferno." The sardine fishing season, which is considered golden for Gaza fishermen, has recently ended, leaving Habil and his colleagues fumed since the Israeli restrictions deprived them of a plentiful seasonal catch. "The sardine season starts in April and ends in May each year...Israel usually tightens its restrictions against us during this season," Habil explained as he finished moving his fish into the plastic boxes. Habil's youngest son, Mohammed, who is father of three children, has tried to find another and more comfortable job, but the deteriorating economic conditions and the high unemployment rates in Gaza have left no options for him but to work with his father. "In addition to the restrictions of the Israeli navy, we face difficulties in providing work supplies, especially the 300 liters of fuel needed everyday for the motorboat," he said. Dozens of Palestinian fishermen have been killed and hundreds have been arrested by Israeli naval forces in recent years. Coordinator of fishermen's committees in the Gaza Strip, Zakaria Baker, said two fishermen were killed and about 30 others were injured by Israeli naval forces since the beginning of this year. Baker said that since January, the Israeli forces arrested more than 50 fishermen, adding that they were usually released after hours of detention and investigation. The Israeli navy has also confiscated 18 Palestinian fishing boats since the beginning of the year, according to Baker. There are about 3,800 fishermen working on more than 700 boats in Gaza Strip, where 70,000 Palestinians are making a living out of fishing. "90 percent of these people are under the threat of poverty as a result of the difficulties and restrictions caused by Israel," Baker said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:43:29|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Russian military aircraft with 15 people on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday, while blaming a simultaneous Israeli strike as the cause of the mistake. The ministry said a missile from Syria's S-200 air defense system shot down the Il-20 surveillance plane with Russian servicemen on Monday by mistake because an Israeli airstrike took place at the same time. The aircraft, which was on its way back to the Russian Hmeymim air base, disappeared from the radar on Monday night at a time when four Israeli F-16 fighters attacked targets in Syria's Latakia province. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed. This is absolutely not in the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership," defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised message. The Russian military in Syria received a notification via a hotline about the Israeli airstrike one minute before it happened, which did not allow enough time for the Russian aircraft to move to the safe zone, Konashenkov said. He said the Israeli jets used the Il-20 as a shield, whose effective reflective surface is 10 times larger than that of the F-16, leading to the shooting down of the Russian plane. The Israeli jets deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in the area, the spokesman said. "We regard the provocative actions of Israel as hostile ... We reserve the right to adequate response actions," Konashenkov said. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, saying that "the blame for the downed Russian plane and the death of the crew lies entirely on the Israeli side." "The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly called on the Israeli side to refrain from attacks on the Syrian territory that threaten the safety of the Russian servicemen," Shoigu told Lieberman. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Il-20 crashed about 27 km off the coast of Latakia. Remains of the crew's bodies and personal belongings, as well as wreckage of the aircraft, were brought aboard Russian ships. Search and rescue operations are still underway. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren over the incident. Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the Russian accusation. The deadly incident occurred just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed in Sochi to set up a demilitarized zone between the armed opposition and the government troops in Syria's Idlib province. The United States and Iran have praised the joint decision, which could prevent a war in Idlib as Damascus was preparing a large-scale offensive against rebels in the province. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the downing of the Russian aircraft will not affect the agreement on the demilitarized zone. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 20:53:30|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, meets with a delegation of Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by vice chairman of the NLD U Zaw Myint Maung, who is also chief minister of Myanmar's Mandalay region, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official said Tuesday that the CPC will continue to deepen exchanges on state and party governance experience with Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with an NLD delegation led by vice chairman of the NLD U Zaw Myint Maung. Huang said that the CPC will work with the NLD to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries. U Zaw Myint Maung, also chief minister of Myanmar's Mandalay region, said that the NLD values the "paukphaw" friendship between Myanmar and China, and is willing to learn from the CPC on governance, and enhance exchanges and cooperation with China to achieve win-win outcomes. Cast members of "Game of Thrones" pose for a photo after winning the award of outstanding drama series during the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Zeng Hui) by Julia Pierrepont III, Gao Shan LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- "Game of Thrones" and "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won top awards Monday evening at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, picking up outstanding awards for drama series and outstanding comedy series, respectively. HBO's "Game of Thrones" returned to the Emmys after a year out of contention and led the nominations with 22 nods. The fantasy drama television series is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels. It's the third Emmy win of "Game of Thrones" for best drama series following two wins in a row in 2015 and 2016. Actor Peter Dinklage poses with the award for most outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "Game of Thrones" during the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Zeng Hui) "The show is only as good as the people who make it. And we had the greatest cast, the greatest crew and the best producers in the business. And thanks to HBO for their vision. There is no better place to work," said producer David Benihoff. Martin, the prolific author of the series of books upon which the TV series is based, told Xinhua, "We may not have changed television, but as the first fantasy series to win Best Drama, we certainly changed the genre and opened the door for other quality fantasies." Peter Dinklage also won his third Emmy for most outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "Game of Thrones." Dinklage has been nominated in the category seven times and won the award in 2011 and 2015. "I had some concerns going into this role, because usually a role about someone my size usually does not have enough depth and layers to make it interesting. This was completely different. It's bittersweet to see it end," Dinklage told Xinhua. Amazon's "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" dominated the comedy categories with five honors including awards for Best Comedy and Lead Actress. When asked about the relevance of the show given the transforming effects of feminist activism on the political landscape of Times Up and #Me Too movements, writer/director/executive producer powerhouse, Amy Sherman-Palladino, told Xinhua, "You can't plan that kind of perfect timing. We never expected when this came out that Hollywood would be taking down so many trolls in real life. But, nobody gives you props for playing it safe, so we went for it." The series follows a housewife in 1958 New York City who discovers she has a knack for stand-up comedy and reinvents herself after her husband runs off with another woman. Rachel Bronsnahan got the last laugh when she snagged the Best Lead Actress in the field for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." When asked why she thought the show was so successful, she told Xinhua, "It's aspirational. I've always wanted to play complex, interesting and grounded women. And it's about a woman who reinvents herself when her dream fell apart after she achieved everything she thought she wanted. And it's filled with joy at its core." Her co-star, Alex Borstein, who plays Mrs. Maisel's tough-talking Greenwich Village promoter, walked away with the Best Supporting Actress in a comedy. After doing a mock strip tease on her way to the podium, Borstein said, "To my children: this is all wonderful, but none of it matters. You do!" HBO's freshman show "Barry" won big in the comedic actor categories, with Bill Hader "Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series." Hader told Xinhua, "It's surreal to me. I legit don't remember what I just said on stage! I was glad Henry (Winkler) and my other cast members pushed me to be better." Henry Winkler has been regaling TV audiences with his signature comedy since he stole the show as The Fonz in 1974's "Happy Days." Tonight he won the statue for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Winkler, 72, took his first Emmy of his career after he was first nominated for his role more than four decades ago. Winkler joked, "I wrote this acceptance speech 40 years ago!" Constance Wu, star of "Crazy Rich Asians", and Kit Harington, co-star of "Game of Thrones," presented Jeff Daniels with the trophy for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for "Godless." Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series was lassoed by Thandie Newton, who looked shocked at her surprising win for her portrayal in "Westworld." Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series was another surprise upset, going to the talented Matthew Rhys in "The Americans." Rhys earned his first ever Emmy Award in the final season of "The Americans." Claire Foy took home the Best Actress in a Drama Series crown for her impeccable portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II for Netflix's "The Crown." Foy told Xinhua, "It's been an incredible series for both Matt and I. Portraying a reigning monarch was such a challenge and a huge responsibility to get it right." Merritt Wever, a previous Emmy winner for Nurse Jackie, took the gold for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, for her work in "Godless." Wever told Xinhua, "I hadn't been thinking about winning. I just kind of dove into the character and was afraid that people would make fun of her." The 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and aired on NBC. It's an American award bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 21:33:38|Editor: ZX Video Player Close A bell-striking ceremony to mark the 87th anniversary of the "Sept. 18 Incident" is held at the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng) SHENYANG, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- On Tuesday morning, air raid sirens sounded for three minutes in Shenyang and 13 other cities in northeast China's Liaoning Province to mark the 87th anniversary of the "Sept. 18 Incident", the start of Japan's invasion of China. On hearing the sirens, Ji Ning, a 42-year-old guide at the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, the provincial capital, knew that a large crowd of visitors would soon arrive at the museum and she would explain to them one of the darkest pages of China's history. COMMEMORATION The sirens on Sept. 18 each year serve as a reminder of Japan's aggression. The Sept. 18 Incident occurred in 1931 when Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese soldiers of sabotage as a pretext for the attack. They bombarded Chinese barracks near Shenyang the same evening, beginning a large-scale invasion of northeast China. "In the early years, many people even did not know why there were wailing air raid sirens. But they gradually came to learn the significance," said Ji. Many countries, including China, keep the tradition of commemorating those lost during war even though war is just now a part of history, she said. Ji leads four to five groups of people to visit 510-meter-long exhibitions, including over 800 photos, 300 physical objects, and several simulated war scenes, on almost every working day over the past 20 years. "There is one Sept. 18 each year, but our routine work is all about 'Sept. 18'," she said. HEROES At the start of each tour, Ji begins with the "Sept. 18 Incident". "I prefer talking more about the Chinese army' and civilians' fight against Japanese invaders. It's inspiring to recount stories of the wartime heroes," she said. As a mother, Ji feels hurt whenever she recounts the story of Zhao Yiman, a legendary heroine who fought in China's northeast and was captured and killed by Japanese occupation forces at the age of 31. Zhao left her final words to her son in a letter, saying she regretted not fulfilling her duty of raising her son and hoped he would remember that his mother died for the motherland. "What made a mother abandon her son?" said Ji, adding that if people understand Zhao, they would have a good understanding of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Besides Zhao, there are many more nameless wartime heroes. Since the "Sept. 18 Incident", China waged a war against Japanese aggression for 14 years and finally won the first full victory against foreign invasion since the Opium War in 1840 at the cost of over 35 million military and civilian casualties. Ji recalled that one woman in her 70s from another northeastern province of Heilongjiang once visited the museum, carrying an old letter from her father saying he would join the anti-Japanese volunteer army in Liaoning. She had been searching for her father for many years, but all her efforts were in vain. Ji led her to the national anthem wall and told her the original song of the national anthem "March of the Volunteers" was written for the volunteer soldiers like her father. "After hearing my words, she burst into tears and then bowed three times in front of the wall," Ji said. "We should not forget history. Otherwise, we feel sorry for the heroes," said Ji. She said she was glad that many visitors left words like "do not forget national humiliation" and "revitalize the Chinese nation" on the quest book. PEACE The museum, which hosts 1 million visitors annually, has become a major place for China to host the activities in commemoration of the war against Japanese aggression. Air raid sirens have sounded in Shenyang each Sept. 18 since 1995 to remind citizens of the war past. In recent years, many other places in the country's northeast and elsewhere also sounded air raid sirens amid a spate of commemoration activities nationwide. On Tuesday, around 1,000 people from all walks of life in Shenyang attended a bell-striking ceremony and vehicles on 27 main streets in the city stopped and honked their horns for three minutes to remember those who died in the war and pray for peace. Similar air raid sirens sounded in Nanjing and other cities of east China's Jiangsu Province Tuesday morning and vehicles and pedestrians stopped in a silent tribute. "To remember history is not to continue hatred. Commemoration of the Sept. 18 Incident does not conflict with the development of Sino-Japanese relations," Ji said. Among the visitors, those from Japan and a former war prisoner impressed her the most, said Ji. On Sept. 18, 2006, former Japanese prisoner of war Fujihara Sukeo became the first Japanese to attend a bell-striking ceremony. He also took part in a three-minute silence to express his remorse. In 1943, 22-year-old Sukeo came to China as a Japanese soldier. In 1945, he was captured by the Red Army of the Soviet Union in Liaoning. He was set free by the Chinese government and repatriated to Japan in 1956. "During the remainder of my life, I hope to tell my children and grandchildren the truth of war and history from my own experience. I will strive for Sino-Japanese friendship until the end of my life and hope there won't be any war in the future," Sukeo told museum staff through a translator before leaving. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and people of the two countries hope to get along well with each other. Ji is busier during the days around Sept. 18 when over 10,000 visitors with different accents, young and old, throng to the museum each day. "If the war had never happened, Zhao Yiman would surely have been a better mother and the volunteer soldier would have been a better father," Ji said. "Today, we talk about the war and remember the sufferings in a bid to live a peaceful life," she said. (Video editor: Zhao Yuchao) Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 21:33:38|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Kim Jong Un (R), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), meets with visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang, DPRK, in the third summit for the pair this year, on Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Pyongyang Press Corps) PYONGYANG/SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un held talks in Pyongyang on Tuesday, the first day of their three-day summit. The talks started at 3:45 p.m. local time (0645 GMT) at the main building of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and concluded about two hours later. Kim said in his introductory remarks that he felt he and Moon had become very close, and that the close personal relationship between them will help forge better bilateral relations and improve the mutual feelings between the DPRK and the United States. The DPRK leader said Moon had "ignited the embers" of the historic DPRK-U.S. summit in Singapore in June, adding that it would surely bring stability to the region and produce more results. Moon said that "the spring of Panmunjom became the fall of Pyongyang ... and now it's time to reap the results," referring to the first inter-Korea summit in Panmunjom in April. The two leaders met in Panmunjom again in May and the Pyongyang summit is their third meeting this year. He expressed appreciation for Kim's "bold determination to open a new era on the Korean Peninsula." While signing the guest registry before the start of the talks, Moon wrote that "To peace and prosperity, the heart of our people is one." During the talks, Moon was accompanied by Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor for the South Korean president, and Suh Hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). On the DPRK side, Kim was joined by Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the WPK Central Committee, and Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the DPRK leader and the first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee. It marked the first time that the leaders of the two Koreas held a meeting at the WPK's main building, Moon's senior press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a press briefing at the press center in Seoul. Moon and Kim are scheduled to have another face-to-face talk on Wednesday. If the talks go smoothly, they would hold a joint press conference to announce the dialogue results, Moon's chief of staff Im Jong-seok said Monday. Before leaving for Pyongyang, Moon said he planned to have a lot of frank talks with Kim during his DPRK visit in order to bring an "irreversible, permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula" and help restart the DPRK-U.S. dialogue on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) of the DPRK said the Pyongyang summit aimed to implement the Panmunjom Declaration issued after the first Moon-Kim summit. The Pyongyang summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history," the KCNA said. Remarkable progress has been made in the dialogue between the two Koreas since the beginning of the year, but challenges remain as the United States and the DPRK find it not easy to narrow the gaps in negotiations over the peninsula's denuclearization. Moon's ongoing visit to Pyongyang, aimed at restoring stalled talks between the DPRK and the United States, is the first by a South Korean head of state in 11 years. South Korea's late presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun traveled to Pyongyang for meetings with then DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, father of the current leader, in 2000 and 2007, respectively. Moon's press secretary told the press briefing at the Seoul press center that the South Korean president is scheduled to visit New York later this month for the United Nations General Assembly and meet U.S. President Donald Trump. If the inter-Korea summit produces fruitful results, Moon will exchange views with Trump based on the results, the press secretary said. Moon and South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook arrived in Pyongyang at around 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), and were greeted by Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju at the Pyongyang International Airport with a grand welcoming ceremony. The two leaders left the airport in one black sedan after inspecting the guards of honor and exchanging greetings with the cheering crowds at the airport. The pair, escorted by a motorcade, smiled and waved to local residents while their car traveled past the Ryomyong Street in downtown Pyongyang. The presidential Blue House of South Korea estimated the number of DPRK civilians lining the street to welcome Moon at about 100,000. Moon and Kim were seen later to step out of the same convertible black sedan outside the the Baekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon is staying during his Pyongyang trip. After the talks, the two leaders will watch a mass gymnastics and artistic performance titled "The Glorious Country" in the evening. They will resume talks on Wednesday morning and hopefully sign a peace treaty to end the military tensions on the peninsula. Moon is expected to return home Thursday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 21:38:40|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (C) shakes hands with a parliament member before delivering his first state of the nation address to open the first session of the ninth parliament in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Sept. 18, 2018. Emmerson Mnangagwa said Tuesday his government will not rush to re-introduce a local currency before economic fundamentals have been addressed. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa) HARARE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Tuesday his government will not rush to re-introduce a local currency before economic fundamentals have been addressed. He said the multiple currency regime introduced in 2009 will therefore remain in place until the negative economic fundamentals have been corrected. The president said this in his first state of the nation address to open the first session of the ninth parliament. There has been growing uncertainty in the market in the wake of reports of imminent return of the local currency and rising foreign exchange rates on the black market. He said some of the economic fundamentals that need to be addressed first include a sustainable fiscal position, forex reserves of up to six months of import cover and sustainable consumer and business confidence. "These economic fundamentals are yet to be met to justify introduction of our own currency," Mnangagwa said. He said the government will institute measures to stabilize the macro-economic environment, reduce budget deficit and grow the economy. To address biting foreign currency shortages which have affected importation of critical imports, Mnangagwa said government had negotiated lines of credit worth 500 million U.S. dollars to meet foreign currency requirements for businesses. Disbursement of the funds will start this week, he said. He said his government will also put in place a comprehensive plan to accelerate clearance of the country's 1.8 billion U.S. dollars arrears to the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Zimbabwe has a huge external debt of roughly 11 billion U.S. dollars which has stifled its efforts to attract fresh capital from multilateral financial lenders to help revive its economy. He said the government will review bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements (BIPPAs) to attract investment from around the world. "Although we have made progress over the last 10 months, some challenges, however, still continue to face our country's economy. I urge us all, the executive, legislature, private and public sector alike to be partners in bringing about a new economic order, economic growth and job creation," he said. He vowed to stamp out corruption and to improve efficiency in the public sector, saying bureaucracy and red tap will not be tolerated. The government will also seek to revamp underperforming state owned entities so that they contribute meaningfully to the economy. Meanwhile, the president set the parliamentary legislative agenda and said several bills mainly focusing on improving economic efficiency will be tabled before parliament. The parliament will also speed up alignment of outstanding laws to the new constitution that was adopted in 2013. Mnangagwa's address was boycotted by legislators from the opposition MDC Alliance who stormed out of parliament as soon as he started to make his speech. The MDC Alliance has rejected Mnangagwa's victory in the July 30 poll despite the constitutional court affirming the victory. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 21:48:42|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HARARE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe will next month launch a transitional economic stabilization program to steer the country towards its vision of becoming a middle income country by 2030, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said Tuesday. The minister told journalists after a meeting with outgoing British ambassador to Zimbabwe Catriona Laing that the stabilization plan will contain a cocktail of economic reforms to help the country achieve its target. "We are working on a transitional economic stabilization program that tries to operationalize Vision 2030," he said. "The vision will see Zimbabwe becoming a middle income country with a per capita income of 5,000 U.S. dollars per person. This is achievable if we all have our hands on the deck," he said. A man holds the new $5 bond note which was introduced on the market to help ease the cash shortages in Harare, Zimbabwe, Feb. 4, 2017. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced a $5 bond note on Thursday. (Xinhua) HARARE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube on Tuesday said that the bond notes introduced in 2016 as a surrogate currency to the U.S. dollar remained legal tender as the government tried to find a last solution. The bond notes were introduced with a value of 1:1 to the U.S. dollar to plug cash shortages since 2016. While the bank rate remains static at 1:1, distortions have been created where retailers procure foreign currency on the black market while continuing to sell their commodities at the pegged bond note value. On his appointment as finance minister, Ncube spoke about the need to replace the bond note as part of economic reforms, saying that bad money was chasing away good money. Ncube has now confirmed that for the time being, the bond notes remained legal tender. "People should accept the bond note because as of today we have not changed the currency," he told journalists. "They (traders) should accept it. That is what I strongly recommend, until we have come up with this package which will then be a lasting solution to the currency issues." He said the government was working on fiscal reforms to reduce the budget deficit as these were a burden on the monetary side, while simultaneously addressing currency issues. Ncube said it was impossible to address currency issues alone without taking care of the fiscal side. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:08:45|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Oromia regional state police on Tuesday disclosed the arrest of 269 individuals in connection with a deadly attack on civilians and property damage on the outskirt of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. Some 23 people have so far been confirmed dead while some 886 others have left their homes as the attack drove residents to flee and seek refuge in schools and other public facilities, according to Ethiopian police. According to Alemayehu Ejigu, Oromia Regional State Police Commissioner, the arrested 269 suspects are now under police custody as investigations are underway in a bid to bring the perpetrators to justice. He also revealed that police has seized various armaments with individuals who are arrested in connection with the deadly ethnic-based attack. Thousands of people on Monday protested against the killing of civilians and property damage, urging the Ethiopian government to take action and protect civilians. Protesters flocking to Ethiopia's national palace and national broadcaster early Monday in Addis Ababa voiced for protection and security from the government. They also urged the government to take action and bring the perpetrator to justice. They further called for the provision of swift support from the government to the displaced people. During the protest, however, five people were shot dead as confrontations rose between police and angry demonstrators. According to Zeynu Jemal, Ethiopia Federal Police Commissioner, that attempts to loot property under the guise of demonstrations were underway and that some "dangerous vagrants" also tried to snatch weapons from police officers, eventually leading to the killing of five people. Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had on Sunday condemned the attack and killing of innocent people. "Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed strongly condemns the killings and acts of violence against innocent citizens around Ashawa Meda, Kataa and Fili Doro last night," said Fitsum Arega, chief of staff of the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office on Sunday. "These cowardly attacks represent a grave concern to the unity and solidarity of our people and will be met with appropriate response," Ahmed, who is in Saudi Arabia to witness the signing of a peace agreement with Eritrea, was quoted as saying. Video footage showing dead bodies and looted houses and properties appeared early Sunday on social media platforms. The incidents on Saturday and Sunday also followed recent clashes in the capital Addis Ababa, which witnessed deadly clashes among residents of the city and youth from surrounding areas who came to celebrate the return of a rebel leader from years-long stay in exile. Following clashes in the capital, Mayor of Addis Ababa Takele Uma on Friday warned the government will take legal measures against "conspirators" as tensions rise in the city as a large delegation led by Dawud Ibsa, leader of the previously banned rebel group Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), was due to arrive in Addis Ababa from exile. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:13:46|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with his Latvian counterpart Raimonds Vejonis at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 18, 2018. Raimonds Vejonis is in China to attend the Summer Davos Forum in north China's Tianjin. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Latvian counterpart Raimonds Vejonis in Beijing Tuesday. Vejonis is in China to attend the annual meeting of the Summer Davos Forum in north China's Tianjin. "China stands ready to deepen political trust, expand economic and trade cooperation and enhance people-to-people exchanges with Latvia based on mutual respect and equality so as to benefit the two peoples," Xi said. Noting that Latvia is the first among countries in the Baltic Sea region to sign a document on cooperation with China on the Belt and Road initiative, Xi said the two countries should facilitate the alignment of their development strategies, increase cooperation in such areas as logistics and infrastructure construction, and help promote interconnectivity between Asia and Europe. "China and Europe, as two stabilizing forces in the world and two major economies, should strengthen strategic communication, maintain opening up to each other, and jointly uphold multilateralism and build an open world economy through China-Europe cooperation, to contribute to world peace, stability and development," said Xi. This is the common responsibility China and Europe share, he said. Deeming the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe Countries (CEEC) "an important component of China-Europe relations" as well as "a bridge connecting the Belt and Road initiative with Europe," Xi proposed China and Latvia step up cooperation within the framework of China-EU and China-CEEC cooperation mechanism. Vejonis spoke highly of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative and the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, saying he hoped the two countries could strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, transportation, logistics and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. "Latvia is committed to promoting the development of Europe-China ties," said Vejonis. Xi and Vejonis also witnessed the signing of cooperative documents after their meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:18:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The automotive industry is still a key driver of technological innovation in Germany in spite of concerns that national carmakers have fallen behind foreign rivals in the area of electric mobility, a study published on Tuesday by the German Economic Institute (IW) found. The IW study highlighted that 40 percent of all new patent registries in Germany in 2015, the latest year for which data is available, originated in the automotive industry of which only a third applied to petrol-powered vehicles. "The popular belief in politics and the public that the German automotive industry is missing the boat on the technologies of the future is hence debunked (by this data)", study author Thomas Puls wrote. The findings were based on an evaluation of more than 40,000 patents filed in 2015 by the IW researchers. The term "automotive industry" was defined to include car manufacturers, as well as supplier firms in the manufacturing industry, related metal working businesses and service sector companies where the bulk of their commercial activities centered on the production of vehicles. Broken down by patent groups, companies included under this definition accounted for 43 percent of all new patents in the "electric and digital data processing sector." For categories such as 3D-printing, automotive companies also accounted for nearly every sixth patent. The most common areas for the use of patented digital technologies were self-driving vehicles, 3D printers for the construction of lightweight car parts and driving assistance systems. Together with other automotive innovations which bore no relation to a specific propulsion system, 70 percent of industry patent registries were in technological areas which were considered by IW to be highly promising for the future trajectory of electric mobility. The institute hereby emphasized that it was likely that this share had risen further since 2015 as the "development of alternative propulsion systems and systems for autonomous vehicles has gained significant momentum" in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal. The list of companies registering patents was led by the supplier firm Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch) 2015 which made 3,300 applications alone in 2015. Bosch was followed by the Volkswagen Group with its sprawling portfolio of 12 car brands, the Schaeffler supplier group, Daimler AG, BMW and Continental. IW noted that automotive suppliers generally played a greater role in driving innovations than actual carmakers in spite of the outsized contributions of individual companies like Volkswagen and Daimler. In total, nearly two thirds of assessed patents were filed by these companies, above all Bosch, Schaeffler, Continental, ZF Friedrichshafen and Mahle. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:23:50|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BERILN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- German police searched premises in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia on Tuesday in connection to the widely-publicized riots during the Hamburg G20 summit last year. A police spokesperson confirmed the development, as well as a "BILD" report that a 35-year-old German had hereby been arrested in the Winterhude quarter of Hamburg. No information was provided with regards to the charges filed by prosecutors against the suspect. The focus of the ongoing operation is placed on individuals who are suspected of having broken the law at a "Welcome to Hell" demonstration which left a trail of destruction in the Elbchaussee area of the northern German city. Amongst others, alleged offenses under investigation by state prosecutors and police include disturbing the public peace and resisting and using violence against security officers. A special investigatory commission "Schwarzer Block" (literally black block, the German name of a radical subgroup of demonstrators) has been established in Germany towards this end. It is being supported by a multinational police force, as well as the European Union's (EU) Eurojust agency in Den Haag. Back in May, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) already launched a joint investigation into 24 key suspects with security forces in 15 European countries. Hamburg's state interior minister Andy Grote (SPD) has likened some incidents of rioting during the G20 summit in the city to terrorism. "This was a concerted criminal operation which approaches the patterns which we would usually describe as terrorist", Grote said. The SPD politician highlighted that some left-wing extremists had demonstrated a willingness to put human lives at risk in the escalating demonstrations. According to Jan Hieber, director of the "Schwarzer Block" special investigatory commission, around 220 individuals clad in paramilitary gear succeeded in causing 1.5 million euros (1.75 million U.S. dollars) of damage in only 19 minutes during the most notorious of the riots in the Elbchaussee part of Hamburg. The group set cars on fire and attacked police vehicles as well, leading one security officer to draw his weapon. "It could have easily ended with fatalities", Hieber said. On Tuesday, German police launched a further European investigation into four suspects, three men and one woman, who are believed to have be responsible for a series of arson incidents. Hamburg police published images of the individuals on their website with a call for members of the public to come forward with any information they may have about their whereabouts. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:28:56|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga on Tuesday urged social media users to use social networking effectively and properly to prevent potential risks. Recently, Mongolia's National Police Agency has launched a national campaign to protect children from cybercrimes and strengthen parental control over children's social media usage. "Social media is becoming an important part of people's daily life around the world. Social networking sites like Facebook are platforms where all people could exchange views and ideas," Battulga said. "But cyber-related cases, including child sexual abuse through the Internet and creation of child pornography, have been increasing dramatically in our country in recent years," the president said. "So, it is time to induce proper and effective usage of the social media in order to prevent any risks," he said, expressing full support for the 20-day campaign with the aim of reinforcing parents' control over the social media usage of children, including removing strangers from children's lists of friends on social networking websites. Facebook is the most popular social network among Mongolians. According to data by the Mongolian government, there are over 1.5 million Facebook users in the country with a population of some 3 million. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:29:01|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- British businesses will pay a heavy price if Theresa May's government fails to protect access to a European workforce, London mayor Sadiq Khan said Tuesday. Khan gave his warning in response to a report released Tuesday by the Immigration Advisory Committee. The report recommends free movement from the EU should end after Britain leaves the European Union. Workers from EU member states coming to Britain after Brexit would no longer be given preferential access to Britain over no-EU immigrants, if the government accepts the recommendations. Instead Britain should consider embracing a Canada-style system in which there is no preferential access to the labor market for citizens of any other country, says the committee. It also recommends that it should be easier for higher-skilled workers to migrate to Britain. The committee also wants the government to scrap a limit on highly-skilled workers altogether which is currently set at 20,700 each year from non-EU countries Khan described the report as a missed opportunity to protect jobs and economic growth that are at grave risk from what he says is "May's appallingly mishandled approach to Brexit, and from a government that is only motivated by its ideological and economically illiterate migration target -- regardless of the cost to real people". He commented: "London's entrepreneurialism and economic growth is partly down to the flow of ideas and people from Europe and around the world. British businesses will pay a heavy price if the government fails to protect their access to a European workforce at all skill levels in the future." The mayor said more must be done to give local workforces the skills needed for the jobs of the future, adding that responsibility lies squarely with the government. "Any decision by this Government to prioritize reducing immigration at the expense of economic growth will damage our country for years to come," said Khan. The advisory committee was set up by Member of Parliament Amber Rudd when she was home secretary to inform Britain's migration policy after Brexit. The Russell Group, which represents Britain's most prestigious universities, said the report's recommendations are "unimaginative and unworkable". The group's CEO Tim Bradshaw said: "This was a real opportunity to steer the UK towards a more modern and intelligent immigration system, but the recommendations are unimaginative and, we believe, unworkable." For the past 45 years, EU citizens have been able to enter Britain freely as part of the bloc's free-movement rules. The Guardian newspaper commented that the new report is likely to strengthen the hand of those who want Britain to take a tough stance in the Brexit negotiations. Political commentators say high level of immigration into Britain was one of the key reasons for the decision in the 2016 referendum to leave the EU. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:29:02|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israel rejected on Tuesday Moscow's accusation of causing the loss of a Russian plane during an overnight airstrike in Syria. A rare announcement released by the military's spokesperson said that "Israel expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane." According to the statement, Israeli fighter jets targeted a facility of the Syrian armed forces in the coastal province of Latakia overnight. The strike was aimed to prevent the delivery of systems to manufacture "accurate and lethal weapons" from Iran to the militia of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the military said. "These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat to Israel," the military said. The Russian-made reconnaissance plane was shot down "due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire," which was launched by the Syrian army against the Israeli F-16 fighter jets, the military said. "Israel holds the Assad regime ... fully responsible for this incident," the statement read. "Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident." The statement was issued after Moscow blamed Israel for the loss of the plane. A spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry said the plane was shot down by the "extensive and inaccurate" fire of the Syrian air defense systems when the Syrian military tried to defend against attacks launched by four Israeli jets on government targets, the Interfax news agency reported. Following the incident, the Israeli air force launched a probe. Its initial findings suggested that "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (Surface to Air missile) fire hit and downed the Russian plane," the military said. The Syrian anti-air batteries fired "indiscriminately" and apparently "did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air," according to the findings. The Russian plane was not in the area of operation, and when the Syrian army launched the missiles, Israeli jets were already back to Israeli airspace, the military said. "Israel will share all the relevant information with the Russian government to review the incident and to confirm the facts in this inquiry," the military stated. The incident boosted tensions between Israel and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held regular meetings to coordinate their moves in the war-torn country. Israel has carried out some 200 airstrikes over the last 18 months, claiming that the attacks aimed to prevent Iranian weapons convoys and stop Iran from establishing a military foothold in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:39:05|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 18, 2018. Tuilaepa is in China to attend the Summer Davos Forum in the coastal city of Tianjin. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi here on Tuesday, pledging further support for the Pacific island country's push for economic development. During the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi voiced his appreciation for Tuilaepa's contribution to the development of China-Samoa ties. The Samoan prime minister is in China to attend the forthcoming Summer Davos Forum in the coastal city of Tianjin. "Samoa was one of the first Pacific island countries that established diplomatic relations with China," Xi said, noting that the Chinese side cherishes the traditional friendship with Samoa and appreciates the country's firm and long-lasting adherence to the one-China principle. "China will continue supporting Samoa's efforts to develop the economy and improve people's livelihoods, as well as those to safeguard the legitimate interests of Samoa and other South Pacific island countries in international and regional affairs," said the Chinese president. Xi said China stands ready to grasp the opportunity of building the Belt and Road to expand practical cooperation with Samoa. The Chinese side understands and attaches great importance to the special concern of Samoa and other Pacific island countries on climate change and will work together with Samoa and the international community to proactively advance the global process of addressing the problem. Hailing their mutual trust and friendly relationship based on the one-China principle over the past 43 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relations, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said the Samoan side values the ties with China and is willing to boost people-to-people exchanges as well as trade, investment and tourism cooperation with the Chinese side within the Belt and Road framework. The Samoan side is appreciative of China's leading role in addressing climate change and will increase cooperation with China in multilateral affairs, said the prime minister. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:49:08|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) meets with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 18, 2018. Jagland visited Athens on Tuesday to discuss with Greek leaders the migration, refugee crisis. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) by Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The migration, refugee challenge cannot be addressed only by a small group of EU states, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland agreed on Tuesday in Athens. The Council of Europe has an important role to play in the protection of human rights and social cohesion in Europe, Pavlopoulos noted, welcoming Jagland who visited the Greek capital to discuss with Greek leaders the migration, refugee crisis. This particular issue is a test for all Europeans who need to prove that they respect human rights, the Greek president said, according to an e-mailed press statement issued from his office. "Some of our partners should understand that it is not possible to violate in such a manner human rights in the case of refugees and think that they can go away with this without sanctions," Pavlopoulos stressed in a message to EU member states who refuse to share the burden. "It is not fair for a small group of countries to bear the burden of migration. A small group of states cannot manage this problem. This situation must change," Jagland said on his part, according to the press statement. The Council of Europe chief praised Greece for its solidarity with incoming refugees and migrants and the respect of human rights in recent years, despite the economic crisis. Regarding the economic crisis and austerity policies implemented to tackle it, Pavlopoulos stressed the need to adopt measures to support social cohesion. "Social cohesion is in danger from the corrosion of the welfare state. We must defend social rights, because inequalities, due to economic policies, destroy social cohesion and this is very dangerous," the Greek president said. This is a key goal for Greece in the post-bailout era which started on Aug. 20, when the debt-laden country exited the harsh bailout after eight difficult years. Jagland also held a separate meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday. But no statements were made to the press. Jagland, however, said on his twitter account that "I commend Tsipras and the people of Greece for helping the most vulnerable people during the worst crisis. We shall not forget your humanitarian support and solidarity." Greece has been at the front of the refugee, migrant crisis since early 2015. More than 1 million people have landed on Greek shores and continued their journey to central and northern Europe until the closure of borders in the Balkan route in March 2016. Although arrivals have been reduced since then, still dozens of desperate people each day keep risking their lives to cross the Aegean Sea from the Turkish shores to reach Greece. Approximately 60,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece, according to official data. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:49:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that the cultivation and private use of cannabis is not a criminal offense. The court ruled unanimously that the country's long-time ban on private possession and consumption, and cultivation of the plant for own use infringes upon the Constitution which gives all citizens the right to privacy. However, the court said cannabis may not be consumed in public, nor distributed or sold, or used by minors. The court gave Parliament 24 months to develop a law that will give more clarity in line with the ruling. Parliament said in response that its relevant structures will take a decision on the matter to give effect to the judgment. As required by the Constitution, the public will have an opportunity to make submissions during the processes in Parliament, spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) said it has noted the ruling by the country's highest court. The government recognizes the medicinal efficacies of cannabis, the DAFF said. The DAFF and the Department of Health are developing guidelines for regulating the cultivation and manufacturing of cannabis and cannabis products, DAFF spokesperson Khaye Nkwanyana said. As a result of the ongoing engagements amongst the different departments, the DAFF has already formally requested the Department of Health and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to consider the necessary legislative amendments to allow for the commercialization of cannabis in South Africa, according to Nkwanyana. Nkwanyana said the DAFF recognizes the developments around the world where various countries are decriminalizing cannabis either for medicinal use, recreational purposes or for both. Canada is the recent country where its senate has passed the Cannabis Act in June this year. Countries such as Uruguay, Netherlands, Panama and a few others have long legalized the use of the plant. Lesotho and Zimbabwe have also decriminalize the cannabis cultivation and its use. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:49:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said Tuesday that people cannot bear any further increase in taxes in Lebanon, local media reported. "People cannot pay more taxes to finance the government's projects. What we really need right now are real reforms whereby all political parties assume their full responsibilities in this regard," Khalil was quoted by the National News Agency as saying. Khalil also said that no new taxes will be adopted in the 2019 budget. Khalil's remarks came a day after news about possible tax hikes were published by Al Akhbar local newspaper. According to the newspaper, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh proposed an increase of 5,000 Lebanese pounds (3.31 U.S. dollars) in the price of fuel and a hike in value added tax to solve the housing loans crisis in Lebanon. "Salameh refused to impose more taxes on the banking sector in a bid to secure funds for housing loans," it said. It added that Salameh's new proposal came during his meeting last week with the national economic, trade and industrial parliament committee to discuss ways of solving the housing loans crisis in Lebanon. Khalil said earlier that the Finance Ministry is in the process of holding discussions with the political powers and parliamentary blocs over the 2019 budget draft so that it can be ready to get approval once the new government is formed. The new cabinet must discuss and approve the draft state budget before referring it to the parliament for endorsement. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 22:54:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JUBA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Some 78 incidents of aid operations were reported in August in South Sudan with most occurring in Jonglei, Central Equatoria and Upper Nile, the UN humanitarian agency said on Tuesday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said of these, 23 percent involved violence against humanitarian personnel and 26 percent involved violence against humanitarian assets. "This demonstrates how access to key locations where people are in need remains challenging, leaving civilians, aid workers and assets exposed to harm," it said in its latest report. "Operational interference, restrictions of movement, and bureaucratic and administrative impediments accounted for 48 percent, or close to half of all reported incidents," said the UN humanitarian agency. South Sudan has been embroiled in five years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll on the people, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016. The warring parties again signed the revitalized peace deal in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, last week amid international pressure to uphold the latest peace deal. According to OCHA, eight humanitarian staff were detained in August, as the increasing trend involving staff detentions continues, noting that three separate humanitarian convoys were looted within one week in Kapoeta East, Eastern Equatoria, all involving the looting of humanitarian supplies. It said government security forces eased the restriction of movement of humanitarians to Greater Baggari in August, opening up access following two months of restricted humanitarian movement. "This has allowed assessments of need and initial assistance to reach the population that had fled their homes due to violence," it said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:04:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- German coal commission should take the significant rise in price levels of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) into account when considering additional, unilateral action against German coal-fired power plants, said energy expert Marc Oliver Bettzuege, director of the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI). "The rise in the price of CO2-certificates in Europe is important new information for the commission on the future role of coal in Germany, too," said Bettzuege in a recent interview with Xinhua. The phase-out of coal energy is one of the biggest challenges for the German energy sector. For that reason, the so-called "coal commission" is currently discussing the timing and conditions for opting out of this traditional energy generation. The commission, consisting of members from economy, industry, environmental associations and regional representatives, has been meeting in Berlin on Tuesday again. The price for CO2 certificates has risen significantly over the past year. On Tuesday, the price for a certificate that allows companies to emit one ton of carbon dioxide was 20.70 euros (24.19 U.S. dollars), almost three times more than one year ago. The price for one certificate reached a record high of 24.84 euros on Sept. 10 2018. CO2 certificates have been introduced by the European emissions trading system in 2005. About 11,000 power plants and factories in 31 countries are registered in the system which covers around 45 percent of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. "The more relevant factor for understanding price formation in the EU ETS is not the annual allocation of certificates, but the total quantity of allowances issued from now into the future," explained Bettzuege. "This is due to the fact that certificates issued at a certain point in time remain valid in the following years. Therefore, it is possible for market participants to bank them." Companies that emit less CO2 than originally allocated, can sell the surplus of their allowances. Thereby, the EU provides companies with a financial incentive to reduce their CO2 emissions. Currently, the EU is reducing the amount of carbon allowances available by 1.74 percent per year to increase the pressure on companies to gradually lower their greenhouse gas emissions. Changes in expectations about the long-term supply of certificates are critical for determining prices in the market, according to Bettzuege. The energy expert therefore considered recent political action indicating a reduction of this long-term supply to be a major reason for the current price development. "The recent increase in the EU ETS price has coincided with the adoption of the ETS reform package by the EU and the member states." The European Union plans that CO2 certificates which were not sold at auctions, will be transferred into a so called Market Stability Reserve in order to make the market more resistant to turbulences. The EU aims to take 24 percent of certificates in circulation out of the market between 2019 and 2023, thus seeking to reduce the oversupply of carbon allowances. In Germany, 1,833 facilities were legally obliged to participate in emissions trading in 2017, of which 942 are from the energy generating sector and 891 from industries. Across all sectors, these facilities emitted 438 million tons of CO2, with energy plants contributing almost three-quarters of total emissions. "In Germany, such political topics are often only considered at a national level, although they need to be suitably embedded into the overarching European framework," said Bettzuege. For example, the investment support given to renewable energy sources or the managing of the coal phase-out in Germany would often be discussed through "German glasses" only. "We at EWI have been pointing to the vital importance of Germany applying a coherent European perspective for years," added Bettzuege. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:09:18|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (L) inspect the guard of honor in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Sept. 18, 2018. Moon arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a much-anticipated meeting with Kim, the third inter-Korean summit this year. (Xinhua/Pyongyang Press Corps) PYONGYANG/SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in landed in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a much-anticipated three-day summit with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s top leader Kim Jong Un. Moon stepped out of the plane in the morning to a smiling Kim and a grand welcome ceremony, an obvious gesture of goodwill from the DPRK side amid mixed prospects for the denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States. Moon has said that one of the main aims of his visit is to revive the stalled DPRK-U.S. talks on denuclearization, but observers are divided over the prospects for dialogue on the peninsula. Nevertheless, the economic side of the summit on Tuesday offers hope for concrete results, which could potentially be a good starting point for injecting fresh momentum into the peace talks on the peninsula. KIM WELCOMES MOON IN PERSON Moon and Kim met for about two hours from 3:45 p.m. local time (0645 GMT) in the main building of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Kim said in his introductory remarks that he felt he and Moon had become very close. Moon said "the spring of Panmunjom became the fall of Pyongyang," referring to the place of their three meetings this year, South Korean media reports said. Moon is the first head of state from South Korea to visit Pyongyang in 11 years. They had met for the first time on April 27 at the truce village of Panmunjom on the border, followed by a second surprise summit on May 26. The summit on Tuesday was marked by obvious gestures of goodwill as a smiling Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju showed up at the airport to welcome the visiting South Korean president and first lady Kim Jung-sook. Moon landed in Pyongyang at around 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT). A cheering crowd waved flowers, DPRK national flags and the unified flag for the Korean Peninsula, which features a map of the whole peninsula. "Warm welcome to President Moon Jae-in on his visit to Pyongyang," a banner in the background read. The two leaders greeted each other with a hug and inspected the ceremonial guards before leaving together for the Baekhwawon State Guest House in a black sedan. They waved to the people lining up on the side of the road to welcome Moon upon his arrival, which was broadcast live in South Korea. On the sidelines of the summit, Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, met with South Korean ministers and senior officials as well as some of the business executives in Moon's entourage. The first ladies of the two Koreas visited a children's hospital and a music college in Pyongyang in the afternoon. STALEMATE IN DPRK-U.S. DIALOGUE The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the Pyongyang summit aims to implement the Panmunjom Declaration issued after the first inter-Korean summit in April. The Pyongyang summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korea relations that is making a new history," the KCNA said. Before leaving for Pyongyang, Moon said he planned to have a lot of frank talks with Kim in order to bring "irreversible, permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula" and help restart the DPRK-U.S. dialogue. Kim met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June and said that they would try to work towards the denuclearization of the peninsula, but recently the talks have been in a stalemate. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled a planned trip to the DPRK, citing lack of progress. The official Rodong Sinmun on Tuesday said in a commentary that the United States is totally to blame for the deadlock by "stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first' which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues." Instead, the United States should have an honest and diligent attitude toward the dialogue, it said. Observers said that it would be a gesture of goodwill if the two sides could reach a consensus on military issues, even though it may still be challenging for the two sides to achieve breakthroughs without a substantial change in the approach of the United States. Separately, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations said Monday that positive changes have occurred on the Korean Peninsula, which is good for a political settlement of related issues. "The situation is now on the correct track of dialogue towards political settlement," said Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu at a Security Council meeting. "China wishes to see both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea (ROK) implement the outcome of their summit," he said. ECONOMIC COOPERATION Wang Peng, associate research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, highlighted the economic aspect of the summit as a potentially easier starting point. "It's the easiest to start with the economic cooperations and produce concrete results there and then work towards other goals, since they would be helpful in building political trust and raise the prospects for peace on the peninsula," Wang said in an interview with Xinhua. Moon came with an entourage of about 150, including presidential secretaries, cabinet members, lawmakers, business leaders and representatives of the cultural sector. Significantly, Moon's delegation includes some of South Korea's most prominent business leaders, including those from the conglomerates Samsung, LG and Hyundai. This is seen as a follow-up on the economic part of their previous talks, which resonates with Pyongyang's decision in April to carry out strategic economic construction. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:14:20|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 18, 2018. Aleksandar Vucic is in China to attend the Summer Davos Forum. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is in China to attend the Summer Davos Forum annual meeting in Tianjin. Hailing the traditional friendship and deep trust between China and Serbia, Xi said the two countries have seen fruitful outcomes of pragmatic cooperation. He welcomed the implementation of consensus reached between him and Vucic on bilateral cooperation, which has injected strong power into the development of China-Serbia relations. China is willing to work with Serbia to firmly support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, and jointly safeguard multilateralism and international justice, he added. Xi mentioned the smooth cooperation between China's Hebei Iron and Steel Group and Serbian Smederevo steel plant, and the fact that the project has become Serbia's second-largest exporter. China and Serbia should join hands in the Belt and Road construction, and synergize their development strategies to deepen bilateral cooperation and better benefit the two peoples, Xi said. For his part, Vucic said Serbia appreciates China's help and is willing to become a truehearted partner of China and continually support each other to consolidate their friendship. Noting that the Belt and Road construction is beneficial to all people along the route, Vucic said the revival of the Smederevo steel plant served as a strong evidence that the Belt and Road Initiative contributed to an increase of jobs and economic growth in Serbia. He said Serbia will actively participate in the initiative and explore new cooperation areas with China under the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation framework. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:14:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday the downing of the Russian Il-20 surveillance plane was the result of "a chain of tragic and random circumstances" and Russia will beef up security measures for its soldiers. The incident on Monday night was different from Turkey deliberately shooting down a Russian jet in November 2015 as Israel did not attack the Il-20, Putin said at a joint press conference with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "But, no doubt, we have to investigate this seriously," he said, adding that Russia in response will provide additional security to its troops in Syria. Putin expressed condolences to the relatives of those who had perished in the tragedy. The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier in the day that the Il-20 plane with 15 servicemen on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile due to a simultaneous Israeli air strike that confused Syria's air defense system. The ministry said the Israeli jets used the Il-20 as a shield and called the provocative actions of Israel hostile. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:19:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close LUSAKA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Tuesday expressed concern over the outbreak of cholera in neighboring Zimbabwe, saying the outbreak could spill over. Cholera has broken out in Zimbabwe and has so far claimed about 30 lives while thousands of cases have been recorded. Minister of Local Government and Housing Vincent Mwale said the cholera outbreak in the neighboring country was a source of concern because of the shared border. He has since called for concerted efforts to keep the surroundings clean. He further said a ministerial committee on epidemic outbreaks will meet this week. "It is about cleanliness and how we take care of our environment. It is possible that we can have cholera. Things that need to be done are very clear to us," he said. The Zambian minister however said there is currently no cholera outbreak in the country. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (L) inspect the guard of honor in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Pyongyang Press Corps) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations said Monday that positive changes have occurred on the Korean Peninsula, which is good for a political settlement of related issues. "The situation is now on the correct track of dialogue towards political settlement," said Chinese ambassador to the UN Ma Zhaoxu at the Security Council meeting on non-proliferation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "China wishes to see both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea (ROK) implement the outcome of their summit," he said, expressing the hope that their summit on Tuesday will yield positive results. Commending the political will to dismantle nuclear facilities demonstrated by the DPRK, he urged all Council members and other relevant parties to consolidate this momentum. Three things are key, he said, citing the need to uphold the goal of denuclearization, address legitimate security concerns, and dialogue. "There is no military solution and confrontation is a dead end," he noted, proposing a dual track approach: the DPRK should suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and the United States and the ROK should suspend their joint military exercises. The ambassador said that his country has fulfilled Security Council resolutions on the DPRK and can submit a record of oil exports to that country. "China will handle violations, if found, in accordance with its laws," he said. The meeting was requested by the United States. Its UN ambassador Nikki Haley briefed the Council on issues related to the latest midterm report of the Panel of Experts on the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. The meeting came at a time of growing tension between permanent members, mainly the United States and Russia, over the implementation of sanctions on the DPRK, and, most recently, over the content and handling of the panel's midterm report. Haley issued a press release on Sept. 13 accusing Russia of pressuring the panel to modify its report, which described violations of sanctions by some Russian actors. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:29:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close LUSAKA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Zambian authorities said on Tuesday that remains of deceased people who were involved in a bus accident in South Africa's Mokopane in Limpopo Province will be flown from that country. Eleven Zambians died on Monday when the bus which was traveling from Zambia to South Africa overturned after a tyre burst while scores of others were injured. Among the dead included eight men and three women. Emmanuel Mwamba, Zambia's High Commissioner to South Africa said the embassy was working with the South Africa Road Fund to meet some of the costs associated with the critically injured and the deceased. "We are encouraging families who have relatives in South Africa to help identify the deceased. For those with no one in South Africa, the bus service will fly into South Africa a family member to help with the identity of the deceased persons," he said in a statement. The Zambian envoy urged affected families to exercise patience to enable authorities process mandatory procedures. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:29:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Audi chief executive officer (CEO) Rupert Stadler will be sacked shortly after being arrested in the course of German "dieselgate" investigations more than nine weeks ago, the newspaper "Handelsblatt" reported on Monday night. "Handelsblatt" cited an insider on the Volkswagen Group supervisory board, Audi's parent company, who said that the senior figures at the carmaker wanted to prevent further reputational damage to the luxury brand by firing the currently suspended Stadler. "Anything other than Stadler's sacking (at an upcoming supervisory board on September 28th) would be surprising", the source said. Stadler is the first senior automotive manager in Germany to be jailed as a consequence of the diesel emissions scandal. His contract at Ingolstadt-based Audi was extended by a further five years as recently as May 2017. Since Stadler's arrest and resulting suspension, Audi head of sales Bram Schot has temporarily assumed his duties at the luxury carmaker. However, it is Markus Duessman, the former procurement chief recently poached from Munich-based and fellow Bavarian rival BMW, rather than Schot, who is widely cited in German media as Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess preferred choice to replace Stadler. The "Handelsblatt" report suggesting that this anticipated transition from Stadler to Diess is now imminent was published on the same day as the official presentation of the Audi "Etron" in San Francisco, the company's first ever fully-electric Special Utility Vehicle (SUV). Audi is hoping to turn the page on the diesel emissions scandal with the "Etron" and has hereby at least intermittently taken the lead in a race by German carmakers to electrify their fleets. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are both scheduled to release their own battery-powered SUV models, the BMW "ix3" and Mercedes "EQC", soon as well. Audi is more embroiled in the "dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal than its local competitors BMW and Mercedes, a circumstance which has sparked fears among its management and workforce that it could suffer longer-term losses of market share in the prestigious and lucrative luxury automotive segment. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:34:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A record haul of 10 million tablets of methamphetamine was seized in northern Thailand on Sunday, said a deputy police chief on Tuesday. Police seized the 10 million speed pills from a pickup truck on a road in Sukhothai province, about 427 kilometers north of Bangkok, alongside 37 kilograms of heroin, said Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen. Chalermkiat Srivorakan. Four suspected drug traffickers, one male and three females, were arrested at the scene. The suspects, all being natives of Phop Phra district of Tak province, were identified as Prawit Sae Ma, 67, Ying Sae Ma, 54, Kue Sae Ma, 49, and Napha Kitphanichsakul, 33. The speed pills and heroin had been meant for delivery to an unknown person in Ayutthaya province, about 80 kilometers north of Bangkok, the deputy police chief said. The drugs would have cost more than two billion baht (about 62 million U.S. dollars) if traded in a blackmarket. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:34:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopia National Security Council (NSC), a governmental body tasked with making major national security decisions warned on Tuesday it will take legal measures against subversive forces. In a press statement, NSC said the government is ready to take appropriate legal measures to secure the rule of law against threats by subversive forces, who want to use the democratic opening in the country, as an excuse to conduct destructive acts. The council didn't specify who these subversive forces are. "Recent conflict in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the neighboring Burayu town, was not a result of minor differences between people, rather they were meticulously planned by some groups whose destructive plan was foiled in other parts of the country." said the statement. The NSC statement further said the Ethiopian government is ready to take necessary measures to safeguard the peace and security of its people. The statement followed deadly ethnic violence in the weekend in Burayu town between local ethnic Oromos and other ethnicities that left at least 23 people dead and 886 others displaced. The weekend attack followed recent clashes in the capital Addis Ababa among local residents and youth from surrounding ethnic Oromo areas who flocked to the city to celebrate the return of the exiled rebel leader of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) group that has been fighting insurgency for self-determination of Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, the Oromos. Addis Ababa is an ethnically-mixed city of around four million people, but is situated within the larger Oromo-dominated Oromia regional state. Video footage and digital pictures showing dead bodies and looted properties in Burayu town started appearing on Sunday morning, prompting deadly street protests in Addis Ababa on Monday. Speaking to state media outlets, Zeynu Jemal, Commissioner of Ethiopia Federal Police Commission, said five people were shot dead, during confrontations with security forces in Addis Ababa. Jemal said there were attempts to loot property under the guise of demonstrations and that some "dangerous vagrants" also tried to snatch weapons from police officers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:49:32|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China will roll out new measures including cutting customs clearance time, streamlining port services and improving the export tax rebate policy to increase opening up and facilitate the steady growth of foreign trade, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Tuesday. Premier Li Keqiang also stressed the imperative for further opening up when meeting the press earlier this year after the National People's Congress. "The growth of foreign trade directly bears on boosting economic growth and upgrading domestic consumption. It is important to further improve current policies regarding export tax rebate and financial services," Li said. The meeting has made the following decisions: First, to advance trade facilitation, this year will see further steps to shorten the overall time for both import and export customs clearance and reduce the number of documents required for customs clearance by another one-third. The cost of customs clearance will also be further cut. In principle, companies will be able to get the customs clearance documents processed online and go through verification at ports. Further progress will be made to realize one-time joint inspection by customs, border control and maritime safety authorities. The list of government administrative charges at ports will be released before the end of the year. No charges beyond the list should be collected. Second, costs of import and export companies will be cut, and the export rebate policies will be further improved. The frequency of inspections for exports will be lowered, and the coverage of export credit insurance will be expanded. Financial institutions will be encouraged to increase the use of the credit loan under export credit insurance and the export tax rebate account pledged loan to scale up financing support to import and export companies, especially the micro, small and medium-sized ones. By putting forward efforts in streamlining administration, delegating powers and improving services, the General Administration of Customs has played a positive role in promoting stable growth of imports and exports. "Today's new measures should be introduced in a timely way and implemented with concrete measures, so that tangible benefits will be delivered to businesses engaging in foreign trade." Li said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:54:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close SANAA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths left Yemen's capital Sanaa on Tuesday after holding two-day intensified talks to revive peace process with dominant Houthi rebels. Griffiths did not hold press conference at the airport, nor did his security convoy allow journalists to take pictures. On Sunday, Griffiths arrived in Sanaa and met senior Houthi officials, including the group leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said on his Twitter account that "leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi met Griffiths in Sanaa." "They agreed on a set of preparations for paving the way to hold a future peace talk to end the war," Abdulsalam said without elaborating further details. Griffiths' office has not made a statement on the results of his visit. Last Tuesday, Griffiths told a Security Council meeting on the situation in Yemen, where the war has been escalating across all fronts. "The level of confidence is at its lowest and the human and humanitarian cost is ever rising," he told the council. Following the collapse of peace talks in Geneva on Sept. 8, the government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition warplanes advanced into the edges of rebel-held Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The forces tightened siege on the city and main roads linking the port with Sanaa, causing a sharp economic crisis on the rebel-controlled northern cities. Hodeidah port is the entry point of about 70 percent of the country's food, medicines, aid and fuel. The Geneva talks failed after the Houthi rebels refused to attend, claiming that the UN did not guarantee the safe return of the Houthi delegation. Two previous attempts in Switzerland and Kuwait in 2016 brokered by the United Nations also collapsed. Yemen's war has so far killed 10,000 people, mostly civilians, and displaced 3 million others. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthi rebels forced him into exile. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 23:54:33|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 18, 2018. Kersti Kaljulaid is in China to attend the Summer Davos Forum in the northern port city of Tianjin. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met here Tuesday with his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid, who is in China to attend the Summer Davos Forum in the northern port city of Tianjin. China proposes building a community with a shared future for humanity, which means that China advocates mutual respect, equal treatment, harmony within diversity and win-win cooperation between different countries, Xi said. "Each country, regardless of its size, has its own merits and is an equal member of the international community," said Xi, calling for abandoning the "law of the jungle." Hailing Estonia as a country with a good geographical location, Xi said the ecological environment, green agriculture and digital economy of Estonia are unique, and the country actively participates in international affairs. China hopes to work with Estonia to promote bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment, Xi said. "The two sides should build up political mutual trust, synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with Estonian national development strategies, enhance pragmatic cooperation and carry out more high-quality people-to-people exchange activities," said Xi. He said China supports the European integration and is willing to work with the European side to maintain multilateralism, oppose unilateralism and build an open world economy. He also said China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Estonian side within the framework of Central and Eastern Europe and China cooperation. Kaljulaid said Estonia highly appreciates that China treats small countries like Estonia equally. "We hope to reinforce cooperation with China in trade, e-commerce, logistics and other fields and expand people-to-people exchanges." Estonia supports multilateralism and free trade, appreciates China's important role in global affairs, hopes to closely communicate and coordinate with China in multilateral affairs and jointly safeguard international rules and order, Kaljulaid said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:04:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TUNIS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Global Forum on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) kicked off Tuesday in the Tunisian capital Tunis. The forum, attended by 1,200 participants including 250 international donor representatives, will examine 33 projects worth about 13 billion dinars (4.6 billion U.S. dollars), according to Zied Ladhari, Tunisian Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation. The event is organized by the Tunisian Ministry of Development, Investment and International Cooperation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank. "This international event will enable the achievement of cost-effective projects using advanced technologies, in addition to creating opportunities for the transfer of technological know-how to serve the public sector," said Ladhari. "Despite the socio-economic difficulties ... we managed to achieve a growth of 2.6 percent during the first half of 2018, the highest since 2014," said Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed at the opening ceremony. "Foreign investments grew by about 20 percent during the first seven months, an increase that helps promote the national economy," he added. The main challenge that the government has faced since 2016 was the high state budget deficit, which was around 7 percent at that time. "We hope to hit this year the budget deficit at 4.9 percent, a deficit that would be decreased to 3.9 percent in 2019," Chahed said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:09:37|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng (L), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Anton Siluanov sign the summary of minutes after the fifth meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 18, 2018. Han met with Siluanov on Tuesday and co-chaired the meeting with him. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Tuesday agreed to further explore new areas of investment cooperation and create a more favorable investment and business environment for both sides. The pledge came as Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, co-hosted the fifth meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Anton Siluanov in Moscow. Han said the establishment of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee was a strategic measure taken under the guidance of both heads of state with the aim of comprehensively enhancing bilateral cooperation and boosting common prosperity. Since it was set up in 2014, the committee has played an important role in promoting the synergy of development strategies of the two countries, strengthening policy communication and coordination, boosting exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises and pushing ahead the implementation of major projects, said Han. The mechanism has become a key platform and thruster for the common development of both countries, he said. As the biggest neighbor of each other, China and Russia are major economies and emerging markets in the world, said Han, adding that the two countries have big economic volumes with vast markets and their industries are highly complimentary. He said both countries enjoy broad investment prospects with unique political, geopolitical and cultural advantages. Stressing that China has always viewed Russia as a priority partner for investment, Han said China stands ready to work with Russia to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and explore potentials of cooperation from a higher perspective at a deeper level and a more extensive scope so as to transform the advantage of the high-level bilateral political ties into more cooperation fruits and better benefit the two peoples. He pointed out that both sides should enhance alignment of strategies and coordination in the next stage and create a more regulated and convenient environment for making investments and doing businesses. The two sides should continue to prioritize the implementation of major cooperation projects between the two countries so as to form a good modeling effect, conduct cooperation on polar exploration and investment in the Far East and in the field of high-tech industry actively, he added. Echoing Han's remarks, Siluanov said Russia-China cooperation has entered a new phase as bilateral investment cooperation is fruitful and enjoys great potentials. Russia is willing to work with China to implement the consensus of both presidents, give full play to the committee, better synergize development strategies and enhance support in the areas of infrastructure, legislation and finance to provide better conditions for expanding investment cooperation, he said. A working report from the secretariat of the committee was reviewed at the meeting. During the meeting, both countries also reached a series of consensus on cooperation in the areas of investment and finance in the next stage, brought forth priorities of cooperation and confirmed a list of key projects in the new round of investment and cooperation. They also vowed to make adequate preparations for the 23rd regular meeting between the two heads of government which will be convened later this year. Han arrived here on Sunday for a three-day visit. This is his first overseas visit in his capacity as vice premier. He will head for Singapore on Tuesday to continue his tour. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:19:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin to convey Israel's condolences to the death of Russian aircrew shot down by Syrian forces during an Israeli airstrike. The phone talk came after Syrian air defense missiles shot down a 15-crew Russian plane amidst an Israeli air raid on the Syrian city of Latakia, according to Israeli and Russian officials. Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli military said its airstrike, carried out by four Israeli F-16s, was aimed to halt "accurate and lethal weapons" from Iran to the militia of Hezbollah in Lebanon. "The prime minister expressed his regret over the death of the Russian soldiers and said that Syria was responsible for the loss of the plane," the Israeli PM's Office said in a statement. During the talk, Netanyahu stressed the importance of the ongoing military coordination between Israel and Russia over their moves in Syria in the past three years, which "succeeded in preventing many losses on both sides," the statement said. Netanyahu told Putin that Israel is "determined to stop Iran's military buildup in Syria and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to give Hezbollah lethal weapons against Israel." Netanyahu also said Israel is prepared to share with Russia all the information it has collected on the accident and offered to dispatch to Moscow the Israeli air force commander to provide details from an investigation launched by the air force. The statement did not elaborate on Putin's remarks during the talk. Putin and Netanyahu have held regular meetings to coordinate their moves in the war-torn country. Israel has carried out some 200 airstrikes over the last 18 months, claiming that the attacks aimed to prevent Iranian weapons convoys and stop Iran from establishing a military foothold in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:19:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday asked for quick implementation of a Russia-Turkey agreement to set up a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province, which could avert a full-scale attack on the last major rebel stronghold in the country. "We hope that this agreement is expeditiously implemented, with full respect for international humanitarian law; with sustained humanitarian access; with respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria; and with continued preference for dialogue over escalation in addressing a complex situation," de Mistura told the Security Council in a briefing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Monday to establish a demilitarized zone within Idlib. The Syrian government has welcomed the agreement and confirmed its full coordination with Russia, said de Mistura. "I thank Presidents Putin and Erdogan for their personal engagement. I also believe that the strong international engagement on the dangers of a full-scale offensive in Idlib has been important," said de Mistura. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:24:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DUBAI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Dubai's non-oil foreign trade in the first six months of 2018 reached 645 billion dirham (175.74 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 0.78 percent, said Dubai Crown Prince on Tuesday. The re-export trade registered a 14-percent growth to reach 203 billion dirham, confirming Dubai's role as a regional and global re-export hub, said Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum on Twitter. "Dubai's commercial capacity expansion opens up new horizons for expanding partnerships and trade and economic cooperation with various parts of the world," he added. Dubai is part of the seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major oil supplier whereas oil contributes only 2 percent to Dubai's economy. About 90 percent of the UAE's "black gold" is located in the biggest emirate and Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:29:43|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Palestinian protesters take part in clashes with Israeli troops after a protest at Erez crossing near the border with Israel, northern Gaza Strip, on Sept. 18, 2018. Two Palestinians were killed and more than 30 wounded on Tuesday evening by Israeli troops' gunfire in northern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. (Xinhua) GAZA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed and more than 30 wounded on Tuesday evening by Israeli troops' gunfire in northern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza, told reporters that one of the two killed is Mohamed Abu Naji, 34 years old, and the other's identity is still unknown. Al-Qedra said that over 30 Palestinians were injured, including a paramedic and two local photo journalists, adding that they were injured by Israeli soldiers' gunfire in northern Gaza Strip. The demonstration at Erez crossing on the border was organized by the high commission of the "Great March of Return" to defy the Israeli blockade. Hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators joined the protest on Tuesday, which was called "together for protecting the rights of refugees and breaking the Israeli siege." Since March 30, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been going through popular protests against Israel. Demonstrators protest close to the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by Hamas movement since 2007. On Monday night, two Palestinian young men were killed and another was injured after a missile fired by an Israeli drone directly hit them when they approached the fence of the border. Al-Qedra said that since March 30, around 180 Palestinians were killed and over 19,000 injured, more than half of whom were shot by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, including women, children, paramedics and journalists. Israel accused Islamic Hamas movement of standing behind organizing the protests and rallies to pressure Israel to end around 12 years of a tight blockade imposed on Gaza. Efforts exerted by Egypt and the United Nations Special envoy Nickolay Mladenov had so far failed to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas-led groups in the Gaza Strip. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:34:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- German car maker BMW on Tuesday brought a planned shutdown of its Oxford plant forward to begin on the same day the UK leaves the EU in a bid to minimise the potential disruption a possible no-deal Brexit would create. BMW said in a statement that it would move the shutdown, which will last several weeks, to coincide with Brexit, scheduled for March 29 next year, in order to minimise any disruption risks in the event that no exit deal is agreed. "As a responsible organisation, we have scheduled next year's annual maintenance period at Mini Plant Oxford to start on 1 April, when the UK exits the EU, to minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit," the statement said. "While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it," it said. The Oxford plant is the site where the Mini is produced. "Planned annual maintenance periods at BMW Group production sites allow essential updating and equipment replacement to be completed over several weeks, while there is no production taking place," a BMW spokesperson said. BMW said its summer maintenance shutdown had been brought forward to April 1 to reduce any "possible short-term parts-supply disruption." "While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it," BMW said. The car maker said it "remained committed" to its UK operations. BMW's announcement came amid several warnings from across the UK motor industry about the threat posed by a departure from the EU without an agreement in place. Honda said on Tuesday that a no-deal Brexit would cost it tens of millions of pounds. Meanwhile, on Monday, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it was moving workers at its Castle Bromwich plant to a three-day week because of "continuing headwinds impacting the car industry." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:44:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RIGA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Latvia will pay almost 1.8 million euros into the European Union Facility for Refugees in Turkey over the next five years, the Latvian government decided on Tuesday. To ensure continued support for the Syrian refugees in Turkey, Latvia will contribute to the financing of the facility, the Latvian Foreign ministry said. Starting from 2019 through 2023, Latvia will pay 240,000 to 520,000 euros per year into the facility. The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey manages over 70 projects. The main focus areas are humanitarian assistance, education, migration management, health, municipal infrastructure, and socio-economic support. Some 1.3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey are recipients of facility's emergency social safety net that covers their basic needs. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 00:59:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri said Tuesday that there will be no government formation this week, reiterating the need for sacrifice by all political parties to reach a consensus. "If every political party attempts to eliminate the other, we will never be capable of forming a government in Lebanon. All parties must sacrifice to reach a consensus," Hariri said ahead of a meeting for Future Movement. Hariri has been facing various hurdles in his attempt to form a 30-member national unity government, due to the rifts among rival politicians over the representation of the main Christian parties, as well as the Druze sect. Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urged earlier this month all political parties to compromise in a bid to reach a consensus in government formation amid economic deterioration. "Lebanon's economy is in dire situation and everybody should compromise in a bid to reach a consensus and save the country's economic sectors from further deterioration," Berri said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 01:29:57|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), holds talks with Nuriddinjon Ismailov, speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan's Supreme Assembly, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks with Nuriddinjon Ismailov, speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan's Supreme Assembly, here on Tuesday. Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties 26 years ago, the relations between the two countries have forged ahead on a fast track. He said the two countries had become good neighbors, good friends and good cooperative partners, with enhanced bilateral political mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and strategic coordination. China is willing to cooperate closely with Uzbekistan to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, with the major focus on the joint building of the Belt and Road, Li said, citing Uzbekistan as one of the earliest countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative proposed five years ago and also one of the earliest countries to score progress in this regard. He said China attached great importance to its friendly cooperation with Uzbekistan's Supreme Assembly, and would further strengthen bilateral exchanges. Ismailov said that Uzbekistan's Supreme Assembly looks forward to more exchanges and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China, expressing the will to learn from China's experience in promoting reform and development, and in strengthening the rule of law. On Tuesday, Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Wang Chen, vice chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee, also met with Ismailov respectively. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 01:55:06|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close NAIROBI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The financial support China has been extending to African countries has propelled their socio-economic transformation as opposed to worsening their debt burden, Kenyan scholars said on Tuesday. The scholars who attended a roundtable on Chinese aid to Africa organized by Nairobi-based pan African policy think-tank, Africa Policy Institute (API), said loans and grants from China have sustained Africa's growth momentum without placing burden on taxpayers. Peter Kagwanja, the chief executive officer of Africa Policy Institute, said Chinese financial support to Africa which is advanced on friendly terms has provided answer to the continent's endemic challenges like poverty, disease, infrastructure bottlenecks and skills gap. He noted that Chinese investments have stimulated economic growth in Africa while opening new job opportunities for the continent's youthful population. "China's Belt and Road Initiative is funding infrastructure and opening up Africa for business. China has filled the vacuum created by the diminishing support from western donors," Kagwanja remarked. David Owiro, the executive director of Nairobi-based Africa Development think tank, noted that Chinese aid to Africa has been earmarked in areas that have direct benefits to ordinary citizens yet they are not attached to geopolitical considerations. "China has made a deliberate effort to respond to Africa's development needs like connectivity," said Owiro, adding that China's lending to Africa has not disrupted the continent's fiscal health contrary to the false narrative of "Debt Trap" advanced by critics. Anzetse Were, an economist and public policy analyst said that a conversation involving key players like policymakers, academia and media is key to help counter the false narrative that Chinese lending practices have imposed a fiscal burden on African countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 02:15:09|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 18, 2018 shows a general view of the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday asked for the quick implementation of a Russia-Turkey agreement to set up a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province, which could avert a full-scale attack on the last major rebel stronghold in the country. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday asked for the quick implementation of a Russia-Turkey agreement to set up a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province, which could avert a full-scale attack on the last major rebel stronghold in the country. "We hope that this agreement is expeditiously implemented, with full respect for international humanitarian law; with sustained humanitarian access; with respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria; and with continued preference for dialogue over escalation in addressing a complex situation," de Mistura told the Security Council in a briefing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Monday to establish a demilitarized zone within Idlib. The Syrian government has welcomed the agreement and confirmed its full coordination with Russia, said de Mistura. "I welcome the fact that diplomacy has produced progress in the effort to address the challenges posed by UN Security Council-listed terrorist groups while protecting civilians -- up to 3 million of them, including a million children. I thank Presidents Putin and Erdogan for their personal engagement. I also believe that the strong international engagement on the dangers of a full-scale offensive in Idlib has been important," said de Mistura. He reported negative developments in other areas of Syria. This week fresh airstrikes were reported in the capital city of Damascus, which the Syrian government attributes to Israel. Israel has not commented, he said. Late Monday, a Russian military aircraft was downed, killing 15 servicemen. The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that the plane was accidentally downed by Syrian government anti-aircraft fire, which was responding to Israeli fighter jets carrying out attacks just off the coast, he said. Russia has blamed Israel for a provocation. Israel has stated that Israeli jets were targeting weapons shipments headed for Lebanon that threatened Israeli security, and has blamed the Syrian government for the incident, said de Mistura. "We call upon all parties to refrain from military actions that would only exacerbate a complex situation," he said. Despite the bad news, he asked for efforts to carry forward the political process in Syria since a full-scale attack on Idlib seems to have been averted. "But for now, we are pleased that there is de-escalation in one major area: Idlib. And now that we have this deal, there is no reason not to move forward expeditiously with the political process," he told the Security Council. Syrians look to the United Nations to facilitate a political process that can help them exit this war and enter into a better future -- a future that they determine, independently and democratically. That requires a real dialogue and genuine negotiation -- a process that is credible and inclusive, he said. There is no military solution -- in Idlb, or anywhere else, he said. "We need an inclusive political process, and the UN is here to facilitate that process, starting with a constitutional committee getting to work." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 02:15:09|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Xu Yuankun, representative of China Development Bank Cairo Office, speaks during the seminar "Egyptian Financial Institutions and Chinese Enterprises Business Fair" in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 18, 2018. China Development Bank (CDB), the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, expressed Tuesday its confidence in the Egyptian economy and the economic reform program the Egyptian government launched. (Xinhua/Meng Tao) CAIRO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China Development Bank (CDB), the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, expressed Tuesday its confidence in the Egyptian economy and the economic reform program the Egyptian government launched. Xu Yuankun, representative of CDB Cairo Office, made the comment at a seminar, dubbed "Egyptian Financial Institutions and Chinese Enterprises Business Fair," held in downtown Cairo. Xu hailed Egypt's economic reform program that started in late 2016 and the country's ongoing mega national projects including the establishment of a new administrative capital city, road networks and other infrastructure projects. "Also with the new discoveries of gas and oil resources, such as Zohr gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, the Egyptian market could achieve self-sufficiency of gas and maybe it could later export gas to other countries," Xu told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of the business fair. He noted that Egypt is currently witnessing gradual improvement in the tourism sector due to growing security and stability in the country. "All these are very positive signals for the progress of the Egyptian economy," he added. The senior CDB official said that the bank provided loans to several Egyptian banks, including the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), to help boost Egypt's foreign currency reserves as well as the country's industrial sector and small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Xu, 123 Chinese companies have obtained membership of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Egypt since it was established in 2004 and their total investment in Egypt has reached 6.2 billion U.S. dollars so far. Earlier in September, CDB signed an agreement to provide a loan of 600 million dollars to NBE. Ghada el-Bialy, CEO of Treasury, Foreign Division and International Financial Services at NBE, placed emphasis on the ongoing and strong partnership NBE enjoys with CDB, which dates back to 2012 and has positively impacted both institutions and countries. "The growing partnership between both institutions is a testimony of CDB's confidence in the Egyptian economy as well as the NBE's management," the Egyptian banker told Xinhua. She added that NBE is proud of being a member of the China-Arab Countries Interbank Association, which is the brainchild of CDB, stressing that the establishment of the association marks a new milestone between China and member Arab countries and solidifies the longstanding partnership between China and Egypt. "NBE is keen on developing its cooperation with CDB with the aim of contributing positively to the economic development of both countries," Bialy concluded. The event, hosted by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Egypt and organized by CDB Cairo Representative Office, was attended by representatives of several Egyptian and foreign banks and Chinese companies operating in Egypt. Egypt and China enjoy growing distinguished bilateral relations that have been elevated in 2014 to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership. A combination of file photos show Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. MOSCOW, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Operations of the Israeli air force are undertaken in violation of Syria's sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday. Putin made the remarks after the Russian Defense Ministry said earlier in the day its Il-20 surveillance plane with 15 servicemen on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile on Monday night due to a simultaneous Israeli air strike that confused Syria's air defense system. In this case, the Russian-Israeli agreements on the prevention of dangerous incidents in Syria were not observed, Putin said at the phone conversation, according to a Kremlin press release. Putin urged the Israeli side to prevent such situations from now on. According to the Kremlin, Netanyahu expressed condolences over the deaths of the Russian troops on board the Il-20. To conduct a thorough investigation of the tragedy, Netanyahu promised to provide detailed information on the actions of the Israeli aircraft over the Syrian territory on Monday. Earlier in the day at a press conference, Putin said the downing of the Russian Il-20 plane was the result of "a chain of tragic and random circumstances" and Russia will beef up security measures for its soldiers in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 02:35:12|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Turkey struck a deal on Monday to create a "demilitarized zone" on the borders of Idlib that appears to put a significant Syrian regime's offensive on hold for now, said analysts. The memorandum of understanding will see the creation of a buffer zone some 15-20 km around the frontlines of the northwestern province of Idlib, patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops. Radical rebel groups who currently occupy those areas will be forced to withdraw by Oct. 15. "We will prevent a humanitarian tragedy which could happen as a result of military action," Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after four hours of talks in Sochi with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The deal came as a surprise as leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran held a three-way summit recently in Teheran which ended with no clear answers to the Syrian conflict. Analysts praised Turkey's diplomatic efforts seeming to avert, at least for now, a crisis which would have caused devastating effects on millions of civilians. "This is indeed a relief ... For now this agreement, which is the fruit of diplomacy, seems to avert a big humanitarian crisis," said a western diplomatic source to Xinhua on the condition of anonymity. However, he added that "concrete results have to be seen on the ground" in the coming days and intense dialogues are still needed between the parties involved in the Syrian war to make the deal viable. Idlib, a strategic province that borders Turkey and hosts some 3 million people, is the last major stronghold still controlled by rebels. A part of it is held by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), considered as a terrorist movement by Turkey, Russia and the United States. Now, Russia and Turkey say that they will work to remove the HTS from Idlib. Retaking Idlib where Turkey backs a number of rebel groups and has a dozen military observation posts with several hundred troops and humanitarian workers could spell victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But it would also unleash the century's worst humanitarian disaster for the region's inhabitants as Turkey has said that it would not be able to accept more refugees which would add to the 3.5 million Syrians that the country, faced with a financial crisis, is already harboring. The United Nations said more than 30,000 people have already been displaced inside Syria by air strikes on Idlib in recent weeks. Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin stressed Tuesday on Twitter that "Erdogan took diplomatic initiative to prevent a major humanitarian crisis in Idlib," underlining that the (Syrian) opposition will remain in areas where they already are. Some analysts believe that while the agreement is a major breakthrough and solves problems for both Russia and Turkey, it will likely be seen as a setback for Damascus and its military supporter, Iran. "The memorandum of understanding is satisfactory and a diplomatic victory for Moscow and Ankara, but it will not seen as such by Damascus and Teheran," said Oytun Orhan, a researcher at Ankara-based think tank ORSAM. Assad has promised to recapture "every inch" of Syria and marked Idlib as the government's top priority. "Turkey and Russia should be vigilant against any provocative move, but all in all the Sochi agreement has put on hold, I think permanently, a major offensive in Idlib," said Orhan. The main challenge for Ankara, Orhan argued, would be to disarm "moderate forces" that it supports and aides in Idlib in order to eliminate reasons for al-Assad to attack the region. In an editorial printed in the Wall Street Journal last week, the Turkish president called for an international operation to eliminate hardline factions in Idlib, warning that war in this province will only create "new hotbeds of terrorism." The deal is also the culmination of the Turkish-Russian rapprochement amid a deteriorating partnership between NATO allies Turkey and the United States over rifts. Washington has been largely absent from efforts to resolve the conflicts, in Idlib in particular and Syria in general. However, U.S. officials welcomed the Sochi deal, hoping it will lead to a permanent cease-fire. A State Department spokesperson told Turkish Daily Sabah that while the U.S. did not take part in negotiations, it was still encouraged by the step. "The United States supports any credible efforts that prevent a resurgence of violence and protect civilians," said this official. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after their joint press conference following the talks, in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday asked for the quick implementation of a Russia-Turkey agreement to set up a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province, which could avert a full-scale attack on the last major rebel stronghold in the country. "We hope that this agreement is expeditiously implemented, with full respect for international humanitarian law; with sustained humanitarian access; with respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria; and with continued preference for dialogue over escalation in addressing a complex situation," de Mistura told the Security Council in a briefing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Monday to establish a demilitarized zone within Idlib. The Syrian government has welcomed the agreement and confirmed its full coordination with Russia, said de Mistura. "I welcome the fact that diplomacy has produced progress in the effort to address the challenges posed by UN Security Council-listed terrorist groups while protecting civilians -- up to 3 million of them, including a million children. I thank Presidents Putin and Erdogan for their personal engagement. I also believe that the strong international engagement on the dangers of a full-scale offensive in Idlib has been important," said de Mistura. He reported negative developments in other areas of Syria. This week fresh airstrikes were reported in the capital city of Damascus, which the Syrian government attributes to Israel. Israel has not commented, he said. Late Monday, a Russian military aircraft was downed, killing 15 servicemen. The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that the plane was accidentally downed by Syrian government anti-aircraft fire, which was responding to Israeli fighter jets carrying out attacks just off the coast, he said. Russia has blamed Israel for a provocation. Israel has stated that Israeli jets were targeting weapons shipments headed for Lebanon that threatened Israeli security, and has blamed the Syrian government for the incident, said de Mistura. "We call upon all parties to refrain from military actions that would only exacerbate a complex situation," he said. Despite the bad news, he asked for efforts to carry forward the political process in Syria since a full-scale attack on Idlib seems to have been averted. "But for now, we are pleased that there is de-escalation in one major area: Idlib. And now that we have this deal, there is no reason not to move forward expeditiously with the political process," he told the Security Council. Syrians look to the United Nations to facilitate a political process that can help them exit this war and enter into a better future -- a future that they determine, independently and democratically. That requires a real dialogue and genuine negotiation -- a process that is credible and inclusive, he said. There is no military solution -- in Idlb, or anywhere else, he said. "We need an inclusive political process, and the UN is here to facilitate that process, starting with a constitutional committee getting to work." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 02:55:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Stefania Fumo ROME, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called for a European response to the flow of migrants from Africa and the Middle East after bilateral talks in Rome on Tuesday. The two leaders met ahead of an informal summit of European Union (EU) leaders to be held in the Austrian city of Salzburg on Sept. 19-20, where migration is expected to be high on the agenda. Conte took office earlier this year as the head of a populist-rightwing coalition, whose hardline anti-immigrant stance made international headlines when it closed the nation's ports to humanitarian vessels carrying rescued migrants. In August, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refused for a week to let some 100 migrants disembark from the Italian Coast Guard's Diciotti vessel after its crew had rescued them in the Mediterranean. "If we don't want another Diciotti case we need a European response," Conte told reporters at a press conference after meeting with Kurz. The Italian premier called it "absolutely unreasonable" that the EU is paying billions to Turkey to stem the flow of refugees from the Middle East while disregarding the countries on the North African coast, which is where sub-Saharan migrants and asylum seekers leave from. In 2016, the EU agreed to pay Turkey 6 billion euros (7 billion U.S. dollars) to stem the flow of refugees into Europe from Syria, where a civil war has been raging since 2011. "There are many countries in Africa with which we should reinforce cooperation -- not only those where the migrant trafficking originates, but also those of transit," Conte said. He called for "a review of the operational protocols" of the EU's EUNAVFOR MED mission and its Frontex border patrol agency. "They must be updated" to reflect the current situation, said Conte. The EU launched EUNAVFOR MED in 2015 to combat migrant and oil traffickers in the Mediterranean. The mission was nicknamed Operation Sophia after a baby born aboard a German vessel, whose Somali mother was rescued at sea and taken to Italy. Conte was echoed by Kurz, who took office last year. He leads the conservative Austrian People's Party and governs in coalition with the far-right, anti-immigrant and euroskeptic Freedom Party. "Austria is very happy that Italy has managed to noticeably reduce the flow of migrants to Italy, which is positive not only for Italy but also for Austria and for Europe," said the chancellor. "We must find an overall solution on a European level to continue reducing this flow -- we're still not where we want to be, but we're going in the right direction." Kurz said the EU should concentrate on defending its external borders by "improving and reinforcing" the Frontex mandate, take steps to "block illegal immigration and ruin the business model of the migrant traffickers," and increase its cooperation with migrant countries of origin and transit. Every year, tens of thousands of men, women and children pay migrant traffickers exorbitant amounts to ferry them across the Mediterranean to Europe, often on unseaworthy boats. The inflow of asylum seekers has become a hot-button issue with European voters, many of whom have turned to far-right anti-immigrant parties as a result. According to the UN-affiliated International Organization for Migration (IOM), a total of 20,777 migrants reached Italy by sea as of Sept. 16 this year, down from a total of 102,544 arrivals in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 03:00:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Tuesday welcomed the recommendations of the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts regarding illegal oil exports by the eastern-based authorities. The UNSC Panel of Experts (PoE) on Libya addressed in its latest report the repeated failed attempts to export oil illegally by the so called "NOC East" parallel institution in Benghazi, and other forms of predatory behaviour by armed groups, resulting in the misappropriation of Libyan state funds and the deterioration of institutions and infrastructure, said the NOC in a statement. Libya suffers political division between authorities in the east and the west battling for legitimacy, including two parallel oil corporations. Two weeks ago, UNSC PoE presented a final report accusing the eastern-based Oil Corporation of attempting to "illicitly export crude oil." "As the sole legitimate steward of Libya's oil and gas resources, NOC has experienced the disruptive behaviour of criminal gangs and illicit institutions. We praise the UN report for its detailed exposure of the scale of criminality and corruption across the country. We welcome its findings and support its key recommendations without reservation," said NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla. NOC has repeatedly called for additional measures to combat the illicit export and sale of petroleum products, reform of fuel subsidies, and the sanctioning of all individuals attempting to blockade and illegally profit from the sale of Libyan natural resources, Sanalla added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 03:05:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has set new conditions for telecommunications operators in the country in a move aimed at improving services, a top government official said on Tuesday. Frank Tumwebaze, minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), told reporters that the new conditions were contained in the new National Broadband Policy that was approved by Cabinet on Monday. "Every operator that seeks a national operator license must be able to cover the entire geographical place of Uganda so as to enable universal access, promote effective competition and quality of service," Tumwebaze said. Other conditions include being able to provide roaming services to all telecommunications users despite being connected by other providers. "Currently within the country customers of one service provider cannot access the ICT services of the other service provider. The policy aims to enable customers to have a seamless access and coverage for the customers irrespective of their network," the minister said. He said all telecommunications companies will have to list shares. "Local listing for all telecom operators as a licensing condition will help mitigate capital flight," he said. He said companies would not have an automatic renewal of their operators license until their services have been vetted. Tumwebaze warned that companies that do not comply risk losing their licenses. Uganda currently has five major telecommunications operators. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 03:20:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Italian Navy's hydro-oceanographic ship "Admiral Magnaghi" has arrived at Beirut Port for a 40-day extensive training program with Lebanon's Navy, the Italian embassy said Tuesday. "Maritime security, passive defense and communications are at the core of the new 6-week program that the Italian Military Mission in Lebanon will initiate in the next days to strengthen the capacities of Lebanon's Navy," Italian Ambassador Massimo Marotti said in a statement quoted by the National News Agency. In 2016, the Italian Navy donated a high-tech hydrographic unit, worth 2 million euros (2.33 U.S. dollars), to the Lebanese Navy, together with a training program for Lebanese officers at the Hydrographic Institute of the Italian Navy. "Independent hydrographic capability is key for effective armed forces and the protection of maritime activities," said the statement. After the Rome Conference held on March 15 to strengthen Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Internal Security Forces, Italy has increased its commitment to support the LAF, including the Navy, it added. (File Photo) Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, on July 11, 2018. (Pool photo via AP) JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin to convey Israel's condolences to the death of Russian aircrew shot down by Syrian forces during an Israeli airstrike. The phone talk came after Syrian air defense missiles shot down a 15-crew Russian plane amidst an Israeli air raid on the Syrian city of Latakia, according to Israeli and Russian officials. Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli military said its airstrike, carried out by four Israeli F-16s, was aimed to halt "accurate and lethal weapons" from Iran to the militia of Hezbollah in Lebanon. "The prime minister expressed his regret over the death of the Russian soldiers and said that Syria was responsible for the loss of the plane," the Israeli PM's Office said in a statement. During the talk, Netanyahu stressed the importance of the ongoing military coordination between Israel and Russia over their moves in Syria in the past three years, which "succeeded in preventing many losses on both sides," the statement said. Netanyahu told Putin that Israel is "determined to stop Iran's military buildup in Syria and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to give Hezbollah lethal weapons against Israel." Netanyahu also said Israel is prepared to share with Russia all the information it has collected on the accident and offered to dispatch to Moscow the Israeli air force commander to provide details from an investigation launched by the air force. The statement did not elaborate on Putin's remarks during the talk. Putin and Netanyahu have held regular meetings to coordinate their moves in the war-torn country. Israel has carried out some 200 airstrikes over the last 18 months, claiming that the attacks aimed to prevent Iranian weapons convoys and stop Iran from establishing a military foothold in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 04:35:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BUCHAREST, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish Airlines aircraft made an emergency landing late Tuesday at Otopeni Airport, north of Bucharest, as a passenger was suspected of typhoid fever, local television reported. The passenger is a Romanian and came from Africa via Istanbul. The doctors came to the site and applied the procedure, after which the patient was sent to the Victor Babes Hospital, a clinical hospital of infectious and tropical diseases in Bucharest. "It was found that the passenger suffered from typhoid fever one month ago and is negatively affected, with no risk of transmission of this disease," the Romanian Ministry of Health said in a statement. Over 190 passengers isolated in the aircraft were disembarked after two hours and there is no risk of contamination and there is no risk of contamination, it said. "I wanted to make sure that all the procedures that are necessary in such situations are strictly adhered to, and I can now say that, along with the airport representatives, things have been handled very smoothly," Health Minister Sorina Pintea was quoted in the statement. According to medical experts, typhoid fever, which can lead to a high fever, diarrhea and vomiting, is transmitted only via the digestive tract, through contaminated food and drinking water, not by air. Untreated, the disease is fatal in around 25 percent of cases. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 05:35:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RIYADH, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday that a mosque, a private home and an agricultural well were damaged in a missile attack on the Dhahran Aljanoob province in the southwestern border. Mohammed AL-Assami, spokesperson of the civil defense of Asir region, was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying that the projectile was shot from Yemen by the Houthi militia. The missile targeted a village in the province and no injuries were reported in the attack. This was one of many similar attacks on Saudi border cities by the Houthi militias in response to the airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. The Saudi-led coalition has intervened in Yemen's civil war since March 2015 to support Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was forced to exile by the Houthi rebels. The coalition said Monday that the total number of missiles shot by the Houthis at Saudi Arabia has reached 197 so far. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 05:40:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHICAGO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural commodities closed mixed on Tuesday, with soybean futures falling to record low as traders worried about the export prospect to U.S. soybean crop. The most active corn contract for December delivery went down 4.75 cents, or 1.36 percent to close at 3.4325 dollars per bushel. December wheat delivery added 4.25 cents, or 0.84 percent to close at 5.105 dollars per bushel. November soybean delivery went down 9.5 cents, or 1.15 percent to close at 8.14 dollars per bushel. The major cause of CBOT soybean's lied in the Washington's latest tariff offensive against Beijing, analysts said. China on Tuesday filed an additional complaint with the World Trade Organization against the U.S. decision to impose tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars worth of Chinese goods under the Section 301 investigation, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Corn futures also hit contract lows as the U.S. harvest expanded, while wheat futures rose on tightening global supplies. As for weather forecast for agricultural crop, it is going to be "unseasonably" hot and humid in parts of central Kansas, according to the National Weather Service. Rain is also possible in parts of eastern Iowa and western Illinois where the harvest is just getting under way. There's a "marginal" risk of severe storms that would include hail and strong winds, the National Weather Service said in a report early Tuesday morning. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 06:15:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TUNIS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Union should better understand the new demands of the economic situation in Tunisia, said Mohamed Ennaceur, President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, on Tuesday. At the end of the third session of the Tunisian-European Parliamentary Committee at the Parliament headquarters, Ennaceur said Tunisia and the EU should be able to overcome the difficulties that tainted their relations following the introduction of Tunisia on two blacklists relating to tax havens and countries with deficiencies in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. "The strategic priorities of the partnership between Tunisia and the European Union are to be redefined," said the president of the Tunisian parliament. He called on the European delegation to encourage European countries to open their markets for Tunisian products and to implement a Youth Partnership Strategy. According to official statistics of the National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Tunisia, the EU holds 72.9 percent of total exports. Tunisian exports to the continent increased by 17.7 percent during the first eight months of this year. In terms of imports, trade in goods with the European Union (53.8 percent of total imports) increased by 20.6 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-19 06:41:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MINSK, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) expressed on Tuesday regret over the termination of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia, local media reported. "I was sorry to hear this news about the termination of the treaty between Ukraine and Russia," said Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev. Lebedev said that he has read a lot of comments. Most of them agreed that the termination of the treaty with Russia will hurt Ukrainian nationals harder than it will hurt Russians. "It is not in the interests of Russia, Ukraine or other Commonwealth member states," he added. Lebedev also said the CIS hopes that Ukraine will stay with it. "So far, we have not received any notification on Ukraine's withdrawal from the CIS and we hope that we will not receive it," he said, adding that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been invited to the CIS summit in Dushanbe on Sept. 28. On Sept. 17, Poroshenko signed a decree to enforce a decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on terminating the key partnership agreement with Russia signed in 1997. Relations between Kiev and Moscow have been deteriorating since early 2014 over their different stances on the developments in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. The CIS was founded in 1991 as a regional association of former Soviet republics. Its members include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Ukraine and Turkmenistan are associate members of the organization. An overload (DDoS) attack was directed at the government website kormany.hu from IP addresses outside Hungary in three waves between 9.08 p.m. and 10.32 p.m. Sunday. The most significant period of the attack occurred between 9.30 p.m. and 9.50 p.m. The DDoS defence system, purchased, installed and operated by the Interior Ministry in 2017, successfully averted the attack. No lapse in services occurred during the attack. Growing economic cooperation between Hungary and Russia is increasingly beneficial to the Hungarian economy, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told public media from Moscow. He called for continued dialogue between the European Union, its member states and Russia, saying that the imminent global trade war warranted cooperation based on mutual respect between eastern and western Europe. He said Russia had been Hungarys second largest trading partner before the EU introduced sanctions against it and they answered in kind. It has since slid to 12th place, he added. Hungarian economic players lost about 7 billion dollars-worth of export opportunities due to the sanctions, Szijjarto said. Many European countries now prefer the option of engaging in dialogue and an honest reckoning with the effects of the sanctions instead of their automatic prolongation, he said. After years of backsliding, trade between the two countries grew by 30% to 5.5 billion dollars in 2017, he noted. Relations have seen a marked progress in finance, agriculture, health care and energy, he said. As regards gas imports, the minister said Hungary will buy 4.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia next year. We are now working towards an agreement in 2020 to ensure gas supplies for Hungarian industry and households, he said. Talks are under way on expanding financial cooperation, too, he said. MTI Photo: Koszticsak Szilard Commentators are sharply divided in their assessments of the clash between Hungarys Prime Minister and his critics in the European Parliament. They agree however that what happened has opened a new chapter in the relations between Hungary and the European Union. In her regular weekly Heti Vilaggazdasag editorial, Ibolya Jakus believes that what is at stake now is whether the Hungarian Prime Minister, who positions himself as the main opponent of centrist president Emmanuel Macron of France, will be accepted as the leader of what she calls the populist and anti-refugee forces. Another issue at stake is whether Mr Orban will remain within the Peoples Party or whether he will become a champion of the Eurosceptic camp. What is even more important, Jakus continues, is whether Europe will slide towards the (far) right. She is relieved to note that 80% of the voters in last weeks elections in Sweden chose traditional moderate parties. In his vitriolic front-page column in Elet es Irodalom, Istvan Vancsa welcomes what he calls a belated reaction by the members of the European Parliament, who finally expressed themselves in terms that he finds more or less in conformity with reality. Vancsa believes however that the document they adopted only covers a small portion of the misdeeds of the Orban era. Nonetheless, he welcomes what he calls this great event. What a pity, he continues, that it is too late now, since the Western part of Europe is increasingly disintegrating both intellectually and morally. in Magyar Hirlap, Mariann Ory believes that the voices condemning Hungary in the European Parliament last week were prompted by fear within the old ruling elite, which sees its influence evaporate and wants to stop the emerging forces. She hopes that the European elections next year will change the balance of forces in the European Parliament, as the present majority no longer represents the European electorate. It is time to reconquer the political discourse in Europe and then to reconquer Europe itself, Ory writes. Otherwise, she concludes, Europe will be invaded by new populations leaving no space either for the liberals or for the Christian Democrats who voted against Hungary last week. On her Latoszog blog, historian Maria Schmidt sees a German drive to rule Europe behind the events in the European Parliament. Chancellor Merkel, she writes, is trying to break out of the political squeeze she is in at home by launching an encircling action through Europe. This is why most German Christian Democrat MEPs voted in favour of the resolution to punish Hungary. President Macron of France made a big mistake in identifying an adversary in PM Orban, she argues, because the two statesmen would have a shared interest in preventing Europe from being ruled by Germany. Maria Schmidt acknowledges that the vote in Brussels was a great victory for Mrs Merkel, but remarks that historically, Germans have been good at winning battles but bad at winning wars. This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online Click here to Share Your Story Group leaders of Hungarys opposition parties slammed Prime Minister Viktor Orbans speech opening the autumn session of parliament, accusing him of misrepresenting the Sargentini report approved in the European Parliament last week and of ignoring Hungarys real problems. Jobbik said Orban had lost in Europe and was at a crossroads. Marton Gyongyosi, the partys group leader, added that it might not be too late for the prime minister to back down. As regards a European Union proposal for a standing corps for the blocs border agency, Gyongyosi said Orban had fought for years for a joint European border protection scheme and the EUs proposal was in no way about transferring the right to control the borders to mercenaries. According to the proposal, the border guards provided by the EU would be subject to the host countrys laws and report to its border guard commanders, Gyongyosi said. The Socialist Party said that with the approval of the Sargentini report, Orban has it on paper that he is a recidivist lawbreaker. The report argued that the prime minister serves his own interests instead of the common good and is enriching his own political elite, group leader Bertalan Toth said. You are no longer Europes strongman ... but Europes pariah who governs against the will of the people, Toth told Orban. The Democratic Coalition accused the government of hiding behind the nations back when insisting that the Sargentini report was drafted against Hungary. Ferenc Gyurcsany, the partys chairman and group leader, called Orbans argument that the report was not about his government but the country as a whole dumb, saying that though its title does refer to Hungary, the document itself contains 48 critical remarks about the Hungarian government, but none about the country as a whole. Gyurcsany accused the government of creating a dictatorship and called Orban a dictator. He argued that the government was taking away peoples right to be informed and financially crippling its opponents and using the justice system to punish them. Green LMP said the migration debate launched by Orban was a pseudo debate based on a genuine problem which the government was using to obscure reality. Laszlo Lorant Keresztes, LMPs group and coleader, said Orban was not interested in a solution to Europes migrant crisis, but rather in continuing to use it as a campaign talking point. He said there had been no genuine debate at the EU level about the causes of the migration crisis, adding that Orban was also one of the politicians who had failed to present any meaningful proposals for resolving it. On the subject of the Sargentini report, Keresztes said his party had not backed the document because they considered it wrong to punish an entire country for its governments mistakes. Parbeszed group leader Timea Szabo dismissed the ruling partys accusation that opposition politicians were traitors, and called Orban traitor. Youre the one attacking Hungary and the Hungarian people, she said, adding that the report was critical only of the Hungarian government, not Hungarians. She argued that it was not the people who were to blame for Hungarys low pensions, the persecution of homeless people, Europes shortest-term jobseekers allowance or the abolition of the science academys world-renowned research institute. Szabo insisted that Orban only cared about money, stealing and power and couldnt care less about Hungary or the Hungarian people. MTI Photo: Kovacs Tamas By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] Hurley Is it time to eliminate the Midget mascot? Thats what a committee in the Hurley School District will decide by the end of the year. Its time for a discussion, school board president Joe Simonich, of Kimball, said Monday. He said the district had been threatened in the past with lawsuits regarding the Midget moniker. Its planned the committee will come up with a recommendation for the school board by December. We want this to be a transparent process, Simonich said. Board members suggested a wide variety of representatives be seated on the committee; including students, community representatives, parent-teacher organization members and booster club representatives. There will be no school board members on the committee, although they will recommend people for the panel. Simonich suggested nine to 15 members and district administrator Chris Patritto said 12 to 15 would be preferable. The board will likely act on selecting members of the committee on Oct. 15, when it plans to meet in special session regarding appointing a school board member to fill the unexpired seat of Dave Pajula, of Montreal, who has resigned. That seat on the five-member school board will be up for election next spring. The school district will advertise for applications from candidates who are interested in filling the seat for the remainder of Pajulas term. The annual school district meeting is scheduled for Oct. 22. Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs 07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0) Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na... It sounds like the opening for another stoner movie, maybe "Harold and Kumar Go to Heaven." Giant bundles of marijuana, apparently containing individually wrapped five-kilo bricks, have been washing up on the shores of Florida since the approach of Hurricane Florence last week, possibly from a boat that was either capsized by the storm or an airplane drop that went awry. This set off a minor ethical dilemma among the beachgoers of Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia counties in the Daytona Beach area: Does one grab the weed and run, or call the cops? This moral quandary was best demonstrated in a 911 call to the Volusia County sheriff last Thursday morning, when a woman reported, "We're at Jungle Hut (Park) and a huge bundle of drugs or something just washed up on the beach and there are people like fighting over it." How many people? the call-taker inquired, according to a recording of the exchange. "There's like seven or eight people out here," the caller replied, "and they're all like huddling up against it, and my dad's trying to take it so that you guys can have it all." Sheriff's deputies arrived and the caller noted that one fellow had removed a brick of suspected cannabis from the bundle and was still there. The deputies asked the man about this, according to their report, and he "pointed at his vehicle and stated that he was holding it for law enforcement's arrival." The brick weighed about 11 pounds, wet. The man, Robert Kelley, 61, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana over 20 grams. Medical marijuana is legal in the Sunshine State, but "it's illegal" for recreational use, sheriff's spokeswoman Anna Hackett observed. Kelley was jailed and it was not clear whether he has retained a lawyer. But the bundle was just one of many that came ashore on eastern Florida's central coast, and Flagler officials said they recovered about 100 pounds over two days. That doesn't include the packages that were removed from the bundles by beachgoers who then fled, to include a woman in a yellow bikini who was photographed snagging at least one package from the Jungle Hut bundle, and did not stick around for law enforcement's arrival. The Flagler sheriff distributed a photo of her in the apparent act of pot theft, but she remains at large, Hackett said. In St. Johns County, Fla., north of Flagler, the weed packages started floating to the surface the prior weekend, when an off-duty sheriff's deputy fished an oblong, heavily taped black package out of the water, St. Johns Commander Chuck Mulligan said. In addition, the Coast Guard discovered seven or eight packages off the St. Johns coast. There were no markings, trademarks or return addresses on any of the packages. Mulligan noted that traffickers often place their own stamp on cocaine bundles, but none were found on the cannabis packages. Given the location and time of discovery of the packages, "these are probably all part of the same shipment," Mulligan said. "The question is, where did they go into the water?" He said the bundles could have floated north from as far south as Puerto Rico, and could have been adrift and waterlogged for some time. Mulligan said the shipment could have come from a boat that capsized in bad weather, or from an airplane drop where the pickup boat missed the target, or was simply dropped in the wrong place by the airborne delivery crew. Or someone being tracked by the Coast Guard may have tossed it overboard. "There's a plethora of possibilities," he said. The marijuana was turned over to Customs and Border Protection for further investigation, but the agency did not respond to inquiries Monday about whether the source of the marijuana had been determined. And In Volusia County, Fla., last Wednesday, a large bundle containing 23 smaller packages of marijuana washed up in Ormond Beach, Capt. Tamra Malphurs of the sheriff's office said. The discovery was called in by a beachgoer and the bundle was destroyed. "This type of thing occurs a few times a year," Malphurs said, "and we do not know where it came from." Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly said in a news release that the arrest of Kelley was "another great example of 'See Something, Say Something' thanks to the joint effort of our citizens' watchful eyes and good police work these narcotics are off the streets. To anyone thinking they can take advantage of marijuana washing up on shore I have a warning for you. Is it worth a trip to the Green Roof Inn charged with a felony just for some 'free' weed?" The lobby of Independence Blue Cross's headquarters at 1901 Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. Read more Independence Blue Cross on Monday disclosed a data breach affecting roughly 17,000 people that was caused by an employee who uploaded member information to a public website. The Philadelphia-based health insurer said members' names, birth dates, diagnosis codes, provider identifications, and other information used to process claims were exposed on the website between April 23 and July 20. The incident did not involve social security numbers, financial data, or credit information, Independence said in a news release. The insurer said less than 1 percent of its 2.8 million members were affected. Most of the affected members live in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though some live in other states, an Independence spokesman said. Independence said it can't determine whether protected health information was accessed and is unaware of any misuse of the data. Independence said it is notifying affected members and offering 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity protection services. The insurer said "appropriate action" was taken with the employee who uploaded a file with member information to the public website. "Information privacy and security are among Independence's highest priorities," Independence said in a statement. "Upon learning of this incident, Independence quickly took steps to ensure the file was permanently removed from the website. Independence reviewed company policies and procedures and implemented additional technical controls to help prevent future incidents of this kind." MakeOffices's K Street location in Washington, D.C. The coworking-space operator says its planned location in Philadelphia's Bourse building will share a similar design. Read more MakeOffices, the Arlington, Va.-based coworking space operator, is opening its third Philadelphia location at the Bourse building near Independence Hall, where it will occupy the fifth floor of the 10-story historic, Beaux Arts structure. The new, 33,360-square-foot space, surrounding the atrium above the 111 S. Independence Mall East building's ground-floor food hall, is scheduled to open early next year, the company announced in a news release. MakeOffices operates 13 coworking spaces in Chicago and the Washington, D.C., area, in addition to its Philadelphia locations at 1635 Market St. and at the Two Commerce Square complex at 2001 Market St. The Bourse building, which encompasses 229,300 square feet of offices and 38,300 of space for shops and restaurants, is undergoing a massive overhaul by MRP Realty of Washington, D.C. The former food court on its ground floor is in the midst of being upgraded into what MRP is calling the Bourse Marketplace. "The Marketplace will be a natural extension of our co-working space, which will serve as an incredible resource to Philadelphia's burgeoning business, start-up and entrepreneurial community," Zach Wade, a former MRP principal who now serves as MakeOffices' chief executive, said in Monday's release. If the looming high-stakes showdown between Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him and a friend of a drunken high school sexual assault in the 1980s psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford wasn't actually happening in our warped high-def reality show that we call life in 21st-century America, Hollywood would have created it. The issues that hinge on whether the Senate confirms Kavanaugh to sit on the nation's highest court for the next 30 or so years corporate power, voting rights, women's reproductive rights are huge, and yet the nationally televised showdown now slated for Monday (although things are changing by the hour) may swamp all of them in a tsunami of metaphor. The irresistible force of the #MeToo movement colliding with the entrenched deny-everything-admit-nothing "bro culture" of Donald Trump's Washington. A "Battle of the Sexes" for a new era, serving as a kind of a historical bookend to the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas showdown of 1991 that began to elevate the debate over sexual harassment in the workplace to the higher plain where it now sits. A confrontation between a mildly Trump-resisting California surfer mom and the privileged Washington judge that many will boil down to this: Who is telling the truth? That dramatic spin is understandable, but it's also what worries me about how such a pivotal week for the future of America is going to play out. The temptation will be to frame Monday's hearing as the trial of Brett Kavanaugh a kind of quasi-legal hearing in which all of the massive, messy weight of America's political divide presses on Ford to somehow prove her story beyond a reasonable doubt. And if this biased jury stacked heavily with men of a certain age decides that Kavanaugh or his allies can cast even the smallest shadow of doubt on Ford's story, this 53-year-old hardball political operative by way of his all-male elite prep school and beer-chugging Yale fraternity will become the 114th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I believe Ford. Her story that a drunken 17-year Kavanaugh and his friend dragged her into a bedroom during a party, turned up the music, and held her down while Kavanaugh covered her mouth so she couldn't scream as they groped her and tried to take off her clothes before she escaped has many of the hallmarks of a real-life traumatic event, and not a political fabrication. Contemporaneous notes show she told her marriage counselor about it in 2012 and shared details with a friend during the #MeToo explosion of 2017, all long before the Supreme Court fight. Ford volunteered to take a lie-detector test and passed it. She loses so much by doing this getting her name and her reputation dragged through the mud by everyone from Twitter bots to the cretinous lowlifes who run the Wall Street Journal editorial page and only gains the solace that comes from telling the truth. But while faith in Ford's story is shared by many of us, we need to be clear-eyed that it's unlikely that her account from the early 1980s will come with enough evidence that would ever convict Kavanaugh of a crime in an American court. When the judge testifies Monday almost certainly with the deny-deny-deny strategy that has well-served the president who appointed him, coupled with some righteous indignation to echo Thomas' infamous line about "a high-tech lynching" Republican senators will try to cling to some variation of "not proven," not even because they like Kavanaugh but they're so close to their goal of a conservative, pro-business high court for generations to come. But this isn't a trial, and seeing it as such would be a huge mistake. The senators we've tasked with deciding whether Kavanaugh belongs on the Supreme Court aren't a jury. They're a political body, making a decision that's informed by our political and moral values. In a nation of 320 million people and thousands of distinguished judges and attorneys, has Kavanaugh displayed not just the legal brilliance but the integrity and gravitas that merit a promotion to become one of just nine Americans to sit on our highest court? We've already seen enough of Kavanaugh to answer that question beyond a reasonable doubt. He does not. Whatever happened that night 35 years ago, Kavanaugh has shown us nothing to suggest that he's changed very much from the young man who soaked himself in a toxic male environment that flowered at Yale (where he joined a hard-drinking all-male club called Truth and Courage but was known (apologies for the relevant language) as "Tits and Clit" that in the words of a classmate "was organized around getting coeds into bed"), who bragged about his hard-drinking law-school exploits in a speech to the right-wing Federalist Society and who even in his 30s was still apologizing to his friends for not even remembering lashing out in anger during a late-night dice game. That's the kind of warped mind-set that leads to a judge seeking to deny a 17-year migrant in government custody her right to an abortion (controlling the body of a 17-year-old? how ironic) and it's the kind of mind-set that has made so many women so fearful that a Justice Kavanaugh would be the deciding vote to strip them of their reproductive rights. Is there really a seat on the esteemed bench inhabited by the likes of Louis Brandeis, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a man whose ascension has been based largely not on legal scholarship but on political hackery his willingness to traffic in the lowest forms of political dirt-slinging to bring down a Democratic president, his work to sway the 2000 Florida recount, and his willingness to justify torture and other unlawful or immoral acts by the George W. Bush administration? On Monday, Kavanaugh is going to ask America to believe him. But why should we believe Kavanaugh when his Republican allies have gone to such unprecedented lengths to cover up his paper trail and to shield his true record from the American public? Why should we believe him when he refuses to explain glaring discrepancies in his personal finances? More important, why should America believe Kavanaugh when there's already mounting evidence that he has misled senators and arguably lied under oath about his past actions both in his 2006 confirmation for the federal appeals court and again in his Supreme Court hearing this month. His go-to strategy for almost everything has been to deny, deflect, and cover up. That might win you a "not guilty" verdict in a felony trial. It's not the type of behavior that should win you a lifetime elevation to the Supremes. In making the right political decision on Kavanaugh, senators have an opportunity to show they understand this unique moment. In the great awakening that has been the #MeToo movement, millions of American women have listened to Christine Ford's story and realize that this is their untold story as well. The Senate has a chance to show these women and their allies that their stories matter, and that we are now engaged in a quest for what can imperfectly be seen as justice. For that matter, they have a chance to address the hypocrisy in which 17-year-old kids who come from the wrong neighborhoods get locked up for years maybe life for a youthful mistake, while rich kids who went to the right elite prep schools and colleges get unlimited second chances. If history is any guide, there's a good chance that senators will grab onto this American moment and fumble it away. But in 2018 they have a chance to get it right. When Kavanaugh speaks on Monday, listen not only to what he says but how he says it. The question isn't just what he did as a teenager but whether he's learned anything important in the years since then. Has Brett Kavanaugh matured, developed a sense of empathy and an understanding of what Americans who weren't born with his type of privileges have to deal with? Or has he only learned to do whatever it takes to get ahead to the next rung of the ladder. The ultimate question for Monday and beyond is not "he said, she said" but whether Kavanaugh is really the best we can do for one of the 10 most important jobs in the country. And the answer is out there, hiding in plain sight. America can do so much better than this. Local governance of the School District of Philadelphia is here. To applause and cheers, the city's new, nine-member Board of Education held its first public meeting on a "historic" Monday night, as Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. termed it seven months after Mayor Kenney announced the city was taking back control of its schools. A crowd that roundly booed the School Reform Commission, the board's predecessor, seemed to welcome the new governing body with open arms and enormous expectations. The board seemed to distance itself from the SRC, moving itself closer physically to the audience, vowing to hold meetings around the city, and informally meeting with members of the public after the formal session. "You are the hope for this community," Rich Migliore, a retired Philadelphia educator, said in public testimony. His voice choked with tears. Its first order of business was electing leaders. Joyce Wilkerson, a former SRC chair with long government experience, was unanimously elected president. Wayne Walker, an expert in nonprofit management and corporate turnarounds, was elected vice president by a 5-4 vote. Julia Danzy, a social-services expert, was also considered. In a departure from the SRC, which hashed out most of its business privately, the board publicly debated between Danzy, who said she would only serve in a leadership role "briefly," and Walker. Wilkerson said she knew it was a tough sell for a board keenly aware of the city's mandate for change to elect someone with ties to the state-dominated SRC, and addressed the issued head-on. "I am no less committed to change," Wilkerson said. Dignitaries and members of the public trooped to a microphone to welcome the board, and to warn it of the work ahead. "We finally get to envision and articulate a new vision for the School District of Philadelphia," Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez said, thanking the advocates who "stayed in our faces so we did the right thing" to force the end of the SRC. Kenney offered a benediction to the men and women he chose from hundreds of nominees to run the district, which controls a $3.2 billion budget and the fate of 205,000 students in traditional public schools and charter schools. "God bless you, godspeed, and good luck," the mayor said. Robin Roberts, a district parent and member of Parents United for Public Education, urged the board to maintain its independence. "We do not need another rubber stamp, as the SRC was, to weaken public education in Philadelphia. We, the parents of district students, expect better of you all," Roberts said. The board members themselves seemed awed and invigorated by the challenge ahead of them. "We must unapologetically embrace democracy at a time when democracy is under attack," member Angela McIver said to applause from the crowd. "We must embrace protest and dissent, and recognize that it is the highest form of patriotism. Public education is democracy in action." McIver also noted that Kenney empowered the board with a great deal of autonomy. "The board is beholden to the children of Philadelphia," McIver said. Christopher McGinley, another former SRC member, grew emotional when he discussed the job ahead of the board. "Tonight, we stand on the cusp of making a better world for the children and young families who live and work in our city," McGinley said. Danzy, who oversaw the city's health and welfare departments during the administration of Mayor John F. Street, said she means to fight for students who are too often marginalized and seen as problems, not people of possibility. Mallory Fix Lopez, a former district teacher and current Community College of Philadelphia professor, who said she plans to send her young son to a public school, said she realized that many city parents in her position thirtysomethings with the resources to move out of the city or send their children to private school do not consider their neighborhood schools as options. "I feel the pressure," Fix Lopez said. "I feel the huge mountain we as a board and as a city face in terms of reclaiming the narrative of public education. But it's not simply a story as the facts need to support it. We need high-performing, resource-rich, safe facilities that are equitable throughout the city." Leticia Egea-Hinton, a longtime activist for the homeless, said she's already gotten a taste of what's ahead of her on the board. "Lord knows," Egea-Hinton said, "it's going to be an adventure." Alfredo Pratico, left, and Julia Frank are the new student members of Philadelphia's school board. Read more For the first time in nearly two decades, the Philadelphia School District will have a student at the table as its governing body makes the decisions that affect 200,000 students. Actually, there will be two. Officials announced Tuesday that Julia Frank and Alfredo Pratico will become the first student members of the new Philadelphia Board of Education. The School Reform Commission, which the local board replaced on July 1, did not have any student members during its 17-year run. Both of the new members, who will take an oath of office at Thursday's school board meeting, are 17 and high school seniors; Frank attends Northeast High and Pratico goes to Masterman. School district officials were initially planning to choose a member and an alternate, but decided given the scope of the job, it was wise to have two full-fledged members. Frank and Pratico are not voting members of the board, and they will be excluded from executive sessions, where legal and personnel matters are discussed, but they will read, review and weigh in on all other matters the nine-member panel considers. They've already got the inches-thick briefing books for Thursday's meeting to prove it, they said. "It's not a full, top-secret clearance to everything, but we're still very much treating this as if we're one of the nine members," Pratico said. The two will have real work on their plate, officials have promised: In addition to attending board meetings, Frank and Pratico are preparing for a schedule of school visits, roundtables, and social media responsibilities. They see themselves as both keeping board members grounded in school-level realities and in taking news of district opportunities, policies, and even challenges back to their peers. "We're the binding factor between the board and the students," said Frank. The job was open to high school juniors or seniors in district or charter schools, and 54 applied, with a board-chosen committee of adults and students settling on Pratico and Frank after multiple interviews. Applying was a natural for Pratico, the first president of the district's citywide student government, who has also served as a Philadelphia Youth Commissioner and a member of Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.'s student advisory council; he has testified before City Council on behalf of the district, written about funding issues in schools, and co-authored a student-written handbook for new teachers. Frank said she raised her hand because speaking for students across the city seemed like an incredible opportunity. "The big thing that I really want to advocate for is regardless of the school that you go to, that resources are balanced," said Frank, the daughter of a teacher and a lawyer, who attends the city's largest school, works at a pizza shop, and is an entrepreneur she founded a company selling her own lip balm. "When I've talked about some of the programs that I've done, I've had students say, 'Oh, I would have done that had I known it was available,' said Frank. "What if you don't have enough counselors to apply to college? That's an issue at my school it's so huge." Though no charter student was selected for the board, both student members say they aim to represent their interests, too. (Frank attended Independence Charter School, in Center City, and her siblings are still enrolled there.) Their responsibility feels weighty, both said, not just because of the gravity of the position, but because of their personal lives, with classes and college applications. Pratico, the child of a medical professor and a stay-at-home mother, wants to study political science or economics; his top college choices are Yale and Princeton. Frank plans to study biochemistry with an eye toward becoming a surgeon; her dream school is Stanford. Though it's still early days for the new, local board of education, the two know meetings can get heated. Frank and Pratico say they hope to hang in, and to affect change. "We can't please everybody, but I want every student to say, 'Well, they listened to me,'" Frank said. Byron Cottom, who is homeless in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, tears up as he talks about the struggles of living on the street. Read more When Philadelphia's Office of Homeless Services finalized the latest tally of Kensington's homeless population this month, what it found was stunning: the number of people living on the drug-plagued community's streets has more than doubled. The latest number 703, up from 271 a year ago caused "borderline hysteria" in the office, said its director, Liz Hersh. The count, made in August and obtained by the Inquirer and Daily News this week, shows that despite nearly two years of outreach efforts in Kensington, homelessness linked to the opioid crisis has reached a level unlike anything city officials have ever seen before. "We certainly recognize that things have gotten worse, that the neighborhood is under siege," said Brian Abernathy, the city's first deputy managing director. "People are suffering. We have to do better, and we're exploring new approaches. We expect to have something soon." The extreme jump in homelessness by Hersh's estimate, more than half of the city's homeless population is now concentrated in Kensington is being driven by the opioid crisis. The area is a magnet for people in addiction because heroin is cheap and readily available. "Let's call the opioid crisis the earthquake we had, and now the tsunami is coming to shore," she said. And the spike came a year after Philadelphia officials closed a decades-old heroin encampment in the area's Gurney Street train gulch, and four months after two more encampments were shut down along Lehigh Avenue. Overall, the city counted 1,355 homeless people in August, up from 983 last year. So, without the Kensington spike, the city's homeless population might have declined. Hersh said most of the neighborhood's homeless weren't simply displaced from the Gurney Street cleanup, which shut down a camp that had operated alongside a Conrail track for years. "It's not just a reshuffling," Hersh said. "It's an influx." The city is launching several efforts to improve the quality of life in Kensington, she said. Two 40-bed shelters on Kensington Avenue, plus another farther west on Lehigh Avenue, are accommodating former residents of the closed camps, and her office is launching a litter pick-up program that will employ people with substance use disorders or in recovery. The health department will station needle disposal boxes around the neighborhood to keep needles off the streets, and a police diversion program to help get treatment instead of being arrested is set to expand to the neighborhood, Hersh said. There are also plans to shut down the remaining two major encampments, on Emerald Street and Frankford Avenue, in the fall and winter, she said. City Council member Maria Quinones-Sanchez, who represents parts of the Kensington district, said her constituents were "beyond frustrated" with what she sees as the city's implied message: Encouraging the homeless to flock to the area. "The more we tell people to come to Kensington and nothing will happen, this number will continue to grow," she said. Last month, she sent a letter to Mayor Kenney and other officials asking the city to "immediately remove" the tents on Emerald Street and Frankford Avenue, and to do the same with smaller encampments that have emerged around the neighborhood. She asked the mayor to explore a "sweep and remove strategy" holding homeless people overnight in a "staging area" so they cannot sleep on neighbors' porches and steps. Finally, she asked that the newly opened shelter beds in Kensington the only ones in the neighborhood be shut down by next spring because she sees them as detrimental to business development. Quinones-Sanchez said the city should find an "industrial location" to house the shelters' residents and have an "engagement center" that's open all day to curb loitering in the neighborhood. In Kensington, residents, advocates, and people living rough said they can't remember when conditions have been worse in a neighborhood that has seen drug use, drug sales, and homelessness for decades. "For real, this is crazy," said Byron Cottom, whose sister sleeps in a homeless encampment on Frankford Avenue; he visits her there during the day and sleeps on the sidewalk further north on Kensington Avenue by night. He's been using heroin on and off since 1996 and said Kensington has been swelling "with all types of people. Everybody." "And the dope is killing people," he said, referring to the fact that a heroin supply once known for its purity is now being adulterated with other drugs. Outreach workers said they are reversing more overdoses; a batch of drugs cut with a synthetic cannabinoid sickened 165 people on and around Kensington Avenue last month. Newcomers keep arriving; a woman who set up camp outside the Somerset Avenue rail station said she got there two weeks ago after "I lost my job, I lost everything" due to addiction. Jamie Moffett, a housing advocate who lives with his family south of Lehigh Avenue and works in Kensington, said that in 20 years in the neighborhood, he's never seen so much suffering. "There's just no small city neighborhood that can itself support this number of sick individuals desperately needing medical care," he said. "I had to find a way to try to explain to my 4-year-old why a man was shooting up in front of a shuttered day-care center on Kensington Avenue. That's a conversation no parent wants to have." So he didn't explain it to the child. "I sidetracked him. I didn't answer. I didn't have the answer, and I don't." On the lawn of the McPherson Square library, the epicenter of the overdose spike last month, a woman named Tricia painted her toenails bright red and scrubbed at her hands Tuesday morning. When the overdoses hit, she had been in the neighborhood for two weeks; now, she's up to nearly two months, sleeping on benches in the park or behind a stack of tires outside an Aramingo Avenue shop. She said she was desperate to leave, but the fear of the pain of withdrawal the strength of the fentanyl sold in the neighborhood makes "quitting even harder," she said was too great. Looking for treatment while homeless and facing intense pain, nausea and vomiting is too daunting. "Neighbors [with homes] will ask us to move, and we're like, 'Sorry, you're right, we'll move.' That anger [in the neighborhood] is understandable," she said. "But when the cops tell us to leave where do we go? Where do we even go? We don't know what to do." Counselors say many students stop taking medication for mental illness when they get to college. Read more When her daughter was in high school, Susan Hein occasionally asked if she was remembering to take her antidepressants. But Hein didn't count pills. She knew her daughter was on top of the regimen. Hein, who lives in York County, hoped the same would continue in college. But on campus at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., her daughter feared being recognized by friends when she visited the counseling center or a nearby pharmacy. "That gave her so much anxiety that she couldn't deal with it," said Hein, who is executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness York County chapter. "She stopped taking her medication. And she didn't want to see anyone for counseling." Soon, Hein said, the panic attacks that had been moderated by medication became constant. Her daughter went to the emergency room fearing she was having a heart attack. Two more emergency visits followed. Finally, a doctor recommended she get psychiatric help. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and panic disorder, and resumed medication and therapy. She graduated in 2009, but her experience is becoming increasingly common, mental health experts say. More students than ever before are entering college with pre-existing mental health conditions, and medication can be an important component of their care. But many students stop taking medications when they arrive on campus the exact moment their stress levels shoot up. The result can be a resurgence of mental illness symptoms, side effects students don't realize can occur from the sudden stop, and in the worst cases, self-harm and even suicide. "They don't want to be seen as someone with a problem," said Bruce Cohen, a psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, where hundreds of college students from across the country are treated for mental illness each year. It has become an increasingly frequent issue over the last two decades, as more teens are given medication for mental illness, Cohen said. A study of national data found the use of psychotropic medication in adolescents rose from 14 percent in the 1990s to 20 percent in the mid-2000s. "We are now able to help students enough that they actually get into college, whereas 20 years ago, they wouldn't have," Cohen said. But once they get there removed from family who may have ensured they take their medication, and facing a new environment with new schedules and priorities "a large proportion of students try stopping," Cohen said. Some, like Hein's daughter, fear the stigma associated with others knowing they have a mental illness. Others believe or wish they don't need medication anymore, said Matthew Wintersteen, a clinical psychologist at Thomas Jefferson University. "Feeling you have to take a medication to manage your mood is challenging for kids who are trying to become independent," Wintersteen said. But many students don't realize there are consequences to abruptly stopping medication, Cohen said. It's in part because their effects fade slowly. "A few days you don't take it and you don't feel terrible," he said. "So you think maybe you don't need it." After some time, though, students can experience more frequent or longer periods of depression, anxiety attacks, or other symptoms associated with their illness. These effects can be compounded by students ending counseling as well, rather than trying to find a new therapist at college. Some people also suffer side effects from suddenly stopping antidepressants, ranging from headaches to flu-like symptoms that can last weeks. During this time, students can suffer academically or have trouble making friends, missing out on key college experiences, Cohen said. Some turn to alcohol and other drugs to self-medicate. That was the case for Hein's daughter, who had to get treatment for substance use disorder. In rare cases, Cohen has seen it lead to hospitalization, which can disrupt the student's entire semester. These risks don't mean students can never stop or change their medication, Wintersteen said. In fact, parents should be open-minded about kids' wanting to change their routines as they get older. But it needs to be done with the help of professionals and at the right time, he said. Ideally, students should acclimate to college life first. "The last thing you want to do is suddenly realize, I'm not doing well at school and if I'd been taking medicine, I might have done better," Wintersteen said. Before the transition to college, or even early on in students' freshman years, families should talk about expectations around medication and counseling, Wintersteen said. They should also discuss if students want to authorize parents to access certain health information that is protected under medical and student privacy laws. The National Association on Mental Illness and the Jed Foundation have guides that can help with those discussions. Hein said one of the main things she learned from her daughter's experience was to educate herself. "Don't assume anything," she said. Reach out to groups like NAMI or Mental Health America to learn what children with mental illness will experience when they leave home for the first time. Universities can play a role too, Cohen said. Once a student enrolls, counseling centers should ask if they are on treatment, and make a point of following up with them. It's not something many universities do now, but it could relieve some of the demand for counseling services later in the semester, Cohen said. "It's much more expensive to address the problem after someone is off their meds," he said. "If you took preventive measures so people wouldn't get in trouble, then resources wouldn't be stretched as thin." Malik King, right, speaks to Police officers during a meeting called "Blades, Fades, and Engage" at the Philly Cuts barbershop in Philadelphia, Pa. Monday, September 17, 2018. A Philly police officer organized the event at a West Philly barbershop where members of the community have an opportunity to chat directly with police officers. JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer . Read more What happens when you combine a barbershop, law enforcement officials, and community members? You get "Blades, Fades, and Engage," a monthly town hall hosted by West Philadelphia's Philly Cuts barbershop. On the third Monday of every month, Philly Cuts serves as a meeting ground for police officers and community members to engage in a disarming conversation about issues that affect communities of color, such as over-policing, gun violence, and broken family structures. During the third session, on Monday night, framed images of former President Barack Obama, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and other historic figures graced the walls of the barbershop as the event's organizer, Officer G. Lamar Stewart, greeted visitors with a firm handshake and a warm welcome. The unmistakable smell of talcum powder, leather, and hair spray alongside mild chatter and buzzing clippers set the scene of a typical black barbershop. Among the nearly two dozen patrons who filled the shop's floor were several plainclothes police as well as a couple of ranking uniformed officers. "Barbershops in communities of color, particularly the black community, have historically been the place where some of the most challenging and toughest conversations take place," Stewart said. "There are many demographics that [police officers] want to engage with that may not feel comfortable coming into a district for various different reasons. Bringing this type of conversation to a place where our citizens feel comfortable would help us bridge the gap, and we're committed to that cause." As the discussion's moderator, Stewart posed questions. It wasn't long before guests began to share their thoughts and experiences. Much of the discussion centered on the systematic racism that many in attendance believe has led to the deterioration of trust between law enforcement and the communities they police. "The distrust is deeper than what's on the surface," said community leader Malik King. "Now that black folks are policing themselves, we're looking to [black officers] to protect us from cops. The root of violence is self-hate, and we have to change the paradigm of how we see each other." King's sentiments were echoed by Malika Rahman, deputy sheriff detective in the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office. "We live in a [justice] system that perpetuates racism, and my life's work is to bridge the gap. We're so far removed from helping each other. I refuse to be afraid of someone who looks like me." Along with some of the grievances and frustrations expressed by both officers and civilians, there was an undeniable underpinning of hope in the room. The conversation shifted into a more solution-driven direction when Stewart asked both groups what steps could be taken to improve interactions between officers and their communities. Nineteen-year-old Nadir Williams of North Philly asked for more black male leaders to mentor young people. Rahman suggested that community members should start with engaging with their own communities. "If we're not willing to engage with each other, we can't have that expectation" from others, she said. For Darryl Thomas, the owner of Philly Cuts, events like Blades, Fades, and Engage align with the mission of his shop: having a positive impact on the surrounding community. He said he welcomed Stewart's proposal with open arms. "Since our inception we've been active in the community," Thomas said. "This is just one piece of the puzzle of what we do here." Mark D'Amico walks toward the exit in Burlington City Municipal Court, where he appeared regarding citations for driving with a suspended license on Tuesday. Read more Clarification: On Nov. 15, 2018, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office announced that the three central figures in this story had been arrested and charged with second-degree theft by deception and other offenses. Prosecutors concluded that their dramatic tale of rescue and redemption had been completely made up. Story detailing the findings can be found here. Mark DAmico, the Burlington County man accused of taking GoFundMe donations meant for homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr., said Tuesday he is eager to explain what happened to the money, saying all of it will become crystal clear when he does talk. D'Amico, 39, of Florence, spoke briefly after he appeared in Burlington City Municipal Court for traffic offenses that include driving with a suspended license. Municipal Court Judge Dennis P. McInerney postponed the hearing until Oct. 9 to give D'Amico, who represented himself, time to find out from the Motor Vehicle Commission whether he is eligible to have his driving privileges reinstated. As D'Amico left court, reporters repeatedly tried to ask about the GoFundMe money even as he said he would have no comment. "I can't wait to talk, but I can't do it right now," said D'Amico, dressed in a black hoodie and shorts, his baseball cap turned backward. Reporters followed him to a dark blue Jeep in the parking lot that was waiting to pick him up. "I'm letting the cops do their job right now." D'Amico was arrested at his home Sept. 10 on a bench warrant after he twice failed to show up for Municipal Court hearings related to traffic offenses. He was held briefly in the Burlington County Jail before posting $500 bail. On Tuesday, Burlington City police released a dash cam video from when D'Amico was pulled over in October 2017 for a broken taillight. On the eight-minute video, police are seen handcuffing D'Amico as they check on a warrant they say was issued in Jersey City. D'Amico jokes that had known there was a warrant, "I would have ran wouldn't have gotten far." He was picked up in Florence two days earlier for the same broken taillight, he tells the officer in a cordial exchange before the cuffs are removed. He is told not to drive, and the officers leave to respond to an emergency call nearby. D'Amico and his girlfriend, Kate McClure, 28, are under a criminal investigation that began after Bobbitt alleged last month the couple had squandered much of the $400,000 collected through GoFundMe. McClure met Bobbitt when she ran out of gas on an I-95 ramp in November 2017 and he used his last $20 to help her. She and D'Amico then promised to help him. Bobbitt has since sued the couple, who were ordered by a judge to turn over what remains of the money. The couple's lawyer has said all the donations are gone. Earlier this month, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, with Florence police, executed a search warrant at the couple's house and confiscated cash, jewelry, a BMW, and financial records. The couple have denied personal use of the money and said they did all they could to help Bobbitt. Tensions grew between the couple and Bobbitt grew throughout the spring, and worsened after D'Amico was arrested in May for the traffic violations. Bobbitt, who was living in a camper near the couple's small house, was dependent on them for money and rides. In October 2017, D'Amico was cited for driving with a suspended license, and a warrant was issued after he failed to show up for a court hearing. D'Amico was arrested in May by local police, who cited him again for driving with a suspended license. That time, he spent the night in the Burlington County Jail before McClure posted $500 bail to free him. Another arrest warrant was issued because D'Amico did not show up for two hearings in June. It was not immediately clear why D'Amico's license was suspended, according to Burlington City Police Capt. John J. Fine. McClure and D'Amico created the GoFundMe account to help Bobbitt last fall. At the time, Bobbitt was homeless and panhandling. After the story went viral, the couple heard from thousands around the world. McClure and D'Amico promised they would use the donations to buy Bobbitt a house and a truck and help turn his life around. Instead, they bought the camper, which was put in McClure's name and later sold. McClure has told reporters that she was on her way to meet friends in Philadelphia when she ran out of gas last year. More recently, Bobbitt has said McClure was on her way to SugerHouse Casino to pick up D'Amico. Bobbitt previously said he feared that D'Amico had gambled with the donations. D'Amico has said he used $500 of the donations when he forgot his SugarHouse card, but quickly repaid the money with his winnings. This summer, Bobbitt told reporters of his suspicions that the couple were using the GoFundMe money to pay for expensive vacations, shopping sprees, and a BMW, saying he had seen very little of the money. The couple said they bought Bobbitt a used SUV. It also was put in McClure's name, and Bobbitt said he was not allowed to drive it. Instead, D'Amico used it until it broke down, Bobbitt said. Bobbitt also said he had been kicked out of a drug-treatment program in Camden because D'Amico stopped driving him to the outpatient program after he was arrested. D'Amico said he gave Bobbitt $40 to take the River Line train to Camden. Last month, DAmico said Bobbitt used donations to buy drugs, so he was cut off from the GoFundMe money. He blamed Bobbitt for getting kicked out of the rehab program. Bobbitt has since started a residential treatment program. Forty seven candidates from thirty-three countries became naturalized US citizens in 2017 after taking the Oath of Allegiance on board the battleship New Jersey in Camden. Here, carrying her 3 year old daughter, Olivia, Polish-born Hanna Pawlowska smiles after receiving her citizenship. Read more In Philadelphia, the number of immigrants keeps growing. The foreign-born population increased 69 percent from 2000 to 2016 to more than 232,000 and now represents nearly 15 percent of all city residents, according to a new analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts. That's the highest share since World War II. The newcomers have helped drive Philadelphia's recent population growth following a half-century of decline, increased its workforce, and boosted the number of entrepreneurs. At the same time, the study said, immigrants have added to the already large pool of poor and less-educated residents, and increased the number of people who struggle to speak English, putting demands on schools and services. They make up 19 percent of workers and 14 percent of those in poverty. The study, "Philadelphia's Immigrants: Who They Are and How They Are Changing the City," was released Thursday afternoon. It relied mainly on census data to examine the changing characteristics of the city's foreign-born population without regard to their immigration status. "The degree to which immigrants have fueled Philadelphia's population resurgence is striking," study author Tom Ginsberg, a manager with Pew's Philadelphia research initiative, said in a statement. "Pew's research shows the potential they have to shape the city's economic and social landscape in ways that present both opportunities and challenges." The immigrant population is diverse, with no single nationality close to having a majority. Recent census estimates show China was the leading nation of origin, accounting for about 11 percent of the city's immigrants. India, Vietnam, and the Dominican Republic each accounted for about 6 percent or 7 percent, while Mexico, Ukraine, Haiti, and Jamaica each had 3 percent or 4 percent. Since 1990, Philadelphia has again become an attractive destination for immigrants. At peak in the 1850s, the foreign-born share of the city population was 30 percent, twice the current figure. Other significant findings included: Between 2000 and 2016, as the city population increased from 1,517,550 to 1,567,872, the number of foreign-born residents rose by about 95,000. At the same time, the number of U.S.-born Philadelphians fell by 44,500. In 2016, nearly one in five working Philadelphians was an immigrant. Many held service jobs in health care, education, hospitality, and retail. The median household income of immigrants was about $39,700, close to that of U.S.-born Philadelphians. The poverty rate among immigrants was 24 percent, slightly below the rate for natives. But in recent years, the number of immigrants living in poverty has been growing at a faster rate than that of natives. Although about three in 10 adult immigrants had college degrees, slightly higher than the share of U.S.-born residents, another three in 10 had little schooling, a significantly higher share than the native population. For State Sen. Sharif Street, the most promising sign in his quixotic bid to reform Pennsylvania's life-without-parole system came in the form of a call from Americans for Prosperity, the Koch-backed libertarian political advocacy group. "It was some surprise when they sought us out," he said. "It's my first time being on the same side of an issue with them." Over the past year, Street, a Democrat from North Philadelphia, has been telling anyone who will listen that a change is overdue. Pennsylvania's murder rate ranks 25th in the nation. Yet, courts in the state sentence people to life without parole at a rate that's among the highest in the country, and more than double the national average. Street introduced a bill last year that would allow lifers to be considered for parole after 15 years a move that would make 64 percent of lifers eligible for that consideration. A report released Tuesday on the state's 5,300-strong lifer population from the Pittsburgh-based Abolitionist Law Center attempts to unpack the scope of this issue and add fuel to Street's initiative. It uncovers stark racial disparities: black Pennsylvanians are sentenced to life at a rate 18 times higher than white ones. It finds a disproportionate impact on young people: More than half of lifers were 25 or younger at commitment. And, it explores the special case of Philadelphia, the nation's leader in life-without-parole sentencing, where one in 294 black residents is serving a life sentence. It also examines the consequences of a graying lifer population: One-third of lifers are considered "geriatric" by the Corrections Department, and incarcerating them costs an estimated $86 million per year. Consequently, the number of lifers dying in prison each year has grown exponentially, from an average of seven per year in the 1980s to 38 per year since 2010. Bret Grote, one of the report's authors, said its goal is simple: "So it can be recognized as a major human rights issue." He's part of a statewide movement, Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration, that will hold an Oct. 2 protest in Harrisburg. The report also highlights personal stories of transformation like Philip Ocampo, who was 18 when he participated in a robbery that became a murder when his codefendant shot and killed a man. Now, he mentors teens, works as an aide in a prison special needs unit, volunteers as a hospice worker, and trains puppies for people with disabilities. >> READ MORE: More people than ever are dying in prison. Their caregivers? Other inmates Among the conclusions is that commutation a mechanism that once released dozens of lifers each year is broken. The system requires a unanimous recommendation from a board that includes the lieutenant governor and attorney general, followed by the governor's approval. The board has released only eight lifers in the past two decades. Most recently, on Aug. 9, the Board of Pardons voted on whether to grant 32 lifers public hearings. It denied all but three the opportunity to make their case. One of those who was rejected was George Trudel, one of 1,169 lifers sentenced for felony murder that is, participating in a felony that leads to a death. A friend of Trudel's stabbed a man during an argument, and Trudel was implicated. The killer, Robert Barrett, was released after just seven years. Trudel has served more than 30. >> READ MORE: An accomplice will die in prison while the killer goes free: The strange justice of Pennsylvania's felony-murder law Street said he's particularly concerned about such situations, which are not uncommon because both third-degree murder and manslaughter carry terms far shorter than felony murder's mandatory life. "People recognize the inequities in the system and some of the injustices," he said. He said his legislation could also bring relief to some of the women serving life sentences for killing their abusive partners crimes that today would likely be charged as third-degree murder or manslaughter. "This will get the Board of Probation and Parole to look at their cases with an eye for justice as we see it today," he said. Although Street said there's real bipartisan support for the bill, he declined to identify any Republican backers. But Americans for Prosperity has circulated a letter of support to state senators. "Denying elderly, sick, or well-behaved inmates the possibility of parole is not just costly but is an injustice to individuals who pose little risk to the public and could be reunited with their families and contributing to society," AFP state director Beth Ann Mumford said in a statement. The Commonwealth Foundation, a free-market think tank, is also circulating a brief advocating for the legislation. "This is a commonsense measure," senior policy analyst Bob Dick said in an email. The bill has been sitting in the Senate Judiciary Committee for nearly a year, but Street, a committee member, expects it could finally be voted out in October. However, passing it out of the Republican-run General Assembly with just eight session days remaining is a long shot. "Even if the committee members approved this bill, it's going to have a tough time getting a vote in the Senate," noted a spokesperson for State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. "Most likely, it will have to be reintroduced next session." In the past few weeks, protesters have assailed the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections' strict new policies on inmate mail and books, including a $4 million contract with a Florida company to scan and forward incoming mail, and the prohibition of direct donations from organizations like Books Through Bars. Now, legal advocates are urging the prison system to rethink its plans for handling legal mail in which staff would photocopy mail in the inmate's presence, then retain the original in a sealed envelope for up to a month before destroying it. In a letter to the department dated Sept. 18, attorneys from the Pennsylvania ACLU, the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project and the Abolitionist Law Center said the policy was "indefensible," the most intrusive in the country, and a violation of attorney-client confidentiality. It promised a federal court challenge if the department does not revisit the policy. >>READ MORE: Pa. prison books and mail policies draw protests, petitions, and possible legal challenges According to the department, the measures are necessary to stem the influx of drugs into prisons particularly after a number of corrections officers took ill in recent months. The department said the guards were sickened by exposure to K2. Experts in toxicology told the Inquirer and Daily News that a more likely cause is mass psychogenic illness. >>READ MORE: Pa. prisons spend $15M after guards were sickened by K2. But what if it was just in their heads? As evidence of the drug problem, the department recently posted on its Facebook and Twitter accounts photos of a Bible with strips of suboxone hidden inside, shipped from a Philadelphia Barnes & Noble store. It also posted a letter it said represented an inmate "describing how to smuggle drugs" but Twitter users were having none of it. This week, the department got ratioed after a Twitter user pointed out a curious thing about the letter: It doesn't actually mention drugs. Another user chimed in: "Sir, I was promised a letter describing how to smuggle drugs & all I got was this lousy letter describing how to donate books." The letter, which apparently accompanied a form from a book-donation organization, includes this plan: The writer's family and friends could manipulate the form in order to send him books directly, in violation of prison rules. Still, Twitter user La Tasha C. Williams replied that prisoners do use "code words to communicate illicit activity. You don't think the word 'drugs' would actually appear in the letter?? The letter is definitely suspect." But many were not convinced. Not even by the writer's postscript: "A dictionary would be lovely!" Sometimes, they argued, a dictionary is just a dictionary. At left, Charlie, as he was found by Nicole Rubino in October. At right, Charlie today with his furever dad, Bill Gross. Read more When Bill Gross adopted his dog Charlie from the City of Elderly Love animal rescue last week, founder Erin Lewin told him to be ready for questions. "She said, 'You will always be asked for the rest of his life what happened to him, so be prepared to tell it over and over again,' " Gross said. See, Charlie the Philly Miracle doesn't look like other dogs. Much of his jowl had to be removed last year, leaving him with a toothy perma-smile on one side. He looks like the furry, adorable, non-villainous canine version of Two-Face from Batman. And, like Two-Face, Charlie has a heartbreaking origin story. In October, a picture of Charlie tied up among piles of garbage behind the Cobbs Creek Recreation Center was posted to the West Willy Facebook group. Neighborhood resident Nicole Rubino, 29, a former vet tech with a reputation for rescuing strays, went out to save the then-nameless pup. "He looked dead when I got there. He wasn't moving," Rubino said. "He was soaking wet, and there were flies all over his body." But when Rubino untied the dog and opened her car door, he got right in. She took him to the Philadelphia Animal Hospital for treatment. "The vet was almost in tears when I brought him in," Rubino said. Meanwhile, members of the West Willy group started donating to a GoFundMe to help pay for his care. "He touched the whole neighborhood with his story," Rubino said. The dog, whom Rubino named Charlie, required extensive surgery. Almost half of his swollen jowl was removed because it was necrotic and teeming with maggots. It took three months of treatment, with estimated costs of around $10,000, before Charlie could enter a foster home. The Philadelphia Animal Hospital covered the costs and donated the more than $2,000 raised for Charlie to the City of Elderly Love, a rescue for senior pets. The organization agreed to foster Charlie, who is believed to be around 8 years old. The founder, Lewin, 33, estimates that the group has saved more than 625 animals since its start in 2014. In January, after his medical care was complete, Charlie spent time in two foster homes. "He was an easy placement," Lewin said. "He's just a great dog." It's hard to imagine what happened to Charlie or who did it. Though he had a chip implanted, there wasn't enough evidence to tie him to anyone. It's not believed he was used for fighting extensively, but it does appear he was in a fight, suffered a cut that got infected, and perhaps was left by owners who panicked, Lewin said. Familiar with Charlie's story, Gross, 39, of Northeast Philly, reached out to City of Elderly Love and expressed interest in adopting him. "I've always been a guy who roots for the underdog," Gross said. "Charlie just spoke to me in a way that I know I can give him the best rest of his life that he can have." Gross started an Instagram account for Charlie to document his progress. In a week, Charlie already has more followers than his furever dad. This weekend, Gross took Charlie to visit his 97-year-old grandmother, Elaine Santore, at the retirement community where she lives. As Lewin said they would, people asked Gross what happened to Charlie. He told them. "People were crying here and there," Gross said. "But they were also giving him hugs and giving me hugs too." Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Cleveland. Read more Former President Barack Obama is coming back to town this week. Obama will headline a rally Friday for Sen. Bob Casey and Gov. Wolf, who will both appear on the ballot when Pennsylvanians head to polls in November's midterm elections. Free tickets for the event at the Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Dr., opened up to the public at noon Tuesday. They're available on a first-come, first-serve basis and can be picked up at the following Pennsylvania Democratic Party offices across the region: Philadelphia North Philadelphia: Progress Plaza, 1501-17 N. Broad St. West Philadelphia: 4409 Chestnut St. Mount Airy: 6817 Germantown Ave. Delaware County Upper Darby: 130 S State Rd. Montgomery County Ambler: 714 N. Bethlehem Pike, Suite 200 Bucks County Doylestown: Scott Wallace for Congress office, 80 N. Main St. Chester County Exton: 631 Pottstown Pike It's not the first time Obama has weighed in on the upcoming election. Last week, the former president appeared in Ohio to rally behind Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rich Cordray. Obama also delivered a strong message to Republicans while speaking at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign this month. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. will headline a Pennsylvania Republican Party fundraiser in Hershey on Friday, while President Trump stopped in Luzerne County early last month to rally for U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who's eyeing Casey's seat in Congress. "Now listen, this seat is very important, because we want to keep this economy going," Barletta said at the rally. "We're not tired of winning. Help me help President Trump make America great again." Former first lady Michelle Obama will swing by Philly on Nov. 29 as part of a book tour. Public access to the venue for Friday's rally begins at 2:30 p.m., according to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Obama is expected to speak at 4:45 p.m. President Trump expressed sympathy on Tuesday for Brett Kavanaugh, his Supreme Court nominee who has been accused by a woman of of sexual assault when they were both in high school. "I feel so badly for him that he's going through this. I feel so badly for him," Trump said of Kavanaugh during a joint press conference with Poland's President Andrzej Duda. "Honestly I feel terrible for him, for his wife and for his beautiful young daughters. I feel terribly for them." "This is not a man that deserves this," Trump added, making no mention of the details of allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist, that an intoxicated Kavanaugh held her down and sexually assaulted her during a party when the two were in high school. "Hopefully the woman will come forward, state her case," Trump said. Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them "completely false" in a statement issued by the White House on Monday. He has agreed to answer questions about the allegations publicly in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee next Monday. Senate Republicans say Ford's lawyer, Debra Katz, has yet to respond to an invitation to appear before the committee next week to testify in either a public or private session. "She's going to have an opportunity to be heard Monday," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) told reporters on Capitol Hill, signaling Republicans were reluctant to push back the date of the hearings any further. "I think it gives her ample opportunity to express her point of view." Democrats have said Kavanaugh's nomination shouldn't move forward until the FBI investigates Ford's claims, but the FBI told CBS News it had "included the allegation in Kavanaugh's background material" and was not pursuing an investigation. "I don't think the FBI really should be involved, because they don't want to be involved," Trump told reporters earlier in the day. "If they wanted to be, I would certainly do that, but as you know they say this is not really their thing. Politically speaking, the senators will do a very good job, the senators will open it up, they'll do a terrific job." Ford told the Washington Post that Kavanaugh and a friend both "stumbling drunk," Ford alleges corralled her into a bedroom during a summer party in the 1980s, pinned her to a bed, and groped her. When she tried to scream, she claims Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth. She told the Post she eventually freed herself and ran out of the room. "I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." Blanca Pacheco, the assistant director of the New Sanctuary Movement, left, is embraced by Maggie Trotzky, during an immigration protest outside of the United States Custom House on 200 Chestnut St, in Philadelphia. Read more On a hot and steamy Sunday, blocks from where tourists had lined up to see the Liberty Bell and under the eyes of police, more than 150 demonstrators gathered by the U.S. Custom House in Philadelphia to take issue with the country's policies on immigration. "We are not going to be silent," said Rabbi Joshua Waxman, from Or Hadash Congregation in Fort Washington, who helped lead the protest. Waxman said President Trump's rhetoric and his restriction on immigration violate the principles upon which the county was founded and have turned people against each other. The protest, he said, gave voice to those who have tried to cross the border and now sit in detention. "Jewish people know what it is to be a despised minority," Waxman said. The event occurred on the Jewish holiday Tisha b'Av, which commemorates a series of tragic events in Jewish history. Part demonstration, part remembrance and part prayer service, the protest saw participants chant from the Book of Lamentations, which describes the sorrow after the fall of Jerusalem. >READ MORE: Police clash with protesters outside Philly ICE office, arresting 29 The group included young families with children. Participants stood in silence for most of the event, occasionally joining in song. They carried handmade signs that read "I am here because of immigrants," "End racism against refugees," and "Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all: No exceptions." "We've been here before," Rabbi Avi Winokur, from the Society Hill Synagogue. He recounted the story of the ship St. Louis, a German ocean liner that came to the United States in 1939 with more than 900 refugees who were denied entry, "We are reenacting what we once did so terribly," Winokur said, referring to the current treatment of immigrants. "The immigration system is broken," said Blanca Pacheco, of the New Sanctuary Movement in Philadelphia. For years, she said, the U.S. has sold immigrants a dream to come to the county for a good life. Once here, she said, they find the path to citizenship blocked. "I'm just appalled about what is going on," said Cathryn Miller-Wilson, the executive director of HIAS Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that provides legal services for immigrants and refugees. Miller-Wilson said she also saw similarities between what happened to Jews in Germany during the 1930s and what immigrants now face. First, the immigrants are portrayed as the "other." Then a climate of fear about the immigrants is created. Finally, she said, "anti-other" policies are imposed. "Fear," she said, "is one of the strongest weapons out there." Christopher D. Warren, 58, a prominent and sometimes mouthy Philadelphia defense lawyer who made his name representing mobsters and gangsters, was found dead by his landlord on Saturday, Sept. 8, in his North Carolina home. The official cause of death was an aneurysm, said Laura Feldman, Mr. Warren's ex-wife. Feldman said a memorial service will be held in December because "his friends are from all over the country, and they all want to come." After defending Angelo "Fat Ange" Lutz, who spent seven years in federal prison as a "mob associate" convicted in 2001 of bookmaking and racketeering, Mr. Warren became one of Philadelphia's preeminent criminal defense attorneys. His mob clients included George "Georgie Boy" Borgesi and Joseph "Scoops" Licata. Recently he had been a defense lawyer for the rapper Meek Mill. He specialized in criminal defense in state and federal courts. Eddie Jacobs, the longtime attorney for some of Philadelphia's most prominent mobsters, worked many cases with Mr. Warren. He called him "just one hell of a guy." "I'm going to miss him personally, I'm going to miss him professionally," Jacobs said. "He had a lot of talent in that 5-foot, 7-inch frame. What he lacked in stature, he made up in intellect and hard work." Mr. Warren retired last November to the Outer Banks. One of his last clients was former Democratic State Rep. Leslie Acosta, who pleaded guilty in 2016 in a money-laundering scheme. "He wanted to retire early, and he did, and he got to enjoy it for eight or nine months," Jacobs said. "We talked every few days. He was in good spirits." His body, which was not discovered for several days, was found in Salvo, an unincorporated community on Hatteras Island. Feldman said Mr. Warren had "a brilliant legal mind. He overcame great obstacles in his life, and that's what sticks out to me." Mr. Warren, whose father died when he was young, was a native of El Paso, Texas. He dropped out of high school three times, but after earning his GED he attended Cooke County College and then North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). He earned his law degree at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Feldman and Mr. Warren met when they attended law school and moved to Philadelphia shortly after passing the bar exams in 1987. He was known as a hard drinker and a heavy smoker. Dennis J. Cogan, a close friend and lead defense attorney in the corruption trial of former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, recalled that in 2008 he tried to enlist Mr. Warren's assistance. But he said Mr. Warren "was suddenly hospitalized with a serious heart problem. So for a good 10 years he's been fighting health problems without taking care of himself." Cogan called him a "brilliant lawyer with a kind heart." "It's really hard to imagine anybody smarter than him who has practiced criminal law in this city that I have come across," he said. In addition to his former wife, Mr. Warren is survived by a son, Jake, and a grandchild. Former President Barack Obama speaks in Foellinger Auditorium on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana, Ill., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Obama will receive a medal for the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government at a private ceremony following the speech. Read more Barack Obama is the best president Republicans have ever had. In his eight years in office, the 44th president helped deliver to the GOP (in no particular order) the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, nine governorships, and roughly 900 seats in state legislatures. The Republican National Committee should give the man a medal. And now the ex-president is back for an encore, reminding Americans not only why Donald Trump rather than Hillary Clinton sits in the Oval Office today but also why Democrats' hopes for a "blue wave" in November might be overblown. Obama is great for voter turnout all right Republican turnout. Democrats may not see it that way, which is just fine. When the former president popped up at the University of Illinois on Sept. 7 to accept an ethics in government prize, fans cheered his snide denunciation of the Trump administration and its policies many of which involve dismantling most of Obama's signature accomplishments. And he was greeted by an adoring crowd when he stumped in Orange County on Saturday for seven Democrats trying to flip Republican-held congressional seats in California that may be pivotal to who controls the House after Nov. 6. Now it's true, Obama remains a popular man even as his policies often implemented with a stroke of a pen and without congressional approval are being repudiated one by one. As Conrad Black pointed out at American Greatness, Obama would likely prevail in a head-to-head fight with Trump on the ballot. But Trump's name isn't on the ballot on Nov. 6. Neither is Obama's. And if the election is about Trump's record so far, Democrats might want to think twice before comparing it to that of the immediate past president. Remember when Obama asked "what magic wand" Trump would use to bring trading partners to the negotiating table? Remember when 2 percent to 3 percent economic growth was "the new normal?" Remember "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor?" Well, two out of three ain't bad. Trump fumbled the Obamacare repeal, but he's made strides on trade, renegotiating NAFTA with Mexico and using tariffs to bring other trading partners in line, even as the economy has been growing at a robust 4 percent. Obama would like to claim credit for the boom. "When you hear how great the economy is doing right now, let's just remember when this recovery started," he said. Yes, let's. Kevin Hassett, chairman of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers, showed reporters on Monday a series of charts and graphs illustrating how several economic trends, including small business optimism and durable goods purchases, all took off after the 2016 election. "You have to look at the moment that President Trump was elected in both equity markets and incentive surveys," Hassett told the White House press corps. "People started to ratchet up their expectations for the economy." Tax cuts helped, too. Obama may be a better politician than Clinton, but he cannot help but take passive-aggressive potshots at the millions of "deplorables" who rallied for Trump in 2016. "Appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren't for those who don't look like us or don't sound like us or don't pray like we do, that's an old playbook," he told the Illinois audience. "It's as old as time." Obama would know. He set the tone for his administration during the 2008 campaign, when he told Philadelphia Democrats, "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun." He cemented it on the second day of his presidency, when he dismissed Republican objections to his proposed economic stimulus plan with two words: "I won." He redoubled his rhetoric in 2010, when he urged Latino voters to "punish our enemies" and "reward our friends." Voters responded by delivering the GOP decisive majorities in the House and Senate. In his Illinois speech, the former president also attacked Trump's rhetoric on the press and once again inadvertently drew attention to his own lousy record. "I complained plenty about Fox News," Obama said, "but you never heard me threaten to shut them down, or call them 'enemies of the people.' " No, he was far subtler than that. Obama merely instructed his attorney general to spy on reporters from the Associated Press and Fox News and prosecute every leaker he could find. The 44th president earned a reputation, perhaps undeservedly, for "no drama." Nobody would lend such an appellation to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And yet through the chaos as even the anonymous "senior administration official" who wrote the notorious New York Times op-ed had to concede the policy victories have been undeniable. The country is doing well. People are actually feeling upbeat. Now if you're ready to blame this president for the worst (including all of the things editorial writers and pundits for nearly two years have warned would come to pass any day now), then you'd better prepare to give credit where it's due. If Obama and the Democrats want to fight about who or what is dividing the country the most, don't be surprised when voters turn that blue wave into a blue trickle. Ben Boychuk is managing editor of American Greatness. Juliann Bortz, one of the 16 sexual abuse victims seated on stage with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, breaks down in tears as Shapiro speaks of the details of one priest's abuse of a youth parishner during his press conference on the findings of the Grand Jury Report on Child Sexual Abuse in six Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania at the State Capital on August 14, 2018. MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer Read more Earlier this month, the New York attorney general initiated a criminal inquiry into clergy abuse of children in all the Catholic dioceses in New York state. This came fast on the heels of Pennsylvania's statewide grand jury investigation of Catholic clergy abuse, which was reported out by Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Aug. 14, exposing at least 1,000 cases of child abuse over a 70-year period. New Jersey, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Missouri have similar criminal investigations underway. This follows previous inquiries in other states. READ MORE: In wake of Pa. grand jury report on Catholic clergy abuse, multiple states launch investigations If you want to go back to ground zero, in Boston in 2002, Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly may have issued the very first statewide report on July 23, 2003, when his 16-month investigation revealed that probably more than 1,000 children had been sexually abused by priests and other church workers in the Archdiocese of Boston since 1940 which averaged out to about 16 children per year up to 2003. By that time, Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law, who presided over decades-long cover-ups of abuse, had fled to Rome, leaving before he could be subpoenaed. But no matter how many separate state inquiries are initiated, I predict that the findings will all repeat the vocabulary of "cover-up," "collusion," "enabling," "sacrificing children for the sake of the institution's reputation" the same script gets replayed over and over. The time is long past for the criminality of the Roman Catholic Church to be treated as just a local or state problem this is a national problem that is part of the global epidemic of child abuse. We must insist that this country hold a national, federal inquiry that covers all 50 states. In doing so, the United States will not be leading, but following, many other countries around the globe that have already conducted such national public inquiries like tiny Ireland, which took the lead in the last decade with three government reports and now has a fourth national ongoing inquiry by a Mothers and Babies Commission of Inquiry into mistreatment of mothers and infants in homes run by Catholic orders. An Australian research study at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology reported last year on over 26 countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, European nations, and Canada that have held official, national public inquiries into institutional abuse. These include two ongoing government inquiries in England (IICSA) and Scotland (SCAI), following the completion of similar inquiries in Wales and Northern Ireland. >> READ MORE: What the Catholic Church could learn from Australia's response to child sexual abuse | Opinion One of the most extensive recent inquiries also took place in Australia, where a Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse just issued a final report last December after a five-year inquiry that recorded over 8,000 testimonies from survivors of child abuse in religious and secular institutions. If President Nelson Mandela of South Africa could initiate a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1994 to investigate decades of institutional injustice against victims of apartheid, can we not appoint a federal commission to investigate at least a century's worth of abuse of children? If Massachusetts and now Pennsylvania started the ball rolling, at least pick up the ball and run with it in a full-scale, national investigation of mistreatment of children in many institutions not just the Catholic Church, but other religious and secular entities, including schools, universities, youth programs, etc. I can think of few priorities that outrank the health, welfare and protection of our blessed children. So stop draining off scarce local and state resources which are bravely and conscientiously devoted to addressing institutional crime within local borders. Sexual predators (and their enablers) cross state lines all the time to pursue their perversion. Make this national epidemic a national priority with appropriate federal funding and government clout. Appoint a special prosecutor if necessary. Nobody gets a pass when our children's lives are at stake. Nobody. Arthur McCaffrey is a retired Harvard University psychologist who writes frequently about child abuse. Here are some of the immigrant cooks, back servers and wait staff who Cratil-Cretarola credits for the success of Le Virtu and Brigantessa. Read more During the 2008 financial crisis, my award-winning Italian restaurant Le Virtu in South Philly might have closed had it not been for the financial support of my Chinese-born mother-in-law. After coming to the United States on a student visa in 1953, she managed to build a comfortable life as a stock trader. Her success and her generosity allowed my wife and me to open this restaurant and keep it running during the recession. But the restaurant never would have existed in the first place had my grandfather Alfonso Cretarola not immigrated here from Abruzzo, Italy in 1909. He spent years as a manual laborer, even mining coal in Pennsylvania, before Americanizing his name to Francis Cratil and working for Firestone. I'm named after him and opened Le Virtu to honor our shared legacy. The fact that Le Virtu was inspired by one immigrant and made financially viable by another, speaks volumes about Philadelphia. New American Economy's just-released Cities Index, a new tool measuring how effectively the largest 100 U.S. cities are integrating immigrants, truly affirms that we are the city of Brotherly Love. We ranked sixth nationwide. Specifically, we did well in the categories of "Government Leadership," which considers municipal support of immigrant-centered organizations and active outreach to their communities; "Economic Empowerment," which looks at such factors as immigrant-focused vocational training and entrepreneurship support programs; and "Job Opportunities," which accounts for employment rates and the share of high-prestige occupations, part-time workers, and entrepreneurs. Our success is due, at least in part, to our city's Office of Immigrant Affairs, which my South Philly immigrant neighbors consider a giant welcoming flag. The office provides crucial information and resources, large and small, like how to secure housing and where to pay a parking ticket. As important is the vocal support and policy actions of our municipal government. In July, Mayor Jim Kenney announced that the city will no longer give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to the real-time arrest database. Before, many immigrants both documented and undocumented were afraid to report crimes because they feared that any interaction with law enforcement could put them and their families at risk for deportation. By ending this agreement, immigrants will not only be less vulnerable to crime, but more likely to speak up and report criminal activity. This will make Philadelphia a safer place for everyone. >> READ MORE: Philly's agreement with ICE: What it is and how Mayor Kenney can show moral clarity by ending it | Opinion Additionally, when it comes to job opportunities, there are plenty to go around, and immigrants are seizing these opportunities. An analysis of the 2016 Census data by Pew Charitable Trusts found nearly one in five Philadelphians in the labor force are foreign-born, the majority working in service jobs in the health-care, education, hospitality, and retail sectors. Clearly, our immigrant population is not just important to local businesses, but a cornerstone of our city's economy. Le Virtu is a good example. Over the years, our employees have hailed from Mexico, Nicaragua, and Canada, in addition to Italy and the United States, and our offerings are better for it. I would not have a bustling restaurant today were it not for the dedication and hard work of my immigrant cooks, back servers, and wait staff. And I'd like to return their generosity I think we all should by continuing to welcome new Americans with open arms. Who we are as a country is a product of their hard work, just as it is the hard work of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents whomever from your family first came to this country. It would be a tragedy to forget that. I'm proud of Philly for not just remembering this, but for celebrating the immigrant roots that ground us all. Francis Cratil-Cretarola is owner of South Philly restaurants Le Virtu and Brigantessa. The U.S. Census Bureau report released last week on Philadelphia's poverty rates was disappointing, but not surprising. Our persistent, generational poverty is the greatest challenge facing our city. Every day I am reminded that one in four of our residents lives in poverty struggling to make ends meet, put food on the table, and keep a roof over their heads. I see it on my weekly visits to schools and summer Play Streets, where so many of our kids eat their only meals of the day. I see it at recreation centers and libraries where adults use computers to apply for jobs, and staff are forced to run outside to administer life-saving medication to someone suffering from addiction. Systemic, intergenerational poverty has been a scourge on Philadelphia for as long as I can remember. It has disproportionately impacted low and middle-income families, and specifically communities of color. >> READ MORE: Around the country, incomes are rising. In Philly, they're falling. Since day one of my administration, I have made fighting poverty a key priority. We must be mindful however, that there is no single solution, and that results of our work may take years, even decades, to fully materialize. Ultimately, I believe the best ways to make a significant reduction in poverty are to improve educational and economic opportunities, and to empower residents with the resources they need to get family-sustaining jobs. That's why we enacted the Philadelphia Beverage Tax (PBT) to provide quality pre-K to more than 5,000 children each year. Research tells us that quality early childhood education is one of the greatest investments our society can make. Children who participate in quality pre-K are more likely to graduate from high school, pursue postsecondary education, and earn more money during their lifetimes. Additionally, PHLpreK has already helped 80 pre-K providers grow most of whom are small, minority-owned businesses. PHLpreK has created more than 250 jobs and the average hourly wage of new hires is $14.72. PBT also allows us to create 20 community schools that bring critical support services, such as food pantries, after-school programs, adult education classes, and job training to students and adults. We're also investing hundreds of millions of dollars in our neighborhoods by restoring recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, and libraries, which are lifelines for community members looking for help, or even a safe space to spend time. >> FROM 2017: Philadelphia remains poorest big city We have returned our schools to local control so that every Philadelphian has quality schools in their neighborhood. We've dedicated over half a billion dollars in new City revenue to the School District over the next five years. This will allow us to expand early literacy and college and career readiness initiatives, and to accelerate renovations of our aging school buildings to ensure the safety of students and school staff. We also understand that Philadelphia's adults contend with unemployment and underemployment, which is why we launched a workforce development strategy called "Fueling Philadelphia's Talent Engine" to aid both job growth and job-readiness. It will prepare Philadelphians with the skills employers need for a world-class workforce, address the barriers that prevent Philadelphians from accessing meaningful career opportunities, and build a workforce system that is more coordinated, innovative, and effective. We're also connecting residents to available benefits, a lifeline for people in need. Since 2016, our BenePhilly Centers helped more than 20,000 neighbors apply for public benefits, securing almost $20 million in previously unclaimed public assistance. I also formed an Eviction Task Force that identified ways we can stem the tide of evictions that one in 14 tenants face. So far, 600 families have moved into new, City-supported affordable homes and more than 300 more homes are under construction. We're preserving more than 300 homes that were at risk of losing affordability, and we're making improvements and repairs to the homes of 6,000 low-income residents. Just last week, we committed to provide at least $53 million in new resources to support the City's first Housing Action Plan the largest investment in affordable housing the City has seen in years. Finding solutions to the issue of intergenerational poverty has always been, and will continue to be, a priority for me and my entire administration. All of us government, businesses, nonprofits, philanthropy, and residents must continue to work together to solve this vexing problem. Jim Kenney is mayor of Philadelphia. @PhillyMayor Unidentified victims and families and sexual abuse victims sit on the stage as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro releases the findings of a two-year grand jury investigation into clergy abuse at six of the state's Roman Catholic Dioceses, leading a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg on Aug. 14, 2018. Read more Last month, news broke of thousands of children sexually abused by more than 300 Catholic priests across six dioceses in Pennsylvania. The report, rightfully so, has provoked disgust and outrage. But as the dust settles, an even more egregious reality becomes evident: Prosecutors have only been able to file criminal charges against two of the perpetrators. Even more disturbing, most of the survivors have lost their right to sue not only the perpetrator, but the institution as well. The reason for this miscarriage of justice? Antiquated statute of limitations laws that prevent claimants over the age of 50 from making criminal allegations against their abusers. Similar laws prevent survivors over the age of 30 from filing civil charges. These laws as they stand leave very few victims able to seek redress for their suffering, suffering to which a statute of limitations does not apply. Without accountability, there can be no change. To these survivors and their families, I say: There is hope. >> READ MORE: Time for a federal commission on sex abuse of children | Opinion Ten years ago, I was a deputy attorney general in Delaware working with a newly elected attorney general Beau Biden when we faced our own Catholic Church abuse scandal. At the time, Delaware had outdated statute of limitations laws. But the magnitude of the crimes uncovered shocked us all, and we were able to change our laws to lift the statute of limitations on crimes against children. We couldn't do it alone we built a coalition including survivors, legislators, and community activists. The reform resulted in a wave of litigation involving more than a dozen priests and some 150 victims that led to a $70 million payout from the diocese and $50 million more from Catholic Orders. Its impact is still being felt: Just this year, a priest was charged for a 25-year-old rape based on Delaware's updated statute of limitations laws. I strongly urge state legislative action in Pennsylvania to allow the 1,000-plus victims to seek justice by retroactively lifting the statute of limitations that protects offenders, along with the individuals and institutions that harbored them. We were profoundly impacted by the accounts of survivors. We were driven to ensure they found some measure of justice, and not just in Delaware the Church regularly moved pedophile priests from community to community, from state to state. A priest could have abused children in multiple congregations across six or seven states over the course of their lifetime do all of those survivors not deserve the same justice? The records involved in investigations of child abuse should, wherever possible, be released and thoroughly examined. We must be able to identify additional communities impacted by the Church's negligence. This is not a Pennsylvania issue. This is a national issue. We cannot continue to reel from crisis to crisis, making small changes to laws in response to criminal activity. The time is now. Survivors need to know they will find justice, and that can only happen if they know they will be supported, protected, and believed. >> READ MORE: What the Catholic Church could learn from Australia's response to child sexual abuse | Opinion While the shock of the heinous child sex abuse at the hands of hundreds of Catholic priests in Pennsylvania will never completely disappear, the statute of limitations protecting the perpetrators can and should. Delaware did it; Pennsylvania has the opportunity to do it. So must all states. As Beau himself said, "We have seen the progress that can be made when society commits to shining a bright light on a crime like domestic violence, and we are seeing the beginning of what can be accomplished if we continue shining that bright light on child abuse." Patricia Dailey Lewis, Esq. is executive director of The Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. Prior to this position, she served as deputy attorney general and director of the Family Division of the Delaware Department of Justice (DDOJ). Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team check on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Read more In less than a week, Hurricane Florence has mercilessly cut a wide path through southern coastal states, killing more than 30 people and destroying countless homes and businesses. One million customers lost power, with no timeline for restoration. Floodwaters from the slow-moving storm cut off the entire town of Wilmington, N.C. from the rest of the mainland. A CSX train derailed near the North and South Carolina border, and water washed over hog and chicken farms, spreading fecal waste to nearby properties. Just three days into the storm, rainfall broke records, dumping almost 50 inches in some places before moving north this week. It will take months to fully assess the damage and years to recover. Even though our region escaped the full wrath of Florence, the storm has left behind some important lessons starting with the need for good preparation. That should include smart energy policies. Unfortunately, we're seeing the opposite from Washington. President Trump is rolling back emissions standards for cars, light trucks, and coal-fired electrical plants, the biggest generators of greenhouse gases. The gases trap heat in the atmosphere, making water and air warmer, which, in turn, fuels storms. Ignoring this science, the administration in August froze new standards for vehicles that would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by doubling the average fuel economy of cars to 54.4 miles a gallon. The administration also announced its alternative to former President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, aimed at reducing carbon emissions at coal plants. The Obama plan was already weak, according to critics, who argued it didn't go far enough to forestall the impacts of climate change. The Trump plan is even weaker. The president says he wants to save the coal industry, but coal is losing out to cheaper natural gas and clean energy sources like wind and solar. Trump is more likely helping the owners of coal plants at the expense of our environment and safety. As Washington dawdles, however, some states are trying to pick up the slack. New Jersey, which still hasn't fully recovered from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, is pushing ahead on offshore wind farms to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The state also is updating its Shore Protection Plan to address the shore's new reality of more frequent and intense flooding. Pennsylvania is so far behind in protecting the environment, it doesn't even impose a severance tax on natural-gas fracturing, like every other major natural-gas producing state. And, its coal plants are the subjects of frequent complaints from Delaware and Maryland, which say the smog blowing over their borders is making residents sick. Pennsylvania is going to have to wake up. It broke its own annual rainfall record in August with four months to go. On Sept. 9, Philadelphia's rainfall total hit 40 inches 11 inches above normal, according to the National Weather Service. Just because Florence only sent us rain doesn't mean the local outlook is sunny. Monster storms are becoming more common, and the hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30. Voters should hold that in mind as they slog to the polls on Nov. 6. The first City Council meeting for the fall was dominated by construction impact tax drama. Now that a compromise has been reached between Mayor Jim Kenney and Council, it is time to focus on other matters. Council's agenda typically spans the very small-bore problems to big and complicated ones. In fact, when we recently polled Council members about their priorities, we got an exhaustive to say nothing of unrealistic laundry list of items. (Fifteen Council members responded to our request; Brian O'Neill and Jannie Blackwell didn't.) >> READ MORE: Mayor Kenney, City Council find compromise on construction tax. At what cost? | Editorial Because nothing gets done without prioritizing, we're offering our own list of the big issues that Council needs to tackle before June. Opioids: Three people die of drug overdose every day in the city, but only three council members Allan Domb, Bobby Henon, Cindy Bass had the opioid epidemic as a part of their top priorities for the fall. This is probably not surprising, because the problem requires Council to bear down on some tough issues, like zoning conflicts around methadone sites, expanding services such as syringes and naloxone, and expanding evidence-based treatment options. These are hard choices; that's why this page has called on Council to show strong political will when it comes to the crisis. Property taxes: While it is commonly agreed that the 10-year property tax abatement spurred development and growth, there's a growing question about how fair and useful it still is. Last spring, Council received two reports one from the Office of the Controller and another commissioned by the mayor from a research firm in Chicago analyzing the impact of the abatement and what would happen under potential reform scenarios. We favor reconsidering the abatement, but action is needed now, since this change will take close to a decade for new revenue to flow. This month, council is expected to receive an independent audit of the city's property assessment process. If assessments are too high, as many homeowners contend, some homeowners will have to pay more than their fair share of taxes. Mistakes could also throw off the City budget, so Council will need to find money somewhere else. Workers: In June, Councilwoman Helen Gym introduced a bill that requires big chain retailers and restaurants to give workers two-weeks' notice of their schedule and pay workers when shifts are canceled. This page called the bill "smart business," and we look forward to seeing the bill enacted this fall. Sexual harassment: In July, the Controller released a report investigating how the City handles sexual harassment complaints. The mayor then signed an executive order instituting a new policy that comes short of addressing the audit's main finding: the need of a centralized system to investigate complaints. If the mayor won't establish a body dedicated to sexual harassment complaints, Council should. Pension: Philadelphia's pension fund is $6 billion short of being fully funded. Council should adjust the mechanism that gives retirees bonuses when the fund's investments perform well and give out bonuses only when the pension fund is close to fully funded. That alone isn't enough, but it's a critical step. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-11 00:21:41|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Wang Yang (R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), holds talks with Uruguay's Vice President Lucia Topolansky, also President of the General Assembly and President of the Senate, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Monday called on China and Uruguay to advance bilateral cooperation to a new level. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks during a meeting with Uruguay's Vice President Lucia Topolansky, also President of the General Assembly and President of the Senate. Wang said China and Uruguay have always treated each other equally with mutual respect, and bilateral relations have maintained stable development since the establishment of diplomatic ties 30 years ago. He called on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, jointly promote the Belt and Road construction, and strengthen the docking of development strategies and cooperation plans in order to enhance bilateral cooperation to a new height. "The CPPCC stands ready to work with the General Assembly of Uruguay to strengthen exchanges and cooperation so as to make new contributions to the development of China-Uruguay relations," Wang said. Topolansky said China has been the largest trade partner of Uruguay for many years, and Uruguay is willing to deepen the bilateral ties, and enhance governance, people-to-people exchanges with China. New Delhi: Indian ride-sharing major Ola has announced its plans to enter New Zealand's 's cab hailing market. The Bengaluru-based firm's plans to launch in New Zealand comes after it forayed into Australia in February and the UK in August. It has however not specified the launch date of its services in New Zealand. Ola plans to enter New Zealand to provide both drivers and passengers a fair and safe way to get around Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, the company said in a statement. Ola has appointed Brian Dewil as Country Manager for New Zealand. Brian with 15 years of experience in technology and start-up industry, was the co-founder of Horizon Robotics. Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO said, We see a real opportunity in New Zealand to provide a fair alternative in the rideshare space for both customers and drivers. We invested in understanding the New Zealand customer and devised the right strategy to meet their transport needs He further added, We are the rideshare brand that cares and are looking forward to creating high quality transport experiences for both passengers and drivers in New Zealand. Founded in 2011, Ola, which claims to have 125 million users in 110 cities, has been competing against American ride-sharing major Uber in the cab-hailing market. PANAJI: With Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Congress on Monday staked claim to form a government in the state. The Opposition Congress is claiming that the Goa government has been unstable for a very long time due to the ill health of the CM and two other top state Cabinet ministers. The Congress approached the Governor on Tuesday with 14 MLAs claiming that it has the numbers on its side in the 40-member Assembly. Here is how the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress currently stand in the number game in Goa. BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from the Nationalist Congress Party also supported the BJP. The Congress has 16 MLAs in the Assembly. While Congress submitted its letter to Raj Bhawan on Monday, it has not been able to get an appointment with the Governor yet. The Congress has been criticising the CM for not handing over the charge of the administration to any of his cabinet colleagues in his absence. The Congress further claimed that the greed for power of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies has been exposed. Accusing the BJP of creating a mess in Goa over last 16 months, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee had on Monday said that no one in Goa is happy. "BJP is not happy, Allies are not Happy, the people of Goa are unhappy, bureaucrats and Govt officers are unhappy, even CM and ministers are unhappy. This happens when you don't respect people's mandate. BJP and its allies should take up the responsibility for this mess created in Goa over the last 16 months," it said. Parrikar was rushed to the AIIMS in Delhi on Saturday after his health deteriorated. He underwent treatment at a US hospital earlier this year and went back again on August 10 for a follow-up. He returned to India on August 22, but was later admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai the next day due to health complications. He had to be taken back to the US on August 29 midnight. He returned to India but was on September 15 admitted to AIIMS after he complained of health issues. The Goa CM is suffering from a pancreatic ailment. Chandigarh: AAP's Haryana unit chief Naveen Jaihind Tuesday provoked a controversy over the alleged gang rape of a woman in the state, saying he will give Rs 20 lakh to any BJP leader who gets sexually assaulted by 10 people. Jaihind, the husband of Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal, made the remarks while condemning the BJP government in Haryana for giving only Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the Rewari gang rape victim. The Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged that BJP government in the state has completely failed on the law and order and women safety front. The 19-year-old rape victim's family had Saturday decided to return a cheque of Rs 2 lakh handed over to them by officials under the Haryana Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013. "Is a woman's honours worth Rs 2 lakh?" Jaihind told reporters in Rohtak. "Be ashamed, chief minister 'sahab'." "We will give Rs 20 lakh to any BJP leader who gets raped by 10 people. Does woman's honour have a value? (BJP ka koyee neta dus logon say ku-karam karvaye 20 lakh hum denge unko, arrey izzat ki koyee keemat hote hai kya)," he said. #WATCH 2 lakh rupay izzat hai kya ek ladki ki? Mukhyamantri sb sharam karo.BJP ka koi neta 10 logon se kukaram karvay, 20 lakh rupay hum denge unko. Izaat ki koi keemat hoti hai kya?: Haryana AAP Chief Naveen Jaihind on #Rewari gangrape victim family returning Govt compensation pic.twitter.com/cfYNGmYd6G ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018 When contacted, the AAP leader said he stands by his comments. "I stand by what I have said. You cannot disrespect any woman in society. The victim or her family are not asking for money, all they want is justice," he said over the phone. He said the gang rape incident was very unfortunate. "But what happened in this case. The victim is made to run from pillar to post to get her complaint registered. Instead of acting against the culprits, the victim is harassed. While the family is demanding justice, you are handing them a cheque of Rs 2 lakh, which they don't want. Isn't it like rubbing salt on their wounds?" Jaihind asked. "So many crimes against women are taking place in Haryana, but the chief minister has become a 'Dhritarashtra'. The government has completely failed. It is like the Kauravas are ruling the state," he said. Activists lashed out at Jaihind for making the "insensitive" remarks. Women rights activist Shabnam Hashmi said the comments were "very obnoxious and irresponsible". "This shows the patriarchal mindset of these leaders who consider women an object," she said. Annie Raja, National Federation of Indian Women's general secretary, said it is a "criminal opinion". "He is trying to take political mileage out of the situation. These people do not consider women equal beings. After a few days, they apologise and escape by making such statements," she said. The 19-year-old woman, a Class 12 topper from Rewari, was abducted from a bus stop in Mahendragarh district Wednesday. She was allegedly drugged and gang raped in an agricultural field, police had said. Police have arrested three persons, including one of the prime accused, in connection with the incident. NEW DELHI: Denying all reports of Ajay Maken resigning as Delhi party president, Congress on Tuesday said that the senior party leader has gone abroad for a health check-up. Ajay Maken has not resigned as the Delhi Congress President Ajay Maken has not resigned He has some health issues and has gone for a check-up. He will be back soon," said the party in a statement, as reported by ANI. He had recently met party President Rahul Gandhi and party incharge of Delhi affairs PC Chacko, added the statement. Reports of Maken resigning as Delhi Congress chief emerged on Tuesday morning. Sources said that he resigned over health concerns. In May 2017, he had resigned to former party president Sonia Gandhi after Congress` unsatisfactory performance in Delhi civic polls. He, however, took it back after current party chief Rahul Gandhi, the then Congress Vice-President, convinced him to continue as the Delhi Congress chief. Maken had replaced Arvinder Singh Lovely as Delhi Congress chief three years ago. The veteran Congress leader has been a two-time MP, three-time MLA. NEW DELHI: Congress has rubbished all reports of Ajay Maken resigning as Delhi party chief. Ajay Maken has not resigned as the Delhi Congress President Ajay Maken has not resigned, said the party on Tuesday morning. "He has some health issues and has gone for a check-up. He will be back soon. He had recently met party President Rahul Gandhi and party incharge of Delhi affairs PC Chacko," said a party statement. Earlier, reports of Maken resigning as Delhi Congress chief emerged. Sources said that Maken resigned over health concerns. In May 2017, he had resigned to former party president Sonia Gandhi after Congress` unsatisfactory performance in Delhi civic polls. He, however, took it back after current party chief Rahul Gandhi, the then Congress Vice-President, convinced him to continue as the Delhi Congress chief. Maken had replaced Arvinder Singh Lovely as Delhi Congress chief three years ago. The veteran Congress leader has been a two-time MP, three-time MLA. Maken's departure could pave the way for a possible alliance between Congress and AAP before the 2019 alliance, added sources. New Delhi: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was on Tuesday arrested after he shared a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Identified as Babuya Ghosh, the man shared the picture on his Facebook wall. Also, he made derogatory remarks about Mamata Banerjee. A resident of Shoula village of Bengal's West Midnapore district, Ghosh is a district level BJP worker who has been seen with many BJP leaders including party state president Dilip Ghosh. Babuya in his Facebook wall had written, "If a guy doesn't get married on time, he may get mad. But people of West Bengal are now understanding what happens when a girl doesn't get married on time". Following this, the locals lodged a complaint against Ghosh. His phone has also been seized. Police are, meanwhile, looking to crack down on accounts who share derogatory pictures. Earlier, a Jadavpur University professor was arrested for sharing a cartoon mocking Mukul Roy, who was then with TMC. The arrest led to outrage and the professor was later released. The Congress party has claimed that it will make some startling revelations related to the Rafale fighter jets deal at 4 pm on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, former defence minister AK Antony confirmed the same even as he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over the deal with the French government. Antony questioned the claims of the central government that the deal struck by Modi government was more economical than the one by the previous Congress-led UPA government. If the deal was cheaper, why only 36 jets were bought instead of 126, said the veteran Congress leader. The former defence minister alleged that national security had been compromised in the Rafale fighter jets deal. He also said that the government had disrespected Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by cancelling its tender in the deal. This comes just days after Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman alleged that the opposition was misleading the nation of the Rafale deal. She had also ruled out any engagement with the opposition over the same. Speaking to news agency PTI, Sitharaman had said the government decided to go for procuring only two squadrons of Rafale jets as an emergency measure in the wake of China and Pakistan significantly ramping up their air power by inducting stealth fighters. Here's the full statement Issued by Antony and Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday: Modi Govt is unforgivably guilty of gravely compromising National Security in the Rafale Deal! If Modi Govts Rafale Deal is Cheaper, then why buy only 36 aircrafts, instead of required 126? 1. The authorized squadron strength of fighter aircrafts for IAF is 42 squadrons. It has now come down to 31. In 2000, the IAF told the then NDA -1 Government that they require atleast 126 Fighter Aircrafts for Defence preparedness. With looming threat on both our Eastern & Western borders; Modern Air Power is very crucial for the Indian Air Force (IAF). In the present context, the IAF needs more than 126 fighter aircrafts at the earliest, but instead of catering to its requirements, the Narendra Modi Government seriously jeopardized Indias National Security & Air Combat preparedness by unilaterally ordering only 36 Rafale aircrafts instead of the required 126 aircrafts. 2. On 20.08.2007, UPA Government floated a tender for purchase of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircrafts (MMRCA). Indian Air Force found two aircrafts technically equal i.e. Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon. Incidentally, the Request For Proposal (RFP) in the UPA tender had made it clear that the bids were to be inclusive of cost of initial purchase, transfer of technology, licensed production, etc. 3. Pursuant to the technical shortlisting, financial bids were invited. On 12.12.2012 and French based Dassault Aviation's Rafale emerged as L-1 vendor (Lowest Bidder). Out of 126 aircrafts, 18 aircrafts were to come from France in fly away condition with remaining 108 aircrafts being manufactured in India by Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under the Technology Transfer Agreement. In addition, there was a 50% offset clause requiring Dassault Aviation to invest 50% costs of the aircraft in India as Offsets. On 13.03.2014, a Work share Agreement was also signed between HAL and Dassault Aviation. 4. Indian Air Force for the first time demanded to include the Life Cycle Cost as part of the contract. During the Contract negotiations, there were some disputes about the method of calculation of Life Cycle Cost & some issues were resolved by HAL. Congress-UPA Government was seriously trying to resolve these teething issues and finalize the Contract, in Indias interests. Even as the Government at the Centre changed in May 2014, the negotiations were still going on and were almost at the final stages. 5. Instead of seriously trying to resolve those teething issues, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi went to Paris and announced the unilateral purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts under the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on 10th April, 2015. (i) Who authorized Shri Narendra Modi to fix the number of fighter aircrafts from 126 to 36? (ii) Importantly, PM Modi made this announcement while the Contract Negotiations of the 126 aircrafts were in the final stages of discussion. As per the Defence Procurement Procedures (DPP) Defence Acquisition Council presided by the Defence Minister, consisting of Army Chief, Air Force Chief, Navy Chief, Defence Secretary, Secretary of Defence Finance, DRDO Chief, Coast Guard Chief & Secretary of Defence Production are the ONLY authorized body to decide the number and clear the tender. Isnt Shri Modis decision a clear cut violation of the DPP? (iii) After signing the purchase agreement of 36 Rafale aircrafts in April 2015, Modi Govt cancelled the 126 Rafale aircrafts contract only on 24 June 2015. Isnt this again, a violation of the DPP? 6. If Congress-UPA deal of 126 Rafale aircrafts was not cancelled by the Modi Govt then Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) would have acquired Transfer of Technology which was a key component of the RFP issued by the UPA. There is no Transfer of Technology in Modi Govts Rafale Deal, which means:- State of the Art Technology is the costliest thing to acquire, in todays times. Modi Govts deal of 36 Rafales brazenly forgoes Transfer of Technology clause. This means that the price of the aircraft must be substantially cheaper than the UPA deal, if it is without Transfer of Technology Instead of HAL manufacturing the aircrafts, all the 36 are being produced in France, so the price must be again cheaper. Instead of getting a cheaper price per aircraft, Modi Govt is purchasing 36 aircrafts for 60,145 Cr, as revealed by the Annual Report of Dassault Aviation & Reliance Press Release i.e 1670.70 Cr per aircraft; while during UPA-Congress Govt, per aircraft prices comes to 526.10 Cr i.e. 18,940 Cr for 36 aircrafts. Even without Transfer of Technology why is the Modi Govt paying 41,205 Cr more for the deal? Modi Govts Rafale deal squanders the National Interest by forgoing the Transfer of Technology and India lost the opportunity to get the most modern State of the Art Technology to manufacture fighter aircrafts. Thousands of job opportunities of Indian technicians were lost in HAL. 7. Reliance was selected as the Offset-Partner of this major contract. A company which had no prior experience in aircraft manufacturing will get substantial financial gain, bypassing the Public Sector Undertaking, HAL, which is the only company in India with decades of experience in manufacturing of fighter aircrafts. 8. Not only this, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi justified off-the shelf purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts on the plea that there is an urgent requirement for acquisition of aircrafts on part of Indian Air Force. Yet, despite the expiry of our 3 years from 10th April, 2015; not a single aircraft has been delivered so far. It is now stated that the first aircraft will only be delivered by September 2019, with the final aircraft delivery going upto the September 2022, i.e 8 years after signing the Rafale deal of 36 aircrafts. This by itself proves that the National Security and our Defence preparedness have been severely compromised by Modi Govt. SUPRESSION OF FACTS & FALSE CLAIMS BY DEFENCE MINISTER Claim 1: Now the Defence Minister is repeatedly saying, by their agreement to purchase 36 aircrafts, they are cheaper than the UPAs proposal. Law Minister told the media on July 23rd 2018, that NDAs agreement is 9% cheaper than UPAs proposal. Finance Minister told the media on August 29th 2018, that their deal is 20% cheaper than UPAs proposal. One officer of the Air Force told the media that it is 40% cheaper than UPAs deal. Counter 1: Let us assume for a moment that all these claims of NDAs deal cheaper than UPAs deal is true, then why didnt PM, Shri Modi purchase ONLY 36 Rafale aircrafts, instead of 126 jets? Clam 2: Modi Govt also claims that they shall be purchasing 110 additional fighter aircrafts with Transfer of Technology & Make in India clauses. Counter 2: The Request For Proposal (RFP) of 110 MMRCA aircrafts is out only in July 6, 2018; 4 years after Shri Modi assumed office. This is ONLY the initial and the first stage of such a purchase. No International tender is in place. Moreover, the plan of producing these 110 aircrafts without a Public Sector Undertaking, HAL is only wishful thinking. No Private Indian Entity has ANY experience in manufacturing aircrafts. Even if this deal goes through, then also 126 aircrafts shall not arrive in India before 2030. i.e 30 years after the Indian Air Force asked for a requirement of 126 fighter aircrafts. It would have been better if the Modi Govt should have stuck to the UPA negotiated deal of 126 Rafale aircrafts and not compromised Indias National Security. Claim 3: Defence Minister, Smt. Sitharaman claims that an unprecedented intervention in 2013 by then Defence Minister A K Antony when the cost negotiation committee was giving final touches to the deal put the final nail in the coffin. Counter 3: Her allegations are completely false and she is deliberately suppressing the facts. Contract Negotiations were almost over and when the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry, The Finance Ministry felt that the Life Cycle Cost Concept is a new concept and they cannot support it. Then the Congress-UPA Government also received objections and reservations in written from various leaders including a senior BJP MP about the Life Cycle Cost Calculation; the Indian Air Force was insisting to finalize the deal and then I directed that the negotiations be continued, but take it to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), only after disputes are settled. Claim 4: Smt. Sitharaman claims the UPA deal collapsed as HAL did not have the capability to produce 108 aircraft in India. Counter 4: This claim by Defence Minister, Sitharaman is completely false. HAL is our Navratna Company. HAL attained the status of Navratna in 2007. It has a standing of 75 years and is the only Aerospace Manufacturing Company that can indigenously manufacture fighter aircrafts in India. It has manufactured 4060 aircrafts of 31 types- licensed aircrafts, UAVs, helicopters that are supplied to 20 countries- these include Sukhoi 30s, MiG-21 FL, M, Bis and Bison upgrades variants, MiG-27 M variant, Dornier 228, Jaguar, SEPECAT Jaguar IS, IB and IM variants Vampire, Harlow PC-5 , BAE Hawk, Cheetah & Chetak (helicopters), LCA Tejas and many more. It is unfortunate that Defence Minister of the country is trying to tarnish such a Nationally & Internationally reputed Public Sector Undertaking. We do not know what is her intention in doing so. If HAL does not have the required capability, please let us know which company in India has the capability to manufacture fighter aircrafts? Claim 5: Smt. Sitharaman says that the then UPA government could have come forward and pumped in resources into HAL, but they did not. Counter 5: This is absolutely untrue. During Congress-UPA, HAL was a profit making company with ample cash reserves. We dont know what her motivation in saying that is. Infact, it is the first time in history that under Modi Govt, HAL had to take a loan of Rs 1000 Cr from various banks to sustain its finances. CONGRESS DEMANDS: 1. Congress party demands that the Modi Government publish the price of the Congress-UPAs deal of 126 aircrafts and the price of Modi Govts 36 Rafale deals- including per aircraft price of the same. To clear the doubts of the people of India, let the Nation decide who is correct. 2. Since there is a growing perception that the Modi Govts Rafale Purchase Deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) to bring the truth out in the open. New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the heads of Pakistani soldiers are being cut-off, however, are not being displayed. "Kaat to Rahe Hain, Display Nahin Kar Rahen (heads are being cut off, but are not being displayed)," she said. Sitharaman made the remark during an interview on a television news channel. Pointing that during election campaigns for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had said that if Pakistan cut off heads of two Indian soldiers, India in retaliation would behead 10 Pakistani rangers, the interviewer asked, "During election campaigns, it was being said that if they (Pakistan) cut off heads of two Indian soldiers, we will behead heads of 10. Is it really happening?" Sitharaman said that the neighbouring country was once taught a lesson in 2016 when Indian Army carried out a surgical strike on terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan. The terrorists are not allowed to infiltrate into the country. They are being eliminated right at the borders, she added. Talking about the Indian Army, the Defence Minister said, "I can't talk about our successes publicly. But, I can assure this much that our Army is retaliating. I am not saying this with pride but with a responsibility that our Army is capable." Indian skydiver Sheetal Mahajan jumped off a plane from a height of 13,000 feet while holding a placard to wish Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on Monday. The parajumper took the leap in Chicago in the USA. After the successful jump, the Padma Shri award winner uploaded her video on social networking site Facebook. "Wishing Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji on his 68th Birthday From 13000ft blue skies...with fellow Indian Skydiver Sudeep Kodavati taking videos," she wrote on Facebook. The 35-year-old said she has been trying to meet the PM for the last four years, but her efforts have gone in vain. "I have been trying to meet the Prime Minister for the last four years but received no response from his office. I am hopeful of getting some response after this jump," Mahajan said in a message. Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 68 on Monday. From ladoos to cakes, his supporters and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members celebrated the day across the country. PM Modi signed off his 68th birthday with a visit to the famous Shiva temple Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi where he prayed for about 30 minutes. He drove through the lanes of Kashi Vishwanath temple and waved at the crowds waiting to catch a glimpse of him before entering the temple premises. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey. A special puja was performed by the priests present at the temple and yellow "chandan", "kumkum" and "bhasm" was smeared on the forehead of the Prime Minister. The entire city had been decked up as part of PM Modi's birthday celebrations. A large 68-kg cake of "laddoos" was cut by burqa-clad women at the Azam Park in Lahurabir locality. Earlier in the day, several leaders, including President Ram Nath Kovind, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted their birthday greetings for the Prime Minister. MUMBAI: Former media tycoons Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea who are behind bars in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora have filed for divorce. The divorce case has been filed by the two in Mumbai's Bandra family court. Indrani had sent a divorce notice to Peter in April earlier this year seeking an amicable and mutual consent end to their 16-year-old marriage. The notice, reportedly dispatched via speed post, was sent to Arthur Jail road where Peter is lodged after he refused to accept it by hand in court premises. The two reportedly have properties in Spain and London, fixed deposits and investments in several banks. The notice had sought an amicable financial settlement. It stated that the duo's relationship had hit rock bottom without any chance of reconciliation and that neither of them will interfere in each other's life or make a claim on movable or immovable assets. The two have been jailed in connection with the murder of Sheena Bora. Indrani is the prime accused in the murder case and has been lodged in Byculla jail in south Mumbai. Indrani's husband Peter Mukerjea was also later nabbed in connection with the case and has been named as a co-accused. 24-year-old Sheena was abducted and killed on April 24, 2012, allegedly over a financial dispute. Her body was disposed of in a forest in adjoining Raigad district. Sheena was Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship. Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna were arrested in August 2015 along with her former driver Shyamvar Rai. Rai has turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case. Earlier in September this year, Indrani had filed a bail plea which was rejected by the special CBI Court. Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise 'KAZIND' is being conducted between the Indian and Kazakhstan Army in Otar region, Kazakhstan. The exercise which began on September 10 will end on September 23. This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries which have a history of extensive cooperation in the defence arena. The second edition of the exercise was held in India in 2017. The exercise formally commenced on September 10 at Otar Mil Area, Kazakhstan with contingents of the two nations performing spectacular parade in a glittering opening ceremony. General Major Dzhumakeev Almaz, Dy Cdr for Battle Training, Khazakstan addressed the contingents. On the following day, both the contingents underwent physical training followed by prize distribution of friendly football match and regrouping. Weapons Display of both the contingents was also conducted where the Kazakhstan Army soldiers were introduced to small arms weapons in service by the Indian Army troops. Indian troops were also taught on the drills of handling small arms weapons held with Kazakhstan Army. The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army. The exercise will also serve as a platform for the exchange of drills and procedures. The fourteen days exercise with the Kazakhstan Army will follow a graduated continuum from orientation to a full-scale mock exercise, with the aim being to achieve optimum integration among the two contingents through enhanced mutual comprehension of each other's tactics, techniques and procedures. The vast experience and expertise of Indian troops in counter insurgency operations will hold special importance in the exercise. The conduct of the joint exercise will set the stage for greater defence cooperation and aims to consequently manifest stronger ties between the two nations. NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday launched the logo for the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. The logo was unveiled during a function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Several events are being organised by the government across the country to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on September 15, launched the 'Swachhta hi Seva' movement which will continue till October 2. The movement is aimed at generating greater public participation towards cleanliness. It is being organised in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, on October 2, 2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi. The Prime Minister has given a clarion call to citizens from all walks of life, including government employees, to join 'Swachhata Hi Seva 2018' - as part of a 'jan andolan' (public movement) for achieving Mahatma Gandhi's dream of a clean India, the Personnel Ministry said. "I appeal to the staff and employees of all ministries/departments to come out and join this Swachhata Shramdaan in large number along with their family and friends and contribute atleast 6 hours of Shramdaan during the September 15 to October 2 Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign. Their role will be crucial in making Swachhata Hi Seva a grand success," the Ministry of Personnel said in the directive issued to secretaries of all central government departments. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who arrived in the national capital on Monday, has been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. According to news agency ANI, the JDU leader has been admitted to AIIMS for routine health check up. This comes days after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had demanded a medical bulletin on health condition of the Chief Minister. Pointing that several programmes of the JDU leader had been cancelled, Tejashwi had said that people of the state must be informed about the leaders health condition. Bihar Chief Minister, Sri Nitish Kumar, has not been keeping well for the past seven days. All the programmes have been cancelled. We demand that the people of the state be informed about the Chief Ministers health condition and illness by releasing a medical bulletin, the RJD leader had tweeted in Hindi. Meanwhile, reports have said that during his stay in the national capital, Nitish Kumar is expected to finalise the seat sharing deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other NDA constituents for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Nitish Kumar is also expected to meet BJP president Amit Shah for the same. At the JDU national executive meeting in Patna last week, senior party leaders Vashishth Narayan Singh and RCP Singh had said that discussion on seat sharing with the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were in the final stage. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday arrived in New Delhi on an unscheduled visit. According to a report in Prabhat Khabar, the Janata Dal United (JDU) leader is expected to finalise the seat sharing with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other NDA constituents for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Nitish Kumar will meet BJP president Amit Shah during his stay in the national capital, said the report. He is also likely to undergo some medical tests and treatment. At the JDU national executive meeting in Patna last week, senior party leaders Vashishth Narayan Singh and RCP Singh had said that discussion on seat sharing with the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were in the final stage. The development comes shortly after master election strategist Prashant Kishor joined the JDU at partys national executive meet in Patna. Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, had earlier this month demanded a medical bulletin on the health condition of the Chief Minister. Pointing that several programmes of the JDU leader had been cancelled, Tejashwi had said that people of the state must be informed about the leaders health condition. Bihar Chief Minister, Sri Nitish Kumar, has not been keeping well for the past seven days. All the programmes have been cancelled. We demand that the people of the state be informed about the Chief Ministers health condition and illness by releasing a medical bulletin, wrote the RJD leader on Twitter in Hindi. (Reporting by Prasad Bhosekar) Hyderabad: Days after a Dalit man was hacked to death in Telangana, the police on Tuesday managed to nab all the culprits, including the girl's father. The incident took place in Miryalaguda town of Nalgonda district. The man, who hacked the victim to death, was identified as Subash Sharma. He was nabbed from Bihar's Samasthipur. On September 14, Perumalla Pranay Kumar, a Dalit, was hacked to death in front of his wife Amrutha Varshini and his mother Premalatha. Amrutha, who belongs to Vyshya (Baniya) community, is expecting with Kumar first child. The incident took place as they were coming out of a clinic where they had gone for Amrutha's pre-natal check-up. However, in a shocking revelation to the case, it emerged that Amrutha's father T Maruthi Rao, who was unhappy since the couple tied the knot, gave contract of Rs one crore to kill his son-in-law. Along with Maruthi Rao, the police arrested six more people in connection with the murder case. Two of the co-conspirators in this case - Asghar Ali and Mohd Bari were acquited in former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya's murder case. Nalgonda Superintendent of police A V Ranganath disclosed that right from the day of Amruta's marriage, Maruthi Rao held a grudge and has been planning to kill Pranay as he was from Scheduled Caste. Maruthi Rao's resolve got stronger when he learnt that Amrutha was pregnant with Pranay's child. "Maruthi Rao through his friend Abdul Karim contacted Asghar Ali and Mohd Bari to kill Pranay. The supari was fixed for Rs one crore. An advance of Rs 15 lakh was paid. Both Asghar Ali and Mohd Bari then hatched a plan and contacted supari killer Subash Sharma of Bihar whom they had met in Rajahmundry Central Jail during trial of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya's murder,'' SP Ranganath said. Two attempts - in July and in August - were made in the last two months to kill Pranay. However, both went unsuccessful. "But on September 14, after proper planning, Pranay was killed in front of Jyothi Nursing home in Miryalaguda in broad daylight around 1.30 pm. While Subash Sharma carried out the killing hacking Pranay with a machete, Asghar and Bari supervised the entire action. Maruthi Rao tried to create an alibi by making himself seen in neighbouring Nalgonda town. However, we joined all the dots caught all of them,'' Ranganath added. Two other accused include Maruthi Rao's brother, T Sravan and his driver, Shiva Goud. All the seven accused are booked for murder along with SC, ST Atrocities Acts. Following the arrest of her father, Amrutha said, "It's shocking how my father planned and murdered my husband while making me believe all this while that he was trying to reconcile to our marriage.'' SRINAGAR: Terrorists hurled a grenade at the camp of 183 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Pulwama's Newa on Tuesday. The grenade, however, didn't explode. Following this, the CRPF retailiated and one jawan sustained bullet injury in the exchange of fire. The incident took place at about 1:30 am on Tuesday. The militants hurled a grenade and resorted to heavy firing at the CRPF camp and the SOG (special operations group) in Newa village around 12.45 a.m., the police said. The CRPF jawan injured in the attack was shifted to Army`s 92 base hospital here. A cordon and search operation was later started in the area. Thiruvananthapuram: Franco Mulakkal, accused in the alleged rape of a nun and former Bishop of Jalandhar Diocese, has moved an anticipatory bail plea in Kerala High Court on Tuesday. The bail plea would be heard by Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan later in the day. Amid growing calls for arrest, Mulakkal stepped down as the Bishop on Saturday, handing over temporary charge of the diocese to Father Mathew Kokkandam. Later, he wrote to the Vatican, seeking permission to step down temporarily from Church responsibilities. Mulakkal handed over a letter to the representative of Pope stating that he needs more time to travel to Kerala and fight the case against him. A Kerala nun accused the 54-year-old Bishop of raping her between 2014 and 2016. A police affidavit in the case has revealed that the victim was repeatedly raped by Mulakkal. An FIR was registered against the Bishop, with the nun and other convent inmates giving detailed statements running into 114 pages. Mulakkal has been summoned to appear before the Special Investigation Team of Kerala Police on September 19. "A criminal case has been registered against Missionaries of Jesus for publishing a letter as well as a photo of the victim nun," Kottayam Superintendent of Police Harishankar told ANI earlier. Mulakkal has denied wrongdoing and termed it a "conspiracy" against him. New Delhi: Lenovo-owned Motorola is all set to launch the Motorola One Power in India on September 24. The Motorola One Power was launched at the IFA 2018 in Berlin in August along with the Motorola One. The phone is expected to come under Rs 15,000. Motorola India has tweeted: Motorola One Power comes with 6.2 inch (17.5cm) 19:9 Max Vision Full HD+ display. Under the hood, the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz octa-core processor. It has 64GB built-in storage, expandable further to 256GB. The company claims that the phone can go up to two days when fully charged. Users can get up to 6 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes with the included TurboPower charger. The phone houses dual rear camera (a 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor) and a a 12-megapixel front shooter. The motorola one family will also be among the first to upgrade to Android 9 Pie (Android P), soon after launch, the company had claimed. Earlier this month, Motorola launched the G6 Plus with latest camera technology and fast-charging feature in India for Rs 22,499. Powered by a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset, the smartphone houses 6GB RAM and 64GB internal memory that can be expanded up to 256GB. The smartphone comes with 5.9-inch full HD+ max vision display with 18:9 aspect ratio and integrated Dolby Audio preset modes. The phone is fueled by a 3200mAh battery and a "TurboPower" 15w charger has been provided in the box. With IANS Inputs The United States believes that a Russian military aircraft that Russian state media reported "disappeared" on Monday over the Mediterranean was inadvertently shot down by Syrian government anti-aircraft artillery, a US official said. The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the US government's operating theory was that the Syrian defences accidentally shot down the Russian aircraft while firing at incoming Israeli missiles. Washington: US President Donald Trump Monday announced imposing new tariffs on an additional USD 200 billion worth of imports from China, escalating the trade war with the Asian giant. Alleging that China has been unwilling to change its unfair trade practices, Trump said the new additional tariff structure would be effective September 24 from when it would be at 10 percent until the year end, but would increase to 25 per cent level from January 1. "Further, if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately USD 267 billion of additional imports," Trump said in a strong warning to China. Trump said his administration is taking this action as a result of the Section 301 process that the USTR has been pursuing for more than 12 months. US Trade Representatives (USTR) released a list of such items. After a thorough study, the USTR concluded that China is engaged in numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual property ? such as forcing United States companies to transfer technology to Chinese counterparts, he said. These practices plainly constitute a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy, he added. "For months, we have urged China to change these unfair practices, and give fair and reciprocal treatment to American companies. We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly," he said. "But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices," he said. To counter China's unfair practices, he had announced on June 15 that the US would impose tariffs of 25 percent on USD 50 billion worth of Chinese imports. "China, however, still refuses to change its practices and indeed recently imposed new tariffs in an effort to hurt the United States economy," Trump said. China, he said, has had many opportunities to fully address US concerns. "I urge China's leaders to take swift action to end their country's unfair trade practices. Hopefully, this trade situation will be resolved, in the end, by myself and President Xi of China, for whom I have great respect and affection," Trump said. Later a senior administration official told reporters that China has had many opportunities to change those practices and, in fact, the statute says that trade representatives shall take all appropriate and feasible action in an effort to obtain the elimination of those practices. "So we've negotiated and negotiated and negotiated and given them chance after chance after chance... The administration has imposed tariffs on roughly USD 50 billion worth of Chinese imports already, in an effort to encourage China to alter its behaviour," the official said. By imposing such a tariff, the official said, the US is not trying to constrain China's growth. "We have no problem with China trying to grow its economy, trying to lift its people out of poverty, that's a good thing. But, in doing so, they can't take actions that deliberately discriminate against other countries; actions that hurt American workers. And they can't take actions that entirely flout the rules of the international trading system," the official said. Such a move, the official said, is not an effort to constrain China. "But this is an effort to work with China and say, it's time that you address these unfair trading practices that we have identified, that others have identified, and which have harmed the entire global trading system," the official asserted. At the same time, the official said, the US remains open to negotiations. "We don't have anything to announce to you today, in terms of any of the logistics of that, but, as the President has said, we are open to that and we hope that China will come to the table and address the concerns that we have raised," the official said. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said Trump is clearly increasing the pressure on China to come to the table and begin a new trading relationship that is fairer to the American farmers, workers and businesses. "The sooner President Xi and President Trump meet to craft a new trade path forward, the better," he said. "There is no disagreement between the Congress and the President that we must hold China accountable for hurting the US companies and workers on a colossal scale by extorting our companies to transfer their best technology, stealing our intellectual property, and shoring up China's state-run companies through subsidies and other distortive practices," Brady said. "Any time tariffs are imposed, I worry that Americans will be forced to pay extra costs - in this case on nearly half of the US imports from China," he said. Without any court verdict, Russia has added Mamedova and four other Ukrainians to its huge List of Terrorists and Extremists Elina Mamedova, a young Crimean Tatar woman facing a possible five year prison sentence for three social media reposts from 2014 and 2015 has been forced to provide voice, saliva and DNA samples. The demand from the Russian Investigative Committee in occupied Yalta borders on the absurd, Mamedovas lawyer Alexei Ladin says. This was the second of two absurd developments in September, although the other was, unfortunately, more standard. Without any court verdict, Russia has added Mamedova and four other Ukrainians to its huge List of Terrorists and Extremists All of them are people whose prosecution has been condemned by the Crimean Human Rights Group as politically-motivated. Mamedova, Ismail Ramazanov and Larisa Kitaiska are considered to have made anti-Russian social media posts, reposts or comments, while two left-wing activists Yevhen Karakashev and Valery Bolshakov are also charged under Russias notorious extremism articles of the criminal code for expressing their views. Only Kitaiska has thus far been convicted, meaning that Russia is yet again violating the presumption of innocence, with inclusion in the list kept by Russias Federal Financial Monitoring Service resulting in financial and property restrictions. Banks and other financial service bodies can suspend use of the persons accounts, refuse to carry out money operations, etc. People can only receive and spend 10 thousand roubles (124 Euro) per member of the family of their pay, as well as pensions, etc. Other Ukrainians earlier added to the list have also reported being denied access to their pensions. There are other restrictions, with lawyers, accountants, etc. being informed that a person has been placed on the list. Kitaiska, a businesswoman, who was arrested after returning to Yalta from mainland Ukraine over Facebook posts deemed to be anti-Russian, is unable to use a notary in Yalta. All countries impose measures aimed at blocking accounts, etc. of terrorists. Russias list, however, contains a very large number of political prisoners, including Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, civic activist Oleksandr Kolchenko, journalist Mykola Semena, human rights activist Emir-Usein Kuku and many other Ukrainian Muslims imprisoned for their faith, as well, in many cases, as for their civic activism. Of the five new additions to the list, only Yevhen Karakashev is currently held in detention. Ismail Ramazanov was released from custody on 14 July after six months in detention, though only because even Russian procedural legislation did not allow the 31-year-old Crimean Tatar to be in custody for longer over the charge of propaganda of extremism. It is claimed that he made extremist comments which incited enmity towards Russians on the Zello Internet radio. There are shocking irregularities in the case against Ramazanov, as well as refusal to investigate the clear evidence that he was tortured after being arrested. For supposedly inciting enmity towards Russians, Ramazanov could face a prison sentence of up to five years. Elina Mamedova is facing the same charges and the same possible 5-year sentence over just three reposts, with no accompanying comments, from a pro-Ukrainian page on VKontakte, . Mamedova points out that people kill, knock people down at pedestrian crossings and get acquitted, and here she could get five years for a repost. She rejects the charge of inciting hatred towards Russians, and stresses that her reposts were against those people who came onto the territory of my country Ukraine, with weapons, and with the help of murder and violence, imposed their order here. Read the original text at Human Rights in Ukraine. The culmination of the difficult relations between Hungary and the EU was the recent decision of 448 deputies of the European Parliament to apply sanctions against this country. Budapest can be deprived of some of the rights of member countries, such as voting rights in the European Council or funding from the organization's budget. Sanctions are planned to be introduced in accordance with Art. 7 of the Lisbon Treaty in 2007 because of violation of freedom of expression, academic freedoms, independence of the judiciary, electoral system, inappropriate treatment of ethnic minorities, refugees, migrants, and also on suspicion of corruption by the Hungarian authorities. Ironically, the sanctions were supported even in the parliamentary group "European People's Party", which includes the "Fidesz" party of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. For restrictive measures to take effect, they must be supported by 72% of the EU member states. In Hungary, listed problems really take place. In 2015, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker jokingly called Viktor Orban a "dictator" for his statement of intent to build in Hungary an illiberal state on national foundations, like in Russia and China. Having an absolute majority in the parliament, the Fidesz party made amendments to the country's Constitution, which allowed strengthening the control of the executive power over the courts, mass media, banks, and depriving more than 100 religious groups of the status of "churches." About 60% of the information resources of Hungary belong to businessmen associated with the Fidesz Party, there are dismissals of opposition-minded officials, journalists. The party "Fidesz" promised to watch nongovernmental organizations that support migration and impose 25% duties on foreign grants. Orban threatened to close the Central European University of American billionaire George Soros. According to the Council of Europe, local Roma people are faced with discrimination in everyday life, employment, education and health, despite the fact that Hungary adheres to the policy of equality of all ethnic groups. The government of Orban is suspected of misuse of funds allocated from the EU budget. EU sanctions against Hungary may adversely affect the credibility of the organization among other member countries. Orban and his entourage present the decision of the European Parliament as revenge for the fact that Hungary refuses to host up to 1,300 Muslims on its territory and become a country of migrants within the framework of the European Commission's plan to resettle 160,000 refugees from the camps of Italy and Greece. It seems that the transition from diplomacy to sanctions against Hungary is an act of despair for Europe because of the inability to negotiate with Orban. After winning the parliamentary elections in the spring of this year, the Fidesz party will remain in power for another four years. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that for a long time he had no hope of persuading the Hungarian prime minister to abandon his tough policy. According to the leader of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, the results of the vote in the European Parliament indicate that patience towards the Hungarian government is already over. With the threat of sanctions, the EU hopes to intimidate the Hungarian authorities. In the case of Hungary, the European officials made a serious miscalculation, as it was in situation with Poland. In December last year, the European Commission raised the issue of imposing sanctions against Poland because of judicial reform. The Polish parliament, dominated by the ultra-conservative Law and Justice party of Yaroslav Kaczynski, passed a law requiring 2/3 of the majority in the Constitutional Court to challenge the compliance of the adopted laws, whereas previously there was a simple majority. Like the Hungarian authorities, the Polish government opposes the deployment of refugees on its territory and the EU's open door policy. However, sanctions against Poland were never introduced, as only a few European states supported this idea, including Germany, France, the Benelux countries and Northern Europe. Lithuania and Hungary expressed solidarity with Poland. It is impossible to impose sanctions against an EU member state so easily, as this decision should be approved by the parliaments of most member countries. Sanctions may not occur in the case of Hungary. Warsaw refused to participate in the sanctions against Budapest. It is doubtful that the decision of the European Parliament will be supported in Italy, where the coalition of Eurosceptic and populist parties "League of the North" and "Five Stars Movement" is in power. A deputy from the League of the North party, Mario Borgesio, said that Italy fully supports Hungary in its opposition to the EU on migration policy issues. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini supports Orban. Even in Germany, which adheres to the policy of "open doors", there is no unambiguous attitude towards Orban. Berlin does not like Budapest's reluctance to receive refugees. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel opposed the proposals of her Christian Democratic Union members to exclude Fidesz from the European People's Party and impose sanctions against Hungary. Popular in Hungary Fidesz is a partner of the Christian Democratic Union in the elections to the European Parliament in May 2019. At the moment, the sanctions against Hungary are supported by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as Jeremy Corbin, leader of the opposition Labor Party in the UK. In this situation, Orban feels himself on the top. Before voting in the European Parliament, he said that the Hungarians would defend their borders and decide on their own with whom to live. He also said that the EU is trying to squeeze out a whole nation from a family of European nations. Despite all the disadvantages of Orban, he managed to unite the Hungarian society around the refugee problem. In the last parliamentary elections, the majority of Hungarian voters voted for Fidesz (44.87%). The Hungarian prime minister simply reacts to the requests of his constituents. More than 70% of citizens are in favor of closing the borders for migrants. More than half of the Hungarians believe that under cover of refugees, terrorists may be hiding. Hungarian society perceives refugees and migrants from Muslim countries as a threat against the background of terrorist attacks in Britain and other European countries. The European Union demonstrates its weakness in the conflict with Hungary and Poland, looks like a paper tiger, unable to influence anything. Brussels discredited itself in the eyes of the member countries with its distrust of national governments, a desire to impose its will from a position of strength. Distracted by the ideology and the problem of the migration crisis, the leadership of the European Union in the spirit of socialism is trying to comb all the member countries with the same brush, ignoring their interests. For Budapest and Warsaw, not by hearsay familiar with the socialist model of development, the dictates of Brussels differ little from the line of behavior dictated by Moscow during the Cold War. Migration policy and judicial reforms do not overlap with issues of European security and economic integration, for the development of which the Common Market was originally created. By their actions against Hungary and Poland, European officials undermine the authority of the EU. Risks for Ukraine If Orban starts playing the "Russian card" to blackmail the Europeans, then this could turn out to be negative for Ukraine. Relations between Kyiv and Budapest are complex because of disagreements over last year's law on education in Ukraine, which provides for the full teaching in Ukrainian in all educational institutions of the country, including in the Transcarpathian region, where the Hungarian minority lives. Now Hungary is using the language issue to blackmail Ukraine. Budapest blocks negotiations between Ukraine and NATO. In August, Orban said he did not believe in the realism of our aspirations to join the EU and NATO, and Russia's goal is to preserve Russian influence in Ukraine. Also at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Hungarian prime minister stressed that anti-Russian sanctions equally harm Russia and Hungary and because of them opportunities are lost. Orban can begin to speculate by lifting the anti-Russian sanctions and rapproching with the Russian Federation to make Europe nervous. As an aid to rapprochement with Russia, Hungarians can mitigate or cancel sanctions. Say, once in Brussels they do not want to reckon with the opinion of the Hungarian society, then Budapest will not observe the all-European unity in foreign policy. Anti-Russian sanctions are one of the most characteristic examples of the unity of the EU member states in international relations. Despite the fact that 80% of Hungarian exports go to the EU, the Russian "Gazprom" provides over 81.5% of the needs of the Central European country in natural gas. Part of the Hungarian business is focused on the Russian market, and for the years of sanctions it lost $ 6.5 billion. Ukrainian diplomats cannot easily convince their Hungarian counterparts not to turn sanctions into an instrument of pressure on the EU. American interests In theory, authoritarian tendencies in Hungary alarm the United States. The Fidesz Party has become an obstacle on the path of exporting democracy and the American neoliberal development model to Central and Eastern Europe. The late Republican senator John McCain once called Orban a "neo-fascist dictator." In November 2017, the Hungarian authorities accused the US of interfering in the election campaign after US diplomat David Kostelanchik announced that his country would allocate 700 thousand dollars for the development of independent media in Hungary. However, you should not make hasty conclusions that the States will necessarily support the EU in the conflict with Hungary. The Trump administration is interested in establishing contacts with similar in spirit and approach European conservatives like Orban. Trump and Orban are made from the same material: both stand for tightening migration policy, both politicians have complicated relations with the European Union. In US-EU relations, there are conflicts due to the US increasing duties on European steel and aluminum, their withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the demand to increase defense spending. Trump needs his "people" in Europe, and the Hungarian prime minister actually proved that he is suitable for this role. Orban supported Trump's victory in the US presidential election in 2016, and in December 2017 blocked the EU's decision to condemn the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. For the sake of strengthening relations with Hungary, Trump appointed Ambassador his old friend, businessman David Kornstein, to the post of ambassador. Earlier, the US embassy was headed by Democratic Party member Colin Bell. According to Kornstein, Trump thinks Orban is a very strong leader. During a telephone conversation Trump called on Orban to strengthen the southern borders of Hungary. These are fences with surveillance cameras that were built by order of Orban on the border with Serbia and Croatia to contain the flow of refugees and illegal immigrants and were criticized by the EU (like the Trump wall project on the border with Mexico). In 2015, the territory of Hungary was crossed by about 400 thousand refugees on their way to the countries of Western Europe. Good relations with the US are of interest for Hungary in conditions of confrontation with the EU. Hungary is interesting for the American company ExxonMobil as a route for the sale of natural gas from the Black Sea shelf of Romania (involved in its development) to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Until 2020, it is planned to build a gas pipeline based on the unfinished Nabucco pipeline, which will connect the Black Sea gas fields of Romania with Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria. Hungary will be able to buy 4.4 billion cubic meters of Romanian natural gas per year and reduce dependence on blue fuel from the Russian Federation. If the North-South gas pipeline project is implemented within the Eastring project, Hungary will be able to transit natural gas to Slovakia. By its actions, the European Union has created factors for the rapprochement of Hungary with the United States, which have similar approaches to solving the migration crisis. Open source Even as political relations between Russia and Ukraine have worsened of late, spiritual relations between the two main poles of authority in eastern Christianity have also taken a dive this month. They will probably sink further. The occasion of the plunge is the desire of Ukraines elected leaders to establish a legitimate, national church, and the countervailing determination of Russias spiritual authorities, which are close to its earthly ones, to block that move. Ukraines president, Petro Poroshenko, has appealed to the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I (pictured above right), to bless the creation of a Ukrainian national church; Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (pictured above left) is insisting that the Istanbul-based authority has no right to interfere in what he regards as Muscovite canonical territory. Patriarch Bartholomew is no less adamant that he has a duty of stewardship over church affairs in Ukraine, both because of his position as first among equals in the global Orthodox hierarchy and for specific historical reasons to do with the complex, shifting role of Constantinoples bishops in the affairs of the eastern Slavs in Byzantine and even Ottoman times. On September 7th the Ecumenical Patriarch took the first steps towards granting the wishes of Mr Poroshenko and his fellow legislators. He mandated two North American bishops to act as his representatives in preparing the way for a fully self-governing church in Kiev. That will not be easy. As of now, the most widely organised church in Ukraine is one that owes allegiance to Moscow, sometimes called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). The second most extensive is the Kiev Patriarchate (KP) which enjoys no international recognition. Presumably the creation of a national church would involve conferring a higher status on the KP and encouraging parts of the UOC-MP to join the upgraded structure. (The UOC-MP has far more priests and monasteries under its sway, but polls suggest that the KP is much more popular among the 70% of Ukrainians who identify as Orthodox.) The Patriarchate of Moscow is furious. In a first raft of sanctions, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow declared that his church would cease to pray publicly for Patriarch Bartholomew. It was announced that neither the Russian Patriarch nor any bishops under his authority would celebrate the Eucharist (Christianitys holiest rite) with bishops under the command of Patriarch Bartholomew. These are gestures of huge symbolic importance. It was made clear that if the Ecumenical Patriarch blesses the full independence of a Ukrainian church, there would be a total rupture of communion between the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow. That would mean that ordinary clergy of the respective churches could not serve together and ordinary adherents of one church might be denied communion in the other. The 12 other self-governing churches which make up world Orthodoxy would face an awkward choice between the two Patriarchates. Russian television showed a solemn and indignant Patriarch Kirill, surrounded by his senior bishops and communicating with his chief ecclesiastical ally in Kiev, Metropolitan Onufry, by video link-up. Patriarch Kirill icily listed the alleged misdeeds of the Istanbul-based Patriarchate over the centuries, focusing on the 1920s when the Istanbul-based authority parleyed with an ultra-modernist faction of the Russian church which was close to the Bolsheviks: this was a move which later generations of Orthodox deemed a mistake. The Patriarchate of Constantinople, meanwhile, published documents which look embarrassing for the pro-Moscow bishops in Ukraine. They show that in 1991, as Ukraine was establishing its political statehood, the idea of full spiritual independence was supported by virtually all the countrys Orthodox bishops, including the ones who later changed their minds and accepted Moscows continued authority. Formally speaking, the two Patriarchates are arguing over the legitimacy of a letter sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1686, which accepted the transfer to Muscovite authority of the see of Kiev. The Ecumenical Patriarch says this transfer was provisional and subject to conditions that were not kept; the Muscovites repeated on September 14th that the transfer was clear and irrevocable. But closely linked to these ancient historical disputes are some present-day political and geopolitical ones. President Poroshenko apparently sees the establishment of a national church as crucial to his political future. As a result, arcane words like tomos (a Patriarchal decree proclaiming an independent church) have become part of everyday political chatter in Kiev. For the political as well as the spiritual authorities in Moscow, it would be humiliating to lose Ukraine. By one count, about half the total number of parishes under the authority of the Patriarchate of Moscow are in Ukraine. By no means all the people or clergy who pray in those parishes are strong sympathisers with Moscow. But the spiritual link between Moscow and Ukraine is one of the main levers of Russian influence over Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin, a close friend and ally of Patriarch Kirill, well knows. Meanwhile, the United States has made a subtle gesture of support for President Poroshenko over religious matters. Its religious-freedom envoy, Sam Brownback, met Mr Poroshenko on September 11th and listened with sympathy to his complaint that in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia since it started backing separatists there in 2014, all churches other than the Moscow Patriarchate have been persecuted. Mr Poroshenko also outlined his hopes for an independent church that would operate freely, without persecuting others, in the Ukrainian lands that he controls. Read the original text at The Economist. Related video: Russia's Vladimir Putin and Hungary's Viktor Orban are to meet on Tuesday. They both are nationalistic strongmen with a dislike for western liberalism. But the ties between the two are both deeper and more complicated "To be considered a good European, you have to disparage Putin like he is the devil," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the Italian La Republica in January 2018. According to Orban, who boasts a close relationship with the Russian president, the EU officials depict Vladimir Putin "with hooves and horns," and ignore the fact that he "rules a great and ancient empire." "In the past, we Hungarians have suffered a lot under Russia," he told the paper. "Nevertheless, it needs to be recognized that Putin has made his country great again and that Russia is once again a player on the world stage." The same EU officials who dislike Putin are usually less than thrilled by Orban himself. Since returning to power in 2010, the Hungarian strongman has transformed his country in a way reminiscent of Russia, claiming control of all major media outlets and forming a clique of loyal oligarchs around his conservative Fidesz party. Internationally, Orban has strongly criticized EU sanctions against Russia, but stopped short of vetoing them in Brussels. Even more jarringly for the EU diplomats, Orban repeatedly broke Russia's diplomatic isolation by welcoming Putin in Budapest after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. And yet, despite these friendly signals towards Moscow, Hungary has stayed a committed member of NATO and even joined a UK-led diplomatic offensive by expelling Russian embassy officials in the wake of the Sergei Skripal poisoning. On opposite sides This discrepancy might stem from the fact that Putin and Orban, despite their similarities, started their careers from the opposite sides of fence during the Cold War. While Putin worked for the KGB in Germany's Dresden, Orban was a student dissident who made his name by demanding the withdrawal of Soviet troops in a fiery 1989 speech in Budapest. Orban helped found the Fidesz party during his time at the university, backed by George Soros, the same Hungarian-American billionaire who the party came to portray as their main ideological opponent decades later. In 1989, Orban received a scholarship from the Soros foundation to spend six months at the Oxford University. In July 1998, just weeks before Vladimir Putin was appointed head of the FSB intelligence agency, Orban claimed the office of prime minister in Hungary. However, while Putin took the reins of the Kremlin in 2000 and managed to hold on to power until present day, Orban was pushed out by Hungary's Socialist Party in 2002. While in opposition, Orban criticized the Socialists' support for Russia's South Stream gas project as "treasonous." Nuclear billions from Russia Orban's course on Russia changed sharply after he reclaimed the seat in 2010. In 2011, Budapest declared its "Eastern Opening" strategy to find new markets for its products in Russia, China, Turkey, and other countries. Orban also became a proponent of the South Stream pipeline and angrily accused Brussels of sabotaging the project when it was scrapped in 2014. However, the South Stream dispute served only as a sideshow to a much larger feud between Budapest and Brussels. In January 2014, Budapest awarded a 12.5 billion ($14.5 billion) project to renovate Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, Paks, to Russia's state corporation Rosatom. Russia is also set to lend 10 billion to implement the project. The EU has blocked the project for several years, arguing that it was awarded without an international tender and that the Kremlin's Vnesheconombank was under sanctions, but Brussels eventually relented in early 2017. Currently, Hungary's economy is deeply integrated in the EU bloc and over 80 percent of its total exports go into other EU countries. However, the central European state is strongly dependent on Moscow when it comes to energy, importing around 57 percent of its natural gas needs and 89 percent of its oil from Russia. Nothing personal Ideologically, Orban listed Russia among positive examples of successful "illiberal" societies while launching his theory of "illiberal democracy" in 2014. Similar to Putin, Orban offered traditional, "Christian" values in contrast to modern liberalism and focused heavily on restoring national pride in his country. Both Russia and Hungary claim to be under attack by sinister forces from the West and both have moved against foreign-funded activists. Do these parallels mean the two men are also personal friends? Not according to Orban, who told Politico in 2015 that Putin had "no personal feelings" for fellow world leaders. While western leaders tend to form personal relationships and address each other by first names, this would be unthinkable for the Russians, Orban added. "Is there anybody who has seen the personality of Putin?" Orban asked in an interview. "So therefore, the personal issue does not play a role at all neither in my mind, nor the mind of Putin." Related video: Today, on September 18, the enemy attacked our positions three times Open source Over the past 24 hours, the militants opened fire 21 times, no casualties reported, as the Joint Forces Operation HQ reported on Facebook. The occupants attacked at our positions 21 times. Besides, the enemy used Minsk-banned weapons twice. The militants performed attacks at the positions near Krymske, Luhanske, Hnutove, Vodyane, Lebedynske and Shyrokyne. No casualties among the Ukrainian military reported, the report says. The representatives of the HQ noted that the illegal armed formations were conducting adjusted fire from the grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. Moreover, the enemy fired from 82mm mortars near Lebedynske. 120mm mortars were applied near Pavlopil. According to the Ukrainian intelligence, one militant was eliminated, one more wounded. Today, the enemy attacked our positions three times. All the attacks were performed in Mariupol sector, where the enemy shot at our positions near Lebedynske and Vodyane from heavy machine guns and small arms. No casualties reported, the HQ informed. Yesterday, on September 17, the first working meeting of Serhiy Nayev, Joint Forces Commander, and OSCE SMM headed by Oleksandr Hug was held. Related video: 112 Agency Greetings from Warsaw Why do Ukrainians massively go abroad? Talented young people, scientists, sportsmen, highly qualified personnel leave to where they see new opportunities for themselves and their children, a stable present and promising future. We have no right to blame anyone. After all, labor migration is a logical reaction to a situation when your motherland does not provide for your basic needs. Almost the largest number of Ukrainians today moved to neighboring Poland - according to various estimates there are about two million of them. However, even there, the situation is not as optimistic as it seems at first glance. According to Polish recruiting companies, more and more people from India, Nepal and Bangladesh are applying for jobs in Poland. Only from India this year about 30,000 potential workers agreed to employ there. Experts argue that the Polish labor market, like the rest of Europe, needs skilled and responsible personnel who would know minimal English and have no bad habits. But, they note, Ukrainian workers (for reasons unknown to me) do not satisfy these requirements. They say that Ukrainians easily transfer to higher-paid jobs, thereby damaging the employer who worked previously. With this in mind, employers are looking towards cadres from Asian countries. It is possible that they will gradually displace Ukrainian migrant workers from Poland. And it's not that Ukrainians are working worse, but it is about the excessive supply of cheap labor in the market. Earlier in the media there was information that the Poles are seriously looking to labor migrants from Southeast Asia, in particular from Vietnam. According to unofficial data, the number of Vietnamese in Poland ranges from 40 to 60 thousand people. Approximately 20 thousand of them have a permanent residence permit. Many adopted Catholicism. This ethnic group is well organized, they have their own political organizations, newspapers, schools and kindergartens. In particular, in Warsaw, almost all fast food establishments have been controlled by Vietnamese for many years. It is interesting that for the Ukrainian authorities, judging by the statements of their representatives, this trend is absolutely not alarming. As it is not alarming the personnel hunger, which can very soon cause a collapse in our state. Instead of creating new jobs in Ukraine, increasing the level of social standards, increasing the average salary, offering new opportunities for training and employment for young people, government officials are calling for earning as far from the homeland as possible. I would not be surprised if, in a patriotic impulse, one of them proposed to abolish the visa-free regime and close the borders - as the only visible variant of combating mass labor migration. Our authorities are truly original. It would be better if there was more common sense and professionalism in them. Recently, Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan advised labor migrants "to work if not in Ukraine, then in the EU, where they pay more, where it is more comfortable, where there are no risks, that the law enforcement agencies of the aggressor country will arrest you." This is now the state position go to where people are kind, because we are worried about you! And the fact that the country loses its "brains" is out of context. And is it all so cloudless in the countries of the West? An analysis of the information that has recently come from Poland indicates an increase in negative trends. After the adoption of the "anti-Bandera" legislation in Poland and the promotion of the campaign around the Volyn tragedy, cases of conflicts with Ukrainians on the basis of interethnic enmity have become more frequent. It is also known about incidents of provocation against the leaders of the local Ukrainian community and even official representatives of the state. In addition, there have been drawn up the so-called "black lists" of Ukrainian citizens, which have banned of entry to the territory of Poland. Equally disturbing is the situation with Ukrainian guest workers in Russia, their number is several times larger than in Poland. The escalation of tension in Ukrainian-Russian relations (especially on the eve of the non-prolongation of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation) instills uncertainty in the coming day in them. And the constant intimidation of the persecution by the FSB and the "prophecy" of some "experts" about a full-scale war (in which case Ukrainian citizens are subject to internment), on the one hand, and the real worsening of the attitude of Russians to Ukrainians under the influence of propaganda, on the other, force labor migrants to return home. It is clear that such a reality further humiliates people who are forced to work abroad to feed their families. In the future this can stimulate people to return to Ukraine. But the question is: what can the state offer them today? Will they not join the ranks of the unemployed, whose number is already breaking records? I note, according to the State Statistics Service, in Ukraine, the unemployment rate among the economically active population reached 9.5%, or nearly 1.7 million people. Political anti-liability Here rhetorical questions arise. In particular, is the exact number of labor migrants who left the country known? And is it possible to consider successful "reforms", which for some reason do not contribute to their return to the homeland? It is not clear, in particular, what measures are being taken to protect Ukrainian citizens. And most importantly, is there any interest on the part of key political players in returning to Ukraine those who will not vote for them, remembering the reasons that made people unnecessary for their country. It would be also interesting to hear a plan for a possible (even hypothetical) mass return of labor migrants to Ukraine. Although we, as always, have an obvious gap regarding plans and strategies. Here, most likely, the rule of political anti-responsibility works - "we are guided by the situation." Well, it didn't work with Crimea and Donbas... If, after all, we do not just make mistakes, but also learn from them, then in the near future Parliament should consider the situation of Ukrainian migrants in Poland and Russia. Our people deserve not only the protected rights, wherever they are geographically, but also to have a decent life in their native land. And the realization of these rights is the responsibility of our authorities. "I will not allow any increase in gas tariffs for the needs of the population, and those who declare a possible rise in prices by 40% should either work responsibly or write a statement of dismissal," Prime Minister Groysman assured in the winter of 2017. After a year and a half, after lengthy negotiations between the authorities and the IMF, the parties came close to agreeing on the size of the increase in prices for blue fuel. As a result, Ukraine can receive a tranche from the Fund. However, the IMF has an unwritten rule not to credit the country during the election campaign Open source Golden blue fuel As previously wrote 112.ua, the Ukrainian side hoped to raise the price of blue fuel for the population by 25%, although it was also preparing for an increasing of 40+. Representatives of the main creditor of our country insisted on raising the cost to the level of imported parity (currently about 60%, - Ed.). However, during the negotiations with the IMF mission in the capital last week, according to media reports, the Ukrainian side managed to convince the Fund that the budget today will not stand the sharp jump in gas prices for the population, among other things, due to the increase in subsidies. According to 112.ua sources familiar with the negotiations, this does not mean that the sides refused to lead the price to the level of import parity - the decision was simply postponed. According to our interlocutors, the parties continue negotiations on the final formula for gas prices for the population. According to the media, the price may rise this year by almost a quarter, that is, just as much as the Ukrainian negotiators counted. The increase itself can happen already in the fall, during the election campaign. This will entail an increase in prices for hot water and heating, and may also affect the costs associated with subsidies. This is despite the fact that there are problems with the implementation of the budget for the current year. New billions from the IMF? In addition to gas tariffs, the sides also discussed the continuation of cooperation between Ukraine and the Fund, as in 2019 the four-year extended financing program EFF is coming to an end. Sources of 112.ua in the Cabinet believe that Ukraine, taking into account peak payments for external debts in 2019-2020 needs to allocate up to 6 billion dollars. According to the interlocutors, these funds our government expects to receive from the IMF in the framework of a new program of cooperation. The same fund, according to sources of 112.ua, familiar with the negotiations, recalled a number of old obligations of the authorities in accordance with the Memorandum of Cooperation. In particular, we are talking about the legalization of the agricultural land market. Recall that in accordance with the Memorandum, the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land should be abolished. However, in view of the ambiguous evaluation of this idea both in the Ukrainian politician and in society, the legalization of the turnover of agricultural land was postponed. It should be noted that September 6, on the day of the visit of the IMF mission, a group of people's deputies, including the representative of the Petro Poroshenkos Bloc, appealed to the Constitutional Court to recognize the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land unconstitutional. Another obligation of the authorities to the IMF - the large-scale privatization. Recall that in accordance with the Memorandum, the official Kyiv undertook to privatize the Odesa port plant, as well as strategic enterprises such as Turboatom, Centrenergo and the alcohol monopoly Ukrspyrt. According to 112.ua sources in the Cabinet of Ministers, the Fund insists that privatization should take place under the supervision of foreign advisers. However, according to our interlocutors, not all influential domestic political players agree to share. In the context of privatization, the sources stressed that the IMF representatives once again noted the need for a balanced budget and bringing its deficit in line with the requirements of the Fund, that is, sequestration (cost reduction). It is worth recalling that in the first quarter of 2018, according to the chairman of the Accounting Chamber Valery Patskan, the failure of the country's main state budget for the general fund exceeded 60 billion hryvnia. However, while negotiations on a new program of cooperation between the authorities and the IMF are far from over. And the Fund itself has an unwritten rule of not crediting the country during the election campaign, which in May confirmed to the journalists the current chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, Yakiv Smoliy. On Sept. 17, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland. Germany, which had done the same in the western part of the country two weeks earlier, acquiesced under the terms of a notorious neutrality agreement between Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin that divided parts of eastern Europe into Nazi and Communist spheres of influence. Thats just history in most of the world, but its contemporary politics in some of it. An Associated Press correction last week and reactions to it show that the question of whether the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were allies at the dawn of World War II remains a hot-button issue for many Russians and eastern Europeans. The correction was issued to an article about a Holocaust commemoration in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv that originally called the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany former allies. It noted that the two countries signed a non-aggression pact in 1939 that paved the way for them to carve up Poland and for the Soviet Union to take the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The correction followed letters from the Russian Foreign Ministry sent both to the AP and to other media outlets that printed the story, saying that the phrase former allies was a vivid example of attempts to rewrite history and that the USSR had never been the ally of Hitlers Germany. The AP concluded that the pact reached on Aug. 23, 1939 by the German and Soviet foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov didnt constitute a formal alliance, thus the correction. This isnt how history is seen by many people in Poland and the Baltics. The Soviet-Nazi alliance began World War II, tweeted Jerdzej Tomczak, a member of the Polish delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. An annual reminder of Russian denial at its peak, former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves posted. 17 September, when Russian joined their ALLIES (the term they go nuts over when you say it), the Nazis. Its not just about history, of course: Note Ilvess use of Russian rather than Soviet. The Soviet Unions contribution to Hitlers defeat is the cornerstone of the national ideology propagated by President Vladimir Putins regime. Its still taught in Russian schools and commonly held in Russia that the USSR entered World War II when Germany attacked it in 1941. In 1989, under Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union officially condemnedthe Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and admitted that it contained a secret protocol that established the two countries spheres of influence. Putin would later claim, falsely, that it was the post-Soviet Russian parliament that issued the condemnation and added immediately that he expected other countries to condemn their own deals with the Nazis. Lately, Putin hasnt even gone that far. He has stuck to the Soviet version of history: that the pact was necessary for the Soviet Unions security in the face of a treacherous Western appeasement policy toward Hitler which, as Stain said in a March, 1939 speech, aimed to pit Germany and the USSR against each other in the service of their mutual destruction. In 2014, Putin defended the Molotov-Ribbentrop deal during a meeting with historians. Everybody says its so bad, he said. But whats so bad about the Soviet Union not wanting to go to war? As for Polands dismemberment, Putin has never apologized for it. He often mentions that Poland itself occupied part of Czechoslovakia in 1938, soon after the Munich Agreement between Germany, France, the U.K. and Italy allowed Hitler to take Czechoslovak territory. Putin even pointed it out in a 2009 open letter to Poles. Even the authenticity of the secret protocol to the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact is widely challenged in Russia. In Poland and the Baltics, the continuity between Soviet and Putinist rationalizations for working with Hitler represents an unbroken line of aggressive, imperialist Russian thinking. Along with Russias depredations in its immediate neighborhood, the Moscow version of history is seen as proof that Russia still covets the influence on eastern Europe and the Baltic territories that it was forced to give up when the Soviet Union fell apart. Its important for this school of thought to describe Stalins deal with Hitler as an alliance. If Stalins USSR was only thrown together with the U.K. and the U.S. after Hitler later turned on his erstwhile ally, then it, and Russia as its successor, has no right to claim any part of the moral victory against the Nazis that came with the military one in 1945. Russia, according to this vision of events, is an unrepentant Hitler ally rather than his conqueror. No matter how I resent this vision as a Russian, Im also surprised by the AP correction. While the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact didnt purport to describe a formal alliance, but rather a relationship of mutual neutrality, the relationship continued to deepen after it was reached. On Sept. 28, 1939, after Poland was already divided between them, the Soviet Union and Germany signed a Boundary and Friendship Treaty. The text and a map of influence zones confirming the less formal agreement attached to the earlier Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was published in Pravda, the Soviet Communist Partys official newspaper. In a diplomatic context, friendship implies an alliance rather than a neutral relationship. As of June 22, 1941, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were former friends. Former allies isnt much of a stretch. Though World War II has long been over, the fight for moral high ground continues. Polands campaign against the use of the phrase Polish death camps to describe Nazi extermination centers on Polish territory is evidence of that. But its impossible to claim that moral high ground without acknowledging a measure of guilt. Russia wouldnt cover itself with shame if it admitted, and apologized for, Stalins attempt to befriend the Nazis and make a territorial deal with them much as he eventually did with the Western allies. It was morally wrong and led to much suffering. For Russia to admit this and to offer a heartfelt apology, Poland doesnt have to accept blame first for grabbing a bit of Czechoslovakia in 1938. Strong leaders and strong nations dont look over their shoulder when squaring such things with their conscience. Margaret Thatcher didnt in 1990, when she apologized to Czechoslovakia for Munich without demanding that anyone else follow suit. An unconditional admission of Stalins guilt (not a mistake, as Putin once termed it) in carving up eastern Europe with Hitler would be a powerful move on the part of a Russian leader. But Putin is too fond of stubborn denial as a tactic to make it. Russia will have to wait for a leader who can accept responsibility for past crimes and thus finally claim that part of the moral victory against the Nazis which Russia really deserves. It might be a start in laying to rest the wariness of Russias western neighbors, too. Read the original text here. New government of Italy makes no secret that it seeks to lift the EU sanctions from Russia Italy wants to discuss the issue of the sanctions against Russia at the EU summit on October 18-19 as Rikard Jozwiak, Brussels correspondent of Radio Liberty reported on Twitter. "Sanctions are still expected to be prolonged at the December EUCO but Rome might want some more EU cooperation with Russia. Unclear if others are keen on this," he wrote. It is important that the new government of Italy makes no secret that it seeks to lift the EU sanctions from Russia. On September 13, the EU officially prolonged individual sanctions against Russians and legal entities involved in the actions against Ukraines territorial integrity. Earlier Europe prolonged the anti-Russian sanctions for half a year. Reportedly, on July 5, the EU prolonged economic sanctions against Russia till December 31, 2019. The sanctions were imposed in July 2014 as a response to Russias destabilizing activity in Ukraine. Moreover, Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania and Norway claim about the intention to negotiate their national policy on the extension of the sanctions against the Russian Federation. These countries joined the decision on the extension of the anti-Russian sanctions. Related video: The department claimed that Russia reserves the right for the response against Israel The Russian military aircraft IL-20 was downed over the Mediterranean Sea by Syrian air defense system as Israeli F-16 fighter aircrafts hid behind the Russian aircraft. Ihor Konashenkov, the official representative of Russia's Defense Ministry claimed this as TASS reported. "Hiding behind the Russian aircraft, the Israeli pilots placed it under the fire of the Syrian air defense system. In the result of it, IL-20 that have more effective reflecting surface than F-16 was downed by an S-200 missile," the general said. Konashenkov claimed that on September 17, about 22:00, four F-16 fighter aircrafts of Israel struck the Syrian objects near Latakia with controlled air bombs. The inbound to targets took place at low altitude from the side of the Mediterranean Sea. According to the general, the Israeli aircraft intentionally created the dangerous situation for the surface ships and aviation in this area. "The bombing was held not far from the location of the French frigate Auvergne and in the immediate area of IL-20 of Russia's Aerospace Forces that was landing," Konashenkov said. He also noted that the Israeli management of air assets and F-16 pilots "could not but see the Russian aircraft that was landing from the height 5 km." "However, they intentionally started this provocation," he said. Konashenkov also noted that Israel did not warn the command of the Russian grouping of troops in Syria about the planned operation. "The notification on "hot line" was received less than in a minute before the strike and it did not allow to withdraw the Russian aircraft to the safe zone." Russia considered the actions of Israel as hostile and reserves the right for the response against Israel. "We consider such provocative actions of Israel as hostile. In the result of the irresponsible acts of the Israeli military men, 15 Russian soldiers died. It is absolutely not in the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership. We reserve the right for the adequate response," the general claimed. At the same time, Israeli Embassy in Moscow refused to comment the statement of Russia's Defense Ministry as Interfax reported. Earlier several airstrikes were launched at Syrian port Lattakia. Russian Defence Ministry informed that IL-20 with 14 military servicemen got lost. It supposed to have been back at the Russian base Humaimam, Syria. Earlier, as a result of Russias airstrikes at Syrian province Idlib 13 people died. Later, Russia claimed to be continuing bombardments in Idlib, if necessary. Related video: Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the missile that downed MH17 Boeing in Donbas in 2014 belonged to Ukraine The government of the Netherlands said it trusted the results of an investigation by the international Joint Investigation Team, which found evidence of Russia's fault, reports Radio Liberty. According to the statement of the Netherlands government, they "took notice of the message in relation to the press conference of the Russian Defense Ministry." "The Netherlands fully trusts the findings and conclusions of the Joint Investigative Team (JIT). The JIT investigation has the highest support of the international community, and the government has firmly decided to cooperate fully with the criminal investigation conducted by all the involved countries in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2166," the statement said. Meanwhile, Russian General Prosecutor's Office stated that on September 17 it had handed over to the representative of the Netherlands the materials on legal assistance in the case of downing of the MH17 flight. The international Joint Investigative Team investigating the MH17 disaster reported that they "took notice" of the statements voiced by the Russian Ministry of Defense, but reminded that the previous statements the Russian Defense Ministry on this matter "inaccurately presented the facts." Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the missile that downed MH17 Boeing in Donbas in 2014 belonged to Ukraine. The Russian authority claimed that the missile was made at Dolgoprudnensky factory in 1986 and sent to Ukraine's military unit; it allegedly was kept there until the tragedy happened. The ministry also claimed that it has access to the audio records made by the Ukrainian military; the tapes allegedly confirm that Ukraine is involved in the crash. Boeing 777 of Malaysian Airlines, flight number MH17, was destroyed while performing a regular flight from the Netherlands to Malaysia in July 2014. The tragedy took place in the sky over the militant-held section of Donetsk region. All 298 people aboard deceased; most of the victims, 196, were Dutch, but there were citizens of other nine countries as well. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) brought down in Eastern Ukraine on July 2014 by Buk missile launcher, brought from Kursk, Russia, stated in Bellingcat's report, British NGO of investigative journalists. Open source Counter-terrorism operations and the release of hostages will be tasks of Dozor (Russian for 'patrol', - 112 International), the detached rapid response team of Ukraines State Border Guard, as they will soon join the Cord Challenge, the military drills slated for the end of this month. The team will compete with other special forces units in various combat disciplines, like fire training, tactical and medical training. The fighters will get the access to all the necessary resources for the period of the drills, so that they can practice in specific - and often tough - conditions. Cord Challenge is supposed to begin on September 26 and will be running till September 28. Earlier, Ukraine sent 270 special operations soldiers to serve in the units on Azov and Black Sea. Petro Tsyhykal, the Head of Ukraines State Border Guard Service, said during his visit to Bukovyna region, southwestern Ukraine, the press office of the service reported. We are stepping up efforts of the Navy Forces, which is around 270 people, who will serve in the units of Azov and Black Sea water areas, the message said. Two halls, air circulation, video displays and a toilet for the people with special needs were set Open source Mariinka checkpoint has been modernized and furbished, and now it continues working. Oleksandr Kuts, the head of Donetsk military and civil organization, reported that on Facebook. Two halls, air circulation system, video displays and a toilet for the people with special needs were set. Water and power line communications are in place, as well. The administration spent about 300,000 dollars on the upgrades. The test project will soon be implemented in other entry-exit checkpoints in Donbas in Novotroitske, Hnutove and Mayorsk. Earlier, Ukraine's State Emergency Service workers fixed the gas pipeline near Mariinka, the city in Donetsk region, which lies on the frontline in Donbas conflict zone. According to the Ukrainian military, the pipeline was damaged due to an enemy attack in July 2014. Dozens of thousands of people were cut off the regular gas supplies. The technical crews tried to fix the infrastructure, but it was impossible because the area was heavily mined. The tanker was not damaged, the owner of the motorboat was hospitalized with head injuries On Sunday, September 16, at about 20:00 a motorboat of a local resident rammed the Russian tanker Mekhanik Pogodin moored near Naftohavan in Kherson. This was reported by the local New Day news agency. "The motorboat with the symbolic name Krym, (the name means 'Crimea' - 112.international) rammed into the broadside of Mekhanik Pogodin in the evening. The solid metal board was not damaged, and the boat was thrown to the concrete berth and rumpled quite a lot. However, its 38-year-old owner survived, but with a fractured head, a torn wound on the back and numerous bruises all over the body. He was taken from the place of the accident to regional clinical hospital, "the newspaper reports. The causes of the accident are currently being investigated. According to the previous version, the owner of the boat was in a state of alcoholic intoxication and could not immediately notice an obstacle in the dark and react in time. As it was reported earlier, the OSCE representatives met with the crew of tank vessel Mekhanik Pogodin, which is blocked in the port of Kherson. It is noted that the OSCE delegation didn't come on the board of the vessel, as their mandate covers only the Ukrainian territory. Reportedly, the Russian vessel, which is under sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine entered Kherson port. 12 Russian sailors are aboard of the tanker. On August 10, the asset of the company, in particular, the Mekhanik Pogodin vessel was blocked for three years in the Kherson port. The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, presided by Borys Lozhkin since the end of May 2018, has announced the launch of four new projects Open source The largest among the existing projects The righteous people of my city involves renaming streets in most of the major cities of Ukraine, granting special pensions to the Righteous People of Ukraine, filming a documentary, publishing books of their stories and expanding the database of internationally recognized heroes. The righteous people of the world is the common name of the people who risked their own lives saving Jews during the Second World War. Their support and honoring programs operate around the world. According to the data of the Yad Vashem National Memorial, there are more than 2.6 thousand righteous people in Ukraine. However, according to the JCU, the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine states that there are actually many more such people around 25 thousand. The work on finding their stories and granting the title of the Righteous is still ongoing. Open source In addition to perpetuating the memory of the heroes, the project is intended to promote the education of the young people, teach tolerance and strengthen ties between the world Jewish community and the Ukrainian people. JCU is planning to further propose its experience in implementing this project for consideration of the Jewish organizations in other countries. The project of a single Jewish information portal has been also proposed, that will cover the life of the Ukrainian Jews and provide users with access to such useful services as the study of Hebrew, online counseling or an opportunity to participate in monitoring anti-Semitic manifestations. Open source The Confederation is planning to publish five volumes of illustrated albums, in which the most interesting relics of the Jewish culture in Ukraine will be collected, both from the point of view of history and art. The bright illustrative material will be accompanied by historical information on the relics themselves, the personalities with whose names they are associated with, the Jewish history of their location. A group of historians already agreed to take part in the project. The volumes will be published as soon as they are ready, and the project will probably last until 2022. Open source A popular collection of the Jewish oral folklore Folktales in the presentation of the classic of the Jewish literature, Isaac Leib Peretz, with illustrations by Oleksandr Roitburd, is scheduled to be published already by the end of the year. The book was translated by the Ukrainian dissident Mykola Zerov in the early twentieth century. In addition, the Supervisory Board has proposed to implement projects for the restoration and reconstruction of the Jewish cemeteries in different cities of Ukraine, supporting the Podillya Jewish community one of the largest in Ukraine, perpetuating memory of the Ukrainian Jews who died during the Holodomor of 1932-33, organizing the exhibition of the collection about the Jewish people from the reserve of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Open source Michael Blazer, one of the founders of the Charitable Foundation DAR and member of the Supervisory Board of the JCU, invited the Confederation to join a number of the Funds projects: The Holodomor, the Holocaust, the Gulag exhibitions three tragedies on the Ukrainian lands in the twentieth century. The totalitarian regime against the people and an individual, Anne Frank. Lessons from History and Sources of Tolerance, the creation of a museum of the Ukrainian Jews, as well as assistance to the Jews of different countries in the search for their ancestors in Ukraine. An unknown reported on the mining of Obolon District Court of Kyiv during the debates on the case of ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych accused of state treason. Vladyslav Deviatko, the presiding judge claimed about this as Ukrainian News reported. About 11:30, he reported on the break in the debates due to the information about mining. The break was announced due to the evacuation of the visitors and workers of the court for the check of the reliability of information. As it was reported earlier, the Chief Military Prosecutors Office asks the court to sentence ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to 15 years of imprisonment in the case on state treason, as Prosecutor Maksym Krym said during the debates in the court on Thursday, August 16. Reportedly, fee-based lawyers of Viktor Yanukovych started a skirmish with police in the building of Obolon District Court of Kyiv, where the next court hearing in the case of treason against former Ukrainian President took place. Earlier we reported that Olexander Horoshynsky, the lawyer of former officers of special unit Berkut has become a new lawyer of ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych is charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraines state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine. The issue will be considered if the owners of the plant are not able to eliminate the consequences of the chemical emissions Head of occupation administration of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov claimed that the issue of the nationalization of "Crimean Tytan" plant can be considered as Radio Liberty reported. According to the news agency, the issue of the nationalization will be considered if the owners of the plant are not able to eliminate the consequences of the chemical emissions and modernize production. "If the owner says that he financially cannot do this and it becomes borne of the state, the issue of the adopting of the plant to the state property will raise," Aksyonov claimed. The owners of the plant "Crimean Tytan" did not comment this statement. As we reported, an unknown substance was discharged in the air in Armyansk, North Crimea. A greasy mud with a yellow shade appeared on metallic objects, roofs, and leaves on the trees. Later, Sergey Aksyonov, head of the annexed Crimea claimed that the situation with the discharge of the unknown substance in the air goes beyond the norms. Moreover, toxic chemicals were detected in the air in the Kherson region, southern Ukraine. Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Crimean Tatars Mejlis claimed that the evacuation of the children due to the emission of the unknown substance has begun in Armyansk. Earlier it was reported that the hit of the shells at the technological tanks during the training of the detachments of the Armed Forces of Russia became the reason for the chemical emission at the plant Crimean Tytan. On September 6, it was reported that the plant on the production of the titanium dioxide, the subsidiary of Titanium investments in Crimean Armyansk will completely stop to work on Sunday, September 9. Reportedly, 61 Ukrainian border guards were affected by the emission of chemicals. Five of them have been hospitalized. They are in Odessa Clinical Hospital of State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS), the results of their tests will be known today. Related video: Adam R. Tsytsulaev was detained in the suspicion in the heroin possession On Monday, September 17, the law enforcers detained Adam Tsytsulaev, the son of ex-representative of Chechnya Leader Ramzan Kadyrov to Ukraine at Kyrylo-Mefodiivska Street, Kyiv as Informator reported. It is stated that the detention was the result of the raid that began at Peremoga Avenue, not far from "Politekhnichnyi Instytut" metro station. Closing the street, the police blocked Toyota Camry with the Russian license plate in which younger Tsytsulaev and three Caucasians persons were found. During the check, a brick of heroin was found. According to the present information, the police acted on a tip of ex-business partner of Kadyrov with whom he did business before the expulsion of Ramzan Tsytsulaev from Ukraine. The son of an ex-political representative of Chechnya arrived in Kyiv to hold the negotiations with an entrepreneur; however, the last did not want to share his business and tipped the law enforcers at him. The police did not comment on this incident. Earlier Kyiv Police detained the man who has recently attacked Serhii Diachuk, judge of the Svyatoshin District Court of Kyiv. According to the message, the assailant was a security guard in the parking situated nearby the victim's place. Also, the SBU uncovered an agent who cooperated with Russian Special Forces. The suspect was chosen a restrictive measure in form of arrest. Related video: The court will decide on the restrictive measure concerning one of the participants Police identified seven people involved in the scuffles, which took place near Ukraines Prosecutor General Office on Monday, as Sehiy Knyazev, National Police Head, said, Interfax-Ukraine reports. We defined seven main participants of these offenses, took them to the district police stations In particular, an individual, who attacked the journalist of one of the TV channels was defined and questioned, Knyazev said. The decision to detain one of the participants of these events was made and agreed with the city prosecutor under the article of Ukraines Criminal Code. Police seized his gun. The investigation is underway, he added. According to the National Police, the court will decide on the restrictive measure concerning this individual. At the same time, the National Police Head did not specify which organization the detainee represents. He just noted that it was about a Ukrainian. Reportedly, activists of Ukraine's far-right political forces tried to attack the building of Prosecutor General's Office in Kyiv. The disorder was caused by the decision of the Ukrainian authority to extradite Timur Tumgoev, the Ingush national and the Russian citizen. On September 12, it became known that Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine extradited Timgoev to Russia, as the Russian federal security service requested. Explaining the decision, the Ukrainian side said that Timgoev is wanted by the Russian Federation as the ISIS militant; he allegedly served with the Islamic State fighters in Syria. Tumgoev twice asked for the refugee status in Ukraine, but the request was turned down - in both cases. Related video: Denisova reported that Balukh asked to bring a notary to him for drawing up of wills Open source Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmyla Denisova asked to Russia's Ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova with a demand to allow her to visit Volodymyr Balukh in the remand center. The Ukrainian side promises a visit to Kyrylo Vyshynsky in the exchange for this as Denisova reported on Facebook. She claimed that the fact of the beating of Balukh was confirmed by a lawyer and Klyment, the Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea. "The heartache appeared in addition to the pain of kidneys, liver and head. Sometimes it is so shrill that causes the gag reflexes. The doctors still have not examined the Ukrainian. I got to know one more reason for beating: Balukh told the lawyer about the state of his health, attitude to him at the remand center and lost hope," Denisova said. After the physical harm, the workers of the remand center forced him to record a video-appeal in which Balukh states that everything is good, there are no problems with health and the conditions of the detention are great. "I emphasize: it is a show. So, I want to hear the truth from Volodymyr Balukh. Now he worries: he asked to bring a notary to him. As Sentsov, he will draw up of wills for the case of death. He feels that the threats of the harm will not be only threats and he will not be brought to the colony," Denisova noted. Due to this, she appealed to Moskalkova with a demand to provide the medical service to Balukh and organize a meeting. "I have two real and clear demands to the Russian ombudswoman: to immediately provide him a qualified medical service and allow me to visit the Ukrainian political prisoner. One more time I confirm my readiness to accompany Tatiana Moskalkova during the visit to Kyrylo Vyshynsky who is at Kherson remand center," she emphasized. Earlier, the deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Ahtem Chyigoz, reported that Ukrainian political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh was beaten up and threatened to get killed in the Simferopol remand center. According to the Deputy Chairman, Balukh was taken out from his cell, severely beaten up and is threatened to get killed.' Related video: The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft resolution appealing to the Norwegian Nobel Committee to nominate Oleg Sentsov for the Nobel Peace Prize. 245 people's deputies voted for the decision during the session on air of 112 Ukraine TV channel. The deputies approved the text of the address to the Norwegian Nobel Committee on this matter. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine nominates Oleg Sentsov, who has been illegally detained in the Russian Federation for 4 years, for the Nobel Peace Prize: for his courageous behavior; for displaying a heroic non-violent protest against the illegal occupation by the Russian Federation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions; for defending human rights; for readiness to sacrifice his life for the sake of others' freedom, the parliaments statement said. As it was reported earlier, a draft law offering to nominate Ukrainian movie maker and political prisoner Oleg Sentsov for Nobel Peace Prize was registered in Ukrainian Parliament on September 5. Refat Chubarov, the Chairman of the Crimean Tatars Mejlis, and Artur Gerasimov, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko Block, are the authors of the bill. A hybrid form of yoga that combines traditional yoga postures with modern yoga moves and a silk hammock. Pre-registration required. Please note: Aerial Yoga at the Yoga Art Space studio requires pre-registration through our website at www.YogaArtSpace.com/calendar. If no one registers for a class, the class may be cancelled between 6-12 hours prior to the class start time. Though this event is shown as a regular, weekly class each week on the Alabi calendar, there are occasionally times when the class will be cancelled in advance such as for certain holidays. All updates and cancellations are on the studio calendar at www.YogaArtSpace.com/calendar. What is Aerial yoga? Aerial Yoga is a hybrid form of yoga that combines traditional yoga postures infused with modern yoga moves and an silk fabric hammock. Do I need Previous Yoga Experience? No previous yoga experience is not necessary to enjoy an Aerial yoga class. In fact it can be easier than normal yoga! The silk hammock acts like a support whenever you require it, almost like having your own personal yoga teacher giving you assistance throughout the entire yoga class! Another advantage of having the support of the hammock is that 90% of students are able to complete more challenging poses, such as handstands! Can Everybody do Aerial Yoga? Yes and no. Students who have had a previous injury can find Aerial yoga much easier to participate in then normal yoga. This is due to the the weight being evenly distributed between your body, the hammock and the earth. People who suffer any of following contraindications are advised NOT to participate in an Aerial yoga class: if you have had recent surgery of any sort, if you suffer glaucoma, if you are pregnant, if you suffer a heart condition (including very high or low blow pressure), if you get vertigo, if you have had a recent stroke or a hernia, if you have osteoporosis or any bone weakness, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or if you have had botox in the last six hours. What Should I Wear? All jewellery items must be removed before participating, a t-shirt must be worn to cover the armpit area and leggings are advised to avoid the silk rubbing on the skin and creating irritation. Please have clean feet or, alternatively, bring a pair of socks with you. Nature At Its Best PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Children born with Down syndrome in Armenia often end up being cared for in state-run institutions. 11-year-old Arman, however, lives in the dormitory of the Mars Electronics Factory in the Malatia-Sebastia district of Yerevan together with his mother, 46-year-old Naira Petrosyan. Their room is on the last floor of the run-down four-story building. Exposed wires can be seen hanging in the stairwells. Naira has lived here for 17 years. The room is quite neat and small. We sit next to Arman's colorful toys. Arman closely follows every movement of his mother and when Naira gets emotional, her son gets angry with her, asking her not to cry. Naira says she prefers to cry secretly. Her voice trembles again when she talks about not having enough food every now and then. In 2001, Naira's mother sold her apartment for $ 2,800 to close their debts and buy a small iron hut. However, her mother was already ill, having a brain tumor, so some part of the money was spent for the treatment. They moved to the Mars dormitory, where they didnt have electricity, doors or windows in the room at first. Years later, her mother died. Naira met her husband in this dorm, while both of them were sweeping the street. Arman was born in 2007. "I had no issues during my pregnancy: the baby was normal. After he was born, I was told that the child has problems. They took him to a polyclinic and said that he had Down Syndrome. I did not know what that was. I asked the doctor and he said it was a mental issue. We were taken to the hospital, where they suggested that I give up my child. I refused. I hugged my child and came home, saying that I would not leave my child anywhere. He will be 11 years old in a couple of months. He did not walk until he was seven. Now he walks and talks, says Naira. Naira got divorced in 2015, because of another woman. Thats all she mentions about the topic. Arman is in the 5th grade. He used to attend a special school, which closed this year, in the Zvartnots district of Etchmiadzin. Now he attends a new special school in Yerevan and the Center for Global Development. "This center helps Arman a lot. He started speaking, even citing poems, singing songs," notes Naira. When Arman studied at the Zvartnots School, Naira worked as a store cleaner, taking the child to and back from school in the morning and evening. During the summer holidays, Naira swept a village market for 6,000 drams a day. She used to take her son with her, but he wasnt calm there. Neither can she leave him inside the dorm. Naira says that one day the boy opened the window and climbed outside. Shes since nailed the windows shut. Naira says shes willing to do any kind of work - washing windows, cleaning garbage to have money to take care of Arman. Their monthly poverty benefit and Arman's pension from the government amount to AMD 45,000. "He is a very good boy. When he offers his food to me, saying that hes not hungry, I want to give my life for him, says Naira and hugs Arman. Arman mostly stays home, since Naira is afraid of potential conflicts with other children. The Center for Global Development donated washing and sewing machines to their family. Once Arman gets adapted to the new school, Naira wants to learn sewing to have customers. Arman is the cornerstone of Naira's life. All her dreams are about her son. "I want to have a house and a job to take care of my son, so that people do not pity me," says Naira. Photos: Saro Baghdasaryan Sevak Hakobyan, editor of the news website Yerevan.Today, issued a statement today describing yesterdays raid of his office by the National Security Service (NSS) as an attempt to silence the website. It intended to teach a lesson to news outlets raising free and substantiated critical speech, Hakobyan said. Yesterdays raid lasted for several hours, Hakobyan said, preventing website employees from working for most of the day. After the raid, Hakobyan told reporters that the reason for the police search was because the website was the first to publish a secretly taped telephone conversation between National Security Service Chief Artur Vanetsyan and Special Investigative Service Chief Sasun Khachatryan. In the phone conversation, Vanetsyan and Khachatryan are heard discussing the detention of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the ongoing investigation of the events of March 1, 2008. Police allege that the website published the conversation two days before the others did, on September 11, andthen deleted it. The implication is that the website has close links to Robert Kocharyan and colluded with Armenias second president to beat other websites to the punch. Kocharyan has pointed to the tape to bolster his claim that the Pashinyan government has launched a political vendetta against him. Hakobyan refuted the allegation, stating that the website is owned by Vardan Hovnanyyan and that it published the conversation at the same time as other websites. The following statement was released today by Reporters Without Borders. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns yesterdays search by police of the headquarters of the Yerevan-based Armenian news website Yerevan.Today. It violated the confidentiality of journalists sources, RSF said. The police removed some of Yerevan.Todays computer equipment during the search, which lasted seven hours and temporarily stopped the site from operating. They also searched the home of its editor, Sevak Hakobyan. The authorities insisted that the searches had nothing to do with the journalistic activities of Yerevan.Today and were carried out as part of an investigation into the origin of a secretly-recorded phone conversation between two top security officials, which the Armenian media published last week. In the recording, National Security Service chief Artur Vanetsyan and Special Investigative Service chief Sasun Khachatryan were heard discussing the prosecution of former President Robert Kocharyan and a former defence minister in connection with the bloody crackdown on protests in 2008. The recording suggested that they had sought and obtained the current Prime Ministers approval before arresting the former officials. Vanetsyan and Khachatryan recognized the recordings authenticity but said their comments have been misinterpreted. The recording was widely reported in the Armenian media on 11 September after being posted on YouTube. The authorities claim that Yerevan.Today briefly posted it online two days earlier and then deleted it. Yerevan.Today insists that this claim stems from an erroneous technical evaluation. Computer security experts say the website can be right. The search of Yerevan.Todays premises and the seizure of its equipment constitute grave violations of the principle of the protection of journalists sources, which is guaranteed by Armenian legislation and the European Court of Human Rights, said Johann Bihr, the head of RSFs Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. We regret that the police did not seek a less intrusive and more proportionate way to achieve their legitimate goal. A big wave of peaceful protests in April led to Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans removal and replacement by the protests main leader, Nikol Pashinyan. The new government has promised to combat corruption and improve the rule of law. Armenia is ranked 80th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2018 World Press Freedom Index. Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-09-18 Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review-18.09.18 No. 180/18 [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS Contents [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Erdogan's recent statements minimize Turkish Cypriot press' expectations on the Cyprus problem [02] Bozkir carries out contacts in the occupied area of Cyprus prior to UN General Assembly in NY [03] Erhurman on the devaluation of TL, the transfer of electricity from Turkey and the deployment of Anadolujet's aircraft in the occupied area of Cyprus [04] Turkish IYI Parti says that Cyprus consists a red line for Turkey [05] "Legal cases" in the breakaway regime increased up to 51% within a year [06] Illegal YDU "signed a contract" with IFMSA [B] Turkish Press [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Turkey, Russia agree on demilitarized zone in Idlib to avoid humanitarian tragedy [02] A "retired senior naval officer" comments on Erdogan's statements on the "establishment of Turkey's naval base" in Cyprus [03] 10 soldiers detained over FETO links in Turkey; 420 people detained last week over Gulen links [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Erdogan's recent statements minimize Turkish Cypriot press' expectations on the Cyprus problem Turkish Cypriot columnists assess today (18.09.18) the statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who during his return flight from Azerbaijan, had said that Turkey would increase its occupation troops in Cyprus and it also might establish a naval base. Writing in Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (18.09.18), columnist Esref Cetinel argues that Erdogan showed his determination with these statements and claims: "[] The conclusion which I have drawn is the following: Of course, we will also draw our lesson from Erdogan's recent statement. However, the Greek Cypriot side should think not once but a thousand times that 'it is not possible to expect a solution without Turkey in Cyprus from now on and that the army will not leave the island'. And it should know that Turkey will always be at the negotiating table. What about ours? They have tried a lot to exclude Turkey on the island! The only way left for them is 'to revolt'! Let us see, will they do this one day?" Writing in Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (18.09.18), columnist Cuneyt Oruc reports the following in his column under the title "Our recipe is not in accord with the recipe in Athens": "[] Very well, has Ankara, which had reportedly accepted that the number of troops could be reduced to an extent and that it could even approach the number in the Republic of Cyprus 1960 agreements, changed its stance? We could give the following response to this question. The Greek Cypriots, who thought that they broke off concessions when Turkey took steps on the Cyprus question, in the end started shouting with joy that 'the security and guarantees are not at the table any more'. Actually Erdogan's statements have in a wink smashed to smithereens the rights, which the Greek Cypriots thought they had broken off as concessions until today. Because, if diplomacy is a bargaining arena, Erdogan is undoubtedly one of the best players of this arena. And the last statement, which he made saying that 'we will not reduce the number of troops, but on the contrary, we will increase it', has undoubtedly secured that the Greek Cypriots returned to the very beginning. []" Noting that Erdogan has left the door open for the establishment of a naval base by Turkey in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, the columnist writes that the reference that from now on Turkey will implement its own recipe in Cyprus gave a hint as to the course in the forthcoming period. He concludes by saying the following: "[] Very well, what will this recipe be? It would be a naivety to think that the recipe of the Turkish side is similar to the recipe written by Tsipras and Anastasiades in Athens. Therefore, a process during which everyone will go their own way will begin in New York rather than a negotiating table [process]. We will watch and see very soon". Finally, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (18.09.18) describes Erdogan's statements as "dynamite to the new negotiating process". (I/Ts.) [02] Bozkir carries out contacts in the occupied area of Cyprus prior to UN General Assembly in NY According to illegal Bayrak (17.09.18, http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=ulucay-receives-bozkir), Volkan Bozkir, Head of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), met yesterday with the self-styled speaker of the parliament Teberruken Ulucay. Speaking during the visit, Bozkir claimed they will always stand beside the Turkish Cypriot "people" in its rightful case. "We are here to affirm that we will always stand beside Turkish Cypriot people in its rightful case. Cyprus for us is always a first priority. Before the UN General Assembly in New York we are discussing with delegations that will attend what joint strategy we would follow and what can be done to achieve progress on the Cyprus issue". Alleging that the real intention of the Greek Cypriots was obvious, Bozkir claimed they tried to preserve the power they obtained unjustly and saw the Turkish Cypriot community as minority in their fake state adding that they would never accept this. "We think that open-ended negotiations are no more beneficial" Bozkir argued and claimed that it was pleasing to see that the UN Chief shared the same view. He further argued that they will no way accept the Greek Cypriots to claim right on natural resources through a fait accompli. Ulucay, for his part, said that they have close relations with the Turkish Grand National Assembly. "We will have closer relations with the TBMM in the new term. We will take some steps especially in regard to the foreign relations and we will work closely while doing so" Ulucay noted. He also added that "the parliaments of two countries are in close contact in the lobbying activities at the PACE and the European Parliament". Claiming that the Cyprus issue continued to be the most important issue during a time when the economic problems are harder, he said they will continue to struggle for the solution of the problem. He also noted that this struggle will be carried out jointly with Turkey, and added that their expectation from the New York meeting was for a decision for the resumption of the negotiations process with a result oriented point of view. Furthermore, "BRT" (18.09.18, http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=bozkir-met-with-government-officials) broadcast that Bozkir had separate meetings yesterday with self-styled prime minister Tufan Erhurman and self-styled deputy prime minister and foreign minister Kudret Ozersay. Speaking during his meeting with Bozkir, Erhurman who referred to the Cyprus issue expressed the view that the negotiations process should be carried out in solidarity with the Republic of Turkey. "We have revealed so many times that we will not be a part of a solution model whereby the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people is not safeguarded. This is out of the question. We have been conducting the negotiations process with Turkey from the beginning and we shall continue to do so. There is no other way to reach a result that we desire and which will secure our rights" Erhurman argued. During the meeting with Bozkir, Ozersay, speaking first, noted that Bozkir's visit was well-timed, significant, and fruitful. "The TRNC within the framework of its own potential and in cooperation with Turkey is trying to defend the interests of the Turkish Cypriot people at different international platforms. The Foreign Relations Commission of the TBMM is a unit which could widen these limited opportunities and be our voice at different platforms. Therefore, I believe this visit is very important and I know that our cooperation and solidarity will continue increasingly" Ozersay argued. Bozkir, for his part, claimed that he had had the opportunity to discuss many issues during his meetings, adding that such meetings gave a strong message of unity between the two "countries" ahead of the UN General Assembly. He said that he had also discussed with Erhurman the effects of the economic situation in Turkey on the "TRNC". "We do not want the TRNC to experience financial difficulties and give the Greek Cypriot Administration an opportunity to use this against the Turkish Cypriots. It is our top priority to maintain the Turkish Cypriot's welfare at the highest level and to prevent any economic problems in the TRNC. These issues and steps to be taken have already been discussed during the TRNC government official's visit to Turkey. I believe important developments will occur in the shortest period of time" Bozkir argued. [03] Erhurman on the devaluation of TL, the transfer of electricity from Turkey and the deployment of Anadolujet's aircraft in the occupied area of Cyprus Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (18.09.18) reports that Tufan Erhurman, self-styled prime minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, argued that as the currency fluctuation of the TL continues, the prices will continue to rise and they cannot prevent it. Speaking in a programme at "BRT", Erhurman noted that the widespread of foreign exchange and the increase of the cost of living due to currency fluctuation has affected mostly the low-income people. He added: "Since I came to office, there has been a loss of 597 million TL in purchasing power. Referring to his statement "they still haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel", Erhurman said that he means that with the devaluation of the TL, they have entered with Turkey into a tunnel and that it is so narrow that it is not possible to see ahead of them. Noting that the electricity prices have risen by 52%, Erhurman argued that the "government" is making an extraordinary effort not to make any new price increases. He added that electricity prices change with changes in the prices of fuel oil and currency. Claiming that they cannot make any interference on the fuel price, Erhurman argued that he tried to convey all these problems during his visit to Turkey. Regarding the transfer of electricity from Turkey with a cable, Erhurman referred to the importance of the feasibility study in order to be able to bring electricity form Turkey. He added that he continues the discussions with the Turkish Deputy President Fuat Oktay on this issue. Furthermore, referring to the expensive airline tickets, Erhurman argued that it is due to insufficient flights in the occupied area of Cyprus. He also noted that he discussed this issue too during his recent visit to Ankara. Erhurman added that he briefed Turkish President Erdogan on this issue and Erdogan gave orders to do whatever is needed to be solved. Meanwhile, the paper reports that Fikri Ataoglu, "minister of tourism and environment", commenting on this issue, announced that with Erdogan's instructions an aircraft belonging to AnadoluJet will launch operation by being deployed in the occupied area of Cyprus. Under the title "Tufan Erhurman: The cable from Turkey is a radical solution for the electricity", Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (18.09.18) reports that columnist Vahap Munyar, writing in Turkish daily Hurriyet (17.09.18, http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/vahap-munyar/bu-gidisle-bizim-enflasyon-yuzde-50ye-yaklasabilir-40958171) , carried a commentary in his yesterday column on his meeting with self-styled prime minister Tufan Erhurman regarding the issue of transferring electricity from Turkey with a cable. Referring to the high price of electricity in the occupied area of Cyprus, Erhurman argued that transferring electricity from Turkey with cable is a radical solution. He further said that he conveyed this issue to President Erdogan during his last visit in the occupied area of Cyprus, adding that he also brought the issue into the agenda when he recently visited Turkey. Erhurman also noted that some of his friends and some units in Turkey are working on this issue. (DPs) [04] Turkish IYI Parti says that Cyprus consists a red line for Turkey Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (18.09.18) reports that the general secretary of the Turkish IYI Party Cihan Pacasi, alleged that no concessions can be made for Cyprus which is a red line for Turkey. He made these statements speaking during the election campaign for the forthcoming local elections launched by his party during which he strongly criticized the foreign policy followed by the ruling in Turkey Justice and Development Party (AKP). Pacasi said that the re-launching of the Cyprus negotiations and the issue of abandoning Turkey's guarantees in Cyprus are on the news again. "Not abandoning Cyprus consists a red line for Turkey. We cannot make any concessions. The IYI party follows the developments closely", he said adding that the mistakes that are made in Turkey's foreign policy hurts the country's credibility. (CS) [05] "Legal cases" in the breakaway regime increased up to 51% within a year Under the title: "The riot of the jurisdiction" Turk?sh Cypr?ot daily YENI DUZEN (18.09.18) newspaper (18.09.18) refers to the speech delivered by "the head justice of the supreme court" Narin Ferdi Sefik, during a ceremony for the beginning of the 2018-2019 Judicial Year. Writing that some of the statements made by Sefik during her speech were "impressive", the paper reports that Sefik said that arrivals in the "country" are not controlled, arrivals are allowed to persons who do not carry a lot of money, controls are not made regarding people who enter the "country" claiming that are students and efficient controls are not made for young persons who apply for driving license. She also said that "legal cases" in the breakaway regime increased up to 51% within a year. (CS) [06] Illegal YDU "signed a contract" with IFMSA Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (18.09.18) reports that according to a statement issued by the "press and foreign affairs directorate" of the illegal Near East university in the occupied area of Cyprus, the "medical students association of northern Cyprus"("MSANC"), represented the occupation regime in the 67th general assembly of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) which took place in August in Canada. According to the paper, within the framework of the meeting in Canada, the "MSANC", has signed a "contract" which envisages that it would send students all over the world within the framework of IFMSA's intership program for training courses while at the same time foreign students would be able to follow training courses in the "TRNC". (AK) [B] Turkish Press [01] Turkey, Russia agree on demilitarized zone in Idlib to avoid humanitarian tragedy Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (18.09.18, https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2018/09/17/turkey-russia-agree-on-demilitarized-zone-in-idlib-to-avoid-humanitarian-tragedy) reports that Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced yesterday, following their meeting in Sochi, that they have agreed on establishing a 15-to-20-kilometer-wide demilitarized zone in the opposition enclave of Idlib, Syria, which will be patrolled by Turkish and Russian forces, as of Oct. 15. "By Oct.15, we will establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib in an area that is 15 to 20 km wide. The armed opposition groups, including the Nusra Front [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] will retreat from the region, as well as the heavy weapons," Pu tin said during a joint press conference following the meeting, adding that there will also be a joint monitoring mechanism comprising of Russian and Turkish soldiers. Erdogan also confirmed the decision on establishing the demilitarized zone between the opposition and the regime forces. () Erdogan further underlined that Turkey and Russia have come a long way to overcome some of the disagreements and concerns over the recent developments in Idlib. () Assad has been supported militarily by Russia and Iran. Turkey, on the other hand, supports the moderate opposition in the war-torn country. According to experts and news reports, in the case of a full-scale military operation by Assad, Iran would be supporting the regime forces on the ground, while Russia would provide support from the air. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Behram Kas?mi, however, said yesterday that the country will not participate in any military operations in Idlib. "The presence of Iran in Syria is mainly for consultancy purposes, and the country will not participate in any upcoming operation," Kas?mi said during a press conference in Tehran. () Erdogan was accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Energy and Natural Sources Minister Fatih Donmez, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, National Intelligence Service (MIT) head Hakan Fidan, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kal?n and Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun. Accompanying Putin, the Russian delegation included Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak, Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu and Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov. () On the same issue, Ankara Anatolia news agency (17.09.18, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/erdogans-aide-hails-ankara-moscow-deal-on-idlib/1257398), Erdogan's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin argued that Erdogan made a "diplomatic attempt" to prevent a major humanitarian crisis in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. "According to the agreement: The opposition will remain in areas in which they are already present. Russia and Turkey will conduct joint patrols. Russia will take measures to prevent attack on Idlib," Kalin said on Twitter. [02] A "retired senior naval officer" comments on Erdogan's statements on the "establishment of Turkey's naval base" in Cyprus Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (18.09.18-http://www.milliyet.com.tr/emekli-tumamiral-gurdeniz--siyaset-2744220/) reports that the "retired senior naval officer", Cem Gurdeniz, in exclusive statements to the paper, commented on statements made by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey will increase and not decrease the number of Turkish troops in Cyprus and if necessary, as he said, they would establish a naval base in the "TRNC". Commenting on the above statements by Erdogan, Gurdeniz stated that he was supporting the idea for the establishment of a naval base in the "TRNC", right from the start. He further alleged the following: "The increase of the number of Turkish army in Cyprus, rather than decreasing it, is a very important and strategic statement since it would be comforting not only for Turkey's future but also for the geopolitical point of view. The establishment of a naval base in the Eastern Mediterranean is extremely important in terms of the capacity for emergency intervention". Claiming that the existence of a naval base is not only a psychological matter, he argued that Turkey should establish a naval base in order to be able to ensure the infrastructure of its "territorial existence" in the island and the reinforcement of its strategic security forces. Gurdeniz alleged further that the establishment of a naval base in the "TRNC" would be very important also taking into account the energy policies experienced in the Eastern Mediterranean. "In a strategic geographical place where there are conflicts for energy and interests, the accomplishment of an emergency intervention is very important. The rapid intervention for defence, security, and environmental disasters should be thought", Gurdeniz said. Pointing out that Tasucu port in Turkey's Mersin district is the closet port with the "TRNC", Gurdeniz argued that although Tasucu is close they do not have base there. He added that the closet naval base of Turkey which is connected with Cyprus is Aksaz naval base. He also added that the Eastern Mediterranean is connected with the Aksaz Base as well and claimed that the establishment of a naval base by Turkey would enable Turkey to reinforce not only its corps troops but also its naval forces. (AK) [03] 10 soldiers detained over FETO links in Turkey; 420 people detained last week over Gulen links According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (18.09.18, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/10-soldiers-detained-over-feto-links-in-turkey-136943), ten soldiers suspected of links to FETO, the group believed to have masterminded the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, were detained on Sept. 17, according to prosecutors in the capital Ankara. As part of a probe into FETO infiltration of the Turkish Naval Forces Command and Coast Guard Command, the 10 suspects were detained after prosecutors issued warrants for 22 soldiers, including six serving ones. The soldiers include a lieutenant colonel, two squadron leaders, three lieutenants, and four sergeants. The 12 other suspects are still being sought. Meanwhile, news portal Turkish Minute (17.09.18, https://www.turkishminute.com/2018/09/17/402-people-detained-last-week-over-gulen-links/), under the title "402 people detained last week over Gulen links), reports that the Turkish Interior Ministry announced on Monday that 402 people were detained last week due to alleged links to the Gulen movement. A total of 18,128 people had been detained over alleged links to the movement by the end of August 2018. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION (DPs/ AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article The reforms will have a positive impact on the country's competitiveness and on Peruvians' well-being since they will lead to progress () these reforms represent a major inflection point to achieve the development all Peruvians want," he stated. Reforms The country has not carried out important reforms over the past 30 years, he said, and this is a great opportunity to do so and improve its prospects for the next decades. "We fully support what President Vizcarra has proposed. Our Government is undertaking a frontal fight against corruption and is in favor of institutions," the official emphasized. Institutionalism and fight against corruption are the two pillars of this administration's policy, as announced by a supreme decree a few months ago. "These two pillars are very important. We believe Peru is getting a great opportunity to implement important reforms ," he underlined. Corruption He referred to the political discussion around the reforms, recognizing it as a great opportunity to improve and to put political noise aside. (END) RGP/RGP/RMB/MVB Loading... Economy and Finance Minister Carlos Oliva on Tuesday noted that President Martin Vizcarra's reforms will raise Peru's competitiveness and improve the quality of life of its citizens.Publicado: 18/9/2018 Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Hay mucho trabajo por hacer y no hay tiempo que perder. El Peru requiere este tipo de obras y las estamos ejecutando en favor de todos los peruanos. pic.twitter.com/1LhwJcj1M0 Earth Elements A mind, body, spirit story for Saline by Billie Ochberg Published in September, 2018 "Quan Yin represents mercy, but also wisdom, prosperity, wellness, compassion, tolerance, acceptance, health and healing," says Kristen Madrid, softly reading aloud about the statue of the deity that sits atop a pedestal overlooking the checkout counter of Saline's newest retail shop. Madrid and co-owner James McDonald opened Earth Elements in early July. "It's important to know that we don't limit ourselves to selling products for any one faith or practice," emphasizes Madrid, after sharing all that Quan Yin embodies. Madrid points out a statue of Buddha and a freestanding crucifix. "We also have the archangels Michael and Raphael. We're a mind, body, spirit shop," she adds. The calming, 1,000-square-foot store is the ground floor of one of Saline's early-twentieth-century downtown buildings, nestled between the bank on the corner and the News Arts & Antiques. It's freshly painted in light shades of sage and violet, with plenty of natural light flooding through the front windows. The noise of Michigan Ave. fades away as soon as the door is closed. "Care for a cup of tea?" asks McDonald. "Lemon ginger today." The shop sells California-based Starwest Botanicals and the Tea Spot teas, and he brews a new flavor daily. It's complimentary for customers. It's hard to pinpoint the scent of the sweetened indoor air. "I couldn't really say. It's a little bit of everything," explains Madrid. An array of essential oils, aromatherapy candles, and incense contribute to the pleasing scented cocktail that floats through the air as the ceiling fan twirls high overhead. "I think that's the original tin stamped ceiling," says Madrid. "We installed the new wood laminate flooring." Neither she nor McDonald started out in the world of crystals or chakras with the smell of incense wafting under their noses. Instead, it was flour and yeast. "We met at Flatout," says Madrid, who worked there as a baker for seventeen years. McDonald was her coworker for about six years. "We became friends and bonded over our shared ...continued below... interest in all aspects of positive energy. We were ready for a change. I was ready to work for myself," says Madrid. She's "very interested in the paranormal," and says that, come fall, the shop will be well stocked with supplies for pagan solstice rituals, including a larger selection of sages, ritual resins, herbs, and candles."Of course, we also have tarot and oracle cards," says Madrid.Earth Elements isn't only a retail shop. After leaving Flatout last year, McDonald completed the training to become a certified Reiki master and teacher. The back of the shop has a private room for his Reiki clients and another room for classes. The shop stocks all the essential oils and aromatherapy accessories related to the seven major chakras treated in Reiki.Back up front, Madrid points out some of her other favorite retail items."We try to support all natural and organic products. I love candles," she says and highlights Sea Witch Botanicals. "Everything they make is all natural, plastic-free, and vegan. I'm so excited that we carry them. They have soy candles with wooden wicks." McDonald points out the Sea Witch men's items like shaving kits and the "mane tamer" beard-grooming kit."As we get more rooted in the community, we'd like to bring in guest speakers, so people can learn about things like crystals and their meaning. We're open to suggestions. Maybe we'll offer tarot readings or a class about henna," muses Madrid."There's a lot of positive energy here. We're excited to be here."[Originally published in September, 2018.] YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally welcomed South Korean President Mr. Moon Jae-in at the airport of Pyongyang, TASS reports. South Koreas President arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday to participate in the third inter-Korean summit this year. A live broadcast from the scene is organized by the press center in Seoul. Kim Jong-un arrived at the airport accompanied by his wife and welcomed Moon Jae-in and his wife. The two leaders and their spouses shook hands. According to the administration of Moon Jae-in, before flying to Pyongyang the President said he considers the restart of the dialogue between the DPRK and the US to be the main purpose of his visit. The dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington had been stopped because of disagreements over denuclearization issues. Besides the nuclear disarmament, the agenda of talks includes such issues as revitalization of the North Korean-American dialogue and further reduction of military tension on the Korean peninsula. Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un are expected to hold at least two rounds of dialogue. The South Korean President will end his visit on September 20. This will be the fifth inter-Korean summit in the history of two Koreas and the third one this year. The first two rounds were held in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 with the participation of then South Korean presidents Kim Dae-jung and Ron Moon-hyun and then North Korean leader Kim Jong il. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Russia and Turkey have agreed a demilitarized zone between militants and government troops in Syrias Idlib, President Vladimir Putin said after hours-long talks with Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused on solving the crisis, RT reports. Weve focused on the situation in the province of Idlib, considering presence of large militant groups and their infrastructure there, Putin said at a press conference after the talks. Weve agreed to create a demilitarized zone between the government troops and militants before October 15. The zone will be 15-20km wide, with full withdrawal of hardline militants from there, including the Jabhat Al-Nusra. As part of solving the deadlock, all heavy weaponry, including tanks and artillery, will be withdrawn from the zone before October 10, Putin said. The zone will be patrolled by Turkish and Russian military units. Before the end of the year, roads between Aleppo and Hama, and Aleppo and Latakia must be reopened for transit traffic, he said. The agreement has received general support from the Syrian government, according to Putin. The deal and other issues of Russian-Turkish ties apparently took almost 5 hours to hammer out. In what appears to a breakthrough solution, Putin and Erdogan have agreed to ensure peace with the help of Russian and Turkish troops. The territory controlled by the Syrian opposition must be demilitarized and the Syrian opposition that is holding these territories will remain there. But together with Russia we will make efforts to clear these territories of radical elements, Erdogan said. The agreement is designed to prevent a new humanitarian crisis in Syria, Erdogan stressed, and will help Turkey to avoid an even more difficult situation. He had previously warned of a surge in refugees hitting the country should a full-blown war break out in Idlib. The plan is major landmark for Syria, where the standoff in the last militant stronghold of Idlib has threatened to turn into a major international crisis in recent weeks. About 70 percent of Idlib province is controlled by various terrorist factions, including Al Qaedas Syria affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front), according to the Russian military. At the same time, both Turkey and the West support various militant groups they consider as moderate opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assads forces. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. A Russian Il-20 military aircraft with 14 servicemen on board disappeared from radar screens over the Mediterranean Sea, an official with Russias Defense Ministry told reporters on Tuesday, TASS reports. The plane went off the radar while F-16 fighters of the Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the Syrian province of Latakia, the fate of the Russian military is unknown, the official said, according to TASS. "On September 17, at about 11:00 pm Moscow time, the connection with the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft was lost over the Mediterranean Sea when the plane was returning to the airbase of Khmeimim, 35 kilometers from the coast of Syria," the official said. The ministry specified that "the mark of Il-20 went off the radars disappeared during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia." "At the same time, the Russian radars fixed missile launches from the French frigate Auvergne, which was in that area," the Defense Ministry said. The official also said that there were 14 servicemen on board and their fate is unknown. The command of Russias air base at Hmeimim launched a search and rescue operation. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The focal point of the events for the celebrations of the 27th Independence Day of Armenia will be Yerevans Republic Square. All streets leading to the square will be open only for pedestrians. Chief of Staff of the Prime Ministers Office Eduard Aghajanyan told a news conference today in the square that the upcoming event will be unprecedented and will differ from the others with its decentralization and coverage. The event will be held under the You Are Independent motto. This is a very clear message, he said. He said that the musical performances across the city will include almost all cultural layers and will feature all types of music. Aghajanyan said that the Prime Minister will host a reception at his official residence. A pretty pleasant surprise awaits you there, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. A wildfire near the foothills of Mount Ararat in Turkey has spread due to strong winds on September 17, the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The fire was visible to the naked eye from Yerevan yesterday evening. According to Anadolu, since the terrain is difficult to overcome for firefighters, the local emergency personnel are attempting to prevent the wildfires spread by unmanned aerial vehicles. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Russias military plane Ilyushin-20 was shot down by the Syrian air defense over the Mediterranean Sea because Israels F-16 fighters used it as a cover, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told the media on Tuesday, TASS reports. "By using the Russian plane as a cover the Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire. As a result, the Ilyushin-20, its reflective surface being far greater than that of F-16, was downed by a missile launched with the S-200 system," Konashenkov said. Konashenkov said four F-16s of the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike with guided air bombs against Syrian facilities in the area of Latakia at about 22:00 on September 17. The fighters approached the target from the Mediterranean at a low altitude. The Israeli planes deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in that area, he stated. "The bombing raid was near the French frigate The Auvergne and in close proximity to the Ilyushin-20 plane of Russias Aerospace Force that was about to land," Konashenkov said. He pointed out that Israeli command centers and F-16s pilots "could not but see the Russian plane, which was approaching the runway from an altitude of five kilometers." "Nevertheless they deliberately staged this provocation," he said. According to Konashenkov, Israel had issued no warning to the command of the Russian military group in Syria of the forthcoming operation. "A hot-line warning was received less than one minute before the strike, which left no chance for taking the Russian plane to safety," he added. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenias defense minister David Tonoyan and Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) founding director Armen Orujyan held a meeting September 17 in the head office of FAST to discuss cooperation possibilities. FAST presented the developed curriculum for new educational programs of servicemen. The educational programs will include data science, AI, cybersecurity and other field which are military-related. The defense minister emphasized the importance for creating high quality education programs in the military and developing the scientific-technical skills of servicemen. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian citizen (pictured left) has been arrested in Istanbul in suspicion of robbing a currency exchange office, according to Vatan newspaper. The robbers had stolen cash and other items overall worth 47,000 dollars. The citizen of Armenia is one of the two suspects who were arrested in Bursa. The other arrested suspect is a Russian national (pictured right) Two others are still at large. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. A letter from Pope Francis was read at the conclusion of celebrations marking 300 years from the foundation of the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation in its Monastery in Venice, Vatican News reports. Pope Francis on Sunday praised the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation for their tradition of theological humanism and prophetic ecumenical openness and urged them to continue to provide precious witness, Vatican News reported. The Congregation of Benedictine monks is widely recognized for its contribution to the renaissance of Armenian philology, literature, and culture early in the 19th century and for the publication of old Armenian Christian manuscripts, a tradition that Pope Francis described as a beneficial gift for the ecumenical journey, which increasingly reveals itself as a sign of the times in our effort to meet the Lords request to his disciples to be one. In a letter addressed to Archbishop Boghos Levon Zekiyan, apostolic administrator of the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation, the Pope said the congregation is called to preserve and deepen its charism for the good of all Armenian people." Francis message was read in the presence of Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches during celebrations of the Divine Liturgy on the Island of San Lazzaro in Venice. The ceremony took place on Sunday evening to the mark the third centenary of the foundation of the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation. He said that together with the Mekhitarist Monastery of Vienna, the island of San Lazzaro where the Congregation is based, has become its beating heart. Despite a general reduction in numbers, each monk is called, there and everywhere, to keep his horizons open and wide and the bond of communion strong he said. The Mekhitarist identity, the Pope continued, consists above all in being entirely consecrated to God. Your vocation, he said in conclusion to the monks, cannot be realized without real communion with your brother monks and without a total and joyful respect for your vows of poverty, chastity and obedience which are an evangelical source of true renewal and strength in the face of the trials we face today. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has held a telephone call with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, stating that Israel is solely to blame for the downing of Russias Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, TASS reported. "The responsibility for the downing of the Russian aircraft and the death of its crew lies solely with Israel. The Russian Defense Ministry used various communication channels on numerous occasions to urge Israel to refrain from conducting airstrikes in Syria, which threaten the security of Russian military personnel," Shoigu said. According to the Russian defense minister, the irresponsible actions by the Israeli Air Force led to a tragedy, which claimed the lives of 15 Russian military personnel, "despite all existing agreements on preventing dangerous incidents." "The Russian military command [in Syria] had been notified [of the attack] one minute before the Israeli F-16 jets conducted airstrikes," Shoigu pointed out. "The Israeli Defense Ministrys actions are not in the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership so we reserve the right to take retaliatory steps," the Russian defense chief stressed. A Russian military plane Ilyushin-20 was shot down by the Syrian air defense over the Mediterranean Sea because Israels F-16 fighters used it as a cover, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told the media on Tuesday, TASS reports. "By using the Russian plane as a cover the Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire. As a result, the Ilyushin-20, its reflective surface being far greater than that of F-16, was downed by a missile launched with the S-200 system," Konashenkov said. Konashenkov said four F-16s of the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike with guided air bombs against Syrian facilities in the area of Latakia at about 22:00 on September 17. The fighters approached the target from the Mediterranean at a low altitude. The Israeli planes deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in that area, he stated. "The bombing raid was near the French frigate The Auvergne and in close proximity to the Ilyushin-20 plane of Russias Aerospace Force that was about to land," Konashenkov said. He pointed out that Israeli command centers and F-16s pilots "could not but see the Russian plane, which was approaching the runway from an altitude of five kilometers." "Nevertheless they deliberately staged this provocation," he said. According to Konashenkov, Israel had issued no warning to the command of the Russian military group in Syria of the forthcoming operation. "A hot-line warning was received less than one minute before the strike, which left no chance for taking the Russian plane to safety," he added. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Head of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ms. Arpine Hovhannisyan has notified the monitoring committee of the institution on Azerbaijans cross-border gunfire at the Armenian village of Koti, the resulting civilian injury and the other shootings of several other Armenian civilian settlements. By taking advantage of the latest domestic events in Armenia the authorities of Azerbaijani are attempting to put the blame for possible failures of the NK conflict settlement on the Armenian side. I have said this numerously and I wont avoid repeating myself: we are more than united in the Artsakh matter. Regarding agenda issues, at the request of a relevant committee I briefed on the latest domestic political developments of Armenia. Considering the confidentiality procedure of the committees activities I will notify about the decisions and the committees stance when it will be [available for disclosure], Hovhannisyan said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Chair of Armenias Civil Aviation Committee Tatevik Revazyan has arrived to Guangzhou, China at the invitation of her Chinese counterparts on September 15. Revazyan will participate at the World Routes 2018 event in the city, the foreign ministry said. On September 16, the Armenian aviation official took part in the inauguration of the event. Revazyan held a brief meeting with Wang Zhiqing, Deputy Administrator at the Civil Aviation Administration of China. After the meeting Revazyan signed an agreement between the Armenian and Chinese governments on air communications. During the meeting the sides expressed opinion that this agreement will serve as the legal basis for establishing direct air communication between the two countries, which in turn will strengthen and develop bilateral relations in various fields. Revazyan is also expected to meet with executives of Chinese airline companies to discuss the possibilities of establishing direct flights to Armenia. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has hosted a group of Yerevan State University (YSU) students today at his official residence in Yerevan. Back when Sarkissian hadnt yet taken office as president, he had promised the students to have a meeting with them when he visited the university. During todays meeting the students got the chance to speak to the president, ask questions and voice suggestions and concerns. They were particularly interested in the mechanisms of granting distinguished students scholarships, creation of jobs for students from remote areas in their hometowns, as well as the formation of academic arenas, and other issued relating to education and development of science. Sarkissian told the students that it is very significant to be able to find the profession, the direction where they can be the best. Speaking about the role of the educational system, Sarkissian said that the system should first of all serve for discovering the abilities of the youth and help them in choosing the right path. Cultural legacy, preservation of national values and national identity were also discussed. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, 18 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 18 September, USD exchange rate is down by 0.79 drams to 484.37 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 0.34 drams to 565.50 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.04 drams to 7.15 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 0.32 drams to 635.69 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is down by 31.30 drams to 18717.02 drams. Silver price is down by 1.06 drams to 220.67 drams. Platinum price is down by 82.73 drams to 12473.86 drams. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received the leadership of New-York-based Armenian organization Vardanants Knights on September 18. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, the guests presented to the President the activities of the organization at the Motherland, particularly the projects aimed at school-building and solving the problems of the bordering communities. Highlighting their patriotic initiatives, President Sarkissian said that he is ready to assist all those projects. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan received on September 18 Ambassador of Congo to Armenia David Maduka (residence in Moscow), on the occasion of delivering the copies of credentials, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia. Congratulating the Ambassador on the occasion of the appointment to that very responsible position, the Armenian FM hoped that during his tenure the cooperation between the two countries will strengthen and activate. The sides noted that there is a great potential for developing trade and economic relations and its necessary to outline the framework of the steps for its implementation. The sides referred to the close cooperation in the sidelines of international organizations and particularly the OIF. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and David Maduka also referred to the preparatory works of the Yerevan summit of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the events planned in the sidelines of the summit. In this context Minister Mnatsakanyan noted that Armenias membership to the OIF greatly fostered the development of relations of Armenia with the other members of the organization and particularly the African countries. The Minister emphasized that the cooperation in the sidelines of the OIF is a means for progressing our common values and goals pluralism, solidarity, humanism, human rights and democracy. The Armenian FM presented to the Ambassador of Congo the position and priorities of the Armenian side on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. The sides shared the opinion that the peaceful settlement of the conflict has no alternative. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashinyan visited on September 18 the front line of Artsakh accompanied by President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan, Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Artak Davtyan, Defense Minister of Artsakh Levon Mnatsakanyan. ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said during his Facebook live broadcast that important discussions took place over the situation on the front line. Although the situation on the front line is quite tense, we can still assess it as stable and controllable. Anyway, the Armenian Armed Forces and the Defense Army confidently keep control of the situation. And we discussed with the President of Artsakh and the representatives of the Armed Forces the current situation over Karabakh, our positions and also there were discussions over the political-military situation, Pashinyan said. According to the PM, during the discussion they recorded that the armed forces of the Armenian side confidently keep control of the situation and appropriately retaliate to any Azerbaijani provocation. But this does not mean we want war or we push for war. Instead, we are ready for negotiations something that we have repeated many times. The PM also added that he had planned to participate in the rally of My step block in Yerevans Ajapnyak district, but he could not arrive in Yerevan on time due to bad weather conditio9ns. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Russia blamed Israel after Syria shot down a Russian plane above the Mediterranean during an air battle on Monday night. Russian media said that four Israeli F-16s carried out the attack in Syria and that Israel gave just one minute's warning to Russia, which maintains large military bases in the region. Syrian air defences sprang to life during the attack, but it's unclear whether they shot down anything besides the Russian Il-20. Russia said it reserved the right to take "commensurate measures" against Israel in response. The Russian Ministry of Defence has blamed Israel for the downing of a Russian spy plane by Syrian antiaircraft artillery in the Mediterranean. The Il-20 plane went down during a massive air battle between Israeli jets and Syrian air defences, which sprang to life during a missile attack that pounded an ammunition depot and an industrial compound. Israel's air force confirmed its attack on Syria on Twitter on Tuesday, saying it attacked a weapons site that it believed Syria would have transferred to terrorist groups to fire on Israel. The Israeli air force expressed sorrow for the loss of Russian life but put the blame firmly on Syria's air defences, which it said fired indiscriminately. Photo and videos of the event show bombs hitting the ground while air-defence rockets streak skyward. No video from the incident has shown a successful interception. Syria, a Russian ally, operates numerous Russian-made air defences but has never demonstrated a significant ability to intercept incoming missiles. Though Syria claimed it downed many of the missiles fired by the US last year and earlier this year as punishment for chemical attacks blamed on the Syrian military, it never provided any evidence. During the US strikes, Syrian missile defences appeared to fire wildly and sometimes without a target. Russia said its Il-20 went down about 35 kilometers from the Syrian coast at about 11 p.m. local time, during the heat of the battle. Story continues Russian media said that four Israeli F-16s carried out the attack and that Israel gave just one minute's warning to Russia, which maintains large military bases in the region. "The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane as cover and set it up to be targeted by the Syrian air-defence forces," Russian media reported the Russian Defence Ministry as saying. "As a consequence, the Il-20, which has radar cross section much larger than the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 system missile." "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished. This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership," the Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state media, Reuters noted. "We reserve the right to take commensurate measures in response," Konashenkov said. Russia had previously claimed that a French frigate operating in the area had fired missiles before the Il-20 went down, but France denied participating in the attack. Russia has frequently boasted about its air defences in Syria and their ability to repel attacks from even top-of-the-line US stealth jets. Israeli F-16s are practiced in knocking over Syrian air defences but remain a generation behind US-made stealth jets in terms of radar-evading technology. Previous strikes in Syria linked to Israel have given a wide berth to areas populated by Russian defences, but strikes on the Damascus International Airport on Sunday and the air battle on Monday have played out near Russian forces. Analysis by KPMG shows the latest moves in the US-China trade war could take $36 billion from the Australian economy. US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on $US200 million of Chinese goods pushes Australia into Scenario 1 in the KPMG analysis. And further damage to the Australian economy is just a few months away. US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on $US200 million of Chinese goods could hit the Australian economy by $36 billion over next decade. Analysis shows this latest move corresponds to Scenario 1 from by KPMG's trade wars report last month which forecasts Australia's GPD to dip by 0.3%. But the worse situation of Scenario 2 is just three and a half months away because Trump says the tariffs will go up to 25% on January 1. This scenario would see the Australian economy take a $58 billion hit, or a cut to GDP of 0.5%, over the next decade. The latest tariffs, along with previous rounds on $US50 billion of Chinese goods and metal imports, will mean over half of all Chinese goods coming into the US are subject to the duties. Chinas Ministry of Commerce has promised to respond to Trumps latest attack with tariffs on $US60 billion worth of US goods. This means that between 85% and 95% of American imports coming into China will be subject to a tariff from the trade war. According to a senior administration official the duty levied on the incoming goods will be 10% when the measure goes into effect on September 24. The tariffs will then increase to 25% at the start of 2019. The delay is partly designed to give US businesses time to adjust their supply chains, the official said. KPMG Australias paper "Trade Wars: There are no winners" shows further escalation to Scenario 3 would cut Australian national income by half a trillion dollars over 10 years, the equivalent of 40% of last years total household disposable income. About 60,000 jobs would be lost, and real wages would be pushed down by $16 per week for the average worker. Story continues The scenarios outlined in the KPMG analysis: In a full escalation, an all-out trade war, the US would go into recession with a cumulative loss of GDP of 4.6% over five years. China wouldnt fall into recession, but its economic growth rate would slow to just 4% and would stay below 5% for around five years -- Chinas worst economic growth performance in almost three decades. But if the US-China trade war is confined to those two countries, and restricted to current announced measures, then the negative impact on the world economy would be kept to below -0.5% global GDP. Australias GDP would be cut by 0.3% over five years, with a loss of $36 billion. The European Union and Japan will be affected less than Australia. But if the trade war escalated to a 25% tariff on all goods traded between the US and China, both countries would end up with GDP 1% lower, but with China faring worse over time. Australias GDP would be cut by 0.5%. The paper builds on KPMG Australias previous report, "The Re-emergence of Protectionism", released in April 2018, which looked at a hypothetical scenario of all countries participating in a trade war with tariffs increasing on current levels by 5% or 10% on either all manufactured goods or all tradeable goods. This new study assesses what has happened since April. Brazilians are as worried as ever about getting shot while driving, but have less money in a stagnant economy to spend on protecting themselves. Enter the second-hand bulletproof car. Whether to provide genuinely-needed protection or just to show off, the bulletproofed personal vehicle has usually been associated with the rich, but in Brazil, armored cars are far more common than in most countries. Industry experts consider Brazil?s $245 million (one billion reais) bulletproofing industry the largest in the world. But with an economy only just crawling out of recession ?- one percent growth in 2017 came on the heels of a steep two year-recession -- worried drivers are searching for budget options. "I like cars, but I don?t feel comfortable spending a lot of money on one," said lawyer Mauricio Paulo, who drives a second-hand bulletproof Volvo XZ 60. This is the 40-year-old Paulo?s fourth armored vehicle. He got his first armored car after being robbed while he stopped at a traffic light. The birth of his daughter 18 months ago convinced him he still needs to have one -- and stay frugal. "I need a bulletproof car because of lack of safety," he said. "I went for a used car because I?m going to spend less money to move around safely." To modify a car costs around $13,000 (53,600 reais), pretty much like buying an additional vehicle. Going for an already used and already armored vehicle gets the price tag down by between 10 and 40 percent, according to varying estimates from dealers and owners. - Armored vehicle capital - Another big market, Mexico, bulletproofed 2,986 cars in 2017, one of the best years the industry there has had. But even in a tough climate last year, Brazil's armoring industry still put out over 15,000. Armored private vehicles are especially common among the middle class in the economic hub of Sao Paulo, regardless of the fact that the mega-city is one of the safest parts in an often extremely violent country. Almost three quarters of bulletproofing work is done in Sao Paulo state, and most of the country's 150,000 armored vehicles are also in the state, according to the bulletproofing association Abrablin. Neither Abrablin nor the used car sellers? body Fenauto keeps track of second-hand armored sales. But industry experts say it is a real trend here. "This year, the used car market is hot," said Fabio Rovedo de Mello, director of a Sao Paulo-based bulletproofing company. "Because of the situation the country is going through, the demand for used cars has gone up." Sales of new cars in general plummeted to a 10-year low in 2016 in Brazil. The niche market in new armored cars mirrored the trend, dropping 20 percent last year, compared to 2016. "When the new market doesn?t sell, there?s higher demand for used cars, because a person can?t afford to buy a new one," said Abrablin president Marcelo Christiansen, who also heads up a bulletproofing firm. "Armored cars are a lot more expensive, so the option was to go for a used car that fell within my budget," said Eliane Wakatsuki, 39, a manager at a hydroelectric firm, who was test-driving a used Mercedes Benz GLA 200 at a luxury bulletproofing outfit. Even those drivers who still buy new cars and get the armoring added are looking for deals. Last year, the best-selling new car for bulletproofing was the Toyota Corolla, the cheapest and smallest that can handle armor, which can add up to 12 percent to the vehicle?s body weight. - Do they need it? - Owners say high crime rates drive them to seek extra security. Some international companies based in Brazil compel their expat employees to drive armored vehicles. But whether the cars are needed is another question. Sao Paulo, Brazil's richest state, had the lowest murder rate in the country in 2016, the last year for which comparative figures are available. There were 10.9 murders per 100,000 people against a national average of 30.3, while Sergipe state in the northeast had 64.7. "Having a bulletproof car in Brazil is about status. People are more worried about status than they are about their own safety," Christiansen said. "The wife gets angry, because the neighbor has one and she doesn?t, so she tells her husband: 'I need a bulletproof car.'" For Paulo, the armored vehicle may bring security, but also a troubled conscience. "Those who have a bit more resources can protect themselves better," he said. "Those who don?t can even lose their lives over something small." "You feel bad, because people are separated by their economic power in third-world countries and that's sad." Companies like this one in Sao Paulo work in the auto armoring industry - a lucrative one in violence-wracked Brazil A technician test-shoots a .357 Magnum at the window of an armored car Brazil's bulletproof vehicles Car owners say high crime rates in Brazil drive them to seek extra security, while some international companies based in the country compel their expat employees to drive armored vehicles A dad in desperate need of a kidney has been saved by two teachers at his daughters school, sparking a donor chain that saved eight more lives. Dad-of-two Neil Emmott was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which causes cysts to grow on the kidneys, in 2001, and watched in agony over the next 15 years as the vital organs began to fail before his eyes. In 2016 the usually shy and private Neil, from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, was forced to make his plight public as his search for a suitable kidney became ever more desperate. By the beginning of 2017, the 56-year-olds kidney functionality was down to just 11 per cent, leaving a single percentage of function before he would need to be put on emergency dialysis. Neil Emmott with his wife Lisa and their two daughters. Source: Caters News When Neils wife, Lisa, and his brother, Gordon, were ruled out as potential donors on account of minor health issues, Lisa broke down in front of one her colleagues, Allison Malouf, at the Bethany Christian School explaining the familys dire situation. Ms Malouf, who teaches the couples youngest daughter Mackenzie, nine, didnt hesitate in offering up her own kidney to Neil after her husband donated his kidney to save a stranger eight years previously. Unbeknown to the family, another teacher at the school, Britani Atkinson, had also registered herself as a potential donor for Neil in secret, hoping to save them from any more disappointment in the event she was rejected. The diagnosis came as a huge shock to us we were just enjoying our first year of marriage, Lisa, a kindergarten teaching assistant, said. [We] watched and waited as his kidneys slowly and steadily began to fail. When I was denied to donate a kidney, panic, fear, and sheer anger all made me a prisoner of my own mind. The only thing I wanted to do in my life was to give a piece of myself to save my husband but I couldnt do it. I knew I had only one choice it was either get busy finding a donor for my husband, or get busy selecting a casket or urn. Story continues Teacher Britani Atkinson with Neil before his kidney surgery. Source: Caters News I knew that Allisons husband had donated a kidney eight years ago, and I wanted to tell her about it all because I knew she would understood the donor process and the emotions that accompany the journey. Her immediate response was, I want to donate my kidney. Lets get me tested for Neil. I was so shocked and politely declined her offer but she insisted. Ms Malouf was approved as a donor in May 2017 and was soon followed by Ms Atkinson, who was also approved. However, on account of conflicting blood types and kidney sizes, neither of the pair could directly donate to Neil so they instead registered with the National Kidney Registry. Allowing incompatible donor-patient pairs from all over the country to set up four-person chains, where donors can evenly swap compatible organs, Ms Atkinsons universal blood type allowed her to quickly find a match. By September 2017, Neil was undergoing surgery. Despite her initial designated recipient receiving a life-saving intervention, Ms Malouf remained inspired to donate her kidney and after beginning a chain of her own, four others were saved including a 14-year-old boy. Now enjoying Neils renewed health, Lisa is hoping her story helps to comfort others desperately in search of a kidney. Hoping others follow in the heroic footsteps of her friends, Lisa said if life is a classroom, Britani and Allison wrote the lesson plan. Within 24 hours of Neil receiving a kidney, his health was drastically improving, she said. Neil meeting with Shannon, the woman whose kidney he now has. Source: Caters News It seemed too good to be true that in just a matter of moments the numbers were climbing. I had seen him so grey and sullen for so many years, but now the colour had come rushing back to his face. Its nearly impossible to express the gratitude we feel. Britani and Allison dont see their actions as heroic at all, they both said, Why wouldnt I donate my kidney? I have two and I only need one. Each always say theyd do it again if they could. Most people dont know about living kidney donation its a very safe procedure. Raising awareness is half the battle. I want our story of survival to serve as someone elses roadmap with their kidney compass always pointing them in the right direction. Incredible footage shows the moment rescuers freed six dogs locked up in an outdoor cage in North Carolina during Hurricane Florence, as the water level began rapidly rising. North Carolina observed four-metre floodwaters on Sunday, with reports it was steadily rising. A video shared to social media shows some of the six abandoned dogs standing on their hind legs to remain above water, while rescuers arrived at a property in Leland, North Carolina. Rescuers freed six dogs that were locked up in an outdoor cage in North Carolina during Hurricane Florence, as the water level was rapidly rising. Source: Marcus DiPaola The pets can be heard howling and whimpering in the footage, as volunteer rescuer Ryan Nichols of Longview, Texas, waded through knee-high waters to reach the cage. Seconds after Mr Nichols unlocked the chain-link fence, the dogs swam out to freedom and happily paddled toward a nearby house, followed by the rescue volunteers. The dogs swam out to freedom and happily paddled toward a nearby house, followed by rescue volunteers. Source: Marcus DiPaola Rescued six dogs in Leland, NC, after the owner LEFT THEM locked in an outdoor cage that filled with flood water that was rapidly rising, freelance Journalist Marcus DiPaola tweeted on Sunday. We got them out, but by the time we left, the water was so high that they would have drowned. BRING YOUR PETS WITH YOU! #HurricaneFlorence, he added. It is not known why the dog owner left the animals behind, however some people have responded to MrDiPaolas tweet claiming an owner had attempted to return for the pets. French and British fishermen agreed Monday to end their battle over access to scallop-rich waters in the English Channel, three weeks after the long-simmering conflict flared into a high-seas confrontation. The new deal is hoped to bring to a close the years-long "Scallop Wars" over fishing the prized molluscs in the fertile waters off the Baie de Seine area of Normandy in northwest France. Tensions boiled over late last month when dozens of French boats confronted a handful of British rivals in the waters to keep them from the area, with a few vessels ramming others as angry French fishermen threw stones and smoke-bombs. "We managed to get an agreement. Tonight at midnight, they (the British fishermen) will leave the area in the Channel's east and will only return on November 1," French industry representative Pascal Coquet told AFP. French fishermen have been incensed that British scallop boats can access the area, while French boats are only allowed to fish there between October to May in order to protect stocks. The French side had hoped to end a loophole that exempts British boats smaller than 15 metres (50 foot) long, giving them first dibs at one of the main scallop sources off the French coast before the official season. However, it failed to get the smaller British boats banned. "We were forced to drop the 15-metre requirement," Coquet said, because time was running out as British boats were "ravaging" the fishing stocks. "It is in order to avoid catastrophe. They fish everything and there are other altercations," Coquet said, adding that he is satisfied with the compromise even it came "a little late". The French side also agreed to give the British fishermen an additional fishing quota, he said. - 'Better than no deal' - Jim Portus, the chief executive of Britain's South Western Fish Producers Organisation, agreed it was "a compromise". "It's not the best deal... but it's better than no deal," Portus said. Britain's Fisheries Minister George Eustice commended the UK fishing industry for "its patience throughout negotiations and welcome this pragmatic outcome". The deal came after weeks of bitter negotiations between representatives of both sides. Under a preliminary deal reached in early September, it seemed UK boats under 15 metres would also be barred, but talks in London fell apart last week when British fishermen demanded more compensation than the French side could stomach. "It's a loophole that we've been condemning for five years," Normandy fishing chief Dimitri Rogoff previously told AFP of the small-boat exemption. The new agreement must now be endorsed by both governments, France's agriculture ministry told AFP. The issue has become even more sensitive given the uncertain future of arrangements for fishing in the area after Britain leaves the EU in March 2019, particularly if the UK has to quit without securing a withdrawal deal. The Seine-Maritime region's local MP Sebastien Jumel said in a statement late Monday that the "raids by fishermen across the Channel and the significant damage to our local fisheries raise the question of defending the interests of our fishing industry". Along with several local mayors, he demanded that the French fishing industry "not be relegated to the second rank of interests that France defends during negotiations" over Brexit. Dozens of French boats confronted a handful of British rivals in the waters late last month over the area's prized scallops Map of the English Channel locating where British and French fishing boats clashed over scallops An ex-Rebels bikie who survived a drive-by shooting at his home in Adelaides north has sent a message to his attackers. Daniel Devries said those responsible for shooting at his home in Blakeview on the weekend made the wrong move and put his three-year-old daughter at risk. Knock on my door dont drive past my house with guns and spray bullets with my daughter in the house, he told Seven News. Be a man, knock on my door. Ex-Rebels bikie Daniel Devries points at bullet holes in his daughters bedroom in their Blakeview home in Adelaides north. Source: 7 News The pair were sleeping on the couch at the back of the house when 14 bullets hit the house some of which came into his daughters bedroom. Thank God that we chose the lounge, he said. You never know how it couldve ricocheted my daughter sleeps right here. He also admitted to leaving the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle gang four months ago, but wont say why he was targeted, citing a code of silence. Mr Devries said the pair were sleeping in the back lounge room while bullets came through. Source: 7 News When asked if he had any regrets about leaving the gang he replied, No, my daughter comes first. Ive done some bad things in my time, Ill tell you that, but Im trying to change my life for my daughter, he said. The Crime Gangs Task Force is investigating and spent Monday collecting evidence at the scene. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page. Welsh actor Matthew Rhys on Monday took home the Emmy for best actor in a drama series for his role in FX's Cold War spy thriller "The Americans" -- a big win for the critically acclaimed show in its final season. Some industry pundits have called it the "Jon Hamm factor," as both actors won their lone Emmys for defining roles in their final year of eligibility. Rhys bested a tough field that included last year's winner Sterling K. Brown ("This is Us"), Ed Harris ("Westworld"), Milo Ventimiglia ("This is Us"), Jeffrey Wright ("Westworld") and Jason Bateman ("Ozark"). "Parts like these come along so rarely," Rhys told the audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, thanking show creator Joe Weisberg. "What you created and risked, I will be forever in your debt." The 43-year-old Rhys starred for six seasons as Philip Jennings, part of a husband-wife team of Soviet sleeper agents posing as Americans -- and living next door to an FBI agent. "We had a cast and show we could only wish for in a fairy tale," he said. His now real-life partner, Keri Russell, plays his wife Elizabeth on the show. She too was nominated for an Emmy, and he joked about what the job had brought them. Addressing Weisberg, he quipped: "Your good self not only gave me the part and opportunity of a lifetime, you also gave me a son. I just hope the little bugger is asleep." He thanked Russell, but explained that as opposed to the earlier on-air proposal by Oscar director Glenn Weiss, "she said, 'If you propose to me, I'll punch you clean in the mouth'" -- a distinct possibility, given her fighting chops seen on the show. Until Monday's gala, "The Americans" had only won two Emmys -- both for guest actress Margo Martindale, who plays the spy couple's handler Claudia. But now they have four, as Weisberg and Joel Fields also won a statuette for outstanding drama writing. Rhys, a native of Cardiff, was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He first came to the attention of US viewers when he starred alongside Sally Field in ABC's family drama "Brothers and Sisters." Other notable roles include a turn in last year's journalism drama "The Post," in which he played Daniel Ellsberg, the man who released the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times, The Washington Post and other papers. Upcoming projects include "Mowgli," a live-action film based on "The Jungle Book," and thriller "The Torture Report." Matthew Rhys won the best drama actor Emmy in his final chance for "The Americans" France and Germany warned Tuesday that the crisis over Poland's controversial judicial reforms is "more urgent than ever", saying months of talks between Warsaw and the EU had made little progress. Brussels launched unprecedented disciplinary proceedings against Poland in December over "systemic threats" to the rule of law, and last month stepped up its legal threats over Warsaw's contentious Supreme Court reforms. The row is part of a bitter, long-running confrontation with Poland's right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government, which says it needs to overhaul a judicial system still marked by the communist era. Paris and Berlin gave a joint statement to a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels saying talks had "not led to substantial progress regarding the concerns about the Polish judicial reforms". "On the contrary, since July 3 and the implementation of the new retirement regime for Supreme Court judges, the situation has become more urgent than ever," said the statement, signed by Germany's European Affairs Minister Michael Roth and his French counterpart Nathalie Loiseau. "We hope that Poland acts constructively and does not take actions which cannot be changed afterwards. Consequently, it is only logical that we continue the process." EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans gave a similarly downbeat assessment after hearing the Polish minister speak, saying "concerns and worries have increased". "The situation in Poland has not improved. The reactions the commission has received from the Polish government do not offer any openings in terms of compliance with what the commission had put on the table," Timmermans said. Poland last week rejected EU criticism of its Supreme Court reforms, challenging Brussels to take its case to the bloc's top court, after the European Commission in August gave Warsaw a month to review a law forcing the court's judges to retire at 65. Critics argue the reform puts the judicial system under government control and so threatens democracy in the former communist state. The retirement law came into effect in July and lowers the pension age of judges from 70 to 65, affecting 27 of the Supreme Court's 73 sitting judges including chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf, who has refused to step down, dubbing the measure a "purge" that breaches her constitutionally guaranteed six-year term ending in 2020. "Since July 3 and the implementation of the new retirement regime for Supreme Court judges, the situation has become more urgent than ever," said the statement, signed by Germany's European Affairs Minister Michael Roth (seen) and his French counterpart A seafood restaurant has begun sedating lobsters with marijuana as a more humane way to get the crustacean to the dinner plate, instead of boiling them alive. The owner of a restaurant in the US state of Maine adapted the unusual preparation method, by pumping marijuana smoke into the lobsters tank water to get it high, so it apparently feels less pain while being steamed to eat. The animal is already going to be killed. It is far more humane to make it a kinder passage, Charlotte Gill, owner of Charlottes Legendary Lobster Pound in the island town of Southwest Harbor, told The Independent. One seafood restaurant is getting lobsters high as a humane alternative to boiling the crustaceans alive. Source: Getty, file After experimenting with the technique this year Ms Gill, who holds a licence to grow medical marijuana, says she now has the technique perfected. Ms Gill told the Mount Desert Islander website she hoped all customers will now opt for stoned and steamed over boiled lobsters. I feel bad that when lobsters come here there is no exit strategy, Ms Gill said. Its a unique place and you get to do such unique things but at the expense of this little creature. Ive really been trying to figure out how to make it better. Charlottes Legendary Lobster Pound restaurant adopted the process saying if it was going to take a life it has a responsibility to do it as humanely as possible. Source: Charlottes Legendary Lobster Pound / Facebook Boiling lobsters alive is illegal in some places, including New Zealand, Switzerland, so the creature is either electrocuted or stabbed through the brain ahead of cooking. These are both horrible options if were going to take a life we have a responsibility to do it as humanely as possible, she said. Ms Gill added that a happier lobster was a tastier lobster. The International Criminal Court's prosecutor opened a preliminary probe on Tuesday into Myanmar's crimes against Rohingya Muslims, including killings, sexual violence and forced deportations. The move is the first step towards a full investigation of Myanmar's military crackdown which has seen some 700,000 of the stateless minority people flee the northern Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh. It comes nearly two weeks after judges ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based ICC, the court still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because Bangladesh is a member. "I have decided to proceed to the next phase of the process and to carry out a full-fledged preliminary examination of the situation at hand," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement. A preliminary examination can lead to a formal investigation by the ICC -- which was set up in 2002 to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity -- and then possible indictments. Bensouda said the initial probe "may take into account a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting." She would also consider whether other crimes would apply to the plight of the Rohingya "such as the crimes of persecution and other inhumane acts." Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the northern Rakhine state into Bangladesh after Myanmar's military crackdown Canada is about to legalise recreational use of marijuana, which will make it the second nation in the world to do so after Uruguay more than five years ago. While many countries have decriminalised the use and possession of the drug, abandoning prison sentences for consumers, just a handful have gone as far as to make it fully legal, including for medicinal purposes. Here is an overview: - Latin America - - Uruguay in 2013 became the first country in the world to legalise the production, distribution and consumption of marijuana. Under Uruguayan law, citizens and residents can buy up to 40 grammes (1.4 ounces) of pot a month from pharmacies, grow it themselves at home, or join cannabis clubs where members tend to the plants together. The government has licensed two private companies to produce and distribute marijuana. - Several other Latin American countries have legalised cannabis for medicinal use: Chile in 2015, Colombia in 2016 and Argentina, Mexico and Peru in 2017. - North America - - US federal law prohibits the cultivation, sale and use of marijuana. However eight states and the national capital Washington, DC have legalised marijuana for recreational use, with the last to date, California, becoming on January 1, 2018, the biggest legal market in the world. Twenty-nine states and the capital have legalised marijuana for medical use. - Canada will on October 17 become the first Group of Seven (G7) member and second country in the world to allow the recreational consumption of cannabis. The legislation will limit personal possession to 30 grammes and four plants per household. - Europe - - The Netherlands in general, and Amsterdam in particular, have tolerated the sale and use of marijuana in iconic coffeeshops since 1976. That year the Dutch decriminalised the sale of small amounts of cannabis -- less than five grammes -- and allowed individuals to legally grow five plants each for personal use. Dutch coffeeshops generate hundreds of millions of euros in sales annually, and in major hubs such as Amsterdam they have proven a major tourist draw. In recent years, however, politicians have pushed back against these tolerant policies. A controversial 2012 law bans the sale of marijuana to non-residents and tourists in three southern provinces. The capital The Hague banned cannabis from the city centre in April this year. But in July the Dutch government gave the green light to a wide-ranging experiment to allow up to 10 municipalities around the country to legally grow cannabis. - Spanish law allows for the private production and consumption of cannabis by adults, though its sale is still illegal. - The Czech Republic imposes only fines on people in possession of up to 15 grammes of marijuana or who have only five plants at home. - In July 2018 the Constitutional Court in Georgia abolished fines for using marijuana but stipulated that growing and selling it would remain an offence. - Several other European countries have legalised cannabis for certain medical purposes including Austria, Britain, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. - The French government has announced plans to soften penalties for cannabis use, swapping potential prison sentences for on-the-spot fines, but it remains opposed to legalising the substance. - South Africa - In September 2018 South Africa's top court ruled that private, personal cannabis use by adults was legal. The court ordered parliament to draft new laws within 24 months to reflect the order. A medical graduate has donated 67 per cent of his liver to save a beloved primary school teacher he had as a boy. Chen Ze Rong, 25, met his former teacher Liang Feng Pin when he attended primary school in Kuantan in eastern Malaysia. He was also in the same class as Ms Pins daughter, Zheng Zi Jing, and the pair were close pals, according to reports. When Mr Rong discovered that his old teacher needed a liver transplant, he stepped forward to help. Mr Chen Ze Rong donated 67 per cent of his liver to his former teacher Ms Liang Feng Pin. Source: AsiaWire/Australscope According to local media, the operation was a success and they are both recovering in hospital. Mr Rong is reportedly experiencing jaundice, but doctors believe he will improve as his liver begins to regenerate. While Mr Rong is expected to leave hospital in seven days or less, Ms Pin will remain there for at least one month, depending on her recovery. Doctors said that the first six months after such an operation are the most crucial. Teacher Liang Feng Pin and her only daughter, Zheng Zi Jing. Source: AsiaWire/Australscope Fortunately, Ms Pins body has not rejected her former students liver. The teachers daughter said on social media that her mother is on life support, but is breathing unaided and recovering well. She also thanked her old friend, calling his sacrifice miraculous and that she would never have imagined that Mr Rong would be the person to save her mums life. Australscope Moscow on Tuesday summoned the ambassadors of Switzerland and the Netherlands over what it called "unsubstantiated accusations" that Russian spies had attempted to hack Swiss targets. Swiss envoy Yves Rossier was told such "confrontational rhetoric" could seriously harm otherwise constructive ties between the two countries, Moscow's foreign ministry said. A separate statement said Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos had been summoned in connection to a media "campaign to whip up spy mania". Swiss officials have said that Russian agents launched separate cyber attacks on the Spiez laboratory in Bern and the Lausanne office of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The lab, which does analytical work for the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), was investigating the poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain. WADA for its part has been a thorn in Moscow's side for several years over drug cheating in Russian sport. Dutch officials and media reports said the spies were arrested in the Netherlands and then expelled. Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis is due to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York next week over the spat. Swiss envoy Yves Rossier was told such "confrontational rhetoric" could seriously harm otherwise constructive ties between the two countries, Moscow's foreign ministry said Myanmar's army has used unfathomable levels of violence against minority Rohingya, UN investigators said Tuesday, calling for the military to be removed from politics and top generals to be prosecuted for genocide. The UN report, which laid out in meticulous detail a vast array of violations committed by the country's powerful military, came just hours before the International Criminal Court's prosecutor announced a preliminary probe into crimes against Rohingya Muslims. "It is hard to fathom the level of brutality of Tatmadaw operations, its total disregard for civilian life," head of the UN fact-finding mission Marzuki Darusman told the UN Human Rights Council, referring to the nation's military. Myanmar's ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, slammed Tuesday's report as "one-sided" and "flawed". The ICC's preliminary examination could lead to a formal investigation and then possible indictments. "I have decided to proceed to the next phase of the process and to carry out a full-fledged preliminary examination of the situation at hand," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into Bangladesh amid accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017. - 'Genocide' - The UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats", and said that estimates that some 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown was likely a conservative figure. It said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the stateless Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide". A shorter version of the mission's report, published last month, had already called for Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders to be prosecuted in an international court for genocide. In his presentation, Darusman provided excruciating details of massacres in Rohingya villages, pointing out that "the men were systematically killed. Children were shot, thrown into the river or onto a fire". Women and girls meanwhile were routinely gang-raped before being locked inside burning houses. Of those who survived, many had been severely bitten, in what appeared to be "akin to a form of branding," he said. - Rape as war tactic - Darusman said the "scale, cruelty and systematic nature (of the sexual violence) reveal beyond doubt that rape is used as a tactic of war". The UN analysis decried the army's hold on political life in Myanmar, which only recently emerged from almost a half century of total military junta rule. The military holds a quarter of seats in parliament and controls three ministries, making its grip on power firm despite reforms beginning in 2011. Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals, whose presence in parliament gives them an effective veto on constitutional changes. "There cannot be any democratic transition in Myanmar unless the Tatmadaw relinquishes its control of the politics, of the economy and of the constitution," UN investigator Christopher Sidoti told reporters. "We have seen not the birth of democracy in Myanmar, regrettably, but the stillbirth." The UN mission said Suu Kyi's government had also helped enable the widespread rights violations in Myanmar by allowing hate speech against the Rohingya to flourish and using civilian laws to crack down on media and others speaking out against abuses. The investigators directed specific criticism at Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military. While acknowledging that the civilian authorities have little influence over military actions, the report said that their "acts and omissions" had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes". - Court probe - Pointing to "deeply entrenched" impunity in Myanmar, the investigators said the only chance to obtain accountability was through the international justice system. The announcement of the ICC probe comes nearly two weeks after judges ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based court, it still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because Bangladesh is a member. Myanmar has, however, dismissed the court's authority and analysts have pointed to its lack of enforcement powers. Bensouda said the initial probe "may take into account a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting." Among the UN's other recommendations were an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against individuals deemed most responsible. It also called for a "comprehensive, independent inquiry" into the UN's own role in Myanmar since 2011, warning that "quiet diplomacy" appeared to have sidelined those pushing to loudly denounce rights violations. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into Bangladesh A shorter version of the UN report, published last month, had already called for Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing (pictured) and five other top military commanders to be prosecuted in an international court for genocide The investigators directed specific criticism at Aung San Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military Many of the Rohingya refugees in the vast camps in Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country A Palestinian died after being arrested during a raid in the occupied West Bank overnight, the Israeli army said Tuesday, with his family accusing soldiers of beating him. The army confirmed the death of Mohammed Khatib, 24, in custody but said he had not resisted arrest. "The army apprehended a Palestinian suspected of hostile activities in Beit Rima during the night," an army spokeswoman told AFP, referring to a village north of Ramallah. "He was arrested without violence or resistance from his part. He lost consciousness and was treated by Israeli soldiers at the scene." He died later in hospital, she added. The military did not provide further details on the reasons for his arrest. Khatib's brother Bashir told AFP by phone that the army had raided the house in the early hours of Tuesday morning. "They entered Mohammed's room while he was sleeping, and they beat him violently and we heard screaming," he said. "After a while he went silent, and a soldier carried him out on his back." In a statement, the family called for international witnesses to attend the post-mortem if Israeli authorities insisted on carrying one out. The Palestinian Prisoners Club said it held Israel responsible for Khatib's death. Israeli forces, seen here during a drill on August 13, 2018, regularly stage overnight raids to arrest Palestinians in the West Bank A member of Russian dissident punk band Pussy Riot, Pyotr Verzilov, was the victim of suspected poisoning with unknown substances but is now out of danger, his German doctors said Tuesday. "The impression and the findings that we now have, as well as those provided by colleagues from Moscow, suggest that it was highly plausible that it was a case of poisoning," said Kai-Uwe Eckardt, a leading doctor at Berlin's Charite hospital. The hospital's chairman Karl Max Einhaeupl added that his "health condition was improving from day to day and he is no longer in life-threatening danger." Verzilov, who has both Canadian and Russian citizenship, was admitted to a clinic in Moscow one week ago after falling ill following a court hearing. The 30-year-old was initially treated in intensive care and later regained consciousness. Late on Saturday, he was flown to Germany by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, an NGO which has long supported the band's activism. Eckardt said the toxin that affected Verzilov caused anticholinergic syndrome which disrupts the nervous system. The German doctor added that tests were being run to determine the substance but chances of finding it were slim as the laboratory tests were done almost a week after it was used. Einhaeupl ruled out the possibility that it was substance abuse by Verzilov himself. "Such substances are extremely rare in drug circles and we have no indication that it was a drug problem," he said. "For someone to take this drug in such quantities, the person must have suicidal tendencies, and we have absolutely no indication of such intentions" in this case, he added. Verzilov's estranged wife, Pussy Riot's Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, told Sunday's edition of Bild that he was the victim of either an act of intimidation or attempted murder". Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov (left) gestures as he walks with police during a court hearing at a courthouse in Moscow on July 31, 2018 A Russian military jet carrying 14 servicemen vanished from radar over the Mediterranean Sea late Monday as Syria came under attack by Israeli missiles, the defence ministry said. "Connection has been lost with the crew of a Russian Il-20 plane over the Mediterranean Sea 35 kilometres from the Syrian coast as it was returning to the Hmeimim airbase," the Russian defence ministry said early Tuesday. The fate of the military personnel is "unknown," the ministry said in a statement which was carried by Russian news agencies. A search for the plane was underway. A search-and-rescue source told the Interfax news agency that the Russian warplane could have sunk in the Mediterranean Sea as a result of an "unforeseen critical incident" in the air. The ministry said that the jet had gone off the radar around 11pm Monday (2000 GMT) during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets over Syrian infrastructure in the province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. RIA Novosti news agency, citing a security source, said that Syrian anti-defence systems had countered a rocket attack. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. An Israeli military spokeswoman when asked about both the reported Israeli strike and the Russian plane said: "We don't comment on foreign reports." - US not involved - A Pentagon spokesman said the United States was not involved and declined to provide further details. "The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time," he said. The Russian defence ministry also said that rockets had been launched from the French Navy's frigate, The Auvergne, which was in the area at the time. "The French army denies any involvement in this attack," a French army spokesman said. The jet vanished from radar just hours after Russia said there would be no assault against Syria's Idlib as the presidents of Russia and Turkey agreed to create a "demilitarised zone" in the rebel-held province. After more than four hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said their two countries would "prevent a humanitarian tragedy." Putin said the two leaders agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops by October 15. This would entail a "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib including the Al-Nusra Front and also the withdrawal of heavy weaponry including tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, Putin said. Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict to buttress the Assad regime in 2015. Russia has previously lost aircraft during its Syria campaign. In November 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border, triggering a severe crisis in ties with Moscow. A Russian military jet carrying 14 servicemen vanished from radar over the MediterraneanSea late Monday as Syria came under attack by Israeli missiles, the defence ministry says As Australias sabotaged strawberry crisis deepens, it has now been revealed that police are investigating how a needle ended up in an apple bought in Sydneys northwest. A mother from Kellyville was peeling the piece of fruit before her daughter headed off for school when she came across something immovable lodged inside. After realising it wasnt a thick stem but a needle the horrified mother immediately called police. I just thought, wow, this cant possibly be happening, not in apples, the mother told 7 News. Police say they are investigating after a needle was found in an apple. Image: 7 News Ive seen the news about strawberries and Ive been vigilant in cutting those up for the girls, but to see this in an apple I actually thought these were safe. My kids just grab them and bite into apples normally. The piece of fruit in question was a pink lady apple that was bought in a 1kg pack, purchased from a Woolworths at The Ponds, in Sydneys northwest. The Sydney mother said she felt terrified given her daughters normally just bite into apples. Image: 7 News This latest find follows more than 20 instances where needles have been found inside punnets of strawberries in NSW alone. Four of the latest cases have been reported in Perth, joining Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia where shoppers have purchased sabotaged punnets. Some growers in Queensland are now installing metal detectors in a desperate bid to reassure consumers that their produce is safe. Yahoo7 News has contacted Woolworths for comment. Needle found in fruit at school Police have confirmed a needle was found on Tuesday inside a strawberry at a school in northern NSW. While further details were scarce, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty once again urged people to be vigilant and cut up fruit before eating it. Along with the apple found on Tuesday, police also confirmed they were investigating reports of a needle found in a banana in Sydneys Bankstown area on Monday. Weve been very fortuitous that we havent had anyone receive any significant injuries at this stage and thats why we really do need the help from the public to try to solve this matter, Det Supt Doherty told reporters at a press conference. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to defuse a crisis on Tuesday after Syrian defences mistakenly downed a Russian warplane after Israeli air strikes. The incident late Monday was the deadliest known case of friendly fire between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention. Putin said it was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances". The Ilyushin plane dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria's Idlib province. The deadly chain of events started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia. Israel said it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It sees Iran's military presence in Syria as a threat, and Netanyahu told Putin by phone on Tuesday his forces would keep acting against it. "Israel is determined to stop Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to transfer to Hezbollah lethal weaponry (to be used) against Israel," said Netanyahu. Israel expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". Putin said Russia would beef up security for its forces in Syria, in what he called "steps that everyone will notice". The Kremlin said Putin also warned Netanyahu against carrying out such operations in the future. Putin "reminded" Netanyahu that such operations "violated Syrian sovereignty" and said "agreements around the prevention of dangerous incidents were not observed". "The president of Russia urged the Israeli side not to allow such situations from now on," it added. The plane, downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence system, had a crew of 15 who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military accused Israeli pilots of using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". Israel denied the accusations, saying its jets were already back in Israeli airspace when Syrian forces launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane. Russia stressed the incident would have no impact on the Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. - 'Tragic miscalculation' - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also expressed "sorrow" over the Russian deaths, and said the incident showed "the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theatre of operations". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles, suspected to be Israeli, did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two key actors agreed to create a demilitarised zone, 15-20 kilometres (9-12 miles) wide, along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be implemented by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police", Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes must be restored between Latakia and Aleppo, as well as those linking the port to Hama city, he added. - Distrust in Idlib - Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending Syria's seven-year war, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy". United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the accord should avert an all-out military assault on the rebel stronghold and "provide reprieve for millions of civilians". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. But the deal was met with distrust by some of the three million Syrians living in the Idlib region. "The decision that came out was just a partial one. It doesn't solve the Syrian people's problem," said Wassim Sweid, one of hundreds of protesters who gathered in the rebel-held town of Binnish. "In my opinion, this agreement will not put a stop to the shelling." The UN had warned a fully-fledged ground assault could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people. Syria accidentally downed a Russian Ilyushin military aircraft (like this one pictured) when its air defences went into action against an Israeli missile strike, the Russian army says Map locating the flight path of a Russian plane which was mistakenly shot down by Syria Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a joint press conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on September 17, 2018 Yemen's Huthi rebels accused the government and its Saudi-led allies on Tuesday of deliberately targeting food warehouses in Hodeida as they resumed an offensive on the rebel-held port city after an 11-week pause. "International food supply warehouses were targeted in Hodeida (late on Monday), a clear sign that there is a plan by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies to make warehouses and densely populated neighbourhoods legitimate targets of their terrorist operations," the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said. There was no immediate confirmation that any aid warehouses had been hit from the World Food Programme or other UN agencies battling the threat of famine hanging over millions of Yemenis. WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel declined to comment on the Huthi statement. The Red Sea port of Hodeida is a vital lifeline for aid shipments to Yemen and the WFP has previously warned that any major fighting could halt food distributions to eight million Yemenis dependent on them for survival. The rebel leader accused the rest of the international community of not doing enough to stop the coalition resuming its offensive, which it described as "terrorism". "International tolerance of terrorism has only encouraged (the coalition) to plan and deliberately commit crimes," Huthi said. The coalition announced late on Monday that it was ending the 11-week pause it had observed while UN efforts to convene peace negotiations continued. Proposed UN-brokered talks in Geneva fell apart earlier this month when rebel delegates failed to show up, charging that they had not received promised guarantees for their return home afterwards. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the Huthis of receiving arms smuggled from Iran through Hodeida, a charge both Tehran and the rebels deny. The coalition first launched an offensive to retake the city in June, after capturing several of the province's smaller towns. The rebels seized the Red Sea coast along with the capital Sanaa and much of the north in 2014. The coalition intervened in March of the following year, when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in second city Aden. The conflict has since killed nearly 10,000 people and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A picture taken on September 13, 2018 shows the carcass of a car reportedly destroyed in a Saudi-led coalition air strike on the eastern outkirts of Hodeida ahead of its resumed offensive on the rebel-held Yemeni port city Today on the Eye on NY podcast: The latest news on the 50th Senate District race between Republican candidate Bob Antonacci and Democratic nominee John Mannion. Both candidates have released mailers and Mannion has announced a series of town hall meetings in the weeks leading up to the election. Some programming news: Listen to hear who will be joining me for Thursday's episode of the Eye on NY podcast. It will be the first candidate interview as we gear up for the election. I'll close with some thoughts on a couple of media criticisms, including a critique of how Cynthia Nixon's campaign was covered by New York press outlets. Was the criticism fair? Or did it miss the mark? I'll discuss. SUBSCRIBE: Listen on iTunes, Google Play or PodBean. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CAMILLUS More than seven months after one of the deadliest school shootings in American history, U.S. Rep. John Katko believes he has introduced a bill that could have prevented the attack and may thwart future mass shootings. With central New York law enforcement officials standing with him Monday at the Camillus Police Department, Katko shared details about the bill he introduced last week to encourage states to adopt so-called "red flag" laws, an extreme risk protection order that allows a court to order the temporary removal of guns from someone's possession if they are a threat to themselves or others. Katko, R-Camillus, proposed giving states priority for Community Oriented Policing Services grants through the U.S. Department of Justice if they adopt red flag laws that include the provisions outlined in his bill. Under his plan, the red flag laws must preserve due process rights, establish a clear-and-convincing-evidence standard for removing guns from an individual and limit ex-parte orders to the purchase or receipt of firearms. Auburn Police Chief Shawn Butler spoke at the press conference and recounted the event that led him to contact Katko about the need for red flag laws. The incident occurred in February and involved a subject who threatened to harm themselves and others, including police officers if they responded. The individual, whose name has been withheld, was taken into custody without incident and sent for a mental health evaluation. Police later confirmed that the subject had legally obtained firearms in their possession. While the situation ended peacefully, Butler stressed that law enforcement agencies need the ability to petition a court and seek an order to temporarily remove guns from a person's possession if they may pose a threat to themselves or others. "It's got to give us some kind of mechanism to temporarily seize these firearms from these individuals that we can't normally do through an arrest or some other procedure," he said. Katko agreed. After hearing Butler's account, he wanted to find a solution. Shortly after the Auburn incident, there was a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed and 17 others were injured in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. The shooter was known to police and there were documented mental health concerns. Despite those warning signs, he was able to legally buy and possess firearms, including the weapons he used to carry out the school shooting. Katko explained that if a red flag law was in place, a family member or police could have sought an order from a judge to have the guns temporarily removed from the individual's possession. "It could've stopped it," he said of the Parkland shooting. Other officials endorsed Katko's legislation, including Onondaga County Sheriff Eugene Conway and Dr. Christopher Brown, superintendent of the West Genesee Central School District. Brown and Conway are members of the Onondaga County School Safety Task Force. The panel released a series of recommendations which included support for a red flag law. Conway said he reviewed Katko's proposal and supports it. "It allows for due process, but more importantly, it allows us more ability to try to prevent something from happening before it's too late," he added. Katko's bill has bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. There are six cosponsors four Republicans and two Democrats. He said he's had conversations with the Senate and there's interest in advancing the bill. "You have to strike the right balance between Second Amendment rights and reducing the violence in our country," Katko said. "This, I think, strikes that balance." Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Wells College's 2018 Phi Beta Kappa visiting scholar, Jamsheed Choksy, will present a lecture, State and Faith in Iran: Recent History as a Key to Understanding the Present, at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in Stratton Hall 209 on the Aurora campus at 170 Main St. Choksy, a professor at Indiana University, is a leading authority on the Arab conquest of Iran, Iraq, the Persian Gulf and Central Asia, as well as the spread of Islam and the impact of faith on politics, international relations and national security. During his two-day visit to Wells Sept. 20-21, he will also meet with several classes. AUBURN In January 2017, Charles E. Henry Jr. was found sleeping in his car outside the Grant Avenue Dunkin' Donuts with more than 30 bags of heroin and a large amount of cash in his possession. Henry was arrested by the Auburn Police Department for possessing the drugs and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony. He posted bail the day after his arrest, but was taken into custody the same day by New York State Police after troopers found him in Weedsport with more than $50,000 worth of stolen property. He was charged by state police with second-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. In July, Henry pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of stolen property and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies. Tuesday, he was sentenced to serve time in state prison by Cayuga County Court Judge Mark Fandrich. Before his sentencing, Henry and his defense attorney, Jarrod Smith, pleaded with Fandrich to sentence Henry to time served and post-release supervision so he could take care of his son who has special needs. Henry claimed the child's mother is being investigated by state police for forging checks in his name and is going to be arrested soon, leaving no one to care for the boy. Henry, who is a veteran, said if the judge spared him jail time, he would enroll in a substance abuse treatment program through the VA. "I do have a drug problem but it doesn't excuse the things I've done and for that, I'm sorry," Henry said. "I understand people are worried that I'm not going to do the right things, but my son needs me more than anything in the world right now or he will end up in a foster home. That is my sobriety. I've had 20 months clean right now and I'm not going to screw that up." Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said community supervision has not worked for Henry in the past and said the defendant has a "rather lengthy" criminal history, including convictions for criminal possession of weapons, driving under the influence, theft and drugs. "I'm hopeful that this sentence of incarceration where the defendant can get treatment does address the issue," Budelmann said. "He has a child, he served his country. He should not need to be where he's going but, unfortunately, at the moment, I think he does." While Fandrich acknowledged that Henry "suffers from a drug addiction," he ultimately handed down the agreed-upon sentence of one to three years in prison for the stolen money and three years in prison and two years post-release supervision for possessing drugs. Fandrich did include a shock camp order, which would allow Henry to serve most of his sentence as parole supervision after successfully completing a six-month boot camp in prison and receiving treatment for substance abuse. The judge also issued an order of protection for the victim Henry stole the money from. Budelmann said the district attorney's office is preparing to return the stolen money to its rightful owner. Staff writer Natalie Brophy can be reached at (315)282-2239 or natalie.brophy@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @brophy_natalie. Love 5 Funny 9 Wow 2 Sad 6 Angry 2 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. UPDATE: Prison City Pub & Brewery co-owner Dawn Schulz said Tuesday afternoon that 4022 Technology Park Blvd. is no longer in the running to be the site of the Auburn brewery's production facility. As a result, she continued, Prison City will pull its application to Auburn's Zoning Board of Appeals for a use variance there. One possible location of Prison City Pub & Brewery's long-awaited expansion has been identified. The Auburn brewpub's owners, Dawn and Marc Schulz, have applied to the city's Zoning Board of Appeals for a use variance at 4022 Technology Park Blvd., according to a legal notice posted by the city. The variance would allow for the production of beer and the operation of a tasting room at the site. The board will hear the Schulzes' application at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at Memorial City Hall. However, the Prison City owners are still looking at other locations for the brewery's new production facility, Dawn Schulz said in an email. If they decide on one of those prior to the meeting, she continued, they will pull their variance application for the Technology Park site. The decision will be made within the next few weeks, she added. According to Cayuga County property records, 4022 Technology Park Blvd. is owned by Florida-based interior design firm Lexi Interiors. The property is four acres and the building there is about 37,000 square feet. The property's 2018 assessment value was $996,000. The Schulzes announced their plans to build a Prison City production facility in the summer of 2016. It will raise the brewpub's annual production from about 1,000 barrels to 10,000, and include canning and bottling lines, a tasting room and other amenities. The facility will also create between 22 and 25 full-time jobs. The expansion is Prison City's response to the overwhelming demand for brewer Ben Maeso's beer, particularly India pale ales like the nationally acclaimed Mass Riot. Can and bottle releases at the State Street brewpub have drawn lines down the block, and supplies have sold out in minutes. "We need the capacity," Marc Schulz said during the 2016 announcement. "We can't make any more beer here." The Schulzes at one point planned to build the facility at 39 Genesee St., the former Nolan's Sporting Goods. The brewery would have been an anchor tenant of the city's Riverside Regional Public Market project. But the project, which would require the closure of a nearby segment of Loop Road, appears to be stalled. It was when the Schulzes were planning to build the facility at 39 Genesee St. that the expansion received $900,000 in state funding through the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. Dawn Schulz said the money is not tied to that site, but Prison City has yet to decide whether to accept it and its conditions. Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox. Love 2 Funny 3 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LOS ANGELESSuperSlyde, one of the newest lubricant manufacturers in the pleasure products segment, has signed a placement deal with South African retailer LuvLand. A spokesman for SuperSlyde said the deal was born from meetings during the AVN Show in January in Las Vegas. Just a reminder of the world renowned presence of AVN and the types of buyers who travel to this one of a kind event in Las Vegas, the spokesman said. LuvLand will soon carry SuperSlyde lubricant at its 47 stores. For more, visit LuvLand.co.za. For more on SuperSlyde, visit SuperSlydeUSA.com. Senior figures from Warrens Bakery, Bread Ahead and Roberts Bakery are among the key speakers at the British Society of Bakings (BSBs) autumn conference. The event takes place at the Heythrop Park Hotel & Resort in Enstone, Oxfordshire on 17 and 18 October. Driving business forward is the key theme of the conference. Global bakery challenges and trends are among the topics for discussion, as well as the future of food-to-go. Baking Industry Awards (BIA) winners also feature heavily, with presentations from 2017s Rising Star Award winner Jessica Dalton and finalist Megan Roberts part of the line-up. These are challenging times for bakers and for equipment and ingredient manufacturers. Both business and technology, however, offer many opportunities to those willing to look and plan ahead. To reflect this, weve put together an impressive team of speakers that all specialise in forward-thinking, said BSB chairman Paul Turner. The full list of speakers is as follows: Stan Cauvain, one of the UKs foremost bakery scientists and technologists, will look at pioneering solutions to global baking challenges and at global baking opportunities; one of the UKs foremost bakery scientists and technologists, will look at pioneering solutions to global baking challenges and at global baking opportunities; Matthew Jones and Chris Malec from Bread Ahead will discuss their proposed Bakery Academy; from Bread Ahead will discuss their proposed Bakery Academy; Lin Carson , founder and CEO of BAKERpedia, the online digital resource for bakers, will talk about her launch in the US and expansion to the UK; , founder and CEO of BAKERpedia, the online digital resource for bakers, will talk about her launch in the US and expansion to the UK; Jonathan Scoffield, divisional marketing director of Greencore Food To Go will look at future growth in food-to-go; divisional marketing director of Greencore Food To Go will look at future growth in food-to-go; 2017 BIA Rising Star winner Jessica Dalton and finalist Megan Roberts will discuss how they are both going further in baking; and finalist will discuss how they are both going further in baking; Stuart Spencer-Calnan , MD of Roberts Bakery will present a paper on the companys next-generation bakery; , MD of Roberts Bakery will present a paper on the companys next-generation bakery; Alex Martin , director of retail operations at Warrens Bakery (winner of the Craft Bakery Business Award at the 2018 Baking Industry Awards), will discuss the firms phenomenal growth in the past five years and its plans for this continued expansion; , director of retail operations at Warrens Bakery (winner of the Craft Bakery Business Award at the 2018 Baking Industry Awards), will discuss the firms phenomenal growth in the past five years and its plans for this continued expansion; Matthew Verity, business unit director chilled & bakery at Kantar Worldpanel will present the latest trends in bakery. Conference fees start at 137 for BSB members and 152 for non-members and are available via the BSBs website. Real Good Food Group, which this month sold Haydens Bakery, says rationalisation and new funding are enabling it to support investment in other parts of its business, such as Brighter Foods. The company said it was delighted to have supported the recent acquisition of a factory in Tywyn, Gwynedd, by the Brighter Foods snack bar business. In April last year, Real Good Food (RGF) acquired a majority share in Brighter, which develops own-label brand snack bars in the health, sport, free-from and slimming sectors and produces its own Wild Trail brand. Shortly after buying into Brighter Foods, RGF was hit by a string of difficulties, including the exit of founder and executive chairman Pieter Totte, and the announcement it would be improving its corporate governance and reporting after admitting standards had been below those investors might reasonably expect. RGF has also issued a series of profit warnings since then, and bosses have looked to turn the business around by raising funding and selling off parts including Garrett Ingredients and Haydens Bakery. RGF still owns cake decorating business Renshaw, Chantilly Patisserie and Brighter Foods. Founded less than five years ago by CEO Robin Williams, Brighter employs more than 150 people and turns over around 20m a year. Brighter last week announced it was purchasing and refurbishing a former Halo Foods factory that closed in 2013. This will give the firm three production lines in Tywyn and expand the workforce to 200 over the next 12 months Brighter said the move was designed to meet growing demand from existing customers and to service new customers attracted to the companys growing reputation for innovation, outstanding quality and customer service. It also said the acquisition was part of a strategy to de-risk Brexit by manufacturing products for the UK market in the UK. When we launched Brighter Foods, we refurbished an old warehouse with what we could afford, but always had dreams for an additional new-build as we grew, said Williams. But to be able to breathe new life into the old Halo factory is fantastic. Real Good Foods chief executive Hugh Cawley told British Baker that RGF was delighted to support further investment in the continuing success of Brighter Foods. Real Good Food Groups recent and continuing rationalisation, and the redemption of all bank term debt, now allows us to concentrate resources where they have the greatest positive impact, he added. Last week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) threw a last-minute Hail Mary attempt to stop the ascension of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court: an anonymous letter accusing Kavanaugh of sexual impropriety. The accuser was anonymous; the charge was unclear. On Sunday, Judge Brett Kavanaugh's sexual assault accuser came forward in the pages of The Washington Post. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California, apparently first contacted the Post in July after Kavanaugh began being discussed as a replacement for Justice Anthony Kennedy, but she didn't talk with the paper on the record until now.she stated.According to Ford, when she was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17, they were at a pool party where both got drunk. Her story continues in her letter Originally, Ford contacted Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), who sent Ford's letter on to Feinstein.Kavanaugh has said this never happened.he said. Judge says the same. Judge told The Weekly Standard,He strongly denied witnessing an attempted assault.On its face, the allegations aren't non-credible. Ford has come forward, and she's told a story with specifics. But serious questions remain. Here are six:Feinstein had every opportunity to ask Kavanaugh about the allegations. She didn't. She didn't even share the letter, which she had for weeks, with her Democratic colleagues. Instead, she waited until days before the vote to dump the allegations publicly, and did so without revealing the name, choosing to release this absurd statement:she wrote. "That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities."Furthermore, she referred the matter to the FBI only at that point. All of this looks heavily political - in the interests of justice, she should have come forward earlier.Feinstein passed along the charges to the FBI. The FBI immediately passed the charges on to the White House instead of investigating. Why? Perhaps it's because the charges are four decades old, non-specific, and impossible to verify.In many cases of accused sexual assault (see Moore, Roy), accusers told their friends, family, or medical workers about the accusations at the time. This at least time-stamps the accusations. That didn't happen here: the accuser says she first told no one for three decades. That makes it questionable as to when this even happened, and difficult to track down.Ford showed her therapist's notes to The Washington Post. Those notes conflict with her account. The notes don't include names, instead stating that the alleged perpetrators were "from an elitist boys' school," and had since become "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington." The notes also state that four boys were involved, not two; she says her therapist got it wrong, and that there were four boys at the party but only two boys involved. Another therapy session the following year includes the charge that Ford underwent a "rape attempt" in "her late teens," but she was allegedly 15 - not late teens - when this incident occurred. Her husband, who was present for the first therapy session, said Kavanaugh's name was raised, but the Post account doesn't say that Kavanaugh was called the alleged perpetrator.According to the Post, she doesn't remember key details:She said she believes it occurred in the summer of 1982, when she was 15, around the end of her sophomore year at the all-girls Holton-Arms School in Bethesda. Kavanaugh would have been 17 at the end of his junior year at Georgetown Prep....Ford said she does not remember how the gathering came together the night of the incident. She said she often spent time in the summer at the Columbia Country Club pool in Chevy Chase, where in those pre-cellphone days, teenagers learned about gatherings via word of mouth. She also doesn't recall who owned the house or how she got there. Ford said she remembers that it was in Montgomery County, not far from the country club, and that no parents were home at the time. Ford named two other teenagers who she said were at the party. Those individuals did not respond to messages on Sunday morning.In other cases, many women come forward. In fact, it's difficult to think of another high-profile #MeToo case without multiple accusers. In this case, it's one woman making an unsubstantiated three-decade-old allegation - the ultimate he-said, she-said. In this case, of course, it's actually a he-said-he-said-she-said, since there were two men accused of involvement.You don't have to believe that Ford is lying to believe that these allegations require more substantiation. Thirty-year-old events are difficult to reconstruct; memories change over time. Witness testimony is notoriously unreliable in many cases. And she could be telling the absolute objective truth, of course.With all of that said, it's not out-of-bounds for Republicans to call Ford to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee - we need to know more about these allegations. It's also not inappropriate to delay the vote on Kavanaugh until after such a hearing, or at least until Ford has turned down such an invite. Kavanaugh has already offered to come back and testify on this matter. But allegations alone, without further supporting evidence - even contemporaneous accounts, witness accounts, or corroborating details - should not destroy someone's life. Kavanaugh deserves more, and so does the appointments process. Thomas Jefferson Articulates the Remedy of NULLIFICATION in an Opinion Written to President George Washington in 1791 In 1791, Thomas Jefferson wrote an opinion on the constitutionality of a National Bank. It is an important commentary on the meaning and intent of the US Constitution, in particular the two general clauses - the General Welfare Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause. President George Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton proposed the creation of a national bank. He advised that a national bank would "give great facility or convenience in the collection of taxes" and would facilitate the government's assumption of the states' Revolutionary War debts, thus serving the taxing power of the federal government. Not sure if such a bank was a constitutional exercise of government legislative power, Washington asked Hamilton and Jefferson, his Secretary of State, to articulate their positions. And so, on Feb. 15, 1791, Jefferson submitted an opinion to Washington against the creation of a National Bank, explaining that it was not authorized by any specific delegation of power nor was it contemplated by any of the general clauses. In specific, he articulated that the "Necessary & Proper" Clause meant that Congress could take action only when it was necessary (and proper) to bring into effect any of the specifically enumerated powers; that is, without those means without which the grant of power would be meaningless. The clause did not mean Congress could pursue action that was merely convenient or helpful." Jefferson said that all the functions of which Hamilton was concerned - the collection of taxes, the paying of war debt, etc - could all be carried into execution without a bank. Therefore, as a constitutional matter, he concluded that a bank was not necessary, and consequently not authorized by the "Necessary & Proper" phrase. Hamilton's opinion was different. He argued that the Constitution, in Article I, Section 8, created a legislature not only of specific powers but of implied powers as well. In the end, the House and then the Senate approved a bill establishing a charter for the first National Bank, and President Washington, siding with Hamilton, signed it. The first Bank of the United States was built in Philadelphia. Chef Justice John Marshall, the man credited with transforming the role of the Supreme Court, later chose to ignore Jefferson's opinion and commentary when the constitutionality of the national bank came before the Court in 1819 - in McCulloch v. Maryland. His opinion in that case echoed Hamilton's view that the federal government is indeed one of express AND implied powers, an issue that was DIRECTLY addressed and dismissed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and again when states expressed concern in their ratifying conventions. While this Opinion by Thomas Jefferson shows us how our federal judiciary willingly chooses to ignore four country's most important and most credible authority on the meaning and intent of the Constitution when it is faced with the chance to assign greater power to the federal government, there is another reason why this opinion is important: It explains the intended checks and balances on the federal legislature, both horizontal and vertical. The Supreme Court would later find the most important check to be unconstitutional. Imagine that. At the end of his Opinion, Jefferson writes: "The negative of the President is the shield provided by the Constitution to protect against the invasions of the legislature: 1. The right of the Executive. 2. Of the Judiciary. 3. Of the States and State legislatures. The present is the case of a right remaining exclusively with the States, and consequently one of those intended by the Constitution to be placed under its protection." In other words, the rightful checks on the lawmaking power of the US Congress include: (1) The President (he can veto or refuse to sign the bill into law; or he can, by Executive Order, explain that certain provisions are unenforceable because they exceed authority) (2) The courts (the federal courts can strike down a law as "unconstitutional") (3) The States and State legislatures (The States can separately find a federal law to be unconstitutional, per their understanding of the Constitution and per their reserved powers under the Tenth Amendment) Number (3) above is NULLIFICATION and includes INTERPOSITION. These are the rightful remedies reserved to each State, according to Jefferson when the federal government exceeds its delegated authority under the Constitution and specifically, when it attempts to legislate in areas reserved to the States under the Tenth Amendment. A law passed without constitutional authority is a law is a nullity; it is unenforceable. And it SHOULD be. It is up to the States, as the most important of the Checks and Balances (a vertical check) to make sure that the people, protected by the Constitution as to the lawful bounds of government, are not subject to unconstitutional laws. Here you have it, from the earliest days of our republic, the clear and simple articulation of the right of Nullification. Jefferson, of course, would go on to articulate it much more clearly and forcibly, in the Kentucky Resolves of 1799 (a series of resolutions he wrote secretly for the Kentucky state legislature to oppose the highly unconstitutional Alien & Sedition Acts, enacted by the administration of John Adams. In the Kentucky Resolves of 1799, Jefferson wrote: "If those who administer the general government be permitted to transgress the limits fixed by that compact, by a total disregard to the special delegations of power therein contained, annihilation of the state governments, and the erection upon their ruins, of a general consolidated government, will be the inevitable consequence: That the principle and construction contended for by sundry of the state legislatures, that the general government is the exclusive judge of the extent of the powers delegated to it, stop nothing short of despotism; since the discretion of those who administer the government, and not the constitution, would be the measure of their powers: That the several states who formed that instrument, being sovereign and independent, have the unquestionable right to judge of its infraction; and that a NULLIFICATION, by those sovereignties, of all unauthorized acts done under colour of that instrument, is the rightful remedy: That this commonwealth does upon the most deliberate reconsideration declare, that the said alien and sedition laws, are in their opinion, palpable violations of the said constitution; and however cheerfully it may be disposed to surrender its opinion to a majority of its sister states in matters of ordinary or doubtful policy; yet, in momentous regulations like the present, which so vitally wound the best rights of the citizen, it would consider a silent acquiescence as highly criminal: That although this commonwealth as a party to the federal compact; will bow to the laws of the Union, yet it does at the same time declare, that it will not now, nor ever hereafter, cease to oppose in a constitutional manner, every attempt from what quarter soever offered, to violate that compact." Nullification is, and has always been, a rightful remedy by which each State can review the constitutionality of government acts and policy (and even federal court opinions) and if an abuse is found, to protect the citizens in their States from the tyranny that would result from their enforcement. References: Thomas Jefferson, Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, Avalon Project (Yale Law School). Referenced at: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/bank-tj.asp Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, February 15, 1791, Opinion on Bill for Establishing a National Bank, from the Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes, from the Library of Congress. Referenced at: https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/013/013_0984_0990.pdf [NOTE: The Library of Congress was formed when Thomas Jefferson donated the contents of his personal library] The Kentucky Resolves of 1799 (The Constitution Society). Referenced at: http://www.constitution.org/cons/kent1799.htm On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia concluded. 39 of the 55 delegates to the Convention signed the final product, including its primary author, James Madison, and its eldest member, Benjamin Franklin.The Convention was called by Congress for the specific purpose of "amending the Articles of Confederation." The specific defects were in the ability of the Congress to collect tax revenue from the states and in its weak authority to regulate commerce among them. But the organizers of the Convention, including James Madison, Edmund Randolph, and Alexander Hamilton had other plans. They intended to scrap the Articles altogether and draft a different form of government altogether, relying somewhat on the Articles of Confederation for guidance. In fact, Madison had already written a draft of that new government prior to the Convention and had asked Randolph, Governor of Virginia and member of one of Virginia's most prominent families, to present it.But what Madison had planned (which was a more national type of government; a powerful government of ambitious powers) is not what the majority of delegates could agree on. It would take 4 months of heated discussion and debate to convince Madison that a federal government, a government of limited powers and checks and balances, was the best form of a common government but the only form that the states would ever agree to.Things didn't go as smoothly as expected at the convention. Delegates became frustrated over the constant and fruitless bickering and the inability to made any significant progress in amending the federal government. Many left in disgust and many left to go back to their families, becoming frustrated in how long the convention was dragging on.Benjamin Franklin, ever the optimist ,even at the age of 81, gave a poignant assessment of the Convention in his final speech before the Constitutional Convention:To honor Constitution Day, members of the Republican Women of Pitt County and the Eastern NC Tea Party joined with members of the Daughters of the American Revolution to ring bells at 4:00 pm (to mark the time of day the Constitution was signed) on the front steps of the Sheppard Memorial Library in downtown Greenville and then to pass out free pocket constitutions to those inside.HAPPY CONSTITUTION DAY, EVERYONE !! Listen to this state's only two-term Republican governor, and you'll hear that GOP legislators areMoreover, it's an act of "mischievous brilliance." At least that's how the Charlotte Observer describes its recent conversation with former Gov. Jim Martin. His comments focused on two proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot in North Carolina.Martin's words prompted two reactions from this observer. First, the former governor appears to want his audience to make the mistake of conflating "constitutional" with "good" and "unconstitutional" with "bad."Second, once one takes away the unflattering characterization, Martin's words basically describe the standard constitutional amendment process. There's nothing "brilliant" about it. Lawmakers have taken the steps they need to take to ask voters to change North Carolina's governing document.Before delving into both points, let's cut Martin some slack. When he uses the word "mischievous," one suspects that he's referring to the way lawmakers initially described the constitutional changes they seek. On that point, he has a reasonable case.Both amendments would shift power away from the governor and toward the General Assembly. One would give lawmakers the sole authority to appoint members to a reconstituted state elections and ethics board. The other would give lawmakers the lion's share of power in appointing people to fill judicial vacancies.Two members of a three-judge panel agreed with Martin - and all other living former N.C. governors - that the original ballot language of those amendments would mislead voters. The judges ordered the amendments stricken from the ballot. But they offered the General Assembly a chance to rework the ballot language to reflect the proposed changes more accurately.Lawmakers complied. Their new versions of both amendments survived the three-judge panel's scrutiny. And the state Supreme Court, with its 4-3 partisan split favoring Democrats, refused to step in and rule against the GOP legislative majority.So whatever mischief might have been involved in crafting the earliest versions of the amendments appears to have been resolved through the legal process. Now voters can decide whether they agree with Martin that the circumstances surrounding the amendments' development should lead to a "no" vote.Returning to the first key point: Martin raises concerns about "unconstitutional things." He implies that those "things" are bad.It's an effective rhetorical tool. When people hear the word "unconstitutional," they tend to think of laws or acts that violate a clear constitutional protection: attacks on free speech, efforts to stifle gun rights, violations of due-process rights in criminal cases.But the word "unconstitutional" is not synonymous with "bad." Nor is something that is "constitutional" necessarily good.To explain why, let's turn to another issue N.C. voters will address this fall: the constitutional cap on income tax rates. The state's flat personal income tax rate stands now at 5.499 percent. It falls to 5.25 percent in 2019. The Republican-led General Assembly has cut the rate multiple times since 2013.Under the current state constitution, a future General Assembly could reverse course and raise the rate to as much as 10 percent. Critics could point to plenty of peer-reviewed academic research suggesting that a tax hike that large - 90 percent - would be terribly bad. But they could not call it unconstitutional. The current state constitution caps the income tax rate at 10 percent.An amendment on the November ballot would lower the cap to 7 percent. If approved, a future General Assembly still could raise the rate by 33 percent to reach the new cap. But the rate could climb no higher. Those future lawmakers might argue that a 10 percent tax rate would be good policy. But it would be unconstitutional.One suspects a large majority of today's voters believe a 10 percent income tax rate would be bad. They'll have their chance to make it unconstitutional this fall.On the flip side, some good ideas might be "unconstitutional" today. But a majority of voters can decide that it makes sense toThis is why Martin's warning about "unconstitutional things" getting inserted into the state constitution ought not to raise much concern.The terms "constitutional" and "unconstitutional" carry no moral value. Instead they describe whether an act or law fits within the structure of government established by the people.This leads to the second key point listed above. Strip the words "constitutional" and "unconstitutional" of any association with "good" and "bad," and Martin's characterization basically describes the process voters face any time they contemplate a state constitutional amendment.Lawmakersis an unflattering way of saying that lawmakers are trying to change the constitution to permit or prevent something tomorrow that it doesn't permit or prevent today.Well, yes. That's what state constitutional amendments do.Martin knows this. He's a brilliant man. He's a canny politician. And he doesn't like the idea of state lawmakers using constitutional amendments to shift power away from North Carolina's governor and into their own hands.He also knows those lawmakers have not concocted some nefarious scheme. They are asking voters to change the constitution. It's a process lawmakers have employed many times before.Voters should keep these facts in mind as they consider whether to make the proposals embodied in this year's amendments "not unconstitutional anymore." As I am wrapping up a short 10-week virtual internship with the Biodiversity Heritage Library, I believe that I will look back on this experience as one of those pivotal opportunities that impact the course of life. The internship was made possible by the LIS Education and Data Science for the National Digital Platform (LEADS-4-NDP) fellowship program through Drexel University and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, in collaboration with BHL. LEADS-4-NDP has a mission to improve library services by providing LIS (Library and Information Science) educators and researchers with data science skills. BHL offered an ideal data science challenge for a future LIS scholar like me to explore: a huge dataset of documents spanning five centuries, along with an engaged community of users and researchers interested in extracting new knowledge from these fascinating texts! In particular, the summer internship focused on exploring methods of identifying references to geographic places within the text of BHL collections, along with ways to visualize these references. This project envisions eventual new library services perhaps a browse-able map interface where BHL users could locate complex information spatially, as well as generating new biodiversity data for conducting research on distribution of species over time. As a PhD student at the University of Arizonas School of Information, I am currently working on a dissertation extracting information from astronomy literature. Although I study data curation from a social science perspective and am particularly focused on astronomy, I wanted to enhance my technical skills in order to contribute to the evolution and relevance of LIS, and to accomplish my own research. LEADS-4-NDP and BHL provided a crash-course and hands-on learning opportunity, and by participating in this program I was able to pull my eyes from the cosmos for awhile and focus on the incredible biodiversity here on Earth. Through this internship, I attended a two-day data science bootcamp, which was a priceless opportunity to quickly learn valuable techniques with a cohort of 9 other LEADS Fellows. I was also introduced to relevant researchers and projects associated with BHL. After a summer of investigation and experimentation, I created a report with recommendations for a full-scale geoparsing effort based on strategies and resources I examined. I also used Python programming tools to map and compare place names extracted from BHL text using several different human and automated methods. I evaluated and annotated a test corpus of BHL documents that could be used to develop customized Named Entity Recognition for a much larger set of documents. And I configured a software environment for future human annotators. Although this was a virtual internship and I did not visit Smithsonian in person unfortunately sweltering in Tucson, Arizona instead my supervisor Carolyn Sheffield was extremely supportive. I looked forward to our weekly Skype conversations, where we shared ideas and brainstormed. Carolyn has been an ideal mentor, making connections with other projects and frequently sending along helpful information. I am grateful to Carolyn and to Martin Kalfatovic, along with the LEADS faculty and other Fellows, as well as everyone who kindly met with me this summer. Overall, the internship has illuminated that this is an exciting time to be involved in library science, as our knowledge of the universe and the technology to research it rapidly expand. It is fascinating to view printed words as a source of new insight, and when you think of it that way the library itself is actually an observatory for collecting data and deciphering the mysteries of the natural world! Creative Commons was created as an alternative to restrictive copyright laws, and allows authors and creators (of images, animations, music, and more) to license their works for distribution and further use. Many beginning bloggers turn to the image search in Google . But pictures found in this way are almost always subject to restrictive copyright terms. In this blog post, we'll explain what each Creative Commons license means, how to search for images under these licenses, and how to attribute images that were published under one of these licenses to the original author. What is Creative Commons? Creative Commons is a not-for-profit organization that allows photographers and visual artists to properly label their content for reuse by others. There are six different creative licenses artists can use, each one permitting a different level of sharing and reuse by the end user. So, what do these Creative Commons licenses look like, and what types of permission do they give to those who want to reuse or republish a licensed image? Creative Commons Licenses If you choose to use a Creative Commons-licensed image on your blog, be sure to check the terms of the license. Most images require only that you attribute the work to the original author, but some licenses include additional restrictions. Here's a quick breakdown of the different types of Creative Commons licenses available to publishers. Attribution This Creative Commons license offers the most opportunity for sharing and republishing. Under this license, you are allowed to redistribute, modify, and build upon the original work as long as you attribute the work to the image's original author (learn how to properly attribute images to their respective authors further down in this article). You must also be careful not to imply that the original author has endorsed you in any way through your use of their item. ShareAlike Under the ShareAlike license, you can redistribute, modify, and build upon the original media as long as you attribute it to the original author and publish it under the same license -- in other words, the ShareAlike license. The image must not be placed under any different or more restrictive terms for reuse than those established by the original author. NoDerivs The NoDerivs license is short for "No Derivative Works." Under this Creative Commons license, only exact copies of the work may be used and shared, but no derivative or altered versions of the work. In other words, there is no modifying, remixing, or building upon the original media under this license. NonCommercial The NonCommercial license allows you to modify and build upon the original media, but it cannot be redistributed for commercial purposes. Business bloggers: Pay attention to this license. Although blogs by themselves are not a revenue stream, they can support and generate customers for a revenue-generating business. Therefore, it's best to avoid media under this license if you're publishing to a company blog, unless the media's author says otherwise. NonCommercial-ShareALike This hybrid license carries the rules of the NonCommercial and ShareAlike licenses at the same time. When reusing these types of Creative Commons images, you can redistribute, modify, and build upon the original media as long as it's not for a commercial purpose, you attribute the media to the original author, and you republish the image under the same NonCommercial-ShareAlike license as the original. NonCommercial-NoDerivs NonCommercial-NoDerivs is the most restrictive license an artist can use on their work. Under this license, you're not allowed to modify, remix, or build upon the original work, nor publish it for commercial purposes. If you're publishing a NonCommercial-NoDerivs image to a personal website, you're required to display the media as you found it and attribute it to the artwork's original author. Licenses for images and other works might be designated as simply Attribution, Attribution-NonCommercial, Attribution-ShareAlike, or some further combination of license terms. Always check the terms of the work you are planning to use just to be certain that you're complying with the specific wishes of the author. How to Give Creative Commons Attribution As you can tell from the license descriptions above, more often than not you're required to attribute the original image to its author. 1. Identify the license on your chosen image. To do so, start by typing in a search term that describes the image you want. When you find one, take a moment to learn what the terms of the license is for the image and insert it into your post. For images on Flickr, you'll see this license labeled on the bottom-righthand corner of the image, as shown below (this is the Attribution license). Image by: Emmanuel Huybrechts 2. Note how this work was redistributed. Unless otherwise stipulated by the image's author, there are two ways to appropriately attribute him or her to your redistributed image: "Image by [name of author]." If you haven't modified or built upon the original image, this phrase -- or something like it -- suffices to give proper credit. If you haven't modified or built upon the original image, this phrase -- or something like it -- suffices to give proper credit. "This image was modified from [origin of image] by [name of author]." If you have modified the image from its original version, it's courtesy to say so in your attribution note. 3. Link back to the origin of the image. Once you've identified the license of your image and written out an attribution line that reflects it, all you have to do is hyperlink the author's name or the origin of the image to the landing page from which you first downloaded it. How to Use Creative Commons Search Images that have been made available for use through a Creative Commons license can easily be found on Flickr or Wikimedia Commons. You can also search Google for images that carry a Creative Commons license by configuring your advanced search settings the following way: Navigate to Google Images and select "Tools" on the right, just below the search bar. In the options that appear, click "Usage rights." In the dropdown menu that appears, select the license that suits your needs. Google makes it easy to filter your image results by each of the licenses described above. In Google Images, you have four options: "Labeled for reuse with modification" generally produces images under the Attribution and ShareAlike licenses. "Labeled for reuse" produces every license. "Labeled for noncommercial reuse with modification" produces the NonCommercial license, and "Labeled for noncommercial reuse" produces the NoDerivs license. If you've read this far, we have one last gift for you: Creative Commons Search. This handy database allows you to set the platform in which you want to conduct an image search and automatically filter by Creative Common license. Now that you have everything you need, get to searching! The author of your next republished image is counting on you. Beth Dunn is a member of the Inbound Marketing Consultant team at HubSpot. Beth also blogs at www.bethdunn.org and An Accomplished Young Lady. The fur trade kills more than 100 million animals each year, and it does so in the most egregious ways. Photo by iStockphoto 40.4K shares The Los Angeles City Council has just voted unanimously to ban the sale of fur within city limits, making this the largest American city to do so. San Francisco passed a similar ban earlier this year. Todays historic vote in Los Angeles, which comes just days after fashion giant Burberry and London Fashion Week announced they would go fur-free, is further proof that fur, a product that comes from the most shocking cruelty to animals, has no future. There is no reason to wear fur in 2018, certainly not in sunny Los Angeles, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield said in his remarks just before the vote. When LA takes these actions, the second largest city in this nation takes action, it will reverberate throughout this country, and throughout this world. The vote today is not the final step, but it sets the council on a clear path to enact this ban against fur in coming months. A number of large fashion houses, clothing brands, high-end retailers, fashion magazines and department stores have announced fur-free policies in recent years, including Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, InStyle magazine, YOOX Net-a-Porter and Burlington. More recently, TJX, the parent company for stores like T.J. Maxx, T.K. Maxx, Marshalls, Sierra Trading Post, Homesense and HomeGoods, announced a fur-free policy for all locations in the United States and Europe. Several California cities have also said no to fur. In addition to San Francisco and now Los Angeles, Berkeley banned fur last year, and West Hollywood did so in 2013. As consumers have become more aware of the cruelty behind the fur trade, more and more Americans and people around the world are embracing alternatives. The fur trade kills more than 100 million animals each year, and it does so in the most egregious ways. Animals used for fur are either trapped in the wild, where they remain for days without food or water, or they are raised in cramped cages for their entire life and then killed cruelly by electrocution or gassing. Companies and cities that are taking the lead in recognizing this cruelty and rejecting fur are being rewarded with positive feedback by fashion media, on social media, and from their own customers. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International have been fighting the fur trade for a long time, and we have worked with everyone, from off-price retailers to luxury brands, to move the ball forward for animals used for fashion. We applaud and celebrate TJXs public fur-free announcement and this momentous decision today by Los Angeles. The ordinance, which includes a two-year phase out period, will go into effect pending the mayors approval, and we are confident he will sign it. But the fight against fur is far from over: there are still some outliers in the fashion world who continue to cling to fur, and one such company is Prada. The HSUS earlier this month launched a campaign to urge Prada to join its competitors by going fur-free, and we need your help. Please call Prada today to let them know you do not support fur. Now is the time for them to decide if they want to be on the right side of the fur-free fashion revolution. *Editors note: HSUS and the Fur Free Alliance are in open dialogue with Prada, and we should have an update soon. Please stay tuned. Virtual Kidnapping Phone Scam Happening in New Mexico, FBI Warns In yet another phone scam preying on people's fears and emotions, the FBI is warning New Mexico residents to be wary of one more. Dubbed "virtual kidnapping," this one extorts victims by coaxing them into paying a ransom to free a loved one they believe has been kidnapped or is being threatened with violence or death. The calls seem to come from Mexico prisons. A few years ago, these calls were solely targeting Spanish speaking suspects. But now, anyone is fair game. Virtual Kidnapping Using Social Media The suspects have not actually kidnapped anyone. Through deceptive practices, including talking fast, making threats, and keeping the suspect on the phone so that the information cannot be verified, the suspects convince victims to pay a ransom before the victims can confirm that the call is a scam. Often, these suspects use social media to gather facts in order to convince the victim of the abduction. Scammers try to keep victims on the phone so that they cannot check to see if their targeted relative is safe or not. While on the phone, they convince the victim to wire money to a Mexico account to free the relative. Usually the wire request if for $2,000 or less, due to limits at most wiring businesses. But scammers have been know to ask for more. How Does the Call Go? According to the FBI, a typical example of a call is as follows: when an unsuspecting person answered the phone, they would hear a female screaming, "Help me!" The screamer's voice was likely a recording. Instinctively, the victim might blurt out his or her child's name: "Mary, are you okay?" And then a man's voice would say something like, "We have Mary. She's in a truck. We are holding her hostage. You need to pay a ransom and you need to do it now or we are going to cut off her fingers." Steps to Follow If You Get This Call If you receive such a call, the FBI stresses that you should not disclose any identifying information. Instead, slow the situation down and request to speak to the family member directly. Carefully listen to the alleged victim if they speak, since it is likely to be someone else posing as the victim. Do not agree to pay ransom. Then, hang up the phone and contact the alleged kidnapping victim to make sure they are safe. Virtual kidnapping cases are hard to prosecute because the suspects and the money wiring are often in Mexico and can be difficult to trace. If you or someone you love has received a call like this, or has fallen victim to this scam, contact the FBI. Related Resources: Is Columbia Gas Liable in the Massachusetts Gas Pipeline Explosions? Late last week, a string of gas explosions rocked three Massachusetts towns just north of Boston. Over 60 gas fires led to one death and over 25 injuries, more than 400 people in shelters, and about 18,000 customers losing power for over three days. Hundreds of investigators are on the scene to determine what happened, but one thing's for sure: Governor Charlie Baker removed Columbia Gas as the monopolistic provider in the area, replacing it with Eversource, who will also be overseeing all restoration efforts. But in addition to losing the business, is Columbia Gas liable for the damages resulting from the explosion? Similarities to San Bruno, California Gas Explosions This year alone, there have been 42 significant incidents involving gas distribution lines in the United States, according to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Though there have been hundreds of gas explosions over the last decade, none was as tragic as the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) explosions of 2010 in San Bruno, California, which killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes. In that disaster, PG&E accepted liability a year later, just days prior to the case going to trial, after Federal officials declared that a faulty pipe, flawed operations and inadequate government oversight led to the natural gas explosion. The company was ultimately convicted of six felony charges, and sentenced to a $3 million fine, a five-year probation period, independent safety monitoring,10,000 hours of community service, and multiple advertising campaigns admitting guilt and promising to do better. In September 2013, PG&E settled damages with the 501 victims, which amounted to $565 million. In April 2015, the state Public Utilities Commission imposed a $1.6 billion penalty on PG&E for causing the San Bruno explosion. In April 2018, the utility regulators fined the company an additional $97.5 million over improper back-channel communications with their own agency following a deadly natural gas pipeline explosion. One would think that would have been enough to convince PG&E to go above and beyond to provide a safe environment for its clients. But alas, it is knee deep in lawsuits from the 2018 Northern California wildfires for which is was responsible, to the tune of about $2.5 billion, far beyond the $840 million it carries in insurance. Columbia Gas Has Unclean Hands The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has already announced they are investigating Columbia Gas for these fires. Unfortunately for the company, this isn't the first gas explosion for which they have been responsible. There have been three others in Massachusetts, West Virginia, and Ohio. Also, another natural gas leak of a Columbia Gas pipeline was discovered in the Boston area just two days after the explosions in nearby towns. In addition, Columbia Gas pipes around the area of the explosions had recently been over-pressurized, according to the NTSB. Columbia Gas may very well be headed down the same legal path PG&E found itself in a few years ago. If you have been injured in a disaster, whether natural or man-made, you may be entitled to compensation. Consult an experienced local personal injury attorney, who can listen to the facts of your case, and inform you if you have a legal case for damages, or if a class-action has been started on your claim. Help may be just a phone call away. Related Resources: Elon Musk's SpaceX revealed the name of the person who is set to become the first private space tourist to travel to the moon: Yusaku Maezawa. The Japanese businessman is the billionaire founder and CEO of online fashion retailer Zozo. From the company: SpaceX has signed the world's first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard our BFR launch vehicle an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space. Only 24 humans have been to the Moon in history. No one has visited since the last Apollo mission in 1972. Yusaku Maezawa sounds like an interesting person. He says he plans to head to the moon "with Earth's top artists." He said during the webcast announcement tonight, "If Pablo Picasso had been able to see the moon up-close, what kind of paintings would he have drawn?" Video below, Livestream of the announcement event. 2023: SpaceX sends Japanese billionaire and 8 artists to the moon 2025: SpaceX establishes first moon base 2026: Logan Paul vs. KSI to take place on lunar surface tc (@chillmage) September 18, 2018 SpaceX's first private passenger is Japanese fashion entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, the creator of Zozotown. Story to follow soon on: https://t.co/210HSxsX9Khttps://t.co/ZN1iEkN9Xg Nikkei Asian Review (@NAR) September 18, 2018 The first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard BFR is fashion innovator and globally recognized art curator Yusaku Maezawa. SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 18, 2018 SpaceX has completed over 60 launches to-date and has the world's only reusable orbital class rockets and spacecraftcapable of launching to space, returning to Earth, and flying again. pic.twitter.com/0rjinzNHyb SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 18, 2018 Short hops of BFR will happen at SpaceX's Texas site. For first orbital flights, no clear decision on that yet; might happen from an **orbital platform** (whoa). Emre Kelly (@EmreKelly) September 18, 2018 Elon Musk's SpaceX named its first private passenger as Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa, founder and CEO of online fashion retailer Zozo. https://t.co/NZ2KzkFP2j pic.twitter.com/j8rXYWOM8B Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) September 18, 2018 The #dearmoon mission will use @SpaceX's BFR Big F. Rocket (let's assume the F is for Falcon) which has yet to be built/tested so a 2023 launch is ambitious to say the least! Alan Duffy (@astroduff) September 18, 2018 The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been elbows-deep in the investigation of the Novichok nerve agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skirpal. As part of their investigation into where the nerve agent may have originated, the OPCW sent samples of the chemical weapon to a number of independent labs. Using multiple labs provides a fail safe against false positive results and bias two things you'd want to avoid considering the fact that the results of the tests could trigger a significant international incident. One of the labs that the OPCW may have used (I mean, they're not going to come right out and say that this is where they're sending dangerous shit) was Switzerland's Spiez Laboratory. Since Russia has denied that it had any role in the poisoning of the Skirpals and the other collateral victims of the Novichok attack, it's really really surprising to be surprised by the surprise expulsion of two Russian intelligence agents (surprise!) from The Hague, where OPCW is based. Apparently, they were trying to tinker with Spiez Laboratory's computers. From NPR: Swiss and Dutch authorities did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. Andreas Bucher, a spokesperson for Spiez Laboratory, also declined to comment on the deportations. However, he confirms the laboratory's computer systems have been probed by unknown hackers in recent months. "We've had indications that we were in the crosshairs," Bucher says. No data has been stolen from the lab, he adds. Although Spiez Laboratory has not officially acknowledged receiving a sample, it is widely believed to have done so, according to Jean Pascal Zanders, an independent chemical weapons expert based in France. The alleged Russian agents were expelled from The Hague during a period when the OPCW was actively investigating the case. Zanders believes they may have been trying to hack into the Spiez Laboratory computer system to learn more about what British and international authorities knew about the Novichok used in the Salisbury attack. He also suggests Russia may have wanted to tamper with the official findings. I'm assuming that the laboratory must have a cathedral. According to NPR, the manipulation of the lab's test data may have been a possible motive for the attempted hack. Even after the agents were deported, there were indications that digitally savvy individuals were still trying to screw with Spiez: NPR reports that during a conference hosted by Spiez Laboratory in June it was targeted by a malware/worm attack. Image via Maxpixel News / National by Staff reporter The new Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube has secured a $250 million commercial loan facility from an international finance company, Gemcorp through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).In welcoming the development, Professor Ncube said the "granting of the commercial loan facility by Gemcorp is a strong signal by foreign investors of their growing confidence in Zimbabwe."The loan facility will be used to finance the importation of essentials goods and services including electricity, fuel and medicines.RBZ Governor, Dr John Mangudya said "the line of credit is coming at an appropriate time to shore up foreign currency liquidity after the end of the tobacco selling season."Gemcorp Group founder and CEO, Atanas Bostandjiev said the facility will finance and coordinate the delivery of essential goods to help support the Zimbabwean economy.Gemcorp Group focuses on emerging markets with a special interest in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. News / National by Social media A photo of a vendor washing his veggies in sewage water has gone viral. It is not clear whether the photo is from Zimbabwe or some other country.Zimbabwe is currently battling a deadly cholera outbreak that has so far claimed 30 lives and left over 5 000 others under treatment.Chairperson of the inter-ministerial committee on cholera Minister July Moyo said the health sector requires at least $51 million to assist a projection of 50 000 patients while local authorities require at least $6 million to be able to revamp sewer and water reticulation infrastructure in hotspots of Glen View and Budiriro. News / National by Staff reporter Tragedy struck when three Mandigo family members were allegedly shot to death by one, Takadu Magwiro following a dispute over allegations of stolen maize, rapoko and groundnuts in Buhera.The gruesome murder resembles a horror movie that has left families and friends shell shocked.The tragic incident took place at Marindire village under Chief Makumbe at around mid-day on Sunday after a dispute between Mangwiro (68) and his domestic helper, Farai Mandingo over allegations of stolen maize, rapoko and groundnuts.The accused is said to have expelled his domestic worker together with his wife and two daughters who continued to stay at the accused person's residents.On the fateful, an argument ensued which turned violent as Magwiro turned one of his riffles on his domestic worker but missed him.The complainant is said to have fled to report the case at ZRP Murambinda where it is further revealed that while making the report he received news to the effect that his wife, Portia (33) and her two children, Sharon (4) and Lisa (1) had been shot dead.In a statement, ZRP Chief Staff Officer Press and Public Relations, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said violence is never a solution to disputes and condemned the brutal killing of the three innocent souls.She warned the public not to take the law into their own hands but to refer disputes to the police for mediation. News / Press Release by ARTUZ Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ has concluded its research on the state of preparedness of schools to handle the cholera outbreak. Our Schools are not safe and have no capacity to mitigate against the deadly cholera outbreak.Following the suspension of lessons at Glen View 5 Primary School in Harare, ARTUZ calls for the closure of all schools, in line with government's pronouncement banning all public gatherings.Harare day schools are the worst affected given the high mobility of Harare population coupled with lack of safe running water.The centralized model of both the governance and economic architecture of our country forces citizens from all over the country to go to Harare for one reason or the other. Under such circumstances no one is safe. Schools in rural outposts will be the worst affected soon as they don't have running water.Schools should only open when we have successfully contained the cholera pandemic.The Union has communicated this position to the line Ministry of Education.ARTUZ INFORMATION DEPARTMENT.+263776129336/717141081.775643192 Photo credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI - Getty Images From Esquire Now that Paul Manafort apparently has found the proper key in which to sing with Robert Mueller's ever-expanding canary chorale, we can take a step back and study properly the very strange-and extremely corrupt-ways in which Manafort kept himself in vacation homes and ostrich jackets during his fat years. Over the weekend, The New York Times ran a fascinating account of one of Manafort's suckers in Ukraine. Sometimes it seems fun, Mr. Kaseyev, a 34-year-old hairdresser, said with a shrug during an interview. Im a secret millionaire. Until the authorities came calling, that is, seeking $30 million in back taxes. I take his point. That does not sound like fun at all. One of the people who did business with a company opened under Mr. Kaseyevs stolen identity didnt mean anything to him. But the name certainly caught the eye of investigators in the United States: Paul J. Manafort. Mr. Manafort, who worked for a decade as a political consultant in Ukraine before becoming chairman of the Trump campaign in 2016, made a deal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars with the shell company under the hairdressers name. It was called Neocom Systems Limited, according to a Ukrainian lawmaker. It seems that, in one of his more successful international scams, Manafort would steal someone's identity, use it to set up a shell company, and then park tens of millions of dollars in the company's accounts. Then, one day, without warning, a Ukrainian hairdresser, say, gets a knock on his door because he owes $30 million in back taxes through his work as a member of the board of directors of a company he's never heard of in his life. Its a frequent problem, Daria Kalenyuk, chief of the Anticorruption Action Center here, said of the directors, who stand to take the fall if prosecutors investigate. Sometimes the directors are lawyers or victims of identity theft, she said. Either that, or Manafort and his kleptocratic clients simply would roll a drunk. Story continues Photo credit: SERGEI SUPINSKY - Getty Images But usually its people who are either alcoholics or in poor health, and who simply sell their passports for about $20. One of the risks to this scheme is that the fake directors might try to claim the millions held in their names. But Ms. Kalenyuk could not recall one instance of such a claim. You need to have some knowledge and education to know how to do that, she said, in the tax havens like Cyprus or the British Virgin Islands, where such companies are typically established... Some homeless men have achieved a measure of fame among activists who track corruption in the former Soviet states because they pop up so often at the head of multimillion dollar companies. One man identified in the Ukrainian media as a homeless Latvian named Erik Vanagels has been listed as the owner of hundreds of companies in Britain, Cyprus, Ireland, New Zealand, Panama and elsewhere. Companies in the network also helped finance the private zoo and sprawling estate of the former Ukrainian president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, who was the main client of Mr. Manafort. This, I would point out, again, is the guy who was the president*'s campaign manager, and the guy who arranged for Mike Pence to be the vice president. Personally, I'd rather the homeless Latvian was president. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) Crowned Heads has announced a new exclusive cigar for the State of Ohio known as Buckeye Land. What is unique about this cigar is that Drew Estate will be producing this cigar from Crowned Heads. This not only marks the first time Crowned Heads has worked with Drew Estate, but it also is the first time Crowned Heads has produced as cigar outside of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jrs Tabacalera La Alianza and the Garcia familys My Father Cigars facilities. Buckeye Land was blended by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera and is being produced at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Esteli, Nicaragua. The cigar will be available in one size a 6 x 48 parejo cigar. The blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Broadleaf fillers. Pricing is set at $9.60 per cigar. This marks our first state exclusive since we introduced Paniolo Especiale (Hawaii) back in 2015, commented Crowned Heads co-founder Jon Huber in a press release, but we garnered a strong following in Ohio over the years. The state also holds a special place in my heart as my wife was born in Lancaster, Ohio. Her maiden name is Land hence Buckeye Land. We could not be more excited to be working with Willy Herrera and Drew Estate on this project. I believe Willy and I share a similar admiration for the artistry and tradition of cigar making, and as such the creative process on this particular project was very fluid. Ohio is also the home state of Crowned Heads National Sales Manager Miguel Schoedel. Herrera commented, Its an honor to work on this project with Jon Huber. To have the opportunity to collaborate with someone whom I admire and whose work I love is really exciting. I am beyond stoked sound the finished product. Crowned Heads said Buckeye Land will begin shipping in late October. At a glance here is a look at the Buckeye Land: Blend and Origin Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf Filler: Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Nicaragua Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate Vitolas Available Short Churchill: 6 x 48 Island Lifestyle Importers has announced it is shipping its Island Club cigar line to retailers. This is a cigar that made its debut at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show. Island Club is a line that is a value-priced bundle line which is priced at $3.95 to $4.75. The blend uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over Dominican binder and filler. The cigar is available in five sizes in bundles of 25. The cigar is produced at an undisclosed factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and rolled by nine pairs of dedicated rollers. For more details, refer to our IPCPR Pre-Game coverage on the Island Club cigar. Island Lifestyle Importers has a premium line of cigars known as Island Lifestyle Aged Reserve. The company is also the exclusive manufacturer of Tommy Bahama branded cigar accessories. Photo Credits: Island Lifestyles Importers, LLC TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- Levels of anxiety and depression seen in people who have a common heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation may be affected by how the heart condition is treated, a new study suggests. Past studies have shown that anxiety, distress and depression are common among people with AFib. The new Australian study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at personality traits and levels of anxiety and depression in 78 patients who had sought treatment for the disorder. Twenty chose to have an ablation, a procedure that destroys the heart tissue causing the abnormal heartbeat; the other 58 were on medications to control their heart rate and prevent blood clots. When the study began, 35 percent of the participants reported experiencing severe anxiety and distress and 20 percent reported having had suicidal thoughts. One year later, the researchers found that the patients who had an ablation were less likely to report feelings of anxiety and depression than the patients taking medications. In addition, the number of patients in the ablation group with suicidal thoughts dropped from six to one. The study's senior author, Jonathan Kalman, an electrophysiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, said the study "demonstrates that effective treatment of atrial fibrillation markedly reduces psychological distress." In addition, Kalman said the findings "implicate atrial fibrillation as the cause" of the anxiety and depression. "This psychological impact is not well appreciated by many heart specialists and is important to take into consideration when considering" how patients are treated, he added. The study also found higher levels of anxiety and distress among patients found to have a Type D personality, which is characterized by anger and pessimism. Previous studies have linked this personality type to poor health outcomes and lower quality of life in patients treated for AFib. Of the 78 patients in the study, 35 were identified as having this type of personality on the distressed personality scale. The researchers suggest that identifying patients with this personality type could help health care providers focus attention on those most at risk for experiencing anxiety, distress or suicidal thoughts. At least 2.7 million Americans are living with AFib, an abnormal heartbeat that affects blood flow and can lead to stroke, heart failure and other heart complications. Dr. Dimpi Patel is an internist and researcher at Wilmington Health at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in North Carolina who studies the mind-heart link. "Patients need to be aware that physical ailments can and do have psychological manifestations, and both must be acknowledged and managed to ensure a good quality of life and perhaps even prevent worse outcomes," she said. Patel, who was not involved in the study, said the study's small size limited what could be construed from the findings. She said that she would like to see studies that look at the impact of different types of psychological therapies on patients with AFib as well as studies that focus on how women with the condition are affected by psychological distress. Many physical health problems can affect someone's mental health. "It is important to note that psychological distress, depression, anxiety and, at times, suicidal ideation are not exclusive to atrial fibrillation, but to many chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure," Patel said. "Physicians have an obligation to broaden their approach in managing any chronic illness to include emphasis on the psychological well-being of their patient," she added. "To me, it is simply practicing good and compassionate medicine." MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Modern psychology largely rejects the notion that people can be pigeonholed into personality types. But that assumption is being challenged by a major new study, which discovered at least four distinct personality types into which people tend to cluster. Researchers discovered these clusters by running the results of 1.5 million personality inventory questionnaires through a computer, said lead researcher Martin Gerlach. He is a doctoral student at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill. The questionnaires assessed each person on five well-established personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Gerlach and his team fed these into the computer to see if people would tend to cluster around similar levels of shared personality traits. The investigators found at least four clusters, which they compared to "lumps in the batter," Gerlach said. The first is the "Average" personality type, which is characterized by average scores in all traits, the researchers said. The other three clusters are roughly organized along the traits of neuroticism (level of emotional stability) and extraversion (the quality of being outgoing): "Reserved" personalities are emotionally stable but not particularly extraverted. They also are somewhat agreeable and conscientious. "Self-Centered" personalities score high in extraversion and below average in openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. "It's not very nice to interact with these kinds of people," Gerlach said. "Role Models" are low in neuroticism and high in all the other traits. They are agreeable, thoughtful and well-organized. These clusters were found thanks to four large data sets comprising more than a million people, obtained from different studies performed around the world, Gerlach noted. "It was previously unthinkable to obtain this amount of data," Gerlach said. Not everyone will fall into one of these personality types, he added, and some people may even fall somewhere in the middle between two of them. Your specific personality type is not set in stone, either, he explained. For example, researchers speculate that the younger you are, the more likely you will be to fall within the Self-Centered category, particularly if you're a teenage boy, Gerlach said. But with age and seasoning, a good number of these people could evolve into Role Models. "We would expect people to move from one personality type to another personality type," Gerlach said. "The chances are that older people are more likely to be close to the Role Model personality type. You could describe these people as 'nice' people." The discovery of these clusters runs counter to much of current psychological theory, which has concluded that personality categories don't exist, the study authors said. Senior researcher Luis Nunes Amaral is a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern Engineering. "Personality types only existed in self-help literature, and did not have a place in scientific journals. Now, we think this will change because of this study," he said in a university news release. These clusters could help people predict how well you'll succeed in a given job, or your vulnerability to certain mental or emotional disorders, Gerlach said. Psychologists have greeted that notion -- and these new findings -- with some skepticism, however. James Maddux, a professor emeritus of psychology with George Mason University, said, "I have no qualms about the methodology and statistics, but I have serious doubts about the clinical utility of yet another instrument that categorizes people into types." Maddux was not involved with the study. "For 40 years or more, clinical psychology has been moving away from using the assessment of personality traits and types to inform treatment and increasingly toward using assessments of people's problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviors as they occur in specific problematic situations, which is the essence of cognitive-behavioral therapy," Maddux said. "I doubt that many clinical psychology doctoral programs in the U.S. or Canada would add this instrument to their course or courses on psychological assessment," he added. But New York City psychiatrist Dr. Timothy Sullivan said, "Given the numbers of subjects they assessed, it suggests we need take this seriously. There is something meaningful here." However, it's not clear how useful these categories will be in dealing with people's mental health issues, said Sullivan, chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Staten Island University Hospital. "I think the question for us in psychiatry is, is it meaningful to us clinically?" Sullivan said. "Does it help us to think about how we might help people who have problems coping in life? In that regard, we would need to play around with these categories and see whether or not they represent something meaningful in a clinical setting." The study was published Sept. 17 in the journal Nature Human Behavior. More information The American Psychological Association has more about personality. 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Only Bangladeshi vehicles will be used for transportation of goods within its territory. Indian goods can be transported through four entry points viz. Akhaura (Bangladesh) and Agartala (Indias Tripura), Tamabil (Sylhet, Bangladesh) and Dauki (Meghalaya), Sheola (Sylhet) and Sutarkandi (Assam) and Bibirbazar (Cumilla, Bangladesh) and Srimantapur (Tripura). Under it, India will have to follow General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and Bangladeshi regulations, pay customs duties and buy tax equivalent bonds to transport freight. India will also pay fees for using infrastructure of Bangladeshi land ports. To keep track of cargo new modern tracking system will be used. The agreement will be effective for five years, but it can be extended for another five years automatically. However, any side can cancel the agreement after giving six months notice and suspend deal. Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) will be prepared for implementing this agreement. The SOP will be prepared after consulting with various stakeholders. India and Malta signed three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in the fields of Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and Training. These MoUs were signed after delegation level talks between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and President of Malta, Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. Vice President Naidu visited in Malta in the second phase of his visit to three European countries viz. Serbia, Malta and Romania. It was the first senior Indian leader to visit Mediterranean nation in last 28 years. MoUs signed World News: The complex business of predicting a flood September 18,2018 | Source: Fountainink Shijo Joseph is taking an account of water-logged lives in Kerala. A scientist working with GIS and satellite data for the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), his first brief is a ground survey in the Chalakudy river basin. He is looking for the high water mark left on the walls to measure how far water has risen from the ground up. These ground control points help validate satellite-based remote sensing data later. The inundation lines are clearly visible on the walls of the buildings where wetness or remnants of flood such as small particles, floating materials are present, he says. The water level varies from zero (non-inundated areas) to 3.2 metres, more than the height of the ground floor. Joseph was not personally affected. His house in Ernakulam district is on higher ground; the waters havent entered his office in Thrissur district either. But in the immediate vicinity he sees plenty of signs; places and homes marooned; belongings ruined, furniture ripped, sodden electronic goods, cars and vehicles sloshing in water and keeled over, bleached whales of mud and muck, debris and junk, sprawled in homes in most of the ground and first floors of houses and all over the place. For him, the ground is no longer the ground, its a swamp. With 40 per cent more rainfall than the usual and more than a million people displaced, the death toll may have been much higher than the official 400 but for the helping hand of neighbours. Particularly notable are the fishermen who toiled day and night to rescue people trapped in their houses. Others provided food and shelter to supplement the state government, army and National Disaster Relief Forces efforts. Josephs understanding is that moisture from the Arabian Sea fuelled the deluge. A massive bank of rain-bearing clouds headed for the Western Ghats, perched on the upper reaches, stalled, condensed and the result was a biblical downpour. He wants, in the near future, maybe in collaboration with the Earth Institute at Columbia University, to find out if this flood is part of the global and regional climate shifts, especially coming after the very severe cyclone Ockhi in 2017. He feels two local factors drove up the magnitude of the flood. He and his team observed nearly 100 landslides in the upper reaches of the Ghats. Open blasting while quarrying sent tremors through charnockite rock, shaking the parent material, and compromising its integrity. When the rain came, the mass became increasingly unstable until it finally slipped down the slopes into river- and stream beds, swelling them further. The second, he says, is the wholesale destruction of wetlands. Up to 15 per cent of Kerala originally comprised wetlands. Theyre being destroyed on a massive scale. Had they been standing, they would have absorbed some of the excess water which would eventually have flowed out to the sea. Even paddy fields usually acted as lakes to trap water, which then would flow out to sea. But in this case, Joseph says, that didnt happen because the fields were construction sites in the states mass conversion to other land uses. These two human activities exacerbated the floods. Now, we have to worry about water-borne diseases and sanitation, he says, on the phone, in the midst of sniffles and bouts of coughing. Hes got a viral fevervisiting all those places for the ground survey. They also have to contend with mould spawning on everything moist, making respiratory problems worse. They have to look out for snakes that might have been floating around and sneaked in. For the most part, they have to grapple with themselves first. A flood is not necessarily over even after the waters recede. They leave marks, sweep away a lifetimes labour in creating a home, they leave persistent memoriesevery new downpour brings an intimation of deluge. India is a sitting duck for extreme events. Flood disasters have become persistent and systemic. In India, millions of people are exposed to floods every year. Vulnerability to floods and economic risk is among the highest in the world. Drawing upon CWC and NDMA sources, the paper, Riverine Flood Hazard: Disaster Risk Reduction in India, which is in press with the Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy (PINSA), says that the total number of flood deaths between 1953 and 2011 was 97,551, and the economic cost Rs.4.506x1012 at 2017 prices. Research suggests that with rising global temperatures, there will be a significant increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall events during the monsoon. Recent extreme events, including Keralas, are testimony to the climate disruption already locked in. According to Aqueduct Global Flood Analyzer (AGFA 2017, as referenced by the paper) from the World Resources Institute, a web-based interactive platform which measures river flood impacts by urban damage, affected GDP, and affected population at the country, state, and river basin scale across the globe, India stands at number one, with 4.48 million people exposed to river floods, followed by Bangladesh with 3.48 million and China with 3.28 million. The cost of GDP from flood risk is $14.3 billion, followed by Bangladesh at $5.4 billion. Indias loss of GDP is 15 per cent of the global total. According to Central Water Commission (CWC) data for 2010, 18.3 million people were affected by floods. (AGFA takes into account only urban populations while the CWCs higher figure has both rural and urban populations.) India is thus a sitting duck for extreme events. Flood disasters have become persistent and systemic in India. On a larger scale, for Keralas floods, there is an analogy of sorts with the catastrophic flooding in Texas, US, last year, from hurricane Harvey. Although each case differs and depends on the storm involved, the Kerala flood has parallels with recent extreme events, including Japan between June 28 and July 9, in which 225 people died and about two million people had to be evacuated. In their May 2018 paper titled Hurricane Harvey Links to Ocean Heat Content and Climate Change Adaptation published in Earths Future, Kevin Trenberth, a Distinguished Senior Scientist in the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, U.S., and his colleagues show for the first time that the heat loss by the ocean caused by the storm (evaporation) matched the latent heat in the rainfall. The high ocean heat content (highest on record for calendar year 2017) feeds the high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) that set the stage for large evaporation, atmospheric moisture, and heavy rains, he explains in an email. In their work, Trenberth continues, they were able to determine how much moisture evaporated from the ocean by measuring ocean heat loss, and were then able to match that with the heat generated by rainfall. So we were able to estimate the evaporated moisture and it matched the independent measurement of rainfall. If the ocean had not been so warm, it would not have evaporated as much and the rain would have been less. Part of the ocean heat was from human effects from global warming, he says. Although there is no study as yet linking the Kerala floods to high ocean heat content, its a fair guess that torrential downpours fed off the heat content of the Indian Ocean. Floods depend on the behaviour of rivers. Vishwas Shripad Kale, a retired professor from the University of Pune, says the characteristics of Himalayan and peninsular Indias rivers are very different. In the case of hurricane Harvey, it was also said that the storm took some of the rain it dumped and hurled it back again. Some of the land became so wet that it acted like a water surface and enabled evaporation to occur over what is normally land, Trenberth says. In the case of the Kerala floods too, this could have occurred. Floods also depend on the characteristics and behaviour of rivers. Vishwas Shripad Kale, a retired professor from the University of Pune, who has done extensive work on river behaviour, flows, flood geomorphology and landscape evolution, says the topographic and climatic characteristics of Himalayan and peninsular Indias rivers are very different. In the Himalayas, runoff collects quickly. This happens, to some extent, in the Western Ghats as well. But the main peninsular riversthe Godavari, Krishna, Kaveriflow over a plateau, while rivers in the Himalayas have less space to spread out on the plains. As Kale observes, over the Ganga plains (UP and Bihar) and the Punjab plains flood water from Himalayan rivers spreads and lingers longer due to the gentle slope of the riverine plains. In the peninsula, this happens to some extent over the Deccan plateau (Maharashtra and Mysore plateaux), because of gentler valley slopes in comparison with the Western Ghats. In the monsoon season, cyclones travel across central India, and along their path it rains heavily, triggering floods. Rivers outside their path wont have large floods. While rivers like the Ganga change course, peninsular river channels are cut into rock, and are relatively stable. They dont change course much. In old maps of the Ganga plain, Kale says, you find rivers changed course, shifted or moved out of their beds. These changes are not as pronounced in the peninsular rivers. Kale speaks of the Kosi shifting almost 100km in 250 years or so until it was contained by embankments in the 1950s. It was thus both unstable and unpredictable. Many rivers in the Ganga plain keep shifting their courses. The behaviour of rivers is also affected by the spatial and temporal variability of monsoon rains, Kale explains. Spatial variability is simply the regional difference in monsoon rainfall and floods. For example, the tributaries of the Ganga that originate in the Himalayas carry more water and sediment than tributaries originating in Madhya Pradesh, like the Son and Chambal. The latter originate in relatively lower relief and also there is less rain in MP. They are also tributaries of the Ganga but there is a remarkable difference in behaviour. In some rivers, the dischargethe amount of water that flows through the riveris very high because they originate in the high rainfall zone (for example, the Western Ghats). In comparison, the Manjra, a big tributary of the Godavari, which originates in the dry Balaghat range of hills near Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, carries less water than others. If the rivers have large catchment areas, they collect more rainwater, which means bigger floods. The Godavari has on average greater discharge and its floods are more severe than the Kaveri because the latter has a smaller catchment area. Temporal variability is the behaviour of a river changing with time, from year-to-year variations in monsoon rainfall and intensity over the catchment. Its not uniform for all rivers. Some rivers may get flooded and others remain unaffected. A huge flood on the Krishna does not necessarily mean the same on the Narmada or Tapi. Cyclones are also important. In the monsoon season, cyclones travel across central India, and along their path it rains heavily, triggering floods. Rivers outside their path wont have large floods. Size , shape, whats the relief of the basin, land-use of the basin, forest area, how much water it can retain, where it has wetlandsall these determine floods on the rivers. Therefore, he continues, there is both spatial variability from one region to the other, and temporal variability, related to time. The behaviour of rivers depends on catchment characteristics, the size and shape of it, Kale adds. In the case of the Narmada, it is long, doesnt have major tributaries so floods mostly happen when it rains at the source. The Narmadas big floods are caused only by heavy rain in the source area. In the case of the Godavari, which originates in the Western Ghats, (its tributary Wainganga coming from central India, another, Indravati, from the Eastern Ghats), wherever it rains, it collects water. Even when its not raining in the Western Ghats but raining in central India or the Eastern Ghats, it will have floods in the lower reaches. If basin slopes are gentle, water flows slowly, takes longer to move. In the mountains, it flows fast and run off collects fast. You have flash floods on coastal rivers in the Konkan and Kerala. Size , shape, whats the relief of the basin, land-use of the basin, forest area, how much water it can retain, where it has wetlandsall these determine floods on the rivers, he says. Kale also talks about the power of a flood, known as competence. Basically it means how much power it has, to push things, erode things, man-made or natural, to wash away soil, trees and bridges. If the river passes through flat regions with gentle slopes and has a wide channel, it will have low competence. For example, when the Kaveri is flowing over the Mysore plateau, it flows gently, but when it enters a gorge, as downstream of Shivasamudram, it becomes very different. Water is squeezed into a narrow space, velocity increases, and competence increases. It becomes destructive. Its like squeezing a water hose. Its the same with a river, behaviour changes, Kale says. Kerala is the most educated, most urbanised and wealthy part of India. That means large-scale deforestation, mining, destruction of riverbeds. Floods serve a useful purpose. They deposit new silt over floodplain areas, increasing soil fertility. In time, river channels silt up but floods clean them of the debris. Floods also help recharge groundwater. Nature has designed everything in such a way that it is in some way or other beneficial to the entire ecosystem, he says. The Kerala floods led Kale to consult the Review of Floods in India during the past 75 years by C. Ramaswamy, published in 1985 by the Indian National Science Academy. The book states that there were severe floods in Kerala, due to more than 127 mm rainfall from July 12-25, 1924. There are reports that in 1961 heavy rain occurred in the upper reaches of the Kaveri. This is 2018, and the Kerala flood is a bit earlier than 100 years from the July 1924 flood, he says... Kerala: Newly formed sandbed on ponnani beach poses threat September 18,2018 | Source: The News Minute The deluge that hit the state of Kerala last month has affected it in many ways, as we are discovering each day. In Ponnani beach in the northern district of Malappuram, a sandbed has formed right across the sea post the floods. The sandbed, which runs for nearly a kilometre into the sea, has been attracting scores of tourists, forcing the police to be on alert fearing safety issues. The sandbed has formed following the deposits caused by the excess rain and the opening of the shutters of the Malampuzha dam and the Aliyar dam in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The high tides and the oversetting of the banks of the Bharathapuzha river also seems to be the reason for the formation of the sandbed on the Ponnani cove. The sandbed began attracting tourists two weeks ago. It was formed following the floods and is about a kilometer long. People can now walk into the sea over the sandbed from the shore, but it is not safe as the sea can be rough due to high tide, which we cant predict. If high tide occurs after people walk into the sea, it would be difficult for them to come back, a precarious situation indeed, Farooq a native of Ponnani tells TNM. Apparently a similar phenomenon happened in 1996 due to excess flow of water due to the change in the course of the river. Officials have now begun warning people not to walk over the sandbed, he adds. In 2009, a similar sandbed was formed following a change in the rivers course. At the time, four young people had gotten caught in deeps waters, after which one of them reportedly drowned. The Coastal Police have begun deploying personnel to prevent people from being adventurous. After the sandbed formed, tourists began flocking here about four or five days ago. Since then we have been warning them and have deployed police personnel to prevent them from walking on the sandbed into the sea, Ponnani Coastal Police says. The visitors are coming mostly from Malappuram, though there are some from the neighbouring districts of Kozhikode and Kannur. Meanwhile a video of the sandbed is being widely circulated, which is also prompting people from outside the district to visit the beach. The Harbour Engineering Wing has also reportedly warned people from walking over the sandbed to the sea. Andhra Pradesh: Cage culture of Tilapia attracts Rs 500 crore foreign investment by The Fishin at various water bodies across the State September 18,2018 The Fishin, an American company, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding cage cultivation of fish in water bodies in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday. Fisheries department officials exchanged the MoU with the company in the presence of the Chief Minister at his chamber in Assembly. The company expressed willingness to raise the Tilapia variety, which is a popular variety across the globe at present. Officials informed that the variety of fish contains vitamins B, D and Omega 3 fatty acids. Favourable climate, availability of hatcheries, improvement in export facilities, development of ports and practicing fish farmers are the strengths of Andhra Pradesh in attracting the global companies, the officials said. The company aimed to invest Rs 500 crore at various water bodies across the State. It will provide direct employment to 4,000 and indirect employment to 8,000 youth in the State, the company authorities explained. On this occasion, Chandrababu Naidu hoped that the AP will emerge as lead State in the country in exporting fish produces. A man was convicted of capital murder this morning and jurors sentenced him to life in prison. Patrick Logan, 43, was convicted of capital murder during the course of a robbery. Jurors began deliberating Friday afternoon, and returned the verdict just after 9 a.m. Monday in Jefferson County Circuit Judge Stephen Wallace's courtroom. The sentencing phase began around 10:45 a.m., where jurors heard from both prosecution and defense witnesses before deciding that Logan should spend his life in prison without the possibility of parole. For Logan to have been sent to death row, at least 10 of the 12 jurors must have agreed. A simple majority is needed for a life sentence, and Logan's jurors were unanimously in favor of life without parole. When the sentence was announced, Logan shook his head negatively and (sighed). Logan and his girlfriend Jana Nicole Friese were both arrested in June 2015 in the death of 42-year-old Rodney Allen Canterberry. He was found shot to death the morning of June 8, 2015 next to his Jeep Wrangler in the 7400 block of Coleman Road near Morris. Canterberry, a father of two young boys, was shot in the stomach and in the head. He was found by a man who lived nearby and reported hearing several gunshots the night before. He saw the Jeep in the field on his way to work the next morning, on June 8, and discovered Canterberry's body. Rusty Canterberry, the victim's younger brother, testified at the sentencing phase. "That's your protector," he said about Rodney Canterberry. "No matter what's going on in your life, you can call that big brother." The younger Canterberry also said he's had to step into a father-figure role for the victim's 16-year-old son. Two experts also testified about Logan's childhood, family life, and his criminal background during the sentencing phase. A forensic social worker, Jo Ann Terrell, said Logan's mother used drugs and drank alcohol during her pregnancy. He was shuffled around until age five, when he was adopted by a family in Alabama. That family, according to Terrell, was "good to [Logan]," but at 12 Logan left to again live with his mom. Terrell said Logan's mom and brother taught him how to steal and burglarize. In prison, Terrell said Logan was diagnosed with several mental illnesses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Hayden Griffin, a criminologist, said Logan served time in a juvenile incarceration facility at 11, and entered the adult prison system at 16. During that time Logan often got into fights with other inmates to "defend himself" and developed a "tough exterior," the expert said, but Griffin did not think Logan would be a danger to other inmates now if sentenced to life in prison. According to prosecutors and evidence presented in court, Friese arranged a meeting with Canterberry under the premise of sex so she and Logan could rob him. She knew Canterberry had a good job and money, and that he wouldn't call police. "He was their perfect target," Deputy DA Deborah Danneman said in her closing statement. As Friese contacted Canterberry through the Facebook messenger app, Danneman said, Logan became jealous of the sexually-fueled messages. Friese met up with Canterberry at a nearby store, and he followed her to the vacant field. When the two got to the lot, Friese pulled up to an orange sandal left in the field as a marker. According to testimony in court, just as Canterberry got out of his Jeep Logan jumped out of his hiding spot in the (bush) and shot. Friese was also originally charged with capital murder, but before the 35-year-old's trial was slated to start this week she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of felony murder, prosecutors said. Part of her plea agreement was that in exchange for her truthful testimony, she will be sentenced to 20 years in prison with five to serve. She's already served three years in the county jail. Canterberry's pockets were turned inside out when deputies arrived on the scene. Investigators never recovered his cell phone or car keys. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde A U.S. Border Patrol agent charged with killing four women and abducting a fifth may face the death penalty if the evidence stacks up. There was a clear pattern to the murders allegedly committed by Juan David Ortiz he took each of the women out to desolate areas near or just outside the limits of the city of Laredo, Texas, before allegedly killing them using a handgun, according to Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz. Authorities said Ortiz knew the women all believed to be sex workers and targeted them for their vulnerability, amid fears of more deaths at his hands remaining undiscovered. Alaniz didnt rule out prosecutors pursuing the death penalty for Ortiz, although he said its too early to tell because the crime is still being investigated and evidence compiled. At the appropriate time, we will make the decision on what final charges Ortiz will be facing, Alaniz said. There is a possibility that we will elect if the evidence supports to charge capital murder, and then the decision will be made if it will be capital murder non-death or capital murder seeking the death penalty. Ortiz is currently being held on $2.5 million bond, although Alaniz said the bond option will be rescinded if evidence supports a death penalty prosecution. Ortiz, 35, amassed weapons at his home in anticipation of a possible confrontation with police, authorities said. When officers did try to apprehend him, he fled to a nearby parking lot before brandishing his cellphone like a weapon in the hopes of being shot, but he was captured without incident around 2 a.m. Saturday. According to affidavits, Ortiz confessed to the killings after he was taken into custody on Saturday. Authorities are still trying to ascertain what sparked the suspected 10-day killing spree. Ortiz served in the U.S. Navy for nearly eight years before being hired by Border Patrol. The law enforcement agency said there was nothing in his background to suggest he was capable of murder. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Drug companies could encounter backlash and risk hurting their growth in the medical industry if their products are used in an execution, a pharmaceutical industry expert testified Monday. Sean Nicholson of the National Bureau of Economic Research listed ways drug companies could be harmed if their products were used to put Nevada prisoner Scott Dozier to death, wrapping up a hearing in a lawsuit over the states capital punishment cocktail. The potential damages he listed included investors selling off shares, profit losses and a loss of opportunities to license and develop with other firms. A botched execution could prolong negative media coverage focused on the companies, he said. Assistant Solicitor General Jordan Smith, who represents the Nevada Department of Corrections, asked Nicholson how he knew harm would occur if most of the general population supports the death penalty. Because of the polarizing nature of it, Nicholson responded, adding that the medical industry strongly discourages using drugs for executions. District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez is expected to issue a decision on a preliminary injunction that would prevent the states prison system from using the drugs in an execution. Drug companies have the right to remove and restrict medications that have already been sold, argued Todd Bice, who represents Alvogen, which produces the sedative midazolam. The end effect is that the public suffers, Bice told the judge. These drugs become less and less available for those who need them. Smith argued that the prison department made no misrepresentation to its third-party distributor when purchasing the drugs, and that the companies claims drift into stay of execution not allowed by law, rather than the legal issues of reclaiming drugs. Lawyers for Alvogen, Hikma Pharmaceuticals and Sandoz have argued that the drug companies would suffer irreparable harm if their products were used in an execution and that the Department of Corrections should return the medications. Doziers execution was halted in July, for the second time in nine months, after Alvogen sued the prison system. Dozier would be the first prisoner executed in Nevada since 2006. The inmate, who waived his legal appeals in late 2016, was sentenced to die in 2007 after first-degree murder and robbery convictions in the killing of Jeremiah Miller. Dozier had a murder conviction in Arizona before he was brought to Nevada to face charges in Millers death. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Weve had terrible news out of Afghanistan in recent weeks. Terrorist incidents have skyrocketed and casualties are touching record levels. Reports indicate that the Afghan Taliban control or contest control in an increasing number of districts. The positive momentum generated by the successful ceasefire between Kabul and the Taliban during the Id-ul-Fitr holidays in June seems to have been reversed. To argue that the present moment may be a window of opportunity to move towards peace in the country seems woefully out of place. Yet, thats exactly where we stand. For years, weve heard the mantra that there is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan. Yet, one was hardpressed to point to sustained attempts to kickstart a peace process. The Taliban refused to talk to the Afghan government while the United States and Kabul insisted on an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process. Internally, the US system suffered from an inconclusive debate on the terms and timing of initiating a negotiation process. Pakistan believed that the US wanted a military victory and remained dismissive of its interest in a political settlement. It resisted US pressure to act decisively against the Taliban, instead denying their presence on Pakistani soil. The Talibans sincerity in pursuing negotiations was also circumspect. Recent events may have opened up space to break the logjam. First, the battlefield in Afghanistan is now at a truly hurting stalemate. This may sound counterintuitive given that the Taliban have recently captured headlines courtesy of their massive offensives and ability to run over major provinces like Ghazni. Yet, they are no closer to being able to hold on to the urban or peri-urban territories they run over. They dont have a path to military victory. Besides, even regional actors believed to be supporting them do not want this outcome. At the same time, their ability to continue mounting offensives and expand their presence in rural areas confirms that US troop increases and expanded operational authorities of the US military over the last year have not broken the insurgencys back and it isnt going to. The combination makes for a battlefield stalemate. Second, the US has shown its intent by announcing the appointment of a special envoy for the Afghan peace process. Crucially, the envoy will sit in the state department, that has been most supportive of pushing a peace process over all other options. For those who understand Washingtons bureaucratic milieu, the meaning is clear: US focus on political settlement is for real. Simultaneously, we have got past the single biggest impediment to initiating serious negotiations in Afghanistan the absence of direct talks between the US and the Taliban. In recent weeks, there have been reports that they have talked directly in Doha. Another round of discussions is expected soon. While the US is committed to transferring the lead role to Kabul, it has shown willingness to continue participating in the talks. An arrangement whereby the Afghan government, the Taliban, and the US can talk simultaneously is therefore more viable now. Third, as complicated as Afghan politics is becoming in the run-up to next years presidential elections, this is also the first time there is genuine room for Afghan presidential candidates to run as peace candidates promising to negotiate an end to the war. Unlike before, where candidates found a hardline stance on the war against the Taliban to be the only viable election strategy, the strong desire for peace and war termination signalled by Afghans over the past year through actions like the peace marches in the wake of the Id-ul-Fitr ceasefire imply that pro-peace manifestos might be more popular. Indeed, by showing flexibility on the terms of talks with the Taliban, President Ghani seems to be positioning himself as such. Some of his opponents may choose to move further left on the political spectrum and promise even more proactive steps to achieve a negotiated settlement. All this creates a significant opportunity for Pakistan-US ties. For years, the two sides have been stuck because the US has wanted Pakistan to neutralise the Taliban under its sway while Pakistan has pushed for talks while resisting forceful action against them. A drive in earnest towards political settlement creates an obvious overlap: Afghanistan, the US, and Pakistan can now work together to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. With this as the principal objective, itll also become easier for them to agree to isolate and go after those who try to scuttle talks. We also have the advantage of an improved Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship of late. The two sides have already initiated a structured dialogue that, among other things, commits them to jointly finding a way forward in Afghanistan. This opportunity must not be lost. By arrangement with Dawn Iranian media have accused Israel, Saudi Arabia, and exiled opposition groups, including the Mujahideen Khalq which has some members based in Albania, of being behind social media campaigns calling for the overthrow of the Islamic government. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday accused Twitter of closing accounts of real Iranians, while allowing anti-government ones backed by the United States. In August, Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc collectively removed hundreds of accounts tied to an alleged Iranian propaganda operation. Hello @Jack. Twitter has shuttered accounts of real Iranians, (including) TV presenters & students, for supposedly being part of an influence op, Zarif said in a tweet, addressing Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. How about looking at actual bots in (the Albanian capital of) Tirana used to prop up regime change propaganda spewed out of (Washington) DC? #YouAreBots, Zarif said. Twitter declined to comment when contacted by Reuters in the United States. Iranian media have accused Israel, Saudi Arabia, and exiled opposition groups, including the Mujahideen Khalq which has some members based in Albania, of being behind social media campaigns calling for the overthrow of the Islamic government. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States and Israel this month of waging a media war to discourage Iranians, as the country faces economic hardship after the reimposition of US sanctions. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year when the military intensified the crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims. (Photo: File | AP) Dhaka: India has handed over its third consignment of relief supplies to Bangladesh, including over 1 million litres of kerosene oil and 20,000 stoves, for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees in the country, who fled an army crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar. Bangladesh, which faced a big influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar, has called on the international community to intervene and put pressure on Myanmar to address the issue. Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year when the military intensified the crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims. India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday handed over 1.1 million litres of super kerosene oil and 20,000 kerosene multi-wick stoves to Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Mofazzel Hussain Chowdhury at Cox's Bazar. The kerosene oil and stoves will address the energy needs of the displaced persons and contribute to environmental conservation in Bangladesh by reducing demand for locally sourced firewood. This is as per the requirement of assistance expressed by Bangladesh, the High Commission of India said in a statement. The relief supplies were then distributed to displaced persons at Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar. Vikram Doraiswami, Joint Secretary (Bangladesh, Myanmar) of the Ministry of External Affairs was also present on the occasion. This is the third phase of humanitarian assistance by India to Bangladesh to assist in its efforts to meet the requirements of displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. In September last year, India under the 'Operation Insaniyat', extended the first phase of humanitarian assistance comprising 981 metric tonnes of relief supplies. The relief material included rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among others to meet the immediate requirements of the approximately 3,00,000 displaced persons at that time. In May, 373 metric tonnes of relief material containing 104 metric tonnes of milk powder; 102 metric tonnes dried fish; 61 metric tonnes baby food; 50,000 raincoats; and 50,000 pairs of gum boots for the rainy season were handed over in Chattogram. India has always responded readily and swiftly to any crisis in Bangladesh in keeping with the close ties of friendship between the two countries, the statement said. India remains committed to continue assisting the government and people of Bangladesh in meeting the humanitarian needs of displaced persons from Myanmar, it added. But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad." "How do you know Im mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt American has heart attack on Vietnam plane, in stable health now An aircraft of Jetstar Pacific is seen in a file photo by Reuters. Having four doctors on board and an emergency landing helped save an Americans life last week. A Jetstar Pacific flight from Thailand to Saigon had to make an emergency landing last Saturday after an American passenger suffered a heart attack. As the plane was preparing to land, the American, whose identity and age were not released, felt chest pain and found it difficult to breathe. He had a history of heart disease, but did not have any medication with him. There were four doctors on the same flight. Airline staff and passengers helped bring the man to a more spacious seat row for emergency treatment. The captain also requested the control station to permit an emergency landing. An ambulance quickly transferred the patient to the nearest hospital after the plane landed. The patient is now is stable health and has been released from the hospital, local reports said. According to aviation policy, guests with history of heart disease and high blood pressure must present doctors consent prior to boarding. Another Jetstar Pacific flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City on May 16 had to turn around in order to transfer a pregnant Czech woman to a hospital. A man who overdosed at a Hanoi music festival on Sunday is being treated at Bach Mai Hospital. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Anh Seven people who died of a drug overdose at a Hanoi music festival Sunday and five others who were hospitalized had taken multiple drugs. Doctors said the victims, aged between 18 and 29, tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana. The Ministry of Health reported earlier that five had died at E Hospital, a public general hospital, and two at the Hanoi Heart Hospital while five were comatose. Le Ngoc Thanh, the director of E Hospital, said of the three comatose patients being treated at his hospital, one is in the recovery room after coming out of the coma while the other two remain in the emergency room. Dr Nguyen Trung Nguyen of Bach Mai, Hanoi's leading public hospital, said two patients had been transferred to the hospital in critical condition on the night of the incident, with kidney failure and cardiovascular collapse. One of them is now out of the coma and in stable condition, and can now talk, he said. At the scene of the Vietnam Electronic Music festival at the West Lake Water Park in Tay Ho District, balloons containing nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, and unidentified pills were found, police reported. Dubbed the biggest electronic music event ever in Vietnam, it had featured top DJs like Ben Nicky, Yellow Claw and Headhunterz, drawing thousands of fans. Hanoi on Monday announced to suspend all music festivals until further notice, as it is investigating the cause of the deaths from the Sunday event. The incident is "especially serious," a police officer said. Japanese submarine Kuroshio docks at Cam Ranh Port in central Vietnam. Photo by the Vietnam News Agency A Japanese submarine arrived in Vietnams Cam Ranh Port, a strategic deepwater base, Monday for a four-day visit. This is the first time the Kuroshio is docking in Vietnamese waters. The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force vessel, which measures 82 meters in length, is carrying a crew of 80. This visit aims to strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries' militaries and navies, contributing to the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, Duong Nam Khanh, deputy director of the foreign affairs department of Khanh Hoa Province, home to Cam Ranh, said. The Kuroshios crew will play games and hold professional exchanges with Vietnamese naval troops in charge of protecting the Spratly Islands besides making a trip to the resort town of Nha Trang, one hour north of Cam Ranh. Last Thursday the Kuroshio also became the first Japanese submarine to take part in a naval drill in the South China Sea, Reuters reported Monday. Vietnam calls the waters the East Sea. The exercise, conducted with other Japanese warships, is seen as an expansion of Japanese activity in the disputed waterway. China claims virtually the entire area, including waters close to Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Its assertive stance has raised worries about confrontation. The U.S. Navy has conducted so-called freedom of navigation patrols and has said it would like to see more countries challenge China in the waterway, through which some $3 trillion of ship-borne trade passes each year. Last month, a British Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, sailed close to the Paracel Islands claimed by China in the waters, which prompted a strong protest from China. China seized the Paracels from South Vietnam by force in 1974 and has been occupying the archipelago illegally since, although Vietnam has repeatedly demonstrated legal and historical evidences to affirm its sovereignty rights. People attending the Hanoi music festival where seven died of drug overdose say a chaotic atmosphere prevailed. Pham Uyen, who attended the Vietnam Electronic Weekend Festival at the West Lake Water Park in Tay Ho District on Sunday evening, said there were three stages at the concert which attracted thousands of people, with the main stage luring the most because that is where the DJs stood. The area around the main stage, however, was quite small and with the roof, it was very suffocating, she said. Around 8 p.m., a girl fainted near Uyen. Everybody was in a panic and did not know what to do. The crowd was too big and I heard people saying that the girl has used drugs. Around half an hour later, two more fainted. I saw the ambulance come to take them and the event kept going on. Uyen also said she saw a group of around ten people sitting together and it looked like they were using drug-laced candies and stamp drugs. "There were not enough security guards at the event and they were not quite professional," she said. And when the event was about to end, she and others "heard ambulance sirens screaming repeatedly, and everybody was frightened and the area around the main stage was in chaos." Dang Khoa, a 25-year-old man who attended the event, told VnExpress International that his friend had to go out to breathe because there was a serious lack of air inside. It was suffocating, he said, corroborating Uyen. Hoang Hai Quan, another participant, confirmed that it was a small space with too many people in it. There were around 5,000 people, he said. "I left around midnight and heard the ambulance sirens scream continuously." Suffocating, panic, chaos: witnesses describe Hanoi music fest scene Performance at Hanoi's electronic music festival VEF According to the police in Tay Ho District, seven people died at local hospitals and five other participants are receiving treatment. All the 12 people, between 18 and 29 years old, tested positive for narcotics. Initial results show that the patients tested positive for meth, synthetic drugs, marijuana and ecstasy. Whether the victims were in the same group have not been ascertained. Numerous balloons containing nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, as well as pills of unknown origin were found at the scene, police said. Drug use is illegal in Vietnam, where users are subject to cash fines while traders and those accused of harboring or inducing the use of narcotics are punished by long imprisonment. As investigation is continuing, Hanoi has decided to suspend all music festivals until further notice. The music festival was organized by Vietnamese event planning firm A Chau. Dubbed the biggest electronic music event ever in Vietnam, it was joined by top DJs including Ben Nicky, Yellow Claw and Headhunterz. Tourists sunbathe at Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong Vietnam has become the favorite travel destination for Australians, pushing Indonesias Bali off that perch, says booking site Webjet. Booking data from Webjet, the largest online travel booking site in Australia, shows that Vietnam has overtaken Bali to become the most favorite travel destination for Australian tourists. Volcano eruptions and earthquakes have deterred Australian tourists from returning to Bali, and the number of tours to the beautiful island has reduced significantly over the past year, Australian news website news.com.au quoted Webjet's managing director John Guscic as saying. Instead, more Australian visitors are showing greater interest in Vietnam, a country known for beautiful beaches, mountains, rice terraces, world heritage sites, plus low cost of living. Vietnam has also achieved renown as a dream destination for expats. The online booking site has reported a 63 percent growth in full-year profit thanks to a bookings surge to Asian countries, mainly Vietnam. Australian travel blogger Phoebe Lee, who has taken global viewers through Hanoi in two CNN commercials, told VnExpress that she had visited Ha Long Bay and the central ancient town of Hoi An, two the most popular places in Vietnam, with her husband Matt, a videographer. We loved them so much we cant wait to go back, Lee said. The locals are inclusive, they really want you to experience Vietnam and theyre so happy to share it with you and talk to you. Ill never forget the warm smiles and kindness Ive experienced in Vietnam. Vietnam takes Balis place as top Aussie travel choice Hanoi on air: CNN videos introduce the best of Vietnam capital to global viewers Australia has always been Vietnams top 10 feeder markets, and the number of Australians to Vietnam grew by 10.8 percent year-on-year in the first eight months of this year, accounting for 3 percent of all foreign arrivals. Last year, the country welcomed 370,000 Australian tourists, a 11.5 percent increase from a year before. Vietnam has tried to relax its entrance procedures with an e-visa policy which is now available to people from 46 countries, with Indians and Australians added late last year. Visitors with e-visas can touch down at any of Vietnams eight international airports, including Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai in Hanoi and Da Nang in the central region. They can also arrive via land at 13 international border gates, and via sea at seven ports across the country. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook before departing Seoul Airbase for Pyongyang to hold the third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in this still frame taken from video September 18, 2018 by KBS via Reuters TV South Koreas President Moon Jae-in departed on Tuesday for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The inter-Korean summit will be a litmus test for another meeting Kim has recently proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump, giving clues to whether Kim is serious about denuclearisation, a commitment he made at their first encounter in June. Trump has asked Moon to be chief negotiator between himself and Kim, according to Moons aides, after Trump cancelled a trip to Pyongyang by his secretary of state last month. Washington wants to see concrete signs of denuclearisation by North Korea before agreeing to a key goal of Pyongyang - declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Id like to have frank dialogue with Chairman Kim on how to find a point of contact between U.S. demands for denuclearisation and North Koreas demands for ending hostile relations and security guarantees, Moon told a meeting with senior secretaries on Monday. Underscoring the challenges ahead, North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun said on Tuesday the responsibility falls squarely on the United States for the stalled nuclear discussions. It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities... without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war, the newspaper said in an editorial. Moon, himself the offspring of a family displaced by the war, flew to the Norths capital of Pyongyang, with landing expected at 10 a.m. (0300 GMT). He will be greeted by Kim before an official welcoming ceremony, his chief of staff Im Jong-seok told a news briefing on Monday. The two leaders will sit down for formal talks after lunch, which will be followed by a musical performance and welcome dinner. Accompanying corporate executives, including Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group, will meet with North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam in charge of economic affairs, Im said. On Wednesday, Moon and Kim are expected to unveil a joint statement, and a separate military pact designed to defuse tensions and prevent armed clashes, Im said. Moon will return home early Thursday. Sanctions pressure This weeks summit comes as the United States presses other countries to strictly observe U.N. sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, amid growing evidence that North Korea is continuing nuclear weapons development. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia on Monday of cheating on U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Moon is hoping to engineer a proposal that combines a concrete framework for the Norths denuclearisation and a joint declaration ending the Korean War, Seoul officials said. The war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces including South Korea technically still at war with the North. But U.S. officials remain unenthusiastic about declaring an end to the war without any substantial action toward denuclearisation from the North, Seoul officials said. South Korea is pinning high hopes on Kims remarks to Moons special envoys earlier this month that he wants to achieve denuclearisation within Trumps first term in office ending in early 2021, the first time line he has given. Agreeing on a timetable is a core task for Moon, as it would induce U.S. action, said Lee Jung-chul, a professor at Soongsil University in Seoul. Given U.S. scepticism that South Korea may have oversold Kims willingness to denuclearise, how President Moon delivers his sincerity toward denuclearisation to Trump would be a key factor for the fate of their second summit, Lee told a forum on Monday in Seoul. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would impose 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Oil markets fell on Tuesday as the latest escalation in the Sino-U.S. trade war clouded the outlook for crude demand from the two countries, which are the world's top two oil consumers. Brent crude LCOc1 futures dropped 44 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $77.61 per barrel by 0424 GMT, Reuters said. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was down 28 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $68.62 per barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would impose 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. "The growing trade dispute has hurt trading sentiment. The impact on economic growth is slowly dripping in, which again hurts oil prices," Wang Xiao, head of crude research at Guotai Junan Futures, said on Tuesday. Read alsoUkraine boosts crude oil, gas condensate output in seven months Refineries in the United States consumed about 17.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil last week while China's refiners used about 11.8 million bpd in August, according to government data from the countries, the most among the world's countries. The tariffs are likely to limit economic activity in both the China and the United States and that should lower oil demand growth as less fuel is consumed to move goods for trade. The countries are the world's two largest economies. However, potential supply cuts caused by U.S. sanctions on Iran, the third-largest producer among the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), are providing some support for oil prices. Sanctions affecting Iran's petroleum sector will come into force from November 4 Iranian crude oil export loadings have declined by 580,000 bpd in the past three months, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said in a note to clients. Meanwhile, oil output from seven major U.S. shale formations is expected to rise by 79,000 bpd to 7.6 million bpd in October, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Monday. Naftogaz CEO: Ukraine's government, IMF agree on gas price hikes for households The current price is US$248.5 per 1,000 cubic meters. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Turkey probing into imports of coal from occupied Donbas media A number of European ministries did not respond to the Polish newspaper's inquiry at all. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter About Me William Kelly I am a freelance writer, journalist and historian whose major interests are music and history, with a special emphasis on the assassination of President Kennedy. View my complete profile Blog Archive Recognizing the One-Year Anniversary of the Ceasefire Declaration Between Armenia and Azerbaijan They should not be positioned near civilian communities neither in Armenia nor in Artsakh Humanitarian and human rights protection needed following the 2020 outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh Galaxy Group of Companies expands its activities in Belarus: a new TIME and Pandora store launched I think its a good moment to invest in Armenia. Head of Markets at Symbiotics Vincent Lehner Ameriabank has Raised USD 17.5M Tier 2 Capital UNIGHT TO UNITE. UCOM CELEBRATED ITS REBIRTH Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13 Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel Ameriabanks Special Offer for New Clients of Hrazdan Branch "Fall forward": Gurgen Khachatryan, the Co-Founder of the Galaxy Group of Companies, addressed a message to young people in Armenia UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Eduard Aghajanyan: This year's events dedicated to Independence Day will be unprecedented and different Today, Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Eduard Aghajanyan said at a press conference that this year's events dedicated to Independence Day will be unprecedented and different. They will be held under the slogan "You are the independent person" and the main focus of the events will be Republic Square. "All streets leading to Republic Square will be provided to citizens, that is, they will be closed for traffic. The slogan is a very clear message, taking into account the experience of the velvet revolution when every citizen is targeted and the message is addressed to every citizen of the Republic of Armenia." The events will be inclusive. According to Eduard Aghajanyan, if a group of artists previously used monopoly to perform in such events, then this year new faces will also perform. On September 21, a reception is expected in Baghramyan 26 as well, where there will also be surprises. The start and end of the events will be in Republic Square. Expert: New conflict is being formed in Syria (video) A demilitarized zone will be created in the Syrian province of Idlib. Such an agreement was reached during the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi yesterday. "This is an opportunity for Turkey to legitimize its presence in Syria, and Russia is trying to make some differences with NATO through such cooperation," said Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, head of the Voskanapat analytical center. Iran and the United States welcomed this kind of negotiations. According to expert Hrant-Melik Shahnazaryan, despite the fact that Iran has always been against Turkey's advancement, now it understands that it is facing serious challenges. The Syrian government does not encourage the creation of a demilitarized zone. Release of Idlib from radical opposition fighters is one of Syria's resolutions. "Certainly, the Syrian authorities have expressed dissatisfaction with saying that if there are problems in that area, then they will have to intervene in military way," says the expert. "The increasing role of Russia and Turkey in this region is full of dangers," says the expert, bringing the example of yesterday's destruction of the Russian IL-20 airplane, as a result of which 15 Russian servicemen died. "Today, we have witnessed Israel's lowdown against the Russia. The West will stand next to Israel, Turkey-next to Russia." This suggests that building peaceful relationships will be postponed for several months. And sending Armenian troops to Syria in this background is not justified, Hrant Melik Shahnazaryan expresses. "We have provided humanitarian aid to Syria regularly, and we have tried not to become a tool in the hands of other states. This, unfortunately, has been overcome by the new authorities." The expert believes that this is purely the demand of the Russian side. "The Russians have always tried to provide international assistance to Syria and to increase the presence of the CSTO." A few days ago Deputy Defense Minister Gabriel Balayan explained that Armenia will not send soldiers to Syria, but it will send demining specialists and doctors who will help the Armenian population of Aleppo. 33 kg gold smuggling case: Biratnagar High Court orders release of SP Khanal The Biratnagar High Court has ordered the release of suspended Superintendent of Police Bikash Raj Khanal, one of the suspects in the 33kg gold smuggling case and the murder of carrier Sanam Shakya, on general date. Ukraine's acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun has held a meeting with her Italian colleague Armando Bartolazzi as part of the 68th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Rome during which the latter praised the course of health care reform in Ukraine and expressed Italy's readiness to assist in this matter, the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy in Italy has reported. "The Italian counterpart positively assessed the course of health care reform in Ukraine and expressed his readiness to render all possible assistance from Italy in certain areas of its implementation," the embassy's press service said on Facebook. In particular, first and foremost, the issue concerns support for the development of the network of bone marrow transplantation institutions for the treatment of oncohematological diseases, primarily in pediatrics. They also talked about the transfer of methods for more accurate diagnosis of thyroid cancer, the organization of training and education for raising the skills of Ukrainian doctors, and the launch of student and professorial exchange programs. "The implementation of new joint projects in the medical field is expected to begin in the near future," the embassy's press service said. Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry has approved a preliminary feasibility study for concession of state-owned stevedoring company Yuzhny Maritime Merchandise Port at the Yuzhny port (Odesa region). "Experts of the international consulting company Egis International with the support of the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine have designed a feasibility study for the dry cargo terminal concession project in the Yuzhny port for further preparation of the transfer of the largest state-owned stevedoring company [SOE Yuzhny Maritime Merchandise Port] to a concession," the Infrastructure Ministry reported. The press service of the ministry told Interfax-Ukraine that the project is a concession for the dry-cargo coal-ore terminal of SOE Yuzhny Maritime Merchandise Port. The ministry also said, referring to Director of the Reform Support Team under the Infrastructure Ministry Oleksandra Klitina, that international partners of Ukraine, the European Union, the U.S. Treasury, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank and other international financial institutions (ISIs) support the reform of the concession in the ports of Ukraine. At the same time, the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority said that the experts had worked out several options for the development of the enterprise with the participation of a concessionaire, according to which the Infrastructure Ministry is expected to prepare a policy brief of the public-private partnership project. According to Investment Specialist of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Oleh Kudashev, the concession of SOE Yuzhny Maritime Merchandise Port is economically viable for the investor even with a moderate volume of transshipment and with conservative forecasts of future tariffs for services. Ukrainian business projects the hryvnia exchange rate for 2019 at UAH 30/$1, according to the Business Forecast 2019 study conducted by the European Business Association (EBA). "When planning the budgets for the next year, the business sets the value of the currency at the level of UAH 30/$1, whereas for the current year the forecasts were at the level of UAH 28/$1," EBA Executive Director Anna Derevyanko said at the Global Outlook 2018 conference in Kyiv on Tuesday. Also, more than 61% of CEOs said they do not plan large-scale investments in 2019. At the same time, 75% of CEOs expect positive development of business in Ukraine next year. Thus, 42% of business owners expect an increase in income from business development by 10-20%. Forecasts of 43% of CEO on profitability in foreign currency are up to 10%. At the same time, 17% of respondents predict an increase in business income in the hryvnia by more than 20% and by 10-20% in U.S. dollars. "Last year, expectations were more optimistic, when 86% of the owners hoped for positive changes, but now we are returning to the indicators of 2017," Derevyanko said. According to her, the main tasks determined by the business for the government for next year are: effective fight against corruption, the establishment of the rule of law, judicial reform and political stability. According to the interviewed CEOs, important factors for business development in Ukraine are also: the implementation of tax and customs reforms, progress in the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and the strengthening of energy security and energy efficiency. "To improve the investment climate for business, it is necessary: to launch the work of the Anti-Corruption Court, reform the judicial system and restore confidence in it, open the land market, reduce tax pressure on the payroll and detoxify the economy," Derevyanko said. According to the results of the EBA Investment Index, also to improve the investment climate in Ukraine, it is also necessary to increase the effectiveness of the state machine, in particular, many interviewed CEOs believe that this will mean its reduction, perhaps by up to 80%. A total of 106 top managers of EBA member companies took part in the EBA Business Forecast 2019 study. The survey contained 10 questions, and was held for the third consecutive year. Ukraine's Economic Development and Trade Ministry on Tuesday presented Ukraine's export brand "Trade with Ukraine," using which Ukrainian goods and services will be promoted to international markets. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the brand was designed under order of the Economic Development and Trade Ministry and the Export Promotion Office of Ukraine with support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The graphic part of the brand is a big letter "U" of blue color with a small circle in the upper part, in which the letters "ua" are inscribed, as well as the slogan "Trade with Ukraine". At the same time, the first part of the slogan can be transformed depending on the industry, for example: for food industry - "Taste with Ukraine", machine building - "Manufacture with Ukraine" and creative sphere - "Create with Ukraine". EBRD Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus Francis Malige said that the total financing of the project was EUR 50,000. "For the first time, Ukrainian goods and services from different sectors will be united by a single visual and emotional context for the promotion of the Ukrainian economy and export development," the brand's developers said. During the presentation, the brand platform and the exhibition brand book of Ukraine were also presented. "The mission of the export brand is to create a powerful brand of Ukraine as a reliable trading partner in the world. This is a platform for building and strengthening the positions of Ukrainian exporters at the global level," First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv said at the press conference entitled "The launch of the export brand of Ukraine." According to him, the rating and quality of export brands in the world are interdependent with the export positions of the countries. "The better the country is known as an exporter, the higher is its rating as the country," the deputy prime minister said. The brand's developers are convinced that the export brand is an important part of the brand of Ukraine, and forms 50% of the country's brand, influencing on three of its six indicators: goods and services, business climate and tourism. The target groups of the export brand are Ukrainian manufacturers of goods and services, traders, business associations; foreign manufacturing companies, foreign business media; embassies and governments. Ukrenergo plans at the end of 2018 to sign an operational agreement on simultaneous operation in the Ukraine-Moldova control block with Moldelectrica, the press service of the Ukrainian company has reported. "The operational agreement is a contractual basis for the parallel operation of the transmission system operators, which is being worked out in the framework of the action plan for the synchronization of the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova with ENTSO-E ... The final signing of the operation agreement is scheduled for the end of 2018," the report says. On September 14 Ukrenergo and Moldelectrica signed three new provisions from the future agreement, and in general 17 provisions are already ready. "The operating agreement significantly simplifies our contractual base and brings it into full compliance with the European standards. After its final signing, we will be able to cooperate with Moldelectrica according to ENTSO-E rules. To date, the major part of the plan of measures for the development of this important document has already been completed," Yuriy Kudrenko, the head of the department for ensuring the parallel operation of Ukrenergo's power systems, said. SigmaBleyzer investment company has announced the creation of a new International Fund for Ukrainian Energy LP (IFUEL) for $250 million, which will focus on investments in the energy sector of Ukraine. "We will consider everything, including alternative energy. But, of course, we are interested in oil and gas, energy saving," SigmaBleyzer President Michael Bleyzer told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the 15th YES forum organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv. According to the company, during the first closure, which took place in September 2018, more than $100 million has already been approved. "SigmaBleyzer cooperates with highly-capitalized and very experienced energy companies in Texas to create this fund," the document says. Bleyzer added that for investment of funds both greenfield, and brownfield projects can be considered. According to him, significant potential is concentrated in energy saving projects, as the level of energy efficiency in Ukraine lags behind the best world indicators. SigmaBleyzer is based in Houston (Texas). It has been operating private investments in Ukraine for more than 25 years. Since its creation, SigmaBleyzer has implemented more than 100 investments in a wide range of sectors, including power generation, cable television, food and beverage, agriculture, and retail. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy has registered a bill proposing to increase the number of members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to 17 people. According to the website of the Ukrainian parliament, draft law No. 9090 introducing changes to Article 6 of the Law of Ukraine on the Central Election Commission was registered on Monday, September 17. According to the text of the legislative initiative, the only change proposed concerns an increase in the number of CEC members from 15 to 17 people. The document was sent to the parliament's committee on legal policy and justice for consideration. As reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko nominated 14 candidates for 13 seats in the CEC. Militants have opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 21 times over the past 24 hours, with no casualties reported among Ukrainian servicemen, the press center of the headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has said. "Invaders opened fire on the positions of our troops 21 times. At the same time, the enemy twice used weapons banned by the Minsk agreements. In the past day, the enemy fired at our positions outside the settlements of Krymske, Luhanske, Svitlodarsk, Starohnativka, Chermalyk, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne. There are no casualties among the servicemen of the Joint Forces," the JFO HQ said in a report on its Facebook page early on Tuesday. According to Ukrainian intelligence, one militant was killed and one more was wounded. The enemy fired at the positions of the Joint Forces three times on Tuesday, with all ceasefire violations recorded in the Mariupol sector. The enemy attacked Ukrainian strongpoints near Lebedynske and Vodiane from heavy machine guns and small arms. The key component of the strategy for deterring the aggressor is the building up of the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as their readiness for any development, Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko has said during a meeting with Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom Gavin Williamson. "We especially appreciate the help from the UK, which is provided by British instructors in the framework of the Orbital training mission", the press service of Ukraine's Armed Forces quoted Muzhenko as saying on Monday. Williamson said material and technical and advisory assistance to the Ukrainian side for the UK is not an end in itself. Teaching Ukrainians, British instructors learn a lot from them, for example, endurance and response to changes in operational conditions, he said. I see things very simply: Ukraine is a sovereign state and its sovereignty was attacked from the outside. The very fact that we are providing Ukraine with assistance is a deterrent. It is very useful that you are on the path of reform, changing your thinking and approaches, he said. Also during the meeting the parties discussed the directions of further cooperation. As earlier reported, Operation Orbital has been conducted since 2015 within the framework of cooperation between the defense departments of Ukraine and Britain. Instructors from the British army, most of whom have considerable experience of participating in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, train Ukrainian military personnel in accordance with modern requirements of NATO standards. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Integration Olena Zerkal believes that the spread of bogus stories by the Russian side on an allegedly supposedly missile, which shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane in the sky over Donbas in 2014, will not help hide criminals and free them from responsibility. "The other 'finds' made public by the Russian Defense Ministry on September 17 regarding the circumstances of the MH17 crash are nothing more than a continuation of the Russian-style tactics of the creation of a 'smokescreen' and spread of false stories [...] All inventive theories and hints of Russian propaganda will not help hide criminals and free them from responsibility," she wrote on her Facebook page on Tuesday. Zerkal recalled that Russia had not responded to numerous requests for information on a Buk missile from which the passenger plane was shot down, thus, in fact, having refused to cooperate with the Joint Investigation Team. "No spectacular propaganda will prevent the establishment of the truth and the restoration of justice," she said. Zerkal said that charges against those responsible for the crash of the airliner would be presented for trial in the near future. 6 CK Raut supporters arrested from Saptari Police arrested six cadres of CK Raut-led Swatantra Madhes Gathabandhan from Saptari district on Tuesday. Kyiv's Pechersky District Court on September 10, 2018 at the behest of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) sanctioned the arrest of ex-Major Mykola Melnychenko, a former officer of the State Security Department and figure in the so-called "Cassette Scandal" from 2000. The court order also permits the arrest of Melnychenko's property and bank accounts in criminal case No. 42015000000001762 from August 9, 2015. Melnychenko is suspected of committing state treason by means of espionage, divulging state secrets and legalizing funds received in a criminal manner, acts punishable under Part 1 of Article 111, Part 2 of Article 328, Part 3 of Article 365 and Part 2 of Article 209 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. The pretrial investigation established that from 2006 until present Melnychenko and one other person conducted financial-business operations using fake enterprises with the aim of legalizing funds received illegally. Funds were transferred from the accounts of Batler LLC, Novikom Group LLC, Ukrainian Internet Technologies LLC and the American Traditional Express Van Lines, Inc. during 2006 to 2013 to Melnychenko's accounts in cash as reimbursement for financial assistance. These funds were received in cash using credit cards in bank machines located at various locations, including in the United States and in Ukraine. Persons interviewed as witnesses and co-owners of Novikom Group LLC said the enterprise was registered by third persons at Melnychenko's request without the aim of conducting financial-business operations. Melnychenko used the accounts of individuals and businesses to convert transferred funds into cash, including the hryvnia account of Novikom Group, which was opened on November 27, 2013 in the public joint-stock association Commercial Bank Standart. The court arrested funds in Standart Bank and authorized the seizure or prohibited the use of funds on Melnychenko's foreign currency and hryvnia accounts in PrivatBank, Batler LLC and Novikom Group LLC in PrivatBank, as well as the accounts of one more person appearing in the case in PrivatBank. In addition, the court's decision indicates that one of the witnesses reported "receiving about $2 million from Melnychenko from the United States. The money was kept in a safe in Kyiv. In September 2006, through proxies, Melnychenko purchased an apartment for $800,000. In January 2013, another apartment was purchased, first in the name of his father, and then in the name of the director of Ukrainian Internet Technologies LLC. In October 2013, residential houses and two land plots were purchased, in the names of Melnychenko's godson and confidant. The court also arrested these properties. The court also arrested two Lexus cars and one Toyota, used by Melnychenko's wife, three DAF FT XF105 tractors, two semi-trailers, a semi-trailer and an on-board semitrailer that were purchased by the suspect from 2006 to 2013. On November 18, 2016, Melnychenko was served a notice of suspicion. On November 25, 2016, he was put on the wanted list. A request for international legal assistance was sent to the United States on February 22, 2017 to establish Melnychenko's whereabouts for conducting with him investigative and procedural actions. On April 14, 2017, materials on Melnychenko were sent to the Ukrainian Bureau of Interpol in order to put him on the wanted list. The court's decision stated that on April 11, 2018, the Counterintelligence Department of Ukraine's SBU Security Service provided information about the actual residence of Melnychenko and his wife. On May 16, 2018, the pretrial investigation body, in connection with the expiration of the Pechersky District Court's ruling of November 29, 2016, sought an extension of permission to detain Melnychenko. On May 16, 2018, the court granted the petition and established its validity until November 16, 2018, the period of pretrial investigation. The pretrial investigation found that from February to September 2000 Melnychenko, acting as an official, intentionally and at the expense of Ukraine's national security in the sphere of external relations, deliberately collected for the purpose of transfer the information that constituted a state secret contained in the recorded conversations between Ukraine's ex-President Leonid Kuchma and the top-level government officials and political figures. From 2002 to 2004, Melnychenko gave copies of the recordings to representatives of foreign organizations in exchange for money, which Melnychenko later used to buy real estate, vehicles and other property, both in the territory of the United States of America and in Ukraine. The delegation of the political directors of the foreign ministries of the Benelux association countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) has visited the area of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in Donbas on a working visit, the press service of the JFO has informed. "During the visit, the representatives of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg visited the checkpoint of Maryinka. Here, the diplomats got acquainted with the specifics of the entry permit of civilians through the disengagement line," the JFO staff said on Facebook on Tuesday. In addition, the diplomats discussed the features of the functioning of the region and the implementation of infrastructure projects in Donetsk region with Head of Ukraine's Donetsk Regional Military and Civilian Administration Oleksandr Kuts. Russian-led forces mount nine attacks on Ukrainian army in Donbas in past day, no casualties reported Illegal armed formations mounted nine attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, from 07:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time on Tuesday, September 18, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters has said in an update on Facebook. "There have been no Joint Forces losses," it said. The enemy opened fire from grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns and small arms to shell Ukrainian positions near the villages of Krymske, Luhanske, Pivdenne, Pavlopil, and Shyrokyne. Proscribed weapons were not used. "In case there was a threat to soldiers' life, commanders ordered to fire back to make the enemy cease fire," the JFO JQ said. The situation in the JFO zone is under control, it added. Mariupol's Ordzhonikidze district court has sentenced a citizen of the Russian Federation who fought against the Ukrainian army in Donbas on the side of "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") terrorists to 10 years in prison. "In February 2017, a former Russian serviceman, being tired of lack of money, decided to take advantage of his military skills and went to the occupied territory of Donetsk region, where he joined the ranks of an illegal armed formation of the 'DPR' terrorist organization to take part in hostilities against the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the press service of the Prosecutor's Office of Donetsk region said on Tuesday. According to the prosecutor's office, the Russian illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine and arrived in Donetsk, where he went to the so-called "DPR" military enlistment office. He joined the 5th Oplot detached motorized rifle brigade of the so-called "DPR Ministry of Defense." He became a gunner, they gave him weapons and ammunition. The mercenary signed a contract with agreed pay. From February to March 2017, he was participating in fights against the Ukrainian army on the side of the "DPR." "In April 2017, the fighter was detained by Ukrainian servicemen and handed over to the [Ukrainian] law enforcement agencies. During the pretrial investigation, the Russian citizen was remanded in custody at the request of the Prosecutor's Office of Donetsk region," the prosecutor's office said. The court found the Russian mercenary guilty of crimes under Part 1 of Article 258-3 (participation in a terrorist organization), Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal possession of weapons) and Part 1 of Article 321-1 (illegal transfer of persons through the state border of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment with confiscation of all property belonging to him. KYIV. Sept 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Activists from NGO For Ukrainian-Speaking Kyiv insist that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the language legislation regulating the use of the Ukrainian language since the rights of Ukrainians to being serviced in the Ukrainian language are frequently ignored by business entities and local authorities. The activists said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Tuesday that on September 16, a cashier at a McDonald's restaurant in Kyiv refused to service a client in Ukrainian. "We are saying that such cases are not isolated, and despite the fact that some large chains still try to offer services in the Ukrainian language, many others stubbornly ignore the rights of Ukrainians [...] The Citrus chain, which refuses to switch to the state language, the KFC chain, and a number of other networks, in particular, Rukkola, ATB, BILLA," said Andriy Smoliy, head of the Kyiv branch of the Ukrainian Galician Party, deputy head of NGO For Ukrainian-Speaking Kyiv and a civil activist of the Away from Moscow initiative. He recalled that at a meeting on October 5, 2017 the Kyiv City Council adopted the decision on measures to ensure regional language policy in the city of Kyiv, according to which business entities should have their documentation in the state language. "Despite the fact that on October 5, 2017 the Kyiv City Council made the decision that Ukrainian is the primary language of service in the territory of the city of Kyiv [...] this decision is openly sabotaged by business entities and KCSA [Kyiv City State Administration], which should ensure the implementation of this decision," the activist said. Smoliy added that the only solution would be the adoption of the language legislation by the Verkhovna Rada. "Now the only solution is the adoption of the language legislation at an all-Ukrainian level, i.e. by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine [...] Only the adoption of such a law, which will cover all spheres of social life of Ukrainians, will be able to correct the situation with the language, both in Kyiv and in Ukraine as a whole," he said. A new plan to tackle the effect of sanctions on low-income Iranians, includes issuing electronic vouchers to ten million underprivileged citizens. The vouchers are to be used for "fair distribution" of rationed essential goods at subsidized prices. It is still not known if the new plan entirely replaces current monthly cash subsidies paid to everyone, or it is going to be an extra financial assistance the government is offering to the poorest ten million Iranians. The measure appears to be a response to skyrocketing prices of everything including essential household goods such as bread, rice, sugar and meat to put the at the disposal of those who can no longer afford to purchase them. The Islamic Republics Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, aka Labor Ministry, has prepared a plan to allocate one million rials worth of (roughly $23 at official rate -$8 at open market rate) monthly Goods Card to ten million persons in Iran, roughly one out of every eight Iranians, the economic website Eqtesad Online reported. The Ministrys deputy, Ahmad Meydari told IRGC affiliated Tasnim news agency on Sunday, September 16, The plan for allocating goods cards to ten million people have been presented to President Rouhani. Based on the Ministrys plan, bank cards of the people who currently receive governmental cash subsidies will be replaced by Goods Cards for procuring essential commodities from shops and stores in a limited amount. The cards will be recharged every month. The new plan halts consumers access to government cash, but, allows them to procure the essential imported products they need in a guaranteed way, Meydari elaborated. This could mean than the current 450,000 per month cash subsidy is to be replaced with a card that can buy one million rials worth of goods. It is not clear if the retail sector will like the plan in its details and will cooperate in selling goods to the card holders. This is similar to the coupons issued during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s which enabled people to buy rationed goods at a discounted price. Earlier, the caretaker of the Labor Ministry, Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpey, had promised to distribute commodity baskets among the underprivileged before the end of current Iranian calendar month (September 22). He added that the government is considering several plans including the introduction of "electronic vouchers" to help the fair distribution of essential commodities; euphemism for "rationing." Administration-owned daily newspaper Shahrvand quoted Bandpey as saying that the Iranian government has allocated 13 billion dollars to providing 25 essential commodities to low-income people during the rest of the current Iranian year in till March, Nobakht told the Iranian Students News Agency on Friday. Prior to Nobakhts announcement, on September 2, the parliament had approved the double-urgency motion that calls on the government to import essential commodities and sell the goods to the nation at subsidized prices at cooperatives and state-owned shops, said the parliaments website. During the session, MP Mohammad Mahmoudi Shahneshin suggested essential commodities including foodstuffs should be distributed via coupons or other means, Iranian media reported. The idea of distributing coupons was also put forward earlier by economists and members of the parliament as a way to cope with the effects of U.S. sanctions against Iran, but the Rouhani administration has so far resisted the measure, fearing its psychological impact. Harassment by Iranian authorities of jailed human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudehs family has intensified, activists report. Sotoudeh was arrested June 13 after publicly defending the young women who had challenged the compulsory hijab law by removing their headscarves on a busy Tehran street in protest. Sotoudehs husband Reza Khandan was later detained early September after telling journalists that Intelligence Ministry agents had threatened him with imprisonment over the phone. In a Facebook post, former senior member of President Mohammad Khatamis administration, journalist, and political activist Eisa Saharkhiz wrote, On Sunday, September 16, while Sotoudehs children were waiting to meet their mother for a visit at the prison, they were not called up, and one of the children, Mehraveh, was admonished and threatened [by prison staff] for not fully respecting the hijab law. She is a teenager. Citing a well informed source, Saharkhiz noted in his post, An individual who introduced himself as the director-general of the visitors hall in Tehrans notorious Evin Prison threatened the fourteen-year old Mehraveh Khandan, telling her that if she did not fix her hijab, he would not allow her to enter the hall. However, according to Saharkhiz, Mehravehs hijab was the same as in her previous meetings with her mother. It seems that after arresting Mr. Khandan, the intelligence authorities have decided to increase the pressure on Reza and Nasrins children whenever they are allowed to meet their parents, Saharkhiz wrote. Sotoudeh has reportedly refused to admonish her daughter in writing as her jailers have pressured her to do, and is refusing to enter the visitors hall or speak to her relatives on the phone until her daughter is allowed to visit without being harassed about her hijab. The prominent human rights lawyer has been on hunger strike since September 6, warning that she would neither halt her strike nor go to the prisons medical clinic for monitoring until her husband is released from police custody unconditionally. On September 9 Sotoudeh collapsed on the stairs of the prison block from severe low blood pressure. This is not the first time that Sotoudehs relatives have been threatened. Almost six years ago, Khandan announced that he had been summoned to the court based in Evin Prison after complaining about mistreatment of his wife in prison. Sotoudeh, who has been detained and imprisoned in the past, is currently charged with assembly and collusion against the establishment, as well as with promoting propaganda against the regime. In an exclusive interview with Radio Farda before his arrest, Khandan said his wife had been sentenced under Article 510 of the Islamic Penal Code, which is related to espionage for hostile governments. Her defense team said no espionage charge was ever included in her charge sheet, which instead listed other charges including propaganda against the regime. Immediately after Khandan was arrested, the U.S. State Department and human rights groups expressed their shock and outrage. A September 4 tweet by the State Departments Persian Twitter feed said the Trump administration is deeply shocked and alarmed by Khandans arrest. We have to ask the Iranian government, what are you really afraid of? the tweet read. Rights advocate Philip Luther of the London-based Amnesty International (AI) also issued a statement denouncing the arrest of Sotoudehs husband as a callous act. The Iranian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release both Nasrin Sotoudeh and Reza Khandan, Luther said, adding, They must drop all charges against them and stop their harassment of this family once and for all. The New York based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) argued that multiple elements of the Iranian establishment were to blame for the situation. The intelligence ministry, which reports directly to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and was responsible for Khandans arrest, has become one of Irans major human rights violators while Rouhani stands by silent, CHRI executive director Hadi Ghaemi said in a separate online statement. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Due to the frequent incidents of unauthorized flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near the airports, an urgent need has arisen throughout the world to create an appropriate system for protecting these strategic facilities. For this purpose, a delegation of representatives of high-tech companies in the sphere of innovative projects and technologies from the city of Guangzhou led by Managing Director of Abraham Technology Limited Corporation Stanislav Kochkin and Vice President of Ehang Intelligent Equipment Cora Tang, is on a working visit in Baku on September 18. Within the visit, the delegation members held meetings with representatives of the Azerbaijan Airlines, Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center (AZANS), Heydar Aliyev International Airport and the Silk Way group of companies. The guests got acquainted with Azerbaijan's civil aviation facilities, including the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center and the new airport complex (Terminal 1) of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which recently awarded maximum 5 Stars rating from the Skytrax audit company. At the meeting with AZAL President Jahangir Asgarov, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation and applying Chinese specialists experience in civil aviation of Azerbaijan. The guests noted that the opportunities created in Azerbaijans civil aviation by using advanced technologies, made a great impression on them. It was noted at the meeting that Azerbaijan has a great tourism potential. It was proposed to open a new passenger flight from Baku to Guangzhou by Azerbaijan Airlines, and attracting Chinese air carriers to Azerbaijan will contribute to the even greater interest of Chinese tourists to our country and the development of business relations. The sides also expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and China in cargo air transportation, which has a long-standing history. The opportunities for Chinese high-tech companies participation in the development of services and technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civilian spheres, in particular commercial transportation, cartography, environmental assessment, civil infrastructure monitoring, etc. was discussed at the meeting. As a result of the visit, memorandums of understanding were signed between the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center and Abraham Technology Limited and Ehang Intelligent Equipment companies. It is planned that Abraham Technology Limited Corporation, which specializes in investing and commercializing large-scale innovations, will be involved in the establishment a high-tech Free Trade Zone (FTZ) for the development of an intelligent air navigation hub and promoting Azerbaijan's position in the sphere of "intellectual air navigation". Ehang Intelligent Equipment, which began its operations in 2014, specializes in the design and manufacturing of innovative aerial equipment and the development of intelligent aerial vehicle for use in various industries. The main objective of the signed memorandum is collaboration in establishment of Command Control Centre at Heydar Aliyev International Airport to control flights of civil UAVs after their registration and certification in relevant state bodies in Azerbaijan. According to the document, in particular representatives of Chinese companies of Abraham Technology Limited (www.abraham.tech) and Guangzhou Ehang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd (www.ehang.com) expressed their willingness to support the Azerbaijani side: - Develop infrastructure for Azerbaijan within AZANS to be able to control Drones through establishment and operation of UAV command & control Centre (CCC) and preventing operation of drones in no-fly zones; - Trainings in the field of control of UAVs; - Create UAV fleet according to the market demand in Azerbaijan; - The establishment and the development of Free Trade Zone to be an UAV service and training center of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region providing services including UAV operation training, maintenance services, UAV assembly, etc. at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. The parties will establish a working group to exchange information and develop joint plans for the implementation of this project. It should be noted that Guangzhou with a population of more than 14 million people and GDP of 341 billion dollars, is the third largest city in China, after Shanghai and Beijing. The city is the largest tourist, industrial, financial and transport center of China. There are two Free Economic Zones in Guangzhou, there are about a hundred wholesale markets for various types of goods and hundreds of thousands of industrial enterprises, factories, plants (shipbuilding, machine building, producing equipment for textile and food industries, small household appliances, etc.) Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 85 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 18. Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. 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, in 1992 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 the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the Defense Ministry have checked the combat readiness of the military units located along the contact line at high mountain peaks, the Defense Ministry's press service said in a statement Sept. 18. Having heard detailed reports on the operational situation in this part of the front line, the minister of defense observed the positions of the enemy. Having inquired about combat, moral and psychological training, as well as social and living conditions of soldiers in the military units stationed on the contact line in mountainous areas and in adverse climatic conditions, the minister of defense gave specific instructions in connection with the timely and quality implementation of the necessary preparatory work for the winter period. After checking the organization of military service and combat duty, Hasanov on behalf of the Supreme Commander gave valuable gifts to a group of servicemen who distinguished themselves in service. Basnyat panel grills police officials The high-level Nepal Police panel on Monday interrogated nine police officials including SP Dilli Raj Bista in connection with the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant of Kanchanpur in July. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera. On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Chile, Ilham Aliyev said in his letter. On this remarkable day, I extend my best regards to you and wish the friendly people of your country lasting peace and progress. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 By Fikret Dolukhanov - Trend: Spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev was appointed deputy head of the foreign relations department of Azerbaijans Presidential Administration on Sept. 17, a source in the Foreign Ministry told Trend. Because the post of the head of the foreign relations department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan is currently vacant (Novruz Mammadov held this post before his appointment as prime minister), Hikmet Hajiyev basically became acting head of the department of the Presidential Administration. Hikmet Hajiyev has been spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry since 2014. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Masalli Industrial Park. Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev informed the head of state about the work done there as well as other industrial parks. President Ilham Aliyev cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the industrial park. The head of state viewed the production blocks and enterprises there. President Ilham Aliyev then met with representatives of the districts public and posed for photographs together with them. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of the Masalli-Nematlari LLC's rice plant. Director of the plant, Aghamirza Karimov, informed the president of the conditions created there. The complex occupies a total area of one hectare. The rice paddies occupy an area of 60 hectares. The construction of the plant started last November and was completed this September. President Aliyev was informed of the latest technologies used to cultivate rice. The president then launched the rice plant. President Aliyev toured the plant. The facility has a monthly processing capacity of 300 tons and drying capacity of 900 tons of rice. It created 15 permanent jobs. The capacity of the plant will be doubled in the future, while the number of staff will be increased to 40. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of Zahmatabad-Baydili-Khirmandali-Aliabad highway in Bilasuvar district. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerbaijan Highway State Agency Saleh Mammadov informed the president of the technical characteristics of the road. The length of the highway, which links four settlements with a total population of more than 20,000 people, is 15.4km. President Aliyev cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the highway. The president then met with representatives of the districts general public, and posed for photographs with them. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Flag Museum in Bilasuvar. The president cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the museum. The construction of the museum started last year and was completed this May. The two-storey museum occupies a total area of 400 square meters. The museum has an exhibition hall, and the administrative and auxiliary rooms. The museum`s collection features the map and flags of the khanate period in Azerbaijan, medieval warriors` clothing, coats of arms of the Azerbaijani cities dating back to the 19th century, ancient metal coins, constitutions, emblems, flags, postage stamps, orders and medals relating to Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Azerbaijan SSR and independent Republic of Azerbaijan. The museum is located in the territory of the Heydar Aliyev park. The national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan flies on a 56m-high flagpole there. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Youth House in Bilasuvar. The president cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the building. The construction of the Bilasuvar Youth House started last year and ended this May. The two-storey building occupies a total area of 1,200 square meters. A bust to national leader Heydar Aliyev was installed in the foyer of the building. There are also photo stands reflecting national leader Heydar Aliyevs and President Ilham Aliyevs visits to Bilasuvar. The Youth House features a 256-seat assembly hall, dancing hall, internet cafe, photo studio, and a lab. Details added (first version posted on 16:59) Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Its not hard to imagine what kind of troubles await the people led by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who turned his family into an object of political speculation, Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani presidents assistant for public and political affairs, wrote on his Facebook page on Sept. 18. Hasanov noted that there are individuals whose actions made their names go down in history, and who played an important role in the fate of people. Taking on the mission of saving this state [Azerbaijan] from the threat of extinction, national leader Heydar Aliyev devoted all his time and health to such a high goal as preservation, creation and development of Azerbaijani statehood, and, having fulfilled this task with dignity, wrote his name with golden letters in the history of the people, Ali Hasanov said. Heydar Aliyev passed away peacefully. This peace was granted to him by the boundless scale of his work and service to people. The great leader was confident that his policy would be continued in the future as well and will lead Azerbaijan to new victories, and the past 15 years proved how right the genius thought. Hasanov stressed that President Ilham Aliyev, having turned a small country into an authoritative, respected state, into a dynamically developing island of stability, when the world is facing confrontation and terror, demonstrated what a real politician can do. Details added (first version posted on 16:59) Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: It is not hard to imagine what kind of troubles await the people led by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who turned his family into an object of political speculation, Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani presidents assistant for public and political affairs, wrote on his Facebook page on Sept. 18. Hasanov noted that there are individuals whose actions made their names go down in history, and who played an important role in the fate of people. Taking on the mission of saving this state [Azerbaijan] from the threat of extinction, national leader Heydar Aliyev devoted all his time and health to such a high goal as preservation, creation and development of Azerbaijani statehood, and, having fulfilled this task with dignity, wrote his name with golden letters in the history of the people, Ali Hasanov said. Heydar Aliyev passed away peacefully. This peace was granted to him by the boundless scale of his work and service to people. The great leader was confident that his policy would be continued in the future as well and will lead Azerbaijan to new victories, and the past 15 years proved how right the genius thought. Hasanov stressed that President Ilham Aliyev, having turned a small country into an authoritative, respected state, into a dynamically developing island of stability, when the world is facing confrontation and terror, demonstrated what a real politician can do. Azerbaijan started to progress at the fastest pace, when ill-wishers said Azerbaijan is on the verge of collapse, when those who asserted about the end of power saw the power strengthening day by day, and those living with the illusion of "the failure of this policy cannot count its victories..., Hasanov noted. Look at the fate of politicians of the opposite side who dictated to Azerbaijan what to do, he added. A populist like Pashinyan who came to politics from the street under the guise of a democratic revolution sent the Kocharyan-Sargsyan mafia to the place it belongs, while this mafia made Ter-Petrosyan lose. A criminal case was launched against them and they are questioned for the crimes they were committing over the years against the Armenian people. But how? Hasanov noted that when Pashinyan came to power, the Armenians, falling into euphoria, perceived this as a complete victory of democratic Armenia over Azerbaijan and expected that doors all around the world will open for them. They thought that investments would flow to their country, that world leaders would come to Armenia one after another and that the occupation of Azerbaijani territories would be legalized, Hasanov noted. But what does the Armenian press write today? By using methods characteristic to a dictator, Pashinyan tries to crush his opponents, anarchy and chaos reign in Armenia, the economy is on the brink of total collapse and failures in foreign policy follow one another. When making selfies with heads of other countries at international events, Pashinyan tries to present this to the local public as success of foreign policy of Armenia. Details added (first version posted on 16:59) Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: It is not hard to imagine what kind of troubles await the people led by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who turned his family into an object of political speculation, Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani presidents assistant for public and political affairs, wrote on his Facebook page on Sept. 18. Hasanov noted that there are individuals whose actions made their names go down in history, and who played an important role in the fate of people. Taking on the mission of saving this state [Azerbaijan] from the threat of extinction, national leader Heydar Aliyev devoted all his time and health to such a high goal as preservation, creation and development of Azerbaijani statehood, and, having fulfilled this task with dignity, wrote his name with golden letters in the history of the people, Ali Hasanov said. Heydar Aliyev passed away peacefully. This peace was granted to him by the boundless scale of his work and service to people. The great leader was confident that his policy would be continued in the future as well and will lead Azerbaijan to new victories, and the past 15 years proved how right the genius thought. Hasanov stressed that President Ilham Aliyev, having turned a small country into an authoritative, respected state, into a dynamically developing island of stability, when the world is facing confrontation and terror, demonstrated what a real politician can do. Azerbaijan started to progress at the fastest pace, when ill-wishers said Azerbaijan is on the verge of collapse, when those who asserted about the end of power saw the power strengthening day by day, and those living with the illusion of "the failure of this policy cannot count its victories..., Hasanov noted. Look at the fate of politicians of the opposite side who dictated to Azerbaijan what to do, he added. A populist like Pashinyan who came to politics from the street under the guise of a democratic revolution sent the Kocharyan-Sargsyan mafia to the place it belongs, while this mafia made Ter-Petrosyan lose. A criminal case was launched against them and they are questioned for the crimes they were committing over the years against the Armenian people. But how? Hasanov noted that when Pashinyan came to power, the Armenians, falling into euphoria, perceived this as a complete victory of democratic Armenia over Azerbaijan and expected that doors all around the world will open for them. They thought that investments would flow to their country, that world leaders would come to Armenia one after another and that the occupation of Azerbaijani territories would be legalized, Hasanov noted. But what does the Armenian press write today? By using methods characteristic to a dictator, Pashinyan tries to crush his opponents, anarchy and chaos reign in Armenia, the economy is on the brink of total collapse and failures in foreign policy follow one another. When making selfies with heads of other countries at international events, Pashinyan tries to present this to the local public as success of foreign policy of Armenia. Hasanov added that Pashinyan, after coming to power, tries to compensate for the gap that has appeared between the promises and committed acts, populist statements and absurd steps. "He [Pashinyan] says that he is fighting to return the wealth stolen by the former authorities to the Armenians, he said. But now everyone understands that he wants to get his share of this wealth." "Pashinyan talks about democratic governance, but the phone conversation between Head of the National Security Service Arthur Vanetsyan and Head of the Special Investigation Service Sasun Khachatrian clearly outlines these "democratic" steps. The prime minister says an end was put to the tradition of interference of the authorities in the work of the media in the country. But a day later, searches are carried out in the apartment of the editor-in-chief and in the editorial office of the Yerevan.Today website, one of the first to spread the phone conversation secretly recorded in Armenia." "He either wakes up, calls on Azerbaijan to negotiate with the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh region or takes his words back. He declares seven adjacent districts around Nagorno-Karabakh the territory of NKR", thus openly demonstrating disrespect to international community, co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Hasanov said. He creates a team consisting of Russophobes, and at the same time several times a day speaks of his loyalty to the alliance with Russia. Everyone already understands that the Armenian prime minister is inadequate in his position. He is a parody of a politician and the Armenian radio jokes about him are a matter of time." Hasanov said that if a politician turns his child, the family into an object of political speculation, then it is not difficult to guess what misfortunes the Armenians will face. "It is necessary to ask the prime minister who says that NKR is an "independent state" and about the need for Azerbaijan to negotiate with this "state": why does your son serve in this "independent state"? Taking this step, he actually confirms not only the fact of occupation, but also recognizes that it is Armenia that is a party to the conflict. He even brazenly advises the president of Azerbaijan to send his son to Karabakh and tries to present this step as a guarantee for restoration of the ceasefire on the contact line, Hasanov added. On the other hand, appealing to Azerbaijani women, Pashinyan's wife wants to make efforts to stop the conflict and the death of soldiers. But the prime minister does not ask his wife why an Armenian citizen must die in "independent NKR". Beyond the law The rape and murder case of Nirmala Pant makes a mockery of the rule of law Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani will pay a visit to Azerbaijan to participate in an event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani Parliament, the Pakistani media reported. He will be in Azerbaijan on a four-day visit together with three members of the Senate, the message says. During the visit, Sanjrani will also hold a number of meetings with Azerbaijani officials. The event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani Parliament will be attended by parliamentary delegations of 150 countries. In particular, the chairmen of parliaments of 14 countries will arrive in Baku to participate in the event, 13 countries will be represented by deputy chairmen of parliaments, and 11 countries will be represented by inter-parliamentary working groups. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on improvement of living conditions of the population in the city of Bilasuvar. Under the presidential order, 3 million manats will be allocated to Bilasuvar District Executive Authority for the construction of a 48-apartment residential building in the city. Details added (first version posted on 16:59) Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: It is not hard to imagine what kind of troubles await the people led by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who turned his family into an object of political speculation, Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani presidents assistant for public and political affairs, wrote on his Facebook page on Sept. 18. Hasanov noted that there are individuals whose actions made their names go down in history, and who played an important role in the fate of people. Taking on the mission of saving this state [Azerbaijan] from the threat of extinction, national leader Heydar Aliyev devoted all his time and health to such a high goal as preservation, creation and development of Azerbaijani statehood, and, having fulfilled this task with dignity, wrote his name with golden letters in the history of the people, Ali Hasanov said. Heydar Aliyev passed away peacefully. This peace was granted to him by the boundless scale of his work and service to people. The great leader was confident that his policy would be continued in the future as well and will lead Azerbaijan to new victories, and the past 15 years proved how right the genius thought. Hasanov stressed that President Ilham Aliyev, having turned a small country into an authoritative, respected state, into a dynamically developing island of stability, when the world is facing confrontation and terror, demonstrated what a real politician can do. Azerbaijan started to progress at the fastest pace, when ill-wishers said Azerbaijan is on the verge of collapse, when those who asserted about the end of power saw the power strengthening day by day, and those living with the illusion of "the failure of this policy cannot count its victories..., Hasanov noted. Look at the fate of politicians of the opposite side who dictated to Azerbaijan what to do, he added. A populist like Pashinyan who came to politics from the street under the guise of a democratic revolution sent the Kocharyan-Sargsyan mafia to the place it belongs, while this mafia made Ter-Petrosyan lose. A criminal case was launched against them and they are questioned for the crimes they were committing over the years against the Armenian people. But how? Hasanov noted that when Pashinyan came to power, the Armenians, falling into euphoria, perceived this as a complete victory of democratic Armenia over Azerbaijan and expected that doors all around the world will open for them. They thought that investments would flow to their country, that world leaders would come to Armenia one after another and that the occupation of Azerbaijani territories would be legalized, Hasanov noted. But what does the Armenian press write today? By using methods characteristic to a dictator, Pashinyan tries to crush his opponents, anarchy and chaos reign in Armenia, the economy is on the brink of total collapse and failures in foreign policy follow one another. When making selfies with heads of other countries at international events, Pashinyan tries to present this to the local public as success of foreign policy of Armenia. Hasanov added that Pashinyan, after coming to power, tries to compensate for the gap that has appeared between the promises and committed acts, populist statements and absurd steps. "He [Pashinyan] says that he is fighting to return the wealth stolen by the former authorities to the Armenians, he said. But now everyone understands that he wants to get his share of this wealth." "Pashinyan talks about democratic governance, but the phone conversation between Head of the National Security Service Arthur Vanetsyan and Head of the Special Investigation Service Sasun Khachatrian clearly outlines these "democratic" steps. The prime minister says an end was put to the tradition of interference of the authorities in the work of the media in the country. But a day later, searches are carried out in the apartment of the editor-in-chief and in the editorial office of the Yerevan.Today website, one of the first to spread the phone conversation secretly recorded in Armenia." "He either wakes up, calls on Azerbaijan to negotiate with the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh region or takes his words back. He declares seven adjacent districts around Nagorno-Karabakh the territory of NKR", thus openly demonstrating disrespect to international community, co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Hasanov said. He creates a team consisting of Russophobes, and at the same time several times a day speaks of his loyalty to the alliance with Russia. Everyone already understands that the Armenian prime minister is inadequate in his position. He is a parody of a politician and the Armenian radio jokes about him are a matter of time." Hasanov said that if a politician turns his child, his family into an object of political speculation, then it is not difficult to guess what misfortunes the Armenians will face. "It is necessary to ask the prime minister who says that NKR is an "independent state" and about the need for Azerbaijan to negotiate with this "state": why does your son serve in this "independent state"? Taking this step, he actually confirms not only the fact of occupation, but also recognizes that it is Armenia that is a party to the conflict. He even brazenly advises the president of Azerbaijan to send his son to Karabakh and tries to present this step as a guarantee for restoration of the ceasefire on the contact line, Hasanov added. On the other hand, appealing to Azerbaijani women, Pashinyan's wife wants to make efforts to stop the conflict and the death of soldiers. But the prime minister does not ask his wife why an Armenian citizen must die in "independent NKR". The illogicality and inconsistency of Pashinyan's authority are so deep that there is no need to analyze it, Hasanov added. "But it is unclear how some ill-wishers, who call themselves Azerbaijanis, support Pashinyan, he added. The actions of many anti-nation persons abroad overstep the limits. Just see how disrespectful they are towards Azerbaijan and its state symbols that they demonstrate populist steps of the Armenian prime minister related to members of his family as heroism. Hasanov said that call of the Azerbaijani president's son for military service is a good example for the whole society and youth. "Heydar Aliyev will be in the place where it is needed to defend his native land and he will fulfill his duty to the Motherland with dignity and honor, he said. No one must doubt. The individuals turning the topic into an object of manipulation are those who left abroad as deserters, pretend themselves as those defending their Motherland, those who hid their children from the military service. I reiterate my opinion, which I expressed in one of my statuses, which I shared earlier that those, who are now muddying and unethically waging a struggle against Azerbaijan and its symbols, representatives of power and members of society, are the elements that assumed special obligations to the corresponding bodies of foreign countries, he added. After crossing the border of Azerbaijan, they give their passports to the known circles, assume special obligations, and then they are incited to a dirty fight against their country, he added. Apparently, it is more worthy for them to attack their country by using money obtained from Soros, Gulbekians and Karapetyans, choosing Western countries as a haven than to take up arms and defend their Motherland. Those who think they will gain popularity, sharing irresponsible and disgusting statuses in social networks day and night, who consider it acceptable to use military service of Pashinyan's son in their interests as PR, must not doubt that this way they will win the hatred of Azerbaijani society, Hasanov added. Time has shown, shows and will show everyone his own place." Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Christopher Columbus first shipped tobacco to Europe as a partial load. Today, 500 years later, around 8 million tons of tobacco products are produced and transported all around the world. We talked with AsstrA Drinks and Tobacco Logistics Specialist Maria Pobolovets about how modern logistics work with regards to tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars. Maria, describe the process of transporting tobacco products door-to-door, from manufacturer to customer. Sure, I can illustrate it with the example of one of our interesting recent projects. In March, AsstrA received a request for a Belarus-Russia-Azerbaijan shipment. For us it is not the most commonly requested route, since most cigarette exports from Belarus go to Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, or Lithuania. Since cigarettes are easily resellable on the black market, we always offer an escort. In agreement with the Client, it was decided to organize escorts not only across Belarus, where such an escort is obligatory, but also across Russia. The Belarussian security services have standing agreements in place with AsstrA. In Russia, it was possible to source an appropriately priced agency with the possibility of pre-ordering, adequate payment terms, and good availability of accompanying units. The search for a reliable transport Partner followed. The choice was made in favor of an Azerbaijani supplier with an acceptable price. To ensure the reliability of the new Partner, we conducted a standard full check involving a request for registration documents, recommendations, CMR for previous orders, customs database verifications, etc. In Europe this vetting process does not surprise anyone, but due to the realities of Azerbaijan we first had to explain to the supplier why these procedures were necessary. After all, business there is often built on the principle that "a good friend of my good friend always does everything well, just trust me." That is why, in order not to expose cargo to danger, AsstrA specialists performed a thorough background check on the supplier. Also, the AsstrA Insurance Department selected the best coverage option for the Client. After agreeing the final price, in April the first machines were loaded. Did this Client have any unique characteristics? There is no fundamental difference between a Client in Azerbaijan or France, for example. For everyone, peace of mind and secure transportation of such easily resellable cargo as tobacco products or alcohol are especially important. Therefore, the AsstrA Drinks and Tobacco team always emphasizes proactivity: information about the status of the cargo is provided before the Client asks for it. During the execution of this order, we were in touch with the convoy, the Client manager, and drivers around the clock, 24/7. Due to the Clients time zone, we adjusted the working hours of the AsstrA staff involved. This approach immediately showed the Client our interest in long-term cooperation and, as a result, a significant increase in monthly shipments is planned. Maria, what is the key to success in tobacco logistics? What would be your top 3 rules for excelling in this business? The first is to work with reliable transport Partners. They must quickly and adequately perceive information and instructions and, most importantly, deliver cargo in the right condition to the recipient. Second, cars should be in good technical condition. Imagine that if a car stops, then the whole column stops along with it. The results are lost time, additional risks, and extra financial costs not to mention Client dissatisfaction. When transporting cigarettes, depending on the volume of cargo, preference is given to cars with an all-metal trailer not older than 10 years. And finally, transport and logistics company staff should understand the logistics process at every step, know all the technical and legal nuances, and be aware of the responsibilities involved during transporting such easily resellable cargo. Of course, it is impossible to be prepared for everything all the time. That is why AsstrAs teamwork is so important here. In every project, staff have the confidence that comes from shared knowledge and experience. About the company: AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG leads an international group of logistics and transportation companies from its head office in Zurich. It has an excellent reputation and more than 20 years of industry experience. The company is represented in 18 countries across the CIS, Europe and Asia. AsstrAs wide range of offerings includes the organization of international transportation by various modes of transport, import and export support, cargo insurance, project logistics, as well as trade, warehousing and customs services. Thanks to wide geographical reach and cooperation with professionals, AsstrA offers optimal, attractively priced logistics solutions that take into account the needs of each client and partner. AsstrA is a member of FIATA and ASMAP and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 certificates. Contact us: Email: [email protected], Mob.: +994 55 813 59 74 WhatsApp & Viber: +48 576147796 Website: http://www.asstra.com Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AsstrAsia/?ref=bookmarks Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 18 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: Insignificant growth is expected in honey production in Azerbaijan this year, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Beekeepers Association Badraddin Hasratov told Trend. These are preliminary forecasts, because in a number of Azerbaijani districts, the process of honey decanting is not yet complete, he said. "We expect that this year, honey production in Azerbaijan will be about 3,000 tons or slightly higher," Hasratov said. Referring to the reasons for the decrease in forecasts, Hasratov noted that this problem arose due to the weather conditions in several Azerbaijani districts. Earlier, the Association forecasted the production of honey in Azerbaijan at 5,000 tons in 2018. "In a number of mountainous and foothill districts of Azerbaijan, particularly in the north-western and northern districts of the country, the honey yield was very low, due to cold spring and then sharp warming," Hasratov said. "As a result, the plant flowers couldnt extract a large amount of pollen," he noted. "However, very high honey yield, up to 50 kilograms of honey from each bee family, was observed in a number of lowland regions and in the south of Azerbaijan, therefore, in general, the yield remained at last years level. In 2017, the yield in these regions averaged about 20 kilograms of honey from each bee family, so a very significant growth was achieved." In 2017, Azerbaijan produced 3,000 tons of honey. In accordance with the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dated March 5, 2018, in order to stimulate the development of beekeeping in the country, support small businesses and provide employment in rural areas to individuals and legal entities involved in beekeeping, a subsidy worth 10 manats per year for each bee family (beehive) will be paid during five years, including this year as well. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov Tehran, Iran, Sept. 18 Trend: Irans exports to Qatar grew by more than 81 percent during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), the head of the Iranian-Qatari Chamber of Commerce announced. More than $119 million worth of goods were shipped from Iran to Qatar in the first five months of this year, registering an 81.2 percent rise from the same period last year, Adnan Mousapour said. Last year, Iran exported over $65 million worth of goods to the Arab country, he added. Qatar accounted for 1.35 percent of Irans exports in terms of weight and 0.62 percent in terms of value, making it the 20th biggest importer of Iranian goods, the official said. White cement, steel, wooden artifacts, vegetables, sweets, rosewater, henna, fruits, sugar, and bitumen oil were among the products exported to Qatar during the period, Mousapour said. This comes a year after the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain imposed an embargo on Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism. The four states cut diplomatic and transport ties last year. Qatar, which had many of its imports trans-shipped from the UAE and received the bulk of its fresh food across the Saudi border, denied the accusations against it. Imports into Qatar plunged about 40 percent from a year earlier in the initial weeks of the boycott, but they have since mostly returned to normal as Doha has found alternatives in countries such as Iran and Turkey, and developed new shipping routes through places such as Oman. Qatar has also launched a drive to produce more things locally, including foods. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Starting from January 1, 2019, it is proposed to introduce environmental fee on certain goods produced in Uzbekistan and imported into the country as well, which harm the environment after being used, Uzbek media reported. The draft resolution On measures to improve the economic mechanisms for the protection of nature was developed by the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection of Uzbekistan. It is proposed to introduce the environmental fee for lubricating and other oils, plastic products for transportation or packaging of goods, tires, the whole range of glass containers, from glass jars to ampoules, batteries and several types of lamps. The amount of the fee has not yet been approved. It is proposed to direct the revenues to the Fund for Ecology, Environmental Protection and Waste Management of Uzbekistan. Revenues from the collection of the fee should be directed to the sphere of waste management and environmental protection. The State Tax Committee of Uzbekistan will deal with collecting the fee. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 18 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UIET) held a meeting with the Director of the Saudi Arabias Joint-Stock Company "Global Projects Development Holding Co."(TATWEER) Bader Al-Busais, the UIET said in a statement. Among the main topics are the prospects of investment partnership. The representatives of Saudi Arabia expressed interest in information about the major projects implemented by the members of the UIET in the field of transport, construction, development of natural resources of the country and aimed at innovative development of the economy, further integration of Turkmenistan into the international system of production, technological and trade relations, said the message. The participants of the meeting confirmed their intention to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas, to use the opportunities of the business circles of the two countries in order to implement joint investment business projects. Last year, it was reported that Turkmenistan is seen as a potential investment field for Saudi oil companies, such as Saudi Aramco. This was stated by the Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia Khalid A. Al-Falih. In particular, the Aramco company has considered the possibility of investments in oil and gas production, in particular in the countries with access to the Caspian sea, including Turkmenistan, which owns the largest reserves of mineral resources. Falih had said that the Saudi Kingdom supports the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. The minister noted that the Saudi Arabias companies are ready to supply the materials necessary for the project. The construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI pipeline began in December 2015. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: The Minister of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev held a meeting with the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Brian McFeeters, "UzDaily.uz" reported referring to the press service of the ministry. Khodjaev has briefed the American side on the ongoing large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan. During the meeting, the parties discussed the resumption of the negotiation process for Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO, the prospects of regional economic cooperation in Central Asia, as well as the preparations for the "US Business Week in Uzbekistan" during October 15-19, 2018. The "US Business Week" will be organized in Uzbekistan for the first time. The week will include the United States Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Meeting, the Central Asian Trade Forum and the Uzbek-US Business Forum. In particular, the organizers of the Central Asian Trade Forum are the USAID and the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan. This forum is one of the largest annual events contributing to the development of regional trade and cooperation in Central Asia. Each year, the forum brings together representatives of the public and private sectors and industry experts to exchange ideas, inform about new technologies and trade development in order to assess demand in foreign markets and conclude trade transactions. This year's Central Asian Trade Forum focuses on innovations and reforms in Central Asia, including e-commerce, rural development and policy reform. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Director of the HSBC Debt Capital Market in London Odilbek Isakov has been appointed the adviser to Uzbekistan's finance minister and head of the new debt-management department in the finance ministry, the ministry announced. Isakov has held the position in HSBC since March 2016 and has worked in the bank for 12 years. He was nominated the Most Impressive Global Emerging Markets Banker by Global Capital in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He is a member of the Buyuk Kelajak (Bright Future) Expert Council. The new department of the finance ministry was formed by the presidential decree of July 21, which envisages acquiring a sovereign credit rating and appointment of a consortium of banks headed by JP Morgan Chase as a financial consultant to obtain the rating and issue sovereign bonds of Uzbekistan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov City to receive 2,000 goats for Dashain State-owned Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) plans to supply 2,000 goats to control market regulation and fulfill the demand for meat in Kathmandu during Dashain festival. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 18 Trend: Irans Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said the country plans to resume the export of kiwi and citrus fruits. In a statement on September 18, the Iranian trade promotion organization said the country has lifted a ban on the export of kiwi fruits and citrus fruits in a bid to protect its reputation in the global market, Mehr news agency reported. The ban on kiwi export until October 23 was notified to all provincial agricultural organizations across the country by the director general of Agriculture Ministrys Quarantine Affairs Bureau on September 4. Akbar Ahangaran, the head of the bureau, said that the measure had been taken to prevent the export of unripe kiwis as this would stain the reputation of Iranian kiwis in export markets. The ban reportedly had nothing to do with quarantine issues and was aimed at maintaining the quality of exports. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: The Central Bank of Uzbekistan does not expect significant fluctuations in the currency exchange rate during the remaining months of 2018. On September 18, the US dollar and the euro rose sharply in Uzbekistan compared to last week. The US dollar rose by 176.83 soums and reached 8,039 soums, euro rose by 266.16 soums to 9,347.75 soums. The Central Bank noted that since August 2018, the external factors, especially devaluation of currencies of the main trade partners (Russia 19 percent, Kazakhstan 17 percent, China 9 percent, Turkey 56 percent) has influenced stronger the soum rate. The devaluation of the currencies of the main trade partners has resulted in a significant growth of the real exchange rate of the soum against these currencies (by 29 percent against the ruble, by 22 percent against tenge, by 67 percent against lira, by 14 percent against yuan). Under the influence of these factors, beginning from August 2018, the market correction of the soum rate has been observed. Thus the rate is 8,062 soums per $1 as of September 18. At the same time, no significant exchange rate fluctuations are expected during the remaining months of 2018. The Central Bank noted that the regulator, as before, will intervene in the foreign exchange market to prevent excessive volatility of the exchange rate, without affecting its fundamental trends. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 By Fikret Dolukhanov, Ilkin Shafiyev Trend: The Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) of Belarus is negotiating with Uzbekistan's largest manufacturer of special equipment Krantas LLC to create joint assembly facilities in Uzbekistan, a source in the Belarusian company told Trend on Sept. 18. According to the representative of MAZ, the sides plan to create joint venture on the basis of the Krantas plant, where special equipment will be produced on the chassis of the Belarusian production. The source also said that the produced equipment will be both sold at the domestic market and exported to the countries of Central Asia, especially to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The representative of the company, however, did not reveal the planned volumes of production and exports, citing the fact that this issue is still under discussion. Deputy Director of the MAZ-Tashkent trading house Golibjon Hasanov earlier told Uzbek media that a joint venture for the assembly of Belarusian trucks in Uzbekistan will be established in line with Shavkat Mirziyoyevs order. "This will help increasing trade turnover between the two countries, as well as starting to export our products to such countries as Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. The terms of the contract and its specific details are under discussion now," Hasanov said. In 1H2018, the Belarusian plant delivered to Uzbekistan the products worth $1.4 million. It is planned that during the exhibition entitled as Made in Belarus, which will end on September 19, the additional contracts worth $2.5 million will be signed. As a result, 50 units of equipment will be delivered to Uzbekistan by the end of 2018. At the exhibition, the Minsk Automobile Plant presented a variety of equipment for construction work, including a crane for implementation of loading and unloading, construction and installation work and dump semi-trailer trucks for transportation of bulk cargo. In addition, the low-floor passenger bus MAZ-206 is also presented the guests of the exhibition. In February of this year, the "Toshshakhartranskhizmat" Association of Tashkent Urban Transport Services began pilot operation of two low-floor buses of MAZ brand, one being of large passenger capacity, another of medium passenger capacity. The buses are equipped with an engine running on compressed natural gas (methane), corresponding to the environmental standard Euro-5, which can significantly improve the level of purity of ecology by reducing the amount of toxic emissions from fuel combustion. --- Follow the authors on Twitter: @FDolukhanov, @IlkinShafiyev Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Azerbaijan's low-cost airline Buta Airways received a new Embraer E-190, which was delivered to the airlines fleet directly from the manufacturer in Brazil, the airline said in a message Sept. 18. It is the seventh in the low-cost airlines fleet and will allow add more flights to the most popular destinations in the airlines flight schedule. The new aircraft of Buta Airways is named after the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republics Gunnut village, which was recently liberated from Armenian occupation. By tradition, the new aircraft was welcomed at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport with a water salute. Special guest of the welcoming ceremony was a resident of the liberated Gunnut village. You can watch the video of Gunnut aircraft welcoming ceremony on the following link: https://youtu.be/2BbBLLSVMy8 It should be noted that in the near future it is expected to replenish the fleet of Buta Airways with another new aircraft of this type. Replenishment of the fleet with the new aircraft will expand the airline's route network. Buta Airways is the first low-cost airline in Azerbaijan, a structural unit of the CJSC Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL). It was founded in December 2016. The first flight was carried out on September 1, 2017. The Airlines fleet consists of modern Embraer E-190 aircrafts. The Airline is based in Baku, at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and carries out flights to the most popular destinations. You can follow all updates and news on the social networks pages of Buta Airways: Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Baku and Astana aim to develop and expand cooperation in all areas, including tourism, Kazinform quoted the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan Rashad Mammadov as saying. The diplomat noted that Azerbaijan is the most important trade and economic partner of Kazakhstan in the South Caucasus region. "In 2017, the Kazakh-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission adopted a road map for trade and economic cooperation for 2018-2020. Its implementation has already led to a significant increase in trade turnover between the two countries." "In 1H2018, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan increased by 56 percent compared to the same period last year. The trade turnover between the countries amounted to $142.1 million for the whole 2017 and to $142 million for the first seven months of 2018. For comparison, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Georgia in the same period amounted to about $40 million, between Kazakhstan and Armenia to about $6 million," the ambassador said. Mammadov noted that such results have been achieved thanks to the efforts of the relevant state agencies and the activity of entrepreneurs of both countries, as well as due to the fact that Baku and Astana aim to develop the non-oil sector of the economy. "In particular, Azerbaijan has ordered 50 electric locomotives from the Electric Locomotives Assembly Factory (Electrovoz Kurastyru Zauyty), which was constructed in Astana with participation of the French company Alstom. Total amount of the order is 288 million euros. In turn, the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan plans to open trade houses in a number of cities of Kazakhstan, as Azerbaijani enterprises, especially the companies of the light industry produce high-quality and competitive products," the diplomat said. Rosneft plans to deliver up to 50 mln tonnes of oil to China in 2018, the company said after the meeting of the companys CEO Igor Sechin with First Vice Premier of the State Council of China Han Zheng, TASS reports. "Partnership with China for us is a deliberate strategic choice. Rosneft sells one third of all exported oil to China. This year the volume of our supplies can reach up to 50 mln tonnes," Sechin said according to the companys press service. "We have reached a great deal of mutual trust with our Chinese partners evidenced, in particular, by the agreements signed at the Eastern Economic Forum. We have great hopes for expanding cooperation with the Russian-Chinese Energy Forum. It will be held in November this year, 44 Russian and 35 Chinese companies are invited," the companys report said. It was reported earlier that China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) may acquire a minority stake in the projects of Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft in Siberia. According to the statement, that comes from the terms of the agreement the two companies signed at the Eastern Economic Forum, which is underway in Vladivostok. "Under the terms of the agreement, CNPC has the opportunity to acquire minority stakes in major oil and gas projects of Rosneft, particularly in Eastern and Western Siberia, and the parties agreed to consider CNPC's offer to provide under market conditions services in exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons at those fields," Rosneft said in a statement. Rosneft also signed an agreement to set up a joint venture for the construction and operation of a chain of automobile CNG (compressed natural gas) filling stations in Russia with Chinas Beijing Gas. Over the past ten years, annual oil supplies from Russia to China increased 4.5-fold to 52.6 mln tonnes, deliveries of oil products - twice to 6.3 mln tonnes (according to the Russian Customs Service). Rosneft accounts for 75% of oil supplies, the report said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Astana and Moscow are holding consultations on the supply of livestock products to Russia from Kazakhstan, First Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Arman Yevniyev said at a briefing Sept. 18, TASS reported. Our team of experts from the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision, the IT team in Kazagromarketing LLP, the ministrys specialists have left for Moscow and are holding mutual consultations, Yevniyev said. Obviously, there is some kind of misunderstanding. That is, all the agreements, all the necessary procedures are observed by us. I can assure that by the end of this week this issue will be resolved. He noted that since the beginning of 2018, Kazakhstan supplied more than 7,000 tons of beef for exports, while its major share was supplied to Russia. On September 13, official representative of Russias Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Yulia Melano said that the ministry may impose restrictions on the import of livestock products from Kazakhstan starting from October 1, 2018 due to the lack of transparency in its supplies and production. She said that Kazakh livestock products are supplied to Russia in the accompaniment of documents that dont make it possible to accurately determine the origin of raw materials and the place of manufacture of finished products, and may pose a risk to the health of Russian consumers and the epizootic welfare of the country. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 Trend: Tendencies in the development of tourism in Kazakhstan and Russia will be the topic of the Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum, to be held on November 9 in Kazakhstans Petropavlovsk city, Russias TASS news agency cited spokesman for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Aibek Smadiyarov as saying Sept. 18. Preparatory work is going on, said Smadiyarov. "The theme of the forum is "New Approaches and Trends in the Development of Tourism in Kazakhstan and Russia"," he said. He stressed that a number of bilateral documents are planned to be signed during the forum. The previous forum, which is held annually, was held in Russias Chelyabinsk city on November 9, 2017. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 18 Trend: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would leave Iran for New York on September 23 to attend the United Nations General Assembly. I will travel to New York next Sunday, Zarif said on Tuesday, Tansim news agency reported on September 18. The visit could be a good opportunity for Iran to raise its perspectives, he added. The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73) opens on September 18 and runs until September 30. Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of the event. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President-elect of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), announced in July 2018 that the theme of the general debate will be, Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 By Azer Ahmadbayli Trend: Significant improvement in relations between Turkey and Israel should be expected in the near future, according to Israeli media reports. "Israel and Turkey maintain secret contacts aimed at restoring bilateral relations. It is planned that the ambassadors of the two states will return to work immediately after the autumn holidays in Israel," Yediot Ahronoth newspaper reported on September 17. The two states have a lot to discuss and coordinate against the backdrop of the dramatic events taking place in the Middle East. It will be false to try to explain the need for resuming diplomatic relations with concern about the state of bilateral economic relations. After the 2010 events (Israel's attack on the Turkish Freedom Flotilla), as well as after the withdrawal of ambassadors in May in protest against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the trade between the two countries only grew. The matter of rapprochement rather lies in geopolitics. Both Turkey and Israel are, directly or not, military participants in the conflict around Syria. Both are interested in maintaining an alternative to the Assad regime, each for their own reasons. However, there are common interests as well. If Idlib falls, there wont be any strong internal opponents left for the Syrian regime, except for small and scattered groups of resistance. Assad, if he regains full power, will be dangerous for Israel by protecting the growing influence of Iran, as is the case in Iraq today. Establishment of Iranian military and intelligence infrastructure at the dangerous vicinity from Israeli state borders under the guise of investments and reconstruction activities in Syria in the post-war period might be a fatal danger for Israeli national security. For Turkey, the biggest threat at the moment is the problem of refugees. If Ankara fails to prevent the influx of about one and a half million refugees from Idlib to Turkey in addition to the 3.5 million already sheltered there, it would entail unpredictable consequences for the national security of Turkey. Another headache for Turkey is the YPG / PKK armed troops, which control a vast territory in the North-East of Syria. It was Kurds whom President Erdogan had in mind in his article for the Wall Street Journal, when he called to stop the offensive of the Syrian government forces and their allies in Idlib. The Kurds offered their enemy Assad military support in the capture of Idlib, hoping to get preferences in the post-war peace process. Also, Turkey, claiming to be the leader of the Sunni world, does not want to allow the strengthening of the Shiite influence of Iran and the gradual iraqization of Syria a country where Sunnis make up two-thirds of the population. In fact, there is a struggle for what will be the political nature of power in new, post-war Syria. If politicians close to the Muslim brothers and the Turkish AK Party in their ideology come to power in Syria, it will meet both Turkish and Israeli interests. Why Israeli? Because it will be much easier for Israel to negotiate with moderate Sunni Islamists on regional issues rather than with pro-Iranian Alawite regime of Assad. In this context, interests of Tel-Aviv and Ankara coincide. Perhaps, the US has not been alien to the Turkish-Israeli rapprochement, as it can change the existing balance of power in the region in favor of Washington. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Government revives dual power system at NAC The government has revived the dual executive power system at the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) that could lead to more confusion and conflicts in a place already wrought with so much disorder. Israel Railways has canceled dozens of trains for the second straight day as some 30 drivers have stayed at home, reporting in sick, Globes reports. Israel Railways said, "Because of the sickness to passenger train drivers, and what is in effect an illegal strike by the workers committee, there is no alternative but to cancel dozens of trains." 21 trains will be canceled on the Rishonim-Lod line. Eight trains on the Beit Shemesh - Jerusalem Malkha line. The railway drivers workers committee insists that this is not a strike and that the absence of so many drivers stems from difficult work conditions. Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) chairman Avi Nissenkorn has called a meeting for 4pm to discuss the matter. The Israeli embassy in Russia does not comment on an incident involving a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft downed in Syria on the night of September 17, an embassy spokesman told TASS. "We dont comment on this incident," the spokesman said. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, at about 23:00 Moscow time on September 17, contact was lost with a Russian Il-20 aircraft flying over the Mediterranean Sea back to the Russian Hmeymim air base in Syria. The ministry said the aircraft had disappeared from radar during an airstrike carried out by four Israeli F-16 fighter jets on targets in the Syrian province of Latakia. Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro leads pre-election polls as leftist hopeful Fernando Haddad shows momentum, according to a nationwide survey released on Monday. Polling firm MDA said Bolsonaro, the candidate of the conservative Social Liberal Party (PSL), garnered a significant 28.2 percent of the votes for a more than 10-point lead over his closest rival, Fernando Haddad of the progressive Workers' Party (PT). While Haddad garnered only 17.6 percent of the votes in the poll leading up to Oct. 7 general elections, the survey confirms he is fast gaining ground on Bolsonaro, despite arriving late to the race. Haddad's candidacy was just announced on Sept. 11, after the PT's original pick, ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, bowed out of the race. Lula had been campaigning from his jail cell, where he is serving a 12-year sentence for corruption, hoping an ongoing appeals process would allow him to run for reelection. With just three weeks to go before the elections, trends indicate the battle may be shaping up between Bolsonaro and Haddad. Bolsonaro, known for praising Brazil's former military dictatorship, is currently convalescing in the hospital after he was stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally. On Monday, the hospital issued a report saying he was in stable condition following emergency surgery, and had been moved from the intensive-care unit to semi-intensive care. Another 11 candidates are in the running, including a former governor, Ciro Gomes, who is in third place, with 10.8 percent of the votes. According to the MDA's survey, an expected runoff would see Bolsonaro defeat Haddad by 39 percent versus 35.7 percent. The poll commissioned by the National Transport Confederation (CNT) queried 2,002 registered voters across the country from Sept. 12 to 15, and has a 2.2-point margin of error. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greeted Moon Jae-in with hugs and smiles on Tuesday as the South Korean president arrived in Pyongyang for a third summit between the two, aimed at advancing faltering nuclear talks and officially ending the Korean War, Reuters reports. Hundreds of North Koreans wearing suits and traditional dresses also greeted Moon, carrying flowers and waving Korean peninsula and North Korean flags. A sign behind them read: We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-ins visit to Pyongyang! The inter-Korean summit will be a litmus test for another meeting Kim has recently proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump, giving clues to whether Kim is serious about denuclearization, a commitment he made at their first encounter in June. Trump has asked Moon to be chief negotiator between himself and Kim, according to Moons aides, after Trump canceled a trip to Pyongyang by his secretary of state last month. Washington wants to see concrete action toward denuclearization by North Korea before agreeing to a key goal of Pyongyang - declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. If North Korea-U.S. dialogue is restarted after this visit, it would have much significance in itself, Moon said before his departure. Underscoring the challenges ahead, North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun said on Tuesday the responsibility falls squarely on the United States for the stalled nuclear discussions. It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities... without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war, the newspaper said in an editorial. Moon, himself the offspring of a family displaced by the war, arrived at the Norths capital of Pyongyang at about 10 a.m. (0300 GMT), greeted by Kim, his wife Ri Sol Ju and other top North Korean officials, before inspecting a large honor guard and a military band. Moon and Kim were all smiles as they hugged and chatted with each other. Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the leader and a key propaganda official, was seen preparing officials for Moons arrival and accompanying Kim Jong Un and his wife. The two leaders will sit down for formal talks after lunch, which will be followed by a musical performance and welcome dinner, a South Korean official said. Accompanying corporate executives, including Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group, will meet with North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam in charge of economic affairs. On Wednesday, Moon and Kim are expected to unveil a joint statement, and a separate military pact designed to defuse tensions and prevent armed clashes. Moon will return home early Thursday. A Russian Il-20 aircraft went off radar near Hmeymim airbase in Syria Monday evening, coinciding with an attack on the province of Latakia, Sputnik reported. The Russian Defence Ministry reported that the Russian Il-20 aircraft went off radar near Hmeymim airbase in Syria. The plane carried 14 servicemen; their fate is unknown. "On September 17, at about 11 p.m. Moscow time [20:00 GMT], the communication with the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft was lost when it was over the Mediterranean Sea, some 35 kilometers from the Syrian coast, on its way back to Hmeymim airbase," the report said. Latakia came under fire earlier today in a missile attack military sources said come from the direction of the sea. The Russian Defense Ministry in its statement about the missing plane identified four Israeli F-16 airplanes as part of the attack on Latakia. Personnel at Hmeymim airbase have organized a search and rescue operation. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson refused to comment on the plane disappearance. After taking a break for a consultation with the command, the spokesperson said that IDF doesn't comment on reports from abroad. Earlier on Monday, Syrian media reported a missile attack on the Syrian city of Latakia. A source told Sputnik that there were drones and missiles involved in the attack. Another source from Syrian military said that the missile attack on the coastal city was made from the sea. Russias President Vladimir Putin is to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday. Orban will be in Moscow on a working visit, TASS reports. According to the Kremlins press service, the two leaders will discuss "key aspects of further development of the Russian-Hungarian cooperation, as well as relevant international issues." Also, as Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, they will discuss issues related to energy sector and gas supplies. He noted that the bilateral agreement on gas supplies expires at the end of 2019 and Hungary is interested to agree with Gazprom on the terms of the 2020 agreement in the near future. The Minister noted that Hungary has several ideas for expanding cooperation between the two countries, adding that these ideas will be voiced on Tuesday at the meeting of Orban and Putin. Szijjarto recalled that the Russian-Hungarian consortium won a tender for the supply of more than 1,300 wagons of Russian-Hungarian production to Egypt. The Foreign Minister expressed hope that conditions will be created for further cooperation within the framework of this consortium. Szijjarto said that next year Budapest expects its trade with Russia to double from $ 5.5 bln now to $10 bln. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey and Azerbaijan have repeatedly proved fraternity and friendship to each other, the Turkish presidential administration told Trend Sept. 18. "Baku and Ankara are linked not only with current economic and political relations, but also with cultural and historical ties," the administration said. For Turkey, Azerbaijan was and is one of the most reliable partners." According to the source, Ankara and Baku were able to use their potential not only for the benefit of the peoples of Turkey and Azerbaijan, but in general for the benefit of the region. All energy and economic projects which were implemented jointly testify to that. "Such projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) are very important projects for Turkey and Azerbaijan," the presidential administration said. Today, Turkey and Azerbaijan are the main countries of trilateral formats of cooperation, the source said. "The relations between Ankara and Baku are not limited to economic and energy projects, the source said. Today Azerbaijan and Turkey are among the leading countries in the region, which allows them to develop relations in all spheres. Ankara intends to expand relations with Baku in all directions, including defense industry." Today, Azerbaijan and Turkey have a solid bilateral cooperation, but the two countries also have experience of working in a multilateral format. Turkey participates in the majority of large-scale projects being implemented by Azerbaijan in the region. Among them are the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline projects. Turkey and Azerbaijan demonstrated their leadership by signing an agreement on the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) in Istanbul in 2012. TANAP is one of the important components of the Southern Gas Corridor, which will allow supplying Azerbaijani gas to the world markets. In summer, the first commercial gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field was supplied via the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor from the Sangachal terminal through the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline. The next stage was the commissioning of TANAP, through which gas is supplied to Turkey and further to Europe. Another large-scale project of the century is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which will ensure more active economic and trade cooperation between Ankara and Baku by supplying goods from Central Asia to Europe. After the railway was commissioned in November 2017, the time of cargo transportation was almost halved, decreasing by 12-15 days. As is known, at this stage the biggest cargo turnover is carried out between Europe and China. Before the BTK railway, the transportation was carried out through sea routes and on average it took 25-30 days. According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkey reached $2.64 billion in 2017, of which $1.37 billion accounted for exports to Turkey. The trade turnover between the two countries increased by 14.8 percent in 2017. In January-July 2018, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $1.74 billion (a 19.6 percent growth for the year). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo held a phone call Tuesday to discuss the deal reached between Turkey and Russia on a military buffer zone in Syria's Idlib province, Turkish media reported. Turkeys's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Monday, following their talks in Sochi, to establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib. Putin said the demilitarized zone will extend between 15 to 20 kilometers (9 to 12 miles) deep into Idlib by Oct. 15. Turkish and Russian armed forces will conduct joint patrols along the zone's perimeter, according to the agreement. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday in a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the White House that the two would discuss establishing a permanent US military base in Poland, Sputnik reported. "We're looking at it very seriously, I know Poland likes the idea very much, and it's something that we are considering, yes," Trump told reporters. The statement of the US President comes just a few days after Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaschak announced that his country can pay up to $2 billion for the deployment of a permanent US military base in the country. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday flatly dismissed reports suggesting he may be leaving President Donald Trumps administration in the coming months, saying flatly: I wouldnt take it seriously at all, Reuters reported. How many times have we been through this, now, just since Ive been here? It will die down soon, and the people who started the rumor will be allowed to write the next rumor, too, Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. Just the way the town is, he added. Keep a sense of humor about it. The remarks were the most direct by Mattis to date about intensifying rumors about his future as Trump approaches the half-way mark of his four-year term amid speculation about changes to his cabinet after upcoming November mid-term elections. Mattis has become a focus in media stories in recent weeks about the Trump administration, particularly after the release of a book this month by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward that portrayed Mattis privately disparaging Trump to associates. Mattis strongly denied making any such remarks. Trump on Sept. 5 said he defense chief would remain in his job, adding: Hell stay right there. Were very happy with him. Were having a lot of victories. But a New York Times report on Sept. 15 said Trump had soured on his defense secretary, weary of unfavorable comparisons to Mattis as the adult in the room. It also noted this years arrival in the White House of Mira Ricardel, who now has the powerful post of deputy national security adviser and who current and former officials tell Reuters is believed to dislike Mattis. Western officials privately extol Mattis, whose standing among NATO allies has risen as they become increasingly bewildered by Trumps policies on trade and Iran and disoriented by his outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Gyawali meets with Austrian minister Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali held talks with Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Karin Kneissl at the latters office on Monday. KYODO NEWS - Sep 18, 2018 - 16:15 | World, All South Korean President Moon Jae In was warmly welcomed Tuesday as he became the country's third president to visit Pyongyang, amid drastic changes in the situation surrounding efforts to denuclearize North Korea since the beginning of this year. A welcoming mood prevailed in the North Korean capital, with thousands of citizens lining the streets holding pom-poms and flags as Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un passed by waving from the rear of an open-backed limousine. [Pyeongyang Press Corps] Earlier at Pyongyang airport, Moon and his wife Kim Jung Sook were greeted as they disembarked from their plane by Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju on the tarmac. The two leaders hugged and shook hands at the foot of the boarding ramp. Nearby, thousands of North Korean men in suits and women wearing high-waisted, long-skirted traditional dresses waved pom-poms, North Korean flags and unified Korean flags. Moon, clad in a dark business suit and a maroon and gray-striped tie, and his wife received bouquets of flowers from a boy and a girl in front of a military band. Kim Jong Un wore his trademark black Mao-style suit. They inspected a military honor guard before departing. The South Korean president arrived at the airport around 9:50 a.m., less than an hour after leaving Seoul. Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister and close aide, and North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam were also present at the airport. The welcoming ceremony was broadcast live by the Pyeongyang Press Corps, a group composed of South Korean reporters and photographers, underlining a recent thaw in inter-Korean relations. In Pyongyang in the morning, many North Koreans awaited Moon's arrival, with traffic restrictions put in place in the heart of the capital. In the afternoon, the wives of the two leaders visited a pediatric hospital and engaged in music activities with children there, Seoul said. (At Panmunjeom in April) [Korea Summit Press Pool] Moon, who took office in May 2017, is the first foreign head of state or government to enter Pyongyang since Kim Jong Un became the nation's supreme leader following the death of his father Kim Jong Il in December 2011. A former human rights lawyer, Moon is known as a dove on North Korea matters. During his stay in Pyongyang through Thursday, Moon is scheduled to hold talks with Kim Jong Un to exchange views on nuclear disarmament and military hostilities on the divided peninsula. The 65-year-old South Korean president was born on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province in 1953 to poor parents who were refugees from North Korea. As a soldier, he served at the border village of Panmunjeom and was involved in an operation in the wake of the Ax Murder Incident in 1976, in which North Korean guards killed two U.S. officers who were cutting down a poplar tree in the Demilitarized Zone. The two Koreas previously held summits in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007, between Kim Jong Il and the late South Korean presidents Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun. As a chief aide to Roh, Moon visited North Korea. Inter-Korean relations have been significantly improving since Kim Jong Un pledged in his New Year's address on Jan. 1 that he would prepare for his country's participation in the Feb. 9-25 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics hosted by the South. Moon and Kim Jong Un have already met twice this year on April 27 and May 26. At their first summit, the Panmunjeom Declaration was issued calling for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and efforts to declare a formal end to the 1950-1953 Korean War. But with lingering skepticism about whether North Korea intends to abandon its nuclear weapons, Kim Jong Un's negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump have sputtered since their historic meeting on June 12 in Singapore. Moon has expressed willingness to work as a "broker" between Washington and Pyongyang. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be eager to obtain security guarantees from the United States by ending the Korean War, has promoted diplomacy since early this year by holding summit talks with major nations' leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the war, U.S.-led multilateral forces fought alongside South Korea against the North, which was supported by China and the Soviet Union. Hostilities ceased with an armistice agreement signed on July 27, 1953, by the U.N. Command, North Korea and China. Read also... Moon Jae In greeted by Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang amid stalled nuclear talks By Ali Wyne, KYODO NEWS - Sep 18, 2018 - 15:45 | All, World President Donald Trump announced new tariffs of 10 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports, marking a significant escalation in economic tensions between Washington and Beijing (his administration had already imposed tariffs of 25 percent on $50 billion in goods from China) and casting further doubt on the possibility of a detente. At the end of July, expressing cautious optimism that the two countries would find a way to accommodate one another, Apple CEO Tim Cook observed that there exists "an inescapable mutuality between the U.S. and China (such) that each country can only prosper if the other does. And, of course, the world needs both the U.S. and China to do well for the world to do well." (Ali Wyne) [Supplied photo] Few observers would dispute Cook's second observation: given that Washington accounted for 24 percent of gross world product (GWP) last year, and China for 15 percent, a protracted downturn in either country would have serious ramifications for the global economy. Most analysts would also endorse his first proposition, concerning the inextricable linkages between their economies. Unfortunately, though, both U.S. and Chinese policymakers increasingly appear to believe not only that they can unwind their trade interdependence over time, but also, more importantly, that they should-, because contrary to what the term "trade war" would suggest, trade tensions between Washington and Beijing are less about deficit figures than about intensifying competition to master the commanding heights of frontier technologies. While President Trump often expresses frustration over the size of America's trade deficit with China, it used to be far more pronounced, at least in relative terms: Beijing's current account surplus fell from a peak of 9.9 percent of its gross domestic product in 2007 to just 1.4 percent last year, and is projected to decrease further this year, to 1.2 percent. Where the United States and China used to see that imbalance as an irritant in a largely constructive economic relationship, they are now questioning the underlying wisdom of that connection. The Trump administration contends that by facilitating China's integration into the postwar order, the United States has enabled Beijing to pursue with greater capacity and confidence a range of trading and investment practices that undermine globalization: requiring multinational companies to transfer their intellectual property to gain market access, conducting cyber espionage for commercial gain, and using economic coercion to secure deference to its strategic pursuits, for example. It consequently regards China's technological progress as a growing threat to its national security. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his top advisors rejoin that the United States is undertaking to contain China, concluding that only by reducing its dependence on high-tech U.S. imports can Beijing achieve the ambitions it articulates in "Made in China 2025." In short, Washington and Beijing seem prepared to begin decoupling from one another economically, a conclusion that places Tokyo in a difficult position for at least four reasons. First, Japan's growth depends significantly on the resilience of the complex supply chains that help structure-and are in turn shaped by-U.S.-China trade interdependence: Nikkei staff writer Moyuru Baba explains that "Japanese companies are especially vulnerable to a slump in trade, with many shipping materials and industrial equipment throughout the world. After the collapse of Lehman Brothers, none of the leading countries suffered as much as Japan in terms of the drop in industrial output." Second, Japan finds itself caught up in a sweeping recalibration of U.S. economic policy: the Trump administration's effort to reduce America's entanglement with China's economy is part of a far-reaching effort to reclaim the competitive advantages it believes the United States has squandered by joining multilateral trade pacts and acting through longstanding Bretton Woods institutions such as the World Trade Organization. (Automobiles to be exported from Japan's Port of Yokohama as seen in May 2018) While the president may believe that China is the principal offender, he maintains that competitors and allies alike have exploited the United States. He declared in a speech to supporters in North Carolina at the end of last month that "China's ripping us off. Japan's ripping us off. Mexico's ripping us off. Canada's ripping us off. The whole world is ripping us off. There's nobody that's not ripping us off." Japanese officials, who had hoped that the United States would stay in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, have thus far hesitated to enter into bilateral trade talks with their U.S. counterparts, noting that the Trump administration has threatened to impose tariffs of 20 percent on the roughly 1.7 million vehicles that Japan exports to the United States each year. Third, fearful of the damage its economy could suffer as a result of U.S. protectionism and potentially protracted tit-for-tat retaliation between Washington and Beijing, Japan is experiencing an uncomfortable compulsion: to bolster economic cooperation with China, its principal rival in the Asia-Pacific region. Tokyo is working more proactively with Beijing to conclude negotiations over the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a 16-country arrangement that excludes the United States and would incorporate some 30 percent of GWP. In addition, ahead of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's probable visit to China next month, the two countries have established a committee to facilitate cooperation on developing overseas infrastructure; they are expected to work together on 20 to 30 projects, likely beginning with an over-$45 billion effort to link Thailand's three main airports through high-speed rail. Beijing has hinted, though, that Tokyo should not take for granted this continued warming; following the release late last month of Japan's new defense white paper, which argues that China's military modernization is "generating strong security concerns in the region and international community," Xinhua warned that "given the uncertainties now facing the global economy, Japan should also cherish the rapprochement of relations with China." As that veiled threat suggests, Tokyo's desire to strengthen economic ties with Beijing is tempered by continued concerns about the latter's vision for Asian-Pacific security. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera warned earlier this month that China "is unilaterally escalating its military activities in the sea and aviation spaces around our country. This has become a significant concern for our country's defense." Japan has also been touting its conception of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" -- one that China rejects -- assiduously increasing defense and diplomatic cooperation with like-minded countries in the region; just recently, for example, Tokyo and Delhi agreed to upgrade their regular "two-plus-two" dialogues from the vice-ministerial level to the ministerial level. Fourth, Japan must contend with the prospect that economic competition between the United States and China could spill over into the security domain. I argued in a piece for Foreign Affairs' website last month that because trade interdependence is one of the few phenomena that have compelled the two countries to exercise mutual restraint, the weakening of that dynamic could lead Beijing to challenge U.S. national interests more forcefully. One would expect it to do so most forcefully in its backyard, the Asia-Pacific, which is already coping with a significant security challenge in the continued progression of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Beyond further undercutting the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign on Pyongyang, China could decide to accelerate its militarization of the South China Sea, through which roughly 21 percent of world trade flowed in 2016; contest more forcefully Japan's claims in the East China Sea; and increase preparations for an attack on Taiwan. Security tensions might even extend beyond the region; Beijing could, for example, move to intensify its alignment with Moscow, not only to push back more strongly against U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, but also to pose a more concerted, holistic challenge to the U.S.-led postwar order. If, as seems plausible, we are in the early stages of a long unwinding between the U.S. and Chinese economies, Japan may have to devise new strategies not only for sustaining its growth, but also for insulating itself from the impact of deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing. (Ali Wyne is a policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation) KYODO NEWS - Sep 18, 2018 - 14:13 | All, World The top Japanese government spokesman said Tuesday a drill held last week in the South China Sea by a Japanese submarine and destroyers was "not at all" intended as a counter to China's activities in the area. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the exercise in the South China Sea last Thursday was "aimed at improving the Self Defense Forces' strategy and skills" and that "we don't bear any particular country in mind." (Yoshihide Suga) In a rare announcement, the Maritime Self-Defense Force said Monday the submarine Kuroshio, along with the helicopter carrier Kaga and two destroyers, the Inazuma and Suzutsuki, conducted an antisubmarine warfare exercise in the South China Sea, where Beijing's claim to islands overlaps those of neighboring countries. The MSDF disclosure prompted an immediate rebuke from Beijing later Monday, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang saying a country outside the immediate region should not undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera also said Tuesday, "The MSDF has conducted drills involving submarines in the South China Sea for more than 15 years." According to Defense Ministry Officials, Japan has sent MSDF training submarines into the waters before the dispatch of the Kuroshio. Noting that Tokyo and Beijing have established a communication mechanism aimed at avoiding accidental clashes at sea and air, Onodera said, "The entire government has to make efforts to improve bilateral ties." (Photo courtesy of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a television appearance Monday that Tokyo is seeking to "improve the proficiency" of the Japanese maritime forces through the drill. He also said Japan made public the activity because "neighboring countries are effectively aware of it." China claims the entire South China Sea and has built artificial islands with military infrastructure in the waters, while other Southeast Asian nations -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- also have territorial claims in the sea. Japan does not face the South China Sea but views it as strategically important due to its role as a vital shipping lane. Saseendran had earlier informed the Assembly that he was unaware of any plan to axe the trees. Kanchanpur rape and murder case: Investigators still clueless It has been 54 days since the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta in Bhimdutta Municipality-18, Kanchanpur. Chand-Maoist's Rolpa leader Subedi arrested Police are preparing to produce Santosh Subedi, district secretary of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Netra Bikram Chand, before the Rolpa District Court. Nepali peacekeeper shot at in South Sudan A Nepali peacekeeper deployed in South Sudan has been injured when the soldiers of South Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) opened fire on Sunday morning. Menlo Park, Calif. -- Over the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries, rechargeable batteries that move lithium ions back and forth to charge and discharge, have enabled smaller devices that juice up faster and last longer. Now, X-ray experiments at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have revealed that the pathways lithium ions take through a common battery material are more complex than previously thought. The results correct more than two decades worth of assumptions about the material and will help improve battery design, potentially leading to a new generation of lithium-ion batteries. An international team of researchers, led by William Chueh, a faculty scientist at SLAC's Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Sciences and a Stanford materials science professor, published these findings today in Nature Materials. "Before, it was kind of like a black box," said Martin Bazant, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another leader of the study. "You could see that the material worked pretty well and certain additives seemed to help, but you couldn't tell exactly where the lithium ions go in every step of the process. You could only try to develop a theory and work backwards from measurements. With new instruments and measurement techniques, we're starting to have a more rigorous scientific understanding of how these things actually work." The 'popcorn effect' Anyone who has ridden in an electric bus, worked with a power tool or used a cordless vacuum has likely reaped the benefits of the battery material they studied, lithium iron phosphate. It can also be used for the start-stop feature in cars with internal combustion engines and storage for wind and solar power in electrical grids. Better understanding of this material and others like it could lead to faster-charging, longer-lasting and more durable batteries. But until recently, researchers could only guess at the mechanisms that allow it to work. When lithium-ion batteries charge and discharge, the lithium ions flow from a liquid solution into a solid reservoir. But once in the solid, the lithium can rearrange itself, sometimes causing the material to split into two distinct phases, much as oil and water separate when mixed together. This causes what Chueh refers to as a "popcorn effect." The ions clump together into hot spots that end up shortening the battery lifetime. In this study, researchers used two X-ray techniques to explore the inner workings of lithium-ion batteries. At SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) they bounced X-rays off a sample of lithium iron phosphate to reveal its atomic and electronic structure, giving them a sense of how the lithium ions were moving about in the material. At Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS), they used X-ray microscopy to magnify the process, allowing them to map how the concentration of lithium changes over time. Swimming upstream Previously, researchers thought that lithium iron phosphate was a one-dimensional conductor, meaning lithium ions are only able to travel in one direction through the bulk of the material, like salmon swimming upstream. But while sifting through their data, the researchers noticed that lithium was moving in a completely different direction on the surface of the material than one would expect based on previous models. It was as if someone had tossed a leaf onto the surface of the stream and discovered that the water was flowing in a completely different direction than the swimming salmon. They worked with Saiful Islam, a chemistry professor at the University of Bath, UK, to develop computer models and simulations of the system. Those revealed that lithium ions moved in two additional directions on the surface of the material, making lithium iron phosphate a three-dimensional conductor. "As it turns out, these extra pathways are problematic for the material, promoting the popcorn-like behavior that leads to its failure," Chueh said. "If lithium can be made to move more slowly on the surface, it will make the battery much more uniform. This is the key to developing higher performance and longer lasting batteries." A new frontier in battery engineering Even though lithium iron phosphate has been around for the past two decades, the ability to study it at the nanoscale and during battery operation wasn't possible until just a couple of years ago. "This explains how such a crucial property of the material has gone unnoticed for so long," said Yiyang Li, who led the experimental work as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford and SLAC. "With new technologies, there are always new and interesting properties to be discovered about materials that make you think about them a little differently." This work is one of the first papers to come out of a collaboration between Bazant, Chueh and several other scientists as part of a Toyota Research Institute-funded research center that utilizes theory and machine learning to design and interpret advanced experiments. These most recent findings, Bazant said, create a more complex story that theorists and engineers are going to have to consider in future work. "It further builds the argument that engineering the surfaces of lithium-ion batteries is really the new frontier," he said. "We have already discovered and developed some of the best bulk materials. And we've seen that lithium-ion batteries are still progressing at a pretty remarkable pace: They keep getting better and better. This research is enabling the steady advancement of a tried technology that actually works. We're building on an important bit of knowledge that can be added to the toolkit of battery engineers as they try to develop better materials." Spanning different scales To follow up on this study, the researchers will continue to combine modeling, simulation and experiments to try to understand fundamental questions about battery performance at many different length and time scales with facilities such as SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source, or LCLS, where researchers will be able to probe single ionic hops that happen at timescales as fast as one trillionth of a second. "One of the roadblocks to developing lithium-ion battery technologies is the huge span of length and time scales involved," Chueh said. "Key processes can happen in a split second or over many years. The path forward requires mapping these processes at lengths that go from meters all the way down to the motion of atoms. At SLAC, we're studying battery materials at all of these scales. Combining that with modeling and experiment is really what made this understanding possible." ### In addition to SLAC, Stanford, Berkeley Lab, MIT, and the University of Bath, the collaboration includes researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry and the University of Ljubljana, both in Slovenia. LCLS, SSRL, and ALS are DOE Office of Science user facilities. The theoretical aspect of the work was supported by Toyota Research Institute, among other funding agencies. SLAC is a multi-program laboratory exploring frontier questions in photon science, astrophysics, particle physics and accelerator research. Located in Menlo Park, California, SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. To learn more, please visit http://www.slac.stanford.edu. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. 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. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Unexpected This is a transcript of a talk given at ElixirDaze and CodeBEAMSF conferences in March of 2018, dealing with supervision trees and with the unexpected. Among other things, I'm a systems architect, which means that my job is mostly coming up with broad plans, and taking the merit if they go well and otherwise blaming the developers if it they go wrong. More seriously, a part of my job is helping make abstract plans about systems, in such a way that they are understandable, leave room for developers to make decisions locally about what they mean, but while structuring things in such a way that the biggest minefields one might encounter when the rubber hits the road are taken care of. This is kind of critical at Genetec because were designing security systems that are used in supermarkets, coffee shops, train stations, airports, or even city-wide systems. Theres something quite interesting about designing a system where if theres any significant failure, the militarywith dudes carrying submachine gunshas to be called as a back up for what you do (to be fair, I'm not the one who designed these, those are stories I heard!) The systems are often deployed at customer sites, with no direct management access by its developers. So the challenge is in coming up with solutions that require little to no active maintenanceeven though they must be maintainablemust suffer no or little downtime, and must make the right decisions when everything goes bad and the system is fully isolated for hours. Few of these plans survive the whiteboard, and most of them have to be living documents adapted to whatever developers encounter as they work. I think this is because of one simple problem underneath it all: we dont know everything. In fact, we dont know much at all. So this is me at work. Trying to help along the way. One thing I've noticed happening over and over again though is that the vocabulary that OTP gives us as a framework really helps with all of that stuff. I barely remember how to build a system without it, and no matter what I design now, the OTP approach seeps into it. And what happens, no matter if the discussion is about Erlang systems or any other language, is that I keep coming back to these principles and using them. So today thats a bit of what I want to talk about. How can you design your system for actual fault tolerance, to deal with the unexpected, to deal with what we dont know can bite us in the ass, specifically in the context of Erlang and Elixir systems. So first of all, I think it might be useful to try and define where the bugs in our systems can come from. There's this brown-orange area right here: those are the things we know. We have experience, we have measured them, we know them to be facts. It's a smallish circle and it only partially overlaps the code we have in our systems. Most of the code we have to answer for, as people writing software, is code we know almost nothing about. The stuff we've written is dwarfed by the code from the libraries we use, the virtual machine, our operating systems, and if we're in the cloud, then there's hypervisors and all the other services we depend on. Chances are this area is not too significant. However the good thing is whenever we have a bug in our system that's in that brown-orange circle, we can deal with it pretty well. It's easy. We know the code, we know the problem domain, we have an idea of what to do to fix things. Chances are the bug is in a place we knew we'd find it: maybe around a TODO we left behind with missing error handling, or maybe it was found in development already and we just decided to ship the code anyway because of time or budget pressures. In any case, those are simple enough. The purple area, now that one's interesting. Those are the things we think we know. We've never really double-checked these. We just extrapolate and guess about how the world works based on things we do know. We look at a part of a system, make a guess about how it works and go "there's no other way this could work, it wouldn't make sense." But it's never exactly how we think it is, and the world doesn't make much sense and so we're wrong. The bugs we cause with this kind of issues are all over the place. If it happens at the top of the Jenga towers that are the systems we buildmaybe it's something like how a file logger deals with overload and how it may truncate some data we didn't expectit's not too bad. On the other hand, if it's at the bottom of the Jenga tower, then those small wrong assumptions can be very dangerous to the overall stability of the system. My favorite example there is how the TCP stack tends to behave differently if you're on the loopback interface or the other external ones. On a loopback interface, error detection is mostly instantaneous, and even sending data can detect faults. But on any external interface, basically what you have in the real world, this just doesn't happen. So if you built your entire system with local tests, it's possible that the production one will just be plain broken, and in a rather important way. But that's alright, because the most annoying section is the one that's in neither circle; the things we don't know. This is a fun category because any example I give automatically leaves that category. The bugs here take you by surprise, with little that can be done about them. A good recent example was the meltdown processor issue. Side channel attacks few people ever considered to be a possibility turned out to put the security model necessary to entire industries at risk. Another example I like is the thundering herd problem. If you've never heard of the thundering herd, it's what happens whenever you have a large set of clients and far more limited servers. Whenever there's a big failure that causes all clients to disconnect, they may all try to connect back again at the same exact time. Whenever that happens, the impact they have can be such that they kill the remaining servers, and can prevent the system from ever coming back up. If you have never prepared for that, and you're not in control of the clients, you may find yourself in a very tricky situation. Now the actual solution to a thundering herd is writing clients that do things such as use exponential backoff with a random jitter factor to them whenever they fail to reconnect. This is good if you know it, but if you've never seen it, it's not quite simple. So that's what we get. That orange-brown area is all the easy stuff. It's fine. The purple one, we have to be careful about. We have to pay attention and second-guess ourselves. The red area though, that one is a difficult one. We can dig hard, try to gain more knowledge from other people around, and maybe "thoughts and prayers" can do a thing but usually that doesn't seem very effective. And so the big question worth a lot of money is how can we shift more bugs from the difficult categories into the easier ones. I don't really believe we can get rid of them all, but if more of them are easy to handle then that's probably a significant improvement. The simple but difficult solution to this is to increase the knowledge of developers. If you know more stuff then you've got to believe there's going to be more bugs that fit the "things you know" category. The simplest and easiest way to do that is to hire more senior developers. They're going to know more than junior ones, and so the circle of things they know will cover a wider area than other people. The thing with senior developers is that you must resist the temptation of sending them on their own in one corner of the code mines to write up some of the difficult stuff you have to do, all on their own. Then eventually they leave for another place, and the only thing that remains behind is badly documented work that you now have to answer for with no way to maintain or operate it properly. Instead, what you should aim for is fostering a culture of teaching, mentorship, and of training. The sign of a healthy team is not one where you have to poach senior people, see them leave, and then poach more senior people. A healthy team is one where the input is junior employees and the output is more senior employees. That means that when people grow out of your organization and seek new challenges, you are not left with a bunch of employees you never took the time to train, but with a team that overall could teach things to each other, share knowledge, and ultimately prevent systems from becoming legacy. Because that's what a legacy system is: one that nobody knows how or wants to maintain. The second way to increase knowledge is to have a more diverse team. If I'm hiring someone who I've been friends with for years, went to the same school I did, or with whom I worked all the same jobs, there's a very good chance that my orange-brown circle of knowledge will overlap that person's orange-brown circle of knowledge in major ways. What this means is that when it comes to general knowledge, we risk having a pretty similar perspective on things, but also share most of our blind spots. If I'm instead looking for people who have a different background than I do, whether in terms of education, professional experience, different hobbies, or a different cultural background, there's a far bigger chance that our respective circles overlap less, and that more bugs can be prevented before we even get to programming. Think of it as localisation and internationalisation. If you've ever worked with people who speak only one language and have lived in the same town their entire life, there's a good chance they'll vastly underestimate the kind of challenges awaiting them when it comes to making an application available to people in other countries, with different cultures. A lot of very well-known errors or predictable ones when you know different languages will need to be re-discovered by the team when they could have saved themselves the time. Similarly, it's easy for software developers, a population that is generally well-educated and used to reading text, to forget that 15% to 20% of North Americans are considered functionally illiterate and will be unable to extract significant information from a paragraph of text. If your app or system requires significant documentation to be usable, you're losing a huge amount of people before you even got started. To put the principle another way, if you hire a team of people who love bitcoin, there's a good chance they'll come up with a solution that includes a blockchain, no matter what the problem was. The same is true for distributed systems engineers and various quorum or consensus protocols, and so on. A higher amount of diversity from that perspective means fewer prospective bugs because as a team, the overall knowledge of the world is likely to be higher than what you'd get within a monoculture. If you do mix that with a good culture of sharing and education, your engineers should be growing not just as technical contributors, but as people as well. All of that does not necessarily take care of the code aspects of things, though Loving this image. Pack your laptop, it's going to production! When it comes to code, one of the most effective approaches you can take is exploratory testing. You take an experienced tester, sit them in front of your program, and let them go hog wild. They go around and play with things, and try to see what the program can or cannot do, and write a report. They're almost guaranteed to come up with a lot of very interesting bugs that nobody would have thought of. The downside of this approach is that it is generally time consuming, makes it hard to test for some sorts of regressions, and will lack repeatability. It also requires experienced testers, often manual testers, and in many industries, this is a skillset that may be difficult to find. Instead, there are interesting mechanical and automated approaches that can be taken to help find such problems ahead of time. The first one I'd like to mention is fuzzing. Fuzzing is great. Youre going to take your program, instrument it the right way, and then ask another program to throw as much garbage at it as it can. The objective of fuzzing will be to cover as much branching logic as possible, and to find inputs that can crash your program. One of the most famous examples of that is American Fuzzy Lop, which asks you to instrument your code, give it a way to write input, and then it will try to generate data that will let it cover as many branches of your code as possible. If it needs to generate 15 megabytes of W s followed by some arbitrary binary data, it may just do so. The point of a fuzzer like that is to find inputs that crash your program, which would normally be cause for concern, especially in languages without memory safety guarantees. The downside though is that it tries to demonstrate that your program survives on garbage input, but not necessarily that it does the right thing while drowning in said garbage. For us in the Erlang and Elixir world, Property-based testing is where the fun is at. QuickCheck, PropEr, Triq, StreamData and so on can all be used to explore programs. The strength of the approach here is that rather than just showing whether the program crashes or runs, property-based testing attempts to demonstrate that no matter what kind of garbage you throw at the software, it still does the right thing. It will necessarily search differently and you may tune it to not seek crashes nearly as much, but one thing property-based testing will do is find corner cases you did not know existed. From that point of view, these frameworks dont really increase your knowledge of the system, they just do the work for you so that you can still get the benefit of the knowledge without having had to gain it by yourself. At the same time, you do get to learn about how vague requirements can be. If you dont know what Property-based testing is, I absolutely have to introduce it. Its one of the most powerful testing methodologies out there, halfway through fuzzing and model checking. You can use all the frameworks I mentioned to test basic stuff in terms of data generation: does my login mechanism still work with fancy confusing Unicode usernames? Will it blow up on some log formatting? What if I upload pictures with real weird EXIF data? Will that still work? That's the part where the whole exercise looks a lot like fuzzing, with the caveat that because we use properties, we're not just looking for crashes, but also things like "is the system mangling user-submitted data?" which do denote for proper behaviour instead of just staying alive. But the real interesting stuff comes from the crossover with model checking, and there, few property-based testing frameworks across all languages do it as well as most of the Erlang ones (Python's Hypothesis is always good; StreamData in Elixir has no support for this, and none is actually planned either although some community members want it) and particularly QuickCheck. Let's check how that works through an example. Let's say I have a service for private image storage. First you come up with rules about your system, such as a user who deletes an entry from their account should no longer be able to see this picture, then say nobody should see entries that do not belong to them, and then something like entries cannot be duplicated within one account. Just these 3 rules. Well maybe a fourth one like "a user must be logged in to upload an entry." Then you tell the program how to generate data for users and entries, and then you tell it various things it can do with your program, like how to log in, log out, and then add, view, or remove an entry. Then the framework goes to town on your system. It generates sequences of these operations as a data structure, and then executes them for a near-random walks through your code, all while makes sure that all your rules and invariants remain true. If it finds a bug where one of the rule is broken, the framework then shrinks the counter-example by dropping steps or pieces of data from it as much as it can while keeping it failing, until it finds one simpler case that is easy to analyze. So maybe theres a bug in the system where if you add an entry, delete it, then re-add the same one, it refuses to do it because its a duplicate. Maybe the bug only happens when the same entry is added and deleted more than 3 times. Or maybe duplicate detection crosses account boundaries. The framework can tell you. By dropping operations and simplifying the data, all while looking for similar failures, the framework is able to remove most superficial operations and irrelevant complexities in the inputs. In the end, what you should get is a rather minimal sequence of all the operations required to cause a bug, one that is much easier to reason about than the initial one. So if what you initially had was a sequence of 40 operations, maybe after shrinking you're gonna be left with 4 or 5 of them that cause the same bug. One uniquely interesting thing with this approach is that it looks a lot like automated exploratory testing. When you find something the application does that you did not expect, it may be a clear cut bug, but its also very likely that youve just hit a grey area in your system where its not obvious whether the tests or your expectations need fixing, or whether the system itself needs fixing. You will gain insights about what the system does that may shine a light on emergent behavior nobody had planned for. I have not yet seen many non-formal testing methods able to have such an impact on the systems I work on. I mean, I believe in the technology so much Im writing a book about it right now, though we dont have a cover for it yet so I can't show it on a slide. There's a draft copy at propertesting.com if you're interested. For all of these, the consequence is that you expand the areas of things you and your team know. Both within the system and outside of it. Thats great. And one funny thing that (you must hope) happens when your team is continuously learning and proving itself wrong is that the gap between the things you know and the things you think you know shrinks. As we bump our heads against the real world, we hopefully start to smell traps and gaps more easily, and become more accurate in all our guessesor rather, we leave less stuff up for guessing. Theres of course no guarantee in that, and it may just oscillate between both. When you keep proving yourself right, you get to inflate that area of things you think you know and then you bump your head again. We all go there. The next general approach we can take with our systems is to prevent ourselves from getting into areas unknown, or to put safeguards to prevent or reduce the chances we do something odd and unpredictable. The easiest way to that is to just write less code. The less code there is, the less there is to know. A great system decision is when product folks and engineers can come to an agreement in small changes or ways to do things that result in as much user satisfaction with far less code. Doing that is almost guaranteed to make everything better overall. Of course that's not always a possibility and we must end up with code in the end. So let's talk about how we can handle that risk factor. The most powerful tools there are formal methods. Formal specifications like TLA+, exhaustive model checking, automated proofs, and so on. Those try to reason so strictly about things that youre going to ensure nothing in your system is not understood; everything is proven to work. This tends to work very well, but its more difficult and requires more discipline than other ways to go about things. Theres other ways to decrease the unknown, some that might be less effort-intensive. You can be strict about your assertions, use type signatures and type analysis, write less code, and have more observable software for when problems happen. For us in the Erlang and Elixir world, the following are all worthwhile: Use Dialyzer to prevent unexpected type errors and invalid states Use linters or code formatters; code that is more uniform and easy to understand prevents issues Very importantly, Let it crash. Dont try to massage unusable data into acceptable data. The only results of trying to plow through errors is that you end up in a situation that neither the user nor the system expected, and now you're stuck with it. Instead, just bail out as fast as you can so that unknown conditions in one component do not bubble up into unknown conditions system-wide. This helps prevent various classes of emergent behaviour, and that's really worthwhile. If you can afford it, use formal tools One last thing I want to point out is that if things do go wrong, they wont necessarily go wrong in the places you planned. If you had planned for them to go wrong, chances are you'd already have tests and logging around there. But the big errors that are costly are those that surprise us. This means that you are very likely to have no logging, few metrics, and near zero insights around these at the time they happen. You'll have to figure it out. If you have customers who control their own release cycle, that means that debugging one thing can take multiple months. Observability practices can turn this in a few hours of poking around instead. And as it turns out, the Erlang VM is built for that, from the ground up. So learn how to introspect the VM, how to use tracing, and how to dig for the information you need even when its not in logs or in metrics you have. Ive written Erlang in Anger to help you there. Weve been given a VM and languages that are observable so that even if our code is obtuse and hard to look into, you can still get the data you need out of it. Thats a blessing few other languages have. Embrace it fully. Train engineers on your team to know how to use it. Okay so for the next step I picked this painting. I absolutely love it, and it perfectly represents the feeling of irrelevance I want to talk about here. Making the stuff you don't know irrelevant is a bit of a shady trick, but you all know it in some way. There are some classes of bugs that you can just all group together and handle in the same way. When you do so, no matter what the bug is, its covered. The most intuitive one is the one that has to do with redundancy. If you have multiple nodes that can handle the same traffic, then at any time one of them fails, for any reason whatsoever (be it for hardware faults, power loss, running out of disk space or memory, and so on), all the faults can be covered by redirecting traffic around. So whenever you can afford redundancy and can handle an unknown condition by crashing, you've just automated recovery even if you don't really know the cause of the issue. There will be some pathological cases, but you'll likely have prevented more than you created. There's plenty other architectural patterns that are worthwhile for that, and they can be fairly easy to find in general literature. Instead here I want to focus in a thing fairly unique to Erlang and Elixir: the supervision tree. The supervision trees the OTP framework gives us let us create absolutely flexible structures to care for and handle errors without knowing what they are. So here Im going to really get into some supervision patterns to make sure things work well! First, if you're not too familiar with supervisors, there's 3 types of them. The first one is the "one for one" supervisor. It's pretty basic, and what it does is just restart a failed child, back to a known stable state. The second type is the "rest for one" approach. This approach denotes a linear dependency between children, such that if I have children A, B, and C, then B must depend on A to work, and C depends on both B and A (even if only transitively through B) to do its job. A, for its own, depends on none of its sibling to be successful. The "one for all" strategy will kill all children if any of them fails. This is usually a thing you'll need if all of this supervisor's children depend on each other to work. Say for example you're doing a two-phase commit. Any worker disappearing and coming back may be really difficult to handle properly. Using a one for all approach will instead just ask you to kill all workers and try over again from a clean slate, something much simpler to get right that handling all the possible interleaving of a complex multi-process protocol when trying to repair things. So those are simple strategies, but we just need a little bit more to make them really useful. The question there is how to handle a process dying on its own, not just with regards to its siblings. There's 3 of them. A permanent process will always be restarted no matter what. Think of it as a critical service that must always be there. Then we have the transient processes. Those are processes that will be allowed to shut down and disappear only if they have done their job properly. If they ever die of an unknown reason (think of a Unix process dying with a non-0 return value), then their execution will be retried. Finally, there's the temporary processes, which never get restarted. Those can be a bit odd, but they have their use cases. For example, just tracking processes for the sake of it, but there's a more interesting one I'll show soon. So here to make everything easy to understand, I'll guide you through the same kind of exercise I do in my own projects, but also with every team I work with when it comes to building a system. We do this exercise before any code is written at all, and it really helps deal with everything. The first thing we'll have to keep in mind for this kind of whiteboard session is that supervisors always start their children in order, depth-first, from left to right. So let's see how one of these design sessions goes. Let's start by identifying our resources. We have an empty system, with some resources on the left: a database and a queue. There's an invisible network up until the boundary of our system. We then have a bit of local storage on the node itself, as represented by the small cylinder on there. On the other side of the network, to the right, we have an IP device. This device can be anything: a camera, an elevator, a web server handling HTTP requests (maybe we're a proxy then), any IoT device, or possibly a bunch of cellphones. It doesn't really matter what lives there. The role of our box is to take the data on the left, and operate on it (if it's configuration data, for example) or possibly bring it to the right, or to gather data on the right, and bring it to the left. That's gonna cover an incredible majority of networked middleman applications, something a large amount of Elixir or Erlang teams aim to develop. So the first thing I'll start with is going with the left. Since it probably contains configuration data I'll need for the right-side of things, to know where to connect to or who is allowed to connect to me, I'm going to need that side first. Then I'll probably need to connect to either of my storage endpoints, here it would be Postgres maybe. So I start a supervisor for a worker pool, and then start the pool itself: The workers may try to establish a DB connection, and then the system can get back to starting its other children. The queue side of things likely works the same; I boot a pool of Kafka consumers and publishers and I'm ready to go back up. What can I need then? Well I'll probably want metrics. Even if you want observability, there's always a few good metrics you want. Anything that can be a proxy for problem detection, stuff like latency, load, number of requests handled, and so on. The next bit, since I'm working with a network and must expect a network to fail, will be to probably cache configuration data in memory, to save me some costly roundtrips on reading it. In fact, I might want to store that configuration to disk as well, so that if I crash and come back up to a network that's down, I can come back up. You may not actually want that, depending on the nature of your app, but if I'm dealing with edge devices and I have to report their state upstream, an outdated piece of config may be better than not running the system at all. Then I can start looking at polling or communicating with the right side. I'm going to start a supervisor that will have many children. Let's see how any single one of them may be implemented. I probably have a middleman supervisor to take care of the two stateful parts of polling: a state machine tracking the IP device's state, and a process holding connection-specific data. These two processes can gather and relay the device's state and bring it to one of the storage workers so that the values can be reported. They can also publish metrics, since the worker for that is already up by virtue of the structure of a supervision tree. So with all this said and done, we've described all the implicit dependencies between our system components, specified how the system should boot, but also how the system should shutdownjust reverse the order while asking for processes to stop. That gives us a pretty good idea of how the system works. Unfortunately, how a system works is the easy stuff. What's interesting is asking how do you want the system to fail, or more optimistically, how do you want it to work when everything around it is failing. There's one very easy way to handle that stuff, and it's to kill everything with our mind. Okay so let me explain that bit. This is what I do with all the teams I work with. I pick a random worker, here, a SQL db worker, and I ask "what should happen if that process dies? Should its siblings die or be kept alive?" The answer to that is usually "oh no, I don't want all the DB workers to die if only one of them fails", and so we take the parent supervisor, and mark it as "one for one". The same process for the Kafka workers can be repeated and likely gives the same results. Then I go and ask the same question about these processes' supervisors. If the DB went down too hard and too often, it's possible all of its workers died. When te SQL supervisor dies, should the Kafka subtree die as well? The answer there is probably "no", so these subtrees' parent is also marked as "one for one" Then I repeat the same kind of thing with all the other processes. What happens if the connection to a device dies? Should the FSM die with it? Maybe! If you're working with a web server and there's no state to persist across queries, then maybe it should die with it. If I'm polling an IoT device, then I probably want to stay alive to report state changes or accumulate them even during a period of downtime. So I can mark that supervisor there as "rest for one", and I can probably take out the link between the two workers as well since the supervision structure now encodes that on its own. And then you ask the same question. If one of the devices' pollers die, should others do as well? I don't really think so. Since I may have any number of devices, maybe hundreds, marking that supervisor as "simple one for one", a highly optimized variant of "one for one" for cases where many processes run the same code with a slightly different configuration, I can get what I want. Eventually we may reach a point where there's no obvious answer to dealing with the death of a process, or no way to encode that answer. Here for example I may ask: What if all the databases are down? Can I still write and accumulate metrics? Maybe so if all the databases are down, should the local cache die with it? probably not, since it's a cache added especially for that purpose If the config worker dies, should the poller be able to still work? Probably not If the DBs are down but the config is up, can the pollers work? Probably, yeah. So this gives us one conflict already (one for one relationship between two workers, on the same level as a rest for one relationship!) The wrong thing to do here is to give up, or write fancy code that handles all these weird corner cases. Instead, what I suggest is that we just patch up the supervision tree, even on the whiteboard. This is not necessarily obvious, and it took me years of experience to take a step back, think about the system rather than its components, and figure out that just moving subtrees around was good enough to fix major production incidents for good. So here's what that looks like. By adding supervision levels, I can declare my new subtree on the left to have its one for one strategy. The metrics and DB pools are independent. I can also declare my relationship between the config and the poller to be a rest for one relationship, allowing me to keep running even if the entire left side of the node vanishes, but not if a local cache is not possible to maintain. I can make that final relationship between both subtrees official by having my root supervisor use a one for one strategy. There, just like that, we've figured out how to handle very broad types of outages. So let's get back to our "kill all the processes" approach. An interesting question to ask is what happens if the IP device I'm interacting with goes bonkers, and throws garbage at me, to the point where the FSM handling it keeps dying? By default, the worker will be restarted up until it reaches its max capacity, and then the supervisor itself will die. If that happens often enough, the error will bubble up towards the root of the tree and the entire system will shut down. That's bad because now, a single bad device interrupted my talking to all other devices! That's the opposite of what I initially wanted! That's usually the point where people will go to the mailing list or slack channels and ask for smarter supervisors, with cooldown periods and all kinds of fancy retry logic. I say no to all of that! I want my supervisors to remain simple and predictable. Smart systems make stupid mistakes, and I want to be able to easily reason about my system. I want to reduce the knowledge required to figure out how things work! So instead of making all kinds of supervisor variants, here's what I do: I configure the supervisor directly in charge of the FSM and connection to have exactly the error tolerance limits I want them to have. If that threshold is exceeded, I give up on the device. To do so, I mark the "poller" supervisor as having a temporary setting, the one I mentioned earlier that nobody really knows what it's for when they're beginning. Well that temporary setting is the buffer mechanism by which I go "enough! stop retrying already!" Then, I add that little highlighted configuration manager. This is me grafting a brain onto my supervisor. What this process will do is go over the supervision tree, possibly compare it to the configuration, and at regular intervals, repair the supervision tree. So it may decide that after 10 seconds, 60 minutes, or a day, the IP device worker can be restarted and retried again. All the fancy logic I can possibly want is within that worker, and can be tailored to my specific business concerns. I also just happened to have created a central point of interaction with my subtree, so if the Kafka queue wants to talk to the live system, I can create a kind of pub/sub group (with say gproc ) and have config workers and/or the config manager listen to it and update their respective parts of the subtree at once. Hell, I can even add additional access points through a web interface and so on, if I really want to. This also makes the system a lot easier to test and operate, gather metrics for, lets it self-repair things, or allows me to stick giant on/off switches over system changes if I have tricky operations to run. Whats super interesting about this approach to designing systems if that all dependencies, runtime and whatnot are encoded in the supervision tree. They let us create inline circuit breakers such that when something breaks, we know what other kind of work in can halt if it must. Once you have that stuff in place, writing the system is a charm. If you found out you were wrong about some dependencies or class of bugs, the vocabulary we use is one of "how do we adapt the supervision tree" rather than one of figuring out how to locally handle an error. In some cases the reaction will be to say "you know what, we cant afford to have an error there, this component is too critical" and so well test the hell out of that one and make sure its always doing what it should. Thats maybe possible to do in a small part of your system, its just nearly impossible to do it everywhere at once. At least that's the theory. There's a difference between designing the tree and having it work exactly the way you want on the first try. So here are a few common patterns you may need to implement to make things easier. I've written an entire blogpost on the topic titled It's about the guarantees, but in a nutshell, what your workers expose as an interface has to represent the failure modes you expect and let the caller know what to expect at the same time. If you have a local database that should be running before you even start, it's probably fine to have a worker die violently when it cannot access it. If the database is remote however, and you crash on a disconnection, you make your callers die as well. If you think that a remote database may go away with the network from time to time (hint: you should think so), then your callers should deal with the failure. If you crash there, you take away the option of a caller to easily deal with things. Instead, plan a return value expressing the error condition so youll let the client choose what to do: die with you by pattern matching only on success cases, or implement a retry policy to cope with the failure if the data is important. You have to give enough details to allow decisions you think could be relevant to people. Let those who have the context to make a decision make it. The one thing you dont want to happen is blindly retrying the same action over and over again; thats the definition of insanity. This is particularly critical in cases where you consume data with no way to report back to the client directly, such as when reading from a queue like rabbitmq or Kafka. Some errors are totally natural, such as introducing a new message type, and being mid-deploy and only having half the nodes in the system ready to handle them. You don't want to stall half the cluster in that case. When you cant tell a client that something went wrong, you will need to drop messages or requests that never work (don't do this if you must really handle everything, like in a data replication system where dropping unforeseen messages means you fail at your job), and if you do require to process everything, plan for a dead letter queue. A dead letter queue is your system abdicating and going "I need an adult!" A human being will have to go in, and make a judgment call to fix things. They can drop the message themselves, re-enqueue it, or figure out the system is buggy and hold it in there a bit longer, and maybe rollback the component that introduced it. Finally, you'll want a mechanism to frame your retries. One example of this is using incremental backoffs with a jitter factor to prevent using too many resources and thundering herds, as mentioned earlier. Then you may want to look at circuit breakers, which will let you capture when too many faults happen at once, trip the breaker, and prevent calls you know are very likely to fail from actually doing so. The interesting thing is that you can even include softer metrics, such as "the average request is too slow and so take the foot off the gas pedal" which will let you create systems that slow down and leave some space to other components before the even fail. That can let you create systems that operate a lot more smoothly, fail for shorter periods of time, and get going back again much more easily as well. Having a supervision tree is sadly not the same thing as having a well-behaved supervision tree. So how can you know if your tree is right, and that your processes implement the right stuff to work with the structure you want? There are no bulletproof solutions here. In fact, the only one I know to work well from experience is to use Chaos Engineering. Chaos engineering is mostly known from Netflix's Chaos Monkey, which would be a piece of software that you would unleash against your production system and let it take down components to see if your system can adapt and cope with failures. Nowadays they do it even on data-center levels. Other practices there can include fault injection, incident simulations, and so on. You aim to define a steady state and then throw failures at it and see if it sticks. This all can be used in Erlang and Elixir systems, but given we have a supervision tree, there's interesting stuff we can do. In fact, we can use the tree as a model for our steady state. All that's left to do then, is simulate or mock failures, kill random processes (as if they were buggy), and see if the tree behaves as desired. That's what I did with a little Property-based testing suite. The thing is rather conceptually simple: The system is running under active traffic, likely under a load simulator The library takes a snapshot of a set of whitelisted OTP applications running in the system The library numbers all tree processes, starting depth-first, from right to left (newer processes are likely to be killed first) The library picks a random number (and wraps it around if it needs to) and finds the process that matches itfilters and tags can be used to narrow or restrict processes The process is killed The library navigates the model created off the snapshot and propagates all deaths the way they should be taking place, without actually doing it (no side effects). If two processes live under a one for all supervisor, the second one is expected to die and restart as well, for example. If the restart threshold is hit, then the expectation is that the direct supervisor should also die and possibly be restarted. a snapshot of the system is taken after it has had a bit of time to stabilize (and right now this is a bit hackish) and the new supervision tree is compared to the old one A similar mechanism can be used, but just with fault injection, where a mock, fake process, or circuit breaker is put within the system under test, and on-demand, will return specific error messages (like {error, disconnected} ). The supervision trees still get compared there. The two types of properties we're looking for in the supervision tree comparisons are simple: did all the processes that were expected to die actually die did any supervisor from within a different supervision subtree die? In the image above, for example, if the database workers start returning {error, busy} , it's entirely possible for a specific FSM process to die of it. If however too many of them die too often such that their supervisor (or the poller supervisor) dies, then the test suite considers this to be a failure of the supervisor tree implementation: since you're in distinct subtrees, there's either a failure case you should handle and that you do not, or this error condition has to currently be considered catastrophic if you choose to live with it. That's all it does, and it does find interesting bugs fairly easily, with limited effort from the developer, assuming they understand PropEr as a test framework. The project is still kind of janky and prototype-like, but you can take a look at https://github.com/ferd/sups So let's say we've got a solid supervision tree, and we fully embraced that mechanism. What can we do with it if we stretch things a bit? Can we do something more than just dealing with Erlang processes? Since supervision trees are all well-structured, we can do interesting stuff. Here on the left side, I'll put all the things I consider to be prerequisites for my system. Maybe I don't want to boot without an initial network-based configuration, and so I can put, on a worker to the left of the root of my subtree, a check for a disk cache or a network connection being available. Maybe it's to a third party service. In any case, such a check ensures that unless I can satisfy my prerequisites and that all system dependencies are in place, my own system will refuse to boot and start trying to serve traffic. If any of these goes down and is permanent, it can also shut down my own system to prevent it from doing things it shouldn't. For example, if you're doing transactions or any financial stuff and you lose the ability to publish audit logs, it's very possible you want the entire node to go down; if you can't audit the financial stuff you're doing, you may not want to do it at all. Bam, handled. On the right of the subtree, I can put the health-related stuff: if I have to register myself to a router, a service discovery mechanism, or respond to healthchecks, I can make specific workers for all of that. The interesting approach of doing so is that if my own system breaks down due to some developer mistake or transient network condition I had not planned for, then these will act as a circuit-breaker. In fact, I can put them anywhere in the supervision tree, not just to the far-right. The moment a subtree goes bad and I can't do a specific task, then, as encoded in the structure of the program, my system unregisters itself and can stop ingesting traffic until it stabilizes, automatically re-registers itself, and things get back to normal. All in all, what this lets us do is take the same kind of guarantees about dependencies and partial failures that we get within an Erlang or Elixir system, and encode them into various components to gain some of their insights at a systems level. And so we can ask the question of whether this can be applied to other languages? Maybe not. But to other architectures, such as microservices? Yes probably! Look at the approach that we used with supervisors, and ask yourself whether this could be applied to stream processing systems or microservices, where you can quickly end up with a very messy spiderweb of dependencies. The system architecture above is clean enough, but you can clearly see linear dependencies between individual components that could easily represented as a supervision tree! If you go through the same design exercise with microservices, it may become far easier to understand what should impact which components in the system, figure out how to read exceptions and alarms to identify root causes, and overall, make everyones life easier. Unfortunately its a bit complex to encode a supervisor in a service mechanism, but the pattern can hopefully be replaced through service registries, local circuit breakers, and event feeds. Tools like Kubernetes already have some ways to encode dependencies, but it gets to be a bit harder, for example, to define specific failure rates or ways to break circuits directly from there. And so that's it in a nutshell. Gain more knowledge, reduce the amount of unknown you can have in a system, and seek broader architectural patterns that can cope with errors rather than just trying to prevent them in the first place. Learn to love your supervision trees, they're pretty unique and pretty powerful. Thanks! SHANGHAI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Alibaba chairman Jack Ma said on Tuesday that trade frictions between the United States and China could last for as long as two decades, adding that it would be "a mess" for all parties involved. Ma made the comments at an Alibaba investor day conference. Earlier on Tuesday, Washington said it would impose duties on an extra $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, drawing a warning from Beijing that it would retaliate. (Reporting by Cate Cadell; Writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Darren Schuettler) (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook, whose products have been spared from new U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods, said on Tuesday he was optimistic that the United States and China will eventually work through their trade differences. "I'm optimistic because trade is one of those things where it's not a zero-sum game," Cook told ABC News' "Good Morning America" programme on Tuesday. "We can trade something and we can both win. So I'm optimistic that the two countries will sort this out and life will go on." The iPhone was not among the wide range of products that Apple told regulators would be hit by the $200 billion round of tariffs in a Sept. 5 comment letter to trade officials. Apple had feared for its Apple Watch and its wireless AirPod headphones, but both were left off the list announced on Monday. "The iPhone is assembled in China, but the parts come from everywhere," Cook said, when asked why Apple had been spared. "I don't want to speak for them, but I think they looked at this and said that it's not really great for the United States to put a tariff on those type of products." If Trump expands the tariffs to an additional $267 billion (202.88 billion pounds) worth of goods then nearly every Chinese import would be affected, including the iPhone, along with all other smart phones. Apple's shares were last up 1.4 percent at $220.93 in early trading. (Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; editing by Patrick Graham) Asian stocks were mixed in morning trade Investing.com - Asian stocks were mixed in morning trade on Tuesday following the announcement by the Trump administration that the U.S. would put 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, which will go up to 25% at the end of the year. Chinas Shanghai Composite was down 0.2% by 9:40PM ET (01:40 GMT), while the SZSE Component gained 0.4%. Beijing has earlier threatened to retaliate against such new duties. Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index on the other hand slid 1.2%. Trump, in a statement, said that the tariffs would rise to 25% in January 2019, adding that "if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports." "We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly," Trump said in the statement. "But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices." According to reports, the U.S. removed about 300 goods from a previously proposed list of affected products, including smart watches, some chemicals, along with some other products. Markets are now likely to shift focus towards Beijings response to the development, according to analysts. China may be limited in its ability to impose similar tariffs in volume terms, but it can still aim to disrupt the US supply chain with those tech exports an obvious target and the cancelation of trade talks is also likely to dampen the mood, Rodrigo Catril, a senior foreign-exchange strategist at the National Australia Bank, wrote in a morning note. Elsewhere, Japans Nikkei 225 resumed trading after being closed Monday for a public holiday, and traded 0.8% higher. Meanwhile, South Koreas KOSPI was little changed at 2302.0 as the countrys President Moon Jae-in headed to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a landmark visit to rescue stalled nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea. Story continues Leaders from South and North Korea would feature a joint press appearance on Wednesday, reports suggested. I will have candid talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to find common ground between the U.S. demand to denuclearize and the North Korean demand to end their hostile relations, Moon said at a meeting on Monday. What I am trying to achieve is peace. Not a temporary change that can be swayed by international conditions, but an irreversible and permanent peace. Related Articles Taiwan stocks lower at close of trade; Taiwan Weighted down 0.63% Ferrari's targets and SUV plans in spotlight as Camilleri takes the wheel Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 0.53% (Reuters) - Insitu Inc, a unit of Boeing Co (BA.N), on Monday launched a military drone enabled with satellite communications and an extended range of operations aiming to land both U.S. and international customers. The Integrator Extended Range, which features high-quality full motion video during flight and more secure jam-resistant networks, would deliver "significantly reduced cost" compared with other contracted medium-altitude drones, the unit said. Don Williamson, Intsitu's vice president for defence, said the drone is the first of its size to provide this level of intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance without the need for a paved runway. "All warfighting units and coalition partners can have access to what was once a limited resource, getting this much-needed capability in the hands of the warfighter at a fraction of the cost of any current system available today," Insitu Chief Executive Officer Esina Alic said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump has eased rules for exporting some types of lethal U.S.-made drones to potentially dozens more allies and partners. (Reporting by Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru and Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Maju Samuel) University of Georgia blockchain The University System of Georgia (USG) announced the launch of a state-wide fintech academy on on Sept. 11. It is the largest education effort of its kind in the United States. While individual universities have offered blockchain courses, such as Stanford and NYU, Georgia is opening the program to all current students across all colleges in the states public university system. Additionally, professionals and degree-holders who desire to enter the fintech sector can enroll in the academy. GA Fintech Curriculum Heavy in Blockchain Tech Called the Georgia FinTech Academy, the program will have two in-person locations in the downtown Atlanta area for on-campus classes. Courses will also be conducted online and in departments within Georgia colleges. Completion of these programs will result in accredited credentials or degrees. The scale is large. The mission is to make fintech education accessible to everyone in Georgia, with a focus on experiential learning through apprenticeships. Though the large effort could be seen as risky and too early, Jim Senn, founding director of the program, makes a clear separation between core technologies and individual cryptocurrencies. Senn stated in an exclusive interview with CCN: Cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ethereum, should be considered separately from blockchain or distributed ledger. Bitcoin is an application. Blockchain is a new base technology featuring a distributed ledger. He admits that core blockchain technologies are still new, but USG seems to have already placed its bet on growing adoption. Reflecting on the industry, Senn said: The industry around blockchain and distributed ledger is in its infancy. In many ways it feels like the very early days of the Internet, prior to the introduction of the worldwide web. The technology community is only now beginning to develop the tools and practices to make blockchain a viable technology for business and government. Story continues As a hub for fintech innovation already, Atlanta is drawing on experts from private companies to teach targeted curricula for blockchain applications, including commercial banking, software development, and supply chain logistics. Crypto a New Arms Race in Education? bitcoin education graduation cap Since blockchain has the potential to bring regions large investments and economic innovations, countries are stepping up their efforts to teach the technology and gain a competitive edge with intellectual property. China has poured money into luring blockchain innovators and investments, though the country still, ironically, has an overall ban on large components of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Malta, meanwhile, has a running start, with government and residents accepting cryptocurrency investors wholeheartedly. As CCN reported on Sept. 2, the University of Malta created a 300,000 blockchain scholarship fund. Georgias new fintech program could be a major step in a growing push for the U.S. to step up efforts nationally in distributed ledger technology, with an eye toward remaining competitive globally. Images from Shutterstock The post Bullish on Blockchain: Georgia Universities to Offer Fintech Degree Programs appeared first on CCN. (Maysam Behravesh is a multimedia journalist at the TV channel, Iran International. He is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science and an affiliated researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden. The opinions expressed are his own.) By Maysam Behravesh Sept 17 (Reuters) - In a rare admission, Israel has broken its no-comment policy on air strikes to confirm that it has carried out over 200 attacks against Iranian targets in Syria over the last two years. In addition to those attacks, a new report claims that Israel has secretly armed and funded at least 12 Syrian rebel groups in southern Syria since 2013. Israel reportedly stopped its transfer of weapons and money in July, after the Bashar al-Assad regime regained control of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. The major purpose of Israels Operation Good Neighbor, which reportedly included humanitarian aid to Syrian rebels, was to prevent Iran-affiliated forces from entrenching their position near Israeli borders. More important, however, is the fact that Israel has intensified and broadened its air campaign inside Syria in recent months to target Iranian positions. Together, these operations indicate a significant shift of Israels defense posture, from a limited tolerance of Iranian military presence in Syria and beyond, to zero tolerance with far-reaching implications for regional peace and stability. Story continues Israel has long been concerned about Iranian activities in Syria close to its border, including attempts to transfer game-changing weapons and medium-range missiles to Hezbollah. These security fears grew after the Assad regime recaptured Aleppo in December 2016, supported by Russian air power and Tehran-backed forces, and due in part to Islamic States diminishing ability to defeat pro-government troops and seize territory. That victory enabled Iran to expand its focus on other areas and deepen its military presence near Israeli territory. In response, Israel intensified its air campaign to thwart the entrenchment. A strategic turning point came in April, when Syrian state media said that Israeli warplanes entering Syria from Jordan struck the T4 airbase east of Homs, where the Iranian Revolutionary Guards reportedly operated a drone unit. The assault killed seven IRGC members. Israel neither confirmed nor denied the attack. In May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his stance that we believe that there is no place for any Iranian military presence, anywhere in Syria. In June, another air strike killed multiple members of Iran-backed militia forces southeast of Abu Kamal. While Israel again declined to respond, many in the region speculated that the Netanyahu government was behind the attack particularly after a U.S. Central Command spokesman denied U.S. involvement and a U.S. official told CNN that Israel had carried it out. Israels more aggressive maximalist security strategy towards Iranian presence in its wider neighborhood is driven by three major factors. First, Israel does not seem to be entirely convinced of the Trump administrations willingness to take on Iran in Syria, nor can it rely on Russia to keep Iran in check and secure Israeli interests in its backyard. Trump has been notoriously reluctant to allocate American resources to Syria and has said on various occasions that he wants U.S. forces out of the country very soon. Partly due to Israeli pressure, however, Washington is adopting a new approach that emphasizes the U.S. desire for Irans complete exit from Syria. Most recently, the Trump administration reportedly agreed to an indefinite military effort and a systematic diplomatic campaign to accomplish American goals against Damascus. Second, the strategy of opposing Iranian military presence anywhere in Syria resonates strongly with the Sunni Arab bloc in the region and can bring Israel closer to Tehrans other nemeses, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These emerging ties, which Netanyahu calls the silver lining of the bad Iran deal, are very important to Israel, partly because the Jewish state would need help from its regional neighbors if it were to engage in a war against Iran. Third, the Israeli security establishment has a deep-rooted belief that Iranian revisionism and expansionism knows no limits, and that the Islamic Republic is hellbent on creating an aggressive empire in the Middle East and beyond. The apocalyptic rhetoric of Iranian hardliners vowing annihilation of Israel coupled with the much-vaunted tour of Iran-backed paramilitary commanders along Israels border with Lebanon and Syria have stoked these fears. In response to Israels harder line against the Iranian military presence in Syria, Tehran has reportedly transferred ballistic missiles to its Shiite proxies in Iraq in recent months. The logic was to have a backup plan if Iran was attacked, a senior Iranian official told Reuters in August, adding that the number of missiles is not high, just a couple of dozen, but it can be increased if necessary. A few days after this report which both Tehran and Baghdad dismissed Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned that when it comes to Iranian threats, Israel will not be limiting itself just to the Syrian territory. Meanwhile, Irans economy is expected to deteriorate further as Washington ratchets up sanctions following Trumps withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran. Given the spiraling circle of hostility between Iran and Israel, the more hardline elements of the Iranian leadership might be tempted to seek external diversions from internal problems. None of it bodes well for the prospects of peace and stability in the Middle East, even as the Syrian conflict seems to be grinding to an end. (By Maysam Behravesh) Cramer: Trump's new China tariffs signal the 'game is over' to Apple and other US companies President Donald Trump has made it very clear that U.S. companies who do business with China will be impacted by his tariffs, CNBC's Jim Cramer says. "The president is not sensitive to the companies that make a lot of money in China from our country," Cramer says. On Monday evening, the Trump administration announced 10 percent tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. President Donald Trump has made it very clear that U.S. companies who do business with China will be impacted by his tariffs, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday. "I think the president is saying, 'Hey, listen guys, you are not going to make as much money in China as you used to. That game is over,'" Cramer told " Squawk on the Street ." The trade conflict between the world's two largest economies heightened Monday evening after the Trump administration announced it will impose 10 percent tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Those duties will rise to 25 percent at the end of the year. Reuters reported Tuesday morning that in response China said it will institute tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion on Sept. 24. China is reviewing plans to send a delegation to Washington for trade talks, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing a government source in Beijing. "The president is not sensitive to the companies that make a lot of money in China from our country," Cramer said. "They are the ones that we sacrificed." The Apple Watch and various other consumer gadgets are being exempted from this newest round . However, some Apple products will still be affected. Meanwhile, Macy's M CEO Jeffrey Gennette on Monday night said at Recode's Code Conference that tariffs will start to affect Macy's and other department stores more significantly than other businesses. That's because of their impact on apparel, he told CNBC's Courtney Reagan on the stage, adding Macy's is taking a variety of steps to address that issue. More From CNBC Out of cash, transitional justice bodies sit idle Less than five months to the end of the extended tenure of the two transitional justice bodies, little or no progress has been made in investigating the war-era cases of human rights violation as the government continues to delay the release of funds necessary for the process. Sept 18 (Reuters) - Eldorado Gold said on Tuesday it would seek a compensation of 750 million euros ($877.35 million)from Greece for damages suffered by the Canadian miner due to delays in the issuance of permits for its Skouries project. The differences between Eldorado and the government over the miner's plans to produce gold and other metals in the northern Greek region of Halkidiki have dragged on for years, mainly over environmental regulations. "We hope that this matter can be resolved in an amicable manner without needing to go down the route of arbitration," said Chief Executive George Burns in a statement. Eldorado has blamed Greece for long delays in issuing necessary permits, while Athens says the company has submitted a deficient plan to build a metallurgical plant that will process ores mined in Skouries and Olympias. Eldorado froze investment and suspended operations at its Skouries project last November, citing years of permit delays. ($1 = 0.8548 euros) (Reporting by John Benny in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) Sembcorp is to supply Facebook with renewable energy via offsite solar panels installed on almost 900 rooftops in Singapore. The agreement with Sembcorp is the latest clean energy deal struck by Facebook as it looks to green its operations. Sembcorp Industries has announced a 20-year deal to support the Singapore operations, including a new data center, of tech giant Facebook with renewable power. In an official announcement on Tuesday, Sembcorp said it would supply Facebook with renewable energy via offsite solar panels installed on almost 900 rooftops in Singapore. The project is expected to finish in 2020. Facebook announced it was building a data center in Singapore at the beginning of September. Its fifteenth worldwide and first in Asia, the facility will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. "This agreement represents our first step towards supporting our Singapore data center and local offices with 100 percent renewable energy," Bobby Hollis, head of Global Energy at Facebook, said in a statement Tuesday. Hollis added that the business was "excited to see the continued acceleration in the growth of the renewable energy market in Singapore." The agreement with Sembcorp is the latest clean energy deal struck by Facebook as it looks to green its operations. In July, for example, it was announced that the company's Prineville Data Center in Oregon would be supported by 100 percent solar power under a new partnership with Pacific Power. Additionally, all of Facebook's offices at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, are powered by 100 percent renewable energy. More From CNBC (Repeats with no changes) By David Shepardson and David Lawder WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Foreign-brand automakers with U.S. plants do not support Trump administration rules to raise the amount of local content in North American-made vehicles, a group representing companies including Toyota Motor Corp , Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motor Co has told key U.S. lawmakers. Talks between Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are due to resume on Tuesday in Washington to try to resolve remaining bilateral issues so that Canada, which has been sidelined for weeks from the negotiations, can return to the bargaining table. The automakers' position was in a previously unreported Aug. 16 letter from their "Here for America" group to top trade-focused members of Congress. The letter could raise resistance to a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement from lawmakers in southern states, where foreign manufacturers have built auto plants. "We remain concerned that, without further clarifications, assurances and modifications, many of those companies producing vehicles in multiple states will not be in a position to support legislation implementing a NAFTA 2.0," the group said in the letter, signed by John Bozzella, president of the Association of Global Automakers. Automotive experts have said that some foreign brand automakers with smaller North American manufacturing footprints and fewer U.S. research and development staff may have difficulty meeting the more stringent content requirements for years. The group said its members, which also include Honda Motor Co Ltd, Daimler, BMW, Nissan Motor Co Ltd Kia Motors, Subaru Corp, and Volvo, a unit of China's Geely Automobile Holdings , account for nearly 50 percent of U.S. vehicle production. Story continues DETROIT SUPPORTIVE At the same time, the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents Detroit's Big Three automakers is "encouraged by the direction of the discussions," said Matt Blunt, who heads the trade group. "We share the administrations overall goals of strengthening U.S. auto manufacturing and creating jobs and given the importance of NAFTA to U.S. industry we urge the negotiators to quickly complete the negotiations," added Blunt, whose group represents General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The United States and Mexico are closing in on a bilateral deal on autos that would lift the requirement for North American content in regionally made vehicles to at least 70 percent from the current 62.5 percent. The deal is expected to require that some 40 percent of the value come from high wage locations paying at least $16 an hour, meaning the United States and Canada, a Mexican source close to the talks told Reuters. USTR officials have been meeting in recent days with individual automakers to secure support for potential changes, according to auto industry sources. A USTR spokeswoman declined comment. U.S. President Donald Trump, who launched the renegotiation of the 1994 pact a year ago, has said he wants the reworked deal to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, particularly in autos and auto parts. Other key unresolved issues include the phase-in time for the new automotive rules to take effect and whether the U.S. demand for a "sunset" clause that forces a renegotiation every five years is adopted, making long-term investment decisions more difficult. The letter from the ad-hoc "Here for America" group also raised concerns that national security tariffs on autos, auto parts, steel and aluminum would undermine the benefit of a NAFTA agreement. (Reporting by David Shepardson and David Lawder; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Yoshifumi Takemoto TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese policymakers on Tuesday called for an early solution to the escalating U.S.-China trade war and warned of the potential damage to global growth in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to slap new tariffs on China. Asian shares fell on Tuesday after Trump said he will impose tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, in a sharp escalation of the trade conflict between the world's two biggest economies. "Tit-for-tat tariff retaliation benefits no country," Japan's Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters after a regular cabinet meeting. Finance Minister Taro Aso said while global trade imbalances must be fixed to avoid another financial crisis, the United States and China must address the problem through dialogue instead of slapping retaliatory tariffs on each other. "The world's biggest and second largest economies must hold dialogue appropriately," Aso told a briefing on Tuesday. "Declines in trade volume means contraction of their economies, and the impact on other countries will become large." Trade minister Hiroshige Seko also said Trump's decision to impose new tariffs on China was "extremely regrettable" as it could hurt the global economy and could have unintended consequences on other economies. He said the government would scrutinise how the trade spat could affect Japanese companies, which may see sales hit if global supply chains are disrupted. "There are quite a few Japanese companies who ship parts to China, which are then assembled (as final goods) and exported to the United States," Seko told a news conference. Story continues The intensifying trade friction is among risks the Bank of Japan will scrutinise at its two-day rate meeting that ends on Wednesday. While many Japanese policymakers do not see the trade woes as an immediate threat to the country's economic recovery, they fret that the damage could be serious if Trump decides to raise tariffs on automobile and auto parts imports. Some policymakers also worry that Japan may come under pressure from Trump to open up its sensitive agriculture market through a bilateral free trade agreement. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump are scheduled to meet for a summit on the sidelines of a U.N. General Assembly General Debate starting Sept. 25. Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will likely hold a second round of trade talks ahead of the summit. Motegi told reporters that he would likely make an announcement shortly on when the trade talks will be held. (Writing by Leika Kihara; Editing by Chris Gallagher and Michael Perry) Macy's CEO Gennette says China tariffs situation 'has not gone the way we hoped' President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Monday. Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette said the department store chain expects even more tariffs to come from the White House. Gennette said it's too early to tell how the tariffs will affect consumers. Macy's M CEO Jeff Gennette said the Trump administration's decision Monday to impose a fresh round of tariffs on Chinese goods "has not gone the way we hoped it would." The department store chain has been working with suppliers in Asia to prepare for potentially higher tariffs in the administration's escalating global trade war, he told CNBC's Courtney Reagan at the Code Commerce conference in New York Monday evening. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Monday, saying the country's trade practices pose a "grave threat" to the long-term health of the U.S. economy. Those duties will rise to 25 percent Jan. 1. "With the recent announcement even today, we do expect that there will be more tariffs," Gennette. "It's going to start to affect a department store retailer more significantly because of the apparel pieces that are going to be part of it." The National Retail Federation said the tariffs will increase the costs of consumer goods and could slow down a rebound in the retail sector so far this year. Macy's just announced plans to hire more than 80,000 holiday workers to keep up with consumer demand this season, and its shares are up by more than 40 percent so far this year. "Every time this trade war escalates, the risk to U.S. consumers grows," NRF CEO Matt Shay said in a statement. "With these latest tariffs, many hardworking Americans will soon wonder why their shopping bills are higher and their budgets feel stretched. ... We cannot afford further escalation, especially with the holiday shopping season right around the corner." Story continues The NRF has banded with more than 80 other trade groups across a wide swath of American industries to oppose the tariffs with a new coalition called Americans for Free Trade. Still, Gennette said it's too early to tell how the tariffs will affect consumers. "In some cases you're not going to see those costs absorbed and they're going to get passed on," the CEO of Macy's said. "We're going to absorb it where we can. We're going to see how the customer votes on this." CNBC's Lauren Thomas contributed to this article. More From CNBC Sept 18 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. - U.S. President Trump escalated his trade war with Beijing on Monday, saying the United States would impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods on China and was prepared to tax all imports. https://nyti.ms/2xtiyQ2 - Federal officials on Monday gave the go-ahead to the proposed merger between Cigna Corp, one of the nation's largest health insurers, and Express Scripts Holding Co , a major pharmacy benefit manager, in a $52 billion deal. https://nyti.ms/2xtkeJk - Elon Musk on Monday evening introduced Yusaku Maezawa, founder of the online Japanese clothing company Zozo, officially called Start Today Co Ltd, as his first customer for a voyage around the moon aboard a SpaceX rocket. https://nyti.ms/2xqzBSJ - Tesla's Elon Musk, the Silicon Valley billionaire, was sued on Monday by a British cave explorer he had accused of being a pedophile. https://nyti.ms/2xvpCvg (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom) Atlanta-based homebuilder PulteGroup, Inc. PHM announced the relaunch of its Centex brand and plans to develop high quality and affordable home communities in Georgia for first-time buyers. The communities will include smart technology. The latest Centex community, Princeton Village, is now open in Palmetto, GA. It will be followed by new communities in the East Gwinnett and Mill Creek areas of Gwinnett County, and in McDonough in Henry County. Centex did not have a presence in Metro Atlanta market since 2011. So, the relaunch aims at capitalizing on the growing first-time buyer segment in Georgia. Rising interest and mortgage rates as well as land and labor shortages are plaguing the U.S. homebuilding industry of late, as are increasing material prices. High mortgage rates dilute the demand for new homes as mortgage loans become expensive, thereby impacting affordability, especially for first-time buyers. Hence, the latest move underscores PulteGroups efforts to cash in on the solid demand for more affordably-priced homes throughout Metro Atlanta.The new and existing home sales in the Metro Atlanta area were favorably priced under $250,000. So, the company attempts to make the Centex brand well-positioned to provide family-oriented buyers affordable homes. Meanwhile, the overall fundamentals of the U.S. housing market are expected to remain positive through the balance of 2018 and improve in 2019, courtesy of an enhanced economic scenario and solid job market. This reflects on PulteGroups stock, which has gained 1.6% in the past year against the industrys decline of 1.3%. In fact, the companys stellar performance is a testimony to the fact. In the second quarter of 2018, PulteGroups total homebuilding revenues were up 27.9% year over year to $2.52 billion. Home sale revenues of $2.5 billion rose 25% year over year on increased deliveries and average selling price. The companys top line was driven by higher demand, courtesy of positive U.S. housing market dynamics, backed by an improving economy and job market. Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider PulteGroup carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Other top-ranked stocks in the industry are Beazer Homes USA, Inc. BZH, Century Communities, Inc. CCS and D.R. Horton, Inc. DHI, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Beazer Homes has an average positive earnings surprise of 169.7% for the last four quarters. Century Communities has an average positive earnings surprise of 55.3% for the trailing four quarters. D.R. Horton has an expected earnings per share growth rate of 41.2% for the current year. 5 Companies Verge on Apple-Like Run Did you miss Apple's 9X stock explosion after they launched their iPhone in 2007? Now 2018 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to rock the market. Demand could soar from almost nothing to $42 billion by 2025. Story continues Reports suggest it could save 10 million lives per decade which could in turn save $200 billion in U.S. healthcare costs. A bonus Zacks Special Report names this breakthrough and the 5 best stocks to exploit it. Like Apple in 2007, these companies are already strong and coiling for potential mega-gains. Click to see them right 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 Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (BZH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Century Communities, Inc. (CCS) : Free Stock Analysis Report D.R. Horton, Inc. (DHI) : Free Stock Analysis Report PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research PM Oli to leave for New York on Saturday Leading the Nepali delegation to the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is leaving for New York on Saturday. Tuesday, September 18, 2018 The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Walmart (WMT), IBM (IBM) and Texas Instruments (TXN). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today. You can see all of todays research reports here >>> Walmarts shares have outperformed the Zacks Supermarkets industry over the past three months (+13.4% vs. +12.9%), owing to its focus on strengthening e-commerce and store operations. The Zacks analyst thinks these factors helped the company retain its sturdy comps trend in second-quarter fiscal 2019, wherein earnings and sales grew and beat the consensus mark. Notably, U.S. comps recorded highest growth in more than 10 years. Further, e-commerce sales surged, courtesy of strong Walmart.com and online grocery performances. These factors encouraged management to raise view. Also, Walmart is making efforts to improve its International unit, by shifting focus to profitable countries. To this end, the companys investment in Flipkart is however expected to dent the bottom line in the near term. Further, transportation costs and a compelling pricing strategy have been hurting Walmarts gross margin for a while. Nonetheless, the Flipkart deal bodes well for the long term and should help the company stand firm against Amazon. (You can read the full research report on Walmart here >>> ). Shares of Buy-ranked IBM have underperformed the broader market on a year-to-date basis, losing -3.6% vs. the S&P 500s +8% gain. IBM provides advanced information technology solutions, including computer systems, software, storage systems and microelectronics. The Zacks analyst thinks the company benefits from strong demand for z14 Mainframe and Power products. Moreover, IBMs improving position in the cloud, security and analytics bodes well. Also, accretive acquisitions have expanded IBMs product portfolio into higher-growth segments, such as cloud computing, AI and Big Data. Story continues Further, IBMs advanced blockchain, cloud; machine learning ("ML") capabilities, among others poises its offerings well to gain robust adoption. However, strategic imperatives will take some more time to report meaningful growth and offset weakness in the traditional business. IBMs ongoing heavily time-consuming business model transition to cloud continues to hurt the stock. (You can read the full research report on IBM here >>> ). Texas Instruments shares have gained +19.5% over the past year, underperforming the Zacks General Semiconductor industry which has gained +27.4% over the same period. The Zacks analyst thinks Texas Instruments is currently benefiting from its strength in automotive and industrial end-markets. The company continues to prudently invest its R&D dollars in several high margin, high-growth areas of the analog and embedded processing markets. This is gradually increasing its exposure to industrial and automotive markets, while reducing exposure to volatile consumer/computing markets. Margins are also expanding on a secular trend in these two markets. Further, growing 300-millimeter Analog output are aiding the companys manufacturing efficiencies. Continuous dividend hike is a big positive. However, increasing competition, unfavorable currency effect and a high debt load remain concerns. (You can read the full research report on Texas Instruments here >>> ). Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Abbott (ABT), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Lockheed Martin (LMT). 5 Companies Verge on Apple-Like Run Did you miss Apple's 9X stock explosion after they launched their iPhone in 2007? Now 2018 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to rock the market. Demand could soar from almost nothing to $42 billion by 2025. R eports suggest it could save 10 million lives per decade, which could in turn save $200 billion in U.S. healthcare costs. A bonus Zacks Special Report names this breakthrough and the 5 best stocks to exploit it. Like Apple in 2007, these companies are already strong and coiling for potential mega-gains. Click to see them right now >> Mark Vickery Senior Editor Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>> Today's Must Read Robust E-Commerce Efforts to Fuel Walmart's (WMT) U.S Comps Robust Demand for z14 Mainframe & Power Products Aids IBM Texas Instruments (TXN) Banks on Analog Products Amid Risks Featured Reports Order Growth Aids Lockheed Martin (LMT), High F-35 Cost Hurts Per the Zacks analyst, steady inflow of orders from a leveraged presence in the Army, Air Force, Navy and IT programs aids growth. High costs related to F-35 program might hurt its growth trajectory. Strong Oncology Portfolio, New Drugs Boost Novartis (NVS) Per the Zacks analyst, new drugs like Cosentyx, Entresto and a solid oncology portfolio boost Novartis. AGL Acquisition Buoys Southern (SO), Project Overruns Hurt While the AGL Resources buy has increased Southern Company's customer base and diversified its offerings, the Zacks analyst is worried about timing and cost overruns in Vogtle and Kemper projects. Network Expansion to Help T-Mobile (TMUS) Deter Competition Per the Zacks analyst, T-Mobile's strategic collaboration with high-end equipment manufacturers like Ericsson and Nokia will drive its nationwide 5G network deployment despite competitive pressures. Derivative Product Lines Aid CME Group (CME), High Costs Ail Per the Zacks analyst, CME Group's focus on expansion of its derivative product lines will continue to drive top-line growth, thus boosting overall performance. Strategic Buyouts Boost United Rentals' (URI) Prospects United Rentals' strategic buyouts like BakerCorp., Neff and NES, will drive growth through expansion of its geographic borders and product portfolio, per the Zacks analyst. Rising Traffic & Technological Upgrades to Aid Embraer (ERJ) Per the Zacks analyst, Embraer continues to focus on technological innovation and upgrades. New Upgrades Paychex (PAYX) to Benefit from Acquisition of Lessor Group The Zacks analyst believes that acquisitions of Lessor Group and HR Outsourcing Holdings will help Paychex expand customer base and boost revenue growth. Regulated Earnings, Cove Point Project Drives Dominion (D) The Zacks analyst believes solid return from regulated assets and contribution from Cove Point liquefaction project should benefit Dominion Energy. Abbott's (ABT) EPD Gains in Emerging Space on Branded Generics The Zacks analyst is hopeful about Abbott's branded generics model which may help the company to further establish its Established Pharmaceuticals Division (EPD) arm in key emerging countries. New Downgrades Rising Expenses and Legal Issues Hurt Wells Fargo (WFC) Per the Zacks analyst, Wells Fargo's bottom line remains stressed in the absence of improvement in cost management and tepid loan growth. Moreover, impact of past malpractices remains a concern. E*TRADE (ETFC) Reflect Rising Costs Amid Intense Competition Per Zacks analyst, rising costs remained a key concern for E*TRADE. Further, competition with established and renowned players with greater financial, marketing and technical potential adds to woes. Waters (WAT) Hurt by Sluggish Mass Spectrometry Business Per the Zacks analyst, Waters is suffering from sluggishness in its instrument sales due to softness in mass spectrometry business. Also, weak demand from environment and food customers is a concern. 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 Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Abbott Laboratories (ABT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A demonstration of the newly released Apple Watch Series 4 is seen following the product launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Stephen Lam By Stephen Nellis and Sonam Rai (Reuters) - The United States will spare Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) Watch and other consumer gadgets from the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods, a senior administration official said in a last-minute reprieve for the technology industry on Monday. The administration's proposal for the tariffs on $200 billion of products drew protest from technology companies earlier this year, but the final list of taxed devices described by the official avoids many big consumer brand names and products. The iPhone was not among the 'wide range' of products that Apple told regulators would be hit by the $200 billion round of tariffs in a September 5 comment letter to trade officials. But Trump, in a statement announcing the new round of tariffs, warned that if China takes retaliatory action against U.S. farmers or industries, "we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports." And if the Trump administration enacts a further $267 billion round of tariffs, nearly every Chinese import, the iPhone, along with all other smart phones, are likely to be included in the list. Apple shares fell 0.7 percent to $216.29 after hours. The new round of tariffs will take effect on Sept. 24 at a 10 percent level and rise to 25 percent at the end of the year, the person said. Smart watches and devices that use bluetooth wireless communications, the technology behind Apple's AirPods and other products that work with smartphones, will be excluded from the new tariff list. In an earlier round of tariffs on $50 billion of goods, the Trump administration removed proposals on flat-panel television sets for the final list in June. Story continues The new list would spare fitness trackers from Fitbit Inc (FIT.N), which had said in a comment letter to regulators that the tariffs would compromise its own investment in the United States. Fitbit shares were up 0.6 percent to $5.48 after hours. However, some products that help computer networks operate, such as routers, will remain on the new list, the official said. That could affect smaller technology firms such as Eero, a startup company that makes home routers and had asked to be exempted from the tariffs. Altogether about 300 product categories were given reprieves, including some non-tech consumer devices such as bicycle helmets and baby car seats. Despite the changes, the new tariffs still will cover about $200 billion worth of additional Chinese goods, as part of an intensifying trade dispute between the world's two largest economies. Apple and Eero did not respond to a Reuters request for comment, and Fitbit declined to comment. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook had dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump last month, though neither gave details of discussions. Apple had said the U.S. tariffs would affect prices for a "wide range" of Apple products, including its Watch, in a letter commenting on administration proposals earlier this month. "Our concern with these tariffs is that the U.S. will be hardest hit, and that will result in lower U.S. growth and competitiveness and higher prices for U.S. consumers," Apple said in a letter commenting on the proposal. After Apple's comments, Trump said in a tweet said that there was an "easy solution" for Apple to avoid tariffs. "Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now," he tweeted on Sept. 8. Bloomberg reported earlier on Monday that Apple Watches would not face tariffs in the new round. (Reporting by Sonam Rai in Bengaluru and Stephne Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Peter Henderson and Sai Sachin Ravikumar) Enough power to light and heat not only Central Asia's big cities and towns but also remote villages, and at less cost than current energy sources. That was the topic of discussion at the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation's (CAREC) 3rd Energy Investment Forum (EIF) in Batumi, Georgia, on September 11-12. CAREC is a project of the Asian Development Bank, seeking to promote "regional cooperation in four priority areas: transport; trade facilitation; energy, and trade policy." Government officials and corporate representatives presented their ideas for bringing CAREC countries -- Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan -- firmly into the 21st century in terms of alternative, green sources of energy. As speakers made clear, it is not simply an ecological matter. In many of the CAREC countries, certainly in Central Asia, the decades-old power plants currently in use that consume coal, gas, or oil will soon need to be replaced, and the estimated cost of new hydrocarbon-based facilities is actually higher than that of plants that would use geothermal, solar, wind, or hydropower. Fossil-fuel-based power plants are also regarded as less efficient. Power-transmission lines sometimes need to stretch hundreds of kilometers to reach smaller communities. Those lines lose electricity along their routes. Even with technological improvements, up to 10 percent of power can simply dissipate as it travels far from power stations. Green sources of energy can be better targeted to meet the power needs of small towns and villages that are hundreds of kilometers from major cities where large power plants are usually located. Solar power plants and wind farms can be constructed near inhabited areas of the hinterland and supply sufficient energy to not only provide light and heat but also to open up new industries: small factories and shops that could provide new employment for local populations. Solar might arguably be the power source of choice. "Human civilization has spent too much time looking down while the sun is burning our back," Sohail Hasnie of the ADB said during the conference. A solar panel that generates 100 watts of electricity cost, on average, some $37 in 2016; but by the end of the year, that cost is expected to have decreased to around $24, and it is expected to continue to fall. Central Asia is ideally located to take advantage of solar power. Countries there average some 250 sunny days a year. Marina Asankulova of the Kyrgyz Transport Ministry said her country was looking into ways to harness solar and wind power, even as Kyrgyzstan progresses on hydropower projects. It was noted that hydro- and solar power can actually go hand in hand. One presentation suggested that China is helping to pioneer such a combination of green energy sources with a floating solar farm in the Three Gorges area, ironically at the site of a former coal mine that collapsed and filled with water. Chinese authorities say the $151 million floating solar plant can deliver some 150 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply power to around 50,000 homes. Tajikistan is due to launch the first turbine at its Roghun hydropower plant in November. Eventually there should be six units at Roghun, generating 3,600 megawatts of electricity; but the surface area of the reservoir is some 110 square kilometers, ideal for construction of a floating solar farm. Of course, hydropower plants run at peak capacity in the warming months when snows melt; and not every day is sunny or windy. So the EIF in Batumi also featured presentations on developments with battery storage, the so-called super lithium-ion batteries Tesla chief Elon Musk has been working on. Here, too, efficiency is improving and costs are decreasing as companies work to store excess solar and wind power. ...But There's A Catch Allow me to digress here for a moment, because I have seen some of this technology work on very small scales in Central Asia. I remember a lonely house in the hills outside of Tash-Kumyr, in Kyrgyzstan, that was receiving power from a small windmill. In a remote area of Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken Province I saw a house powered by a "microhydro" source -- a paddle wheel about the size of a car tire placed in an "aryk," or small canal, that passed by the family home. And, of course, there is the yurt of the future that I wrote about years ago. These sources of power appear cheaper and cleaner, and one or another of them can be set up practically anywhere. Seems an obvious choice. But there is an obstacle, and it's a formidable one: the fossil-fuel industry. As I mentioned in a previous article, coal use is actually increasing in Central Asia. In Central Asia, the people in charge of the oil, gas, and coal industries, and power plants, tend to be people close to government officials, or even government officials themselves. Any conversion to greener, more affordable sources of energy could threaten their personal fortunes. Solar and wind farms can be connected to major power grids, but solar and wind (and microhydro) work off the grid, too, translating into little or no profit for state or big power companies. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL Rape cases on the rise in Myagdi Rape cases have been on the rise in the last five years in Myagdi district. As per the district police office record, six rapes cases were filed at various police office in the district in 2012, eight in 2013, 12 in 2014, 10 in 2015, 13 in 2016. The government of Kyrgyzstan is using a "dangerously overbroad" interpretation of extremism to convict hundreds of people and sentence them to long prison terms, a leading human rights monitor said. In a report issued on September 18, Human Rights Watch said suspects are given prison terms of three to 10 years for possession of videos, pamphlets, and books blacklisted by the authorities, even if they did not distribute the materials or do anything to incite violence. In some cases, the monitor found, people were convicted of possessing materials that were only deemed "extremist" after their arrests. Other suspects told the organization that the materials had been planted during searches by security officers who then demanded bribes to close down investigations. The practice of convicting people merely for possessing material deemed extremist "makes it all too easy to unjustly target political opponents, activists, journalists, defense lawyers, and ordinary citizens," said Letta Taylor, a senior terrorism and counterterrorism researcher and author of the report. In preparing the 78-page report -- titled "We Live In Constant Fear": Possession Of Extremist Material In Kyrgyzstan -- Human Rights Watch reviewed 34 court cases and conducted 70 interviews in 2017 and 2018. A man identified only as Sukhrob was convicted in 2017 for possessing three pages of literature and a magazine that was several years old. He told researchers the material was planted. Erlan Bakiev, the head of the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry's Extremism and Illegal Migration Department, rejected the report as "baseless." "When our [security service] agents go on a search and recover some extremist materials, they have a valid justification for [conducting the search]. Its never ordered out of thin air," Bakiev told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service on September 18. "We do not agree with [the HRW] position on [the confiscation of] extremist materials. Although we have signed international agreements, we also have our own laws. And if [our legal code] defines something as a crime, [we have to treat] it as a crime," Bakiev said. Human Rights Watch noted that prosecutions in Kyrgyzstan are part of a broad crackdown across Central Asia being carried out in the name of countering Islamist extremism. In Kyrgyzstan, at least 258 people have been convicted under the law on possessing "extremist" material since 2010 and several hundred other suspects are awaiting trial. The report calls on Kyrgyzstan to rewrite its law on extremist materials and to refine its "overly broad definition of extremism." It also urges a prompt review of all convictions under the law on possessing extremist materials. A familiar face is returning to Colorado Springs television news broadcasts. Emily Roehler, who had previously worked as a meteorologist for KKTV for four years before leaving for Denver based WeatherNation, is returning to Colorado Springs to work at KXRM/Fox 21. "Emily continues to strengthen the knowledge and presentation skills of the Fox 21 Storm Team and the commitment we have to the people of southern Colorado," said Fox 21 chief meteorologist Matt Meister. "Emily broadcasts with a smooth, comfortable and conversational delivery." Roehler will be the station's new evening meteorologist. She'll be joining the evening news team on the 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. broadcasts beginning in October. She replaces Jeff Womack, who left Fox 21 in June. "Im very excited to join the team," said Roehler. "I enjoy living and working in Colorado Springs and am happy to be coming back to work in a city I love so much." A Phoenix native, Roehler graduated with honors with a Bachelor's in Meteorology from Western Connecticut State University. In her free time she enjoys hiking, cooking, baking and spending time with her dog, Jax. Colorado so far does not have a seat at the table for a politically fraught Sept. 25 meeting between U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and a bipartisan group of 24 state attorneys general to discuss consumer-protection and antitrust complaints against social media companies. Sessions first invited just Republican attorneys general to the meeting, which will include a Justice Department antitrust division representative, but Thursday expanded the invite list to include Democratic AGs from states such as California. As of early Monday, Colorado still was not on the list. Our office has not received any information regarding this meeting, Jacqlin McKinnon, spokeswoman for Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, told Colorado Politics. McKinnon did not say if this is an issue of concern for Coffman, a Republican. Democratic attorney general candidate Phil Weiser, who hopes to replace Coffman after the Nov. 6 general election, said in an interview Friday that its unfortunate Coffman wont be at the Sept. 25 meeting, which apparently was triggered by President Donald Trump. It concerns me that (the meeting originally) was a politicization of law enforcement by only inviting Republican AGs, said Weiser, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration Justice Department who focused on antitrust issues. Thats completely wrong, added Weiser, whos also the former dean of the University of Colorado Law School. Im glad that theyre backing off from that, but it begs the question, whats their criteria for who theyre inviting? Colorado is one of the top technology hubs in the United States. Trump last month, ahead of congressional hearing with tech-industry executives from Twitter and Facebook, complained that social media companies are biased against conservative and Republican viewpoints. Google search results for Trump News shows only the viewing/reporting of Fake News Media. In other words, they have it RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD. Fake CNN is prominent. Republican/Conservative & Fair Media is shut out, Trump tweeted on Aug. 28. A Pedestrian walks along North 19th Street Monday, April 30, 2018, past the closed OBrien Typesetting and Printing shop where a man was shot and killed last week by Colorado Springs Police during a burglary call. The police have responded to the property numerous times in the past five months. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch is to rule on the stormwater case against Colorado Springs, as closing arguments Monday wrapped up the trial launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Public Health and Environment. Among other claims, the plaintiffs argued that the citys stormwater program was inadequate at three sites: Indigo Ranch North, a development at Stetson Ridge; Star Ranch, a luxury homes community on the citys southwest side; and MorningStar at Bear Creek, a senior living center. Arguments on those claims ended Sept. 7, Friday and Monday, respectively. The lawsuit was filed in November 2016, seeking civil penalties for the alleged violations of the citys federal stormwater permit. Pueblo County and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District later joined as plaintiffs. The complaint says the citys failure to properly operate and maintain stormwater facilities resulted in Fountain Creek and its tributaries being degraded, eroded and widened. Combined with surface runoff, those failures boosted sedimentation and sullied water quality, according to EPA audits in 2013 and 2015. The runoff carries chemicals, sediment and other pollutants, erodes stream banks, destroys habitat for fish and other aquatic life and harms downstream communities, the audits found. Pueblo County and the Lower Arkansas district cited increased E. coli levels, erosion and flooding as a result of Colorado Springs failure to corral stormwater effectively. While the citys potential liability is unclear, City Councilman Bill Murray said the civil damages could be significant. Im absolutely concerned, said Murray, who attended parts of the trial. We are terribly unprepared for the results of this particular case. He said hes not confident that Matsch will rule in the citys favor, because city attorneys essentially admitted fault during the arbitration process. And more lawsuits could follow, he said. Unless we totally capitulate, like we did in Pueblo, and just throw our checkbook on the table, Murray said. Heres my checkbook. Heres my credit card. And it depends on how much blood from the turnip the EPA and the state want. The city agreed in 2016 to spend more than $460 million on stormwater projects over the next 20 years to placate Pueblo County, which long had borne the brunt of downstream stormwater damage from Fountain Creek. That pact came after the county threatened to withhold an essential 1041 permit needed for Colorado Springs Utilities to complete its $825 million Southern Delivery System. The project now funnels up to 50 million gallons of water a day from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security and Pueblo West. The litigation has been expensive, and more trials could be on the horizon, Mayor John Suthers told the council last week. Hundreds of sites could be brought up in future lawsuits, said City Attorney Wynetta Massey. Tuesday, Suthers reiterated his disappointment that the case was not settled before it went to trial, saying Colorado Springs has expressed its willingness to remedy outstanding issues and is well on the way to creating the best stormwater program in Colorado. City voters last November agreed to resurrect stormwater fees, which are expected to raise about $17 million a year to help pay for the 71 projects outlined in the intergovernmental agreement with Pueblo County. Those projects are meant to mitigate floodwaters and pollutants flowing downstream. The city had imposed stormwater fees in 2005 but defunded that enterprise in 2009. City officials saw the fees reinstatement as a proactive approach that might encourage the plaintiffs to settle the lawsuit. conrad.swanson@gazette.com @conrad_swanson Teller County officials are joining a class-action lawsuit accusing major pharmaceutical companies of exacerbating the nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse and deadly overdoses. Hundreds of U.S. cities and counties are parties to the suit, which claims that big-name manufacturers and distributors used deceptive advertising and marketing to overstate the benefits of opioids and understate the risks of addiction. As a result, the suit says, governments have had to pay more for social services, law enforcement and other government functions. Since Huerfano County filed a complaint in January, other Colorado counties have followed. Teller County commissioners unanimously approved a contract Aug. 30 with Seattle-based Keller Rohrback law firm to represent them in the litigation on a contingency basis. Participating in the suit wont cost the county even if the plaintiffs lose, said Commissioner Norm Steen. We do want to protect the families in Teller County. Thats our goal in governance, Steen said. And if theres an award, wed like to be part of that. El Paso County isnt joining the suit. County officials cited the difficulty of calculating how much the epidemic has cost the county. The Healthcare Distribution Alliance, a national trade association representing pharmaceutical distributors, denies the companies aggravated the crisis. "Given our role, the idea that distributors are responsible for the number of opioid prescriptions written defies common sense and lacks understanding of how the pharmaceutical supply chain actually works and is regulated," the association's senior vice president, John Parker, said in a statement. "Those bringing lawsuits would be better served addressing the root causes, rather than trying to redirect blame through litigation." EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been revised to add a statement from the Healthcare Distribution Alliance. SSF-N: No decision on staging black day The Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) has said the party has made no decision to observe the Constitution Day as a black day. TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. (CSE: SNA) (OTCQB: SNAVF) ("Star or the Company) is pleased to announce that the STAR-A.D.S. system has received its approval from the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This important step from a renowned regulation Authorities is the most recent validation granted to the Star Navigation system. It builds on Star credibility and visibility while the company keeps on engaging with operators and stakeholders in this region of the world. In the short run, Star will now work on the implementation of its STAR-A.D.S. solution over the remaining part of the fleet of its current local customer. About Star Navigation: Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. owns the exclusive worldwide license to its proprietary, patented In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS, the heart of the STAR-A.D.S. system. Its real-time capability of tracking performance trends and predicting incident-occurrence enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator. Stars M.M.I. Division designs and manufactures high performance, mission critical, flight deck flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide. These displays are found on aircraft and simulators, from P-3 Orion and C-130 aircraft, to Sikorsky and AgustaWestland helicopters, as examples. Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words may, would, could, will, expected and similar expressions, as they relate to Star or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect Stars current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause Stars actual performance or achievements to vary from those described herein. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Star does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release. Please visit www.star-navigation.com or Jean-Louis Larmor, (416) 252-2889 Ext. 221 C.O.O. jean-louis.larmor@star-navigation.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashanti Gold Corp. (Ashanti or the Company) - (TSXV: AGZ) announces additional new results from Gourbassi West. These most recent drill hole results were part of a recently completed 105 hole Reverse Circulation (RC) and Diamond Drill (DD), 12,283 metre drill program that tested mineralization on the Kossanto East Project (the Property) in western Mali (Figure 1). Results presented here are from section 1485800 (Figures 2 and 3), south of sections previously described in the Companys August 14 and August 27 press releases. The mineralized zones in these sections demonstrate strike continuity of mineralization and coherence of interpreted thrust faults and their relationship to mineralization. These results also support and expand on previously interpreted mineralized zones dipping moderately to the west. Importantly, as we develop our understanding of the mineralization, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there are numerous zones of mineralization associated with stacked thrust faults. In this section alone, the combined width of mineralized zones is approximately 130m. If mineralized zones to the north continue to this section, there is potential for an additional 100m of mineralized width. Tim McCutcheon, CEO, said, These results continue to build upon the overall strike line of Gourbassi West. We are getting closer to completing our resource calculations, and it is exciting to see how the cross sections fall into place with our geological modelling and understanding of the Property. Gourbassi West Gourbassi West is the second of two principle areas of mineralization being investigated by the company at Kossanto East. The target consists of gold mineralization associated with silicified, brecciated felsic volcanic rocks along a northwest trending structural zone for over 1,200m of strike length. 2018 diamond drilling revealed that the silicified brecciated volcanic rocks that host most of the gold mineralization are associated with shallow to moderately west dipping thrust faults. Sedimentary rocks that are younger than the host volcanic rocks and occur to the east of mineralization (Figure 2) are in fault contact with, and are overlain by older volcanic rocks. This is a classic older over younger thrust fault structural relation. Repetition of this pattern reveals that mineralization is associated with cross-cutting and stacked thrust surfaces. Section Hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Grade (g/t) Comments 1485800 GWRC271 0 2 2 0.27 5 7 2 0.59 22 53 31 0.81 incl. 30 38 8 1.32 56 57 1 0.55 74 76 2 0.31 77 79 2 0.20 GWRC272 4 6 2 0.40 9 10 1 0.20 59 61 2 0.29 70 80 10 1.03 incl. 75 79 4 1.86 81 82 1 0.34 89 90 1 0.22 90 93 3 0.49 95 100 5 0.63 103 107 4 0.45 109 111 2 0.45 114 120 6 0.30 122 126 4 0.50 134 135 1 0.23 hole ends in mineralization GWRC273 13 33 20 0.60 38 39 1 5.31 41 42 1 0.22 45 55 10 0.59 incl. 47 48 1 2.58 65 66 1 0.32 68 69 1 0.25 69 78 9 0.40 97 98 1 0.39 101 103 2 0.31 110 111 1 0.28 122 125 3 0.44 hole ends in mineralization *Intervals indicated are not true widths as there is insufficient geologic information to calculate true widths. However, drill holes have been drilled to cross interpreted mineralized zones as close to perpendicular as possible. Figure 1 is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e3046e0-52df-439a-9fb3-b4d9d75e7703 Figure 2 is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32f90703-16c7-4e25-bbb0-04311c46c77c Figure 3 is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8ef96ab8-c64a-40f2-9e2b-d8223a29f066 About Kossanto East Project The Kossanto East Project is a 66.41 km2 concession in the prolific Kedougou - Kenieba Inlier, the northwestern most exposure of Birimian rocks in West Africa and host to the Loulo and Sadiola group of world class gold deposits. The Property hosts two principle historically drill-tested targets, Gourbassi East and Gourbassi West and several surface anomalies identified in historic surface samples and Rotary Airblast (RAB) drill holes. Geochemical anomalies identified by previous explorers led to drill testing and successful intersection of gold mineralization. The results reported here are from Gourbassi West. Further results from Gourbassi West are anticipated in the coming weeks. ABOUT ASHANTI GOLD Ashanti is a gold-focused, exploration and development company that targets projects where it has a competitive advantage due to past work experience of the team and specific project know-how. The Company is driving forward its 100%-owned Kossanto East project in Mali on the prolific Kenieba Belt, which hosts such deposits as Loulo, Fekola and Sadiola. Ashanti is also working to advance, together with its earn-in partners, the Anumso project and the Ashanti Belt project in Ghana, which are near-adjacent to the Akyem deposit. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ASHANTI GOLD CORP. "Tim McCutcheon" Tim McCutcheon CEO For further information, please contact: Ashanti Gold Corp. 2300 1177 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC, V6E 2K3 Phone: 604-638-3847 Qualified Person and Quality Assurance / Quality Control Dr. Paul Klipfel, CPG (AIPG certification #10821), Ashantis COO and Chief Geologist is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian NI 43-101 and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Dr. Klipfel is responsible for all aspects of the work including the Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs. Dr. Klipfel is not an Independent Person, as he is a shareholder of Ashanti. Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are inserted into the sample stream at the rate of 1:20 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:50 samples. All samples have been analyzed by SGS Laboratories in Bamako with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. SGS does their own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Ashanti for double checking. Higher grade samples are reanalyzed from pulp or reject material or both. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information 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 press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. SSFN not to protest on Constitution Day: Yadav Deputy Prime Minister and Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal (SSFN) Chairman Upendra Yadav has said that the party would not organise any protest programmes on the Constitution Day. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) (" Erdene " or "Company"), is pleased to announce the Mineral Resource estimate for its 100%-owned Khundii Gold Project in southwest Mongolia, prepared by RPMGlobal in accordance with the definition standards of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). The Khundii Gold Project includes the Companys high-grade Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar deposits, located 16 kilometres apart. Todays announcement includes the Maiden Mineral Resource estimate for the Bayan Khundii deposit and incorporates the significant increase in the NI 43-101 Mineral Resource for the Altan Nar deposit reported by the Company in May 2018. These deposits are shallow and high-grade, outcropping and located within the newly discovered Khundii Gold District. Highlights (see attached figures for reference) Khundii Gold project total Mineral Resource: 751,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 2.3 g/t gold, Measured and Indicated; and, 291,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 1.8 g/t gold, Inferred. At a higher cut-off grade of 1.4 g/t gold, the Khundii Gold Project contains: 642,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 3.7 g/t gold, Measured and Indicated, including, 357,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 5.2 g/t gold at the Bayan Khundii deposit. Including precious and base metals, the Khundii Gold Project includes: 886,000 ounces gold equivalent (AuEq) at an average grade of 2.7 g/t AuEq, Measured and Indicated; and 382,000 ounces AuEq at an average grade of 2.3 g/t AuEq, Inferred. Work has commenced on the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Khundii Gold Project, expected to be announced in Q4-2018 With the results of the maiden Bayan Khundii resource estimate, we have met our initial resource target for the Khundii Gold Project at grades significantly higher than the global average of producing open pit gold mines, said Peter Akerley, Erdenes President and CEO. The Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar deposits provide synergies for our Company and represent a compelling development opportunity given their high-grades, proximity to surface and favorable metallurgy. We will incorporate these two resource estimates into a Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Khundii Gold Project by year-end and expect to submit mining license applications for both deposits in early 2019. At the same time, we continue our regional exploration program with drilling currently underway testing multiple targets, designed to expand current resources and discover new deposits in this newly discovered gold district. A supporting NI 43-101 Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com within 45 days of this release. Overview of Mineral Resource Estimate Bayan Khundii is located 16 kilometres southeast of Erdenes Altan Nar high-grade gold-polymetallic deposit, where the Company announced a significant increase to the mineral resource on May 10, 2018 ( click to read news release ). The two resource estimates are considered a single project (Khundii Gold Project) for future economic and technical development studies, and are discussed herein as the Khundii Gold Project Mineral Resource estimate (Table 1). The Bayan Khundii Maiden Mineral Resource estimate (Mineral Resource) was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 by RPMGlobal Asia Limited (RPM) and is dated effective September 12, 2018. The reported Mineral Resource (Table 2) is based on information provided to RPM by Erdene and verified where possible by RPM. All statistical analysis and mineral resource estimations were carried out by RPM. A final NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate and Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days. The Mineral Resource incorporates 255 diamond drill holes totaling 42,656 metres, completed between Q4-2015 and Q2-2018. The Mineral Resource is contained within a near-surface, shallow-dipping and strongly mineralized system (intercepts up to 2,200 g/t gold as previously reported) that extends over an area of 1.2 kilometres (NE-SW) and 200 to 400 metres (NW-SE). Grade capping for the purposes of the Bayan Khundii deposit resource estimate averaged 51 g/t gold for high-grade domains (range from 8 g/t to 250 g/t gold) and a maximum of 1.5 g/t gold for the low and medium grade domains. RPM estimated the Khundii Gold Project Mineral Resource at a number of gold cut-offs, however, RPM recommends reporting the Bayan Khundii Mineral Resource at a 0.6 g/t gold cut-off and the Altan Nar Mineral Resource a 0.7 g/t AuEq above a pit and 1.4 g/t AuEq below the same pit shell. A sensitivity analysis of the grade and tonnage relationships at cut-off grades is shown in the Tables below. Table 1. Khundii Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate, as at September 12, 2018 (Gold and Gold-Equivalent Mineral Resources, at Various Cut-Off Grades) Cut-off Grade(1) Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade Au g/t Gold Koz Grade AuEq g/t AuEq Koz 0.2 Measured 4.3 1.4 194 1.4 194 Indicated 19.3 1.1 710 1.4 852 Measured & Indicated 23.6 1.2 904 1.4 1,046 Inferred 16.8 0.8 416 1.0 511 0.4 Measured 2.4 2.3 177 2.3 177 Indicated 12.7 1.6 647 2.0 788 Measured & Indicated 15.1 1.7 824 2.0 965 Inferred 8.6 1.2 342 1.6 436 Recommended(2) Measured 1.4 3.6 161 3.6 161 Indicated 8.7 2.1 590 2.6 725 Measured & Indicated 10.1 2.3 751 2.7 886 Inferred 5.2 1.8 291 2.3 382 1.0 Measured 0.8 5.6 148 5.6 148 Indicated 6.0 2.8 530 3.4 655 Measured & Indicated 6.8 3.1 678 3.7 803 Inferred 3.9 2.1 261 2.9 349 1.4 Measured 0.8 5.9 145 5.9 145 Indicated 4.7 3.3 497 4.1 610 Measured & Indicated 5.5 3.7 642 4.3 755 Inferred 3.4 2.3 250 3.0 333 (1) Cut-off grades for Altan Nar are AuEq and for Bayan Khundii are gold only. (2) RPMGlobal recommended cut-off grade for Bayan Khundii is 0.6 g/t gold and Altan Nar is 0.7 g/t AuEq above a pit and 1.4 g/t AuEq below the same pit shell. * see Table 2 and Table 3 below for notes on individual deposit mineral resource estimates. Statement of Individual Deposit Mineral Resources Table 2 provides the Maiden Mineral Resource estimate for the Bayan Khundii deposit. The Maiden Mineral Resource was estimated at a range of cut-off grades, however, RPM recommends reporting at a 0.6 g/t gold cut-off grade. Table 2. Bayan Khundii Gold Deposit Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate Summary, September 12, 2018 Cut-off Grade (1) Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade Au g/t Gold Koz 0.2 Measured 4.3 1.4 195 Indicated 13.5 0.9 384 Measured & Indicated 17.8 1.0 579 Inferred 12.7 0.6 225 0.4 Measured 2.4 2.3 177 Indicated 7.1 1.4 324 Measured & Indicated 9.5 1.6 501 Inferred 4.9 1.0 153 0.6 Measured 1.4 3.6 161 Indicated 3.7 2.3 272 Measured & Indicated 5.1 2.6 433 Inferred 1.8 1.9 105 1.0 Measured 0.8 5.6 148 Indicated 1.8 4.0 224 Measured & Indicated 2.6 4.5 372 Inferred 0.7 3.8 79 1.4 Measured 0.8 5.9 145 Indicated 1.4 4.7 212 Measured & Indicated 2.2 5.2 357 Inferred 0.5 4.4 74 Notes: 1. The Statement of Estimates of Mineral Resources has been compiled under the supervision of Mr. Jeremy Clark who is a full-time employee of RPM and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Clark has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he has undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Standards of Disclosure. 2. All Mineral Resources figures reported in the table above represent estimates based on drilling completed up to June 27, 2018. Mineral Resource estimates are not precise calculations, being dependent on the interpretation of limited information on the location, shape and continuity of the occurrence and on the available sampling results. The totals contained in the above table have been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty of the estimate. Rounding may cause some computational discrepancies. 3. Mineral Resources are reported on a dry in-situ basis. 4. The Mineral Resources is reported at a 0.6 g/t Au cut-off. Cut-off parameters were selected based on an RPM internal cut-off calculator, which indicated that a break-even cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t Au, assuming an open cut mining method, a gold price of USD $1500 per ounce, an open mining cost of USD $6 per tonne and a processing cost of USD $20 per tonne milled and processing recovery of 95% Au. 5. Mineral Resources referred to above, have not been subject to detailed economic analysis and therefore, have not been demonstrated to have actual economic viability. A detailed Mineral Resource estimate for the Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project can be seen below in Table 3. For further details on the Mineral Resource estimate please see the Companys May 10, 2018 news release ( click here ). Table 3 - Altan Nar Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Summary, May 7, 2018 Cut-off AuEq g/t Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade Contained Metal Au Ag Zn Pb AuEq Au Ag Zn Pb AuEq g/t g/t g/t g/t g/t Koz Koz Kt Kt Koz 0.4 Indicated 5.6 1.8 13.5 0.6 0.5 2.6 323 2,412 33.2 29.9 464 Inferred 3.7 1.6 7.5 0.7 0.6 2.3 189 901 24.5 22.8 283 0.7 Indicated 5.0 2.0 14.8 0.6 0.6 2.8 318 2,350 31.6 29.0 453 Inferred 3.4 1.7 7.9 0.7 0.7 2.5 186 866 23.7 22.3 277 1.0 Indicated 4.2 2.3 16.6 0.7 0.7 3.2 306 2,212 28.6 27.4 431 Inferred 3.2 1.8 8.2 0.7 0.7 2.7 182 837 22.8 21.5 270 1.4 Indicated 3.3 2.7 18.9 0.8 0.8 3.8 285 2,002 24.9 25.2 398 Inferred 2.9 1.9 8.6 0.8 0.7 2.8 176 795 21.5 20.4 259 Notes: 1. The Mineral Resources have been constrained by topography and a cut-off of 0.7 g/t AuEq above a pit and 1.4 g/t AuEq below the same pit shell. 2. The Mineral Resource Estimate Summary was compiled under the supervision of Mr. Jeremy Clark who is a full-time employee of RPM and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Clark has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he has undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Standards of Disclosure. 3. All Mineral Resource figures reported in the table above represent estimates as at May 7, 2018. Mineral Resource estimates are not precise calculations, being dependent on the interpretation of limited information on the location, shape and continuity of the occurrence and on the available sampling results. The totals contained in the above table have been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty of the estimate. Rounding may cause some computational discrepancies. 4. Mineral Resource grades are reported in accordance with the CIM Standards. 5. Mineral Resources reported on a dry in-situ basis. 6. No dilution or ore loss factors have been applied to the reported Resource Estimate. 7. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may occur should mining eventually result. 8. Gold Equivalent (AuEq) calculations assume metal prices of US $1,310 per ounce gold, US $18 per ounce silver, and US $2,400 per tonne lead and US $3,100 per tonne zinc and processing recoveries as per below. Background on the Khundii Gold Project Erdenes deposits are located in the Edren Terrane, within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, host to some of the worlds largest gold and copper-gold deposits. Although epithermal gold and porphyry copper-gold deposits are well documented across the border in China and along the Belts westward trend, exploration in Mongolia was limited until the mid-1990s, when the country returned to democracy and opened its doors to foreign exploration. Exploration since that time in southeast Mongolia led to the discovery of the world-class Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper deposit. Erdene has been the leader in exploration in Mongolias southwest over the past decade and is responsible for the discovery of the Khundii Gold District. The Khundii Gold District is comprised of multiple high-grade gold and base metal prospects, two of which are being considered for development: Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar. In addition, the company discovered and defined a large molybdenum-copper resource on the 100% owned, Zuun Mod project, 40 kilometres to the east. Over the past two years, drilling at the Altan Nar and Bayan Khundii projects has revealed very high gold grades, including intercepts up to 2,200 g/t gold over 1 metre within 14 metres of 158 g/t gold at Bayan Khundii, and intercepts up to 101 g/t gold over 1 metre within 20 metres of 10.3 g/t gold at Altan Nar. Outside of these two deposits, which will be the focus of a Preliminary Economic Assessment study in Q4-2018, the Company continues its regional, district-scale exploration program. The broader district, although still in its infancy, hosts the full spectrum of arc-related base and precious metal systems, including copper-gold porphyries, intermediate sulphidation / carbonate base metal gold deposits, and low sulphidation epithermal gold and gold-silver systems. Qualified Person and Sample Protocol The Mineral Resource estimate included in this press release was prepared under the supervision of Jeremy Clark, RPMGlobal Asia Limited. Mr. Clark is a Qualified Person within the meaning of such term under NI 43-101; Mr. Clark is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG) Membership No 3567. Mr. Clark has reviewed this press release and consents to the inclusion in this release of the matters disclosed based on Mineral Resource estimate documents provide to the Company by RPM. A NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate and Technical Report for the Bayan Khundii deposit will be filed on Erdenes SEDAR page within 45 days of this news release. Michael MacDonald, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Vice President Exploration for Erdene, is the Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the non-Mineral Resource estimate technical information contained in this news release on behalf of Erdene. All samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks. About Erdene Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in four exploration licenses and a mining license in Southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of the Khundii Gold District. Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and Mongolia stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com . Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene 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. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE Erdene Contact Information Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO, or Ken W. MacDonald, Vice President and CFO Phone: (902) 423-6419 E-mail: info@erdene.com Website: www.erdene.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes Three photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc1234a7-5a61-495d-9390-b8ef2869e7c7 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cdddc5f4-65a6-4a50-9ad0-b22428c964df http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74e89c2b-884e-4ed3-b7fb-dab6801a7d64 Meet the University of California, Riverside in India Co-sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai Consideration for scholarships up to 50% Guaranteed scholarship with priority round submission Application fee waiver ($125 USD value) Free access to practice GMAT/GRE exams Expedited admission decision Take your life to the next level. Join us at UCR Business About UCR School of Business Join us in New Delhi and Mumbai for special information sessions about our graduate business programs.with special remarks offered by the Minister Counselor or Commercial Officer for Commercial Affairs. Learn tips for applying to graduate school, fellowship opportunities, and life on our campus. Meet admissions staff and the Trustee of the Board of UCR Foundation. 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Quote: The commission acknowledged that no amount of money or staff members can ensure the safety of people who live in the vicinity of a nuclear plant, but it approved the installation because it believed that all reasonable precautions had been taken. (A) no amount of money or staff members (B) neither vast amounts of money nor staff members (C) neither vast amounts of money nor numbers of staff members (D) neither vast amounts of money nor a large staff (E) no matter how large the staff or how vast the amount of money Sentence Structure Meaning Expression Error: Connection Error: Note: A. no amount of money or staff members Incorrect B. neither vast amounts of money nor staff members: Incorrect Modifier Errors 1. This option repeats the error in the original sentence. The use of amounts of can only refer to and quantify uncountable nouns, and here it continues to quantify the countable noun staff members. 2. In addition, the adjective vast has been added to this option. The use of vast amounts of money is grammatically and logically correct, but vast amounts of staff members is idiomatically incorrect. C. neither vast amounts of money nor numbers of staff members: Incorrect Correct Usage: 1. Prince charming got the numbers of six different princesses before he met Cinderella. 2. The first graders struggled to remember the numbers of the multiplication table. D. neither vast amounts of money nor a large staff: Correct E. no matter how large the staff or how vast the amount of money: Incorrect Connection Error: Structural Error: The sentence discusses that a commission acknowledged that no amount of money or the quantity of staff at a nuclear plant could guarantee the safety of the people that reside in the surrounding area. However, the commission approved the building of the plant because it believed the necessary safety measures have been taken.1.The use of amount of should only be used to refer to and quantify uncountable nouns, but in the original sentence structure, it refers to the parallel uncountable noun money and the countable noun "staff members".2.The use of the coordinating conjunction neither / nor is preferred in parallel structures that join elements in the negative.If you believe money is countable because a person can count how much money is spent or that is in the bank, make a note - dollars and cents are countable nouns, but money is uncountable. As an uncountable noun, money works in the same as water and air.: Errors as discussed in the error analysis: The use of numbers of is idiomatically incorrect, as used in this sentence. This expression is the plural form of number of and should only be used to mention a plural quantity individually and not collectively. In this sentence, the plural quantity staff members is used collectively.Numbers of correct usage examples:: Both the uncountable noun money and the countable noun staff members have quantifying modifiers and are joined with the proper connector to maintain logical and grammatical parallel structure.1.This option repeats the connection issue in the original sentence. The coordinating conjunction neither / nor is preferred in parallel structures that join elements in the negative.2.This option has added the adverb how, which creates an awkward structure that results in the sentence not having a subject that logically connects with the verb can ensure.1. The use of amount of can only be used to quantify uncountable nouns.2. When joining parallel entities in the negative use neither/nor, please note whatever follow neither must follow nor and be of the same form.I hope this helps clarify.Cheers!Stacey_________________ Achyut Wagle holds PhD in economics and is currently a professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management. He is an econo-political analyst, writing for The Kathmandu Post for many years. 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 right stuff Passing of the bills on basic rights is a milestone, but implementation will be key Some downtown Martinsville business owners think the states plan to close a portion of State Road 37 to thru traffic in 2021 could be good for them. The Indiana Department of Transportation announced the proposal during a reevaluation meeting Monday night. The agency wants to close the stretch of 37 from State Road 39 to Morgan Street for one construction season in order to expedite I-69 construction. Traffic would be diverted to State Roads 39 and 67, which pass by a local road heading downtown. Jackie Blackwell owns Come n Git It restaurant on the square. She says about 20 percent of her customers come from out of town, and she hopes that number will increase during construction. "So it will just bring more out of towners to come down and see what were doing here, which is a great thing for Martinsville," Blackwell says. But others worry about the impact on the dozens of businesses that line the stretch of State Road 37 in Martinsville. Resident Florence Critchfield says it will be a hassle to access them. "How are we supposed to get to Indys or Taco Bell or Arbys or any of those over there if its closed?" Critchfield says. INDOTs proposal also includes plans for improvements to several local roads to accommodate the increased traffic. Three arrested on gang rape charge from Capital Police have arrested three youths for allegedly gang raping a 21-year-old girl from Bhimdhunga of Nagarjun Municipality in Kathmandu on Monday. The Catholic bishop of a northern Indiana diocese has released the names of 17 former priests and one former deacon who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on Tuesday released the names of the 18 men and the places where they served, dating back to 1922. A total of 63 credible allegations are cited with individual numbers attributed to each of the accused. No details were provided about when accusations took place. The majority of the 18 priests and deacons named in the list were associated with Northern Indiana parishes. Eight of the men are now dead. The 10 others have been removed from the ministry and two of them are incarcerated. The diocese says the list may be updated as additional information is received. The list was compiled by both Rhoades and the Diocesan Review Board, which reviews allegations of sexual abuse. According to the Diocese, each accusation was thoroughly investigated by the Review Board, and had to be unanimously accepted as more than likely true by both the Board and Rhoades. Rhoades announced in August that he would compile and release the priests' names in response to a grand jury's findings that more than 300 predator priests had abused more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses. Rhoades was recently cleared of misconduct allegations. The Diocese of Gary recently released the names of 10 former priests deemed by the diocese as guilty of sexually abusing children. And the Indianapolis archbishop plans to release the names of all priests in his diocese who've faced substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Indiana legalized the use of CBD, or cannabidiol, this year. With improved access to the substance, more Hoosier seniors are trying it to relieve pain or treat chronic illness. But it is still hard for the cannabis extract to shake off the stigma. Carol Rector had heard about CBD and thought maybe it could help her husband. Her husband, Jim Rector, is 74 year-old. He has diabetes, and Carol read that emerging evidence shows CBD can treat the chronic disease. When Indiana legalized its use, Carol got it for Jim and told his doctor. "He said lets do an A1C, so they took his blood work and it came back perfect," says Rector. Jim also suffers from chronic pain related to bursitis, and Carol says his pain went from a 10 to a 5 in a few short days. And it doesnt only help Jim. "It helps me because I see somebody who has hope now," says Carol. Indiana was one of the last states to legalize CBD, an extract from the cannabis plant. Carol and Jim purchase it at Davidson Greenhouse in Crawfordsville. Owner Mark Davidson is a self-described plantsman. He has also used CBD for a chronic pain condition. "I said if this ever becomes legal in Indiana Im going to sell it right out the front door of my store because I know this can help so many other people," says Davidson. CBD can be sourced from marijuana or hemp. Davidson says the plants are related. "Just like every sister I know, they are very different sisters," says Davidson. "The hemp plant doesnt have very much THC and it has a very high level of CBD, which is cannabidiol." CBD sold in Indiana has to be manufactured with less than 0.3 percent THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Carol Rector says some seniors still stigmatize CBD. "You tell some people, I put Jim on CBD oil and theyre like gasp 'hes going to get high' and I say no hes not, because hes not into that, and thats not how it works anyway," says Carol. Dr. Dan Stock is a family medicine practitioner in Noblesville. He prescribes CBD for some patients with neurological or immunological disorders. He explains how receptors in the endocannabinoid system works. "When that system becomes deranged then the transmitting cell just keeps sending signals and yelling and it tends to make the receiving cell become hyperactive," says Stock, "so CBD can normalize that system and importantly it normalizes it without ever making it hyperactive." Stock says its effective for conditions related to aging. "If a lady comes to me with post menopausal depression and anxiety because of hormone deficiency, then Im going to recommend CBD," says Stock. It took Indiana lawmakers years to approve the use of CBD for medicinal purposes. Every year numerous scientists testified the substance is safe, effective, it has no side effects, is not addictive and it doesnt get you high. Jeff Staker leads Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis. At the VFW in Kokomo, Staker has a stack of books about cannabis and health benefits. The past few years he watched the debate on CBD. "I think I was really frustrated because you hear the same story again and again and you think what is up with these politicians not listening," says Staker. Staker says senior vets were difficult to convince, too, but now theyre even in support of measures to legalize medical marijuana. "Some of the senior officers that were sitting up on the stage, they took me aside afterwards and said two years ago I never would have voted this way but you educated us," says Staker. Lawmakers will study the issue of medical marijuana next month. Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush says shes encouraged by progress shown in a new type of specialty court. There are several types of so-called problem-solving courts. They include drug courts to help with the states addiction epidemic and others aimed at military veterans. Rush says one of the newest types is family recovery courts. With regard to looking at children in the child welfare system and having a model with regard to safely keeping the kids with their families as they go through recovery, Rush says. One of the states child welfare goals has long been keeping kids with their families whenever possible. Rush says family recovery courts provide greater oversight and collaboration to attain that goal. "Some judges meet with their family recovery courts on a weekly basis," Rush says. "The judge is actually working with the service providers and the DCS." Indiana has seven family recovery courts (Bartholomew, Clark, Grant, Marion, Noble, Vanderburgh, and Wabash Counties), with four more (Allen, Delaware, Howard, and Vigo Counties) in the planning stages. The Indiana Department of Transportation wants to close a portion of State Road 37 in Martinsville in 2021 to finish I-69 construction. The agency announced the plan during a reevaluation meeting at Martinsville High School Monday night. It was the biggest of several changes outlined in the proposal. INDOT Strategic Communications Director Scott Manning says the closure would last from spring to fall and allow contractors to finish construction more quickly. "We will have State Road 37 closed to thru traffic from the State Road 44 area to State Road 39," Manning says. "All of the local, east-west roads will stay open." Traffic would be diverted to State Roads 39 and 67 during that closure. INDOT also plans to make improvements to SR 39 and several local roads to accommodate the increased traffic expected during the detour. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-Ind.) recently announced the state will invest $600 million to speed up construction of I-69 from Martinsville to Indianapolis by three years. Completion is expected in 2024. But, the state is still working to complete Section 5 from Bloomington to Martinsville. That portion of the project has been plagued with funding problems and construction delays, forcing the state to take it over from the private developer originally hired for the job. Section 5 construction is nearly two years behind schedule, which worries Martinsville resident Vicki Hacker. She doesn't want the same thing to happen to her community. "I want to know that when they hire these contractors, is there going to be something thats going to be put into place so that if they dont finish and manage in a record time, or in the time that they are allotted, they should be getting penalties and losing money," Hacker says. INDOT also announced proposed changes to some interchanges in Martinsville, as well as different aesthetic designs for fencing and walls. Hacker says those details are minor when it comes to the overall impact the interstate will have on the small town. She worries drivers will no longer stop in Martinsville. "Theyre not going to care that they went by Martinsville, Indiana," she says. "Its not going to have any impact on them at all. And, [INDOT's] going to spend all that money to pretty up a bridge? Im appalled." INDOTs final environmental impact statement for Section 6 predicts it will result in a $4.1 billion economic impact over 20 years. Construction is expected to start next year. The public has until Sept. 28 to give feedback on the proposal. Second Lady Karen Pence and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams returned to Indiana Tuesday to highlight a new workplace drug rehabilitation program that is said to be the first of its kind. Pathways To Employment launched this year at Belden in Richmond, Indiana. Pence toured the electric cable plant with other White House staff including President Donald Trumps counsel Kellyanne Conway and says this program is part of the solution. "Instead of turning your back on people battling drug addictions, Belden is coming alongside to provide that employee with an opportunity to get help and recover," Pence says. Belden is the second largest employer in Wayne County, one of the counties hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. It needed to fill positions, but 10 percent of applicants were failing drug tests. Now, if an applicant fails a test the company offers treatment with the promise of a job when they finish. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says its important to emphasis the magnitude of this drug crisis. "Its also important that everyone knows effective treatment is possible and people recover every day and we had the opportunity to meet some of those people this morning," Adams says. Currently 21 people have participated in the Belden program. Adams says this community-based solution is a step in the right direction. "Where we can truly as a nation say addiction is a chronic disease and it must be treated with science, with urgency, but most importantly it must be treated with compassion," Adams says. The program is also available to current employees dealing with addiction. Belden executives say they hope to offer their model to other companies. A day after President Donald Trump announced another $200 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese products, members of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) insisted they remain optimistic about statewide business growth. The group met Tuesday in Lafayette to discuss 3rd quarter data. Business leaders presented numbers showing their yearly goals are on track to be met by the end of 2018 even as the state continues to miss targets for corporate income tax collections most months. IEDC President Elaine Bedel says while the group has raised concerns to national leaders, its still hard to tell what exactly will happen to businesses in Indiana with the ongoing tariffs. Were supportive of the federal government trying to make things fair and a level playing field, she says. But, you know, it does cause for a situation where maybe there needs to be little bit of transition thatll have to happen with pricing and those types of things here. After the meeting, Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-Ind.) boarded a plane to northern Italy to chat with automotive industry executives about investing in Indiana. Bedel says overseas tariffs have increased interest in the Hoosier state from international businesses. I was mentioning that to someone the other day and they said, 'Well interestingly enough were getting a lot more inquiries from foreign companies who say we want to come there and produce so were not subject to the tariffs,' Bedel says. Also at the meeting, U.S. Steel -- a company Trump claims will benefit from the steel tariffs -- was granted an IEDC tax credit for upgrades to its Lake County facilities and attempts to retain jobs there. The ongoing trade war has caused prices on U.S.-made goods to go up, in addition to U.S. consumers paying higher prices for products imported from overseas. On Monday, the Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that the vast majority of UN agencies, including UNICEF, have cited in their reports that around half of the Houthis ranks are children. The Coalition explained that the thousands of children recruited or more likely forced into these militias will face untold physical and psychological scars. It also noted that the recruitment of children into the armed forces violates international humanitarian and criminal law, but yet, the international community has failed to put in place serious responses to stop the intense growth of child soldiers in the region. They called on the UN Human Rights Council to intervene in the crisis, perhaps putting in place programmes or initiatives to reintegrate child soldiers into society, in order to protect the Yemeni children. Irans long history of child soldiers Of course, it should not be surprising that the Iran-backed Houthis are using child soldiers. Many Iranian proxies have been caught using children in warfare over the past few years, most notably Hezbollah was found to be recruiting children as young as 12 into their armed units in the Syrian Civil War just last year, according to Human Rights Watch. In fact, the disturbing practice of Iran sending children into battle dates back to the early 1980s, when the Regime was fighting the Iran-Iraq War. During the war, children as young as nine were used to sweep minefield on the Iran-Iraq border, before troops were sent in, while more than 33,000 high school-aged students were killed. Notably, the number killed is substantially more than those wounded, which is unusual for more armed conflicts. The reason for this is that the children lack military training are treated as little more than human shields by the Iranian Regime. Last year, the Iranian Regimes Parliament refused to join the United Nations Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which bans the recruitment of children under 18 into active military combat and calls on states to criminalise the act of recruiting a child. It should be clear from this that the Iranian Regime does not care about the children of Iran or its neighbouring countries and is prepared to let them die to ensure the survival of the Regime. The children will not be safe until the Regime is forced out of the region as a whole. The rocket strikes that hit the offices of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan of Iran (KDPI) in Koya, Iraqi Kurdistan, on September 8, killed 15 people and injured several more. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility. Mustafa Mauludi, secretary general of KDPI, said: This tragedy requires that we work closely together to prevent more criminal acts from the Islamic Republic [Iran]. From this moment we will begin a new chapter of resistance against the regime in Tehran, for the sake of freedom of our nation. Iran has labelled the KDPI a terrorist organization because of their fight for independence, but labelling political opposition groups as terrorists is not an uncommon move by the Iranian Regime. Mauludi said that the KDPI will begin talks with other Kurdish opposition parties to form a united front against the Iranian Regime, but notes that these plans were already in place before the attack. The Iranian Regime claims that the Kurdish militant groups are being directed by the US to create instability in the region at a time when the Iranian economy is already in significant distress, largely due to Regime corruption. However, the US State Department denied supporting Kurdish military activity against Iran. One spokesperson said: Our activities in Iraq stand in stark contrast with those of the Iranian regime, which is working on a daily basis, through violence and intimidation, to subvert the will of the Iraqi people and undermine Iraqs sovereignty. They continued to say that the US role in Iraq is to counter the instability caused by the Iranian Regime. Meanwhile, both the Iraqi and Kurdish governments condemned the strikes. However, experts expect that tensions will continue to rise between the Iranian Regime and the Kurdish independence forces, especially given the rising pressures on the Iranian Regime from both inside and outside of the country. Babak Taghvaee, a Malta-based Iranian analyst, advises that KDPI members and other Kurdish militants may take advantage of the chaos created by ongoing Iranian protests and attack the Iran-Iraq border, while Iranian security forces are suppressing unrest in other parts of the country. One thing is certain, the Regime is facing immense pressure from all sides and soon the mullahs will fall. Its only a matter of time. The rial, Irans national currency, is trading at more than 150,000 to the US dollar this month, which sparked more economic protests across Iran, as the country is wracked by protests that began late last year. The economic catastrophe is seen as part of the broader failings of the Iranian government, and the protests are sending a clear message of opposition to the regime in its entirety. The chant, death to the dictator and death to Rouhani, are heard at demonstrations. Both political factions of the regime hardliners and moderates are condemned, while regimes attempts to dismiss the unrest as the product of some foreign conspiracy is rejected by the people. The enemy is here, the protesters declared, according to independent Iranian news outlets and witnesses on social media. They are lying when they say it is America. According to Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist, and leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, the Iranian people are not simply declining to blame the West for their problems. The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a major driver of the protest movement, insists that the Iranian people are in fact calling out to the US and Europe to stand with them as they take hold of the solutions to their problems. Dr. Rafizadeh goes on to explain, We can do this by focusing international attention on the human rights abuses with which the Iranian regime responds to any and all popular threats to its hold on power. We can also weaken the regimes repressive infrastructure by building a broader consensus for economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation that will ultimately force the mullahs to respond to the crises they are presently trying to suppress. As economic and social conditions worsen, along with the peoples anger response to them, the inherent potential of assertive Western policies seem auspicious, such as the Trump administrations decision to convene the UN Security Council to discuss Iran-related issues on September 26th. There is an opportunity at that time, to condemn the latest arrests and human rights violations involving peaceful protesters, and to point out that these measures are ineffective. The 2018 Iran Uprising Summit planned in advance of that meeting will echo this message. This past August, Iranian authorities arrested some 1,000 protesters. Arrests are said to have exceeded 8,000 in January, during the nationwide uprising. After Tehran acknowledged the role of the MEK in the uprising, the popular democratic resistance group has been targeted outside of Iran. While attacks have been thwarted so far, terrible damage was plotted in March against the MEK community in Albania. As well, on June 30th, hundreds of American and European dignitaries attending an international rally outside Paris organized by adherents of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its president-elect, Maryam Rajavi were also the targets of a bomb plot. Assadollah Assadi, a high-level diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Vienna and mastermind of a plot hatched at the highest levels in Tehran, was arrested and exposed a terrorist operative hidden at the heart of Europe. If rights abuses are allowed to continue in Iran, terror threats abroad will grow. It should be apparent to both sides of the Atlantic that Western interests and the Iranian peoples interests are one and the same. The message that should be emphasized at the Security Council this month is that a combination of internal and external pressure may help to usher in both democracy in Iran and security abroad. Because of the catastrophic housing situation, it is reported that some of the residents have resorted to the shocking practice of selling their kidneys to rebuild their homes. Irans Ilna news agency interviewed Sarpol-e Zahabs City Council Chairman on September 14th. He accused Hassan Rouhanis administration of inaction, and suggested that this is the reason why some citizens are selling their kidneys. He said, The mental situation of the citizens is very troubling. Hygiene and sanitation are very inadequate, and the municipality hasnt yet given us any money to do something. I wish the Ministry of Interior would say what services theyve provided for a city like Sarpol-e Zahab. Irna news agency wrote about the housing situation on September 5th. Earthquake-stricken [families] with sick or elderly members or little children are more concerned, because if they dont succeed in building their shelters, they have to spend a second cold winter in makeshift Conex houses and tents, not to mention the grueling summer heat they have to bear right now. Even though the situation is far from normalized, state agencies are leaving the area. Sarpol-e Zahabs City Council Chairman said, On arrival, many of the agencies which came to the area, put up banners in the city saying that they will stand together with the earthquake victims until the end. Unfortunately, many agencies didnt stay in the area and declared that they want to leave. Irans Parliament news agency quoted an MP from Kermanshah as saying, Arrangements were made to give villages 350-million- and cities 400-million-rial loans but unfortunately, it was never realized. An August 18th report by Mehr news agency told the story of a family in Sarpol-e Zahab. She opens water on the soap that covers the 4-5-year-old boys face. The childs body crumples under the sudden impact of the waters cold temperature. This mother, who lost her two brothers in the earthquake, says, I wash the kids in the toilet. We have one toilet for 40 people. Referring to politicians and state affiliated celebrities, she says, Some people come here and take photos with our miseries. So far, she hasnt seen any help from them. Source: Mojahedin.org Two Australians die in road accident Two Australian tourists died when a Tata Sumo met with an accident at Katari Municipality-14 on Monday. Yeti Airlines adds third ATR 72 aircraft to its fleet Yeti Airlines has added third ATR 72-500 aircraft to its fleet. - Bryan Revilla, the son of Bong Revilla and Lani Mercado, disclosed how the indictment of his dad changed his life - He said the normal things for other people are not normal for them anymore - He still believes things will turn out in their favor PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Bryan Revilla, the eldest son of former senator Bong Revilla, bravely confessed some rough changes in his life since his father got imprisoned. KAMI learned that the former senator is detained in Camp Crame for four years now because of his alleged involvement in the controversial PDAF scam. Bryan expressed that the indictment of Bong and the tough challenges that his family has to go through regarding that became factors as to why his whole life changed drastically. He even recalled the normal and good things that their family used to do when the former senator was with them every day. "I missed yung Sunday na magkakasama kami na hindi sa loob ng Crame kundi sa loob ng bahay. Going to dinner, as in buo yung family, thats one luxury that I dont have for four years, he explained. Because of his fathers imprisonment, Bryan bravely admitted that he gets deprived of the normal things that a normal and complete family would have and would do. "I was deprived of that, yung magkakasama kami na kakain sa labas, manonood ng sine na magkakasama, bakasyon kayo na kasama ang buong pamilya, he quipped. "Thats something that I was deprived of, and its sad. Yung normal para sa ibang tao, for us its not normal. Iba yung normal namin, he added. The 31-year-old actor, however, said that they remain hopeful that things will go in their favor since they already became stronger as a family and their faith in God became even deeper. "Its been four years already. Yung process na yun, it was tough but you have to do what you have to do in order to survive, and thats something that Ive learned, he said. "I am just happy that with regards in those dark times, our family is stronger. Our faiths stronger. Our relationship with God is stronger, he added. In a previous article by , former senator Bong posted on social media about his strong desire for justice. Bryan, who was born on November 22, 1986, is the eldest son of Bong to Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla. He starred in several shows in the Kapuso network including Kamandag and Resiklo. This time, he is set to star in the comeback movie of IMUS Productions entitled, Tres with brothers Jolo and Luigi. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! Imagine that youre walking down streets of the Philippines, thinking of your work, friends, and family. Suddenly a man walking in front of you drops his wallet. He continues walking, without realizing that he has just lost all his money. What would you do in this situation? Social Experiment: How Honest Are People Around You? on HumanMeter! Source: Kami.com.ph Saurya Airlines jet suffers bird strike in Kathmandu A Saurya Airlines jet flying for Biratnagar suffered a bird strike shortly after take-off from Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu on Monday. Booker Fuels Presidential Talk with South Carolina Dem Fundraiser AP- Fueling speculation about his White House ambitions, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will headline a Democratic fundraiser in South Carolina, which hosts the Souths first presidential primary. The Orangeburg County Democratic Party told The Associated Press that Booker is scheduled to attend its annual fundraising gala Oct. 18. That will put him in front of more than 1,000 South Carolina Democrats, including many of the states most prominent black leaders and activists. ADVERTISEMENT The event will mark Bookers first trip to South Carolina since President Donald Trump took office. South Carolina is the first early voting state with a significant black population. Booker, one of three African-American senators, sought to frame his South Carolina trip in the context of the November midterm election, and a Booker aide said the South Carolina trip would involve additional appearances on behalf of Democratic candidates running this year. As Ive traveled across the country campaigning, Ive seen unprecedented enthusiasm for a new generation of Democratic candidates, Booker said in a statement. Now, we must turn that energy into action. Indeed, Booker and other speculative presidential hopefuls like fellow Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have confined their travel itineraries mostly to midterm battlegrounds, and Warren has her own re-election campaign this year. But South Carolina Democrats face an uphill battle this November, with gubernatorial nominee James Smith being a decided underdog against incumbent Republican and Trump ally Henry McMaster. The Orangeburg event coincides with fall homecoming festivities of South Carolina State University, the local historically black campus. ADVERTISEMENT Orangeburg Democratic Chairman Kenny Glover, who issues the invitation, said he simply wanted a national figure for the event, but he stopped short of declaring Booker a 2020 favorite. Oh, we do not endorse, he said. Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 swept South Carolina and other Southern primaries, with their support in the black community fueling early delegate leads that propelled them to the Democratic nomination. In fact, both Obama and Clinton lost the national cumulative white vote, according to primary exit polls, but captured the nomination anyway because of margins among non-whites. Certainly, the expected crowded field in 2020 isnt likely to play out exactly as those previous nomination fights that settled quickly into two-candidate races, and leading black Democrats say African-Americans may not coalesce clearly behind a single candidate at all. Besides Booker, the potential African-American candidates include Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Former Vice President Joe Biden also has deep ties in the black community and the appeal of having served as top lieutenant to Obama, the nations first black president. Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond said in a recent interview that the allure of history and kinship wont be the same as it was for black voters during Obamas 2008 campaign. Richmond praised Bookers life story, growing up in a working-class family and going on to the Ivy League. He also extolled Harris and Warren for their work on Capitol Hill, while noting Bidens long track record. The leaders of South Korea and North Korea have completed their first day of talks in Pyongyang, North Korea. The visit is the third meeting between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un this year. Moon's main reason for the visit is to find ways to increase economic cooperation and avoid armed conflict between South and North Korea. He also aims to work toward a North Korea-United States dialogue for denuclearization. Moon says he has confirmed that both Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump want to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Progress on the issue could be made quickly if the two men meet again and talk, he said. A summit of firsts The summit between Moon and Kim marked a number of firsts, says South Korean spokesman Yoon Young-chan. Yoon told reporters that Tuesday's events marked the first time Kim Jong Un has opened a summit in Pyongyang. Yoon added that a military band welcomed the South Korean group with music that is usually played only for North Koreas senior leaders. It was also a first when Moon and Kim walked along the red carpet at Pyongyangs Sunan International Airport. The South Korean leader then inspected North Korean troops. Following the events at the airport, the first session of the inter-Korea summit began in the headquarters of the Central Committee of the North Korean Worker's Party. Associated Press reporters noted that Moon and Kim share an interest in expanding business projects across the border. Currently, however, all major projects between the two Koreas are slowed or stopped because of U.S.-led sanctions. And the nuclear issue remains an obstacle. Kim has indicated that he is willing to talk to U.S. officials again about the issue. However, at the same time, he has tried to create direct ties to South Korea. Kims goal appears to speak directly to South Korean officials about how to bring peace and stability to the area. Likely outcomes On Tuesday afternoon, South Korean spokesman Yoon Young-chan told reporters it was not clear how much progress would be made on denuclearization issues. He also said to wait until after Wednesdays talks for the possible announcement of any decisions. Kim Hyun-wook is a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. He told reporters that if no agreements come out of the summit, another meeting between Trump and Kim is unlikely. Im Susan Shand. VOAs Steve Miller reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story dialogue n. a conversation summit n a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments band n. a group that plays music together carpet n. a floor covering briefing n. an event to give information to reporters Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. By Ritah Kemigisa. The director roads at the Uganda National Roads Authority Sam Muhoozi has revealed that all is set for the much anticipated construction of the Kampala flyover which seeks to reduce traffic jam in Kampala. The first phase of this shs 61 billion project awarded to Shimizu-Konoike JV had its contract signed yesterday with works expected to start in January 2019. Muhoozi says 65% of the land has already been acquired with the contractors given three months to mobilize themselves. According to Muhoozi the contractors will only work on the first lot of the project which will see the construction of the 0.5KM clock tower flyover, Nsambya underpass, road widening along; Queensway, Entebbe, Nsambya, Mukwano and Gaba roads among others. The state minister for works Gen Katumba Wamala has now called for patience from members of the public since the construction of the project will cause major interruptions and road diversions. By Damali Mukhaye. Opposition Forum for Democratic Change has warned parliament against tampering with the tax payers money by allowing government to pay medical bills of MPs parents. This warning follows media reports that the government has plans to pay medical bills for parents of all Members of Parliament. According to the FDC party president Patrick Amuriat, Ugandans are already over-burdened vowing to block the move. Meanwhile, According to Chris Obore, Parliaments communications and public affairs officer, an MP, like any other employee of parliament is entitled to group insurance which covers at least five beneficiaries including parents. Lawmaker Au Kam San has written to the government inquiring about the land title for the four Golden Lotus Square land plots. Ahead of his question, Au highlighted another case concerning Macau residents right to demonstrate. According to Au, in July, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) denied the notification of demonstration for a protest which was planned at Lotus Square, after explaining that the Golden Lotus Square land plot had been leased for another purpose. Citing the citys law, Au said: Golden Lotus Square is an unrestricted place where tourists and residents can enter, linger, take photos and rest. There are no doubts about this being a space open to the public. For this reason, Au believes IACM should not have denied the notification. The square is often used for high-level government events and celebrations, such as last years National Day celebrations, which counted the presence of senior officials from the mainland. Au pointed out that the land plots used to belong to The Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau, SA (STDM). Later, the government borrowed the land from the company, promising to pay for the land with other land plots. If the problem is not solved, that means the four lands are still owned by STDM. Golden Lotus Square [] was leased in 1994. Next year, it will be 25 years since the lands were first leased, said Au. The lawmaker asked the government whether it was waiting for the land rights to expire so the government authority could take it back. If the land cannot see its development being complete [], the temporary outsource can become a permanent outsource. When the deadline approaches, the government can announce the invalidity of the land title, and therefore take it back unconditionally, Au said. A little more than a year ago, China released an aggressive plan to become the worlds leading artificial intelligence player. But with its technological dependence on the U.S. laid bare, its now promoting a softer approach, calling for all nations to join hands to develop the technology. Chinese leaders, including Vice Premier Liu He, joined business mogul Jack Ma and executives from Google at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai to support a borderless approach to AI research. He called for foreign investment in the country and pledged to foster an environment of free thinking to support development. The tone struck by He is a far cry from the aggressive plan issued by the State Council last year with the aim of China becoming the world leader in AI by 2030, in part through government support. While Hes comments contained few specifics, the softer approach comes after Shenzhen-based ZTE Corp. was crippled by U.S. penalties and as trade tensions between the nations build. Were hoping that all countries, as members of the global village, will be inclusive and support each other so that we can respond to the double-edged sword effect of new technologies, He told attendees through a translator. AI represents a new era. Cross-national and cross-discipline cooperation is inevitable. The comments echoed those of President Xi Jinping, who said in a letter to the conference that China was willing to share the benefits of AI with other countries. The summit was used by several U.S. companies to show off their dedication to developing AI in China. Microsoft Research Asia and Amazon Web Services both announced new labs in Shanghai, while Googles Jay Yagnik showed off slides of the companys AI activities in the country. The search giant, a unit of Alphabet Inc., is a key sponsor of the event. Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai was invited to the conference but declined to attend. The companys Beijing research center and its plans to release search products in China that conform to the countrys censorship laws have faced a strong backlash from U.S. lawmakers. Some of the most strident comments at the summit came from leaders of Chinas two biggest technology companies. Ma Huateng, chairman of Tencent Holdings Ltd., cited Googles launch of Chinese research centers as proof that the country needed a global approach to AI. Jack Ma, the chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., said Chinas rules, systems and way of thinking needs to be reformed, including how its industries and regulators adapt to technology. Governments should not care whether the taxi industry should be substituted, Alibabas Ma said. Governments should pay attention to whether road safety is good and if people will be killed in traffic accidents. Whether one industry is substituted by another should be determined by the market. Bloomberg A fire outbreak, which took place early morning on Friday at Fai Chi Kei Social House, resulted in one death and five injured. The deceased resident was a local 74-year-old man, tenant of the social house. The fire occurred in the residential buildings 17th floor, in the housing unit where the late victim was living. The other five victims live in the same building and described some discomfort during their escape, mainly trouble breathing. Some 180 residences were evacuated in total while the Fire Services Bureau (CB) combatted the fire. According to the Housing Bureau, the central gasoline system of the concerned social house is in a normal condition. A regular inspection has been carried out at the project as well. The latest inspection of the concerned buildings fire system was conducted at the end of August. The CB spent 20 minutes extinguishing the fire, with ten ambulances and two ladders deployed to the site. Prison police dismissed for failing obligation A prison police officer has been dismissed due to his failure to fulfill his legal obligations as a public servant. According to a statement released by the Office of the Secretary for Security, the former police officer violated his obligation to be caring and diligent, as well as to not be involved in other jobs. The dismissal was issued on August 8. The same police officer had also been accused, in 2016, of bribery, in a case related to 2015, by the Commission Against Corruption. However, recently, the Court of First Instance ruled that the police officer was not guilty of bribery. Mak Soi Kun suggests more teenagers join PSP youth club Lawmaker Mak Soi Kun is proposing to the police authority that more local youth should join the Public Security Police (PSP)s youth club. Recently, the PSP established a youth team hoping to attract teenagers into participating in the citys anti-crime activities. Mak complimented the PSP youth club, saying it can help to train more successors to Macaus future development. There are however some residents querying me to ask the administration authority how it will expand the scale of the PSP youth club, and how it will enhance the promotional campaigns for recruiting more youth and students to participate [in the PSPs youth club]. Furthermore, they want to know if every community and family can be part of the civil protection team. Will the government increase the strength of the society through the youth club? Mak questioned. The government is investigating the causes behind a sinkhole that appeared near the entrance of one of Macaus bridges, the government reported yesterday during a press conference on typhoon Mangkhut. The roads contractor is already following up, and the government will release further information later, though it expects to have the affected road repaired within one week. Other damage recorded by the Civil Protection Action Center totaled 523 incidents, including 69 felled trees and 320 instances of fallen scaffolding at construction sites. Forty people were injured in the typhoon, 12 of which were female, but most of the injuries were considered to be light in terms of severity. The government received 1,196 calls requesting assistance, and 3,262 calls for inquiries. From midnight yesterday until the start of the press conference at 3 p.m., the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), together with cleaning companies and other parties, had collected 455 tons of trash. Trash cars deployed increased from 11 to 19 vehicles. IACM lent scooters to residents for conveying goods. In total, 3,700 trees sustained damage: 2,200 had broken branches, while 1,500 fell to the ground. As of 3 p.m. yesterday, IACM collected 75 tons of broken branches and fallen leaves. IACM has a total of 2,100 volunteers, including 500 ordinary residents, 400 civil servants, and 1,200 people from the citys associations, providing aid in the clean-up process. Regarding taxi infractions, a police representative reported that 29 overcharging cases and 10 cases of refusing to take passengers were recorded. JZ China yesterday urged Sweden to respond to its complaints about the alleged mistreatment of a Chinese family removed by police from a hotel in Stockholm. The foreign ministry and Chinas embassy in Stockholm have asked Sweden to investigate the case but have yet to hear back, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. We once again urge Sweden to take seriously our concerns and take concrete measures to ensure the safety and legal rights and interests of Chinese tourists, Geng said, adding that the family had been brutally abused by Swedish police. Reports said an elderly couple and their son were removed from the hotel on Sept. 2 after they arrived a day before their booking and refused the staffs requests to leave. Police were called and removed the group, at one point carrying the father out of the door by his arms and legs. A statement on the Chinese Embassys website posted Saturday said its citizens were asking for punishment, apology and compensation in time. The Chinese Embassy in Sweden is deeply appalled and angered by what happened and strongly condemns the behavior of the Swedish police, the statement said. The Swedish Embassy in Beijing posted on its microblog Sunday that it had been made aware of the accusations against the police and an independent investigation into the incident would be conducted to determine whether there had been negligence or illegal behavior. In Stockholm, however, Chief Prosecutor Mats Ericsson said an investigation was closed on Sept. 7 after concluding that police had done nothing wrong. This is very normal [when you have] disorderly behavior, he was quoted as saying by the Aftonbladet newspaper, one of Swedens largest. Police have the right to remove a person from one place to another, he said. Citing a police report, the tabloid said two people were lying on a sofa in the hotel lobby and refused to leave the premises at about 1:45 a.m. About 25 minutes later, a police patrol decided to remove them and the two people started screaming, reportedly about human rights. The incident comes amid low- level tensions between Stockholm and Beijing over Chinas detention of a Chinese-born Swedish national on suspicion of leaking state secrets. China has rebuked Sweden for demanding the release of Hong Kong-based bookseller Gui Minhai, 53, who was taken off a train by police in eastern China on Jan. 20 while in the company of two Swedish diplomats with whom he was traveling to Beijing. A Swedish court on Friday also found a man guilty of spying for China by gathering information on Tibetans who had fled to Sweden and sentenced him to 22 months in jail. That came during a visit to Sweden by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader whom China labels a dangerous separatist. China routinely demands foreign nations bar him entry to deny him a platform to speak. AP By Ruth Anderah. Ugandas self-declared born again Pastor William Paul Muwanguzi, famously known as Kiwedde is now a free man after completing his sentence. Pastor Kiwedde was in 2013 arrested from Rakai District, where he was impersonating a Kenyan Catholic priest who was performing healing prayers and miracles from which he extorted colossal sums of money from hundreds of unsuspecting followers. However, after serving part of his sentence at Mutukula prison, in 2014, Muwanguzi escaped from prison and managed to get out of the country through Mutukula boarder before going to Zimbabwe where he was expatriated back to Uganda to complete his sentence. Muwanguzi had been sentenced to four years jail term for impersonation and he was added two extra years for prison break and being in possession of fake passport in names of David Mubiru. Frank Baine, the Uganda Prisons Service public relations officer, confirmed that Muwanguzi was released after he completed his jail term. Pastor Muwanguzi, became famous because of his activities at his defunct Pentecostal church under the name of Holy Fire Ministries on Entebbe road in Kampala where thousands of believers gathered for miracles. He is said to have extorted a lot of money from his followers which he accumulated wealth and bought lavish cars he branded with Kiwedde an expression meaning it is done. A ceremony for the 73rd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia was held last Friday at the MGM Macau integrated resort. Remarks by Tri Tharyat, Consul General Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong and Macau highlighted the cooperation between Macau and Indonesia. For Indonesia, Macau is a very interesting autonomous region to cooperate with as it has an advanced tourism sector which contributed to almost one third of its GDP in 2017, as the report of World Travel and Tourism Council describes. The contribution will always grow as Macau is poised to be the richest place on earth with a per capita GDP of USD143,116 in 2020, said Tri Tharyat. Indonesia has approximately 52 million people of middle class, and affluent consumers whose consumption accounts for 43 percent of total household consumption. This growing middle class is [a great] potential market that offers various investment opportunities for Macau investors to tap. However, current bilateral cooperation between the two sides has not demonstrated its fullest potential as those two predictions tell, said Tri Tharyat. The Indonesian Consul General hopes to see an increased number of visitors to the upcoming Trade Expo Indonesia on 24-28 October 2018 to tap opportunities in trade and investment. In Tri Tharyats words, coupled with the Greater Bay Area Initiative, Macau may become even more attractive to Indonesia as it also offers another connected 70 million new consumers to tap in Guanghzou, Shenzhen and Dongguan. The Indonesian diplomat believes that Macau can take advantage of two initiatives: as one of the worlds centers of tourism and leisure, and as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Earlier, Macaus Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam visited Indonesia for the Asian Games 2018, and Tam also met Indonesian Minister for Tourism, Head of Creative economy Agency and other government principal officials to discuss potential cooperation in tourism and education. We agreed that the visit would be followed by tangible measures and [action] in the near future, such as provision of scholarships to Indonesian tourism high school students and student-exchange, as well as working opportunities in Macau for Indonesian skilled workers. Thus, Indonesia can learn how to improve its tourism industry as Macau has done, said the Consul General. Currently, there are around five thousand Indonesians in Macau with the vast majority working as domestic helpers. The Indonesian consulate provides consular services to these Indonesians three times a week in Macau. The consulate is also ready to work with the Macau government in improving protection, including following up the planned Mutual Legal Assistance [MLA] between Indonesia and Macau, said Tri Tharyat. Current statistics show 200,000 Indonesian people visit Macau each year, outnumbering those travelling from Macau to Indonesia who number only around one thousand. In the years to come, as our economies grow steadily, we certainly look forward to continue to welcome a lot more tourism from Macau, Tri Tharyat remarked. Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan also said the Macau SAR and Indonesia have long enjoyed strong economic, and social and cultural ties. [] With the strong support of the Central Government [] we look forward to expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation between Macau and Indonesia along the path of development. JZ Some 343 outstanding students have been admitted by the University of Macau (UM) through the Principals Recommended Admission Scheme, who will all receive scholarships. Among them, 45 are ranked No. 1 in their secondary school classes. Mainland students admitted by UM this year scored an average of 17 percent higher than the admission marks required by tier-one universities for their respective provinces and cities, according to the a press release the university issued. For the 2018/2019 academic year, UM received 10,495 applications for bachelors degree programmes the highest number in ten years and 2,045 have been admitted. Meanwhile, five students will receive the University of Macau Grand Lotus Scholarship; 91 will receive the University of Macau Golden Lotus Scholarship; 137 will receive the University of Macau Silver Lotus Scholarship; 110 will receive the University of Macau First Year Scholarship. Recipients of the University of Macau Grand Lotus Scholarship and the University of Macau Golden Lotus Scholarship are eligible for direct admission to the Honours College in their first year of study. Compared to last year, UM this year admitted twice the number of outstanding students from Guangdong province and Hong Kong. UM also added that it admitted several outstanding students from Congjiang county, in an effort to support Chinas poverty alleviation policy. U.S.-Canada trade talks are poised to come to a head this week, as negotiators bear down on their next deadline amid President Donald Trumps threats to cut his largest export market out of the deal. High-level negotiations are expected to resume this week in a bid to reach a deal for Canada to remain in the three-nation North American Free Trade Agreement, a Canadian government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Congress is pressing for Canada to be kept in Nafta, after the U.S. and Mexico struck their own deal last month. Time is running out to reach an accord that can be signed before Mexicos president-elect takes office. There were no high-level talks scheduled yesterday, and the middle of this week probably Thursday is considered the next deadline to reach a handshake deal that could be converted into legal text by the end of this month, the official said. The Trump administration facing a fight with China, falling approval ratings and upcoming midterm elections, among other issues has begun to show more flexibility and the progress of talks picked up last week, two officials familiar with negotiations said. Whether it will be enough is the major question. What has surprised me is looking at the conciliatory position of the U.S. on a lot of issues, said Laura Dawson, Director of the Wilson Centers Canada Institute in Washington. The U.S. has dropped some of its most high-profile demands, but she stopped short of making any bets. Theyre closer now than they have been; thats all Ive got. CONGRESS VIEW If the countries fail to get a deal this week, theyll be at a crossroads. Trump has threatened to proceed without Canada, but Congress has warned he cant do that on the current U.S. legal path, which was for a three-country deal. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi last week called for Canada to be included. Trump has also threatened to apply tariffs to Canadian auto exports to the U.S. It should be trilateral, Pelosi, whose Democrats are poised to potentially take control of the House of Representatives, said Friday. Asked about a Mexico-only deal, she said: I just dont think that is in the interest of this hemisphere to be able to prevail in the global marketplace. STICKING POINTS Canada is offering certain concessions, such as on dairy, in exchange for keeping parts of the current deal it deems essential. Here are the core remaining issues: Dispute panels: Anti-dumping panels contained in Naftas Chapter 19. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has long despised them and sees them as an assault on sovereignty and wants to kill them; Canada calls this a red line issue, and sees them as an essential arbiter in a trade pact with a country 10 times its size. Cultural exemptions: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau doesnt want to open the door to U.S. takeovers of Canadian TV networks, or a flood of U.S. content. Dairy: This is probably Canadas big bargaining chip. Its not in Nafta now but the U.S. is seeking more access to Canadas protected market. Trudeau has said hell bargain here. Cross-border shipping: The U.S. wants Canada to raise its so-called de minimis level, under which cross-border shipments are shipped duty-free. Pharmaceuticals: The U.S. and Mexico agreed to 10-year patent protection for biologic drugs, but Canada wants a shorter period. Longer patent protection raises drug costs, and Canada is eyeing expanded public funding for pharmaceuticals. Intellectual Property: Mexico and the U.S. agreed to tougher protections here. Its a sticking point, but there have been scant signs that Canada sees this as a core issue. The U.S.-Canada deal wont substantially change any of the autos agreement already struck by the U.S. and Mexico, officials familiar with talks have said. Autos had been the biggest sticking point in earlier talks. In other words, two of the subjects Trump talks about most cars and dairy are resolved or within grasp. NEXT STEPS The countries have been close to a deal for weeks, but remain at loggerheads. This week, Canadas parliament returns from its summer break, squeezing Canadian bandwidth. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is Trudeaus Nafta minister, is scheduled to be in parliament today and will host a summit in Montreal beginning Friday. A Canadian cabinet meeting is also scheduled for Tuesday, one Canadian government official said. The official confirmed that Thursday is a target for any agreement this week but also stressed Canada doesnt think its a hard deadline. Trudeau has said as much publicly, saying so-called deadlines have come and gone in talks. We will do the work needed and try and get there as quick as we can, but we are going to make sure that we are doing what is necessary to get the right deal for Canadians, Trudeau said Sept. 13. A spokesman for Lighthizer didnt respond to a request for comment. Without a deal this week, theres likely little hope that text of a trilateral pact can be published by Sept. 30 though Nafta talks have already blown through several deadlines, and wouldnt necessarily collapse if they miss that one. If text isnt published by then, a deal probably cant be signed before Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office as Mexicos president Dec. 1. Then the next step would be up the U.S. it could extend the clock a bit for further talks, or ramp up fights with Canada and Congress by trying to go ahead with Mexico only, possibly begin an exit of the existing accord and proceed with auto tariffs on Canada. All that would be a dramatic escalation of trade tensions with Canada, the U.S.s second-biggest trading partner and top export market. It may not come to that: a deal could be reached or talks could continue. But even if there is a deal, its not over. It will almost certainly be up to the next U.S. Congress to pass it, a process through which Trumps threats to quit the current deal will continue. The Nafta saga isnt over yet. Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg Typhoon Mangkhut is losing power after making landfall in China and leaving Hong Kong with roads blocked, buildings damaged and low-lying areas flooded. The death toll in the Philippines rose to more than 50. More than 2.45 million people have been relocated and over 48,000 fishing boats returned to ports in Chinas Guangdong province as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, when Mangkhut made landfall, according to Xinhua News Agency. A 40,000-ton-category vessel with 73 people on board was blown off its anchoring at Huizhou port this morning, Chinas Central Television reported. Mangkhut, which is set to weaken as it passes over inland areas of South China, brought heavy winds and rains to Hong Kong, blowing out apartment building windows and toppling scores of trees. The Hong Kong Observatory reported Mangkhut was the most powerful cyclone to hit the city since 1979, packing maximum sustained gusts of 195 kilometers per hour (121 mph). About 213 people had sought medical treatment in the citys hospitals. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte appeared on television to pledge aid to storm-hit regions. Images of a residential apartment and an office building with their windows blown out circulated on social media in Hong Kong. A crane fell off a building at a construction site, the Mingpao newspaper reported. Fallen trees forced closures of roads and a tunnel. The government said 1,219 people have sought sanctuary in 48 temporary shelters set up in various districts. Residents in the flood- prone Tai O village and Lei Yue Mun were evacuated as sea levels continued to rise. Almost 900 flights were canceled in Hong Kong on Sunday. In China, all flights at Guangzhou International Airport were scrapped through yesterday morning. Cathay Pacific Airways said it now expects a gradual return to scheduled flight operations, but therell still be delays and some cancellations. Electricity to 7,000 customers were disrupted in several districts across the city, according to power utility CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd. In China, power disruptions affected 168,700 users in Guangdong, with 81,900 people still without normal service, Xinhua reported. Schools in Hong Kong will be closed for a second day today, while some of the citys bus and railway services remain suspended. The government aims to complete its clean up of major roads by 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday, said the citys commissioner for transport during a briefing yesterday. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam urged companies to show understanding and adopt a flexible approach to staff who have difficulties getting back to work. Hong Kong Disneyland and Hong Kong Ocean Park were shut for clean-up. Hong Kong Airport is trying to get business back to normal. More than 1,400 flights had been canceled across the region, according to Flight Aware. Cathay Pacific Airways said it expects a gradual return to scheduled operations, but there will be continued delays and some cancellations. On Saturday, the typhoon tore across the Philippines northern island, killing more than 50 people, many of them in landslides, according to the government. An estimated 5.7 million people were affected by the storm. President Rodrigo Duterte appeared at a televised Cabinet meeting following an aerial inspection of the affected areas and pledged funds following an for the recovery. Food supply is sufficient and prices are stable even in affected areas, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said at the meeting. Availability of cheap rice should be ensured to avoid price spikes, Lopez said, adding that supermarkets have also agreed to sell grain from the governments food agency. Agriculture is badly hit, Francis Tolentino, an adviser to Duterte, said earlier by phone. Impacts of the storm were felt as far away as Taiwan, where high waves caused one death, according to the islands government. Heavy rains and winds knocked out power for a short period in more than 12,000 homes. MDT/Agencies The SAR government undertook several preventive measures in response to this years typhoon Mangkhut to avoid casualties similar to the scale seen during typhoon Hato last year. Government authorities yesterday said that they were satisfied with the response of civil protection teams and that pre-disaster preparation had been improved. On Saturday, a red storm surge warning was issued at 9 p.m. in the form of an alarm warning residents, particularly in low-lying areas, to evacuate to the 16 government-run shelters. According to official data, a total of 5,650 people living in low-lying areas were evacuated, while the 16 centers accommodated 1,343 residents. The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted signal No. 8 on Sunday at 2 a.m., and raised it to signal No. 9 followed by No.10 at 11 a.m. Its the longest hoisting of T10 since 1968. T10 was hoisted for nine hours before Mangkhut arrived. Its wind speed was 173 km/h near the center, stronger than Hato which was 165 km/h, said a spokesperson from the SMG yesterday at a press conference. It was closest to Macau at 4 p.m. yesterday, about 60 km away from Macau, whereas Hato was 40 km away. Hatos highest water level was 6.2 meters, while Mangkhut was at 5.58 meters, the official added. During the hours of adverse weather on Sunday, the period from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. saw floodwaters reach about 1.9 meters in height in some areas of Macau. Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak expressed hopes that in the future, residents will voluntarily evacuate once warnings have been issued. We hope that evacuation will be voluntarily in order to ensure peoples safety and under special conditions, mandatory evacuation is needed, he said. Wong was pleased with the efforts of the Civil Protection Action Center, noting that residents civil protection awareness has increased through the conduct of pre-disaster preparation. Under the governments coordination, six gaming operators parking lots and government parking lots were prepared, and many temporary parking spaces were arranged, said Wong. The government had also required casinos to suspend operations, which occurred for the first time along with the closure of the border gate. The government prepared a large amount of information and released it in a timely fashion, and made effective clarification, he noted. The Times received reports that by around 2 p.m. on Sunday, some households in the Inner Harbor area had lost electricity. CEM reported that over 20,000 households lost power. Emergency repairs to certain power transformer stations located at the street level in low-lying areas were carried out when the floodwaters receded. Public services and schools with the exception of the civil protection system were suspended yesterday. The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau plans to set up refuse collection points in 45 locations in low-lying areas. All of these collection points were operational from 7.30 a.m. yesterday. Yesterday morning, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) fixed five traffic light systems which were damaged by the typhoon. As of 3 p.m., there were still 15 traffic light systems being fixed, representing approximately 10 percent of the citys traffic light systems. Compared to last year when 200 buses were damaged by typhoon Hato, no buses were damaged this year by typhoon Mangkhut. The Director of Maritime and Water Affairs Bureau, Susana Wong Soi Man, reported that her department will improve the drainage pump system in the Inner Harbor area to improve the flood drainage. Wong remarked that the water supply operated normally during the typhoon. However, problems occurred in buildings that were affected by power cuts in the electricity network. In total, 21 buildings did not have water supply during the typhoon. Fifteen of them had their water supply resumed as of 3 p.m. yesterday. Regarding rumors, there were several different rumors being spread. Investigations of these rumors are still being carried out, and we hope to announce the results to the residents as soon as possible, said Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Security. Wong said that, this time, the liberation army need not be bothered with cleaning up the trash. Ma Io Kun, Unitary Police Service (SPU) Commissioner-General, informed that the Taishan nuclear power station issued an alert according to the countrys standards. There were no reports of any incidents or problems whatsoever. Argentine authorities said Friday that they had seized about USD3 million in cameras, lenses and other film equipment stolen in Hollywood and New York. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said that officials worked in conjunction with the FBI, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires in the operation called Hollywood Stolen. Argentinas Federal Police said in a statement that it became aware of an NYPD investigation related to the matter two years ago. Police said they then collaborated to infiltrate the film production underworld and follow suspects, tap their phones and film their movements until they found the equipment that had been reported stolen in the U.S. Authorities said they carried out 10 raids last week and were able to break up a criminal gang that stole the equipment from Hollywood producers and rented it on the black market to companies for the production of movies and TV commercials in Argentina. Dozens of cases with costly cameras marked with the word seized, as well as tripods, lights and other professional film equipment were displayed at a news conference in the capital of Buenos Aires. Argentine Federal Police Chief Nestor Roncaglia said 17 people are being investigated. President Donald Trump is going ahead with plans to impose new tariffs on about USD200 billion of Chinese imports, The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend. Both sides were preparing to hold new talks on their tariff dispute. Last week Trump told reporters such a move could come very soon. The Journal cited unnamed people familiar with the matter who said the tariff level will likely be set at about 10 percent, below the 25 percent announced earlier this year. The two governments have already imposed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of each others goods. Beijing has issued a list of another $60 billion of American products for retaliation if Trumps next tariff hike goes ahead. White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters declined comment on the timing of a possible announcement, but said: The President has been clear that he and his administration will continue to take action to address Chinas unfair trade practices. We encourage China to address the long standing concerns raised by the United States. The Chinese foreign ministry said last week that it was invited to hold new talks. Envoys from the two countries last met Aug. 22 in Washington but reported no progress. Beijing has rejected pressure from the United States to roll back plans for state-led development of Chinese global champions in robotics, artificial intelligence and other fields. Washington, Europe and other trading partners say those plans violate Chinas market-opening commitments. American officials also worry they might erode U.S. industrial leadership. Forecasters have warned that the worsening conflict between the worlds two biggest traders could cut up to 0.5 percentage point off global economic growth through 2020 if all threatened tariff hikes go ahead. China has tried without success to recruit Germany, France, South Korea and other governments as allies against Washington. Some of them have criticized Trumps tactics but many echo U.S. complaints about Chinese market barriers and industrial strategy. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept With Wilmington cut off from the rest of North Carolina by still-rising floodwaters from Florence, officials plan to airlift food and water to the city of nearly 120,000 people as rescuers elsewhere pull inland residents from homes threatened by swollen rivers. The spreading disaster claimed additional lives yesterday [Macau time], with at least 17 people confirmed dead, and the nations top emergency official said other states were in the path this week. Not only are you going to see more impact across North Carolina [] but were also anticipating you are about to see a lot of damage going through West Virginia, all the way up to Ohio as the system exits out, Brock Long of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Fox News. In Wilmington , the states eighth-largest city, residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants for basic necessities like water. Police guarded the door of one store, and only 10 people were allowed inside at a time. County commission chairman Woody White said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city. Our roads are flooded, he said. There is no access to Wilmington. About 115 kilometers away from the coast, residents near the Lumber River stepped from their homes directly into boats floating in their front yards; river forecasts showed the scene could be repeated in towns as far as 250 miles inland as waters rise for days. In Anson County, east of Charlotte, a train derailed yesterday, but it wasnt clear whether it was storm-related or if anyone was injured. Several cars of a CSX train derailed in Anson County, east of the states largest city of Charlotte, WBTV reported. The derailment led to at least one road closure. Officials have reported flooding caused by Tropical Storm Florence in Union County, located between Charlotte and Anson County. Florence was still massive, despite being downgraded to a tropical depression. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bulls-eye. Meanwhile, halfway around the world, Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China on Sunday after lashing the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain that left dozens dead. More than 2.4 million people were evacuated from Chinas southern Guangdong province ahead of the massive typhoon, the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades. In North Carolina, fears of what could be the worst flooding in the states history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it wasnt clear how many had fled or even could. President Donald Trump said federal emergency workers, first responders and law enforcement officials were working really hard. As the storm begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional! he declared in a tweet. The storms death toll climbed to 17 as authorities said a 3-month-old child was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home in North Carolina. Three people died in weather-related traffic accidents, officials said. Victor Merlos was overjoyed to find a store open for business in Wilmington since he had about 20 relatives staying at his apartment, which still had power. He spent more than $500 on cereal, eggs, soft drinks and other necessities, plus beer. I have everything I need for my whole family, said Merlos. Nearby, a Waffle House restaurant limited breakfast customers to one biscuit and one drink, all take-out, with the price of USD2 per item. Kenneth Campbell had donned waterproof waders intending to check out his home in Lumberton , but he didnt bother when he saw the Coast Guard and murky waters in his neighborhood. Im not going to waste my time. I already know, he said. As rivers swelled, state regulators and environmental groups were monitoring the threat from gigantic hog and poultry farms located in low-lying, flood-prone areas. The industrial-scale farms contain vast pits of animal feces and urine that can pose a significant pollution threat if they are breached or inundated by floodwaters. In past hurricanes, flooding at dozens of farms also left hundreds of thousands of dead hogs, chickens and other decomposing livestock bobbing in floodwaters. Some stream gauges used to monitor river levels failed when they became submerged, but others showed water levels rising steadily, with forecasts calling for rivers to at or near record levels. The Defense Department said about 13,500 military personnel were assigned to help relief efforts. Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of up to 7,500 people living within a mile of a stretch of the Cape Fear River and the Little River, about 160 kilometers from the North Carolina coast. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000. Near the flooded-out town of New Bern , where about 455 people had to be rescued from the swirling flood waters, water completely surrounded churches, businesses and homes. In the neighboring town of Trenton, downtown streets were turned to creeks full of brown water. The rain was unrelenting in Cheraw, a town of about 6,000 people in northeastern South Carolina. Streets were flooded and Police Chief Keith Thomas warned people not to drive, but the local food and gas store had customers. As you can tell, theyre not listening to me, he said. Chuck Burton, Wilmington (N.C), AP Cinders, an 18-month old pony, during surgery after Jamie Peyton sutured tilapia skins to her burned face. She called it a little fish face. Credit: Jamie Peyton / UC Davis WARNING: contains graphic burn images. Jamie Peyton snapped an Instagram photo of herself while aboard an airplane headed to England in May. In her hand, she held a tiny, stuffed horse wearing a University of California, Davis, T-shirt. It was the perfect photo for the mission. The UC Davis veterinarian had been called to save a real horse. An 18-month-old gypsy cob pony had been found abandoned and starving in a field in Yorkshire. That wasn't the worst of it. Her face was horrifically scarred with oozing wounds from extensive third-degree chemical burns. The injuries left her unable to open her eyes. "It appears to have been a malicious attack," Peyton said. "It's as though someone had poured acid on the top of her head and it dripped down her face to her mouth." A good Samaritan had brought the pony to local veterinarians who had heard about Peyton's successful use of tilapia fish skins to heal a mountain lion and two black bears burned during the California wildfires last fall. Veterinarians in Yorkshire thought the novel treatment might work on the pony. Credit: UC Davis Within a few days, Peyton was on a plane to help. She carried with her a cooler full of sterilized tilapia skins that would eventually act as a healing biological bandage for the pony. Little fish face The torture and neglect that the pony had suffered was just horrid. She was skinny, lice-infested, had overgrown hooves, bad teeth, and a bleeding face. The overgrown hooves prompted vet technicians to name her Cinderella or "Cinders" for short, as she would soon get new shoes and become more like a princess. "She didn't want anyone touching her face," Peyton said. She and the Yorkshire team went to work cleaning the burns, removing dead tissue and applying ointments to ease the pain. Treatments such as cold laser therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy were also applied. Peyton originally came up with the idea of using tilapia skins from reading about a group of doctors in Brazil that had used them to successfully treat burns on people. Brazil and many other developing countries lack human skin and artificial alternatives that are widely available in the United States to treat burn wounds. But tilapia is a farmed fish that is abundant. Their skins are usually thrown away. Cinders face was horrifically scarred with oozing wounds from third-degree chemical burns when she was brought in for treatment. Credit: Rainbow Veterinary Hospital Tilapia skin, like human skin, can transfer collagen, a healing protein. It can reduce pain. Peyton and the team went to work on Cinders' burned face, suturing tilapia skins from the top of her forehead down to her mouth. "We created for her what we called 'a little fish face,'" Peyton said. Within an hour of waking up from the anesthesia, Cinders was eating again. By the next morning, she let veterinarians touch her face. "You'd think she'd want nothing to do with people, but the opposite was true," Peyton said. "It's so heartwarming." Wounds as extensive as Cinders' usually take six months to heal, but two weeks after the fish skins were first applied, about 80 percent of the skin had grown back on her face. Treatment first used on bears, mountain lion burned in California wildfires Cinders skin has already started to regrow just two weeks after tilapia skins were sutured to her face. Credit: Rainbow Veterinary Hospital Cinders was the first horse to be treated with tilapia skins for burn wounds, Peyton said, but the first animal test case came in October during California's largest recorded wildfire at the time, the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife rescued two adult female black bears and a 5-month-old mountain lion with third-degree burns on their pawsa death sentence for big predators that must cover a lot of terrain to stay fed. One of the bears was found sitting with her paws in a stream of water, unable to move from the pain. Deana Clifford, the wildlife agency's senior veterinarian and an assistant clinical professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, treated the burns and enlisted Peyton to soothe the animals' pain. Peyton said the younger bear inspired her to think of an outside-the-box solution. "When I saw the degree of injury that she had and how much pain she was in, it just tugged at my heart," she said. "You want to do everything possible to get these animals feeling better. It's not their fault they were in this horrible fire and they're in a strange environment and they don't know what's going on and they hurt." The tilapia skins were born out of sheer necessity, with veterinarians at the state wildlife investigations laboratory in Rancho Cordova working against the clock. They couldn't risk the bears adjusting to captivity. Frequent bandage changes on wild animals would be too difficult. The team also had trouble getting the animals to swallow pain pills. Complicating the situation even more, they soon found out that one of the bears was pregnant. One of the bears burned during the Thomas Fire was in so much pain that she was found sitting with her paws in a stream. Credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife "That was a game changer for us, because we knew it wouldn't be ideal for her to give birth in confinement," Clifford said. "We aren't really set up to have a birth at the lab holding facilities, and we knew there was a high probability that she could reject the cub, due to all the stress she was under." That's when Peyton decided to try tilapia skins for the first time. She bought the tilapia at a local fish market and sterilized the skins, which removed any fish smell that could tempt the animals to eat the biological bandages. Peyton sutured the tilapia skins to the bears' paws. After the younger bear woke up, one of the first things she did was sit up with her paws on the ground. "She was more mobile, which in my mind is a huge success for pain control," said Peyton. The fish skins can also be left on wounds longer than cloth bandages. Ordinary cloth bandages can block animals' intestines if they are eaten. The mountain lion, which received the same treatment as the bears, eventually ate his. Peyton also wrapped the bears' feet in rice paper and corn husks. Photos and video of the bears went viral in the media, especially after Peyton called their feet "little spring rolls" or "California bear roll feet." Just like Cinders, new skin had grown back on the animals' paw pads in a matter of weeks. Bear brought to CDFW Wildlife Investigations Lab has severe third-degree burns on its paws. Credit: Karin Higgins / UC Davis Because the mountain lion cub was so young, biologists believe he would not survive in the wild. He's now cared for at the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma. Wildfire destroyed both bears' original habitat, so state wildlife officers created separate dens for them in the Los Padres National Forest. Each still wears a satellite collar. Every few days, the collars register "pings," indicating normal behavior and movement. Biologists have tracked them traveling miles from their dens, indicating that their paws must be healing well. Will fish skins become standard care? The implications for treating burns with tilapia skins extend beyond the veterinary field. The World Health Organization calls burns a global public health problem, accounting for 180,000 deaths a year. While burns are treatable, advances in treatment and care have been applied mostly in higher income countries where people have access to expensive dermal substitutes. Peyton believes the low-cost and widespread availability of tilapia skins makes it a game-changer for treating burns, whether animal or human. "We've been doing the same standard of care for burns for years and people are very comfortable doing that, but it doesn't mean that's the best care," Peyton said. "To advance medicine, we have to keep pushing ourselves to find new alternatives." Tilapia skins sutured to one of the bears paws provide pain relief and transfer collagen. Credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife The younger bear rests in her holding enclosure after her treatment. The outer wrapping on her feet, made of corn husks, will delay her efforts to chew off the tilapia skin bandages underneath. Credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife Explore further Healing burned paws with fish skin Credit: CC0 Public Domain About 30% of adults and 80% of teenagers today do not meet the minimum levels of daily physical activity for staying healthy, as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Previous studies have already demonstrated that there is a gap between the intention to play sport and actually playing it among individuals with a leaning towards a sedentary lifestyle. But what happens in the brain to prevent intention being followed by action? Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland, have studied the neuronal activity of people faced with making the choice between physical activity and doing nothing. They noted that the brain requires far greater resources to escape a general attraction to minimising effort. A struggle then breaks out between the desire to do nothing and the physical activity. The results, published in the journal Neuropsychologia, are consistent with the idea that our ancestors had to avoid unnecessary physical effort to increase their chances of survival which, of course, is no longer necessary in our modern societies. Many people take out membership of a fitness club or gym but never set foot inside. This type of behaviour, which the researchers termed the "physical activity paradox", has been demonstrated by earlier studies that contrasted the controlled system based on reason I have to play sport to be healthy with the automatic system based on affect the discomfort and fatigue experienced during physical activity. When there is conflict between reason and affect, the physical activity behaviour is not implemented, and the individual tends to remain sedentary. But what happens at the neuronal level? The research team headed by Boris Cheval (a researcher at NCCR LIVES at the Faculty of Medicine at UNIGE and HUG), and Matthieu Boisgontier (a researcher at Leuven University, Belgium, and University of British Columbia, Canada), studied the neuronal activity of 29 people, all of whom wanted to be active in their daily lives without necessarily being so. The participants had to choose between physical activity and inactivity while the researchers probed their brain activity using an electroencephalograph equipped with 64 electrodes. Less time but more resources "We made participants play the "manikin task" which involved steering a dummy towards images representing a physical activity, and subsequently moving it away from images portraying sedentary behaviour. They were then asked to perform the reverse action," explains Boris Cheval. The researchers compared the differences in the time taken to approach the sedentary image and to avoid it. "We found that participants took 32 milliseconds less to move away from the sedentary image, which is considerable for a task like this," continues Boris Cheval. It was an outcome that went against the theory and the physical activity paradox. So, how can it be explained? The answer lies in the power of reasoning. The participants shunned the sedentary image faster than they approached it for two reasons: first, because this action was consistent with the instructions given by the researchers; and, more importantly, because it was in keeping with their intention to be physically active. Accordingly, they called on the resources needed to break free from their natural inclination, which drives them to minimise their efforts and react quickly to counter this "instinct". "On the other hand," points out Boris Cheval, "we observed that the electrical activity associated with two brain zones in particular, the fronto-medial cortex and the fronto-central cortex, was much higher when the participant had to choose the sedentary option." These two areas represent the struggle that takes place between reason and the affects, and the capacity to inhibit natural tendencies, respectively. "This means the brain has to use much more resources to move away from sedentary behaviour, rather than follow its natural penchant for minimising effort." Fighting the legacy of evolution Where does this inclination for sedentary behaviour come from? "Making as little effort as possible was crucial for the human species during evolution", says the researcher. "This orientation towards saving and conserving resources increased the chances of survival and reproduction." Today, however, our modern society renders this energy optimisation obsolete. "On the contrary, physical activity should be encouraged instead of putting temptations in the way to do less, such as escalators or elevators. For instance, we could modify the way public spaces are designed to reduce the opportunities for individuals to engage spontaneously in behaviour associated with minimising effort." Explore further Importance of physical activity in preschoolers highlighted by researcher More information: Boris Cheval et al. Avoiding sedentary behaviors requires more cortical resources than avoiding physical activity: An EEG study, Neuropsychologia (2018). Journal information: Neuropsychologia Boris Cheval et al. Avoiding sedentary behaviors requires more cortical resources than avoiding physical activity: An EEG study,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.07.029 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Evie Walker sits on Alison's lap, playing a game she never grows tired of: turning her mum's hand over and over, stroking and examining it. When she takes a break and looks around, it is with the open-mouthed look of curiosity and awe that you see in many infants. Evie's vocabulary currently consists of a repertoire of squawks and "mmm" sounds. In the past few months, she has begun to stand unaided for short periods even taking a few steps in her walking frame progress that fills her parents with immeasurable pride, not to mention hope for the future. Despite her baby-like demeanour, Evie is eight years old. She has PURA syndrome, a vanishingly rare developmental disorder that didn't officially exist until four years ago. Developmental disorders affect children's normal mental or physical development. Before she was diagnosed, all Evie's parents knew was that she suffered from 'global developmental delay': a vague umbrella term for a set of symptoms with myriad potential causes some, but not all of them, associated with a heartbreakingly poor prognosis. Yet thanks to advances in genome sequencing, more and more families like the Walkers are receiving an accurate diagnosis for their child's condition, and with it a clearer picture of what the future holds. In some cases, like Evie's, it reveals they are suffering from a completely new disease; in others albeit a minority of cases, for now it reveals a potential treatment for a condition that had hitherto seemed untreatable. It's not only children with developmental disorders whose lives are being transformed by this technology. In October 2018, NHS England will launch its Genomic Medicine Service, 13 genomic medicine centres that will provide whole genome sequencing to people with undiagnosed rare diseases and cancer another disease of mutated genes. By uncovering the exact genomic changes driving tumour growth, doctors can choose more effective treatments. In so doing, the NHS says England will become one of the first countries in the world to routinely offer "comprehensive and equitable access to the latest in genomic testing and management for the whole country, regardless of condition and where people live". People with developmental diseases and cancer will be the first to benefit, but as our understanding of genetics grows, the infrastructure will be in place for the testing of other disorders as well, such as early onset dementia or multiple sclerosis, which may be caused by several gene variants. Ever since the announcement that a first draft of the human genome had been sequenced, scientists and politicians have been claiming we're on the threshold of a new era of personalised genomic medicine. Has it finally arrived? Archie Walker was 15 months old when his sister, Evie, came into the world. Alison had sailed through both pregnancies, and when Evie was delivered, a week overdue, by normal vaginal delivery, it appeared the Walkers had been blessed with a second healthy child and an excellent sleeper to boot. But this attribute rapidly became a source of concern. Her parents had to wake her to feed her, and then she didn't feed for very long. She also felt abnormally cold. Alison raised these concerns with her health visitor when Evie was five days old, and she was told to take her to hospital. Immediately the triage nurse grabbed her and raced off down the corridor: Evie spent the following week in intensive care while the medical team worked to keep her warm and fed. "We assumed it was just a little bump in the road, that she'd get better, and then we'd go home with our gorgeous little girl and all would be well," says Alison. But even though Evie returned home, she remained extremely sleepy, and as she turned from infant to toddler, it became clear that she wasn't hitting the usual developmental milestones. She regularly returned to hospital, undergoing blood tests for various hormonal and nutritional deficiencies, brain scans to detect neurological damage and genetic tests for common inherited diseases. The Walkers naively assumed that one of these tests would eventually reveal how to fix Evie's issues: "Then we started to realise that not only could we not fix it, we couldn't figure out what the problem was to start with," Alison says. Evie was two years old when a hospital consultant sat her parents down and broke the devastating news that, not only was it unlikely that Evie would ever catch up with healthy children her age, they wondered if she would develop much further at all. Evie still couldn't hold her head up, stand, walk or talk and yet, the medical tests kept returning normal results. The Walkers' experience was traumatic but surprisingly common. A rare disease, as defined by the European Union, is one that affects fewer than 5 in 10,000 people. According to Rare Disease UK, there are between 6,000 and 8,000 known rare diseases and five new ones are described in the medical literature every week. They range from well-known inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntingdon's disease to childhood cancers and obscure developmental disorders like PURA syndrome. Around three-quarters of rare diseases affect children, and a third of those born affected will not survive to see their fifth birthday. Parents of affected children often describe the "diagnostic odyssey" of tests, false leads and medical head-scratching they endure before the source of the problem is identified if it ever is. In an estimated 80 per cent of rare diseases the cause is genetic, but despite enormous progress towards understanding the human genome in recent decades, searching for mutations that cause rare diseases in individual patients isn't as simple as it might sound. One thing that has changed is the development of next-generation sequencing technology. DNA-sequencing machines don't sequence the whole genome in one go. Instead, the DNA is cut into short pieces, around 150 'letters' long, and the sequences of these fragments are read and then stitched together by comparing them to a reference sequence. Next-generation sequencing enables hundreds of thousands to millions or billions of these DNA-sequencing reactions to be performed simultaneously, massively speeding up the process. It's only in the last few years that researchers have been able to sequence an entire genome in a cost-effective way. Helen Firth, a clinical geneticist at Cambridge University Hospitals, has spent her career trying to help those affected by rare diseases. "Once you've got a diagnosis, you can try and learn from other patients with that condition about what the future might hold," she says. This is so you can try and tailor future medical surveillance and management of the disease, she adds, as well as "provide accurate advice to other family members about the chances of another child or family member being affected by the condition". Yet, despite her best efforts, for many years Firth could only diagnose about a quarter to a third of the patients coming through her doors. Traditionally, geneticists like Firth used a process called karyotyping, which involves pairing up and ordering all the chromosomes to see if any are missing, duplicated or contain subtler structural changes. Karyotyping remains a useful technique for pinpointing large abnormalities, but the level of resolution is limited to around 5 million base pairs. Geneticists' work became easier with the development of array technology, which enabled smaller abnormalities to be detected, with a resolution of 50,000100,000 base pairs. However, neither of these techniques could spot tiny (but often very significant) changes, such as a single chemical letter being substituted for a different one. For this, you need DNA sequencing, a technique first developed during the 1970s. The initial sequencing of the human genome took around 13 years and cost more than 2 billion. The process has become progressively faster and cheaper ever since. Even so, until very recently it was only practical for clinical geneticists to sequence one gene at a time limiting what could be achieved in an individual patient. However, by 2010 array technology had improved and the cost of genome sequencing fallen to the point where Firth, together with Matt Hurles who is now Head of Human Genetics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute believed they might be able to diagnose many more patients if these technologies were systematically applied. So, in partnership with NHS Genetics Services and several other research groups, they recruited more than 12,000 British children and adults with undiagnosed developmental disorders into the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study and sequenced all the gene-coding regions of their DNA. They also sequenced their parents' DNA, enabling them to identify mutations that had occurred 'de novo' either during egg or sperm production or when the affected person was still an early embryo. "The question with these families has always been why so many of them have one very sick child and everyone else is healthy," says Hurles, who leads the DDD study. "What we've found is that when we can make a diagnosis in these children, it's often because of one of these new mutations." One of those recruited was Evie Walker. She and her parents each gave a saliva sample, and the genetic sequence of each of their 20,000 genes was compared to a database of 1,450 known developmental disorder genes. Although doing this has enabled many DDD participants to receive a diagnosis, it didn't work for Evie. Instead, for Evie and those like her with no diagnosis in the DDD study, the researchers turned to her other genes those with no known link to disease looking for ones containing a significant excess of de novo mutations. This led them to the PURA gene, which encodes a protein that helps regulate the expression of numerous other genes. Evie and two other girls were found to have small deletions or spelling mistakes in different areas of the PURA gene, which the researchers believed accounted for their illness. Although the girls had similar symptoms, they weren't identical: "We're often finding that these disorders are quite variable from one patient to the next, and this might be one reason why they haven't been recognised before now because a clinician couldn't have said: these are all one thing," says Hurles. To date, rare variants in nearly 1,500 genes have been shown to cause developmental disorders. So far, the DDD study has identified 30 new genes associated with developmental disorders and has led to the recognition of 14 entirely new disorders although the data is still being analysed and more are likely to emerge. "It has been wonderful to have families who I struggled for years to get a diagnosis for recruited to the DDD study, and then to have been able to sit in clinic with and actually explain the molecular diagnosis to them," says Firth. As for Alison Walker, though she wanted a diagnosis for Evie, she underestimated the impact it would have on their lives: "We thought it would just be a name for what we were already living with. We didn't expect it to be life-changing, but then when it came it really was." On the other side of the world in Melbourne, Australia, six-year-old Sarah Anderson was going through a diagnostic odyssey of her own. The first sign that something was wrong was when Sarah, at 36 hours old, couldn't stay warm, was incredibly floppy, wasn't feeding properly and would temporarily stop breathing. "I remember the geneticist coming in and saying, 'I give her seven days; enjoy her; spend as much time with her as you can,' and thinking, this wasn't supposed to happen," says Sarah's mother, Mel. Fortunately, Sarah defied the odds, although as she grew older she failed to meet the normal developmental milestones and struggled to control her movements. At 14 months she developed severe epilepsy, suffering up to 20 seizures per day, which left her exhausted and made her other symptoms even worse. She was misdiagnosed with several conditions before the cost of genome sequencing fell to a point where her parents were able to fundraise the US$8,000 needed to get it done. Sequencing didn't provide an immediate diagnosis, but it did narrow the search to around 20 genes one of which was PURA. The breakthrough came when a doctor from Melbourne who knew about Sarah's case attended a conference where early results of the DDD study were being presented. One slide listed the PURA gene along with other genes of interest. Afterwards, the doctor walked up to the presenter and said: "We've got one of those." Several months of emails and telephone conversations later, Sarah's neurologist was emailed a draft of the research paper the British researchers were putting together on this new condition. It contained a photo of the first child that they had diagnosed. "Suddenly they were more excited I think than I was," Mel recalls. "Our neurologist couldn't get the words out, but then we looked at this child and" Mel takes a sharp intake of breath. The photo showed a pretty four-year-old girl, with a round face, long dark hair cut into a blunt fringe, and a slightly open mouth. Mel thought: "That's Sarah." It was Evie Walker. Even though Sarah's doctors could now give Mel a diagnosis, they couldn't tell her any more about what it meant. Mel credits Sarah's neurologist with what happened next. He said: "Find the others; bring the parents together; form a foundation; find researchers it's the only way you're going to get the answers that you need." Things happened quickly. In the autumn of 2014, a paper describing the three British girls with PURA mutations, plus Sarah, was published. At the same time, an American group published a study describing another group of children with similar mutations. Mel arranged to fly out and meet some of them. On that first visit, she met with seven other families, and they agreed together to set up a foundation. Soon afterwards, they launched a website and began to formally register the foundation. They then reached out to any researcher they could find who had worked on the PURA gene or the protein it encoded. One of them was Dierk Niessing at the Institute of Structural Biology in Munich. Niessing had spent the early part of his career trying to solve the structure of the PURA protein and understand more about what it did. Mice that had been engineered to lack the PURA gene showed serious defects in their brains and nervous systems. The mice also tended to struggle with eating, breathing and walking. "Everything was weaker," says Niessing. "So, my guess was that it's an important protein, and perhaps at some point a disease would be found." When the 2014 paper was published, he was proved correct. In 2016, the PURA Syndrome Foundation held its first conference near London, which Alison and Evie Walker attended. It was the first time Alison had met Mel face-to-face. "It was like meeting a long-lost sister," Alison says. "Initially it made me really sad to think that so many people had been through the same thing we've been through," she says. "But it was nice to know, on the days when you just felt like putting your head in your hands and sobbing, that other people do understand." The DDD project isn't only playing the role of disease detective for people with developmental disorders. One interesting theme that's emerging from such studies is the overlap between these disorders and cancers both childhood and adult all of which are driven by mutated genes. Embryos and cancers have several features in common: both arise from a single cell and undergo rapid growth. And developmental signalling pathways controlling cell division and migration are often found to have become reactivated and dysregulated in cancer. Increasingly, some of the same genes and even the same mutations are being implicated. For instance, mutations in a gene called BRAF can result in a developmental disorder called Costello syndrome, which is characterised by intellectual disability and delayed development, loose folds of skin, unusually flexible joints and a large mouth. BRAF mutations also drive the growth of cancers, including some childhood brain cancers as well as the skin cancer melanoma in adults. What seems to be important is the timing of when mutations occur: developmental disorders largely seem to arise from mutations in the eggs or sperm that aren't present in the rest of the parents' cells or from mutations occurring shortly after the egg is fertilised. Research into adult cancer has led the way in terms of using discoveries about the genetics of the disease to find new treatments for it. Many newer cancer drugs target relatively common genetic mutations that drive tumour growth, and biopsies from individual patients are tested to predict whether they are likely to respond. Childhood cancer is more challenging, though. Often the mutations driving it are extremely rare, so you don't necessarily know what to look for. If a child fails to respond to chemotherapy, their doctors may be at a loss as to what to try next. Far better would be to identify the driver mutation at the outset and proceed straight to targeted therapy and that's where sequencing comes in. Since 2011, Rajen Mody at the University of Michigan and his colleagues have been sequencing normal and tumour DNA, as well as the tumour RNA (the template that enables DNA to be translated into proteins), from children whose cancer has failed to respond to standard treatment. Compared to DNA sequencing, sequencing RNA is more effective at detecting gene fusions a common type of mutation in childhood cancers. So far, they have sequenced 375 children's tumours. In a third of cases, they have been successful in starting patients on a pre-existing drug targeted to the particular mutation or fusion identified. "It just so happens that a lot of these mutations in childhood cancer are targetable mutations, and there is a very good drug out there that has been designed for adult cancer," says Sam Behjati, a Sanger Institute researcher who is using genome sequencing to better understand the basis of childhood cancer. Take melanoma. Adults with melanoma often carry a mutation in the BRAF gene, and if they do, a BRAF inhibitor drug is often effective at least until their tumour becomes resistant to it. Yet some children with brain cancer also have this or other mutations in BRAF, for which these drugs would also be effective. "The whole targeted therapy business has a lot more mileage in children than in adults, because it can actually cure someone," says Behjati. "In adults, it usually only keeps the cancer at bay for a little while." The cross-over between cancer and developmental disorders means that a similar approach could pay dividends there. "If we can piggyback on the work that's going into developing cancer therapies, it could be a way of getting much more investment in the disorders we're trying to solve," says Hurles. The 100,000 Genomes Project was launched in England in 2012 by the then prime minister David Cameron, whose own son Ivan was born with a rare neurological disorder that baffled doctors and eventually claimed his life. The goal was to sequence 100,000 genomes from patients with cancer, rare disorders and infectious diseases, both to find diagnoses and potential treatments for them, but also, in so doing, establish the infrastructure to offer routine whole genome sequencing for rare diseases and cancer within the NHS by October this year. So far, they have sequenced more than 75,000 genomes most of them from families with undiagnosed rare diseases and diagnoses have been returned in around a quarter of cases. One of them was a boy with severe immunodeficiency and neurological disease, who died at the age of four months. "His parents were very distressed; they wanted to try and have other children, but they were very fearful of having another child like him so they asked for themselves and the child to be enrolled in the programme," says Mark Caulfield of Genomics England, which is charged with the delivery of the 100,000 Genomes Project. The boy's DNA revealed a mutation in a protein that transports vitamin B12 into cells. Shortly afterwards, the mother became pregnant again, and just before the baby was born they discovered that he was carrying the same mutation. However, case reports of other children with this mutation suggested that giving high doses of vitamin B12 could overcome the problem, so this is what they did. "So far, he is developing according to the normal milestones and has not had the experience of the first child," says Caulfield. "We begin to see how, not for all and maybe not even for many but for some, genome sequencing can lead to treatments." There are potential benefits for the health system too. Caulfield cites another example: a four-year-old girl with developmental delay, who had visited hospital 151 times for various consultations and tests at a cost to the taxpayer of around 35,000 before entering the 100,000 Genomes Project, which identified the genetic cause of her problem. "At least 20 per cent of those hospital contacts could have been avoided if we had been able to do whole genome sequencing at an earlier point in her care," says Caulfield. For a 600 test, you could potentially save 7,000. Yet, despite the optimism, genome sequencing doesn't provide answers for everyone. Paul Arvidson's nine-year-old daughter, Nenna, is enrolled in both the DDD study and the 100,000 Genomes Project, yet neither has come up with any answers for why she is the way she is at least not yet. For the family, the hardest thing is being unable to make long-term plans: "Because we haven't got a diagnosis, we haven't got a prognosis. We don't know if her condition means she isn't going to make it to adulthood, or to her teens. We want to be able to prepare for that to know if there are things we need to think about sooner rather than later." So far, the DDD study has managed to obtain answers for around 3540 per cent of the families enrolled, but what about the remaining families who are still in diagnostic limbo: why is it so hard to diagnose them? It may be because the DDD project looks only at the protein-coding regions of the genome and conserved regulatory sequences. In the hope of finding diagnoses for more patients, the DDD project has applied for access to the 100,000 Genomes Project's data. But large projects that are doing whole genome sequencing including 100,000 Genomes are also encountering limitations. One issue is that, although it's called whole genome sequencing, there are regions of DNA that are unreadable. "I can read 97.3 per cent of the genome with good quality, but there are bits of the genome which are very hard to read because there are some bits that don't stick back on when you try and reassemble them," says Caulfield. Also, whereas the current DNA-sequencing technology is very good at identifying single letter changes in the DNA sequence, it's less good at spotting more than just a single letter change, or insertions or deletions. For very rare diseases, it could also be that there aren't enough other people with the same sorts of mutation for it to be detected. "So far only around 30 per cent of our genes have a known role in human disease, and there is much more yet to be discovered," says Firth. "We will keep reanalysing the sequence data from families recruited to the DDD study until 2021. This will enable us to diagnose more children as the list of genes causing developmental disorders grows through our own research and that of others." With the power that sequencing brings, there is also risk. Genome sequencing carries the potential for detecting genetic variants unrelated to the condition being investigated but which could have serious health consequences nonetheless. Some people might want to know if they have a high risk of developing a serious illness down the line particularly if there's a chance of reducing the risk others would prefer not to know. The DDD project made a conscious decision not to report such 'secondary findings'. The 100,000 Genomes Project, however, offers its participants the option of finding out if they carry genetic variants that strongly predispose them to high cholesterol or certain cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer, which are linked to variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes or that might cause cystic fibrosis in future offspring. The 100,000 Genomes Project makes a clear distinction between gene variants that you can take action on (such as BRCA, where you can have enhanced screening or prophylactic surgery if you carry a high-risk variant) and those that you can't. For instance, some variants of the APOE gene strongly predispose the development of Alzheimer's disease in later life, but knowing you carry this variant doesn't enable you to prevent the condition. In the USA, however, many more potentially life-changing results are reported. In 2013, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics published a minimum list of genes that it recommended should be communicated as secondary findings during clinical genome sequencing, which it has since updated to include 59 medically actionable genes. If you're a parent seeking answers about your child's rare condition, you may feel that the benefits of a diagnosis outweigh the downsides of finding out this additional information. Increasingly, genome sequencing is being offered to babies in neonatal intensive care units, meaning the age at which children are being diagnosed with rare diseases such as PURA syndrome is becoming lower. This may be helpful, as it cuts out those years of uncertainty and enables therapeutic action to be taken in some cases. Even in conditions like PURA syndrome, where there is no therapy, the fact that there are other people that parents can learn about their child's condition from, and how to navigate some of problems it creates, is a huge comfort. "Even for genes we discovered just a few years ago like PURA, we've now got profiles of what the typical milestones look like for children," says Firth. "We've got leaflets written with the help of the support groups that we can share with families." Yet for PURA syndrome, there are many more questions that need answering. For one thing, why are the symptoms so variable between different individuals? "We even have 12 patients now with the very same mutation in the very same position and they have very different symptoms," Niessing says. For Alison, the biggest question is what the future holds for her daughter. So far, only a handful of adults have been diagnosed with PURA syndrome, but it's unclear whether this is because children with the condition don't tend to survive to adulthood or because few adults have yet been tested for it. At the 2016 conference, Alison met a family whose daughter is younger than Evie, but up and walking, providing a glimpse of what Evie might be able to achieve with the right support. Mel and Alison both hope that continuing to share information between families and increasing research into PURA syndrome will help find a treatment that will benefit their daughters. To date, some 250 people across the world have been identified with the condition, a disease that didn't officially exist four years ago. With every new case, knowledge about it and hope for the future grows. The DDD study is closed to recruitment, but further funded work is continuing to search for diagnoses for patients already recruited. Any new diagnoses will be fed back to recruiting clinicians and then to participants. Find out more about the study. Explore further First 'non-gene' mutations behind neurodevelopmental disorders discovered Provided by Mosaic Credit: CC0 Public Domain What is creativity, and can it be enhancedsafelyin a person who needs a boost of imagination? Georgetown experts debate the growing use of electrical devices that stimulate brain tissue, and conclude there is potential value in the technique. However, use of these machines also raises neuro-ethical, legal, and social issues that must now be addressed. In an article published today in Creativity Research Journal, Georgetown researchers say that the clearest problematic issues with using transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) to improve various forms of creative cognition relate to the use of the procedure in a child's brain. This scenario is increasingly likely because tES devices are not just in clinical use for some neurological disorders but are widely being sold direct to consumer (DTC), and are being made in a do-it-yourself (DIY) fashion, researchers say. That suggests that the tES field (those who use the devices clinically, study its myriad implications, and build and market the devices) must consideras soon as possiblehow tES use should be regarded and regulated, they say. "There are multiple potential concerns with DIY-ers self-administering electric current to their brains, but this use of tES may be inevitable. And, certainly, anytime there is risk of harm with a technology, the scariest risks are those associated with kids and the developing brain," says co-author Adam Green, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology & Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown. The pragmatic approach may be to educate and make the safest tools available, Green and the study's senior author, James Giordano, Ph.D., say. "DIY applications can pose certain challenges in that constraints may not be appreciated or adhered to, and in some cases, not regarded," says Giordano, who is professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, and chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program in the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University Medical Center. "The DIY community is certainly not cavalier or a proverbial 'wild west' environment. Many DIY individuals and groups employ independent institutional review boards, or establish self-regulating oversight committees to guide the scope and tenor of their work," he says. "However, what is important to note is that the nature of DIY engagement can also provide an environment of avant garde iterations of science, technology, methods and applications. This is not necessarily a bad thing, per se, as it may, in fact 'push the envelope' to some extent," adds Giordano. "But there is what I feel to be justified concern that such attempts could incur safety issues. In that light, we have called for an ongoing dialog with the DIY community to enable improved communication of techniques and effects so as to remain aware of what's being done, how, and the outcomes of such work that may be important to advancing the field and clinical care of any adverse manifestations." The authors also say another concern is that increasing use of tES could precipitate the advent of a new and medically accepted "disorder" that would then require tES treatment. Simply shifting a threshold of what qualities and capabilities are considered to be "normal" establishes a basis for any intervention to be regarded as a treatment, they say. Some people may confuse tES with "shock" therapy (electro-convulsive therapy or ECT), but tES and ECT are very different, Giordano says. "The current used in even research and clinical tES devices is several orders of magnitude less than that which is used in ECT, and the current that is delivered in direct-to-consumer machines is even less." Giordano, whose work addresses mechanisms and actions of various forms of neuromodulation, adds that the effect of tES on neurons depends both on the method of tES being used than on the region being stimulated. There is now growing interest in the use of tES for treatment of a number of neuro-psychiatric conditions, such as using different forms (direct and alternating current transcranial stimulation) to reduce particular signs and symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders, to affect memory in neurodegenerative disorders, to reduce certain cognitive features of Parkinson's disease, and some forms of chronic pain, as well as to potentially help patients who have had a stroke-induced speech disorder communicate. Green's work focuses on testing whether tES can, indeed, bolster creativity. In one study, he looked at whether tES to the frontal pole of the brain, to facilitate neural activity in this brain region, would support creative verbal thinking and reasoning. He used tests of creative analogical reasoning and word association to measure creativity. For both tasks, the ability to make less obvious connections between words is considered to require more abstract creative thinking. The result of the study, published in 2017 in Cerebral Cortex, did indeed suggest that creativity may be enhanced with the meticulous and controlled application of this sophisticated "thinking cap" provided by tES. "Our work in the lab involves careful computer modeling of tissues in the head," he says. "It's important to understand where the electric current is going and how it is behaving." But even the concept of creativity is up for discussion, adds Green, who is President-elect of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity. "The stock definition of creativity is something like, generating or finding ideas/solutions that are both novel and useful," he says. "But I can tell you that there is much discussion, even among creativity researchers about the best operational definition(s) to use. My strong sense is that it is more important to study activities that are clearly creative than it is to try to identify a single activity that is creativity." Explore further Electrical brain stimulation enhances creativity, researchers say More information: Adam B. Weinberger et al. Neuroethical and Social Implications of Using Transcranial Electrical Stimulation to Augment Creative Cognition, Creativity Research Journal (2018). Journal information: Cerebral Cortex Adam B. Weinberger et al. Neuroethical and Social Implications of Using Transcranial Electrical Stimulation to Augment Creative Cognition,(2018). DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2018.1488199 An online initiative offering low-cost genetic testing to relatives of people with genetic mutations that increase their risk of cancer encourages the "cascade" testing that can help to identify healthy people at risk of the disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Color Genomics, a genetic testing company. The study of more than 700 people bearing one of 30 cancer-associated mutations found that nearly half of a patient's first-degree relatives (think mother, father, siblings and children) chose to undergo testing when contacted by a genetic testing laboratory and offered a chance to have their own genes sequenced for about $50about one-tenth the standard cost. Furthermore, about 12 percent of those found to have the same mutation as the original patient then went on to invite additional relatives to be tested. Although not everyone with a cancer-associated mutation will go on to develop the disease, the knowledge that one is a carrier can help people and their doctors make informed health care decisions while they are still healthy. For example, women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who have a vastly increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancers may choose to undergo prophylactic mastectomies or have their ovaries removed. Other types of mutations, such as those that increase one's risk of colon cancer, may indicate the need for increased or more frequent screening. "We've found that this approach has been remarkably successful in overcoming traditional barriers to reaching and testing a patient's relatives," said Allison Kurian, MD, associate professor of medicine and of health research and policy at Stanford. "The results have been very striking, as traditional approaches to cascade testing result in only about 30 percent of relatives undergoing testing." Kurian shares senior authorship of the research, which will be published Sept. 18 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, with Alicia Zhou, Ph.D., who is head of research at Color Genomics, based in Burlingame, California. Jennifer Caswell-Jin, MD, instructor of medicine at Stanford, and Anjali Zimmer, Ph.D., a technical writer from Color Genomics, are the lead authors of the study. Growing interest in genetic tests Increasingly, newly diagnosed cancer patients are turning to genetic testing in a quest to understand why they've developed the disease. The discovery of a disease-associated mutation can help drive treatment decisions and provide clues as to the cancer's origin. But there's another important, often overlooked, benefit: The test results can help a patient's healthy first-degree relatives assess their own genetic risk for cancer. About 50 percent of these relatives could be expected to harbor the same mutation as the patient, even if they haven't developed cancers themselves. However, this kind of cascade testing, in which a positive result in a cancer patient triggers waves of genetic testing among the patient's relatives, remains relatively rarein part because physicians are often prohibited from directly contacting a patient's relatives, and people reeling from their own recent diagnosis may not immediately consider the health implications for their loved ones. Testing can also be expensive and is not always covered by insurance. Kurian and her colleagues wondered if there was an easier way to reach potential carriers. They evaluated the first year of a family testing program in which people found to harbor one of 30 cancer-associated genes were encouraged to provide the testing laboratory with email addresses for their first-degree relatives. The laboratory then contacted the relatives to provide more information via a web portal and invite them to be tested for an out-of-pocket cost of $50. "One unique thing about this study is that it isn't focused on any single gene," Caswell-Jin said. "These participants were carriers of mutations in any of 30 different genes, some of which are very strongly associated with the development of specific cancers. Because about half of a patient's first-degree relatives are also likely carriers of the same mutation, cascade testing has significant public health implications for early cancer detection and even prevention." To conduct the study, the researchers invited carriers of one of 30 cancer-associated mutations, identified by any one of several certified genetic testing laboratories, and their relatives to participate in the family testing program. They reached possible participants through the use of online advertising, notices in physicians' clinics or at group meetings for families with hereditary cancers. From September 2016 to September 2017, 1,101 people741 people who carried the mutation themselves, and 360 relatives of the carriersopted to participate in the program. Together, the original participants then invited 2,280 of their relatives to also be tested. Nearly half of those invited underwent testing themselves within the study's follow-up period. As expected, about one-half of the tested relatives were also carriers. About 12 percent of these people then used the family testing program to invite additional first-degree relatives to be tested. "Although this was potentially lower than we might have expected, in many cases it was due to the fact that there were no more first-degree relatives in the family to test," Caswell-Jin said. Different mutations identified Surprisingly, the researchers found that about 5 percent of relatives tested carried cancer-associated mutations that differed from those of their patient relatives. "These pathogenic mutations were totally unexpected and suggest that this may reflect the prevalence in the general population of known cancer-associated mutations," Kurian said. "It addresses a long-standing question in the field about what we might find if we routinely tested everyone." The researchers emphasize that, regardless of how people are contacted to be tested, it is important to involve a genetic counselor to interpret test results and direct mutation carriers to appropriate health care services. "This is such an exciting era," Caswell-Jin said. "We expect the proportion of people undergoing genetic testing for disease-associated mutations will continue to increase. We need to make sure they get the support they need to understand their results, and to encourage additional support and follow-up." "We are very engaged in learning how to most effectively implement genetic testing, particularly in a broad population," Kurian said. "We are eager to pursue this finding further and to understand how we can improve on this new model of cascade testing." Explore further Mutations common in pancreatic CA, history of other cancers French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on the reform of the French healthcare system at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 18 2018. Macron has unveiled plans to France's health care system, considered one of the best in the world, more efficient and sustainable for the next 50 years. (Etienne Laurent, Pool via AP) French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled plans to make France's health care system, considered one of the best in the world, more efficient and sustainable for the next 50 years. Macron announced organizational changes at hospitals, in the recruitment of doctors, and a better use of digital technologies to provide health care to patients across the country, regardless of where they live. Macron said "a lot of our neighbors envy the excellence of our health care system. We are attached to our model which associates hospital medicinepublic and privateand private medical practice." France came out number 1 in a World Health Organization report comparing 191 countries in 2000. But the country's health care system is struggling with increasing costs and lack of doctors in some rural region and poor neighborhoods. One short-term measure consists in hiring 400 family doctorspaid by the state in so-called "medical deserts." The current rule that sets quotas on the number of students in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy will be abolished in 2020. Hospitals will be classified into in three categories: local health care, specialized care and ultra-specialized careeach focusing on its priorities, to optimize patient care. French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to deliver a speech on the reform of the French healthcare system at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 18 2018. Macron has unveiled plans to France's health care system, considered one of the best in the world, more efficient and sustainable for the next 50 years. (Etienne Laurent, Pool via AP) Private doctors and other health care professionals will be required in the coming years to organize themselves into "communities" to be able to respond to daily emergency calls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day in their geographic arealeaving hospitals for only the most serious cases. The set of measures is estimated to cost 3.4 billion euros ($4 billion) by 2022. "My ambition is clear: I want what we call the health care system to be one of the pillars of the welfare state of the 21st century," Macron said. "A health care system that prevents and protects against today's and tomorrow's health risks." France's health care system involves a state-funded health insurance that reimburses patients for most medical interventions and medicines prescribed by a doctor. France's health insurance budget in 2018 is 195.2 billion euros ($229 billion)financed by taxes. In addition, the French can also apply to private insurance to increase their health coverage. French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on the reform of the French healthcare system at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 18 2018. Macron has unveiled plans to France's health care system, considered one of the best in the world, more efficient and sustainable for the next 50 years. (Etienne Laurent, Pool via AP) Explore further France saves 1bn euros on health insurance spending 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Tuition aid supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for military veterans enrolling in medical school covers a smaller proportion of tuition compared to aid for other graduate programs, according to a Northwestern Medicine study. The study will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Sept. 18. Medical schools had a median shortfall of nearly $27,500 per year, which would add up to $110,000 that veterans would have to pay out of pocket despite receiving the GI bill, the study found. While part of this shortfall may be due to medical school's higher tuition, medical schools also provided less absolute support with a median of about $22,000 per year compared to about $33,000 for law programs and $26,000 for business programs. When factoring in tuition, this means that just 45 percent of medical school tuition is covered by aid compared to 85 percent for law and 100 percent for MBA programs. "This means veterans who deployed to combat zones or served on active duty since 9/11 will incur significant debt despite receiving the GI bill," said lead author Stephen Graves, a fourth-year student in the dual MD/MBA program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and 10-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). "Medical schools could be using their scholarship dollars much more effectively." The disparity is likely due to medical schools' unfamiliarity with Veterans Affairs (VA) tuition aid programs, said Graves, who remains a captain in the USMC Reserve. VA tuition aid for veterans largely comes from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a scholarship program available to all honorably discharged veterans that can be used for most undergraduate and graduate education. Supplementing that aid is the Yellow Ribbon (YR) program, an opt-in program that matches an aid contribution from an academic graduate program. For example, if a medical school offered a scholarship to veterans worth $8,000, the YR program would match that sum. However, when entering medical school, Graves noticed program participation was low when compared to the business and law school at Northwestern and at other schools across the country. "They all followed the same trends," Graves said. He analyzed national tuition and financial aid data from medical, law and business school programs at more than 100 schools. Over four years, this shortfall adds up to a median tuition cost of more than $120,000 for veterans in MD programs, despite receiving GI Bill benefits. In comparison, Graves found most veterans in MBA programs had no out-of-pocket costs. "We think this is due to MD programs benchmarking their support levels to other MD programs and not looking at other professional degree programs," Graves said. This is compounded by the relative lack of veterans in medical school when compared to other graduate programs, according to Graves. "Other graduate programs are more experienced with providing scholarship support to veterans," Graves said. These factors lead to low participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, leaving federal aid dollars on the table. Simply shifting scholarships for veterans to the Yellow Ribbon program would cover more of their tuition costs, Graves said. "While the Post-9/11 GI bill is mandatory, there are no requirements for participation in the YR program, so it's not as consistent and contributes to the discrepancies in aid we found," Graves said. "All professional programs should re-examine their participation levels and determine if they are adequate." However, boosting the YR program is not enough. There's no concrete information about the number of veterans enrolled in or graduating from medical school, complicating research in this area. Graves hopes to remedy this in a future study, using medical school application, tuition and scholarship data to analyze how aid affects if and where veterans attend medical school. "Veterans bring a distinct perspective to professions and occupations," Graves said. "Research has shown 10 percent of the U.S. populace are veterans, and around half receive their care at the VA. With recent shortfalls within the VA health care system, all avenues to improve care should be explored, such as increasing the number of veteran physicians in practice and prompting policymakers to consider how health care education can enhance care for veterans." Other Northwestern Medicine authors include Dr. Brandon-Luke Seagle, a fellow in gynecologic oncology; Dr. Masha Kocherginsky, associate professor of preventive medicine; Dr. Shohreh Shahabi, chief of gynecologic oncology and the John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research; Shahabi lab members Junhua Yang, statistical analyst, and Anne Grace, senior clinical research associate. Explore further Few health differences for trans, cisgender veterans The red shows the regions of the brain (the right posterior central gyrus and left superior parietal lobule) that were activated as listeners made judgments about whether speakers from the 'in-group' sounded believable. The blue shows the regions of the brain (the bilateral superior temporal lobe) that were activated as listeners made the same judgments for 'out-group' speakers. Credit: McGill University You are in a strange neighbourhood, your cell phone's dead, and you desperately need to find the closest garage. A couple of people on the street chime in, each sending you in opposite directions. One person sounds like a local and speaks in a nonchalant manner, while the other uses a loud, confident voice but speaks with a strong accent. Who are you going to trust? A recently published study shows that unless they speak in a confident tone of voice, you're less likely to believe someone who speaks with an accent. And, interestingly, as you make this decision different parts of your brain are activated, depending on whether you perceive the speaker to be from your own "in-group" or from some type of "out-group" (e.g., someone with a different linguistic or cultural background). Marc Pell, from McGill's School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the senior author explains the rationale for the study: "There are possibly two billion people around the world who speak English as a second languageand many of us live in societies that are culturally diverse. As we make decisions about whether or not to trust people who are different from us we pay a lot of attention both to visual cues and to a person's voice. Here, we wanted to better understand how we make trust-related decisions about other people based strictly on their speaking voice." Overall, the researchers found that making trust-related decisions about accented speakers is more difficult due to our underlying bias favouring members of our own group. They also discovered that different regions of the brain are activated to analyze whether to believe speech from "in-group" and "out-group" members. Indeed, the brain needed to engage in additional processes to resolve the conflict between our negative bias towards the accent (don't believe!) and the impression that the speaker is very sure of what they're saying (it must be true!). A new study out of McGill University suggests that you are likely to trust people who sound more like you than those who don't. Unless the accented speaker sounds confident in their answer. These findings confirm that accented speakers are working against a bias when communicating with people who perceive them to be from an outgroup. Listen to these three phrases -- which of these speakers are you most likely to believe? Credit: McGill University Confidence speaks volumes Interestingly, what the researchers discovered was that when speakers with a regional or foreign accent use a very confident voice, their statements are judged to be equally believable to native speakers of the language. "What this shows me is that, in future, if I want to be believed, it may be in my interest to adopt a very confident tone of voice in a whole range of situations," says Xiaoming Jiang, a former post-doctoral fellow at McGill and now Associate Professor at Tongji University, who speaks English as a second-language and is the first author on the paper. "This is a finding that potentially has repercussions for people who speak with an accent when it comes to everything ranging from employment to education and the judicial process." Credit: McGill University Different accents mean different brain activation Earlier research has shown that people are more likely to believe statements produced in a confident tone (voiced in a way that is louder, lower in pitch, and faster) than those spoken in a hesitant manner. The researchers wanted to see whether the same areas of the brain were activated as we made trust-related decisions about statements made in an accent that is different from our own. When making decisions about whether to trust a speaker who has the same accent as us, the researchers discovered that the listeners could focus simply on tone of voice. The areas of the brain that were activated were those involved in making inferences based on past experience (the superior parietal regions). Whereas, when it came to making similar decisions for "out-group" speakers, the areas of the brain involved in auditory processing (the temporal regions of the brain) were involved to a greater extent. This suggests that as listeners made decisions about whether to trust accented speakers they needed to engage in a two-step process where they needed to pay attention both to the sounds that an accented speaker was producing as well as to their tone of voice. How the research was done: Study participants (who all spoke Canadian-English as their mother tongue) listened to a series of short, neutral statements spoken with varying degrees of confidence in accents ranging from the very familiar (Canadian-English) to the somewhat different (Australian-English and English as spoken by Francophone-Canadians). They were asked to rate how believable they found each statement. As participants listened, a brain imaging technique (fMRI) was used to capture areas of brain activation to see whether there were differences between the participants' responses to "in-group" and "out-group" speakers" both in general, and depending on their tone of voice. Explore further New research shows link between ethnicity and bias More information: Xiaoming Jiang et al, Neural architecture underlying person perception from in-group and out-group voices, NeuroImage (2018). Journal information: NeuroImage Xiaoming Jiang et al, Neural architecture underlying person perception from in-group and out-group voices,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.042 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Researchers from the University of Birmingham have found that survivors of sexual assault are more likely to blame themselves for the incident if they were drunk at the time. People with higher levels of self-blame indicated they would be less willing to report a rape or assault to the police, found the results of the study, published in scientific journal Aggressive Behaviour. The study has found that alcohol plays a large role in whether sexual assault survivors will report the crime to the police. It showed that levels of self-blame factored into their decision to report it or not, and these feelings were more likely if the victim was intoxicated at the time of the incident. The study, which involved 79 women between the ages of 18 and 32, randomly assigned participants to consume alcohol or tonic water, before they engaged in a hypothetical rape scenario. Alcohol expectancy was also manipulated, with half getting the opposite drink to what they were told. This was to measure their feelings of intoxication, as well as actual intoxication. The researchers found that participants who believed they had consumed alcohol rather than a non-alcoholic beverage engaged in more self-blame. Participants who reported higher levels of self-blame indicated that they would be less willing to report the hypothetical rape to the police. The research was presented at the British Science Festival by lead author Dr. Heather Flowe from the University of Birmingham's Centre for Applied Psychology. Dr. Flowe commented on the research, which is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between alcohol expectancy and rape reporting, saying: "It's concerning that women in the study were more likely to blame the hypothetical rape on their behaviour and character if they believed that they had consumed alcohol. "Even more concerning is that the effects of alcohol on rape reporting in the real world might be even stronger than that found in the present research, given the intense levels of scrutiny that survivors are under in real world cases. "Further research is needed to better understand the role of alcohol in how victims attribute responsibility for rape, and the implications this has for rape prosecution and survivor recovery." Explore further Study suggests that alcohol consumption contributes to self-blame in rape cases More information: Heather D. Flowe et al. An experimental examination of alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancy, and self-blame on willingness to report a hypothetical rape, Aggressive Behavior (2017). Heather D. Flowe et al. An experimental examination of alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancy, and self-blame on willingness to report a hypothetical rape,(2017). DOI: 10.1002/ab.21745 (HealthDay)Preliminary research in mice suggests that the Zika virus might be turned from foe into friendenlisted to curb deadly glioblastoma brain tumors. A glioblastoma is among the most lethal of brain cancers, killing more than 15,000 Americans each year. U.S. Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy both succumbed to this cancer. In the new therapy, an international group of researchers used a harmless form of the Zika virus to target and destroy glioblastoma cells in mouse brains, while leaving healthy brain cells untouched. The mosquito-borne Zika virus made headlines over the past few years because of its connection to severe brain defects in babies born to women infected in pregnancy. But the virus might offer a new avenue for brain cancer care, according to a team led by Pei-Yong Shi, a virologist at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and virologist Cheng-Feng Qin of the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing. They explained that Zika's ability to infect brain cellsand cause devastating brain changes in the fetuscould be used to target glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) in the brain as well. These stem cells are thought to be the source of tumor recurrence. "If we could find a way to specifically target those GSCs that are the source of recurrence, then that might provide an option to prevent recurrence or even a cure," Qin said in a news release from the American Society of Microbiology (ASM). In their research, the team members first confirmed that Zika could attack glioblastoma stem cells, both in lab culture and in a mouse model. In fact, the virus was much more "efficient" at targeting the tumor cells compared to healthy brain neurons, they said. Shi and Qin's group has already developed a candidate Zika virus vaccine, made from an inactivated, harmless form of the virus. This tweaked virus has a deletion from its genetic blueprint that makes it incapable of efficiently replicating, the researchers explained. The scientists first confirmed that the vaccine was safe in mice. Next, they mixed the vaccine with a sample of glioblastoma stem cells, and injected that combo in the brains of mice. Other mice received an injection of the stem cells alone, without the tweaked Zika virus. The result: While glioblastomas arose quickly in the brains of mice that didn't receive the vaccine, they developed much more slowly for mice that got the Zika vaccine as well. And while the average survival time for mice without the vaccine was an average of 30 days, survival for those that had gotten the Zika vaccine was extended to 50 days. Of course, this research is in an extremely early stage. But the hope is that glioblastoma patients might one day be given the Zika vaccine simultaneously with their surgery to "let the viruses hunt down the GSCs and eliminate them," Qin said. Brain cancer specialists cautioned that the research is promising but preliminary. "Many new therapies for glioblastoma have looked promising 'in vivo' [that is, in animal studies], only to fail later on," said Dr. Michael Schulder, who helps direct neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. Still, he thinks the approach is "ingenious." "The authors of this study cleverly used the very aspect of the Zika virus that has made it worrisome as a public health threatthe tendency of the virus to replicate and damage brain cells, specifically the cells that are involved in brain developmentas a way to attack glioblastoma," Schulder said. Dr. John Boockvar, vice chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, agreed. "Like the authors in this study, we are looking for ways to trigger a strong immune response in patients with glioblastoma, which induces inflammation and eventually glioblastoma cell death," he said. "Using a harmless form of the Zika virus to preferentially infect glioblastoma cells in order to illicit an immune response is a smart strategy to fight this devastating disease." According to Shi, the next step is to collaborate with doctors to develop trials evaluating the approaches' safety in patients. The study authors also hope to genetically tweak the Zika virus even more to make it a more effective killer of glioblastoma cells. "As a virologist, I see that we should take advantage of the 'bad' side of viruses," Shi said in the release. "They should have a role to play in cancer treatment." The findings were published Sept. 18 in the ASM journal mBIO. Explore further Zika vaccine shows promise for treating deadly brain cancer More information: Qi Chen et al, Treatment of Human Glioblastoma with a Live Attenuated Zika Virus Vaccine Candidate, mBio (2018). Journal information: mBio Qi Chen et al, Treatment of Human Glioblastoma with a Live Attenuated Zika Virus Vaccine Candidate,(2018). DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01683-18 Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: Shutterstock Is a non-browning apple less "natural" than non-fat milk? In one case, people have injected something into apple DNA to prevent it from turning brown after it's cut. In the other, people used technology to remove something that appears naturally in milk. The question of what constitutes "naturalness"and consumers' attitudes about itlies at the heart of Washington University in St. Louis research from lead author Sydney Scott, assistant professor of marketing in the Olin Business School. The paper, entitled "An Overview of Attitudes Toward Genetically Engineered Foods," was published last month in the Annual Review of Nutrition. "It's an overview of where we are," said Scott, who has previously published research on the "moralization" of genetically modified foods and the role of consumer "disgust" in their consumption. "It's looking at the state of what's been done in the regulatory landscape and the research in understanding attitudes." Poking around in the DNA The upshot of the team's work is that after more than 20 years of growth in genetic engineering in agriculture, consumers have largely remained skeptical, even to the point of being "grossed out" by the idea. "In some contexts, people view nature and naturalness as sacred and genetically engineered food as a violation of naturalness," the authors wrote. The prevailing research also shows that consumers follow "the magical law of contagion"the idea that the slightest contact between natural foods and something else contaminates it. Thus, a housefly's wing in a bowl of soup renders the entire serving inedible. What the research overview doesn't address, however, is why some consumers seem to be fine with heavily processed foodsHamburger Helper, frozen microwave dinners, or maple-flavored "pancake syrup"but cannot abide genetically engineered foods such as weed-resistant soybeans, vitamin A-enriched rice, or fast-growing salmon. "Consumers seem to be saying it's not OK to poke into the DNA. That's yucky," Scott said. "People are grossed out by that." Scott said the Annual Review commissioned the overview of research findings. "We were hoping it would provide a useful synthesis of what we know to a broad audiencethe risks and benefits of this technology, what people think and why?and highlight the importance of this pro-naturalness context." Regulation and attitudes Through their review of the literature, the researchers noted that prior work identified four governmental approaches to regulating genetically modified crops, ranging from promotional to permissive to precautionary to preventative. For example, the United States tends to have a permissive approach, grows a lot of genetically modified crops, and says they are "generally recognized as safe." By contrast, the European Union is restrictive in its approach, allowing only two genetically engineered crops to be grown commerciallypotatoes and maizeand even those are not grown for human consumption "due to consumer resistance," according to the research paper. Yet globally, the increase in genetically engineered crops has grown to cover half of U.S. cropland and 12 percent of total croplandmostly in North and South America and Asia. At the same time, worldwide sales of organic food has climbed from about $15.2 billion in 1999 to $90 billion in 2016. A key aim of the research team's work was to expose the gap between advocates of genetically engineered foods and opponents. Scott said, "This won't be solved by just taking into account the scientific information," which shows genetically engineered foods have no adverse effects on the environment or human health. "When we're communicating with people about this technology, to have a successful conversation, we have to realize that." "What we're trying to figure out now is what will allow people to reach a better consensus," Scott said. "I don't think it's insurmountable." More information: Sydney E. Scott et al. An Overview of Attitudes Toward Genetically Engineered Food, Annual Review of Nutrition (2018). Sydney E. Scott et al. An Overview of Attitudes Toward Genetically Engineered Food,(2018). DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071715-051223 Town Of Spring Grove, WI - Two Brodhead residents were arrested Friday after Green County sheriffs deputies found evidence of methamphetamine manufacturing, according to a release. Green County deputies and members of the Stateline Area Narcotics Team, or SLANT, searched a home in the 300 block of Town Center Road in the town of Spring Grove after a lengthy investigation by SLANT and the Green County district attorney, officials said. Jordan E. Douglas, 23, and Kristie J. Sweeney, 29, were arrested as a result of the search. Douglas and Sweeney both made initial appearances in court via video Monday. Each received a cash bond of $10,000. They were also ordered not to leave Dane, Rock or Green counties without permission from the court and not to have contact with each other. According to a criminal complaint filed in Green County court Monday, a deputy received information on Friday morning that Sweeney had purchased pseudoephedrine at Walgreens in Monroe. Police followed Sweeney, who left Walgreens with Douglas and drove back to Brodhead. About six hours after the pseudoephedrine purchase, police had secured a search warrant and searched the Brodhead home, officials said. Evidence related to meth-making was found in Douglas and Sweeneys room and in a barn on the property. Several items of evidence collected at the home were found to be hazardous and were turned over to a disposal company, the complaint said. Deputies secured the scene until a Drug Enforcement Agency contractor was able to come for hazardous material cleanup, according to the release. Douglas was arrested Friday and taken to jail. Police spoke with Sweeney Saturday, when she told a deputy that her doctor had advised her to use pseudoephedrine for her kidney disease, and thats why she had purchased it on Friday. Sweeney was taken into custody Saturday. A search warrant was executed Nov. 30, 2017, at the same residence, which resulted in Douglas being arrested after similar evidence was found, officials said. In 2017, Sweeney called police and reported that Douglas had meth and broke into her house, according to court documents. Sweeney also told police Douglas made meth at his parents house, which is the residence on Town Center Road. In November 2017, Douglas made a deal with someone, who was identified as a confidential source for the police department in a criminal complaint, that if they bought pseudoephedrine, he would compensate them with meth and cash. On Nov. 30, 2017, officers searched the Town Center Road residence and found 19 pieces of evidence that indicated Douglas was manufacturing meth, according to court documents. Douglas faces tentative charges of manufacturing meth, possession of meth precursors, possession of meth waste, party to the crime of possession of marijuana and party to a crime of possession of drug paraphernalia for the 2018 search. He was also arrested on a felony bail jumping charge. Sweeney was arrested on tentative charges of conspiracy to manufacture meth, conspiracy to possess meth precursors, conspiracy to possess meth waste, party to the crime of possession of drug paraphernalia and party to the crime of possession of marijuana for the 2018 search. Douglas was scheduled to be in court Sept. 25 for the 2017 charges. A preliminary hearing for Douglas was scheduled at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 17 on the newer charges. Sweeney is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 26, according to online court records. Following the successful launch of Samsung Pay in South Africa, there has been no update from Apple about its competing service expanding into the country. Samsung Pay is a payment app compatible with selected Samsung smartphones and allows South Africans to make payments on card machines using their smartphone. Samsung Pay uses Near-Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology to facilitate payments on POS terminals, removing the need for you to carry your bank card around after you have loaded it onto your smartphone. Apple has a competing service called Apple Pay, which lets users add their credit or debit card to their iPhone and make payments using the device. The service is not available in South Africa, or in any African countries, and features very little support in the Middle East and Latin America. To find out if Apple plans to expand Apple Pay to South Africa following the launch of Samsung Pay, we contacted Apple for comment. Apple failed to reply to questions on the matter, however, and its support page for the service does not list any details of expansion plans. Now read: Windows 10 drops Chrome and Firefox install warning South Africans are very tech driven and easily embrace new technologies, but according to Hannes van der Walt, Director of The Gadget Shop, access to such products have always been delayed in the country. For this reason, Van Der Walt decided to establish a business that provides a service where customers can purchase the latest tech, on demand. Since establishing the brand in 2004, The Gadget Shop has set out to provide South Africans with the latest and greatest gadgets. This is also what makes The Gadget Shops product offering unique, as their business has always evolved around products that are different, hard to find, in demand, and good quality. According to Van Der Walt, The Gadget Shop is also one of the few retailers of their type, operating as an omni-channel retailer with local outlets and an online store. The reason why The Gadget Shop is able to market and sell products in todays fast and competitive business environment is because of their online presence, which has played a significant part in their success. Nowadays many potential customers prefer to spend their time online, rather than in a physical store. So, for The Gadget Shop, having an online store means they can accommodate a broader range of customers. How The Gadget Shop stays on top of the latest trends To further accommodate clients needs, The Gadget Shop stays on top of the latest developments and trends in the market through online research, as well as by listening to and analysing customer feedback and requests for new products seen elsewhere in the world. We also have a strategic partner in the USA whereby we can purchase smaller quantities of products not yet available in SA, and they consolidate and send to us frequently. This allows us to also test the market demand for items, before we consider bulk import, said Van Der Walt. With the many advancements in technology happening daily, its safe to say that there are certain trends in the industry that will stick in South Africa and certain trends that will fade away. The trends Van Der Walt believes will stay and possibly even grow in South Africa are smart lifestyle products, such as home automation devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home for the smart home. I believe portable chargers will also stay, but that it will become more advanced, as we are seeing the prevalence of wireless charging, said Van Der Walt. Robotics in general will also become a household name, and Im sure that smarter robotic assistants will be seen in many homes in less than 15 years. Trends that are already fading include media like music, movies, books and video games in physical form, and the tablet is another dying trend that Van Der Walt believes wont be around in 10 years time. Remaining competitive in the midst of challenges While the Gadget shop is proficient in staying on top of trends, there are naturally challenges any retailer or business will face. Challenges The Gadget Shop face include expensive product imports, red-tape around many electronic items from a compliance point-of-view, involving ICASA, and LOAs (Letter of Authority) for electronic devices fitted with a plug. While Van Der Walt has a strong sense to comply with regulations in the industry, regulations remain challenging, as most of their imported items are from the USA and Europe where they have very stringent tests and regulations these items need to comply with. We further have to pay licence fees to two separate entities for playing music in our stores, and rent in malls is very expensive and contributes mainly to the high cost of doing business in SA for us, said Van Der Walt. Despite these challenges, The Gadget Shop still succeeds in remaining competitive. A few tips from Van Der Walt outlines how The Gadget Shop gets it right in such a dynamic and ever-changing business landscape. Have a reputable brand and offer products that are in demand. Offer great quality, a good price, have trained staff and offer service with a smile. Have a proper system to track data and analytics on which planning, future purchases, and product sourcing can be based. Stay on top of customer needs and be the first to market. Be quick to adapt to market conditions. Have suppliers that are supportive with mutual business principles to strengthen and enhance the growth of their products in your business. With our commitment to sourcing the most innovative products just for you, we have expanded our range to over 4,000 product lines. From computer accessories to business and office toys, our extraordinary gizmos have got you covered whatever your needs are, said Van Der Walt. Whether you are a tech geek and as passionate about technology as The Gadget Shop is, or simply looking for the best gift ever, youll love what they have to offer. A supplier of bedding to Macys is under scrutiny in Texas for allegedly misleading consumers about the quality of one of its products. Sunham Home Fashions markets its four-piece Barrett Collection queen sheet set as having a 1,400-thread count. Yet a third-party test commissioned by the states Agriculture Department found it has a thread count of 505, which constitutes a materially false, misleading or deceptive act or practice, the agency said in a July 25 letter. TDA has determined the distributor, manufacturer and retailer may have engaged in deceptive acts and practices within the State of Texas, according to the letter sent to Sunhams New York office, Sunham Bedding Ltd., and Macys, and obtained by Bloomberg. Thread count is the term for how many threads are in each square inch of material. Broadly speaking, the higher the count, the softer and more pricey the sheets. Sunham President Jane Bognacki initially said she would speak with a reporter, but then didnt respond to subsequent voicemails or emails. Macys declined to comment. Vartest Laboratories conducted the test on the sheet set. The state agency, in its letter, called for the companies involved to either stop selling the sheet set or to accurately repackage it to reflect the correct thread count. As of Sept. 17, Macys was still offering the Barrett Collection sheet set, which is made of a cotton and polyester mix. The queen-size set has a list price of $200 on the retailers website, though a sale and extra discounting brought the price to $55.99. The package back says the set is made in India. Amazon.com Inc. and Bed Bath & Beyond are among other retailers that carry products from closely held Sunham, which was founded in Hong Kong in 1962. The TDA also recommended that the Texas Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission investigate further and, if they determine deception occurred, prosecute said actions to the fullest extent of federal and state law. The states Agriculture Department can enforce penalties on Texas-based companies, according to spokesman Mark Loeffler. But in situations where a company is based outside of the state, it refers the case to the Attorney Generals office and the FTC. Kayleigh Lovvorn, a spokeswoman with the Texas Attorney Generals office, confirmed receipt of the letter, though declined to comment further. A spokesman for the FTC declined to comment. This isnt the first case of alleged linen fraud. In 2016, Target ended its relationship with textile giant Welspun India after the retailer discovered that 750,000 sheets and pillowcases labeled as Egyptian cotton under the Fieldcrest brand didnt contain any Egyptian cotton and were made from a mix of lower-quality fibers. Target, whose investigators analyzed sheet fibers under microscopes and tracked their supply chain, had been Welspuns second-largest customer, behind Bed Bath & Beyond. Target offered refunds to customers. Firefighters responded just before noon Monday to a chimney fire at a house in the 1700 block of Crinella Drive in St. Helena. The fire was quickly brought under control and confined to the chimney, causing no damage to the house, said Fire Chief John Sorensen. The fire started after a resident had been burning papers in the fireplace, Sorensen said. Before leaving, firefighters entered the attic to make sure the fire hadnt spread. WASHINGTON - Sitting in a private dining room at Arroz, his Spanish-inspired restaurant, Mike Isabella wants to explain his side of the story. It's the day before the chef and restaurateur will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and he wants to dispel what he says are mischaracterizations of his company in the days before and after a former manager's lawsuit accused him and fellow executives of "extraordinary" sexual harassment. The only thing that stopped the growth of his restaurant empire, he says, was "bad press." Under the terms of his May settlement with Chloe Caras, Isabella cannot specifically discuss her or her allegations, but by "bad press" he means the media coverage that ensued. "People stopped giving me a chance," Isabella says. "And it hurt." The affidavit that Isabella would file the following day in U.S. Bankruptcy Court spelled out just how much. Graffiato, his first restaurant in Chinatown, saw its weekly revenue shrink from $50,000 to $5,000. At the chef's most ambitious project, the nine-restaurant Isabella Eatery emporium at Tysons Galleria, monthly revenue dropped from $1 million to $300,000, according to Isabella's affidavit. Since Caras filed the complaint, the chef has closed more than a quarter of his restaurants. But some investors, former employees and managers say Mike Isabella Concepts was already overextended, launching four places in 2017 alone, including the Eatery, which they say opened with too few staff and too little money. "The problem is that you're trying to run this many restaurants," says Bob Rudderow, a supporter and longtime investor in Isabella restaurants who lost his $100,000 investment when the Eatery closed. "That was well beyond what was reasonable for the staff he had." To Isabella, the company was never overextended. "You know why I didn't think it was too much? Because I had about 20 other f---ing deals on the table" before the lawsuit, he said. Eight of them were underway, including plans for more restaurants in the District, as well as in "Vegas, Houston, Atlanta, Philly. Some of them, multiple projects in a city." Bankruptcy filings also mention a project in the Middle East. All of them would have been handled with the same small corporate team - Isabella; Johannes Allender, chief financial officer; Taha Ismail, service and beverage director; Nicholas Pagonis, director of operations; and George Pagonis, corporate chef - and no board of directors. One investor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he's still involved with Isabella's businesses, said that whenever investors raised the idea of hiring an executive with multiunit restaurant experience, Isabella would say "he didn't have the finances to support it, and the investors' reply to that would be, 'That is precisely why you need it.' " Isabella said he sees value in having a chief executive. However, he added, "Hiring a CEO is expensive. Very expensive. So you have to be able to afford it first. We talked about it a lot last year. . . . We were definitely interviewing and talking to them. At that point, it was just very hard to give my control up." Nonetheless, after the lawsuit, the deals on the table "all went away," Isabella said. "Everyone was nervous." And that was a turnaround for a chef who had no shortage of opportunities in the wake of television fame. - - - Raised in New Jersey, Isabella, 43, was inspired to cook by his Italian grandmother, and finessed his skills in the kitchen of Jose Andres's Zaytinya. His big break came when he was cast on season six of Bravo's "Top Chef" in 2009. In 2011, he came in second place on "Top Chef All-Stars." Two months later, Isabella debuted his first restaurant, Graffiato in Washington's Chinatown, where his comforting, Jersey-style pizzas and pepperoni sauce made the place an instant hit. The next few years saw a rash of openings: Kapnos and G sandwich shop, then expansions of Kapnos to Bethesda, Maryland, Arlington, Virginia and Reagan National Airport. A New Jersey spinoff of G opened and closed within a year. Truncated versions of G and Kapnos became concession stands at Nationals Park. Pepita, a Mexican eatery, opened in Ballston. Fellow "Top Chef" contestant Jen Carroll partnered with him in Requin Brasserie but left months before two additional Requin openings, including one at the Wharf. His partnership with chef Jonah Kim at Yona, an Arlington noodle house, was also short-lived. Through her publicist, Carroll declined to comment; Kim didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. "Sometimes you shouldn't get into business with your friends," Isabella said. If Isabella's company was overextended, it wasn't showing it during much of 2017. That fall, Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema awarded Arroz three stars and Requin on the Wharf 2. At the same time, Mike Isabella Concepts was gearing up for its most demanding project: Isabella Eatery, a showcase of all of the chef's restaurants and some new ones, such as Retro Creamery and Nonfiction Coffee. The Eatery would require MIC to add around 300 employees, nearly doubling the 400 that Isabella said he employed before its opening. To gear up, Isabella plucked Elliot Drew, executive chef at Graffiato in Chinatown, to oversee the Graffiato at the Eatery; and Caras, formerly the general manager over Isabella's Arlington restaurants, to oversee the entire 41,000-square-foot operation. But even with some experienced hands on board, the Eatery opened with too few employees, said one former manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he still works in the industry. The lack of staff was particularly acute in the back of the house, where each restaurant had its own full kitchen. As more restaurants debuted at the Eatery following the December launch, some would open, the manager said, with only a sous chef and an assistant in the kitchen. "It opened so chaotically," he said. New employees would show up, and he wouldn't know who hired them or where they were supposed to work. "We didn't really have any structure." Sara Hancock, a former pastry sous chef for the Eatery, said hourly staffers had their pay slashed in January, shortly after opening. Two workers who spoke on the condition of anonymity - one because he signed a nondisclosure agreement and another because she is undocumented - confirmed Hancock's account. Isabella disputed that. "In January, we were open for two weeks" and still hiring staff, he said, not cutting pay. "I didn't have any issues with any bills until summertime." He also said he had enough people, but "the experience level was hard to find." Court documents suggest that some of Isabella's other restaurants had financial problems months before Caras filed her complaint. The Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park alleged that Kapnos Taverna, which opened a year ago, had stopped paying rent in January. On May 15, the landlord sued for back rent of $63,566.92, plus interest and fees. Isabella said that the landlord, Southern Management Corp., was "trying to evict me," and that he paid three months of back rent in June and tried to renegotiate his lease. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Eskridge (E&A), a company owned primarily by executives at real estate developer Edens, alleged that Isabella had not paid rent for Requin Brasserie in Fairfax, Virginia, since Dec. 30, 2015, four months into the lease. On May 22, Eskridge filed suit against Mike Isabella Concepts for more than $715,000 in unpaid rent (plus other costs). Isabella said he had paid Requin Brasserie's rent for at least eight months. He said the restaurant, which closed in April, did not generate enough revenue because structural and permitting issues prevented him from increasing capacity with a rooftop bar. He acknowledged that the brasserie would have closed even without the "bad press" about the lawsuit. - - - On March 19, Caras' lawsuit alleged that Isabella and his partners called her "bitch" and "whore," commented on the size of her buttocks and touched her without permission. She was fired, she said, on Dec. 5 after Isabella told a male sous chef to sleep with her. Caras declined to comment for this story through her lawyer because of her settlement agreement. "I didn't call anybody names," Isabella said, before declining to comment further on any matters related to the lawsuit. He has previously denied Caras' allegations. Caras was not the only woman to allege that Isabella's restaurants were hostile, sexual environments. At the Graffiato in Washington, a server said that partner Nicholas Pagonis would frequently grab her, and that cooks made lewd gestures at women. Pagonis has denied the allegations. Hancock, the pastry sous chef for the Eatery, said that Isabella kissed her cheek without her consent, and that working for him was "degrading" for women. Other women alleged that Isabella engaged in harassing behavior outside the restaurants, too. Isabella has previously denied all the allegations. Two weeks later, Caras' lawyers refiled the suit in federal court with expanded allegations: that the company had used broad nondisclosure agreements - covering, among other things, "details of the personal and business lives of Mike Isabella" - to silence employees from speaking out against sexual harassment. Each breach of the NDA carried a $500,000 penalty. In a previous statement, Isabella said the NDAs were used "to prevent any news about our restaurant openings from leaking to press. . . . NDAs were absolutely never used to intimidate employees." Isabella and Caras settled the suit May 7. Financial terms were confidential, but the settlement included a "binding agreement obligating [MIC] to take corrective measures, including robust training, and to adopt policies to encourage a work environment free of sexual harassment," attorney Debra Katz said in a statement. The chef's reputation took an immediate hit after the lawsuit. He was disqualified from the RAMMY awards, he lost his concession stands at Nationals Park, and his chef de cuisine at Arroz and Requin at the Wharf departed. Requin in Merrifield, Virginia, was the first place to close, then Graffiato Richmond in June. By the end of July, Graffiato in Washington had followed. Hancock said she has conflicting feelings about Isabella's struggles. When she heard the Eatery had closed, "Part of me was sort of happy, and the other part of me felt very sad for him, because I think he's talented and I don't know if he got lost along the way," she said. "I never want to see anyone ever ruined, but I do want to see someone admit their faults and apologize." That's something she said Isabella hasn't sufficiently done. His response has been "just very machismo and very reflective of his character in that he was trying to deny and engage in this smear campaign and take no responsibility," Hancock said. "It was all about deflection." Isabella responded that he is "taking full responsibility for everything that has happened." He said he's also reflecting on how his past experiences haven't always served him. "I am old school. I did work in a kitchen 20 years ago. It's a different world," he said. "Obviously, everyone learns every day. I still learn . . . I'm always learning, and I always want to continue to learn and get better. That's what it is. Nobody's perfect in life." In the wake of the lawsuit, Isabella said he has made changes at his company. Employees still have to sign NDAs, but their scope has been limited. A no-drinking policy for staff, put in place a year ago, is now aggressively enforced, he said. When asked what other changes he had made, Isabella read a prepared statement. "We have instituted new training practices. To see that, you know, the impact" - he paused and sighed - "the detrimental impact such a culture can have on our business and employees, our employees being most important. . . . It is a people-centered business. And we must put our employees at the top of the ladder always." Some other chefs who have faced allegations of sexual harassment in their restaurants, including John Besh in New Orleans, have stepped down from their companies. Mario Batali, who is under criminal investigation for alleged sexual assault, is divesting from his restaurants. Even though Isabella has not been accused of conduct approaching the severity of the allegations against Batali, some members of the public, judging by their social media comments, may not be eager for his comeback. Isabella insists he will have one. "It is going to get harder before it gets easier," he said. "I'm going to put the work in and the time to get it back to where it needs to be." He said he does have regrets. When he's asked about them, his initial answer is broad and noncommittal. "There's a million things I regret every day, whether it has to do with work or life or anything," he said. But what's one specific thing he regrets? "I regret what happened," he said, his words vague for legal reasons. "For everybody." The Washington Post's Emily Codik contributed to this report. Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill opening the door to state money for city of Napa flood control projects to protect 2,000 properties, should no federal money be available. Brown on Friday signed Senate Bill 1073 by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa. It authorizes state funding for local flood control projects from state general obligation bonds and grants and from state Legislature appropriations. This important project is about safeguarding the people of Napa from a potential disaster caused by rising waters, Dodd said in a press release. I am proud to help see it to fruition. Flood control projects that remain to be done include flood walls along the Napa River in the Lincoln Avenue and Riverside Drive areas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers previously decided these projects didnt meet federal cost-benefit guidelines, with the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District working to get this decision reversed. Dodds bill offers another option, should the effort to secure federal funds fail. We need to protect all parts of the Napa community that were included in the original flood control project, Napa Mayor Jill Techel said in the press release. We appreciate that the state and Senator Dodd understand that the project isnt completed until all parts of it are done. The provisions in Dodds bill may not be needed. A draft federal report agrees that some of the proposed flood walls meet cost-benefit requirements, which could open the door to more federal money, the Board of Supervisors was told in August. But first, the draft determiniation of federal interest report which is unreleased, but has been seen by local flood control officialsmust move up the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chain of command, ultimately to Washington, D.C. The city of Napa has seen such flood control features built as the downtown bypass, flood terraces and new bridges. But the federal government balked at paying for several proposed flood walls and pumps in the two-decade-old master plan to provide 100-year flood protection throughout the city. Rising costs since the projects conception outstripped the benefits for these remaining projects, Army Corps officials said in 2013. Ever since then, the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District has tried to reverse this decision by creating and then lobbying for a less expensive proposal. Flood walls remain to be built along the river near Lincoln Avenue, along Riverside Drive, in the Oxbow area and near Soscol Avenues auto row. The districts cost-cutting steps brought the price tag to $94 million, down from $181 million. The recent draft federal report in particular favors building flood walls along the river near Lincoln Avenue. This would keep water during a huge storm from spilling the river banks and flowing down Soscol Avenue. These Lincoln Avenue flood walls would cost about $35 million, county officials said. The hope is to receive about $30 million from the Corps. Proposed flood walls along Riverside Drive received a lower cost-benefit rating in the draft report, but still within the qualifying range. The walls targeted for the Oxbow area still dont meet the federal cost-benefit standards in the draft report. 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. James Hinton is kicking off his campaign for Napa City Council. Hinton, 44, is a lifelong city resident who has previously run for Congress and Napa County Board of Supervisors. He is possibly best known for his longtime advocacy of medicinal cannabis, and lately calling for the city to act more quickly to allow recreational marijuana sales, which was supported by 62 percent of city residents in the 2016 state-wide ballot measure. The city needs to permit Adult Use and marginalize the black market, Hinton said. Downtown Napa has become a world-class tourist destination. High-end cannabis dispensaries, lounges and spas, would complement our hotels, restaurants and tasting rooms. Our downtown has vacant retail space and its close to the police station so they can keep a close eye on this newly accepted social behavior. Hinton faces five other candidates, vying for two available seats, in the Nov. 6 election: Incumbent Peter Mott, lawyer and former council member Mary Luros, community activist Liz Alessio, insurance broker and former parks commissioner Bernie Narvaez; and Ricky Hurtado, community engagement manager for the Cope Family Center. Former City Council member Juliana Inman, whose seat would have been up this fall, resigned last year when she relocated to Oregon. Jim Krider, himself a former council member, was appointed by the remaining council members to fill out her term, but he declined to run for a full term this year. Hinton is the only candidate in the race who supported Napa County Measure C, the Watershed and Oak Woodland Protection Initiative. The Measure C campaign has taught us that the people of Napa are passionate about protecting their drinking water, he said, adding that his goal is to work with local leaders like Councilmember Scott Sedgley to protect the reservoirs, Hennessey and Milliken, that supply much of the citys drinking water. Hinton has also been outspoken on issues such as the plan to build a new city hall, and says he will make protecting public health a major priority. Im concerned about the citys recent agreement with Verizon to allow them to install 5G small cell transmitters in our residential neighborhoods Cities across Sonoma and Marin counties are stepping up and passing ordinances to protect their residential neighborhoods from the threat which these devices impose and I think Napa should do the same, he said. Hinton will host an event at Napkins, 1001 Second St. on Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 4-7 p.m. More information is available at votehinton.com. About 60 residents delivered their own State of Napa County messages on wine country tourism, traffic, vineyard development on hillsides and other local hot-button issues. County officials did the listening Monday evening in the Harvest Middle School cafeteria. Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht hosted one of three dozen meetings to help the county develop a three-year strategic plan. Wagenknecht called the series of meetings being held up and down Napa Valley a true listening tour. The underlying theme is Napa County headed in the right direction or does it need to do something different? David Layland came to the meeting. Hes a member of the Napa County Local Food Advisory Council and president of the Napa Valley Farmers Market Board. I would like to see more people getting access to the food bank, Layland said. Id like to see our Latino population becoming part of that. I think too often they are left out. Also, the food bank on Yajome Street in Napa is several blocks from the nearest bus stop, so accessibility is an issue, he said. Ian Stanley Posadas came to the meeting. The program director for the local LGBTQ Connection said he is interested in a planning effort with diversity, including different languages and ages. I grew up here in Napa and Im interested in helping to shape the direction of its future, he said. Participants went to various stations grouped by topic, such as natural resources, social services, arts and culture and transportation. County officials wrote the participants ideas in marker on papers attached to the walls. For example, one station was on housing. Resident Carol Barge suggested the county have a housing land trust that helps people own homes, such as is done in Sonoma County. Its an old idea thats being used all over California, Barge said. After half an hour, the papers on the walls showed a barrage of ideasDiversity beyond wine, food and hospitality. One year moratorium on development. Campaign finance reform (money in politics from the industry). Firenotification beyond Nixle in rural areassolve cell service problem. Homeless population the group that is resistance to assistance. Marissa Murphy-Becerra of the county told participants that the strategic plan will be a road map of where the county wants to go over the next three years. She compared it to setting the goal of reaching San Francisco without detailing how to get to San Francisco. Citizens who missed this meeting still have plenty of chances to speak out. The strategic plan update effort by the Napa County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to last until Dec. 18, with 33 meetings overall. Each county supervisor is hosting a community meeting in his or her district, with Wagenkechts being the first. Still to come are: - Supervisor Diane Dillons meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at St. Helena High School, 1401 Grayson Ave., St Helena. - Supervisor Ryan Gregorys meeting at 6:15 p.m. Oct. 2 at Las Flores Community Center, 4300 Linda Vista Ave. in the city of Napa. - Supervisor Belia Ramos meeting is at 6:15 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Boys and Girls Club, 60 Benton Way, American Canyon. - Supervisor Alfredo Pedrozas meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Vichy Elementary School, 3261 Vichy Ave., near Napa. Plus, there are issue-focused meetings on such topics as environmental sustainability, transportation, older adults and health care. Go to https://bit.ly/2NijotM for information and to register. The Board of Supervisors will discuss the Strategic Plan on Oct. 16 and Dec. 18. 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. There is little doubt about it: President Trump has not forgiven California for voting against him by a margin of more than 3 million votes, thus costing him the bragging rights of a popular vote victory. His most effective, potentially long-lasting way of punishing this state comes down to one question on the Census his administration will run starting less than 18 months from now: Trump and his secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, say they will for the first time in 60 years ask every person questioned by the Census required every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution whether he or she is an American citizen. This question was abandoned after the 1960 Census because it led to so many obvious undercounts of immigrants in the surveys for several decades before that. Now Trump wants to bring it back because he wants an undercount of immigrants, especially in California. An undercount would be absolutely assured by the presence of the citizenship question in part because Trump and Ross promise no confidentiality to respondents. Anyone who admits not being a citizen would be subject to actions by federal agencies including the often-dreaded ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This would surely punish the state Trump resents most by depriving it of billions of dollars in federal grant money all through the 2020s. If it also led to California losing a seat or two in Congress, that too would be fitting punishment in Trumps obvious view. Its true Californias appointed attorney general, Xavier Becerra, sued five months ago trying to keep the question out of the Census, but that action has slim chance for success as the Constitution says nothing about what questions the Census should include or omit. Times change, the Founding Fathers seemed to understand, so Census questions will, too. If Becerras lawsuit, which has been joined by other states fearing undercounts, like New York and Illinois, were to fail, Gov. Jerry Brown or his successor will be presented with a unique opportunity, maybe even a legacy maker. For if the question is included, and the governor wants California to keep getting the full $100 billion-plus it now receives in federal support for everything from roads to sewers to police and fire protection, the state must respond with a big effort to convince undocumented immigrants they should participate and not hide from Census takers when they start knocking on doors around the nation. Thats because much federal money is not doled out according to how many citizens live in a state or city or political district, but rather by how many people live there. Thats critical for California because it hosts more than 3 million of the nations estimated 10 million-plus illegal immigrants. Even if they cant vote, they still seek emergency health care, they still drive local roads and highways, their children still attend public schools, they still use water and they still need help after natural disasters like fires, floods and earthquakes. All those services are supported at least in part by federal funds drawn primarily from income taxes, of which California has long paid more than its fair share. Every 10 years, California mounts a loud campaign to convince illegal immigrants to let themselves be counted. That task will be harder than ever this time because of the citizenship question and the lack of confidentiality that has been part of previous Census efforts. Brown and his successor will need to create a large agency to pursue this effort aggressively, possibly hiring as many temporary advocates as the Census will hire temps of its own to carry questionnaires into millions of homes. If the current and future governors dont do that and Brown needs to start immediately they risk an undercount that would see Californians tax money that should come back here go to other states like Virginia and Tennessee and Montana and the Dakotas, where numbers of the undocumented are minimal. If Brown starts a major effort right away, even though its not in the current budget, he could go down in history as the man who began saving California from Trumps attempted non-violent vengeance a legacy he could carry proudly the rest of his life. Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It. As a parent of two sons who attended Salvador, Redwood, Vintage, New Tech and Napa Valley College before transferring and 40 years of experience working at the UC, CSU and the last 15 years at Napa Valley College, I truly value the importance of education. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mary Ann Mancuso in her capacity as Trustee for NVC. She has five years experience on the NVC Board of Trustees, 13 years on the Workforce Board. She has demonstrated both perspective and broad experience: -- Brought together the director of the four-county Workforce Board with NVC Dean Career & Technical Education and Economic Workforce Development; they now meet on a monthly basis. -- Introduced a major privately held winery to our NVC Winery and Viticulture programs and facilitated a meeting with all stakeholders. -- Brought together NVC CEO/Superintendent with American Canyon city manager and Napa Valley transportation to discuss peak ridership from American Canyon to NVC and how they might coordinate schedules and rates to benefit students. -- Has a constant presence in the community to give NVC and American Canyon a strong advocacy and voice throughout the District. -- Brought together Tony Castillo of Northern California Terence J. OSullivan Laborers Training Center with NVC administrators to bring labor apprenticeship programs to NVC Campus; they are currently working out an agreement. Mary Ann has continuously supported our STEM participants and attended our student/parent activities and ceremonies. I'm sure if you have attended campus events you have seen Mary Ann there. These are but a few examples that demonstrates her connections within and outside of American Canyon that strengthen student's opportunities at NVC. Jose Hernandez Former Associate Dean, MESA/ STEM Programs Recently, the Napa City Council spent considerable time and money analyzing parking in the downtown area. It was well noted that the parking garages are underutilized and additional signs and enforcement was merited. What the council refused to consider was the most important issue, the elephant in the room: Bringing back parking meters. Napa had parking meters until maybe 20 years ago when the local merchants were successful in having them all removed in the name of improving the local economy. At the time, the downtown was struggling and parking meters were an easy target for the low tourism. Since then, both Napa and the world have changed dramatically. Now is the time to reconsider implementing parking meters in the downtown core. The merchants will be the first to fight them, saying that meters keep tourists away. They will also argue that locals will prefer to go to the free parking lots of the shopping centers. These are fallacies and simply not true. Most of the existing street parking is taken up by employees, not tourists or visitors. Employees who are too lazy to park in a municipal garage. They move their cars every two hours in order to avoid tickets. They know how to milk the system. Surveys show tourists are used to paying for parking and dont mind feeding the meter as long as they can find a parking space. Not having parking spaces is the real nemesis. Making sure that there is adequate parking for our guests is the number one objective, not giving employees free rides. And todays parking meters arent like those old junkers you fed quarter after quarter after quarter like monkeys in a zoo. Today, they take credit cards, ATMs, and probably your first-born child. They can be activated remotely and fares changed for special occasions. Lets get into the 21st century and start making our downtown more friendly. Chris d. Craiker Napa A delegation of the C.P. Group of Thailand on Monday met representatives of the Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Assam and the tea industry to evaluate business opportunities in the tea sector. If everything goes on right tracks, it is hoped that the Thai group may invest in the tea sector of Assam, which produces 52 per cent of the total tea production of India. C.P. Group is one of the largest companies of Thailand having presence in more than 30 countries, 3,50,000 employees worldwide and revenue (Billion USD) $50. Informing this, Bidyananda Barkakoty, a tea planter, Board Member of Tea Board India and Advisor, North Eastern Tea Association, who was also present in the meeting, stated on his Facebook page: The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) submitted a list of opportunities in the Assam tea sector. During the meeting, the Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Assam, was represented by Ravi Capoor, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Industries & Commerce Department, Assam and Ashutosh Agnihotri, Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Industries & Commerce Department, Assam. Jatindra Saikia, principal of Golaghat Commerce College, while reacting to the new development posted on his Facebook page: Good job. We have a lot of opportunity to work together with Thai groups. Saikia, who did a research project on this in 2013 under India-Thai Scholar Exchange programme, also stated:We should not leave this opportunity and try our level best to materialize this in view of the Act East Policy of India. It may be mentioned that Thailands Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group in January this year said it plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years to open wholesale stores. According to reports, the groups retail arm Siam Makro PCL would open 15 wholesale cash and carry stores across India starting with Delhi-NCR, over the next three years under a new brand Lots Wholesale Solutions. Tanit Chearavanont, managing director of CP Wholesale India Pvt. Ltd, the local entity, reportedly said: India and the US are the two priority markets for us for future growth. We have earlier focused on China. We hope to leverage our experience in operating cash and carry business in Thailand and other markets, to crack the Indian market. The boat capsize that took place recently in the Brahmaputra is not an incident out of the blue. Over the years such incidents have occurred several times along the entire length of the mighty river with the authorities conveniently looking the other way save doling out towering promises before the media of initiating corrective measures. Most ridiculously, although years and years have rolled by, those tall promises are yet to find manifestation so far a the ground reality is concerned. Going by the irresponsible manner in which authorities like the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department and the district administrations function, one only feels that the State may be witness to many more such boat mishaps in the years to come. Again, the recent boat mishap in the Brahmaputra took place at a stones throw from the river bank in Guwahati. With Guwahati constituting the epicentre of the Northeast media and the scribes hounding for breaking news, it was natural that the tragedy found immense coverage, perhaps to the utter discomfort of the authorities. Had the incident occurred at some far off place like Dhubri, in every likelihood the coverage might have been on a low key. While in the fitness of things, the IWT should regulate the plying of steamers, mechanized country boats (locally called bhutbhuti) and other vessels on the river, the bitter reality is that there is an acute shortage of large steamer ferries, while bhootbhootis hitherto had a field day seemingly without any authority to regulate their activities. The worst part is that nobody quite knows as to how may such bhootbhootis have been in operation on the Brahmaputra till the other day or if any of these boats possessed any valid document to ply on the river. Fitness of the bhootbhootis is another issue. Going by bitter truth that has partially come to light now, a mechanism to determine such fitness has always been lacking in the governments administrative system with the authorities dumping all the relevant rules and law in the backburner. Further, a boat has a limited capacity in terms of maximum number of passengers that it can carry. But it is common knowledge of every person, save of course the government cloaked in absurd pretenses, that these boats, almost as a rule, carry passengers far beyond its optimum capacity. In short, factors like safety of passengers always seemed to be rubbished by the authorities. In the aftermath of the mishap, the government has announced that many more steamer ferries would be pressed into service in the months to come and that plying of bhutbhutis on the Brahmaputra has been banned till further orders. Factually speaking, the people of North Guwahati have been making the demand for more steamer ferries on the Guwahati-North Guwahati route for long years while the authorities continued to turn a deaf ear. Now that the government has announced that more steamer ferries would be introduced on the route, one is not quite sure as to how many months or years one may have to wait before even a semblance of the promise materializes at the ground level. Even the ordinary layman can comprehend that a few more steamer ferries on the Guwahati-North Guwahati route will not only add to the safety and convenience of the public but will also be commercially viable to the IWT. And why the Guwahati-North Guwahati route alone ? Steamer ferries must be in place at appropriate locations along the entire length of the Brahmaputra. It is not quite known if the high ups in Dispur are able to comprehend the gloomy scenario in its proper perspective even after the boat tragedy at its backyard. On the other hand, a very serious allegation against the IWT and the district administration has surfaced thick and fast. Locals of North Guwahati area, who have been bearing the brunt of unsafe passage over the Brahmaputra in bhutbhutis over the years with the IWT and the district administration turning a blind eye, have openly alleged before several TV channels that a vicious syndicate is at work with the blessings of the concerned Government authorities and that the private mechanized country boats are turning into a gold mine for some Government officials. It has also been alleged that in order to keep the syndicate live and kicking, the authorities all along refrained for pressing in a few more steamer ferries into service. It is also alleged that in view of the boat owners having to pay a heavy slice of their flesh to some Government high ups, they take to overcrowding of their vessels to eke out a living. With galloping corruption having become the order of the day in the Government sector, the allegations that have surfaced cannot be totally disbelieved. Again, with the bhutbhutis having allegedly become gold mine for some, it may not be too long off before these mechanized country boats are back in action. Further, it was in the early part of this year that taxi giant Ola signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assam Government to ply river taxis on the Brahmaputra. Around the time the great extravaganza Advantage Assam (which has hitherto proved to be a great flop show sans any dividend) was held in Guwahati amidst fanfare, Ola conducted a survey on the Brahmaputra while Assam Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary made the announcement that river taxis would come to stay in Assam. But as is the case generally with towering announcements by the government, river taxis have also seemingly turned into a mirage. However, as has been the grand style of Dispur over the decades, a high level enquiry by a senior bureaucrat has been ordered into the mishap. At this stage may one ask Dispur as to what were the reports of the umpteen number of enquiries ordered by Government into various issues over the decades and what actions, based on the same, were taken. Going by the past record, one only feels that this probe exercise will also fade into oblivion. One is only reminded of Shakespeares the poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. Talmizur Rahman is a Guwahati based senior journalist and commentator. He can be reached at [email protected] The United Naga Council (UNC) has expressed strong resentment regarding the Black Day programme which was observed on September 13 at Tuibuong, Kuki Inpi Complex in Churachandpur district of Manipur. A release from the publicity wing of UNC alleged that the ulterior motive of Kuki National Organization (KNO) in organizing Black Day is nothing but to expose the hollowness of the so called Kuki Movement to the outside world and also, to prove their defeat and frustration. Also read: Manipur: KNO chief warns of returning to jungle if demands not met The world knows the undeniable origin and history of the Kukis and its first movement in Burma and its end result, it said, while adding that Now, the same people after its failure in Burma is playing the same game in the present state of Manipur. It also condemned the use of terms like genocide and pogrom by the KNO. The release further said that the Naga national struggle for self-determination continued for more than half a century basically for political recognition of Naga as a distinct nation. While stating the movement is basically a struggle of an emerging nationality for a political identity of its own, UNC alleged that the KNO and its associates in connivance with adversaries took up arms against the Naga people just for a hollow dream to create a Kuki homeland within Naga territory. UNC also asserted that owing to the evil policy of the KNO, widespread confrontation took place between the Kukis and the Nagas and there were huge casualty on both sides. UNC, in its release, also blamed KNO president, P S Haokip for opening the Pandoras Box with its evil motive adding that if any undesirable situation develops, the entire responsibility will have to be borne by KNO and its associates. Azerbaijanis open fire at tractor in Khachik village of Armenia's Vayots Dzor Province while it was moving US Department of State condemns violence that caused death of Armenian civilian near Shushi Polish authorities believe situation on Poland-Belarus border will escalate UN says it is ready to help solve issues of migrants on Poland-Belarus border ARF-D representative: If House of Lords adopts Armenian Genocide bill, it will become a law for the government EU Special Representative: We remember all who were killed and suffered during more than 30 years of conflict Lavrov discusses Nagorno-Karabakh issue with Paul Gallagher UK House of Commons adopts Armenian Genocide bill in first reading OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative: Certain changes made in actions after hostilities in 2020 Israeli Members of Knesset submit bill to recognize Armenian Genocide Russia Ambassador: There won't be deals behind Armenian people's back when communications with Azerbaijan are unblocked NEWS.am daily digest: 09.11.21 Baku not refuting attack on peaceful civilians in Artsakh, but putting blame on Yerevan Gor Abrahamyan: Armenia Prosecutor General hasn't applied to Russia's competent authorities for citizenship Armenia legislature committee approves draft state budget for 2022 Azerbaijani soldier dies after falling down from multi-story parking lot in Turkey Persons suspected of murder of businessman Hayk Harutyunyan arrested in Moscow Armenia Deputy PM receives newly appointed UNDP Resident Representative Armenia is elected UNESCO General Conference 41st session vice-chair (PHOTOS) Armenia MOD ex-press secretary is appointed expert to parliament committee Armenia MOD leaves for Moscow Russian MFA on anniversary of agreements of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia leaders on ceasefire in Karabakh Armenia FM to head for Paris Dollar loses value in Armenia Turkey attempting to drive wedge between Armenia and Armenian diaspora Online intimidation of Artsakh people by Azerbaijan special services gains new momentum 9-year-old Armenian boy dies after being run over by car Kremlin comments on prospect of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders meeting over Karabakh Armenia 2nd President and Karabakh ex-President also bid farewell to Serzh Sargsyan's mother Armenia former President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now lawmaker Gevorgyan court session pushed back 1 week Peskov: Karabakh conflict statement signed last year by Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan is extremely important Turkey defense minister: Opening of Zangezur corridor does not pose threat to any side Azerbaijan threatens Armenia defense minister President pays tribute to martyrs of recent Artsakh war Saakashvili's supporters holding protest near Justice Ministry building in Tbilisi Turkey defense minister stubbornly does not see Azerbaijan provocations Armenian historian: Armenia needs to establish refugee settlement in Yerevan for those displaced from Artsakh Armenia opposition MP not elected legislature defense committee deputy chair for 11th time Armenia PM spokesperson resigns Armenia parliament speaker: We have paid very high price for our mistakes Armenia premier appoints new deputy FM 1,121 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Karabakh MFA: Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan Russia peacekeepers patrol Karabakh line of contact Women in the Police System training program kicks off in Armenia Investigative Committee: Azerbaijan soldier entered Artsakh, fired at waterline repairmen (PHOTOS) Newspaper: 114 soldiers and civilians are returned so far from Azerbaijan to Armenia US State Department issues statement on 1-year anniversary of Karabakh ceasefire declaration Armenia ruling power MPs visit Yerevan military pantheon Newspaper: Ex-police chief continues knocking on opposition Armenia Blocs door Armenia MFA: Realities created by use of force against Artsakh cannot create basis for Karabakh conflict settlement Newspaper: Russia army Southern Military District deputy commander coming to Armenia on special mission Armenia ruling power MPs visit Yerevan military pantheon Reporters are allowed into Yerevan military pantheon only after PM motorcades departure Armenia PM is at Yerevan military pantheon Erdogan congratulates Aliyev Armenia 2nd President: We're going to get rid of these authorities through barricades or elections Russia, Azerbaijan FMs discuss trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020 Armenia FM strongly condemns Azerbaijan's provocations during phone talks with Russian counterpart armlur.am: Armenia ex-police chief: I support Robert Kocharyan, he can help get country out of this situation Council of Armenia's Tegh village: Horse that crossed over to Azerbaijani side has returned Russian and Armenia FMs continue to exchange views ahead of anniversary of adoption of trilateral statement Armenia MFA issues statement strongly condemning Azerbaijan's gross violation of ceasefire regime Armenia ruling party representative appointed Shirak Province governor Ex-deputy chief of Armenian army's General Staff Tiran Khachatryan attends opposition's rally Armenia 2nd President: Demarcation with border of Azerbaijan will predetermine status of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia 2nd President presents 4 facts about 44-day war 168.am: Armenia ex-defense minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan to be appointed Ambassador to Russia Armenia defense minister pays working visit to Karabakh and then visits Sev Lake territory of Syunik Province Young Armenians hold demonstration in defense of Armenia and Artsakh in Athens Opposition 'Armenia' Alliance adopts declaration at end of rally at Freedom Square in Yerevan One of civilians injured in Shushi is in severe condition, 2 persons' condition is of medium severity NEWS.am daily digest: 08.11.21 Armenia police apprehend female participant of rally at Freedom Square Armenian FM receives outgoing UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Traffic stopped at intersection near Karabakh's Shushi after gunshots fired by Azerbaijanis at water company employees Opposition 'Armenia' alliance holding rally at Freedom Square in Yerevan Police troops deployed at Freedom Square in Yerevan and nearby streets Opposition Armenia parliament faction leader: This unblocking will lead to deeper blockade Armen Sarkissian: Armenia could become a base country for Russia for development of certain directions Two of three civilians injured in Artsakh are undergoing surgeries, condition is stable but grave Sarkissian: Armenia's relations with a third country are theorem but those with Russia are axiom Hulusi Akar: Turkey expects Armenia to discuss 3+3 platform proposal Dollar quite stable in Armenia Armenia President on relations with Turkey: Nothing will work out, if there is no mutual respect Iran MFA: We hope to see development of relations with Azerbaijan as much as possible Armenian enemy uttered in every paragraph of Azerbaijan presidents address Karabakh National Security Service: Azerbaijanis shoot civilians working on water pipelines near Shushi Artsakh President gets vaccinated against Covid Mijatovic: Humanitarian and human rights protection needed following 2020 hostilities in Karabakh Armenia President states how long Russian peacekeepers will need to be in Nagorno-Karabakh Health minister: Real number of people infected with COVID-19 may be 2-3 times greater in Armenia Armenia PM sending Chief Compulsory Enforcement Officer to Dubai on business trip Peskov: Exact date of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia leaders video-link talks not determined yet Turkey defense minister: Armenia must stop enmity, look forward Protesters submit report on crime to Armenia Prosecutor General's Office, demand sentencing PM Beglaryan: Artsakh Armenians righteous struggle continues for international recognition of their independence Armenia town womans fellow city resident is detained in connection with her death as result of severe beating Karabakh parliament to convene special session Tuesday Economy minister: Agricultures share in Armenia's total GDP will inevitably decrease Linda C. McClain (Boston University - School of Law) has posted Prejudice, Moral Progress, and Being 'On the Right Side of History': Reflections on Loving v. Virginia at Fifty (86 Fordham Law Review 2701 (2018)) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: What does it mean to be on the right or wrong side of history? When Virginias Attorney General explained his decision not to defend Virginias Defense of Marriage Law prohibiting same-sex marriage, he asserted that it was time for Virginia to be on the right rather than the wrong side of history and the law. He criticized his predecessors, who defended the discriminatory laws at issue in Brown v. Board of Education, Loving v. Virginia, and United States v. Virginia. Loving played a crucial role in the majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, even as the dissenters disputed its relevance; it continues to feature in post-Obergefell controversies over religious liberty and LGBT rights. Looking back at the record in Loving, this article argues that Loving illustrates a theme of generational moral progress in constitutional interpretation: laws once justified by appeals to nature, history, tradition, divine law, and the well-being of children and society are repudiated as rooted in prejudice. Virginia sought to distance its antimiscegenation law from prejudice and white supremacy by appealing to social science that identified problems posed by intermarriage -- particularly for children -- and rejected the idea that intermarriage was a path toward progress and freedom from prejudice. Countering with narratives of constitutional moral progress, the Lovings and their amici argued that Virginias law was an odious relic of slavery and a present-day reflection of racial prejudice, unsupported by modern science. The article concludes with a look at Obergefell, and the competing arguments southern states made about Loving and the lessons of history. Sevak Hakobyan, the editor of Yerevan.today online media, has given a press conference today. During the press conference he has presented information on the searches in the office of the media which took place a day before. Explaining the situation he said that he sees a definite pressure on freedom of speech, since those media outlets which oppose the main course set by the Prime Minister are somehow attacked nowadays. Even though the majority of online media outlets published the leaked conversation nearly simultaneously, only some of them were attacked by fakes. Besides, our website was under DDOS attack a week prior to the events,- he claimed. Answering a question of a journalist he told that the artificial division of whites and blacks, or revolutionary and anti-revolutionary observed nowadays, is another evidence of pressure. There are privileged media outlets: thus, nobody started investigation when the NSS officer provided and Armenian Times daily (is owned by Nikol Pashinyan, he and his wife were editors-in-chief) published infamous photo of Manvel Grigoryan in his ward. However, only 2 media outlets were mentioned as the criminals to disseminate the leaked conversation in the official statements,- he noted. He told that his personal computer and some hard drives were taken. During the whole process of searches which lasted more than 6 hours, they were not able to operate, since the network computer was not on for some while. Hakobyan also expressed his concerns that the computer which was confiscated, may be returned with added files, software and hardware in a way, so they will not be able to work properly and according to journalism ethics in terms of uncovering the sources of information. Answering another question Hakobyan explained that the organization is not linked to Robert Kocharyan. We were periodically tied to various political parties or individuals, but this has nothing to do with the reality. May be you can write an official letter and we can provide all the information,- he said. Concluding the press conference the editor expressed his worries that the Prime Ministers official announcement that the leakage is done by the internal forces, is directly indicating pressure on the investigation. This is why law enforcement bodies do look for the responsible inside the country, in his opinion. I just hope, that they will have the courage to confess that nothing was found,- he finished. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban came to Moscow on a working visit, during which he has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sputnik reported. Russia and Hungary agreed on the parameters for Russian gas supplies for 2020, Viktor Orban stated after the talks with Vladimir Putin, also noting that he had asked the Russian President to consider extending the TurkStream gas pipeline to Hungary. "It is no secret that when the pipeline will be built in the direction of Hungary from the south, we would like it to pass through Hungary. That will be a great opportunity for Hungary and I asked Mr. President [Putin] to seriously consider such an option," Hungarian Prime Minister said. Commenting on the cooperation between the countries, Putin noted that Budapest was always a reliable partner and announced that Rosatom would soon start the construction of two power units of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant (NPP). Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Woman in posession of Ricin planned to kill her Israeli husband. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462749 09-18-2018 01:02 AM Post: #1 Woman in posession of Ricin planned to kill her Israeli husband. Advertisement But fortunately, the woman who responded to Danielle Dana Laymans online posting for what was advertised as an overseas acting job soon learned the real purpose of Laymans offer and reported the plot to the FBI. And Layman, originally indicted in 2017 on a murder-for-hire charge, was subsequently charged with the unlawful possession of ricin and ended up pleading guilty to that charge earlier this year. She was sentenced this past June to a federal prison term. It all started back in May 2017, when Layman posted an ad: For production overseas, looking for talent, 30-45 years old. Doesnt have to be a professional actor. Required: Creative, outgoing and friendly, positive personality, boldness and bravery (some stunts may seem risky, although they are completely safe) The ad went on to say that you must not disclose any information related to this plot to ANYONE under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES The woman who responded to the ad agreed to an in-person meeting with Layman, who was using a fake name. At this meeting, Layman divulged a different purpose for the tripclaiming to be from Israeli intelligence, she told the woman that she wanted to have an ISIS operative killed. Using a laptop she brought to the meeting, Layman showed her an entire presentation containing instructions on what she was being https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/woman-s...cin-091318 An Oklahoma woman had a novel solution to a child custody issue with her ex-husband who lived in Israel: Hire someone to travel there and kill him using the deadly toxin ricin she manufactured in her kitchen.But fortunately, the woman who responded to Danielle Dana Laymans online posting for what was advertised as an overseas acting job soon learned the real purpose of Laymans offer and reported the plot to the FBI. And Layman, originally indicted in 2017 on a murder-for-hire charge, was subsequently charged with the unlawful possession of ricin and ended up pleading guilty to that charge earlier this year. She was sentenced this past June to a federal prison term.It all started back in May 2017, when Layman posted an ad: For production overseas, looking for talent, 30-45 years old. Doesnt have to be a professional actor. Required: Creative, outgoing and friendly, positive personality, boldness and bravery (some stunts may seem risky, although they are completely safe) The ad went on to say that you must not disclose any information related to this plot to ANYONE under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES The woman who responded to the ad agreed to an in-person meeting with Layman, who was using a fake name. At this meeting, Layman divulged a different purpose for the tripclaiming to be from Israeli intelligence, she told the woman that she wanted to have an ISIS operative killed. Using a laptop she brought to the meeting, Layman showed her an entire presentation containing instructions on what she was being Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. 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The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 3 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 4 Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462841 09-18-2018 09:53 AM Post: #16 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 Advertisement LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:49 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:46 AM) No, that's JIT investigation. They found the fragment and kept it hidden for 3* freaking years, because they knew Russia will follow the missile's way from factory. *4 years. Who are "they" and why would they "kept" an alleged crucial evidence hidden from JIT investigation for 4 "freaking years"? JIT kept it hidden from the rest of the world. Ukraine is part of JIT. But there's a footage, showing Dutch investigators finding the fragment, so they can't keep it forever. They had to release it. Then Russia saw the serial number and started searching their archives. Took them 3 months to follow the missile's path from factory to Ukraine. JIT kept it hidden from the rest of the world. Ukraine is part of JIT. But there's a footage, showing Dutch investigators finding the fragment, so they can't keep it forever. They had to release it. Then Russia saw the serial number and started searching their archives. Took them 3 months to follow the missile's path from factory to Ukraine. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 423870 09-18-2018 09:54 AM Post: #17 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 What about all the frozen decomposing bodies? False Flag Alert!!! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461925 09-18-2018 09:57 AM Post: #18 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:49 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:46 AM) No, that's JIT investigation. They found the fragment and kept it hidden for 3* freaking years, because they knew Russia will follow the missile's way from factory. *4 years. Who are "they" and why would they "kept" an alleged crucial evidence hidden from JIT investigation for 4 "freaking years"? PS: nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory and far out of the Ukrainian missile range. PS: nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory and far out of the Ukrainian missile range. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462839 09-18-2018 09:58 AM Post: #19 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:54 AM) What about all the frozen decomposing bodies? False Flag Alert!!! Yes, everyone has forgotten that . Funny how we had two MA 777's crash, one NEVER found ! Yes, everyone has forgotten that . Funny how we had two MA 777's crash, one NEVER found ! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462841 09-18-2018 10:01 AM Post: #20 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:57 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:49 AM) *4 years. Who are "they" and why would they "kept" an alleged crucial evidence hidden from JIT investigation for 4 "freaking years"? PS: nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory and far out of the Ukrainian missile range. That's a lie right here. Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer of the missile, not just tried, but conducted an experiment. That's a lie right here. Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer of the missile, not just tried, but conducted an experiment. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461925 09-18-2018 10:02 AM Post: #21 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:53 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:49 AM) *4 years. Who are "they" and why would they "kept" an alleged crucial evidence hidden from JIT investigation for 4 "freaking years"? JIT kept it hidden from the rest of the world. Ukraine is part of JIT. But there's a footage, showing Dutch investigators finding the fragment, so they can't keep it forever. They had to release it. Then Russia saw the serial number and started searching their archives . Took them 3 months to follow the missile's path from factory to Ukraine. That's NOT what the article claims; you're making sh*t up as you go, Boris. Again, nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory and far out of the Ukrainian missile range . Again, what is Russian military doing in Ukraine ... especially 4 years after the event? That's NOT what the article claims; you're making sh*t up as you go, Boris.Again, nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory andAgain,... especially 4 years after the event? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 423870 09-18-2018 10:04 AM Post: #22 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:58 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:54 AM) What about all the frozen decomposing bodies? False Flag Alert!!! Yes, everyone has forgotten that . Funny how we had two MA 777's crash, one NEVER found ! Could be why they waited so long. Who wouldn't want that brought up? Could be why they waited so long. Who wouldn't want that brought up? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462841 09-18-2018 10:04 AM Post: #23 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:02 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:53 AM) JIT kept it hidden from the rest of the world. Ukraine is part of JIT. But there's a footage, showing Dutch investigators finding the fragment, so they can't keep it forever. They had to release it. Then Russia saw the serial number and started searching their archives . Took them 3 months to follow the missile's path from factory to Ukraine. That's NOT what the article claims; you're making sh*t up as you go, Boris. Again, nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory and far out of the Ukrainian missile range . Again, what is Russian military doing in Ukraine ... especially 4 years after the event? Again, you're lying. Almaz-Antey is not nobody. They made the freaking missile. They not just denied, they proved you wrong. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0Bi_wf7JM And I'm not only citing this article, but all known facts. Sorry for your butthurt. Again, you're lying. Almaz-Antey is not nobody. They made the freaking missile. They not just denied, they proved you wrong.And I'm not only citing this article, but all known facts. Sorry for your butthurt. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461925 09-18-2018 10:07 AM Post: #24 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:01 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 09:57 AM) PS: nobody ever even tried to deny that MH17 was shot down south of Snizhne, deep inside of the Russian held territory and far out of the Ukrainian missile range. That's a lie right here. Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer of the missile, not just tried, but conducted an experiment. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0Bi_wf7JM This propaganda clip claims that MH17 was NOT shot down by a BUK missile at all. That contradicts the new "story" FFS, make up your mind, Kremlin shill This propaganda clip claims that MH17 was NOT shot down by a BUK missile at all.That contradicts the new "story"FFS, make up your mind, Kremlin shill LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461925 09-18-2018 10:08 AM Post: #25 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 This thread reeks on borscht and cheap vodka. What's the weather in Olgino, St. Petersburg, OP? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462841 09-18-2018 10:11 AM Post: #26 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:07 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:01 AM) That's a lie right here. Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer of the missile, not just tried, but conducted an experiment. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0Bi_wf7JM This propaganda clip claims that MH17 was NOT shot down by a BUK missile at all. That contradicts the new "story" FFS, make up your mind, Kremlin shill Now, for the retards: JIT claims BUK missile downed the plane. JIT claims they have the missile. The missile they showed to the world turned out to be Ukrainian. Now, if that missile didn't down the plane, that would mean the evidence was fabricated by Ukraine. Why would they do that? If it WAS downed by that missile, it means Ukraine did it, since the missile is theirs. Lose-lose for the Ukies. Now, for the retards:JIT claims BUK missile downed the plane.JIT claims they have the missile.The missile they showed to the world turned out to be Ukrainian.Now, if that missile didn't down the plane, that would mean the evidence was fabricated by Ukraine. Why would they do that?If it WAS downed by that missile, it means Ukraine did it, since the missile is theirs.Lose-lose for the Ukies. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 423870 09-18-2018 10:14 AM Post: #27 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:11 AM) Now, for the retards: JIT claims BUK missile downed the plane. JIT claims they have the missile. The missile they showed to the world turned out to be Ukrainian. Now, if that missile didn't down the plane, that would mean the evidence was fabricated by Ukraine. Why would they do that? If it WAS downed by that missile, it means Ukraine did it, since the missile is theirs. Lose-lose for the Ukies. Proves it was fabricated--but not by whom. Proves it was fabricated--but not by whom. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462841 09-18-2018 10:18 AM Post: #28 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:14 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:11 AM) Now, for the retards: JIT claims BUK missile downed the plane. JIT claims they have the missile. The missile they showed to the world turned out to be Ukrainian. Now, if that missile didn't down the plane, that would mean the evidence was fabricated by Ukraine. Why would they do that? If it WAS downed by that missile, it means Ukraine did it, since the missile is theirs. Lose-lose for the Ukies. Proves it was fabricated--but not by whom. Well, the missile is Ukrainian, I think it's obvious. Well, the missile is Ukrainian, I think it's obvious. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461925 09-18-2018 10:19 AM Post: #29 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:11 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 10:07 AM) This propaganda clip claims that MH17 was NOT shot down by a BUK missile at all. That contradicts the new "story" FFS, make up your mind, Kremlin shill Now, for the retards: JIT claims BUK missile downed the plane. JIT claims they have the missile. The missile they showed to the world turned out to be Ukrainian. Now, if that missile didn't down the plane, that would mean the evidence was fabricated by Ukraine. Why would they do that? If it WAS downed by that missile, it means Ukraine did it, since the missile is theirs. Lose-lose for the Ukies. JIT never claimed that. You're making sh*t up while constantly moving the goalposts. Again, the location of the MH17 downing was far, far out of the Ukrainian missile range. I'm done with you. You're making sh*t up while constantly moving the goalposts.Again,I'm done with you. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 462839 09-18-2018 10:22 AM Post: #30 RE: Undeniable proof Ukraine downed MH17 I am still scratching my head on this one . I have video of the Crimean fighters, walking through the wreckage, as it was still burning and them saying on the radio , "we have a Pilot, he is still alive, he shot the plane down" . The commander then says, "bring him to me ". There WAS a fighter plane brought down and a Pilot captured ! WHAT happened to that Pilot ? What became of those same men saying, the "bodies are rotted and have been dead for some time" ? Advertisement Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 3 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? Sistah Banned User ID: 462888 09-18-2018 05:09 PM Posts: 7,740 Post: #1 Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? Advertisement But Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? If anything disastrous happens in Japan in the near future, its no way by accident!But Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 441673 09-18-2018 05:13 PM Post: #2 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? GODZIRRA! Paint it black Registered User User ID: 444994 09-18-2018 05:20 PM Posts: 1,233 Post: #3 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? China and Russia will hold joint naval and air defense drills in the Sea of Japan BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia will hold joint naval and air defense drills in the Sea of Japan, China said on Thursday, the latest exercises between the two countries which could concern Japan, involved in a marine dispute with China to the south. The maneuvers also come as the United States ramps up military cooperation with its allies in Asia in response to China's increasingly assertive pursuit of territorial claims in the disputed waters of the South and East China seas. China and Russia are veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, and have held similar views on key policy questions like the crisis in Syria, putting them at odds with the United States and Western Europe. The exercises, which will take place from Aug. 20-28, will take place in the Gulf of Peter the Great, which lies off the strategic Far Eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok, and in the Sea of Japan, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a monthly news briefing. The drills will include anti-submarine and anti-ship exercises. Chinese fighter jets, destroyers, frigates and supply vessels will take part, Yang said. The Russian side plans to dispatch ships, submarines and fixed-wing aircraft, he added. Both sides will send helicopters and marines, Yang said. The drills could especially alarm Japan, which is involved in an ongoing spat with China over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea. Last week, Japan called on China to halt construction of oil-and-gas exploration platforms in the East China Sea close to waters claimed by both nations, concerned that Chinese drills could tap reservoirs that extend into Japanese territory. China responded by saying it had every right to drill. https://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-...&IR=T&IR=T They are stumbling block to communist expansion.China and Russia will hold joint naval and air defense drills in the Sea of JapanBEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia will hold joint naval and air defense drills in the Sea of Japan, China said on Thursday, the latest exercises between the two countries which could concern Japan, involved in a marine dispute with China to the south.The maneuvers also come as the United States ramps up military cooperation with its allies in Asia in response to China's increasingly assertive pursuit of territorial claims in the disputed waters of the South and East China seas.China and Russia are veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, and have held similar views on key policy questions like the crisis in Syria, putting them at odds with the United States and Western Europe.The exercises, which will take place from Aug. 20-28, will take place in the Gulf of Peter the Great, which lies off the strategic Far Eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok, and in the Sea of Japan, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a monthly news briefing.The drills will include anti-submarine and anti-ship exercises. Chinese fighter jets, destroyers, frigates and supply vessels will take part, Yang said.The Russian side plans to dispatch ships, submarines and fixed-wing aircraft, he added. Both sides will send helicopters and marines, Yang said.The drills could especially alarm Japan, which is involved in an ongoing spat with China over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.Last week, Japan called on China to halt construction of oil-and-gas exploration platforms in the East China Sea close to waters claimed by both nations, concerned that Chinese drills could tap reservoirs that extend into Japanese territory.China responded by saying it had every right to drill. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 459078 09-18-2018 05:20 PM Post: #4 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? The Georgia Guide Stones do not include the Jap's language. Hope Russia builds that bridge. Sistah Banned User ID: 462888 09-18-2018 05:25 PM Posts: 7,740 Post: #5 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 05:20 PM) The Georgia Guide Stones do not include the Jap's language. Hope Russia builds that bridge. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 444454 09-18-2018 05:28 PM Post: #6 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? Because they are still somewhat isolationist and have not been racially mudded down yet LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 370698 09-18-2018 05:49 PM Post: #7 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? The internet camps of Japanese everywhere are quite attractive projects for many developers. Many Japanese internet camps could do with a certain panache and flair from builders with tenure. piequal3because14 Angel of Love from Heaven User ID: 460224 09-18-2018 05:57 PM Posts: 28,517 Post: #8 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? CCLSHC Wrote: (09-18-2018 05:09 PM) If anything disastrous happens in Japan in the near future, its no way by accident! But Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? They think Yakuza is weak and without any connection with God. Thinking they can make very easy new evil Illuminati cells in Japan ,as usual for big financial interests. This why. Definitely illu's are the servants of the Devil. Look into my eyes to see a Paradise of Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqtHu0XFal0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo7PY4vbQLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTm9ui-26F0 CCLSHC forgot her password lop guest User ID: 443937 09-19-2018 03:38 AM Post: #9 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? LoP Guest Wrote: (09-18-2018 05:49 PM) The internet camps of Japanese everywhere are quite attractive projects for many developers. Many Japanese internet camps could do with a certain panache and flair from builders with tenure. THEY ARE PLANNING TO CAUSE MAJOR DISASTERS TO THE TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY OF JAPAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE PLANNING TO CAUSE MAJOR DISASTERS TO THE TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY OF JAPAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 463003 09-19-2018 04:24 AM Post: #10 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? They make the best golfing wedges and irons D3VILSR3J3CT ... User ID: 452188 09-19-2018 04:26 AM Posts: 15,604 Post: #11 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? There is no such thing as the Illuminati. 1110.00) lop guest User ID: 198896 09-19-2018 04:34 AM Post: #12 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? Brit mirror. The Yoko and John symbolism thing in mass media syncing says, anyway. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 463010 09-19-2018 04:53 AM Post: #13 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? CCLSHC Wrote: (09-18-2018 05:09 PM) If anything disastrous happens in Japan in the near future, its no way by accident! But Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? were you aware that Rockefeller is/was getting a $ piece $ of every Japanese car imported in to the USA? Now you know why there are so many Jap cars on the road. were you aware that Rockefeller is/was getting a $ piece $ of every Japanese car imported in to the USA? Now you know why there are so many Jap cars on the road. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 463011 09-19-2018 04:53 AM Post: #14 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? Wrote: (09-19-2018 04:26 AM) There is no such thing as the Illuminati. Just keep it to 3 letters then. Just keep it to 3 letters then. Archangel Michael User ID: 441975 09-19-2018 05:10 AM Posts: 14,103 Post: #15 RE: Why is Illuminati targeting Japan? They hate Japan because Japan allied with Germany in WWII, against the Communist onslaught. Advertisement Terrorism is a global concern that demands global attention and requires global cooperation: Vice President New Delhi, Tue, 31 Oct 2017 NI Wire Interacts with Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Terrorism is a global concern that demands global attention and requires global cooperation. He was interacting with the Prime Minister of Italy, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, who called on him, here yesterday. The Vice President said that India believes in an early conclusion of negotiations and the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations. He further said that we also need to coordinate our action at the forthcoming meeting of the Financial Action Task Force and ensure that designated individuals and entities have no access to property and financial services. We must ensure that Pakistan continues to remain under the Asia Pacific Group and Financial Action Task Force monitoring, he added. The Vice President thanked for Italys support which led to Indias eventual membership in the MTCR. Membership of the NSG remains a priority for Indian Government and we look forward to Italys continued support for Indias membership of the NSG, he added. The Vice President said that the bilateral trade between India and Italy is at US$8.7 billion (Rs. 57,878 crores), which is below potential. He further said that Indias unprecedented reform initiatives including ease of doing business, flagship programs and roll out of the Goods and Services Tax offers unlimited business opportunities to Italian companies. The Vice President said that Climate Change is a very important issue for the two countries and India ratified the Paris Agreement on 3rd October 2016. We have a renewable energy target of 175 Giga Watts by 2022, launched the International Solar Alliance initiative and are working on a road map for introducing all electric vehicles beginning 2030. The Vice President said that many Italians take active interest in Indian culture, cuisine, music, dance, Yoga and Ayurveda. We will be happy to collaborate with Italy in enhancing the understanding of traditional systems of Indian medicines, he added. Source: PIB We must ensure that benefits of democratic governance reach every citizen in our country: Vice President New Delhi, Tue, 31 Oct 2017 NI Wire Inaugurates Vigilance Awareness Week The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we must ensure that the benefits of democratic governance reach every citizen in our country. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Vigilance Awareness Week with the theme My Vision-Corruption-free India, organised by the Central Vigilance Commission, here today. The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Ministers Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Cabinet Secretary, P.K. Sinha, the Central Vigilance Commissioner, K.V. Chowdary and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. The Vice President said that we should go to the roots of corruption and strike at it. He further said that constant vigilance is required to see that the vast beautiful tree of our country is not eaten up by weeds and pests. The tree must be protected, preserved and nourished continuously by rejuvenating the entire eco-system, he added. The Vice President said that Sardar Patel represents the best values in the Indian tradition so far as governance is concerned and he integrated the country and also was a shining example of integrity and probity in public life. He further said that we must draw inspiration from Sardar Vallabhai Patels messages and his life. His sense of realism and pragmatic approach to issues allowed him to face challenges and demonstrate his successful leadership qualities, he added. The Vice President said that honesty and integrity are essential components of social capital. They add value to the economic capital and intellectual capital of any society and country, he added. The Vice President said that procedures and implementation of laws should become more citizen-centric. Each citizen should be able to access quality services without harassment, undue delays and corrupt practices, he added. The Vice President said that all out efforts should be made to improve the educational system to inculcate strong values, ethical conduct and commitment towards the welfare of the society at large. He further said that the Central Vigilance Commission is trying to promote Integrity Club in schools and colleges and this initiative will no doubt pay rich dividends in future. He commended the Commission for its concerted efforts in battling the blight of corruption. Following is the text of Vice Presidents address: I am happy to inaugurate the Vigilance Awareness Week, 2017. I am happy to note that the Central Vigilance Commission is organizing a number of programmes during this week to create greater awareness about corruption and the need to be aware of and combat it at all levels by everyone. The theme My Vision-Corruption-free India has been aptly chosen. If we want India to become a stronger economic power and if we want to create an India in which every citizen will be able to enjoy his/her rights and lead a better quality of life, we need Su-rajya or clean polity and good governance. We need to have good governance to take the development to the people. We must translate into reality the grand vision of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhai Patel, whose birth anniversary is being celebrated across the country today. Addressing the senior civil servants almost seventy years ago, Sardar Patel had said: Unhappily India today cannot boast of an incorruptible service, but I hope that you who are now starting, as it were, a new generation of Civil Servants, will not be misled by black sheep in the fold, but would render your service without fear or favour and without, any expectation of extraneous rewards. If you serve in the true spirit of service I am sure you will have your best reward. The black sheep in all walks of life are the visible face of corruption. They thrive in a system that has low accountability, low transparency, cumbersome, poorly understood procedures and high discretionary powers. It is this system that we should reform and transform. The Prime Minister has given a three-line mantra Reform, Perform and Transform. We should go to the roots of corruption and strike at it. Constant vigilance is required to see that the vast beautiful tree of our country is not eaten up by weeds and pests. The tree must be protected, preserved and nourished continuously by rejuvenating the entire eco-system. One of the instruments for building a healthy polity is the Central Vigilance Commission established in 1964. It was created on the basis of the recommendations of Santhanam Committee for exercising general superintendence over the vigilance administration in Government. The Commission was conferred statutory status through an Act of Parliament in 2003 and it also became a multimember body. In 2004 it became a designated authority to receive Whistle Blower complaints and to give protection to Whistleblowers. In June 2000, the Commission decided to observe Vigilance Awareness Week every year starting from 31st October, the birthday of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The purpose is to make every citizen realise need to collectively combat the menace of corruption. Sardar Patel represents the best values in the Indian tradition so far as governance is concerned. He integrated the country and also was a shining example of integrity and probity in public life. I would like to quote Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who said: The negligence of a few could easily send a ship to the bottom, but with the whole hearted cooperation of all on board, she could be safely brought to port. We cannot afford to allow our ship to sink. We have a collective responsibility to steer this ship through troubled waters. We must draw inspiration from Sardar Vallabhai Patels messages and his life. There are innumerable incidents relating to his iron will and courage, in public and private life. He commanded respect and popularity owing to his integrity, truthfulness and firmness. His sense of realism and pragmatic approach to issues allowed him to face challenges and demonstrate his successful leadership qualities. Sardar Patel exemplified an ethical approach in his life, behaviour and dealings; personal rectitude and austerity were part of his being. It is these qualities that we must seek to imbibe and strive to emulate in our work and in our lives. Let me outline a few ways in which we can achieve a new India that is clean, not only by physically removing the garbage from our streets but also by creating a corruption-free governance structure. We, in leadership positions, must lead by example. Honesty and integrity are essential components of social capital. They add value to the economic capital and intellectual capital of any society and country. They are reflective of our societal norms and attitudes. If we have to live up to the high standards of integrity set by the leaders who have given us freedom, it is imperative that we revive the values of hard work, honesty, empathy and integrity. We have to live these values not merely talk about them. We must ensure that the benefits of democratic governance reach every citizen in our country. Governance should have citizens as the central focus and try to address the needs of the different segments of population effectively. Procedures and implementation of laws should become more citizen-centric. Each citizen should be able to access quality services without harassment, undue delays and corrupt practices. Information should be freely shared. Standard operating procedures should be in place reducing the amount of discretion. Active involvement and participation by all stakeholders and actors is critical. The vision of Sardar Patel to see India as a great nation can only be achieved through active involvement of all sections of the population and key pillars of our governance structure. The presence of a strong civil society including a free press and independent judiciary are important pre-conditions for good governance. The role of the media and of civil society in fighting the menace of corruption is also very important. A media that is objective, balanced and neutral in its reporting and ethical in functioning can have a great impact. Through their outreach efforts, civil society organisations can play a significant role in educating and creating awareness among the people. Sharing of accurate information and universal literacy are key arsenal I have always believed that information that has been sanctified with confirmation is the most powerful ammunition to fight corruption. Providing timely and accurate information empowers citizens. The Right to Information Act must be used to inform, enlighten and empower. We need to step up our national efforts to achieve universal literacy. It is virtually impossible to achieve a corruption-free society with more than 25 percent of our citizens being unable to read and write. Once we achieve universal basic literacy, we would have created a literate society that can understand the citizens entitlements and access public services and benefit from all socio-economic development programmes. We would have then created a critical mass of enlightened citizenry that can more confidently participate in the democratic processes. We would have deepened our democratic roots. I strongly feel that the most effective antidote to corruption is an active, involved and empowered citizenry. In other words, the most potent weapon against corruption is people like you and me. Each one of us must set new benchmarks by adopting zero tolerance for corrupt practices. Ultimately, it must be understood that all the malpractices, double-dealing, nepotism and other such practices, be it governmental or organizational, hurt us. Therefore we must all join hands and pledge to root it out of the system. The first step towards empowering the citizens is creating awareness among them. It is extremely important for the common citizen to be aware of what to expect from the Government. In this context, the efforts and commitment of the Central Vigilance Commission towards awareness generation and ensuring public participation in fighting the scourge of corruption are laudable whether through the display of hoardings and banners or grievance redressal camps for citizens, the awareness gram sabhas or through walkathons, nukkad nataks or other means. I am happy to note that the Commission has circulated an Integrity Pledge to be taken by Government officials and the citizens. Such pledges have been found to be quite effective around the world in binding people to follow the path of honesty. Such public commitment by civil servants, students, journalists, educators, NGOs, and citizens, is not only a tool for creating awareness but can act as a force multiplier for the society at large to take the fight against corruption seriously. Simplify, streamline, standardize and digitalize Corruption undermines economic development by causing considerable distortion and inefficiency. It increases the cost of business through the price of illicit payments, the management cost of negotiating with officials and the risk of breached agreements. If India has to welcome investors, the ease of doing business must be considerably enhanced. The Prime Minister came out with a statement, saying that, it is not red-tape, it is red-carpet to the investors. Investments will come if the procedures are simple, if there is no harassment, if there is no corruption, investors will be happy to come here and invest money. The regulatory controls must be minimized and the procedures should be clear, simple, streamlined and digitalized so that there is very little ambiguity or discretion. The regulation should not become strangulation. We must standardize procedures and inform all citizens what these procedures are. Uncertainty and lack of information gives undesirable power to the implementing machinery. Citizen Charters have been a good step forward in this direction. Apart from this, the cutting edge administration with which the common man comes into contact with the Government or its agencies needs a radical transformation. The use of Information and Communication Technology has helped create efficient, transparent and accountable systems with no scope for arbitrariness and discretion while enabling better quality and efficient delivery of services. The Digital India initiative has ensured that Government services are made available to citizens electronically by improving online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity i.e. by making the country digitally empowered. I am confident that the Central Vigilance Commission will continue this challenging mission to not only point out some omissions and commissions by individuals but also to ensure that the society is free of this malaise of corruption. It can do so, probably in conjunction, with other bodies like the Central Information Commission, the Election Commission of India and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India which have mandates that could potentially contribute to a clean and corruption-free India that we wish to see by 2022. All out efforts should be made to improve the educational system to inculcate strong values, ethical conduct and commitment towards the welfare of the society at large. The Commission, I am told, is trying to promote Integrity Club in schools and colleges. This initiative will no doubt pay rich dividends in future. Mahatma Gandhi had said that: As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves. Remaking the world starts with remaking ourselves, our communities and our country. We surely have a long way to go. We are slowly improving on the global corruption perception index- from 38 in 2015 to 40 in 2016. But we can make quicker and lasting progress if we identify the key levers that can make a difference and take systematic action on each of them. I am sure that the government is not only aware of the challenge but is also committed to make a difference by 2022. The recent policy interventions including tax reforms could contribute to this societal transformation. Why the people have welcomed the demonetisation, though it is painful for them. Because, they could understand the temporary pain is for long term gain. And the idea of opening Bank Accounts to all people under Jan Dhan, understood by the public after demonetisation. I take this opportunity to felicitate the Commission for its concerted efforts in battling the blight of corruption. Let us resolve to work relentlessly and assiduously to ensure a corruption free India. Source: PIB Shoojit Sircars October to release on 13th April, 2018 Bollywood, Wed, 01 Nov 2017 NI Wire A Rising Sun Films production, the film starring Varun Dhawan and newbie Banita Sandhu is currently on floors Mumbai: ShoojitSircars much anticipated film October, a Rising Sun Films production will now release on 13th April, 2018. The film, a slice of life love story written by JuhiChaturvedi and directed by ShoojitSircar will star VarunDhawan in the lead. The film is currently on floors. Varun took to Twitterto make this announcement today, "As October comes to an end it arrives earlier next year. #October releases on 13th April now. @ShoojitSircar @ronnielahiri @BanitaSandhu" With a repertoire of films like Yahaan, Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe, Piku and Pink that have explored different genres and have won accolades including National Awards, Rising Sun Films new venture, October, will be a story about love. It is a genre that I have always wanted to delve in. While love and romance have been entwined with Indian cinema, there is abundance in that emotion that everyone can have their own interpretations of. Juhi and I have always tried to create stories from the reflections of real life moments that we see around us. October is another effort to explore those moments out of simple situations of life, shared Shoojit in an earlier statement. Added Producer Ronnie Lahiri of Rising Sun Films,At Rising Sun Films, our endeavour has always been to create stories that are simple, connect with the audience and stay with them. October will hopefully be one more step in that direction. The film will release in theatres worldwide on 13th April, 2018. And there is more in store for the audience! Toasting their previous successes (Vicky Donor, Piku), ShoojitSircar will be once again collaborating with JuhiChaturvedi for October, making it all the more exciting, Our stories come from day today intricacies & complexities of life...the effort is always to find insightful and charming nuances in what seems the obvious. With Shoojit's innate ability to steer the story in a way that creates poignant and compelling moments out of simple situations of life, I am hoping this time too we create something people find a connect with and make their own, expressed Juhi. Rising Sun Films have the penchant for conscientiously adhering to the everyday life, adorning it with moments that remain etched in the hearts of their audience. With October the blazing baton moves forward. King of Bhutan calls on the President of India Ram Nath Kovind New Delhi, Thu, 02 Nov 2017 NI Wire His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, along with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Prince of Bhutan called on the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan (November 1, 2017). Welcoming the King and Queen to India, the President said that it is a privilege to welcome the King on the anniversary of his Coronation Day. He also thanked them for bringing the Royal Prince on his maiden visit to India. The President complimented the King of Bhutan on the successful completion of the first decade of his reign and his vision for a stable, happy and prosperous Bhutan. He stated that India is delighted to see the rapid progress made in Bhutan while simultaneously preserving its very special culture as well as protecting the environment. India has been happy to share its knowledge, experience and resources with Bhutan. Our development cooperation has been guided by the priorities set by the Government and people of Bhutan. The President said that India and Bhutan share exemplary bilateral relations. Our relations are unique and special. Our bilateral ties are based on utmost trust and understanding. We should do everything to make it a model of bilateral cooperation, which will be noted by others in the neighbourhood. The President said that security concerns of India and Bhutan are indivisible and mutual. He conveyed deep appreciation for the King of Bhutans personal involvement and guidance and the support provided by Bhutan in addressing the recent situation in the Doklam area. He added that the manner in which both India and Bhutan stood together to address the situation in the Doklam area is a clear testimony to our friendship. Source: PIB "Nivesh Bandhu" An Investor Facilitation Portal to be Launched during World Food India 2017 New Delhi, Thu, 02 Nov 2017 NI Wire Launch of Food Regulatory Portal Announced Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal chaired the Press Conference detailing about the activities to be undertaken in the World Food India 2017 Expo, here today. As India gets ready to host its biggest food event aiming to transform the food economy and double farmers income, Badal gave a glimpse of the magnitude of the event to media in an interactive session. Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti also graced the occasion with her presence. Speaking on the occasion, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said World Food India is a mega event which would showcase the entire value chain in the food sector. 160 Global CEOs will come under one roof. Globally & Nationally it is one of the biggest event. This event is expected to generate Rs. 65000 Crore worth of investment and 10 lakh jobs. She also said that this event will take the varied flavours of India to the world and showcase the healthy multigrain 'khichadi' to the visitors.There has not been any mega event before of this scale where FDI commitment has got crystallized even before the start of the event. "We have a vision of transforming Indian food economy and doubling farmers income by bringing latest technologies evolution and best practices into the system in keeping with the vision articulated by Honourable Prime Minister" said the Minister. "We are working towards easing the process of doing business for Global and Domestic industry players as well as bringing in new talent to achieve Indias greatest potential in the coming years" she said. As global and Indian food companies prepare to explore business opportunities in India at World Food India 2017, MoFPI and FSSAI, the apex Regulatory body for Food Safety in India announced a powerful new tool called the Food Regulatory Portal. Planned as a single interface for food businesses to cater to both domestic operations and food imports, this portal would be a game changer for effective and transparent implementation of the food safety laws in the country. Aiming to create an enabling environment for businesses to operate, the portal is strategically aligned with Governments mission of One Nation, One Food Law. Smt Badal said that FSSAI's Food Regulatory portal will be a step forward in that direction and she congratulated FSSAI for implementing it. She also said that during World Food India 2017, an Investor Facilitation Portal Nivesh Bandhu will be launched to assist investors to make informed investment decisions. "India is ready with open arms to welcome global food companies" said Smt Badal. The portal would provide information on Central and State Governments investor friendly policies, agro-producing clusters, infrastructure, and potential areas of investment in the food processing sector. Smt Badal also appealed to each individual to take a pledge NO WASTE ON MY PLATE- to make India Food Secure. Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said that after World Food India a good response from investor community is expected in Food Processing Sector. More than 40 countries have committed FDI in Food Processing Sector till now. This is the first time such Exhibition on Food Processing is happening in India. Spelling out more details of the upcoming three day event, Minister Smt Badal informed that the mega convention is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on 3rd November 2017. Mr Maris Kucinskis, Prime Minister of Latvia & Mr Serzh Sargsyan, President of Armenia will also be addressing the Inaugural Session. President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind will address the Valedictory Session on 5th November 2017. World Food India 2017 will provide global businesses a platform to explore Indian market across the value chain in food processing and food retail, to bring together global & Indian leaders across the food value chain and Showcase the strengths of India in the Food processing & allied sectors; Connect domestic and international businesses for possible partnerships and Facilitate collaboration, investment flow and encourage sourcing from India. Exclusive CEOs roundtables have been scheduled with Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Shri Arun Jaitley and Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Suresh Prabhu with CEOs of leading global & Indian food processing companies. Illustrative list of Industry Captains participating in World Food India from across the globe and India includes Mr Paul Bulcke , Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nestle, Mr Pieter Boone, Chief Operating Officer & CEO, Metro Cash and Carry, Mr Brian J McNamara, CEO, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Ms. Amanda Sourry, President, Food Unilever; Mr.Sharafuddin Sharaf, Al Sharaf Group; Mr.Yusuff Ali, Managing Director, LuLu Group, Mr Kishore Biyani, CEO, Future Group; Mr Krish Iyer, CEO, Walmart India; Mr Amit Agrawal, CEO, Amazon, India to name a few. A total of 60 Global CEOs including Asia Pacific (APAC) leadership of leading companies will be interacting with leading CEOs from 100+ top Indian food processing leaders. Over 1000 m B2B meetings are expected to take place over three days. World Food India 2017 has received tremendous response globally, attracting participation from more than 40 countries, 27 state governments including all the North-Eastern states. Germany, Denmark, and Japan are the partner countries for the event while Italy and Netherlands are the focus countries. International Ministerial & business delegations with 200+ members from 15 countries will take part in B2B/B2G meetings. The mega event would also host 8 sectoral conferences, 2 plenary sessions on India the preferred destination with the Finance Minister of India as the Guest of Honour and one on One Nation, one food law- an enabling regulatory environment for investment in the food sector in association with the Food Standards and Safety Authority of India. In addition, there are 20 State sessions and 6 country sessions. 7 sectoral publications would be released at the event. A massive exhibition spread over 40,000 sq mtrs in the verdant C- Hexagon lawns of India Gate is expected to attract significant footfalls. More than 800 global companies representing 22 Countries & domestic companies will be exhibiting. Special focus on Farmer Producer Organizations & Women Entrepreneurs will connect them to corporates international & Indian- increasing opportunities for sourcing & business. Ministry of Food Processing Industries Theme Pavilion provides an exciting view of Indias offering to the world in terms of products, a geo mapping of produce availability and mega food parks, through multiple technologies like Virtual & Augmented reality. A special feature of the Event is the Food Street - a lively vibrant zone, that will showcase Indian and foreign cuisines using Indian ingredients, flavours and fragrances, specially curated by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. The Food Street is a unique concept that would act as a platform for guests to learn about the globalisation of Indian food through interactive chef talks and demonstrations, experience the traditional flavours as well as modern fusion food and give the attendees a wholesome experience about the diverse uniqueness that Indian food offers. The event is supported by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Development of North East Region, Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation. Source: PIB India is committed to partner Bhutan in its socio-economic development: Venkaiah Naidu New Delhi, Fri, 03 Nov 2017 NI Wire Calls on the King of Bhutan The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that India is committed to partner Bhutan in its socio-economic development, and to support in its XII Five Year Plan. He was interacting with the King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, here yesterday. Senior officials from both India and Bhutan were present on the occasion. The Vice President said that India and Bhutan share exemplary bilateral relations and these are unique and special. He further said that our historical and cultural linkages make us natural friends and partners. He thanked the King for his warm letter of felicitation on his assumption of responsibilities as the Vice President of India earlier this year. The Vice President said that India is delighted to see the rapid progress which has been made in Bhutan while simultaneously preserving its very special culture as well as protecting the environment. He further said that the Government and people of India appreciate the vision of the Druk Gyalpos (Kings), which has guided relations between our two countries. With the wisdom and foresight of the Monarchs of Bhutan and Indian leadership, India-Bhutan relations have grown from strength to strength, he added. The Vice President said that India has been happy to share its knowledge, experience and resources with Bhutan and thus contribute to Bhutan's socio-economic development. He further said that our development cooperation has been guided by the priorities set by the Government and people of Bhutan. India is committed to partner Bhutan in its socio-economic development, and to support in its XII Five Year Plan, he added. The Vice President said that India remains committed to consolidate existing hydro-power cooperation with Bhutan. Timely implementation of the ongoing hydro-power projects with minimum cost overrun, is important for both governments. This is the flagship area of our bilateral cooperation and has high visibility. We should do everything to make it a model of bilateral cooperation, which will be noted by others in the neighbourhood. The Vice President said that the security concerns of India and Bhutan are indivisible, intertwined and mutual. We look forward to continuing close cooperation with Bhutan on issues of mutual security concern, he added. Source: PIB President of India inaugurates 21st World Congress of mental health, calls for fighting stigma New Delhi, Fri, 03 Nov 2017 NI Wire The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 21st World Congress of Mental Health being organised by the World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation and other institutions in New Delhi (November 2, 2017). Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for the first time. And it has come here at an appropriate moment. Mental health issues are acquiring a serious magnitude in our country. Our National Mental Health Survey 2016 found that close to 14 per cent of Indias population required active mental health interventions. The President noted that those living in metropolitan cities and those who are young whether in the productive age group, or children and teenagers are most vulnerable to mental illnesses. In India, we have a young population, with 65 per cent of our people below the age of 35. And our society is rapidly urbanising. This leaves us staring at a possible mental health epidemic. The President said that the biggest obstacle that mental health patients have to encounter is stigma and denial. This leads to the issue being ignored or simply not discussed. We need to talk about mental health issues and treat ailments such as depression and stress as diseases that can be cured not as guilty secrets that must be pushed under the carpet. A major gap in combating the mental health challenge is that of human resources. India is a country with 1.25 billion people but just 700,000 doctors less than one million. In the field of mental health, the scarcity is even more acute. There are only about 5,000 psychiatrists and less than 2,000 clinical psychologists in our country. The President said that Indias National Mental Health Programme is building 22 centres of excellence in the field of mental health. In parallel, the District Mental Health Programme has already covered 517 of the approximately 650 districts in India. It is taking the conversation about mental health to the grassroots of our society. The President expressed happiness that the World Congress will have sessions on yoga, meditation and traditional approaches to mental health. He stated that the example of yoga is very instructive. When people talk about yoga, they generally refer to its physiological benefits. However, the mental, psychological, and cognitive benefits of yoga are equally worthy of our study. He looked forward to feedback on the deliberations of the special session planned on the role of yoga in battling anxiety and depression and in preventing the onset of mental health problems. Source: PIB PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate World Food India 2017 New Delhi, Fri, 03 Nov 2017 NI Wire India gears up to welcome Global Food Titans The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will inaugurate World Food India 2017 on 3rd November 2017 from Vigyan Bhavan New Delhi. WFI is the most anticipated international mega food event, as India welcomes to host biggest ever congregation of global investors and business leaders of major food companies from 3-5 November in New Delhi. Organized by Ministry of Food Processing Industries under leadership of Union Minister Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal, World Food India aims to transform Food Economy and realize the vision of doubling of famers income by establishing India as a preferred investment destination and sourcing hub for the global food processing industry. This is the first time that India is hosting such an event for the Food processing sector.World Food India platform will strengthen Indias position as a Global Food Factory and is a positive step towards making the Country Food Secure. India is expected to attract an investment of US$ 10 billion in food processing sector and generate 1 million jobs in the next 3 years. World Food India 2017 gears up to host over 2,000 participants, over 200 companies from 30 countries, 18 ministerial and business delegations, nearly 50 global CEOs along with CEOs of all leading domestic food processing companies, and representatives of 28 States in India. Germany, Japan and Denmark are Partner Countries to World Food India. Italy & Netherlands are the Focus Countries. Specially curated experiential platform Food Street specially curated by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, is a lively vibrant zone, that will showcase Indian and foreign cuisines using Indian ingredients, flavours and fragrances to celebrate India's rich cultural heritage, the diverse uniqueness of its produce to create contemporary renditions and fusion food. After the inauguration from Vigyan Bhavan, the Prime Minister will visit the Food Street at India Gate Lawns opposite National stadium. At the inaugural, host Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti will be joined by Chief Ministers of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Ministerial Delegations from a number of countries, leading global and Domestic CEOs, etc will also be present in the inaugural session. Exclusive CEOs roundtables have also been scheduled with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu with CEOs of leading global & Indian food processing companies. Illustrative list of Industry Captains participating in World Food India from across the globe and India includes Mr Paul Bulcke , Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nestle, Mr Pieter Boone, Chief Operating Officer & CEO, Metro Cash and Carry, Mr Brian J McNamara, CEO, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Ms. Amanda Sourry, President, Food Unilever; Mr.Sharafuddin Sharaf, Al Sharaf Group; Mr.Yusuff Ali, Managing Director, LuLu Group, Mr Kishore Biyani, CEO, Future Group; Mr Krish Iyer, CEO, Walmart India; Mr Amit Agrawal, CEO, Amazon, India to name a few. A total of 60 Global CEOs including Asia Pacific (APAC) leadership of leading companies will be interacting with leading CEOs from 100+ top Indian food processing leaders. Over 1000 B2B meetings are expected to take place over three days. International Ministerial & business delegations with 200+ members from 15 countries will take part in B2B/B2G meetings. The mega event would also host 8 sectoral conferences, 2 plenary sessions on India the preferred destination with the Finance Minister of India as the Guest of Honour and one on One Nation, one food law- an enabling regulatory environment for investment in the food sector in association with the Food Standards and Safety Authority of India. In addition, there are 20 State sessions and 6 country sessions. 7 sectoral publications would be released at the event. A massive exhibition spread over 40,000 sq mtrs in the verdant C- Hexagon lawns of India Gate is expected to attract significant footfalls. More than 800 global companies representing 22 Countries & domestic companies will be exhibiting. Special focus on Farmer Producer Organizations & Women Entrepreneurs will connect them to corporates international & Indian- increasing opportunities for sourcing & business. Ministry of Food Processing Industries Theme Pavilion provides an exciting view of Indias offering to the world in terms of products, a geo mapping of produce availability and mega food parks.The event is supported by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Development of North East Region, Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation. Source: PIB Prime Minister of Latvia calls on the President of India New Delhi, Sat, 04 Nov 2017 NI Wire His Excellency Mr Maris Kucinskis, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, called on the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan (November 3, 2017). Welcoming the Latvian Prime Minister to India, the President said that this visit is of historic significance as it is the first ever visit of a Latvian Prime Minister to India. It takes place as we are celebrating 25 years of establishment of our diplomatic relations. The President said that bilateral relations between India and Latvia are warm and friendly. We should work together to enhance our economic relations. We deeply appreciate Latvias participation in the World Food India 2017 event. Latvia has acquired strengths in the agro-food processing sector and the participation of Latvian companies at World Food India will benefit both sides. The President stated that the Government of India has introduced programmes like Make in India, Smart Cities, Digital India and Clean India which present opportunities for Latvian companies. Latvia can also gain from the strengths of Indian industry, particularly in the IT and pharma sectors. The President said that we deeply value our strong cultural ties and people-to-people connect with Latvia. He expressed happiness that the Centre for India Studies and Culture established in the University of Latvia is promoting yoga and Hindi. He was glad that a new Centre for Baltic Culture and Studies has been opened at the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in Haridwar. He stated that this will further deepen cultural and academic contacts between India and the Baltic region. The President noted that the Latvian Prime Minister will be inaugurating the Honorary Consulate of Latvia and attending business meetings in Mumbai tomorrow. He expressed confidence that these will help in further strengthening our bilateral ties. Source: PIB Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana launched to promote philately: Manoj Sinha New Delhi, Sat, 04 Nov 2017 NI Wire Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha yesterday launched a Pan India scholarship program for school children called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to increase the reach of Philately. Under the scheme of SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby), it is proposed to award annual scholarships to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately as a hobby through a competitive selection process in all postal circles. Briefing the media after the launch of the scheme, Sinha said that under the scheme, it is proposed to award 920 scholarships to students pursuing Philately as a hobby. Every Postal Circle will select a maximum of 40 scholarships representing 10 students each from Standard VI, VII, VIII & IX. The amount of Scholarship will be Rs. 6000/- per annum @ Rs. 500/- per month. The Minister said that to avail this scholarship, a child must be a student of a recognized school within India and the concerned school should have a Philately Club and the candidate should be a member of the Club. In case the school Philately Club hasnt been established a student having his own Philately Deposit Account will also be considered. Every prospective school, which participates in the competition, would be assigned a Philately mentor to be chosen from amongst the renowned Philatelists. The Philately mentor would help in formation of the School level Philately Club, providing guidance to young and aspiring Philatelists on how to pursue the hobby and also helping the aspiring Philatelists on their Philately Projects etc. Sinha said that selections under the Deen Dayal SPARSH scheme would be made based on the evaluation of Project work on Philately & performance in Philately Quiz conducted by the Circles. The details of the Scheme will be available on the website at www.postagestamps.gov.in and www.indiapost.gov.in Philately is the hobby of collection and study of Postage stamps. It also entails the collection, appreciation and research activities on stamps and other related philatelic products. The hobby of collecting Stamps includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloguing, displaying, storing, and maintaining the stamps or related products on thematic areas. Philately is called the king of hobbies because Stamp collection as a hobby has lot of educational benefits - it teaches a lot about the socio economic political reality of the period in which the stamp is issued or the theme on which it is issued. Source: PIB Govt announces to end ceasefire in Jammu & Kashmir New Delhi, Sun, 17 Jun 2018 NI Wire Government of India decides not to extend the Suspension of Operations in J&K announced in the beginning of Ramazan. Govt of India decided to end the ceasefire in Jammu & Kashmir. HMO India twitter accounted posted the information on this, offical twitter post says "The Government of India decides not to extend the suspension of operations in J&K announced in the beginning of Ramazan.". On 17th May, 2018, Government of India took the decision that Security Forces will not conduct offensive operations in Jammu & Kashmir during the holy month of Ramazan. This decision was taken in the interests of the peace loving people of J&K, in order to provide them a conducive atmosphere to observe Ramazan. Government commends the role of Security Forces for having implemented the decision in letter and spirit in the face of grave provocation, to enable the Muslim brothers and sisters to observe Ramazan in a peaceful manner. This has been widely appreciated by the people all over the country, including J&K, and has brought relief to the common citizens. It was expected that everyone will cooperate in ensuring the success of this initiative. While the Security Forces have displayed exemplary restraint during this period, the terrorists have continued with their attacks, on civilians and Security Forces, resulting in deaths and injuries. The Government of India decides not to extend the suspension of operations in J&K announced in the beginning of Ramazan. HMO India (@HMOIndia) 17 June 2018 Security Forces are being directed to take all necessary actions as earlier to prevent terrorists from launching attacks and indulging in violence and killings. Government will continue with its endeavour to create an environment free of terror and violence in Jammu & Kashmir. It is important that all sections of peace loving people come together to isolate the terrorists and motivate those who have been misguided to return to the path of peace. Source: PIB PM Modi departure statement prior to his visit to Qingdao in China New Delhi, Sat, 09 Jun 2018 NI Wire PM Modi departure statement prior to his visit to Qingdao in China. Here is the full text of Narendra Modis departure statement prior to his visit to Qingdao in China. Date: 08 JUN 2018 (New Delhi) Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modis departure statement prior to his visit to Qingdao in China. I will be visiting Qingdao in China for the annual meeting of the Council of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). I am excited to lead the Indian delegation for our first-ever meeting of the Council as a full member. The SCO has a rich agenda for cooperation, ranging from fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism to promoting cooperation in connectivity, commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture; protecting the environment and mitigating disaster risk; and fostering people-to-people relations. In the last one year since India became a full member of the SCO, our interaction with the Organization and its member States has grown considerably in these areas. I believe that the Qingdao Summit will further enrich the SCO agenda, while heralding a new beginning for Indias engagement with the SCO. India enjoys deep friendship and multi-dimensional ties with the Member States of the SCO. On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, I will have the opportunity of meeting and sharing views with several other leaders, including the Heads of States of many SCO Member States. -- PIB UNESCO declared Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai as World Heritage Bahrain, Sun, 01 Jul 2018 NI Wire UNESCO declared Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai as a World Heritage site, its a remarkable achievement for India. This moment is a Remarkable Achievement for India as India gets its 37th WORLD UNESCO World HERITAGE SITE. Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai declared as a World Heritage Property by UNESCO in Manama, Bahrain on 30th June 2018. In yet another landmark achievement, Indias nomination of the "Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai " has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at Manama in Bahrain today. As recommended by the World Heritage Committee, India accepted the renaming of the ensemble as Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai. Rajabai Clock Tower as part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai. India has been successful in securing the inscription of the "Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbaion UNESCO's World Heritage List under Criteria (ii) and (iv) as defined in the UNESCO's Operational Guidelines. This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the World HeritageList. In the past 5 years alone, India has managed to get inscribed seven of its properties/sites on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. India now has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites. While India stands second largest in number after China in terms of number of World Heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, it is overall sixth in the world. On this historic moment, the Union Minister of State for Culture (I/c) Dr. Mahesh Sharma has congratulated the residents of Mumbai and the entire country for this landmark achievement. In his statement, the Minister said that theinternational recognition to the heritage precinct of the city of Mumbai is a matter of great pride to the nation and it will boost the local economy in a number of ways. He also added that this achievement is expected to give a tremendous fillip to domestic and international tourism leading to increased employment generation, creation of world-class infrastructure and augmentation of sale of local handicrafts, handlooms and heritage memorabilia. University of Mumbai as part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai. The Ensemble comprises of two architectural styles, the 19th century collection of Victorian structures and the 20thcentury Art Deco buildings along the sea, conjoined by means of the historical open space of the Oval Maidan. Together, this architectural ensemble represents the most remarkable collection of Victorian and Art Deco buildings in the world which forms the unique character of this urban setting, unparalleled in the world. The Ensemble consists of 94 buildings primarily of 19th century Victorian Gothic revival and early 20th century Art Deco style of architecture with the Oval Maidan in the centre. The 19th century Victorian buildings form part of the larger Fort precinct situated to the east of the Oval Maidan. These public buildings include the Old Secretariat (1857-74), University Library and Convention Hall (1874-78), the Bombay High Court (1878), the Public Works Department Office (1872), Watsons Hotel (1869), David Sasoon Library (1870), the Elphinstone College(1888), etc. The Art Deco styled buildings to the west of the Oval Maidan were raised in early 20th century on the newly reclaimed lands at Marine Drive and symbolised the shift in expression to represent contemporary aspirations. The inscription has been done under Criteria (ii) and (iv) as defined in the UNESCO's Operational Guidelines. Criterion (ii) refers to the important interchange of human values, over a span of time on development of architecture, monumental arts, town planning and landscape while Criterion (iv) refers to being an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage (s) in human history. This achievement is especially remarkable in the view of the successive inscription of another Indian city after Ahmedabad last year. In addition, 42 sites from the country figures in the Tentative List of World Heritage and the Ministry of Culture would be recommending one property every year for nomination to UNESCO. Empress Court as part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai --PIB Artificial Intelligence a potential technology for national security: AI Task Force New Delhi, Sun, 01 Jul 2018 NI Wire AI task force submitted their final report to Raksha Mantri(RM), report says "Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to have transformative impact on national security". Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to have transformative impact on national security. It is also seen that AI is essentially a dual use technology. While it can fuel technology driven economic growth, it also has potential to provide military superiority. India has strong IT industry and huge talent pool of engineers which are advantages which need to be leveraged. Ministry of Defence has already initiated the process of preparing Indian defence forces in their use of AI and how these capabilities can be increasingly developed within the country. To study the whole gamut of issues surrounding strategic implications of AI in national security perspective, in global context, a multi-stakeholder Task Force represented by members from the Government, Services, Academia, Industry Professionals and Start-ups was constituted in February 2018, under the Chairmanship of Shri N Chandrasekharan, Chairman, Tata Sons. The Task Force, on June 30, 2018 has handed over its Final Report with recommendations. The Task Force in its report has, inter alia, Studied the level of AI/ML development in India in general and specific in the context of defence needs. Made recommendations of making India a significant power of AI in defence specifically in the area of aviation, naval, land systems, cyber, nuclear, and biological warfare; Made recommendations for policy and institutional interventions that are required to regulate and encourage a robust AI based technologies for defence sector in the country. Considering that most AI work is happening in private sector, made recommendations to work with start-ups/commercial industry in the field of use of AI for defence purposes. As part of its deliberations, the Task Force had an intensive deliberations with all stakeholder representatives, including officers from Army, Navy, Airforce, Coast Guard, representatives of all Defence PSUs, namely BEL, HAL, BEML, BDL, MIDHANI, MDL, GRSE, GSL and HSL and OFB. Senior representatives from these organizations participated in the day long workshop to deliberate in-depth the various use-cases which are relevant from their respective needs. These discussions had led the Task Force to understand the potential military and civilian applications in AI domain. Raksha Mantri is the main promoter and patron of the AI Task Force of the Ministry of Defence. The Task Force handed over the Final Report to Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, today, for the Government to accept it and to implement its recommendations. In July, Saudi Arabia saw its highest crude oil stocks draw in eight months at 5.51 million barrels, after the Kingdom unexpectedly reduced its production compared to June while it kept exports stable, S&P Global Platts reported on Tuesday, citing data by the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI). The Saudi crude oil inventories have been dropping for three years, and have declined by 11.4 percent since May 2017, according to JODI data, as carried by Platts. In July, Saudi Arabias crude inventories stood at 229.41 million barrels. According to data by the JODI database, which collects self-reported oil figures from 114 countries, Saudi Arabias crude oil exports in July dropped by 126,000 bpd month on month, to 7.12 million bpd. Saudi oil production was 10.29 million bpd in July, as self-reported by Saudi Arabia to both JODI and OPEC. Refinery runs were 2.77 million bpd, a slight drop from 2.79 million bpd in the previous month, while direct use of crude oil for power generation in July went up to 580,000 bpd, compared to 468,000 bpd in June, according to the JODI figures as reported by Platts. After the drop in the Saudi oil production in Julywhich baffled the market and analystsSaudi Arabia raised its production in August. Related: Norways Offshore Oil Boom Is Back On Saudi Arabias oil production inched up 38,000 bpd from July to 10.401 million bpd in August, according to OPECs secondary sources. Saudi Arabia self-reported to OPEC that its production in August increased by 124,000 bpd from the July self-reported figure of 10.29 million bpd, to 10.412 million bpd in August. The market will be expecting indications and signs for Saudi oil production and policies this month, with this weekends Algiers meeting of an OPEC and non-OPEC monitoring panel to review the state of the oil market, and with reports that Saudi Arabia may be okay letting Brent Crude prices go above $80 a barrel. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian state-run gas giant Gazprom and Tokyo-based conglomerate Mitsui & Co. inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on liquefied natural gas (LNG) development last week. The MOU was signed during a meeting between Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Mitsui Chairman Masami Iijima during the Eastern Economic Forum being held in Vladivostok, Russia. The deal includes building an LNG plant on the Baltic Sea coast and would mark the two companies' second joint LNG project. Miller said that there was great potential for LNG development cooperation between the two countries. Currently, Japan - the worlds top LNG importer - is also the largest buyer of Russian LNG, importing a 36 percent share of the countrys LNG production. "Japanese companies are showing interest ... in Baltic LNG. Today, Gazprom and Mitsui signed a memorandum of understanding, based on which opportunities for cooperation on the project will be considered," Miller said. Baltic LNG involves the construction of a 10 metric tonne per annum (mtpa) liquefaction plant near the seaport of Ust-Luga in Russias Leningrad region. The project aims to serve countries in the Atlantic Basin, the Middle East, South Asia, the Baltic and the North Sea regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin also met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the forum last week where they discussed North Koreas nuclear development program and other issues, according to media outlets that covered the event. Abe said after his talks with Putin that Moscow and Tokyo were moving toward a peace treaty, something they never signed after World War II due to a territorial dispute over an island chain that Tokyo calls the Northern Territories and Russia calls the Southern Kuriles. Abe also told reporters that he had received Putin's support on efforts to resolve the issue of North Korean kidnappings of Japanese citizens. "There is unlimited potential for Japan's relationship with Russia, as we lay the foundation for a peace treaty, Abe said. Related: Is The Shale Slowdown Overblown? More energy deals will be part of improved bilateral relations between the two sides going forward. However, this uptick in energy deals comes as the U.S. continues to heavily sanction Russia, including its energy sector, over a number of issues including its annexation of Crimea and its meddling in 2016 elections. Tokyo, for its part, will have to play a delicate balancing act as it makes a pivot of any magnitude toward Moscow, while appeasing its longest and most ardent ally - the U.S. Japanese companies may also take part in the planned expansion of Russias Arctic LNG 2 project, the Sakhalin 2 and Baltic LNG projects, as well as a possible LNG transshipment facility in Kamchatka. Headwinds for U.S. LNG The potential of a stronger Russian-Japanese relationship also complicates the U.S.-Japanese friendship since the U.S. is pushing ahead with its second wave of LNG project development. This wave could potentially position the U.S. as the top global LNG producer by around 2025 as more projects come on-stream. However, with the threat of China levying a 25 percent counter tariff on U.S. LNG imports, this so called second wave of U.S. LNG development is threatened since many of these projects need both Chinese funding and more importantly long term off-take agreements to be able to reach final investment decisions (FID). If Beijing makes good on its LNG tariff threat and if those duties remain for any length of time, which at this point is anybodys guess, the U.S. will increasingly turn to Japan, South Korea and others to pick up the slack. Yet, as Japan inks more potential LNG deals with Russia, its need for extra LNG volumes from these new American LNG projects will be minimized, also possibly creating friction between Washington and Tokyo over Japanese trade deficits with the U.S. Long view Tetsuhiro Hosono, the CEO of Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (Jogmec), a state-run firm, said the company was prepared to be patient when negotiating energy deals with Russia, taking into consideration complications such as U.S. sanctions against Russia. Related: Why WTI Could Crash In The Coming Weeks "It is true that there are some issues in the course of promoting Russian-Japanese energy cooperation, such as sanctions introduced by a third country. But what Jogmec and a lot of Japanese companies realize is that if we are patient and establish a reliable partnership we can develop stable, mutually beneficial business with Russia," Hosono said. Moreover, energy cooperation between Moscow and Tokyo will likely increase amid Putins somewhat premature ambition to have Russia vie for the top global LNG producer slot, and as it seeks to increase its LNG sector amid flat growth projections for its gas pipeline sales into Europe. In effect, Russia needs Japanese gas markets, and Japan needs the diversity of supply Russia offers. The U.S., for its part, has to formulate how it will respond. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: This is unproductive, this is wrong, Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak recently said about the U.S. sanctions on Iran, indicating that Moscow will continue to back its ally in the Middle East despite its newly forged relations with Saudi Arabia. Speaking to CNBC last week, Novak said, "It is better to continue working in the market, Iran being just another exporter that provides stable supplies to the market. It is one of the richest in resources and has a solid standing in terms of its energy capability both in the OPEC, and in the energy markets as a whole. Analysts have warned that the U.S. sanctions could cut Irans crude oil production and exports by as much as 1 million bpd or even more, which will certainly have a bullish effect on prices whatever countermeasures are taken by OPEC or the United States itself, including the November sale of 11 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. True to his laconic self, Novak was wary of making any specific forecasts in this respect, however. I think there will be consequences, I am sure, but we could only comment once they are in place, Russias top energy dog said, adding Well see what happens with regard to companies operating in Iran and countries doing business with it. The Iran sanctions have had an interesting effect on regional and global geopolitics. Russia and Iran are close allies, but Russia also recently opened up to Saudi Arabian investments. At the same time, U.S. Congress is preparing more sanctions against Moscow, but Washington needs Russian oil to help offset the effect of the Iran sanctions. To make things even more interesting, Tehran itself is juggling between its outrage at other producerssuch as its friend Russiaready to step in to pump more oil and earn more money on the back of lower Iranian supply, and its need to keep on good terms with its allies. Related: U.S. Shale Oil Production Beats Estimates Again In a plot fit for an award-winning drama series, last week U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry traveled to Moscow to discuss energy topics with Novak. Although no details concerning oil markets were disclosed, these were bound to have been discussed: Perry praised Russia for its readiness to keep oil supply stable just as he warned Moscow to stop using energy as a weapon. In a no less charming puzzle of mixed signals, earlier this week Irans OPEC governor accused its friend Russia and foe Saudi Arabia of stealing its market share and enjoying higher oil revenues at Tehrans expense. A day later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Quasemi dismissed media reports containing these accusations, saying, We do not agree with some reports of media. Everyone involved in this geopolitical dance seems to be walking a thin line between its interests and those of other stakeholders that are at odds with its own. What the next steps of the dance will be remains to be seen, as Novak would say. Yet it bears remembering that in such a complex dance there is a constant risk of any one of the dancers stepping on someone elses toes, the consequences of which could swing oil markets in any direction. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The oil market is tightening up, but the Trump administration could still spoil oil prices if its aggressive trade war against China drags down economic growth. The U.S. stepped up the trade conflict with China on Monday when the Trump administration announced $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports. The move had been expected for weeks but trade proponents had hoped that the administration would ultimately shelve the idea when push came to shove. Not only did Trump move forward with punitive tariffs on China, but he also hinted that another $267 billion in tariffs are under consideration. The trade war could hit the oil and gas markets in several ways. First, the back-and-forth escalation of tariffs could drag down economic growth. The first round of tariffs, which hit $50 billion in Chinese goods, targeted a relatively narrow set of products. But the latest $200 billion in tariffs will raise the cost for a wide array of consumer goods in the U.S., which could slow the economy. Specific industries that are affected by the tariffs will see more concentrated damage. Second, oil and gas are likely to be specifically affected by the trade war, which wasnt the case in the previous rounds of tariffs. China announced $60 billion in retaliatory measures on Tuesday, which included a 10 percent tariff on imported LNG from the United States. The problem with the trade fight is that once the tariffs are in place, there is pressure on both sides not to back down. That doesnt bode well to a swift resolution of this conflict. Related: Colorados Oil Industry Braces For A Devastating Blow Over the longer-term, the tariff upends the economics of building new LNG export terminals in the United States. China has emerged as the main driver of LNG demand growth, and any new export terminal located anywhere around the world likely has China at the center of its calculations. According to S&P Global Platts Analytics, China is expected to make up a third of global demand growth through 2023, with consumption rising by 154 percent over 2017 levels. If the business case for new export terminals in the U.S. no longer look compelling because of tariffs from China, other projects around the world could receive a boost. The US is one of the world's main LNG suppliers, but other countries are capable of supplying China-- including Australia, Qatar, Malaysia and Russia," Stephen Comstock of the American Petroleum Institute told S&P Global Platts. For now, China has declined to put tariffs on U.S. crude oil. In fact, China has stepped up purchases of oil from the United States over the past two years. However, Beijing could be reserving that option for the next round of escalation, such as in retaliation for the potential $267 billion in further tariffs that Trump has threatened. New tariffs on U.S. crude might not necessarily spoil the oil market directly. U.S. crude exporters could find other buyers, but they might have to discount their oil more heavily. China, in turn, would buy oil from elsewhere, so the effect would be to scramble trade flows rather than fundamentally disrupting them. Related: Why WTI Could Crash In The Coming Weeks The larger effect on the oil market would come from the negative impact on the global economy. So far, the trade conflict between the US and China has had no visible impact on oil demand in either country. Crude oil processing in the US and China is at or near a record level, Commerzbank wrote in a note. However, the more the tariffs continue to spiral, the more likely it is that there will be a negative impact on the economy and oil demand of the worlds two largest oil consumers. What is more, it is conceivable that China will also slap a punitive tariff on US crude oil. This has not been the case as yet. Meanwhile, China could explore other ways to make life difficult for the Trump administration, such as doing its best to buy as much oil from Iran as possible. China has sent mixed signals on how much it might pare back on Iranian oil imports, even as it rejected the legitimacy of sanctions. However, with the trade war escalating, China might take a more aggressive stance on helping Iran avoid the impact of sanctions. For now, there was little visible impact on oil prices. On Monday and Tuesday, oil prices did exhibit any significant price swings. However, prices were arguably much more muted than they otherwise might have been. News broke that Saudi Arabia was content to let Brent rise above $80 per barrel, a development that normally would send prices soaring. Its possible that traders discounted that news due to the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Crude oil production in the U.S. shale patch will hit 7.59 million bpd next month, the Energy Information Administration said in its latest Drilling Productivity Report. This is 79,000 bpd more than this months estimated production. The biggest increase, once again, will come from the Permian, where producers will add 31,000 bpd to overall daily production from the current 3.427 million bpd to 3.458 million bpd. The second-largest contributor to the monthly increase will be the Eagle Ford, where the EIA estimates production will rise by 16,000 bpd to 1.449 million bpd in October. Earlier this month, in its Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA reported preliminary production estimates suggest the United States had overtaken Russia as the worlds top crude oil producer, pumping 10.9 million bpd on average in August. Next year, the EIA estimated, daily production will hit an average of 11.5 million bpd, up from this years estimated 10.7 million bpd. While some industry observers treat this robust production data with caution, arguing that shale oil producers are heavy laden with debt that will soon catch up with them, deterring further production expansion, for now field numbers seem to support EIAs estimates. Related: Is The Shale Slowdown Overblown? Recently, HFI Research forecast that the United States shale oil production would reach 9.66 million bpd in 2020, growing by a combined 3.84 million bpd between 2017 and 2020. This will only happen if pipeline bottlenecks in the Permian are dealt with, however. Should this happen quickly enough, the star playalong with the Eagle Ford and Bakkenwill be the driver behind the overall shale production increase. Right now, however, drillers in the Permian are being forced to sell their crude at a discount because production is growing faster than pipeline capacity. There are several projects in the works, however, as Texas seems to be free from a strong environmentalist lobby, which has been a thorn in the side of many of Albertas oil sands producers. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabias state oil firm Saudi Aramco plans to spend more than US$133.3 billion (500 billion Saudi riyals) on oil and gas drilling over the next decade, Saudi Aramcos Senior Vice President for Upstream said at an event on Monday. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Saudi Arabian Drilling Academy (SADA), Aramcos Mohammed Al-Qahtani said that local talent and skills will be important for the industry as we will spend more than half a trillion Saudi Riyals on drilling activities over the next decade, in compliance with the goals and objectives of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030. While Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 for economic growth and diversification initially rested on what was thought to be huge proceeds from the initial public offering (IPO) of Saudi Aramco, the listing has been stalled, and possibly called off. Still, Saudi Arabia needs to develop more oil and gas fields to offset the production decline from the mature fields that have already been pumping oil for decades. Earlier this month, Saudi Aramco awarded to Baker Hughes the first integrated services contract for capacity expansion of its large offshore Marjan oilfield, the Saudi firms biggest upstream development this year and the first of three planned major offshore expansions. The other offshore expansions two will be for the Zuluf and Berri offshore fields, which currently have capacity of 800,000 bpd and 200,000 bpd, respectively, S&P Global Platts data shows. The three major offshore expansion plans are expected to add 1 million bpd of production capacity by 2023. Last week, Aramco awarded a contract to China Harbour Engineering Arabia to build two man-made drilling islands to support the Berri field production capacity islands, as part of the plan to increase production at the field. Saudi Aramcos Berri Increment Program (BIP) targets to double crude oil production from the Berri Oil Field by 250,000 bpd to reach 500,000 bpd by early 2023, the company says. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oiprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The latest Bureau of Land Management lease sale, in New Mexico, could see an influx of investor interest in U.S. energy, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told Fox News, saying the United States has already become the largest oil and gas producer in the world. The country, however, has the potential to ramp up its oil production to as much as 14 million bpd. We have an offshore lease in the East Coast. We are looking at the largest offshore lease, Zinke said. Basically I dont ever want to be held hostage by a foreign entity over energy needs. I dont want to send your kids or my kids on foreign shores to fight for energy and environmentally, it is best to produce energy in this country under reasonable regulation than watching it produced overseas with no regulation. The latest lease sale in New Mexico generated commitments of almost US$1 billiona record-breaking amount, according to the BLM. The lease sale will provide a further boost to already growing oil production in the state. Last year, New Mexico produced 171 million barrels of crude, another record-breaker. This year, as of May, the states oil production had hit 87.5 million barrels. The Bureau of Land Management has scheduled another four oil and gas lease sales until the end of this year. The first, to take place this week, will offer acreage in Wyoming and the eastern states; the second, which will offer acreage in Alaska, has yet to get a date; the third, for oil and gas blocks in Colorado and New Mexico, will take place in the week beginning December 3. The last lease sale for this year will offer acreage in Nevada, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and the eastern states, to take place in the week beginning December 10. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Brazils state-run oil firm Petrobras plans to shave another US$10 billion off its huge net debt and increase oil production by as much as 10 percent to 2.3 million bpd in 2019, chief financial officer Rafael Grisolia told Reuters in an interview published on Monday. Petrobras benefited from the rising oil prices and reported in early August a thirty-fold yearly jump in its second-quarter net income, which also beat analyst expectations. The heavily indebted companythe worlds most indebted oil companycut more of its debt in the first half this year. Petrobras net debt stood at US$73.662 billion at the end of June 2018, down by 13 percent compared to the end of December last year. Petrobras is on track to cut that debt to US$69 billion by the end of 2018, despite the fact that it is lagging behind with its US$21-billion asset sales goal, Grisolia told Reuters in New York. Next year, the company expects to further reduce its net debt by US$10 billion, according to its CFO. The state-held oil firm, which has started to emerge from the huge corruption scandal, has plans to reach a net debt-to- earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) ratio of 2 times in 2019, and to continue slashing debt to reach the net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1-1.5 times, on par with the ratios at most international oil majors. At end-June, Petrobras net debt/adjusted EBITDA ratio was 2.5 times. Petrobras currently aims to hit the 1.5 times net debt/EBITDA ratio in 2020, but reaching the goal would hinge on the price of oil and other variables, including foreign exchange rates for the Brazilian reals, Grisolia told Reuters. Related: The U.S. Calls On Russia To Cap Soaring Oil Prices In terms of oil production, the company aims to increase output by between 8 percent and 10 percent in 2019 from the expected 2.1 million bpd production this year, the manager said. Referring to the early October wide-open presidential elections in Brazil, Petrobras has held meetings with economic advisors to candidates, Grisolia told Reuters, but declined to comment on discussions with the candidates representatives or on their energy policy strategies. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX) started crude oil trading with loading at Crimea, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing data published by SPIMEX. The mercantile exchange, which has already launched trade in stable gas condensate for loading at Crimea, hasnt revealed the sellers of the oil in the trade for lifting at the peninsula. Chernomorneftegaz, a company producing oil and gas in Crimea, owns one of the bases for delivery, according to the exchange data reported by Reuters. Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine has led to multiple disputes between the two countries and to sanctions imposed on Moscow for the 2014 annexation. Earlier this month, the General Court of the European Union upheld sanctions imposed on several Russian oil companies and banks after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russias involvement in the Ukraine crisis. The General Court of the EU upholds restrictive measures adopted by the Council against a number of Russian banks and oil and gas companies in connection with the crisis in Ukraine, the court said in a statement. The EU initially imposed sanctions on Russian energy companies and banks, including Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Sberbank, and VTB Bank. Later, the EU tightened the punitive measures after Russia offered military support for anti-government rebels in eastern Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine and Russia are locked in a dispute over the rights to oil and gas resources offshore Crimea, but Russia is disputing the jurisdiction of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in the court case. Ukraine served the Russian Federation with a claim at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in September 2016, referring to a dispute between the two countries over the coastal state rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait. Ukraine claims that it has the right to resources in those areas, which were violated by Russia with the annexation of Crimea. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Philippines remains an attractive destination for global outsourcing companies because of the countrys affordable office space market, property consultant and advisor Santos Knight Frank said Tuesday. There seems to be no jitters from the BPO companies. The Philippines fits into the three major qualifications BPOs are looking forability, accessibility and affordability, Santos Knight Frank senior director on occupier services and commercial agency Joey Radovan said. The cutting down on incentives may or may not happen. Nevertheless, all factors are generally lower compared to other locations. Many BPOs are expecting this already, said Santos Knight Frank senior director for research and consultancy Jan Custodio. Santos Knight Frank said recent major transactions proved that BPOs continued to invest heavily in the Philippines. Santos Knight Frank recently brokered between JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Megaworld Corp. for a long-term lease of 70,000 square meters of office space in Bonifacio Global City. It is by far the largest single office lease transaction in the Philippine real estate history in terms of value and size, the company said. Santos Knight Frank predicted that the popular hubs outside Metro Manila such as Cebu, Clark, Davao, Bacolod and Iloilo would continue to benefit from BPO expansions. The next wave of expansions in the next three to five years is expected to happen in the 80-kilometer corridor from Metro Manila going to North of Pampanga as new infrastructure projects connect the cities of Bulacan and Pampanga, making these places accessible to the BPO leadership based in Metro Manila. Meanwhile, Leechiu Property Consultant said net office take-up breached the 1-million mark as of September, indicating the continued strong demand from both BPO companies and online gaming firms.LPC chief executive David Leechiu said in a news briefing that Metro Manila accounted for 74 percent of total office take-up at 799,653 sqm, exceeding the 2017 full-year office take-up of 744,957 sqm. For the whole year of 2017, LPC expects Metro Manila office take-up to reach 950,000 sqm. It said the bulk of the demand came from the information technology and business process management, which took up 301,275 sqm, followed by the offshore and online gaming space with 170,940 sqm. Metro Manila has enjoyed an eight-year streak of low vacancy rates and increasing rent driven by stable demand from the IT-BPM industry. 2018 looks like it will still be another banner year for the office segment, not just in Metro Manila but also for other cities, Leechiu said. Rents will continue to move upward this 2018 with new deals being transacted at higher rates, he said. Were seeing unprecedented growth in Metro Manila as well as in key cities outside the capital like Clark and Cebu, Leechiu said. Oil prices in the long-term will be $50 a barrel according to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, who noted that the current $70-80 oil price is driven by sanctions and will be temporary. The expectation for a longer-term oil price at $50 per barrel is based on projections by oil companies and analysts, the Russian minister said, as carried by Reuters. Novak also indicated that he expected Russias oil production to average 11.105 million bpd this year. Last week, the Russian minister told Bloomberg in an interview that Moscow was ready to pump at record levels should the oil market require it. Russia hasnt made any decision on production levels yet, Novak stressed, but added that Russia and its OPEC partners in the production cut deal would discuss production at the meeting in Algiers this coming weekend. Russia is capable of adding 300,000 bpd to its production within a year, Novak said last week. Earlier this week, the Russian minister said that the Algeria meeting could discuss all kinds of production scenarios. Russia has already reversed most of its own production cuts as part of the deal, and has been keeping production at near record levels in its post-Soviet history. OPECs leader and largest producer, Saudi Arabia, however, has so far shown production increases lower than the ones it initially hinted at in June. Related: The Age Of Electrification Has Arrived The Saudis are said to now be comfortable with the current oil price level and even with Brent Crude rising past $80 a barrel, at least in the short term, as the oil market and global supply adjusts to significantly reduced Iranian oil exports, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with Saudi Arabias thinking. Higher oil prices are also a boon for Russian producers who benefit not only from the higher dollar price of oil, but also from the weaker ruble against the U.S. dollar, which additionally lifts the oil price in rubles. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund, PIF, announced that it has sealed a deal to invest more than US$1 billion in Silicon Valley-based electric car maker Lucid to help it bring its only prototype yet, the Lucid Air, to market, Reuters reports, citing a PIF statement. Reports about a possible Saudi investment in Lucid first emerged in August, when Reuters cited unnamed sources as saying the Kingdoms sovereign wealth fund was planning to invest in Teslas potential rival rather than the luxury carmaker. The report followed an announcement from Tesla CEO Elon Musk that he was planning to take the company private and had secured funding for the deal with the help of that same fund. Later, however, after much media noise and the launch of a probe by SEC, Musk cancelled his taking-private plans after a meeting with Teslas board of directors. The Lucid deal highlights Saudi Arabias growing interest in electric vehicles as it seeks to diversify its economy away from oil. The Fremont company has not yet started mass producing vehicles, but it released the prototype for a luxury sedan, the Lucid Air, two years ago, theoretically challenging Tesla on its own turf. The Lucid Air comes with a price tag of US$100,000. Mass production was slated to begin by the end of this year. Related: The Age Of Electrification Has Arrived Theyre not just a financial partner theyre a strategic partner, Lucid Motors Chief Technology Officer Peter Rawlinson said, commenting on the news to Reuters. Its all the capital we need for three things: to continue the development of the car, to construct the factory in Arizona, and to initiate the rollout of our global retail strategy and that will commence in the U.S. because thats our first market. Saudi Arabia has also been investing heavily in engine efficiency projects. Aramco has a research facility in Michigan that is working on ways to improve the efficiency of gasoline engines. Earlier this year, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the worlds largest oil company in terms of reserves showcased one of the results of its engine efficiency research: a Ford F-150 pickup truck fitted with an all-new Achates gasoline compression ignition engine. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Germanys gas market is open to all players, a German government spokeswoman said on Monday, after U.S. officials said that U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales to Germany are not a question of if, but rather of when. Last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette traveled to Berlin at the invitation of Ambassador Richard Grenell, who hosted a roundtable focused on how to jumpstart opportunities to bring U.S. LNG to German markets. U.S. liquefied natural gas is coming to Germany. The question is not if, but when, Brouillette told German newspaper Bild in comments published on Sunday. Germany, which currently gets around 60 percent of its natural gas imports from Russias Gazprom, has come under criticism by U.S. President Donald Trump for being a captive to Russia, due to its support for the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Earlier this month, the worlds largest LNG exporter, Qatar, said that it would spend US$11.6 billion (10 billion euro) on investments in Germany that will include participation in the construction of an LNG terminal. Last week, Steven Winberg, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), said at a Senate committee hearing that the European Union (EU) was becoming increasingly dependent on Russian natural gas supply, noting that exports of U.S. LNG could be part of Europes efforts to diversify its energy supply. Increasing exports of U.S. LNG to our allies in Europe creates great opportunities for our nation to advance this administrations goal of strengthening our allies energy security, Winberg said. U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, for his part, said during a meeting with Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Moscow last week that the United States welcomes competition from Russia on the global energy markets, but Russia can no longer use energy as an economic weapon. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Shahidul Alam, the award-winning photographer, teacher, and founder of the photo agencies Drik Photo and Majority World, was denied bail at a hearing on September 11, 36 days after plainclothes police dragged him from his home. Alam has been charged under Section 57 of Bangladeshs Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, which criminalizes the sharing of information that prejudices the image of the state or a person. He had posted Facebook videos and given an interview to Al Jazeera in which he criticized the government for attacks on journalists and student protesters. Police filed a case claiming Alam had spread false propaganda. Human Rights Watch says Alams detention is politically motivated, and is being used by the government to demonstrate that no one who dares criticize or challenge its actions will be spared. (See PDN Pulse: The #freeshahidul Campaign: How You Can Help.) An appeals court judge today upheld an order from the High Court in Bangladesh to move Alam from his cell in the Dhaka central jail to so-called first division facilities, according to the Dhaka Tribune. Unlike other cells, first division facilities provide a bed, a table, a chair, a mosquito net, a newspaper and better food. The government had initially tried to block the order, but an appeals court ordered Alam moved. Khademul Islam, a friend of Alams, posted an account of visiting Alam in Dhakas crowded and squalid central jail, where the walls reek of lavatorial damp. Human rights groups, press freedom groups and photographers and artists around the world have urged people to write to Bangladesh officials to demand not only Alams immediate and unconditional release, but the release of all jailed journalists and demonstrators arrested for exercising their human right to free expression. Despite the Bangladesh governments recent crackdown on dissent, Drik Gallery in Dhaka opened an exhibition of Alams work on September 4. On September 9, demonstrators gathered in a Dhaka square to protest the arrest of Alam and several student protestors. They wore masks made from photos of Alams face. Amnesty International urges supporters to write directly to the following government officials: Minister of Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal Email: minister@mha.gov.bd Salutation: Honourable Home Minister The Bangladesh High Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Address: Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh Email: ict1@mofa.gov.bd Salutation: Hon. Minister Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP Copies of emails to those officials should also be sent to diplomatic representatives accredited in the senders country. In the US: The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin Phone: 202-244-0183 (PABX) Fax: 202-244-2771 , 202-244-7830 Contact form: http://www.bdembassyusa.org/?page=contact Salutation: Dear Ambassador In Canada: High Commission for Bangladesh in Ottawa, Canada Ambassador Mizanur Rahman Phone: +1-613-236-1088 Email: mission.ottawa@mofa.gov.bd bangla@rogers.com Salutation: Your Excellency Related Articles: The #FreeShahidulAlam Campaign: How You Can Help Photographer Shahidul Alam, Drik Photo Founder, Seized by Police President Rodrigo Roa Duterte listens to the updates on the aftermath of Typhoon Ompong during a situation briefing with the members of his cabinet and local government officials held at the Provincial Capitol in La Trinidad, Benguet on September 17, 2018. ROBINSON NINAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO MANILA, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he is determined to completely stop mining operations in the country within his term. However, he admitted that to do it, the Congress must repeal the Mining Act first. We have to If we cannot end mining because theres a law, to end miningCongress will have to abrogate the law. Me, I think that we would need a rest a respite, period of inactivity diyan sa soil, and even the watershed, the President said. On Monday, September 18, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the stoppage of all operations of small-scale mining industry in the entire Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) after a massive landslide in Barangay Ucab, Itogon, Benguet killed more than 50 lives. However, it is not clear as to when the directive will take effect. The government is also not sure if it can even totally stop illegal mining activities in the country. The president has already insinuated yesterday. But of course, as I said, the delicate balance between the economics of mining and the police power of the state to protect the lives, and the environment of the state, Roque said. While small-scale mining is suspended in CAR, the local government and concerned agencies should now help in the rehabilitation of typhoon-affected areas. Marje Pelayo (with reports from Rosalie Coz) The post Duterte wants Mining Law repealed appeared first on UNTV News. The Romanian government announced Tuesday that its planned referendum to change the constitutional definition of "family", so as to prevent same-sex couples from marrying, will be held in October and spread over two days to maximise turnout. The plebiscite -- which Amnesty International has said would breach international human rights standards and amount to homophobic discrimination -- will be held on October 6 and 7, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said during a special cabinet meeting. Sources within her Social Democratic Party (PSD) said the decision to hold the vote over two days was intended to boost turnout among Romania's 18.9 million-strong electorate amid concerns that the minimum turnout of 30 percent would not be attained on just a single day. "This referendum is not against sexual minorities," Dancila insisted. Nevertheless, the initiative -- by a group called the "Coalition for the Family" -- would change the constitution to stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman, and not simply "spouses" as it currently states. A petition calling for a referendum on the issue had already collected three million signatures, persuading Dancila's government to go ahead. "All the legal conditions are fulfilled. The government has an obligation to organise this vote," the premier said. Romanian law doesn't currently allow gay marriages, but critics of the initiative say an explicit definition of what constitutes a family would make it almost impossible to change the law in favour of same-sex couples. The leader of Dancila's PSD, Liviu Dragnea, said the vote "will be a crucial moment for the fundamental values of the Romanian society", which is majority Orthodox christian. A man carries his son outside a Red Cross shelter near Raleigh, North Carolina, for people who fled Hurricane Florence In a makeshift shelter on the campus of North Carolina State University, hundreds of people who fled Hurricane Florence dream of going home, but have little idea about when that will happen, or if their homes survived the deluge. "Everybody wants to go home," said Dianna van Horne, a Red Cross worker helping some of the hundreds of thousands of Americans driven to this shelter near the state capital Raleigh by the torrential rains and storm surge that devastated the coast. Four-month-old Genesis, sleeping peacefully in the arms of her mother Rashaunda Dickens, was oblivious to the 300 or so other people living in cramped conditions here. Dickens left her home in the seaside town of Morehead City on Tuesday with her four children, just one step ahead of the storm. "The house that we were living in, the water came up to second floor, so we lost everything," she said. "The kids are scared. They don't really understand what's going on." Her eldest son Jeremy said he can't wait to get back to school and his normal life. "It's so loud in the room, everybody is snoring when I'm trying to sleep. And the beds are hard." Thomas Hammett has two tears tattooed by the corner of his left eye, which had probably never expressed better how his feels than right now. He fled his home in Otway with his two kids, Christopher, aged three, and Jerry, 11. "We can't wait to go back home and live a normal life again, hopefully on Wednesday," Hammett said. People rest at a Red Cross shelter near Raleigh, North Carolina, while waiting to take a shower, on September 17, 2018 "We had to evacuate, it was too dangerous to stay. Some people have died down there. The neighbors told us our home was fine apart from a few branches down, so that's a relief at least." 'We are all equal' The fire alarm in the university's Friday Institutemore used to academic conventions than huddled refugeeswent off in the early hours of the morning, forcing the huddled residents into the rain in their pyjamas, before joining the breakfast line. Despite their tribulations, most are doing their best to stay positive. "Everyone has been very nice, very helpful," said David Owens, a wheelchair-bound pensioner who had been through three other shelters before arriving in Raleigh, after a journey of some 500 miles (800 kilometers). "There are some very interesting people here to talk to, with stories that will humble you and make your heart cry," he said. Van Horne, the Red Cross official, said that despite their yearning to go home, the displaced people "are in a safe place and are making new friends." "Black, white, Hispanic people... we all come together here. We got on the same bus, we smell, we sweat, we are all equal," said Charles Williams, an African American ex-sailor. "Whether you make $20,000 or 200,000 a year, all the money you have won't do you any good. All that matters is we're all safe." Explore further In US beach resort, residents seek shelter from the storm 2018 AFP As much as 65 million metric tons of carbon dioxide flow into oil recovery projects each year to help drive crude and profits from aging wells. But most of the CO2 comes from natural reservoirs not refineries, power plants or other sources contributing to climate change. Credit: Shutterstock In February 2018, Donald Trump signed into law new tax credits that reward oil companies for capturing carbon dioxide and preventing it from entering the atmosphere either by burying the gas underground or by pumping it into wells to boost production. These tax credits, which have bipartisan support, are encouraging for those who believe that trapping CO 2 from the fossil fuel industry though no substitute for deploying cleaner energy sources could help combat runaway climate change while society remains reliant on oil, gas and coal. Now, a Stanford University analysis published Aug. 15 in the journal Joule suggests another way the government could encourage the oil and gas industry to capture and store carbon. The article proposes a model for how relatively small government payments could pave the way for oil reservoirs to stash away more CO 2 than their burned contents unleash. "If you look at air transport, shipping, heavy-duty land-based transportation, these are uses of fossil fuels that are definitely expected to grow," said lead author Sally Benson, a professor of energy resources engineering at the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth). "As an insurance policy, getting everybody to contribute to solving this problem is really important, including the oil and gas industry." Carbon in, oil out When injected into reservoirs, carbon dioxide can help drive oil and profits from aging wells. The technique, known as carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery, has been in use since the 1970s. Oil companies using it today pump in about two-and-a-half tons of carbon for every barrel of oil produced. "When you do that, the emissions from burning the oil are almost identical to the CO 2 you're putting in the reservoir," said Benson, who co-directs Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy. The problem is that most of the 65 million metric tons of CO 2 used in these oil recovery projects each year comes from natural reservoirs not refineries, power plants or other sources contributing to climate change. In their analysis, Benson and co-author John Deutch, a professor emeritus at MIT, propose a cost-effective way of encouraging oil and gas companies to double the amount of carbon injected for every barrel of oil and to draw their CO 2 from human-related sources. They say a 10-fold increase in the amount drawn from these sources could shrink the nation's climate emissions by as much as 9.5 percent even when accounting for the additional oil extraction made possible by injecting all that carbon. All of this could be done at surprisingly low cost, the researchers claim, if companies start out trapping CO 2 from relatively pure streams, like those vented from ethanol and fertilizer plants. According to Benson, experience gained on these projects could then help to drive down the cost of capturing and treating CO 2 from mixed emission sources, such as cement and power plants. Lighting a fire Benson and Deutch, who is a former head of the Central Intelligence Agency and deputy defense secretary, argue that government should encourage industry to prepare for a future with an economy-wide price on carbon emissions in part by developing better carbon storage technology. Doubling the amount of CO 2 per barrel of oil compared to the standard practice today, as Benson and Deutch envision, would almost certainly be more expensive for operators. The new analysis suggests it would add at least $22 per ton of injected carbon in a hypothetical scenario where oil costs $100 a barrel. "That's a lot of cost for an oil company," Benson said. "If one company does it and they don't all do it, then your products are just more expensive than the competition. People just buy the cheapest crude oil they can." To overcome those costs and spur development of technology for carbon-negative oil recovery, the researchers suggest the government pilot test something called a reverse Dutch auction. Owners of new oil recovery projects would submit bids to the government specifying how much money they would want as a reward for carbon injection and how much CO 2 they expect the project to ultimately sequester. With this system, Benson and Deutch estimate it would cost the government about $25 per ton of carbon dioxide captured. If 30 projects earned that amount for a decade apiece, the program would trap 264 million tons of CO 2 , and government spending on the experiment would total $6.6 billion. For comparison, the newly expanded tax credits offer $35 per ton of CO 2 captured and put to use, or $50 per ton if the carbon is simply buried. According to Benson, her proposed pilot program could cost less and provide incentives for a wider variety of companies that may not benefit from a tax credit. Explore further Carbon capture is helped by oil revenue, but it may not be enough More information: Sally M. Benson et al. Advancing Enhanced Oil Recovery as a Sequestration Asset, Joule (2018). Journal information: Joule Sally M. Benson et al. Advancing Enhanced Oil Recovery as a Sequestration Asset,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2018.07.026 Image depicts the structure of a nanohoop of carbon and hydrogen, along with sidechains of sulfonate, developed by researchers at the University of Oregon. The sidechains promoted solubility in aqueous media so that the nanohoops, based solely on their sizes, would emit different colors in living biological cells. Credit: Brittany M. White and Yu Zhao Sept. 18, 2018University of Oregon chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen. The six-member team reported the discovery, which is now being explored for its potential use in biological imaging, in an open-access paper published online Aug. 30, ahead of print in the journal ACS Central Science. The paper details how the synthesized organic molecules called nanohoops, which initially were not water soluble, were manipulated with a chemical side chain to allow them to pass through cell membranes and maintain their colors within live cells. For years, scientists involved in biological research and medical diagnostics have relied on chemical compounds called fluorophores, which have flat structures and emit different colors upon light excitation, to label specific biological molecules. The potential for circular structures to provide new fluorescent properties is far less explored. Nanohoops, which are short circular slices of carbon nanotubes, could allow for the use of multiple fluorescent colors, triggered by a single excitation, to simultaneously track multiple activities in live cells, said study co-author Ramesh Jasti, a professor in the UO's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and member of the Materials Science Institute. "The fluorescence of the nanohoops is modulated differently than most common fluorophores, which suggests that there are unique opportunities for using these nanohoop dyes in sensing applications," said co-author Michael Pluth, also a professor in the UO's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "These dyes retain their fluorescence at a broad range of pH values, making them functional and stable fluorophores across a wide range of acidic and basic conditions." Researchers in the Jasti and Pluth labs collaborated on the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Sloan Foundation and Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The nanohoops have a precise atomic composition, Jasti said. Once a chemical sidechain was designed by the study's lead author Brittany M. White, a doctoral student in Jasti's lab, the nanohoops became soluble and passed freely through cellular membranes but didn't go to particular sites. "Circular structures like these nanohoops dissolve in aqueous media better than flat structures," Jasti said. "We figured this out by just doing it. It wasn't part of the plan. We just wanted to make carbon nanostructures in an ultrapure way. The bright emissions from the different sizes they produced just happened. It is a nanoscale phenomenon." In a next step, co-author Yu Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in Pluth's lab, explored where the nanohoops were going inside cells and whether they can be guided to particular sites inside of cells. An added sidechain containing folic acid led the nanohoops to cancer cells. "That success told us that these nanohoops can be trafficked to different types of cells or even to intracellular compartments," Jasti said. "This also suggested their possible use in medical diagnostics or even drug delivery, because our nanohoops can easily carry little compartments that will go to specific locations." Toxicity levels of the nanohoops, he added, are no different than in traditionally used fluorescent dyes. In a newly funded effort, Jasti is working with Xiaolin Nan of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland to pursue the use of the nanohoops in biological imaging. The project is among 10 funded under the 2018 OHSU-UO Collaborative Seed Grant program. Pluth is a recipient of a separate seed grant in the program. "We have seen nothing like these nanohoops in the world of dye chemistry before," said study co-author Bruce P. Branchaud, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry at the UO and distinguished scientist in the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center of OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute. "All other dyes have been flat, whereas these nanohoops are non-planar circles," he said. "Their unique structures provide unique properties that we intend to develop and exploit for significant new contributions to chemical biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences and medicine." Explore further New approach for 'nanohoops' could energize future devices More information: Brittany M. White et al, Expanding the Chemical Space of Biocompatible Fluorophores: Nanohoops in Cells, ACS Central Science (2018). Journal information: ACS Central Science Brittany M. White et al, Expanding the Chemical Space of Biocompatible Fluorophores: Nanohoops in Cells,(2018). DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00346 Escherichia coli. Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH Long before bacteria had to contend with antibiotic drugs, they had to survive extreme temperatures as Earth warmed and cooled over millennia. Could the adaptations they evolved to temperatureespecially heathelp explain why certain strains are resistant to certain drugs? A new study by a research team at the University of California-Los Angeles that includes Santa Fe Institute External Professor Pamela Yeh suggests that defenses against extreme temperatures, do, indeed, give E. coli bacteria an advantage in fending off certain drugs. "Our code name for this paper was 'temperature as drugs.' Because we found that different temperatures had to act as a stressor just as a drug acts as a stressor to a bacterial population," says Yeh. "So it came from a real basic question: Do drugs affect bacteria in some of the same ways that temperature affects bacteria?" It turns out that the same mechanisms E. coli evolved to deal with temperature endowed it with a built-in defense against drugs. But this advantage only goes so far: while heat-tolerant bacteria may be better able to resist drugs that stress bacteria in the same way high temperatures do, that also makes them more sensitive to drugs that mimic the effect of cold. The work could help doctors administer antibiotics in a more precise way. "I think it's an interesting first step, because if we think about how we treat a patient with an infection, depending on where it is, your body has different temperatures at different locations," says Tina Manzhu Kang, a first co-author of the study. "We found some antibiotics work better with lower temperatures. So that's something you might want to consider when deciding on a treatment." The team is now looking at how other stressors may have affected E. coli. "There have been a number of stressors that have been there since the beginning of life, such as pressure, and we think the bacteria may have also built up resistance to those," says Mauricio Cruz-Loya, the paper's other first co-author. The paper, "Stressor interaction networks suggest antibiotic resistance co-opted from stress response to temperature," appears in The ISME Journal. Explore further Melting bacteria to decipher antibiotic resistance More information: Mauricio Cruz-Loya et al, Stressor interaction networks suggest antibiotic resistance co-opted from stress responses to temperature, The ISME Journal (2018). Journal information: ISME Journal Mauricio Cruz-Loya et al, Stressor interaction networks suggest antibiotic resistance co-opted from stress responses to temperature,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0241-7 State-run Development Bank of the Philippines, the eighth-largest lender in terms of assets, extended a P2-billion revolving fund to a military cooperative. Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative is one of the largest cooperatives in the country composed mainly of members of the military. DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo said the banks loan assistance to the cooperative was aimed at broadening support to small borrowers like soldiers and micro-entrepreneurs who wish to set up their own business or expand their operations. Through this P2-billion revolving credit line, PAFCPIC will be able to augment its working capital and enable it to grant more loans to its eligible borrowers, Borromeo said in a statement.PAFCPIC is the second-largest cooperative in Metro Manila and was founded in 1981 by employees of the Philippine Army Finance Center, an institution that handles the payroll and other financial matters of the Philippine Army. The cooperative was initially created to support the agriculture activities of its members but has diversified into other types of lending such as salary, multi-purpose and business loans to its more than 120,000 members. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack last week suggested the government would look at changing the law to allow water to be taken from the environment and given to farmers struggling with the drought. This is a bad idea for several reasons. First, the environment needs water in dry years as well as wet ones. Second, unilaterally intervening in the way water is distributed between users undermines the water market, which is now worth billions of dollars. And, third, in dry years the environment gets a smaller allocation too, so there simply isn't enough water to make this worthwhile. In fact, the growing political pressure being put on environmental water holders to sell their water to farmers is exactly the kind of interference that bodies such as the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder were established to avoid. The environment always needs water The ongoing sustainable use of rivers is based on key ecosystem functions being maintained, and this means that environmental water is needed in both wet and dry years. The objectives of environmental watering change from providing larger wetland inundation events in wet years, to maintaining critical refuges and basic ecosystem functions in dry years. Prolonged dry periods cause severe stress to ecosystems, such as during the Millennium Drought when many Murray River red gums were sickened by salinity and lack of water. Environmental water is essential for ecosystem survival during these periods. Under existing rules, environmental water holders can sell and buy water so as to deliver maximum benefits at the places and times it is most needed. But during dry years the environmental water holders receive the same water allocations as other users. So it's very unlikely there will be any "spare" water during drought. During a dry period, the environment is in urgent need of water to protect endangered species and maintain basic ecosystem functions. We should be cautious when environmental water is sold during drought, as this compromises the ability of environmental water holders to meet their objectives of safeguarding river health. When the funds from the sale are not used to mitigate the loss of the available water to the environment, this is even more risky. Secure water rights support all water users In response to McCormack's suggestion, the National Irrigators' Council argued that compulsorily acquiring water from the environment can actually hurt farmers who depend on the water market as a source of income or water during drought. Water markets are underpinned by clear legal rights to water. In other words, the entitlements the environment holds are the same as those held by irrigators. If the government starts treating environmental water rights as barely worth the paper they're printed on, farmers would have every reason to fear that their own water rights might similarly be stripped away in the future. Maintaining the integrity of the water market is important for all participants who have chosen to sell water, based on reasonable expectations of how prices will hold up. Can taking environmental water actually help farmers? As federal Water Resources Minister David Littleproud noted this week, environmental water is only about 8% of total water allocations in storage throughout the Murray Darling Basin. In the southern basin, it is still only about 14%. This means that between 86% and 92% of water currently sitting in storage is already allocated to human use, including farming. There are calls for the Commonwealth government to treat the drought as an emergency and to take (or "borrow") water from environmental water holders. But the Murray-Darling Basin Plan already has specific arrangements in place for emergencies in which critical human water needs are threatened. The current situation in New South Wales is not an emergency under the plan. Water resources across the northern Murray-Darling Basin are indeed low, but storages in the southern basin are still 50-75% full. Although many licence holders in NSW received zero water in July's round of allocations, high-security water licences are at 95-100%. In northern Victoria, most high-reliability water shares on the Murray are at 71% allocation. The situation can therefore be managed using existing tools, such as providing direct financial support to farming communities and buying water on the water market. Environmental water is an investment, not a luxury As Australia's First Nations have known for millennia, a healthy environment is not an optional extra. It underpins the sustainability and security of the water we depend on. When river flows decline, the water becomes too toxic to use. Water has been allocated to the environment throughout the Murray-Darling Basin to prevent the catastrophic blue-green algal blooms and salinity problems we have experienced in the past. If we want safe, secure water supplies for people, livestock and crops, we need to keep these key river ecosystems alive and well during the drought. In the past decade alone, Australia has spent A$13 billion of taxpayers' money to bring water use in the Murray-Darling Basin back to sustainable levels. If we let our governments treat the environment like a "water bank" to spend when times get tough, this huge investment will have been wasted. Explore further The pros and cons of trading water: A case study in Australia This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A cartoon showing how anomalous earthquakes near the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults in southern California work in regions deep below the Earth's surface. A UMass Amherst analysis shows this enigmatic pattern in the San Bernardino basin is not typical, and the authors encourage geoscientists to account for them in assessing future fault loading. Credit: UMass Amherst/Michele Cooke A new analysis of thousands of very small earthquakes that have occurred in the San Bernardino basin near the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults suggests that the unusual deformation of somethey move in a different way than expectedmay be due to "deep creep" 10 km below the Earth's surface, say geoscientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The new understanding should support more refined assessments of fault loading and earthquake rupture risk in the region, they add. Writing in the current online Geophysical Research Letters, doctoral student Jennifer Beyer and her advisor, geosciences professor Michele Cooke say the enigmatic behavior is seen in about one third of the hundreds of tiny quakes recorded during the lull between big damaging quakes, and their possible significance had not been appreciated until now. Cooke says, "These little earthquakes are a really rich data set to work with, and going forward if we pay more attention than we have in the past to the details they are telling us, we can learn more about active fault behavior that will help us better understand the loading that leads up to large damaging earthquakes." Over the past 36 years, the authors point out, seismic stations have recorded the style of deformation for thousands of small earthquakes in California's San Bernardino basin. They state, "Findings of this study demonstrate that small earthquakes that occur adjacent to and between faults can have very different style of deformation than the large ground rupturing earthquakes produced along active faults. This means that scientists should not use the information recorded by these small earthquakes in the San Bernardino basin to predict loading of the nearby San Andreas and San Jacinto faults." Cooke explains that the usual type of fault in the region is called a strike-slip fault, where the motion is one of blocks sliding past each other. The less common kind, with "anomalous slip-sense," is an extending fault, where the motion between blocks is like a wave pulling away from the beach, one block dropping at an angle away from the other, "extending" the fault. "These only occur in this one small area, and nobody knew why," she points out. "We did the modeling that helps to explain the enigmatic data." This is an area where Cooke, an expert in 3-D fault modeling, has done research of her own and where she is familiar with the broader research field, so she decided to try to model what is happening. She began with a hypothesis based on her earlier 3-D modeling in the area that had replicated long-term deformation over thousands of years. "I noticed that this basin was in extension in those models unlike the surrounding regions of strike-slip," she says. "The extension was limited to within the basin just like the pattern of the anomalous extensional earthquakes. That gave me a clue that maybe those faults weren't locked as they should be between big earthquakes, but that at depths below 10 km, they were creeping." "The typical way we look for creep is to use GPS stations set up on each side of the fault. Over time, you can note that there is movement; the faults are creeping slowly apart. The problem here is that the San Andreas and the San Jacinto faults are so close together that the GPS is unable to resolve if there is creep or not. That's why no one had seen this before. The traditional way to detect it was not able to do so." Cooke adds, "In this paper we've shown that there is a way to have these weird tiny earthquakes all the time next to the San Jacinto Fault below 10 km, which is where deep creep may be happening. We show that it's plausible and can account for nearby enigmatic earthquakes. The model may not be perfectly correct, but it's consistent with observations." As noted, this work has implications for assessing fault loading, Beyer and Cooke point out. Until now, seismologists have assumed that faults in the region are lockedno creep is taking placeand they use data from all the little earthquakes to infer loading on the primary faults. However, Cooke and Beyer write, "scientists should not use the information recorded by these small earthquakes in the San Bernardino basin to predict loading of the nearby San Andreas and San Jacinto faults." Cooke adds, "Our earthquake catalog is growing every year; we can see smaller and smaller ones every year, so we thought why not take advantage of the networks we've built and we can look at them in more detail. We don't want to wait around for the faults to move in a damaging earthquake, we want to take advantage of all the tinier earthquakes happening all the time in order to understand how the San Andreas and San Jacinto are loaded. If we can understand how they are being loaded maybe we can understand better when these faults will going to rupture." Explore further Parkfield segment of San Andreas fault may host occasional large earthquakes More information: M. L. Cooke et al, Off-Fault Focal Mechanisms Not Representative of Interseismic Fault Loading Suggest Deep Creep on the Northern San Jacinto Fault, Geophysical Research Letters (2018). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters M. L. Cooke et al, Off-Fault Focal Mechanisms Not Representative of Interseismic Fault Loading Suggest Deep Creep on the Northern San Jacinto Fault,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018GL078932 Shown here is the first light image of ultraviolet atomic oxygen emission (135.6 nm wavelength) from the Earths upper atmosphere captured by NASAs GOLD instrument. It was taken at approximately 6 a.m. local time, near sunrise in eastern South America. The colors correspond to emission brightness, with the strongest shown in red and the weakest in blue. This emission is produced at altitudes around 160 km (note how it extends above the Earths surface on the horizon), when the Earths upper atmosphere absorbs high energy photons and particles. The aurora, at the top and bottom of the image, and daytime airglow, on the right hand side, are also visible. An ultraviolet star, 66 Ophiuchi (HD 164284), is visible above the western horizon of the Earth. Outlines of the continents and a latitude-longitude grid have been added for reference. Credit: LASP/GOLD science team NASA's Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) instrument powered on and opened its cover to scan the Earth for the first time, resulting in a "first light" image of the Western Hemisphere in the ultraviolet. GOLD will provide unprecedented global-scale imaging of the temperature and composition at the dynamic boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space. The instrument was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on Jan. 25, 2018, onboard the SES-14 satellite and reached geostationary orbit in June 2018. After checkout of the satellite and communications payload, GOLD commissioningthe period during which the instrument performance is assessedbegan on Sept. 4. Team scientists conducted one day of observations on Sept. 11, during instrument checkout, enabling them to produce GOLD's "first light" image shown here. Commissioning will run through early October, as the team continues to prepare the instrument for its planned two-year science mission. Built by LASP, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, GOLD is the first NASA science mission to fly an instrument as a hosted payload on a commercial satellite. Data from the instrumentcomprised of two, identical ultraviolet-imaging spectrographswill improve our understanding of the Sun's impact on the Earth's upper atmosphere, as well as the effects from terrestrial weather below. "GOLD is an amazing technological breakthrough," said GOLD Principal Investigator Richard Eastes, a research scientist at LASP. "After years of reviews, testing, testing, and more testing, the instrument is finally making observations of the Earth. The main act has begun. It's a testament to the engineering and science teams, who were responsible for building and calibrating the instrument, that we've reached this significant mission milestone." Along with NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), scheduled for launch later this fall, GOLD is a key element of NASA's program to explore Earth's boundary with space, as the two missions explore this unpredictable near-Earth region to determine how it responds to solar and atmospheric inputs. "The successful launch of GOLD and acquisition of initial data is a fantastic result," said Bill McClintock, GOLD instrument scientist at LASP. "Its data will help us understand the critical role the Sun plays in space weather and allow us to better protect astronauts and our technological assets that we've become so reliant upon in today's society." Changes in near-Earth space can affect our lives on Earth by disrupting the use of satellites for communications and navigation. The result can be lost messages, aircraft flight delays, interruptions in GPS signals, and satellite TV outages. Incoming solar energy can also damage spacecraft electronics and detectors, and expose astronauts to health risks from radiation. The more we understand about the fundamental nature of our space environment, the better we can protect these interests. Scientists expect to begin operations of the GOLD instrument in early October 2018. Explore further NASA's GOLD powers on for the first time Credit: University of Western Australia A study by researchers from The University of Western Australia has found that the behaviour between groups of African mountain gorillas is very much influenced by the strong, life-long bonds they form with members of their group. Published in Animal Behaviour, the research also found that conflict is far more likely to involve alpha male gorillas who are the leaders and protectors of their group. The researchers observed interactions between 10 groups of mountain gorillas in Rwanda over a one-year period and combined their observations with data collected by the Karisoke Research Center (Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International) between 2003 and 2015. They found male gorillas engaged in aggressive fights to protect the members in their group. However, the bonds formed between former group members living in different groups dramatically reduced hostility upon reunion, and sometimes promoted gorillas to exchange affiliative behaviours, such as playing and grooming. Lead researcher Dr. Melanie Mirville, from UWA's School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, said the bonds formed between gorillas were so strong that interactions between these particular groups were usually peaceful, even after years of separation. "What's interesting is people often have the perception that gorilla behaviour is very much influenced by competition for females or over a food source, but there's also a good proportion of behaviour that is peaceful as a result of long-lasting social relationships," Dr. Mirville said. Credit: University of Western Australia Dr. Mirville said the research showed similarities to social interaction in humans. "As humans we are friendlier if we bump into someone we know in comparison to people we don't know or trust," she said. "We also have an ongoing history of conflict and war, alliances and peace-making. "By understanding the intergroup behaviours of primates in response to their existing social history, we can better understand the complex origins of our own remarkable social behaviour, including hostility to people or groups we are not familiar with." Dr. Mirville said during her research she was never nervous about working with mountain gorillas. "The gorillas studied have been observed by researchers from their day of birth so they didn't see us as a threat," she said. "You still want to keep a good distance from the group though; the alpha males can grow up to around 200kg and can be very protective." Explore further Homosexual activity documented in female gorillas for the first time More information: Melanie O. Mirville et al. Factors influencing individual participation during intergroup interactions in mountain gorillas, Animal Behaviour (2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.003 Journal information: Animal Behaviour Melanie O. Mirville et al. Factors influencing individual participation during intergroup interactions in mountain gorillas,(2018). DOI: Two Kansas State University pilots fly an unmanned aircraft over a tallgrass prairie prescribed burn to gather smoke emissions data. The pilots are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan and determine smoke constituents. Credit: David Burchfield, Kansas State University Kansas State University researchers are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The three-year project is funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, or KDHE, and involves university scientists; NASA scientists; unmanned aircraft systems pilots from the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus; meteorologists; ranchers; and environmentalists. The research team members have varied backgrounds, but they all share a common goal: improve the environment and human health while balancing the livelihood of ranchers and farmers. "We want to have our data be useful for keeping fire as a practice that is both ecologically acceptable and socially acceptable in the Great Plains," said Carol Baldwin, the project leader and a K-State Research and Extension associate in the College of Agriculture. The team is collaborating with a Flint Hills rancher to gather data during typical tallgrass prescribed burns. The researchers have attached sensors on unmanned aircraft to gather air quality information during a burn. The information they gather is helping NASA verify satellite data products and is facilitating collaboration between KDHE and the Environmental Protection Agency to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The plan was implemented in 2011 and helps ranchers make decisions about the best days to burn without negatively affecting human health, particularly in metropolitan areas. In the past, when the weather conditions were right, Flint Hills spring burning affected air quality in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City and metropolitan areas in Nebraska and Oklahoma. The poor air quality is bad for people with asthma and other health problems. The challenge is that fire is needed to maintaining the integrity of the tallgrass prairie landscape, Baldwin said. "We need fire," said Baldwin, who is an expert in grassland range management. "If we take fire and grazing out of the ecosystem, we will not have prairies as we know them. We will end up with a scrubby woodland." Current smoke management models, such as the Flint Hills plan, use data from fires in other parts of the U.S., not in the Great Plains, Baldwin said, and that's a problem. The university-led project wants to get more accurate fire data from the Great Plains region by working with real ranchers during a typical burn. "It is our hope that ranchers in the Flint Hills will use these tools to plan their burns so they do not impact air quality downwind from the fire," said Doug Watson, air monitoring and planning chief with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "At the same time, we want to educate the metropolitan areas about the importance of the Flint Hills ecosystem and the reasons why the ranchers burn to maintain that ecosystem." Using unmanned aircraft To test a prescribed burn, the researchers are working with Jane Koger, a Matfield Green rancher. Koger has allowed the researchers to collect data before, during and after the annual burns on her ranchland. UAS pilots gather smoke emissions from a controlled burn by flying three unmanned aircraft into the smoke above the fires. The unmanned aircraft use continuous sensors and sample sensors to measure particles and ozone-causing chemicals, and they use thermal imaging to measure fire temperature. The continuous sensors use lasers to take measurements and send data, including particle concentration, ozone levels, temperature and humidity. The sample sensors have a small bag to gather and bring back air particulate samples that are analyzed for particulate matter, or PM, as well as nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic carbon, or VOC, levels. Travis Balthazor, UAS flight operations manager, is leading the team of 12 trained UAS pilots, which includes researchers and students with the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. The students are getting real-world experience through the project, Balthazor said. "This is outside the realm of our normal box, so this is an effort that benefits us in the long run," Balthazor said. "As far as operating aircraft and looking to the future of unmanned aircraft, everybody wants to fly beyond line of sight and they want to fly higher. We are getting a taste of that with this project." After the burn After each burn, the researchers have a record of grass biomass that was burned, the fire's heat levels and the emission levels from the fire. This data is helping NASA verify satellite imagery and remotely driven emissions estimates. NASA uses imaging from satellite data to determine a fire's intensity and smoke emission rates. To complete validation, researchers combine direct measurements of black carbon production with data from a thermal camera that measures the full range of a fire's internal temperatures. The research also is helping NASA improve satellite data models. Other project collaboratorsincluding Deon Van Der Merwe, adjunct faculty member in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the university's College of Veterinary Medicineare using the unmanned aircraft to estimate fire size by flying aircraft above grassland before a prescribed burn to determine how much grass, trees or shrubs are in the area. For rancher Koger, the research project can help ranchers like her learn how to maintain the tallgrass prairie without damaging their livelihoods. "I think it's important to get a better understanding of what we are doing and what we are putting into the air," Koger said. "We have kids and grandkids, and some of them have asthma. It does affect all of us. When we have concrete scienceand when K-State shares thatranchers listen. Getting some numbers and knowing what we are really doing and getting that back out to the public will speak to people." Explore further Study finds benefits to burning Flint Hills prairie in fall and winter The nanostructure for capturing light is imprinted on silicon oxide (blue) and then "leveled" with titanium oxide (green). Credit: HZB Thin-film solar cells made of crystalline silicon are inexpensive and achieve efficiencies of around 14 percent. However, they could do even better if their shiny surfaces reflected less light. A team led by Prof. Christiane Becker from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has now patented a sophisticated new solution to this problem "It is not enough simply to bring more light into the cell," says Becker. Such surface structures can even ultimately reduce the efficiency by impairing the electronic properties of the material. The idea that David Eisenhauer worked out as part of his doctorate in Becker's team sounds quite simple, but it requires a completely new approach: to produce a structure that behaves "optically rough" and scatters the light, but at the same time provides a "smooth" surface on which the silicon layer (the most important layer of the solar cell) can grow with virtually no defects. The procedure consists of several steps: first, the researchers imprint an optimised nanostructure onto a still liquid silicon oxide precursor layer that is then cured with UV light and heat. This creates tiny, regularly arranged cylindrical elevations that are ideal for capturing light. However, the absorbing layer of crystalline silicon cannot grow flawlessly on this rough surface, so these structures have an unfavorable effect on the quality of the solar cell. In order to resolve this conflict, a very thin layer of titanium oxide is spin coated on top of the nanostructure in order to produce a relatively smooth surface on which the actual absorber material can be deposited and crystallized. The coating has the descriptive name "SMART" for smooth anti-reflective three-dimensional texture. It reduces reflections and brings more light into the absorbing layer without impairing its electronic properties. The procedure is now patented. Christiane Becker heads a Young Investigator Group at the HZB funded by the BMBF under the NanoMatFutur programme. As part of the BerOSE Joint Lab, she works closely with the Zuse Institute to use computer simulations for understanding the effects of nanostructuring on material properties. Explore further Researchers use silicon nanoparticles for enhancing solar cells efficiency More information: David Eisenhauer et al. Smooth anti-reflective three-dimensional textures for liquid phase crystallized silicon thin-film solar cells on glass, Scientific Reports (2017). Journal information: Scientific Reports David Eisenhauer et al. Smooth anti-reflective three-dimensional textures for liquid phase crystallized silicon thin-film solar cells on glass,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02874-y JQI researchers modified a Josephson junction to include a sliver of topological crystalline insulator (TCI). Using this circuit, they detected signs of exotic quantum states lurking on the TCI's surface. Credit: E. Edwards/JQI Electrons tend to avoid one another as they go about their business carrying current. But certain devices, cooled to near zero temperature, can coax these loner particles out of their shells. In extreme cases, electrons will interact in unusual ways, causing strange quantum entities to emerge. At the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a group, led by Jimmy Williams, is working to develop new circuitry that could host such exotic states. "In our lab, we want to combine materials in just the right way so that suddenly, the electrons don't really act like electrons at all," says Williams, a JQI Fellow and an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Department of Physics. "Instead the surface electrons move together to reveal interesting quantum states that collectively can behave like new particles." These states have a feature that may make them useful in future quantum computers: They appear to be inherently protected from the destructive but unavoidable imperfections found in fabricated circuits. As described recently in Physical Review Letters, Williams and his team have reconfigured one workhorse superconductor circuita Josephson junctionto include a material suspected of hosting quantum states with boosted immunity. Josephson junctions are electrical synapses comprised of two superconductors separated by a thin strip of a second material. The electron movement across the strip, which is usually made from an insulator, is sensitive to the underlying material characteristics as well as the surroundings. Scientists can use this sensitivity to detect faint signals, such as tiny magnetic fields. In this new study, the researchers replaced the insulator with a sliver of topological crystalline insulator (TCI) and detected signs of exotic quantum states lurking on the circuit's surface. Physics graduate student Rodney Snyder, lead author on the new study, says this area of research is full of unanswered questions, down to the actual process for integrating these materials into circuits. In the case of this new device, the research team found that beyond the normal level of sophisticated material science, they needed a bit of luck. "I'd make like 16 to 25 circuits at a time. Then, we checked a bunch of those and they would all fail, meaning they wouldn't even act like a basic Josephson junction," says Snyder. "We eventually found that the way to make them work was to heat the sample during the fabrication process. And we only discovered this critical heating step because one batch was accidentally heated on a fluke, basically when the system was broken." Once they overcame the technical challenges, the team went hunting for the strange quantum states. They examined the current through the TCI region and saw dramatic differences when compared to an ordinary insulator. In conventional junctions, the electrons are like cars haphazardly trying to cross a single lane bridge. The TCI appeared to organize the transit by opening up directional traffic lanes between the two locations. The experiments also indicated that the lanes were helical, meaning that the electron's quantum spin, which can be oriented either up or down, sets its travel direction. So in the TCI strip, up and down spins move in opposite directions. This is analogous to a bridge that restricts traffic according to vehicle colorsblue cars drive east and red cars head west. These kinds of lanes, when present, are indicative of exotic electron behaviors. Just as the careful design of a bridge ensures safe passage, the TCI structure played a crucial role in electron transit. Here, the material's symmetry, a property that is determined by the underlying atom arrangement, guaranteed that the two-way traffic lanes stayed open. "The symmetry acts like a bodyguard for the surface states, meaning that the crystal can have imperfections and still the quantum states survive, as long as the overall symmetry doesn't change," says Williams. Physicists at JQI and elsewhere have previously proposed that built-in bodyguards could shield delicate quantum information. According to Williams, implementing such protections would be a significant step forward for quantum circuits, which are susceptible to failure due to environmental interference. In recent years, physicists have uncovered many promising materials with protected travel lanes, and researchers have begun to implement some of the theoretical proposals. TCIs are an appealing option because, unlike more conventional topological insulators where the travel lanes are often given by nature, these materials allow for some lane customization. Currently, Williams is working with materials scientists at the Army Research Laboratory to tailor the travel lanes during the manufacturing process. This may enable researchers to position and manipulate the quantum states, a step that would be necessary for building a quantum computer based on topological materials. In addition to quantum computing, Williams is driven by the exploration of basic physics questions. "We really don't know yet what kind of quantum matter you get from collections of these more exotic states," Williams says. "And I think, quantum computation aside, there is a lot of interesting physics happening when you are dealing with these oddball states." Explore further Bismuth shows novel conducting properties More information: R. A. Snyder et al. Weak-link Josephson Junctions Made from Topological Crystalline Insulators, Physical Review Letters (2018). Journal information: Physical Review Letters R. A. Snyder et al. Weak-link Josephson Junctions Made from Topological Crystalline Insulators,(2018). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.097701 Erick Robinson, a UW postdoctoral researcher, collects a radiocarbon sample from a 1,000-year-old roasting feature in Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Robinson is a co-author of a paper, titled The Synchronization of Energy Consumption by Human Societies throughout the Holocene, that was published Sept. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Credit: Andrew McAllister/Utah State University Photo University of Wyoming researchers contributed to a study that begins to fill in the knowledge gap of whether human societies grow and decline at the same rate and at the same time. Erick Robinson, a postdoctoral researcher in UW's Department of Anthropology, and Robert Kelly, a UW professor of anthropology, were part of a study in which a group of anthropologists and sustainability scientists analyzed radiocarbon data going back over 10,000 yearsthroughout the entire Holocene periodand over four continents. "We analyzed historical and radiocarbon records to identify synchrony in energy consumption," Robinson says. "Historical records provided information on energy consumption in eight countries since 1880, while radiocarbon records provided estimates of energy consumption in societies from four continents over the past 10,000 years. Energy consumption oscillated at a similar rhythm across both the radiocarbon and historical records." Radiocarbon dating is the most common method of dating archaeological sites of the past 10,000 years. Synchrony is defined as when changes in the attributes of populations coincide over space and time. When populations synchronize, adverse changes in ecoystems and social systems may cascade from society to society. Robinson and Kelly are co-authors of a paper, titled "The Synchronization of Energy Consumption by Human Societies throughout the Holocene," that was published Sept. 17 (Monday) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The journal is one of the world's most prestigious multidisciplinary scientific serials, with coverage spanning the biological, physical and social sciences. Jacob Freeman, a human ecologist and an assistant professor of anthropology at Utah State University, was the paper's lead author. Other contributors to the paper were from the University of Central Florida and Arizona State University; the Center for Climate and Resilience Research and the Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, both in Santiago, Chile; and the Far Western Anthropological Research Group Inc. "This is the first quantitative comparison of archaeological radiocarbon time-series at a global scale. Until this study, archaeology has approached cultural differences, over time, to be the result of different social and environmental contexts in different regions of the world," says Robinson, of Miami, Okla. "This study shows that, when we zoom out to long millennial time-scales and then compare records at large global scales, the growth of populations on Earth was actually synchronized due to processes similar to what we now call 'globalization.'" Nathaniel Kitchel (left), a former UW doctoral student in anthropology, and Maureen Boyle, an archaeologist from Utah State University, excavate an ephemeral fire hearth in a cave site in the Bighorn Mountains in 2017. Data collected at this site were used as part of the radiocarbon database collected and documented in a research paper that was published in PNAS Sept. 17. Credit: Robert Kelly The degree of this rhythmic synchrony decreased with distance, with records from the same continent exhibiting greater synchrony than those from different continents, according to the paper. The decline in synchrony with distance suggests that synchrony in both ancient and modern societies is driven by interactions such as trade, migration and conflict. The results further suggest that the process of globalization may not be a new phenomenon but is, instead, a natural consequence of human societies evolving toward increased carrying capacity, according to the authors. Robinson says he collected, with Kelly and the help of numerous colleagues and UW students, much of the radiocarbon data in the U.S. for this paper through a six-year, National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded grant for a project called "Populating a Radiocarbon Database for North America." He adds that the two previously published a paper in PNAS that laid the foundation for this current paper. "For this paper, we used individual radiocarbon dates derived from samples such as charcoal, bone, shell, etc.," Robinson says. "These are scraps from tens of thousands of individual energy consumption events of humans over the past 10,000 years. We basically took the scraps from the past to build a better picture of it." The paper's results demonstrate the potential for archaeological radiocarbon records to serve as a basis for millennial-scale comparisons of human energy dynamics and provide a baseline for further cross-cultural research on the long-term growth and decline trajectories of human societies. "The research helps societies today because, in order to develop policies that favor the sustained use of resources, we must understand the processes that cause the synchrony of human populations," Robinson says. "The financial crisis of 2007-08 is a good recent example. The more tightly connected and interdependent we become, the more vulnerable we are to a major social or ecological crisis in another country spreading to our country. The more we are 'synced,' the more we put all our eggs in one basket, and the less adaptive to unforeseen changes we become." Robinson has worked on the NSF radiocarbon project since its inception in 2014. He is co-leader, with Freeman, of the Past Global Changes (PAGES) working group, from which this research emerged. The working group is called Paleoclimate and the Peopling of the Earth (PEOPLE 3000). "As an anthropological archaeologist trained to search for the uniqueness of each region and culture, this is very exciting because it shows that, when we take a broader perspective, we are still interdependent on others, no matter our cultural differences," Robinson says. "This paper shows that, in order to answer some of the central questions about the development of humanity, and to take on some of the central challenges facing contemporary societies, we must move back and forth between different spatial and temporal scales in order to understand the whole picture." More information: Jacob Freeman et al. Synchronization of energy consumption by human societies throughout the Holocene, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jacob Freeman et al. Synchronization of energy consumption by human societies throughout the Holocene,(2018). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1802859115 Credit: CC0 Public Domain An EU-funded initiative has developed a low-cost positioning and navigation system for unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Utilising multiple-antenna, the device is based on off-the-shelf components and advanced data fusion algorithms. UASs have attracted growing interest for use in agriculture, public safety, smart cities, sustainable resource management, and many other areas. There is now a significant demand for an affordable, reliable system that can provide estimations of attitude and position for these devices. The EU-funded Horizon 2020 GLAD-2 project addressed this need, developing a low-cost attitude determination and navigation system. This system computes low-level data received via a multi-antenna global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The work involved in-depth analysis of algorithms, hardware and software re-design, exhaustive refinement and repeated in-field testing. "We created a low-cost platform that can be adapted to different user needs through careful selection and evaluation of commercial off-the-shelf components and implementation of advanced data fusion algorithms," says project coordinator Esther Lopez of Spanish tech company ACORDE. More is better Researchers used the low-cost GNSS receivers, together with advanced data fusion with an inertial measurement unit, and barometer data to enhance the attitude and position of UASs in harsh GNSS environments. The system also avoided the use of magnetometers, making it immune to magnetic fields, and removing the need for system calibration when the magnetic environment is modified. Engineers selected different GNSS antennas and measured their performance according to technical and economic criteria. A multi-antenna approach enabled UASs to take accurate headings without suffering the usual problems inherent to magnetometers. "The use of multiple antennae will help to improve positioning, while the inclusion of a barometer will decrease recovery time in the event of GNSS signal outages," Lopez explains. Commercialisation of the system was conducted in parallel with the harmonisation of regulations in Europe thus fostering this niche market, particularly in magnetic interference sensitive applications. Regulation, market analysis and feedback from third parties helped to define requirements concerning electrical and mechanical constraints, interface definitions and software. Cheap, accurate and reliable The successful fusion of GNSS and inertial data enabled accurate and reliable navigation. According to Lopez: "The inertial sensors provide an excellent dynamic response at very high data rates, while GNSS serves as an absolute reference to prevent drift. In addition, differential GNSS carrier phase measurements can be used to obtain great accuracy in orientation by using the multi-antenna configuration." GLAD-2 successfully achieved the commercialisation of a low-cost navigation system based on sensor fusion and a multi-antenna platform. This culminated in the European Conformity (CE) certification mark following the corresponding certification process. The CE mark indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic area. The final result is a highly competitive product aimed at the low-cost sector of the navigation systems market. "Due to its flexibility the system fulfils the needs of a wide range of users, not only in UASs, but also in terrestrial and maritime environments applications," Lopez points out. Explore further Otago-led research set to make smartphones even smarter The sustained economic growth will enable the Philippines to join the ranks of upper-middle-income economies by 2019, the governments economic managers said Tuesday. The economic team said strong macroeconomic fundamentals coupled with massive infrastructure spending by the Duterte administration would keep the economy robust in the face of domestic and external headwinds that threaten to stifle growth. The Philippine economy is strong and the growth momentum can be sustained by policy and fiscal reforms implemented by the government, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said during the Philippine Economic Briefing held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. We expect the infrastructure program to hit a stride in the coming months, Dominguez said. National Economic and Development Authority director-general Ernesto Pernia said an upward growth trajectory remained possible because the economy was more broad-based now, driven not just by consumption but also investments. Pernia said the country could become an upper middle-income economy by 2019, adding the government was more than on track to meet this target. Government spending continues to boost economic activity, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said. Our expansionary fiscal policy is prudent, sustainable, and supportive of development objectives, he said. Diokno said with a robust growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent in the next five years, the Philippine economy would be the fastest growing among the top five Asean economies. He said this would be supported by strong fiscal performance.The revenue effort is projected to increase from 15.7 percent in 2017 to as high as 17.6 percent in 2022, he said. In nominal terms, revenue collection will rise from close to P2.5 trillion in 2017 to as much as P4.6 trillion in 2022, Diokno said. Government spending is expected to surge from just over P2.8 trillion in 2017 to as high as P5.4 trillion in 2022. Diokno said with a strategy to keep the deficit at 3 percent of GDP in 2018 and eventually to 3.2 percent in 2019, the strong momentum in infrastructure spending was poised to be sustained. Dominguez said the implementation of the first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program would ensure good revenue flows for the government. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law took effect in January, which cut personal income taxes but raised the excise tax on tobacco, fuel, alcohol, automobile and sweetened beverages. The government also is not suffering from deficits and we have a very good credit rating, Dominguez said. The Philippines currently enjoys investment grade ratings from global debt watchers Moodys Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings. Dominguez also cited the countrys low indebtedness, high gross international reserves, and high domestic liquidity. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the economy experienced 78 quarters of uninterrupted growth, although the challenge was how to sustain this momentum. The economy grew by 6.3 percent in the first half, lower than the expected 7 percent to 8 percent targeted by the countrys economic managers at the start of the year. Dubai-based Lloyds Energy and China Kaicheng Energy Ltd. plan to bid for the joint venture contract with state-run Philippine National Oil Co. to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Batangas province. PNOC is set to launch the solicited, competitive tender to select the joint venture partner for the 3,000-metric-ton LNG terminal this month. Officials of Lloyds Energy including chief operating officer David Howe and executive director Brett Wight met with PNOC president and chief executive Reuben Lista to express Lloyds Energys interest in pursuing major projects to develop the LNG industry in the Philippines. We believe in the vision of the PNOC under the leadership of president Lista to invest not only in the development and construction of LNG facilities but also in the training of Filipino workers to improve their skills and abilities and contribute in the growth of the LNG industry in the Philippines said Wight. Lloyds Energy, together with China Kaicheng Energy, have an existing proposal for the development and construction of an integrated LNG hub with storage, liquefaction, regasification, and distribution facility and a power plant with a capacity of 200 to 800 megawatts.Lloyds Energy said it would also pursue other projects with PNOC particularly in the development of LNG facilities, oil reserves and the training of Filipino manpower. Lloyds Energy also met with Energy officials to discuss their proposal. The development of the LNG hub in the Philippines is a major achievement that would ensure the countrys gas supply and address the demand for increased energy given the high growth economy, Howe said earlier. Lloyds Energy is a Dubai-based company established in 2013 with the strategic aim of delivering LNG to the global market. It has grown rapidly by establishing strong international alliances with LNG companies, off-takers and major engineering groups specializing in LNG. 2 hours ago General Electric to split into 3 public companies General Electric, the storied American manufacturer that struggled under its own weight after growing to become a sprawling conglomerate, will divide itself into three public companies focused on aviation, healthcare and energy. It is the culmination of an arduous, yearslong reshaping of a symbol of American manufacturing might that could signal the end of conglomerates as a whole. Read Article ufa offers vistas of the city and harbour By Vikingur Olafsson Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson, 34, gives recitals around the world and has premiered six piano concertos to date. He is the artistic director of three festivals Vinterfest in Sweden, the Icelandic Weekend at Liepaja Great Amber Hall in Latvia and Reykjavik Midsummer Music, which he also founded. He recently released a recording of Johann Sebastian Bach keyboard pieces and is performing at a BBC Radio 3 concert in London later this month. Favourite view My favourite view of Reykjavik is from a place unlike any other I know. ufa (pronounced Th-oo-fha) is a work of art created by Olof Nordal in 2013 in the shape of a giant hummock. Though decidedly contemporary in conception and form, it almost feels like it was there before the city grew to reach it it is reminiscent of the small tussocks ubiquitous in the Icelandic countryside and the turf houses Icelanders lived in for centuries. But there is an interactive twist: you can walk along a spiralling pathway all the way to the top, where a small wooden shed awaits. Inside it, fish heads have been hung to dry another allusion to traditional life in Iceland. As long as youre not too sensitive to the fishy smell, the top of the hummock is a very good place to take a break from the city. And the view across the sea to Harpa concert hall and the harbour is second to none. Where to live Hliar I live in Hliar, a neighbourhood close to Oskjuhli, a hill covered in pine trees and greenery. Some of its winding paths lead to relics left by the British army, which used the hill as a defence post during the second world war. One of the winding paths on Oskjuhli At the top of the hill is Perlan, an impressive glass dome that opened in the early 1990s on top of six big water tanks, and is home to exhibitions and a planetarium. When I go to Oskjuhli park for a walk, I hardly meet anyone except a few wild rabbits and the occasional meandering cat. The hilltop Perlan hosts exhibitions and a planetarium Where to go for dinner A five-minute walk from ufa is the Marshall House, a beautiful 1940s building that was originally a fish factory. It was renovated last year and has found new meaning as the home of the Kling&Bang gallery and Studio Olafur Eliasson, a satellite of the Icelandic-Danish artists Berlin studio. It also houses the Living Art Museum and one of my favourite places to eat in Reykjavik, Marshall Restaurant, where chef Leifur Kolbeinsson serves memorably delicious seafood dishes. The Marshall House, a converted fish factory Where to discover outdoor art I dare say Franz Kafka would have appreciated Icelandic artist Magnus Tomassons Memorial to the Unknown Bureaucrat, located on the banks of Reykjaviks Tjornin (the Pond). Weighed down by a large block of basalt and carrying a briefcase in one hand, the bureaucrat faces City Hall and looks like he might be on his way to work, like any other employee. Magnus Tomassons Memorial to the Unknown Bureaucrat The idea behind the 1994 sculpture stems from the artists fascination with memorials to unknown soldiers. Being a country of fewer than half a million people, we all seem to be connected somehow and, as well as being our best sculptor, Tomasson is my father-in-law (how typically Icelandic!) Iceland has no army but plenty of bureaucrats, he told me, and I felt that the foot soldiers of government administration those nameless, faceless agents who nevertheless exert great influence on the destinies of regular people deserved a monument too. I particularly recommend greeting the bureaucrat on a dark winters night when he is at his eeriest. Where to go swimming There are plenty of reasons to visit Iceland, but the weather is not one of them. Although after battling 35C more or less everywhere I toured this summer, Ive come to think of Icelands precious 12C-14C as a utopia of sorts. The wind that slaps your face when you land at Keflavik airport is no longer my enemy, but a refreshingly honest friend. On that note, I suggest swimming in the ocean at Nautholsvik bay (next to Oskjuhli Park). I was made to do it on my stag do and I must say that, despite the cold, it felt amazing much to the disappointment of my cruel friends. Where to buy records I discovered 12 Tonar record shop when I was 14. On my first visit, I had no money on me but saw plenty of CDs I longed for. Owner Larus Johannesson lent me five to take home and three books on music. He didnt even ask my name. We have been friends ever since. 12 Tonar has a wonderful collection of music from different genres, including a great classical section. You can sit on the shops sofas and listen to music while being served a great complimentary espresso. Mountains and sea are the backdrop to Reykjavik Where to relax Like ufa, Grotta nature reserve is a welcoming and peaceful place, still relatively close to the city centre and easily reached by bicycle. I often go there the night before giving a concert to think about all the things that could potentially go wrong on stage and then forget them all by turning my attention to the birds and the charming old lighthouse where I can, if Im lucky, catch a beautiful sunset. The Grotta lighthouse is a good spot from which to watch sunsets Vikingur Olafsson is performing Bach at a BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert at LSO St Lukes, London, on September 21 Photographs: Hordur Sveinsson; Getty Images/iStockphoto; Alamy; Einar Geir; Dreamstime The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday told the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, of its observations during the first day of retrieval of ballot boxes in Negros Oriental in connection with the election protest filed by ex-senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In a four-page manifestation, Romulo Macalintal, Robredos counsel, told the PET the ballot boxes from Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental were immediately loaded in the containers after inventory due to lack of space in the staging area. He said during the loading of the ballot boxes, the representatives of both parties expressed their apprehension with the way they were being arranged in the container that might lead to damage. However, both parties were assured that the manner by which the ballot boxes were placed in the containers will prevent any damage during transport, he said. Only one damaged ballot box from Guihulngan City was turned over to the PET, meaning that if more ballot boxes end up damaged, it happened during its transport to the PET headquarters in Manila, the camp of Robredo said. Macalintal cited another incident in Bindoy town, where only one damaged ballot box was accounted for during the inventory, but two more ballot boxes sustained damage during the transport to the staging area. Noteworthy is that the ballot boxes have been arranged in a similar manner which risks damage to the ballot boxes and the red plastic seals, he said.He made manifestation to preempt any malicious report that Robredos camp has anything to do with the damaged ballot boxes. He lamented that Robredos camp had been unfairly blamed several times for the presence of wet ballots and ballot boxes by supporters of Marcos, both in social media and news reports, in Iloilo and Camarines Sur. This, while conveniently omitting that protestant Marcos has had representatives during the collection and retrieval of the ballot boxes in the Provinces of Camarines Sur and Iloilo, he said. More importantly, that these wet ballots and damaged ballot boxes were already in existence during the delivery to the Honorable Tribunal, he said. Marcos, who lost in the 2016 vice presidential race, filed an electoral protest against Robredo before the PET. The militarys relief and humanitarian mission in Ompong-stricken areas in Nueva Ecija and Nueva Viscaya was disrupted after New Peoples Army rebels fired at troops manning a patrol base at the outskirts of Bongabon town in Nueva Ecija the other day. Maj. Ericon Bulosan, head of the Public Information Office of the Armys Northern Luzon Command said at least 10 NPAs attacked the patrol base of the 70th Infantry Battalion of the 7th Infantry division in Brgy Labi Tuesday morning. He said the rebel group from the Kilusang Sierra Madre positioned 500 meters away from the patrol base fired at on-duty personnel forcing an ensued fighting. The troops who were on their way to villages affected by Typhoon Ompong was forced to reinforce, derailing the ongoing humanitarian mission. This eventuality shows the real intent of these terrorist groups that despite of the willingness of troopers to provide help and assistance to its people who were heavily-affected by typhoon Ompong, they picked this crucial time to attack and harass our forces who are currently on humanitarian and disaster relief mode, Bulosan pointed out.Instead of being there with the people and lending a helping hand to the typhoon victims, they disrupt the composure of the helping troops as well as the community which serves as a setback for the servicemen in doing their HADR mission he added. The troops suffered no casualty during the attack. Less than a month away from the official launch of legalized recreational marijuana in Canada, some of the biggest names in beverages are scrambling to get on board, as drink gives way to smoke and future profits promise to quench the big thirst. First, it was the maker of Corona, then the maker of Johnny Walker and Smirnoffand now, Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) has revealed its thinking about getting into cannabis-infused drinks. On Monday, Coca-Cola issued a statement saying it is closely watching the growth of CBDa non-psychoactive component in marijuana that could be a key ingredient in functional wellness beverages that could ease symptoms of inflammation, pain and nausea. Almost like the run on bitcoin last year, the cannabis space is evolving at breakneck speed, and while Coca-Cola hasnt made any official decisions yet, Bloomberg reported that it was in talks with Canadas Aurora Cannabis, which has also expressed an interest in cannabis drinks. "There is so much happening in this area right now and we think it has incredible potential," Bloomberg quoted Aurora spokesperson Heather MacGregor as saying. "Stories like this are further validation of the massive global potential of the cannabis industry." Related: Capital Churn, Avocado Toast And The Gold Standard Coke wouldnt be the first, either. Heineken is ahead of this game, already producing a THC-infused drink through its Lagunitas craft beer label. Because it contains the active ingredient in marijuana, it can only be purchased, for the time being, in medical marijuana dispensaries in California. A number of Canadian cannabis companies, including Cronos (CRON) and MedMen Enterprises(MMNFF), now trade on US stock exchanges, and some American companies have taken stakes. For Coca-Cola, the trip would be an easier one because it is only talking about infusing drinks with CBD, which is illegal in the U.S. but has far less pushback and is much less strictly enforced. Some say that Coke is not likely to make any major decision until we see a change in federal laws in the U.S. But Canada could end up being the staging ground where Coke could try out its new product and prepare it for market, as CNN Money reported. In a note to clients carried by CNN Money, Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog said Coca-Cola was positioning itself long-term, estimating that cannabis-infused drinks could end up being a $50-billion market annually in the U.S. Thats a massive figure when you consider that the entire U.S. beer market sees $117 billion in sales. In the meantime, this market is rampaging. First, Constellation, the maker of Corona Beer, threw $4 billion into Canopy Growth, bumping its stake up from 9.9 percent to 38 percent. Then, Diageo PLC, the maker of Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, started talks with three Canadian pot companies for a stake. They want in, badly. Related: Is A Four-Day Workweek Feasible? The Coke teasers are yet another boost to Aurora (Click to enlarge) And for the cannabis industry as a whole. While the alcohol-maker deals are very different and much more hands-on with the cannabis industry, there is some sentiment that Coke deal would lend an enormous amount of credibility to the new sector. Such a deal would also be likely to start a chain reaction among non-alcoholic beverage makers, leading to some very big partnerships. By Charles Benavidez for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com Florence, now a tropical depression, made landfall in North Carolina on Friday, bringing with it destruction and calamity, the cost of which could top $170 billion, according to analytics firm CoreLogic. If so, that would make it the costliest storm ever to hit the U.S. To date, 2005s Hurricane Katrina holds the top spot, costing an estimated $160 billion, followed by last years Harvey ($125 billion) and Maria ($90 billion). Not to minimize the impact Florence will have on millions of Americans lives, but storms, even of this size, have rarely triggered major equity selloffs. According to research firm CFRA, in the last 15 years, the S&P 500 Index declined an average 0.2 percent in the month after a hurricane but was up an average 3.9 percent in the subsequent three months. Home improvement companies such as Home Depot and Lowes could be beneficiaries, while insurance companies might take a hit. Markets are subdued right now, with the S&P 500 having gone more than 55 days without a 1 percent move in either direction. Trading volumes are also lower-than-average, suggesting Wall Street is in wait-and-see mode before making major adjustments. Could this just be the calm before the storm? Consumers and Small Business Owners Are Feeling Good Appropriately enough, Florence comes to us on the 10-year anniversary of Lehman Brothers collapse the spark that set off the financial crisisreminding us its never the wrong time to prepare for such a catastrophe. (Ill have more to say on Lehman later.) That includes now, even as a raft of positive economic data was released last week. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index climbed to 100.8 in September, against expectations of only 96.6. This was its second-highest reading since 2004. Whats more, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index soared to 108.8 in August, its highest level ever in the series 45-year history. As the tax and regulatory landscape changed, so did small business expectations and plans, commented National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) president and CEO Juanita Duggan. Against this background, Nobel laureate Robert Shiller told Bloomberg last Thursday that the market could get a lot higher before it comes down Its highly priced, but it could get much more highly priced. Its a risky market now. Time to Get Defensive? Ray Dalio has a slightly different perspective. The billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund, reminded investors last week that were in the seventh inning right now, and as such, investors should probably get more defensive. Recently I shared with you that the global purchasing managers index (PMI) is steadily slowing down, falling to a 21-month low of 52.5 in August. Again, markets have been relatively tranquil for a while now, but just as people on the East Coast were urged to prepare in anticipation of Florence, now might be the time to adjust your portfolio in advance of a possible market downturn. Last week, Goldman Sachs reported that its bull/bear indicator, which gauges the likelihood of a bear market, climbed to its highest point since 1969. (Click to enlarge) Goldman analysts point out, however, that the indicator could be read to mean not that a bear market is right around the corner, but that a period of lower returns could be expected. Related: This Millennial Brokerage Is Coming To Teslas Rescue One of the ways investors could batten down the hatches, so to speak, is with gold, which historically has performed very well in September as we approach Diwali and the Indian wedding season. Last week I had the privilege to join Liz Claman on FOX Business Countdown to the Closing Bell, and I told her that, under the circumstances, gold is doing exceptionally well. The precious metal may be under pressure from a strong U.S. dollar and higher Treasury yields, but in Japan, Germany and elsewhere, government bond yields are negative, which has boosted gold demand. While Im here, Id like to congratulate Liz and her showCountdown placed in the top four business news programs this past quarter, reaching nearly 230,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. Liz continues her reign as the highest-rated female business news anchor on television. Im very honored to be able to share my views with her and her audience, and to have appeared in her 2007 book, The Best Investment Advice I Ever Received. What Caused the Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy: A New Accounting Rule Before my interview, Liz spoke with the very man who was called in to conduct forensic accounting on Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, Anton Valukas. The fourth-largest U.S. bank at the time of its demise, with $85 billion worth of mortgage-backed securities, Lehman resulted in global market-cap erosion of $10 trillion in October 2008 alone. Among the most eye-opening comments Valukas made during his interview is that the federal government knew everything Lehman was doingits risk exceedances [and] the fact that they did not have a liquidity pool. According to Lehmans 10-K from November 2007, the bank was leveraged an incredible 30.7 times its net worth, up dramatically from 23.7 times only four years earlier. Why were there no prosecutions or civil suits? Valukas asked. Simply put: The government knew. Some of the blame is also owed to an accounting rule, FAS 157also known as mark-to-market, or fair value accountingthat was enacted in November 2007. A year later, after Lehman had sent global markets in a tailspin, FAS 157 was already being fingered by some as the culprit. William Isaac, the former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), said before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the bankruptcy was due to the accounting system, and I cant come up with any other explanation. Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Media, called mark-to-market accounting the primary reason for the meltdown. Im in agreement, writing back in March 2009 that a case could be made that the convergence of FAS 157, highly leveraged balance sheets and the loss of the uptick rule were the trigger that set off the financial meltdown. Related: The New Ultra-Wealthy Benchmark Is $50 Million The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) proposed more lenient accounting guidelines in March 2009the same month the market bottomed and began to recover. Coincidence? (Click to enlarge) So not only did the government allegedly allow the meltdown to happen, it then used taxpayer money to bail out the banks, which I believe exacerbated economic anxiety and sewed further distrust in the beltway party. In my view, this contributed to two things: bitcoin, and the election of Donald Trump. Many peoples faith in traditional banking was obliterated, opening up the opportunity for a new type of currency, a cryptocurrency, to fill. As for Trump, I wrote last year that the bully, as some call him, was elected to take on even larger bullies in the beltway partycareer bureaucrats, regulators and other entrenched officials who make it their mission to oppose any Washington outsider who threatens to shake up the status quo. They were hostile to President Jimmy Carter, a fellow outsider, and today theyre just as hostile, if not more so, to Trump. By Frank Holmes More Top Reads From Safehaven.com This may end up being the century of the four-day work week, as companies begin experimenting with previously unheard of productivity tricks and studies seem to confirm their findings. In the end, research is increasingly showing that workers might end up being more productive if they work less. Its about quality over quantity, as companies begin contemplating investments in employee work-life balances, health and safety. According to UKs Trade Union Congress (TUC), British workers who put in the standard 40-hour work week also clock in an extra 2.1 billion unpaid hours, with Londoners doing the most unpaid overtime, leading to a higher load of stress. At the same time, Health and Safety Executive data, 31.2 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2016/2017. Another 12.5 million work days were lost due to work-related stress, anxiety or depression. In 44 percent of cases, those stress-related work days lost were because of work overload. (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) Source: Health and Safety Executive TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady is all for the concept. And she believes a four-day work week with decent pay for everyone could happen in this century. In earlier centuries, workers had to fight for things like the eight-hour workdays, which was also the case in the U.S., O'Grady told an annual TUC gathering last week. Times have changed, and companies must change with them, she suggested. The 21st Century has been "a time of rapid industrial disruption", O'Grady said, and its now time to take back control of the work week. According to analysis from the research firm Global Workplace Analytics from 2015, up to 78 percent of employees who call in sick are really using that time to take care of personal things. Related: The New Ultra-Wealthy Benchmark Is $50 Million According to a survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam, the average office employee spends 56 minutes per day on the cell phone at work. Thats nearly eight hours wasted on social media and checking personal emails. Or, in other words, it means theyre already only working a four-day week. Its just not official or sanctioned. A New Zealand trust management company called Perpetual Guardian went as far as to conduct a pilot experiment in which it allowed all 240 of its employees to work four days a week for the same pay as a five-day work week. It was said to have been a smashing successboth for the employer and employees. Now, the companys board is reportedly considering making it permanent. The pilot experimentconducted by independent researchersfound that reducing the working hours from 40 to 32 in March and April had boosted productivity among all employees, who used the time to hang out with their families, exercise, or in some cases, apparentlyplay Fortnite. They also learned another important lesson: When hiring new recruits, supervisors should negotiate tasks to be performednot contractual hours for time spent in the office. Otherwise youre saying, Im too lazy to figure out what I want from you, so Im just going to pay you for showing up, Barnes reportedly said. A contract should be about an agreed level of productivity, he added. If you deliver that in less time, why should I cut your pay? Sweden ran a similar experiment in 2016 with same success. A trial in the city of Gothenburg mandated a six-hour day and officials found employees completed the same amount of work or even more. But many criticized the idea as have fewer benefits than costs. Related: Robinhood Changed Trading Forever, Now Its Going Public France, likewise, signed a 35-work week into law in 2000, but businesses complained of reduced competitiveness and increased hiring costs. Experimenting on this level is also being undertaken across the Atlantic, but some American companies seem to think its going to be a failure. But in the U.S., its probably even more urgent. According to studies, Americans work longer hours than many people in Europe and Japan. In fact, many U.S. employees spend 50 hours at work each week. In 2016, Amazon piloted a 30-hour work week for some employees, but they got a pay cutearning only 75 percent of their regular salary. Were not sure how that pilot program worked out, specifically, but Business Insider notes that Amazon has recently advertised job openings for positions with 30-hour work weeks. In 2008, the State of Utah mandated a four-day work week for all state employees, but then reversed it in 2011 because it failed to see any savings. So, it may not take off in the U.S. broadly any time soon, but as billionaire Richard Branson has said: By working more efficiently, there is no reason why people cant work less hours and be equally, if not more effective. We need to work smarter, not longer. By David Craggen for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com This report was compiled by Lisa Andre. You can reach her at landre@leecentralcoastnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LAndreSYVNews The Department of Justice on Tuesday vowed to file a motion for reconsideration seeking to overturn the Supreme Court decision ruling last July allowing property developer Delfin Lee to post bail in criminal cases over the alleged anomalous housing projects of his firm Globe Asiatique in Pampanga worth P6.6 billion. Acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said the National Prosecution Service, prosecutorial arm of DoJ, was scheduled to file a motion for reconsideration on the SC ruling though the office of the solicitor general. Yes, we will file an MR, Fadullon said in an interview. The head of the National Prosecution Service stressed that they hoped to convince the SC justices to reverse their affirmation of a Court of Appeals decision in 2013 that downgraded the cases against him from syndicated estafa to simple estafa. We will insist that it is a syndicated estafa case which is non-bailable case, so he (Lee) should not be allowed to post bail, he said. Last July, the High Court voted 7-5 with two abstentions to affirm the CA ruling and dismiss the petition filed in 2014 by the DoJ and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund). The tribunal also lifted the temporary restraining order it issued in March 2014 that prevented Lees release from the jail as ordered by the appellate court. Insiders said a reversal of the SC ruling was probable considering the close margin in the voting of the justices.The source, who requested anonymity, pointed out that the DoJ would just need to convince two justices to switch sides to have the ruling reversed. Lee was indicted for syndicated estafa charges for allegedly defrauding the government of P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds for home buyers, whom investigators later found to be fictitious or had incomplete documents. However, he persistently sought reliefs from courts and eventually secured a favorable ruling from the special 15th division of the appellate court in November 2013, which lifted the arrest warrant issued against him by the Pampanga regional trial court branch 42. The appellate court had sided with Lees argument he could no longer be prosecuted for non-bailable charge of syndicated estafa following the dismissal of charges against two of his co-accused, Pag-IBIG Fund foreclosure manager Alex Alvarez and GA documentation head Christina Sagun. With the dismissal of the complaint against Alvarez and Sagun, which left Lee and GA vice president Dexter Lee and accounting head Cristina Salagan as three remaining accused, the CA held that the crime of syndicated estafa may no longer apply against the remaining accused since the law requires at least five accused in a syndicated estafa case. The DoJ and Pag-IBIG questioned the CAs ruling before the SC and secured the TRO. Lee was arrested on March 6, 2014 by elements of the Philippine National Police Task Force Tugis at the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel in Manila by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by the Pampanga RTC Branch 42 in connection with the Pag-IBIG housing loan scam where Lee allegedly used ghost borrowers for GAs housing projects. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Kevin Merrill of Mesa Vineyard Management is a board member of the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, and a director on the Santa Barbara County Fair board. He can be reached at kmerrill@mesavineyard.com A new report published by Citizen Lab revealed that the NSO Pegasus spyware was used against targets across 45 countries worldwide. A new investigation of the Citizen Lab revealed that the powerful Pegasus mobile spyware was used against targets across 45 countries around the world over the last two years. Pegasus is a surveillance malware developed by the Israeli surveillance NSO Group that could infect both iPhones and Android devices, it is sold exclusively to the governments and law enforcement agencies. Earlier August, Citizen Lab shared evidence of attacks against 175 targets worldwide carried on with the NSO spyware. Citizen Lab uncovered other attacks against individuals in Qatar or Saudi, where the Israeli surveillance software is becoming very popular. COUNTRY NEXUS REPORTED CASES OF INDIVIDUALS TARGETED YEAR(S) IN WHICH SPYWARE INFECTION WAS ATTEMPTED Panama Up to 150 (Source: Univision)1 2012-2014 UAE 1 (Source: Citizen Lab) 2016 Mexico 22 (Source: Citizen Lab) 2016 Saudi Arabia 2 (Source: Amnesty, Citizen Lab) 2018 A report published by Amnesty International confirmed that its experts identified a second human rights activist, in Saudi Arabia, who was targeted with the powerful spyware. Now a new report published by Citizen Lab shows that the number of Pegasus infections is greater than initially thought. Between August 2016 and August 2018, the researchers scanned the web for servers associated with Pegasus spyware and uncovered 36 distinct Pegasus systems in 45 countries by using a novel technique dubbed Athena. The experts found 1,091 IP addresses that matched their fingerprint and 1,014 domain names that pointed to them. At least ten of the operators identified by NSO appear to be actively engaged in cross-border surveillance, at least six countries with significant Pegasus operations (Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) have been accused in the past of spying civil society. We designed and conducted a global DNS Cache Probing study on the matching domain names in order to identify in which countries each operator was spying. Our technique identified a total of 45 countries where Pegasus operators may be conducting surveillance operations. At least 10 Pegasus operators appear to be actively engaged in cross-border surveillance. reads the report published by Citizen Lab. Pegasus also appears to be in use by countries with dubious human rights records and histories of abusive behaviour by state security services. In addition, we have found indications of possible political themes within targeting materials in several countries, casting doubt on whether the technology is being used as part of legitimate criminal investigations. Pegasus infections were observed in Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Cote dIvoire, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zambia. The experts determined the location of the infections using country-level geolocation of DNS servers, but they warn of possible inaccuracies because targets could have used VPNs and satellite connections. NSO Group spokesperson released a statement in response to the report, he highlighted that the company never broke any laws, including export control regulations. Contrary to statements made by you, our product is licensed to government and law enforcement agencies for the sole purpose of investigating and preventing crime and terror. Our business is conducted in strict compliance with applicable export control laws, reads the statement from NSO Group spokesperson Shalev Hulio. NSOs Business Ethics Committee, which includes outside experts from various disciplines, including law and foreign relations, reviews and approves each transaction and is authorized to reject agreements or cancel existing agreements where there is a case of improper use. The NSO Group also denied selling in many of the countries listed in the report. Pierluigi Paganini (Security Affairs Pegasus Spyware, surveillance) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Ekawit Tangtrakarn (left) seen leaving the State Courts with his parents on 28 August. (PHOTO: Wan Ting Koh / Yahoo News Singapore) A 24-year-old Thai national who defaulted on his national service (NS) obligations in Singapore was fined $6,000 at the State Courts on Tuesday (18 September). Ekawit Tangtrakarn, who was a Singapore citizen until he was 22, was born and raised in Bangkok but returned to Singapore to face the charges against him on 20 July 2016. In sentencing Ekawit, District Judge John Ng said that a jail sentence was not warranted in this case. He also noted Ekawits early admission to the charges faced and his early surrender as mitigating factors. He was born in Thailand and was first and foremost a Thai national or citizen before anything else. He did not fail to return to Singapore since Singapore was neither his homeland nor his country of domicile, said the judge. He added that Ekawit had only made visits to Singapore and had never applied for, or been issued with, a Singaporean identity card. In the case before me, there is no question of Ekawit evading his NS obligations. There is no question of him putting his personal goals and pursuits ahead of his liability to serve his nation. The only nation which he had known and reasonably expected to pledge his allegiance to is Thailand, where he was born and raised and had served his national service in the Royal Thai Army, said DJ Ng. The prosecution had sought for nine weeks jail for Ekawit, while the defence had asked for a hefty fine instead. Speaking on behalf of Ekawits mother outside the court, Ekawits lawyer S Radakrishnan said that she was thankful to the judge for the fairness he has shown. He added that the family wishes to return to Thailand as soon as possible once Ekawits passport is released so that he can resume his job as an engineer at an air-conditioning company. Registered overseas as a Singapore citizen Yahoo News Singapore first reported that Ekawit pleaded guilty last month to one count of remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit between 17 April 2010 and 16 October 2015. Another similar charge, for the period between 17 October 2006 and 16 April 2010, was taken into consideration for his sentencing. Story continues Ekawit, whose mother, Genevieve Lim, is Singaporean and father is Thai, was registered as a Singapore citizen at the age of one by his mother. He later served three years in the Royal Thai Army and graduated from Thammasat University Bangkok. Ekawit was stripped of his Singapore citizenship in 2015, when he failed to take the Oath of Renunciation, Allegiance and Loyalty within 12 months from the age of 21 as is required under Singapores Constitution. This makes his case the first of its kind in which an NS defaulter coming back to face charges is not liable for NS at the time of the charges as he was no longer a Singapore citizen or permanent resident by that point. During the court hearing on 28 August, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mansoor Amir said that Lim had been in contact with the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) regarding her sons enlistment issues. CMPB is the unit under the Ministry of Defence that oversees NS enlistees. When her son was seven years old, Lim flew to Singapore and informed CMPB that her son wished to renounce his Singapore citizenship but she was told that he could only do so at the age of 21. Lim later informed Ekawit that he was no longer able to travel to Singapore to visit his relatives like he used to because of his NS issues. Ekawit had been aware of his NS obligations since he was 13 years old and had also been advised on two occasions to return, but he chose to pursue his university studies instead, said the DPP then. At the same hearing, Ekawits lawyer Radakrishnan said that apart from short visits to his grandmother in Singapore, Ekawit had never lived in Singapore. While Ekawit had been in possession of a Singapore passport over two periods until the age of 13, he travelled mainly on his Thai passport, with the exception of one occasion. This was when he presented his Singapore passport while entering the country at the age of eight at the request of an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer. He has never received any benefits from any social, economic, or educational services rendered by the Singapore government or its statutory boards, the lawyer added. For all intents and purposes, (Ekawit) was born, lived, studied, served national service and found a job in Thailand, and identifies as a Thai national. He has spent his entire life to date residing in Thailand, said Radakrishnan. For remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit, Ekawit could have been jailed up to three years, fined up to $10,000 or both. In response to Yahoo News Singapores queries on whether the prosecution would appeal against the sentence, the Attorney-Generals Chambers (AGC) said it would study the District Judges grounds of decision before deciding on the appropriate course of action. Additional reporting by Amir Hussain Related stories: Foreign parents of Singaporean boys worry over NS-related issues Thai citizen born in Bangkok pleads guilty to defaulting on NS in Singapore COMMENT: Singapores National Service obligations need clarity in a global world Yahoo Poll: Should male citizens with little connection to Singapore be made to serve NS? Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan wanted in Singapore for defaulting on national service Koreans remain the top foreigners who visited the country from January to August this year, but the total foreign visitors dropped by more than 1 percent, compared to the same period last year, according to the Bureau of Immigration. Records from the BI showed a total 4,352,929 foreign arrivals were recorded from the eight-month period, compared to 5,831,996 in 2017 or less than 1,471,067. The bureau said China came in the second while on the third spot is the United States. Data received from the BI showed that from January to August 2018, at least 1,214,463 Koreans visited the country while in 2017, there were 1,734,246 or lower by 519,783. Last year, Chinese visitors recorded an arrival of 1,095,188 but this year, only 973,614 came to visit the country, the BI record showed. Despite the dispute in the South China Sea, the Philippines and China continue to maintain good diplomatic relations and may have boosted last years number of Chinese visitors. Chinese visitors may increase as the holiday season nears and that thousands of Chinese prefer to celebrate the Chinese new year which falls on Feb. 5.For Japanese, only 467,461 came into the country this year, a decline of 161,302 visitors compared last year with 628,763. Almost all the top 10 foreign visitors in the Philippines dropped this year, the BI statistics showed. Australians came in fifth with 187, 685; followed by Canadians at 170,689. Other nationals were from Taiwan with 171,461 arrivals, UK at 158,392; Malaysia, 107,404, Singapore, 92,503 and Germans, 65,921. The BI record also revealed that only 1 visitor each from Puerto Rico, Aland Islands, Sao Tamo Principe, and the Virgin Islands visited the Philippines. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is in a pickle: vote against her party or vote against the interests of tribal communities in her state. (Photo: Chris Wattie / Reuters) Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was already under pressure from Alaska Natives to oppose Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. It just got more serious. The Alaska Federation of Natives a massive statewide Native-American organization that represents more than 20 percent of the states entire population went from taking no official stance on Kavanaugh to announcing its opposition on Sept. 12. The questions and colloquies that came out of Judge Brett Kavanaughs Senate Judiciary hearings last week have necessitated us taking a position, the group said in a recent statement. AFN joins our colleagues and friends across Indian country in strongly opposing Judge Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court because of, among other things, his views on the rights of Native peoples. On top of that, the Alaska House Bush Caucus, a group of state legislators focused on tribal and rural representation, wrote to Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) urging them to vote no. It has become clear that his confirmation would threaten Alaskans access to healthcare, womens reproductive rights, and the United States special trust relationship with federally recognized tribes, said the Alaska lawmakers. Heres their letter: Alaska House Bush Caucus letter by jen_bendery on Scribd Julie Kitka, the president of AFN, told HuffPost shes been meeting with Murkowski one-on-one throughout Kavanaughs confirmation process, providing the senator with detailed information on why tribal communities are so concerned. She expects they will continue their private meetings all the way up until Kavanaughs final vote. Our opposition is significant because the issues that we raise are not just small issues that Congress can fix, Kitka said. Our concerns go right to the heart of what authority Congress has and the Supreme Courts interpretation of that authority with regard to Native Americans. In its statement, AFN raises red flags with Kavanaughs erroneous position on the Indian Commerce Clause in the Constitution. The clause gives Congress the power to regulate commerce with nations, states and Indian tribes, but AFN says Kavanaugh has challenged the clauses application to affairs beyond trade. The group also calls Kavanaughs view of the federal governments special trust responsibility with tribes misguided. Story continues Heather Kendall-Miller, an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, told HuffPost last week that tribal communities are also extremely concerned about Kavanaughs record on climate change, voting rights and his views on states versus federal rights. Alaska Natives voices carry a lot of weight with Murkowski, who is currently undecided on how shell vote on Kavanaugh. She owes her re-election to them. The GOP senator unexpectedly lost her primary in 2010 to a tea party challenger. She responded by running as an independent, launching a write-in campaign and winning the race against all odds. Whose support didnt she have? The Republican Party. Whose support did she have? Alaska Natives, who turned out for her and helped fuel her victory. Murkowski spokeswoman Karina Borger said Tuesday that the senator is still vetting Kavanaughs background. She will review additional committee documents related to the concerns identified by Alaskans as she continues to exercise her due diligence, said Borger. Sullivan has already said that Kavanaugh has his support. Advocates for Alaska Natives have been flooding Murkowskis office in recent weeks, presenting her with as much information as possible to help her back up a potential opposition to Kavanaugh. One Alaska Native attorney involved in these conversations acknowledged the personal cost that Murkowski could face if she votes against President Donald Trumps court pick. Shes going to be out there alone, out in front taking these positions and facing repercussions from her party, said the attorney, who requested anonymity to speak freely. This is going to take active courage. I think she will do the right thing, the attorney added. UPDATE: Sept. 20 Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott (D) announced Thursday they they oppose Kavanaughs confirmation, adding yet another layer of pressure on Murkowski to vote no. In a joint statement, Walker and Mallott raise concerns with the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh and say there needs to be a thorough investigation into those claims before he gets a confirmation vote. They also say his record suggests he would weaken tribal protections, noting that that Alaska is home to 227 tribes nearly half of all tribes in the country. Mr. Kavanaughs appointment could ... jeopardize the Indian Child Welfare Act, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and other laws that enable tribal self-determination due to his overly narrow view of the relationship between federal and tribal governments, they said. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Hong Kong will for the first time recognise overseas same-sex partnerships when granting dependant visas, the government announced on Tuesday. The new policy was welcomed by advocates, but opponents of LGBT rights called on the government to make sure the amendment did not lead to more rights for homosexual couples, even as officials insisted it would not. The change came after a review prompted by a Court of Final Appeal ruling in July, at the end of a long legal battle, that a married British lesbian identified as QT should be granted a spousal visa. She had initially been denied. From Wednesday, the director of immigration will favourably consider an application from a person who has entered into a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, same-sex marriage, or opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union outside Hong Kong for entry for residence as a dependant, if the person meets the normal immigration requirements. There should be reasonable proof of a genuine relationship between the applicant and the sponsor, no known record to the detriment of the applicant, and evidence that the sponsor is able to support the dependants living at a standard well above the subsistence level and provide him/her with suitable accommodation in Hong Kong, according to a government statement. Officials stressed the revision concerned the immigration policy on applications for entry of non-local dependants only. It does not affect any other policies of the government or other rights under the existing law in Hong Kong, a government statement said. And a spokesman said: As the [Court of Final Appeal] recognised in its judgment in the QT case, a valid marriage under Hong Kong law is heterosexual and monogamous and is not a status open to couples of the same sex. Pan-democrat Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, an openly gay member of the Legislative Council, welcomed the policy change and described it as a victory for love. But he called for more change from the administration. Story continues The government should not drag its feet in reviewing other social policies, he said. For example, the right of same-sex partners to apply for public housing. Must the government wait until after it loses another case in the courts? The government should not drag its feet in reviewing other social policies. For example, the right of same-sex partners to apply for public housing. Must the government wait until after it loses another case in the courts? Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chan is expected to bring a motion for debate at Legco next month on the rights of same-sex partners. Solicitor Michael Vidler, who represented QT, described the policy change as long overdue. It is unfortunate, however, he added, that the government appears intent on continuing to resist the introduction of same-sex union and marriage in Hong Kong despite the fact that we are increasingly looking like the odd man out in the community of nations that all have same-sex union and marriage. Holden Chow Ho-ding, a legislator for the pro-government Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, who opposes gay marriage, said the government should assure the public that the change did not mean Hong Kong would recognise same-sex marriage. I appreciate that some people might take their cases to court. It is their right, and we will let the court to deal with it. But the government should be very careful that it should not seek to amend other policies [because of the QT case], he said. And Choi Chi-sum, of Society For Truth And Light, which opposes gay rights, urged the government to review the law to plug any possible loopholes before they are challenged in court. I think the court should be more careful in handling such cases, he said. The court is not there to determine moral values on behalf of the public. In a question and answer session in July, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told legislators the government had no plan to amend other social policies, despite the QT ruling, saying same-sex marriage was a controversial topic. At the centre of the legal wrangle was a challenge brought by QT and her partner, known as SS, who moved to Hong Kong in 2011 after SS got a job in the city. The couple entered into a civil partnership in Britain, which gave them the same rights and responsibilities as a married couple under British law. But the Hong Kong Immigration Department rejected QTs application for a dependant visa, because it did not recognise same-sex relationships. The pair took the case to court, arguing that the decision was discriminatory and breached the Basic Law and the Bill of Rights Ordinance. The Court of First Instance ruled against QT in March 2016. QT appealed. The Court of Appeal reversed the decision last year. The Immigration Department filed an appeal, and the Court of Final Appeal made a ruling in July in favour of QT. The Immigration Department said it brought in an interim arrangement in April 2018 to process applications for entry of non-local dependants, in the wake of the Court of Appeal ruling. The court is not there to determine moral values on behalf of the public Choi Chi-sum, Society For Truth And Light By the end of August, the department had received 56 dependant visa applications from people in same-sex unions, of which 20 were successful. There were 33 still being processed. In the other three cases, the applications could not proceed because the applicant did not produce necessary information, or they withdrew. The department said it would process the outstanding applications, and any new ones, according to the revised policy. One Canadian applicant for a same-sex spousal visa welcomed the move. Its a positive start and it is encouraging, he said. The man who preferred to remain anonymous moved to Hong Kong, where his husband had secured a job, three years ago. He pre-empted the announcement and applied for his visa five weeks ago. The first thing Ill do is I will get a Hong Kong ID and feel like a real resident finally, he said, adding that he would also be able to get a job. He said he used to be haunted by thoughts of not being able to enter Hong Kong when returning from abroad, which would leave no one to care for their daughter. But he said he felt more secure upon Tuesdays news. This article Breakthrough for LGBT rights as Hong Kong to recognise same-sex partnerships in spousal visa applications first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Apart from cash prizes totalling more than US$120K, the regional winners will also gain exposure through a trip to Silicon Valley Malaysias CIMB Group Holdings has launched the CIMB 3D Conquest, a competition that aims to identify and attract ASEANs top creative, young digital talent with an agile and entrepreneurial mindset. Open to all tertiary students, the hackathon-style event runs on three tracks data science, fintech and coding the mastery of which is crucial to help the group embrace the opportunities of the gig economy. The data science track challenges students to build predictive models and segmentation frameworks that target revenue and profitability. The fintech track requires students to reimagine banking solutions, while the coding track focuses on improving the mobile payments space. Hence, the name 3D Conquest, where 3D stands for data, digital and disruption. Teams will compete at the country-level in November 2018 before proceeding to the grand finale in Kuala Lumpur in January 2019. Apart from cash prizes totalling more than US$120,000 for the ASEAN-wide competition, the regional winners will also gain exposure through a trip to Silicon Valley, as well as the opportunity to join CIMB upon their graduation. Also Read: Malaysian fintech startup MyCash in talks to raise US$2M for expansion into Australia, Europe Hamidah Naziadin, Group Chief People Officer of CIMB Group, said: We envisage a future where customers can choose to co-create products and services that are perfectly tailored to their circumstances, through tools powered by data analytics and AI. This is why the groups next growth phase, premised on people, customers and sustainability will have digital underlying all three pillars. We strongly believe that through this competition, together with various initiatives including CIMBs 3D Academy and HR development tools, where a total of RM111 million (US$27M) will be spent to equip our staff digitally, CIMB will be in good stead to reshape its DNA to become a data-first organisation, Naziadin added. Story continues The CIMB 3D Conquest is supported by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Big Community. CIMB is Malaysias second largest financial services provider by assets. It offers consumer banking, commercial banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, asset management and insurance products and services. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, the group is now present in nine ASEAN nations Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos. The post CIMB launches contest to discover young digital entrepreneurs in ASEAN appeared first on e27. A Senegalese ex-official has agreed to testify in former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-pings bribery trial, with US prosecutors dropping all charges against the co-accused turned witness. A request to dismiss the complaints against Cheikh Gadio was lodged to the Southern District Court in New York on September 14, almost 10 months after the former foreign minister was arrested in the United States. The one-page filing did not include any explanation for the move. Gadio, a US resident, had agreed to testify in Hos case as a witness, two separate sources told the Post. One source added that one of the conditions for dropping the charges was that Gadio provide information regarding the case involving Ho as Gadio had been doing and would continue to in the future. Sean Hecker, the former Senegalese ministers lawyer, said he was extremely grateful that the case against Dr Gadio has been brought to a just resolution. His client looked forward to continuing to cooperate with the US authorities before returning to Senegal, Hecker added. Ho, Hong Kongs home affairs minister from 2002 to 2007, was arrested in New York last November and later charged on eight counts: three for money laundering and five for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by offering US$2.9 million (HK$22.8 million) worth of bribes to government officials in Africa to advance oil and development rights in Uganda and Chad for Shanghai-based CEFC China Energy. The accounts to which the money was sent were designated to Ugandan foreign minister Sam Kutesa and Gadio. US authorities said that Ho met Gadio at the United Nations in 2014 and later paid him US$400,000 for his influence over Chads president. Gadio was alleged to have helped broker a CEFC pledge in early 2015 to donate US$2 million to the head of state for charitable causes. Before the charges were dropped, federal prosecutors delayed Gadios plea hearing nine times with a one-month extension granted each time to seek a resolution or a potential disposition. None of the delays were opposed by Gadio. Story continues Veteran criminal defence lawyer Robert Precht said the unusual decision by the US prosecutors appeared to have two motivations. First, the prosecutors have extracted a promise from Gadio to testify against Ho. Second, the decision to drop all charges is in part a political move the US government wants to maintain good diplomatic relations with [its ally] Senegal, he said. [Ho] is a bigger fish because of his connections to CEFC Robert Precht, criminal defence lawyer Prosecutors had concluded that they would gain more by dropping the charges in return for Gadios cooperation in becoming a new pressure on Ho, Precht added. [Ho] is a bigger fish because of his connections to CEFC. With this newly added pressure on Ho a former co-defendant and co-conspirator willing to testify against him prosecutors hope to force him to plead guilty and agree to testify or give evidence against Ye [Jianming] and CEFC. Ye, the founder of CEFC, is an entrepreneur with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Ho was working at the time of his arrest for the China Energy Fund Committee, a Hong Kong research group that receives funds from CEFC. CEFC has denied any commercial authorisation relationship whatsoever with the think tank, in a statement issued after Hos arrest. Ho pleaded not guilty to all the charges, but his request for bail was rejected four times. His trial is tentatively set for November this year. What would you do? Plead guilty and cooperate, or go to trial and risk saying goodbye to the rest of your productive life? Precht said, laying out the agonising choice facing the former Hong Kong minister. The US Department of Justice declined to comment on whether a deal had been struck between Gadio and the prosecutors, or whether Gadio would testify against Ho. Hos lawyers also declined to comment. This article Co-accused to testify against former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho in HK$22.8 million bribery trial first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Items recovered from shop thefts across Singapore. (Photo: Singapore Police Force) Four Vietnamese who allegedly stole more than 800 items from shops all over Singapore were charged in the State Courts on Tuesday (18 September). Comprising two men and two women, the Vietnamese, aged 26 to 31, were arrested on Sunday after police were alerted by a store manager the day before that items had been stolen from a retail outlet along Pasir Ris Close. Van Tu Nguyen, 30, Tran Thi Phuong Thoa, 29, Duong Tuan Dat, 27, and Nguyan Thi Thu Huong, 31, were each charged with one count of theft in dwelling with common intention at a Uniqlo shop at Downtown East in Pasir Ris. Their charge sheets state that they stole 50 pieces of winter apparel valued at $4,995 on 15 September around 1.30pm. The police were alerted to the theft at 3.13pm that day, after a store manager noticed that the items were missing. The police established the identities of the four and arrested them along Chin Swee Road the next day. More than 800 items, including branded apparel, were recovered. The police estimated the items to be worth about $26,000. Police said investigations revealed that the four are part of a foreign crime syndicate and had stolen from numerous retail outlets island-wide. Theft in dwelling carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine. The Supreme Court has approved the implementation of increase in the salary of first-level court judges in the country. Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro ordered the implementation of the SCs administrative order mandating the increase in the salary grade of judges in municipal trial courts, municipal circuit trial courts, municipal trial courts in cities and sharia circuit courts, as one of the several judicial reforms implemented during her brief term as top magistrate. In an en banc resolution dated Sept. 11, the SC approved that from salary grade 26 and 27, the judges in lower courts will now be increased to 28. This means that their salaries will increase from P102,000 to P114,000 to about P127,000 effective last July 1, under the third tranche of increases in salaries of government personnel this year. The funding requirements for the corresponding salary adjustments shall be sourced from the available savings of the lower courts pending issuance of the Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action [NOSCA] and release of the corresponding funds by the Department of Budget and Management [DBM], the resolution said. The De Castros Court approved the recommendation of Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez for the implementation of the increase in salary of judges even ahead of issuance of the NOSCA and issuance of funds by the DBM. The Office of the Court Administrator, through the Financial Management Office, will use the lower courts savings deposited in the Local Bank Account to augment the requirement for the grant of the above mentioned upgrading of positions effective 1 July 2018, pending the issuance of NOSCA and release of corresponding funds by the DBM, Marquez said, in his memorandum to the SC chief. The tribunal issued the order upon petition filed in August last year by Camarines Sur Ricky Begino, president of the Philippine Trial Judges League who was killed last June 12 on his way home. When she assumed her post as chief justice last August, De Castro said she wanted her brief leadership in the judicial branch to be remembered as the one that restored collegiality in the Supreme Court and which was able to institute several reforms in the judicial processes.Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon has proposed the creation of judges-at-large in the lower court to address the overloading of cases in the trial courts which defeat the Constitutional provision on the speedy disposition of cases. Gordon, chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, filed Senate Bill No. 2002 or the Judges-At-Large Act of 2018 which seeks the appointment of assisting judges in regional trial courts or second level courts and in the municipal trial courts or first level courts that are overloaded with cases. Justice delayed is justice denied. Article III, Section 16 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution specifically states that all persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative bodies, he said in the bills explanatory note. However, Gordon pointed out that while the Constitution guarantees the peoples right to speedy disposition of cases before the courts, the clogged dockets of the courts cause great delay in the disposition of cases. Hence, he proposed the appointment of assisting judges100 to the RTCs and 50 to the MTCs, to assist the regular judges in the disposition of cases in courts with overloaded dockets and ensure speedy dispensation of justice. We are aware that there are courts that have overloaded salas or docket, said Gordon. The proposal, here therefore would assign judges at large to support or to assist practically in passing these cases that are loading the docket so that justice could be made more swift. The reason why we are doing this is not just to relieve the judges but because of the provision of the Constitution that disposition of cases must be done fast so we wont violate the theory of speedy dispensation of justice, Gordon said during the hearing conducted by the Justice and Human Rights Committee on his bill and other similar bills. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday vowed to oppose an EU plan aimed at bolstering the bloc's external borders, accusing Brussels of wanting to take away Hungary's control of its own frontiers. According to the fiercely anti-immigration premier, the plan to reinforce border defences on the bloc's margins would "strip Hungary of its right to protect its own borders". "We will not give up our right to defend a border, no-one can take an iota of that away from us," he said during a speech in parliament in Budapest. Hungary "understand(s) border defence better than anyone in Brussels or an international organisation," he said. The European Commission unveiled a proposal in July to hike staff numbers at the EU's border-guard and coastguard agency Frontex. The Warsaw-based agency currently only has 600 staff, with EU members assigning extra support through hundreds of police for operations in Italy and Greece, which along with Spain have continued to bear the brunt of the arrivals. An extra 10,000 agents would be deployed at EU borders from 2020 under the plan, and would be able to patrol and intervene when needed. Last week Orban described the EU plan as a "pro-immigration" effort led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to remove border control from peripheral countries and give "the keys to the gate" to Brussels. "They will send mercenaries here from Brussels, from where they will be told how the Hungarian border should be protected," Orban said on state radio Friday. "We should be under no illusions: if they control Hungarian border defences, they will let in the migrants," he said. Orban said he would oppose the plan at a informal meeting of EU heads of state in Salzburg, Austria, later this week where the topics of migration and border security are expected to dominate. In a statement Monday the European Commission's representative office in Budapest denied Orban's accusations. "The EU does not want to take over border defence from member states, but rather help them to protect the external borders," it said. The 55-year-old premier suffered a rare setback last week when the European Parliament voted to launch a sanctions procedure against Hungary over rule-of-law concerns. Orban said the vote in Strasbourg was a bid to weaken Hungary which has become a "symbol of resistance against migration". Hungary will file a case at the European Court of Justice, said Orban's chief-of-staff Monday, as the vote did not include abstentions in the calculation of the two-thirds majority necessary for its adoption, and hence broke EU rules according to Budapest. By Boureima Balima NIAMEY (Reuters) - An Italian priest was kidnapped on Monday in south Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso, the second abduction of a European in the West African country this year. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the kidnapping, which was confirmed on Tuesday by the Nigerien and Italian governments. West African states have been struggling to gain the upper hand over jihadist groups, including some affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State, which are active along Niger's porous borders with both Mali and Burkina Faso. The kidnapping took place in the village of Bomanga, in the southern Makalondi district, about 125 km (80 miles) from the capital Niamey. In a statement on Tuesday, Niamey's Archbishop Laurent Lompo said Father Pier Luigi Maccalli was attacked and abducted by "unidentified individuals" on Monday evening. Maccalli had been working in Bomaga for 11 years as a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA), a Roman Catholic missionary organization. Italy's embassy in Niamey has called on the local authorities to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Western powers, primarily France but also the United States, have deployed thousands of troops in the semi-arid Sahel region to combat what they see as a growing Islamist militant threat that targets both civilians and the military. In April, a German humanitarian worker was abducted by men riding motorcycles near Niger's western border with Mali. Last October the Islamic State's affiliate in West Africa claimed responsibility for an attack in Niger's borderlands that killed four members of the U.S. special forces and at least four Nigerien soldiers. "What is worrying us in particular is a bigger capacity of these terrorist groups to act, especially near the three borders," said a French diplomatic source, referring to Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. France has some 4,500 troops in the area. (additional reporting by Crispin Balmer in Rome, Sofia Christensen in Dakar and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Alessandra Prentice, William Maclean and Peter Graff) A Japanese submarine joined a military exercise in the contested area of the South China Sea, in a move that could infuriate Beijing, which claims most of the disputed waters. Japans participation is the latest challenge to Chinas military build-up in Asias most strategic waterway. In a rare announcement on Monday, the Japanese defence ministry confirmed the submarine Kuroshio, as well as the helicopter carrier Kaga and two other destroyers, the Inazuma and Suzutsuki, took part in an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the South China Sea on Thursday. This was the first time Japans maritime self-defence force has confirmed a military drill by a Japanese submarine in the waters. Kuroshio, which left Japan on August 26, visited Cam Ranh in central Vietnam on Monday afternoon in the first port call by a Japanese submarine to a strategically important military base in Vietnam, the most provocative claimant against Chinas military build-up in the South China Sea. Japans defence ministry did not give much detail of where exactly the exercise was held, but Japans Asahi newspaper cited sources as saying the Kuroshio joined the other three Japanese warships just southwest of the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal, a territory also claimed by the Philippines. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Tokyo to respect the efforts made by regional countries to resolve the South China Sea issue through talks. Act with caution and dont take any acts that could damage peace and stability in the region, he said. Beijing claims more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea, through which about US$3.4 trillion worth of global trade travels each year. The area is also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan. Chinas military build-up, which has included sending bombers and installing missile systems in the outposts of the disputed waters, has been criticised by the other claimants as well as the United States. Story continues Beijing and Tokyo have been seeking reconciliation in the past few months after years of tensions over territorial disputes in the East China Sea and historical grievances from the second world war. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to visit Beijing next month to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two former foes. Zhou Yongsheng, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, said that while Thursdays exercise could cast a shadow over the recent rapprochement, both Beijing and Tokyo would refrain from escalations in the face of pressures from US President Donald Trumps tough-line trade polices. After launching a trade war against China, Trump has also threatened to make its Asian ally the target of his next trade salvo. Japan wants to contain China in the South China Sea, and this exercise would be a negative influence on the atmosphere, but the general trend of improving bilateral ties is based on mutual interests of the two countries, Zhou said. China is looking for increased cooperation and even to gain support from Japan in the face of the trade tensions from the US, while Japan also sees China as a stable market which could also become a leverage in its foreign policy. However, observers warned that the reconciliation between the two rivals remained fragile, given the deep distrust over security. Last year, Japanese warships took part in naval drills in the South China Sea with the US navy in an apparent show of naval force to contain Beijing in the strategic waters. Additional reporting by Reuters This article Japan challenges China with submarine military exercise in South China Sea first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. The president of the Maldives appeared to accept lavish gifts from a billionaire developer who was later leased two islands in the paradise archipelago without bidding for them, a corruption watchdog alleged Tuesday. The claims -- including that President Abdulla Yameen directly participated in a multi-million dollar scam that helped developers skirt public tenders and acquire dozens of islands and lagoons -- come days before the strongman leader seeks re-election in the nation of 340,000 people. Yameen, whose main political rivals are in jail or exile, has denied any involvement in the alleged island-leasing scam, which first came to light in a 2016 investigation by Al Jazeera. His deputy and then-tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, who was accused of spearheading the scheme between 2014 and 2015 and paying off judges and politicians, was later jailed on multiple charges including corruption. But new allegations of Yameen's involvement have been made by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which gleaned fresh details from leaked government documents and other evidence it says implicates the president. The global investigative journalism consortium says Yameen assisted with at least two dozen no-tender deals to tourism resort developers, and directly ordered one island be leased through a state-owned company at the centre of the scandal. Reporters also allegedly acquired photographs showing that Yameen and Adeeb were gifted luxury stays in Singapore by a billionaire hotelier, who was later granted one uninhabited Maldivian island for $5 million and another for free. Independent reporting in the Maldives is difficult and Yameen, who has ruled since winning a controversial run-off in 2013, has cracked down on the press in the lead up to Sunday's poll. Human Rights Watch this month warned the regime was fining news organisations in a bid to silence dissent and enforce censorship, while the opposition has accused the government of denying access to foreign media to cover the upcoming presidential election. The US State Department this month warned of "democratic backsliding" and urged Yameen to release political prisoners, stop interfering in parliament and hold an election that reflects the will of the people. "The United States will consider appropriate measures against those individuals who undermine democracy, the rule of law, and a free and fair electoral process," it said. The main opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, cast doubt last month that the September 23 vote would be democratic but was confident that voters would come out against the government. In the last election in 2013, the Supreme Court annulled the results of the first round of voting when former president Mohamed Nasheed, who lives in exile, was in the lead. The subsequent vote was then twice delayed, allowing Yameen time to forge alliances that helped him narrowly win the contested run-off. Mauritania's ruling party swept legislative, municipal and local elections, according to final results announced Monday, in a key test before a presidential poll seven months away. The Union for the Republic (UPR) party of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz won an additional 22 seats in Saturday's runoff vote, bringing its majority to 89 in the 157-seat parliament. It won all 13 regional councils, which have replaced the Senate under a constitutional reform, the national election commission said. The UPR also bagged 162 of the 219 communes up for grabs. The first round was held on September 1. The arid West African nation is a frontline state in the fight against Islamist extremism. The so-called "radical" opposition won 29 parliamentary seats, of which 14 were for the Islamist Tewassoul party. Ten others went to "moderate" opposition parties. Tewassoul only won five communes. Mohamed Vall Ould Bellal, the head of the poll commission, admitted there were gaps in the election but hailed "the winds of modernity sweeping over the national political scene". Aziz, 61, who came to power in a coup in 2008, won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. He has been frequently accused by opposition figures and NGOs of rights abuses, and though he says he will not seek a third mandate -- which would be against the constitution -- statements by ministers and supporters have led some to suggest he might. Myanmar's army has used unfathomable levels of violence against minority Rohingya, UN investigators said Tuesday, calling for the military to be removed from politics and top generals to be prosecuted for genocide. The UN report, which laid out in meticulous detail a vast array of violations committed by the country's powerful military, came just hours before the International Criminal Court's prosecutor announced a preliminary probe into crimes against Rohingya Muslims. "It is hard to fathom the level of brutality of Tatmadaw operations, its total disregard for civilian life," head of the UN fact-finding mission Marzuki Darusman told the UN Human Rights Council, referring to the nation's military. Myanmar's ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, slammed Tuesday's report as "one-sided" and "flawed". The ICC's preliminary examination could lead to a formal investigation and then possible indictments. "I have decided to proceed to the next phase of the process and to carry out a full-fledged preliminary examination of the situation at hand," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into Bangladesh amid accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017. - 'Genocide' - The UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats", and said that estimates that some 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown was likely a conservative figure. It said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the stateless Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide". A shorter version of the mission's report, published last month, had already called for Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders to be prosecuted in an international court for genocide. In his presentation, Darusman provided excruciating details of massacres in Rohingya villages, pointing out that "the men were systematically killed. Children were shot, thrown into the river or onto a fire". Women and girls meanwhile were routinely gang-raped before being locked inside burning houses. Of those who survived, many had been severely bitten, in what appeared to be "akin to a form of branding," he said. - Rape as war tactic - Darusman said the "scale, cruelty and systematic nature (of the sexual violence) reveal beyond doubt that rape is used as a tactic of war". The UN analysis decried the army's hold on political life in Myanmar, which only recently emerged from almost a half century of total military junta rule. The military holds a quarter of seats in parliament and controls three ministries, making its grip on power firm despite reforms beginning in 2011. Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals, whose presence in parliament gives them an effective veto on constitutional changes. "There cannot be any democratic transition in Myanmar unless the Tatmadaw relinquishes its control of the politics, of the economy and of the constitution," UN investigator Christopher Sidoti told reporters. "We have seen not the birth of democracy in Myanmar, regrettably, but the stillbirth." The UN mission said Suu Kyi's government had also helped enable the widespread rights violations in Myanmar by allowing hate speech against the Rohingya to flourish and using civilian laws to crack down on media and others speaking out against abuses. The investigators directed specific criticism at Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military. While acknowledging that the civilian authorities have little influence over military actions, the report said that their "acts and omissions" had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes". - Court probe - Pointing to "deeply entrenched" impunity in Myanmar, the investigators said the only chance to obtain accountability was through the international justice system. The announcement of the ICC probe comes nearly two weeks after judges ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based court, it still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because Bangladesh is a member. Myanmar has, however, dismissed the court's authority and analysts have pointed to its lack of enforcement powers. Bensouda said the initial probe "may take into account a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting." Among the UN's other recommendations were an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against individuals deemed most responsible. It also called for a "comprehensive, independent inquiry" into the UN's own role in Myanmar since 2011, warning that "quiet diplomacy" appeared to have sidelined those pushing to loudly denounce rights violations. The South Korean Embassy in Manila on Tuesday announced a $300,000 or P16.2 million worth of humanitarian assistance to the typhoon-hit regions in the Philippines. To help relieve the suffering of communities from the typhoon damage, the government of the Republic of Korea has decided to provide the Philippines with humanitarian aid of $300,000 through an appropriate channel, the embassy said in a statement. In other developments: The latest batch of medicines and relief goods from the national government was delivered Tuesday morning to Tuguegarao City for distribution in Cagayan, one of the provinces hardest hit by Typhoon Ompong. The Cebu Pacific Air on Tuesday resumed its operations at Tuguegarao Airport to help in the relief efforts initiated by the government following the damage wrought by Ompong. The Energy department-led Task Force on Energy Resiliency reported that 54 percent of the affected households in the typhoon-hit areas already had electricity. The Philippine National Police has deployed its elite unit to hasten the rescue and retrieval efforts for the landslide victims at a mining site in Itogon, Benguet.The Korean Embassy expressed optimism that the victims of Ompong will recover. The Korean people and the Government of the Republic of Korea are deeply saddened by the news of hardship Filipinos are going through, including the massive number of casualties and injuries, the embassy said. We are confident that the people of the Philippines, under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, will recover from the damage soon. South Korea is among the foreign governments and international organizations that have provided aid to the Philippines on its recovery and relief efforts in the aftermath of Ompong. Earlier, the French Embassy in Manila also expressed readiness to extend possible assistance to the country. By Darya Korsunskaya and Stephen Farrell MOSCOW/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the shooting down of a Russian military plane near Syria's seacoast was the result of a series of tragic and chance circumstances. His comments appeared to somewhat defuse a possible crisis involving outside powers that back opposing sides in Syria's complex civil war, after Russia's Defence Ministry accused Israel of indirectly causing the incident. The ministry said that while Syrian anti-aircraft had mistakenly shot down the plane of a close ally, Israeli jets flying nearby had put the Russian jet in the path of danger, and it threatened to retaliate over what it called a hostile act. Putin told reporters: "I looks most likely in this case that it was a chain of tragic chance events, because an Israeli aircraft did not shoot down our aircraft. But, without any doubt we need to seriously get to the bottom of what happened. "As for retaliatory measures, they will be aimed first and foremost at further ensuring the safety of our military personnel and facilities in Syria. And these will be steps that everyone will notice," Putin said. He also told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone that Israel's air force had been conducting operations in breach of Syria's sovereignty, a Kremlin statement said. "In this case, Russian-Israeli agreements on the prevention of dangerous incidents were not observed. As a result a Russian aeroplane came under fire from Syria's anti-aircraft systems. The President of Russia called for the Israeli side to avoid such situations from now on," the statement said. Russia's Defence Ministry said the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, with 15 Russians on board, was downed by Syrian government anti-aircraft guns in a "friendly fire" incident. But the ministry said it held Israel responsible because, at the time of the incident, Israeli jets were attacking targets in Syria and had only given Moscow one minute's warning, putting the Russian aircraft in danger of being caught in cross-fire. Story continues "We view the actions of the Israeli military as hostile," Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state television. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished." Netanyahu's office said that in his conversation with Putin he blamed Syria for the aircraft's downing but offered "all necessary information" for the investigation into the incident. Any dispute between Israel and Russia could crimp Israel's ability to carry out air strikes inside Syria on what it sees as the greatest threat to its security from the war - build-ups of Iranian forces or groupings of the Shi'ite Hezbollah militia. Since intervening in Syria in 2015, Russia has usually turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks. Israel has launched about 200 such raids in the last two years, Israeli officials say. Amos Yadlin, Director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, said on Twitter the downing of the Russian plane could "limit the bid to stop Irans entrenchment in Syria and the transfers of advanced weapons to Hezbollah." "INACCURATE" SYRIAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE In a statement the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also voiced sorrow at the deaths but blamed the Syrian government and its main regional allies Iran and Hezbollah. The IDF said the initial Israeli inquiry into the incident found "extensive and inaccurate" Syrian anti-aircraft fire "caused the Russian plane to be hit and downed". "The Syrian anti-air batteries fired indiscriminately and from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air," the statement said. It added that by the time the Russian plane was struck, the Israeli jets were already back in their own airspace. The Russian plane was "not within the area of the operation" carried out by the Israeli jets, it said. After the incident, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, that Moscow held Israel wholly responsible, Russian news agencies reported. In his conversation with Putin, Netanyahu's office said, the prime minister stressed the importance of defence coordination with Russia that had managed "to prevent many losses on both sides in the past three years" in Syria's war. "COVER" Moscow said its plane disappeared from radar as it came in to land at the Hmeymim air base in western Syria late on Monday. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Israeli F-16 jets carrying out air strikes used the Russian plane as cover to allow them to approach their targets on the ground without being hit by Syrian fire. "Hiding behind the Russian aircraft, the Israeli pilots put it in the line of fire of Syrian anti-aircraft systems. As a result, the Il-20 ... was shot down by the (Syrian) S-200 missile system," the ministry's Konashenkov said. He said the Israeli pilots "could not have failed to see the Russian aircraft, as it was coming in to land from a height of 5 km (three miles). Nevertheless, they deliberately carried out this provocation," Konashenkov said. "This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership." The Israel military said that overnight its fighter jets had "targeted a facility of the Syrian armed forces from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon". It said the weapons targeted in the Mediterranean coastal city of Latakia "were meant to attack Israel and posed an intolerable threat against it". Several countries have military operations under way around Syria, with forces on the ground or launching strikes from the air or from ships in the Mediterranean. Foreign powers involved in the conflict - including Israel and Russia - operate hotlines to exchange operational details to avoid one side accidentally attacking the other's forces. However, diplomats and military experts have warned that the risk of inadvertent strikes is high. Separately, Turkey said on Tuesday it would send more troops into Syria's rebel-held Idlib province after striking a deal with Russia that has averted a government offensive there. (Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth and Andrew Osborn in Moscow; Maayan Lubell and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; John Irish and Sophie Louet in Paris; Phil Stewart in Washington and Nayera Abdallah in Cairo; Editing by Mark Heinrich) The Kremlin faced a fresh electoral crisis Monday as the opposition cried foul over a key regional poll, drawing crowds of protesters into the streets. Communist Party candidate Andrei Ishchenko, 37, seemed poised to become the next governor of the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai until the results suddenly changed overnight, he and his supporters said. More than 2,000 people gathered outside the offices of local authorities in the far eastern city of Vladivostok after the race was called for a candidate of the ruling United Russia, the Communist Party said. Sunday's vote was a second-round runoff after a Moscow-backed candidate failed to win at least 50 percent of the vote earlier this month. It was one of a string of setbacks for the ruling party and the Kremlin as voters vented anger over a pension reform and rising poverty under Western sanctions. Ishchenko, a local lawmaker, had enjoyed a five-point lead in the vote with more than 95 percent of votes counted. Then Moscow-backed acting governor Andrei Tarasenko suddenly overtook him overnight to claim victory Monday. Opposition leaders claimed officials rigged the vote, pointing to President Vladimir Putin's endorsement of Tarasenko last week. "I know you face a second-round runoff," Putin said. "I think everything will be all right." Ishchenko said he would not give up and the Communist Party would take legal action. "Friends, they are stealing our votes, let's stand up for our victory," he said in a Facebook post, urging supporters to take to the streets. He claimed it had taken the authorities just "one hour" to rig the polls by giving Tarasenko thousands of additional votes. He said the most blatant violations had taken place in the towns of Ussuriisk, Artyom and Nakhodka. - 'Brazen falsification' - Putin's most vocal critic, Alexei Navalny, also urged local residents to come out and protest. "This is simply unbearable," said Navalny, who is serving a month-long jail term over an illegal protest. "The open and brazen falsification of the results of the vote in Primorsky Krai is a direct insult not only to residents of this region but also the entire country." Earlier this month, the Kremlin suffered several other blows in the regions of Khabarovsk, Khakasia and Vladimir where ruling party candidates failed to win gubernatorial elections in the first round. Second-round runoffs are scheduled in those regions on Sunday. Communists this month also beat United Russia candidates in elections to the regional parliaments of Khakasia, Irkutsk and Ulyanovsk regions. It was the United Russia party's worst performance in regional elections in more than a decade. Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Election Commission, said she would look into the results of the Primorsky Krai vote and did not rule out that they could be cancelled. Claims of mass rigging during the 2011 parliamentary elections prompted tens of thousands of people to protest against Putin's rule. Now, "for the first time Vladimir Putin's support has worsened and not improved the result of a candidate supported by the authorities," wrote The Bell, a respected Russian news website. Sunday's runoff votes, it added, will show just how far the authorities are willing to go to ensure the Kremlin-backed candidates win. Other observers said the loss of the Kremlin-backed candidates was the latest sign Putin's popularity was eroding amid mounting economic problems. These problems have been exacerbated by Western sanctions over Moscow's role in Ukraine, the poisoning of a former spy in Britain and other crises. "Is the president's magic support losing its influence?" wrote Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Golos movement, an independent election observer. Confidence in Putin has nosedived since his government announced plans to raise the state pension age, sparking a rare outburst of public anger. Poland was banned Monday from the EU body representing the member states' judicial institutions over its perceived lack of independence after controversial government reforms. The European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) announced it had stripped the Polish National Judicial Council of its voting rights and excluded it from the network following a meeting in Bucharest. "The extreme circumstances of this particular case have led to the decision just taken," the body said in a statement. "It is a condition of ENCJ membership, that institutions are independent of the executive and legislature and ensure the final responsibility for the support of the judiciary in the independent delivery of justice," it added. "The ENCJ became concerned that as a result of the recent reforms in Poland the KRS no longer fulfilled this requirement." The organisation described the move as a "very sad day, as the KRS was one of the founding fathers of the network". Under recent changes pushed through by Poland's rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) government, magistrates will now be elected by parliament instead of judicial council members. The move is part of a broader judicial reforms, which Warsaw argues are needed to tackle corruption and overhaul a system still marked by the communist era. However, critics say the measures put the judicial system under government control and threaten democracy. Brussels has launched so-called Article 7 proceedings against Poland over "systemic threats" to the rule of law. Steps taken under Article 7 of the European Union Treaty, known by some in Brussels as the "nuclear option", could ultimately strip Poland of its EU voting rights -- although Hungary has already vowed to veto any such move. On Monday, 100 magistrates approved Poland's suspension from the ENCJ, with six votes against the move and eight abstentions. "Member States are free to organise their judicial systems in a way that they see fit, but there are some minimum standards that have to be complied with," the ENCJ said. KRS president Leszek Mazur said the reasoning behind the decision "was not justified". "We see (this vote) not as a judgement of our work but of the reform packet adopted by the legislative and executive powers," he told reporters in Bucharest. Poland last week rejected EU criticism of its controversial Supreme Court reforms, challenging Brussels to take its case to the bloc's top court. Actor Lawrence Wong. (PHOTOS: Instagram/Lawrence Wong) He left Singapore to further his acting career in China because he felt that local showbiz wasnt offering him enough opportunities to shine. Now Lawrence Wong (not the Minister for National Development) has turned into a superstar in China with his supporting role as general Hai Lan Cha in the hugely popular period drama Story of Yanxi Palace. Chinese television churns out soap operas about palace politics all the time, a genre perenially popular for all the nasty schemes that empresses and concubines cook up to tear each other down. But Yanxi seems to have struck a special chord with its audience and has become the single biggest hit in China this summer, having recently concluded its 70-episode run on the iQIYI platform with 15 billion total streams. The Qing Dynasty drama, which also stars Hong Kongs Charmaine Sheh and Chinas Wu Jin Yan, is currently airing on cable television in Singapore, where it has gained an avid following. The show is also popular in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. View this post on Instagram 719 # # A post shared by Lawrence Wong (@ohohlawrence) on Jul 12, 2018 at 6:30pm PDT Wong, who is a Malaysia-born Singaporean, has set many hearts aflutter with his good looks and likeable character in Yanxi, who is the comic-relief foil to male lead Fucha Fuheng, played by Xu Kai. Wong told 8 Days magazine that he gets 5,000 pieces of fan mail a day through social media. His followers on Chinas microblogging site Weibo have ballooned to 2.4 million, while his Instagram followers now number 232,000. The bilingual actor broke onto Singapore TV with his first role on Channel U in 2009, starring with actress Julie Tan in the telemovie romance The Promise. He went on to act in several Channel 8 dramas including 118 and Three Wishes and also had a stint on Channel 5, playing a techno-villain opposite Pierre Png in action thriller series Zero Calling. Story continues View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lawrence Wong (@ohohlawrence) on Aug 30, 2017 at 7:47am PDT Wong, known to Channel 8 viewers as Wang Guan Yi, took his chances with the Chinese market when he got to know Chinese actress Qin Lan and signed on with her management agency Wow Star in 2016 (the 37-year-old is a partner in the firm). Qin Lan is coincidentally his co-star in Yanxi, playing the role of the kind Empress. The two actors are on such good terms that there are rumours that they are dating although their agency denies this and Wong declined to talk about his love life for our interview. Qin Lan and Lawrence Wong co-star in Story of Yanxi Palace. (PHOTO: Shining Entertainment) Wong told Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore that he still hopes to return to Singapore to act if there is a good script and a right role, but said he had to further his career elsewhere as the tiny local TV industry can be rather limiting for talents. (He previously said in an interview that his salary in China for one drama series was equivalent to what an actor makes in Singapore in two years!) Story of Yanxi Palace is Wongs second drama in China, after Love and Passion which is set to be aired later this year. We caught up with Wong to get his thoughts on his new-found fame and what the differences between the China and Singapore TV industries are like: Could you describe your character in Story of Yanxi Palace? I play Hai Lan Cha who, historically, was an imperial guard of the Emperor during the Qing dynasty and who later on became a big general who won many war victories. For the drama, I play him more bubbly and more lovable, and he has high aspirations to fight for his country. He is a loyal friend, and a faithful lover. How do you feel about the popularity of Yanxi? Its been crazy and unbelievable. I expected the series to do well but I didnt expect it to do this well. Moreover, I didnt expect my character to be this popular as well. I mean, he isnt the typical cool-faced, expressionless handsome guy in the drama, but the goofy comedic character. Hence, I was really grateful my character is so well received. How do you feel about suddenly becoming wildly popular in China? We hear that you get a ton of fan mail every day! I honestly feel grateful and inspired to work harder and push harder. What is the TV/film industry like in China? Its big and they have a huge spectrum of genres and projects, and thats exciting for an actor because you feel like you have new challenges to bite on every day. Actress Fiona Xie, who has a role in Crazy Rich Asians, recently wrote about being grateful for being cast in the Hollywood film after suffering setbacks in her Singapore career. As an actor whos also left Singapore, do you think showbiz in Singapore restricts talent? I guess Singapore is a small industry and we have only one TV station. Hence, a lot of talents, both in front of and off the screen, pass by unnoticed. Thats sad because we have so many talented people in the industry who perhaps have no avenues or opportunities to show what they can do. Did you feel frustrated with your career in Singapore and why? I felt frustrated at certain points of my career because I felt like I have so much to give and so much to show, but I wasnt given the right opportunities to do it. Will you ever return to Singapore to act? Definitely! If there is a good script and a right role. Youve posted quite a few of your shirtless pictures online. Is that your way of rewarding your fans? Honestly, if my memories dont fail me, I only posted perhaps less than 10 shirtless photos throughout all these years. But I guess they have been so magnified that people got the impression that I have a lot. Gym-goers like to take shirtless photos of themselves as a means of checking their progress and Im no different. Follow Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore on Facebook. They scale barbed-wire topped fences and cross the sea in inflatable boats or jet skis -- more than 36,000 migrants entered Spain this year seeking a better life in Europe. Almost all of them relied on smugglers to make the crossing. Ousman Umar, who made a five-year journey from Ghana to Spain, said it was "impossible" to travel thousands of kilometres (miles) from sub-Saharan Africa through deserts and other inhospitable areas without the aid of gangs. "There is almost no chance of reaching Europe illegally" without paying traffickers, Robert Crepinko, the head of the human smuggling unit at Europol, the European Union's policing arm, told AFP. Ninety percent of migrants who enter Europe are helped by human traffickers, he added, citing a 2015 study. Spain has become the main entry point for migrants arriving this year, after Italy and Greece. "The journey can last one year, two years, depending on the ring and the funds you have, because the trafficking networks will take you as far as you can pay," Jose Nieto Barroso of the national police's human smuggling unit UCRIF told AFP. Migrants gather in Morocco because "it's the best place to wait for the right moment to cross" over to Spain, said Nieto Barroso. The vast majority pay for a spot on an inflatable dinghy or to take part in a mass run on the heavily fortified border fences that surround Ceuta and Melilla, two tiny Spanish territories in North Africa that share the EU's only land borders with Africa. - Up to 5,000 euros - Human traffickers charge 18 euros ($21) to try to scale the border fences, 200-700 euros to join a packed boat to cross the narrow Strait of Gibraltar separating Spain from Morocco by just 15 kilometres (nine miles) at its narrowest point, or up to 5,000 euros to make the trip by jet ski, according to Spanish police. Europol estimates migrants pay on average 3,000-5,000 euros for a complete trip to Europe. Once in Spain, many want to move on to wealthier northern European countries like Britain, France and Germany where they believe they will have better opportunities, or because they already have family there. Once again, human traffickers play a role in getting them there. The smugglers promise migrants they will be rescued at sea by the Spanish coast guard and then taken to migrant reception centres where "in three or four days members of the network will be in the area and get you out," Nieto Barroso said. The gang will then take the migrants to another country or, in worst-case scenarios, pass them on to other gangs that exploit them. - 'Chaotic' reception - Women are sometimes forced into prostitution while men are used as slave labour in agriculture or made to beg in the streets. The rings "supply people. They say: 'I have 8, 12, 15 people from the sub-Sahara who can be put to work'," said Nieto Barroso. Gangs take advantage of the "brutal collapse" of overcrowded migrant reception centres, and gain access to migrants through nonprofit organisations which work with the newcomers, he added. Paloma Favieres of the Spanish Committee for Refugee Aid (CEAR) denounced the reception Spain gives migrants as "chaotic". She said she notifies police whenever she believes a migrant is at risk of falling prey to human traffickers but stressed it was up to police "to fight against crime". "I don't get any help from the police," she told AFP. With migrant arrivals to Spain's southern shores on the rise, more of them are heading north to the border town of Irun, some sleeping rough as they wait to cross into neighbouring France, or to Santander, where police in August arrested two people for hiding migrants in their vehicle which was going to board a ferry bound for Britain. Police smashed 25 human trafficking rings in Spain last year but many more remain active in Africa, recruiting more migrants. A train transporting oil in eastern Sri Lanka hit and killed two baby elephants and their pregnant mother on Tuesday, police said, the second jumbo tragedy in a month. The three elephants, part of a larger herd, were crossing the railway track at dawn in jungle near Habarana, 180 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of Colombo, when they were hit. The train was derailed and several tankers began spilling fuel, police said, adding that they set up a cordon to prevent villagers trying to salvage the oil. "It is a very hazardous accident scene. We have pushed back many people who tried to collect the spilling oil," a police officer in the area told AFP by telephone. He said railway authorities were holding a separate investigation into whether the train driver had followed standard procedures while operating in jungle areas with elephant populations. Drivers are usually expected to move slowly and sound the horn continuously to warn any wild animals on the track. Tuesday's accident came three weeks after seven elephants drowned in a swamp in the same district. Six of the seven victims were below the age of 12. Sri Lanka considers elephants a national treasure and they are protected by law. However, human-elephant conflicts near wildlife sanctuaries have led to the death of 375 people in the past five years, according to official figures. Enraged villagers have also retaliated by slaughtering nearly 1,200 of the beasts. Last month the government said authorities would begin constructing 2,651 kilometres (1,556 miles) of new electric fencing to keep elephants away from villages bordering wildlife reserves. The Sri Lankan elephant population in the wild is estimated at 7,500. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday said his case will be among those to be used by his lawyer to bolster their assertion that his amnesty was valid. That would be one of those to be presented by my lawyer. The process done to us was the same, Trillanes said. Unless someone actually questioned its application and validity, the amnesties granted by the five former presidents are still entitled to respect, the Palace maintained following the revocation of Senator Antonio Trillanes IVs amnesty. Under the law, even if his act is null and void unless its actually questioned then it is entitled to respect, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told reporters. Senator Trillanes is only unlucky that Solicitor General Jose Calida studied his application. Then it was found out that his amnesty is defective. On Tuesday he taunted resigned Davao City Mayor Paolo Duterte for charging him with libel over his allegations of extortion instead of his accusation that the presidential son was involved in drug smuggling. For some reason, he charged me based on an interview in Cebu which I can no longer remember, whatever was that, but he did not charge me about my accusations that he has links to illegal drugs, a graver crime, Trillanes said. The Justice department on Tuesday disparaged the relevance of some reports trying to assail the validity and constitutionality of President Rodrigo Dutertes Proclamation 572, which nullified the amnesty granted to then military rebel leader and now Senator Trillanes. Malacanang on Tuesday belied Senator Antonio Trillanes IVs claim that he and his family were under the surveillance of the military.First its drama. And now it appears to be paranoia, Roque told reporters. Trillanes said then President Benigno Aquino III first declared amnesty before he created an amnesty body to process and grant an amnesty. In doing this, he insisted that this would not counter their stand that it was former President Noynoy Aquino who granted him an amnesty and not then-Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. It was really the President, the proclamation, it was really the President. They were talking about the certificate [of amnesty], Trillanes said. He said he was surprised with the low IQ of the people from Malacanang because if one would look at his license, the Secretary of Transportation was not the signatory. Now, theye saying that it cannot be delegated, the grant of amnesty cannot be delegated. The President grants the amnesty, sign the certificate, that ministerial, that approved by the President,said Trillanes. He also reiterated his stance that the President could not void an amnesty once granted. He said there was no history in the world when an amnesty granted was taken back and voided. Investors include Access Ventures, FuturePlay, Nextran, Viet Capital Ventures, and three angel investors Vietnam-based B2B logistics startup EcoTruck has bagged US$1.7 million in a Pre-Series A round from investors including Access Ventures, FuturePlay, Nextran, Viet Capital Ventures and three angel investors. EcoTruck will use the funding to improve its logistics platform and expand its team. The company previously raised US$300,000 in a seed round, giving it a combined war chest of about US$2 million. Vietnams logistics industry is rife with inefficiencies: poor management, outdated infrastructure and processes involving plenty of manual paperwork and emails to fill out and calls to conduct and even corruption (kickbacks between supply chain employees and logistics vendors) have unnecessarily driven up operating and shipping costs. According to Le, the logistics industry has an extremely low economy-of-scale due to its highly fragmented industry landscape. In Vietnam, there are over 3,000 logistics vendors who collectively operate 100,000 container trucks, moving over 12 million TEUs (20 feet containers). These trucks operate from two hubs: one in Ho Chi Minh City and the other out of Hai Phong. The supply of logistic trucks in the country is certainly not lacking, but because these inefficiencies exist, merchants often have to allocate 25 per cent of their revenue to offsetting logistic costs, said Le. For vendors, they also high seasonality and volume fluctuation, and this leads to the underutilisation of their resources. To solve these problems, Le built a centralised platform that leverages the sharing economy model and data intelligence to lower costs and streamline operations. All a merchant has to do is create an account EcoTruck and make an order, and the customer service team will take care of the rest contacting vendors, tracking the delivery, managing customs, and loading/unloading. EcoTruck will automatically notify the merchant about the delivery status in real-time with the help of GPS data. Story continues Once the order has been completed, all necessary logistics fees and documents from the different vendors will be consolidated by EcoTrucks accounting tool and presented to the merchant. Essentially, EcoTruck becomes the middleman between the merchants and the logistics vendors. By analysing their data insights, they can suggest the most suitable vendor to dispatch the merchants freight. Le also claimed that EcoTrucks platform can also calculate the most optimised delivery route. Also Read: Workforce optimisation startup FriarTuck raises US$3.6M from Philips, Enterprise Singapore Merchants can also select their preferred logistics vendors who are bidding for their job, based on their own criteria. In addition, the merchants will receive round-the-clock support from EcoTrucks customer service team. For logistics operators, EcoTruck allows them to maximise their truckload, helping them to increase their revenue; while merchants can save time on having to manage shipping processes that were hitherto lengthy and complex, as well as reduce their transportation expenditure through EcoTrucks transparent bidding system. With technologies and the right business model for a much bigger scale, EcoTruck can operate with a much lower cost, resulting in much lower prices, said Le. To date, EcoTruck has partnered with over 90 logistics partners in Vietnam. Together, these vendors operator 500 container trucks in the Ho Chi Min City hub and 200 container trucks in Hai Phong hub. They ply over 200 routes and can move over 1,000 containers daily. The company has also partnered with insurance companies and banks to insure the logistics vendors trucks and provide financing for merchants payments. Le said that EcoTruck has over 80 merchants who use their portal regularly. These businesses transport a range of goods including fertilizer, rubber, frozen fruit and vegetables, bioproducts and even more delicate and hazardous cargo like chemicals. In the month of August 2018, over 820 orders were completed. The company hit a trucking GMV of US$130,000 last month, while its trucking revenue was $6,500. It also earned US$2,500 in revenue from other services including customs and freight booking. But while EcoTrucks solution looks to be a perfect fit for Vietnams economy, there are several competitors looking to serve up their version of a disruptive logistics tech platform. One of them is LOGIVAN, which has raised US$2.35 million in funding from investors including Ethos Partners, Insignia Ventures Partners and Vietnam-based VinaCapital Ventures. It, too, has a truck tracking and management system. And it is reportedly seeking to expand its logistics services in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Da Nang. That said, both companies are still nascent service providers, operating in an industry with many deep-rooted issues. It may take a while before they hit a critical mass of users and really start wrestling over territory; but now, theres room for plenty of competition. EcoTruck also has set its sights on other countries including Lao, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia. But Le said that market expansion will only happen after EcoTruck has raised its Series A round. Image Credit: EcoTruck The post Vietnam-based B2B logistics startup EcoTruck raises US$1.7M in Pre-Series A round appeared first on e27. The House of Representatives, sitting as a committee of the whole, adopted several amendments to the proposed 2019 national budget. Rep. Rolando Andaya, former Budget secretary and former chairman of the House committee on appropriations, proposed the amendments containing the realigned budget coming from the alleged questionable P55-billion insertions. He made the proposals even as Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday vowed to go after the P55-billion budget that he claimed to be the pork barrel stuck in the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for next year. Responding to the question if he would chase the so-called pork barrel, Lacson answered, thats right. Because that can be changed. If they agreed yesterday if the P55 billion was realigned... we will look for it now. But that is still pork. From pork to pork. Malacanang on Tuesday withdrew itself from the budget ruckus in the House, saying it will let Congress exercise its power over the purse to approve the proposed 2019 budget amid the alleged insertion into next years National Expenditure Program. Let me put it this way: Malacanang proposed the budget through the NEP, and therefore, we take responsibility for what appears in the NEP, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing. If it is true that there are items which were not in the NEP, then we do not know where that came from; we leave it to the House to do as it deems proper with these items, he added. The proposed amendments, that were read by presiding speaker and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, included the following: Additional National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, P5.5 billion for rehabilitation following Typhoon Ompongs destruction of the cereal and salad bowl of the Philippines; Health Facilities Enhancement Program, Department of Health, P3 billion. This was reduced to practically nil at P50 million, but hospitals need equipment. Health Human Resources Development, DoH P3 billion, to stave off the mass layoff of 6,000 nurses, doctors and dentists; Capital Outlay for State Universities and Colleges, P1.2 billion to complement free public college; Technical Vocational Laboratories in the Department of Education, P3 billion to address the missing link in K-12, to guarantee that graduates are job-ready; Roads to Decongest Traffic in the Urban Areas, P11 billion. This is to decongest traffic in urban areas in the hope of partially relieving the daily calvary of commuters; Roads to Identified Tourism Areas, P10 billion, intended to boost tourism receipts by easing the access to tourist draws; Roads to Trade Areas, Economic Zones, Livelihood Centers and Markets, P10 billion,because to create jobs, roads through which commerce and workers will pass are indispensable; Department of Agriculture-Farm to market Roads, P5 billion. This partially restores the P5 billion cut in the DA, and to comply with the safety net pledge to rice farmers. Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu appealed to his colleagues to participate in the budget deliberation in the plenary. We will once again gather at the plenary to debate on the nations budget for the next fiscal year. I would like to call on all the members of this 17th congress to participate in the deliberations. We must leave no rock unturned, and no centavo left to chance, and ensure that we finish on time, Abu said. Roque said the budget row is due to the amounts which are not included in the NEP, as these are the nature of insertions. So, we take full responsibility for everything found in the NEP, but we respect the constitutional prerogative of Congress to alter the NEP, he said. We stand by what appears in the NEP. We appeal that the proposed budget as submitted should be approved, and we leave it to the House to discharge its constitutional mandate to exercise its power over the purse, he maintained. In John Sayles 1984 movie The Brother From Another Planet, a card shark is riding a northbound A train that is about to make the 66-block jump from Midtown to Harlem. I have another magic trick for you, he says. Wanna see me make all the white people disappear? The conductor announces the train is going express, skipping the Upper West Side; white passengers disembark. The joke is a bit outdated; a 40-year exodus of black Americans and the more recent influx of gentrifying whites put blacks in the minority in Greater Harlem a decade ago. But it speaks to a familiar truth about the way that even urbane, liberal whites think about black neighborhoods: as places not to go. In nearly every city, white yuppies have boundaries that can be invoked without further explanation: In Charleston, for years, it was north of Calhoun. In D.C., east of 16th. (Both those cities have gentrified too.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Courtney Bonam used to hear a version of that in Chicago, where she taught psychology and African American studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago, before joining the University of California, Santa Cruz. Ive never heard anyone say, I dont want to live on the South Side because black people live there. But Ive often heard people say, I wouldnt live south of Roosevelt or west of Western. Thats coded language and people feel just fine making comments like that. In a series of studies, Bonam has found that white Americans hold ironclad stereotypes about black neighborhoodseven when they display little or no animus toward black people. Theyre likely to infer from the presence of a black family that a neighborhood is impoverished, crime-ridden, and dirty, though they make none of those assumptions about an identical white family in the same house. Theyll knock the value of a house down by $20,000, or nearly 15 percent, if they believe the neighborhood is black. Even after being explicitly told a neighborhoods home prices and demographics, white participants showed a massive divergence in their perception of the neighborhoods class depending on whether they thought it was black or white. Advertisement People who are ready to accept the middle-class status of a black person cant do the same with a neighborhood. Results like these jibe with previous research indicating prejudices toward black space. One study found that more black and Latino residents increase the perception of social disorder. Another showed that putting more black people in a neighborhood decreases the perception of its quality. The sociologist Sharon Zukin has used Yelp to contrast perceptions of black and white gentrifying neighborhoods in New York. How do we know its not just that the observer is racist? In her most recent research, published with Caitlyn Yantis and Valerie Jones Taylor, Bonam compared white participants impressions of people and places. Participants were given profiles of houses with values or people with incomes and asked to assign each profile a class indicator from 1 to 7. When assigning class status to people, the participants gave virtually the same rankings to white and black profiles. (Low bar, I know.) But when assigning class status to houses, knowing the race of the neighborhood led to widely divergent outcomes. Most strikingly, white participants were almost incapable of assigning middle-class status to houses in black neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Bonam calls this phenomenon invisible middle-class black space. People who are ready to accept the middle-class status of a black person cant do the same with a neighborhood. Advertisement Its a stereotype that is unfortunately rooted in history. Black neighborhoods in the United States have long been deprived of equivalent public services while having substandard and sometimes hazardous housing. In midcentury American cities, as Tom Sugrues Origins of the Urban Crisis expertly documents, restrictive housing laws forced extreme overcrowding in black neighborhoods. Sometimes, black families in those areas both had higher incomes and paid higher rents than their white neighbors a few blocks over. But they were barred from moving out, and whites came to see overcrowded black neighborhoods as a self-fulfilling prophecy, justifying the segregation that had created them. Advertisement The neighborhood gap is still with us. Chris Rock jokes that his black neighbors are all world-famous celebrities, and his white neighbor is a dentist. He isnt like the greatest dentist in history either. I had to host the Oscars to get that housea black dentist in my neighborhood would have to invent teeth. In fact, across all income levels, blacks and Hispanics tend to live in less affluent neighborhoods than their income-equivalent white peersand pay more for it. So in part, whites may be making an inference from what they know and see represented. But the stereotype then leads them to instantly misjudge counterexamples. There are, of course, middle-class black neighborhoods in the United States, even if they dont exist in the white imagination. The strength of black-space stereotypes in Bonams research suggests white people wouldnt know one if they saw one. Advertisement Advertisement This has real consequences. One of Bonams experiments from 2016, which she modeled after real-life situations, asks participants whether they approve of the siting of a potentially hazardous chemical plant. You can guess what happens: All else held equal, theres more support for putting it in a black neighborhood. (The study controls for racial animus.) There has been plenty of explicit racism in the construction of the American city, from highway projects to school sites to lending, and that legacy stays with us. But this subtler devaluation of black space, Bonam posits, happens every day and influences how people connect to and protect these places. That might mean people with formal, institutional responsibilitieslike a mortgage specialist at a bank, or a firefighter, or a city planneras well as others who might not think to re-examine their own perceptions, like a driver going too fast on a residential street. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has added her voice to a letter drafted by alumnae from Christine Blasey Fords high school endorsing her choice to speak out against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Ford, who is now a professor in California, has alleged that Kavanaugh tried to sexually assault her while they were in high school. As of Monday morning, more than 200 women who attended Holton-Arms, a private girls school in Bethesda, Md., had signed the draft letter which reads, We believe Dr. Blasey Ford and are grateful that she came forward to tell her story. The letter notes that Fords story is all too consistent with stories we heard and lived while attending Holton. Many of us are survivors ourselves, and demands, a thorough and independent investigation before the Senate can reasonably vote on Brett Kavanaughs nomination to a lifetime seat on the nations highest court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louis-Dreyfus broadcasted her participation in the effort on Monday with a tweet, writing, I was class of 79 and signed this letter. I was class of 79 & signed this letter. https://t.co/5ssttu9uzT Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) September 17, 2018 Advertisement As made public in an interview with the Washington Post on Sunday, Ford alleges that when she was 15 and Kavanuagh was 17 and they attended the same party, he shut her in a room, turned up loud music and covered her mouth to stifle her screams, and attempted to remove her clothes before she managed to escape. Citing these accusations, Democrats are demanding that Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee delay their vote on Kavanaugh which is still scheduled for Thursday. Kavanaugh has responded by calling the allegations completely false, and many Senate Republicans have maintained their support for the nominee. However, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine who is a key swing vote on the nomination stated on Monday that, we need to know what happened, and that she wanted to have both individuals come before the Senate Judiciary Committee and testify under oath. This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission. Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye, and barley that gives those starches their stretchiness and allows dough to be kneaded until its springy and soft yet still structural. Its an amazing thing, unless it makes you feel sick, which is why people with certain autoimmune disorders or allergies go gluten-free. But giving up glutinous grains doesnt have to mean forgoing pasta, pizza, pastries, and carbs forever. You just need to find the right gluten-free substituteslike flours made with gluten-free grains and starches like millet, corn, or rice, or grain-free flours made with nuts or chickpeasthat will replace the wheat in the recipes youre making. Advertisement If youre feeling overwhelmed by finding the right gluten-free substitutions, there are plenty of gluten-free cookbooks to help you figure out whats what. The trick, however, is finding gluten-free cookbooks that are actually simple. They dont complicate cooking methods or pack ingredient lists with fillers to imitate the stretchy texture created by gluten (but can actually result in gloopy baked goods and less-than-satisfying mains). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To find the best gluten-free cookbooks for baking, bread, and dinner that dont make things harder than they need to be, suitable for both beginners and those gluten-free veterans who are looking to shake up their weekly meal rotation, I spoke with seven gluten-free bakers, chefs, and cookbook authors about their favoritesalong with a couple of my own gluten-free favorites. Best Gluten-Free Cookbooks for Bakers Advertisement Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise Roberts is a great starting point for beginners, those who know they need (or just want) to switch over to gluten-free or alternative flours when baking, but arent totally sure how to make the conversion. This book contains all the basic recipes youd ever need, says Tully Phillips, founder of Tu-Lus Gluten-Free Bakery. The author teaches you how to make a gluten-free flour mix to use in many of the recipes in the book, which makes gluten-free baking less daunting to someone new. It was actually the first gluten-free cookbook Helene Godin, owner of By the Way Bakery, bought when she wanted to leave corporate America to become a baker, and she still references it nearly a decade later, saying, Whether you fastidiously follow Robertss recipes, or use them as a starting point for your own recipes like I did, you wont be disappointed. Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Gluten-Free Baking Classics $14, Amazon For a slightly chef-ier introduction to gluten-free baking, geared toward professional bakers or those with an interest in the food-science side of things, Erica Fair of Sans Bakery recommends this one, written by a professor of baking and pastry arts at the Culinary Institute of America. It was essential when first starting out to get a basic knowledge of how gluten-free flours worked and what was needed to make things taste good. Advertisement BUY: Gluten-Free Baking With the Culinary Institute of America: 150 Flavorful Recipes From the Worlds Premier Culinary College $14, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alanna Taylor-Tobin, a San Franciscobased food photographer and stylist behind the recipe website Bojon Gourmet, describes this James Beard Awardwinning cookbook as quietly gluten-free because it highlights the unique flavors of gluten-free flours like teff, buckwheat, oat, and chestnut, rather than striving to re-create conventional flour recipes. The idea is that youre using these alternative flours because they taste good and add to the flavor of the final dessert, not just because they dont have gluten. Aran Goyoaga, author of Small Plates and Sweet Treats: My Familys Journey to Gluten-Free Cooking and the website Cannelle et Vanille, also recommends this book, citing the recipes for wonderful pastries using all the different gluten-free flavorful flours. Advertisement BUY: Flavor Flours: A New Way to Bake With Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours $29, Amazon Advertisement Taylor-Tobins book Alternative Baker builds on some of the same principles as Flavor Flours. Alannas recipes celebrate gluten-free whole grains, the recipes dont contain a lot of filler flours or starches, but rather showcases 14 wonderfully unique gluten-free flours, explains Lindsey Love, author of Chickpea Flour Does It All and creator of Dolly and Oatmeal. Goyoaga also recommends this cookbook for those looking to minimize refined sugars in their bakes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert With Gluten-Free Grains and Flours $15, Amazon Advertisement If youre looking to bake grain-free, not just gluten-free, consider Sweet Laurels cookbook, which uses almond flour rather than other alternative grain flours like rice or corn. The Los Angelesbased bakery is also committed to using no more than five core ingredients in any recipe, and they use all-natural dyes, like beet to turn red velvet red. I love thumbing through this cookbook because of dreamy photos of Sweet Laurels simple-yet-elegant cake decorations, often with just a crumb coat of icing and a sprig of flowers. BUY: Sweet Laurel: Recipes for Whole Food, Grain-Free Desserts $17, Amazon Best Gluten-Free Bread Cookbook Advertisement Advertisement This book came out a few years ago and impressed with how many complicated yeast doughs they mastered, says Goyoaga. The so-called master recipe is for a French-style boule, though there are also recipes for ciabatta, flatbreads, batards, and many of the recipes have process photos to help illustrate proper technique, making it a great option for beginners. BUY: Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Baking Revolution Continues With 90 New, Delicious and Easy Recipes Made With Gluten-Free Flours $13, Amazon Best Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes Advertisement Advertisement Taylor-Tobin calls this title a great book for gluten-free beginners featuring whole foods and clean ingredients for all sorts of dishes, both sweet and savory. But its the weeknight dinners that shine, with recipes for hearty meals like chickpea socca, egg-stuffed crepes, even sweet pea and ricotta ravioli (made with rice flour and tapioca starch instead of wheat). BUY: Gluten-Free for Good: Simple, Wholesome Recipes Made From Scratch $15, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Admittedly, chef Marco Canora isnt strictly gluten-free. Gnocchi is a perennial favorite at his East Village restaurant Hearth, and there are recipes for whole-wheat pasta dishes in this cookbook. But as he writes in the introduction of a recipe for bread made with almond flour, Im not fanatical about avoiding gluten, but we tend to keep it to a minimum at home. His thoughtful approach to cooking, with an emphasis on ethically sourced, seasonal ingredients, is why this is a nice addition to your bookshelf for easy, good-for-you, and mostly-gluten-free dinner inspiration. BUY: A Good Food Day: Reboot Your Health With Food That Tastes Great $14, Amazon If youre looking for dinner inspiration thats meat-, dairy-, and gluten-free, Kari Brunson, co-founder of plant-based ice-cream company Frankie & Jos, recommends My New Roots. Sarah Britton dazzles me with creativity, always. Her socca recipeused all season with different preparationsis on repeat in my house, and her grain-free black-kale sushi rolls with white miso-ginger sauce are a labor of delicious love. BUY: My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season $19, Amazon When I was alone in my room last night, I heard someone clipping their toenails. I think theres someone in the attic. Not what you want to hear your 4-year-old say when you have a specific fear of someone secretly living in your attic. But my kid likes to be spooked. She is a confirmed creepophile with a natural affinity for skeletons and spiders. Is it Halloween now? she asks. No, sweetie, I apologize. Its still September. Advertisement Where did she get it? I guess decorating her nursery with Edward Gorey art may have had some influence. Dont worryshe loves dinosaurs and Legos too. As a librarian, I try to nurture all of her interests with generous stacks of carefully chosen books. But come fall, she enjoys a chill up her spine. Here are nine titles for readers ages 38 who like things a little bit scary. Classic Books In Miss Flora McFlimseys Halloween, first published in 1972, a doll given to misadventure follows her cat, Pookoo, to a witches ball. Pookoo is a sharp-tongued scamp who doesnt always look out for Miss Floras best interests. Books in this midcentury series can be hard to find through traditional outlets, but they are worth the hunt for their nostalgic vibe and slightly cuckoo narratives. Author and illustrator Mariana began the series of nine books in 1949 and is said to have been inspired by her own childhood in a Victorian home with a life-size doll house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Used from $2.60, Amazon Advertisement Were all familiar with the haunting power of Maurice Sendak, thanks to Where the Wild Things Are. This earlier story, part of Sendaks Nutshell Library, also fits the theme of dangerous mischief. Pierre is the story of a boy who is so flippant that his exasperated parents have to rescue him from the bowels of a hungry lion. Surprisingly, my daughter has not yet asked me how Pierre could be devoured and spit back up unharmed. $5.87, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Contemporary Books Sophies Masterpiece follows a young spiderquirkily dressed and Andy Warholcoiffedthrough a heros journey to create art that will be appreciated. She endures rejection after rejection before finding acceptance. On the one hand, its a sweet story about survival and creative drive; on the other hand, theres a spider-web baby blanket. This story is for the little one who is happy to find a spider under the bed, or cobwebs in the corner. $7.99, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement How to Make Friends With a Ghost is a guide to communing with spirits. Help your child find her #bestfriendforever (and ever and ever and ever ). The moral of this story is that ghosts are sweet, sensitive, and adorableand sometimes hard to distinguish from a towel on a doorknob. They like silly snacks like Pickled Boogers (my favorite). Pulling no punches, the book explains how a child can maintain their ghostly friendships into adulthood, old age, and beyooooooond. How to Make Friends With a Ghost by Rebecca Green $10.39, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Now that the kids know how to make friends with a ghost, introduce them to Leo: A Ghost Story. This is like the childrens-book version of my all-time favorite ghost movie, The Others. Leos all, I know youre on the other side of that proverbial veil, mortal family, but I just want to be friends! Lets have tea. Then Leo proceeds to have an existential crisis. $10.25, Amazon Advertisement Ghosts in the House! features a similar simple retro-illustration style but has a different take on the autonomy and purpose of your common house ghosts. In this story, a little girl (spoiler alert: shes a witch) solves her haunted-house problem by turning the amorphous white blobs into decor. Advertisement Advertisement $5.99, Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Special Mention: BabyLit BabyLit books are based on classic literature and give children an introduction to important story elements without throwing all the My crazy wife lives in the attic mature details at them. These three are my daughters favorites for their creep factor. The Odyssey: A Monsters Primer introduces your preschooler to some of Homers most extraordinary characters. Then you can feel smug when they beg to read The Odyssey for more details. Count tombstones and boxes (aka coffins) in Dracula: A Counting Primer. Which one is your favorite? My kid is partial to the ones with skulls and hearts. Its always dangerous to keep a candle lit at night. Teach her about fire safety with Jane Eyre: A Counting Primer, and leave the rest of the story for her high school English teacher. Advertisement $9.11, Amazon $8.89, Amazon $7.98, Amazon Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. For decades now, Sam Wineburg, a professor of education and history at Stanford, has been studying the way history is taught. His new book, Why Learn History (When Its Already on Your Phone?), is about the way historical thinkinghabits of mind that emphasize the careful assessment of evidence and the presumption of uncertainty, among other thingscan help us navigate the information-rich environment of the web. The book, which zips along in a chatty, essayistic mode, details the work Wineburg and his colleagues have done to see how different groups of peoplestudents, professional historians, scientists, and fact-checkers for magazinesprocess information in online and analog environments. In one entertaining chapter, which weve excerpted on Slate, Wineburg dissects Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States, showing how the beloved book, so often taken as the real truth by people turned on to history when they read it, privileges a compelling narrative over the interrogation of evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Good historical thinking is by no means a magical solution to our information woes, as demonstrated by Wineburgs reports of what trained historians do while trying to navigate the web to find information about nonhistorical topics. But, Wineburg advocates, teachers of history can offer the kind of education in how to think that helps students understand all of the information they encounter online much better. In our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we talked about right-clicking, the Trumpian appropriation of critical thinking, and historians frustrating and endearing tendency toward hedging. Rebecca Onion: How does the kind of education we need in order to be smart about the internet differ from the critical thinking module I took in eighth grade, back in 1991? Advertisement Sam Wineburg: It irks me to no end [when people say,] Well, [the education we need] is just critical thinking. We dont need 21st-century skills. And my response is that if we could get a necromancer to bring Socrates back to life, and sit him in front of a computer, he wouldnt know about keywords and he wouldnt know about search engine optimization, and he wouldnt know how to put words in quotation marks in Google, so that Google searches for them contiguously. And Ive watched really intelligent people, Ph.D. historians with incredible pedigrees, spin themselves in circles because they lack some basic skills in search. Advertisement Think of it as a Venn diagram. So hopefully in 1991, you were taught to not decouple information from its source, and to think of the motivation and intention behind a particular document, that it wasnt self-evident information presenting itself de novo, but it came with a purpose and it was written down or said to achieve a particular aim. And that had to be taken into account when evaluating that information. And thats what I learned when I took AP history and had to wrestle with a DBQ [document-based question] for the first time. A good history teacher takes away your innocence about information. Advertisement Advertisement But you didnt learn about SEO, which is not a skill, its an awareness and an orientation[the idea] that Google is not a being of celestial intelligence that cannot be gamed. You find naivete about Google in a lot of different venues. Most recently a researcher at Data & Society [Francesca Tripodi] did a report about evangelicals that found that they think Google is a neutral source. They think Wikipedia is biased against conservatives, but Google is just straight information. Without realizing that, you know, Google is in a never-ending cat-and-mouse game with the people who try to game it. So thats a piece of knowledge thats important for people using the internet to fact-check or to think about the quality of information. Advertisement Advertisement If we could get a necromancer to bring Socrates back to life, and sit him in front of a computer, he wouldnt know about keywords. Sam Wineburg Heres an example of [a web-specific] skill. Ive watched smart people who dont know how to right-click. And so if you dont know how to right-click, to open up tabs across the horizontal access of your screen, youre just laying window on window. And then it becomes so clumsy to look at your screen where there are 11 windows lying on top of each other! It reminds me of the aphorism, For want of a nail If you dont know how to do something like right-click, youre going to have a hard time doing lateral reading. Fact-checkers know that in a digital medium, the web is a web. Its not just a metaphor. You understand a particular node by its relationship in a web. So the smartest thing to do is to consult the web to understand any particular node. That is very different from reading Thucydides, where you look at internal criticism and consistency because there really isnt a documentary record beyond Thucydides. Advertisement Advertisement Can you give an example of what you mean by a node? Or what you mean by fact-checkers recognizing that something exists on the web in relationship to the web? Advertisement When we asked [some historians] to find out if the Employment Policies Institute is a trustworthy source, they would engage in a close explication de texte on the site.* Theyll look at its About page. If an organization can game what they are, they can certainly game their About page! A fact-checker will understand this organization by putting the organization in quotes, and use a smart keywordbut dont put too much stock in that keyword. It could be credibility or bias or criticism or funding. If one of the keywords doesnt work, then they dont take too much stock, they try another. Advertisement An example that comes to mind is a fact-checker who opened up seven tabs in 30 seconds. And it was SourceWatch, Charity Navigator, and then finding the organization in the New York Times, and following the links on that, all in less than 30 seconds. All of a sudden there is literally a network there, that you can situate that one node in the network in half a minute. All this while the historian is engaging in a close read. When you are trying to figure out Is this a quality source?, that kind of close read before you even know where the money is coming from or whos saying it doesnt make sense. Advertisement Advertisement Its interesting that in some ways historians come off as great heroes in your book, and in other places they dont quite have, as youre describing, a suspicious enough attitude toward the web. But there are other aspects of historians thinking that can really help us out in an information-rich environment like the internet. Advertisement Advertisement Absolutely. Im literally speaking out of both sides of my mouth. I think the chapter thats one of my favorites, the work stuck with me with vividness, is watching a group of scientists trying to read Washingtons Thanksgiving Proclamation and inferring that Washington was, like, this super-religious pious guy, because of essentially a bunch of deist language that they were interpreting through the lenses of their contemporary understanding of vocabulary. And it was the historians who understood that these were code words that, if they didnt mark someone as a deist, they certainly marked someone as going to great pains to avoid explicit mention of Jesus Christ, the savior, the trinity. Theres a kind of suspicion that historians take in interpreting someone elses language using linguistic codes of the present. Which I think is a humility that is applicable not just in thinking about the past, but also in talking to people across the divides that separate us in contemporary society. Advertisement Advertisement I loved the note you made about the difference between sounding critical and thinking critically. President Trump recently said that Google is biased against conservatives. There have been a number of instances of this, where Trump or someone Trump-ish will say something that sounds critical or wise but isnt. Its hard because it almost feels like there is an appropriation of the language of critical thinking on the right that makes it hard to explain what the difference might be between that and what we are talking about. Its not almost an appropriation, it is an appropriation. And in this respect, the work that has influenced me the most is the work by Kate Starbird, an absolutely brilliant internet researcher who studies crisis communication at the University of Washingtons College of Engineering.* And she has a paper that shows that the alt-right has, right there with Alex Jones, has appropriated the language of Do you have an open mind? Are you an independent thinker? Are you willing to trust your own intelligence to make up your own mind when you review the evidence? Advertisement Advertisement And so absolutely, this is the language that has been appropriated by the alt-right in particular, these neo-Nazi sites and conspiracy sites that basically say, The wool is being pulled over your eyes! But you have the power to [pose] thoughtful questions through your own powers of discernment if you have an open mind. This is the stock-in-trade of propagandistsyou can go back and see the same kind of thing in work by Lenin and Goebbels: You should trust yourself. Were not going to tell you what to believe, you evaluate the evidencehere is the evidence. Advertisement My impulse, as a good ex-academic, is to hedge about everything. And I feel like now we are living in nonambiguous times, and so I often run into a problem where I feel like I should be writing pieces that are definitive: What you think you know about the Confederacy is wrong, and heres why. I think this time is testing us in a lot of ways, and one of the ways is: Do we keep on showing people that history is a never-ending inquiry that opens up into layers of questions? Or do we put all of that aside for a minute, because questions dont win fights? Advertisement I think what we need to explain to a general public about historical thinking is that historians establish facts. That whether there were 6 million Jews or 5 million Jews, there were millions of Jews that were killed in Europe during the Final Solution. Why it happened, or the questions Holocaust scholars fight over, about whether it was intentional or incrementalthe interpretation of itis something that we continue to argue over. But we dont argue over Was there a middle passage? And so, theres a kind of confusion of the kind of questions that historians ask, about the nature of interpretation and the nature of causality, which are never-ending. Questions like: Why did the civil rights movement succeed when other social movements failed? We give to high school students a question like: Why did Rosa Parks not yield her seat on that day? Which is a very different level of question from Where was Rosa Parks sitting on that bus? Thats a factual question around which there is no doubt. But why she didnt give up her seat on that dayshe changed her story several times throughout her lifetime, and we can argue about it. What we have not done, as a community [of historians], is educate the general public about what a fact is, and where our points of contention are. DISASTER MATTERS. President Rodrigo Duterte, at the provincial capitol in La Trinidad, Benguet, discusses Monday relief, rescue, and rehabilitation matters with officials up front in the government efforts to help bereaved families of landslide victims in the province. Presidential Photo President Rodrigo Duterte said he could do only a little to solve the problems besetting the mining industry, as its practices, though detrimental to the environment, are allowed by law.Even before, I wanted to stop mining. But if it were not for the fact that its allowed by law, little could [be done] about it, Duterte said in a briefing in Isabela Tuesday evening. I cannot stop mining because Im not allowed to abrogate any law here. But I want to stop it because it has created a monster, he said. According to Duterte, there are a lot of big open pit mining locations that have been abandoned and taken over by the illegals. He added that his economic managers would not like the idea of closing down the mining industry as it generates P70 billion in earnings in a year. The economic managers are very hesitant at the very least. We only earn P70 billion, but you know when the consequences of mining happen, you spend more than just that, Duterte said. It cannot cover the whole devastation of plants and palay and everything, not to mention the destruction of the marine life and tributaries along the way, he said, encouraging people to travel Mindanao and the rest of the country to look at the negative effects of mining. They [miners] are not only destroying marine life, but it also puts in jeopardy and peril the stomach of Filipinos, the President said. I do not hate mining, its allowed. But I would say a time must come when our motherland is overused and abused, and this cannot go on, he said. He then called miners who occupy watershed areas downright stupid. I dont know if I have to call a revolution just for mining. Revolution in the sense that Im not using arms, but Ill force them [miners] out, said Duterte. So, Id like to ask them, how much P70 billion can do to the country if you compare it to the losses of the Philippines because of mining? he said, addressing his economic managers. In a similar situation in Benguet Monday, Duterte said there would come a day when he will just have to talk with lawmakers about closing the mining industry. One day, I said, I will just have to confront Congress. I will really tell them, We have to close the mining industry or better still plan a period then give Mother Earth a respite [from] the continued and endless digging,Duterte said. The President added that if he cannot end mining because theres a law, it is then the Congress job to abrogate the law and end mining. The Palace on Tuesday said the President has made clear his desire to repeal the Mining Act to stop destructive mining practices.He has insinuated already, that is high time for everyone to consider doing away with mining, said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in a Palace press briefing Tuesday afternoon. Roque also said the rehabilitation of Boracay Island could be used as a model for rectifying the small-scale mining practices and help miners affected by the suspension of all small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera Autonomous Region. The administration accepts this Itogon incident as a challenge, its good that we have a model, and that model was Boracay, Roque said in Filipino. Its akin to rehabilitating the mined out areas in the Cordillera and it could be an attempt to actually allow the environment to recover because this is actually the result of environmental degradation, he added. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to revisit and validate all applications for peoples small-scale mining areas or minahang bayan sites to determine their safety against geological hazards. We will be stricter in approving minahang bayan sites, and affirm whether they conform to standards that are safe, especially for the miners, he said. He also ordered the MGB to ensure the shelters provided to small-scale miners are safe and do not pose risk to them. Their residences should be far enough from identified geohazard areas, the DENR chief said. He issued the statement after the MGB office in the Cordillera Autonomous Region confirmed that 10 associations of small-scale miners had been granted temporary mining contracts in Itogon, Benguet, pending the declaration of a minahang bayan. At least 35 people died due to landslides in Itogon at the height of typhoon Ompong. Cimatu immediately ordered the revocation of all the temporary contracts effective immediately, and called a stop to all small-scale mining activities in the region. Cimatu said he would request the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to help the MGB impose complete stoppage of all mining activities in CAR. He urged local government units to consult geohazard maps prepared and issued by the DENR, which clearly indicates landslide and flood prone areas. A panel in the House of Representatives has created a technical working group that will review proposals on a rationalized fiscal regime applicable to all mineral agreements. The bill, authored by Rep. Estrellita Suansing of Nueva Ecija, proposes to retain the imposition of the corporate income tax on the mining sector to level the playing field among all other sectors. It also proposes to impose an additional government share when the basic government share is less than 50 percent of the net mining revenue. With Maricel V. Cruz and PNA The other proposal is HB 422, authored by Rep. Romero Quimbo of Marikina City, establishes the fiscal regime and revenue sharing arrangement between the government and the mining contractor for large-scale metallic mineral mining operations, wherein the government share shall be 10 percent of gross revenue or 55 percent of the Adjusted Net Mining Revenue, whichever is higher. After Republicans tried to shoehorn a non-public investigation of Christine Blasey Fords sexual assault accusation against Brett Kavanaugh before a vote scheduled for Thursday, multiple reports Monday indicated there will be a public hearing. Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told an NBC News reporter that the hearing is on. NEWS: sen Kennedy says there will be a public hearing with Kennedy and Ford. A source close to the process says Kennedys statement is accurate. Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) September 17, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And GOP committee member Orrin Hatch also said as much to a Washington Post reporter: Public hearing to hear from Kavanaugh and Ford will be Monday, @senorrinhatch tells reporters Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 17, 2018 Advertisement Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and President Trump stated earlier Monday they both are open to listening to Fords accusation, somehow. Grassleys most recent statement said he was working on a way to hear [Ford] out in an appropriate, precedented, and respectful manner. He said he was working to arrange phone calls with Ford and Kavanaugh but that his counterpart on the committee, Dianne Feinstein, had so far refused to participate in them. Trump said at the White House that it was a ridiculous question to ask if Kavanaugh would withdraw himself from the nomination, but Trump said, if it takes a little delay, itll take a little delay. Advertisement Kavanaugh signaled his cooperation to a hearing, according to a White House statement Monday afternoon: Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him. Ford, through her lawyer, also said she would be willing to speak before the Senate. While Grassley did not explicitly rule out new, public hearings, he has not mentioned them either. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the moderate Republican who is seen as a crucial vote for Kavanaugh, said she would like to see a hearing: I believe in order for me to assess the credibility of these allegations that I want to have both individuals come before the Senate Judiciary Committee and testify under oath, she told reporters Monday at the Capitol. Obviously if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying. Does a middle-aged man who attempted rape as a teenager deserve a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States? This question has become urgent in light of Christine Blasey Fords allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her in high school, pinning her down, covering her mouth, and attempting to undress her before she managed to escape the room. Kavanaugh totally denies the accusation, stating, I have never done anything like what the accuser describesto her or to anyone. It appears the Senate will hear from both Ford and Kavanaugh at a public hearing next week before taking any votes. Advertisement What if a majority of the Senate concludes that Kavanaugh probably did assault Ford at age 17? Should that fact disqualify him from SCOTUS? Not everyone is so sure. The Washington Posts Megan McArdle tweeted that she wouldnt disqualify anyone from higher office because of anything they had done as a minor. Writer and academic Tom Nichols doubted whether the accusation, if true, is even relevant today. Rosa Brooks, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, declared in a viral thread that she is uncomfortable with asserting that [Kavanaughs] behavior as a teen tells us anything about his character now. David Plotz, CEO of Atlas Obscura and Slates former editor in chief, signaled his agreement with Brooks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is entirely reasonable to feel uncomfortable holding 17-year-olds strictly liable for their misdeeds for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, that is not whats happening here, which makes this argument around age a red herring. Kavanaugh is not asking for absolution; he is denying Fords allegations outright. The real question, then, is not just whether Kavanaugh assaulted Ford as a teenager: It is whether he is telling the truth about those actions all these years later. Those of us calling for a full and fair hearing are not only interested in Kavanaughs alleged actions 35 years ago. We are concerned about his response to those accusations today. Rejecting Kavanaughs confirmation on this basis wouldnt be doling out punishment, but rather withholding a privilege. To be clear, Brooks makes an excellent point about the risks of holding 17-year-olds to the same standard as adults, particularly with regard to crime. The sad reality is that our criminal justice system does tend to apply unreasonable standards to minors, to devastating effect. Some states automatically try 17-year-old defendants as adults, and prosecutors in most states can charge 17-year-olds as adults with the assent of a court. As a result, teenage defendants who are not even old enough to vote are subjected to longer prison sentences in more dangerous facilities. These minors have less access to rehabilitative services and higher rates of recidivism than peers who remain in the juvenile justice system. It should come as no surprise that in some jurisdictions, racial minorities are more likely to be tried as adults than whites. Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court has placed some limits on this practice. In 2005, in Roper v. Simmons, the court prohibited the execution of defendants who committed their crime before the age of 18. Five years later, in Graham v. Florida, the court forbade a sentence of life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders who commit non-homicide offenses. In 2012s Miller v. Alabama, the court struck down laws that required mandatory life without parole for minors upon conviction of certain crimes. Advertisement These decisions have provided a vital vindication of the Constitutions bar against cruel and unusual punishments. Its also worth noting that the conservative wing of the court has consistently objected to them, often detailing the brutal crimes committed by 17-year-olds to illustrate the righteousness of life sentences for minors. The category of murderers that the Court delicately calls children (murderers under the age of 18), Justice Samuel Alito wrote in Miller in 2012, consists overwhelmingly of young men who are fast approaching the legal age of adulthood. He described a typical juvenile killer who committed a brutal thrill-killing just nine months shy of his 18th birthday and noted: Seventeen-year-olds commit a significant number of murders every year, and some of these crimes are incredibly brutal. Many of these murderers are at least as mature as the average 18-year-old. Advertisement Advertisement That may be true. Its also true that none of those juvenile murderers who faced a real risk of life imprisonment were wealthy white guys. The rules for rich white people (and their kids) are just different, and not only in heinous cases. While affluent families can pay an attorney to expunge their childrens criminal records, the process is almost impossible for indigent defendants in many states. A juvenile criminal record can dog an individual throughout his life, preventing him from going to college and getting a job. Prosperous parents can make this problem go away for their children. The average juvenile offender, meanwhile, is on his own. Rosa Brooks is also right that the correct response to this disparity is to level up, not downto extend the privileges that wealthy minors already get to everybody else. Adults, she wrote, should not be shadowed forever by misdeeds as children. And of course they shouldnt. So how, then, does our criminal justice system recommend we assess minors misdeeds with their potential to grow and change? The Supreme Court has directed judges to consider a juvenile offenders demonstration of rehabilitation in determining whether he should be released from a life sentence. An adult who expresses remorse and requests forgiveness for his youthful crime, who apologizes to his victims and tries to better himself, deserves our empathy. One who refuses to acknowledge that he committed a crime may not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We still have much to learn about the events in question. But if Fords allegation is true, it seems Kavanaugh falls into this latter category, standing by a Friday statement in which he categorically and unequivocally denied Fords accusation. That means the question of whether he should receive our clemency is purely hypothetical. If senators decide that Kavanaugh did commit assault and choose to oppose him, their vote may also rest on the fact that, in their estimation, he lied about the attack. (Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican, has already indicated that lying about the alleged assault, rather than the act itself, would be disqualifying.) It is perfectly consistent to believe that nobodys life should be ruined for committing a crime at age 17and that any adult who lies about that crime should not be elevated to the Supreme Court. Rejecting Kavanaughs confirmation on this basis wouldnt be doling out punishment, but rather withholding a privilege. Advertisement Luckily, the Senate is not a criminal court; these charges need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Senators only duty in assessing such appointments is to provide advice and consent, if they so choose. To ascertain whether Kavanaugh has earned their vote, they should not just ask if he committed assault as a teenager: They must also decide whether the nominee is being truthful today. Under these circumstances, evasion is unacceptable, and any attempt at dissimulation should be rejected. Kavanaugh must answer to these charges directly and correctly. If he does not, the Senate will have no good reason to give him its consent. And it will have more to do with his words at age 53 than his actions at age 17. The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trumps pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, faces uncertainty this week after more details were revealed about accusations of attempted rape that were made by a former high school acquaintance, Christine Blasey Ford. Ford is a California-based professor. She says that as a high school student in the suburbs of Washington in the early 1980s, she was forcibly restrained by Kavanaugh and a friend of his, Mark Judge, who is now a conservative writer. Ford claims they held her down, turned up music so that other people would not hear her resistance, and attempted to remove her clothes and assault her, although they did not succeed. Advertisement In a special bonus episode of Slates Political Gabfest recorded on Monday, before it was announced Kavanaugh and Ford would be testifying next week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz discuss the allegations facing Kavanaugh, what it might mean for the November midterm elections, and the future of the Supreme Court. Below youll find a transcript of their conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity. You can find Slates Political Gabfest via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you listen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emily Bazelon: The big thing that changed between last week and Sunday was that Ford came forward. Previously, the accusation had been anonymous. And when it was anonymous, it seemed impossible for the Judiciary Committee to act on it. I would agree that we cant live in a world in which anonymous, unverified accusations derail anyone from anything. But now we know who this person is, we have the details shes alleging, and the question is: What happens next? Do the Republicans ram through this confirmation vote this week, or do they try to get to the bottom of this accusation and find out how credible it is? Advertisement David Plotz: Before we get into the fight that I expect you and I are about to have, lets talk about what needs to happen. As currently constituted, the Judiciary Committee has more or less finished its hearing. They finished the hearings and scheduled a vote for Thursday, which would then advance Kavanaugh to the full Senate for confirmation, presuming he gets through the Judiciary Committee, which has an 11-to-10 Republican advantage. If one Republican senator decided not to go ahead with this vote or vote against it, or say we dont want this vote yet, the committee might not be able to have its vote yet. Advertisement And of course, theres only a two senator advantage for the GOP in the full Senate, so if two senators decided they wouldnt vote for Kavanaugh, that would imperil his nomination, assuming all Democrats went along with it. As we stand, Emily, it seems like a couple of Republican senators have expressed the desire to have hearingsthat the vote should be delayed until we hear more from Ford and Kavanaugh. Is that right? Advertisement Bazelon: I think so. I could be a little behind, but my sense was that Jeff Flake from Arizona, who is retiring, was the first person to come forward with a pretty strong statement about delaying the vote. Bob Corker, a little less strong, but said, Yeah, we should look into this. And then Lisa Murkowski from Alaska was the third person, with a much more equivocal statement by Lindsey Graham of South Carolina saying, If she wants to speak to us, Ill listen to what she has to say. But by the way, here is the Republican official response about how suspicious the timing of her coming forward is. Advertisement Plotz: And I think [Susan] Collins may have also expressed, in principle, a desire to hear more from her, as well as three of the Democrats who are most likely to vote for Kavanaughthey have all said that they should hear from her. And even Kellyanne Conway at the White House has said she should be taken seriously and heard from, although what that actually means in practical terms, I dont know. Advertisement Advertisement We could have a situation where she comes forth and testifies, and Kavanaugh and perhaps [the other man Ford other accused Mark] Judge come forth and testify about this, which would be a remarkable and unprecedented spectacle, and probably would have one person asserting one version of events and two people denying it, or asserting that they dont remember it, or that shes telling a falsehood. Bazelon: Right. And from the perspective of procedural fairness and truth seeking, isnt that kind of testimony what we should hope would happen? Im really not sure its going to happen, and I am worried about the spectacle of the Clarence Thomas hearings and the treatment of Anita Hill by the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time. Thats the cloud hanging over this whole prospect. But just in terms of whether its fair to Kavanaugh to get to the bottom of these allegations, what do you think about the idea of Ford and Kavanaugh and Judge publicly testifying? Advertisement Plotz: I am absolutely confused and muddled about this, Emily. I am really confused. Do you think that on its face, if this is true, that Kavanaugh is disqualified from being a Justice of the Supreme Court? Advertisement Bazelon: If this is truelets be in the if this is true universe. If this is true, I dont think that this allegation against him when he was 17 on its own is disqualifying. And the reason I say that is not to condone the behavior. If its true, its awful. But he was 17, and that means he was not legally an adult. Now, there are lots of states who, for the purposes of an attempted rape charge, would treat a 17-year-old as an adult. And [theres] lots of irony, I guess, or hypocrisy about the notion of conservatives defending Kavanaugh, saying theres no need to look into any of this, while very happily going along with sentencing lots of poor people, especially people of color, to prison on similar charges. So lets just establish that that is problematic. Advertisement Advertisement But 17-year-olds, their brains are still developing. Theyre, on average, not great at impulse control, and there are reasons to be concerned about holding people accountable forever for transgressions when they were teenagers. That said, I dont think thats why Kavanaughs nomination would go down. It would go down because if this is true, then he is lying or denying it, and not taking any sort of responsibility or having any recognition of the immorality and the wrong he did to someone here. And that seems to me the act of a 53-year-old, which we very much can hold him responsible for. Advertisement Advertisement Plotz: Right. I think I agree with everything you just said, unfortunately. It is certainly the case that a 17-year-old who acts in this wayits a disgusting way, it is deplorable, it is criminal. Its a criminal act as described if he did this. Advertisement Bazelon: Right. And if our sons did this, we would be really horrified. We dont mean to condone this at all. Plotz: And also, I think your point that this is a kind of thing which, if youre a poor black kid who gets caught doing something like thisespecially to a white, teenage girlyoure undoubtedly facing criminal charges, and theyre going to charge you as an adult, and everyones going to make a big deal about how you were 17, you ought to know better, youre an adult. And the fact that Kavanaugh was rich, white, privileged undoubtedly means that he would have been treated more leniently had this been brought up at the time. Advertisement Mark Judge has written about how much partying [he did], and how drunk he was, and his own drinking, so we should expect that he was a riotous teenager. It seems to me entirely possible that the events as described took place, and that they were part of a kind of a culture of drunkenness and fratty, dumb, boy school bad behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Bazelon: And does that make them better or worse? Plotz: No, of course it doesnt make it Bazelon: Or is it just irrelevant? The fact that he was underage is mitigating, right? Hes still culpable, but it makes him less culpable. Plotz: If theres no pattern of him as an adult behaving this way, if he has been above-board and behaved honorably in all of his interactions with women, sexually and otherwise, since then, then we should count that very heavily in his favor, that it didnt precede a lifetime of being a sexual assaulter and harasser and would-be rapist. But your point that if he doesnt own up to it, if he doesnt make any admission about it, it does suggest that hes willing to lie and not bear more responsibility for his actions if this is true. Advertisement Bazelon: And theres a lot of victim-trashing that is going to be unleashed by that because his defenders have every incentive to go after this woman and call her a liar. Its already starting. And so if this is true, he is responsible for all of that, and thats disqualifying. Advertisement Plotz: But this is not the same as what Clarence Thomas did. Clarence Thomas was an adult with a pattern of sexually harassing behavior towards women who worked for him as a man in his 40s, and I dont think these are the same cases at all. Its very clear to me that Thomas, under todays circumstances, would not get confirmed, did not deserve to be confirmed, and should not be on the court for the reasons that we know now about, and we knew about then. Advertisement Bazelon: Well, Im not sure. Its hard to redo the Thomas hearings because he denied it all. We have to say that. He said this was a high-tech lynching. He absolutely said Anita Hill was lying. And if the Republican senators voting on his nomination believed him, then he would have been confirmed. I think when we look back at the Thomas hearingsall the composition of the Senate Judiciary Committee is really different. There would not be this row of white men sitting in judgment of Anita Hill. There are four strong Democratic women on that committee. There are men who are feminists on that committee. Advertisement Advertisement Plotz: Arent the Republicans basically just white guys? Im not sure. Theres probably a woman among them. Advertisement Bazelon: No, all the women are Democrats. I think this testimony of Fords, if it happens, is going to have some really ugly parts to it, but she would also have her defenders in the room, which Anita Hill didnt have, [or not any defender] with a microphone in front of them. The other thing about Anita Hill, which has to be said, is there was another woman who had come forward with similar harassment allegations against Thomas who was never called as a witness. And there were also a couple of people who were what we call contemporaneous witnessespeople Hill had told about the harassment at the time. They were never called to back her up. And so Anita Hill stood there alone at a moment when actually there were other women who should have been called to stand in solidarity with her. Advertisement We have no idea if there is anyone else out there whos going to show up to back up Christine Ford, and obviously if he or she did, that would change the conversation. But you dont have to have multiple accounts of assault to hold someone responsible, especially in a situation like this where, in our hypothetical universe where we think Kavanaugh did indeed do this, then hes lying and hes unleashed the powerful forces defending him against this victim. Advertisement Advertisement Plotz: I just want to point out that you and I have both staked a position, which is this is not disqualifying for Kavanaugh if he concedes it. But thats slightly ridiculous for us to say that because if he concedes it, then he wont be confirmed. Then people will say hes a would-be rapist, and therefore, he cant be confirmed. Can you imagine him admitting any of it, and then for Senate Republicans to come out and say were voting for him? They cant. He has to deny it all, so weve set up an impossible situation where theres nothing that he could do that could satisfy. Advertisement Advertisement Bazelon: Too bad. We should also say that it is different to get to ascend to the Supreme Court than it is to go to jail. Were talking about an enormous honorific with a great deal of power versus criminal punishment. Too bad if hes in a predicament. And I also think that the door is closed now because his denials have been so vehement and hes clearly not going to back down, but there was a way forward and it had to do with Mark Judges account of high school, which was full of blackout episodes of being drunk. And so there was a world in which Kavanaugh, knowing in his heart that this happened or something like this happened, or very plausibly could have happened, could have said, Look, I did stuff in high school I dont remember, and I really hope I didnt do this. But its possible. That door closed sometime over the weekend. Its not coming back. Advertisement Advertisement Plotz: Do you think were now going to have testimony where hes going to have to talk about his high school drinking habits? Bazelon: Why shouldnt he? Plotz: Is it going to get at that level? Bazelon: Look, either this testimony happens and theres a full questioning, because the Democrats on the committee are going to ask questions of him and Judge to try to assess whether theyre telling the truth in the same way that people assess whether Ford is telling the truth. That happens and everybody testifiesthats Door 1. Door 2 is President Trump withdraws his nomination because its hard to imagine those hearings playing out in a way thats more favorable to Kavanaugh, and they just cut their losses and move on to the next nominee. Door 3 is that the Republicans just ram this vote through, but it does seem like there are enough senators who hold the key votes. Advertisement Advertisement Plotz: That sounds like you think theres a reasonable possibility they pull the nomination? Bazelon: I do. Because when you start imagining this testimony and this hearing in this moment, its going to be a mess. It could be a mess for Kavanaugh, it could be a mess for Ford. Although to me shes looking credible. And it could be a real mess for the Republican Party in November. Right? The political ramifications of going after this woman withlets imagine a moment in which she testifies, and she comes across as credible and sympathetic. What more do the women of America [need] to vote against Republicans in Congress than seeing that person raked over the coals for the sake of this nominee? They can find someone else to fill these shoes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plotz: The politics of it is, for Republicans thinking about the midterms, its much better for them if Kavanaugh goes down than if hes approved. If hes approved, especially after allegations like this, Democrats will be absolutely exorcized. Any Democrat who had any ambiguity, especially any woman [who] was thinking of voting for Democrats, will have yet another reason, and Republicans wont have that same reason to get out and vote for the court. If this nomination goes down and were in November without a full complement on the court, then I think there will be a lot of animated Republican voters who will come out and say, You know, Ive got to get out and vote because even [though Im] holding my nose around Trump, even holding my nose for the stupidity that this Republican Congress, its very important that we get the Supreme Court justice approved. And thats going to be great news for Republican turnout, I would think. Having the nomination go down is probably their best hope. Advertisement Advertisement Bazelon: Fast, too. If youre Mitch McConnell and youre ruthless about this, politically speaking, you pull Kavanaugh right away, you pick someone else who hopefully has no skeleton in his or her closet, and then you get that nomination moving, but not all the way through by Nov. 4. And so if you absolutely need to confirm that person in a lame-duck session if Republicans lose control of the Senate, you could still do that, but you have it dangling out there for your voters. Advertisement By the way, I do not think that Amy Coney Barrett, who is a lot of conservative Christians favorite choice, is easily confirmable. Someone in the Federalist Society told me this week that the second choice, the runner-up back when they chose Kavanaugh was Thomas Hardiman, whos a judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. Advertisement Plotz: Before we leave, lets talk about the credibility of Ford. She did not come forward with this allegation at the time it happened. She didnt bring charges against Kavanaugh. She made no accusation against him. It first seems to have appeared in her life, or she seems to have been talking about it, in 2012. And she appears to have talked about it to a therapist. Bazelon: Yeah, and I think her husband was there because it was couples therapy. Plotz: [Her statements then] didnt seem to have come with Kavanaughs name. But she has passed a lie detector test for what thats worth, which I would say zero. And she has made what is clearly a very conscious decision to upend her life and expose herself to a significant amount of humiliation and attack. I think that actually weighs in her favor, the fact that she would be willing to expose herself after not being willing to. She said Ill do this anonymously and then realized, You know what, I have a responsibility to be public about it because otherwise it wont get a fair hearing. I think the fact that she, knowing what happened to Anita Hill, the fact that she was willing to be public about it is an enormous checkmark in her favor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bazelon: I will just say it straight up. I had a lot of reasons to wonder about Kavanaughs nomination before this happened, and also reasons to err on the side of believing people who come forward in situations like this, so you can take everything that follows with that grain of salt. That said, to me there are some real reasons to think that this is a credible accusation, or reasons to discount the things that might push in the other direction. To me, its totally believable that a high school girl in the 1980s would not have talked to anyone or made an accusation like this about what had happened because of the shame and the fear that she would have felt. Ive felt that from my own personal experience. I know that there are lots of women who went to high school in the 1980s and after who had bad things happen to them with boys, drunk boys, asshole boys, and didnt tell anyone, and certainly didnt think of this as something that you could go to the police about. So I feel supersympathetic to her about that. Advertisement I also feel really sympathetic about why it took her a long time to decide that she could really come forward, because of the price that Anita Hill paid and that other women pay. Even in this moment of #MeToo when some men are toppling, it is a risky, risky thing to do. Im sure Christine Blasey Ford has lots of other things that shes done that she would like to be remembered for, and now her moment on the public stage is this one, and that is tough. That is a tough thing to decide to do. Advertisement There are all kinds of disincentives for coming forward, so add that to her credibility. If other people come forward and there is proof that this didnt happen, Im open to that. I dont think the case is closed, but I think its really important to think about the reasons why she didnt tell anyone at the time, and the reasons why she hasnt come forward until now. Plotz: Knowing the behavior that young men at private schools around Washington indulged in at that time, and knowing the culture of the time, I think its very credible. It sounds a lot like things that I saw or heard about happening among people I knew. And the idea that she wouldnt mention it seems 100 percent congruent with what I would expect from a girl at that time. The culture was not welcoming to it. She wouldnt have been taken too seriously, and it would have been dismissed as just boys being boys, and it would have been a he saidshe said at best. Theres no reason to think she would have been able to come forward successfully and gotten anywhere, especially given that there was noas she describes it, it wasnt a rape. It was an attempted rape. Bazelon: Right, which meant that she didnt have any physical evidence. As soon as it was over, she wouldnt have had that. Plotz: Its certainly the case if theres some other story about some gross misbehavior relating to women that comes out about him, especially one where hes an adult, I think that is unsurvivable. That is a problem. Bazelon: Yeah, but lets not decide that we need a second accuser. Lets not step that far. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold hearings starting Monday with Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school. Both Ford and Kavanaugh appear likely to testify, but they are not the only witnesses who should be called to the stand. As a number of legal pundits noted, there is a third person who must be questioned by the committee: Kavanaughs Georgetown Prep classmate, Mark Judge, who Ford said was allegedly involved in the attack. Advertisement Ford says the two men trapped her in a bedroom during a party in Maryland in the early 1980s. She was around 15 and Kavanaugh, who was around 17, allegedly pinned her to a bed and tried to strip off her bathing suit, covering her mouth when she tried to scream for help. Eventually, Judge pounced on top of both of them, by Fords recollection, causing chaos that allowed her to escape. Both teenagers were stumbling drunk, according to Ford. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge is in a unique position to provide testimony on the incident in question, and hes uniquely positioned to comment on the aftermath, too. When approached for an interview by the New Yorker on Friday, Judge said that he had no recollection of the incident. He then proclaimed Kavanaughs innocence in more detailed responses to the Weekly Standard and the New York Times later in the day, all of this occurring while the accusation was still anonymous. After Ford went on the record to the Washington Post on Sunday, Judge then reverted back to his initial statement that he didnt remember the incident and asked to be left alone. I repeat my earlier statement that I have no recollection of any of the events described in todays Post article or attributed to [Fords] letter [detailing the accusation], Judge told the Weekly Standard on Sunday. Since I have nothing more to say I will not comment further on this matter. I hope you will respect my position and my privacy. Advertisement If the Judiciary Committee is going to conduct anything resembling a fair inquiry into the matter, it must call Judge to testify and subpoena him if necessary. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that only Ford and Kavanaugh would be called to testify. But Judge is in a unique position to provide testimony on the incident in question, and hes uniquely positioned to comment on the aftermath. In a written statement describing the alleged assault, Ford also wrote that she once saw Judge after the incident and he was extremely uncomfortable seeing me. Advertisement In addition to these questions, Judge could expand on his own relationship with Kavanaughhe could, for example, elucidate the plausibility of an episode in which both of them would have been stumbling drunk at such a party together. Kavanaugh, for his part, has categorically denied the incident and said that he wasnt at the party in question, even though Ford herself has not offered a precise date or location. Advertisement Advertisement Why wouldnt they call this witness to the stand? Republicans on the committee might be hesitating to call Judge because, based on his public writings, he would make a terrible character witness on behalf of Kavanaugh. Thats because Judge appears to be in a position to show that Kavanaughs high school days did involve heavy drinking. In 1997, Judge published a memoir about his own experience with alcoholism in high school, titled Wasted: Tales of a Gen X Drunk. In that book, which makes frequent use of pseudonyms, he talked about an incident involving a figure named Bart OKavanaugh who puked in someones car the other night and passed out on his way back from a party. Judge also described a contest among his classmates that involved finishing 100 kegs prior to graduation. This appears to be a reference to real life: Kavanaughs own yearbook entry lists him as treasurer of Keg City Club 100 Kegs or Bust. Judges yearbook page similarly made reference to 100 KEGS or Bust. There are other clues about the two mens friendship in the yearbook. Kavanaughs senior yearbook page has a line saying JudgeHave You Boofed Yet? and Judge has one saying Bart, have you boofed yet? (That same yearbook page for Judge includes the quote: Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs.) Kavanaugh has discussed his college drinking days in the past with the Federalist Society. Advertisement Advertisement This is not to shame either man for drinking in high school, or in college. Rather, it is to acknowledge that theres a swath of already-public evidence that seems to pertain directly to the incident at hand. The purpose of examining this history could help us gauge the consistency of both Judge and Kavanaughs testimony and weigh it against Fords. Both need to be asked under oath about their drinking together to see whether any inconsistencies emerge. For her part, Fords own lawyer has cited this behavior as relevant evidence. My client had a beer. She was not stumbling drunk, attorney Debra Katz told CBS on Monday. The men were stumbling drunk, and one only needs to look at the writings of Mark Judgewho was the other person presentto know that he wrote about how stumbling drunk he and other members of Georgetown Prep were repeatedly, routinely. Advertisement Advertisement There is other public writing from Judge that is potentially relevant to his testimony. It happens that Judge, who deleted his Twitter account after Ford came forward, is a published author who has written and tweeted extensively about sex, sexual assault, and masculinity. For example, according to archives of a blog post he wrote for GotNews.com, Judge was initially skeptical of the Rolling Stone sexual assault story at the University of Virginia, writing that it was unbelievable because the woman at the center of the case did not scream and that none of the made-up assailants had had an attack of conscience. Judge was proven correct about the report being untrue. This writing, though, indicates that Judge himself understands the necessity of hearing sworn testimony from the accuser and the accused. Advertisement Advertisement In a piece written for Acculturated in 2013, Judge seemed to approvingly cite the trope of shaming victims of sexual assault for how they dressed. Indeed, in responding to an essayists argument that feminist men ought to interpret a womans actions before pursuing them, he writes, If a woman at her computer in Starbucks is, as Jarune [Uwujaren] argues, sending out several signals simply by the way she is sitting, then women who dress like prostitutes are also sending out signals. (He acknowledges that the signal is not that they should be raped.) Judge elaborated on his views in a 2015 post for Splice Today: Of course, a man must be able to read a womans signals, and its a good thing that feminism is teaching young men that no means no and yes means yes. But theres also that ambiguous middle ground, where the woman seems interested and indicates, whether verbally or not, that the man needs to prove himself to her. And if that man is any kind of man, hell allow himself to feel the awesome power, the wonderful beauty, of uncontrollable male passion. Advertisement Advertisement Judge has also written homophobic comments suggesting gay people were perverts and has complained that they had overrun the now defunct political news site TBD.com. He once wrote a misogynistic column for the Daily Caller describing Barack Obama as the first female president and describing Michelle Obama as actually more man than her husband. In that story, Judge said he longed for the days when president George W. Bush gave his wife Laura a loving but firm pat on the backside in public, noting the man knew who was boss. On top of this, his deleted YouTube page, according to Splinter, featured sexualized videos of young women. Advertisement Advertisement Even beyond his writing, there is reason why Republicans eager to see Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court might be reluctant to use Judge as a witness. Judges own brother has in the past described him as an unreliable narrator. Responding to an article in the Washingtonian in 1997 that Judge wrote, which portrayed their father in a negative light, his brother Michael wrote to the Washingtonian: Mark is a solipsist: spoiled as a child, gazing always inward, unable to recognize any pain but his own. Advertisement And finally, there is this story about Judges treatment of his colleague at Washington City Paper, where he occasionally contributed as a freelance writer. (Multiple other members of the City Paper described a similar account, which seemed to also line up with an episode Judge has written about himself.) A few Wash City Paper colleagues reminded me in the past day that this Kavanaugh character witness is the writer who, when I was arts editor in 1998, expressed his displeasure of a decision of mine by suggesting I deserved the fate of Matthew Shepard. (Rest in peace, Matthew.) https://t.co/Ly4JFtiMc1 Brad McKee (@bradmckeeee) September 15, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of this is to say that Kavanaugh ought to be held responsible for Judges past writings or social media postings; he should not be. But on Monday, the Senate will be tasked with figuring out what exactly happened in that bedroom all those years ago, and Mark Judge is a critical witness to call to the stand. His past public work is a relevant body that should be taken into account, as it speaks to his credibility as a witness in a sexual assault probe. The stakes of next weeks hearinga lifetime appointment on the highest court in the landdemand an effort to seek the truth not just from Ford and Kavanaugh, but from Judge as well. The town of Riace is a little more than a handful of dwellings atop a small hill in Calabria, the southernmost region of Italy. Here, it can feel like the clocks stopped ticking decades ago. Young people prefer the local dialect to Italian. Buildings are eternal construction sites. Modern infrastructure is almost nonexistent. Riace is one of several medieval Italian towns, many of them in the south, that until recently seemed fated to become abandoned as a result of the postwar economic boom that saw mass migration from rural areas to cities. In Riace as in many other villages, the young locals that moved away looking for jobs were never replaced, and the town was left in the hands of an increasingly elderly population. Advertisement But Riace wasnt going to go down without a fight. At the beginning of the 2000s, the city decided to combat depopulation with a surprising strategy: welcoming thousands of migrants in search of political asylum and integrating them into the local economy. This move made the town famous and Mayor Domenico Lucanoor Mimi Capatosta (Hardheaded), as the locals call himsomething of a global celebrity. He was listed as one of the worlds 50 greatest leaders by Fortune in 2016. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But at a time when Italys national government is enacting anti-immigration policies and the population is growing increasingly skeptical and intolerant toward migrants, the Riace model is at risk, and with it the idea that an alternative model of reception, which sees immigration as a resource and not as a burden, can be applied in Italy. Advertisement Before 2004, Riace had mainly appeared in national news for three reasons: being in an area with a heavy presence of Ndrangheta (a Mafia-like organized crime group), the discovery of the famous Bronzi di Riace in the 70s, and the 1998 arrival of 184 refugees from Kurdistan. On a summer night of that year, these migrants, half of them children, were found walking single-file on the highway that runs alongside the town. It was a more welcoming era for migrants in Italy, but Riaces acceptance of its new residents stood out. But by 2004, the beginning of Lucanos first term, Riace was dying. The 186 Kurds had almost all left town, as had many locals. Its population was down to about 500, compared to 3,000 before World War II. The just-elected mayors antidote to this trend was quite simple: welcoming more refugees in order to stop depopulation, integrating them into the local economy in order to boost it, and making them part of Riaces social system in order to keep it alive. Or as he recently told me, seated at a cafe in the towns main square on a hot July morning: Let them help Riace, and help them in return. Advertisement Advertisement He continued: The situation was dramatic and it called for a dramatic solution: we had a lot of abandoned dwellings, local shops were out of business, there werent kids or young people. On the other hand, there were people who needed homes, jobs, hospitality. I dont think I did anything heroic, it was the simplest action I could think of. Advertisement Over the following 15 years Riace became a refuge for people escaping hunger, war, and persecution. Since 2004, it is estimated that more than 6,000 migrants have passed through Riace. About 500, from more than 20 different countries, now live there, out of a population of about 1,500 people. Today, the town proudly touts its devotion to hospitality and tolerance: A sign at the beach states that everybody, from land and sea, is welcome; the steps of the local amphitheater are painted with the colors of the peace flag; the dwellings in the hearth of the town, an area called Villaggio Globale (Global Village), are decorated with murals of boatsbringing to mind the journey that many people made to get thereclouds bearing the names of the many countries that make up the local population. Advertisement Advertisement Riace isnt the only town that has willingly taken in refugees, but what makes this community in the middle of Calabria special is the way it has dealt with them once they arrived. In most of Italy, refugees are usually hosted in dedicated facilities, with timetables and rules to follow, often isolated geographically from the community. The Riace model stood out for its emphasis on making the refugees lives as normal as possible: They are given real homes, they are free to decide what to do with their days and how to manage their time, and above all, they are given the opportunity to work. Dozens of jobs were created for migrants and locals alike, under the guidance of Citta Futura, a non-governmental organization founded by the mayor with this specific goal in mind. Locals were employed in roles related to integration, creating a network of cultural mediators, translators, and Italian-language teachers. The migrants, meanwhile, worked on restoring houses, keeping the city clean and functional, and found employment in the numerous workshops that are now one of Riaces most recognizable features. Advertisement Advertisement The old houses of the Villaggio Globale host several workshops teaching artisanal techniques in making and selling local products: ceramics, woodwork, chocolate, glassware, and kites, to name a few. In each of them, migrants work six hours a day side by side with locals, for a salary of about 600 euros a month. The Riace model is at risk, and with it the idea that an alternative model of reception, which sees immigration as a resource and not as a burden, can be applied in Italy. As I wandered from one to the other asking questions, I perceived a preference in people to speak about their jobs rather than their past. Toto, a 23-year old woodworker born and raised in the town, tells me he is happy to have a job that did not exist up until a few years ago. Fatima, an Afghan woman in the sewing workshop, talks to me about how she learned her craft and how much better it is than being confined in a refugee camp. But mostly, people idly complain about the long working hours, the difficulties of staying on top of everything, and the slow business. In other words, the same comments and complaints as any worker in the world, more or less. Theres extraordinary degree of normalcy to a situation that could have been all but normal. Advertisement The same pursuit of normalcy was behind the other unique feature of the Riace model: the vouchers that, until last year, were given to migrants in lieu of money. Under the Italian system, local governments receive an average of 35 euros per day for every migrant they take in. Of this money, a small part (about 2.50 euros a day) goes directly to the migrants. The rest is used by the local government to meet the various costs of maintenance, housing, training, and so on. In most places, this money is usually given to migrants directly in cash or grocery, in Riace half the full 35 euros that each migrant was entitled to was given to them in form of vouchers: pieces of paper with the faces of iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela, Che Guevara, or Gandhi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The system might seem to be restrictive, but it was meant to foster a sense of community. It was a symbolic act that had some very practical reasons behind it, explains local politician Maria Spano, a member of Laltra Riace, the left-wing party list now in charge of the local government. First of all, there was the intention of avoiding the distribution of cash or groceries, which can be humiliating. Then, the willingness to give these people a little control over their money, to spend it on food or stuff they liked. Lastly, they were intended to make up for the regular delays with which money is distributed by the central government. These vouchers act as a kind of credit for the local shopkeepers, who would be reimbursed once the local government receives the money. Advertisement These two instruments, the employment programs and the vouchers brought the Riace model appreciation from all over the world, including praise from Pope Francis. However, the models fame does not guarantee its continuity. Today, the very pillars of the Riace model are at risk, and its future looks grim. Talking to people in the town, there is a tendency to use the past tense, and a pervasive sense of mistrust toward institutions and the central government. Advertisement The first problem is economic. Calabria is among the poorest regions in Europe, with one of the highest unemployment rates (more than 20 percent for the population as a whole, 60 percent for people under 25); a region in which, due mainly to the lack of services and infrastructure, tourism is almost completely absent; where corruption is everywhere, thanks in large part to the Ndrangheta, has an interest in keeping the region underdeveloped. Advertisement In this environment, Riaces model cannot stand on its own two legs. It relies completely on the immigration funds paid to the town by the central government. The bureaucracy involved in making sure the town receives its immigration funds is very delicate and complex, and includes frequent inspections and reports to keep track of where the money goes, how it is spent, and which programs can be implemented and how. These problems were manageable, and the government willing to support the town, the political winds changed in 2016. First, the use of the vouchers was deemed unacceptable by the minister of the interior, and they had to be abandoned. Then, the funds allocated to the employment programs stopped arriving. Advertisement Advertisement A big chunk of the funds the town had been receiving is frozen while government commissions analyze its programs. The massive delay in backlogged payments has further dried out the town treasury. People have not received their salaries for months now. Local business owners have not been reimbursed the advanced money from the vouchers. So far, Riace has been able to keep going thanks to a network of volunteers, the help of migrant associations, and the patience of its inhabitants. But today the city it at risk of default. Advertisement The approach to immigration in Italy has deeply changed. And yet, the most absurd thing in this complex story is the fact that nobody, from politicians to operators, seems to know why exactly the funds were cut or suspended, whether the measure is temporary or definitive, if other inspections will bring different answers. When it was announced at the beginning of August that Riace would not receive funds for the first half of 2018, Mayor Lucano went on a hunger strike to protest against the injustice that Riace has been suffering in the last two years, pointing out a huge debt accumulated towards the workers, suppliers, and the refugees themselves. Meanwhile, in recent weeks, several public figures, including anti-mafia journalist Roberto Saviano, made an appeal in defense of Riace and it was launched a fundraising to support its model. Advertisement In the absence of long-term answers, Riace is living in a sort of limbo where the only sure thing is that the current situation is not sustainable for long. Adding further doubts, Lucano is currently under investigation for fraud, bribery, and abuse of office. The charges are related to a lack of sufficient reports for some expenses related to migrant programs in 2014. The approach to immigration in Italy has deeply changed. It did not happen overnight, and it would be too easy to blame it all on the new government. It was a long process in which many factors played a role: the economic crisis, politicians unable to respond to peoples needs and prone to sending whatever message was needed in order to gather some votes, the geographic position, the lack of help from Europe, the inability of states to cope with globalization. The result of all this is a xenophobic and nationalist government, whose approach toward immigration in personified by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of the far-right Lega Nord (Northern League) partyLucanos nemesis, who has already stated that he considers the mayor of Riace a zero. Salvinis political message is almost completely focused on his fight against immigration, and one of his favorite subjects is the 35 euros a day given to each migrantmoney that, according to him, is turning migrants into rich idlers who spend their days in luxury hotels paid for by Italian citizens. This message made Lega Nord one of the winners in Italys last election, allowing it to form a government with the Five Star Movement. Even in Riace, Salvinis message appeals to some. In the days I spent there, most of the residents I talked to defended their mayor and his approach toward immigration. But I also met a consistent minority that could not help but show poorly concealed hostility toward migrants. They voiced a watered down versions of Salvinis Italians first, with the insuperable conviction that the money going to migrants should be going to Italians instead. Often they voiced suspicions that the mayor was personally benefiting from the immigration program. In this context, with Lucanos time in office coming to an end and no certainty of who will succeed him, Riace could come to represent the exact opposite of what it has represented so far: not the dream of a welcoming and tolerant Italy, but a demonstration that utopias cannot exist in reality. One of the darkest fears about the conflict in Syria, particularly since Russia began its full-fledged military intervention in 2015, was that through miscommunication or overreaction, the increasing number of foreign militaries operating in the country could come into direct conflict with each other, sparking a wider, more dangerous war. (More dangerous, that is, for countries other than Syria. For Syrians, its been an unmitigated hell for seven years.) Its either relieving or profoundly depressing to note that as this dangerous scenario now happens with some regularity, the various actors around Syria simply shrug and go on with their grim business. Advertisement The latest incident took place Monday when Syrian anti-aircraft missiles shot down a Russian warplane off the coast near the city of Latakia, where Russia has an air base, killing 15 personnel on board. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Russia blamed not its Syrian allies but the Israelis. According to the Russian defense ministry, Israeli jets in the area put the Russian Il-20 in the path of Syrian air defense systems. In a Twitter statement, the Israel Defense Forces acknowledged carrying out an airstrike against a facility of the Syrian Armed Forces but said its jets were back in Israeli airspace by the time the Russian plane was fired upon. The IDF said it held the Assad regime, along with Iran and Hezbollah, responsible for the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Either way, the diplomatic spat ended quickly. After a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Putin blamed the incident on a chain of tragic accidental circumstances. Russia and Israel certainly arent allies when it comes to Syria. Russia, along with Iran, is the main backer of the Assad regime, while Israel has been waging a quiet war against Iranian proxies in Syria. Israel has increased those airstrikes this year, including Saturdays attack on an Iranian arms shipment at the Damascus airport. Russia has generally not objected to these strikes and receives warning of them via a deconfliction system (though there have been some close calls involving Israeli strikes on facilities where Russian personnel are present). Advertisement Netanyahu and Putin have had a number of recent high-profile meetings, including one in July after which the Israeli leader said that Russia had agreed to keep Iranian forces away from Israel in exchange for Israel accepting Assads continued rule. A few days later, Israeli concerns appear to have been a major topic at the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki. Putin would like to be the leader that negotiates a peaceful end-state in Syriaon his terms, naturallyand knows that he cant do that unless the Israelis feel relatively secure, a tall order given that leaving Iranian-backed Assad in power will likely be part of any final deal. Advertisement All of this is to say that even if the Russians are fed up with Israel conducting airstrikes near them and blame the Israelis for the killing of 15 troops on Monday, theres little political incentive for Putin to make a big deal about it. Advertisement This is becoming something of a pattern after Russians are killed not by rebels or terrorists but by other countries militaries. The most obvious comparison for this incident is the 2015 downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkish F-16s in 2015. Advertisement While this was a major diplomatic incident at the time, Russian-Turkish relations have improved dramatically since then, as both countries relations with Europe and the United States have declined. Earlier on Monday, Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a potentially major deal to forestall a disastrous military offensive in Idlib. There was also this years incident in February, when the U.S. launched an airstrike against pro-Assad forces believed to be attacking Kurdish positions, killing a number of Russiansestimates range from dozens to about 300embedded in their ranks. Even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo boasted about killing a couple hundred Russians in his confirmation hearings, Russian statements on the incidents have downplayed the attack, stressing that the men killed were volunteers rather than Russian army personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Russia is in a very strange position in Syria. Its arguably the key outside actor in the conflict and, more impressively, has decent relationships, or at least working relationships, with most of the other key players, many of whom are in open conflict with each other: the Assad regime, the Saudis and the Gulf states, Iran, Israel, Turkey, the Kurds, the United States. (That last ones a little more complicated.) Because of these delicate relationships, Russia does not appear to be in a position to respond or even voice major objections when one of those actors kills its troops, accidentally or in some cases deliberately. This cant be an encouraging message for the troops and volunteers in Syria who Putin is putting in harms way. The Trump administrations sweeping effort to reduce immigration to the U.S. by any means necessary continued Monday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announcing the number of refugees allowed to resettle in U.S will now be capped at 30,000, the lowest yearly total since the refugee programs creation in 1980. The latest tightening of Americas borders comes after the Trump administration slashed the number of refugees allowed to stay in the country to 45,000 last year, down from nearly 85,000 refugees in the final year of the Obama administration. Advertisement The government is required by law to announce refugee numbers for the upcoming fiscal year, but the continual reduction is further evidence of the Trump administrations hostility to accepting immigrants and its belief, despite the opposition of human rights organizations, that the American public at large remains supportive of curbing immigration despite sporadic blowback for the tactics deployed by the Trump administration, particularly its policy of separating undocumented children from their parents at the border. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, last year was the first time the United States resettled fewer refugees than the rest of the world combined, the Washington Post notes. But on a per capita basis, the United States is far less generous than countries like Canada, Australia and Norway, all of which resettled more than 500 refugees per 1 million residents. The United States last year resettled 102 refugees per 1 million residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some will characterize the refugee ceiling as the full barometer of Americas commitment to vulnerable people around the world, Pompeo said while announcing the reduction at the State Department Monday. This would be wrong. Pompeo, defending the reduction, said the cap was not the sole barometer of American humanitarian efforts and must must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States. Pompeo did not take questions following his statement. The announcement is the culmination of a quiet but successful effort by Stephen Miller, the presidents senior policy adviser, to severely restrict the number of refugees offered protection inside the country, the New York Times reports. Mr. Miller had pressed for capping the program at as low as 25,000, according to people familiar with the discussions, while others inside the administration had supported maintaining the 45,000 ceiling. President Trump on Monday ordered the declassification of select classified documents relating to the Russia investigation, including the secret court order and supporting interviews that allowed for the surveillance of former campaign adviser Carter Page. The selection of documents, which includes unredacted text messages from former government officials Trump has pegged as mortal enemiesincluding former FBI director James Comey, deputy director Andrew McCabe, former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, as well as interviews with Justice Department official Bruce Ohramount to a one-sided data dump under the auspices of transparency thats designed to provide ammunition to Trump allies in congress to discredit and derail the Mueller investigation. Advertisement Trump allies in the House have for months been sparring with the intelligence community in its efforts to try to obtain what are essentially cherrypicked documents to validate Trumps claims that he is the subject of some sort of widespread conspiracy, rather than an investigation into wrongdoing by Trump or his associates. Its a political fight that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has faced most publicly, telling congress the DOJ is not going to be extorted in select members push to gain access to classified records. When the President issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of Americas national security interests, the Department of Justice said in a statement Monday. The Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the Presidents order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The circumstances surrounding the FISA warrant granted to monitor Carter Page have been used by the right as evidence that the agencies were out to get Trump dating back to the campaign and the current investigation is therefore inherently biased. The Justice Department had turned over thousands of pages of materials to Congress, though its leaders had made clear there was a line they would not cross because making some materials public might put sources at risk or harm an ongoing investigation, the Washington Post notes. The Justice Department already has released thousands of texts from Lisa Page and Strzok, and it has also made public a heavily redacted version of its application for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court order to monitor Carter Page. Legal experts and former government officials said the move represented an extraordinary level of presidential involvement in an investigation that has notched guilty pleas from five of Mr. Trumps associates, the Wall Street Journal reports. Former government officials said the documents wouldnt necessarily immediately become public but would instead likely be transmitted to committees in Congress that have requested the information, particularly the House Intelligence Committee. Lawmakers could then choose to release the information. It also would become subject to freedom of information laws. Well, lets get this over with. Alleged former Donald Trump paramour Stormy Daniels has written a book in which she describes the current presidents penis as looking like the character Toad from the racing video game Mario Kart, and the Guardian got a copy: He knows he has an unusual penis, Daniels writes. It has a huge mushroom head. Like a toadstool I lay there, annoyed that I was getting fucked by a guy with Yeti pubes and a dick like the mushroom character in Mario Kart Advertisement Here is what a Yeti is supposed to look like. Here is Toad from Mario Kart. Here is a container for you to spew in. Daniels has said she had a brief sexual relationship with Trump that began in 2006. Trump has denied the affair but paid Daniels $130,000 through attorney Michael Cohen to sign a nondisclosure agreement during the 2016 campaign. (That agreement is essentially moot at this point, legally speaking.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will Trump respond to Daniels description? His history of not turning the other cheek when it comes to graphic subjects suggests he will. During the campaign, he urged Americans to check out a sex tape (which was actually footage from a reality show) involving Alicia Machado, a former Miss Universe contestant who said Trump made disparaging comments to her about her weight. Trump also responded like so, during a primary debate, to fellow candidate Marco Rubios insinuations about the potential connection between his hand size and his penis size: Advertisement He referred to my handsif they are small, something else must be smallI guarantee you theres no problem. I guarantee you. So, yesthe president of America will likely make written or verbal remarks, at some point in the near future, defending the visual appeal of his penis and pubic hair. Read more from Slate: Brett Kavanaugh Can Be Held Accountable for His Alleged Actions at Age 17 Why Marco Rubio Went on a Twitter Tirade Against Salt Bae Tesla Stock Plummets After Report of Criminal Probe Into Musks Buyout Statements Why the Middle-Class Black Neighborhood Doesnt Exist in the White Imagination Esi Edugyans new novel, Washington Black, which has already been longlisted for the Booker Prize, is the story of the eponymous central character, who in the 1830s is a slave on a Barbados sugar plantation. Black is exceptionally brighthe is only 11 when the book starts, but already has both artistic and scientific giftsand develops a strange, complex relationship with his plantation masters brother. That leads the book to many surprising twists, including a wild journey on a hot air balloon and a move to Canada, where Edugyan herself was born to Ghanaian parents. Advertisement I recently spoke by phone with Edugyan, who currently lives with her family in Victoria, British Columbia. During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we discuss how she came up with the idea for her story, the history of black people in science, and what it means to write a book about slavery in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaac Chotiner: What are the particular challenges of constructing a book around a central character whose humanity and personhood are constantly being assaulted? Esi Edugyan: I guess maybe the challenge is to remember to show that not all is darkness for him. He is somebody who has been denied every human right up until the time of his escape. Hes somebody who is searching for a sense of himself and is becoming a fully real human being, and thats his journey. Advertisement Theres so much research that one does about the history of slavery and the legacy of slavery, and its important to depict the brutality of that. But what I really wanted to do with this novel is to show the transition from leaving the brutality of that kind of a life behind into regeneration, into trying to construct a new life. The challenge is to balance the light and the dark, I guess. I didnt read any novels about slavery when I was writing this book. I just didnt want to have somebody elses creative work in my head. Esi Edugyan Novelists have different ideas on how much research they should do, but this seems like a subject that a novelist would want to do a significant amount of research on. Yeah. The novel took about three years to write all told, but I started researching shortly before I started writing it. Im somebody who will do research throughout the whole process almost until the very end. I was reading a lot about slavery and then found a few sources on how slavery manifested itself in Barbados specifically. I read deeply about that as well as reading about slave forts on the coast of West Africa. My parents came from Ghana, so 10 years or so ago we made a journey so we could visit our extended family. We visited Elmina and we visited Cape Coast Castle. Advertisement Advertisement But I also did some research into things like historical science. How people went about collecting marine specimens and how they cataloged them. That was really fascinating. Of course, the invention of the first aquarium as well. It was mainly reading, I would say. I read deeply and widely and discovered I was very interested in the history of hot air ballooning and then the stories seemed to kind of grow with the material I was reading. Advertisement Were there novels about slavery that you liked or that you felt were helpful? I didnt read any novels about slavery when I was writing this book. I think I just had my own particular vision and idea in what I wanted to do with it. I just didnt want to be influenced or have somebody elses creative work in my head. Certainly, Toni Morrisons Beloved is a huge, huge seminal text for me. I read that book many times, and I adore it. Advertisement You hear writers say things like, This is a book Ive been writing my whole life. Was that this book? I had no idea that this was what I was going to write about. Even starting the book, it had a different direction from the last draft. When I started writing this book, I really thought I was going to be writing about the Tichborne claimant series of trials, which was this infamous series of criminal trials in the 1860s and 1870s in England. The main witness for the defense in those trials was a man called Andrew Bogle, who was an ex-slave, whod been taken off a plantation in the Caribbean by a member of the Tichborne household, literally stolen and then brought into this grand estate in the south of England, I think as their butler. Advertisement Advertisement I thought that was an extraordinary, really fascinating story. I was very interested in the psychology of that, like being taken from the pain and the fixity of one life, like the idea that when youre a slave and youre born into it, you assume this is what life is and then youll die there, and it will probably be an early death and a painful death, and this is what life is. So, to be taken from that sense of predestination, that painful sense of predestination, to a place where things are more unknown and hes a stranger and he has to make his way through a new society and place. This is what was most fascinating to me. And then I ended up abandoning the framework of the Tichborne claimant story and just taking that kernel of an idea and going some other place entirely. Advertisement Advertisement Your main character is both scientifically and artistically gifted, and I think that a lot of people think of those things as pretty distinct. Was there a particular reason that you endowed this person with both of these gifts? I wasnt setting out with that dichotomy in mind. I guess it just grew out of material that seemed like he was somebody who had lived in this place and hadnt really seen or really looked at what was around him because he hadnt really been permitted to experience his own home, his own given place. Advertisement I really dont think that there necessarily has to be this dichotomy between science and art. I think we tend to stigmatize them and separate them. Advertisement I read the essay that you wrote about the historical silencing of black scientists. What got you interested in this? In having written this novel, I really started thinking about the history of black people in science. It was so fascinating because when you put black people in science into a search engine, its often articles about black people as the subjects of science or scientific experimentation, and of course, theres this awful legacy there. You dont really often hear tons about scientists of African descent. There were so many important ones, and letting that out is really just trying to shed light on a few of them that I found in particular because the stories are so It can encapsulate a lot of the issues in why were forgetting these scientists. That was fascinating to me. Advertisement What year did you start working on the book? I think it was 2014. OK, so 2014 to 2017 more or less. Obviously, a lot happened politically between 2014 and 2017 in ways that are interesting for anyone thinking about matters of race or American history. Im just curious if that changed your perception as you were working on it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I guess so, yeah. Its hard for me to articulate exactly how. I didnt consciously change my themes or change direction, but I was very conscious of the way that the book is set in the past, but a lot of it still resonates today and is very urgent. Questions of racial inequality, racial injustice, and the hardening of people against the suffering of other people. Its just one of the hugest issues were still dealing with today. But also, if you think about the abolitionists and how society was back then, its really extraordinary that when I was first studying this shift, first of all, that they recognized that slavery was a great evil but also that they were able to shift public thinking to get whole societies to understand that this was a great evil. Advertisement Youre sitting in your home in London and youve got the sugar on your table and you sprinkle it in your oatmeal, you understand that the sugar comes from the Indies. You understand that its gotten through unpaid labor and theres great hardship there. But youre still using it and you think, OK, this is a hardship but its a necessary hardship because this is what makes my life comfortable. To shift that thinking and have people get outraged over the lack of rights of other people, that was huge. This is the lack of rights of people who they had never seen before and who were physically and culturally very different from them. Thats astonishing. I think were seeing that todaythat people are getting very outraged over the lack of rights of others, and its heartening. Advertisement Advertisement How did your family make its way to Canada from Ghana? Advertisement My parents met in San Francisco. My father was doing a masters degree at Stanford. He had come from a small village and he had a scholarship. My mother was a geriatric nurse and she ended up also studyingI cant remember the school she went tobut it was somewhere in San Francisco. Somebody was having a moon landing party. They had a friend in common who had a television and everybody would just crowd around and watch. How did they make their way to America? My father would have gone over in like 68, just flown over, and my motherits strange, I dont know the particulars, but she must have flown over as well. Advertisement You never asked her? I have. My parents are very funny. Mother passed away long ago, its been about 20 years, but theyre sort of furtive about their past so its hard to get all the particulars. But I understand they were both studying there, they met, they married very shortly after they met, it was like six months. Then they went all around California. My father lived in New York for a bit and then they decided to move to Edmonton. Advertisement How do you think about Canadas racial history and distinguish it from Americas? In terms of the racial history, in terms of black people, obviously the institution of American slavery, thats obviously a huge part of your foundation. I dont want to say myths because that doesnt sound quite right, but its epic, right? Its epic. You still feel the strains and the aftereffects, and theres so much thats going on thats not some Its hard to express, but in terms of Canadian history and how we tend to think of ourselves when it comes to the slave trade, I think our central national idea that we have of ourselves when you think of black slavery is that we were the endpoint, the stopping point, the ultimate destination for the Underground Railroad. Theres a sense of, I guess I would say not quite pride, but theres a sense that we were more enlightened and here we are, were the final destination of the Underground Railroad and so that gets spoken about a lot and felt a lot. I think certainly thats extraordinary, but we dont look so much at the fact that there was slave owning going on in Quebec for hundreds of years, that people owned slaves. This is just not something that is widely discussed or studied in school. YangonMyanmars powerful army should be removed from politics, UN investigators said Tuesday in the final version of a damning report reiterating the calls for the top generals to be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. Demands have mounted for those who waged the campaign to face justice. The UNs 444-page probe is the most meticulous breakdown of the violence to date. It says the militarys top leadership should be overhauled and have no further influence over the countrys governance. Myanmars military dominates the Buddhist-majority nation, holding a quarter of seats in parliament and controlling three ministries, making their grip on power firm despite political reforms which began in 2011. But the report said the countrys civilian leadership should further pursue the removal of the Tatmadaw from Myanmars political life, referring to the nations armed forces. The UNs analysis, based on 18 months work and more than 850 in-depth interviews, urges the international community to investigate the military top brass for genocide, including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmars army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017. But the UN team said the militarys tactics had been consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats. The report says an estimated 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown and that was likely a conservative figure. Investigators said the Tatmadaw should be restructured and the process should begin by replacing the current leadership. Myanmar only recently emerged from almost a half century of military junta rule and Aung San Suu Kyis democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals. Their presence in parliament gives them an effective veto on constitutional changes, making any transition to full civilian control extremely difficult. Three key ministrieshome affairs, border and defenseare also in their hands, giving them carte blanche to conduct security operations with little oversight.It is impossible to remove the army out of political life without changing the constitution, and the military have a veto over constitutional changes, Mark Farmaner, from Burma Campaign UK, told AFP. The UN team said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocitiesincluding systematic murder, rape, torture and arsonwere committed with the intention of destroying the stateless Rohingya, warranting the charges of genocide. The mission, created by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2017, did not focus its sights entirely on the army. It directed specific criticism at Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military. While acknowledging that the civilian authorities have little influence over military actions, the report said that their acts and omissions had contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes. Pointing to deeply entrenched impunity in Myanmar, the investigators said the only chance to obtain accountability was through the international justice system. They also pointed to failings of the UNs office within Myanmar, alleging that quiet diplomacy was prioritized and that those who tried to push the UNs Human Rights Up Front approach were ignored, criticized, sidelined or blocked in these efforts. The independent UN team will present its findings to member states of the Human Rights Council in Geneva later on Tuesday, after which Myanmar will have a chance to respond to the allegations. It also repeated suggestions that crimes against the Rohingya be referred to the International Criminal Court, which concluded in August that it had jurisdiction to investigate even though Myanmar is not a member of the treaty underpinning the tribunal. Myanmar has dismissed the tribunals authority and analysts have pointed to the courts lack of enforcement powers. The investigators also recommended an arms embargo and targeted individual sanctions against those who appear to be most responsible. The Interpreter to vie for Oscar A Slovak movie, which won an award at a San Francisco festival, was chosen to represent the country in the US Film Academy contest. Both main actors have already had experience with this prize. The Interpreter, a co-production of Slovak director Martin Sulik, won the Reviewers Award at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in the middle of the summer. This is the biggest overview of Jewish movies in the USA, with international representation, the Slovak Film Institute (SFU) wrote. The movie, starring Czech director/scriptwriter/actor Jiri Menzel and German actor Peter Simonischek, premiered in Slovakia in March and tens of thousands of locals have already seen it. Storyline The plot of this special road movie revolves around an ageing Slovak interpreter from Germany of Jewish origin (Jiri Menzel) who tries to find out more about the death of his parents during World War II by contacting the son of their suspected murderer, an Austrian officer (Peter Simonischek). The two men could not be more different and both show enormous reluctance to embark on a joint trip across Slovakia to dig into the past. During their time together, however, their relationship changes, as well as their views of the past, war crimes and sins, and purposeful ignorance of history by the modern country. Vying for Oscar The Interpreter (2018) was selected by the Slovak Film and TV Academy (SFTVA) to represent the country as the national nominee for the best foreign language film category at the 2019 Academy Awards next February, the TASR newswire wrote. Both key actors already have experience with this award: Menzel won the foreign-film Oscar in 1968, at a mere 29, as director of Closely Watched Trains (his first feature film) and was shortlisted among the best five again in 1986; while Simonischek attended the final Oscar ceremony in 2016 as the star of the German comedy Toni Erdmann, which was shortlisted for the top five. The co-production was selected by the Slovak film academy to run for the Oscar from among 12 movies both documentaries and feature films which included, among others, the recently premiered pieces Dubcek (directed by Laco Halama), Meciar: The Lust for Power (Tereza Nvotova) and Intimate Enemy (Karel Janak). The Interpreter had its international premiere at Berlinale in February and is slated to compete in the European Film Awards contest, SFTVA informed TASR. Meciar documentary also successful The European Film Academy in mid-August listed the Meciar documentary, about a famous 1990s autocratic Slovak prime minister, among the 15 best European documentaries, and it will compete for the European Film Award 2018, TASR wrote. 18. Sep 2018 at 9:15 | Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovska The longest highway tunnel in Slovakia is finally bored through Drivers wont be able to drive through it though until 2022. Both lanes of the Visnove highway tunnel near Zilina have finally been bored through. The ceremonial blasting of the final stretch of the second lane took place on September 6 while the first lane has been passable since August 28. The construction consortium presented the bores on September 13. Construction Minister Arpad Ersek (Most-Hid) did not attend the ceremony, sending only the message that there is no reason for celebration. The tunnel has been subject to a nine-month delay, said Karolina Ducka, spokesperson of the Construction Ministry, as cited by the Hospodarske Noviny, adding that even longer delays hover over other goals of this project. Originally the 14-km stretch of the D1 cross-country highway, part of which is the 7.5-km Visnove tunnel, should have been completed in December 2019. Even though the end of 2020 is now talked of as the date of its completion, the ministry has extended, at the request of the builder, the deadline for construction works to 2022. Long history The history of the Visnove tunnel goes back to 1998 when the then prime minister Vladimir Meciar launched the deep boring of its control gallery, Hospodarske Noviny recalled. Years of chaos followed when firstly this highway stretch should have been built under a public-private partnership (PPP) project. After this plan was scrapped in 2010, the Slovak-Italian consortium of Duha and Salini Impregilo won the contract with costs set at almost 500 million including VAT in 2014. Works on the future tunnel started in June 2015. Read also: Read also: The D1 highway will be finished in 2026 at the earliest Read more The tunnel The Visnove tunnel with its 7.5 km length will be the longest tunnel in Slovakia and the seventh in Europe. It will be part of the D1 stretch Lietavska Lucka Visnove-Dubna Skala. From the western side it will join the Hricovske Podhradie-Lietavska Lucka stretch. This one is also under construction and should be completed in February 2019. From the western side it will join the already complete Dubna Skala-Turany stretch, bypassing the city of Martin. After completion, the stretch with the Visnove tunnel will enable drivers traveling from Bratislava towards Kosice to bypass Zilina from the southern side and thus bypass the problematic stretch regularly causing traffic jams below Strecno Castle. Driving time from Zilina to Martin should be shortened by about 15 minutes. 18. Sep 2018 at 5:59 | Compiled by Spectator staff I am not afraid, I do not work like Kuciak Sometimes trolls burst into our office and shout at us until we convince them to leave, but they never sue us, says David Crawford from the newsgroup Correctiv who were the first to discover who downed MH17 over Donetsk. Font size: A - | A + You knew Anna Politkovskaya who was killed in Russia, probably in connection with her work as journalist. What was she like? David Crawford As a freelance journalist, he has reported on West German spy services, the Stasi and Al-Qaeda. He worked for the Wall Street Journal as a freelancer from 2001 and an investigative correspondent from 2004. He has longstanding experience with data journalism. With the help of the Chaos Computer Club he decoded the sensitive data of the so-called Stasi List which was published in 1990. He later went on to report on corruption in international business. He was able to uncover dubious payments made by Dresdner Bank to the current Russian President Vladimir Putin. He received the Business Journalist of the Year Award for his coverage of the Siemens bribery scandal. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Daniel Pearl Award as a result of his research on the dismantling of democracy in Russia. DC: You could say that she felt a powerful weight upon her. When her children were young she came to live outside of Russia for several years because she thought it would be too dangerous to stay. When her children were old enough to decide what they wanted to do for themselves she came back to Russia and started her dangerous investigation. She felt she needed to do this. She had several very bad incidents, she was poisoned once and she knew what she was doing was dangerous. When I was talking to her I realised she knew she was going to be killed for doing what she thought was right. But she did not want to live in a dictatorship, she wanted to live in a country with a free press. That was her decision. It is not something I could do. I have a different approach to journalism but she believed that is what she had to do. You have written a lot about Russia. Did you experience any dangerous situations there? DC: I have always been based in Berlin. It would be very dangerous for me to be in Russia and have the police and intelligence services following me around. Anybody I would be seen talking to would be in trouble. I have done a lot of stories about Russia, Gazprom, bribery in Putins circle but not staying in Russia. I did it by looking for witnesses, following the money trail, doing what you can do from outside. It is safer to work on these topics without actually being in Russia. It is safer for the people who I am working with. 18. Sep 2018 at 4:39 | Matus Krcmarik Prosecutor searches for witness in Kuciak case Meanwhile, a group of five MEPs have arrived in Slovakia to check on the progress of the investigation. Font size: A - | A + Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova were murdered because of the journalists work, said a prosecutor from the Special Prosecutors Office on September 17. At the same time, he presented an indentikit picture of a person that might have been close to the crime scene. However, the prosecutor was not sure enough, the Sme daily reported. The person is a man in his thirties with short hair, beard and moustache. The prosecutor has not said anything more about him or whether he was captured by security cameras, the Dennik N daily reported. Read also: Read also: Six months on people commemorate Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova Read more Moreover, the prosecutor revealed that the murder was committed by a professional as an ordered hit and that there was only one perpetrator, Dennik N wrote. The investigators are currently working with two potential motives for the murders, both linked to Kuciaks work. But this doesnt mean that if new facts emerge, they wont be checked, the prosecutor said, as quoted by Sme. What has been done so far? The investigators have already carried out five inspections of the crime scene, the bodies and potential localities where culprits might have been. Seven people suspected of committing the murder have been detained, but they have been released due to the lack of evidence. All of the suspects were Italians, Sme wrote. Read also: Read also: We will not allow Jan and Martina to be forgotten Read more In addition, two investigation attempts have been carried out so far, focusing on the potential course of partial actions at the crime scene and its surroundings. The investigator has secured more than 40 expert opinions from various fields, Sme reported. International involvement Slovak investigators have cooperated with Europol, to which they sent all available evidence and knowledge. This cooperation should bring progress in the investigation, but the prosecutor failed to specify what that might be. At the same time, the Slovak investigators are cooperating with the FBI which has provided some partial analyses, Sme wrote. MEPs return to Slovakia Meanwhile, five MEPs arrived in Slovakia on September 17 to check the progress in Kuciaks and Kusnirovas murder investigation, as well as the situation concerning corruption and the observation of rule of law principles. Read also: Read also: EP monitoring group expresses concern that there is no progress in the cases of two murdered jounalists Read more The European Parliament wants to be sure that there are trustworthy institutions in Slovakia, said head of the delegation, Sophia in t Veld, after a meeting with President Andrej Kiska. After their March visit, they were concerned by the reports about corruption and links between the politicians and organised crime. Since our last visit, new incidents have occurred: the abduction of a Vietnamese businessman and others, in t Veld said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. We want to check on the details of how affairs are developing, if they are developing. Kiska said following the meeting that the MEPs were asking him about what new things have happened. Unfortunately, I had to say that nothing fundamental has happened in our country, Kiska said, as quoted by TASR. MEPs are expected to meet with the Europol representatives and prosecutor Vasil Spirko, and the representatives of the government, police and the Special Prosecutors Office, TASR wrote. 18. Sep 2018 at 4:16 | Compiled by Spectator staff Business is booming in Bostons coffee culture. Three of the most prominent American specialty coffee companiesCounter Culture, Blue Bottle, and Intelligentsiahave set up shop there, with a burgeoning micro-roaster community of its own. In the historically Black neighborhood of Dorchester, Massachusetts, just south of downtown Boston, a coffee scene is growing on its own. Enter Ripple Cafe, a Black-owned coffee pop-up that opened last summer in the dining room of Taste of Eden, a Jamaican restaurant in Codman Square on the corner of Withington and Norfolk. After a successful first year, Ripple Cafe is moving into a permanent cafe space less than a mile from the pop-up, and theyre looking to the community for help funding renovations. According to their Gofundme campaign, Ripple Cafe is slated to begin renovations immediately and hope to open by October 1st of 2018. Along with continuing to offer Counter Culture coffee, juices, and pastries, the cafes stated goals include creating a sustainable living for their baristas through liveable wages, investing back into the community through non-profit work, and providing first-time jobs for local youth. Owners Gaelle Ducheine and James Guerrier spelled it out on the cafes Gofundme page: We have dreamed of owning this sort of cafe for years, but we knew the implications of debt financing in such a start-up situation would create financial pressure on the business. We wanted to start small and experience an organic growth, as this would mitigate risk and give us time to learn the ins and outs of the business. We built a coffee cart in the summer of 2017 and set up in spare dining room space inside a Jamaican restaurant in Dorchesters Codman Square as a pop-up enterprise. We sold specialty coffee, tea, smoothies, and locally sourced pastries for a year, building great relationships with customers and making great friends along the way. We self-financed the entire operation and continued to do so until the pop-up was able to sustain itself. It took a lot of hard work, but it was sweet to see it flourishing on its own and to gain a glimpse of that organic growth and effect we had been longing for. We are proud of our initial success as young entrepreneurs, owners of one of a very small handful of Black Owned Independent Coffee Shops in the city of Boston. Were living in a time where folks in marginalized communities are rallying hard to support each other, and weve been fortunate to see this same work taking place in coffee spaces. Groups like Boston Intersectional Coffee Collective (founded by Intelligentsia Post Office Square lead barista, Kristina Jackson) remind us our support for minority coffee folksespecially Black coffee folksis not only important, but necessary. Fundraisers like the one underway in Dorchester offer another opportunity to extend support to minority-owned businesses dedicated to reinvesting into the communities they come from. Its a ripple effect of positivity and growth that will reach far and wide to better the world of coffee, for drinkers and business owners alike. You can support Ripple Cafes campaign on Gofundme and follow them on Instagram to stay updated on their progress. Michelle Johnson is a news contributor at Sprudge Media Network, and the founder and publisher of The Chocolate Barista. Read more Michelle Johnson on Sprudge. Photos via Ripple Cafe. It was only a matter of time before Christos Andrews opened Ghost Note Coffee. The Capital Hill cafe that bills itself as a modern, progressive coffee shop is positioned to offer Seattleites a gastronomic coffee experience. Take its signature coffee cocktail, called The Sun Ship, for example. The drink, served in a martini glass, is a mixture of espresso, in-house smoked grapefruit rosemary syrup, coconut water, sparkling water, and lime. Any professional in any sort of field, art or otherwise, comes to a place where you feel like youve hit a wall, Andrews says. I felt somewhat limited until now. At Ghost Note, hes the type of owner who pulls a towel from behind the bar 30 seconds after walking in to wipe up a smudged bit of creamer on the counter. His eyes flash around the cafe as he speaks, making peace signs at customers breezing through the entrance. The prevalence of cocktails on cafe menus is on the rise. Ghost Notes includes a concoction of African espresso, tonic water, juniper sage concentrate, and cucumber. And still another, dubbed the Firefly Tonic, that features tonic water, Burundi espresso, Lemon Lavender shrub, lemon bitters, and of course, in-house rose lavender syrup. Andrews made his entrance into the food world while working at Whole Foods in Nashville, where he was living attempting to make a go at drumming in the citys music scene. Ghost Notes name refers to a musical note that at once carries rhythmic value and no discernible pitch. For a drummer, a ghost note is what lends personality and feel to an average piece of music. But after I got my first barista job, it was game over, Andrews says with a grin. Instead of a drum kit, his instrument of choice at Ghost Note is a La Marzocco Linea. Andrews and his friends jokingly refer to the shops signature method of pulling shots as a Blast Brew. We put a flow restrictor on the pump, Andrews says, turning the pressure down to five-and-a-half bars, and the temperature up to 203, with a 14-and-a-half brew ratio. Other members of the Seattle coffee community, like Alex Johnstone and David Rothstein of Convoy Coffee, appreciate the way Ghost Note brings a culinary passion to coffee. Were big fans of Christos, Johnstone says. Of the Blast Brew, he adds: Its like pulling an espresso-esque shot at the volume of twelve ounces. Ghost Note regularly stocks Seattles Broadcast Coffee, and sources food items from other local outfits like Salmonberry Goods and Columbia City Bakery, where Andrews expanded the coffee program. The shops mugs come from nearby Yu Tang Ceramics, and it adds a bit of imported flare from a guest roaster program, which has featured more far-afield roasters like Colorados Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters. It should be noted that Andrews price point is higher than that of other area shops. He and his partner, a software engineer named Lee Hampton from New York, surveyed the pricing of other cafes in Capital Hill and set theirs in the high end. Then they added 10 percent. Thats because Ghost Note doesnt accept tips. Andrews uses the added income of higher-priced menu items to pay baristas competitive wages as well as for holidays and two weeks of paid vacation. Ghost Note is different because theyre quietly doing things better than they need to be done, Convoys Rothstein says. Andrews won Americas Best Espresso contest in 2013 while working for Tonys Coffee out of Bellingham. Before that, he was directing coffee at Neptune Coffee, then Tougo Coffee for two years. Last year, his Sun Ship garnered a semi-finals nod at the Coffee Masters NYC competition. There were times when I had like three jobs, Andrews says of his dedication to his work. And Im technically still a trainer and consultant at the Seattle Barista Academy. When Ghost Note opened, Andrews ran the cafe by himself. I dont recommend it, Andrews says with a laugh. Andrews says he has no idea where Ghost Note will be in the future. But he hopes to open another shophe knows that much. And he also knows he doesnt want to hit a ceiling. Today, Ghost Note is good. In five years? Im hoping well be significantly better, he says. Paolo Bicchieri is a freelance journalist based in Seattle. This is Paolo Bicchieris first feature for Sprudge. Photos by John Clem. The Silver Ferns ousted South Africa at ASB Arena in Tauranga. Aliyah Dunn made her international debut as a Silver Fern goal shoot, to help the team win 61-37. SunLive reporter and netball fan Caitlin Houghton says the Silver Ferns were in the lead right from the start of the match. She says the half-time score was 30-19 to NZ. "South Africa are playing a very pushy game. "We have stepped up our shooting compared to Saturday's game." Rebounding from their first-up loss to the England Roses on Saturday, the Silver Ferns produced a more efficient and accurate outing second time around to hand new coach Noeline Taurua her first win in the role. The match also heralded the start of exciting young shooter Aliyah Dunns international career, the 18-year-old making her debut in the fourth quarter to become Silver Fern #172. It was an all-round improved effort from the Silver Ferns, highlighted, in particular, by a strong shooting return where Maria Folau led the way with 35 goals from 37 attempts. Winning both the opening and closing quarters 17-7 sealed a comprehensive outing. The Silver Ferns started with Te Paea Selby-Rickit at goal shoot while captain Laura Langman assumed the centres bib and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson slotted in at wing defence in a reshuffled midcourt. The Proteas retained their starting seven from the previous match against Australia. The Silver Ferns responded in the best possible fashion to their first outing loss with a decisive start to stun the Proteas from the outset. After conceding the first goal of the match, the home side scored the next 11 in succession with an impressive effort across all areas of the court. The shooters found their scoring form with consistent accuracy on the back of a more fluent attack line while the defensive combination of Katrina Grant and Jane Watson kept dangerous Proteas shooters Maryka Holtzhausen and Lenize Potgieter quiet. In rampant mode, it was the home team who completed a dominant first quarter to lead 17-7. The Proteas tightened their defensive effort and gained more ball on attack but couldnt stem the Silver Ferns grip on the match during the second term. Wing attack Gina Crampton had a busy game in the midcourt, firing in some precise feeds to her shooters in tandem with Langman. The tall figure of Ine-Mari Venter replaced Holtzhausen late in the quarter, enhancing the Proteas scoring opportunities but the Silver Ferns maintained their healthy advantage when leading 30-19 at the main break. Samantha Sinclair was introduced at centre for the Silver Ferns on the resumption with Langman moving to wing defence, the home side maintaining their hold on proceedings with another strong quarter. Crampton continued her influence on the game, adding a couple of intercepts for good measure to go with her fine all-round contribution on attack while Grant was equally effective in picking off tips and rebounds at the defensive end. Potgieter provided great accuracy under the hoop for the Proteas but lacked the same service as her opponents while a heavy penalty count did not help the visitors cause. Building throughout it was the Silver Ferns who extended their margin to a 44-30 lead at the final turn. The Silver Ferns will complete their Quad Series against Australia in Melbourne on Sunday. Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Its like this. Anti-administration critics are having a field day busting President Duterte for the governments response to the victims of Typhoon Ompong. One mainstream paper quoting a farmer who was devastated as the typhoon made landfall in his hometown of Baggao in Cagayan bannered: Wheres the government? after the man complained he had not seen any relief good or a local official in his barangay since after the 250-kilometer-per-hour howler passed by. Some critics quoting another source from the town of Lallo blasted government efforts as selective and too little, too late. Apparently, the source was talking about relief operations not getting fast enough to his barangay as workers walked to his place. Roads were near impassable with all kinds of debris and landslides. But wait. While these two sources, if true, were being quoted, President Duterte was in the provincial capital, Tuguegarao City, together with members of his Cabinet barking out orders on priority tasks to be undertaken. A day or two earlier, Cagayan Gov. Manny Mamba was in touch with Secretaries Silvestre Bello and Arthur Tugade who are both from Cagayan Valley. They were putting together all the available funds and resources for the backbreaking task of relief and rescue after the typhoon passes. They also were giving instructions to all concerned to get people evacuated to safer places and wait out the storm from there. These were done not only in Cagayan and Isabela, the two most-hit provinces, but in the other provinces in the typhoons way. Three days after Ompong brought damage in Northern Luzon, the disaster response seems to be working like clock work. As of this writing, government and private relief and rehabilitation efforts are continuously being mobilized to ensure a modicum of normalcy in the areas affected by Ompong across Northern Luzon over the weekend. Rescue teams are busy retrieving bodies from an abandoned mining tunnel in Itogon, Benguet where some 50 small-scale miners defied orders to move out of their bunkers and decided to wait out the storm from underground. They did not see the light of day after heavy downpour inundated the area and a landslide crashed the tunnel to its foundations. While we are saddened by the extent of casualties, both of lives and properties, it has not distracted us from doing what needs to be done in disasters such as this. Government is moving in as organized a manner as can be with all the resources and resolve it can muster at this point.Compare this with governments response to the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda during the previous administration. True, then Secretaries Mar Roxas and Volts Gazmin were in Tacloban City, the regional center to discuss with all government functionaries the needed response plan to cope with the incoming storm. After satisfying themselves that everything had been taken care of, they hied away to their hotels to wait out the howler. They were roused from their slumber and almost did not make it to safer grounds themselves. The whole city and most parts of Yolandas path were mowed down by super strong winds and in many areas got submerged, in a manner of speaking, in waves upon waves of surging water that left thousands dead. The two very powerful officials of the administration had to scout around for a safe place to compose themselves and reconnect with the outside world. There was one problem though. The lines were cut off and they forgot to have their satellite phones in place. It took them hours to steady themselves and when they did they found a city totally washed out, in a sense, with bodies strewn all over the place. It took a number of more days before the real relief and rescue operations could take hold. In fact, the first responders aside from the surviving employees of local and regional government units were private humanitarian organizations one of which, a Taiwan based organization, was credited with clearing the debris the day after Yolanda passed by. And what was the immediate government effort even as relief was on the way? The government started off with finger pointing, their favorite blame game with that famous repartee Remember you are a Romualdez and the President is an Aquino? This went viral and remains one of the oft-quoted statements every time people ask whatever happened to the billions poured into the Yolanda areas not only from the national budget and local relief and rescue groups but internationally. Tales of woe and disappointment if not anger over the governments response reverberate up to this day. In fact, the COA and international audit groups have yet to account for all the billions of monies and resources poured into the areas on Yolandas path. Even up to now the promised housing and infrastructure works already funded out of taxpayer money have yet to be completed. And President Duterte and his administration is being busted for their disaster response? Come on! I wrote too soon. When I wrote my Monday article on Sunday morning, relieved that Metro Manila did not seem to have suffered much damage, and based on initial reports from broadcast media, I concluded that the damage to standing palay crops was not as extensive as in previous typhoons. Now the Department of Agriculture tells us that the estimated area of palay loss is 731,924 metric tons. Converted to rice after milling, that means 435,997 metric tons. All in a few hours from the time Ompong made landfall in Baggao, Northern Cagayan, until it exited via Ilocos Norte. But the amount of rain it brought inundated a much wider area than I wrote about on Sunday. I was amazed to find out that Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales, even Bataan and Pampanga were flooded by rains cascading from the Sierra Madre. In 2012, the daily consumption of Filipinos, as per the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (now removed from DA and subsumed into the newly-created Philippine Statistics Authority attached to Neda) was 32,000 metric tons. Some reports these days state a lower average national daily consumption, as low as 30,000 metric tons. NFA spokespersons sometimes use this consumption figure when it wants to assure people they have enough rice yet. In much the same way that NFA, at least before the present dispensation, always measured and reported rice in metric tons. Today, they bloat the statistics by using bags of rice as metric. Mas marami nga naming pakinggan. Sako ng bigas, rather than metric tons, or tonelada that ordinary people do not quite understand. In this way, a chimera of sufficiency of stock is falsely created, when millions or hundreds of thousands of sacks are reportedly available. Truth is, 32,000 tons daily means we consume 640,000 bags each blessed day. Twenty bags, each with 50 kilos of rice, constitute one metric ton which is 1,000 kilos, as our elementary students are taught. So, if 435,997 metric tons of rice were destroyed by Typhoon Ompong, that is the equivalent of 8,719,940 bags of rice. Assuming 32,000 metric tons daily average consumption, that single day of wind and rain caused a loss equivalent to 13.62 days. At 30,000 per day, thats close to 15 days consumption. That is a lot. NFA has imported 250,000 metric tons from Vietnam and Thailand, most of which has arrived. They are importing another 250,000 metric tons to augment what by now is fast vanishing with long lines of angry consumers each day. So what is yet to arrive in late October or early November (assuming NFAs purchasing procedures are quick enough) will not augment current inventories, because an almost equivalent amount of harvestable rice was lost due to Ompong. Back to square one. Or rather, back to negative territory. NFA has a stand-by authority to buy 250,000 metric tons more, or five-million bags more. But when will they buy, and when will it arrive? From where I sit, we will have a prolonged rice supply crisis. * * * If poor consumers will have to endure the pila-bigas longer, pity the poor palay farmer whose blood and sweat of hard toil are now washed down by tears. The little they were able to prematurely harvest in the days leading to Ompongs landfall are of poor quality. As in fruits, hinog sa pilit. When milled, the grains tend to break easily.NFA and the commercial traders, if at all, can buy rain-soaked and mud-caked palay at P10 to P11 per kilo. If at all. From a bonanza of P23 to P27 per kilo of palay down to P10, if there are any takers. In 2011, after Typhoon Pepeng hit Central Luzon, some 900,000 metric tons of palay, also ready for harvest in two weeks, were lost. That meant 540,000 tons of rice, a hundred thousand tons more than what Ompong, as DA reports, exacted. We asked Malacanang and DBM on Sept. 28 to release funds to buy storm-damaged palay at 11 per kilo, just to help farmers recover part of their cost of production. It was not until Oct. 15 that then President PNoy and then DBM Secretary Abad listened to us. By then, there was little if any storm-damaged palay to buy. Commercial traders had beaten government to buy whatever salvageable value there was. NFA could not by itself buy storm-damaged palay of little if any commercial value because CoA audit procedures would not allow funds to be wasted by buying something of no equivalent value. NFA was required to get DBM, through a presidential directive, to buy useless produce. It was like an insurance coverage post-facto. More social responsibility than anything else. What was it we once wrote in this space about talking too much, doing so little, and acting too late? * * * And that is only rice. There were massive losses in corn as well, as Isabela reeled from Ompong. Isabela is the countrys largest corn producer, and the second largest rice producer. Watch the prices of pork and poultry in the months yet to come. Benguets vegetables and strawberries were extensively damaged as well. News reports last Monday showed carrots and cabbages in wet markets with triple the normal price. Its difficult days and weeks ahead for the consumer. Its dark months ahead for farmers. * * * Our hearts bleed for those who were killed, with the greatest loss being that of families buried in a landslide in Itogon, a few kilometers away from the debauched summer capital. Even the oratio imperatas were too late to prevent the onslaught of natures fury. But thank God we are a patient and resilient people, hardened by misery, hopeful as always. Santa Banana, read this and weep! Initial estimates of the devastation brought by Typhoon Ompong have climbed to P14.27 billion affecting more than half a million hectares of farm lands. Losses were placed at 731,394 tons of produce, mainly rice, corn, high-value crops and livestock. This means some 436,000 tons of rice went down the drain, representing 62.82 percent of losses or P8.97 billion. They say this is equivalent to 8.64 days of rice consumption for the entire country. These estimates can even grow! Since rice and corn crops are nearing harvest this October and November, domestic rice production would be severely affected. We might have to import more rice from Thailand and Vietnam. Just how much will all these affect the country? Even before Ompong we were already reeling from high prices of goods and services. I have been a journalist for 70 years and I have never seen such devastation and agricultural losses. How the Duterte administration will cope with this, I dont know. My only hope is that his critics will not make political capital out of the miseries of the people. I also hope that the President and his economic managers will do more to lessen the suffering of the people, instead of just blaming Ompong and climate change. More than ever, what happened should be a wake-up call for Congress to enact the Department of Disaster Resiliency Act. The country needs this like yesterday! I have long been saying that we need a more permanent government body, unlike the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council which is convened only in the event of a disaster. * * * I am not sure if the President meant what he said that if he had a choice, he would close down all mining firms because they destroy the environment and cause landlines and mudslides like what happened in Itogon. Small-scale miners were reported buried in a landslide. Could this be a sign of his frustration or exasperation? I have covered the mining industry and I have seen how responsible miners take care of the environment. Mining contributes billions of pesos to the national coffers and employs thousands of Filipinos. There are exceptions, of course. But the industry, as a whole, has shown that it could be responsible. With regard to small-scale mining, however, why wont the President stop this practice in Diwalwal, in Compostela Valley? I ask this question in the wake of reports that gold taken here is smuggled to Davao City, for the rich Chinese to smuggle to Singapore or elsewhere. I cannot verify it, but it is possible. Responsible mining is an integral part of our national economy. And if President Duterte were serious about banning mining altogether, he would in fact be throwing the baby along with the bathwater. * * *I have raised this concern before in my column. The Commission on Audit flagged lawyers of the Office of the Government Counsel for getting excessive allowances from certain Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations where they are assigned. The former government corporate counsel had also raised this because he suspects that excessive allowances were some form of a bribe. The law on government allowances says that government lawyers should not receive more than 50 percent of their annual salaries. And yet these lawyers have expensive cars and display a lifestyle beyond what their salaries could support. My gulay, this is government corruption! The CoA also red-flagged the Office ofSolicitor General Jose Calida for excessive allowances. Just why the President has not acted on the CoA report is a mystery. The President believes Calida is one of the bright boys in his administration. Is there a double standard in the Duterte administrationone for allies, and one for critics? * * * Senator Nancy Binay reminded Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and blogger Drew Olivar not to mock the deaf/mute community. I agree. Binay is the author of the just-passed Filipino Sign Language bill to help the deaf/mute community. They are already struggling to air their concerns and aspirations. Uson and Olivar must be condemned. I think we should also require sign language in every television appearance of government officials. * * * I have registered my car and I still have no plate. Like thousands of others who are still without vehicle plates, I feel like I am being swindled by my own government. Actually, what the government is doingrequiring every owner to register his or her vehicle and then pay the registration, on pain of penalty for latenessis plain estafa. But then I know I cannot sue the government without its consent. The Philippines is perhaps the only country that cannot deliver this simple service. * * * I had more than a hundred well- wishers when I turned 91 last Saturday. I thank them all. The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, expressed concern on Monday at the intention of the Israeli authorities to demolish the Bedouin village of Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu in the West Bank, where 181 Palestinians currently live, more than half of them being children. I call on the authorities not to proceed with the demolition and to cease efforts to relocate Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, said Mladenov, denouncing such actions as contrary to international law and warning that they could undermine the chances for the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu, located in the outskirts of East Jerusalem, is one of 18 communities located in or next to an area slated in part for an Israeli settlement reorganization plan that would reportedly create a continuous built-up area, between the Maale Adummim settlement and East Jerusalem. On May 24, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected the communitys petition to prevent demolition, and nearly all of Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helus structures are now at immediate risk of being torn down, including the school built with donor support which serves several communities in the area. On June 1, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jamie McGoldrick, issued a statement noting that Israels obligations as an occupying power to protect the residents of Khan al Ahmar are clear. Should the Israeli authorities choose to implement the outstanding demolition orders in the community and force the people to leave, they would not only generate significant humanitarian hardship but also commit one of the grave breaches of international humanitarian law, stated McGoldrick. In July, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) also denounced the planned demolitions as breaching international humanitarian law as they would likely result in the forcible relocation of dozens of families. A local journalist is on the verge of facing trial. State Prosecutor has begun legal action against him after the reporter accused Kuwaits Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of succumbing to U.S. President Donald Trumps pressure to cancel oil contracts worth $11bn with China and signed similar deal with America. Daily Star said Tuesday Public Prosecutor Mirna Kallas Monday concluded the questioning of journalist Salem Zahran. The questioning came after State Prosecutor, Judge Samir Hammoud referred Zahrans case to Kallas. Zahran has caused storm in the relation between Lebanon and Kuwait, in an interview with Lebanon-based Al-Manar TV. The journalist, believed close to Iran-backed Hezbollah, accused Sheikh Sabah of giving in to President Trump, as he allegedly cancelled oil contracts with China, in favor of the U.S. The Kuwaiti ruler met with President Trump early this month in Washington and talks between the two sides reportedly revolved around bilateral relations and regional issues including Yemen, Palestine and continuing boycott of Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Zahrans comments drew anger from Kuwait City. Kuwait Information Ministry lambasted the journalists stance and described the comments as defamation, slander, falsification of facts and an attempt to mislead the public. Lebanons Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was quick to try to extinguish a likely tension. He met with Kuwaiti ambassador to Lebanon and re-affirmed Lebanons admiration and respect for Kuwait, and rejected the allegations made by Al Manar TV against Sheikh Sabah. What occurred during the television program is an act outside the Lebanese national consensus regarding relations with Kuwait and the rest of the Arab brothers, Hariri said. Lebanons judiciary is investigating the matter and will come up with a verdict. The same tone was used by Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Parliament. The Lebanese will always remain indebted to Kuwait, its emir and people, for all their support to Lebanon in the days of hardship and prosperity, and will allow nothing to disturb the historical relationship and brotherhood ties between the two countries, he is quoted as saying. Construction of a 25km-long causeway between Bahrain and the regional power Saudi Arabia will kick-start mid2021, Saudi envoy to Bahrain has told media. The project, to cost between $3 and $4 billion, will be put out to tender end of next month, Abdullah bin Abdulmalik Al Shaikh reportedly said. Structural studies will take two years and a half while the project execution is scheduled to start by mid-2021 and will be completed three years after, Al Shaikh added according to media reports. The causeway will boost ties between the two brotherly countries, particularly in the area of trade. The project features four vehicle lanes and a 75km railway. A weekend of ethnic violence on the outskirts of Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa left several dead and hundreds displaced, police and officials said. According to local media, a well-organized and ruthless gang prey on residents with knives, stones or iron bars in Ashewa Meda, Burayu, Anfo, Keta and Asko areas of Oromia region. The attacks were carried out on Friday and Saturday nights, and according to many accounts had an ethnic and criminal trend, Oromo youths targeting minority Dorze, Gamo, and Wolaita ethnic groups. The Head of the Oromia Police Commission Alemayehu Ejigu told the state broadcaster ETV on Sunday that 70 suspects have been arrested but he did not explain why the clashes broke out. The recently released leader of Ethiopian Muslim community, Ahmedin Jebel wrote on his Facebook page, citing some witnesses, that the violence started with a skirmish between the local Oromo and Dorze tribes, which led to the death of two Oromo women. Ethiopias reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is in Saudi Arabia to attend a summit with the Eritrean leader Isaias Afwerki, condemned the clashes, which also forced hundreds to flee their homes. Reports by the Addis Standard newspaper said the army had been deployed to deal with the situation, which is said to have birthed a fresh humanitarian crisis. The weekend violence follows tension in the capital after youths from Oromia marched into the city with flags representing the Oromo movement last week. The inter-ethnic violence in southern Ethiopia since June has forced more than 800,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. A lack of command and control on the part of South Sudans government, just days after signing a new peace agreement to end years of brutal civil conflict, is one of the factors, which led to the shooting of a United Nations peacekeeper on Saturday, the UN mission chief in the country has said. Special Representative David Shearer, who heads UNMISS, said in a statement that a Nepalese peacekeeper was shot and wounded by a government soldier early in the day. The peacekeeper was part of a convoy travelling near the town of Yei, in Central Equatoria. A government SPLA solider had begun shooting in the air near the UNMISS convoy of four vehicles, including two water tankers, UNMISS said in a statement. The soldier then shot directly at one of the vehicles, hitting the Nepalese peacekeeper in the leg, and ran off into a crowd. The troops were unable to return fire as they did not want to risk injuring civilians, said UNMISS. This situation is evidence of a lack of command and control of armed forces which has resulted in unruly elements who continue to commit human rights abuses in the area UNMISS chief, David Shearer said. Shearer said that this direct attack on UN peacekeepers here to help the people of South Sudan, is unacceptable. The perpetrator must be found and held accountable by Government authorities. The New Zealander added that this situation is evidence of a lack of command and control of armed forces which has resulted in unruly elements who continue to commit human rights abuses in the area. It is beholden on the Government to bring their forces under control. The Saturday attack follows reports of fresh clashes between government and opposition forces in the area surrounding Kajo-Keji in Central Equatoria. The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) has confirmed that it is investigating alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement in the Yei area. Prior to the wounding of the peacekeeper today, Government soldiers had fired approximately 50 shots, about 500 meters from the UN base in Yei. On Thursday, President Salva Kiir shook the hand of his longtime rival and former Vice-President, Riek Machar, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as hopes rose that despite failed agreements in the past three years, lasting-peace across the worlds youngest country, may finally be possible. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has finally sentenced DRCs former vice president, Jean-Pierre Bemba to a 300,000 fine and a 12-month sentence for witness tampering. The former warlords sentence was, however, reduced to zero due to time served. The Hague-Based court acquitted 55-year-old businessman-turned-rebel leader Bemba on appeal for war crimes and crimes against humanity three months ago. Bemba, who has family in both Belgium and Congo, did not attend Mondays ruling. Prosecutors called for a maximum five years to be imposed on Bemba, his lawyer Aime Kilolo and his legal case manager Jean-Jacques Mangenda said. But on Monday, judge Schmitt said: Maximum prison sentences are not necessary in this case. Bemba has been barred from standing in Decembers presidential election in Democratic Republic of Congo, because of the conviction. A final decision on whether the witness tampering conviction makes him ineligible to stand is expected Wednesday. Bemba finished second to Joseph bKabila in a presidential election in 2006. He was arrested in Belgium two years later and then sentenced by the ICC to 18 years in prison for murders and rapes committed in the early 2000s in the neighboring Central African Republic by fighters belonging to a Congolese rebel group he then led. Leaders of Eritrea and Djibouti shook hands in Saudi Arabia this week during historic talks a decade after a border conflict strained ties. The historic meeting between President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and his counterpart Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea opens a new page to promote peace and stability in the region, Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir said. Eritrea and Djibouti have agreed to normalize ties two weeks ago, a decade after a border dispute led to brief military clashes. Fighting erupted along the disputed Dumeira area after Djibouti accused Asmara of sending troops across the border. According to Jeddah, both presidents expressed gratitude for King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for facilitating the meeting, which opens a new chapter for relations between the neighbors. The rapprochement follows the dramatic thaw in relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which declared an end to their state of war in July. There is a wind of hope blowing in the Horn of Africa, said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who attended the signing of a historic peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. As a reminder, Eritrea has been subjected to a U.N. arms embargo since 2009 over allegations that it provided support to militants in Somalia and for failing to pull troops out of the disputed territory with Djibouti. HARARE (Reuters) - London-based emerging market fund Gemcorp Group said on Monday it had extended a $250 million loan to Zimbabwe to help the country import essential goods like electricity, fuel and medicine, the company's CEO said. The southern African nation is facing its worst shortages of cash dollars since it dumped its own currency in 2009 in favour of the U.S. currency. This has made it difficult for companies, including mines, to pay for imports. Zimbabwe's backlog for foreign payments is more than $600 million, according to the central bank. Gemcorp was formed in 2014 by Atanas Bostandjiev, a former executive of Russian investment bank VTB Capital, part of banking group VTB. "With this facility, we are financing and coordinating the delivery of essential goods to help support the Zimbabwean economy," Bostandjiev said in a statement. Zimbabwe's new Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the loan was a show of confidence in an economy buffeted by a serious liquidity crisis and unemployment above 80 percent. The former British colony became a pariah under Robert Mugabe's nearly four-decade authoritarian rule after it began to default on loans from foreign lenders like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Mugabe was forced to resign after a coup in November, paving the way for Emmerson Mnangagwa, who went on to be elected president in a disputed vote held on July 30. Without loans from global lenders, Zimbabwe has struggled to attract credit lines and external investment required to reboot its economy. In May this year, Britain's development finance institution CDC became the first British company to extend a direct commercial loan to Zimbabwe in more than two decades, making made available a $100 million facility to private firms through Standard Chartered Bank. "The granting of the facility by Gemcorp is a strong signal by foreign investors of their growing confidence in Zimbabwe. I expect more investors to follow suit," Ncube said in a statement. Ncube last week said he would accelerate plans to pay $1.8 billion arrears to the World Bank and the African Development Bank to rebuild investor confidence. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Mark Heinrich) By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission published its ideas on Tuesday for reforming the World Trade Organization to counter market distortions, such as in China, and to discourage the United States from pulling out of the body. A day after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his trade war with China by imposing tariffs on $200 billion (152.04 billion pounds) of Chinese imports, the European Union announced how it believes unfair trade, excessive subsidies and other problems should be tackled. Trump said last month he could withdraw from the WTO, potentially undermining one of the foundations of the modern global economy which the United States was instrumental in creating. "Now the WTO system is slowly grinding to a halt. It is probably in its deepest crisis ever," EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom told a news conference. "Key members are not supporting the system but opening unilateral measures with effects we unfortunately know too well." The Commission proposals, discussed with the 28 EU members, seek to address U.S. concerns almost line-by-line. Updated global trade rules should tackle forced technology transfers and industrial subsidies, but also adapt to changes, such as the rise of e-commerce. The WTO should be better able to monitor its members by improving transparency and giving it the power to penalise "wilful" non-compliance. The European Union has proposals to overcome the current deadlock of the WTO dispute settlement system. Washington has blocked appointments to the appeals chamber that settles disputes. By the end of September, the normally seven-strong chamber will have only three judges, the number required to hear each appeal. An Commission official said the issue was threatened with a "cliff edge" in December 2019, when two judges are due to leave. The tough U.S. stance has prompted a flurry of diplomatic talks as WTO members try to work out how to respond. Senior trade officials met in Geneva in July and will reconvene this week, before a meeting of ministers in Ottawa next month. Story continues The WTO works on the basis of consensus among its 164 members and, with vetoes for each, every new initiative risks becoming a bargaining chip in a bigger negotiation. Few reform efforts have succeeded and many are stuck, including talks on cutting agricultural subsidies or liberalising trade in services. There are also some fundamental divides that Trump has brought into the open, such as the power of WTO judges, which countries should qualify as "developing economies" deserving special treatment, and whether China trades fairly. Malmstrom said it was also in Beijing's interest to drive WTO reform given China had benefited so much from the multilateral trading system. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, editing by Tom Miles and David Stamp) Stormont, Northern Ireland. Photo: Getty A key Northern Ireland business group has warned that the findings of the Migration Advisory Committee, which urge the UK to drastically limit the post-Brexit immigration of low-skilled workers, could force employers to relocate to the Republic of Ireland. The Northern Ireland branch of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which speaks on behalf of 190,000 UK businesses, said that the plan risks damaging labour shortages. While the report from the committee notes that a restrictive approach to immigration from the EU could harm the regions agri-food industry, it fails to offer a workable alternative, the group warned on Tuesday (18 September). There is a danger that NI employers could be forced to relocate to the Republic of Ireland to maintain their competitive advantage if the already tight local labour supply is further restricted, the CBI said in a statement. The agricultural and food processing sectors, which rely on low-skilled workers, employ around 70,000 people in Northern Ireland. The Migration Advisory Committee report, which was commissioned in July 2017, is likely to inform the contents of the governments immigration white paper something that will in turn heavily influence the UKs negotiation strategy with the EU. The report concludes that the UK benefits to a much greater degree from the migration of high-skilled workers compared to those classed as low-skilled, and as such recommends that the countrys post-Brexit policy should take this into account. A 2017 analysis by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that EU workers from outside the UK and Ireland were important to the operation of almost half of its member businesses. In the third quarter of 2017, around two thirds of businesses reported that they had greater difficulty with recruiting migrant workers from the EU compared to before the June 2016 Brexit vote. The CBI said that any system should work for the whole UK and take into account Northern Irelands unique challenges. A convoy carrying German Chancellor Angela Merkel drives along a street in Algiers A convoy carrying German Chancellor Angela Merkel drives along a street in Algiers, Algeria September 17, 2018. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina ALGIERS (Reuters) - Germany and Algeria want to find ways to speed up the repatriation of Algerians living illegally in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday during a visit to Algeria. Since around a million asylum seekers reached Germany in 2015, Merkel's government has been pushing for ways to speed up the process of sending home those whose applications are denied. Anis Amri, a Tunisian, killed 12 people in the Berlin Christmas market attack in 2016. Amri's deportation had been delayed because he had no valid passport, a source of frustration for German officials dealing with the Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan embassies. "We talked about how to make more efficient that those who have no right to stay will be returned," Merkel said during her one-day visit when asked about the deportations of Algerians. She gave no further details. Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said his government was willing to solve as soon as possible the cases of Algerians eligible for deportation, provided their identities were established. German authorities say nearly 3,700 Algerians are eligible for deportation, and Ouyahia said 700 of those cases were already being processed. He gave no details. "Algeria takes back its children," he said, adding that new digital technology would make identification easier. German media reported that the number of failed Algerian asylum applicants deported from Germany had risen to 504 in 2017 from 57 in 2015. Germany wants to declare Algeria, like Tunisia and Morocco, a safe country of origin, which would make it easier to deport asylum seekers from there. Less than 2 percent of Algerian asylum applicants in Germany receive protected status. Merkel later on Monday met President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algerian state TV said, showing footage of the meeting without giving details of the talks. The 81-year-old Bouteflika, in office since 1999, has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 which has confined him to a wheelchair. (Reporting by Lamine Chikhi, Ulf Laessing and Riham Alkoussi; editing by Andrew Roche) Police in New Hampshire have appealed for the publics help to identify a man who instructed a child to climb inside an arcade game to steal prizes at a mall in Salem, New Hampshire, on September 14. Footage of the incident shows a child passing out stolen items from a KeyMaster game at the Mall at Rockingham Park before the man guides the child out of the machine. Police told local media that bystanders took videos and photos of the theft in progress. They asked anyone with information on the identity of the man to come forward. Credit: Salem NH Police Department via Storyful A delegation, led by Teodorin Obiang Mang, the son of Equatorial Guineas president, has been detained by federal police and revenue authorities in Brazil last weekend after they arrived in the South American country with over $1.4 million cash and watches worth $15 million. According to the Brazilian newspaper globo.com, the 11-man delegation arrived in Brazil on Friday on a government aircraft but was not on a diplomatic mission. The news portal reported that the money and watches were in two suitcases. In total, the delegation carried 19 suitcases, in addition to a diplomatic baggage, whose contents were not subject to disclosure. Teodorin, who is also vice-president of the oil-rich Central African country, was exempted from questioning due to his diplomatic status. The Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Brazil in a statement quoted by local news portals said the vice-president was in Brazil for medical treatment. They said the money he brought along was to be used on a later trip to Singapore whiles the watches were for his personal use. Teodorin Obiang Mang the eldest son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo was tried in absentia in France last year and also given a suspended fine of 30m for embezzlement, money-laundering, corruption and abuse of trust. The French court demanded the confiscation of assets including Obiangs 107m mansion near the Champs-Elysees, which boasts a hammam, disco, gym, hair-dressing studio, gold-plated taps and hundreds of artworks. Teodorin Obiang Mang owned two Bugatti Veyrons, the most expensive and fastest street car in the world, costing about 1m a piece and capable of reaching 250 mph. The Golden Boys lifestyle was in stark contrast with that of ordinary people in Equatorial Guinea, where over half the population lives on less than 1.65 a day. The British home secretary has met the prime minister of Pakistan as a new partnership between the two countries to fight terror is announced. Sajid Javid, the son of Pakistani immigrants, was pictured shaking hands with the newly elected Imran Khan during a visit to Pakistan. It comes as a new partnership has been announced between the two nations to eradicate corruption and tackle terror. Speaking in Islamabad, Mr Javid said the partnership will strive for "justice and accountability". He said "no one can escape justice or act with impunity" and urged for a "more concerted action" to combat terror groups. Shortly after the meeting, the Twitter account for Mr Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, tweeted a photo of the politicians shaking hands. Mr Javid also met with the country's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The pair discussed security and terrorism. He also spent time with law minister Farogh Nasim. The home secretary said they discussed security issues and mechanisms for bilateral prisoner transfers, as well as money laundering, trade and education. Mr Khan's government has pledged corruption-free governance and has promised to return to Pakistan allegedly stolen public money. Mosman Oil and Gas remain confident that its Arkoma project will bear fruit, but told investors on Tuesday that until steady flow rates can be demonstrated over a period of time, the decision to invest further funds into the asset will be "cautiously approached". Two of the firm's directors recently travelled to Dallas to meet with Inland Operating, Arkoma's operator, and the asset's other owner Blackstone Oil and Gas to receive an update on the well's production data. Inland recommended work-overs on three wells to increase oil and gas production, two of which are currently producing, while the other is shut in. The operator and the AIM-listed firm noted that they both agree that wells' production of 25-34 barrels of oil per day was not yet optimised. Mosman's chairman John Barr, said: "We remain cautiously upbeat about Arkoma, but as a board, we are disappointed that the wells are not yet optimised." "We continue to monitor each individual project and make decisions based on the best and most complete information available." As of 1350 BST, Mosman shares had tumbled 13.33% to 0.52p. Software systems, IT-based solutions and support services supplier SCISYS has signed a contract for around 2m with Trapeze Group to provide software design, development and support services to Transport for London for its timetabling and scheduling as part of its Future Bus Systems programme. The AIM-traded company said the project would provide the software tools and capability for TfL to continue to deliver a reliable, accessible and high-quality bus network across London. It said the development phase of the contract would be followed by a long-term support and maintenance contract. SCISYS would be delivering data-migration services, collaboration and document management functions to Trapeze, with Trapeze appointed as prime to TfL, as well as systems integration services. This is an excellent win with a strategically important customer, said SCISYS divisional director Andy Whitehead. This extends our portfolio of transport contracts and demonstrates our ability to deliver complex business systems. Klaus Heidrich, chief executive officer of SCISYS, added that the company was delighted to be contributing to TfL's Future Bus Systems programme. This demonstrates the depth of SCISYS' specialist knowledge in the transport domain and supports the positive outlook for the company, Heidrich said. Car manufacturer BMW is set to close its Mini factory in Oxford on the day of Brexit for at least a month as a result of growing concerns of a no-deal exit, according to reports. The temporary shutdown, which was first reported by Sky News, could cost millions and have a negative effect on thousands of workers across the firms supply chain. Workers have been told the annual summer shutdown will happen in April after the divorce as the company is forced to take action to prepare for the future in the case of a shutdown of the cross-channel supplies needed to make cars. Before the Brexit referendum, the Leave campaign argued that a deal would be secured thanks to BMW because the firm would lobby Germany for for one. Brexiters believed the UK was too valuable a market for Europe to shut off. With the announcement, BMW revealed it lacks faith in both sides to reach a deal that would ensure the normal functioning of business with the UK. The company already warned the government of the impact of a no-deal divorce. A BMW spokesperson said: "While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it. "We remain committed to our operations in Britain, which is the only country in the world where we manufacture for all three of our automotive brands." BMWs announcement comes amid warnings from across the UK motor industry about the threat posed by a no-deal Brexit. On Monday Jaguar Land Rover announced that it was putting its Castle Bromwich plant workers on a three-day week to fight the challenging situation of the industry. Beijing struck back at Donald Trumps latest round of trade tariffs on Tuesday, imposing their own sanctions on $60bn worth of US goods. The amount does not match the $200bn worth of tariffs that President Trump announced on Monday but will target goods such as liquefied natural gas from states loyal to the US President ahead of Novembers mid-term elections, prompting him to react with outrage. "There will be great and fast economic retaliation against China if our farmers, ranchers and/or industrial workers are targeted!" he tweeted. The tariffs from both nations will take effect from 24 September, with the Chinese placing an additional 5% duty on products including small aircraft, computers and textiles, and an extra 10% on goods such as meat, wheat and wine. This is the third round of sanctions this year and the White House had previously threatened to impose duties on a further $267bn of Chinese goods if Beijing continued to retaliate, which would effectively subject all of Chinas exports to the US to some form of tariff. China is now unable to equal the scale of Trumps tariffs as its annual imports from the US amount to just $130bn, while its exports to the US exceed $500bn, but it could take other measures to fight back. David Chmiel, the managing director of risk consultancy Global Torchlight, said: "There could be a weaponising of regulation by Beijing. You can see a situation where they target specific US companies." This could mean that major US players with operations in China such as Apple, Nike and General Electric could face disruption when attempting mergers and acquisitions or in the form of tougher labour controls, health and safety standards or other regulations. Nevertheless, and significantly perhaps, China did not close the door shut to the possibility of further trade talks, although some officials reportedly believed that informal channels would be the best conduit at the present time. Stocks on the Continent notched-up modest gains after the White House unveiled a more measured package of new trade tariffs on Chinese goods on Monday evening, although some analysts cautioned against reading too much into that. Significantly, although Beijing with its own set of counter-tariffs on $60bn-worh of US exports, it did not slam the door shut to the possibility of talks. As well, some economists, like those at Barclays, estimated that so long as trade tensions were restricted to the US and China, then the fall out would be modest, as trade flows were diverted by both sides towards other geographies. They put the cost of reciprocal 20% tariffs on all exports between the two countries at 0.2 percentage points to the US and 0.4 points for China. Nevertheless, others like Gregory Daco at Oxford Economics put the hit to real US GDP in 2019 from 25% US tariffs on $250bn-worth of Chinese goods and a 25% levy from China on all imports from America at about 1.0%. For his part, Luius Kuijs at Oxford Economics added: "Prospects for a de-escalation are low in the short term, reflecting a wide gap in positions. "But the likelihood of de-escalation will rise over time as the increasing economic impact in the US will make the Trump team less combative and China realizes that it will be hard to integrate more into the global economy without some concessions regarding its specific economic model." At the close, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was 0.11% or 0.42 points higher to 378.73, alongside a 0.51% or 61.26 point advance for the German Dax to 12,157.67. Milan's FTSE Mibtel meanwhile reversed earlier losses, adding 0.55% or 116.83 points to 21,228.23. Ten-year Italian Treasury note yields were again lower on Tuesday, falling by six basis points to 2.79%, after the country's economics minister, Giovanni Tria, told a Bloomberg Forum event in Milan that Rome was aiming for a "manageable" budget. On Monday night, the US administration announced that 10% tariffs on another $200bn-worth of Chinese exports would go into effect on 24 September, rising to 25% next year. That was less than the 25% duty which had been expected until recently. Indeed, according to Capital Economics, the recent 6% drop in the yuan would nearly offset those tariffs, while more expansionary policies from Beijing would offset the remaining roughly half a percentage point hit to the annual rate of growth in the country's GDP. Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump threatened to pursue tariffs on a further $267bn of Chinese exports if the Asian giant retaliated, which Beijing said it would. The economic calendar for Tuesday was quite light, although ISTAT reported that industrial orders fell by 2.5% month-on-month in July, dragged down by declines in both domestic and foreign orders. Corporate-wise, shares of online fashion retailer Zalando cratered after management warned on profits for fiscal year 2018, citing bad weather conditions in Europe, poor demand for clothing and increased discounting. Ocado kept up the pace of growth in the third quarter as its fourth and most-technologically advanced robot-operated warehouse quickly got up to speed. Revenues of 348.6m in the 13 weeks to 2 September rose 11.5% on the same period last year. This was broadly in line with the first-half run-rate of 11.7% and in line with guidance for the full year. Average orders per week in the third quarter grew 11.4% on last year to 283,000, but were down on the 291,000 in the first half of the year. The average order size of 106.26 was flat on last year, but again down on the average basket of 108.18 in the first half. Cash at the start of September was down to 406.1m from the 447.6m three months earlier, with external debt up to 281.2m from the 164.6m external net cash at the end of the first half. Chief executive Tim Steiner said the company's fourth customer fulfilment centre, at Erith in South London, opened on time and on budget, and last week processed over 20,000 customer orders 14 weeks after opening, a number which took the third CFC at Andover 15 months to achieve. "At full capacity, this latest state-of-the-art CFC will be the largest automated warehouse for online grocery in the world," he boasted, with deals signed in recent months to roll similar designs out to supermarket groups in France, Scandinavia, Canada and the US in coming years. "We are on track to deliver a significant number of new CFCs for our Solutions partners in the coming years and as such are fulfilling our goal of changing the way the world shops," Steiner added. Shares in Ocado rose almost 2% to 929.31p in early trading on Tuesday. On the one hand the trading statement shows sales progressing as expected, wrote analysts Greg Lawless and Clive Black at Shore Capital. "That said, we question with Erith now operational why sales growth is not higher year-on-year and wonder what impact this will have on the operating margin in the short term." "In terms of international licences, whilst we welcome the international deals, we continue to question their materiality. We ask when will these international deals make a fundamental difference to both the revenues and earnings line and what they will do for ROCE." 0151 600 3701 Profits at Spire Healthcare remained in intensive care in the first half of the year after an "unprecedented decline" in admissions of NHS patients, but management remained confident in their new strategic direction. The dividend was held at 1.3p per share as directors reiterated their confidence in the 'reset' strategy announced in April, which aims to drive the share of private healthcare of the business to at least 80% of group revenues. Half-year results from the FTSE 250 group, which had been extensively previewed in early August, showed revenues down 1.1% to 475.6m but operating profit before exceptional and other items down 41% to 31.6m, or down 25% once exceptionals were added in. Profits were down due to the collapse in NHS admissions, lower than anticipated growth in private admissions and planned investment in operations. Overall private income was up 2.5%, however. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation declined 20.6% to 66.1m in the six months to 30 June, with a 53% crash in adjusted profit after tax to 16.4m and adjusted earnings per share to 4.1p. Inpatient and daycase admissions fell 4.1% to 133,700 cases, with two newly developed hospitals in Manchester and St Anthony's in South London have improved their profitability while there were continuing start-up losses from the new hospital Nottingham. Chief executive Justin Ash pointed to an "unprecedented decline (both in scale and speed) in NHS admissions" as the cause behind the disappointing results and revised outlook for the financial year as a whole. For the full year, management expect EBITDA will be 120-125m, after charging non-recurring items of approximately 5m. Year end net debt is expected to be broadly in line with current levels. "Nonetheless our overall revenues are broadly flat as the growth opportunity in our private business, 2.5% in the period, continues to support our shift in strategic focus," said Ash. "While the prolonged decline in NHS volumes had negative margin implications for us, overall our H1 2018 costs were in line with our budget, even after the previously indicated increases in spend on the clinical quality and our private proposition. "We continue to review our non-clinical costs to ensure optimal efficiency. We have also robustly reviewed our previously proposed capital expenditure plans, and now expect to maintain the quality and capability of our asset base with a reduced level of expenditure." Ash said the struggles of the sector "may lead to opportunities", hinting that Spire could pick up business from rivals. "I believe our reset strategy is absolutely the right one for Spire and that Spire continues to be well positioned to reinforce its leading role in the independent sector and indeed in UK healthcare as a whole." Shares in Spire fell 7% to 157.2p by 0835 BST on Tuesday, after earlier hitting a new all-time low of 148.6p. Morgan Stanley said: "As Spire adjusts to the new market environment, impairment losses have started to come through and, while Spire highlights a five year target of EBITDA of 200m, we see the path as unclear without a significant turnaround in trends, not just in the NHS business but also in Self-Pay and PMI where growth would need to accelerate." Analysts felt that cost savings "should bridge some of the gap" and optimisation of hospitals and staff costs "may help", though without the NHS business stabilising "margin expansion towards the high teens level will be challenging". Morgan Stanley was supportive of potential consolidation in the industry, though with the net debt at around 3.8 times EBITDA "there may be limited assets of the right size and value and the ability to do so may be limited", meaning closure of competitor hospitals "may be the more likely scenario, in our view". EU immigrants should not receive preferential treatment after Brexit, according a report published by the governments migration advisory committee on Tuesday. The committee told MPs that the country should adopt a system similar to that of Canada, leaving access to the UK labour market an even playing field for the citizens of any other country, but acknowledged that the country may have limited control on immigration policy depending on Brexit negotiations. The report added that offering special consideration for EU citizens could be a useful bargaining tool in negotiations. Despite its conclusion that EU citizens should not get special treatment, a study for the committee said European migrants living in the UK contribute 2,300 more to the economy each year than the average adult. Stephen Jones, chief executive of UK Finance, said: "EEA nationals play a key role in the labour market, bringing vital skills and contributing to the UKs role as a global leader in financial services. As we leave the EU, it will be crucial for both the finance sector and the wider economy that firms can maintain access to the brightest and best workers from Europe and around the world." Prime Minister Theresa May hinted on Monday that she does not want different immigration rights for EU citizens while the Times reported on Tuesday that Home Secretary Sajid Javid wants to limit EU immigration. The committee was set up by then-Home Secretary Amber Rudd to inform the post-Brexit migration policy and shape a white paper that has repeatedly been delayed but is due this autumn. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, said: "This report is a missed opportunity to protect jobs and economic growth that are at grave risk from Theresa May's appallingly mishandled approach to Brexit, and from a government that is only motivated by its ideological and economically illiterate migration target regardless of the cost to real people." The report came as Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab called on the remaining 27 EU states to be flexible in negotiations ahead of Tuesday's EU meeting in Salzburg, Austria, where Theresa May will pitch her Chequers proposals to the leaders of member states. An incident in which a Russian jet was shot down by Syrian forces on Monday was due to the "deliberate" aggression of the Israeli air force, according to the Russian defence ministry. Moscow laid the blame for the incident squarely at Israels door on Tuesday, stating that the Il-20 jet was forced to divert into the path of Syrian air defence systems by Israeli jets, resulting in the plane's destruction and the deaths of all 15 personnel on board. Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian ministry of defence, said: "Hiding behind the Russian aircraft, the Israeli pilots put it in the line of fire of Syrian anti-aircraft systems. As a result, the Il-20 [...] was shot down by the (Syrian) S-200 missile system." A recovery operation is underway in the Mediterranean Sea, where wreckage has already been located. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman that Russia "reserves the right to take further steps in response". Israel has not responded to the allegations, but the Kremlin suggested that the incident occurred as the nations air force sought to strike targets in Syria without having properly informed Russian forces, instead warning them just one minute beforehand. The Israeli military rarely discusses operations but recently claimed to have hit more than 200 Iranian targets in Syria over the past 18 months. The Russian plane, which was used primarily for reconnaissance, was returning to a base in Latakia province when it came under attack. The nearby coastal city of Latakia was attacked with missiles around the same time and Russias TASS news agency reported that air control radar systems detected rocket launches from the French naval frigate Auvergne which was nearby. French military spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger told Reuters that the nation denies any involvement. The Ugandan government has responded to the European Union Parliament, days after the continental blocs parliament has called on the East African nation to drop charges against legislators. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in a resolution released last weekend made reference to the violent turn of events during a by-election in August in Uganda. Last month, Ugandan police arrested three opposition lawmakers and scores of others after stones were thrown at the convoy of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been ruling the country since 1986. Robert Kyagulanyi, an independent lawmaker and musician who has gained popularity since he joined parliament last year and MP Francis Zaake were allegedly tortured after they were arrested. Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, said police shot at his vehicle and killed his driver. The government has denied that security staff tortured the two men, saying the injuries visible on their bodies could have been sustained in scuffles as they tried to resist arrest. Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo told a news conference on Monday that the EU parliament resolution asking the courts of Uganda to drop charges is inconceivable. We see this as a premeditated attempt to hijack and subvert our institutions, Opondo told reporters in the capital city, Kampala. He said the EU was hostile to Uganda because of our emerging relations with China. Donald Trump has intensified his trade war with China by imposing new import tariffs of $200bn on Chinese goods arriving in the US from next week. The US president announced the tariffs in a statement, saying: If China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267bn of additional imports. - Guardian The European Union is insisting on cast iron guarantees that Britain will not attempt to reopen the terms of any Brexit deal after it has been signed, confidential diplomatic notes reveal. In a rebuff to Michael Gove, Brussels is preparing to demand that Theresa May makes credible assurances that any deal will not be unpicked by her successor. - The Times Four American multinational drug companies underpaid an estimated 124 million of tax a year in Britain, according to Oxfam. An analysis of the accounts of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Abbott by the charity found the companies appeared to be avoiding 2.9 billion a year in taxes in nine advanced economies, including the UK. - The Times The Treasury will lose more than 100m for every year that it postpones curbs on bookmakers fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), according to a report from the Centre for Economic and Business Research. The government has agreed to slash the highest-permitted stake on FOBTs from 100 to 2 after concluding that they are a social blight, but it is considering postponing the change until 2020. - Guardian Taxes should rise to pay for the governments 20 billion gift for the NHS, the International Monetary Fund has said as it urged Britain not to take a chance with the public finances. Britains national debt remains relatively high and bringing it down is important to create buffers that will allow the public finances to weather future shocks, the worlds financial and economic watchdog said in its annual health check on the UK economy. - The Times Michel Barnier has backed Spanish plans that would force Gibraltar to end its status as an offshore tax haven after Brexit. After talks with Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, Europes chief negotiator said that he would offer all his support to Spain in its demands for changes to how Gibraltar operates. - The Times Twelve million people in Britain have been harmed by social media and the internet because online firms like Facebook and Twitter escape regulation, the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom will warn on Tuesday. Sharon White, the regulator's chief executive, will reveal research showing that one in five people in the UK have experienced harmful content or conduct ranging from bullying and harassment to fraud and violence. - Telegraph Santander, the Spanish banking group, is reported to be in talks to buy the City stockbroker Peel Hunt. A senior industry figure said the deal would give Santander access to a profitable business with a strong platform in London and high-profile corporate accounts. - The Times High gas prices have triggered a resurgence in electricity generation from coal as it becomes the cheaper option. Britain could see its first increase in carbon emissions in six years if coal-fired power plants continue to undercut gas ones, according to Imperial College London. US activist investor ValueAct has doubled its stake in British gene-editing specialist Horizon Discovery after agreeing a deal to buy the shares from Neil Woodford. ValueAct now owns nearly 10pc of Horizon, with Mr Woodford's stake trimmed to 18pc. - Telegraph Vodafone is considering offloading more than 50,000 mobile phone masts to reduce its debt pile, its new chief executive has revealed. Nick Read, who will succeed Vittorio Colao next month, said that it could sell a stake in its European towers business. He added that he was also considering a potential IPO in New Zealand. - The Times Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is investing more than $1bn (760m) in US electric car company Lucid Motors, after plans to take Tesla private collapsed earlier this year. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) said the money would help Lucid to launch its first commercial electric vehicle, called the Lucid Air, in 2020. - Telegraph Kweku Adoboli, the banker convicted of the UKs biggest fraud, has been given a last-minute reprieve from deportation as a judge awarded a judicial review of his case. Adoboli, 38, was found guilty in 2012 of fraud that lost his employer UBS $2.3bn (1.8bn), and he was due to be deported to Ghana on Tuesday. - Guardian The holding company of what remains of Yahoo is to settle claims following a 2013 data breach for $47m (36m), five years after the cyber attack saw details of 3 billion users stolen. Altaba, a holding company made up the parts of Yahoo not bought in Verizon's acquisition of the internet company, said it had agreed to settle a consumer class action litigation following the data breach. - Telegraph The number of dirty diesel vehicles pumping out toxic emissions on Europes streets is still rising three years after the Dieselgate scandal began, according to a new report. More than 7m such cars and vans remain on UK roads alone. - Guardian Investment from Asia is pouring into the City of London property market, with the amount spent on office blocks by South Koreans about to reach a record high. They are expected to have invested 3 billion by the end of this year, according to Savills, the property consultancy, making them the largest foreign buyers. - The Times No one struts down a catwalk quite like Naomi Campbell. And, legal experts argue, anyone who tries should find themselves accused of breaching her copyright. - The Times The only group that prepares Britons for cryogenic freezing has overturned a decision to remove it from the charity register after criticism of its handling of the body of a 14-year-old girl. The Human Organ Research Preservation Trust said a tribunals ruling that it is a genuine charity was an important step in establishing cryonics as a legitimate field of work. - The Times Media regulator Ofcom has issued research backing up the need for statutory regulation on social media after finding that 45% of UK adult internet users admitted to having experienced online harm. Tech companies such as Facebook or Google could be regulated in the same way as mobile phone and broadband companies, Ofcom said on Tuesday. The UK Parliaments Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee published an interim report on disinformation and fake news that included a recommendation that existing broadcasting standards be used as the basis for new online standards. With the government having suggested it intends to legislate to improve online safety, the Ofcom released a 'discussion paper' ahead of the government's proposed White Paper this winter. Ofcom, which has the power to hit firms with substantial fines if they do not meet standards, set out a number of areas and targets that could be set for tech firms. "Effective enforcement could be achieved through meaningful financial penalties," the regulator said, noting that the GDPR allows for penalties of up to 4% of global turnover for the most serious breaches. A study carried out by the regulator showed that 79% of UK adult internet users are concerned about certain aspects of going online. Around 66% are concerned about content that people view, read or listen to online, and over half of users are concerned about data/privacy, interactions with other users and hacking/security. The study revealed that around half of UK adult internet users admitted to experiencing some form of online harm but only 21% of these have taken action to report the harmful content. The study also found that a significant proportion of the public does not properly understand the broadcast and online regulatory framework and are therefore unable to form an opinion on whether current regulations are sufficient or not. In a cryptic announcement, Capcom has projected massive losses of up to $40 million following restructuring and cancellation of a project at Capcom Vancouver, their video game studio behind the "Dead Rising" series of games. Layoffs and several cancellations later True to a fault, Capcom Vancouver saw better times prior to 2018. Earlier this year, the studio was forced to downscale its operations which led to 30 percent of its workforce being laid off from the company. An unnamed source speaking to Kotaku claimed that this move also led to the cancelation of an unannounced game project that was still in the planning stage. The working title was planned as a third-person action-adventure video game set in an alternate New York. Kotaku's source also claimed that Capcom's decision was part of a restructuring effort that would help to streamline the company and reduce focus on the next "Dead Rising" game which has become overscored. Unfortunately, the move has instead crippled the studio's profit potential. Capcom analysts are expecting the company to incur a loss of $40 million for the six months of the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2019. A brief history Capcom Vancouver started its journey back in 2005 under the title Blue Castle Games. It was formed in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada with a small staff of 12 before it would eventually grow to over 200 and be renamed to Capcom Vancouver. The studio is best known for its work on the popular "Dead Rising" series, a series of survival horror Video Games similar to "Resident Evil," another Capcom-owned series. The "Dead Rising" franchise consists of four main titles, two remakes, two compilations, and a mobile game. Also similar to "Resident Evil," the franchise made its way to the big screen with three films. Discuss this news on Eunomia Not all is lost Despite the ensuing massive windfall from Capcom Vancouver, the company as a whole is expected to maintain its projections for the remainder of the year. This is due in large part to the recent success of titles such as "Monster Hunter World" with sales exceeding the company's expectations since its launch back in January. The title became Capcom's greatest hit with eight million copies sold on consoles alone. "Monster Hunter World" was also released for PC via Steam in August and is currently raking in large sales numbers on Valve's distribution service. However, an estimate for the PC port hasn't been mentioned yet. Overall, Capcom has also seen success with its Nintendo Switch exclusives and ports. Steven Poelzing, an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, has received a new five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The grant will fund Poelzings research into a heart mutation, known as a gain-of-function mutation, that can lead to sudden cardiac death and other heart conditions. Its a less common mutation, but more lethal, said Poelzing, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics in Virginia Techs College of Engineering. With this mutation, the channels between the heart cells remain active when they shouldnt. This specific mutation is concealed through puberty, and only becomes obvious after critical events in adolescence or early adulthood, such as unexplained fainting, seizures, or near drownings, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The mutation frequently underlies Long QT syndrome, which can be inherited or acquired. On an electrocardiogram reading, the length of time it takes for a heartbeat to drop from the peak to the baseline is referred to as QT. A long QT indicates an out-of-rhythm heartbeat. Something happens to cardiac cells during the maturation process that unmasks this mutation and makes it a dangerous problem, Poelzing said. If we can figure it out, we might be able to re-mask the mutation and keep the heart functioning properly. Heart cells communicate through channels called gap junctions. In childhood, cardiac cells are oval shaped, with gap junctions equally spaced around their borders. Adults have larger, brick-like cells with their gap junctions concentrated on the ends. Poelzing, along with other researchers in the VTCRI Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine, has found there is more to the story of conduction than cell size and gap junction location, though. Theres a parallel process of conduction called ephaptic coupling that doesnt appear to rely on the direct channels of gap junctions to keep the heart in rhythm. Its the difference between a cable and a spark, Poelzing said. Gap junctions allow direct communication, yet a person can lose 50 percent of them and not see a change in the electrical propagation properties of their heart. We discovered another mechanism of communication that helps maintain conduction even when gap junctions are lost. Sodium is crucial for the spark, according to Poelzing. The ephaptic coupling mechanism allows electrical current to jump the space between cardiac cells, even when the direct channel the gap junction isnt working well or is even completely gone. Poelzing suspects that saline with different concentrations of sodium, potassium, and calcium can modulate the spark to help normalize conduction in different cardiac diseases. Salt water is a lifeline often the first thing done for a patient in a hospital is give her a saline solution, Poelzing said. A different ratio of sodium in the saline may modulate cardiac conduction differently depending on the composition of the heart cells. Thats the subject of Poelzings first NHLBI grant. In that project, he focuses on how sodium affects conduction through both ephaptic coupling and gap junctions. With his latest NIHLB grant, Poelzing is studying how mutated sodium channels can become over-activated causing major problems for the heart. In both cases, problems can arise from miscommunication in the space between the cells and through the sodium channels acting as gatekeepers through the cellular membranes especially if the channels have a gain-of-function mutation. One cell activates, and the sodium channels begin to drain the sodium ions from the space between them. The downstream channel wants to equalize, so it starts draining, too, Poelzing said. We end up with two large conducting channels continuously draining sodium out of the same space. In some mutated sodium channels, this over-activation can equalize to a point where the heart can function normally. Ephaptic coupling allows sodium to continue to seep from between cells, so it can empty in a way that allows a relatively regular beat. Thats not always the case, though. Sodium boosting can be great, in some circumstances, Poelzing said. However, for people with this type of Long QT Syndrome, it could be catastrophic. When one channel opens, the reservoir of the cell needs to have some sodium to be stable. But if ephaptic coupling increases the intake of sodium, the flow goes for too long and the channels cant reset. The channels between the heart cells remain active, and the heart never relaxes. It triggers another contraction across the muscle, Poelzing said. The typical check and balance of cardiac conduction disappears, and the cells become competitive when they should be working together. Each heartbeat triggers another in self-perpetuating waves, forcing the individual cells of the heart to work literally to death. By understanding how the mutation triggers the sodium channels to continue draining while ephaptic coupling works to regulate sodium, the researchers may be able to target the levels of sodium so that even with the mutation, the channels may be able to reset and give the cells a chance to rest. Its one small part of a very complicated system, but we might be able to make the sodium channels behave correctly, and that could reduce arrhythmias in people with gain-of-function diseases, such as heart failure, Poelzing said. Our hope is that our research will start to inform physicians on new strategies to prevent sudden cardiac death. Accreditaion of media for the High Level International Conference Preventing and Countering Terrorism in the Digital Age (October 9-10, 2018, Minsk) 11-09-2018 On October 9-10, 2018 Minsk will host the High Level International Conference Preventing and Countering Terrorism in the Digital Age. The conference is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepts documents for accreditation of representatives of foreign media organizations up to and including October 3, 2018. The applicants need to provide a completed accreditation form, a letter of assignment on official letterhead of a media organization and a photo. The list of documents corresponds to the procedure for obtaining temporary accreditation of representatives of foreign media. More detailed information is available on the Ministry's website in the section Press Service Accreditation. The accreditation certificate is issued personally to the representative of foreign media in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Department of Information and Digital Diplomacy, Minsk, Lenina str., 19, tel. +(375 17) 327 51 54, fax +(375 17) 210 42 51, e-mail: press@mfa.gov.by, internal number 1412). Foreign journalists with valid accreditation at the Foreign Ministry as well as representatives of Belarusian media should also send an application per e-mail, indicating passport data and contact information. Delivery of badges will take place in the lobby of the President Hotel (the venue of the event) on October 9, 2018. print version High Level International Conference Preventing and Countering Terrorism in the Digital Age will take place in Minsk 11-09-2018 On October 9-10, 2018 Minsk will host its first High Level International Conference Preventing and Countering Terrorism in the Digital Age, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The conference will take stock of developments of the actions against terrorism and the financing of terrorism by OSCE participating States and OSCE Partners for Co-operation and more concretely provide an opportunity to exchange national experiences and perspectives on recent trends and measures with regard to strategic areas. A key feature of the event is its content, which is at the junction of the two most pressing challenges of our time: the fight against terrorism and cybersecurity. The conference is positioned as a unifying event of a wide format. The head of the OSCE, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Directorate, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will visit Belarus for the first time. The forum will be attended by the high-level representatives of the OSCE participating states and partner countries, the head of the CIS and CSTO, representatives of business community, analytical agencies. The agenda of the conference includes sessions on the following topics: implementing the OSCE framework against terrorism in the digital age; preventing and countering terrorism online: the importance of public private partnerships; protecting critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks emanating from cyberspace. Special attention will be paid to the fight against terrorism in the online segment. The wide-spread exploitation of the Internet and social media platforms by terrorists poses serious challenges to States, national institutions, the media, the private sector and civil society. But the Internet as a communication channel also plays an important role in preventing and countering terrorism, including the financing of terrorism. Therefore, the Internet component will be the overarching focus in discussions. The holding of the conference in Minsk is another practical step, confirming the consistent position of Belarus in strengthening international cooperation in areas of unifying potential, such as countering terrorism and cyber security. print version Arquideas is calling for registrations for a new competition titled "Viewpoint Of The Fjords (VOF) Norway", proposing a space for contemplation and admiration of the environment that will produce an exchange between landscape and spectator. A space where nature plays a key role. Norway is considered one of the most beautiful countries in the world thanks to its rugged nature with snaking glaciers, mountain areas in the interior that resemble natural fortresses, rocky islands that emerge from the sea and waterfalls that emanate a sublime and savage energy. Other natural wonders such as Aurora Borealis, the Midnight sun, the fjords and the tranquillity found in their national parks, showcase Norways virtues. Norways main attraction, speaking in terms of natural beauty, resides in fjords. They form islands, islets and huge areas of land surrounded by water. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream and air currents caused by the Coriolis force, the Norwegian fjords enjoy a relatively mild climate and remain virtually ice-free. Different activities can be enjoyed such as hiking, climbing, kayaking, and other ways of moving around. The fjords plunge to more than 1,300 metres under the sea, as it is the case of the Sognefjord. This makes navigation of big cruises possible. UNESCO has included Norways fjords, exemplified by the Geirangerfjord and Nryfjord, in the World Heritage list. Norwegian cities are cosmopolitan and its architecture showcases the famous Scandinavian flair for design. Object The objective of the present competition for students of architecture and young architects, Viewpoint of the Fjords (VOF), consists in proposing a space for contemplation and admiration of the environment that will produce an exchange between landscape and spectator. A space where nature plays a key role. Landscape observation is the fundamental purpose of this architectural space. It must appreciate the virtues of the location and experiment new ways of contemplation. Thanks to its privileged location, this new proposed space will become an international reference point for all visitors of this natural attraction. VOF aspires to become the new meeting point for visitors and nature, a new place of understanding and an information point for hikers. In here, observation will become a unique sensory experience. In a country so full of world-famous iconic images, this new space for contemplation must become an architectural reference for Norway. Prizes The following prizes will be awarded to proposals that best meet the purpose of the competition: 1st Prize: 3.750 euros + 1 year free subscription to AV Proyectos magazine + 1 year free subscription to WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell magazine + 1 year free subscription to Diseno Interior magazine + Collection from Experimenta publishing + Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Publication in Diseno Interior. The winner or members of the winner team will take part of the Jury in the next architecture competition. 2nd Prize: 1.500 euros + 1 year free subscription to AV Proyectos magazine + 1 year free subscription to WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell magazine + 1 year free subscription to Diseno Interior magazine + Collection from Experimenta publishing + Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Publication in Diseno Interior. 3rd Prize: 625 euros + 1 year free subscription to AV Proyectos magazine + 1 year free subscription to WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell magazine + 1 year free subscription to Diseno Interior magazine + Collection from Experimenta publishing + Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Publication in Diseno Interior. Arquideas Special Prize: The Arquideas Special Prize will be given, awarded with 500 euros, to the proposal with more votes from Arquideas Community users, among winners, honorable mentions and the finalist projects. Honorable Mentions: Up to 5 Honorable Mentions will be given to the most interesting proposals in terms of architectural quality, and which have not received any of the first three prizes, and will be awarded with the following prize: Digital publication in Plataforma Arquitectura + Digital publication in Arquitectura Viva + Digital publication in WA Wettbewerbe Aktuell + Publication in Diseno Interior. Jury Registration Fees The registration period falls between August 3, 2018 and November 30, 2018. Early registration: (from August 3, 2018 to October 19, 2018) 50 individual registration 75 team registration (from 2 to 4 members) Regular registration: (from October 20, 2018 to November 30, 2018) 75 individual registration 100 team registration (from 2 to 4 members) Schedule Early registration: 03 August, 2018 - 19 October, 2018 Registration: 20 October, 2018 - 30 November, 2018 Submission deadline: 19 December, 2018 Jury deliberations: 20 December, 2018 - 31 January, 2019 Jury decision: 01 February, 2019 Community vote: 04 February, 2019 - 28 February, 2019 Results announced: 28 February, 2019 You can download the competition brief and documents from here. All images courtesy of Arquideas > via Arquideas From Project Syndicate: During the slow recovery after the 2008 financial crisis, Larry Summers, the Director of President Barack Obamas National Economic Council, argued that the US economy was in the grips of secular stagnation: neither full employment nor strong growth could be achieved under stable financial conditions. In this BigPicture debate, Joseph E. Stiglitz argues that Summerss theory has been invalidated by the effectiveness of todays fiscal stimulus policies and that the Obama administration should have doubled down on them when it had the chance. Summers responds that Stiglitz has mistakenly framed his theory as a passive justification of the status quo, rather than as a call to arms for precisely the type of intervention Stiglitz himself advocates. Stiglitz counters that the shape and size of the intervention matters as much as the decision to go through with it, and hopes that the right lessons will have been heeded by the next downturn. And Summers offers his final thoughts on the matter, noting that the Obama-era stimulus package did indeed fall within the range Stiglitz had prescribed at the time. More here. via @carlosfrias First the chef known as Salt Bae riled Cuban Americans by dressing up in honor of the late dictator Fidel Castro. Now Turkish chef Nusret Gokce, the man who became a meme by sprinkling salt over manhandled meat, has incensed the internet again, this time by hosting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as that country grapples with widespread food scarcity. In three since-deleted Instagram video posts to his 15.7 million followers, Gokce, who has a restaurant in Miami, performs his usual routine at his Nusr-Et restaurant in Istanbul. He slaps and flips sides of cooked meat for the visiting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores sprinkling it with the flourish that earned him tacit internet fame. The Miami Herald downloaded the video before it was deleted. In it, Maduro smiles and laughs while smoking a cigar as Gokce finishes the meat Look how he salts it! someone says off camera. Gokce later presents Maduro with a T-shirt of himself sprinkling salt, draping it over the leader like a bib. As Maduro feasted, his country starves, according to several recent reports. Nearly a third of Venezuelans say they regularly eat only once a day and nearly 30 percent say they ate nothing or close to nothing at least one day a week, according to a poll by Meganalisis. The country also faces a mass exodus, as an estimated 2.3 million have fled to live abroad because of the current government instability, according to the United Nations. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban-American descent, tweeted the video with the telephone number to Gokces Miami restaurant. There was no such scarcity of food in Gokces video Monday. Gokce slices blushing medium-rare lamb chops for Maduro with a flick of his knife. At his Miami restaurant by the same name, the signature Tomahawk steak the item that will coax Gokce over to finish tableside costs $275. Both restaurants are part of Gokces reported $1.5 billion restaurant empire that spans several continents. Nusr-Et is just another steakhouse (and a very expensive Instagram photo), Miami Herald restaurant reviewer Jodi Mailander Farrell wrote in March. It will take more than a viral flick of the wrist for it to survive in this town. In Istanbul, Maduro ended his meal with a hearty embrace of Gokce. Read more here. Bernard Porter at Literary Review: Reading this magisterial new biography of Mohandas K Gandhi, one could almost imagine that the British Empire might have been saved had the imperial government, not to mention the Indians, listened to him more. As is pretty well known, he didnt turn against the empire until well into his career, long convinced beyond reason, perhaps that the nation of John Stuart Mill and of the numerous liberal friends he had made while studying law in London would eventually show what he took to be its best side and grant self-government to India, on the same basis as Canada and Australia, under the aegis of its beloved king-emperor. It was for this reason that he actually aided the British side in the Boer War, the Zulu War and the First World War (his work on behalf of the Indian diaspora in South Africa is retailed in Ramachandra Guhas Gandhi Before India, the prequel to this volume, reviewed here in December 2013). Gandhi sustained his faith in the people of Britain for some time after his enthusiastically celebrated return to India, already a hero, in January 1915. more here. 'All Together Now' musical set for Capitol Theatre this weekend A selection of music from 15 different shows will be performed on stage at the Capitol Theatre Nov. 12-15. Creating paintings that use techniques resembling centuries-old, historical styles, local artist Fatima Ronquillo doesnt want her work to be taken too seriously. Painting with this type of style, referencing old masterpieces, it can get very precious, said the self-taught artist, whose work has been shown worldwide and in such famous publications as Marie Claire and New York Magazine. And I dont want that. I want it to be current. When I paint, theres something thats amusing me. So its something delightful to me. Ronquillo is known for taking inspiration from literature for her painting subjects. Right now, that literature happens to be Greek mythology. In her solo show opening tonight at Santa Fes Meyer Gallery, shes tapped into the Greek island of Arcadia to create both traditional and contemporary interpretations of what, in the myths, was an unattainable, unspoiled land. It was this mythical place of unspoiled wilderness this idea of, not a utopia, but a land that is untouched by civilization, she said. In mythology, Arcadia was the home of Pan, god of many things, including nature and the wild. Its more like an escapist fantasy of this ideal land where theres happiness and innocence and revelry, she added. Just something, a paradise, sort of. Her paintings include interpretations of both Greek gods and goddesses, and her own ideas of what a place like Arcadia would be. She noted that in one of her works, Homecoming, she takes a more traditional approach by painting Hebe, the goddess of youth, standing in front of a beautiful landscape. She is holding an eagle that is supposed to represent Zeus, and the eagle is sipping from her cup of ambrosia. In mythology, Hebe was known for serving ambrosia to the gods on Mount Olympus. But Ronquillo said she intentionally also included more modern interpretations of what this idyllic land could represent. In another painting shes titled The Wanderers, a young girl is sitting on the back of a buffalo with a peregrine falcon mounted on her arm. Both animals were once endangered, she mentioned, but have since been saved through conservation efforts. Theres an optimistic idea of saving wildlife and the Earth, and I think of that as Arcadia, because theres probably very, very few places that are still untouched and safe, said Ronquillo. She symbolizes the importance of wildlife in other works, such as Hand with Crowned Marmoset, in which a monkey is wearing a small crown. In The Wanderers, the mountainous landscape she painted is meant to resemble New Mexico. Then I had to Google, is there bison and buffalo (in New Mexico)? she said with a laugh. She later decided, Who cares? Well just put them in. Other works are loose interpretations of who may have been in Arcadia and what may have been going on. On Pans island, all this partying was going on, she mentioned. In her large painting Baby Dionysus Riding A Cheetah, she created the scene of the god of wine as an infant newly arriving on the island. There was no particular reason she made him a baby other than she personally found it humorous, she said, but she had him arriving on a cheetah to represent the stories of Dionysus going places in chariots drawn by wild animals. That was this hedonistic happiness thats another association with that place, Arcadia, said Ronquillo. Arcadia will be at Meyer Gallery until Sept. 27. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Arcadia WHEN: Showing until Sept. 27. Opening reception is tonight from 5-7 p.m. WHERE: Meyer Gallery, 225 Canyon Road Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal The bishop of Las Cruces has placed the pastor of St. Genevieve Parish, the Rev. Rogelio Martinez, on administrative leave with pay after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct with adults. Sadly, our diocese has allegations against a priest that are serious in nature, and we must proceed with a review that is comprehensive and provides a just conclusion, Bishop Oscar Cantu said in a news release from the Catholic diocese in southern New Mexico. Certainly, Father Rogelio must be presumed to be innocent and will be given ample opportunity to clear his name. The alleged sexual misconduct does not involve parishioners of the church, which is in Las Cruces, according to the diocese. The diocese also reported the allegations to District Attorney Mark DAntonio to determine whether there is any criminality involved, according to the statement released Monday. The internal investigation by the diocese will happen concurrently with any criminal investigation. The dioceses Sexual Abuse Review Board will examine the findings to determine whether they are credible, and if they are, the bishop could impose sanctions against Martinez. The board is made up of private citizens with expertise in the areas of law, law enforcement and psychology and includes one priest, according to the diocese. Our Catholic Church has entered into an era of greater transparency and accountability, and I am committed to cooperating with the dioceses review board and law enforcement in investigating all allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct which may involve clergy or church personnel, Cantu said. The New Mexico Attorney Generals Office has requested the three Catholic dioceses in the state provide all records related to potential abuse of minors by priests and other members of the clergy. The Las Cruces Diocese, Gallup Diocese and Santa Fe Archdiocese have said they are cooperating. Attorney General Hector Balderas in a letter to the diocese dated Sept. 4 asked that the documents, including diocesan personnel files, be turned over to his office within a month. Our investigative demand includes these documents or, alternatively, information regarding the whereabouts or custody of such documents, said David Carl, spokesman for the Attorney Generals Office. We have demanded that this information be provided on or before Oct. 5. The inquiry in New Mexico comes after a Pennsylvania grand jury investigation that concluded last month. It found 300 priests had sexually abused at least 1,000 children and alleged that some church leaders were involved in a cover-up. Balderas in his letter to New Mexicos bishops noted the Pennsylvania grand jury report had revealed ties to the state. In particular, the grand jury found the Servants of the Paraclete treatment center in Jemez Springs was used as a laundry for priests accused of sexual abuse who were later allowed to returned to their parishes. Although the Jemez center is in New Mexico, The Servants of the Paraclete are a separate entity. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe does not have their files, according to a spokeswoman for the archdiocese. New Mexico is among eight states in recent weeks that have launched their own investigations into possible sexual abuse of minors by priests or members of clergy. Finding insufficient evidence that he was involved in the alleged crime, an Albuquerque judge on Monday declined to detain an 18-year-old who police say took part in the beating of a homeless man last month. Ignacio Avila, along with 15-year-old Jose Aragon, is accused of attacking 28-year-old William Henderson as he slept in a Downtown doorway. According to a criminal complaint, security footage shows a passenger wearing a white shirt, who a prosecutor identified as Aragon, strike Henderson several times. A second suspect in darker clothing gets out of the car and runs around the rear bumper. The complaint itself says that he didnt have anything to do with the beating, said state District Court Judge Christina Argyres during a detention hearing Monday. Instead, she agreed he could be released from custody with conditions, including a GPS bracelet, a curfew and an order not to contact any fellow members of a gang prosecutors say he is associated with. If I had something that Mr. Avila took part in the beatings or took part in this horrific act, I would be more inclined to keep him in custody, Argyres said. Avila is facing charges including aggravated battery, assault and conspiracy. He is set to appear before a Grand Jury later this week. SANTA FE Santa Fe and Albuquerque have received grants to help legal permanent residents navigate the legal pathway to becoming citizens. Members of immigrant rights group Somos Un Pueblo Unido and Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber announced the new program at a press conference outside City Hall here Monday morning. Somos was awarded a Cities for Citizenship America is Home $50,000 matching grant the next two years to help eligible residents become citizens, which means a total of $100,000 with local matching funds. Albuquerque is receiving money through El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos in partnership with other groups. The size of the grant to Albuquerque was not provided in a city news release. Cities for Citizenship is a national initiative supported by advocacy groups Center for Popular Democracy and the National Partnership for New Americans, with Citi Community Development as founding corporate sponsor. Fourteen cities were awarded challenge grants of either $25,000 or $40,000 a year over two years after 66 cities submitted proposals. In Santa Fe, the first forum for those interested in help will be at Sweeney Elementary School off Airport Road Oct. 10, and other forums will follow in November, December and January. There will be a citizenship and civic engagement fair in Albuquerque Oct. 20 at ACE Leadership High School on Bellahah Avenue NW. Somos Zulema Chavero said attending a forum is the first step for anyone trying to utilize the program. Chavero said Somos members have to get accreditation from the U.S. Department of Justice just to be able to help people with the naturalization process. Lawyers from the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center will help out as well. Speakers at the Santa Fe news conference, including some legal permanent residents who say they plan to use the program, spoke about the fear of not being a U.S. citizen under the current presidential administration and said becoming a citizen would mitigate those fears. Even legal permanent residents are afraid of being deported right now because of all the things that are happening and the things that we hear from the current administration is what makes us feel this way, and citizenship will make them feel more secure, Chavero said. Webber said the program will help Santa Feans who have been legal residents for years but have chosen not to start the citizenship process because of how difficult it is. He also mentioned the fear some of those residents have to live with. The national mood coming out of Washington D.C. is not very immigrant friendly, Webber told the Journal after the conference.We have ICE raids, we have a spectre hanging over people who have felt that theyre not welcome or are subject to potential arrest or deportation for simply living their lives and not doing anything wrong, other than being here without documents. MEXICO CITY Mexican authorities said Monday that they discovered three cargo trucks packed with 124 parched and starving Central Americans nearly half of them children. The trucks were stopped Sunday after they sped through an immigration checkpoint in the southern state of Oaxaca, according to a statement from Mexicos National Migration Institute. Inside, authorities found dozens of immigrants in dire condition. The immigrants, who were bound for the United States, told authorities that they had not eaten in days and had been denied water by their smugglers. They were provided medical attention and will be given the chance to apply for asylum to stay in Mexico, the statement said. Those who choose not to apply or who have their asylum claims denied will be deported to their home countries, it said. The discovery was a reminder that tens of thousands of immigrants continue to try to reach the United States each month, despite President Donald Trumps zero tolerance immigration policy and increased enforcement in Mexico. Nearly all of the immigrants traveling north were from Guatemala, a poor nation that has been roiled by crime and government corruption. Sixty of the immigrants were minors, including 15 who were traveling without an adult. The number of immigrant families arrested at the border last month was 12,774, up from 9,247 in July, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The total number of immigrants apprehended at the border was 37,544, compared with 31,299 in July. The Trump administration has described the increase as a crisis and used it to argue for a border wall and tougher action although the flow of migrants is down dramatically since its peak more than a decade ago. In fiscal year 2005, an average of 98,000 people were apprehended each month. In June, Trump halted his zero tolerance policy, which called for the criminal prosecution of all immigrants who illegally enter the United States and sparked a backlash by separating more than 2,300 children from their parents. With millions of dollars in funding from the United States, Mexico has stepped up enforcement of immigration laws in its territory, deporting more than half a million immigrants since 2014. At the same time, the number of immigrants seeking asylum in Mexico has risen sharply. Human rights advocates have repeatedly accused Mexican immigration agents of rape, assault and other human rights abuses against immigrants. Robberies, kidnappings and violence carried out by smugglers and drug cartels are also common. In one incident in 2010, 72 kidnapped migrants were killed by a cartel in northern Mexico. Authorities said 11 people had been arrested and charged with human trafficking in connection with Sundays incident. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque city councilors on Monday unanimously approved an economic development incentive package to a Santa Monica, Calif.-based outsourced customer support company that will add nearly 700 jobs to the citys economy. The incentive package for TaskUs includes $2 million from the states Local Economic Development Act fund, $1 million from the citys closing fund and an industrial revenue bond package that functions as a property tax break. The company plans to lease about 50,500 square feet of office space located in the First Plaza Building at Third and Tijeras NW, and invest $9 million in the new Downtown location. Jon Wouters, the companys vice president of expansion and growth, said company officials have seen a lot of enthusiasm from people in Albuquerque during their initial visits here. Its a lot of jobs, Wouters said. Were excited about it because weve grown so fast and massively over the last 10 years. Were excited to grow to other areas of the U.S., and thats why Im excited about Albuquerque. The office will feature a market, lounge and recreation areas and a subsidized gym for employees. The company plans to open in the first quarter of 2019. The agreement commits TaskUs, which boasts employing more than 10,000 people in offices in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and San Francisco, as well as internationally in Mexico and the Philippines, to hire at least 695 full-time employees by Dec. 31, 2021, on the schedule of 448 employees by Dec. 31, 2019, and 614 employees by Dec. 31, 2020, at an average salary of about $31,000 including incentives plus benefits, and maintain at least 626 full-time employees through Dec. 31, 2028. Clawbacks include a repayment of 10 percent per year of the state and city contribution for the first five years of operations and a penalty of 10 percent of the city contribution if employment levels are not maintained during years six through 10. The companys payroll is expected to reach $28 million annually. Tier 1 customer service specialists make $26,000 to $34,000 annually, plus incentive pay and benefits. More than 220 of the positions will pay between $34,000 to $40,000 plus bonuses and benefits. The company was founded in 2008 by business partners Bryce Maddock and Jaspar Weir. Initially started as a virtual personal assistance company, TaskUs soon transformed into an international organization in cloud-based digital operations support and management space focused on providing back-office and technical customer service support for technology startup companies. The company started its first international office in Manila, Philippines, in 2009. Since that time, the company established its first domestic center in San Antonio, Texas. @alextdaugherty Marco Rubio was not happy while scrolling through Twitter on Monday night. The Florida Republican came across video of celebrity chef Nusret Gokce, known as Salt Bae, gyrating his hips while serving expensive steak to a cigar-wielding Nicolas Maduro at his restaurant in Turkey. Rubio initially tweeted his displeasure, referring to Maduro as an overweight dictator and Gokce as a weirdo. Then Rubio found out that Gokce, who achieved viral fame for his intricate salting of meat, owns a restaurant in Miami. He tweeted out the address and phone number of Brickells Nusr-Et steakhouse, a move that drew some criticism online. Gokce is not a guy who I disagree with on some domestic political issue, Rubio told the Miami Herald on Tuesday. This is someone who is celebrating a criminal. Nicolas Maduro is systematically starving the people of Venezuela. This guys here celebrating him as some sort of hero. I dont know. I got pissed. Is that a good answer? Rubio said he made the decision to post the publicly available information because Gokce has a massive following on social media, with more than 300,000 followers on Twitter and 15 million on Instagram, and voicing his displeasure draws more awareness to the ongoing situation in Venezuela, where a recent poll found that 30 percent of the country eats only one meal a day. First he praised Castro. Now Salt Bae chef lavishes Venezuelas Maduro with steak dinner All I gave is the phone number, Rubio said. They should call the restaurant and complain about what the owner of the restaurant did. This is an expensive restaurant, probably overpriced according to some of the reviews that I read, but I dont care what peoples politics are domestically. Ive never gone after anybody in business because they have a view of politics different than mine on a domestic matter. This is not a domestic political disagreement. A host of other Miami politicians also criticized Gokce, with Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo calling the video repulsive, Democratic congressional candidate Donna Shalala saying the dictator will give himself this kind of feast without any shame while his people starve, and Miami mayor Francis Suarez calling it disgusting. A protest outside Salt Baes Brickell restaurant is planned for Wednesday afternoon. Read more here. VALIER, Mont. The searchers rummage through the abandoned trailer, flipping over a battered couch, unfurling a stained sheet, looking for clues. Its blistering hot and a grizzly bear lurking in the brush unleashes a menacing growl. But they cant stop. Not when a loved one is still missing. The group moves outside into knee-deep weeds, checking out a rusted garbage can, an old washing machine and a surprise: bones. Ashley HeavyRunner Loring, a 20-year-old member of the Blackfeet Nation, was last heard from around June 8, 2017. Since then her older sister, Kimberly, has been looking for her. She has logged about 40 searches, with family from afar sometimes using Google Earth to guide her around closed roads. Shes hiked in mountains, shouting her sisters name. Shes trekked through fields, gingerly stepping around snakes. Shes trudged through snow, rain and mud, but she cant cover the entire 1.5 million-acre reservation, an expanse larger than Delaware. Im the older sister. I need to do this, says 24-year-old Kimberly, swatting away bugs, her hair matted from the heat. I dont want to search until Im 80. But if I have to, I will. Ashleys disappearance is one small chapter in the unsettling story of missing and murdered Native American women and girls. No one knows precisely how many there are because some cases go unreported, others arent documented thoroughly and there isnt a specific government database tracking these cases. But one U.S. senator with victims in her home state calls this an epidemic, a long-standing problem linked to inadequate resources, outright indifference and a confusing jurisdictional maze. Now, in the era of #MeToo, this issue is gaining political traction as an expanding activist movement focuses on Native women a population known to experience some of the nations highest rates of murder, sexual violence and domestic abuse. Just the fact were making policymakers acknowledge this is an issue that requires government response, thats progress in itself, says Annita Lucchesi, a cartographer and descendant of the Cheyenne who is building a database of missing and murdered indigenous women in the U.S. and Canada a list of some 2,700 names so far. As her endless hunt goes on, Ashleys sister is joined on this day by a cousin, Lissa, and four others, including a family friend armed with a rifle and pistols. They scour the trailer where two no trespassing signs are posted and a broken telescope looks out the kitchen window. One of Ashleys cousins lived here, and there are reports its among the last places she was seen. Were following every rumor there is, even if it sounds ridiculous, Lissa Loring says. This search is motivated, in part, by the familys disappointment with the reservation police force a common sentiment for many relatives of missing Native Americans. Outside, the group stumbles upon something intriguing: the bones, one small and straight, the other larger and shaped like a saddle. Its enough to alert police, who respond in five squad cars, rumbling across the ragged field, kicking up clouds of dust. After studying the bones, one officer breaks the news: Theyre much too large for a human; they could belong to a deer. There will be no breakthrough today. Tomorrow the searchers head to the mountains. ___ For many in Native American communities across the nation, the problem of missing and murdered women is deeply personal. I cant think of a single person that I know who doesnt have some sort of experience, says Ivan MacDonald, a member of the Blackfeet Nation and a filmmaker. These women arent just statistics. These are grandma, these are mom. This is an aunt, this is a daughter. This is someone who was loved and didnt get the justice that they so desperately needed. MacDonald and his sister, Ivy, recently produced a documentary on Native American women in Montana who vanished or were killed. One story hits particularly close to home. Their 7-year-old cousin, Monica, disappeared from a reservation school in 1979. Her body was found frozen on a mountain 20 miles away, and no one has ever been arrested. There are many similar mysteries that follow a pattern: A woman or girl goes missing, theres a community outcry, a search is launched, a reward may be offered. There may be a quick resolution. But often, theres frustration with tribal police and federal authorities, and a feeling many cases arent handled urgently or thoroughly. So why does this happen? MacDonald offers his own harsh assessment. It boils down to racism, he argues. You could sort of tie it into poverty or drug use or some of those factors (but) the federal government doesnt really give a crap at the end of the day. Tribal police and investigators from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs serve as law enforcement on reservations, which are sovereign nations. But the FBI investigates certain offenses and, if theres ample evidence, the U.S. Department of Justice prosecutes major felonies such as murder, kidnapping and rape if they happen on tribal lands. Former North Dakota federal prosecutor Tim Purdon calls it a jurisdictional thicket of overlapping authority and different laws depending on the crime, where it occurred (on a reservation or not) and whether a tribal member is the victim or perpetrator. Missing person cases on reservations can be especially tricky. Some people run away, but if a crime is suspected, its difficult to know how to get help. Where do I go to file a missing persons report? Purdon asks. Do I go to the tribal police? In some places theyre underfunded and undertrained. The Bureau of Indian Affairs? The FBI? They might want to help, but a missing person case without more is not a crime, so they may not be able to open an investigation. Do I go to one of the county sheriffs? If that sounds like a horribly complicated mishmash of law enforcement jurisdictions that would tremendously complicate how I would try to find help, its because thats what it is. Sarah Deer, a University of Kansas professor, author of a book on sexual violence in Indian Country and member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, offers another explanation for the missing and murdered: Native women, she says, have long been considered invisible and disposable in society, and those vulnerabilities attract predators. Its made us more of a target, particularly for the women who have addiction issues, PTSD and other kinds of maladies, she says. You have a very marginalized group, and the legal system doesnt seem to take proactive attempts to protect Native women in some cases. Those attitudes permeate reservations where tribal police are frequently stretched thin and lack training and families complain officers dont take reports of missing women seriously, delaying searches in the first critical hours. They almost shame the people that are reporting, (and say), Well, shes out drinking. Well, she probably took up with some man,' says Carmen OLeary, director of the Native Womens Society of the Great Plains. A lot of times families internalize that kind of shame, (thinking) that its her fault somehow. The result: Some families start their own investigations. Matthew Lone Bear spent nine months looking for his older sister, Olivia using drones and four-wheelers, fending off snakes and crisscrossing nearly a million acres, often on foot. The 32-year-old mother of five had last been seen driving a Chevy Silverado on Oct. 25, 2017, in downtown New Town, on the oil-rich terrain of North Dakotas Fort Berthold Reservation. On July 31, volunteers using sonar found the truck with Olivia inside submerged in a lake less than a mile from her home. Its a body of water that had been searched before, her brother says, but obviously not as thoroughly, or they would have found it a long time ago. Lone Bear says authorities were slow in launching their search it took days to get underway and didnt get boats in the water until December, despite his frequent pleas. Hes working to develop a protocol for missing person cases for North Dakotas tribes that gets the red tape and bureaucracy out of the way, he says. The FBI is investigating Olivias death. Shes home, her brother adds, but how did she get there? We dont have any of those answers. Other families have been waiting for decades. Carolyn DeFords mother, Leona LeClair Kinsey, a member of the Puyallup Tribe, vanished nearly 20 years ago in La Grande, Oregon. There was no search party. There was no, Lets tear her house apart and find a clue,' DeFord says. I just felt hopeless and helpless. She ended up creating her own missing persons poster. Theres no way to process the kind of loss that doesnt stop, says DeFord, who lives outside Tacoma, Washington. Somebody asked me awhile back, What would you do if you found her? What would that mean? It would mean she can come home. Shes a human being who deserves to be honored and have her children and her grandchildren get to remember her and celebrate her life. Its another Native American woman whose name is attached to a federal bill aimed at addressing this issue. Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, 22, was murdered in 2017 while eight months pregnant. Her body was found in a river, wrapped in plastic and duct tape. A neighbor in Fargo, North Dakota, cut her baby girl from her womb. The child survived and lives with her father. The neighbor, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to life without parole; her boyfriends trial is set to start in September. In a speech on the Senate floor last fall, North Dakota Democrat Heidi Heitkamp told the stories of four other Native American women from her state whose deaths were unsolved. Displaying a giant board featuring their photos, she decried disproportionate incidences of violence that go unnoticed, unreported or underreported. Her bill, Savannas Act, aims to improve tribal access to federal crime information databases. It would also require the Department of Justice to develop a protocol to respond to cases of missing and murdered Native Americans and the federal government to provide an annual report on the numbers. At the end of 2017, Native Americans and Alaska Natives made up 1.8 percent of ongoing missing cases in the FBIs National Crime Information Center database, even though they represent 0.8 percent of the U.S. population. These cases include those lingering and open from year to year, but experts say the figure is low, given that many tribes dont have access to the database. Native women accounted for more than 0.7 percent of the missing cases 633 in all though they represent about 0.4 percent of the U.S. population. Violence against Native American women has not been prosecuted, Heitkamp said in an interview. We have not really seen the urgency in closing cold cases. We havent seen the urgency when someone goes missing. We dont have the clear lines of authority that need to be established to prevent these tragedies. In August, Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, asked the leaders of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to hold a hearing to address the problem. Lawmakers in a handful of states also are responding. In Montana, a legislative tribal relations committee has proposals for five bills to deal with missing persons. In July 2017, 22 of 72 missing girls or women or about 30 percent were Native American, according to Montanas Department of Justice. But Native females comprise only 3.3 percent of the states population. Its one of many statistics that reveal a grim reality. On some reservations, Native American women are murdered at a rate more than 10 times the national average and more than half of Alaska Native and Native women have experienced sexual violence at some point, according to the U.S. Justice Department. A 2016 study found more than 80 percent of Native women experience violence in their lifetimes. Yet another federal report on violence against women included some startling anecdotes from tribal leaders. Sadie Young Bird, who heads victim services for the Three Affiliated Tribes at Fort Berthold, described how in 1 years, her program had dealt with five cases of murdered or missing women, resulting in 18 children losing their mothers; two cases were due to intimate partner violence. Our people go missing at an alarming rate, and we would not hear about many of these cases without Facebook, she said in the report. Canada has been wrestling with this issue for decades and recently extended a government inquiry that began in 2016 into missing and murdered indigenous women. A report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concluded that from 1980 to 2012 there were 1,181 indigenous women murdered or whose missing person cases were unresolved. Lucchesi, the researcher, says she found an additional 400 to 500 cases in her database work. Despite some high-profile cases in the U.S., many more get scant attention, Lucchesi adds. Ashley has been the face of this movement, she says. But this movement started before Ashley was born. For every Ashley, there are 200 more. __ Browning is the heart of the Blackfeet Nation, a distinctly Western town with calf-roping competitions, the occasional horseback rider ambling down the street and a hardscrabble reality. Nearly 40 percent of the residents live in poverty. The down-and-out loiter on corners. Shuttered homes with Meth Unit scrawled on wooden boards convey the damage caused by drugs. With just about 1,000 residents, many folks are related and secrets have a way of spilling out. Theres always somebody talking, says Ashleys cousin, Lissa, and it seems like to us since she disappeared, everybody got quiet. I dont know if theyre scared, but so are we. Thats why we need people to speak up. Missing posters of Ashley are displayed in grocery stores and the occasional sandwich shop. They show a fresh-faced, grinning woman, flashing the peace sign. In one, she gazes into the camera, her long hair blowing in the wind. One of nine children, including half-siblings, Ashley had lived with her grandmother outside town. Kimberly remembers her sister as funny and feisty, the keeper of the family photo albums who always carried a camera. She learned to ride a horse before a bike and liked to whip up breakfasts of biscuits and gravy that could feed an army. She was interested in environmental science and was completing her studies at Blackfeet Community College, with plans to attend the University of Montana. Kimberly says Ashley contacted her asking for money. Days later, she was gone. At first, her relatives say, tribal police suggested Ashley was old enough to take off on her own. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated, teaming up with reservation police, and interviewed 55 people and conducted 38 searches. There are persons of interest, spokeswoman Nedra Darling says, but she wouldnt elaborate. A $10,000 reward is being offered. The FBI took over the case in January after a lead steered investigators off the reservation and into another state. The agency declined comment. Ashleys disappearance is just the latest trauma for the Blackfeet Nation. Theda New Breast, a founder of the Native Wellness Institute, has worked with Lucchesi to compile a list of missing and murdered women in the Blackfoot Confederacy four tribes in the U.S. and Canada. Long-forgotten names are added as families break generations of silence. A few months ago, a woman revealed her grandmother had been killed in the 1950s by her husband and left in a shallow grave. Everybody knew about it, but nobody talked about it, New Breast says, and others keep coming forward perhaps, in part, because of the #MeToo movement. Every time I bring out the list, more women tell their secret. I think that they find their voice. Though these crimes have shaken the community, there is a tendency to be desensitized to violence, says MacDonald, the filmmaker. I wouldnt call it avoidance. But if we would feel the full emotions, there would be people crying in the streets. His aunt, Mabel Wells, would be among them. Nearly 40 years have passed since that December day when her daughter, Monica, vanished. Wells remembers every terrible moment: The police handing her Monicas boot after it was found by a hunter and the silent scream in her head: Its hers! Its hers! Her brother describing the little girls coat flapping in the wind after her daughters body was found frozen on a mountain. The pastors large hands that held hers as he solemnly declared: Monicas with the Lord. Monicas father, Kenny Still Smoking, recalls that a medicine man told him his daughters abductor was a man who favored Western-style clothes and lived in a red house in a nearby town, but there was no practical way to pursue that suggestion. He recently visited Monicas grave, kneeling next to a white cross peeking out from tall grass, studying his daughters smiling photo, cracked with age. He gently placed his palm on her name etched into a headstone. I let her know that Im still kicking, he says. Wells visits the gravesite, too every June 2, Monicas birthday. She still hopes to see the perpetrator caught. I want to sit with them and say, Why? Why did you choose my daughter?' Even now, she cant help but think of Monica alone on that mountain. I wonder if she was hollering for me, saying, Mom, help!' ___ Ash-lee! Ash-lee!! Ash-lee! Ash-lee!! Some 20 miles northwest of Browning, the searchers have navigated a rugged road lined with barren trees scorched from an old forest fire. They have a panoramic view of majestic snowcapped mountains. A womans stained sweater was found here months ago, making the location worthy of another search. Its not known whether the garment may be Ashleys. First Kimberly, then Lissa Loring, call Ashleys name in different directions. The repetition four times by each woman is a ritual designed to beckon someones spirit. Lissa says Ashleys disappearance constantly weighs on her. All that plays in my head is where do we look? Whos going to tell us the next lead? That weekend at the annual North American Indian Days in Browning, the family marched in a parade with a red banner honoring missing and murdered indigenous women. They wore T-shirts with an image of Ashley and the words: We will never give up. Then Ashleys grandmother and others took to a small arena for whats known as a blanket dance, to raise money for the search. As drums throbbed, they grasped the edges of a blue blanket. Friends stepped forward, dropping in cash, some tearfully embracing Ashleys relatives. The past few days reminded Kimberly of a promise shed made to Ashley when their mother was wrestling with substance abuse problems and the girls were briefly in a foster home. Kimberly was 8 then; Ashley was just 5. We have to stick together,' shed told her little sister. I told her I would never leave her. And if she was going to go anywhere, I would find her. __ Photographer David Goldman, reporter Mary Hudetz, data journalist Angeliki Kastanis and video producer Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. Sharon Cohen, a Chicago-based national writer, can be reached at scohen https://apnews.com/tag/MissingInIndianCountry ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. For generations, Native American women have been victimized at astonishing rates, with federal figures showing that more than half have encountered sexual and domestic violence at some point during their lives even amid a wave of efforts aimed at reducing such crimes. The statistics reinforce arguments that the criminal justice system still fails to protect these women, and its shortcomings again are being exposed as another crisis gains attention: the disappearances of hundreds of Native American and Alaska Native women and girls from across the United States. In the past decade, Congress responded to the problem of violence against Native American women with intensely debated legislation seeking to close legal loopholes, improve data collection and increase funding for training of tribal police. Those efforts have proven severely limited, however, prompting advocates to again push for more reforms . I think the reason that Native women may go missing at higher rates than other groups of people is very similar to the reason that they are at higher risk for domestic violence and sexual assault, said Sarah Deer, a University of Kansas professor, member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and author of a book on sexual violence in Indian Country. The legal system is simply not functioning properly (to prevent) these types of things from happening. At the end of 2017, the FBIs National Crime Information Center database had 633 open missing person cases for Native American women, who comprise 0.4 percent of the U.S. population but 0.7 percent of cases in the figures obtained by The Associated Press. African-American women were the only other group to be overrepresented in the caseload compared to their proportion of the population. The numbers are considered an undercount, however, given reporting is largely voluntary and some tribes only gained full access to the database under a Justice Department program launched in 2015. Just 47 of the nations more than 570 federally recognized tribes are part of DOJs Tribal Access Program , which allows them to exchange data with national crime information systems for civil and criminal purposes. The Justice Department has gradually allocated funding to bring more tribes on board, and up to 25 are expected to join the program in the next year, officials said. Other tribes have limited access via state, federal or local law enforcement agencies. We think thats an important way of ensuring that tribes have the ability to directly deal with the issues on the ground that their families and their community are dealing with, said Tracy Toulou, head of the Justice Departments Office of Tribal Justice. That program was one of many crime-fighting measures in the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 , which gave tribes authority to hand down longer sentences while mandating that federal officials do more to train tribal police on evidence collection and provide an annual report on Indian Country crime statistics. Years later, those data collection and reporting efforts are still in development, funding for law enforcement training remains limited, and the Justice Departments assistance with public safety on reservations a role referenced in multiple treaties with tribes has fallen short of officials expressed commitment to Indian Country, according to the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General. In a 2017 report , the Inspector General also highlighted U.S. attorneys uneven track record with prosecuting serious violent crimes on reservations, citing data that must be collected under the 2010 law to help improve those prosecution rates. Before the law, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found , U.S. attorneys declined to prosecute half of cases on reservations, leading to concerns that the practice was creating a safe haven for criminals on tribal lands. The latest figures from 2016 show U.S. attorneys declined to prosecute 46 percent of reservation cases, marking only marginal improvement. That included rejecting more than 550 assault and sexual assault cases more than any other type of crime. (Domestic violence cases typically fall under assault.) Prosecutors blamed the vast majority of rejections on insufficient evidence. A few weeks ago, at an annual meeting between tribal and federal officials about violence against Native women, Jesse Panuccio, the Justice Departments acting associate attorney general, identified domestic violence and sex trafficking as two underlying issues that may be linked to disappearances of women in Indian Country. He said improving law enforcements response to those crimes could help. Many tribal leaders have testified that the disappearance and deaths of American Indian and Alaska Native women are not taken seriously enough, and that increased awareness and a stronger law enforcement response are critical to saving Native womens lives, Panuccio said. Some tribal leaders and victims families contend authorities too often are unwilling to help search for missing loved ones or even file a report. In Alaska, state authorities who handle criminal investigations in more than 200 Alaska Native villages have been accused of classifying fatalities as suicides when families feel certain their loved ones died from a homicide, according to representatives from the Akiak, Emmonak and Tetlin communities. The state, which has the highest percentage of Native residents in the U.S., also has some of the biggest crime disparities in the nation, including the highest rate of women murdered by men. A 2013 report found that at least 75 Alaska Native communities had no law enforcement presence, and Alaska Native officials spoke candidly in a federal report last year about barriers victims face in seeking justice. Some victims needing a sexual assault forensic exam must take a boat or plane to an urban area, according to Michelle Demmert, chief justice for the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes. As a result of complaints over police response nationwide, proposals have begun to emerge to address how officers respond, with calls for the Justice Department to establish standardized protocols. One of those proposals, included in draft legislation to renew and broaden the Violence Against Women Act, would expand tribal jurisdiction over a range of crimes. For example, tribal police would be able to arrest non-Native Americans suspected of selling women for sex or running trafficking rings. An earlier version of the Violence Against Women Act gave tribal authorities the ability to prosecute non-Indians in domestic violence cases. However, only 18 tribes have met the mandates to do so, the National Congress of American Indians reported in March. Those mandates include requiring tribes to provide an attorney to suspects who cannot afford one a costly ask for cash-strapped nations. We cant guarantee that because we dont have the funding to guarantee it, said Robert LaFountain, a prosecutor on Montanas Crow Reservation, where the per capita annual income of roughly $15,000 is about half the national average. The funding is always difficult. Another measure included in the VAWA reauthorization calls for annual reports on the number of missing and murdered Native Americans, one of multiple federal proposals aimed at measuring the full scope of the problem. The Violence Against Women Act expires this fall, and prospects for passing any new changes are uncertain. There are no Republicans co-sponsors, and the U.S. Justice Department has not signaled its support for amendments. As a senator, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions opposed the legislation in 2013 over his objection to expanding tribes authority over non-Indians and other provisions. ___ Contributing to this story were AP data journalist Angeliki Kastanis in Los Angeles and photographer Sue Ogrocki from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mary Hudetz, an Albuquerque-based reporter, can be reached at mhudetz https://apnews.com/tag/MissingInIndianCountry Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Nine years ago, Christopher Paiz left a psychiatric hospital and stabbed his mother to death, according to a lawsuit filed by his moms estate. The ensuing litigation came to a quiet close last year with a $75,000 settlement from the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute, which had released Paiz. The settlement isnt unusual. Roughly once every two weeks last year, New Mexico settled a legal claim for over $25,000, according to documents released to the Journal under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. The 26 settlements totaled nearly $5 million. One settlement alone reached $1 million for a surgical patient who said the University of New Mexico Hospital was responsible for his MRSA infection. The settlements cover a broad variety of allegations against the state and other government agencies represented by the Risk Management Division of the state General Services Department. About 34 percent of the money paid out in the 26 settlements centered on medical claims; another 34 percent involved employment disputes, including claims under the Whistleblower Protection Act; and 17 percent was for motor vehicle collisions, including pedestrian deaths, according to a Journal analysis. The rest involved incidents at Expo New Mexico, property seizure, incarceration and various other claims. The cases are largely settled without public scrutiny. The state typically denies the allegations and notes that its agreeing to settle simply as a compromise to avoid the cost of ongoing litigation. Agreements often contain a confidentiality clause, prohibiting the parties from talking about the settlement in detail. Six-month secrecy State law also prohibits the disclosure of Risk Management Division settlements within 180 days. After the six-month waiting period, however, the documents can be released under the Inspection of Public Records Act. Settlements by government agencies that dont rely on state risk management such as the city of Albuquerque, which is self-insured cannot withhold documents for six months. The public suffers the longer it has to wait for public records, said Melanie Majors, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, a nonprofit group that advocates for transparency. Thats just common sense. There are sometimes disputes, she said, over when the states 180-day waiting period begins, but the foundation believes the statute should be read very narrowly to ensure the public is entitled to inspect the records as soon as possible. The 180 days, Majors said, should begin as soon as the settlement is made final. State defense The Risk Management Division provides the legal defense for a variety of public agencies including the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University and New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute when requested, according to the General Services Department. Settlement payments come out of the state Public Liability Fund, but individual agencies also contribute out of their own budgets when needed. The liability fund made about $16.1 million in payments altogether to resolve cases in fiscal 2017, according to the Risk Management Divisions latest annual report. Roughly 50 law firms, with attorneys throughout New Mexico, are on contract to help defend the state. Whos settling? Heres a look at some of the cases settled in 2017, now that the six-month wait has expired: $175,000 for the family of Hanna Bruch, a 14-year-old girl from Santa Fe. She died in 2013 after ingesting MDMA, a hallucinogenic drug, while attending an electronic dance music concert at Expo New Mexico, which is owned by the state, according a wrongful death suit filed by her estate in 2015. The state settled the case in December last year. It denied liability and Expo New Mexico agreed not to allow its facilities to be used for electronic dance music concerts. $75,000 for the estate of Mary Jane Paiz-Piedra, who died in 2009. The lawsuit filed by her estate alleges that her son, Christopher Paiz, stabbed her in the neck the same day he was released from a psychiatric hospital. The suit alleged that the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, N.M., and other defendants either knew, or should have known, that Paiz was a danger to his mother. Paiz had a history of mental health problems, including schizophrenia, the suit said, and he had threatened violence against his mother and other family members. The Behavioral Health Institute, in turn, argued that Paiz-Piedra had agreed to accept her son into her Roswell home after his release from the hospital and knew he was coming. The hospital also said her estate had filed the lawsuit too late. Online court records show Paiz was charged with murder in 2009 and later referred for an evaluation to determine whether he was competent to stand trial. The final legal entry says he was sent back to the hospital for treatment. $1 million for James and Diane Woodard, after they filed a medical negligence lawsuit against the University of New Mexico Hospital and others. James Woodard alleged that he was exposed to MRSA a type of staph infection and that the hospital was responsible for an infection that led to a dozen surgeries, leaving him in a wheelchair. He had initially gone to the hospital for back surgery. The Woodards sued in 2013, a jury found in their favor in 2016 and the case was settled in August last year. $476,000 for Catherine Johnson, a former Corrections Department employee who alleged the state retaliated against her after she raised questions about the propriety of a procurement decision. Johnson, who managed an education program for inmates, was initially fired, then reinstated after an arbitrator ruled in her favor, but not to the same position shed held before, according to her lawsuit. The state denied the allegations and said it had non-retaliatory reasons for its actions. Navajo Nation presidential candidate Jonathan Nez named a longtime business owner as his running mate, while candidate Joe Shirley Jr. had to rescind his vice presidential nominee due to a technicality. Both men had announced their running mates in separate events in Window Rock last week. Nez announced Window Rock resident Myron Lizer, who is president of the Navajo Westerners Ace Hardware stores and lumberyards, as his vice presidential candidate. Shirley, who finished behind Nez in the Aug. 28 primary election, had named Farmington resident Peter Deswood III as his running mate, but Patrick Sandoval, Shirleys campaign manager, said the campaign found out late Tuesday that Deswood was not qualified for the position. Deswood is not a registered Navajo Nation voter due to a voter registration purge conducted prior to the election, Sandoval said. In January, the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors cancelled voter registrations for more than 52,000 tribal members who did not vote consecutively in the 2014 and 2016 elections. Alray Nelson, an adviser for the campaign, said Shirley selected Buu Nygren for the vice presidency Tuesday evening. Nygren, 31, is from Red Mesa, Utah. During the announcement for the Nez campaign, Lizer stood alongside his wife, Dottie. Before providing some information about himself, Lizer, 53, commended his wife for providing guidance and support. Shes going to be by my side. She encourages me when all seems lost, he said. Lizer said his experience in business in some shape or form on the Navajo Nation goes back 47 years. Its a long time. Weve had our wins, weve had our victories and weve had our losses in those battles, but the war is still going on, Lizer said about navigating the processes to establish and operate small businesses. Among his advocacy work for business development, he founded the Window Rock chapter for the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce and continues to provide financial literacy training to entrepreneurs. Lizer was born in Ganado, but raised in Fort Defiance, both in Arizona. He earned a bachelors degree in business administration and worked as an accountant for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe prior to returning to the Navajo Nation. Lizer is Comanche and born for Toahani (Near the Water Clan). That business experience and financial background is one reason Nez selected Lizer. Hes always challenged us leaders to do better. I always thought he knows what it takes to recommend change of policies, change of laws and be that great advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs on the Navajo Nation, Nez said. Those ideas are needed for business opportunities to flourish on the tribal land, he said, then added Lizer instills hope in people, especially those seeking second chances, through employment at his businesses. Phefelia Herbert-Nez, Nezs wife, added Lizer has strong family values and commitment to faith. Thats what we wanted to have in a running mate. For them to have that stable family and a strong foundation, Herbert-Nez said. Leona LeClair Kinsey was a fiercely independent woman who could go pheasant hunting, serve the bird for dinner, then take the leftover feathers and turn them into an artistic gift. Her daughter, Carolyn DeFord, remembers how theyd also hunt deer, elk and antelope and pick mushrooms and huckleberries near their home in La Grande, Oregon, a rural community in the eastern corner of the state. She was confident in her ability to not need people to do simple things for her, DeFord says, recalling how her mother would chop firewood and change her own tires. Kinsey was 45 when she disappeared from La Grande in October 1999. DeFord believes her mother was likely a victim of foul play at the hands of a man she was supposed to meet who reportedly was a drug dealer. His whereabouts are unknown all these years later. Kinsey had struggled with alcohol and drugs. A member of the Puyallup Tribe, Kinsey worked as a landscaper, a janitor and a motel housekeeper. She had a quirky sense of humor but also a very dark and real concept of life, her daughter recalls. She knew there were bad men, and when her mother was in her early 20s, she had a physically abusive relationship. DeFord was 25 when her mother disappeared, and for nearly a decade, whenever she met someone new, shed bring her mom up within minutes. It was like I wore a nametag, Hi, my name is Carolyn. My mom is missing.' About 10 years ago, DeFord held a memorial for her mother, telling other mourners that not a day goes by that I dont miss her. In recent years, she has become an activist in the missing and murdered Native American women movement, establishing a Facebook page featuring dozens of cases and reaching out to families to say: Im so sorry that youre on this journey. I know the chaos that youre in right now. If theres anything I can do to help, let me know.' She is still healing herself, but sharing her mothers story, DeFord says, has given her purpose and a chance to raise awareness. Its a way to be a voice for women who havent found theirs yet. ___ Lakota Rae Renville was so shy as a teen that when she graduated high school she was reluctant to walk across the stage. She was a straight-laced girl who didnt smoke cigarettes, drink or take drugs, says her sister, Waynette. But her life took a dramatic turn after she met a man online in 2003 and moved from South Dakota to the Kansas City area. Lakota, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, told her sister that she had a boyfriend who had two jobs, so she didnt need to work. She kept secret most everything else about her life. Two years later, just 22 years old, Lakota was murdered. Her badly bruised, naked body was wrapped in a carpet pad, rolled in a blanket and dumped in a gravel lot in Independence, Missouri. No one has been arrested. Police say Lakota was a prostitute who worked in Kansas City, but Waynette believes her sister was a victim of sex trafficking a growing concern among law enforcement and activists in Indian Country. She had to be forced into that line of work, she says. She would never, ever do that. For five years, Waynette called the police every week, hoping a new tip or DNA would lead to Lakotas killer. She did not want her sister forgotten. She was loved, Waynette says. She had lots of friends and family. In January 2017, she says, her sisters boyfriend contacted her and denied having anything to do with Lakotas death. Waynette has little hope now that the case will ever be solved. Lakota was buried on the South Dakota reservation. Her headstone is engraved with an angel. Were just not the same anymore, Waynette says. Its agonizing to not know who did that, why they did that. At first, Waynette says she was angry with the world because of Lakotas murder. Now, she says, breaking into tears, she feels differently, believing that whoever killed her sister will deal with this either in this lifetime or the next. ___ Rita Papakee told her mother she loved her, then turned and walked into an Iowa casino. That was in January 2015. She hasnt been seen since. Iris Roberts says her daughter, then 41, struggled with a drinking problem but would always call her when she went off with friends. But after she dropped her daughter off at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino in Tama, Iowa, there was nothing. Searchers scoured a wooded area and nearby towns. A private investigator was hired by the family. Last May 5, on the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls, the Meskwaki Tribe helped organize a Bring Her Home walk to raise money for a continued search. I think about her every day, her mother says. I pray every night and I pray every morning that shes going to be found, wherever shes at. I know I have to take care of her kids. Thats what keeps me going. Papakee was a mother of four; her two sons and two daughters range from 11 to 25. She loved to bake snickerdoodle cake was her specialty and go all-out celebrating the holidays with her kids, searching for pumpkins at Halloween, planning New Years parties for them. Since her disappearance, her oldest daughter has given birth to a son. Roberts says her daughter had been in and out of treatment for her alcohol use and later got involved with a man who was using methamphetamines. Shes heard all kinds of rumors, including the possibility she was a victim of sex trafficking. But she has no answers, despite a $25,000 reward for information. Its terrible, Roberts says, trying to live each day going on, but not knowing where she is and what happened to her. ___ The last time Tanya Begay spoke to her mother she had called early one morning in March 2017, saying she planned to travel from the tiny Arizona town of Leupp back to her familys home near Gallup, New Mexico a drive that shouldve taken just a few hours, from one part of the vast Navajo Nation to another. A day earlier, Begay had made a stop near Tohatchi, New Mexico, to visit a relatives home with her boyfriend, marking the last time any of her relatives had seen her, according to a police report. Her mother reported her disappearance to officers in at least three different towns, including Gallup, where Begay had an apartment. At first, we were just like, OK, well she probably just went to Phoenix or somewhere like that,' says Eliza Toddy, a longtime friend of Begays. Shell be back.' But a police report says Begays mother believed she might be in danger. The 37-year-old Navajo woman, whom Toddy described as bubbly, has two children. She had been close to her parents, and liked to text or call family and friends frequently before she vanished, Toddy said. ___ Freda Knowshisguns family on Montanas Crow Indian Reservation began to worry something truly terrible may have happened when an aunt passed away in the fall of 2016 and she didnt come home. Knowshisgun, a mother of three, always had been known to be especially gifted and bright in her large, tightknit family, says her older sister, Frances. But for about a year before she vanished, she had started to come and go from her familys home, sometimes disappearing for days at a time, as she fell on tough times and hung around with the wrong people, her sister says. In November 2016, her mother reported her missing to police, but officers initially told the family there might be little they could do since Freda was an adult and there was no known crime, according to her sister. It seemed like they werent helping at all because she jumped into the wrong crowd, Frances Knowshisgun says. The FBI has since become involved in the search for Freda, but every day that shes gone, the anguish over where she might be and what may have happened to her weighs on her family. It sits on our chest and shoulders, her sister says. WASHINGTON What should happen now that the woman who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her has come or, rather, has been dragged forward? The first part is easy: There must be a full investigation, beginning with FBI interviews of both Christine Blasey Ford, who made the accusation, and Kavanaugh himself, likely followed by some form of hearing. Though I would put nothing past the people who stole a Supreme Court seat from Merrick Garland, even this crew of Senate Republicans cannot muscle through the nomination, bleating about the unfairness of 11th-hour complaints. The urgency is to investigate, not to rush to confirm a lifetime appointment. Surely a few Republican senators retain enough sense of institutional responsibility to insist on that if not because it is clearly the right thing to do, because in the era of #MeToo, their female constituents will not tolerate such rug-sweeping. Then comes the hard or what seems to be, now, the harder part: What happens if, as the nation saw 27 years ago with Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas, the two accounts continue to diametrically diverge? Ford says a stumbling drunk Kavanaugh and a friend grabbed her at a high school party, when she was 15 and Kavanaugh 17; that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her; that he put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. These allegations, if true, constitute some form of criminal sexual assault, which makes them, as my colleague Jennifer Rubin has pointed out, inherently more serious than the sexual harassment allegations, which were horrifying in their own way, involving Thomas. Yes, it was high school, but if you do something bad enough in high school, it can lose you your seat on the Supreme Court. And this, to me, constitutes bad enough even if she managed to get away before worse happened. But. Actually, many buts. One is that Kavanaugh, like Thomas, has vigorously denied the allegations. Not that there was a misunderstanding among inebriated high school students, not that it is a dumb episode he regrets as with Thomas and Hill, Kavanaughs position, or at least his position before Ford went public with her account, is that nothing happened. I did not do this back in high school or at any time, Kavanaugh said. Which raises the question of what corroboration exists. I dont doubt that Ford is telling the truth as best she recalls it, but her recollection is fuzzy. She told The Washington Posts Emma Brown that she did not remember where the incident took place or how she got home. How well did she know Kavanaugh? Is it possible that she misidentified him? She told no one about it at the time understandable, but less than ideal. Hill confided in friends at the time about Thomass behavior. Ford did not describe the incident to others until 2012, some three decades afterward. So what to do if Ford tells her story and Kavanaugh sticks to his with the same ferocity as Thomas? And if the second boy Ford says was present, Mark Judge, continues to back up Kavanaughs account? Such a swearing contest would raise questions about both the standard of proof the Senate should require in such a case preponderance of evidence? Clear and convincing? and who bears the burden of proof Ford or Kavanaugh? How sure should the Senate be before it would take the extraordinary step of denying someone confirmation on these grounds? Perhaps factual development will make this an easier call. One witness could come off as more credible than the other. Additional evidence could be unearthed that tips the balance. And, of course, if you think that Kavanaugh should fail on other grounds I have suggested that he should be rejected unless he agrees to recuse himself from cases involving President Trump and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III then you are not going to agonize too much over these niceties. But if you are, say, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, or Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska? Either way, there is a risk of fundamental unfairness. Here, the words of then-Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., are relevant. Byrd took to the Senate floor in October 1991 to explain why he was withdrawing his initial support for Thomas and would vote against him. No individual has a particular right to a Supreme Court seat, Byrd said. If we are going to give the benefit of the doubt, let us give it to the court. Let us give it to the country. As this mess plays out, the Byrd test seems like the right one for honest senators to keep in mind. Many who work or live in Downtown Albuquerque for years have had to endure conditions ranging from unsavory to unsafe. Sidewalks littered with empty alcohol containers, garbage and, at times, human excrement and urine. Vehicles broken into, vandalized or stolen. Muggings. Drug dealing, drug use and even public nudity. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller hopes to clean up the area with a new Downtown Public Safety District, a strategy that includes a permanent police presence with a substation, along with services from several city departments and community partners. The all-hands-on-deck approach, as Keller calls it, is both innovative and promising, and we are hopeful it will pay dividends and lead to a safer Downtown this city can be proud of. Of course, other areas of Albuquerque could use similar attention. But a successful city needs a successful Downtown, and Albuquerque has already invested millions of dollars into upgrading the Convention Center and Civic Plaza. That is all for naught if visitors and residents dont feel safe. Keller says the Downtown Public Safety District will be housed at a police substation at the Alvarado Transportation Center at First and Central SW. Deputy Chief Roger Banez will command the new substation, which will also be overseen by a lieutenant and a sergeant. Initially, eight police officers will be assigned to Downtown; the city is eventually planning to have 12 officers assigned to the area. Police service aides will also see duties in the district. The Albuquerque Police Department also plans to assign officers from the Crisis Outreach and Support Team and the Crisis Intervention Team to the district to address homelessness and behavioral health needs. But thats not where the initiative ends. Among the other pieces: The Transit and Municipal Development departments will contribute security personnel to the district in coordination with APDs patrol plans. Solid Waste will use its Block by Block program to wash sidewalks and its Clean City Graffiti crew to eradicate graffiti as soon as possible. The Municipal Development and Solid Waste departments will expand the use of street cleaning machines throughout Downtown, including alleyways, and add collection routes for Downtown businesses to address overflow of trash from Saturday nights. Albuquerque Fire Rescue will increase its presence near Central Avenue during high-volume call times and by driving a loop around the district after each call. AFRs new Home Engagement and Alternative Response Team program is also exploring a Downtown home base. The Family and Community Services Department is contributing a social worker to coordinate service providers and implement Project ECHO to train mental health workers in the district. Family and Community Services is working with HopeWorks and outreach partners including APDs COAST team, APDs Crisis Intervention Team and Assertive Community Treatment teams to do mental health outreach. Family and Community Services will work with the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness to help service providers for homeless people. Making Downtown Albuquerque safe to live, work and play is key to the citys and states success, Keller said last week during a news conference. Hes right. After all, it was only about 15 months ago that Lavu one of this citys most successful high-tech startups was threatening to leave Downtown and potentially the state due to the aforementioned problems, which made employees and clients feel unsafe. In order to prosper, we need companies like Lavu, and their workforce and clientele, to come and stay here, and in order for that to happen, we need to clean up Albuquerque. Downtown is a smart place to start. Kellers ambitious plan has a lot of potential. Heres to it working, as theres a whole city around Downtown grappling with the same problems and eager to emulate the programs that deliver results. 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. It has been a little more than five years since Sarah Murnaghan left Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia with a new set of lungs, harvested from an adult donor and trimmed down to fit a 10-year-old with cystic fibrosis. Now, she is a confident 16-year-old who contributed to her mother Janets just-published book, Saving Sarah: One Mothers Battle Against The Healthcare System To Save Her Daughters Life. The family has moved to Florida, but Sarah and Janet were back in Newtown Square in Pennsylvania recently to promote the book. A ninth-grade honors student who creates anime fiction, Sarah manages the ongoing challenges of immune-suppressing drugs and cystic fibrosis with aplomb. At a restaurant, she casually pulled a vial of digestive enzyme capsules out of her purse pills she needs because the sticky mucus of cystic fibrosis interferes with digestion and put it next to her plate of fried chicken tenders. Small for her age due to her health issues, she speaks with gravity that belies her appearance. Surviving and recovering made me more mature than other people my age, she said. Most teenagers nowadays, like, sometimes they do things that are kind of stupid. A lot of kids are vaping and stuff like that. I think I see the world in a different way than most teenagers do. Her mother, sitting beside her, beamed: Obviously, shes doing great. I feel very grateful. The book is a heartfelt, at times heartbreaking, tale that, in the end, is much more about Sarah than the health care system. The book does not mention that very few children have benefited from expanded access to adult lungs. Of 24 children under 12 who have been granted exceptions and been wait-listed for adult lungs, only one besides Sarah wound up getting the organ from an adult, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which sets allocation policy. Mostly, these tiny numbers reflect the fact that cutting down adult lungs is a last resort, said Stuart Sweet, a St. Louis Childrens Hospital pediatric lung transplant specialist and a past president of the networks board. Still, he said, the Murnaghans struggle raised legitimate questions about fairness that led OPTN to search for ways to better serve children. Two years ago, for example, the organization changed the rules so that child lungs are offered to child candidates and then to adolescents within a 1,000-mile radius before adults are considered. Im just so happy Sarah has done well. There is no question she has defied the odds, Sweet said. Janet said she wrote her book to offer hope and reassurance to other families. Our story is not unique, she says in the book. More than anything, we want to tell our story for the families who are out there fighting for survival. You are not alone. We see you. A new courtroom is close to a certainty for the 12th Judicial District Court judge when conducting hearings in Ruidoso. Village councilors assured that move last week by approving a grant agreement with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration for a legislative capital appropriation of $164,500 to plan, design, construct, renovate, equip and improve space in the Horton Complex to convert a classroom into courtroom. However, councilors, 12th Judicial District Judge Dan Bryant and Ruidoso Magistrate Judge Katie Graham Lund said they hope the project will go a step further and Lincoln County Commission will approve a plan to consolidate some court functions proposed by the state supreme court and court administrators. The consolidation would move the Carrizozo magistrate court from a separate building into the county courthouse in Carrizozo. In Ruidoso, the state court then would commit to paying rent offsetting construction costs of a new court annex at the Horton Complex to accommodate the Ruidoso magistrate court and space for district court hearings. The current magistrate facility is inadequate and unsafe, the judges said. Deputy Village Manager Ron Sena said the appropriation was approved in the 2018 legislative session. Katina Watson with the 12th Judicial District asked if the village would be the fiscal agent. The village will manage the grant agreement and expenditures. A scope of work must be drawn up and then approved by the state Department of Finance and Administration to issue a notice of obligation on the funds, he said. If the broader project is approved, the structure would not be inside the existing building, but would be on the Horton property, which the village owns, he said. Village Manager Debi Lee said officials met with Supreme Court Justice Judith K. Nakamura about the need for the court facility for Lund and offices for Bryant. The justice also appeared before the county commission to urge the consolidation. Commissioners have been assured they will not be asked to support the court in Ruidoso, but the county would lose rent money the state court currently pays for the Carrizozo Magistrate Court, which would be applied to the rent in Ruidoso. If they dont allow us to plan-design this independent facility outside the Horton building, then we will have to get it reauthorized, but we dont see that as a problem, Lee said. Were hoping we can at least move forward on plan-design of the facility that they are requesting and want to do. I am so grateful for you and Debi and the leadership you have taken on this project, Bryant told councilors. For 40 years, the district judges in the 12th have been coming to Ruidoso one or two days a week, as often as we could get those days scheduled, so we could conduct court for the lawyers and litigates and businesses, who live here in this community and the areas east and north of here, because it is a more convenient destination. shorter trip than it is to go all the way to Carrizozo. He was a practicing attorney in 1978, when the arrangement began, Bryant said. There were times when we did court hearings in board rooms and conference rooms at the local banks, all in an effort to provide access to justice here, he said. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for three governmental agencies to work closely together, cooperate and create a tremendous and facility to provide service to all the citizens in this part of our county. The village has graciously offered to donate the land for this facility because the land costs in this area, if we dont have that donation, this doesnt happen. The second part of the equation is that the state court, the administrative office of the court and Nakamura are willing to create a mechanism by which the state can invest between $6 million and $10 million, depending on the ultimate design and square footage of the facility, to create a one-stop judicial access in Ruidoso, he said. With the municipal court going into the Horton and the magistrate-district court facility being right across the parking lot, visiting attorneys, litigants and judges will not be in a bind ending up in the wrong courthouse as occurs now, Bryant said. Because of the way this system is set up and the way the project is designed, we will also simultaneously accomplish a one-stop shop for municipal, magistrate and district court in Carrizozo, he said, noting that the magistrate court there already covers municipal court. The ALC contribution will cover the debt service to pay for the construction of the facility in Ruidoso, and pay a utility fee and maintenance reserve with the aim that the facility can be used for generations and once the facility is paid for, the village will own the building and ALC will pay the village for rent for the magistrate portion and that will become a revenue stream, Bryant explained. The countys portion is to enter into an agreement with the court and invest the $1,100 a month it currently is receiving as rent for the magistrate office, he said. With those three contributions, this project gets built, and instead of someone living in Hondo or Glencoe spending half a day to go to Carrizozo to get a copy of their divorce decree, they will be able to do it in an hour by driving to a fully operational district court office in this community, Employers also wont lose their employees for a full day during jury selections, he added. Are we going to move a massive economic engine into Ruidoso from Carrizozo? No, the judge said. He sets about 50 jury trials a month, but by the time the trials are scheduled, most have been resolved. The actual number of trials a year is about 18 to 20, he said. Moving six to Ruidoso wont be a huge impact to Carrizozo, but will be a cost savings to many and a convenience for citizens, he contended. He turned the podium over to Lund, calling her a courageous judge for conducting court in a dangerous situation. Its pretty scary, as far as safety for myself, staff, victims, attorney and some defendant at times, Lund said. When the justices came down and toured my courtroom, they were absolutely shocked, she said. They happened to come on a criminal court docket day when I had about 40 cases that morning. They were shocked that the inmates were visiting with their attorneys right outside my door where I can hear everything that is going on, which I should not be hearing, and the fact the inmates were in an open hallway where they had access to my office and my clerks. This is a fabulous idea. I think we were chosen as pilot court for a reason, because everyone (in the county) is so supportive and protective of their elected officials, and there is a great camaraderie. The proposal will help the citizens of Lincoln County and she expects to see a decrease in the number of defendants failing to show for court hearings, Lund said. About 70 percent of the cases originate in or around Ruidoso. 2018 the Ruidoso News (Ruidoso, N.M.) Visit the Ruidoso News (Ruidoso, N.M.) at www.ruidosonews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NEW YORK With the fate of President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee suddenly uncertain, emboldened Democrats clashed with cautious Republicans as both parties grappled with an increasingly messy nomination fight weeks before the pivotal midterm elections. The political implications were still being sorted out. But with control of Congress at stake this fall, there were tremendous risks for both sides. The GOP risked further alienating female voters particularly in the nations suburbs by embracing Trumps hand-picked Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, after an allegation surfaced over the weekend of decades-old sexual misconduct. Democrats, who seized on the development as justification to delay the high-stakes nomination, could energize complacent Republican voters if theyre viewed as playing politics with the sensitive allegation. Amid the chaos, a key question quietly emerged among some political operatives: Would Republicans force through the Kavanaugh nomination even if it jeopardizes their control of Congress? For some, the short-term political pain might be an acceptable tradeoff for a generation of conservative control on the nations high court. The situation is fluid to say the least. At this very moment, the issue is moving so fast that accurate predictions are difficult to make, said Steven Law, who leads the super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. I think its likely this will inflame partisan energy on both sides. Christine Blasey Ford, now a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, told The Washington Post that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when both were teenagers at high schools in suburban Maryland. Fords attorney said Monday her client was willing to testify publicly about the allegations on Capitol Hill, where a key Kavanaugh confirmation vote was scheduled this week. Kavanaugh, now 53, called the allegation completely false in a statement, adding that he had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself to the Post. I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity, Kavanaugh said. The developing situation threatens to exacerbate the GOPs rocky Trump-era relationship with suburban women, who are poised to play an outsized role in the districts that will largely decide the House majority this fall. Election Day isnt until Nov. 6, but early voting begins Friday in Minnesota and in roughly three weeks across several more states. Vulnerable Republican House incumbents have largely avoided the issue, which flared Monday in northern Virginias suburbs, where GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock is fighting for her political survival. In a written statement, Comstock said Kavanaugh and Ford should both testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee. The reaction came as her Democratic challenger, Jennifer Wexton, tweeted: This is bigger than our politics and will impact whether victims can trust Congress. In suburban Denver, vulnerable Republican Rep. Mike Coffman was more cautious. A spokesman said the five-term congressman believes the committee and full Senate should thoroughly evaluate the claims and Judge Kavanaugh should address them. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said his panel will hold a hearing next Monday with Kavanaugh and Ford. Republicans were eager to avoid images of Ford facing tough questioning from the all-male Republican membership of the Senate panel. The situation could draw parallels with Justice Clarence Thomas 1991 confirmation hearings when he faced allegations of sexual harassment from Anita Hill. The Senate ultimately confirmed Thomas, though public acceptance of sexual misconduct has shifted dramatically over the last three decades. Former Vice President Joe Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has been criticized for his handling of Hills allegations. On Monday, his spokesman, Bill Russo, said Biden believes Professor Ford deserves a fair and respectful hearing of her allegations, and that the Committee should undertake a thorough and non-partisan effort to get to the truth, wherever it leads. Some Democrats are using the development to go on offense. In Nevada, where Republican Sen. Dean Heller is in a difficult fight for re-election, his Democratic challenger, Rep. Jacky Rosen, used the allegation against Kavanaugh to stoke doubt about Hellers judgment. Heller said last week he had no reservations about voting to confirm Kavanaugh. Rosen was quick to suggest in July that Kavanaugh would pose a threat to abortion rights were he to be confirmed. If Sen. Heller still has no reservations about confirming Judge Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment on the nations highest court, then he isnt listening to Nevadans, Rosen said in a statement Monday. And in Tennessee, where Democrat Phil Bredesen is running against Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn for a Senate seat, the Democrat insisted that Ford should be heard. If U.S senators are not going to give a careful and thorough consideration of Supreme Court nominees, then I dont know what they think their job is, Bredesen said on Twitter. Democrats and some Republicans have called for a delay in the nomination process until Fords allegation could be investigated further. The development offered some respite to several vulnerable Democrats who are facing re-election in Republican-leaning states and who had avoided taking a firm position on Kavanaughs nomination. At the same time, Democrats also worked to avoid the perception they were politicizing the situation. A cautious Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, one of the nations most endangered Senate Democrats, said the allegations merit further review. Given the nature of these allegations, and the number of outstanding questions, I believe the Judiciary Committee should hold off on Thursdays scheduled vote, he said in a written statement. While his Republican challenger had little to say about the new allegations, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said both Ford and Kavanaugh should have an opportunity to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee as quickly as possible. Professor Christine Blasey Ford deserves to be heard and Judge Kavanaugh deserves a chance to clear his name, Manchin said. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko in Indianapolis, Juana Summers in Washington, Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. __ This version corrects that Tennessee Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn is currently a House representative, not an incumbent senator. @alextdaugherty Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the Senate Judiciary Committee should allow the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault decades ago to testify, potentially lengthening or derailing the confirmation process for Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward by name on Sunday after multiple outlets reported on the existence of a letter to California Rep. Anna Eshoo and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein that described a non-consensual encounter of a sexual nature between Kavanaugh and Ford when the two were in high school. Ford said that Kavanaugh groped her and tried to pull off her clothes and stopped when a friend of Kavnauagh's jumped on top of them. Kavanaugh denies the allegation and both Kavanaugh and Ford have said they will testify under oath if necessary. Scott accused Feinstein of sitting on the allegations to further delay the confirmation process. Feinstein says she didn't disclose the letter because Ford wanted to remain anonymous and Ford came forward only after multiple news outlets reported on the letter's existence. "The Judiciary committee needs to seek the truth here," Scott said in a statement. "Truth is not partisan, and truth is more important than politics. These very serious allegations should have been investigated months ago. But Democrat Senator Feinstein pulled a slick Washington trick and intentionally hid this from the Senate during the hearings. Dr. Ford must receive a fair hearing; her allegations are very serious. And Judge Kavanaugh deserves to have the chance to clear his name." Scott is running against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who said in a statement yesterday that "there should be an investigation of the new allegations against him" and that he looks forward to meeting with him. Scott also criticized Nelson for not meeting with Kavanaugh, though scheduling conflicts for both are the reason a meeting hasn't happened yet. Nelson and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio are not members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, so they have not been directly involved in Kavanaugh's confirmation process. A data science company could receive up to $800,000 in state Local Economic Development Act funding for a project that will bring as many as 80 jobs to Downtown Albuquerque, Gov. Susana Martinez announced Tuesday. Resilient Solutions 21 LLC, also known as RS21, develops data analytics and visualization tools for businesses and government entities. The state funds, if they are approved, would be used to support a $2 million expansion and renovation of the companys headquarters in the Occidental Life building. Bernalillo County, which would act as the fiscal agent for the LEDA award, will vote on the incentive package on Oct. 23. In a news release, the state said the expansion would allow RS21 to hire data scientists, developers, designers and other technology experts, increasing the companys head count from 20 to 100. Gov. Martinez said in a statement the project would (help) . . . create high-quality jobs in our state, while also helping to bring new vibrancy to Albuquerques Downtown. RS21 President, CEO and Founder Charles Rath told the Journal the company has already started hiring, and that several of the new employees are New Mexicans who have returned from out-of-state. Weve also started to receive emails from grandparents saying, Are you really hiring developers? My grandson is a developer and I want him to come back,' said Rath. Rath said RS21 is committed to revitalizing the downtown area and offers employees a generous amount in the form of a monthly housing stipend if they choose to live in the neighborhood. The companys clients include Fortune 100 brands and federal agencies, according to information provided by the state. Federal databases show that one of those agencies is the General Services Administration, which awarded a $475,000, five-year contract to RS21 in 2016 for custom computer programming services. Rath said the company frequently works with health care and disaster preparedness clients. According to county filings, at least 50 of the 80 new jobs will have base pay between $40,000 and $100,000 annually. County Commissioner Michael Quezada said in a statement that he was proud RS21 chose Bernalillo County for its expansion and urged the county to approve the project. The filings state the project will generate $2.3 million in economic output from construction activity as well as 24 direct and indirect construction jobs. Tech startups punch above their weight in terms of value to our economy, said New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Matt Geisel in an interview. These are the type of jobs that keep our kids here. Asked how the state would recoup money in the case it did not meet its hiring goals, Geisel said a clawback mechanism for the LEDA funds is mandated by state law. In the case of RS21, there is a five-part payout structure, with each part tied to a different hiring goal, and a surety bond that could be called upon by the state in the case of some kind of shortfall. RS21 is also a participant in the states Job Training Incentive Program, which reimburses new and expanding businesses for 50 percent to 75 percent of employee wages for up to six months. According to a report from the Economic Development Department, the company was approved in fiscal year 2018 for up to about $300,000 in reimbursements for 13 jobs. Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the Bernalillo County Commission had already approved the LEDA funds for RS21. The story has been updated to reflect the fact that the commission will vote on the project later this month. BILLINGS, Mont. The Trump administration on Tuesday rolled back an Obama-era rule that forced energy companies to capture methane a key contributor to climate change thats released in huge amounts during drilling on U.S. and tribal lands. A replacement rule from the Interior Department rescinds mandates for companies to reduce gas pollution, which Trump administration officials say already is required by some states. Within hours of the announcement, attorneys general for California and New Mexico filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to reinstate the 2016 rule. Weve sued the administration before over the illegal delay and suspension of this rule and will continue doing everything in our power to hold them accountable to our people and planet, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said. The change by Trump could save companies as much as $2 billion in compliance costs over the next decade. It comes a week after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed weakening a separate methane emissions rule affecting private land and some public lands. Were for clean air and water, but at the same time, were for reasonable regulations, Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told reporters. Methane is a component of natural gas thats frequently wasted through leaks or intentional releases during drilling operations. The gas is considered a more potent contributor to climate change than carbon dioxide, although it occurs in smaller volumes. Bernhardt and other Interior officials were unable to immediately say how much the new rule would affect methane emissions. But a U.S. Bureau of Land Management analysis provided to The Associated Press said all the reductions projected to occur under the original 2016 rule were lost with Tuesdays change. The prior regulation would have cut methane emissions by as much as 180,000 tons a year. Emissions of potentially hazardous pollutants known as volatile organic compounds, which can cause health problems if inhaled, would have been reduced by up to 80,000 tons a year. The change could also result in the loss of $734 million in natural gas that would have been recovered over the next decade under the old rule. Those savings would have offset some of the industrys compliance costs. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico criticized the rollback as a giveaway to irresponsible polluters. An estimated $330 million a year in methane is wasted on federal lands, enough to power about 5 million homes. Kathleen Sgamma, president of Western Energy Alliance, said the old rule improperly put the Bureau of Land Management in the role of regulating air quality, which she said should instead be done by the EPA or state agencies. The Obama rule has been tied up in the courts since its adoption. It was put on hold in April by a federal judge in Wyoming. Energy companies said it was overly intrusive and that they already have an economic incentive to capture methane so they can sell it. However, thats not always practical in fast-growing oil and gas fields, where large volumes of gas are burned off using flares. Flaring has been a common practice in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, New Mexico and other states. ___ Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at @matthewbrownap Take a look at the conference program on American Indian tourism, and you can see how the countrys tribes are working to raise their profiles economically, culturally, recreationally, and even on the culinary front. Hundreds of tribal leaders, travel industry professionals and vendors are at Isleta Resort & Casino this week for the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Associations 20th annual American Indian Tourism Conference. The program provides an educational forum for tribes, tribal businesses and other attendees to help them with their tourism development and marketing plans. As the only national conference on Indian Country tourism, association speakers and seminar presenters share knowledge, experiences and best practices from around the U.S. The conference, which will conclude on Thursday, features a lineup of speakers providing new information and guidance for tribes just entering the tourism arena as well as those that already have robust programs and outreach to attract visitors both domestically and internationally. And its not just casinos that are stoking visitor interest, although theyre important to the bottom line. Many tribes are looking to diversify investments and broaden their message, said Camille Ferguson, executive director of the Albuquerque-based national organization. A good example of a tribe bridging gaming and culture is the Buffalo Thunder resort, said Ferguson. You get immersed in art work the minute you walk into the place. And theres also a beautiful museum on the property. Another example is Acoma Pueblo, where visitors can get tours of one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. There are 573 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. as well as a number of state recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian tribes all with their own unique stories to tell, said Ferguson, a member of the Tlingit Tribe of Alaska. Citing U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Travel Association surveys and studies, tourism in Indian Country results in $8.6 billion in direct spending, which generates job growth, increases revenue and strengthens community development and services, such as education and health care. International visitation to Native communities has grown 180 percent in the past decade, said Ferguson, referring to a category of traveler that encompasses some of the highest spending tourists in the U.S. Its also non-native communities that are benefiting from Indian tourism the airlines, the rental car agencies, the gas stations and restaurants. Our visitors are dropping dollars along the way, said Ferguson. The millenial traveler wants to experience a destination, whether its feeling the energy of a dance or drum performance, canoeing down a river or carving a wooden figure, said Ferguson. Culinary tourism is definitely a trend that is growing, said Ferguson. Native American cuisines are catching fire and are featured prominently on Indian Country restaurant menus. Alyssa Marable has been crowned the New Mexico State Fair Queen for next year in a tradition that puts her in place to promote and advocate for the annual event and rodeo throughout coming months. Marable, a Las Cruces native currently studying equine science at New Mexico State University, said her goals include owning a ranch for rehabilitated horses. She said she is super excited for this year, and ready to learn all there is to know about her new responsibilities, according to a news release. A panel of three judged the contest, crowning Marable this past Saturday during the waning days of the fair. Scores were added together to give one averaged score for each contestant. Contestants were judged on horsemanship, personality and personal interviews. The first runner-up was DeAnne Guthrie of Curry County and the second attendant was Cathryn Wellborn of Socorro County. Aside from rodeo, Marable said she is proud of her achievements in competition pistol shooting. During her time in 4-H, she was among the top 10 ranked pistol shooters in the country. According to Queens Contest guidelines, the objective is to determine an official representative of the fair who will serve as an ambassador to the general public, exhibiting exceptional sportsmanship. She should be able to speak with authority, and with knowledge about the New Mexico State Fair, the State of New Mexico and the sport of rodeo. For more information regarding the 2019 New Mexico State Fair Queen, and all other things State Fair, visit www.exponm.com. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. When a strange man walked into the apartment while she was baby-sitting Victoria Martens, Jessica Kelley didnt ask who he was, why he was there or why he was going into the childs room, prosecutors say in a new court filing. The man was with Victoria long enough to rape and murder her without (Kelley) doing anything to intervene and despite (Kelley) being in the small apartment during the commission of the crime, prosecutor Greer Rose wrote. Rose detailed Kelleys involvement in the death of 10-year-old Martens in a motion asking state District Judge Charles Brown to reconsider his surprising decision last week to reject her plea deal. Under the agreement, Kelley would have pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death and five other charges. She faced 49 years in prison and would be required to testify at co-defendant Fabian Gonzales coming trial, and to provide information to the state about the unidentified man. Brown said he had not been offered sufficient proof that Kelley was guilty of child abuse resulting in death, and in a 12-page motion Tuesday, prosecutors laid out additional facts that they say point to her guilt. Kelleys attorney, Mark Earnest, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. As Victorias caretaker it was incumbent upon (Kelley) to determine whether any visitor to the apartment had a lawful or hostile agenda, Rose wrote. She added that Kelley was high on methamphetamine at the time and that her impaired judgment contributed to the situation. Kelley has also admitted that she and Gonzales, her cousin, worked together to hide the crime, dismembering the girls body and setting it on fire. Rose argues that tampering with evidence shows a consciousness of guilt. A jury could reasonably infer that (Kelley) would not have gone to the extreme of mutilating a childs body unless she understood that she was responsible for the crime, Rose wrote. In an interview Tuesday, District Attorney Raul Torrez said the rejection jeopardizes the states case against Gonzales and precludes prosecutors from further investigating the identity of the mystery suspect. (Kelleys) further cooperation is frankly the only way at this point to help law enforcement identify who this person is, Torrez said. Prosecutors also filed a handful of documents in Gonzales case Tuesday. In one, they say they plan to tell jurors about Gonzales affiliation with the Thugs Causing Kaos gang. Rose said in one document that Gonzales contacted fellow TCK members after an altercation at a barbecue days before Victorias death and that the boyfriend of a pregnant woman he fought also called several associates. A fight broke out after the woman asked Gonzales to leave her home because she claimed he had stolen from her in the past. The disrespect and threats from Gonzales set into motion the events that led to the homicide of Victoria Martens, Rose wrote. The Media Research Users Council (MRUC) held its 24th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Friday, September 14, 2018. Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO - South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network and Pratap Pawar, Chairman, Sakal Media Group, will continue in their respective roles as Chairman and Vice Chairman of MRUC, until the next AGM. The leadership duo was unanimously elected by the Board immediately after the 23rd AGM held in September 2017, had their continuation endorsed by the current Board at the meeting held immediately post the 24th AGM. Mr Bhasin said, After the successful launch of IRS 2017, our aim is to release the IRS more frequently and strengthen the focus on MRUC's core objective of offering Media Research that goes beyond the flagship study IRS. Mr Pawar stated, We thank all our members for their continuous support to the MRUC in ensuring the success of IRS 2017. We will carry the momentum forward and ensure the users of IRS do not have to wait long for the next launch of IRS. India is known to be a destination with roots steeped in the traditions of wellness and spirituality. It has flourished through centuries making it the ideal destination for a perfect mental and physical detox. The country is home to some of the worlds oldest, wellness traditions and unprecedented powerful healing techniques. This season of CNN's 'Destination India' focuses on the most unique wellness locations across India known for their unique traditions and natural experiences. Highlights of the 30-minute special include: Wellness for Everyone The Anahata Healing Centre - Indias finest yoga retreat is Bangalores one stop destination for natural healing experiences. Founder Kiran Ravandar brings his expertise of a decade under one roof, providing a philosophy for health and wellness. Coming from a small village outside of Bengaluru, where he opened the Anahata Healing Arts Center in 2014, the center welcomes individuals where they can reconnect with themselves and with nature through a simplistic lifestyle. The center also offers a unique cultural exchange through yoga and the ancient art of Ayurveda, both extremely popular with the local community and with visitors. The doors of the center are always open making it a natural healing place for everyone. Healing powers of Nature While modern medicine is truly a marvel in India, Dr. Issac Mathai takes a more natural approach to healing focusing on the five elements of nature (earth, water, air, fire and ether). Dr. Mathai runs the Soukya International Holistic Health Center in Bangalore which provides an excellent service from hydro-baths to mud body wraps. His goal is to eliminate toxins in the body which he says are the root cause of diseases. The center is known for its traditional holistic healing that compliments medical treatment focusing on a complete approach to health. Silence! How long could you go without saying a word? Vipassana meditation is a non-sectarian technique to purify the mind. This ancient meditation practice has been in India for centuries which brings the body a real sense of peace and nirvana to lead a happy, purposeful life. CNN travels to one of Indias leading Vipassana retreat, Dhamma Giri Vipassana International Academy to find out more about the 10-day practice that requires one to train their brain to stop reacting to the vicissitudes of life - in complete silence. Breathing your way to a better self Thousands of people travel to India every year to master the art of yoga. A soulful sojourn in the verdant lap of the Himalayas houses the beautiful Ananda Spa, sitting atop the spiritual town of Rishikesh. The spa offers the magic of pranayama, a form of yoga that focuses solely on breathing. Considering the extreme commercialization of Yoga around the world, Ananda takes you back to its purest, most traditional form. Spa Cuisine Atmantan Wellness Centre Spa cuisine, as a concept, has always been misunderstood as tasteless, capturing mini portions of ultra-healthy, weight-loss friendly food. However, Atmantan Wellness Centre re-defines the cuisine philosophy, amalgamating the food synergy where flavors and nutrients are skillfully combined to serve the body in the best and most delicious way. The culinary sophistication which the center offers, paints every plate like an artwork and is mindfully prepared with organic, locally sourced food. The culinary team at Atmantan sees food as one of lifes pleasures and goes above and beyond to ensure that their guests palates are pleased. Destination India is produced by CNN Vision, the global creative production powerhouse of CNN International, which brings the worlds breath-taking diversity into cinematic focus, telling stories that inspire audiences around the world. Watch the promo here: https://cnn.it/2xgjxUm The Board of Directors of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has unanimously appointed Siddharth Jain, Rajat Sharma, Sudhanshu Vats and K Madhavan as the Vice-Presidents to broadbase and liaise with the government and other stakeholders for the sectoral growth. Siddharth Jain, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, South Asia of Turner International India Pvt Ltd will be the Vice President, IBF for Distribution. Rajat Sharma the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV shall oversee Government Affairs in his role as the Vice President of the Foundation. Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom 18 would be Vice President- Audience Measurement and K Madhavan, Managing Director, Asianet Communications will be spearheading the Regional Affairs portfolio. The Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of The India Today Group, Aroon Purie shall continue as the Treasurer of the Foundation till the next AGM. In the 19th Annual General Meeting of IBF held on 31st August 2018, the members unanimously elected Shashi S. Vempati, the CEO of Prasar Bharati to the Board of Directors of IBF. His inclusion in the Board will strengthen the Foundation technologically considering his prior experience in the IT sector. With the inclusion of Avinash Pandey, COO, ABP News Network, Mahesh Samat, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, The Walt Disney Co - South Asia and John Brittas, Managing Director & Editor-in-Chief, Malayalam Communications Ltd as Co-opted Directors on the Board of the Foundation, IBF is geared up to meet the sectoral challenges. A lot has changed in the Indian business scenario today. There is greater awareness about giving women equal chances, encouraging more women to take up leadership roles, flexible timings, more support to new mothers. Given such positive developments, women are breaking the glass ceilings and taking on more and more responsibilities, especially in the advertising and M&E industry. However, there are some ground realities that cannot be overlooked. Despite a changing scenario, there are still hurdles in the way of women assuming leadership roles, pay disparity across levels still exists, and sexual harassment at the workplace continues to rear its ugly head. Continuing with the second part of the report on women empowerment at the workplace, four senior women leaders at Isobar India share their insights on what ails Indian business and also suggest some solutions. Dearth of women in leadership position in India When asked why there was a dearth of women in leadership positions in India business, Aakriti Sinha, Director - Social, Isobar, felt that it had a lot to do with self-doubt. Moreover, there are people in this industry who have certain notions about women leadership and thats why that confidence is not there, which too acts as a hindrance. However, three other women leaders at Isobar Madhura Ranade (Director - Business), Prachi Karan (Senior Director Media), and Priyanka Shah (Senior Director - Mobile) felt otherwise. Madhura Ranade remarked, I dont think there is a dearth of women leaders. Its just about people whom we engage with. But she agreed with Sinha that women themselves felt that they were not ready to take up the mantle of leadership. According to her, We have to encourage them and that will only happen when there is open conversation. At Isobar, the management comes forward to promote such conversations, which builds confidence and give a boost to women professionally as well as personally. While Prachi Karan agreed that there was gender discrimination across corporates, she also said that things were changing and people were becoming more and more aware about such discrimination. When we talk about women not being promoted to top roles, what we do not realise is that a lot of women drop off when they realise they are going to get into a bigger role. This is due to various reasons they get married, have a baby, family priorities take precedence. At that point it is very important that organisations extend all support to the woman employee. There needs to be mentoring to assist her and help her with the transition. If we are able to step that drop-out, then I think the number of women in the work force would increase. Priyanka Shah is more upbeat as she believes that there is a shift in the culture of how working women are treated. Earlier, they used to just work, but now women frame their own careers. The way that you look at your work now and the way society treats working women is very different. Todays men are very supportive at the workplace and at home; they think that women should work, go ahead work and make a career. There is a lot of encouragement in todays workplace which was not there earlier. There is still differentiation between girls and boys, but I think the borders are blurring now, she remarked. Pay Parity Pay disparity in the Indian business ecosystem, especially in the top management levels has been an area of contention. To address this, Aakriti Sinha said, The company now has to take a conscious decision. As a woman, I think we have to come forward and ask for our rights depending on our merits and demerits. There is nothing wrong in doing that. It should completely depend on individual merit not gender. As I said earlier, self-doubt is a womans biggest enemy. This is a point supported by Madhura Ranade as well, as she said, A lot of women in our country do not negotiate for their salaries, they just take what they get. This is something that I have also done in the past. But I think this attitude changes only because of confidence. One should be confident about the things that they can do and on that basis they can ask what they want. This is the only way how we can deal with pay disparity in our ecosystem. But its a long way to go. Pay parity is an issue in the media industry, agreed Prachi Karan. She further said, In most of industries, men do tend to get paid more than women. One of the reasons I think this happens is because of the way they are brought up, men are able to negotiate better than women. Women dont ask for what they deserve. Thats where a lot of counselling and training come into place. According to Priyanka Shah, the first thing that needs to be done to address the issue of pay disparity is that merit should be given on the basis of talent and not gender-based. Secondly, you have to bring transparency into the whole system. Everyone should know that if they are at a particular level, what is the pay bracket that they should expect, and then you should differentiate based on the talent. Once you get that transparency, you get to know if you are being paid equal to a male employee or not. When asked whether women were hesitant to ask for a pay raise, Shah replied, If you talk holistically, yes, they are hesitant because a lot of women take into account factors like getting married, planning a family and then ask for a raise. But I feel regardless of what your personal conditions are and you are blessed to have all those factors in your life its pure talent and pure capacity, you should ask for the money worth that talent and capacity. Sexual harassment at workplace Before we talk about sexual harassment, its important to talk about equality. What women want is to feel as safe and secure, as men do, in any workplace. The fight against sexual harassment would never be won if its being fought only by women, no matter how strong. It needs to be fought together, side by side and hence, we need men equally involved. The idea is to ensure that even unknowingly we are not promoting the by-standers effect, commented Prachi Karan. She added that in this regard, there are trainings and workshops that are being done by many organisations (including Isobar) in the industry for both women and men, which is a great first step in this direction. Some organisations also have women council who are trained in dealing with and guiding in such matters, essentially creating an environment for women to be speak up and be heard. Karan stressed that it is the moral responsibility of organisations to sensitise and empower its employees to be fierce. It is extremely important for our industry to show zero tolerance and actually enforce it at all levels, no matter how senior, because sexual harassment is not about sex, its about power, she maintained. Priyanka Shah, too, said that a lot of organisations are taking small steps to counter this serious issue. At the same time she felt that apart from the industry, every women also had to start to speak out and have the right to bring such instances to the notice of the management immediately. People will have to take notice of it because they dont have a choice and will have to show results as to how they are addressing such problems. This is something where we as women have to speak out and the industry has to be very sensitive. I wont say all of them would be correct, as there are a lot of cases where women have been taking advantage of it. There has to be evaluation of the situation and there has to be more results that are actually showcased so that women started believing in this whole system, Shah added. Stating that Dentsu Aegis Network and Isobar took a serious view of sexual harassment at work, Aakriti Sinha added, One has to be properly educated about the issue. Our notion about sexual harassment is that it is not just an obscene act, but there are some other acts too which come under its purview. Isobar has formed a Womens Council to act as a point of contact for its women employees across its branches. The reason behind doing this is because a lot of women are scared of opening up about sexual harassment, Madhura Ranade said, adding, Harassment can be of any kind. With this, we help the women to come forward and speak out about the harassment that they are facing and what they have to go through every day. With this Womens Council, we have come across harassment which are not just women-oriented, but also men related. Conceptualized by Ogilvy India, we see the main film in which an elderly couple, who are empty nesters, recreate a sense of home with strangers. It opens to an intriguing scenario of a lady who sees her husband re-doing their sons room with the help of painters. On questioning her husband about why the room is being re-decorated, he mentions that just as their son has been welcomed into the home of another family abroad, there will other kids living away from their families whom they could provide a home to as a paying guest. Recognizing the importance of how people can add colour to ones life, the mother favourably agrees. The film proceeds to a montage of different youngsters who have had a warm and memorable experience with the couple. The film concludes with a wall adorned with photographs and colourful memories with their paying guests in the couples home, beautifully capturing the brand message, Ghar sajta hai uski chahal pahal se. This thought is taken further with a set of 20 sec films, print, outdoor, retail promotion, radio spots, digital engagement and on-ground activation. Speaking about the new corporate ad, Amit Syngle, COO, Asian Paints Limited said, With the new corporate TVC #PeopleAddColour, our core objective is to recapture the essence of how people who live under the same roof bring colour to each others lives while highlighting the emotional equity a home holds. Building on our positioning and expression of Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai, we aim to resonate with our consumers by instilling empathy and meaning into decor. Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Mumbai, said, People make homes beautiful. #PeopleAddColour celebrates this thought and encourages people to make their homes happier. The launch film for this campaign is a beautiful story of an empty nester couple. A story that will probably resonate with lots of people across India. When their son leaves to study abroad, the couple decides to redecorate their sons room and open it for other children. Filling their life with joy. Making their home happier again. @alextdaugherty If Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh turn out to be true, Marco Rubio says it would disqualify President Donald Trump's pick for the lifetime seat. But Rubio also wants to hear what Ford and Kavanaugh have to say in an official hearing, which could happen on Monday, before determining what should happen next. "The secondary matter is hes categorically, strongly denied it," Rubio said of Kavanaugh. "So at this point if in fact any of it is proven true hes also lying to the committee about it. But he has strongly denied and he has a right and should be given the opportunity to be heard." Rubio said the allegations are "very serious" and need to be "fully listened to." The Florida Republican is not a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee so he is not directly involved in Kavanaugh's confirmation process. If the nomination passes the committee chamber the full Senate can vote on it. "The allegations are very serious and substantial and need to be fully listened to as well and hopefully that will happen on Monday," Rubio said. "My only wish is that this information had been available earlier, which I believe it could have been, in a setting that would not have violated the confidentially that the accuser has asked for. But hopefully Monday, there will be sufficient information to begin judgment on the matter." Rubio's comments come after Sen. Bill Nelson, who also is not a member of the Judiciary Committee, said "there should be an investigation of the new allegations against him" and that he looks forward to meeting Kavanaugh in person. Nelson's opponent Rick Scott said there should be a "fair hearing" on the allegations. Ford came forward by name on Sunday after multiple outlets reported on the existence of a letter to California Rep. Anna Eshoo and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein that described a non-consensual encounter of a sexual nature between Kavanaugh and Ford when the two were in high school. Ford said that Kavanaugh groped her and tried to pull off her clothes and stopped when a friend of Kavnauagh's jumped on top of them. Ever looked at the Bandra Worli Sea Link and wondered at the engineering genius behind it? Or at a skyscraper and marveled at the engineering feat. Truth be told, engineers are everywhere. From the humble everyday things to large infrastructures. They are the ones who make things happen. But sadly, their contribution and importance remain behind the scenes. So this Engineers Day, Tata Tiscon, Indias leading rebar brand, decided to bring the spotlight back on the engineers. The brand has created a short film titled The Build, that brings out the importance of engineers in our lives. Sanjay S Sahni, Chief of Marketing & Sales (Branded Products & Retail), Tata Steel said, In our business, engineers play a crucial role. Their relentless pursuit for excellence has shaped and lead the entire home building and infrastructure category. This is our small way to say thank you for showing the way. Vijay Jacob, SVP and Managing Partner, J Walter Thompson, Kolkata says, In India Sir Visvesvaraya's birthday is celebrated as Engineers' Day and partnering Tata Tiscon on this occasion with this piece of communication makes us very proud." Arjun Mukherjee, VP & ECD, J Walter Thompson, Kolkata says, The entire effort was to put the cool back in engineering. A true engineering mind creates the most magnificent things and finds unique ways of solving real-life problems, be it big or small. Through an endearing story of two friends we have tried to bring that out. Conceptualized by J Walter Thompson and directed by Abhishek Sinha, The Build has been released on the brands social media handles. Catch the full film below Credits Client: Tata Tiscon Agency: J Walter Thompson Chief Creative Officer: Senthil Kumar SVP & Managing Partner: Vijay Jacob Parakkal VP & ECD: Arjun Mukherjee Creative Director: Moeinuk Sengupta Art Director: Sourish Mitra VP & EBD: Ayan Chakraborty Client Services Director: Sreeparna Gupta Client Servicing Executive: Sushmita Byapari AVP & CSD - Digital: Surojit Sen Account Director - Digital: Soham Sengupta Production House: Made in Calcutta Director: Abhishek Sinha D.O.P: Mrinmoy Nandi Music: Subhagata Singha Volkswagen, Europes largest carmaker today announced the annual festive bonanza Volksfest 2018 beginning from 15th September till end October 2018. The festival will offer customers an exciting range of benefits across all its 121 dealerships in 104 cities in India. This year, Volkswagen is celebrating 90 years of Mickey Mouses magic through the Happy Days Are Here Again campaign. During the campaign, Volkswagen dealerships will host activities including Mickey photo-op corner, coloring activity for kids, and assured co-branded give aways on test drives, bookings and after-sales services. 2018 marks 90 years since Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in Steamboat Willie, which released on 18th November 1928. Mickey has emerged into a global icon with his optimistic outlook and endearing personality, and he continues to delight fans around the world every day. Commenting on the beginning of Volksfest 2018 and this exciting partnership, Mr. Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, With the diverse cultures prevailing in India, every day is a celebration, taking it a notch higher each time. This year has been an extra special as we associate with Disney India to celebrate Mickey Mouse, a timeless character who represents fun and adventure. With the Volksfests Happy Days Are Here Again campaign, Volkswagen would like to give its existing and prospective customers another reason to rejoice and be part of this family. For 90 years, Mickey Mouse has brought laughter, optimism and hope to fans around the world. This year, globally we are celebrating the magic of our beloved icon. We are thrilled that the collaboration with Volkswagen will give kids and families an opportunity to experience the spirit of their favourite Disney character in a fun manner, says Devika Prabhu, Executive Director Content & Communications, Media Networks - Disney India. Volksfest 2018 allows existing and prospective customers to avail attractive finance, insurance, exchange bonus along with assured gifts on test drives, bookings and after-sales services. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. As long as I am defense minister, no terrorist will get a shortened sentence, not even by one hour. Those are the decisive words that Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman tweeted Sept. 16. This was in response to the headlines of Yedioth Ahronoth that same morning, which announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had established a committee tasked with the issue of examining requests for shortening the sentences of Palestinians serving life sentences who were convicted in military courts. This report referred to the fact that West Bank Palestinians suspected of criminal security offenses are sentenced in Israeli military courts also located in the West Bank. Most offenses committed by Israeli citizens, even if residing in the West Bank, are under the authority of the Israeli judicial system, not the military. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hurried to back up Liberman, as did right-wing ministers and Knesset members from the left-center. For example, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin from the Zionist Camp told Al-Monitor, The punishments for murderers of Israelis cannot be shortened. Deterrence will be jeopardized if a terrorist knows that he can harm Israelis yet assume that, eventually, there is a chance that his sentence will be commuted. The political storm was magnified when representatives of angry Israeli families who had lost members to terror argued that this option was, to them, tantamount to a declaration of war. Within a few hours, Liberman instructed the IDF to freeze the committees appointment until an in-depth discussion of the issue could be held with the relevant parties. Despite the fact that the proposed committee is now frozen, it is not at all certain that the State of Israel will be able to dodge the subject indefinitely whether in Libermans tenure or someone elses. This situation clearly exemplifies the problematics of the ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank that led to the creation of two separate and unequal court systems. The differences between the two systems are expressed in many ways; for example, in Israel proper, the time allotted for keeping suspects in detention before bringing them to a judge is only 24 hours. But in the territories, it is eight days. Prisoners with life sentences (lifers) who were sentenced by Israeli courts can turn to a special release committee and ask for a shortening of their sentence. But Palestinians who are sentenced by military courts to life sentences have no such recourse. They can appeal to the IDFs Central Command, and some of them do so. But their requests are automatically rejected without any reason given. Therefore, the IDFs decision to establish such a committee did not constitute a deviation from its authority but an expression of a real, practical judicial need. And the moment this issue emerged, it could not be brushed aside any longer. What may have ostensibly appeared as the interference of military officers in a political-diplomatic issue is actually the reasonable and logical actions of the army that is sovereign in the West Bank. It was the IDF itself that revealed the existence of this committee to the general public. It happened in the course of a discussion on a petition submitted by a Palestinian lifer to the High Court of Justice. The petitioner, Shani Khald from Ramallah, was convicted in a military court in 1988 for the murder of an 18-year-old Israeli girl, Ziva Goldovsky. The young woman had been a peace activist with a developed political awareness and had made friends with Palestinians during the first intifada in 1987, before the 1993 Oslo Accord. In 2006, the murderer asked the military commander in the West Bank to shorten his life sentence, but his request was rejected. Recently he appealed to the High Court of Justice (HCJ), arguing that it is unreasonable that prisoners who are sentenced in Israeli courts (including Palestinians) are allowed to appeal to a special release committee while he has no such rights. About two weeks ago, the High Court of Justice discussed the petition. In its response, the IDF mentioned that the issue has indeed been debated and that following these debates it was decided to establish an advisory committee with the power to recommend the shortening of imprisonment sentences in the territories. This was, in fact, the first time that the very existence of the committee (to be established) became public. While the HCJ justices rejected the petition, they did address the very existence of a petition and the ensuing decision to set up a parole committee as positive developments. This step [a parole committee] must be viewed favorably and worthy of being advanced quickly. Of course, the requisite legislation must be adapted, as much as possible, to existing arrangements that exist in the law for conditional release, with an emphasis on the creation of an advisory committee and its powers, wrote the judges in their decision. The IDF, as the administrative body in charge of daily life in the West Bank, is probably the entity most aware of the needs that arise there. This is why this HCJ statement is very significant. It strengthens the new direction the IDF has taken recently. In other words, the IDF has come to understand that after more than 50 years of occupation, the situation in the Palestinian territories cannot be viewed as temporary or viewed from a war-like perspective. Therefore, appropriate judicial apparatuses must be created. No one in the IDF intends to release heinous terrorists with blood on their hands. Obviously, these kinds of petitions will be rejected in all legal constellations. On the other hand, ultra-nationalistic terrorists were released in the past (and will probably be released in the future) in deals carried out by the government. In fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself had signed on for the release of more than a thousand terrorists in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal in 2011. I view this as Liberman and Netanyahus total spinoff. Its another example of shallowness and the desire to pander to the famous political base, says Liron Libman to Al-Monitor. Attorney Libman (also Col. res.) is a former chief military prosecutor and former head of the army's international law department; today he is a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute. Libman argues that creating a parole-advisory committee is the right move; it will not lead to the release of murderous terrorists as some people argue; instead, it will create a climate in which the Israeli civil legal system and its military courts will share the same egalitarian legal processes. "And I say, Why not? notes Libman. He also notes that the petition represents an argument that has a realistic basis. Imagine a prisoner doing time in an Israeli prison [convicted by a military court]; next to him is a Palestinian prisoner who was sentenced by a court in Israel. His friend can appeal to the release committee while he cannot because he was sentenced in a military court. Libman feels that eventually, the State of Israel will no longer be able to dodge the issue. Even though the present defense minister successfully blocked the process now, it is likely that in the future another petition will reach the HCJ. Then, the State will have to explain why it is such a terrible idea after the HCJ already gave it a green light. BEIRUT Her trophy nearby and new fans offering hugs and praise, Rabab Chamseddine, a 21-year-old Lebanese poet, was riding high after her win at the 2018 Beirut Poetry Slam. I am feeling more than great. I just want to smash everything. I am way too excited, she told Al-Monitor at the finals on Sept. 15 when asked about her thoughts on representing the Middle East next year at the World Poetry Slam. Slam poetry is different from traditional spoken word performances because its a competition, organizer Maysan Nasser explained. Ten artists present two poems, each one three minutes long, and judges score their performance and content. The contestants have nothing on stage apart from their words, Nasser added. Held at Station Beirut, an art space in the Lebanese capital, the event featured poets ranging from published writers to novices preforming for the first time, reading their poems in Arabic and English. Beirut has hosted previous slam competitions, but this years event offered something new. The winner of the slam will travel to Paris next year to participate in the World Poetry Slam: the first ever Middle Eastern representative to compete at the event, going up against poets from Australia to Germany. Chamseddine will be this representative, after winning over the audience and judges with her performance of Not Your Type of Woman and To Honey, heartfelt original poems exploring the complexities and fluctuations of identity in the Middle East. Born into a Lebanese family in Ivory Coast, Chamseddine moved back to Lebanon at the age of 11. A native French speaker, she wrote her first poem, Solitude, in elementary school. She described it as a very sad poem for a nine-year-old. However, her poetry has always been intensely personal, reserved mainly for her diary. When she turned 18, she befriended a woman named Dima, who introduced her to spoken word poetry. Only a few years into the friendship, Dima passed away. I had to process it [her death] and had to go through grief, Chamseddine said. And when I was almost over it, I wrote my first [English poem], called The Long Drop. Thereafter, Chamseddine sought to emulate her late friend. She started studying literature at the American University of Beirut and began writing in English. During her studies at AUB, she performed her first ever spoken word poem in front of her creative writing class. I wasnt that confident about it, Chamseddine said, but I performed in front of my class and got amazing feedback. From that day forward, Chamseddine dove into poetry, writing about her identity, family, country and beliefs. Lisa Luxx, a British-Syrian poet and one of the judges, said of Chamseddine, She had urgency, she really meant it, she needed to say it, she was speaking with purpose, she wasnt just speaking because she feels like writing a poem. Before preforming her final poem, Not Your Type of Woman, Chamseddine asked the audience, Have you ever been in love with someone and no one gets it? The question received a unanimous Yes! from the young artistic Beirut crowd. Her poem explores a deeply private love, her tone almost taboo. It opens: Ive been in love with this woman, its been three years. Weve never talked, weve never touched, but we both know. We both know if the world ends tomorrow, well be up by 5:00, running toward each other to meet God. Halfway through the poem she reveals, Im in love with a woman and her name is so safe in my mouth Beirut. I dont see [Beirut] as a city, Chamseddine explained. I see it as a person who is trying to be understood. Maybe that is why I have such a connection to it, because I too want to be understood. She criticized those who complain about it, saying, People say Beirut is so shitty, there are so many problems, there is so much garbage here. [but] Beirut is not doing a thing. You are ruining the city. Luxx, who moved to Beirut only a few months ago, attested to the effect of Chamseddines performance: It had everything that made up a poem that just never left your system. She added, For me, she is talking to the Western world, to the people who told me, Dont go there, Beirut is dangerous. Chamseddines first poem, To Honey, was a reflection on faith and family. She told Al-Monitor, I always bring my family and religion into my poems, because these are two things that are a part of my identity, and I am still trying to figure out who I am. She added that despite her introverted nature, these complex and controversial subjects can be questioned and challenged through her art. Not all truths are to be told, she said. There are somethings that can [only] be expressed through poetry. The prospect of preforming next year at the world slam as the Middle East's first ever representative brings the young artist both anticipation and anxiety. It is exciting, but it is a huge responsibility, Chamseddine said, You are coming from a place that people dont understand. People have such huge misconceptions about Beirut and about the Middle East. You need to make sure you are just perfect. Despite her dedication, the 21-year-old is conscious of entering an international stage unaccustomed to performers like herself. The veil adds an extra thing, she said, gesturing to her hijab. With the rise of Islamophobia and all this, it is kind of hard to find your way in the world. Even in Lebanon you have this problem. So what about the West? However, the judges are confident that Chamseddines voice will cut through the preconceptions that surround her homeland. I dont think she yet sees the impact she is going to have, said Luxx. The important socio-political work that her poems [are] going to do. @alextdaugherty Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is calling for the Justice Department to investigate former Secretary of State John Kerry for meeting with high-level Iranian officials after leaving his position when President Donald Trump took office. Kerry, the architect of the Iran Nuclear Deal that most Republicans oppose, was President Obama's top diplomat during the latter half of his administration. The Boston Globe reported in May that Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif more than a year after leaving office to discuss ways to keep the deal intact. In recent days, current Secretary of State and Rubio ally Mike Pompeo blasted the meetings as beyond inappropriate" and Trump took to Twitter to voice his displeasure. "John Kerry had illegal meetings with the very hostile Iranian Regime, which can only serve to undercut our great work to the detriment of the American people," Trump tweeted. "He told them to wait out the Trump Administration! Was he registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act? BAD!" Rubio's letter, which was first reported by Fox News, asks Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate whether Kerry violated the Logan Act, a law that prohibits unauthorized individuals from negotiating with foreign governments. "Last week former Secretary Kerry publicly admitted that he has met with Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif 'probably three or four times' including in the United States, since leaving office," Rubio's letter said. "The Department of Justice should therefore make a determination on whether or not former Secretary of State John F. Kerry's recent actions related to the [Iran Deal] potentially violate the Logan Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act." Kerry, a former U.S. Senator, unsuccessfully ran for president in 2004 before serving as secretary of state. Morocco is taking advantage of the Donald Trump administration's hawkish stance on Iran to press its claims on the disputed Western Sahara. Ahead of his visit to Washington this week, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita indicated in a Breitbart News interview that he would bring up allegations of links between Hezbollah and the Sahrawi independence movement. Rabat is hoping to solidify US support for its position on the resource-rich Moroccan-occupied territory. We have an opportunity with this administration, Bourita told the far-right outlet last week. We need to make things happen. We have an opportunity also because they are clear in their position about Iran. The Moroccan Embassy in Washington told Al-Monitor that Monday's meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Bourita's first since the May diplomatic break with Iran was a yearly event with no specific asks or deliverables expected. A brief State Department readout of their meeting, however, mentioned shared efforts to end Irans support for terrorism and counter its malign influence in the region as the only specific agenda item. Morocco severed diplomatic ties with Iran in May, accusing Tehran and its Lebanese proxy of providing arms and training to the pro-independence Polisario Front. Soon after, Bourita accused Hezbollah of providing the Polisario with advanced surface-to-air missile systems in an interview with Fox News. Iran, Hezbollah and the Polisario flatly reject the claims. Mouloud Said, the Polisarios envoy to Washington, said in an interview Monday that Rabat came up with this fabrication to benefit from the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and please its Sunni Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia. Theyve tried it before, Said told Al-Monitor. They tried to say that we were communists. It didnt work. Then they said we are part of al-Qaeda. It didnt work. Bourita also accuses the Lebanese paramilitary group of setting up a solidarity committee with the Polisario in 2016. Neither the State Departments counterterrorism report for that year, the most recent one available, nor a July report on Western Sahara from the UN Secretary-General mention any ties between the two groups. The State Department directed Al-Monitor to the Moroccan government when asked to corroborate the latest allegations. The spike in outreach to far-right pro-Israel media favored by Trump and his inner circle, however, suggest a deliberate influence strategy. The columnist who conducted last week's Breitbart interview, Caroline Glick, previously served as an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dore Gold, the former director-general of Israels Foreign Affairs Ministry and current president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, also echoed Moroccos claims in May. In May, Glick penned an article for Breitbart calling on the United States to support Morocco against Iran and detailing Moroccan allegations that the cultural attache at the Iranian Embassy in Algiers directed a Hezbollah delegation for a visit to Polisario training camps in Tindouf, Algeria, in 2016. In her most recent report, she writes that the Moroccans gave her a document purporting to prove the vast contacts that have ensued between Hezbollah and Polisario Front commanders in Beirut and in Algeria since then. The Moroccan Embassy did not have the document immediately available and Al-Monitor could not independently review its claims. Morocco's conservative media blitz comes after the Foreign Ministry replaced its Clinton-era lobbyists with predominantly Republican operatives. Late last year, Bourita axed Rabats longstanding lobbying relationship with the Moroccan American Center for Policy, replacing the firm with JPC Strategies, a firm founded by James Christoferson, a former top staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. According to lobbying disclosure forms reviewed by Al-Monitor, Christoferson met with Victoria Coates, another former Cruz staffer who currently serves on Trumps National Security Council, in February. That same month, Christoferson had a phone call with Trumps legislative affairs adviser Paul Teller, another ex-Cruz staffer. Christoferson has also spent a considerable amount of time lobbying the office of top House appropriator Hal Rogers, R-Ky., whose foreign aid spending panel has long favored Moroccan interests in Western Sahara. The outreach appears to be paying dividends. Shortly after the Rabat first made its claims about Hezbollah-Polisario in May, both the House and Senate requested and received classified intelligence briefings on the issue. Correction: Because of an editing error, a previous version of this article said Washington supports an independence referendum in the Western Sahara. Since 2007 the United States has supported an autonomy plan put forward by Morocco as a potential avenue for self-determination for the Sahrawi people. The political stalemate between Israel and Palestine continues and Palestinian-Israeli negotiations have shown zero progress since 2014. Nevertheless, the security and economic cooperation between the two sides seems to always stay the course. This is particularly intriguing since such sectors often depend on political relations, but they are somehow unrelated in this case. On Sept. 2, Israels News1 reported that technical projects carried out by Israeli and Palestinian companies, the last of which is a project to establish a large data center in Ramallah at a cost of $50 million, was implemented by the Israeli branch of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), the American multinational information technology enterprise. Maen Melhem, general manager of the Palestinian Telecommunications Company (Paltel), announced Aug. 16 that the data center project is the largest Palestinian investment in the Palestinian telecommunications sector. It will be established under the supervision of local and international experts and engineers, specialized in setting up international data centers, in partnership with major international companies, he said without mentioning Israeli companies. The Data Center aims to improve the quality of the services provided to the business sector by companies, institutions and banks, and to contribute to developing the quality of the services provided to its IT-based customers. Among the services offered by the center is a specialized team working around the clock to protect servers from any attacks or breaches and to handle virtual servers and cloud computing, data storage space and other services offered in data centers around the world. Al-Monitor tried to contact Paltel in this regard, and the company responded in writing, noting, Israel did not contribute to this project. Palestinian companies were in charge of equipment, design and supervision. This project is 100% Palestinian. Cooperation with HPE was achieved thanks to an affiliated Palestinian company, whose role was limited to reviewing the design and giving its opinion on it. Israeli media is claiming we cooperated with Israeli companies as part of the pressure Israel exerts on Palestinian telecommunications. Israel simply wants to portray us as a front for the Israeli telecommunications company. Mohammed (not his real name), a former engineer at Paltel, told Al-Monitor, A large part of the company's devices come from Israel, given the relationship between Palestinian and Israeli telecom companies. But only the higher-ups at Paltel and its Israeli counterpart know about any formal agreements and relations. Regular employees are in the dark when it comes to this; only the board of directors gets involved. Although Melhem did not mention the names of any Israeli companies, Rami Azem, Data Center project manager, also said on Aug. 16 that the design of the project was reviewed by HPE, one of the largest international companies, without mentioning its Israeli branch perhaps for fear of being criticized by Palestinians and accused of normalization with Israel. However, Israels People & Computers news site reported that HPEs Israeli branch had advised on the establishment of the Palestinian project, noting that HPEs Israeli branch also provides services to the Palestinian Authority (PA). A senior Palestinian official close to President Mahmoud Abbas told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The Palestinian leadership does not prohibit the economic sector from cooperating with its Israeli counterpart if it is beneficial to the Palestinian market. The Palestinian and Israeli telecommunication sectors seem to overlap. Palestinians do not veto investing or benefiting from advanced Israeli expertise. This has nothing to do with the political estrangement between Ramallah and Tel Aviv. On Sept. 10, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah wished Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon a Happy Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), and they both agreed to hold a meeting in the near future. This shows that commercial and economic relations between Israel and the PA are progressing in the hope that they can lead to a future political settlement. Israel needs this in order to maintain security and calm, while the Palestinians need economic prosperity. Palestinian-Israeli joint ventures include agricultural, industrial, tourism and cooperative projects, as well as facilitating transit through the crossings and trying to find foreign investments. Nasr Abdel Karim, an economics professor at the Arab American University in the West Bank, told Al-Monitor, Many Palestinian economic projects show how much the Palestinian economy depends on the Israeli economy and how the two are integrated, which does not reflect the political estrangement between the two sides. Although Israel seems to be gladly cooperating with the Palestinians, it uses these projects to threaten them should they rebel against the Israeli political will. These Palestinian-Israeli partnerships in telecommunications reflect the idea of economic peace adopted by late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. With his Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, he called for a new Middle East in terms of regional cooperation through joint Palestinian-Israeli projects and initiatives in hi-tech and agricultural technology. Fouad Abu Oweimer, an expert in electronic networks in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, Although the Israeli market has opened up to Palestinian technology and telecommunications companies, the current political situation greatly affects how Palestinian engineers and programmers are not hired by Israeli companies or Palestinian ones that cooperate with Israeli companies. It seems that the Palestinian-Israeli rift since 2014 has yet to cast a shadow over bilateral economic relations. On the contrary, communication in this field seems to be in full swing. This undermines the political role of the PA and instead favors investment and commerce all while raising questions about the political future of the PA and the legitimacy of its existence. MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Sochi Sept. 17 for what was initially seen as a final showdown over Idlib. The situation in the northern Syian province has been in the spotlight of all Middle East watchers for well over a month, with escalations between the two sides threatening a large-scale humanitarian crisis. Al-Monitor reported on earlier efforts between Russian and Turkish diplomats as well as military and intelligence officials to work out a peaceful scenario for Idlib, but it took a meeting between the two presidents to reach the agreement on a buffer zone. In fact, the Sochi meeting was the third personal encounter between the two presidents over the last three weeks. There is a lot to discuss and some issues are complicated. I am glad to see you, to be able to exchange opinions on this whole set of issues, and to search for solutions to matters still unresolved, Putin noted in his opening remarks. Referencing previous meetings between the two leaders, Erdogan replied that exchange of opinions "strengthens our cooperation." He added, "Due to our solidarity on regional issues, the regional peoples count on this cooperation. I believe not only the region, but the whole world is riveted by our meeting today. The statement we will make here after the meeting in Sochi will give new hope to the region, I believe." The tensions over Idlib have seemingly calmed down over the weekend, with forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad reportedly having pulled back from front lines in northwest Syria as the parties actively work their diplomatic channels. Over the weekend, high representatives of Turkey, Russia, France and Germany met in Istanbul to discuss the situation. The initiative proposed by Ankara sought to get the Europeans on board with Turkeys agenda of preventing the massive flow of refugees should a large-scale Idlib offensive begin. The parties agreed that any attack would have severe results and that a political solution must be reached. Turkey, however, declined the idea on humanitarian corridors put forward earlier by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as premature. During the meeting in Berlin with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, Lavrov argued that Moscow would keep hitting terrorist weapons-making facilities in Idlib if need be, but would also encourage local reconciliation deals and open humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee. Ahead of the encounter with the Turkish president, Putin told Russias Security Council he was concerned by militant activity in Idlib an intentional leak by the Kremlins press secretary to signal Moscows own security concern in the situation. A senior Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the situation to the press, told Al-Monitor before the Sochi meeting of the two presidents that Moscow is flexible to solutions but firm in its intent to settle the issue once and for all. He said, With Idlib, we are in intense 24/7 contact with the Turks on different levels and if it were not for the Western meddling, constant threats and pressure, we could have calmly worked it all through. Neither Europeans nor Americans are proposing anything substantive or constructive at this point, [only issuing] constant ultimatums. What the two leaders eventually emerged with from the five-hour meeting was the deal on the buffer zone. We have agreed to create a demilitarized zone between the government troops and militants before Oct. 15. The zone will be 15-20 kilometers wide, with full withdrawal of hard-line militants from there, including Jabhat al-Nusra. Putin announced. The territory controlled by the Syrian opposition must be demilitarized and the Syrian opposition that is holding these territories will remain there. But together with Russia we will make efforts to clear these territories of radical elements, Erdogan stressed. Details of the deal are yet to be finalized, but the parties have already agreed on withdrawal of all heavy weaponry, including tanks and artillery, from the zone before Oct. 10 the proposal made by the Turkish side. The zone itself will be patrolled jointly by Russian and Turkish military units. Beyond Idlib, roads between Aleppo and Hama, as well as between Aleppo and Latakia, are set to be reopened for transit traffic before the end of the year. According to Putin, Russia has enlisted general support for the deal from the Syrian government that should in theory make the agreement between Moscow and Ankara sustainable in the long run, though there are always risks on how it will play out in practice. Timur Akhmetov, a Turkey expert at the Russian International Affairs Council currently based in Ankara, told Al-Monitor, On the whole, the deal [suits] Russias interests better. He added, Turkey maintains its commitment to the Astana process and continues to assist on relevant political issues. It also assumes responsibility to prevent attacks by terrorist groups on Russian military objects. Ankara indeed [saves] both Idlib and the moderate opposition from a Syrian army offensive but also bears associated risks of fighting radical groups." Both leaders sounded content with the solution their teams have been meticulously developing. The two sides seem to admit that while the deal may be temporary, in the short term it addresses the most pressing issues that have long clouded prospects for the future of the Russia-Turkey relationship. Erdogan stressed the agreement is meant to prevent a new humanitarian crisis in Syria, helping Turkey to avoid an even more "difficult situation." Where theres a will theres a way, another Russian diplomat privy to the Russian-Turkey consultations told Al-Monitor, commenting briefly on the outcome of the Sochi meeting. The deal, however, if it indeed can be branded as such, is a significant but just initial serious step in settling the complex matter Idlib has grown into over the last few years. The juice is definitely worth the squeeze here but multiple challenges military and diplomatic alike remain. Most important is the question as to how long Moscow can be successful in continuing to restrain President Assads attempt to extend his government's control over the territory and whether Ankara delivers on its own commitments that are many, fine and security-sensitive. Finally, there are questions over how politically and militarily surgical both will get trying to separate the moderate wheat from the radical chaff without endangering Syrias security in the long run, by trying to assimilate the latter into the former, but also without hurting the civilians in the immediate term. BERLIN The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) has formed a new autonomous administration for northeastern Syria. Meeting Sept. 6 in Ain Issa, in Raqqa province where US forces and the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) remain the SDC created the General Council of Self-Administration in Northern and Eastern Syria. The General Council will coordinate between Kurdish-majority autonomous administrations and the civil councils of areas with Arab majorities. It will form executive committees to govern the area, which is under Kurdish control. The General Council includes representatives of local councils and legislative and executive authorities affiliated with the administrations of Al-Jazira (Al-Hasakah), Kobani, Manbij, Raqqa and al-Tabaqa provinces, and the northern part of Deir ez-Zor province. The new council will work under the umbrella of the SDC, the political arm of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) controlling northeastern Syria. Farid Ati (Kurdish) and Siham Qeyro (Syriac) were elected to co-chair the General Council. The group also established a board of five members representing Arabs, Turkmens, Kurds, Syriacs and Christian Assyrians. Ati told Al-Monitor that he represents the General Council before the local councils in seven regions (Al-Jazira, Kobani, Manbij, Raqqa, al-Tabaqa, Tell Abyad and Ain Issa). The legislative council of each area elected seven people through voting to represent them at the General Council, bringing the final number of representatives to 49. Also, 21 technocrats were chosen as members, bringing the number to 70 members. Out of the 70, five were chosen to be part of the board of the General Council. The board will be in charge of creating executive committees to form the upcoming government, and the General Council members will supervise the committees' works. Ati, who resides in Kobani, holds a law degree from the University of Aleppo. Before assuming this new position, he was head of the Justice Council in the Euphrates region. He said the General Council will organize the work of civil administrations in northeastern Syria. Civil administrations have been formed in the areas that were freed from the Islamic State, he said. Ati added, Temporary civil administrations were formed by virtue of laws that vary from one region to another. The General Council will allow for unifying these laws and legislations. Ati explained the way the General Council will operate: Two members from the board are chosen and tasked with forming executive committees within 21 days at most. These committees will constitute the pillars of the government ruling in northeastern Syria, with its headquarters in Ain Issa. Thus, the new entity extracts power from two sources: a political one (the SDC) and a military one (SDF). They are allies, and the US and the international coalition back them in northeastern Syria. The charter was drafted by a preparatory committee of regional representatives that supervised the General Council's formation. Ati says the authorities managing northeastern Syria will get their power and legitimacy from the people, who he believes are the source of any authority. When asked about Kurdish hegemony in the region, he told Al-Monitor the administration in north Syria is shared by Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians and Turkmens. We wont go into the political aspect. We will focus on serving people. A political party representing us (the SDC) will handle the political affairs, Ati said. Certain Kurdish political parties oppose the self-administration authority and didn't participate in forming the General Council. Those parties are closer to Syrian opposition groups such as the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces and the High Negotiations Committee for the Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces. The self-administration supporters in northern Syria also are not on good terms with the Syrian regime. Yasser Suleiman, from Deir ez-Zor, was named vice president of the General Council. He explained that the geographical area the General Council is in charge of is wide and includes several Syrian provinces, so the administration has broad powers. Suleiman told Al-Monitor via the Whatsapp messaging app that the General Council is working to organize its operational structure. The General Council was formed to serve citizens and address their concerns and desires. It represents all components of the region within the administration," he said. Suleiman noted that the board members were sworn in in Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish. They also include Christians and minorities like Yazidis, which he said is unprecedented in Syria. Forming the General Council could pave the way for officially declaring a northern Syria government of self-administration. Meanwhile, the SDC and the Syrian regime are holding talks on that topic in Damascus. Turkey has long accused Washington and the international coalition of allowing the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to take the lead in northern Syria. The Syrian opposition supports Turkeys stance, claiming that the region is being governed by the Democratic Union Party, which is supported by the PKK. The opposition and Turkey consider both parties to be terrorist groups. However, Suleiman noted that Turkey has no right to interfere in Syrias internal affairs. Suleiman argues that Kurds are a legitimate component in the region. "They have fought against IS and are known for their leniency in dealing with others. It's not true that the region is taking on a Kurdish aspect. All components are represented in the northeastern Syria administration. Ati and Suleiman agree that the United States doesn't explicitly support the formation of a government in the north, but they don't deny they are allies of the international coalition and the United States, through the SDC politically and the SDF on the military level. The US will not interfere in our work as long as [the work] is democratic and it backs democracy, Ati said. Saltgrass Steak House is now open in Birmingham at 14 Perimeter Park South off U.S. 280 and Interstate 459. It is the Houston, Texas-based chain's first location in Alabama, and will be open seven days a week, beginning at 11 a.m. Owned by Landry's, Saltgrass Steakhouse has more than 50 locations. The menu includes seafood, chicken, burgers, sandwiches and salads, with complimentary beer-bread. The No Bull Lounge offers appetizers, beer, margaritas and wines by the glass. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. For more information, call (205) 967-1181, or visit the website and Facebook page. A robbery suspect was taken into custody after leading Birmingham police and Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies in a high-speed pursuit Monday afternoon. About 4:30 p.m., Birmingham police were dispatched to a robbery at Alfa Insurance on Huffman Road, said Sgt. Johnny Williams. The suspect, a black male, was leaving the location as police arrived. At some point in the pursuit, Jefferson County deputies were called assist Birmingham police. The suspect led officers on a pursuit until it ended in the 2200 block of Fourth Place Circle South in Center Point. "He was blocked in. It was an area he couldn't drive out of," Williams said. "He didn't want to get out of the car." Deputies then forced their way into the suspect vehicle and tased the suspect before taking him into custody, he said. The suspect has not yet been charged with a crime. He is currently being questioned by police. No one was injured in the pursuit. However, one Birmingham police patrol vehicle and one Jefferson County patrol vehicle was damaged. Further details about the reported robbery or pursuit were not immediately available. A 40-year-old Birmingham woman has been indicted on charges that she made inappropriate sexual advances toward a young boy. Charlotte Moore was initially arrested in March by Helena police. A Shelby County grand jury agreed with the charge and issued the indictment against her for sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. Police have previously said officers responded to the 2900 block of Dublin Drive on a report of sexual abuse. Once on the scene, they were told a white female had approached a boy under the age of 12 and touched him inappropriately while talking with him. Police began looking for the white female described and found Moore, who matched the description given by the victim. She was taken to the Helena City Jail and later transferred to the Shelby County Jail where she has remained since April on a $30,000 bond. Court records show Moore has written multiple letters to judges in Shelby County since her arrest. "If you know my case, you would drop this, I believe,'' she wrote in one letter. "I love Jesus is all I know and I'm here. I'd never ever never hurt a child. Ever. If you only knew my story." A trial date has not been set. Two suspects have been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Ryan Baker, who died at a Huntsville Budget Inn. Shaquan Laray Horton is charged with murder. Atimothy Devonte Pullen, 23, and Shaquan Laray Horton, 27, are in custody, Huntsville police announced today. Pullen is held in the Lincoln County, Tennessee jail on unrelated charges, pending extradition back to Alabama. Horton is held in the Madison County jail without bail, records show. Baker, 40, was found dead in a room at the motel on the morning of July 13. A 911 caller reported hearing gunshots at the motel on University Drive. Horton was arrested today by the U.S. Marshals Task Force and Huntsville police during a traffic stop, Lt. Michael Johnson said. Updated Dec. 5, 2018 at 5:45 p.m. to show Horton's murder case was dismissed. One of Alabama's top tourist attractions is getting a new name, a refurbished look and a new purpose. Alabama's Constitution Village in downtown Huntsville is getting the makeover as part of the state's 200th birthday celebration next year. It's the site where delegates from across the state gathered to formalize Alabama's application to become the country's 22nd state in 1819. "The importance of what they did back then cannot be understated," state Sen. Arthur Orr said. Local and statewide leaders gathered on a steamy Tuesday morning to formally break ground on the final phase of what will ultimately be a two-year project to give the outdoor museum a fresh appearance just in time for the state's birthday party. "We've invited the world to come visit with us," said Bart Williams, executive director of the EarlyWorks Family of Museums in Huntsville - which includes Constitution Village. If you accept the invitation, you'll see some familiar surroundings but also some changes. First, the site is reverting to its original name of Constitution Hall Park, Williams said. And that's because the site is becoming, well, a park. The fences with a 17th-century look around the site will be removed and the grassy site will become a public space amid the historic buildings. That means there will no longer be an admission charge to access the grounds, though scheduled tours of the facilities will continue to be ticketed, Williams said. And more changes are coming. Santa's Village, the popular Christmas adaptation of the historic site, "is changing," Williams said. Details on those changes will be announced next month, he said. It's all a part of a $2.2 million sprucing up of the site that's including interior and exterior repairs on weathered facilities as well as a grander entrance fit to be part of the state's bicentennial celebration next year. There will be areas for weddings and special events, outdoor classrooms for children and a place "where the townspeople young and old will gather for celebrations, education and community events," according to the museum. The renovations are expected to be completed by March 2019. "We do envision it all changing a little bit," Williams said. "It's at the heart of our mission to keep the education component alive and keep it relative. As part of this project, we're created a living history classroom so every time a field trip comes in, they will have the option of coming in and doing some historic task or trade. "So those tours will still be available to school kids - especially next year. We'll have a full menu of history education field trips. The daily operation as we see it happening over the next year as it evolves, the fences are coming down and this will become a public space." Williams compared it to the historic town of Williamsburg, Va. "In Williamsburg, you can walk up and down the street and interact with the shops and things like that," he said. "And you might run up and find a historical interpreter in costume. Those things will still happen here. That will be free of charge. If you want to take a tour, there will be special tours at special times and those will be ticketed." Tuesday's ceremony stirred memories for those in attendance, from Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong referring to his ancestor who signed the document making Alabama a state while Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon talked about bringing his grandchildren to Constitution Village. "This is our starting point," Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. "You look right here, this is where the state of Alabama was started. As we look at the history of what established our state, where this state has been, the place where it is today, we look over 199 years and 199 years of progress." And it makes Constitution Village, er, Constitution Hall Park a special place. "I think that's what's so significant about this project," McCutcheon said. "It focuses back on the historical aspect of what we mean to the state of Alabama. And I'm very, very proud of that. "This is a very special time in Alabama and I think we should cherish that and be thankful for it." The father of a Blossomwood Elementary School student has been arrested after Huntsville police said his son on Monday took a stolen gun to campus and accidentally shot himself in the hand. Letroy Cole Letroy Cole Jr. is charged with receiving stolen property and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, Huntsville police Sgt. Tony McElyea said in a news release. Cole, 41, is held in the Madison County jail. "The investigation led HPD investigators to obtain evidence that the firearm was originally possessed by the students father," McElyea said in a press release. Huntsville police Lt. Michael Johnson said the student who brought gun was shot in the hand as he was passing the gun to another student. However, the school system in a statement said the student Cole's son was giving the gun to was the one shot in the hand. School spokesman Keith Ward hasn't returned calls seeking additional comment. The two students were second-graders who were playing with the gun in a restroom during physical education class, Superintendent Christie Finley said in a statement Monday night. Police said the student's injuries weren't life-threatening. In response to the shooting, Finley announced she is working with other school officials to implement a district-wide clear backpack policy. She said she also plans to form a task force to find a way to hold parents accountable for gun safety. The superintendent and Police Chief Mark McMurray have praised the quick response by police officers and school staff. Officials said the teacher immediately sought first aid for the injured students, and the gun was in custody within minutes. "We never put the campus on lockdown because this was an accident," Finley said in the statement. "Once the accident occurred, no other students were in danger. The school was safe, and class continued for our students." Police, school officials and community leaders have been reminding parents and other adults about the importance of securing guns -- especially in homes with children. Huntsville police haven't released details about Cole's prior felony. A search of Alabama court records doesn't show a prior conviction. Police said the conviction is from another jurisdiction. Birmingham-based Church of the Highlands is considering opening a campus in Columbus, Georgia. There will be an interest meeting about a campus in Columbus on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m. EST at the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center, according to a post on the church's Facebook page. "If you or someone you know would love for Highlands to open a campus in your area, we want to invite you to come to our first Interest Meeting TWO WEEKS from today! This meeting is simply a first step to see how many might be interested in being a part of a campus in this community. We would love to meet you and help you connect with others who would also want to be a part!" the Facebook post says. Childcare will not be provided at the meeting. Hey Columbus friends! If you or someone you know would love for Highlands to open a campus in your area, we want to... Posted by Church of the Highlands on Sunday, September 16, 2018 This would be the first Church of the Highlands campus outside of Alabama. The church has 16 branch campuses, which all watch video streaming of Hodges' sermon from the Grants Mill campus. More than 40,000 people a week attend services at branches of the church. Disney may soon be a little more magical for some Department of Defense civilians and contractors. Disney has extended its Military Salute Tickets to include Department of Defense civilian and full-time military contractors. The tickets were previously been limited to active duty and retired military personnel only. The discounts include a four-day "Park Hopper" ticket that allows you to visit multiple Disney parks in one day for $220 or a five-day version for $242. There's also a "Park Hopper Plus" option that allows you to visit other Disney attractions for an additional $40 per ticket. The five-day ticket must be purchased by Dec. 15; the four-day ticket by Dec. 16. All options must be used by Dec. 19, 2018 and there's a limit of six tickets per eligible buyer. Tickets must be used by Dec. 19, 2018 and there's a limit of six tickets per eligible buyer. Military ID required for uniformed personnel; CAC card required for civilians and contractors. A lawyer for Alabama's prison system told a federal judge this morning that the Department of Corrections stopped releasing monthly statistics on correctional officer staffing levels because the information caused a security risk in understaffed and crowded prisons. A lawyer representing mentally ill inmates argued that the public should have access to the information, partly because the judge cited low staffing levels as a key cause of what he ruled last year was "horrendously inadequate" mental health care in prisons. The exchange happened during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson in the four-year old lawsuit over mental health care in state prisons. Lawyers representing the prisoners have asked Thompson to hold the DOC in contempt for failing to expand mental health staff in accordance with deadlines set in an order by Thompson. Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Maria Morris said the plaintiffs have no confidence that the DOC is doing all it can to meet the staffing mandate and asked Thompson to find the DOC in contempt and appoint a monitor to oversee the DOC's progress. Bill Lunsford, an attorney representing the DOC, said the department is not in contempt but is making "a monumental effort" to recruit more staff through its contractor, Wexford Health Sources Inc. The DOC has said it expects to reach the required staffing level by February. The contempt hearings are expected to continue for several days this week. Ruth Naglich, the DOC's associate commissioner over health care, was the first witness to testify this morning. Before addressing the contempt issue specifically, Thompson heard arguments about the plaintiffs' request to unseal the DOC's quarterly reports to the court on correctional officer and mental health staffing. Lunsford said the DOC did not object to making the mental health staffing numbers public. But he said making the correctional officer staffing levels public posed a safety risk for inmates and staff because it signaled how many officers were on duty at specific prisons. "We believe this is an incredibly sensitive security issue," Lunsford told Thompson. Morris countered that the correctional officer staffing levels were listed in the DOC's monthly reports, which are publicly available on the DOC website, from 2000 until June 2017, when Thompson issued his ruling that mental health care failed to meet constitutional standards and cited staffing as a reason. "After that it became sensitive information that no one could see," Morris told Thompson. "That sounds like embarrassment. It does not sound like security." Today, Thompson ordered the mental health staffing levels in the quarterly reports to be made public but did not announce a decision on the correctional officer staffing information. Thompson asked Lunsford who made the decision to stop including the correctional officer staffing in the public monthly reports. The judge also asked if DOC had any documentation of the reasons it stopped publicly reporting the numbers. Thompson said he was not demanding answers today but indicated he would issue an order spelling that out. Thompson said the DOC would have to show strong justification for keeping the staffing information sealed from the public. This story was corrected at 5:40 p.m. to remove statement that inmates are expected to testify by remote video during the contempt hearings. Patients will have more options when it comes to their flu vaccine this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved FluMist, the needle-free nasal spray version of the influenza vaccine, to return this year. The CDC had recommended against the FluMist for the past two years, saying it didn't provide adequate protection against the flu. This year, however, the CDC, said FluMist could return after it was reformulated by maker AstraZeneca to better combat the H1N1 strand of flu. This year, "there is no expressed preference for any flu shot or the nasal spray vaccine," the CDC said. The nasal spray is approved for non-pregnant individuals ages 2 to 49. The nasal spray vaccine isn't recommended for children younger than 2 or people older than 49; pregnant women; people with a history of severe allergic reactions to eggs or any ingredients in the vaccine; people with weakened immune systems; or children with asthma. Not everyone agrees with the CDC decision. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using the injectable flu vaccine rather than the nasal mist. "The AAP feels that the flu shot should be the primary vaccine choice for all children," said Dr. Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician and an ex-officio member of the AAP's committee on infectious diseases. That recommendation, along with the late timing of the CDC decision, means many physicians won't be stocking the nasal spray this year. Whether you choose the nasal spray or traditional needle injections, the CDC is recommending people receive their vaccines before the flu season begins spreading. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against the flu to develop in the body, so the CDC recommends people get vaccinated by the end of October. A judge has granted Roy Moore's request to dismiss a lawsuit he filed in July against organizations he said worked against his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in the 2017 special election. Circuit Judge Albert Johnson ruled in favor of Moore's motion to drop the case on Saturday, according to court documents. Attorneys for Moore and his wife, Kayla, sought to dismiss the case in a motion filed Sept. 7 in Etowah County Circuit Court. No explanation for wanting to end the case was given in the motion and Moore attorney Melissa Isaak did not respond to a request for comment by AL.com. The motion asked for the case to be dismissed "without prejudice" - a legal disclaimer that would allow the case to be re-filed. Had the case been dismissed "with prejudice," it could not be re-filed. The defendants named in the lawsuit included four men who worked with Longleaf Strategies of Montgomery, Highway 31 Super Pac and Bully Pulpit Interactive, Waterfront Strategies and Priorities USA, Washington, D.C.-based entities the suit says worked with Highway 31. Those entities were also named as defendants. Those men are Adam Muhlendorf, Edward Still, Jim Margolis and Josh Schewrin. The lawsuit said the defendants ran or contributed to misleading and defamatory commercials related to allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore going back almost 40 years. The suit lays out what it says were television, radio, digital and mail ads which made allegations the Moores say led to his defeat in the special Senate election last Dec. 12. Moore is involved in four other lawsuits connected to the Senate campaign - three of which he has filed himself. A man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl, driving her to Alabama after violently attacking her mother in her South Carolina home. Media outlets reported 37-year-old Thomas Evans also admitted to FBI agents that he stabbed and killed his girlfriend who hasn't been seen in seven months. He hasn't been charged yet in that crime. Evans faces 30 years to life for the kidnapping and aggravated sexual abuse when he is sentenced later. Prosecutors say Evans followed the mother and daughter to their Johns Island home on Feb. 13 and kidnapped the girl after attacking her mother. The girl escaped in Riverside after a railroad crew spotted Evans asleep in his car. He was arrested in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, after a police chase. Students at Moody High School have apologized for taking a controversial photo of six white male students in cowboy boots standing on an African-American student lying face down at the high school, according to an interview that aired Monday night on CBS 42. The photo was captioned, "We got us one." The photo, taken last week, circulated through social media and has generated a wide range of reaction, from those saying people were taking it too seriously to those saying it was highly offensive. According to a statement from Moody High School Principal Christopher Walters, provided to AL.com on Monday, students said the photo was meant as a joke. "They really were making fun of racist people," parent Jennifer Kellum told Birmingham television station CBS 42. Kellum's son, Austin Glass, was in the photo and also spoke to CBS 42. Glass said the photo was taken "out of proportion." "If I could go back, I wouldn't have took the picture," he said. "I probably wouldn't have even dressed up for that day." The theme of the day was dressing up as a destination, according to Walters. Walters said students at each grade level could dress up as a destination: Dallas, Hollywood, Hawaii, or New Orleans. In a statement to AL.com, Walters said the students in the picture are friends and another picture, taken at the same time as the controversial photo and circulating on social media, showed them all standing together. Walters said in the statement, "The picture is offensive and unacceptable, and it does not reflect the values of our school, our students, or our community. Notably, I also don't believe that the picture reflects the values of the students involved." Walters said the students "clearly made poor decisions," and appropriate disciplinary action would be taken. The African-American student in the picture, identified by CBS 42 as Nick Fuller in the television interview, said, "I'm thinking about it now, but I didn't think about it when we first took the photos. I'd still like to say sorry again for anyone I offended." At least one person was injured in a crash involving two tractor trailers on Interstate 65 in Escambia County Monday afternoon, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Troopers said the crash happened just south of Exit 69 in the southbound lane. One of the trucks involved was carrying oil, which is leaking onto the roadway. The Alabama Department of Transportation and clean-up crews are dealing with the spill, troopers said. One lane of Interstate 65 southbound is open. Troopers said the crash and spill will impact traffic for "an extended amount of time." Motorists should consider alternate routes. Further details about the crash were not immediately available. Back in July, the Mobile County GOP posted an advertisement about an upcoming meeting. The ad didn't include a partisan message, only general details about the meeting's time and location. But Facebook, faced with growing criticism over Russia's use of its platform during the 2016 presidential election, had a new policy in place requiring advertisers posting election-related or issue ads to complete an authorization process. The Mobile County GOP was unaware of this change. "I never got a notification that they were changing the way they are doing business," said Mobile County Republican Party chairman Adam Strange. "It's a great means of advertisement, but we haven't advertised on Facebook since that time." Mobile County Republicans may have a sympathetic ear from the Justice Department, headed up by former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. The U.S. Attorney General, in the aftermath of April's congressional hearings involving tech companies like Facebook, is convening a meeting with state attorneys general to discuss "a growing concern" that social media platforms may be "hurting competition" and "intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas on their platforms." It's unclear exactly who will attend a Sept. 25 briefing, sparking criticism that the Justice Department's efforts amount to a political ploy meant to spark a cultural war to gin up enthusiasm among conservatives ahead of the November general elections. On Thursday, the Justice Department confirmed that Democratic state attorneys general will also be invited. 'Stifling rights' Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, according to Bloomberg, is one of five attorneys general confirmed to attend the briefing. The others are from Nebraska, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. Republican Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (left), Democrat Joseph Siegelman (right). The two will square off during the Nov. 6, 2018, general election. Marshall's spokesman, Mike Lewis, said the office is "awaiting information" about the meeting and declined further comment. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton's office is enthusiastically embracing the opportunity for a sit-down with Sessions. "This matter involves both the central tenants of our country's free market economy and the guaranteed freedom of speech," said Marc Rylander, spokesman for Paxton. Marshall's potential involvement in the matter could become political fodder in Alabama, where he faces the son of former Gov. Don Siegeleman, in a Nov. 6 election contest. Birmingham attorney Joseph Siegelman, in a statement to AL.com, criticized Marshall's potential involvement. "The First Amendment and especially free speech should be protected, but as long as my opponent continues to actions that hurt Alabamians, the people of Alabama will continue to question his motives," Siegelman said. "The Attorney General's office should be about people, not politics." Though the Justice Department's release about the Sept. 25 briefing doesn't name any specific companies, most analysts believe that three giants of tech - Google, Facebook, and Twitter - are poised to face additional scrutiny. President Donald Trump has stoked some of the more recent concerns, complaining on Twitter about Google search results and arguing that some of the companies are repressing conservative voices. Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we wont let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others....... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018 The issue has generated attention by Fox News -- Trump's favorite TV network -- after media personality Tucker Carlson recently unveiled a November 2016 email from a Google executive who allegedly described the company as a "silent" donor for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Media Research Center, a politically conservative content analysis firm based in Virginia, was among those calling on Congress to hold hearings to investigate Google. Terry Lathan, chairwoman of the Alabama Republican Party, said there have been enough instances to warrant concern. She said she's been personally blocked twice on her Twitter account @ChairmanLathan for using the phrase, "illegal immigrants." Lathan said in the case of the Mobile County GOP, regarding its dealings with Facebook, that the social media giant has implemented a procedure that is "very difficult" and includes asking for a copy of a driver's license during its authentication process. "This is clearly to discourage people from participating," Lathan said. "The bar is becoming so high to boost a Facebook political post that users very often walk away from doing it." She added, "Something seems to be happening in the social media world that needs to be investigated. It is wise for General Sessions to look into the possibility that some social media platforms may be stifling First Amendment rights." The companies have denied any such bias within their respective business models. 'Red flags' Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama, said concerns should not be about the First Amendment, which constitutionally protects citizens from government efforts to suppress free speech. "No one's rights are being violated here," said Fording. "It's a real stretch for the Justice Department to get involved in this, so this definitely raises some questions about what is motivating this campaign against these companies. It has the appearance of being nothing more than an attempt to create another 'enemy of the people' just as Donald Trump has done with the mass media." Dan Sutter, an economics professor at Troy University, said the federal government's interest in getting involved in the business practices of tech firms is a "red flag." "Censorship just raises red flags when the governments want to evaluate or review what social media companies are doing," said Sutter. "These are still private companies. We should be evaluating their behavior different than what the federal government is doing." Michael Slobodchikoff, chair of the political science department at Troy University, said part of that evaluation includes more transparency. He said there has been little education on how the public can assess social media platforms especially in the aftermath of the Russian hacking scandal that involved both Facebook and Twitter. "We're in a situation where we are wondering if we can trust the information we are getting and it leads some conservative groups and certainly the president to say the media is the 'enemy of the people' and it's this idea that the media can lead to manipulating public opinion instead of reporting on events," said Slobodchikoff. He, like other experts, are skeptical of the Justice Department's involvement to which he believes is more designed to "mobilize" conservatives ahead of midterm elections. The November 6 elections nationwide, according to most national analysts, could lead to a Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Anytime an event like this takes place, one has to realize the political implications of what is going on," said Slobodchikoff. 'Competition questions' But that doesn't mean all analysts believe the tech companies should not be on the receiving of federal scrutiny. Matthew Stoller, a fellow at Open Markets Institute - a Washington think-tank that promotes greater political and economic awareness on the dangers of corporate monopolies - said he would prefer to see the Justice Department focus on what he believes are legitimate antitrust issues involving the country's largest tech firms. "We've been focused on the competition problems of the tech platforms for years and we work with enforcers on the state and federal levels on a regular basis," said Stoller. "What is unusual about this meeting is that it was called by Jeff Sessions and not the (Justice Department's) antitrust division. It's an odd thing to do and it suggest the focus may be more on political objectives than looking at competition questions." Said Stoller: "Facebook and Google are destroying the ad model of newspapers and it's an attack on the free press. They control the funding stream. It's an incredibly dangerous activity and something we've never seen in America, going back to the 1800s." Bloomberg is also reporting that a Justice Department antitrust lawyer will be at the Sept. 25 briefing. Tamara Piety, a professor of law at the University of Tulsa College of Law in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said that scholars on all sides of the political spectrum agree over the concerns about the power the tech firms have in influencing "what facts and what news we see." "It just isn't clear what the right response is," said Piety. "And I'm not sure that this is all that much different than the dominance of major newspapers and magazines in the old days. Perhaps what is new is that there is so much distrust of what used to be deemed reliable sources of information about most things, national security aside: Government, academia, science and media. So there is lots of concerns and questions, but no clear answers." Chandra Clark, an assistant professor of journalism and creative media at the University of Alabama, said she believes the country delves into "scary territory" if doubt begins surfacing in "every investigation." She said that Sessions, and the state attorneys general who are involved in the Sept. 25 briefing, are putting their "reputation" on the line especially if what they are probing has "does not have merit and evidence to it." Still, Clark said she believes Facebook is doing its best to make improvements in recent months. She said that Twitter is also having to go back and examine its operations for ways to improved. "I do think they are trying," she said. Fording said that the challenge for Facebook, Twitter and Google is that they are all claim to be "politically neutral" and that they ought to be held accountable for following their own published policies. But when it comes to monitoring their platforms, difficulties abound especially when it comes to regulating anti-government conspiracy theorists, hate groups and others. "With so many people and groups on these platforms, it is understandable that it would become difficult to determine where to draw the line - what is 'legitimate' political speech and what is threatening and hateful?" said Fording. "Because these individuals and groups fall disproportionately on the extreme right, it is not surprising that the mistakes that have been made - banning people who are actually not hateful and threatening - would fall disproportionately on the right as well." He added, "These companies should be pressured to make sure they are devoting the resources to get this right, but I see no evidence that this is some type of conspiracy to suppress conservative speech." Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby believes the sexual assault accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh are "serious," and wants to see the Senate Judiciary Committee get to the bottom of the claims, according to Shelby spokesman Blair Taylor. Senate Republicans have said they were only made aware of the allegations last week, and learned the accuser's name Sunday when The Washington Post published a story in which California professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward as Kavanaugh's accuser. Ford said Kavanaugh assaulted her at a house party in the 1980s when the two were teenagers. The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination Thursday, but Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said today that the committee will postpone the vote until after a hearing on Monday in which both Kavanaugh and Ford will testify. "Sen. Shelby believes that these are serious accusations," said Taylor, who is communications director for Shelby. "Chairman Grassley and the Judiciary Committee are working to hear her out in an appropriate, precedented and respectful manner. "Sen. Shelby trusts that Chairman Grassley is working diligently to get to the bottom of these claims- particularly after being deprived of this information for many weeks." Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, received a letter back in July from Ford detailing the accusation a few months ago, but has said she held onto it because Ford asked her to keep it confidential. Feinstein gave the letter to the FBI last week after media reported on its existence. Some Republican lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have publicly questioned Ford's credibility. McConnell has told reporters the accusation is at odds with what he and other senators know about Kavanaugh's character. Shortly after the story broke on Sunday, Sen. Doug Jones called on the Judiciary Committee to "hit the pause button" on the confirmation vote until it could complete a "full and fair" investigation. Jones said Ford took "a very brave step" in coming forward with the accusation. Shelby met with Kavanaugh on July 30, saying at the time in a press statement, "Confirming Judge Kavanaugh is one of the most important things we will do during this Congress. I look forward to supporting his nomination to serve on our nation's highest court, and I urge my colleagues to do the same." Shelby has a history of not always toeing the party line, however. During Alabama's Special Senate election last fall, he took the controversial step of not endorsing Republican nominee Roy Moore, who had been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. At the time, Shelby instead said he cast a write-in vote for another Republican and said the Republican party could "do better" than Moore. Mobile-based shipbuilder Austal USA stands to benefit from the latest version of a defense appropriations bill that exceeds the Navy's shipbuilding requests by billions of dollars. Rather than pass an all-encompassing omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019, Republican leaders in Congress have pursued a strategy of breaking the process into several "minibus" bills. The House and Senate passed the first of these, H.R. 5895, last week. Now awaiting the president's signature, it provides a total of $147 billion for Energy and Water, military construction and Veterans Affairs and Legislative Branch operations. The biggest area of increase was a $5 billion, 6.2 percent budget hike for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ala. Sen. Richard Shelby, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Bradley Byrne both hailed passage of that first minibus bill as a major bipartisan success. Also last week, the House Appropriations Committee released the final conference version of a second minibus, an $842 billion package covering Defense ($674 billion) plus Labor, Health & Human Services and Education ($178 billion in discretionary funding). H.R. 6157 includes a shipbuilding plan that could well benefit Austal. Throughout the 2019 budget process, between Trump administration goals, Navy requests and House and Senate versions of bills, discussion has ranged from one to three of the Littoral Combat Ships built by Austal and Lockheed-Martin. The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, passed in August, provides for three. The authorization act lays out a spending strategy; appropriations acts, such as this year's minibus bills, actually assign money. There can be variations between the two, but the final conference version of the defense minibus bill funds three LCS contracts to be issued in 2019. (It doesn't say how they'll be allocated between the two manufacturers.) For Austal, there is one very notable difference between the Authorization Act passed in August and the appropriations bill nearing approval. Austal also builds a high-speed multipurpose catamaran called the Expeditionary Fast Transport (designated EPF). Plans have called for 12 of the ships, and in August the 10th completed its acceptance trials. The 11th and 12th are under construction. The fiscal 2018 budget included money for a 13th, though that contract has not yet been awarded. There was no guarantee the 2019 budget would add any more. The Authorization Act passed in August did not include one, despite support from Shelby, Byrne and others. The Appropriations bill does, meaning the EPF program could continue with a 14th ship. According to a summary by the House Appropriations Committee, the conference version of the bill allocates a base of $135.4 billion for equipment purchases, $4.8 billion more than the Navy's original request. $24.2 billion covers three guided missile destroyers, two submarines, the three LCSs, one expeditionary sea base, one EPF, two oilers and one towing/salvage/rescue ship. The House and Senate now have to pass the appropriations bill. A third minibus, H.R 6147, will cover the Department of the Interior and the EPA. A fourth is expected to cover remaining areas such as the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State and Homeland Security. The Fiscal Year 2018 budget ultimately included three LCS contracts to be awarded this year. It has not yet been revealed how they will be divided between Austal and Lockheed Martin. Note: As originally published, this story omitted funding for a 13th EPF. Funding was approved for fiscal 2018, but as of Sept. 18, 2018, the contract has not been awarded. Money earmarked for Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza will instead be redirected to programmes within Israels borders. The US has cut additional aid to the Palestinians for programmes supporting conflict resolution with Israelis, adding to more than $500m in other cuts. The latest cuts come from $10m in programmes on reconciliation involving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, as well as Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel. The portion of the money involving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip was being redirected to programmes between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel, a US embassy official said on Sunday. It was not clear how much of the $10m was being redirected. US officials also could not confirm whether the latest cut meant all non-military related aid to the Palestinians had now been eliminated. As announced in August, the administration redirected more than $200 million that was originally planned for programmes in the West Bank and Gaza, a US embassy official said. At the same time, we redirected a portion of the $10 million which was planned for conflict management and mitigation. The official said the portion involving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza would be used to enhance programmes in Israel instead. The latest cuts come amid a raft of financial and diplomatic sanctions against the Palestinians for what the Trump administration describes as their reluctance to negotiate with Israel. Palestinians say the cuts are a form of blackmail aimed at pressuring them into accepting an unfavourable peace accord with Israel. In recent months the US has shut down the Palestinian Liberation Organisations office in Washington, DC, cut economic aid to Palestinians in the occupied territories, and scrapped plans to finance hospitals in occupied East Jerusalem. The US has also cut funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which supports Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Nepal granted access to Chinese ports in a move that will end New Delhis monopoly over Kathmandus trade routes. Kathmandu, Nepal China has granted Nepal access to its land and seaports, top officials of the two countries announced earlier this month, ending the landlocked Himalayan nations dependence on India for trading routes. Nepal can use four seaports in Tianjin, Shenzhen, Lianyungang and Zhanjiang and three dry ports in Lanzhou, Lhasa and Xigatse in China, according to the protocol on transport and transit agreements finalised on September 6 in Kathmandu. Nepal and China have agreed on transit protocol. Now Nepal can use border points and routes as per our needs. This is a matter of exceptional happiness for us, Nepalese Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli tweeted on September 8. The preparation for the Chinese rail project has moved forward because of the China-India rivalry Geja Sharma Wagle, a Kathmandu-based geostrategic analyst Under Olis previous stint as prime minister, Nepal, which conducts two-thirds of its trade with India, turned to China following the months-long border blockade imposed by New Delhi in late 2015. Capitalising on anti-India sentiment that deepened in the wake of the blockade, Oli visited Beijing in March 2016, where Kathmandu signed the historic trade and transit treaty, hailed as a turning point in bilateral relations between the two neighbours. While Nepal faces challenges in upgrading its infrastructure along the Chinese border, which lies in some of the most difficult terrains in the world, analysts say the deal could be transformative, helping advance Nepals international trade. A huge deal This is a huge deal not only for Nepal but also for China. The Chinese wanted to move ahead with the protocol not just to expand their businesses, but also out for their security concerns in the Tibetan region, said Purna Basnet, chief editor of Nepal Khabar website. Nepal also wanted to send a message to India that it has an alternative. The deal has boosted the confidence of Nepals ruling class, he told Al Jazeera. This is a huge deal not only for Nepal but also for China. Nepal also wanted to send a message to India that it has an alternative Purna Basnet, the chief editor of Nepal Khabar website Critics, however, raised concerns regarding the long distances Nepal-bound cargo trucks have to cover from the Chinese ports, with the nearest one located 2,600km away. In comparison, Haldia port near the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, which Nepal uses for most of its imports, is located 800km south of Kathmandu. Bachhu Paudel, president of Nepal Trans Himalaya Border Commerce Association, a trade group, said the lack of an all-weather road connecting China is a major constraint. We have urged the government to re-open Tatopani border post [northeast of Kathmandu, which was severely damaged in the 2015 earthquake], but there hasnt been any progress. The road hasnt been repaired. After the earthquake, it had been hit by floods and landslides, he told Al Jazeera. On the Chinese side, they have built impressive infrastructure, but our side suffers from neglect. Our customs office operates under a shed. Additional expenses Hari Bhakta Sharma, president of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, said because of the higher cost on trade with third countries, Chinese ports may be cheaper in the long run. The cost of cargo between Kolkata and Kathmandu is three times compared to the cost of cargo between Hamburg in Germany and Kolkata. In addition to that, traders also face trouble at the Indian ports, he told Al Jazeera. Normally, customs clearance for imports from third countries should take place at the customs of destination countries, but we are forced to do that at the Indian ports, Sharma said. As a landlocked country, Nepal is entitled to the transit rights, but we have been denied that Hari Bhakta Sharma, president of Confederation of Nepalese Industries Though its only transit, we are required to submit documents including invoices to the port authority. It delays the shipment. The process takes at least two weeks, which incurs us additional expenses, he said. Sharma said the Electric Cargo Tracking System recently introduced in Visakhapatnam port, another Indian port that Nepal uses, had somewhat eased the process. As a landlocked country, Nepal is entitled to the transit rights, but we have been denied that, he said. Successive Nepalese prime ministers have faced the challenge of managing Nepals tricky relations with its neighbouring giants China and India. Striking a balance Since taking over as prime minister in February in a landslide victory, Oli has tried to strike a balance between India and China. Winning the elections on a platform of prosperity and self-reliance, in which attracting Chinese investments figured prominently, the Nepalese leader has a major challenge ahead to fix the countrys crippling infrastructure, boost cross-border connectivity, and diversify trade routes. Wary of Chinas growing influence in Nepal, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a charm offensive, sending External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Kathmandu even before Oli was sworn in. {articleGUID} In the last four months, Modi has already visited Nepal twice cementing the personal rapport between Oli and Modi, both known for their oratorial skills and populist politics. Analysts such as Basnet, however, argue that Oli was just being pragmatic since he couldnt ignore New Delhi, which has immense clout over Nepal. Oli knows all too well that he needs Indias support for political stability in Nepal. Given Indias deep penetration into Nepals polity, its only natural for a politician like him to keep engaging the Indian establishment, he said. This months transit pact followed a series of exchanges between Kathmandu and Beijing, including a survey team that assessed the feasibility of high-speed railway between Kerung in Tibet and Kathmandu, which passes through a region prone to landslides and earthquakes. Nevertheless, the railway project, estimated to be $2.2bn, has been portrayed as a game changer. Nepal has already signed up to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, hoping to attract much-needed investment through Chinas ambitious infrastructure project spread over Asia, Africa and Europe. Li Tao, executive director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at Sichuan University in China, said the technical issues of the proposed railway, which has caused some worry in Nepal, were minor. I know that Chinas engineering technology is very advanced, such as the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China, where the geographical conditions are complex and engineering no less difficult than in the Himalayas, but China has successfully built and operated high-speed rail in the region. Therefore, technical issues are not the biggest difficulty, she told Al Jazeera. Debt trap diplomacy Critics also fear Nepal might be caught in Chinas debt trap diplomacy, pointing out that Sri Lanka is its latest victim. {articleGUID} They say impoverished Nepal, whose economy largely depends on remittances, foreign aid and tourism, cannot bear the burden of China-funded projects, which are typically loans. China has invested in hydropower, roads and telecommunications in Nepal. While most Chinese investments are seen as benign, the China-Nepal railway project has triggered concerns in Nepal. Geja Sharma Wagle, a Kathmandu-based geostrategic analyst, said big infrastructure projects such as the railway should be built according to Nepals national interest. The preparation for the Chinese rail project has moved forward because of the China-India rivalry, he said referring to the agreement between Nepal and India to build a railway from the Indian border town of Raxaul to Kathmandu. Theres a tendency to brush aside crucial issues such as economic feasibility. What is missing here is an objective assessment of the Chinese rail project. But Li called the debt trap theory a figment of Western imagination. What we should see is that not only Nepal but India, Pakistan and the United States have different degrees of imbalanced trading with China. I, however, believe that as soon as China-Nepali Railway begins its operation, a large number of Chinese tourists will travel to Nepal, and contribute to the development of agriculture, hydropower and other resources in Nepal. Then, the trade imbalance problem will be greatly improved, she said. The risk of bilateral projects is shared by both parties to the cooperation. China also faces certain risks. What we need to discuss is how to resolve risks, rather than doubting the intention of partners, she said. Nepalese commentators such as Wagle, however, said a lot of questions needed to be answered before launching the project. Nepal must carry out a cost-benefit analysis before it embarks on the construction of the project. We must study whether we require such an infrastructure and whether it contributes to our national economy, he told Al Jazeera. Ethiopia and Eritrea should not repeat the mistakes of the 1990s, when a period of rapprochement ended in war. Ethiopia and Eritrea took one more important step towards normalising their relations on September 17, when Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a peace agreement in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the details of which have not been publicised yet. A week earlier, during the Orthodox New Years celebrations, the leaders of the two countries met on the border town of Zalambessa to re-open the common border. The rapprochement that began in June has been marked by a number of symbolic gestures and events, including official state-visits by both leaders. During Isaias Afwerkis visit to Addis Ababa on July 14, the strongman who is known for his stern image and carefully choreographed speeches, emotionally declared to the Ethiopian prime minister you are our leader now. Abiy then proclaimed to the cheering crowd: when we become one, Assab will be ours, in reference to the symbolic Eritrean Red Sea port, which was once part of Ethiopia. This hasnt been simply a process of rapprochement between two states; it almost seems like a social reunification. Telephone lines have been opened and commercial flights restarted allowing people to call and see their relatives and friends for the first time in decades. The two countries have also exchanged ambassadors and reopened old trade routes. The international community has welcomed these developments with enthusiasm. The secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Gutteres, hailed the reconciliation as illustrative of a new wind of hope blowing across Africa. Peace between these two nations was long overdue and has already had some positive effect on the Horn of Africa. But the two countries have gone through a similar euphoric moment before in 1993 when Eritrea got its independence from Ethiopia. That rapprochement, however, did not end well. The secession of Eritrea was supported by the new government of Ethiopia at that time and was celebrated internationally as an ideal separation. Then, five years later, Africas deadliest war broke out between the former allies. What made this conflict extraordinary even in a global context was that it took place under conditions of extensive economic interdependence and social integration between the two states. Today, as the two countries start rebuilding their relations, it is absolutely crucial that they revisit this moment of history and do not repeat its mistakes. The first rapprochement The peaceful secession of Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993 marked the beginning of the first rapprochement between the two nations after the end of the 30-year-long civil war. The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF) had both fought against the Ethiopian communist military government, the Derg, and by the early 1990s had taken power in Addis Ababa and Asmara respectively. There was a common understanding that the Derg had been the sole source of past animosity and a convergence of interests between the two states was uncritically taken for granted. The emergence of two young and charismatic revolutionaries Ethiopias Meles Zenawi and Eritreas Isaias Afwerki was hailed internationally as a landmark moment in which the next generation of African leaders was taking over. {articleGUID} Their first diplomatic act after the partition was to sign a cooperation agreement known as the Asmara Pact. The 25-protocol agreement was an ambitious plan to integrate the two nations in all sectors, including defence. Eritreas economy was in practice already integrated into Ethiopias, as around 80 percent of its export products were destined for its neighbour. At the same time Ethiopia relied on Eritreas main port as a transportation hub for most of its trade with the world. After the partition, the Eritreans were allowed to keep almost all the benefits of Ethiopian citizenship, but with a sovereign state of their own. In practice both peoples continued to live as if they were still one state. On the foreign policy front, they cooperated against Sudans attempt to export its Islamist ideology to East Africa and Ethiopia supported Eritrea in its war against Yemen in 1996. These unusual policies were rooted in an ambiguous approach to Eritrean nationhood by both governments. There was a common understanding that the two nations were really one people, despite the secession. In his first visit to Ethiopia after the secession in 1993, President Afwerki declared that after economic integration, the two countries could move towards political integration. His Ethiopian counterpart, Zenawi, was also convinced this was inevitable. Due to these fraternal sentiments and optimistic expectations, important aspects of the relations between the states, including the demarcation of the common border and currency exchange rates, were resolved. They were simply not considered priorities in the first years after independence. Ethiopians and Eritreans were therefore caught off-guard when a dispute over a relatively unimportant piece of land turned into a full-blown war in 1998. The war was fought with the same emotional zeal with which cooperation and integration had been pursued only a few years earlier. The two governments were unyielding and fought for two years in a deadly war that claimed more than 100,000 lives. During the war and the subsequent decades of hostility, people on both sides saw it as the product of betrayal and deceit, rather than as an outcome of conflicting interests and policies. Regardless of who is to blame for the conflict, both governments have to take responsibility for not doing enough to resolve differences peacefully. The second rapprochement While it is unlikely that history will repeat itself with another major military conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, it is nevertheless important for the two states to establish clear mechanisms for arbitration and communication. After all, in the early 1990s, a war between the two was also deemed extremely unlikely. The international community and the governments and people of Ethiopia and Eritrea have been desperate for peace, and now that its seemingly here, no one seems to be interested in confronting the thorny issues. Indeed, according to local customs it would be inappropriate to revisit the past during reconciliation. {articleGUID} Nostalgia and notions of fraternity have come back with the new rapprochement. While the historical and cultural affinity of the Ethiopian and Eritrean peoples is undeniable, this shouldnt be the basis for diplomatic relations. This approach has been tried in the past and has failed with severe consequences. The basis for the relationship ought to be based on a dispassionate recognition that Ethiopia and Eritrea are two sovereign states with individual interests that will not always overlap. Rights, responsibilities and mechanisms for managing disputes that will inevitably emerge must be clearly formulated. Ethiopia and Eritrea find themselves in one of the worlds most conflict-prone neighbourhoods. A number of regional and domestic political actors currently feel left out or marginalised by the peace process and have an incentive to sabotage it. Two months after the peace declaration, the demarcation of the common border, which was the crux of the two-decades-long stalemate, is yet to begin and there already seem to be disagreements on how to proceed. The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (part of the EPRDF), which governs the Ethiopian regional state bordering Eritrea, does not seem to agree with the federal governments approach to demarcation. It keeps repeating publicly that the physical demarcation has to involve the residents of the borderlands. Eritrea, for its part, is a state that is not governed by a constitution or parliament. The extreme centralisation of the regime around the figure of the president makes it a highly unpredictable partner. In addition, in a deliberate effort to sow resentment and suspicion, Eritrean diplomats keep insulting the TPLF on Twitter, despite the fact that the latter is a constitutive member of the ruling EPRDF. All of these factors make the process more prone to derailment than it may appear. In the context of these outstanding issues, the two states has already taken some steps to resume economic relations. Ethiopia has started using Eritreas Assab port on the Red Sea and Ethiopian investors have been looking at opportunities in Eritrea. But the rules that will regulate the resumption of trade have not been made public yet and much like in 1993, these matters are either being deprioritised or handled in an opaque manner. In this context, it is important to remember that neither fraternal bonds nor economic interdependence have been sufficient for preventing war in the past; on the contrary, they have served as enablers for emotive and reckless policies that culminated in war and a long and bitter rivalry. It is imperative that the two governments dispassionately formulate their national interests and institutionalise the terms of their relationship as soon as possible, and leave as few issues as possible to fate, trust or fraternity. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Ali M Latifi Ali M Latifi is an online journalist with Al Jazeera English based in Kabul. He has covered stories in Afghanistan, Greece, and Qatar. He reports on A... more fghanistan, migration and refugee issues. Follow Ali on Twitter: @alibomaye Rights group says it has authenticated a video showing separatists with the decapitated head of a policeman. Amnesty International says it has authenticated a video showing English-speaking separatists in Cameroon with the decapitated head of a policeman and condemned a horrific escalation of violence in the anglophone regions. The clip showed the policemans head, with bruises on it, on blood-soaked white cloth with what could be his genitalia placed nearby, the UK-based rights group said in a statement on Tuesday. It said its forensic experts had authenticated the video, as well as another believed to be a continuation of the first, in which a voice can be heard saying that the separatists had taken the officers rifle. Separatist unrest in Cameroons two minority English-speaking regions the Northwest and Southwest has left hundreds dead and displaced about 200,000 people since late 2016. Years of resentment at perceived discrimination at the hands of Cameroons majority French speakers have led to almost daily acts of violence and retribution, triggering an army crackdown. Amnesty said it was not able to independently confirm the exact location where the videos were shot, but analysis suggested it might be in the area of Belo, in the Northwest region. The brutal attacks against ordinary people and security forces are further proof of the horrific escalation of violence in Cameroons anglophone regions, Amnesty said. Last month, Amnesty said a video shot in the village of Achigaya in Cameroons Far North region showed the brutal killings of at least a dozen unarmed people by the countrys security forces. It alleged at the time that the horrifying video provides credible evidence that Cameroons armed forces have committed grave crimes against civilians. Cameroons government later said it would launch an investigation. On Tuesday, Samira Daoud, Amnestys deputy regional director for West and Central Africa, said the situation in the anglophone regions was becoming increasingly desperate with no one spared from the violence which is spiralling out of control. The rights group said up to 400 ordinary people have been killed over the past year by both the security forces and the armed separatists. Separatists have been demanding a separate English-speaking state they call Ambazonia and threatening to disrupt an October 7 election in the largely French-speaking country. Hundreds of families have been fleeing the regions in advance of the forthcoming elections. President Paul Biya announced in July he would seek a seventh term in Octobers elections. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is accused of receiving bribes in exchange for public works contracts while president. Argentinas former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was indicted on Monday on charges that her administration accepted bribes from construction companies in exchange for public works contracts, according to an indictment released by a federal judge. The former president is accused of heading a network that received bribes in exchange for lucrative public works contracts during both her presidency from 2007 to 2015 and that of her late husband, Nestor Kirchner, who led Argentina from 2003 to 2007. In a 500-page ruling on Monday, federal judge Claudio Bonadio also ordered Kirchners arrest, saying that she could attempt to obstruct the judicial process if free. Kirchner, now a senator, has parliamentary immunity which prevents detention but not prosecution. Last year, a request to strip Kirchner of her immunity as part of a separate case failed. But in August senators voted to partially lift her immunity, allowing apartments belonging to the 65-year-old to be searched. {articleGUID} In a series of statements on Twitter on Tuesday, Kirchner repeated her claims that the inquiry is a campaign against her orchestrated by the countrys current leader, Mauricio Macri, and alleged that a judge had confirmed there was no evidence against her. The judge who called me acknowledged on four occasions that there is no fact or proof that links me to [the investigation], Kirchner said, Its an inquiry on demand. Mounting charges Mondays visit marks the eighth time Kirchner has been called to give a statement before the court as part of a wide-ranging corruption inquiry into her and her late husbands presidencies. The investigation began after Argentine daily newspaper La Nacion received copies of eight notebooks kept by a ministerial chauffeur Oscar Centeno, that catalogued bags of cash amounting to millions of dollars allegedly delivered to government offices and the Kirchners residence between 2005 and 2015. {articleGUID} Kirchner is already facing other corruption charges, as well as an indictment over purportedly helping cover up alleged Iranian involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, in which 86 people were killed. A slew of former officials have also been charged, including former ministers from Kirchners administrations, several former secretaries of state, a former federal judge and more than 20 business leaders. Kirchner has always maintained her innocence, asserting that she is the victim of persecution by her successor, Macri, who took office in 2015. When asked if Kirchner should go to jail in a December CNN interview, Macri said: The ex-president has to be accountable to justice. The judges will decide, the president does not have to get involved in that. Despite the various indictments, Kirchner remains popular in the country, thanks in large part to generous welfare spending during her presidency. She is widely expected to run for president in next years elections. Tit-for-tat moves are the latest escalation in an ongoing trade row between the worlds two largest economies. The US-China trade war escalated further with China announcing retaliatory tax increases on $60bn worth of American imports. US President Donald Trump said a day earlier he will impose 10 percent tariffs on about $200bn worth of Chinese products. China is forced to respond to US unilateralism and trade protectionism, and has no choice but to respond with its own tariffs, the finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Tariffs of between five and 10 percent will take effect on some 5,200 US products on Monday, on the same day as the new US duties, it said. The tit-for-tat measures are the latest in an ongoing trade dispute between the worlds two largest economies. The two sides already traded tariff salvos on $50bn in goods from each country in the summer. China also announced it was lodging a new complaint at the World Trade Organization in its tariffs battle with the United States. Beijing had previously warned it would target $60bn in US goods if Trump made good on his threat to impose the new tariffs. The lower Chinese figure highlights Beijings inability to match the US dollar-for-dollar in a tariff war. The US imported about $500bn worth of products from China last year, compared to $130bn in US goods imported by the Asian country. Phase 3 The rates will be levied at five to 10 percent, instead of the previously proposed five, 10, 20 and 25 percent rates, according to the Chinese finance ministrys website. Trump warned tariffs would increase to 25 percent on January 1 unless the two countries reach a deal on trade. {articleGUID} Were having a tremendous impact on China. Were doing a very good job with China, he said on Tuesday. China wants to come over and talk. And we are always open to talking. But we have to do something. The US president said any retaliatory measures from China would force the US to immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on $267bn of additional imports. Chinas finance ministry said it will respond accordingly if the US further increases taxes. Failed negotiations The latest tariffs come after talks between the two countries failed to resolve the trade dispute. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin invited top Chinese officials to a new round of discussions last week, but no meeting has been scheduled. Trump has said the tariffs aim to force a change in Chinese trade policies that he says pose a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy. {articleGUID} China has been taking advantage of the United States on trade for many years. They also know that I am the one that knows how to stop it, he said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday. Analysts have warned US companies could face a Chinese consumer backlash. If the Chinese people believe that they are being maligned they will boycott. Youre already starting to see some anti-American sentiments saying, Im not going to buy that, its American, China analyst Einar Tangen told Al Jazeera. LNG takes a hit Liquefied natural gas (LNG), mineral ores, coffee and various types of edible oil will be among the US products subject to the 10 percent tax. Tariffs on LNG casts a shadow over US plans for new export terminals that were expected to turn the United States into the worlds second largest LNG seller, and undermine Trumps drive to make the United States a global energy leader. LNG, which involves liquefying gas to so that it can be transported by ship rather than pipeline, has become one of the fastest growing commodity trades as nations seek cleaner fuels. New US terminals were expected to account for 60 percent of all new LNG production coming to market by 2023, according to industry data. Stacey Morris, director of energy research at Alerian Indexes, said tariffs would likely be a negative for LNG projects in the US looking to secure future sales contracts with Chinese customers. Cubans set to vote on same-sex marriage and other issues in constitutional referendum set for February. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has shown support for same-sex marriage, saying that discrimination of any kind should be eliminated. The 57-year-old leader said on Sunday he backed marriage between people without any restrictions but that it would be up to Cubans to decide whether or not to approve same-sex marriage as part of far-reaching constitutional reforms. In his first interview since assuming office in April, Diaz-Canel told Venezuela-based broadcaster Telesur that Cuba shouldnt give way to any kind of discrimination. Weve been going through a massive thought evolution and many taboos have been broken, he said. Acknowledgement of same-sex marriage was included in a draft constitution that National Assembly members approved in June. It is currently under popular review, with a referendum expected to take place in February 2019. {articleGUID} The move to update the Caribbean islands 1976 national charter, which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, also includes changes to private ownership laws and dropping the goal of advancing towards Communist society. A revolution in attitudes LGBTQ rights have been a divisive issue on the Communist island for decades, but experts say attitudes are beginning to change. Sexual diversity was considered to be anathema to the revolutionary ideology in the 1950s and 1960s, said Emily Kirk, a specialist in sexual diversity in Cuba, based at Dalhousie University, Canada. Homosexual men were among those forced into labour camps, you have Fidel Castro, in the beginning, as well as the likes of Che [Guevara], who are vociferous opponents of homosexuality, and this has changed over the years, she told Al Jazeera. {articleGUID} Cuba decriminalised homosexuality in 1979 and in 2010, Fidel Castro, who led Cuba from 1959 to 2008, formally apologised for his participation in imprisoning homosexual Cubans in so-called re-education camps. For Kirk, Diaz-Canels comments are a notable departure from the discriminatory attitudes of past administrations. Its significant first because hes a new president [] but fundamentally its significant because Cuba was once considered to be among the most prejudicial and homophobic countries in the world, she said. It has been a very complex evolutionary process but nonetheless to have the president formally show his support for this cause is really significant. Mariela Castro is one of Cubas most prominent LGBTQ activists [Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters] Mariela Castro, director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) and daughter of former President Raul Castro, is often credited with leading the change in attitudes towards LGBTQ rights on the island. CENESEX operates under Cubas Ministry of Public Health to conduct research and training into LGBTQ issues, while its team of specialists also work with other organisations to minimise discrimination. {articleGUID} [It] has really spearheaded the national strategy to improve rights so they have campaigns, debates, promote films and [Mariela Castro] became a member of parliament in 2014 to further engage this discussion and this national debate and shes been very influential, Kirk said. At a grassroots level, Cuban bloggers, activists and researchers have been working to highlight LGBTQ issues. Since 2007, the island has hosted large pride celebrations, which now run for three weeks in May. It took time, but eventually discrimination was brought into the socialist ideology, Kirk said. Discrimination on the basis of anything is not congruent with the revolution of today. While previously [sexual diversity] had been seen as counter-revolutionary and that really evolved based on anti-discrimination, she said. While no recent polls exist to show how Cubans feel about same-sex marriage and the other proposals in the draft constitution, researchers say the new charter has split opinion. Inhumane blockade Miguel Diaz-Canel (left) took over from Raul Castro (right) in April, becoming the first non-Castro to lead Cuba since the revolution [File: Adalberto Roque/Reuters] During Sundays 45-minute interview, Diaz-Canel, who is the first person outside the Castro family to lead the country since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, also discussed US-Cuba relations. The Cuban leader slammed the United Statess ongoing blockade of the island, calling it inhumane. It has become even more difficult. There is constant financial persecution because there are difficulties with the flow of money and investment, something intentional by the US government, a blockade that is already 60 years old, he said. {articleGUID} Its a brutal practice, I would say that it is an inhumane practice against a people, condemning them to die of hunger or to die of necessity. According to Arnold August, an expert in US-Cuba relations, the effects of the embargo are sorely felt by Cubans. It affects the whole life of all the Cuban people, he said. Not only economic goods, such as construction material and food, but also some medications are hard to acquire as a result, he told Al Jazeera. The Cuban president said he was ready for dialogue with the US if the current administration under President Donald Trump abandoned its abnormal attitude towards the island. We want to talk but it must be as equals. We do not accept impositions and we are not willing to make concessions, Diaz-Canel said. Relations between the US and Cuba have been largely-hostile since Communist fighters led by Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed government of Fulgencio Batista in the 1959 revolution. There was a brief thaw under former US President Barack Obama, who began an historic diplomatic re-engagement with Cuba, but the relationship has somewhat deteriorated under Trump. {articleGUID} Obama went from aggression to seduction, now Trump has returned to aggression. However, he did not break diplomatic relations with Cuba, August said. Now, even though those relations are very tense, [they] are still effective. There have been negotiations between both sides on questions of common concerns such as drug trafficking and the environment in both Washington and Havana during the Trump mandate, he told Al Jazeera. The relationship between the two countries further soured after 21 US diplomats based in Havana suffered mysterious health attacks in late 2017. The US has said the attacks could not have happened without the Cuban governments knowledge, a claim Diaz-Canel rubbished in Sundays interview, saying: Cuba does not attack, Cuba defends, Cuba shares. Dominic Ongwen ICC trial: Child victim or war criminal? Defence lawyers for former Ugandan warlord Dominic Ongwen, on trial for war crimes at The Hague are presenting him as a victim of the LRAs crimes, not their architect. Long Beach, Southern California Al Jazeeras Investigative Unit has discovered that a self-deleting messaging app called Tiger Text has been adopted by at least one US police department, which may have used it to share sensitive and potentially incriminating information that they wouldnt want to be disclosed to a court. Current and former officers from the Long Beach Police Department in Southern California have told Al Jazeera that their police-issued phones had Tiger Text installed on them. The Tiger Text app is designed to erase text messages after a set time period. Once the messages have been deleted, they cannot be retrieved even through forensic analysis of the phone. The police officers who spoke with Al Jazeera said the confidential messaging system was used to share details of police operations and sensitive personnel issues. Two of the officers claimed that they were also instructed by their superiors to use the app to have conversations with other officers that wouldnt be discoverable. An internal email obtained by Al Jazeera shows that the Tiger Text program was widely used by LBPD. This note sent in 2015 went out to all Lieutenants, Command Staff and the Chiefs Office. They said they understood this to include exculpatory evidence that could be potentially helpful to attorneys in both civil and criminal proceedings against the department. Its a claim that the Long Beach Police Department denies. But the officers say they were not surprised by the instructions, claiming that the discovery process within the police department was never on the up and up. I find it odd that we have a communication system that circumvents everything that we are supposed to be doing, said one officer who is still with the department. But nothing surprises me working there. Institutional cover-up According to the research group Mapping Police Violence, the Long Beach Police Department ranked fifth in the nation for officer-involved shootings per capita in 2015. Civil rights lawsuits have resulted in the city of Long Beach paying out tens of millions of dollars to the families of those shot. One former police officer said he suspects this is what motivated the department to adopt the application. There have been a number of officer-involved shooting cases that have hurt the department, he said. This is a way for them to conceal and get away with some of the negative things that affect their liability with these cases. Mohammad Tajsar, a lawyer with the ACLU of Southern California, told Al Jazeera that he was shocked by the officers claims. If the department brass instructed members of the force to use Tiger Text to shield from the public the disclosure of sensitive messages about investigations into police killings, then this is an institutional cover-up of the highest order, designed to protect a department that is notorious for killing people, Tajsar said. Al Jazeera obtained financial records from the Long Beach Police Department that indicate that the Tiger Text system has been in place since at least 2014, with over 100 police personnel using the app. An invoice from 2016 shows the city of Long Beach spends around $10,000 USD each year for the text messaging platform. One document from the City of Long Beach Purchasing Division describes the app as a secure messaging platform for criminal investigations and confidential communications. All the officers Al Jazeera spoke to asked that their identity be kept confidential for fear of reprisals from the police department. They say that the Tiger Text app was set to delete messages after a few days and that it was distributed to officers in specialised details and to all senior officers above the rank of lieutenant. The ACLU believes that, by using the app, the Long Beach Police Department could be breaking laws that require the preservation of records and the rules that require their disclosure during legal cases, potentially putting thousands of court verdicts at risk. Al Jazeeras investigation into the use of Tiger Text found that the Georgia Department of Corrections also began using the application in 2013. But lawyers for the department quickly decided that its use would likely violate Georgia law, possibly breaching the states records retention legislation and most likely leading to court discovery violations. Insufficient evidence One Long Beach police officer told Al Jazeera that while he was working within the Department, he witnessed Tiger Text being used during an investigation into the police shooting of Jason Conoscenti in the Alamitos Beach neighbourhood in 2014. The officers involved in the shooting were cleared of any wrongdoing after prosecutors found insufficient evidence to bring charges. Al Jazeera spoke to several lawyers who have litigated against Long Beach. None were aware of the police departments use of the Tiger Text app. Nikhil Ramnaney, a deputy public defender with the Law Offices of the Los Angeles County Public Defender said his office might now be forced to review all Long Beach cases since 2014, adding: I dont know what information is in those Tiger Texts, it could be exculpatory, it could lend to practices that are unconstitutional or even illegal. More than 100 police personnel at the Long Beach Police Department have been using Tiger Text since 2014 [Al Jazeera] In response to Al Jazeeras investigation, Long Beach Police Department said it complies with all laws related to discovery, and any information relevant to a specific investigation would be documented and provided according to legal requirements. The department said it uses the Tiger Text application to communicate confidential crime scene information, victim information, and personnel matters between department management personnel, as well as employees in specialised details. Joanna Schwartz, an expert on police litigation at the UCLA School of Law believes it is difficult to predict the legal problems that the use of a self-deleting app will bring for the Long Beach Police Department. The use of Tiger Text by the police makes it more difficult to bring winning civil cases against them and effectively to defend criminal cases. The immediate question is; is this the kind of police department that the City of Long Beach wants to have? In an effort to protect his children, one father is building gas masks from paper cups and plastic bags. Fearing the worst in the looming battle for Syrias last rebel-held stronghold, one father is doing everything he can to protect his children, and that includes making gas masks from paper cups and plastic bags. Hudhayfa al-Shahhad, who lives in the northwestern province of Idlib, is determined to make sure that he and his family will be ready in the event of a chemical weapons attack, and has even dug a cave under his home to sit out any bombings. I learned how to make them on YouTube, the 27-year-old policeman said, demonstrating the rudimentary homemade masks, which he hopes may spare his three young children from the potentially deadly effects of any gas attack. As his daughter peers over his shoulder, he pushes medical gauze down into each cup, which is decorated with pictures of mangoes, bananas and other fruit. Next, he heaps in several spoonfuls of charcoal, some cotton wool, and then another layer of gauze so the wearer does not breathe in any of the black dust. {articleGUID} Shahhad uses sticky tape to seal it all in, and snips a dent into the top of the cup where the wearer can place their nose. Shahhad, like his neighbours, is concerned by reports that Syrian government forces have amassed around Idlib in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. Weve been hearing the regime and Russia threaten to bomb us with chemical weapons, Shahhad said. We had to make these masks to protect our women and children just in case, he says. For a final touch, he places the cup-shaped filter into the snipped corner of a large translucent plastic bag. He helps his three-year-old son don the mask, who clutches the cup with his hand, while the plastic bag covers his whole face and shoulders. Underground cave The Syrian government has been repeatedly accused of carrying out chemical attacks throughout the seven-year war, which has claimed an estimated 500,000 lives. Agents used include chlorine but also the more deadly sarin nerve gas. The government and its ally Russia have consistently denied the accusations, blaming opposition fighters instead. But international investigators have found that on at least three occasions, Damascus unleashed chemical weapons on civilians. This year in April, an alleged chemical attack on the then rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus, claimed the lives of more than 40 people, medics said. After the attack, forces loyal to the government swiftly took back the area under a Russia-brokered surrender deal. Shahhad is also making sure he and his family can take shelter underground from any air attacks. Carrying a torch, he leads the way down steps from his basement and into a cavernous shelter dug out of the grey rock. Large jars of pickled cucumbers have been lined up in the gloom, beside a mattress on a wide seat made of bricks. Weve been digging this shelter since 2012 because of the bombardment, but we started working again on it after the threats, he says, clutching his one-year-old daughter on his lap. The houses above cant withstand the bombing, he said. The United Nations has warned that a large-scale offensive on the northwestern province, which is home to three million people, would result in a bloodbath and lead to the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century. Irans foreign minister has hailed an agreement between Turkey and Russia to avert an assault on the Syrian rebel-held Idlib province, as an example of responsible diplomacy. An agreement to halt plans for an offensive on the last major rebel-held stronghold was announced in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday after a meeting between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On his Twitter account, Zarif wrote: Intensive responsible diplomacy over the last few weeks-pursued in my visits to Ankara & Damascus, followed by the Iran-Russia-Turkey Summit in Tehran and the meeting (in) Sochi-is succeeding to avert war in #Idlib with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror. Diplomacy works. {articleGUID} According to the agreement, troops from Russia and Turkey will enforce a new demilitarised zone in Idlib from which radical rebels will be required to withdraw by the middle of next month. Iran has fought as an ally of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian conflict alongside Russian forces, while Turkey supported certain rebel groups during the seven-year-old civil war. Withdrawal in October Speaking alongside Erdogan, Putin said the 15-20km-wide zone would be established by October 15. This would entail a withdrawal of all radical fighters from Idlib, including the once al-Qaeda affiliated Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Putin said that heavy weapons would be withdrawn from all opposition forces by October 10 a move supported by the Syrian government. Describing the agreement as a serious result, Putin said that Russia and Turkey have confirmed their determination to counter terrorism in Syria in all its forms. For his part, Erdogan said both his country and Russia would carry out coordinated patrols in the demilitarised zone. We decided on the establishment of a region that is cleaned of weapons between the areas which are under the control of the opposition and the regime, said Erdogan. In return, we will ensure that radical groups, which we will designate together with Russia, wont be active in the relevant area, he added. The Syrian government had recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive on Idlib province, long controlled by various armed opposition groups, after managing to claw back swaths of rebel-held territory. Since the beginning of September, dozens of people have been killed and wounded in air raids and attacks by the Syrian government and allied Russian fighter jets, according to activists on the ground. Over the past week, Turkey has deployed reinforcements and expanded defensive structures at a dozen observation points across opposition-held territories in Idlib, western Aleppo, and northern Hama provinces. The outposts were established after a de-escalation agreement was reached between Turkey, Russia, and Iran in July 2017. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the downing of a Russian military plane by Syrian air defences was the result of a tragic chain of circumstances, in an apparent effort to calm tensions after his countrys defence ministry accused Israel of hostile actions. The downing of the jet late on Monday night highlighted the dangers posed by the conflicting interests of various powers in the crowded skies over war-torn Syria and threatened to damage relations between Russia and Israel. The incident was also the worst case of friendly fire between Russia and Syria, since Moscows military intervention in the country in support of President Bashar al-Assads forces in September 2015. The Russian military said the Il-20 electronic intelligence plane was hit 35km off Syrias Mediterranean coast as it returned to its home base nearby. All 15 Russian crew members were killed. Russian defence officials described manoeuvres by Israeli fighter jets during the incident as hostile and said it had a right to retaliate. The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defence, Igor Konashenkov, Russian defence ministry spokesperson, told state media. A warning from Israel was received less than one minute before the strike, which left no chance for taking the Russian plane to safety, added Konashenkov. But Putin later struck a more conciliatory tone, telling reporters the shooting down of the plane was the result of a chain of tragic and chance circumstances. As for retaliatory measures, they will be aimed first and foremost at further ensuring the safety of our military personnel and facilities in Syria. And these will be steps that everyone will notice, Putin said. It was a different situation when a Turkish jet shot down a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border three years ago, according to the Russian president. The Turkish fighter jet shot down our plane on purpose, he said. Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said Putins use of measured language shows he does not want to escalate this any further. The difference in tone between the Russian ministry of defence and Putin suggests that the Russian president is satisfied that point has been made and that this chain of tragic circumstances, as he put it shouldnt risk what [appeared to be] a pretty good working relationship between Russia and Israel. Earlier in the day, the Israeli military rejected claims its fighter jets had indirectly caused the incident and said it holds Syria, Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah responsible for it. It confirmed it targeted a Syrian military facility the Israeli military said was about to transfer weapons to Hezbollah on behalf of Iran, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But it insisted the Russian plane had been felled by extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft fire, adding anti-air batteries did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air. By the time the Russian plane was hit, the Israeli jets were already out of Syria and back in their own airspace, Israels army added. There was no immediate word from Syrias government. For his part, Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly called Putin to express sorrow over the death of the planes crew, blamed the planes loss squarely on Syria and offered to send Israels air force chief to Moscow to share information about the incident. According to Netanyahus office, the Israeli leader said his country would keep acting against Iran in Syria. Putin told Netanyahu that the Israeli raid violated Syrias sovereignty and breached the Russian-Israeli de-confliction agreement. He urged the Israeli side not to allow such situations to happen again, according to the Kremlin. Serious restrictions Since intervening in Syrias war, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks inside the country. Israel has carried out about 200 air raids in the last two years, according to Israeli officials. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. A dispute between Israel and Russia could restrict Israels ability to mount air raids inside Syria on what it considers the greatest threat to its security from the Syria conflict: the build-up of Iranian forces or Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at Israels strategic affairs ministry, told Israels Army Radio station the downing of the plane was problematic for many reasons. I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israels freedom of activity, she said. Supreme Court nominee and woman accusing him of sex assault are expected to be called to testify at Senate panel hearing US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s, are expected to be called testify in a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee next week. Senate leaders, under pressure from fellow Republicans who wanted a full, open examination of the allegations, announced the move late on Monday. According to Ford, Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, has repeatedly denied the allegations. After initially suggesting a private conference call on the matter would suffice, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said his panel would hold a hearing next Monday to provide ample transparency. The move forced Republicans to put off a planned committee vote for Thursday on Kavanaughs nomination. The delay makes it increasingly difficult for Kavanaugh to win approval by October 1, when the new session of the Supreme Court begins. It also potentially sets up a public, televised airing of sexual misconduct allegations, reminiscent of the seminal hearings against Clarence Thomas in 1991, that could derail Kavanaughs nomination altogether. Although it was originally reported that Ford would testify, Grassley said that by Tuesday afternoon, the college professor had not responded to attempts by the judiciary committee to contact her about appearing at the hearing. Debra Katz, Fords lawyer, had previously said her client would be willing to testify, but had yet to comment on next Mondays hearing. Democrats say Monday hearing is too soon Prior to the announcement about the hearing, Republican leaders displayed no willingness to delay a Judiciary panel vote that Grassley had planned for this Thursday to advance the nomination. {articleGUID} But after calls mounted from politicians on both sides of the political aisle, next Mondays hearing was announced. Democrats have called for a full FBI investigation of the allegations, however, saying the Monday hearing will be too soon. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, told the Washington Post that if a hearing takes place before an investigation, the committee is going to be shooting in the dark with questions. As a former prosecutor and state attorney general, theres no way I would put a crime survivor on the stand in front of a jury, let alone the American people, without a full investigation so that I know what the facts are before I start asking questions, Blumenthal told the newspaper. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont echoed Blumenthals comments in an interview with NPR, admitting an investigation may take a couple of weeks. What difference does one or two weeks make when youre talking about a lifetime appointment, he told the public radio broadcaster. Brett Kavanaugh is surrounded by photographers as he takes his seat for his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on September 4, 2018 [Jim Bourg/Reuters] In a statement to local media, the Department of Justice said the FBI does not make any judgement about the credibility or significance of any allegation. If the Judiciary Committees timetable slips further, it would become increasingly difficult for Republicans to schedule a vote before the November 6 elections, in which congressional control will be at stake. With fragile GOP majorities of just 11-10 on the Judiciary Committee and 51-49 in the full Senate, Republican leaders had little room for defectors without risking a humiliating defeat of Trumps nominee to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Trump has defended his pick, dismissing any notion that Kavanaughs nomination should be withdrawn. I feel so badly for him that hes going through this, to be honest with you, Trump said on Tuesday. This is not a man that deserves this, he told reporters. {articleGUID} Trump has accused Democrats of playing politics by not zeroing in on the accusation against the judge until days before the Senate Judiciary Committee was poised to vote on his nomination. Kavanaugh has had a relatively smooth confirmation track until the allegations against him were reported last week. Ford, whose identity was unknown until Sunday, had sent a letter to Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein in July. In the letter, Ford said she had received medical treatment after the assault, adding that it is upsetting to discuss sexual assault and its repercussions, yet I felt guilty and compelled as a citizen about the idea of not saying anything. After reports of the letter surfaced last week, Feinstein released a statement, saying she had received the letter. That individual [who sent the letter] strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honoured that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities, Feinstein said. According to the Washington Post, Ford, who had also contacted the newspaper in July, decided to go public after it became clear people were learning her identity. Ive seen process weaponised against accuser Fords allegations come nearly a year after the #MeToo movement was popularised following the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood Producer Harvey Weinstein, who has since been charged with rape and other sexual crimes. Weinstein denies the allegations. {articleGUID} Since then, allegations of sexual abuse have rocked numerous industries and professions including the media and political scene. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in three women in the United States experience some form of sexual violence in their lives. Fords challenge also evoked the 1991 battle over the Republican nomination of Clarence Thomas, now the courts most conservative justice. During his hearings, allegations from a former colleague, law school professor Anita Hill, surfaced accusing him of repeated sexual harassment when they worked together. Thomas denied the allegations. Hill endured a brutal assault on her personal reputation in hearings and in conservative media and the all-male Republicans on the committee ultimately backed Thomas. In a statement issued on Friday, Hill said: I have seen firsthand what happens when such a process is weaponised against an accuser, and no one should have to endure that again. The two Palestinians in Gaza were accused by Israel of planting a suspicious device on the fence. Two Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air attack near the fence between Gaza and Israel in the southern Gaza Strip, the health ministry said. The two men, who were later identified as Naji Abuasi, 18, and Alaa Abuasi, 21, were taken to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after their bodies were discovered on Monday night by Red Crescent medics. In a statement, the Israeli army said they targeted a group of terrorists who were seen near the fence acting in a suspicious way. An [Israeli] aircraft attacked terrorists who approached the fence in the southern Gaza Strip in a suspicious manner and planted a suspicious object along it, the Israeli military said. According to the health ministry, at least 26 Palestinians were shot during protests on Monday. Palestinians have been protesting along the fence east of the Gaza Strip on a weekly basis since March, calling for their right of return and an end to the 11-year Israeli blockade. At least 170 Palestinians have been killed in the protests since, with 18,000 others wounded, according to the health ministry. In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian Mohammed al-Rimawi, 24, died early on Tuesday morning after he was arrested during a raid by Israeli soldiers, with his family accusing the soldiers of beating him. Rimawis brother told the AFP news agency that the army had raided the house in the early hours of Tuesday morning. They entered Mohammeds room while he was sleeping and they beat him violently and we heard screaming, he told AFP. After a while, he went silent and a soldier carried him out on his back. A short time after the arrest, the Israeli army informed the Palestinian security coordination office of his death, who relayed the news to the Rimawi family. The Israeli military confirmed Rimawis death in custody but said he had not resisted arrest. The army apprehended a Palestinian suspected of hostile activities in Beit Rima during the night, an army spokeswoman told AFP, referring to a village north of Ramallah. He was arrested without violence or resistance from his part. He lost consciousness and was treated by Israeli soldiers at the scene. He died later in hospital, she added. The Palestinian prisoners rights group Addameer said in a statement that it held Israel responsible for the death in custody and called on the UN to investigate. This case represents a continuation of the occupations policy of utilizing excessive force in the arrest of Palestinians, it said. Additionally, this excessive force, in the case of killing, amounts to the unlawful killing of a civilian population. Mohammads death is a direct result of such excessive use of force against civilians, in contravention to international human rights and humanitarian law. In a statement, the Rimawi family called for international witnesses to attend the post-mortem if the Israeli authorities were to carry one out. Rescue teams sift through large landslide caused by typhoon despite fears there are no survivors among the buried. Rescue teams in the northern Philippines are desperately sifting through the debris of a large landslide caused by Typhoon Mangkhut, despite fears that there are no more survivors among the 40 to 50 people still thought to be buried. Rescuers on Tuesday used their bare hands and shovels to excavate the site in Itogon, Benguet province, where part of a mountain slope collapsed on miners barracks in which dozens of people had taken shelter from the worlds worst storm of the year. Mangkhuts death toll in the Philippines rose to 74 on Tuesday, three days after the storm battered northern Luzon island. Police said a further 55 people were still missing and 74 were injured. All but three of the missing are in the Cordillera Administrative Region, which saw a number of landslides, Philippine news site Rappler reported. Typhoon Mangkhut, locally called Ompong, ripped through the northern Philippines on Saturday, destroying homes and farmlands on Luzon. The next day, the storm made landfall in southern China, killing four in Guangdong province and leaving a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and Macau. Chances of survivors slim On Monday, Itogons mayor said there was a 99 percent chance that those still buried under the landslide were dead. While I said there is a 99 percent chance that all of them are dead, there is still that one percent chance, Victorio Palangdan later told AFP news agency. The rescue effort will continue until the president orders us to stop, he said. Officials on Monday said they had recovered more than 40 bodies from the site. Philippine Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Monday ordered the suspension of small-scale mining operations in the region, and President Rodrigo Duterte said that if it were up to him he would end mining practices across the country. But Al Jazeeras Jamela Alindogan, reporting from Itogon, said that shutting down the industry would be easier said than done. Were talking about at least three million people dependent on this for their livelihoods, she said. These people know that they have been living on precarious ground, theyve been working in very dangerous places but they do not have any choice. Research shows at least 50 tropical island leases were obtained by tourism companies without public tender. An investigation has uncovered new details about Maldives government corruption days before a presidential election and weeks after the European Union moved to sanction its leaders. Published on Tuesday, the research finds that at least 50 of the nations prized tropical island leases were obtained, often at hugely discounted prices without public tender, and according to the countrys top auditor were illegal. President Abdulla Yameen, who is hoping to secure a second term on Sunday, intervened to help clear at least 24 deals to lease islands to tourism companies, the report says. The president was also personally involved in direct discussions about at least one of those deals, according to the report. Leaked chat logs and other documents reportedly appear to show one of Singapores richest men, Ong Beng Seng, offering luxury hotel rooms to the president and former vice president. {articleGUID} The hotel tycoon, who runs a number of Maldives resorts, did so at a time when he and his company, Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), were seeking islands in the Maldives. Shortly afterwards, Ong sealed a deal for two uninhabited islands without public tender, one for $5m and one for free, the report says. At the time of publication, neither the billionaire nor the president had responded to the researchers request for comment. However, the president discussed the issues at an election debate, saying the issue was in the past, and variously blaming the former vice president, the central bank, commercial banks and the system for the failings. Bags of cash President Yameen has faced corruption allegations since 2016 when Al Jazeera released its award-winning investigation, Stealing Paradise. Revealing widespread corruption for the first time, it included testimony from men who said they had carried bags of cash to the president, details of an international plot to launder $1.5bn, along with wholesale bribery and embezzlement in the island deals. Initially, the government did not respond. However, since the investigations release, President Yameen has made a qualified concession that he received cash at home. His presidency has been marked by efforts to crush dissent, imposing a 45-day state of emergency and jailing or forcing into exile many political opponents. Those actions, plus a crackdown on the political opposition, media and human rights, have led the EU to move towards sanctioning the nations leaders. It has put in place what it calls a framework that will allow it to impose travel bans and asset freezes on senior officials if it decides they have undermined democracy and the rule of law or seriously violated human rights. An orgy of corruption With a presidential election just days away, specialist corruption and organised crime reporters have released new details of government graft, describing it as an orgy of corruption. The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) exposes how ministers and officials began a fire sale of the nations prized tropical islands to tourism companies, leasing around 50 of them and embezzling much of the proceeds. That was a huge increase. Previously, the Maldives had only around 100 resorts that had been slowly constructed over four decades. But after Yameens election, at least 50 more were approved in just a few years. The OCCRPs work is based upon data obtained by Al Jazeera that formed the basis of the 2016 investigation Stealing Paradise, an expose that revealed massive government corruption for the first time. Reporters looked at data obtained from three golden iPhones belonging to former tourism minister and vice president, Ahmed Adeeb. They analysed the information and cross-referenced it with other leaked paperwork, bank and government records, court documents, and the Paradise Papers leak from offshore services firms in Bermuda and Singapore. Big business The research gives a full picture of the pillaging of the Maldives and allows researchers to understand which businessmen secured leases and what has been built on the islands and lagoons. Former tourism minister and vice president, Ahmed Adeeb, was at the centre of the scandal but has not been able to enjoy his ill-gotten gains. Arrested in late 2015, he was later convicted of a plot to assassinate President Yameen and of corruption linked to the island lease schemes. He is serving a decades-long sentence. {articleGUID} His friend and co-conspirator, Abdulla Ziyath, was also jailed for his role in the corruption and is serving eight years. Ziyath was the head of the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), an organisation that was set up in 2009 to promote the nations tourist industry abroad but which morphed into the central authority on new island leases. From early 2012, the two men worked closely to lease islands, later soliciting bribes and embezzling payments. Two years into their schemes, they found a lucrative loophole. In order to get around a legal requirement that all leases up to 50 years go through an open bidding process, they instead entered the government into joint ventures with private companies. In the years afterwards, the government would walk away, leaving the business to do what it wanted without government oversight, having avoided an open tender process. Starting in mid-2014, interested investors simply approached Adeeb or Ziyath, often via a middleman, negotiated a price, signed a contract, and paid the MMPRC by cheque or bank transfer. Those who benefitted were the ones who had a direct line to the minister, a businessman who acted as a middleman on at least one deal, told OCCRP on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisals. It was all done in the open. Some foreigners flew in just to sign the deals, the source said. They must all have known it was all illegal. The money paid for the deals was often then transferred to private bank accounts. Some of the cheques were simply rerouted and paid into different accounts using friendly contacts in the banks. Some of the money was then reportedly handed by bagmen to the president or his allies, as covered in Stealing Paradise. The presidents orders Current and former government officials have told OCCRP that President Yameen was central to the operation of the scam. From prison, Adeeb has claimed he was tasked with running the country while the president counted the cash. A government official with direct knowledge of the deals, who spoke anonymously for fear of retribution, told OCCRP it was the president who ordered Adeebs tourism ministry to lease islands without tender via joint ventures run by the MMPRC. Under Maldives law, uninhabited islands are managed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. In order to lease them out for development, Adeeb routinely sought and received orders from the president to bring the islands under the Tourism Ministry that Adeeb led, according to the official. For 90 percent of the islands, I can say [Adeeb] wrote to the presidents office and requested the president hand those islands over to the tourism ministry, he said. Obviously the president knew. According to the OCCRP, messages from Adeebs phone show the president knew about at least one MMPRC island deal from its outset. On June 30, 2014, Yameen messaged the tourism minister to ask about Mathiveri Finolhu, an island in the Alif Alif Atoll. Seven minutes later, Adeeb replied: Today will Hand over sir, sorry for the delay. Adeebs phone messages also show that Yameen apparently had at least one meeting with Ong Beng Seng, the Singaporean hotelier. Ongs company received two island leases shortly after. The president has previously denied he was fully aware of the corruption. At the time of publication, OCCRP had not received a response from his office or that of Ong Beng Seng. Whistle-blower fled A 2016 audit found that just shy of $80m due to the MMPRC was either never paid, paid in part, or went missing. Some islands were also found to have been given out at clear discounts. Another audit, submitted two years earlier, had raised the issue of the corrupt scheme for the first time. Then-Auditor General, Niyaz Ibrahim, produced a report detailing how the MMPRC had made millions of dollars in suspicious foreign currency transactions and exposing payments to a company linked to Adeeb. Niyaz suspected corruption and says he brought his concerns directly to President Yameen, who had him removed from his position. I briefed the findings to the president in a one-on-one meeting, Niyaz told OCCRP. He accused me of unprofessionalism, and of being biased against his government. Niyaz Ibrahim, Auditor General Niyaz continued to live in the Maldives until 2016 when Stealing Paradise was broadcast. It featured an interview with him reacting to the revelation that he had been placed under surveillance by Adeeb, who had instructed special operations police officers to blast that place where he had been. Niyaz says he faced threats and fled to exile in Sri Lanka a day before the documentary was aired. Of the corrupt deals, he says, theyve been doing this for ages, so they know there is no way for the public to hold these criminals accountable. They take Maldives law as a joke. He is now calling for the government to seize the islands that were subject to illegal lease agreements. This is a gross violation of law, these islands have to come back to the state. International hotel brands did not participate directly in the illegal leasing of the islands. Instead, they later signed management or licensing contracts with middlemen and developers and profited from those agreements. Niyaz believes they should have conducted better due diligence. If they are associated with corruption, that will not be good for business, he said. There may be no direct legal responsibility, but they have an ethical and social responsibility to the Maldivian public. In 2016, the presidents loyalists passed an amendment to the tourism law that removed the requirement for public tenders. Opposition politicians denounced the move as a measure that effectively legalises corruption. Saudi-UAE led forces claim to have captured two areas on the outskirts of the city. Saudi, Emirati, and Yemeni government forces have launched a fresh offensive to retake the Houthi-held city of Hodeidah in the west of Yemen. The alliance claimed to have captured two areas on the outskirts of the city after the advance began on Tuesday morning. UAE state news agency WAM reported that the military alliance launched a large-scale offensive to retake Hodeidah, with Yemeni ground forces capturing the Kilo 7 and Kilo 10 areas which sit less than 5km from the citys busy fish market. The rebel-run Al Masirah TV network said air raids hit a navy school and residents reported air raids targeting Houthi positions in and around the city of 600,000. [Yemeni] forces are strengthening their presence in Kilo 16 which cuts supply lines for the Houthis between Sanaa and Hodeidah, said Ali al-Taniji, commander of the forces fighting on Yemens west coast. Fighting near Hodeidah the main gateway for imports of relief supplies and commercial goods into the country has escalated since June 13 after the Saudi-UAE alliance launched a wide-ranging operation to retake the strategic seaport. The offensive is being carried out by a disparate collective of forces including the National Resistance, a group of fighters loyal to Yemens former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Tihama Resistance, a group of fighters loyal to Yemens President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and the Giant Brigades, a military unit backed by the United Arab Emirates. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi see Hodeidah port as the main entry point of weapons for the Houthis and have accused their regional rival Iran of sending missiles to the rebels, a charge Tehran has denied. Lifeline for millions Aid agencies have warned an assault on Hodeidah could shut down one of the last remaining lifelines for millions of hungry civilians, with the UN scrambling to mediate between the warring sides. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, arrived in Sanaa to meet with the Houthis on Sunday, and on Monday, a spokesman for the rebels wrote on Twitter that Griffiths met the groups leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. Mohammed Abdul Salam said discussions focused on the humanitarian situation in the country and plans for future consultations between the two sides. Fighting in Hodeidah risks escalating the dire humanitarian crisis in the country, where out of a population of 28 million people, eight million a number greater than the entire population of Switzerland- are on the verge of famine. {articleGUID} On Saturday, the Houthis signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN to allow the transport of critically ill patients abroad for treatment over a period of six months. The World Health Organization (WHO) said 12 health conditions had been identified as qualifying for transport, including cancer, chronic diseases, and congenital anomalies. The war in Yemen, the regions poorest country, started in 2014 when the Houthis overran much of the country, including Sanaa. Hadis government was toppled by Houthi rebels in late 2014 after the rebels advanced south from their stronghold of Saada and captured large parts of the north. The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched air raids in an attempt to reinstate the internationally recognised government of President Abu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. With logistical support from the US, the Saudi-UAE alliance has carried out more than 16,000 raids on Houthi-held areas in an attempt to reverse their gains. These attacks have targeted weddings and hospitals as well as water and electricity plants, killing and wounding thousands. Trump warns US will impose further tariffs on $267bn worth of additional imports if China retaliates. US President Donald Trump has said he will impose 10 percent US tariffs on about $200bn worth of Chinese imports, but he spared some consumer products. The new tariffs will take effect from September 24, Trump said in a statement on Monday. It will increase to 25 percent on January 1 unless the two countries reach a deal on trade. Trump also warned that if China takes retaliatory action against US farmers or industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267bn of additional imports. Trump said the tariffs aim to force a change in Chinese trade policies that he said posed a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy. So far, the United States has imposed tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese products to pressure China to make sweeping changes to its trade, technology transfer and hi-tech industrial subsidy policies. Beijing pushed back, slapping tariffs on $50bn worth of American goods. China had previously vowed to retaliate further against any new US tariffs, with state-run media arguing for an aggressive counterattack. The escalation of Trumps tariffs on China comes after talks between the worlds two largest economies to resolve their trade differences have produced no results. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin invited top Chinese officials to a new round of talks last week, but thus far nothing has been scheduled. A senior Trump administration official told reporters that the US was open to further talks with Beijing, but offered no immediate details on when any new meetings may occur. This is not an effort to constrain China, but this is an effort to work with China and say, Its time you address these unfair trade practices that weve identified that others have identified and that have harmed the entire trading system,' the official said. Chinas yuan currency has weakened by about six percent against the US dollar since mid-June, offsetting the 10 percent tariff rate by a considerable margin. Consumer tech trimmed The US Trade Representatives office eliminated about 300 product categories from the proposed tariff list, along with some subsets of other categories, but administration officials said the total value of the revised list would still be approximately $200bn. {articleGUID} A broad, $23bn category of internet-connected devices will remain subject to tariffs, but some products, such as smart watches, Bluetooth devices, and other consumer-focused technology products were removed following a lengthy public vetting period during which more than 6,000 comments were received. Apple also sent a letter earlier this month, urging the administration to shield its smartwatch and wireless headphones, which contain parts from Chinese suppliers. Also spared from the tariffs were Chinese inputs for US-produced chemicals used in manufacturing, textiles and agriculture. Consumer safety products made in China, such as bicycle helmets sold by Vista Outdoor and baby car seats and other products from Graco Inc also were taken off the list. Tax on American families But the adjustments did little to appease technology and retail groups who argued that the tariffs would hit consumers hard. {articleGUID} President Trumps decision to impose an additional $200bn is reckless and will create lasting harm to communities across the country, said Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council, which represents major tech firms. The Retail Industry Leaders Association pointed out that the new tariffs would still hit more than $1bn worth of gas grills from China, $843m worth of travel luggage, $825m worth of mattresses and $1.9bn worth of vacuum cleaners. Tariffs are a tax on American families, period, said Hun Quach, RILAs vice president for international trade. Consumers not China will bear the brunt of these tariffs and American farmers and ranchers will see the harmful effects of retaliation worsen. Analysts have warned that a full-scale trade war between the two could cause setbacks for global markets. Earlier on Monday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the US was ready to negotiate a trade deal with China if Beijing was ready for serious discussions. We are ready to negotiate and talk with China any time that they are ready for serious and substantive negotiations towards free trade, to reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers, to open markets and allow the most competitive economy in the world ours to export more and more goods and services to China, Kudlow said. US to cap number of refugees allowed into country to a record low of 30,000 in 2019, down from a 45,000 limit this year. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States would cap the number of refugees allowed into the country at 30,000 for the 2019 fiscal year, a move rights advocates described as shameful and outrageous. The cap, announced on Monday, is a sharp drop from a limit of 45,000 the US set for this year, which was about half the number of refugees admitted to the country in 2016. We proposed resettling up to 30,000 refugees under the new refugee ceiling as well as processing more than 280,000 asylum seekers, Pompeo said in an announcement at the State Department, calling the US the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration. This years proposed refugee ceiling must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States, he said. Shameful abdication of our humanity Refugee advocates quickly condemned the lower cap. Todays announcement is a shameful abdication of our humanity in the face of the worst refugee crisis in history, Jennifer Quigley, of Human Rights First, said in a statement. Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal called the new cap outrageous. The Trump administration already accepted a historically low amount of refugees, Jayapal tweeted. The Trump administration already accepted a historically low amount of refugees. These new restrictions are outrageous. I came here at age 16 as an immigrant and today I am a congresswoman. Who could these refugees fleeing violence be if we gave them the chance? https://t.co/eGqVKMEt1U Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) September 17, 2018 Ryan Mace, a grassroots advocacy and refugee specialist at Amnesty International, said the announcement demonstrates another undeniable political attack against people who have been forced to flee their homes. He added in a statement: This is the lowest goal in the history of the programme, and compounded by this administrations history of creating road block after road block for refugees to arrive, this must be perceived as an all-out attack against our countrys ability to resettle refugees both now and in the future. Pompeo said the new limit reflected the administrations preference for settling refugees closer to their home countries, something President Donald Trump has said would be cheaper than admitting them to the United States. Pompeo said the decision was also based on security concerns. We must continue to responsibly vet applicants to prevent the entry of those who might do harm to our country, he said. The refugee ceiling of 45,000 set last year was the lowest since 1980, when the modern refugee programme was established. The US is on track to admit only 22,000 refugees this year, about half the maximum allowed. Type of refugee admitted shifting Trump campaigned in 2016 promising tight restrictions on immigration, and his administration has sharply reduced refugee admissions through executive orders and closed-door decisions in the past year and a half. In the last year, the administration has tightened security vetting procedures that current and former officials say have slowed admission of refugees. In addition to far lower admissions overall, the type of refugee admitted has changed under Trump, a Reuters analysis of government data shows. The percentage who are Muslim is now a third what it was two years ago; the percentage who are Europeans has tripled. The shift has led to striking imbalances. Refugees admitted to the US from the small European country of Moldova, for example, now outnumber those from Syria by three to one, although the number of Syrian refugees worldwide outnumbers the total population of Moldova. The Constitutional Court has ordered the parliament to draft new laws within 24 months to reflect the order. South Africas highest court has legalised the private use of marijuana, upholding a lower courts ruling that found the criminalisation of cannabis was unconstitutional. In delivering the Constitutional Courts unanimous verdict, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Tuesday declared the law banning marijuana use in private by adults is unconstitutional and therefore invalid. It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption, he said in Johannesburg. The court also ordered parliament to draft new laws within 24 months to reflect the order. However, the judgement did not specify the amount that can be used by an adult in private use. Activists, including members of the Rastafarian movement and traditional healers, greeted the ruling with loud applause. Outside, pro-cannabis campaigners lit pipes and rolled joints to celebrate the news, filling the air with the distinctive aroma of marijuana. Im happy I wont be getting any more criminal records for possession, Ruaan Wilson, 29, told AFP before pausing for a puff. Now, we can get police to focus on real drugs and thugs, he added. Activists held marches over the years to demand that the law be changed [File: Reuters] A court in Western Cape had ruled in March 2017 that a ban on cannabis use by adults at home was unconstitutional, a move that effectively decriminalised it in the province, which includes Cape Town. But the ministers of justice, police, health and trade challenged that finding, arguing that there was objective proof of the harmful effects of cannabis. Activists have held marches over the years to demand that the law be changed to allow people to smoke weed, which is called dagga in South Africa. But opponents fear crime connected to drug abuse and users graduating to harder drugs. They also cite medical research which suggests a link between heavy use of marijuana and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. The countrys Medical Research Council has already launched trials to help guarantee quality, consistency and standards, according to local media. We have used cannabis to treat anxiety, colic in children and as an antiseptic in secret for many years, said Phephsile Maseko, of the Traditional Healers Organisation. Now we will be able to develop the plant even further. Previously, possessing, growing or using marijuana for personal use even in small quantities exposed users to fines of up to hundreds of dollars as well as jail time. Penalties for selling it were far higher. President Moon Jae-in seeks to push for irreversible, permanent peace and better dialogue between North Korea and US. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has arrived in Pyongyang for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seeking to reboot stalled talks with the US over the Norths denuclearisation. Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, were greeted by Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju at Pyongyangs airport on Tuesday. The two leaders are expected to hold meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, and jointly announce the results on the last day if things go smoothly. Before his departure from Seoul, Moon said he intended to push for irreversible, permanent peace and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-US talks, he said. Its very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want. But his chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, tried to lower expectations of major progress on the future of Kims nuclear arsenal, saying it was difficult to have any optimistic outlook. Traveling with Moon are business tycoons, including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong, underscoring Moons hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of US-led sanctions. Moon was greeted by Kim at the airport [Pyongyang Press Corps/Getty Images] Thousands of North Koreans cheered and waved flower bouquets as well as national and unification flags. North Korean soldiers and naval troops quick-marched into position to welcome Moon, and the two leaders inspected the honour guard, according to South Korean media pool footage from the site. A signboard read: We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-in. As Moon arrived, the Norths main newspaper said Washington was responsible for the lack of progress in denuclearisation talks. The US is totally to blame for the deadlocked DPRK-US negotiations, the Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial. It said Washington is stubbornly insisting the North dismantle its nuclear weapons first, an approach which was rejected in the past DPRK-US dialogues, while failing to show its will for confidence-building including the declaration of the end of war, which it had already pledged. Defence mechanism North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential US attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. While signaling his willingness to talk to Washington, Kims strategy has been to try to elbow the US away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. Talks between the US and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kims meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but US officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks. Local elections and a constitutional referendum will be held on December 16 while legislative polls are four days later. Togo will hold legislative and local elections in December as well as a referendum on constitutional reform. We will hold the local elections and the referendum on December 16, and on December 20 we will organise legislative elections, national election commission chief Kodjona Kadanga said on Tuesday. We are technically prepared. I can assure you that we have sufficient balloting material as well as people. There are no problems on our side. Kadanga did not specify what reforms were envisaged. Togos latest political crisis started in August 2017, when large numbers of people rallied against the administration of President Faure Gnassingbe. Mass anti-government rallies have repeatedly been held across the country since, with protesters demanding an end to the 50-year rule by the Gnassingbe family and constitutional reform, including a two-term limit for presidents. Nationwide demonstrations have led to clashes between security forces and protesters that have turned deadly. The opposition is demanding a return to the 1992 constitution, which included a two-term limit for presidents, effective retroactively so Gnassingbe cannot be a candidate in the next vote in 2020. Calls for institutional reform also include reinstating a two-round voting system and allowing the diaspora to cast ballots in elections. More than half of Togos 7.5 million population is under 25. These people have only known life under the rule of Gnassingbe and his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema. The ruling familys dynasty started in 1967 when Eyadema seized power in a coup. Turkish foreign minister says borders of Syrian rebel-held province will be protected under deal signed with Russia. Turkeys foreign minister says no civilians will be removed from Syrias northwestern Idlib province under a deal signed by Ankara and Moscow to create a demilitarised zone in the area. The borders of Idlib will be protected under the memorandum of understanding signed in Sochi. There would be no change in the status of Idlib, Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, adding that merely terrorist groups were to be removed from the area. The agreement to halt plans for an offensive on the last major rebel-held stronghold was announced in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday after a meeting between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Tuesday, Irans foreign minister hailed the agreement over the rebel-held province, calling it an example of responsible diplomacy. On his Twitter account, Zarif wrote: Intensive responsible diplomacy over the last few weeks-pursued in my visits to Ankara & Damascus, followed by the Iran-Russia-Turkey Summit in Tehran and the meeting [in] Sochi-is succeeding to avert war in #Idlib with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror. Diplomacy works. {articleGUID} Later on Tuesday, European Union Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic stressed that the Turkish-Russian deal must protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access. We expect that the agreement which was according to reports reached yesterday by the Russian and Turkish presidents will guarantee the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access, Kocijancic told reporters. Iran has fought as an ally of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian conflict alongside Russian forces, while Turkey supported certain rebel groups during the seven-year-old civil war. Withdrawal in October Announcing the deal alongside Erdogan on Monday, Putin said the 15-20km-wide zone would be established by October 15. Putin said that heavy weapons would be withdrawn from all opposition forces by October 10 a move supported by the Syrian government. Describing the agreement as a serious result, Putin said that Russia and Turkey have confirmed their determination to counter terrorism in Syria in all its forms. For his part, Erdogan said both his country and Russia would carry out coordinated patrols in the demilitarised zone. We decided on the establishment of a region that is cleaned of weapons between the areas which are under the control of the opposition and the regime, said Erdogan. The Syrian government had recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive on Idlib province, long controlled by various armed opposition groups, after managing to claw back swaths of rebel-held territory. Since the beginning of September, dozens of people have been killed and wounded in air raids and attacks by the Syrian government and allied Russian fighter jets, according to activists on the ground. Over the past week, Turkey has deployed reinforcements and expanded defensive structures at a dozen observation points across opposition-held territories in Idlib, western Aleppo, and northern Hama provinces. The outposts were established after a de-escalation agreement was reached between Turkey, Russia, and Iran in July 2017. A US soldier was freed in a deal with the Taliban, while the US insists it wont talk to other groups holding citizens. The Men Who Sell Football exposes the murky world of club ownership in England and how rules can be abused. Three of the four suspects allegedly behind the explosion that critically wounded the former president are in custody. Humanness Must Trump Muslimness There is no question in my mind that Islam is religious fascism. Both the beliefs and practices of Islam amply prove my assertion. To start with, see what their invocation of their god is: Allah-u-akbar ("Allah is the greatest," not "God is great," as it is marketed in English). Then there is a whole raft of teachings and laws that clearly describe non-Muslims in all manner of derogatory terms and grant them no or few rights. If you are not a Muslim, and you happened, by some misfortune, to be living in a place ruled by sharia, you want to be at least either a Christian or a Jew. If you are anything else or nothing at all religious-wise, then you are just that: nothing. Jews and Christians enjoy a measure of second-class citizenship under Islam as long as they pay heavy religious taxes (jizya), mandated in Quran 9:29, and behave themselves as docile subservient subjects. Islam's maltreatment of non-Muslims is legend. It goes back to the time of Muhammad himself and continues to this very day. I need not delve into that topic at any length at this point; it is very sad, inhumane and tragic. Having said that, I readily admit that there are many Muslims who are decent people by any measure. There are, in fact, some Muslims whose humanity transcends their Muslimness. Not all 1.5 billion Muslims are horrible people. We all can attest to that. In fact, it is Islamic ideology that forces Muslims to behave barbarically. Below is a tragic case that demonstrates my point. A year or so ago, an elderly Baha'i woman in the Islamic Republic of Iran remained behind when her children, in desperation, escaped from their ancestral home for other lands because of the official genocide policy of the Islamic government. The lone old woman had a Muslim tenant living in her house. The Muslim tenant demanded that the women give him her house. The rent money from the house provided her with a modest income for her to survive. The old woman refused. The Muslim man threatened to kill her if she did not give him the house. The woman corresponded with her children and explained her predicament. She also tried to seek justice from the authorities. The Muslim man made good on his threat and murdered the old lone woman and took possession of her house. Under sharia law, only Jews and Christians (of course, in the Meccan Quran) are tolerated as members of sanctioned religions who enjoy a modicum of rights. Members of the Baha'i faith are declared heretics by law and are halal-ul-dam (free blood, meaning they can be murdered with no compensations or legal penalties). Baha'is in the Islamic Republic are completely disenfranchised from all rights of citizenship. A Muslim female attorney, at significant risk to her reputation and her person, consented to represent this family for redress. This attorney is one of those numerous truly upstanding human beings who holds her own humanity above Muslimness. Islamic societies box women into their "place" of subservience to men, obediently docile. A woman daring to take up the cause of a dead kefir in a vicious theocracy of the Islamic Republic of Iran? That's true courage. That's the litmus test of a sterling human being. I salute her and salute all Muslim women who are breaking out of their horribly unjust "place" in Islam. The attorney petitioned the court on behalf of the children of the murdered old woman. She sought redress by taking a folder of documents and correspondence to a judge. The moment the judge learned that the documents had been touched by a Baha'i, he took out a box of tissue papers from his desk drawer and used the tissue to handle the folder. This man who was supposed to be an unbiased upholder of justice considered the murdered Baha'i woman najes (unclean, untouchable, simply for being Baha'i). He was following his religious duty not to even touch anything handled by a Baha'i. Would this bigot be the kind of impartial agent of law to administer justice? The dead woman and her children got nothing. The murderous Muslim got the house. It is sadly reminiscent of the time of Muhammad, when kefirs (infidels) were always treated as fair game and entitled to little or nothing. Warning to good-hearted and fair-minded non-Muslim: It is this kind of treatment that awaits you if Muslims take over and, in obedience to their belief, institute horrific sharia. Trump and the Media Dialectic When journalists want to appear intelligent, they'll attach the term "postmodern president" to Donald Trump. Their reasoning goes that because Trump so often exaggerates and embellishes basic facts to reflect favorably upon himself, he has no moral compass for truth. "Is President Trump a Stealth Postmodernist or Just a Liar?" asks New York Times columnist Thomas Edsall. Jeet Heer of The New Republic calls the denizen of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue "America's first postmodern president." David Ernst of The Federalist points out that Trump, without knowing it, turns "postmodernism against itself." Reading these hand-wringing accounts of Trump's assault on ontological truth is pretty entertaining, given that they come from the jittery hands of discomfited journalists. Trump, who has an instinctual knack for spinning good, bad, and neutral news all to his benefit, beguiles reporters because he's figured out their trick: they care more about being arbiters of reality than reality itself. The media, particularly in the Trump era, care more about dialectics than fact-finding. The platonic ideal of unbiased, truth-seeking journalism is, at worst, a myth, a marketing tool used to sell papers. Our journalists aren't journalists; our reporters don't report. What they do is engage in Hegelian conversations to establish good and bad, heroes and villains. This narrative-crafting is used to smear lawmakers they oppose and bolster those whom they support. The dialectic was on full display when the New York Times purposefully reported that the State Department paid $52,000 on drapes for the residence of the ambassador to the United Nations. The story was marketed in such a way that it implied that Nikki Haley, the current ambassador under President Trump, ordered the payment. The original headline read, "Nikki Haley's View of New York is Priceless. Her Curtains? $52,701." The image featured on the article was one of Haley looking cold and aloof. The author of the report, some bug named Gardiner Harris, admits that Haley never paid for the luxurious curtains (they were ordered during the Obama administration). But the impression given by the headline and featured image was that she did a detail the NYT made no effort to correct while promoting the report over social media. And since most news is digested by Facebook-users and Twitter scamps reading headlines only, the image of a hypocritically profligate Trump State Department stuck. A long correction note came after, but the damage was already done. In Hegelian terms, the process goes as follows: Haley spends lavishly on drapery is the thesis; Haley did no such thing is the antithesis; the notion left of the Trump administration still being composed of spendthrifts is the synthesis. "Drapegate" demonstrates how little facts matter in reporting. If the narrative is strong enough, and if the dialectic remains consistent, no number of errors will break perception. "If it rings true, it is true," said journalist Michael Wolff when met with criticism about anecdotes and conjectures he included in his negative portrayal of the Trump White House, Fire and Fury. Wolff's book was a bestseller despite many of its fabulist accounts. Readers didn't much care that his reporting was unsubstantiated and, in some cases, clearly made up. Wolff painted a portrait of a bumbling administration that was already hung in the minds of the president's disparagers. He provided the thesis of an incompetent, mercurial commander-in-chief; the antithesis came in the form of questions raised about its authenticity; the synthesis is Wolff's unproven assertions being made into a television series that will further perpetuate his cooked up account. To get a sense of what direction the dialectic is going for any political occurrence, you need only consult Twitter, journalism's own fan fiction message board. It is on the blue check-marked digital diary that reporters let their imaginations run wild by testing messaging, floating ideas, and launching narratives in real time. On Twitter, where 280 characters are viewed as the optimal limit of human expression, the dialectic is established. New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who just easily swatted away a far-left primary opponent, ridiculed this dynamic upon victory. While boasting of his victory over a highly publicized challenger, Cuomo declared his win a "wave," citing the exceptionally large number of votes he received. His dominance, he asserted, was the real wave "on the numbers not on some Twittersphere dialogue where I tweet you, you tweet me, and between the two of us we think we have a wave." Silly Andy. Surely, he knows he shouldn't antagonize the narrative gods and their own Mount Olympus. That's the president's job, after all, and he's the only one who has been effective at it. As of this writing, the Twitter scribes are at it again, trying to scuttle the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. A woman has come forward alleging she was sexually assaulted by the circuit judge in high school. There is no evidence to corroborate her claim, and 65 women have testified on behalf of Kavanaugh's gentlemanly character. Journalists are taking the allegations seriously, despite California senator Dianne Feinstein making them public just before the confirmation vote, even though she was informed about them back in July. The thesis is established: Trump's Supreme Court nominee sexually assaulted a woman; the antithesis is the dearth of evidence backing up the accuser; the synthesis will be a permanent black mark that follows Kavanaugh around, even after he reaches the high court. The Hegelian farce of our journalism continues. "News is what a chap who doesn't care much about anything wants to read," wrote Evelyn Waugh. The only way to dispel false narratives is to care, and to think as well as read. Discernment is the best weapon against the dialectic. Pompeo announced the reasons for the lower cap which, naturally, did not suit those predisposed to demand much higher levels of refugee resettlement. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced yesterday that the U.S. would cap the number of refugees it will accept at 30,000. This is down from 45,000 the previous year and down considerably from the 110,000 refugees admitted during the last year of Obama's presidency. Politico: The administration argued last year that refugee resources should be employed to address a backlog of domestic asylum cases that ballooned to more 300,000 cases this year an argument repeated by Pompeo Monday. Unlike refugees, who apply from overseas, asylum seekers request protection after arriving in the U.S. ... Pompeo lumped refugee admissions with asylum cases in his remarks, saying the U.S. would aim to process the cases of 280,000 asylum seekers in the coming year. ... A former White House official familiar with the discussions told POLITICO that Pompeo internally argued to keep levels at 45,000, but apparently relented. ... Pompeo did not take questions from reporters after the announcement Monday. As he left a podium in the State Department Treaty Room, someone shouted, Has the U.S. lost its heart? No, we haven't lost our "heart." Nor have we lost our brains. No other country takes in as many asylum-seekers and legal immigrants as the U.S. No other country even comes close to the number of illegal aliens living permanently here. Every other nation on Planet Earth gets to decide its own immigration, refugee, and asylum policies. But whenever the U.S. seeks to apply a little common sense to the idea of who can come here and settle, all of a sudden, we've lost our heart. The very same people who demand that the U.S. not be the world's policeman want us to be the world's nanny. It doesn't make any sense, but then, "sense" has nothing to do with those who advocate that anyone and everyone who wants in should be allowed to live here. As for the refugee cap, apparently, the critics don't pay attention to what's happening in Europe. The E.U. now has strict quotas on refugees for every country, and most E.U. nations have cracked down hard on economic asylum-seekers. The results of recent elections in Europe show a massive pushback against the ultra-liberal refugee policies of E.U. nations with ordinary people ignoring the strident warnings from the media that nationalist parties are "racist" or "Nazis" and voting for them anyway. Some nations like Hungary have said enough is enough and are refusing to play ball with the E.U. on refugees. Their hugely popular prime minister, Viktor Orban, has endured the most vicious smear campaign, with the E.U. parliament condemning Hungary for being undemocratic. David Goldman at PJ Media: The notion that minorities, religious, sexual or otherwise, are under threat in Hungary is at variance with the facts; in the case of the Jews, as I reported in this space some months ago, it is diametrically opposite to the facts. Jewish life flourishes in Budapest as in no other European capital. Prime Minister Orban's crime in the eyes of the European Parliament may be just the opposite: He was elected for a third term last April 8 by a two-thirds majority, which makes him the most popular leader in Europe. In fact, he may be the only popular leader in Europe; I cannot think off-hand of another European head of government with a popularity rating of more than 40%. Germany's two ruling parties, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, together poll at just 46%. France's Emmanuel Macron stands at 31%. The two Italian populist parties, who have mutually incompatible agendas and entirely different constituencies, poll at around 30% each. Spain is ruled by a minority party. Britain's Theresa May polls around 25%. And then we have Viktor Orban, who has governed Hungary for eight years, long enough for the voters to get to know him, with an enormous popular majority. He gained the majority by good economic management (Hungary has a fast-growing economy and a labor shortage) and by opposing large-scale Muslim immigration against the efforts of the European Commission to impose this on Hungary. There are right-wing European radicals who should worry us, for example, Germany's Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). But Mr. Orban is not one of them; he is a Calvinist married to a Catholic with five children, whose model of a European politician is Germany's late Christian Democratic Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Mr. Orban's opponents claim that he has put his thumb on the scales by using state institutions to build media support for the government, but no one says that he has falsified votes or intimidated opponents. Opposition politics in Hungary is open and uninhibited. The unelected European Commission, with members appointed by governments that represent a minority of their voters, ordered Hungary to accept its quota of so-called refugees, and Hungary refused. Last year it ordered Poland to rescind a judicial reform that gives the elected legislature a modicum of authority over appointed judges, many of whom retain lifetime appointments from the Communist era. Poland and Hungary refused the imperial decree from the bureaucrats of Brussels, and for this, both countries faced the censure of the European Parliament. The wishes and desires of ordinary people don't count for much when E.U. elites engage in virtue-signaling. I don't agree entirely with Trump's immigration policies, but he's at least making an effort to bring some rationality to the issue. For too long, open border advocates have held sway in the media and in the halls of government. Getting control of our border, making reasonable decisions on whom we let in and whom we don't, is a refreshing break from the past and should be supported. Stabbed to death at the Gush Etzion Junction shopping center, Fuld left us in honor he was stabbed trying to save a female worker from an armed attacker. Ari, a proud father of four and a dedicated friend to many, was a resident of the Efrat settlement. As I write this, many Israeli, Jewish, and Arab friends are mourning the horrifying murder of Ari Fuld at the hands of a teenage terrorist. For those who knew Ari, his family was everything, just as his feelings for Israel were. This tragic terrorist act underscores everything that's wrong with the status quo and the "peace process." As I reflect on both Ari's life and Yom Kippur, I wonder what he would do or say if we asked him about his own demise and the soon to be proposed peace plan. I first met Ari in the summer of 2014. The black belt in karate was a gentle giant, making him warm and easy to talk to. Israelis treated him as a patriot, while his Arab neighbors treated him as a friend thanks to him helping them find work in the settlements. His work often took him to the mall and the spot where he fell. Since the mall is less than a mile away from my in-laws' Bethlehem home, I have visited it many times, and I can see in my mind where the attack took place. The stores are filled with merchandise, Palestinian women in hijabs pushing carts next to orthodox Jewish men and Arab workers earning a living alongside their Israeli counterparts. You also see cars with Palestinian license plates parked next to Israeli ones. Both come here for the selection and savings. Now I will always see blood out in front of my favorite store in the West Bank. I can also see the young terrorist, from the local Arab village of Yatta, who carried out the attack. He knew he would be able to enter the mall without being stopped by Israeli security because the mall does not discriminate it welcomes everyone, including Arabs, unlike what we hear from the propaganda machines of regional terror-mongers like the king of Jordan, the Muslim Brotherhood, the P.A., and Hamas. Everyone who knew Ari knew that he died in the land he loved. He didn't deserve to die this way, nor did his kids deserve to be orphaned. As the world contemplates major changes in the region that will hopefully lead to peace, and his friends mourn his loss, a tragic bell rings: enough is enough. The status quo cannot go on forever. This lunacy must stop, once and for all! It needs to be made clear that the 17-year-old terrorist didn't do this act unwittingly; he was born under the Oslo Accords and then brainwashed by the tyrannical Palestinian Authority that grew up from it. In fact, the killer was so brainwashed by the P.A. propaganda mill that he had not even finished high school before he decided to commit this murder. It also included him knowing that if he was killed or imprisoned, his family would receive a substantial stipend from one of the terrorist entities listed above, and if he died as a "martyr," he would bypass all the suffering and economic hardship brought upon Palestinians and find his reward in Heaven. That understood, I think Ari would agree with me that in the 25 years since Oslo, the agreement has brought everyone nothing but pain. The time has come to speak out against it: the Oslo agreement is dead; cannot be sustained; and is costing us lives, money, and resources. As my group and I are pushing for change in how we approach the peace agreements, I think Ari would agree that it's time that everyone accept that Palestinians and Jordanians are one people, and that no peace can really materialize without recognizing our human rights in Jordan, as it is, after all, our legitimate and sovereign homeland. Several facts support this claim. First, most Palestinians live in 78% of the "historically promised Palestine." Second, most West Bankers (including the Abbas family) hold Jordanian passports. Third, most Palestinians passionately hate the P.A. and openly yearn for the economic and political freedoms found in Israel. Fourth, over 70% of the Jordanian population is Palestinian in nature, not that there is any difference at all between us and our East Bank brothers, whom we love and with whom we share blood connections, faith, and soil. Finally, 1.1 million Jordanians of Palestinian heritage hold Israeli green or yellow cards, providing them with the right to return should they decide to claim that right. Nonetheless, they are not returning because they love Jordan. As the U.S. administration prepares to release its groundbreaking Peace Plan dubbed the Deal of the Century we have to ask what Ari would say about it. I believe that Ari would not only support peace between brothers as long as it is based on facts, truth, love, and moderation. I also believe that he would support what the media have reported: Israeli sovereignty and a confederation between Jordanians and Palestinians as one people. From what I know of the man in the White House, he fully understands Ari's vision of peace with his brothers. As such, I have never been more optimistic about the future of Palestinians/Jordanians and Israelis. Mudar Zahran is secretary general of the Jordanian Opposition Coalition. I'd open by saying "she's back," but she's never gone away. This week, Hillary takes to the pages of The Atlantic to continue her mission to "do all we can to save our democracy and heal our body politic." Hillary's five-point assault on all things Donald Trump begins with this: As I see it, there are five main fronts of this assault on our democracy. First, there is Donald Trump's assault on the rule of law. John Adams wrote that the definition of a republic is "a government of laws, and not of men." That ideal is enshrined in two powerful principles: No one, not even the most powerful leader, is above the law, and all citizens are due equal protection under the law. Those are big ideas, radical when America was formed and still vital today. The Founders knew that a leader who refuses to be subject to the law or who politicizes or obstructs its enforcement is a tyrant, plain and simple. Here's a fair telling, by Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal, of the kind of multi-tiered justice system Hillary prefers: If there is only "one set of rules," where is Mr. Mueller's referral of a case against Hillary for America? Federal law requires campaigns to disclose the recipient and purpose of any payments. The Clinton campaign paid Fusion GPS to compile a dossier against Mr. Trump, a document that became the basis of the Russia narrative Mr. Mueller now investigates. But the campaign funneled the money to law firm Perkins Coie, which in turn paid Fusion. The campaign falsely described the money as payment for "legal services." The Democratic National Committee did the same. A Perkins Coie spokesperson has claimed that neither the Clinton campaign nor the DNC was aware that Fusion GPS had been hired to conduct the research, and maybe so. But a lot of lawyers here seemed to have been ignoring a clear statute, presumably with the intent of influencing an election. This doesn't even touch on the hundreds of thousands of emails found on Anthony Weiner's laptop that the FBI never even examined. Point 2 Second, the legitimacy of our elections is in doubt. There's Russia's ongoing interference and Trump's complete unwillingness to stop it or protect us. There's voter suppression, as Republicans put onerous and I believe illegal requirements in place to stop people from voting. There's gerrymandering, with partisans these days, principally Republicans drawing the lines for voting districts to ensure that their party nearly always wins. All of this carries us further away from the sacred principle of "one person, one vote." Onerous requirements like voter ID. Another example of Democrats infantilizing black and Hispanic voters as not having the wherewithal to acquire the most basic of documentation necessary to live a normal and productive life. As U.S. citizens, my children couldn't get drivers' permits without birth certificates and Social Security cards, yet Hillary feels as though anyone who can make it to the polls should have the right to vote just as she believes that anyone who can make it to our shores is entitled to all the benefits our great nation has to offer. She clearly states "one person, one vote." Not one citizen, one vote. And naturally, it's "principally Republicans" doing all of the gerrymandering. Her party is so far above such petty political manipulations just to win elections. Like this and this. Christopher Ingraham writes in the Washington Post about Maryland: For a sense of the extent of the Democrat-drawn gerrymander, consider this: In 2016, Republican candidates won 37 percent of the statewide two-party vote for U.S. House seats. But because of the way Democrats drew district boundaries after the 2010 Census, that translated to just one of the state's eight House seats. Because Democrats decided to give themselves another Congressional seat. As Mother Jones describes it, "Democrats added a strange-looking appendage to the district, reaching all the way down into the affluent Washington DC, suburbs to scoop up Democratic voters. More than 360,000 people were moved out of the district, and nearly as many were moved in. It went from solidly Republican to reliably Democratic; the Cook Political Report identified it as the biggest district swing in the country." Shh. Don't tell Hillary. We can't risk shattering her illusions of her and her party as paragons of purity and virtue. Point 3 Third, the president is waging war on truth and reason. Earlier this month, Trump made 125 false or misleading statements in 120 minutes, according to The Washington Post a personal record for him (at least since becoming president). To date, according to the paper's fact-checkers, Trump has made 5,000 false or misleading claims while in office and recently has averaged 32 a day. Ah...the "Democracy Dies in Darkness" Washington Post. If they said it, it must be true. Except here, here, here, and here, for just a few examples. Where do these people get their stories CNN? Hillary's own struggles with "truth and reason" are far too legion for me to even begin to try to catalog here, so I'll let William Safire provide a primer from the New York Times (and this was 22 years ago). Point 4 Fourth, there's Trump's breathtaking corruption. Considering that this administration promised to "drain the swamp," it's amazing how blithely the president and his Cabinet have piled up conflicts of interest, abuses of power, and blatant violations of ethics rules. Pot, meet kettle? This may be the most laughable and blatantly hypocritical charge of all here. The Clintons have advanced the practice of monetizing "public service" from an art to a science. Cattle futures, Whitewater, Uranium One, Clinton Foundation, Haiti. I don' have enough space to cover the tip of the Clinton graft iceberg here. Donald Trump was wealthy beyond imagination before entering politics. Bill and Hillary Clinton weren't. They epitomize the old adage "they came to Washington to do good and ended up doing very well indeed." As more and more evidence trickles out daily, the abuses of power conducted by the Obama administration with the help of Hillary's opposition research smear are well on their way to becoming the standard by which all future banana republic-style "tyranny" will be measured. Point 5 Fifth, Trump undermines the national unity that makes democracy possible. Trump doesn't even try to pretend he's a president for all Americans. It's hard to ignore the racial subtext of virtually everything Trump says. Hillary has a name for members of her disfavored constituencies: basket of deplorables. Hillary, like Barack Obama before her, is essentially a one-trick pony, and that one trick is identity politics. Nothing could be more toxic to "national unity," yet they will beat that horse until it can no longer stumble out of the gate, all the while accusing their opponents of undermining national unity. That Donald Trump has done more to improve the lives of black and Hispanic Americans, those who suffered the most during the Obama years, than any president since Ronald Reagan is indisputable. They are waking up not only to this truth, but to the lies Democrats have been telling them for decades in greater and greater numbers, as can be seen here. I can think of no two human beings with less self-awareness than Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Reading her self-serving screed here is much like listening to any one of his speeches. Trump is delivering the "hope and change" these two promised but did nothing to facilitate and in fact did everything in their power to retard. That he is doing it under the guise of "making America great again" is just more reason for these petty partisan has-beens and their American-hating media sycophants to hate him even more. Carl heads out for his first day at work, and Elsa is baking a cake to surprise her husband. But when Carl gets home, he finds a smoke-filled trailer; a burning cake; and his wife beaten and assaulted, in a catatonic state. The police have no leads on the assailant, and Carl's frustration and anger build. The first episode of Alfred Hitchcock's TV series was titled " Revenge ." The story opens with Carl and Elsa Spann, a recently married couple who move into a trailer by the sea. Elsa has suffered a nervous breakdown, the seaside her therapy. The next day, Carl takes Elsa away. They're driving through town when Elsa points to a man walking on the sidewalk. "There he is! That's him!" Carl parks and follows the man to his room, where he bludgeons the stranger to death. He goes back to the car and drives away. Then Elsa points to another man: "There he is! That's him!" The scene closes on Carl's shocked expression as he realizes what he's done. How did this happen? Well, Carl witnessed the results of the attack, saw proof of the crime. And he had no reason to doubt his wife, not to believe her. Sadly, in today's court of public opinion, there doesn't even have to be evidence of a crime. And the crime need not be current. Without proof, can a man still be held accountable for committing a crime? You betcha. The left demands that all female accusers be believed, a mandate antithetical to the Constitution. Leftists claim that every accusation earns full credibility due to the "seriousness of the charge," regardless of proof or lack thereof. So the Democrat media run with the accusation, parading politicians from both sides who gravely pronounce the accusation credible, serious. Just like that, the left has found its political MOAB. This brings us to Judge Kavanaugh, a man with a sterling reputation and impeccable credentials yet now under the #MeToo shadow. Christine Blasey Ford claims that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party in the 1980s, when they were in their teens. Judge Kavanaugh holds a reputation for "treating women with particular courtesy and respect." Yet we're told to believe that this gentle soul turned into a merciless sexual predator in private. Not only that, but he only transformed that one time. Sixty-five women who went to high school with Kavanaugh wrote a glowing testament to his character. Plus, the other guy named in Ford's story, Mark Judge who purportedly broke up the Kavanaugh attack, told the Weekly Standard, "It's just absolutely nuts. I never saw Brett act that way." The left's response to Judge's denial is to attack him. At the same time leftists are smearing the witness for Kavanaugh, media prop up the accuser, tell us we have to believe the woman in every instance, cannot smear the accuser. Back to Carl and Elsa Spann. Unlike in the #MeToo movement, there is undeniable evidence of the crime: Carl's battered wife left in a catatonic state. The crime is fresh in Carl's mind; he knows beyond a doubt that the assault has happened. So once Elsa positively identifies her assailant, Carl doesn't want to wait years for this guy to play the justice system or take a chance that this monster will get off. He has to act. Except he kills the wrong man. Carl would have known that had he waited minutes until his wife accused the next man. It would have definitely come out if there'd been a trial. Whereas Carl didn't wait because he was sure the man was guilty, the left won't wait because it suspects that the man is innocent. It's blatantly clear that this woman, Christine Blasey Ford, is the Democrats' "insurance policy" to keep Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court. Senator Feinstein held this letter and kept the writer anonymous right up to the vote. The only other "witness," Mark Judge, categorically denies that it ever happened. And the woman can't even remember the exact date of this life-changing event. Just as Carl acted out of revenge, so the Washington establishment has a score to settle. Democrats want revenge for Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. Republicans, citing the Biden Rule, refused to hold confirmation hearings for Garland and waited for the election to consider a nominee. Oh, and there's the matter of Trump winning the White House, defeating the Bush and Clinton dynasties and disrupting their coup. They will never forgive, never forget. So they'll keep trotting out victims from a nominee's or candidate's high school, grade school, kindergarten...whatever it takes. The Washington establishment will keep straight faces as they sanctimoniously demand justice, insist that all women must be believed, that the charges are too "serious" to ignore. Another conservative threat, another Elsa proxy to knowingly point to any man who dares to defy the left: "There he is! That's him!" As the Kavanaugh episode unfolds, the story of Keith Ellison is largely unnoticed. As you may remember, there are some allegations against him. This is from a mid-August news report : The latest episode of "Borking" makes me as sick as the first one in 1987. Nevertheless, this is what Democrats do to win. On Saturday night, the son of Ellison's ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan wrote a lengthy Facebook post saying that he saw a video of Ellison grabbing his mother and swearing at her in a bedroom. This is the second time Ellison has been publicly accused of domestic violence. Another woman, Amy Louise Alexander, spoke out in 2006, going public with her account that Ellison verbally abused her while they were having an affair. She also said he grabbed and pushed her during an argument. Ellison denied even having a relationship with her. There are several similarities between the accounts: Both women were involved in Minnesota progressive politics, and they described Ellison losing his temper and using threats, verbal harassment, and violence. But unlike other cases in the #MeToo era, where media outlets, in many cases, have asserted that women endured sexual harassment, assault, or other abusive behavior, the media has been much more ambivalent about asserting whether the claims are reliable. Ellison is entitled to justice. However, he is being accused by adults, and there are witnesses on the record. In the Kavanaugh case, we have an incident that happened in the early 1980s. What happens now? The GOP has to stick together and not allow Judge Kavanaugh to be destroyed like this. As far as the midterms, the GOP voter will be furious if the party cracks at this critical moment. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. ... told Fox News exclusively on Monday that he believes President Trump's order to declassify several documents related to the FBI Russia investigation will expose the "insurance policy" that was referred to in text messages between FBI figures Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Like a fabulously successful reality TV producer who saves the dramatic climax of his series for sweeps week, President Trump has pulled the trigger on declassification and release of unredacted documents and text messages previously hidden from public scrutiny. Rep. Devin Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, who has seen the full documents: Fired FBI director James Comey's text messages are also to be released. Politico: President Donald Trump moved on Monday to immediately release a tranche of former FBI Director James Comey's text messages and declassify 20 pages of a surveillance application that targeted former campaign adviser Carter Page, Trump's latest offensive against a Russia investigation that has ensnared associates and has consumed his attention for much of his presidency. The breadth of the order came as a surprise[.] ... Trump also called for the release of senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr's notes related to the Russia probe. Ohr was a key conduit to the FBI for information provided by Christopher Steele, a former British spy who investigated Trump's relationship with Russia during the 2016 campaign and produced a dossier of damaging allegations which Trump has derided as false. Nunes elaborated on the release last night: "A lot of people think that the insurance policy was getting the FISA warrant on [former Trump campaign aide] Carter Page," he told Laura Ingraham, host of "The Ingraham Angle." "We actually believe it was more explicit than that." Nunes obviously has something in mind, about which he cannot speak at the moment. That may be why he and others have requested the declassification: White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump had ordered the documents released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Justice Department "[a]t the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency." One indicator of the impact that release of the documents could have is the response of Adam Schiff: Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump's "selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team and thinks will advance a false narrative" is a "clear abuse of power," and based on his conversations with federal law enforcement officials, the FBI and Justice Department see the release of these unredacted documents as "a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods." There probably are a bunch of red lines that were crossed by the conspirators setting up the "insurance policy." Schiff will have ample time to point to sources and methods he purports would be compromised once the documents are released. But he may come up as short on that as he has on his claims of "ample evidence" of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign. A blast from the past (last February): There is "ample evidence" that the Trump campaign colluded with Russians, but only special counsel Robert Mueller can decide if it's enough to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday. "There is already, in my view, ample evidence in the public domain on the issue of collusion if you're willing to see it," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, told reporters at a newsmaker breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "If you want to blind yourself, then you can look the other way." And last March: Mr. President, the Committee reached no such conclusion only Republicans. In fact, we did find evidence of collusion, despite GOP members being more interested in protecting you than learning the truth. When accusing others of lying, best not to misrepresent facts yourself. https://t.co/fIuKPGyEN1 Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 17, 2018 He should supply this "evidence" to Bob Woodward, currently the darling of Trump-haters: To paraphrase Agent Smith of The Matrix: "You hear that, South Africa? That is the sound of inevitability. It is the sound of your death. Goodbye, South Africa." There appears to be no stopping the descent. And as S.A. goes, so goes the continent. Dave Blount posts an eye-opening piece on the current status of S.A. in his blog, Moonbattery. The tragedy unfolding in South Africa is relevant to all of us because it indicates the fate of the West in general if political and demographic trends continue. However, few people in the USA have any understanding of South Africa and its history other than the narrative the liberal media hammered through people's heads during its campaign to bring down Apartheid. He cites horrific details of brutal torture, rape, and murder of white citizens (primarily farmers in the north regions) at the hands of black mobs that are rarely brought to justice by the socialist ANC government. The S.A. constitution is in the process of being revised to allow the government to seize any lands owned by white farmers without compensation, which will inevitably lead to greater bloodshed. Dave further reports: Seventy-one percent of children live in households where no one is employed. Fewer work than receive welfare. Democracy under these circumstances is a dysfunctional form of slavery. The state is failing. The straightforward communism that Apartheid defended against is only a step away. You can't bring this topic up in public, as you will be branded a racist and a liar for lying about the black-on-white violence in S.A. Everyone is getting along fine there, you see. None of the leftist news outlets report any of this, so lefties don't believe that it is happening. The media won't touch the forbidden topics of failing socialism, rising communism, and black racism. However, five years or so from now, after the bloodbath of whites is over and abject poverty and violence are inflicted on the black population, it will be impossible to ignore. Everyone will be "surprised" and "shocked" by the developments there. None of it will be blamed on black racism or socialism, of course. All you will see will be TV ads with sad music, showing poor black children. "Won't you help save the starving children of South Africa?" the pleading voice will say. "For only $19 a month you can feed and clothe a child." Dems in Congress will demand that billions in taxpayer funds go to the newly evolved communist government of S.A., to feed the poor, of course. Inevitably, the citizens will remain in poverty and starvation while the leaders of S.A. mysteriously become fabulously wealthy. You don't have to be a California psychic to know that this is exactly what will happen, because it is a recurring sociopolitical phenomenon. Communism is rapidly gaining strength in Africa, with the ardent assistance of Russia and China, and is likely to consume the entire continent. As Africa goes, so goes the world? Andrew Thomas, http://darkangelpolitics.com Speaking of thousands of deaths, let's look at the Obama record... Since the media seem to think computer-generated deaths are more important than actual deaths in the case of Puerto Rico's death toll, and they're doing the same thing now in the case of Hurricane Florence, and they call President Trump a liar when he uses what were actual published numbers, I have some ideas on computer-generated reports that would keep think-tanks busy for a long time. I am sure that most of the media would be anxious to regurgitate these reports without questions. How many deaths were caused, related to, or can be predicted because of President Obama and his administration? Lost track of guns with Fast & Furious. Prematurely pulled 100% of troops out from Iraq. Underestimated ISIS by calling it the J.V. team. Didn't enforce the fictitious red line in Syria. Said Syria got rid of its chemical weapons and trusted Putin to be the monitor. Wouldn't give Ukraine weapons so it could defend itself against Russia. Blamed Benghazi on a video instead of telling the truth that terrorists were the cause. Went along with the fictional "hands up, don't shoot" narrative in collusion with the media. Gave Iran, the biggest state sponsor of terrorism, and the nation that still pledges death to America and death to Israel, hundreds of billions of dollars, and there wasn't even a signed deal. Addendum: How many more will die now that former secretary of state John Kerry is telling Iran to ignore the U.S. with Trump at the helm and wait for more suckers like Obama and him to get back in the White House for more appeasement? Ordered the Justice Department to stop an investigation into a drug-running operation by the terrorist group Hezb'allah to appease Iran. (Think-tanks can count deaths on two fronts with this bunch: from opiates and from terror.) Refused to enforce immigration laws and allowed sanctuary cities and states to ignore laws Congress passed, allowing dangerous illegal aliens and gang members to roam free. (The think-tanks should put a multiplier on this report, as the longer this lawlessness goes on, the more people will die.) Delivered a fifth of America's uranium supply to Russia. (Future tense, yes, but I believe the potential number of deaths could be exponential.) How many dangerous criminals and terrorists have remained free as intelligence agencies, the Justice Department, and the FBI spent so much time illegally targeting Americans, protecting Hillary and others from prosecution, and trying to take out Trump? How many additional people died following the passage of Obamacare, since life expectancy "unexpectedly" went down after that was passed? How many additional deaths occurred because Democrats rewarded hospitals with bonuses if they didn't readmit patients (can we say "death panels")? We get fictitious computer-generated reports of how many additional people will die if Obamacare is repealed, but we don't see reports as to how many actually died because of higher mortality rates, such as with this story here. Moving beyond Obama, but still in the wheelhouse of the left, how many people are homeless and a danger to themselves and society because the left in years past thought it was a good idea to close mental health facilities in the 1960s and 1970s? The NYT recognized in 1984 that the program was a failure, yet this story is rarely covered when mentally ill people (who are responsible for many killings) go in and shoot up innocent people. Instead, the media and Democrats blame the guns because they always blame the guns, even though almost all gun-owners are law abiding. How many people die prematurely because Democrats seek policies to keep people in poverty and dependent on government instead of giving them the opportunity to move up the economic ladder? How depressing is it when there is no motivation to move up, and if you happen to succeed, you are told you didn't build that and that the greedy government will confiscate a greater and greater share because it knows how to spend the money better than you? How many people in poor underdeveloped countries die early because they are discouraged from developing and using fossil fuels? We know that life expectancy has gone from around 50 to around 80 in the last 160 years where fossil fuels have been developed, so why don't we get a study of how many lives are saved by fossil fuels? Instead, we get garbage predictions based on computer models of how many might die because of a few degrees of warming. How many additional deaths occur because lenient Democrat judges let career criminals and gang members roam the streets? How many deaths by illegals, deaths by gang members, and children killed in Chicago got less coverage by networks and other media outlets because they were so focused on the fictional ghost of Russian collusion? How many stories will the media write based on computer models, whether about climate change or deaths from hurricanes, with no questions instead of reporting based on actual facts? Finally, since the media have little interest, how many additional computers were hacked because Obama gave a stand down order in the summer of 2016 to his cyber-security chief? Why would a president stop this investigation as the Justice Department and intelligence agencies thought it was so serious that they needed to spy on Trump and his associates and infiltrate his campaign with informants? These are questions the press and the think-tanks will never consider. Ironically, Mr. Galvin himself is a rogue dealer, dealing out fines to the brokerage industry in one state that rival the total of fines imposed on a national level. On November 6, voters in Massachusetts will gather to decide the commonwealth's next secretary of state and subsequently the direction of its financial future. Since 1995, incumbent William Galvin has occupied the office, utilizing the full weight of its power to crush what he calls "fraud in the finance industry," "scam artists," and "rogue dealers." Over the course of 2012, Mr. Galvin, with a staff of just 26, fined broker-dealers of Massachusetts securities a whopping $56 million, according to Investment News, while the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which regulates all 50 states with a staff of approximately 3,000, fined broker-dealers just $78.2 million. In specific examples, Mr. Galvin hit Citigroup Global Markets with a $2-million fine in October of 2012, and again with a $30-million fine in October 2013, stating, "If $2 million didn't do it, maybe $30 million will." By contrast, in 2012, state securities regulators themselves levied fines of $115 million nationwide, meaning that Mr. Galvin's 2012 fines in Massachusetts alone approximated a staggering 48% of state fines against the securities industry in 2012 across the board. While Secretary Galvin's intentions may seem noble and designed to protect the "little guy" at first glance, they do far more harm to consumers than good. In a more recent case, investment firm Scottrade was targeted by Massachusetts state regulators in February for supposedly violating the "Fiduciary Rule," which requires financial advisers to act in the "best interest" of their clients. As for Scottrade's "sin," the firm offered weekly cash prizes for making additional cold calls to clients, including those enrolled in retirement accounts. Predictably, Mr. Galvin's reaction to the incident was to call on Scottrade to return profits gained from the activities and to seek, as usual, an "undisclosed administrative fine." According to Robert Schmansky, the founder of Clear Financial Advisors, governmental assaults on the brokerage industry will serve only to restrict consumer access to financial advising. "I've been warning about the certainty that the DOL's Fiduciary Rule will eventually lead to fewer firms, less access for advice (true advice, not robo-advisor rebalancing services), and no innovation as the regulatory and intellectual classes determine what products and services investors will be allowed to use rather than the market," Schmansky wrote in Forbes. "The Massachusetts case is just the latest example of regulation and calls by proponents setting the tone for the Fiduciary Rule is set to do untold harm to smaller and more innovative firms, while showing no real harm done to investors," he continued. Furthermore, the Fiduciary Rule was ultimately killed by the Fifth Circuit Court in June, declaring that the federal government had "overreached" in its mission and rendering the vendetta against financial advisers fruitless. Mr. Galvin's actions represent a misguided assault against an industry that does tangible good, providing long-term retirement solutions and bolstering incomes while taking pressure off the government to provide financial assistance. In a generation where entitlements like Social Security are predicted to lower benefits 21% by 2034, the government should be giving the financial industry all the help it can. Voters in Massachusetts should weigh Mr. Galvin's record in mind when they head to the polls this November. Otherwise, American consumers and business-owners will continue to bear the brunt of his vendetta against the financial industry. CHOETECH is back with yet another product, this time the companys Type-C to Type-A USB cables are discounted on eBay. If you opt to take CHOETECH up on this offer, you will be able to get two such cables or only $1.99. These two cables are different in length, though, you will get a 1m and a 2m cable as part o this package, and as you can see in the provided image, these are black-colored cables. The company claims that these cables are extremely durable, as they were submitted to some serious testing before CHOETECH decided to make them available to consumers. CHOETECH says that the band can be twisted in a number of ways over 5,000 times, while these cables can take over 100,000 port insertions and removals. These cables will be compatible with pretty much every USB Type-C smartphone out there, including the Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, Note 9, Huawei P20, P20 Pro, Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, and so on. Same goes for computers, actually, you can use this with your Windows laptop, MacBook, and even Nintendo Switch, if you want. These cables support data transfer up to 480Mbps, while they also support fast charging. Do keep in mind that the fast charging option will not work with all phones, though, it will not work with either of Googles Pixel or Nexus devices, for example. These cables are protected by high-quality plastic on the outside, and if youre interested in grabbing them for only $1.99, a purchase link has been included down below. Do keep in mind, however, that quantities are not unlimited, CHOETECH has told us that there are 300 bundles available for those of you who are interested. The company has also added that shipping is free from a US warehouse, via USPS. Advertisement Buy CHOETECH's USB-C to USB-A cables (2-pack) In short: Samsungs first foldable Android smartphone will break industry conventions in a wide variety of ways, including its use of toughened cover glass. While Cornings Gorilla Glass series is now essentially the go-to solution for virtually every major phone maker in the industry, the unique form factor of its bendable device saw Samsung opt for a different supplier of such modules, with Korean media now reporting that role was ultimately given to Japanese chemical company Sumitomo Chemical. As the firm doesnt have an established manufacturing line for such products, its expected to have its designs produced by a third party. Background: While Corning already developed foldable cover glass prototypes, Samsung may have been looking for a more customized solution while finalizing the list of component suppliers for its seminal Android handset. Sumitomo and Samsung have been working together for years, with the latters President and COO Masakazu Tokura confirming the Japanese firm is providing Samsung with touchscreen panels during an investor Q&A event held two years ago. Korean manufacturer Kolon Industries is also said to have been in consideration along with Sumitomo but lost out on the foldable phone contract for unknown reasons. Samsung is willing to reconsider the company in the future as it expands its bendable handset family to more models, industry insiders claimed earlier today. Impact: Corning is unlikely to feel the effect of being ditched by Samsungs foldable phone project in the near term given how the device in question is unlikely to even clear a million lifetime sales and the American tech company will still get a chance to win over the worlds largest handset maker with bendable cover glass in the future. Regardless, the upcoming Android device expected to be announced in November is likely to see Samsung and its suppliers pioneer a broad range of technologies such as consumer-grade flexible batteries and bendable OLED displays. In short: Huawei and ZTE are a clear threat to the Western world, according to Mick Hagen, CEO of decentralized app platform Mainframe. In an interview with AndroidHeadlines, the industry veteran asserted its well established that major tech firms in China do not operate with any independence of the government, pointing to Nortel as an example of a massive Western firm going out of business due to trade secret theft thats widely suspected to have been sponsored by Beijing. In a span of less than a decade, Nortel went from being the largest telecom equipment maker on the North American continent to bankruptcy, with numerous security experts suggesting Huawei was likely stealing its proprietary technologies with targeted hacks. Huaweis rise tracks perfectly with Nortels collapse, which left pensioners, shareholders, and former employees with enormous losses, Mr. Hagen recalled. Background: Huawei often argued its an employee-owned company that isnt any more susceptible to being controlled by Beijing than Western companies are prone to government interference and in some ways, its correct, according to the Mainframe CEO. Telecom companies in the U.S. are fully complicit with the mass surveillance of the U.S. government, the executive asserted, pointing to the 2016 presidential election as evidence that power quickly changes hands even on the worlds largest political stage and no one can be certain their rights and wellbeing wont fall in the crossfire of national interests while being part of such a rapidly changing landscape. We shouldnt need to trust that this power wont be abused. Simply put, these mechanisms with enormous potential for abuse shouldnt exist, Mr. Hagen concluded. Credible reports about U.S. government surveillance go well beyond Edward Snowdens whistleblowing efforts from 2013 and continue emerging to this date. Impact: Washington is unlikely to change its position on Huawei and ZTE anytime soon, especially following the latters disastrous fallout with the Commerce Department that took a personal intervention from President Trump to save it from bankruptcy. All telecom companies from China are hence expected to continue being blocked from doing large-scale business in the country for the time being and maintain their claims that the U.S. government doesnt allow for fair competition, a sentiment that officials from the Far Eastern country themselves repeated on numerous occasions in recent years. Critics of Beijing are quick to call for China to allow the likes of Ericsson and Nokia to enter its telecom market if healthy competition is all its concerned about, with both sides hence remaining at an impasse. The LG Q8 announced in Korea in August might arrive in the United States after all, as an application pushed forward to the FCC by the companys USA branch recently emerged from the regulatory agency. The FCC label actually mentions a total of six model numbers, all of which share the same LM-Q850 prefix, suggesting that the device could be planned for release in multiple other regions or possibly through several U.S. carriers. Nevertheless, the application itself seems to be focused more on the LM-850FA model number, suggesting that this could be the unlocked variant planned for a stateside release. The smartphones availability outside of Korea has yet to be officially confirmed by the OEM, and the device hasnt even been released in its home country as of right now. The LG Q8 (2017) wasnt picked up by U.S. carriers last year, however, the new model is a completely different device that has very little in common with its predecessor, sans the moniker. While last years model was positioned in the upper mid-range segment, the new LG Q8 unveiled in Korea last month is a pure mid-range device, complete with the Snapdragon 450 chipset from Qualcomm as opposed to the Snapdragon 820. Furthermore, the upcoming LG Q8 has a completely different design and doesnt have a secondary display, but instead adopts a taller 18:9 image format, rounded display corners, thinner bezels, and a glass back panel, while also accommodating a stylus in its frame. In Korea, the device was announced with a 6.2-inch display featuring a pixel count of 2,160 by 1,080, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of flash memory expandable through a microSD card slot. The new model also dropped one of the two main cameras in favor of a single unit but retains a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner similar to last years entry. As for its pricing, time will tell what prospective customers in the U.S. might have to pay for the device, assuming that it will indeed launch stateside. In Korea, the latest LG Q8 was announced along with a price tag of 539,000 won ($479) which would place the device in a similar price range as some popular mid-rangers such as the Moto Z3. Smartphone prices are traditionally somewhat higher in South Korea compared to the U.S., so the story might be different outside of the OEMs homeland. The LG Q8 is expected to launch in Korea this October and it remains to be seen if LG has any plans to bring the device stateside. In short: Verizon has been throttling the unlimited plan of a family that had just been devastated by Hurricane Florence, which hit the east coast in the past few days. The user posted on Reddit under the name AbeFroman21 and stated that he is from Eastern North Carolina, and was hit hard by the hurricane. He and his family does not have any power, and thus no internet. And they have been using their phones to check their email and check Facebook for updates from the community. But he saw that both he and his wife were unable to refresh their Email inbox or check Facebook. Thinking it was some sort of data outage, they went to a larger town and called Verizon. Come to find out, they have been throttled. But Verizon did say that if they upgraded to a higher-tier plan, they could get unthrottled. Background: Verizon, among other carriers, have been offering free data, calls and texts to those affected by Hurricane Florence. But apparently, that is not stopping Verizon from throttling those users in that area. Which is unfortunate, and this actually happened with the recent wildfires in California. Where Verizon throttled the data on a firefighters account, who was out there battling the wildfires. Verizon apologized and created a data plan that will never be throttled, and was specifically for first responders. But here we are again with Verizon throttling a users data plan, in the midst of a natural disaster. Impact: Throttling users data that are in the affected area of Hurricane Florence is not the kind of press that Verizon wants (or needs, after the wildfires throttling story). It also really affects those in that affected area. As of right now, there are around 570,000 people that are still without power in North and South Carolina. Which also means theres no internet at their home, and they need to rely on their wireless carriers 4G LTE network to check things and stay up-to-date with whats going. But when youre throttled, that makes it impossible. MadridThe United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for the promotion of truth, justice, reparation, and the guarantee of non-repetition, Argentinean Fabian Salvioli, described the decision to exhume dictator Francisco Franco from the Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen) as "positive", and urged the government of PM Pedro Sanchez to take more steps in defense of the victims of the dictatorship. He said this in a statement to journalists at the doors of the Spanish parliament, where he was accompanied by the parliamentary groups of Podemos, ERC, and the PNB, as well as Compromis and EH Bildu. Salvioli stressed that the exhumation of the dictator is "a positive step" and recalled that his predecessor in office, Colombian Pablo de Greiff, had already pointed out in his previous visit to Spain in 2014 that steps needed to be taken in this direction to, among other things, give new meaning to the Valle de los Caidos so that it does not continue to be a "shameful" monument for victims of the Franco regime. But it is a step, according to Salvioli, that must be "continued" in other areas, which include the need to make "full reparations" to all victims, "to avoid getting in the way of" the complaints being filed in others countries such as Argentina, and to comply with the obligation to extradite or prosecute those responsible for violations of human rights committed during the dictatorship. "There is no impediment" "There is no impediment in national or international law to try and convict those responsible [for the crimes of the Franco regime]," said the UN rapporteur before meeting with the lower chambers intergroup on historical memory. Salvioli also attended Congress on Tuesday to give a lecture on the situation of impunity for the crimes of the dictatorship and the Civil War in Spain in relation to the directives that the previous UN rapporteur, Pablo de Greiff, had delivered to the Mariano Rajoy government four years earlier. His intention, according to the media, is to "cooperate" on the subject of historical memory to emphasize the measures that Spain must take to guarantee memory, justice, reparations, and non-repetition guarantees to victims of the dictatorship. Musser joined the company in September 2017 and over the past year has positioned Boeing Communications for continued growth and success. For more than a decade first as a consultant and then as a member of our Executive Council Phil has brought passion, creativity, energy and a digital mindset to Boeing Communications, said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. Hes made meaningful contributions to the company, leading important new investments in our social media strategy and digital and analytics capabilities and driving a new Boeing brand platform. Were sorry to see him go, but he has made Boeing Communications stronger and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. Toulouse joined Boeing in 1989 as media relations manager in Huntington Beach, Calif., at what was then McDonnell Douglas. In 1996, she served as director of Communications at the same location, leading media relations, advertising, employee communications, community relations and marketing communications efforts. From 1999 through 2005, she served as vice president, Corporate Identity and Advertising, followed by the roles of vice president, Business Operations, from 2005 through 2008, and vice president of Employee Communications, from 2008 through 2014 when she assumed her current job. Anne brings nearly 30 years of diverse company experience to the role, including leadership positions in media relations, employee communications, and global brand management and advertising, among other key areas, said Muilenburg. Shes a natural leader whos committed to functional excellence, developing our people and serving our customers needs. Jet Aviation is providing round-the-clock flight support services to employees of Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company based in Dhahran, as they transit through Yanbus Prince Abdul Mohsin Bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport. The company is also pleased to welcome to Yanbu all of its business aviation customers traveling in the region. We have experienced increasing demand for passenger assistance at Prince Abdul Mohsin Bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport and have expanded our service offering to ensure clients receive properly coordinated ground handling services that meet their needs, said Khaled Al-Ghamdi, general manager of Jet Aviation in Saudi Arabia. Jet Aviation's ground handling services at Yanbu include passenger and baggage handling, immigration and customs clearance, transportation, hotel and catering coordination, aircraft refueling, cleaning and turnaround assistance. Do it yourself if you can We accept in principle that private equity can deliver (somewhat) excess returns over most other asset classes. But there are a lot of qualifications attached to that, and most of them are very relevant to whether and how pension funds should invest in private equity. A trial date has been set for October in a case brought by the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority against local woman Amanda Tucker. APCHA is seeking to evict Tucker from her unit, claiming she failed to disclose Social Security Income. Tucker is planning to file a pretrial motion claiming APCHA has no basis to throw her out of her two-bedroom apartment at the Aspen Country Inn. The Early Bird offer on tickets to the Legal Tech Summit will end this Friday, making this the final week for Australasian Lawyer readers to save on registrations. Join the Summit discussion. The one-day summit will see partners from some of the major international and local law firms share their insights on the future of law. Hear from Allen & Overy, Allens, Ashurst, Maddocks and Gilbert + Tobin, plus there will be a live hack conducted by a certified ethical hacker and tips on privacy and cyber security from Baker McKenzie. The use of Android will this time extend far beyond the simple inclusion of Android Auto into the cars produced by the three. Googles operating system will be combined with the cloud based information tool to provide what is supposed to be the epitome of infotainment suites.As a result of an agreement signed by the Alliance with Google, navigation in their future cars will be done using Google Maps, while the Google Play Store will be the place to go find a rich ecosystem of automotive apps.Some of the features in these cars will be controllable through the Google Assistant, a tool which would ultimately allow drivers to control features in their cars while using only their voices.The integration of Android with the cloud systems developed by the three will allow for the installation of over-the-air updates, as well as facilitate running vehicle diagnostics when needed.Those worrying that their Apple phones wont be compatible with Android-based Nissans need to not do that, as the Japanese say the integration will be compatible with iOS and other smartphone operating systems.With the integration of the Android platform into our infotainment systems, we are adding a new level of intelligence to our connected vehicles, said in a statement Kal Mos, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliances man in charge with connected vehicles.With Google Maps and the Google Assistant embedded in Alliance infotainment systems, our customers will have some of the most advanced AI based applications at their fingertips.Adding Android is one of the main tools alliance executives hope to use in reaching the target of 14 million units sold a year by the end of 2022. That plan also includes the launch of 12 new electric vehicles. An Israeli airstrike against an Iranian weapons cache in Syria last night has ended with the downing of a Russian military plane and the death of its 15 crew members. Why it matters: The incident has created the most serious crisis between Israel and Russia since President Putin sent his army to Syria in September 2015. Israeli officials are concerned the incident will break the close coordination with the Russians in Syria and limit Israel's freedom of operation against Iranian entrenchment in the country. The big picture: In the last three years, Israel and Russia have built an effective coordination mechanism in Syria to ensure deconfliction between both countries' militaries. In those three years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have also built a very close relationship and reached several sets of understandings regarding Syria. What we're hearing: Israel's main concern in Syria was Iranian military entrenchment that would give the Iranians a base for attacks against the country. Israeli officials told me Netanyahu describes the understandings with the Russians by saying that, "As long as we don't topple the Assad regime and as long as we dont hit Russian soldiers, Putin doesn't have a problem with what we do in Syria." According to those understandings, Israel fired off more than 200 airstrikes in Syria in the last three years with the Russians almost always looking the other way. Meanwhile, relations between Putin and Netanyahu only grew stronger. What happened last night: Israeli jets attacked a warehouse in a Syrian military base in the coastal city of Latakia. According to the Israeli army, the warehouse was used to manufacture precision missiles that were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon. After the airstrike, the Syrian air defenses fired several missiles against the Israeli jets. The Israeli army says the Syrian missile fire was inaccurate, indiscriminate and done without checking if there were Russian aircraft in the area. That ended in the downing of the Russian reconnaissance plane. the Syrian air defenses fired several missiles against the Israeli jets. The Israeli army says the Syrian missile fire was inaccurate, indiscriminate and done without checking if there were Russian aircraft in the area. That ended in the downing of the Russian reconnaissance plane. The Israeli army also said that when the Syrians fired their missiles, the Israeli jets were already in Israeli airspace and the Russian plane was not even in the area of operations. The fallout: The Russians were furious and claimed Israel "deliberately created a dangerous situation" for their plane. The Russian ministry of defense admitted that the plane was hit by a Syrian missile but blamed Israel for giving them only one minute of prior warning thus violating their deconfliction agreement. The Russian minister of defense called his Israeli counterpart, stated that Israel was responsible for the incident and said Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory action. his Israeli counterpart, stated that Israel was responsible for the incident and said Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory action. The Russian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Israeli deputy ambassador in Moscow. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told the Israeli diplomat that his country's actions were "irresponsible and unfriendly." the Israeli deputy ambassador in Moscow. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told the Israeli diplomat that his country's actions were "irresponsible and unfriendly." Israel issued several statements expressing regret for the death of the 15 crew members, but emphasized that Syria and Iran were responsible. State of play: The Kremlin and the Israeli Prime minister's office have tried to de-escalate the crisis. Putin said in a press conference that Israel didn't shoot down the plane, and he added that it was a result of "a chain of tragic circumstances." Later, Putin and Netanyahu spoke on the phone. Netanyahu expressed regret for what happened and promised Putin that he'd send the commander of the Israeli air force to Moscow to give the Russians a brief on the incident. Netanyahu expressed regret for what happened and promised Putin that he'd send the commander of the Israeli air force to Moscow to give the Russians a brief on the incident. Putin told Netanyahu that the deconfliction understanding was not observed by Israel, and he warned Netanyahu to ensure it doesn't happen again. President Trump spoke about the incident at a press conference with his Polish counterpart and said Syria was the one who shot down the Russian plane. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also issued a statement, putting the blame on Syria and on "Irans provocative transit of dangerous weapon systems through Syria, which are a threat to the region." What's next: Putin said today that Russia will retaliate by creating more security for Russian troops and bases in Syria. Putin added, "It will be steps that everyone will notice." Russia is blaming Israel after a Russian military plane was shot down by Syrian forces, claiming the plane was in the line of fire during an Israeli strike, CNN reports. The big picture: Israel has acknowledged striking Syria in the past to keep groups like Hezbollah from obtaining advanced weapons, but the deaths of 15 Russian servicemen complicate an already-tense diplomatic situation. Israel's ambassador to Moscow was summoned by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the incident, per Reuters. In the lead-up to the UN General Assembly meetings, the Trump administration is taking the UN to task in both word and deed. In June, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley rebuked the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty for including the U.S. in a report about poverty in developed countries. Then, only days after the head of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) criticized the Trump administrations child separation policy at the U.S.Mexico border, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from that body. The big picture: It's not clear how much further the Trump administration will take America's withdrawal from the international community. The U.S. helped launch the UN in 1945, but its role and perhaps even its membership in the organization has now been thrown into question. In recent months, the Trump administration has taken several actions to isolate itself: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) : The UNRWA supports Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The U.S. was its largest donor in 2017, at $350 million, but cut all funding last month. U.S. Arab allies' and even Israels security establishment are fearful of a collapse of this humanitarian agency, an outcome that would foment increased extremism among Palestinians. : The UNRWA supports Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The U.S. was its largest donor in 2017, at $350 million, but cut all funding last month. U.S. Arab allies' and even Israels security establishment are fearful of a collapse of this humanitarian agency, an outcome that would foment increased extremism among Palestinians. Human Rights Council (HRC) : The U.S. has had battles with the HRC since its creation, criticizing its priorities but always recognizing the importance of participating in its decisions. As of June, however, the U.S. has fully quit, and will have no influence over the agenda. : The U.S. has had battles with the HRC since its creation, criticizing its priorities but always recognizing the importance of participating in its decisions. As of June, however, the U.S. has fully quit, and will have no influence over the agenda. International Criminal Court (ICC): While not a U.N. agency, the ICC is a multilateral favorite. Yet National Security Advisor John Bolton recently described it as already dead to us. The ICC has opened investigations into war criminals like Joseph Kony and Sudans Omar al-Bashir. Theyll be resting easier now. What to watch: In his UNGA speech, Trump might use the language of Bolton, who famously said that "the (UN) Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories; if you lost 10 stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference." If he does, Americas future role at the UN will be anyones guess. Joel Rubin is the president of the Washington Strategy Group and a former deputy assistant secretary of state. By Rashid Shirinov Yerevan is trying to sell its loyalty and obedience to Moscow, delicately referred to as friendship, at a higher price, Vitaly Arkov, head of the PolitRUS expert network, told Azernews on September 17. He noted that Yerevans reorientation from Moscow to Washington will predictably affect the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The expert also said that the provocative statement by Pashinyan in Moscow regarding Nagorno-Karabakh can be regarded as blackmailing Russia with its plan for a phased peaceful settlement of the conflict. The West has previously participated in the settlement process both within the OSCE Minsk Group format and through individual projects, but it was namely Russia that proposed the most realistic plan considering the interests of Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said, noting that putting the plan into practice was hampered by the Armenian side, who was delaying the process by putting a priori unenforceable conditions. The expert noted that now it is obvious for what purpose it was done Armenias transition to a new patron automatically implies a rejection of obligations to the former patron or a revision of their terms. He further noted that the new Armenian authorities are obviously blackmailing Moscow, or at least trying to do this. And in case of Russias rejection of the new terms, Armenia threatens to completely and finally defect to the side of the new patron, Arkov added. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Ambassador of India Sanjay Rana visited Lahij, Ismayilli to meet the youth and women participating in the business development and management program organised by the Azerbaijan Rural Investment Project (AZRIP) of the Ministry of Agriculture of Republic of Azerbaijan with support of trainers from Kudumbashree organization from the Indian State of Kerala. He met with the Chairman of the State Service on Management of Agricultural Projects and Credits Mirza Aliyev and other specialists of AZRIP and discussed inter-governmental cooperation between India and Azerbaijan for mutually beneficial training programmes. The AZRIP training course in Lahij for members of Women Development Groups and Youth Community Business Promoters from five pilot rayons was held from September 6 to 17, 2018. Under this programme, youth and women were imparted training by expert trainers from Kudumbashree project in the skills required for successful running of businesses such as making business plans, preparing project reports, getting necessary finance from banks and marketing of the products and services. This training course is part of the Womens Economic Empowerment programme of AZRIP under which Women Development Groups comprising 88 women are being trained in five rayons- Massalli, Lankaran, Ismailli, Balakan and Aghdam. This model was introduced after an exposure visit to India in March 2018 arranged by the World Bank. Technical assistance for the pilot has been provided by Kudumbashree, the State Poverty Alleviation and Womens Empowerment Program of the Government of Kerala State, India. This partnership was made possible through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program between the Governments of India and Azerbaijan. Speaking at the meeting with the participants of trainings Ambassador Sanjay Rana mentioned importance of cooperation between Azerbaijan and India in women empowerment. Such training programs are very useful for capacity building of women entrepreneurs. Trainers from Kudumbashree project are very successful in India and I am sure their experience will further contribute to Womens Economic Empowerment in Azerbaijan, he said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Sara Israfilbayova The State Committee on Property Issues of Azerbaijan will hold next auction on privatization of state property on October 16, where 83 state objects will be put up for sale. The auction will offer 20 joint-stock companies, 13 small state enterprises, 11 non-residential areas and 39 vehicles. Small state enterprises, exhibited for sale, are mainly located in Baku, Ganja, Aghdam, Lankaran and other cities and regions of the country. Nine non-residential areas are located in Baku, two-in Ganja and Mingachevir. As a whole, more than 150 auctions have been held since the beginning of the year. The portal for privatization privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country. The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as develop the business environment of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the State Committee on Property Issues held the first electronic auction on July 4, 2017. The electronic auction service, which is available on the website privatization.az, combines the privatization procedure of vehicles and equipment. In the future, it will be possible to privatize small state enterprises and facilities, joint-stock companies through electronic auction. Now, the corresponding work in programming is being implemented. The State Committee on Property Issues was established on May 19, 2009 on the basis of the relevant presidential decree. The main activities of the State Committee are the management of state property, attraction of investments, maintenance of a single cadastre of immovable property, maintenance of a land cadastre, organization of a land market, protection and improvement of land quality. --- Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani designer Ghalib Gassanoff will take part in the 2019 Milan Fashion Week Spring and Summer. The collection of Act n1 brand will be presented at the fashion week, Trend Life reported. Act n1 is womenswear label founded by Luca Lin and Galib Gassanoff in early 2016 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The brand name means designers infancy like first act of their life, which inspired them in developing of the brand. Act n1s one of the first aspect is to tell a story to its costumers. Act n1's existence and image is about its creators biography, multicultural background and is concentrated into their childhood, lifestyle, their home, antique Chinese fine art Azerbaijani craftsmanship. Labels first collection resort 2017 have been presented during White Show Milan and was selected by Vogue Italia for present the SS 2017 in Vogue Talent Corner during Milan Fashion Week on September 2016. In July 2017, they won the Vogue Italia and Alta Roma contest "Who is on next". The 23-year-old Galib Gassanoff explores the impact of stress on modern society, synthesizes national elements of the Caucasian costume and receptions of the Baroque era. Gassanoff tries to turn everything into a defense for a woman whose rights are infringed. Galib Gassanoff was born in a small village near Tbilisi, where mostly Azerbaijanians lived. He has been drawing fashion sketches since childhood. The Azerbaijani designer entered the Tbilisi Academy of Arts at age 16. However, his father wanted his son to become a lawyer or an economist. At the Academy Galib Gassanoff enlisted the support of a young lecturer, and now the talented designer Lasha Devdariani, who became his best friend and helped him t the next year to participate in the contest of designers at Tbilisi Fashion Week, where he become a winner After that Galib Gassanoff won a training in "BE NEXT" in Milan. The 2019 Milan Fashion Week Spring and Summer will be held on September 18-24. The fashion week will feature 165 collections. About 59 fashion shows, 44 events, including the festival of fashion films will be held as part of the 2019 Milan Fashion Week Spring and Summer. La Scala Theater will host a gala evening with the participation of eminent designers and representatives of secular society. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov The first republic of the Turkic world was established in Azerbaijan, Yagub Mahmudov, Director of the Institute of History of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), said on September 18. He made the remarks at the expanded meeting of the Scientific Council of the institute. Mahmudov said that the National Army of Azerbaijan together with the Islamic Army of the Caucasus liberated Baku from the Armenian-Bolshevik occupation. The Azerbaijani people, including the peoples militia, prominent Azerbaijani military figures Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Habib Bey Salimov and others actively participated in the military successes of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus led by Nuri Pasha, he said. The academician added that Azerbaijan is the homeland of Turkism, since the first republic of the Turkic world was established in Azerbaijan. Turkish historian and professor of history Ilber Ortayli, who attended the event as a guest, noted in his speech that the majority of Turkish soldiers taken prisoner by tsarist Russia were released thanks to the Azerbaijani philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev. The Islamic Army of the Caucasus was an army of volunteers. The Ottoman Empire in World War I won three major victories: in Canakkale, Kut Al Amara and Baku, the Turkish historian added. Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Erkan Ozoral, in turn, noted that the two countries supported each other in the most difficult moments. He said that the solemn parade celebrating the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from the Dashnak-Bolshevik occupation, held in the Azerbaijani capital on September 15, is the peak of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Armenian government escalates the situation with its unprofessional actions, Evgeny Mikhailov, Russian political analyst and expert on international issues, told Azernews on September 18. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans recent statements in Moscow that Nagorno-Karabakh should become part of Armenia in the future, are populist and groundless, and arent based on modern political reality, the expert said. Moreover, I think that such statements are absolutely provocative against the backdrop of Moscows titanic efforts to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully, he noted. The expert mentioned that by making such statements, Pashinyan intends to please the forces of the Armenian establishment who call for war with Azerbaijan, and this is his big mistake considering that he wants to continue the strategic alliance with Russia. Regardless of the political changes in Armenia and the absolutely non-constructive behavior of its current leadership on the settlement of the conflict, its resolution is first of all important for Russia, which is the main guarantor of peace and security in the region, the expert noted. Speaking of Pashinyans ability to realize the true situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Mikhailov said that Pashinyan is unlikely to be a better negotiator for Baku. The current government of Armenia only escalates the situation with its unprofessional actions, then tries to immediately establish a dialogue with Moscow, noting the centuries-old friendship, but I think Armenia is only playing its own game, the expert noted. It is also necessary to take into account the partnership between Moscow and Baku in many areas, which is an important factor for the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the near future, he said. Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. 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. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend In accordance with the plan approved by President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, minister of defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has arrived at the military exercises area to control the exercises, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message Sept. 17. The minister of defense and the leadership of the ministry visited the bust of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in the territory of the military unit, laid flowers and paid tribute to his memory. Then, according to the scenario of the exercises conducted at various training ranges and training areas, Hasanov heard reports on the goals and tasks to be fulfilled. The minister of defense once again conveyed to the command staff and participants of the exercises the tasks assigned by the supreme commander-in-chief and gave appropriate instructions in connection with organizing and conducting large-scale operational-tactical exercises. Azerbaijan started large-scale operational-tactical exercises with participation of various military branches of troops, army corpses and formations on Sept. 17. The exercises that will last until Sept. 22 involve more than 20,000 military personnel, more than 200 tanks and other armored vehicles, more than 120 rocket and artillery mounts of different calibers, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 10 fighters and bomber aircraft, as well as up to 20 army aviation units for various purposes. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Solemn celebration of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation is very important, Tahir Rzayev, an Azerbaijani MP, told Trend Sept. 17. The MP noted that Sept. 15 is a special page in the history of Azerbaijan. This is also a vivid proof of the brotherhood of Azerbaijan and Turkey, he added. This date proves once again that the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood rests on historical roots. Both Azerbaijan and Turkey historically were always attacked. Azerbaijan and Turkey were always close to each other, so in 1918, it was namely Turkey that came to Bakus aid. Rzayev said that Sept. 15 is a very significant date for both Azerbaijan and Turkey. Having held a big parade in Baku, we declare to the whole world that Azerbaijan and Turkey are everywhere and always beside each other, he noted. The presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey speak from the same position all over the world. The two countries share common interests. The brotherhood of Azerbaijan and Turkey should also be an example for other Turkic-speaking states and peoples. On Sept. 15, Azerbaijan marked the centenary of Bakus liberation from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation and a solemn parade marking this event was held at the Azadliq Square. On this day in 1918, the Islamic Army of the Caucasus, which included the Azerbaijani corps, entered Baku, liberating the city from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation. The liberation of Baku is an event of exceptional importance for the Azerbaijani-Turkish friendship and brotherhood. Despite that during 70 years of the Soviet rule this event was purposefully explained in an erroneous context, the Azerbaijani people never forgot the heroism of Turkish soldiers. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue to improve position among other countries in terms of their military power. The country ranked the 53rd out of 136 countries in the new Military Strength Ranking, compiled by Global Firepower survey center. Thus, Azerbaijan has risen by five places compared to 2017. The ranking notes that the total military personnel of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces includes 374,500 people, while 3,750,000 of the population are fit for service. The countrys Armed Forces include 520 combat tanks, 1,590 armored fighting vehicles, 359 artillery mounts and 191 rocket launchers, the ranking says. It also shows that Azerbaijans Air Force has 18 fighter aircraft, 29 attack, 83 transport and 19 trainer aircraft, as well as 93 helicopters at its disposal. As for the positions of Azerbaijans neighbors in the ranking, Russia ranks 2nd, Turkey 9th, Iran 13th, Georgia 82th, and Armenia is the 84th. The U.S., Russia and China head the ranking, followed by India, France, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Turkey and Germany as the Top-10 nations having the strongest armed forces. The ranking is based on more than 55 factors, which help determine a countrys final PowerIndex score. It does not rely solely on the total number of weapons available to a country but rather focuses on weapon diversity to provide a better balance of firepower available. Factors also include logistical flexibility, natural resources, local industry, geographical factors, etc. The Azerbaijani Army, which today is considered the most modern army in the Caucasus, consists of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces. The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army are growing year by year, as the countrys Armed Forces regularly conduct military exercises. The Azerbaijani army is supplied with modern weapons and technical equipment for maintaining a high level of combat capability. The army building process is of particular importance for Azerbaijan, as twenty percent of the country's territory is under Armenian occupation and the country is in a state of war with Armenia. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has unveiled a plan to reduce traffic jams in the city centre by completing a ring road and four link roads, the Nation reports. The CS reportedly said Ngong and Outer Ring roads would be improved while Langata Road would be expanded. Top in the gvts plans is a four-lane, 16.5-kilometre expressway connecting Gitaru and Ruaka. Known as the Western Bypass, it will connect the Southern Bypass in Gitaru and the Northern Bypass in Ruaka, completing the ring road. According to the new plan by the ministry, all major junctions around Nairobi will have modern high-capacity systems with interchanges. The bypasses forming the ring road are expected to be 96.7 kilometres long once complete. The Southern Bypass from Mombasa Road to Kikuyu is 28.2 kilometres while the Eastern Bypass linking Mombasa and Thika roads stretches for 52 kilometres. The Western Bypass will cost Sh17.3 billion, with 17.7 kilometres of service roads and two metre-wide walkways on both sides. By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Masalli Industrial Park. Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev informed the head of state about the work done there as well as other industrial parks. President Ilham Aliyev cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the industrial park. The head of state viewed the production blocks and enterprises there. President Ilham Aliyev then met with representatives of the region`s public and posed for photographs together with them. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has inaugurated the newly-reconstructed Shatiroba-Hishkadara-Miyanku-Kubin-Birinji Samidkhanli-Khallijali-Eminli-Mammadkhanli highway in Masalli region. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerbaijan Highway State Agency Saleh Mammadov informed the head of state about the work carried out there. The length of the highway, which links 22 settlements with a total population of 32,000 people, is 24.7 kilometers. The width of the two-lane road is 6 meters. The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the highway. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Naila Huseynli The State Examination Center (SEC) informs that Azerbaijan is studying the possibility for conducting examinations for persons with disabilities, as well as the use of special funds in examinations. In this regard, within the framework of joint cooperation with the University of Cambridge, the staff of the State Examination Center took part in a study tour to the UK. The training which is organized by the European Commission's Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Authority will last until September 21. The purpose of the visit is to get acquainted with the conditions created for people with disabilities, learn about the special tools and experience of the United Kingdom, and explore the possibilities of using these funds in examinations. The State Examination Center creates special conditions for persons with disabilities. First of all, according to the rules, they have additional time in the exams. Prior to the examination, these individuals apply to the State Examination Center for registration. Special halls are organized for these persons and observers are appointed individually, depending on their degree of limitation. Moreover, recently the state applied new rules in order to support people who are in need of special protection. Thus, persons in need of special social protection will be exempted from payment during their education in state educational institutions on a fee-paying basis in accordance with the law on Vocational Education. Also, the education of children who have lost their parents and are deprived of parental care, invalids of I, II and III groups, invalids of wars and family members of martyrs, persons under the age of 20, whose parent is a disabled person of the first group, persons with monthly income less than the subsistence level will be paid at the expense of the state budget. In the last years, the State applied a program regarding the innovative programs in order to provide the education of persons with disabilities with equal access to education at all levels of education and to create an unobstructed environment for their education. Currently, the number of persons with disabilities in Azerbaijan is about 620,000, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of the population as of April 2018. This is about 6 percent of the population in the country. From 620,000 to 270,000 are people under the age of 18. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Azerbaijan not only increased the production of oil and gas this year, but also their supplies to neighboring countries. In January-August 2018, Azerbaijan produced 25.7 million tons of crude oil, including gas condensate. Of this amount, most part fell for the commercial crude, the State Statistics Committee said. Thus, the production of oil increased by 0.9 percent in the annual comparison. During the reporting period, the country produced 19.5 million cubic meters of natural gas, that is 4.6 percent more than in 2017. The share of commodity gas accounted for 12.1 million cubic meters of production, which is 0.5 percent more than in the same period of last year. About 15 million cubic meters of gas were transported along the main gas pipelines of Azerbaijan in the reporting period. Growth of 3.5 percent was observed in transportation along the main gas pipelines in comparison with the corresponding period of 2017. The Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (South Caucasus Gas Pipeline) pipeline accounts for 31.1 percent of the total volume of gas pumped through main gas pipelines. This pipeline transported 4.9 million cubic meters of gas, which is 4.4 percent more than in the same period last year. The Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline transported 6.3 million cubic meters of gas to Turkey from the Shah Deniz field in 2017. Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) Gas Pipeline has been built to transport the gas produced in the Shah Deniz field located in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to Georgia and Turkey. The pipeline has the capacity to pump gas up to 20 billion cubic metres a year. Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a gas agreement in March 2001 providing for the export of gas from the Shah Deniz 1 field to Turkey. First export gas was pumped into BTE in March 2007. The pipeline has four delivery stations, one being in Azerbaijan and three in Georgia. The South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) was built to export Shah Deniz gas from Azerbaijan to Georgia and Turkey. The pipeline starts from the Sangachal terminal near Baku. It follows the route of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) crude oil pipeline through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey, where it is linked to the Turkish gas distribution system. During January-August 2018, 27.3 million tons of oil was transported along the main oil pipelines of Azerbaijan. The export pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) accounts for 81.4 percent of the total volume of transported oil. Over eight months of this year, 22.2 million tons of oil was transported via this pipeline. The volume of oil pumping through main pipelines declined by 4.4 percent in annual comparison, through BTC by 0.8 percent. During this period, 4.2 million tons of transit oil was transported via BTC, which is 2.46 percent less than the corresponding indicator a year earlier. The BTC pipeline originates from the Sangachal terminal, located near Baku. The daily throughput of the pipeline is 1.2 million barrels of oil. The 1,768-km pipeline was put into operation in June 2006. The BTC pipeline currently carries mainly ACG crude oil and Shah Deniz condensate from Azerbaijan. In addition, other volumes of crude oil and condensate continue to be transported via BTC, including volumes from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The BTC Co. shareholders are: BP (30.1 per cent); AzBTC (25.00 per cent); Chevron (8.90 per cent); Statoil (8.71 per cent); TPAO (6.53 per cent); Eni (5.00 per cent); Total (5.00 per cent), ITOCHU (3.40 per cent); INPEX (2.50 per cent), ExxonMobil (2.50 per cent) and ONGC (BTC) Limited(2.36 per cent). Azerbaijan has a large number of oil and gas fields and promising structures in the Caspian Sea. One of them is the block of oil and gas fields Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG), proven oil reserves of which are estimated at 1.2 billion tons, while gas reserves-350 billion cubic meters. Another large field is the Shah Deniz gas condensate field, reserves of which are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas. Within the second stage of field development, the volume of gas production can be increased to 24 billion cubic meters per year, according to forecasts. There are also such deposits as Absheron (350 billion cubic meters), Umid (200 billion cubic meters), and the promising structure of Babek (400 billion cubic meters). Azerbaijani gas is currently exported directly by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan SOCAR to Iran and Georgia, and by the Shah-Deniz consortium via the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline to Georgia and Turkey. The overwhelming part of oil produced in Azerbaijan falls on ACG block. Almost all oil from the block is exported by the BakuTbilisiCeyhan (BTC) pipeline. Azerbaijan's oil is exported from the country not only in raw form, but also in the form of oil products. Azerbaijans oil products are exported to such countries as Turkey, Georgia, Italy, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Singapore, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Malta, Libya, Romania, China, Spain, Bahamas and others. The countrys only oil producer is SOCAR. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva The Minsk Automobile Plant (MAP) is discussing the possibilities of creating assembly facilities in Uzbekistan. On the instructions of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, we are planning to establish a joint enterprise for the assembly of Belarusian trucks in Uzbekistan, which will enable us to increase trade between the two countries, and also to export to countries such as Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. The terms of the contract and its specific details now are being discussed, deputy director of MAZ-Tashkent trade house Golibzhon Khusanov told Podrobno.uz. In the first half of 2018, the Belarusian plant supplied products worth $ 1.4 million to Uzbekistan. It is planned that during the Made in Belarus exhibition, which will end on September 19, contracts for another $ 2.5 million will be signed. As a result, until the end of 2018, 50 units of equipment will be delivered to the republic. The Minsk Automobile Plant at the exhibition site presents various equipment for construction works, among which is a truck crane for loading and unloading and construction and assembly works and dump trucks for the transport of bulk cargo. In addition, the guests of the exhibition are also presented with a low-floor bus MAZ-206. In February of this year, the "Toshshakhartranskhizmat" Association of Tashkent Urban Transport Services began pilot operation of two low-floor buses of MAZ brand, one being of large passenger capacity, another of medium passenger capacity. The buses are equipped with an engine running on compressed natural gas (methane), corresponding to the environmental standard Euro-5, which can significantly improve the level of purity of ecology by reducing the amount of toxic emissions from fuel combustion. Earlier, Mirziyoyev and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting. The parties agreed to develop cooperation in the fields of health, science and technology, higher education, culture, as well as between academies of sciences of the two countries. The volume of trade turnover between countries in 2017 increased by 60 percent, while in January-July this year it grew almost fourfold and reached $ 208 million. At the same time, $ 189 million of this amount account for Belarusian exports to Uzbekistan. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Tajikistan increased the export of electricity to neighboring countries. According to statistical data, the amount of electricity exports for the first eight months of this year amounted to over $ 62.2 million, which is 56.6 percent or $ 22.5 million higher than in the same period of last year, Avesta reported. During this period, the volume of electricity production in the country amounted to over 13.5 billion kWh, which is 10.1 percent more than in January-August 2017. About 12.9 billion kWh of the total volume was produced by hydro power plants. Only in August this year, the country produced 1.9 billion kWh of electricity. The main buyers of Tajik electricity are Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Tajikistan this year plans to increase the export of electricity to Afghanistan by 200 million kWh. At the beginning of this year, first deputy chairman of Barki Tojik Madumar Asozoda said that last year Tajikistan exported 1.3 billion kWh of electricity to Afghanistan. According to the agreements, the figure is planned to increase to 1.5 billion kWh this year. According to Asozoda, in 2017 Tajikistan exported electricity to neighboring Afghanistan at a price of 4.081 cents per kilowatt-hour. Under an agreement signed earlier between the energy departments of the two countries, the cost of Tajik electricity for Afghanistan increases by 3 percent annually. The term of this agreement on tariffs is valid until 2029. The amount of electricity export to neighboring Afghanistan last year was $ 52.3 million. Tajikistan has restored electricity supplies to Uzbekistan since April this year after a nine-year break. In total, according to the agreements, Tajikistan will supply up to 1.5 billion kWh of electricity to the neighboring country. Tajikistan exports electricity to Uzbekistan at a price of 2 U.S. cents per kilowatt. Tajikistan can export up to 5 billion kWh of electricity. Seasonal recipients of Tajik electricity are Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan (1.5-2 billion kWh) along with Uzbekistan. Over 18 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, which allowed the country to provide electricity without imposing a limit, were produced in Tajikistan in 2017. Previously, Central Asia had a unified energy system. It included 83 power plants with total capacity of 25,000 megawatts in the territory of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan. In winter, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan accumulated water in reservoirs and received electricity and energy resources (coal and natural gas) from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In summer, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan sent water to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for irrigation farming. However, after Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan left the unified energy system of Central Asia in 2003 and 2009, respectively, the system ceased to function. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Astana and Moscow are holding consultations on the supply of livestock products to Russia from Kazakhstan, First Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Arman Yevniyev said at a briefing Sept. 18, TASS reported. Our team of experts from the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision, the IT team in Kazagromarketing LLP, the ministrys specialists have left for Moscow and are holding mutual consultations, Yevniyev said. Obviously, there is some kind of misunderstanding. That is, all the agreements, all the necessary procedures are observed by us. I can assure that by the end of this week this issue will be resolved. He noted that since the beginning of 2018, Kazakhstan supplied more than 7,000 tons of beef for exports, while its major share was supplied to Russia. On September 13, official representative of Russias Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Yulia Melano said that the ministry may impose restrictions on the import of livestock products from Kazakhstan starting from October 1, 2018 due to the lack of transparency in its supplies and production. She said that Kazakh livestock products are supplied to Russia in the accompaniment of documents that dont make it possible to accurately determine the origin of raw materials and the place of manufacture of finished products, and may pose a risk to the health of Russian consumers and the epizootic welfare of the country. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would leave Iran for New York on September 23 to attend the United Nations General Assembly. I will travel to New York next Sunday, Zarif said on Tuesday, Tansim news agency reported on September 18. The visit could be a good opportunity for Iran to raise its perspectives, he added. The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73) opens on September 18 and runs until September 30. Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of the event. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President-elect of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), announced in July 2018 that the theme of the general debate will be, Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the government of Uzbekistan signed a new partnership strategy for 2018-2021 worth $ 1.3 billion, IDR President Bandar Al Hajjar said on September 18, Uzbek media outlets reported. Today we signed a country partnership strategy with the government for $ 1.3 billion. This amount will be distributed to various sectors: transport, energy, education and health, agriculture, Hajar told reporters. The head of the IDB noted that the bank supports the reforms implemented by the president and the government of Uzbekistan. We are happy that we are taking part in the implementation of initiatives carried out by the government of Uzbekistan, he added. In the framework of the visit of the president of the IDB, the conference entitled as "Day of the IDB Group" and a round table with the participation of the Arab Funds members of the Arab Coordination Group will take place on September 18-19. The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development bank, working to improve the lives of people by promoting social and economic development in Muslim countries and communities worldwide, delivering impact at scale. It was founded in 1973 by the Finance Ministers at the first Organization of the Islamic Conference (now called the Organization of Islamic Cooperation). The present membership of the Bank consists of 57 countries. Uzbekistan became a full member of the IDB on September 3, 2003. According to the Uzbek State Committee for Investment, during the period of cooperation with the IDB, 17 projects worth $ 926 million were realized. Today, nine projects worth more than $ 1 billion are at the implementation stage. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Due to the frequent incidents of unauthorized flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near the airports, an urgent need has arisen throughout the world to create an appropriate system for protecting these strategic facilities. For this purpose, a delegation of representatives of high-tech companies in the sphere of innovative projects and technologies from the city of Guangzhou led by Managing Director of Abraham Technology Limited Corporation Stanislav Kochkin and Vice President of Ehang Intelligent Equipment Cora Tang, is on a working visit in Baku on September 18. Within the visit, the delegation members held meetings with representatives of the Azerbaijan Airlines, Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center (AZANS), Heydar Aliyev International Airport and the Silk Way group of companies. The guests got acquainted with Azerbaijan's civil aviation facilities, including the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center and the new airport complex (Terminal 1) of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which recently awarded maximum 5 Stars rating from the Skytrax audit company. At the meeting with AZAL President Jahangir Asgarov, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation and applying Chinese specialists experience in civil aviation of Azerbaijan. The guests noted that the opportunities created in Azerbaijans civil aviation by using advanced technologies, made a great impression on them. It was noted at the meeting that Azerbaijan has a great tourism potential. It was proposed to open a new passenger flight from Baku to Guangzhou by Azerbaijan Airlines, and attracting Chinese air carriers to Azerbaijan will contribute to the even greater interest of Chinese tourists to our country and the development of business relations. The sides also expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and China in cargo air transportation, which has a long-standing history. The opportunities for Chinese high-tech companies participation in the development of services and technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in civilian spheres, in particular commercial transportation, cartography, environmental assessment, civil infrastructure monitoring, etc. was discussed at the meeting. As a result of the visit, memorandums of understanding were signed between the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center and Abraham Technology Limited and Ehang Intelligent Equipment companies. It is planned that Abraham Technology Limited Corporation, which specializes in investing and commercializing large-scale innovations, will be involved in the establishment a high-tech Free Trade Zone (FTZ) for the development of an intelligent air navigation hub and promoting Azerbaijan's position in the sphere of "intellectual air navigation". Ehang Intelligent Equipment, which began its operations in 2014, specializes in the design and manufacturing of innovative aerial equipment and the development of intelligent aerial vehicle for use in various industries. The main objective of the signed memorandum is collaboration in establishment of Command Control Centre at Heydar Aliyev International Airport to control flights of civil UAVs after their registration and certification in relevant state bodies in Azerbaijan. According to the document, in particular representatives of Chinese companies of Abraham Technology Limited (www.abraham.tech) and Guangzhou Ehang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd (www.ehang.com) expressed their willingness to support the Azerbaijani side: - Develop infrastructure for Azerbaijan within AZANS to be able to control Drones through establishment and operation of UAV command & control Centre (CCC) and preventing operation of drones in no-fly zones; - Trainings in the field of control of UAVs; - Create UAV fleet according to the market demand in Azerbaijan; - The establishment and the development of Free Trade Zone to be an UAV service and training center of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region providing services including UAV operation training, maintenance services, UAV assembly, etc. at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. The parties will establish a working group to exchange information and develop joint plans for the implementation of this project. It should be noted that Guangzhou with a population of more than 14 million people and GDP of 341 billion dollars, is the third largest city in China, after Shanghai and Beijing. The city is the largest tourist, industrial, financial and transport center of China. There are two Free Economic Zones in Guangzhou, there are about a hundred wholesale markets for various types of goods and hundreds of thousands of industrial enterprises, factories, plants (shipbuilding, machine building, producing equipment for textile and food industries, small household appliances, etc.) --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Janet Mbugua and her husband Eddie Ndichu are parents again. The former Citizen TV news delivered the bundle of joy on Monday 17 September at 1.42 pm. The baby boy, named Mali Mwaura Ndichu, arrived weighing at an impressive 3.8 kgs. Mali is the couples second boy child after Huru, who turns three years old next month. Both Janet Mbugua and Eddie broke the good news on social media last night, expressing joy for becoming parents again. Janet Mbugua wrote: Welcome to the world, Mali Mwaura Ndichu. May God bless and watch over you forever. #NewBorn#Grateful ??. At the same time, Ndichu posted: We thank God for you my son and His favour in our lives! #ParentsAgain #Humbled #Thankful#Blessed. Contributing columnist Justin Salters writes on politics and current events; the views expressed are his own. His column appears on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Reach him on Twitter @justinsalters or email him your thoughts: justin@justinsalters.com. You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC. Nairobi governor Mike Sonko had suspended Pumwani Maternity Hospitals top management after the shocking discovery of a dozen infant bodies wrapped in polythene bags and stashed in cardboard boxes. The governor made the discovery after an impromptu visit to the facility on Monday following a tip-off from members of the public. He said he had received a video showing the hospitals staff ferrying infant bodies in boxes from the wards. Conducting impromptu visit at Pumwani Hospital, where its alleged by members of the public that the management shut down the machines at the Maternity Wing, leading to loss of lives of young ones, said Sonko. I want to categorically state that human life must be respected no matter the case. Stern action will be taken against anyone found to be sabotaging the good services offered to our mothers and sisters who come to deliver in this facility. Sonko found the bodies stashed in three cardboard boxes, with one box containing one body, another six, and another five. The governor streamed the raid live on his Facebook account. I have received very sensitive information from a mother who has lost her baby in this hospital. This (plays clip on his phone) is one of your staff just carrying bodies in cartons yet there is no consultant to help the mothers here, said governor Sonko during the raid. The hospitals management was at pains to explain the circumstances under which the bodies were stashed in cardboard boxes. After the raid, Sonko alerted senior police officers to look into the matter and warned of instituting a legal suit against the staff at the facility for the negligence. This is a police matter. You cant lose 12 babies in a day, he said. Sonko suspended superintendent Catherine Mutinda, Dr James Kamau the obstetrician gynaecologist who was supposed to be on duty and the administrator Zadock Angahya. The governor also dissolved the hospitals board. Cheniere Energy of Houston said Monday that it has agreed to sell liquefied natural gas to the Swiss energy trader Vitol, giving Cheniere another foothold in Europe at a time when the Trump administration is working to reduce the continent's reliance on gas from Russia. Vitol represents the second long-term European contract this year for Cheniere, which began exporting LNG processed from the flood of U.S. shale gas in early 2016. Technically, Vitol, which agreed to buy 700,000 metric tons a year from Cheniere, could deliver the gas anywhere in the world, but it maintains substantial operations in Europe. The same is true for Swiss energy trader Trafigura, which agreed to buy 1 million metric tons of LNG a year from Cheniere in another 15-year deal concluded early this year. Europe has long relied on natural gas piped from Russia, and is becoming more reliant on natural gas as it shifts power plants from burning coal. Research firm Wood Mackenzie noted that Europe's demand for natural gas imports has jumped considerably within the last seven years, and said it expects that rise to continue through 2025 as countries continue to reduce their use of coal and the continent's existing gas reserves become more costly to develop. RELATED: Europe becoming more dependent on Russian gas, DOE official says "This leaves Europe with a burgeoning import dependency," said Murray Douglas, the firm's research director for European gas. "Gas will continue to benefit from this more permanent and structural shift in the power market." U.S. officials have recently called for domestic LNG producers to ramp up exports to Europe as a counterweight to Russia. Steven Winberg, assistant secretary of fossil energy, warned last week during a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that Europe was becoming more dependent on Russian natural gas during a tense period for relations between Russia and the West. "That does not have to be the case," he said. "Our nation is endowed with vast supplies of natural gas and production is growing rapidly." The Vitol contract is the latest long-term sales agreement for Cheniere, which has signed similar deals with buyers in Asia and Latin America as it ramps up exports from its facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Vitol's shipments are expected to begin this year. Vitol, active in the LNG market since 2005, delivers LNG around the world and has access to gas storage facilities in six European countries. "We believe that LNG has an important role to play in the future energy mix," CEO Russell Hardy said in a statement. The U.S. is quickly becoming a global player in LNG as companies look to build export terminals amid a boom in natural gas production in West Texas, Appalachia and elsewhere. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is pushing to expedite its reviews of projects planned for the Gulf Coast and the East Coast. Most U.S. companies are eyeing Asia in their search for customers. China, South Korea, India and other Asian nations are working to reduce dangerous air pollution levels by shifting from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas, making the continent a key driver in global demand for LNG. FERC earlier this month issued regulatory schedules for its environmental review of 12 LNG export facilities, including six in Texas. Among them were Freeport LNG's project in Brazoria County, Sempra Energy's Port Arthur project and NextDecade LNG's project in Brownsville. Cheniere was the first U.S. company to export LNG, operating from its Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana. The company, which now ships to nearly 30 foreign markets, is expanding that terminal and building a second one in Corpus Christi. Virginia's Dominion Energy also began exporting LNG from a terminal in Maryland earlier this year. Other U.S. companies are expected to begin exports next year, including two based in Houston. Freeport LNG is working to open its Gulf Coast terminal at Quintana Island, and Kinder Morgan is completing an export terminal in Georgia. WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos warned Monday of a rising threat to free speech on college campuses, citing violent protests leading to the cancellation of controversial speakers. They also pointed to measures they said shield students from speech deemed hateful or offensive. The two Cabinet members spoke at separate events on Constitution Day, which marks the anniversary of the 1787 signing of the founding document by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Both said the crisis transcends free speech and said the notion of objective truth is under attack, with ideology taking precedence over facts. "Today, freedom of speech and thought have come most under attack on the college campus. That should shock us," Sessions said at the Justice Department. Recalling a Thomas Jefferson quote in which he vowed to fight "every form of tyranny over the mind of man," Sessions warned that some "have abandoned these principles." "Perhaps most dangerously, they have abandoned principle and truth altogether," he said. Their remarks come as universities grapple with how to deal with controversial speakers or ideas, a predicament made more challenging amid widening political polarization and students' pushback against speech they view as racist, sexist or homophobic. In some cases, universities have canceled or rescheduled events because of violent protests. And schools have been tested when extreme figures, such as white-nationalist leader Richard Spencer, want to speak on campus. Spencer espouses racist views and advocates for creating an all-white state. Addressing high school students at a Philadelphia event, DeVos lamented that the "heckler's veto" prevails on too many campuses, with students or protesters shutting down speeches by polarizing figures and with some universities charging student groups exorbitant fees for bringing in speakers "they deem to be controversial." "Too many administrators have been complicit in creating or facilitating a culture that makes it easier for the heckler to win," DeVos said. Sessions has made campus free speech a cornerstone of the Justice Department's work, intervening in lawsuits on behalf of students who allege schools violated their constitutional rights. The department intervened on behalf of Republican students at the University of California at Berkeley, whose event with conservative commentator Ann Coulter was canceled because of violent clashes on campus. It also filed briefs on behalf of students who were fighting their colleges's "free-speech zones," saying they limit free speech. DeVos advocated for a hands-off approach by government. But in 2017, when protests over the right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos roiled the UC-Berkeley campus, President Donald Trump threatened to revoke the school's federal funds, writing on Twitter: "If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?" DeVos suggested Monday that her department stay out of fights over free speech. The remedy is not "government muscle," she said. "A solution won't come from defunding an institution of learning." The Education Department has expanded its definition of anti-Semitism, sparking concerns among some civil rights advocates who say it could be used to punish critics of Israel. Some observers question whether a "free-speech crisis" exists. The American Council on Education, a higher-education organization, surveyed 471 college and university presidents this year and found that 96 percent said allowing students to be exposed to all kinds of speech was more important than protecting them by banning offensive speech. Other critics suggested the Trump administration was cherry-picking incidents to paint a skewed picture. "The allegation of deviation of free-speech protections in isolated incidents does not suggest to me is that there is an epidemic of speech harm," said Catherine Lhamon, who led the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights under President Barack Obama. Ray Johnson has been treating wounds on the back of his head since Sept. 9, when he went for a walk in his Westbury neighborhood and a group of kids attacked him from behind. The boys took his heavy walking stick and beat him with it, then demanded his money, the 76-year-old said. They pistol-whipped the back of his head, then pointed the gun straight at his face. "I was convinced it was a pellet gun," said Johnson. "But still when it's big and black and about the same frame size as a .45, you just think: 'Uh, well, maybe God's calling me home.'" Three juvenile suspects were arrested this week in Johnson's attack, the Precinct 5 Constable's Office announced Tuesday. Investigators say the boys ages 11 to 14 are part of a group responsible for a number of aggravated robberies, carjackings and thefts over the past several months in and around Johnson's southwest Houston neighborhood. Authorities have identified two more suspects and expect to arrest three more juveniles by the end of the week, Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said at a press conference Tuesday morning. The constable's office has linked the juveniles to at least nine cases, Heap said. They're now working with the Houston Police Department to see if more cases can be linked to the same group. Investigators believe the suspects could be connected to a total of 26 reported robberies and thefts in the area since May, officials said. "I would imagine we'll be investigating this and digging into it for some time," Heap said. The first two boys ages 11 and 12 were arrested Sunday, Heap said, when plainclothes investigators saw them stealing a gas can from the back of a lawn maintenance company's truck in the area. When a patrol unit pulled over the vehicle they were driving, the juveniles fled on foot, he said. Two escaped, but two were apprehended and confessed that they were driving a stolen vehicle and were planning to use the stolen gas to torch it. The two juveniles in custody have helped lead investigators to other suspects, Heap said. A 14-year-old was arrested Monday and, like the others, admitted involvement in Johnson's assault. The group seems to have operated primarily in the Westbury neighborhood, Heap said Tuesday. The nine cases the constable's office have connected are all within about a mile of each other. Johnson's attack an aggravated robbery was near the intersection of Rampart Street and Firenza Drive, in the southernmost portion of the neighborhood. Authorities have surveillance footage of the suspects at a convenience store in the 12000 block of Hillcroft just after the assault. The connected cases "all have very similar MOs," Heap said: A group of juveniles will approach an individual and often ask for change. "At that point, when you take your eyes off them, they will assault you, strike you, steal your vehicle." In Johnson's case, Heap said, he was beaten with his own walking stick. Johnson said he yelled for help when he saw the gun in his face. A neighbor heard him and ran to the rescue. "The kids saw (my neighbor) and started to run," he recalled. "That's when they threw my stick down and kept on going." Johnson, who has white hair and a bushy white beard, said he's a part-time Santa Claus and has an adult son of his own. "I love kids," he said. "I'm always concerned when they're starting off on the wrong foot." Investigators have canvassed the area and talked to neighbors, parents, school officials and nearby shop owners to identify the group of boys, Heap said Tuesday. The suspects all appear to be registered in school and attending classes, he said. The crimes generally have occurred in the evenings and on weekends. The suspects in custody have been "cooperative," said Sgt. Luis Gonzalez, an investigator in the constable's office. "They've been helping us." "We don't come across youngsters like that, not very often," Gonzalez said. "When I started reading some of the reports, I was surprised 11 years old, out here robbing adults? You don't see that very often." Heap said the cases will all go through the Harris County District Attorney's Office and "appropriate charges are coming." "What is really very, very disturbing to me," Heap said, is what two of the young suspects said when investigators asked them why they'd assaulted someone: "Their answer was 'We did it for kicks.'" "This is the attitude of some of the young juveniles we have out there," Heap said. "'We are going to assault people, we are going to steal their goods, we are going to cause serious bodily injury just for kicks.'" Kaylee Dusang contributed to this report. Alyson Ward is a Metro writer for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at alyson.ward@chron.com or on Twitter @alysonward. Out of hundreds of nominations for the prestigious National Book Awards, One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson (left) was chosen among the top 10 for nonfiction and An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (right) made the top 10 for fiction. Out of hundreds of submissions, two Emory professors have earned a spot on this years longlists for the 2018 National Book Awards, according to an announcement this week by the National Book Foundation. Carol Anderson, a historian and Charles Howard Candler Professor and chair of African American Studies, and Tayari Jones, a professor of English and creative writing, both authored volumes that have been selected among the best in their respective categories for the National Book Award, considered one of the nation's most prestigious literary prizes. Both are faculty members in Emory College of Arts and Sciences. The National Book Awards seek to identify and reward quality writing; many previous winners are now firmly established in the canon of American literature, including such literary luminaries as Ralph Ellison, Flannery OConnor, Louise Erdrich, Adrienne Rich and Jonathan Franzen. The longlist for each category includes 10 books. The lists of five finalists for each of this years awards will be announced Oct. 10; winners will be revealed on Nov. 14 at the 2018 National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit dinner. To read more about the awards or to view the full lists, visit here. One Person, No Vote Out of 546 nominations submitted by publishers for the 2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction, Anderson was chosen for the top 10 longlist for her new book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy (Bloomsbury Publishing), released Sept. 11. In it, Anderson outlines a history of voter suppression in the United States, including recent changes within the electoral system, and the ways such tactics can impact citizens ability to vote. Through her research, Anderson also highlights the ways in which gerrymandering, poll closure and similar practices have effectively rolled back the participation of African American voters. An acclaimed public scholar whose research has long focused on the making and unraveling of public policy and how racism impacts that process, Anderson was also awarded a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship. Her book, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, was a New York Times best-seller and won the 2016 National Book Critics Award in the Criticism category for her examination of policy responses to African American political and economic advancement. White Rage was also recognized as one of the best books of 2016 by the New York Times, the Washington Post, Boston Globe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Globe and Mail. An American Marriage Jones, a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning writer, was named to the longlist for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction for her novel An American Marriage, selected from 368 books submitted by publishers for the honor. Published this year by Algonquin Books, the novel tells the story of a newlywed couple whose pursuit of the American Dream is violently interrupted when one of them is incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. A New York Times bestseller and 2018 pick for Oprahs Book Club, An American Marriage offers an intimate portrait of a relationship, exploring how class divides affect the black experience, the roles women are asked to play and a criminal justice system that looms over many communities. A native of Atlanta whose hometown frequently features in her writing, Jones is also the author of three other novels including Leaving Atlanta; The Untelling, which received the Lillian Smith Book Award; and Silver Sparrow, selected by the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Library of Contemporary Classics. She joined the Emory faculty this year. She is a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, as well as a United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. LAREDO - The desperate hunt for Juan David Ortiz, the veteran Border Patrol agent charged with murdering four Laredo sex workers, began shortly after 9 p.m. Friday when one of his would-be victims jumped from his truck and ran. It ended five hours later, a few blocks from where it began, when a sheriffs SWAT team found an unarmed Ortiz hiding in the back of a pickup truck on the third level of a motel garage. In the hours between, police say, Ortiz killed two people and went to his home just off Loop 20 to prepare himself for a shootout with police. He had numerous weapons. He was loading up all his weapons, thinking that the DPS (Department of Public Safety) was going to confront him there. Thank God, it didnt happen, said Federico Garza, chief deputy of the Webb County Sheriffs Office. Investigators said Ortiz fled after Erika Pena escaped shirtless from his truck and ran to a nearby DPS trooper. He had taken her to his house Friday night, where she questioned him about the Sept. 3 death of Melissa Ramirez, who was 29. The criminal complaint said Ortiz became nervous and Pena vomited in his yard before he drove away with her. Inexplicably, early Saturday Ortiz returned again to San Bernardo Avenue, where he had already picked up Pena and two other sex workers that night. At about 1 a.m. Saturday he was spotted by police, but evaded arrest and ran, prompting an intense search. When he was found about 2:30 a.m. in the parking garage, he attempted to trick the deputies into shooting him, Garza said. He was trying to commit suicide-by-cop. He was trying to use his phone like a weapon, but it didnt happen, he added. In a press conference Monday at the sheriffs office, local and federal officials explained what they know so far about the case. They also anguished over how an unremarkable senior Border Patrol agent suddenly went rogue, becoming an alleged serial killer who took his victims out of town and shot them in the head. Other victims of the alleged killing spree were Claudine Ann Luera, 42, who was killed on Sept. 13, and Humberto Ortiz, 28, one of the two people killed Friday night. The other one remains unidentified. We are trying to get into the mind of this killer, to figure out why he did this, said Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz. We know he carried out these crimes in a cold, calloused fashion, added the district attorney, who said Ortiz had apparently gained the confidence of his victims, all sex workers, from prior contacts. There appears to have been a history between Ortiz and this community a community that is vulnerable, defenseless and has no voice, he said. In confessing to the crimes, Ortiz also revealed a hostility toward the prostitutes who are found nightly along a tattered stretch of San Bernardo Avenue, north of downtown. I know he mentioned a dislike for the community. Whatever the anger was, we dont know, Garza added. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost, who came from Washington, D.C. to consult with her agents, said the killings were committed by just one rogue individual in her agency, which is one of the largest federal law enforcement arms in the country, with 20,000 officers. Im here to support my men and women, on whom it obviously has had an extreme impact. Im sickened and saddened by the events that occurred, she said. Provost pushed back against questions from reporters that suggested the rapid growth of the Border Patrol in recent years has resulted in unqualified candidates becoming agents. There has been no lowering of standards. We do extensive background checks, she said. Officials emphasized that Ortiz, who is being held on a $2.5 million bond, did not commit the crimes he is accused of while on duty, in uniform or using a federal vehicle. It was unclear if his service weapon was used in the killings. Ortiz, 35, joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Laredo in 2009 after serving in the Navy. He rose to the level of a supervisory intelligence agent. Along the away he earned a masters degree from St. Marys University in San Antonio. County records show that Ortiz, who is married, took out a $240,000 mortgage with his wife, Daniella, in December for their home in an upper middle-class neighborhood on Laredos west side. Officials have not released any information about his wife. The previously owned a home in San Antonio from 2007 until 2015. His personnel file revealed only one minor infraction, an official said Monday. Alaniz said Ortiz may face a capital murder charge when all the facts are known. According to a research by the Project on Governmental Oversight, Customs and Border Protection has had a chronic problem with corruption, with at least 13 employees arrested since Donald Trump became president. Among the recent charges are bribery, theft, drug smuggling and misuse of top-secret government data, according to the review, which was based on government documents released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. Going back to 2004, more than 200 CBP employees have been charged with corruption. More than 120 of those accused resigned, and another 54 were removed by the government. The study also disclosed crimes of violence by CBP employees including rape and murder. Many of the problems arose after a massive expansion that began soon after the CBP was created in 2003. With President Trump now vowing to add another 5,000 border agents, critics worry that a rise in corruption may follow. A Kanawha County ( W.Va.) circuit court judge dropped a sexual assault and a sexual abuse count against Charleston, W.Va., gastroenterologist Steven Matulis, MD, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports. Here's what you should know: 1. Dr. Matulis is still charged with four counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of first-degree sexual abuse 2. Dr. Matulis allegedly abused and assaulted patients while they were under anesthesia. 3. The victim who brought the dropped accounts wasn't properly identified in court paperwork. The judge ruled Dr. Matulis wouldn't be able to "reasonably defend himself in court," because of the lack of identifying information. 4. In addition to the criminal case, Dr. Matulis is facing at least 15 civil lawsuits from former patient claiming sexual misconduct. Frisco, Texas, took the top spot on Money's annual list of Best Places to Live in America. To create the ranking, Money looked only at places with populations of at least 50,000. The publication then eliminated any place that had more than double the national crime risk, less than 85 percent of its state's median household income, or a lack of ethnic diversity. Money collected more than 135,000 data points to narrow the list. The publication considered data on economic health, cost of living, public education, diversity, crime, income, ease of living and local amenities. Money partnered with realtor.com to leverage its knowledge of housing markets throughout the U.S. Here are the 10 best places to live in the U.S. based on the analysis: 1. Frisco, Texas 2. Ashburn, Va. 3. Carmel, Ind. 4. Ellicott City, Md. 5. Cary, N.C. 6. Franklin, Tenn. 7. Dublin, Calif. 8. Highlands Ranch, Colo. 9. Sammamish, Wash. 10. Woodbury, Minn. Access Money's full 2018 ranking of the Best Places to Live in America here. Access additional information on the methodology used for the ranking here. More articles on business: Coca-Cola may add cannabis to products under new deal The world's 20 most-admired companies Jeff Bezos establishes $2B fund to support homeless relief, education efforts Derek Dudley, director of IT and an IT security officer at Madison (S.D.) Regional Health System, discusses today's biggest threats to hospital data protection and what cyberattacks are in store for the future. Question: What would you say is the No. 1 threat to hospital cybersecurity today and why? Derek Dudley: The number one threat is hospital staff. This includes everyone from nursing, physicians, administration, even technology staff. The top issues in healthcare today are errors, malware and misuse. Errors such as information being given to the wrong recipient. Malware is generally delivered through phishing campaigns, and misuse is often done via an employee snooping, possibly a celebrity or VIP in the community visited. Or they may be just snooping on a friend, neighbor, family member, or a date they had last night. These are all things that require user intervention to realize, "this wasn't correct," or "this is not appropriate." Awareness training on these topics can help, but for it to be effective, the organization must do regular training on more than just an annual basis. I would even suggest the training has to take place every two to three months to be effective. Then not all fault should fall on the user If they are not receiving appropriate training on a regular basis, is it really the users fault? Q: What do you see as the next big cybersecurity threat hospitals should look out for? DD: Malware and ransomware are not going anywhere. My personal opinion tells me that the more hospitals start outsourcing to the cloud for help with infrastructure and service controls, the more we are going to start seeing Denial of Service attacks become an issue. They already happen, but when all of your lifesaving equipment and information is on premise, it doesn't affect the organization as hard. The other thing I am seeing quite common is medical device security. Vendors are not providing the capability to secure, audit and respond to security issues with their equipment. Sure, the device may be secured in a locked area within the building so that it can't easily be removed from the organization, but if you look at the topic of misuse being a problem, now you are giving them a device that doesn't require a login, or you can't audit who was looking at that information. It's a huge security issue, one that right now falls on the organization to protect, no liability falls on the vendor manufacturer. And it's across all vendors, nobody in particular. Q: What advice would you give to other hospital CISOs or CIOs to get hospital staff on the same page in the aftermath of a cyberattack? DD: Meet regularly and often. When a cyberattack has happened everyone feels like they are scrambling to get things accomplished or resolve the situation. The key is to keep a close communication with everybody throughout the organization. Get your incident response team together, which should include representatives from each department, and discuss and determine the best courses of action. Also plan for regular means of communication to be down. Email and phones may not be functioning. Collect contact information for personnel, IT vendors, security and law enforcement for both daytime and after hours. Q: What do you consider to be the most important aspect in hospital data protection? DD: Identity and access management. Managing the roles and access privileges of users and customers must be maintained and monitored on a regular basis. Being able to grant permissions and take away permissions when needed in a prompt manner will go a long way in protecting hospital data. Additional tools such as single sign on or multifactor authentication can help when developing an identity and access management platform. When you have the correct access control mechanisms in place and you can actively monitor those accounts, immediately you can tell when someone is attempting to login without correct passwords or they attempted but the multifactor authentication failed, or they logged in at 2 a.m. when they normally work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phishing or social engineering are so popular in gaining credentials today, an organization must have something in place to monitor and validate credentials. I would, in turn, say a good incident response program would be second to hospital data protection. If you can't stop the breach, you better be able to respond quickly. To learn more about hospital and health system cybersecurity, as well as the key trends for CISOs, register for the Becker's Hospital Review 2nd Annual Health IT + Clinical Leadership Conference May 2-4, 2019 in Chicago. Click here to learn more and register. The Massachusetts hospital industry and Massachusetts Nurses Association have differing views on the estimated financial effect of the proposed November statewide ballot initiative to mandate nurse staffing ratios in hospitals, The Boston Globe reported. Hospital executives opposed to the ballot initiative cite a study by Mass Insight Global Partnerships and BW Research Partnership. The study, commissioned by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, estimated mandated nurse staffing ratios would cost the state's healthcare system $1.3 billion in the first year and at least $900 million per year after that. Healthcare organizations have come up with their own individual estimates. For instance, the parent company of Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass., estimates mandated nurse staffing ratios would cost it more than $34 million annually, according to the report. Boston-based Partners HealthCare, the state's largest hospital system, estimated a cost of $140 million across its facilities. Question 1, proposed by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, calls for mandated nurse staffing ratios that would vary by unit, floor or department. Supporters of the initiative are part of a group called the Committee to Ensure Safe Patient Care, while opponents are part of a group called the Coalition to Protect Patient Safety. Supporters argue mandated nurse staffing ratios will improve patient care, and opponents say the ratios will worsen nurse care delivery, lead to longer emergency room wait times, and hurt community hospitals and mental health facilities. The nurses' union contends the hospital industry "grossly" exaggerated the cost of the ballot initiative. On Sept. 10, the union announced that a study it backed by Judith Shindul-Rothschild, PhD, RN, a nursing economist at Boston College, estimated mandated nurse staffing ratios would cost Massachusetts acute care hospitals between $35.1 million and $46.8 million. The opposition group has said the union's study "includes misleading information and flawed research." More articles on healthcare finance: CMS proposes new Medicare compliance rules: 7 things to know Waystar, Connance to combine revenue cycle operations For-profit hospital stock report: Week of Sept. 10-14 A prominent lawyer known for representing employees of tech giants filed a lawsuit Sept. 17 on behalf of three IBM employees who claim the company discriminated against their age when it fired them, Bloomberg reports. Here are six things to know: 1. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a partner at Lichten & Liss-Riordan in Boston, filed the class-action lawsuit in a federal court in Manhattan. She has represented workers against Amazon, Uber and Google. 2. In the lawsuit, the former employees claim that "over the last several years, IBM has been in the process of systematically laying off older employees in order to build a younger workforce," referencing a March ProPublica report that revealed IBM had fired more than 20,000 employees older than 40 in the last six years. 3. IBM said the layoffs were part of an effort to reimagine the skillset of its workforce. "Changes in our workforce are about skills, not age," an IBM spokesperson told Bloomberg. "In fact, since 2010 there is no difference in the age of our U.S. workforce, but the skills profile of our employees has changed dramatically. That is why we have been and will continue investing heavily in employee skills and retraining to make all of us successful in this new era of technology.'' 4. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination has consolidated numerous complaints against big blue into a single, targeted investigation. 5. A lawyer not involved with the case told Bloomberg that if the judge approves the class-action lawsuit, it could result in IBM paying hundreds of millions of dollars to its former employees. 6. In May, IBM laid off several employees from its Watson Health group, with at least 40 workers cut from its Cleveland office. It is not clear whether the individuals included in the May layoffs are related to the lawsuit. Grove City (Pa.) Medical Center CEO Robert Jackson did a last-minute about-face, deciding to remain with the hospital and rejecting a job offer elsewhere to the surprise of hospital officials and board members, The Herald reports. In June, Mr. Jackson accepted the role of CEO at George Junior Republic, an organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth achieve their full potential, and said he would leave the hospital Oct. 1. However, Mr. Jackson told the organizations' leaders roughly two weeks ago he changed his mind and sought to remain as chief executive of the hospital. Mr. Jackson told The Herald Sept. 17 he had been struggling with his decision to leave Grove City Medical Center for some time after accepting the new job. "Since giving my notice to leave, I was struggling with the idea. I started working in healthcare 29 years ago. I struggled with the idea of walking away from 29 years in the health industry to start anew. Changing directions after a 29-year career proved to have more inertia than I thought it would," he said. Mr. Jackson and other hospital officials said Grove City Medical Center did not offer him a better financial package to entice him to stay, the report states. To access the full report, click here. The Department of Justice's antitrust review of CVS Health's $69 billion bid for Aetna is taking longer due to divestitures needed to ensure competition is not impeded, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. To ease anticompetitive concerns, federal regulators will require CVS and Aetna to divest some of their Medicare Part D assets, the people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal in early September. A potential bidder for the Part D assets is WellCare Health Plans, but conversations between CVS and Aetna are still ongoing, the sources said. Sources told Reuters the Justice Department's review may conclude soon, though it is not clear whether approval will come in September. A Florida physician was sentenced to five months in prison for lying to a Medicare program integrity contractor during an audit, according to the Department of Justice. John Janick, MD, obstructed an audit of his Janick Medical Group in Port Charlotte, Fla., according to the plea agreement. Dr. Janick falsely claimed a third-party employer paid rent for the office space his wife, Lisa McLaren Janick, used, the plea agreement said. In the space, Ms. Janick improperly accessed sensitive patient data and used that data to generate referrals from Dr. Janick to her third-party employer, regardless of medical necessity. In a related case, Ms. Janick previously pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud. She acknowledged her role in falsifying Janick Medical Group patient records to create patient referrals to her third-party employers. Ms. Janick's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday also sentenced Dr. Janick to three years of supervised release after his prison sentence, and required him to pay $118,831 in restitution to Medicare. More articles on legal & regulatory issues: Advocacy group sues Arizona State Hospital over patient record access Texas hospital asks judge to dismiss Aetna's claims in billing suit Maryland attorney general sues Trump administration to prevent dismantling of ACA Modesto, Calif.-based Doctors Medical Center lets young patients drive to their own surgeries in mini cars, which helps alleviate patient stress, according to KTVU Fox 2. "When they find out they can go into the operating room riding in a cool little car, they light up and, in most cases, their fears melt away," Krista Deans, a spokesperson for Doctors Medical Center, told KTVU Fox 2. The car, a black Mercedes Benz, is loaded with a fully equipped stereo, preloaded with music, an MP3 player jack, working lights and a horn. If young patients cannot drive the car themselves, the mini convertible has remote control capabilities. The practice also helps ease parents' anxieties about their child's surgery, according to Ms. Deans. "[W]hen parents see their children put at ease, it puts them at ease as well," she told KTVU Fox 2. "It can be traumatizing for a young patient to be peeled away from their parents as they head into surgery. This truly helps everyone involved." The idea of bringing the car into the hospital came from Kimberly Martinez, RN, a a preoperative nurse who sought ways to reduce pediatric patients' stress and anxiety heading into surgery. More articles on patient engagement: In an effort to save its reputation from the hit it took earlier this year, Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis revealed its employees will only get bonuses if they meet or exceed expectations for ethical behavior, according to Reuters. Vas Narasimhan, the drugmaker's CEO, has vowed to boost the company's ethics culture after it was linked to a bribery scandal, and its payments to President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen were exposed earlier this year. Under the new bonus policy, employees will receive a score between 1 and 3 based on their values and behavior. A score of 2 means an employee met expectations, a score of 3 is classified as "role model" behavior, which would make an employee eligible for a bonus of up to 35 percent of their compensation. "Unless the sales representative scores a 2 or 3, they will not be eligible for their variable compensation," Samir Shah, Novartis's head of investor relations, told Reuters. "That's how we've tried to make sure weve got the right balance between pay for performance and having the right behavior." When an employee scores below a 2, additional action will be taken, and he or she could be dismissed. "This allows us to look at the behavior metric before any money leaves Novartis and catch potential misconduct before there is any risk to our reputation," Novartis general counsel Shannon Klinger told Reuters. Novartis gained public attention earlier this year when news broke that its then-CEO Joe Jimenez and former legal head Felix Ehrat signed off on $1.2 million in payments to Mr. Cohen for healthcare policy lobbying services. Mr. Jimenez left the company before the scandal surfaced. Mr. Ehrat claimed responsibility for the scandal and resigned. In addition, the drugmaker recently settled corruption cases in China, South Korea and the U.S. To help bounce back from the scandals, Novartis hired a new chief ethics officer, Klaus Moosmayer in August. Mr. Moosmayer comes from Siemens, where he spent more than 10 years helping the engineering firm recover from bribery scandals. Rising water levels brought on by Hurricane Florence introduce a new set of health and safety risks to those living in the Carolinas. Here are three such risks: 1. Dangerous animals: North and South Carolina are home to several native species of poisonous snakes, such as copperheads and cottonmouths, according to Business Insider. The high winds and flash floods associated with hurricanes can displace snakes living in wetlands, sending them into unlikely places like people's evacuated homes. 2. Toxic chemicals: The Wilmington, N.C.-based Duke Energy Corp. landfill leaked about 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash, potentially carrying toxic mercury, arsenic and lead into flood waters Sept. 15, according to Bloomberg. Local authorities tried to investigate to see if the pollutants reached the Cape Fear River, but were not able to inspect the site due to the rising water levels. The flooding also caused partially treated sewage to spill into waterways and streets, which creates a breeding ground for bacteria. 3. E. coli and Salmonella: Numerous hog farms across North Carolina also threaten to leak several million tons of urine and feces into the flood waters, according to Wired. Pig waste, along with blood and other bodily excrements, are held in lagoons at the hog farms. If these lagoons flood, they could spread E. coli and Salmonella into local water supplies. Scientists said the state's hog farms can also be hot spots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "Scary bugs are going to be in the waste and in the poo," Lance Price, PhD, professor at Washington D.C.-based George Washington University, told Wired. More articles on population health: Hospitals across the nation have been grappling with a shortage of IV bags since Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico and caused manufacturing disruptions last year. While supply shortages generally cause problems for healthcare organizations, one hospital Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas said this shortage has morphed into a positive experience for both patients and staff. IV bags are a critical supply for hospitals because they help clinicians administer medications quickly. Prior to the shortage, the normal process involved hooking an IV bag mixture to an IV pump that would deliver the medication automatically without the need for the nurse to remain at the bedside. However, the IV bag shortage has changed this process, forcing clinicians to utilize different strategies, such as manually administering the drugs through syringes. While this workflow change was worrisome at first, Texas Health nurses said there's been a surprising result: They've been able to spend more personal, quality time with patients. "Initially, I expected the change in process was going to take more time, as we were so accustomed to using a pump and IV bag," Tessa Kennedy, RN, a clinical nurse at the hospital, said in a press release. "What I actually found was it gave me more time with my patients, getting to know them, to provide education and simply have a conversation while doing the IV push." The automated IV pumps were introduced in hospitals around the country years ago as a time-saving, error-reducing solution for nurses especially as the number of daily, non-nursing tasks on their plate piled up. These time-consuming tasks have detracted from what nurses want most: time with patients. "Nurses can spend a significant amount of time on non-nursing tasks hunting and gathering equipment, communicating and coordinating between departments and on documentation, leaving less time for actual patient care and presence with patients and families," explained Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital CNO Cole Edmonson, RN. "So anything that gives nurses back time to spend with patients, being present and in the moment is truly welcomed in this age of technology and digital equipment." Spending more time at the bedside or "going back to the old way of giving medications," as one nurse explained, has also increased patient satisfaction. During a meeting held by clinical leaders, patients said they enjoyed the increased time with nurses , adding that the personal time improved their experience at the hospital. Nurses said the IV-push method also led to an improved patient experience because there were fewer beeping machines, which allowed patients to more comfortably rest. Beyond improving staff and patient satisfaction, the workflow change also strengthened the relationship between the nursing department and pharmacy, produced less waste from tubing and bags and generated some cost savings, according to Randell Ball, Texas Health Presbyterian vice president and system pharmacy officer. The two departments worked closely to maintain patient safety and reduce the potential for incorrect dosing. "When discussing the need to move to syringe-based dosing, the pharmacy worked with nursing leadership to identify those medications that could be safely provided in syringes of 30 milliliters or less and could be safely given by IV push over five minutes or less," Mr. Ball explained. Overall, the hospital was able to turn a nationwide IV shortage into something patients and staff were happy about. "Out of a terrible tragedy [Hurricane Maria] and in the most respectful way to everyone impacted, we found some unexpected collateral benefit to our patients' and nurses' experience," Mr. Edmonson said. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority is recommending all hospitals use kilograms instead of pounds when weighing patients to avoid mistakes when measuring medicine doses, TribLIVE reports. Errors while dosing chemotherapy drugs, blood thinners and other pharmaceuticals can make treatment less effective or potentially harm patients, said Michelle Bell, director of outreach and education for the authority. The pronouncement, issued Sept. 8, is the first formal recommendation the authority has made since it launched in 2002, Ms. Bell said. From December 2008 to November 2015, the authority received 1,291 reports of errors related to patient weights, and 300 of the reports involved confusion between pounds and kilograms, according to data on the authority's website. Of these errors, 11 led to patient harm, with one contributing to a patient's death, Ms. Bell said. Hospitals should consider having charts for patients to convert their weights, Ms. Bell said. Bangor-based Eastern Maine Medical Center welcomed Michael Paci, MD, to EMMC Neurosurgery and Spine Specialists. Dr. Paci is a neurosurgeon who specializes in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery, spine and brain trauma and spine tumors. He received his medical degree from McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dr. Paci underwent spine surgery fellowship training at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Seattle-based Proliance Surgeons named Charles Peterson, MD, interim CEO as the group searches to find someone to fill the position permanently. Here are three insights: 1. Dr. Peterson is the president of Proliance Surgeons. He also serves as the director and as the chairman of the board of directors. 2. Proliance Surgeons has begun a search to find its next leader, said Dr. Peterson in a statement. Proliance's leadership will remain active as the physician-owned-and-managed team interviews candidates. 3. This year, Proliance Surgeons completed two new ambulatory surgery centers and welcomed 12 new physicians. An Italian priest has been kidnapped close to Niger's border with Burkina Faso. So far, the abductors have not made any demands. It is the second kidnapping of a European national this year in the West African state which has struggled to defeat jihadist groups. However, it is still unclear who kidnapped the priest. Residents of Bomoanga village - located more than 100km (62 miles) from the capital, Niamey - say armed men arrived on Monday night and seized the priest. The Catholic Society of African Missions (Sam) says Father Pierluigi Maccalli has lived in Niger for the past 11 years. They say he has been actively promoting the development of education, healthcare and the training of young farmers in the southwest's Gourmanc area. Militant Islamists are known to be active near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. In June, Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou told television broadcaster France 24 that an American missionary and a German aid worker - kidnapped in separate incidents in his country - were both alive BBC Michael Verdon, DO, is a physician within Premier Health's Clinical Neuroscience Institute in Englewood, Ohio. Dr. Verdon is a featured speaker at the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + The Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference, June 13-15 in Chicago. Click here to learn more and register. For more information about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities, contact Maura Jodoin at mjodoin@beckershealthcare.com. Here, Dr. Verdon discusses the biggest trends in technology for value-based spine care. Question: What technology are you most excited about for the future of orthopedics? Dr. Michael Verdon: The use of data analytics and machine learning to increase diagnostic accuracy and define the patients-reported input (symptoms) to improve patient-reported outcomes. The whole concept of precision medicine requires maximum efficiency and effectiveness in defining pain generators at the lowest possible cost to the payer and a fast as possible for the patient. Q: Is your practice moving toward value-based care? How does new technology fit in, whether you're taking cases to a hospital or outpatient surgery center? MV: From a philosophical viewpoint, I'd like to think I'm trying to provide the best outcome for the patient at the lowest possible cost for the payer possible. This is what got me interested in predictive analytics and machine learning on the diagnostic side, in order to ensure anatomic pain generator identification before treatment planning. Currently, most clinically relevant data in the EMR world is in free form text and not compatible with machine-learning techniques. Some IT authorities see artificial intelligence as a panacea for this problem, but like each patient we see in the clinic the maximum "garbage in garbage out" still applies. Due to advanced surgical and anesthesia techniques, we are at a point most one- to three-spinal segment procedures can be done in the outpatient setting. This is more market driven rather then medically or surgically necessary. Q: How do you evaluate new technologies and techniques? MV: One thing I remember from residency training was an attending, who was performing endoscopic surgery on the cerebellum and the cranial nerves, [and] told me that new procedures and technologies are useless if they were not passed on to others. If the technology and techniques aren't safer, faster or teachable to others then they will not grow and will die when the surgeon does. That physician passed away about four years later, at the age of 53, and the procedure has not gained widespread adoption. To participate in future Q&As with Becker's Spine Review, contact Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com. Former Seattle-based Swedish Neuroscience Institute chairman Johnny Delashaw, MD, lost his license in May 2017. After seeking appeals, the neurosurgeon got his license back; however, getting a job has remained a challenge, according to The Daily News. Here are seven things to know: 1. In May 2017, the Washington Medical Commission deemed Dr. Delashaw was "an immediate threat to public health and safety," stripping him of his ability to practice. The decision to do so was based on the neurosurgeon's alleged behavior toward nurses in 2015. 2. Dr. Delashaw claims his reputation and his medical license were taken from him after a series of stories from the The Seattle Times questioned the neurosurgeon's leadership capabilities. Dr. Delashaw has since filed a libel and defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and his former colleague Charles Cobbs, MD. 3. Dr. Delashaw was not practicing at the time of his suspension. He filed an appeal and has denied all allegations. In July, the medical commission reinstated Dr. Delashaw's license to practice in Washington. 4. Additionally, the neurosurgeon was required to undergo an evaluation and pay a $10,000 fine. He has completed the evaluation and plans to appeal the fine. 5. After the Washington Medical Commission suspended his license, Dr. Delashaw claims California and Alaska followed suit and stripped Dr. Delashaw of his ability to practice. 6. Since his license was reinstated, Dr. Delashaw has applied for around 20 hospital jobs with no luck. He plans to perform surgery overseas as charitable work. He will remain under administrative oversight for at least three years. 7. Dr. Delashaw earned his medical degree from Seattle-based University of Washington School of Medicine. He spent 20 years at Portland-based Oregon Health and Science University before becoming chief of neurosurgery at Orange-based UC Irvine Medical Center in 2013. A Northern Ireland street furniture company has unveiled a new solar product which it says can produce up to 40% more electricity output. Environmental Street Furniture (ESF) in Newtownabbey designs and supplies street, solar and themed furniture. The company - a winner in the Excellence in Exporting category in this year's Belfast Telegraph Business Awards - sells its products to more than 22 countries, and its customers include some of the world's biggest theme parks. Now it's become an exclusive distributor of the Austrian-made SmartFlower solar system in Ireland. The company said the system produces up to 40% more output due to its advanced smart tracking. ESF managing director Alan Lowry said the product could become "the next generation of solar energy". "Unlike the conventional static rooftop systems, the SmartFlower tracks and follows the position of the sun, producing energy even in the fringe hours of the day. It produces maximum electricity at all times so valuable energy is not lost," he said. The use of solar energy resources has grown in recent years, with the UK leading the growth. Reports suggest the amount of solar power usage has increased by 50% globally within the last year. In May, ESF won the best business and product innovation title at the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards national final. Former Ulster Bank branches in Northern Ireland that include three listed properties have gone on the market, prompting calls for their character and style to be maintained. The buildings, three of which are Grade B listed - two B1 buildings in Dromore and Castlederg and one grade B2 in Ballyclare - are in towns including Moira, Rathfriland, Ballyclare, Dungiven, Portrush and Dromore. The 12 branches have combined asking prices of 1.2m. Their closures were announced last year. The sale of the buildings comes as uncertainty surrounds the future of grade B1 listed Bank Buildings, the home of Primark in Belfast city centre, after it was almost destroyed by a fire three weeks ago. While some traders affected by the fire have called for demolition, there have also been calls for the surviving facade to be retained and the structure rebuilt. An expert in historic buildings said potential buyers should adapt the branches in a way that will generate footfall. Professor Alastair Adair, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Ulster University, and former head of the school for the built environment, cited a former bank in Newtownards which was turned into a pizza restaurant. He said: "Buildings like that lend a sense of character and tend to be substantial buildings built to reflect the status and stature of the banks, and it's now about how they can be accommodated for future use that's important. "Given they're in high street locations, it's important they're remodelled to encourage footfall in the area, such as was the case of Newtownards where pizzeria Little Wing went into a former Bank of Ireland building. "That seems to be an appropriate use. That footfall supports other businesses in the town centre." John Anderson, vice chairman of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, said: "Ulster Architectural Heritage would like to see imaginative and sympathetic new owners who will achieve sustainable and profitable uses to retain the character and quality of the architecture within the communities they served. "Too often in the past property speculators have 'land banked' such buildings, which were then allowed to fall into dereliction in the hope of achieving a 'new build' site." Liam McAuley, associate director at GVA NI Ltd, which is selling the bank branches, said that he was "pleased with the level of interest". You may not know his name but you will know his face. That face became synonymous with anti-smoking when Gerry Collins fronted a series of ads for the Republic's Quit campaign after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in the summer of 2013. In one of those ads, Gerry looks straight into the camera and says: "I am dying from cancer as a result of smoking." That raw honesty stopped people in their tracks in both the south and Northern Ireland. In a later ad, filmed as part of the same series, he talks about his kids, saying: "I'll miss my kids. I will miss not being there when they might need me." The ads were a snapshot of Gerry's life and of the lives of those people who loved him. They were filmed during some of the family's most difficult days when Gerry knew his time was limited. In her book, released next week, his eldest daughter Lisa (35) tells the story of those final 10 months of her father's life and how determined he was that others should not go down the same path as he did in terms of smoking. Despite its heavy subject matter, The Man Who Moved the Nation - A Daughter's Story is surprisingly easy to read. Even though you know the outcome - Gerry died surrounded by his family in March 2014 - you are gripped from the first page by the sheer strength of Lisa's love for her dad. Having kept diaries and journals throughout her life, after her dad's diagnosis, Lisa found herself unable to write. "I used to journal all the time. It's how I would have dealt with things and processed stuff. I still have the last journal that I wrote in. The last thing I wrote was: 'Dad's just been diagnosed with cancer and I have no words'. The next time I wrote was a year later and the whole story just came out," she says. The book is an unwavering journey into grief. From the moment the family learns there will be no cure, to the final days when Gerry calls his family into his hospice room saying: "Well, lads, this is it. The last minute of the match," Lisa's story is unflinching. It looks grief in the eye and refuses to look away. Expand Close Gerry with his family (from left) son Stephen, wife Delly and daughters Ciara and Lisa / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gerry with his family (from left) son Stephen, wife Delly and daughters Ciara and Lisa Four years after her father's death Lisa, who runs her own beauty business, Wax It Lounge, in her native Greystones, Co Wicklow, is preparing for the launch of her book on September 26. The date is significant. It's Gerry's birthday. He would be turning 61 if he were still alive. She's in a good place now, she tells me. Happily married to Tiernan Dillon and mentoring other women in the beauty business as well as running her own business, Lisa hopes her book will give hope to others going through their own dark days of grief. "You can't really sugar-coat grief. This was my first proper exposure to grief. Anyone who has gone through it knows it's messy. It gets in your bones; you feel heavy. It's always uncomfortable," she says. "I looked up on the internet how to grieve properly. I knew I needed to get through this. I did struggle to find things I identified with. You're trying to contain it and you're trying to understand it and you're just devastated. You're lost - you feel it physically. "I had to talk about dad all the time. I had to get it out. The book was a massive part of it. I wrote. I tried to look after myself as best I could. Some days getting up and putting my socks on was enough. Other days I was able to get out and go to the gym and re-engage. Talking is how I heal so I try to talk to people," says Lisa. "One thing I do know about grief is that it's a process you have to go through - there's no way around it. So whether your process is to paint, then paint, or if it's to write, write. If it's to talk, keep talking. Whatever your bag is just do that. When people say, 'You should be over it', that's not helpful," she says. Lisa's book also gives people a chance to get to know Gerry better. While he is synonymous with the ads and is resigned to his fate in them, the book shows his determination, his love of music and sport as well as his family. It paints a picture of a man who worked very hard to provide for his family and someone who was a bit of a joker or as Lisa calls him "a lovable rogue". "There were three reasons why he wanted to do the ad campaign. He knew it would be good energy - it came at a dark time in his life and he knew it would bring life and energy. He knew it would bring our family closer together, which it did, and he said if this even helps one person stop smoking it would all have been worth it for him," says Lisa. Nobody could have envisaged how the ads would touch such a nerve; that people would often be moved to tears by Gerry's campaign. When I ask Lisa why she thinks this is, she puts it down to her dad's honesty and his vulnerability. "I don't think he was telling people, 'Don't do this'. He was saying, 'This is what's happening to me and if you can at all, avoid it happening'," she says. In his own life Lisa says her father always related to people and their struggles in life. "It was part of his make-up. He had this massive ability to identify with people. You could tell him what was going on and he would be like, 'I totally get you'. "We're ridiculously proud of dad and what he did. We're just so proud of him. He never lost his steadfastness around the ads. He was at the helm of it. Whenever anyone else around him was panicking or upset, he stayed strong. It was a really inspiring thing to see someone do something that was so challenging at such a time when he knew time was limited. He was so certain. He knew this was going to be a good thing," says Lisa. For as long as Lisa can remember her dad was self-employed and this meant he was always hungry to learn. "Part of running your own business is learning. He had to grow alongside the business. He was already very emotionally intelligent anyway and so he was so big on the personal development side of things. He would devour books on leadership and development," she says. She tells how Gerry overcame a fear of public speaking to such an extent that he was happy to hold court anywhere and Lisa is firmly of the belief that he gifted this ability to her when he passed away. In the days after the Quit campaign launch Gerry asked her to accompany him to a radio interview. This was something that was completely out of her comfort zone and at first Lisa was reluctant to do it. But her dad won her over and that first experience proved a very positive one. After he died, Lisa spoke at his funeral, telling mourners there was only one Gerry Collins and that they were glad he was theirs. Now public speaking, presenting and mentoring to other women in business is not an issue. "I feel it was a gift from my dad. He was an amazing public speaker. He had a terrible fear himself but he was able to conquer it and I feel he left that with me," she says. Gerry also had a part to play in Lisa meeting her husband Tiernan, who she married two years ago. One night in December 2013 Lisa met a guy in a bar in Greystones. Thinking she knew him, she said hello but quickly realised she didn't know him and walked away. After doing that first interview with Gerry on East Coast Radio in Co Wicklow in January 2014, the station put a picture of Gerry and Lisa with the radio host up on social media. The picture popped up on Tiernan's social media shortly afterwards. "He was back in Dubai, where he was working at the time, and up came that photo on his news feed and he said, 'There's that girl'. He dropped me a message saying, 'There you are again - who are you? Do you remember me?' We were in touch every day after that." While Lisa says the big occasions in life are marred by Gerry's absence, she is happy now. "I really thought at the time I could never feel right again. I felt broken and I didn't know if I could be put back together. It did take a few years but I feel better than I ever thought I would. "Even though you are super-happy, there's still that twinge there. I missed dad on my wedding day and that was a big deal for me. I definitely think it gets easier with time. I know that's a cliched thing to say but in my experience it's true." She says she hopes that people take a message of hope from the book; that even in the darkest of days the light will shine again. "I guess with the book what I want to say is that it's okay for it to be hard. What I would love to come out of this is if one person reads my book and says, 'She came through this. I'll be okay - I've just got to hang on here'." And on the night of the launch, while Lisa knows she'll feel emotional, she also knows she'll feel happy. More than 200 people are coming to the launch at the Pigeon House in Delgany. The Irish minister for health has confirmed he'll be there too. Lisa says she knows her dad would be hugely proud of her and on the night she'll raise a glass to Gerry and say: "Cheers Dad. Happy birthday." The Man Who Moved The Nation - A Daughter's Story by Lisa Jennifer Collins. Mercier Press, 12.49 Admit it. How many hours a day do you sit at your desk with your legs crossed? For some people, sitting in this position just feels more comfortable than planting both feet on the floor, and conquering the habit is easier said than done. Even if you try to correct yourself, mere minutes later, you look down from your screen to find that one thigh has automatically snaked over the other, reverting you back to your old ways. At this point, you've probably accepted your fate to sit at your desk with your legs entwined until retirement, but could staying in this position be unwittingly causing you health problems in the long-term? "There is a lot of conflicting information available on whether sitting with your legs crossed for long periods can cause health problems like varicose veins or not," says Dr Alexandra Oliver, associate clinical director at Bupa UK (www.bupa.co.uk). "Whilst there has been a suggested link between standing or sitting for long periods and varicose veins there is, as yet, no definite evidence for this." Oliver says that the link is related to varicose veins occurring where there is an increase in the pressure of the veins in the leg - like when you have one leg resting on the other, restricting the blood flow. "This can happen if someone sits or stands for a long period of time, because your veins have valves to keep the blood from flowing backwards. Sitting or standing can cause the blood to pool within the veins of the leg, which can lead to an increase in the pressure of the leg veins. In turn, this could lead to varicose veins forming," she says. That being said, your leg crossing might not be the definitive reason for the appearance of purple, enlarged veins on your legs. Oliver says that there are other known risk factors which can cause them, such as being female, getting older, being overweight, having a family history of varicose veins, and being pregnant. Veins aside, other people blame sitting cross-legged for taking its toll on their back too, but is it all just a myth? "Back pain can be common for those who sit down all day at work," says Oliver. "This can be linked to people not having the appropriate workspace or work station set up. In order to compensate for the set up, you might adjust your positioning, which can put your back or neck under stress over time." Crossing your legs is just one of the elements that can put your spine into a vulnerable position, so it's important to think about your posture, the position of your computer screen, the position of your mouse and keyboard, the height of your chair and where your phone is placed. "Whether you cross your legs or not, if you are sitting for long periods of time then it is recommended to get up and move around for a couple of minutes every 20 to 30 minutes too," says Oliver. "Having shorter, frequent breaks is more beneficial for your back than taking one or two longer breaks. It can help prevent your back, and other parts of your body, from becoming stiff, and there are also numerous stretches you can do at your desk to help avoid or tackle those aches and pains." So should you be mindful of crossing your legs at your desk? "Yes," says Oliver. "If you're sitting down, try not to cross your legs, as this can restrict your blood flow and circulation. It is also worth us being aware that crossing our legs can be something we may do when our work stations are not set up properly for us. In a bid to compensate for the setup, we cross our legs to naturally try to correct the balance." If you're worried about the impact sitting at your desk each day is having on your body, speak to your employer about a health assessment -this can provide tailored, individual guidance on your desk posture. That being said, it's the sitting for long periods of time that's likely to do more damage than crossing your legs - so get up, get moving and offer to do a regular office tea round instead. A Belfast councillor has called for an urgent meeting to address residents' concerns about antisocial behaviour and on-street drinking from students in the Holylands area of the city. Alliance councillor for south Belfast Emmet McDonough-Brown has sought a meeting with the chief executive of Belfast City Council after locals aired worries about the behaviour of students during freshers' week. Read More Cllr McDonough-Brown said the experiences of many residents were "disgraceful" and called on students to enjoy themselves responsibly. "The issues in the Holyland are well known and have affected the area for many years - but the lack of action from statutory agencies is deeply disappointing," he said. "With hundreds of students drinking on-street this past weekend already, residents have already rightly complained and expressed their fears. Expand Close A man and a child make their way through the Holylands in Belfast as freshers week begins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man and a child make their way through the Holylands in Belfast as freshers week begins "I have therefore sought an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive of Belfast City Council to discuss the issue and what can be done to resolve the matter. "Belfast City Council can intervene in relation to on-street drinking and I will be urging the organisation to do just that. "With the correct intervention now, we can turn the tide in the Holyland and help locals restore the area to the long-term residential area it once was." Meanwhile, a Belfast nightclub has come under fire for a student night drinks promotion offering bottles, spirits, mixers and shots for a little as 60pm each. Fourteen in Tomb Street launched the '666' promotion earlier this week. A Co Down businessman has appealed for people to be tested to see if they can become stem cell donors and save his son's life. Michael Cafolla has urged as many people as possible to attend a recruitment drive at St George's Market in Belfast between noon and 4pm today. His son, 22-year-old Thomas, was forced to put his life on hold when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in October last year. He has suffered a series of devastating setbacks in his treatment, as he falls within the 15% of patients who do not respond to the traditional chemotherapy regime for his type of cancer. This has meant he has had to endure a range of different chemotherapy drugs as doctors have worked to find an effective treatment for his blood cancer. Now Thomas, who has had to defer his university degree while he fights the disease, needs a stem cell transplant. His three siblings have all been tested but none is a match, forcing him to pin his hopes on a complete stranger now saving his life. Mr Cafolla (54) explained: "Despite everything Thomas has been through, he stays remarkably positive. "So many things have gone wrong throughout his treatment that it has got to the point where we know when we're going to get bad news. "If everything is going well you tend to see a doctor, but when things aren't going how they would like, you walk into the room and the consultant is there with a nurse and a box of tissues. "Thomas is now in the position where he needs a stem cell transplant in order to survive. "I would say the whole experience has been surreal, it's surreal to think that a complete stranger is going to save my son's life." Thomas said he still finds it difficult to believe he has been diagnosed with cancer. "I'm quite good at not thinking about it, to be honest," he said. "I would just appeal to as many people as possible to sign up as potential stem cell donors, because it really does save lives. "I never knew anything about it while I was at school, I certainly never thought I would ever be diagnosed with cancer, but most people will be affected in some way through their life. Getting tested to go on the register doesn't hurt, all it takes is a cheek swab, but it can make such a difference to someone like me." Thomas, who is studying hospitality at Ulster University, had just begun his placement year when he began to display symptoms. However, he put the extreme night sweats and fatigue down to the stress of moving to London and working in a busy hotel. However, when his mum Marie (51) paid him a visit at the end of last September, she was concerned at the amount of weight he had lost. The fact that he was complaining about a lump in his neck also set alarm bells ringing, so she accompanied Thomas to an NHS walk-in centre. The doctor there immediately sent Thomas to a nearby hospital where a raft of tests revealed he had Hodgkin's lymphoma, an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system - a network of vessels and glands spread throughout the body. "When Thomas was diagnosed everyone said that if you are going to get cancer, then Hodgkin lymphoma is a good one to get as it is treatable, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case for Thomas," Mr Cafolla said. "He hasn't responded to the chemotherapy the way the doctors would have liked, so he had to have a different chemotherapy, which was much tougher. "He also had to go through the application process for a treatment to help him, because it wasn't available on the health service because of the cost. "Fortunately he was allowed to have the treatment, but it was very stressful. "None of it seems real, Marie and I have to support Thomas and we just have to get on with it. "Our lives have just become about hospital appointments and when is the next scan and hoping that everything goes okay." If you are aged between 16 and 30 and are in good health, you can join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register. The charity matches individuals willing to donate their blood stem cells or bone marrow to people with blood cancer and blood disorders who desperately need lifesaving transplants. A recruitment event for donors is being held at the Institute of Hospitality's Homegrown and Growing event at St George's Market in Belfast city centre today between noon and 4pm. Anyone unable to attend the event but who would like to register as a donor or find out more information can log on to www.anthonynolan.org. One of the three petition centres, in Ballymoney, which will be open until tomorrow night for voters in the North Antrim constituency Ian Paisley will learn in the early hours of Thursday morning whether he will have to fight a by-election to retain his Westminster seat. Polls in the recall petition close at 5pm tomorrow. The boxes from the three centres in Ballymena, Ballymoney and Ballycastle will then be taken to the Electoral Office's Belfast headquarters. Counting will begin at midnight. Chief Electoral officer Virginia McVea told the Belfast Telegraph she expected the result to be announced at around 2am. It is understood that after the votes are counted at the premises near Writer's Square, the result will first be recorded with the office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow. Then turnout and the result will be posted on the Electoral Office's website. It is the first ever recall petition in British parliamentary history and allows voters to have their say on their MP. Mr Paisley has received a 30-day suspension from the House of Commons for failing to declare two luxury holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government. He is also currently suspended by the DUP pending an investigation by party officers. If 7,543 people in North Antrim sign the petition - 10% of the electorate - then a by-election will be held. Mr Paisley has vowed to stand in any future poll. The petition of recall will be open until tomorrow evening at the Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena, the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney, and Sheskburn House Recreation Centre in Ballycastle. Sinn Fein and the SDLP registered as formal campaign groups in an attempt to oust the MP. The Ulster Unionists didn't register but party leader Robin Swann has said he would encourage anyone who believes that what Mr Paisley did was wrong to sign the petition. In March 2014, Mr Paisley lobbied the then Prime Minister David Cameron against a proposed United Nations resolution to investigate alleged human rights abuses during Sri Lanka's civil war, without disclosing family holidays paid for by its government. He apologised in July for what he said was his "unintentional failure" to register the hospitality. The DUP's 10 MPs are propping up Theresa May's minority government and Mr Paisley's suspension means he could miss key Brexit votes. The Recall of MPs Act 2015 limits media reporting during the campaign. Legislation allows for up to 10 centres to be used and the Electoral Office has been criticised for opening just three, but it has defended the arrangements. Mr Paisley has been North Antrim MP since 2010. The seat was first won by his father in 1970. Paul McConville has said he wants answers about the death of his son while in custody. Credit: BBC The father of a man who took his own life while being held in Maghaberry has vowed to continue a protest outside the prison until he is given answers from the authorities. Daniel McConville (22), a father of two from Lurgan, died on August 30 the day before he had been due in court charged with possession of cannabis resin. His father Paul told the BBC he will continue to protest outside the jail until he is given a full explanation from the Prison Service about what happened to his son. Mr McConville said his son was "a lovable young boy" but had learning difficulties and suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He said: "He was mischievous like any child, he made you laugh, he made you cry." He added: "If he wasn't on his medication, he would have maybe got a bit temperamental and lost his temper. "He had been in prison for fighting and fighting with people if he had drink on him." Mr McConville claimed the Prison Service had not made direct contact with the family since a priest came to his home to break the devastating news of Daniel's death. He said if he was not protesting at the prison he would be looking after his son's children, aged four and nine months. "I heard nothing then and I've heard nothing now, and that's nearly three weeks later from his death," he said. "I had to ring them the day after his death to ask where my son was and they told me that his body was in the Royal hospital morgue. "My wife's crying every day, and the only reasons I'm here is because of anger." Ronnie Armour, director general of the Prison Service, told the BBC he would be happy to meet Mr McConville but said a number of senior governors had already spoken to him. He confirmed that Daniel was considered a prisoner at risk and had been carefully monitored. Mr Armour said Maghaberry currently houses 800 prisoners and that it was "very difficult to monitor an individual at all times." "We do our best. Our staff work in a very difficult and challenging environment," he said. "Our staff do everything they can to support vulnerable prisoners such as Daniel". Mr Armour said Maghaberry currently houses 800 prisoners and that it was "very difficult to monitor an individual at all times." The case is under investigation by the prison ombudsman. Parents of pupils at a Belfast special school have said they are concerned that the Education Authority (EA) is deliberately lowering admission numbers to justify a merger. Fleming Fulton on the Upper Malone Road has more than 100 pupils aged three to 19, and specialises in schooling children with physical disabilities. Proposals announced earlier this year by the EA revealed it was considering mergers between seven special schools in Belfast. This could mean Fleming Fulton is joined with the nearby Glenveagh School, which has 200 pupils with severe learning difficulties. Four parents told the Belfast Telegraph they fear merging the schools and specialities will be detrimental to their children's education. The EA said on Friday that after early engagement with schools and stakeholders, the process remains in the engagement stage. The parents have also accused the EA of "blocking" access to the Fleming Fulton nursery which, despite demand, hasn't been allowed to accept children for several years, causing the school numbers to drop. Angela Haughey is from the disability awareness group Bright Futures NI. Her son Charlie (5), who attends Fleming Fulton, has multiple disabilities including sight loss and cerebral palsy. "Fleming is an amazing school, the staff are so dedicated and I'm greatly concerned by the actions of the EA," she said. Charlie was initially denied a place and was sent to another school, but when his physical condition deteriorated he was finally allowed to attend Fleming Fulton. "Within weeks he was making fantastic progress and was so content," his mum said. "I just knew I'd done the right thing, but I'm so concerned for other parents." Ms Haughey said that at meetings with the EA earlier this year, parents had been promised Fleming Fulton's nursery would reopen for September 2019 and that there would be no changes without full consultation. "We thought that was great news, but when we came back in September we discovered the school had been asked to take on an ASD unit (autism spectrum disorder); it looks like the EA have totally backtracked on their promise," she added. "It blurs the boundaries for a school's specialisms and I suspect, despite promises, they're attempting to take the school in a different direction without any consultation." In 2016 the EA was accused of misleading a Stormont committee investigating pre-school provision for special schools. The EA said no principals had contacted it to express concerns about cuts to nursery hours, but it was later reported three head teachers had written to oppose the changes. The EA said at the time this had been an "oversight", and it would never deliberately mislead the committee. "That raises massive concerns about their integrity going forward, especially without a Stormont Executive," Ms Haughey said. "There are other schools with more expertise in ASD and, equally, I believe there are children in other schools who would greatly benefit from the expertise in Fleming Fulton. "There are people who travel from as far as Tyrone and Ballycastle just to go to Fleming - that says it all. "Schools in those areas have merged and parents don't feel they're suitable." Bright Futures said it had provided academic research to the EA in favour of the schools staying specialised. "As a parent I'm not fully convinced the EA have our children's best interests at heart, which is a massive worry for the future," Ms Haughey added. Carol Stansfield's son Jakob (13) has cerebral palsy and attends Fleming Fulton. "Jakob has already been in a merged 'super-school'," she said. "It merged behavioural problems, severe learning disabilities along with physical disabilities. "It didn't work; the education went out the window and in my view it became like a big daycare centre." She said Jakob was revitalised after eventually transferring to Fleming Fulton. "It was amazing, but now they're talking about putting another super-school together. The nursery situation at Fleming is ridiculous. They haven't been able to advertise over the past five years so it's slowly dwindling to nothing. "I think the EA are working towards reducing the numbers as they need them to drop to justify a super-school." Zoe Parks from Portadown enrolled her son Ethan (3), who has cerebral palsy, at Mitchell House in Belfast, after failing to secure a place at Fleming Fulton. "I'm happy with Mitchell House but Fleming would have been a lot closer for us. I felt the EA was steering me away," she said. "I think they closed the nursery without any clear explanation. "The EA then wanted Ethan to go to my nearest special school, but all the schools in the Southern Trust area would primarily be for children with severe learning impairments. "I visited Fleming, they thought Ethan absolutely fitted their profile and were more than happy to have him, but the EA closed the nursery." She added: "The EA keep saying there's not a need but I know there's a lot of parents including me who would have placed their child in Fleming if it was an option." She said the discussion about mergers was "difficult and stressful" for the family. "We don't know what the future holds, the EA haven't given a lot of answers that satisfy the parents," she said. Colette Flanagan's son Daire (8) joined Fleming Fulton nursery before it closed in 2013. "That year there were only two other children in with him. I know there were other parents applying and were told the numbers were full," she said. Asked about the ongoing lack of a nursery, she said: "I think it's a disgrace, to be quite honest. "Fleming Fulton is the best place suited to my child's needs, there's other children out there who fit the criteria and would absolutely benefit from what my son has had. "The school is amazing, you can't fault the staff or the therapies they get. "I don't think it's practical to mix Fleming and Glenveagh. "Glenveagh staff, I'm sure, are absolutely amazing with their children but when you mix the two schools together will they lose therapy, will staff be next up? "I've had sleepless nights over what's going to happen." The EA said it was "committed to meeting the needs of our children and young people who have special educational needs and to continued engagement with parents and other stakeholders". "Children who require special school placements are placed on the basis of their assessed needs," it stated. "EA continues to monitor the places that are needed in specific special schools and make adjustments to provision when it is needed." Fleming Fulton School was also contacted for a response. Dear Moderator, Creative Conversation Group Following the decisions reached at the 2018 General Assembly in relation to the Church of Scotland and the United Reformed Church, members of the Creative Conversation Group copied to you a letter to the Church of Scotland, signed by some 60 Irish Presbyterians, expressing our regret at the breakdown in our relations. Other Presbyterians have joined members of the Group in signing this letter. Our Group, made up of members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, is informal and has no constitution, nor does it have an agreed theological position on the issues currently the subject of debate within our Church, notably concerning same-sex relationships, equal marriage, admission to the Communion Roll and the baptism of children of same-sex couples. What we want to do is to provide a forum for constructive and respectful debate within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland on issues that divide us. We desire to learn from each other, informed by Holy Scripture, and build relationships. With the exception of a few set piece events, it is our perception that the Church has failed to live up to its commitment to consultation and engagement as set out in the Structures Report. That failure is illustrated by the recent Doctrine Committees Report, which arguably arrived at the General Assembly without full and proper consideration or debate and certainly without proper consideration of its public square implications or, more seriously, its pastoral care implications. The Group notes that the letter from the Clerk to all Ministers dated 22nd June asserted the authority of the General Assembly and sought to discourage any discourse that might give rise to scandal injurious to the purity or peace of the Church (Code Par 132(1)(b). It is not the intention of those whose signatures are attached to this open letter to promote such discourse, but to assert the long held right of Presbyterians to exercise their God given right of private judgement, having examined the Holy Scripture and been guided by the Holy Spirit. The Code of our Church quotes from the Westminster Confession of Faith: God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His Word or beside it in matters of faith or worship (Code Par 11 Section 111). The signatories to this letter recognise that the General Assembly has taken decisions, which are the responsibility of ministers and elders to loyally implement, but believe in loyal dissent and the need for continuing public discourse. We do not believe that such discourse is injurious to the purity or peace of the Church or amounts to contumacy even if such discourse provides a forum for the expression of views contrary to the Churchs position and policies. On the contrary we believe such respectful debate is healthy and should be encouraged, since it is through debate informed by the reading of Holy Scripture, that we can learn from each other and influence the future direction of Church policy through the General Assembly. In total 602 Presbyterians, including members of the Creative Conversation Group, have signed this letter. We welcome dialogue and would like to support you in the pursuit of your theme for the year of Building Relationships. We would like to think that by continuing to engage in respectful discourse we are living out your theme. Yours in Christ, Creative Conversation Committee: John Hunter Rosemary Hunter Susie Morrow Linda Agnew Heather Hanna David Mark An Orange Hall in the Glarryford area has sustained minor damage in a petrol bomb attack. An Orange Hall in the Glarryford area has sustained minor damage in a petrol bomb attack. The incident happened at the Orange Hall on the Duneaney Road area of Glarryford on Monday night. At around 7.45pm the remains of a suspected petrol bomb were discovered outside the premises. Minor damage was caused to the door of the property as a result of the incident. The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said the remnants of a petrol bomb were discovered on Monday during the monthly lodge meeting, with scorch damage caused to the doorstep. A Grand Lodge spokesman said: This is a deeply disturbing incident which had the potential to destroy a valued community hub and symbolic cultural building. It is only as a consequence of the slapdash actions of those responsible that we are not dealing with a much more serious occurrence. This is sadly yet another example of the intolerant sectarianism displayed by a minority who continue to manifest their hatred towards the Orange Institution, by attacking our properties on a regular basis. The Orange Order has said it is the seventh reported attack on Orange property so far this year. Sergeant Patton said: Enquiries are continuing but the incident is being treated as a hate crime. We are appealing to anyone with any information in relation to this incident to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 178 18/9/18." The public can also contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Councillor Jolene Bunting has been suspended from Belfast City Council for four months. She has been suspended while an investigation into complaints against her are carried out. Councillor Bunting is currently under investigation for breaches of the Northern Ireland Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors. She is being investigated for her behaviour towards other people, bringing the council into disrepute, her responsibility under equality legalisation, her use of councillor position and use of council resources. The decision comes after an Interim Adjudication Hearing held at the Resolution Centre in Belfast on September 4. Between December 2017 and August 2018 14 complaints were made against Councillor Bunting. A number of people raised complaints against her including Belfast City Council Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie, Lord Mayor Deidre Hargey, Deputy Lord Mayor Emmett McDonough-Brown and other councillors. One complaint was signed by 87 complainants while another was signed by 79 members of the public. At the hearing Acting Commissioner Ian Gordon found that Councillor Bunting has failed to comply with the Local Government Code of Conduct. Mr Gordon found that a member of the public, knowing all the relevant facts would consider that her conduct has brought her position as a councillor and the council into disrepute. He determined that there has been continuing damage to the council's reputation due to Councillor Bunting's failure to adhere to the code of conduct and that her behaviour and subsequent publicity is likely to have negatively impacted public confidence. The Acting Commissioner decided to suspend her during the investigating due to the "frequent, ongoing repetitive and escalating nature of the alleged breaches of the Code". Complaints against Councillor Bunting were made a result of her "public statements in relation to the Islamic religion, her association with the far-right group Britain First and the publication of a meme on social media". In her defence Councillor Bunting said that her association with Britain First was to "encourage it to become more moderate and to improve its structure". Mr Gordon ruled that maintaining public confidence outweighed the personal and financial impact on Councillor Bunting. A full hearing into Councillor Bunting's conduct will be held at a later date and in the interim she has the right to appeal the Acting Commissioner's decision to the High Court. Posting on her social media accounts Councillor Bunting said that she "will continue to tell the truth and no one will silence me". Councillor Bunting was originally elected as TUV councillor for the Court ward but currently serves as an independent councillor. She has attracted controversy due to her links to the far-right group Britain First, appearing with leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen at rallies in Belfast. Fransen caused a stir in January when she gave a speech from the Lord Mayor's Chair at Belfast City Hall, while on a tour of the facility with Councillor Bunting. Following a falling out she is no longer associated with the extremist far-right group. Councillor Bunting also faced criticism after a Tweet in May mentioning the Famine in Ireland featuring a cartoon frog meme popular amongst right-wing groups and trolls. The site of a former primary school in Londonderry has been damaged in an arson attack. The old Ebrington Primary School building on Ulsterville Avenue has been plagued with anti-social behaviour since the school moved to a new premises on the Limavady Road in 2017. Police and the Fire Service attended the scene and the fire was extinguished. A PSNI spokesperson said that the fire had caused substantial damage to the building. The spokesperson said that those behind the attack had not only put their own lives at risk "but those of the emergency services and also the local residents in Clooney, Ebrington and Bond Street". "If you have any information please contact Police on 101 quoting CCS 1326," the spokesperson said. A man was attacked during an armed robbery at a residential premises in Ballymena on Monday night. Police are appealing for information following the incident in the Pillar Brae Road area. Shortly before 11:45pm, it was reported that three masked men gained entry through a window to a house in the area. All three males were armed, one with a suspected firearm, one with a crowbar and the third man with a hatchet. A male occupant inside the house was struck on the head, receiving minor injuries. He was left badly shaken as a result of the incident. A sum of money was taken as well as a gold chain pulled from the male occupant during the incident. The males made off on foot from the property and were described as wearing dark coats, jeans and balaclavas," Detective Sergeant Miller said. Enquiries are continuing and we are appealing to anyone with any information to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1507 17/9/18. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime. Mary Lou McDonald said she does not know if the man accused of sexually abusing Mairia Cahill was a Sinn Fein member as the partys record keeping was not as it is now 20 years ago. In a bizarre response to RUC intelligence claims that Martin Morris was suspended from Sinn Fein because he was suspected of abusing children, Ms McDonald said she could not discuss the claims because she was not a spook or a spy. However, Ms McDonald said there was no cover up in Sinn Fein in relation to allegations that Ms Cahill was sexually abused by Mr Morris in the late nineties. A Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland report was extremely critical of the PSNIs handling of the case against Mr Morris which ultimately collapsed. Mr Morris has denied the allegation that he abused Ms Cahill. In a letter to Ms Cahill, the Ombudsman said RUC intelligence files show police in Northern Ireland received information in 2000 which suggested Mr Morris was suspended from Sinn Fein because he was suspected of abusing certain children. Asked about the RUC intelligence on Mr Morris, Ms McDonald first said: I am advised there is no evidence or record of him being a member of Sinn Fein. However, she added: He was, of course, a former prisoner, he was a person who was very active on the ground so I cant discount that he may have been a member. Our record keeping was not as it is now 20 years ago and there is no record of any suspension of him. Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein does not keep any records of members who may be involved in criminality. It would not be appropriate for any political organisation or any GAA or sporting organisation. It would not be appropriate to hold records like that, she said. When asked to respond to the suggestion in the RUC intelligence that Mr Morris was suspended from Sinn Fein over child sex abuse concerns, the Sinn Fein leader said: Of course Im not in a position to answer to answer that. Im not a spook, Im not a spy, Im not a police officer, Im the leader of a political party and I have responsibility of course to ensure that our processes and procedures are as they must be, she added. Ms McDonald said she has never been disrespectful to Ms Cahill and said any one who was aggressive or dismissive towards the Belfast woman should reflect on their own actions. I dont support anybody behaving in a disrespectful manner to Mairia Cahill or for that matter anybody else, she added. The Sinn Fein leader said she had upmost sympathy and compassion for Ms Cahill I do regret that when Mairia spoke to people in confidence, and I have no doubt in good faith, that at the time we didnt have the kind of rigorous procedures that we have now that would have left no margin of judgement, error or anything else in terms of reporting. Thats the great beauty of mandatory reporting. Its very very clear to people that they have to do, she added. The SDLP and Unite the Union are among the groups hit with fines over their reporting to the Electoral Commission. The SDLP and Unite the Union are among the groups hit with fines over their reporting to the Electoral Commission. In total five organisations have been penalised by the electoral watchdog following investigations carried out over the past month. On Tuesday the Electoral Commission also issued its investigation into the electoral activity of UKIP, and whether it had taken "impermissible donations from a European political party and from a foundation" - and found it was "not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that UKIP took impermissible donations in this case". The SDLP, a registered party, were fined 250 twice over inaccurate quarterly donation reports and late notification of change of registered officer. Unite the Union were fined 250 for a failure to deliver an accurate spending return for the 2017 UK General Election. Fined 500 was Labour-aligned campaign group Compass for paying campaign expenses outside of the 60 day window; Irvine Unionist Club - an organisation which donated money to to the North Ayrshire Conservative and Unionist Club and about which little is known - was fined 400 for failing to provide notification of gifts to a political party over 25,000 and notification of gifts received by due date. Environmental group Friends of the Earth Trust was fined 250 for late delivery of spending return for the 2017 UK General Election. Ashford Independent, a registered single-issue party based in Kent, delivered its 2017 statement late but was not sanctioned on the grounds the Electoral Commission was satisfied there were mitigating circumstances. Commenting on the fines, Bob Posner, director of political finance and regulation and legal counsel at the Electoral Commission, said: "The reporting requirements are clear, so it is always disappointing when parties and campaigners fail to comply. "Its vital that voters are given an opportunity to see accurate and full reportable data on what parties and campaigners spend money on in order to influence them at elections. "This provides transparency in the political finance system and is open for anyone to scrutinise. The Commission will continue to enforce these requirements on all parties and campaigners to ensure voters have the information they need." UKIP investigation On the investigation into UKIP, Mr Posner said: "We undertook a thorough investigation that involved analysing a significant volume of evidence, as well as conducting interviews with a number of individuals. "For an offence to be found, we must be satisfied that the burden of proof meets a criminal standard. We were not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that UKIP took impermissible donations in this case. Should new evidence come to light that makes it appropriate for us to look again at this matter, we will do so." The UKIP investigation centred around whether the party took impermissible donations from the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe, the European political party for which UKIP provides the majority of MEPs; and the Institute for Direct Democracy in Europe, a think tank which says it is "critical of the current federalist turn that the EU is taking" and aims to promote sovereignty among European states. In its conclusions, the Electoral Commission found there was insufficient evidence that polling carried out by the two European-level groups helped UKIP in the UK General Election. Brussels chief Brexit negotiator will brief ministers from European Union governments on the state of talks with the UK ahead of a major summit this week. Michel Barnier will update representatives of the EU27 on the remaining issues that need to be resolved in the divorce talks including how to resolve the Irish border question and the framework for the UKs future relationship with the EU. The ministerial-level meeting in Brussels comes as a major review of EU migration to the UK is published on Tuesday. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report is expected to pave the way for the Government to finally unveil proposals for post-Brexit immigration rules. The EUs leaders are convening in Salzburg on Wednesday where Theresa May will urge her counterparts to get behind the Chequers plan for a Brexit deal. Expand Close Theresa May discussed the Chequers plan with Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May discussed the Chequers plan with Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Ahead of that summit the Prime Minister hosted her Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat for talks which included her plan. Downing Street said the two prime ministers discussed the Chequers proposal and the importance of achieving a mutually beneficial economic and security partnership. Mr Barnier has also been meeting European leaders in the run-up to the Salzburg summit. In Madrid for talks with prime minister Pedro Sanchez he offered full support for Spains position on negotiations relating to Gibraltar which need to conclude ASAP. Ahead of the latest round of EU meetings, The Times reported that Mr Barnier was preparing to insist that any political declaration agreed with Mrs May on the future relationship cannot easily be unpicked by her successor. In Madrid today, cordial meeting with @sanchezcastejon to prepare for #Brexit #Salzburgsummit18. A deal with #UK is possible if integrity of Single Market is preserved. Full support for Spain in its negotiations w/ UK on #Gibraltar, which need to conclude asap. pic.twitter.com/lEhR65DSdK Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) September 17, 2018 Environment Secretary Michael Gove has described the PMs divisive Chequers plan as the right one for now and suggested it could be altered by a future leader. But The Times reported that Mr Barniers deputy Sabine Weyand told ambassadors from EU states last week that Brussels needed credible political promises from the UK, according to a diplomatic note of the meeting. Meanwhile there was a further indication of the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to commit Labour to backing the Peoples Vote campaign for a fresh referendum on the outcome of the Brexit talks. Labour MP David Lammy, MEP Clare Moody and GMB union general secretary Tim Roache will join party members, campaigners and activists in a march and rally as Labours conference begins in Liverpool on Sunday. Expand Close Labours conference begins this weekend in Liverpool (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Labours conference begins this weekend in Liverpool (Jane Barlow/PA) The partys stance on Brexit is expected to be debated at the gathering and Mr Lammy said: A Peoples Vote is not only the right thing to do for jobs, public services and the future of our young people its the best way to get a radical Labour government. If we secure a Peoples Vote on the Governments final deal, Theresa May would be forced to resign. A pro-EU Labour government could then rebuild this country using the revitalised economy to introduce high investment, and restore our public services including schools and the NHS. Over a hundred local Labour groups have submitted motions to Labours conference to change Labours policy so that they can back a Peoples Vote on Brexit. The bullet riddled minibus near Whitecross in South Armagh where 10 Protestant workmen were shot dead by IRA terrorists. * 7/1/2001: Stormont First Minister David Trimble was attending the memorial service at Bessbrook Town Hall, south Armagh on the 25th anniversary of the Kingsmill Massacre. Mr Trimble urged the Irish Government to hold a public inquiry into one of the IRAs worst terrorist atrocities. The brother of one of the 10 men shot dead in the Kingsmill massacre has given a cautious welcome to an announcement that the Irish Government will introduce a new law to assist legacy inquests in Northern Ireland. The Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Bill was one of a raft of laws announced by Irish Government chief whip Joe McHugh as he set out the legislative programme for autumn/winter 2018. It will allow Irish police to give evidence to inquests in Northern Ireland. Members of the Gardai are currently legally prevented from giving evidence in Northern Irish courts. Expand Close Colin Wortons brother was one of 10 men shot dead in the Kingsmill massacre in 1976 PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Colin Wortons brother was one of 10 men shot dead in the Kingsmill massacre in 1976 Mr McHugh said the legislation will help relatives of victims in their search for the truth. I would have met a lot of groups from the north in my time as chair of the Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and I was always conscious of the need for enhanced cooperation on a cross-border basis, Mr McHugh told the Press Association. This legislation will help to move the process forward for relatives of victims who are looking for justice, truth and closure. Colin Worton, whose brother Kenneth was one of the 10 Protestant workmen killed by the Provisional IRA at Kingsmill in 1976, said: I would cautiously welcome this announcement, as anything that comes from the Irish Government should be welcomed, but it is late in coming. Hopefully we do get more cooperation from the south, we think they will have to more to give to the inquest. But we will see whenever it is implemented. Expand Close Posters of the 10 men killed in the Kingsmill massacre PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Posters of the 10 men killed in the Kingsmill massacre The shootings at Kingsmill took place in Northern Ireland, but it is believed the killers fled across the border afterwards. A van believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle was recovered by the Garda and there was a cross-border police investigation. The victims families have claimed there was an intransigent attitude from the Republics authorities when it came to providing evidence. The new law is expected to be passed by next spring. The textile workers were shot when their minibus was ambushed outside the village of Kingsmill on their way home from work. Those on board were asked their religion, and the only Catholic was ordered to run away. The killers, who had hidden in hedges, forced the 11 remaining men to line up outside the van before opening fire. Alan Black was the sole survivor. No-one has ever been convicted of the murders, which have been widely blamed on the IRA, even though the organisation never admitted responsibility. The Kingsmill inquest opened in May 2016. Proceedings were delayed shortly afterwards when a palm print found inside the van suspected of being the getaway vehicle was positively matched. The inquest resumed sittings in 2017 and there have been more than 30 sessions. Peter Casey is the sixth candidate to become Irish president (Brian Lawless/PA) Londonderry businessman Peter Casey has become the sixth entry in the race to become the next president of Ireland. The 60-year-old RTE Dragons Den star secured the nomination to run as an independent from Tipperary County Council on Tuesday afternoon. He defeated journalist Gemma ODoherty by 13 votes to eight at the special meeting of the council in Nenagh. Earlier, he won the vote at Limerick City and County Council. He previously won nominations by Clare County Council and Kerry County Council. Extremely grateful to @TipperaryCoCo who have shown their faith in me today and elated to make it onto the ballot paper. The energy and enthusiasm I have been met with by people who are ready, willing and able to get involved in my campaign is truly humbling. #Aras18 Peter Casey (@CaseyPeterJ) September 18, 2018 Presidential election hopefuls must secure the support of four local authorities or 20 TDs and senators to stand in the election. Mr Casey said he was elated to have made it on to the ballot paper. The energy and enthusiasm I have been met with by people who are ready, willing and able to get involved in my campaign is truly humbling, he tweeted as his candidacy was confirmed. Longford County Council also held a special meeting on Tuesday to vote to nominate a candidate for the election. Instead, Longford councillors decided against nominating a candidate after only one hopeful showed up to address them. Mr Casey is now the third Dragons Den entrepreneur along with Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy to run for president. However, he faces strong competition from the incumbent Michael D Higgins, who is currently leading the polls. Sinn Fein unveiled Liadh Ni Riada as its candidate at the weekend. The sixth candidate is mental health activist Senator Joan Freeman. Mr Casey runs global recruitment firm Claddagh Resources. It operates from five locations across the world, including its European base in Buncrana, Co Donegal. He divides his time between Atlanta in the US and Ireland. Speaking previously about his campaign to be president, Mr Casey said he was not running to lose and was prepared to spend up to 750,000 euro (665,000). According to polls, Mr Higgins is heading for a landslide victory. The Red C opinion poll published in the Sunday Business Post put the current president at 67% support. Businessman and presidential runner-up in 2011 Mr Gallagher came second at 15%, ahead of fellow Dragons Den star Mr Duffy at 6%. In third place, 7% chose Ms Ni Riada, who was unveiled as Sinn Feins candidate on Sunday. Mr Higgins, 77, can nominate himself as an independent candidate for another seven years in office. However, he has secured the backing of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour, who have agreed not to field candidates from their own parties. Mr Gallagher, the 56-year-old businessman and former Dragons Den star from Ballyhaise, Co Cavan, finished second in the 2011 presidential election and is tipped for another runner-up position. He won the backing of Roscommon, Mayo, Leitrim and Wexford councils, and was the first independent candidate to secure a nomination. Mr Duffy, 58, will run as an independent candidate after securing his nomination by winning the backing of Waterford, Meath, Carlow and Wicklow councils. Ms Freeman, the independent member of the Irish Seanad, psychologist and mental health activist from Dublin, earned the backing of Galway City Council as well as Galway County, Fingal and Cork County councils. Nominations must be submitted by September 26 and the election will be held on October 26. European leaders have been urged by the UK to compromise on their Brexit stance on the eve of a major summit. Prime Minister Theresa May will use Wednesdays gathering in Salzburg, Austria, to make a direct pitch to fellow leaders to back her divisive Chequers proposals. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said it was time for the compromises made by the UK to be matched on the EU side. In a sign that Brexit talks could go to the wire, the European Union is preparing for a final deal to be struck at an emergency summit in November, rather than the scheduled October meeting previously targeted by both sides in the negotiations. Limiting damage caused by #Brexit is a shared interest. Unfortunately, a no deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe. #SalzburgSummit18 https://t.co/Xs2qaZwtYf Charles Michel (@eucopresident) September 18, 2018 The deal has to be finalised well in advance of the UKs March 29 2019 exit from the bloc so the parliaments in Westminster and Strasbourg can sign off on the agreement. In Brussels, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was briefing ministers from EU governments on Tuesday on remaining issues in the divorce talks, including the Irish border, as well as the framework for the UKs future relationship with the EU. Arriving at the Brussels meeting, Brexit minister Lord Callanan said: If we are to get a deal there has to be compromises from both sides and we look forward to seeing what the EU side has to say about this. The message echoed that from Mr Raab, who set out the UKs position in an interview with journalists from newspapers across the EU. A lot has been said about the Chequers agreement, the White Paper and what it actually means for Brexit. I want to take a few minutes to explain what the government has agreed, and what this means for us leaving the EU. https://t.co/T96i09mUYx pic.twitter.com/rCswFBlHAc Theresa May (@theresa_may) September 17, 2018 Setting out the UKs hopes, Mr Raab said the Salzburg meeting at which Mrs May is expected to briefly set out her position over dinner on Wednesday night before her 27 counterparts consider the situation in her absence on Thursday, would be an important milestone and a stepping stone to a deal. But he made clear the UK was looking for further movement from the EU on the Irish border. He branded Mr Barniers backstop proposals which would see Northern Ireland remain in the EU customs area unworkable, because they would create a border in the Irish Sea and fail to respect the constitutional integrity of the UK. What Im not going to do is to say that I would refuse to entertain any further proposals that the EU comes up with but theyve got to be respecting the equities that weve set out, he told correspondents from European newspapers including Germanys Die Welt, Frances Le Monde and the Irish Times. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar played down the prospect of Salzburg producing any shift in the EUs negotiating stance. Mr Varadkar told the Dail parliament in Dublin: I do not anticipate there will be any change to the EUs position or any change to our negotiating guidelines. In a high-profile Panorama interview on Monday, Mrs May framed the decision facing the country as a choice between her deal or no deal. But with large numbers of Tory hard Brexiteers openly rejecting the Chequers plan, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said the scene was set for a second referendum. Expand Close Sir Vince Cable said Brexit would provide hard-right Tories with an erotic spasm (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sir Vince Cable said Brexit would provide hard-right Tories with an erotic spasm (Gareth Fuller/PA) Sir Vince told BBC Radio 4s Today: I think growing numbers of people we are already seeing it from senior Labour people and a few Conservatives will say that the only way forward is to take this back to the public and say: Do you accept what Theresa May has negotiated or would you rather stay in the European Union?' A demonstration at the Labour conference in Liverpool on Sunday will add to pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to throw his weight behind calls for a second referendum. But Mr Raab rejected talk of a second vote, saying: Even if thats what people want to do, its difficult to see how it could be done in time, and we wouldnt facilitate it. European Council president Donald Tusk said he wanted to avoid the catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit. In a letter to EU leaders he said they should discuss arrangements for the final phase of the Brexit talks including the possibility of calling another European Council in November. Expand Close Mr Tusk said he is hopeful that catastrophe can be avoided (Rick Findler/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Tusk said he is hopeful that catastrophe can be avoided (Rick Findler/PA) He said the EU leaders should also reconfirm the need for a legally operational backstop on Ireland to avoid a hard border. Mr Tusk added that leaders should work on limiting the damage caused by Brexit. Unfortunately, a no-deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe. Meanwhile a Government-commissioned report recommended that EU migrants should not be given any preferential treatment after Brexit. The long-awaited study by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) also concluded that the post-Brexit immigration system should make it easier for higher-skilled workers to come to the country, while continuing to limit access for those in lower-skilled roles. MAC chairman Professor Alan Manning said: If and this is not an MAC recommendation immigration is not to be part of the negotiations with the EU and the UK is deciding its future migration system in isolation, we recommend moving to a system in which all migration is managed with no preferential access to EU citizens. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he does not expect the EUs Brexit stance to change following this weeks informal summit in Salzburg. Brian Lawless/PA. Irelands Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he does not expect any change in the EUs Brexit position following high-level meetings later this week. European leaders will gather for an informal summit in Salzburg in Austria. The EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier will brief heads of government and Prime Minister Theresa May is likely to put forward her own views. The informal nature of the event means there will be no draft text or formal conclusions. Good meeting in Ljubljana w/ PM designate @sarecmarjan for update on final stage of #Brexit negotiations. United on EU core principles. Determined to work hard for agreement on orderly withdrawal, incl. Ireland/NI, and political declaration on ambitious future relationship pic.twitter.com/ghK8FOAc9U Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) September 10, 2018 The Taoiseach told Irelands Dail parliament: I do not anticipate there will be any change to the EUs position or any change to our negotiating guidelines. European leaders have been urged by the UK to compromise on their Brexit stance on the eve of the major summit. The Prime Minister will use Wednesdays gathering in Salzburg to make a direct pitch to fellow leaders to back her divisive Chequers proposals. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said it was time for the compromises made by the UK to be matched on the EU side. In a sign that Brexit talks could go to the wire, the European Union is preparing for a final deal to be struck at an emergency summit in November, rather than the scheduled October meeting previously targeted by both sides in the negotiations. Mr Varadkar added: It is fair to say that some of the things I have been reading in the British papers, particularly the British-owned papers, are very far off the mark when it comes to the reality of what is going on at the minute with these negotiations. Brexit could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of people living in the UKLabour Party leader Brendan Howlin He said the draft withdrawal agreement between the UK and EU in December provided for various protections sought by the Irish government including transitional arrangements and the movement of people between the UK and Ireland. The Irish premier said the backstop on the Irish border represented an insurance policy which he never hoped to use. Mr Varadkar was challenged by the leader of Irelands Labour Party, Brendan Howlin, about the Common Travel Area, which guarantees free movement of Irish and UK citizens between the two jurisdictions and said the draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement provided for what the Irish Government needed. Mr Howlin said the backstop did not represent the entirety of Irelands interests. He claimed: Brexit could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of people living in the UK. Expand Close Anti-Brexit billboards on the northern side of the border between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anti-Brexit billboards on the northern side of the border between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) The political leader said the issue should be addressed as a matter of urgency and expressed fears Ireland could be blind-sided over Brexit. The Taoiseach said he would not provide a running commentary on negotiations. He also said Mr Barniers suggestion that the Irish border issue be de-dramatised was about trying to move away from language like creating a border in the Irish Sea. A frontier in the Irish Sea has been strongly opposed by unionists who want to avoid any barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Mr Varadkar denied any constitutional move by the Irish Government to question Northern Irelands status as a part of the UK during the Brexit negotiations. He reiterated he was equally keen to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and Scotland as between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The adoption process for children in care takes two to three years on average, research has found (Gareth Fuller/PA) Adopting a child in Scotland takes approximately two to three years, despite the Scottish Government having made an explicit commitment to making permanent arrangements for such children as early as possible, an academic has said. Helen Whincup from the the University of Stirling said there was no evidence decisions on adoptions were being made hastily. Even for children who have been in care from a very young age, where adoption is the most appropriate option, she said the procedure still took up to 36 months. Ms Whincup led a team of academics from the universities of Stirling, York and Lancaster, who in collaboration with the Adoption and Fostering Alliance Scotland examined the cases of the 1,836 youngsters aged five and under who were taken into care in 2012-13. Researchers analysed data sent to the Scottish Government by all 32 local authorities across Scotland to find out what happened to the children over the next four years. Expand Close Helen Whincup from Stirling University (Stirling University/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Helen Whincup from Stirling University (Stirling University/PA) Their findings, which will be unveiled at a conference in Stirling, showed that while it took an average of nine months for youngsters to be returned to their parents, the adoption process took an average two to three years. Children Looked After Statistics (CLAS) data showed 1,355 youngsters aged for under were placed with other family members, put into foster care, or went to live with adoptive parents in 2012-12. A further 481 youngsters were looked after while remaining at home with their parents. By 2016 almost a third (31%) of the 1,355 children who had been removed from the family home had been reunited with their parents. About half this number (16%) had been adopted, while 6% were moving towards adoption and 2% had been placed on a permanence order, removing parental rights from their natural parents. Just over one in 10 (11%) of the children were being permanently cared for by other family members, while 32% continued to be looked after outside of the family home. There were 2% of children who were no longer in care, but where there was no further information on where they were living. Ms Whincup said: What this tells us is that when the child is going home, this happens relatively quickly. However, despite the Scottish Governments explicit commitment to early permanence, other routes to secure a childs care take much longer, even for our youngest children. For those children where adoption is the most appropriate option, there is no evidence that this decision is taken hastily in Scotland. In fact, the data shows rather the opposite it takes approximately two to three years, even for those children who became looked after when they were very young. As well as analysing CLAS data and information from the Scottish Childrens Reporter Administration, the academics interviewed a range of people involved in the processes, including social workers, foster carers and children. Maggie Grant, from Adoption and Fostering Alliance Scotland, added: Some children told us about early experiences of abuse and neglect, and were also able to tell us what helped them feel secure, including keeping important things from their past safe. Researchers are nowing moving into the second phase of the study, and will be tracking the childrens progress towards adolescence and beyond. A Scottish Government spokesman said: We want to provide safe, stable, nurturing homes for children in care at the earliest opportunity and last year adoptions in Scotland for looked-after children reached their highest level. We are supporting local authorities and partners in health, childrens hearings, the Scottish Childrens Reporter Administration and the courts to develop projects to identify delays to securing permanence for looked-after children. In addition the First Minister has established an independent care review that is looking at the legislation, practice, ethos and culture of the whole system to improve care for children and young people. High levels of a fertility-related hormone have been linked to increased breast cancer risk (PA) Women with high levels of a hormone that can be detected through a simple blood test may have a higher risk of breast cancer, a new study suggests. Those who have elevated levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) which indicates the size of a womans ovarian reserve are 60% more likely to develop breast cancer compared to women with low levels of the hormone. Tests for the hormone are already incorporated in fertility tests. Charity Breast Cancer Now, which helped fund the research, said steps could now be taken to discover whether adding the test to current prediction tools may help identify women at risk of the disease. Right now, we support almost 380 researchers and are funding 85 research grants worth almost 25 million at 31 institutions across the UK and Ireland. Learn more https://t.co/XlzGb659Zp #CharityTuesday pic.twitter.com/rmy2RMem22 Breast Cancer Now (@BCCare) September 18, 2018 Researchers from New York University (NYU) School of Medicine examined blood samples from almost 6,000 premenopausal women across the US and Europe. They analysed data from 10 studies including the Breast Cancer Now Generations Study at The Institute of Cancer Research, London to examine the association of AMH levels with breast cancer risk. They found that those with the highest levels of the hormone were more likely to develop breast cancer. Publishing their finding in the International Journal of Cancer, the authors said the hormone is a possible biomarker for breast cancer. Study lead author Professor Anne Zeleniuch-Jacquotte, from NYU School of Medicine, said: The link we found between anti-Mullerian hormone and breast cancer risk is interesting because few markers of risk in the blood have been identified for premenopausal women. Our study found a moderate risk increase and we hope additional markers can now be found to help substantially improve individual risk prediction. Co-author Anthony Swerdlow, professor of epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who leads the Breast Cancer Now Generations Study, added: In future, anti-Mullerian hormone could be factored into new ways of predicting individual womens risk of developing the disease. The causes of breast cancer are highly complex and not yet fully understood. Pooling together large datasets is key to understanding how the many different causes interact and affect breast cancer risk. Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: The discovery that high levels of anti-Mullerian hormone in the blood could indicate women at an increased risk of breast cancer is really promising. We now need to understand whether adding this blood test to current prediction tools could help give women a clearer picture of their risk and identify those who could benefit from more frequent screening or preventive measures, such as tamoxifen. Britain is cautiously optimistic of striking a Brexit deal with the European Union but there is a lot of work to do to get there, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said. Mr Hunt said he was confident the Prime Minister would succeed in her negotiations with the EU, adding: British politics is littered with the graveyards of people who have predicted the demise of Theresa May and been proved wrong. His comments came as Mr Hunt became the first British minister to deliver a speech in Japanese while making his initial official visit to Japan since becoming Foreign Secretary. Mr Hunt, who has been tipped by some as a possible future Conservative Party leader, held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and foreign minister Taro Kono, to discuss a range of issues including the future UK-Japan economic partnership and security on the Korean Peninsula. "We have so much in common, as two island nations who strongly support the rules-based international system that has delivered peace and prosperity for many years" In the first speech in Japanese by a UK minister, @Jeremy_Hunt makes personal commitment to the nations' alliance Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) September 18, 2018 Speaking about Brexit, he told the Associated Press: I dont think its brinkmanship. If we cant come to an agreement, then the default is that we will leave the EU on the 29th of March. So that could happen. But I dont think its in anyones interest for that to happen. So thats why we are cautiously optimistic that we will get a deal but there is a lot of work to do to get there. Mr Hunt said Mrs May would speak for the whole country following his predecessor Boris Johnsons public criticisms of her Chequers Brexit blueprint. He added: British politics is littered with the graveyards of people who have predicted the demise of Theresa May and been proved wrong. So I think she will succeed. Of course, Boris Johnson doesnt agree with some of the policy decisions that shes taken, but Theresa May has to speak not just for the 52% who voted for Brexit, she has to speak for 100% of the country and she has to find a way that builds bridges and unifies the country and thats what Im confident she will do. Mr Hunt, who spent over a year in the country in his 20s learning the language, put his skills to the test when he addressed representatives of exchange programmes in Tokyo, saying in Japanese: To all Japanese people, Britain will always be your friend. 'To the people of Japan, the UK will always be your friend' @Jeremy_Hunt has travelled to Japan to take forward a new era of friendship between our countries. pic.twitter.com/F4ObM9RyhG Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) September 18, 2018 Announcing that he hoped to deepen a new era in UK-Japan friendly relations, he said: I have had a great love of Japan since I was a young man. I have great admiration for Japanese politeness, perfectionism and determination. On North Korea, he added: I think the lesson of the last few years is that the pressure works. The sanctions are very important. And so the UK and Japan and other countries have been working hard to enforce those sanctions and we stand ready to relax those when we see concrete evidence of a change from North Korea. Mr Hunt avoided a repeat of his earlier gaffe on a visit to China this year when he sought to curry favour with his hosts by telling them his wife was Chinese, only to refer to her as Japanese by mistake. An area of Kent is hoping to create around 1,300 jobs in tech, engineering and manufacturing with the creation of an innovation hub. Medway has unveiled its plan for a multimillion pound, up to 100,000 square metre, site near Rochester Airport, in a bid to grow local talent and rival the capital with cheaper costs. The council is aiming to attract start-ups to Innovation Park Medway with business rate discounts and its quick access to London and mainland Europe via high speed rail links. I can be in Oxford Street quicker from Medway, via Ebbsfleet, than I could if I lived in WimbledonPaul Jackson, Dovetail Games Were growing in size but we also need a really high quality, high-tech environment to enable start-ups that we already have here in Medway, said Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, who also serves as Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility. Weve got high skilled people here already, so I would like to see London competing for what we might be able to offer here. This is about being able to achieve our own economic growth here in Medway, that does benefit local people as well. Expand Close Innovation Park Medway (Medway Council) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Innovation Park Medway (Medway Council) Its not just about attracting people from London, this is about making sure that we see economic growth that benefits local people. The MP also shrugged off fears that companies could leave the UK as Brexit looms, arguing that people still want to come to Britain to do business. Despite what is said in the media, there are a lot of things that we do better than Europe and we will continue to do better as we leave the European Union next year, she added. Paul Jackson, who has grown his company Dovetail Games from about 95 to 150 since the Brexit vote, echoed that Medways location makes it ideal as a gaming developer. Expand Close Fishing Sim World is one of the games made by Dovetail Games, based out of Chatham. (Dovetail Games) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fishing Sim World is one of the games made by Dovetail Games, based out of Chatham. (Dovetail Games) I can be in Oxford Street quicker from Medway, via Ebbsfleet, than I could if I lived in Wimbledon, he said. And I can be in Paris in two hours I can literally have lunch in Paris and then come back again for tea. Icomera, a Swedish firm that monitors WiFi for public transport, moved its UK headquarters out of London to Medway in 2015. The plans for Innovation Park Medway will now be put forward for public consultation. Police have dropped their inquiry into the MPs election expenses (Gareth Fuller/PA) Police have dropped their inquiry into Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinsons election expenses after being unable to establish criminality. The East Dunbartonshire MP, who was a minister in the previous coalition government, was reported to Police Scotland last year by what was thought to have been one of her constituents. Officers began looking into the circumstances in November after receiving the complaint, which centred around spending in the 2017 General Election. In an update, a force spokeswoman said: Police Scotland has been unable to establish criminality and is concluding inquiries. The party said Ms Swinson had been a target of SNP smears. The probe came after Ms Swinson took back the seat she had lost to the SNP in the snap election in June 2017. The East Dunbartonshire constituency was one of the Liberal Democrats top targets in Scotland after Ms Swinson represented the area between 2005 and 2015. The Liberal Democrats insisted from the outset there was no substance to the complaint and that all expenditure in the election was apportioned correctly. A spokesman for the Scottish Lib Dems said on Tuesday: Instead of having the good grace to accept the election result, the SNP have shown a remarkable lack of respect for the choice that people in East Dunbartonshire made at the general election last year. This crusade has been nothing more than sour grapes and the police statement confirms that there is no evidence to support these SNP smears. We look forward to the swift conclusion of this investigation. Detectives from Edinburghs Proactive CID Unit found the drugs while carrying out intelligence led searches (David Cheskin/PA) Four people have been charged after police seized more than 57,000 worth of Class A drugs. Detectives from Edinburghs Proactive CID Unit found the drugs while carrying out intelligence led searches of a property in Restalrig Crescent, Edinburgh on September 17. They seized 50,000 worth of heroin and 7,800 worth of crack cocaine from the residential address along with a three-figure sum of cash. Police said a 28-year-old man and three woman aged 19, 41, 51 have been charged in connection with the offences and were due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Detective Inspector Kevin Harkins said: Thanks to vital intelligence received from the public, a significant quantity of Class A drugs have been seized before they could cause harm within the local communities. Anna Wintour was among those to attend the Downing Street reception (Jonathan Brady/PA) Designers swapped the catwalk for Downing Street as Theresa May hosted a reception celebrating British fashion. American Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour stepped inside Number 10, while Samantha Cameron returned to her former home for the event on Tuesday evening. They were joined by designers including Alice Temperley, Christopher Kane and Molly Goddard as London Fashion Week 2018 drew to a close. Expand Close Samantha Cameron (right) returned to Downing Street for a reception celebrating British Fashion (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Samantha Cameron (right) returned to Downing Street for a reception celebrating British Fashion (Jonathan Brady/PA) The Prime Minister paid tribute to those who work in the fashion industry in Britain, which she said contributes 32 billion to the economy. She added: As we look to build a new future for a global Britain, as an open, outward-facing country outside of the EU, I want to ensure that our fashion industry, an industry in which we have so much pride, can build upon its success. PM @Theresa_May celebrated @LondonFashionWk at Downing Street tonight, welcoming guests from across the world of fashion and celebrating the contribution of the industry to the UK economy #LFW Tag: @BFC @tradegovuk pic.twitter.com/ifOBSW6Z8A UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 18, 2018 Stephanie Phair, chairwoman of the British Fashion Council, said: In this time of change, when digital is disrupting the old order and borders seem to be closing, lets remember that fashion unites that fashion is a cultural signifier and that the UK has an opportunity to champion the creativity of Brand Britain with fashion at its cultural epicentre. There can be no excuses for anti-Semitism or unacceptable calls to boycott Israeli goods, Theresa May told leaders of the UKs Jewish community. The Prime Minister said criticising the actions of Israels government could never be an excuse for hatred against the Jewish people. Her comments come after Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party became embroiled in a series of rows over its approach to tackling anti-Semitism. After weeks of wrangling, Labours ruling National Executive Committee adopted all of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances (IHRA) examples of anti-Semitic behaviour but the party faced heavy criticism for issuing an accompanying statement that it says will ensure the move does not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians. Let me be clear: you cannot claim to be tackling racism, if you are not tackling anti-Semitism In an address at the United Jewish Israel Appeal dinner in London, the Prime Minister said the Government she leads was the first in the world to adopt the IHRA wording and because of this definition, no-one can plead ignorance or hide behind any kind of excuse. In an apparent message to the Labour leadership the Prime Minister added: Let me be clear: you cannot claim to be tackling racism, if you are not tackling anti-Semitism. Mrs May also rejected the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement which has campaigned for bans on the sale of Israeli goods and the withdrawal of funding from firms based there in protest at the treatment of Palestinians. There can never be any excuses for boycotts, divestment or sanctions: they are unacceptable and this government will have no truck with those who subscribe to them, she said. Under my leadership the UK will always be a real and trusted partner for Israel, supporting Israels security and prosperity, not just through our words but also through our actions. But she acknowledged the UK had some disagreements with the government of Israel. I want to see progress towards a lasting peace a peace that must be based on a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, she said. There will need to be courage and vision from each side if we are to have a realistic chance of achieving this goal including an end to the building of new settlements and an end to Palestinian incitement too. The Duke of Cambridge will visit troops from the Irish Guards during a trip to Africa to promote a major conference in London which is targeting the illegal wildlife trade. William will tour Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya during a seven-day visit beginning on September 24, in his role as president of umbrella organisation United for Wildlife and conservation body Tusk Trust. Kensington Palace said the visit is a private working trip but it will include a number of official events at the request of the Government. The Duke of Cambridge will visit Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th September. The private working trip is being made as @United4Wildlife President and @Tusk_org Patron ahead of the 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London #EndWildlifeCrime pic.twitter.com/vN8IrvKbli The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) September 18, 2018 In Kenya the duke will visit the 1st Battalion the Irish Guards Battlegroup, which includes an infantry company from the Kenyan army, training under the British Army Training Unit Kenya. William, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards, will learn how British and Kenyan troops are working together to improve performance on operations. He will also visit Dar es Salaams port in Tanzania where he will learn more about the work the country is doing to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The Duke of Cambridge with artist Patrick Hughes and one of the #rhinos from the #TuskRhinoTrail. @KensingtonRoyal Help us protect endangered species by donating to Tusk by clicking on the link https://t.co/FRHC9srQh9 #EndWildlifeCrime @ChrisJack_Getty pic.twitter.com/PWuzBwgerA Tusk (@tusk_org) September 10, 2018 London will host the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference on October 11-12, which aims to strengthen international partnerships and focus on three key themes tackling the smuggling of animals, insects and plants as an organised crime, building coalitions, and closing markets. During his time in Tanzania William will hold discussions with President John Magufuli about efforts to stop wildlife trafficking. In Namibia the duke will meet vice president Nangolo Mbumba and attend an event to celebrate UK-Namibia relations at the residence of Britains High Commissioner, Kate Airey, where William will chat to key figures working in conservation as well as young people, business leaders and mental health activists. Winds of up to 80mph will hit parts of the UK as remnants of Storm Helene sweep out. A spell of windy weather on the way has prompted the Met Office to issue a warning for wind across Northern Ireland, Scotland, the north of England and Wales on Wednesday. Forecasters cancelled a wind warning for Tuesday due to gusts not meeting the threshold to merit a warning. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) But an alert in place for Wednesday from 6am to 10pm warns of injuries and danger to life from flying debris. The Met Office also warned that damage to buildings, power cuts, road closures and transport cancellations are possible. They said the new weather pattern would be named Storm Ali the first of the 2018/19 season. Meteorologist Dean Hall said parts of the UK felt gusts of about 30-40mph on Tuesday morning, with wind speeds reaching 50mph in parts of Wales. Storm Helene, which was downgraded after initial warnings that it may pose a risk to life, is moving away towards the north east. Weve got rain currently across Scotland, northern England, eastern parts of Northern Ireland, associated with what was Storm Helene, Mr Hall said. Wednesday could see winds of 60-70mph, the forecaster said, adding: Certainly we could see close to 80mph, possibly even higher miles per hour in exposed areas in the far north of the country. The weather forecast for Wednesday is not part of Storm Helene, which will have moved on. Temperatures remain above average for this time of year with 24C (75F) possible in London on Tuesday after the mercury hit 26C (79F) in the capital on Monday. A businessman from Londonderry has secured half of the nominations from Irish councils that he needs to run for president of the Republic. Peter Casey secured two nominations yesterday from Kerry County Council and Clare County Council, which supported the entrepreneur by seven votes, including three from Fianna Fail. It is the second council nomination for the Dragons Den personality, who recently stepped down from his role as chief executive of Claddagh Resources. Mr Casey needs the backing of two more councils in order to get on the ballot paper. He will travel to Limerick City and County Council and Tipperary on Tuesday. There are still a number of councils which have yet to nominate anyone. Dublin City, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath have all voted not to back any of the candidates. Sligo County Council will discuss motions to endorse businessmen Sean Gallagher and Mr Casey when it meets next Monday, September 24. The news came as artist Kevin Sharkey withdrew from the 2018 presidential race to focus on his art. The Dublin-based painter tweeted that he was leaving the circus. Mr Sharkey said he dropped out of the race due to the corruption of the local councils all over Ireland. I am leaving the circus, farce, that has become the presidential race to focus on my new collection of paintings, he added. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda in the Oval Office (Evan Vucci/AP) The president of Poland has told President Donald Trump that he would like the US to create a permanent American base in Poland that would be named Fort Trump. Mr Trump said he was considering the idea and that Poland has offered more than two billion US dollars to the US to pay for such an effort. The comments came at a joint White House press conference by the leaders. Expand Close President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda (Alex Brandon/PA) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda (Alex Brandon/PA) Mr Trump said they agreed to bolster defence, energy and commercial ties. He said the alliance between the two countries has never been stronger. Poland has been pressing for the 3,000 US troops now deployed in Poland on a rotating basis to be upgraded to a larger, permanent presence as it faces Russias increased military activity in the region. The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on 200 billion dollars (150 billion) more in Chinese goods, starting next week. The move escalates a trade war between the worlds two biggest economies and raises prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tyres. The tariffs will start at 10% and rise to 25% starting on January 1. President Donald Trump made the announcement ON Monday evening in a move that is sure to ratchet up hostilities between Washington and Beijing. Mr Trump has already imposed 25%tariffs on 50 billion dollars (38 billion) in Chinese goods. USTR Finalizes Tariffs on $200 Billion of Chinese Imports in Response to Chinas Unfair Trade Practices https://t.co/qja1EL8iXb pic.twitter.com/a07fpjZ4vS USTR (@USTradeRep45) September 17, 2018 China has retaliated in kind, hitting American soybeans, among other goods, in a shot at the presidents supporters in the US farm belt. Beijing has warned that it would hit an additional 60 billion dollars (45 billion) in American products if Mr Trump ordered more tariffs. Mr Trump on Monday threatened to raise the stakes again if Beijing should retaliate, adding a further 267 billion dollars in Chinese imports to the target list. That would raise the total to 517 billion dollars (393 billion) covering nearly everything China sells the United States. After taking in public comments, the administration said on Monday that it had withdrawn several items from an earlier list of 200 billion dollars in Chinese imports, including child-safety products such as bicycle helmets. Expand Close Asian shares were mostly lower on Monday on reports that Donald Trump would place tariffs on 200 billion dollars more of Chinese goods (Andy Wong/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Asian shares were mostly lower on Monday on reports that Donald Trump would place tariffs on 200 billion dollars more of Chinese goods (Andy Wong/AP) In a victory for Apple Inc and its American customers, the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products from the list of goods imported from China. At the same time, the administration said it is still open to negotiations with China. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns, Mr Trump said in a statement. Once again, I urge Chinas leaders to take swift action to end their countrys unfair trade practices. The two countries are fighting over Beijings ambitions to supplant American technological supremacy. The Office of the US Trade Representative charged in a March report that China is using predatory tactics to obtain foreign technology, including hacking US companies to steal their trade secrets and forcing them to turn over their know-how in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Mr Trump has also complained about Americas massive trade deficit 336 billion dollars last year with China, its biggest trading partner. In May, in fact, it looked briefly as if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese vice premier Liu He had brokered a truce built around Chinese promises to buy enough American farm products and liquefied natural gas to put a dent in the trade deficit. But Mr Trump quickly backed away from the truce. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concernsDonald Trump In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration was careful to try to spare consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The levies focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at shopping centres or via Amazon. By expanding the list to 200 billion dollars-worth of Chinese imports, Mr Trump risks spreading the pain to ordinary Americans. The administration is targeting a bewildering variety of products from sockeye salmon to bamboo mats forcing US companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the burden to their customers. In a filing with the government, for instance, Giant Bicycles Inc of Newbury Park, California, noting that 94% of imported bicycles came from China last year, complained that there is no way our business can shift its supply chain to a new market to avoid the tariffs and warned a tariff increase of this magnitude will inevitably be paid for by the American consumer. Mr Trump has reversed decades of US policy in favour of ever-freer trade. He campaigned on a promise to tax imports and rewrite or tear up trade agreements that he said put US companies and workers at a disadvantage. The presidents negotiating tactics do not work well with Chinas way of thinking, said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics in Los Angeles. I think things will get worse. I fully expect the tariff rate will go up to 25%. Away from parental supervision a significant number of the young people get drunk, take drugs and behave in a generally anti-social way Freshers' Week, the start of the new university year, is a time of dread for the residents of the Holylands area of south Belfast, and with good reason. It is a time when students, many of them away from home for the first time, forget all the normal rules of decent behaviour. Away from parental supervision a significant number of the young people get drunk, take drugs and behave in a generally anti-social way. Residents complain of vehicles being damaged, windows in homes broken and the streets littered with broken bottles, other debris and vomit. The frustration of the relatively small number of residents in the area is easy to understand. While Freshers' Week and St Patrick's Day are the times of worst behaviour, it is a problem that goes on for the entire academic year. Belfast City Council logged more than 800 anti-social incidents in the area during the last academic year, and there is no doubt that is a distressing atmosphere for the residents to live in. Quite rightly they question what the various stakeholders in the strategy to deal with unruly students are doing. They complain that police officers are unable to do much more than move noisy students along and ask them to be quieter. Both Queen's and Ulster University have in the past pledged to deal strictly with any student found guilty of this misbehaviour, but again residents wonder if this policy is adhered to sufficiently. It was reported that council officers were only on the streets until 10pm, while the parties and rowdiness continued for several more hours. The anti-social yobbery is largely fuelled by alcohol and it is disappointing to see that one nightclub in the city is promoting drinks for students for as little as 60p. The owner defends his action by pointing out that other promotions are common in other premises and that students can obtain drink cheaply in supermarkets and drink openly on the streets where, unlike his club, there is no supervision. Adding to the volume of cheap drink, however, is difficult to defend. Obviously the strategy for reining in the students' behaviour needs to be overhauled - and quickly - and local politicians, notable by their absence, should play their part. The weary acceptance that the Holylands will be blighted by this annual anti-social behaviour must not be allowed to take further root. Boris Johnson insists its not Theresa May he is trying to topple, but her Chequers proposals Who on earth do Boris Johnson and his followers think they are kidding when they say they are merely trying to kill off the Chequers proposals for Brexit, and not to topple the Prime Minister? "We are attacking the policy and not the person," they claim. But are they really so naive? I simply do not believe they are not aware that if Theresa May's proposals are ditched, it would reduce the Prime Minister's authority to near zero and make her more vulnerable to predators who want her job than at any other time of her Premiership. Mrs May has now publicly expressed her irritation about the continued speculation about her departure from office and who might succeed her. And she is sticking to her guns over her Chequers proposals, saying they are the best course to follow. She is commendably showing no sign of budging an inch from her proposals, despite the unease they have created in certain sections of the Tory Party. She must have been aware, with the resignations from the Cabinet of David Davis and Johnson himself, that her plans would cause trouble - but what political agenda of this magnitude ever did otherwise? Environment Secretary Michael Gove has given the proposals a coolish reception - saying they are the best available - for the time being. Not exactly a resounding endorsement but at least a temporary thumbs up. The Prime Minister should be grateful for small mercies. The Liberal Democrats should be the party of Mr Micawber - always hoping for something to turn up. Alas for them, it rarely does. But you have to hand it to a party, which is barely visible in the House of Commons, for dreaming up grandiose and hugely expensive policies as if there is the slightest chance of them ever being enacted. Their latest pipe dream is a multi-billion pound so-called sovereign wealth fund, designed to spread wealth more evenly throughout the land. The Lib Dems managed to struggle to double figures in a House of 650 at the last general election, so I do not see this scheme as a likely runner. But you have to admire them for what I believe is called chutzpah. Meanwhile, Sir Vince Cable is attracting some criticism over his slow-motion plan to step down from the leadership. He will go, he says annoyingly, when Brexit is either completed or stopped. An ex-leader Lord Menzies Campbell has unkindly said that Cable has run out of road, but Cable hit back instantly saying there was plenty of road ahead for him - whatever precisely that may mean. He is trying to lure "moderate" Labour MPs, unhappy with Jeremy Corbyn, to join his party. Equally he is trying to attract those discontented Remainer Tory MPs to do the same. But what, I suspect, will be going through their minds is: "Why should I almost certainly lose my seat in what would probably be an abortive bid to bolster up a failing party." But then, of course, something may turn up... Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, boldly takes her baby into the Commons chamber during a debate without, apparently, a murmur of protest either from other MPs or the infant. But the general rule is that when the Commons is sitting, only elected MPs are allowed in the Chamber. So why did the Speaker, John Bercow, allow this to happen if he is - as he should be - such a stickler for the rules? In any event, there is a perfectly good creche in Parliament, which the taxpayer funded. In short, why was she allowed so brazenly to break the rules and do so with impunity? Thanks to the Speaker, it has set a very bad precedent. It also demonstrates what a rarefied atmosphere it is that MPs work in. What about female bus drivers or those who work the supermarket tills? Their jobs aren't so conducive as to allow them to be accompanied by their offspring at work. As for Swinson's claim that this helps to bring Parliament up to date - well, I just don't get it. Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby is no longer happy with his lot. He said this the other day: "The language of politics has been debased. It is cruel, filled with insult, sneer and personal animosities as a result of the confusion that reigns. "And everyone is shouting in more extreme language from the rooftops. I think that people are bemused, frustrated and cross. No one is listening to what anyone says unless it confirms their own prejudice." And here was I, in my innocence, thinking that political insults and "personal animosities" are now a lot less robust than they used to be. Perhaps Dimbleby has not looked back to some of the more savage outbursts which politicians used to inflict on one another. Here are a few examples: "He has the lucidity which is the by-product of a fundamentally sterile mind" (Aneurin Bevan on Neville Chamberlain). "A semi housed-trained polecat" (Michael Foot on Norman Tebbit). "A shiver looking for a spine to run up" (Harold Wilson on Edward Heath). "The immaculate misconception"(Norman St John-Stevas on Margaret Thatcher). Perhaps Dimbleby will now change his view and, like me, hope that political name-calling will once again become more intense. It all adds to the gaiety of life. Know your Frankfurter from your Ulster Fry banger? Can you do wonders with the humble sausage? Heres why you need Hafners to transform your mealtimes... Originally from Bavaria, the Hafners sausage came to Dublin in the late 1800s, survived two world wars and perfected a peppery recipe that had NI grannies sewing them into their petticoats during ration years! Deemed as the tastiest sausage in Ireland, the people behind Hafners say its the original spice seasoning and the premium pork cuts that make it stand out from the crowd. The Hafners of Dublin became big importers of spice and peppers and developed a real expertise in meat seasoning, say Hafners. Expand Close Travelling all the way from the Hohenlohe region in Germany, the masterminds behind the Hafners sausage were part of a sausage maker exodus in the late 19th century, escaping war and in search of a better life for their family, settling in places like England and other European countries. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Travelling all the way from the Hohenlohe region in Germany, the masterminds behind the Hafners sausage were part of a sausage maker exodus in the late 19th century, escaping war and in search of a better life for their family, settling in places like England and other European countries. That distinctive Hafners flavour has remained the same down the centuries. Thats why youll find the Hafners sausage footprint from the northern English cities to Dublins high streets. When Hafners emigrated to Dublin in 1882, the unique flavour and spice caused such a stir that queues weaved down the citys Georges Street for Mr Hafners sausages. That flavour quickly became known throughout Ireland and no visitor to Dublin would leave without a trip to one of Hafners three shops. Stories abound of the ladies of Northern Ireland sewing secret pockets into their petticoats during the war and rationing years to smuggle butter, tea, Tea Time Express cakes and those tasty Hafners sizzlers wrapped in the butchers brown craft paper and wrapped with twine. Talking about that tempting recipe, the makers continued: One of the secrets of the terrific flavour was that Hafners ground their own peppercorns. With great foresight Mr Hafner bought a ton of peppercorns before the Second World War and this enabled the Hafners to continue to season their products with their delicious recipes throughout the war years, bearing in mind rationing continued in Northern Ireland until 1954. The other key to the Hafners sausage quality was that they always used the very best quality Irish pork. When the Hafners started business in Dublin they had their own herd of pigs which they bred in the City Centre close to Christchurch Cathedral. You wont find a drift of pigs in the city today but you will still find the best cuts of Irish pork and taste that familiar spice in every pack of Hafners sausages. Theres much more that goes into Hafners sausages than you thinkfamily history, craftsmanship and recipes, all handed down through the generations. The traditional fry up is still the original home of the Hafners sausage. Nothing else will do to drive the chill out of a cold Ulster morning. We Irish are traditional when it comes to our sausages and we continue to have a great attachment to our Ulster fry and the good old fashioned Irish Breakfast Sausage is a critical part of that story, say Hafners. And if you take a visit to their website, youll be able to transform your sausage dishes into culinary masterpieces with everything from flans to pies with a special Hafners twist. Why not try their Sunday Morning cook up; Hafner's Sunday Morning Cook Up Ingredients: 1 LB of Hafners pork sausages 250g baby waxy potatoes 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 red onion, finely sliced 250g button mushrooms, cut in half 60g baby spinach leaves 160g tomatoes 4 eggs Salt and pepper to taste Method: Lay the sausages onto a grill pan and grill under a high heat for 10 minutes until golden, turn every few minutes as they cook. Cut the baby potatoes in half and plunge into a saucepan of boiling salted water to partly cook for 5 minutes, then drain. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan or shallow casserole and fry the baby potatoes for 10 minutes, stirring all the time until crisp. Sprinkle the red onion slices and mushrooms into the pan and cook with the potatoes for a further 5 minutes. Stir the spinach and cherry tomatoes into the pan and cook for a few minutes before adding the cooked sausages to the pan. Use a large frying pan and the remaining oil to gently fry the eggs, then arrange them on top of the sausages, potatoes, red onion, spinach and tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper before serving. Bring the casserole dish to the table and serve with crusty bread. In need of more recipe inspiration, you HAF to visit: www.hafnerssausages.com Relatives wail over the body of Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, a soldier who was killed by suspected militants at his home in Indian Kashmirs Kulgam district, Sept. 17, 2018. Separatist groups ordered shopkeepers in Indian Kashmir to close their businesses Monday to protest the killings of at least eight suspected militants by security forces last week, along with five more rebels and a civilian in weekend violence. On Monday morning, an Indian soldier was fatally shot in the disputed Himalayan region, officials said, as authorities beefed up security across Jammu and Kashmir state to prevent anti-India protests and maintain order. At present, the top priority of security forces is to instill a sense of security among the people ahead of civic body polls, Dilbagh Singh, the regions police chief, told BenarNews. People should participate in the upcoming election without any fear as elaborate security arrangements would be made to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. On Saturday, the state election commission announced the first municipal vote to be held in Indian Kashmir after nearly 13 years would take place in phases, beginning on Oct. 8. The slain soldier was identified as Mukhtar Ahmad Malik. Suspected militants shot and killed him at his home in south Kashmirs Kulgam district where five militants and a civilian were killed in a gunfight on Saturday, police said. On Monday, some Kashmiri separatist groups under the banner of the Joint Resistance Leadership ordered the shutdown. Meanwhile, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed hope that Pakistans new government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, would take steps to strengthen peace with India. India has already made efforts to seek peace with Pakistan. I hope the new government in Pakistan understands how good relations are built with neighbors, Singh said. However, he added, we cannot change the nature of Pakistan. Earlier, during a visit to the states Jammu region, the minister inaugurated two pilot projects of smart border fencing, built under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) program to foil infiltration bids by militants at the international border. CIBMS comprises modern surveillance technologies such as thermal imagery, infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms, which form an invisible land fence in combination with hot-air balloons for aerial surveillance and ground surveillance at the border, according to the Press Trust of India. India has accused Pakistan of sending armed infiltrators into Kashmir to wage battles with its security forces. Islamabad has denied the charges, claiming India has used brute force to suppress the freedom movement in the region. Since the partition of the Indian Sub-Continent in 1947, the two neighbors have been locked in a territorial dispute over predominantly Muslim Kashmir. A de facto border called the Line of Control divides Kashmir, which is claimed in its entirety by both sides. An outbreak of insurgency on the Indian side known as Jammu and Kashmir state has claimed more than 70,000 lives since the late 1980s. A majority of the fatalities have been civilians. On Sept. 13, eight suspected militants were killed and at least 35 people, including 13 security-force personnel, were injured in three separate gunfights and clashes. Separatists have also called for a boycott of the upcoming municipal polls, terming them as a political gimmick to hoodwink the world community. Any electoral process is not a substitute to the right to self-determination, the group said in a statement. Thailand's Bangkok Post newspaper depicts a story about the detention of a vendor who sold black T-shirts bearing a symbol allegedly linked to a movement promoting a federal republic, in Bangkok, Sept. 11, 2018. A relatively unknown Thai political activist is behind an anti-royalist movement that has joined forces with an ex-member of Thailands banned and defunct communist party and supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, according to government officials and analysts. Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the junta chief and current prime minister, last week defended the arrests of at least four people for suspected links to the movement that calls itself the Organization for Thai Federation (OTF). Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan branded the groups activities as a rebellion trying to promote a federal republic and put an end to the monarchy. Officials and political observers say they believe that Chucheep Shivasut started the movement with backing from Surachai Saedan, a former Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) member, and Wutthipong Ko Tee Kochthammakhun, a loyal Shinawatra supporter. Chucheep was associated with former communists like Surachai Saedan and hard-core Red Shirts or supporters of the former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his political groups, an official who requested anonymity told BenarNews. Little is known about OTF or its purported founder, Chucheep, who also carries the online pseudonym Uncle Sanam Luang, which refers to the Royal Ground next to the Grand Palace and the site of royal ceremonies. Chucheep, according to Deputy PM Prawit, is believed to be operating from Laos. Bangkok has asked authorities in the neighboring country to arrest the activist, Prawit indicated last week. He said he had no information on whether any Thai political parties were behind the group. There is a base in Laos and there are networks in Thailand, Prawit said. This is rebellion. Maj. Gen. Piyapong Klinpan, spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order, as Thailands military government is formally known, declined to provide information about OTF. However, Prayuth told reporters on Sept. 11 that authorities were investigating the groups links. Let me ask you, is the Organization for Thai Federation legal? Isnt it an attempt to change the nations ruling system? Could it be treason? the prime minister said. Mountain out of a molehill Thai political observers slammed the junta, saying it was overreacting through the crackdown. Among the people arrested was 30-year-old Wannapa Khamphiphot, who was taken into custody and charged for allegedly distributing T-shirts promoting a movement aimed at overthrowing the current regime. The black shirts bore the groups logo of a tiny red and white flag. Wannapa denied the allegations through her attorney. Weng Tojirakarn, a key leader in the pro-Shinawatra umbrella group United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, told The Nation newspaper last week that the junta was exacerbating the situation, possibly for its own political gain. Others claimed that the crackdown, ironically, had helped raised the profile of what was an unknown group to many Thais. In fact, the group is rather powerless, Weng said. They are completely impotent. And the junta is making a mountain out of a molehill. Mass defections The Communist Party of Thailand was active from 1942 until the 1990s. By 1977, various reports estimated its armed strength at 6,000 to 8,000 fighters, but it suffered mass defections in the early 1980s when the government began offering amnesty to its members. Chucheep, on his YouTube channel, describes federation as the most democratic system in the world because it offers equality through power decentralization and responsibility to local governments in the region, instead of centralization, which monopolizes budget, causing corruption. BenarNews could not immediately obtain comments from Chucheeps other alleged supporters, including Surachai, a prominent 75-year-old communist in the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat who was convicted of violating the nations strict Lese-Majeste, the law that guards against royal defamation, in 2008 and 2010. Surachai received a 10-year jail term, but was granted a royal pardon in 2013. A political observer, who asked that he be identified only as Sitha, told BenarNews that Chucheep was first seen in public when he began criticizing Sondhi Limthongkul, the leader of the right-wing group Peoples Alliance for Democracy, which led street protests against Shinawatra before the prime minister was overthrown in a coup in 2006. Shinawatra, who served as prime minister from 2001 until he was toppled by the military, went into self-imposed exile in several countries. After Shinawatra was overthrown, Chucheep also left Thailand for Britain or France before again fleeing to Laos, Sitha said. Another supporter, Wutthipong, also fled to Laos, officials told BenarNews. Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of the political science faculty at Ubon Ratchathani University, expressed doubts on the juntas decision to order a crackdown on OTF. Who are they going to arrest? It is an unnecessary show of force simply because the movement doesnt destabilize the status of the Thai nation, Titipol said. To the military, everything seems to be a threat to security. I taught myself how to make a website based on my YouTube channel, XVSound, when I was 15, Greening said. I would take music artists that werent that cool and find cool movie clips and chop them up and make footage to kind of go along with the song, almost like mood music. That channel started to blow up and to date that channel has 3.9 million views in total and has more than 10,000 subscribers. That positive experience got him thinking: How could he make this into a brand? The result was XVTech, which focused on web design and social media marketing. Greening quickly turned around three local clients, a juice shop, Chris Huff from P80Fitness Studio, and DJ BJ 3525 from Hot 107.5. His next client was a hydro light factory in Warren, Michigan, which sells hydroponic lighting for large indoor agricultural facilities. I developed for them a brand new website and an e-commerce system, Greening said. I also helped them map out a shipping logistics system to make their business more efficient. That business had made over $600,000 of revenue two months after launching that website. Then, I was like, OK, now I can actually make people some money. It was about this time that Greening enrolled at BGSU, which he said was perfect because, I wanted to get away from home, but not too far from home. And its a university my mother is really happy with, and only 90 minutes from home. Plus, there are few distractions. Once he arrived at the University, he decided to delve deeper into online marketing. Now, Greening Corporation United specializes in online marketing and rankings as well as public relations and content creation for law firms and large corporations. One of Greenings clients is Goldberg, Persky, and White P.C., a national mesothelioma law firm specializing in mesothelioma and asbestos litigation. He began to work with one of their managing partners while he was only 19. This firm had never run large advertising campaigns other than some TV spots, Greening said. Lane Clack is a nationally recognized mesothelioma lawyer and managing partner of Goldberg, Persky, and White. Having done hundreds of millions of dollars in legal case work, Lane was not an easy man to impress. It took months of hard work and dedication to bring their firm to top spots in Google and help victims of asbestos exposure get the compensation they deserve. He started working with Clack during his freshman year and signed a contract for $55,000 out of his Centennial Hall residency to develop and rank in Google a 5,000-page website and asbestos exposure jobsite database. There were a lot of multimillion dollar law firms outranking my client online, and, honestly, I didnt know if I would be able to do it, Greening said. But two months later, I was able to beat every one of them with the new website I built for the firm. I did their commercial, their press release content, I write their blog posts Im pretty much a full-suite marketing solution for them, and I automate the online presence of the firm. Since then, theyve expanded their website into other states and my company signed a new contract with them worth several hundred thousand dollars to begin to market the firm nationally. Donovan Greening has helped us dominate our Michigan and West Virginia markets, Clack said. From his digital marketing efforts, we have seen several million dollars in new claims being filed with our firm. Greening says he often feels like Bruce Wayne with two identities, being a full-time student while working to achieve his personal and professional goals with his company. Focusing on business and balancing business with school is very difficult, said Greening, who recently picked up a local Stanley Steamer franchise as a client. Within 15 minutes, I could be jumping on the phone with an attorney or another executive and I need to be a high-level consultant very quickly. But when I am back in my dorm, I get to be a kid again. Its very interesting, this double life Im living right now. Greening says its hard to connect with his peer group, and not just because he is working full time and earning a large income while also being a full-time student. He remains very career focused and doesn't have time for some college activities, which is hard for some of his peers to understand. In using SEO to get his clients to be highly ranked, Greening combines his computer skills with his business acumen. He says a lot of companies dont realize how important SEO is to their bottom line. If you get a Michigan personal injury law firm ranked high in Google for a keyword like Michigan auto accident lawyer, its very valuable to him and his clients, he said. Something like that is universally applicable to just about anything: auto insurance, buying a house, schools, online degree programs, appliances, whatever. Greening currently is seeking more law firms that would like to be ranked in the top spots for their state in a practice area of their choice. Companies have to design their websites with SEO in mind, and if they dont understand this critical feature, theyre going to miss out on a lot of business, he said. Most people are on their phones all day long and theyre going to do a quick search and go with whatever is the most convenient. Being on Page 1 is where they are going to turn to because they dont really second-guess those rankings. A lot of companies that deserve to be at the top are on the back pages because they dont really understand how people are searching for their products. Eventually, Greening wants to have a small, agile firm in which I work with some of the top brands in the world while at the same time doing something beneficial something that adds to the value of peoples lives and makes them No. 1. The networking hes done and the business connections hes made at the University have been priceless, Greening said. The upper-level connections Im making with people like President Rogers and others, I believe will really help me out, not only with growing my business but also in helping me develop as a young man, he said. Im still trying to find myself, but Ive solidified what I want to do and Im running as fast as possible to accomplish my goals. Ive not slowed down at all. Its cool making connections with faculty because just talking to them you learn a lot more. One of the best connections Ive made is with Dr. Gene Poor. I love that guy and really look up to him. Poor, the Hamilton Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship emeritus, began the visual communication technology program at the University, teaches in the entrepreneurship program and is the founder of LifeFormations, which makes animatronic figures for museums, theme parks and other venues. Its taken me 50 years to have a student like him, Poor said. Hes aggressive, passionate, persistent and full of energy. Hes an amazing young man; one in a million. Hes so interesting in terms of how he thinks. I have him speak to my classes and its like having a 50-year-old business man speak to a bunch of 19-year-olds telling them about the world of business. Donovan understands things that most young people dont understand. He has a unique perspective about work and what he can learn from the University. He takes this whole experience very seriously. Greening would like to demonstrate to his peers that if he can start his own business and be successful then they can, too. My goal is to help Bowling Green State University become the school for young entrepreneurs, he said. If we could become the go-to university for entrepreneurs in the Midwest and beyond, that would be awesome. To learn more about Greening Corporation United, visit the company website. Following the MoU signing, Fijis President Jioji Konrote renewed the call for a healthy, productive nation. A new agreement has been signed between the Fijian and Chinese governments that will see the construction of a health and wellness centre at the State House compound in Suva. The agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Official Secretary to the President Pene Baleinabuli and the Director-General Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office Liu Baochun. Liu is part of a 19-member Delegation from Guangdong Province in China, which is visiting Fiji to help strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. Following the MoU signing, Fijis President Jioji Konrote renewed the call for a healthy, productive nation and for all Fijians to live a healthy lifestyle to be more productive. The one day event was specially designed to provide training to doctors practicing in the field of Aesthetics. Lumenis Ltd, worlds largest energy-based medical device company for surgical, aesthetic and ophthalmic applications organized the GuruKool exclusive scientific program and workshop at Hotel Conrad, Bengaluru. The one day event was specially designed to provide training to doctors practicing in the field of Aesthetics. Various eminent dermatologists and cosmetologists conducted knowledge enhancement sessions using breakthrough technologies like ResurFX, Lightsheer, AcuPulse and Ultrapulse, used for treating skin resurfacing, laser hair reduction as well as burn scars. Dr. Ganesh Pai, Medical Director, DERMA-CARE, Skin and Cosmetology Centre, Mangalore, said It was a great knowledge sharing experience, we appreciate the initiative taken by Lumenis by organizing the classes on the Pioneering technology introduced in the field of aesthetics. Dr. Padmavathi Surapaneni, Sr. Dermatologist, and Cosmetologist, Pragna skin laser clinics, Hyderabad said We are thankful to Lumenis for conducting this convention on aesthetics, as it will keep us abreast on latest laser technology available in the Indian market. The gold standard Lightsheer technology which is a path-breaking technology is the new generation of Laser Hair Reduction system. Dr. Sonia Feroz, Aesthetic Dermatologist & Director at Serene Skin & Laser Centre, Trivandrum said, The aesthetics industry is witnessing a perpetual evolution with state of the art technologies from Lumenis making treatments of a range of aesthetic indications easier and efficient. On the occasion, Mr Pradeep Singh, Director Aesthetic, Lumenis India, said With GuruKool, we endeavor to create a knowledge sharing platform aimed to keep doctors abreast of latest advancements in the field of aesthetics. The demonstrations and hands on sessions organized on Lumenis technologies like ResurFX, Lightsheer, UltraPulse and AcuPulse makes this convention more experiential and promotes real-time learning. Such scientific sessions and workshops enable doctors to enhance their laser procedure techniques and perform procedures in a more convenient and controlled way. We as the pioneers in medical device market looks to facilitate with such interactive session in future too. Mr Singh added. The one day user convention also saw panel discussions on the changing trends in modern aesthetics. The other top most doctors who attended the GuruKool session were Dr SC Rajendran, Dr Shireen Furtado, Dr Pallavi Reddy, Dr Vindhya Pai, Dr Rahul Pillai among others etc. The documents are expected to provide minimum requirements for qualified practice by practitioners of Ayurveda, Panchkarma and Unani. World Health Organisation (WHO) is developing Benchmark Documents for practice in Ayurveda, Panckarma and Unani system as part of its global strategy to provide safe, effective and accessible Traditional Medicine to global community. Development of these benchmarks documents is included in the Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) between WHO and Ministry of AYUSH. WHO Working Group Meetings for three WHO benchmark documents scheduled 17 -19 September, 2018, was recently inaugurated at Jaipur. The three days programme containing four sessions on each day has been organized by Ministry of AYUSH and coordinated by National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur. On this occasion, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha briefed about the activities undertaken by the Ministry of AYUSH. He informed that National Ayurveda Morbidity Standardized Terminology Engine (NAMSTE) is being actively used for documentation of AYUSH facilities and activities including recent rehabilitative activities undertaken by AYUSH at Kerala Flood. He further informed about the activities undertaken by Ministry of AYUSH under AYUSHMAN BHARAT Scheme of Govt. of India and suggested that WHO may also provide assistance in this regard. He requested WHO may also help Ministry of AYUSH for developing country specific module and applications based program like M-Yoga and M-Ayurveda etc. Total 39 experts, representing 18 countries, 13 experts each from Ayurveda, Panchkarma and Unani would be reviewing the draft document developed by WHO through consultative process. The purposes of the meeting are to review, comment and revise as required each of the three zero draft documents prepared by the experts. This is aimed at arriving at an International consensus regarding the structure and content of each of the documents. The documents are expected to provide minimum requirements for qualified practice by practitioners of Ayurveda, Panchkarma and Unani to provide minimum safety requirement for practicing these and also to serve as a reference to national authorities to establish/ strengthen regulatory standards to ensure qualified practice of such system and patients safety. Dr. Sungchol Kim, Regional Advisor, Traditional Medicine, WHO Welcomed all the Experts and extended his thanks to Ministry of AYUSH for financial and logdgestic support and stressed about the need of integration of Traditional Medicine System in the conventional medicine system. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Deputy-Director General, WHO stated that Traditional Medicines are an important integral part of Universal Health Coverage Program specially under Sustainable Developmental Goal-3 (SDG-3). She informed that Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Systems have included in 2nd Traditional Medicine Module of ICD Chapter-11 and Year 2018 is being celebrated as 40th Anniversary Year of Alma Ata Declaration. Idi Amin Is The Most Evil Man In History Life oi-Syeda Farah Noor There are so many cruel leaders whose stories are nothing less than torture. However, do you know about the world's most cruel man? The details of these leaders can be quite chilling as several incidents reveal a lot about the harsh ruling methods they had adopted. Here, in this article, we reveal to you the details of the most hated man on this planet. He Is Idi Amin He was a Ugandan President who was born in 1925 in Kokobo, West Nile Province, Uganda. He spent his younger days within the military premises from the 1940s through 1970. All About Swastika & Its Rich Positive History! He Was Different Since The Start Idi Amin was different from the start as he loved being in power. He overthrew the current leader in 1971. He also declared himself as the President, and he remained in power from 1971-1979. During his eight year rule, he allegedly murdered over eight lakh people. He Leads A Lavish Life While he was in power, he lived a lavish lifestyle. His carefree life contributed to the collapse of Uganda's economy. On the other hand, he sought to stay in power at all costs as it resulted in extensive human rights violations via mass killings. He Used To Eat Human Meat He was so cruel that he used to eat human meat. It is reported that human head and body parts were found in his fridge. Apart from eating human flesh, he was also very fond of girls and used to make beautiful girls his slave. Unseen Pictures Of Indian Leaders His Way Of Killing People He had a disgusting way of killing people. Various reports claim that he either used to bury the people alive in the ground or throw them in front of hungry crocodiles. He Was A Ruthless Leader He became a ruthless and brutal leader who repressed the Ugandan people by ignoring their human rights. He was overthrown from power in 1979. After He Was De-throned He fled to Libya first and then to Saudi Arabia. According to media reports, he died on August 16, 2003. However, even after several years of his death, his cruelty remained in the news for several years. Wish to read stories about more cruel rulers in the world? Let us know in the comment section below. Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION PR Newswire LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17, 2018 LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Surgical Theater's Precision VR technology will be featured on the CBS Network show The Doctors along with Dr. Kurtis Auguste, Chief of Surgery at Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and his patient Mathias Hahn on September 19, 2018. Dr. Auguste will fly-through Mathias' brain, demonstrating to the viewers how this Precision VR technology influenced his surgical approach and facilitated a trust-based bond with Mathias and his family. Surgical Theater's 360 Virtual Reality technology allows patients to step inside their own anatomy alongside their surgeon while donning VR headsets. Together, they walk into the space between vascular structures and stand between arteries, looking over their shoulder at the tumor. By simply rotating their head, patients can explore their anatomy while their surgeon outlines options. This 360-degree VR visual representation gives the patient and their families an informative understanding of their condition, surgical plan options, and facilitates shared decision making. "The use of virtual reality in the treatment continuum has given patients the ability to engage and understand their pathology like never before. The immersive experience offered by virtual reality surgical planning offers an unprecedented look at our patients' anatomy. It allows us vantage points that are simply impossible to achieve by any other means. Equipped with these tools, neurosurgical planning has never been safer or more comprehensive. This technology made all the difference for this patient's case and made an invaluable contribution to the success of his surgery", said Kurtis Auguste, MD, Chief of Surgery at Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals' expertise covers virtually all pediatric conditions, including neurological disorders, cancer, heart disease, pulmonology, diabetes and endocrinology, as well as the care of critically ill newborns. The nonprofit UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals are committed to providing outstanding care to children in the Bay Area, California and beyond. They are known nationally and internationally for basic and clinical research and are at the forefront of translating research into interventions for treating and preventing diseases. The San Francisco campus is part of UC San Francisco, whose schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing lead the nation in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. The Oakland campus has a highly regarded pediatric residency program and is one of only five ACS Pediatric level I trauma centers in California. Surgical Theater, the market leader in virtual and augmented reality based healthcare services, is the first to combine cutting-edge fighter jet flight simulation technology with a patient's own anatomy scans, using medical imaging such as MRI, CT and DTI, to create 360-degree room-scale virtual reality reconstruction of the patient's own anatomy and pathology. Precision VR revolutionizes patient engagement opportunities in the clinic while providing cutting-edge surgical planning and navigation capabilities in the operating room, as well as powerful tools for medical education and collaboration for surgeons and medical communities. "We are honored to partner with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland and Dr. Auguste", said Moty Avisar, CEO and Co-Founder of Surgical Theater. "The Doctors show provided Dr. Auguste an opportunity to showcase how Surgical Theater's Precision Virtual Reality allowed him to take Mathias and his family through an immersive virtual surgical journey, all the way to a heroic recovery. This is the story of how technology meets superhero surgeons and patients to change medicine". About Surgical Theater Surgical Theater is committed to providing virtual reality-based healthcare services that bring enterprise-wide value to its partners. Surgical Theater integrates cutting-edge fighter jet flight simulation skill sets to redefine medical imaging and visualization capabilities that empower both patients and physicians throughout the treatment continuum. Surgical Theater's innovative imaging platform combines & enhances multiple imaging modalities to create a comprehensive, virtual reconstruction for various levels of interaction and immersion facilitating a virtual tour inside the patient's own anatomy. Find out more at http://www.surgicaltheater.net and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SurgicalTheater and on Twitter at @SurgicalTheater About UCSF UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland as well as Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children's Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. UCSF faculty also provide all physician care at the public Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and the SF VA Medical Center. The UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program is a major branch of the University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine. Please visit http://www.ucsf.edu/news. SOURCE Surgical Theater LLC Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. More than 2.4 million people had been evacuated in southern China's Guangdong province by Sunday evening to flee the massive typhoon and almost 50,000 fishing boats were called back to port, state media reported. At that time, the center of the depression was around 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Vietnam-China border with wind speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. On Saturday morning, the typhoon ravaged through the northeastern Cagayan province in Luzon Island, Philippines' largest and most populated. Both Vietnamese and worldwide weather stations have predicted that the storm turned depression will directly affect the northern and northern central regions. The typhoon prompted storm surges as high as 10ft. and flooded ground-floor buildings in Shenzhen. Sadly, the storm was still classed as a super typhoon when it hit the area of Luzon in the Philippines. "That was not an authorised evacuation centre", Mr Palangdan said, but expressed sadness that the villagers - many of them poor miners - had few options to survive in a region where big corporations have profited immensely from gold mines. More than 300 were injured. In Hong Kong, Mangkhut made high rises sway and shattered windows. The storm has weakened from a typhoon to a low pressure area as it moves over southern China, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Dozens of people sought shelter there during the storm despite warnings it was risky. View Slideshow The agency also issued a landslide warning, and urged residents to keep away from steep slopes. Rescue workers in the Philippines are recovering bodies from the mud and debris of a landslide caused when Typhoon Mangkhut hit Itogon in the country's north, as officials say they hold out little hope of finding any survivors beneath the rubble. With gale force winds of more than 125mph tropical cyclone Mangkhut is considered the strongest to hit the region this year - the equivalent to a maximum Category 5 "intense hurricane" in the Atlantic. "We're looking at about 11 to 12 billion (pesos) in agricultural damage", Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said in an interview with CNN Philippines. Mangkhut continued its wave of destruction on to Hong Kong, where there was no loss of life but it was a battle of another kind - to get to work. The agency forecast the storm would hit the southwestern areas of Guizhou, Chongqing, and Yunnan on September 17. Rail, airline and ferry services had been restored and casinos in the gambling enclave of Macau had reopened for business. Typhoon Mangkhut has swept over Hong Kong and Macau and on into China's southeast province of Guangdong, after devastating the Philippines, where the death toll is likely to surpass 50. Alibaba-owned Ele.me said that users in Guangdong would not be able to make use of its delivery service. In the fishing village of Tai O, where many people live in stilt houses built over the sea, some desperately tried to bail out their inundated homes. China's emergency management ministry, which deals with natural disasters, said in a notice late on Sunday it had already sent 24,000 officers to vulnerable parts of Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan. China's foreign ministry vowed Monday to strike back if Trump presses ahead with plans to impose duties on another $200 billion in Chinese imports, which would leave about half of everything the United States buys from China subject to tariffs. The trade tiff has yet to be felt in US markets as the tariffs, which now are set at 3.8 percent, may rise to just 10 percent, which most companies can handle in a growing economy, said Brian Nick, chief investment strategist at Nuveen. "Further, if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately Dollars 267 billion of additional imports", Trump said in a strong warning to China. President Donald Trump said he'll make an announcement on China trade after USA financial markets close Monday. 'Only knowing the pain of fighting will stop the war and cause (the United States) to negotiate seriously, ' said Lou. It has signalled it might target products manufactured in China that are critical to the supply chains of U.S. technology and manufacturing companies; products relatively low in value but not easily or readily available elsewhere. The vast majority of economists say that tariffs increase the cost of goods to companies and consumers without a meaningful improvement for domestic industries that benefit from reduced competition, because the higher prices subsequently charged reduce demand. The US Trade Representatives office eliminated about 300 product categories from the proposed tariff list, along with some subsets of other categories, but administration officials said the total value of the revised list would still be "approximately $200 billion". USA steel production is over half what it was in the early and mid 1970s. "And that's not including certain items that we won't even talk about". The iPhone was not among the wide range of products that Apple told regulators would be hit by the $200 billion round of tariffs in a September 5 comment letter to trade officials. Its the latest move by the administration to punish china for not complying with fair trade practices. There had been hopes of a resolution on trade between the two, but news of the planned fresh USA tariffs has sparked anger in Beijing. New Zealand faces risks rather than opportunities from the Trump administration's escalating trade war with China, Trade Minister David Parker and his National Party counterpart Todd McClay are forecasting. President Trump has signaled numerous times during the past weeks that he could slap additional tariffs on a wide range of consumer goods manufactured in China. Multiple media reports in recent days cite officials saying Trump had chose to press ahead with tariffs on $200 billion in goods as soon as Monday. Consumer safety products made in China, such as bicycle helmets sold by Vista Outdoor and baby auto seats and other products from Graco Inc also were taken off the list. At the moment it seems uncertain how much longer current trade tension will continue, but it seems that it has undoubtedly slowed down in comparison to the prior few months as both parties seem to now at least be seriously looking to a resolution to the current trade battles. Trump campaigned for the presidency on a pledge to tax imports and rewrite or tear up trade agreements that he said put US companies and workers at a disadvantage. Chinese officials are likely already tired of entering negotiations with Mnuchin, after a truce he supposedly brokered with Liu in May was publicly undermined by Trump. "And it was not under Bush", said Derek Scissors, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the target appears to have been an ammunition depot within the organization compound, adding that it wasn't clear whether the depot was run by Syria or Iran. The official SANA news agency said the Technical Industry Institution in the state-controlled city had been targeted. A search and rescue mission is now underway. While the Russian military said it registered four F-16 Israeli jets over Syria at the time of the attack on Latakia, the Israeli military has refused to comment on the report. On Sept. 17, 2018, CNN, citing an unnamed US government official, reported that the USA military believed Syrian surface-to-air missiles had brought down the Il-20. It is yet to confirm or deny its involvement. A second official confirmed that Israel was responsible for the missile strikes on the Syrian regime. Other attacks were reported on September 4 that targeted sites in the coastal Tartus area and in Hama province. Syria's government is allied to Russian Federation. A military official quoted then on state media said Syrian air defences intercepted some missiles coming from the sea. Israel rarely acknowledges attacks inside Syria, but has said it will use military action to prevent weapons transfers to its enemies. Despite the fact that Israel rarely acknowledges striking specific targets inside Syria, earlier this month the IDF admitted to hitting at least 202 "Iranian targets" in the country. Homicides have surged since 2014 in Mexico City, an arts, food and culture hotspot for tourists from around the globe that has been spared much of the drug violence plaguing cartel strongholds, which has even hit resort towns Cancun, Los Cabos and Acapulco. The former Mexico City mayor, who will take office in December, is confident that new strategies under the city's incoming mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, will be effective. Many Mexicans wear mariachi costumes, a symbol of national pride, on Independence Day to commemorate the launch of the revolt against Spanish rule on September 16, 1810. Video also shows dozens of police officers at the square in the aftermath of the shooting. "People were screaming and running", said a disabled woman who sells cigarettes in Garibaldi, shortly after having heard what she thought were fireworks. A Mexican security expert, Alejandro Hope, said the incident appeared to be a targeted shooting on a specific restaurant in the plaza by an organized crime group. No details were released on the identity of the foreign victim. Mexican authorities say five people have been killed and nine wounded in a shooting at the capital's emblematic plaza. Thousands crowd into Mexico City's central Zocalo square every year to hear the shout, and the celebration usually spills into Garibaldi Plaza. They were still on the run as of Saturday night, and it was unclear if either of the people being questioned was a suspect in the shooting. Police have linked that gang to larger cartels such as the Jalisco New Generation. Mexico experienced its most violent year in 2017 with more than 25,000 murders, official figures suggest. Another 37,000 people are reported as missing. Plaza Garibaldi borders one of Mexico City's most notorious neighborhoods, Tepito, home to La Union gang, which police say is behind a spurt in drug-dealing and protection rackets. A Boissevain resident and former federal and provincial candidate has joined the ranks of the newly formed Peoples Party of Canada. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us (FILE) Former federal and provincial candidate Frank Godon of Boissevain has joined the new People's Party of Canada, created by ex-Conservative party member Maxime Bernier. (File) A Boissevain resident and former federal and provincial candidate has joined the ranks of the newly formed Peoples Party of Canada. Frank Godon made the announcement on Twitter last Friday, the same day Peoples Party Leader Maxime Bernier released the name of his party at a press conference in Ottawa. Godon said he signed up as a member because of his support for Bernier during the Conservative leadership race. Bernier, a cabinet minister under former prime minister Stephen Harper, narrowly lost to Andrew Scheer and left the Conservative party in August. Despite giving Scheer a chance to prove himself since being elected, Godon said he eventually cut ties with the Conservative party because he didnt think Scheer was attacking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the way he should be, especially on immigration. "To me, the Conservative party is like a Liberal party-light," Godon said. Godon ran in a 2013 federal byelection in Brandon-Souris under the Libertarian Party banner, but came last in the five-way race to Conservative Larry Maguire. He ran for the Manitoba Party in Arthur-Virden during the 2016 provincial election, but came a distant second to Progressive Conservative Doyle Piwniuk. Godon also ran unsuccessfully against David Chartrand during the Manitoba Metis Federation presidential election in 2010. Among the points included in Berniers working platform, such as ending supply management and corporate welfare, Godon pointed to a curbing of illegal immigration across the U.S-Canada border as something he is closely aligned with the federal government refers to those who cross the border between points of entry irregular border crossers. "I think personally, I believe that illegal immigrants have no rights here and they should go back to the United States," Godon said. "Its not like the United States is a bad place to be and it shouldnt be our problem that maybe theyre in the States illegally too and theyre getting cleaned up by Trump down there." Godon said it took three years for his wife to immigrate to Canada from Russia and that those who come to the country should do so legally. Bernier says he will cut immigration down to 250,000 people per year. As for Berniers comments last month on Twitter, in which he criticized Trudeau of "extreme multiculturalism," Godon called multiculturalism a "disaster" that "stifles or even slows down the natural evolution" of a countrys dominant culture and creates "pockets" where people identify as "hyphenated" Canadians, such as Italian-Canadian or Chinese-Canadian. "I think right now a lot of people are confused as to what is Canadian culture," Godon said. However, he disputed notions suggested by some in the media that Bernier was anti-immigrant. "Our country has a lot of resources, we have a lot of room. Were only 30-some million people in the second-largest country in the world and we do have a relatively good economy that can sustain even higher amounts of immigration coming in," he said. "But weve got to fix the immigration system first so its fair and we have a good balance between economic immigration and refugee immigration." Asked if he intends to run for the party in next years federal election, Godon said right now he is more interested in building the base and focusing on provincial politics. Godon left the Manitoba Party, but has considered rejoining after Independent MLA Steven Fletcher became leader a week ago. As for the appeal of the Peoples Party, Godon said he believed it could draw people from across the political spectrum and thought Berniers pledge to have a candidate in each of the 338 federal ridings was possible. A local Peoples Party Facebook group was created last weekend, but the party has yet to register with Elections Canada. mlee@brandonsun.com Twitter: @mtaylorlee The former voice of the Wheat Kings has entered the municipal election race in Brandon. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/9/2018 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us (MICHAEL LEE/THE BRANDON SUN) Bruce Luebke announced Monday he will run as a candidate in South Centre ward, where he will face former Brandon University Students' Union president Nick Brown. The former voice of the Wheat Kings has entered the municipal election race in Brandon. Bruce Luebke, who did play-by-play for the Wheat Kings for more than two decades on CKLQ before parting ways with the radio station in 2016, announced Monday that he had filed his nomination papers at city hall and would run for a council seat in South Centre ward. The first-time municipal candidate has lived in Brandon for the past 25 years and said he has thought about running in the last two municipal elections, but particularly after the 2011 flood when he saw different levels of government work together to help the community. Luebke also attended a municipal election information meeting at city hall a couple weeks ago. "With my previous profession in the media business, I never felt I had enough time to commit to the position on council, if I were successful," he said. "And now that Im in my post-media career, I feel I have a little bit more of a time commitment that I can make to it." Luebke will face former Brandon University Students Union president Nick Brown, who announced his intentions to run in June. He becomes the latest candidate to put his name forward in this years election campaign, bringing the total number of candidates for mayor and council, both new and incumbent, up to 20. As a self-described non-partisan candidate, Luebke said he will work effectively with senior levels of government to tackle the problems in the community and is committed to balancing tax revenues collected by the city. "I think for me, its just about trying to maintain that tax rate to be as low as possible, while continuing to maintain that kind of service level that our citizens have come to expect," he said. "When I walked through the ward to get my nomination papers signed, and talked to residents, as much as there are some city-wide issues, everybody still continues to be really focused on streets, sidewalks, the basics." Luebkes entry in the race means only two wards Linden Lanes and Green Acres remain unchallenged going into the final day of the nomination period today. The incumbent councillors for both wards, Shawn Berry (Linden Lanes) and Jan Chaboyer (Green Acres), are set to be acclaimed if no other candidates come forward. Last week saw James Montgomery register as a candidate in Victoria ward to take on incumbent Coun. Barry Cullen, and Gordon McRae challenge incumbent Coun. John LoRegio in Meadows-Waverly. Coun. Jeff Fawcett (Assiniboine) will face JB (Jeff) Plas, while Glen Kruck will run against Coun. Kris Desjarlais in Rosser ward. University ward is up for grabs after Coun. Jeff Harwood announced he would not seek re-election. Shaun Cameron and Karen Peto are both vying for that seat. Meanwhile, Richmond ward is set for a three-way race between Coun. Ron Brown, Ron Cayer and Stephen Montague. Brock McEwing will challenge Coun. Glen Parker in Riverview ward. As of Monday, Mayor Rick Chrest remained unchallenged in his bid for re-election. mlee@brandonsun.com Twitter: @mtaylorlee Though some lauded the comparison as "absolutely priceless" and a "mic drop" moment, many expressed disappointment in Kerry, even if they agreed with his assessment of Trump. Shortly after Kerry sat down, however, host Bill Maher brought up a Trump tweet from the day before, in which the president had accused the former secretary of state of having "illegal meetings" with the Iranian government. The secretary of state added, "It's inconsistent with what foreign policy of the United States is as directed by this president, and it is beyond inappropriate for him to be engaged". Lieberman, who doesn't support the Iran deal, said he wasn't sure if what Kerry was doing was illegal, but said he does find it very concerning. But Josh Rosenstein, a partner with the Washington law firm Sandler Reiff and a specialist in lobbying compliance, said there are too many unanswered questions to know whether the law applies to Kerry's interactions with Zarif. He told them to wait out the Trump Administration! Flynn was not actually prosecuted under the Act, but it became a widespread article of faith among left-wingers that he was a Logan-scoffing criminal. "There's nothing unusual, let alone unseemly or inappropriate, about former diplomats meeting with foreign counterparts", a spokesman for Kerry said in a statement. Also unclear is whether any Iranians specifically asked Kerry for advice. "It's insidious", he said. In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, Rubio said that Americans "deserve to know that USA laws are enforced regardless of any individual's past position". Prior to the "Real Time" venue, in a separate media appearance on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, Kerry had already admitted that he had met several times with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, and that the talks had taken place without the approval of the Trump administration. I don't think it was general. Kerry tweeted Friday that Trump should be "more worried" about his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, agreeing to cooperate with Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian Federation interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible coordination between Russian Federation and the Trump campaign. Thinking that and proving it are two different propositions, and if the rusty machinery of the Logan Act was finally fired up after two centuries for a prosecution, a high standard of proof would be required. Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino reacted to the remarks Saturday on Fox & Friends, saying that the former secretary of state's comments were offensive. One of the meetings was held in Norway, another in Germany and a third is reportedly said to have happened at the United Nations headquarters, which is not technically on American soil. It suddenly became a much bigger issue previous year after Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his partner Rick Gates for violating it. NBC News in January that FARA filings soared after the Mueller indictments made foreign lobbyists nervous. Apple's 13bn tax bill has been paid, the finance minister said. In 2016 the European Commission found that the multinational had received unfair tax incentives from the Republic and ordered Apple to pay back revenue it said was owed to the state. Minister Paschal Donohoe said the 14.3bn, once EU interest was included, would be held in a special escrow fund pending the outcome of an appeal before the European courts. He added: "The full recovery of the alleged state aid is a significant milestone and is in line with the commitment given earlier in the year that the alleged state aid would be recovered by end quarter three 2018. "Notwithstanding the fact that the Government does not accept the commission's analysis in the Apple state aid decision and have lodged an appeal with the European courts, the collection of the alleged state aid from Apple demonstrates that it was always the Government's intention to comply with its legal obligations." The commission found that Ireland gave the technology giant illegal state aid by allowing it to pay an effective 1% corporation tax. Apple and the Irish Government are appealing against the commission's ruling on the grounds that the tax treatment did not break Irish or EU law. The money will be held in an escrow account meaning the proceeds cannot be released until there has been a final determination in the European courts over the validity of the commission's decision. Ireland's open economy is based on using low corporate taxation among other incentives to attract multinationals. In Apple's case it was significantly below the standard 12.5% imposed on income. The Irish Government opposes any effort to force it to change its taxation practices, which have seen the world's top financial and technology firms set up base in Dublin. Mr Donohoe added: "While the Government fundamentally disagrees with the commission's analysis in the Apple state aid decision and is seeking an annulment of that decision in the European courts, as committed members of the European Union we have always confirmed that we would recover the alleged state aid. "We have demonstrated this with the recovery of the alleged state aid which will be held in the escrow fund pending the outcome of the appeal process before the European courts." He said it was one of the largest funds of its kind to be established. "It has taken time to establish the infrastructure and legal framework around the escrow fund but this was essential to protect the interests of all parties to the agreement." Digital Desk Dancing at a wedding - it can be either hit or miss. However at the wedding of John McDermott and Wanda Fitzpatrick in Athlone, one lively bridesmaid made sure that everyone was rolling along to the beat. Politicians are returning from their summer holidays as the new Dail term begins this afternoon. With the budget, Brexit and confidence and supply negotiations all to be dealt with in the coming weeks, there are lots on the agenda. Dail business resumes at 2pm this afternoon and there are plenty of issues to be dealt with in the coming weeks and months. The budget is due in a matter of weeks and final negotiations and the kite flying of ideas will keep Paschal Donohoe busy. Those negotiations are also likely to affect talks between Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin as they discuss the confidence and supply agreement keeping the government up. It is due to run out after this budget and while the Taoiseach wants to extend it, some in Fianna Fail are against renewing the arrangement. Those talks may also decide whether we will see a general election this side of Christmas. Housing delivery will be a key issue this term, with Minister Eoghan Murphy facing a no-confidence motion next week. While the Presidential election and a referendum on the reference to blasphemy in the constitution will draw headlines in October. Looming over everything for the next six months will be Brexit, whether a deal will be reached and what it will mean for Ireland. All that feeding into what is likely to be one of the busiest political terms in recent memory. Digital Desk By Gordon Deegan A County Donegal Specsavers has been ordered to pay 12,000 in compensation to a Muslim woman who was sacked the day after the Manchester terror attack last year. At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Adjudication Officer, Emer OShea has found that Letterkenny Specsavers Ltd discriminated against Amina Ferrah on the grounds of religion when sacking the Optical Assistant on May 23, 2017. In her findings, Ms OShea said that she was satisfied on the basis of the evidence presented that Ms Ferrah's dismissal in advance of the standard three-month review constituted less favourable treatment on the grounds of religion and that Ms Ferrahs non-Muslim colleagues were not the subject to such treatment. The night before Ms Ferrah was sacked, 22-year-old Islamic terrorist, Salman Ramadan Abedi murdered 22 concertgoers in a suicide bombing attack at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. Crowds fleeing the attack in Manchester Arena in 2017. In her case at the WRC, Ms Ferrah claimed that she was sacked on discriminatory grounds as a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that she was clearly identifiable as a Muslim - a contention strongly disputed by her former employer. Ms Ferrah always wore her headscarf to work and her uniform and name badge had been ordered for her by her employer the day before the Manchester attack. She submitted to the WRC that her employer may have been overly concerned about public sentiment following the attack and the impact it might have on their business. In her case, Ms Ferrah stated that when she turned up for work on May 23, 2017, the shop roster showed that she was scheduled to work the following week. Ms Ferrah commenced work at the outlet on April 3, 2017, having previously worked for a Specsavers in the UK for two years. On the evening of May 23, Ms Ferrah said that she was asked to attend a meeting with the company directors where she was told its not working out, you are not what we expected and you are not interactive enough on the shop floor. Ms Farrah said that she was told that her skills lie more in pre-testing and they dont need anyone in that area and we will have to let you go. She asked for a chance to prove herself but was told no and that she would be paid up until the end of the month. Ms Ferrah said that she was very surprised since the feedback she had been receiving up until that meeting was very positive and she was fitting in and working well. She said that in the days after her dismissal, she met with one of the shop managers who hugged her and told her that she had no idea why she was being let go. The store strongly denied the claim of discrimination and told the WRC that Ms Ferrah was employed less than two weeks after the earlier terror attack at Londons Westminster Bridge. However, Mr Ferrah told the hearing that the London attack had to be distinguished from the Manchester attack in terms of the media coverage. Specsavers told the WRC that the decision to dismiss Ms Ferrah was purely down to performance. The company alleged that Ms Ferrah lacked crucial skills which were necessary to carry out her role. They claimed that Ms Ferrahs contention that she was dismissed because of its concerns over the Manchester terror attack is an entirely subjective viewpoint of the worker, not supported by evidence and which in no way satisfies the requirement for a prima facie case of discrimination. The firm also stated that the mere coincidence that Ms Ferrah was dismissed the day after a terrorist attack in Manchester is not sufficient to shift this burden of proof from the claimant to the respondent. The firm alleged that Ms Ferrah simply lacked the tools, skill and knowledge to fulfil the role she had been appointed into. The firm took "grave issue" over the claim that Ms Ferrah was ever treated less favourably because of her religion. In finding that the firm did discriminate against Ms Ferrah, Ms OShea stated that it was accepted by the company that reviews of new employees would take place at the end of the first three months. Ms OShea found that no records of any reviews have been presented to support the companys contention of ongoing reviews and no records of any performance deficits on the part of Ms Ferrah were presented. She found that Ms Ferrahs evidence that she was never advised of any shortcomings in her performance was credible and consistent throughout the hearing. Taking all of the matters into account, Ms OShea found that Ms Ferrah has established a prima facie case of discrimination on the grounds of religion and found that the employer has failed to rebut it. By Olivia Kelleher An 83-year-old great grandfather who rushed to the assistance of a manager of a bookies after three armed men tried to rob the premises has appealed to the raiders to give themselves up. In an interview with Paul Byrne on Virgin Media News, Denis O'Connor said he "thought he hadn't much choice" in terms of how he reacted when the young men came in to Bar One Racing in Glanmire, Co Cork last Saturday evening. He said he acted instinctively when he had a gun pointed at him. He said he did fear for his life. However, he got "bursts of confidence." Mr O'Connor said he bore no animosity towards the young men involved. I must tell you this now I don't think they intended to harm anyone. That is my opinion. I felt sympathy for them. He said he hopes the men turn themselves in the coming days and is anxious to get back to his normal routine. Meanwhile, the staff at Bar One continued to pay tribute to Mr O'Connor yesterday for his heroism in coming to the assistance of manager, Tim Murphy, when the men stormed in brandishing hammers and what appeared to be a shotgun. It is understood that gardai have examined CCTV footage from the premises in a bid to track down the raiders and are confident of making arrests in the case. The incident occurred last Saturday shortly after 6pm when three men in their teens or early twenties went into the bookies armed with hammers and a shotgun demanding money from the safe. Two men, who were wearing balaclavas, proceeded to jump the counter and attack the manager. A third man carrying what appeared to be a shotgun held up the customers. Mr O'Connor, who trains regularly in a Cork gym and walks and swims several times a week, immediately went to the aid of Tim Murphy. He tackled one of the men and the raiders left empty-handed. Mr Murphy said he was extremely grateful for the actions of Mr Murphy who assisted him in his time of need. I was just being threatened by the two fellas with the hammers. Denis tackled one of them and I thought 'I will have to tackle this fella as well.' I tried to grab the hammer. It was a total blur. They totally backed down. I remember Denis just shouting, "Ye are Cowards. Ye are total cowards." "Denis is a total hero. When I saw him taking one of them on he totally inspired me. He is very fit." Anyone who has information relating to a black saloon car which was seen leaving the area at speed around the time of the robbery is asked to contact gardai in Mayfield on (021) 455 8510. Members of the public with information in the case should also contact gardai in Mayfield or any garda station. Officials in Spain have confirmed that they have found the body of an Irish woman in her 50s there. The Spanish Civil Guard in Cartagena city are investigating but it is reported that no foul play is suspected. It is a landmark day for the roll-out of rural broadband according to the Communications Minister, Denis Naughten. A final tender to provide high-speed internet access to the country has been submitted by Enet. Update - 5.09pm: Peter Casey has won his fourth council endorsement at Tipperary County Council. The former Dragon's Den star won by 13 to eight against Gemma O'Doherty. It means he has won enough nominations to enter the Presidential race. Clare and Kerry County Councils backed his bid yesterday. The Derry native now joins President Michael D Higgins, Sean Gallagher, Joan Freeman, Gavin Duffy and Sinn Fein's Liadh Ni Riada on the ballot paper. Earlier: Peter Casey secures third nomination for presidency By David Raleigh Former Dragons Den star Peter Casey has gained the support of Limerick City and County Council this afternoon to secure his third nomination for the presidency. Mr Casey was proposed by Fianna Fail's Michael Collins and seconded by Fine Gael's Michael Sheehan. Casey and four other candidates addressed councillors at the joint local authority's headquarters, including burlesque performer, Sarah Louise Mulligan, well-known journalist Gemma ODoherty, Marie Goretti Moylan, and John OHare. He got 21 votes and Ms O'Doherty got three votes while there were eight abstentions. The Council's Fianna Fail party leader, Michael Collins, said before the votes were cast: The party haven't made a decision as a party, but I am the party leader and I have a personal opinion, and I quite like Peter Casey as one of the last candidates standing. He's a self-made businessman; he has made it and lost it twice. I think he should be on the presidential ticket. He may have something to offer. There is no party line. It's up to each individual party member to do what they see fit. There's no whip, but, there are quite a few in the group that will be supporting my nomination. Each candidate was afforded 10 minutes to address the council, and, take part in a brief five-minute question and answer session with councillors. Addressing councillors Sarah Louise Mulligan, said she was not afraid to admit she was "a huge President Trump supporter". Ms Mulligan told councillors she would focus on important social issues, if she was elected president. I would focus on child abuse; suicide; elder abuse; homelessness. Im a pro-life supporter and I would set up crisis pregnancy centres, she added. Ms Mulligan accused the media of showing bias to other candidates. The media are making me out to be a silly Marylyn Monroe impersonator with no intellect. Im an intelligent person," she said. Ms Mulligan claimed the presidential position has lost touch with everyday people. I am an everyday Irish person. We need a president who is in touch with the most vulnerable in society. I know what its like to be lonely, I know what its like to be lost. Ive been laughed at all my life." She added: "If I went into politics Id set up my own party. Im a conservative and Im surrounded by liberals every day. We need more balance. Former Fianna Fail mayor, Cllr Kevin Sheehan confirmed he was voting for Michael D Higgins. Stand by your man is what I say. I'll be voting for Michael D Higgins. Hes a Limerick man, and hes done a great job, Mr Sheahan added. Fine Gael Cllr Michael Hourigan also hinted he would be supporting Mr Higgins. By Louise Walsh Gardai are hunting fraudsters who are believed to have driven a confused elderly woman with dementia to the bank to withdraw almost 1,000 in recent weeks. The frail 87-year old mistakenly drew 90 initially out of her Bank of Ireland account but was immediately sent back to the cashier by the con artists to withdraw ten times that amount. The shocking incident in Dunboyne, Co. Meath only came to light a week later when the woman's daughter, who looks after her mother's finances, checked a bank statement after becoming suspicious. The daughter - who does not want to be named in case it would identify her mum who lives partly alone - is now appealing for neighbours to watch out for the elderly in their neighbourhoods, especially coming into the winter months. "I took money out of my mam's account for the doctor and when I looked at the receipt, I thought the balance was a bit low. "My husband came home from visiting her and he asked me who had power-hosed the outside footpath. "That's what made me suspicious so I checked further and the bank teller said mam had come into the bank a week earlier and withdrew 90 euro. "A little while later she returned, saying she had made a mistake and meant to take out 900. When the teller asked what it was for my mam told her it was for a stair lift, which we had been talking about getting. "When I asked mam myself, she said the money was to pay the men for work around the house." The worried daughter said her mother was unharmed in the incident and doesn't realise that she was scammed. "She has dementia and gets easily confused. Myself and my siblings clubbed together and got her home redecorated two years ago - no work was needed on the house. "We checked around and neighbours said they saw a shiny new van outside the house on Tuesday, September 5, but they thought nothing of it." The family now believe the occupants of the van approached their mother with a view to charging for cleaning gutters or power-hosing outside and saw their chance when they noticed the elderly woman's fragile disposition. 900 is a lot for power-hosing the footpath. Can you believe they actually drove her down to the bank and waited for her, drove her home and then disappeared without a second thought. She is now urging all neighbours to be vigilant around the county. "Our neighbours are fantastic and they didn't realise what was going on but I'm asking others not to take things for granted. If they see a van outside the home of an elderly neighbour, call in to check it out or ring their family. "I was so angry when I found out what they did to mam, that if they got all the karma I wished on them, they are in for miserable lives. "They are scum of the earth. How they live with themselves I don't know." Gardai declined to comment but it is believed local CCTV footage is being looked at. Local Fianna Fail Cllr Damien O'Reilly appealed for anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious to contact gardai. "I'm absolutely outraged by this attack on a vulnerable elderly woman. It was cowardly and heartless to take advantage of the woman in this way. "Our elderly citizens should be protected and I'd ask everyone to look out for their neighbours, especially as the nights close in," he concluded. Mauritanias ruling Union for the Republic party (UPR) swept legislative polls entrenching its position as the victor. Led by President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, the party increased its presence in Parliament with an additional 22 seats in the polls that took place on September 15, bringing its majority to 89 in the 157-seat parliament. The ruling party ensued a meagre victory in municipal elections in a country considered as a frontline in the war on terrorism in the Sahel region. Abdelaziz, 61, came to power in a coup in 2008. He won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. His term was marred by human rights abuses as Mauritania continues to be rebuked for the prevailing slavery practices. We've seen stunning dresses, dapper suits and strong fashion statements at this year's Emmy Awards. Actress Jenifer Lewis was decked out in Nike on the red carpet in honour of their support for Colin Kaepernick and his protest against police brutality and racial injustice. She told CNN: Im wearing Nike tonight to tell them how proud I am of them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against police brutality and racial injustice." Im wearing Nike tonight to tell them how proud I am of them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against police brutality and racial injustice, actress Jenifer Lewis said on the red carpet at the #Emmys https://t.co/mWuM8n2PZm pic.twitter.com/MLOtfcpu2S CNN (@CNN) September 18, 2018 The loveable cast of Queer Eye rocked the red carpet hand in hand. Im so proud to be a part of this #Emmys pic.twitter.com/yYw8EAQEzu Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) September 18, 2018 Betty White, the "First Lady of Television," got a hero's welcome at the Emmys more than four decades after winning her first ever Emmy in 1975. The 96-year-old actress took the stage at Monday night's Emmy Awards to a standing ovation. But it was one attendee of the 70th Emmy Awards who stole the show with her red carpet appearance and a rather quirky accessory. Comedian Emily Heller took to the red carpet sporting a custom-made handbag with the Getty Images logo across the front. And as per her own words, Getty Images must have been very excited to take her photograph, unlike every other photographer at the event. Well played, Emily. Well played. You know who was really excited to take pictures of this purse? @gettyimages. You know who wasnt? Every other photographer there. #emmys pic.twitter.com/rmKfgTzKbX Emily Heller (@MrEmilyHeller) September 17, 2018 - Digital Desk Scaffolding at a luxury hotel undergoing renovation in central Madrid has collapsed - killing one construction worker and injuring at least 11 others, an official said. Wrought iron work on the sixth floor of the centrally located Ritz Hotel collapsed shortly after 4pm local time, dragging the internal scaffolding down five stories along with the workers, according to the official from the emergency services. Part of Moroccos relentless fight against terrorism and criminal rings, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), in coordination with the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), arrested 12 people accused of belonging to a terrorist and criminal network operating in Tangiers and Casablanca. Among those arrested are people with criminal records, convicted for common crimes, and former detainees in cases of terrorism and extremism, announces a joint statement issued by the DGNS and the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance (DGST). According to the statement, the brother of one of the suspects has joined Daesh and is fighting on the Syrian-Iraqi front. Investigations have established connections between this cell and a criminal network involved in the trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances, kidnapping and sequestration with ransom demand, the use of knives, tear gas and Molotov cocktails, and the use of cars with false license plates. The criminal operations were carried out either in the context of settling scores with other criminal networks or in accordance with what is called in the jargon of the extremists, the principle of al istihlal and fayaa (legitimation), notes the statement. According to the statement, the members of this cell have forced entry in the flat of an alleged drug dealer in Tangier last Friday. The alleged drug dealer was found dead on the pavement after a fall from his 7th floor flat. The investigations carried out in this case resulted in the seizure of a range of products and weapons used in the execution of criminal operations. These included masks, bladed weapons, electronic scales, five car license plates, in addition to the booty of several criminal operations such as electronic devices, CDs, cell phones, radical books, money transfers receipts and fake id documents. A smartwatch, four cars, hard drugs and large sums of money were also seized, the statement said. He told Fairfax Media late on Tuesday that "given the change in chairman... I was happy to stay on to help with the transition, especially with the heavy demands arising from the royal commission". Mr Kell joined ASIC in 2011 and in March the federal government announced it had extended his position for one year to May 2019. Mr Kell resigned on Tuesday as deputy chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) after seven years at the regulator. The second in charge at the corporate watchdog, Peter Kell, has resigned just months into a one-year extension of his contract. "Now that James Shipton has clearly settled into the role, it's an opportunity for me to leave just a few months earlier at the end of the year." He said it was a "good time" to move on, adding that it had "never been my view that commission positions are jobs for life". Mr Kell's resignation is effective from December, and he will remain on active duties until then. He pointed to the "very busy" period ahead for ASIC over the next few months, saying there were significant investigations and enforcement actions in train, on top of the royal commission. He said he was proud of the work ASIC did in aiding Indigenous consumers that "doesn't necessarily receive the profile" of other issues, and also pointed to ASIC's work on the 'fees for no service' scandal and add-on insurance at car yards, which was examined by the royal commission on Tuesday. But Mr Kell acknowledged there were "always areas where regulators like ASIC can look to do better, can look to improve the ways that we take on matters," he said. "We need to make sure we're not defensive and we're ready to learn." He added that ASIC needed to continue to push for the powers it needed to perform its role. As we mark a decade since the global financial crisis, Australian households appear to be slipping back into a pre-GFC habit: saving an increasingly skinny slice of their incomes. Although the latest national accounts figures showed economic growth humming along, the household savings ratio slipped to just 1 per cent in the latest quarter, its lowest since late 2007. The household savings rate has slumped to a 10-year low in the most recent quarter. Credit:Gabriele Charotte On face value, that might sound worrying. It gives the impression of more Australians raiding their savings accounts to cover bills - which would be an alarming trend if that were the case. So should we be concerned about the low level of saving? Well, it's probably not as big a worry as that - yet. But if the savings rate gets much lower, it will be a concern. As a dog allegedly mauled his colleague, Detective Sergeant Ivan Naspe feared the pitbull would go for the female constable's throat. He said he knew he had to act fast and discharged his Taser twice. Detective Sergeant Ivan Naspe, who was recognised on Tuesday for coming to the aid of a colleague who was being mauled by a dog in Rivett on July 1. Credit:Karleen Minney "That had no effect on the dog, so I used my Glock and eventually stopped the animal," he said. "Luckily for us, only body parts below the throat line were attacked." In 1878, when it was first written, Advance Australia Fair might have had a grain of nationalistic truth to it. 140 years later it reads like pure satire. A national joke. The sort of anthem The Chaser or Mad as Hell might have composed. Take the title: is there anyone who would seriously argue Australia is fair, either in terms of how we treat people like migrants, Muslims, women, First Australians, refugees, the poor, the sick, the disabled, altar boys, the elderly and the jobless? Or that an Australia largely clear-felled for development, blighted by 60,000 toxic mine sites no-one will ever clean up, its aquifers punctured like the arms of an addict by a billion drill cores, its Reef in ruins, is fair compared to what it was? Soprano Greta Bradman singing The Australian National Anthem. Credit:Vince Caligiuri Let us rejoice, for we are young and free. Well, were a lot less young than we used to be in 1900 one in 25 Australians were aged 65 plus; today its one in seven; by mid-century, the figure will be one in four. The typical Aussie then lived 52 years, now its 82 years. So the image of golden youth doesnt quite cut it in the wizening present. Craig Levy says he's sorry for killing his Airbnb visitor over a $210 debt but the dead man's sister has told a Melbourne court she'll never forgive him. Naime Balla struggles to remember the good times with her brother Ramis Jonuzi her last memory is of his body lying on a slab in a coroner's office. Former chef Craig Levy Levy, a 37-year-old former chef, will be sentenced in the Supreme Court next week after pleading guilty to manslaughter for his role in Mr Jonuzi's death on October 25 last year at rented house iin Brighton East. The charge was downgraded from murder. Hoping to secure two tickets for Friday night's preliminary final? Well, all you need is an extra $90,000. Ticket prices continue to soar on eBay, sparking questions over the legitimacy of the sales, with some suspecting "troll bidders" were behind heavily inflated prices. It comes as resales of AFL footy finals tickets are being pulled from eBay and classified site Gumtree as authorities launch almost 100 investigations into ticket scalping. Moroccan women entrepreneurs have received a huge boost from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which has just launched a program to help them unleash their potential and contribute to their countrys economy. Dubbed EBRDs Women in business program, this initiative is supported by European Union and Moroccan banks: BMCE Bank of Africa and BMCI (Banque marocaine pour le commerce et lindustrie) In an initial phase, the EBRD will provide the equivalent of a total of 35 million in local currency to BMCE Bank of Africa and BMCI to support women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The EBRD signed a five-year 20 million loan with BMCE and five-year 15 million loan with BMCI. Other banks are expected to join the initiative. The Womens Business program aims in its initial phase to reach at least 200 women entrepreneurs, through both financing and advisory services. A focus will be put on supporting entrepreneurs outside of Moroccos main commercial centers. In addition to financing, women entrepreneurs receive business advice to make their businesses more competitive, as well as training, mentoring and network-building services, and also access to the EBRDs online self-diagnostic. The training and mentoring allow women entrepreneurs to share experiences and learn from each other. Since its launch in 2014, the EBRD Womens Business Program has reached 35,000 women, providing financing of over 450 million in cooperation with more than 30 financial institutions in some 17 countries, as well as improved access to know-how, skills development training and business networks. Since it began investing in Morocco in 2012, the EBRD has financed projects worth 1.6 billion in the country and provided over 400 Moroccan SMEs with business advice. The man who was dubbed the "world's greatest hoaxer", who staged his own death, which was recorded in a New York Times obituary, really is dead this time. The newspaper has run a rare second obituary to Alan Abel under the headline "Hoaxer extraordinaire, is (on good authority) dead at 94". Alan Abel at the Boulevard Hotel in Sydney in April 1980. Credit:Fairfax Abel duped the American media on many occasions with stunts that included The Ku Klux Klan Symphony Orchestra, Euthanasia Cruises (For people who wanted to expire in luxury) and a campaign to encourage naked animals to cover up in public. Media gathered in anticipation when Abel, wearing a mask and posing as a White House official, claimed to have the missing 18 minutes from the Watergate tapes. When the tape was played at a news conference, the assembled press was greeted with silence. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has berated Liberal apparatchiks for playing "stupid games" with preselections after Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis' extraordinary attack on a NSW state MP, accusing him of "bullying, betrayal and backstabbing". Adding to the party's ongoing woes over bullying allegations and low female representation, Ms Sudmalis on Monday announced she would quit Parliament and said MP Gareth Ward had "flexed his vengeance on strong Liberal women", undermining her with branch stacking and unethical conduct. Responding to Ms Sudmalis' speech made under the legal cover of parliamentary privilege Mr Morrison said the MP had genuine concerns about her treatment at the hands of Liberals in her electorate. He has directed the organisational wing of the party to establish a "rigorous and confidential" complaints process. Liberal Senator Jim Molans hawkish comments over Chinese government risk to Australias national security through a Hong Kong company's takeover of major gas pipelines has been rejected as hypocrisy and political posturing. Mr Molan warned, in The Australian on Tuesday, that Hong Kong-based utility CKIs proposed $13 billion takeover of APA is a direct threat to Australias national security and should not be approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board. However, his comments have been called misleading and hypocritical by market experts. Liberal senator Jim Molan has raised national security concerns over Chinese ownership of gas pipeline company APA. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The head of energy analyst firm EnergyQuest, Graeme Bethune, said the takeover was being turned into a national security problem when it was only a political problem. There has been a spike in cases of a deadly illness caused by inhaling silica dust in Queensland. Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said WorkCover Queensland had received 22 claims for compensation for silicosis from workers in the engineered stone benchtop industry in the past three weeks, making a total of 26 compensation claims. Industrial Relation Minster Grace Grace has revealed a spike in compensation claims for silicosis. Credit:AAP Of those, Ms Grace described six cases as "terminal", with a life expectancy of three to five years, with those workers receiving diagnoses of progressive massive fibrosis. Ms Grace said some of the workers were young, including a 27-year-old. Victorias TAFE colleges will receive $220 million to rebuild campuses and facilities across the state under a re-elected Labor government. As part of the election promise, Melbourne Polytechnics Collingwood campus will receive $40 million for new equipment for digital media production, IT training and creative arts courses. Premier Daniel Andrews spruiking Labor's commitment to the Victorian TAFE system in May. Credit:Joe Armao The Collingwood campus is in the Richmond electorate, which Labor holds with a 1.9 per cent margin from the Greens. The Andrews government is seeking to contrast its spending on the TAFE sector with the cuts implemented by the previous government. Beijing: There is a growing view in Beijing that US President Donald Trump has no intention of doing a deal with China on trade. Instead, Trump wants to force American companies out of China and decouple the two nations' economies, some political analysts say. How else to explain Trump ignoring more than 300 American companies who protested that imposing tariffs on $US200 billion ($277 billion) in Chinese consumer goods would hurt their business, and raise prices for US consumers? Wanting to say good-bye to China? US President Donald Trump. Credit:Bloomberg The fear is there has been a major shift in US policy on China, so that trade is no longer the ballast in the relationship, but rather another US weapon to contain China. Chinese business magazine Caixin reported that JP Morgan chief China economist Zhu Haibin calculated the trade war would cost China 700,000 jobs and force US and Chinese companies to move their factories out of China. Geneva: UN-backed investigators who examined a bloody crackdown by Myanmar security forces that caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh have issued a searing critique of the United Nations' own response to the human rights crisis. In a 432-page report, the members of a fact-finding mission on Myanmar fleshed out preliminary findings and recommendations released in a shorter version three weeks ago. "With a heavy heart and deep sadness, we have drawn conclusions, on the basis of the facts, that we never expected would be as grave as they are," team chairman Marzuki Darusman said he presented the report to the UN-supported Human Rights Council. "What we have found are not only the most serious human rights violations, but crimes of the highest order under international law," he said. More than two decades ago, Maezawa, then just a sprightly teen, had an epiphany - he envisioned the rest of his life and was disheartened by what he foresaw. At the time, he was a student at a prestigious feeder high school in Tokyo, which meant he was destined for university and after that a career, most likely in business. But as he rode the train for an hour and a half every morning from his home in Japan's Chiba prefecture, he told the Times in London he started noticing how all the people headed to their jobs appeared to be "tired and unhappy." "I think what I hated was the feeling that I was running along tracks that had already been laid down," he told the British publication in July. "I could see the rails stretching in front of me - school, university, career. I could picture myself as one of those people jam-packed in a rush-hour train. I wanted to derail myself." Yusaku Maezawathe chief executive of Start Today Co., speaks during a press conference In Tokyo. Credit:AP Armed with a fierce desire to be more than just a worker drone, Maezawa took swift action making a series of decisions leading to a life that has been nothing short of extraordinary. It all began in the '90s, when Maezawa followed his then-girlfriend to the United States where he spent most of his time skateboarding along the streets of Santa Monica, California, he told reporters on Monday. While in the US, Maezawa, an avid musician, also followed one of his favourite bands, the Gorilla Biscuits, a New York-based hardcore punk group, the Times reported. Back in Japan, Maezawa was a drummer for Switch Style, a punk band he formed with friends that achieved moderate commercial success, according to the Nikkei Asian Review, a Japanese publication. His six-month stint in the U.S. would turn out to be a pivotal moment in his career, for it was there that he got the idea to sell music merchandise from Japan, Forbes reported. Upon returning to his home country, he launched a mail-order business selling T-shirts and CDs out of his kitchen, which became the foundation for a company he named Start Today, also the name of a Gorilla Biscuits album, according to the Japan Times. It was 1998 and Maezawa was 22 years old. Still touring and recording with his band, Maezawa started getting overwhelmed by the responsibilities that came with juggling a music career and running a company. After a few years, something had to give. "When it became physically impossible to handle both, I chose my company - that was around when I was 25 or 26," he told the Japan Times. This was a decision that would prove fruitful for Maezawa. Start Today had shifted to focus more on fashion and apparel, eventually spawning an immensely popular e-commerce site called Zozotown, Forbes reported. According to the Japan Times, the website now features around 6300 brands and the company employs nearly 900 people. In July, the site launched its own in-house fashion line called Zozo, available in 72 countries, Racked reported. Maezawa now has a net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Forbes. While his company's success earned him fame in Japan, Maezawa dominated international news last year when he dropped more than $US110 million on a painting by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat at a Sotheby's auction. The painting's sale price broke records and threw the art world into a tizzy. Called Untitled, the colourful graffiti-style depiction of a screaming skull became the sixth-most expensive piece ever sold at auction, the New York Times reported. According to NPR, the price Maezawa paid was the highest amount ever spent at auction for a work made in the U.S. "I buy things on impulse - I have done since I was young," Maezawa told Christie's. "I have also always bought things up to my financial limit. And when I ran out of money, I would make more money - then I would buy again." But the Basquiat wouldn't just be a spur of the moment purchase that would end up hanging in Maezawa's home or office never to be seen by the public again. In May 2017, Maezawa posted on Instagram a series of photos of himself alongside the work, writing, "When I first encountered this painting, I was struck with so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art. I want to share that experience with as many people as possible." True to his word, Maezawa has sponsored an international tour for the artwork. Earlier this year, it was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum and the Seattle Art Museum, and is now making its way through Europe, the magazine Art News reported. Maezawa, whose extensive personal collection features works by Picasso, Alexander Calder and Willem de Kooning, among others, told Christie's he has plans to open an art museum in his hometown of Chiba. Like his sharing of art, Maezawa said on Monday that he also wants to share his experience of seeing the moon, explaining why he purchased every seat on the rocket for an undisclosed amount. "I did not want to have such a fantastic experience by myself, that would be a little lonely," he said. "I don't like being alone. I want to share these experiences and things with as many people as possible." The interstellar trip is all part of Maezawa's grand project, which he has named Dear Moon. His plan is to bring with him six to eight artists from various disciplines, including film, architecture, painting, sculpture and photography, with the goal that upon their return to Earth they create works inspired by the experience. The idea came to him as he was looking at a Basquiat painting. "I thought, what if Basquiat had gone to space and had seen the moon up close or saw the earth in full view?" he said. "What wonderful masterpiece would he have created?" Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting 'Untitled' was purchased by Yusaku Maezawa. Soon, he started imagining if his other favourite artists, such as Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Coco Chanel, were also given the same privilege. The latest figures suggest that Church of England affiliation has halved since 2002 and that only 2 per cent of young people call themselves Anglican. This is despite the Church of England spending decades chasing cultural relevance. At the weekend, there was a discussion in this newspaper about whether or not God has a gender. "I don't want young girls or young boys to hear us constantly refer to God as he," said Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Gloucester, because that might alienate people. You can watch a video online: down the aisle come clerics, musicians and men on stilts dressed as trees. Notice though, as the camera pans out, that the congregation is a bit thin at the back. And old. It's in desperate need of some new sap. London: There's nowhere more relevant to the modern world than Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. This Episcopal church advertises yoga and is totally non-judgmental (there's a photo on its website of a man dressed as a nun), and I bet a fun time was had by all at last week's Global Climate Action Summit Multi-Faith Service. The Rev doesn't need to worry because no one is listening. Those of us who are Christian (I'm a Catholic and we have just the same problems as the Protestants) blame our falling numbers on everything but ourselves, from immigration to the internet. The truth is that Western Christianity isn't dying out from natural causes or murder; it's committing suicide. Like many agonies, you can blame it on the 1960s. The experiences of world war and nuclear threat seemed to necessitate a rethink in the way Christians acted: to preach less, listen more. Protestants and Catholics tried to meet people halfway, to talk to them in their own language. This could have been a marvellous project; humility and meekness are inherently Christian virtues. The crucifixion turned weakness into a strength, say the gospels, offering Jesus as a sacrifice for the whole of mankind. And, yes, it's good to talk to the other faiths and, of course, social justice is a divine calling. At some point, however, dialogue turned into deference and socialism became the only face many bishops were comfortable showing the world. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby's recent speech to the Trades Union Congress was a case in point. The gig economy, he said, is an "ancient evil" - and he may well be right. An archbishop has a duty to say it as he sees it, to articulate a preference for the poor. But if he imagined for one moment that his speech would win a single convert to Anglicanism, he was mistaken. All that happens when priests confirm the beliefs of Left-wing atheists is that the audience says: "thank you very much" and goes on being atheist, because they're not being challenged; they're being validated. Indeed, so much of what mainstream Christians now offer is a validation of Western society, a kind of a "thumbs up, well done", which is stupid because unless you bring up God in a conversation, non-believers certainly won't. If trying to be relevant to a shallow popular culture worked, church attendance would have risen since the Sixties or even stayed the same. It's plummeted. And the few who do still loyally show up to communion aren't there to talk about zero-hour contracts. That's God's time. You hear this said by the laity a lot; among younger clergy, too. The ones who stubbornly cling to the nostrums of the Sixties are the greying church leadership, who are reminiscent of the establishment "blob" that conservatives complain dominates education: good people, absolutely, but men and women who see themselves as curators of a faith rather than its evangelists, and who have become rather comfortable with underperformance. New Salem, North Carolina: It's hard to make out in the thicket of trees maybe a hundred yards to the north of Highway 218, but it's there: a Hyundai Elantra, hanging nose down, as if caught in a spiderweb. By mid-morning on Monday, as the sun peeked out for the first time since Florence came in from the coast late last week, the field of soybeans between the road and the strung-up sedan looked as if someone had simply left a sprinkler system on too long. Fourteen hours earlier, though, the rains had turned normally serene Richardson Creek into a raging monster, water churning 10 feet above those soybean plants and sweeping the Hyundai - carrying young mother Dazia Lee and her one-year-old son Kaiden Lee Welch - off the road, across the field, and into the trees. Dazia Lee, 20, outside her home in Charlotte on Monday. Credit:Ricky Carioti/Washington Post Authorities said Lee and her toddler were travelling from their Charlotte home to visit family in Wadesboro on Sunday night, and that the State Highway Patrol had put barricades beyond the intersection at Fish Road, to warn of trouble ahead. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- At the World Internet of Things Exposition 2018, Ford Motor showcased its C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) technologies for intelligent-connected vehicle (ICV) in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, the automaker announced on September 17. This is the first time that Ford Motor demonstrates its C-V2X technology in China. C-V2X technology is a wireless communication solution that could make vehicles, road infrastructures, pedestrians as well as other traffic participants connect with each other using an identical information language. The technology is able to help enhance vehicle driving safety, improve the traffic efficiency and boost the development of autonomous vehicle technologies. In May this year, a new conference held in Wuxi announced that Wuxi will build the world's first city-level LTE-V2X Internet of Vehicles (IoV) application demonstration area in which Ford Motor also involved. The U.S.-based automaker will further evaluate the performance of its C-V2X technology through the technical tests on public roads and eventually use it in vehicles. Cooperating with such technology companies as Huawei and China Mobile, Ford Motor will employ the C-V2X technology to research and develop various application scenarios, such as V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure), V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) and V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian), based on Chinese road conditions and drivers' driving behaviors. Mitch McConnell and Brett Kavanaugh back when the latters Senate confirmation looked pretty easy. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images When Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in late June, it looked like getting a successor nominated and confirmed by the beginning of the next Court term (and before the midterm elections) involved a tight but manageable schedule if everything went as planned. The White House certainly contributed to a brisk process by naming Brett Kavanaugh its nominee just 12 days after Kennedy stepped down, utilizing Trumps famous pre-vetted list of prospects. With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell having already canceled the Senates August recess, there appeared to be time for hearings and a Judiciary Committee vote in September quickly followed by a party-line vote in the full Senate. But Kavanaughs very lengthy record in the Executive and Judicial branches and considerable Republican stonewalling over document production and review made it easy for Democrats to credibly charge the process was being rushed. And now the allegations that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault in high school are creating a lot of potentially major timing issues. Its a good time to review the timetable of deadlines coming up: 1) September 20: Senate Judiciary Committee Vote: This deadline is already all but blown now that multiple senators (including at least two Republicans, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake) are calling for testimony under oath by Kavanaughs accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and the nominee himself, concerning the new allegations. If the testimony (sure to be a TV/social-media spectacular) produces no new information between Fords allegations and Kavanaughs denials, then the committee could proceed quickly to a vote. But this is the first of what could become many moments where one dissenting Republican senator defecting from the party line could throw sand into the wheels of the confirmation machine, and two could kill the nomination altogether. So Republicans will have to make scheduling decisions one step at a time, no matter how impatient they or Donald Trump might be. 2) October 1: The Supreme Court begins its next term: The ostensible reason for moving right along with Kavanaughs nomination and confirmation was to make sure the Supreme Court had its full complement of nine Justices when its next term begins on October 1. Justice Kennedy is on senior status, and is still available for part-time duty on lower federal courts, but hes gone for good from SCOTUS. If no one has been confirmed by October 1, which is beginning to look more and more likely, then the Court will convene with just eight justices, and more importantly, with the conservative and liberal blocs on the Court deadlocked with four justices each. Yes, a subsequently confirmed justice can ascend to the bench the moment she or he is cleared by the Senate. But the new justice will typically not vote on cases in which oral arguments were heard in their absence. So the longer the ninth justice is missing, the more it affects the Courts work. The period between Justice Antonin Scalias death in February of 2016 and Justice Neil Gorsuchs confirmation in April of 2017 shows how this can be a significant issue in big cases that expose divisions on the Court. 3) Late October: The Senate breaks to campaign: There is no set deadline for the Senate to break for last-minute campaigning prior to the midterms, and until recently, it was thought that keeping senators in Washington would be a much bigger problem for Republicans, given the larger number of vulnerable Democrats in the chamber. But the Senate landscape is now beginning to look less bright red than it did earlier in the year, and you have to figure that Republicans Dean Heller and Ted Cruz are as avid to spend time at home as Democrats Heidi Heitkamp or Joe Donnelly. Thanks to the GOPs invocation of the nuclear option in 2017 to ban filibusters prior to Supreme Court confirmation votes, it wont take more than a week for the full Senate to vote on Kavanaugh assuming he clears the Judiciary Committee though again, the timetable could be thrown off if there are doubts about as few as two Republican senators. Mid-October is also about the time when Republicans will have to decide whether the Senate will have enough time to consider an alternative to Kavanaugh before the end of this Congress. And thats a big, big decision given the possibility that Democrats could take control of the Senate and thus the judicial confirmation process in the next Congress that will be sworn in on January 20. So if Kavanaughs confirmation is still hanging fire two or three weeks from now, there could be a move to dump him and move on quickly with someone else from Trumps pre-vetted SCOTUS list (a good bet at that point would be a woman like Amy Coney Barrett). 4) November 6: The midterms arrive: One thing the new allegations against Kavanaugh might possibly mean is that his confirmation or alternatively, the confirmation of someone else if his nomination is withdrawn could become a campaign issue in close Senate races, or at least a factor stimulating turnout among each partys more ideological base. But whether or not that happens, the Senate results on November 6 will determine if Donald Trumps party still controls the judicial nominating process during the last half of his presidential term. Thanks to a wildly pro-Republican Senate landscape this year, the odds remain better than average that the GOP will maintain its grip on the upper chamber, even if a Democratic wave takes over the House. But with a current margin of 51/49 in the Senate, Republicans are justifiably nervous. And the House results could indirectly affect the SCOTUS process as well, if only because a big Democratic wave might make Senate Republicans even more nervous about 2020, while threatening Trumps grip on power. 5) November 2018 to January: A likely lame-duck session of Congress. If, as appears almost certain, Democrats make significant gains in the House, then Republicans are likely to convene a so-called lame-duck session of the current Congress to get as much done as they can with their current margins of control. If Kavanaugh is not confirmed by November 6 and Democrats win back the Senate, then there will most definitely be a frenzied Republican effort to confirm him or some other Trump SCOTUS during the lame-duck session. Would there be enough time for that to happen? Yes, if we are talking about Kavanaugh, who was nominated in July. But if the whole process is starting over say, with Amy Coney Barrett just before or immediately after the midterms, it could be very tight. Among current justices, Ginsburg was confirmed just 50 days after her nomination; Gorsuch and Sotomayor took 66 days, and the others (other than Roberts, who was nominated for one spot and then renominated for the chief justice position) longer than that. Republicans would have to factor in the political damage associated with ramming through a nominee on (probably) a party-line vote after an electoral setback, but given the enormous stakes involved, it would be astonishing if they did not pursue it. They have already incurred and brushed off the obvious charge of hypocrisy for their refusal to give Obama nominee Merrick Garland a hearing or a vote during the long period after Antonin Scalias death. 6) January 3: 116th Congress sworn in: Supreme Court nominations do not roll over between Congresses, so early next January all bets are off. If Republicans still control the Senate and Anthony Kennedys seat on the Court has not yet been filled, then the president can renominate Kavanaugh (or an alternative if one has been nominated but not yet confirmed) and we are all back to square one. If Democrats control the Senate, of course, it is a whole new ball game. The opposition party would be in charge of scheduling confirmation hearings and votes for SCOTUS and every other federal judgeship, and Democrats would have a far better chance of forcing their way into a share of the vetting and selection process than Republicans would have picking off Democratic senators for a hard-line conservative choice. At the same time, Trump (assuming he is still the president and is still running for reelection) would be under enormous pressure to do everything within his power to reshape the Court in 2019 and 2021; it is central to his bond with the Christian right and with conservative ideologues generally. All in all, the landscape for nominating and confirming Supreme Court justices may not get much easier for Trump and his party, and it could get a whole lot worse. And the clock continues to tick. New York: A crucial confirmation vote on US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been delayed so the Senate can hear testimony from the judge and the woman who has accused him of attempting to sexually assault her while in high school. The emergence of sexual assault allegations by Christine Blasey Ford has thrown Kavanaugh's confirmation process into turmoil. It's also raised the possibility that Trump's nominee may not join the nation's most powerful court as appeared almost certain just days ago. On Sunday, Ford, a research psychologist at Palo Alto University in Northern California, went public with allegations that Kavanaugh had tried to rape her while at a high school party. She alleged that a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming. Is Brett M. Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination in danger now that a woman has publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her when the two were at a high school party decades ago? Maybe. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, last week. Credit:AP That's not something we were willing to say at the end of last week. Then, the allegations were anonymous, taking shape in a mysterious letter that a top Senate Democrat referred to the FBI, and then in outlines of reporting in the New Yorker that Kavanaugh forced himself on a woman when he was in high school. That changed on Sunday, when Christine Blasey Ford came forward as the accuser. Washington: US President Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to immediately declassify more information related to the investigation into possible election meddling by Russia, the White House said on Monday. The move alarmed US officials who feared Trump's decision could expose the identity of intelligence or law enforcement agencies' confidential sources. Trump's demands mark his latest effort to turn up the heat on the Justice Department, whom he and his Republican allies have accused of running a tainted probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Latest News Buying a home with Bitcoin and where property and blockchain meet Everything brokers need to know about buying a home with Bitcoin, crowd-investing deposits and decentralised financing Is the "one day commuter" going to be Australia's next big property trend? Research suggests that those who go to the office one day a week are going to reshape the Australian property market After seven years of service, it has been announced today that the deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will resign. Peter Kell has been part of ASICs leadership team since he joined in 2011, first as a member and then from 2013 as Deputy Chair. Kells resignation will be effective from 6 December. A statement from treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that "his experience and understanding of corporate regulation has been appreciated by successive governments as well as members of ASIC". Kells time at ASIC followed a stint as deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). He has also been on the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board since its establishment, has made a significant contribution to improving financial literacy and ensured that the transition to the new Chair of ASIC was as smooth as possible, including serving as Acting Chair. ASIC has six Commissioners, with new Commissioner Danielle Press starting this week. Sean Hughes is due to commence as a Commissioner later this year. Frydenberg's statement highlighted the reforms to ASIC, to ensure it has the resources and powers it needs to combat misconduct in the financial services industry and across all corporations for the protection of Australian consumers. This includes: injecting $70.1 million into ASIC to boost its enforcement capabilities and address other regulatory priorities, in addition to $121.3 million in additional funding in 2016 to bolster ASICs investigative and surveillance capabilities; the appointment of Daniel Crennan QC as a new deputy chair who has a key focus on enforcement action; and announcing the strengthening of criminal and civil penalties by increasing terms of imprisonment and fines, increasing the maximum civil penalties that can be imposed by courts and allowing wrongdoers to be stripped of profits illegally obtained, or losses avoided, from contraventions of the law. Frydenberg said the Coalition Government thanked Kell for his contribution to ASIC and wished him well in his future endeavours. More to come. Latest News Buying a home with Bitcoin and where property and blockchain meet Everything brokers need to know about buying a home with Bitcoin, crowd-investing deposits and decentralised financing Is the "one day commuter" going to be Australia's next big property trend? Research suggests that those who go to the office one day a week are going to reshape the Australian property market Non-bank lender Liberty says brokers have an important role to play in commercial lending, especially with some major banks scaling back their involvement in the sector. Liberty group sales manager, John Mohnacheff said small business owners shouldnt be concerned as Liberty remains committed to serving this important part of the community. He said, Its critical that lenders support all forms of business and that is what Liberty is going to continue to do. Self-employed workers are the backbone of the Australian economy. These people take significant risks, theyre prepared to give it a go and Liberty firmly believes we need to be there to help them achieve their business goals. The big banks dont have the same personal approach that we can provide, with our team of business development managers supporting the broker industry. We have built an entire division dedicated to commercial lending. The BDMs, the underwriters and the settlements team can all help brokers help more clients. We have structured ourselves to help brokers in every way so they can concentrate on finding solutions to help self-employed and business owners reach their next milestone. Mohnacheff said despite this, brokers often still have a mental barrier when it comes to writing commercial loans. He added, If you can do a residential home loan, you can do a commercial loan. Youre not doing it by yourself, weve got people that come out and help you. Ultimately what brokers do is connect customers with finance solutions. Theyre helping the business get the money they need whether through commercial finance or low doc alternatives. Many brokers will already have commercial customers in their database too. The greatest asset for any broker is their database. For every 100 home loan customers in your database, a large percentage will be self-employed or business owners. Latest News Buying a home with Bitcoin and where property and blockchain meet Everything brokers need to know about buying a home with Bitcoin, crowd-investing deposits and decentralised financing Is the "one day commuter" going to be Australia's next big property trend? Research suggests that those who go to the office one day a week are going to reshape the Australian property market A joint venture has seen the launch of a completely paperless documentation service at one specialist lender. Customers will now be able to sign their complete suite of home loan documents, including the Letter of Offer from the lender, digitally. La Trobe Financial and MSA National have teamed up to produce the service to help deliver faster turnaround times and reduce the risk of lost documents. Chief settlement officer and vice president of specialist lender La Trobe, David Bleakley, said the launch was a positive for brokers. He said, The move to digital documents is of great benefit for our brokers as we now give them the tools to more seamlessly and effectively engage with their customers from anywhere, at any time via any device. Last week we had borrowers who needed to settle their purchase of the home of their dreams within a very tight timeframe. The broker reached out to La Trobe Financial and, with the assistance of the digital document solution, the borrowers were able to receive, review and execute their loan and security documentation within a short period of time, which allowed settlement to proceed within the specified timeframe. [It] is one of many customer enhancement initiatives La Trobe Financial will be rolling out in the next 12-months. Chief Executive Officer of law company MSA, Ayhan Baba, said, The customer experience today more than ever, relies on close collaboration between the lender and its settlement agent. It was clear when we first met the team at La Trobe Financial that we had a similar vision and compatible culture. We both want to transform the customer experience by using digital technology, but we both also value the human interaction that overlays this. Digital is all about doing away with paper and delays and unnecessary expenses but the customer still wants human connection when coordinating their loan settlement. It is this blend that will win the hearts of customers and their mortgage brokers. At the end of the day we are still people serving people. Our job is to strip away complexity and relieve the anxiety of the mortgage process. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Its down to the wire. The Boerum Hill councilman whose aye or nay will likely decide the fate of a polarizing five-building complex proposed to rise at the edge of his district delayed a Monday Council vote on the project to Thursday, the last possible day it can occur, because hes still not happy with what the developer of 80 Flatbush is bringing to the table. We are still in discussions about how were going proceed with the vote, its a particularly complicated project, said Councilman Stephen Levin. Levin, who on Monday spoke to this newspaper hours after he pushed Councils vote on a rezoning necessary for the development to proceed, will join an all-new episode of Brooklyn Paper Radio this afternoon to weigh in on the negotiations he is hammering out behind closed doors with builder Alloy Development as the hard-and-fast deadline approaches. Councils vote on the rezoning must fall within a set amount of time after the Department of City Planning issues its own recommendation, according to the guidelines of the citys Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, and the agency voted in favor of the request on Aug. 6, making the local lawmakers Sept. 20 Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises meeting their last opportunity to weigh in, according to Levin. Bigwigs at Dumbo-based Alloy need the rezoning in order to erect their five-building complex, which would include two newly built 986- and 560-foot towers along with three rehabilitated properties on land bounded by Flatbush and Third avenues and State and Schermerhorn streets. Together, the structures would hold some 900 apartments, 200 of which would be below-market-rate, along with two new schools, and cultural and commercial spaces. But in order to break ground, the city must sign off on an upzoning that would nearly triple the plots allowable floor-area ratio a zoning measurement abbreviated as far that determines how high a structure can be relative to the size of the land it is on from 6.5 to 18. And had the project as is come to the floor for a vote on Monday, Levin would have said nay. I wouldnt vote in favor of the proposal that came out of the City Planning Commission, to that extent no, I couldnt support that proposal, he said. The Councilman previously told the Brooklyn Paper he would not support the development if its residential towers exceeded a floor-area ratio of 12 the maximum size local civic group the Boerum Hill Association proposed and on Monday reiterated that is his magic number, not including the floor-area ratios of the two school spaces. Basically Im in line close to the Boerum Hill Association, where they said a far of 12, plus the schools, he said. Id find it difficult to go above 15 far with the schools included. The ulurp process requires the rezoning application to next go before Mayor DeBlasio regardless of the Council vote, and Hizzoner can either veto the bodys decision or give it his stamp of approval. A rep for DeBlasio, whose administration advocated for 80 Flatbush citing the new desks it would bring to an overcrowded school district at no capital cost to the city, said he could not comment on whether his boss would overrule the legislators if they voted the rezoning down. But Levin said hes never seen DeBlasio, nor his predecessor Mayor Bloomberg, use that power in his more than eight years in office and hes not worried about this being a first instance. Ive never heard of that being considered, he said. Tune in this afternoon around 2:30 pm to hear more of the pols thoughts on the project, and the latest from his ongoing discussions with the developer and dont forget to call in at (718) 2604502 with your own comments or questions. Brooklyn Paper Radio is recorded and podcast live on Tuesday afternoons for your convenience from our studio in Americas Downtown and can be found, as always, right here on Brook lynPa per.com , on iTunes, and of course, on Stitcher. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo closes the door to refugees a bit more. Photo: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images While in the old days just a few years ago conservative Republican rebels against Chamber of Commerce/Bush-era orthodoxy worried about undocumented immigrants, the Trump administration has been very faithful to a vision of reduced immigration of every sort. Team Trump has been willing to put up with a lot of bad publicity to keep dusky foreigners out, as evidenced by its determination to apply a zero-tolerance policy towards asylum-seekers who cross the border illegally, even if that means separating families. But the administration is also more quietly ratcheting down the number of refugees from bad places with bad problems who are allowed to enter the U.S., despite the tens of millions of displaced people who need help. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced today that for the third straight year the cap on refugee admissions would be lowered, as Politico reports: The Trump administration will admit no more than 30,000 refugees to the U.S. in the coming year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, down from the current cap of 45,000 When Trump took office, the refugee cap stood at 110,000. He lowered that to 50,000, and subsequently to 45,000. Last years cap was the lowest ever, since the U.S. began setting one in 1980. That year, in case you were wondering, it was set at 231,000, nearly eight times as many as the number for this next year. So the door to refugees is far more closed today, and is closing more every year. Apparently this is what Trumps base wants right now, and in the run-up to the midterm elections, what the base wants, the base gets. Suddenly, Susans having second thoughts. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images On Sunday, clinical psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford publicly accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were both in high school. On Monday afternoon, Senate Republicans announced that the Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on Fords allegation, with both Ford and Kavanaugh set to testify on the matter. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley set the public hearing for Monday, October 24, postponing a committee vote that had been planned for Thursday. Grassley said this would give these recent allegations a full airing, adding, as I said earlier, anyone who comes forward as Dr. Ford has done deserves to be heard. Just hours earlier, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn had insisted that no such hearing would take place. Cornyn argued that a show trial was precisely what his Democratic colleagues had hoped to engineer by (allegedly) withholding information about the allegation until the last minute. I think it would be a mistake to reward bad behavior, the Texas senator told CNN. But Susan Collins thought otherwise. Early Monday afternoon, the Maine Republican tweeted, Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh should both testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee. Hours later, the senator decided to clarify the stakes of her suggestion. I believe in order for me to assess the credibility of these allegations, that I want to have both individuals to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee and testify under oath, she told reporters. Collins went on to say that Kavanaugh had assured her on Friday that the allegations were false and that if he is found to have lied about that subject, she would consider that disqualifying. The GOP has a mere two-vote margin in the upper chamber. If every Democrat toes the party line and the Senates two pro-choice Republican women decline to actively abet the erosion of reproductive rights in the United States then Trumps Supreme Court nominee will go down. Kavanaugh was already a historically unpopular Supreme Court nominee before Fords allegation ever came to light. With an accusation of attempted rape on the record, red-state Democrats shouldnt have a hard time withholding their support. Which means that Kavanaughs fate lies in the hands of Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. So, it surely isnt a coincidence that the GOP leadership changed its tune on a public hearing as soon as Collins made her position clear. This post has been updated to include the scheduled date for Ford and Kavanaughs hearing. After the US, Infosys is planning to take its digital hub models to Europe and Australia as the Bengaluru-based company looks at expanding its onshore capabilities in order to serve these markets effectively. The company plans to begin by setting up one digital hub in the UK for which it has shortlisted four locations while it is also evaluating setting up such centres in two more European countries. In Australia, Infosys is looking at setting up two hubs initially before expanding further. We are building our onshore capabilities, and to that effect, the digital centers that ... 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 Internet, the online marketplace arm of the Walmart-backed company, has received over Rs 34.62 billion fund infusion from Marketplace, Singapore, as per regulatory documents. The fund infusion -- done in two tranches -- will provide more ammunition to Flipkart, which is locked in an intense battle with US-based for leadership in the burgeoning Indian e-commerce market. "...in accordance with the Letter of Offer dated August 14, 2018 circulated by the company for the rights issue of shares, the board of directors of the company be and hereby allot 14,57,598 Class A equity shares...for an amount aggregating to Rs 30.07 billion for cash to Marketplace Private Ltd, Singapore," regulatory documents filed with Corporate Affairs Ministry said. The resolution was passed at the board meeting held on August 30, 2018. The board, during the same meeting, also passed another resolution (in accordance to a Letter of Offer dated July 18) for allotting 2,21,002 equity shares for Rs 4.55 billion for cash to Flipkart Marketplace, The fresh capital also comes close on the heels of festive sale season that not only brings in discounts and deals for customers, but is also an annual showdown of sorts between the two largest players in the segment Flipkart and India. Market watchers expect the competition between the two to be even fiercer this year as both have invested significantly through the year to ramp up product offerings as well as logistics infrastructure to ensure speedier delivery. While Flipkart now has the backing of US retail giant (via a $16 billion deal signed earlier this year), India too has received millions of dollar in funding through the year from the US parent across operations like marketplace and payments business. About 20 million people are expected to shop on various e-commerce platforms during the festive sale next month, translating into sales of around $3 billion for players like Amazon and Flipkart, according to a report by research firm RedSeer. In a statement Tuesday, Flipkart said it expects to see a surge of 8-10X in sale of perfumes on its platform during the sale season. This growth, it said, would be on the back of an overhaul undertaken by the company. "Project 'Authenticated' promises a revamp of Flipkart's portfolio comprising over 2000 perfumes and a seal of authenticity on the listing image, a new feature that showcases brand-approved sellers," it said. The company will also add more exclusive partnerships and expand its collection of globally recognised labels in coming months, it added. The size of the perfume industry as a whole is predicted to grow 50 percent to Rs 30 billion over the next five years, the statement said. Also chairman of Nasscom, the IT sector's apex association of companies, he says if this moderation isn't present, there could be a stifling of innovation. Especially for younger companies, which leverage global data centres. Critical data which has to be residing in India is an important component that needs to be clarified, as this will be arguably uncovered on an ad hoc basis ... 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 Elon Musk. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images Was it only two months ago that the Thai boys were trapped in a cave? Was it only two months ago that billionaire inventor Elon Musk set out to build a small canister for the boys to get them out of the cave? Was it only two months ago that one of the divers who rescued the group without using the kid kanister called Musks work a PR stunt? Was it only two months ago that Musk responded to the criticism by calling diver Vern Unsworth a pedo on Twitter and had to apologize? What a summer its been. Having revived his prior comments last month Musk essentially asked, well, if hes not a pedo, why didnt he sue me? it was revealed over Twitter that Musk had received a warning from Unsworths lawyer, and now Unsworth has followed through. According to Reuters, Musk is being sued in California for defamation. Unsworth is seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages. Musk, whose net worth is an estimated $20.7 billion, can probably take the hit. The pedo comments, somehow, only barely cracked the top-five list of the most insane developments (not in any particular order: dating Grimes, trapping Azealia Banks in his house, smoking weed on Joe Rogans podcast, triggering a government investigation by threatening to take Tesla private if its share price hit $420, fighting with an artist over a drawing of a farting unicorn) in Elon Musks life this year, and were likely going to fade into obscurity had Musk not revived them himself. The complaint reads, Despite his total lack of information supporting his false and defamatory accusations, Musk overtly conveyed to the world that he was in possession of undisclosed false and defamatory facts proving Mr. Unsworth to be guilty of the accusations. Tesla has not responded to the complaint. Musk also has yet to make a public statement but did previously tell BuzzFeed News that Unsworth was a child rapist and that he hoped Unsworth would sue. As many as 1,000 farmers affected by the proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad submitted affidavits in the High Court Tuesday, voicing their opposition to the project. A division bench of R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi is hearing five petitions challenging the land acquisition process for the high speed rail project. Besides these petitioners, 1,000 farmers submitted separate affidavits in the high court to make a point that many more cultivators are affected by the Centre's ambitious Rs 1.10 lakh crore project and are opposed to it. In the affidavit, the affected farmers from various districts of Gujarat, from where the route will pass, stated that they do not want acquisition of their land for the project. They also said that the existing land acquisition proceedings are contrary to guidelines of the International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that has provided soft loan to the for the project. The farmers alleged that the government diluted the Land Acquisition Act 2013 after entered into a contract with for the in September 2015, and that the state amendment itself violates JICA guidelines. They told the court that neither their consent was taken, nor any consultations were done with them while initiating the land acquisition. They said the social impact assessment for rehabilitation and resettlement is also not being discussed by the government and that the agencies have undertaken "unknown proceedings" (with farmers are not aware of). During the hearing, the central government sought more time to file a reply. Notably, the had directed the high court on August 10 to expeditiously hear matters of the bullet train-affected farmers. Farmers' lawyer Anand Yagnik told reporters that the high court is unable to hear the matter as since the last five weeks, the Centre has been consistently seeking time to submit the reply. "These 1,000 affected farmers will be approaching the with a prayer to stay the project. We will mention the matter before the apex court Wednesday for an urgent hearing," Yagnik said. In their petitions filed in July, the five farmers, all from Surat district, said since the project extends to more than one state ( and Maharashtra), the Centre is the "appropriate government" to acquire the land for it. Another contention of the petitioners is that the market value of the land was not revised, as required under Section 26 of the Land Acquisition Act. The petitioners have also challenged the Gujarat Amendment Act 2016 which tweaked the 2013 law. It gives "unbridled and unfettered powers" to the state government to exempt any project "in public interest" from the social impact assessment (SIA), they said. The state government, in its reply, said since the width of land to be acquired for the project is just 17.5 metres, the resettlement issues are minimal. The project was launched by Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart in September last year. The bullet train will run at a speed of 320-350 kmph, and have 12 stations across its 500 km stretch. For the project, around 1,400 hectares of land will be acquired in Gujarat and Maharashtra, 1,120 hectares of which is privately owned. Around 6,000 land owners will have to be compensated. and Peter Mukerjea, imprisoned for their alleged role in their daughter Sheena Bora's murder, filed for divorce in court on Tuesday. Speaking to the media over the matter, Peter's lawyer Sushmita Nair said, "They ( and Peter) were sent for counseling today. At the final day of the divorce, they might again be counseled on the orders of the court." The lawyer further informed that all the immovable properties, financial settlement and personal belongings such as jewellery, furniture, paintings, watches, etc will be divided between the two after mutual consent. This was and Peter's second marriage. They got married in the year 2002. Indrani has been lodged at Mumbai's Byculla jail since her arrest in 2015 while Peter is jailed at Arthur Road Jail. In 2012, Indrani along with Peter and his former husband Sanjeev Khanna allegedly murdered Sheena over a financial dispute. The alleged crime was uncovered three years later in 2015. Indrani came under the police radar after her driver, Shyamvar Rai, who got arrested in another case in August 2015, revealed the murder plot. The police then arrested Indrani, Khanna and the driver for the alleged murder. Peter was put behind bars later for allegedly being involved in the murder. Their trial is underway at the special in 1. Corporate salary bill hints at hiring uptick after a lull of nearly 3 years After a lull of nearly three years, corporate India seems to be back on a hiring spree. The combined salary and wages bill for listed companies was up 12.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) during the April-June quarter, growing at the fastest pace in nearly four years. In comparison, the salary bill was up 8.7 per cent last financial year, and 10 per cent in 2016-17. The buoyancy in salary and wages is, however, muted compared to other cost heads and overall growth in these companies top line. For ... Commerce and Industry Minister has called for collective action to revitalise the World Trade Organisation (WTO) without undermining its core principles of consensus building, inclusiveness and transparency, an official statement said Tuesday. Prabhu stated this at the Trade Ministers Meeting held at Mar del Plata, last week. He also emphasised that the global trade and economic situation currently was at a critical stage due to the ongoing trade tensions, driven by protectionist and unilateral measures by some countries. The minister made a case for working together for enhancing confidence in international trade through dialogue and collaborations. He has underlined that as developing and least developed countries suffer consequential collateral damage due to trade conflicts, resolution of differences through dialogue between the parties should be promoted. Prabhu urged the members to change the narrative on trade by focusing on the potential of services. "Prabhu called for collective action for revitalising without undermining its core principles of special and differential treatment, consensus building, inclusiveness and transparency," the commerce ministry's statement said. Further, the Indian minister stated that there is the need to reduce non-tariff barriers that are more trade distorting than customs duties. "He urged to support transfer of technology, research, promote agri services and responsible investment in agri businesses with an aim to encouraging greater value addition for MSMEs," it said. Prabhu also urged to work towards closing gaps in the digital divide within and across nations through capacity building measures, technology adaptation and meaningful investments. The deliberations of trade ministers of G-20 will feed into the G-20 Leaders Declaration which will be adopted at the G-20 Summit on 30 November 1 December in Buenos Aires in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate, it added. The G20 members include India, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Gemaany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, UK and the US. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said last week that the change in 2015 Look Out Circular against from "detain" to merely informing about his movements was an "error of judgment". Mallya was cooperating in the probe and there was no warrant against him, CBI mentioned. However, a report published by The India Express claimed that CBI's first LOC to Mumbai Police, was in fact, an error. The first Lookout Circular (LoC) was issued on October 12, 2015, according to the CBI sources. Upon his return the agency was asked by the ... The Swiss NGO Public Eye called Tuesday for an export ban on the pesticide Polo, produced by agriculture giant Syngenta, implicating it in the death of 20 Indian farmers last year. Syngenta, bought by ChemChina for $43 billion in 2017 in China's largest-ever foreign takeover, has rejected the allegations by Public Eye. "There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Syngenta's product Polo was at all responsible for the incidents that have occurred," the company said in a statement. Last September, officials in the western Indian state of Maharashtra reported that 20 farmers had died and hundreds of others were in hospital after inhaling poisonous pesticides while spraying crops. After visiting the affected Yavatmal region and interviewing farmers and their relatives, Public Eye said there was strong evidence that Polo -- specifically its active agent diafenthiuron -- was responsible for the poisoning. Public Eye noted that while the evidence was not conclusive, the spraying of Polo was a common link among those who died or fell sick. The NGO also said farmers in Yavatmal likely inhaled excessive amounts of the insecticide last year as cotton plants grew higher than normal, forcing them to spray closer to their mouths. Officials in Maharashtra reportedly opened a criminal investigation targeting over the deaths, but the status of the probe is not known. The European Union banned diafenthiuron in 2002. The Swiss government pulled it from the market in 2009 "for reasons of health or environmental protection", according to official documents. branded Public Eye's allegations "salacious and incorrect". In response to the spate of deaths and illnesses, the company said it "conducted stewardship programmes in the district and adjoining regions, conducted doctor training programmes and established mobile health clinics to support treatment of farmers who may have been affected." noted that Polo "has been successfully and safely used by Indian Farmers across the country for the last 14 years," and that diafenthiuron is registered in 25 countries worldwide. While diafenthiuron cannot be used in Switzerland, it is produced in Monthey, in the Valais canton. Under current Swiss law, Syngenta has to inform the federal government about its diafenthiuron exports, including quantities and destination countries. Bern is then responsible for informing the recipient countries, so they are aware of the risks. Public Eye says this does not go far enough and that companies based in Switzerland should be barred from exporting products deemed unsafe for Swiss people. "The Swiss authorities must put an end to this policy of double standards," the NGO said. It urged backing for a motion introduced by federal lawmaker Lisa Mazzone calling for the prohibition of "the export of pesticides whose use has been banned in Switzerland due to their effects on human health or the environment. The brazen bandits opened fire at a road crossing on the edge of Plaza Garibaldi, a major tourist attraction packed with mariachi bars, then sped off on motorcycles, police said. It's unclear whether the shooting was motivated by gang violence, but the Times notes that a district infested with drugs and gangs lies about a mile away. Plaza Garibaldi borders Mexico City's Tepito neighbourhood, home to La Union gang, which police say is responsible for a number of drug-dealing and protection rackets. No arrests have been made. Many head to the square for Independence Day celebrations on the eve of September 16. Similar festivities planned for two cities in Guerrero and another in Guanajuato were canceled due to recent violence, local media said. Lisa Sanchez, director of Mexicans United Against Delinquency, described the shooting as a "piercing portrait" of Mexico. The prosecutors' office said investigators were trying to find those responsible for the attack. Things to Do Before Installing iOS 12 You can also search for lyrics (in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada), set multiple timers, and ping your other iOS devices. As for compatability, iOS 12 is available on the iPhone 5s and newer iPhones, and the majority of the iPad devices. On Saturday night, President Enrique Pena Nieto is set to shout "Viva Mexico" - or "Long Live Mexico" - shortly before midnight from a balcony of the National Palace. Mariachi musicians returned to the square around the same time the shooting took place a day prior. The roots of mariachi music in Mexico City can be traced to a bar that dominates one side of the plaza. A video posted online shows a musician at a Plaza Garibaldi eatery strumming Mexican tune "La Cucaracha" on a harp without pausing for a moment as multiple shots rang out nearby. In another, brass instruments and melancholic voices fill the air as the flashing lights of police vehicles descend on the plaza. Malcolm X's grandson Malcolm Shabazz was found beaten to death outside a bar there in 2013 after a dispute over a bill. Officials in the Mexican capital have blamed the rise in crime on drug dealing and protection rackets, while the government claims that at least one of the city's violent gangs is connected to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Shareholders of (PNB) Tuesday cleared proposal for selling 100 million equity shares to the employees of the bank and Rs 28.16 billion capital infusion by the government. The shareholders at the annual general meeting of the held here gave permission to offer, issue and allot up to 100 million of equity shares of face value of Rs 2 to employees under Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS). The scheme involves issuing 100 million shares to the current employees of PNB, the bank's managing director Sunil Mehta said at the AGM. The exact contours for the ESPS scheme will be decided by the remuneration committee of the but the shareholder approval paves the way for implementing the ESPS scheme, he said. The shareholders also voted to clear the issuance of over 310 million shares to the government as part of recapitalisation of by the Union government. Welcoming the infusion of capital in the bank, PNB non-executive Chairman Sunil Mehta said: "The government's recapitalisation plan for the public sector will further strengthen their balance sheets in addition to expected stronger performance in 2018-19". The bank informed shareholders that PNB has been working steadily to get back into shape after being hit by the Nirav Modi fraud earlier this year. "The incident at Brady House branch, Mumbai, was an unfortunate, one-off incident caused by few employees in a single branch. As soon as the incident came to light, the Bank acted swiftly, reported the same to the regulatory authorities & law enforcement agencies, apprised fellow bankers of the developments and put in place internal checks and controls to thwart such happenings in future," Mehta said. The board of PNB assured shareholders that with business back on track, increased recovery of NPA's and provisioning for liability arising out of Nirav Modi fraud done, the bank is back on the path of profitability and this will soon reflect in the balance sheet as well. Under Mission Parivartan, he said, the bank is transforming itself and implementing change through People, processes and products, which includes tighter audit controls as well as checks and balances in the lending process. (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.) With the government announcing the merger of Bank of Baroda (BoB), Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, BoB Managing Director and Chief Executive P S Jayakumar told Abhijit Lele jobs will not be threatened owing to the development. Edited excerpts: What message do you have for the employees on the merger? The boards will have to approve the proposal. My message to employees is keep doing what you are doing. Will there not be any redundancy? There are a large number of employees retiring every month. That is a serious issue, so employees need not worry about ... China Tuesday threatened to retaliate with "synchronised counter measures" against President Donald Trump's third round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, saying the US' move will add "new uncertainties" for future talks between the world's top two economies. President Trump on Tuesday slapped 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports and the duties will rise to whopping 25 per cent at the end of the year, escalating the with the world's second largest He alleged that China had been unwilling to change its unfair trade practices and the new additional tariff structure would give fair and reciprocal treatment to American firms. China's Ministry of Commerce said it would be forced to take "synchronised counter measures" against the new tariffs. In a statement, the ministry also said that the tariffs announced by Trump had "added new uncertainties" to trade talks between the two sides. Trump also warned China against any retaliation, saying if Beijing retaliated this time, the US would impose further tariffs on another $267 billion worth of products virtually covering almost all Chinese exports to the US totalling about $522.9 billion. According to official figures, US goods and services trade with China totalled an estimated $710.4 billion in 2017 of which US exports were $187.5 billion and imports were $522.9 billion. Trump has been pressuring China to reduce the trade deficit with the US, totalling to $335.4 billion in 2017. Last month, both sides resumed trade talks but at a lower level. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen held talks in Washington but without much results. Trump, who has been demanding that China should reduce trade deficit immediately by $100 billion, recently called for talks to resolve the issue. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Tuesday gave no inkling about how China's plans to retaliate Trump's new round of tariffs and said it brought more uncertainties to future round of talks. "I want to say that China has to respond to uphold our legitimate rights and interests, the order of free trade," Geng told reporters. "This measure by US side added more uncertainties to the talks between the two sides," he said. Asked how the two sides plan to end the trade war, Geng said "We have been stressing that talks need to happen on the basis of equality and good faith so as to resolve the issues between the two sides. What the US has done shows no sincerity, no good faith at all," he said. To another question on whether China viewed escalation of tariff war by the US as an attempt to contain Beijing's rise, Geng said, "regarding containment, I have never heard of that from any US official. "We have been repeating that sound and steady development of China-US ties serves the fundamental interest of the two sides and what the community wishes to see". Geng said China would like to work with the US to achieve that, adding that "however the protectionist and unilateral measures taken by US were not acceptable to us". He also declined to go into specific measures on whether Beijing would contemplate non-trade measures like containing visas to US citizens. "In the light of the latest round of tariffs, China has to counter act but what kind of counter measures would the Chinese side take will be released in time. You made assumption (about not granting visas), I have no comment on that," Geng said. Hong Kong-based 'South China Morning Post' reported on Tuesday that China is likely to cancel its tentative plans to send President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser Liu He to Washington after Trump's new tariff announcement. According to the source, who declined to be identified , as the plans have not been made public, China is reviewing its earlier plans to send a delegation, headed by vice-premier Liu He to Washington next week, the report said. One precondition for the talks was that the Americans would show sufficient goodwill but Trump's latest decision to escalate the by slapping new tariffs on almost half of all Chinese exports may have scuppered the talks, it quoted the sources as saying. "If the vice-premier does go to the US, we can reasonably suspect he has a reasonable offer, but at this point, I would think the likelihood is low," the representative said. China had earlier retaliated twice by imposing additional tariffs on imported products from the US. A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon, Yusaku Maezawa, will be the first man to fly on a monster rocket around the Moon as early as 2023, and he plans to bring six to eight artists along. Maezawa, 42, will be the first lunar traveller since the last US Apollo mission in 1972. He paid an unspecified amount of money for the privilege. "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the Moon," Maezawa said at headquarters and rocket factory in Hawthorne, California, in the middle of metropolitan Los Angeles, late Monday. "This is my lifelong dream." Maezawa is chief executive of Japan's largest online fashion mall, and is the 18th richest person in Japan with a fortune of $3 billion, according to the business magazine Forbes. Maezawa's other hobby is amassing valuable works of modern art and last year, he announced the acquisition of a Jean-Michel Basquiat masterpiece worth $110.5 million. His love of art led him to decide to invite artists to come along for the trip, he said. "I would like to invite six to eight artists from around the world to join me on this mission to the Moon," Maezawa said. "They will be asked to create something after they return to Earth. These masterpieces will inspire the dreamer within all of us." Until now, Americans are the only ones who have left Earth's orbit. A total of 24 NASA astronauts -- all white men -- voyaged to the Moon during the Apollo era of the 1960s and '70s. Twelve walked on the lunar surface. The first space tourist was Dennis Tito, an American businessman who in 2001 paid some $20 million to fly on a Russian spaceship to the Space Station. CEO Elon Musk described Maezawa as the "bravest" and "best adventurer." "He stepped forward," Musk added. "We are honored that he chose us." Musk said he would not reveal the price Maezawa paid for the Moon trip, but said it would be "free for the artists." "This is dangerous, to be clear. This is no walk in the park," Musk cautioned. "When you are pushing the frontier, it is not a sure thing. There is a chance something could go wrong." The ride will take place aboard a Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which may not be ready for human flight for five years at least, Musk said. The BFR was first announced in 2016, and was touted as the most powerful rocket in history, even more potent than the Saturn V Moon rocket that launched the Apollo missions five decades ago. Last year, Musk said the BFR's admittedly "ambitious" goal was to make a test flight to Mars in 2022, followed by a crewed flight to the Red Planet in 2024. This isn't the first time Musk has vowed to send tourists around the Moon. Last year, he said two paying tourists would circle the Moon in 2018, but those plans that did not materialize. Musk showed off designs of the 118-meter (129 yards) long BFR, which will consist of a first stage with engines and fuel systems, and a second stage with the spacecraft where the passengers will ride. Like SpaceX's existing rockets, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, the first stage can detach from the rest of the rocket and return to Earth for an upright landing. The spacecraft will continue on toward the Moon, powered by its own engines. The BFR spacecraft's shape is reminiscent of the space shuttle, the bus-like US spaceships that carried astronauts to space 135 times from 1981 to 2011. Musk has said he wants the BFR's vessel to be able to hold around 100 people, and that the launch system could one day be used to colonize the Moon and Mars in order to make humans a "multi-planetary" species. Whatever the details, SpaceX is touting an experience considerably more ambitious than space tourism plans under development by other private Virgin Galactic, founded by British tycoon Richard Branson, and billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's rocket company Blue Origin, are working on trips to the edge of space that could offer tourists a chance at weightlessness for 10 minutes or so. Virgin's trip will cost about $250,000. Blue Origin's price has not been revealed. Russian and Chinese are also working on space tourism plans. Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, has drawn attention in recent months over his erratic behavior. He has alleged that a cave diver in Thailand who helped rescue stranded boys was a "pedo," smoked what appeared to be marijuana on a comedian's podcast, spooked Tesla investors with comments about the future of the electric car maker, and admitted to exhaustion and use of the sleeping pill Ambien. But so far this year, his space firm has also kept up a schedule outpaced only by the Chinese government, making 15 launches with its Falcon 9 rocket. Next year, SpaceX -- which has received billions in NASA funding to ferry supplies to the ISS and build a crew vehicle -- hopes to become the first private company to send astronauts to the space station. ThyssenKrupp's powerful employees will not block a broader restructuring of the group as long as their interests are protected, the group's newly elected works council chief said. "We are open for meaningful solutions. I will not back a restructuring of the company against the interests of employees," Dirk Sievers told Reuters. The 47-year-old succeeds Wilhelm Segerath and will also take over his seat on ThyssenKrupp's 20-member supervisory board, half of which is controlled by worker representatives. Most studies of the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and the economy have focused on developed countries such as the US and Britain. But through my work as a scientist, technology executive and venture capitalist in the US and China, Ive come to believe that the gravest threat AI poses is to emerging economies. In recent decades, China and India have presented the world with two different models for how such countries can climb the development ladder. In the China model, a nation leverages its large population and low costs to build a base of blue-collar ... The death toll from Hurricane Florence rose to eight on Saturday, local media said. They died when a tree fell on their home on Friday. A father in the same home was transported to the hospital. - A woman who suffered cardiac arrest in Hampstead, in North Carolina's Pender County. 'All roads in the state right now are at risk of floods, ' he said. Two more people were killed in Lenoir County, NC. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: "This system is unloading epic amounts of rainfall, in some places measured in feet and not inches". Another 78-year-old man was found dead at his home. "It's hard to believe it's going to get that high", says Elizabeth Machado, who came to the bridge to check on the river. Six people died in SC, including four in vehicle accidents and two from carbon monoxide from a portable generator. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said about 2,000 cubic yards of ash were displaced at the Sutton Plant and that contaminated storm water likely flowed into the plant's cooling pond. Tropical Storm Florence weakened to a tropical depression early Sunday, but significant portions of North and SC were expected to remain vulnerable to flash flooding and major river flooding, forecasters said. The storm is still leaving a path of destruction across the two states, despite its top sustained wind speeds weakening to 72km/h. The speed of the storm slowed down significantly after it made landfall, crawling westward at 2 miles per hour (4 kilometers per hour) for the remainder of the weekend. The eye of Florence directly struck Wrightsville Beach, NC, early Friday. Florence's intensity has diminished since it roared ashore along the USA mid-Atlantic coast on Friday as a hurricane. PAOK vs Chelsea: Sarri reveals Hazard, others may not play But the Blues had to come back from a goal down to win this match as they maintain their ideal start of the season winning their first five games. Officials fear the worst damage is yet to come. Up to 6 more inches of rain could fall in parts of North Carolina and Virginia from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening, forecasters said. Downgraded overnight to a tropical depression, Florence was still massive. According to the, evacuation warnings had been issued in advance for almost 1.7 million people in the region. According to ABC, "more than 20,000 people in six states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland and Tennessee - took shelter in 206 Red Cross and community shelters on Thursday". The Associated Press Resident Joseph Eudi looks at flood debris and storm damage from Hurricane Florence at a home on East Front Street in New Bern on Saturday. Newport, NC, "reported a rainfall total of nearly 24 inches as of midnight Saturday", the NHC said. Many rivers "are still rising, and are not expected to crest until later today or tomorrow". The dead included a mother and baby killed when a tree fell on a house in Wilmington, N.C. SC recorded its first death from the storm, with officials saying a 61-year-old woman was killed when her auto hit a tree that fell across a highway. Rescuers are working hastily to save those caught in rising flood waters as thousands of people living near North Carolina's rising rivers were ordered to evacuate Saturday. As it moves near OH and West Virginia, it will become a remnant low. The National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service is predicting "Major Flooding", its most severe classification, from the Pungo River in Belhaven, NC, to the Trent River in Pollocksville, NC, as of early Saturday morning. The storm was expected to move across parts of southeastern North Carolina and eastern SC on Friday and Saturday, then head north over the western Carolinas and central Appalachian Mountains early next week, the NHC said. Parts of southeastern North Carolina could see up to 40 inches before the rain ends Monday. In his words, the heavy rainfall will create a situation that "will produce catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding". - A man who drowned in an overturned vehicle on a flooded road in Georgetown County, South Carolina. The Neuse, Pamlico, Pungo and Bay rivers may experience storm surges from 3 to 5 feet. But with half of the storm still out over the Atlantic, Florence continued to collect warm ocean water and dump it onshore. Its winds were down to 40 miles per hour. It was moving north at 10 miles per hour. The Indian Army has rescued nearly 350 people including 115 civilians, 216 Army personnel and 12 personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Sikkim over the last two days after incessant rains and landslides hit the north and east region. In a press statement, Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said, "Lines of communication have come to a standstill and daily activity has come to a halt in most parts of the state. The road connectivity has been disrupted due to landslides in the region of north and east Sikkim." The Army also sent two Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters carrying 22 tons of life-saving relief material to the far-flung regions of Sikkim in an attempt to provide respite to the stranded people. "On Sunday they brought down 168 people including several ladies and children to safety. Today (Monday) they have pulled out 184 people from Chugthang Mangan Chhaten to the safety of Gangtok and Bagdogra. They also lifted 15.5 tons of fresh rations and delivered nine tons of relief material to the stranded population. On Monday they rescued ITBP personnel apart from Civil tourist population and Army personnel,' the statement added. A number of tourists stranded in North Sikkim due to heavy rains and multiple landslides. The area has been experiencing incessant rains since the past three days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for speedy development in the former's Parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. Addressing a gathering at the Banaras Hindu University Amphitheatre, the Chief Minister said, "For the rapid development of Kashi in the last four years, I congratulate the Prime Minister." Speaking about the achievements of the Prime Minister, Adityanath said, "In the last 1.5 years, we have not only electrified 72,000 blocks but also provided free electricity connections to 52 lakh people under Saubhagya Yojana." The Chief Minister further added that the government aims to provide electricity to each and every household in Varanasi, and for this several programmes would be launched by the Prime Minister today. Adityanath also announced that the Prime Minister will inaugurate two new centres at BHU- Atal Incubation Centre, and Vedic Vigyan Kendra. He concluded his speech by applauding the Prime Minister for developing the infrastructure, and health facilities in Varanasi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is scheduled to visit India on September 19. During the visit he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a number of issues of mutual interest. Issues pertaining to regional security, trade and India's development work in Afghanistan will also come up for discussions. The two leaders are expected to review the progress made on the infrastructure work being done by the Indian side in Afghanistan. During his one-day visit to India, India Foundation, an independent research centre, will hold a civic reception in his honour. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has denied receiving any notices in the past except the recent non-bailable arrest warrant in connection with the Babli project across river Godavari. The clarification from the Chief Minister comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders claimed that notices are being served to Naidu since a long time in connection with the case. While speaking in Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Naidu on Monday clarified that he had not received any such notices earlier, except the recent one. In fact, the Chief Minister claimed that the recently issued non-bailable arrest warrant against him is a result of "political conspiracy". The arrest warrant was issued by Maharashtra's Dharmabad Court against Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Minister and 14 others in connection with an agitation held by TDP in 2010 against the Maharashtra government, opposing the construction of Babhali project. He was participating in a discussion on "Bifurcation Assurances and Central Government Failures" in the state assembly. During the discussion, the Chief Minister accused the Centre of not doing anything for Andhra Pradesh which has been facing adverse conditions after bifurcation. He said, "If Prime Minister Modi could spare at least 5 per cent of his love for Gujarat towards Andhra Pradesh, the state would have developed much more. Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders should change their mind, they should think of their motherland, but not of Prime Minister Modi. Then only people will forgive them. The Centre led by the BJP is acting against Andhra Pradesh in a vindictive manner." Raising the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister added, "The Centre is not giving special status to Andhra Pradesh, nor fulfilling assurances given in the reorganization act. Prime Minister Modi is providing financial aid to industries in Gujarat though they are incurring losses, but not even looking at the profit-making industries of Andhra Pradesh. Tax exemptions to industries are announced but not being implemented. Vizag metro is kept aside on the name of lack of viability. The NDA government is not paying heed to our request of international flights from Andhra Pradesh capital. The Prime Minister is not resolving the issues between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; instead, he is trying to create tussles between both the states. The BJP is trying to threaten with cases as we are asking for funds. How can the Prime Minister say I have no maturity and KCR has more political maturity? Prime Minister Modi is conspiring against the state with the support of Jagan and Pawan Kalyan." Chief Minister Naidu further stated that the Andhra Pradesh government would not leave the matter until justice is done to the state. "We will counter all political conspiracies, and ill motives against the state," he said. Concluding his speech in the state assembly, Naidu announced that the cases filed against those who fought for special category status would be withdrawn. He clarified that the government would review the agitations held in the non-violent model, and take necessary action. A few days back, the TDP had condemned the arrest warrant issued against Naidu and called it a "conspiracy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The TDP had said that it is a political conspiracy by the BJP which is in the rule at the Centre as well as Maharashtra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and actor Burt Reynolds were honoured during the 2018 Emmy Memoriam tribute. Actor Tina Fey, who introduced the segment on Monday, said that the tribute was a celebration of the lives of the "good friends", E! Online reported. Apart from Bourdain and Reynolds; Aretha Franklin, John McCain, Hugh Hefner and David Cassidy were among those who were honoured. Reynolds, who passed away on September 06 at the age of 82 due to a cardiac arrest, was scheduled to start shooting for the Tarantino directorial 'Once Upon a time in Hollywood' which also stars Brad Pitt. On the other hand, 61-year old chef Bourdain, well known for hosting CNN's 'Parts Unknown' passed away on June 8. On September 09, the 61-year-old posthumously won an Emmy for 'outstanding nonfiction writing' and 'best informational series or special' at the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chefs Association of Five Rivers (CAFR), in association with Chitkara University has organised the annual CAFR 3rd Chefs Conclave & Awards with the theme, "Sapta Sindhu". Celebrity chefs from all over the country participated in the event. The event was hosted by Chitkara University with the intention to express its acknowledgment and support to chefs and entrepreneurs, who have made consistent efforts to put the Indian cuisine on the world culinary map. Many dignitaries at the event said that it is an excellent opportunity to show support and appreciation for the culinary fraternity. CAFR is a nodal body comprising of chefs, food historians, food scientists, food writers, educationists and researches from all across North India, under the aegis of Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA), and is a proud member of World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). Visionary, chef Manjit S Gill, chef Tej Razdan, chef Sanjiv Verma and chef Navdeep Sharma founded this association, which now has 1000 members from across North India. CAFR 's main objective is to develop a 'sustainable environment' for food producers and consumers through workshops, conclaves, culinary exchange programs, food discussions, food events, culinary tours, etc. The Association also aims at developing individual skills and knowledge groups where chefs can connect, share and learn. Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice Chancellor of Chitkara University, said, "We are happy to have hosted CAFR's 3rd Chefs Conclave today. It was an excellent opportunity for our students to interact with accomplished chefs. We have once again showcased the prowess of Chitkara University to host such events for the benefit of the culinary industry, entrepreneurs and students." Chef Tej Razdan and chef Sanjeev Verma at the conclave elaborated, "We aim at bringing to life the culture and food practices of undivided Punjab (from 1800 A.D. to 1950 A.D.)." He added, "The Conclave will begin with a panel discussion with eminent chefs and food historians discussing the journey of food, ethnic equipment and cooking practices of the yesteryears, the lost recipes and the origin of modern-day Punjabi cuisine. There will be special emphasis on the discussion around this going forward. The second-panel discussion - Chefs Vs Bloggers, brought up important points about digital media marketing practices, and how the industry and chefs can benefit from it. The event ended with an awards ceremony that recognised various efforts of the culinary fraternity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence technology startup CRON Systems has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a strategic collaboration to upgrade detection features of its advanced 'Kavach' series for Indian armed forces and perimeter security, with Quanergy Systems Inc., a global leader in design and development of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors and smart sensing solutions. CRON Systems, which has been working with Indian armed forces for perimeter security, will now team up with Quanergy to provide cutting-edge perimeter security to Indian forces. This could become a game changer for dealing with insurgency and illegal immigration. CRON's disruptive push to develop state-of-the-art intrusion detection systems, at a fraction of the cost compared to other companies in this space, is just one of the reasons why global giant Quanergy is looking to join forces with this startup. Through this strategic tie-up, Quanergy will provide its LiDAR-based security platform which will be integrated into CRON System's "Kavach Z" series to bolster its technology. "Quanergy is a global leader when it comes to LiDAR technology and this will be crucial for our upcoming Kavach Z series. Kavach Z has been designed understanding the complexities of the high altitude installations for proven capabilities for the Indo-Pak border in Kashmir," said co-founder and CEO CRON Systems, Tushar Chhabra. "This tie-up will be a massive leap for both Quanergy and CRON. It will create a unique product that will be a prerequisite for all PIDS (Perimeter Intrusion Detection System) requirements. The system now has the capability to not just 'detect' but also 'classify' and 'track' threats around perimeters," added Chhabra. "While LiDAR is most commonly known for its use in autonomous vehicles, it is also an efficient and powerful tool for securing vulnerable perimeters." said Dr. Louay Eldada, CEO and Co-founder of Quanergy. "Our LiDAR technology integrated with CRON's Kavach product provides a full-scale, cost-effective and efficient perimeter security solution." Built using CRON Smart Fusion technology, Kavach Z is an advanced all-weather, all-terrain intrusion detection product that provides complete situational awareness for any perimeter. Quanergy's LiDAR technology will provide Kavach Z with the ability to see ahead of the perimeter boundary. One single unit of Kavach Z will allow the forces to secure a radius of 200 meters within which any intrusive movement will be detected. Quanergy's remarkable LiDAR system enables an unlimited number of devices to be linked together, securing a perimeter of any size. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday claimed that External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj had assured him that a draft was being prepared on Kartarpur passage and she would write a letter to the Pakistan government for opening of the passage. Sidhu claimed that he had written a letter to Swaraj urging for a formal request to the Pakistan government for an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage. Swaraj's assurance was in response to his letter, Sidhu further claimed. Addressing a press conference here, Sidhu said, "I had written in my letter to EAM that 'kindly send a formal request from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to government of Pakistan requesting an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage immediately after current monsoon season'." "We had a detailed discussion during the meeting, explained to her (EAM) about the necessity of opening of the Kartarpur corridor. A formal request should go from India's side. EAM said to me, 'the draft is being prepared and I will write a letter'," he added. However, Swaraj had earlier stated that the Pakistani government has so far neither agreed to include visits to Kartarpur Sahib by Indian pilgrims under bilateral protocol nor has sent any official communication for establishing the corridor. On September 15, Swaraj wrote to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal saying, "I received your letter of 13 September 2018 regarding facilitating visits of the Indian pilgrims, including through a corridor, to the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib located in Pakistan. The Government has been taking up the matter with Pakistan. However, Pakistan has so far neither agreed to include visits to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib by the Indian pilgrims under the bilateral Protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974 nor has it sent any official communication for establishing a corridor." In the letter, Swaraj further informed that over past many years, Pakistani authorities have only allowed limited number of visits of the Indian pilgrims to the Gurudwara along with the visit to other shrines in Pakistan. The EAM also assured that "government remains seized of the matter and will continue to take up the matter with Pakistan." Swaraj's statement has punctured Sidhu's claims, who on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak said that Pakistan will open the corridor of Kartarpur Sahib. The Congress leader had also hailed this move as a goodwill gesture. Earlier on Monday, Minister of State for External Affairs, General (Retd.) VK Singh had also stated that India has not received any proposal from Pakistan to open the Kartarpur route between the two countries. The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is barely 3 kilometres away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak died in 1539. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kathmandu [Nepal], Sept 18 (ANI): Anil Kumar Jha, one of the Chairmen of the Rashtriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), is hopeful that the incumbent Nepal Communist Party-led government will address the demands made by his party regarding the rights of the Madhesi people. In the Himalayan nation's eastern Terai, some people who identify themselves as Madhesis, often allege that they face discrimination in their country. The RJP-N has now become the single largest party after the merging with six Madhes-based political parties that held protests in the southern plains of Nepal, demanding for an amendment in the constitution. "In Nepal, we have the government of two-third majority and the constitutional provision is; if there is a major issue in the parliament and if the government wants to address these issues, we need an amendment in the constitution, for which we need a two-thirds majority of the house. That's why we are hopeful with this government as there is the requisite two-thirds majority and it will be easy to fulfil the demands of Madhesh-movement, demands of RJP-N and the people of Terai-Madhes," Jha said in an interview with ANI. A previous attempt to introduce an amendment in the constitution had failed, owing to the lack of a clear, two-thirds majority in the previously dissolved parliament in 2017. With the three-tier elections held simultaneously, the Nepal Communist Party has garnered a two-thirds majority, appointing K. P. Sharma Oli as the first Prime Minister of Federal Nepal. The RJP-N is planning to hold a protest on September 19, the Constitution Day. "RJP- Nepal have planned to protest countrywide on the Constitution Day and in the evening, RJP-N will be having blackouts for 15 minutes, countrywide," Jha said about the protest plans. On Wednesday, Nepal celebrating the third anniversary of its lately promulgated constitution, the enactment of which stirred violent protests in the southern plains in 2015, leading to the deaths of around 100 people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cash flow is always the biggest challenge faced by the SME and MSME sector especially during the festive season. As sales increases, more and more inventory needs to be financed. Thus time-sensitive working capital needs have to be assessed across inventory, payables and receivables. There are few fintech platforms who are working towards uplifting the SME and MSME sector: Vivriti Capital Tech-enabled online marketplace offering customised debt products to institutional clients within retail financial services and other non-financial services sectors. Headquartered in Chennai, Vivriti Capital was established with the objective of connecting capital markets' investors with institutions, small enterprises, and individuals to provide them with a comprehensive range of financial services in an efficient manner. Aye Finance Aye Finance is one such commercial institution built around the mission to solve these challenges of funding MSMEs and enabling their inclusion into the mainstream of the economy. CoinTribe Cointribe believes that effective underwriting is at the heart of solving the gap in SME lending market and is the only online lending platform that has back-tested its credit model with large banks and continues focusing. CoinTribe has partnered with some of the leading Banks and NBFCs to simplify the SME borrowing. Satya Micro Capital The firm provides prompt, convenient, and affordable collateral-free credit to unbanked and underserved people through a strong credit assessment and centralized approval system. Satya MicroCapital's uniqueness lies in its socio-economic upliftment and women empowerment in less privileged areas where they have branches that are operated by women only employees. Happy Happy Loans provides customized loan offerings to consumers to meet their specific demands. It even offers Micro loans that start at as low as Rs 2,000 for durations as short as 30 days. It aims to be the harbinger of a financial revolution that ensures the availability of funds to every person as and when required. It has partner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Met Eireann also said yellow level warning criteria might be reached in counties Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin, Meath and Louth if necessary. Unsettled weather looks set to continue on Tuesday, with more heavy rain and strong winds as Helene passes over the UK. England and Wales become drier and brighter with sunny spells, especially in central and eastern areas, before more cloud and patchy rain move into the South and West of Wales and Cornwall later in the afternoon. Storm Helene is expected to arrive to the west coast of Britain - including Pembrokeshire - at 9pm tonight. There is also a chance that the weather could bring power cuts and some roads and bridges are expected to close. Forecasters have reduced the strength of expected peak winds of 70 miles per hour this morning, but has extended the yellow warning for much of Wales. Meanwhile in the Republic of Ireland, people are being warned of flooding. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 catches fire Most times when a phone battery explodes it's due to impact damage, though it's not yet known if that's the case here. Soon after that, she heard a weird noise from her bag which she described as "whistling and screeching" sounds. Coral spokesman John Hill said: "With the threat of Hurricane Helene reaching the United Kingdom and following a flood of bets over the past couple of days, the odds have been cut on this month ending as the wettest September on record". "Driving in heavy rain is something that motorists across the country are well practiced in and ultimately it does not appear that Helene will bring weather conditions anywhere near as serious as what parts of the country saw past year with Ophelia". However, it's now about to get rather wet, with Met Eireann issuing a status yellow rainfall warning on Monday morning. A weather warning has been put in place for Peterborough as the remnants of Storm Helene rush through the city. The strongest winds then transfer northwards to be over northern England and, perhaps, the far south of Scotland, during the early hours of Tuesday. Lingering overnight rain in the north will clear northeastwards tomorrow morning with cloud breaking for a time to produce sunny spells. 'Temperatures on Monday will be in the nice high teens and low twenties, with a max temperature on 26C forecast in London. The winds will gradually ease later on Wednesday. Superintendent of Police Naazneen Bhasin, the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday assured immediate arrest of the remaining accused in the alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old student in Haryana's Rewari. "The main accused, Nishu, who has been arrested, is the mastermind of this. Many aspects are being investigated. The scene of the crime is sealed. I assure you we are working at the same pace to arrest the other two accused," Bhasin told ANI. The 19-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped after being drugged on Wednesday in Haryana's Narnaul area. In the FIR registered at Kanina, police have identified three accused- Pankaj, Manish, and Nishu. Pankaj is a defence personnel stationed in Rajasthan. The three people who were arrested in connection the case were produced before the Civil Court in Kanina on Monday and were sent to five-day police remand. Meanwhile, a mahapanchayat or congregation of panchayats of 25 villages, was held in Haryana's Kosli town in which a notice was issued that no practising lawyer would help any of the accused in the alleged gang rape of the 19-year-old student. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Donald Trump administration on Monday announced that it would allow only 30,000 refugees to enter the United States from next year. Announcing the decision, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the administration would admit only 30,000 refugees and 2,80,000 asylum seekers in the fiscal year 2019, starting from October 1, The Hill reported. The latest figure comes after US President Donald Trump had limited the number of refugees entering the country to 45,000 in September last year. Pompeo underscored that the new refugee ceiling "must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States." "Moreover, the refugee numbers should not be viewed in isolation from other expansive humanitarian programs. Some will characterise the refugee ceiling as the sole barometer of America's commitment to vulnerable people around the This would be wrong," he added. Citing national security as a major factor for changing the figure of the refugee cap, Pompeo dubbed the previous asylum system as "defective" for not screening foreigners for potential terror ties or other security risks. He called for the need to restore "integrity" to the overall American asylum system, the report said. Pompeo further said, "The improved refugee policy of this administration serves the national interest of the United States. We are and continue to be the most generous nation in the " The previous Barack Obama administration had admitted nearly 85,000 refugees in 2016. Many humanitarian groups have repeatedly raised concerns that Trump's policies did not tackle the issue of the global refugee crisis, aggravated due to the Syrian civil war and other conflicts across the globe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Alternative Mechanism comprising of its Chairperson, the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and Cabinet Ministers, Shri Piyush Goyal and Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman met in New Delhi and decided that Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank may consider amalgamation of the three banks. The envisaged amalgamation will be the First-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with a combined business of Rs. 14.82 lakh crore, making it India's Third Largest Bank. The consolidation will help create a strong globally competitive bank with economies of scale and enable realisation of wide-ranging synergies. Leveraging of networks, low-cost deposits and subsidiaries of the three banks has the potential of yielding significant synergies for positioning the consolidated entity for substantial rise in customer base, market reach, operational efficiency, wider bouquet of products and services, and improved access for customers. Some of the strengths of the envisaged amalgamated entity are Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) at 67.5% is well above Public Sector Banks (PSBs) average (63.7%), and steadily increasing Net NPA ratio at 5.71% significantly better than PSB average (12.13%), and declining further Gross NPAs for the combined entity have started declining (decline of Rs. 1,048 crore in Q1) Cost to income ratio of the combined entity at 48.94% better than the PSB average of 53.92% Dena Bank's strength in MSME will further augment the strength of the other two to position the amalgamated bank for being an MSME Udyamimitra Capital Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) at 12.25% is significantly above the regulatory norm of 10.875%, and stronger amalgamated bank will be better positioned to tap capital markets Significant cost benefits from synergies: Larger distribution network will reduce operating and distribution costs with benefits for the amalgamated bank, its customers and their subsidiaries Global network strength of Bank of Baroda will be leveraged to enable customers of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank to have global access Access improvement through amalgamation of networks Wider range of products and services through leveraging of bank subsidiaries and leveraging of a larger network for offering more value-added non-banking services and products. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key benchmark indices were trading with small gains in early trade. At 9:17 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 32.43 points or 0.09% at 37,617.94. The Nifty 50 index was up 12.05 points or 0.11% at 11,389.80. Sentiment was fragile as US-China trade tensions took a renewed toll on investor appetite for risky assets. Among secondary barometers,the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.35%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.22%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On BSE, 649 shares rose and 303 shares fell. A total of 37 shares were unchanged. Overseas, Asia markets were mixed on Tuesday following an escalation in trade tensions between the United States and China. US stocks closed lower Monday, with the S&P 500 and the Dow snapping multi-day win streaks. President Donald Trump will impose 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, and those duties will rise to 25% at the end of the year, according to a Monday announcement. The White House removed about 300 goods from a previously proposed list of affected products, including smart watches, some chemicals and other products such as bicycle helmets and high chairs. Beijing has already warned that it will retaliate against the measures. The US has already levied tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products. Beijing responded with measures targeting $50 billion on American goods, raising fears about damage to the US farm industry. Earlier this month, reports suggested that the US was seeking to restart trade talks with China. Meanwhile in the US, the New York Fed's Empire State index fell 7 points to 19 in September. Back home, Tata Motors (down 0.73%), Wipro (down 0.55%), TCS (down 0.41%), State Bank of India (down 0.4%), IndusInd Bank (down 0.39%), Bharti Airtel (down 0.34%), Axis Bank (down 0.27%), ITC (down 0.2%) and HDFC (down 0.17%), were the major Sensex losers. Hindustan Unilever (up 1.78%), Tata Steel (up 1.06%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (up 0.95%), NTPC (up 0.78%), Asian Paints (up 0.68%), Yes Bank (up 0.58%), ONGC (up 0.47%) and Mahindra & Mahindra (up 0.42%), were the major Sensex gainers. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Police on Tuesday said that they have arrested seven accused over the killing of a Dalit youth, who was hacked to death last week in a case of honour killing. The accused include a hired killer from Bihar. The police revealed that T. Maruthi Rao, the main accused, struck the deal to kill his son-in-law Pranay Kumar for Rs 1 crore. The accused include Asgar Ali and Mohammed Abul Bari, who were earlier arrested and acquitted in the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. Pranay Kumar, 23, was hacked to death on Friday as he was coming out of a hospital in Miryalguda town of Nalgonda district along with his wife Amrutha Varshini, with whom he had an inter-caste marriage. Nalgonda Superintendent of Police A.V. Ranganath told reporters that they have cracked the sensational case, which evoked huge public outrage. Amrutha and Pranay, who were in love since their school days, had married in January this year against the wishes of her father Maruthi Rao, a businessman who comes from an upper caste. According to the police, Maruthi Rao hatched the plot to eliminate Pranay with the help of Asgar Ali, Bari and Abdul Karim. Maruthi Rao's brother T. Shravan and driver S. Shiva are the other accused. The police chief said the conspiracy was hatched in July. The deal was struck for Rs 1 crore though Asgar and Bari had demanded Rs 2.5 crore. Maruthi Rao had paid Rs 15 lakh advance. "In the meantime, when Amrutha became pregnant, his father tried to pressurise her to abort because he was afraid that if Pranay is killed and a child is born to her daughter, it will lead to more problems. She, however, refused to abort," the SP said. The investigations revealed that the gang failed to execute the plot on couple of occasions. As the couple was sensing danger to their lives, the police had suggested them to install CCTVs around their house. On August 17, they hosted a wedding reception, which further angered Maruthi Rao and he speeded up his efforts to get Pranay killed. On September 14, when Pranay was coming out of a hospital along with his wife following a regular pregnancy check-up, an unidentified armed with axe attacked him from behind. Pranay died on the spot even as his wife ran into hospital screaming for help. The horrific images were captured in CCTV. After questioning Maruthi Rao and others, the police identified the killer as Subhash Sharma, a native of Bihar, whom Bari had met in Rajahmundry Central Jail. Sharma was taken into custody from Jagatsinhpur in Samastipur district of Bihar. A Samastipur police officer Paritish Kumar said Sharma was arrested by a team of Telangana Police along with the local police. He was produced in a court and handed over to the Telangana Police on transit remand. Both Asgar Ali of Nalgonda and Bari of Hyderabad were arrested in 2003 for their alleged involvement in the killing of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. The police had claimed that they underwent terrorist training. An anti-terror court in Gujarat had sentenced them along with seven others to life imprisonment in 2007. However, Gujarat High Court later acquitted them. --IANS ms/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) E-tailer giant Alibaba's annual meet in China's Hangzhou from Wednesday would focus on empowering 'Digital China', by showcasing its technology along with that of its partners, said the company on Tuesday. "The theme of our annual event 'Computing Conference 2018' is 'Empower Digital China', and showcase latest technology to over 60,000 participants from across the country," said Alibaba in a statement from Hangzhou, 180 km southwest of Shanghai. The four-day event is being held after Alibaba founder-chairman Jack Ma announced on September 10 that he would step down and make way for Chief Executive Daniel Zhang to succeed him in September 2019. The $40 billion Alibaba is headquartered in Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang. The ninth edition of the tech fest will also feature latest trends in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and blockchain. "The conference aims to open a dialogue among industry experts around technology's influences on the economy and society," said the statement ahead of the mega event. Besides Jack, Alibaba's top executives, including cloud head Simon Hu, technology steering committee chairman Wang Jian and chief technology officer Jeff Zhng would deliver keynotes on breakthroughs and the company's roadmap to develop emerging technologies. In addition to presentations from the company's top executives, 170 forums will be held parallel where smart minds in technology will discuss on innovations in diverse industries. About 200 tech firms, including 40 from overseas, will display their innovations, including self-service stores, smart logistics car and service robots in the exhibition, being held along with the conference at Cloud Town. As a top influencer in the world, the event provides a panoramic view of Alibaba's technology commitment and excellence. The conference is being held a week after the company hosted a four-day Taobao Maker Festival by the iconic West Lake in the city on September 13-16, where hundreds of young entrepreneurs showcased innovative products. Taobao, meaning "search for treasure" in Mandarin, is Alibaba Group's digital portal, opened in 2003 for consumers to buy and sell a variety of goods, ranging from electronics, home appliances, furniture and clothing. --IANS bha-fb/qd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Shilpa Shetty says that she always liked to be ahead of time. She made her Bollywood debut with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Baazigar" in 1993. After featuring in many films, the "Dhadkan" actress made India proud by winning the British reality television show "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2007. She is now associated with digital series "Hear Me. Love Me." "I've always liked to be ahead of time. Back in the day, I was one of the firsts to venture into television then I released yoga DVDs and then a YouTube channel. Now, this platform. There are so many people who want to be entertained when they want to. So, in that sense, this show made sense to me," Shilpa said in a statement. She feels that after doing so much work on the big screen and interesting work on TV, the digital platform is definitely the way forward. "In this age and time, when people have very little time and many choices to choose from, this works perfectly well," Shilpa said. "It's one of a kind show, not just for me but also for the audience. I enjoyed hosting it and seeing how the millennials think. I know I sound like a fossil when I say this, but it's interesting to see how clear they are in their heads. "Many believe that this generation is frivolous, but I don't think they are. They are willing to try out different choices which I think is a great thing. I am really old school, but if I would have had a chance, I would have loved to be on this show. I have learnt a lot being on this show," she added. Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday announced the launch of its next Prime Original series, "Hear Me. Love Me." Challenging the notion of 'love at first sight', the reality series brings to life a virtual blind dating experience that combines technology and human interaction in a new format. Shilpa dons the mantle of a relationship guide and confidante as she helps contestants navigate through the mores of romance in today's digital age. Produced by Fremantle, India, "Hear Me. Love Me.", a 10-episode series, is set to launch on September 28. --IANS nn/nv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Birmingham-born musician Steven Kapur, famously known as Apache Indian, has announced a new track titled "Punjabi girl", featuring rapper Raftaar. Apache, 50, is popular for numbers like "Boom shack-a-lak", "Movie over India" and "Chok there". "Punjabi girl" features Apache dropping Punjabi lyrics to an uplifting dancehall melody composed and produced by Charlie Hype. Incorporated throughout the track are rap verses sung by Raftaar. "Raftaar's lyrics and vocal delivery on the song adds a magic sprinkling that gives it yet another Hindi/Bollywood twist. We are also working on another track that I will feature on for him. Bless up Raftaar for his contribution," Apache said in statement. "Punjabi girl" and its album "On The Weekend" releases on September 28. Apache Indian shot to fame fusing bhangra, Jamaican and English music cultures, and his style hugely impacted how dance music would be created over the years to come. --IANS dc/nn/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal government is planning to provide "support price" to technology companies for setting up their facilities at the upcoming Silicon Valley Hub, an official said on Tuesday. "The state is planning to provide the support price to attract technology companies so that they can set up their units at an affordable cost in the proposed hub which will be built on 200 acres of land in New Town. A decision regarding this will be announced very soon," said Debashis Sen, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Information and Technology and Electronics. The state government is partnering with many academic institutions including the Indian Statistical Institute, Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, University of Calcutta, for emerging fields like quantum computing, block chain, robotics, cyber security, innovation and artificial intelligence," he said, at the ICT East organised by the CII. The government has been providing a platform to the technology companies including start-ups to set up their units in the state, Sen added. Last month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation for the setting up of the hub. --IANS bdc/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six police officers were killed on Tuesday and eight were wounded in two bomb attacks in Iraq's Saladin province, a day after government forces launched an operation against militants in the area, officials said. Police Lt. Col. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim said the first explosive device killed five officers and wounded four as they were travelling in a police vehicle in the Al-Fatha area, 50 km north of the provincial capital Tikrit, Efe news reported. In the second incident, one policeman was killed and four were injured by an explosive device at a guard post at a water treatment plant in Al-Shirqat. Iraqi security forces have recently carried out several operations in Saladin province against alleged cells of the Islamic State terror organization. The security forces on Monday began the latest push to clear militants out of the Tigris river basin from Al-Fatha to Al-Shirqat where attacks have lately been on the rise. On September 10, an Iraqi policeman and eight alleged IS members were killed in a shootout in Al-Shirqat. The Iraqi government had declared in December that the country was totally liberated from the IS, but during August 90 Iraqi civilians were killed and 117 wounded in terror attacks or armed conflict. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Competition Commission of India (CCI), the anti-trust regulator -- has imposed a total penalty of Rs 38 crore on 18 sugar mills and two associations for rigging the bids of a joint tender floated by oil marketing companies -- HPCL, BPCL and IOCL -- in January 2013 for procurement of ethanol for blending with petrol. The two associations are Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and Ethanol Manufacturers Association of India (EMAI). The action was taken following a complaint lodged by India Glycols Limited and five other informants. The case pertains to a joint tender floated by oil marketing companies (OMCs) for the supply of ethanol to comply with the government's mandatory 5 per cent blending norms. The complainant -- India Glycol -- accused ISMA and EMAI of persuading the OMCs to come-out with a Joint Tender for the purpose of procuring ethanol. It alleged that the joint tendering was an agreement amongst horizontal players, to procure ethanol from various suppliers in breach of the competition laws, causing adverse effect on competition within India in supply and distribution of ethanol. It was also alleged that the sugar manufacturers, who had participated in the tender, manipulated the bids by quoting similar rates and in some cases identical rates through an understanding and collective action, in violation of the competition laws. CCI in its order observed that the bidders acted in collusion to eliminate competition and also manipulated the bidding process. The first lookout circular (LOC) against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya for his detention at airports was changed as there was "no sufficient ground" for his arrest, a CBI source said on Tuesday. "As he was a sitting member of Parliament and there was no warrant to arrest him, the agency realised the need for making correction in the LOC from 'detention' to 'information' to the CBI whenever he travelled abroad," the source said. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials later wrote to the Immigration Department to seek modification in the LOC as "Mallya was cooperating" in the probe and the agency was still collecting evidence from banks, the source added. The first LOC against the head of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines was issued on October 16, 2015. The second LOC was issued on November 24, 2015, the day Mallya returned from the United Kingdom. The source said that Mallya even after the issuance of the notice continued to provide documents and answer questions from the agency. Mallya appeared thrice for questioning and made foreign trips four times after the new LOC was issued, he said. Mallya left India on March 2, 2016, and faces charges of defrauding banks to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. He is currently in London where a court finished hearing on India's extradition case against him on Wednesday and is due to pronounce its verdict on December 10. --IANS aks/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China announced on Tuesday it will impose additional tariffs on US products worth $60 billion in response to the newly-announced American tariffs on Chinese goods. According to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, the tariffs will go into effect from September 24, Xinhua news agency reported. China also filed an additional complaint with the World Trade Organization against Washington's decision to impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods under the Section 301 investigation, the Commerce Ministry said. --IANS soni/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 200 Congress workers, including state unit chief Amit Chavda and state party incharge Rajeev Satav, were detained after they clashed with police while trying to gherao the Gujarat Assembly here as it began its two-day monsoon session on Tuesday. The rallyists were demanding farm debt waiver and action against the guilty in the Rs 4,000-crore groundnut purchase scam, among other things. A posse of police stood guard as Congress members and supporters had threatened to lay siege to the Assembly after a gathering of farmers and party workers at Satyagraha Chhavni nearby under the aegis of 'Khedut Aakrosh Rally'. After the rally, the protesters led by Chavda and Satav tried to muscle their way towards the Assembly. "The march to the Assembly and its siege will not stop even if lathis are showered or guns fired," Chavda told the rallyists. The march saw minor skirmishes and stone-throwing during which Congress leaders were whisked away in police vans stationed there, including former state party chief Arjun Modhvadia and legislator Harshad Ribadia. Chavda later said: "Despite large presence of police and its atrocities, thousands of farmers could gather for the rally and give voice to their angst." Satav told reporters that with the rally, the Congress has begun a series of agitations against the state's BJP government and will not stop till a total farm loan waiver for farmers is announced. "The Bharatiya Janata Party is running away from discussion on key public issues. Gujarat is the only state to have a two-day session, which shows that the ruling party is not interested in public welfare or in democracy," Satav said. The Congress was demanding a 25-day monsoon session. Congress legislator Virji Thummar was seen pushing a woman police official as she tried to detain him. Thummar claimed he was unaware he was pushing away the woman, alleging that police present on the spot were acting in a partisan manner. "I am an MLA and had my identity card around my neck. Yet, I was prevented from going inside the Assembly," he told reporters, adding that all this while all BJP legislators were allowed inside. Reacting to Congress allegations, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel reminded the "young brigade" of the Congress of alleged atrocities committed by then Congress governments on state farmers. "The Congress has done nothing for farmers but fired on them. It is under the BJP rule that the Sardar Sarovar project has progressed rapidly and farmers are getting their dues," Patel said. The Assembly will transact business only on Wednesday as it was adjourned on the first day on Tuesday after the members condoled the death of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and eight former legislators. It is the second session of the 14th Gujarat Assembly after the December 2017 elections. The Budget session was held in February. --IANS desai/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Dalit youth was bludgeoned to death by a mob on suspicion of theft in Bihar's Nawada district, police said on Tuesday. Rupan Manjhi, in his late 20s, was beaten to death with bamboo sticks, bricks and iron rods on Monday night in Lavarpura village, 150 km from here. "Police rescued brutally beaten and unconscious Manjhi from the clutches of the mob. However, he succumbed to injuries soon after reaching hospital," Hisua Police Station Officer incharge Rajdeo Sao said. According to police officials, a group of four thieves entered a house but after the family raised an alarm three of the thieves fled while one was caught by the villagers and beaten to death. Police have registered a case and an investigation is on. --IANS ik/qd/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With two union ministers gunning for him on his hug with the Pakistan Army chief and his claims on passage for Indian pilgrims for the Kartarpur gurdwara, Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday defended himself saying External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had assured him that a letter would be sent to Islamabad regarding the corridor. Sidhu said on Tuesday that Sushma Swaraj, whom he met in New Delhi on Saturday, had assured him that the draft regarding a request for the Kartarpur corridor was ready. He claimed that she told him that the letter would be sent to Pakistan soon. However, union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, in a statement in New Delhi on Tuesday, said that there was no substance in what Sidhu was claiming. Badal asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to "tell what action he will take against Congress minister Navjot Sidhu for betraying the people of the country and misusing Sikh sentiments on the Kartarpur corridor issue to hide his traitorous conduct. "It is now clear that there is no Pakistan proposal to open the Kartarpur corridor. The same has been officially announced by Sushma Swaraj. "Now it is clear that Sidhu deliberately lied to the people and claimed he had received an assurance about opening the Kartarpur corridor from the Pakistan Army chief to ward off criticism for hugging the General. "Now Rahul Gandhi should disclose whether Sidhu went to Pakistan for his friend Imran Khan's swearing in ceremony with his blessings and whether he was also part of the conspiracy to play with the sentiments of the Sikh community. "If not, then Rahul should expel Sidhu from the Congress immediately for betraying the people of the country and dis-respecting our martyrs," Badal said. She challenged Sidhu to show proof of the clearance given by the Pakistan government to open the Kartarpur corridor. "If Sidhu is such close friends with Imran Khan, as claimed by him, he should tell his friend to give a letter stating his government was ready to open the Kartarpur corridor and we will take up this issue with our government to get it ratified. "He should also ask his friend to stop the killings on the international border and stop exporting terror to India," she stated. Sushma Swaraj, in a letter to Badal on September 15 regarding the Kartarpur corridor, said that the "(Indian) government has been taking up the matter with Pakistan. "However, Pakistan has so far neither agreed to include visits to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib by the Indian pilgrims under the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974 nor has it sent any official communication for establishing a corridor," the Minister said. Sidhu had recently written a letter to Sushma Swaraj urging her to take a "positive step" in the matter. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also criticized Sidhu on Tuesday for hugging the Pakistan Army Chief. --IANS js/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Music festival Life In Color (LIC), which is held in countries like China, the US and UK, will debut in India on November 18, and American DJ-record producer Diplo will be a part of it. The festival will also see artistes like 4B, Divine and Ritviz performing at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Excited to make their foray into India, Eric Fuller, founder, Life In Color, said in a statement: "Our team is incredibly excited about coming to India for the first time. The truth is we didn't choose India, India chose us. "Our vision for LIC in India would be that we have a flagship festival or large event with a multi-city tour that takes place throughout the year. Ultimately, it's about bringing the LIC experience to as many fans as possible and connecting our fans around the world with a similar experience." The fest is in association with Pheonix Live. Manas Tripathy, Alliance and Artist Head, Phoenix Live, said: "We have always believed in giving back something valuable to the community, hence we would host an exclusive contest to bring out the best talent in India and represent them on a global level." --IANS sim/nn/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police on Tuesday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari for illegally breaking the lock of a sealed house. "An FIR has been registered against Manoj Tiwari on the complaint by Deputy Director MCD, North Zone in Gokulpuri police station," Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Thakur told IANS. A video footage of Tiwari breaking a sealed lock of a house in an unauthorised colony during his Sunday visit to Gokulpuri went viral on social media. Tiwari was also seen protesting against municipal officials "pick and choose" system. He has been booked under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 461 and 465 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act. --IANS sp/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Life has turned a full circle for art critic and writer Uma Nair, whose parents were immigrants from Kerala but found livelihood in the bustling city of New Delhi. Several decades on, as Gods Own Country navigates its return to normalcy, Nair has donated artworks from her personal collection to National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), which will be used to raise funds for the flood-ravaged state. Nair said that her story is not her story alone. It began with her parents, who belonged to Changanacherry and Champakulam in Kerala, coming to New Delhi in 1960. Her mother was Principal of Institute of Home Sciences in South Extension here while father was an engineer with Indian Airlines. "I was thinking that at the end of the day, the city of Delhi gave my parents so much It was here that they became individuals. It gave me everything, it made me an individual. There is no North-South divide here, one is recognised according to one's merit. I have given my works to NGMA because of the reverence I have for my own land of Kerala," Nair, who began her career as an art critic in 1990, told IANS. Nair is a leading critic of our times, and continues to write extensively on art-related subjects, apart from curating exhibitions herself. Her personal collection grew over a period of time. She recalled that most artists would gift one of their works if they found a critic's writing impressive. "(M.F.) Husain would meet me before his shows at Vadehras and would often gift me drawings. This drawing (one among those being donated) belongs to his Madhuri phase, and was made in 1996. Kalabhakesari is a gifted Kerala artist who has little money but is brilliant. His drawing of Eiffel in Paris is meticulous. Nitasha Jaini gifted me two drawings more than 15 years ago. Surendra Pal Joshi was an important abstract artist from Jaipur. My donation is my gift to Kerala the land of my birth," she said. Nair also hailed the NGMA for doing its bit for Kerala, when it needs the most. She said that NGMA is among the premier art institutes in the country. "My donation to NGMA also comes in the wake of the need for knowing that India's art institutions must be supported and served," she maintained. The exhibition and sale of artworks will take place from September 21 to 23 at NGMA here under the title "Art for Kerala Flood Disaster". "Art for Kerala Flood Disaster 2018 is an initiative by the artists from India who have come forward to donate their work of art for the cause and the entire sale proceeds shall be contributed towards Kerala Chief Minister Relief Fund," NGMA had earlier informed in a statement. The exhibition will include works by artists such as Anjolie Ela Menon, Arpana Caur, Jatin Das, Manu Parekh, Jogen Chowdhury, Madhvi Parekh, Raghu Rai, Shuvaprasanna, Gopi Gajwani, Rameshwar Broota, Paresh Maity and Subodh Gupta, among others. (Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) --IANS ss/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Claiming that the BJP-led coalition government was in a minority, the Congress legislative party on Tuesday formally met Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and urged her to convene a one-day session of Assembly to allow it to stake claim to form the new government. Fifteen out of the 16 Congress legislative party members met Sinha for over an hour on Tuesday evening, during which they also alleged a breakdown in the constitutional machinery due to ill-health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, saying that there was no one to lead the treasury benches or head the Cabinet. "We have requested her to call a special one-day session of the Assembly, where the government should prove their majority in a democratic manner. Then we will prove. We are already the single-largest party, but we should be given an opportunity to prove the majority," Kavlekar told reporters, after meeting Sinha with 15 Congress MLAs. CLP member Aleixo Reginaldo was out of station, a Congress leader said. Kavlekar also said that the BJP's constant flirting with regional parties, urging them to merge with the ruling party had ticked off BJP MLAs who were in touch with the Congress leadership with a switchover in mind. "The Parrikar government is in a majority only on paper. They cannot choose a leader today and they are talking of mergers with regional parties. If regional parties merge, then the BJP's own MLAs are not willing to stay back in the party. Those (BJP MLAs) are in touch with our leaders," Kavlekar said. Asked if the Congress legislative party, which already has four former Chief Ministers who have bickered over leadership issues in the past, had a chief ministerial candidate in mind, Kavlekar said: "We will declare our chief ministerial candidate when the Governor calls a one-day session. We are waiting for the opportunity... there will be no leadership squabbles between us. There will be no split over leadership." The Congress leader also said that the Governor had informed them on her call on Parrikar at the AIIMS on Tuesday. "The Governor said that she met the Chief Minister at AIIMS and enquired about his health," Kavlekar said, when asked if the Governor was informed about Parrikar's health condition. The current political crisis has arisen in Goa after the ailing Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, was airlifted to the national capital's top hospital. Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi since February, when his illness was diagnosed, inviting criticism from the Opposition and civil society, which has demanded that he should resign to make way for a fully fit Chief Minister who could efficiently discharge his official duties. The BJP high command is in the process of finding an alternative leader in absence of Parrikar, even as allies are demanding a bigger role in governance, some even eyeing the Chief Minister's post. The Congress is the single-largest party in the 40-member Goa Assembly with 16 MLAs, while the BJP with 14 MLAs is supported by three members each of Goa Forward and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, a Nationalist Congress Party legislator and three independent MLAs. What queers the pitch in the number game, however, is the health conditions of three BJP MLAs. While Parrikar is afflicted by cancer, Urban Development Minister Francis D'Souza too is currently undergoing treatment for cancer in New York. Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar, who suffered from a brainstroke some months back, is bed-ridden at his private residence near Panaji. --IANS maya/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court will hear on Wednesday an application seeking direction to the Central government to disclose the formula on the basis of which daily prices of petroleum and diesel are fixed. The plea will be heard by a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao. The application, filed by Delhi-based designer Pooja Mahajan through her advocate A. Maitri, has sought direction to call the records from the government including oil companies to disclose the formula and to furnish the details on the basis of which the daily fuel prices are fixed. The petitioner said that people were suffering irreparably because prices were being enhanced on presumption. The advocate said that the oil manufacturing companies were selling their old stock of petrol and diesel at enhanced prices while admittedly the said stock was purchased at a cheaper rate. As per official claims, petrol and diesel prices are fixed on account of increase in international prices. Admittedly, international price of crude oil is fixed on barrel basis, the plea said. "Barrel is a unit of mass meaning thereby that crude oil is being sold in international market on mass/weight of the crude oil but here in India and diesel are being sold on liter basis, without taking care of density/mass of petrol/diesel," the plea said. "On account of above stated methodology being followed all over India, public at large is suffering every day as they are paying the enhanced cost on barrel basis but in return their getting the liquid petrol/liquid diesel on volume basis." The application was filed on the pending public interest litigation by the petitioner in which she has sought direction to the Central government to fix a "fair price" of petrol and diesel as it is a policy matter which involved larger economic issues. The court asked the government to consider an earlier representation pending before it on price rise of petrol and diesel. Mahajan had filed a similar plea in July but the High Court had then directed the Centre to treat the PIL as a representation. The petitioner has sought a directive to the Central government to fix a "fair price" of petrol and diesel in line with the Essential Commodities Act. --IANS akk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Global seed major Monsanto, which globally merged into global healthcare and crop protection giant Bayer but is yet to have the integration in place in India, has plans to take its mobile-enabled digital farming platform for small farmers in India beyond the pilot phase. This is will be done after the merger, hopefully in 2019, in India. The platform, 'FarmRise' is to see an expanded roll out in Asia, Africa and South America by Bayer subsidiary 'The Climate Corporation'. In August this year, global seed major Monsanto merged into health care and crop protection major Bayer. In the first major event since the coming together, Bayer organised in Germany, a major meet to outline its vision for the future of agriculture. The meeting was held to bring together its farming stakeholders, academia, NGOs, industry majors and some leading media publications. According to the company, in India 85 per cent of the farms are less than 2 hectares in size. As these farmers own small plots of lands and get few opportunities to receive agronomic training or access credit, they often struggle to achieve greater productivity, increase their incomes and build resilience. Private sector partnerships, it says, are helping farmer access agronomic advice, as well as market data so they can get the best price for their products and plan for the future. Since 2010, Monsanto has worked to develop the agronomic skills of small-scale farmers in India, as well as improve their access to up-to-date information on weather and market prices. FarmRise's "mobile farm care program" is a mobile digital platform used by farmers who plant maize, cotton and vegetable seeds. Currently, it says, there are more than four million farmers enrolled in this service in India Actor Varun Mitra has shared how producers Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt decided to cast him in the forthcoming romantic film "Jalebi" that also stars Rhea Chakraborty and Digangana Suryavanshi. Speaking on how he got the role, Varun said in a statement: "I remember meeting Mukeshji (Bhatt) and Bhatt Sahab (Mahesh) for the first time. They had watched the trailer of my 2015 film, 'Kaash', which premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival and my Amazon Kindle ad which were enough for them to swing their hands over the table and welcome me aboard." Excited to work with the Bhatt brothers, he said: "More than the big banner, it's the Bhatt brothers who have made this a memorable experience. I'm going to cherish the time spent with Bhatt sahab, just talking about life." "Jalebi - The Everlasting Taste of Love" is presented by Vishesh Films in association with Mahesh Bhatt and produced by Mukesh Bhatt. The film is slated to release on October 12. --IANS nn/sim/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump said on Monday that he wants to listen to all parties regarding the accusation of sexual assault levelled against Brett Kavanaugh, his nominee for the empty Supreme Court seat. "We want to go through a full process...and hear everybody out," Trump told reporters. Trump also said that he was open to delaying the confirmation process in the Senate to analyze the case, saying "If it takes a little delay, it'll take a little delay," Efe reported. The president also said that he had not spoken with Kavanaugh despite the fact that the nominee was at the White House on Monday morning. When asked, Trump called the question about whether he was planning to withdraw his nomination of Kavanaugh "ridiculous" and criticized Democratic lawmakers for having reported the case when they did. He said that the judge "never even had a little blemish on his record," adding that "I'm sure it will work out very well" and saying that "I wish the Democrats could have done this a lot sooner." Christine Blasey Ford is the woman who is accusing Kavanaugh of assaulting her. In late July, Ford sent Democrats a letter in which she recounted her version of Kavanaugh's sexual assault of her at a party when they were both teenagers, asking lawmakers not to release her name. Democratic legislators forwarded the letter to the FBI. Although at first it was not specified what the letter contained, in recent days word has leaked out that it was linked to an abuse accusation and Ford ended up revealing her identity last weekend. In light of the information, Democratics and three Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is evaluating Kavanaugh's nomination, have asked for a delay in the committee vote scheduled for this week in which lawmakers would decide whether or not to recommend the judge for the Supreme Court, but this is still up in the air. According to Ford's account, the incident in question occurred 36 years ago, during the 1980s, when both she and Kavanaugh were minors: he being 17 and she 15. Kavanaugh, who had gotten drunk at a house party, approached her, pushed her into a bedroom and tried to sexually assault her, pinning her to a bed, trying to remove her clothing, covering her mouth to silence her screams and raising the volume of the music to cover up any noise until she was finally able to escape him. The appeals judge has categorically denied the accusation, adding that he is open to testifying, which Ford has also said she is willing to do. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Germany on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on skill development, which will provide dual vocational training to Indian youth. Explaining the concept to the media here at the signing ceremony, German Ambassador to India, Martin Ney, said that the dual vocational training programme has been existing in Germany for a long time now. "It means learning in school and on the job. It is special because it is owned by the industry," Ney said. According to a note issued by the German Embassy, students who complete specific training courses in India will get a certificate that it is recognised in India as well as in Germany. They can apply for jobs in companies in India and in Germany as well. A joint body called German Indian Institute of Vocational Education and Training (GIIVET) that has been set up will look after the programme. Tuesday's MoA was signed between Rajesh Agarwal, Director General of Training in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Bernhard Steinrucke, Director General of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. --IANS ab/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is visiting Rhode Island from September 18 to 22 for attending the 23rd edition of the International Sea-Power Symposium (ISS) organised by the US Navy. He is scheduled to present his views on the topic 'Defending the Maritime Commons: Safeguarding the Free and International Order' and participate in panel discussion during the symposium. During his visit, Admiral Lanba is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Admiral US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral John M. Richardson; Indo-Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM) Commander Admiral Philip S. Davidson; Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) Commander Admiral John C Aquilino; Commander Naval Forces, Europe, Admiral James G. Foggo and Commander of the 5th Fleet, Vice Admiral Scott Stearney. In addition, he would be interacting with chiefs of navies of Japan, France, Australia, the UK, Malaysia and Sweden. The US has accorded 'Major Defence Partner' status to India in June 2016. "The Indian Navy engages with the US Navy on numerous issues, which include operational interactions such as the MALABAR and RIMPAC series of exercises, training exchanges, exchange of white shipping information, all of which are coordinated through the medium of Executive Steering Group (ESG) meetings conducted annually," an official release said. "In addition, warships from both navies regularly make port calls at each other's ports," it added. --IANS mak/qd/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 15th Finance Commission headed by N. K. Singh held talks with political parties, trade and industry organisations and local bodies in Maharashtra on Tuesday, while the government and political parties sought a special grant of Rs 50,000 crore for Mumbai's development, an official said here. On a three-day visit to the state, the commission comprises Ashok Lahiri, Shaktikanta Das, Anoop Singh and Ramesh Chand. Leaders and delegations of several political parties expressed concern that the state has been deprived of tax devolution on the pretext that the state has the highest GSDP and successive commissions ignored the challenges of regional inequality within Maharashtra. They demanded that since Maharashtra has maintained the population replacement rate of 1.8, it should be incentivized for the same. Raising issues concerning Mumbai, which has been the growth magnet for the country, they discussed the resultant immigration which puts enormous stress on resources and infrastructure. For this, the parties demanded from the Commission a special grant of Rs.50,000 crore for the city's development as people from all states in the country live here. They pointed out that while population is a critical indicator for devolution, due weightage should be given to "in-migration", sought adequate revenue deficit grants and to pay attention to the farm crises and drought afflicting the state. Various industry and agriculture groups informed the Commission about the shortage of equity and credit faced by them and requested that Goods & Services Tax (GST) on services used by the centre and state may be borne by the respective governments to spare the MSMEs of the burden of frequent taxation. The industry groups pointed out that the competitiveness of Indian exporters would improve due to the Rupee depreciation within a range of Rs 72-73 per USD. They added that the domino effects of insolvency and NCLT is faced by MSMEs and sought relaxation in the rules of the Insolvency Act. Local civic bodies in the urban and rural areas raised issued of need to devolve funds to the Zilla and Taluka Panchayats, besides village Panchayats, to maintain community assets, capacity building, raising internal resources and cluster-based approach for effective delivery of services like sold waste management. Representatives from the coastal Konkan demanded special grants for dealing with cleanliness and beautification of sea shores, arresting saline water ingression and hill regions like Panchgani sought funds to provide services to the tourist population and performance-based incentives. --IANS qn/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "gravely compromising national security and defence preparedness" by reducing to 36 the number of Rafale fighter jets purchased from France. "In 2000, the Indian Air Force (IAF) told the then NDA government that they require at least 126 fighter aircraft. With threats looming on both eastern and western borders, modern air power is very crucial. "In the present context, the threat perception has increased substantially and the IAF needs more than 126 fighters at the earliest. However, instead of catering to the need, the Modi government seriously jeopardised national security and air combat preparedness by unilaterally ordering only 36 Rafale jets," the former Defence Minister told the media here. Only the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) can decide on the number of aircraft and weaponry required, Antony said and added that Modi's announcement in 2015 to procure only 36 jets was a "grave violation" of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)."When Modi made the announcement in 2015, the DAC's approved proposal for acquiring 126 Rafale jets was still alive. We would like to know when the DAC cleared the proposal for 126 aircraft, and who authorised Modi to reduce the number to 36," the senior Congress leader asked. He also lambasted Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on her claim that state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) did not have the required capability to produce the jets in India. "She has tarnished the image of HAL, which is the only company that can manufacture the fighter aircraft in India. We don't know what her intentions were in ridiculing a public sector undertaking under her own Ministry," said Antony. He reiterated his party's demand for disclosing the price of the jets negotiated by the previous UPA government and the present NDA regime as well as a Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) into the matter. "Since there is a growing perception that the Modi government's Rafale deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be a JPC to bring out the truth," the former Union Minister said. --IANS and/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday reconstituted eight department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees that are serviced by the upper house of Parliament, an official release said. Reconstituted with effect from September 1, the tenure of these committees is one year. Each committee has 10 members from the Rajya Sabha and 21 from the Lok Sabha. While Naresh Gujral will head the Committee on Commerce, Ram Gopal Yadav will head the Committee on Health and Family Welfare. P. Chidambaram has been made chief of the Committee on Home Affairs. Satyanarayan Jatiya will lead the Committee on Human Resource Development and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh will head the Committee on Industry. Anand Sharma is the Chairman of Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest. Bhupender Yadav will chair the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, while Derek O' Brien will head the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. --IANS mak/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that Nepal had explained its absence from the recent BIMSTEC military drill and that India had "no reason to disbelieve it". She stressed that contrary to reports in a "section of media", Nepal had not boycotted the India-proposed military exercise and participated as an "observer". "The reason why they (Nepal) did not come here -- and this is something which I don't have reason to distrust -- I have been told very clearly that the (Army) chief was appointed recently and there were some customary engagements which they take very seriously," Sitharaman said in response to a question at a press briefing here. "It may be something religious, something social, but these commitments were already made and it was for him (Nepal Army chief) to attend all this before he started fully taking up his assignments," she added. A joint military exercise of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations was conducted between September 10-16 at Aundh Military Station near Pune in Maharashtra. While contingents of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka participated in the exercise, Nepal and Thailand skipped it and sent observers instead. "This explanation was given from their side to our people. And none of us had reasons to disbelieve it. And therefore they did not come in full capacity but they did have a participation as an observer. I respect their feelings," Sitharaman said. "It was not any sort of boycott as projected in some section of media," she added. Some of the observers have interpreted Nepal's absence as an indication of Nepal's growing proximity with China and distancing from India. --IANS mak/qd/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A three-day meeting at the national level on "Multi-Sectoral Services to Respond to Gender-Based Violence in Nepal" kicked off here on Tuesday. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens with support from the UN and the Women's Rehabilitation Centre to review progress, strengthen cooperation and share lessons learnt on the implementation of multi-sectoral services to address gender-based violence, Xinhua news agency reported. The event is being held at a time when the cases of violence, especially rape, have increased at an alarming rate across the country. Addressing the inaugural function, Nepali Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Tham Maya Magar said that the government was committed to addressing the gender-based violence at the national, provincial and municipal level by formulating right policies. "We already have many laws to minimize gender-based violence but implementation really takes long time. I am hopeful that the conclusions of this meeting will be helpful to formulate policies to minimize violence and to safeguards women's rights," Magar said. Stressing on the need of compliance at all levels, the Minister said that the newly-formed local governments can form a mechanism to protect and promote women. According to statistics, an average of three rapes is reported in Nepal every day, while the actual number could be higher as many incidents go unreported. UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal Valerie Julliand said that UN agencies were ready to work together with the Nepali government and civil society to combat gender-based violence. "The multi-sectoral response to gender-based violence will not just help women for recovery and empowerment, but will also help to eradicate poverty and will contribute to the country's development," Valerie said. The national-level meeting will conclude on Thursday. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Nepalese peacekeeper was injured in an attack by a government soldier in South Sudan, according to UN officials. The peacekeeper, who was shot and wounded while travelling in a convoy in the town of Yei on Saturday, was airlifted to capital Juba for medical treatment, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday. The UN Mission for South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement that the four-vehicle convoy, which included two water tankers, was traveling from the UN base in Yei to collect water when the incident took place. A Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldier shot directly at one of the vehicles, hitting the Nepalese peacekeeper in the leg before running off into a crowd, it said. "The troops were unable to return fire as they did not want to risk injuring civilians," the Mission added. UNMISS chief David Shearer said: "This direct attack on UN peacekeepers here to help the people of South Sudan is unacceptable. The perpetrator must be found and held accountable by government authorities." About 1,700 Nepalese peacekeepers are deployed in South Sudan and just last week they were awarded a UN medal for their "nimble and robust" protection of civilians. "The medal you have been awarded today is a symbol of what you have been able to achieve on behalf of the UN for the people of South Sudan," Shearer said at the medal ceremony. Nepalese Brigadier Nain Raj Dahal said: "So far, 63 (Nepalese) peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the quest for peace whereas 66 have been disabled." In June, a Bangladesh peacekeeper, Navy Lieutenant Commander Ashraf Siddiqui, who was traveling in a convoy led by Nepalese forces, was killed in an attack. So far 61 peacekeepers with UNMISS, at least seven of them Indian, have been killed in the civil war-torn nation. Last week, South Sudan President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, signed a peace agreement in neighbouring Ethiopia in hopes of ending the five-year civil war. The agreement provides for Machar to regain the Vice Presidency, which he abandoned and fled the country in 2016 during the last attempt to bring peace. However, UNMISS reported that there had been reports of fresh clashes between government and opposition forces in the area surrounding Kajo-Keji and in the Yei area in Central Equatoria state on Saturday. Shearer said: "This situation is evidence of a lack of command and control of armed forces which has resulted in unruly elements who continue to commit human rights abuses in the area. It is beholden on the government to bring their forces under control." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) --IANS al/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MGNREGS has the potential to increase wages of casual labour if implemented at its full capacity. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a fiscal is provided to any rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work on demand. The scheme was ranked as the world's largest public works programme by the World Bank in 2015. The scheme provides a social security net for 15 per cent of our country's population. However, while the scheme aims at providing 100 days of guaranteed employment, on an average, at an all-India level below 50 days of employment was actually provided in FY 18. None of the states were able to provide full 100 days employment as mentioned in the scheme as per extracts from latest RBI annual report. The average days of employment provided under MGNREGS was a mere 45.2. Tripura was leading the pack with close to 75 days of employment. While Manipur provided only 20 days of employment. As cited by RBI, the scheme has a huge potential and can even propel daily wages, if implemented at full capacity by reducing the availability of casual workforce. In total, workforce of 25.4 crore workers is available. As per the official numbers available on the MGNREGA website, in FY18 average days of employment provided per household was 45.77 which was only 46 in FY17 and 40.17 days in FY15. The average wage rate per person in FY18 was Rs 169.46, in FY17 it was Rs 161.65 and in FY15 wage rate was only Rs 143.92. The primary objective of MGNREGA was to enhance livelihood security in rural areas along with creating of durable assets such as building roads and canals. Employment had to be provided within 5 km of an applicant's residence, and minimum wages had to be paid. If employment is not provided within 15 days of application, applicants are entitled to an unemployment allowance. This unemployment allowance had to be paid by state governments. To combat emerging pollutants from the Barapullah drain in the national capital, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday inaugurated a sewage treatment plant (STP) here, saying it has a capacity to convert 10 lakh litres of sewage into three tonnes of bio-fuel per day. The STP, launched under the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUSHR) project, is a joint initiative of Indian and Dutch scientists, the Ministry said in a statement, adding it produces clean water, which can be reused and recover nutrients and energy from the urban waste water. "This plant, which can convert 10 lakh litre of sewage into clean water and generate 3 tonne of bio-fuel per day, will be scaled up and become an example for the whole world," the Minister said. Vardhan also inaugurated two bio-toilets supported by the government's Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. --IANS sm/qd/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a huge relief to Apple and its investors, Apple's smart watch, smart speaker and AirPods are not among the products that will be affected by the Trump administration's latest tariffs on Chinese imports, the media reported. Some Apple products, including its MacMini, will still be affected, CNBC reported on Monday, citing a list of products that will be affected. Apple had feared that US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods would affect several of its products, including the Apple Watch, AirPods, and adapters and chargers for a large number of products. The tech giant, therefore, sent a letter to the US Trade Representative asking the office to spare its products. The Trump's administration's proposed 10 per cent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods is set to come into effect later in September, increasing to 25 per cent at the end of 2018, a move that will sharply escalate the American trade war with Beijing. The administration announced on Monday that the additional tariffs which would take effect from September 24, were on top of penalties enacted earlier in 2018 on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, CNN reported. Taken together, it means roughly half of the products that China sells to the US each year will be hit by American tariffs. --IANS gb/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday launched a logo and web portal for the upcoming celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. "The portal - gandhi.gov.in - is participatory in nature and all participating organisations will be able to upload their activities regarding the commemoration of the occasion," a statement from the Ministry of Culture said. "It also has a unique feature -- Gandhipedia -- which will be a repository of Gandhian knowledge and will continue to grow with time," it added. The Ministry said the logo had been obtained through crowd-sourcing and its branding will be done through trains, Metro, Air India, roadways buses, government websites, emails, government stationery, calendars and diaries, government advertisements and more. The logo will also be used by public sector undertakings, subordinate offices, autonomous bodies under the government of India. Minister of State for Culture as well as Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mahesh Sharma and Culture Secretary Arun Goel were present during the logo release at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. The logo and web portal is part of the two-year-long celebrations from October 2, 2018 to October 2, 2020 across the country and on foreign soil to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. --IANS sd/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reviewed several inter-state issues at the 28th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council here. "The Council reviewed the implementation of the recommendations made at its last meeting on security to fishermen, introduction of peninsular tourism trains, uniformity in allocation of funds in proportion to population of SCs/STs for scholarship for all courses, optimum harnessing of renewable energy in the southern states," Singh told reporters after the meeting at the state Secretariat here. Out of the 27 items discussed at the meeting, 22 were resolved. "The Council discussed the Pulicat lake dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu fishermen over fishing rights, menace of red-sander smuggling in Seshachalam hills in Andhra Pradesh, supply of Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh to Chennai and issues related to fishing in the coastal states," said the Home Ministry in a statement. The Council's standing committee met in Bengaluru on November 28, 2017. Besides Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac and Andaman and Nicobar Lt. Governor D.K. Joshi participated in the meeting. "In the previous meeting, seven issues were resolved. They were related to extension of high-speed rail corridor between Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Mangaluru up to Udupi in coastal Karnataka; giving infrastructure status to housing by the central government; promotion of oil seeds and oil palm cultivation and inclusion of Puducherry in the Central Finance Commission among others," noted the statement. A scheme for the modernisation of police forces in the southern states, issuance of no-objection certificates for LPG godown site plan and issues pertaining to biofuels were also discussed. Singh also assured Kerala and Karnataka of the central government's assistance to those affected by floods due to torrential monsoon rains in August in the two states. "The Council expressed sorrow and sympathy to the flood victims who lost their lives and property," said the statement. The five Zonal Councils (Western, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Center Zonal Councils) were set up under the States' Reorganisation Act, 1956 to foster inter-state cooperation and coordination among the states across the country. The councils are mandated to discuss and make recommendations on issues of common interest such as economic and social planning, border disputes, linguistic minorities or inter-state transportation. Two council meetings and three Standing Committee meetings of the Southern Zonal Council were held in the last four years. The council has decided to hold its next meeting at Chennai in Tamil Nadu. --IANS fb/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that a Russian maritime patrol plane with 15 personnel on board was inadvertently shot down by the Syrian regime after it came under attack by Israeli missiles. The Russian military said that while Syrian air defences shot down the aircraft on Monday night, Israel was to blame for putting it in the line of fire, CNN reported citing Russian media. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed, which is absolutely not in keeping with the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership," said Russian Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian military. The Ministry earlier on Tuesday said that connection had been lost at around 11 p.m. on Monday with the crew of the Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea. The incident reportedly occurred about 35 km from the Syrian coast as the aircraft was returning to the Hmeimim airbase near the north-western city of Latakia. State news agency TASS said the aircraft went off the radars during an attack by four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in Latakia, where Russia has based much of its military presence, including aircraft. Israel has not yet commented on the development. Russia began military strikes in Syria in 2015 after a request from President Bashar al-Assad, who has stayed in power despite seven years of civil war. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian military aircraft with 15 personnel on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, while blaming a simultaneous Israeli strike as the cause of the mistake. The Ministry said a missile from Syria's S-200 air defence system shot down the Il-20 surveillance plane with Russian servicemen on Monday night by mistake because an Israeli airstrike took place at the same time, the BBC reported. The aircraft, which was on its way back to the Russian Hmeymim Airbase, disappeared from the radar at a time when four Israeli F-16 fighters attacked targets in Syria's Latakia province. "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed. This is absolutely not in the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership," Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised message. The Russian military in Syria received a notification via a hotline about the Israeli airstrike one minute before it happened, which did not allow enough time for the Russian aircraft to move to the safe zone, Konashenkov said. He said the Israeli jets used the Il-20 as a shield, whose effective reflective surface was 10 times larger than that of the F-16, leading to the shooting down of the Russian plane. The Israeli jets deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in the area, the spokesman said. "We regard the provocative actions of Israel as hostile ... We reserve the right to adequate response actions," Konashenkov said. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, saying that "the blame for the downed Russian plane and the death of the crew lies entirely on the Israeli side". "The Russian Defence Ministry has repeatedly called on the Israeli side to refrain from attacks on the Syrian territory that threaten the safety of the Russian servicemen," Shoigu told Lieberman. According to Russian officials, their Il-20 crashed about 27 km off the coast of Latakia. Remains of the crew's bodies and personal belongings, as well as wreckage of the aircraft were brought aboard Russian ships. Search and rescue operations were still underway. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Gary Koren over the incident. Israeli authorities were yet to comment on the Russian accusation. The deadly incident occurred just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed in Sochi to set up a demilitarized zone between the armed opposition and the government troops in Syria's Idlib province. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court will hear on October 10 a PIL petition seeking probe into the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from French company Dassault. The bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Navin Sinha and Justice K.M. Joseph adjourned the hearing of matter on Tuesday as petitioner advocate M.L. Sharma had circulated a letter seeking adjournment till October 5 on the grounds that he was not well. But as Sharma came to the court and sought its permission to file additional documents, Justice Gogoi wondered that while he had sought adjournment owing to his indifferent health, he was now seeking permission to file more documents. Initially, the court fixed October 22 as the next date of hearing but as Sharma urged for an early date, Justice Gogoi said he could not have an adjournment and also the next date of his choice. However, the court later advanced it to October 10. The lawyer sought a stay on the fighter jet deal between India and France alleging discrepancies. The Rafale deal is a defence agreement signed between India and France for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. --IANS pk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thai authorities have said that in less than two months, more than 20 sea turtles had been killed from plastic or fish net wraps. Thorn Thamrongnavaswasdi, vice dean of the fisheries faculty of Kasetsart University, said on Monday that the sea turtles washed upon the shores of Phuket and Phan-nga beaches provinces could not survive as the trapped sea animals suffocated in plastic waste bags or struggled tremendously in fishing nets, reports Xinhua news agency. The marine scientist said that more than 20 green turtles and Olive Ridley turtles were found on Mai Khao beach in the Sirinart national park in Phuket and the beach in Thai Muang national park in Phang-nga province in the past two months. He said many were found dead with plastic or pieces of fish net wrapped around the turtles' legs or necks. Thorn also said turtles found injured had serious wounds and barely survived after they were taken to a rehabilitation centre for treatment. Mai Khao and Thai Muang beaches have been the spawning ground for sea turtles which come to the beaches during October-February period. Thorn however said the leatherback turtles have been missing for four years now. In June this year on World Day, the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and along with several ministries, pledged to raise public awareness against the use of plastic by launching a campaign called "Beat Plastic Pollution: If you can't reuse it, refuse it". --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SHARP India, a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of Japan-based SHARP Corporation, on Tuesday launched its 8K "Professional Display" at InfoComm 2018 here. Priced approximately around Rs 20 lakh, the top-end model, "LV-70X500E" is a B2B (business-to-business) product and it adopts an 8K high-resolution LCD panel with 16 times the resolution of full-HD. "We believe that 8K will revolutionise the society, the future of technology and expand various applications all over the world," Shinji Minatogawa, Managing Director, SHARP India, said in a statement. "As a result, we are excited to bring our innovative 8K technologies to the InfoComm, India this year," Minatogawa added. SHARP Corporation is a worldwide developer of networked multifunctional office solutions, professional displays and Office Solutions. The company was honoured as an inaugural "Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Technology Leader" in 2018. --IANS vc/qd/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday inspected the under-construction integrated campus of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) in the national capital, an official said. The campus is coming up in Surajmal Vihar of east Delhi. Sisodia directed officers and engineers responsible for the project to complete it before the stipulated date of completion, said the official, adding that the campus will be ready by November 2019. The university campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and envisages an annual intake of 1,500 students across six courses it proposes to offer. The official said every building of the campus will have enough solar panels, and zero-sewage output will be ensured by installing a sewage treatment plant. --IANS sm/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Audi China was granted licenses for autonomous vehicle road test in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province at the forum for intelligent transportation and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) industry development on September 14. The other automaker got the license is SAIC Motor. Audi China plans to set up a R&D and testing center in the first quarter of 2019 in this city. Nearly 150 employees are likely to be hired there, working on the spot tests for autonomous vehicle and IoV technologies. Up until now, all of the three major German premium automakers have been given green light to road test autonomous vehicles in China. BMW obtained two license plates for the ICV (intelligent-connected vehicle) road test from Shanghai municipal government on May 14, becoming the first global automaker that is allowed to test ICV on roads. Then, Daimler AG announced on July 6 that it was given go-ahead to road test L4 autonomous vehicles in Beijing, the capital of China. Audi AG has been actively developing cooperation with Chinese partners in autonomous driving domain. As early as 2017, the German automaker joined hands with Huawei, a China's leading provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices, to test LTE-V ( the long-term evolution-vehicle) program on public roads. On July 10, 2018, Audi announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Huawei to develop in-depth cooperation in ICV area. The agreement constituted part of a broad-based partnership between companies in China and Germany initiated by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. South Africa's Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that the country's ban on possession, consumption and private cultivation of cannabis was "unconstitutional", in effect decriminalizing the recreational use of the popular psychoactive substance. The first step towards easing South Africa's stringent restrictions on marijuana consumers came in a landmark judgment last year by the Western Cape High Court, which found that the prohibition on using and growing the plant at one's own residence violated the right to privacy. The Constitutional Court has now upheld that decision and expanded its scope, Efe news reported. "The right to privacy is not confined to a home or private dwelling," said Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo when delivering the ruling. "It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private space." Activists in favour of normalizing the status of cannabis had gathered in front of the court building, many of them sporting the red, yellow and green colours associated with Rastafarianism -- an Afrocentric religious movement born in Jamaica in the 1930s and popularized by reggae superstar Bob Marley among others -- that places a strong spiritual value on the ritual smoking of ganja, a Caribbean word for cannabis. In South Africa, marijuana is popularly known as "dagga". According to the report, exultant activists rejoiced as they learned of the verdict, with some seen smoking marijuana from a large bong-style pipe made from a coconut. Some were holding up placards with slogans such as "Give Me My Medicine", "God Created Cannabis for Us - Genesis 1:29", "Cannabis Is My Right" and "Free The Weed". The historic case was brought by Jeremy Acton (the leader of Iqela Lentsango: The Dagga Party of South Africa) and Rastafarian attorney Gareth Prince, while Myrtle Clarke and Julian Stobbs, known as "The Dagga Couple", also signed onto the lawsuit. The Dagga Couple were arrested at their home in 2010 for possessing over 115 grams of weed and were therefore charged with drug dealing and intent to sell. They eventually turned the case on its head when they sued seven different sectors of the South African government and challenged the constitutionality of cannabis prohibition, with Tuesday's ruling representing an indisputable victory on that front. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Often under attack for its "exclusionary" agenda, RSS chief on Tuesday said there will be no "Hindu rashtra" without Muslims in and encompasses fraternity and unity in diversity. Expounding on the concept in his second of the three-day lecture series, he said that was the basic thought of all communities residing in Bhagwat, speaking at the event "Future of Bharat: An RSS perspective" at Vigyan Bhavan here, also said that the Sangh firmly believed in the Indian Constitution and does not take part in He spent a large part of his over 80-minute speech expounding on the RSS' adherence to the concept of Hindutva and said unity in diversity, sacrifice, self-control and a spirit of gratitude were defining characteristics of Hindutva. With the and other parties accusing the RSS of following a divisive agenda and trying to impose uniformity, Bhagwat said there is no Hindutva without minorities being part of the society. He said political parties follow different ideologies but if the spirit of camaraderie was forgotten, it can lead to difficulties. "The Sangh works for 'bandhubhav' (fraternity) and for this there is only one basis - unity in diversity. This is our thought process which the world calls as Hindutva and that's why we say we are a Hindu rashtra (nation). It does not mean that we do not need Muslims, this does not work. The day it is said that we do not need Muslims, that day it will not be Hindutva. "It talks of the world being a family. The day we say only Vedas will be preached and Buddhism should not be followed, then there will be no Hindutva. Because we constantly strive for truth and several religious philosophies came as a result. It is the only thought to give basis to this fraternity. It does not react," he said. With the accusing the RSS of being an extra-constitutional authority, Bhagwat said: "Constitution is the consensus of all Indians and it is duty of all to follow it. "And what I have said so far is in accordance with the Constitution. Sangh works after accepting the primacy of the Constitution and we respect it fully." He said the RSS worked for the country to become capable and rich. "It should have economic capability, moral capability and strategic capability. It should be full of people with knowledge and humility, it should be egalitarian and free of exploitation." He said the RSS wanted to be powerful for the good of the world as people respect truth if there was power behind it. Bhagwat said the RSS had its views on issues but it does not interfere in the government's policies and functioning. Since its inception, he said the RSS had abstained from electoral but continued to have its views on issues which affect the country. "We don't participate in politics, (that) doesn't mean we don't have any views. We do have our views on policies, we talk about the policies with all our might," said Bhagwat. "Sangh abstaining from doesn't mean we will not talk about infiltrators. These are issues and they affect the entire country. Sangh gives its views on all such issues," he added. He rubbished speculation of the RSS influencing the government's functioning. "Often people make this speculation that a call from (RSS headquarters) must be behind a particular decision (of the government). This is all baseless. All those working (in the government) are seniors and they are far more experienced in politics than us," said Bhagwat. "They don't need Sangh's advice. They neither depend on our advice, nor do we give any. If they need any suggestion, they ask for it, and if we have something to offer, then we give it. But we have no influence on the government's policies. They are our Swayamsevaks, but are capable of doing their job," he added. He also said the aim of the Sangh was to unite the entire society. "Since the birth of the Sangh, it has decided to stay away from politics. It will neither contest elections, nor participate in electoral politics. RSS functionaries cannot be office bearers of a political party." A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was injured on Tuesday when militants attacked the paramilitary forces camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. The militants hurled a grenade and resorted to heavy firing at the CRPF camp and the SOG (special operations group) in Newa village around 12.45 a.m., the police said. The CRPF jawan injured in the attack was shifted to Army's 92 base hospital here. A cordon and search operation has started in the area. --IANS sq/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her decades ago will testify publicly before the Senate on September 24. In setting the hearing, Senator Charles E. Grassley on Monday backed down from a committee vote on Judge Kavanaugh's nomination planned for this Thursday and pushed a confirmation once seen as inevitable into limbo, reports The New York Times. The hearing with Judge Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist in Northern California, sets up a potentially explosive public showdown that carries unmistakable echoes of the 1991 testimony of Anita Hill, who accused the future Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. It will play out against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, which has energised Democratic women across the US, in an institution, the Senate, that is more than three-quarters male. However, Trump vigorously defended his nominee on Monday, calling him an "outstanding" judge with an unblemished record, and dismissing the prospect that Kavanaugh might withdraw his nomination as "ridiculous". "He is somebody very special; at the same time, we want to go through a process, we want to make sure everything is perfect, everything is just right," Trump told the media at the White House. "If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay - it shouldn't certainly be very much." The announcement on Monday comes a day after Ford came forward publicly, detailing her allegations in an exclusive interview to The Washington Post. Ford said that in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend sexually abused her during a social gathering in Montgomery County. Kavanaugh on Monday issued a fresh denial of the allegations, which have roiled his confirmation process. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes - to her or to anyone," he said in a statement. "Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday." --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has stepped up his trade battle with China by slapping 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to retaliate by imposing duties on American products worth $60 billion. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the new wave of tariffs would go into effect on September 24 -- the date when the US duties will also come into effect. Beijing's tariff rates on US products will be levied at 5 per cent and 10 per cent. On the other hand, the Trump administration on Monday said that duties on Chinese imports would rise to 25 per cent on January 1, 2019. These will apply to almost 6,000 items, marking the biggest round of US tariffs so far, the New York Times reported. Earlier, the list slated for tariffs originally included more than 6,000 items, but US officials later removed about 300 types of items, including smart watches, bicycle helmets, play pens, high chairs and baby car seats. Trump said the latest round of tariffs was in response to China's "unfair trade practices". Beijing was expected to target American goods like liquefied natural gas, produced in states loyal to the US President. Trump showed no sign of backing down from the type of full-blown trade war between the world's two largest economies that rattled financial markets, saying he was prepared to "immediately" place tariffs on another $267 billion worth of imports in case of China taking any retaliatory measures. He also warned Beijing against seeking to influence the upcoming US midterm elections. The additional tariffs by the US were on top of penalties enacted earlier in July on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. Taken together, it means roughly half of the products that China sells to the US each year will be hit by American tariffs. Unlike the first round of tariffs on Chinese imports, which were intended to minimize the impact on American consumers, this wave could raise prices on everyday products including electronics, food, tools and housewares. Earlier in the day, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said that "Washington's move will force Beijing to take countermeasures" and warned that the action would add more uncertainties to the trade talks. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that "what the US has done shows no sincerity and no good faith at all". "We have been stressing that talks need to happen on the basis of parity, equality and good faith to resolve the relevant issues between the two sides. This is only way out," Ministry's spokesperson Geng Shuang said. Before its latest round of tariffs, China had previously imposed duties on $50 billion of US products. "The tariffs are designed to force China to change a range of unfair trade practices, including compelling American companies to surrender their technology in return for access to the Chinese market," Trump had said while announcing tariffs. "We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made... But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices," he said. After opening lower, the Shanghai stock market ended the day 1.8 per cent higher, while Tokyo was up 1.4 per cent and Hong Kong gained 0.6 per cent. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had invited the Chinese negotiators to Washington this week to resume talks. But Beijing said that "the US insistence on imposing tariffs brings new uncertainties" to those negotiations. Despite the ongoing spat, White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said the US was still willing to continue its dialogue with China. "We stand ready to negotiate with China anytime, if they are willing to engage in serious talks," she said at the Economic Club of New York. European Union's Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said that the new tariffs will increase downside risks to the world economy. --IANS soni/mr (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.) US President Donald Trump has escalated his trade war with China, saying his administration would impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods and was also prepared to tax all imports. Trump, in a statement released late Monday, showed no sign of backing down from the type of full-blown trade war between the world's two largest economies that has rattled financial markets, saying he was prepared to "immediately" place tariffs on another $267 billion worth of imports "if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries", The New York Times reported. The tariffs on $200 billion worth of products come on top of the $50 billion worth already taxed earlier this year, meaning nearly half of all Chinese imports into the US will soon face levies. The next wave of tariffs, which are scheduled to go into effect on September 24, will start at 10 per cent before climbing to 25 per cent on January 1, 2019. The timing of the staggered increase will partially reduce the toll of price increases for holiday shoppers buying Chinese imports in the coming months. "For months, we have urged China to change these unfair practices, and give fair and reciprocal treatment to American companies," Trump said in the statement. "We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly. But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices." Trump said the tariffs are designed to force China to change a range of unfair trade practices, including compelling American companies to surrender their technology in return for access to the Chinese market, reports The Washington Post. Trump has described the tariffs as leverage in negotiating Chinese policy changes with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But several preliminary rounds of talks have yielded no agreement and Trump has said he was in no hurry to settle the dispute. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had invited the negotiators to Washington this week to resume talks. But China said it would turn down the offer if the US went ahead with more tariffs, CNN said. China has accused the US of trade bullying and, to this point, has responded dollar-for-dollar with tariffs of its own. Beijing has also vowed to retaliate against the latest US tariffs with new import taxes on $60 billion in American products. In deciding to proceed with additional tariffs, the President ignored pleas from hundreds of US companies that appeared at public hearings last month to oppose the new levies. Executives complained that the tariffs would make their products more expensive, costing them sales. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Kingdom's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on Tuesday released a report in which it advocated a post-Brexit immigration system that would eliminate privileged ties with EU citizens. This recommendation, which would mean the end of free movement of people between the UK and EU after the former's withdrawal from the bloc, was included in the MAC's extensive study on Brexit's impact on the country's labour market, Efe news reported. "The MAC's core recommendation is for the UK to be more open to skilled workers from around the world and to limit access to low-skilled workers," MAC Chairman Alan Manning said. "High-skilled workers bring clear benefits to the UK economy and should be actively encouraged." The MAC report focussed on a skills-based migration policy, which would prioritize migrants according to professional qualifications, making it similar to the Canadian system. This would also apply to international students, who would not receive preferential treatment under this new policy package. The 140-page report was commissioned in 2017 and included input from over 400 businesses, government bodies and stakeholders consulted. The specialized committee assessed the impact of migration on a range of areas such as taxation, productivity and integration. The new migration system, if approved, would come into effect in December 2020, following the post-Brexit transition period. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Speciality steel-maker Usha Martin, which has decided to explore the sale of its steel business, is hopeful of receiving offers from bidders by end of this month after the company entered into non-disclosure agreement with steel giants, an official said on Tuesday. "The process of due diligence is on and hopefully, within this month, we should be receiving offers," Managing Director Rajeev Jhawar said. Steel giants, including Tata Steel, Vedanta, JSW, Liberty House and Kalyani Steel have signed non-disclosure agreements with it, he said after the company's Annual General Meeting here. The company, which has been reeling under a debt burden, had decided to look for buyers for its steel business to achieve the "objective of deleveraging the company". According to its latest annual report, its steel business achieved a sales turnover of Rs 2,626.43 crore in the 2017-18 as against Rs 2,253.11 crore in the previous year, higher by 16.57 per cent. During FY 2017-18 the export turnover of steel business was Rs 96.2 crore, which was 3.66 per cent of its turnover, against Rs 102.8 crore in the previous year. Steel contributed 63.35 per cent of its total revenue during 2017-18 as compared to 62.48 per cent during 2016-17. It makes alloy steel long products such as wire rods, bars, blooms and bright bars mostly for commercial vehicles and tractors. The company had earlier planned to sell its wire rope business but did not succeed so far. "Our endeavour to address the debt burden of the Company by looking for a buyer for our wire and wire ropes business has not met with success so far," he said in the Annual report. As on March 31, 2018, it total debt stood at Rs 4,600 crore. The company had repaid close to Rs 540 crore in the last financial year, and is looking to repay close to Rs 320 crore this fiscal, an official said. However, lenders led by the State Bank of India, had pushed the board of directors of the company to remove Prashant Jhawar from the post of non-executive chairman. The board had, subsequently, appointed G.N.Bajpai as the non-executive chairman of the firm. Prashant and Rajeev Jhawar are in legal battles at the Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal over the control of the company. When asked about the progress on settlement of legal disputes with co-promoter, he said, the focus would be firstly to 'set the company on track'. --IANS bdc/anp/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Tuesday signed a $74 million loan agreement with the World Bank for the Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project. The project aims to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of workers relevant to the labour market through short-term training in the state, an official statement said. "A total of 25 ITIs have been selected -- 13 in district centres and 12 that are well-linked to industries. Two of the four women ITIs in the state will be included in the list," it added. The project, supposed to end in June 2023, has a five-year grace period and a maturity of 17 years, the government said. --IANS vv/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The All India Sikh Conference has alleged that senior lawyer and AAP MLA H S Phoolka, fighting cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, fudged affidavits. Phoolka rubbished the allegations. The All India Sikh Conference alleged Phoolka wrote the affidavits of widows on his own. "The affidavits were written in English and were quite lengthy. Most of the widows were illiterate...Phoolka wrote the affidavits on his own," the organisation said. The organisation said it has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik requesting him to take action in the matter. Phoolka said, "Jagdish Tytler has been levelling allegations of fudging records against me for the last many years. What should I react?" Tytler, a Congress leader, is an accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An accused in the 1998 serial bomb blasts case, arrested recently, was on Tuesday sent to two days' police custody by a court here. The Fifth Judicial Magistrate court passed the order on a plea by the police seeking seven days' custody of Noohu, alias Mankavu Rashid, arrested on September 11 from Kozhikode in Kerala, and brought and lodged in the central prison here. The CB-CID police produced Rashid before the court. Rashid, wanted by police, had been at large for the last 20 years since the February 14, 1998, bomb blasts that rocked the city coinciding with the visit of senior BJP leader L K Advani. In all, 52 people were killed and over 200 injured in the blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Gujarat Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela Tuesday expressed his desire to play the role of a coordinator between regional parties to forge an "anti-BJP" front in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Vaghela said though he has not been approached by any regional outfit for coordination, his supporters have urged him to unite such parties to create an "anti-BJP" front ahead of the polls. The former Gujarat chief minister said, "My supporters are of the opinion that I should play the role of a coordinator to unite various regional parties which are against the ruling BJP. Even I felt that better coordination is needed between parties." The 78-year-old politician was talking to reporters in Gandhinagar after a meeting of his supporters. "I am not in favour of a Third Front. In an election, its always one versus another. There are always two players. My idea is to create a second front. I am talking about an alliance of various parties, though ideologically opposite, which would take on the BJP by coming together," he said. To explain his point, he gave the example of the CPI(M) and the Congress, which are against each other in Kerala and West Bengal, but want to fight against their common opponent the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. "I firmly believe anti-BJP votes must never get divided. Thus, my intention is to unite regional parties such as the TRS, the TDP, the CPI(M) and the NCP, and clear their differences in order to give a united fight to the BJP," said Vaghela. He claimed BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, who represents the Gandhinagar seat in the Lok Sabha, has expressed his desire to contest the polls in 2019 too. "I met Advani and many other leaders during my travel across the country recently. Advani told me that he will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Gandhinagar," claimed Vaghela. Commenting on reports about his growing proximity with Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, Vaghela claimed he is not joining the NCP or any other party. Notably, Vaghela's son Mahendrasinh Vaghela, who was a Congress MLA till 2017, recently joined the BJP. Vaghela, a former Union minister, himself was with the BJP till 1998. The Kshatriya strongman had quit the Congress after the Rajya Sabha polls last year and floated 'Jan Vikalp', a third front, ahead of the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls. However, all the 100-odd candidates of the new front lost the polls held in December. In August 2017, Vaghela, then the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, along with seven other Congress MLAs had reportedly cross-voted in favour of the BJP candidate during the Rajya Sabha polls and then resigned from the party. Despite the cross-voting, Congress candidate Ahmed Patel narrowly won the contest by defeating BJP nominee Balwantsinh Rajput. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Legal hurdles for regularising the services of outsourced personnel working in power utilities in Telangana as 'artisans' have been cleared with a petition challenging the proposed regularisation being struck down in the High Court Tuesday, the state government said. The development paves the way for regularising the services of 23,000 'artisans' working in power utilities, including TS GENCO (Telangana State Power Generation Corporation) and TS TRANSCO (Telangana State Power Transmission Corporation),a release from Chief Minister's office said. The state government had earlier proposed to regularise the services of 'artisans' who have been working for a long time on outsourcing basis, it said. Accordingly, orders were issued for regularising the services of 23,000 'artisans' but the move was challenged in the high court. Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrsekhar Rao expressed happiness over the High Court striking down the petition, it added. "CM instructed CMD (of TSGENCO and TSTRANSCO) Prabhakar Rao to regularise the services of artisans, recognise them as regular employees, decide on the pay scales for them and implement PRC (pay revision) to them also. CM greeted the artisans whose services are to be regularised," the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The five sewage workers who died recently while cleaning a sewer tank in west Delhi's Moti Nagar did not have personal protection equipment, a Delhi government enquiry report released Tuesday has found. According to the report filed by K R Verma, the Additional Labour Commissioner-II, all the five workers employed through the Unnati Engineering and Contractor Pvt. Ltd were covered under the Employee's State Insurance (ESI) and Employees' Provident Fund Scheme. The notices under the provisions of the Contract Labour Act, 1970 and Minimum Wages Act, 1948 have been issued to both the contractors -- DLF (which built the flats) and JLL, tasked with the maintenance of the septic tank -- as well as principal employer Unnati Engineering and Contractor Pvt. Ltd, the report said. "The deceased workers were allowed to enter the septic tank of the Sewage Treatment Plant without personal protection equipment," states the report. Also, notice under the Factories Act, 1948 and the rules framed under it has been issued to them, the report said. It also stated that since all the deceased were covered under the ESI scheme, the provisions of Employees Compensation Act, 1923 are not applicable in this case, however, necessary action will be taken. According to the ESI department, in such death cases, the ESI gives pension to the dependents of the deceased equivalent to 90 per cent of wages on which last ESI contribution has been deducted/deposited, the report said. In addition to this, the dependent family members would be entitled to medical benefit for whole life period as per rules, it said. The incident triggered a blame game between the AAP and BJP. The Delhi government had ordered a probe into the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has achieved 96 per cent coverage in issuing biometric cards to fishermen across the coastal regions of India, the Centre said Tuesday. Briefing reporters at the end of the 28th meeting of Southern Zonal Council held here, Union Homeminister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the meeting, described it as "very successful and very fruitful." Of 27 agendaitems, 22 were successfully resolved. The rest would be resolved at the next meeting to be held in Tamil Nadu, whose date has notbeen fixed, Singh said. "The zonal councilprovides for a common meeting ground for states to promote and facilitate coordinated efforts for fostering economic and social development," he told reporters. R Buhril, secretary, inter-state council in the Home ministry of home affairs, said, "96 per cent of biometric cards have been given across the country. The Home ministry is very particular about this because it involves coastal security. This willhelp identifying whether those fishing in high seas are ourlegitimate citizens or not," he said. Besides state governments, the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and other security agencies have been provided with card readers, he explained. Issues of scholarship to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were also deliberated. Matters related to running a peninsular tourism train, touching all the tourist destinations of south India, was alsodiscussed. The issue of curbing red sanders logs' smuggling wasalso taken up, but the states could not arrive at a decisionand it was later decided to set up a committee to look into the issue, Burhil said. The official said matters that could not be resolved included the land dispute between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu hindering the Puducherry airport project and fishing in Pulicat lake on the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu border. Modernisation of police forces and issues relating to augmenting drinking water supply to Chennai city were also discussed. "There were issues relating to coastal fishing in terms of use of antibiotics so that they are used properly, otherwise consignments, particularly for exports, will be rejected. So, some norms and guidelines have been finalised by the ministry, which is being circulated and the states were requested to adopt these guidelines," Burhil said. Besides Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, his Puducherry counterpart V Narayanasamy was also present. Representatives of other southern states too participated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) November 03, 2021, Wednesday The COP26 is being held from October 31 to November 12 under the presidency of the UK which is partnering with Italy for the Legislators of ruling BJD and opposition Congress Tuesday demanded action against one Abhijit Iyer Mitra for making derogatory remarks on the Sun Temple in Konark. As soon as the House assembled at 10.30 am, the BJD members protested against the remarks made by Mitra, who is a friend of former parliamentarian Baijayant Panda. The ruling party members staged a dharna in the well of the House and later near Mahatma Gandhi statue on the assembly premises. In a video uploaded on social media, Mitra is seen criticising the 13th Century temple. Stating that Mitra has ridiculed the Sun Temple, BJD MLA Sanjay Dasburma said, "It (Mitra's video) is an insult to the state and its existence. Action should be taken against the man (Mitra)." Konark Sun Temple is a 13th century monument built by King Narasimhadeva I. It is renowned for intricate artwork on the walls. Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said, "There are two video clips which show a non-Odia, RSS man standing in front of Konark Temple making comments." The Congress leader said, "It hurts the sentiments of Odisha irrespective of party and religion. He says the art and sculpture are contrary to Hindu culture. This is unwarranted and condemnable.""Mitra should be prosecuted. Contents in the video are enough evidence to prosecute him under the law," Mishra said. As per information available at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, Mitra flew in along with Panada in a chopper on September 15. BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo said, "He (Mitra) is not a BJP man. RSS has nothing to do with the proposed Ram Temple at Ayodhya. It is also not in BJP's agenda. Let us not do politics over it." Speaking on BJD's protest against Mitra's remarks, Singhdeo alleged that it was a diversionary tactic of the ruling party to avoid the alleged cooperative bank scam being raised by the BJP and opposition parties. BJP member Pradip Purohit also criticised the ruling party and accused it of trying to divert attention from the alleged scams in the House. Apart from his video on Sun Temple, Mitra also uploaded videos of himself flying around the Sun Temple and the Jagannath Temple in Puri on social media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asad Umer presented mini Budget ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Asad Umar on Tuesday presented Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) governments amendments to the finance bill 2018 in the National Assembly, according to which the prime minister, ministers and governors will not be exempted from tax paying. Asad Umar presented amendments before a National Assembly session headed by Speaker Asad Qaiser. He said changes in the budget are necessary because the priority is to safeguard the underprivileged people in Pakistan. The lawmaker said the deficit could exceed to Rs2700 billion if concrete steps are not taken immediately to counter the economic crisis. Asad said that the PM, ministers and governors will not enjoy any sort of tax exemptions. Among the other propositions, it was said that there would be an increase of 10% in pensions, while duties will be applied on purchase of expensive phones. Taxes on vehicles above 1800cc will also be increased from 10 percent to 20 percent, Asad said. The lawmaker also talked about income tax in his address. He said individuals who earn Rs4-8 lac annually will pay a tax amount of Rs1,000, while those who earn Rs8-12 lac annually will pay Rs2,000. Individuals with annual earnings of Rs12-24 lac will pay 5% of their annual wage, while those who earn Rs24-30 lac yearly will pay a fixed amount of Rs60,000. Moreover, individuals with earnings of Rs30-40 lac annually will pay 15% of their wage, those who earn Rs40-50 lac will pay 25%, while 29% will be charged from those who earn more than Rs50 lac a year. Activists and villagers raised their concerns over a proposed nuclear power plant in Chutka in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, saying it would destroy nature and take away their homeland. In 2009, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) has decided to set up the atomic station in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh to generate 1,400 MW power. Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Limited (MPPGCL) is the nodal agency to facilitate the execution of the project. The villagers claimed they have been protesting for the past nine years over the atomic power plant and when they did not relent, compensation was put into their accounts forcefully. "MPPGCL forcefully put the compensation amount in our bank accounts and took our Aadhaar copies from the bank. We have written to the bank to remove their money," said Meera Bai, a resident of Chutka. Another resident, Dadu Lal Kudape, said they visited other villages where nuclear plants would be coming up and they found contaminated water and polluted "We do not want the same things to happen to us," he said. Padmini Ghosh, Women's Regional Network India Coordinator, said if European countries are dismantling nuclear power plants, India is building them. "We need to review nuclear policy and install renewable energy plants," Ghosh said. Raj Kumar Sinha, activist working with the villagers, said they are being exploited and no amount of money could compensate for their land. "These people are nature lovers. They can't be bought with money," he said. The Women's Regional Network said a total of 17,000 people would be displaced if the plant comes up. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during which a host of issues, including regional security and the developmental partnership between the two neighbours, are expected to be discussed. Ghani will arrive in India on Wednesday morning on a day-long visit. He will hold talks with Modi in the afternoon and attend a civic reception hosted by the India Foundation before heading back, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The visit comes just days after India and Afghanistan agreed to enhance cooperation under the New Development Partnership as part of which New Delhi had announced taking up 116 "high impact community developmental projects" in the war-torn country. The decision to scale up cooperation and collaborate on infrastructure and high impact community development projects had been taken at the third meeting of the Joint Working Group on Political and Security Cooperation between India and Afghanistan in Kabul last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Women who have undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections may be at greater risk of experiencing negative premenstrual symptoms (PMS), such as headaches, cramps and sadness, an Oxford study has found. Despite being known to have an anti-social effect on women's lives, altering their moods, energy levels, eating habits and even sex drive, periods are not recognised as a scientific factor in the study of female health. However, some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are asymptomatic, and can lead to fertility issues. For instance 70 per cent of people diagnosed with Chlamydia are unaware of it. The researchers from Oxford University in the US said that reproductive health needs to be taken more seriously by both the scientific community and women in general. "Not understanding or even acknowledging that PMS is more than 'women's raging hormones' but rather the by-product of cyclical immunity makes it harder to identify diseases and can even delay diagnosis of infections such as STIs, which can affect women's fertility," said Alexandra Alvergne, lead-author at Oxford University in the UK. The study used data from 865 users of a period-tracking app, CLUE, who were asked whether they had ever been diagnosed with an STI, and if were given treatment. This information was combined with data that they had logged on their menstrual bleeding patterns, experience of pain and emotional impacts and whether or not they used hormonal contraceptives. Before diagnosis, the presence of an infection such as Chlamydia, Herpes or HPV doubled the likelihood of the woman reporting negative PMS effects including headaches, cramps and sadness towards the end of their cycle, and generally feeling highly sensitive throughout. The findings, published in Evolution Medicine & Public Health, will also be used to improve the CLUE app, and shape additional questions that would make the overall data captured more robust and useful. "Our research shows that by better understanding their period and menstrual cycle, women could potentially improve their health. If you know that severe PMS could be an indicator of an underlying STI, you are more likely to listen to your body," said Alvergne. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (INADO) warned WADA against lifting Russia's drug ban, saying the country had not done enough to justify readmission to the sporting community. In a strongly worded statement from the Berlin-based alliance of drug testing agencies, INADO accused the World Anti-Doping Agency of seeking to fast-track Russia's reinstatement at any cost. "Any reasonable person would conclude that Russia has not yet fulfilled its obligations to the global sporting community," INADO said. "WADA must make its decisions based on consistent application of principles and not simply out of expedience pandering to the will of a powerful nation. "The sporting community is eager to see Russia return as an equal participant but not at any cost." INADO's criticism comes as WADA chiefs prepare to meet in the Seychelles on Thursday to discuss Russia's possible reinstatement. INADO said the meeting would address "perhaps the most crucial decision WADA has ever faced." WADA last week disclosed that its compliance review committee had recommended lifting the three-year suspension of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) after being satisfied that Moscow had met the final two outstanding conditions of a "roadmap" to rehabilitation. Reinstating RUSADA would pave the way for Russian athletes to return to competition across all The WADA compliance committee's recommendation has been widely criticized, with the United States Anti-Doping Agency accusing the agency of dealing a blow to "millions of clean athletes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Army Tuesday paid tributes to Lance Naik Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, who was killed by militants inside his house in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Malik was on leave at his native village in Kulgam district to perform the last rites of his son, who was killed in an accident a few days ago, when a group of terrorists barged into his house on Monday. "In a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment, Corps Commander Lt Gen A K Bhatt and all ranks paid homage to the martyr Mukhtar Ahmad Malik on behalf of a proud nation. Representatives from other security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyr," an Army official said. "Late Lance Naik Mukhtar Ahmad Malik bravely resisted the attack by the terrorists but was overpowered and killed by them," the official said. The 43-year-old Malik had joined the Army in 2004. He is survived by his wife and two children. "The mortal remains of the martyr were flown for last rites to his native place, where he was laid to rest with full military honours," the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seeking to engage Indians with the Australian culture, spanning food, music, theatre and heritage, a six-month-long mega festival was Tuesday launched by the country's envoy here, who emphasised that people-to-people ties would be the "defining feature" of the Indo-Australia ties. Australia Fest, which builds on the Oz Fest held in 2012, will be hosted across 20 cities in India involving over 75 events. "It has long been my conviction that connections between people will be the defining feature of the Australia-India relationship. With this festival, we aim to deepen the engagement between our two countries and further strengthen our people-to-people ties," Australia's High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu said. Interacting with reporters at the High Commission, she also said that the grand event will be spanned across India from Delhi to Mumbai and Bengaluru to Aizawl. "We have the economic and educational dimension and then we have the cultural dimension. And, our connection with India is deep, from students coming for study, or research collaborations between universities and other institutions, tourism to other fields," she said. The envoy asserted that the centrepiece of the festival would be the tour of the Bangarra Dance Theatre, with performances in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Bangarra is Australia's leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company, internationally acclaimed for combining ancient culture with powerful contemporary dance, immersive soundscapes, music and design. On the tourism front, she said, Australia is becoming as a "popular destination" for Indians. "From India, about 300,000 tourists visited India in 2017 and he number is growing rapidly. From Australia, about 280,000 people visited India last year," the ambassador said. On the diaspora population in Australia, she said Australia has about 700,000 India-origin residents, of which 400,000-50,000 were born in India," she said. Asked what was the size of the bilateral trade, she said, it stands at 25 billion Australian dollars, two-way. The festival has three ambassadors, well-known author John Zubrzycki, Indian music composer Raghav Sachar and renowned Australian chef Gary Mehigan. The Sydney-based author was present during the interaction Tuesday. His latest book 'Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinns' Tuesday on the legacy of Indian magicians will be released in the evening at the High Commission premises. Celebrity chef Mehigan also interacted with reporters from Australia vis a video link, and said he was looking forward to again visit India and engage with people on the cuisine of the two countries. Other attractions of the festival that ends on March 30, will include Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, best of Australian Cinema, Australian World Orchestra and exhibition on built heritage. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister J P Nadda Tuesday said the "Ayushman Bharat", the insurance scheme of the central government to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, will give a fillip to Digital India movement. Ayushman Bharat aims to holistically address health (covering prevention, promotion and ambulatory care), at primary, secondary and tertiary level. Nadda, the union health minister, came here to make a field visit where the Prime Minister will launch the scheme in presence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das. "The scheme is digital, cashless and paperless and will give fillip to Digital India. A pilot project will begin two days before launching of the scheme so that 'Arogya Mitras' can start work from their kiosks," the minister said. Training of the 'Arogya Mitras' is on, he said adding that altogether 10.74 crore families will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The beneficiaries will be given an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per annum and there is no cap for family members, he said. Nadda said Jharkhand government is working on building pucca houses to replace kuchcha houses so that kala azar could be prevented. The state has taken long strides in the health sector in the last two and three years and the Centre would support its works, he said. He said foundation stones for medical colleges for Chaibasa and Koderma will be laid on September 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The massive fire at Bagree Market in Burrabazar area in the business hub of the city has been brought under control after two days, a senior officer of the fire department said Tuesday. At the moment the process of "cooling down" was on at the Bagree Market and 15 fire tenders have been pressed into service for it, Director General (DG) of West Bengal Fire & Emergency Services Jag Mohan said. "The fire has been brought under control. Our officers kept on fighting the blaze and they fought throughout the night. We are continuing our fight as the cooling process is on," Jag Mohan said. There was immense heat inside the building and it made things very difficult for fire fighters to continue, he said. No one was injured in the fire, he added. Another fire department officer said cracks were found on the walls of the building and precautionary measures have been taken to avoid any untoward incident. "Shopkeepers and a few residents of adjacent buildings have been evacuated. A few cracks were seen on the walls of the Bagree Market building. We are not taking any chances," the officer said. The massive fire broke out at Bagree Market around 2.30 am on Sunday, gutting at least 1,000 business establishments inside the G+5 building and causing huge losses to traders ahead of Durga Puja. The state government has directed the police and the fire department to find out the cause of the fire and initiate strict legal action against those found guilty in this mishap. Police have been directed to summon owners of the building. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh plans to buy 1.5 lakh electronic voting machines at a cost of nearly USD 456 million, the country's top economic policy-making body announced Tuesday. The project was approved at the weekly Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting here headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said the Prime Minister had directed that the voting machines should initially be used in urban areas as the number of educated people in cities and towns is higher. "The EVMs will be used mainly in urban areas at first and will gradually be introduced in other areas," he was quoted as saying by the 'Dhaka Tribune'. The ECNEC on Tuesday cleared a Taka 3,825.34 (USD 455.9 million)crore project to procure 150,000 electronic voting machines, the report said. The ECNEC approved a sum-total of 14 projects with an estimated cost of Taka 12,544.94 crore, he said. The Election Commission has already announced that it wants to hold the 11th general election in the last week of December and plans to use 150,000 voting machines in 100 constituencies during the vote. The project titled 'Procurement, Preservation and Use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) Aiming at Bringing More Transparency in the Electoral System' will be implemented by June 2023, the report said. Former Prime Minister Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Khaleda Zia and her party's allies are against the use of electronic voting machines. BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan led a three-men delegation to the Election Comission in May last year, demanding that the use of electronic voting machines be banned. "We have told the CEC that our party does not want EVMs to be used in the next national polls," Nazrul had told reporters after handed over the letter to Chief Election Commissioner K M Nurul Huda. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a setback to former finance minister and Kerala Congress (M) chairman K M Mani, a court here Tuesday rejected a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) report giving him clean chit in the bar bribery case. Inquiry commissioner and special judge (Vigilance) D Ajithkumar refused to accept the agency's report and directed that further investigation into the case be carried out after getting necessary sanction from the government. The vigilance court posted the case to December 10 after hearing a bunch of petitions, including that of CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan, ruling LDF convenor A Vijayaraghavan, BJP leader V Muraleedharan and hotelier Biju Ramesh, challenging the VACB report. The case pertains to the allegation by Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners' Association that it had paid Rs one crore as bribe to Mani for getting a favourable decision to reopen closed liquor bars in 2013-14. The graft charge was raised by the association's working president Biju Ramesh, who had alleged that Mani had demanded Rs five crore as bribe and accepted Rs one crore for reopening around 400 closed foreign liquor bars. The bar bribery case had rocked the previous Congress-led UDF government headed by Oommen Chandy. Mani resigned as state finance minister in November 2015 following an observation by the Kerala High Court in the case. The judge also criticised the manner in which the VACB handled the case and observed that the investigating officer had not complied with many of the directives issued by the court. Citing an example, the court said the officer had not collected details regarding the quantum of amount collected by the bar owners, allegedly to be given as bribe to Mani. The VACB report had stated that there was no evidence available to prove that Mani had received a bribe. Reacting to the court order, 85-year-old Mani said that he was ready to face any probe and truth will triumph. "I don't have any anxiety or worry over the court order. I will fight till I get justice," he told reporters in Kottayam. Welcoming the court order, Achuthanandan said the state government should accord sanction for further investigation in the case at the earliest. Senior minister E P Jayarajan said the government would act according to the court order. Leader of the opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said he would respond after getting the details of the court order. Mani's Kerala Congress (M) had quit the Congress-led UDF in August 2016 over the bar bribery scam. The party returned to the UDF fold in June 2018 after a patch-up worked out between the KC(M) and the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Parliamentary committee to probe charges of rigging in elections: Shah Mehmood Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced on Tuesday that a "transparent" parliamentary committee will be formed to probe charges of rigging in the July 25 elections on the oppositions demand. Speaking during a session of the National Assembly that is currently underway, the minister revealed that the probe body will have equal representation from the government and the opposition. The committee will be headed by a lawmaker belonging to the government, while no members of the Senate will be its members. Qureshi had earlier announced that the probe committee will have proportionate representation from the treasury and opposition benches; however, the government agreed to equal representation from either sides after talks with opposition leaders. The parliamentary committee will prepare the terms of reference (ToR) to investigate the charges of rigging in the July 25 elections, Qureshi said, adding that the body will be "empowered". In response to PPP lawmaker Shazia Marri's demand that the committee be led by an opposition member, Qureshi said such committees are usually headed by the government and previously a similar committee was led by former finance minister Ishaq Dar. Television legend Betty White was honoured at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards for her more than 80 years in show business, including several decades in television. The 96-year-old star took the Emmys stage to a standing ovation. White, who has eight Emmy Awards, reflected back on her seven-decades-long career in her speech. "Somebody said something the other day about first lady of television, and I took it as a big compliment, White said. "And then I heard her talking to her daughter a little later, and she said, 'First lady, she's that old. She was the first one way back.' " She also gave special shout-outs to "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels. "I thought the biggest, most exciting night I'd ever had I'm talking to Lorne Michaels now was the night he gave me an honour, but boy you topped yourself tonight, Lorne." The actor, known for her roles on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "The Golden Girls" and "Hot in Cleveland", said she feels "incredible" that she is still in the business. "You are still putting up with me It's incredible that you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you. I wish they did that at home," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP Tuesday accused Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu of demeaning India and speaking as an agent of Pakistan by attempting to "justify" hugging Pakistani Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and claiming that Pakistan is willing to allow Sikh pilgrims access to a gurudwara on its territory. At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also demanded a response from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the issue, saying Sidhu has been speaking on the matter with his permission as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already condemned him over his conduct in Pakistan during the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan recently. He also accused Sidhu of meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj deceptively as she had given appointment to former Union minister M S Gill with whom, Patra alleged Sidhu tagged along. The BJP spokesperson said Swaraj reprimand Sidhu in their meeting on Monday for his conduct in Pakistan. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday that Sidhu's gesture of hugging Pakistan's army chief impacted soldiers back home and asserted that the Punjab minister could have "avoided it". Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Bajwa during his visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in of Imran Khan as Prime Minister. He had claimed that he did so as Bajwa told him that the Pakistan government was working for opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from Indian state of Punjab. Sidhu Monday met Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Union minister and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, however, claimed that Swaraj "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said BJP president Amit Shah was holding meetings with his party workers after sensing that the working style of the BJP government in the state was "anti-people". "People from all sections of the society are disappointed with the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government. Block development officers, gram sevaks, roadways and electricity department employees were holding protest against the government," Pilot said in a statement. He added that the saffron party's chief himself is holding meetings with the party workers in Rajasthan as the leadership was aware of "anti-people" working pattern of the government. The former Union minister said Shah and Raje should ensure the government's accountability instead of blaming the Congress "through their objectionable statements" during public meetings. Pilot said the Congress has asked 27 questions till date on the "failure of the government on various fronts", but the chief minister, he claimed, did not answer a single question. "The government has failed in ensuring its accountability by not answering questions raised by the Congress on public-centric issues," Pilot said. He said the people of the state have "lost faith" in the BJP government. Pilot said BJP's debacle was imminent from Rajasthan and exuded confidence that the Congress would be voted to power in the state, where polls are due later this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central Administrative Tribunal Monday directed the police department to grant compassionate allowance benefits, pension and gratuity to Police Inspector Anil Kumar who was dismissed from service for his involvement in a shoot-out at Connaught Place in New Delhi. "The applicant had an unblemished service record during his service with Delhi Police, I am convinced that the applicant's claim for compassionate allowance deserves consideration," said administrative member Praveen Mahajan. The tribunal took note that all other persons convicted along with Kumar have been extended the benefit of compassionate allowance as per Rule-41 of Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, and therefore he too deserves the same. "The respondents are directed to grant compassionate allowance benefits (to Kumar) and allow (grant of) two-third of his compensation pension and two-third of gratuity that may have been due to him at the time of dismissal, within a period of three months," said the tribunal. Kumar was appointed sub-inspector in Delhi Police on April 16, 1986. He was later promoted to the rank of inspector in 1994. He has got a number of commendation certificates in his 24 years of service, including Asadharan Karya Puraskar in 1992 for apprehending terrorists. Kumar was dismissed from service on May 11, 2010 along with nine other officials of Delhi Police for a shootout in Connaught Place. He had sent a request for compassionate pension and gratuity through Superintendent Central Jail Tihar on the ground of his financial circumstances and that similar benefit had been granted to co-accused ex-ACP Satyavir Singh Rathi. However, Kumar's request was rejected by the competent authority and he was informed that Rathi was granted compassionate pension and gratuity on the orders of the Lt. Governor. The tribunal took note of the fact that it had in January this year directed the police department to grant compassionate allowance to Sunil Kumar, who is another accused in the Connaught Place shooting case. The counsel for the police department argued that there were no directions from any court of law regarding grant of allowance to Kumar and that his case had been rejected by the department taking into account the seriousness of the allegations against him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath SinghTuesday rejected the accusation made by the Congress and JD(S) that central agencies were being misused to harass the ruling coalition leaders in Karnataka, saying he did not think such things happen. "I don't think, it is the job of CBI or ED to harass people. I don't think such things happen. People should stop making such accusations. It is not good. Aren't we all sitting together or not?" said Singh pointing to chief minister H D Kumaraswamy who was sitting next to him. Congress and the JD(S) have been accusing the Modi government of using the central agencies such as CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax department to harass state senior minister D K Shivakumar for taking on the BJP time and again. Singh's rebuttal came on a day when the ED registered a money laundering case against Shivakumar and few others on the basis of an alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions case. The agency has booked Shivakumar, Haumanthaiah, an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, according to officials. The case has been filed based on a charge sheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department against him early this year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores. The agency is expected to summon the accused soon for recording their statements. Earlier, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, who holds the home portfolio, had told a private T V channel "We don't object to whatever they (ED and other central agencies) are doing within the framework of law but our only concern is why repeatedly they are harassing him like that." "If he has done something wrong then bring him within the framework of the law. Everybody suspects that there is something else to these kind of harassments, may be political or something else," he said. On the issue of National Register of Citizens, Singh said each country should have information about the natives and foreign nationals staying in the country. "There is no harm in having such information (about the citizens).The NRC process has started in Assam only. We will see what can be done next," he said. Asked whether there were discussions about the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, which is as concerning as the Bangladeshi immigrants, Singh said wherever there were issues relating to the security of the nation, government would take necessary security measures. "Government has its own feedback about whom there is a threat and from whom there isn't, based on which decisions are taken," Singh said. To a question on two main political parties boycotting the panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir starting from November 17, Singh said, "some political parties are contesting... I have appealed to both PDP and National Conference to take part in election." Replying to a query, Singh said if it was required, government would bring in a new law to deal with rape cases but these days immediate action is taken when such cases come to light. He said the state government took immediate action and arrested a few in connection with the Rewari case in Haryana where a 19-year-old CBSE topper was gangraped. Singh was speaking to reporters after the southern zonalcouncil meeting where out of 27 agenda points, 22 were resolved. The rest will be discussed in the next council meeting in Tamil Nadu, whose date has not been fixed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Films like "Toilet Ek Prem Katha" and "Padman" symbolise a changing India that is determined to achieve cleanliness, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar said here on Tuesday, after presenting the "Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar" awards to schools from various parts of the country. Cleanliness had now become a movement in which schools and students were playing a crucial role, he added. A total of 52 schools selected from among 6.5 lakh, including over 45,000 private schools, were presented the "Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar" 2018 awards at the function organised by the HRD Ministry at the Ambedkar International Centre. "No one would have imagined that films like 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha' and 'Padman' would be made and they would become popular. This is the changing picture of a changed India. This is our changed determination that we will achieve cleanliness," Javadekar said, addressing the students and teachers from various states. The HRD Ministry had launched the "Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya" (SBSV) initiative in 2014 to ensure that all the schools in the country had access to separate functional toilets for boys and girls. The national awards for clean schools were based on a self-appraisal system, in which five parameters -- drinking water, toilets, capacity building, behavioural change and washing hands -- were evaluated. Javadekar said in 2014, there were 4.5 lakh schools in the country without toilets and added that the facilities were built within a year. "This is a record," he said, while lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives to promote cleanliness in the country. The fact that 4.5 lakh villages, 21 states and Union territories and over 400 districts were declared open defecation-free showed that India was changing, Javadekar said. Parmeswaran Iyer, the Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation -- the nodal agency for the Swachh Bharat Mission -- said ordinary people had made the cleanliness campaign successful. Schools from Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Lakshadweep and West Bengal were awarded at the event. Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya from Nand Nagri in Delhi also won the award. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a Patna High Court order to set up a fresh CBI team to probe the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, saying such a move would not only be detrimental to the ongoing investigation but also to the interests of the victims. The apex court, while staying the high court's order directing the CBI's special director to put in place a fresh team to probe the case, said there was no reason now to change the existing investigating team which was set up the CBI Director. The high court had on August 29 ordered that a fresh team of investigators be constituted by the CBI's special director in the case in which incidents of alleged rape and sexual assault of women inmates over a period of time had come to light in an NGO-run shelter home at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta also noted that no allegations were made against the team probing the case with regard to the manner in which the investigation was being conducted. "We do not see any reason why this team should be changed at this stage... it will be detrimental to the ongoing investigation and also to the interest of children who have been sexually abused in Muzaffarpur shelter home," the bench said. The apex court directed that the investigation should continue under the same team which was set up by the CBI Director on July 30. The bench also asked the CBI to place before it in a sealed cover the two status reports of probe in the case which were filed before the high court and listed the matter for further hearing on September 20. Attorney General K K Venugopal told the apex court that the August 29 order of the high court says that the probe in the case be monitored and supervised by CBI's special director who shall be free to re-constitute a fresh team for probe. He said that as per the CBI manual, CBI director would set up a probe team. The special public prosecutor in the case had filed a clarificatory application in this regard before the high court, he added. Venugopal said the high court was "furious" with the CBI's application after which it was withdrawn. "I do not know why the high court has said 'special director'," the Attorney General said, adding that the apex court should monitor the investigation in the case. He said that initially, a probe team was set up by the CBI director and following the high court's direction, it was re-constituted by the agency's chief. "We cannot change the team like that," the bench said. "In our view, there is nothing wrong in the CBI director constituting the team. There does not seem to be any allegation against them. There is no need to change the team," the bench said. The apex court was also told that this team of investigators has done "extensive" probe and they were touch with around 245 persons, including experts from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences at Bangalore. At the fag end of hearing, the bench was informed that the high court has posted the matter for hearing on September 20. At this, the apex court requested the high court to adjourn the matter till further orders. Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of a state-funded NGO. The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to the state's social welfare department. In all, the sexual abuse of 34 of the 42 inmates was confirmed in their medical examination. The TISS audit report had said that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Thakur, on May 31. The probe was later taken over by the CBI. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints. The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani. Women staff members of the shelter home and Thakur were among those who were arrested by the police in connection with the case. The apex court had earlier taken cognizance of the matter after it received a letter from one Ranvijay Kumar who had expressed concern that the alleged victims were subjected to media interviews. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reacted sharply to the Delhi Police charge sheet against its leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday, terming it as part of a "larger design" to malign the party's government. Delhi Police, "controlled" by Modi government, has filed "many bogus cases" against the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs over the last three-and-a-half years, all of which have "miserably fallen flat" in courts during trials, party spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said. "The latest fake case will also meet the same fate as the previous ones. AAP assures the people that such conspiracies will not deter the party's resolve of working tirelessly for the residents of Delhi," he said. The court has summoned the Delhi chief minister, his deputy, Sisodia, and 11 AAP MLAs as accused in the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case. Prakash was allegedly assaulted during a meeting at Kejriwal's official residence on the night of February 19. "The fake FIR by Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and the subsequent bogus charge sheet by the Modi government-controlled Delhi Police are parts of a larger design to malign the Delhi government," Bhardwaj alleged. He further charged that the "pro people" agenda of the AAP government and schemes like doorstep delivery of services, that earned global appreciation, has made the central government "insecure". "During the last three-and-a-half years, the Modi government has left no stone unturned in troubling our government. The current chief secretary was posted in Delhi by the Centre with a clear brief of paralysing the Delhi government," he claimed. The court has directed all accused in the chief secretary assault case to appear before it on October 25, saying there were sufficient grounds to establish the charges against them in the case. Besides, Kejriwal and Sisodia, the charge sheet also names 11 legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as accused. They are Amanatullah Khan, Prakash Jarwal, Nitin Tyagi, Rituraj Govind, Sanjeev Jha, Ajay Dutt, Rajesh Rishi, Rajesh Gupta, Madan Lal, Parveen Kumar and Dinesh Mohania. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Class 11 student was shot at alleged by two of his schoolmates, one of whom was apprehended, here, police said Tuesday. The incident took place Monday evening at Sikanderpur village. Circle Officer Ram Mohan Sharma said the injured, Aditey Kumar, is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. One of the two students, who alleged shot at him, was apprehended, he said, adding that the matter is being investigated. In another case, police have arrested Rahul Kamboj in connection with the attack on an accountant here. On Sunday, Aman Bansal, an accountant working for a local industrialist, was shot at when he was returning home from an event. Kamboj was arrested after an encounter in which he suffered bullet injuries. He was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including attempt to murder, Superintendent of Police (City) Ombir Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress legislators in Goa Tuesday met Governor Mridula Sinha and demanded floor test by the BJP-led government to prove its majority in the Assembly. The move by the opposition Congress, which has staked claim to form an alternate government, came at a time when 62 -year-old Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is admitted in the AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment. The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test. Kavlekar said the governor assured them that she would get back on the issue in the next three-four days. During the meeting with the governor, the Congress MLAs contended that the Parrikar-led coalition falls short of a majority in the 40-member Assembly and that the Congress has the required numbers to form the government. "Let the state government prove on the floor that they have majority or else we can show that we have more legislators than them," Kavlekar told reporters after meeting Sinha. The Congress has 16 seats in the Assembly. The state is being ruled by the BJP with the support of Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), NCP and Independents. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, GFP and MGP have three each and NCP has one. There are also three Independents. In Delhi, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said the Congress move reflected the level of desperation to grab power. "The chief minister is ill. He is not staying away from work otherwise. The Congress sees a chance as the CM is ill. It just shows what is the level of desperation (of Congress). Honestly, I feel sad for it," she said at a media interaction. The Congress legislators also urged the governor not to allow dissolution of the Assembly. Kavlekar said the BJP might force dissolution of the Assembly and another election in just one-and-a-half year. The Assembly polls in the state were held in February last year. "The BJP has a habit of recommending dissolution of the House when they dont have numbers with them. The governor should not allow such action in Goa as Congress is the single largest party in the House," Kavlekar said. "We dont want another election within one-and-a-half years," the Congress leader added. "If the (BJP-led) coalition can't run the government, then we are ready to take over," he said. Kavlekar said a "race has begun within the government for chief ministership" as Parrikar is hospitalised. "Some of the BJP leaders are in touch with us as they are upset because their own party is talking about hiring the leaders from outside for CMs post," he claimed. Kavlekar said the Congress will announce its chief ministerial candidate when the governor summons one-day session of the Assembly to conduct a floor test. "There is absolutely no dispute amongst us on who would be the Chief Minister. We will reveal the name when floor test is called," he said. Congress Legislature Party had yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Governors office on Monday but could not meet Governor as she was out of station. BJP leader Ram Lal, who along with two other leaders had been deputed by the central leadership here to take stock of the political situation, had said yesterday that the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership. He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members. He said the BJP's alliance partners - the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Independents - conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party. Earlier too, the Congress had staked claim on May 18, 2018 to form the government in Goa, citing the example of Karnataka where the largest party BJP was invited to form the government after the Assembly polls threw up a fractured verdict. The Congress had said that it had not been invited to form the government in Goa after the Assembly polls in March last year despite it emerging as the largest single party. The party had also met Governor on September 7, 2018 urging her to intervene as State Administration was suffering due to sickness of the Chief Minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senate asked Interior ministry to differentiate between PM protocol and security ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Monday asked the interior ministry to differentiate between protocol and security, and directed it to provide security to Prime Minister Imran Khan as per the blue book, even if the chief executive was hesitant. The blue book is a classified document and it carries matters relating to protocol, a comprehensive security plan that is followed during VVIP movements, especially those of the president and prime minister, and steps to be taken in the event of a disaster or an emergency. The book also contains details of sensitive installations. During a meeting of the Senate standing committee on interior, its chairman Rehman Malik referred to the latest threat alert issued against five politicians, including the premier. The blue book had to be properly followed, he said, directing Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar to provide security to the prime minister and other politicians under threat regardless of what anyone said. It happens everywhere in the world. Do not bother about what the media says, he remarked. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawazs Javed Abbasi was the only individual to oppose the idea of providing security to the prime minister, saying that let them follow their partys policy. He also criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for making certain claims and acting to the contrary. He said that earlier President Arif Alvi was shown travelling to Karachi as an ordinary passenger without any protocol, but things were different when he reached Karachi where dozens of vehicles were present to accord him an extraordinary protocol. Besides discussing security measures, the Senate panel through a unanimously adopted resolution voiced its concern over unfounded allegations of money laundering against Pakistan. The committee members were of the view that the money was being laundered through drugs by Afghanistan under the eyes of US forces, which was a source of production and supply to the world. They said that major areas of Afghanistan were under the control of the US forces, and demanded that drug production and supply should be stopped by the American forces with immediate effect and the baseless charges against Pakistan be dropped. The panel said that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) needed to review the conduct of India where it was sponsoring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a militant organisation, for its continued terrorism in both Pakistan and Kashmir. The Congress on Monday demanded a comprehensive probe into the alleged involvement of the prime minister's office and the finance minister in helping embattled business tycoon Vijay Mallya flee the country. Chief spokesperson of the Congress Randeep Surjewala alleged that the "trinity of Mallya, CBI and BJP have cheated" the country and now it is time to fix the responsibility. He claimed that the CBI shifted its stance in the Mallya case thrice and asked who in the prime minister's office (PMO) nudged the investigation agency to do so. A comprehensive probe should be carried out to unravel the truth, he said. The 62-year-old liquor and aviation baron is fighting in a London court a case regarding his extradition to India to face the trial on fraud and money laundering charges running into Rs 9,000 crore. The Congress and the BJP are locked in a fierce war of words over the Mallya case. While Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has accused Finance Minister (FM) Arun Jaitley of lying and allowing the billionaire tycoon to flee the country, the BJP has claimed that the Gandhi family tried to help Mallya's floundering Kingfisher Airlines in 2011-12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) legislators in Tuesday met Governor Mridula Sinha and asked her to direct the BJP-led government to have a floor test to prove its majority in the Assembly. The move came at a time when 62-year-old Chief Minister is admitted in the AIIMS in for a pancreatic ailment. The legislators, led by of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test. "Let the state government prove on the floor that they have majority or else we can show that we have more legislators than them," Kavlekar told reporters after meeting Sinha. In the 40-member Assembly, the has 16 members. The state is being ruled by the BJP with the support of Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), and Independents. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, GFP and MGP have three each and has one. There are also three Independents. The Congress legislators also urged the governor not to allow dissolution of the Assembly. "We dont want another election within one-and-a-half years," Kavlekar said. "If the (BJP-led) coalition cant run the government, then we are ready to take over," he said, while noting that Congress is the single largest party in the House. Congress Legislature Party had yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Governors office on Monday but could not meet Governor as she was out of station. The Congress women's wing activists Tuesday showed black flags to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in protest against the incident when a Bharatiya Janata Party worker washed his feet and drank the water at a function. The incident came to light when Dubey went to lay the foundation stone of a bridge at Kanbhara village in Godda block -- around 330 km from Ranchi -- on Sunday, with Pawan Kumar Sah washing the feat of the BJP MP on a metal plate and then gulping it. The incident in full public view went viral on social media and sparked controversy. The black flags were shown to the MP near the Circuit House here when Dubey was leaving to the office of the Dumka deputy commissioner. "Nishikant Dubey had his feet washed by a person in Godda districts Kanbhara village. He tried to announce himself as God through such programmes. That is why we showed the black flags," Mahila Congress state vice president Arbi Khatun told the media. Asked about his reaction on the protest, Dubey told reporters that he did not care about it. Dubey said he had given a representation to Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar, demanding alleged encroachment of a big chunk of land by the Congress in Dumka, which was donated by former president Rajendra Prasad to late Ramrekh Himatsinkha, who was a businessman. On BJP worker Sah washing his feet and subsequently drinking the water, Dubey said, "Had anyone stopped him, he would have committed suicide as he had a knife with him." Sah is a committed party worker and was in jail for 19 days in connection with the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute and 17 days in connection with another case related to Bangladeshi infiltrators, Dubey said. Sah got a job in the Border Security Force, but did not join the force as he is devoted to his mother, Dubey said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesting the manner in which the Odisha Assembly passed a resolution, Opposition Congress and BJP Tuesday boycotted the House and refused to return despite several requests by Speaker P K Amat. "We are boycotting the House to protest the manner which the House passed a resolution without paying scant respect towards opposition," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress said before leaving the House. The BJP members also followed and refused to return to the House even as two senior ministers and the government chief whip on behalf of the Speaker requested them to participate in the proceeding. As the Opposition members continued to remain away from the House, Speaker Amat adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes each. When they did not return, Speaker moved to the next business and asked Water Resources minister Niranjan Pujari to move Amendment to the Odisha Ground Water (Regulation, Development and Management) Bill, 2011. The dispute began when the House was discussing the resolution titled: "This Assembly resolves to recommend the state government to move the Central government to include the 'Uniquely' Indian ideal of Ahimsa, of Non-Violence in the Preamble of India's Constitution." The leader of opposition welcomed the state government's gesture in bringing such a resolution. Mishra said he suggested to change wordings in the resolution "I fail to understand what the resolution wordings mean. Let it be modified." Mishra said that the Odisha Assembly should not be in a hurry to pass the resolution as nothing is urgent. "We can discuss, deliberate and think on the implication of the resolution before passing it. Therefore, I request the government not to pass it in a haste," the Congress veteran said. He also suggested to bring the resolution in Odia language which will be understandable to all people in the state. Senior BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain also supported Mishra's views and said he too fail to understand the wordings in the resolution. Swain said the resolution also do not suggest where to insert the word "Ahimsa" in the Preamble of the Constitution. BJP member Pradip Purohit, also welcomed the resolution, but asked the government to think over the wordings before it get nod of the House. Keeping the sentiments of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister B K Arukha, who moved the resolution on behalf of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, accepted the opposition suggestions. "Yes, we have decided to delete 'comma and of' after the word Ahimsa and put the word non-violence within bracket," Arukha said. The leader of the opposition, who was on his legs, was not allowed to speak and Speaker hurriedly announced that the resolution is passed. Annoyed over the manner in which the Speaker announced the passing of the resolution, Mishra announced opposition boycott action. Earlier, the House had unanimously passed another resolution titled: "That this Assembly resolves to recommend the state government to move the Central Government in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to name the newly constructed Jharsuguda Airport in the state of Odisha as Veer Surendra Sai Airport." Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new airport at Jharsuguda on September 22. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Manipur Police Monday took out a rally from Moreh to Tengnoupal, along the India-Myanmar border, to protest incidents of mob violence in the state. The "men in uniform", numbering around 70 and led by Tengnoupal Superintendent of Police S Ibombcha Singh, was joined in by more than 500 volunteers of various civil bodies. "The two-km peace rally - from Moreh police station to Tengnoupal district headquarters - was taken out to generate awareness about the need for maintenance of law and order in the society," Ibomcha Singh told PTI. A civil official, who did not wish to be named, said the peace rally was the first of its kind in the state. The rally came four days after a 26-year-old man was lynched by an irate mob at Tharoijam area of Imphal West district on suspicion of being a vehicle lifter. Local people had also set afire a car believed to have been used by "two of his associates". Five persons, including a havildar of India Reserve Battalion (IRB), have been arrested in this connection. The purported video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed that the four police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were "present at the spot when the victim was alive and lying unattended", Imphal West SP Jogeshwar Haobijam had said. While the sub-inspector was suspended, three other officers were terminated from their services. Haobijam had also said that the Cyber Crime Unit was tracking individuals who had uploaded clips of the bleeding victim. The lynching episode triggered sharp condemnations and sit-in protests by various social activists in the area. The Manipur Human Rights Commission has directed the state director general of police to probe the matter and submit a report by September 22. People in large numbers have also been organizing torch rallies here, demanding justice for the victim. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A CRPF jawan was injured in a militant attack Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, a police official said. Militants opened fire on personnel at the Central Reserve Police Force camp at Newa in Pulwama, the official said. The injured has been identified as CRPF jawan Moyeen Khan, he said. The area has been cordoned off as other security agencies, including the Army, have joined the operation to track down the militants, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday inaugurated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Technology Incubation Centre here through video-conferencing from Bengaluru. The incubation centre at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala campus, was launched at the first edition of 'SPACETRONICS' organised by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA). Speaking at the inaugural session, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said that ISRO is looking to incubate start-ups which would build applications, offer services and products that can be used internally and exploit opportunities globally. "I am very excited about the tremendous opportunity we have to accelerate the space-related innovation and start-ups through this ISRO Space Technology Incubation Centre at NIT, Agartala," he said. Deb said the government is trying to develop Tripura so that it features in the Indian technology map, by nurturing innovation, entrepreneurship and invention. "We have put in place policies and framework to ensure that the ecosystem is favourable to more partnerships, access to funds, ease of business, networking in the domestic and international market and more importantly, inculcating this new initiative - Space Technology Incubation Centre," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday rejected the opposition's demand for setting up of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe allegations relating to the Rafale deal, saying all the details on it have already been placed before Parliament. She also slammed the UPA alleging that it did not extend support to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) when the state-run company was engaged in talks with French firm Dassault Aviation for manufacturer of Rafale jets in India. "The UPA did not care for either the Indian Air Force or the HAL. To say that we are not taking care of HAL is totally incorrect," Sitharaman said during an interaction at the Indian Women Press Corps here. The UPA was negotiating a deal with the Dassault Aviation under which 18 Rafale jets were to be supplied in fly-away condition while 108 aircraft were to be manufactured in India by the company along with HAL. Asked about the opposition's demand for probe by a joint parliamentary committee, Sitharaman said there was no need for it as all facts relating to the deal have been placed before Parliament. "Why JPC? We have placed all the details before the Parliament. The opposition should go through them," she said. Asked about Congress leader A K Antony's comments on why the central government did not go for buying 126 aircraft instead of 36 jets if the price was less than what was negotiated by the UPA, Sitharaman did not give a direct reply. Antony was the defence minister during the UPA regime. "Buying an aircraft is not an over-the-counter process. There is a process for it," she said. At a press conference, Antony said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recently claimed that in the new agreement, the aircraft is nine per cent cheaper than the UPA deal, the finance minister said it is 20 per cent cheaper while an officer of IAF also said it is 40 per cent cheaper, then "Why did they not buy more than 126 if it was cheaper?" he told reporters. Asked about rumours that negotiations for the Rafale deal under the UPA government could not proceed due to allegations of kickbacks, she said "let the rumour gain strength". In 2016, the Modi government signed a government-to-government deal with France for purchase of 36 Rafale jets at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. The Congress has been alleging irregularities in the deal, saying the UPA had finalised the price of each aircraft at Rs 526 crore while the NDA was buying the same jet at Rs 1,670 crore. The government has been maintaining the cost of the Rafale aircraft was nine percent less than what was negotiated during the UPA regime. Last week Sitharaman said negotiations for 126 Rafale jets under the UPA government fell through as the government did not support HAL to which Congress alleged that the NDA completely kept away the state-run company from the project. "Dassault and HAL could not go together. The agreement did not happen during UPA, so is not it obvious that the interests of HAL could have really been taken care of," Sitharaman said The Congress has demanded answers from the government on why HAL was not involved in the new deal. She said the UPA should reply why HAL could not finalise the agreement with Dassault. "All questions on HAL should go to UPA." When asked whether approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security was taken before Modi announced about the procurement of 36 jets during his visit to Paris in April 2015, Sitharaman said the prime minister had only expressed an interest to buy the jets and the deal was finalised one-and-a-half years later. "The prime minister does not talk about issues like life cycle cost of the aircraft or other details. The prime minister just initiated the process," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid reports that Ajay Maken has resigned as the Congress's Delhi unit chief, a party leader said Tuesday he has gone for a medical checkup abroad and will continue to serve the post after returning. Maken has informed Congress president Rahul Gandhi and in-charge of the party's Delhi unit, P C Chacko, about his trip, party leaders said. "Maken has not resigned and will continue to be the Delhi Congress chief," Chacko told PTI. "He has left and has informed Congress president Rahul Gandhi and me about his medical checkup. He will return on September 22," he said. Chacko said Maken will resume work after returning on September 22 to Delhi . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Financial Commissioner of Delhi Anindo Majumdar has been appointed as Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), according to an official order issued Tuesday. Majumdar, who was the chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands before coming to Delhi, was in July appointed financial commissioner, which is a statutory post. The financial commissioner exercises the powers of the lieutenant governor/chief commissioner, delegated under various statutes. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Majumdar's appointment as Secretary, CVC, the order issued by the Personnel Ministry said. Majumdar, a 1985-batch IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Mizoram Union Territories or AGMUT cadre, was in in 2015 for issuing an order posting Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary on the direction of former Lt Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung. Apparently irked over issuance of the order, the Arvind Kejriwal government had locked the office of Majumdar who was then principal secretary (services). Kejriwal had accused Gamlin of trying to favour two Reliance Infra-owned discoms through a Rs 11,000-crore loan and had claimed the Modi government wants the AAP dispensation to fail. Majumdar was in March 2016 appointed the chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities in Brazil have seized more than $16m (12m) worth of cash and luxury watches from a delegation accompanying Teodorin Nguema Obiang, vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, local media report. The 48-year-old, known for his lavish taste, is the son of the oil-rich Central African country's president. Brazil limits people from entering the country with more than $2,400 in cash. About 76% of Equatorial Guinea's 1.2m population live in poverty. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who is Africa's longest-serving leader, and his son, have been accused of misusing the country's oil revenue. They both deny any wrongdoing. Human rights groups have also accused the president of systematic repression of opponents. The Equatorial Guinea embassy in Brazil reportedly told police that Mr Obiang was in the country for medical treatment. What was the money for? The 11-man entourage - travelling on a government plane - landed in Viracopos International Airport in Campinas in Sao Paulo on Friday, according to media reports. Police found $1.5m in cash and watches worth an estimated $15m in two bags, the other 17 bags had clothes, says local news site Globo. Global reports that Equatorial Guinea's embassy told the Brazilian police in a statement that the money was for Mr Obiang's use on an onward trip to Singapore, while the watches - engraved with his initials - were for his personal use. Brazil's foreign ministry told news agency AFP that it was "in permanent coordination with the federal police and the customs service over the case and to decide what measures should be taken". Mr Obiang was the only member of the delegation who had diplomatic immunity as the group was not on an official mission, Globo reports. Police searched other delegation members as Mr Obiang waited outside in a car, it added. Who is Teodorin Nguema Obiang? Last year The Economist reported on Mr Obiang's flashy lifestyle in a report titledInstagram playboy is also the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea. It featured pictures of the vice-president showing off his expensive cars and mansions. In 2017, a French court handed him a three-year suspended jail term for corruption. The court ruled his assets in France be seized, including a mansion on Avenue Foch in Paris. He also got a suspended fine of 30m euro (27m; $35m). In the same year Swiss prosecutors seized 11 luxury cars belonging to Mr Obiang. They said he had plundered his country's oil wealth to buy luxuries, including a private jet and Michael Jackson memorabilia. In 2015, Mr Obiang reportedly paid a samba dance group some $3.5m to adopt an Equatorial Guinea theme during Brazil's annual carnival. A spokesperson for the Beija-Flor samba group denied that they had received the money but said it had received "cultural and artistic support", the UK Guardian reported. Source: BBC 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 Central Information Commission has directed the Law Ministry secretary to expedite the digitisation of notary records across the country and place them on a website. The directives came during a hearing after a Law Ministry official admitted before Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur that the records are not being catalogued and indexed properly and are being stored in the godowns in bundles. "In this scenario, it is very difficult to locate the documents which are required from time to time. This state of record keeping is very perilous as far as implementation of the RTI Act is concerned," Mathur noted. He asked the ministry to depute a nodal officer to submit a report within 90 days on the steps taken by it after past directives from the Delhi High Court and the Central Information Commission in this regard. "The nodal officer should submit a report indicating the steps taken by them in every State/Union Territory with regard to digitisation process of notary records," Mathur said. A notary is a lawyer appointed by the central or state government under the Notaries Act 1952 who attests documents, administers oath, etc. The chief information commissioner said that notary register is a public record which should be made accessible to people. Mathur underlined that a person approaching a notary for authentication of his documents expects not only to exercise reasonable care in "notarizing" the signature on a document, but also to be able to show evidence, often years after the date of the act, that the notarisation was performed in accordance with proper notarial procedures. "It is in the larger public interest that every notarial act should be maintained properly in a notary register and to archive it securely and indefinitely, or at least for the retention period as prescribed, if any," he said. He said the officer should inform the commission about the actions being taken for preservation/maintenance of these records. "It is to be noted that the essence of transparency lies in proper maintenance of records. This cannot be compromised at the altar of lack of logistics," he said. Directing the ministry to improve its record keeping, the Chief Information Commissioner said only properly maintained records ensure the accountability of the public authority for every stakeholder of the society. "In the meantime, the public authority is directed to initiate the steps for keeping the records of notaries all across the country, duly catalogued and indexed as per provisions of Section 4(1)(a) of the RTI Act and this information should be put on their website," Mathur said. He said the ministry should also ensure that the steps are taken to preserve the records in a secured manner so that at a latter stage these can be retrieved as and when required. Mathur said the information is expected to be in the records of the ministry or else they can call records from the notary concerned. "Further, the public authority is directed to implement the order(s) of this Commission in letter and spirit as the directions are issued as per the powers vested in the CIC under...the RTI Act," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A green body Tuesday dismissed as "grossly inadequate" and limited in scope the draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), which lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand and help in reducing emissions. The Centre for Science and (CSE) also strongly asked for immediate revision of the ICAP document to address the serious gaps which it said if not rectified now can lock in "irreversible" energy guzzling. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Monday released a draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) during World Ozone Day celebrations. India is the first country in world to develop such a document - ICAP, which also gives thrust towards looking for synergies in actions for securing both environmental and socio-economic benefits. The ICAP provides a 20-year perspective (2017-18 to 2037-38) to address the cooling requirements across sectors and ways and means to provide access to sustainable cooling for all, the CSE said. "If we are planning to provide 'Sustainable Cooling' and 'Thermal Comfort for All', we cannot ignore 90 per cent of the Indian population's need to have thermal comfort and also the requirements of a range of other services including agricultural cold chains, provision of safe vaccines, and many other services that require cooling to function. "These have remained outside the scope of the ICAP," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE. Roychowdhury further added,"This lack of planning can completely upset the energy budget of the country. "At the same time, the ICAP has not indicated the benchmark for thermal comfort that needs to guide energy efficiency measures for all users of active as well as passive cooling." While the ICAP aims to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all, its actual intent is "myopically" focused on only the market for personal air conditioners, ignoring the fact that demand for cooling is driven by people and not by sale of air conditioners, say CSE analysts. According to the draft, the goals emerging from the suggested interventions are - recognition of 'cooling and related areas' as a thrust area of research under national science and technology programme to support development of technological solutions and encourage innovation challenges, reduction of cooling demand across sectors by 20-25 per cent by 2037-38 among others. The other goals from the suggestions include reduction of refrigerant demand by 25-30 per cent by 2037-38, reduction of cooling energy requirements by 25-40 per cent by 2037-38 and training and certification of 1,00,000 servicing sector technicians by the year 2022-23, in synergy with Skill India Mission. The CSE said ICAP must capture equity issue, ensure thermal comfort for all without over dependence on active cooling. The green body said the ICAP must take note of the fact that about 60 per cent of current space cooling energy consumption is by top 10 per cent of the population. Over 96 per cent of transport cooling energy consumption is due to personal cars (13.5 per cent of population) and this small minority skews electricity demand and locks in enormous carbon energy guzzling. "In Delhi, 25-30 per cent of annual energy consumption is because of thermal stress; in peak summer, when energy demand soars, it is as much as 50 per cent of energy consumption. "When temperature drops, energy consumption in the city drops dramatically - from 6,346 MW to 3,323 MW (10 degrees Celsius drop leads to 48 per cent demand drop in energy, irrespective of the time of day). This points to the importance of cooling and heating in energy management," it said. The body said ICAP needs immediate "overhaul". It pointed out that India needs thermal comfort defined to guide interventions for energy efficiency in buildings and there is also a need to estimate cooling demand based on thermal comfort definition and not on sales of ACs. "National building codes should be amended to ensure all buildings are designed in a way that indoor conditions do not get hotter than the national goal for majority of hours in the year using passive design," CSE said, adding there is also a need for more robust standards, labelling and testing methodology for ACs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling BJP in Tripura Tuesday claimed that Myanmar-based drug peddlers have issued a threat to the life of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb as he has given a call to make state drug-free. Veteran BJP leader and former minister Ratan Chakraborty told reporters that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has received reports that drug peddlers have hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Deb. "There are reports with the Union home minister that drug peddlers in Myanmar are trying to assassinate Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb. We have also got inputs from our party sources," Chakraborty said. "The drug peddlers in the region are unhappy with the chief minister, as he has given a call to make the state drug-free. So they have hatched a conspiracy," he said. As per reports, over 50,000 kg cannabis have been recovered along with narcotic pills, heroin, brown sugar and other intoxicants in the last six months. Over 120 persons were arrested in connection with these recoveries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Chinese nationals, drunk and shirtless, were arrested here after their SUV hit several vehicles and injured eight people, police said. The two were granted bail on Monday by a magistrate who ordered police to seize their passports. Officials said the Chinese Embassy has been informed about the Sunday night incident involving Guoqing Xia and Wenxin Zu. They work for a Chinese firm that deals in furniture and meat. They have been visiting India for the past 15 years on business visa, staying two or three months each time, police said Tuesday. Their current visas will expire on September 26, officials added. The two men have rented flats in Mangal Pandey Nagar and Shastri Nagar in Meerut, and the house owners have been sent notices as well, they said. Superintendent of Police Ranvijay Singh said the two Chinese nationals were in the city to inspect a meat plant. Eight people, including businessman Rajib Aggarwal, his wife and daughter, were injured as the car hit about six vehicles around 9 pm on Sunday. Police chased down the SUV near Rangoli Mandap. Both men were drunk and bare-chested, police said. Xia was driving, they said. They were accompanied by their guide, Ashish, a resident of the Mangal Pandey Nagar area, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All migration to the UK should be managed uniformly with no preferential access to European Union (EU) workers after Brexit, a new UK government commissioned report said on Tuesday. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report comes a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May indicated the UK was keen to move away from a dual immigration system post-Brexit that discriminates between workers from the EU and those from countries like India. The MAC had been charged with collating recommendations for a new immigration policy for once Britain has left the 28-member economic bloc next year. "If and this is not a MAC recommendation immigration is not to be part of the negotiations with the EU and the UK is deciding its future migration system in isolation, we recommend moving to a system in which all migration is managed with no preferential access to EU citizens, concludes its report titled 'EEA (European Economic Area) Migration in the UK'. Acknowledging the political constraints of migration as one of the factors that could sway ongoing Brexit negotiations, the report adds: "If the UK decides on its new immigration system in isolation from the negotiations about the future relationship with the EU, we do not see compelling reasons to offer a different set of rules to EEA and non-EEA citizens." "A migrant's impact depends on factors such as their skills, employment, age and use of public services, and not fundamentally on their nationality." The findings align with Theresa May's message on Monday that the government was looking at rules that would apply to all migrants equally because British voters who favoured an exit from the EU in the June 2016 referendum did not want a situation where EU migrants have "automatic rights in terms of coming here to the United Kingdom, and a set of rules for people outside the European Union". Under the EU's free movement rules, EU citizens have so far been able to enter the UK freely and look for work on arrival as opposed to strict visa norms that apply to non-EU workers from countries like India. The MAC report, which will be taken into account by the government as it prepares its future immigration strategy, also recommends no limits or caps on the number of highly skilled workers such as doctors and engineers who can come and work in the UK. "If the UK is in a position where it is deciding the main features of its immigration policy, our recommendation is that there should be a less restrictive regime for higher-skilled workers than for lower-skilled workers in a system where there is no preference for EEA (European Economic Area) over non-EEA workers, it notes. MAC used a series of research figures to conclude that higher-skilled workers tend to have higher earnings, which means they make a more positive contribution to the public finances of the UK and have an overall positive impact on productivity and innovation. The current cap on skilled workers is set at 20,700 per year for migrants from non-EU countries like India. The UK Home Office said it will "carefully consider" the report's recommendations before setting out further detail on the UK's future immigration system. "After we leave the EU, we will take back control of our borders and put in place an immigration system that works in the interests of the whole of the UK, a Home Office spokesperson said. "We commissioned this report in addition to our engagement with business to better understand the impact of EU citizens on the UK labour market. The government is clear that EU citizens play an important and positive role in our economy and society and we want that to continue after we leave, the spokesperson said, in response to the report which had been commissioned by former Home Secretary Amber Rudd in July last year. The report's findings were welcomed by Britain's Opposition Labour Party, with shadow home secretary Diane Abbott saying it would pave the way to end the discrimination of migrants from Commonwealth countries. "Labour has said that our immigration policy needs to be based on our economic needs, while meeting our legal obligations and treating people fairly. (This) means ending the discrimination against non-EU migrants, especially from the Commonwealth," Abbott said. Earlier this year, the government had launched a review of its strict visa quotas available to professionals from countries like India and announced that doctors and nurses from non-EU countries would be exempt from its Tier 2 (General) monthly visa limit of 1,600 to address particular shortages and pressures facing the state-funded National Health Service (NHS). The latest MAC report has now called for a complete overhaul of such limits. The issue of migration continues to be a highly contentious one, with the UK's ruling Conservative party's commitment to reduce annual net migration to the country to the tens of thousands a target it has continued to miss over the years. "I along with many others agree that the net migration target is a nonsensical policy, and the government has completely failed to come anywhere near achieving it even if you were to exclude EU net migration, said British Indian entrepreneur Lord Karan Bilimoria, who has been lobbying for a more practical immigration policy for international students as co-chair of the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group for International Students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EU Council President Donald Tusk warned Tuesday an extra European summit in November may be necessary to clinch a Brexit deal with the UK, adding that failure remains possible. "We will discuss how to organise the final phase of the Brexit talks, including the possibility of calling another European Council in November," Tusk said, in an official invitation to the EU's 28 leaders ahead of a summit on Wednesday in Salzburg, Austria. Tusk also stressed the need to find a solution on the thorny issue of Ireland's border with British Northern Ireland after Brexit, "so as to be sure that there will be no hard border in the future. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) R Lalzirliana who resigned as Mizoram home minister last week, said on Tuesday that he would contest from his old constituency in the assembly election due in December, but not as a Congress nominee this time. He, however, did not mention in which party he would join or whether he would contest as an independent. Mizoram is the only Congress ruled state in the northeastern region. "I will contest again from Tawi, but not as a Congress candidate," Lalzirliana said at Saitual in Aizawl district. The former minister has been elected from the constituency since 1998 for four consecutive terms. State Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan Monday accepted the resignation of Lalzirliana who was also expelled from the party. He was the state Congress unit vice-president. Lalzirliana, a member of the Lal Thanhawla-led ministry, held the portfolios of home, rural development, power, excise and narcotics. He had submitted his resignation from the council of ministers on Friday after he was served a show cause notice by the party's Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC). The expulsion order was issued by C Lalpianthanga, chairman of the DAC, who said Lalzirliana had refused to explain his actions even after being showcaused. He has given the reason for his resignation as failure to create a separate Saitual district comprising areas in the eastern part of Aizawl, including his constituency, during the last 10 years of Congress rule in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Shweta Tripathi, who features in Sonam Nair's "The Trip 2", says working with the female director made her happy and proud. Shweta had a great time working on Bindaas and Disney India's TV series, "The Trip" and now she is back with its season two. "It has been directed by female director, Sonam Nair. It was a different chemistry to have a female director. I feel very proud (to be directed by female director). One can count the number of female directors we have in the film industry. "I would want more women to be there and that doesn't mean I have a problem with men. We need that push and encouragement from each other," Shweta told PTI. The first season revolved around four childhood friends who go on a road trip in Thailand to celebrate a bachelorette party. "We don't see something made which revolves around girls. This is about four girls from different backgrounds, the story is so amazing that I couldn't turn it down," she says. For this season, Shweta, 33, says the reason for the trip is "crazier" and they will be shooting in India. The "Haramkhor" actor says for her, the real fun and challenge lies when she is given a character that is completely opposite of her real self. "We (characters) are drastically opposite so I enjoy that. My family knows what I want, she doesn't know what she wants. But my character finds that voice in season two. "In real life, I already know what I want. The less similarities the better and to explore yourself as an actor. Neeraj told me actors are lucky as we get to be different characters and live various lives. No one is similar." The series will start airing from October 5. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A six-member gang made a vain bid to loot a jewellery shop here Tuesday and fired one round in the air to try and scare away the public who gathered there after a woman customer raised an alarm, police said. The gang entered the shop and allegedly threatened the shopowner at gun-point just as a woman stepped into the store and screamed on seeing them, police said. Hearing her cries, some locals began gathering at the spot following which a gang member fired in the air and made good their escape, they said. Another pistol was found at the scene, police said. A cash reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced by police to those providing information about the gang. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa Congress on Tuesday dared the BJP-led coalition government in the state to convene a session of the Assembly and win a confidence vote. The main opposition party claimed that the moment the name of a new chief minister was announced, replacing Manohar Parrikar, "many BJP MLAs" will resign. Parrikar is admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi with a pancreatic ailment. Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar said a political uncertainty was prevailing in the state because of the Bharatiya Janata Party's inability to name a consensus candidate who could replace Parrikar (62). "We dare the BJP to parade its 14 MLAs. The moment the new chief minister's name is announced, it is certain that many MLAs of the BJP will resign. Therefore, no permanent solution will be announced," Chodankar said in a statement here. He challenged the saffron party to prove its numbers on the floor of the House by convening a session. The Congress leader claimed that "the health of the whole party (BJP) is down and the coalition government has become a minority" and charged the BJP with buying time to manufacture a majority. "With three BJP ministers, including the chief minister, in the hospital, and one MLA as the speaker, the actual strength of the BJP has reduced to mere 10 in the Assembly," he said. "Secondly, the coalition partners had supported only Parrikar and not the BJP when this unholy alliance came to power against the will of the people of Goa. "The political uncertainty has arisen because the BJP cannot provide a consensus candidate who can replace Parrikar and is accepted by the allies," Chodankar said. The open statements made by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) that they will only support Parrikar as the chief minister were proof enough that the BJP-led government would collapse the minute the former defence minister stepped down, he added. The MGP, the oldest regional party in Goa, is an alliance partner in the Parrikar government. It has three MLAs in the 40-member Assembly, where the Congress, with 16 legislators, is the single-largest party. "The situation is that this 'government in minority' should actually be dismissed by the governor. At least now, the single-largest party, the Congress, should be invited to form the government. The Congress is confident of proving its majority on the floor of the House," Chodankar said. Not dismissing the BJP-led dispensation would mean an "inefficient government in minority is being allowed to rule without a mandate and enough numbers", the Goa Congress chief added. BJP leader Ram Lal had on Monday said the government in the coastal state was stable and there was no demand for a change in the leadership. He had said this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and Goa BJP core committee members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) International investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaws Anas, credited with several mind-blowing undercover works, has admitted to being traumatised a number of times after coming face to face with death in line of duty. The Ghanaian journalists has been involved in a number of life threatening situations whilst going undercover, escaping by the skin of the teeth. He was recently lynched in Malawi when he led a team of BBC journalists investigating a series of mysterious murders in that country. The BBC had said the team were working undercover to expose men who claim to suck the blood of children to make get-rich amulets when they were attacked by a crowd of furious villagers. The villagers had mistaken Anas and his team for the killers. Well over a month after the incident, the investigative journalist told BBC World Service on Saturday that he was still traumatised by his close shave with death. Just like any other story that happens, the trauma will still be there, but the impact is what brings the smiles on our faces, when you know that the story has really touched the nerve, it gives us a lot of courage, Anas said when asked if he has recovered from the trauma. Nonetheless, Anas pointed out, we think that despite the problems, we have been able to mirror exactly what the situation is. The Malawi incident is certainly not the first in his life as Anas Aremeyaw Anas told the BBC that he has seen many near-death situations in exposing corruption and killers in society both in Ghana and abroad. They are near-death in such a way that, well, if you turn this way you may not die, there are near-death situations that you know your back up plan he explained. In the Malawi case, he said, it was beyond control, stressing that the situation was terrifying to the extent that even the local police were scared and the chief could not contain it. Addressing concerns that the BBC failed to work with local vigilante group to protect its journalists, Anas said considering the situation on the ground, working with vigilante group was not the best. He explained that some members of the vigilante group were part of the syndicate, suggesting why it was not proper to deal with persons who are neck-deep into the ritual murders. Watch excerpts of the Malawi experience: 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 Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Tuesday said the state government would soon announce a new scheme for farmers. Patel's announcement came hours after state Congress workers and leaders were detained while trying to take out a march towards the Assembly complex in Gandhinagar demanding farm loan waiver. Talking to reporters on the issue raised by the opposition party, Patel said the BJP government in Gujarat has carried out several pro-farmer works while being in power in the last 22 years. "In the coming days, our government will announce a new scheme for the benefit of farmers. Though the announcement was supposed to be made today, we have delayed it as the Assembly is in session," Patel said after taking part in the session at Gandhinagar. Commenting on the protest rally organised by the Congress, Patel alleged that the opposition party has done nothing for farmers when it was in power in the state before 1995. "Congress leaders can always meet us to make a representation about the farmers' issues. But they are not doing that. They are only interested in politicising the issue keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Patel said. "During the Congress rule, protesting farmers had been shot dead. But such incidents never happened in our 22-years of rule. Our government has launched several pro-farmer schemes, such as drip irrigation, installation of gates on Sardar Sarovar dam and laying of canal network for irrigation," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court Tuesday lamented 'archakas' (priests) were not coming forward to complain to the authorities in case of idol thefts in temples. The priests were functioning mechanically and not bearing in mind that they were doing service to God, a bench of Justice R Mahadevan and Justice P D Audikesavalu observed. The court was hearing a petition alleging replacement of an ancient idol of peacock at the Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore here and seeking a direction for conducting consecration after installing a new idol. The bench, specially constituted to deal with the cases of idol thefts, directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department to file its reply within four weeks. Petitioner Rangarajan Narasimhan of Srirangam submitted that the idol of a peacock holding a flower in its beak at the temple had been missing for long and now there was an idol of the bird holding a snake in its beak, which was against the 'agamas' (traditional codes for temples). He also prayed for a direction for the removal of present trustees and the officials of the temple and formation of a committee under the head of a retired Judge of the high court with Agama experts for its administration. The bench sought to know why the archakas have not brought the replacement of the idol to the knowledge of the government. "Is it not the duty of the archakas to take it to the knowledge of the government?" the court asked, while observing that they were working in a mechanical manner. Counsel for the HR&CE submitted that an enquiry was on and it would file a counter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Orissa High Court Tuesday directed the state government to handover the investigation of the cases registered in connection with the assault of a lawyer by policemen to a deputy inspector general-level officer. A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice K S Jhaveri after going through a status report submitted by a deputy superintendent of police of the crime branch observed "... the investigation seems to be in very slow motion" and directed the government to handover the investigation of cases to a DIG-level officer. Two weeks ago the high court had directed for crime branch investigation into all the FIRs registered. The DSP in his three-page report has stated that the investigations into at least two FIRs in this connection are still in progress. The DSP in his report has stated that more than 20 persons have been examined so far, including a section of public and police. The report further indicated that most of the people examined have refused to say anything about the incident that took place in broad daylight on the main road of a busy market place on August 28. "Since only two nearby shops have CCTV facilities, the footages do not throw any light on the ugly incident as the area where the incident occurred was not in the coverage area of the cameras fixed," the report said. The striking lawyers, who are demanding arrests of the policemen for assaulting an advocate, reiterated their demand for a judicial inquiry into the whole incident. The lawyers across the state are boycotting their respective courts since August 29, even as three policemen were placed under suspension. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought response of the Centre on a plea seeking direction to preserve the records relating to activities and inventory of the National Zoological Park in the city. The plea has alleged "rampant irregularities and illegalities" in the zoo, like suppression of deaths of protected species, procurement, consumption and stock of drugs meant for animals. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao issued notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the National Zoological Park on the application which sought preservation and protection of all records under the personal custody of the director of the zoo. The court also said that the director of the zoo will be responsible for maintaining the records. The application was filed in a pending petition by animals rights activist, Gauri Maulekhi, alleging rampant irregularities and illegalities, like suppression of deaths of protected species in the administration of the National Zoological Park in the city as well as the veterinary care being provided to the animals lodged there. In the application, she claimed that she has received through a whistle-blower a copy of the the letter sent by the director of the zoo to the inspector general of forests (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) which mentioned serious concerns of tampering with documentation, destruction of official documents after receiving notice in this case. It said destruction of official records, particularly those relevant to a case before the high court, has serious ramifications as it could prevent the court from effectively deciding the case by not having access to all the materials relevant to the case. "The destruction of records relevant to a matter pending in this court would also amount to interference in the proceedings and processes of the court and, therefore, in the administration of justice. Such brazen acts may even amount to contempt of court," the application said. The court had on May 25, sought a response of the Centre on the petition which has referred to the CZA's findings indicating death of a large number of animals from protected species, including langur and hog deer, at the Delhi zoo and alleged that there was a total breakdown in the administration at the National Zoological Park, which was set up in 1959. According to the petition, the CZA had also found that there was "suppression of the deaths through the submission of inaccurate inventory reports and fabricated post mortem reports". The other instances of alleged irregularities included capture of animals like monitor lizards and small Indian civets from the wild and "illegally placing them in the zoo to cover up the large number of deaths", the plea, filed through advocate Mihir Samson, said. The authority had also found negligence in the medical care provided to the animals at the zoo, apart from "widespread use of expired medication as well as illegal procurement and missing stock of schedule X drug Ketamine, a notified psychotropic substance", the petition said. The plea has sought a direction to the ministry to establish an independent expert committee for oversight of the zoo as well as initiation of disciplinary and criminal action against all the erring staff working there. The petition has sought that the CZA's reports and findings be adopted and implemented. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Tuesday said a 'Hindu Rashtra' does not mean it has no place for Muslims as this concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions. "The Sangh works towards universal brotherhood and the cardinal principle of this brotherhood is unity in diversity. This thought comes from our culture, which the world calls Hindutva. That's why we call it a Hindu Rashtra," he said. Asserting that the RSS' philosophy is to take everyone along, he said, "Hindu Rashtra doesn't mean there's no place for Muslims. The day it is said so, it won't be Hindutva any more. Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam." Hindutva is the essence of Indian cultural values and is aimed at fostering brotherhood among people of different faiths and views, Bhawat said on the second day of his three-day lecture series here. The RSS chief said that in one of his speeches in the constituent assembly, B R Ambedkar talked about universal brotherhood and emphasised on promoting fraternity among countrymen. Ambedkar also talked about ensuring the dignity of individuals and the integrity of the nation, he said. Bhagwat said Hindutva is synonymous with the concept of Bhartiya, which is used to define all Indians and is reflective of unity in diversity. The Sangh also believes in the same universal brotherhood and it is based on the idea of unity in diversity. This idea comes from an ideology which world describes as of Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said, drawing a parallel between the RSS's ideology and Ambedkar's suggestion. Describing Hindu Rashtra, the saffron organisation's head said the concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions as it is based on Hindutva. The Sangh believes in Sarvepi Sukhinah Santu, which goes beyond the concept of 'maximum good of maximum people', he said, adding that no single language or God bind us together. "We (people of India) are divided in various states, languages and castes. In spite of this, we claim to be the progeny of Bharat Mata and the followers of universal human values," he said. Bhagwat spoke at length about Hindus and Hindutva. He said Dr Ambedkar suggested that religion is not a code but a set of values and Hindutva is based on that set of values. Citing the example of a Muslim player who was facilitated by Hindus in 1881, Bhagwat said even believers of Islam had said that there methodology of worship might be different, but they were sons of 'Bharat Mata' only. Representatives of the foreign missions of the US, Singapore, Germany, Japan and Serbia among others attended the RSS chief's lecture Tuesday. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Giriraj Singh and Vijay Sampla, KC Tyagi of the JD(U), retired judges and former army commanders were also in attendance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) Tuesday forayed into the packaged drinking water sector with the launch of REMINERO, a product in partnership with city-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology HPCL entered into an agreement with IICT to seek their expertise in 'Membrane Technology', along with infrastructure support, for manufacturing Re-Mineralised Nano-Filtered packaged drinking water adhering to the prevailing standards. This initiative, besides being a value added service to customers visiting retail outlets, would make available packaged drinking water fortified with minerals to the public at large, HPCL Executive Director (Retail), G S V Prasad said. "A modern plant has been commissioned at the IICT campus with the latest technology for manufacturing packaged drinking water and it has been licensed by BIS and FSSAI," he said. As of now 'REMINERO' would be made available through HPCL's retail outlet network within the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, he said. HPCL officials said gradually all the geographies would be covered with a spread across all marketing channels like LPG distributors and the bazaar trade. IICT officials said the objective of this collaborative venture was to establish an Indian company's presence through indigenous technology in the packaged water market. It was also to provide mineral rich water of good taste and neutral pH, since most of the packaged drinking water brands revealed acidic pH or low levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)," IICT officials said. Reminero is Remineralised Nano-filtered packaged drinking water containing sufficient quantities of Sodium Magnesium, Calcium and other minerals, which are essential for the efficient functioning of our vital organs, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government is sending a two-member team of top IAS officers to the US to attend an event and also explore opportunities to attract foreign investment into the state. Chief secretary D K Jain and principal secretary, general administration department (information and technology), S V R Srinivas, will attend the event to be held in San Francisco from September 20, said a government order issued Tuesday. The event has been organised by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The scheduled visit of IAS officers to the US will also see some meetings with delegations and industrial representatives, the order said. Such a visit is an opportunity to attract more investment into Maharashtra and hence the government has sanctioned it, it added. The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution describes itself as a hub for global, multi-stakeholder cooperation to develop policy frameworks and advance collaborations that accelerate the benefits of science and technology. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said Tuesday that his organisation does not dictate the BJP's or policies of its government, but asserted that it pushes for what it believes to be in the interest of the country. On the second day of a three-day conclave organised by the RSS, he said the impression is "absolutely wrong" that calls from Nagpur, where it is headquartered, are made and talks (between it and government functionaries) held because likes of the President and the Prime Minister have had links with it. Bhagwat also said that the RSS never asks it volunteers to work for a political party. The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) does not give advice but offers suggestion if it is sought, he said, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or any of its leaders. The RSS head spoke at length about its stand on politics, and claimed that it does not ask its 'swayamsewaks' (volunteers) to support a particular political party but advise them to back those working in the interest of the country. "We speak about interests of the nation and if we have strength, then we push for what we consider to be right. There is nothing to hide here. We do it openly," he said. "We never ask a volunteer to work for a political party. But we do say that they should back those who are working for the nation and have a dream for the nation. Anyone (political party) can have such a policy. It is not that only one has it and another cannot have so," he said. He referred to the issue of illegal infiltration, saying his organisation may keep away from but will speak about a matter like this as it impacts the country. Without naming the BJP, which is ideologically affiliated to the RSS, Bhagwat said his organisation is often asked about its political ambitions, why so many of its people are in one party and what is its association with "It is asked why so many of them (RSS workers) are one party. This is not our concern. Why they do not wish to be associated with other parties is for them to consider. We never ask a swayamsewak to work for a particular political party," he told the audience at Vigyan Bhawan here. The opposition has often accused the RSS of actively interfering in politics through the BJP, with Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Hindutva organisation seeks to capture institutions with help from the Modi government. Modi for decades worked in RSS before moving to the BJP. In the BJP, which the 68-year-old Bhagwat did not refer directly, he said many leaders are older and senior to him and have more experience in politics than he has in the RSS. "If they need advice and seek it, then we give them," he said, adding that the RSS wants the BJP to work autonomously. The centre of power will remain as has been decided by the Constitution, he said, adding that his organisation considers it wrong if it is dictated from the outside. The Sangh is wedded to national interest, and is does not believe in nursing enmity with one or having special friendship with another, he claimed. It works for man-making but what its volunteers will do, it their decision, he said, claiming that no office-bearer of the RSS can hold a position in a political party because it has decided to keep away from politics since its inception. The nation does not rise from any single individual, institution, organisation or government, he said, adding that when the entire society sacrifices for the nation, it is only then that its destiny changes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has signed a financing loan agreement with the World Bank for USD 74 million for Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP), a finance ministry statement said Tuesday. As per the statement, the project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labour-market-relevant workers through short term training in Uttrakhand. The project has three components -- improving the quality and relevance of ITI training; increasing the number of skilled workers certified under National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQE); and policy and institutional development and project management. "Twenty-five ITIs have been selected 13 located in District Centers and 12 ITIs that are well-linked to industries. Two out of four women's ITIs in the state will be included in the list," the ministry added. The project has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 17 years. The closing date for the project is June, 2023. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian citizen has pleaded guilty to operating a fraud scheme by falsely representing as an employee of the US immigration service in which he used social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to scam people seeking to obtain American visas. Kanwar Sarabjit Singh, 51, a lawful permanent resident, used Facebook and WhatsApp to falsely represent himself as an employee of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who worked in the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service and who could obtain genuine US visas in exchange for a fee of USD 3,000 to USD 4,000, US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement. Singh pleaded guilty to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal officer and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 14. As part of his scheme, Singh created a fake photo identification document pretending to be from the DHS, which he mailed to others in an effort to show that he was capable to obtain US immigration documents. Singh instructed individuals seeking immigration documents to e-mail him passport photographs, copies of their passports and other personally identifying information and to send him money through overnight delivery service or by wire transfer. After receiving these documents and the requested fee up front, Singh created and mailed fake letters purporting to be from the US Embassy in New Delhi which falsely represented that there was an appointment to pick up the requested visa documents. Many of Singh's victims resided overseas and were impoverished. In addition to this visa fraud scheme, Singh also admitted to engaging in an investment fraud scheme in Tennessee in 2012 in which he defrauded approximately 22 investors of approximately USD 340,000. Singh gained the trust of a local pastor and his church, including elderly members, and falsely represented to them that he owned a small company in India that provided labour for services, including data entry, to two large, international companies and that for a small, up-front investment, they would see a large return on their money. Federal authorities said those defrauded by Singh should contact the FBI's Washington Field Office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jamas nos callaran Fisica y culturalmente Nec plus ultra, nec variatur Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Paginas vistas en total Dolar USA Vs Euro Sin ellas, no seremos Deja vu Nada que celebrar Hasta cuando? Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! Iran's foreign minister on Tuesday hailed an agreement between Turkey and Russia to avert an assault on Syria's last major rebel stronghold in Idlib province as an example of "responsible diplomacy." After more than four hours of negotiations in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey agreed to create a demilitarised zone around the opposition bastion. "Intensive responsible diplomacy over the last few weeks ... is succeeding to avert war in Idlib with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. "Diplomacy works," he added, pointing to his visits to Ankara and Damascus as well as a three-way summit between the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey earlier this month. Asked at a press conference on Tuesday whether Iran was consulted about the Sochi decision, Zarif said: "Yes, Iran has always been at the centre of consultations." Tehran and Moscow are key supporters of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's seven-year civil war, while Ankara backs opposition fighters seeking the ouster of the Syrian leader. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Monday to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide buffer zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops by October 15. The agreement entails the "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib as well as "heavy weaponry from this zone," Putin said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German agency dpa reports that a court in the eastern city of Chemnitz has ordered the release of an Iraqi man detained over the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German last month that sparked violent protests. Dpa quoted the 22-year-old Iraqi man's lawyer as saying the Chemnitz court had lifted the detention order against his client Tuesday. The Iraqi, identified only as Yousif A., was arrested together with a 23-year-old Syrian on charges of manslaughter. Thousands of people took to the streets in the wake of the killing, which authorities say occurred after a verbal altercation between two groups escalated in the early hours of Aug. 26. The protests brought together neo-Nazis, members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party and other Germans angered about crimes committed by migrants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prominent Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan faced one of his rape accusers for more than eight hours in a French court Wednesday as he seeks bail after seven months in custody on charges he furiously denies. Ramadan, a frequent TV commentator, was a professor at Oxford University until he was forced to take leave when the rape allegations surfaced at the height of the "Me Too" movement late last year. The Swiss citizen, whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, was charged in France in February with raping two women in hotels in 2009 and 2012. Swiss prosecutors have also opened an investigation into allegations that he raped a woman in a Geneva hotel in 2008, local media reported Sunday. On Wednesday, he came face-to-face with a disabled woman who accuses him of attacking her in the eastern French city of Lyon in 2009. She remains anonymous but is known in the media as "Christelle". "It was a bitter confrontation" in which "everyone maintained their positions," her lawyer Eric Morain said. "Ramadan sees enemies everywhere, he is a conspiracy theorist, and my client was able to look him in the eye and tell him that she was not his enemy but his victim," Morain said. "She has carried this pain for 10 years." Ramadan's lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny said his client firmly kept his stance that he had "never had sex with the complainant". Ramadan, a 56-year-old married father of four, has dismissed the allegations against him as a smear campaign. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel's military expressed "sorrow" on Tuesday for the deaths of crew members of a Russian military aircraft accidentally downed by Syria during an Israeli strike, but blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran. "Israel expresses sorrow for the deaths of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire," a military statement said in Israel's first reaction to the incident. "Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organisation accountable for this unfortunate incident." It said the Israeli raid late Monday targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. Iran is Israel's main enemy, while it also fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel also disputed Russia's assertion that it used the aircraft that was later downed with 15 crew aboard as cover while it carried out the strike. "During the strike against the target in Latakia, the Russian plane that was then hit was not within the area of the operation," a military statement said. It added that "when the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, (Israeli) jets were already within Israeli airspace." "Extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire caused the Russian plane to be hit and downed," the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gunmen have kidnapped an Italian missionary in southwest Niger, the latest abduction of a foreign worker in the troubled Sahel country, his organisation said on Tuesday. Pier Luigi Maccalli was seized on Monday night in Bamoanga, a village 125 kilometres (75 miles) from the capital Niamey, said a spokesman for the Catholic mission to Niger, Thomas Codjovi. "The kidnapping happened at around 9pm," Codjovi told AFP. "According to local residents, about eight men arrived on motorbikes, broke into his house opposite the church and forced him to go with them... They returned 10 minutes later, firing into the air to frighten people. "There were also nuns there, but he was the only one they wanted to kidnap." Maccalli, a priest, has lived in Niger for 11 years, said Codjovi. The Society of African Missions (SMA) confirmed the abduction via the Mondo E Missione page on Facebook. It said it was "in round-the-clock contact" with a crisis cell at the Italian foreign ministry. "There has been no claim by the kidnappers at present," it said. Niger, a large and poor country in West Africa, has become a target for recurring jihadist attacks from neighbouring Nigeria and especially in areas in the west that lie close to the border with Mali and Burkina Faso. "The stretch to the north and west of Niamey are high-risk places," former soldier turned security consultant Mohamed Ouagaya told AFP. "It would really be suicide for Westerners to venture out there, no one can guarantee their security," he said. "They need to go with a security escort .... and need to seek official protection." A German humanitarian worker was kidnapped in the same region of Tillaberi in April. In October 2016, an American aid worker was seized farther north. Security officials believe that they have been taken to northern Mali as hostages. Niger is a predominantly Muslim country, where between one and two percent of the inhabitants are Christians in a population of about 20 million. The Torodi region, where Maccalli was seized, has the largest concentration of Christians in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The global telecom body International Telecommunication Union will set up its local area office for South Asia in the national capital, telecom minister Manoj Sinha said Tuesday. "The ITU South Asia Area Office and Technology Innovation Centre will be established in New Delhi. This was announced by Houlin Zhao, Secretary General (SG) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), during the 4th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting held in Durban, South Africa recently," an official statement said. ITU is a United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies, with membership of 193 countries and nearly 800 private sector entities and academic institutions. The body freezes international standards on telecom technologies that are to be used globally. "The establishment of this ITU local area office will be an important milestone for us, as it signifies global recognition of the progress we have made in the field of ICT. It also places on us the responsibility to work with our neighbouring countries to take the benefits of the rapid developments in this technology-driven industry to our people in the South Asia region," Sinha said. The ITU South Asia Office will serve nine countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, in addition to the host country - which together account for nearly 24 per cent of the global population. India has been member of ITU since 1869 and has also been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952. "This local area office will play a key role in organising capacity and capability building programmes for the region, and in accelerating the structured implementation of ITU's development programs with focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land-Locked Developed Countries (LLDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other similarly placed nations in the region," telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JNU students' union president N Sai Balaji hit out at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her statement alleging there are forces in the varsity which are "waging a war" against India and said she herself has not answered questions on Rafale deal. Sitharaman's comments came days after candidates backed by Left groups won all four key posts in the JNU Students Union elections and clashes took place between members of the RSS-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA). When asked about developments in the JNU, she had said, "There are forces which are waging a war against India and it is they who are also seen with elected representatives of students union. That makes me feel uneasy." "The kind of things which have happened in the last few years (in JNU) are not really encouraging at all. It is very different to have a party whose ideology you may not agree with. But the way in which they were probably got led by forces which are anti-India," she said. "They are waging a war against India, say pamphlets. Their brouchers say that. Such people leading the JNUSU or JNUSU members openly participating with such forces, you do not need to hesitate to say anti-India, therefore," Sitharaman said. The JNUSU president attacked the government, saying "The government wants the country to talk about the national versus anti-national debate. They want to divert attention from the real issues - the Rafale deal, the Jio university, unemployment." Sitharaman, who herself, is a product of the JNU, has not answered questions "why Ambani was helped in the Rafale deal". "They want to end public-funded and encourage corporatisation while the common man talks about nationalism and anti-national elements," he added. On February 9, 2016, an event against Afzal Guru's hanging was held on the JNU campus during which "slogans against the country" were allegedly raised, propelling the varsity to the centre of a countrywide debate on nationalism. A JNU panel had in 2016 recommended rustication of Umar Khalid and two other students and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kanhaiya Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event. Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. Their arrest had triggered widespread protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amnesty International India said Tuesday that the authorities in Kerala must ensure timely justice to a nun who has accused a bishop of raping her over a period of two years. "Revealing the identity of a survivor of sexual violence is a crime under Indian law, but to face backlash from the very community to which she has dedicated her life, is tragic. "This is a blatant and extremely unfortunate attempt at victim naming and shaming," said Asmita Basu, Amnesty International India's Programme Director. She was responding to allegations of repeated instances of sexual violence faced by a Kerala-based nun, allegedly by the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, and subsequent smear campaigns against her by the Congregation of the Missionaries of Jesus. The accused, Franco Mulakkal, has written to the Pope offering to "step aside temporarily" as the Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, a move which comes ahead of his appearance before the Kerala Police on Wednesday to join the investigation in the case. The Kerala-based nun had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her 13 times between 2014 and 2016 during his visits to the Jalandhar-diocese run convent at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district. The bishop has, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted". "The Indian Catholic Church has failed to take sufficient action in the case, despite repeated appeals by the survivor. This, in itself, is a violation of the church's own guidelines on dealing with sexual harassment at the workplace. "In addition to this, alleged threats and harassment for having the courage to report the crime, severely curtails her access to justice," Basu said. The bishop had last week handed over administrative responsibility of Jalandhar diocese to another clergyman. "Authorities in Kerala have a duty to provide timely justice for survivors of rape and sexual violence. They must ensure that the survivor is given a safe avenue to seek legal redress. Prosecutors must initiate appropriate criminal proceedings against suspects and those responsible must be brought to justice at the earliest," Basu added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government decided on Tuesday to extend the time for submission of caste validity certificates for contesting local body elections from the present six months to one year after filing of nomination. The objective was to ease the workload of the Caste Validity Committee, as it will get more time to process applications filed by candidates, an official in the chief minister's office said. The proposal was approved at a weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here, he said. The 'Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act' will be amended for this purpose, he said. The cabinet on Tuesday also decided to set up Mahanet's Network Operation Centre at Navi Mumbai and Disaster Recovery Site at Nagpur. MahaNet, a state government's initiative, aims to digitally connect 12,740 gram panchayats in 172 talukas, the official said. Under the project, a fibre optic network of over 50,000 km will be laid, and capacity of the existing Internet network will be enhanced from 100 mbps to 1 gbps. With high-speed Internet, E-Health, E-education, E-agriculture services will be made available in villages, a government official said. The cabinet also gave nod on Tuesday to implementation of the Centre's National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems for clean-up and conservation of Koradi Lake near Nagpur. The scheme, which contemplates desilting, removal of weeds and prevention of polluting effluents from entering the lake, will receive Rs 26.21 crore from the Centre. Out of this amount, the Union government has already given Rs 8.74 crore to the state government. State power generating company Mahagenco, which has a plant near the lake, will spend another Rs 17.48 crore on the project. The cabinet also sanctioned Rs 3,978 crore for the Kukdi irrigation project which aims to bring 1.45 lakh hectares of area under irrigation in Pune, Solapur and Ahmednagar districts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi-bound flyer was apprehended at the airport here on Tuesday for allegedly carrying 13 live bullets in his bag, officials said. Jagbir Singh, who was to take a flight to Delhi, was intercepted by CISF personnel after they detected bullet-like objects in his bag at about 7 am at Raja Bhoj airport, they said. The bullets were later found to be of 7.65 calibre. Jagbir was handed over to the local police as he could not produce valid documents for the ammunition, a senior official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 31-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly raping his minor niece after intoxicating her with sedatives mixed in cold drink at his house here, police said. The seven-year-old girl, who lives with her family in Delhi, had come to stay with her uncle and aunt in Noida Sector 15, police said. On Tuesday, when the girl's father reached the uncle's house, he found her unconscious. Later, she told her father that the uncle used to give her the cold drink everyday for the last few days after which she would lose consciousness, a police official said. Alarmed by his daughter's ordeal, the father approached the Sector 20 police station. "An FIR was lodged on a complaint by the girl's father around 6.45 pm. The father alleged that the uncle of the child had raped her after giving her sedatives at their home," the official said. The accused was arrested within hours, the official said. He has been booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and related offences. He has also been booked under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said. He said that the police were further quizzing the uncle, while the girl was sent for medical examination. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man from Amritsar was arrested for possession of 7 kg of charas at Tunuhatti on Pathankot-Dalhousie highway here Monday, police said. The arrested was identified as Daleep Kumar, son of Bodh Raj from Amritsar, said SP Chamba Monika Bhutungru. Daleep was caught at about 12.40 pm during routine checks conducted by the State Narcotics Crime Control Unit, the SP added. The police said Daleep was going to Pathankot from Banikhet. Bhutungru said, "A case was registered in Chawari police station under section 20 of NDPS Act. The accused was arrested on the spot and his vehicle was impounded." Further investigation is going on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 20-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his two friends at Mharal village in Kalyan taluka of Maharashtra apparently over a financial dispute, police said Tuesday. The incident took place late Monday night, police said. The victim, identified as Fiaz Shaikh, had gone with some of his friends to have food and liquor in the village late Monday night. On their way back, an argument broke out among the group members and the two accused stabbed Shaikh to death and tried to attack some others, a police officer said. The body of the victim was later sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, the police said adding that no arrest has been made in this connection. Police have booked the accused under IPC 302 (murder) and a search has been launched to nab them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korea's president and the North's leader Kim Jong Un drove through the streets of Pyongyang together past thousands of cheering citizens Tuesday ahead of a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States. Kim welcomed his visitor at Pyongyang's international airport -- where he had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted -- the two leaders of the divided Korean Peninsula embracing after Moon walked down the steps of his aircraft. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people on the tarmac waved North Korean flags and unification ones depicting an undivided peninsula. The South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands more people, holding bouquets and chanting in unison "Reunification of the country!", lined the streets of the city as Kim and Moon rode through in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kim's predecessors -- his father and grandfather -- lie in state. The nuclear-armed North invaded its neighbour in 1950, starting the Korean War, and regularly stresses the importance of reunifying with the now far wealthier South. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the three-year conflict -- is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The North's Korean Central Agency (KCNA) said the summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history." The first visit by a South Korean leader to Pyongyang in a decade is also the men's third meeting this year after two previous summits in April and May in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. Moon has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the description Tuesday, saying Washington was "totally to blame" for the deadlock and adding: "The US is stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first'." With Seoul and Washington moving at increasingly different speeds in their approaches to Pyongyang, Kim will look to secure more Southern-funded projects in the North. For his part the dovish South Korean president is looking to tie the two tracks closer together to reduce the threat of a devastating conflict on the peninsula. Moon will hold at least two rounds of talks with Kim and try to convince him to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump when he meets him later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself," Moon was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea", Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation "especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North", it added. "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." Moon was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. Moon -- whose poll ratings have been falling in the face of a struggling economy in the South -- has been pushing inter-Korean cooperation but South Korean media have urged caution, calling for such schemes to await substantial progress towards denuclearisation. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Outdoor anti-mosquito fogging is ineffective and it just gives an impression to people that the government is doing something which is a false sense of security, the National Green Tribunal has said and ordered the authorities to check the sources of vector-borne diseases in the city. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said steps should be taken by civic bodies to cover dumping sites with mud and disinfectants should be used. "Chemical insecticides are required to be used to control adult mosquito breeding. However, outdoor sprays are not effective except to give an impression to people that the government is doing something which is a false sense of security. Instead, indoor spraying may be more effective," the NGT said. The green panel said that after monitoring the matter for two years, it was of the opinion that further continuous monitoring is to be left to the statutory authorities consistent with the guidelines already issued, including the long term action plan. "Accordingly, the proceedings are now closed with a direction that all preventive steps be strictly taken to check the sources of vector-borne diseases, including removing stagnant water and solid waste," the bench said. The information of the persons accountable may be made available on the website of the municipal corporations concerned and the success stories of monitoring may also be displayed on the website. "We also suggest that the authorities must continue their efforts for awareness of all concerned and also involve the public, including the institutions, through suitable programmes," it said. The NGT had earlier said that vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya have started spreading in the city and the steps taken by the authorities to contain the menace were "mere formality". Unhappy with the situation, the bench had appointed 12 local commissioners to inspect different places in the city under each municipal corporation and report it about the problem persisting on the ground. The tribunal had earlier hit out at the Delhi government, civic bodies and other public authorities for making "unbelievable" claims and "vague statements" regarding steps to tackle diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. It had said the right to clean, decent and public health was a fundamental right and financial limitations should not come in the way of providing good health and to the people. While issuing a slew of directions, the bench had constituted a Principal Committee headed by the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government and comprising commissioners of all corporations, vice chairman of DDA, head of the Cantonment Board, New Delhi Municipal Council, Principal Secretary of Health and Director General of Health Services as members to deal with the menace of these vector-borne diseases. The bench was hearing a petition by former scientist of Central Pollution Control Board Mahendra Pandey for issuance of directions and setting up of committees to implement precautionary, preventive and curative actions to ensure that the residents of Delhi are not exposed to dengue, chikungunya and other allied diseases. The plea had also sought direction to authorities not to undertake outdoor thermal fogging to control dengue, alleging it was anti- and caused air pollution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mules operating on the Katra-Vaishno Devi shrine track in Jammu will soon be implanted with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to ensure that no illegal or unauthorised animal is pressed into service, the Supreme Court was informed Tuesday. In a report placed before the apex court, the sub-committee of the state advisory council has recommended that the cap on registered mules operating on the track would be reduced from 4,600 to 2,500 over a period of 10 years and 175 animal would be phased out every year starting 2018-19. A copy of the sub-committee's report was placed before a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta, during the hearing today. As part of the long term measures to deal with the issue of rehabilitation of mules and their owners, the panel has recommended that after the number of animals is capped at 2,500, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the district administration would ensure that number of mules on the track do not exceed 2,000 on a single day. "Clear indication and RFID tagging of both mules and mule owners by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to ensure that no illegal/unauthorised mule operates on the track," the committee has recommended as part of the short-term measures. It has recommended that the state's animal husbandry would constitute a task force and create an institutional mechanism to ensure control on spread of zoonotic disease in euqines at Katra and the shrine area. It also asked the department to post more veterinary doctors both at Katra and the track to the shrine to ensure timely detection and elimination of mules infected with zoonotic disease like Farsy and Glanders. Zoonotic diseases are infectious ailments transmitted from animals to humans. "Department of Health to post more number of doctors both at Katra and the track enroute shrine to ensure health and hygiene of mule operators and the visiting pilgrims," the committee has said, adding that the shrine board would ensure collection and disposal of waste excreta from the track. As part of long term measures, the committee has recommended that the state government should cover the eligible displaced mule owners under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme of the Centre as an extra incentive for their rehabilitation. A retirement centre would be made and maintained by the district administration and shrine board, the committee has recommended. It has also recommended that the draft rehabilitation policy prepared by the state government earlier would be accepted and adopted with certain modifications suggested by them. The financial implication on account of the implementation of the policy would be borne in the ratio 1:2 by the state government and the shrine board, it said. Earlier, advocate Shoeb Alam, representing Jammu and Kashmir, had told the court that the sub-committee consisted of three advisors to the Governor and the chief secretary of the state. The sub-committee would make recommendations to the state advisory council. At the hearing today, the counsel for activist Gauri Maulekhi, who had earlier filed a plea in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking removal of horses and mules from the path to the shrine, said they wanted to respond to the report. "What response? If somebody has done some good work, at least appreciate it. For everything, there is an obstruction. Let them implement it. Four of the top senior officers have done it," the bench said. "It cannot go on like this. Everything cannot be your way. Similarly, everything cannot be there way also," the bench said. The counsel then claimed that their suggestions were not considered by the sub-committee. Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the state, said that the suggestions were considered by the committee. Later, the court told the counsel to file their responses within a week and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks. The apex court had earlier taken note of the problem of pollution at Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and the surrounding areas and made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir government and shrine board would have to "protect and preserve" both. The NGT had capped the number of visitors to the shrine at 50,000 per day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress in Maharashtra Tuesday told the 15th Finance Commission Mumbai should be given special grants for infrastructure development and asked it to consider transferring additional tax revenue to its civic body. A delegation of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) submitted a written memorandum in this regard to the commission, headed by chairman N K Singh, which is in Mumbai for consultations. The MPCC delegation, led by its vice-president Ratnakar Mahajan, said the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) should be given special grants for development of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, flyovers, drainage system and public transport. "Urban local bodies are now becoming behemoth, especially the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. We request that considering the special position Mumbai holds in the country, the MCGM be transferred a certain percentage of divisible pool of taxes over and above the share of the state," the memorandum said. Mumbai collects more than Rs 3.14 lakh crore of direct taxes in the country. The ever-increasing population and inadequacy of infrastructure has clogged the city, it said. The divisible pool is that portion of gross tax revenue which is distributed between the Centre and the states. The opposition party said it feels that the Central government, in order to fulfil its commitments of certain goals by 2022, may slash funds for Maharashtra by increasing central spend on state schemes. Maharashtra is "No. 1" state in GST collection. It has recorded 28 per cent rise in 2017-18. The debt burden of the state is Rs 4.61 lakh crore while fiscal deficit is Rs 50,586 crore. Hence, Maharashtra should be entitled for revenue deficit grants, the party said in the memorandum. The party criticised the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the commission. By suggesting that the impact of the "generous devolution by the 14 th Finance Commission be reviewed, the terms of reference have clearly indicated that the tax devolution to the states to meet requirements of the central schemes will be reduced. This goes against the spirit of federalism," it said. The party urged the commission to consider devising certain methods to incentivise better performing states like Maharashtra. The Finance Commission is set up every five years to decide the sharing of tax resources between the Centre and states. The 15th finance panel is headed by N K Singh, a retired IAS officer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Health Minister J P Nadda Tuesday praised Jharkhand government for being able to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the state. He commended the state government for being able to reduce the maternal mortality rate by 46 points and said the infant mortality rate was also being reduced. "The state has taken several steps in the health sectors and as per the indicators several reforms have taken place in the health sectors," Nadda told a press conference here. The Union Health Minister assured Jharkhad government all support from the Centre in the health sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday arrived in Romania on the last leg of his three-nation visit to boost India's ties with the southeastern European country. Naidu landed here from Malta where he held comprehensive discussions with President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on ways to bolster bilateral relations. The two countries signed three MoUs for collaboration between the foreign services institutes and cooperation in maritime and tourism. Upon his arrival in Bucharest, the vice president received a warm welcome from Vice Prime Minister of Romania Ana Birchall, External Affairs Ministry (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. In the last leg, Naidu will be in Romania from September 18 to September 20. The visit coincides with 70th year of Indo-Romanian ties and the centenary year of Romania. During the visit, Naidu will meet Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romanian Senate and the prime minister. He will also address a session of Chamber of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament. Naidu will also have a business meet and interact with the Indian diaspora, the MEA has said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rima Das' National Award-winning feature "Village Rockstars" is all set to release country-wide on September 28. The coming-of-age film had bagged the Best Feature Film trophy at the 65th National Film Awards, besides also winning Best Child Artist, Best Location Sound Recordist and Best Editing. The film will be released through VKAAO, a joint venture of PVR Pictures and BookMyShow in metro cities of India and in more than 30 screens in Assam through Kamakhya Films. It follows Dhunu, a girl who grows up in poverty and learns to fend for herself. However, that does not prevent her from following her dream of forming a rock band and owning a guitar someday. "After travelling to many film festivals across the world and winning hearts, I am so delighted that the exciting journey of 'Village Rockstars' has come to its final stage when we prepare with nervous anticipation and hope to present the film to the audiences in our homeland," Das said in a statement. The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has toured more than 70 prestigious international and national film festivals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will be on a five-day visit to the US this week during which he will hold talks with the top American Navy brass on key issues and attend an international symposium on sea power. Admiral Lanba, who is the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Chief of the Naval Staff, will visit Rhode Island in the US from September 18 to 22 for attending the 23rd edition of the International Seapower Symposium (ISS) organised by the US Navy, a statement issued by the Indian Navy said. He is scheduled to present his views on the topic 'Defending the Maritime Commons: Safeguarding the Free and International Order' and participate in panel discussion during the symposium. During his visit, Admiral Lanba is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John M Richardson, Commander, Indo-Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM) Admiral Philip S Davidson, Commander, Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) Admiral John C Aquilino, Commander Naval Forces, Europe, Admiral James G Foggo, and Commander NAVCENT and Commander 5th Fleet of the US Navy Vice Admiral Scott Stearney. In addition, he would be interacting with navy chiefs of Japan, France, Australia, the UK, Malaysia and Sweden as well as several other senior dignitaries, the statement said. India and the US have traditionally maintained close and friendly relations and their bilateral defence relationship has been one of mutual trust and confidence, which translated into the US according major defence partner status to India in June 2016, it said. The visit comes after both countries concluded certain major agreements, including the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) signed on September 6, 2018, that will facilitate information-sharing between the armed forces of both nations. The two countries also signed the Defence Framework Agreement in 2015, which lays a blueprint for collaboration between the defence establishments of both countries, and the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, which is a foundational agreement, facilitating reciprocal logistics support between the armed forces of both countries. The Indian Navy engages with the US Navy on numerous issues, including operational interactions such as the MALABAR and RIMPAC (the Rim of the Pacific Exercises) series of exercises and training exchanges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra NCP president and former state finance minister Jayant Patil Tuesday said the Finance Commission should give special grant to the Greater Mumbai Region. He also suggested that the Commission should have separate fund for meeting agrarian distress, which is not always drought related but could be in the form of excess production as well. Speaking at the meeting with the 15th Finance Commission here, Patil said, "Mumbai's position as commercial capital since Independence is being diluted due to the Centre's concentration on a new city in the neighbouring state." He said no other city can match Mumbai's business culture and atmosphere and added that the Finance Commission in its award should give special grant to the Greater Mumbai Region. Patil proposed a competition based on performance among the states on human development index, infrastructure, gender equality, finances and policing among other issues. He also recommended that all the states should submit outcome budgets along with the financial budget, which will bring more transparency on the expenditure of the states. According to Patil, Maharashtra, which is more burdened with migrating population, should get the maximum weightage while calculating devolution of taxes. He urged that a VAT-empowered committee type structure for the GST council, which is apolitical, should be formed to save GST tax rating from any political bias. "We support the economic logic of common market but not the political logic of uniformity of politics and culture. In case of VAT empowered committee, we always had one of the finance ministers of any state as chairman and the Union government had their representative on the committee. But now in the case of GST council, the chairperson is the Union finance minister himself. "We are seeing some political decisions in taxation being taken. Their timing of decisions is based on timing of elections, without given due consideration for implications on all other states," he said. Patil suggested that Vidharbha and Marathwada's imbalance of development can be removed by special grant of Rs 35,000 crore each year for five years. The Commission should to focus on central India and its connectivity to all major ports in India, he said, highlighting that the connectivity of East Vidharbha and Chattisgarh to eastern and western coast through high-speed rail and road transportation can boost the economy. Instead of a proposed bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, he suggested that central India, especially Nagpur, should be connected to Mumbai or any major port on the eastern coast with the help of high-speed trains and a formidable road network. The 15th Finance Commission, headed by N K Singh, is on a three-day visit to the state, and is scheduled to meet the chief minister, ministers and other officials of the state, leaders of various political parties, representatives of trade and industry, urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nayabuddin Shaikh, brother of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, has told the special CBI court here that he "never mentioned" the names of BJP chief Amit Shah and police officer Abhay Chudasama in his statement about the alleged fake encounter. Nayabuddin deposed before CBI judge S J Sharma during the trial of the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case here Monday. He appeared before the court after several summons were issued to him. As per the CBI, Nayamuddin had told the agency that Shah and Chudasama had threatened him in connection with the Sohrabuddin case. To a question, Nayamuddin on Monday denied making any statement to the CBI in 2010 about receiving threats from Shah and Chudasama. "He never mentioned these two persons," he told the court. Shah was a Minister of State for Home in Gujarat when the alleged fake encounter took place. He has been discharged from the case by trial court. Shaikh, a suspected gangster, was killed in an alleged fake encounter by the Gujarat police in November 2005. His wife Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed. Tulsi Prajapati, an aide of Shaikh who was said to be a witness to the encounter, was allegedly killed by police at Chapri in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006. Of the 38 people charged by the CBI for the alleged fake encounters, 15 have been discharged by the trial court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The Puducherry government Tuesday unveiled a new sand import policy to facilitate construction activity in the wake of shortage of the key raw material in the union territory. Under the policy, the 'Puducherry Import of Sand, Transportation and Storage Rules, 2018,' individuals or companies can import river sand and sell it to the public, an official release said. The policy would also facilitate taking up of the central government's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the Union Territory. The government said that importers should register with the department of revenue and disaster management and possess valid registration certificates to import and sell the sand Applicants should submit the forms seeking registration at the office of the special revenue secretary along with a demand draft or pay order for Rs one lakh at Rs 1,000 per tonne of sand, the release said. The port at Karaikal (an enclave of the union territory) has made all the necessary arrangements to facilitate the import, it said. Meanwhile another official press release said that Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, while speaking at the 28th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Bengaluru, mentioned about the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee having issued orders for import of one million tonnes of sand every year from abroad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Green Tribunal Tuesday allowed mining company Vedanta to make representation to a committee headed by former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal to gain access to its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel passed the order after the company alleged it was not being allowed access to the plant despite permission granted by the tribunal. The counsel appearing for the mining firm said that a large quantity of copper concentrate, having 30 per cent Sulphur, was lying inside the plant which needs to be taken care of. The submission was strongly opposed by senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, who asked why the company was being allowed to make representations to the committee. "Allow us too. Why don't you record in the order that you have rejected our request. I want to record my protest. I have never seen a judicial tribunal function like this," the senior lawyer said. The tribunal, however, said that even the state government can approach the committee with its grievances. The NGT had earlier said a credible mechanism, through which rival contentions can be balanced and final view taken, has to be evolved. The green panel had said the committee, which include representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, may visit the site and consider technical data. It had noted in its order that it cannot be ignored that the copper smelting plant contributed to copper production in the country and employed 1,300 people. "To give opportunity to the parties as above, option before us is either to set aside the impugned order and remand the matter to the TNPCB or to seek a report by referring the matter to an independent and credible committee. "The committee can go into the material produced by the parties on the issue of environmental compliance as well as impact on inhabitants as perceived or actual," the bench had said. The green tribunal had asked the committee to submit its report to it and said that the matter be listed for hearing on receipt of report of the panel. It had directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to provide logistic support to the committee and said their remuneration would be determined by the state government. The tribunal had also said that the committee may hear intervenors MDMK general secretary Vaiko and K S Arjunan, who is Communist Party of India (Marxist) District Secretary in Tuticorin, if they feel necessary. On August 9, the tribunal had allowed Vedanta to enter the administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, observing that no environmental damage would be caused by allowing access to the section. The green panel had, however, said the plant would remain closed and the company would not have access to its production unit and directed the district magistrate to ensure this. On July 30, the court had refused to grant any interim relief to Vedanta, which had challenged the Tamil Nadu government's order to permanently shut down its Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi, even as the firm termed the government action "political". On July 5, the tribunal had issued notices to the state government and the pollution board seeking their responses after Tamil Nadu raised preliminary objections with regard to the maintainability of Vedanta's plea. The Tamil Nadu government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns. Earlier in April, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had rejected Sterlite's plea to renew the 'Consent To Operate' certification, saying the company had not complied with the stipulated conditions. At least 13 people were killed and several injured on May 22 when the police had opened fire on a huge crowd of people protesting against environment pollution being allegedly caused by the factory. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was likely to meet top leaders of the BJP during his ongoing visit of New Delhi and thrash out the issue of seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, his close aide said here on Tuesday. "When our leader is in New Delhi, he would naturally meet leaders of our alliance partner. Moreover, I have said earlier that talks on seat-sharing are in final stages", JD(U) national general secretary RCP Singh told reporters. He was replying to a query as to whether Kumar, who is also the JD(U) national president, was likely to meet BJP top brass and finalise sharing of seats during his tour of the national capital for a medical check-up. The chief minister, who had made a dash to New Delhi on Monday, was on Tuesday admitted to AIIMS this morning with complaints of fever and problems in eyes and knees. Singh, who is also the JD(U)'s leader in the Rajya Sabha, took a swipe at the opposition "Mahagathbandhan" with the sarcastic remark " our full sympathy is with Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Jitan Ram Manjhi who has sought to contest 20 out of 40 seats in the state. After all, he is a former Chief Minister". Manjhi had made a statement to the effect on Sunday. However, his party on Monday had clarified that he was only expressing that the HAM was "ready" to contest 20 seats and there was no demand for a specific number of seats. To a query about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's repeated barbs that Bihar government levied an "RCP tax" - an allusion to corruption - the JD(U) leader shot back "I was an Indian Revenue Service officer when he was not even born". About the Congress' appointment of Madan Mohan Jha, an upper caste leader, as its state unit chief, Singh said "I do not wish to comment on any party's internal matter. But if anything is done purely out of caste considerations, it is not good". Speaking in presence of former minister and the party's deputy leader in the state assembly Shyam Rajak, Singh announced that after having held "Ati Picchara" (extremely backward classes) conferences across the state, the JD(U) would now be organizing similar congregations of the Dalits and the Mahadalits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday said the government was not considering any proposal to downsize the Indian Army. She, however, said a government-appointed committee had recommended steps to make the Army a lean and powerful machine and Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat has been holding deliberations with his top commanders on it. "There is no such proposal before me to cut troop-level in the Army," she said in reply to a question during an interactive session at the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC). Gen. Bipin Rawat last week held detailed deliberations with top commanders of the force on ways to make the Army "leaner and meaner" which included carrying out an extensive organisational restructuring and downsizing of the force. There have been indications that the Army may cut over 1,00,000 troops over the next five years as part of restructuring process. The current strength of the force is around 1.3 million personnel. Following reports of troops cut, the Congress had come down hard on the government. Sitharaman said a committee under the chairmanship of Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar recommended series of measures to boost the Army's overall capability including enhancing "teeth to tail ratio", which refers to ratio of fighting units and support services. During two-day deliberations, the commanders also reviewed the modernisation process of the Army and emphasised on the need to equip the force with new platforms and weapons. The defence ministry has already announced a series of reform measures for the Army which included redeployment of nearly 57,000 officers and other ranks as well as ensuring better utilisation of resources. Under the cadre review, the Army is also looking at abolishing the rank of brigadier, they said. The sources said the aim of the reform initiative is to ready a larger talent pool for crucial tasks and bringing down the age of those commanding key formations. The committee is also examining various options to bring down the age of commands at all levels and ensure deploying the right person for the right job. Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement during his Independence Day address about permanent commissioning of women in the forces, Sitharaman said the modalities and rules are being finalised. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Digvijay Singh said on Tuesday that he was not a candidate for the chief minister's post in Madhya Pradesh, where Assembly elections are due by the end of this year. The assertion by the 71-year-old former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, came in the wake of a campaign on Twitter. The campaign, "Digvijay4CM", demanding to project Singh as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate was launched late Monday evening. It is, however, not clear who launched the campaign. Responding to the campaign, Singh tweeted, "Whoever has started Digvijay4CM is not my well wisher. I have been CM MP for a decade and there is no question of my going back on my statement that I AM NOT A CM CANDIDATE. I am not someone who would say something and do something else (sic)." Singh, who was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for 10 years (1993-2003), had made it clear on several occasions that he was not eyeing the post if the Congress wins the upcoming Assembly elections. The Congress, which is out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, has not formally announced its chief ministerial candidate. However, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and the party's Lok Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia are widely seen as strong contenders for the top post in the state if the party is voted to power. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir Shaleen Kabra Tuesday issued notification for the conduct of first phase of Municipal Polls in the state. The notification has been issued for various wards of the municipal bodies across the state which are slated to go to polls in the first phase on October 8, an official spokesman said. According to the notification, the last date for filing nominations is September 25 while the scrutiny of nominations will be done on September 26. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is September 28 while counting of votes will be done on October 20. Kashmir-centric parties - the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party - have declared to boycott the upcoming local bodies and panchayat polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha Government Tuesday approved seven investment proposals worth Rs 7,416 crore which would generate employment opportunities for 4,454 people, an official said. The proposals approved by the government belong to a variety of projects steel, downstream industries in metals and minerals and plastics. The governments nod to the projects came during the 80th meeting of the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, an official statement said. The SLSWCA gave nod to a Hyderabad-based company to set up a manufacturing unit for pre-engineered building (PEB) including structural steel members at an investment of Rs 58 crore at Cuttack. The plants production capacity will be 50,000 MT per annum and the project will create direct and indirect employment for 550 people. This will add value to the primary metal being produced in the state, it said. A Kolkata-based companys proposal to establish a manufacturing unit for Polypropelene (PP) woven bags at Paradip Plastic Park also received the SLSWCAs nod. The unit will invest Rs 72 crore and create direct and indirect employment opportunities for 625 people. This is indicative of rising investor interest in Paradip Plastic Park after groundbreaking was done for two units last month, it said. Another proposal that got approval was that of a Kolkata-based company which aims to set up a plant of 8,000 TPA capacity of ductile iron fittings at Kalinganagar Industrial Complex, Jajpur with an investment of Rs 51 crore and potential to create job opportunities for 615 people. A Ghaziabad-based companys proposal to establish 0.3 Million Tonne Per Annum (MTPA) rolled and processed steel plant, 0.12 MTPA and an LPG cylinder manufacturing unit with capacity of 2,500 cylinders per annum was also cleared. The cumulative investment committed by the firm was Rs 238 crore with direct and indirect job opportunities for 270 people. A proposal of NALCO to set up an aluminium downstream unit to manufacture aluminium alloy wheel, aluminium foil, aluminium rolled products near Kamakhyanagar, Dhenkanal with an investment of Rs 5,522 crore was recommended by the committee. The proposal will create employment opportunities for 1,761 people, it said. The sixth proposal approved in the meeting belonged to a Kolkata-based group which proposed to set up a 4 MTPA iron ore pelletisation plant at Dhenkanal with an investment of Rs 625 crore and potential to create employment opportunities for 167 people. Another proposal of the same group to set up a 4 MTPA iron ore beneficiation plant at Sundargarh and laying of 200 km iron ore slurry pipeline in Dhenkanal at an investment of Rs 850 crore also received approval. This project will create direct and indirect employment for 466 people, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Geely Group (New Biz) has contributed RMB 50 million to set up a new energy technology company in Wuhan, Hubei province through its subsidiary, according to local media. Xu Zhihao, CEO of Geely Group (New Biz) will serve as chairman for the new unit. Geely Group revealed that the new company, dubbed Hubei Geely Hengyuan New Energy Technology, is built to make new energy electric car batteries. However, the group currently has no plan for building new energy complete cars in Hubei province. Geely has been expanding its layouts in power battery area. According to the reports earlier this month, Geely's new power battery base has settled in Jingzhou, Hubei province. Involving a total investment of RMB 8 billion, the new base might be put into operation in 2020, equipped with such facilities as production line and R&D center of batteries and battery modules, office building as well as logistics distribution center. Over the past three years, Geely has plowed a huge amount of money in a total of 6 NEV manufacturing programs in Zhejiang, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces. Apart from the expansion in NEV bases, Geely is also cultivating its own power battery businesses. In April, 2017, Geely and LG Chem reached an agreement under which Geely wholly acquired the manufacturing facilities in the South Korean company's Nanjing plant and obtained the legal right to use the seller's manufacturing technologies. In addition, both parties agreed future cooperation that allowed LG Chem to help Geely Auto upgrade its battery technologies. Ola has raised USD 50 million from Hong Kong-based Sailing Capital and the China-Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund (CEECF), as the SoftBank-backed cab-hailing major bolsters its war chest for its battle against Uber in markets like India, the UK and others. Ola, in an extraordinary general meeting held on August 31, 2018, approved the proposal to raise this amount through the issuance of 2,50,000 fully and compulsorily convertible preference shares, according to regulatory documents filed by Ola with the ministry of corporate affairs. Sailing and CEECF (state-backed investment fund of China) will together hold more than one per cent stake in Ola (run by ANI Technologies), it added. The latest fund infusion is believed to peg the valuation of the company between USD 3.7 billion and USD 4 billion. The latest round of funding comes at a time when Ola is aggressively expanding its presence in overseas markets, with New Zealand being its latest destination. In a statement Tuesday, the company said it plans to enter New Zealand in locations like Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. It has appointed Brian Dewil as Country Manager for the New Zealand market. Earlier this year, Ola entered the Australian market, followed by the UK. Interestingly, US-based Uber operates in these markets as well. Besides, the two companies are also at loggerheads in the food-tech market -- Uber with Uber Eats and Ola with FoodPanda. In October last year, the Bengaluru-based company had raised USD 1.1 billion in funding from Chinese firm Tencent Holdings and existing investor, SoftBank. There were also indications that the company could raise an additional USD 1 billion in funding. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab Agriculture department has delivered 7,337 subsidised agro-machines and farm equipment to farmers do far for effective scientific management of paddy residue, a senior official said. Agriculture Secretary K S Pannu said that the department was working to ensure the delivery of the machines before the onset of paddy harvesting, in line with the Chief Minister's commitment to the elimination of the menace of stubble burning from the state. All the Deputy Commissioners had been directed to aggressively pursue the campaign to end stubble burning - a major cause for pollution in the north India, said Pannu in a statement here. Under the scheme, subsidy of 50 per cent was being provided to individual farmers, and 80 per cent to the cooperative societies, said Pannu. In all, 24,315 machines shall be supplied to farmers and cooperative societies this season. Pannu said 2,819 machines or equipment had been given to individual farmers, 2,144 to cooperative societies and 2,374 to Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) across the state. The equipment included the latest Happy Seeder, Paddy Straw Chopper/Cutter, Mulcher, RMB Plough, Shrub Cutter, Zero Till Drill, Super Straw Management System on Combine Harvesters, Rotary Slasher and Rotavator. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 70 people belonging to a village here were found to be suffering from a 'mystery fever,' officials said Tuesday. A team of doctors from Puducherry are treating those affected in Pillayarkuppampet village. Welfare Minister M Kandasamy said in a release those who could be treated locally were taken care of immediately while others were rushed to the government general hospital. Those affected complained of fever, he said. Kandasamy, who is away in Delhi, asked the Health department to rush immediate help to the patients. The patients were showing improvement in their condition, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Millions of Pakistanis woke up on Tuesday to the first shock of 'Naya Pakistan' to find out that their next month's gas bill will be hiked by up to a whopping 143 per cent to recover Rs 94 billion from the consumers, in effect slashing consumer subsidies that were a fiscal drag on the government's budget. The decision to increase the gas prices for both household and commercial consumers was taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Monday and announced by Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan. "The ECC allowed raise in the gas prices for domestic consumers in the range of 10 per cent for the lowest slab consumers to 143 per cent for the highest slab domestic consumers," Khan said. The increase will be implemented in the gas bills of October and it will help the cash-starved government to recover Rs94 billion from consumers. The decision will hurt as many as 9.4 million domestic users 3.6 million of them falling in the lowest income slab and another 2.63 million in the second lowest income group. The gas prices for commercial and industrial consumers will increase from 30 per cent to 57 per cent that will increase the prices of fertiliser, manufacturing units, electricity generation, cement and Compressed Natural Gas. The minister said that the state gas companies were running in deficit and it was not possible for the government to continue with the existing price system. Officials said that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), an independent watchdog, proposed to hike gas prices by up to 186 per cent to meet the revenue shortfall of the Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SNGPL) and the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL). Pakistan has one of the lowest prices of piped gas. At present half of the piped gas is being used by the domestic consumers on the SNGPL pipeline and 24 per cent by the SSGC consumers. The increase was against an earlier decision of the government when information minister Fawad Chaudhry said last week that there was no plan to increase gas prices. Opposition has lambasted the government for increasing the prices of gas. Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal said that the government was doing everything against its stated polices. "Twenty jokes have become famous about this government in first 20 days," he said. He also referred to the statement of information minister when he said that helicopter ride cost about Rs 55 per kilometer and was ridiculed on social media for his poor information. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi-bound passenger was Tuesday arrested after he was found allegedly carrying 13 live bullets at the Raja Bhoj Airport here, police said. The man, Jasbeer Singh (38), who hails from Jind district in Haryana, was caught during the scan by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), police said. "The CISF personnel caught Singh after he was found carrying 13 live bullets of .32 revolver without a firearm licence," Gandhinagar police station Inspector Praveen Chouhan said. Singh was about to catch a private airline flight to Delhi, he said adding that the CISF handed him over to the police. "We have booked Singh under the Arms Act and seized the live bullets from him as he did not have arms licence with him. Besides, carrying of arms and ammunition inside an airport is prohibited," Chouhan said. The accused was produced in a court, which released him on bail, Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Soni said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) chief Pravin Togadia Tuesday said suicide by around "three lakh farmers" in the last 17 years was nothing but a "genocide committed by the governments". He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "ditching" farmers and not providing remunerative prices to them for their produce as promised by him. The 62-year-old Hindutva leader blamed government's policies for "agrarian distress" in the country. Togadia, who quit the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in April after his nominee Raghav Reddy lost a key organisational poll, was addressing a rally organised at Idgah Bhata Ground here by farmers from the tribal-dominated Bastar region of the state. The rally marked the end of a foot march taken out by agriculturists from Jagdalpur on September 10 to press for their demands, which included a farm loan waiver and a hike in minimum support prices (MSPs) for crops. Over 1,000 farmers took part in the 300-km-long foot march held under the aegis of the Rashtriya Kisan Parishad, a farmers outfit whose patron is Togadia. "Annadata (farmers) have been bearing the pain of policies drafted by the government since the Independence. They are not only reeling under pain, but are also debt-ridden. "Farmers who feed people end their life when they find it difficult to feed their own children," Togadia said. "Suicide committed by three lakh farmers in the last 17 years is the biggest genocide in any country of the world. It is a genocide committed by the government," he said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "failed" to fulfil his promise on the MSP front made to farmers in the run up to the 2014 polls. "Modi ji had promised to hike MSP for crops by 1.5 times of the production cost as recommended in the Swaminathan Committee report but he failed. "Modi ji should apologise for not providing MSPs (for crops) as per the Swaminathan report," Togadia said. The former VHP leader said the Modi government is no different than the one headed by the Congress. The Modi government has done what the Congress did. The Congress (UPA government) had increased MSP by Rs 50 every year and the Modi government has hiked it by Rs 200 after four years, he added. Togadia said if the government was not paying heed to their peaceful protests, cultivators "should pick up sticks". "The padyatra taken out by farmers is just a beginning of a farmers revolution. Farmers who plough their fields can also pick up plough (to protest)," he added. Earlier, Togadia joined the march at Abhanapur town, located around 27km away from the state capital, before it culminated at the rally venue. The surgeon-turned-Hindutva leader also washed the feet of some farmers after the march culminated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday launched development projects worth over Rs 550 crore in his Lok Sabha constituency, as he gave a detailed account of work done as an MP from this holy city, telling its people they are his "master" and "high command." Wrapping up his two-day visit to Varanasi, Modi said the work done in the city is clearly visible, noting its landscape has changed for good in the last four years while it was at the mercy of God under previous governments. Modi told a gathering after launching the projects he feels it his responsibility to present a detailed account of the work done by him in the capacity as an MP from Varanasi. "You may have given the responsibility of the prime minister's post, but as an MP (from Varanasi), I am equally responsible to give an account of work done by me in four years as a Lok Sabha member," he said. "You are my 'maalik' (master) and high command. And, hence it is my responsibilty to give you a detailed account of every rupee spent." Modi said his endeavour is to bring a transformation in Kashi, while keeping intact its traditions and preserving its age-old heritage. "Otherwise you have been witness to the system, when our Kashi was at 'Bholey ke bharosey' (left to the mercy of Lord Shiva)."Four years ago the people of Kashi had resolved to transform the pilgrim town and today the difference is clearly visible, he said, taking a jibe at previous governments. In his 40-minute address, the prime minister said projects worth Rs 550 crore have either been dedicated to the public or foundation stones laid today. "This development work not only covers Varanasi but adjoining areas as well." The projects inaugurated include Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and Atal Incubation Centre at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Among the projects for which the foundation stone was laid was the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at the BHU. Striking an emotional chord with the audience, Modi began his speech in the local dialect and chanted "Har, Har, Mahadev", amid loud applause from the audience at the amphitheatre in the BHU. "It is indeed a matter of pride for me that I am starting another year dedicated to the country with the blessings of Baba Vishwanath and Maa Ganga. Your affection and blessings always motivate me and also strengthen my resolve to serve you and the countrymen," he said. "Before becoming an MP, when I used to visit here, I used to wonder when will this city be freed from the mesh of entangled electricity wires hanging overhead." "Today, a large portion of the city has been rid of such wires and at remaining places work of laying underground cables is going on at a fast pace," he said. Terming Varanasi as the gateway to east India, he said, "Utmost efforts are being made to develop Varanasi as a gateway to east India. The endeavour of the Government of India is to link Kashi with world class infrastructure. Today Kashi is glowing in the LED lights. Our emphasis is to develop world class infrastructure in Kashi." The prime minister also garlanded the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and planted a sapling. On the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, the prime minister said, "In the last four years, people of Kashi have welcomed heads of states of a number of foreign countries. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, French President Emmanuel Macron and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier have praised the hospitality of Kashi in the entire world. Japan has gifted a convention centre to Kashi. "The entire world would be eyeing the hospitality of Banaras at the start of next year, when in January the Kumbh of Indian Diaspora (Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas) will be held in Kashi. For this, the government is working at its own level, but your co-operation will also be necessary," he said. "From cleanliness to hospitality, we have to set an example, so that it leaves an indelible mark on our pravasi brothers and sisters. I want that they should have such an experience, so that they become tourism ambassador for Kashi forever." "Road projects worth thousands of crores are going on. Work on Maduadih flyover is complete. The bridge on Saamne Ghat over river Ganga has been built, which has made connectivity better with Ramnagar. The work of widening the Andhra bridge which was stuck has been completed," he said. Airport in Varanasi too has been witness to the developments going on here, with continuous increase in the number of air passengers and tourists. In the past four years, the passenger traffic at Babatpur airport has increased to 21 lakh from 8 lakh. Modernisation of transport system is going on, so that smart Banaras has smart transport, he said. Referring to the beautification works, Modi said, "Commuting to and from Kashi has been made easier, and the city has been beautified. Our ghats welcome the guests with glowing lights and not with garbage. Along with boats, cruise has also been possible in Ganga. The campaign of transformation through tourism is going on continuously." "As an MP, the development of villages for which I am responsible, a major project pertaining to water in Nageypur village has being unveiled," he said. The prime minister also went on to say that Kashi is emerging as a health hub of east India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday described the cooperation between India and Bangladesh as an example for the world as he jointly inaugurated the construction of a 130-kilometre friendship pipeline project and two railway projects with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project, inaugurated through a video conferencing, will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The Rs 346-crore project will be completed in 30 months and the capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tonnes per annum. Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's visit to Dhaka. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister Modi described the cooperation between the two countries as an example for the world, according to an official statement. He said the two countries were neighbours, geographically and family, emotionally. "Geographically we are neighbours. But emotionally, we are a family. Being part of each other's joys and sorrows, helping each other in development is part of our family. In the past few years, we have shown to the world that when neighbours decide then a lot can be achieved," Modi said at the event. Modi said the pipeline will "add a new chapter in the friendship of the two countries". He said the proposed pipeline will further energise not just Bangladesh's economy, but also the relationship between the two countries. The Prime Minister said be it decades-old border dispute or development projects, the two countries have made unprecedented progress. He said the project will boost the friendship between India and Bangladesh and the pipeline will help fulfil energy needs at a cheaper rate to Bangladesh's northern part. Through the cross-border pipeline, India will supply fuel oil from its Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), located at Golaghat in the north-eastern state of Assam, while Bangladesh will receive the oil at Parbatipur Depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) in north-western district of Dinajpur. Modi said although the project was financed by India, after its completion the infrastructure would be handed over to the Bangladesh government. Officials said this pipeline will play an effective role in further strengthening the energy security of Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India signed an MoU on April 9 last to set up the pipeline aimed at pumping Indian oil to Bangladesh with a capacity of 1 million tonnes per year, the report said. India will supply 2.5 lakh tonnes of diesel for the first three years. The import of fuel through the pipeline will be raised further as per the requirements of Bangladesh. The NRL will distribute diesel for 15 years through the pipeline and the time could be expanded following the consent of both sides, local media reported. With the completion of construction of the pipeline, the deal on sale and purchase will be made effective, the report said, quoting BPC sources. The Parbatipur Depot formally received the first consignment of 2,268 tonnes of diesel from the NRL through rail wagons on March 19, 2016. Through the rail wagons, Bangladesh has imported 57,000 tonnes of diesel from India till July 2018 and it is expected that another 50,000 tonnes will be brought from India in August-December 2018 through the same way. Besides the pipeline, the two leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual-gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi section and the dual-gauge rail line in Tongi-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway. Modi said Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Railway project will improve connectivity between the two countries and generate more revenue. He expressed confidence that the proposed railway project will contribute to the process of strengthening national and urban transport in Bangladesh, the statement said. Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina sought India's continued support and cooperation for Bangladesh's development. She said Bangladesh-India bilateral cooperation has reached to a new height in the past few years while prospects for economic development would substantially be enhanced through such bilateral projects as "economic development is the biggest challenge for South Asian countries". "We've to work collectively for the development and prosperity for the people of both countries in the new areas, including energy, power, road and rail communications," she told the conference from her Ganobhaban official residence. "I'm quite sure that we will get many such happy events in the days ahead for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh and India," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police allegedly cane-charged a group of protesters near the venue of a BJP-organised event, scheduled to be attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here Tuesday. However, police claimed that they did not cane-charge the protesters, but only drove away those who tried to cross the barricades. The protesters belonging to SAPAKS Samaj (Samanya Pichhda Alpsankhayak Kalyan Samaj), a fledgling political party constituted to fight against reservation, were staging the protest on Rewa Road, near BTI Ground here, where the BJP's convention was organised. Holding black flags, SAPAKS Samaj activists staged protests against the recent amendments in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The protesters also released black balloons in the air. Samaj's district president Alok Tripathi said activists staged protest against the amendments in SC/ST Act in a "democratic manner". "Our protest was peaceful. We were demonstrating against the recent amendments in the SC/ST Act besides demanding reservation on the basis of person's financial status. Police used force against the protesters," he said. Police, however, denied that they used force to disperse the protesters. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gautam Solanki said police drove away the protesters, who were trying to cross the barricades. "We had put strong security arrangements in place. Police drove away those who tried to cross the barricades. Police didn't cane charge the protesters," Solanki claimed. Meanwhile, the Congress also organised a protest against the chief minister over the fuel price hike. District Congress working president Rajbhan Singh Solanki said the police tried to suppress the agitation by using force. "We were protesting against the rising prices of petroleum products and also demanding to bring these products under the purview of GST," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police vehicles were stoned in Ujjain district on Monday night ahead of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra', an official said. The incident took place on the Mahidpur-Jaora road, an hour before Chouhan's convoy was to pass along the same route, a police official said. "Some people hiding in the darkness attacked police vehicles. Three vehicles were damaged...some police personnel were also injured," said Taal Police Station's in-charge Vinod Baghel. Chouhan is on a state-wide tour ahead of the coming Assembly elections. State Congress president Kamal Nath on Tuesday condemned the attack, but also said it showed people's anger. "We condemn the incident. This is people's anger against the BJP rule. The government has not fulfilled its promises. Youths are not getting jobs," Nath told reporters here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile Political parties raise suspicion on the role of Election Commission and make all kinds of allegations when competition is tough but the poll panel accepts all the challenges with open mind and maintains its integrity, Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said Tuesday. Rawat, who was on a two-day visit to the state for a review of the preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, said there were no "fake voters" as such and the commission was continuously working to delete the duplicate voters and add legitimate ones in the electoral rolls. It will be completely ensured that no duplicate voter cast vote in the upcoming elections, he added. "When competition is tough, fingers are raised (on the role election commission) by political parties out of suspicion. We have accepted all the challenges with open mind and have come out clean. We are committed to ensuring a fair and transparent election process," Rawat told a press conference here. All administrative officers have been directed to work without fear and with transparently and act in an unbiased manner if rules are flouted, he said. The poll panel will ensure that the Election Commission of India's (ECI) theme of 'no-voter-to-be-left-behind' was implemented for participation of every voter in building an empowered democracy, he said. Rawat came to the city Monday on a two-day visit to take up the issues of political parties, civil society groups and review poll preparations. Assembly election in Rajasthan is due later this year. Replying to a question on black money menace in election, Rawat said it has come to fore that there were several expenditure-sensitive constituencies in Rajasthan and the commission was committed address the issues with the help of enforcement agencies. Rawat said that the commission was also mulling over steps to check instances of candidates furnishing false information in affidavits. A case can be filed by anyone in the court against candidates providing false information in election affidavit. The Commission has also directed Income Tax authorities to probe information provided by candidates. The Commission is mulling to act on the basis of probe report, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-owned Power Finance Corp (PFC) has filed an plea against Power, formerly known as Indiabulls Power, in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to recover unpaid loans. A two-member bench of Tuesday adjourned the matter to November 26 as the Supreme Court has ordered status quo in pleas against power has also moved plea against another firm Nashik Power. Rattan India has defaulted to the tune of Rs 200 billion of lenders. The group has two integrated thermal power plants at Nashik and Amravati in Maharashtra. Passing an order on September 11, the apex court had asked the banks not to file any till November when it would hear the matter. However, the counsel appearing for said that it moved on the same day before the order was passed by the apex court and it was listed for hearing on September 18. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu Tuesday sold the India growth story to Australian Superfunds to attract the rich superannuation funds, valued at a whopping AUD 2.6 trillion, to the Indian markets. The minister during his meeting with a five-member delegation of Australian Superfunds here highlighted that exposure of Australian super or pension funds to Indian market was still limited, despite continued greater than average market returns in the country, according to a release by the commerce and industry ministry. During the meeting, the minister highlighted the potential of India growth story and assured them of stability and certainty of business in long term. He said India provides abundant opportunities for Australian Superfunds and "our priority is to engage them to explore investing in India". These superannuation funds valued at 2.6 trillion Australian dollar are one of the world's largest in terms of volume. "The funds have exposure including in various international markets. However, their exposure to Indian markets is still very limited, despite continued greater than average market returns in India," the ministry said. The bilateral trade between India and Australia increased to USD 18 billion in 2017-18 from USD 14.11 billion in the previous fiscal. Trade balance is highly in favour of Australia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Presidency University authorities Tuesday announced that its students can collect their degree certificates from departments between Wednesday and September 28. The students were not able to collect certificates at the 6th Convocation of the institute on September 11 as it was shifted from the campus to a state-run auditorium in the wake of an agitation by a section of the students over hostel accommodation. Only honorary degrees were awarded to two dignitaries and no student was present in the Convocation. In a notice, the Presidency University authorities Tuesday said, "This is to notify that the BA/B Sc, MA/MSc and PhD Degree certification for the year 2018 will be distributed from the respective department on and from September 19, 2018 till September 28, 2018." The notice said after September 28, the certificate will be available from the office of the Controller of Examinations on and from October 9. Altogether 750 students were supposed to receive the certificates at the sixth Convocation, which was originally slated to be held in the Presidency campus but it had to be shifted to the auditorium at the eleventh hour. A university official said Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia discussed the issue of handing over the certificates with the Governor who is the Chancellor of the university two days back. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that "tragic accidental circumstances" led to the downing by Syria of a Russian warplane with 15 people on board. "It rather looks like a chain of tragic accidental circumstances," Putin told reporters, rejecting any comparisons with the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey in 2015. "An Israeli jet did not shoot down our plane," Putin said. The Russian defence ministry earlier Tuesday blamed Israel for the accident and warned of reprisals. Putin said he had signed off on the defence ministry statement. "No doubt we should seriously look into this," Putin said, speaking at a conference after talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Moscow would beef up security for Russian military personnel in Syria as a priority response, Putin said. "These will be the steps that everyone will notice," he said, without providing further details. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims, calling the accident a "tragedy for us all." Late Monday Syria accidentally shot down the Russian plane, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli strike. The incident was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian plane was downed by a Russian-made S-200 air defence supplied to Syria. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean soon after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hitting out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asserted that his party was committed to granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh if elected to power in 2019. The state required special support from the Union government, he said. "The nation and the prime minister owe something to the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Centre owes the special category status (SCS) to AP. "It was promised (by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2014) but was not delivered (by current Prime Minister Narendra Modi)...," Gandhi said in reply to a question during an interaction with college students at the Byreddy Convention Centre here in the afternoon. The weaker districts in the state also required special support and the Congress was very clear that the state's development should be uniform, he said, adding that his party was committed to doing that. The Congress president, who was on his second visit to Andhra Pradesh after the state's bifurcation in 2014, replied to a wide range of questions on GST, the fuel price hike, the crisis in the agriculture sector, unemployment, corruption, women's safety, banking and other issues. He said the Congress, if voted to power in 2019, would change the way the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was structured and bring petrol and diesel under its ambit. "This is not a real GST as there are five different levels. We will change the Gabbar Singh Tax, make it one tax, a true GST...," Gandhi said. To a question on women's safety, he urged the women of the country to take an active part in "We need more and more women in the political parties to change the nature of so that women can walk comfortably in the streets. Right now, there is not enough place for women in the government and in politics," Gandhi said. Referring to the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill, he said his party was ready to support it "wholeheartedly". "I told the prime minister that the Congress is ready to support the Women's Reservation Bill wholeheartedly, but he has not responded," Gandhi said. He said the first challenge was getting jobs for millions of youngsters. "The entire banking system of the country has been captured by 10-15 big business people. We should make banking and money available to the young entrepreneurs, not 10 or 15 big business people," Gandhi said. He claimed that over the last two years, an amount of Rs 1.30 lakh crore was "waived" as non-performing assets (NPAs) for the richest people in the country, whereas youngsters were denied loans to set up small and medium businesses. "We will change that," he said. On the agriculture sector, the Congress chief said the first priority for his party, if elected to power, would be waiving farm loans, setting up food processing factories near farms and building the required infrastructure. "We will waive, cancel the loans of the weakest farmers...we will also ensure that technology is made available to increase productivity and help farmers make money," he said. Gandhi alleged "wholesale corruption" both in Andhra Pradesh and in New Delhi. Referring to the Rafale deal, he claimed that he had asked the prime minister about it, "but he remained silent". "He (Modi) cannot look into the eyes of the youngsters of this country and reveal the truth. "The chowkidar (watchman) gives contracts worth billions of dollars to his friend Anil Ambani, who has a debt of Rs 45,000 crore," Gandhi said. The Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group has denied the allegations relating to the Rafale deal, under which France's Dassault Aviation is supplying the fighter jets and has entered into a joint venture with a Reliance Group company to meet its offset requirement of the contract. Ambani has written to Gandhi on the deal, saying the Congress was "misinformed, misdirected and misled" by "malicious vested interests and corporate rivals" on the issue. The Congress president asserted that his party was "100 per cent committed" to eradicating corruption. "We have taken action against our own people when involved in corruption," he said. Earlier, Gandhi went to Pedapadu village, near here, to visit the house of former chief minister late Damodaram Sanjeevaiah and interacted with his family members. Later, he paid homage at the memorial of former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy at the Kisan Ghat. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Oommen Chandy, former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Congress president N Raghuveera Reddy and other senior party leaders were present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Billionaire Anil Ambani Tuesday announced that the cash-strapped Reliance Communications will be completely exiting the telecom business to concentrate on real estate in future. The first priority for RCom, which is credited for democratising telecom services through cheaper offers in early 2000s, is to resolve its over Rs 40,000 crore debt, he told shareholders at the company's 14th annual general meeting here. "We have decided that we will not proceed in this sector. And many other companies have taken a similar call. This is very much a writing on the wall, the future... "As we have moved out of the mobile sector, we will monetise at an appropriate stage our enterprise business. Reliance Realty will be the engine of growth for the future of this company," Ambani said. Pointing out to the 133-acre Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) on the outskirts of the financial capital, he said there is huge realty play opportunity that RCom's erstwhile corporate headquarters possesses, and pegged the potential value creation at the site at Rs 25,000 crore. RCom owes over Rs 40,000 crore to a group of 38 lenders, including Chinese banks, and was resolving the debt through a strategic debt restructuring (SDR) process. Ambani said he is confident of getting a resolution in the next few months, and added that other monetisation measures, including sale of telecom infrastructure and fibre to Reliance Jio, are at an advanced stage of closure. He said the company is awaiting final approvals for spectrum sharing and trading from the Department of Telecom. Anil Ambani also thanked his elder brother Mukesh Ambani, who is credited with conceptualising the undivided group's telecom foray and also bought the assets as part of the beleaguered RCom's monetisation efforts. "It would be most appropriate for me to thank and acknowledge the support (and) guidance extended to RCom and me personally by my brother Mukesh bhai Ambani," the younger sibling told shareholders. It can be noted that Mukesh Ambani re-entered the telecom sector by buying out a company which had successfully bid for 4G spectrum, along with which he also announced the end of a no-compete pact. His company Reliance Jio's aggressive play is widely blamed for wrecking the telecom sector, which has seen an erosion of profits, asset sales, bankruptcies and consolidation following the entry of the deep-pocketed new entrant. Anil Ambani Tuesday said there has been a "creative destruction" of the telecom sector that has resulted in creation of oligopoly which is going towards a duopoly and may be even a monopoly in the future. Banks are saddled with over Rs 7.7 lakh crore in debt and the financial troubles of operators have resulted in over 20 lakh job losses, he said. He said the residual company will serve 35,000 businesses through the enterprise, data centres, undersea cables and international voice calling verticals and will get half of its revenues from abroad. RCom is "committed" to exit these verticals as well to pay-off banks and will take a call on the same at an appropriate time, Ambani said. Reliance Realty is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RCom, which will develop the DAKC in Navi Mumbai, he said, adding that it is an already registered IT and fintech park. The company already has three million sq ft of built up space, which will be leased out to multi-nationals, Ambani said, adding that he expects revenue accruals through it this year itself. Some of the shareholders appreciated efforts taken by the company, while wading through choppy waters, but there were a few critical ones as well. When one such shareholder persisted, a company official patted him on the back, probably pointing to the time constraints. When he complained, Anil Ambani said from the stage this is a pat and not a stab, and asked him to continue with the question. The mention of the Rafale controversy prompted Anil Ambani to stop him from speaking further. "Shailesh bhai, who is a very educated person and comes with non-facts, half-baked facts, untruth, lies, is in my father's words, a true well-wisher of all of you. I do respect, in a democratic world, his comments. But none of them have any relevance to what is in front of us today as a company and for all of you shareholders," Ambani said. The RCom scrip was trading 6.10 per cent down at Rs 16.15 apiece on the BSE at 1242 hrs as against a marginal correction in the benchmark. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nagaland Minister Tongpang Ozukum told the Assembly Tuesday that the state government has prioritized 116 km of 1110-km of roads in district headquarters for repair and maintenance. Replying to queries in the Assembly, the Public Works Department minister said around 70 km road has already been repaired as part of the programme and the remaining 46 km will be taken up after the monsoon season. "The department has been allocated Rs 50 crore for the repair of major roads and the government has released Rs 25 crore in the first phase," he explained. The minister also said that the department has constituted a task force to come up with a "comprehensive road policy". Expressing his dissatisfaction to Ozukum's reply, Opposition NPF MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu said the PWD minister has twisted the facts to conceal the department's misdoings. He, however, did not clarify what "misdoings" was he referring to. Ozukum, on his part, assured to disclose before the House Thursday the names of the roads that were being taken up on a priority basis in every district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defense ministry said Tuesday. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. The Russian military said that the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers off the coast late Monday as it was returning to its home base nearby. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russian state television quoted a Defense Ministry statement as saying that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, that Israel is "fully to blame" for the deaths. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. Russian agencies later in the day quoted the ministry as saying that a rescue team has located the wreckage in the sea and has retrieved some bodies and some fragments of the wreckage. Both the Israeli military and Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment on the Russian claim. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Russia's dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of the Syrian government, after a year of airstrikes by the U.S. and its coalition partners against the Islamic State group, increased the specter of dangerous confrontations in the skies over Syria. Turkey's troops are also on the ground in northern Syria and are patrolling the skies over the region as Ankara seeks to ramp up its influence there and curb the expansion of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against archenemy Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. Throughout the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained continuous contact with Russia. Netanyahu frequently travels to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Syria issue. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at the Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel's Army Radio station that the shooting down is problematic both militarily and internally from a Russian perspective. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia's Defense Ministry says one of its reconnaissance aircraft with 15 people on board has been brought down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile over the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers are searching for wreckage but do not expect survivors. The Russian military said on Tuesday that the plane was hit by accident by one of the missiles, which were aimed at four Israeli fighter jets that were attacking targets in the coastal province of Latakia late on Monday. Russia said the Israeli aircraft "pushed" the Russian plane into the line of fire. The ministry accused the Israeli army of "intentional provocation" and said Israel did not warn Russia of its operation in the area until one minute before the strike. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti to travel to the UK from September 20 to September 30. Despite Enforcement Directorate's (ED) objection that Karti has been "blatantly misusing" the liberty granted to him by the court, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud allowed his plea. The ED had yesterday told the apex court that Karti was using the liberty granted by the court to protract the investigation in the cases against him. Karti has been facing criminal cases being investigated by the ED and the CBI. One of the cases relates to FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 crore when his father was the finance minister. The ED had said that Karti, who is also facing proceedings in cases like Aircel-Maxis and money laundering matters, has been "blatantly misusing" the liberty granted by court in allowing him to travel abroad and has been using the same to protract the investigation in the case. The ED had said the liberty granted to him by the apex court is "blatantly and brazenly hampering, subverting, jeopardising and protracting" the investigation pending against him in the Aircel Maxis Case, which the agency has to complete in six months. The agency in its reply also said: "The petitioner (Karti) during this period of 6 months has remained unavailable for investigation for a total number of 51 days due to his foreign visits." The reply filed by Rajeev Sharma, Deputy Director of ED, said, "Whenever he was confronted with the documents, he showed his irritation, sometimes anger and then conveniently avoided to answer the questions on one pretext or the other." Karti has also failed to provide the documents required during investigations as per schedule and in the circumstances, an effective investigation can take place only during his custodial integration, the agency said. The apex court had on July 23 allowed Karti to visit the UK, France and the US from July 23 to 31, making it clear that he has to abide by the conditions imposed by it in an earlier similar order. The bench had said that Karti will have to surrender his passport with the ED when he returns from his visit. The court had allowed Karti to travel abroad with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close any bank account abroad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Tuesday ordered that status quo be maintained regarding a building which houses Delhi Public Library (DPL) and faces demolition threat due to its dilapidated condition. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta also ordered that no portion of the property at Karol Bagh here be demolished. The bench also issued notice on the plea filed by Delhi Library Board challenging the Delhi High Court's September 10 order by which six months time was given to DPL to relocate its branch to another location accessible to general public. "In the meanwhile, the parties will maintain status quo and will not demolish any portion of the property in dispute," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks. In its order, the high court had said that since the plea before it primarily pertained to preservation of books at DPL branch in Karol Bagh, it would not interfere in the dispute over the building where the library was housed since 1954. The high court's order had come on a petition against the North Delhi Municipal Corporation's notices to the library to vacate the premises, which according to the civic body, was structurally unfit and dangerous. Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the Delhi Public Library is an autonomous body which has around 45 branches and mobile libraries across Delhi. The first Delhi Public Library was started by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru across the Old Delhi Railway Station in 1951. The library was issued two notices by the corporation asking it to vacate so that the building could be demolished. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Tuesday took strong note of media reporting in the Rewari gangrape case, asking why no action has been taken against media houses for flouting the law as "everything has been said" about the 19-year-old victim. "Where should we draw the line ... We are concerned about the identity of the victim," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said and asked where should the line be drawn. The apex court made the observations while dealing with a plea challenging a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting on the probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case where several women were allegedly raped and sexually abused over time. Asking where was the question of "anonymity" in such a situation, the bench said "there are certain problems. Recently, there is a case of a girl being raped in Rewari (in Haryana). They (media) say that she was a topper in CBSE exam. Topper means one person, not 20 people. So identifying her is not a problem." "Secondly, I have seen on TV channels that they (media) have talked to her father. The camera was placed behind the father. But in front of him, there are 50 people standing who are from the village. So they know who she is. "In a situation like this, where is the question of anonymity," Justice Lokur asked senior lawyer Shekhar Naphade, who was appearing for the petitioner. Naphade said anything which discloses the identity of the victim has to be stopped and "the dignity of the person has to be protected". To this, the bench said "but there are live instances of flouting of section 228-A (dealing with disclosure of identity of such victims) of the IPC". When a counsel said the broadcasting authority already existed, the bench asked "have these TV channels been hauled up? We are giving you instances of yesterday. Tell us how to stop it." When the bench asked Attorney General K K Venugopal about media reporting in Rewari case, the top law officer said that such channels could be prosecuted by state. "For law and order, the state is responsible. Once this is brought to your notice, the court can also issue notice asking the state what action they have taken in this. TV channels can also be asked to respond to this. It will have a reformatory measure," the Attorney General said. During the hearing, Naphade said the court should pass directions in this regard and any breach or violation would constitute contempt. "You will have to create such a structure where accountability has to be fixed. We have to identify the authority. In case of TV, it has to be the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Some mechanism has to be there," he told the bench. To this, the bench asked "what action the Press Council of India (PCI) has taken in the Rewari case?" Naphade said it was "unfortunate" that no action has been taken yet in the matter against media. Advocate Aparna Bhat, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, said the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act says that state could initiate prosecution in such cases but no action has been taken yet. When Naphade said that magistrate's could take cognisance on their own in such matters, the bench said "the magistrates are already overloaded with work". The senior counsel then said that a "social engineering" was needed to deal with the issue and he would give suggestions as to how to proceed in such matters. However, the amicus said that media has been playing a critical role in unearthing such cases and what was required to be cured was "sensationalism" by the media. "We are also concerned about the identity of the victim. In Rewari case, apart from giving the name of the girl, everything has been said....where should we draw the line," the bench said. The court posted the matter for further hearing on September 20. It also made it clear that the high court's August 23 order restraining the media would not apply to the proceedings pending before the top court. The plea, challenging the high court order restraining the media, has been filed by a Patna-based journalist through advocate Fauzia Shakil. The plea, which has sought a stay on the operation of the high court's order, has alleged that the order was "patently erroneous" as it amounted to imposing a "blanket ban" on the media reporting in the shelter home case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) said Tuesday it has signed a long-term solar energy deal with US-based social media company Facebook. Under this deal, Sembcorp will provide renewable power to support Facebook's recently announced 1,70,000 square metre Singapore data centre, as well as its other Singapore operations, over the next 20 years, a company statement said. Sembcorp will serve Facebook's renewable energy needs through offsite solar panels totalling 50 MWp in capacity. These panels will be installed on close to 900 rooftops in the island state, between the end of this year and 2020, it said. "Our deal with Facebook is an example of how Sembcorp is aligning its business to the future. As our world moves towards renewables and lower-carbon energy, there is an increasing demand for solutions that enable businesses to achieve growth while managing their impact on the "Sembcorp is actively working with companies in this, and supporting their efforts towards this dual objective, Neil McGregor, Group President & CEO of Sembcorp Industries, said in a statement. The company has been steadily growing its renewable energy business, and now has over 2,500 megawatt of wind and solar power projects across Singapore, China and India. Earlier this year, the Singapore-based company announced ambitious targets to double its renewables portfolio and reduce carbon intensity by around 25 per cent by 2022. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven persons, including two employees of Ministry of Rural Development, were arrested for allegedly cheating youths on the pretext of providing them jobs in the state-owned ONGC, police said Tuesday. The accused were identified as Jagdish Raj (58), Sandeep Kumar (31), Wasim (28), Ankit Gupta (32), Vishal Goel (27), Suman Saurabh (32) and Kishore Kunal (32), they said. Based on a complaint filed by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), a case was registered, police said. During investigation, it surfaced that the victims received emails from official email account of ONGC and were interviewed at Krishi Bhawan, said Rajiv Ranjan, Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) The victims were introduced to a man named Randhir Singh who took Rs 22 lakhs from them for providing jobs in ONGC, he said. Police kept a tab on cab bookings, hotel reservations and online shopping of the accused done using their mobile phones. Subsequently, the accused Kishore Kunal was nabbed from his office in Laxmi Nagar, he added. During interrogation, It was revealed that one person named Ravi Chandar, who ran a consultancy firm in Hyderabad used to zero down on youths and introduce them to Kunal. The accused Kunal used to lure candidates claiming his brother-in-law was an ONGC employee and prepared fake interview call letters with the help of his other associates, the senior officer said. The accused even spoofed land line numbers of government agencies to call the victims, the officer added. He said the accused Jagdish Raj, an employee in the Ministry of Rural Development, used to arrange the office of any officer who was on leave and his other associate Sandeep Kumar used to ensure the entry of victims to the office while other accused conducted posed as officers and conducted interviews. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several companies have signed non-disclosure agreements with Usha Martin Ltd for taking over its steel business, a company official said on Tuesday. The interested firms include the likes of Vedanta, JSW, Liberty, Tata Steel and the Kalyani Group, MD Rajeev Jhawar told reporters after Usha Martin's AGM here. The company is engaged in the businesses of steel production and wire ropes. Reeling under huge debt, Usha Martin had decided to hive-off its steel business in June this year after due diligence. "By the end of this month, we are hoping to get offers from bidders," Jhawar said. He said reviving the company was a priority of the management, and it hopes to be in "dividend list" next year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unidentified people allegedly fired at the cavalcade of BJP parliamentarian Kirori Lal Meena in Rajasthan's Karauli district on Tuesday, police said. However, the bullets did not hit any vehicle. The accused travelling in an unregistered car sped away after opening fire on the cavalcade near Kushalgarh crossing in the Sapotara police station area, the leader said. "I was visiting the district to invite people ahead of BJP chief Amit Shah's proposed visit to Gangapur on September 22," Meena told PTI over phone. Policemen posted in Sapotara confirmed that they saw a few miscreants with weapons. On basis of the information, teams have been alerted to arrest the accused at the earliest, Karauli Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI Tuesday urged the Bombay High Court to dismiss a PIL that questions the probe agency's decision not to challenge the discharge granted to BJP chief Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case. Appearing for the CBI, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh argued that the PIL, filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association, was merely a publicity stunt. Singh argued that since Shah had been granted a discharge by a special CBI court in the city in December 2014, several pleas challenging it were filed in the high court and subsequently withdrawn or dismissed. The Supreme Court, too, had upheld the dismissal of several such pleas challenging the discharge granted to Shah and therefore, there was no need for the Bombay High Court to entertain the above PIL, Singh argued. In the public interest litigation (PIL) filed in January, the association claimed that the CBI's decision to challenge the discharge of some police officers, and not the discharge granted to Shah was "discriminatory". "Why should a central agency pick and choose whose discharge to challenge? They must be directed to explain the reason why they (CBI) chose not to challenge in Shah's case and they must be directed to file a plea to challenge the special court's decision granting discharge to Shah," petitioner's lawyer Ahmad Abdi said. Singh, however, pointed out that Abdi's plea was the fourth round of litigation challenging Shah's discharge and was "devoid of any merit". He informed a bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre that Shah's discharge was first challenged in the Bombay High Court through a revision application filed by Shaikh's brother Rubabuddin. However, Rubabuddin withdrew his challenge on October 5, 2015. A single bench of Bombay High Court allowed him to do so on November 23, 2015, after it was satisfied that he was doing so voluntarily. "The high court judgement shows that it gave Rubabuddin enough time to reflect on his decision and change it if necessary. Before allowing the withdrawal, the court heard him in the chamber to ascertain whether it was indeed voluntary," Singh said. Soon after, a man named Rajesh M Kamble filed a revision application against the discharge granted to Shah. Kamble claimed that he was doing so in his capacity of being 'an alert citizen'. The Bombay High Court, however, dismissed his plea on October 21, 2015 questioning his locus standi (his right, or the capacity in which he could have filed the plea) in the case. Then, social activist Harsh Mander filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the discharge and questioning Rubabuddin's withdrawal. The plea was dismissed subsequently by the high court and the dismissal was upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2017. "In all these judgements of dismissal, the high court has recorded several reasons why such pleas should not be allowed. Besides, the Supreme Court has laid down specific grounds in its previous orders clarifying what qualifies as a public interest litigation," Singh argued. "The present case, however, is not a PIL, but a publicity interest litigation and should be dismissed," Singh told the court. The bench has now directed the CBI to file a compilation of all the judgements cited above by October 3. At the end of the day's hearing in the case, the bench was also informed that a new PIL has been filed by a local journalist in the case and that it has the same prayers as that in Abdi's plea. The high court has tagged the two matters and will hear them together on October 3, the next date of hearing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Detailed security arrangements have been put in place for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls to be held in Punjab on Wednesday. While the ruling Congress has expressed confidence over registering a "clean sweep" in the local body polls, both Aam Aadmi Party and the Akali Dal-BJP combine are optimistic about there chances "provided the state election commission ensures free and fair elections." Saying ruling Congress wants to win the elections "by hook or by crook", opposition parties have expressed fear of "large scale booth capturing" by the ruling party workers. A total of 354 Zila Parishad members and 2,900 Panchayat Samitis members are going to be elected in the polls, officials said. There are 22 Zila Parishads and 150 Panchayat Samitis in the state. There are 1,27,87,395 total registered voters, comprising 60,99,053 female voters and 97 from the third gender. Tight security arrangements have been put in place with around 50,000 personnel from Punjab police deputed to prevent any untoward incident, officials said. A total of 17,268 polling booths will be set up and 86,340 personnel will be put on election duty. A total of 35 observers will be appointed to ensure peaceful conduct of the polls, officials said. The voting time will be from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm. The counting will take place on September 22. With the Congress being regarded as the most likely winner of the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls after a gap of ten years, the main contest will be between the ruling party and Akali Dal-BJP combine. Kin of a few state ministers, including Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, and some legislators, including Fatehjang Bajwa, Balvinder Singh, will try their luck in the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls. With Congress confident of victory on the back of fulfillment of poll promises -- debt waiver and good governance, Akali Dal, BJP and AAP have targeted the state government for not honouring promises such as smart phones for youths, raising shagun scheme amount, among others. Ever since the process of nominations started this month, opposition parties Akali Dal, BJP and AAP have accused the Amarinder Singh government of "murdering democracy" for allegedly stopping their candidates from participating in the upcoming polls by resorting to hooliganism. The opposition has even accused the state election commission of acting at the behest of the state government. A few clashes have also been reported between the Akalis and Congress workers during filing of nominations. Punjab cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Tuesday expressed confidence on registering a clean sweep by the ruling party in tomorrow's polls. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said he fears Congress workers will capture booths and instigate violence. "I was told by a senior police officer that the CM has given directions to all the SSPs in the state to not take any action against Congress workers," alleged Sukhbir. "The Punjab election commission chief should resign as he seems to be working as a congress worker. If there is any incident of poll rigging and if our party worker is attacked, it will be the CM's responsibility," alleged Sukhbir. Main opposition party leaders echoed Sukhbir's views. Co-president of AAP's Punjab unit Balbir Singh said, "Our candidates are being threatened by Congress workers. Liquor is being offered to lure voters by Congress workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canada's former defence minister Jason Kenney said Tuesday he is a strong supporter of a united India and is against those aiding separatist movement and extremism. His comments come in the wake of some leaders of the ruling Liberal Party of Canada extending their support to sikh separatists, who comprise a part of Canada's electorate. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had alleged that some ministers of the Justin Trudeau government, including Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, had links with Punjab separatists. Kenney also said that he would not tolerate glorification of people responsible for violent terrorism, including the Kanishka bombing, and urged Canadian politicians to maintain distance from anything seen as endorsing or glorifying the use of violence for political ends. Kenney, currently the leader of opposition United Conservative Party in Alberta state of Canada, however, did not criticise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for coming in support of separatist elements of Punjab, saying he respects the convention of not attacking the head of the government when outside of Canada. "I have been a huge supporter of a united India and an opponent of those who seek to exploit the emotions of some to allow a kind of festering of separatist movement and other forms of extremism. Canada has been touched by different kinds of extremism emanating from South Asian terrorism including Tamil Tigers extremism and the jihadi terrorists. "I stand in total solidarity with the views of Indian leaders in the security of this great democracy," he told a gathering of parliamentarians here. Kenney met a galaxy of MPs across party lines, including those from Congress, RJD, BJP, Akali Dal and other parties, at a function hosted by Punjab MP Pratap Singh Bajwa. He was accompanied by a delegation of his party that comprised Alberta state legislators Indian-born Prasad Panda and Devin Dreeshen. Kenney said he is here to promote investments as India is the fastest growing major economy in the world. On the Kanishka bombing of an Indian Airlines flight, he said, no one was brought to justice in the incident. "I have always opposed glorification of those associated with Kanishka bombing or any other kind of terrorism. But that does not diminish the Constitutional right of Canadians to express civil and democratic political views," he later told PTI. Kenney will be visiting the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar and then will hold discussions with the Punjab chief minister. He met union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Harsimrat Badal and Nitin Gadkari and held discussions for mutual benefits between the two countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has demanded immediate withdrawal of "steep hike" in 65 types of stamp duty services in Haryana. He said recently "massive hike" has been effected in agreement deed, power of attorney and partnership deed. "By effecting massive hike in the stamp duty rates for 65 types of deeds, the Khattar government has tried to break the backbone of the common people who are already reeling under the everyday increasing prices of essential commodities," Surjewala said. This, the MLA from Kaithal claimed, was due to fallacious policies of the BJP governments at the state and the Centre. Notably, the Indian Stamp (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the state Assembly recently to revise the rates of stamp duty of small denominations fixed since 1967. Surjewala said the Khattar government has imposed a massive 267 per cent increase in partnership deed stamp duty while increasing it from Rs 3.75 to Rs 1,000 and 889 per cent increase in stamp duty for agreement deeds by increasing it from Rs 2.25 to Rs 2,000. "Similarly, the stamp duty for power of attorney has been increased by 333 per cent by increasing this duty from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000. For power of attorney, a person will now have to shell out Rs 100 instead of Rs 37.50," he pointed out. Surjewala said earlier one had to purchase Rs 15 stamp paper for executing various types of agreements, which has now been increased to Rs 100 by the state government. "Agreement deed fee has also been increased from Rs 15 to Rs 100. In this manner, an increase in stamp duty up to Rs 1997.75 has been made for executing various types of agreement and stamp duty related services," he claimed. Surjewala said that fee for obtaining arms license has been increased from Rs 60 to Rs 1,500 for each weapon. "These anti-people decisions are the clear proof that this regime has always been on the lookout to devise ways to snatch money from the pocket of the common man," he said. "While on the one side, the people of the state were already suffering immensely on account of steep price rise and now the people would be forced to pay hefty fee for executing various deeds entailing stamp duty," Surjewala added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Tuesday said External Affairs Minster Sushma Swaraj should come out with her "version" of what transpired during the meeting with Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to end the controversy over their discussion regarding the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. While Sidhu claimed that Swaraj gave him an assurance that she will write a letter to the Pakistan government on a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, just four kilometres from the Indian border, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal made the counter-claim that he was reprimanded by the external affairs minister for meddling in what should be discussed between the two governments. Responding to a question over the controversy, Congress' communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said, "We would like to hear from Sushma Swaraj rather than source-based story being planted by the BJP, as to what transpired in a conversation between two people that is Sushma Swaraj and Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu." The Punjab government minister has given his version, why does not the external affairs minister also give "her version" or issue a statement to put an end to the controversy. "Do the naysayers even realise how important a place of pilgrimage the Kartarpur Saheb corridor is for the minority Sikh community. Instead of berating Sidhu, should not the prime minister be ensuring that our Sikh brothers and sisters are permitted to have 'darshan' of a place which is important for Sikhs?" Surjewala said. He said the Congress expects the government to be not so "prejudicial" to the minority Sikh community. Sidhu may have intent, but he does not have the authority to open or not open a corridor, and the responsibility for that finally lies at the doorstep of the prime minister and the Ministry of External Affairs, Surjewala said. "They should publically say they will not permit any Sikh to go and have 'darshan' or go to 'Guru Ghar' as we call it. No problem -- I am sure Sidhu Saheb will stop at that," he said. "Why should BJP continue to nurture animosity for a person whom the defence minister also says is extremely popular cutting across lines of different political shades?" Surjewala said. His remarks came after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Sidhu's gesture of hugging Pakistan's army chief impacted soldiers back home and asserted that the Punjab minister could have "avoided it". "Sidhu has a lot of admirers...somebody of that stature going there and then hugging the chief of the army, an army about which in India we have very clear feelings, it certainly has an impact on soldiers..., it demoralises the people. I wish Sidhu would have avoided it (hug)," she said during an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corp (IWPC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military aircraft, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli missile strike, Russian and Israeli forces said Tuesday. The incident late Monday was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel confirmed that it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". The plane downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence had a crew of 15, who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military claimed Israeli pilots had attacked Syrian targets by using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". But Israel denied the accusations, saying that "when the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, (Israeli) jets were already within Israeli airspace." The Russian government stressed that the incident would have no impact on the fledging Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. Syria state media reported late Monday "our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," it said, quoting a military source. Moscow had earlier said rockets were fired from a French frigate positioned in the same area of the Mediterranean. But the French military denied any involvement, with spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger telling AFP the frigate Auvergne "did not fire anything last night". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from the forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy." And the European Union said it expected the accord to "guarantee the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus's military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven people, including two men acquitted in the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya, were arrested for the recent alleged honour killing of a Dalit Christian man in Telangana's Nalgonda district, police said Tuesday. The killing of the 23-year-old P Pranay Kumar, who had married an upper caste woman Amrutha Varshini, at Miryalguda in Nalgonda district on September 14 had sparked an outrage in the state. Amrutha's father Maruti Rao, who she had accused of being behind her husband's murder along with her uncle Shravan, was among those arrested in what turned out to be a case of contract killing of Rs 1 crore, Nalgonda police chief A V Ranganath told reporters. Maruti Rao, who was opposed to the marriage of his daughter, conspired with other accused to eliminate Kumar and also paid an advance of Rs 15 lakh, he said. Shocking CCTV footage of the incident showed Kumar walking out of a hospital in Miryalguda with his pregnant wife when the assailant, who was later identified as Subhash Kumar Sharma, paced up and attacked him with a machete from behind, killing him instantaneously. Amrutha, from 'vaishya' community, had claimed Monday her father and uncle were behind the attack as they strongly disapproved of her marrying a Dalit Christian. Sharma, who attacked Pranay, was apprehended from Samastipur in Bihar and is being brought to Nalgonda on a transit warrant, the SP said. Asghar Ali and Abdul Bari, who were acquitted in the the murder of Haren Pandya, hail from Nalgonda. "Ali was earlier arrested in Haren Pandya murder case. He was convicted by a lower court but acquitted by the high court. Ali is involved in several other cases also. Bari was also an accused in the murder case of Pandya," the officer said. Pranay and Amrutha, who were in love since their school days, got married in January this year. Since August 9, the hired killers conducted recee of different places before executing their plan last Friday, police said. The incident had triggered protests by some Dalit groups in Nalgonda. Amrutha, who claimed her father insisted on her ending the marriage, said she will give birth to Pranay's child and ensure justice is done to him. She has also refused to return to her paternal home. The SP said Maruthi Rao pressured his daughter to get the foetus aborted but failed. Rao had recently joined the TRS, while another accused Abdul Kareem, a transport operator, is a local Congress leader. Bari is an AIMIM worker, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A teacher and three students were electrocuted to death on Tuesday during the morning assembly at a school in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The accident occurred when the students were hoisting the national flag during their morning assembly when when the iron pipe came in contact with an electric wire resulting in their death, police was quoted as saying by the Geo Three students and a teacher were killed as a result, while another teacher and a security guard were injured as they tried to save the children. The injured are being provided with first-aid facilities. The students were of fourth, fifth and eighth grade respectively, police said, adding that investigations into the incident are underway. However, the school was immediately shut down for the safety purpose for the rest of the children. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Political one upmanship over issue of sealing intensified Tuesday, with Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari again reaching Gokalpuri to break seal of a house, prompting the AAP and Congress to slam his act as a "drama" and "publicity stunt". Police have registered a case against Tiwari for breaking seal of the house Sunday. Accompanied by BJP workers and locals, he again reached Gokalpuri to break seal of the same house that was replaced by the municipal corporation. However, he returned saying the municipal corporation officials assured him to look into the matter in two days. Senior Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely said his party's 'Nyay Yudh' campaign against sealing has "rattled" the BJP and Tiwari. "The act of breaking seal is drama and publicity stunt by Tiwari. We are fighting for desealing of the properties, not breaking seals," he told reporters. He alleged corruption at BJP-ruled municipal corporations demanding the Centre to "dissolve" the civic bodies. "We however agree with Tiwari saying there was corruption in municipal corporations. The Centre should dissolve them," he said. Congress leader and Nyay Yudh campaign convener Mukesh Sharma asserted that his party's agitation will force the BJP and ruling AAP in Delhi to find a solution. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also trained guns against Tiwari and the BJP over sealing issue. "The BJP and the municipal corporations ruled by the party are hand in glove and trying to misguide the people over the issue. Tiwari is enacting drama by breaking seal placed by the corporation," Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said. Pandey asked Tiwari to apologise to Delhi people for "mocking" them and telling "lies" over the issue. AAP leader Atishi Marlena said the BJP was doing "drama" over the whole issue. "If they were serious, they would stop sealing through an ordinance which BJP ruled Central government can bring easily," she said. The three municipal corporations in Delhi are carrying out sealing drive under supervision of a Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee, taking action against violations of city's master plan and other irregularities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a tit-for-tat attack, the Trinamool Congress Tuesday questioned the BJP for winning 96 per cent of seats uncontested in the by-elections to three-tier panchayat polls in Tripura. The Mamata Banerjee-led party's attack comes after the saffron party had mocked the TMC for winning over 30 per cent of local bodies seats unchallenged in West Bengal recently. The ruling BJP has won around 96 per cent of the over 3,000 seats in gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads without contest in the by-elections of three-tier panchayat polls in Tripura scheduled to be held on September 30. "Why is the BJP silent about its victory? When we had won seats uncontested they had moved court accusing us of unleashing violence, but now they too have won seats uncontested. What would they say now?" asked State Minister and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "Those who live in glass house should not throw stones at others. If TMC wins uncontested then it is due to violence but if BJP wins then it is a victory of democracy. The BJP and opposition parties should stop come up with such childish logic." Reacting to TMC's allegations, the BJP said not a single incident of violence was reported during the panchayat polls in Tripura. "The TMC should not mix both the elections. Unlike panchayat elections in West Bengal, you cannot show a single incident of violence in the rural polls in Tripura," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told PTI. BJP Tripura spokesman Mrinal Kanti Deb told PTI that their candidates won uncontested due to "spontaneous" support of the people and that it has no comparison with the scenario in West Bengal where the poll was allegedly rigged. Elections were held in phases for 48,650 posts in gram panchayats, 825 posts in zilla parishads and 9,217 posts in panchayat samitis in West Bengal. The ruling TMC won about 34 per cent seats uncontested in May. The BJP and CPI(M) had moved court demanding cancellation of elections at uncontested seats. The Supreme Court in August turned down the pleas. It, however, took note of allegations and said the aggrieved candidate may file election petitions to challenge panchayat polls in courts concerned. The CPI(M), which is the opposition party in Tripura and West Bengal, said TMC and BJP are different sides of the same coin and it is expected that they will follow the same kind of strategy when fighting elections. "The TMC and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. They are engaged in breaking each other's records in terms of percentage seats won uncontested," CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh Tuesday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of focusing more on "letting loose a reign of terror on political opponents" rather than providing good governance to the people of the state. His comment comes a day after his car was attacked in Contai area of East Midnapore district allegedly by TMC workers, a charge denied by the ruling party. Ghosh said, "It is not the first time that I have been attacked by goons of the TMC. Earlier also there have been instances when our party workers have been attacked, killed and forced to flee from their homes. "The fact is the state government is more interested in letting loose reign of terror on political opponents rather than providing good governance." The state BJP president said his car was also attacked by goons in Khatra area of Bankura district last month and alleged that there was no police action. Bridges in the state are not being maintained properly and collapsing, the most recent being the Majerhat bridge incident, and several old markets in the city have been ravaged by fire, Ghosh said. "They cannot provide good governance but are very prompt in attacking opposition leaders," he said. Ghosh mocked Banerjee for "dreaming of becoming the next prime minister" and asked her to pay attention to issues related to the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu government Tuesday urged the Central Pollution Control Board to postpone the coming visit of an expert committee to the closed Sterlite Industries' plant in Tuticorin, citing pendency of its appeal against the NGT order setting up the panel. In its communication to CPCB, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) referred to pending cases in the Supreme Court against the National Green order on setting up the panel, headed by former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal. Since the matter was sub-judice in the Supreme Court "we request the committee to postpone the visit" to Tuticorin and Chennai slated from September 22-24, it said. The NGT had given the interim order setting up the panel on an appeal filed by the Vedanta challenging the state government's May 28 order directing permanent closure of its copper smelter plant in Tuticorin on environment grounds in the wake of protests by locals. The TNPCB pointed to the state government challenging maintainability of Vedanta's plea and the jurisdiction of the NGT in entertaining it. The locals were protesting demanding the closure of the Sterlite factory for 99 days and the agitation turned violent on May 22 on its 100th day leading to 13 people being killed in police firing. Recently, the state government had rejected the Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Tuticorin in the backdrop of the Sterlite controversy, saying it was "absolutely vague" and seemed to support the Vedanta unit which was "totally unwarranted". It had said the state "strongly feels that the report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the Tamil Nadu government and the TNPCB cases in various judicial fora. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Tuesday reaffirmed its demand for increased supply of coal, besides urging the Centre to immediately operationalise Hosur Airport during the 28th Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Minister Rajnath Singh at Bengaluru. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who took part in the meeting, said the coal ministry must ensure required supply of 72,000 tonnes per day and Railways Ministry facilitate the transportation. Some days back, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on coal shortage and the looming power crisis in the state. Panneerselvam sought Singh's intervention on making civil aviation authorities give their approval for operationalising Hosur Airport immediately. "...Hosur was selected under the UDAN scheme in the first phase and flight operations are yet to start for want of No Objection Certificate from Bengaluru International Airport," an official release said. According to the release, Tamil Nadu also put forth its concern over safety of fishermen and said those who venture into the Exclusive Economic Zone are booked under criminal laws instead of fishing related violations under the Marine Fishing Regulation Act. "Allowing artisanal deep sea fishing vessels operated by traditional fishermen to berth and recoup basic needs such as fuel, food, water and ice should be encouraged by all coastal states for mutual benefit of fishermen," Panneerselvam said. Settlement of GST dues upto Rs 4,000 crore and issue of arrears of post matric scholarships over Rs 1,200 crore were among other issues raised by the state government. The states have been divided into five zones and each zone has its council comprising the chief minister, two ministers and the chief secretary of each state. The zonal councils are headed by the Union Home Minister and each zone nominates one chief minister as its vice-chairman on rotation basis. Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Puducherry, Anadaman and Nicobar Islands Lt Governor and one minister each from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala also participated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tripura government has rubbished the opposition Congress' allegation of wrongdoing by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in award of work for Rs 10,000 crore national highway in the state. Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) member and its former president Gopal Chandra Roy on Sunday came out with the allegation of wrongdoing against Gadkari and Deb in award of work order for 995.91 km National Highway to central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). A statement issued by the Tripura Department of Information and Cultural Affairs Monday night said the allegations are indicative of complete lack of understanding and are far from truth. Roy, a former MLA, cited an office note issued by Advisor to the chief minister Bhai Vijay Chibber on August 10, where he said that he attended a meeting chaired by Gadkari in New Delhi. The meeting agreed on a host of decisions which include handing over 620.91 km stretch of National Highway in Tripura to the NHIDCL. The road length is being maintained by the state Public Works Department (PWD), which is in poor condition due to limited fund provided by MoRTH, the note said. It added that a stretch of 229 km additional road length, which was approved as a national highway on an in principle basis, would also be handed over by the state PWD authorities to the NHIDCL. The entire work is worth Rs 10,000 crores, Congress leader Roy said, adding that as per the rules, the state PWD would have got 9 per cent agency commission out of the work. The state construction agency was deprived of the funds by single-handedly deciding to award the work to the NHIDCL. The NHIDCL is a central PSU, but without any major natural disaster, this work cannot be given to them without a tender, he alleged. Roy alleged that the deal was done by Chibber, who is a contractual employee and not an authority on the state of affairs in the state government. He stated that no negotiation is allowed for finalising any tender and unsolicited tenders for government works are not accepted in normal circumstances as per the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules, 2017. The allegation made by the former MLA is without any base and substance. The allegation unnecessarily questions a decision of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which is totally in the interest of Tripura, the statement said. Roy also said that award of any work is mandated to undergo competition between all eligible PSUs or organisations as per the General Financial Rules of the Ministry of Finance. "This is the biggest scam in the history of Tripura. We feel Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Union minister Nitin Gadkari are directly involved in this scam. We demand a CBI inquiry into the whole issue," Gopal said. The government statement said that the NHIDCL is not a contractor but one of the agencies used by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for maintenance or development of national highways. The NHIDCL has been specifically mandated to develop national highways in the northeast region and border areas, it said. The statement also claimed that the decision was taken in the interest of the state that the central government and the NHIDCL takes direct and full responsibility of development and maintenance of national highways in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and said that there is no need for the FBI to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against him. Kavanaugh's nomination plunged into chaos after Christine Blasey Ford told 'The Washington Post' that she was subjected to a sexual assault by the Supreme Court nominee in high school in the early 1980s. The Supreme Court nominee has rejected as "completely false" the sexual assault allegation, saying he was ready to testify before a Senate committee to "defend my integrity". Trump, during a joint media appearance with the visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters: "I don't think the FBI really should be involved, because they don't want to be involved. If they wanted to be I would certainly do that, but as you know they say this is not really their thing. But I think politically speaking, the senators will do a very good job. They really will". Responding to questions, Trump said he is looking to get the nomination of Kavanaugh done as quickly as possible. "He is a truly outstanding person. He's got an unblemished record. This is a terrible thing that took place, and it's frankly a terrible thing that this information wasn't given to us a long time ago, months ago, when they got it. "They could've done that, instead of waiting until everything was finished, and then all of a sudden spring it. But that's what the Democrats do. It's obstruction. It's resist. It's whatever you have to do," Trump alleged. Kavanaugh, 53, has denied the allegation. The White House has said that it stands by Kavanaugh. Trump said: "With all of that being said, it's a process that we all feel -- speaking for all of the Republicans, we feel that we want to go through this process, and we want to give everybody a chance to say what they have to say". "We have time available, we will delay the process until it's finished out. I guess we've invited everybody. I could tell you this, that Judge Kavanaugh is anxious to do it. I don't know about the other party, but Judge Kavanaugh is very anxious to do it, and a delay is certainly acceptable," Trump said. The president said that he wants to get to the bottom of everything. "We want everybody to be able to speak up and to speak out. The fact is though this should have been done a long time ago, and when Senator (Dianne) Feinstein had Judge Kavanaugh in her office for a long time, she never even mentioned this. "And that was a long time ago, never even mentioned it. So why would you bring this up when he is sitting in her office for a pretty extended period of time? So it's unfortunate. He is an incredible man. He is an incredible intellect. He will make an incredible Supreme Court Justice. But we feel that we want to go through a process. We want to hear both sides," Trump added. Republicans hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump Monday announced imposing new tariffs on an additional USD 200 billion worth of imports from China, escalating the trade war with the Asian giant. Alleging that China has been unwilling to change its unfair trade practices, Trump said the new additional tariff structure would be effective September 24 from when it would be at 10 percent until the year end, but would increase to 25 per cent level from January 1. Further, if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately USD 267 billion of additional imports, Trump said in a strong warning to China. Trump said his administration is taking this action as a result of the Section 301 process that the USTR has been pursuing for more than 12 months. US Trade Representatives (USTR) released a list of such items. After a thorough study, the USTR concluded that China is engaged in numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual property such as forcing United States companies to transfer technology to Chinese counterparts, he said. These practices plainly constitute a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy, he added. For months, we have urged China to change these unfair practices, and give fair and reciprocal treatment to American companies. We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly, he said. But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices, he said. To counter China's unfair practices, he had announced on June 15 that the US would impose tariffs of 25 percent on USD 50 billion worth of Chinese imports. China, however, still refuses to change its practices and indeed recently imposed new tariffs in an effort to hurt the United States economy, Trump said. China, he said, has had many opportunities to fully address US concerns. I urge China's leaders to take swift action to end their country's unfair trade practices. Hopefully, this trade situation will be resolved, in the end, by myself and President Xi of China, for whom I have great respect and affection, Trump said. Later a senior administration official told reporters that China has had many opportunities to change those practices and, in fact, the statute says that trade representatives shall take all appropriate and feasible action in an effort to obtain the elimination of those practices. So we've negotiated and negotiated and negotiated and given them chance after chance after chance... The administration has imposed tariffs on roughly USD 50 billion worth of Chinese imports already, in an effort to encourage China to alter its behaviour, the official said. By imposing such a tariff, the official said, the US is not trying to constrain China's growth. We have no problem with China trying to grow its economy, trying to lift its people out of poverty, that's a good thing. But, in doing so, they can't take actions that deliberately discriminate against other countries; actions that hurt American workers. And they can't take actions that entirely flout the rules of the international trading system, the official said. Such a move, the official said, is not an effort to constrain China. But this is an effort to work with China and say, it's time that you address these unfair trading practices that we have identified, that others have identified, and which have harmed the entire global trading system, the official asserted. At the same time, the official said, the US remains open to negotiations. We don't have anything to announce to you today, in terms of any of the logistics of that, but, as the President has said, we are open to that and we hope that China will come to the table and address the concerns that we have raised, the official said. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said Trump is clearly increasing the pressure on China to come to the table and begin a new trading relationship that is fairer to the American farmers, workers and businesses. The sooner President Xi and President Trump meet to craft a new trade path forward, the better, he said. There is no disagreement between the Congress and the President that we must hold China accountable for hurting the US companies and workers on a colossal scale by extorting our companies to transfer their best technology, stealing our intellectual property, and shoring up China's state-run companies through subsidies and other distortive practices, Brady said. Any time tariffs are imposed, I worry that Americans will be forced to pay extra costs - in this case on nearly half of the US imports from China, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British authorities have arrested a former Pakistani "politically exposed person" and his wife who were allegedly involved in money laundering in the UK, believed to to be the result of corruption in Pakistan. The arrest by the National Crime Agency (NCA) officials on Monday came as Pakistan and the UK signed a justice and accountability agreement, nearly a month after Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has vowed to bring back money stolen by corrupt Pakistani politicians and taken to Britain, assumed power. Officers from the NCA's International Corruption Unit have arrested a "former Pakistani Politically Exposed Person, aged in his 40s, and his wife, aged in her 30s, in connection with alleged money laundering in the United Kingdom believed to be the result of corruption in Pakistan," the NCA said in a statement. The investigation has been supported by the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency in Pakistan, it said. The couple, who were arrested in Surrey, control a UK property portfolio worth more than 8 million pounds for which they appear to have no legitimate source of income, the statement said. The man and his wife were questioned by NCA officers and have now been released under investigation, it said without identifying the couple. However, Pakistani media identified them as Farhan Junejo, the former secretary of late Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Faheem, and his wife. The PPP is lead by former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari. Junejo, a former assistant commissioner, was accused of laundering Rs 250 million abroad, the Express Tribune reported. Junejo was named in the Trade Development corruption scandal in addition to causing a loss of Rs 1.5 billion to the national exchequer, the report said. Special Assistant to Prime Minister Khan on Accountability Shehzad Akbar said that the person detained today is a former public office holder, who fled from Pakistan and invested money in London, Geo reported. He said that the Pakistani government was assisting the NCA from last seven days, adding that the Pakistani government will request a formal claim if the arrested person's assets are frozen by the UK government. The development came after the meeting between Pakistan's Law Minister Farogh Naseem and British Home Secretary Sajid Javid is Islamabad on Monday. They announced that the 'UK-Pakistan Justice and Accountability Partnership' would work towards repatriation of illicit finances, recovery of stolen assets and putting a check on money laundering. The Pakistani-origin Javid said Britain would ensure that no person could escape accountability, clarifying that the initiative would be broad-based and was not mean to target individual cases only. Javid said the new partnership would be headed by a special envoy to expand cooperation between the two sides in curbing corruption. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK's National Police Chiefs' Council on Tuesday announced the creation of a new country-wide unit to assist police forces after Britain leaves the European Union. The post-Brexit unit will help train officers to use alternatives if the UK loses access to the current EU data sharing and cooperation tools, such as the European Arrest Warrant or Europol systems. The "contingency plans", agreed by all chief constables at a meeting in London on Monday, will see the UK law enforcement revert to the use of international police tools through Interpol, bilateral channels and Council of Europe conventions to enable extradition of suspects, trace missing people and share intelligence about crime and terrorism. "Existing EU tools allow us to respond quickly and intelligently to crime and terrorism in the UK and the EU they make us better at protecting the public. The alternatives we are planning to use, where they exist, are without exception slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective," said National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) Chair Sara Thornton. "We have agreed a model that minimises the risks and makes best use of already pressured police resources. It does not predict a worst-case scenario but it does prepare for it," she said. The new unit will be staffed by officers and staff from the UK's police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the national Criminal Records Office (ACRO) with a central coordination team and a network of regional single points of contacts who will advise and help forces use alternative mechanisms. The unit, which will be funded by the UK Home Office and hosted by the Metropolitan Police, will be governed through the NPCC. NPCC's Lead for Brexit, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin, said: "Criminals don't respect borders 70 per cent of transient organised crime groups operate in more than three countries. We remain hopeful that a deal that allows us maintain these capabilities can be struck". Britain's chief constables also signed off plans to prepare for the possible effects of a no-deal Brexit, including public protest or disorder and possible disruption linked to transport and borders. The plans will see a small team established that will review intelligence, assess threats and consider them against existing plans for civil contingencies, refreshing or developing new plans as required. Plans will then be tested and exercised. "Our first priority is to gather intelligence and establish a realistic threat assessment that distinguishes real from perceived threats. At this stage, we have no intelligence to suggest there will be an increase in crime or disorder as a result of a Brexit deal or no deal," said NPCC Lead for Operations, Chief Constable Charlie Hall. "Like other public bodies, we are preparing for possible outcomes and in each case we are working with the relevant government departments to ensure we are ready to respond. "As you would expect these plans will need to be dynamic, and will change in response to what will undoubtedly be a changing threat assessment," he said. Earlier this month, it had emerged that Britain's police forces have drawn up anti-riot plans as a contingency in case there is violence on the country's border on and around Brexit day of March 29, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's counter-terrorism officers on Tuesday conducted a series of raids on homes in central England in connection with what it described as allegations of extremist activity in India and fraud offences. The West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) led investigation covered addresses in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham, where searches remain ongoing and no arrests have been made so far. "Detectives are searching a number of properties as part of a West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) investigation. The residential addresses in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham are being searched today (Tuesday) by WMCTU with the support of East Midlands Special Operations Unit Special Branch (EMSOU-SB), a West Midlands Police statement said. The searches are in connection with allegations of extremist activity in India and fraud offences. No-one has been arrested, it said. While the security forces have not released any further details on the nature of the raids or the suspects targeted in the operation, a UK-based Sikh outfit issued a statement expressing concern that "Indian police officers may be in the UK and could be targeting Sikh activists through British police". Sikh Federation UK, a group that campaigns for the creation of an independent Sikh state, said: We have just held a very successful 35th Annual International Sikh Convention in the West Midlands and Indian police officers here in the UK would have picked up and no doubt raised concerns with the level of support we are receiving during our lobbying and political activity for an independent Sikh State, Khalistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unclaimed gold weighing eight kg and valued at around Rs 2.80 crore was recovered from a New Delhi bound flight here Tuesday, airport officials said. The gold bullion worth about Rs 2.80 crore, was found wrapped in a plastic bag and recovered from under a seat inside the aeroplane by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), airport officials said. DRI sleuths acted on specific input, they said, adding, a probe was on. The flight, operated by a national carrier, had earlier arrived from Singapore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday announced up to Rs 200 per quintal hike in the minimum purchase price for paddy while fixing the procurement target at 50 lakh tonnes (LT) for the current crop year. The state cabinet meeting headed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath fixed the purchase price at Rs 1,750 per quintal for common variety and Rs 1770 for A variety for this year against Rs 1,550 per quintal for common variety and Rs 1590 for A variety last year. "Paddy purchase target has been fixed at 50 lakh MT in the current fiscal and purchase price of Rs 1750 per quintal as price for common variety and Rs 1770 per quintal for A variety has been fixed. Besides additional Rs 20 per quintal will be paid to farmers for its cleaning," an official spokesman told reporters here. The purchase will start from October 1 and will continue till February 28, 2019, for different regions, he said. The purchase will be online, and besides FCI, 3,000 paddy purcahse centres have been established for the same. "For selling their produce, farmers will have to undergo online registration and their payment will be made with 72 hours directly in their accounts," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States expressed hope Wednesday that a summit between North and South Korea in Pyongyang would lead to "meaningful verifiable" denuclearisation on the peninsula. "It represents in our view a historic opportunity for Chairman Kim (Jong Un) to follow through his commitment that he made to President (Donald) Trump" in Singapore in June, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. "We hope to see a meaningful verifiable step toward the denuclearization of North Korea," she added, noting this was the third meeting between Kim and the South's Moon Jae-in. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttarakhand Assembly Tuesday paid tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, describing him as a leader who won the respect and admiration of even his political rivals. Members from differentpolitical parties showered praise on the late BJP stalwart as a leader who practised value-based throughout his political career and had admirers in every party. The leaders remembered Vajpayee for his sensitivity which they said reflects abundantly in his poetry and down-to-earth nature. He was also remembered as "the creator of Uttarakhand" who gave it special category status and an industrial package to aid the economic growth. "Vajpayee not only created Uttarakhand but also helped it stand on its feet by giving it a special category status and an industrial package," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant said. Pant also remembered Vajpayee's love for Hindi, the language he chose to deliver his speech at the United Nations. Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh said Vajpayee acted like a true leader by rising above party lines. "He extended a helping hand to a fledgling state like Uttarakhand by granting it a special status and an industrial package despite the fact that it was governed by the Congress at that time," she said "Politicians of today should follow his example," Hridayesh said. She also remembered the late former prime minister for his great sense of humour. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a first, polling in all 200 constituencies in the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections would be conducted through Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and EVM M-3 machines, Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said Tuesday. The machines will be used at 51,796 polling booths across the state. The 'M3'-type EVMs are equipped with a self-diagnostic system for authentication of genuineness of the machines. "The polling would be conducted in a fair and transparent manner with the new technology on all 200 assembly constituencies in Rajasthan so that there is no doubt in anyone's mind against the election process," Rawat said at a press conference here. He said the election commission firmly believes that EVM and VVPAT machines are "non-tamperable" and credible. The chief election commissioner said accessibility observers would be appointed for the first time in the assembly elections in the state due later this year, and at least one polling booth in each assembly constituency would be managed by women. He said that a 'cVIGIL' mobile app has been launched through which the citizens can keep a strict vigil on the elections and report unlawful campaign activities and violation of election code of conduct. Complaints lodged through the app will be resolved in a maximum of 100 minutes, he added. Rawat said out of the 200 assembly constituencies, 141 are general seats whereas 34 and 25 seats, respectively, are reserved for SC and ST category. As per the electoral voters list updated till July 31, 2018, there were 475.10 lakh voters, including 248.21 lakh men and 226.89 lakh women. Nearly 349 voters from the third gender category are also likely to exercise their franchise in the elections. He said that income tax officials would be appointed to keep a vigil on election expenditure by the candidates. The commission has fixed an upper expenditure limit of Rs 28 lakh by the candidates in the election, Rawat said, adding that video surveillance teams would be deployed in election rallies to monitor expenditure by the candidates. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that talks on an equal footing are the only correct way to resolve trade issues with the United States, after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports.The United States' current unilateral trade actions cannot be accepted by China, and the United States has not been sincere, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing. (Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kim Coghill)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff ... By Sanjeev Miglani, Neha Dasgupta and Aditya KalraNEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian farmers and U.S. manufacturers of medical devices could be among the main winners in a trade package under negotiation, as Washington and New Delhi look to remove long-standing irritants to ties, sources familiar with the talks said.Having skirmished for months over tit-for-tat tariffs on steel and some agricultural products, the two sides began talks in June that also cover India's concerns over U.S. steel tariffs and U.S. problems with Indian tariffs on imported IT equipment."We are closely negotiating a discrete ... By Arathy S Nair(Reuters) - Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc has agreed to buy Jardine Lloyd Thompson for about 4.3 billion pounds ($5.7 billion) as the U.S. financial services group looks to boost its speciality risk broking and global reinsurance business.Shares of the UK insurance and reinsurance broker rose 32.3 percent to 1,894 pence, just below MMC's all-cash offer of 1,915 pence, which was set at a premium of about 33.7 percent to JLT stock's closing price on Monday.The deal consideration implies an enterprise value of about 4.9 billion pounds for JLT.The deal comes as insurers have been ... By Stephanie KellyNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil futures rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday on signs that OPEC would not be prepared to raise output to address shrinking supplies from Iran, and as Saudi Arabia signalled an informal target near current levels.Brent crude futures rose 98 cents to settle at $79.03 a barrel, a 1.26 percent gain.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 94 cents to settle at $69.85 a barrel, a 1.36 percent gain.Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC producers meet on Sunday to discuss compliance with output ... BEIJING (Reuters) - Oil markets dropped on Tuesday as the latest escalation in the Sino-U.S. trade war clouded the outlook for demand, although concerns over tightening supply offered prices some support.Brent crude futures had declined 27 cents, or 0.35 percent, to $77.78 per barrel by 0054 GMT.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 32 cents, or 0.46 percent, to $68.59 per barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would impose 10 percent U.S. tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports.U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week invited top Chinese ... (Reuters) - Indian ride-hailing platform Ola said on Tuesday it plans to launch operations in New Zealand, and expand its overseas rivalry with U.S.-based peer Uber Technologies Inc.The Indian start-up founded in 2011, which is backed by Japan's SoftBank Group, first expanded its international operations with a foray into Australia and the United Kingdom earlier this year. Brian Dewil has been appointed as country manager for New Zealand operations, Ola said. The company, which is competing with Uber in India's $12 billion taxi market, did not provide further details about its expansion ... By Saad SayeedISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan left for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the foreign office said, amid speculation he may be seeking economic assistance from a staunch ally instead of another IMF bailout. Khan, on his first international visit since taking office last month, was accompanied by Finance Minister Asad Umar and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at a time when the country is trying to avert a balance of currency crisis stemming from a large current account deficit.Analysts say a fresh bailout package from the International Monetary Fund, which ... By Saad Sayeed and Asif ShahzadISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's new government announced cuts in planned development spending and a tax increase for higher earners on Tuesday, unveiling a mini-budget aimed at shoring up an economy in danger of needing another International Monetary Fund bailout.Since taking office in mid-August, Prime Minister Imran Khan's populist government has urgently sought to avert a currency crisis, with analysts expecting the country to request IMF help due to a ballooning current account deficit.Presenting his mini-budget to parliament, Finance Minister Asad Umar ... The United States will spare Apple Inc's Watch and other consumer gadgets from the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods, according to a list of products released by the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Monday. But parts for the computer servers and networking gear that power "cloud" data centers and internet-based services now face a levy, as do some of the parts for the machines used to make semiconductors. US President Donald Trump escalated his trade war with China on Monday, imposing 10 per cent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports and he ... By Tom DalyBEIJING (Reuters) - The United States did not include rare earth elements, metals used in magnets, radars and consumer electronics, from its final list of tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, underscoring its reliance on China for the strategic minerals. China is the world's largest producer of rare earths and the biggest supplier to the United States, according the U.S. Geological Survey. Rare earth elements and minor metals have broad applications in U.S. industry, ranging from jet engines to mobile phones to oil and gas drilling. Most of the minerals the U.S. had originally ... The worlds largest technology company Apple is often criticised for lagging behind peers Samsung and Google in bringing the latest technologies to its products, but the tech giants role in popularising newer technologies cannot be denied. This time, it is eSIMs or embedded SIMs that Apple has adopted for its flagship iPhone. And that is set to give impetus to an industry that has been coming up for a while now. Even in India, as more devices get connected, the market for eSIMs is expected to explode. In areas such as connected cars, manufacturing and consumer durables, ... After Australia and the United Kingdom, it's time for Ola to make expansion in New Zealand where it will be battling it out with the rival company Uber. The SoftBank-backed Indian cab hailing app Ola has been aggressively making its foray into global markets. Ola's entry in New Zealand follows its launch in Australia in February 2018 and the UK in August 2018. To begin with, Ola will provide services around Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. To build its presence in the country, Ola has roped in Brian Dewil as the country manager for New Zealand. Brian, who founded UrbanSherpa and co-founded Horizon Robotics, a robotic technologies startup, will handle the company's operations in the country. "We see a real opportunity in New Zealand to provide a fair alternative in rideshare space for both customers and drivers. We invested in understanding the New Zealand customer and devised the right strategy to meet their transport needs," Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said. The company said Ola has invited private vehicle owners to register on its platform and earn starting commission of 9 per cent. After the initial rollout of the services, the company could also expand to other cities of the country as well. "Kiwis have had too little choice when it comes to rideshare. Ola's arrival will create a compelling experience that puts the quality of rides first," said Dewil. Right now, only Uber dominates the country's ridesharing market. With just seven years of its formation, Ola has enabled "smart transportation to over 125 million users in India, Australia and the UK," a company statement said. Ola's approach in the UK is slightly different. It will not only offer passengers the option to book private hire vehicles (PHVs) but also black cabs. They are also planning to add other modes of transport on the same platform in the future. Besides, Ola operates in seven major cities across Australia and has close to 50,000 registered drivers who have completed millions of rides. In India, it operates in around 110 cities. With the backing of strong investors like SoftBank, Tencent, Tiger Global, etc, Ola has given a tough time for global ride-hailing giant Uber. The company boasts of having over 10 lakh drivers across India as compared to Uber's 4.5 lakh. Ola's network has also increased to over 56 per cent -- as per the market intelligence firm KalaGato's 2017 survey -- in the Indian market. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest body of the Ministry of Defence, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, met in Delhi on Tuesday and gave its nod for the procurement of defence equipment worth Rs 9,100 crore. Sitharaman-led DAC has approved the procurement of the two regiments of Akash Missile Systems under 'Buy Indian' category from Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The air defence system, which is already being used by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, can destroy objects up to a distance of around 30km, say experts. "The missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles, and will include seeker technology, possess 360-degree coverage, and will be of compact configuration with reduced signature," a government statement said. The upgraded Akash Weapon System is operationally critical equipment, which will provide protection to vital assets. The DAC also approved progressing design and development of Individual under Water Breathing Apparatus (IUWBA) for T-90 tanks. Developed by the DRDO's (Defence Research and Development Organisation) defence bioengineering and electro-medical laboratory, the IUWBA is used by the crew of tanks as a safety gear. It is required by the tank crew for emergency escape when negotiating water obstacles while deep fording. The DAC also cleared the purchase of Design and Development of Test Equipment for guided weapons system of T-90 Tank. The equipment is being developed by the DRDO. It will give an indigenous solution to the test equipment used for checking the guided weapon system of Tank T-90. The equipment, earlier procured from foreign manufacturers, has been developed indigenously. You can now fly to destinations such as the US and Canada from the national capital by shelling out just Rs 13,499 - all thanks to Iceland's WOW air that's offering low fares across its flights. The airline will start flights from Delhi to their hub in Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF) from December 7, according to a release. To begin with, WOW air will operate three weekly flights connecting passengers to North America and Europe via their hub in Reykjavik. From January, the frequency would be increased to five weekly flights. "For Rs 13,499 per person, passengers can visit destinations like Chicago, Orlando, Newark, Detroit, San Francisco, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington DC, St Louis in the US," the airline said in the release. The fare, inclusive of taxes, is also available for flights to Toronto and Montreal. It would be applicable for travel to outbound destinations from New Delhi between December 2018 and March 2019. "The offer is valid for all bookings made between September 18 to September 28, and valid for travel between December 2018 and March 2019," the low cost long haul carrier said. The fares will be available for passengers booking their tickets through the airline's website. WOW air's founder and CEO Skuli Mogensen said it would begin operations from New Delhi in December. "Our disruptive fares have been met with a strong demand and it clearly reflects the need for affordable travel between India and North America," he said. About 20,000 people fly between India and North America every day. "We will be the first long-haul low-cost airline to fly into India. It's a huge market with a huge potential. I think India is underserved when you look at flights between India and North America. We are exploring possibilities to open stations in more Indian cities. Our target customers are smart travellers - people who are value conscious," Mogensen had earlier said. WOW air flies to 35 European and North American destinations, and it would be competing with aggressive Middle-eastern hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are catering to a large international traffic originating from India. "We will offer a shorter total trip time than if you go to Dubai. Shorter flight time means less engine usage, less costs that translates into less ticket price. In our case, it takes 18 hours to reach East Coast (in the US) from India, including a two-hour layover in Iceland," he says. (With PTI inputs; edited by Anwesha Madhukalya) The Central Bank of Ireland has published new research on the economic impact of Irish agriculture and the challenges facing the sector. The analysis shows that following a period of stagnation from 1990 to 2010, agricultural output has increased significantly over recent years. In 2017, the overall volume of gross agricultural output was 21% higher than in 2010. Much of the rise in output has been driven by the dairy sector following the removal of milk quotas in 2015. Around two-thirds of farms have no farm business related debt, although variations among sub-sectors are again apparent. 60% of dairy farms have debt, compared to one-third of cattle farms. In 2017, just over 40% of agri-food exports went to the United Kingdom. Tariff and non-tarrif barriers associated with a hard Brexit, coupled with existing viability problems, would pose significant challenges, with the beef sector particularly vulnerable. However, the growth in exports to both the EU, excluding the UK, and outside the EU over recent years is notable. In 2005, exports destined for non-EU countries accounted for 21% of the total; in 2017 this figure had risen to 31%. This points to a degree of greater diversification in market sales by Irish exporters. Commenting on the research, Deputy Governor Sharon Donnery said: Agriculture makes a significant contribution to the Irish economy. However, Brexit continues to pose huge uncertainty to the Irish economy overall, and todays research spells out the specific challenges faced by those working in the agri-food sector across the country. The increase in exports to markets outside the UK is to be welcomed and can be built upon, but the fact remains that a hard Brexit, which reduces market access for Irish exports, would have a material negative effect on Irish agriculture and adjusting to this in the short-term would prove a considerable challenge. Source: www.businessworld.ie China said on Tuesday it has no choice but to retaliate against new U.S. trade tariffs, risking even stronger action from President Donald Trump in an escalation of the trade war between the world's largest economies. Beijing's statement came hours after Trump imposed 10% tariffs on about $200 billion worth of imports from China, and threatened duties on about $267 billion more if China hit back on the latest U.S. action. "To protect its legitimate rights and interests and order in international free trade, China is left with no choice but to retaliate simultaneously," the commerce ministry said in a brief statement, without specifying what action it would take. "The United States insists on increasing tariffs, bringing new uncertainties to bilateral trade negotiations. China hopes the United States would recognize the negative consequences of its actions, and take convincing steps to correct its behavior in a timely manner." Trump had warned in a statement on Monday that if China takes retaliatory action against U.S. farmers or industries, "we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports." The latest U.S. duties spared smart watches from Apple and Fitbit and other consumer products such as baby car seats. But if the administration enacts the additional tariffs it would engulf all remaining U.S. imports from China and Apple products like the iPhone and its competitors would not likely be spared. Last month, China unveiled a proposed list of tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods ranging from liquefied natural gas to certain types of aircraft - should Washington activate the tariffs on its $200 billion list. China is reviewing plans to send a delegation to Washington for fresh talks in light of the U.S. decision, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing a government source in Beijing. U.S. trade actions against China will not work as China has ample fiscal and monetary policy tools to cope with the impact, a senior securities market official said. "President Trump is a hard-hitting businessman, and he tries to put pressure on China so he can get concessions from our negotiations. I think that kind of tactic is not going to work with China," Fang Xinghai, vice chairman of China's securities regulator, said at a conference in the port city of Tianjin. Collection of tariffs on the long-anticipated U.S. list will start on Sept. 24 but the rate will increase to 25% by the end of 2018, allowing U.S. companies some time to adjust their supply chains to alternate countries. So far, the United States has imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products to pressure Beijing to make sweeping changes to its trade, technology transfer and high-tech industrial subsidy policies. China has retaliated in kind. Trump's latest escalation of tariffs on China comes after several meetings yielded no progress. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week invited top Chinese officials to a new round of talks, but thus far nothing has been scheduled. "We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly," Trump said in his statement. "But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices." Fang told the Tianjin forum that he hopes the two sides can sit down and talk, but added that the latest U.S. move has "poisoned" the atmosphere. A senior Trump administration official told reporters that the United States was open to further talks with Beijing, but offered no immediate details on when they may occur. "This is not an effort to constrain China, but this is an effort to work with China and say, 'It's time you address these unfair trade practices that we've identified that others have identified and that have harmed the entire trading system,'" the official said. So far, China has either imposed or proposed tariffs on $110 billion of U.S. goods, representing most of its imports of American products. "Tensions in the global economic system have manifested themselves in the U.S.-China trade war, which is now seriously disrupting global supply chains," the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said in a statement on Tuesday. China's yuan currency slipped 0.3% against the U.S. dollar in Asian trade on Tuesday. It has weakened by about 6% since mid-June, offsetting the 10% tariff rate by a considerable margin. The U.S. Trade Representative's office eliminated 297 product categories from the proposed tariff list, along with some subsets of other categories. But the adjustments did little to appease technology and retail groups who argued U.S. consumers would feel the pain. "President Trumps decision...is reckless and will create lasting harm to communities across the country," said Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council, which represents major tech firms. "Tariffs are a tax on American families, period," said Hun Quach," RILA's vice president for international trade. "Consumers not China will bear the brunt of these tariffs and American farmers and ranchers will see the harmful effects of retaliation worsen." Kenneth Jarrett, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, said three quarters of its members will be hit by the tariffs, and they will not bring jobs back to the United States. "Most of our member companies are 'in China, for China' - selling goods to Chinese companies and consumers, not to Americans - and thus ultimately boosting the U.S. economy," Jarrett said. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Visa Inc, Mastercard Inc, and a number of U.S. banks on Tuesday agreed to pay $6.2 billion to settle a long-running lawsuit brought by merchants over the fees they pay when they accept card payments. Visa and Mastercard previously reached a $7.25 billion settlement with the merchants in the case, but that deal was thrown out by a federal appeals court in 2016 and the U.S. Supreme Court last year refused to revive it. The deal had been the largest all-cash U.S. antitrust settlement, although its value shrank to $5.7 billion after roughly 8,000 retailers opted out. The card issuers named in the class-action lawsuit include Chase & Co and Citigroup. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of about 12 million retailers and dating back more than a decade, accuses the credit card companies of violating federal antitrust laws by forcing merchants to pay swipe fees and prohibiting them from directing consumers toward other methods of payment. In rejecting the earlier settlement, which was opposed by retailers including Amazon.com Inc, Costco Wholesale Corp and Walmart Inc, a federal appeals court found that the accord was unfair because some retailers would receive little or no benefit. The card companies have already paid $5.3 billion and will now pay an additional $900 million. Mastercard will pay an additional $108 million from funds set aside in the second quarter, the company said. Visa's share represents around $4.1 billion, which the company expects to pay using funds previously deposited with the court, and from a litigation escrow it set up on June 28. The settlement must still be approved by a court. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Zeng's mother and father sit outside a hostel in Sweden after police removed them from the premises. A hostel dispute involving Chinese tourists in Stockholm has escalated into a diplomatic spat between China and Sweden. The Chinese government on Monday demanded answers from Swedish police over what it called the brutal treatment of three Chinese tourists who earlier this month got into a dispute with a hostel in the Swedish capital. China hasnt received a report from Sweden about the progress of the investigation, and the Swedish police have not responded to the Chinese Embassys request for a meeting to exchange information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday at a regular news briefing. This is against common diplomatic practice. But Sweden chief prosecutor Mats Ericsson told local media Monday that an investigation has shown that the police officers did nothing wrong in their handling of the Chinese tourists. The incident came to light when the Chinese media ran reports about it on Saturday. A man surnamed Zeng said he and his parents were removed by police from a hostel and deposited a few kilometers away. Zeng told Chinese media that he accidentally booked their stay in the Generator Stockholm hostel for Sept. 2, when he meant to choose Sept 1. When the tourists arrived in the hotel near midnight on Sept. 1 and were told there were no available rooms, Zeng said he asked the staff if they could stay in the lobby. He said he was concerned about the safety of the area and told hostel staff his father was taking medication. The hostel staff allowed them to stay for a short while then asked them to leave, Zeng said. When Zeng and his parents refused to leave, hostel staff called police, who physically removed them and reportedly took them to the Skogskyrkogarden metro station, which is about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the hostel and adjacent to a park containing a historic cemetery. The police told one of Swedens largest newspapers, Aftonbladet, that they arrived at the hostel at 1:43 a.m. and didnt believe that the tourists were sick as Zeng claimed. They believed that the family intended to remain in the lobby until dawn, so they decided to remove them, the Aftonbladet report said. Videos circulating online, allegedly shot by Zeng and a passer-by, showed a person apparently Zengs father being carried by his arms and legs by two police officers. Another clip showed an elderly woman, who appears to be Zengs mother, sitting on the ground and calling out for help. A third clip shows Zeng throwing himself on the ground and wailing. The Chinese Embassy in Sweden reacted strongly to the incident, issuing a statement on its website on Sept. 15 saying it is deeply appalled and angered by what happened and strongly condemns the police actions. It also issued a travel alert on Friday warning Chinese travelers about the brutal treatment of Chinese tourists by Swedish government employees, accompanied by normal warnings about pickpocketing in the Swedish capital. In an interview with Aftonbladet, Chinese Ambassador Gui Congyou insisted the police violated the human rights of Chinese citizens and still owes China an explanation. We are puzzled and shocked that the Swedish polices brutal treatment of three Chinese tourists took place in a country that talks about human rights and justice everyday, Gui told the newspaper. The full text of the interview was published in Chinese on the embassys website. Gui said the three Chinese citizens did not break Swedish law and they didnt deserve the treatment the received. Gui said that an average of two thefts involving Chinese citizens are reported every day in Stockholm, which is why the embassy issued its usual safety alert. He also claimed that none of the cases have been solved by Swedish police. The Swedish embassy in China published a statement Sunday on its official Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter, saying that Swedish authorities have appointed special prosecutors to investigate whether there was improper or illegal conduct by the police, after receiving complaints. However, Swedish prosecutor Ericsson told Aftonbladet on Monday that no preliminary investigation had been initiated because the assessment was that there was no crime on the part of the police. They (the tourists) acted as disturbing by refusing to leave a place where they were not entitled to be, Ericsson said. The police have the right to remove someone from one place to another, and it is an extremely common and standardized police procedure to do so. The incident has sparked buzz at Chinese social media platforms with debate about the behavior of the tourists and about their compatriots behavior while traveling overseas. While some people expressed sympathy on Chinese social media platforms for the Chinese family, others argued that Zeng and his parents were in the wrong. They may think they are still in China, where you may flout the rules by faking illness or crying out loud, but you are in another country, one Weibo user commented online. As Chinas economy keeps growing, an increasing number of Chinese people are heading abroad for leisure in recent years. Chinese citizens made 71 million overseas tours in the first half of this year, up 15% over the same period last year, government figures show. The behavior of these tourists is a regular topic of discussion online in China. Reports of littering, wasting food, vandalism and rowdy behavior are often criticized, with many calling for Chinese tourists not to lose Chinas face while on vacation. Contact reporter Wu Gang (gangwu@caixin.com) A view of the press conference at which the European Union Chamber of Commerce released its report on EU companies in China on Sept. 18. Photo: VCG Failure of Chinas economic reform to keep pace with the countrys rapidly maturing economy has created a reform deficit, leading to growing tensions between the country and its main trading partners, a leading European business group said on Tuesday. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China made the assessment in its latest position paper for 2018/2019, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his ongoing trade war with Beijing by announcing the roll-out of a new round of protective tariffs aimed at $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The EU chambers latest position paper detailed many of the usual grievances voiced by foreign companies in China, including forced intellectual property transfers, excessive bureaucracy, unclear regulations and unpredictable enforcement of policies. The chamber also put the deficiencies in a broader context, noting the increasingly lagging state of such practices behind the nations more advanced economic development has created the reform deficit. It noted that such a deficit has led to the kinds of complaints that many of its members have voiced for years. That deficit is also responsible for current tensions with the U.S. that threaten to develop into a full-scale trade war, which is already starting to disrupt global supply chains. While the escalation of tariffs by the United States represents a sharp and disconcerting response to the shortcomings of Chinas reform agenda, it is based on concerns that are common with other economic powers, including the EU, the chambers President Mats Harborn said in a preface to the latest report. Remedying this situation by solving the challenges raised in this report should be pursued, because it is good for China and good for the world. The chambers report came less than a week after it and its counterpart representing U.S. businesses in China released results of separate surveys about the effects on their members of the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing. The survey by American Chambers in Beijing and Shanghai found that two-thirds of their members were feeling a pinch from the U.S.-China trade war, with many saying things would worsen if the U.S. levied more tariffs. The EU Chambers survey found that around half of its members viewed the U.S.-China trade tensions negatively. The EUs latest position paper asked the question of whether foreign companies operating in China compete on a level playing field with local players, and said the answer is a clear no. Some of the reasons for this are obvious and immediate: market access barriers, unequal access to subsidies, a dearth of licenses for international firms, differentiated treatment and sectors crowded out by monopolistic state-owned enterprises regularly dominate headlines, the report said. But it noted that other less obvious business-unfriendly factors, which China has previously promised to tackle, include lengthy administrative procedures, nontransparent procurement systems, unpredictable enforcement of regulations and issues arising from poor inter-governmental coordination. One of the most commonly cited among 14 key concerns in the EUs latest paper was competition from big state-owned enterprises, which often get special treatment from both central and local governments that are major stakeholders. Another was unclear regulations and unpredictable enforcement, which were also cited as concerns by all the major industry groups polled. Removing these hurdles is especially important this year, during which China celebrates 40 years of its Open-door Policy, the chamber said. Internal pressure is quickly building, with Chinese consumers demanding access to more, better and safer goods and services. External pressure is growing as well. China has already become a major global trading and investment force and the worldwide effects of a China that does not always follow globally-established norms are creating tension. Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) news, crime A mother accused of kidnapping her son and fleeing Canberra pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to allegations she breached a family violence order and unlawfully took the child. The alleged kidnapping triggered the ACT's first amber alert and a week-long police hunt for Tessa Woodcock, 36, and her son Phoenix Mapham, 6, who were eventually found by police in a NSW national park. Police said the pair were on foot in the park, and lacking suitable clothing, shelter and water. Ms Woodcock, who does not have custody of Phoenix, allegedly took him unlawfully from Orana Steiner School in Weston about 1.30pm on Thursday, August 23. Phoenix had been missing for several days when his father Cliff Mapham made a public plea for any information that would help lead police to his son. After a tip off from a member of the public, police homed in on the pair's location, guided by the smell of fire. Police on motorbikes found the pair in the Tallaganda National Park about 4.40pm on August 30. Ms Woodcock appeared briefly in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday when she entered pleas of not guilty to breaching a family violence order and unlawfully taking a child not in her custody. Her lawyer Adrian McKenna said outside court the charges were serious. "However, she like any other person has every right to have the brief of evidence - which will soon be disclosed - carefully scrutinised," he said. He flagged a possible future bail application. The case returns to court on October 30. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/f9639aa5-98f4-49db-9b1f-f19e76cc72d9/r0_474_720_881_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Police have charged a man they say is a former bikie gang member over a 2017 shooting and arson attack next door to a childcare centre. Cameron Sharp, 21, faced court on Tuesday charged with discharging a firearm endangering life, arson and unauthorised possession/use of a firearm. The charges stem from an incident at a house on Ellerston Avenue, in Isabella Plains, just after 11pm on March 10 last year. Police allege several shots were fired at the house, which they say is the home of an outlaw motorcycle gang member, breaking a window. They allege that the 21-year-old also set a white Suzuki Swift on fire. No one was injured in the incident, which happened next door to the Little Smiles Early Learning Centre. Mr Sharp, who is in custody, did not enter pleas. His case will return to court on October 8. ACT chief police officer Justine Saunders said the charges should serve as a warning to young people that if they joined an outlaw motorcycle gang, they would be tasked with committing crimes and then distanced from the gang. "Once again, it does highlight [that] young people should not be getting involved in OMCG [outlaw motorcycle gang] activity, because you will get caught up with criminal activity and you will be charged," Assistant Commissioner Saunders said. She said police had not discounted the possibility that others were involved in the alleged attack. Assistant Commissioner Saunders expressed concern at the proximity of the alleged attack to a childcare centre, and said the person who lived at the targeted home was an outlaw motorcycle gang member. "That's been the gravest concern for me for some time; that it's possible, in fact increasingly so, that someone innocent in our community will get caught up with this gang-related activity." Assistant Commissioner Saunders, who leaves her role as chief police officer next month, said she would encourage her successor to continue lobbying the ACT government to introduce anti-consorting laws. Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said Taskforce Nemesis, ACT Policing's bikie-busting unit, would continue to investigate historical incidents. "You could be tapped on the shoulder at any time and well act on any new information received from the public, he said. I also warn anybody, particularly young men, who are considering joining these criminal gangs that you will be used by the gangs to perform the most violent crimes, but abandoned by them when caught. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/36e2b6f8-8279-43f6-a055-d0bf829d10bb/r0_216_2000_1346_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Anna University has released the revaluation results for the undergraduate exams that was held this year. The exam was held during the months of April-May 2018. The main exam results were declared in July, post which students were given time to apply for revaluation. According to a report from a news daily, the university has collected crores of money for the purpose of revaluation. Anna University, in a statement said that the money was collected for providing photocopies of the answer scripts and the revaluation process. TNPSC Recruitment 2018 For Assistant Librarians And Junior Epigraphists How To Check The Anna University Revaluation Results 2018 In order to check the Anna University Revaluation Results 2018, follow the steps given here: Step 1: Log on to the Anna University official website. Step 2: A login screen will appear. Enter your credentials in the fields provided. Step 3: Enter the captcha code. Step 4: Click Login. Step 5: The results will be displayed on the screen. Step 6: Save it to your computer and take a printout of it for future reference. TNPSC Recruitment 2018 For 13 Architectural Assistants Note: According to a statement from Anna University, no undergraduate and post graduate (full time and part time mode) student of university departments, affiliated colleges will be allowed to appear for their arrear examination who have already exceeded their maximum duration of the programme as per their resolution. About Anna University According to the official website, "Anna University is a technical university in Tamil Nadu, India, named after Thiru C.N.Annadurai, a multi-faceted personality and the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, formed on 4th September 1978 as a unitary university." Thousands of vacancies have opened at the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited for various posts. BSPHCL has invited eligible candidates to become a part of its company in various locations. The application line will open from 11 am today. Selected candidates will be allocated work at the following field offices: North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL) South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd. (SBPDCL) The reservation in seats will be provided for backward classes, differently abled and freedom fighters' families according to the government norms. The application fee for general category candidates is INR 1000 and for the reserved category will be INR 250. After recruitment, the candidates will be on a probation period of two years. WBMSC Recruitment 2018 For Various Posts: Earn Up To INR 40000! BSPHCL Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Assistant Operator, Switch Board Operator, Junior Line Man and Technician Grade IV Organisation Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited Educational Qualification Class 10 passout with an ITI certificate in relevant trade Experience Freshers can apply Skills Required Technical skills Job Location Bihar Salary Scale INR 9200 to INR 15500 Industry Power Application Start Date September 18, 2018 Application End Date October 8, 2018 Age Limit: 18 to 37 years Also Read: BWSSB Recruitment 2018: 232 Vacancies Available For Engineers And Many Other Posts How To Apply For BSPHCL Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for BSPHCL Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1: Log on to the BSPHCL official website. Step 2: Click on the application link for the relevant post. Step 3: The application form will open on a new page. Enter your details in the fields provided. Step 4: Submit the details and complete the application process. Follow the link - http://www.bsphcl.bih.nic.in/Docs/CN/CN-02-17-09-2018.pdf to read the detailed official notification. Applications are invited for certified pilots to take up a position in Kolkata Port Trust. The joining candidates will be inducted as trainees and be subsequently allocated regular post after the training period. Selected candidates will have to enter into a bond period at the time of joining. The period will be for at least five years after qualification as a full time pilot, failing which, they will be liable to pay a compensation. In addition to salary, the employees will also be awarded other government benefits such as HRA, medical facilities, leave encashment, gratuity and more. Training Period Master Grade I or equivalent certificate - 18 months 1st Mates Grade II certificate - 25 months 2nd Mates Grade II certificate - 40 months BSc Nautical Science - 52 months Also Read: WBMSC Recruitment 2018 For Various Posts: Earn Up To INR 40000! Kolkata Port Trust Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Pilot Organisation Kolkata Port Trust Educational Qualification BSc in nautical science or dredge master certificate Experience Desirable Skills Required Driving skills and physical fitness Job Location Kolkata and Haldia Salary Scale INR 29100 to INR 54500 Industry Port Application Start Date September 14, 2018 Application End Date October 26, 2018 Maximum Age Limit: 25 years Also Read: India Post Recruitment 2018 At West Bengal For 242 MTS How To Apply For Kolkata Port Trust Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for Kolkata Port Trust Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1 Log on to the Kolkata Port Trust official website. Step 2 Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the tab that reads, Vacancy. Step 3 The list of recent notifications will be displayed in a table. Step 4 Click on the link that reads, Application for the post of Trainee Pilot at Kolkata Port - 14-Sept-2018. Step 5 The detailed notification will be displayed on the screen. Read the details carefully. Step 6: Send your applications to Kolkata Port Trust. Kolkata Port Trust Recruitment 2018 Application Format And Mailing Address Superscribe on the envelope, "Application for the post of *name of the post*" and send it to: Sr Personnel Officer, Kolkata Port Trust, 15, Strand Road, Kolkata - 700001. Follow the link - http://www.kolkataporttrust.gov.in/showfile.php?layout=1&lang=1&level=1&sublinkid=3258&lid=2811 to read the detailed official notification. The Railway Recruitment Board has commenced with the much-awaited Group D railway exams for the aspirants from Monday onwards. Lakhs of candidates are appearing for the exam that is scheduled to take place during a span of over 49 days from Sep 17, 2018, to Dec 14, 2018. The admit card link for the level 1 computer-based exam that will be conducted till Sep 27, 2018, is now active. "Candidates are appealed to refer to these official communications only and not be misguided by false propaganda and rumors being circulated on social media, many of which are aimed at misleading the genuine candidates and adversely affecting their preparation for the examination," the Indian Railways said in its earlier statement. RRB ALP Technician Answer Keys 2018 Released: Apply For Objection Before Sep 18! How To Download RRB Group D Exam Admit Card 2018 In order to download RRB Group D Exam Admit Card 2018, follow the steps here: Step 1: Log on to the RRB official website. Step 2: The login form will appear. Enter your credentials in the fields provided. Step 3: Enter the captcha code. Step 4: Click Login. Step 5: Your admit card will be displayed on the screen. Verify your details. Step 6: Save it to your computer and take a printout of it. Note: The exam city and details are now live for candidates whose exams commence are held between Sep 17 and Oct 16, 2018. For the rest of them, the details will be made available from Sep 30, 2018. Railway Jobs 2018 In September: Class 10 Passouts To Engineers Can Apply Admit card is now available for: RRB Ahmedabad RRB Ajmer RRB Allahabad RRB Bangalore RRB Bhopal RRB Bhubaneshwar RRB Bilaspur RRB Chandigarh RRB Chennai RRB Gorakhpur RRB Jammu RRB Kolkata RRB Malda RRB Mumbai RRB Muzaffarpur RRB Patna RRB Ranchi RRB Secunderabad RRB Siliguri RRB Thiruvananthapuram RRB Group D And ALP Exam 2018 Details A central university in Puducherry, Pondicherry University, has released the Directorate of Distance Education (DDE) exam results 2018. Candidates who have appeared for the DDE exam in June can visit the official website to check their results. The DDE exam results are announced for undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate diploma courses. Registered candidates have to submit their enrollment number to access the results. Here are the steps to check the result. Steps To Check The Pondicherry University DDE Exam Result Step 1: Visit the official website of the Pondicherry University - http://www.pondiuni.edu.in/ Step 2: Go to the ''Distance Education'' link. Step 3: Scroll down to access the ''DDE Menu'' Step 4: Click on the ''Examination Results'' Step 5: ''June 2018 Exam Results'' will be displayed Step 6: Click on the link to access the result Step 7: Submit the enrollment number to view the result. Click here to view your result List of Courses BA Hindi BA Sanskrit BBA B.Com MA English MA Sociology MBA (ENT) MBA (FIN) MBA (GEN) MBA (HOS.MGT) MBA (HRM) MBA (I.B) MBA (INS.MGT) MBS (MKT) MBA (OP&SCM) MBA (RT.MGT) MBA (TSM) M.Com The Pondicherry University entered the field of Distance Education in the year 1995. The University's Masters Programs in Management (MBA) programmes offered by DDE are popular across the country for its quality in education. What Are The Best Courses After 12th For Commerce Students Tamilnadu Cements Corporation Limited, a Government Of Tamilnadu undertaking, has released a recruitment notification for the post of Officer, Junior Management and Staff & worker. The notification was released for a total of 46 vacancies. The selection of the candidates will be based on an interview. The selected candidates can earn up to INR 1.87 lakh per month. Eligible candidates who meet all the prerequisites set by the organisation can apply before October 10, 2018. TANCEM Recruitment Vacancy Details Officer: 16 vacancies Junior Management Cadre: 14 vacancies Staff & Worker: 16 vacancies CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Officer, Junior Management and Staff & Worker Organisation Tamilnadu Cements Corporation Limited Job Location Tamil Nadu Salary Scale INR 4,930 to 1,87,700 per month Industry Infrastructure Application Start Date September 16, 2018 Application End Date October 10, 2018 Age Limit Manager: Below Upper age limit is 45 years Deputy Manager: Upper age limit is 40 years All other posts: Upper age limit is 35 years Step 1 Candidates should visit the official website of Tamilnadu Cements Corporation Limited - http://tancem.com/ Step 2 Visit the "Corporate Info'' Step 3 Click on the "Career'' tab. Step 4 The recruitment notification will be displayed. Step 5 Go through the number of vacancies. Step 6 Scroll down for the application form Step 7 Download the application form Step 8 Fill in all the mandatory fields. Step 9: Send the application form to the mail address mentioned in the official notification. Click here for the official announcement. SSC Recruitment 2018: Apply Online For Over 1000 Vacancies Hyundai has said that it will bring the Kona EV to the country in 2019 and will initially only offer 1000 units for the Indian market. It is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 25 lakhs to Rs 30 lakhs and will be the first electric SUV to be offered in this price range. However, this may vary at the time of the launch as the South Korean automaker is currently working to get the vehicle subsidised under the Central Governments EV mobility plans. Unveiled in February, the Kona EV sits right at the top of this SUV family and can be had in the long range guise or short range guise. We expect that Hyundai will bring the former which is good for 470km thanks to a 64kWh battery pack. The car gets a 100-kW DC charger and is capable of 80 per cent battery charge in just 54 minutes. The Kona EV is styled pretty much like the standard car but sans a grille and specialised design for the alloy wheels which is specific to this model. We have looked into all the minute details of the Kona EV in a separate story and you can read about that here. The arrival of the Kona in India will be a major step for EVs as a whole as this will be the first full electric vehicle to arrive in this price range. While strictly not an EV it will take on the Toyota Prius in this price bracket. Hyundai | Kona | Hyundai Kona German car manufacturer Volkswagen has announced its plans to end production for its iconic model, the Beetle in 2019. It is believed that the company will stop production of this 80-year old legacy with two final edition models in two body styles Coupe and Convertible. The vehicles will be available in shades of blue and beige. For obvious reasons, the final edition cars will be offered with exclusive features and will continue to be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that generates 170bhp of power and 252Nm of torque. The German car manufacturer introduced the third generation Beetle in 2011 in two variants - the Final Edition SE and Final Edition SEL. The cars had received unique colour options, exclusive equipment upgrades and new interior trim options. However, over the years, sales for the model have dropped considerably as the company has rolled out newer and faster models across the global markets. More details on the final edition Beetle will be known in the days to come. Although the company might consider reviving the product in the future, there are no immediate plans for it now. Volkswagen Beetle N/A Onwards Volkswagen | Beetle | Volkswagen Beetle The word "testament", Hebrew berith, Greek diatheke, primarily signifies the covenant which God entered into first with Abraham, then with the people of Israel. The Prophets had knowledge of a new covenant to which the one concluded on Mount Sinai should give away. Accordingly Christ at the Last Supper speaks of the blood of the new testament. The canon of the Old Testament, its manuscripts, editions and ancient versions are treated in the articles BIBLE; CANON OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES; CODEX ALEXANDRINUS, etc.; HEBREW BIBLE; MASSORAH; MANUSCRIPTS OF THE BIBLE; VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE. Questions concerning the origin and contents of the single books are proposed and answered in articles on the respective books. More on Old Testament Pakistan's cement industry faces additional challenges ICR Newsroom By 18 September 2018 Pakistan's Finance Minister and chair to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), Asad Umar, has announced an increase in gas tariffs for all industrial sectors from 10 to 143 per cent, to take effect from October. The ECC approved a rise in gas prices for a range of sectors, including the cement industry, which is expected to see the cost of gas rise by 30 per cent from PKR750/mmBtu (US$6.05/mmBtu) to PKR975/mmBtu. In addition, it is expected that Mr Umar will present a 'mini-budget' for 2018-19, reducing the budget for the Public Sector Development Programme by PK450bn to reduce the country's budget deficit. In addition, water use by the cement industry is coming under closer scrutiny. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mian Saqib Nisar, visited the historic Katas Raj temple in Chakwal and its dried-up pond, to inquire about the alleged part played by the nearby cement plant. Published under Tarmac receives council approval for plant upgrade 18 September 2018 UK-based Tarmac has received the approval of East Lothian Council to modernise its facility in Dunbar, Scotland. The plans include the installation of a new grinding station and storage silo. "The proposed mill will replace two existing mills on the site and will be more energy-efficient and quieter than those existing mills," stated the planning officers report. Oliver Curtin, plant manager, noted the benefits of the upgrade and how additional permits are still required. "The plans will allow us to bring the latest technology to our operations, build on our offer to customers and maximise use of the rail network for transportation across Scotland and England," said Mr Curtin. "We will now work with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to secure appropriate operating permits. Once the necessary environmental permissions are in place, we will create a detailed plan for construction and operational timescales," he said. Published under Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Funding for syringe clean-up among four new ARPA proposals Access Point Pueblo, a syringe access program, was one of four American Rescue Plan Act proposals presented during a Nov. 8 council work session. The Ruby programming language has the notion of a Hash. A Hash is a dictionary-like collection of unique keys and their values. Ruby hashes have most of the semantics of an ES6 Map , but also have the syntactic conveniences of Plain-Old-JavaScript-Objects (POJOs). Interestingly, Ruby hashes also have the notion of programmatically determine a default value to be returned when accessing keys that have not been set. In JavaScript, the default value is always undefined . In this essay we will look at rolling our own Hash class with Ruby-like semantics, and then well examine one of the most interesting things that can be built on top of a Hash : Autovivification. Well go into a more thorough explanation below, but autovivifying hashes can be summed up as, Hashes that are recursively hashes, all the way down. If that doesnt whet our curiosity, nothing will! Ruby Hashes As noted, the Ruby programming language has the notion of a Hash. A Hash is a dictionary-like collection of unique keys and their values. Ruby hash literals have several syntaxes, including: grades = { "Jane Doe" => 10 , "Jim Doe" => 6 } options = { :font_size => 10 , :font_family => "Arial" } options2 = { font_size: 10 , font_family: "Arial" } Ruby hashes are thus a little like JavaScripts Map , because they permit the use of any object as a key, not just strings. On the other hand, you can access the values of a Ruby hash using square braces, like this: grades = { "Jane Doe" => 10 , "Jim Doe" => 6 } options = { :font_size => 10 , :font_family => "Arial" } options2 = { font_size: 10 , font_family: "Arial" } grades [ "jane doe" ] #=> 10 options [ :font_family ] #=> "Arial" Thats more like a JavaScript object. With a JavaScript Map , we have to use .get and .set , instead of [] and []= . Ruby hashes have a default value that is returned when accessing keys that do not exist in the hash. If no default is set, nil is used. That is like JavaScript objects, which return undefined when we access a key that was not set. But in Ruby, you can set a different default value by sending it as an argument to #new : grades = Hash . new ( 0 ) grades [ "Dorothy Doe" ] = 9 grades [ "Tom Swift" ] #=> 0 grades [ "Dorothy Doe" ] #=> 9 Another way to provide a default value that is returned when accessing keys that do not exist in the hash is to supply a block. If a block is specified, it will be called with the hash object and the key, and should return the default value. It is the blocks responsibility to store the value in the hash if required. h = Hash . new { | hash , key | hash [ key ] = "Go Fish: #{ key } " } h [ "c" ] #=> "Go Fish: c" h [ "d" ] #=> "Go Fish: d" JavaScript objects do not have any notion of a default value that we can set. Its always undefined . implementing hash in javascript Given that JavaScript already has Object and Map , the only motivation to snarf any of Hash s behaviour is going to be the ability to set our own default values. This is rather handy in Ruby, and it might be handy in JavaScrip too. So lets come up with a toy implementation we can play with. The first thing we have to decide is whether well base our implementation on Object or Map . For the purposes of this essay, Object has the nicer syntax, and using objects as dictionaries is the usual case in JavaScript. And a Map implementation will be trivial once the basic pattern is articulated. (The HashMap implementation based on delegating to a Map , is below.) When we create an instance of Hash , well wrap it in a Proxy to handle access. What behaviour do we want? // use case zero const obj = new Hash (); obj instanceof Hash //=> true // use case one const ages = new Hash (); ages [ " Dorothy Doe " ] = 23 ; ages [ " Tom Swift " ] //=> undefined ages [ " Dorothy Doe " ] //=> 23 // use case two const grades = new Hash ( 0 ); grades [ " Dorothy Doe " ] = 9 ; grades [ " Tom Swift " ] //=> 0 grades [ " Dorothy Doe " ] //=> 9 // use case three const h = new Hash (( hash , key ) => hash [ key ] = `Go Fish: ${ key } ` ); h [ " c " ] //=> "Go Fish: c" h [ " d " ] //=> "Go Fish: d" Since classes derive from Object by default, and since JavaScript objects all support [] notation, we can just use an empty class to handle use cases zero and one: class Hash { // T.B.D. } const obj = new Hash (); obj instanceof Hash const ages = new Hash (); ages [ " Dorothy Doe " ] = 23 ; ages [ " Tom Swift " ] //=> undefined ages [ " Dorothy Doe " ] //=> 23 Use case two allows us to pass a non-function value as a default. Well make a constructor function, and incorporate a Proxy . Note that JavaScript allows us to return something other than the object created from a constructor. That is ripe for abuse, but returning decorated instances from a constructor is perfectly cromulant. class Hash { constructor ( defaultValue = undefined ) { return new Proxy ( this , { get : ( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : defaultValue }); } } const grades = new Hash ( 0 ); grades [ " Dorothy Doe " ] = 9 ; grades [ " Tom Swift " ] //=> 0 grades [ " Dorothy Doe " ] //=> 9 Our third use case involves checking whether defaultValue is an ordinary value, or a function. We could check every time its accessed, but instead well assign different function bodies to the proxys get key. That way, its only checked at (open air quotes) compile time (close air quotes): class Hash { constructor ( defaultValue = undefined ) { return new Proxy ( this , { get : ( defaultValue instanceof Function ) ? (( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : defaultValue ( target , key )) : (( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : defaultValue ) }); } } const h = new Hash (( hash , key ) => hash [ key ] = `Go Fish: ${ key } ` ); h [ " c " ] //=> "Go Fish: c" h [ " d " ] //=> "Go Fish: d" As noted, we can make a Map -like Hash with even less hackery, we dont need a proxy! But most idiomatic JavaScript uses objects, so thats what well use. This is enough to set the stage for the next bit of snarfing. Autovivifying Hashes The Perl language also has hashes, and they have an interesting feature called autovivification. As explained in Implementing autovivification in Ruby hashes: In Perl, the following line will successfully run: $h{'a'}{'b'}{'c'} = 1; even if $h was previously undefined . Perl will automatically set $h to be an empty hash, it will assign $h{'a'} to be a reference to an empty hash, $h{'a'}{'b'} to be an empty hash, and then finally assign $h{a}{b}{c} to 1`, all automatically. This is called autovivification in Perl: hash and array variables automatically come to life as necessary. This is incredibly convenient for working with multidimensional arrays, for example. The syntax is a little different than Ruby or JavaScript, but the example snippet shows two things: $h is a variable that has not yet been bound. In JavaScript, it would be undefined . If we tried to assign one of its properties, it would break. In Perl, trying to assign a property of an undefined variable turns it into a hash. So $h{'a'} = 1 would autovivify $h and then assign 1 to {'a'} . Given a hash $h , the code $h{'a'}{'b'}{'c'} = 1; assigns hashes to {'a'} , and then {'a'}{'b'} , and then it assigns 1 to {'a'}{'b'}{'c'} . This would be like writing this JavaScript: const h [ ' a ' ][ ' b ' ][ ' c ' ] = 1 ; And having the interpreter execute the code as if we had written: const h = { a : { b : { c : 1 } } }; Can we do this? Almost. We cant autovivify a new variable as a hash, but given a hash, we can autovivify its values. Certainly. And we can tear a page out of Rubys book, as inspired by Implementing autovivification in Ruby hashes. attempting to autovivify ruby-style hashes Lets review the Hash pseudo-class we created above. One of the things we can do is provide a default value for a hash. What if the default value is another Hash? BTW, for shits and giggles, well use property-based notation in these examples, just to show how confusing JS can be for people coming from a more disciplined OO language: const h2 = new Hash ( new Hash ()); h2 . a . b = 1 ; h2 . a //=> a new hash h2 . a . b //=> 1 This arrangement looks promising, but it has two bugs. Rubyists have been bitten by the first one so often, they probably spotted it before I could mention that this code has a bug. Ill show you the failure case: h2 . c . d = 2 ; h2 . a . d //=> 2 We have passed a single hash as the default value, so all of the keys that get autovivified share the same hash. We really need to generate a new one every time we want a default value. For that, we need to use the function form: const h3 = new Hash (( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash ()); h3 . a . b = 1 ; h3 . c . d = 2 ; h3 . a . b //=> 1 h3 . c . d //=> 2 h3 . a . d //=> undefined Thats what we expect. And it leads us to the next problem. This only goes one level deep. It vivifies h.a and h.b as separate hashes, but when we type h3.a.d , we want another hash. But thats two levels deep, so it doesnt work. We can fix it to handle two levels: const h4 = new Hash ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash () ) ); Or three: const h5 = new Hash ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash () ) ) ); But we can only type so much of that. How do we make it work for an arbitrary number of levels? autovivifying hashes in Javascript, the classical approach Weve been doing everything in an OO style so far, lets take things to their natural OO conclusion: class AutovivifyingHash extends Hash { constructor () { super ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new AutovivifyingHash () ); } } const avh = new AutovivifyingHash (); avh . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z = ' alpha beta ' ; avh . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z //=> "alpha beta" It works! Weve introduced recursion by having our constructor use a reference to the name of the class. That being said, maybe we dont want a brand new class, maybe we want to use our Hash , but do something recursive with the function we use to generate default values. Something like: const autovivifyingHash = () => new Hash ( ( target , key ) => target [ key ] = autovivifyingHash () ); const fh = autovivifyingHash (); fh . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z = ' alpha beta ' ; fh . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z //=> "alpha beta" Were still performing recursion by name. Which is fine, JavaScript has names and scopes, we ought to make use of them. But that being said, its good to know how to make an autovivifying hash without requiring a reference to a class or a function. And we remember how to do that from the essays on recursive combinators: To Grok a Mockingbird, and Why Y? Deriving the Y Combinator in JavaScript: const why = fn => ( x => x ( x ))( maker => (... args ) => fn ( maker ( maker ), ... args ) ); const yh = new Hash ( why (( myself , target , key ) => target [ key ] = new Hash ( myself )) ); yh . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z = ' alpha beta ' ; yh . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z //=> "alpha beta" This style allows us to make autovivifying hashes wherever we like, without having to set up a new class and a new module. This is exactly the approach explained in Implementing autovivification in Ruby hashes. Of course, in Ruby the Hash class comes baked in, so theres a good incentive to build upon a standard and very common data structure. In JavaScript, we have to build our own. If were not that interested in classical OO, maybe we can back up and strip things down to their essentials? autovivifying hashes in Javascript, the idiomatic approach If we pare things down to their essentials, we can drop the entire Hash class and just use a function. Here it is calling itself by name: const autovivifying = () => new Proxy ({}, { get : ( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : target [ key ] = autovivifying () }); const ah = autovivifying (); ah . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z = ' alpha beta ' ; ah . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z //=> "alpha beta" And if we want to go pure and avoid any issues with binding, well use why as above, but without any classes involved: const ph = why ( myself => new Proxy ({}, { get : ( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : target [ key ] = myself () }) )(); ph . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z = ' alpha beta ' ; ph . a . b . c . d . e . f . g . h . i . j . k . l . m . n . o . p . q . r . s . t . u . v . w . x . y . z //=> "alpha beta" Yowza, our code is not in Kansas any more. Of Course! But Maybe Most of the time, we do not debate whether the things in this blog belong in productionor any, reallycode. The point is to explore ideas. What matters is not here is something we can use tomorrow, as much as, here are some ideas that change the way we think about code. When we integrate those changes to the way we think about code with the various forces acting upon our code decisions, we may end up with something that on the surface is entirely different from the code in these posts, but has been influenced by the journey we take working things out. But that being said, this particular post touches on various ways to build this feature, from heavyweight OO to lightweight functions, with exotica like proxies tossed around at will. When we discuss whether and/or when to use such techniques, we also discuss ideas of general application around abstraction and pragmatism. So here goes. do we need a hash class? We began by writing a Hash class to imitate what Ruby provides out-of-the-box: class Hash { constructor ( defaultValue = undefined ) { return new Proxy ( this , { get : ( defaultValue instanceof Function ) ? (( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : defaultValue ( target , key )) : (( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : defaultValue ) }); } } And we still need to put autovivification on top of this: class AutovivifyingHash extends Hash { constructor () { super (( target , key ) => target [ key ] = new AutovivifyingHash ()); } } This seems like overkill if all we want is autovivification. If thats all we need, better to write the simplest thing that could possibly work: const autovivifying = () => new Proxy ({}, { get : ( target , key ) => Reflect . has ( target , key ) ? Reflect . get ( target , key ) : target [ key ] = autovivifying () }); It may come down to whether a particular code base leans towards OO or lightweight FP. Both are fine approaches (as are mixed-paradigm approaches), so it could be that regardless of the number of lines of code, the approach that resembles the rest of the code base is most correct. the rule of three When might it be sensible to write Hash ? Well, in programming there is a rule of three. It is usually applied to removing duplication: When you first write something, you obviously dont worry about duplication. If you write it a second time, make a note of the duplication, but dont rush to refactor things. Only when you need to write it for the third time do you refactor everything to eliminate duplication. Why wait for the third use? And why do we even count the first use? Well, there is a cost to de-duplication, often in the form of generalization and/or abstraction. Take the Hash class. If we write the entire class but only use it to make the AutovivivifyingHash class, we are incurring the costs of de-duplication before weve even used it twice. In essence, were deciding that at some point we will use Hash again, and at that time we can benefit from a single class multiple pieces of code can share, but wed like to pay that cost now. This is called Premature Abstraction. Of ourse, it could be that we spot multiple uses for the Hash class. In that case, there is a benefit to bundling it up on its own. And the rule of three helps us with this decision. If there are two other pieces of code that would benefit from being written with (or refactored to use) Hash , just the way it is, then having a separate Hash class is a win. If not, we shouldnt bother. If and when we have another use for it, we can refactor. This isnt the kind of decision where we fear that if we fail to make the perfect choice today, well be stuck with our mistake forever. should we be even more oo? And as long as we are not being fanatic about functions being superior to classes, we might want to also consider whether a Hash based on Map is superior to one based on Object . Consider: const DEFAULT_KEY = Symbol ( " default-key " ); const MAP = Symbol ( " map " ); class HashMap { constructor ( defaultValue = undefined ) { this [ MAP ] = new Map (); this [ DEFAULT_KEY ] = defaultValue ; } has ( key ) { return this [ MAP ]. has ( key ); } get ( key ) { if ( this [ MAP ]. has ( key )) { return this [ MAP ]. get ( key ); } else { const defaultValue = this [ DEFAULT_KEY ]; if ( defaultValue instanceof Function ) { return defaultValue ( this , key ); } else { return defaultValue ; } } } set ( key , value ) { return this [ MAP ]. set ( key , value ); } } class AutovivifyingHashMap extends HashMap { constructor () { super (( target , key ) => target . set ( key , new AutovivifyingHashMap ())); } } const hm = new AutovivifyingHashMap (); hm . get ( 1 ). get ( 2 ). set ( 3 , 123 ); hm . get ( 1 ). get ( 2 ). get ( 3 ) //=> 123; HashMap as given here delegates to an instance of Map , while allowing for a custom default value. The obvious advantage is that since its based on Map , we can use arbitrary values as keys (including primitives and object references), not just strings. If you need that, you need HashMap , not Map , period. Its advantage from an architectural perspective is that theres no Proxy magic. We are not against metaprogramming of any kind, but sometimes in a code base we make the decision to prefer explicit to implicit. We can generally expect that if we call a .get method on a HashMap class, that it will decorate the basic functionality of Map . In JavaScript, we dont normally expect the behaviour of [] or .foo to be customized. The idea of overriding methods is canon in OOP, so overriding .get to autovivify another dictionary is colouring well within the lines. A certain type of OO purist would prefer this approach, even if it means giving up the [] and []= syntax. If the remainder of the code base leans towards this philosophy, HashMap may be superior to Hash . On the other hand, if the code base leans heavily on using POJOs as dictionaries, and using [] and []= to access them, Hash may be the better choice. but libraries Theres another special consideration. If we are writing code for others, such as when writing a library, then the rule of three doesnt apply. If our library is successful, then even the least commonly used classes and functions will be used in dozens or even hundreds of code bases. Conversely, with a library change is hard: We cant reach out and refactor our downstream dependents if we decide in the future to increase the level of abstraction. That makes fairly obvious sense. Our architectural decisions around our application code should favour pragmatism, while our architectural decisions around libraries encourage more forward-thinking. And theres another way in which libraries influence our choices. If we have something like the Hash class tucked away in a library, its a lot easier to justify building on it. We have some idea that maintaining it is free. Whereas, every line of code we write carries a cost of some kind. If we have to write our own Hash or HashMap class, fine, but we need good reasons to add the abstraction and maintenance cost to our code. But if we can get it for free, then of course we still need to understand how it works, but its easier to justify building on it if we never have to worry about maintaining Hash or HashMap itself. does autovivification make sense in javascript? Now heres another question. Hash is part of Rubys standard idioms, so an autovivifying hash isnt a big leap away from how Ruby already works. There is precedent for a hash to have default values, even dynamically generated default values. But JavaScript doesnt have anything like Rubys Hash to begin with. So whether were building a brand new Hash / HashMap class, or using the lightweight, idiomatic approach, were taking two steps forward with autovivifying hashes, were promoting the idea of a dictionary generating default values, and also promoting the idea that the entire process is recursive. Well, maybe one-and-a-half steps forward, a sesqui-leap outside of the comfort zone. What do we get in return? We get to write: const h = autovivifying (); h . a . b . c = " Poirot's Famous Case " ; And we do so to avoid writing: const h = { a : { b : { c : " Poirot's Famous Case " } } }; Its not gi-normously more compact, but there is some value in the autovivifying syntax if conceptually we are trying to think of a path to some data in a tree. And in all fairness, if we only look at initializing data (which is the normal case for working ina strongly functional style), we ignore the benefits of autovivification in a more imperative style. if we are given an existing autovivifying hash, we can easily add anything we want, anywhere in its tree, with h.a.b.c = "Poirot's Famous Case"; . But we cannot write h = { a: { b: { c: "Poirot's Famous Case" } } }; for an existing data structure, because we might overwrite existing hashes. An autovivifying hash might be a win, more-so if we expect to update existing hashes. lets debate performance This space left intentionally blank. Ok, seriously, its important to know things like, Proxy is dog-slow compared to ordinary object access. But after that, most things dont need to be fast. If something does need to be fast, you profile it. Wait! Stop!! We dont mean that we should run speed tests on the various snippets of code to determine which idiom is the fastest. We mean that in production, when we identify an honest-to-goodness bottleneck that has meaningful impact on outcomes like user experience, only then do we drill down and figure out which slow piece of code is holding things up. Until then, we prioritize ease of writing and maintaining code. And since we have confidence that we can refactor our code safely, we know that if and when we discover that Proxy is a problem, for example, we can easily rewrite our code then. Looking Back We started with a Ruby data structure and idiom, the Hash class and its ability to customize the default value for missing keys. We implemented a version in JavaScript, and then following the suggestion of Implementing autovivification in Ruby hashes, we looked at a few ways to implement autovivification, both on top of Hash and without it. Finally, we looked at some of the considerations before adopting these ideas: We should not abstract based on one or two applications, wait until we have three uses for an abstraction. That applies to Hash and AutovivifyingHash . Its slightly easier to adopt something like Hash is we can get it from a library. Our consideration around how the rule of three does not apply if we ourselves are writing a library: Its our job to guess that dozens or hundreds of downstream users will adopt our abstraction. If we need arbitrary objects as keys, or if we prefer a more pure OO approach, a Map -based approach may be preferred. Auto-vivification is not much of a win for immutable data, but may be useful if we are constantly adding data to tree-like structures. Premature optimization is the root of all evil, but its not wrong to be aware of the performance of our implementation. ttfn! (discuss on /r/javascript and Hacker News) Notes Al-Shabaab Executes 2 Christians After Forcing Bus Passengers to Recite Islamic Statement of Faith Christian Post Contributor | 18 September, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Al-Shabaab militants executed two Christians in Kenya after they attacked a bus and forced the passengers to recite the Islamic statement of faith. International Christian Concern said that the attack happened on Friday, when seven Islamic militants from the terror group stopped a bus that was heading to Garissa. As they have done in numerous previous attacks, the al-Shabaab radicals forced the passengers to present their identification cards, and separated them by Muslim and Christian names. They forced the non-Muslims to recite the Shahada, or the Islamic statement of faith. The two people, apparently Christians, who failed to recite it were executed on the spot. "ICC is following up with the families of these two martyrs. This group's intense hatred and violence has caused massive pain for many families and friends of Christians like these two," the watchdog group said. "The Kenyan and Somali governments must continue to work to end the horrible atrocities that this evil organization commits and protect the lives of Christians in Kenya," it added. Kenya's The Star also reported on the attack, and noted that, according to a witness, three people were initially tested by reciting the Shahada. The one who was able to recite the verses was spared and set free. One of the murdered men was identified by the name Joshua, believed to be a casual laborer based in Masalani. Northeastern regional coordinator Mohamed Birik said that Kenyan forces are searching for the militants in a nearby forest. "It is unfortunate that we have lost two innocent lives of Kenyans. I want to assure that going forward, such an incident will not happen again," Birik said. Al-Shabaab, which is based in Somalia but continues to carry out attacks in neighboring Kenya, remains one of Africa's deadliest terror groups. In April 2015 the terrorists killed close to 150 students during an ambush attack at Garissa University College, where the militants separated Muslims from Christians before executing the latter. In August 2017, the terrorists killed another four Christian men in Kenya's Lamu County, beheading three and burning alive another. The Ethiopian Air Force announced last week that it has carried out an airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia. It reported that close to 70 al-Shabaab militants were killed, while two vehicles packed with weapons were destroyed. Read more about al-Shabaab militants on The Christian Post. Pastor Andrew Stoecklein's Widow Explains Why His Suicide Does Not Condemn Him to Hell by Kayla Stoecklein, widow of late Inland Hills Church Lead Pastor Andrew Stoecklein, who died after attempting suicide at his church last month, says she is confident her husband is in Heaven despite the enduring "myth" that suicide victims are condemned to Hell. "This is a common misbelief about suicide and it breaks my heart. I'll be the first to admit prior to Andrew's death I may have actually believed it to be true," Kayla, 29, wrote on her family's God's Got This blog Tuesday. "I remember leaning over to my mother in law, Carol, in the hospital room as my husband lay there dying, whispering through my tears, 'Will he go to heaven?' She quickly reassured me, as I am confident now: whether you are accepted into heaven or not has nothing to do with how you die. The only way we are accepted into heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus," she said. The Chino Police Department told The Christian Post that at 11:08 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 24, they received a call from the Chino, California, church about an attempted suicide. When they arrived, Pastor Stoecklein who had been battling anxiety and depression for months was identified as the victim. He died hours later at a local hospital and prompted a national discussion on mental health and the church, which Kayla vowed to continue. "I believe with 100% of my soul that Andrew is in heaven. Andrew had a real, raw, authentic, and infectious relationship with Jesus. Thousands of people will be in heaven because of him," she noted Tuesday. "Andrew got sick, he was given a diagnosis, much like any other deadly diagnosis. His illness grew worse over time. This illness caused him to lose his ability to make wise decisions, to think clearly, and to properly articulate his feelings. If Andrew were sitting here today, healthy and strong, I am confident he would want a redo. He did not want to die. I can rest assured that he is no longer in pain, he is completely healed in heaven; a place more beautiful and wonderful than any human mind could ever comprehend," she added. Albert Y. Hsu, senior editor for IVP Books at InterVarsity Press who earned a Ph.D. in educational studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, agrees that the idea that Christians who commit suicide are condemned to Hell is a "misconception." Hsu, who lost his own father to suicide, authored a book on the subject called Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's Search for Comfort. He explained his position in a CT interview last fall. Read more about Pastor Andrew Stoecklein's Widow Explains Why His Suicide Does Not Condemn Him to Hell on The Christian Post. Tullian Tchividjian: I Am Less Nervous Telling a Non-Christian Than a Christian About My Adultery Christian Post Contributor | 18 September, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Tullian Tchividjian said he is less nervous speaking with a non-Christian about his adultery and divorce than he is with a Christian. "I can tell you from personal experience that every time I tell my own story of adultery and divorce, I'm less nervous telling a non-Christian than I am a Christian they tend to be less shocked by sin and more surprised by grace," the author and former megachurch pastor wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. As he has in the past, Tchividjian also criticized religious people who are quick to condemn others for their failings. "The people that Jesus called out publicly were not the rank and file sinners, but the religious people who, thinking they were better, seemed to find great joy in calling out publicly the sins of the rank and file sinners," he reminded social media users in another tweet. Tchividjian, who is the grandson of late evangelist Billy Graham, resigned as pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in 2015 after admitting to an extramarital affair. He has since divorced and remarried. In follow-up tweets this week, he shared of how God never gives up on people, no matter what they have done. "There is no going back to a past that we have lost or spoiled or outright destroyed. BUT there is a going to: going to the God who has forgiven and forgotten the sins of our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows the God who won't stop pursuing us, no matter how far or fast we run," he wrote on Thursday. "One of the best ways to prevent your past from continuing to haunt you in the present is to bring it into the light of God's unconditional love and truth," the former megachurch pastor continued. He added that when he was "lost, confused, bitter, angry," a quote from author and retired Episcopal priest Paul F. M. Zahl made a deep impression on him: "The purpose behind the suffering you are going through is to kick you into a new freedom from false definitions of who you are." In August, Tchividjian co-authored a long blog post with Chad Bird, also a former pastor who committed adultery, about the need for churches to offer grace and forgiveness to disgraced leaders. Read more about Tullian Tchividjian: I Am Less Nervous Telling a Non-Christian Than a Christian About My Adultery on The Christian Post. On Sunday, Typhoon Mangkhut ripped through China after devastating the northern Philippines. The Typhoon brought strong winds moving at 127 mph with gusts up to 158 mph, and heavy rains that left at least 64 people dead and dozens more potentially buried in a landslide. According to the Associated Press, more than 2.4 million people were evacuated and relocated in southern Chinas Guangdong province and around 50,000 fishing boats were called back to port. Reportedly, the coastal region of Macau closed its casinos for the first time ever. Mangkhut made landfall in the Guangdong city of Taishan around 5 p.m., bringing with it 100 mph winds. According to the state television broadcaster CGTN, the storm surge caused a seaside hotel in the city of Shenzhen to be flooded. Authorities in southern China issued the most severe warning, a red alert, to the region. The national meteorological center said the region would face a severe test caused by wind and rain and encouraged officials to be prepared for a disaster. Videos have appeared online showing some of the damage from the storm. One video from Hong Kong, shows the top corner of a building break off. Another video features a tall building swaying dangerously from the strong wind. According to the AP, the storm caused a variety of damages including, broken windows, felled trees, and waist-high flooding in some areas. The South China Morning Post said, the heavy rains brought storm surges of 3 meters (10 feet) across Hong Kong. On Sunday, next door to Hong Kong in Macaus inner harbor district, the water level reached 1.5 meters (5 feet) and was expected to rise further. The district was one of the most affected by floods from Typhoon Hato last year. Hato left 10 people dead and caused almost $7 billion in damage. The AP also reports that in the northern Philippines it is feared that between 40 to 50 people have been trapped by a landslide in the village of Ucab in Itogon town in Benguet province. At this point, rescuers are said to have pulled seven bodies from the huge mound of mud and rocks in the area. Rescuers had to temporarily stop their search because of heavy rains, and search and rescue operations were suspended at nightfall. Operations resumed early Monday morning. In total, at least 36 people have died as a result of conditions created by the storm, most deaths caused by landslides and collapsed houses. Mangkhut struck at the beginning of the Philippines rice and corn harvesting season. Photo courtesy: Pexels/Pixabay KAMPALA, Uganda (RNS) Thousands of faithful in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are staying home from church services to avoid contracting or spreading Ebola. We are staying in our homes. We cant go to church and worship together as Christians, said Daniel Sango, who spoke to Religion News Service by phone from Mangina, 24 miles southwest of the town of Beni in North Kivu. People are afraid of contracting the virus. Many are listening to the gospel of God on radio stations. Thousands of churches remain closed in the countrys eastern regions as the Ebola virus continues to spread. Since August, when the latest outbreak was declared in eastern Congo, 137 confirmed or probable cases have been registered, including 92 deaths, according to the countrys health officials. In a bid to contain the virus, religious leaders and officials have urged residents not to meet in big numbers. Earlier this year, three Ebola patients left a treatment center in the northwestern city of Mbandaka and attended a church service, where they came into contact with other congregants. The three patients were later found dead in their homes. People should not meet in big number either in church or elsewhere, said pastor Sarah Kalenga of the Church of Jesus Christ in a telephone interview from Mangina. We are finding ways to end the spread of the virus. People should pray from their houses and God will answer those prayers. We are trusting in God, but we should not tempt him. Ebola, which is spread through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of those infected, is highly contagious and can kill within days. The virus returned to Congo only days after a previous outbreak that killed 29 people was declared over in July. Two new cases were reported in Butembo last week, according to UNICEF. Butembo is an important commercial city and has nearly one million inhabitants. So there is a real risk the virus could spread quickly in such a large population center, Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF representative, said in a statement last week. The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Butembo remains limited, but we have to ensure that everything is being done now to ensure that the outbreak is controlled at this early stage. Religious leaders in May suspended sacraments during the Ebola outbreak to help protect worshippers from contracting the disease. Although Masses are continuing, sacraments such as baptism and confirmation have had to be suspended, Monsignor Jean-Marie Bomengola, secretary of the churchs Social Communications Commission, told Catholic News Service during the summer. The Rev. Lucien Ambunga, a Catholic pastor, was quarantined after being infected with Ebola in Mbandaka town. The priest survived after being taken to a treatment center in Bikoro, a small town in northwestern Congo. The government said the priest became infected while praying as he placed his hands on an Ebola patient in his parish. Measures have now been taken to help prevent the spread of Ebola virus in this central Africa republic. The government and the World Health Organization said an Ebola vaccination program is underway for high-risk populations in the eastern part of the country, including North Kivu. Vaccines are an important tool in the fight against Ebola, said Oly Ilunga, the countrys minister of health. This is why it has been a priority to move them rapidly into place to begin protecting our health workers and the affected population. Officials are doing what they can to encourage locals cooperation with prevention measures. We have decided to make treatment free to remove the financial barrier that could dissuade the population from going to the health center, said Bathe Tambwe, an official in charge of coordinating the fight against the disease in eastern Congo. However, some locals have dismissed use of the Ebola vaccine, saying it does not work. Many said they are prevented from mingling with others or even going to church after being vaccinated. The mystery of the Ebola virus has left some locals believing that it is a curse or the result of evil spirits and that it can only be solved by prayers and fasting. I dont think this is normal disease that doctors can handle. Its brought by evil spirits as a punishment to the community, said Sango, 30, a father of two who owns a butchery in Mangina. We need to come together as a community and ask God for forgiveness for the sins we committed. Meanwhile, Christians in the eastern part of the country continue to pray at home for the end of Ebola and also to keep up the faith. Some of us have turned our houses to be churches. We sing, dance and pray to move closer to God. We read our Bibles and pray so that the Holy Spirit can guide us, said Sango. READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: RNS/AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro Guwahati, Sep 18 : Police had arrested a man for allegedly raping a 17-year-old minor girl in a van in Assams Baksa district. According to the reports, the accused person identified as Falu Ali had allegedly raped the minor girl on September 14 night at Daranga Mela area along Indo-Bhutan border. Falu Ali met the victim while he was returning back with his vehicle after dropping some passengers at Patkijuli village near Talumpur area. When Ali met the girl, he proposed her to drop her destination and she accepted. The accused person dropped the girl late at night at Dewan Market area near Daranga Mela police station and she stayed the night at one of her relatives house and reached home next day. The girl told her family that she was raped inside the vehicle before being reached at Dewan Market. The family members had immediately lodged an FIR at Daranga Mela police station and police on Moday had arrested the accused person. Police also seized the vehicle. Police had registered a case (no 357/2018) under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). We have received information that, a man had allegedly raped a minor girl inside a vehicle. We had registered a case and also started investigation. We had already arrested a person, who involved in the crime, Nayan Moni Das, Officer-in-Charge of Daranga Mela police station said. Russia is claiming that Syria shot down one of its military planes and Israel is to blame for the 15 killed on the plane. Russias defense ministry said Israeli jets were attacking Syria, when Syria responded and hit the Russian airplane. The Il-20, which has a much bigger reflective surface than the F-16, was struck down by an S-200 rocket, spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. We retain the right to an appropriate response, he added, without giving details on whether that response could include military action. The Israel Defense Force, meanwhile, said on Twitter that Syria is fully responsible for the attack. Russia says the IlyushinII-20 plane was heading to a Russian airbase near the city of Latakia when it disappeared during an attack by four Israeli jets near Syrian facilities in the area. In a statement, Russia said Israels irresponsible actions led to the downed plane and deaths. Russia said the country was only given about a minutes warning ahead of the attack. "The Israeli planes deliberately created a dangerous situation for surface ships and aircraft in the area," a defense ministry spokesman said, adding that Israel had used the Russian airplane as a cover. "As a result of the irresponsible actions by the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen have died," the spokesman said. According to the BBC, Russians claims havent yet been verified. Meanwhile, a U.S. official told Reuters that the U.S. government believes the attack was an accident. Photo courtesy: Unsplash/Caleb Woods (The Conversation) Cubans are debating a constitutional reform that, among other legal changes, would open the door to gay marriage. It would also prohibit discrimination against people based on sex, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity in the communist nation. The proposed new Constitution, drafted by a special commission within Cubas National Assembly, was unveiled in July. If the National Assembly and President Miguel Diaz-Canel approve the document after a Feb. 24, 2019 public referendum, marriage would be defined as a union between two people. Cubas 1976 Constitution, known as the Carta Magna, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. And it does not fully protect private enterprise, freedom of association or allows for same-sex marriage despite growing social acceptance and political tolerance for such rights. Emigres who retain Cuban nationality have been invited to participate in Cubas public debate on the constitutional reform though not to vote on it via a digital forum run by the Foreign Ministry a level of citizen outreach thats unprecedented in Cuba, says Ernesto Soberon, the ministrys director of consular affairs and Cubans residing overseas. Cubas political process opens up This lively, broad-based debate is a sign of how much Cuba a main subject of my research as a professor of literature and cultural studies has changed in recent years. President Raul Castro, who took over for his ailing older brother Fidel in 2006, began to open Cubas economy to foreign investment and normalized diplomatic relations with the United States, which has maintained its economic embargo on the Communist island since 1962. Raul Castro also worked with President Barack Obama to ease some economic restrictions on Cuba. Castro stepped down in April 2018, handing power over to the much younger Diaz-Canel. Cuba has moderately amended its Carta Magna just three times. A 1978 constitutional reform created an official channel for youth political participation, for example, while that of 1992 liberalized elements of Cubas socialist economic model to revitalize Cubas economy. Todays proposed reform is a complete overhaul. It would add 87 articles, change 113 and eliminate 13, even a section of Article 5 affirming Cubas advance toward a Communist society. Beyond legalizing gay marriage, the new Constitution would protect private property, limit the presidential term to five years and introduce the role of prime minister. Intense debate has surrounded the possibility of marriage equality in Cuba, and not just within the governments official public meetings. Cubans are also discussing and debating gay marriage with neighbors and friends, in the streets and online a departure from Cubas traditionally more top-down style of government. The rise of gay rights in Cuba Cubas nascent LGBTQ rights movement also began under Raul Castro, thanks in large part to the leadership of his daughter Mariela Castro, a National Assembly member and president of the semi-governmental Centro Nacional de Educacion Sexual, founded in 1987 to advance sexual awareness in Cuba. A lack of opinion polling makes it difficult to measure Cuban public support for gay marriage. But acceptance of homosexuality, both within the government and in civil society, has grown appreciably. During the 1960s and 1970s, homosexuality was considered incompatible with Cubas model of the revolutionary man: atheist, heterosexual and anti-bourgeoisie. Gay people, active Christians and others who defied these ideals were sent to military work camps to strengthen their revolutionary character. Today, the Cuban government appears to accept homosexuality as part of socialist society. In 2008 the National Assembly approved a law allowing sexual reassignment surgery. La Habana holds annual marches against homophobia and transphobia and cities across the island celebrate the Gay Pride parade. The church emerges as an opposition force But legacies of intolerance remain. The Assembly of God Pentecostal Church, the Evangelical League and the Methodist Church of Cuba, among other Christian churches, have issued a joint statement opposing gay marriage. Their public letter, published on June 8, argues that such gender ideology has nothing whatsoever to do with our culture, our independence struggles nor with the historic leaders of the Revolution. Cuba is a secular country where political ideology has historically trumped religion. Religious opposition to a government proposal is rare. It is even more unusual for the church to attempt to mobilize the Cuban public, as some Christian leaders are trying to do now. According to the Cuban magazine La Jiribilla, preachers on the streets have been handing out fliers saying gay marriage defies Gods original design for the family. LBGTQ activists answer Gay rights groups and feminists are responding with a creative show of force. Clandestina, Cubas first online store, and the tattoo studio La Marca are spearheading a campaign called Cuban design, celebrating a very original family phrasing that rebuts Christian claims about Gods design. More than anything, this is an issue of free expression, Roberto Ramos Mori, of La Marca, said in an email. The way to push back against hate is calmly, with intelligence and, of course, humor. Cubans with internet access use the hashtag #mifamiliaesoriginal to signal their support for LGBTQ rights on social media. The churchs powerful opposition to marriage equality reflects a strategy commonly deployed across Latin America, says the Cuban feminist Ailynn Torres Santana. Catholic and evangelical groups in Ecuador used similar language, for example, to oppose a 2017 law allowing citizens to choose their own gender identifier, she says. In response to the legislation which recognized gender as a binary that is socially and culturally created, patriarchal and heteronormative churches called for citizens to live in harmony with nature. Similar scenes played out when both Colombia and Brazil advanced LGBTQ rights, with Christian groups dismissing any attempt to change traditional gender roles as the result of what they pejoratively call gender ideology. Whats next for Cuba Gay marriage is not the only battlefield for Cubas newly empowered churches. Abortion, illegal in most of Latin America, has been a womans right in Cuba since 1965. Traditionally, not even Cubas Catholic church publicly opposed it. Recently, though, Christians in Cuba have begun publicly advocating against abortion. If conservative religious groups manage to prevent gay marriage in Cuba, I believe it would be a setback for social progress on the island. But the mere existence of alternative voices in Cubas public sphere including that of its churches is, itself, proof that the country has already changed. (Maria Isabel Alfonso is a professor of Spanish at St. Josephs College of New York. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of Religion News Service.) This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Article provided by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: RNS/AP Photo/Desmond Boylan Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Emmy Awards began last night with a monologue from co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che. The Saturday Night Live cast members recited a typical litany of political jabs and sarcastic digs. Then Che told the audience that his mother would not be watching the show. The reason: "She says she doesn't like watching white award shows because you guys don't thank Jesus enough." Che continued: "That's true. The only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex-crackheads." It's hard to imagine such a joke aimed at Muslims, Jews, or Buddhists. But ridiculing Christians is fair game in Hollywood these days. The latest on Judge Kavanaugh's nomination As you know, college professor Christine Blasey Ford is alleging that Judge Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when they were high school students. Judge Kavanaugh calls her accusation "completely false." Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh both stated yesterday that they are willing to testify before Congress about this issue. The Senate Judiciary Committee has now scheduled a hearing for next Monday to hear from both. Republicans are severely criticizing Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, for the timing of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. Last July, Dr. Ford sent a letter alleging sexual abuse against Judge Kavanaugh to her local congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, requesting confidentiality. She forwarded the information to Sen. Feinstein on July 30, who provided the letter to the FBI only last week. The senator states that she wanted to protect Dr. Ford's identity and forwarded the letter only after a news report surfaced about it. She said nothing about the letter during the weeks-long process of interviews with the judge and the Senate's confirmation process. What could happen next If Dr. Ford's allegation prevents Judge Kavanaugh from being confirmed to the Supreme Court, it will be difficult for the Senate to confirm another candidate before the midterm elections. If Democrats then win the Senate, they could block President Trump from naming a conservative to the Court. Republicans might then try to confirm a conservative nominee during the lame-duck period between the election and the beginning of the next session of Congress in January. If they fail to do so, Democrats could refuse to consider President Trump's nominee, claiming that they should wait until the 2020 election. This was the position taken by Senate Republicans when they refused to consider President Obama's nominee to the Court prior to the 2016 election. In short, Republican leaders are accusing the Democrats of putting political agendas before the good of the country. To be fair, we should note that Republican leaders have their own political motivations for wanting to see Judge Kavanaugh confirmed. And we should not assume that they would not have employed the same strategy if the roles were reversed. Actions have agendas In describing the ridicule of Christians at the Emmys and political machinations related to Judge Kavanaugh's nomination, here's my point: actions have agendas. Those who produced last night's Emmys know that mocking Christians appeals to their base. It is conventional wisdom for many in Hollywood that followers of Jesus are "intolerant" and "homophobic." Caricaturing and criticizing us is part of a larger narrative, one in which all truth claims are subjective, all consensual sexual activity is to be tolerated, and those who disagree are to be ridiculed. Similarly, in the current political environment, both parties are convinced that theirs is the only correct vision for America. They are therefore convinced that the other party must be defeated at all costs. Manipulating the Supreme Court confirmation process is a means to their larger ends. However, my purpose today is to analyze rather than to criticize. We should not be surprised that those who ridicule Christianity do not understand God's word or our faith. Nor should we be surprised when politically motivated leaders act according to their party interests. It is Christians who need to rise above the name-calling and antagonism of our day. In a time when world happiness is at its lowest level in ten years and half of all Americans complain of stress, the joy of the Lord is our most powerful witness. God is calling us to manifest the forgiving grace and personal compassion of Jesus, to love others as he loves us (John 13:34). The paradox of love The Emmys began by mocking Christians, but there was a bright spot later in the telecast. Glen Weiss won an Emmy for outstanding directing for a variety special. He then proposed marriage to his girlfriend in the audience, a first in Primetime Emmy Awards history. He placed on her finger the ring his father had given his mother sixty-seven years earlier. The crowd stood to its feet in applause. Many were wiping away tears. God made us to love him and each other. When we love those who don't love us, they and the world take note. Mother Teresa observed: "I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love." Will you experience that paradox today? Originally posted at Denison Forum. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Supreme Court nominee Brent Kavanaugh has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman more than 35 years ago, a charge which he "categorically and unequivocally" denies. Also implicated in the charge was Kavanaugh's teen friend at that time, Mark Judge, who also denies the accusation. But what if the charges are true? Do they disqualify Kavanaugh today? To be perfectly clear, an accusation is just that: an accusation. It is not proof of guilt. And despite our desire to give alleged #MeToo victims the benefit of the doubt, Justice Kavanaugh remains innocent until proven guilty. But what if he is guilty? Should the Senate Judiciary Committee vote against his nomination? Let's put our past sins into four different categories, responding to each category in turn. The first category consists of the foolish things we did as teenagers and young people. But these transgressions are known, open, and a distant part of our history. For example, my personal testimony, "From LSD to Ph.D." is well-known. It is well-known that I was a heroin-shooting, LSD-using, hippie rock drummer before coming to faith in Jesus at the age of 16 in 1971. It is well-known I broke into a doctor's office with a friend and stole drugs. It is well-known that I was a proud, angry rebel. As our daughters grew up, I shared my story with them. Now my grandkids know my story. My story is known and out in the open, and it's a testimony to God's grace. Since 1971, I have not used an illegal drug or abused a legal drug. And, despite drinking heavily at times in my teen years, I have not had a sip of alcohol since 1971. If Brett Kavanaugh got drunk with his friends and assaulted another teenager that would be grave and ugly. But if this was something that was known, open, and unrelated to his behavior and conduct ever since then, it should not disqualify him from service today. (To be "known and open" would also mean that he had made things right with his alleged victim.) Lots of us did stupid things when we were kids and teenagers. But as we became responsible adults, we put those things behind us. Recognizing this, those who voted for Barack Obama to be president forgave him for his pot-smoking days. (In his words, marijuana use was "what teenage kids did at that age when I was growing up.") Some of us even did reprehensible things as adults. But we made proper restitution, we were completely rehabilitated, and we have made something worthwhile out of our lives. Such stories are noble and inspiring. The second category consists of sinful behavior in our past that we covered over, hoping it would never be discovered. What happens when these old skeletons are suddenly discovered in our closet? If the behavior was totally uncharacteristic, if it did not lastingly wound or injure someone else, and if it was never again repeated, you can make a case for overlooking it but only if the response today was proper. In other words, if it came to light that, when you were a 16-year-old boy, you had consensual sex with your 16-year-old girlfriend, but since then, your moral behavior was impeccable, you shouldn't be disqualified from public service today but only if you responded properly when confronted. A proper response would require full acknowledgment of guilt, not lying about the incident, and pointing to the changes you made to live rightly ever since. To say that these sins of our youth make us unfit to serve today is to render unfit a large percentage of the population. How many of us have an unblemished past? The third category consists of lying today when confronted with sinful behavior from the past. That would be the bigger issue to me with Justice Kavanaugh. Did he do something reprehensible as a drunken teenager? Perhaps he did, but again, that is just an accusation at this point. The big question for me is: Is he telling the truth today? We're not looking to confirm teenager Kavanaugh. We're looking to confirm Judge Kavanaugh. His present behavior is far more important to me than his teenage behavior. Can the man be trusted? The fourth category consists of sinful behavior in the past that still carries over until today. If Kavanaugh did, in fact, sexually assault his accuser more than 35 years ago, does that reflect his attitude towards women ever since? Is he an abuser? Does he view women as sexual objects? Does he look on his alleged past transgressions as just a bunch of guys having fun? Obviously, there are major reasons to question the validity of the accusations, given today's political climate. On the flip side, Kavanaugh's accuser is herself a professor today, which adds credibility to her story. May the whole truth come to light. But let's also remember that President Obama joked with students at the University of Chicago this past January, saying, "If you had pictures of everything I'd done when I was in high school I probably wouldn't have been president of the United States." In the case at hand, the charges are more serious and more concerning, since they involved alleged sexual assault. But even if they were true, they do not, ipso facto, rule out present effective service today, even in the Supreme Court. It all depends on which category, outlined above, these past (alleged) transgressions fall into. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment I grew up viewing the term "evangelical" as a guarantee of quality. I believed that evangelicals were the most faithful and orthodox followers of Christ and that they offered the closest approximation of the New Testament church. But while I regularly used the term "evangelical" to identify "good" Christianity, I would have been hard pressed to give a concise definition of the term. So what, exactly, does it mean to be an evangelical? Bebbington's Four Hallmarks One of the most influential definitions of evangelical comes from the church historian David Bebbington. He proposed four historic hallmarks of evangelical identity: Conversionism: an emphasis on the importance of personal conversion. Biblicism: a high regard for the Bible and its unique authority in conveying spiritual truth. Crucicentrism: an emphasis on the centrality of the atoning work of Christ. Activism: a conviction that the Gospel should be lived out through visible and socially transformative actions. By these criteria, I was definitely raised in an evangelical church. We had it all! Conversionism? Check. I converted at the age of five after my mom confronted me with the bald choice to follow God or the devil. Biblicism? Check. Growing up, I proudly carried my children's KJV Bible and later my NIV Student Bible and I studied hard to win the Sunday school Bible drills. Crucicentrism? Check. The cross was everything, the Good News, our only hope of salvation. Activism? Check. And I had the battle scars from street evangelism and outreach dramas performed in city park to prove it. So that was how Bebbington defined evangelical, and by that definition, I definitely qualified! Conversionism However, over the last couple of decades, I have begun to reconsider these four evangelical hallmarks. Take conversionism, for example. Twenty years ago I assumed you needed to know the day you were saved in order to be saved. I remember having an earnest conversation with my university dorm-mate about this question. Though he was raised in a Christian home, went to church, and read his Bible, Pete didn't know the day he was saved. So I spent the better part of half an hour attempting to convince him that he needed to pray the sinner's prayer just to be sure. Pete politely declined the invitation. These days, I'm inclined to agree with Pete: I no longer assume that you must be able to identify the moment when you were saved. Consider this illustration: if I ask Ramon the mechanic, "When is the day you became a mechanic?" he might answer: "On the day I got my first job at the local garage! I remember it well!" Fair enough. But now imagine that I ask Steve the same question, and he replies like this: "I don't know how to answer that. My parents say I grew up with a wrench in my hand. By the time I was eight I was fixing my brother's bike. When I was twelve I built a go-cart with a lawnmower engine. I got my first job in a garage when I turned eighteen. So I can't point to any single moment when I became a mechanic. I mean, I could choose a moment if you really want me to. But it seems to me that picking out any single day would be hopelessly arbitrary.' Now imagine insisting that Steve must choose one specific day or he isn't really a mechanic. That wouldn't make much sense, would it? The important thing is that you know you are a mechanic, not when you became one. The same goes for Christianity. What matters is not that you know when you became a Christian but rather that you are one. Biblicism Eventually, I found myself reconsidering Bebbington's other criteria as well. Evangelicals pride themselves on their view of the Bible: one of their most favored descriptions is to declare it inerrant. Indeed, for many evangelicals, the defense of biblical inerrancy has become a hill on which to die. But just what does it mean to declare the Bible inerrant? For starters, it doesn't mean our translations are inerrant. Not only are translations always imperfect but the moment you complete a translation, it begins growing more imperfect because language is always changing. So this much is clear: inerrancy does not reside in the compromise-ridden English translations sitting on your bookshelf. What about the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic manuscripts from which our Bibles are translated? Are they without error? That's a good question, but we're getting ahead of ourselves, for we don't have access to the originals (or what scholars call the autographs). All we have are copies of copies (of copies) of the originals. And we know that these copies have some errors because they differ at various points with each other. To be sure, textual critics can still reassemble the original forms of the texts of the New Testament with a high degree of confidence. (The Old Testament is a different, and far more complicated, story.) Nonetheless, the fact remains that we don't have the original copies. You might reply, "Okay, the copies we have may possess errors, but at least the original copies were without error." However, it should be pointed out that it isn't always clear what the "original copy" would've been. While a short epistle like Jude or 2 John was probably written up in a single afternoon, Bible scholars believe that many books in the Bible (e.g. Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah) were composed over a long period of timedecades if not centuriesby multiple authors and editors. If that is correct, then at what point in the long compositional history of these texts did they acquire the status of being inerrant? Was there ever a single original copy of Genesis or Isaiah? The concept of inerrancy becomes even more complex when we consider it in the context of biblical accommodation. The term accommodation refers to the fact that God meets people in their limited and imperfect understanding. For example, biblical writers regularly describe God as having very human characteristics such as becoming angry or changing his mind. Theologians today typically interpret such descriptions as anthropomorphic accommodations: in other words, God is described as being like a human being so that we can better understand him and relate to him. These same theologians add that God does not literally become angry or change his mind because God is understood to be impassible (not subject to emotional change) and omniscient (all-knowing). Nonetheless, God allows himself to be described in these terms in order to communicate with and relate to his human audience. If that's true, we need to ask: did the original human authors understand that their descriptions were divine accommodations to limited human understanding? Did they always understand that God was employing anthropomorphic language to reach his human audience? If they did not realize this, then it would seem to that degree the human author was in error even while the divine author clearly was not. It should be emphasized that these comments are not intended to constitute a rejection of biblical inerrancy. Rather, they raise the point that we need to clarify just what the doctrine means in the first place. It turns out that inerrancy is a complicated doctrine, and complicated doctrines do not typically function well as rallying cries and boundary markers. Yet, inerrancy has often been pressed into service for both those tasks, tasks for which it is not well suited. To sum up, while I believe the doctrine of inerrancy is an important concept well worth discussing, I don't think it serves effectively as a quick and easy way to identify real evangelicals. Nor, for that matter, is the denial of inerrancy a good way to smoke out liberals (if smoking out liberals is your thing). Crucicentrism What about crucicentrism? I used to think the cross was about Christ dying in our place to satisfy the divine wrath against sin. In my opinion, that's just what atonement was: Christ dying to satisfy God's wrath. But when I studied theology I came to recognize that this picture of satisfying divine wrath was, in fact, but one theory of atonement, a view that is typically called the "penal substitution atonement." It turns out that there are several views of atonement in the history of Christian theology and each view can claim its own list of biblical texts, theological and philosophical reasoning, and traditional support. It is also important to note that while the early church issued formal creedal statements at church councils to ensure agreement on doctrines like the Trinity and incarnation, they never endorsed any specific account of atonement. In short, while Christians are expected to confess that God reconciled the world in Christ, there has always been debate on how God did so. The lesson to draw here is that being crucicentric is not the same thing as accepting the penal substitutionary theory of atonement. The Church has always encompassed various different accounts of atonement, and no single view gets exclusive rights to the claim of being crucicentric. Activism Finally, what about activism? As I said above, when I teenager, activism meant street evangelism and evangelistic outreaches in the park. While evangelism is important, I blush to admit that our understanding of activism completely lacked a focus on social justice. Did I have any concern for the poor and the systems of injustice that oppress people in North America and around the world? No, not really. How about environmental stewardship? While I remember learning in high school about acid rain, ozone depletion, and deforestation, these issues were never mentioned at church. Race reconciliation? I didn't have a clue about such matters in my ethnically homogeneous church. And had you asked me why our church isn't concerned with social justice, the environment, and race reconciliation, I probably would've answered, "that's what liberals care about!" As if the Gospel is irrelevant for society, race, and the environment! Conclusion I still value the evangelical tradition greatly and I think that Bebbington's four hallmarks represent important values worth defending. But I am no longer persuaded that evangelicals have a uniquely authoritative understanding of these hallmarks or what it means to follow Jesus. And so I am no longer convinced that seeking out the evangelical stamp is a guaranteed mark of church quality. To sum up, while I used to be very concerned with labels like evangelical and liberal, these days the label I find most important is simply this: a follower of Jesus. This article is based on a chapter from my book What's So Confusing About Grace? Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A look at the people called "refugees" and the places they live Daniel still remembers the screams sharp cries, punctuated by the sound of gunfire. He remembers the way the ground cut his feet as he ran from the village. The scars are still there, physically and emotionally. They remind him of the day the militia came to his home ... the day that changed his life forever. Daniel is just one of the 65 million refugees around the world who have lost everything. Like most refugees, Daniel lived a relatively normal life before the militia arrived. He had a family, friends, and a home. He helped out in his village by pulling weeds and tilling the soil. He was just a normal 12-year-old boy living in South Sudan. But like most refugees, normal came to an abrupt end when he was forced to leave everything behind. The dictionary defines a refugee as "one that flees." This broad definition does little to describe why people leave and where they go. Each refugee's story is unique; however, they all have one thing in common: they have all been uprooted from their homes and they are all desperate for help. What makes a refugee? You've probably heard a few different terms when it comes to describing the global refugee crisis. You may wonder what the difference is between a refugee and an asylum seeker. Or perhaps, what does it mean when the media talks about displaced people? In 1951, the United Nations held a Refugee Convention; 145 state parties agreed that a refugee was someone who "owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality ... or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it." In short, a person becomes a refugee the moment he leaves his country due to a fear of persecution. However, this definition does not include every type of refugee. An asylum seeker is someone whose refugee status has not yet been determined by the government. For example, most individuals who flee their home country because of famine, natural disasters, or civil disturbance would legally be considered asylum seekers. Although they technically could have remained in their country, most asylum seekers leave because they consider their home to be dangerous for one reason or another. The same is true for the displaced. The term "displaced people" generally refers to those who have fled their homes but remain in their country. In Nigeria, more than 2 million people ran from their villages to escape the attacks of terrorist groups like Boko Haram. However, the majority of these people still live in Nigeria. Rather than leaving, they have relocated to refugee camps closer to the major cities. Regardless of why they fled or their current status, these people are all refugees. They are men, women, and children just like you and your family. Where do refugees go? There are pockets of refugees living around the world, but certain countries are more affected than others. Here are a few countries housing large populations of refugees. Turkey more than 3 million refugees have fled from Syria into Turkey. Most are unsure where they will go next. more than 3 million refugees have fled from Syria into Turkey. Most are unsure where they will go next. Uganda over 1.2 million South Sudanese now reside in refugee camps in the northern part of the country. over 1.2 million South Sudanese now reside in refugee camps in the northern part of the country. Iraq over 3 million people have been internally displaced. Most live in overcrowded refugee camps. over 3 million people have been internally displaced. Most live in overcrowded refugee camps. Greece and Macedonia once considered the gateway to Europe, these two countries now host more than 1 million refugees ... most from the Middle East. Borders have been closed, and many refugees are stuck for the foreseeable future. once considered the gateway to Europe, these two countries now host more than 1 million refugees ... most from the Middle East. Borders have been closed, and many refugees are stuck for the foreseeable future. Colombia at least 250,000 Venezuelan refugees have come to this neighboring country to escape their nation's catastrophic economic collapse and food crisis. What do they need? No matter where they live, every refugee has faced considerable trauma. They have seen things you and I can hardly even imagine. Some left just as bombs began to rain on their city. Others ran to escape violent attacks. But every one of them has made the choice to fight and survive. They risked their lives and crossed dangerous waters, roads, and country borders. All they want is safety and peace for their families. But there's a problem. Many of these refugees now live in overcrowded camps or settlements. The rations provided by government aid groups simply aren't enough. They are hungry, they are thirsty, and many have come so far only to fall prey to infection or disease. But together, we can help refugees like Daniel survive. The first thing we can do is pray. Pray for their safety, and pray that they will continue to have courage to face whatever comes next. You can also pray about how God would have you personally get involved and help refugees. For our organization, World Help, that looks like providing necessities such as food, clean water, and medical aid. Our donors have saved the lives of countless refugees by giving these simple items. But the work in Uganda, Syria, and other refugee camps worldwide isn't done ... and it won't be until we all come together to help the men, women, and children whose lives have been taken away from them by violence and war. Now that you know more about these people called "refugees," what will you do to help? Central African Republic: Christians massacred in suspected Islamist attack Dozens of people are feared dead after suspected Islamist rebels attacked civilians in the Central African Republic earlier this month. Sources contacted by World Watch Monitor say as many as 42 were killed in the attack on September 4-5, contradicting earlier reports that between 12 and 14 died. World Watch Monitor's sources said the victims were mainly women, who were hacked to death while returning from their farms to the predominantly Christian quarter of Bria, in the centre of the country. The town is the location of PK3, the largest internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in the country. Some of the victims had gunshot wounds, while others died of machete wounds. At least one was pregnant. The massacre was attributed to members of the Popular Front for the Central African Renaissance (FPRC), one of the four factions of the now-disbanded Seleka rebel group active in Bria. A week earlier, on August 29, three ex-Seleka groups, including the FPRC and one Anti-Balaka (vigilante) group led by Maxime Mokom, committed themselves to work for peace and political stability in CAR. The agreement, known as The Khartoum Declaration of Understanding of the Central African Armed Groups, followed a two-day meeting for peace, brokered by Russia. The meeting in the Sudanese capital took place at the same time as an official mediation effort led by the African Union (AU), with representatives of 14 armed groups, to finalise joint demands. Despite the presence of UN peacekeepers, the town of Bria witnessed a wave of violence at the end of August following violent clashes between members of the FPRC and Anti-Balaka vigilantes. The movement of people, including humanitarian workers, is still very limited. A number of incidents, including armed robberies, kidnappings and other type of attacks against civilians, have been reported and the Christian populations of the town said they had been particularly targeted. 'They [Seleka militants] don't want to see any Christians here,' one church leader said. 'They say all Christians are Anti-Balaka, so if you are caught, you are gone.' He added: 'Christians never go to town. If they do, they are threatened, arrested, and asked to pay fines before they are released. There is no way to move to town. They have barricaded all roads, and if you venture out, you are at your own peril. We Christians have nothing else to do, no food to eat, no place to go. We rely only on prayers. Please pray for us!' The Bria massacre took place only a few kilometres away from the headquarters of the MINUSCA UN peacekeeping force. On Friday September 7, protesters took the bodies of the victims to MINUSCA headquarters, accusing them of not doing enough to protect civilians. A local aid worker told World Watch Monitor that they had lost trust in UN troops, who 'tend to act as fire-fighters, waiting to count the death toll, despite the equipment including aerial material at their disposal'. Church of England shouldn't only refer to God as he, says bishop The Church of England's first female diocesan bishop has spoken in favour of a shift away from only referring to God as male. The Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, told The Telegraph that it was important for those in the Church to be 'mindful of our language'. 'I don't want young girls or young boys to hear us constantly refer to God as he,' she said. Earlier this month, YouGov released the findings from a new survey that found the overwhelming majority of British Christians continue to see God as male. The survey of over 3,000 British Christians found that only one per cent believe God is female and that women were more likely than men to believe God is male 41 per cent of women compared to 30 per cent of men. The research also found that younger people were more likely to regard God as male (46 per cent), compared to over 65s (30 per cent). Bishop Treweek suggested that only referring to God as male could send the wrong message to people. 'For me particularly in a bigger context, in all things, whether it's that you go to a website and you see pictures of all white people, or whether you go to a website and see the use of "he" when we could use "god", all of those things are giving subconscious messages to people, so I am very hot about saying can we always look at what we are communicating,' she said. The Rev Dr Ian Paul, a member of the Archbishops' Council, suggested it was hard for people outside the Church growing up in a culture where 'sex identity is ever present' to understand the concept of a God who is neither male nor female. 'I think it makes it increasingly hard for young people to think of personal being without thinking of sex identityand so if God is the ultimate 'person' then God must be sexed - i.e. male or female,' he told the newspaper. 'This view contradicts orthodox Christian teachingbut many young people don't have enough contact with the church for actual Christian teaching to counter the thinking they pick up from culture.' Freedom Sunday: Uniting the global church to end slavery in our lifetime When they offer you the job in Thailand, you can't believe your luck. Moving from your home in Myanmar is a risk, but the wages they are offering will let you and your whole family start a new life. It's almost too good to be true. In fact, it is too good to be true. Once you and your family arrive in Thailand, your passports are taken. The work you were promised is a lie, and now the men who brought you here demand that you repay them the cost of your transport and travel documents. You and your sons are trapped on fishing boats, working long hours, enduring beatings and abuse never seeming to make a dent in your debt. Back on land, your daughters are sent into the houses of strangers, forced to work as domestic maids. They are subjected to violence and threated with death at the hands of the men who are now controlling you. These men even sell one of your daughters into marriage with a man she's never met. Take a moment to imagine it. This is the true story of a Burmese family trafficked into Thailand this year. It is one of thousands and thousands of similar stories. Even right now, people full of hope for a better future are travelling into a nightmare without realizing it. This Sunday, over 5,000 churches in 48 different countries will gather in the hope of giving these stories a different ending. They are all celebrating Freedom Sunday a chance to partner with International Justice Mission (IJM), the world's largest anti-trafficking organization, to join the fight against slavery. Freedom Sunday offers the opportunity to learn about this global scourge, and to do something to end it. 40 million people are trapped in slavery today. That's more people than everyone trafficked in the 200 years of the transatlantic slave trade, combined. The abolition of that slave trade would not have been possible if Christians had not determined to fight the evil in their time. The Church played a crucial part in bringing radical change to a dark world. Today, the need for abolitionists is greater than ever. The world cannot afford for the Church to do nothing. God has not forgotten a single one of those 40 million still suffering; the question is will we? For that Burmese family trafficked to Thailand, rescue made all the difference. Rescue made possible by people like you. IJM operatives worked with Thai police to piece together their story and then went with them on rescue operations, freeing and reuniting each member of the family. Their traffickers were arrested and are facing prosecution, and the family is safe and together again at last. This Freedom Sunday, those 5,000 churches coming alongside IJM will through their voice, their prayers, and their generosity send freedom to thousands of other families. It is the beginning of a movement bringing God's heart of compassion and justice to the darkest corners of the world. If you would like to celebrate Freedom Sunday in your church and send rescue to more families, you can. There's still time. Find more information and resources here. David Westlake is chief executive of IJM UK. Government decision against introduction of abortion clinic buffer zones welcomed The Government's decision to reject calls for buffer zones around abortion clinics has been welcomed by pro-lifers. Home Secretary Sajid Javid made the surprise announcement after a consultation into the measures that received over 2,500 responses. Although there were some reports of harassment outside abortion clinics, Mr Javid said they were 'not the norm' and that most activities were 'passive', such as offering prayers and handing out leaflets. According to the review, in 2017 anti-abortion demonstrations took place outside 36 of the 363 hospitals and clinics that perform abortions in England and Wales. In April this year, Ealing council in London controversially introduced a 'buffer zone' outside a Marie Stopes clinic that stopped anti-abortion activities within 100m of the building. Mr Javid said in a written statement: 'Having considered the evidence of the review, I have therefore reached the conclusion that introducing national buffer zones would not be a proportionate response, considering the experiences of the majority of hospitals and clinics, and considering that the majority of activities are more passive in nature.' Bishop John Sherrington, an auxiliary bishop in the Catholic Diocese of Westminster, welcomed the decision as one that was important for freedom of expression. 'We agree with the Home Secretary that everyone has a right to peaceful witness,' he said. 'We are pleased that in a free society the government has sought a proportionate response to the problem as it was presented and trust that a balance will be found that protects both the rights of people to gather peaceably and the rights of others to be free from intimidation.' He added, however, that it was 'unacceptable' for women visiting abortion clinics to be harassed or intimidated. 'It is an unacceptable situation if any people harass or intimidate women visiting clinics, even if such situations are rare. It is clearly not the case that all action is of this nature, and the distinctions between persons and groups should be examined further,' he said. 'There is legislation by which those who coerce, threaten or intimidate others can be charged or prosecuted.' Pro-life group Be Here For Me also welcomed the announcement, saying that 'women will continue to be offered much needed help and support'. 'This carefully considered decision represents the common sense we have been calling for all along,' it said. Guwahati, Sep 18 : Manipur police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the mob lynching incident, where a 26-year-old youth was lynched to death by a mob on suspicion of being bike thief on September 13 last. According to the Home Department of Manipur government, the Special Investigation Team led by Additional Superintendent of Police of Imphal West district S Hamenta Singh will probe the incident. On Sunday, the Manipur police had suspended four police personnel including a Sub-Inspector, who were present at the spot where the youth was beaten to death by mob. A top official of Manipur police said that, an inquiry has been initiated after a video of the incident showed that, armed police personnel were present at the spot when the victim was still alive. On September 13 last, 26-year-old MBA student Farooq Ahmed Khan hailing from Lilong Haoreibi area in Thoubal district was attacked by a mob at Tharoijam Awang Leikai under Lamsgang assembly constituency in Imphal West district. The incident was happened when Farooq and his two friends were travelled in the area on September 13 morning. The mob had torched the car in which Khan and his two friends were travelling. Two others with Khan had managed to escape from the area. Locals alleged that, the youths were caught by the villagers when they were stealing a two-wheeler from the area. Following the incident Manipur police had registered a case (34(9)/2018) under section 302,117 and 34 of IPC and arrested five people in connection with the incident. Manipur police said that, investigation is going on and 13 people who attacked the youth have been identified and will be arrested soon. On the other hand, different groups of the north eastern state have asked the state government to conduct a proper investigation into the incident. The Manipur Human Rights Commission has also registered a suo moto case and directed the Director General of Police of Manipur to submit a report by September 22. On the other, members of the Joint Action Committee formed against the mob lynching incident on Sunday met Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and signed a memorandum of agreement with the state government. According to the memorandum of agreement, the state government will suspend the erring police personnel, who are on duty, as visible in video clips circulated in social media, immediately. Depratmental enquiry against the erring police personnel will be completed, as per procedure, preferably within a period of one month. Maximum efforts will be made to arrest the remaining absconding persons who are seen to be involved in the mob lynching of Farooq Khan in the video clips, at earliest. A masscondemnation programme against mob justice will be held across the state on an appointed date, with participation of people irrespective of religion, caste or community with the objective of creating public awareness against this social evil. Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police will be entrusted with the responsibility of mobilising the public for the same, said in the memorandum of agreement. Earlier, a mob had attacked two people on suspicion of being child lifters in the state in July last. On June 8 last, the youths hailing from Guwahati were beaten to death by locals in the name of child kidnapper (locally called xupadhora) at Panjuri Kacharigaon village near Kangthailangso under Dokmoka police station in Assams Karbi Anglong district. Love Christ, love fashion: the Christian brand that's rewriting the rules Young Christians ought to grow up wanting to be doctors or nurses, or even better ministers or missionaries. It's a well-known fact. What's the point, spiritually speaking, of say fashion? That's a view Ruth Yimika Awogbade often came across when she was growing up with, and she rebelled against it. A churchgoer who didn't really question her faith, she'd grown up going to a girls' school where excellence was expected and she didn't see any reason why she shouldn't excel at what she loved. For the last 10 years she's been editor of Magnify, a website and magazine aimed at women who are 'driven, passionate, probably work in the corporate or creative sector or the public sector, and who think about life deeply'. These women are successful, and like good clothes and the good life. And they're also open to the big questions about life, meaning and eternity. The site and the yearly magazine, a sumptuously-produced collection of features, interviews and and opinion pieces alongside beautiful clothes worn by beautiful people is a gateway for thinking about faith. This desire to communicate faith to a neglected demographic is what's driven Awogbade for the last 10 years. Her own Christianity was nearly derailed when she went away to Durham University though the experience left her with a faith that was far more personal and real. 'I had three bereavements in shockingly quick succession,' she tells Christian Today. 'It was so quick it made me question my faith. I felt Christianity hadn't made a difference to what happened. 'I went to university only two weeks after I lost my uncle and I pushed God out of my life. I had no way to process what had happened.' And, she reflects: 'The Christian responses were very hollow they didn't show much emotional intelligence. We want to comfort people, but that can mean denying reality.' When I came home, though, it was 'as if a light went on in my head. I had the kind of faith that was based on everything going well. But I'd seen my parents' individual relationship with God, and realised that was available to me.' There was, she admits, a tension between her life growing up in church and her life outside. 'I went to an all-girls school that was very academic and driven. But when I went to church, women were expected to be meek and mild,' she says. 'There'd be guys at church who would want a wife who could support them. I was raised as someone who realised that women were equal.' And she took her revitalised faith back to university with her and it's out of this experience that Magnify was born. 'My vision from the beginning was that it would give women the opportunity to experience Christianity in every area of their life. It was very much shaped by my time at Durham. 'I wanted people to understand how a personal relationship with Jesus could make a difference to them.' The culture she found there, she says, was based on 'arguing people into faith'. 'I wanted to tell stories of real people you might disagree with what they believed, but you couldn't deny the experience.' Aged only 19, she ran events for women aimed at connecting faith with real life, before moving into digital content of a kind she describes as 'pre-Alpha or Christianity Explored'. The idea was always to send people to their local church: 'From the beginning we really understood our place within the body of Christ and the fact that we can't do everything.' Magnify is now a magazine, a blog and a monthly events programme. Its vision, claims its website, is 'to give women the chance to explore the Christian faith in an unpressured, engaging and creative way'. 'Our ultimate goal is to become much more than a print magazine, but rather a collective of like-minded and progressive individuals who are committed to improving the world through timeless human values,' it says. As well as those beautiful pictures, the current issue of the magazine has articles on Christian feminism, how the church shapes culture, the power of forgiveness and dating. It also features interviews with movers and shapers within the creative, business and social media worlds male and female. It's designed to engage the mind, as well as the eyeballs. Awogbade says the magazine is the 'icing on the cake' of the Magnify project. She works with more than 160 contributors stylists, photographers, designers, writers per issue, and loves it: 'For me I love being able to work with creatives and see them using their God-given gifts, even if they might not know their gifts have been given to them by God.' And the expensively professional look pays off, with healthy sales helping to bankroll the enterprise. 'Women believe in us and want to sow into us. There's a gynaecologist who got tired of the trashy magazines in her surgery and bought 20 copies. There's a guy with a lot of work colleagues who are female. Talking about faith in the UK can be very intrustive and quite intimate. He said it was quite hard to talk to female colleagues about faith without seeming weird, but he took about 20 copies for his office. 'Things like that are very humbling because they show us that the vision God has called us to, he will provide the resources for, to help us reach more and more people.' And the people in her sights are those driven, passionate, thinking women from their early 20s to their mid to late 30s. 'I have friends who are interested in meditation, in Buddhism, who are looking for something that will fill the void. Obviously as Christians we know what that is. But it's going to be the women who are thinking about life, not just at a surface level. They have dreams and aspirations, and they want to impact the world around them.' And she's adamant that there's no contradiction between these different areas of their lives and part of her mission is to bring worlds that have often been seen as separate back together again. 'For me, I always had an issue growing up with the idea that Christians see things like fashion as worldly or negative. 'I remember growing up we were encouraged as Christians to be charity workers or nurses or doctors, but no one would want to encourage people to be in fashion.' But why not? 'We all have to wear clothes, we're all involved in the fashion industry up to a point,' she says. Why shouldn't God be as involved in that area of life and glorified in it as he is in every other? 'What we do is show people from a broad range of life and people who have come from all different backgrounds. For me, fashion is a way for me to express myself. I don't think that makes me any more worldly than someone who doesn't care what they wear.' There's something very attractive about a whole-hearted celebration of beauty that sets it in the context of an equally whole-hearted devotion to God. Magnify isn't a sell-out to consumerism; rather, it engages with it. Awogbade says she worries that Christians can see the gospel as a sort of guarantee that God will somehow make all our dreams come true. 'It's really about minds transformed and realising that true joy comes in bringing glory to God,' she says. And nothing about that is shallow or trivial, surely; it's about accepting the goodness and value of creation and creativity. For more about Magnify or to order copies click here. 5 minutes with... Mexiko by Sigmar Polke According to Francis Outred, Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christies in London, this giant of post-war art remains underrated by the market. Mexiko offered in London on 4 October marks a defining moment in his career This isnt a painting that gives you easy answers, says Francis Outred, Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art at Christies in London of Mexiko, a late-1970s work by German artist Sigmar Polke. The image is so rich, with so much going on. Polke doesnt dictate a way of reading it. Its a work he challenges us to spend time with and see what secrets we can draw out. A multi-layered affair, Mexiko is dominated by an image of a cactus plant towering over a desert landscape. The stencilled outline of a Jeep can be seen bottom right, while at the top left, two disembodied palms meet in a handshake. A grid of gold-painted Mayan glyphs hovers over the composition like a film. Its an unusual canvas, says the specialist, with its series of elements laid on top of each other. Great experimenter that he was, Polke has also tried out novel ways of applying his paint to canvas here: stencils and spray paint alongside brush. This painting marks a defining moment in Polkes career, Outred explains. After breaking onto the scene as a German Pop artist in the 1960s, he devoted almost all of the 1970s to photography. He spent endless hours in the darkroom, experimenting with numerous techniques [from double exposure to chemical staining] which, one might say, subverted the truth of his pictures. Mexiko marked his return to painting after many years, and heralded what in my view is the boldest period of his career: the late 1970s and early 1980s, when he produced some of his greatest works. Sigmar Polke (1941-2010), Mexiko, 1977-79. Acrylic on canvas. 59 x 51 in (149.9 x 130.8 cm). Sold for 1,448,750 on 4 October 2018 at Christies in London Polke was born in 1941 in Silesia, a region then in Eastern Germany but now part of Poland. In the 1950s his family moved to Dusseldorf, where hed study under Joseph Beuys and alongside Gerhard Richter at the Dusseldorf Kunstakademie. Polke was one of the great postmodern painters, always ready to take risks and to try out different techniques and pigments, Outred says. He wasnt afraid to integrate unconnected elements in a painting either, even if they dont appear to make sense together. The visual complexity of Mexiko is typical of Polkes artistic approach, its shifting layers frustrating any desire for fixed meaning. The handshake at top left, for example, which recalls both the emblem of the SED the governing socialist party of the German Democratic Republic and the United We Shall Overcome logo of the SNCC, a leading American civil rights organisation of the 1960s, hints at a larger political dimension to this aesthetic resistance. The 1970s were particularly mind-expanding years for Polke. He travelled widely, lived communally, and experimented with hallucinogens such as peyote, a psychoactive cactus native to Mexico that has an ancient history of ritual and medicinal use (and was latterly taken up by the hippie movement.) Polke was an alchemist who showed the way for countless painters, such as Peter Doig. He encouraged them to let things come out like a stream of consciousness Francis Outred The deer your daughter said jumped out of nowhere and dented the car she had borrowed to go out with friends might not be the elaborate fabrication it seems, a new analysis of highway crashes with animals would indicate. Mule deer were involved in 88 percent of the 6,600 accidents involving wildlife and motor vehicles around the state last year, a tapestry of roadway carnage that is at a peak in the Bay Area, according to the annual report released Tuesday by the UC Davis Road Ecology Center. The smashups also involved more bears and cougars among the myriad of creatures struck in California, where 12 motorists were also killed and 268 were injured in 2017, the report said. The roadway gore cost Californians hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The bottom line is that most of the animals dont have any natural adaptation to roadways and cars, so there is no instinct they can rely upon to avoid those collisions, said Fraser Shilling, co-director of the Road Ecology Center. These are fatal lessons, and most wildlife dont go on to figure it out. Close to 3,000 of the 6,600 animals hit on the highways were killed, but Shilling said thats only a fraction of the death toll. The calculations were based strictly on incident reports taken by the California Highway Patrol and the California Roadkill Observation System on state highways, which make up just 10 percent of the states paved roadways. In addition, Shilling said many collisions are not reported or are only included in insurance claims, like the hypothetical roadway encounter between the daughter and the agitated deer. A great many animals just run off and die later, never to be found, he said. State Farm Insurance Co. said it gets about 23,000 customer claims a year for accidents involving wildlife. Whats clear, though, is that the roadway bloodshed is getting worse. The available data show that Californians spent $307 million on vehicle damage, emergency response, injuries, lost work and insurance associated with animal collisions in 2017. Thats an 11 percent increase over 2016. The $276 million spent on animal collisions in 2016 was itself a 20 percent increase from the year before. From 2015 to 2017, there were 19,800 collisions with wildlife, according to the report. What hasnt changed over the years is the fact that motorists in the Bay Area plow into more furry critters than drivers in other parts of the state. A 23-mile section of Interstate 280 between San Francisco and San Jose is the perennial top dog in the statewide competition for most roadkill, Shilling said. A 28-mile portion of Highway 101 in Marin County follows closely behind in the centers calculations of animal blood spilled and damage caused. The bloated and crushed corpses of furry four-leggers are also commonly found on State Route 13 in Alameda County, Highway 24 from Oakland to Walnut Creek, and Interstate 680 between San Jose and Fairfield. The Sierra Nevada foothills, the North Coast, and parts of the Central and South Coast also contributed a prominent share to the slaughter, according to the report. Besides the 12 people killed in accidents with wildlife across the state last year, 44 people suffered major injuries and 224 suffered minor injuries. Some 2,841 animals were killed in the accidents, and 149 had to be dispatched by emergency personnel. Nobody knows what happened to 2,119 animals that were hit by vehicles, the report stated. Statewide, mule deer were hit more often than any other animal, followed by coyotes, black bears, wild pigs, mountain lions and elk. Smaller animals, like squirrels and skunks, were not included in the overall analysis this year because they are less likely to pose a danger to drivers or cause damage to their vehicles. Black bears saw the biggest increase in the number hit by cars, going from 89 in 2016 to 170 last year. Mountain lion collisions also went up, from 44 to 64. Predators are often at risk because they move around a lot (searching for prey). So its not surprising that you would get predators hit, (but) the fact that both of them went up might indicate that there is some ecological mechanism taking place, Shilling said. These are large animals. They will total your car. The problem, he said, is that the increase in the rate of wildlife-vehicle collisions has not been accompanied by a comparable increase in efforts to mitigate the problem. Shilling said there is an urgent need for legislators to use state transportation funding to pay for fencing and construction of wildlife over-crossings on major highways. One such crossing, proposed to help mountain lions and other wildlife get over the Ventura Freeway at Liberty Canyon in the San Fernando Valley, would cost about $50 million, he said. The Road Ecology Center has created an automated system tracking vehicle-wildlife conflicts on highways, a tool that he said could also be used in the future to help guide autonomous vehicles. It can be found at roadecology.ucdavis.edu/hotspots. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite State regulators on Monday made good on their threat to pull down the plans of retail electric providers on the Power to Choose shopping website that were not also offered on the Spanish language equivalent, Poder de Escoger, deactivating 221 electricity plans or about 40 percent of the total from 18 retail electric providers. Since the Public Utility Commission took action, retail electricity providers have translated their plans into Spanish and put them on Poder de Escoger, turning the once moribund site into a robust shopping website. By Tuesday afternoon, the site in Spanish included hundreds of low-cost offerings that were not there Friday, when utility commissioners first raised the issue. "I think you could say that the market has responded," said commission spokesman Andrew Barlow. RELATED: Regulators crack down on power companies that don't offer same deals to English, Spanish speakers The state-managed Power to Choose website is the way millions of consumers buy electricity in the deregulated market that covers 85 percent of Texas, including Houston and Dallas. The electricity plans advertised on the website are among the cheapest available, consumer advocates say. By not listing them on both websites, Spanish speakers are at a disadvantage. Hispanics are also the dominant demographic group in Houston, representing 42 percent of the population of Harris County. Companies should be reaching out to Hispanics, a growing population that is overwhelmingly young with money to spend, local business leaders say. "Most companies get it," said Laura Murillo, president and chief executive officer of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Murillo suggested the real culprit is that Hispanics make up less than 2 percent of corporate boards nationwide and in Houston. If Hispanics were sitting on the retail electric provider boards, serving as chief executives or reporting to the CEOs, she said, they would have asked why their electricity plans weren't posted on Poder de Escoger. "It says to our community, 'We're still not at the table," she said. On Friday, commission chairman DeAnn Walker put the state's retail electric providers on notice that the commission would pull their offers from the commission's Power to Choose website by 8 a.m. Monday if the same plans were not available on the Spanish language version. Walker noted that 57 electricity providers offered plans on the English version of Power to Choose, but only 23 providers offered plans on the Spanish language site. Some retail providers said they didn't get much traffic from Poder de Escoger, making them reluctant to spend the money it would take to translate rapidly changing offers into Spanish "I'm not happy with that at all," said Walker, during the commission meeting. "They're not going to have one on the English and not on the Spanish." The shopping websites now offer 766 plans in English and Spanish, a 38 percent increase in the number of plans offered from over the weekend. (Bloomberg) -- China plans to slap tariffs on U.S. natural gas exports as trade tensions escalate, a likely setback for the burgeoning energy relationship between the worlds two largest economies. The Asian nation said in a statement Tuesday it would levy a 10 percent duty on liquefied natural gas starting Sept. 24, retaliation for a fresh round of tariffs announced the day before by the U.S. While Chinas levy is less than the 25 percent it proposed last month, the tariff still brings additional pressure to bear on the U.S. gas industry, which is competing with Russia, Australia and Qatar for market share in China, the worlds biggest buyer. Just last year, American officials were courting Chinese companies to invest in new export projects. Chinas move signals how much pain Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are willing to endure not to back down from a trade fight. Trump risks stifling the U.S. gas export industry, which is seeking about $130 billion to fund more than a dozen projects, while Xi threatens to raise the cost of his drive to eliminate smog by burning less coal. Chinese companies will have an aversion to investing in U.S. LNG projects in the short term if tariffs are imposed, Saul Kavonic, Credit Suisse Group AGs director of Asia energy research, said before Chinas announcement. Australia and Qatars LNG sectors will benefit from being seen as a lower-risk source of supply by customers in the worlds fastest growing LNG market, at least over the near term. Booming Demand Chinas push to use more natural gas is driving global demand growth, with LNG imports jumping 47 percent in the first seven months of the year. Though its the third-largest buyer of U.S. cargoes, American supply made up a little less than 6 percent of purchases over that period, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. If U.S. companies can seize 20 percent of the market by 2030, it could lower the trade deficit with China by $50 billion, Bernstein estimates. Higher oil prices and a surge in LNG demand have reignited interest in export ventures, with about 15 U.S. projects targeting final investment decision this year and next, the most of any nation, according to Bloomberg NEF. Projects have been seeking investments or off-take agreements from China, which earlier this year topped Japan as the worlds biggest gas importer. On Monday, Cheniere Energy Inc., Americas first and biggest shipper of shale gas, struck a 15-year agreement to sell the fuel to commodities trader Vitol Group. The pact is Chenieres fifth this year. Venture Global LNG Inc., which is developing a terminal in Louisiana, has finalized four such contracts over that period. Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd., which has yet to make a final investment decision of the $4.35 billion Magnolia LNG project in Louisiana, expects Chinese buyers will wait for uncertainty on tariffs to be removed before signing contracts, Chief Executive Officer Greg Vesey said Monday at an industry conference in Barcelona. It is hard to see any of these hopeful projects getting another Chinese buyer signed up for long-term volumes if China slaps tariffs on U.S. gas, Trevor Sikorski, an analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd., said before Tuesdays announcement. Given China is a huge part of global LNG demand growth, that is a big headwind for these new projects. Exporting nations such as Australia and Qatar could benefit from the trade tensions, according to Xizhou Zhou, an analyst at IHS Markit. You have two important parties in the LNG market -- one is a very important large buyer, one is an important large supplier -- less likely to negotiate with each other, he said by phone. So Qataris, Australians will have less competition when it comes to the Chinese market for long-term contracts. The vessel GasLog Greece, which left Chenieres liquefied natural gas export terminal in Louisiana on Aug. 15 en route to China, changed its destination mid-journey to South Korea. It was one of at least two U.S. LNG shipments heading for China during the past month. The other ship, Rioja Knutsen, arrived Sept. 3 at Tianjin. (Updates with Chinese demand in sixth paragraph.) --With assistance from Dan Murtaugh and Anna Shiryaevskaya. To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Stapczynski in Tokyo at sstapczynsk1@bloomberg.net;Christine Buurma in New York at cbuurma1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net, ;Simon Casey at scasey4@bloomberg.net, Christine Buurma 2018 Bloomberg L.P. NEW HAVEN This increasingly untraditional governors race has taken a further turn away from transparency, with Republican Bob Stefanowski and Democrat Ned Lamont both reluctant to reveal what the Connecticut economy has done for their private wealth. The two businessmen indicated they do not intend to make their income tax returns public. Stefanowski, a former corporate executive, told reporters after Monday nights debate that he might share some of his financial information. Id be happy to issue a summary of where I am and show you the amount of taxes I paid, which is more than adequate, Stefanowski said in response to a question. Asked when that might occur, Stefanowski replied. Ill talk to my team. Lamonts campaign said that if Stefanowski releases tax summary pages, he will too. Ned has pledged to share his tax returns when Bob Stefanowski does the same, said Marc Bradley, Lamonts campaign manager. During the party-primary campaign, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim claimed Lamont, of Greenwich, was out of touch with average state residents because his worth is estimated at between $100 million and $300 million. As a divisional corporate executive for most of his career, it is unlikely that Stefanowski has more than a fraction of Lamonts wealth, some of which dates back over 100 years, when his great-grandfather Thomas Lamont was a top adviser to banker J.P. Morgan. While Stefanowski has loaned his campaign $2.2 million with the expectation of recovering it, Lamont has written checks totaling at least $3.9 million including $1.6 million during the week of the August primary - that he has not listed as loans, so he will not be able to recoup the investments under state election law. During the 2014 campaign for governor, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy issued top sheets of federal IRS and state Department of Revenue Services filings. His Republican challenger Tom Foley, another businessman, allowed reporters limited access to the summaries in the offices of a Hartford law firm. The documents showed that Foley paid an effective tax rate of zero for three years. Income tax plan While not discussing his own taxes, Stefanowski indicated that residents may not find out exact details about his plan to eliminated the state income tax and corporate-earners taxes until after he is elected. Plans on his website, his talking points during two debates with Lamont and his few public appearances since the August primary have been vague. Ive said it before, Stefanowski said. Lowering the tax rate is going to increase revenues. Lamont, also speaking to reporters in a reception room of the historic theater, where such notable plays as Oklahoma, South Pacific, and My Fair Lady debuted, was incredulous. I still have no idea how he plans to make up a $12-and-a-half-billion-dollar hole, he said, of Stefanowskis promise to cut taxes. Im not sure he has any idea. Your governor has to put together a budget on the table by February. You better be thinking seriously how you plan to do it. The state-to-state comparison noted by Lamont in the debate was unfair, Stefanowski said. He wants to pull out the worst-possible example, Stefanowski said. He wants to put out an agrarian state in the mid-part of the country. Look at Tennessee. They dont have a state income tax. You know what they have? They have a billion-dollar budget surplus. Look at Florida. Look at Texas. Those three states are all so-called right-to-work states where trade unions are weak. While Connecticuts minimum wage is $10.10 an hour, Texass is $7.25, Floridas is $8.25 and Tennessee has no minimum wage. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT BRIDGEPORT The American Red Cross is assisting 15 people from five families displaced by a fire that tore through a Huntington Road home early Monday evening. We got there pretty quickly, said Deputy Fire Chief Ronald Rolfe. Engine 10 and Ladder 10 were returning from a call and they were able to get inside and aggressively fight the fire from the interior. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. It is believed to have begun in a second-floor bedroom. Nearly 35 firefighters assigned to four ladder trucks, four engine companies and a rescue truck were on the scene commanded by Deputy Chief William Hathaway, Rolfe said. It was extinguished in a half hour. We were able to keep it from extending beyond the third-floor exterior, Rolfe said. The building is unlivable but is repairable. Rolfe said people were living on all floors of the two-and-a half story wood frame building. An adjacent home suffered minor damage from the flames heat. Red Cross spokeswoman Ciara DiVita said the organization is helping eight adults and seven children from five families who lived in the home. DiVita said the Red Cross is providing comfort kits containing personal care items including toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving supplies and other items all of which are often unable to be gathered by residents fleeing a burning building. Residents also were given a recovery envelope containing information and tips on cleanup, notification of important contacts, dealing with damaged items and more. Those affected will meet with Red Cross caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan. The Red Cross relies on donations and volunteers to assist victims. NEW HAVEN The taunting started on the sidewalk late Monday afternoon, took a break during a cocktail-and-appetizer reception, then resumed on and off the stage at the historic Shubert Theatre in the second gubernatorial debate. While the pre-event animosity of their supporters did not equal the crescendo of last weeks physical altercations in New London, the second of five scheduled debates between Bob Stefanowski of Madison and Ned Lamont of Greenwich again revealed little in the realm of public policy. Stefanowski will only appear in four televised debates. He did not appear at a fifth one, with independent candidate Oz Griebel, held earlier. Lamont kept up his challenge to Stefanowski, asking him to reveal how he would eliminate the states income tax without the type of massive spending cuts that caused a revolt of Republican lawmakers in Kansas. Stefanowski kept hammering Lamont on a perceived closeness to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and an expansion of taxes, including highway tolls and a $15-an-hour minimum wage that would hurt small business. Decades of big government and tax increases have decimated this state, Stefanowski said. The time for big government is over. The time for tax cuts is here. I have never heard such arrogance, my way or the highway, Im right, youre wrong, Lamont countered, before being buried in catcalls from the Stefanowski part of the crowd. We need a governor who can reach out across the aisle. We need somebody who has the respect of labor to get to the table and make the real tough changes to our pension plan going forward. During an hourlong confrontation before about 1,000 people, sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Realtors and WTNH News 8, Stefanowski continued to try to pin the unpopularity of Malloy upon Lamont, using his campaign battle cry of promises to lower taxes as a shield against most other questions. Lamont warned that Stefanowski would bring President Donald Trumps divisive policies to blue state Connecticut. The choice in this election is becoming crystal clear, Stefanowski said to a roar from supporters who were asked to remain quiet. Hes going to continue eight years of horrible economic policy that got us in this mess. Ill cut taxes. Ill make government smaller and more efficient. He reiterated his supply-side mantra that tax cuts would pay for themselves. Cutting taxes actually raises revenue in the long run, Stefanowski said. Im the guy who ran against Dan Malloy eight years ago, Lamont said, warning that his Republican contender would decimate the $20 billion annual budget, sharply reducing revenues, gutting education. I will not raise the income tax. I will cut the property tax (and) train children for the 21st century jobs. His own supporters also cheered loudly. Talk about pandering to the polls, Lamont said of Stefanowskis economic plan. He promised a strong University of Connecticut. Its about how do we get this state organized around education, Stefanowski said, highlighting his public education growing up in North Haven, and at the same time positioning the privately educated Lamont as an elite. Eliminating the income tax would make the state more competitive, Stefanowski said in what has become his campaign hallmark. I think Bobs tax plan would drive our state into a dead stop, Lamont rejoined. I think its a false promise. Lamont said if elected he would become the first governor in 80 years to have started his own business. I will make sure we are rowing in the same direction, Lamont said when asked how he would cooperate with industry leaders. Stefanowski then revisited a jab made against Lamont during the Democratic primary, charging that he laid off 60 percent of the employees of his Greenwich based-cable TV company. You should be not be talking down small business. Look at UBS, Lamont railed. Both companies where Stefanowski was an executive failed in the state, including the headquarters of General Electric, which was recently kicked off the Dow Industrial index after being lured to Boston with millions of dollars in incentives. Three weeks ago he was raising income taxes, Stefanowski said with a weak grin playing to his supporters, who ignored the request for quiet. Now hes a tax cutter. I dont know about you, but I see higher taxes coming from a mile away. Lamont recounted that in his successful primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in 2006, he upset Democratic leaders, but it was the right thing to do at the time. I wish you had won your Senate run because everything would be perfect, Stefanowski quipped, to yet another burst of loud laughter from his supporters, who made up more than half the audience. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT CROMWELL One person was taken to the hospital and two others were treated as firefighters from four departments and regional and state hazardous materials teams responded in a hazmat incident at the Red Lion Inn Tuesday. One person was taken to Middlesex Hospital after he complained of difficulty breathing following the incident at about 1:45 p.m at the inn, which is located at 100 Berlin Road Road. Two other individuals were treated at the scene, according to Deputy Chief Michael Salonia. A hotel manager could not be reached late Tuesday but the business was open and operating. Cromwell fire officials said the afternoon incident appeared to have been caused by an inadvertent spill in a drain. It was an anomaly, Cromwell Fire Chief Michael Terenzio said following the incident. The Inn was evacuated as a precaution while members of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Capital Region HazMat teams, as well as firefighters from Cromwell, Berlin, East Berlin and Westfield all responded to the scene. There was a very strong aroma of chlorine throughout the building, However, There was no leak, Terenzio said. Ultimately, what we thank occurred is there was a leak from a sink and we theorize that water from that leak came into contact with either chlorine or muriatic acid that was caught in the drain. When chlorine and muriatic acid mix, the result is a compound that acts as an irritant to the respiratory system, Salonia said. The Capital Region team, which is made up of firefighters from Hartford and East Hartford and the DEEP arrived pretty quickly, which is very gratifying, Terenzio said. However, the hazmat teams could not enter the building until firefighters had set up a decontamination station and a back-up hazmat team was in place and ready to go in, which are safety requirements. When they did enter the building, the properly trained and equipped personnel were able to narrow down the hot zone, Terenzio said. Personnel from the Red Lion were very capable and responded as they had been trained to do, so we had a very good idea of (what) we were dealing with, the chief said. Rocky Hill and Newington and fire units stood by covering Cromwell. And while units were dealing with the hazmat incident, there was a gas spill on Berlin Road by the CVS store, Salonia said. To see our mutual aid assistance in place and having the Capital Region and the (DEEP) teams so readily available was very comforting, Terenzio said. United Airlines' 2,700 catering workers, with more than 800 in Houston, will begin voting Tuesday to decide if they want to join the Unite Here union. The voting, with ballots cast online or via telephone, will continue through Oct. 23. MORE: United catering crew wants union on the menu "This is a moment they have been fighting for and organizing towards since January, and it hasn't been easy," D. Taylor, president of the Unite Here International Union, said in a news release. "They have stayed strong in the face of an aggressive anti-union campaign put on by an airline, United, that raked in $2.1 billion in profits in 2017 and yet continues to pay its catering operations workers as little as $9.99 per hour." United has previously told the Houston Chronicle that is respects employees' rights to decide whether they want to be represented by a union, and United will follow the voting process, timeline and laws as outlined by the National Mediation Board and Railway Labor Act. MORE: Wage negotiations won't be part of redeveloping Bush Airport's international terminal "We are committed to treating all of our employees fairly whether or not they are represented by a union," the airline said in a statement. "We are proud to offer competitive compensation, industry-leading benefits and privileges and a safe, supportive work environment." The catering workers are seeking to raise their wages to a minimum of $12 an hour, among other things. 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 Guwahati, Sep 18 : A small village Kandhulimari near Dhing town in central Assams Nagaon district witnessed another celebration after Indias new track and field sensation Hima Dass name recommended for the prestigious Arjuna Award. People of Kandhulimari, native village of Hima Das started celebration by burning firecrackers after hearing the news. A youth of Kandhulimari village said that, it is another joyful moment for them that, Hima Dass name has been recommended for Arjuna Award. Today we are so happy that, Hima Dass name has been recommended for Arjuna Award. It is another joyful moment for us. She had already carried big achievements to Dhing and Assam. We are celebrating for it and it is a pre-diwali celebration, the youth said. Recently, the Assam government and the people of Assam accorded a red carpet welcome to the golden girl after she returned to her homeland. Bruce Wayne has a new dad. Houston-born actor Brett Cullen has been cast as Thomas Wayne, the father of Bruce Wayne a.k.a Batman, in the upcoming Todd Phillips' film, "Joker." He takes over the role from Alec Baldwin who dropped out of the movie last month. The rest of the cast includes Joaquin Phoenix as Batman, Robert DeNiro, Zazie Beetz from "Deadpool 2," Frances Conroy from "American Horror Story," and Marc Maron from the TV series "Glow." Variety reports that Baldwin left the film because of "scheduling conflicts." "I'm sure there are 25 guys who can play that part," he told USA Today. The film is due for release in the fall of 2019. Cullen is no stranger to DC Comics' Batman universe. He had a small part as "Congressman" in "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012. He is one of those actors whose face you recognize even if you don't know his name. In the last couple of years he has had recurring roles in two narcotics-related TV dramas, "Narcos" on Netflix and the Texas-shot "Queen of the South" on USA. Previously, he had a long-running part on the TV series "Person of Interest" as well as recurring appearances on such other shows as "Under the Dome, "Devious Maids," "Friday Night Lights," "The West Wing," "Revenge," "Damages," and unfortunately short-lived, Dallas-shot series "Lone Star." According to the Hollywood Reporter, " 'Joker,' which is filming now, is described as a crime drama that will not be part of the continuity of DC's other films, such as Aquaman and Wonder Woman." Director Phillips' films include the "Hangover" franchise, "War Dogs" and "Old School." Memorial Private High School is kicking off its semester this year, promoting more than a decade of No Hype, No Stress, where children are encouraged to let loose during the school day. With about 40 enrolled students, Memorial Private High School is entering its 14th year as a school and serves West Houston, Katy and surrounding areas, said Robert Bracken, dean of students. Through a stress-free school environment, teachers can ensure that children have a better chance of making it to college, Bracken said. Smaller classroom sizes, faith-based learning, structured classroom settings, college preparatory work, all while having fun is how MPHS provides balance to students, Bracken said. According to data published in a 2014 American Psychological Association survey, 40 percent of teens neglected their responsibilities at home and 21 percent say the same about work or school responsibilities; more than half (59 percent) of teens report that managing their time to balance all activities is a somewhat or very significant stressor and 26 percent report snapping or being short with classmates when under stress. MPHS Senior Michelle Pakel, 18, understands why No Hype, No Stress is important in the classroom. The more stressed you are, the less you are working, Pakel said. (Not being stressed) makes you want to come to school. Her classmate Andrew Sparks, 19, referred to a different type of stress when he said, Its nice because there isnt social pressure; the teachers can gauge when someone is ready to be pushed to the next level, therefore there is a lot less stress. And, academically because there are less cliques. The school is divided into four groups: 10 students per group, Bracken said. There is only teacher per core subject, so each student will have the same teacher for that subject their entire student career. Bracken said his students come from all walks of life and who are not interested in the average type of classroom. The school, which has year-round admission, takes an annual retreat to Camp Tejas in Giddings, Texas in the fall. Memorial Private High School is located at 14333 Fern Drive. michelle.iracheta@chron.com A Roman Forest couple accused of allegedly failing to provide proper nutrition, medical care and hygiene to a 17-year-old, who is wheelchair bound due to a rare disease, remain in the Montgomery County jail. Roman Forest Police officers arrested 38-year-old Jason Everett Joyner and 35-year-old Jamie Enid Joyner on the charges of injury to a disabled injury. They were escorted from their Roman Forest home on Friday to the Montgomery County Jail where they both remain on $100,000 bond each. The investigation began after Roman Forest Police Officer Rachel Rippe received a report from Child Protective Services stating a 17-year-old disabled child was admitted to Texas Childrens Hospital weighing approximately 60 pounds, court documents stated. Two other children living at the house also were placed into CPS custody. The child is diagnosed with Aicardi Goutieres Syndrome, a rare disease affecting a persons brain, motor skills and cognitive functions, and is completely reliant on his caretakers for everything from feeding to hygiene and mobility. The child gained 8 pounds during the course of the first week while in the hospital, court documents stated. He also had bed sores on all prominent bony areas of his body. According to previous CPS records reported in the court documents, the 17-year-old was removed from Jason and Jamies care for 2013-15 but was voluntarily released back into their care after 2015 by his biological mother. (The victim) came in looking so starved and emaciated that any caregiver should have brought the child in long before the time (the victim) had been brought into the hospital, court documents stated. (The) bedsores indicated a lack of movement and were made worse by the amount of malnutrition. Upon speaking with the victims father and step-mother, they told officer Rippe they had a daily routine that consisted of first changing the victim then stretches, feeding and trying to get him up if he wanted to stay in his wheelchair and if not, he would be placed back in his bed. On the contrary, a witness stated that the daily routine consisted of Jamie and Jason waking up to take care of their own business and go back to their room, only allegedly checking on the victim when he screamed for them or a witness would grab them, court documents alleged. When asked if he felt better while receiving care at the hospital, the victim advised his whole body felt better, court documents stated. The victim recounted stretching where they would attach a strap to his legs, stretch the legs out and secure them to the end of the bed. When asked if he wanted to go back to his fathers house, he repeatedly stated, no. An arrest warrant was filed for Jason and Jamie which was executed on Friday. They are due in the 359th District Court on Oct. 2 for an informational hearing. jennifer.summer@hcnonline.com Jason Fochtman, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle The Conroe City Council unanimously agreed to remove four parcels of land from a three-year annexation plan after several residents voiced concerns about the action. The council initially approved moving forward with the annexations late last year in a 3-2 vote. Mayor Pro Tem Duke Coon and Councilman Duane Ham were the nay votes. However, due to newly seated council members and new annexation law, Director of Community Development Nancy Mikeska brought the item back to the council last week for reconsideration. Montgomery County Sheriff's Office A 17-year-old girl has been missing since Aug. 1, when she was last seen by her family at her home in the Montgomery area. Mariam Flores was last known to be in San Antonio possibly staying with some unknown friends, according to a press release from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. It is not clear whether Flores is a runaway or not, according to the release. After local schools received a wave of hoax threats in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida school shooting, the FBI Houston Division is launching an awareness campaign about the consequences of using social medial to send phony threats. At a press conference Tuesday, Special Agent in Charge Perrye Turner announced the launch of #ThinkBeforeYouPost alongside local law enforcement agencies and various school district police chiefs. The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness regarding these emerging threats, Turner said. We want to encourage kids to stop, and parents to get engaged and encourage their kids to stop. Turner said that any hoax threat will be taken seriously and investigated, and the person responsible will be identified and prosecuted federally or at the state level. Even if the person responsible is a juvenile, he said, they will be charged even in federal court and their record will not be sealed. The FBI Houston Division provided cursory numbers of hoax threats they investigated in 2017 124 and in 2018 314, as of Monday. Spokesperson Christina Garza said the rise in threats, of which at least 90 percent are found to be false, has been attributed to the Parkland shooting. In May, 21-year-old Luis Antonio Rivera allegedly posted on Facebook that he intended to shoot everyone and kill everyone at a Houston Community College Campus, according to the Harris County District Attorneys Office. Rivera was charged with making a terroristic threat after he was interviewed by an FBI agent about the incident. Riveras post came amid an uptick in threats made towards schools around the nation, particularly in the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17 students and adults at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February. In February, the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office announced the investigation of two separate school threats and arrested two juveniles as a result. The threats came after seven similar threats fielded by Houston-area schools between time of the Parkland shooting and Feb. 16. Such threats surged by 300 percent in the month after the Parkland shooting, according to the Educator's School Safety Network, which tracks shooting threats. More than 45 percent of those threats came from social media, the network reported. Schools shut down and teachers and students lose precious learning time as a result of these threats, Turner said. Making false threats drains school and law enforcement resources unnecessarily and cost taxpayers a lot of money. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe downplayed the significance of military drills involving a submarine in the South China Sea, saying relations with China are on the right track. Japan's submarine exercise also involved five aircraft and three destroyers, on Sept. 13, according to a statement from Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force. Kyodo reported that this was the first time a Japanese submarine had taken part. Asked about the exercise in an interview with broadcaster TV Asahi late on Monday, Abe said it hadn't been conducted with any specific country in mind. He added that Japan had been carrying out submarine exercises in the South China Sea for the past 15 years, including last year and the year before. "Regarding relations with China, I recently held a summit with President Xi Jinping in Vladivostok and we agreed to start negotiations about my visit to China," Abe said. "There's no doubt that relations between Japan and China are moving up to a new level." The drills prompted a relatively mundane response from China, which declares sovereignty over most of the South China Sea and has opposed U.S. military drills in the waters. Beijing has boosted activity in the South China Sea by building bases and deploying missiles, part of a larger push by Xi to assert control over territory that China has long claimed as its own. Asked about the drills, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "We urge the relevant non-regional country to respect the efforts made by the regional countries to peacefully resolve the South China Sea issue through dialogue, act cautiously and refrain from doing anything that will undermine regional peace and stability." The submarine, Kuroshio, was en route to visit a naval base in Vietnam, according to the defense force statement. The Asahi newspaper earlier reported the exercise. It's highly unusual for a country to reveal movements of a submarine. Japan lodged a protest in January after it detected a Chinese submarine in the contiguous zone just outside disputed islands claimed by both countries. BEIJING - China said Tuesday it would retaliate for President Donald Trump's latest tariff salvo, risking further U.S. trade actions that could result in what some analysts are calling an economic Cold War. By next week, the United States and China appear likely to be on the brink of slapping tariffs on their entire goods trade, which exceeds $635 billion annually. Chinese officials in Beijing said they would meet the 10 percent tariffs that Trump announced Monday on nearly $200 billion in imports with similar measures on $60 billion in U.S. products. If that occurs, Trump has said he will "immediately" begin the process of applying tariffs to all Chinese items entering the United States. The showdown comes as Chinese officials were preparing to travel to Washington for new talks aimed at resolving the months-old trade dispute. Negotiations earlier this year failed to make much progress and it remains unclear whether Chinese officials will resume bargaining in the wake of the president's latest escalation. As hopes dim for an early end to the conflict, the likelihood grows that the two countries are moving toward some sort of commercial divorce. Some analysts anticipate an economic partition reminiscent of the globe-splitting divide between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II. "We're probably talking about a world with two centers: a China-centered economic domain . . . and another centered on the United States," said Aaron Friedberg, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, who handled China policy as an aide to Vice President Richard Cheney in the George W. Bush administration. "It's heading toward a bifurcated global economy." Such a fundamental reshaping of the U.S.-China commercial relationship after nearly four decades of growing interdependence would ripple through the global economy, shaking financial markets, reordering business supply chains and perhaps even raising the danger of military conflict, analysts said. The two countries' annual goods trade, which has almost doubled since 2006, is roughly equal to the output of Argentina, which is widely considered to have the world's 21st-largest economy. For now, a genuine breakdown in the U.S.-China relationship, affecting roughly 40 percent of the global economy, remains a long-term prospect. The immediate prospect is for the trade dispute to percolate for the remainder of this year, gradually ratcheting up the economic pain in both countries. Trump says the tariffs are needed to compel China to abandon a host of unfair trade practices, including making American companies surrender their trade secrets in return for access to the Chinese market and subsidizing state firms in advanced-technology industries. "The purpose of the tariffs is to modify China's behavior," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on CNBC. "The real purpose is not to end up with tariffs. The real purpose is to end up with a level playing field so that American firms can compete properly." The newest tariffs will hit consumer goods such as appliances and auto parts, but Ross insisted the impact would be so slight that "nobody's going to actually notice it at the end of the day." That's unlikely to be true in every case. The 25 percent tariffs that Trump imposed on imported washing machines in January quickly translated into sticker shock for shoppers. Over the past year, retail prices rose 13.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the short run, the president's newest tariffs will be weaker than his earlier trade actions, as a strong dollar allows Americans to overlook any modest price increase on Chinese goods. The president announced Monday that he will hit up to $200 billion in Chinese goods - itemized on a 194-page list - with a 10 percent tariff starting Sept. 24. That's a smaller tax than the 25 percent levy he applied to $50 billion of imports from China in July, as well as the foreign steel and aluminum shipments that he began taxing in March. Changes in the value of the U.S. dollar and China's currency over the course of this year are certain to sap some of the new tariffs' power. Since early February, the dollar has gained more than 6 percent against the Chinese yuan, a move that could erode more than half of the new tariffs' impact. "This shows you how complex it is to narrow the trade deficit," said Torsten Slok, chief international economist for Deutsche Bank Securities. "Tariffs are a small part of the picture. There are many other moving parts and the rising dollar is offsetting some of the effects." The drop in China's currency likewise will exaggerate the effect of China's retaliatory tariffs, making goods imported from the United States even more expensive for Chinese customers. "American exporters now face a double whammy in terms of their competitiveness in the Chinese markets due to China's retaliatory tariffs and the strengthening of the dollar," said economist Eswar Prasad of Cornell University, who formerly was the head of the International Monetary Fund's China division. Under Trump's plan, the tariff pain on the $200 billion batch of Chinese goods will grow on Jan. 1, 2019, rising to 25 percent from the original 10 percent. If there remains little sign of diplomatic progress by that point, more companies may switch their orders from Chinese suppliers to factories in countries such as Vietnam or India, executives said. "We have not yet seen any significant shift in the customer supply chains. However, if the situation continues for any amount of time, we do expect customers to diversify their supply chains and perhaps some of the trade patterns might change," Rajesh Subramaniam, executive vice president of FedEx, told investors last week. As the president pursues his uncompromising approach to China, business leaders are growing increasingly frustrated. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation were among those blasting the administration's use of tariffs as costly and counterproductive. "We are disappointed that the administration seems to continue to misunderstand the complexities and reality of global trade," said Ed Black, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association. "There are many legitimate trade concerns U.S. companies have in the global marketplace, but tariffs are unwieldy and often counterproductive to address those problems." China's Foreign Ministry said it will respond to Trump's latest round of tariffs with duties on more than 5,200 types of American imports, including industrial parts, chemicals and medical instruments. Trump has promised to respond to Chinese retaliation with further tariffs on the remainder of Chinese imports - which he has variously characterized as $267 billion or $257 billion worth of products. Goldman Sachs published a research note Tuesday saying that announcement could come within "the next couple of weeks" with imposition sometime early next year. "If he does that, we're just headed inevitably for an economic Cold War with China," said economist Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Down this path, we will see a limitation of all economic contact." The administration also has taken steps to discourage Chinese investment in the United States. Congress this year passed legislation, with the backing of the White House, to scrutinize more closely a wider array of potential Chinese acquisitions of American technology companies. "People are very focused on tariffs. But that's just one element," said Michael Hirson, director for Asia at the Eurasia Group. "The non-tariff measures are equally important and may be a longer lasting legacy." Some administration hard-liners would be content to see the trade and investment restrictions lead to a decoupling of the U.S. and Chinese economies, Hirson said. That could be costly, according to Caroline Freund, director of macro trade and investment at the World Bank. If 25 percent tariffs were applied to all U.S.-China trade, and investors withdrew, the U.S. economy would be 1.6 percent - or $320 billion - smaller than under normal trading circumstances while China would lose 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product, according to a presentation Freund gave Monday at the Peterson Institute. At the White House on Tuesday, Trump said that while he might make a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping "at some point," his focus for now remains on tariffs. "We are always open to talking. But we have to do something," the president said. "We have a tremendous trade imbalance with China, tremendous trade deficit. And the way I look at it: Last year, we lost over $500 billion to China. We can't do that. I don't want to do that. And that's been going on for many years. Other presidents should have taken care of this situation, and they didn't. But I'm going to." - - - Paquette reported from Beijing. Luna Lin and Yang Liu in Beijing contributed to this report. WESTPORT A rise in absences and parents concern for the safety of Coleytown Middle School students amid ongoing mold issues prompted Westports superintendent to close the school for the rest of the week. The number of absent students exceeded 50, which is double the typical rate, and the nurses office handled dozens of students who complained of various health complaints today. Some students and staff have expressed their individual concern about remaining in the school environment, and it was difficult for the nursing staff to determine if the presenting health issues were impacted by the anxiety of those in the school in addition to any other presenting medical symptoms, Westport Superintendent Colleen Palmer wrote in an email to Coleytown Middle School families around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Therefore, in an abundance of caution and to reassure our families and staff that this school continues to be a safe environment, Coleytown Middle School will be closed Thursday, Sept. 20, and Friday, Sept. 21 after the scheduled school holiday of Wednesday, Sept. 19, Palmer wrote. This period of time will allow the District to conduct a further assessment of the school environment, and all data collected will be shared with all families. These testing results will be prioritized for expedited processing in order that we can confirm through our team of environmental and medical consultants that the school reopens on Monday. Mold, an ongoing issue at Coleytown Middle School, was first identified at the school in August 2016, at which point school officials estimated the work would be complete by the end of the calendar year. Over the summer, a failure of the schools air circulation coupled with hot and humid weather caused mold to resurface at the school and led to more than half the school needing remediation, which was completed just days before the first day of school on Aug. 28, Palmer said. When this mold issue was first identified in the summer, the District considered various scenarios in the event the building would not be ready for the start of school or available for some portion of the school year. If, at any point in time, the school facility is found not to be appropriate for safe use, the District will relocate the students and staff to an alternate location, Palmer wrote. A parent meeting to discuss mold remediation is scheduled for Thurdsay evening, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Bedford Middle School auditorium, Palmer said. We continue to hold the safety and well-being of our students and staff as the highest priority. All testing, reports, and findings will continue to be made available to the public. The health of our children will not be compromised, and we will work in full transparency as these difficult issues are addressed. I encourage you to speak with your students about all the precautionary steps that are being taken so that they understand how carefully and thoughtfully we are handling this stressful situation, Palmer wrote. svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1 Biratnagar, Nepal: Suspended Superintendent of Police (SP) Bikash Raj Khanal, who was one of the suspects in the 33kg gold smuggling case and the murder of carrier Sanam Shakya, has been released from the Biratnagar High Court order on Tuesday. Division bench of High Court Judges- Nagendralabh Karna and Thir Bahadur Karki- ordered to release Khanal overturning the Morang District Courts verdict to take Khanal into judicial custody. The High Court had already ordered to release of two other accused police officers SSP Dibesh Lohani and DSP Prajit KC. As the accused of the 33kg gold smuggled and murder case begun to release before identifying the perpetrators of the crime, it is suspected that the case would not reach into the logical conclusion. QUINCY (AP) Sarah Walton already understands the importance of spending time reading to her children. You can never read too much to little ones. They absorb everything, Walton said. But she got a reminder along with new books for the kids during a visit to the Adams County Health Department as Sylvia Baxter settled on a couch to read a superhero book with 4-year-old Derrick while 3-year-old Ariel thumbed through a book on her own. Baxter volunteers with Ready. Set. Grow! West Central Illinois, an initiative of the Regional Office of Education designed to encourage parents to read with their children. Its a good program, Walton said. They love books. Parents are a childs first teacher, and especially when they have babies, I encourage them to read to their children, Baxter said. I always tell the parents dont just read the words, talk about it and the colors on the page. The more words you use, the more theyre learning. Ready. Set. Grow! volunteer readers invested 643 hours in the past year visiting with parents in the Women Infants Children, or WIC, program, sharing 2,096 one-on-one short conversations about the brain-building power of the early years and giving out 3,093 books while spending time reading aloud to the children. A lot of times the parents learn so much by watching us with their children, said Sandy Schlepphorst, another volunteer. Kids know after a while when they have an appointment, they get a book. It builds up their home library. We talk to them about how these are their own books and how we read our own books over and over. Volunteers staff the waiting room four hours a day four days a week. They like it when we come. It entertains the children, and its a learning situation, said Baxter, a retired preschool teacher. Its such an easy thing to do sitting in the waiting room waiting for families to come, strike up a conversation about books and offer them a free one, said Schlepphorst, who worked in the social work field. The conversations stress the brain building done through reading to children from birth. Young children who are read to regularly by family members experience multiple benefits including boosts in literacy development, social-emotional gains and increased likelihood of overall school success. A lot of parents say I didnt know I should start reading so early, and once they do know, they start, said Jan Cory, who coordinates the initiative at the ROE. After they do it, they learn how fun it is, how much fun the baby or toddler has. The initiative got its start in 2013 working with parent educators and home visitors, then added the volunteers described by Cory as a perfect mix of loving children and loving reading in 2014. The ROE partnered with the health department to reach families and children served by the WIC program from birth to age 5. Financial support for the initiative comes through the United Way of Adams County, Community Foundation, Kiwanis, Quincy Service League and other grants. Parents and children can choose from an assortment of gently-used books in the health department waiting room at any time, and grants provide age-appropriate new books for volunteers to hand out. What mom and baby doesnt want a new book? Cory said. Its just really amazing how many hours they put in, how many books parents have selected. Its great. Books are out in homes being used. By starting with a simple concept, Schlepphorst said the impact can be huge. Its very fun. Not all of them will sit down with you. Some are shy, but they take the free book and want to sit by mom and dad, Schlepphorst said. They remember the book lady. The show me books they already have, and the parents start showing pictures of how much the kids like to read. One showed me a picture of a first-grader reading to a 3-year-old. HIROSAKI, Japan- The Fujisaki schoolhouse of the Hirosaki Vocational High School, home to Japan's only "Department of Apples," is closing at the end of the school year. Before the curtain falls on 71 years of history, students at the school in Fujisaki, Aomori Prefecture, are trying to develop and register a new apple variety. The Fujisaki schoolhouse opened in 1948 and its apple department was founded in 1972. The department has graduated about 2,300 students who have gone on to play important roles in regional agriculture. The schoolhouse now has only the apple department. The final class of 12 third-year students said they want to leave their mark on history. Fujisaki is where the Fuji apple brand originated. The town is an important producer in Aomori Prefecture, the nation's largest producer of Fuji apples. The Fujisaki schoolhouse is considered an ordinary branch school of the high school. Teachers in the apple department use textbooks handmade by teachers and conduct practical lessons in a 2.3-hectare orchard where students care for their own trees. Since the 2008 school year, the school has consisted of only the apple department. In 2012, it was decided that due to the low birthrate, the school would close at the end of the 2018 school year. With many alumni sad about the school's closing, local apple grower Masafumi Ota, 63, noticed that some of his Fuji trees began producing apples with a beautiful sheen from mutation. Wanting to leave behind something to remember the apple department by, he approached the students in April last year about selling it nationwide as a new variety of apple. This variety is characterized by deep-red skin and a good balance of sweet and sour flavor. Using "Fuji" from the town's name combined with "kosha" to refer to the skill of apple growers, they named the new variety Fujikosha. In January this year, they applied to register the variety with the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. While preparing for the department's final harvest, students are collecting data on the fruit's weight, sugar content, acid level and other factors in Ota's orchard for the registration process, which is based on the seeds and seedlings law. Because Fujikosha is known to be a type of Fuji, they need to determine whether they can establish it as a new variety. They are aiming for official registration in three years. After the department closes, Ota and some graduates plan to continue the registration process. "As the last students, we want to do our part to make sure Fujikosha are eaten nationwide," said third-year student Hiroki Fujita, 17. "Fujikosha are raised with love. We want to commemorate the history of a school that was the fruit of the hopes and labor of people working with apples," Ota said. I believe something happened to Christine Blasey Ford more than three decades ago. Six years before Brett Kavanaugh was a nominee for the Supreme Court, Ford related the story of an encounter with him to her therapist, which would have required an implausible prescience if her sexual-assault allegation is, as I've seen some conservatives argue, all part of an elaborate scheme. And yet, I believe Kavanaugh may also be sincere when he denies the incident. Which is to say that both he and Ford may think they're telling the truth. How those individual truths bear on actual events is a more complicated question. We may never know the answer. It's a cliche that memory is fallible, but in recent years, thanks to researchers such as Elizabeth Loftus, just how fallible it is has become clear. People can sincerely forget things you'd think they would remember, or they remember details or even whole events they couldn't possibly have experienced. Loftus herself describes inadvertently confabulating a vivid memory of finding her mother dead in the family's swimming pool when she was 14. Her mother did die in the pool, but Loftus wasn't there when the body was discovered. It is probable that at least some of the details of Ford's story are wrong, even if the bones are quite true - and horrifying. And it's equally possible that Kavanaugh doesn't remember it, either because she has misidentified him, or because he was blackout drunk, or because he saw the same events as more benign than Ford did, and his mind saw no reason to file that memory away. Which complicates the eminently sensible idea of delaying confirmation pending a full hearing. A delay would give other potential victims time to come forward and establish a pattern of behavior that could resolve lingering doubts, which is among the reasons for holding a hearing. But what if no one does come forward? We'd like to think that we could detect who's lying in a hearing just by watching Kavanaugh and Ford testify. Only at this point, it seems possible that neither will be deliberately lying - and that no one else will be able to corroborate or disprove such a vague story. Contra conservatives, the vagueness of Ford's story isn't proof that it didn't happen. If anything, the reverse: Liars tend to provide an excessive wealth of detail. But the lack of detail does make it essentially impossible for Kavanaugh to defend himself. "Prove you weren't at a house party somewhere in Montgomery County between the years 1979 and 1982" would set a new high for Supreme Court nomination standards. A version of that standard would be applied again and again if this story, by itself, scuttles his nomination. One way out of the dilemma is to say that whatever happened that night, a Supreme Court nomination should not be derailed by a teenage boy's behavior some 35 years ago. This argument has real merit, not because sexual assault is all right if you're 17, but because people do change, and a decent society recognizes that. In the case of minors, whose brains aren't fully formed, I especially believe in radical forgiveness and radical redemption. Yes, even for terrible crimes - forgiving crimes "except the really bad ones" isn't forgiveness, it's an admission that you didn't care that much in the first place. If you truly believe, as I do, that no one's character should be summed up by the worst thing they ever did, then people who have atoned and lived honorably for decades should be readmitted to society in full good standing - including even admission to the highest court of the land. And yet, if Kavanaugh did what he stands accused of, he hasn't paid his debt. That insults both the suffering of his victim and the majesty of the law. And if he has truly forgotten doing a terrible thing, he's no longer even capable of forming the sincere repentance necessary for redemption. Moreover, my views on criminal justice are a micro-minority position, and the democratic legitimacy of this appointment matters. Installing Kavanaugh with the allegations unresolved would further corrode an already tattered civic fabric. Unfortunately, with the midterms almost upon us, there is now no path to an outcome that both sides see as legitimate. Democrats can insist that the revelation of Ford's story was not exquisitely timed to exactly the moment when it became impossible to confirm a different nominee before the elections. But they are in essentially the same position as Kavanaugh: Even if they are telling the truth, they have no way to provide convincing proof. Which leaves us, at this point, with only one clear truth. Absent a lightning bolt from the evidence gods, America is going to be stuck with partial and unsatisfying answers to unresolvable questions. President Donald Trump's lead lawyer said Monday that attorneys for his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort have reiterated that the president has nothing to fear from Manafort's cooperation with federal investigators. Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani said that Manafort's legal team assured him as recently as Saturday - the day after Manafort struck a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller - that he has no information that will incriminate the president or his family, including eldest son Donald Trump Jr. Giuliani said he also thinks that Manafort has no evidence to suggest the Trump campaign colluded with Russians. "We've talked to their side," Giuliani said. "The statement is, there is nothing that is adverse to the president, the Trump family, the Trump campaign." Giuliani declined to name who provided the assurances, but two people briefed on the discussions said Manafort attorney Kevin Downing has been in contact with Trump's lawyers. Downing did not respond to a request for comment. Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni declined to comment. Manafort had been in a long-standing joint defense agreement with Trump and other witnesses in the special counsel investigation. Plea deals such as the one he struck Friday typically sever such agreements. Lawyers on both sides are still free to communicate, with some restrictions, but their discussions are no longer shielded from scrutiny by prosecutors. Legal experts expressed skepticism that Manafort, who has pledged his full cooperation with prosecutors, could be confident that he does not have information that could assist Muller's investigation of Trump. The special counsel has been examining contacts between Trump aides and Russians, as well as whether the president sought to obstruct the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign. "No one can know whether what Manafort knows could be harmful," said Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor who specializes in legal ethics. "It is not credible that his lawyers would make this representation now." Trump has asked his lawyers for their advice in the past about a pardon for Manafort, along with other aides accused of wrongdoing. Last month, Trump's lawyers counseled the president against the idea of pardoning anyone during the investigation into Russian interference, saying that Trump should at least wait until Mueller completes his inquiry. On Friday, Manafort pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to obstruct justice, a dramatic reversal that was viewed as an ominous development for Trump and his allies. As a cooperating witness, Manafort is now required to share all he knows with Mueller. Manafort had a front-row seat to key events being scrutinized by the special counsel, including a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting during which Trump Jr. expected to get "dirt" on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Attorneys for Trump and other witnesses familiar with Manafort's account are confident that his testimony will not contradict their statements, according to people familiar with their discussions. Giuliani said Monday that he and fellow Trump attorney Jay Sekulow have had ongoing conversations with Manafort's legal team that date back to before his trial earlier this summer in Virginia. "They've been going on constantly - way back to well before the first trial," Giuliani said. Still, some Trump advisers worry that Mueller would not have agreed to a deal with Manafort unless the longtime lobbyist had information that would be valuable to his investigation. Some allies of the president think Manafort's knowledge about influential Russian figures and pro-Russian Ukrainian leaders could help Mueller describe Russian efforts to penetrate the Trump campaign or illegally interfere in the election. "For them to give him a cooperation deal, he has to have something pretty good," said one person involved in the case who requested anonymity to speak about the ongoing investigation. "So what is that? You have to give something pretty interesting to get this deal." Temple Hills, Md. - A man was fatally shot by a Prince George's County police officer Monday morning during a struggle in which the man pulled a gun after stealing license plates from cars, authorities said. Police were called just before 7:30 a.m. to Temple Hills by a person reporting a man stealing items from a car. When police arrived, one officer saw a man matching the suspect description given by the caller, police said. As an officer tried to talk to the suspect, the man ran across Brinkley Road, dropping two license plates before running through a sliding-glass entry into the back of an apartment building, police said. As the man was running, an officer observed him grabbing at the waist of his pants, police said. An officer called for backup and when other officers arrived, they went into the apartment building and found the suspect hiding in a laundry room behind a machine, Police Chief Hank Stawinski said. The suspect did not "comply with officers' verbal commands," authorities said in a Twitter message, and a struggle ensued. "They ordered him to surrender," Stawinski said at a news conference. "They ordered him to his feet." But he resisted and a "significant struggle" followed, he said. Police used a stun gun on the man, but it had no effect, they said. The man pulled out a handgun from his waistband as the struggle continued. One officer managed to "get his hand on the suspect's gun," officials said, and tried "to prevent the suspect from pointing the gun at officers." Police said the man then fired twice, and the officer who earlier deployed his stun gun returned fire, striking the gunman with a single shot, Stawinski said. "The quick action of my officer who observed that weapon, grabbed that weapon and shoved it out of the way prevented another officer from being injured," Stawinski said. The suspect dropped "to the ground" and was pronounced dead at the scene, Stawinski said. Police identified the man shot as 23-year-old Jose Alvarez of Woodbridge, Virginia. Police said they found the suspect's weapon - a semiautomatic handgun - in the laundry room. Police released a photo of the recovered weapon on social media. Stawinski said the officer who got his hand on the gun and whose hand was injured, probably saved the life of another officer. Stawinski said the police department collects guns off the streets every day, but "rarely does someone fire that weapon at us." "I am describing a life-or-death struggle between our officers and the suspect," Stawinski said of the laundry room confrontation. The officer involved in the shooting is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation, which is standard procedure for the department. The Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office reviews all officer-involved shootings, the department said in a statement. Memorial Presbyterian Church of Midland, in partnership with Michigan-based Agape Community Transformation (ACT), will host Miss Uganda, Quiin Abanekyo, and the CEO of the Miss Uganda Foundation, Brenda Nanyonjo, on Thursday at a charity event. The event is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the church's Colonial Room. Sue Waechter, U.S. Director of ACT, also is scheduled to attend. The church is one of 15 ecumenical organizations in Michigan that is a partner in ACT Uganda & ACT U.S. WASHINGTON - The woman who has accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault decades ago wants the FBI to investigate her allegation before she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee - a demand that came as President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans increasingly rallied to the defense of the embattled Supreme Court nominee. "A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions," lawyers for the woman, Christine Blasey Ford, said in a letter to the panel late Tuesday. The committee had invited Kavanaugh and Ford to testify at a public hearing Monday, but Ford's response raises questions about whether the GOP will proceed with the session and ultimately press ahead with a vote on Kavanaugh, who was nominated in July to replace the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. The two-page letter does not explicitly say she will not attend if there is no FBI probe. Many Republican officials maintained Tuesday that such a hearing would be Kavanaugh's best chance at preserving his nomination to the high court, since it would give the judge - who seems determined to fight the allegation - an opportunity to respond to the claims. But Democrats, like Ford, argued that the scheduled Monday session should be delayed until the FBI further investigates her allegation. The letter from Ford's lawyers described death threats and harassment since The Washington Post published her account Sunday. "In the 36 hours since her name became public, Dr. Ford has received a stunning amount of support from her community and from fellow citizens across our country. At the same time, however, her worst fears have materialized," the letter said. "She has been the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online." The letter also refers to Ford testifying "at the same table" as Kavanaugh, although a spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said it was never the plan, nor was it conveyed to Ford and her attorneys, to have them testify together. In a statement late Tuesday night, Grassley disputed that the FBI would need to investigate before Ford appeared before the committee and said: "The invitation for Monday still stands." "Dr. Ford's testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events," Grassley said. "Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay." The FBI declined to comment Tuesday after the letter from Ford's lawyers was made public. The Justice Department said previously that the FBI updated Kavanaugh's background-check file to include the allegation and suggested that that is the extent of what the agency plans to do. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, urged Republicans to delay Monday's hearing after Ford's lawyers sent their response. The high-stakes hearing was set without consultation with Ford, although Grassley's office has said his staff offered Ford multiple dates for a potential hearing. "I agree with her 100 percent that the rushed process to hold a hearing on Monday has been unfair and is reminiscent of the treatment of Anita Hill," Feinstein said, referring to the woman who testified in 1991 that now-Justice Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. "I also agree that we need the facts before senators - not staff or lawyers - speak to witnesses." Earlier, Democrats protested Republicans' decision to limit the witnesses at Monday's hearing to just Ford and Kavanaugh, saying it would turn the testimony into a "he said, she said" spectacle. At a White House news conference Tuesday afternoon, Trump encouraged the hearing to proceed so Ford can "state her case," but he predicted that the public setting would ultimately exonerate Kavanaugh and expressed sympathy for his nominee. "I feel so badly for him that he's going through this," Trump said. ". . . This is not a man that deserves this." He called Kavanaugh "a great gentleman" and lamented that his wife and daughters are experiencing the public airing of accusations that Trump said Feinstein should have brought up earlier in his confirmation process. Feinstein has said she kept the accusation confidential at Ford's request. Though Kavanaugh's confirmation prospects looked shaky earlier this week after Ford's allegations became public, senior Republicans on Tuesday were increasingly determined to press forward with his nomination. "All I can say is that we're bringing this to a close," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "They've had tons of time to do this. This has been a drive-by shooting when it comes to Kavanaugh. . . . I'll listen to the lady, but we're going to bring this to a close." Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a close Kavanaugh friend who introduced him at his confirmation hearings this month, said, "Obviously, the process was very unfair." He added: "I'm not blaming [Ford], I'm blaming the Democrats who misused this process." And Sen. John Cornyn, Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, sharply questioned Ford's credibility. Speaking to reporters, Cornyn said he was concerned by "gaps" in the account of Ford, who told The Washington Post that, at a house party in the early 1980s when the two were in high school, Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her to a bed, groped her and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams. "The problem is, Dr. Ford can't remember when it was, where it was or how it came to be," Cornyn told reporters at the Capitol. Asked whether he was questioning the accuser's account, Cornyn said, "There are some gaps there that need to be filled." In another part of the dispute, Democrats insisted that Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh friend from their time at Georgetown Preparatory School, should appear before the panel to testify about the alleged incident. Republicans "have just completely tried to ram this thing through," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a former chairman of the committee. "This is more of the same." Judge, who Ford said was in the room at the time of the alleged assault, said in a letter to the committee that he did not wish to speak publicly. In the letter, relayed by his attorney, Judge said that he has "no memory of this alleged incident." "Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school, but I do not recall the party described in Dr. Ford's letter," Judge said. "More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes." GOP staffers on the Judiciary Committee continued reaching out to other potential witnesses mentioned in The Post's report Sunday, as Kavanaugh visited the White House for the second day in a row Tuesday. Trump said he had not spoken to him. The coordination and preparation for Monday's hearing has largely been centered on the White House. Kavanaugh and White House counsel Donald McGahn, along with other White House officials, met Monday and Tuesday for hours, monitoring news coverage and talking through their strategy, as Kavanaugh personally called senators to press his case. White House officials engaged in a two-hour practice session, known as a murder board, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with Kavanaugh, where he answered questions on his past, his partying, his dating and the accuser's account. Participants included McGahn, deputy chief of staff Bill Shine, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Raj Shah, who is leading communications. It was unclear whether Monday's hearing would take place if Ford formally turns down the committee's invitation. Cornyn said that if Ford "doesn't want to participate, then we can't force her." A committee vote on Kavanaugh, initially scheduled for Thursday but subsequently canceled, could occur "a couple days" after that hearing, Cornyn said. The charged political dynamics ahead of November's midterm elections hovered as some Democrats running for reelection in states won by Trump in 2016 shied away from reporters, as did some moderate Republicans worried about potentially alienating independent voters and women. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was first elected in the 1992 "year of the woman" following the 1991 hearings for Thomas. She said Republicans risk another Democratic surge if they aggressively target Kavanaugh's accuser. "They're on very fragile ground," Murray said. "If women and men believe someone who has courageously come forward isn't being treated fairly, there will be a reaction, you can count on that." More than 140 female friends of Ford signed a letter Tuesday defending the Palo Alto University professor and her character. "Christine's bravery and sacrifice in coming forward with her story while knowing the all-but-certain to follow devastating consequences for and retaliation against her and family does not surprise those of us who know her," the letter read. "We are all very proud of Christine, grateful to have her as a member of our community, and stand in solidarity with her." While many Republicans remain confident that Kavanaugh will be confirmed, there have been private discussions among some lawmakers about whether the GOP should have a backup plan if he withdraws from the process or fails to secure the necessary votes. But any private skepticism was outweighed by public vows to stand by Kavanaugh as he fought the allegation. "He's not going to withdraw," Cornyn insisted. "I talked to him yesterday, and he's determined to testify and tell his side of the story." He added, "Our Plan B is the same as our Plan A: Judge Kavanaugh." - - - The Washington Post's Sean Sullivan, Gabriel Pogrund, Josh Dawsey and Emma Brown contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - They're not giving up. The group of Washington residents trying to strip the Trump International Hotel of its liquor license said Monday that the city's liquor board made a mistake last week when it declined to review their case. They argue President Donald Trump is violating D.C. law because he does not have the "good character" required of liquor license holders. The D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Board cited a technicality in its decision, noting that the character of liquor license owners is not reviewed at will, but when liquor licenses are issued, transferred or renewed. But a lawyer for the residents says that on at least one other occasion, the liquor board held an at hearing outside of those specified times to review the license of someone accused of violating a different provision of the same statute. "If your position is allowed to stand, you will be treating the hotel's owner, Donald J. Trump, as if he were above the law," Joshua Levy, the attorney who filed the complaint on behalf of seven residents, wrote in a letter to the board. "We are sure that is not your intention, but it is certainly what you are doing." In 2010, the liquor board held a hearing when a convenience store owner was charged with failing to have a board-licensed manager, among other things. Like the "good character" clause, having a board-licensed manager is one of the requirements outlined in D.C. Code 25-301. Levy requested in the letter that the board "act immediately." "Imagine if Mr. Trump were to act on his statement about shooting someone on Fifth Avenue," he wrote. "Under the logic of your letter, the board would have to wait seven or eight months for the license to come up for renewal before reaching the merits about a complaint." The residents who are behind the complaint include three ministers, two retired judges and two rabbis. They are part of a group called "Make Integrity Great Again," which is backed by Jerry Hirsch, an Arizona Republican who practiced law and ran real estate and technology companies before becoming a philanthropist. BEIRUT - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday described the downing of a Russian plane in Syria as the result of "tragic chance events," appearing to dial back a rare flare-up in tensions with Israel. Fifteen Russian service personnel were killed late Monday after Syrian air defenses hit their reconnaissance plane. Russia's Defense Ministry had initially claimed that the crash was indirectly the fault of Israel, saying that the Israeli military had not given adequate warning to the Russian aircraft and that Israeli pilots had used the plane as cover while they attacked Syrian targets. But Putin, speaking in Moscow on Tuesday, played down claims of Israeli culpability. "It looks most likely in this case that it was a chain of tragic chance events, because an Israeli aircraft did not shoot down our aircraft. But, without any doubt, we need to seriously get to the bottom of what happened," he said. Russia, which began carrying out airstrikes in support of the Syrian government in September 2015, is one of President Bashar Assad's strongest allies in a war that has entangled competing international powers. In a sign of the conflict's broader dimensions, Israel's air campaign in Syria is aimed at checking archrival Iran, Assad's other key ally, which has deepened its influence by backing pro-government fighters and building military bases in the country. Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoy a close personal relationship and have used face-to-face meetings to address issues of mutual interest in the Middle East. It was unclear Tuesday whether the latest crisis would test those ties. "As for retaliatory measures, they will be aimed first and foremost at further ensuring the safety of our military personnel and facilities in Syria. And these will be steps that everyone will notice," Putin said. The confrontation between Russia and Israel erupted only hours after Russia and Turkey agreed on a plan aimed at averting bloodshed in Syria's Idlib province, the last-held rebel enclave in the country, ending weeks of speculation that an offensive there would prompt a full-scale humanitarian disaster. The Kremlin said Tuesday that the downed jet would in no way prevent the Idlib deal from going ahead. "This incident will have no effect. This agreement is a significant breakthrough," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The Israeli military said Tuesday that its fighter jets had targeted a Syrian military facility in the port city of Latakia "from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon." The weapons were meant to be used by the Lebanese Shiite militant group to attack Israel "and posed an intolerable threat," the army said in an unusually detailed statement. Israel does not usually comment in the aftermath of its strikes in Syria, although military officials said this month that more than 200 have been carried out since 2017. The Israeli Defense Ministry blamed "extensive and inaccurate" Syrian surface-to-air missile fire for the downing of the Russian plane and said Israeli jets were back inside Israeli airspace when the missiles were launched. The Syrian antiaircraft batteries "fired indiscriminately" and apparently "did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air," the statement said. The Idlib deal, reached by Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian town of Sochi, received an unusually broad welcome across Syria on Tuesday. The deal provides for the establishment of a demilitarized zone between rebel and government lines that will be policed jointly by Russia and Turkey. The Syrian government said in a statement carried by its official Syrian Arab News Agency that it "welcomed any initiative that stops bloodshed and contributes to security and stability in each inch that was struck by terrorism." Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran played a role in negotiating the agreement, which he hailed as evidence that "diplomacy works." In rebel-held territory, residents took to the streets to demonstrate against Assad and celebrate their relief that a feared offensive had been put on hold, at least for now. Whether the deal will work to secure a longer-term solution to the war remains in doubt. The statement by the government reiterated its determination to bring all of Syria back under central control eventually. Capt. Naji Mustafa, a spokesman for the biggest rebel coalition in Idlib, the National Liberation Front, reiterated the rebels' determination not to allow the Assad regime to have any role in Idlib. The rebels remain unconvinced that Russia and Syria will abide by the agreement, he said. "Right now our main concern is avoiding a Russian double-cross," he said. "They have not abided by agreements in the past, and we don't trust the Russians." --- Ferris-Rotman reported from Moscow. The Washington Post's Liz Sly in Beirut, Erin Cunningham in Istanbul and Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Flagship public universities in Texas, Virginia and Kansas reported double-digit gains, driving U.S. endowments to reach record values. It's shaping up to be a second year of strong performance for many endowments, with a number of funds attributing the boost to alternative investments such as private equity and venture capital. Most college funds end their fiscal year on June 30 and report results in the fall as they receive performance updates on private investments. The University of Virginia gained 11.4 percent as the state school's endowment reached a record $9.5 billion. The performance, which is gross of fees, was driven by private equity returns of more than 22 percent, according to a report from the school's investment office. Top Allocations The University of Kansas reported a 10.5 percent gain, as the value of its endowment rose to a record $1.5 billion. The top asset allocations were to public equities, hedge funds and real assets, which make up real estate and energy including alternatives such as wind and solar. "Returns were broad-based but domestic equities, particularly private equity and venture capital, provided a boost," James Clarke, senior vice president and treasurer of the fund, said in an email. The endowment also was helped by its natural resources portfolio and hedge fund investments, he said, and less allocation to traditional bonds. The University of California, however, trailed peers with an 8.9 percent return as the state system's endowment grew to $12.3 billion, according to a report for an upcoming board meeting. While the private equity portfolio produced a strong return at 22.7 percent, the hedge fund portfolio was weaker at 6.4 percent. Last month, the University of Colorado attributed its 11 percent return to alternative investments. The University of Texas Investment Management Co., which manages money for the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, gained 11.3 percent as the assets it oversees reached $32.2 billion, according to a preliminary report to the organization's board. The returns compare with a median 7.4 percent, gross of fees, for endowments of all sizes in the period, according to data by Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service. Colleges usually report their numbers net of fees. Among private school endowments, Massachusetts Institute of Technology gained 13.5 percent on its record $16.4 billion fund while Dartmouth College posted a 12.2 percent return as the fund's value rose to a record $5.5 billion. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the Justice Department to declassify significant materials from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, threatening to spur a showdown with federal law enforcement officials resistant to publicizing information from an ongoing probe. In a statement, the White House said Trump was ordering the department to immediately declassify portions of the secret court order to monitor former campaign adviser Carter Page, along with all interviews conducted as officials applied for that authority. Trump also instructed the department to publicly released the unredacted text messages of several former high-level Justice Department and FBI officials, including former FBI director James Comey and deputy director Andrew McCabe. For months, conservative lawmakers have been calling on the department to release Russia-related and other materials, many of them accusing law enforcement of hiding information that might discredit the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump was sympathetic - though he had shied away from using his formal declassification power to force Justice Department officials to hand over documents they otherwise would not have. His doing so Monday significantly raises the stakes. The Justice Department had already turned over thousands of pages of materials to Congress, though its leaders had made clear there was a line they would not cross because making some materials public might put sources at risk or harm an ongoing investigation. The Justice Department said in a statement, "When the President issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of America's national security interests. The Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order." Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the order a "clear abuse of power," and said that based on his conversations with federal law enforcement officials, the FBI and Justice Department would consider the release of these materials "a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods." "This is evidently of no consequence to a President who cares nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self-interest," Schiff said. But Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and others who have called for the release of the material praised the move. "Transparency wins," Meadows said in a tweet. "This is absolutely the right call from @POTUS. It's time to get the full truth on the table so the American people can decide for themselves on what happened at the highest levels of their FBI and Justice Department." The White House said in a statement that Trump's order came at the request of "a number of committees of Congress," and was done "for reasons of transparency." Earlier this month, conservative lawmakers had made a public appeal to Trump directly to release all of the materials at issue. In addition to ordering the release of materials on Page, Comey and McCabe, the president ordered the department to declassify interviews with Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, who worked in the deputy attorney general's office and had conversations with the author of a controversial dossier alleging ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Trump also ordered the release of text messages written by FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Strzok and Page were both involved in the Russia probe, as well as the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. "These documents will reveal to the American people some of the systemic corruption and bias that took place at the highest levels of the DOJ and FBI, including using the tools of our intelligence community for partisan political ends," said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. The list of those whose text messages Trump said should be released - Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Lisa Page and Ohr - have long been targets of the president's ire. Trump fired Comey as FBI director, saying the Russia case was on his mind when he did so. McCabe and Strzok were fired later - McCabe after he was accused of lying about a media disclosure, Strzok for sending anti-Trump text messages to Lisa Page. Representatives for all five either declined to comment or could not be reached Monday night. Former officials said the president's action was troubling, and seemed to be politically motivated. "This order is an unprecedented misuse of the President's declassification authority for purely political reasons, and manifests a dangerous disregard for the protection of information developed in sensitive counterintelligence investigations," said David Laufman, a former chief of the Justice Department's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section who had been involved in the Russia case. "Given the Administration's intensified efforts to identify and prosecute leakers of classified information, it's also more than a little ironic." The Justice Department already has released thousands of texts of Page and Strzok, and it has also made public a heavily redacted version of its application for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court order to monitor Carter Page. David Kris, a former Assistant Attorney General for National Security who is now at the Culper Partners consulting firm, said the release of the surveillance order was "totally unprecedented." "The President has the authority to do this, but here, as in so many other areas, his exercise of authority is tainted by a severe conflict of interest, as he is a subject of the investigation to which these [orders] pertain," he said. The Justice Department is no stranger to confrontations with conservative lawmakers and even the White House over making materials public. It is possible officials could yet reach an agreement with the White House about what should and should not be released that would satisfy all sides. In May - in a meeting brokered by the White House - Justice Department and FBI officials sat down with senior lawmakers to discuss the bureau's use of a confidential source in the Russia case. The move seemed to mollify lawmakers, at least for a time. But the confrontation has been escalating again. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein vowed publicly earlier this year the department "is not going to be extorted" in the battle over congressional access to secret records. Some conservatives later introduced articles of impeachment against the Justice Department's No. 2 official, though House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., then declared he opposed their efforts. Trump has at times seemed to be close to firing senior law enforcement officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rosenstein, though he has never made good on his private threats. Mueller is investigating, among other things, Trump's efforts to pressure Justice Department leaders as part of his inquiry into whether the president sought to obstruct justice. - - - The Washington Post's Shane Harris contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump repeated a specious claim Tuesday that the FBI spied on his campaign, and suggested that his decision to declassify documents from the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election would reveal misconduct by federal law enforcement. In morning tweets apparently quoting from a television appearance by Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., Trump wrote, " 'What will be disclosed is that there was no basis for these FISA Warrants, that the important information was kept from the court, there's going to be a disproportionate influence of the (Fake) Dossier. Basically you have a counter terrorism tool used to spy on a presidential campaign, which is unprecedented in our history.' " "Really bad things were happening, but they are now being exposed," Trump added. "Big stuff!" Later, in the Oval Office, the president called the Russia investigation a "witch hunt" and said he hoped to bring "total transparency." "The things that have been found over the last couple of weeks about text messages back and forth are a disgrace to our nation," he said. The comments are a reference to Trump's order on Monday night that the Justice Department declassify materials related to the Russia investigation, including portions of a secret court order to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The order was issued under what is known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is commonly referred to in national security circles as FISA. Democrats and former national security officials have said that Trump's directive is a dangerous one - threatening to undermine an ongoing investigation of his own campaign and potentially revealing confidential law enforcement and intelligence sources. The Justice Department, though, offered a somewhat muted initial reaction, saying in a statement that such a command from the president "triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community," and officials were "already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order." The president's conservative allies had this month appealed directly to the president to release the materials, and they praised Trump's directive as a win for transparency. Like the president, they have accused the Justice Department of hiding information they say would be damaging to special counsel Robert Mueller III's probe of Russian interference. It was not immediately clear how soon any of the material could be made public. In addition to ordering the declassification of the Page order, Trump instructed the Justice Department to declassify interviews conducted in the preparation of it. He also ordered the department to release the investigation-related text messages of former Justice Department and FBI officials whom he has frequently criticized: former FBI director James Comey; former deputy director Andrew McCabe; former FBI lawyer Lisa Page; former FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok; and Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. Some of that work could be completed in days, according to people familiar with the process who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity. The FISA documents have been reviewed previously by law enforcement officials, and releasing another, less redacted version could happen fairly quickly, according to a person familiar with the matter, who said similar work has been done on the Ohr interview documents that the president wants released. What could take longer, however, are documents describing FBI interviews in the Russia probe, as well as the internal FBI text messages. Those demands caught some Justice Department officials by surprise, and officials must now review potentially large volumes of information and decide which are covered by the White House order. Thousands of text messages from Strzok and Page already have been made public because the inspector general discovered that the two, who were involved in both the Russia investigation and the probe of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, were exchanging anti-Trump sentiments; their communications were eventually turned over to Congress and released. In recent weeks, conservatives have seized on newly released messages between Strzok and Page, suggesting that the pair engineered media leaks to hurt Trump. Those messages, though, were divorced from context, and Strzok's lawyer has said they referred not to fostering leaks, but rather a Justice Department effort to stop them. Since The Washington Post first revealed the existence of the Page surveillance order last year, details of the classified court orders also have been trickling out. This summer, officials released heavily redacted versions of the first October 2016 FISA application and three renewals stretching to September 2017. The unredacted portions of the first FISA application spell out in stark terms the FBI's suspicions that Page was being recruited by the Russians to secretly act as their agent as they sought to "undermine and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election." The unredacted portion also makes clear that some of those suspicions are based on information provided by British ex-spy Christopher Steele, who had been hired by a U.S. firm, Fusion GPS, to do research into Trump's possible ties to Russia. Though Fusion started its work for a Republican donor, by the time Steele was hired, it was working for a law firm representing the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Those connections are at the heart of Trump's charge against the FBI's Russia investigation - that it was rooted in political opposition research for Democrats. The president's supporters have accused the FBI of misusing the government's surveillance powers to target a political enemy - Trump. Current and former law enforcement officials have vehemently denied those accusations, saying they met the probable-cause standard to investigate Page and others for possibly acting on Russia's behalf. Page had left the campaign before the electronic surveillance began. Trump's supporters in Congress have argued that releasing the full document would show the unfair nature of the surveillance. In particular, they have focused on the first FISA order in October 2016. But the president's order focuses on pages from the June 2017 FISA order - after Mueller was appointed special counsel to investigate Russian interference - which could contain more recent details of what the FBI has found. Mid-year layoffs and drastic spending cuts in Crosby ISD will be necessary this year to keep the 6,000-student school district from becoming financially insolvent, Superintendent Scott Davis told the board of trustees this week. Although the board approved a $57 million budget in June, former financial officials apparently over-estimated how much revenue the district would receive, Davis said. Officials will not know how many teachers and other staff members will lose their jobs or how much will need to be cut from other sources for at least another week as financial officers work to adjust the budget. Davis asked the board Monday to call a special meeting within the next two weeks so he can present a sweeping budget amendment, and so trustees can consider approving a forensic audit to see how the district blew through its emergency reserve funds, ran out of general fund dollars to pay teachers and spent millions more than it collected in revenues. "If we don't get this right, the very existence of Crosby ISD could be called into question," Davis said. CALCULATIONS: Crosby ISD lowers tax rate as property values increase, debt decreases The dire warnings came nearly three months after the district's current administration discovered a series of "cash-flow issues" that appear to date back at least to spring 2017, and after the departure of two-high profile officials. Former Superintendent Keith Moore signed a voluntary separation agreement with the district in January, which forbade him from visiting any Crosby ISD properties. Moore continued to receive his full $234,130 salary through June. Former Chief Financial Officer Carla Merka also left the district in June to take the top financial job in the much larger Pasadena ISD. Her replacement, Lesa Jones, discovered the "cash-flow issues" shortly after she arrived. Officials still are working to learn the full extent of what may have happened, but Jones said Monday there are three primary culprits: past construction costs, shoddy revenue estimates and personnel costs. Jones and Davis did not provide specific numbers for the construction cost issues, but Davis said he learned Monday of at least three construction change-orders that were never shown to or approved by the board. PREPARING THE BALLOT: Candidates finalized for Crosby ISD school board election According to a 2017 annual financial audit, district officials underestimated the amount of state aid and tax revenue the district would receive by $3.6 million in 2016-2017. The district ultimately spent $8 million more than it collected in revenues that year. Those revenue over-estimate also are evident in the recently approved 2018-2019 budget. "Our adopted budget was overstated by $5.3 million," Jones said. To keep the district's finances afloat over the past year or so, officials took short-term loans from debt service and construction funds to cover general expenses, including payroll. Before Davis became superintendent in July, the district already had borrowed $5.65 million from its construction fund to cover general fund expenses. Davis borrowed an additional $1.99 million from the construction fund to cover the July payroll. Those funds will be repaid by the end of the year, Jones said. At HoustonChronicle.com: Crosby ISD financial woes force spending cuts Payroll expenses also appeared to be high, Jones and Davis said. Typically, districts are encouraged to spend about 80 percent of their general fund budget on salaries and benefits?. Last year, Crosby ISD dedicated 88 percent of its general fund budget for payroll. Even with a hiring freeze and the attrition of at least 31 positions, the district still would be poised this school year to spend 89 percent of its general fund budget on payroll without layoffs. Davis said he does not yet know how many people will lose their jobs, but said notices would likely come in December. "There's a full realization this is people's lives, and there's the full realization Crosby ISD has to live on," Davis said. "We have to salvage this, and we have to get it going this year." Even with cuts and layoffs, Jones said the district still likely will have a deficit in the spring. The district is working with financial advisers and attorneys to find a new way to cover the shortfall because the district can no longer dip into its depleted savings, or reserve funds. Some parents and community members lambasted the board Monday evening for the current financial situation. READ ALSO: School districts in Houston, statewide feel crushing effects of budget troubles David Givans, who has two young children in the district, asked how trustees did not notice anything was wrong when they were responsible for approving budgets. "Members of this board made tremendous mistakes, and my children, who are just now beginning to attend Crosby ISD are going to face the direct impact of that," Givans said. "We trusted you all to ensure things like this wouldn't happen. I feel just as tricked by you as you feel about the prior administration." Crosby ISD Board President Carla Mills Windfont, who was first elected in 2002, said the board requested a second snapshot financial audit of the 2016-2017 school year after the first showed a suspiciously rosy outlook. There were no indications of any fiscal issues until May, she said, and the board did not learn the full extent until the regular board meeting in August. Some spending, including the three construction change orders Davis learned of Monday, caught her by surprise. "You don't know what you don't know," she said. "You're limited to what you can do, and you're limited based on the information you're given. People can assume a lot of things." shelby.webb@chron.com Twitter.com/shelbywebb A Texas prison guard has been arrested after the death of an inmate who allegedly spit on him at a Huntsville prison, officials said Tuesday. Former corrections officer D'Andre Glasper was charged this month with one count of aggravated assault after a prisoner who was just two months from release died when he hit his head during a use-of-force incident in the Estelle Unit shower. The 22-year-old guard - who has since resigned - was booked into the Walker County Jail and later let out on $50,000 bond. "One of the core values of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is integrity and any violation of the public trust will not be tolerated," agency Executive Director Bryan Collier said in a statement. The death - and unusual decision to charge an officer in connection with it - comes amid a long-term uptick in major use-of-force incidents in Texas prisons, which have increased by 50 percent over the past decade even as the prison population has gone down. Two weeks before he died, prisoner Gary Lesley Ryan, a 58-year-old from Dallas County, allegedly spit on the officer just before 8 a.m. during the Aug. 30 morning count. The spittle hit Glasper's upper body, and he reported the incident to his supervisor and then went for medical attention before returning to his post, Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said. To keep the situation from escalating, Glasper was ordered to stay away from the inmate. But apparently Glasper ignored that order, as later that morning, he escorted Ryan to the shower. En route, Glasper told supervisors afterward, the inmate allegedly pulled away from him, got aggressive and made derogatory remarks - actions that Glasper thought merited the use of force. As Glasper took Ryan down, the inmate hit his head hard enough that he fell unconscious. When medical staff arrived, he was bleeding out onto the floor. He was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition. There, he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, but doctors weren't able to save him and he died Sept. 12. At the time of his death, he was at least four years in to a five-year sentence for harassment of a public servant. It's not clear if he had any prior prison discipline history, and officials weren't sure whether he was in administrative segregation or why he required an escort to the shower. Previously, he served a 12-year prison sentence starting in 1991 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Just over a decade later, he got another two years for the same charge. His most recent arrest came in 2013, and he was scheduled to get out on Nov. 23. Glasper - who'd been with the agency since 2016 - resigned on Sept. 7, amid a pending disciplinary case for failure to obey an order from a proper authority, excessive force, and failing to follow proper escorting procedures. He had no prior disciplinary history or inmate grievances filed against him, the agency said in a statement. The officer was arrested on Sept. 10, two days before Ryan's death. At the time, aggravated assault was the highest charge possible. But, because he was an officer, that charge was upgraded to a first-degree felony, according to Jack Choate, executive director of the Special Prosecution Unit that handles Texas prison criminal cases. The upgraded charge carries the same sentencing range as murder - 5 to 99 years or life in prison. "He is currently charged with the highest level felony that he can be charged with," Choate said. Still, it's possible prosecutors could later charge Glasper with murder, once the inmate's autopsy report is complete and more information becomes available. It's not clear whether Glasper has an attorney, and the accused former officer could not be located for comment. Prison officials couldn't immediately specify when the last time an inmate death actually led to a guard's arrest - but spokesman Jeremy Desel said it's not often. "Any incident like this is exceedingly rare," he said. Choate said he couldn't remember any in the past decade. But even if officer arrests are rare after fatal force incidents, major uses of force are ticking up in Texas prisons. In 2008, there was 6,231 major uses of force, according to department data. By 2013, that number crept up to 7,151, and by last year it was up to 9,328. It's not immediately clear why, though state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, suggested that understaffing and a "tougher" prison population filled with fewer low-level offenders could be contributing factors. "Use of force should be used only when necessary to protect staff and inmates," he said. In the latest case, he pointed out, the officer has been charged and "now we have to let the criminal justice system work." Thieves broke into an Ellington-area Target Tuesday morning while employees were inside, according to Metro Video. Around 3 a.m., the thieves busted through the front windows of the Target on South Sam Houston Parkway and Pearland Parkway. Police have raided the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe less than a week after a former priest was accused of child molestation. Conroe police Sgt. Scott McCann confirmed that detectives and the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office searched the church Monday afternoon in connection with the arrest of Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, who has been charged with four counts of indecency with a child. While executing the search warrant, authorities could be seen walking out of the church on the corner of Frazier and McDade with boxes and plastic bins, according to KHOU-TV video footage. It was not immediately known what was taken from the church or what authorities were looking for. The search warrant was requested to cover all bases, and find anything at the church that could progress the case, McCann said. THE RESPONSE: Alleged victims say officials ignored complaints about ex-Conroe priest The alleged sex abuse targeting boys and girls spanned several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Rosa-Lopez was assigned to the church as a parochial vicar. The father of a 16-year-old victim discovered a diary detailing his daughters sexual relationship with a man and believed him to be Rosa-Lopez. The father reported him to the church in 2001, prompting him to be transferred out of his clergy assignment. Rosa-Lopez was allowed to return to parish ministry in 2004. 'A DISMISSIVE TONE': Houston's Cardinal Daniel DiNardo criticized over handling of two abuse reports In response to both claims, officials for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston said Child Protective Services were contacted after the 2001 allegation and last month, when a 36-year-old man accused Rosa-Lopez of sexually abusing him as a child. nicole.hensley@chron.com @nkhensley Steve Gonzales, Staff Photographer / Steve Gonzales A former Harris County Pct. 4 deputy constable was abusing his power in 2011 when he was caught on police dash-cam video kicking a prone and handcuffed man so hard he broke a rib, then dropping his knee on the mans back and neck, prosecutors said Tuesday. This is about Jimmy Drummond abusing his power as a peace officer, prosecutor Michael Harrison told jurors in opening statements of the police officers trial for official oppression. He was a sergeant. He was a supervisor. Instead of putting the fire out, he threw gasoline on it. 3 1 of 3 Jay R. Jordan Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jay R. Jordan Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Houston Police Department dive team is searching for a swimmer thought to be lost inside a pond in northwest Houston. A passerby called police and said they saw a person swimming in a retention pond on Waste Management property in the 5600 block of N. Gessner Road, according to HPD. Houston police officers would receive 7 percent pay raises over two years under a tentative agreement between the city and the union representing officers, city officials said Tuesday. The proposal, which would go into effect in July 2019, comes as the city is waging a high-profile campaign to defeat a firefighter-backed referendum on pay parity aimed at bringing firefighter salaries in line with police officers. Joe Gamaldi, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, declined to comment on the agreement until union members vote on the proposed deal on Friday. If approved by the union, the deal still would need to be ratified by City Council. If approved, the contract would go into effect for officers who have completed their six-month probationary periods. Starting pay for police officers begins at $42,000 a year. Once an officer completes his probationary period, pay rises to about $55,000. Under the new agreement, that figure would rise to about $57,000 in July 2019, and then by another $1,500 a year later. The city did not provide a dollar figure associated with the overall cost of the proposal. Fire union officials congratulated police officers even as they argued that firefighters remain seriously underpaid. We are very happy for our brothers and sisters in blue, said Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 341. We believe they deserve everything theyve earned. The proposed contract with police follows a separate agreement between the city and its municipal employees, who agreed earlier this year to a 6 percent raise phased in over three years. Police Chief Art Acevedo said he was proud of the HPOUs negotiations and said officers had demonstrated the proper way to engage in productive labor relations. Over the years, the HPOU has been a productive partner with the city and their willingness to support pension reform and their reasonableness has helped the city and department deal with the crippling effects of our revenue cap, he said. RELATED: HFD chief warns pay ballot measure could cause at least 800 layoffs However, the tentative police pay deal comes against a backdrop of increasingly acrimonious relations between City Hall and the firefighters union over pay, with each side accusing the other of gamesmanship and negotiating in bad faith. The union has taken the issue to voters, putting a referendum on the November ballot asking for pay parity with police. The administration of Mayor Sylvester Turner contends that approval of the measure will amount to a 25 percent pay raise for firefighters, costing at least $98 million in its first year and as much as $295 million over three years. Turner has warned that approval of the parity measure would mean layoffs of nearly 1,000 employees, including fire and police, as well as cuts to other city services, including parks maintenance and reduced hours at community centers and libraries. The HPOU and Acevedo have been vocal in their opposition to the parity measure, speaking against it in meetings at City Hall and on social media, saying it will also lead to increased police response times. Turner is in the midst of holding town hall meetings across the city, urging voters to reject the parity measure. Turner has said the administration previously had offered the firefighters a 9.5 percent raise over three years, an offer he said remains on the table. In an op-ed published in the Houston Chronicle on Sunday, Lancton said previous offers by the city to raise firefighter pay in recent years have been mostly political smoke and mirrors. The proposed raises offers came with major workplace concessions, thousands of dollars of increased health insurance premiums per firefighter, and continuing threats of firefighter layoffs and station closures, he wrote. In other words, the city expected us to fund our own pay raises. Houston firefighters compensation lags significantly behind that of other large Texas cities. According to a pay study completed by the union earlier this year, a first-year Houston firefighter makes about $40,000 or $12,000 less than firefighters in San Antonio, and some $9,000 less than Dallas firefighters. On Tuesday, Dallas City Council voted to raise base pay for both firefighters and police to $60,000 a year, further widening the gap between firefighter pay in the two cities. In a statement detailing the proposed agreement with police, Turner championed the two negotiated contracts and criticized the firefighters union. The firefighters are the only employee group that have chosen not to negotiate a contract with the administration in accordance with the statutorily authored collective bargaining agreement, the mayor said in an emailed statement. Rather, they have chosen to ask voters via a referendum to mandate the city to give a pay raise of 25% in the first year, which will cost at a minimum $98 million each year and which the city cannot afford. It was not immediately known Tuesday how much the new police contract would increase the citys costs should voters approve the firefighters parity measure in November. This story has been updated to accurately reflect firefighter base pay. St. John Barned-Smith covers public safety for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to st.john.smith@chron.com. A northwest Houston day care was forced to close earlier this month for its role in the death of a 3-year-old boy who in July was left in a sweltering van, officials said. The Health & Human Services Commission on Sept. 6 revoked the Discovering Me Academys operational permit at the 8000 block of Antoine Drive location, said Kelli Weldon, a spokeswoman for the state agency. A few months into his job as the top law enforcement officer for a massive quadrant of Texas, Trump administration appointee Ryan Kelley Patrick stood in a field surrounded by hundreds of federal, state and local police officers responding to a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School. Patricks well-known father, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and his first deputy recounted the moment as a example of his ability to lead in his role as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. They were part of the public remarks Tuesday as Patrick was sworn into office for a second time to the key federal post, during a formal investiture ceremony in a Houston courtroom before luminaries from the executive and judicial branches. Three of Patricks predecessors and two newly-appointed prosecutors from the eastern and western districts of Texas were on hand along with 10 federal judges and magistrates, Patricks wife and three young children, his mother-in-law and his parents. Patrick, 39, is a former state district judge and criminal lawyer with no experience in federal court. His father, a GOP stalwart in the conservative culture wars, was an early supporter of Donald Trumps candidacy. Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal acknowledged the familys history at the U.S. attorneys ceremony. RELATED: U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick takes the helm in Houston He comes from a political family but his current focus is not on politics, its on policy, Rosenthal said. And that is as it should be as he faces intensely tactical problems of running this large and complicated office in our very large and very complicated districtat a large and complicated time. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Braley ribbed Patrick from the podium about coming on board in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, enduring a government shutdown in his second week, and noted that Patrick had learned quickly on the border that building a few miles of fence was really complicated and really expensive. Braley joked, over the squeals of Patricks 1-year-old son, that the office, introduced him to the concept of zero tolerance and he learned that it wasnt simply a parenting technique. Because the district has been a focal point amid this highly controversial policy, which separated hundreds of children from parents, Patrick has regularly spoken on the phone with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and sometimes with the Vice President Mike Pence and President Trump, Braley said. HIRING PROSECUTORS: Justice Department needs lawyers to fight expected flood of border wall lawsuits The Southern District of Texas, which encompasses 43 counties, handles the largest criminal caseload in the country with courthouses in Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo, Patrick said. In his speech, Patrick cited the federalist papers and quoted President Calvin Coolidges statement that To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race. We are on the front lines of so much of what is going on in our country, he said. He said the department is in the midst of unprecedented hiring, with 34 attorneys currently undergoing background checks. He has 12 openings yet to fill, he said. Gabrielle Banks covers federal court for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and send her tips at gabrielle.banks@chron.com. A video showing masked men carrying firearms and identifying themselves as members of a Juarez cartel is the latest sign of deadly battles heating up among Mexican crime groups in the city, officials say. In a video uploaded to social media, members of the Artistas Asesinos (Artist Assassins) insult and warn rival gang members. "We're here and we're not leaving," says one masked man to the camera after members of the group cock their weapons. According to Mexican government officials who reviewed the footage, the Artist Assassins, who once provided muscle for the Sinaloa Cartel in Ciudad Juarez, are the latest group to splinter off from the powerful crime syndicate once headed by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. LATEST: Son of ex-Gulf Cartel drug lord sentenced in Texas for impersonating federal agent Mexican security officials say the Artist Assassins are the second criminal group to split from the city's main cartel this year due to internal conflicts. In 2008, a major faction of the Sinaloa Cartel split from the powerful group, leading to a wave of gang violence in Mexico. The factionalism only worsened after the arrest of El Chapo in 2016 and his extradition to the U.S. In 2016 and 2017, the number of homicides in Juarez rose by more than 200, from 543 to 773, according to a count kept by Channel 44-XHIJ. So far in 2018, more than 840 people have been killed in Juarez. Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93 On Saturday, authorities arrested a 35-year-old Texas Border Patrol agent accused of fatally shooting multiple women in the past two weeks. Police said Juan David Ortiz, a Border Patrol supervisor, was arrested in a hotel parking lot after his fifth would-be victim escaped and alerted police. "We do consider this to be a serial killer," Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said Saturday, according to ABC News. "It meets the qualifications or definition of being a serial killer in this case, we have four people murdered," Alaniz said. Ortiz' arrest comes weeks after the arrest of another Laredo Border Patrol agent, indicated on two counts of capital murder. See the gallery above for things to know about the emerging case against the accused serial killer. THE LATEST: $2.5M bond set for Border Patrol agent accused of killing four Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93 With voting starting in just over a month, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has a comfortable 9 percentage point lead over Democrat Beto ORourke in the latest major public poll. While ORourkes national popularity has surged with major television show appearances, his numbers among likely Texas voters have not followed suit, according to the poll of 807 likely Texas voters by Quinnipiac University. It showed 54 percent favored re-electing Cruz, while 45 percent sided with ORourke, a congressman from El Paso. The poll is different from Quinnipiac University polls released this summer in that it sought only likely Texas voters and the pollsters pushed undecideds to say which side they lean toward. In the Aug. 1 Quinnipiac poll, Cruz led ORourke, 49 percent to 43 percent. Congressman ORourke may be drawing big crowds and media attention, but Texas likely voters like Sen. Cruz better, said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. The poll comes at crunch time in one of the nations most watched political races. Since Labor Day, both campaigns have boosted their advertising on TV and radio as more voters get interested in the race. The first of three debates is on Friday and early voting starts Oct. 22, just 33 days from Wednesday. The latest poll is also confirmation of the skepticism many Texas Republicans had with a bevy of earlier summer polls showing Cruz in essentially a dead heat with ORourke. Cruz, too, has questioned the legitimacy of some of the polling while on the campaign trail, but has consistently said he believes the race is tight and has warned against complacency in a year that Democrats are fired up. The new poll shows Cruz doing far better among women voters than previous polls. In the new Quinnipiac poll, Cruz is winning over women voters, 50 percent to 48 percent for ORourke. But the August poll showed ORourke winning among women 49 percent to 43 percent for Cruz. Similarly, an NBC/Marist College poll last month showed ORourke winning among women voters, 51 percent to 41 percent. In the Texas governors race, the new poll shows Republican Greg Abbott with a commanding lead over Democrat Lupe Valdez. About 58 percent of likely voters picked Abbott, versus just 39 percent for Valdez. Abbott also holds a 62 percent job approval rating among Texans, according to the poll. Thats way ahead of Cruz, Sen. John Cornyn and President Donald Trump among Texas voters. Cruz has a 53 percent approval rating in the poll, while Trump and Cornyn are both at 49 percent. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) applications were once used mainly for simple, traditional business applications, such as those used by office workers and call center agents. But with the advent of powerful new processors that support cloud-based VDI services, including those that require heavy graphics processing and 3D rendering, the realm of viable use cases is greatly expanding. Graphics processors such as the AMD Radeon Pro V340 are built for the sole purpose of delivering the power of a graphics processing unit (GPU) to cloud-based, virtualized applications. Remote users get a GPU experience from wherever they may be, on whatever device they are using even for compute-intensive engineering and design applications. For engineers, it provides a level of freedom and flexibility that simply wasnt possible in the past. In this post, well run through a few of the many possibilities. Designers and engineers gain newfound freedom At one time, designers and engineers required powerful deskside workstations with graphics processors to render their designs. As a result, they were tied to their desk in an office. Now CAD and other applications can be delivered from the cloud, giving them newfound freedom. That means an architect using AutoCAD can work from a light laptop at a job site, working side by side with the builder and project owner, taking suggestions and bringing them to life on the spot. An automotive engineer using a 3D modeling package such as SOLIDWORKS may be on site at a race track with just a simple tablet, making tweaks to a race car design while watching the car go through its paces and monitoring its performance. A graphics designer using Adobe Illustrator, InDesign or Photoshop may be in a conference room with an editor, brainstorming and collaborating on design ideas for a feature story. With the ability to come up with designs in real time on a laptop and show them to the editor, he can get sign-off in minutes rather than hours or days. Similarly, a civil engineer using ArcGIS may be out in the field, perhaps at a mining operation in a remote area, creating detailed maps of the site using just a tablet. No matter the location in the field at a job site, at a coffee shop or in a home office these professionals can work effectively because all the processing happens in a cloud data center, with the result being pixels streamed to the users device. Global collaboration, sound security Such cloud-based applications also enable virtual teams to collaborate on centralized datasets from wherever they may be. Perhaps a large, global engineering firm is working on project in Dubai, where on-site engineers use cloud-based CAD programs with support from colleagues in regional offices. Such a setup could result in a follow the sun approach that gets jobs done faster. Whats more, the resulting data is inherently secure. All data remains in a central data center, not stored on the remote device. And the Radeon Pro V340 isolates each virtual machines access at a hardware level with its Multiuser GPU (MxGPU) technology, preventing any user from accessing anothers data. The virtual approach with AMDs Radeon Pro V340 GPU is also cost-effective, with no additional licensing requirements as new users are brought online providing enterprises with a lower cost per user. To learn more about the kind of power virtual GPUs are delivering to VDI applications today, visit AMDs site. Greek philosopher, Heraclitus once said, The only thing constant is change. Todays DevOps transformation is a prime example. The DevOps model aims at unifying software development (Dev) with software operations (Ops) so that everyone can better work together across the entire development lifecycle. As businesses search for the best ways to digitally transform, DevOps is at the center of it all and its driving a constant state of change. As organizations all over the world adjust to the DevOps movement, they look to industry experts for advice. For several years, I have been advising organizations on how to collaborate not just within IT, but also across the entire enterprise. These organizations span multiple geographies, technologies, cultural background, and skill sets. Through these experiences, I have learned a lot mostly that transformations are hard and normally take much longer than anyone wants. Below Ive detailed my 3-step approach to DevOps Transformation that I use with organizations that are on this journey. It is NOT a sequential step approach; it is an agile step approach which means it is sometimes sequential, other times concurrent. Yet it is always aligned to the culture and capacity of the organization. Step 1 Expand agile practices beyond IT Too often DevOps is seen as the mandate solely of IT, and there is an assumption that the business, and in particular its C-level executives, dont take any interest in the software development function. Nor do executives understand words like agile and waterfall, never mind DevOps. Lately, there has been a shift in the way software is being developed with the advent of agile DevOps that resembles the lean manufacturing shift in the 80s and 90s. Furthermore, it is a well understood fact that software is eating the world and most businesses need apps (both mobile and web apps) to sell their products. Any time you have an app, software development is seen as a critical part of the day-to-day business strategy. Hence, C-level executives are definitely taking a deeper interest in how these things can be delivered in an effective way Other parts of an organization also must be part of a truly agile DevOps process. For example, customer feedback and effective operations are part of the process of breaking down silos and improving outcomes. All stakeholders in an organization across all disciplines must be involved with full support from its leadership and management. Step 2 Shift Left within a Continuous Culture Shifting left in terms of software and system testing is a phrase that means to test early in the lifecycle, thereby finding problems sooner which can save time and money. Shifting left, when referring to customers, means giving them better access and resources to find answers to their questions. And a continuous culture promotes the idea of finding and eliminating waste in everything you do. DevOps is based on the idea of shifting left in its testing approach, performing testing earlier in the software delivery lifecycle, which will inevitably eliminate long back-end dependencies and increase quality. Step 3 Empower a culture of Fail Fast not Fail-Silently When I first started my business work life, it was the norm to fail silently mask the failure, hope it does not get spotted, blame someone else, or simply ignore the issue. New ways of thinking by innovative companies focuses on the concept of fail fast & fail often. As long as employees can learn from their failures, this strategy can help the company grow in an agile way. In order to succeed in a DevOps transformation, 4 types of failures are encouraged: Fail Early The sooner the failure is spotted, the faster you learn, and the faster you can fix it. Fail Fast Failing faster ensures you learn faster and can fix it. Fail Often The more things you try, the more failures youll get and the more you learn. Fail Better Combine all of the above to maximize learning, leading to spectacular success! Successful transformation involves more than just getting your teams within development and operations to work together. It involves the entire organization with a mindset focused on continual improvement, testing out ideas early, empowering the customer, and encouraging success through failure. To learn more about DevOps and the HPE Developer Community, visit HPE DEV. ____________________________________________ About Mario Devargas Mario Devargas is a CIO Advisor for HPE, consulting with organizations in the adoption of collaborative working processes not just in IT, but across the entire enterprise.With over 30 years at an executive level, he is a passionate and visionary CIO with an extensive record of achievement across the private and public sectors within the corporate and commercial markets, banking, manufacturing and most recently public sector. To read more articles by Devargas, visit HPEs Transforming IT blogsite. To read more about Digital Transformation, visit HPEs Shifting to Software-defined blogsite. In 1970, after campus antiwar protesters ransacked and set fire to the administration building at the University of South Carolina, the schools president appointed a task force to find a solution to student unrest. Many meetings, workshops, and encounter groups later, the university came up with an answer, and it was nothing so simple as expelling vandals and arsonists. No, the key was to teach students to love their university, starting with a new semester-long orientation course for freshmen. An industry was born. John Gardner, an assistant professor of history and a social activist, made the course into an institution. He called it the Freshman-Year Experience, until he decided that the name was sexist and renamed it the First-Year Experience, now known commonly as FYE. He and his disciples promoted it so diligently that it has spread to 90 percent of American colleges and is rapidly growing overseas. The programs often start with a common read, a book sent to everyone the summer before school starts, and proceed with lectures, discussion groups, seminars, courses, exercises, field trips, art projects, local activism, and whatever else the schools will fund. The programs are typically run not by professors but by cocurricular professionalsadministrators lacking scholarly credentials who operate outside the regular curriculum. They dont need to master an academic discipline or impart an established body of knowledge. They create a cocurriculum of what they want students to learn, which usually involves a great deal of talk about diversity and inclusion. These professionals seem to lean even further left than the faculty, and in some ways they have more influence. They get to the students early, before classes begin, and theyre inescapable. By choosing your courses carefully, you can avoid the progressive sermonizing that passes for scholarship in some departments, but everyone has to undergo the orientation and first-year programs. You may have come to study computer science or literature or biochemistry, but first youll have to learn about social justice, environmental sustainability, gender pronouns, and microaggressions. You may have been planning to succeed by hard work, but first youll have to acknowledge your privilege or discover your victimhood. If you arrived at college hoping to broaden your intellectual horizons, youll quickly be instructed which ideas are off-limits. Many professors are unhappy with the results of this training: the students primed to complain about imagined slights, the snowflakes who report their teachers for discussing unsafe topics, the mobs who shout down visiting speakers with dissenting views. Many scholars resent diverting so much time and money to a non-scholarly cocurriculum, but theyre losing the budget battles. For university presidents and treasurers, the selling point of these programs is the promise to keep freshmen happy enough to stay in school, because each dropout hurts not only the colleges budget but also its U.S. News & World Report ranking, which is based partly on the first-year retention rate. Given the increasing number of freshmen ill-prepared for college, theres no doubt that they could benefit from learning basic skillsbut then, why do they so often get a mix of trivia and social activism instead of something useful academically? Why are these programs expanding while the tenured professoriat stagnates? To find out, I went to the industrys trade show, the First-Year Experience annual conference, which attracted more than 1,700 academics from 20 nations to San Antonio earlier this year. I dont recommend the experiencethe jargon was maddeningbut I made some sense of it by keeping in mind a principle known as the Iron Law of Bureaucracy. The Iron Law was promulgated by Jerry Pournelle, an American essayist and novelist, who maintained that any organization has two kinds of people: those dedicated to furthering the organizations original missionlike academics who want their university to turn out well-educated students; and those dedicated to furthering the bureaucracy by expanding their budgets and staffs. Pournelles Iron Law of Bureaucracy holds that the second group will inevitably take over the place. Which authors should every college freshman read? If this choice were left up to serious scholars, you can imagine the candidates theyd suggest: Homer, Plato, Dante, Shakespeare, Austen, de Tocqueville, Dostoyevsky, Du Bois, Faulkner. And thats why professors usually dont get to make the choice. They dont understand these authors limitation. Sure, Plato and the rest did fine work in their day, but they all suffer from a fatal flaw: none is available to speak on campus. You need a live author with a rousing speech to appeal to todays freshmen, or at least to the administrators of first-year programs who choose each years book. Thats why, when they convened in San Antonio, they were feted at lunches and dinners by publishers eagerly promoting not timeless wisdom but the fall catalog. Getting chosen as the common read means big sales5,000 copies at a big schooland the publishers trot out their authors to perform 15-minute auditions during the meals. The ideal is a dynamic speaker with an inspirational story, provided its the proper sort of inspiration. Julie Lythcott-Haims, an author with a singularly savvy grasp of this market, was a hit at this years conference. As an undergraduate at Stanford, she had been required to take a course called Western Culture, but she and other students succeeded in eliminating the requirement by joining with Jesse Jackson in protests where they chanted, Hey-hey, ho-ho. Western Cultures got to go! She went on to Harvard Law School and a brief career in corporate law before returning to Stanford as the dean of freshmen, which enabled her to put her cultural philosophy into practice. When a professor on Stanfords common-read committee recommended Possession, the bestselling novel by A. S. Byatt that won the 1990 Booker Prize and was made into a film, she acknowledged its literary merits but rejected it as too complex for Stanfords freshmen (never mind that Stanford is one of the worlds most selective colleges). As dean of freshmen, she insisted on choosing books that fostered a sense of community and belonging. And now, after leaving academia, she has written just such a book herself, Real American, which she calls a post-poetry memoir. Mine is a memoir of being black and biracial in a country where black lives werent meant to matter, Lythcott-Haims tells the audience in the packed ballroom. But before going into details, she makes a confession. I am privileged, she says. I have privilege that Im aware of and more privilege that I dont even know. The daughter of a white British immigrant and black American doctor who was once assistant surgeon general of the United States, she grew up in good neighborhoods and thrived at school academically and socially. In high school, she was a cheerleader and president of her class as well as the student council. But despite those successes, despite the degrees from Stanford and Harvard, despite the well-paying jobs and a bestseller she published on how to raise children, her memoir is a saga of oppression. She has discovered the awful cloud behind all those silver linings by dredging up an incident from her high school days. The great pivot point of the book, the moment that would haunt her for decades, was her discovery of graffiti on a birthday card that a friend had taped to her locker. Someone, presumably a classmate jealous of her achievements, had defaced the card by scrawling the N-word, misspelled as Niger. This is the story of how despite all that privilege and opportunity, America made me loathe my black self, my brown skin, she tells the audience. Its not clear why one semiliterate teenage bigot should represent America, but Lythcott-Haims quickly segues into denunciations of the police, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, and whites in general, to repeated applause from the (mostly white) audience. She explains why she has left a wide margin on each page of the book (As a black woman I do not have access to the full page) and reads a passage: You think your whiteness makes you better than the rest of us. You make us your scapegoat. Your excuse for your violent rage. In her memoir, the well-meaning liberal whites are continually guilty of unintentional slights. Dont try suggesting that she overlook them, because she classifies Get over it as yet another microaggression. The nonliberals in the book are simply evil. When Peter Thiel and other classmates of hers launched the conservative Stanford Review, she is scared to death of these unhooded whites printing their disdain for our existence. When she sees Clint Eastwood speak to an empty chair representing President Obama at the Republican National Convention, she believes that it symbolizes the chair underneath the Black man about to be hanged from a Southern tree. Yes, its all part of her mission to foster a sense of community and belonging, as long as the community doesnt include any Republicans. The writing is dreadful, but you have to give her credit for knowing her audience. The first-year administrators give her a standing ovation, and afterward they wonder to one another what she charges for a campus speech. The intercollegiate competition for black authors has driven up their speaking feesand maybe even induced that nasty feeling of privilege. Racism has been the most popular theme for common-read books for the last three years. Last year, when the University of Oregon assigned Between the World and Me for the common read, it paid Ta-Nehisi Coates $41,500 for a campus appearance (while also meeting his contractual requirement to be supplied with Nature Valley Oats n Dark Chocolate granola bars), and afterward students complained that the university hadnt gotten its moneys worth. Coates was scheduled for a speech and question-and-answer session lasting 75 minutes, but he left the stage after 40 minutes without taking questions. Somehow, it didnt feel very inclusive. For colleges that cant afford Coates, the first-year conference is a chance to scout for cheaper alternatives. Besides Lythcott-Haims, theres another autobiographer, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, who gets a warm reception for her book When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. The administrators pack another ballroom to hear about All American Boys, a novel written to protest the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The protagonist is an amalgam of the two martyrs, with a few details changed. Instead of pounding a white mans head against the sidewalk, as Martin did, or shoplifting and then assaulting a police officer, as Brown did, this young African-American man is a peaceful, law-abiding customer at a convenience store, wrongly accused of shoplifting by a white police officer who slams his head against the pavement. The novels coauthors, one white and one black, extol their collaboration as a model for how the races can learn to communicate with each otheror at least communicate in one direction, as the white author, Brendan Kiely, tells the audience. The most important thing I can do as a white man is listen, listen, listen to the truth coming from communities of color across the country, he says. I especially want to reckon with whiteness. Because as a white person I cant talk about racism or dismantle the system that supports it or eradicate racism itself without first grappling with whiteness. It is whiteness that perpetuates racism. The crowd applauds and listens raptly as Kiely sketches the possibilities for using this book on campus. We should be talking about race consciousness in all our disciplines of higher learning, he tells the administrators. You can talk about it in your math classes. You can talk about in your education classes. You can talk about it in your humanities classes. He doesnt explain the connection between calculus and Trayvon Martin, but then, he doesnt have to. This audience knows that racism is the all-consuming topic in higher education. It has been the most popular theme for common-read books for the last three years, according to the National Association of Scholars (NAS), which has tracked these programs across the country for the past decade. The latest report by the NAS, a group dedicated to reviving traditional liberal arts education (and a haven for nonprogressives in academia), analyzes some 350 schools common-read books and finds a continuing obsession with race as well as an infantilization of students. The three most frequently assigned books are by Coates, Bryan Stevenson, and Wes Moore, all dealing with Americas mistreatment of African-Americans. The rest of the top ten books almost all deal either with African-Americans or another social-justice identity group, whether its women, immigrants, Muslims, Latin-Americans, or Asian-Americans. Multiculturalism is a buzzword in the mission statements of the common-read programs, but their version of it doesnt include past cultures or foreign authors. Virtually all colleges choose books by current American writers, mostly from the past decade. In the NAS national survey, only 6 percent of the common reads were published before 2000, and fewer than 2 percent before 1900. And the contemporary authors are rarely literary heavyweights. There are young-adult novels and graphic novels, but nothing from Martin Amis, Annie Dillard, Alice Munro, V. S. Naipaul, or Tom Wolfe. Seventy percent of the common reads are nonfiction, much of it mediocre. If the theme is gender, students will read Roxane Gays Bad Feminist, or Janet Mocks transgender memoir, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, instead of Simone de Beauvoirs The Second Sex. As the NAS report sums up, the common-read genre is not introducing students to great literature, but then, thats not the point. To an ambitious first-year administrator, assigning the common read to freshmen is just the beginning. The books message and other progressive themes must be amplified in cocurricular programming that fosters peer-to-peer dialogue and civic engagement through a social-justice-based learning experience, to quote from the PowerPoint presentations in San Antonio. During orientation, the students reflect on the book in discussion groups, essay contests, and exercises, such as filling out a white privilege checklist. The lessons continue during the academic year in workshops and lectures, and ideally in a separate first-year course, like the one at Texas Tech Honors College, enthusiastically described by its team of leaders at the conference. All Texas Tech freshmen are required to get a passing grade in a weekly Learning Community Group devoted to topics like Gender and Sexuality, Sexual Assault Scenario, Microaggression and Privilege, and, of course, Race and Ethnicity. After doing exercises like the race card project, in which students write down six words on what race means to them, they demonstrate their mastery of the subject by filling out questionnaires asking if they agree or disagree with statements like, I understand how ethnic minority groups in the United States still experience underprivilege. (Can you guess the right answer?) The students take the implicit attitude test (IAT), which supposedly detects their unconscious racial bias by measuring their reaction time to words and pictures. The reliability and applicability of this test have been so thoroughly debunked in the social-science literature that even its developers now concede that it doesnt predict behavior. Its limitations seemed obvious even to the Texas Tech first-year administrators, who ruefully told of how an otherwise enlightened studentvery much pro-feminist, left-wing, pro-race stuffwas devastated to discover that she scored high for unconscious bias against blacks. The administrators explained how they reassured this student: Its like, its okay, Farrah, thats not what that means. Youre not a racist. They didnt offer any coherent explanation of why the test should be inflicted on freshmen in the first place. Once students have studied social justice in the classroom, the lessons are expanded in field trips and service projects. If the common-read theme is unjust incarceration, freshmen can visit a prison and collaborate on art projects, using pieces of inmates uniforms. For sustainability themes, they can set up composting piles at their dorms and take a field trip to the farmers market to buy local food. If the common read deals with the harsh treatment of immigrantslike Enriques Journey, by Sonia Nazario, a popular choicethey can participate in a hand-holding session with immigrants and create T-shirts expressing support for the Dreamers bill in Congress. How does this activism help freshmen succeed in their college courses? The conference offered some wonderful rationales. In a session titled Understanding and Supporting Student Activists in the First Year, Carli Rosati and Quan Tran of Ohio University presented a study using interviews, photo elicitation and heat maps to analyze activists feelings of belongingness. They triumphantly reported that involvement in student college activism encourages personal, professional, and identity formation, which led them to a much-welcomed conclusion: Higher education professionals need to view themselves as allies to the cause of activism. Whatever its doing for the students, the activism is definitely good for the administrators. Just as in 1970, when the riot at the University of South Carolina inspired the initial program, college presidents first response to student protests is to throw money at first-year programs and their colleagues in the cocurricular bureaucracythe offices with names like Student Life, Student Success, Diversity and Inclusion, and Multicultural Affairs. Thats one reason that the number of campus administrators has grown ten times faster than the number of tenured professors in recent decades, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The professors and students cant escape the Iron Law of Bureaucracy. While scholars worry about the lack of full-time jobs and students complain that half their courses are now taught by part-timers, the bureaucrats go on expanding programs to create more activistsand thus more proteststo expand their staffs. This cycle was nicely illustrated with a chart, Campus Activism Timeline, presented by the administrators of the first-year program at the University of Kansas. The timeline began in late 2015 with a series of protests by students as well as by bureaucrats from the universitys Office of Institutional Opportunity and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The protesters took over the stage at a town-hall meeting, barged into classrooms, and occupied the chancellors office, with predictable results. The university created yet another bureaucracy, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group, which issued a report concluding that combating the universitys deep-seated racism required additional resources. The student activists really opened the door, said Howard Graham, one of the Kansas administrators. Weve seen tremendous growth in our program. The school sponsored faculty and staff workshops in Difficult Dialogues and Deconstructing Privilege. It paid for dozens of speakers to come to campus for talks about race. The first-year program worked with the university art museum to put on an exhibit based on the next years common read, Coatess Between the World and Me, and persuaded professors to incorporate the book into almost 200 class sections. The next year saw another art exhibit celebrating the common read, Claudia Rankines Citizen, a book of poetry about microaggressions against blacks, which was incorporated into even more classes. Facilitators from the first-year program were sent out to dorms to lead discussions about the book, with optional sessions exclusively for students of color. The Kansas administrators were clearly proud of their efforts, but they confessed to being disappointed by one result. In surveys taken after the group discussions about the Coates and Rankine books, more than 80 percent of the facilitators agreed that the discussion taught things that students could use in campus life, but a majority of the students disagreed. They didnt think that they had learned anything useful. Some even volunteered comments that race was a subject they were simply tired of talking about, which just proved to the administrators how much work remained to be done. We know that students are not great at identifying their own learning moments, explained Sarah Crawford-Parker, another of the Kansas administrators. Theyd seen similar student ignorance in a survey a few years earlier, when the common read was Hemingways A Farewell to Arms. This unorthodox choice was rated a failure by the facilitators, who objected to Hemingways misogyny and hypermasculinity. Yet somehow, the students considered it a success. Most reported learning something useful from a book by a dead white male. How was this possible? If thered been an award for the least popular speaker at the San Antonio conference, David Randall would have won hands-down. He is the author of the National Association of Scholars report on common-read programs, which concludes with recommendations anathema to first-year administrators. It urges universities to let professors, not cocurricular bureaucrats, choose the common read. Promote intellectual variety instead of progressive dogma. Emphasize fiction, and choose books based on literary quality instead of their accessibility or relevanceor the availability of their authors to speak on campus. College students are capable of reading classical works, Randall told his audience, citing the few examples that have been used in common-read programs: The Iliad at Columbia University, The Winters Tale at Utah State, Pericles Funeral Oration at Florida College. If it works for them, it can work for you, he urged, and added recommendations for works by Dickens, Twain, and Tolstoy. But he didnt get anywhere. Just a few dozen people showed up to hear him, and the only comments they had for him were hostile, like the lecture he got from a British administrator. Its all books by white men, she said. We want students to feel empowered, to gain a sense that they can do this, too. Youre not offering a diverse experience. Randall insisted that he was offering a diverse experience. To talk about diversity among modern audiences is as nothing compared to getting into the head of an ancient Greek warrior, he argued, and pointed out how little ideological diversity there is in the common-read programs. There are some conservative books, but they are remarkably few. You have the autobiography of Sonia Sotomayor. You never have the autobiography of Clarence Thomas. No one disputed the ideological bias in the book choices, but no one seemed bothered, either. Progressivisms virtue seemed beyond debate, as I learned when I tried discussing it with people at the conference. I asked if theyd ever considered addressing racial issues by choosing nonprogressive black authors like Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, or Jason Riley. I was met with occasional hostilityWhy would we promote the conservative policies that put minorities at a disadvantage?but the main response was puzzlement. They looked at me blankly: Who? The ideological monoculture reminded me of another organizational principle, this one promulgated by conservative journalist John OSullivan: all organizations that are not actually right-wing will, over time, become left-wing. OSullivans Law is essentially a corollary of the Iron Law of Bureaucracy, because left-wing principles so wonderfully promote the growth of bureaucracy. The problem with socialism is that it takes too many evenings, Oscar Wilde famously complained, but to leftists, those long evening meetings are a feature, not a bug. They thrive at meetings. They love forming committees to examine problems, real or imagined. With their zeal to reform and regulate, with their passion for empathizing, they have the stamina to outtalk and outlast everyone elseand then be put in charge of a program to solve the problem. If their solution creates even bigger problems, well, theyll just have to hold more meetings. Thats the story of the first-year experience industry and the rest of the cocurricular bureaucracy. Academia has been taken over by leftists promising to solve problems that they created. The activists of the 1960s and 1970s demanded ethnic and racial fiefdoms on campus with the promise of promoting harmony, but instead theyve accentuated divisions, promoting poisonous tribalism and intolerance. Affirmative-action programs were supposed to help minority students flourish, but instead theyre setting up the students for failure by admitting them to schools where theyre competing against better-prepared peers. As demonstrated repeatedly in studies (and in Mismatch, by Richard Sander and Stuart Taylor, Jr.), if minority students go to college planning a career in science or engineering, the ones admitted through racial-preference policies are disproportionately likely to drop out of those majors because of their difficulty with the competitive introductory courses in science and mathematics. Similarly, the progressive vision of higher education for everyone has left campuses with many students of all races who arent ready for college, a problem that first-year administrators readily acknowledge. Its their first line of defense when explaining their choice of lowbrow books for the common read. Some of their incoming freshmen, they point out, have never read an entire book in their lives. Whats the point of assigning them a literary classic that theyd never finish? But then, whats the point of collecting tuition from students unprepared for college-level work? The answer, as usual, is the Iron Law of Bureaucracy. Students may not be learning anything useful, and theyre wasting time on discussion groups and field trips and activism instead of studying, but their tuition is paying for bigger staffs and programs to keep them on campus. The more they struggle, the bigger the cocurricular budget. Faculty and students can dream of diverting that money to more full-time professors teaching smaller classes, but the bureaucrats have other ideas. John Gardner, the founder of the first-year industry, urged his colleagues in San Antonio to attend a separate conference of his, the Gateway Course Experience, dedicated to helping more minority students pass introductory science and math courses. This effort, he explained, would require new programs to combat the institutional racism responsible for their low grades. So maybe freshmen calculus professors will end up using that Trayvon Martin novel after all. It was also obvious to Gardner and his colleagues that students need for help doesnt end after the first-year experience. Fortunately, theres a whole new program to rescue them: the Sophomore-Year Experience. So far, it exists at just a few dozen colleges, but the rest are sure to catch up. Its the Iron Law. Top Photo: You may have come to study computer science, but first youll have to learn about social justice and microaggressions. (HERO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES) Someone who must have suffered the experience in-person leaked an hour-long video of a Google TGIF employee meeting, held just after the 2016 election. The video features Google co-founder Sergey Brin, CEO Sundar Pichai, and numerous other high-ranking figures speaking in funereal tones about Donald Trumps victory. Brin opens by talking about how upset and sad most people are. He describes the worries and fears of minorities, immigrants, women, and, somewhat preposterously, people with kids. As my Power Line colleague John Hinderaker observed, the video offers much discussion about what Google can do to reverse the benighted world-wide tide exemplified by Brexit and Trumps election. The video is weird almost beyond belief, and it makes Google appear like a cult in the rigidity of the doctrines held and inculcated by its leadership. At one point, everyone is instructed to hug the person next to him, as at a human-potential movement weekend. Its enough to make a reasonable person of moderate temperament gag. Googles senior officers refer repeatedly to the firms valuesten in number, like the biblical commandments. Googles commandments are, of course oriented to matters central to company businessfocus on the user and all else will follow, as one law instructsand they have a flexibility lacking in the biblical ten, as pertains to the bottom line. In any case, the publicly articulated Google values have no clear bearing on the 2016 presidential election. Watching the video, though, one would think that Googles business is politics, or that its business adheres to the quasi-religion of progressive liberalism. Its hard to keep in mind while watching that what one is seeing is a regularly scheduled employee meeting of a high-tech company, in part because Google management glows with such enlightened self-regard. Google executives draw few distinctions between their companys business and progressive politicsthough they see these values as being self-evident. As the companys vice president of people operations, Eileen Naughton, explains, the values that are held dear in this company transcend politics because were going to constantly fight to preserve them. Google executives are so committed to the virtue of their corporate mission that they see any government policy that might interfere with it as manifestly immoral. The impassioned Naughtonin the video, she looks to be on the verge of tearsexplains that the company will fight to protect the 10,000 Googlers residing in the United States on work visas. She also says that the companys policy office in D.C. (read: lobbyists) will fight to fix the countrys very broken immigration system, by which she means the retention of all visas, and then some. Googles post-election encounter-group-like meeting was especially striking to me because it evoked such a contrast with my own professional experience in a publicly held company. I worked in the legal department of TCF Financial Corporation for a sizable chunk of my career. During my time at TCF, the company held quarterly officers meetings, regularly attended by several hundred employees. Bill Cooper was TCFs chairman and chief executive officer. He also served as chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party from 1997 to 1999. In our officers meetings, Bill scrupulously refrained from expressing his political views. In a recording played for every new employee at orientation, Bill encouraged TCF employees to engage in some meaningful civic activity away from workno mention of politics. Whatever the cause, Bill assured us, TCF would support us. He was one of the most philanthropic people I have ever met. Bill died last year at the age of 73. Though he himself proudly resisted technological sophistication, there is much that he could have taught the titans of Google. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Michael Bloomberg, the former three-term mayor of New York City who has repeatedly been a rumored candidate for president, is reportedly considering jumping into the crowded 2020 race again. Bloomberg has indicated to those close to him that if former Vice President Joe Biden continues to flounder in the face of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warrens rising popularity that he is seriously considering getting into the 2020 presidential ring as a Democratic candidate, sources told CNBC. But something drastic would need to happen in order for Bloomberg to get into the race, such as Biden dropping out ahead of the presidential primary. Bloomberg, 77, was elected mayor as a Republican and later as an independent by heavily outspending his opponents. But, prior to his political career, he was a registered Democrat. He has given to and endorsed candidates from both parties, but more often has supported Democrats than Republicans. And in October 2018, Bloomberg registered as a Democrat, once again. Though, as history suggests, its doubtful that Bloomberg will end up running. This campaign cycle will be the fourth in which he has reportedly considered a run. Heres a timeline of Bloombergs past presidential aspirations. 2008 In 2007, the Republican mayor switched his party registration to independent. During the 2008 election cycle, he reportedly played with the idea of running for president as an independent. Despite publicly denying that he held presidential aspirations, rumors continued to gain traction in the media. In early 2008, two veteran political consultants, a Republican and a Democrat, formed the Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg to recruit Bloomberg to run for president. The independent committee contended that Bloombergs name recognition, independent political affiliations and large personal fortune made him well positioned to run as an independent. In February 2008, Bloomberg wrote an op-ed in the Timestitled: Im Not Running for President, but . In the article, he encouraged breaking away from partisanship and striving for unity. Sources close to the then-mayor said he decided not to run after the major parties nominated candidates John McCain and Barack Obama who were relatively appealing to independent voters, narrowing his already difficult path to victory. 2012 During the 2012 election, there was speculation that Bloomberg would announce his candidacy. And in late 2010, the Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg announced it would again attempt to persuade Bloomberg to mount a presidential run. In November 2012, Bloomberg penned an op-ed for Bloomberg View endorsing President Barack Obama. Reportedly, he previously indicated in private he believed Mitt Romney would be better at running the country, but added that he disagreed with Romney on too many social issues. In the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Bloomberg cited the presidents policies on climate change and the GOPs climate science denial in his endorsement of Obama. 2016 In early 2016, amid an already chaotic race, Bloomberg for the first time confirmed he was thinking of running for president. After four months of discreetly building a foundation from which to launch his campaign as an independent, he announced he would not be running, again in an op-ed on Bloombergs website. He wrote that an independent candidacy would split the Electoral College and allow Congress to elect an extremist in Donald Trump. He admitted that while he believed he could win some states, it would not be enough to win. Bloomberg feared that in a three-way race, a candidate would not win a majority of Electoral College votes and the decision would be thrown to Congress. Bloombergs analysis foreshadowed his statements at the time that he would run only as a Democrat. By recognizing that his views were closer to the Democratic Partys and that he would compete only in blue or purple states, Bloomberg saw that an independent campaign would actually help Republicans. 2018-2019 In June 2018, the New York Post reported that the billionaire media executive was mulling over a Democratic primary bid. In an interview with The New York Times after a gun control event in Seattle, Bloomberg divulged that he now believes only a major-party nominee can win the presidency. He told the Times that he couldnt see himself running for president as a Republican because of his former partys current positions on social issues, such as abortion rights and gun control, and therefore his only path to the high office was as a Democrat. In 2018, Bloomberg aligned himself with Democrats in the midterm elections by pledging $80 million to Democratic congressional campaigns in an effort to flip the House of Representatives. According to the Times, Democratic leaders and many of the people closest to Bloomberg were skeptical that he would actually go through with it. While Bloomberg did ultimately end up re-registering as a Democrat in October, all of his presidential ambitions appeared to fall by the wayside over the next few months. In March 2019, Bloomberg announced in an op-ed that he would not be pursuing the presidency in 2020 and would instead be focusing his attention on combating climate change and gun violence. October 2019 On Oct. 14, it was revealed that Bloomberg is considering joining the heated 2020 presidential race if Biden continues to lose favor with Democratic voters, as new polls have suggested that Warren is gaining traction. Sources close to Bloomberg told CNBC that Biden would have to drop out of the race before Bloomberg would jump in. But Bidens campaign has given no indication that its ready to give up it just announced a big fundraising push in Super Tuesday primary states. Though, Bloombergs presidential consideration is likely less about Bidens shortcomings and more about Warrens rise in the polls. The billionaire has made it clear that he disagrees with the senators anti-corporate stances and her wealth tax plan. When asked about Warrens wealth tax proposal in January, Bloomberg said it might be unconstitutional and likened it to socialism. Its called Venezuela, he said. Sure, Bloomberg may still have his team of political advisers on retainer, but knowing him, its doubtful that hell actually enter the 2020 race. Christian Aid, Oxfam and Action Aid have criticised the government after it rejected calls by MPs to give the Department for International Development more oversight of aid spending. Earlier this year the International Development Committee published a report into Official Development Assistance funding and one of the key recommendations was that DfID should have more oversight of how other departments are allocating this money. The UK is committed to spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on aid. While DfID is the primary channel, around 13 per cent is delivered by other departments, such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. MPs recommended that any department delivering aid be accountable to DfID because there were examples of other departments spending money without adequate oversight, but the government has rejected this suggestion. Christine Allen, director of policy and advocacy at Christian Aid, said: It is disturbing that ministers appear not to recognise this as a problem they seem worryingly complacent. For the sake of people living in poverty, as well as for UK taxpayers, the government should reassert that the Department for International Development must have oversight of all aid spending across government, to ensure a strong focus on poverty and effectiveness. Stuart Eke, deputy director for advocacy at ActionAid UK, called for more clarity, and said: UK aid must be transparent and accountable, both to have an impact and to ensure public trust. We hope the Department for International Development will now work closely with other departments to increase aid transparency and effectiveness across government. Katy Chakrabortty, Oxfam GB's head of advocacy, said: "It is disappointing that the government fails to make basic transparency standards and a real focus on poverty reduction a condition for departments besides DFID to manage more aid, potentially undermining Penny Mordaunt's pledge to ensure that 'UK aid cannot be better spent'. "The prime minister has recently spoken proudly about the value of UK aid to the world's poorest people. We have a global reputation to protect. The coming budget should be used to make sure the vast majority of aid is spent by departments best able to uphold that reputation." Claire Godfrey, head of policy and campaigns at the umbrella body Bond, said: Its disappointing that the government has buried its head in the sand in response to such explicit criticisms of aid spent by departments other than DfID. Celebrities get lots of free stuff. For big red carpet events like the Emmys, they are given loaner gowns, and the Federal Trade Commission does not demand that each time Ryan Seacrest asks, Who are you wearing? he follows up with, This is an ad, folks. Magazines work the same way, with a set of institutional rules that most readers probably understand; in March, for instance, when Jennifer Lopez appeared on the cover of Harpers Bazaar in an Oscar de la Renta dressand inside the pages wore Harry Winston earrings in one photo, and a Valentino gown in anotherit was a totally typical fashion editorial spread, featuring donated goods, no disclosures required. But when Lopez posts a photo of a free dress to Instagram, FTC rules stipulate that she must indicate that its an ad. This came up as she got ready for the 2017 Met Gala, slipping into a freebee blue Valentino dress. She posted an Instagram photo of herself tagging @Valentino and @HarryWinston, without identifying the post as sponsored content; in response, Public Citizen, an advocacy group, complained to the FTC. Public Citizen has lodged many grievances with the FTC, compiling a list of 47 other celebrities who have posted undisclosed ads to Instagram. There are tons of violations: Last year, Mediakix, an influencer-focused marketing firm, studied the habits of the top 50 most-followed celebrities on Instagram for a month; of those who posted some form of an ad (and the majority of them did), 93 percent of the ads were not properly disclosed. Of the undisclosed ads, almost half were posted when the celebrity had a long-term sponsorship deal with a company. Often, its the biggest celebrities who step on FTC guidelines the mostthe more famous you are, the more likely youre used to getting free thingsand it gets blurrier when the people sending you free clothes or expensive face creams become your dear friends to whom you just want to show support and love. ICYMI: Journalist sued over Twitter account Enter the September issue of Vanity Fair. The cover features Michelle Williams in a demure green sweater and skirt. Thing is, as The New York Times pointed out, this outfit is by Louis Vuitton; Williams is a brand ambassador of Louis Vuitton; and Collier Schorr, the photographer behind the cover, shot the latest Louis Vuitton campaign. You might think that the September issue was just a giant Louis Vuitton ad. Indeed, if Williams, as brand ambassador, posted the same photos on Instagram, FTC rules would have required her to type #sponsored into the post. But Vanity Fair and Louis Vuitton told the Times that it was all mere coincidence. In a traditional magazine, after all, editorial shoots are barely distinguishable from advertisements, apart from the brands name. In an email, Schorr told me, No magazine cares what campaigns the photographer shoots. No brand cares if their associated photographer shoots their actress for a magazine. They only care that its on the cover. Sign up for CJR 's daily email According to Michael Ostheimer, an attorney at the FTCs division of ad practices, Vanity Fair and Louis Vuitton dont have to worry about cover stars moonlighting as brand ambassadors. If the magazines arent getting paid or having some sort of other reward for the article, we wouldnt consider it to be native advertising, wed consider it editorial content, we wouldnt hold the magazine itself responsible for any disclosure, he says. The same would apply to Elle, which in its September issue featured Emma Stone on the cover, and mentioned that Stone is the new face of the latest Louis Vuitton fragrance. In several of the photos she wearsyou guessed itLouis Vuitton. Elle, Vanity Fair, Harpers Bazaar, and Vogue did not reply to requests for comment on how they deal with a cover model or interview subject who happens to also be the face of a fashion brand. But Schorr said its a common occurrence. Its the actress that is paid to wear something, she wrote. The magazine could care less, basically. All actresses make money by wearing fashion. For social media, the FTCs rules are stricter: Use clear language like #sponsored instead of #sp. Dont use squirrelly industry terms like #partnership. Dont hide your disclosure at the end of a bunch of tags or after a long caption that cuts off when viewed in the feed. Dont simply tag the brand. You must disclose any material relationship with the brand or product youre posting about. That includes if you were paid to post about it, were given a free product to review, or received a free products, services, or accommodations. The same applies if youre a celebrity who has a multi-year endorsement deal with a brand, or even owns part or a whole of a company. This is the part that trips up big celebritiesthe kind of people who actually have these big endorsement dealsmost frequently. When The Rock posts videos of himself working out while wearing Under Armour, he doesnt mention he has his own line with that company. Until recently, the FTC has rarely gone after violators, but in April 2017, officials sent a series of letters to 47 celebrities reminding them of the rules. A few months later, they sent harsher letters to 21 of those celebrities, requiring them provide a response detailing their relationship to the brands, including Scott Disick, Naomi Campbell, and Lindsay Lohan, who persisted in posting undisclosed ads. Most of us may be sensitive to questionable sponcon online, but offline, we tend to be immune to (or willfully ignorant of) the ways in which brands and celebrities are already deeply entangled. This time, however, some Vanity Fair readers, noting the total brand synchronicity, felt duped. Print magazinesparticularly fashion magazinesmay have a totally different set of rules that favors everyone but the readers when it comes #ad disclosure, but lately, they have been bending and blurring to have more in common with social media, and readers perceptions have changed. (This extends even to staff, with editors like Eva Chen of Lucky going to work for Instagram and Vogues Selby Drummond going to Snapchat.) The flattening effects of social media, where a designers Instagram account appears in the same context, in the same way, as a traditional editorial outlet, dull our ability to tell whats an ad from whats simply content. The norms for ads Instagram, YouTube, and the rest are not set in stone yet. The playing field is constantly shifting: Last year, Instagram rolled out a paid partnership with label at the top of photos, available to select verified users and brands. The FTC later said that the tool and others like it on YouTube and Facebook made to disclose influencer ads are not sufficient. Theres lots of bad actors on social media, flouting the rules of disclosure, without the institutional ethics historically held by print publications. The influencer industry is rife with fake followers and even, it has been alleged, unscrupulous tacticslike companies paying for negative reviews of competitors. Readers of fashion magazines have always known that theres some connection between advertising and editorialand this may be a reason why a brand ambassador like Michelle Williams ends up in her usual designers clothes: Other fashion houses dont want to lend clothes to a star who is associated with another company. But not everyone understands that the snazzy clothes in magazines are loaners. Recently, a conservative activist criticized Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for wearing expensive designer clothes in a magazine. Ocasio-Cortez replied by dunking on him for not knowing that she doesnt actually own the outfit, and that he doesnt understand the concept of magazine shoots. In a time when social media has blown out our antennae for intuiting whats an ad and whats not, perhaps print media could be better served by being transparent about much more. ICYMI: Fox News contacted a man on Twitter for permission to use a video he posted. It didnt go well. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Katie Notopoulos is a senior editor for BuzzFeed News. She writes about tech and internet culture and is a cohost of the Internet Explorer podcast. Follow her on Twitter @katienotopoulos. Lets put aside content for the moment, and talk about form. In the past week, at least five pieces of journalism have been published as residue of the #MeToo movement. There were three with mens accounts (John Hockenberry, a former Takeaway host, in Harpers; Jian Ghomeshi, a former CBC host, in The New York Review of Books; and Ian Buruma, the editor of the New York Review, interviewed by Slate on the decision to publish Ghomeshi.) There were two stories with womens accounts (Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee, of attempting to sexually assualt her in high school, and Soon Yi, speaking about allegations against Woody Allen, her husband). Over the past year of #MeToo revelations, first-person accounts by women have been mostly filtered through reporting, particularly in the case of accusations against Harvey Weinstein, gathered through the efforts of journalists awarded Pulitzer Prizes. The same is true now, yet mens credibility rests on their own words. There are plenty of reasons why womens accounts have been propped up by third-person investigation: Quoting women in the course of a fact-checked piece lends them authority, the reputational protection of a publication, and the legal protection of an institution. In contrast, the men writing their testimonials dont worry about sullying their accusers reputationstheirs is the language of narrative control. But as womens accounts are wrapped, gently, with cotton batting, the mens roll like boulders through public discourse. The confessional forma rhetorical style used to give the appearance of divulging, even, sometimes, in the absence of depthas adopted by Ghomeshi and Hockenberry (and enabled by Buruma), is intended to contradict the reported confessions of women. These male voices, ubiquitous on the radio for many years, have automatic credibility; they assert their power in coolheaded apologies that imply honesty on the basis of assumed authority. ICYMI: The devils bargain in Bob Woodwards Fear Women are believed when they go on the record, potentially sacrificing their own career goals; they are believed when their words are dissected and fact-checked and tentatively quoted. Men are believed when they render an argument with the trappings of a heartfelt confession. Each man, in this weeks set, calls out the legal system in their defense, not understanding that the power of a male voice in Americas legal system is what got us here in the first place. Several months later, after a very public trial, I was cleared on all counts, Ghomeshi writes. I have never been accused of anything that, in my view, could be construed as criminal or coercive, Hockenberry writes. I dont know if what all these women are saying is true, Buruma says, not realizing that hes already taken a side. Feminism has always called into question the premise of he said, she said. This effort has not yet succeeded. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The credibility granted to male voices seems, in these essays, to have extended to the editing process, allowing Hockenberry to veer into a critique of modern romance, and Ghomeshi to ask for congratulations for not picking a woman upa feat of self restraint. Better, reported versions of their accounts would have taken up these moments of self-pity to examine the state of masculinity todayrather than reinforce ahistorical views of courtship and fame, respectively. Who cares what I think? Possibly no one, Hockenberry writes in a revealing moment, showing for once the driving force of male insecurity. Hockenberry is granted column space for vagueness at the expense of womens specific grievances. The inchoate anger of #MeToo was suddenly given license to target me, he writes. Given license by whom? I might have commented, had I been editing his piece, hoping that a grammatical examination would spark a deeper understanding. Who or what is the mysterious force giving license to anger? Perhaps I would have suggested a rewrite: The #MeToo movement has given women I treated poorly the license and support to speak up. And then theres the piece on Soon Yi, the alleged victim and confirmed wife of Woody Allen, in New York Magazines Vulture. A feat of access journalism by Daphne Merkin, a close friend of Allens, the piece is punctuated by descriptions of the objects from a marriage; old, stylish photographs; and Allens wordsa defense of men is permitted to be stylish. All of life is filled with competing narratives, Merkin writes. What about the narrative of Christine Blasey Ford? Ignored, at first, by The Washington Post and by Senator Dianne Feinstein, she wrote a letter accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault. It is not a style piece, nor anything as verbose as the media men who have now found themselves literary. (But she does seem a superior writer.) Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom as I was headed for the bathroom up a short stair well from the living room, she recalls, with an even hand. No notes about pewter jugs, or the quality of furniture at the party. I feared he may inadvertently kill me. The confession, when made by men showing a sensitive side, is a literary device to display a newly whole, unified character who is stronger thanks to introspection. Women, however, have the reverse experience: to ensure that their accounts are bulletproof, they are quoted, rather than given space to describe their experience in their own words. Their abuse is not entitled to be literary, only their abusers. ICYMI: Ten years after the financial crisis, business journalism awaits its reckoning Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Nausicaa Renner is digital editor of CJR. When Facebook announced in 2016 its plans to outsource fact-checking to a group of third-party specialists, even some critics gave the company credit for trying to help solve the misinformation or fake news problem. But in its efforts to appear as politically neutral as possible, Facebook set a trap for itself, and that trap was sprung last week, when the conservative news magazine The Weekly Standard flagged as false a piece the left-leaning ThinkProgress wrote about Supreme Court judicial nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his views on abortion. The ThinkProgress piece argued that Kavanaughs testimony during his hearing made it clear he would likely vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that made abortion legal in the US. While the piece itself was fairly nuanced, the headline was not: It said Brett Kavanaugh said he would kill Roe v. Wade last week and almost no one noticed. The Weekly Standards fact checker, Holmes Lybrand, flagged it as false (as he pointed out on the site) because Kavanagh never actually said that. ICYMI: Vanity Fair criticized for September cover shoot This set off howls of outrage from a number of corners, including ThinkProgress founder and former Editor in Chief Judd Legum, who suggested the incident called into question Facebooks entire fact-checking program, and was another sign the social network was bending over backwards to show it wasnt biased against conservatives. 1. Facebook's "fact checking" system is a farce. It's purpose is not to check facts it's to appease the right wing. That's why they made THE WEEKLY STANDARD, a partisan right-wing magazine and official fact checker Sign up for CJR 's daily email It's going very poorly Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 11, 2018 In solidarity, The Intercept ran the disputed ThinkProgress piece with a somewhat over-the-top editors note, claiming the story had been effectively nuked, since links flagged as false tend to lose as much as 80 percent of their traffic on Facebook. The Intercept folks could probably have saved their breath, however: Even after the story was flagged, it still racked up about three times as much traffic as the average ThinkProgress piece, according to data from Facebook-owned CrowdTangle. Facebook handing its fact-checking program over to a conservative website so it can nuke whatever progressive stories it disagrees with makes for a great storyVox entitled its explainer Facebook blocked the spread of a liberal article because a conservative told it tobut the truth isnt quite as simple. No one knows this better than Alexios Mantzarlis, who runs the International Fact-Checking Network, which is based at the Poynter Institute. The IFCN was set up to develop (and enforce) standards for fact-checking, not just on Facebook but anywhere. After Facebook launched its program, it looked to the IFCN to tell it which fact-checking services were reputable and which werent, based on the networks published criteria. In an interview, Mantzarlis said the IFCN doesnt verify the accuracy of everything an outlet publishes, it only checks to see whether the fact-checkers who work there follow the standards it sets out. And according to that yardstick, The Weekly Standard passed all the appropriate tests. The site has fact-checked over 120 articles, and Lybrand limits his work to fact-checking; he write neither news nor opinion. Im not denying The Weekly Standard is a partisan publication, but the decision we made was that we would look at the partisanship of the fact-checking operation itself, not the entire publication, Mantzarlis says. We think its better to have a broad tent. And we had to do this in light of some verifying organizations around the world, like Liberation in France, which is a clear left-of-center newspaper but also one of the oldest fact-checking operations in the world. According to Legum, The Weekly Standard was chosen as a fact-checking partner by Facebook specifically because it was conservative-leaning, and then the IFCN was forced to validate its fact-checking operation (it passed after failing its initial validation check). In a post for his morning newsletter, Legum quotes the IFCN evaluator, journalism professor Mark Coddington, as saying the site failed to meet a number of tests, including the length of time it had been doing fact checks. Mantzarlis says The Weekly Standard was actually recommended by Facebook, which wanted to make sure the fact-checking program was politically balanced. One source says Facebook executives saw a story about The Weekly Standard in which Editor Stephen Hayes made a point of saying he wanted the site to be a fact-based alternative. With the rise of non-credible, clickbaity outlets on the right, we thought there was a role to play in helping conservative news consumers separate fact from fiction, Hayes told CJR in an email. Beyond that, over the years, weve published a number of articles critical of left-leaning fact-checkers. We thought it better to join the process and formalize our fact-checking program than simply complain about them from the sidelines. The Weekly Standard was initially refused by the IFCN, Mantzarlis says, but then it made a number of changes that addressed the evaluators concerns, including where and how it would run its fact checks. Once that was done, he says, the site was admitted as a partner, and the amount of time it had been doing fact-checking was reduced (from the standard three months) because of what Mantzarlis says was a miscommunication. However, he notes that Washington Post writer Glenn Kessler and Politifact are both members of the IFCN approval board, and neither would be likely to bow to pressure from either Facebook or the right. The idea that a board composed of five non-American fact-checkers and two American fact checkers who have been on the receiving end of pointed barbs by The Weekly Standards editorial pages for years somehow gave the organization preferential treatment is absurd, Mantzarlis says. Mantzarlis admits, however, the Kavanaugh hearing story by ThinkProgress shows some flaws in the program. For example, the headline may have been inaccurate, but the piece itself made a specific point and backed it up with evidence. Flagging the whole thing as false isnt really fair. And yet, as Mantzarlis noted in a piece for Poynter analyzing what happened, fake news stories often spread in part because of their headlines, since few people read any further. Think Progress is understandably peeved. There's a case to be made that Facebook's tool should not be used to downrank analysis. There's also a case to be made that saying Kavanaugh "said" something can be understood as meaning that he literally said it. Which Kavanaugh did not Alexios (@Mantzarlis) September 11, 2018 Should there be a separate flag for headlines? Perhaps, Mantzarlis says. But what The Weekly Standard brouhaha reinforces more than anything is that the black-and-white nature of Facebooks fact-checking program is a blunt instrument, and the problem of misinformation on the platform (and elsewhere) has a lot more nuance. The challenge is Facebook has yet to decide what the hell its fact-checking product is for, Mantzarlis pointed out in a Twitter thread arguing the program needs more work. Is it to clean up the junky viral hoaxes about sharks swimming up interstates? Or to target inaccurate information in all its guises? FB has defaulted to the latter interpretation because it doesnt want to make an editorial judgment about types of misinformation to prioritize. As Claire Wardle of the Shorenstein Centers First Draft project has noted, the term fake news can be applied to a broad range of misinformation, from parody and harmless mistakes to hyperbole and deliberate attempts at political propaganda distributed by paid government agents. A binary flag is never going to be able to capture all of that, which means it is a way for Facebook to appear to do something without having to tangle with the messy reality of misinformation. A Facebook spokesman denies the social network forced the IFCN to accept The Weekly Standard, and says the company relies on the IFCN to decide who gets accepted into the program and what standards they have to meet. The spokesman says Facebook is thinking about making some improvements to the program, but there are no specifics to announce right now. ICYMI: Facebooks troublesome local media tactics Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. The areas projected to be affected the most by Hurricane Florencecounties that have been asked to evacuate prior to landfallare less populated than the areas affected by the 2017 hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Nate and Maria. Some urban areas directly impacted are the mid-sized cities of Wilmington, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and the Hampton Roads region of Virginia (Norfolk and Hampton). A broader impact to U.S. supply chains from Hurricane Florence is less likely than 2017s Hurricane Harvey because that storm hit Houston, a major global oil, gas and chemical industry supply hub. While Hurricane Florence is a major, life-threatening storm, supply chain exposure is severe only in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Since the Port of Charleston is a major U.S. port for goods such as paper, auto parts, logs/lumber/wood, poultry, meat and automobiles, there may be a modest global supply chain impact if the port becomes flooded or has to shut down for any reason. While the major trading regions in total dollars are Europe, Eastern Asia, India and South America, in terms of the percent of total trade from the United States with global regions, Africa seems to be the most affected global trading region. The FEWSION project of Northern Arizona University is a National Science Foundation-funded research network that maps and analyzes supply chains, including critical food, energy and water supply chains. This bulletin provides a near-realtime analysis of the exposure of a communitys supply chains to major events. FEWSION director Ben Ruddell noted that because FEWSION is a basic science project, all data and analysis must be used with caution and are strictly provisional; no liability is assumed by FEWSION, NAU or their funding partners. The opinions expressed are those of the researchers, and not necessarily the funding agencies. Ruddell is available to provide additional information, analysis and data. Source: Northern Arizona University With Wilmington cut off from the rest of North Carolina by still-rising floodwaters from Florence, officials plan to airlift food and water to the city of nearly 120,000 people as rescuers elsewhere pull inland residents from homes swamped by swollen rivers. The deadly storm was still dumping rain and had top winds around 30 mph (50 kph) early Monday, but forecasters said it was expected to gradually pick up forward speed and complete a big turn toward the Northeast. Flooding worries were increasing in West Virginia and Virginia, where power outages also were on the rise. About 500,000 homes and businesses were in the dark. The nations top emergency official said other states were in the path this week. Not only are you going to see more impact across North Carolina but were also anticipating you are about to see a lot of damage going through West Virginia, all the way up to Ohio as the system exits out, Brock Long of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Sunday on Fox News. Authorities near Charlotte were searching for a 1-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters when the boys mother lost her grip on him after her vehicle was swept off a road. In Wilmington , the states eighth-largest city, residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants for basic necessities like water. Police guarded the door of one store, and only 10 people were allowed inside at a time. County commission chairman Woody White said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city. Our roads are flooded, he said. There is no access to Wilmington. About 70 miles (115 kilometers) away from the coast, residents near the Lumber River stepped from their homes directly into boats floating in their front yards; river forecasts showed the scene could be repeated in towns as far as 250 miles inland as waters rise for days. In Anson County, east of Charlotte, a train derailed on Sunday evening, but it wasnt clear whether it was storm-related or if anyone was injured. Several cars of a CSX train left the tracks, WBTV reported. The derailment led to at least one road closure. Officials have reported flooding caused by Tropical Storm Florence in Union County, located between Charlotte and Anson County. Florence was still massive, despite being downgraded to a tropical depression from a once-fearsome Category 4 hurricane. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bulls-eye. Meanwhile, halfway around the world, Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China on Sunday after lashing the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain that left dozens dead. More than 2.4 million people were evacuated from Chinas southern Guangdong province ahead of the massive typhoon, the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades. In North Carolina, fears of what could be the worst flooding in the states history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it wasnt clear how many had fled or even could. President Donald Trump said federal emergency workers, first responders and law enforcement officials were working really hard. As the storm begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. The problem was water, and lots of it, in Wilmington. Victor Merlos was overjoyed to find a store open for business in Wilmington since he had about 20 relatives staying at his apartment, which still had power. He spent more than $500 on cereal, eggs, soft drinks and other necessities, plus beer. I have everything I need for my whole family, said Merlos. Nearby, a Waffle House restaurant limited breakfast customers to one biscuit and one drink, all takeout, with the price of $2 per item. Kenneth Campbell had donned waterproof waders intending to check out his home in Lumberton, but he didnt bother when he saw the Coast Guard and murky waters in his neighborhood. Im not going to waste my time. I already know, he said. As rivers swelled, state regulators and environmental groups were monitoring the threat from gigantic hog and poultry farms located in low-lying, flood-prone areas. The industrial-scale farms contain vast pits of animal feces and urine that can pose a significant pollution threat if they are breached or inundated by floodwaters. In past hurricanes, flooding at dozens of farms also left hundreds of thousands of dead hogs, chickens and other decomposing livestock bobbing in floodwaters. Some stream gauges used to monitor river levels failed when they became submerged, but others showed water levels rising steadily, with forecasts calling for rivers to at or near record levels. The Defense Department said about 13,500 military personnel were assigned to help relief efforts. Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of up to 7,500 people living within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of a stretch of the Cape Fear River and the Little River, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the North Carolina coast. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000. Near the flooded-out town of New Bern, where about 455 people had to be rescued from the swirling flood waters, water completely surrounded churches, businesses and homes. In the neighboring town of Trenton, downtown streets were turned to creeks full of brown water. The rain was unrelenting in Cheraw, a town of about 6,000 people in northeastern South Carolina. Streets were flooded and Police Chief Keith Thomas warned people not to drive, but the local food and gas store had customers. As you can tell, theyre not listening to me, he said. (Associated Press writers Alex Derosier in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Jonathan Drew in Wilmington, North Carolina; Allen G. Breed and Emery P. Dalesio in New Bern, North Carolina; Denise Lavoie and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; Gary Robertson and Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, North Carolina; Meg Kinnard and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Russ Bynum in Cheraw, South Carolina; Seth Borenstein and Michael Biesecker in Washington; Lolita C. Baldor at the Pentagon; Jennifer Kay in Miami; and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report.) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. San Francisco officials demanded Thursday that managers of a sinking condominium building where a window recently cracked comply with safety measures needed to keep the public safe. Ronald Tom, assistant director of the Department of Building Inspection, said management at Millennium Tower must inspect all units and install a canopy around the perimeter of the 58-story building by last Friday afternoon. They also must repair a broken crane to allow engineers to inspect the cracked glass from outside. A window on the 36th floor of the tilting high-rise cracked last week and engineers have yet to determine a cause. The broken window on the luxury high-rise does not present an imminent danger, but Tom said his office issued the edict to management as a precaution. He first issued the demands Wednesday in a letter to the towers attorneys threatening to limit access to the building if the deadline was not met, and noted his department was not informed of the cracked window until days after it was found Sept. 2. The towers management and attorneys met with city officials Thursday said they would attempt to meet the deadline, Rachel Miller, an attorney for the homeowners association, said in a statement. Their entire focus is the safety of its residents and of the public at large, she wrote. Tom conceded inspecting the windows of all 419 units by Friday afternoon may not be feasible because it requires getting permission from homeowners, and indicated his department was willing to be flexible if the towers management and attorneys are responsive and say when all safety measures will be completed. The downtown tower has settled about 18 inches (45 centimeters) since it opened over a former landfill in 2009. Homeowners have filed multiple lawsuits against the developer and the city. Several reports issued by engineers hired by homeowners have deemed it safe, Tom said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The damage to Hawaii County facilities from the flooding caused by Hurricane Lanes torrential rains totaled about $20 million, an official said. The figure is only for county infrastructure and doesnt include damage to state infrastructure such as schools and highways, county Managing Director Wil Okabe said Thursday. A damaged culvert adjacent to the countys Mohouli Park in Hilo alone is estimated to cost $400,000, Okabe said. Assessments also found 152 homes damaged, with 29 sustaining major damage, he said. None were destroyed. An estimated 30 businesses also reported damage from Lanes flooding. Hurricane Lane dumped as much as 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain in some areas of east Hawaii when it battered the state last month, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported . The county is still cleaning up its flooded facilities. On Thursday, the county said the Department of Parks and Recreation would close Coconut Island in Hilo so maintenance personnel can remove debris left behind by the hurricane. Lane was the nations second rainiest tropical cyclone since 1950. Gov. David Ige asked President Donald Trump earlier this month to declare a major disaster for Hawaii as a result of the effects from Lane. The magnitude and severity of the disaster requires federal assistance, Ige said in a statement announcing his request. This exceeds the states response capability, and it has impacted local governments. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the state and county 75 percent for damage to public infrastructure from a declared disaster. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AKRON, Ohio - Akron City Council approved a resolution Monday that outlines ways it plans to relocate people living in a controversial tent encampment in the Middlebury neighborhood and support the city's other homeless residents. At the same meeting, City Council voted 8-4 to reject legislation that would have granted a zoning change that would have made the encampment, dubbed Second Chance Village, a legal campground. No date has been set for the residents to vacate Second Chance Village, as the city has not taken any enforcement action. Voting in favor of granting the conditional-use zoning were Council members Zack Milkovich, Ward 10 Russel Neal Jr., Ward 4; Tara Samples, Ward 5; and Bruce Kilby, Ward 2. At-large Councilwoman Linda Omobien was absent. Jeff Rowes, an attorney for the activist group Institute for Justice, said before Monday's vote that his group would sue on behalf of Second Chance Village if the zoning change was rejected. "That doesn't mean we'll stop talking to the city to reach a resolution," he said. Second Chance has provided shelter to about 50 homeless residents in tents since early 2017. Sage Lewis, who owns the property where the tents are situated, applied to the city in April for the conditional use zoning, asking the city to consider the encampment a "campground, tent community." In July, the Akron Planning Commission voted to deny the conditional use, concluding that a campground is not an appropriate use of the land. According to Rowes, Lewis wants to keep the encampment open to provide interim housing for people while they are being transitioned into permanent housing in facilities he wants to establish around the city. However, the local Continuum of Care, which includes about 20 Summit County agencies, has said it already has enough beds for all the residents living at Second Chance Village. COC member agencies include the Battered Women's Shelter, Haven of Rest, United Way of Summit County, H.M Life, ACCESS Inc., Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority and many others. Annually, Summit County is awarded about $8 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and HOME Investment Partnership and Emergency Solutions Block Grants to combat homelessness. The money is disbursed through the COC agencies. The city worked with the COC to develop its action plan to: continue to work with the homeless encampment to establish indoor housing. continue discussions with the encampment to create a memorandum of understanding. convene Continuum of Care leadership within seven days to create a housing team, including someone from the encampment, to work with Second Chance residents as they transition to new dwellings. create a verified list of everyone who will be transitioned to new housing. discuss and identify the various housing options, including permanent beds, transitional beds and rapid re-housing vouchers. meet with all Second Chance residents to determine housing needs, assist in getting necessary documentation together, assess supportive service needs and provide residents with choices. provide the city with weekly reports on each resident. address the needs of homeless people at other locations around Akron. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - The Brecksville-Broadview Heights, North Royalton and Strongsville schools all received overall B grades on their annual state school report cards, released last week. It was the first time school districts received overall letter grades, which were calculated using results from six categories or "components" - achievement, progress, gap-closing, improving at-risk K-3 readers, graduation rate and preparing pupils for success. "I am proud of the work we have done as a school district and the overall results on our most recent state report card," Cameron Ryba, Strongsville schools superintendent, told cleveland.com in an email. Each of the three districts scored C's or lower in some categories. North Royalton schools received an F in "value-added, SWD (students with disabilities)" and a D in "value-added, lowest 20 percent." The value-added components measure academic growth by individual pupils. Greg Gurka, North Royalton schools superintendent, said that since the Ohio Department of Education continually changes its methods of assessing and reporting pupil performances, it's challenging to determine how districts are really doing. "Our board of education and administrative team reviews our scores intently each year to see where we are improving or where we need additional work," Gurka told cleveland.com in an email. "We don't rely solely on just those numbers or letter grades because there is so much more to evaluate a district's strengths and weaknesses than this report card." Gurka, like Ryba, said he was proud of his district and its collaborative spirit among pupils, staff and parents. "In our strategic plan, our vision states our educational community will be a model in identifying individual student needs and providing comprehensive support," Gurka said. "We do this every day in our buildings and we are continuously identifying our weaknesses and adjusting our curriculum and instruction for improvement." Brecksville-Broadview Heights school board President Kathleen Mack said school administration officials were still evaluating report-card data as of Tuesday. Brecksville-Broadview Heights Of the three districts, Brecksville-Broadview Heights scored highest in the "performance index" component, which measures how well pupils performed overall on state tests. Its score was 106.903, up from 106.643 last year and 105.749 in 2016. Also, Brecksville-Broadview Heights met 23 of 23 standards. The district received A's in achievement, which measures the number of pupils passing state tests and how well they performed on those tests; gap-closing, which shows how well schools are meeting performance expectations for all pupils, including the most vulnerable; and graduation. The Brecksville-Broadview Heights schools also scored A's in indicators met, four-year graduation rate, five-year graduation rate, overall value-added and value-added for gifted pupils. The district was given B's in progress, which considers growth that all pupils are making based on past performances; prepared for success, which looks at how well pupils are prepared for all future work, school and training opportunities; performance index; and value-added SWD. The district received C's in improving at-risk K-3 readers and value-added for the lowest 20 percent. North Royalton The North Royalton schools scored 100.448 in the performance index, down from 101.091 last year but up from 98.823 in 2016. North Royalton met 17 of 24 standards. The district received A's in gap-closing, graduation, four-year and five-year graduation rates overall value-added and value-added, gift students. The schools received B's in achievement, progress and performance index. Gurka said the district's performance index, which is part of the achievement score, was 11th highest out of 31 Cuyahoga County districts and 64th highest among Ohio's 608 public school districts. It means that 58 percent of North Royalton pupils perform in the advanced or accelerated ranges on state assessments. "This shows that the majority of our students are not only achieving, but are achieving at the highest levels," Gurka said. The North Royalton schools scored C's in improving at-risk K-3 readers, prepared for success and indicators met. Gurka said that despite the C grade for at-risk K-3 readers, all the district's third-graders met the third-grade reading requirements needed for promotion to fourth grade. Yet the state, using data averages over four years, showed that 47 percent of these pupils were "on track." "This indicator is another confusing one for the community when you have 100 percent of your third-graders pass the required assessment, and yet your K-3 literacy score is a C," Gurka said. Gurka added that the at-risk K-3 reading measure is inconsistent among Ohio school districts because districts use different reading tests. "Our goal is to ensure our students are reading by the end of the third grade and it is clear we are meeting that goal," Gurka said. As for the F in value-added for students with disabilities and the D in value-added for the lowest 20 percent, Gurka said the District Leadership Team, consisting of teachers and administrators, "has heightened awareness" of these pupils. "(The team's) work will focus on strengthening best practices in the classroom to improve the progress for students with disabilities," Gurka said. Strongsville The Strongsville schools scored 98.290 in the performance index, up from 95.713 last year and 94.764 in 2016. Strongsville met 17 of 24 standards. The district received A's in gap-closing, graduation, progress, four-year and five-year graduation rates, overall value-added, value added for gifted pupils and value-added for the lowest 20 percent. It scored B's in performance index and value added SWD. The schools received C's in achievement, improving at-risk K-3 readers, prepared for success and indicators met. Ryba said the district achieved "significant gains" in the percentage of pupils passing state tests. For example, the passage percentage in the course Algebra I increased by 22 percent in one year. Ryba pointed out that the district's grades improved, in some cases dramatically, in eight components and subcomponents from last year. For example, gap-closing and "annual measurable objectives" both improved from a D grade to an A; progress for students with disabilities improved from F to B; and progress for the lowest 20 percent improved from C to A. "Although we will celebrate these improvements as a district, we will continue to focus on our efforts on getting better every day and attaining an A for the achievement component, as well as the overall grade for the school district," Ryba said. Ryba said he is a member of a statewide committee of superintendents focused on the state report card. "We are continuing to collaborate with the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio legislators to problem-solve the shortcomings of the current report card and develop alternatives for the future," Ryba said. "In Strongsville, we are committed to providing the very best learning experience for every student in our district, regardless of how the state chooses to grade school districts," Ryba added. LORAIN, Ohio -- A woman charged with harming and abandoning animals in Lorain Municipal Court waived her right to a preliminary hearing and will have her case go before a county grand jury, court records show. Amanda Pippens, 34, appeared Monday afternoon before Lorain Municipal Court Judge Thomas Elwell. Pippens and Morris Ellison, 36, each face a misdemeanor charge of abandoning animals and a felony charge of cruelty to companion animals by causing serious physical harm, court records show. Pippens and Ellison, who appear to be engaged, moved out of a home on the 500 block of Washington Avenue in Lorain in the middle of the night this summer, police say. They left behind two dogs, according to Lorain police. Both had bones visible and were emaciated, police say. Both dogs were taken to the Lorain Animal Clinic where one died a few days later, according to police. Ellison was also scheduled to be in court Monday but did not appear, resulting in Judge Elwell signing a warrant for Ellison to be arrested for contempt of court, Lorain Municipal Court records show. Ellison had previously entered a plea of not guilty, court records show. Both Ellison and Pippens had each posted their $5,000 bond on Thursday, according to online court records. To comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comment section. MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Several schools in the Mansfield area were closed Monday and Tuesday as law enforcement agencies continue to look for a Pennsylvania man who has eluded federal agents for three months, according to the Mansfield post of the State Highway Patrol. Madison Local Schools near Mansfield closed Monday and Tuesday as a safety precaution, as well as Madison Adult Education. SCHOOL CLOSED TUESDAY SEPT 18 - due to manhunt. The District did not want students standing at bus stops for safety reasons. #madisonRAMS #RamPride @eastv_rams @South_LEADS @MifflinPride Shelley Hilderbrand (@MLSDRAM_SUPT) September 18, 2018 Lucas Local Schools and St. Mary's of the Snow Catholic School in Mansfield were also closed Monday and Tuesday, according to school officials. Shawn Christy, 27, stole a truck Sunday from the area of McAdoo, Pennsylvania, where he lives, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. He crashed around 4:45 p.m. Sunday on Interstate 71 in the Mansfield area, from which he fled on foot and has not been located by law enforcement, the U.S. Marshals said. Christy, who should be considered armed and dangerous, has multiple arrest warrants in Pennsylvania for burglary, probation violations and failure to appear for an aggravated assault case, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. He has also threatened to use "full lethal force on any law enforcement officer that tries to detain me." A federal warrant was issued June 19 for Christy in connection to Facebook threats to the Northamption County district attorney, stating, "Keep it up Morganelli, I promise I'll put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump." The U.S. Marshals, FBI and U.S. Secret Service and searching for Christy. A cash award of up to $20,000 is offered for information leading to Christy's arrest, the U.S. Marshals said. All information will be considered confidential. "If you see Christy, call the authorities immediately," supervisory deputy Anne Murphy of the U.S. Marshals Service said. Christy is 5-foot-10 and weighs about 160 pounds, Murphy said. He has a light complexion with a tattoo of a cross on his right upper arm, short dark blonde hair and a beard. He speaks with a noticeable lisp and claims to be a survivalist, Murphy said. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Marshals at 1-866-492-6833 or text "WANTED" and the tip to TIP411, or 847411. To comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comment section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The seemingly inevitable confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh is now imperiled as Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford are set to testify in a public hearing about her sexual assault claim. Dr. Blasey Ford, a 51-year-old Palo Alto University professor, claims a "stumbling drunk" Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a summer party in the early 1980's when they were in high school. At the time of the alleged incident, Blasey was a 15-year-old student at the all-girl Holton-Arms school. Kavanaugh was a 17-year-old student at the all-boy Georgetown Prep. "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time," Kavanaugh said after the allegation was first made public. Kavanaugh issued a new denial Monday morning as Blasey Ford's lawyer said her client was willing to testify in a hearing. "This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes - to her or to anyone. Because this has never happened. I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. I'm willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity." Kavanaugh also told Sen. Orrin Hatch he wasn't even at the party where the alleged sexual assault and attempted rape occurred. Sixty five women who have known Kavanaugh in high school, college and his professional and personal life, signed a letter vouching for his character. Alumni of Dr. Blasey Ford's high school have also come out in support of her. Recalls Anita Hill, Democrats not wanting to hear from Bill Clinton accusers. The allegation and Monday hearing recall the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas allegations and hearings, but there are some significant differences between both the Hill and Me Too allegations, and the Kavanaugh case. Professor Anita Hill had accused then U.S. Supreme Court nominee Thomas of prolonged sexual harassment when both were adult, working professionals. The high-profile Me Too cases involved multiple women accusing a single predator, like Harvey Weinstein, of sexual harassment and assault. So far, Kavanaugh has a single accuser making a 36-year-old claim of a single incident, against a "stumbling drunk" 17-year-old. Democrats, who are doubling-down on their efforts to stop Kavanaugh's confirmation following the allegation, nominated,elected and defended Bill Clinton, despite credible accounts of Clinton's sexual misconduct as an adult elected official, from multiple women. Restrained Trump open to hearing. An uncharacteristically presidential and restrained President Trump signaled he was okay with a delay for a hearing on the accusation. "I wish the Democrats could have done this a lot sooner, but with all that being said, we want to go through the process...and hear everybody out. If it takes a little delay, it'll take a little delay." Letter first sent to Rep. Anna Eshoo, not Sen. Feinstein. Dr. Blasey Ford had first sent a letter to her Congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, detailing the allegation, back in July. She had confided that to close friends. The letter made its way to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, also in July. Feinstein eventually passed the letter to the FBI. The delay in Rep. Eshoo and Sen. Feinstein making the allegation known to their fellow members of Congress and the public, opened the Democrats to charges of playing politics, which in turn, led some to question the veracity and true motivations of the claim. Dr. Blasey Ford took and passed a lie detector test conducted by a retired FBI agent, knowing her credibility would be questioned, said her lawyer Debra Katz, who she hired, anticipating her name would become public. A therapist also has notes of Blasey Ford recounting the incident. You can expect Democrats will ask Kavanaugh if he too is willing to take a lie detector test. Anita Hill's allegations of repeated sexual harassment from Clarence Thomas didn't prevent his confirmation, but this isn't 1991. Senators who had sat on the committee that questioned Hill, like Joe Biden, have since apologized and expressed regret with how she was treated. The White House seems well aware that this is the post Anita Hill, Me Too era and are handling the Kavanaugh development accordingly. If it wasn't for the approaching midterms, The White House might have already withdrawn the Kavanaugh nomination. But they will continue to push for his confirmation as gingerly as they can, because Trump voters elected him to reshape the court, and this may be their last best chance to get a true conservative added if Democrats regain control of the House and even the Senate. You would have had to been in the room at the party to know for certain if Blasey Ford or Kavanaugh are telling the truth. But it is certain that Republicans want to rush through the Kavanaugh confirmation and Democrats want to delay and stop it by any means possible. Democrats even want the Monday hearing delayed for a full FBI investigation of the allegation. But a Department of Justice spokesperson said the claim "does not involve any potential federal crime." It is only just that the Senate Judicial Committee conducts a hearing on the allegation from Dr. Baily Ford to judge the credibility of her claim and Kavanaugh's denial, as best they can. Kavanaugh's confirmation may come down to the vote of Republican Susan Collins, who said Monday, "Obviously if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying." THORNVILLE, Ohio -- Two men died this weekend while attending a music festival in Licking County, according to reports. The Newark Advocate reports Ger Vang, 24, of Hickory, North Carolina, and Mario Symborski, 32, of Pontiac, Michigan, both were pronounced dead after being taken to Licking Memorial Hospital. Vang died at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday, while Symborski died at about 12:05 a.m. Sunday, 10tv.com reports. Both attended the Lost Lands Music Festival, which drew about 40,000 people. "Today we send our deepest thoughts and condolences to the loved ones of two male attendees who passed away after being transported to local hospitals this weekend," festival organizers said in a statement. "While the causes of these tragedies are still unknown, our hearts are with their families and friends at this time." Autopsies have been performed on the men and officials are waiting for results, WCMH Channel 4 reports. Four people were arrested at the festival for drugs-related charges, according to the Advocate. Thornville is about 40 miles east of Columbus. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A burglar beat a 94-year-old woman to death during a home invasion in the city's Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood, police said. No arrests have been made in the case. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has not yet released the name of the woman who police said died of blunt force trauma to the head. The burglar also attacked a 74-year-old woman during the home invasion. She is hospitalized at MetroHealth with head trauma, police said. The burglar about 1:45 a.m. broke into the home on Gertrude Avenue through a window and confronted both women, who were sleeping when the break-in happened, police said. The man attacked the women and stole an unknown amount of items from the home, police said. The burglar is believed to be about 25 years old, police said. It's the fourth homicide in Cleveland in a 24-hour span. There have been 94 homicides in Cleveland in 2018 compared to 85 at this point last year. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- About 500 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $600,000 was seized from a home by Franklin County sheriff's deputies. It wasn't the only thing they found: Nearly 100 marijuana plants were growing in a yard behind the home and there were 43 cats living inside, WCMH Channel 4 reports. Deputies became aware of the home after responding to a call on Sept. 11 at a motel next door. Officers reportedly could smell the marijuana and noticed the plants when they walked toward the home. The plants were hidden by a row of sunflowers, reports say. The marijuana, plants and cats were removed from the home after deputies obtained a search warrant. The cats were turned over to family members of the man living in the home, identified as Greg Grossholz, 59, according to 10tv.com. Grossholz is charged with manufacture of drugs or cultivation of marijuana. Prairie Township is located just west of Columbus. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. KENT, Ohio -- "Kent State gun girl" Kaitlin Bennett has switched her controversial open carry rally to a walk after the university banned guns at the event and charged thousands of dollars in security costs. The event is now being marketed as Bennett and potentially hundreds of visitors openly carrying guns around campus and talking to students about gun rights and campus carry. Kent State sent a cease-and-desist letter in August to Bennett, telling her to stop advertising the initial rally. The university said the rally needed sponsorship from a student group who would work with the university. Student group Liberty Hangout and president Michael Heil worked with the university to try and make it happen, rapidly filing paperwork and meeting with officials. But last week, Kent State officials told Liberty Hangout that the group would be responsible for security fees, and since it's a student-sponsored event, it must comply with university rules. That means no guns. "The way the university is acting is really unfortunate for all students; they're imposing restrictions and security costs to prohibit speech," Bennett said in an interview with cleveland.com Tuesday. Kent State students, faculty and staff cannot carry, possess or store guns on campus, per university policy. Visitors can carry openly outdoors on campus, but may not carry concealed weapons. Bennett, who graduated from Kent State in the spring, garnered notoriety by open-carrying in her graduation photos, when she slung an AR-10 across her back. Heil said the university tried to charge Liberty Hangout about $14,000 for security fees. He feels the university is overcharging the group. Cleveland.com requested a copy of the communication sent to Liberty Hangout about the rally. This post will be updated with information from that document when it's received. "I think it was poorly handled and I think the school is showing their bias," Heil said. The Sept. 29 rally will now be an open-carry walk, where visitors will walk with their guns on full display. There was a walk at Ohio State University last week, and Bennett said it promoted thoughtful dialogue between activists and students. "We've decided to take the high road," she said. Organizers will cancel the speakers, which were going to include representatives from Infowars and Patriot's Prayer. Bennett still expects about 300 people to show take part. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 29-year-old man was shot and killed Monday night as he talked with another person in the driveway of a home on the East Side, police say. Police say the unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene on the 1000 block of East 146th Street, which is just south of St. Clair Avenue in the South Collinwood neighborhood. The man was standing in the driveway of a home on East 146th Street at about 8 p.m. talking with another male when a white vehicle pulled up, police say. A male got out of the vehicle and shot the victim, then drove away. No arrests have been made in the incident. Police say the shooting remains under investigation. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A fourth person on Monday pleaded guilty to his role in a human-trafficking scheme that recruited undocumented immigrants, including some children, and forced them to work on an egg farm in Marion. Pablo Duran Ramirez Jr., 50, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cleveland to his role in the scheme that brought dozens of illegal immigrants to the farm who were physically threatened and forced to live in small, broken-down trailers. He faces up to a decade in prison when he's sentenced on Jan. 7. Duran Ramirez owned Haba Corporate Services, a labor company that contracted with Trillium Farms in Marion. Tillium paid Haba $6 million for Haba to provide the workers, some as young as 14 years old. Haba provided workers recruited by human traffickers with the promise that they would come to America, get good jobs and the chance to attend a good school. Haba subcontracted with several companies and co-defendants who provided the workers. Smugglers brought the workers to the farm, where they were forced to de-beak chickens, vaccinate them and clean coops for 12 hours a day. They were threatened with violence and the company withheld paychecks to compel them to work. Eight people under age 18 and two adults were identified as victims, prosecutors said. Duran Ramirez knew the workers were children and were unlawfully in the country, prosecutors said. He also admitted that he knew the workers were coerced or threatened and housed in the trailers. Federal agents found some 40 workers during a December 2014 raid. Three other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in the scheme. The lead smuggler and enforcer, Aroldo Castillo-Serrano of Guatemala, was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. Ana Angelica Pedro-Juan of Guatemala was sentenced to 10 years in prison for overseeing the victims in Marion and Conrado Salgado-Soto of Mexico, a subcontractor for Haba, was sentenced to more than four years in prison. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 44-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint Monday shortly after he left a plasma center located in the city's Tremont neighborhood. The robbery happened about 4:30 p.m. Monday on Prame Avenue, east of West 25th Street, Cleveland police said. The man told police that he sold plasma and was walking home on Prame Avenue when he saw an 18-year-old man he knows standing in a driveway with three other people. That person called him over and the man walked up to the group. The 18-year-old ran inside the home when the 44-year-old man got there. One of the other men pulled out a gun and demanded all his money, police reports say. The 44-year-old man tried to run but the other men grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground. The robber jammed the gun in the man's right side while another man rummaged through his pockets, police reports say. The men stole $260 and a cellphone and ran off. The 44-year-old man spoke with police to police and spotted the 18-year-old he believed set him up in the robbery. Officers got in their cruisers and tried to drive near the man but he took off running through a parking lot, police reports say. Officers found him on West 30th Street and Althen Avenue, about three blocks away, covered in sweat, according to police. The 18-year-old man told police that he was at a friend's house and that he called the 44-year-old man over to buy marijuana, police reports say. He said he went inside to get money. He said he didn't know anything about the robbery and didn't know the names of the three others who he was with. He told police he "might" be friends with them on Instagram. The 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of complicity to aggravated robbery, but has not been formally charged. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 24-year-old man was shot to death late Monday in the city's Cudell neighborhood marking the third homicide in Cleveland in a four-hour span. The shooting happened about 11:40 p.m. Monday at a home on West 91st Street, just south of Madison Road. The man, identified as Antoine Reese of Cleveland, was found dead in a hallway with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. Police released few details on the shooting. A police spokesman said a gunshot was heard before someone called 911. No arrests have been made in the case. It's the 97th homicide in Cleveland in 2018. The city had 85 homicides at this time last in 2017. The death was the fourth on Monday and the seventh in two days. Charges have been filed in one of the six cases. A 29-year-old man was shot to death about 8 p.m. Monday on East 146th Street south of St. Clair Avenue in the city's South Collinwood neighborhood. Gerald Hays of Cleveland was talking to another man in his driveway when a white van drove up. A man got out of the van, shot Hays and sped off. About 15 minutes before that shooting, a maintenance worker at Broadway Christian Church on Engle Road in Cleveland's North Broadway neighborhood smelled a foul odor and found a woman dead under a stair case, police said. Police said the woman, who has not yet been identified, died from head trauma. Four others have been killed since Sunday, including a 94-year-old woman who was beaten to death early Monday during a home invasion in the city's Slavic Village neighborhood. Two others-- identified as Francis Sanchez, 27, and Rebecca Vazquez, 34-- were fatally shot early Sunday while sitting in a stolen car on West 81st Street and Detroit Avenue in the Cudell neighborhood. Victor Maar II, 35, was killed about 2:30 p.m. Sunday while checking on one of his rental properties on West 146th Street. Derrick Walker Jr., 18, was charged with aggravated murder in Maar's death. He has not been arrested. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Since 1994, Ohio State University has pulled millions of dollars out of endowments -- up to 1.3 percent of all gifts -- to woo more donors, for more money. The 1.3-percent fee is now detailed on contracts donors sign before creating endowments, pools of invested money which generate more money for the university through interest. The university began putting language about the fee on contracts in 2008, more than 10 years after the fee began. The family of Michael Moritz, the namesake of Ohio State's Moritz College of Law, claims the school didn't tell them about the fee. And they say because they weren't notified, most likely many other donors don't know about the fee. Michael's son, Jeffrey, found out about the fee in 2016, 15 years after Michael donated more than $30 million in stocks. The family learned the endowment had lost nearly 28 percent of its original value, according to court documents. Instead of funding 30 annual law scholarships, the university was giving out only 12 to 16. The Moritzes want the money put back into the endowment, which was intended to fund faculty chairs and scholarships. The university refused, and now Jeffrey Moritz, an OSU alumnus like his dad, is trying to reopen his father's estate to get more bargaining power to get the money back. "Our first thought is that (the fund) is going down to zero ... the legacy of my father and all his work would be gone," Jeffrey Moritz said. Officials argue the development fee is lawful, as well as a common university practice. Gift contracts didn't need to cite the fee, because the documents are designed to address the purpose of the money, OSU spokesman Chris Davey said in a written statement. State law and university policy apply whether or not it's detailed in the document, Davey said. Laid out through court documents and Board of Trustees minutes, as well as interviews with the Moritz family, here's what we know about the dispute. 1994 - Ohio State Board of Trustees approve pulling money from investors In 1994, the Board of Trustees approved a measure to pull an "administrative charge" out of unrestricted and restricted endowments. The measure reads: "The University be permitted to charge restricted and unrestricted development accounts received after July 1, 1994, an administrative charge of up to one percent of the value of the gift for the duration of the campaign as described in the attached text, provided that such charge does not reduce the principle of the gift." The board authorized the charge as OSU was about to embark on a major development campaign; the general fund was limited, according to the resolution. The money was needed to help pay for fundraising staff, travel and event costs. July 1998 - The fundraising fee is increased Trustees increased the annual development fee from 2000 to 2003 to up to 1.1 percent. They also authorized a "funding supplement" which takes the interest for the first 90 days of the endowment's earnings. 2001 - Michael Moritz creates the Moritz endowment Michael Moritz, a high-profile lawyer, multimillionaire and alumnus of Ohio State University, donated stock worth $30.3 million. Michael was a two-time OSU alumnus. He was accepted into numerous law schools, his son said, but OSU came through with a scholarship and a stipend. That's what Michael wanted to do with this endowment, Jeffrey said. That way, students could go to law school with minimal or no debt, freeing up the opportunity to pursue nonprofit work or other paths instead of scrambling to pay off loans. When a donor gives money to the university, they sign a gift agreement. Michael Moritz's gift contract states that: $10 million will be used to create four endowed faculty chairs at the College of Law $9.88 million will be used for a Merit Scholars Program which will provide full tuition and a stipend for 30 students in the College of Law. $10 million will create a Dean's Fund for Innovation and Excellence. $120,000 will be used to endow leadership awards for one student in each of the three classes. There is no mention of any fees on the gift contract. This gift is known as a "restricted" endowment, in which the money's uses are explicitly laid out. In a later gift by Lou Ann Moritz Ransom to the university's dental school in 2010, there was language that pointed out the development fee, though it's much smaller than the rest of the text on the contract. July 2002 - The fundraising fee is increased The trustees approved raising the charge against endowments to 1.33 percent. The reasoning was that "continued investment in fund raising is needed to protect and enhance the University's ability to acquire private gift support." This measure does not include language about reducing the principal. 2016 - Jeffrey Moritz finds out about the fee In 2016, Moritz's son Jeffrey found that the endowment had lost nearly 28 percent of its original value, according to court documents. He also found that instead of the 30 annual law scholarships that money was intended to fund, only 12 to 16 were given out per year. He asked OSU where that money was going. After many conversations with OSU, Jeffrey said he learned that: The university puts all of its endowments into one big investment account, which had not performed well, Jeffrey said. The development fee existed. Because of the way endowments are managed, Davey said OSU cannot comment on the performance of the Moritz endowment separately from the pool. The university also claims that since Michael Moritz sat on the board of the Ohio State University Foundation, he knew the development fee existed. "Michael Moritz was a member of the Foundation Board of Directors from 1990 until his untimely death in 2002, and as such, was fully aware of the University's practices in managing and administering these types of endowed funds, including the development fee," Davey wrote. The family objects to this, claiming that anyone who knew Michael would know he was an experienced lawyer with an eye for detail. If he approved of the fee, he still would have made sure it was addressed in the gift contract. Lou Ann said in her time on the foundation board following Michael's death, they never talked about the development fees. 2017 - Moritz family fights to reopen Moritz estate Jeffrey is trying to reopen his father's estate to establish himself as an authority to enforce his father's gift. That would mean working with the Ohio attorney general's office. If that doesn't work, it means potentially suing OSU for breach of gift contract. The battle is being waged in Delaware County probate court. The initial request to reopen the estate was denied by a magistrate. Representatives from both OSU and the attorney general's office spoke at a hearing against the Moritz family, claiming even if the estate was reopened, Jeffrey would have no authority to enforce the gift contract. In the magistrate's decision, R. Lamont Kaiser wrote that Jeffrey did not demonstrate that if the estate was reopened, he would have the "standing" to enforce the agreement or shown a basis where this efforts would return money to the estate. The Moritz family is appealing. "We want to see the university succeed," Jeffrey said. "We want to see the law school succeed. ... We love Ohio State. But we can't sit by and see a $30 million (fund) go to zero." CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation is now in the health business. The group that historically worked to offer low-income housing options and to support small businesses now identifies improving health as a necessary part of community development and is taking steps to improve the health of its more than 30,000 residents. "The neighborhood was going and continues to go through a lot of change. I think the city is going through a lot of change," said Jeff Verespej, executive director of OBCDC. "Just doing the same thing we've done for 40 years was insufficient for the changing times." The OBCDC plans to launch three to five new pilot programs in the next year and revamp its existing programs to incorporate better health outcomes in such areas as exercise, nutrition and medicine. The addition of a health focus to the organization's mission is part of a larger shift in recognizing zip codes and social factors as determinants of health. "CDC's are in the zip code improvement business," said Verespej, who hopes to see the work being done by OBCDC be replicated by other CDCs in both Cleveland and across the country. The "turning point" in Old Brooklyn came during the preparation of the group's newest strategic plan, "Old Brooklyn 2020" two years ago, Verespej explained. "We haven't really asked about the lives we've improved. Our consultant challenged us on that," Verespej said. "It was a bit of a cold-water-on-the-face moment." To start, the OBCDC worked with local partners to complete a community health needs assessment focused on the neighborhood. Hospitals and health departments regularly complete such assessments but those are more regionally based and less targeted than the hyper-local survey completed by OBCDC, Verespej said. "No one is really doing a comprehensive look on what is health, how is it perceived by its residents and how does it affect the quality of life of its residents," said Jennifer King, a community health fellow for the OBCDC who was hired to spearhead the community health needs assessment. "It's certainly different because it's grassroots level. It's a community-based organization doing this type of assessment." Through a survey of 412 residents, the OBCDC found: Only 41 percent of residents reported using at least one Old Brooklyn park; There is a lack of parks near the center of the neighborhood; Of residents surveyed, 19.4 percent worried about running out of food, with double-digit percentages choosing between food and housing (20 percent), food and clothing (16.7 percent) and food and education (18.2 percent); 35.6 percent of residents experience housing burden, which means that the cost of housing is more than 30 percent of their income; 9.3 percent reported misusing prescription drugs, 97 percent of whom don't intend to quit; and 25.3 percent of residents characterized their overall health as poor to fair. "It was pretty shocking to see the number of residents who are making some type of trade-off: a trade-off between purchasing food and medical expenses or purchasing food and housing expenses," King said. The group will unveil its findings during a Health in Action Summit Sept. 27 and 28, hosted with Baldwin Wallace University. WASHINGTON, D. C. - The U.S. Senate on Monday passed a package of legislation to address a nationwide opioid abuse epidemic that's become the leading cause of injury deaths in Ohio. Among other things, it would authorize substance abuse and drug treatment grants, promote development of non-addictive painkillers, and keep synthetic opioids from entering the United States by mail. Both of Ohio's U.S. Senators backed the bill. Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman authored the bill's provisions to crack down on mail shipments of synthetic opioids by requiring the U.S. postal service to electronically track international parcels that enter the United States, identify suspicious packages, and test them for drugs. An investigative subcommittee that Portman chairs found it's easy to purchase synthetic opioids from sellers in China and have them mailed to the United States. In a Senate floor speech, Portman said two thirds of overdoses in Ohio are being caused by synthetic opoids like fentanyl, and there was an 850 percent nationwide increase in fentanyl overdose deaths between 2013 and 2017. "The opioid crisis has continued to tighten its grip around communities across our country, and the emergence of fentanyl has presented a new challenge in turning the tide of this epidemic," Portman said. "Just as we were making progress this more deadly, less expensive scourge has come in to our families, our communities, and our states. That's why we need to take action." The bill reauthorizes a number of anti-drug programs including the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Courts, Drug-Free Community prevention grants, and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas grants, which focus on drug interdiction, Portman's office noted. The package also includes a measure authored by Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown that allows Medicaid to pay for residential pediatric recovery services provided to babies born addicted to opioids. Brown's "Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) Act" would also clarify that babies can continue to be treated in residential pediatric recovery centers after one year of age. In Ohio, cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome increased six-fold between 2004-2011, from 14 cases per 10,000 live births in 2004 to 88 cases per 10,000 live births in 2011. In 2015, the Ohio Department of Health released data that reported an average of 84 infants were being treated for drug withdrawal by Ohio hospitals every day. "Too many victims of this epidemic are the infants born to mothers who struggle with addiction," said a statement from Brown. "With the right care, newborns born with neonatal abstinence syndrome have every shot of growing up healthy. This is an important step forward in getting moms and babies in Ohio care that best fits their needs." The legislation also included a provision authored by Wadsworth GOP Rep. Jim Renacci that would require Medicare Advantage and Part D plan sponsors to identify and investigate potential cases of fraud, waste, and abuse and establish a secure online portal where they could tell Medicare about the issues. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey introduced its Senate counterpart. "Ohio is at the heart of this crisis, and I have worked with my colleagues in both parties and with Senator Portman to pass laws to give Ohio more resources to deal with this crisis. It is important Congress passes this bipartisan legislation to make certain our states and communities are able to fight this epidemic," said a statement from Renacci. The Senate measure is significantly different from opioid fighting legislation the U.S. House of Representatives passed in June. Negotiators will draft a compromise bill, and both legislative bodies will have to pass it before it can become law. COLUMBUS, Ohio - A number of recovering addicts employed in drug and alcohol treatment centers could lose their jobs under new Ohio Medicaid rules that consider past criminal convictions. The rules require the ex-addicts -- and everyone else who provides behavioral health and addiction services -- to register as Medicaid providers for billing purposes. They must undergo criminal background checks -- and if the screenings show they've been convicted of crimes, the providers may not be able to offer services, or they may have to wait years before they can. Ohio's mental health community is concerned about the rules -- which the majority on a state panel approved Monday. The mental health community argued recovering addicts who provide so-called "peer recovery services" offer other addicts real-life experience and the hope for change. Studies have shown peer recovery can be effective. Those who work in mental health and addiction note Ohio is in the throes of an opioid epidemic, and there are not enough providers right now. The rules are the result of changes in Ohio Medicaid billing that went into effect July 1. Prior to July 1, the workers' employers usually billed for their services. But this summer, managed care organizations began reimbursing drug treatment centers, and the state is requiring all providers to get a Medicaid billing number to make billing more precise and to allow the department to better track treatment trends and successes. "We recognized there were going to be employers out there who had individuals who were not going to be eligible to be registered with Medicaid," Ohio Medicaid Assistant Director Jim Tassie told cleveland.com in a July interview. But Tassie said Ohio Medicaid had no idea how many peer recovery providers there were. "It's because the provider community had not shared this with us," he said. "We had not realized the magnitude of the problem until quite recently." No one knows the number of addicts who could be affected. About 132,000 people are providers in Ohio Medicaid, Tassie told a committee that reviews state agency rules. Tassie argued it is necessary to consider people's criminal backgrounds for patient safety and wise stewardship of taxpayer money. Ohio Medicaid considers criminal backgrounds for people who offer home health services, he said. Restrictions Ohio Medicaid has considered dozens of crimes, including: Murder, rape, kidnapping, patient abuse and neglect and Medicaid fraud: People convicted of these crimes can never become Medicaid providers. Aggravated robbery and burglary, identity fraud and drug trafficking: People convicted of these crimes would have to wait 10 years after completion of their sentences to become eligible to be Medicaid providers. Prostitution, breaking and entering, theft, passing bad checks: People would have to wait five years after their sentence is complete to apply to be a Medicaid provider. Possession of small amounts of drugs and drug paraphernalia: There would be no waiting period for people convicted of these crimes. Ohio Medicaid's rule would allow people to get around the waiting period if they can secure a certificate for qualified employment, which is a process in Ohio in which people with felony convictions can ask judges for relief from the mandatory restrictions of where they can work. However, providers testified Monday the process is expensive and is confusing and many didn't even know it existed. Lawmaker questions State Rep. Dan Ramos, a Lorain Democrat, argued during Monday's meeting that the waiting periods for some crimes were inappropriate, considering the convicted were addicted to drugs. "I'm curious about this five-year exclusionary period," he said. "Because I guess my question is, a number of those things could be considered - like theft - as drug-seeking behavior. I can even see prostitution. Some of the victims of human trafficking (have said) it was something they do to get drug money." "I don't think it's fair to suggest one group of individuals is (more) susceptible (to be victims of crime) than another group," Tassie said. Lawmakers paused the Monday committee meeting to discuss the rule in private with other committee members of their respective political parties -- which is unusual. Testimony over the rule lasted for hours. At treatment centers Thomas Stuber, CEO of Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, which operates in Lorain and Medina counties and soon in Erie County, said two of his employees were denied Medicaid provider numbers in August. They had their applications in before July 1. That means the agency will not get $20,000 from Medicaid, he said. "I've been in the field of addiction treatment for 38 years and it has become clear to me over that period of time that the majority of those who enter the field do so as a result of 'lived experience,'" said Stuber, who is also president of the Ohio Alliance of Recovery Providers, which has 35 treatment agencies across Ohio. That lived experience, which sometimes includes criminal activity to support their addiction or as a result of it. Yet their experience is "what makes them so effective in helping others with addictive disorders," he said. The employees were put on partial leave - they were removed from clinical care but do other work for the agency. About 30 clients have not been able to receive services because of this, Stuber said. "We know that individuals who are addicted and not receiving services will continue their drug use and continue the destructive behaviors that go with it," he said. Tassie said that employees who are denied provider status could temporarily get provider numbers until they could get court OK to work, or until October 2019 -- when Ohio Medicaid will revisit the rule and potentially change it. Many drug treatment centers said they were having trouble getting through to the department to get provider numbers. An effort to ban smoking from state beaches and parks went up in smoke last year when California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the measure as "too broad." But the legislature last month passed several new bills with different approaches to tackling the issue of second-hand smoke and now it's up to Brown whether to sign or reject them. One of the bills on Brown's desk, Assembly Bill 1097, would ban smoking or vaping only in designated picnic areas of state beaches and parks. The bill also slaps a fine of $25 for smoking in picnic areas or littering beaches in the Golden State with cigarette waste. The measure Brown vetoed last year was broader and barred smoking or vaping even in areas of state beaches that were not designated as picnic space. In vetoing last year's bill, the Democratic governor said: "If people can't smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they? There must be some limits to the coercive power of government." In contrast, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill in July to ban smoking on state beaches and parks. "We're not just taking action on a critical health issue in our state, but a critical environmental issue," Murphy said the day he signed the bill. The New Jersey smoking ban on state beaches and parks goes into effect next year. But already there is also an effort to expand the Garden State's smoking ban to apply to boardwalks. Meantime, California's governor has until Sept. 30 to decide on the AB-1097 and two other bills that involve the smoking issue on state parks or beaches. A spokesman for the governor declined to comment on his position on the measures. California Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-Marin County, told CNBC in an interview that Brown was "quite flippant" in his veto message last year. However, Levine, who introduced AB-1097, said the new bill is more focused so he's hopeful it will get the governor's signature. "We shouldn't be flippant about the dangers of second-hand smoke," Levine said. "We know it causes cancer and cancer kills. We also know that cigarette butts leach toxic chemicals into our environments and to wildlife." At the same time, Levine said AB-1097 could help prevent wildfires by eliminating cigarette butts in designated areas. California has suffered several catastrophic fires in the past year, including wildfires over the summer that closed state parks in northern and southern portions of the state. Levine said his bill focuses on designated picnic areas within state parks and beaches so it's "just like restaurants where people are not allowed to smoke. And bringing this type of law into law to protect these spaces from the dangers of cigarette butts and second-hand smoke makes sense. It's a logical next step." Two other smoking measures in California are Senate Bills 835 and 836, which both passed the state legislature late last month. According to the Ocean Conservancy, cigarette litter continues to be the most commonly found waste item on beaches. In 2015, the nonprofit environmental group estimated over 2 million pieces of cigarette butt litter were retrieved from U.S. beaches. SB-836, introduced by Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) would fine people $25 for smoking in state beaches or for improperly disposing of used cigarettes or cigars. It would also allow the state to exempt some areas of the park from smoking prohibition. Similarly, SB-835 would carry the same restrictions but apply solely to state parks. "Any measure that would reduce the actual amount of smoking on the beach and the related debris is a great thing in our eyes," said Matthew King, a spokesman for Heal the Bay, a nonprofit group focused on Greater LA's coastal waters and watersheds. "It will improve public health and the health of our shorelines." Borrowing costs remain too low today and it's "hurting our savers," said Allianz CEO Oliver Bate. "European money is too cheap and that leads to misallocation of assets," Bate told CNBC's Nancy Hungerford at the Singapore Summit last weekend. "We still have a lot of mismanagement in the central bank side." Bate said schemes such as the European Central Bank's "ultra-loose" monetary policy which has been in place since the global financial crisis of 2008 will "just make money cheaper for over indebted governments." He said it was not helping the economy, and just makes it easier for people to borrow money. Despite disagreeing with easy monetary policy and its negative impact on those who save, Bate said "there are many other things" Europe needs at the moment. "We need more investment now, we need more optimism, particularly in infrastructure and education, that's what we are lacking in Europe," he added. Since 2015, Europe has been rattled by an immigration crisis which has seen an increase in the appeal of populist, anti-immigrant and euroskeptic critics of the European Union parties, as evidenced by their performance at recent elections in Italy and Sweden. By "quarreling all the time" over immigration issues, Bate said Europe was "really masking the fact that we need to catch up with China and the United States on the tech side, on creating markets for the future." "We have healed some of the wounds but we haven't really addressed the underlying problems," Bate said, on the legacy from the 2008 global financial crisis. He pointed to issues such as "totally underfunded" pension systems and promised benefits to citizens, particularly the elderly, which are unlikely to be financed "because our children will not do that." "People are upset about the political leadership not getting the job done, fixing their everyday problems," he added. Beyond such infrastructural concerns, Bate said, people are also becoming more worried about the effects of globalization on their ability to find employment if their jobs disappear. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any answers yet. "We don't have an answer for our people to say, you know, where are the jobs coming to come from and will they pay well?" AbbVie shares fell almost 3 percent on Tuesday after the California Department of Insurance sued the pharmaceutical company for allegedly giving health-care providers kickbacks for prescribing its arthritis drug Humira. The suit alleges that AbbVie provided cash, trips and other gifts to health-care providers as incentives to prescribe the drug. The company allegedly also provided additional professional services, such as free insurance processing and marketing assistance. The scheme was pulled off by a group of registered nurses known as Abbvie Nurse Ambassadors, who are sent into patients' homes after they are prescribed Humira and were trained to downplay potential risks of the drug, according to the suit. The company "only provides the Ambassadors as long as the physicians continue to prescribe AbbVie's drug instead of selecting another course of treatment," according to the California Department of Insurance. AbbVie spokeswoman Adelle Infante said in a statement that the allegations had no merit. "AbbVie provides a number of support services for patients, once they are prescribed Humira, that both educate and assist patients with their therapy, including nursing support, and these resources are beneficial to patients dealing with a chronic condition," Infante said. "They in no way replace or interfere with interactions between patients and their healthcare providers." The allegations were brought to the attention of the department by Lazaro Suarez, who was employed as an AbbVie Nurse Ambassador in Florida. According to the lawsuit, private insurers have paid out $1.2 billion in pharmacy claims for Humira, which would make the case the largest instance of insurance fraud in the history of the California regulator. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, smiles during a demonstration of the newly released Apple products following the launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, September 12, 2018. Apple CEO Tim Cook explained why his company's products dodged the new round of China tariffs, saying "it's not really great for the United States" to tariff Apple products in an interview on "Good Morning America" Tuesday. President Donald Trump's latest list of proposed tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods spared some Apple products at the last minute. Apple had earlier said the proposed tariffs would affect the Apple Watch, AirPods and a host of other products. "I don't want to speak for [the Trump administration], but I think they looked at this and said that it's not really great for the United States to put a tariff on those type of products," Cook told "Good Morning America." Cook has been vocal about the ongoing trade disagreement, even speaking directly with Trump about the tariffs. He has maintained that the company's flagship handset, the iPhone, isn't likely to see tariffs. "The iPhone is assembled in China, but the parts come from everywhere, including the United States. You know the glass comes from Kentucky; there are chips that come from the U.S. and of course the research and development is all done in the United States," Cook said. Cook also said he thinks the ongoing trade disagreement will eventually work itself out. "I'm optimistic because trade is one of those things where it's not a zero sum game. You know you and I can trade something and we can both win. And so I'm optimistic that the two countries will sort this out and life will go on," Cook said. A Florida high school student got the surprise of a lifetime recently: a $100,000 college scholarship from hip-hop royalty Beyonce and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. Keshawn Morgan's whirlwind week began when his local Boys & Girls Club surprised him and some friends with VIP tickets to the power couple's show that night. Already floored, Morgan's night reached a whole new level when headliner DJ Khaled announced that he had a surprise scholarship for the 17-year-old who was ranked third in his class and was a member of the Spanish honor society. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Orlando, the chosen one Keshawn Morgan," DJ Khaled can be heard saying in a video posted on Facebook by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "I see you." "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it," a visibly shocked Morgan says in the video as his friends congratulate him. "It's amazing I want to be a lawyer. I can't believe I won this." TWEET As first reported by the Orlando Sentinel, the teen is one of 11 high school students nationwide who will receive $100,000 scholarships from Beyonce and Jay-Z's respective charities, BeyGOOD Initiative and the Shawn Carter Foundation. In a press release, the Carters announced that they will award more than $1 million in college scholarships during some of the final stops of their On the Run II world tour. Six scholarships have already been awarded in Atlanta, Miami, Arlington, New Orleans and Houston. Future stops on the tour include Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clara and Seattle. Other recipients have included an aspiring marine biologist from Miami and an Atlanta-based senior who plans on becoming a social worker. The Boys & Girls Club of America is selecting the winners. To qualify, students must excel academically and demonstrate financial need for the upcoming 2018-2019 academic school year. Morgan, who has been a member of the Boys and Girls Club for years and is now starting college applications, said that he's aiming for Ivy Leagues like Harvard University, as well as historically-black institutions like Howard University and Morehouse College. "It's like a big weight lifted off my shoulders," he told the Sentinel, in reference to the scholarship. "Not just my shoulders but my mom's shoulders and my dad's." The Evans High School senior is also the president of the theater society, a member of the UNICEF Club and Poetry Club and volunteers to help kids at the Boys and Girls Club. Morgan was still in disbelief during his interview with the Sentinel. "I really couldn't believe it," he said."It was crazy." Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Don't miss: Warren Buffett won $2.2 million on a bet and gave it to charity Supporters of Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro take part in a rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 09, 2018. Cris Faga | NurPhoto | Getty Images Investors in Brazilian stocks should buckle up for more volatility as the country's upcoming presidential election approaches. Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right candidate leading the polls ahead of the Oct. 7 first round, was nearly stabbed to death earlier this month. Bolsonaro got a boost in the latest polls after the stabbing but is largely expected to lose in a runoff given how polarizing a figure he is. The election's uncertainty along with a massive sell-off in emerging markets dragged Brazilian stocks lower this year. The exchange-traded fund that tracks Brazilian shares fell into bear-market territory earlier this year. The road could get even bumpier for investors in the next few weeks as the contest draws near with no clear-cut favorite to win. "The outcome will be very important from a macro perspective because it will determine the policy path moving forward," said Alberto Ramos, head of Latin American economics at Goldman Sachs. "The market would like to see a market-friendly candidate win, but that's more of a dream than reality." Brazil's presidential election features five candidates with a chance to win, including Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party, Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labor Party, Geraldo Alckmin of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party and Fernando Haddad of the Workers' Party, who is replacing imprisoned former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The challenge I see for Bolsonaro is he still has a very high rejection rate. A lot of people wouldn't vote for him in any scenario. Paulo Gregoire Latin America analyst at Stratfor Bolsonaro, a former army captain championing a tough-on-crime stance, is polling at 28.2 percent, according to a survey released on Monday by pollster MDA. Haddad, the former mayor of Sao Paulo, was polling at 17.6 percent. Leftist candidate Gomes, meanwhile, was polling at 10.8 percent, while business-friendly Alckmin was at 6.1 percent. "This is the most unpredictable election in Brazil since 1989" because of how close it is, said Paulo Gregoire, a Latin America analyst at Stratfor. Fernando Collor de Mello defeated Lula in a runoff by just 0.6 percent of the total vote in 1989. Gregoire noted that growing frustration with the political establishment in Brazil "has opened up the door for other candidates to run," making the race closer than normal. Bolsonaro jumped into the lead after a Brazilian court ruled that Lula, the country's most popular politician, could not run for the presidency once again. Lula is serving a 12-year sentence for corruption. The former president is the highest-profile casualty of Operation Car Wash, a sweeping corruption probe that has rattled Brazil's political establishment since 2014. However, the election is expected to go into a second-round runoff as no candidate is expected to garner more than 50 percent of the vote. This presents a problem for Bolsonaro since many expect him to lose in a runoff. "The challenge I see for Bolsonaro is he still has a very high rejection rate," Stratfor's Gregoire said. "A lot of people wouldn't vote for him in any scenario." Pension reform a political sticking point Bolsonaro has been criticized for making homophobic and racist remarks. In 2011, he told Playboy he would rather have a dead son than a gay son. He also said in another interview that Haitian immigrants were bringing diseases to Brazil. These types of comments not only narrow Bolsonaro's path to the presidency, but they also limit the political capital he would need to move forward with key economic policies, specifically pension reform. The beef with Bolsonaro is not economic. The beef with Bolsonaro is his capacity to deliver. He is such a polarizing figure; nobody would want to work with him. Alberto Ramos head of Latin American Economics at Goldman Sachs Current President Michel Temer pushed to reform Brazil's pension system but failed, as his proposed measures were widely unpopular. The country's pension system was a contributing factor in Brazil's deficit rising to 10 percent of GDP in 2015. The Brazilian system is an outlier compared to pension schemes in other countries. While most public pensions include a minimum retirement age, the Brazilian system pays high replacement rates the percentage of a worker's pre-retirement income ultimately paid out by a pension program and does so at a much lower age. As a result, under the current rules, pension spending could reach as high as 17 percent of GDP by 2060, according to a recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The population ages 65 and above will more than triple within the next four decades, increasing to 38 percent by 2050 from about 7.6 percent of the population in 2010. "If you don't do pension reform, you won't be able to take on other policy measures; that's a precondition," said Ramos of Goldman Sachs. "Otherwise, the country will be ungovernable." Ramos noted, however, that a Bolsonaro victory makes it more unlikely that such policies will be implemented. "The beef with Bolsonaro is not economic. The beef with Bolsonaro is his capacity to deliver" on key economic policies, Ramos said. "He is such a polarizing figure; nobody would want to work with him." The other candidates, however, would also struggle to move forward with pension reform or are unwilling to push through with such measures, and that scares investors who have ridden out a recently volatile Brazilian economy. "Even a market-friendly president won't be able to stabilise the public finances and boost potential growth significantly," William Jackson, chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a note earlier this week. "Markets don't appear to be pricing in this risk in full." Election fears hit Brazilian shares and currency Shares in Brazil had a strong runup to 2018. Between 2016 and 2017, the Bovespa index surged 65.8 percent while the iShares MSCI Brazil exchange-traded fund, EWZ, skyrocketed 82.6 percent. This year, however, has been much tougher for Brazilian shares. The ETF has fallen more than 20 percent in 2018, tracking for its worst year since 2015. The fund is also in a bear market, down 35 percent from its 52-week high. Last month, investors pulled money from the ETF at the fastest pace on record, with more than $750 million in outflows. Bovespa, meanwhile, is up just 0.5 percent this year, compared to the 's 8 percent gain. The Brazilian benchmark index has fallen more than 10 percent since early May and is among the worst performers in the world. Brazil vs US equities in the past year The sell-off in Brazilian assets has intensified in recent weeks as new polls have spotlighted waning support for centrist, market-friendly candidates, including Alckmin of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party. Bovespa dropped 2.3 percent last Tuesday after a poll revealed growing support for leftist candidates Gomes and Haddad, a sign the election could turn out to be a showdown between two extremes of Brazilian politics. Meanwhile, the Brazilian real has also come under renewed pressure this past week. The currency hit its lowest level since 2015 against the U.S. dollar in late August. "Evidence from the elections of other populists in the emerging world over the past decade ... suggests that, as political risk gets factored in, the real could weaken by another 5 percent against the dollar," Jackson of Capital Economics said. The real is the third-worst-performing emerging-market currency against the dollar this year, after the Turkish lira and Argentine peso. "There's mass frustration among the international investment community about Brazil," said Daniel Osorio, president at Andean Capital Advisors. "Brazil has been on the verge of becoming the economic and political superpower of Latin America, but it's been on the verge for the better part of 50 years." Economic recovery continues to be a struggle Brazil continues to struggle to recover from its worst recession on record. Unemployment remains in double digits and public debt has risen sharply to 74 percent of GDP, up from just over 50 percent at the start of the decade. The country's economy has also flashed warning signs of more trouble ahead. In the previous quarter, the Brazilian economy grew slower than economists had hoped, hampered by a nationwide trucking strike in May that resulted in widespread product shortages. In light of the weak economic figures, Brazil's central bank reduced its full-year forecast for economic growth in June to 1.6 percent from 2.6 percent. The impact on the Chinese economy from the trade tariffs will be small, and China markets are still attractive despite slumping this year, said Catherine Cai, chairman of UBS's Greater China investment banking arm. China markets have tumbled more than 20 percent this year, which experts have attributed to the volatility over the trade war with the U.S. The market's reaction has been overblown, Cai suggested, pointing to the "pretty healthy" growth potential of most Chinese corporations. The latest news on the additional round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods did not "totally surprise" everyone, she said, given that investors knew they would likely come. "We still think, among all the emerging markets, China's still representing the most attractive market," she told CNBC at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. Investors are worried about the larger picture. "Actually I think people (are) worried about the global economy, what this trade between U.S. and China will do to the global supply chain, will do for global economy," Cai said. U.S. President Donald Trump will impose 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from Sept. 24. Those duties will rise to 25 percent at the end of the year, the Trump administration announced on Monday. The latest tariffs are set to escalate the trade conflict between the world's two largest economies, with China already threatening to retaliate against new duties. But the impact of the tariffs on the Chinese economy will be "very small," and the Chinese government is now "prepared" to manage that, Cai pointed out. "In the meantime, the Chinese government has taken a lot of proactive policy, such as loosening up monetary policy, and the central bank maybe going to ease more credit. So that's taking these opportunities to further beef up China's domestic consumption." WATCH: How China manages its monetary policy A PLA Navy fleet including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, submarines, vessels and fighter jets take part in a review in the South China Sea. VCG | Getty Images The United States needs to make room for China as a rising military power in the Asia-Pacific region, even if a declining U.S. presence there reduces stability, according to an expert. Asia does not depend solely on the U.S. for security, but with the Chinese navy, army and air force growing in strength, a "far more multi-polar, unstable military environment" has resulted, said Robert Kaplan, senior advisor at consulting firm the Eurasia Group. Speaking at the Singapore Summit on Saturday, he said: "America is the only country that's active in Asia that does not have territorial ambition inside Asia. And it's therefore kind of a balancing, even stabilizing power." The U.S. has to make room for a rising China in Asia militarily, economically. The question is how much room. Robert Kaplan senior advisor, Eurasia Group "So I think if America's role on these matters is diminished, with only the U.S. Navy there as a stabilizing force without the White House backing it up, stability in Asia has to be affected," added Kaplan, who's also a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. But, he said, the rise of China's military "cannot be denied." "The U.S. has to make room for a rising China in Asia militarily, economically. The question is how much room. And that takes a very nuanced policy to say the least, to convert Asia from a uni-polar to a multi-polar security world," concluded Kaplan. The United States withdrew from the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal in 2017, but last month it announced $113 million in infrastructure spending for the Asia Pacific region part of U.S. President Donald Trump's so-called Indo-Pacific strategy. It included new ventures focused on technology, energy and infrastructure. China, on the other hand, has been exerting its presence in the South China Sea, and has extended its influence by means of its massive Belt and Road Initiative. A desire to counter China's economic and political influence, which Beijing is expanding through its massive Belt and Road infrastructure program, is believed to be a major factor driving this Indo-Pacific policy. Many view the U.S. fund as an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative. But that $113 million American fund is minimal in comparison with China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road. In Pakistan alone, China has $62 billion worth of infrastructure projects. Cyber-conflict and cyber-competition The networked world and technology will become increasingly important elements of global politics, Kaplan said on a panel at the Singapore conference. He said cyberattacks will probably continue to happen across borders potentially on a massive scale that hasn't been seen before. Additionally, there will be other forms of competition in cyber-space between the United States and other countries, Kaplan said. He cited competition between the United States and China on the next-generation mobile network known as 5G. China has no choice but to retaliate against the latest round of U.S. tariffs in order to safeguard its rights and interest in a free trade world, the country's Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. While the statement gives no timeline or details of the nature of retaliation, it blames the U.S. for bringing uncertainty to the relationship between the two countries. "The U.S. insists on increasing tariffs, which brings new uncertainty to the consultations between the two sides. It is hoped that the U.S. will recognize the possible negative consequences of such actions and take convincing means to correct them in a timely manner," the statement said. Adding to these comments, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the United States has not been "sincere" and talks on an equal footing are the only way to resolve this issue. Chinese workers are insufficiently trained in technology and need to upgrade their skills in order to be aligned with new trends like automation and artificial intelligence, a recruitment expert said on Tuesday. In the long run, China has to shift its agenda to focus on the quality of the labor market, instead of the quantity, Danny Yuan, CEO and president at the Manpower Group (Greater China), told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin. "In China, the majority of labor force population (has) low tech knowledge. So I think the companies have more agenda to hire the highly skilled (for their) needs, but unfortunately the individuals who (are) in the labor workforce market (are) still low skilled." In particular, the workforce needs to learn how to work with new tech areas such as big data and artificial intelligence, he pointed out. Big data usually refers to large volumes of information that can be analyzed to discover patterns and trends. Even with automation and robots that have been developed to support the workforce, Yuan said that ultimately, humans still have to be sufficiently skilled to operate the machines as robots only perform the tasks. "In China, another challenge is this population trend," he added, pointing to how the workforce is at about 900 million but going down. Forecasts have indicated that by 2035, it could be as low as 700 million, he said. "So now, (shifting) the efficiency together with the trend of the population will be quite challenging in the public and private sector," Yuan concluded. Machines will overtake humans in terms of performing more tasks at the workplace by 2025 but there could still be 58 million net new jobs created in the next five years, the World Economic Forum said in a report on Monday. AI and robotic machines are expected to perform about 42 percent of all current tasks in the workplace by 2022, compared to only 29 percent now, according to firms surveyed by WEF. Humans are expected to work an average of 58 percent of task hours by 2022, up from the current task hours of 71 percent. President Donald Trump meets with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (2nd L), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (2nd R), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (R) and other congressional leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, September 6, 2017. A perennial issue for Washington lawmakers, the national debt is expected to rise to $28.7 trillion from $15.7 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. "Another trillion dollars of debt, here we come," he added. "If the Democrats win the House I will be shocked if the first thing they don't do is infrastructure," Cohn said in a live interview with Reuters on Monday. "I think they'll do a trillion dollars, trillion and a half dollars of infrastructure, and the president will sign it." Former White House economic advisor Gary Cohn said President Donald Trump will work with Congress to pass a massive debt-fueled infrastructure bill if Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in November. As a share of gross domestic product, the national debt is forecast to swell to 96.2 percent from 78 percent over the next 10 years the highest mark since 1946 and well more than twice the average over the past five decades, the CBO said in April. Cohn, who quit the White House post earlier this year after 15 months as director of the National Economic Council, said his conviction on the topic comes from the way Trump crafts his economic philosophy. "The president looks at these economic decisions in a very simple lens: 'I want to grow the U.S. economy, I want to create jobs, I want to create wage growth,'" the former Goldman Sachs executive said of Trump. "If the federal government can do something that helps [him] accomplish those three things, he will be 100 percent inclined to do it," Cohn added. "I mean, that's literally how he looks at it." Once the chief operating officer and president of Goldman, Cohn's time in the administration oversaw a historic overhaul of the U.S. tax code that resulted in the reduction of the corporate tax rate to 21 percent. But despite agreements on deregulation and tax cuts, Cohn and Trump frequently sparred over the president's plans to impose trade sanctions on economic allies. For his part, Cohn said he would have preferred a public-private partnership to tackle infrastructure, but his plan faced fierce opposition on Capitol Hill. By combining "a little bit" of U.S. equity and letting the private sector leverage it, Cohn said the venture could then sell off a lot of the noncrucial infrastructure back to the government. The trade conflict between the world's two largest economies heightened Monday evening after the Trump administration announced it will impose 10 percent tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. "I think the president is saying, 'Hey, listen guys, you are not going to make as much money in China as you used to. That game is over,'" Cramer told " Squawk on the Street ." President Donald Trump has made it very clear that U.S. companies who do business with China will be impacted by his tariffs, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday. Those duties will rise to 25 percent at the end of the year. Reuters reported Tuesday morning that in response China said it will institute tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion on Sept. 24. China is reviewing plans to send a delegation to Washington for trade talks, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing a government source in Beijing. "The president is not sensitive to the companies that make a lot of money in China from our country," Cramer said. "They are the ones that we sacrificed." The Apple Watch and various other consumer gadgets are being exempted from this newest round. However, some Apple products will still be affected. Meanwhile, Macy's CEO Jeffrey Gennette on Monday night said at Recode's Code Conference that tariffs will start to affect Macy's and other department stores more significantly than other businesses. That's because of their impact on apparel, he told CNBC's Courtney Reagan on the stage, adding Macy's is taking a variety of steps to address that issue. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the first passenger on a private space flight around the moon will be a Japanese billionaire who also happens to be a rock musician and art collector. Yusaku Maezawa is the founder of Zozotown, Japan's biggest fashion retail website. He's Japan's 18th-richest person, according to Forbes, which estimates his net worth at $2 billion. Maezawa, 45, is paying an undisclosed amount of money to be the first commercial passenger to fly around the moon on SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), the company announced via webcast in 2018. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2023, and Maezawa is paying for the fares of up to a dozen total passengers. Initially, Maezawa had stated his intention to fill the mission, called dearMoon, with an entire roster of artists, who the billionaire said would create works of art reflecting their time in space. However, Maezawa recently announced that the project has evolved and he will now choose eight of the crew members for the mission through an application process that is completely open to the public. The dearMoon website lays out two "key criteria" for prospective applicants looking to land a spot on Maezawa's space flight, which will take roughly a week to fly to the moon and loop around the celestial body before returning to earth. Applicants must first prove that they have a specific pursuit or interest that can be advanced by a trip to the moon, while applicants should also "be willing and able to support other crew members who share similar aspirations," Maezawa said on Tuesday. Applicants must pre-register by March 14, with final interviews slated to take place at the end of May. "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon. It's always there and continues to inspire humanity," Maezawa said on Monday. Musk tweeted a photo of himself with Maezawa when they first announced the trip in 2018: So, who is Maezawa? It turns out being one of SpaceX's first tourists is not the only interesting thing about him. (In February, SpaceX announced that billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman will lead the first-ever all-civilian space flight that's set to launch at the end of 2021.) Growing up near Tokyo, Maezawa attended a prestigious high school, where he took up drumming and formed a hardcore punk band, Switch Style, which released its own EP album in 1993 while Maezawa was still in school. Maezawa decided he was not interested in a traditional career after he constantly saw "salarymen" (Japan's white-collar workers) looking miserable on his commute to school. "Looking at the gloomy salarymen on the train every day, I thought, 'I never want to be like them,'" Maezawa said in a June 2018 interview. Instead he skipped college and headed to the United States for a brief stint with his girlfriend at the time, who was studying abroad in California. While in the U.S., Maezawa obsessively collected American music that was not widely available in Japan; his tastes leaned toward America's hardcore punk scene of the 1980s, including bands like Anthrax, Biohazard and the Dead Kennedys. While frequenting music festivals in the U.S. Maezawa realized the business opportunity in selling music merchandise, like CDs and band T-shirts. In 1995, he returned to Japan with his collection of American music and an idea to import CDs and vinyl records of his favorite bands from the U.S. to sell in his home country. "I wanted to share my favorite music with everybody," Maezawa told Forbes in 2011. Maezawa started a mail-order business out of his home in Japan, making a catalog of items like CDs, records and band-related merchandise. He worked from his kitchen table, packing and shipping orders himself, he told Forbes. He balanced the mail-order business with his music he was again playing shows with his band, Switch Style, which released full albums in 1997 and 1998. Maezawa told Forbes that he didn't mind splitting his time, "because I didn't really think I was in the retail trade," he says. "I was in the music business, and I was happy with it." (There appear to still be some videos of the band on Youtube.) The business started out small, but by 1998, Maezawa had built up enough customers to hire 10 employees. He officially launched the company as Start Today taken from an album by the New York hardcore punk band Gorilla Biscuits and in 2000 he launched the company's first website. European stocks were muted by Tuesday's market close, as investors mulled over the recent announcements from the U.S. and China in their tit-for-tat trade war. Following a choppy trading session, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed up 0.11 percent. Major sectors, meanwhile, were pointing in different directions when the trading day ended. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 closed down 0.03 percent, while the French CAC 40 rose 0.28 percent and the German DAX popped 0.51 percent. Most markets in peripheral Europe ended in the black. In recent sessions, market focus across the world has been largely attuned to developments in the escalating trade conflict between U.S. and China. On Monday, news emerged that the U.S. administration would impose 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, and those duties would go onto rise to 25 percent at the end of the year. The White House removed about 300 goods from a previously proposed list of affected products, including smart watches, some chemicals and other products such as bicycle helmets and high chairs. On Tuesday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said the country had no choice but to retaliate against this latest round of tariffs, so it could safeguard its rights and interest in a free trade world. Consequently, markets briefly dropped in afternoon trade, after reports materialized that Beijing would inflict new tariffs on American goods, worth $60 billion, effective from later this month, according to Reuters. Despite the news, U.S. stocks posted solid gains around Europe's market close, with the Dow up in the triple digits as investors considered the latest tariffs to be not as bad as previously feared. Following the China tariffs report, stocks in Europe came under sharp pressure, but bounced back a short while later. Zalando slumps 13% Looking at individual stocks, Zalando shares tumbled 13.2 percent, after the retailer cut its 2018 guidance for the second time in two months. The group said the summer heat wave delayed a switch to the winter season and will impact full-year earnings. Swiss chemicals firm Clariant meanwhile soared almost 8 percent, after announcing that it will enter into a new joint venture in high performance materials with new shareholder, Saudi Arabia's SABIC. Sticking with the top gainers, Schibsted skyrocketed 9.1 percent after the media firm announced that it would spin off its international online classified operations, which would be established as an independent listed firm. Osram rose 5.87 percent after releasing an upbeat statement on its semiconductors, saying that from 2020 onwards, its Opto Semiconductors division expects revenue growth to be around 10 percent, with an adjusted EBITDA margin between 23 and 29 percent. U.K. broadcaster ITV fell 3 percent after Berenberg cut its target price on the stock, while IWG fell over 6.5 percent after Credit Suisse cuts its rating to "underperform" from "neutral," Reuters reported. Cheerios cereal maker General Mills missed analysts' estimates for quarterly sales on Tuesday, hit by lower demand for its snacks and yogurts in the United States. Shares of the Minneapolis-based company dropped more than 7 percent for their worst performance since March 2018. General Mills, like its rivals, is battling rising freight costs as railroads and truck fleets hike rates, as well as higher input costs. This hurt the company's adjusted gross margins, which fell 160 basis points to 33.6 percent in the reported quarter. The company, which also owns Haagen-Dazs and Betty Crocker brands, said sales in its U.S snacks unit fell 4 percent, while yogurt sales declined 2 percent. The company's net sales rose nearly 9 percent to $4.09 billion, boosted by its acquisition of pet food company Blue Buffalo, but missed analysts' estimates of $4.12 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Net income attributable to the company fell to $392.3 million, or 65 cents per share, in the first-quarter ended Aug. 26, from $404.7 million, or 69 cents, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned 71 cents per share. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 4, 2018 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer | Getty Images A possible showdown between Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of drunkenly assaulting her when they were both in high school in the early 1980s, looks in many ways like the faceoff between Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill in 1991. If the hearing happens, it will be in front of the same committee Senate Judiciary with some of the same senators who were also on the panel 27 years ago: Republicans Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Utah's Orrin Hatch, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. And as in 1991, a woman would be testifying about sexually related claims against a Republican president's nominee that came to light only after the initial confirmation hearings took place. Likewise, millions of Americans would be paying close attention to the televised spectacle, trying to determine who is telling the truth about disputed events that occurred years before. Like Thomas, Kavanaugh, a federal appellate judge, is adamantly denying the claims made by his own accuser. Hill, in an op-ed article Tuesday in The New York Times, herself wrote that "It's impossible to miss the parallels" between the two hearings. But there are also number of big differences between the two cases that should prevent the Kavanugh-Blasey Ford hearing from being a mere echo of Thomas-Hill. And the differences could not only be in how the witnesses are treated, but also in the outcome. Women on the committee Unlike the Thomas-Hill hearings, there will be female senators four Democrats on the committee questioning Kavanaugh and Blasey Ford. One of them, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was first elected to the Senate along with three other women in 1992. It came a year after the Thomas hearings highlighted the fact that at the time there were a mere two female senators, neither of whom were on the Judiciary Committee in 1991. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was also elected to her seat in 1992. While she is not a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she told reporters on Tuesday that she came to the Senate "because of how Anita Hill was handled." Murray called Blasey Ford's claims against Kavanaugh "serious" and said she hopes to handle the situation "in the right way." "Because it wasn't done in the right way with Anita Hill, and we had a generation of women who said it's not worth it coming forward," Murray added. "I do not want that to be this message today." Many people, some of whom ran for Congress after the Thomas hearings, were outraged by how skeptically some of the male senators questioned Hill's account, as well as the subsequent confirmation of Thomas to the Supreme Court. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania, had asked her: "How could [Hill] allow this kind of reprehensible behavior to go on without doing something about it?" The #MeToo effect Another big difference, however, will be a sea change in how sexual harassment and sexual assault are seen by many Americans. In the past year, the #MeToo movement has accelerated that change. Ignited by revelations of movie producer Harvey Weinstein's alleged serial assault of women, #MeToo has encouraged women to come forward with stories and accusations of rape, harassment and other forms of mistreatment by men. In turn, several high-profile men were forced out of powerful jobs due to their alleged conduct. Hill, in her Times op-ed, wrote, "Today, the public expects better from our government than we got in 1991, when our representatives performed in ways that gave employers permission to mishandle workplace harassment complaints throughout the following decades." A friend and neighbor of Blasey Ford told The Mercury News of San Jose, California, on Monday that she had told her of the alleged assault by Kavanaugh, without naming him, as the #MeToo movement gained additional momentum. "I can't really think of anyone better" to answer questions from the committee, Rebecca White told The Mercury News. "She's one of those people who teems with honesty and truth." At around the time that Blasey Ford had told White about the alleged incident with Kavanaugh, a senator, Al Franken of Minnesota, was being accused of groping and kissing women without their permission. Franken, a Democrat, eventually resigned in January. A number of observers have pointed out that Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who both called for Franken's resignation in light of the allegations again him, still have not said whether they will confirm Kavanaugh in the face of even more serious claims against him. Murkowski on Tuesday refused to say whether Blasey Ford's allegations, if true, would disqualify Kavanaugh. Collins and Murkowski, like several of their colleagues, have called for slowing down Kavanaugh's confirmation process in order to hear testimony from both the judge and his accuser. WATCH: Sen. Feinstein passes confidential letter to FBI Ola, Uber's main rival in India, has announced its latest overseas push with a planned expansion into New Zealand. The company said in a statement Tuesday that it plans to launch services in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. The news marks the Bengaluru-based ride-hailing upstart's latest international foray, following its entry into Australia in February and the U.K. last month. Local media also reported Tuesday that the fledgling tech firm had raised $50 million, lifting its valuation to $4.3 billion. India's Mint and The Economic Times newspapers reported that the company raised the funds from Chinese private equity fund Sailing Capital and Beijing-backed investment fund, the China-Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund. Ola declined to comment to CNBC on the media reports. "We see a real opportunity in New Zealand to provide a fair alternative in the rideshare space for both customers and drivers," said Ola Chief Executive Bhavish Aggarwal in the company's latest statement. "We invested in understanding the New Zealand customer and devised the right strategy to meet their transport needs." The company has appointed entrepreneur Brian Dewil, formerly director of Horizon Robotics, as country manager of its New Zealand operations. "Kiwis have had too little choice when it comes to rideshare," said Dewil. "Ola's arrival will create a compelling experience that puts the quality of rides first." News of Ola's entry into New Zealand also highlights the firm's latest challenge to rival taxi-hailing app Uber, which, according to its website, operates in all of the cities Ola is expanding to. Late last year, Ola bought up the Indian unit of online food delivery service Foodpanda, heating up the competition with Uber's food platform UberEats. SoftBank-backed Ola says it has 125 million users across the countries it is currently present in. The company raised $1.1 billion from SoftBank and China's Tencent in October year. But its market value at that time was reported to be around $7 billion, exceeding that reported by local media on Tuesday. Political, civil and economic turmoil in Jordan's neighboring countries Syria and Iraq has been "really tough" on the domestic economy, Jordan's Minister of Investment told CNBC on Tuesday. "The truth is, we've lost our natural market in Syria and Iraq, and it has been really tough for our exporters," Jordan's Minister of Investment Muhannad Shehadeh said. "In spite of that, in 2017, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Jordan grew by 7.5 percent and it had dropped by 11.5 percent in the (wider) region," he added, speaking to CNBC's Hadley Gamble in Amman. Amman, Jordan Getty Images Syria and Iraq straddle Jordan's north and north-eastern borders while Saudi Arabia lies to the south and Israel to the west. Civil war, poverty and terrorism in Syria and Iraq (as well as Yemen and Sudan) have largely impacted Jordan with an estimated 750,000 registered refugees, according to the UN's Refugee Agency, now living in the country. Geopolitical concerns and economic reforms within Jordan have impacted foreign direct investment (FDI) although Shehadeh, who is also president of Jordan's Investment Commission, said the picture is improving. After a difficult first quarter in terms of FDI in 2018 (the Central Bank of Jordan said FDI inflows fell 54 percent during the first quarter), Shehadeh forecast that FDI in Jordan would grow by 5 percent this year. Domestic economic challenges were still at the forefront of the government's policies, however. In January 2018, the cabinet announced a major package of tax rises and subsidy cuts. In addition, the IMF approved in 2016 a three-year extended ambitious program of long delayed structural reforms to cut public debt to 77 percent of GDP by 2021, down from a record 96 percent, Reuters reported. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 4, 2018 in Washington, DC. Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teens, has yet to confirm she will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley, the panel's Republican chairman. "We have reached out to her in the last 36 hours three or four times by email, and we have not heard from them," Grassley said Tuesday morning on conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt's radio show. "So it kind of raises the question, do they want to come to the public hearing or not?" Asked about the chairman's claim, a spokesman for the Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, told CNBC: "It could be that they haven't heard from her yet because they scheduled the hearing without first talking with her or her lawyer." Feinstein had received a letter from Ford in late July alleging that Kavanaugh had drunkenly held her down on a bed and attempted to take her clothes off when they were in high school in the 1980s. Kavanaugh's friend, Mark Judge, was in the room as well, and jumped on them, according to Ford. Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's second pick for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, has denied the allegation. In a letter to The Washington Post sent through a lawyer Tuesday, Judge said that he has "no memory of this alleged incident" and that he does "not recall the party" Ford described. He added: "I do not wish to speak publicly regarding the incidents described in Dr. Ford's letter." Grassley had originally opposed scheduling a public hearing before the 21-member committee, saying in a statement that the "standard procedure" would be to set follow-up calls with Kavanaugh, 53, and Ford, 51. The Republican-controlled committee had recently completed Kavanaugh's heated and highly politicized judicial hearings, and was set to vote Thursday to push Kavanaugh's nomination toward confirmation. But Democrats and Republicans, including crucial swing vote Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for a hearing. Both Kavanaugh and Ford, through her attorney, said they would be willing to defend their positions in public testimony. Grassley scheduled the hearing for Monday. But as of Tuesday morning, Grassley said in the radio interview, neither Ford nor her lawyer, Debra Katz, had confirmed her attendance. "We're delaying the vote strictly to get all the facts out on the table," Grassley said. Katz did not respond to CNBC's requests for comment on Grassley's claim. Collins said Monday that Kavanaugh would "obviously" be disqualified from the high court if he lied in denying Ford's allegation, and called for a public hearing. "I really hope that she doesn't pass up that opportunity," Collins said Tuesday. Later, the Maine Republican called on committee leaders to let Ford's and Kavanaugh's legal counsel question each other during the hearing before allowing senators to pose their own questions. Later Tuesday morning, Feinstein blasted Grassley's proposed hearing, which is so far only set to include Kavanaugh and Ford as witnesses, as insufficient. "Chairman Grassley today said there would be only two witnesses invited to testify at the Kavanaugh hearing next week on sexual assault allegations. Compare that with the 22 witnesses at the 1991 Anita Hill hearing and it's impossible to take this process seriously," Feinstein said. "This is another attempt by Republicans to rush this nomination and not fully vet Judge Kavanaugh," the California Democrat added. CNBC's Tucker Higgins and Brian Schwartz contributed to this article. Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, speaking at the New York Economic Club in New York on Sept. 17th, 2018. "I don't want to be specific, I don't want to get ahead of our own budgeting, but we'll get there," Kudlow said at the Economic Club of New York. "But I agree, we have to be tougher on spending." Asked Monday if the Trump administration would address "entitlement reform," White House chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow said it will "probably" look at "larger entitlements" next year. Entitlement reform generally refers to changes or cuts to large government social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or food stamps. President Donald Trump 's top economic advisor has given Democrats fresh ammunition for one of their most used midterm attacks. Democrats, who aim to flip 23 GOP-held seats and take a House majority in November, jumped on the comments from the National Economic Council director and former CNBC contributor. As the party tries to win GOP-leaning seats, its candidates have largely focused on calls to protect health-care coverage and social safety-net programs. Shielding Social Security and Medicare has always been a winning message for political candidates. But now, numerous Democrats have sounded alarms about Republicans trimming spending on those programs in order to make up for the estimated $1 trillion or more last year's GOP tax cuts are projected to add to budget deficits. Various Democratic lawmakers and candidates issued warnings after Kudlow's comments. Jeff Merkley, a Democratic senator from Oregon and potential 2020 presidential candidate, tweeted that "Social Security and Medicare are on the line" in November's midterms. Merkley tweet Two of his party's candidates who aim to flip Republican-held seats in swing state Ohio also seized on Kudlow's remarks. Danny O'Connor, who narrowly lost the Ohio 12th District special election last month and will face off again against GOP Rep. Troy Balderson in November, tweeted that "it is just wrong" to cut taxes for corporations and then trim "earned benefits" such as Social Security and Medicare. O'Connor tweet Aftab Pureval, who faces Republican Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio's 1st District, also said "this irresponsible tax bill" that Chabot supported "has put Social Security and Medicare at risk." Pureval tweet The White House did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the Democratic criticism of Kudlow's comments. On Monday, Kudlow downplayed the effect of tax cuts on budget deficits and instead pointed to a longer-term spending problem. "People are quick to blame deficits on tax cuts," he said. "Well, I don't buy that." A House GOP proposal released in June called for cuts to programs including Medicare in order to balance the budget over time. Some Republicans have said the programs, particularly Social Security, are unsustainable over the long run and need to be reformed in order for them to continue. The funds that support Social Security are expected to run out of money in 2034. Democrats have repeatedly used social safety-net programs as a talking point as they try to win tough races in November. For example, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia pressed Trump earlier this year about whether the president would seek to cut funds from Social Security and Medicare to try to offset the revenue lost by the tax cuts. Trump won that state by an enormous margin in 2016. He has supported GOP Senate candidate Patrick Morrisey and repeatedly bashed Manchin, who appears favored to keep his seat as of now. The GOP is now trying to flip Democrats' Medicare arguments ahead of November's key elections. Republican candidates and Trump have contended Democrats will pull money from the health program for seniors in order to pay for Medicare for All, a single-payer system that has gained more traction recently in the Democratic Party. "They want to raid Medicare to pay for socialism," Trump recently claimed at a rally in Indiana, where Sen. Joe Donnelly, another vulnerable Democrat, is defending his seat this year. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican trying to win a Senate seat in a state with a large population of retirees, also recently contended that "if you want to protect Medicare, vote Republican." Medicare for All plans would actually expand Medicare benefits, not cut them. "What Should the Senate Do With Brett Kavanaugh?" | Main | SCOTUS preview guest post: "Strange Bedfellows at the Supreme Court" September 17, 2018 Paul Manafort's DC plea agreement has a calculated guideline range of 17.5 to 22 years (though he can only get 10) In this post last year following the initial indictment of Paul Manafort in DC District Court on 12 federal criminal counts, I speculated based on the amount of money allegedly involved that Manafort's guideline range, the "starting point and the initial benchmark" for his sentencing, would surely be 10+ years in federal prison. I have just now had a chance to review a copy of Manafort's plea agreement (first discussed here), and I am intrigued to see that it confirms my (too quick) initial guideline assessment. The full Manafort plea agreement is available at this link, and here is the final guideline range assessment: "Based upon the total offense level and the estimated criminal history category set forth above, the Office calculates your client's estimated Sentencing Guidelines range is 210 months to 262 months' imprisonment." But, of course, while the guidelines call for a range of 17.5+ years of imprisonment for Manafort, he is only in this agreement pleading guilty to two conspiracy counts that each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. So his prison sentence for the DC case is functionally capped at 10 years (but he could get more, I believe, at his sentencing in his Virginia case where he was convicted on 8 counts following a full trial). The reality that his guideline range is 17.5+ years but his sentence is functionally capped t 10 years makes this subsequent (boiler plate?) sentence in the Manafort plea agreement intriguing: "Based upon the information known to the Government at the time of the signing of this Agreement, the parties further agree that a sentence within the Estimated Guidelines Range (or below) would constitute a reasonable sentence in light of all of the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a), should such a sentence be subject to appellate review notwithstanding the appeal waiver provided below." Some prior related posts: September 17, 2018 at 05:15 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette said the Trump administration's decision Monday to impose a fresh round of tariffs on Chinese goods "has not gone the way we hoped it would." The department store chain has been working with suppliers in Asia to prepare for potentially higher tariffs in the administration's escalating global trade war, he told CNBC's Courtney Reagan at the Code Commerce conference in New York Monday evening. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Monday, saying the country's trade practices pose a "grave threat" to the long-term health of the U.S. economy. Those duties will rise to 25 percent Jan. 1. "With the recent announcement even today, we do expect that there will be more tariffs," Gennette. "It's going to start to affect a department store retailer more significantly because of the apparel pieces that are going to be part of it." The National Retail Federation said the tariffs will increase the costs of consumer goods and could slow down a rebound in the retail sector so far this year. Macy's just announced plans to hire more than 80,000 holiday workers to keep up with consumer demand this season, and its shares are up by more than 40 percent so far this year. "Every time this trade war escalates, the risk to U.S. consumers grows," NRF CEO Matt Shay said in a statement. "With these latest tariffs, many hardworking Americans will soon wonder why their shopping bills are higher and their budgets feel stretched. ... We cannot afford further escalation, especially with the holiday shopping season right around the corner." The NRF has banded with more than 80 other trade groups across a wide swath of American industries to oppose the tariffs with a new coalition called Americans for Free Trade. Still, Gennette said it's too early to tell how the tariffs will affect consumers. "In some cases you're not going to see those costs absorbed and they're going to get passed on," the CEO of Macy's said. "We're going to absorb it where we can. We're going to see how the customer votes on this." CNBC's Lauren Thomas contributed to this article. A McDonald's employee holds a sign during a protest against sexual harassment in the workplace on September 18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. McDonald's workers in 10 US cities staged a one-day strike Tuesday inspired by the #MeToo movement, alleging the fast-food giant does not adequately address pervasive sexual harassment at its stores. Hundreds of McDonald's employees, emboldened by the #MeToo movement, demonstrated outside company headquarters in Chicago on Tuesday to draw attention to alleged sexual harassment at work. Workers staged the one-day strike across 10 cities in what organizers said would be the first multistate walkout protesting sexual harassment, according to Fight for $15, a workers' rights group organized to help raise the minimum wage. Carrying signs that read "#MeToo McDonald's," hundreds of cooks and cashiers walked out on their jobs to gather and speak out, organizers said. In Chicago, protesters gathered outside the McDonald's headquarters, chanting, "We're here, we're loud, sexual harassment is not allowed," and "Respect us, accept us, don't try to touch us," NBC News reported. Protesters called for more respect in the workplace, better training for managers and more accountability. "It's time to say, 'I'm not on the menu,'" one protester said at the demonstration outside McDonald's headquarters, which was streamed live on Facebook by Fight for $15. Organizers told The Associated Press that the strike would also target restaurants in Durham, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; New Orleans; Orlando, Florida; San Francisco and St. Louis. Hundreds of McDonald's employees participated in the strike, and 10 McDonald's employees have filed charges against the company, according to Fight for $15. Support from the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund helped pay for their legal fees. In addition, 17 other complaints were filed nearly two years ago, the defense fund said. Attorneys have asked the EEOC to consolidate the 2016 and 2018 complaints into one investigation. "The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund supports the legal complaints against McDonald's because sexual harassment puts working people in a no-win situation forcing them to choose between a paycheck and enduring abuse," Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, said in a statement. "It's time for McDonald's and their franchisees to root out sexual harassment at the workplace." Representatives from the EEOC did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. McDonald's said it has "strong policies, procedures and training in place specifically designed to prevent sexual harassment," according to a statement. The company also disclosed an initiative that will engage outside experts to work with the company to help "evolve" those policies and procedures. Some of the experts would come from Seyfarth Shaw at Work, an employment law training firm, and RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organization. Sexual harassment in the restaurant industry has come to light recently as a number of well-known chefs and TV personalities have been publicly accused of misconduct. The majority of restaurant managerial positions are held by men, while women make up the bulk of lower-status, lower-paying positions, according to the Culinary Institute of America. This difference in power can create an environment where sexual harassment is tolerated, ignored or even normalized. Employees can often feel uncomfortable bringing up the harassment or may be fearful about losing their job by filing complaints, restaurant industry leaders and human resource managers said during a panel discussion hosted by the institute earlier this year. Some 40 percent of women in the fast-food industry reported facing sexual harassment on the job, according to a 2016 survey conducted by Hart Research Associates. The most common forms of harassment included sexual teasing, jokes, remarks or questions, unwanted hugging or touching and questions about sexual interests or being told unwanted information about others' sexual interests. According to Hart Research, 45 percent of women in fast food cited health problems such as anxiety, depression and issues sleeping due to the harassment they faced while on the job. The majority of respondents said they tried to avoid their harasser, with only 4 in 10 reporting the issue to their employer. [Editor's Note: A previous version of this article included a picture of a McDonald's employee at work. To clarify, the picture was not used to identify whether or not a particular employee was associated with the #MeToo Movement or a victim of sexual harassment.] Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft Drew Angerer | Getty Images Microsoft on Tuesday announced new easy-to-use cloud services that draw on artificial intelligence to help with certain kinds of work -- namely customer service and marketing. The move could help Microsoft's Dynamics cloud business software become more competitive with Salesforce, which has begun offering premium AI features for its services. Amazon, Google and other companies are also making strides in these two areas. Microsoft introduced Dynamics 365 AI for Customer Service and Dynamics 365 AI for Market Insights at an event in San Francisco. The former will highlight existing and emerging issues that agents face and help with the deployment of chatbots that can handle inquiries. The latter is meant to help marketers see what people are talking about on channels like social networks. Earlier this year Microsoft introduced Dynamics 365 AI for Sales, which can provide deliver insights about individual salespeople and deals logged in Microsoft's Dynamics 365 sales relationship-tracking service. It can even display information about sales opportunities reported in Salesforce's Sales Cloud tool, or comparable systems from Oracle and SAP. Salesforce's Einstein add-on provides its own suggestions based on information in Sales Cloud, and Einstein enhancements are also available for Salesforce's marketing and customer-service products. Microsoft's AI tools for marketing, customer service and sales will become available to customers in preview this fall. Cutting back on high-touch engagements Last year, Microsoft talked about how it worked closely with a handful of customers, like HP and Macy's, to build sophisticated domain-specific customer-service technology. Every PC that HP shipped even came with the resulting chatbot as part of HP's Support Assistant software. But Microsoft won't be doing these sorts of high-touch AI engagements with customers for the foreseeable future, says Alysa Taylor, corporate vice president for business applications and global industry. "When we think about those multi-year big contracts, when you're in-house servicing, we do that through partnerships with global ... as well as national and local system integrators," Taylor told CNBC in an interview. Put another way, Microsoft will leave these big projects to its army of partners. Microsoft effectively started and nurtured the program in its research group and turned it over this summer to Taylor's group, which developed a packaged-up product that's easier for customers to start using on their own. "We don't have enough engineers in our research team to serve every organization on the planet," she said. "That was the design plan from day one," Taylor said. Last year Microsoft added a reference to AI to its corporate vision. At this point, Microsoft is looking to help every company become AI-first, Taylor said. Nestle, Unilever, and Coca-Cola are among bidders for GlaxoSmithKline's Indian Horlicks nutrition business, expected to fetch more than $4 billion, four people familiar with the matter said. Initial bids were due on Monday and the three consumer goods giants are seen as frontrunners for a business that offers a significant footprint in a fast-growing emerging market. Even though Indian shoppers have lately been pressured by a currency devaluation and goods and service tax, the country's growing population and rising wealth make it attractive for companies trying to offset weak growth in Western markets. It was not clear which other companies were bidding, although Reckitt Benckiser -- a company eager to build up its consumer health operation -- did not make an offer, two sources said. GSK, Nestle, Reckitt and Unilever declined to comment. Officials at Coca-Cola were not immediately available. Horlicks is a malt-based drink dating back to 1873, when two British-born men, James and William Horlick, founded a company in Chicago to manufacture it. It was taken to India by soldiers who had fought with the British Army in the First World War. Sold as a bedtime drink in Britain, Horlicks has been developed into a much bigger brand by GSK in India. But the drugmaker started a review of that business and some smaller products, after buying Novartis out of their consumer healthcare joint venture for $13 billion in March. GSK Chief Executive Emma Walmsley, who took over last year, is looking to sharpen the focus of what is one of the world's more diversified pharmaceuticals companies. The main asset on the block is GSK's 72.5 percent stake in its Indian subsidiary GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare which is famous for Horlicks but also makes products including the chocolate-flavored malt-based drink Boost. One source said Nestle was particularly well-suited to buy the business, as the world's biggest packaged food company already owns rival malt drink Milo and has a big presence in India, which bodes well for synergies. Nestle has told GSK privately of its interest in Horlicks on several occasions over the years, people familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this year. For Coke, buying the Horlicks business would mark another multibillion-dollar acquisition, following a deal to buy Costa Coffee for $5.1 billion last month. GSK is being advised by Morgan Stanley and Greenhill. The company sold its much smaller UK Horlicks business to Aimia Foods earlier this year for an undisclosed amount. An engineer demonstrates how lidar technology can be applied at the southwestern border in Del Rio, Texas. DEL RIO, Tex. In this tiny town at the edge of South Texas brush country, a black steel fence runs along the Mexican border. About 15 feet high and topped by small metal spires that bend toward Mexico, it stretches west from a Border Patrol checkpoint for about a mile and a half. Then it stops. Where the fence ends, a creek snakes off the Rio Grande, up through a private ranch where cattle wander between the mesquite trees. There, beside the creek gully, a small black cylinder sits atop a metal pole, looming over the small trees. It is a lidar sensor, the same laser-based technology that gives sight to self-driving cars. From its perch, it captures a three-dimensional image of anyone who walks into the area. The sensor belongs to a Silicon Valley start-up called Quanergy, one of a number of companies trying to land business along the Mexican border. While President Trump still vows to build a physical border wall, these companies hope to help build a "virtual wall" that some policymakers believe would be more effective than miles of concrete and metal. A virtual wall would not offer a physical deterrence, but some people believe it would be cheaper to build and maintain. More from The New York Times: Border patrol agent arrested in connection with murders of 4 women Trump says hispanic-american border patrol agent 'speaks perfect english' Trump has it backward: many migrants are victims of crime "The only way to have operational control of the border is to look at all 2,000 miles of it at the same time," said Representative Will Hurd, a Republican who represents Val Verde County, west of San Antonio. "And the only way to do that is through technology." Founded in 2012 and backed by more than $160 million in funding, Quanergy was one of the many lidar makers created amid a rush to develop driverless cars. Over the last year, that investment boom started to feel like a glut as autonomous vehicle technology improved more slowly than some had hoped. Border control is another potential market for lidar, which can spot objects and people in all sorts of conditions, day or night. Working with the Val Verde County Sheriff's Office, Quanergy has spent the past year testing its lidar sensors on the ranch in Del Rio, angling for a contract with United States Customs and Border Protection. A range of technologies being developed in Silicon Valley is well suited to border control. When combined with recent advances in artificial intelligence, digital cameras, lidar and other sensors can identify and track people and objects with considerable accuracy. But many tech workers have made it clear in recent months that they don't want to work on military or government surveillance projects. In June, after more than 4,000 employees protested the project, Google withdrew from an effort to build artificial intelligence for the Defense Department. Border and immigration enforcement is even more controversial. Microsoft and Salesforce employees, for example, have protested the companies' contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Still, where some see a moral quandary, others see a business opportunity. More than 20 companies have worked on the Pentagon project that Google pulled out of. Another start-up, Anduril, is testing technology in the Rio Grande Valley that uses things like digital cameras and artificial intelligence to track people coming across the border. Its founders included Palmer Luckey, who built the virtual reality company Oculus and sold it to Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. Mr. Luckey left Facebook two years later after it was revealed that he supported a political action group that spread anti-Hillary Clinton memes. Not long after, he started working on his new company. Trae Stephens, the investor who founded Anduril with Mr. Luckey, tried to distance the company from Mr. Luckey's history of political provocation when asked about it in an interview. "It is a national security company," he said. Quanergy's executives also hope to keep politics at arm's length. In a recent interview, Louay Eldada, a founder and the chief executive of Quanergy, said the company always planned to expand beyond driverless cars. Border control, he said, was an obvious candidate. Cogniac, another Silicon Valley start-up that offers technology for identifying people and objects in camera images, is exploring similar work. Customs and Border Protection already uses a wide variety of technology on the border, including video cameras, flying drones, aerostat blimps, infrared goggles and pressure sensors. But these technologies are deployed in a piecemeal way, and officials have yet to use artificial intelligence that can automatically analyze data captured by cameras and other sensors. In many areas along the Texas border, there is no technology in place not even fences. Border Patrol agents still use trucks to drag old tires up and down the border, smoothing the dirt on roads and paths so they can spot footprints later. They call it "sign cutting." Mr. Hurd, the congressman, is advocating for a wider technological system. "The question is: How do you cut for sign in the digital age?" he said. "We should get to a point where we see absolutely everything coming across our border." That could include the kinds of sensors tested by Quanergy in Del Rio, which can capture activity across 360 degrees and a distance of about 100 meters. Using this three-dimensional view of an area, software can automatically pinpoint people moving past and alert border agents. If lined up in large numbers and paired with cameras that snap images when movement is detected, these sensors could provide a more detailed picture of border activity and help agents organize their activities. But the devices are limited. If left unprotected, they are easily vandalized. And they require both electrical power and a network connection. Quanergy has tested its sensors with solar panels, which eliminate the need for power lines. Still, along most parts of the border, the authorities would have to install new fiber lines or cell towers. Joe Martinez, Val Verde County's sheriff, has helped test the Quanergy sensors. He said he believed they could be a big help along some parts of the border. But if these sensors were used in the vast, rocky, undulating spaces in the western part of his county, he said, border and other law enforcement agents would have difficulty responding to alerts within any reasonable amount of time. "The needs to the west are different," Mr. Martinez said. "And the needs to the south are different." What's more, lidar sensors are expensive. Quanergy charges a few thousand dollars per unit. Old tires are considerably cheaper. Such sensors, Mr. Martinez and others said, are best used in tandem with a wide variety of other methods under development. "This is about a layering of technologies," said David Aguilar, a former acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection and a principal at Global Security and Innovative Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington. Current officials with the agency said it was testing many technologies with companies in Silicon Valley, with the goal of deploying new artificial intelligence techniques in the field. Some question whether these technologies will eat away at the privacy of residents. Much of the land at the border is private. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley who specializes in border protection issues, said authorities should concentrate on border checkpoints, where a large portion of illegal crossings occur. "None of these things make sense to me," said Ms. Correa-Cabrera, who is also a fellow at the Wilson Center, a think tank in Washington. "Why would we continue to spend on technology that is not solving the problem?" But Mr. Aguilar said he believed that demands on the border for new sensors and new artificial intelligence would grow. "We started talking about this many years ago," he said. "But the technology wasn't as mature as it is now." Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa signed with SpaceX to fly around the moon on the company's next generation rocket, CEO Elon Musk announced on Monday. Maezawa will attempt to be the first to return to the moon in nearly half a century, launching aboard a Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which SpaceX is developing. BFR is the flagship for Musk's vision of creating a permanent, self-sustaining human presence on Mars, and testing on the behemoth rocket is expected to begin next year. @yousuck2020: This is BFR from @spacex #dearMoon The trip is expected to launch in 2023. "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon. It's always there and continues to inspire humanity," said Maezawa, one of the richest people in Japan, who made his fortune as the founder of online retailers Start Today and Zozotown. SpaceX announced in February 2017 that two passengers would be flying around the moon in the company's Crew Dragon capsule, launched by its Falcon Heavy rocket. But earlier this year, Musk said SpaceX was considering using BFR instead and on Monday confirmed that Maezawa is "the same person" who was announced before, just with a larger group now onboard. Shoppers browse the racks at an H&M clothing store on Fifth Avenue, September 27, 2016 in New York City. Getty Images Try this experiment: Look around your town and think back to what it looked like 10 years ago. Chances are, the stores that line the streets or anchor the malls are different. Circuit City, Linens-n-Things and Radio Shack are all gone. In their place are names like Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth and Zara. It's a physical representation of how the consumer has changed over the last decade. The financial crisis of 2008 left an indelible mark on consumer behaviors that still affect how Americans spend today. "Cheap was in," recalled Larry Meyer, who worked as chief financial officer at discount retailer at Forever 21 at the time. "We were all shocked. I stopped doing real estate deals, ... but it wasn't bad for everyone if you had the resources to take advantage of it. But even the luxury guys had trouble." The collision of the millennial generation beginning to enter its earning years and the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression created a shopping base markedly different from its predecessors. Some of those changes were indirect millennials had a hard time finding a job, thus delaying their entrance into adulthood and changing their shopping patterns. Declining sales made retailers face a reckoning that the industry had added too many stores when times were good. Technology further drove home the reality long after the recession ended, and prolonged recovery. Other shifts, like the drive for a deal, were more direct. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 15, 2008, just before the holiday season, signaling the start of the crisis. The crash of an esteemed bank caused consumers to hunker down, leaving retailers with so much product they were forced to slash prices by as much as 80 percent to draw shoppers in, not just the typical half-off deal. Those sales extended far beyond Christmas. The discounting taught consumers there was no need to pay marked-up prices or even list prices. Those changes stuck around. "We've conditioned consumers to wait for the deal," said Rod Sides, who heads Deloitte's U.S. retail practice. That focus on deals and discounts affected retailers on the high and low ends and laid the groundwork for discount and off-price retailers to thrive. T.J. Maxx was a key beneficiary of this shift, and its stock has outperformed the industry average by 6 percent, on average, over the past five years, while Ross Stores shares outperformed by 17 percent. Department stores like Macy's, Saks and Nordstrom, meantime, began to push their own discount models, as their premium stores saw growth flatten. Nordstrom this past quarter generated roughly 30 percent of its sales through its off-price business, Nordstrom Rack. Luxury brands have made their own changes. Players like LVMH were caught off guard during the recession when flash sale websites like Gilt Groupe sprouted up, offering their excess inventory at a far steeper cost. Those brands had not previously had to focus on limiting their inventory or building an online presence. In the years since and in preparation for the next recession LVMH rolled out websites for brands like Christian Dior, Bvlgari and Marc Jacobs, to create their own channels directly to consumers. That line allows them to better control product and price. "The last recession taught people rules about how to handle it differently," said Aaron Cheris, a partner with Bain & Co. "They will find a way to control pricing and inventory even if that means a bigger hit to the top line." Nearly all retailers have focused on store brands, where retailers can offer shoppers items at a cheaper price. Target's private label children's Cat & Jack line is one example. It has reached $2 billion in sales. Amazon has more than 80 in-house brands that sell diapers, cleaning items and pet food. They stopped showing up The recession also taught retailers a lesson they had probably suspected but were forced to confront: There were too many stores in the U.S. Although the amount of retail square footage has continued to climb following the Great Recession, the pace of growth has slowed dramatically. Since 2010, new retail being built has averaged about 48 million square feet a year, real estate research firm CoStar said. That's compared with an average of 172 million square feet from 2000 through 2008, the group found in surveying 54 of the largest markets in North America. Retailers had long viewed the U.S. as a white space through which they could grow sales simply by building new stores. The private equity firms, which had purchased names like Payless ShoeSource and Claire's, exacerbated the issue by looking to give their investors growth simply by building new stores. "The retailers were effectively getting pushed [by analysts] to open new stores," Hans G. Nordby, managing director of CoStar's market analytics division, told CNBC. "In terms of demand, people really did show up, ... but that stopped," Norby said, pointing to the Great Recession. From 2003 to 2004, retail sales grew a robust 6.3 percent. But as the economy weakened, so did retail sales. From 2007 to 2008, sales inched up only a half a percent, then from 2008 to 2009 retail sales dropped 3.6 percent. When shoppers stopped showing up, retailers were all left suddenly with onerous, unprofitable real estate, magnifying the pain of plummeting sales. The result: In 2008, 87 million square feet of retail space went dark, according to CoStar. Retailers learned it takes less time to realize the problem than it does to fix it. Given long-term leases, retailers can't simply downsize overnight. The process of shuttering stores is especially painful for public companies that must brave the impact that the closures will have on stock prices. "Every company went into shutdown mode, cut costs, close underperforming stores," said Deloitte's Sides. "That major contraction all happened simultaneously." Stronger companies were able to adjust, but it was a death knell for already-struggling retailers. Major life events postponed "I'm generally not a believer that millennials are so wildly different than generations before," said Bain's Cheris. "What's different more than anything is they've postponed major life events." The population that graduated college into the recession carry the weight of debt they accumulated in school and the scars of seeing its risks by living through the recession. Many of them also faced delays in their careers and wage progression as a result of unemployment or underemployment after college. In December 2007, the national unemployment rate was 5 percent, as it had been for the previous 30 months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. When the recession ended in June 2009, the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent. Millennials were graduating into this environment, and that experience lingered even as the economy recovered and the unemployment rate shrank, most recently to 3.9 percent in August. The end product is a generation that has waited longer to marry and start a family and take on the costs accompanied with those responsibilities such as buying a home. In 1960, the average age women and men first married was in their early 20s; today, it's closer to 30, CNBC has reported. As money has begun to flow more bountifully for that generation, they are now spending money differently than their parents did at the same age. An unmarried 30 year old is more willing to spend on experiences like concerts and trips they can post on Instagram than would someone who is married with kids. Brent Lewin | Bloomberg | Getty Images Elections for Congress in November will have a huge impact on the next two years of Donald Trump's presidency. The results will influence economic and regulatory policies, investigations into administration scandals, and the possibility that Trump will be impeached. Do Democrats have enough political momentum to seize control of the House and Senate from Republicans in November? Three major factors will shape the outcome. The first is history. Midterm elections always let voters express discontent with the president. So the incumbent's party has lost House seats in all but three of the midterm elections of the last century. In each of the last three 2006, 2010 and 2014 the opposition party captured control of one or both chambers of Congress. A second variable is geography. For the House, where Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats to take control, they find targets of opportunity in urban and suburban areas across the country. But the Senate poses a much tougher challenge. Democrats only need to gain two seats for a Senate majority. But five incumbent Senate Democrats face highly competitive races in states Trump won in 2016 in some cases by a lot. Of the Democrats' top four prospects for winning Republican seats, three are in states Trump won. The third factor is the political climate. The classic determinants of political success favor Republicans. America is not bogged down in a major war. Unemployment has fallen below 4 percent. Stock values have risen. The economy grew at more than 4 percent in the second quarter of the year. "We have a choice between economic policies that are working and economic policies that didn't work," Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, who chairs the House GOP campaign, told me recently. "We have a clear choice between safety and security at home and abroad, and a worldview that would eliminate ICE, cut the military, make us less safe. We're selling peace, and we're selling prosperity." But the president's volatile, divisive style has rallied Democrats to turn out strongly in recent special elections. In particular, it has rallied college-educated women who have favored Republicans in past elections. Trump's hardcore Republican base among blue-collar voters hasn't been nearly as excited. Increased growth hasn't yet fattened their paychecks, which has become a central Democratic campaign theme. "Let's start with Donald Trump," Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a leading 2020 Democratic presidential prospect, told me. "He made big promises to a lot of people who've just gotten the short end of the stick over and over and over. "And he not only hasn't delivered on those promises, he's literally turned in exactly the opposite direction," Warren added. "He delivered huge tax cuts to billionaires, he has helped deregulate for big corporations. He has made it easy for the rich and the powerful to get richer and more powerful." Each party and its candidates have raised more than $1 billion for the battle. But money won't decide who wins. History shows fewer than half of eligible voters turn out for midterm elections. In 2014, just 36 percent of those eligible showed up. That makes motivation decisive. And it's why Republicans, including the Republican in the Oval Office, are worried. "There's a real question as to whether people are going to vote if I'm not on the ballot," Trump told a recent gathering of conservative Christians at the White House. "I just ask you to go out and make sure all of your people vote. If they don't vote, we're going to have a miserable two years." To alarm his religious audience, Trump warned of a siege by "violent people" if Democrats recapture Congress. Given the stakes, the rhetoric will only get hotter as Election Day approaches. Pharmaceutical companies have to start thinking about partnering with cannabis companies as a "hedge" against the burgeoning marijuana industry, Brendan Kennedy, the CEO of medical cannabis producer Tilray, said Tuesday on CNBC. "They have to hedge this," Kennedy told "Mad Money" host in an exclusive interview. "Cannabis is a substitute for prescription painkillers, prescription opioids, and so if you're an investor in a pharmaceutical company or you're a pharmaceutical company, you have to hedge the offset from cannabis substitution." The CEO said the same goes for alcohol producers, some of which, namely Constellation Brands, have already begun to invest heavily in marijuana companies. "I think all the alcohol companies need to enter this industry. It's a great hedge for them," Kennedy told Cramer. "Whether you're an alcohol company or an investor in an alcohol company, this is a global opportunity." In March, Tilray formed a "strategic alliance" with a division of Novartis called Sandoz, which specializes in generic pharmaceuticals, to help the Swiss drugmaker build this kind of hedge. In return, Novartis will help Tilray co-market and co-develop its products. But if partnership interest were to arise from companies like Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of Budweiser, Kennedy wasn't too keen on its potential. "We don't want to partner with ABI. We want to build ABI," he said. "Our intent is to build a company that dominates part of this $150 billion industry. I think you'll see multiple hundred-billion-dollar companies." There are currently no talks between the companies. On Tuesday, shares of Tilray surged 29 percent to a new 52-week high after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it would allow the Canada-based marijuana cultivator to ship its product to the United States for medical research. The rally made Tilray larger on a market-capitalization basis than 93 companies in the , including household names like Macy's and Ralph Lauren. Yet, even with full legalization coming to Canada in October, Kennedy was focused on the bigger picture. "There's a clear global growth opportunity when it comes to medical cannabis," he said. "With Canada, we're about to see 100 percent growth: one country, Uruguay, to two countries, Canada. What intrigues me is country three, four, five and six." And the rest won't take long, the CEO said. "I think you'll see the third country within 12 months of October, and that's where the real opportunity is," he told Cramer. "It's not about Canada, it's about all the countries that follow." Shares of Tilray are up more than 500 percent since the company's U.S. trading debut in July. The stock ended Tuesday's trading session at $154.98 a share, up 28.95 percent. Correction: Tilray's stock has risen more than 500 percent since the company's U.S. trading debut in July. An earlier version misstated the percentage. A worker trims cannabis at the growing facility of the Tikun Olam company on March 7, 2011 near the northern city of Safed, Israel. Shares of Canadian cannabis producer Tilray posted their second-best day ever after the company announced approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration to import marijuana to the United States for medical research. The company's U.S.-listed shares jumped 28.9 percent Tuesday with 19 million of the company's 21.7 million floating shares exchanging hands. Shares are up over 400 percent in the past month. Tilray will work with the University of California San Diego Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research to study the safety, tolerability and efficacy of marijuana for a neurological disorder. "Tilray is proud to support this crucial research," says Dr. Catherine Jacobson, director of clinical research at Tilray. "If this study can identify cannabinoids as a potential treatment for patients suffering from essential tremor, we can conduct further research and potentially provide alternative effective methods of relief for the high numbers of patients with Essential Tremor," she added. Essential Tremor is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary and rhythmic shaking, according to the company's website. Tilray added that ET affects 0.4 percent of the general population, with 4.6 percent to 6.3 percent of those 65 and older suffering from the condition. The UC San Diego clinical trial marks the fifth worldwide using Tilray's cannabis. Other trials include a study at the University of British Columbia Okanagan on the impact of cannabis on post-traumatic stress disorder, a trial at the University of Sydney in Australia on chemotherapy nausea reduction and a study at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto on pediatric epilepsy. Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy says clinical trials are a very important part of the company's strategy. "Clinical trials build a halo around the brand. They inspire confidence and trust with physicians and regulators around the world and they give us data and information to talk to pharmacists and physicians that they just can't obtain from our competitors," Kennedy said. And in many cases, Tilray has a leg up on marijuana companies local to a particular study. In the U.S., for example, strict regulations governing marijuana, which is still illegal under federal law, force research facilities to acquire federally approved cannabis products from a very short list of suppliers. Plant material can come exclusively from the University of Mississippi, which is authorized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. A few other companies offer plant-derived pharmaceuticals and synthetic cannabinoids for research. The limited number of providers means they may not have the specific formulation a study requires. Beyond legal restrictions, Tilray has the advantage of experience, Kennedy said. The company is licensed by the federal government of Canada, has passed quality control inspections from dozens of partners from pharmaceutical distributors and retailers to the governments of foreign partners and its product is pharmaceutical grade. If a licensed medicine were to come out of the clinical trials, Tilray would own the intellectual property rights, which could be hugely lucrative for the company. But Kennedy emphasized that even if that doesn't happen Tilray still hopes to participate in as many trials as possible. "We would participate in these clinical trials even if we knew no licensed medicines were going to come out of them. It gives us data, it gives us information, it gives us dosing data, and that information enables us to educate and inform physicians and pharmacists around the world," Kennedy said. Wall Street, meanwhile, heralded the go-ahead as a sign that the DEA is standing by its goal to improve resources and cannabis research. Tilray's market cap, despite the company posting $9.7 million in revenue as of last quarter, is larger than more than one-quarter of the S&P 500. For reference, the company's valuation exceeds that of Chipotle and E-Trade. "Today's news is a positive for both Tilray and the broader cannabis stock universe, as additional medical applications and improved government support add another domino to future legalization in the U.S.," wrote Cowen analyst Vivien Azer. "Further, the new clinical trial supports Tilray's medical cannabis prospects (both in U.S. and globally) as it competes with Canopy Growth (39 U.S. patents and 15 clinical trials) in an intellectual property-arms race," the analyst added. Programming Note: Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy will appear on Mad Money tonight on 6 p.m. ET. CNBC's J.R. Reed contributed reporting. Paul Manafort's DC plea agreement has a calculated guideline range of 17.5 to 22 years (though he can only get 10) | Main | "From Punishment to Public Health: Embracing Evidence-Based Solutions to End the Overdose Crisis" I am very grateful that Wayne Logan, the Gary & Sallyn Pajcic Professor of Law at Florida State University and the author of Knowledge as Power: Criminal Registration and Community Notification Laws in America (Stanford Univ. Press, 2009), reached out to offer me an original commentary on a case to be heard by the Supreme Court next month. Here it is: Herman Gundy, convicted of providing cocaine to a young girl and raping her, is a decidedly unlikely emissary in conservatives campaign to dismantle the administrative state. In Gundy v. United States, to be argued the first week of the Supreme Courts coming term, the Justices will address whether Congress violated the non-delegation doctrine when it directed the U.S. Attorney General to decide whether the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) should apply to individuals convicted before its 2006 enactment. Gundy, whose rape conviction was in 2005, has a dog in the fight because the attorney general made SORNA retroactive, and Gundy was convicted of a felony under SORNA after he traveled interstate in 2012 without informing authorities. The Courts decision to hear Gundys case came as a major surprise. The Justices have not invalidated a congressional delegation in over eighty years and all eleven federal appellate courts addressing the issue have concluded that the delegation was proper. At least four Justices, the number needed to grant certiorari, however, thought the issue worth considering, clearing the way for a potential major assault on the modern administrative state, which is shaped by countless congressional delegations of authority to agencies. If this occurs, it would be ironic. Conservatives usually tout people like Gundy as poster boys for tough-on-crime policies, such as SORNA, which was enacted by a Republication Congress, signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush, and made retroactive by his attorney general (Alberto Gonzales). Meanwhile, liberals, often fans of the administrative state, in areas such as environmental protection and workplace safety, tend to voice concern over such heavy-handed criminal justice initiatives. On the merits, Gundy appears to have a strong claim. For a delegation to be proper, Congress must provide an intelligible principle to guide the delegated decision, which as Chief Justice John Marshall stated in 1825 should merely fill up the details of a laws application. With SORNA, Congress simply directed the attorney general to decide the retroactivity question hardly a detail, as it affected half a million people and has required significant federal prosecutorial resources. Whether SORNA should apply retroactively is the kind of basic policy question that democratically accountable members of Congress should decide. But they punted, for obvious political reasons. The House and Senate could not agree on retroactivity and, when states later provided the attorney general input on SORNAs possible retroactivity to their own registries, many vigorously objected to retroactivity. Regardless of whether registration and notification actually promote public safety, which research has cast doubt upon, federal policy on the issue has long been marked by overreach. Since 1994, when Congress first began threatening states with loss of federal funds unless they followed its directives, federal involvement has rightly been viewed as both foisting unfunded mandates upon states and a ham-fisted effort to policy-make in an area of undisputed state prerogative: criminal justice policy. When Gundy is argued and decided Justice Neil Gorsuch will likely play a key role. As a member of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, then-Judge Gorsuch wrote a lengthy dissent from his colleagues refusal to reconsider en banc their decision that the SORNA delegation was proper. Gorsuch advocated a requirement of heightened guidance in criminal justice delegations, justified by the unique intrusions on personal liberty and stigma of convictions. There is considerable appeal to Justice Gorsuchs view, which the Court itself suggested in 1991. Moreover, unlike other policy areas, such as environmental quality and drug safety, criminal justice typically does not require scientific or technical expertise, lessening the practical need for delegations in the first instance. Ultimately, the Court might conclude, with justification, that the SORNA delegation was invalid because it lacked any intelligible principle. On the other extreme, as Justice Thomas might well urge, the Court could outlaw delegations altogether. Chief Justice Roberts, in a dissent joined by Justice Alito, recently condemned the vast power of the administrative state, and Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh has signaled similar antipathy. Meanwhile, it is hard to say how the Courts liberals will vote, given the conflicting interests at work. Time will tell how the dynamic in Gundy plays out but the uncertainty itself provides yet more evidence of the high stakes involved in filling the Courts current vacancy. India is a country renowned for its bustling tech start-up scene. But it's the hospitality industry that's making waves with workers, according to LinkedIn's list of top start-ups in India to work for in 2018. Five-year-old hospitality company OYO Rooms stole pole position in the rankings this year after building a team of loyal staff in India and beyond. Dubbed "OYOpreneurs," employees are encouraged from day one to embrace a sense of ownership in the business and help shape the firm as it rapidly expands. Elsewhere, transportation, fitness and insurance proved they were among the industries ripe for disruption in the fast-evolving country. CNBC Make It takes a look at the full list of the 25 most attractive start-ups in India right now. 25. Exadatum Global headcount: 70 Headquarters: Pune Product development company Exadatum helps businesses make sense of large volumes of data by providing them with analytics tools. Since launching in Pune in 2016, the team has developed particular expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The business also has a base in New York and is actively looking for new recruits with Java, Python and C++ skills. 24. Meesho Global headcount: Bengaluru Headquarters: 225 Meesho is a social commerce platform that helps small businesses and individuals start online stores via social sites such as Instagram and Facebook. Shortly after launching in late 2015, the young start-up became one of three Indian companies to be given a place on the highly-coveted Y Combinator program - a start-up accelerator that helps fund new entrepreneurial ventures. The program has helped shape the likes of Airbnb and Coinbase. 23. Shuttl Global headcount: 300 Headquarters: Gurugram Shuttl is an app-based transport service for commuters. The business launched in 2015 to improve the country's often disorganized public transport system by allowing users to pre-book journeys on affordable, air-conditioned buses. It currently supports over 45,000 rides daily in seven cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, but plans to grow that number tenfold in the coming year, doubling its number of employees in the process. A promotional image of a Shuttl bus in India Shuttl 22. InterviewBit Global headcount: 45 Headquarters: Pune InterviewBit helps jobseekers prepare for tech interviews, particularly in the software engineering space. The company provides users with a plan on how to prepare for their interviews, practice coding problems, as well as access to mentors and feedback. It plans to hire 50 employees within the next 12 months. 21. Upgrad Global headcount: 390 Headquarters: Mumbai Education site UpGrad.com offers industry-relevant courses in subjects such as digital marketing, data science and product management. The business claims to have helped more than 300 users upskill and shift careers in the past year, and now plans to expand its service to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 20. SigTuple Global headcount: 120 Headquarters: Bengaluru SigTuple aims to make medical screening tests more accurate by applying insights from robotics and artificial intelligence. Around 70 percent of the company's 120 employees are new to healthcare but have expertise in data science, software and intellectual property. 19. Udaan Global headcount: 400 Headquarters: Bengaluru Founded by three former Flipkart executives, Udaan.com is an online marketplace for businesses to buy and sell food, clothing and electronics. The start-up reached unicorn status the term for a company with a valuation of $1 billion just two years after launch. In the last 12 months, the firm has almost doubled its headcount. 18. BrowserStack Global headcount: 165 Headquarters: Mumbai As many as two million developers and more than 25,000 paying customers including Disney, Tesco and Facebook use BrowserStack's mobile app and website-testing platform. After several years of bootstrapping, the Mumbai-headquartered start-up recently won $50 million in investment, in the largest series A funding round in India's tech history. 17. Zapr Media Labs Global headcount: 110 Headquarters: Bengaluru Media analytics company Zapr provides insights on TV viewership for broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies. Within the next year, the company plans to open up 70 new positions in data analytics, audio processing and other non-engineering functions. 16. Jumbotail Global headcount: 125 Headquarters: Bengaluru Bengaluru-based Jumbotail is an online grocery marketplace for small businesses. The young start-up, which launched in 2015, has also started providing credit for shop-owners via partnerships with third-party lenders. 15. InCred Global headcount: 1,000 Headquarters: Mumbai InCred provides personal, education and home loans as well as credit to small and medium-sized businesses. The company's high profile backers include former Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain. 14. Treebo Hotels Global headcount: 795 Headquarters: Bengaluru With a name that stems from the "Bo Tree" under which Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, budget accommodation chain Treebo Hotel says it offers shelter at its simplest - just like trees do. In just three years, the start-up has amassed a portfolio of 9,000 rooms, but cost-saving measures meant it had to cut its headcount by 10 percent, according to media reports in July. 13. Acko General Insurance Global headcount: 115 Headquarters: Mumbai Digital insurance firm Acko General Insurance offers personalized policies based on user behavior. Based in Mumbai, the start-up has received tens of millions of dollars in funding, including from major companies like Amazon. 12. Schbang Global headcount: 240 Headquarters: Mumbai Digital marketing and advertising agency Schbang has run campaigns for the likes of Hot Wheels, Amazon Fashion and RAW Pressery. With 240 staff between its Mumbai and Bangaluru offices, the three-year-old company hopes to expand internationally in the coming year. 11. Innov8 Coworking Global headcount: 75 Headquarters: New Delhi Coworking office network Innov8 has grown quickly since receiving backing from Y-Combinator. It now boasts 13 centers across the country. The firm also aspires to add another 100 employees this year and treble its seat count to 12,000 in the same period. One of Innov8's co-working spaces in Delhi. Innov8 10. Nineleaps Global headcount: 200 Headquarters: Bengaluru Nineleaps helps other start-ups with their product development by providing web and mobile app services. Having doubled its headcount since July 2017, the ambitious business has now set its sights on hiring a further 300 staff and expanding to Singapore and Indonesia in the coming year. 9. Razorpay Global headcount: 230 Headquarters: Bengaluru Four-year-old Razorpay provides payment solutions for more than 100,000 businesses. In a bid to ensure employees are aware of client needs, all staff are required to take customer support calls for four hours every month, regardless of seniority. 8. The Minimalist Global headcount: 60 Headquarters: Mumbai Design agency Minimalist started as a Facebook page for witty content, but now works with clients including Coca Cola and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. For staff who feel they don't get enough of their colleagues while at work, there are weekly team building activities arranged by the human resource department every Saturday. 7. Republic World Global headcount: 400 Headquarters: Mumbai Republic TV, part of the Republic World group, is an English-language news television channel set up by Indian journalist and anchor Arnab Goswami and politician Rajeev Chandrasekhar in 2016. The channel is often accused of having a pro-establishment stance. It plans to set up a Hindi news channel ahead of India's 2019 general elections. 6. LBB - Little Black Book Global headcount: 80 Headquarters: Delhi Little Black Book started as a Tumblr blog, but has since morphed into a digital platform for cultural news and events. Its coverage ranges from food and fashion to theater and shopping across eight major Indian cities. The business has offices across Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. 5. Digit Insurance Global headcount: 630 Headquarters: Bengaluru Online insurer Digit Insurance aims to simplify policy processes and claims to approve 87 percent of claims within 24 hours. It also provides customers with mobile notifications when they are entitled to a claim, for instance if their flight is delayed by more than 75 minutes. 4. Rivigo Global headcount: 3,700 Headquarters: Gurugram Logistics business Rivigo uses a driver relay model to speed up delivery services for clients including Marks & Spencer, ITC and Maruti Suzuki. The four-year-old start-up plans to hire 5,000 people over the next year and scale up its fleet, warehouses and technology. Employees work at the Rivigo Services Pvt. headquarters in Gurgaon, Haryana, India, on Monday, May 2, 2016. Bloomberg | Getty Images Boeing, Lockheed Martin and CSX Transportation are the stocks to buy within the industrial sector, Todd Gordon of TradingAnalysis.com told CNBC on Tuesday. "I follow the trend lines. So far this market just looks like it wants to push higher," Gordon said on CNBC's "Fast Money." Industrial-sector stocks have fallen in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's trade war with China, but defense and rail stocks seem to be pushing higher. "Those [industrial] conglomerates have been very, very weak. GE and 3M have been underperforming. If you take those out, industrials, I think, would be a lot stronger," Gordon said. He referenced the XLI, the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund, which measures the trend of industrial stocks. It has been gradually rising since about 2011. "We are in a beautiful parallel channel here, no reason to fight the trend at this point," he said. "We have more upside to go." Boeing, Gordon said, will break free of its recent stagnation to continue the upward trajectory it established in early 2017. Lockheed Martin is "not as strong as Raytheon and Boeing," but Gordon said he sees the defense company hitting $360 per share. CSX, a railroad in the eastern U.S. and Canada, also has a "long-term parallel up-channel," much like the XLI. "You might have another $10, $20 in CSX," Gordon said. "You focus in on the rails and the defense within the industrials." As for why the defense and rail stocks were outperforming despite trade tensions, Gordon admitted he didn't quite know why, but said "there's quantitative evidence industrials are coming on here." President Donald Trump on Tuesday responded to the fast moving developments in the Senate response to allegations that his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, sexually assaulted a woman, Christine Blasey Ford, when he was in high school. "I feel so badly for him that he's going through this," Trump said at a White House press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. "This is not a man that deserves this." Ford alleges that Kavanaugh shut her in a room at a party, pinned her down and tried to remove her clothes. In an account first detailed by The Washington Post, Ford said that as Kavanaugh held his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams, she feared he would "inadvertently kill me." Trump on Tuesday chose to focus on the wrong he felt had been done to Kavanaugh, however. "I feel terribly for him, for his wife who is an incredible lovely woman and his beautiful young daughters," said the president. Trump said earlier that despite his sympathy for Kavanaugh, it was important to follow through with a process that wuld offer both Kavanaugh and Ford a chance to testify. "It's a process, and we all feel, speaking for all Republicans, we want to go through this process, and we want to give everyone a chance to say what they have to say," Trump said earlier in the day. "We will delay the process until it's finished out," Trump said."We want to get to the bottom of everything. We want everybody to be able to speak up and speak out." In the Oval Office earlier Trump had said that the FBI should not be involved further investigating the Kavanaugh allegation because, "they don't want to be involved. It's not really their thing." He reiterated that view at the press conference. The president has not spoken personally to Kavanaugh in recent days, he said. "I haven't wanted to speak to Judge Kavanaugh...specifically because I thought it was a good idea not to," Trump said, adding, "I'm totally supportive, I'm very supportive." Kavanaugh's nomination has been in turmoil since the explosive allegations by Christine Blasey Ford, who said that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were both teenagers. Ford's allegation became public on September 16, just days before the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation, which had seemed all but assured. But that vote was canceled on Tuesday afternoon. Kavanaugh has categorically denied Ford's detailed account of the incident, which was published on Sunday by The Washington Post. "This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describesto her or to anyone," Kavanagh said in a statement released Monday by the White House. Ford's allegation, first detailed by The Washington Post, sent Republicans at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue scrambling on Monday to find a way to avoid holding a televised public hearing. But it became clear by Monday afternoon that Kavanaugh would not have the votes he needed to be confirmed unless senators were satisfied that Ford had been given an opportunity to testify. The hearing, scheduled for Monday, September 24, is to feature testimony from both Kavanaugh and Ford. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that as of noon on Tuesday, Kavanaugh had accepted the invitation to testify, but Ford had yet to accept. Employees perform quality control inspections on Honda Accord vehicles at the Honda of America Manufacturing Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio, on Dec. 21, 2017. WASHINGTON President Trump is building a wall of tariffs around the domestic economy, attempting to protect American jobs by limiting imports. But a tire factory that opened last year in Richburg, S.C., offers a reminder that globalization is hard to stop. In 2009, American tire makers persuaded the Obama administration to impose tariffs on Chinese tires, and imports of tires from China fell sharply. But Chinese companies did not stop making tires in response to the tariffs they simply moved production to other places, including to the United States. Giti, one of the largest tire makers in China, built the South Carolina factory to make low-cost tires for Walmart. Two other Chinese tire companies are building plants in the neighboring states of Georgia and North Carolina, and a fourth Chinese company acquired a tire factory in Georgia this year. More from The New York Times: Bloomberg may run for President as a Democrat. Some of his views may cause him trouble. Republicans opposing Trump on trade face election quandary Trade ministers call for WTO overhaul, but offer few details Mr. Trump on Monday said the United States would begin imposing tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on Sept. 24, on top of the $50 billion worth of products he previously taxed. The new tariffs hit many of the consumer products that Americans use every day, like food, clothing and electronics, and the president threatened to go even further, saying he is prepared to tax all Chinese imports if Beijing retaliates. The president also has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from most foreign countries, and has threatened to tax imports of cars and car parts. Tariffs are taxes ultimately paid by American consumers, in the form of higher prices. The purpose of a tariff is to raise the price of imports above the price of the domestic alternatives. The bill for this method of protecting domestic jobs is paid disproportionately by lower-income households. And it is often very large. One study of the Obama tire tariffs found in a single year, 2011, Americans spent an extra $1.1 billion on tires as a result of a tariff that preserved, at most, 1,200 jobs. That is almost $1 million per job, for jobs paying an average of about $40,000. Steel tariffs imposed in 2002 by President George W. Bush yielded similar results, penalizing not just consumers but companies that use steel to make other products, like construction companies and carmakers. The Dartmouth economist Douglas Irwin estimated 140,000 American workers make steel, while 6.5 million workers make products that include steel. "If for some reason you said, 'We just want to help steel producers, shareholders, possibly steel workers,' it makes sense," Mr. Irwin said. "If you care about manufacturing employment or the manufacturing sector, it doesn't make sense." The political counterargument for tariffs is that change is painful. Workers who lose jobs may struggle to find new ones; communities that lose factories may crumble. Mr. Trump has presented tariffs as an effective prophylactic, arguing that import taxes will protect American workers and companies. But the United States' tire tariffs and similar efforts by past administrations to tax everything from socks to solar panels have generally failed to protect existing factories and jobs. The Chinese factories in the Southeast will create new jobs for American workers but, in effect, the tariffs are simply moving jobs from one place to another at a very high price. The Reagan administration's 1981 deal with Japan to restrict auto imports helped to catalyze the production of Japanese cars in the United States. Honda, an upstart manufacturer assigned a relatively small import quota, arrived first, opening an automobile factory in Marysville, Ohio, in 1982. One of the few studies on the subject found 19 percent of foreign companies hit with United States tariffs during the 1980s responded by investing in the United States. While presidents between Ronald Reagan and Mr. Trump imposed fewer trade restrictions, the pattern continued. The Clinton administration restricted imports of Fuji film in 1993. Three years later, the Japanese company opened a plant in Greenwood, S.C. The tire industry offers a more recent example. The Obama administration imposed tariffs on Chinese car and light-truck tires for three years in September 2009. Chinese imports had surged, and several American factories had closed. After the tariffs were lifted in late 2012, Chinese imports rebounded. In 2015, the administration imposed a second round of larger tariffs, this time lasting for five years. Imports of Chinese tires for sale to American consumers fell to 12.3 million in 2017 from 43 million in 2009, according to Modern Tire Dealer, a trade magazine. Chinese companies avoided the first round of tariffs, which were explicitly temporary, by shifting production to other Asian countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. But in mid-2014, Giti Tire announced plans for a different kind of response a $560 million tire-making plant in northern South Carolina. Giti has its headquarters in Singapore but, at the time, it made almost all of its tires at seven Chinese factories, so it was vulnerable to the threat of new tariffs. The next year, when the Obama administration announced a new round of tariffs on Giti and other Chinese tire makers, the company loudly protested, pointing to its investment plans as evidence of "a sustained and significant commitment to the U.S., with no intention to harm the tire industry in the United States." The company also enlisted Nikki R. Haley, then the governor of South Carolina, who wrote a letter of protest to the Obama administration defending Giti as a South Carolina employer. Ms. Haley is now Mr. Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. Other Chinese tire makers followed Giti. Sentury Tire announced plans in 2017 to build a $530 million factory in LaGrange, Ga. Also last year, Triangle Tire announced plans for a $580 million plant in Edgecombe County, N.C. And this year, Qingdao Doublestar bought a controlling stake in South Korean tire maker Kumho, including a factory opened in 2015 in Macon, Ga. State and local governments in the Southeast have ardently pursued Chinese investment in recent years, but it is far from clear that the Trump administration would welcome an influx of Chinese companies in response to its tariffs. The administration, which can block foreign investments in the United States that are judged to threaten national security, has taken a particular interest in scrutinizing proposed investments by Chinese companies, although in June it backed away from a proposal to impose broad restrictions on such investments. Amid rising tensions, Chinese direct investment in the United States declined to $2 billion during the first half of 2018 from $45.6 billion in 2016, according to Rhodium Group, a consultancy. Wanli Tire, another Chinese company, suspended plans in May to build a $1 billion factory in Orangeburg County, S.C. County officials told The Times and Democrat, a local newspaper, that politics caused the company to delay its plans. The company did not return a call for comment. The county's offices were closed because of Hurricane Florence. Some economists and corporate executives say the Trump administration's broader trade policies, particularly the decision to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, also may keep companies away. The tariffs have increased the cost of domestic production, and provoked retaliatory restrictions by major trading partners. Before Mr. Trump imposed the steel and aluminum tariffs, his chief trade adviser, Peter Navarro, said other countries would not retaliate. "They know they're cheating us, and all we're doing is standing up for ourselves," Mr. Navarro told Fox News. Instead, irate policymakers in the European Union slapped tariffs on iconic American products, including Kentucky bourbon, Levi's jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Harley, which ships 40,000 motorcycles from American factories to Europe each year, said in June it would shift production to other countries. Domestic tire manufacturers who pushed for tariff protections in 2009 and in 2015, said that the industry needs and has benefited from government protection. Paul Reitz, the chief executive of Titan International, an Illinois company that makes tires for farming equipment and other off-road uses, said the tariffs have helped, even though he said that imports have climbed to 40 percent of the off-road tire market from 20 percent of the market since 2009. Indeed, he said he would like the Trump administration to increase the tariffs on tires. Tariffs allow him to charge higher prices and to earn larger profits. "I'd much rather be putting it into investment than to be giving it away to fight off foreign competitors," he said. But Mr. Reitz does not like the tariffs on steel, which the company uses to reinforce tires and to make wheels. And he does not like the escalation of trade tensions with China, which is spooking the farmers who are the primary buyers of his tires and whose exports are particularly exposed to retaliation by the Chinese. "It's created a lot of uncertainty with our cost structure and our customers," Mr. Reitz said. "We just don't know what the full impact of the tariffs are going to be." President Donald Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda (L)speak to the media in the Oval office at the White House on September 18, 2018 in Washington. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States is considering a request for a permanent military presence in Poland as well as a visa waiver program for the country. "Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland, and certainly it's something we'll discuss," Trump said at the White House before a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. "We're looking at it very seriously, I know Poland likes the idea very much, and it's something that we are considering, yes," he said. By slapping new tariffs on Chinese goods Monday, President Donald Trump ratcheted up a policy that has so far failed to resonate with voters. The president escalated a trade war with China by slapping 10 percent duties on $200 billion of Chinese products. The levies will rise to 25 percent at the end of the year. Beijing said Tuesday that it will retaliate by putting tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods next week. Trump won the White House in 2016 partly on a pledge to revise free trade deals to protect American workers a promise that resonates with many Republicans and Democrats alike. But tariffs, Trump's mechanism to push trading partners to strike new deals, have more voters than not worried about economic damage and more expensive goods, according to polling. An ongoing and widening trade war poses political risks for Republicans as they try to stop Democrats from taking House and Senate majorities in November's midterm elections. Trump seems aware of the dangers, as China has retaliated against crops and other American products made in parts of the country that supported the president. On Tuesday, Trump said China is "actively trying to impact and change our election by attacking our farmers, ranchers and industrial workers." In tweets, he said those Americans "are great patriots" and threatened "great and fast economic retaliation against China" if it targets those industries. The Trump administration has also promised $12 billion in aid to farmers punished by lower prices caused by tariffs. Trump promised Monday to impose tariffs on an additional $267 billion in Chinese goods if Beijing hits back in any way. Another escalation could bring even more political risk for the president's party. A quarter of registered voters nationally think raising tariffs will do more to protect American jobs and help the U.S. economy, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in July. Meanwhile, about half of registered voters said duties will do more to raise the costs of goods or hurt the economy. Sixteen percent responded that levies will not have much of an effect. Disaster preparedness is an evolving phenomenon, especially with many of the natural disasters occurring throughout the world. Here, a woman is being rescued from the floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, North Carolina. President Donald Trump on Wednesday will travel to North Carolina in the aftermath of the massive flooding and destruction caused by Hurricane Florence. Trump will visit areas affected by the hurricane, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday, though it wasn't immediately clear which specific spots are on the president's list. Sanders told CNBC that more details would be forthcoming. Some North Carolina residents have begun to return to the towns they fled in advance of the storm. Florence had strengthened to a Category 4 storm with wind speeds as high as 140 miles per hour before slowing down by the time it made landfall late last week. But days after the wind and rain had subsided, water levels continued to rise in some areas of the state, putting more homes and lives at risk. The hurricane has claimed at least 32 lives, officials said, including 25 in North Carolina. Some measures of the storm's damage are estimated at $2.5 billion in total insured losses alone. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday that "catastrophic flooding and tornadoes are still claiming lives and property." Trump has used his Twitter account to focus mainly on the hurricane in recent days, largely avoiding other issues such as special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and the upcoming midterm elections. trump tweet Washington's latest duties on Chinese products could be "painful" for Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder told CNBC on Tuesday. The state is home to three of the country's largest automakers General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler and President Donald Trump's trade actions could increase car prices, Snyder told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in the Chinese city of Tianjin. Trump announced Monday that a 10 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports will go into effect next week and eventually rise to 25 percent by year-end. If Beijing takes retaliatory action, the White House "will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional [Chinese] imports," according to Trump's latest statement. When the extent of the full tariffs hit, "it will be painful in some fashion," said Snyder, a Republican. "Raising the prices of vehicles is a real concern," he continued, adding that agriculture players are even "more concerned" than the auto industry. Michigan has been a major beneficiary of open trade with the world's second largest economy. It's received $1.21 billion in Chinese investment since 2011, a sum that's created more than 6,000 jobs. Fuller flights are a boon to airlines but overcrowding at gates has become an unwelcome side effect. United Airlines says its customers have complained about clusters of travelers around its gates. Travelers spilled into corridors and arriving passengers who just stepped off a flight were met with hordes of departing travelers. "It's too congested," said Maria Walter, United Airlines' managing director of global operations strategy. "It created a lot of angst from our customers." The airline on Tuesday debuted a new boarding process in an effort to combat this passenger pain point, and make sure flights depart on time as more travelers than ever opt to fly. United reduced the boarding lines to two from five, and is urging travelers to wait until their boarding group numbered 1 through 5 is called. United carried close to 155 million passengers in the 12 months ended in August, up 6.1 percent from the year-earlier period, the company said last week. The airline now sends out notifications to passengers on their mobile devices to let them now boarding has begun once the first boarding pass is scanned, so that travelers don't have to hover around the gate. Travelers would sometimes queue up an hour before a flight, Walter said, which would attract even more passengers to the line. "It's like a magnet," she said. [The stream is slated to start at 2:10 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] President Donald Trump is expected to hold a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the White House on Tuesday. The trip marks Duda's first official visit to the White House. Trump and Duda plan to discuss ways to strengthen ties between the two allied nations, as well as touch on issues such as trade and security. Trump had visited Warsaw in July 2017, a move that was viewed by some European officials as a snub toward larger European Union nations, which Trump had criticized often during the 2016 presidential campaign. Another visitor arrived at the White House ahead of Duda: Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, 53, who is battling an allegation from a California professor who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers. Both Kavanaugh and the accuser, 51-year-old California-based professor Christine Blasey Ford, said Monday that they would testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the allegation. Kavanaugh has categorically denied ever treating any woman in the way Ford described in a letter sent to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in late July. Kavanaugh reportedly spent about nine hours at the White House on Monday. Trump told reporters that he had not met with the nominee that day, and brushed off the question of whether Kavanaugh had considered resigning. Previewing the two capital punishment administration cases before SCOTUS this fall | Main | Office of Inspector General assails how federal Bureau of Prisons manages female prisoners Leo Beletsky and Jeremiah Goulka has this new New York Times commentary under the headline "The Federal Agency That Fuels the Opioid Crisis: The Drug Enforcement Administration has proved itself incompetent for decades." Here is how it starts and ends: Every day, nearly 200 people across the country die from drug overdoses. Opioids have been the primary driver of this calamity: first as prescription painkillers, then heroin and, more recently, illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The death toll has risen steadily over the past two decades. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the agency that most directly oversees access to opioids, deserves much of the blame for these deaths. Because of its incompetence, the opioid crisis has gone from bad to worse. The solution: overhauling the agency, or even getting rid of it entirely. The problem begins with poor design. A brainchild of Richard Nixons war on drugs, the agency sought to cut off supplies of drugs on the black market, here and abroad. But in passing the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, Congress also gave the agency broad authority over how prescription opioids and other controlled substances were classified, produced and distributed. The agency was supposed to curb problematic drug use, but failed to do so because its tactics were never informed by public health or addiction science. Despite the investment of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and the earnest efforts of thousands of employees, the D.E.A.s track record is abysmal. The agency has been unable to balance legitimate access to and control of prescription drugs. The widespread over-reliance on opioids, along with benzodiazepines, amphetamines and other scheduled medications, has created a booming black market. The agencys enforcement strategies, and the support it has lent to local and state police departments, have also fueled abusive police tactics including dangerous no-knock-raids and ethnic profiling of drivers. It has eroded civil liberties through the expansion of warrantless surveillance, and overseen arbitrary seizures of billions of dollars of private property without any clear connection to drug-related crimes. These actions have disproportionately targeted people of color, contributing to disparities in mass incarceration, confiscated property, and collective trauma.... We urgently need to rethink how our nation regulates drugs. What should our goals be? How can we design institutions and performance metrics to achieve them? The answers lie at the local and state levels. In Rhode Island, opioid overdoses are declining because people behind bars have access to effective treatment. Massachusetts has deployed drop-in centers offering treatment, naloxone and other services. San Francisco and Seattle are planning to open safe consumption spaces which show tremendous promise as a tool to reduce overdose deaths and other drug-related harm. But the D.E.A. and its institutional parent, the Justice Department, stand in the way of some of these experiments. We ought to reinvent the Drug Enforcement Administration. Considering its lack of public health and health care orientation, the agencys regulatory authority over the pharmaceutical supply could be transferred to a strengthened and independent Food and Drug Administration, while the regulation of medical and pharmacy practice can be ceded to the states. Parts of the D.E.A.s law enforcement mandate should be transferred to the F.B.I., delegated back to the local or state, or eliminated. A significant portion of the D.E.A.s budget should be reinvested in lifesaving measures like access to high-quality treatment. The Drug Enforcement Administration has had over 40 years to win the war on drugs. Instead its tactics have fueled the opioid crisis. To finally make a dent in this national emergency, we need to rethink the agency from the bottom up. Space debris has become a huge problem. Their accumulation in Earth's orbit has become a hindrance and can endanger future missions to the moon or Mars, according to the chief of a company that's trying to solve the issue. A surge in aggressive space ventures in recent years has seen a build-up of space junk, and they are set to grow exponentially, Nobu Okada, founder and CEO of Astroscale, told CNBC at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China. "Over the last 5 to 7 years, we saw (about) 2,000 space ventures in the world. Their plans are so aggressive, they're going to launch 10,000 to 20,000 satellites over the next 5 to 10 years," he said. "We see the exponential growth of objects in space." There are more than 500,000 pieces of junk floating around Earth's orbit, including defunct satellites, rocket boosters, nuts and bolts, all of which pose a substantial threat to astronauts and spacecraft, according to U.S. space agency NASA. The European Space Agency said that as of January 2018, there are about 29,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters, around 750,000 objects that range between 1 cm to 10 cm and about 166 million objects between 1 millimeter to 1 cm in size. Okada said that pieces of debris fly around the Earth throughout the day, and there are plenty of near-miss situations where two objects almost collide. When they do hit each other, those collisions end up creating even more debris. "Even the small particle caused by the collision has enough power to blow up a satellite," he said. "If we continue the chain reactions of the collisions, we won't be able to put our space assets into space. So it's now (that) we have to remove large objects from space." To be fair, there is an external culprit in the form of the U.S. Federal Reserve, which is steadily tightening monetary policy and reducing its balance sheet, sending the dollar stronger and yields higher. But let's not confuse symptoms with the cause of fundamental imbalances aggravated by unhelpful decision-making. Markets have certainly taken note. The Turkish lira is more than 60 percent weaker this year, while the Argentine peso has more than halved in value. The typical playbook for emerging markets (EM) is that a sharp currency devaluation eventually leads to a self-correcting mechanism a large balance of payment deficits corrects as imports become more expensive and exports more favorable, or what economists deem a front-loaded adjustment. Due to this mechanism, some analysts are now beginning to see value in EM. Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance (IIF), for instance, has observed a large shrinkage in Turkey's trade deficit of about $40 billion from the second quarter and has concluded that the lira is undervalued. However, Ross told CNBC on Tuesday, "Nobody is going to actually notice it at the end of the day," because the hikes will be "spread across thousands and thousands of products." Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross concedes that prices in the U.S. will increase as a result of the new China tariffs put in place by President Donald Trump . "If you have a 10 percent tariff on another $200 billion, that's $20 billion a year. That's a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of 1 percent [of] inflation in the U.S.," Ross said. The Trump administration on Monday announced tariffs of 10 percent on another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, rising to 25 percent at the end of the year. In response Tuesday morning, China said it will institute retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion on Monday. Before China weighed in, Ross said on "Squawk Box" that China is "out of bullets" to retaliate because its imports to the U.S. are nearly four times larger than the U.S. exports to China. President Donald Trump would still like Canada to join the trade deal that the U.S. crafted with Mexico, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC on Tuesday. However, the U.S. is moving forward on the bilateral Mexico agreement, Ross said on "Squawk Box." The United States Trade Representative office "already filed with the Congress the notice regarding the transaction with Mexico," Ross said. He said the details should be made public "very shortly," after the consultation period ends. Ross said the filing also indicated the U.S. would be "totally happy" if Canada were to get on board and make the deal trilateral, like the one it's replacing, the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. "If they don't, we'll simply go ahead with Mexico," said the Commerce secretary, who before joining the White House made a fortune buying stakes in distressed assets. Last month, Trump announced the U.S.-Mexico pact, saying it will be called the United States-Mexico Trade Agreement. The president said at the time he's getting rid of the NAFTA name because it has a "bad connotation" due to the U.S. being "hurt very badly" under it. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday she will return to Washington this week to resume trade talks, with time running short to meet a U.S. demand for a deal by Oct. 1. Trump wants the text of any agreement that includes Canada by then, so outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto can sign it before he leaves office. Canadian officials have said they won't be rushed, given the size of the obstacles. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly said he would not sign an unsatisfactory deal. Reuters contributed to this report. You must be logged in to participate in the Show Me the Errors contest. Running for City Council Along with mayor, the Third and Fourth ward council seats held by Karl Skala and Ian Thomas, respectively, will be up for election in 2019. The candidate filing period opens Oct. 30 and continues through Jan. 6. Those who want to run for mayor must collect on a nominating petition at least 100 signatures from registered Columbia voters. Those seeking ward seats must collect at least 50 and not more than 100 signatures from registered voters in their wards. The petitions must be submitted to the city clerk so they can be verified. This week, the FSIS will publish in the Federal Register proposed rules to list Vietnam, China, and Thailand as three foreigners qualified to ship catfish to the American country. Once these documents go on public display at the Office of the Federal Register, their scheduled publication dates will be posted on https://www/federalregister.gov.public-inspection/current. The proposed rules announce FSIS determination that catfish (or siluriformes) inspection systems in the three countries be equivalent to those in the US. The proposals will be open for comment for 30 days. Vietnam, China, and Thailand had submitted documentations to the FSIS to establish the level of their catfish inspection systems and eligibility to export this kind of fish to the US. Under the Farm Bill which was passed in 2014, the catfish inspection programme took effect on March 1, 2016 with transition period of 18 months. Accordingly, from September 1, 2017, any country that does not submit the equivalent documents to the FSIS is not allowed to export the product to the US market. Right after the inspection programme was issued, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ordered relevant agencies to implement technical cooperation with the FSIS. At the same time, the ministry worked closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to maintain catfish exports to the American country. The National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) submitted the necessary documents to the FSIS on August 23, 2017. From May 14-25, 2018, the FSIS conducted inspections on catfish production in Vietnam and determined that the countrys controlled inspection system appears to provide an equivalent level of public health protection applied domestically in the US. Despite formidable challenges posed by high anti-dumping duties and the catfish inspection programme, catfish exports to the US enjoyed strong growth thanks to the high selling price. In the first six months of the year, Vietnam earned $196.8 million from tra fish export to this market, accounting for 19.6 percent of total tra fish export revenue, and increasing by 11.6 percent from the same time last year. Vietnamnews The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form West Virginia this fall will let members of the military and their families deployed overseas to vote by smartphone or tablet using a blockchain-based app developed by Boston start-up, Voatz. The voters using the app would otherwise have to submit paper absentee ballots via mail or vote over a land line telephone. The move means the state will become the first in the U.S. to use blockchain in a voting system in a general election. After being elected in January 2017, West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner tasked IT staff to investigate mobile voting options for 8,000 West Virginian military members overseas. Warner, a retired U.S. Army officer with four children who are also all current or former Army officers, cited his own inability to vote when deployed in Afghanistan as one reason for his efforts. "The traditional absentee paper ballot process isn't useful for military personnel in remote areas that don't have a reliable postal service or a landline telephone both of which is required if any overseas voters is going to participate in the absentee ballot process," said Mike Queen, Warner's deputy chief of staff. "But, everybody has a cell phone, right?" After considering a half-dozen options, Warner settled on Voatz. The company said it has conducted more than 30 successful pilots that range from state party conventions to student government elections. In the largest election, more than 15,000 votes were cast, it stated in a blog post. Voatz Voatz iPhone mobile voting application. Military personnel and their families who want to use the Voatz app will only need an Apple or Android smartphone and a state or federal ID. The Voatz application uses a permissioned blockchain based on the HyperLedger framework first created by IBM and now supported by the Linux foundation. In the general election, eight verified validating nodes will be used, split evenly between AWS and Microsoft Azure, each of which are geographically distributed, according to Voatz. "We have done a ton of due diligence on this process and we've seriously considered every complaint and concern about blockchain," Queen said. "Not only does blockchain make it secure, but Voatz has a really unique biometric safeguard system in place as well that involves facial recognition and thumb prints." To participate in the West Virginias Secure Military Mobile Voting pilot program, a qualified and eligible voter must first submit a Federal Post Card Application to their county clerk indicating they would like to receive voting information via email or online (that process can be done via email in West Virginia). Once the voter receives confirmation from the clerk, they can download the free mobile voting app from Voatz, authenticate themselves using it and upon receipt of the ballot vote. On the Voatz app, authentication is a three-step process that uses the smartphones camera and its biometric feature (i.e. fingerprint or facial recognition). First, the voter scans their state drivers license or passport; then they take a live facial snapshot (a video selfie), and finally they touch the fingerprint reader on the smartphone, which ties the device to the specific voter. Once a voter is authenticated, the app matches the voters selfie to the facial picture on their passport or drivers license and confirms eligibility to vote by checking the states voter registration database. The system ensures voter anonymity and privacy by storing personally identifiable information in a database separate from the blockchain distributed network where a hash table is used to create an encrypted online identity. The voter is in control of the private encryption key. In May, two of West Virginia's 55 counties tested the Voatz mobile app in the primary election, allowing deployed military personnel to use it. Three independent audits of the Voatz tool and the resulting election data revealed no problems, Queen said. In July, West Virginia held a statewide security conference involving all 55 county clerks and election officials where the primary election data was presented and the Voatz app once again vetted. After the conference, Voatz was asked to build into the application the ability to create a verifiable paper trail for absentee voters. For example, when a soldier votes in the general election in November, as soon as they push the "send" button they received an instant copy of their ballet and they're asked whether it's accurate. If it is, they hit send again, and its transmitted to the appropriate country clerk's office, Queen said. Michela Menting, digital security research director at UK-based ABI Research, said mobile voting applications have shortcomings involving both ease-of-use concerns and security fears. For one, not everyone has a top-of-the-line smartphone. "Also, that hardware piece would need to securely store a hash of your biometric information in order to use the biometric modalities on the phone to verify your identity," Menting said via email. On the back end, the company processing your biometric information must ensure it's being done securely, so it can't be stolen for unauthorized use. "So, a company like Voatz would have to ensure that it is applying the highest security standards to the security and management of that data," she said. That said, Menting believes absentee voting is a good use case for blockchain, which is a distributed ledger technology that creates an immutable record of any data entry. The pre-verified user behind any data entered on a blockchain is hidden by a hash key, so the identity remains anonymous except for the administrator of the distributed ledger. "It provides a more transparent method for voters and also better security from voter fraud," Menting said. In time, similar blockchain applications could be used for other purposes, such as setting up a government identity, getting a driver's license, paying taxes or for credit ratings, Menting added. "There are many potential use cases where these could be tied in together, to the benefit of the individual who remains in control of their data and gains visibility into what and how that data can be used," she said. While blockchain for voting purposes is new, mobile voting isn't. Estonia, for example, has allowed e-voting since 2001 and it introduced remote voting via the internet in 2005. In 2017, about 25% of Estonia's registered voters used e-voting, verifying themselves through a mobile ID, Menting said. Blockchain technology is also used in Estonia's e-residency program for law enforcement and for verifying patient information in the nation's healthcare system. Voatz's mobile voting app has already been used by several universities, labor unions, state political parties and even church groups. Earlier this year, Medici Ventures led a $2.2 million funding round for the startup, according to Voatz. West Virginia has no plans to expand the use of Voatz beyond military absentee voters. "We're not advocating it as a means to vote for the entire country. We set out to find a solution to address the problem of military not being able to vote," Queen said. Warner considered the blockchain app's use from "risk versus reward" standpoint, where the security risk for a relatively small group of absentee voters is worth the reward of enabling them to vote, Queen said. "If you use it domestically, the risk of a hack goes up," he said. Brexit 1) May suggests that EU nationals wont get special treatment post-Brexit Shell unveil new immigration system at the party conference Daily Mail Javid suggests he wants limits and visas for EU citizens The Times Brexit 2) Brussels to rebuff Gove comment by demanding that May assures any deal wont be unpicked EU migrants will not get special treatment after Brexit, Theresa May has suggested, ahead of the launch of a major report into immigration on Tuesday. The Prime Minister said British people voted for a fairer immigration system as she gave the strongest hint yet that the Government will implement a policy which treats all migrants the same no matter where they come from. Her remarks appear to suggest a row over what the future migration system may look like has been settled, amid claims Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, was campaigning behind the scenes for EU nationals to be given preferential treatment under the new rules. But speaking to the BBCs Panorama programme Mrs May said: What Im very clear about is the message from the British people was very simple. Daily Telegraph The European Union is insisting on cast iron guarantees that Britain will not attempt to reopen the terms of any Brexit deal after it has been signed, confidential diplomatic notes reveal. The Times has learnt that, in a rebuff to Michael Gove, Brussels is preparing to demand that Theresa May makes credible assurances that any deal will not be unpicked by her successor. Mr Gove, the environment secretary, claimed at the weekend that a future prime minister could choose to alter the relationship between Britain and the EU. The comments were an attempt to assuage the concerns of Brexiteers that signing up to a Chequers-style plan would shackle Britain to European regulations indefinitely. The Times No 10 slapped him down too The Sun Comment: May isnt being honest about Chequers Rachel Sylvester, The Times Gove was right about it Simon Jenkins, Guardian Brexit 3) Raab says its EUs turn: UK has compromised enough already with Chequers EU diplomats say more shifting is needed on UK position Daily Express Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has said that the UK has compromised enough with its Chequers plan and has demanded Brussels becomes more flexible and comes up with credible alternatives. The comments come at a time when there is increasing pressure on leaders to make a deal at the summit in Salzburg, which will be the first time that EU leaders have met together since the Chequers Brexit proposal. Mr Raab has said that the Salzburg summit will be an important milestone. In an interview with top European papers, including Die Welt, Mr Raab said: We made compromises and we showed ambition and we do need to see that matched on the EU side. Daily Express >Today: Henry Newmans column: Now the Government must promote Chequers which, though not perfect, is at least practicable Brexit 4) Hammond says no deal would risk UKs economic repairs of past ten years A messy Brexit in which Britain leaves the European Union without a deal could undo ten years of hard work spent fixing the economy, Philip Hammond has said. As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the results of its annual health check of the economy, the chancellor said that he was confident the two sides would reach an agreement this autumn but that a no-deal Brexit was not impossible. Leaving without a deal would put at risk the substantial progress the British people have made over the past ten years in repairing our economy, he said. That is why it is so important for people up and down this country that we reach a negotiated agreement on our future relationship over the coming weeks. The Times Rees-Mogg criticises him for comments Daily Express Meanwhile, IMF says Brexit has affected real incomes, and could do more so in case of disorderly scenario Daily Telegraph SNP says Mays my deal or no deal is a reckless false choice Herald Merkel says UK must suffer a little bit Daily Express And Brexit select committee reports conclusions divide Brexiters The Times The report warns of serious consequences FT Editorial: Hammond blundering is sabotaging Brexit The Sun Comment: No, its the Brexiteers who are threatening Brexit Robert Shrimsley, FT >Today: ToryDiary: How to measure and vanquish poverty? A new answer to an old problem Brexit 5) DUP reiterates its opposition to NI being cut adrift from rest of UK And calls Barnier plan null The Sun The DUP has restated its opposition to any deal which would leave Northern Ireland cut adrift from the rest of the UK, amid reports that the EU intends to put fresh proposals on the table for how Brexit should look. In a statement, DUP MEP Diane Dodds said while it remains to be seen what any such plan would look like, she warned it could be simply intended to dress up existing elements of its plan. Her party strongly opposes this for constitutional reasons, saying it would see Northern Ireland remain tied to EU rules. In July, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said issues around the post-Brexit EU-UK Irish border could be handled using existing technology and administrative arrangements (though later that month Theresa May said no technology solution to address these issues has been designed yet, or implemented anywhere in the world). Belfast News Letter More Brexit Downing Street launches Chequers explainer video Guardian Spain-Gibraltar argument could complicate Brexit negotiations The Sun >Yesterday: Video: WATCH: May The White Paper represents a considerable shift in our position. It is now for the EU to respond. Javid and Williamson have had new pro-May PPSs enforced on them Downing Street was last night accused of paranoia for replacing troublesome Cabinet ministers key MP aides with loyalists. It has emerged that No10 quietly changed key ministers Parliamentary Private Secretaries MPs who serve as a link to the Commons and build support on the backbenches. Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson both seen as potential challengers to the PM have had new PPSs enforced on them. Mr Williamson was described as furious when stripped of outspoken aide Anne-Marie Trevelyan without forewarning while on a trip to Afghanistan. Ms Trevelyan was moved to the Department for Education and replaced at the Ministry of Defence by rookie MP Trudy Harrison. And Mr Javid was given No10 loyalist Simon Hoare as his new PPS. The Sun Comment: Davidsons honesty would make her a great leader Stephen Pollard, Daily Express >Today: Video: WATCH: May on her future. Its the future of people in the UK that matters. >Yesterday: ToryDiary: The radical, anti-establishment, change-focused election launch speech drafted for May but which she never delivered. Full text Hancock considering auto enrolment social care fund Truss: We need to stand up against attacks on Anglo-American capitalism Workers could have their pay docked to pay into a new social care fund, the health secretary has suggested. The new insurance system would be modelled on auto enrolment pensions, where payments would be automatically deducted by employers unless a person asks to opt out. People who made payments could either have all their future care costs met by the fund or, more likely, would benefit from a cap that would mean they did not have to pay care bills above a certain level. Those who chose to opt out would be liable for the full costs of their care needs in later life, as under the current system, even if they had to sell their house to do so. The Times The importance of our relationship with America cannot be understated. With Anglo-American capitalism increasingly under attack, those who believe in the power of free markets and enterprise to create wealth and social progress must stand up and be counted and champion our way of life. Because though the Left might not like it, Anglo-American free enterprise has been the single best generator of wealth and opportunity in history. Britain and the US remain the Wild West for ideas, where pioneers push each other towards ever greater heights in the white heat of free enterprise. No one knows their place, no one fears failure and no one is ashamed of success. Theres a reason why world-changing technologies such as the smartphone come from countries which encourage freedom. Daily Telegraph She will use US speech to call for May to be more economically liberal, like Thatcher The Sun Meanwhile, UK and US economists join together to plan ideal trade agreement The Sun More Conservatives May sickened by antisemitism The Times Hancock says parents should be strict about sweets, and that retailers should help Daily Telegraph Ellwood says public should stand up to terrorists, like he did The Times Tory MPs argue over fracking FT May film shows her watching TV quiz Daily Express Comment: Could it possibly be that Osborne was a good chancellor? William Hague, Daily Telegraph >Yesterday: >Today: Other parties Bailey criticises Labour for procrastinating over sexual harassment report publication Guardian Corbyn to get involved in reselection debate The Times Miller says she doesnt want to join the LibDems. While at their conference The Times New Anglo-French agreement in scallop wars There were fresh hopes of an end to the conflict between Cornish fishermen and their French counterparts, dubbed the scallop wars, on Monday night after it was announced that the two sides had come to a new agreement. Vessels from the two nations clashed over the summer in a dispute about access to fishing grounds in the Baie de Seine, north of Normandy. The French and British governments announced that a deal had been reached in early September, but those hopes were dashed last Thursday when talks broke down. Now it has been announced that another agreement has been reached. Under its terms, UK vessels of less than 15 metres would continue to be able to take scallops from the waters, but larger boats would cease activities in the Baie de Seine from Tuesday until the end of 30 October. Guardian News in Brief Welcoming Polt to Vietnam, Ngan said his visit will consolidate and enhance the relations between Vietnam and Hungary, particularly in the judicial area.She also highly spoke of the two countries long-standing friendship and multifaceted cooperation which have flourished since they set up diplomatic ties nearly seven decades ago. Hungary has provided tremendous support for Vietnam during its struggle for national independence in the past as well as at present national safeguarding and building, she said, noting that thousands of Vietnamese students were trained in Hungary, many of whom now hold important positions at governmental organisations.She highlighted Hungarys continued support for Vietnam today as Vietnam is viewed as its key partner in Southeast Asia.Polt, for his part, said he is happy to visit Vietnam for the second time, while hailing the official visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong to Hungary last week, during which the two countries lifted their relations to the level of Comprehensive Partnership.He also updated his host on the results of his meeting with leaders of the Supreme Peoples Procuracy of Vietnam, saying that the two sides agreed to be each others strategic partners and expand their collaboration in the prevention of high-tech and economic crimes and corruption. They will also foster joint personnel training and build strategies for development.Delighted at the news, Ngan said she expects the cooperation between the two supreme procuracies will continue to grow in the future and hopes that both sides will increase delegation exchanges to share experience and learn from one another.Polt agreed with Ngan, saying that Hungary will double the number of scholarships offered to Vietnamese procuratorial officials looking to study in the European country.Vietnam and Hungary established diplomatic ties on February 3, 1950. Over the past few years, active progress has been made in the bilateral relations, with high political trust and a regular exchange of delegations, especially at high levels through Party, Government, National Assembly, and local channels.The bilateral ties have seen significant progress in law-making, justice, national defence-security, healthcare, education-training, and partnership between localities.Education is a traditional cooperation sphere and a spotlight for Vietnam-Hungary ties in the new period. In recent years, Hungary is the only country in Eastern Europe to have been consistent in increasing scholarships for Vietnamese students. The Government of Hungary is committed to providing 200 scholarships for Vietnamese students each year and has assisted Vietnam in building a 500-bed oncology hospital in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho. Vietnamplus Bob Seely: Yes, Brexit and leadership are important. But sos everything else. Here are some ideas for the future. Bob Seely is a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and is MP for the Isle of Wight. The Government is being flipped from crisis to crisis like a marble in a pinball machine. Its not all Theresa Mays fault. Shes been so battered at times I feel positively protective of her. But lets be honest its damaging. We should be using our conference in two weeks or so to present a vision of Britain, not restaging the gunfire at the Brexit Coral or leadership shenanigans. We need vision, not vitriol. Brexit is important, and so is the leadership but so is everything else, such as actually governing. The risk of prioritising purity over compromise and failing to present an attractive domestic agenda over the din of Brexit negotiation and leadership elections is damaging our credibility with voters. We need some intellectual mojo. Ministerial colleagues are presenting some ideas. George Freeman is doing great work with his Big Tent festivals. But the painful truth is that in the eyes of the electorate these modest advances dont, to paraphrase Casablanca, amount to a hill of beans. We need leadership, optimism and intellect fewer ministerial Eyeores and more va va voomers. Michael Gove at DEFRA, Matt Hancock at Health and Liz Truss in the Treasury are developing decent ideas and wrapping them attractively. Brexit should be a unique opportunity for good governance and prosperity across Government; yet we are limping towards it. So let me now offer a few ideas in the run up to conference: some would save billions; some cost billions. I am doing so to reinforce a conversation other than Brexit and Bo-Jo. We need to show we trust people, that were on their side and we have a vision of where were going. We need to combine our two great traditions; liberal confidence in freedom with Tory paternalism. Anyone who believes in free markets without social responsibility hasnt lived. Anyone who believes in paternalism without free markets hasnt thought. We need to liberate on one hand and look after on the other. We need both these traditions for our future. Here are some specifics: Transport Develop a collective backbone, and scrap the 50-100 billion idiocy of High Speed 2 (HS2). HS2 is nonsense and always has been. Return the money to the Treasury to fund other parts of the New Britain Agenda and invest in a Priority Projects Investment Fund throughout Britain. Commit to break ground on HS3 (the high-speed northern link) and Crossrail 2 before the next election. Revamp commuter lines into London, Manchester and Birmingham. Prioritise the introduction of Mobile Block Signaling that allows more trains to run safely, especially on hard-pressed suburban routes. Presume in favour of reopening old railway lines and invest a decent chunk more in road and cycle routes while were at it. Lets show that we care about peoples daily transport dramas, and that were dealing with them now, not in 15 years time. Health Integrate health, adult social care and local government, saving billions by preventing duplication, improving efficiency and making it more responsive, especially to elderly people. Embrace big data technology to drive proactive and integrated healthcare. Part-fund alternative medicines, such as acupuncture, on the NHS and support arts in health and wellbeing. Allow well-run NHS trusts to reinvest efficiency savings to be rewarded for best practice. Recombine local health authorities with public health and encourage them to innovate. Business Small businesses are the generators of jobs and wealth, part of the 80 percent of our economy thats domestic. We need to relentlessly show we are on their side. Open Europe reports that the top 100 EU-derived regulations cost Britain 33.3 billion a year. Which of these pass a common sense test in their entirety? Lets respect the substance of the legislation whilst reducing its financial impact. Next, encourage councils to tax supermarkets more and small business less, and to tax supermarket car parks to lower charges on high street parking. Prioritise taxing internet giants via a sales tax to fill the Treasury coffers. Strip tax avoiders of knighthoods and peerages. Priortise digital infrastructure ultra-fast broadband for 95 percent plus of Britain. Enlarge the Coastal Communities Fund to back larger projects to tempt wealth creators to the geographical fringes of the UK. Bring a halt to the petty-flogging attitude to regulation. Encourage councils to charge developers more for planning advice. Bring back the one-in, two-out rule for regulations. Tax Cut personal taxation with the savings produced by this New Britain agenda. Simplify the tax system. Have the honesty to abolish National Insurance and roll it into a single income tax. Cut VAT for small builders to encourage honesty. Introduce more (non-industrial) plastics taxes (sorry M&S) and use the money to lower income tax. And devolve more powers to local councils to get them to experiment. Stop linking devolution to house-building targets. Adjust the tax system to encourage other forms of clean energy, such as tidal. Crime. Reverse cuts to policing. Use the London mayorals to showcase policies to tackle violent crime. Stop being embarrassed about Stop and Search; its there to save young black lives. Go into the next election as the party of law and order. Were in danger of losing that tag to a bunch of police-hating Marxists: Shame.On.Us. Pensions Agree a Royal Commission on adult social care to come in after the next election; bite the bullet on it this time. Accept the requests of the female pensioner WASPI campaign there are thousands of WASPI women in every constituency and some are in real hardship. Not accepting their case is as immoral as it is politically dumb. Housing Increasing supply is key, but so is building the right housing for local need. Government targets are meaningless if the wrong houses are built. Trust Councils to vary their targets through exceptional circumstance like being an Island! and also to stipulate the type of housing needed. Allow more councils to bid for the 9 billion available for social housing to establish a new generation of Council/Starter/Key Worker housing. Reintroduce incentives to refurbish property above shops to deliver housing in town centres rather than the car-dependent suburbs. Ensure sensitive, better design rather than allowing developers to build the same boxy, treeless, edge-of-town estates across the county; were conservatives, lets value beauty. Immigration Extend our Australia-lite style immigration system to cover all work visas, skilled and unskilled. Cap unskilled labour immigration to force our employers to invest in our own people. Dont cap skilled immigration (those with higher degrees and unique skills). Develop a shared visa system with Canada, New Zealand and Australia and get the same terms as Europe. The world should be our oyster, not just the EU. Overseas Combine hard and soft power to become the worlds most effective smart power nation. Integrate overseas policy under a reinvigorated Foreign Office. Commit to a UK definition of the 0.7 percent GDP aid budget, rather than the often bizarre OSCE definition. Our definition to include the BBC World Service TV and Radio (saving the FCO near 300 million), most peacekeeping operations (saving Defence tens of millions). Include all government overseas spending in the 0.7 definition an extra 2 billion is spent by departments other than DfID. Make 0.7 per cent a target to reach provided the money is well spent, not an arbitrary target to reach regardless of spend quality. Return to the Treasury the 1.5 billion in aid cash given to the EU. Use the 1.9 billion in DfID economic aid to leverage billions more in private investment, allowing us to reduce the 1.9 billion sum by half. Return that to the Treasury. Overall, from that 2-4 billion saved, reallocate 1-2 billion to the Ministry of Defence for increased spending and give the rest back to the Treasury for tax cuts. Explore more joint procurement options with the US, Canada, Australia and other nations on standard platforms. Ensure reciprocal defence bidding arrangements or ban those foreign firms from nations that dont. DfiD, Defence and Overseas Trade to be strategically subservient to the FCO, which will have primacy on an integrated overseas policy. Become the global champion for a reformed WTO. Democracy. Establish a cross-government group to understand and expose subversion by authoritarian states as part of a raft of measures to protect our democracy, including a commission to examine how to protect our electoral system and free speech. Consider a new Bill of Rights, which focuses on responsibilities as much as rights and which includes clauses guaranteeing freedom of speech. Organisations, such as universities, that fail to enforce their rights should face loss of state funding or prosecution. The House of Lords has become a shambles; commit to a directly-elected second chamber with constituencies on county and city boundaries, with limited terms and a minimum age limit to encourage wisdom and life experience rather than political hackery. Immediately expel remaining hereditary peers from House of Lords. Summing up, lifes short. Our time to serve the public good is limited. For Gods sake, lets get on with it. We need a practical domestic agenda that values quality of life, such as delivering the right housing for communities, delivering practical transports projects and lowering income tax. With business, were on the side of the little guy as the driver of employment and wealth. For older folk, well deal with ageing sensitively. For the nation, our overseas policy will be global, generous and robust and yes, that does win votes when your opponent is a terrorist-supporting, Marxist who thinks NATO was a ploy to start the Cold War. Well protect our democracy, promote our values and enhance honest and transparent government. Lets make people feel good about listening to us, our ideas and our hopes for the future. Lets keep building the Just Nation that we want. Lets start love-bombing the country with ideas, rather than talk to it like a conflicted accountant on an awkward first date. Henry Newman is Director of Open Europe. We are entering the closing stages of Article 50, and the UK and EU are firmly in the brinkmanship phase of negotiations. Neither side wants to blink on the major outstanding question for the Withdrawal Agreement how to resolve the Irish backstop. So inevitably things are getting pretty tense. The clock is of course ticking, but theres time left to find a way through on the backstop. A deal could be signed well into the winter and potentially the New Year, and still have sufficient space to get through Parliament and the European side. A crescendo of voices are attacking the Government, which is doing far too little to communicate its Brexit policy. A sizeable chunk of the Conservative Party is pretty furious with the Prime Minister for being insufficiently purist on Brexit; another part of the party thinks she is being too much so. Meanwhile, Labour play with the possibility of backing a second referendum (though will probably only do so in circumstances in which the party knows it cannot be delivered). Newspapers and broadcasters delight in the drama of No Deal planning, bombarding us with possible ramifications and predictions some real and worrying, others far-fetched and fanciful. Yet one thing remains clear. Although Chequers is far from perfect, it nonetheless offers a realistic plan for leaving the EU and a framework for a close future partnership. For far, far too long the Government dithered and delayed crucial decisions. Having now belatedly agreed a plan, the Government is peculiarly lacklustre about defending it. Some suggest the Government is not defending Chequers because Downing Street has already abandoned it. That is not the view of senior officials and ministers in Whitehall. They recognise that details may shift. But they also argue that if the solution doesnt lie somewhere around the territory of Chequers, then the sort of close and deep partnership which both Brussels and the Government claim to want will be impossible, and there will need to be more of a border either with Ireland or between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. At the core of the Chequers proposal is the idea that the UK could seek to get something close to participation in the Single Market for goods, without services or free movement. Brussels claims that a goods-only Single Market is impossible because the four freedoms are indivisible. That may be true for members of the EU, but no such principle holds for non-members. Switzerland essentially participates in the Single Market for goods and not services. The EUs association agreement with Ukraine gives that country what the Commissions own website calls an unprecedented example of integration in certain aspects of the Single Market but not all, and without free movement. The Government should be pointing this out, continually. In his State of the Union speech last week, Jean-Claude Juncker said that the UK could not stay only in the parts of the Single Market: you choose. The Government should have replied, politely, that according to the Commissions own plan for the Irish backstop, part of the UK would have to stay in part of the Single Market. The Commission proposals is for Great Britain to leave the Single Market but for Northern Ireland to continue following Single Market rules on goods, in a separate regime from the rest of the country. Michel Barnier claims that part of the reason why a goods-only Single Market arrangement cannot work is that a sizeable proportion of the value of goods is made up from services. Giving the UK regulatory freedom over services would, he argues, allow us to undercut European producers. But as my colleague Aarti Shankar has shown, this argument is far from clear in economic terms. Why is the Government not picking up her argument? On the other hand, pro-EU campaigners say that Chequers doesnt work because it prioritises goods over services, and services are 80 per cent of our economy. That argument rests on a confusion. Although our services sector is dominant domestically, goods outweigh services when it comes to our exports. And the profile of our trade in goods and services is different. About half of our goods trade go to the EU while for services the figure is around a third. So it makes particular sense to align the rules on goods with the EU. Again, the Government should be saying this more clearly. At the same time, Brexiteer anti-Chequers campaigners complain that the plan would mean rule-taking on goods. Fair enough. But those same Brexiteers may well also have argued previously that the UK had little or no ability to shape EU rules as an EU member. Under the Chequers proposal, the UK would be obliged to follow future rules on goods and agrifood (covering roughly 20 per cent of our domestic economy) but we would have greater freedoms (take back control, if you like) over the wider economy. And, ultimately if Brussels did come up with a rule we couldnt live with, we would be able to say no thank you (albeit with probable costs to our access to the EU). The process of translating new rules would not be automatic. Parliament would have to consider and agree each new set of rules. In the case of Switzerland, parliamentarians take this power seriously and have been able to resist new EU rules, for example, on chemical regulations. Part of the reason why the Government is so bad at communicating its Brexit policy is that the Cabinet remains deeply divided over Brexit. When the Prime Minister still cannot say herself that she would vote to leave the EU the defining policy of her Government its no wonder that theres a lack of clarity (to put it politely) in the overall communications strategy. But this confusion in communication is weakening the substance of the policy and allowing critics at home and on the continent to dominate the dabte. A new Government video released yesterday explaining Chequers is welcome, but its several weeks overdue. Ministers need to put aside their differences and commit to selling the agreed policy before its too late. James Frayne is Director of communications agency Public First and author of Meet the People, a guide to moving public opinion. Outside London, drivers are known as people. Outside London, taxing petrol is known as taxing everyday life as integral as cars are to all forms of travel for work and leisure. The fact that Phillip Hammond has floated the possibility of a rise in petrol tax at the next Budget might suggest the Treasury isnt entirely in touch with the public mood. But it might also suggest that it is so desperate to raise revenue to pay for the NHS splurge theyre considering literally everything. Where else might the Government therefore be looking for Budget time? How could the Government raise revenue while irritating the least number of voters? There are four areas I think theyll explore: Taxing things like alcohol consumption that can lead to poor health outcomes. Taxing lifestyles and businesses that damage the environment. Moving everyone on to what looks and operates like PAYE. And taxing the biggest businesses. The Government has already taxed soft drinks and my last column looked at Conservative voters openness to new taxes on food companies. And this time around, for the first time in a while, the alcohol sector is vulnerable as tobacco is also bound to be yet again. The Government machine is increasingly hinting that they view all alcohol consumption as unhealthy. Furthermore, while David Cameron appeared personally committed to the British brewing industry, theres nothing like the same warmth coming out of this Treasury or Number Ten. Plus, with younger voters currently top of politicians minds, their relatively light drinking habits might make politicians think its an easier hit than it otherwise might be. The Government has also been softening the electorate up for a big hit on any business or individual lifestyle choice that damages the environment. Coffee cups and plastic bags are clearly seriously vulnerable, but it surely cant be long before the Government looks at other mass consumer products like nappies and wipes. Any products that cannot be easily recycled could be targeted by Government in the name of environmental protection. Thinking more broadly, presumably all polluting fuels and practically anyone that uses diesel, including major transportation firms could also face at least advanced warning that they need to change their choice of fuel or face higher taxes down the line. Politically speaking, these two areas public health and environmental health look the likeliest places for this Government to tax hard. The other two areas shifting everyone to the equivalent of PAYE and the taxation of the biggest businesses must also be targets, but are undeniably trickier. Firstly, because getting everyone on to the equivalent of PAYE hits the self-employed and business owners most of all. Secondly, because many big businesses are already said to be wavering about Britains future because of threats from Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn and whacking them with higher taxes will hardly send the right signal. What might the Government do? Would they look to further reduce the incentives around dividend payments that directors can receive? Given how little dividend payments are worth in tax terms these days, they might think its worth the risk. For big businesses, they surely wont risk a rise in corporation tax (not least because ordinary firms across the country will take a hit). Much more likely is something very targeted at those businesses seemingly not serving the public good or at least the Chancellors vision of it. Each year, businesses across the land prepare to make their case to Government as to why their sector shouldnt be hit with new tax rises. They wait nervously for Budget Day to see what will happen. I think this year their nerves will be justified. We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. [September 18, 2018] InGenius Ranks on The 2018 Growth 500 For Exceptional Revenue Growth OTTAWA, Ontario, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- InGenius Software Inc., a provider of intelligent computer telephony integration for blending voice and digital channels, has been ranked number 173 on the 30th annual Growth 500, the definitive ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies by Canadian Business and Mclean's. The Growth 500 recognizes Canadian businesses that have achieved aggressive 5-year revenue growth and winners are profiled in a special print issue of Canadian Business published with Maclean's magazine and online at CanadianBusiness.com and Growth500.ca. InGenius was selected for reaching 5-year growth of 446%. InGenius Connector Enterprise, the company's flagship product, helps contact centers integrate existing phone systems into leading CRMs with highly adaptable workflows. The solution goes beyond basic connectivity, providing omni-channel capabilities to blended agent sales and service teams. As businesses invest in digital transformation, InGenius offers the necessary tools to achieve fast ROI with computer telephony integration (CTI). InGenius enables world-class organizations to increase agent productivity and improve the customer experience. "The companies on the 2018 Growth 500 are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today," said Deborah Aarts, Growth 500 program manager. "As we celebrate 30 years of the Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies program, it's encouraging to see that entrepreneurship is healthier than eve in this country." "InGenius develops technology innovations that help modern contact centers integrate their telephony operations into their CRMs," said Dale Gantous, CEO of InGenius. "InGenius is uniquely poised to meet our customers' needs due to our many years of experience in computer telephony integration, and our deep caring for our customers' success - that caring runs throughout our entire organization. We're happy to have our hard work recognized by the Growth 500 and I couldn't be prouder of our team." InGenius is an award-winning Canadian software business with high standards of tech excellence. For more information about its solution, InGenius Connector Enterprise, go to ingenius.com. About the Growth 500 For 30 years, the Growth 500 ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies has been Canada's most respected and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement. Developed by PROFIT and now published in a special Growth 500 print issue of Canadian Business (packaged with the October issue of Maclean's magazine) and online at Growth500.ca and CanadianBusiness.com, the Growth 500 ranks Canadian companies on five-year revenue growth. For more information on the ranking, visit Growth500.ca. About Canadian Business Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving and most-trusted business publication in the country. It is the country's premier media brand for executives and senior business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada's business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. Learn more at CanadianBusiness.com. About InGenius InGenius easily adapts to unique contact center needs with next-generation computer telephony integration (CTI). As a CTI innovator, InGenius connects existing telephone systems into leading CRMs with maximum flexibility, for world-class customer experiences. Backed by reliable expertise and superior customer care, InGenius helps contact centers increase productivity and customer satisfaction. Visit ingenius.com for more information. Media Contacts Kari Simpson InGenius VP, Product Management and Marketing (613) 591-9002 x2550 201808@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ingenius-ranks-on-the-2018-growth-500-for-exceptional-revenue-growth-300714373.html SOURCE InGenius [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. Cruise Industry News has released a new report outlining the latest developments in the Chinese and Asia-Pacific cruise markets, the 2019 China Market Report. The 118-page report, available here as a PDF download, goes in-depth into China and Asia, including forecasting capacity changes in China as significant supply adjustments take place in a key cruise market. It is the only forward-looking and independently-researched data available on the Chinese cruise market. In addition, there are discussions with leading Chinese travel agents about the updated charter model as well as price trends in the market. Cruise Industry News has also talked to all the major Chinese ports, which are all working on significant infrastructure developments. Plus, there are the latest comments from China State Shipbuilding Corporation about their hopes for the market, as well as China Merchants Group. Cruise Industry News profiles all the major cruise lines operating in Asia, from Carnival Corporation to Royal Caribbean, Genting, domestic operators and others There are also exclusive analysis and statistics including supply projections through 2027, in addition to a break-down of Asia-Pacific and China by operator and market capacity. Click here to learn more and order the report. The Cruise Industry News 2019 China Market Report Includes: Year-by-year market reports on China from 2015 through 2027. Updated data based on original and independent research. Interviews with top executives at major cruise brands operating in the Asia-Pacific and Chinese market, including new Chinese cruise lines. Articles profiling at all major brands and companies in the market. Cruise companies and brands covered: Carnival Corporation, Princess, Costa, Royal Caribbean Cruises China, Royal Caribbean Cruises Asia-Pacific, SkySea, Ctrip, MSC Cruises, Norwegian, Bohai, Diamond, Genting, Star, Dream and others. Discussion of the sales model and pricing, including interviews with major travel agencies that control significant supply in China with the charter sales model. Market data through 2027, showing supply projections and capacity outlook. Key developments for 2019, plus what to expect in 2020 and beyond in China. Port news and infrastructure planning reports, including a map of key Chinese ports. Interviews and updates on 10+ Chinese ports, Hong Kong, plus a number of ports in Japan and South Korea reveal their latest plans. Market capacity breakdown for Asia-Pacific and Chinese markets by cruise line. A look at the current and future Asia-Pacific cruise fleet. Coverage of the Japanese cruise market including its history, present status and future outlook. Interviews with management from Asuka (NYK), Mitsui and Venus. Analysis of the Korean cruise markets. Fully independent reporting and research. Click here to order. The French Riviera Cruise Club (FRCC) gave its Green Award for 2017 to the Celebrity Reflection during a ceremony on Sept. 12 celebrating a double call from two Celebrity ships in Villefranche. This award was created in 2010 at the initiative of the FRCC and its partners to reward any cruise ship calling in at Alpes-Maritimes ports (Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Villefranche) for its approach to sustainable development. The award goes to the ship that performs best on the environmental audits conducted by port management teams of CCI Nice Cote dAzur (relying on quayside monitoring) of all ships calling in at least four times per year in one of the four ports. The selected analysis criteria include noise, exhaust fumes and smells associated with the ships stopover, but also the transport of cruise passengers by tender and by bus, with the emphasis being placed on non-motorised mobility (bicycles, electric bicycles). "Taking into account quality of life and environmental aspects has always been at the heart of our approach as port managers hosting cruise stopovers," said the FRCC, in a prepared statement. "Our approach is guided by an environmental and global approach to cruise operations, from the ship to the transport of passengers, including the stopover at the port." This environmental commitment has also driven the FRCC to develop green products for cruise passengers calling in at the ports of our department. Green Tours are on offer at each one of the ports, allowing passengers to discover the region in an environmentally-friendly manner. Since 2008, the port of Nice-Villefranche Sante is ISO 14001-certified for its environmental management system. This certification relates to all of its operations (including cruises) in the following areas: Monitoring of water quality in the port (six campaigns conducted throughout the year). Development and testing of an innovating environmental monitoring tool to monitor weather conditions, environmental noise levels and air quality, in partnership with the city of Nice Cote dAzur (MNCA) and ATMOSUD. Organising waste removal for all ships calling in at the port. Cruises/Ferries/Cargo ships/Yachts/Leisure boats. Zero Discharge approach with dumping points throughout the waste water network in commercial harbours or with approved waste water pumping service providers. Soft mobility services provided to port users, with the availability of electric bicycles (with solar charging). In a new report, Citizen Lab researchers warned that sophisticated mobile spyware, dubbed Pegasus made and sold by the Israeli company NSO Group has been found not only on Androids and iPhones in countries with questionable human rights protections, but also in the U.S. The researchers believe this cross-border surveillance likely breaks the law in the U.S. and other countries. Citizen Lab via Twitter To become an NSO Pegasus infection victim, the operator has to trick a person into clicking a link that then delivers a chain of zero-day exploits and secretly installs Pegasus on the phone. After the malware installs on the targets iPhone or Android phone without the users knowledge, it is then capable of spying via the phones camera and microphone. It can also steal text messages, passwords, photos, contact list, calendar events, and much more. After Citizen Lab created fingerprints as a way to track Pegasus spyware, they identified 1,091 IP addresses between August 2016 and August 2018 that matched their fingerprint for NSOs spyware. Using a technique dubbed Athena, the researchers clustered the IP addresses to come up with 36 groups that deployed the spyware against targets in 45 countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Ten of the 36 different Pegasus operators appear to have infected victims phones across multiple countries for cross-border surveillance. The researchers noted that cross-border targeting and monitoring is a relatively common practice. They added: The scope of this activity suggests that government-exclusive spyware is widely used to conduct activities that may be illegal in the countries where the targets are located. For example, we have identified several possible Pegasus customers not linked to the United States, but with infections in US IP space. While some of these infections may reflect usage of out-of-country VPN or satellite Internet service by targets, it is possible that several countries may be actively violating United States law by penetrating devices located within the US. NSO Pegasus infections were found in the following 45 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Cote dIvoire, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zambia. Although NSO denied the list of countries is accurate, many on the list have questionable human rights protections. Granted, Citizen Lab researchers admitted that some of the geolocation findings could be inaccurate, as some Pegasus infection victims could be using VPNs or satellite connections that make them appear to be in a different country. Citizen Lab suggested NSO is not doing its due diligence, as it has a significant number of customers that maintain active infections in other countries, likely violating those countries laws. The global market for government exclusive spyware continues to grow, and as it does, more governments and security services with histories of abuse will acquire this technology. The expanding user base of spyware like Pegasus will enable a growing number of authoritarian states to pry into into the digital lives of their own citizens, but also into phones and computers in pockets and purses around the globe. Patricia Patti Polk, who owns the aptly named store Patricias Presents, has a boutique full of unique gifts made in the U.S. or fair-trade certified; cheap, overseas products are nowhere to be found. Nobody needs me for that. Theres plenty of stores that sell those products around, she said. My things are a little different. Theres nothing youll find in a mall here. Many of the gifts are horse, dog or cat related, although there are plenty of other gifts from which to choose, including a healthy collection of jewelry and fashion-forward, artsy clothing. Polk recently moved her shop to downtown Bethel after more than four years at Ethan Allen Plaza on Route 7 in Ridgefield. The plaza also recently lost All the Kings Horses tack shop as owner Dan Reilly retired after 44 years. More Business Bethel book, toy stores connect in formerly burned building The new spot at 164 Greenwood Ave. is one of five storefronts recently opened in renovated buildings following a devastating fire in downtown Bethel last summer. Byrds Books and The Toy Room opened earlier this month on the same block and Polk thinks the stores complement each other well.. Its lively here. There are always people around doing things walking their dogs; running. Its the way things should be, said Polk, a New Milford resident. I would drive through Bethel on my way to check out Newtown or Southbury. This building still had scaffolding in front of it. Then I realized what an adorable town Bethel was and wanted to be here. Beth Cavagna, Bethels town planner, said she was happy to see three retailers under 1,000 square feet spearhead the revitalization of the downtown area. These small locations are very appealing to small business owners because they dont have to worry about a lot of overhead, Cavagna said. In the past, people always thought that bigger was best, but what we are seeing after our TOD (transit oriented district) study is that smaller is better. The store fits in nicely with the other retailers, she added. She has a very unique and diverse shop, and she has an established clientele from her Ridgefield location. Polk started the business 25 years ago selling her own jewelry designs to wholesalers. She attended a craft show as a vendor and fell in love with selling directly to customers. It was wonderful dealing with customers instead of (wholesale) buyers, she said. So, I started doing more shows: craft shows, dog shows, horse shows. She opened her first retail location five years ago on Route 7 in Ridgefield and, six months later, moved to Ethan Allen Plaza. Moving to Bethel took about 10 weeks, a stop-and-go process during the busy horse show season. It turned out fine and we pulled it together, she said. Im pleasantly OK with having a brick-and-mortar store. People still want to touch things and chat about the products. The items at Patricias Presents give people plenty to talk about. Many products have clever or amusing sayings about horses, dogs, cats or shopping. Polk said her nightshirts and kitchen towels are hot sellers. Other items include canvas flasks, throw pillows, wind chimes and guardian bells for motorcycles. There are also framed prints from a local photographer. Polk continues to make her own line of jewelry under the name Patricias Presents. Im happy with the way Ive curated the store, she said. Patricias Presents may be reached at 860-946-9715. The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338 ENFIELD - A former Buffalo, N.Y., man serving 15 years in prison in the 1989 fatal shooting of his girlfriend in Bridgeport was denied parole on Tuesday. Joseph Santiago, 47, who was captured after 22 years on the run, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 2011. His girlfriend, Aida Ramos, the mother of three children, languished in the hospital, unable to move or breathe without assistance until her death in 2004. During a hearing Tuesday at Robinson Correctional Center Bridgeport Supervisory Assistant States Attorney C. Robert Satti Jr. and members of the Ramos family objected to Santiago being released. The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles subsequently rejected Santiagos petition. Santiago had initially been charged with assault following the May 7, 1989, shooting of Ramos, but had skipped his court date. Some years later, Santiago was picked up by Pennsylvania authorities, but they mistakenly released him before Connecticut law enforcement officials could get him and Santiago was on the lam again. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, police received a report that Ramos had been brought to Bridgeport Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the base of her skull. Witnesses told police they were in a Pembroke Street apartment with Ramos and her boyfriend, Santiago, when they heard the sound of a gunshot, the affidavit states. They said Santiago then came running into the room were the witnesses were and said he had just killed Ramos. Santiago and a witness dropped Ramos off at the hospital, the affidavit states. On the way back, Santiago stopped at a gas station to wash his hands in some gasoline and he warned the witness not to talk about what had happened to Ramos, it states. NORWALK The city and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency on Monday withdrew one lawsuit and filed a new one against local commercial real estate developer Jason Milligan. In June, the city and redevelopment agency sued Wall Street Opportunity Fund, of which Milligan is a managing member, after he purchased properties in the footprint of the latter phases of the stalled redevelopment project Wall Street Place. The lawsuit named ISLR Owners LLC, an affiliate of Port Chester, N.Y.-based developer POKO Partners, as a co-defendant. The lawsuit, filed in state Superior Court in Stamford, argued that Milligan and POKO Partners fraudulently transferred the properties without redevelopment agency approval as required under the Land Disposition Agreement governing the project. On Monday, a Withdrawal of Action was posted on the courts website, indicating the plaintiffs had withdrawn their request for a prejudgment remedy from the court. The Plaintiffs action is WITHDRAWN AS TO ALL DEFENDANTS without costs to any party, reads the withdrawal notice filed with the court by the redevelopment agencys attorney. The Agency and City contend in the lawsuit that the recent actions of the defendants thwart the letter and spirit of the LDA (Land Disposition Agreement), unjustly enrich the defendants, and constitute unfair trade practices, read a statement released by Mayor Harry Rillings office late Monday. The public parties to the agreement invested a substantial amount of thought, time, effort and expense in designing a development plan with the Approved Redeveloper for this site. Milligan, in an email Monday afternoon, wrote, The city withdrew the bogus fraudulent transfer lawsuit! He questioned who was behind the decision. I wish I knew who was in charge, seriously. Id love to talk to that person or those people, because its not clear what their goal is, Milligan said. It just seems like theyre reaching. I just want to be recognized as the owner and work with whomever on what we want for Wall Street. He described the citys legal actions against him as wasting taxpayer money and time. At the end of all this legal mumble jumble, there still has to be a discussion, there still has to be a plan, Milligan said. In an email late Monday evening, Norwalk Corporation Counsel Mario Coppola indicated Mondays action by the city and redevelopment agency was procedural rather than backing down. There is absolutely no truth whatsoever to Mr. Milligan's assertions as to why the pending application for prejudgment remedy was withdrawn earlier today, Coppola wrote. Today the Agency and City served Mr. Milligan and other defendants with a lawsuit for knowingly violating the 2007 Land Disposition Agreement, and other agreements, concerning the POKO project. The lawsuit that was served today replaced the application for prejudgment remedy that was previously pending against the defendants. The lawsuit filed Monday, Coppola continued, effectively seeks the same relief as the application for prejudgment remedy, but adds defendants and additional claims for relief. Milligan, owner of Milligan Real Estate on Belden Avenue, purchased the properties at 21, 23 and 31 Isaac St. and those at 83 and 97 Wall St. from ILSR Owners at the end of May. He has since demolished the vacant house at 21 Isaacs St., reopened the closed portion of the former Leonard Street Municipal Lot at 23 Isaacs St. and started renovating 97 Wall St. The properties are located within the area of Wall Street Place, where construction stopped two years ago. POKO Partners stopped construction on the first phase of Wall Street Place 101 apartments in the former Isaacs Street Municipal Lot in 2016 amid financing issues with lender CitiBank. The bank has since acquired that property and has been in discussions with prospective new developer John McClutchy, of Stamford. In late June, Milligan asked the redevelopment agency to transfer development rights for the second phase of Wall Street Place from POKO to him. In response, the agency asked him to provide, pursuant to the LDA, a financial disclosure, including the names and addresses of Wall Street Opportunity Funds members and/or investors for review by the agencys third-party consultant. According Coppola, Milligan hasnt provided the information. Milligan, in an email to Coppola on July 31, wrote that he was open to agree to some basic provisions that would clearly establish or confirm some important rights & remedies. He said he would agree not to sell the properties at 21 or 23 Isaacs St. without city or agency approval provided the properties at 31 Isaacs, 97 and 83 Wall St. part of the third phase of Wall Street Place be released from city or agency controls or restrictions. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45555359 Image copyright REUTERS Image caption Prof Ford says Brett Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to take off her clothes The Senate has scheduled a public hearing on a sex assault claim against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for next week. Judge Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who says he attacked her more than three decades ago, will both be able to testify. US President Donald Trump said earlier he expected "a little delay" to confirming his nominee. Judge Kavanaugh, 53, says the allegation is "completely false". He denies he was even at the 1982 high school party in question where his accuser, now a psychology professor in California, says he tried to rape her as his friend watched. The claim has jeopardised Judge Kavanaugh's formerly all-but certain-nomination for a lifetime job on the Supreme Court. Image copyright REUTERS Image caption Brett Kavanaugh has denied the allegations against him What did the committee say? Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley confirmed next Monday's hearing in a statement. "As I said earlier, anyone who comes forward as Dr Ford has done deserves to be heard," said the Iowa Republican. Mr Grassley had earlier stopped short of calling for a public hearing, or for delaying the committee's vote on the nominee. The judge last week finished four days of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a vote on his confirmation had been planned for Thursday of this week. ADVERTISEMENT But Democrats demanded a delay in the vote in order to let the FBI investigate. Mr Grassley said the standard procedure would be for committee members to conduct telephone calls with both witnesses about their forthcoming testimony. But in a statement, the panel's Democrats refused to join in any phone call with Judge Kavanaugh. What are other senators saying? Senators from both parties had argued that Judge Kavanaugh and Prof Ford should be given the chance to testify before the panel. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, told reporters she would like the chance to observe Prof Ford to decide the credibility of her account. "Obviously, if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying," she said. Two other Republican senators, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Bob Corker of Tennessee, earlier called for the vote to be delayed. Media caption Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh: "I'm a team player" What is the allegation? Prof Ford detailed her story in a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee senior Democrat Dianne Feinstein in July before going public in an article published in the Washington Post on Sunday. The Palo Alto University academic says the incident happened 36 years ago in a Maryland suburb outside Washington DC. Prof Ford says Brett Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to take off her clothes, then clamped his hand over her mouth when she attempted to scream. They were students in different high schools. She was 15 and he was 17. Both he and his friend, who allegedly watched the incident, were drunk, she says. Mark Judge, who has been named as the third person in the room, told The Weekly Standard the allegations were "absolutely nuts". Prof Ford says she spoke of the alleged attack a couple of times over the subsequent decades, including during therapy. In a statement on Monday, Judge Kavanaugh vowed to "refute" the accusation before the congressional panel. He said in a statement issued by the White House: "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes - to her or to anyone. "Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday." Prof Ford's lawyer, Debra Katz, told NBC's Today programme on Monday that "if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she [Prof Ford] would have been raped". What's at stake? Republicans control the Senate by only a narrow 51-49 margin, meaning any defections could scupper the nomination. That would set back President Trump's efforts to install more conservatives on the Supreme Court and broader US judiciary. If confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge, would be expected to tilt the court's balance further to the right. The confirmation fight comes just weeks before November's congressional elections in which Democrats are hoping to wrest control of Congress from Mr Trump's party. The Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative group that backs Mr Trump's judicial picks, says it plans to launch a $1.5m (1.1m) ad campaign backing Judge Kavanaugh. What does the White House say? Mr Trump, who faces multiple accusations of sexual misconduct that surfaced during the 2016 presidential election campaign, has not offered an opinion on the credibility of Prof Ford's allegation. At the White House on Monday, the Republican president said of the confirmation: "If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay." He dismissed as "ridiculous" a reporter's question about whether Judge Kavanaugh's nomination would be withdrawn. "I think he's very much on track," Mr Trump said. The White House said in a statement: "Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation." The U.S. envoy to the United Nations accused Russia of "actively working to undermine" international sanctions against North Korea as pressure rises on the Trump administration three months after the president met Kim Jong Un in Singapore. "Why after voting for sanctions 11 different times is Russia backing away from them? We know the answer. Its because Russia has been cheating. And now they've been caught," Ambassador Nikki Haley said Monday in an emergency session of the Security Council she called late last week. The U.S. says its effort to keep pressure on North Korea's economy through sanctions approved by the Security Council is being undermined by Russia, who the Americans accuse of helping Kim's regime skirt the restrictions. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the original draft of a confidential new UN report found Pyongyang has been able to circumvent restrictions, rendering "the latest UN sanctions ineffective." While the U.S. has previously accused both China and Russia of violating the sanctions, Haley aimed her criticism Monday squarely at Russian President Vladimir Putin's government. She said in a statement last week that Russia successfully pressured the supposedly independent panel to water down the report. "Russia can't be allowed to edit and obstruct independent U.N. reports on North Korea sanctions just because they don't like what they say," Haley said then. "The full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions remains mandatory for all Member States - including Russia." Russia's U.N. envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, rejected Haley's "emotional statement" against his country, saying North Korea has been asked to accept "empty promises" in return for its efforts on denuclearization. Referring to the U.N. report, Nebenzia said the authors were "hostages to the vision of Washington." "The negotiating process is a two-way street," Nebenzia said. "It is impossible to come to an agreement if you offer nothing in return for you demands. Sanctions cannot replace diplomacy." The Trump administration has expressed concern that efforts to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear capabilities are faltering as talks over the denuclearization of North Korea stall. South Korea's president Moon Jae-in will try to inject new life into the diplomatic talks when he meets Kim in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a summit that will mark the first time a South Korean leader visits its northern neighbor in more than a decade. U.S.-North Korean talks on denuclearization haven't advanced significantly since the historic meeting in June between President Donald Trump and Kim. The U.S. has shown ambivalence toward China's role on North Korea, sometimes praising the government in Beijing and sometimes criticizing it even as Trump engages in a trade fight with China. A White House statement issued last month and tweeted by Trump said "China is providing North Korea with considerable aid, including money, fuel, fertilizer and various other commodities. This is not helpful!" In Monday's debate, China's Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu said his country has been a positive force in implementing sanctions and its seriousness of purpose is obvious. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Monday accused Russia of systematically "cheating" on international sanctions against North Korea by illicitly helping the country acquire oil and coal. Three months after President Donald Trump held a summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Haley told the U.N. Security Council that Moscow has been "actively working to undermine Security Council sanctions" imposed on North Korea. "Why, after voting for sanctions 11 different times is Russia backing away from them?" she said. "We know the answer. It's because Russia has been cheating. And now they've been caught." Haley spoke at an emergency meeting of the Security Council called by the United States. Repeating an accusation she made last week, Haley said Russia had threatened to block an independent report on the status of North Korean sanctions unless a list of Russian violations was excised. Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia denied that Russia had violated sanctions or blocked the report. "This is a falsehood," he said, according to the official translation of his remarks. Citing Russia's actions in Syria, the alleged poisoning of a former spy in England and election interference in the United States, Haley said, "Deny, distract and lie" is "the new norm of Russian culture." Haley's remarks represented another example of administration officials using uncompromising rhetoric against Russia even as Trump has played up his friendly relationship with President Vladimir Putin. Trump also has exchanged warm regards with Kim, even though negotiations to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic program have been stalemated. Last month, Trump canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's planned visit to Pyongyang, hours before the diplomat was due to leave, because Trump felt the talks were not making "sufficient progress," he tweeted. The United States is trying to maintain what officials call the "maximum pressure" campaign of North Korean sanctions, though Trump has said he longer uses the term "because we're getting along." The administration led efforts last year to dramatically increase wide-ranging sanctions against North Korea to dry up its revenue for missile and nuclear programs. But Haley said the United States has evidence that Russia has been evading the measures by helping with ship-to-ship transfers of oil, coal and other goods. "Step by step, sanction by sanction, and time and time again, Russia is working across the board to undermine the sanctions regime," she said. Nebenzia accused the U.S. administration of undercutting diplomatic overtures by refusing to make any concessions to Pyongyang, only demands. And he said the White House is being overly aggressive in Security Council in an attempt to "subjugate" the body to U.S. policy. China's ambassador Ma Zhaoxu said "confrontation is a dead-end," and called for U.N. sanctions to be enforced but gradually lifted as a reward for steps toward denuclearization. Last month, Trump tweeted that "China is providing North Korea with considerable aid, including money, fuel, fertilizer and various other commodities. This is not helpful!" In a briefing to the council, U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo warned that despite some positive steps, "there continue to be signs the DPRK [North Korea] is maintaining and developing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs." While SpaceXs ultimate goal is to get people to Mars, Elon Musk's company will start with a trip that a few men have famously gone on before: to the Moon. Musk announced Monday that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be the companys first space tourist, signing up for a trip that hasnt been made since NASAs Apollo program ended in 1972. SpaceXs plan is to take Maezawa around the Moon in 2023. The 42-year-old Maezawa is an entrepreneur, but his first love is music. He plays guitar and drums and started his first band in 1993 when he was in high school. In lieu of going to college, he decided to visit the U.S. with his girlfriend. There, he began amassing a collection of rare CDs and records that in 1995, when he returned to Japan, was the foundation for his first business, a mail-order music venture. In 1998 when he was 22, he officially incorporated the business, which he named Start Today, after an album of one his favorite bands, Gorilla Biscuits. Two years later, the company launched online. While all this was going on, his band Switch Style got a record deal, made three albums and went on tour. After three years of doing both, at 25, he decided to run the business full time. Related: Inside SpaceX: What It's Like Working for a Company on a Mission to Mars In 2004, Start Today expanded into selling clothes, and launched Zozotown, a popular retail platform akin to Amazon that offers more than 6,800 brands and in 2017 brought in $76 billion in sales. Maezawa still collects, though he has moved beyond CDs. Hes now more focused on famous works of art, like the 1982 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting he purchased last year for $110.5 million and promptly sent on a museum tour of the U.S. It was a record-breaking sum for Basquiats work, a record that had also been previously set by Maezawa when he bought another painting by the late artist for $57.3 million in 2016. The billionaire CEO is also a big fan of giving back to his hometown. Start Today is headquartered in Chiba Prefecture, and Maezawa plans to build a museum there where he can put his art collection on display. Maezawa, who is the 18th richest man in Japan with a net worth of $2.9 billion, bought out all the seats on SpaceXs Big Falcon Rocket for the trip and isnt planning on going alone. As befitting his love of art, he wants to bring a group of artists to make the week-long voyage into what he describes as an awe-inspiring, global, universal art project called #dearMoon. He wrote of the goal, I hope that this project will inspire the dreamer within each of us. I choose to go to the moon, with Artists. #dearMoon https://t.co/ivMypEcWBZ Yusaku Maezawa (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018 Related: What You Need to Know About the Japanese Billionaire Going to Space With SpaceX Jeff Bezos Reveals His Daily Decision-Making Goal and 30 Other Crazy Things We've Learned About the Amazon Founder Do You Have What It Takes to Go to Mars? Lead Like an Astronaut in Your Own Office. Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved The New York City Council and Board of Health have voted to include a gender-neutral X category on birth certificates starting the first day of 2019. Non-binary people will be able to change the gender marker on their own birth certificates without a doctors note, and parents will be able to choose the X for their childrens birth certificates. City Mayor Bill De Blasi applauded the bill, saying it will allow transgender and gender nonconforming New Yorkers to live with the dignity and respect they deserve. The Executive Director of the Intersex and Genderqueer Recognition Project Toby Adams also approves of the change. Its really damaging legally and psychologically to have your gender identity misidentified, he said to NBC News. California, Washington, Oregon, and New Jersey currently allow their residents to choose a nonbinary option on birth certificates. Maine, Oregon, and Washington D.C., do the same thing on drivers licenses, and California will join this group in January. Eagle Community Credit Union decided to participate in the CO-OP Financial Services-Yoobi 2018 National Back-to-School Backpack Drive to give back to their community but discovered they also received on many levels. This is the second year CO-OP has partnered with Yoobi to offer the Back-to-School drive, and the second year Eagle Community CU has participated. For every $1,500 a credit union invests in the program, the cooperative receives 50 Yoobi backpacks and school supplies for students in need to donate to a school or organization of their choice. Eagle Community CU, based in Foothill Ranch, California, began their participation in July. The credit union added a unique element to the program during August, they held a vote among their 20,000 members to determine what school or organization would receive the backpacks. On August 1 we started by asking our members to nominate a worthy institution, and at mid-month we conducted a vote on the recipient, said Erica W. Beach, Vice President of Marketing for Eagle Community CU. A total of 10 organizations were submitted to members for voting. By September 1 they had an overwhelming winner Connecting Hands, of Placentia, receiving more than 2,500 votes, all through online and social media sharing. Connecting Hands was nominated by a member of the credit union who works for Goodwill and refers families to them. The non-profit organization helps financially distressed families with life necessities and counseling, serving about 1,500 families throughout Orange County. The credit union promoted the August vote through emails to members, branch flyers and their social media channels and the latter provided an unexpected benefit to the campaign. We had a great deal of social media engagement during the Back-to-School drive, said Beach. We added to our following, we had a great deal of positive comments to our posts and many were forwarded by our members. The campaign came to a conclusion on September 12 with two very gratifying team building exercises. First, credit union employees held a pizza party at their office to stuff the school supplies into the backpacks. Then, five employees including President/CEO Scott Rains delivered the backpacks to the children at Connecting Hands. The credit union also donated a $250 gift card so more supplies could be ordered. We had a great time stuffing the backpacks and delivering them to Connecting Hands, said Beach. We met some of the kids and families who got to pick out their new backpack for school, and they were very cute and gracious. The CO-OP program is so well organized, and was very simple for us to give back in this way, said Beach. The campaign worked for us in several important respects it added to our own Helping Hands/Give Back Initiative, built team comradery and helped us to engage with members. Consumers today are looking to do business with companies that not only provide good service, but also exhibit good corporate citizenship. The CO-OP-Yoobi Back to School Backpack Drive is part of CO-OP Purpose, a social responsibility program for credit unions that provides turnkey, impactful community initiatives to help credit unions advance their mission of people helping people. Under the CO-OP Purpose umbrella, CO-OP also offers CO-OP Miracle Match, a $1 million-annually philanthropic matching program that encourages credit unions to hold fundraisers for Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. Gain unique access to carefully crafted partnerships that align with the credit union mission of people helping people through CO-OP Purpose. Learn more here. A Massachusetts credit union is set to be the first financial institution in the state to serve its recently legalized recreational pot industry. GFA Federal Credit Union cited safety issues associated with unbanked marijuana businesses in their decision to offer services, which are set to begin Oct. 1. Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana July 1; it is one of nine states and Washington, D.C., to do so. Twenty-two other states have legalized medical marijuana. However, many financial institutions in states that have legalized recreational marijuana have been cautious about offering banking services out of legal concerns. In January, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded directives that had instructed federal prosecutors to ease marijuana enforcement in states that have legalized the substance. That decision in turn muddied guidance issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to clarify Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) expectations for financial institutions providing services to marijuana-related businesses. At every credit union, delivering the best member experience is a priority. It can be a challenge, given budgetary constraints and productivity considerations that limit what is possible when it comes to making every interaction between members and their credit unions a moment of complete satisfaction. There are, however, many instances when a win-win can be recorded for all parties. This was VyStar Credit Unions goal when addressing service improvement for members calling the credit union with credit card account inquiries. Originally chartered in 1952, VyStar Credit Union was founded as a safe place for civil service and military personnel and their families from the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., to save and borrow money. Today, with 46 full-service branches open to everyone who lives or works in more than 20 counties in Northeast Florida, VyStar Credit Union is the largest credit union headquartered in the region, serving nearly 600,000 members and having assets totaling $7.2 billion. The Challenge With a large member base, VyStar Credit Union recognized the requirement for service calls to be efficient and effective in providing exceptional member support. The credit union wanted to decrease the length of phone calls and reduce the need for follow-up communications. The Solution VyStar Credit Union deployed PSCUS QuickAssist solution to advance its member support services. QuickAssist is a web-based tool enabling access to real-time member account data via a single portal, rather than navigating to multiple screens or even different systems. QuickAssist promotes higher productivity and eliminates stress when answering member inquiries about their accounts. As a result, members get answers faster and more efficiently. The Results Utilizing QuickAssists single sign-on capability, VyStar Credit Union employees successfully shaved off approximately 36 seconds per member interaction as representatives are no longer required to enter their credentials or the credit card number during each call. Not only were members enjoying quicker service times, VyStar Credit Union staff praised the tools easy-to-use interface. By partnering with PSCU and utilizing QuickAssist, VyStar Credit Union improved the member experience and achieved its goal of decreasing call time, while also ensuring productivity remained at a steady pace. Somerset Lake to be refilled at last The work on Somerset Lake is basically completed and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission plans to stock fish in the spring. AVONDALE A memorial was unveiled Monday in honor of fallen Trooper Kenton Iwaniec, who lived to serve and protect our community. A portion of Pennsylvania Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike), between state Route 926 (Street Road) and U.S. Route 1, in London Grove and Londonderry townships, was designated the Trooper Kenton Iwaniec Memorial Highway at a ceremony at the Pennsylvania State Police Troop J Avondale Barracks. Iwaniec served there until he was killed by a drunk driver on March 28, 2008. Iwaniec finished his shift and two miles away from the station, an impaired driver crossed the centerline and struck Iwaniecs vehicle head-on. He was flown to Christiana hospital where he later died. Cpl. Steven Ranck, who supervised Iwaniec, described him as a caring individual. His friends nicknamed the shepherd because he always helped others and acted as the designated driver. His mother, Debbie Iwaniec, said the night before the funeral, she asked God why He took Kenton this way and prayed for direction that would honor Kenton. The Iwaniec family, through the Trooper Kenton Iwaniec Memorial Foundation, has donated more than 1,500 portable breath-testing (PBTs) devices for law enforcement. State Police Major Maurice Tomlinson, formerly a supervisor at Avondale, said the efforts by the Iwaniec family to deter impaired driving have benefited Chester County residents. When they suffered their loss, they made a commitment to try to spare any other family from going through what they have gone through, Tomlinson said. He presented the Iwaniecs with a letter of commendation for speaking at Operation Nighthawk, an initiative where state and municipal police listen to speakers before conducting roving patrols, searching to get drunk drivers off the roads. Debbie and her husband Ken shared Kentons story. State and municipal police made 114 DUI arrests countywide that weekend in May. I cant possibly imagine how difficult it must be for you to continually relive this tragedy, Tomlinson said. I can only hope that everyone you touch with your inspirational story truly comprehends the gravity and complexity of your self-sacrifice. They have turned their tragedy into an inspiration, Tomlinson said. Ken and Debbie Iwaniec are members of Pennsylvania Parents Against Impaired Drivers (PAPAID), along with Downingtown residents, Paul and Maggie Hannagan. Tomlinson also presented a letter to the Hannagans for their efforts to advocate for tougher DUI laws following the loss of both of their children, Miles and Charlotte Hannagan, to a drunk driver. Other parents from PAPAID were in attendance. State Sen. John Rafferty said state troopers know they will face daily dangers on the job and Kenton gave his life as a hero. He said in honor of Kenton, the Demko family of Lancaster County, and others in PAPAID, they are working on Senate Bill 961 to create a felony conviction for those with multiple drunk driving offenses and for those who kill an individual while driving under the influence. State Sens. Rafferty, R-44, of Collegeville, Andrew Dinniman, D-19, of West Whiteland, and Kim Ward, R-39, of Hempfield, were instrumental in introducing a bill for the memorial for Kenton. This June the Legislature unanimously passed and the governor signed into law Act 61 of 2018. Dinniman said families like the Iwaniec have endured pain by speaking about their loss to save lives and continue Kentons legacy to protect others. Ken Iwaniec said his son loved being around people and serving them. Lt. Michelle Swantner said Kenton lived to serve and protect our community. Patrick Carmody, who successfully prosecuted the case before becoming a judge, said Kenton impacted people in life, and in his death. Carmody heard Ken and Debbie speak to first-time DUI offenders about their son, their loss, and the consequences of impaired driving. To date, they have spoken to more than 60,000 people at various engagements. You took the baton of hope that Kenton carried in his life and passed it on these people, Carmody said. I cant say how many lives you saved. State Rep. John Lawrence, R-13, of West Grove, said parents who have lost a child hope that their memory will not be forgotten, and this sign shows Kenton is remembered. Every time someone drives by this it will be a sign that we have not forgotten, Lawrence said. But we remember this trooper who gave everything for people of this area, for people of this Commonwealth. The late Michael Foot was a very unlikely candidate to be a Soviet spy. With his thick glasses, long white hair and ubiquitous walking stick, the Labour leader in the early 1980s would have found it impossible to escape notice in a crowd, let alone to lose an enemy tail. Courteous, idealistic and immensely erudite, Foot was always more interested in writers such as his beloved Jonathan Swift and George Orwell than in nuclear strategy and military secrets. Michael Foot, pictured above, became Labour leader aged 67. He fought the 1983 general election on a socialist manifesto, but resigned days after defeat. In 1985, two years later, a former colonel of the KGB Oleg Gordievsky alleged Foot was 'their agent', codenamed Agent BOOT So when, almost a quarter of a century ago, the Sunday Times accused him of being a KGB informer, Foot was furious. He sued the paper and won. And that was the end of that or so it seemed. Last Saturday, however, the Times began serialising the historian Ben Macintyres biography of the double agent Oleg Gordievsky, who spied for Britain inside the KGB from 1974 to 1985. And to the unbridled fury of Foots old allies on the Left, it turns out that the original allegations were almost certainly true. The story comes directly from Gordievsky himself. Preparing for his new post as the KGBs top man in London, Gordievsky went through the relevant files and discovered a 300-page thick folder on somebody called Agent Boot in other words, Foot who had been meeting KGB contacts for lunch for 20 years. One page listed payments to Foot, which came to a total of 1,500, the equivalent of more than 37,000 today. And although there was no suggestion that Foot had revealed secrets or betrayed his country, MI6 took Gordievskys information very seriously. They passed it on to the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Robert Armstrong, who decided not to tell the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. But in the meantime MI6 drew up a plan to tell the Queen if Labour won the next election which, thankfully, they never had to put into effect. Foot first fought the 1945 election in his home constituency in Plymouth, and won the seat for The Labour Party for the first ever time. He then served in Harold Wilson's shadow cabinet, before becoming leader himself When Macintyre published his first extract at the weekend, the Left went ballistic. Michael Foot loved this country. Thats why he wanted to make it better for everyone, Jeremy Corbyn tweeted piously. Smearing a dead man, who successfully defended himself when he was alive, is about as low as you can go. Youll note that Mr Corbyn had nothing to say about the substance of the allegations. There is a good reason for that: they are probably true. There is, after all, a long tradition of high-minded Left-wingers fawning before anti-Western regimes. Think, for example, of writers like George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells, who abased themselves before the monstrous Stalin, or the historians Eric Hobsbawm and Christopher Hill, who closed their eyes to the horrors of the Soviet system. Time and again, supposedly clever people on the bien-pensant Left have fallen into the trap. Today, for instance, they miss no opportunity to laud their beloved EU over so-called Brexit Britain, to blame America for all that is wrong in the world, and to find excuses for the latest atrocities by Vladimir Putins killers. As Orwell wrote of their predecessors in the 1940s, they felt it their duty to snigger at every English institution, from horse racing to suet puddings. All the time they were chipping away at English morale, trying to spread an outlook that was sometimes squashily pacifist, sometimes violently pro-Russian, but always anti-British. Did Michael Foot fit into that category? He was certainly very Left-wing, but unlike todays Labour leadership, he was not an uncritical admirer of anti-Western regimes. As Macintyre writes, Foot was a peculiar sort of agent. He did not hide his lunches with Soviet officials. He leaked no secrets. Although he took money, he probably gave it to the Left-wing magazine Tribune. Indeed, he probably never thought of himself an agent, which is why he was so appalled when the story first emerged. There is no doubt that Foot was immensely foolish. But as Macintyre notes, he retained his intellectual independence. He was not a Marxist, hated authoritarian regimes and was often very critical of the Soviet Union, fiercely attacking their suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968. And despite his opposition to nuclear weapons, Foot always remained fervently patriotic. Foot is pictured waving from the platform at the annual Labour Party conference in Brighton, England on 4th October 1983. He was a supporter of British withdrawal from the then European Economic Community It is often forgotten that when Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982, Foot was the first to call for an armed British response, for which Mrs Thatcher was always very grateful. There is an obvious contrast here. It is, of course, with the man who currently occupies Foots role as Leader of the Opposition. Like Foot, Jeremy Corbyn flirted with the Communist intelligence services during the Cold War, holding at least three meetings with a Czech secret agent called Jan Dymic. But there the comparisons end. Foot was always very critical of the Communist bloc. But Mr Corbyn, according to Dymics report, was consistently positive about the Soviet Union and regarded the West as the aggressors in the Cold War. Given Foots hatred of authoritarianism, it is impossible to imagine him rushing, as Mr Corbyn did, to find excuses for the appalling Russian assassination attempt on the Skripals in Salisbury. Similarly, it is impossible to imagine him bleating that Theresa May should seek Russian cooperation in the investigation, which Foot would have seen as a staggeringly unpatriotic thing to say. It is impossible to imagine Foot, as a critic of the USSR, appearing on the propaganda channel RT which is funded by the Kremlin and every day pours out anti-Western venom as Mr Corbyn has done. It is even harder to imagine him accepting 20,000 to present a phone-in show on Irans Press TV, a channel directly funded by a theocratic Islamist regime that suppresses womens rights, flogs homosexuals and tortures dissidents. Jeremy Corbyn, however, was perfectly happy to take Irans money and promote its interests. Whatever his faults, nobody doubted that Foot hated oppression and was utterly committed to free speech. By contrast, Jeremy Corbyn has never had a bad word to say about Russia or Iran, let alone the blood-soaked Marxist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela. Mr Corbyn got two A-levels, (both grade E) and left his North London Polytechnic Trade Union Studies course after a year. The ideas rattling around his head are that the West is always wrong, Israel is the fount of all evil and the Russians are always right. To expect greater sophistication from him would be like expecting his malevolent Marxist Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, to say something positive about British business. Foot pictured in Market Square in the heat of a general election campaign against the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He was born in Plymouth, Devon, in July 1913 Above all, Michael Foot would have loathed the thought of Jeremy Corbyn wading in to defend him. For back in the early 1980s, Mr Corbyn could be found among Foots most ferocious critics. At the time, Corbyn and his friends believed that Foot was a traitor, a crypto-Conservative sell-out who had betrayed their beloved messiah, Tony Benn. In return, Foot despised Benn, Corbyn and their far-Left allies. He publicly denounced what he called their sectarian intolerance, words that could easily be applied to the Labour leadership today. Michael Foot may have been naive, but I suspect he would have hated the idea of his party falling into the hands of a man as vain, shallow, ideologically extreme and intellectually non-existent as Corbyn. And as a patriot, he would have shuddered at the notion that one day his beloved party would be led by a man whose heart lies in Moscow, Tehran and Caracas, not in Britain. So even if Michael Foot was foolish enough to accept lunch from the KGB, perhaps we should not be too harsh. He would never, ever have accepted lunch from Jeremy Corbyn he did have some standards. Vanessa Feltz's daugher stole the show during a baking demonstration on This Morning. Allegra Benitah, 32, showed presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield how to bake the traditional Jewish bread Challah on Monday's show. But it was her cut-glass accent and perfectly polished appearance that proved a hit with viewers. Fans of the show took to social media to compare her to a young Mary Berry, with one posting to say they could 'watch her for hours'. Her mum Vanessa Feltz, 56, cooed with pride as her daughter showed the hosts how to bake a rainbow coloured version of the bread, announcing with pride: 'That's my kid!' Allegra Benitah, 32, stole the show on This Morning when she showed presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield how to bake traditional Jewish bread Challah. Pictured: Allegra on This Morning on Monday Allegra is the daughter of Vanessa Feltz, 56, who cooed with pride and said she was speechless as she watched her bake (pictured on This Morning) Allegra revealed how she'd given up her career as a tax lawyer to become a baker, and now blogs as the Challah Mummy, making traditional Jewish bread. She said: 'I went to Cambridge, then I became a tax lawyer and then I became a mum to two beautiful children. 'This seemed to be more of a family-friendly way to entertain ourselves and spend time together.' Allegra, who is mum to Zeke, four, and Neroll, two, taught Holly and Phil how to make the dough before dying it in rainbow colours and plaiting it together. This Morning viewers went wild for Allegra on Twitter (pictured), as some compared her to Mary Berry, while another said they could 'watch her for hours'. Holly was baffled by the similarities in her voice to her famous mother's, saying: 'You sound so much like your mum, it's so bizarre.' Viewers took to Twitter to talk about Allegra's demonstration, with many praising her voice. One tweeted: 'I'd just like to tell #Vanessa not only is your daughter beautiful she has the most wonderful voice - I could listen to her for hours! May be reading books would also love her!' Another posted: 'Vanessa's daughter is lovely, I could watch her all day. She reminds me of Fanny Craddoock, give her a regular slot.' Allegra showed Holly and Phil how to make the dough before dying it in rainbow colours and plaiting it. Pictured: Allegra with Holly and Phil on This Morning The finish product was a stunning rainbow Challah (pictured), which Allegra gave up her career as a tax lawyer to bake 'Aww I love how proud Vanessa looks. Her daughter is lovely!' a third wrote. Vanessa was beaming with pride as she sat outside the This Morning kitchen watching the demonstration. She said: 'Im in shock at the whole thing, shes meant to be a tax lawyer - what are we doing here? 'I'm in shock. That's why I cant say a word, thats my kid? I cant believe it.' In today's fast-paced world, we're all guilty of being oblivious to our surroundings, but these snaps will make you stop and think. A subreddit called A Boring Dystopia is devoted to an idea put forward by the late British academic and cultural theorist Mark Fisher, that suggests we are already being coerced and persuaded of certain views by adverts and propaganda. Now Bored Panda has collated some of its most unsettling photos taken in locations around the world. From hospital patients having to withdraw money from a cash point before getting treatment to Pepsi sponsoring diabetes research, they will certainly make you think. Then there's a guarded selfie spot in LA that you can only use if you have 20,000 social media followers, here are some of the most shocking examples. This photo, believed to have been taken in Croatia and shared by Bored Panda, is a disturbing one. It shows an unnamed, injured man on a stretcher withdrawing money from a cash machine while surrounded by paramedics. It seems to suggest that he can't actually get the treatment he needs until he has the money for it This photo, which was shared by Bored Panda, shows how confusing and ironic society can be. According to the photo, this branch of KFC in Utah, in the US, was telling customers in June 2011 that it will donate $1 to a juvenile diabetes research foundation - provided they buy a mega jug of Pepsi This advert from 2017 for Timberland boots in a Hong Kong mall was shared by Bored Panda and darkly states that 'you're never going to be able to retire', suggesting that you will be struggling for your whole life - before also asking that you buy their, probably expensive, new boots Earlier this year, Justin Caffier shared this photo, which was included in Bored Panda's gallery. It shows a mural in LA that is only open to 'verified influencers' with more than 20,000 followers. In Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, the artwork is flanked by security guards Writer Tom Gara tweeted this, which was included in the Bored Panda gallery, and it shows the impact of technology on children. His friend's toddler had watched so much YouTube, he thought 'don't forget to subscribe' meant 'goodbye' This picture was taken in Toronto in 2017 and was shared by Bored Panda. A man spent his own money on building some stairs so elderly people could climb up this steep path. However, he fell foul of officials who tore them down The Hilton hotel in the San Francisco Financial District has a curious policy when it comes to the books in its lobby, according to this photo shared on Bored Panda. Rather than letting anybody read the many books it has, the signs warns that they are there for decoration only A man known as Crab King on Twitter shared this photo of his brother. The image, included in the Bored Panda gallery, shows how a boy called Jonathon, from Kentucky, US, wanted to surprise friends with a new haircut but received a visit from concerned police officers after posting to Snapchat This Walmart, in the US, promises its employees they have a 'lot of freedom' when it comes to dressing for work, according to this image shared by Bored Panda. However, their definition of freedom doesn't seem to work as all the colours appear to be broadly the same Each year, London Fashion Week heralds the arrival of the latest hair and makeup looks. And now style-watchers at Pinterest - home to over 8 billion beauty ideas and 207 million beauty boards - have revealed the weird and wonderful beauty trends set to sweep SS19, from 'baby boomer nails' to Meghan-inspired messy buns. Pinterest's team of experts analysed billions of searches for beauty looks between January and July 2018, and have revealed the results this week in their Global Beauty Report. From rainbow manicures to red wine lips, we reveal the new trends to try out this season. But be warned: they're not for the faint-hearted. The results are in! Pinterest has analysed billions of beauty searches from across the globe to reveal the biggest trends set to sweep SS19 - including 'red wine lips' (file photo) Orange blush In Japan, women are increasingly turning to orange blusher instead of pink, with searches up by 250 per cent. Red wine lips Women in Brazil are embracing the so-called 'red wine lip' trend, with a dark 'stained pout'. Searches for the vampy look are up by 93 per cent. Baby boomer nails Pinners are updating the classic French manicure with 'baby boomer nails,' up 172 per cent in Germany and 100 per cent in France. An evolution from the classic French manicure, the white and pink hues are blended in a cloudy ombre effect; it is believed to have got its name from the baby boomer years, having been developed in the 1940s. Baby boomer nails are an evolution of the French manicure; the pink and white hues are blended together in a subtle ombre effect (file photo) Artistic makeup Across the Channel, French women are embracing 'artistic' makeup, akin to face paint, with searches up by 88 per cent. But be warned - it's far from an everyday look. Glitter makeup Glitter's not just for arts and crafts anymore, according to the women of Argentina. Consider your face a canvas, and add a little extra sparkle; searches are already up by 77 per cent. Russian doll Russian volume eyelash extensions are picking up across the world, but in Spain, the trend is really setting eyes aflutter with searches up by a staggering 700 per cent. Rainbow brights! In Spain, women are ditching classic pink talons and opting to paint each nail in a different colour according to Pinterest's Global Beauty Report (file photo) Have you tried these trends yet? Meghan Markle-inspired messy buns (left) and orange blusher (right) are growing in popularity according to trendsetters at Pinterest Inspiration: The Duchess of Sussex (pictured at the WellChild Awards in London earlier this month) has been credited with popularising the messy bun Green with envy: German women are opting for green eye shadow above any other colour according to Pinterest (file photo), while Mexican women are veering towards blue Cat-eye makeup Make like Brigitte Bardot with a statement cat's eye flick; the look has soared in popularity by 131 per cent in South Africa this year. Eye-popping shadow Rainbow brights are trending around the world, with German women opting for green, American for purple, Mexican for blue, British for silver and rose gold for te women of Australia. Braids Braids have emerged as one of the most coveted hairstyles in the US, with searches up by 445 per cent. Pixie cuts The classic pixie cut appears to be making a comeback, with searches for the style up by 266 per cent in Germany. Messy buns Popularised by the Duchess of Sussex's signature look, searches for messy buns are up in France (137 per cent) along with searches for braided buns (272 per cent). Rainbow nails In Spain, women are mixing things up by painting each nail with a different colour (with searches for the trend up by 239 per cent). A Where's Wally-style brainteaser never fails to infuriate and delight in equal measures, and this could be one of the trickiest varieties yet. The latest brainteaser to baffle puzzlers challenges you to find seven buffalos hidden in a photo of London's skyline. They are spread throughout the image and you'll have to use your eagle-eyed observation skills to find each buffalo wandering among some of the capital's most recognisable landmarks, including Big Ben and Tower Bridge. According to the puzzle's creator it takes around 30 seconds to find the elusive buffalos, but can you do better? Scroll down for the solution PowerPoint and design agency Buffalo 7 is opening a new branch in Soho, London. To mark the new branch, the company has designed this tricky puzzle where you have to track down seven buffalo hidden in the drawing of London The puzzle was created by design agency Buffalo 7 to mark the opening of its new branch in Soho. But you don't need to worry if you're stuck - here are a few clues that can help you in your search for the elusive buffalo. For those who don't want any help, look away now! Clues: Phone box. Cab. Queens Guard. Eye. Bridge. Palace. Bus. Here are the answers to wear the buffalo were hidden. Did you manage to track all seven down? How long did it take you? Buffalo 7 said it took their staff on average 30 seconds Another recent puzzle to bamboozle the internet could leave you with double vision, as it challenges you to spot a tutu among a sea of watermelons. The tough animation by UK site Dancewear Central shows up to 300 slices of the fruit against a similarly coloured background. Throwing a spanner in the works, a tutu nestles among the fruit fest- but is nearly impossible to spot...but can you find it? A puzzle by UK site Dancewear Central is bamboozling the internet and could leave you with double vision, as it challenges you to spot a tutu among a whole sea of watermelons Uploading the puzzle to their page, the dance website wrote: 'We love a good puzzle and its been a little while since we created one of our own. So weve put together this quick brain-teaser for a weekday morning. 'Hidden in the sea of watermelons in the photo below (theres a sentence we never thought wed write) is a tutu skirt.' They added: 'Speed is everything. The fastest in the team at Dancewear Central HQ picked it out in an impressive 8 seconds.' For those unable to find the hidden skirt in this tricky puzzle, the visual above shows the tutu circled in an almost undetectable position (seen) And the visual below shows the tutu circled in an almost undetectable position. Last month a similarly infuriating puzzle challenged users to spot a pair of twins on a busy beach. In a scene familiar to thousands of parents who took their kids to the seaside over the heatwave, dozens of children are seen frolicking in the surf. The animation sees up to 40 kids playing in the sand, framed by palm trees and seen against a backdrop of mountains and sea. Last month a puzzle by UK parenting site Channel Mum is bamboozling the internet and could leave you with double vision, as it challenged users to spot a pair of twins on a busy beach The puzzle was concocted by parenting experts ChannelMum.com, whose spokesman, Siobhan Freegard, said: 'Every parent will know what it's like to look at a sea of other kids and wonder exactly where their child is. 'And for those with twins, it's double trouble which is exactly the case in this fiendish puzzle. 'One clue we can offer is that although the twins are indeed identical, they don't look exactly alike you'll see why when you spot them.' The website, described as a community for parents, is popular among young families looking for support and advice on parenting. The battle of the Christmas adverts has begun, with M&S, John Lewis and Boots releasing their festive offerings for 2021 on the same day. Voiced by Hollywood actor Tom Holland, Percy Pig comes to life for the very first time in M&S Christmas advert and explores the shop floor with a little help from a magical fairy, played by Dawn French. Meanwhile, a young alien experiencing her first Christmas - complete with mince pies and novelty jumper - is the star of this year's John Lewis festive campaign. And Tom's not the only A-lister to get involved with the festive ads this season: Jenna Coleman is the leading star in Boots' uplifting Christmas advert, who is gifted a bag by her grandmother which features a never-ending supply of goodies. Huge rivalry has emerged in recent years as top British chains compete for the most talked about Christmas campaigns, with Marks & Spencer and John Lewis often vying for the top spot. Since it began making big-budget adverts in 2007, John Lewis has featured soundtracks by pop stars such as Sir Elton John. But who will win the battle of the big hitters this Christmas? Watch the adverts below to decide... Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. While once upon a time a holiday meant a stay in a hotel, these days people are all about home-sharing to get a more authentic travel experience. And leading the charge in this respect is Airbnb, which has transformed the meaning of what it means to go on holiday over the past decade. From an eco bamboo cottage to a treehouse and waterfront property, FEMAIL looks at the ten most popular listings over the past ten years, which have been chosen by more than 860,000 guests. Prepare for some holiday envy. From an eco bamboo cottage to a castle, treehouse and waterfront property, FEMAIL looks at the ten most popular listings over the past ten years (pictured: a property in Montenegro) In first place, is this incredible property in Cisternino in Italy, which boasts a stunning view and traditional feel (pictured) 1. I Sette Coni - Trulo Edera - Ostuni, Italy - Wish listed: 164,444 In first place, according to Elle, is this incredible property in Cisternino in Italy, which boasts a stunning view and traditional feel. Close to the sights in Apulia such as the caves of Castellana, the trulli of Alberobello, the baroque cities of Lecce and Martina Franca, the excavations of Egnazia, it's not a surprise that the home has been wish listed more than 150,000 times. Soak up the sun in the extensive outdoor area, while you sip on an Aperol Spritz. In second place is this gorgeous property carved into a cliff in the picturesque setting of Santorini (pictured) 2. Hector Cave House - Santorini, Greece - Wish listed: 133,869 times In second place is this gorgeous property carved into a cliff in the picturesque setting of Santorini. Originally used as a wine cellar, it later became a family-owned complex of three different properties that opened its doors to be enjoyed by travellers from around the world. Located in the coffee region, in the Andean mountains of Colombia, South America, this cabana made from bamboo has a fantastic view (pictured) 3. Romantic Cabana - Armenia, Colombia - Wish listed: 99,622 times Located in the coffee region, in the Andean mountains of Colombia, South America, this cabana made from bamboo has a fantastic view and a five-acre organic farm leading to a stream. Perfect for nature lovers, this property has been wish listed 99,622 times. The first Balinese entry is this eco bamboo home hidden in the mountains of Gunung Agung volcano (pictured) 4. Hideout Bali Eco Bamboo Home - Bali, Indonesia - Wish listed: 77,177 times The first Balinese entry is this eco bamboo home hidden in the mountains of Gunung Agung volcano. If you want to get off grid and be among nature and the rice fields, this is perfect for an authentic Balinese village experience. This luxurious stone villa in Crete has been carved from natural rock into a cave (pictured) 5. Luxurious Stone Villa - Crete, Greece - Wish listed: 76,658 times The Greek Islands have enjoyed a swarm of tourists in recent years, thanks to increasing awareness about their beauty and films like Mamma Mia. And this luxurious stone villa in Crete is no exception, carved from natural rock into a cave. In 2007, after careful renovation and rebuilding, it became a luxurious studio of 60 square metres that can host two adults and two children. A balcony allows you to enjoy both the bay and the mountains in the background. This secluded bamboo treehouse is an escape with a difference (pictured) - it is nestled on top of stilts 15 inches up in the canopy 6. Dreamy Tropical Treehouse - Fern Forest, Hawaii - Wish listed: 66,366 times This secluded bamboo treehouse is an escape with a difference. Nestled on top of stilts 15 inches up in the canopy of the local flora, you can access your abode by way of a trapdoor. This has been wish listed 66,366 times. The second Balinese entry of the top ten, the bamboo eco cottage is a dream setup for those who want to prioritise rest, relaxation and perhaps some yoga (pictured) 7. Bamboo Eco Cottage in Rice Fields - Ubud, Bali, Indonesia - Wish listed: 65,644 times The second Balinese entry of the top ten, the bamboo eco cottage is a dream setup for those who want to prioritise rest, relaxation and perhaps some yoga. This property has been wish listed more than 65,000 times. This off-grid house in California brings together 'raw industrial aesthetics with the tactics of green design' (pictured) 8. Off grid It House - Yucca Valley, California, USA - Wish listed: 63,669 times Going off grid and truly escaping smartphones, tablets and never-ending emails is a pipe dream of many. And this off-grid house in California brings together 'raw industrial aesthetics with the tactics of green design'. Enjoy hanging out in the California high desert in this property that can house four guests. Marrakech is one of the It destinations for 2019, and so it should come as no surprise that The Cozy Palace is an unforgettable stay (pictured) 9. The Cozy Palace - Marrakech, Morocco - Wish listed: 59,838 times Marrakech is one of the It destinations for 2019, and so it should come as no surprise that The Cozy Palace is an unforgettable stay. Hidden in the suggestive Medina of Marrakech, this beautiful restored building offers both traditional materials without losing comfort and luxury. Rounding out the top ten is this waterfront studio apartment that has been featured in Conde Nast Traveller over the years (pictured) 10. Waterfront with Extraordinary View - Kotor, Montenegro - Wish listed: 52,964 times Rounding out the top ten is this waterfront studio apartment that has been featured in Conde Nast Traveller over the years. Featuring a spacious terrace with a magnificent view of two of the most beautiful attractions, the apartment is perfect for couples or families with children. This incredible property has been wish listed 52,964 times. Mother Kirsten McGinty has spoken out after losing her 20-year-old daughter Zoe to meningococcal (pictured together) The mother of a 20-year-old student who died after she was struck down with meningococcal has spoken of her anguish of overlooking the symptoms. Kirsten McGinty, from Brisbane, said she sent her daughter Zoe to bed after she started complaining about feeling sick in the tummy. But less than 12 hours later, the young woman tragically died in hospital after she unknowingly contracted the W strain of the deadly meningococcal disease. Appearing on the Today show, the 47-year-old mother wanted to issue a warning to other parents after her daughter was carrying the infection without exhibiting any tell-tale signs, including the common rash that usually appears all over the body. Scroll down for video The young woman tragically died in hospital in September last year after she unknowingly contracted the W strain of the deadly meningococcal disease What is meningococcal? Meningococcal disease is an acute bacterial infection that can cause death within hours if not recognised and treated in time. The infection is a medical emergency. It can kill within hours, so early diagnosis and treatment is vital. Do not wait for the purple rash to appear as that is a critical stage of the disease. Common symptoms include: fever nausea or vomiting lack of energy tiredness or drowsiness confusion or disorientation dizziness irritability or agitation sore throat Source: Meningococcal Australia Advertisement 'As a mother, you do feel a lot of anguish and believe me, there are times when I think how could I not have picked up on these signs?' she said. 'When people think of meningococcal, they think of it as really obvious blotch of rash that appears all over your body, well Zoe actually had no rash.' And more than a year since losing her eldest child, Ms McGinty recounted what really happened on that fateful day on September 2, 2017. Her daughter started feeling tired after returning home from a fitness workout. 'She came up and said "Mum, I don't feel very well, I feel a bit sick in the tummy". So I just checked on her and made sure she was alright,' the mother recalled. Ms McGinty assumed her daughter was suffering from a stomach bug after she vomited in the shower. But later in the evening, her younger daughter Bridget noticed something was wrong with her sister Zoe. 'I was upstairs and Bridget came in and said "Mum, Zoe tried to get up to go to the toilet but she can't feel her legs",' Ms McGinty said. Paramedics rushed to the family home where Zoe went into cardiac arrest after she became unconscious. By sharing the story, Ms McGinty wanted call on the federal government to offer free vaccination to all Australians to protect against the five main strains of the disease Zoe was carrying the deadly infection without exhibiting any tell-tale signs, including the common rash that usually appears all over the body More than a year since losing her daughter, Ms McGinty recounted what really happened on that fateful day on September 2, 2017 As Zoe showed no signs of meningococcal at the time, paramedics could not determine the cause of her symptoms. She was taken to hospital where she later died in the early hours of September 3 after doctors tried multiple times to resuscitate her. 'The head of emergency said "I'm really sorry but I actually have no explanation why your beautiful, fit 20-year-old daughter has actually passed away in this hospital,' Ms McGinty recalled. It wasn't until a week later, the family were told Zoe had died after she contracted meningococcal W. By sharing the story, Ms McGinty - who's now the Queensland representative of Meningococcal Australia - wants to raise awareness as she calls on the federal government to offer free vaccination to all Australians to protect against the five main strains of the disease - A, B, C, Y and W. 'Even if it saves one more person, to me that's worth while so I would like to see all of those vaccines become as accessible and affordable as they can be,' she said. As it stands, A, C, W and Y vaccinations are only offered for free to infants and teenagers in some states around the country. Immunisation against the most common strain B is only free for babies living in South Australia. The vaccination can cost up to $500 per person. A woman who spent ten years secretly shaving her face has finally decided to ditch the razors and go naturel after being inspired by fellow 'bearded ladies'. Jessica Moore, 36, from Newburg, Pennsylvania, has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) where excess levels of male hormones can cause increased facial hair. The massage therapist spent years battling to hide her beard, with her self-esteem plummeting to rock bottom as she was forced to endure strangers doing a double-take when they saw her in the street. Then in December 2017, Jessica decided enough was enough after painfully nicking her skin as she hurriedly shaved in a parking lot before an important meeting. Proud: Jessica Moore has decided to embrace her beard. She has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) where excess levels of male hormones can cause increased facial hair Jessica (pictured pre-beard with her husband Francis) spent years battling to hide her beard, with her self-esteem plummeting to rock bottom as she endured stares from strangers After that, Jessica pledged to grow out her beard - with her supportive husband Francis, 37, showing solidarity by ditching his razor too. She recalled: 'He'd been telling me for ages to stop shaving, but it took a while for me to listen to him. 'He has started growing his beard out too, to support me. We even share products like beard oil and wash. It means a lot to have him there.' Before being diagnosed with PCOS, the cause of which is unknown, the only symptom Jessica noted was a smattering of hair growing on her chin. 'I really didn't think much of it. My body hair all over seemed to be growing more than normal, so I thought it was just one of those things,' she said. After spending ten years secretly shaving her face (pictured), Jessica has finally decided to ditch the razors and wear her facial hair proudly After years of shaving her chin (pictured), Jessica has pledged to grow out her beard - with her supportive husband Francis, 37, showing solidarity by ditching his razor too Jessica has grown out her beard with the support of her husband. She explained: 'He'd been telling me for ages to stop shaving, but it took a while for me to listen to him' But then, after trying for five years to conceive without success, Jessica and Francis went for fertility tests, discovering in 2008 that she had PCOS. 'I'd never heard of it before, but when they explained that it can cause excessive hair growth, it certainly explained a lot,' she said. For the next 10 years, Jessica tried everything to keep her beard under control. Initially, she opted for waxing, but found that made the hair grow back even thicker than before - so she switched to disposable razors, shaving twice a week. In December 2017, Jessica decided enough was enough after painfully nicking her skin as she hurriedly shaved in a parking lot before an important meeting (pictured with her beard) Jessica said of husband Francis (pictured): 'He has started growing his beard out too, to support me. We even share products like beard oil and wash. It means a lot to have him there' Jessica's PCOS has caused her to grow a beard. Before being diagnosed with PCOS, the cause of which is unknown, the only symptom Jessica noted was a smattering of hair on her chin 'There were times when I was caught out and would have to make an emergency dash to get razors and shave before appointments and so on,' she said. 'Nobody ever said anything negative, but I could tell people especially guys would give me strange looks when they passed me in the street. It made me very self-conscious, and almost embarrassed.' The more Jessica shaved - often sustaining nasty cuts to her face - the more unruly her hair grew back. Then, after reading about a number of other 'bearded ladies' who had decided to embrace their appearance, she realised that her body hair was something to be celebrated, not hidden. Jessica has recently gone razor-free. Initially, she opted for waxing, but found that made the hair grow back even thicker than before - so she switched to disposable razors, shaving twice a week Proud: After reading about a number of other 'bearded ladies' who had decided to embrace their appearance, Jessica realised that her body hair was something to be celebrated 'I remember watching a video about a woman named Rose Geil, who decided to stop shaving her facial hair,' she said. 'Seeing how confident and happy she was really empowered me I wanted to feel that way too. 'That played on my mind for a few weeks and I wondered if I should stop shaving all together, then the incident in the parking lot happened and that just cemented things for me.' Initially, Jessica admitted that the temptation to return to the razors was difficult to resist, but her confidence has since grown in tandem with her hair. She has even recently gone public, posting an Instagram photo of her unshaven face for all to see. New look: Jessica admitted that the temptation to return to the razors was difficult to resist, but her confidence has since grown in tandem with her hair Jessica with husband Francis, who has grown his beard in solidarity. She has PCOS, which causes increased amounts of facial hair 'I was nervous to upload that, but the reaction was amazing,' she said. 'Instagram has helped me find a number of other bearded ladies to follow, and having that support is great. 'There aren't many like us, but I'd like to see more. There is a lot of societal pressure around women and body hair, but it doesn't need to be this way. 'To any other women out there wondering whether to stop shaving, I'd say just try stepping out of your comfort zone. The idea of it is far scarier than actually doing it. 'I've had the odd negative reaction since stopping shaving, with family members handing me razors or asking when I'm going to start again, but I really don't plan to. 'I feel much more confident now, and barely think about my beard. I am no longer hiding.' Black Earth Rising viewers have heaped praise on actress Michaela Coel's 'superb' performance in the disturbing drama that explores the dark legacy of the Rwandan genocide. Previously best-known for her comic performance in the Channel 4 sitcom Chewing Gum, fans have hailed Coel's dramatic turn and are already calling for awards recognition just two episodes into the six-part series. Michaela plays Kate Ashby, who was rescued from the Rwandan genocide as a child and brought to Britain, where she was adopted by Eve, a lawyer at the International Criminal Court. In Monday night's episode, viewers watched as Eve, ready to prosecute an African militia leader in The Hague, was shockingly shot dead by a mystery gunman outside the courts. The show prompted gripped viewers to tweet that Black Earth Rising is the best of all of the high-profile, big budget British dramas currently dominating TV schedules - 'leading the pack' over ratings winner Bodyguard and iPlayer smash Killing Eve thanks to its 'tense' plot and 'excellent' performances. Coel in particular has been singled out for praise, with one fan tweeting: 'You can give Michaela Coel all the awards now. No need to wait. Amazing performance.' Coel stars as Kate, who works as a legal investigator in the chambers of Michael Ennis, played by John Goodman. Her confrontation with the French former advisor to the Elysee Palace in the run-up to the 1994 genocide in Monday night's episode was singled out by fans who praised her response to his question - 'where are you from originally?' When Kate told Jacques Barre she was from England, he pressed her further on where she was from 'originally', to which she replied 'from loving parents' Fans were particularly thrilled by the showdown between Kate, who works as a legal investigator in the chambers of John Goodman's character Michael Ennis, and Jacques Barre, the French rubber heir who acted as an advisor to the Elysee Palace in the run-up to the genocide in 1994. When Barre asked her if she was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, she corrected him to say she was from England. Pressing further, he asked, 'where are you from originally?' to which Kate replied: 'From loving parents'. Her riposte delighted viewers, one of whom tweeted: 'I am going to use this line for the rest of my life!' Another called it the 'perfect' line, while a third tweeted simply: 'Boom'. Black Earth Rising is the 'best thing on the BBC right now' said viewers - amid a jam-packed schedule of big budget - and high profile - new dramas Kate's adoptive mother Eve, played by Harriet Walter, was seen ready to prosecute a former African warlord at The Hague in Monday night's episode Moments later, stunned viewers saw her shot down by a mystery gunman outside the court Black Earth Rising is one of a slew of high-profile dramas that have landed on autumn TV schedules. Bodyguard, also on the BBC, has trounced ITV's Vanity Fair when it comes to ratings, with the steamy love affair between Keeley Hawes Home Secretary and her protection officer Richard Madden gripping fans early - only to shock them with her untimely death in only the second episode. Killing Eve, the high profile spy thriller from Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, also landed on the iPlayer at the weekend, leading some fans to confess on social media to having binge watched all eight episodes in one go. But according to Black Earth Rising viewers, the weighty drama is outperforming everything else on the schedule. One called it an 'emotional and thought provoking journey', while another said it was 'proper intelligent and gripping drama'. 'It's early days,' one viewer tweeted. 'But of all the dizzying array of new TV drama currently demanding attention, #BlackEarthRising is definitely leading the pack.' The heavyweight cast also includes US star John Goodman, who plays Kate Ashby's boss, Michael Ennis 'Superb': Black Earth Rising fans insist it's the best of the BBC's current crop of high-profile dramas - and say Michaela Coel's performance is the best thing about it Fans took to Twitter to praise the 'intelligent' and 'gripping' six part drama, which has a high profile cast that includes The Rwandan genocide, which took place in 1994, refers to the mass slaughter of Tutsi in the country, directed by members of the Hutu majority government. Jenny Agutter has revealed that her niece who has cystic fibrosis wasn't expected to live until her teenage years - but has just turned 40. Appearing on ITV's Lorraine, Jenny, 65, beamed as she revealed that Rachel had reached the milestone. The Call The Midwife actress revealed how an episode of the show six years ago was inspired by her niece's story, as the condition was only recently discovered when the series was set in the 1950s. She is now campaigning with Jeans For Genes to raise awareness of the condition and to encourage parents to get their children tested so it can be spotted and treated earlier. Jenny Agutter, 65, opened up about her niece's battle with cystic fibrosis on ITV's Lorraine, revealing how she wasn't expected to live until her teenage years. Pictured: Jenny on Lorraine on Tuesday Rachel, 40, didn't 'thrive' as a baby and has lived longer than doctors thought. The prognosis is that 50 per cent of people with Cystic Fibrosis will live until they are 30. Pictured: Jenny with her niece Rachel Jenny, who plays Sister Julienne in Call The Midwife, put the idea forward to producers to tell the history of the condition, as the defective gene was discovered and named in that time. She said: 'One of the reasons I wanted to do it is because people still don't know about it today, even though it's one of the most common life-threatening hereditary conditions.' Symptoms in babies include difficulty putting on weight and growing, which is what happened to Rachel when she was born. Jenny said: 'Until my niece was born I knew nothing about it at all. She didn't appear to be thriving like the baby in the story and they discovered it was cystic fibrosis, which affects the lungs and the digestive system. It's matter of keeping it healthy.' An episode of Call The Midwife (pictured) was inspired by Rachel's story, as the condition was only recently discovered when the series was set in the 1960s Jenny is campaigning with Jeans for Genes to raise awareness of the condition and to encourage parents to get their children tested. Pictured: Jenny on Lorraine with host Lorraine Kelly, 58 When Rachel was born her parents were told she wouldn't live to be a teenager but she recently turned 40. Now the prognosis is that 50 per cent of people with Cystic Fibrosis will live until they are 30. Jenny said: 'When she was born it was 40 years ago, she's just had her 40th birthday. At that time the fear, what they had to tell families at that time, was that often 50 per cent of the children didn't actually become teenagers. Pictured: Jenny (right) as Sister Julienne with her co-star Judt Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan. The Call The Midwife actress revealed how an episode of the show was inspired by her niece's story, as the condition was only recently discovered when the series was set in the 1950s 'Today they're looking at 50 per cent not getting beyond their 30s. It's changed enormously, which is why everyone's striving very hard for all the changes now. 'There are new medications coming through all the time. One's very much campaigning to make sure those medications came come into the UK.' Jenny previously revealed her belief that Cystic Fibrosis killed her brother and sister. Speaking to the Mirror, she revealed that when Christopher was born he died from stomach blockages, her sister Bridget arrived early and died from the same problems. The latest television double-act to grace our screens comes from a surprising source - rival teams on University Challenge. After then-students Canadian Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull appeared on the 2017 series of the intellectual quiz show, they quickly became fan favourites - and then friends - and the BBC has wasted no time in giving the eccentric duo their own show. Viewers tuning in to BBC Two last night to watch the first installment of Monkman & Seagulls Genius Guide to Britain were left thrilled by what one fan dubbed 'car share with brains'. Scroll down for video Union of brainiacs: Bobby Seagull and Eric Monkman, who both starred on the 2017 series of University Challenge, now have their own BBC2 show - and the first episode thrilled fans with its quirky eccentricity Magical mystery tour: The pair have travelled across the UK looking for attractions that explain hard-to-learn theories. Blackpool Pleasure Beach's 1904 Flying Machines ride offered the pair the chance to talk through centrifugal force - while experiencing it A selfie in the country's smallest museum, the Warley Museum in Halifax, saw the pair discuss the design of the iconic telephone box University Challenge followed the programme, which sees the pair touring British attractions that can teach us something about science, but was arguably outshined by the quirky spin-off. Viewers congratulated the BBC for offering television they said was a 'breath of fresh air', while others were just delighted to have Eric Monkman back on their screens once more. @Holleighs_day wrote: 'Can we all just take a moment and congratulate @BBCTwo for bring #MonkmanAndSeagull to our screen. Finally, intelligence on our screens, whilst being utterly hilarious!' @skywoman added: 'We need more programmes like #MonkmanAndSeagull. I am so tired of conflict, of celebrity, of everything being dumbed-down. Thank you #bbc2 for Monday evenings.' @RebWarrington13 penned: '@e_monkman has just achieved something that maths and physics teachers failed to do for the best part of 30 years. Get me to understand how things like centrifugal force and the height of towers using trig. A natural teacher.' The wit-filled intellectual tour took them to an unlikely intellectual hub: Blackpool Pleasure Beach, where Monkman, with the wind very much in his hair, explained the theory of centrifugal force on Sir Hiram Maxims 1904 Captive Flying Machines. Terrible puns galore were on offer at the British Lawnmower museum in Southport...where the boys explained how the cutting of grass really works Eric Monkman became a fan favourite during this year's installment of the BBC2 quiz show in a 2017 season, where he represented Wolfson College Cambridge. Meanwhile Seagull, of Emmanuel College, came up against Monkman in the semi-finals with their showdown described as 'Ali vs Foreman with jumpers on' by fans Elsewhere, there were puns galore ('you'll find something to remember for ever mower') at Southport's Lawnmower Museum and trigonometry ruled their detour to Huddersfield to browse the Emley Tower broadcasting mast. Monkman and Seagull became friends despite Monkman's team defeating Seagull's in the final rounds of University Challenge; they had their first taste of broadcasting together for Radio 4 when they made a show called Polymathic Adventure in the summer. Advertisement A fascinating series of portraits have captured the subtle differences between identical twins that are often overlooked. Photographer Peter Zelewski, from Detroit, has spent the last few years finding and photographing pairs of identical twins on the streets of London in a bid to explore what binds them together - and what sets them apart. After first hitting headlines with his project, Alike But Not Alike, he is set to release a book called Twins, published by Hoxton Mini Press. It features the extraordinary story of siblings like 11-year-old Leah, who claims she felt her sister's pain after she fell from her bunk bed and broke her collarbone; and Elson, who came out as gay to his brother Elton, only to be told that his twin was bisexual. Speaking to Huck magazine about his venture earlier this summer, Zelewski explained: 'When I first started the project, it was without a doubt [the] visual attraction which I found most interesting when taking portraits of twins. But, as the series progressed, it was the subtle differences that became equally interesting.' Six-year-old twins Grace and Sophia, photographed by Peter Zelewski. Grace is older by one minute and says: 'We may look the same, but we have different feelings. Our favourite quote is by Walt Disney, who said, "If you can dream it, you can do it"' Hermon and Heroda, 35-year-old twins. Hermon, who is one minute older than her sister, said: 'We were born in Eritrea and moved to London when we were seven years old to seek medical help after we both became deaf at the same time. Our disability has brought us closer together; we have an unbreakable, special bond that unites the two of us' Alan and Gary are 37 years old, Alan older by 20 minutes. They said: 'We argue over the stupidest things. Last week Gary ordered the wrong pizza: It was supposed to have tomato sauce on it and he ordered garlic sauce. Who orders garlic sauce on pizza?! I went mad and we didn't speak for two days' Twins Lilibet and Litiana pictured by Peter Zelewski, a London-based photographer whose striking portraits often capture intimate details that most might overlook at first glance. His upcoming book Twins, is published by Hoxton Mini Press The resulting photos capture twins of a range of ages, races and backgrounds. In each, the difference in posture, expression and intention reveals something of each twin's individual identity, even when they are dressed same. Zelewski said: 'One example is 15-year-old brothers Duke and Joe. Although they are identical twins they couldnt be more different, both in their physical appearance and personalities. By stripping down the background and photographing the boys in plain t-shirts, I was able to let their different personalities shine through.' Speaking to BuzzFeed this week, Zelewski added: 'As a portrait photographer, I firmly believe that empathy, understanding, and communication is everything to the success of a great portrait. 'For me, it is impossible not to feel personally connected to every portrait I take, and this could not have been more true with my portraits of twins.' For more information on the project, titled Alike But Not Alike, visit Zelewski's website, Instagram and Twitter. Wendy and Gaye pose for London-based photographer Peter Zelewski. Each of Zelewski's portraits is accompanied by the twins' own words, offering a unique perspective on what it's like to grow up with someone identical to themselves Elson and Elton are 18 years old, Elson older by five minutes. He said: 'I first knew I was gay when I was 13. It was a scary feeling, but I felt so much better when I talked about it with Elton, who told me he was bisexual. It was a revelation. We both came out to our parents a few years later, who have been nothing but supportive' Violeta and Irina, 25, photographed in Regents Park, London, in March 2018. Photographer Peter Zelewski has spent the last couple of years exploring the special world of identical twins, questioning not only the incredible bond between them, but also what makes them different from each other as their unique personalities shine through Devontay and Dijon, 23, photographed in London, March 2018. Photographer Peter Zelewski has a passion for street portraiture, and chooses to capture his subjects outdoors in natural light. He captures identical twins from different ages, backgrounds and gender, all found in the diverse and cosmopolitan city of London where he has lived since the 1980s Delilah and Tullulah, 13, photographed in London, January 2018. Zelewski's photos capture twins of a range of ages, races and backgrounds. In each, the difference in posture, expression and intention reveals something of each twin's individual identity, even when they are dressed same Toby and Bill, 14, London, September 2017 photographed by Peter Zelewski, a London-based photographer whose striking portraits often capture intimate details that most might overlook at first glance. His upcoming book Twins, is published by Hoxton Mini Press Sharmeena and Ridhwana, 23, photographed in London, July 2017. Ridhwana says: 'Both Sharmeena and I have moved around so much in our lives - we have never really lived in a place we could call home. Making friends has been hard but we've always had each other' Joe and Duke, 15, photographed in London, July 2017. Duke said of his brother: 'Joe is flamboyant and wants to me a makeup artist one day whereas I love photogprahy and prefer to stay behind the scenes. The best thing about being a twin is being able to talk comfortable with each other and never having to worry about being judged' Edwina and Rebecca, 29, photographed in Regents Park, London, March 2018. The project, titled Alike But Not Alike, was on display in an exhibition at The Hoxton in Shoreditch, East London, this summer Irene and Sharon, 14, photographed in London, September 2017. Photographer Peter Zelewski, from Detroit, has spent the last few years finding and photographing pairs of identical twins on the streets of London in a bid to explore what binds them together - and sets them apart Cristian and George, 31, photographed in London, December 2016 photographed by Peter Zelewski, a London-based photographer whose striking portraits often capture intimate details that most might overlook at first glance. His upcoming book Twins, is published by Hoxton Mini Press Ronja and Var, 22, photographed in London, January 2018 photographed by Peter Zelewski, a London-based photographer whose striking portraits often capture intimate details that most might overlook at first glance. His upcoming book Twins, is published by Hoxton Mini Press Tomas and Lourenco, 16, photographed in London, December 2015 photographed by Peter Zelewski, a London-based photographer whose striking portraits often capture intimate details that most might overlook at first glance. His upcoming book Twins, is published by Hoxton Mini Press Kira and Taya, 15, photographed in London, November 2017. Kira said: 'Growing up we were so close that we have never felt the need to have lots of friends but now we would love to have a best friend other than each other. The problem is that when we meet someone new they always see us as one and not as individuals. Our individual identity is really important to us' Reggie and Mickey, two, photographed in London, October 2017. Their parents said: 'We are glad our sons are twins because we know they'll both have a best friend for life. As they grow older, we hope their bond will provide the security and confidence to ensure that whatever goals they pursue, the other will always be there to say, "I'm so proud of you"' Leah and Chloe, 11, photographed in London, May 2017. Leah said: 'Chloe once fell from the top of our bunk bed and broke her collarbone. Even though she was in terrible pain she didn't cry once but I couldn't stop crying. It was as if her pain had transferred to me. I knew exactly how she was feeling' Prince Harry has revealed that he still 'panics' when he bumps into his grandmother the Queen in a new documentary. In a trailer for the new ITV series Queen of the World the Duke of Sussex is filmed chatting to young people who won places on the Royal Household Caribbean Hospitality Scholarship initiative. He tells them: 'You guys have spent way more time in Buckingham Palace than I ever have and you've only been here two weeks. Speaking to the new recruits he says: 'Have you bumped into the Queen yet? If you suddenly bump into her in the corridor, don't panic. I know you will. We all do.' In a new ITV documentary about the Queen Prince Harry admits that he 'panics' when he bumps into his grandmother at Buckingham Palace Harry, 34, appears along side several other members of the royal family in the eye-opening new documentary - including his wife the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan, 36, appears in her first television interview as a royal where she discusses taking over Her Majesty's responsibilities in the Commonwealth. Speaking of her responsibilities she says: '53 countries oh my goodness it will keep us busy.' The two-part programme will also see Meghan discuss her wedding day and the elaborate veil she wore in her first documentary appearance as a member of the monarchy. The two-part documentary a unique insight into Her Majesty The Queen's role as a figure on the global stage, this landmark series tells the story of how the Commonwealth has been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty's life It will also feature the Duchess of Sussex (pictured during filming) in her first ever major TV documentary where she will discuss taking over the monarch's role in the commonwealth The two-part programme will also see Meghan (seen on the show) discuss her wedding day and the elaborate veil she wore Meghan is reunited with her bridal gown and veil as they are prepared for a new exhibition at Windsor Castle starting in October. She talks about the Commonwealth, and the symbolic importance of the floral Commonwealth emblems that were sewn in to her five-metre long silk veil. In the series the Princess Royal is interviewed about her first trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia in the 1950s, when she and the Prince of Wales, both young children, were put to work 'scrubbing and polishing'. And it is revealed the Queen had to re-record her Christmas broadcast after the filming was interrupted by bird noise. Designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, Meghan's bridal gown was a simple, classic creation, but the elaborate veil was embroidered with flowers from each of the 53 Commonwealth nations at the duchess's request. Princess Anne is interviewed about her first trip on board the Royal Yacht Britannia during the documentary The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will also feature during their trips to various Commonwealth destinations including Canada The Los Angeles-born former actress also selected two personal favourites: a California poppy and wintersweet, which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace and outside her and Harry's home, Nottingham Cottage. Queen Of The World examines the head of state's role as a global figure and the baton she is passing on to younger members of the Royal Family, as they continue to strengthen ties with the family of nations. Harry is now a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador and has already spoken about how his wife will join him in his work which will see them begin a major Commonwealth tour in October. Filmed over more than a year the documentary makers were given access to private home movies and the programme shows the role played by the Royal Yacht Britannia in the Queen's early tours of the Commonwealth. The Princess Royal watches footage of her first trip on the vessel with her brother Charles, after months apart from their parents who had taken part in a post-Coronation Commonwealth tour. Anne says: '(I have) very good memories of that tripThe journey out and the sea nannies that we had to stop us from launching ourselves over the side were very good memoriesWe were kept very busy. 'There was lots to do, all sorts of places to go and things to keep clean, lots of scrubbing and polishing, that was part of our role.' The first part of Queen Of The World will be screened on September 25 at 9.15pm on ITV. Prince William trod in his late mother's footsteps today as he toured a children's hospice 30 years after she first opened it. Some of the staff and supporters, who were present at both events, said they remembered the moment 'like it was yesterday ' and declared that William had inherited Princess Diana's way with the youngsters. The prince visited the Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak on a day trip to Birmingham, getting down on his knees to interact with dozens of patients suffering from serious and terminal conditions. He told well-wishers that it was 'fantastic' to be there, three decades after his late mother. He was guided around the first part of the brightly decorated building by Bradley Addison, 14, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and is a youth ambassador for the hospice. William signs the visitor's book at Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak, who provide specialist care for life-limited and life-threatened children and their families Deja vu: Diana met staff and patients when she opened the hospice on December 14 1988 (pictured unveiling a commemorative plaque with the help of a young patient) The Duke of Cambridge chats to staff at Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak, who provide specialist care for life limited and life threatened children and their families William meets Acorns Ambassador Bradley Addison, 14, while Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak as part of his tour of the West Midlands on Tuesday He had clearly been warned about the cheeky teenager as when he shook Bradley's hand he recalled how the boy had caught out former Aston Villa Captain John Terry with a whoopee cushion when he came to the hospice. 'It's Bradley, right? ' said the prince. 'Good to see you. Did I hear right that the last time there was someone here you used a whoopee cushion? I got warned. 'They said 'watch out for Bradley'. Wherever I sit now I will be watching. You are obviously a very funny guy.' Bradley has been using the hospice since he was three and William asked him what it meant to him. 'It's like a home to me,' Bradley said. In the sensory room the prince, dressed in a suit and brogues, got to his knees to speak to the staff who were helping Jaida Maye Hopkins and Brett Jack. Prince William and David Walliams share a joke at the University of Birmingham this morning. Children from as far away as Aberdeen, Durham, Wales and St Albans sat around tables inside and were invited to cheer as the prince made his way to his seat on the stage The Duke of Cambridge meets members of the public after unveiling a new sculpture of Major Frank Foley at Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge Royal fans were eager to meet the Duke of Cambridge and gave him a warm welcome as he left Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge after unveiling a new scultpure Royal fans brought along a Union Jack as they lined the streets alongside Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge to greet the royal visitor William looked in great spirits as he greeted royal fans in Stourbridge. The Duke carried out today's engagements solo as his wife Kate continues her maternity leave He admired the furnishings and bubble lights, saying: 'It's so relaxing in here.How does this help the children? I'm not sure I would want to leave it. Do you find that all the stimulation in here helps? He also popped into the activity room where a group of youngsters and their careers were painting and making dinosaurs. He asked one little girl whether hers was a triceratops. 'George is obsessed with dinosaurs,' he revealed, ' we've been learning all about them.' In the hydrotherapy pool he laughed as a group of children splashed about. 'It's going to happen, isn't it?' he said, gesturing to his suit. 'If you splash you are going to get splashed back in a minute! ' he jokingly admonished one little girl. 'Ok, who can splash the biggest? Let's make a big splash!' Comic David Walliams, centre, gave the Duke of Cambridge a tongue-in-cheek introduction today as he delighted students with an appearance at Birmingham's Aston Webb Great Hall The Duke of Cambridge and Walliams pose for a photograph following their speeches. This morning's ceremony marked the successful first year of the Prince William Award Prince William looked on top form as he chatted to wellwishers during a hectic day of official engagements in the West Midlands His second guide for the day was Assya Shamir, 31, who suffers from the rare genetic disease Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) which causes terrible blistering and trauma to her skin. She told him that Acorns had offered her respite care. 'The place is a home to me, it's my second family. It's so relaxed and welcoming. They have made such a difference to my life,' she said. Hardev Notta was a health care assistant at the hospice when William's late mother came to open it in 1988 at the age of Judy 27. Her son, who would have been six at the time, is now 36. She recalled: 'That day we were so excited. We were the first children's hospice to open in the Midlands and she was just such a people's person. She got down on the children's level to speak to them and was so warm and interested. ' David Walliams takes to the stage on Tuesday morning. In his opening speech, the Britain's Got Talent judge quipped: 'He's not the ginger one, he's the other one. But he is the most important one - even though George Clooney didn't show up to his wedding' Hardev, who is now the hospice's South Asian Communities Advisor, added: 'I think Prince William has inherited her people's skills and personalities. 'She was such a unique, beautiful person. But her son is carrying on her work. It seems quite incredible to have come full circle. 'I am still here because I know what a lifeline Acorns is for parents and feel I have a part to play in that. 'But I'll be too old to be working here when William's children come to visit in another 30 years!' The Duke of Cambridge (left) with Ian Austin MP at the unveiling of a new sculpture of Major Frank Foley at Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge Before leaving, William opened a plaque commemorating his visit - just like his man mother did before him - with the help of Bradley and Assya and signed a visitor's book by her signed picture. 'You are going to have to make some more room,' he joked, gesturing to the space on the wall. In a speech Acorns Hospice President, Kay Alexander, said: 'Thirty years ago HRH Diana, Princess of Wales, came here to open Acorns. I was here and it was great. It was a wonderful day, the accomplishment of so many dreams. 'It was only the third children's hospice in the world.... it means more to us than we say to have you coming here today. 'I am going to get tearful,' she added. 'Don't, you'll start me off as well,' William laughed. She recalled later how Diana's visit had given the chief constable of the West Midlands a scare. 'She was just preparing to leave when she saw some people waiting across the road to cheer her. She just set off and walked right across the road to say hello to them. The chief constable went white and set off running like John Cleese in the Ministry of Silly Walks, ' she laughed. Dapper in a navy suit, the Duke of Cambridge speaks at the University of Birmingham, at the first National SkillForce Prince William Award, on Tuesday morning The two men shared a laugh as they took their seat at the National SkillForce Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony, marking the start of a busy day for the Duke of Cambridge 'She was just wonderful and made everyone feel so special. Her son has inherited all those special qualities that both his mother and father have. They have really installed into their sons the idea of giving back. 'The fact that he can come round like that and just chat to to anyone, is the biggest, best thing that could happen to those parents. He is a star.' The prince left with a set of wooden dolls made by the hospice's handyman for his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Duke of Cambridge (left) chats to staff after arriving at the University of Birmingham, where he attended the first National SkillForce Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony William on tour! The royal began his the day at the University of Birmingham, where he attended the first National SkillForce Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony. He was greeted on arrival by Dr Beverley Lindsey, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands and the High Sheriff of the West Midlands Chris Loughran The Duke of Cambridge at the University of Birmingham this morning. He will also visit Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak, who provide specialist care for life-limited and life-threatened children and their families Warm welcome: William has kicked off his day of solo engagements in the West Midlands (pictured at the University of Birmingham with Dr Beverley Lindsey, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands and the High Sheriff of the West Midlands Chris Loughran) Earlier on Tuesday, William was given a rather tongue-in-cheek introduction as he kicked off his day of solo engagements in the West Midlands. William began his the day at the University of Birmingham, where he attended the first National SkillForce Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony. The ceremony, hosted by David Walliams, played host to 146 students from 62 schools. In his opening speech, the Britain's Got Talent judge quipped: 'He's not the ginger one, he's the other one. Duke of Cambridge unveils a new sculpture of Major Frank Foley by artist Andy de Comyn on his visit to Stourbridge The Duke unveiled a new sculpture of Major Frank Foley was a British Intelligence Officer for the Embassy in Berlin where he bent the rules to allow thousands of Jewish families escape Nazi Germany Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and artist Andy de Comyn pulled back the Union Jack flag to reveal the sculpture of Major Frank Foley in Stourbridge The last stop of his day of engagements was for William to unveil a statue of British Secret Intelligence Service officer Major Frank Foley from Stourbridge who died in 1958 'But he is the most important one - even though George Clooney didn't show up to his wedding.' He was referring to Harry and Meghan's star-studded congregation, which saw the likes of George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams descend on Windsor Castle on May 19. Arriving in Birmingham today, William received a huge round of applause as he made his way into the Aston Webb Great Hall. Children from as far away as Aberdeen, Durham, Wales and St Albans sat around tables inside and were invited to cheer as the prince made his way to his seat on the stage. The Duke of Cambridge speaks to children at the University of Birmingham, at the first National SkillForce Prince William Award Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday William spoke to local children following his speech at the University of Birmingham on Tuesday. The royal was greeted at the entrance to Aston Webb Great Hall by Dr Beverley Lindsey The Duke of Cambridge leaves the University of Birmingham on Thursday. His wife is believed to be at the couple's home in Kensington Palace as she continues her maternity leave William also made a speech during the ceremony which marks the successful first year of the Prince William Award - a scheme which aims to help young people build their character, confidence and resilience. The royal was greeted at the entrance to Aston Webb Great Hall by Dr Beverley Lindsey, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands and the High Sheriff of the West Midlands Chris Loughran. Finally, he travelled to Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge to unveil a statue in tribute to a British spy who risked his life to save 10,000 Jews from the holocaust in Nazi Germany. William honoured the memory of Major Frank Foley, an MI6 officer stationed in Berlin who used his cover as a British passport control officer to extricate Jews from concentration camps and get travel documents for refugees to flee to Britain and other countries before the Second World War. WHO WAS BRITISH SPY FRANK FOLEY WHO SAVED THOUSANDS OF JEWS FROM NAZI GERMANY? Major Francis Edward Foley CMG (1884-1955) worked for the Foreign Office and became Head of the British Passport Control Office in Germany. Despite appearing to be nothing more than a mild mannered bureaucrat, he was in fact Britain's most senior spy in Berlin. During his time in the city, Foley is known to have saved an estimated 10,000 German Jews after Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933. During his time in Berlin, Foley is known to have saved an estimated 10,000 German Jews after Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933 He used his role in the Passport Office as a cover for his real job as an Intelligence Officer working for the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), later called MI6. This made his efforts on behalf of the Jews even more dangerous. If he had been arrested, Foley would have had no diplomatic immunity as he was working as a spy, but for years he broke Nazi laws to help Jews leave the country. He made no money from his rescue efforts but repeatedly risked his own life to save many others. He never sought recognition or praise for his acts of rescue. Foley first moved to Berlin in 1920. He was therefore able to observe and report back on the political and social changes that took place in Germany as a result of the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Foley was also able to see the impact of the many anti-Semitic measures introduced by the Nazis and the effect these had on the every day lives of Jews. He entered concentration camps such as Sachsenhausen and presented visas to the camp authorities so that Jews could be freed to travel. Foley also hid Jews in his home and used his secret service skills to help them obtain false papers, forged passports and visas. By issuing these visas, Foley was also breaking British laws. During his lifetime, Foley received no recognition for his actions in the UK. However, in 1999, Foley's actions resulted in his being recognised as 'Righteous Amongst the Nations' at Yad Vashem in Israel. On 24 November 2004, the 120th anniversary of Foley's birth, a plaque was unveiled in his honour at the British Embassy in Berlin. In Highbridge, Somerset, a plaque has been placed on the house where Foley was born and in May 2005 a statue dedicated to him was also unveiled. Source: Holocaust Memorial Day UK Advertisement 'What a brave man. Quite amazing,' he said after meeting the hero's family and one of the men he rescued. Foley, who did not have diplomatic immunity at the time, and his wife Kay hid fugitives in their home in Berlin, putting their own lives in jeopardy. William, 36, unveiled the 40,000 statue in a park in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands borough of Dudley where Major Foley retired in 1949 and lived out his life in quiet obscurity, never boasting about his actions, until his death in 1958. It was only when Government papers were released after 50 years that journalist Michael Smith pieced together his heroism and wrote his biography, The Spy Who Saved 10,000 Jews, in 1999. Ian Austin, the Labour MP for Dudley North and the son of a Czech Jewish refugee, campaigned with the Holocaust Educational Trust to get the statue, created by Birmingham artist Andy de Comyn, built and funded by the then Chancellor George Osborne using fines levied on banks. The second in line to the throne met holocaust survivors, including Michael Mamelok, 82, from Chigwell, Essex. He fled Germany as a two-year-old with his mother Cecilie after Foley somehow got his father Artur out of Buchenwald concentration camp in Weimar, Germany, and obtained visas for him to flee immediately to Britain with his family following in the following month. Mr Mamelok, whose son-in-law is James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, paid tribute to his family's saviour. He said: 'I am delighted to be here. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here today.' Werner Lachs, another survivor who could not be at the ceremony in Stourbridge's Mary Stevens Park, said: 'The courageous and brave actions of Frank Foley made it possible for me to escape the hell of Nazi Germany.' Mr Lachs, now 91, added: 'But for him, I too would have been a victim of the Holocaust. He was my saviour - I shall always honour and cherish his memory.' William heard from Mr Foley's great nephew, Stephen Higgs, how the spy smuggled Jewish families' possessions out of Germany in the diplomatic bag and sent them to Stephen's father, Sir Michael Higgs at his solicitor's office in Brierley Hill, Dudley. When the refugees arrived in Britain, they would be sent to the office to collect their possessions. 'Very clever,' William said. Mr Austin, who has fought his own internal battles with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to recognise the dangers of growing antisemitism and intolerance on the left of British politics, said: 'This is a huge honour for the people of Dudley and a wonderful tribute to a great British hero.' He added: 'I hope this statue will help people learn how Frank Foley refused to stand by when people were being persecuted because of their race and religion. His life and his courage show us that we all have a responsibility to stand up against intolerance and racism.' Alex Younger, chief of MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service, added his own tribute. 'There is a mantra that surrounds SIS/MI6's history that reads 'our successes are private; our failures are public,' he said. 'It is a wonderful thing for SIS/MI6 that one of its most distinguished members' successes are no longer private.' The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to be at the couple's home in Kensington Palace as she continues her maternity leave after welcoming their third child, Prince Louis, on April 23. The Bristol University cleaner who was left in tears after students raised 1,500 so he could visit family in Jamaica has shared photos of his time on the island - after taking the trip with the funds they gave him. Herman Gordon, who is in his mid 60s, came to the UK from Kingston, Jamaica, as a 12-year-old in 1967 and hasn't been back to the island for almost a decade. He won over undergraduates at Bristol Uni with his cheery disposition and they decided to help him raise the funds to go back to the island for a holiday, calling him the 'epitome of happiness'. Now, the delighted cleaner and his wife have shared images of themselves staying at a swish holiday resort, relaxing in dressing gowns and enjoying sunset cocktails. Scroll down for video He made it! Herman Gordon and his wife Denise celebrated their belated 23rd wedding anniversary on a two-night stay at a luxury resort in Montego Bay, using funds raised by 230 students at Bristol University earlier this year The couple shared photos as a way of saying thanks to the students who helped Herman return to his native Jamaica to visit family, who he hasn't seen for nearly a decade. Pictured: Herman and Denise cuddle up at the five-star Sandals Royal Caribbean resort Mr Gordon said that he was overcome with emotion when he received the money from the students. He'd never mentioned anything about wanting to go away, so receiving the money was 'out of the blue' Much-loved Bristol University cleaner Herman Gordon was brought to tears when students raised 1,500 to send him to Jamaica on holiday with his wife to visit family in the Caribbean It's nearly ten years since Herman has seen family on the island and the funds meant they could splash out on a two-night stay at the five-star Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort in Montego Bay. Enjoying a couple's massage and a candlelit dinner, Herman and Denise enjoyed the trip as a belated 23rd wedding anniversary celebration before they spend time with relatives in Kingston. Mr Gordon said: 'God bless you all. Everybody will see this and think that Im a trillionaire.' Mrs Gordon added: 'I just wanted to say thank you to all the University of Bristol students for this gift that they have given to me and Herman'. Herman was just 12 when he arrived in England pictured when he first arrived in the UK from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. Students at the university have raised 1,500 for the much-loved cleaner so he can visit his family in Jamaica with his wife. Mr Gordon, who is adored by students for his positive attitude and happy-go-lucky approach to life, broke down in tears after generous undergrads handed over the cash gift. This is the life! Herman and Denise pose for photos at the luxury Caribbean resort ahead of visiting family in Kingston Denise Gordon said the couple were so grateful to all those undergraduates who had helped them make the journey to Jamaica A little sundowner, Madame? A waiter offers Denise a drink at the resort as the pair celebrate their wedding anniversary in style Bristol University cleaner Herman Gordon pictured when he first arrived in the UK from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation in 1967 The money was raised via a JustGiving page to fund a week's trip for Mr Gordon and his wife to visit family in the Caribbean - with more than 230 students donating. Speaking to MailOnline, his wife Denise revealed that he called her in tears after receiving the money, overwhelmed by the kindness of the students. Mrs Gordon provided the picture, which appeared on her husband's passport when he arrived in England as a youngster. She said: 'He phoned me and he was so excited that he couldn't get his words out he was crying down the phone. 'He said the students have given me this money for us to go to Jamaica he said: ''I can't believe it! We are going to see my family in Jamaica. I am going home to see my uncle George and all the cousins.'' 'He was in shock, but so happy. Just overwhelmed by the students' kindness.' She added: 'It is amazing, he had no idea. We are both in shock. They are lovely students.' Mrs Gordon said her husband has always been a happy person. The couple is set to celebrate their 23rd anniversary wedding together in July after meeting in Birmingham. Mr Gordon has worked at Bristol University as part of the cleaning staff for 12 years. Last June, Mr Gordon was dubbed an 'icon' by the University of Bristol Library's Instagram page, saying he was a familiar face to many of the medical students at the university. His hobbies include rooting for Arsenal and playing the lottery, 'hoping one day to hit the jackpot and move back to Jamaica', according to the page. A video of Mr Gordon being surprised with the money was posted online where he becomes emotional and thanks the Bristol students for their kind token of appreciation. The gift was accompanied by a note addressed from 'Bristol Students', which thanked Mr Gordon for his 'positive energy' over the years. 'You have brightened many of our days and we want you to know that we love and appreciate you.' Explaining his positive approach to life, Mr Gordon told BBC Newsbeat it's important to keep away 'negative vibes'. 'I know that these students are studying. You don't want any negative vibes around them. 'They speak good things to me, I speak good things to them, and I bless them all.' Phillip Schofield has revealed that he still pays his daughters' phone bills - despite them being aged in their twenties. Phil, 58, and his co-star Holly Willoughby, 37, were hosting a phone-in in which concerned parents asked for advice on coping with their children leaving for university. The TV presenter admitted the he pays the phone contracts for Molly, 25, and Ruby, 22, who he shares with wife Stephanie, on the 'absolute condition' that they keep in touch with him. 'The minute they go quiet I tell them theyre going to have to pay,' he explained. Phillip Schofield, 58, (right) and his co-star Holly Willoughby, 37, (left) were hosting a phone-in on This Morning when he admitted that he pays his two daughters' phone bills Ruby, 22, left, and Molly, 25, right, have to keep in contact with their dad if they want him to keep paying their phone bills. Pictured: The sisters on a family holiday to the Maldives this year Holly and Phil were joined by Vanessa Feltz to give advice on parents with empty nest syndrome. A caller called Rachel said she 'doesn't know what to do' without her twin daughters, 18, who have gone away to Oxford, and worries about bombarding them with calls. Phil said paying for his daughters' phone bills meant they had to get in touch or they wouldn't have phones. He explained: 'I pay both of my girls' phone bills and I pay them on the absolute condition that I am constantly kept in the loop. Phil shares his two grown up daughter with his wife of 25 years Stephanie, and says they have a family Whatsapp group. Pictured left to right: Molly, Phil, Stephanie and Ruby at Cirque Du Soleil in London Phil joked that he tells his daughters that they'll have to pay when they lose touch, and then said: 'It's amazing how quickly they get in touch'. Pictured left and right: Molly and Ruby on holiday in the Maldives 'The minute they go quiet I tell them theyre going to have to pay and its amazing how quickly they get in touch.' His advice was to get a family WhatsApp group that everyone can be involved in to stay in touch with each other. Phil lives in Henley-on-Thames with Stephanie, who he wed in March 1993, and their daughters. Stephanie (left) met Phil (right) when she worked as a BBC production Assistant and he was working for the BBC Childrens television Speaking about his wife, the star previously said on Lorraine: 'She worked in television years ago, that was how we met, so she can do it [television], she just doesn't want to these days.' Stephanie met Phil when she worked as a BBC production Assistant and he was working for the BBC Childrens television. The duo recently reached the milestone of 25 years of marriage, with Stephanie joining Phil on set of This Morning to celebrate - and viewers flooding the couple with messages of congratulations on Twitter. It was reported last week that she has been making 'secret' visits to visit her daughter in the UK. And as if on cue, Doria Ragland was spotted jetting out of Los Angeles this weekend, with reports suggesting she was London-bound. Meghan's mother, who turns 62 this month, looked to be in good spirits as she was helped with her luggage by an airline worker on Saturday. Casually dressed in a white tee and cargo pants, she is believed to have been making her way to Harry and Meghan's Kensington Palace home, where they live just a stone's throw from Kate and William. Doria Ragland is spotted jetting out of Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday. It was reported last week that she has been making 'secret' visits to visit her daughter in the UK Doria is believed to have been on her way to visit Meghan. Casually dressed in a white tee and cargo pants, she is was given a helping hand by airline staff Her visit comes amid reports that Doria - the only member of the brides family at the royal wedding - is preparing to move to Britain on a permanent basis to be closer to her daughter. The yoga teacher is apparently beside herself with excitement at the prospect of living closer to her daughter, with insiders saying the move could happen some time this month. Doria was reportedly deeply impressed by the royal family, especially the Queen, during and after her daughters wedding, revealed the Express. Unlike her ex-husband Thomas Markle, and the many other relatives who seemingly cashed in on the marriage with exclusive interviews, Doria has never publicly said anything about her daughters royal journey. It is believed that the social worker has previously stayed with the couple at their Oxfordshire cottage. Pictured: Meghan and mother Doria attend UN Women's 20th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing at Manhattan Centre in New York City, 2015 Doria (pictured with daughter Meghan the night before her wedding at Clivedon House in Windsor, May 19) was reportedly deeply impressed by the royal family, especially the Queen A source said of the July visit: 'The visit was totally under the radar Doria supported Meghan throughout a lot of the ordeal with Thomas.' It came after repeated claims from Thomas Markle that he had been 'cut off' by his daughter. Harry and Meghan have spent much of the summer at their 'safe haven' house on the Great Tew Estate. The 74-year-old father to the Duchess of Sussex sensationally revealed how he had hung up on Prince Harry during a heated call ahead of the couple's wedding on May 19, leading the Duchess to want 'time off' from their relationship. It was the latest in a series of very public outbursts from Thomas Markle, this one being the final straw for the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan is set to conduct her first solo engagement as a member of the royal family when she attends the opening of a major art exhibition next week. The Duchess of Sussex, 37, will join guests at a reception for the Oceania exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts in London next Tuesday. It comes after she unveiled her first solo project as a member of the royal family on Monday, putting her support behind a charity cookbook created by women from the Grenfell Tower community. This will be the first time Meghan conducts an official engagement without another member of the royal family being present, having previously stepped out with Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Queen. Meghan (pictured at the 100 Days to Peace gala evening earlier this month) is set to attend her first solo engagement as a member of the royal family when she attends the opening of a major art exhibition next week The Duchess looks keen to make her stamp as the newest member of the royal family, as she prepares to conduct her first solo engagement just four months after the royal wedding. Kate, 36, carried out her first solo engagement - standing in for the Prince of Wales at a private fundraising dinner - in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day. The Oceania exhibition at the RA - which is celebrating its 250th anniversary - will celebrate the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, encompassing the vast Pacific region including New Guinea, Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand. Meghan will meet the exhibition's curators, artists and descendants linked to the works on display, as well as viewing a short performance by Ngati Ranana, a Maori cultural group. The Duchess of Sussex's engagement next week will be the first time she conducts an official engagement without another member of the royal family present. Meghan is pictured here with Prince Harry at a gala performance of Hamilton last month It comes as she and Harry prepare to tour part of the region next month, visiting Australia, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. The Duchess will be shown art from the four countries while viewing the exhibition - which will be open to the public from September 29 - next week. Meghan's latest engagement appears to show her desire to hit the ground running when it comes to her new role as a member of the royal family. Yesterday, the Duchess revealed on Monday her support for the Together: Our Community Cookbook, which will help families affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Meghan has written a foreword for the new charity cookbook, after making visits to the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London to cook with a group of women who came together following the devastating fire. It comes after Meghan (pictured cooking with a member of the Hubb Community Kitchen) revealed on Monday her support for the Together: Our Community Cookbook, which will help families affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy She and Harry will host an event at Kensington Palace celebrating the launch of the book on Thursday. Experts say that Meghan looks to be keen to throw herself into her charity projects as she establishes herself as a 'campaigning royal'. Looking at the video of the royal visiting the Hubb Community Kitchen, body language expert Judi James told FEMAIL: 'Meghan seems to be signalling a total involvement style with her charities rather than a superficial one. 'This would be in keeping with the passion and eloquence she used speaking about her future involvement in charities in the early days of her marriage. 'She looks genuinely keen to impress by creating her own signature role as a campaigning royal.' Meghan has previously conducted official engagements with other members of the royal family, appearing at Wimbledon with the Duchess of Cambridge in July (above) The Duchess of Sussex also joined the Queen for a day of engagements in Cheshire back in June, just a month after the royal wedding Meanwhile, royal expert Grant Harrold said that Meghan's prior experience in the public eye means that she has been able to quickly establish her position as a member of the royal family. He told FEMAIL: 'The Duchess of Cambridge we must remember did not have any public role prior to her wedding unlike her sister in law the Duchess of Sussex who had already established herself as a successful actress and public figure. 'Therefore, it is not surprising to see The Duchess of Sussex has already established her first project which will, of course, be a success. 'She has built up her confidence on a public platform over many years and this will continue to develop now as a member of the British Royal Family'. The Spanish queen cut an elegant figure in Salamanca today as she joined her husband King Felipe to learn about cutting-edge laser technology. Letizia, 45, donned a delicate 122 white ankle-length gown with navy square detail by high-street designer Massimo Dutti as she toured the interestingly-titled Spanish Centre for Pulsed Lasers in the north-western Spanish town. While her main ensemble might have come with a more affordable price tag, Letizia showed off her regal side via some very expensive Chanel earrings. Queen Letizia arrives in the north western Spanish town of Massimo Dutti this morning to visit a science centre; the Queen looked elegant in an elegant 100 Massimo Dutti dress Joining King Felipe VI, the mother-of-two, 45, finished the look with a pair of co-ordinated navy suede stiletto heels and a matching leather clutch bag Letizia's palm leaf Chanel earrings, thought to be worth around 5,700 offered some couture glamour to her look The delicate leaf pattern design retail at around 5,700 for the pair, which ramps up the price of Letizia's outfit a little. Wearing her highlighted brunette locks loose and layered to frame her face, Letizia finished the look with a pair of blue suede stiletto heels and a matching belt and leather clutch bag. Last week, Felipe and Letizia of Spain looked every inch the proud parents as they dropped their own daughters off for the first day back at school. The Spanish royals joined other mothers and fathers taking their children back to Santa Maria de los Rosales, in Madrid, after the summer break. King Felipe opted for a sharp-looking pinstripe suit for the occasion as the royal couple toured the centre's control room El joker! King Felipe looks tickled as a Letizia continues to clap awkwardly The couple were spending time looking at how funds from an agreement signed 30 years ago promoting science and technology in Spain have been successfully spent Over the summer the Spanish palace said that Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia would travel to America to join the educational camp in a bid to give them 'new knowledge and experiences'. King Felipe and Letizia, who are keen to complement their daughters' education with broader influences from different cultures, remained in Madrid to continue their royal duties while the girls were abroad. The couple recently returned to Madrid following an extended summer break as daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia ended their summer camp break in the US The tour explained the intricacies of pulsed laser technology, which is being used in Spanish industry, to the royal couple The couple, who have been married ten years, looked comfortable in each other's company as they took on the royal engagement Letizia married King Felipe ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. The relationship began in November 2002 and in 2003, just months after she had been promoted to the position of anchor on the national news channel, she quit her job and days later the royal engagement was announced. An model who lost her leg in a moped accident when she was just 13 has come third in this year's Miss Italy finals - despite receiving abuse from online trolls who said she was only in the contest because she's 'crippled'. Chiara Bordi, 18, was one of the runner-ups in Tuesday's final in Milan, which saw actress Carlotta Maggiorana take the crown. The student proudly displayed her prosthetic leg during the beauty pageant, which saw her compete in a swimsuit and evening-wear round. Chiara is the first contestant with a prosthetic leg to compete in the finals of Miss Italy. Chiara Bordi, who lost her leg in a moped accident when she was just 13, (pictured on stage in a swimsuit) has come third in this year's Miss Italy finals Chiara (far left) came third behind winner Carlotta Maggiorana (centre) and runner-up Fiorenza D'Antonio (far right) However, the final was marred by the insults Chiara received online over her disability in the past few days. Responding to the insults on Facebook, Chiara said: 'I'm missing a leg, but you're missing a heart and brain. 'There are all sorts of frustrations and dissatisfactions behind this nastiness. 'I'm not interested in winning, but showing the world that life is still beautiful when reborn after a dramatic event.' Chiara proudly displayed her prosthetic leg during the beauty pageant, which saw her compete in a swimsuit round (above) Chiara (pictured on stage during the Miss Italy finals) received abuse online ahead of the competition, with trolls saying she was only in the competition because she is 'crippled' Chiara (far left) narrowly lost out on the Miss Italy title to actress and dancer Carlotta Maggiorana, 26, (centre) who dedicated her victory to her late father. Pictured far right is Fiorenza D'Antonio, who came in second place She describes herself as a 'bionic model' on her Instagram account, and has worked with the British-based organisation Models of Diversity, which works to promote more diversity within the fashion industry. In her profile, Chiara - who is from the central Tarquinia province - explains how she would like to study to become an orthopedic surgeon. She is also described as a keen traveller and sportswoman, who enjoys canoeing, rollerblading, windsurfing, climbing rock walls and diving. Chiara narrowly lost out on the Miss Italy title to actress and dancer Carlotta Maggiorana, 26, who dedicated her victory to her late father. Carlotta's acting credits include the film Tree Of Life, where she starred alongside Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Meanwhile, fashion graduate Fiorenza D'Antonio came in second place behind Carlotta. Queen Mathilde of Belgium looked typically elegant as she visited a school in Brussels today. The mother-of-four, 45, opted for a printed tunic top paired with tailored trousers as she visited the Centre La Famille in the capital. Mathilde accessorised the stylish look with a printed silk scarf, and a pair of gold statement earrings. The royal was visiting the school and day centre - which offers an integrated form of education and therapy for children with disabilities - to mark its 50th anniversary. Queen Mathilde of Belgium paid a visit to the Centre La Famille in Brussels today to celebrate its 50th birthday Mathilde, 45, was greeted by children waving Belgian flag as she arrived at the school and day centre in the Belgian capital Mathilde looked in high spirits as she met with children at the Centre La Famille today. She was greeted at the centre by members of staff and children waving the Belgian flag, before being presented with a bouquet of flowers. The Belgian queen was then given a tour of the school, taking part in activities along with the youngsters. Mathilde is back conducting royal engagements after dropping off her eldest daughter at her new boarding school in Wales last month. Mathilde was presented with a bouquet of flowers as she arrived at the school, which offers an integrated form of education and therapy for children with disabilities The Belgian royal looked in high spirits as she took part in activities with the children during the tour of the school Mathilde was seen helping the children complete a jigsaw puzzle during her visit to the Centre La Famille in the capital Princess Elisabeth, who is first in line to the throne, has joined other teenagers at Atlantic College in South Wales as she studies the International Baccalaureate. The Belgian royal family posted snaps of the princess saying goodbye to her brothers and sister - and the family Westie - at the royal palace of Laeken in Brussels last month. It was announced in March this year that the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde had passed the entry exams required to attend. She had previously been studying at the Dutch-speaking Sint-Jan Berchmans college in Brussels. Mathilde, who opted for a printed silk scarf for the visit, waved at well-wishers as she arrived at the school in Brussels today Mathilde was seen chatting to one of the youngsters as she was given a tour of the Centre la Famille, which is celebrating its 50th birthday The Belgian royal looked relaxed as she met with children and members of staff at the school and day centre today Classmates at a Texas high school have started a petition to change the dress code after a male student received an in-school suspension for wearing makeup to class. During a school day, an unidentified male student was asked to take off the makeup he wore to Shadow Creek High School in Pearland, Texas, because it went against the dress code. The student refused and was given an in-school suspension. One of his classmates, Jasmine Richards, has since created an online petition for the school district to change its dress code because she believes it promotes an unnecessary gender bias between males and females. Defender: Jasmine Richards, a classmate of an unidentified male, started a petition to get the school to change the gender bias in its dress code that prevents boys from wearing makeup Bias: A male student attending Shadow Creek High School in Pearland, Texas, received an in-school suspension for wearing makeup to class 'He felt he should have the right to wear it to school like any girl would,' Jasmine told KTRK. 'I felt if girls should be able to wear makeup, then a boy should have no problem doing the same thing if thats how he wants to express himself.' She and her classmates didn't realize the Alvin Independent School District explicitly states males are not allowed to wear makeup or earring, but their female counterparts are allowed. To combat the gender bias in the dress code, Jasmine created an online petition on Change.org to inform the school it needed an update. 'These policies are based entirely on outdated and sexist gender standards,' Jasmine wrote in the petition. 'Prohibiting boys from wearing makeup because makeup is 'only for girls' also prohibits them from expressing themselves in what is supposed to be a safe environment. 'A boy wearing makeup should not be considered any more distracting than a girl wearing makeup.' Groundbreaking: Boys wearing makeup has grown more acceptable in recent years as notable figures such as James Charles become more prominent in society Boys wearing makeup has become more and more popular in recent years as prominent people such as James Charles gain notoriety. His notoriety only grew after CoverGirl announced him as their first male CoverGirl in 2016. And now students are asking their schools to recognize the change and allow gender biases that prevent males from wearing makeup to be eliminated. Assistant Superintendent Daniel Combs told KHOU11 he had no clear answer if the dress code would get changed, but administration would look at it. 'The dress code is not set in stone,' he said. 'You know, some of these elements have been in our dress code for many, many years. 'And, as we go through that review, we certainly want to address concerns that come forward.' Already there have been mixed reactions about changing the dress code to allow boys to wear makeup with some parents saying they would never want their sons to use the products. But other people are outraged by the dress code and believe it should be up to the families, not the school district, on if their children should wear makeup. Since Jasmine created her petition, it has received more than 2,000 signatures. It remains unclear when the school district will have a decision about updating the dress code. Evan Rachel Wood brought a very special date to the Emmys on Monday night. The Westworld actress, 31, was accompanied by Amanda Nguyen, a 27-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee and passionate advocate for survivors of sexual assault. Amanda and Evan met after the activist gave a speech at the Women's March in Washington, D.C. last year, and they have since been working together to support the rights of sexual assault survivors and make it easier for them to pursue cases against their abusers. Scroll down for video Duo: Evan Rachel Wood, 31, took Amanda Nguyen, 27, an advocate for sexual assault survivors and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, as her date to the Emmys on Monday night Evan, who was nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for her role on Westworld, walked on the red carpet with Amanda on Monday night in at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Both women looked incredibly chic, with Evan wearing a low-cut black suit jacket, opting to go without a shirt under the plunging design, while Amanda wowed in a deep red velvet gown. The duo also modeled matching deep plum lip colors; Evan worked with celebrity makeup artist Toby Fleischman on her beauty look, and he revealed that he used Burt's Bees' Liquid Lipstick in Wine Waters to create the bold lip, which he thought would be a perfect complement to her classic suit. He added that Evan's glam squad's 'overall aesthetic was a reference to a Renaissance painting', explaining that he added a modern twist to this concept with a dewy, fresh complexion, which was perfected using the Burt's Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation and the Mattifying Powder Foundation. Having happily posed together for photographer, the ladies then stopped to speak with E!'s Giuliana Rancic. Evan introduced Amanda as a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, explaining that they once both testified in front of Congress to support the sexual assault survivors' bill of rights written by Amanda. 'I think we're at a crucial time in history right now, especially for women and especially for civil rights,' Evan said. Grateful: Amanda thanked Evan for taking her to the event and helping her give more visibility to her work on behalf of sexual assault survivors 'And if I have even a little bit of power right now I want to use it for good.' Evan, who wore a blue ribbon on the lapel of her blazer, expressed her support for two more causes, adding: 'I'm also here supporting the ACLU and the fight to reunite immigrant families who have been separated at the border. It's why I'm wearing the blue ribbon.' Posing: Evan also posed for a few solo shots on the red carpet in her black gown 'I just feel like it's important,' she added. 'It's what I'm compelled to do and Amanda has certainly inspired me to do more.' Amanda said she was grateful for Evan's choice to bring her as her date and give more visibility to her work. 'It makes such a difference when we get platform like this to talk about issues,' she said. Amanda, a Harvard graduate, was raped in Massachusetts back when she was in college, in 2013. She went on to found Rise, a civil rights organization that has worked to get Amanda's sexual assault survivors' bill of rights passed. The Survivors' Bill of Rights Act was passed in 2016 on a federal level, and Rise and Amanda are now working to get it passed in all 50 states. To that end, they both testified in front of Congress in February this year. In a harrowing testimony, Evan recounted abuse 'that started slow but escalated over time, including threats against my life, severe gaslighting and brainwashing'. She told Congress she was raped by an ex-boyfriend and by a second abuser, speaking of feelings of 'utter shame and despair' resulting from the attacks. Speaking out: In February, Evan testified in front of Congress in support of Amanda's sexual assault survivors' bill of rights Team: Amanda was also present to testify in front of Congress along with Evan Support: Evan and Amanda exchanged a hug as they both testified in front of Congress It was California Representative Mimi Walters, a Republican, who decided to nominate Amanda for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize in June this year. 'Amanda has been a tireless advocate for survivors of sexual assault and is absolutely deserving of this prestigious recognition,' she tweeted at the time while sharing the letter she wrote to Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Committee, and to the committee's other members. On Monday night, Evan shared words of support with other sexual assault survivors while on the red carpet. 'Just make sure you take care of yourself and love yourself first because that is the foundation for everything,' she said. 'And if you have that you can get through anything. I think we're all stronger than we realize and that we believe. And I would just like people to know that they have an infinite amount of strength in them and it's there.' Advertisement The British monarchy is famed the world over for pageantry such as Trooping The Colour, but it seems the royal family of The Netherlands is equally skilled at putting on an opulent display. The third Tuesday in September is a day of pomp and pageantry in the Netherlands, marking the opening of the new parliamentary session, with King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima leading the festivities. The royal couple arrived for Prinsjesdag - or Prince's Day - the festive opening of the new parliamentary year of the States General, which takes place at the Binnenhof in The Hauge in an opulent carriage that wouldn't look out of place in our own Queen's fleet. Amid tight security, King and Queen Maxima were driven in an ornate, horse-drawn carriage to parliament from a royal palace in the heart of The Hague, passing through streets lined with cheering crowds. The Golden Carriage carriage that is normally used to bring the King and Queen to Prince's Day, passed down from Dutch Queen Wilhelmina, is currently undergoing renovation, although its replacement vehicle looked just as lavish. Queen Maxima was certainly dressed for the occasion in her pastel blue and green gown, teamed with a striking floral hat and powder blue gloves. The Dutch royals were joined on the palace balcony by King Willem Alexander's brother Prince Constantijn of The Netherlands and his wife Princess Laurentien Queen Maxima alights from the opulent state carriage for the celebration of Prinsjesdag or Budget Day, the festive opening of the new parliamentary year of the States General, which takes place every third Tuesday of September at the Binnenhof As she waited to disembark from the royal carriage and enter the Hague to mark Prinsjesdag, Queen Maxima could be seen smiling broadly and warmly at the camera while waving King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Maxima (centre) and their sister-in-law Princess Laurentien of The Netherlands (left) at Palace Noordeine for the annual opening of the Parliamental year in the The Hague The royal couple greeted the Senate and the House of Representatives from the throne at the 'Ridderzaal' (Hall of Knights) on 'Prinsjesdag' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima bow to the flag as they arrive in a horse-drawn carriage at the Knight's Hall in The Hague, Netherlands The royal couple greeted the Senate and the House of Representatives from the throne at the 'Ridderzaal' or Hall of Knights. They were reportedly joined for the event by Maxima's mother, Maria del Carmen, and brother, Juan Zorreguieta. King Willem-Alexander traditionally delivers the traditional Speech from the Throne in the Ridderzaal - or Knights' Hall - on Prinsjesdag each year. The occasion was return to more familiar territory for Queen Maxima following a dramatic confrontation with a member of the public during a run-of-the-mill royal engagement last week. The Queen was accosted by an angry mother during a visit to the non-profit YETS Foundation in Schiedam, in south Holland. Dutch Queen Maxima looked festive at the celebration of the Prinsjesdag - Budget Day - in The Hague, which takes place on the third Tuesday in September each year Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima wave from the balcony of the royal palace Noordeinde in The Hague, Netherlands. The royals seemed in high spirits as they marked the Prinsjesdag - or Budget Day Ever the gentleman, King Willem Alexander stood back and let his wife walk down the red carpet after arriving at the Binnenhof in The Hague to give a speech on Prinsjesdag Maxima, 47, had just finished speaking to participants in the award-winning youth programme when the woman broke out of the audience and ran towards her. She wanted to pass a letter to the Queen directly detailing her disabled son's educational and welfare issues, after receiving unsatisfactory responses to previous written appeals to the palace. 'He's been home for eleven months,' she shouted as security guards tried to restrain her from approaching the Queen, telling her they would pass on the letter. In the end, she managed to approach Queen Maxima who took the note away with her. The Dutch royals beamed as they waved to the crowds from the palace balcony on the third Tuesday of September - traditionally a day of pomp and pageantry in the Netherlands King Willem-Alexander looked in particularly high spirits as he took in the attention of the crowd in front of them. And Queen Maxima seemed to clasp her hands together in joy while on the balcony of Noordeinde Royal Palace The King and Queen of the Netherlands arrived in an opulent carriage that certainly wouldn't look out of place in Queen Elizabeth's fleet Earlier that same week the royal was joined by Dutch Minister Sigrid Kaag at an event launching the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion workshop. The Dutch queen appeared in excellent spirits as she arrived at the workshop, beaming as she stepped out of her car. The appearance marked one of the royal's first since she enjoyed a few weeks off from her duties over summer. Joining the King and Queen were the King's brother Prince Constantijn of The Netherlands and his wife Princess Laurentien (pictured). The royal family attend the celebration of the Prinsjesdag - Prince's Day - in The Hague today As they made their way to the Hague after disembarking from their opulent carriage, Queen Maxima and King Willem Alexander looked to be beset by the wind, which blew their hair back Several people could be seen lining the streets around the Hague, in the Netherlands as the royal family arrived to mark the festive Prinsjesdag (Budget Day) Maxima has three daughters, Catharina-Amalia, 14, Alexia, 13 and Ariane, 11, with husband King Willem-Alexander, 51. Maxima has endured a difficult few months, recently flying to Buenos Aires for the funeral of her younger sister, Ines Zorreguieta. Ines took her own life at the age of 33 following a lengthy battle with depression. Maxima pulled out of several state visits in the wake of Ines death in June, bravely returning to work two weeks later. Later that month, during a visit to a hospital in Groningen, she appeared to fight back tears as she gave a short speech. It was her home for six years until her husband David Cameron's swift resignation in 2016, and tonight Samantha Cameron returned to 10 Downing Street, which no doubt holds some bittersweet memories. The designer joined a list of fashion heavyweights including Vogue's Anna Wintour and Edward Enniful for a party thrown by Prime Minister Theresa May to celebrate Fashion Week. Sam Cam, 47, as she's affectionately known, beamed as she made her entrance accompanied by designer Christopher Kane. The mother-of-three looked chic for the occasion in a red dress from her own label Cefinn, which she set up in 2017 after her husband left office. Scottish fashion designer Christopher Kane (left), Samantha Cameron, wife of former British Prime minster David Cameron, and designer Tammy Kane arrive at 10 Downing Street to attend a reception hosted by Theresa May for London Fashion Week British editor-in-chief of British Vogue magazine Edward Enninful arrives to a reception hosted by Theresa May in 10 Downing Street in London Anna Wintour looked chic in a burgundy leather coat and daring snakeskin boots as she arrived at 10 Downing Street, keeping on her trademark shades as she headed in side to meet the Prime Minister US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, 68, nailed her favoured sleek style in a burgundy leather jacket with a floral gown. And naturally she kept her trademark shades on, even as she headed inside to meet the Prime Minister. Also representing the Vogue contingent was renowned British journalist Suzi Menkes who is International Editor for the 21 titles around the world. The guest list featured British fashion heavyweights including Scottish sibling design duo Christopher and Tammy Kane; Alice Temperley whose designs are a firm favourite with royals such as the Duchess of Cambridge, and photographer Nick Knight. Sam Cam looked chic in a red dress from her own range Ceffinn, teamed with cream and black heels as she arrived with sibling design duo Christopher and Tammy Kane British journalist Suzy Menkes, International Editor for the 21 editions of Vogue around the world, cut a striking figure in shades of purple Legendary US Vogue Editor Anna Wintour was her typical stylish self in a 70s-inspired ensemble, complete with snakeskin boots and her trademark shades Sam Cam was all smiles on the steps of her former home, where she last lived just over two years ago. Her husband David Cameron resigned in June 2016 when it emerged that Britain had voted for Brexit. Pictured: Samantha Cameron with Christopher and Tammy Kane Sam Cam, 47, is regularly seen in her own creations and describes her clothes as being for busy women. Last year, President Trumps wife Melania was pictured wearing a 295 belted muslin shirt dress design from the Ceffin range. Selling online and at top stores including Selfridges and Fenwick, most of Sam Cams dresses cost between 270 and 340. British fashion designer Alice Temperley rocked a culotte-style jumpsuit for the event to celebrate London Fashion Week at Number 10 Stephanie Phair, chair of the British Fashion Council, cut an elegant figure in a black and red floral two-piece teamed by Malene Oddershede Bach with towering heels. Famed British fashion photographer Nick Knight looked dapper in a suit as he attended a fashion reception at 10 Downing Street In an interview last year the designer admitted: I worry about not selling anything and going bust its definitely terrifying and totally all- consuming but its fun. In 2010, the former creative director of Smythson became an ambassador for the British Fashion Council, and was even tipped to become the new chair when Dame Natalie Massenet, the founer of Net-a-Porter stepped down. However, the role went to Stephanie Phair, Chief Strategy Officer at the fashion website Farfetch, who was also in attendance at tonight's party. Designer Molly Goddard looked striking in a frothy red dress with a voluminous skirt (left). Sam Cam looked delighted to be heading back to her old home in Downing Street with designer Tammy Kane, two years after she moved out following her husband's resignation Infrared image of a neutron star (source on right in box) with an extended infrared emission obtained from observations with the Hubble Space Telescope. The blue circle indicates the pulsar's X-ray position (obtained with the Chandra X-ray Space Telescope), the cross marks the position of the pulsar in the UV-optical (measured with the Hubble Space Telescope). Credit: Bettina Posselt, Penn State An unusual infrared emission detected by the Hubble Space Telescope from a nearby neutron star could indicate that the pulsar has features never before seen. The observation, by a team of researchers at Penn State, Sabanci University in Turkey, and the University of Arizona, could help astronomers better understand the evolution of neutron stars -- the incredibly dense remnants of massive stars after a supernova. A paper describing the research and two possible explanations for the unusual finding appears September 17, 2018, in the Astrophysical Journal. "This particular neutron star belongs to a group of seven nearby X-ray pulsars -- nicknamed 'the Magnificent Seven' -- that are hotter than they ought to be considering their ages and available energy reservoir provided by the loss of rotation energy," said Bettina Posselt, associate research professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and the lead author of the paper. "We observed an extended area of infrared emissions around this neutron star -- named RX J0806.4-4123 -- the total size of which translates into about 200 astronomical units (or 2.5 times the orbit of Pluto around the Sun) at the assumed distance of the pulsar." This is the first neutron star in which an extended emission has been seen only in the infrared. The researchers suggest two possibilities that could explain the extended infrared emission seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. The first is that there is a disk of material -- possibly mostly dust -- surrounding the pulsar. "One theory is that there could be what is known as a 'fallback disk' of material that coalesced around the neutron star after the supernova," said Posselt. "Such a disk would be composed of matter from the progenitor massive star. Its subsequent interaction with the neutron star could have heated the pulsar and slowed its rotation. If confirmed as a supernova fallback disk, this result could change our general understanding of neutron star evolution." The second possible explanation for the extended infrared emission from this neutron star is a "pulsar wind nebula." "A pulsar wind nebula would require that the neutron star exhibits a pulsar wind," said Posselt. "A pulsar wind can be produced when particles are accelerated in the electric field that is produced by the fast rotation of a neutron star with a strong magnetic field. As the neutron star travels through the interstellar medium at greater than the speed of sound, a shock can form where the interstellar medium and the pulsar wind interact. The shocked particles would then radiate synchrotron emission, causing the extended infrared emission that we see. Typically, pulsar wind nebulae are seen in X-rays and an infrared-only pulsar wind nebula would be very unusual and exciting." Although neutron stars are generally studied in radio and high-energy emissions, such as X-rays, this study demonstrates that new and interesting information about neutron stars can also be gained by studying them in the infrared. Using the new NASA James Webb Space Telescope, due to launch in 2021, astronomers will be able to further explore this newly opened discovery space in the infrared to better understand neutron star evolution. Reference: "Discovery of Extended Infrared Emission around the Neutron Star RXJ0806.4-4123," B. Posselt et al., 2018 Sep. 17, Astrophysical Journal [http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aad6df]. In addition to Posselt, the research team included George Pavlov, and Kevin Luhman at Penn State; Unal Ertan and Sirin Caliskan at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey; and Christina C. Williams at the University of Arizona. The research was supported by NASA, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, the U.S. National Science Foundation, Penn State, the Penn State Eberly College of Science, and the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Melania Trump went for a classic look to welcome the Polish first lady and president, cutting a monochrome figure in a $3,980 Gucci coat. The first lady, 48, and her husband, 72, greeted Polish Polish President Andrzej Duda, 46, and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda, 46, at the White House on Tuesday. Melania's off-white Gucci coat featured a navy blue lapel and cuffs. She let the simple design do all the talking, teaming it with just a pair of pointed-toe pumps. Look: Melania Trump went for a classic look to welcome the Polish first lady and president on Tuesday, cutting a monochrome figure in a $3,980 Gucci coat The first lady, 48, and her husband, 72, greeted Polish Polish President Andrzej Duda (right), 46, and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda (left), 46, at the White House Group: The Polish first couple exchanged a loving look while Melania smiled in their direction, as President Trump kept his gaze focused straight ahead The double-breasted coat, which is made of wool and has long sleeves, no doubt kept Melania quite warm in D.C.'s 80-degree weather. Melania later sat down in the Oval Office with her husband and their guests, revealing a navy blue skirt or dress worn under her buttoned-up coat. She kept the rest of her look simple, wearing her hair in her signature blowout. On the cosmetics side, Melania remained loyal to her trademark smoky eye and French manicure. Her husband, meanwhile, went for a dark suit paired with a button-down white shirt and a striped tie. Just like his wife, he stuck to two colors for his outfit, perhaps taking a page out of Melania's style book. Melania and the Polish first lady were scheduled to have lunch in the White House's Red Room and attend a press conference in the East Room. Sartorial: Melania later sat down in the Oval Office with her husband and their guests, revealing a navy blue skirt or dress worn under her buttoned-up coat Details: Melania's off-white Gucci coat featured a navy blue lapel and cuffs. She let the simple design do all the talking, teaming it with just a pair of pointed-toe pumps Finished touches: The first lady kept the rest of her look simple, wearing her hair in her signature blowout Classic: On the cosmetics side, Melania remained loyal to her trademark smoky eye and French manicure Design: Melania revealed the belt at the back of her coat when she turned around to step inside the White House The Polish first lady, too, went for a two-toned outfit. She posed in front of the White House in black pants, a black top, and a white blazer cinched at the waist by a black belt. Her husband, meanwhile, donned a dark suit along with a white button-down shirt and a blue tie. Agata Kornhauser-Duda created a stir last year when she went to shake Melania's hand, leaving President Trump hanging because he thought the extended hand was for him. The U.S. and Poland's presidential couples were shaking hands in July last year before Trump's speech in front of a crowd in Warsaw, the Polish capital. Poland's first lady shook hands with Trump and then all four of them lined up for a photograph. She then moved with an extended hand toward Melania, but Trump, standing nearer, thought the handshake was for him again and reached out to her. He flashed a somewhat startled and disappointed look when the Polish first lady shook Melania's hand, not his. Quickly sizing up the situation, she gave Trump a second handshake and he gave her a pardoning smile. Meeting: Melania sat in the Oval Office along with her husband after the Polish first couple's arrival In high spirits: She flashed a bright smile as her husband and the Polish president addressed the media in the Oval Office Buttoned-up: Melania kept her double-breasted wool coat closed despite the warm weather Beaming: Melania looked delighted as she arrived at the East Room for a press conference between the two presidents Saying hello! The first lady was seen greeting other attendees, including U.S. national Security Advisor John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice president Mike Pence Helping hand: Melania accompanied Agata into the East Room Tuning in: The first lady was later pictured sitting next to Pence during the joint news conference between her husband and the Polish president The Poland's first couple's visit to the U.S. was announced in August. The Polish president's aide Krzysztof Szczerski said that Duda's first visit to the White House will include one-on-one talks with Trump on security in Central Europe and on strengthening the U.S. military presence in the region, which is worried about intensifying Russian military activity. Poland has been seeking an increase in the number of U.S. troops stationed in its territory since early 2017. Wider talks will address trade ties and the partnership between the two NATO allies. Duda will also meet with U.S. senators and throw a party on the occasion of 100 years of Poland's independence, which was regained thanks to the support from President Woodrow Wilson. A statement from the White House said that the presidents 'will address ways to strengthen the United States-Poland strategic partnership' and plan to discuss 'trade, military, and security matters'. Poland was Trump's first destination during his European trip last year and Poland's right-wing government attaches great importance to the relationship. One sore point is the visa requirement for Poles going to the U.S. but Szczerski did not confirm that the matter will be discussed. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump will host her Polish counterpart Agata Kornhauser-Duda for a meeting. The parents of murdered Georgia Williams whose final moments were captured on camera by a killer 'obsessed with snuff movies' say their daughter would still be alive today if the police had done their job. Steve and Lynette Williams, from Telford, Shropshire, have spoken candidly about their daughter's death for a new Channel 5 documentary Killed on Camera. Georgia, who was 17, was hanged by friend Jamie Reynolds, then 23, who took photos of himself sexually assaulting her as part of a sick fantasy. Reynolds was handed a life sentence in 2013, after pleading guilty to murdering the teenager. He had lured Georgia to his home near Telford under the pretence that she would be taking part in a photoshoot. The parents of murdered Georgia Williams (pictured) say their daughter would still be alive today if the police had done their job Steve and Lynette Williams, from Telford, Shropshire, (holding a picture of their daughter) have spoken candidly about Georgia's death for a new Channel 5 documentary Killed on Camera Speaking about his daughter's death on the Channel 5 programme, which airs tonight, Steve said: '[Reynolds] was obsessed with what they call "snuff movies" which includes women being hanged. That's what he did to Georgia. ' 'There were psychologists, psychiatrists warning all the agencies including the police that this man is dangerous.' He added: 'If those officers had done their job properly Georgia would be alive now.' Steve, who was a policeman at the time of his daughter's death, explained why he decided to quit his job, commenting: 'I lost confidence in the police. It was grinding me down.' Jamie Reynolds, then 23, was handed a life sentence after killing Georgia by hanging her and taking photos of himself sexually assaulting her as part of a sick fantasy During the documentary, Georgia's mother Lynette also described her daughter's death as a 'living nightmare'. 'To be told that your daughter has been murdered and then dealt with in terrible ways is something you can't describe,' she said. Lynette added: 'He'd been biding his time to kill someone. Unfortunately, it was our daughter.' The shocking murder came five years after Reynolds attempted to strangle another girl, but was let off with a 'final warning'. Georgia had been lured to his home near Telford under the pretence that she would be taking part in a photoshoot Georgia's mother Lynette said 'being told that your daughter has been murdered and then dealt with in terrible ways is something you can't describe'. Pictured is the teenager on a school trip No action was taken, despite his parents telling officers that their son was fascinated with violent pornography. When Reynolds was arrested, police found 16,800 images and 72 videos of extreme pornography on his computer. The killer became the youngest one of the youngest killers to be handed a whole-life sentence in Britain. However, Georgia's father said Reynolds' sentence 'means nothing' to him, as it won't bring back his daughter. 'He can see his mother and his father. He can telephone them. I can't do that with Georgia,' he said. Plus size model Felicity Hayward has defied body-shamers once again in a daring semi-sheer catsuit at a London Fashion Week event - after being mocked for wearing a thong bikini on holiday. Felicity, 29, showed off her curves in the plunging catsuit, which she teamed with a pair of black studded heels at the Revlon party in Soho on Tuesday night. She finished off the fashion-forward ensemble with a bright green handbag, along with a pair of gold hooped earrings. Wearing her blonde locks up off her face, she opted for a glamorous make-up look, accentuating her lips with a bright red lipstick. Plus size model Felicity Hayward opted for a daring catsuit at the Revlon party in Soho on Tuesday night Felicity, 29, teamed the semi-sheer number with a pair of black studded heels for the London Fashion Week event Felicity looked in high spirits as arrived at the beauty event, hosted by model of the moment Adwoa Aboah at the Jack Solomons Club. It comes after Felicity revealed this summer couple mocked her weight and took pictures of her while she relaxed on the beach on holiday. She tweeted a snap of herself wearing a thong bikini, which she took in full view of the unnamed couple. Captioning the image she wrote: 'My body is just as worthy as yours babe'. Felicity accessorised her ensemble with a pair of gold hooped earrings, while opting for a glamorous make-up look Felicity, who has modeled for Missguided and L'Oreal, shared the snap from her holiday in Santorini, Greece. In the picture she placed her hands behind her head and flaunted her curves for the camera as an act of defiance. She wrote: 'To the couple sitting on the beach laughing + taking photos of me enjoying my hols, I will stand in front of you + take this photo, my body is just as worthy as yours babe. 'I'm gunna live my best life just like this + you can carry on with dealing with your own insecurities [sic].' It comes after Felicity shared a picture this summer of herself in Santorini to defy a couple who body-shamed her on the beach The plus-size model tweeted that the couple had taken pictures of her and mocked her weight while she was in her bikini The stunning snap amassed hundreds of likes in less than 24 hours, with many of the model's followers sending her messages of support. One tweeted: 'You tell them!! Thank you for helping us all feel comfortable in our own skin.' 'You're so beautiful, thank you for being an inspiration,' another posted. A third said: 'Flaunt those curves babe,it's a shame people don't realise that every body is beautiful x.' 'My body is just as worthy as yours babe': The body positive star had a defiant message for the couple Her post has amassed hundreds of likes in less than 24 hours as her followers assembled in support Some of her 9,000 followers have sent her messages of support, calling her an 'inspiration' An avid campaigner of body image positivity, Felicity spends a lot of time working on her digital campaign and body positive movement, #selflovebringsbeauty. The London-based plus-size model has worked alongside fellow model Tess Holliday in Simply Be's most size inclusive runway. The blonde bombshell was originally approached by a model scout whilst she was on a night out in an East London pub. She was dancing to Diana Ross when she was asked if she would like to pose for Miles Aldridge. Since then her career is going from strength to strength and she has appeared in numerous campaigns and on the pages of glossy magazines. Felicity recently said she prefers the term 'curve' model to 'plus-size', arguing that women should be able to use whatever term they choose. Speaking to FEMAIL, the British model said: 'I am curvy and I like that word. I prefer it to plus-size personally for me because I feel it describes my body shape more.' The blonde bombshell (pictured during her holiday in Santorini) was originally approached by a model scout when she was in the pub A farm worker has cracked open 10 double-yolked eggs in a row - defying one-in-a-nonillion odds. In total, 11 of the eggs in Emma Tremaine's box of a dozen from Aldi were double-yoked, leaving her stunned. Emma, 27 from Coalton Raleigh, Devon, took several photos of the double-yoked eggs, which she bought from the Aldi store near her home in Topsham. The chances of getting just one egg with two yolks are one-in-a-thousand and getting 10 in a row is one-in-a-nonillion - which is the number one followed by 30 zeroes. Emma Tremaine bought a box of a dozen eggs from Aldi, part of the supermarket's Merevale Large Free Range Eggs brand, and was stunned to find several double-yolks. Emma, 27, from Coalton Raleigh, Devon, took this picture after she made breakfast Emma was making dinner when she first cracked open two of the double yolked eggs, part of Aldi's Merevale Large Free Range Eggs brand. When she was making breakfast the next morning she was stunned to see that two of her other eggs also contained double yolks. The egg that she later cracked open for cake baking was also double-yolked - as was a sixth that she put into a pan. After taking pictures of the first six, Emma filmed a further four doubled yolk eggs in her frying pan. On Tuesday morning, Emma's run ended when she cracked open a single egg yolk for breakfast. Emma (pictured) was making dinner when she first cracked open two of the double yolked eggs. She had bought them from the Aldi store near her home in Topsham, Devon. She said that she had never even seen one double-yolked egg before However, there was more to come as the 12th and final egg also turned out to have two yolks. Emma posted the photographs and a message to the Aldi UK community Facebook page. She commented: 'Hi Aldi UK so I bought a dozen large free range eggs from you a week or so ago. 'Have used half of them and every single one so far has been a double yolker! Never even seen one before! Any ideas why, or am I just really lucky? 'I read somewhere that the odds of getting a double yolk are 1/1000, maybe I should buy a lottery ticket too.' The odds of getting ten double-yolked eggs in the row are one-in-a-nonillion - a number that has 30 zeroes after the one. Emma posted the photographs she took of the double-yolked eggs at her Devon home to the Aldi UK community Facebook page The photographs show two perfectly rounded egg yolks with the double yolkers sat side by side. Emma added: 'I've never seen one before and I know they're quite rare so when I was making dinner and cracked two in the pan I called my husband to come have a look. 'We were both just like "aaah that's cool, how weird that there is two in one box". 'Then when I got the next two the following day I thought this is so odd! 'It's just so strange to get loads in one box.' Emma who has worked with poultry before said these double yolkers are formed by young hens. After taking pictures of the first six, Emma filmed a further four doubled yolk eggs in her frying pan at her home in Devon. However, her streak ended this morning when egg number 11 proved to be a single yolk 'They are usually from young birds whose reproductive systems are still forming so they can sometimes release two yolks in one egg. 'Or when they are reaching the end of their commercial laying period.' Aldi responded on Emma's post with: 'You've got to be 'yolking', Emma! You always get more for your money with us. Thanks.' Emma is not the only customer to benefit from Aldi's double yolk eggs. Sue Hughes found four double yolks in one box yesterday after she purchased the same brand of eggs as Emma. I am an 82-year-old lady who has carried an organ donor card for very many years are my organs still viable or should I just dispose of it now? Pat Stewart, New Romney, Kent. Please do not dispose of your organ donor card, you are a valuable member of the organ donor community. What matters is not your age, but your physical condition and overall health organs and tissues (such as the corneas of the eyes) donated by people in their 80s are often transplanted. Even if you have an illness or medical condition, it doesnt necessarily stop you becoming an organ donor though there are a few exceptions, for instance, people with or suspected of having Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), the ebola virus, HIV, hepatitis C or active cancer. They are not able to donate, though with certain types of cancer it may be possible to donate three years after treatment. The decision about whether your organs are suitable for transplant is made by transplant specialists at the time. The kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas, small bowel, cornea, tissue and bone can all be donated you can choose which you wish to bequest, as it were, by ticking a box on the organ donor register. Talking to your family about your wishes is also vital, as their support will be needed for a donation to go ahead. The decision about whether your organs are suitable for transplant is made by transplant specialists at the time Anyone can join the NHS Organ Donor Register regardless of age (so long as they live in the UK and are legally capable of making a decision). However, the same is not true when it comes to stem cell donation used to treat blood cancer, for instance, leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma. Stem cells are whats known as a living donation, and are taken in most cases from the blood (sometimes they are harvested from the bone marrow). They have the ability to develop into many different types of cells and for a patient with blood cancer, a transplant can provide healthy blood cells to replace their damaged ones, developing into a new immune system. However, the charity Anthony Nolan, which runs the stem cell register, will only accept donors who are aged 16 to 30 (although once registered, you stay on the register until you turn 60). Thats because transplants are more likely to be successful with younger donors, as they are more likely to be in good health. You also have to weigh more than 7 st 12 lb (below that weight the body might not be able to safely produce the amount of blood stem cells needed for a transplant) and you need to be otherwise healthy. We desperately need more people like you. I congratulate you for choosing to carry a donor card, but I hope that you will live for many years yet, so aim for your 100th birthday and thank you. Ive been suffering with testicular pain but have been given the all-clear from the sexual health clinic, an ultrasound scan on my testicle came back clear and I have had three prescriptions of tablets for epididymitis. Please could you give me advice. Rhys Buckingham, by email. I am surprised at how often I encounter this problem in my consulting room: men frequently arrive complaining of testicular pain that has defied all efforts to diagnose the cause, including ultrasound scans. Frequently, patients have also received multiple treatments with different antibiotics, to no avail, the working assumption being that the cause is an infection, despite negative tests. Patients often also complain of lower back pain, abdominal or pelvic pain, and even pain around the inner or upper thighs typically described as a persistent, nagging ache. One possible diagnosis is chronic prostatitis, also known as chronic pelvic pain syndrome or prostadynia basically, an inflamed prostate gland. Rather like irritable bowel syndrome, there is no definitive test for this; instead, the diagnosis is based on ruling out other conditions, and a recognition of the symptoms by experienced doctors who have seen it all before. Between 2 and 10 per cent of adult men experience this disorder at some time, but the cause remains unknown. It results in much anxiety, not helped by the lack of any definitive treatment. The pain, as described above, varies in distribution from one individual to another, but testicular pain is common its actually referred pain from the prostate (rather as heart pain is sometimes felt in the left arm). Anyone can join the NHS Organ Donor Register regardless of age (so long as they live in the UK and are legally capable of making a decision) You mention that youve been treated three times for a suspected infection of the epididymis, a curved structure that carries sperm cells from the testicle to the vas deferens (the tubes that take sperm to the urethra). If the ultrasound showed no swelling or obvious inflammation of this structure, Id question the diagnosis of epididymitis, and suggest that you have prostadynia. While there is no definitive treatment for this condition, urologists typically prescribe alpha blockers e.g. tamsulosin or alpha reductase inhibitors such as finasteride. These drugs are usually used as a treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms (such as poor stream, hesitancy and urgency) caused by the benign enlargement of the prostate that occurs with age. But they also appear to be effective in many men with prostadynia. Other treatments that have been found to help include anti-inflammatories such as diclofenac or naproxen, though these can potentially cause gastrointestinal side-effects such as stomach pain, constipation, diarrhoea and stomach bleeding. Phytotherapy herbal medicine has also proved popular and effective, although there are no studies to confirm this, but at least it should not cause harm. I think either cernilton, a rye-grass pollen extract, or saw palmetto might be worth investigating and trying, although neither will be offered or prescribed by your doctor. And as with all herbal medicines, do, of course, check with your GP that there are no contraindications with any other medicines youre taking. IN MY VIEW: Bring back paper towels Seizing the door handle to exit a public lavatory whether its in a restaurant, hospital or hotel is always an uncomfortable moment for me, as I recall all those surveys that show a great many people dont bother to wash their hands after the loo. My disquiet is always heightened if the handle is wet, as it means that someone has failed to dry their hands another failure to observe a basic principle of hygiene, as wet hands spread more bacteria. If the handle is visibly wet I am never embarrassed to remove a clean tissue from my pocket and protect my hand as I pull open the door. Now I see that a study in the Journal of Hospital Infection, co-authored by Mark Wilcox, a professor of medical microbiology, has found that jet air hand dryers in hospitals spread more germs than disposable paper towels. This is because some people I think probably most dont wash their hands properly, and so the dryer blasts the bacteria from soiled hands into the room. As a result, bacteria including many of faecal origin as well as staphylococci, both of which can cause significant ill health were found coating the various surfaces in hospitals at multiple sites in the UK, France, and Italy. The message here? In my view, jet air hand dryers should not be used in any public facilities, including those in the trains on the West Coast Main Line, which I have the misfortune to use regularly. And bring back disposable paper towels! The number of children being given the MMR vaccine has fallen for the fourth year in a row, with immunity now at its lowest since 2011. The jab protects against measles, mumps and rubella, and children are expected to have their first dose before their second birthday. But only 91.2 per cent of children across England are meeting this target, meaning thousands have no protection against the three killer infections. The number is down from 92.7 per cent in 2014 the highest level of the past decade years and from 91.6 per cent in 2017, NHS Digital data has revealed. England is failing to hit the 95 per cent immunisation rate the World Health Organization recommends to protect the country from contagious infections. And the proportion of children being given the MMR jab varies from just 75 per cent in Hackney in east London, to 96.9 per cent in County Durham. London has the worst uptake of the MMR jab, with only 85.1 per cent of children in the capital being immunised, while the North East has the highest levels. A shortage of nurses who give the vaccines and difficulties with data collection could be to blame for falling rates, experts say there is not thought to be a growing anti-vaccination sentiment in the UK. London has the lowest proportion of children who receive the MMR jab before they are two years old with just an 85.1 per cent uptake while the North East, Yorkshire and Humber and the South West are the best performers Doctors say the falling rates are 'worrying' and warn people could die if vaccination levels do not improve as they are proven to save lives. Figures released today show coverage rates for eight other NHS-offered vaccines have also dropped among children younger than two. Rates of immunisation against diptheria, tetanus, polio, pneumococcal disease, haemophilus infulenzae type B (hib) and meningococcal C are all falling. But most concerning is the drop in MMR jabs as cases of measles are on the rise in England. This year there have been 876 confirmed cases of measles more than triple the number of cases in the entire of 2017. This is despite the disease being declared eliminated in the UK by the World Health Organization in 2017, meaning it had not spread widely for over more than three years. MMR vaccinations are lowest in London, where they are just 85.1 per cent, and highest in the North East, with 94.5 per cent. The ten areas with the fewest children being immunised are all boroughs of the capital city dropping as low as 75 per cent in Hackney. Whereas the highest numbers of vaccinated children are in County Durham, North and South Tyneside, Cumbria, Trafford, Barnsley and Leicestershire, where more than 96 per cent received the MMR jab before their second birthday in 2018. THE 10 AREAS WITH THE MOST CHILDREN RECEIVING THE MMR VACCINE County Durham (96.9%) North Tyneside (96.7%) South Tyneside (96.7%) Cumbria (96.7%) Trafford (96.5%) Barnsley (96.5%) Leicestershire and Rutland (96%) Derbyshire (95.9%) Bolton (95.8%) Dudley (95.8%) (Percentage of children receiving their first MMR vaccine before age two, 2017-18) Source: NHS Digital Advertisement THE 10 AREAS WITH THE FEWEST CHILDREN RECEIVING THE MMR VACCINE Hackney and City of London (75%) Westminster (77.5%) Kensington and Chelsea (78%) Camden (80.2%) Croydon (80.3%) Enfield (80.6%) Hammersmith and Fulham (82.1%) Haringey (82.1%) Waltham Forest (82.4%) Newham (82.9%) (Percentage of children receiving their first MMR vaccine before age two, 2017-18) Source: NHS Digital Advertisement Professor Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, said: 'The decline in vaccine uptake is worrying particularly as many of these infections can cause serious disease and even death. 'Measles is one of the most contagious viruses out there, and to prevent outbreaks you need to have around 95 per cent of the population vaccinated to create whats known as herd immunity. 'It is really important to try to understand why people are not getting their children vaccinated so that measures can be put in place to overcome these barriers. 'If uptake continues to decline then we will see increasing numbers of outbreaks and with them, inevitably serious illness and possible death.' In the 1990s, MMR vaccine uptake was affected by a theory that it caused autism or bowel disease, after a scientist called Andrew Wakefield published a study claiming to show a link. But Wakefield's controversial study was found to be made-up, his research was discredited and he was struck off the medical register. HOW MMR VACCINATION VARIES ACROSS ENGLAND North East (94.5%) Yorkshire and Humber (93.3%) South West (93.3%) East Midlands (93.1%) North West (92.9%) East of England (92.4%) South East (91.5%) West Midlands (91.2%) London (85.1%) (Percentage of children receiving their first MMR vaccine before age two, 2017-18) Source: NHS Digital Advertisement One expert says there is no evidence anti-vaccination sentiment is on the rise in the UK, and suggests NHS pressure could be to blame for dropping numbers. Dr David Elliman, a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: 'The consistent fall in uptake over a number of years is worrying. 'It may be due to a number of factors. 'Difficulties with data collection, particularly in London, may be a factor. 'General practice, where most of the preschool immunisations are given, is under immense pressure and there is a shortage of practice nurses who actually give the vaccines. 'There is no evidence, in the UK, of any increase of concerns about vaccination.' Helen Donovan, professional lead for public health at the Royal College of Nursing said: 'For the first time last year, Britain was declared free of endemic measles, but these figures show we are turning the clock back and leaving thousands of children unprotected. 'Coverage declined in nine out of 12 of the routine vaccination measures compared to last year. 'This means immunity against deadly or life-changing diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and polio is dropping. 'These were diseases of the past - they should not be part of our future.' The new data shows the percentage of two-year-olds who received the Hib and MenC vaccine, which protects against meningitis and haemophilus influenzae type b, also declined between to 91.2 per cent in the past year. And the percentage of one-year-olds who had received the five-in-one vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and Hib declined for the fifth year in a row, reaching its lowest level since 2009. But the number who had received the vaccine by the age of two was above the target of 95 per cent. Children are now offered the six-in-one vaccine which also protects against hepatitis B. Rotavirus was the only one of 12 vaccines offered on the NHS which had an increase in coverage, from 89.6 per cent in 2017 to 90.1 per cent in 2018. Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology said: 'Vaccination saves lives. It is one of the safest and most cost-effective methods we have to prevent the spread of disease. 'Todays publication of the annual vaccination statistics for England paints a concerning picture with decreases observed in the uptake of nine of the twelve routine vaccinations. 'Lower levels of vaccination mean that these harmful diseases can spread within our communities, infecting people who have not been vaccinated, including young babies, people with compromised immune systems or people with cancer. 'We are currently witnessing the impact of this lower vaccination rate in the ongoing measles outbreak in England. 'We need to redouble efforts to ensure that vaccination rates improve and that our communities benefit from continued protection against this serious disease.' Dr Michael Edelstein of Public Health England added: 'We are seeing small reductions in uptake for most of the childhood vaccines which is why we continue to encourage all parents to get the best protection for their children by ensuring they are fully immunised. 'We are working closely with the NHS, and with staff in general practice where most vaccinations are delivered, to improve uptake.' Mehlani Dickerson is going on two years old, and has enormous, enchanting eyes befitting of a Disney princess. But her beauty is also her blight. Mehlani has a rare genetic disorder called Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome which could someday blind her. The little girl is often stopped by strangers in awe of her over-sized eyes, but the only thing that matters to her mother, Karina Martinez, is making sure Mehlani knows that what make her unique makes her beautiful. Mehlani Dickerson, nearly two, has Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes under-developed or missing irises. Her giant eyes are nearly all pupil, making her look like a Disney princess When Mehlani was born Karina could see nothing but a perfect, beautiful baby girl. Family members noticed her unusual eyes, but they didn't mention anything to Karina. Depending on its severity, the Axenfeld-Rieger is typically apparent almost immediately. Mehlani was diagnosed with the syndrome in the first week of her life. Children born with Axenfeld-Rieger often have small or nearly non-existent irises, so their eyes appear to be missing the colored part of their eyes. The hole at the center of the eye, the pupil, maybe off center, or misshapen. Some with the condition even have multiple pupils. Light enters the eye through the pupil, so children like Mehlani with unusually shaped or multiple pupils are often unusually sensitive to light. Mehlani's left eye has the hints of iris in one corner, but otherwise it is entirely pupil, as is her whole right eye. When Mehlani was born, her mother saw only her perfect baby girl (left), but other family members thought her eyes were unusual. Now nearly two (right) Mehlani still has her sight So anytime she wants to go outside - whether between her home in Minnesota and her mother's car, or to the playground to play on the swings - Mehlani must wear her glamorous lavender sunglasses to block out the sun. Mehlani had a 50 percent chance of developing a secondary condition, called glaucoma. A glaucoma is any of a number of diseases that result in a build-up of pressure in the space at front of the eye which can in turn damage the optic nerve, leading to the loss of sight. Karina and Mehlani's father, had never heard of Axenfeld-Rieger. She knew of glaucoma, but only as a disease of the elderly. 'I'd never heard of anybody being born with it though,' Karina, 21, told Daily Mail Online. Due to her rare condition, Mehlani has only the sliver of an iris in her left eye, and none at all in her right eye When she was just five months old, Mehlani's mother, Karina Martinez (right) and father Myron had to take her to surgery to replace her malformed dye drainage canals Doctors told Karina that her daughter does have glaucoma. It set in early for Mehlani, who is still shy of her second birthday. Most of time, glaucoma is diagnosed in later childhood or early adolescence. But so far, she's been lucky, maintaining her ability to see. That's partly thanks to a surgery the little girl had to have when she was just five months old. Due to her genetic condition, the drainage canals in her eyes were improperly formed, allowing fluid to build up there and aggravating her glaucoma. Without the operation, her optic nerves may have been damaged beyond repair. Now Mehlani has artificial drainage canals that have kept her eye pressure good so far. When she's inside with her glasses off, Mehlani is a magnet to curious strangers, though, leaving her mother unsure whether to spread the word about the rare condition or just accept the compliment. Mehlani's father, Myron Dickerson (left), lifted her for a kiss before surgery. Since getting artificial drainage canals, Karina (right) says Mehlani's eye pressure has been good Mehlani's giant pupils are very sensitive to sunlight, so she has to wear sunglasses any time she goes outside, but she does it in style in extra-dark lavender rimmed shades 'People always say she's so beautiful and she's s cute, but I felt conflicted because people notice something different about her eyes,' Karina says. 'And I worry about when she gets approached by any other kids about her eyes ... kids can be mean. But I teach her when people compliment her to say "thank you" and smile.' Karina recently took to Twitter sharing her dilemma: 'Every time we're out and a stranger compliments on how big & beautiful her eyes are, I have a mental debate on whether or not I should mention her defect,' Karina wrote. 'I decide no, smile & say thank you. Im always left with a weird feeling. I just pray shell always know how beautiful she is.' Karina's photos of Mehlani went viral, and her heart was warmed by the outpouring of warm words and connections she got in return. 'I'm so happy that I get to raise the awareness that I wanted. It's such a rare condition that I wanted to find someone that I could relate to,' Karina says. 'It's so nice knowing that I'm not in this alone.' Mehlani is one of just 200,000 people in the world with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, but through Twitter, her mother has found a community of support. Karina says that some 40 people have contacted her through Twitter, to say that they have children with the condition, family members or loved ones with it, or even have it themselves. 'It's reallly nice when adults message me and say that they grew up with this and they were still able to follow their dreams and do everything that other kids get to do,' Karina says. 'That's what I was concerned with, if she was even going to be able to play outside, but it's nice knowing she'll still be able to live a healthy, normal life.' Young drivers hooked in by fraudsters on social media peddling fake car insurance lose an average of 912 to the scam, new data shows. Between November 2014 and July 2018, drivers aged 17 to 24 were the most targeted, with losses totalling 164,993, Action Fraud warns. It means that on average, each individual in this age group lost 912 to so-called 'ghost brokers', fraudsters who often lure students on a tight budget with cheap cover through social media like Facebook and Instagram. Car insurance fraud: Young drivers are targeted by 'ghost brokers' on social media Ghost brokers trick people either by forging insurance documents, or falsifying details to bring the price down or by taking out a genuine policy before cancelling it soon after and claiming the refund. The latter scenario is what happened to Paul Jones, 18, who was offered what appeared to be cheap, hassle free car insurance via Instagram by someone who said they were an insurance broker. Paul decided to proceed with them and was sent his full policy documents. But after being involved in a small collision, he contacted the insurer, which said his policy had been cancelled due to discrepancies in the details provided when the policy was taken out. He then discovered that various details in the policy were incorrect. Police said the reason the broker would have given incorrect details would be to bring to the premium down. The victim tried to contact the broker, but the broker had blocked his number and was no longer on Instagram. How to avoid becoming a victim of ghost broking The City of London Police said ghost brokers often advertised their services on student websites or money-saving forums, university boards and marketplace websites. They warned youngsters to be wary of brokers using only mobile phone or email as a way of contact. 'Ghost brokers have even been reported using messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook. Fraudsters don't want to be traced after they've taken your money,' they said. If unsure, people are advised to check the Financial Conduct Authority website or the British Insurance Brokers' Association website for a full list of all authorised insurance brokers. Alternatively, you can contact the insurance company directly to verify the broker's details. Youngsters can also check to see if their car is legitimately insured on the Motor Insurance Database website. In total, Paul lost 2,200. He said: 'It's a horrible feeling and it's really impacted on my ability to get future car insurance as companies are now offering me even higher prices than before. 'I think a lack of experience and knowledge of the insurance industry was a big factor in why I was fooled. 'It's important that people around my age be wary of offers of cheap prices for car insurance and always carry out the proper checks to ensure it's legit.' Young people face some of the highest car insurance premiums and may be tempted into a cheaper looking 'deal.' According to data by Compare the Market, the cost of motor insurance for young drivers has risen to 1,234 a year. Detective Superintendent Peter Ratcliffe of the City of London Police's economic crime directorate, said: 'While offers of cheap car insurance may be tempting for students, purchasing car insurance through a ghost broker will end up costing you far more in the long run - both in terms of money and your licence.' 'It is a legal obligation to have valid car insurance - and those buying from a fraudster risk points on their driving licence, having their vehicle seized and possibly destroyed, a fixed penalty notice and being liable for claims costs if they are involved in an accident.' Students are being warned about ghost brokers as a number start - or are heading back to - university in the coming weeks. They are also being advised to change the address on their driving licence or risk a fine. Dan Hutson, head of motor insurance at Compare the Market, said: 'Students can be charged a fine of up to 1,000 if they don't update their address on their driving licence, even if they are only living at a new residence for a short amount of time such as a university term. 'The good news is that it's really easy to update your information online on the DVLA's website and, even better, you will be sent a new license free of charge.' The European Commission has launched a new investigation into the VW Group, BMW and Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler over suspicions the three vehicle manufacturers colluded to limit a roll-out of clean emissions control systems for their cars. It's alleged the German brands were in cahoots to prevent competing with each other to develop and introduce two emissions technologies that are designed to reduce harmful pollutants from vehicles. The in-depth investigation by the competition commission will aim to establish if the three breached EU anti-trust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices. Emissions probe: Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes are all being investigated by the European Commission over suspicions they were in cahoots to to limit a roll-out of clean emissions control systems for their cars The two emissions systems brought into question are selective catalytic reduction systems (SCR) and 'Otto' particulate filters (OPF). SCR reduces the level of harmful nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles, while OPF cuts down particulate matter from petrol-powered machinery. Both have been linked to the onset of premature deaths and health issues. According to reports, the inquiry focuses on suggestions that BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche the latter three of which operate under the VW Group umbrella took part in meetings where they discussed the development and use of technologies that limit harmful exhaust emissions. The Commission said, however, there was no evidence the companies had colluded to develop so-called defeat devices - the computer software that illegally turned off emissions controls found in some VW models as part of the dieselgate scandal. Volkswagen has since had to set aside 27.4billion euros (24billion or $32 billion) to cover the cost of fines, settlements, recalls and, in some cases, buyback schemes worldwide. Commenting on the latest investigation, competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: 'If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less-polluting cars, despite the technology being available to the manufacturers.' In a statement, Mercedes owner Daimler confirmed the investigation and said it was 'co-operating fully with the authorities' and had filed a leniency application but wouldn't comment further. A BMW statement also added: 'From the start of the investigation, the BMW Group has supported the commission in its work and will continue to do so. 'Due to the ongoing investigation, the BMW Group will not comment on the case.' In response to the news, Rosie Rogers, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace, said: 'It's clear the major players in the car industry can't be trusted. 'In the three years since Dieselgate we've heard a lot about investment in electric technology, but until car makers put an end date on diesel it's just a smokescreen.' The environmental organisation last month created a blockade at Volkswagen UK's head office in Milton Keynes in protest against the German car manufacturer and its diesel emissions scandal. Anti-pollution activists blocked around 800 employees from being able to enter the building. A spokeswoman for the group said activists have barricaded entrances to the building and set up a mock clinic offering health advice to staff and members of the public. BMW will cease production of cars at its UK Mini plant immediately after Britain leaves the EU next year in order to carry out what it called annual maintenance to 'minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit'. The car maker said essential updating will start on April 1 at the site in Cowley, near Oxford, and last for several weeks. And it could be a sign of things to come for the nation's third-biggest car builder, with production efforts potentially reduced under plans for parts to be made in China at a reduced cost, says one report. Closed for a month: BMW will start its annual maintenance work at its Mini plant in Oxford the day after the UK is scheduled to leave the EU to 'minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit' Speaking about the month-long closure, a Mini statement released on Tuesday said: 'Planned annual maintenance periods at BMW Group production sites allow essential updating and equipment replacement to be completed over several weeks, while there is no production taking place. 'As a responsible organisation, we have scheduled next year's annual maintenance period at Mini Plant Oxford to start on 1 April, when the UK exits the EU, to minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit. 'While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it. 'We remain committed to our operations in Britain, which is the only country in the world where we manufacture for all three of our automotive brands.' BMW's announcement follows warnings from the motor industry and trade unions about the impact of a no-deal Brexit. Jaguar Land Rover announced on Monday that up to 3,000 employees at its Castle Bromwich plant will work a reduced three-day week until Christmas. This is due to reduced demand in light of the recent decline in sales of diesel models. Approximately 90 per cent of Jaguar sales are diesels, especially saloon models like the XE, XF and XJ, all of which are built at the Midlands facility. A spokesman said: 'In light of the continuing headwinds impacting the car industry, we are making some temporary adjustments to our production schedules at Castle Bromwich.' Honda said on Tuesday that a no-deal Brexit would cost it tens of millions of pounds. The closure at the Oxford plant will last for 'several weeks', according to a Mini statement released on Tuesday The annual maintenance has been brought forward from the summer Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said 'chaotic management' of Brexit negotiations by the Government had created uncertainty across the UK's automotive industry and the manufacturing sector generally. He said: 'Maintenance work and preparing the Cowley plant for the new electric mini would usually have taken place in the summer months, but faced with the UK Government's shambolic approach to Brexit negotiations and the looming chaos of a no-deal, BMW has taken the sensible step to bring forward this essential work. 'BMW's decision underlines the uncertainty facing one of the UK's flagship industries. 'Unite is working with businesses like BMW to mitigate the worst effects of the Tories' Brexit chaos, but working people are losing out as the uncertainty bites and carmakers stall on investment plans. 'Theresa May's Tory Government needs to stop gambling with UK jobs and the future of one of the jewels in Britain's manufacturing crown by getting a Brexit deal that secures frictionless trade and tariff-free access to the European Union.' The updates to the facility will help preparations for the assembly of the new Mini Electric Autocar says a current deal with Chinese firm Great Wall to produce components for the electrified Mini could also be extended to the non-electric model due in 2023 Reports from automotive title Autocar suggests that BMW bosses are also in the midst of a radical rethink when it comes to future Mini production plans. The magazine said it believes a 2019 mid-life facelift for the existing Mini has already been canned as part of the planning overhaul, and the release of a new fourth-generation hatchback has been pushed back - along with all other new model releases - until 2023. This could make way for the Oxford factory to extend a shared production deal with Chinese manufacturer Great Wall, with the latter making parts that will then be shipped to Cowley for assembly. Great Wall already produces components for the forthcoming Mini Electric, and the reports claim it could do the same for the next-generation conventional Mini. The Cowley facility was the third biggest UK car maker in 2017, behind Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan's Sunderland plant. It produced 218,885 units last year - up almost four per cent year on year. Icy volcanoes have erupted throughout the history of Ceres, but such continuous activity has not had the same extensive impact on the dwarf planet's surface as standard volcanism on Earth A new paper "Cryovolcanic Rates on Ceres Revealed by Topography" appearing in Nature Astronomy. Cryovolcanoes erupt liquid or gaseous volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane instead of spewing molten rock like seen on Earth. Salty water is likely the major component of cryolavas on Ceres. Michael M. Sori of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory is lead author, and Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Hanna G. Sizemore is second author. Ceres, around which NASA's Dawn spacecraft continues to orbit, offers the best opportunity to test the significance of cryovolcanism on outer space system bodies, compared to regular volcanism on terrestrial planets like Earth. "There was a great deal of interest in searching for cryovolcanoes on Ceres as soon as Dawn arrived there, because thermal models had predicted they might exist. Ahuna Mons was a great candidate right away. I carried out a global search that identified 31 other large domes, based on analysis of Dawn's Framing Camera images and topography data," Sizemore said. "Making the case that they were volcanic was difficult because they were more ancient than Ahuna and the surfaces were heavily cratered. In this study, we were able to compare the shapes of the mountains to numerical models of how they should relax over time if they were made out of icy lava. That strengthened the case that they were volcanic features, and let us make comparisons to volcanism on other planets." Finite Element Method models were used to analyze images from Dawn to show Ceres has experienced cryovolcanism throughout its geologic history, with an average surface extrusion rate of about 10,000 cubic meters per year, orders of magnitude lower than that of basaltic volcanism on the terrestrial planets. "We measured the height and diameter of 22 domes, and from this calculated the aspect ratio and volume of each. We assumed that they all started out sharply peaked like the youngest mountain, Ahuna Mons. We then calculated the time it would take them to flatten to their current shape, using a numerical model of viscous relaxation," said Sizemore. "This allowed us to assign approximate ages to the majority of the domes, cross check the model ages with other constraints, and approximate the rate at which the domes formed over the past 1 billion years. Having the volumes of the domes and the rate of formation on Ceres, we could then make direct comparisons to other worlds." "Given how small Ceres is, and how quickly it cooled off after its formation, it would be exciting to identify only one or two possible cryovolcanoes on the surface. To identify a large population of features that may be cryovolcanoes would suggest a long history of volcanism extending up to nearly the present day, which is tremendously exciting," said Sizemore. "Ceres is a little world that ought to be 'dead,' but these new results suggest it might not be. Seeing so much potential evidence for cryovolcanism on Ceres also lends more weight to discussions of cryovolcanic processes on larger icy moons in the outer solar system, where it's likely more vigorous." Reference: "Cryovolcanic Rates on Ceres Revealed by Topography," Michael M. Sori et al., 2018 Sep. 17, Nature Astronomy [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0574-1]. Sizemore's research was funded by NASA's Dawn at Ceres Guest Investigator program to the Planetary Science Institute. The Planetary Science Institute is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to solar system exploration. It is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, where it was founded in 1972. PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and international missions, the study of Mars and other planets, the Moon, asteroids, comets, interplanetary dust, impact physics, the origin of the solar system, extra-solar planet formation, dynamics, the rise of life, and other areas of research. They conduct fieldwork on all continents around the world. They also are actively involved in science education and public outreach through school programs, children's books, popular science books and art. PSI scientists are based in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and work from various locations around the world. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Advertisement After images of Ferrari's new limited-run supercar, called the Monza, were leaked online, the iconic Italian brand has releases official shots of the ultra-exclusive model. And it's one hell of a showstopper. Photos and video taken on Tuesday at a behind-closed-doors event for the Italian manufacturer's most loyal customers previewed the new machine's extreme design that's crafted around the shape of racing cars from the 1950s. But instead of those grainy smartphone shots, these are the beautiful pictures released by Ferrari. It confirmed that two variants will be available - the SP1, with a single-seat layout, and a two-seat SP2 version, both of which will cost over 1million, come with no roof and feel like an F1 car to drive. Stunner: These are the first images of the glorious limited-edition Ferrari Monza, which was first shown at a behind-closed-doors even in Maranello on Tuesday Monza for one: Buyers will have the choice of this single-seater Monza SP1 or the addition of a second seat for a passenger for the equally beautiful Monza SP2 Having been first shown at a private viewing held at Ferrari's headquarters, more details about the limited-edition supercar were released on Tuesday evening. The company said the car will be aimed at the brand's 'dedicated clients and collectors' and will hark back to the iconic Ferrari racing barchettas of the past, including the 1948 166 MM and the 750 and 860 Monza. Just 500 will reportedly be built and cost in excess of 1million each. The SP1 is said to be designed as an 'uncompromising single-seat road car' while the SP2 extends that package to include a passenger. The second configuration also get the addition of a second protective screen and a second roll-bar. It will be powered by the most potent engine the Maranello outfit has ever made available for the road - an 810hp 6.5-litre V12, which is an upgraded version of the same motor used in the existing 812 Superfast. That's more horsepower than the 6.3-litre V12 engine in the LaFerrari hypercar, which produces 800hp (though combined with the electric motor the hybrid produces an unmatched 963hp). The limited run car - of which only 500 will be made - will be available as a single-seat SP1 or this beautiful two-seat SP2 version The car will be based on the current Ferrari 812 Superfast and use the same 6.5-litre V12 engine, though upgraded for better performance With 810hp, it's the most potent road car Ferrari has ever released. It will accelerate at a lightening pace, hitting 62mph from a standstill in just 2.9 seconds That means it will accelerate at a lightening pace, hitting 62mph from a standstill in just 2.9 seconds. The 124mph mark is smashed in just 7.9 seconds, Ferrari states. As for the top speed, though unconfirmed, it is likely to exceed the 211mph maximum of the 812 Superfast. This is mainly thanks to the Monza weighing in significantly lighter than the model it's based on - in part because it has no roof at all. Ferrari confirmed the entirety of the bodywork is carbon fibre, while the chassis is said to be aluminium to make it as flyweight as possible. Up front, the low-slung nose is similar to a 1950s racer, while the rear is a simple design with a full-width light bar and quad exhaust outlets The elegant design of the Monza harks back to racing barchettas of the 1950s, with the interior materials designed to replicate the style of those found in Ferraris half a century ago The result of having no roof at all means the exposed cabin gives the driver a feeling of blistering speed that is 'normally only experienced by Formula 1 drivers', according to Ferrari The Italian supercar builder said the form of the vehicle is based around an aerodynamic wing profile, with the complete absence of a roof and windscreen allowing the design team to create some incredible angles. The result of an exposed cabin also creates a blistering feeling of speed Ferrari says is 'normally only experienced by Formula 1 drivers'. Up front, the low-slung nose is similar to a 1950s racer, while the rear is a simple design with a full-width light bar and quad exhaust outlets. The flanks of the Monza taper dramatically towards the rear, exposing a pair of haunched wheel arches at the back. The stunning design is part of Ferrari's new mission to create a stream of limited-edition, high-cost, models Both versions of the Monza feature upward-opening doors and a clamshell bonnet that can be lifted forward to expose the powerhouse of an engine underneath Other styling highlights include upward-opening doors and a clamshell bonnet that can be lifted forward to expose the powerhouse of an engine lurking underneath. While extreme in its design, it's not entirely unique. Jaguar's 130,000 F-Type Project 7 - of which 250 we made in 2015 - has a similar finned read deck, while the 75-only 1million Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss from 2009 also has an exposed cabin with tiny windscreens for the driver and passenger. There's also Ferrari's own Conciso - a roofless concept created in 1993 (which you can read more about below). Ferrari says the Monza will be aimed at the brand's 'dedicated clients and collectors', which will ultimately mean a huge price tag We have seen similar examples before, such as the 130k Jaguar F-Type Project 7 (left). The closest thing to the Monza is possibly the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss (right), which cost around 1m and only 75 we made This is Ferrari's Concisco concept car from 1993. While it didn't make production, it was road legal and was recently sold at auction (find out more below) The Monza - which shares its name with the famous Italian race track - will be the first new model launched since the passing of chief executive Sergio Marchionne in July. Part of his plans were for the brand to increase its production volumes and grow the number of limited-run special models. New chief executive officer Louis Camilleri will now look to spearhead the project, which aims to double the company's profit to 2billion euros ($2.3billion) by 2022. The Monza is part of Ferrari's latest efforts to double its profits to 2billion euros ($2.3billion) by 2022 with increased production volumes, new limited-run cars like this and a forthcoming SUV Want one? Being a limited edition Ferrari, the likelihood is that all of them are already promised to valued customers Slide me Reports suggest the Monza (left) will be heavily based on the Ferrari 812 Superfast (right) and uses the same engine Back in May, Ferrari revealed the last example of a special edition model. Called the SP38 and revealed in May, it's a one-off car based on the 488. Ferrari is also due to release its first ever SUV as part of the project. Despite no price being quoted by Ferrari, the exclusivity of the model is likely to see it carry a price tag in excess of 1million. Ferrari's last limited-edition open top car - the LaFerrari Aperta - cost 1.6million. In a reversal of the usual dire Brexit warnings, Swedish cider maker Kopparberg could start production in the UK. While several companies are making preparations for bases outside the UK, the Swedish drink maker is instead said to be looking to open a small-scaled production of cider in the country, as Britain is one of its key markets. Kopparberg could then ramp up production of its fruit-flavoured ciders in the UK to respond to market demand, according to internal correspondence seen by the Press Association. But its not all good news down the pub, as drinkers have also been warned that beer prices could rise substantially in months to come. Investing in the UK? Kopparberg makes one of the UK's favourite fruit-flavoured ciders Reports suggest that the price of beer is set to rise by up to 16 per cent over the next six months, after the summers prolonged heatwave damaged crops and pushed up ingredient prices. The average price of a pint could go up by 59p to 4.28, according to research by investment bank Berenberg. It says that stocks of barley a key ingredient of beer are at their lowest since 1984, resulting in a 40 per cent increase in wholesale costs. Kopparberg, whose flavours range from raspberry to blueberry & lime, is one of the UKs top selling ciders at pubs and bars. They are served at more than 30,000 venues around the country. However, it is still unclear where the production facility would be located or how many jobs would be created as a result. On the rise: The average price of a pint could go up by 59p to 4.28, according to research Even Brexiteer Tim Martin, the chairman of pub chain JD Wetherspoon, has kept the Swedish cider in its bars, despite removing other several EU-made products from the menu. Our biggest bottled cider supplier is the excellent Kopparberg of Sweden, Martin said in June. Kopparberg has said that it will transfer production to the UK post-Brexit. Any cider made under the brands name in the UK would be the first to be produced outside of Sweden. The brewerys origins in the Swedish town of Kopparberg date back to 1882. It was re-established in 1994 by brothers Peter and Dan-Anders Bronsman. Champagne producers and supermarkets have had to cut prices to boost sales Classic brand Moet & Chandon champagne now costs as little as 28 from 32 English sparkling wine prices are going up because of a lack of supply of grapes French champagne has been hit so hard by price wars it is now cheaper than English sparkling wine, new research reveals. Competition from cheap and cheerful prosecco has forced fancy French brands to cut prices to in order to keep their sales bubbling. ADVERTISEMENT Famous names such as Bollinger and Moet now cost less than English versions of the fizzy drink as demand for home grown wine continues to soar. Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial (pictured) dropped from 32 in 2016 to 28 this year Bollinger Special Cuvee (pictured) - a favourite of Joanna Lumley's boozy character Patsy in TV comedy AbFab - is now 31, down from 42 last year The cost of champagne has gone down in the past few years, while the price of English sparkling wines are going up, researchers say. Tesco Finest Premier Cru champagne cost 19 in 2017, but is now selling for 15.20. Click here to resize this module Similarly Sainsbury's Blanc Noirs champagne was 22.25 in 2014, but is now 19.00. It's not just supermarket own brands that are plunging in price. Tesco Finest Premier Cru champagne (pictured) cost 19 in 2017, but is now selling for 15.20 Sainsbury's Blanc Noirs champagne (pictured) was 22.25 in 2014, but has dropped down to 19.00 Moet & Chandon champagne cost 32 two years ago, but is now 28, while Bollinger Special Cuvee - a favourite of Joanna Lumley's boozy character Patsy in TV comedy AbFab - is now 31, down from 42 last year. Moet & Chandon Rose champagne is down from 40 last year to 32 now and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut champagne is down 10 to 30 in the past year. But bubbly fans who want to stay patriotic and buy home-grown fizz are being forced to shell out more. Tesco Finest English sparkling wine is up from 17.50 to 18.50 in a year, Nyetimber Classic Cuvee English sparkling wine cost 32 last year but is up to 35 now. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut champagne (pictured) is down 10 to 30 in the past year Chapel Down Reserve Brut English sparkling Wine is now 24, up from 22.00 last year. Food and drink expert Martin Isark, founder of the Can I Eat It phone app, said: 'There is no better time to buy champagne. 'Many well known champagne brands are cheaper than they were a year ago. ADVERTISEMENT 'While it may be boom time for English sparkling wine producers their prices are increasing big-time. He said the popularity of prosecco has forced champagne producers to cut prices and boost sales. Moet & Chandon Rose champagne (pictured) is down from 40 last year to 32 this year He said: 'Over the past three years prosecco has had had a massive surge in sales and this has taken a big chunk away from the bottom end of the champagne market.' English sparkling wine prices are going up because of a lack of supply. Planting a new vineyard so that the grapes are ready to make wine will take at least three years and the sparkling wine process will take least another year or often much longer. A spokesman for Wines of Great Britain said: 'English sparkling wine has seen supreme success over the last two decades - quite simply because it has challenged others globally and won. 'What we don't have compared to other main sparkling wine regions is the quantity and while our production is rising, our prices reflect the quality of our wines and the care that goes in to producing them.' The grieving mother of a 13-year-old girl who was stabbed to death in 2016 testifies in court on the first day of a former Virginia Tech student who was charged as an accessory in the teen's death. Tammy Weeks-Dowdy, the mother of Nicole Lovell, who was stabbed to death by David Eisenhauer, was the first to testify in the case of his friend, Natalie Keepers, on Tuesday. Weeks-Dowdy recalled the last night she saw her daughter alive. Photos of Weeks-Dowell show her overcome with emotion as she had to look at autopsy photos of her 13-year-old daughter. Tammy Weeks-Dowdy (left), the grieving mother of 13-year-old, Nicole Lovell, who was stabbed to death in 2016 testifies in court on the first day of former Virginia Tech student, Natalie Keepers (right), who was charged as an accessory in the teen's death Keepers (center) is charged with being an accessory before the fact to first-degree murder in Lovell's death Lovell (left) was a Blacksburg middle school student who had a relationship with Keepers' (right) friend, David Eisenhauer Keepers is charged with being an accessory before the fact to first-degree murder in Lovell's death. Lovell was a Blacksburg middle school student who had a relationship with Eisenhauer. Keepers, of Laurel, Maryland, and Eisenhauer, of Columbia, Maryland, were both freshmen engineering students at Virginia Tech when Lovell was killed. Eisenhauer is serving a 50-year sentence after pleading no contest to first-degree murder and other charges. Keepers, now 21, pleaded guilty to concealing Lovell's body in August, but has denied helping Eisenhauer plan the killing, as prosecutors allege. Prosecutors have said Keepers told police she and Eisenhauer talked about various ways to kill the girl and admitted she later helped dump her body in North Carolina after Eisenhauer stabbed her. She insisted that she wasn't present for the actual killing. Eisenhauer (left) is serving a 50-year sentence after pleading no contest to first-degree murder and other charges. Prosecutors said Eisenhauer killed Lovell (right) because he feared she would expose their relationship Prosecutors have said Keepers told police she and Eisenhauer talked about various ways to kill the girl and admitted she later helped dump her body in North Carolina after Eisenhauer stabbed her. A photograph of Lovell is shown to the jury on Tuesday During Eisenhauer's trial, prosecutors said Eisenhauer met Lovell online and communicated with her for months before meeting her in person. They said he subsequently killed her because he feared she would expose their relationship. Prosecutors have said that Keepers told police that Eisenhauer feared Lovell could've be pregnant. Keepers said Eisenhauer told her he might have had sex with Lovell at a party, but couldn't remember because he blacked out and later woke up in a ditch. A medical examiner testified that she had 14 stab wounds, including a lethal wound to her neck. Keepers' trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court is expected to last about two weeks. The Crown's Jared Harris has revealed co-star John Lithgow is actually the highest paid actor on the show - putting main character Claire Foy even further below her male counterparts on the pay scale. The British-born actor, who played King George VI on the hit Netflix series, said Lithgow secured the biggest deal for season one for his role as Winston Churchill because he was the 'main name.' Speaking to DailyMailTV at the BAFTA LA and BBC America party on Saturday, he said: 'John Lithgow was the main name in that show. No one got paid more than him, but no one should get paid more than him, because of his experience and his career and the marquee that he brings. 'Matt [Smith] and Claire of course they should - it makes sense. They're both pulling the same weight. So yeah, it makes sense.' Scroll down for video John Lithgow who played Winston Churchill on Netflix series The Crown was the highest paid actor on the show despite having less screen time than co-star and main role Claire Foy Speaking at the BAFTA LA and BBC America party red carpet, Jared Harris, who played King George VI in the first season of the Netflix drama, told DailyMailTV that Lithgow secured the biggest deal for season one because he was the 'main name' Producers of the Emmy-nominated historical drama series were forced to address the pay gap between Foy and her co-star Matt Smith earlier this year after it was revealed she was paid significantly less despite having the titular role and more screen time. Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons, was paid $40,000 (29,000) per episode. It is unknown how much Smith, who played Prince Philip, was paid, but reports indicate the actress was expected to receive about $260,000 (200,000) in back pay. Producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries admitted Smith made more due to his fame at the time from his role on popular BBC series Doctor Who, according to Variety. However, they did not explain why Foy continued to earn less than in the second season, after she eclipsed his fame with her award-winning performance. Harris, 47, has previously spoken out on the issue and had blamed production company Leftbank Pictures for the pay disparity. 'I got into trouble for vocalizing my reaction and was asked not to give one, but all I'll say is that it's got nothing to do with Matt,' he said. 'The actors don't negotiate other people's contracts. It has nothing to do with Matt. Really, her agent should have done a better job as well.' When asked why he got in trouble, Harris replied: 'Well again, I don't want to dig into it, but I said something, it got picked up virally. I understand that they've resolved it, but shouldn't they? Yes, of course they should. No one is saying that.' The American-born actor, 72, has received numerous accolades for his role as Winston Churchill (pictured) In March, it was revealed Foy, who plays the lead, Queen Elizabeth II (pictured) was paid significantly less than her co-star Matt Smith (left) despite having the main role He added: 'There's nuance to it, but yes, it seems like a no brainer that they would be on parity. I am glad it got resolved.' Smith has also been vocal about the issue describing it a 'great mistake' in an interview with Larry King earlier this year. 'Claire was the lead in the show, she worked the hardest, she should have been paid the most. It was a great mistake,' he said. Left Bank Pictures, which is owned by Netflix, later issued a statement apologizing to the actors for the situation. The full statement, released to Variety, read: 'We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the centre of a media storm this week through no fault of their own. 'Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity. 'As the producers of The Crown, we at Left Bank Pictures are responsible for budgets and salaries; the actors are not aware of who gets what, and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues.' Harris has claimed Foy was remunerated, but in July the actress suggested that there hadn't been any talks about back pay. 'That was what was reported, that I was back-paid,' she told Dubai-based news channel Al Arabiya. Foy, won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series on Monday night. Above she is pictured with co-star Matt Smith, who was also nominated for an Emmy. Smith has been vocal about the issue describing the pay disparity a 'great mistake' and saying Foy should have been paid the most 'I've never mentioned anything about it and neither have the producers. 'The fact that that is "fact" is not quite correct.' Both Smith and Foy were both nominated for an Emmy award on Monday night for their roles of Prince Phillip and The Queen. The actress took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Harris, who is currently a lead on The Terror on AMC, added that being a key figure in the first series of The Crown was important for his career progress in the USA. 'Anytime you're in something that gets a lot of attention, that's puts a lot of momentum on your career, it's quite hard to get anywhere without being in a hit. 'You need to be in hits. Do you know what I mean? You don't need to be in hits to be good at what you do, but for people to hire you. So of course it makes a difference that way. People feel more confident in giving you roles. It's silly. Like you just look at your work. It's not the way it works.' Harris joined stars like Thandie Newton and Henry Winkler at the BAFTA TV Tea bash in LA, which is a must-attend staple fixture on the Emmy weekend calendar and welcomes celebrities, television executives and Emmy Nominees from the U.K., U.S. and beyond. The party has a long tradition of recognizing the very best global TV talent, and is hugely popular with nominees seeking a respite from the hectic and demanding season. A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon, Yusaku Maezawa, will be the first man to fly on a monster SpaceX rocket for an approximately seven-day trip around the Moon as early as 2023, and he plans to bring six to eight artists along. Maezawa, 42, will be the first lunar traveler since the last U.S. Apollo mission in 1972. He paid an unspecified amount of money for the privilege. 'Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the Moon,' Maezawa said at SpaceX headquarters and rocket factory in Hawthorne, California, in the middle of metropolitan Los Angeles, late Monday. 'This is my lifelong dream.' Maezawa is chief executive of Japan's largest online fashion mall, and is the 18th richest person in Japan with a fortune of $3 billion, according to the business magazine Forbes. He is the founder of ZOZO, a global company based in Japan where people can buy clothing online. A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon, Yusaku Maezawa, will be the first man to fly on a monster SpaceX rocket around the Moon as early as 2023, and he plans to bring six to eight artists along SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk (left) shakes hands with Maezawa (right) after announcing him as the first private passenger on a trip around the moon Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, has drawn attention in recent months over his erratic behavior Maezawa's other hobby is amassing valuable works of modern art and last year, he announced the acquisition of a Jean-Michel Basquiat masterpiece worth $110.5million. His love of art led him to decide to invite artists to come along for the trip, he said. 'I would like to invite six to eight artists from around the world to join me on this mission to the Moon,' Maezawa said. 'They will be asked to create something after they return to Earth. These masterpieces will inspire the dreamer within all of us.' On his Instagram account, Maezawa posted a photo of himself looking at the prototype of what is likely the rocket that will be used to launch him toward the moon. He wrote on his caption: 'My mission to go around the moon, as the first private passenger, will represent the imagination and curiosity of all people. 'I will make this a meaningful journey with SpaceX on the BFR launch vehicle.' ROCK DRUMMER TO BILLIONAIRE: WHO IS YUSAKU MAEZAWA? An undated file photo shows Yusaku Maezawa, 42, the founder and CEO of Zozo, Japan's largest online fashion retailer Before he became a billionaire fashion entrepreneur, Yusaku Maezawa was an indie rock band member who decided to skip college after seeing all the tired faces on my morning commutes in Japan. Born in 1975 in Chiba prefecture in Japan, Maezawa graduated from the prestigious Waseda Jitugyo High School in 1991. It was there that he started SWITCH STYLE, an indie rock band which eventually released an EP in 1995. After graduating, he followed his then-girlfriend to the United States, where he collected CDs and records of musicians he loved. Born in 1975 in Chiba prefecture in Japan, Maezawa (seen above playing the drums) graduated from the prestigious Waseda Jitugyo High School in 1991. It was there that he started SWITCH STYLE, an indie rock band which eventually released an EP in 1995 In 1995, he returned to Japan and started an import CD and record mail-order business. His business succeeded, and he began to branch out. In 2000, he created an online retail business. That same year, his band signed with BMG Japan and debuted an album. His company, Start Today Inc, also began to sell clothing. In 2004, Start Today began Zozotown, the site made a killing selling clothes from shops such as Japanese boutique United Arrows and minimal French label A.P.C. Zozotowns success turned its founder, Maezawa, into one of Japans richest entrepreneurs, and its name adorns a baseball stadium. Maezawa made his fortune by founding ZOZO, an online clothing retailer which he started in Japan and built into a billion-dollar business The website set itself apart in its early days with a clean, uncluttered design and a slice of Ura-Hara style - the modish fashion of the backstreets that line the trend-setting Harajuku district of Tokyo. Business took off as fashion-conscious professionals in their late twenties and early thirties started using Zozotown to buy trendy but work-appropriate threads online from labels such as United Arrows and Nano Universe. Its target is now broader, selling over 6,800 brands including clothes by Shimamura Co Ltd, one of Japans largest mass market chains. But industry executives say it still has an enviable cachet. It continued to grow until 2007, when it went public and was listed in Tokyo Mothers Market. In recent years, Maezawa has used his wealth to buy famous and pricey works of art. In 2016, he spent $57.2million for a piece by Jean-Michel Basquiat. A year later, he shelled out a whopping $110.5million at auction in Sotheby's for another Basquiat piece - this one titled Untitled (as seen above) In 2016, he spent $57.2million for a piece by Jean-Michel Basquiat. A year later, he shelled out a whopping $110.5million at auction in Sotheby's for another Basquiat piece - this one titled Untitled. Hes also bought works by Christopher Wool, one of which he paid $13.9million, as well as Richard Prince. In 2007, Maezawa spent $9.7million on Princes Runaway Nurse, which was a record. He also paid $6.9million for Lobster, by Jeff Koons. Maezawas dream is to buy up works of art and display them in his own private museum in his hometown of Chiba prefecture. Sources: Reuters, The Daily Beast Advertisement Until now, Americans are the only ones who have left Earth's orbit. A total of 24 NASA astronauts - all white men - voyaged to the Moon during the Apollo era of the 1960s and '70s. Twelve walked on the lunar surface. The first space tourist was Dennis Tito, an American businessman who in 2001 paid some $20million to fly on a Russian spaceship to the International Space Station. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described Maezawa as the 'bravest' and 'best adventurer.' 'He stepped forward,' Musk added. 'We are honored that he chose us.' Billionaire bond: Maezawa climbs onto Musk's shoulders in a photo posted on the SpaceX founder's Twitter account Maezawa is an eccentric billionaire. He decided to skip college after high school because of 'the tired faces' he saw on the morning commutes in Japan In recent years, Maezawa has made a number of splashes in the art world with huge purchases of expensive works Maezawa is seen above with Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey Maezawa has said his dream is to open his own private museum in his beloved hometown of Chiba prefecture in Japan On his Instagram account, Maezawa posted this drawing of the moon, writing: 'If Picasso had been able to see the moon up-close, what kind of paintings would he have drawn?' On his social media, Maezawa posted a photo of himself looking at the prototype of what is likely the rocket that will be used to launch him toward the moon He also wore this limited edition outfit which he sold through his company, ZOZO. The company produced just 1,000 of these suits On his social media, Maezawa posted a photo of him dressing up as a mushroom for a corporate board meeting to discuss earnings Last year Maezawa posted this photo on Instagram showing him hitting golf balls alongside American golf pro and former world number one Jordan Speith Maezawa (seen here doing a back flip into a private pool) maintains a massive social media presence On Twitter alone he has over 330,000 followers. On Instagram, he has just shy of 200,000 followers In 2012 Maezawa founded the Contemporary Art Foundation. Based in Tokyo, its mission is to 'support young artists as a pillar of the next generation of contemporary art' Musk described Maezawa (seen above) as the 'bravest' and 'best adventurer' Musk said he would not reveal the price Maezawa paid for the Moon trip, but said it would be 'free for the artists.' 'This is dangerous, to be clear. This is no walk in the park,' Musk cautioned. 'When you are pushing the frontier, it is not a sure thing. There is a chance something could go wrong.' The ride will take place aboard a Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which may not be ready for human flight for five years at least, Musk said. The BFR was first announced in 2016, and was touted as the most powerful rocket in history, even more potent than the Saturn V Moon rocket that launched the Apollo missions five decades ago. Last year, Musk said the BFR's admittedly 'ambitious' goal was to make a test flight to Mars in 2022, followed by a crewed flight to the Red Planet in 2024. This isn't the first time Musk has vowed to send tourists around the Moon. Last year, he said two paying tourists would circle the Moon in 2018, but those plans did not materialize. Musk showed off designs of the 129 yard-long BFR, which will consist of a first stage with engines and fuel systems, and a second stage with the spacecraft where the passengers will ride. Like SpaceX's existing rockets, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, the first stage can detach from the rest of the rocket and return to Earth for an upright landing. The spacecraft will continue on toward the Moon, powered by its own engines. The BFR spacecraft's shape is reminiscent of the space shuttle, the bus-like US spaceships that carried astronauts to space 135 times from 1981 to 2011. Musk has said he wants the BFR's vessel to be able to hold around 100 people, and that the launch system could one day be used to colonize the Moon and Mars in order to make humans a 'multi-planetary' species. This artist's illustration courtesy of SpaceX shows the SpaceX BFR (Big Falcon Rocket) rocket passenger spacecraft The shape of SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket, shown in an artist's illustration, is reminiscent of the space shuttle WHAT IS SPACEX'S BFR? The BFR (Big Falcon Rocket) is SpaceX's newest rocket, a super powerful launch vehicle with 31 engines and the capacity to lift 150 tons into space. It has jokingly been called the 'Big F***ing rocket' by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The top part of the BFR rocket has 40 cabins, which could hold up to six passengers. The rocket would be partially reusable and capable of flight directly from Earth to Mars. Once built, Musk believes the rocket could be used for travel on Earth - saying that passengers would be able to get anywhere in under an hour. This image shows the main body tool of SpaceX's BFR (Big F***ing Rocket) next to a Tesla Model 3 saloon. The tool will be used to build the rocket's fuselage The BFR will eventually complete all missions for SpaceX, replacing its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. Musk said in 2017 he was hopeful that the BFR would be able to launch and land at last two cargo ships on Mars by 2022. 'I feel fairly confident that we can complete the ship and launch in about five years,' Musk said. The billionaire plans a manned mission in 2024 and claims other SpaceX's products will be 'cannibalised' to pay for it. The enormous rocket has a fuel tank that can hold 1,200 tons of liquid oxygen. At nearly 348 feet (106 metres) tall, the BFR is a truly gigantic spaceship, towering over the 229-feet-tall (70 metres) Falcon Heavy rocket. The spaceship will take off and land vertically, powered by 37 'raptor' engines, to produce a liftoff thrust of 5,400 tons, lifting a total mass of 4,400 tons. Advertisement Whatever the details, SpaceX is touting an experience considerably more ambitious than space tourism plans under development by other private companies. Virgin Galactic, founded by British tycoon Richard Branson, and billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's rocket company Blue Origin, are working on trips to the edge of space that could offer tourists a chance at weightlessness for 10 minutes or so. Virgin's trip will cost about $250,000. Blue Origin's price has not been revealed. Russian and Chinese companies are also working on space tourism plans. Musk has been engrossed in controversy in recent days. Last week, he smoked pot while doing an interview during a podcast with Joe Rogan Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla Motors, has drawn attention in recent months over his erratic behavior. He has alleged that a cave diver in Thailand who helped rescue stranded boys was a 'pedo,' smoked what appeared to be marijuana on a comedian's podcast, spooked Tesla investors with comments about the future of the electric car maker, and admitted to exhaustion and use of the sleeping pill Ambien. But so far this year, his space firm has also kept up a schedule outpaced only by the Chinese government, making 15 launches with its Falcon 9 rocket. Next year, SpaceX - which has received billions in NASA funding to ferry supplies to the ISS and build a crew vehicle - hopes to become the first private company to send astronauts to the space station. British and French fishermen have struck a deal to end the long-running scallop war, it was reported last night. From today, British boats over 15 metres long will be banned from fishing off the coast of Normandy for the next six weeks to allow stocks to recover. The deal comes after boats collided and fishermen hurled stones at each other in a violent skirmish in August. Smaller boats will still be allowed to fish in the area under the new deal, details of which were reported by the BBC last night. Last night, Derek Meredith, skipper of the Joanna C, one of the boats involved in Augusts scallop fight, told the Daily Mail: Its nice to see an agreement but the deal doesnt change much. 'We could still encounter more problems. They should have been prosecuted. Pictured: The long-running scallop war which reignited off the coast of Normany, France British fishermen said their French counterparts had hurled rocks and metal shackles at them Vince Cable fumbled his plan to ridicule Brexiteers for enjoying an 'erotic spasm' today as he misspoke and instead said it was an 'exotic sprasm'. The Liberal Democrat leader, making what is likely to be the final conference speech of his frontline political career, pleaded for a second Brexit referendum. But after his aides briefed he would use the bizarre phrase, Sir Vince appeared to hesitate when the crucial moment came. Last night Brexiteers poured scorn on the speech, saying his remarks were 'bizarre' and an insult to democracy. Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable (pictured making his main conference speech today) said the 'economic pain' of Brexit would be felt by those least able to afford it, and launched an attack on Conservative MP Jacob Rees Mogg The Liberal Democrat leader (pictured speaking in Brighton today) will also describe leaving the EU as a 'dream behind closed doors' for Brexit 'fundamentalists'. After his aides briefed he would use the bizarre phrase, Sir Vince (pictured during his speech today) appeared to hesitate when the crucial moment came. In his conference speech, Sir Vince said: 'For the 'True Believers' the fundamentalists the costs of Brexit have always been irrelevant. 'Years of economic pain justified by the ''exotic sprasm'' of leaving the European Union. Economic pain felt, of course, not by them, but by those least able to afford it. 'And the latest piece of nastiness from Jacob Rees-Mogg calling into question the right of Europeans to stay in Britain and of Britons to stay in Europe: creating unnecessary worry and insecurity for millions.' He added: 'The public don't mind what these people dream about behind closed doors so long as their dreams don't become nightmares for the rest of us.' Sir Vince said that people 'felt sorry' for Theresa May and called on her to show leadership and support a second referendum. He said: 'She is dutifully delivering a policy she doesn't really believe in - failing in negotiations, losing public support - and all to appease a dwindling group of angry people in her party who will denounce her as a traitor, whatever she comes up with.' Brexiteers dismissed the speech. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'Given the bizarre analogies used by Vince Cable, I hope he never accuses another politician of courting controversy to get a headline. 'His remarks are a huge insult to the 17.4million people who voted to Leave the EU and those of us in Parliament who cherish and respect democracy.' Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'Is this the only way the Lib Dems can get anyone to pay the slightest attention to their otherwise dull conference? 'Sir Vince is a thoroughly decent man so it is all rather sad that his leadership has descended to a cheap sound bite.' Ex Lib Dem leader Tim Farron teased his successor on Twitter after he stumbled over the much-trailed joke In his wide-ranging speech Sir Vince (pictured as he left the stage in Brighton) hit out at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for hiring 'hard-left boot boys' to do his dirty work 'intimidating' colleagues In his wide-ranging speech Sir Vince hit out at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for hiring 'hard-left boot boys' to do his dirty work 'intimidating' colleagues. The ex-business secretary said: 'I don't accept the idea that it is some form of racism to want immigration to be managed like other parts of the economy. 'To dismiss all Brexit voters as racists is simply wrong and utterly counter-productive.' Sir Vince said parts of the country felt 'left behind' and the Lib Dems had to combat the false perception that overall immigration had damaged wages. 'Deindustrialisation, globalisation ... all these 'tions' that were supposed to represent progress have often meant a move from skilled and respected jobs to crap jobs - from certainty to insecurity.' Vince Cable (right) shaking hands with businesswoman Gina Miller (left). Mrs Miller is supporting a campaign for a People's Vote, but ruled out standing to become Liberal Democrat leader after Cable's term expires Liberal Britain: Liberal Democrat supporters gather for their conference in Brighton. Mr Clegg, who was deputy prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats through the coalition, said there was a narrative that the party 'sold their soul' and 'went along with a savage, ideological approach to austerity' Yesterday former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg told the conference that David Cameron was a good coalition prime minister but a bad Conservative one. Sir Nick said that after 'getting rid' of the Lib Dems in 2015, Mr Cameron's brief period of rule with a Tory majority was an 'absolute disaster'. He also contradicted deputy Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson's speech to the Lib Dem conference calling on the party to 'own its failures' during the coalition years. He added that the party should stop 'raking over the coals' and accept the coalition was positive. Sir Nick said he was 'proud' of his record in government. He said: 'You can't go around constantly licking your wounds. You've got to broadly say whether you're happy with the decisions you made and I emphatically am.' 'There is this narrative hung round the Lib Dem party's neck that we sold our soul, merrily went along with a savage, ideological approach to austerity which deliberately penalised the poor. It is simply not true.' He also said he could not be the British equivalent of French President Emmanuel Macron, who formed a centrist alternative to the main political parties with his En Marche movement. 'I'd love to think some sort of British Macron would come charging over the horizon and save us all from Brexit,' he said. 'But the secret to these breakthrough characters is precisely that they arrive relatively unencumbered by baggage. New characters will emerge to lead that political renewal.' Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller gave the conference's keynote speech but said she was not party political and had no desire to lead the Lib Dems. A U.S. House of Representative hopeful once again criticized Trump's administration of handling Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, days after revealing her grandfather was among those who died in the storm's aftermath. Progressive Democrat congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reiterated her position Monday on Edicion Digital, Univision's daily midday newscast, a day after bashing President Donald Trump on CNN's State of the Union. 'What we need to do right now is recognize that the tragedy still exists in Puerto Rico,' Ocasio-Cortez said on Univision. 'There are still people who don't have their homes. There are still people that don't have access to clean water and there are still people that still don't have electricity in their towns. ... He is not the president of all the people here in the United States. He wants to be the president for some people in the United States.' Progressive Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Monday that President Donald Trump 'is not the president of all the people here in the United States' As a host of CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed the Trump administration treats Puerto Ricans as 'second-class citizens' The US House of Representative candidate called for the congressional support of a $146 million Marshall Plan bill to help the island the island recover from its worst natural disaster. Last Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez took President Donald Trump to task after his tweet dismissed the official death toll in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. '3,000 did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths,' Trump wrote. 'As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000...' The late August revelation of an independent study conducted by researchers at The George Washington University raised the number of deaths from Hurricane Maria to an estimated 2,975 from 64. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Progressive Democrat from New York who is running for the U.S. House of Representative, criticized President Trump last week for treatment of Puerto Rico Early Thursday Trump vented on Twitter that the 3,000 was inflated and exaggerated He claimed the exaggeration was engineered by Democrats to portray the president in a bad light following Hurricane Maria and Irma 'My own grandfather died in the aftermath of the storm. Uncounted. Thousands of Puerto Ricans have similar stories. They have lost children, friends, & family members,' Ocasio-Cortez responded on her Twitter account. 'Instead of finger-pointing, INVEST in the Marshall Plan for Puerto Rico + just transition to renewable energy.' Ocasio-Cortez was also critical of Puerto Rico's political status as a Commonwealth on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning. The up-and-coming U.S. House of Representative hopeful, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the Trump administration treats Puerto Ricans as 'second-class citizens' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says people living in Puerto Rico still don't have water and electricity a year after the island was slammed by Hurricane Maria The island's current standing as an unincorporated territory with no voting rights in congress, she said, is equaled to a 'modern-day colonial relationship'. 'Puerto Ricans are technically American citizens but do not have the right to vote [in federal elections]. They are treated in completely different ways as normal American citizens are,' Ocasio-Cortez said. 'And for that reason you have the chronic neglect of the island. It is acute situations like this in which Puerto Ricans continue to be treated like second-class citizens. They did not even have the capacity to choose this President, yet they continue to suffer at the hands of this administration.' NASA's newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is now providing valuable data to help scientists discover and study exciting new exoplanets, or planets beyond our solar system. Part of the data from TESS's initial science orbit includes a detailed picture of the southern sky taken with all four of the spacecraft's wide-field cameras. This "first light" science image captures a wealth of stars and other objects, including systems previously known to have exoplanets. "In a sea of stars brimming with new worlds, TESS is casting a wide net and will haul in a bounty of promising planets for further study," said Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This first light science image shows the capabilities of TESS's cameras, and shows that the mission will realize its incredible potential in our search for another Earth." TESS acquired the image using all four cameras during a 30-minute period on Tuesday, Aug. 7. The black lines in the image are gaps between the camera detectors. The images include parts of a dozen constellations, from Capricornus to Pictor, and both the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the galaxies nearest to our own. The small bright dot above the Small Magellanic Cloud is a globular cluster -- a spherical collection of hundreds of thousands of stars -- called NGC 104, also known as 47 Tucanae because of its location in the southern constellation Tucana, the Toucan. Two stars, Beta Gruis and R Doradus, are so bright they saturate an entire column of pixels on the detectors of TESS's second and fourth cameras, creating long spikes of light. "This swath of the sky's southern hemisphere includes more than a dozen stars we know have transiting planets based on previous studies from ground observatories," said George Ricker, TESS principal investigator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research in Cambridge. TESS's cameras, designed and built by MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts, and the MIT Kavli Institute, monitor large swaths of the sky to look for transits. Transits occur when a planet passes in front of its star as viewed from the satellite's perspective, causing a regular dip in the star's brightness. TESS will spend two years monitoring 26 such sectors for 27 days each, covering 85 percent of the sky. During its first year of operations, the satellite will study the 13 sectors making up the southern sky. Then TESS will turn to the 13 sectors of the northern sky to carry out a second year-long survey. MIT coordinates with Northrop Grumman in Falls Church, Virginia, to schedule science observations. TESS transmits images every 13.7 days, each time it swings closest to Earth. NASA's Deep Space Network receives and forwards the data to the TESS Payload Operations Center at MIT for initial evaluation and analysis. Full data processing and analysis takes place within the Science Processing and Operations Center pipeline at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, which provides calibrated images and refined light curves that scientists can analyze to find promising exoplanet transit candidates. TESS builds on the legacy of NASA's Kepler spacecraft, which also uses transits to find exoplanets. TESS's target stars are 30 to 300 light-years away and about 30 to 100 times brighter than Kepler's targets, which are 300 to 3,000 light-years away. The brightness of TESS's targets make them ideal candidates for follow-up study with spectroscopy, the study of how matter and light interact. The James Webb Space Telescope and other space and ground observatories will use spectroscopy to learn more about the planets TESS finds, including their atmospheric compositions, masses and densities. TESS has also started observations requested through the TESS Guest Investigator Program, which allows the broader scientific community to conduct research using the satellite. "We were very pleased with the number of guest investigator proposals we received, and we competitively selected programs for a wide range of science investigations, from studying distant active galaxies to asteroids in our own solar system," said Padi Boyd, TESS project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "And of course, lots of exciting exoplanet and star proposals as well. The science community are chomping at the bit to see the amazing data that TESS will produce and the exciting science discoveries for exoplanets and beyond." TESS launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 18 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and used a flyby of the Moon on May 17 to head toward its science orbit. TESS started collecting scientific data on July 25 after a period of extensive checks of its instruments. TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Dr. George Ricker of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research serves as principal investigator for the mission. Additional partners include Northrop Grumman, based in Falls Church, Virginia; NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley; the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts; MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts; and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. More than a dozen universities, research institutes and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Creating a Space Force as a separate military service, as proposed by President Donald Trump, would cost an estimated $12.9billion in its first five years, according to a detailed Air Force plan for how to go about it. This is the first publicly available cost estimate. When the White House announced plans to establish a Space Force in August, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan declined to give a figure but said it would be in 'the billions.' The Air Force's estimate is contained in a Sept. 14 memo from Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, who proposed that the Pentagon ask Congress for the authority and money to establish a Space Force headquarters in 2020. The Air Force's estimate is contained in a Sept. 14 memo from Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson (seen in 2017), who proposed that the Pentagon ask Congress for the authority and money to establish a Space Force headquarters in 2020 'The President has clearly communicated his desire for a military department for space,' she wrote. 'Strategic competition with Russia and China is the focus of our approach.' Creation of Space Force as a separate military service will require congressional action. The administration is expected to submit proposed legislation early next year authorizing the establishment of a Space Force. A copy of the Air Force memo was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The memo says the first-year cost of a Space Force would be $3.3billion, and the cost over five years would be an estimated $12.9billion. In June, President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to create a 'separate but equal' space force. Trump is seen above at the White House on Monday In an indication of the complexities of creating a new military service, the Air Force says the proposed U.S. Space Force would be a separate department organized under a civilian secretary appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, along with an undersecretary, four assistant secretaries, a chief lawyer, an inspector general and a legislative liaison. A four-star general would serve as chief of staff. The proposal said the missions of Space Force would include missile defense. More broadly, it would be 'responsible for the preparation of forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war.' In June, Trump directed the Pentagon to create a 'separate but equal' space force. In August, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the administration will work with Congress to come up with a workable approach. The last time the U.S. created a new military service was in 1947 when the Air Force was established as an independent service. More than a third of Australians are owed money from cash-strapped friends and family, and most are sick of having to ask for it back. New research commissioned by BPAY group has revealed 38 per cent of people have unrepaid loans by their nearest and dearest, with 17 per cent refusing to lend again. One of the biggest bugbears of dishing out cash identified in the study was having to chase for it (58%), and that's where a new system comes in. More than a third of Australians are owed money from cash-strapped friends and family, and most are sick of having to ask for it back (stock) The New Payment Platform (NPP) is a unique way of transferring money between banks in real time, taking the sting out loaning money to friends. Up until recently, moving money between banks could take anywhere from 24 hours up to a week, but the new payment system allows money to be moved instantly. BPAY Group's chief executive officer John Banfield told News Corp Australians are sick of having to initiate awkward conversations with empty-handed friends. 'When you get burnt around lending money and never get paid back, thats when you start to change your habits in being generous,' he said. The rollout of the new payment system means that people don't have to wait for days on end to see their money hit their bank account again. Setting up an account to transfer cash is easy: all you need is a PayID, which can be a phone number, email address or an ABN - linked to an existing bank account. The New Payment Platform (NPP) is a unique way of transferring money between banks in real time, taking the sting out loaning money to friends (stock) Once an account is set up, a customer only needs to enter their PayID to transfer money between different banks using their online bank account. NPP's chief executive officer Adrian Lovney told the publication nearly two million people have already registered for a PayID since the system started in February. 'We know that Australians are frustrated about the amount of time it takes to move money between accounts at different banks, he said. 'Australians can now transfer money instantly to each other through OSKO by BPAY, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year including public holidays.' A desperate search is underway for a girl and her son who have gone missing from their home in a beach-side Sydney suburb. Jaylei Woods was last seen with her nine-week-old baby son, Jakiya Woods, at a residential facility on Coogee Bay Road, Coogee about 2pm on Sunday 16 September. When the 15-year-old and her son didn't return back, police were notified of her disappearance. Jaylei Woods, 15, is described as being of Pacific Islander/Maori appearance, about 157cm tall, of medium to solid build, with dark hair Jaylei is described as being of Pacific Islander/Maori appearance, about 157cm tall, of medium to solid build, with dark hair. She was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, jeans, and carrying a jumper. Jakiya is described as having dark hair. Police are concerned for the pair's welfare and have shared their images. Anyone with any information on their whereabouts are urged to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A 15-month old baby boy was almost killed after a rattlesnake slithered into a California daycare center and bit him. The snake attacked the toddler on Wednesday morning at a daycare in San Dieigo in in Chollas Heights. The child, called Wayne, was immediately rushed to Rady Children's hospital where doctors treated him. 15-month-old Wayne was bitten by a snake while he was playing outdoors at a daycare center The youngster picked up what he thought was a toy but was in fact a baby snake which bit him Ever since the bite, Wayne has been a little bit on edge when it comes to playing outside Medical professionals say the youngster is lucky to be alive after being bitten because the toxicity of the venom can affect those who are younger in a much more serious way. After a couple of days recovery, the swelling around the bite and his fever have gone down, and baby Wayne is getting back to his playful self according to NBC 7. 'He freaked out when he saw a toy moving quickly around him. He thought it was a snake,' his father Javier said. 'A snake at a daycare?' Javier wondered. 'I figured they would have checks or something along those lines that protect children.' Wayne almost died because of his age and size which would make the venom more powerful The 15-month-old has taken a few days to recover after the bite which came as quite a schok The snake bit him on his hand which then started to swell up to four times its size The snake bite happened at the Cholla Heights daycare center in San Diego After taking a few days to recover, the swelling from the bite and the fever have both gone down The bite happened in the fenced play area outside The Child Development Center in Chollas Heights. 'He was slumped he can't keep his eyes open. He was just lying there,' Javier said. 'I was awestruck for a very few seconds, I thought my son was gone.' 'I hope he can get past the trauma, honestly,' he said. 'He's a kid with a golden heart.' Luckily, the snake was only able to get one fang in his son's hand, preventing the full release of the venom. The little boy's hand ended up swelling to four times its normal size and he was given a dose of anti-venom that finally took effect overnight. Even though he's starting to get back to his playful self, Wayne's fear hasn't gone away The snake was a baby. Doctors say only one of the snakes fangs punctured the child's skin (file) The snakebite happened at a daycare operated by Naval Base San Diego in Chollas Heights and the child was rushed to Rady Children's hospital The daycare said that it was the first time a snake has been seen on the grounds but accepted the fact it likely slid through the fence. Staff at the center say they are now making a thorough check of the play area each morning before children are allowed to enter. According to the CDC, if you are ever bitten by a snake it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Britain risks a chaotic and damaging Brexit if there is no deal with the EU, MPs warned today, as Eurocrats also urged Theresa May to act 'responsibility' to avoid 'catastrophe'. Members of the Commons Brexit Select Committee say Mrs May must amend her Chequers plan if the EU will not accept them and cautions that a no-deal outcome would leave many businesses facing huge uncertainty. They urge the PM to consider staying in a customs union and the European Economic Area (EEA) as a potential fallback position. But the reports conclusions were rejected by several of the committees Eurosceptic members, including Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. Today Donald Tusk piled pressure on the PM to agree a deal ahead of the crucial EU summit in Salzburg this week. He said: 'Limiting damage caused by #Brexit is a shared interest. Unfortunately, a no deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe'. Theresa May must amend her Chequers plan if the EU will not accept it to avoid a chaotic no deal, MPs have warned, but Jacob Rees-Mogg has rejected the claims Donald Tusk has piled pressure on Theresa to agree a divorce with the EU warning her that it could still end in catastrophe Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group, said reverting to World Trade Organisation rules if there is no trade deal would not be as bad as the report suggests - and would present some considerable advantages. Separately, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also warned yesterday of the disastrous consequences for the British economy of a no deal Brexit, including a potential recession. The pound could plummet and the economy could go into reverse, IMF chief Christine Lagarde claimed. She added that there could be severe disruption to trade, with air travel and movement of goods at risk. Mrs Lagarde said: Our assumption is it would have very dear economic consequences. It would be a shock to supply and it would inevitably have a series of consequences in terms of reduced growth going forward, increased deficit, most likely a depreciation of the currency. Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, has warned that a no deal Brexit will shrink the UK economy It would, in reasonably short order, mean a reduction in the size of the UK economy. Labour MP Hilary Benn, chairman of the Brexit Select Committee, said with time running out for the UK to secure a withdrawal agreement with the EU, there were significant problems yet to be resolved. He said the Irish border backstop was the main sticking point, and called on Ministers to ensure the continuation of tariff and friction free trade which is so important to the future of our economy. He added: If the Chequers Plan is not acceptable as a basis for that, then the Government will need to find a different approach urgently. The report warned that there might not be enough time to agree back up deals to mitigate the worst effects before the UK leaves the EU at the end of March next year. But Mr Rees-Mogg said it was wrong to say the only solution to the Northern Ireland problem was to stay in the customs union and single market. I think Mrs May does need to change course but in the direction of a Canada style free trade deal, he said. He said the same technological solutions reportedly being offered by the EU to manage customs and other checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain could be used on the Northern Ireland border. Number 10 has repeatedly ruled out staying in the EEA, which would keep Britain in the single market, warning it would mean continued free movement of migrants and was not true to the spirit of the referendum result. Britain is braced for a turbulent few months as the Brexit date in March next year looms The IMF predicted that Britains economy will grow by 1.5 per cent this year and next if Britain leaves the European Union with a deal, a slight improvement from its last forecast in July, when it predicted economic growth of 1.4 per cent in 2018. Mrs Lagarde, 62, a former French minister, also claimed that Britain will be worse off outside the EU regardless of what deal is struck. She said: Let me be clear, compared with todays smooth single market, all the likely Brexit scenarios will have costs for the economy and to a lesser extent as well for the EU. A dog owner with depression returned from holiday to the news his emotional support pup had been put down at the kennels. David Hall came back from Croatia to his hometown of Church Broughton, Derbyshire, to find out his pet Staffordshire bull terrier, Blue, had been killed. Mr Hall's neighbour had taken Blue for a walk when the dog ran away and was captured by wardens. They took the terrier to Crowfoot Kennels, contracted by Derby City Council, where staff said he was too aggressive and needed put down. Staffordshire bull terrier, Blue, was put down by kennel staff while his owner was on holiday Mr Hall, who suffers from depression, said Blue was helping him to tackle his mental health issues. The father-of-four was 'heartbroken' and had to tell his children that their beloved pet had gone to 'doggy heaven'. He said: 'Blue didn't have a violent bone in his body. He was a softie and the most loyal dog. 'I've had him since he was a puppy and he loved all humans. My kids adored him and he adored my kids. 'He would sit there for hours with my son loving the attention. I'm heartbroken. Blue helped me to pull myself together. It made me feel happy when I walked him. I couldn't wait to see him when I got back from my holiday. He was my best friend.' After returning from Croatia Mr Hall phoned the kennels after finding an information card posted through his door saying they had his dog. But they told him over the phone that Blue had been put down as he was 'aggressive towards the residents and officers'. Owner David Hall (pictured) suffers from depression and Blue 'helped him pull himself together' Mr went to say his 'final goodbyes' to Blue, who was in a 'big chest-freezer' at the kennels. He then collected Blue's ashes a few weeks later. The council's policy states that if a dog is not collected within seven days, it is then the property of the council. A Derby City Council spokesperson said: 'Mr Hall's dog was picked up by our contracted stray dog service, after he was reported by a member of the public to be on a public highway. 'Some local residents kindly kept the dog until officers were able to get to him. He was reportedly aggressive towards the residents and officers. 'The dog had no tag, but officers scanned the dog for contact details of the owner. 'We tried to call Mr Hall however got no response, and so visited the address, and an information card was left when there was no answer. Mr Hall's neighbour had taken Blue for a walk when the dog ran away and was captured by wardens 'As we were unable to reunite the dog with its owner, he was taken to kennels. Stray dogs are cared for in kennels for seven days, after which point, they are legally owned by Derby City Council. 'Our kennels received no contact from the friend or owner, and there was no report of this dog being lost. 'The dog showed signs of aggression to the kennel owner and kennel staff, so after the seven days had passed, and no contact had been received, we had to take the difficult decision to put the dog to sleep. 'Dogs who show aggression and cannot safely be adopted or rehomed are, where appropriate, put to sleep. 'We do not take that decision lightly, and would only ever decide to put a dog to sleep if it was deemed absolutely necessary. 'Had the kennels received information or were contacted to state that the owners were on holiday then the dog would of course have remained in kennels to allow the owners to come forward. On returning from his holiday, the owner has contacted the Council and we have fully discussed the situation with him.' An advert from a Melbourne estate agent featuring two Rottweilers has been slammed online for being 'threatening' and 'offensive'. The campaign from real estate firm Only in Narre Warren, boldly states: 'here's two reasons we'll get your rent on time Meet Bruce and Gary' next to a picture of a woman and two large Rottweiler dogs. The advert has been met with heavy criticism from users on social media and has since been deleted. This real estate advert has been met with heavy criticism on social media and has since been deleted One person on Twitter said that the advert was 'all kinds of wrong'. 'A. It is threatening. B. Renters are not "criminals" who require illegal standover tactics to pay rent. C. Rotties are beautiful loveable animals, not attack dogs,' they wrote. 'It is irresponsible, reprehensible and utterly repulsive.' RSPCA Queensland also joined the discussion, using the crying face emoji and saying: 'both puppers just want to be good doggos!' Tenants Union Victoria called the ad 'infuriating' on Twitter and said it was 'entirely unnecessary to approach these situation with intimidation and force'. Khalid Sarwari from Only issued an apology for the advert, adding that it was intended to be humorous and 'tongue in cheek', The New Daily reports. 'The ad infers that the majority of renters don't pay their rent on time or at all, whereas the portion of renters who end up in arrears is quite small,' a spokeswoman for Tenants Union of Victoria told Daily Mail Australia Khalid Sarwari from Only issued an apology for the advert, adding that it was intended to be humorous and 'tongue in cheek' A spokeswoman for TUV told Daily Mail Australia the advert was 'completely inappropriate' and 'absolutely threatening'. 'The ad infers that the majority of renters don't pay their rent on time or at all, whereas the portion of renters who end up in arrears is quite small,' she said. 'The humour intended doesn't translate to most renters, particularly more vulnerable renters such as those on low-incomes and new migrants. It doesn't encourage positive communication between agents and tenants - rather, it promotes a culture of bullying and intimidation.' The original Facebook post also allegedly connected the dogs in the advert with animal welfare charity Starting Over Dog Rescue. The TUV spokeswoman discussed the irony of using animals in a real estate advert when one of the reasons animal shelters across the country struggle to re-home animals is due to disapproving landlords. The TUV spokeswoman discussed the irony of using animals in a real estate advert when one of the reasons animal shelters across the country struggle to re-home animals is due to disapproving landlords (stock image) At any given time, only about five per cent of rental properties listed for lease welcome pets. 'In fact, RSPCA Victoria reported having received over 700 pets in 2016-17 simply because the owners' landlords banned their pets,' the TUV spokeswoman said. 'With forthcoming changes to the state's tenancy laws that will make it easier for renters to own pets, educating landlords on the benefits of allowing their renters to own pets would be a much better way for Only Estate Agents and, indeed, any real estate agency to support animal shelters.' Just over a week ago, Real Estate Institute of Australia president Malcolm Gunning made the controversial statement that people struggling to pay rent should 'get two jobs'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Only for further information and comment. The roommate and twin sister of a 23-year-old nurse who was stabbed to death in her bed by a homeless man who came into her home through an unlocked door broke down in tears on the witness stand on Monday. The drama in the Nashville courtroom took place on the same day that prosecutors revealed grisly details about the death of Tiffany Ferguson, who was stabbed nine times all over her body, including 5.5 inches deep into her heart. It was learned on Monday that the door was left unlocked by a man who came home with Ferguson and spent most of the night at her home - hours before she would be slain. The horrifying details were revealed Monday during the opening phase of the trial of Christopher McLawhorn. Authorities allege that on February 28, 2017, McLawhorn walked through the front door of Fergusons condo just before 6am. Opening arguments were made Monday in a Nashville courtroom for the murder trial of Christopher McLawhorn, 26 McLawhorn faces life imprisonment for allegedly breaking into the home of Tiffany Ferguson and fatally stabbing her nine times Fergusons roommate, Melissa Thorniley, was asleep in her bed that morning when she was woken up by screams While Thorniley was giving her chest compressions, she testified that Ferguson let out one short breath Ferguson's twin sister, Ali Staggs, also took the witness stand in Nashville on Monday Staggs broke down in tears as prosecutors showed her photographs of her slain identical twin sister Friends and family of Ferguson were heard sobbing in the courtroom as the medical examiner detailed the gruesome killing. Ferguson is seen right with Staggs in this undated file photo He then allegedly used a cutlery kitchen knife with a six-inch blade and stabbed Ferguson as she slept in her bed, according to WTVF-TV. Friends and family of Ferguson were heard sobbing in the courtroom as the medical examiner detailed the gruesome killing. McLawhorn, 26, has been charged with premeditated murder, felony murder, especially aggravated burglary, and two counts of theft. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment. McLawhorn has pleaded not guilty to all counts and claims he was never at the apartment. 'The sad thing is the killer is still out there,' McLawhorn's lawyer, Nicholas McGregor, said on Monday. Prosecutors also revealed that the door was likely left unlocked by a man who spent part of the night with Ferguson and then left just hours before her murder. The man has been identified as Michael Sanborn (above) Sanborn (left) is a registered nurse and co-worker of Ferguson's. They both worked at Saint Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. Prosecutors say Ferguson had a crush on Sanborn, which is why she went out on the night before her death Sanborn testified that it 'haunts him' that he didn't lock the door behind him. Prosecutors allege that McLawhorn entered Ferguson's apartment through the front door just before 6am on February 28, 2017 Fergusons roommate, Melissa Thorniley, was asleep in her bed that morning when she was woken up by screams. She testified that after she heard the screams, she ran to the front door and looked outside, according to The Tennessean. Thorniley, a 26-year-old accountant, testified that when she saw nobody outside, she shut the door and locked it. I started screaming for Tiffany, yelling her name, she testified. I wasnt even sure she was in there, it was so quiet. Thorniley said she went to Fergusons room and found her lying in bed on her back. She noticed that Ferguson was badly wounded. As Thorniley described how she called 911 and started CPR on Ferguson, she began to break down in tears. Surveillance footage shows a man matching McLawhorns description going back and forth in front of the apartment carrying items he had stolen While Thorniley was giving her chest compressions, she testified that Ferguson let out one short breath. Thorniley took the stand right after Fergusons identical twin sister, Ali Staggs, testified. She wiped away tears as prosecutors showed her photographs of Ferguson. Prosecutors also revealed that the door was likely left unlocked by a man who spent part of the night with Ferguson and then left just hours before her murder. Pam Anderson, the Assistant District Attorney for Davidson County, told the court that on the night before her death, Ferguson finished work as an intensive care unit nurse at Saint Thomas West Hospital. She left the hospital at around 8pm and met up with coworkers - one of whom was a man that she had a crush on, Anderson said. Ferguson had gone out that night because she hoped he would be there - and he was, according to the prosecutor. After their evening out, Ferguson and her crush went to her home together. He then left at around 3:15am. After Ferguson was stabbed, police said they were able to track the killers path to nearby railroad tracks, where they recovered Fergusons jewelry, laptop, and a blood-stained kitchen knife that had gone missing McLawhorn was also seen by other homeless men with scratches on his neck, leading police to believe that Ferguson resisted her attacker in the final moments of her life Nicholas Dalrymple, one of the homeless men who testified in a preliminary hearing in March 2017, said that on the night before Fergusons death, he called police to alert them that McLawhorn was seen trying to break into peoples cars It is believed that he left the front door unlocked behind him. The man who came back to Fergusons apartment and spent part of the night with her has been identified as Michael Sanborn, who is a registered nurse at Saint Thomas West. Sanborn also testified at the trial on Monday. He told the court he was 'haunted' by the fact that he did not make sure the door was locked after he left the home. With Ferguson asleep, a man entered her home in the Wedgewood-Houston section of Nashville. Ferguson and Thorniley were asleep, while their other roommate was out of town. The man took a number of items, including jewelry and a laptop, according to Anderson. Surveillance footage shows a man matching McLawhorns description going back and forth in front of the apartment carrying items he had stolen. After Ferguson was stabbed, police said they were able to track the killers path to nearby railroad tracks, where they recovered Fergusons jewelry, laptop, and a blood-stained kitchen knife that had gone missing. Ferguson's condo in the Wedgewood-Houston section of Nashville is seen in the above stock image Anderson told the court that McLawhorn also took a ring which Fergusons other roommate later reported missing days after the stabbing. Police zeroed in on McLawhorn as the suspect after two homeless men who knew him say he told them about how he had killed someone. McLawhorn was also seen by other homeless men with scratches on his neck, leading police to believe that Ferguson resisted her attacker in the final moments of her life. Nicholas Dalrymple, one of the homeless men who testified in a preliminary hearing in March 2017, said that on the night before Fergusons death, he called police to alert them that McLawhorn was seen trying to break into peoples cars. Surveillance footage corroborated Dalrymples allegations, according to Anderson. Police also said that McLawhorn did an internet search on his cell phone including can rain wash off fingerprints and just how incriminating is a fingerprint really. These pages were visited on the afternoon after Fergusons death. McLawhorn also appeared to have read internet news reports about the stabbing. A commonly used inhalant drug could soon share a category with heroin and cocaine, making it illegal to use and possess. Amyl Nitrite - also referred to as poppers - are commonly used during sex and for immediate highs, giving users a short head-rush and creates a euphoric feeling, while relaxing involuntary muscles such as the throat or anus. The substance is illegal to sell on the streets for recreational use, however sex shops around Australia use a legal loophole to sell them in stores. Amyl Nitrite - also referred to as poppers - are commonly used for sex and immediate highs, giving users a short head-rush and creates a euphoric feeling Many adult stores sell poppers behind the counter, with misleading labels such as 'leather cleaner' or 'nail polish remover', news.com.au reported. Popular among the LGBT community, the product became a recreational drug from the mid-1970s, years after it was discovered to help people with angina and serious chest pain. The effects, including sexual arousal and intense euphoria only last up to two minutes, but one 30ml bottle can provide hundreds of hits. Immediate negative effects most often experienced with poppers include dizziness, headaches, increased pressure behind the eyes, and a sensitivity to light. Many adult stores sell poppers behind the counter, with misleading labels such as 'leather cleaner' or 'nail polish remover' The effects, including sexual arousal and intense euphoria only last up to two minutes, but one 30ml bottle can provide hundreds of hits However, some medical experts believe underlying harmful side effects may impact the health of those with pre-existing medical conditions. Dr Aifric Boylan, Australian GP and CEO of online doctor service Qoctor told Vice News poppers can enhance some conditions. 'If a person is susceptible to glaucomaa condition involving raised pressure in the eyesamyl can make it worse. And if a person has heart or circulation problems, the unpredictable changes in blood pressure can cause them to become seriously unwell.' 'If a person is on treatment for erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra, poppers can also cause seriously low blood pressure which may lead to stroke.' While the product is discretely legal in other global markets, including the USA and United Kingdom, Australia look set to criminalise all forms, including distribution, using or possession of poppers. Immigration officials have joined the hunt to find the person hiding sewing needles inside strawberries as the contamination scare spreads the length of the country. Australian Border Force officials accompanied police on trips to farms in Queensland as part of their investigation into the scare - which hit Western Australia on Monday afternoon when a man found a needle in his sink while preparing strawberries. Twelve cases have now been reported nationwide and Coles have removed the fruit from their shelves in every state apart from Western Australia, while Queensland authorities have offered a $100,000 reward for information on the saboteur. Scroll down for video Immigration officials have joined the hunt to find the person hiding sewing needles inside strawberries as the contamination scare spreads the length of the country (pictured spiked strawberries in Sydney) Twelve cases have now been reported nationwide and Coles have removed the fruit from their shelves in every state apart from Western Australia Four of the six brands pulled from supermarket shelves - Donnybrook Berries (pictured), Berry Licious, Berry Obsession - were supplied from the same area north of Brisbane where Border Force officers have joined police in site investigations Four of the six brands pulled from supermarket shelves - Donnybrook Berries, Berry Licious, Berry Obsession - were supplied from the same area north of Brisbane. The investigations come as it was revealed strawberry growers are spending up to $20,000 to buy industrial-duty metal detectors in the hope of ensuring their fruit is safe before leaving their sites. Where have the contaminated berries been found? September 9 - Brisbane man rushed to hospital after eating punnet of strawberries containing needle September 10 - Woman from Gladstone, Queensland finds needle in strawberry September 13 - Thin metal object found in Gatton, Queensland Reports of contamination in Victoria September 14 - Chantal Faugeras find needle in punnet in Wingham September 15 - Coles shopper finds contaminated punnet in Engadine, Sydney September 16 - Contamination spreads to South Australia after a pin is found in Mal's Black Label brand September 17 - Tasmania Police investigate contamination claims in Hobart Man reports finding needle in his sink while preparing strawberries to police near Perth Advertisement Officers from both forces inspected a site at Wamuran near Brisbane on Thursday which supplied the Berry Obsession and Berry Licious labels. The investigation then moved to a property about 60km away in Caloundra on Friday - where police said they detained two people who are due to be deported. An ABF spokesman said however the individuals were detained because they were working in Australia illegally, and not in connection with the product tampering investigation - according to The Australian. Queensland Police Commissioner said the threat of copy-cat fruit contamination was 'very real' and on Monday evening a caution was given to a 62-year-old woman who allegedly put a metal object into a banana. The scare began on September 9 when a Queensland man was rushed to hospital after ingesting the spiked strawberry. The incidents spread to New South Wales on Friday and South Australia on Saturday - before the case west of Perth on Monday. The contamination has been described as 'food-terrorism' by the Health Authority and police have asked the public to take precaution and cut up the fruit before they eat it. Through the provision of quality, adapted seeds, greenhouses and training in good agricultural practices, farmers in Kenya are diversifying their production with the introduction of herbs. In Kenya, more than 2,000 smallholder farmers are accessing international markets and increasing their incomes through herb farming. In order to meet growing global demand, seed and vegetable company, Premier Seed, has been working with the farmers to provide them with training in herb production and in how to meet international food safety and quality standards. The company aimed to encourage farmers to move away from traditional cultivation of cereals and pulses, which continue to produce low yields as a result of incessant pest and disease attacks and poor farmgate prices. Herbs like basil and chives are perennial and mature after 45 days unlike maize or beans which take a minimum of 3 months to mature and can be harvested every 10 days, providing a frequent and reliable income. We wanted to convince farmers of the benefits and transform their farming experiences, says Eunice Wanjohi, Premier Seeds lead agronomist. The project was first piloted in 2012 with 50 farmers from Nakuru in Rift Valley who were trained in the production of basil and chives. The project has now reached 2,000 farmers across key agricultural areas in Kenya and introduced a variety of other herbs, including oregano, thyme, rosemary and tarragon. To ensure optimum yields are achieved, Premier Seed works with seed breeders from the Netherlands who produce varieties well adapted to the dry climate and alkaline soil conditions. Seed is the foundation of every farming venture so we have to make sure we get it right from the start, says Simon Andys, CEO and founder of Premier Seed. James Kuria who had been farming maize, beans and peas for 40 years is one of the projects pioneering farmers and now runs four greenhouses in which he grows basil, dill and thyme. I used to earn on average Ksh 23,503 [200] per month before delving into herbs and I struggled to take care of my family. Now, from my herb farming alone, I earn Ksh 47,000 [400] every month. My wife left her shop business to help me because the results from the farm are so impressive. We have introduced over 20 other farmers to this venture, he says. In addition to quality seeds, farmers are provided with training in good agricultural practices, such as the judicious use of chemicals and water, pest management and produce traceability which they can enhance by allowing their location and planting and harvesting details to be accessed online. Premier Seed also constructs greenhouses for farmers who are able to afford the costs as a result of partnerships established between the company and financial institutions. The banks extend credit facilities to the farmers and once they start earning from their exports, a pre-agreed upon proportion of their income is deducted to repay the loan amount. Premier Seed initially targeted the European market, but has since identified new markets in the Middle East and US. The company is recruiting more farmers to meet the burgeoning demand and is currently training another 2,500 farmers, with the aim of reaching a further 7,000 by 2020. Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street) is struggling to thrash out a deal with the EU ahead of Brexit day in March Next round of negotiations, September 21 to mid-October After the Salzburg summit meltdown, the coming month of detailed talks will be among the most crucial so far. The UK and EU negotiators are scrambling to break the deadlock so they can frame a 'political declaration' on the future relationship and finalise the withdrawal treaty. How far they get in drafting the documents - and how much is left to EU leaders themselves - will determine when, if at all, an agreement can be struck. The political declaration will explain in non-legal language what the two sides plans to agree in the final treaty. A political declaration was used in December 2017 to outline the proposed transition deal and the 39billion divorce bill agreed by the UK. This is what is currently being turned into legal language for the withdrawal treaty. EU Negotiator Michel Barnier (right in Brussels last week) maybe given new guidelines this week within which to strike a deal. EU Council President Donald Tusk (left) has said the meeting must reach a 'common view' on the shape of the future UK-EU relationship EU Summit, Brussels, October 18-19 October's EU summit has long been pencilled in as the opportunity for EU leaders to agree the withdrawal treaty on the terms of exit and a political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU. If a deal can be struck in October, it leaves plenty of time for it to be agreed in the UK and ratified in the EU, paving the way for an orderly Brexit in March. A deal is not expected to be finalised at this summit but both sides will hope for significant progress - even if the summit is used to set out the dividing lines one last time. Emergency EU Summit, Brussels, November 18-19 An emergency summit in November is now widely expected. If it happens, there will be acute political pressure to finalise both the withdrawal treaty and political declaration - if nothing else to allow the EU to return to other business. Expect a high stakes meeting and a late night finish. Failure will see both sides walking up to the brink of a chaotic exit and peering over the edge. The response of the European Council (including German Chancellor Angela Merkel) will be crucial in the next stages of the EU talks EU Summit, Brussels, December 13-14 Given the need to ratify the deal, the December summit is the last chance to strike a deal. Brexit is not supposed to be on the agenda: if the talks reach this summit there has been a major breakdown. The EU does infamously find a way to agreement at the 11th hour and if Brexit talks are still live in December, many will hope for a fudge that can get both sides over the line. Last year, talks on the outline divorce deal were pushed to December and a deal was - just - reached. The so-called 'meaningful vote' in the UK Parliament, January 2019 Assuming there is a withdrawal treaty and political declaration, the next stage is for the action is in the UK Parliament. Mrs May promised Tory Remain rebels a 'meaningful' vote on the final deal in both the Commons and Lords. This is expected to be a simple yes or no vote on what she has negotiated - so in theory a detailed withdrawal treaty, spelling out the divorce bill and other issues such as citizens' rights, and the political declaration on the future relationship. Linking the two will be a high stakes moment. Brexiteers do not want to sign off the divorce bill without a trade deal and Remainers are reluctant to vote for a blind Brexit. But the Prime Minister has made clear it is deal or no deal: accept what she has negotiated or leave Britain crashing out on March 29, 2019 with no agreement in place. If the meaningful vote is passed, there will be a series of further votes as the withdrawal treaty is written into British law. The Prime Minister (pictured at the EU Council in June) has made clear it is deal or no deal: accept what she has negotiated or leave Britain crashing out on March 29, 2019 with no agreement in place Ratification in the EU, February 2019 After the meaningful vote in the UK, the EU will have to ratify the agreement. This is a two stage process. National parliaments in all 27 countries have to vote on the deal. It does not need to pass everywhere but must be carried in at least 20 of the 27 countries, with Yes votes covering at least 65 per cent of the EU population. The European Parliament must also vote in favour of the deal. It has a representative in the talks, Guy Verhofstadt, who has repeatedly warned the deal must serve the EU's interests. In practice, once the leaders of the 27 member states have agreed a deal, ratification on the EU side should be assured. Exit day, March 29, 2019 At 11pm on March 29, 2019, Britain will cease to be a member of the European Union, two years after triggering Article 50 and almost three years after the referendum. Exit happens at 11pm because it must happen on EU time. If the transition deal is in place, little will change immediately - people will travel in the same way as today and goods will cross the border normally. But Britain's MEPs will no longer sit in the European Parliament and British ministers will no longer take part in EU meetings. Negotiations will continue to turn the political agreement on the future partnership into legal text that will eventually become a second treaty. Both sides will build new customs and immigration controls in line with what this says. If there is no deal, there is little clarity on what will happen. Britain has outlined contingencies for a catastrophic breakdown in transport and goods networks; in practice short term, small side deals will be likely be rapidly negotiated to avert the worst consequences. Residents fed-up of drug dealing in their streets took action by creating a 'drug dealers only' car parking space to highlight the issue. An anonymous group of artists working in an east London neighbourhood installed the space to draw attention to the topic. Calling themselves the Columbia Road Cartel, they also installed six signs on lampposts in the area near Shoreditch yesterday morning to underline levels of drug crime in the region. East London residents sick of drug dealing took action by creating a 'drug dealers only' space The fake street signs said 'crack pick up point', 'give way to oncoming drug deals', 'needle free zone' and parking bays labelled 'drug dealers only.' Local resident Penny Creed tweeted the images, saying: 'Local street artists trying to embarrass the @metpoliceuk and @TowerHamletsNow into doing something about the brazen drug dealing in my neighbourhood columbiaroad asb'. Resident Jonathan Moberly said: 'One corner of our street is used as a drug collection point 24 hours a day. 'Heroin and crack addicts gather in small groups waiting for deliveries which arrive by speeding car. Community activists erect street signs to highlight increasing levels of drug dealing in E2 The group which commissioned the signs claims to have around 70 members in the area 'It is barely possible to avoid walking around or through these gatherings when leaving or returning home. 'Six months ago my stepson Jake was victim of a hit-and-run by one of the dealers. 'His ankle was badly smashed and he is still unable to return to work. The authorities seem to be powerless or uninterested to act.' Another resident said: 'I have to change the way I walk home from work as there are so many picking up drugs at 7.30pm. Where I work they sleep outside every night in Florida Street, we have to have the needles picked up each day.' The Weavers Community Action Group, which commissioned the signs, claims to have around 70 members in the area. A Tower Hamlets spokesperson said: 'Like the rest of London, Tower Hamlets suffers from some blatant drug dealing at times. Crack pickup point: Metropolitan Police Crime Data indicates that the number of arrests in Tower Hamlets has dropped since July 2013, with 3,011 arrests between July 2013-2014, compared to 1,842 arrests between July 2017-2018 'We understand the frustration of these residents, which is why the council has invested 3 million in additional police officers to make up some of the shortfall in government cuts to the police. 'We are also working with the police on Operation Continuum, which targets drug dealers and offers support to those affected by it. So far, 160 people have been arrested as the operation works its way around the borough.' Metropolitan Police Crime Data indicates that the number of arrests in Tower Hamlets has dropped since July 2013, with 3,011 arrests between July 2013-2014, compared to 1,842 arrests between July 2017-2018. The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment. One of the seven farms whose strawberries were sabotaged with sewing needles has been pushed to the brink after supermarkets refused to take its stock. Stephanie Chheang, whose mother and stepfather run Donnybrook Berries, shared a heartbreaking video of harvested fruit being dumped from a loader. 'This is no doubt the worst thing to ever happen to my family. This is worth more than you could ever imagine and within three days we lost it all,' she said. Stephanie Chheang, whose mother and stepfather run Donnybrook Berries, shared a heartbreaking video of harvested fruit being dumped from a loader The company was the third brand hit by the national panic that started when a man was rushed to hospital after eating a spiked strawberry on September 9. The small family business north of Brisbane was forced to dump millions of strawberries in a ditch after its brand was recalled. 'We have to throw them out because the markets wouldn't take our strawberries due to the needle scare,' she said. Ms Chheang said her mother Leena Lee Cufari and stepfather spent years and 'all their money' building the farm, only for it to be wiped out. 'They put all their money and effort in to build such a successful business. They work hard to make the money for our family and to have these selfish individuals destroy it is just so upsetting.' A video showed weeks worth of harvested fruit, worth many thousands of dollars, being dumped from a loader Ms Chheang said her mother Leena Lee Cufari and stepfather spent years and 'all their money' building the farm, only for it to be wiped out 'My mum works day through to the night, controlling the shed and her 250 employees, making sure her strawberries are packed to perfection. However, she declared the scare would not drive her family from the industry and they would find a way to survive, starting by buying metal detectors. 'This will not stop my family from doing what they do best, if anything they're going to do better,' she said. 'I thank everyone who supports us and all the other farmers who were affected by this horrible issue. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association earlier this week warned a dozen growers could go out of business, even if their stock was not affected. Strawberry farm lays off 100 workers and shuts its doors amid contamination scare By Nic White for Daily Mail Australia A strawberry grower is shutting down its season early and destroying millions of healthy fruits as sales plunge amid the spiking scare. Suncoast Harvest, a small farm on the Sunshine Coast, laid off about 100 workers weeks ahead of schedule, blaming a customer 'frenzy'. 'We have decided it is best to pull out of growing strawberries for the rest of this year... and begin spraying out healthy paddocks of luscious, juicy berries,' it said. 'Imagine how many millions of punnets of strawberries are going into landfill this week? Sad day for the environment too.' Suncoast Harvest, a small farm on the Sunshine Coast, laid off about 100 workers weeks ahead of schedule as sales plunge amid the spiking scare Suncoast was not one of the seven growers whose stock was sabotaged with needles or razor blades being hidden inside them, but the whole industry is in shock. The angry owner hit out at victims posting complaints about their contaminated fruit to social media and whipping up fear against that hurt all growers. 'There are proper channels to report these things to so they can be substantiated before causing fear and/or harm. Have a care, people,' they said. 'Thumbs down to the various government departments who mismanaged this into an international scare campaign. They need to be held accountable.' Suncoast predicted there would be pressure to package food differently, just when the industry was making steps towards slashing excess packaging. The once-busy fields at Suncoast will now be poisoned as there is no point in picking them 'It will now be necessary to tamper-proof everything with more plastic and waste untold volumes of existing, obsolete and unused packaging into landfills,' they said. 'Hopefully, they find out who has committed this awful crime against our industry and our favourite fruit and against Australian consumers and farmers,' Suncoast said. 'Food tampering carries maximum penalties for good reason. We all enjoy safe, clean food in this country and on that reputation, we have export markets across the globe. 'Whoever has jeopardised that reputation and our confidence in the foods we eat need to be severely dealt with.' Advertisement The small family business north of Brisbane was forced to dump millions of strawberries in a ditch after its brand was recalled and pulled form shelves The national panic that started when a man was rushed to hospital after eating a spiked strawberry on September 9 Police are investigating more than 20 cases in NSW alone Police are investigating more than 20 cases of strawberry spiking in NSW alone but are still no closer to finding the culprits. The startling admission dramatically increased the number of cases across Australia since the contamination crisis began on September 9. Only a dozen cases nation wide were made public before Tuesday's admission with police fearing copycats were making the scare worse. 'The consequences are dire. It's an act of treachery on the community of NSW and across the nation,' Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said 'The consequences are dire. It's an act of treachery on the community of NSW and across the nation,' Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said. 'It's not funny, we're at a point where kids are nearly going to bite into a strawberry... It's fortuitous we haven't had anyone receive significant injuries.' However, 10 days in to the crisis police were still no closer to tracking down the person or people responsible and were not even sure of a motive. Superintendent Doherty said investigators had no confirmed suspects nor received any demands from a saboteur. 'We still don't have any confirmed motivation or reasons why a person would want to do this,' he said. He said police were 'treating all cases as genuine' but warned against anyone creating fake incidents and contributing to public fears. 'However, any evidence of self-contamination or of copycat incidents impact on the industry and are very unhelpful to authorities,' he said. '[They] will be treated as food contamination which, again, is a serious offence which carries 10 years jail. 'You are causing alarm and anxiety to the public, you are causing economic loss to an industry, you are creating hysteria and making it a perilous adventure just to go and buy some fruit at a supermarket and feed your family.' The 20 cases included a banana that was found to be an isolated mental health incident, and a report of a needle being found in an apple in Sydney on Tuesday. Advertisement The latest victim was a French bulldog-pug named Baxter who was found writing in pain and covered in blood after eating a spiked strawberry. Debra Fox rushed her beloved pet to the vet, and was horrified to find five razor blades hidden in the fruit had slashed the inside of his throat. The sabotage has spread to every state in Australia with police admitting on Tuesday they were investigating more than 20 cases in NSW alone. Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries have recalled their strawberries nationwide. Police are also investigating contamination of fruit sold by Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries, Oasis, and Mal's Black Label. The latest victim was a French bulldog-pug named Baxter whose owner Debra Fox found writing in pain and covered in blood after eating a spiked strawberry She was horrified to find five razor blades hidden in the fruit had slashed the inside of his throat Donnybrook is not the only farm forced to dump its stock - this supplier in Western Australia threw away millions on the weekend Coles and Aldi supermarkets pulled all strawberries from their shelves, except Western Australia, as a precaution. Aldi on Monday then began returning fruit from unaffected brands to its shelves after consultation with growers and food safety authorities. The seven suppliers including Donnybrook are still out in the cold. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the saboteur. Police believe the strawberries were spiked between packing and sale and were concerned some might be the work of copycats. The culprits faced up to 10 years jail if convicted. Students with the lowest scores at high school are being encouraged to take up jobs as teachers. Some students with zero scores in university admission tests are being offered places in teaching degrees, according to a secret report. The figures show that in NSW and the ACT there were 28 offers made to students who scored between zero and 19 in the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the criteria for undergraduate university programs in all states except Queensland. Students with the lowest scores at high school are being encouraged to take up jobs as teachers (stock image) The figures were revealed by retired professor John Mack, who released the figures to the ABC despite the University of Sydney requesting the secret report be destroyed. Professor Mack said it was not in the interest of the universities to reveal the information. 'What it shows is that overall the general quality of applicants has gone down,' he said. 'In some cases it was worrying that offers were being made to some students that I would have thought would have had exceptional difficulty coping with first-year university.' The University of Sydney said it was 'very disappointed' with the release of the report. 'We are currently considering whether the release of this report now constitutes a breach of our policies and processes and will take appropriate action if it does,' the university said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'At the time the report was written, we communicated with the researchers involved, UAC and the NSW Vice-Chancellors Committee to ensure research produced by our academics meets both UACs protocols for data use and ethics requirements, as well as our own policy requirements, before being made public.' This graph shows the percentage of university admission officers compared to test scores for 2003 (dark blue) and 2015 (light blue) University of Sydney lecturer Rachel Wilson - who co-wrote the report with Professor Mack - said there were 'disturbing indicators' showing declining performance at high schools. 'There are very clear trends, I would say disturbingly steep trends, in the admission of lower-attaining students to initial teacher education,' she said. 'And if the system doesn't rise up and address this issue we are going to be in a downward spiral from here on in.' A fund set up to help find Madeleine McCann could be wiped out if her parents lose a court case which is due to start in the next few weeks. Kate and Gerry McCann are returning to court to fight against the ex-detective who claimed they were responsible for Madeleine's death. If they lose the case the pair will be forced to pay Goncalo Amaral 750,000, after he made a bid to sue them for compensation. The couple will face Amaral in the European Court, as public money which was funding the search for Madeleine is about to dry up. Fund set up to help find Madeleine McCann could be wiped out if her parents lose a court case which is due to start in the next few weeks (pictured in 2011) Amaral, who wrote The Truth About The Lie concerning Madeleine's disappearance, claimed in the book that Kate and Gerry covered up her death in Portugal. Following the claims the McCanns' pursued a libel case against him in 2015 and won, however it was later overturned and Amaral was given compensation. A hearing is expecting this year after Amaral decided to sue the McCanns when their libel case was overturned. Kate and Gerry McCann are returning to court to fight against the ex-detective who claimed they were responsible for Madeleine's death (Goncalo Amaral pictured in 2009) A legal representative for the McCanns lodged the final paperwork at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Amaral recently claimed that his family has 'suffered' a lot from the ordeal, ahead of his court date. Amaral, who wrote The Truth About The Lie concerning Madeleine's disappearance, claimed in the book that Kate and Gerry covered up her death in Portugal A source told the Sun: 'It seems you can say anything you like about someone in Portugal, no matter how awful, and get away with it. 'If the European Court rules against them the trustees will decide on how best to make any payments. 'It would be a blow but Kate and Gerry would keep their heads up and carry on searching.' There is currently ongoing discusses over extra funding for the continued search of Madeleine, according to the Met Police. However public cash is expected to dry up in a fortnight, reports the Sun. Figures show that they is 728,508 left in the pot used to fund the search for Madeleine, which is mostly made up of public donations. However it could be completely wiped out if the decision stands to award Amaral 430,000 as well as paying costs on top. Following the claims the McCanns' pursued a libel case against him in 2015 and won, however it was later overturned and Amaral was given compensation It is believed that Kate and Gerry have had to take money from the fund in the past to cover costs of previous hearings. Retired Det Chief Insp Mick Neville, who last year investigated the case, said: 'It is tragic that funds to try to find her could be lost because of this legal action. 'There is every reason to believe she may be alive.' The McCanns' Portuguese lawyer Isabel Duarte said: 'This will be our final appeal. 'The basis is the violation of my clients' fundamental rights.' Church leaders have been warned that they must work harder to make their places of worship more fun for parishioners. Too many churches are like mausoleums because they do not welcome visitors outside service times, the Bishop of Worcester, John Inge, told the first National Cathedrals Conference in Manchester. He said: Far too many churches remain locked and stand like mausoleums except when they open for worship and have become increasingly marginal to the life of a communities they exist to serve. Not so cathedrals. Bishop of Worcester, John Inge, told the first National Cathedrals Conference in Manchester that too many churches were like 'mausoleums. (Stock photo) He was backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who insisted: If you cant have fun in a cathedral, you really dont know what fun is. Speaking via video link, he told the conference: The first thing I want is for people not to be bored. I want them to have fun. Cathedrals are about God. 'God is incredibly exciting until we try to bottle God up in a building and take all the excitement out. Then you dont get God, you just get boredom. His comments came as a Church of England judge warned that ecclesiastical buildings will become supermarkets and dance studios if traditionalists continue to block revamps. During the conference he said: 'God is incredibly exciting until we try to bottle God up in a building and take all the excitement out. Then you dont get God, you just get boredom. (Stock photo) Chancellor June Rodgers said: If people disagree with sensible and necessary re-ordering of an existing church building to keep it in use, then they should think what redundant churches have been turned into a supermarket, climbing walls, dance studios, or even demolition. It came after she ruled that the Grade II-listed Mariners Church in Gloucester could have a makeover, including the removal of pews and a new sound system. Judge Rodgers added that churches needed to change because visits from tourists alone is not sustainable. She said: Visiting a church once on holiday and writing in the visitors book So peaceful... so English does not deal with the gutters and the damp or the bats. Tourists do not rod drains, church wardens do. An investigation was underway last night after a man was shot dead at a clay pigeon shoot. The victim was taking part in an organised clay shoot near the lake at Clandon Park House, a huge National Trust property which hit the headlines several years ago when it burned down in a devastating blaze. The third party who organised the shoot invited members of the Help for Heroes charity and recovering soldiers to attend as part of a mentoring programme. The victim was taking part in an organised clay shoot near the lake at Clandon Park House, Surrey The man was understood to have been one of the competitors taking part in the event and died after apparently shooting himself in the head. Melanie Waters, Chief Executive Officer, Help for Heroes said: `All our thoughts are with the family, friends and also the Veterans and supporters who were at the event at Clandon Park. This has been a huge shock and we are doing all we can to help everyone affected.' Police and paramedics were called to the lake in the grounds of Clandon Park House in West Clandon, Surrey, at about 11am on Friday morning after the alarm was raised. They found the man lying on a footpath near his gun and he was certified dead at the scene. A spokesman for Surey Police said that the death was not being treated as suspicious and an investigation was underway on behalf of the Surrey coroner. The man's body was eventually taken to a nearby hospital mortuary for a post mortem to establish the exact cause of his death. A report was being prepared for the coroner and an inquest was expected to be opened and adjourned in Woking later in the week. The police spokesman said: 'We received a report from the South East Coast Ambulance Service at 11.23am on Friday, of a man suffering a gunshot wound following an organised shoot in the Clandon area. 'The man was pronounced deceased at the scene. Officers attended and an investigation is currently ongoing to establish the circumstances of what happened, although at this stage there is not believed to be any third party involvement or risk to the wider public.' Rupert Onslow, the 8th Earl of Onslow, who owns the estate, told The Times: 'Fundamentally it's a tragedy in the true sense of the word. My heart goes out to his relatives. 'Help for Heroes does a fantastic job and tries to understand and deal with men that suffer shellshock and it's such a tragedy.' Clandon Park House was destroyed in 2015 when a multi-million pound blaze ripped through the 18th Century manion. The Grade I listed building was entirely gutted as firefighters and volunteers desperately tried to pluck paintings and furniture from the flames. Just four walls of the stately home near Guildford, Surrey, were left standing after the blaze destroyed all the three floors of the former home of the Onslow family in April 2015. A fault in a tiny fuse in the basement of the home was later identified as the cause of the fire. A massive three-year restoration programme is still being implemented and the country house is now well on the way to being rebuilt. A male teacher has been charged over the alleged indecent assault of a 13-year-old female student last year. Detectives launched an investigation in May this year following reports the girl had been indecently assaulted on several occasions by the 28-year-old teacher. Police will allege the assaults took place in the classroom of a primary school in Sydney's south west. A Sydney teacher is set to face Liverpool Local Court (pictured) on Tuesday over the alleged indecent assault of a 13-year-old female student last year The teacher was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police station on Monday. He was charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a child under the age of 16 and has been suspended from teaching. The man was granted strict conditional bail and will face Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday. Police are continuing to investigate the allegations. Advertisement The small town of Lumberton was besieged by floodwaters on Monday amid the ongoing devastation of Hurricane Florence. The town was left a virtual island after 2 feet of rain in 48 hours. The River Lumber, which runs through downtown, spilled over into the streets after cresting at 25 feet more than a foot higher than during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The death toll from Florence, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, had reached 32. Geneva Chestnut, 47, daughter Candy McNeill, 26, and her children, Damadia, 10, Daveah, 3, and Ithan, 4, said they felt blessed that the water had not risen above their front step after major flooding during Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, North Carolina Damadia, 10, helps her brother, Ithan, 4, get his stance on their front steps Lee Haywood, 72, and Ruby Haywood, 73, on their porch swing as they waited for the flooding to subside following Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, North Carolina Floodwaters are seen near the laundry room outback at the Haywood residence In Lumberton, most of the town was inaccessible from flooding. Trucks and SUVs were risking rising flowing waters to rescue people In North Carolina, fears of what could be the worst flooding in the state's history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it wasn't clear how many had fled or even could. In Lumberton, most of the town was inaccessible from flooding. Trucks and SUVs were risking rising flowing waters to rescue people. The town, founded soon after the American Revolutionary War, is still recovering in parts from Matthew. A makeshift levee of 5,000 sandbags was created on Friday by National Guard and city employees, with local people pitching in to help. By Sunday, that levee had been breached. On the west side of Lumberton, homeowners who had chosen to remain anxiously watched the murky water. Evia Locklear, 76, told DailyMail.com: Im fine. Im not leaving my puppies. Ive got light and everything so why would I leave? So long as it doesnt come in the house. I swept the water out of the house during Hurricane Matthew, I dont think it will be as bad as that. The grandmother, who had six people staying at her home, was concerned that one more rainfall would bring the water over the steps and into her single-story house. She said that she was running low on pet food for her two cats and four dogs - Ginger, Lady, Cujo and Lucy. Her daughter-in-law, Amanda Hill, 33, also lives at the home with her husband, Robbie, 38, and daughter Libertie, 14. The town, founded soon after the American Revolutionary War, is still recovering in parts from Hurricane Matthew, which devastated the area in 2016 A makeshift levee of 5,000 sandbags was created on Friday by National Guard and city employees, with local people pitching in to help. By Sunday, that levee had been breached The National Guard assists in rescuing locals during intense flooding in Lumberton The extent of the flooding is evident outside the home of Evia Locklear, 76, in Lumberton On the west side of Lumberton, homeowners who had chosen to remain anxiously watched the murky water Evia Locklear, 76, told DailyMail.com: Im fine. Im not leaving my puppies. Ive got light and everything so why would I leave? So long as it doesnt come in the house' Locklear, seen right with daughter-in-law Amanda Hill, 33, said: I swept the water out of the house during Hurricane Matthew, I dont think it will be as bad as that Amanda said: Last night the water was coming in waves, it got really bad. Before that it was dry. Ive got medicine that I need to pick up at the pharmacy and they are saying the closest one is Walgreens in Conway, South Carolina. If I had known it would get this bad, I would have left. She added: If the water comes in the house, Miss Evia will leave if she can find somewhere to go that would take her pets. I dont blame her, I wouldnt leave my dogs either. Johnny Locklear, 58, who also lives at the home, said: In a way, I wish we had left but it is what it is. We are survivors. Down the street, Geneva Chestnut, 47, daughter Candy McNeill, 26, and her children, Damadia, 10, Daveah, three and Ithan, four, said they felt lucky that the water had stopped below their porch. The grandmother, who had six people staying at her home, was concerned that one more rainfall would bring the water over the steps and into her single-story house She said that she was running low on pet food for her two cats and four dogs - Ginger, Lady, Cujo and Lucy. One of the dogs is seen above A young boy stands on a wooden bench outside Locklear's home in Lumberton on Monday Locals are rescued during intense flooding. It is unclear how many people defied evacuation orders Were blessed. We still have power and the house is not flooded. We just have a lot of water in front yard, Candy said. Geneva said: Compared to everyone else in the news and what weve seen, we decided to stay because we couldnt get out, we would have to rent a boat. The grandma said she had markers to watch for on the house and when the water reached those, the family would leave. I am not putting my grandbabies at risk, she said. Candy added: Id rather be home than somewhere uncomfortable. I heard in the shelters that people are calling DSS because the kids are running around and playing, but what else are they going to do? It will take about a week for the water to go down. If the water comes up to the first step, we are out of here. Then its too high. Their neighbors Lee, 72, and Ruby Haywood, 73, were watching the water from their porch swing. The couple, who moved from Virginia to North Carolina in 2009, said that Florence was worse than Hurricane Matthew. With 1,500 roads closed across North Carolina, fire and rescue crews were waiting to go into many areas to assist with structural damage after Florence dumped up to 36 inches of rain on the state since Thursday The Coast Guard had 26 helicopters and 11 aircraft looking for people in trouble and rescuing people, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Meredith Austin told reporters on Monday Ashley Bethea, 17, is seen outside her family home in Lumberton on Monday Mr Haywood said: The water is higher than Matthew. We woke and the water was everywhere. If the water gets higher we will leave. Mrs Haywood said that their laundry room and garage were flooded and that she would have to replace her washer and dryer. Her husband said that the water heater had burst. The water really started coming up Saturday, she said. The rescue boats passed by and we talked to them, they asked if we need a ride or anything. But we are fine for now. Florence is expected to weaken today before re-intensifying as it transitions to an extratropical cyclone Tuesday and Wednesday, the US National Hurricane Center said. Rescue teams were trying to reach hundreds of people on Monday and racing against rising rivers and floods that could last for days after Florence dumped record rain on the Carolinas. Thousands of rescues have taken place in the two states and over 650 people were taken to safety in and around Wilmington, North Carolina, said Barbi Baker, a spokeswoman for New Hanover County. 'For many parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate,' North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference Monday. 'Flood waters are rising as rivers crest and they will for days' As the remnants of Florence moved into the U.S. Northeast, and the sun appeared in some areas for the first time in days, residents of the Carolinas confronted its after-effects, including power outages, impassable roads, and sewage spilling into flooded areas Cooper said 2,600 people were rescued in North Carolina, along with 300 animals, and that the rescues were continuing. About 14,000 people are in shelters, officials said Flooding is seen near River Road bridge on Interstate 40. The death toll from Florence, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, had reached 24 in North Carolina and seven in South Carolina The city, which took a direct hit when Florence plowed into the state as a hurricane on Friday, has been largely cut off since then due to storm surges and flooding from the Cape Fear River. As the remnants of Florence moved into the U.S. Northeast, and the sun appeared in some areas for the first time in days, residents of the Carolinas confronted its after-effects, including power outages, impassable roads, and sewage spilling into flooded areas. Rex Gehring, 62, was unsure what he would do with the house he bought outside Fayetteville, another town on the Cape Fear River, after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 forced its previous owner into foreclosure. 'Were in a floodplain but a hundred-year one,' he said as floodwaters lapped at the houses front steps. 'I guess that means every two years now.' With 1,500 roads closed across North Carolina, fire and rescue crews were waiting to go into many areas to assist with structural damage after Florence dumped up to 36 inches of rain on the state since Thursday. Flooded roads have also prevented some North Carolina farmers from accessing their fields and livestock to assess damage, said Andrea Ashby, spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 'For many parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate,' North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference Monday. 'Flood waters are rising as rivers crest and they will for days.' Cooper said 2,600 people were rescued in North Carolina, along with 300 animals, and that the rescues were continuing. About 14,000 people are in shelters, officials said. The dead included a 1-year-old boy swept away from his mother as they tried to escape their car amid floodwaters. The woman had driven around barricades to reach a closed road, the sheriffs office in Union County, near North Carolinas border with South Carolina, said on Facebook. 'Dont drive around barricades. Were seeing this happen now and the result is not good,' Cooper said. Over 450,000 homes and businesses in North and South Carolina were still without power on Monday evening, down from a peak of nearly 1 million outages. Major rivers are expected to remain flooded for the next two to three weeks as rainwater drains into already engorged rivers across the state, said Steve Goldstein of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. North Carolina had deployed around 2,000 boats and 36 helicopters to help people stranded in floods, Michael Sprayberry, the states director of emergency management, told ABCs This Week program on Sunday. The Coast Guard had 26 helicopters and 11 aircraft looking for people in trouble and rescuing people, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Meredith Austin told reporters on Monday. Property damage from the storm is expected to total at least $17billion to $22billion, but that forecast could be conservative depending on further flooding, risk management firm Moodys Analytics said. A power outage at a wastewater treatment plant in Wilmington resulted in partially treated sewage water being released into the Cape Fear River, said Reggie Cheatham, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Office of Emergency Management. Sewage releases in the Neuse River also were reported, as well as overflowing manholes. Overflows also were reported at several hog 'lagoons' - used to store waste from pig farms. A prison officer who uncuffed a criminal on a hospital visit allegedly stood back and watched as the inmate grabbed a pair of scissors and attacked his female partner while trying to escape. Timothy Thornton 'did nothing but cry for help to hospital security' when his partner, who was forced to draw her handgun, was attacked by the inmate at a Sydney hospital, according to witnesses. Thornton is the same officer who was formally warned after being photographed while lying down on a bed during another inmate escort at a country hospital months later. On the job: Prison officer Timothy Thornton has a rest on a bed while escorting a medium security inmate from Wellington Correctional Centre to Dubbo Base Hospital on July 18 Prison officer Timothy Thornton uncuffed an inmate during a visit to Sydney Hospital on April 29. The inmate attacked Thornton's female partner and threatened her and hospital staff Corrective Services NSW has suspended prison officer Timothy Thornton without pay after he was charged with unrelated sexual assault and firearm offences. This is a stock image of an inmate at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater in Sydney's west The 21-year-old has since been charged with an unrelated sexual assault, possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing an unathorised pistol and possessing an unregistered weapon. The Public Service Association has said that inexperienced casual officers should not be put on escort duties. Daily Mail Australia has been told Thornton was a casual officer paired with a permanent partner when he escorted a remand prisoner from Surry Hills police cells to Sydney Hospital on April 29. While at the hospital Thornton allegedly removed the inmate's handcuffs without cause. The inmate then grabbed a pair of scissors and threatened both officers as well as hospital staff. Thornton's response was allegedly to back away while his female partner courageously grabbed hold of the inmate and tried to restrain him. The inmate cut that officer while this was happening. The inmate then tried to escape, causing the female officer to draw her handgun. As the prisoner tried to run he tripped over his ankle cuffs and the female officer re-holstered her weapon then restrained him on the floor. Inmate Simon John Way (pictured) escaped from Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital while on a medical escort on November 1 last year. He was recaptured in bushland a short time later . The Public Service Association says casual prison officers should not be on hospital escorts A female prison officer broke her leg in pursuit of Simon John Way (pictured) who escaped from a hospital waiting room while on a medical escort from Cessnock Correctional Centre The inmate continued to struggle and stated he was going to shoot the female officer in the ribs, among other threats. According to a witness, while the inmate was on the ground, Thornton 'did nothing but cry for help to hospital security and other personnel at the hospital.' Thornton was later given a permanent position with Corrective Services and went on the work at Wellington Correctional Centre in the state's central west where he was involved in another hospital incident on July 18. On that occasion Thornton was photographed lounging on a bed, seemingly with his eyes closed, while escorting a medium security inmate to Dubbo Base Hospital. He was formally warned for 'inappropriate behaviour'. Asked about the April incident a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said: 'A Wellington Correctional Centre officer has been suspended without pay after being charged by NSW Police.' Former governor John Heffernan (pictured) said Timothy Thornton's actions during an attempted escape 'certainly do not reflect the expected standard of a correctional officer' 'CSNSW is unable to comment further while the matter is before the courts.' John Heffernan, a former governor of Grafton Gaol, said Thornton's actions during an attempted escape 'certainly do not reflect the expected standard of a correctional officer.' 'One of the reasons correctional officers commence their employment as a casual is to give supervisors sufficient time to assess the officer in a variety of situations,' Mr Heffernan said. 'It would appear this officer failed his first real test when faced with an adverse situation. 'It is therefore difficult to comprehend how the department could have possibly progressed him from his casual status to a permanent position. 'Correctional officers literally trust their fellow officers with their lives, each must know the other has their back in some very volatile situations. 'Should an officer betray that trust all confidence is lost in that person and seldom will it be regained.' Last year maximum security inmate Simon John Way, 36, who was behind bars for offences including assault, escaped from a waiting room at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital while being escorted by two casual officers. Way escaped by jumping from a rooftop but was recaptured by police in nearby bushland. A female prison officer broke her leg while pursuing him during the November 1 incident. Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers. Berlin, Sept 18, 2018 (SPS) - The German newspaper "Tagesspiegel" Monday published an important article on the question of Western Sahara highlighting the Sahrawi people long-duration refugee under the difficult circumstances. The author of the article toured the origin of the Sahrawi conflict, which he described as "a forgotten conflict by the international community", emphasizing that Morocco illegally exploits the natural resources of the Saharawi territory. The German newspaper spoke on the fishing agreement signed between Morocco and the European Union, focusing on the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that excluded the territory of Western Sahara and the waters adjacent to it from the scope of this Agreement . SPS 125/090/TRA Sydney's housing market slump finally has a projected end date, and buyers should look to snap up a bargain before prices are back on the rise. The middle of 2019 will mark the end of Sydney's price drops and welcome a gradual increase in prices as the new year kicks off, CoreLogic's newest projections reveal. The new data was released on Monday, with forecasters suggesting a drop of 5.1 per cent across 2018, before a 0.6 per cent rise in 2019. Scroll down for video Sydney's housing market slump finally has a projected end date, and buyers should look to snap up a bargain before prices are back on the rise infrastructure upgrades will slowly encourage population growth and people flocking to the city The fall for apartment prices across the city was projected to stop at 0.2 per cent, before a 1.8 per cent rise throughout 2019, suggesting that over the course of the next 18 months, and despite a fall in prices, the overall cost of apartments would only rise. Things would continue to look dire for potential buyers and investors in 2020 with values for both houses and units expected to rise by close to 3 per cent, realestate.com reported. Prices were driven down in Sydney by an increase in housing supply and decrease in demand, which will have flow on effects for the rest of 2018, before being outweighed by the infrastructure upgrades, which will slowly encourage population growth and people flocking to the city. Prices were driven down in Sydney by an increase in housing supply and decrease in demand Sydney is still suffering with many homes being overvalued after being forced upward in previous financial years due to demand closer to the city Many homes are still currently overvalued for the market after being forced upwards in previous financial years, despite household incomes remaining relatively stagnant. Some suburbs have seen more flooding of the market than others, and are set to face significant drops as a result. The Hills district is expected to have the greatest fall in units, with a projected drop of 13.1 per cent throughout the rest of 2018, with houses also seeing major decreases with 6.6 per cent. Homes in and around the CBD were also predicted to fall by 9.4 per cent, with the west suburb of Blacktown bracing to drop by 5.8 per cent throughout the year. The northern beaches and inner west both also topped the lists, with projected falls of 5.6 percent and 9.2 per cent for houses. The Central Coast, on the other hand, has already passed it's slump, with houses increasing in value by 3.6 per cent and units also increasing by 2.4 per cent. Christopher Watts, the man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters in August is apparently severely depressed after being kept in isolation after more than a month in jail. A source at the Weld County Jail in Colorado confirmed that the 33-year-old murder defendant is now on suicide watch. 'He's not doing well at all,' a source told People. 'The gravity of the situation has hit him like a ton of bricks. Depression is setting in, and he's despondent.' Christopher Watts is apparently severely depressed and on suicide watch in a Colorado jail. Here he is pictured for his arraignment hearing at the Weld County Courthouse in August Currently guards are checking in on Watts every 10-15 minutes to ensure his well-being. They are required to make visual contact with him to ensure that he is still alive. He is Watts is physically searched several times per day and must undergo a complete cell inspection to ensure he is not hiding any contraband or objects with which he could harm himself. Watts' freedom is also restricted in the jail and has no access to weights, reading material or television, nor does he have any commissary privileges. Instead, he is forced to spend his days in bed. 'He sleeps all day and isn't really talking to anyone, including his family,' the source told People. Watts was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of his 34-year-old wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters - Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4 - at their home in Colorado Occasionally, Watts will speak with the guards who are assigned to his cell block. For one hour per day, he is allowed to leave his cell and taken to a small room where he is allowed to shower and make phone calls to his family or to lawyers. The room is not occupied by any other prisoners during the time he is there. Watts was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of his 34-year-old wife, Shanann Watts, and their two daughters - Celeste, three, and Bella, four - at their home in Frederick, Colorado. They were reported missing on August 13 and their bodies were found on the property of Watts', former employer Anadarko Petroleum not long after he was taken into custody. He is also charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly burying his wife in a shallow grave 35 miles from home and dumping his two daughters into a tank filled with crude oil. If convicted, Watts faces the death penalty. Authorities accuse Watts of killing them after she returned from a business trip in the early morning hours of August 13. A friend of Shanann who dropped her off at home from the airport alerted police after she did not respond to phone calls, according to the Coloradoan. Watts told police that he and his wife argued 'emotionally' about separating on that morning. Watts is check on every hour to make sure he is still alive and not taken his own life He claims that his wife then strangled both of their children to death. Watts claims he then strangled Shanann in a fit of rage. He told authorities that after he told his wife he wanted to separate, he watched as she strangled Celeste while Bella was 'blue', her lifeless body in a bed nearby. But investigators say Watts is lying. He was arrested on August 15 - one day before the bodies of his wife and their two children were found. Watts is being held without bond in the Weld County Jail. He has yet to enter a plea. 'The theory that she [Shan'ann] did it doesn't hold any water,' a source close to the investigation told People. 'There is absolutely no evidence that she killed her children.' Meanwhile, Watts' lawyers are asking the court to investigate whether prosecutors have leaked damaging information about their client to the press. Prosecutors have denied the accusation. Watts has not yet entered a plea. A needle has reportedly been found inside an apple in the latest spiked fruit to be discovered. New South Wales Police are investigating claims that an apple was found with a sewing needle inside of it in North Sydney on Tuesday. It comes after strawberries and bananas were both found to sabotaged with needles and sewing pins. New South Wales Police are investigating claims that an apple was found with a sewing needle inside of it in North Sydney on Tuesday The claim was first reported by 7 News Sydney. A woman was peeling freshly bought apples for her daughters to enjoy when she made the horrifying discovery, firstly believing it to be the stem of the fruit. 7 News reported it was a Pink Lady Apple from inside a pre packed container at the Woolworths in the The Ponds, a suburb of Sydney. The woman, named only as Carmello, told 7 News she was stunned. 'I just thought wow this cant possibly be happening,' she said. 'Ive seen the news about the strawberries and Ive been vigilant with cutting those up for the girls, but to see this in an apple, I actually thought these were safe.' The woman, named only as Carmello (pictured), told 7 News she was stunned by the find despite kowing about the strawberry contamination The latest scare comes after a number of strawberries and bananas were found to have foreign objects inside. Six brands of strawberry - Donnybrook Berries, Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries, Oasis, Berry Obsession and Berry Licious - have been recalled amid the contamination scare, with shoppers advised to cut up the fruit before eating it. The Australian federal government has launched an investigation to restore confidence after needles were reportedly found in strawberries in all six Australian states, although no injuries have yet been reported. The latest scare comes after a number of strawberries and bananas were found to have foreign objects inside (pictured) Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt ordered the national food safety watchdog to investigate Queensland's handling of the needle scare. He directed Food Standards Australia New Zealand to investigate whether there are supply chain weaknesses that need to be fixed. 'The job is very, very clear. Protect the public and keep them safe,' Mr Hunt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Meanwhile Queensland police confirmed they were investigating an incident where a metal object was found inside a banana, after needles were found in Queensland strawberries. Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed police were actively investigating an incident, but did not give details about where the contaminated banana was found. Advertisement Kim Jong-Un credited U.S. President Donald Trump for peace talks on the Korean Peninsula as he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for their third summit this year in Pyongyang on Tuesday. Referring to his June summit in Singapore with Trump, Kim said, 'Thanks to that, the political situation in the region has stabilized and I expect more advanced results.' A state-run newspaper says the public cheering will not lead the North Korean dictator to immediately end his nuclear program, however, and that a formal pact with the U.S. will remain out of reach until Washington relaxes its position. 'It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities,' a Rodong Sinmun editorial said on Tuesday 'without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war.' South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wave from a car during a parade through a street in Pyongyang, North Korea on Tuesday Kim credited U.S. President Donald Trump in remarks for their happy reunion WELCOME: Women wearing traditional dress line the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea to welcome Moon and Kim South Korean President Moon Jae-in, third from left, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, second from left, are welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju upon their arrival at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang South Korean President Moon Jae-in has embraced Kim Jong Un as the two leaders met for their third summit in Pyongyang Moon is seeking to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States The two leaders hugged on the tarmac after Moon disembarked from his Boeing 747 aircraft, which displayed the South's own emblem as it landed on Tuesday According to Reuters, the editorial said 'the responsibility falls squarely on the United States' to jump-start a conversation. Trump has said that sanctions on the isolated nation will only be removed when the nation fully denuclearizes. He says he will keep his maximum pressure campaign on North Korea until Kim budges. He has at the same time been laudatory of Kim for returning the remains of American service members who died in the war that did not result in peace agreement even after the fighting had ended. The White House said last week that Trump had received a 'very warm, very positive letter' from Kim asking to set up a second meeting, 'which we are open to and already in the process of coordinating,' press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Her declaration was an about-face from Trump's decision to cancel a planned face-to-face between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim in Pyongyang in August. Sanders signaled that the annual military parade in North Korea honoring its founding was the reason for the policy shift. This year's celebration was devoid of nukes and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Prior to the Trump-Kim summit in Pyongyang, the two Koreas restarted talks after a detente brought on by the Winter Olympics. They walked under one flag at the Opening Ceremony. Both leaders have credited President Trump for bringing them together for peace talks like the ones happening in Pyongyang on Tuesday. He sent his daughter Ivanka and Vice President Mike Pence to the Olympic Games as emissaries. On Tuesday, hundreds of North Koreans in colorful, traditional dress waved unification flags at the tarmac in Pyongyang as South Korea's Moon arrived. Moon is seeking to reboot stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States. The two leaders hugged on the tarmac after Moon disembarked from his Boeing 747 aircraft, which displayed the South's own emblem. After the pair embraced, they traveled from the airport by car. Welcoming President Moon and his wife to his country, Kim said: 'We hope you feel at home. We can talk more in the afternoon.' Moon's plane had taken off from the military's Seoul Air Base for the 80-minute flight to the North Korean capital South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, wave during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, waves as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claps during a car parade through Pyongyang streets Moon signs a guest book as North Korean leader before his summit with Kim at the Workers' Party of Korea headquarters Moon is seeking to reboot stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States Both leaders have credited President Trump with the thaw in relations between the North and South The handshake that started it all: Presidents Kim and Trump met for the first time in Singapore in June 'Let's open an era of peace and prosperity with the solidarity of one people,' read a hoarding displayed outside the terminal. The South Korean president's plane had taken off from the military's Seoul Air Base for the 80-minute flight to the North Korean capital, with the president and his wife smiling and waving to well-wishers before boarding. Moon - whose own parents fled the North during the 1950-53 Korean War - is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The rare visit comes amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula that has seen Moon and Kim exchange brotherly hugs and warm smiles at their first meeting in April at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit 'will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history.' Moon, who met Kim again in May, was instrumental in brokering the historic summit the following month between US President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, when Kim backed of the Korean peninsula. Moon, who met Kim again in May, was instrumental in brokering the historic summit the following month between US President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, when Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook wave upon their arrival at Sunan International Airport Pyongyang citizens wave bouquets as they watch a car parade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in Hundreds of people lined the tarmac at Pyongyang international airport - where Kim supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted - holding North Korean and unification flags showing an undivided peninsula South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend an official welcome ceremony at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, in Pyongyang South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, is escorted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea The US is pressing for the North's 'final, fully verified denuclearisation', while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned 'gangster-like' demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's 'final, fully verified denuclearisation', while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned 'gangster-like' demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the North's leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook wave during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, is greeted by North Koreans as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches during a welcome ceremony South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ride during a car parade through Pyongyang streets South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, chats with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a car parade through Pyongyang streets, North Korea Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation 'especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North', it was said on Tuesday South Korean President Moon Jae-in waves next to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after a welcome ceremony 'If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself,' he was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting 'will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea', Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation 'especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North', it added. 'Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables.' The rare visit comes amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula that has seen Moon and Kim exchange brotherly hugs and warm smiles at their first meeting in April North Korean people greet South Korean president Moon Jae-in on a street during the third Inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang South Korean president Moon Jae-in (right, front) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L, front) during a welcome ceremony at the Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang After the pair embraced, they travelled from the airport by car. Welcoming President Moon and his wife to his country, Kim said: 'We hope you feel at home. We can talk more in the afternoon.' Moon has been pushing inter-Korean economic cooperation but several South Korean newspapers urged caution Monday, with the Korea Herald calling the businessmen's presence on the trip 'untimely.' Moon is accompanied by several business tycoons - including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor - and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation Moon will be accompanied by several business tycoons - including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor - and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. He has been pushing inter-Korean economic cooperation but several South Korean newspapers urged caution Monday, with the Korea Herald calling the businessmen's presence on the trip 'untimely.' 'It is better to postpone economic projects involving the North until after negotiations to remove its nuclear program make substantial progress,' it said in an editorial. And investment in the North was 'fraught with risks and uncertainty,' it added. But Moon's office said the inclusion of the businessmen was 'not special,' given the heads of major conglomerates had been in Pyongyang for the previous inter-Korean summits in the city. Other issues on Moon's agenda include improving inter-Korean ties and easing military tensions on the peninsula. Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty - implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend an official welcome ceremony at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport as hundreds waved unification flags Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty - implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the North's leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from left, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, left, arrive on to a red carpet A horrified dog owner has warned a 'soulless monster' is trying to poison pets with rat bait inside meat scraps. Lily Kenny was walking her dog Lola at her local oval Bay Run at Lilyfield, Leichardt, in Sydney's west on Monday when she noticed the greyhound had consumed a large amount of rat poison. 'It breaks my heart that people can be this horrible and heartless,' she wrote on Facebook. Lola (pictured) consumed a large amount of rats poison which were hidden inside meat scraps Pictured are some of the rats poison which were hidden in meat scraps at the Leichardt oval Lily Kenny rushed her dog to the vet, who then induced vomiting to get rid of the poison Ms Kenny rushed Lola to the vet, who then induced vomiting, to get rid of the poison she had already eaten. 'Everything should be fine because we were lucky enough to get them out of her system before it was too late. 'I am just completely shocked that this could happen in such a dog-friendly area.' The incident terrified Ms Kenny, who is used to Lola eating scraps off the ground. 'Lola always eats random scraps off the floor so it was nothing new,' Ms Kenny said. 'If I didn't see that pellet I don't even want to think about what would've happened to her.' 'Lola always eats random scraps off the floor so it was nothing new,' Ms Kenny said Ms Kenny issued the warning in hopes other pet owners would be wary of what their pets are consuming Ms Kenny issued the warning in hopes other pet owners would be wary of what their pets are consuming when they're out being walked. Lola will be getting a blood test on Wednesday to ensure no harm was done internally. 'I don't even want to think about what would've happened to her.' Ms Kenny is contacting her Leichardt Council and the RSPCA to inform them of the horrible incident and for an investigation before any other pets are affected. Lola will be getting a blood test on Wednesday to ensure no harm was done internally (pictured rat poison) The Mayor of Leichardt Council, Darcy Byrne, told Daily Mail Australia that he is 'angry and disappointed' to hear about the dog baiting incidents. 'I'm disgusted that any person would endanger dogs and children by leaving poison pellets in very heavily used public open space,' he said. 'Dogs have now been poisoned near Le Montage on the Bay Run in Rozelle and in Pioneers Park Leichhardt. 'Council staff are at both sites today undertaking a thorough inspection of the grass and gardens. Inspections began at 6:40am. 'Thankfully no further baits have been found, but all of Council's parks staff are on high alert to look out for any further baits in any inner west parks. 'We ask the public to be on the lookout as well. If anyone sees any baits they can contact Council and we will collect them immediately. 'Council contacted the RSPCA this morning, who confirmed that they had also received a report. Officers are working together to further investigations.' 'I'm disgusted that any person would endanger dogs and children by leaving poison pellets in very heavily used public open space,' the Mayor of Leichhardt said A politician who suffers from albinism and has been accused of bullying by a female Liberal MP has revealed his own experiences of being picked on in the schoolyard for being different. Gareth Ward, the Liberal state member for Kiama on the New South Wales South Coast, has been accused of 'bullying, betrayal and backstabbing' by his federal counterpart Ann Sudmalis. After she unloaded on him in Parliament on Monday, Mr Ward said he knew what bullying was like as a public school kid with a rare genetic skin pigmentation deficiency that also makes him legally blind. He has revealed to Daily Mail Australia the taunts and intimidation he endured at recess and being called a 'pink pig', while his mother has recalled how her son had fruit thrown at him and his hat burned in high school. Scroll down for video Liberal MP Gareth Ward (pictured as a boy with his brothers Arthur and Scott) has been accused of being a bully by his federal counterpart in a parliamentary speech Mr Ward (pictured as a teenager with his brothers) said he knew what bullying was like as a public school kid with a rare genetic skin pigmentation deficiency that also makes him blind Gareth Ward (right with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian), was accused of 'bullying, betrayal and backstabbing' by Ann Sudmalis, a rival in the Liberal Party 'I have albinism. I went to local public schools. I was picked on because of my appearance, something I couldn't help,' Mr Ward said today. 'I understand what it's like to be bullied.' As an albino Mr Ward, now 37, lacks sufficient melanin pigmentation in his skin, which means he burns easily when he is outdoors. Despite this, schoolkids would insult him and take away his hat in the playground, unkindly depriving a vision-impaired boy of sun protection as he struggled with bright light. His federal counterpart Ann Sudmalis accused him of 'bullying, betrayal and backstabbing' during a speech in the House of Representatives The MP's mother Margaret Bowcher recalled how she was in tears after learning other schoolkids had burned her son's hat with cigarettes 'I was given all sorts of nicknames. I used to have my hat taken away from me,' he said. 'People would pass that from one person to another.' Mr Ward's mother Margaret Bowcher recalled how bullies threw fruit at her son and burned holes in his hat with cigarettes when he was in high school. 'The burning of the hat brought me to tears. I was pretty upset,' she told Daily Mail Australia today, shortly after returning home from major surgery. Mr Ward's mother (pictured with her son in 2011 shortly after he won the state seat of Kiama) said bullies also threw fruit at her son, knowing full well he was visually impaired Gareth Ward (pictured as a nine-month old baby in 1982 in his local newspaper) would go on to win the state seat of Kiama 29 years later as the electorate's first ever Liberal member 'But I realised this sort of thing happens being a bit different: it could be if you are overweight, if you wear glasses, you have this name calling.' Ms Bowcher, who had considered moving her son from a public high school to a Christian college to escape the bullying, had a few words for Ms Sudmalis. 'I don't think she has the stamina to stay in politics,' she said. 'I don't think she's a strong enough person for that job.' Ms Sudmalis, the federal member for Gilmore, told the House of Representatives on Monday night that Mr Ward 'annihilates anyone who opposes him'. She accused Mr Ward, who hails from the moderate faction of the Liberal Party, of stacking out the local Federal Electoral Conference in her seat in a bid to thwart her bid for preselection at next year's election. Looking cool for his first day of school, Gareth Ward would later become a proficient violin player and a state member of the New South Wales Parliament Gareth Ward said that as public school kid on the New South Wales South Coast, he endured being taunted about his skin pigmentation and having his hat taken from him during recess 'This is not the first time that Gareth has flexed his vengeance on strong Liberal women. He doesn't just get even,' she said. But Mr Ward denies he's been involved in bullying the MP, and said he suffered far worse as a child. 'I know what it's like to be on the other end of ridicule and scorn but there is a big difference between robust internal democracy and claims of bullying, particularly when there was no evidence to back this up,' he said. He declined to reveal the names he was called as a schoolkid at Nowra East Public School, Bomadery Public School and Bomadery High School on the South Coast, but said he had been called nasty names in the state parliament. 'You can imagine someone has no pigmentation: I was given all sorts of names,' he said. Mr Ward (pictured with former Shoalhaven mayor Paul Green) is a graduate in the art of politics, after joining the Young Liberals as a teenager 'I've even been called things in the parliamentary chamber from time to time, you know, "Pink Pig", all sorts of things.' Mr Ward and Ms Sudmalis became enemies in 2010 when they competed against each other for Liberal Party preselection in the state seat of Kiama, ahead of the next year's state election. Ms Sudmalis ran in the federal seat of Gilmore in 2013 and was re-elected in 2016 with a narrow 0.7 per cent margin in an electorate Labor had only won once in the seat's 34-year history. Ms Bowcher said her son, who grew up in Gerringong near Kiama, became more confident in his later years of high school as he became proficient at the violin and met former Liberal prime minister John Howard after winning an essay-writing competition on tax. 'He really started to shine and they tended to leave him alone,' she said. 'The other schoolkids were daunted by him.' A social worker in New Zealand has filed a police complaint on behalf of a mentally disabled teenage wife who's husband is allegedly prostituting her. The 18-year-old is being sexually exploited by her Indian husband and his friends, the police complaint filed by Roopa Suchdev, CEO of Roopa Aur Aap Charitable Trust, said. The woman has the intellectual maturity of a seven-year-old and it is illegal to exploit a person with significant impairment under the Crimes Act. Roopa Suchdev (pictured), CEO of Roopa Aur Aap Charitable Trust, has filed a police complaint on behalf of a mentally disabled teenage Ms Suchdev claimed that the man is passing his wife around to his friends to be sexually exploited and using her for her money. '(The husband) is interested in her until he gets his residency,' she wrote in the complaint, according to the New Zealand Herald. 'But in the meantime, she is getting sexually abused by his friends too.' She said that she believes the woman may not understand what is happening to her. Ms Suchdev told Daily Mail Australia that police had been in touch with the woman's family but inquiries were still taking place. Detective Sergeant Rob Cleary, of Counties Manukau Police, told Daily Mail Australia: 'As you can appreciate this is a complex matter and there are a number of privacy issues which police needs to consider in relation to your request. Ms Suchdev claimed the man is passing his wife around to his friends to be sexually exploited and using her for her money. She claimed that the man was doing this until he secured his visa as he came to New Zealand on a student visa (stock image) 'In general, Police do not respond to requests which seek to confirm whether a specific individual or a specific organisation is under Police investigation, or whether specific individuals have made complaints to Police. 'We can confirm that sexual exploitation of person with significant impairment is illegal as set out in the Crimes Act. 'We would however note, that no person has been charged with this or anything else in relation to this matter.' It might not sound like the most appealing concept but death cafes are cropping up across Australia in a bid to get people talking about the tricky - and often taboo - subject. A death cafe is an organised event where 'people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death', according to the founders of the concept. They're already up and running in Albany, Western Australia, as well as Newtown in Sydney's inner-west, and residents on the city's northern beaches will soon be able to try the experience. A death cafe is an organised event where 'people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death'. Pictured, a death cafe in the United States According to The Daily Telegraph, there are already 10 community volunteers in the area who are part of the Compassionate Communities Network pilot study, attempting to engage people in discussion about death. Sydney northern beaches GP Stephen Ginsborg told reporters a death cafe is a fantastic opportunity for people to offer or find support. Sydney GP Stephen Ginsborg (pictured) said a death cafe is a fantastic opportunity for people to offer or find support 'People are happy to talk about how to have a good life. Well, death is part of that, it's connected,' he said. 'Death has become removed, someone else does it. It's a mystery but it should not be.' Dr Ginsborg said that 70 per cent of people wished to die at home but only 30 per cent actually achieved it. He said that if the community came together, then - together with professional and palliative support - more people would be able to die in the setting and manner of their choice. The death cafe movement was reportedly developed by Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid in late 2010 after they decided to develop a series of projects about death, according to deathcafe.com. Mr Underwood sadly and unexpectedly died in June 2017 aged just 44, but his wife said in a blog post that 'through his work helping people come to terms with the idea of death, Jon was uniquely and unusually aware that life is short and appreciated his life fully'. The death cafe concept has now spread across Europe, North America and Australasia, and since September 2011 - when the first official event was held - 6898 death cafes have been hosted in 57 countries. 'Death cafes provide a warm, open, respectful and confidential space where people can express their views freely and without judgement'. Pictured, a death cafe in the United Kingdom The death cafe concept has now spread across Europe, North America and Australasia, and since September 2011 when the first official event was held 6898 death cafes have been hosted in 57 countries The meetings are designed to be group directed discussions about death, but are strictly not marketed as bereavement support or grief counselling groups. Albany in Western Australia was dubbed 'the best place to die' earlier this year, and Albany Community Hospice said that the care home's death cafe was a big contributor. According to information on their website, the objective of their death cafe is to 'increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their 'finite' lives. Death Cafe sessions are also being held in Marrickville in Sydney's inner-west, facilitated by Dr Michele Knight. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dr Knight for further information and comment. Julie Chen is leaving the daytime show she created, The Talk, in support of her by husband Les Moonves, who was forced to step down last week amid sexual misconduct allegations. A spokesperson for CBS confirmed Chen's departure and shared an appreciation statement about her in an email to DailyMail.com early Tuesday. 'For eight seasons, Julie Chen has co-hosted The Talk with incredible energy, grace and professionalism. Her talents played a big role in our successful launch of CBS first network daytime talk show, and in the series growth into an Emmy Award-winning broadcast. 'All of us here have tremendous appreciation for the dedication and passion she brought to the show every day and for her generous role as an ambassador for CBS Daytime. 'We are grateful for her many other contributions, respect her decision and wish Julie all the best in everything she does.' An insider also told Page Six late Monday that Chen will '100 percent stay with Les.' Chen's decision to exit The Talk could result in her losing her gig as the host of Big Brother claims a source, which would mean she would be gone from CBS by the end of next week. Julie Chen (right, on The Talk in 2015) is reportedly leaving her CBS hosting job at The Talk in support of her by husband Les Moonves who resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations On Thursday, Chen returned to television for the first time since Moonves was forced to resign as CEO of CBS Corporation following accusations of sexual misconduct claims from 13 women. She appeared on Big Brother, where at the end of the episode, she signed off by saying: 'From outside the Big Brother house, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Good night.' A top PR exec slammed Chen late last week as 'complicit' after she signaled support of her accused sexual abuser husband by using his last name when she signed off of Big Brother. Public relations powerhouse Danny Delaney reacted to what many saw as a show of support. Chen signed off from Big Brother on Thursday using her married name for reportedly the first time on the show she has been hosting for nearly two decades At the end of the episode, she signed off by saying: 'From outside the Big Brother house, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Good night' Julie Chen and Les Moonves arrive at the Washington National Cathedral for the funeral service for the late Senator John McCain on September 1 He tweeted: 'Tonight, Julie Chen signed off Big Brother as Julie Chen Moonves, firmly standing w/her husband, a serial sexual assaulter who ruined careers. She is complicit. 'Because of this, I will no longer put any of my clients on @TheTalkCBS. Fellow publicists, I hope you stand with me.' Delaney's words could have a considerable impact especially because he represents one of Moonves' alleged victims, Illeana Douglas. In a second tweet Delaney wrote: 'Les Moonves assaulted my client and it looks like dozens of others. How Julie Chen? How can you stand by this? Earlier this week, Chen (left, on the show) chose not to fill her regular spot as a panelist on The Talk in the aftermath of her husband's departure Public relations powerhouse Danny Delaney, who represents Moonves accuser Illeana Douglas, reacted to Chen's sign off on Twitter by calling for a boycott of her talk show Chen and Moonves were pictured leaving an office building together in their Bentley the morning after the CBS host's public show of support Chen was also seen running errands on her own in Los Angeles on Friday morning 'Power and status is worth more to you thank women's empowerment. This is now your legacy.' The publicist, named one of the top celebrity crisis communications experts by the New York Observer, also represents Roseanna Arquette and Laura Benanti. Earlier this week, Chen chose not to fill her regular spot as a panelist on The Talk in the aftermath of her husband's departure, opting for the solo gig on the reality program instead. Chen, 48, did not directly address any of the controversy surrounding her husband or his departure from CBS as chairman and CEO. Back in July, Chen came out and immediately supported her husband when the first allegations about sexual misconduct arose. Chen (pictured on Friday) chose not to fill her regular spot as a panelist on The Talk in the aftermath of her husband's departure Chen did not directly address any of the controversy surrounding her husband or his departure from CBS as chairman and CEO 'Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader,' she tweeted. 'He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement.' The Talk co-host released a statement when Moonves was ousted, stating that she planned to be with her family but would be on air in time for Big Brother. None of the alleged incidents happened during Moonves and Chen's 14-year marriage. The pair tied the knot in 2004, two weeks after his divorce from his first wife was finalized. The TV titan had been married to Nancy Wieselfeld for 26 years when he left her for TV host Chen. They have three adult children together and he and Chen have an eight-year-old son. None of the alleged incidents happened during Moonves and Chen's 14 year marriage. The pair tied the knot in 2004, two weeks after his divorce from his first wife was finalized Leslie Moonves and Julie Chen arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February 2016 A strawberry grower is shutting down its season early and destroying millions of healthy fruits as sales plunge amid the spiking scare. Suncoast Harvest, a small farm on the Sunshine Coast, laid off about 100 workers weeks ahead of schedule, blaming a customer 'frenzy'. 'We have decided it is best to pull out of growing strawberries for the rest of this year... and begin spraying out healthy paddocks of luscious, juicy berries,' it said. Suncoast Harvest, a small farm on the Sunshine Coast, laid off about 100 workers weeks ahead of schedule as sales plunge amid the spiking scare The once-busy fields at Suncoast will now be poisoned as there is no point in picking them 'Imagine how many millions of punnets of strawberries are going into landfill this week? Sad day for the environment too.' The company is one of many that have been forced to scrap many thousands of dollars in stock as frightened customers refuse to buy. Suncoast was not one of the six growers whose stock was sabotaged with needles or razor blades being hidden inside them, but the whole industry is in shock. Supermarkets didn't help the situation by pulling all strawberries from shelves, with Aldi only putting them back on Monday. The angry owner hit out at victims posting complaints about their contaminated fruit to social media and whipping up fear against that hurt all growers. 'There are proper channels to report these things to so they can be substantiated before causing fear and/or harm. Have a care, people,' they said. 'Thumbs down to the various government departments who mismanaged this into an international scare campaign. They need to be held accountable.' Suncoast said it would destroy millions of healthy fruits across its paddocks (pictured) because it could no longer sell them Suncoast was not one of the six growers whose stock was sabotaged with needles or razor blades being hidden inside them, but the whole industry is in shock Suncoast predicted there would be pressure to package food differently, just when the industry was making steps towards slashing excess packaging. 'It will now be necessary to tamper-proof everything with more plastic and waste untold volumes of existing, obsolete and unused packaging into landfills,' they said. As spiked strawberries popped up in every state of Australia, police appeared no closer to tracking down the culprit and any copycats. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the saboteur, who faced up to 10 years jail. 'Hopefully, they find out who has committed this awful crime against our industry and our favourite fruit and against Australian consumers and farmers,' Suncoast said. The company is one of many, such as Donnybrook Berries (pictured), that have been forced to scrap many thousands of dollars in stock as frightened customers refuse to buy Stephanie Chheang, whose mother and stepfather run Donnybrook Berries, shared a heartbreaking video of harvested fruit being dumped from a loader 'Food tampering carries maximum penalties for good reason. We all enjoy safe, clean food in this country and on that reputation, we have export markets across the globe. 'Whoever has jeopardised that reputation and our confidence in the foods we eat need to be severely dealt with.' The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association earlier this week warned a dozen growers could go out of business, even if their stock was not affected. The situation was even more dire for the growers whose fruit was tampered with, as supermarkets still refuse to stock them. Stephanie Chheang, whose mother and stepfather run Donnybrook Berries, shared a heartbreaking video of harvested fruit being dumped from a loader. 'This is no doubt the worst thing to ever happen to my family. This is worth more than you could ever imagine and within three days we lost it all,' she said. The angry owner hit out at victims posting complaints about their contaminated fruit to social media and whipping up fear against that hurt all growers The small family business north of Brisbane was forced to dump millions of strawberries in a ditch after its brand was recalled. 'We have to throw them out because the markets wouldn't take our strawberries due to the needle scare,' she said. Ms Chheang said her mother Leena Lee Cufari and stepfather spent years and 'all their money' building the farm, only for it to be wiped out. 'They put all their money and effort in to build such a successful business. They work hard to make the money for our family and to have these selfish individuals destroy it is just so upsetting. 'My mum works day through to the night, controlling the shed and her 250 employees, making sure her strawberries are packed to perfection.' Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries have recalled their strawberries nationwide. Police are also investigating contamination of fruit sold by Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries and Oasis in stores in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. Heading into his Monday evening assignment (Sept. 17) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, it had been nearly two years since Whiskey Tax had last tasted victory. That changed on Monday, however, thanks in large part to some heads up rating by teamster Bob McClure. Leaving from Post 6, McClure put the pedal down early with Whiskey Tax who shot to the top and whacked out an opening quarter in :27.3. He proceeded to lead the way through middle splits of :56.2 and 1:26.2 before kicking home in :29.4 to win by a half-length margin over Cresurrey in 1:56.1. Dottie was third. Trainer Tom Durand co-owns the 10-year-old son of Revenue S-Bourbon Belle with his wife, June, and partner Allan Smith. It was the 19th lifetime tally for the classy campaigner who lifted his lifetime earnings to $1,085,610 with the win. To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results Woodbine Mohawk Park. Lying deep beneath Sydney's Central station is one of the city's hidden secrets that goes mostly unnoticed by the thousands of commuters who walk over it every day. Stripped bare but largely still in tact, platforms 26 and 27 were built in the 1970s on the site of the old Devonshire Street Cemetery. The bodies lying in the graveyard were reburied across the city decades before the station were built but workers recently inspecting the unused platform have reported some eerie goings-on in the gloomy and dusty underworld. Lying deep beneath Sydney's Central station is one of the city's hidden secrets - the stripped bare but fully in tact platforms 26 and 27 Sydney Trains officials have reported hearing voices echoing against the walls, and even the sound of children playing. Director of operations with Sydney Trains Tony Eid also claims to have heard the sound of children's voices on a visit to station's never-used tunnels. He previously told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Workers down here said they would hear kids playing and, thinking they were vandals, would go and investigate. 'On one occasion I was down here with a radio crew and we all heard children playing. Take that as you wish but we all heard it'. Sydney Trains officials have reported hearing voices echoing against the walls, and even the sound of children playing Platforms 26 and 27 were built in the 1970s on the site of the old Devonshire Street Cemetery, and the ghosts of the deceased seem to still be present to this day Sydney Open offer tours of the mysterious underground maze beneath Central station - featuring presenters from the Australian Railway Historical Society and Sydney Trains staff. Aside from the station's ghostly past, it is also the site of more tangible historical events like the Battle of Central Station - where soldiers rebelling against the army were involved in a shoot-out with armed military guards. One stray bullet hole near platform one is what remains of the exchange started by a drunken soldier's gunshot - which led to the guards killing one and injuring eight when they returned fire. Sydney Open offers tours of the mysterious underground maze beneath Central station - featuring presenters from the Australian Railway Historical Society and Sydney Trains staff. The unnerving reports from beneath Central station are paralleled by similar reports elsewhere on the Sydney Trains network - such as Macquarie Fields where there have been reports of a ghostly apparition The unnerving reports from beneath Central station are paralleled by similar reports elsewhere on the Sydney Trains network. Ghost hunters at Macquaire Fields train station in the city's southwest claim to have seen a ghostly apparition clutching her bloodied chest and shrieking in terror. Other claim to have heard a 'faint crying on the breeze' late night following the departure of the last train. Celebrities are coming together to call for the end of big game hunting, sharing a shocking image of a female hunter smiling and holding a slaughtered leopard. The trophy hunting photo went viral after it was posted on the Safari Club International (SCI) website on September 7 in its 'Record Book', and the giant cat is said to be the ninth largest ever hunted. The huntress was identified as Britany L, who is a member of the SCI based in Tuscon, Arizona. The photo was shared by animal activist David Bonnouvrier on Friday where it caught the attention of celebrities like supermodel Naomi Campbell, Doutzen Kroes, and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards. Celebrities are slamming a female hunter named Britany L who has gone viral for smiling and posing with the giant leopard she killed. The picture was originally shared on the Safari Club International (SCI) website and went viral soon afterwards Supermodel Naomi Campbell shared the picture with animal activist David Bonnouvrier's caption condemning big game hunting Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards shared the shocking image on Instagram writing: 'I know this is upsetting to see but if we don't speak up this will never stop' Supermodel Doutzen Kroes shared the image saying: 'The woman in the picture should be ashamed of herself!' Actress Carre Otis shared the photo as well writing: 'Make trophy hunting a crime!' The stars shared the image on their respective Instagram accounts - shaming the woman for her conquest and urging for the end of animal hunting. 'A very large male Leopard recently killed by Britany L. Member of the safari club international based in Tucson, AZ call them and give them a piece of your mind,' Bonnouvrier, the founder of Knot My Planet, captioned his photo. Doutzen shared the shocking image on Saturday writing: 'How can you find pride and pleasure in killing a beautiful animal like this large male Leopard.' 'The woman in the picture should be ashamed of herself! I find this disgusting and Im so upset, sad and angry that this still happens!! #stopbiggamehunting,' she added. Richards shared the image on Instagram as well. 'I know this is upsetting to see but if we dont speak up this will never stop,' she said on Saturday to her 2.2million followers. American actress and model Carre Otis also shared the image writing: 'UNCONSCIOUSNESS HARD AT WORK. Whoever you are, you should be ashamed of yourself!! Make trophy hunting a crime!' Campbell reposted the image on Instagram and Twitter with Bonnouvrier's original caption. According to the SCI website's blog, the leopard was the ninth largest to ever be hunted. Although Britany, who is based in Arizona, is taking the online heat for her kill, the SCI website record's page shows a myriad of other hunters posing with their kills such as giant elks and peacocks. Twitter users have also chimed in on the controversial photo. 'What kind of person flies to another continent to kill an animal for bragging rights and a trophy?? A terrible human being!!!!!' one Twitter user wrote. 'This is what social media should be used for, finding & stopping people who think this is acceptable! #stopbiggamehunting,' blogger Carly Rowena wrote. 'WHY!? How can you kill a beautiful creature like that and then stand there with a smile!? What is wrong with you!? #stopbiggamehunting,' another added. But this isn't the first time that hunters have been slammed on the internet for their kills. In July American hunter Tess Thompson Talley, 37, was heavily criticized for posing next to a giraffe she shot and killed in South Africa. Earlier this year a Canberra businessman was shamed online for sharing a photo next to a dead baboon that was dressed in a hat and sunglasses. A church's latest message to the community has rubbed people the wrong way after it was deemed inappropriate and lewd by locals. People walking past the the sign at the Anglican Church of The Holy Spirit on the Gold Coast on Monday were greeted with the words 'Love doesn't rub it in, love rubs it out'. While the seemingly innocent message may have gone unnoticed to some, others questioned the church's intention - especially given its history of controversial lines. People walking past the the sign at the Anglican Church of The Holy Spirit on Monday were greeted with the words 'Love doesn't rub it in, love rubs it out' (similar sign) The Anglican Church of The Holy Spirit (pictured) attracted media attention back in June when it posted another 'cheeky' sign Back in June the church received nationwide attention when the same sign stated: 'FORGIVENESS IS SWALLOWING WHEN YOUD RATHER SPIT'. Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek, who spotted the 'unholy' message in June, told The Gold Coast Bulletin he doesn't think the message was intended to be lewd 'Given what happened last time, I dont think it was on purpose,' Mr Langbroek said. '(Rev Mike Uptin) doesnt strike me as someone who would do that.' He added, while the current message does seem 'risky', if someone had a dirty mind then everything could be misinterpreted. Reverend Mike Uptin told Nine News in June that he was oblivious to the double meaning of the message. Reverend Mike Uptin from the church told Nine News in June that he was oblivious to the double meaning of the sign (pictured) 'I went and checked social media just to see what other interpretations there might've been, and it actually made me sad,' he said. At the time, many people shared their confusion with the news outlet about a sign that is supposed to be reserved for 'inspirational or religious quotes'. 'It's disgusting,' one person said. 'I'm just a little bit perplexed as to what its religious significance is,' another person said. 'A third person added: 'It's probably not the most appropriate saying they could have put up there.' Daily Mail Australia contacted Reverend Uptin for clarification about the church's most recent affirmation, but was told by a spokesperson that it was his 'day off'. Associate Minister at Surfers Paradise Anglican Church, Trevor Sketcher, said the church updates its signage weekly unless it's deemed necessarily to do so sooner. 'If we get people's attention in different ways then we change it,' he said. Emmy host Michael Che ended up 'handing out' Emmys to black TV stars who had been snubbed over the decades in a skit during the award show on Monday night. Dubbed the 'Reparation Emmys', 35-year-old Che was seen handing out the coveted trophies to some of televisions unrewarded heroes - black actors who have 'gone unrecognized' over the years. He said: 'You know, for so many years, our TV legends and heroes have gone unrecognized. 'So this year as host, I took it upon myself to finally right some of those wrongs.' Scroll down for video One of the biggest hits of the evening was Che's skit about the Reparation Emmys, which featured Marla Gibbs from The Jeffersons, Kadeem Hardison from A Different World, and John Witherspoon from The Wayans Brothers Marla Gibbs' impact as the Black maid on The Jeffersons was finally noticed and recognized But there was also another joke as to how he got hold of the trophies to begin with. Che joked he obtained the golden accolades from disgraced actor and comedian Bill Cosby. Although Cosby never won an Emmy for NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, he won three of the Emmys during the course of his career becoming the first African-American to win one in 1966. The skit began with Che joking how he wanted to 'right some wrongs' and handed an Emmy to Marla Gibbs who starred as maid Florence Johnston on The Jeffersons. He visited Jimmy Walker from the show Good Times before heading onto Kadeem Hardison, formerly Dwayne Wayne on A Different World. Jimmy Walker from the show Good Times received one of the Repatriation Emmys Kadeem Hardison, formerly Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, finally got what he deserved Finally, he saw that John Witherspoon, of The Wayans Bros., got his Emmy, as well. Che then handed out a 'Reparation' win to Jaleel White who played Steve Urkel on the show Family Matters. Che described White as a trail-blazer saying that without him there would have been no Obama. He described his character as 'the OG black man' and added: 'Without you there'd be no Donald Glover, no Kanye West. There'd be no Obama.' He also commiserated with Jermaine Fowler about the lack of awards 'The Wire' had received as they sat in a cafe. Jermaine said: 'Did you know that nobody from 'The Wire' ever won an Emmy?' John Witherspoon was acknowledged for being a funny father figure in The Wayans Bros Jaleel White was the quintessential man who can do both when he switched from Steve Urkel to Stefan Urquelle in Family Matters Referencing Geoffrey Owens, the former 'Cosby Show' actor who was photographed working at a Trader Joe's, Michael said: 'I know, and Bryan Cranston won like six for Breaking Bad. 'You know he only won because he's white, right? If he was black he'd probably be bagging groceries somewhere.' Bryan himself could be seen scowling in the background as the pair chatted. The show opened without the hosts, who came in after a musical number called 'We Solved It', which focused on the diversity problem in Hollywood and featured the likes of Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant, Tituss Burgess, Kristen Bell, Sterling K. Brown, RuPaul, Andy Samberg, Ricky Martin and John Legend. 'Without White, there'd be no Donald Glover', Che said, 'No Obama!' To which, White asked: 'Did I do that?' Bryan Cranston, pictured, won six Emmys for Breaking Bad and was the butt of a joke The 'Weekend Update' hosts then gave a political monologue addressing various high-profile issues. On the issue of diversity, Colin quipped: 'There's even more diversity coming to TV. There's a 'Latino Magnum, P.I.', there's gonna be a black Samantha in a reboot of 'Bewitched'. 'But it's gonna get balanced out it's gonna get balanced out by an all-white reboot of 'Atlanta' called '15 Miles Outside of Atlanta', and it focuses on white women who call the police on the cast of 'Atlanta'.' And commenting on the allegations of sexual misconduct in Hollywood - which were spearheaded by Ronan Farrow's investigative journalism, Colin said: 'Netflix, of course, has the most nominations tonight. That's right, and if you're a network executive, that's the scariest thing you could possibly hear except maybe, 'Sir, Ronan Farrow is on line one.' ' Tichina Arnold was given her Repatriation Emmy for being the best sitcom actress thanks to her roles in Martin and Everybody Hates Chris The hosts also highlighted the fact the evening's guests were allowed alcohol within the theater for the first time. Michael said: 'You know, it is an honour to be here sharing this night with the many talented and creative people who haven't been caught yet.' Colin quipped: 'This year, the audience is allowed to drink in their seats. Hope you're excited about that. Because the one thing Hollywood needs right now is people losing their inhibitions at a work function.' Che joked that the Emmys he gave out were awards taken back from Bill Cosby who won three in 1966, 1967 and 1968 Later in the show, the pair took a moment to acknowledge director Glenn Weiss's on-stage proposal to girlfriend Jan Svendsen. Michael quipped: 'My girl is actually here too. I want to ask her something. Shall we eat later, or...?' Colin added: 'There's so many guys who didn't win with engagement rings in their pockets right now!' But the 'Saturday Night Live' stars also took a moment to get serious for an important issue, appealing for help for those affected by Hurricane Florence last week. Colin said: 'If you're watching right now at home, please during this commercial break, consider going online and donating or texting giveflorence to 41411 to support the American Red Cross Direct Relief and Team Rubicon. 'These charities have helped so much to rebuild in Houston and in Puerto Rico and they are ready to help in the Carolinas and Virginia now.' Millionaire racehorse owner Bert Vieira is threatening legal action against police following a crash that left his wife in a coma. Mr Vieira's wife Gai, 58, was hit by a highway patrol car during a high-speed chase in Cronulla, south of Sydney on September 5. She suffered extensive injuries as a result, including broken bones, punctured lungs and remains at St George Hospital on Tuesday. She was still in a coma on Thursday but her family does not want further information on her condition released. Mr Vieira said his wife had suffered extensive injuries as a result of the crash Mr Viera has been demanding answers from police since the incident. He has labelled a statement he received from Traffic and Highway Patrol commander Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, as an insult, the Daily Telegraph reported. He is now considering legal action against the police. The statement reportedly said the issue was complicated. 'The only way to teach them a lesson is to make it hurt,' Mr Vieira said. 'I have never seen a worse statement in my life, it's an insult to my family. To everyone who has been hurt by a police car chase, a statement like that should never be put out. 'I want answers.' Police confirmed last week the officer was travelling at a speed of 124 km/hr in a 70km/hr zone. The officer did not have flashing lights or a siren in pursuit of another driver on their cellphone. Mrs Vieira took the impact of the crash while her three-year-old grandson who was sitting in the backseat escaped uninjured. Bert Vieira's wife Gai is in a coma after her black Mercedes-Benz was hit by a highway patrol car during a chase in Cronulla, south of Sydney last Wednesday Mrs Vieira took the impact of the crash while her three-year-old grandson who was sitting in the backseat escaped uninjured The male senior constable driving the patrol car suffered facial injuries as a result of the collision. Mr Vieira has called for police to stop chasing drivers for minor crimes, and reserve pursuits for serious matters. Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said at a press conference on Friday that police were pulling out all stops to make sure they have an open and transparent process. 'We have a critical investigations team under a very experienced inspector investigating this terrible case,' he said. 'It is a very complicated crash, we are dealing with a whole range of technologies. We are still going through the details. 'So far we've taken 12 statements off people and we have three to go to make sure we have all the information that's available to us before we conclude the investigation.' A businessman has been jailed after police uncovered over 200 child porn videos on his computers. Andrew Karl Matthies, 45, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore District Court, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, to possessing and accessing child pornography along with large amounts of drugs, the Sunshine Coast Daily reports. Matthies, who runs a hydroponics firm, was caught downloading explicit child exploitation videos with titles such as 'Pedo mum abuse of little girl 3 yo' and 'Toddler girls plus man 3yo beauty this rocks'. Police officers uncovered over 200 child porn videos on Andrew Karl Matthies' two computers and laptop When officers raided his Kunda Park business, they found Matthies' laptop which contained 16 child porn videos, allowing them to track another computer located in his work shed. Two computers were located by police, one of which had 187 videos, some of which Matthies had said were accidentally downloaded, and another with 30. The police investigation uncovered the sickening videos on March 6, 2017. Throughout the investigation, officers uncovered 44kg of growing marijuana plants and 4kg in another location, with 50g of dried. Defence barrister Scott Lynch said Matthies struggled with mental health issues and had been hospitalised due to a psychotic episode involving drugs. A letter to the court written by Matthies' doctor defended his acts and said watching online porn videos was a way to 'exercise his curiosity' and had nothing to do with his mental health problems. 'People like you who search these videos are part of the reason people abuse children,' Judge Glen Cash told Matthies. Matthies was sentenced to jail for two and a half years and his term will be suspended after ten months. Police are hunting two men who used a fire extinguisher to spray staff at a fast food restaurant after being ejected from the premises. The two men were in Sylvania McDonald's, in Sydney's south, when they got into a verbal altercation with the store, officers say. The argument prompted the manager to ask both men to leave the store but before they left one of the men is seen picking up a fire extinguisher and spraying staff behind the counter. Police are hunting for two men who used a fire extinguisher to spray staff at a fast food restaurant after being ejected from the premises Thankfully no staff were injured in the incident, The Daily Telegraph reported. Police are now asking for anyone with information that could help to come forward. The man who used the fire extinguisher is described as being white, aged between 18 and 25, with short brown hair and wearing a white T-shirt, blue denim shorts and white joggers. The argument prompted the manager to ask both men to leave the store but before they left one of the men is seen picking up a fire extinguisher and spraying staff Police allege that the two men were in the Sylvania McDonald's, in Sydney''s south, when they got into a verbal altercation with the store A detailed description of the second man was not released by police. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Sutherland Shire police station on 9542 0899. Or you can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Two of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's former girlfriends are speaking out to clear his name following accusations of sexual harassment from his teenage days. Kavanaugh's name has become shrouded in scandal after 51-year-old college professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward saying the judge attacked her and attempted to rape her at a party when he was 17 and she was 15. However two of his ex-girlfriends Maura Fitzgerald and Maura Kane, say Ford's allegations are the 'polar opposite of the Brett I know'. The two ex-girlfriends joined 63 other women in signing a letter in support of Kavanaugh and vouching for his good character in light of the bombshell accusations. Two of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's previous girlfriends are speaking out to clear him name Ex-girlfriends Maura Fitzgerald (left) and Maura Kane (right) spoke on Fox to defend Kavanaugh and reflect on their high school and college days with him They said the sexual harassment accusation don't match up with his character. Fitzgerald said: 'Its just so polar opposite of the Brett Kavanaugh I've known for over 35 years' 'I was absolutely shocked I just couldnt believe it. Its just so polar opposite of the Brett Kavanaugh I've known for over 35 years. I was confused, surprised, shocked and I still cant believe it,' Maura Fitzgerald, who dated Kavanaugh in college and knew him in high school said on Fox. 'I couldnt believe that these allegations had come out when I had been at the hearings for a couple of days and we just watched woman after woman come forward praising Brett and his respect for women and his professionalism and his kindness towards them and then this at the last minute came out. I was completely shocked,' Maura Kane, who dated the judge in high school said. Kavanaugh and Ford will both speak in a testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee next Monday on Capitol Hill. The women say that Kavanaugh never became belligerent when drunk and was always in control. 'At social gatherings hed be the guy to look out for other people. He was always in control,' Fitzgerald said. 'He was a responsible guy. He never became someone different after drinking,' Ford said reflecting on the times she and Kavanaugh would drink during their high school days, adding the legal drinking age was 18 in Washington D.C. at the time. Following Kavanaugh's nomination to Supreme Court, 51-year-old college professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward saying the judge attacked her and attempted to rape her at a party when he was 17 and she was 15. He has denied such claims. The two will testify in public before the Senate Judiciary Committee next Monday The two women also said he never blacked out and was never physically aggressive towards them. 'He was nothing but kind and polite and respectful,' Fitzgerald said. Kane said she knew of accuser Christine Blasey Ford but didn't know her personally. Both women said they did not know of the party where Ford claimed she was attacked. The two women say the 63 other women who signed the letter to back the judge's reputation stand by their signatures, but are not speaking out to avoid the press. 'I just think this is a travesty. In over 35 years hes been nothing but honest and respectful,' Fitzgerald said on the judge. 'Im concerned that this is even happening at this stage in his hearing after he went through so much, but he is smart and hes telling the truth and I think hell be all right,' Kane added. In the alleged assault, Ford claimed that Kavanaugh held her down on a bed in a locked room while he covered her mouth and tried to force himself on her. Mark Judge, a classmate of Kavanaugh's who Ford says was in the room when the attack happened, strongly denied witnessing at attempted assault. Kavanaugh has also denied the claims. Christine Blasey Ford in her Freshman Year at Holton Arms School Christine Blasey (now Ford) in her high school yearbook Brett Kavanaugh in his high school yearbook On Monday morning he announced that he is willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the wake of Ford's public accusations against him, noting that before she identified herself, 'I had no idea who was making this accusation.' He again denied the charge against him as he desperately works to save his nomination. 'This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describesto her or to anyone,' Kavanaugh said in a statement provided by the White House. Next Monday's hearing sets up a potential show down on Capitol Hill, the likes of which have not been seen since Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill testified in 1991 after she accused him of sexual harassment. Thomas was ultimately confirmed after a bitter and bruising battle. But the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing comes more than 25 years later, amid the #metoo movement, and when women have been energized after the election of Donald Trump as president. Republicans were under heavy political pressure - including some from members of their own party - to hold a public hearing and they finally caved on the issue Monday evening. The New South Wales Premier has backed down on her pledge to ban Defqon.1, the music festival where two people died from drug overdoses. Gladys Berejiklian had vowed to never allow the hardstyle event to be held in her state again after a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man overdosed on Saturday. But speaking to the media on Tuesday Ms Berejikilian said she meant the festival would not continue in its current form. Scroll down for video Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) had vowed to never allow the hardstyle event to be held in her state again after a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man overdosed on Saturday Joseph Pham (pictured), from Edensor Park, was one of two revellers who died at Defqon.1 on Saturday 'It was quite shocking to me that in the last five years there had been four deaths from that same festival, she said. 'That's why I made those comments to say that I never wanted to see those deaths repeat and I never wanted to see that event in its form come back. 'Clearly action needs to be taken to make that event safer.' The Premier announced the creation of a new expert panel advise the government on drug-related deaths, but said pill testing would not be an option. Ms Berejiklian said the panel would consider increased penalties for drug dealers and how festival promoters could improve safety (pictured are Defqon.1 festival-goers) The three-person panel will consist of the NSW police commissioner, the state's chief medical officer and the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority chair. Ms Berejiklian said the panel would consider increased penalties for drug dealers and how festival promoters could improve safety. However, it won't consider pill testing, despite the Australian Medical Association and other experts calling for a trial. 'We do not support pill testing,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. 'We do not support a culture which says it's okay to take illegal drugs.' A 21-year-old Victorian woman and Sydney man Joseph Pham, 23, died and three more revellers were taken to hospital in a critical condition from Defqon.1 (pictured) AMA president Tony Bartone on Monday said 'proper co-ordinated clinical trials' were needed to see if pill testing did have a role to play. Kieran Palmer from the Noffs Foundation told ABC TV evidence from overseas and Australian trials showed pill testing 'works to reduce overall drug consumption at festivals, it reduces the harms associated with drugs and by extension it reduces deaths'. A 21-year-old Victorian woman and Sydney man Joseph Pham, 23, died and three more revellers were taken to hospital in a critical condition from Defqon.1 on Saturday. About 700 revellers in the 30,000-strong crowd required medical attention at the event. There have been tragedies at the same festival in past years. In both 2013 and 2015 men in their 20s died while attending Defqon.1. An outspoken critic of China's internment camps who now lives in Istanbul says his wife and youngest son face potential deportation to China because Turkish authorities might bar them from entering the country. Omir Bekali, a Kazakh national, told The Associated Press today that Turkish authorities are holding his wife and two-year-old son at the airport in Istanbul and are accusing them of using fake passports. 'My family has been split in two,' he said by phone from the airport. 'They didn't let me see her. I've been waiting here. My heart is hurting.' Bekali was among the first to speak publicly about the ordeal he endured in new indoctrination camps in China's far western region of Xinjiang - camps that China denies exist. Omir Bekali and another former detainee of China's such camps told the Washington Post earlier this year that these former prisoners had been forced to eat pork and drink alcohol, forbidden in Islam, as punishment. Scroll down for video In this Aug. 25, 2018, photo, Omir Bekali (right), a critic of China's internment camps for Muslims, poses for a picture with his children Aisha (left) and Ibrahim in a cafe in Istanbul This Nov. 2, 2017, photo, shows the entrance to a jail which locals say is used to hold those undergoing political indoctrination program in Korla in western China's Xinjiang region Bekali also told AP in May that he and dozens of other Muslim minority Kazakh as well as Uighur detainees were held in camps for months and forced to disavow their Islamic beliefs, criticise themselves and their loved ones and give thanks to the ruling Communist Party. The camps are estimated to hold upward of one million people and reports about them have drawn growing criticism of China from the U.N. and the U.S. The U.S. is considering sanctioning Chinese officials responsible for the stifling security crackdown in the region. Bekali returned to Kazakhstan after being released from detention but moved to Turkey earlier this year, fearing for his safety. His wife, Ruxianguli Taximaimaiti, 45, a Chinese ethnic minority Uighur, and their youngest son Mukhamad Bekali were to join him in Istanbul this week. They arrived in Istanbul on a plane from Almaty on Sunday night. Bekali, who had been waiting for them at the airport, got a call from his wife telling him that border police weren't letting them into the country. In this file photo, Omir Bekali cries as he details the psychological stress endured while in a Chinese internment camp during an interview in Almaty, Kazakhstan in March, 2018 Bekali (pictured in March) who now lives in Istanbul says his wife and son are facing potential deportation to China because Turkish authorities might bar them from entering the country Turkish airport authorities accused his wife and son of holding fake passports, Bekali said, and had earlier booked them on a flight back to Kazakhstan, where she no longer has a valid visa that would allow her to stay. 'I'd rather die here in Turkey then go back,' she had told Bekali at the time. It was not immediately clear if they boarded any flights. Attempts to reach Turkish airport police for comment on Monday were unsuccessful. If they are sent back to Kazakhstan, Bekali said, authorities in that country would likely deport his wife back to China where she could be punished for his criticism of the indoctrination camps, leaving nobody to take care of his son. In this March 31, 2018, photo, Omir Bekali holds up a mobile phone on a street in Almaty, Kazakhstan to show a photo of his parents whom he believes have been detained in China In file photo, Omir Bekali (front right) prepares to pray at a mosque in Almaty, Kazakhstan Xinjiang, the tense region where most Uighurs live, has been enveloped in recent years in a vast dragnet of police surveillance which authorities insist is needed to root out separatism and Islamic extremism. Critics of China's policies in the region and the harsh restrictions imposed on Uighurs and Kazakhs have been punished severely. Zhang Haitao, a Han Chinese electronics salesman who complained online about the treatment of Uighurs, was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2016. Prominent Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti, a moderate critic of the government's policies in the region, was handed a life sentence in 2014 on charges of fanning ethnic hatred. A child rests near the entrance to a mosque where a banner reads 'Love the party, Love the country' in the old city district of Kashgar in western China's Xinjiang region on Nov. 4, 2017 Residents walk through a security checkpoint into the Hotan Bazaar where a screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hotan in western China's Xinjiang region on Nov. 3, 2017 Bekali said the uncertainty over his wife and son's fate had reignited a persistent anxiety he had about China and the detention he had left behind. 'I feel like I'm a thief, hiding and sneaking around. The pressure is enormous,' Bekali said. 'I can't live like an ordinary person. We have no way to live safely in the 21st century.' Human Rights Watch said in a report earlier this month that 13 million Muslims in China's far-west Xinjiang Province are subject to political indoctrination, collective punishment, restrictions on movement and communications, heightened religious restrictions, and mass surveillance in violation of international human rights law. In this March 30, 2018, photo, Omir Bekalic (center) prepares to pray at a mosque in Almaty Situated in far-west part of China, Xinjiang is traditionally inhabited by Islamic followers The report is primarily based on interviews with 58 former residents of Xinjiang - a region traditionally inhabited by Islam followers - including five former detainees and 38 relatives of detainees, according to the New York-based human rights group. Kairat Samarkand, said to be a former detainee in a re-education camp is quoted by Human Rights Watch saying the Chinese government wanted to 'exterminate Muslim People, Muslim writing and Muslim dress'. Mr Samarkand, who has fled China and now lives in Kazakhstan, also said: 'They are planning a country that's homogeneous. Everyone has to be Chinese.' 'The Chinese government is committing human rights abuses in Xinjiang on a scale unseen in the country in decades,' commented Sophie Richardson at Human Rights Watch. A former detainee of a Muslim re-education camp has told of the horror after fleeing China In explaining China's motives of the alleged religious suppression, Sophie Richardson, the China Director of Human Rights Watch, told MailOnline: 'The Chinese government has long treated any organised religious groups with disdain and hostility.' 'It doesn't matter if it is Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, it considers them as a vehicle and mechanism to carry out political disloyalty and separatism,' Dr. Richardson added. China has been told to immediately release the Muslims being detained in alleged political re-education camps on the 'pretext of countering terrorism' by United Nations' human rights experts. The Chinese government have said that it is taking necessary measures to eliminate extremism, but denied setting up the camps. Despite McWicked and Lazarus N failing to visit the winners circle in their last pari-mutuel engagements, their connections anticipate each horse to be at their best when they clash for the third time this season in Fridays (Sept. 21) $175,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby. Ive been thrilled with McWicked all year and really shouldnt say this, but I was a little disappointed with his last start, said his trainer, Casie Coleman. He was fourth (in a dead heat) at Scioto Downs (in the $250,000 Jim Ewart Memorial on Sept. 8) and was only beaten a length, but I thought I had him better prepared. I put it out in the press about the quarter crack and maybe with all the rain that night the track was hard, so that foot could have been stinging him. Also, I know he has won at Scioto before (2017 Ewart Memorial), but I didnt realize how short the stretch is there. I was so happy with his trip when he was coming to the last turn second-over, in fact, I think its the best trip hes had all year, but it takes him a little while to change gears. He can fly, but he needs the opportunity to get going and he might not have had it that night. McWicked, pictured in August of 2017 in Millgrove, Ontario (Michael Burns Photography) Coleman was not the only one that was a bit perplexed by the performance of her horse, as Duncan Taylor was not exactly satisfied with Lazarus Ns two starts at Woodbine Mohawk Park. After a stellar U.S. debut where the six-year-old New Zealand star defeated McWicked in the $325,000 Dan Patch Invitational at Hoosier Park on August 10, Lazarus N was second to that rival in the $462,000 Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Sept. 1. The horse then finished in the same position behind Nirvana Seelster over the same surface in a $26,180 Preferred on September 15 after a first-over journey. I was a little disappointed with what happened in Canada, said Duncan Taylor, who owns the horse with his brothers as Taylor Made Stallions. The first race Jimmy (Takter, his trainer) said he came out of it sick, and Yannick (Gingras, his driver) said he knew at the half-mile point he wasnt himself. In the second race, Yannick was much happier with him, although he didnt win. He said he felt much better and there was a large improvement from the first race. Jimmy felt the same way and said we should send him back out to Hoosier Park. As with anything all we can do is see what happens, but Jimmy and Yannick both think he is ready for the race in Indiana. Lazarus winning the Dan Patch at Hoosier Park on August 10 (Linscott Photography) Although the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby will certainly include other talented horses in the field and is one of seven Grand Circuit events on an outstanding card, the third meeting between Lazarus N and McWicked is particularly intriguing, as the two horses not only are among the leaders in their division, but appear to possess very comparable levels of ability. When Lazarus N defeated McWicked in the Dan Patch, Gingras placed him on the lead after the first quarter-mile, while McWicked came out of the gate in sixth. At the top of the stretch, McWicked had only advanced to fifth and maneuvered his way through traffic with a blazing :25.2 final quarter to finish third. In the Canadian Pacing Derby, Lazarus N was again sent to the lead after the first quarter-mile, while McWicked began his mile in sixth place. On this occasion, however, McWicked was in fourth at the half-mile pole and made a sustained first-over move to draw alongside Lazarus N, who offered little resistance, on his way to the wire. After the two meetings, expectations were high that the two horses, who have earned $2.9 million (Lazarus N) and $3.2 million (McWicked) respectively, were poised to provide the sport with an exceptional rivalry. The third rendezvous will be much more than a rubber match, as the horses have nearly identical agendas for the rest of the year, and is a preview of the quality pacing to come. Wicked had the week off after his last race and trained on Saturday and will train on Tuesday before he ships to Hoosier Park, Coleman said. Ive been shipping him short all year long, like the day before or the day of a race, but this time we are sending him a few days earlier. We are changing things so I can find out if there is something I need to fix so he is not flat like he was at Scioto. This way he gets a few days to recover from shipping, if that was the problem. After that he will go to (the) Red Mile where he will be stabled. We will go to Dayton, then back to (the) Red Mile to race there, and then we will bring him back to Canada to prepare for the Breeders Crown. Lazarus N might not follow exactly the same route, but the plans his connections have for him are quite similar. When he is finished racing at Hoosier Park, the horse will come to Lexington and be pointed to the Red Mile, Taylor said. If all goes well then it is on to the Breeders Crown. The draw for the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby, and the entire Grand Circuit card, will take place Tuesday (Sept. 18) afternoon. (USTA) The sister of a Queensland woman who killed herself allegedly with the assistance of her husband says she is not sure a signed suicide note was written by her sibling. Graham Robert Morant, 69, has pleaded not guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court to aiding and counselling Jennifer Morant, 56, to commit suicide on the Gold Coast in 2014. The prosecution has alleged Morant helped her as he was beneficiary of her $1.4 million life insurance policy and would use the money for his plans to quit work and build a religious commune. 56-year-old Jennifer Morant was found dead in her car with a petrol generator switched on But a suicide note found by Morant purportedly explained Jennifer didn't want to be a burden on anyone, especially her husband, and it would not be fair on him to care for her '24 hours a day'. Under cross-examination by defence barrister Dean Wells, Jennifer's sister Lynette Lucas was unable to verify the note despite the siblings sharing handwritten cards. 'I couldn't say 100 per cent that was her signature,' Ms Lucas testified on Tuesday. 'I couldn't even say the handwriting was 100 per cent hers. Her handwriting was very loopy. 'I'm not sure this was written on a day she was rushed or something, but I couldn't 100 per cent say that was her handwriting.' Graham Robert Morant, 69, has pleaded not guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court to aiding and counselling Jennifer Morant, 56, to commit suicide on the Gold Coast in 2014 The prosecution has alleged Morant helped her as he was beneficiary of her $1.4 million life insurance policy and would use the money for his plans to quit work and build a religious commune Ms Lucas told the court Jennifer felt scared by Morant's alleged attempts to convince her to take her own life, which included him allegedly saying she was too weak to survive the 'imminent' biblical rapture and the insurance payout would help their church. But Mr Wells challenged her testimony by claiming Morant was not the beneficiary - rather that Ms Lucas was - when Jennifer had expressed her fears. 'She was seriously thinking her life was in danger because he had '1.4 million reasons' to assist her to terminate ... (but) she was going to remove that motive but not tell the person who had it?' Mr Wells said. 'I put it to you ... that you were trying to get her to leave Graham.' Under cross-examination by defence barrister Dean Wells, Jennifer's sister Lynette Lucas (pictured) was unable to verify the note despite the siblings sharing handwritten cards Ms Lucas rejected the suggestion. She claimed she didn't know she was the beneficiary when those conversations allegedly took place about a year before Jennifer's death. Morant was made beneficiary months after the alleged conversations and remained the sole beneficiary when Jennifer died. He claimed he found the suicide note after coming home one night in November 2014, later telling police Jennifer suffered chronic back pain. Police found the 56-year-old woman dead in her car with a petrol generator. Prosecutors allege Morant helped his wife buy the generator and assisted putting it in the boot of her car. The trial is ongoing. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A famous fashion designer whose empire crumbled after the global financial crisis has been caught drink-driving in an exclusive Sydney suburb. Rebecca Davies, 56, was a darling of the fashion industry in the 1990s and early 2000s, with her label 'Bare' regularly worn by Australia's most well-known faces. Her success, coupled with that of her millionaire banker husband Bryan, ensured the Davies' were regulars on Sydney's social scene. But Davies' fashion empire crumbled during the global financial crisis (GFC), with her label gracing supermodels such as Lily Cole going bankrupt - and her marriage also ending in a messy divorce. And during an appearance in Waverley Local Court on Tuesday, to be sentenced for a mid-range drink driving conviction, the full extent of Davies' downfall was laid bare. Former fashion designer Rebecca Davies (right) leaves Waverley Local Court with her lawyer on Tuesday morning after having her licence disqualified for six months for drink driving From the 1990s through until the early 2000s, 'Bare by Rebecca Davies' was one of the leading brands in Australian fashion (Davies is pictured in 2006 at the David Jones summer launch) The court heard that Davies, 56, had been caught drink driving in July this year with a blood alcohol level of 0.095 - almost two times the legal limit. Her lawyer told the court her client had 'lost everything' in 2010 because of the fall out from the GFC. 'She suffered a significant drop in financial circumstances and lost everything - from her husband, to her home and her business,' Davies' lawyer told the court. 'Since then, life's been a struggle. 'In relation to her financial circumstances, they are not good. After rent she has $700-a-week for bills and to help her three children.' In 2010, at the time of her split from her husband, Davies publicly claimed: '(He) left me for a Lithuanian secretary - she was 26'. The court heard how since then Davies had moved away from fashion in a bid to financially support herself. Last year she opened a laser therapy clinic called 'Peach and Co' in Edgecliff. The court heard that Davies, 56, had been caught drink driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.095 - almost two times the legal limit - after a catch up with friends in July this year The mother-of-three (pictured with her daughter Daisy, an international model) was handed a further six-month disqualification of her drivers licence Davies (right) was once a darling of Sydney's social scene during her marriage to millionaire banker Bryan (centre). The pair have three children but endured a messy split in 2010 But despite her financial troubles, Davies had continued to live in Point Piper, one of Australia's most prestigious suburbs, which is home to recently deposed prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Davies standing within the fashion industry - and the blossoming modelling career of her daughter Daisy - had led to discussions last year with the producers of The Real Housewives of Sydney. However, a role on the show is yet to materialise for Davies. Court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia reveal that Davies was caught drink driving after a catch up with friends earlier this year. The former fashion designer had arrived at her friend's house in Paddington at 3pm on Sunday, July 15 and stayed into the early hours of the next morning. Davies told police she 'drank three glasses of chardonnay' and ate 'prosciutto and antipasto' items during the almost ten-hour session. At 12.30am Monday, Davies hopped in her white Hyundai Tucson SUV and began to drive home to her Point Piper rental. Davies (left) walks the runway with English model and actress Lily Cole (right) after showing off her collection during the 2006 Sydney Fashion Week Court facts revealed that officers noticed Davies' travelling at night without her headlights on. They performed a roadside breath test before arresting her and taking her to Waverley Police Station Minutes later officers noticed Davies' travelling along New South Head Road in Point Piper with her headlights off, court documents show. They began trailing her, before pulling her over on Longworth Avenue and performed a breath test. After returning a positive result they placed Davies under arrest and took her back to Waverley Police Station, where she blew 0.095 in another breath test. The court heard she had since undergone a court-ordered traffic program and had 're-educated herself' about driving. Magistrate Michael Barko disqualified Davies from driving for a further six-months to January 15 next year. Fourteen individuals have been returned to New Zealand from Australia. The group of 12 men and two women arrived at Auckland International Airport on Tuesday morning on an Australian chartered aircraft, a police statement said. It is not known how long the detainees had been in Australia for. New Zealand Police told Daily Mail Australia they 'will not confirm the identities of returning individuals, or discuss their backgrounds'. A group of 12 men and two women arrived at Auckland International Airport (pictured) on Tuesday morning on an Australian chartered aircraft However, the NT News reported Monday Philip James Brough, 59, was deported back to New Zealand after becoming eligible for parole earlier this month. Brough's visa was cancelled during his time in prison for smuggling $200,000 worth of liquid cocaine and MDMA in 2016. New Zealand authorities were aware of the group's arrival thanks to an information sharing arrangement between the two countries. 'On arrival the group were assessed by police and partner agencies including the Department of Corrections,' the police statement read. 'On arrival the group were assessed by police and partner agencies including the Department of Corrections,' police said (stock image) 'The priority for police is to ensure community safety and assist agencies responsible for facilitating their reintegration into the community.' Supervised individuals are subject to standard release conditions which include reporting to a probation officer. The group was returned to New Zealand under the Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Act 2015, which enables Corrections probation officers to manage and monitor certain offenders returning from overseas. Between January 1, 2015 and August 3, 2017, 1394 New Zealanders have been removed from Australia since the amendment of Australian legislation in December 2014. HBO and Netflix both took home a total of 23 Emmys on Monday night. The astounding tie came after Game of Thrones won for best drama series category. The nominations for the 70th Primetime Emmys showed a clear sign of how much the ground is shifting in the TV industry when they were announced in July. Streaming service Netflix captured the most nominations overall taking away a title that HBO held since 2001. Peter Dinklage accepts the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award for Game of Thrones onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California The tie between Netflix and HBO came after Game of Thrones won for best drama series category Claire Foy accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for The Crown onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California Netflix scooped 112 nominations and HBO was honored with 108, followed by FX Networks with 50 and Showtime coming in last with 20. Game of Thrones roared back onto the Emmys battlefield with 22 bids but faced a formidable opponent in The Handmaid's Tale - last year's top drama series. The dystopian sci-fi series drew 20 bids, including one for last year's best actress winner, Elisabeth Moss, and supporting bids for Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd, Yvonne Strahovski and Joseph Fiennes. Donald Glover's Atlanta was the top comedy nominee with 16 bids, poised to take advantage of this year's absence of three-time winner Veep. How many cases are there? At least 13 people have gone public about finding needles in their strawberries since a man was rushed to hospital on September 9. Victims include young children and a dog. However, NSW Police said on Tuesday it was investigating 20 cases in that state alone so the total figure is likely much higher. Additionally, copycats put a needle in a banana and an apple, according to customers claiming to have found them. Which brands are involved? Seven brands, six from Queensland and one from Western Australia, have been targeted so far. They include Berry Obsession, Berry Licious, Donnybrook Berries, Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries, Oasis, and Mal's Black Label. Who is responsible? Police are searching for the original culprit and likely at least one copycat who placed the needles or razor blades but have not mentioned any leads. Tampering is believed to have occurred during the packing stage, which is done at a central facility with many different brands, or soon after. Can you still buy strawberries? Supermarkets recalled all berries from the affected brands and Coles and Aldi temporarily pulled all strawberries from shelves until Monday. The affected brands remain excluded from supermarket shelves. New Zealand retailers have cut off Australian strawberries indefinitely. Should you buy strawberries and how can you eat them safely? Health and food safety authorities advise customers to cut each berry in half to reveal if there is any sharp metal hidden inside How has this affected growers? The growers targeted by the contamination are unable to sell their stock and at least one of them has dumped millions of berries in a ditch. Other companies have also mass scrapped stock as consumers are too worried to buy strawberries at all and sales collapsed. Strawberries are a $160 million industry in Queensland alone and the state government announced a $1 million fund to assist growers. Can't they just use metal detectors? Some have resorted to this, but they cost at least $30,000 to install and may not prevent anything as police believe it happened at the packing stage. Why are growers poisoning and throwing away perfectly good strawberries? Even though their stock has not been targeted, demand for strawberries has crashed as customers are worried they will be the next victim. With no one to sell the fruit to, it will go off and rot in storage, so there is no point in keeping or even harvesting it. What are the alternative theories? Police believe a disgruntled employee or similar is most likely to be responsible and copycats may have mental issues. However, there are many other theories about the reasons behind the contamination scare doing the rounds on social media. Some believe some of the needles were placed in the fruit at the supermarket by the victims who were just trying to get attention. Others believe a foreign nation or company competing with Australian farmers to be behind it as an act of corporate espionage. The Australian Government was also accused of being behind it as part of an elaborate plot to kill off Australian farming. It would then sell the land to overseas companies and make the population dependent on the government for imported food. Terrorism is another popular explanation, with the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association even calling it 'commercial terrorism'. This theory got a boost when a psychologist on Tuesday said the culprit was likely attempting to instill fear in customers. Backpackers, who make up much of the picking workforce, are also under suspicion online by those who believe it to be revenge for them not getting long-term visas. Sisters of a man killed over a $210 Airbnb bill in Melbourne say they've tried to protect their grieving parents from knowing the full extent of how he died. Naime Balla's last memory of her brother Ramis Jonuzi is his body lying on a slab in a coroner's office and she struggles to remember the good times. Former chef Craig Levy, 37, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after the charge was downgraded from murder. Mr Jonuzi had been asked to leave the room he rented from Levy on October 25 last year after falling behind on payments. Former chef Craig Levy, 37, (right) has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Ramis Jonuzi (left) - who was killed on October 25 of last year over a $210 Airbnb bill Levy shared the Brighton East home with co-accused Ryan Smart, who has also pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and Jason Colton who is yet to plead. Mr Jonuzi was found face down in a chocolate cake in the front yard of the home and despite paramedics' efforts, was declared dead at the scene. He was found to have died from compression of his neck and blunt force trauma to the head. Prosecutor Raymond Gibson told Levy's Supreme Court plea hearing on Tuesday there had been a dispute in the living room just after 8pm, when Colton asked the victim about the money he owed. Mr Jonuzi (left) was found to have died from compression of his neck and blunt force trauma to the head Colton allegedly threw Mr Jonuzi against a wall and told him he had to pay Levy. The struggle moved outside and Levy grabbed Mr Jonuzi by the legs, at one point forcibly dropping his elbow into the victim's chest. Through the ordeal, Mr Jonuzi struggled to breathe and asked them to let him go. He showed them his bank account so they'd see he had no money. While one of the men sat on the victim's chest, Levy went inside and called local police, who called triple zero. Ms Balla told Levy his actions had destroyed her family and he could have chosen to change the outcome so her brother wouldn't have died in such a horrific way. Prosecutor Raymond Gibson told Levy's Supreme Court plea hearing on Tuesday there had been a dispute in the living room of the shared Brighton East, Melbourne home (pictured) just after 8pm, when Colton asked the victim about the money he owed The sisters of Mr Jonuzi (pictured) told Levy: 'You will never be forgiven for what you've done'. 'You will never be forgiven for what you've done,' she told the court. Her sister Afradita Hamika said not having Mr Jonuzi in their lives was unbearable. Andrew Ross said he was traumatised by images of how his partner had died and his death now made him see the world differently. Levy's lawyer Megan Tittensor said he was very sorry for what happened and knew his conscience would never be clear. She said he had good prospects for rehabilitation. The hearing before Justice Andrew Tinney is continuing. A teenager who bashed her elderly grandfather to death with a frying pan has been jailed. Tayla Louise Perkin, 19, repeatedly beat up her grandfather Lyall James Ellis, 89, after an argument at his Esperance home on the South Coast of Western Australia on Anzac day last year. Perkin was at her grandfather's property around 4pm when a verbal disagreement occurred as Mr Ellis made comments criticizing Perkin's mother's parenting skills, according to police. Perkin was at her grandfather's Esperance property around 4pm when a verbal disagreement got physical After being violently struck with a frying pan multiple times, Mr Ellis was rushed to the Esperance Hospital, which was only a one-minute drive away. He later died. The elderly man suffered several lacerations and a CT scan revealed a skull injury, The West Australian reports. Police have also said Perkin's younger brother, a toddler, was at Mr Ellis' property when the incident occurred. After being violently struck with a frying pan multiple times, Mr Ellis was rushed to the Esperance Hospital, which was only a one minute drive away The teenager is boarding a plane under police guard after being charged with murdering her grandfather in May Perkin pleaded guilty to bludgeoning her grandfather with a pan at the Stirling Magistrates Court in May. The teenager's original charge of grievous bodily harm was later upgraded to murder. The 19-year-old was sentenced to 11 years in jail Justice Anthony Derrick at the Supreme Court of Western Australia. A Russian military plane was accidentally shot down by Assad's forces last night, Moscow has admitted as it blamed Israeli jets for pushing the aircraft into the line of fire of Syrian missiles. The Il-20, a turbo-prop plane used for electronic reconnaissance, was brought down as it came into land at Russia's Hmeymim air base near Latakia in western Syria, killing all 15 on board. This morning, Russia's Defense Ministry said it held Israel responsible because, at the time of the incident, Israeli fighter jets were mounting air attacks on Syria targets and had only given Moscow one minute's warning. The ministry said this was not enough time for the Russian plane to get to safety and has now threatened retaliation as it accused Israel of a hostile provocation. 'As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished. This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership,' Interfax news agency quoted Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying. 'We reserve the right to take commensurate measures in response,' Konashenkov was quoted as saying. A Russian plane was accidentally shot down by Syria as Israeli jets were attacking Assad regime targets in the war-torn country last night, Moscow has admitted this morning. Social media pictures (above) purportedly showed explosions and rockets in the night sky around Latakia close to where the incident happened The Russian defence ministry said it held Israel responsible because, at the time of the incident, Israeli fighter jets were mounting air attacks on Syria targets and had only given Moscow one minute's warning, not enough time for the Russian plane to get to safety. Pictures on social media showed explosions in the area last night The Il-20 (file picture), a turbo-prop plane used for electronic reconnaissance, was brought down as it came into land at Russia's Hmeymim air base near Latakia Israel's military later expressed 'sorrow' for the deaths of crew members but blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran. 'Israel expresses sorrow for the deaths of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire,' a military statement said in Israel's first reaction to the incident. 'Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organisation accountable for this unfortunate incident.' Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, later Tuesday to say that Israel is 'fully to blame' for the deaths. President Vladimir Putin, however, struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the shooting down on 'a chain of tragic circumstances.' Asked about the Defense Ministry's threat to respond to Israel's actions, Putin said the Russian response will focus on boosting security for its troops in Syria. He did not elaborate but said 'these will be the steps that everyone will notice.' Russia summoned the Israeli ambassador today to the foreign ministry today. Ambassador Gary Koren's deputy Keren Cohen Gat, currently the charge d'affaires at the Israeli embassy attended a half hour meeting but she refused to comment to media as she exited the building. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak about the incident later today. The incident, which happened late on Monday, was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. Earlier, the Russian defence ministry had said that the plane, carrying 14 people, had gone off the radar around 11pm during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets over Syrian infrastructure in the province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. The Russian reconnaissance plane was brought down by Syrian missiles as it was approaching Hmeymim airbase Ambassador Gary Koren's deputy Keren Cohen Gat (right today), currently the charge d'affaires at the Israeli embassy attended a half hour meeting but she refused to comment to media as she exited the building President Vladimir Putin (pictured today) struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the shooting down on 'a chain of tragic circumstances' It happened moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israeli pilots carrying out attacks on Syrian targets 'used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences,' the Russian military said. '15 Russian servicemen died,' it said, adding Moscow reserved 'the right to proper retaliatory actions' against Israel. It made no further mention of a French frigate the Russian defence ministry had earlier claimed also opened fire from the area on Monday. The French army had denied any involvement and Syria state media had reported late Monday that air defences had intercepted missiles targeting Latakia. 'Our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted,' it said, quoting a military source. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some missiles did get through and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. Earlier, the Russian defence ministry had said that the plane had gone off the radar around 11pm during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets over Syrian infrastructure in the province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. Pictures on social media showed explosions in the Latakia area last night 'Two bodies were found,' he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combattants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of 'mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police,' Putin said. By the end of the year, transportation routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of 'responsible diplomacy.' Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels and jihadists. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus' military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. Observers and residents of the Idlib region were sceptical however of a deal that appeared to be little more than a temporary fix. 'This could be a win for diplomacy and that's what Syria needs more of to solve this crisis,' said Lorraine Bramwell, Syria country director for International Rescue Committee. 'However, we have seen previously how de-escalation deals haven't lasted long term,' she added. Hundreds of people gathered in Binnish, a town in the rebel-held province of Binnish, following Monday's announcement in Sochi. 'The demand of the Syrian people, since the very first day, has remained unchanged: it's the fall of the regime,' said Wassim Souweid, one of the demonstrators. 'I reckon this decision will not stop bombardments on civilians, will not offer any alternative to the people,' he added. Theresa May will fly to Salzburg tomorrow to finally make her pitch to EU leaders on her Chequers plan. For the first time the Prime Minister will address EU leaders as a group with the proposals she has insisted are the only 'credible and negotiable' option on the table. Her speech to a dinner at tomorrow's informal summit will mark the start of the final push to get a deal before exit day on March 29 next year. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab today threw down the gauntlet and warned Brussels the 'ball is in your court' in the negotiations. He demanded Brussels should show the same 'flexibility' as the UK had in getting this far. Despite the warnings from Britain there have been only limited signs of a breakthrough on the key Irish border issue with barely six months until exit day. Mrs May (pictured giving a speech in London last night) is struggling to negotiate a Brexit deal while holding warring Tories factions together Dominic Raab (pictured in Downing Street last week) insisted there was no 'credible' alternative on the table to Theresa May's Chequers blueprint for future relations Chief negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured) is briefing ministers on progress in Brexit talks, ahead of a leaders' summit in Salzburg that starts tomorrow evening Donald Tusk has piled pressure on Theresa to agree a divorce with the EU warning her that it could still end in catastrophe EU council president Donald Tusk cautioned today that a no-deal outcome is still 'quite possible', urging both sides to 'avoid a catastrophe'. One senior EU diplomat told the Guardian the UK would have to bend more, suggesting it would happen in the nation's 'darkest hour'. 'It seems the UK needs to have a 'darkest hour' moment before they will shift position. But they will have to shift their position,' the diplomat said. German Europe minister Michael Roth struck a more positive tone, arguing that a 'sensible' agreement can be reached by November. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier is briefing ministers on progress in talks, ahead of a leaders' summit in Salzburg that starts tomorrow evening. German minister says 'sensible' Brexit deal can be done by November A 'sensible' Brexit deal can be done by November, the German European Affairs Minister said today. Michael Roth suggested talks were going in the 'right direction' and the EU's proposals would form the basis for a final agreement. 'I feel that the proposals of the European Union, and they have been on the table for a long time, are an excellent basis for a compromise,' Mr Roth told reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. 'No one wants to punish the United Kingdom.' 'We are ready, we remain fully behind Ireland. 'We need a clear, acceptable solution for the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and we are optimistic that we can find a sensible solution by November... 'I have the feeling it is going in the right direction.' Advertisement The gathering will be Mrs May's first opportunity to put the case for her Chequers plan to counterparts directly. In a round of interviews with European media, Mr Raab said the summit would be an 'important milestone' towards a deal. He said: 'We made compromises and we showed ambition and we do need to see that matched on the EU side,' he said. 'Salzburg is an informal EU Summit, but it will be an important milestone, a stepping stone if you like, to show we've actually got the contours of an agreement on principles to continue the final weeks of these negotiations. 'We have shown a lot of flexibility and we have been very pragmatic. 'So I think this is the moment to see that matched. 'The ball is a little bit in the other court now.' Mr Raab urged the EU to get on board with Mrs May's Chequers plan. 'These are so far the only proposals that guarantee smooth trade between Britain and the EU and take account of the specific problems in Ireland,' she said. 'I have seen no other credible alternative, either from here or from the EU side.' In a letter to EU leaders today, Mr Tusk said an emergency EU council could be summoned in November to finalise a deal. 'Let me recall that limiting the damage caused by Brexit is our shared interest,' he wrote. 'Unfortunately, a no deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe.' Britain is braced for a turbulent few months as the Brexit date in March next year looms Mr Roth suggested talks were going in the 'right direction' and the EU's proposals would form the basis for a final agreement. 'I feel that the proposals of the European Union, and they have been on the table for a long time, are an excellent basis for a compromise,' Mr Roth told reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. 'No one wants to punish the United Kingdom.' 'We are ready, we remain fully behind Ireland. 'We need a clear, acceptable solution for the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and we are optimistic that we can find a sensible solution by November... 'I have the feeling it is going in the right direction.' The comments came amid signs that the EU is preparing to soften its position on the Irish border. Brussels is said to be ready to accept that technology can be used to avoid friction between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The move could pave the way for a deal to be done by the end of the year - as long as Mrs May can hold warring Tories together long enough to get it through Parliament. But the two sides are still at loggerheads over whether the customs border should be in Irish sea, as the EU wants, or between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Mrs May says the former option would threaten the union and no UK Prime Minister could accept it. The scale of the task she still faces domestically was underlined yesterday when Boris Johnson launched another furious attack on her Brexit plan. He warned that it would make the decision to leave the EU a 'write off' and put Britain under 'foreign rule' for the first time since 1066. Countdown to Brexit: The key milestones on the road to exit day Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street) is struggling to thrash out a deal with the EU ahead of Brexit day in March Next round of negotiations, September 21 to mid-October After the Salzburg summit meltdown, the coming month of detailed talks will be among the most crucial so far. The UK and EU negotiators are scrambling to break the deadlock so they can frame a 'political declaration' on the future relationship and finalise the withdrawal treaty. How far they get in drafting the documents - and how much is left to EU leaders themselves - will determine when, if at all, an agreement can be struck. The political declaration will explain in non-legal language what the two sides plans to agree in the final treaty. A political declaration was used in December 2017 to outline the proposed transition deal and the 39billion divorce bill agreed by the UK. This is what is currently being turned into legal language for the withdrawal treaty. EU Negotiator Michel Barnier (right in Brussels last week) maybe given new guidelines this week within which to strike a deal. EU Council President Donald Tusk (left) has said the meeting must reach a 'common view' on the shape of the future UK-EU relationship EU Summit, Brussels, October 18-19 October's EU summit has long been pencilled in as the opportunity for EU leaders to agree the withdrawal treaty on the terms of exit and a political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU. If a deal can be struck in October, it leaves plenty of time for it to be agreed in the UK and ratified in the EU, paving the way for an orderly Brexit in March. A deal is not expected to be finalised at this summit but both sides will hope for significant progress - even if the summit is used to set out the dividing lines one last time. Emergency EU Summit, Brussels, November 18-19 An emergency summit in November is now widely expected. If it happens, there will be acute political pressure to finalise both the withdrawal treaty and political declaration - if nothing else to allow the EU to return to other business. Expect a high stakes meeting and a late night finish. Failure will see both sides walking up to the brink of a chaotic exit and peering over the edge. The response of the European Council (including German Chancellor Angela Merkel) will be crucial in the next stages of the EU talks EU Summit, Brussels, December 13-14 Given the need to ratify the deal, the December summit is the last chance to strike a deal. Brexit is not supposed to be on the agenda: if the talks reach this summit there has been a major breakdown. The EU does infamously find a way to agreement at the 11th hour and if Brexit talks are still live in December, many will hope for a fudge that can get both sides over the line. Last year, talks on the outline divorce deal were pushed to December and a deal was - just - reached. The so-called 'meaningful vote' in the UK Parliament, January 2019 Assuming there is a withdrawal treaty and political declaration, the next stage is for the action is in the UK Parliament. Mrs May promised Tory Remain rebels a 'meaningful' vote on the final deal in both the Commons and Lords. This is expected to be a simple yes or no vote on what she has negotiated - so in theory a detailed withdrawal treaty, spelling out the divorce bill and other issues such as citizens' rights, and the political declaration on the future relationship. Linking the two will be a high stakes moment. Brexiteers do not want to sign off the divorce bill without a trade deal and Remainers are reluctant to vote for a blind Brexit. But the Prime Minister has made clear it is deal or no deal: accept what she has negotiated or leave Britain crashing out on March 29, 2019 with no agreement in place. If the meaningful vote is passed, there will be a series of further votes as the withdrawal treaty is written into British law. The Prime Minister (pictured at the EU Council in June) has made clear it is deal or no deal: accept what she has negotiated or leave Britain crashing out on March 29, 2019 with no agreement in place Ratification in the EU, February 2019 After the meaningful vote in the UK, the EU will have to ratify the agreement. This is a two stage process. National parliaments in all 27 countries have to vote on the deal. It does not need to pass everywhere but must be carried in at least 20 of the 27 countries, with Yes votes covering at least 65 per cent of the EU population. The European Parliament must also vote in favour of the deal. It has a representative in the talks, Guy Verhofstadt, who has repeatedly warned the deal must serve the EU's interests. In practice, once the leaders of the 27 member states have agreed a deal, ratification on the EU side should be assured. Exit day, March 29, 2019 At 11pm on March 29, 2019, Britain will cease to be a member of the European Union, two years after triggering Article 50 and almost three years after the referendum. Exit happens at 11pm because it must happen on EU time. If the transition deal is in place, little will change immediately - people will travel in the same way as today and goods will cross the border normally. But Britain's MEPs will no longer sit in the European Parliament and British ministers will no longer take part in EU meetings. Negotiations will continue to turn the political agreement on the future partnership into legal text that will eventually become a second treaty. Both sides will build new customs and immigration controls in line with what this says. If there is no deal, there is little clarity on what will happen. Britain has outlined contingencies for a catastrophic breakdown in transport and goods networks; in practice short term, small side deals will be likely be rapidly negotiated to avert the worst consequences. Advertisement Cabinet ministers hope that a shift in the mood from EU politicians on free movement rules could help the UK in negotiations. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is pictured left with Michel Barnier in Brussels last month Elizabeth Smart said in an interview on Tuesday Wanda Barzee would encourage her husband to rape the then-teenager and force her to drink alcohol. In an interview with CBS This Morning, Smart said that Barzee was just as evil as Brian David Mitchell, her husband who abducted Smart from her bedroom in the middle of the night when she was just 14 before making her his 'wife.' 'I know just how bad she really can be. She would encourage him to rape me. She would sit right next to me like the side of her body would be touching me,' said Smart to host Gayle King. When King then interjected to ask if Smart was in fact saying that Barzee would be physically touching her during these daily sexual assaults, Smart confirmed the claim, stating: 'While he was raping me. I mean, she was right there. So I mean, there were no secrets. She knew what was going on.' Smart went on to say: 'She was the kind of woman that -- she was just evil and twisted.' Smart revealed this one day before Barzee is set to walk free from prison in a decision that does not sit well with Smart. Scroll down for video Elizabeth Smart, now 30, says kidnapper Wanda Barzee still carries around a 'book of revelations' written by her rapist husband while he was posing as a messiah figure Smart says the book proves that Barzee (pictured left in 2016) has not moved on from the 'teachings' of husband Brian David Mitchell (right) and remains a danger to the public WATCH: Convicted kidnapper Wanda Barzee is still "a threat to the community," says survivor Elizabeth Smart, in her first sit-down interview since getting word of Barzee's release. See more from @GayleKing's interview Tuesday on @CBSThisMorning. https://t.co/q8K6xGALrq pic.twitter.com/G6cyrGhcy7 CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 17, 2018 'I remember when they used to force me to drink alcohol. One time they had me drink so much, I was a 14-year-old girl, had never touched alcohol in my life. That I ended up throwing up and then passing out in it,' said Smart. 'And both of them just let me lie there all night. And when I woke up the next morning, I mean, my face and my hair were completely crusted to the ground. And they both laughed. She laughed. She laughed just as much as he did if not more.' The Utah native said during the interview that Barzee should be kept behind bars and not freed five years early. Smart said the woman remains a danger to 'any person who's vulnerable out there,' while also attacking Barzee as a parent, saying that while she may have given birth to six children, 'she is no mother'. During their conversation, Smart opened up about the 'rollercoaster of emotions, of worry' that she has suffered since learning that Barzee will be freed on September 19. Smart was previously told that Barzee could not leave jail until at least 2024, but that was overturned after parole officers agreed to count seven years she spent in jail awaiting trial as part of her sentence. That news came as a 'pretty big shock', Smart admitted. She added that prison sources have told her that Barzee still carries around a 'book of revelations' that Mitchell wrote while posing as a Christ-like religious figure. 'Hearing that she's still carrying that around and still holding onto me holding onto that, I find that very discomforting,' she said. 'I think that she is a danger because, clearly, she hasn't let it go. 'She is still a big threat, and not just to me but to the public in general, I mean, to any person who's vulnerable out there.' While Barzee has apparently failed to move on from the past, Smart has tried to rebuild her life since being kidnapped in 2002, aged 14. Smart was 14 when she was kidnapped at knifepoint by Barzee's husband Brian David Mitchell in 2002 before being held by the couple for nine months (pictured in 2004) Mitchell was jailed for life after a court heard how he kept Smart in a camp in the woods while subjecting her to near-daily rapes Barzee was jailed for 15 years after a court heard how she witnessed the rapes and even encouraged her husband to commit them Now 30 and a mother of two children, with a third on the way, Smart says she is refusing to allow Barzee and Mitchell to take any more time away from her. 'I think at the end of it, what I've just come to, the conclusion that I've made is that I really have spent the last 15 years of my life trying to move forward,' she said. 'I try to follow my mom's advice that she gave me the day after I was rescued, in not allowing these people to steal any more of my life away from me. 'The best punishment I could give them is to be happy, is to move on with my life.' Speaking about Barzee as a mother, she added: 'From everything that I learned through the trial and everything that I learned being around her, I don't think she deserves that mark of respect to have the title of mother.' Smart was taken at knifepoint from her parents' home in Salt Lake City in 2002 by Mitchell after he climbed in through the window. He then took her to a camp in the woods alongside Barzee, a divorced mother-of-six whom he married in 1984, where she was held for nine months. During her time in the camp, Smart was subjected her to near-daily rapes. Smart, who is now an advocate for abducted people and sex crime victims, said Barzee watched the attacks and even encouraged Mitchell to do it. She added that Barzee treated her 'like a handmaiden' and 'never hesitated to let her displeasure with me be known.' During her time in captivity, Smart was made to go out in public with the pair but people failed to recognize her despite her case making national news. Eventually somebody did recognize Mitchell and Barzee and called the police. The pair were arrested and Smart was rescued. Mitchell was jailed for life for abducting Smart and multiple counts of rape, while Barzee received 15 years for her part in the crime. Post positions have been drawn for Saturdays $1.8 million New York Night of Champions, with Yonkers Raceway again hosting the 29th edition of the Empire States richest night of racing. Eight, $225,000 sire stakes finals, each sponsored by a prominent breeding farm or organization, feature the best two- and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Heres a hot-off-the-presses thumbnail of the divisions, which go as the races 2 through 9 during the dozen-race card. First post is the usual evening standard of 6:50 p.m. Race 2 (Crawford Farms Two-Year-Old Filly Trot) Division points leader Winndevie (Trond Smedshammer, post 3) won her first five seasonal starts before a second-place finish at Saratoga. The daughter of Credit Winner, trained by her driver for owner Purple Haze Stables, won twice here, as did Conway Kellyanne (Charlie Norris, post 5). Amal Hall (Andy Miller, post 6) has three wins and four seconds in her seven tries, while Quincy Blue Chip (Jim Morrill, Jr., post 7) has been board-certified in all seven starts (4 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third). Quincy has earned $125,712, making her the richest lass among the octet. Race 3 (Agriculture and NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot) Gimpanzee (Brian Sears, post 5) has been more untouchable than Eliot Ness, as in 6-for-6 ($166,358) by a combined margin of 23-1/4 lengths. The son of Chapter Seven is trained by Marcus Melander for Delray Beach co-owners Courant Inc and S R F Stable. Gimpanzee enters off a handy win here, as does Thunder (Jason Bartlett, post 3). The son of Conway Hall has won half of his eight seasonal efforts, with all the win in his last five tries. Chip Chip Conway (Jim Taggart, Jr., post 8) has hit the board in seven of his nine tries this season. Race 4 (Agriculture and NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace) Melodies Major (Tyler Buter, post 1) has won just about everything this season (8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, $166,433), including the draw for the statebred finale. The Art Major colt is trained by Mark Ford for owner Martin Scharf. Hickfromfrenchlick (Tim Tetrick, post 6) has the 100G final of the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace here leading his 4-for-6 resume. Major Blake (Bartlett, post 8) has won thrice in his five tries. Race 5 (Winbak Farm Two-Year-Old Filly Pace) So Awesome (Tetrick, post 6) led the points parade, winning four races (two here) during here frosh foray ($176,190). The So Surreal miss is trained by Scott DiDomenico for owner William Hartt. St. Somewhere (George Brennan, post 2) strung together three consecutive NYSS wins in July, also with a pair here. Moneyshot Hanover (Buter, post 3) tried her luck in open company north of the border after a pair of statebred wins. Race 6 (Allerage Farm Three-Year-Old Filly Trot) All-age track-record-holder (1:53.1) Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt, post 2) has been a beast all season (10 starts, 5 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, $372,601). She did throw down the new record in the $129,014 Hudson two starts, ago, then won a Saratoga NYSS event by seven-and-change widening lengths. One of her rare poor performances came in last seasons statebred finale, however. Svanstedt trains for himself, Blue Chip Bloodstock, Little E LLC, Tomas Andersson and Rick Zeron Stables. Lucky Ava (Bartlett, post 4) did upset to become the frosh champ a season ago and has five wins among her 10-for-11 board finishes this time around. Repentance (Tetrick, post 8) has won her last three tries, a pair in NYSS and a division of the Simcoe. Race 7 (Cameo Hills Farm Three-Year-Old Filly Pace) Defending champ Alexis Faith (Morrill, Jr., post 3) has not lost a step ($228,000-plus last season, $230,000-plus this season). The daughter of American Ideal is co-owned by West Wins Stable, Jim Fielding J. Robert Darrow & Kevin McKinlay and trained by Casie Coleman. The $112,904 Lady Maud here earlier this month was one of her four seasonal wins. Wisdom Tree (Tetrick, post 4), the groups point leader, has been vicious this season, as in 10 wins and a second in a bakers dozen tries ($274,851). Newsday (Jordan Stratton, post 1) owns a pair of local sire stakes wins. Race 8 (Morrisville College Equine Institute Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot) With Yonkers Trot winner Six Pack AWOL, runner-up Helpisontheway (Morrill, Jr., post 4) becomes one of the targets. The Chapter Seven colt, trained by Linda Toscano for co-owners Camelot & Bays Stable and Little E LLC, has six win and four seconds in his 12 18 tries ($355,275). He had four wins in a row earlier this season. Winning Shadow (Mike Simons, post 3) has five wins this season, while The Veteran (Stratton, post 8) has six wins and over $194,000 this season despite drawing poorly more than once. Race 9 (Blue Chip Farms Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace) No one has exactly stepped up and grabbed the baton in the states glamour division, Springsteen (Sears, post 1) won a draw-time tiebreaker to get into this race, then won the draw. Thrice a winner in a dozen seasonal starts ($346,729), the Rock N Roll Heaven colt has been tough to figure. Rene Allard co-owns (with Bruce Soulsby, Alan Weisenberg and Kapildeo Singh) and trains. Ghost Dance (Morrill, Jr., post 5) enters with consecutive statebred wins, while Rockapelo (Bartlett, post 4) has hit the board in nine of this years 12 starts. (Yonkers) Tigerair has won the not-so-contested title of Australia's most complained-about airline for the sixth year running. The Airline Customer Advocate (ACA) compared Tigerair with Australia's four other leading airlines including Regional Express, Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar for the year of 2017. Figures showed that the low-budget airline's customers were often left unsatisfied. Tigerair has won the not-so-contested title of Australia's most complained-about airline for the sixth year running Most complaints centered around flight delays or cancellations Most complaints centered around flight delays or cancellations. The airline also received the most complaints for refund requests and fees or charges. A spokeswoman for TigerAir said the airline was 'committed to delivering a safe and reliable service to our customers'. 'In aviation there are times when things go wrong for reasons outside of our control and we recognise that the way we handle such disruptions is an important part of the customer experience,' she said. 'We continually review our complaint handling practices to facilitate a responsive and positive experience for our customers and to ensure compliance with our legal obligations.' Virgin Australia, however, fared the worst when it came to complaints about baggage services. Of the three airlines that offer loyalty or frequent flyer programs - Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar - the most complaints about the service were lodged against Qantas. Tigerair is a low-budget, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Virgin Australia group. According to the airline, it carried a total of 4,598,673 passengers during the reporting period, which ran from January 1st - December 31, 2017. Federal Secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association Steve Purvinas told Daily Mail Australia that Tigerair is trying to run on 'shoestring' budget, resulting in the flight delays. 'Tiger are trying to run a commercial service on a shoestring budget and subsequently, maintenance is always sourced at the cheapest possible rates and as a result, on time performance suffers,' Mr Purvinas said. Tigerair is a low-budget, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Virgin Australia group While Tigerair performs general maintenance in Australia, all aircraft are send offshore for heavy maintenance checks. However, it's understood no Australian airline has the facilities to perform heavy maintenance checks onshore. According to Mr Purvinas, Tiger aircrafts receive 'minimal oversight' at the offshore facilities and mistakes regularly occur. 'Recently an A320 sent to the Philippines for a 2 week check took 3 weeks to fix upon return to Australia,' Mr Purvinas said. 'Tiger generally do the right thing and fix their planes when errors are evident but with a small fleet and virtually no backup options, a grounded plane means disappointed customers.' A mother who lost her baby daughter at just eight days old while she was fighting cancer has revealed vile abuse she has suffered from an online troll. Heidi Loughlin, 36, was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer in 2015 while pregnant with her third child, Ally. Mrs Loughlin decided to delay chemotherapy treatment and a doctor-recommended abortion because she wanted to give the baby a fighting chance of survival. Ally was then born 12 weeks early in December 2015 but contracted an infection and died just days later. Heidi Loughlin, pictured left and right with children Noah, five, and Tait, four, has revealed she has been the target of online abuse by a troll on her blog about her breast cancer She shared the comment on Facebook in which the troll called her a 'selfish, lying, miserable human being' and added 'her godawful choices' led to her baby's death Mrs Loughlin has now revealed a personal attack via a comment on her popular blog on her experiences, where she was told your choices killed your baby. Writing under the name Kitty Meijer, the commenter said: I never understood why you chose to ignore the cancer signs, I mean looking at old pics of your t**s CLEARLY all the signs were there. But no, you just chose to continue breastfeeding and planning your pregnancy (they must have really loved you at work, three in three years, way to put more work on your co-workers) and generally only thinking of how awesome you were as a person. Then, when you already had two kids you decided that they and your husband were less important than it was for you to be a martyr, so you decided to f**k it all and delay cancer treatment so you could have another baby. After that you don't even give that baby a chance, but you force her to be born three months early and to top your bull**** even further, you complain that Ally was taken from you blablablabla. Mrs Loughlin pictured with daughter Ally who was born 12 weeks early and died after just eight days Mrs Loughlin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 when she realised something was wrong while breastfeeding youngest son Tait, pictured together She was told the cancer was terminal in 2016, but was told by doctors she was 'currently cancer free' last December after taking drug Kadcyla Meijer added: Cancer had nothing to do with her death, your GODAWFUL CHOICES however, led directly to her death. Thank God Ally got taken away from you, you selfish lying miserable excuse for a mother and a human being. Your choices concern only you, and everybody around you just has to deal with your s***. You made your cancer bed, now lie in it and die. THE COMMON SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER A change in size or shape A lump or area that feels thicker than the rest of the breast A change in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling (like the skin of an orange) Redness or rash on the skin and/or around the nipple Your nipple has become pulled in or looks different, for example changed its position or shape Liquid that comes from the nipple without squeezing Pain in your breast or your armpit thats there all or almost all of the time A swelling in your armpit or around your collarbone Advertisement Sharing the abusive message in a Facebook post, Mrs Loughlin said she didnt know what to say about the attack. Speaking to the Bristol Post, she said it was important to expose the abuse and raise awareness in case other women were targeted. She said: I know someone writing under that name has targeted another mum who has also lost a child. I have such a lovely group of supporters, there was no way this person was going to bring me down. But I did want to share their comments to help other women who might be targeted. I think the word troll doesn't really go far enough, they are almost emotional terrorists. They are obviously very sad people who want to make other people feel sad like them. Ms Loughlin, who is also mother to Noah, 4, and Tait, 3, was told in September 2016 that her cancer was terminal. But in an incredible turn of events, a scan last December showed her body was free of the disease - believed to be because of revolutionary drug Kadcyla. The drug was approved by Nice, the NHS' drug rationing watchdog, last year for thousands of women who suffer from a rare, aggressive breast cancer. Mrs Loughlin said she was highlighting the comments to raise awareness so other women were not targeted There is still no complete cure however and she said she faces having to undergo chemotherapy for the rest of her life. Mrs Loughlin has won a legion of fans online for her up-front and brutally honest blog, called Storm in a Tit Cup, about the disease. She has also been ticking items off her bucket list - including visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas, marrying her fiance and taking a road trip across America. Her blog can be found here: http://storminatitcup.blogspot.co.uk/. A sheriff's deputy was killed and another wounded during a shootout at an auto garage near Sacramento, California. Deputy Mark Stasyuk, 27, was fatally shot in Rancho Cordova, just outside the Californian capital, on Monday. He was taken to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Deputy Julie Robertson, 28, was shot in the arm but is in stable condition in hospital. Deputy Mark Stasyuk, 27, who was fatally shot in the chest in Rancho Cordova, just outside the Californian capital on Monday. He had been at the Sheriff's department for almost five years A male suspect and a bystander were also shot during the exchange of gunfire but both are expected to fully recover. The suspect's identity has not yet been released, but he is reportedly awake and speaking to officers. The two deputy sheriffs had responded to a call around 1.30pm Monday regarding a disturbance at Pep Boys garage between the suspect and an employee. The shooting happened about 1.50pm in the area of Folsom Boulevard and Olson Drive. According to Sheriff Scott Jones, the suspect began firing at Stasyuk and Robertson as soon as they approached him. Neither was aware that he was carrying a gun. 'They were arriving at what we would consider a routine call of a business owner having a conflict with a customer,' Jones said. 'As soon as they arrived and engaged the subject he turned as if to run or flee and then immediately turned around and started firing without warning. Department spokesman Sgt. Shaun Hampton said the suspect is in custody. The shooting occurred on Monday afternoon at a Pep Boys auto parts store in Sacramento County. The suspect was apprehended in the car park of the nearby Furniture Mattress Outlet 'It's incredibly difficult for all of us,' he added. Stasyuk was reportedly hit in the 'upper body,' while Robertson was hit in the arm. She and other officers returned fire as the suspect fled the scene. He was apprehended by officers outside a nearby Furniture Mattress Outlet and taken to UC Davis Medical Centre. According to audio obtained by Mercury News, a male deputy can be heard saying: 'OK, we've got the suspect down. We've got him at gunpoint. He's lying face down on the ground. His gun is lying north of him about 25 feet from his location.' Deputy Stasyuk had worked for the sheriff's department for four and a half years. Deputy Robertson has been there for two and a half. 'We are very thankful for his sacrifice and very sorrowful for his family,' Linda Budge, Mayor of Rancho Cordova, said of Stasyuk. Police vehicles block streets some distance away from there two Sacramento County sheriff's deputies and a bystander were shot during an incident in Rancho Cordova Californian Governor Jerry Brown said flags in the Capitol will be flown at half-mast in his honour. This is the second fatal incident for the Sacramento County Sheriff Department. Last August, Deputy Robert French was killed and two California Highway Patrol officers were injured during an investigation into car-theft in Sacramento county. Sheriff Jones suggested that residents should head to a protest being held by Black Lives Matter the following day, to show their support for law enforcement. The organisation is demonstrating against a spate of fatal police shootings of African Americans, in particular Stephon Clark, an unarmed man killed in Meadowview six months ago. A pair of 'ghost hunters' are claiming to have captured the stormy spectre of the legendary Gray Man during Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. According to folklore originating in the neighboring state of South Carolina, the Gray Man appears during stormy weather to warn residents of imminent devastation. He is believed to have first appeared in 1822, but was sighted before Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and more recently just before Hurricane Hugo arrived in 1989. Now, footage uploaded by The Ghost Guys Go YouTube channel during a live stream yesterday shows a transparent figure appearing to walk along a pier, which is being pummeled by wind, rain and strong waves. The legend says that the Gray Man is the ghost of a young sailor who was returning to Pawleys Island during a storm to ask a woman for her hand in marriage. The storm caused him to be thrown from his horse into quicksand, and he died before he could propose to the girl. The promenade in North Carolina is quiet just before footage captures what could be the legendary ghost of the Gray Man - a heartbroken sailor who died in a storm and returns to warn people of incoming bad weather A transparent spectral figure appears to be walking along the pier in the footage posted by The Ghost Guys Go YouTube channel yesterday She persuaded her family to go to safety, and upon their return they saw that although the island was in ruins, their home had been spared. Hurricane Florence has left 31 people dead with the death toll expected to rise as experts warn that the next week could bring the most destructive flooding in North Carolina's history. North Carolina's governor, Roy Cooper, said the 'epic storm' was still an immediate danger and thousands of evacuated residents have been told to stay away. 'Some areas have not seen the worst flooding yet. This is a monumental disaster for our state,' Governor Cooper said. 'If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notify your legal next of kin because the loss of life is very, very possible,' Mayor Mitch Colvin said. Russian millionaire Alexander Perepilichnyy mysteriously collapsed and died while out jogging near his home in Surrey in 2012 Secret documents that could reveal if a Russian millionaire was working with British spies before his mysterious death will not be made public at his inquest, a coroner has ruled. Home Secretary Sajid Javid lodged a secrecy application at the inquest into the death of Alexander Perepilichnyy citing national security concerns. The 44-year-old collapsed and died while jogging near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, in 2012. Lawyers acting for life insurers Legal and General told the Old Bailey the businessman could have been 'rubbed out' if he was working for British spies and that evidence of any links to UK intelligence services could show he was in 'special danger'. Andrew O'Connor QC, for the Government, said the disclosure of sensitive material raised a 'real risk of serious harm to one or more public interests'. Coroner Nicholas Hilliard QC heard details of Mr Javid's public interest immunity (PII) application in private in June. The married father had spent the night before with his ex-model girlfriend Elmira Medynska, 28, at the Buddha Bar in Paris. She said he seemed 'somewhere else' and was sick A photo from the scene where the Russian businessman was found dead shows his body covered up in front of a police car In a written ruling, the corner has now ruled that the documents in question are not required for the inquest. He said the relevance of the material is 'so marginal' that it would not aid the investigation into how he died. Mr Hilliard has been examining whether the wealthy businessman was murdered with poison or died of natural causes. The coroner said he had considered whether the material contained anything 'which was not otherwise publicly available' and had 'significant bearing on or connection with' the issues he has to decide on. 'I am satisfied here that the answer to both questions is No,' he said. Before his death Mr Perepilichnyy had been helping UK-based campaigner Bill Browder's Hermitage Capital Investment to expose a 142 million money-laundering operation in Russia. Legal and General (L&G) have previously suggested he may have been spiked with a deadly vegetable planted in his sorrel soup on the day he collapsed. He was found in a road not far from his mansion. A coroner has ruled documents about his possible links to UK spies will not be made public as part of his inquest Was whistleblower poisoned with rare 'assassin's plant'? A pre-inquest hearing in 2015 heard that test carried out by leading botanist from Kew Gardens found a chemical in Mr Perepilichnyys stomach that could come only from a variety of gelsemium a known method of assassination by Chinese and Russian contract killers. Suspicion had been raised by a high level of iron in a sample from his stomach but later tests found no traces of a toxin which might have caused it. Dr Peter Wilmshurst told a previous hearing that fish poisoning could result from eating salmon, tuna and mackerel and cause vomiting, rashes and cramps. Another expert, Dr Paul Rice, said some chemical and biological agents could not be dismissed because the window for testing had closed. They included cyanide and nerve agents such as VX and Novichok. Advertisement Bob Moxon Browne QC, for Legal and General, told the court his concern about Mr Javid's application was 'whether or not British police or the Government have evidence that Mr Perepilichnyy was prior to his death working for or in contact with British intelligence'. He argued there should be an exception to the rule of neither confirming nor denying contact with security services in Mr Perepilichnyy's case. Mr Moxon Browne cited the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March as demonstration of 'the lengths to which the Russian state are prepared to go to make an example or punish people perceived as enemies, traitors or turncoats'. Meanwhile, he argued that the public was told of Alexander Litvinenko's role with British intelligence after he too was fatally poisoned. If it also was true in the case of Mr Perepilichnyy, it would be 'very powerful evidence indeed that he might have been in special danger from those who wish him ill because of the perception he was a traitor or a turncoat or enemy of Russia'. Perepilichnyy had been helped campaigner Bill Browder (left) expose corruption in Russia. Another Russian who helped Mr Browder, Sergei Magnitsky (right), died in custody in Russia The inquest had also heard how Buzzfeed had reported that 'high grade' US intelligence indicated that Mr Perepilichnyy was likely assassinated on direct orders of Vladimir Putin or those close to him. No application was made for US intelligence to be withheld, after the Americans dismissed the claims. Married Mr Perepilichnyy dined with his ex-girlfriend, Ukrainian former model Elmira Medynska, at in a Parisian restaurant the night before he died. She said he was sick after the meal and had been shaking, drinking a lot and seemed 'somewhere else', She told an inquest she received death threats from his email address three months after his body was found. The inquest is due to continue on Friday. Government experts today said EU citizens should not get easier access to the UK than other countries after Brexit. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said there should be 'no preference' for nationals from the bloc under a new immigration system. But it insisted high skilled workers should still be welcomed to Britain - and it should be easier for them to get in than those with lower skills. The long-awaited findings from the MAC pave the way for Theresa May to unveil new immigration arrangements for after Brexit, potentially as early as next month at Tory conference. Net inflows from the EU have been running at 86,000 a year - but that figure is down from close to 200,000 before the referendum in 2016. Mrs May has already indicated she supports a 'global' immigration system that does not discriminate against nationals from Commonwealth or other states. Theresa May (pictured giving a speech in London last night) has appeared to rule out speculation that EU citizens could be given preferential access after Brexit in order to smooth negotiations with Brussels Amid fevered speculation over a 'Brexodus', figures published last month showed a net 86,000 people came to the UK from the bloc over in the year to March Despite speculation there could be preferential access as part of a Brexit deal, Mrs May told the BBC's Panorama programme last night there would not be two 'sets of rules'. Labour endorsed the principle of 'global' immigration proposals, while anti-Brexit campaigners hailed the findings that immigration had little negative impact on job security and wages. But businesses raised concerns that the mooted system would be too restrictive, and the report was criticised by others as too 'technical' and ignoring the impact of high inflows on communities. Taking back control of Britain's borders and ending the EU's freedom of movement rules were among the key reasons for the Brexit referendum vote in 2016. What are the key points in the MAC report? Unless it is part of a wider Brexit deal, there should be 'no preference' for nationals from the bloc under a new immigration system. High skilled workers should still be welcomed to Britain - and it should be easier for them to get in than those with lower skills. Research suggests migration has increased house prices but the impact cannot be seen in isolation from other government policies. EEA migrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits. There is no evidence to suggest migrants are linked to any increases in crime, nor any evidence that migration has reduced the quality of healthcare or the educational attainment of UK-born children. Advertisement Mrs May has insisted she wants to see the net migration figure drop below 100,000 a year, from a current level of around 270,000. The MAC report said immigration policy should favour high-skilled workers, as there is 'clear evidence they bring benefits to the UK's public finances, innovation and productivity'. The cap on Tier 2 migrants - who are highly skilled, sponsored by employers, and often join the NHS - should be ditched. But it found there is no need for a specific work migration route for low-skilled workers - with the exception of a Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme. The report suggested that migration had increased house prices over recent decades - but said the effects could not be separated from factors caused by government policy, such as housebuilding. It also argued there is no evidence that immigration had led to an increase in crime, or reduced standards in education and healthcare. The committee's chair, Professor Alan Manning, said if immigration was not part of the overall deal with the EU 'we recommend moving to a system in which all migration is managed with no preferential access to EU citizens'. 'This would mean ending free movement but that would not make the UK unusual for example, Canada has an open, welcoming approach to migration but no free movement agreement with any other country,' he said. 'The problem with free movement is that it leaves migration to the UK solely up to migrants and UK residents have no control over the level and mix of migration. With free movement there can be no guarantee that migration is in the interests of UK residents.' The MAC suggests ending preferential treatment for EU nationals - an idea backed by Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured left in Downing Street last week). But it could be resisted by Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured right at the Treasury yesterday) The report says migration from the European Economic Area (EEA) had an impact on wages and job opportunities, but it was 'modest' compared to other factors. The fall in the value of the Pound after Brexit raised prices by 1.7 per cent was 'almost certainly' a bigger change. It also points out that EU workers are often valued by businesses who believe they can be more motivated and take less time off. Migration has driven up house prices since 1997, report says House prices have been driven up by immigration, government experts said today. The MAC report pointed out that from 1997 to 2017 the ratio between prices and average earnings had gone from 3.4 to an eye-watering 7.6. It poured cold water on a study from the Communities Department that suggested migration had pushed up property prices by 20 per cent between 1991 and 2016. Instead the committee built on other research to produce its own figures for the link. 'We found that migrants put upward pressure on house prices with smaller estimates than the (Communities Department) model - we estimate that a 1 percentage point increase in the population due to migration leads to a 1 per cent rise in house prices,' the report said. Advertisement Prof Manning said: 'There is no way to change the migration system without creating winners and losers. 'But we believe the UK should focus on enabling higher-skilled migration coupled with a more restrictive policy on lower-skilled migration in the design of its post-Brexit system.' Responding to the findings from the MAC, a Home Office spokesman said: 'After we leave the EU, we will take back control of our borders and put in place an immigration system that works in the interests of the whole of the UK. 'We commissioned this report in addition to our engagement with business to better understand the impact of EU citizens on the UK labour market. The Government is clear that EU citizens play an important and positive role in our economy and society and we want that to continue after we leave. 'We will carefully consider the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations before setting out further detail on the UK's future immigration system.' In her Panorama interview, broadcast last night, Mrs May said: 'What I'm very clear about is the message from the British people is very simple. 'I was they don't want a situation where they could see people coming from the European Union having that, those automatic rights in terms of coming here to the United Kingdom, and a set of rules from people from outside the European Union. 'What we will be doing is putting forward a set of rules for people from the European Union and people from outside the European Union.' Britain's post-Brexit immigration blueprint is expected to be discussed at a Cabinet meeting next week. Some Whitehall figures predict a standoff between ministers. Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clark are set to resist tight restrictions in a desperate bid to bag a strong trade deal with the EU. But Environment Secretary Michael Gove has urged the Prime Minister to adopt a 'colourblind' immigration policy after Brexit that means Commonwealth citizens will have a level playing field with EU migrants. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is also known to back a 'global' system. Ministers have also been encouraged by signs that their EU counterparts are starting to accept that curbs to free movement could be needed. A survey at the weekend found a third - 33 per cent - of the British public feel the UK should not offer a preferential immigration deal to the EU, even if this limits the deal that Britain can strike. Michael Gove (pictured on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday) has supported a 'colourblind' immigration system The MAC carried out the most comprehensive study yet into the role of European nationals in the economy before producing its report. There were 2.3million EU migrants working in the UK in 2017. Analysis published last year showed they accounted for as many as one in 10 employees in some sectors. Manufacturing relies on 332,000 EU nationals, while the wholesale and retail trade has 508,000. What is the Migration Advisory Committee? The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is an independent body that produces research for the Home Office. It is chaired by Alan Manning, a professor at the London School of Economics and an expert in labour markets. Other members are academics, including Madeleine Sumption of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. The committee based its latest report on hundreds of submissions from businesses and campaigners, as well as research papers. Advertisement Employers have warned that some sectors such as agriculture rely heavily on EU workers and could struggle if the labour supply dries up. Amid fevered speculation over a 'Brexodus', figures published last month showed a net 87,000 people came to the UK from the bloc over in the year to March. The level is down from a high of 189,000 in the 12 months leading up to the EU referendum, the lowest recorded since January 2012. But arrivals from European countries are still adding to the UK population, according to the latest information from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - and the easing has been largely offset by an increase in those coming from elsewhere. In total, the difference between long-term arrivals in the UK and people leaving was 270,000 during the period - down by around 10,000 on the previous quarter. A study by Oxford Economics, commissioned by the MAC and published today, found that European migrants living in the UK contributed 2,300 more to the public purse each year than the average adult. Last year a leaked draft Home Office document suggested the number of EU citizens able to come to the UK for low-skilled work could be limited by a salary threshold, an assessment of the skill level of the occupation, or a direct cap on numbers. A furious MP has demanded fundraising website JustGiving returns hundreds of thousands of pounds meant for the victims of terror and tragedy in Britain. Neil Coyle MP was left reeling when he learnt the company is able to profit from donations of well-wishing Brits. According to the MP a total of 500,000 has now been taken by JustGiving which was instead meant for those impacted by the London Bridge and Manchester Arena terror attacks as well as Grenfell residents. The Bermondsey and Old Southwark Labour politician said he was 'sickened' by the company, adding that ordinary people had 'no way of knowing' their donation may not reach victims. Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London where at least 72 people died. Fundraisers collected 4million through JustGiving for the victims In a scathing letter to Tracey Crouch MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage, he demanded JustGiving returned the funds. He wrote: 'I was very disturbed to learn that JustGiving had retained almost 17,000 in raw profit from the generous public donations to the people affected by terror in my community. Neil Coyle MP wrote to Tracey Crouch to urge her to insist fundraising websites return donations 'I was, frankly, sickened to learn that JustGiving kept 500,000 from public donations to terror attack victims in London and Manchester, as well as to those affected by Grenfell. 'This on top of their admin fees and comes from their policy of keeping 5% of all donations made through the platform. I think this policy should be waived in circumstances like terror or tragedy on the scale of Grenfell and it is a disgrace that their corporate profit has been put before the need to ensure they operate ethical policies.' My Coyle MP told MailOnline JustGiving has 'vastly exceeded any reasonable amount' of money retained. He said: 'I think they should be compelled to return what they have taken. It is unacceptable.' In June Mr Coyle asked the platform where the money had gone and was told it was being used to generate income for smaller charities. He is yet to receive the names of any charities who have benefited from this. The fee is taken from the gift aid received, if the person is eligible, or is deducted from the total if no gift aid can be claimed. Gift aid is the income tax charities can reclaim on your donation. On top of its five per cent cut, charities, depending on their size, are required to pay a monthly subscription fee of up to 39, plus VAT. A total of 5.5million was raised for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing and JustGiving kept 277,000. Another 334,908 was raised for the victims of the London Bridge terror attack and JustGiving kept 16,700. In 2107, 4million was raised for the victims of Grenfell Tower and JustGiving retained 200,000. The MP said he is pleased the Government 'is helping establish a new body to oversee the collection and distribution of public donations' but called on the money making firms to return the cash. He added: 'I also hope that, as part of your plans, you will be asking JustGiving to return the 500,000 they picked from the pockets of victims of terror and tragedy last year, including families in my constituency. 'No member of the public who donated last year could have known that their generous support for families affected could end up in the coffers of an American private equity owned firm. Neil Coyle MP is pushing the Government to demand money from the companies which profit from disaster 'Repayment would help as a gesture of recognition of the hurt JustGiving have caused as well as better demonstrate their commitment to ensuring the new body has full public confidence.' In the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017 at least 72 people were killed and hundreds of others made homeless. At Manchester Arena, in May 2017, 22 people were killed by a terror attacker with a suicide vest and on London Bridge, eight people were murdered by three terrorists. In the hours after the fire, which claimed 71 lives, the public rushed to donate money to the survivors and victims. More than 400,000 was raised by local Karolina Hanusova, who created a page on the website JustGiving. But JustGiving, which lets people raise money at the click of a button, pockets five per cent fees on what is raised through its pages. A Spokesperson for JustGiving said: 'JustGiving allows quick, transparent and secure fundraising, when people are most in need. We are extremely proud of our world-leading platform, which has enabled our online community to support millions of people and causes around the world, including during major incidents. 'We are always looking for ways to improve our platform and we are working with the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator to ensure that our community can provide support whenever and wherever it is needed.' An 82-year-old woman narrowly avoided death when she was shot at in her own home but the bullet lodged in her bible. Bettie Nel woke up to loud noises in her farmhouse outside Mahikeng, north west South Africa on Saturday night. She went downstairs to find two intruders in her house. The brave woman threw a doorstop at one of them and he fired a shot in retaliation. An 82-year-old woman narrowly avoided death when she was shot at in her own home but the bullet lodged in her bible (pictured) Luckily, the bullet missed Ms Nel and lodged in her bible which was resting on a side table next to her bed. The intruders then ran off. Police are hunting six suspects after firearms and mobile phones were stolen from the house, reported Netwerk24. Ms Nel's daughter, 61, and her 63-year-old boyfriend were beaten in their beds with the handle of a pick axe by the attackers and left with head injuries. It comes amid continued violence against white farmers in South Africa as President Cyril Ramaphosa attempts to quicken the pace of land reform. The murder rate was up seven per cent in 2017/18 compared with the previous year. Last week the President dismissed fears that South Africa may come under sanctions if it carries out a proposal to expropriate white farms without compensation. Ms Nel's daughter, 61, and her 63-year-old boyfriend (pictured together) were beaten in their beds with the handle of a pick axe by the attackers and left with head injuries US President Donald Trump tweeted last month that white farmers were being forced off their land and many of them killed, touching on the overwhelmingly white ownership of farmland in South Africa: one of the most sensitive issues in the country's post-apartheid history. Trump said he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to look into the reforms, which have raised fears that the policy could have disastrous repercussions like in neighbouring Zimbabwe, whose economy was ruined in the process. 'We have no reason to believe that any country would impose sanctions on South Africa for any actions that we take, actions that are constitutional, that are lawful and consistent with international law,' Ramaphosa told parliament, responding to a question. Ramaphosa said South Africa would 'keep on educating those who are interested in our affairs... those who may not understand the processes that we have gone through'. Bettie Nel woke up to loud noises in her farmhouse (pictured) outside Mahikeng, north west South Africa on Saturday night 'And it is for this reason that we respond as we do, not only to the Americans but to whomsoever has a question about this'. According to Ramaphosa, white people, who make up eight percent of the population 'possess 72 percent of farms'. In contrast, only four percent of farms are in the hands of black people. A few days after Trump's tweet, Ramaphosa reacted angrily saying: 'I don't know what Donald Trump has to do with South African land because he has never been here.' 'South Africa belongs to all the people who live here in South Africa, it does not belong to Donald Trump; he can keep his America, when I meet him I will tell him.' Ramaphosa told lawmakers that 'no communication was received by my office from the government of the United States of America regarding the expropriation of land without compensation'. Ramaphosa, who faces elections in 2019, has said expropriating farms without compensating their owners would 'undo a grave historical injustice' against the black majority during colonialism and the apartheid era. Ten days into the strawberry contamination crisis and police are still baffled about who is spiking fruit with needles - or why. No demands have been issued and detectives don't have any confirmed or even probable suspects. The prevailing explanation is a disgruntled employee in a packing centre, which is where police believe the needles were introduced. Many of the following cases could be the work of copycats. Australians took to speculating on social media about who is shoving needles in dozens of strawberries around the country and why, coming up with some wacky theories The prevailing explanation is a disgruntled employee in a packing centre, which is where police believe the needles were introduced Copycats may have mental issues, with two people caught placing needles in bananas in Queensland and NSW supermarkets in written off isolated incidents. In the absence of any information, Australians have taken to social media to speculate, coming up with some wacky theories. Backpackers, who make up much of the picking workforce, are under suspicion by those who believe they are seeking revenge for being denied long-term visas. Terrorism is another popular theory, with the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association even calling it 'commercial terrorism'. Ten days into the strawberry contamination crisis and police are baffled about who is spiking fruit with needles - or even why, NSW Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty admitted One case involved razor blades being implanted inside a strawberry that left a French bulldog-pug named Baxter writhing in pain and covered in blood This theory got a boost when a criminologist on Tuesday said the culprit was likely attempting to 'instill fear' in customers. 'We're not talking about an accident here,' Griffith University's Dr Danielle Harris told the ABC. 'It's not a crime of passion, it didn't happen while somebody was drunk, it's not something where we have those mitigating circumstances. 'This is something where the person wanted to instil fear and create harm. The copycat cases do seem to be a troll-like activity and it's certainly attention-seeking.' Others prefer conspiracy theories, some of which seem far-fetched and paranoid. Some people say they believe a foreign nation like China or a company competing with Australian farmers is behind the needle saga. The crisis has consumers so terrified that plummeting sales forced numerous growers to dump millions of strawberries because supermarkets won't buy them An even more bizarre idea accused the Australian Government of being behind the scandal as part of an elaborate plot to kill off Australian farming. 'The government are hell bent on getting rid of all our farmers so we have to import,' one Facebook commentor wrote. 'Then when all our farmers are broke and lose their farms to the bank, they will then sell the farms to overseas investors so we as Australians will be 100 per cent dependent on the government for our food.' Others believe at least some of the needles were placed in the fruit at the supermarket by the victims who want attention. The once-busy fields at this Queensland farm will now be poisoned as there is no point in picking them NSW Police are keenly aware of this possibility, warning that anyone who cried wolf could be slapped with a 10-year jail term. 'Any evidence of self-contamination or of copycat incidents impact on the industry and are very unhelpful to authorities and will be treated as food contamination,' Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said. 'You are causing alarm and anxiety to the public, you are causing economic loss to an industry, you are creating hysteria and making it a perilous adventure just to go and buy some fruit at a supermarket and feed your family.' Warmly hugging a Cuban officer at the height of the Cold War, this is a previously unseen photograph of British traitor Kim Philby holidaying in Castro's country after his defection. The smiling Cambridge spy was sent to the communist country by Moscow in 1978 - 15 years after he fled for the Soviet Union after sharing secrets for decades. Philby is considered the country's worst traitor whose work for the KGB led to the deaths and imprisonments of countless British agents. His little-known visit to Cuba was believed to have been one of the very few times Philby left Russia, where he was said to have led a miserable life in a flat on the sixth floor of a Moscow tower block. The former British intelligence officer, who spent years revealing state secrets to Russia after being recruited by the Russians in the 1930s, was lauded by Cubans, showered with gifts and asked to pose with officials. His Russian wife, Rufina, accompanied him on the secret trip - their first since her husband defected - and she later said Philby developed pneumonia and was under constant watch by the KGB. Traitor Kim Philby hugs a Cuban Army officer during a secret trip to Cuba after he defected to the Russians Philby, pictured with his fourth wife Rufina at dinner, would try to devastate Britain's intelligence services by sharing secrets with his KGB paymasters Philby and wife Rufina with Russian and Cuban officials in the resort town of Camaguey in a rare trip away from Russia 40 years ago Philby was treated as a celebrity on the trip ten years before his death and was asked to autograph and sign a guest book He is seen hugging a military officer while being presented with a gift in one image. In another photo the bespectacled spy can be seen holding court around a table with other communists, both Cuban and Russian. The photos are accompanied by a letter in which Mrs Philby recalled the holiday 16 years later. In it she explained it was the couple's first trip out of the Soviet Union since her husband defected and they were well looked after by local members of the KGB. She added the trip was very enjoyable although her then 66-year-old husband developed pneumonia during it due to the hot and damp conditions. The album of photographs belonged to British collector David Gainsborough Roberts, who built up an eclectic collection of historic memorabilia. Mr Roberts, 73, died last year on Jersey and the Philby photos are being sold at auction by his estate. Philby was one of the members of the Cambridge spy ring alongside Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross. The group acquired their name as they were recruited by the Russians while they were at Cambridge University in the 1930s. The album of Philby's holiday snaps is likely to fetch 1,000 at auction on Saturday Philby and his wife were asked to pose with countless Cuban officials Other Russian agents were also invited on the trip to Cuba at a time when the countries had few allies The Cambridge spy was presented with gifts at the resort six hours east of Havana Russian and cuban officials crowd around to read something Philby had written in the guest book While they were spying for the Russians during the Second World War and the Cold War, the five men were pursuing successful careers in the British government. Philby lived in Moscow for 25 years mainly stuck in his tower block flat before his death In 1951 it emerged there was a spy within the British establishment and the finger pointed at Maclean. Both he and Burgess then made headlines by suddenly disappearing and turning up in Moscow in 1956. Philby denied being a spy but ultimately defected in 1963. He spent the first few years in Moscow under virtual house arrest and passed the time writing his memoirs. The 38 black and white photos of Philby's trip to Cuba are being sold by auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, Wilts. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: 'They are a group of black and white photographs that are previously unpublished shots of Kim Philby and his wife with various dignitaries in Cuba. 'Philby was a high ranking individual in Russia and going to Cuba for Moscow, he would have met some very important local people. 'Although there are no photos showing it, he must have met Fidel Castro on that trip as it seems inconceivable that such an important person would go all that way and not. 'It would appear that there is very little known about this trip to Cuba. 'Most people think Philby remained in Moscow after defecting and the letter that accompanies the photos has his wife stating it was their first time outside of Russia since he defected. 'Philby was said to have lived an unhappy existence in Moscow and this album offers a fascinating snapshot into a rare moment of happiness for one of the most notorious traitors of the 20th century. 'The timing of this sale is also quite apt given the relationship between Moscow and the West today.' Philby died of heart failure in 1988 aged 76. He was given a hero's funeral in Moscow and there is also a memorial for him in the cemetery where he is buried. The album is tipped to sell for 1,000 on Saturday. Controversial 'Third Wave Missions' Book Marks Major Four-Million-Copy Milestone GFA (Gospel for Asia) founder K.P. Yohannan's classic 'Revolution in World Missions' has helped spark growth of indigenous-Christian-worker movement Contact: Gregg Wooding, 972-567-7660 WILLS POINT, Texas, Sept. 17, 2018 /Standard Newswire/ -- A book first met with controversy but now widely credited with helping change the face of modern missions is marking a major milestonemore than four million copies in print. Since it was published in 1986, Dr. K.P. Yohannan's Revolution in World Missions has helped spark the change its title champions, enabling thousands of indigenous men and women to be the hands and feet of Jesus around the world. Written by the founder of GFA (Gospel for Asia, www.gfa.org), the book tells of his personal call to be part of taking the love of Christ to a world so desperate in need, and challenges readers to a radical lifestyle of all-out commitment to Christ and his cause. It also advocates what has been called a "third wave" in missions, shifting away from a focus on sending Western missionaries to one that is more on support for national Christian workers. Leaders who endorsed the book include George Verwer, founder and former international director of Operation Mobilization. Rev. Dr. Paul Blackham, CEO of Biblical Frameworks in London, England, calls the book "one of the great classics of Christian literature." Since the book first came out, Yohannan has seen GFA grow into one of the most influential movements in this generation. With an emphasis on practical expressions of God's love, workers are involved in a wide range of ministries, from providing fresh water and health care to literacy programs, vocational training and childhood education. In the latest, revised edition of Revolution in World Missions, Yohannan writes of how "the Holy Spirit is moving over Asian and African nations, raising up thousands of dedicated men and women to take the story of [Christ's love] to their own people, helping them to hear for the first time about the love of God." Reflecting on the impact of his book, Yohannan said that he was shocked by how many people have been touched, with many ministries started as a result. "I'm constantly amazed what God will do with a life that's surrendered to him and a heart that wants to follow after him," he said. "God loves us all, and we must also love everyone enough to pay any price to take his love to the world. We have so many examples of those who have paved the way for us," Yohannan said. "It was Adoniram Judson who brought hope to millions who had none in Burma and the neighboring nations, and he lived a perpetual life of suffering to do so. It was Christ's love that compelled him, and it is the same for us." Born in South India in 1950, Yohannan had an encounter with God as a timid teenager that transformed his life. After several years with Operation Mobilization, he studied in seminary before founding GFA. He has published more than 200 books in Asia11 in the U.S.and broadcasts radio programs Spiritual Journey and Road to Reality around the world. Translated into eight languages, Revolution in World Missions is available free at the GFA website, at gfa.org/getthebookfree. GFA (Gospel for Asia, www.gfa.org) has for more than 30 years provided humanitarian assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially among those who have yet to hear the Good News. Last year, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,000 wells drilled, over 11,000 water filters installed, Christmas presents for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. Advertisement A remarkable travel diary documenting the round-the-world honeymoon of a Victorian couple has emerged 125 years later. The hard-backed log is filled with 129 pages of Lily and Godfrey Armitage's handwritten account of the nine-month trip with coloured drawings and photographs illustrating their travels. It contains a hair-raising account of a horrific voyage across the Pacific Ocean when their 550ft-long cruise liner was hit by a typhoon and capsized before righting itself. Lilly and Godfrey at a Japanese tea ceremony during the Victorian honeymoon couple's round-the-world trip The Hudson River paddle steamer 'Albany', on which the couple said they 'had the best cooked lunch I have ever tasted' The route through Japan and onto China, part of their journey which was based upon a Thomas Cook World Tour The route the Armitages took from England, through Europe and the Middle East towards India This map shows the route the Armitages took between Japan and North America as they travelled around the world The couple travelled across America from San Francisco to New York, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the British Isles Lilly and Godfrey Armitage take part in a Japanese tea ceremony during their round-the-world tour One passenger was so terrified he threatened to shoot himself if the vessel rolled over again. The well-to-do couple also described how highwaymen held up five trains on the track ahead of theirs as they crossed America. Other fascinating adventures they documented in words and pictures include them visiting an opium den in San Francisco, enjoying a Japanese tea party and camping on the American prairies. There is also a gruesome description of an elephant hunt the newly-weds took part in in India. The travel journal is expected to fetch 1,000 after it was put up for sale with David Lay Auctions in Penzance, Cornwall. It had been bought by an eagle-eyed bargain hunter at an antique fair. The Armitages were married at Over Hall, Winsford, Cheshire and left for their honeymoon from Liverpool on September 2, 1893. A photograph of a scene in Japan taken by the Armitages, which is going up for auction along with the rest of their diaries The Armitages were married at Over Hall in Winsford, Cheshire and left for their honeymoon in September 1893 An entry about Japan illustrated with documents and photographs in the scrapbook, which tells the story of their voyage They crossed from Liverpool to America on the SS Arizona (left), which is also pictured (right) along with the ship's captain A Chinese family, who featured in the hard-backed diary which is filled with 129 pages of Mrs Armitage's handwritten account A photograph of three musicians in Japan, which features in the diary that also contains sketches and newspaper cuttings A gruesome photo of a Chinese pirate's head, seen by the Armitages, which was captioned: 'Pirate's head after execution' They planned their trip to follow Thomas Cook's World Tour, taking in America, Canada, Japan, China, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and India, before they returned to England via Plymouth in May 1894. In one extract Mrs Armitage describes the stomach-churning sea crossing when their ship, RMS Empress of Japan, almost sunk. She writes: 'Tuesday night was our worst night, it was frightful and everyone thought our last hours had come. 'At two o'clock in the morning we gave one terrific roll, 42 degrees, the hurricane deck went right under water and she lay there for a minute before she could right herself. Mrs Armitage drew this sketch of her new husband Godfrey in a ship's cabin during their round-the-world honeymoon trip Cowboy and Indian pictures can also be found in the remarkable travel diary documenting the Victorian couple's journey A picture of a 'Rotary' snow plough on a train into the Rocky Mountains in North America, which features in the couple's diary The couple took this photograph of their arrival in America. The Armitages' journey started in Britain in September 1893 A menu from the Hudson river paddle steamer 'Albany', which included straw potatoes, winter lamb chops and anchovy toast Mount Macdonald in the Rockies, which the Armitages passed through as they crossed North America in the 1890s Notes on the couple's expensive stay in the 'House of Observation' in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), including servants 'The captain has since told us that if she had done it a second time it would have been all over with us. No-one thought we should ever get through that night.' She describes the 'mad' passenger who almost shot himself during the dramatic incident. She writes: 'He was frantic during the storm and rushed after the captain offering him 2,000 to stop the boat and he bent down for his pistol to shoot himself after the big roll he was so frightened.' Another diary entry describes the couple going on an elephant hunt in India in March 1894. She describes the bull elephant heading towards the tree she was in before her husband delivered his 'death shot'. The Armitages photographes these tea pickers in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) when they visited the country 125 years ago An Indian elephant is pictured in the diary, which also includes a gruesome account of the Armitage's hunting elephants A picture of a Sandy Hook Pilot Boat, which the couple took upon their arrival in America A fascinating photograph of a harbour scene taken by the Armitages upon their arrival in Hong Kong Indian natives with bows, arrows and spear (left) and a huge Japanese Buddha statue (right), which feature in the diaries A newspaper annouces the arrival of the Armitages at a hotel in Vancouver following their journey on the Pacific Express The painted frontespeice of the scrapbook, which shows how the couple spent nine months travelling across the world The account is very matter-of-fact and she states they had a bottle of champagne for dinner after the locals cut off the elephant's limbs to keep as souvenirs. It reads: 'Then after Godfrey getting four shots into him he was first making for my tree and then Godfrey gave him his death shot and he came down close to my tree. He put his trunk in the air and then went down on his knees first. 'We immediately sent for the coolies (Indian labourers) to cut off his legs and it took six hours to cut his ears, legs, trunk and tail off. He measured 10 feet high, 13 feet long from front to hind legs. 'We fished in the evening and had a bottle of champagne for dinner.' Holy Benares (Varanasi) on the Ganges was one of the many sites across India visited by the couple during their tour Mrs Armitage's sketch of their camp on the American prairies where they stayed overnight during their world tour The scrapbook is packed full of details of the various boats the couple used to make their way across the world The Grand Harbour in Malta, also known as the Port of Valletta, was one of the grand sites visited while they toured Europe In an extract Mrs Armitage tells of the stomach-churning sea crossing when their ship, RMS Empress of Japan, almost sunk The route taken up the Hudson by the Albany & New York Day Line Steamers, taking people to Niagara Falls In America they spent two weeks camping out on the prairies, shooting and preparing their own food and encountering wolves, bears and the Native American Sioux Indians who Lily said 'look at you in such a funny way that you feel rather uncomfortable'. They travelled across America to San Francisco where they visited an opium den in Chinatown which Lily described as a 'dreadful hole'. She wrote: 'In a little low-roofed room lay 26 men, all smoking hard except two or three who had fallen asleep, how they live in such a fearful atmosphere is wonderful.' Mimi Connell-Lay, from the auction house, said: 'It's a fascinating historical document and once you get stuck into it, it's hard to put it down. Cree Indian camp on the Great Plains, which was visited by the Armitages as they toured across North America A menu from the Empress of Japan (left) and a diary entry about the couple's visit to Niagra Falls during their tour (right) A photograph of the last word in Victorian luxury, the RMS Himalaya, took the Armitages from India A photograph of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, which the couple visited during their round-the-world honeymoon trip A letter included in the diary which has a variety of stamps from the likes of San Francisco, Colombo and New York The route across the Pacific Ocean taken by the couple on the Empress of Japan boat as they travelled towards America 'We don't really know a lot about Lily and Godfrey Armitage as the vendor bought the diary at an antique sale but they obviously came from a very affluent family to afford a trip like this. 'Lily writes very engagingly but also in a very matter-of-fact way. They were doing a lot of life-threatening activities but she just takes it all in her stride. 'The elephant hunt is just gruesome, it's just a completely different mindset to how we think now. It's the complete opposite of modern-day package holidays, she was the ultimate adventurous traveller. 'I think the diary could appeal to collectors on so many different levels, there are lots of early photographs from India and Japan that are of interest on their own, and little rice paper watercolours.' Godfrey Armitage was a major in the army and died in 1913. Lilly re-married in 1916 to Sir Maurice Bromley-Wilson, a baronet. The journal will be sold on Thursday. A British woman handed a three-month jail sentence for assaulting a Swedish man in Dubai avoided prison by getting a new passport and illegally flying home, MailOnline can reveal. Asa Hutchinson, from Chelmsford, Essex, managed to escape house-arrest despite being put on a 'no-fly' list by authorities in the autocratic Gulf state. The 22-year-old risked everything to return to the UK in June, three months ahead of Monday's court hearing in which she was convicted in absentia over the 2016 brawl. Ms Hutchinson obtained a new British passport and calmly boarded a plane to London, hoping that border guards would not notice the court order banning her from leaving the UAE. Sentenced in absentia: British ex-pat Asa Hutchinson, 22, pictured on December 6, 2017 at Dubai Marina Ms Hutchinson's legal team asked the Swedish man to drop his prosecution - but she still faced a charge of assault and theft She would have faced further charges if she was caught, MailOnline understands. Ms Hutchinson now faces immediate arrest if she steps foot in the UAE and extradition if she lands in any of the neighbouring Gulf countries. 'Asa left via the airport [in Dubai] and was fortunate not to have alerted the system [over the 'no-fly' court order],' a source close to Ms Hutchinson told MailOnline. 'She was able to do this because she had replaced her passport. This is not usually possible. 'It was a huge risk and if she returns to the United Arab Emirates she will be arrested. 'Asa also faces extradition if she travels to neighbouring Gulf countries.' Ms Hutchinson was with two male friends and female friend when a champagne-fuelled row erupted after they took pictures of a sleeping Swedish businessman. One of the group woke the man up by slapping him in the face before the women scratched him and stole his glasses and the fight escalated. Ms Hutchinson (pictured in Dubai) was convicted without being at court because she is currently home in Chelmsford. It is not yet clear if she will have to return to Dubai to serve her sentence Ms Hutchinson, 21, from Brentwood, Essex, right, with her ex-boyfriend, Ben Hall, left, in Dubai, in November 2015 Ms Hutchinson, who claimed she was only a witness to the fight and the Swedish man threw the first punches, was charged with assault and theft after the incident on April 29, 2016. She was convicted alongside another man, 26, but the other three members of the group were never charged because they fled Dubai. The victim, 54, was struck on the nose and kicked on the floor where he lay helpless and bleeding. A security guard at the restaurant testified that he saw the man being choked on the ground. After the fight, Dubai police questioned Ms Hutchinson's boyfriend Ben Hall and others in the group after getting their names from the hotel reservations list. The men managed to get their passports back by paying cash deposits, before flying home to the UK. The Swedish man then made the decision to transfer the charges to Ms Hutchinson after learning she lives in the UAE. Dubai law dictates that whoever makes the first complaint is the party most likely to be believed, so it may be irrelevant that the Swedish man threw punches. Taking pictures of someone without their consent and being rude to another person are both classed as Illegal in Dubai and are punishable by jail time. A Dubai Police lieutenant said that CCTV from the venue - a restaurant in Al Fattan Currency House - showed the Swedish man sleeping as the group approached him. The Swedish man decided to transfer the charges to Ms Hutchinson (left with her ex-boyfriend) after discovering that she was still living in the UAE A medical report revealed that the victim suffered a broken nose, finger and toe as well as scratches and bruises and was left with a one percent permanent disability as a result of an injury to his left nostril. An NGO representing Ms Hutchinson, Detained in Dubai, said she had seen none of the pictures, but did see the boys being hit by the Swedish tech executive. 'The boys managed to flee Dubai before being arrested, and so the Swede laid all the charges on Asa,' a spokesman said. 'All of the alleged assailants in this incident were released, but because Asa was living in Dubai, and the Swedish man misidentified her as a participant in the row, she was wrongly charged with the assault. 'Asa has been sentenced in absentia, despite there being no evidence to corroborate the questionable testimony of the alleged victim. 'We are glad that Asa is safe in the UK, but this judgment demonstrates how easily convictions occur in the UAE in the absence of any acceptable standards of due process.' It has become an increasingly common occurrence for foreigners to be convicted in absentia in the UAE, particularly when the evidence against them is weak or non-existent; as they are denied the opportunity to defend themselves, Detained in Dubai claims. As Ms Hutchinson awaited trial, her father Iain pleaded for complainant Bjorn Roden to 'show some compassion' to his daughter and drop the charges against her. He said: 'Asa is a young girl in a foreign country, being subjected to a legal system not at all like what we are accustomed to. Left: Ms Hutchinson in Dubai where she worked. Right: Lucie Harrison, mother of Asa Hutchinson, outside her home in Brentwood 'We understand how perturbed the complainant in this case, Mr Bjorn Roden, must have felt when the incident occurred, but Asa is innocent, and we ask him to show some compassion for our daughter and drop his complaint before she winds up in jail for something she didn't do'. He added: 'This older guy was the one hitting everyone, he ought to know better at his age than getting into drunken fights with kids. 'And now he can't throw his weight around and get them into trouble, he is picking on my young daughter.' Speaking on November 30, Asa said: 'I appeal to the man prosecuting to drop the charges. 'If you feel someone has wronged you, it really wasn't me. 'My friends leaving the country only affects me because this man has now decided to charge me instead. 'I really don't feel like I have done anything to deserve being charged. 'I love my life in Dubai and want to stay here. I have tried to reason with the man because I'm so worried, but it has fallen on deaf ears. Ms Hutchinson's legal team claimed opening the case against her client was 'morally wrong'. Pictured: Asa (right) with her former boyfriend Ben Hall and his mother, Samantha 'He only wants to prosecute, and the guys who actually did it are not here, which has left me in the firing line.' She added: 'Going to prison would be awful. I just couldn't bear it, I really hope it doesn't get that far. 'I want to thank everyone around the world for the messages of support I have been getting. 'I also want to tell my mum and dad, Lucie and Iain that I love them and miss them very much.' 'It is so unfair, I was not involved, I just happened to be there, but the police are not interested in anything I have to say,' she added. 'Once the man made his complaint it was taken as fact. I can't go to jail, I couldn't cope.' Ms Hutchinson's mother has previously defended her daughter, saying she is 'absolutely and completely innocent'. Lucie Harrison, 52, said: 'Asa is absolutely and completely innocent- she was there at the time but all she did was pick some glasses up off the floor and put them in the bin because she was worried someone would step on them. 'What I find really upsetting is that Asa has not turned her back and run away- she was saying, I've done nothing. 'She's really taking the rap, those guys in Dubai really seem to do things by association, I just find the whole thing so shocking.' Ms Hutchinson earlier lost her job after the incident and authorities seized her passport. Pictured: Inside Dusty's Bar where Asa and her friends spent the evening before the fight It was previously reported Ms Hutchinson was forced to sign confession papers written only in Arabic or be jailed immediately, her lawyers claimed. Her representatives said she was put under 'extreme pressure' to sign lengthy legal papers written only in Arabic when she was arrested last April. In a statement previously released, Ms Hutchinson said: 'I was told to sign the papers, or I would be going straight to prison. 'By this stage I was terrified. I had no choice but to sign those papers. I was so scared of prison.' Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling said: 'Asa's experience echoes that of countless others. 'A conspicuously high number of cases in the UAE are concluded as a result of suspects' 'confessions' often in lieu of any other type of evidence collected through investigation. 'Suspects are put under extreme pressure to sign 'confessions' in Arabic. 'We have even seen cases where suspects were forced to sign blank documents upon which the police later wrote their 'confessions'. 'These invalid confessions carry decisive weight in trials, despite the coercion used to obtain them. 'Westerners need to bear in mind that the legal system in the UAE has a long way to go before it is as modern as the skyline'. Mexican officials have promised to investigate after a truck filled with 157 bodies ended up dumped in a field as the country struggles with a record murder rate. The bodies were loaded on to the refrigerated lorry in Jalisco state after morgues ran out of space, before it ended up behind a residential building. Those living in the nearby city of Guadalajara eventually complained about the smell, prompting local officials to launch a probe into how it ended up there. A truck filled with the rotting bodies of 157 murder victims ended up dumped in a field in Mexico as the country struggles to cope with a record number of murders The bodies were piled into the refrigerated truck after morgues in the state of Jalisco filled up, before ending up in a field behind a housing complex While the bodies were being kept refrigerated, the process only slows decomposition and does not stop it altogether. Many of the bodies were already badly rotted having been found in mass graves across the state. Mexico saw almost 16,000 people murdered in the first six months of 2018, the highest number since records began in 1997 and an increase of 17 per cent on 2017. Javier Perlasca, an inspector for the state human rights commission, said that 'this was a mistake ... and it is bothering the neighbors' as well as causing pain for victims' families. 'It is time to end these comings and goings that only outrage and hurt people,' Perlasca said, adding that the bodies should be given a decent burial. The truck was removed from the field as images emerged of another person shot dead in nearby Guadalajara. Mexico saw almost 16,000 people murdered in the first six months of this year - the highest since records began in 1997 (pictured, a murdered man in Jalisco state on September 17) A murder victim lays in the street in the city of Guadalajara, a short distance from where the truck ended up being dumped Police could be seen gathered around the body of a young man found laying in the street, dead from apparent gunshot wounds. No further details were immediately available about the killing. Meanwhile families of missing people to confronted officers at the site of a mass grave discovered in the state of Veracruz this month. Officers discovered the remains of 174 people in 33 pits at at El Arbolillo's narco-cemetery two weeks ago in one of the largest mass graves ever found in the country. Veracruz was the scene of vicious gang battles around two years ago, which is when officers believe the bodies were buried. Morgues in several states have run out of room. Last year, employees at prosecutors' offices near a morgue in the southern state of Guerrero said they had stopped work because of the smell. Relatives of missing people confront police after the discovery of 174 bodies buried in a mass grave in the state of Veracruz, in southern Mexico Veracruz, where the mass grave was discovered, was the scene of vicious gang wars two years ago when it is believed the bodies were buried Chief prosecutor for the Gulf state of Veracruz said some clandestine graves were not being investigated 'because we don't have space to put the bodies that we might find.' In Jalisco, Perlasca said, 'the physical space to keep the bodies of the dead has been outstripped ... given that every day they are finding bodies in different places, in clandestine graves, shot dead in the street, etcetera.' On Friday, five people were shot dead and nine more were injured by three gunmen dressed as a mariachi band opened fire in Garibaldi Plaza, Mexico City. Another person subsequently died, bringing the death toll to six. The iconic square was packed with tourists being serenaded by bands ahead of the country's Independence Day celebrations at the weekend. The Mexico City prosecutors' office said at least one foreigner was among those wounded in Friday night's attack. Four people died initially and a fifth died of her wounds at a hospital Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Five people were shot dead in Mexico City at the weekend in the tourist hotspot of Garibaldi Plaza by three men dressed as mariachi players An armed policeman stands guard in Mexico City as officers carry out raids in relation to the fatal shooting three days earlier The news outlet La Silla Rota circulated surveillance video of the alleged assailants wearing traditional embroidered jackets and pants as they fled on motorcycles. The shooting cast a bloody pall over Independence Day festivities. Many Mexicans will wear mariachi costumes, a symbol of national pride, on Saturday night to commemorate the launch of the revolt against Spanish rule on Sept. 16, 1810. It is also the busiest time of year for Garibaldi Plaza, a beloved but seedy square that draws heavily on Mexican folklore. Lisa Sanchez, director of Mexicans United Against Delinquency, described the shooting as a 'piercing portrait' of Mexico. A stressed City trader took his own life when his wife and child went to visit her parents, an inquest heard. Joseph Heraty, 36, a leading equities sales trader on London for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, had taken a week's sick leave for stress and migraines. His wife Laura went to her parents in Norfolk for three days to 'give Joe some space' leaving him alone at their luxury flat in Wapping, east London. Joseph Heraty, 36, a leading equities sales trader on London for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, had taken a week's sick leave for stress and migraines (file image) She last spoke to her husband on the Thursday night before the Saturday morning when she returned home on April 21. But she left their child with the porter after failing to get him on the phone and entered the flat just after 9 am to discover the 36-year-old had hanged himself. Describing her time with her parents she told Poplar Coroner's Court: 'During that time Joe seemed fine, he was even doing some jobs around the house. 'I said to him you should make sure you get outside and get some sunlight. 'He replied 'I will try' and that was the last I heard from him on Thursday April 19. When we got back to the flat I called Joe but he didn't answer. 'I left my child with the porter and went up to the flat on the fourth floor. After entering I could see his feet. She added: 'Joe was a loving husband, son and friend - he was a loyal father and a special person. 'Joe's work has has a massive impact on him. I told him to have some time off for work related stress. 'In the weeks leading up to his death he was showing signs of stress and his headaches worsened. 'He has taken the week off before his death - he was due to see a psychiatrist the day after. 'We were building a new house in Kent for two years - which was on his mind. There was never any arguments in our relationship. 'Joe never expressed any suicidal thoughts during our time together and we were excited to move into a new home in Kent.' Paramedic Gary Edwards told the hearing: 'On April 21 at 9.42 am I attended the home in Wapping. 'Mrs Heraty was in a clear state of distress and I waited for the police to arrive.' Pathologist Dr Alan Bates confirmed no alcohol or drugs were found in Mr Heraty's bloodstream and no signs of restraint or bruising to the body. Mr Heraty had been prescribed migraine tablets Sumatriptam weeks before his death but there was no indication this was a contributing factor. A post mortem revealed no signs of restraint or bruising to the body. Pathologist Dr Alan Bates confirmed no alcohol or drugs were found in Mr Heraty's bloodstream and no signs of restraint or bruising to the body (file image of Mr Heraty's workplace) Nick Egerton, managing director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said that Joe showed no signs of stress at work. He said: 'I am still shocked about what has happened, when I heard... I couldn't believe it. 'Joe was a friend and a colleague of nine years - I managed him for the past year. He was loved by so many people and so much time for everyone. 'Joe was one of the very best at what he did globally, he was exceptional. 'There was no change in Joe in the weeks leading up to his death, I know he took some time away, but he appeared fine. 'Two nights before his death I messaged him and told him we missed him. He text me back and said 'I love you man x'. 'It was a demanding job - but Joe loved work. He never used any words or phrases to make you think he wasn't feeling well.' Senior Coroner Mary Hassell said: 'The purpose of this inquest has been to establish the what, the when, the how and the why. 'Joe died some time between April 20 and 21 at the family home in Wapping. Unfortunately in this case, there is no clear 'why' - I'm sorry I cannot answer that question. 'There was no evidence of harm against Joseph, there was no marks or signs of restraint to suggest interference. The medical cause of death was suspension. His death was a suicide.' During the inquest Ms Hassell blasted police for their delay in the inquest coming to court. She said: 'It has taken the police five months and they have still not accessed the deceased's phone. 'This is completely disappointing and unacceptable - I'm going to speak to the officer to proceed with this further.' Inspector Damien Reid apologised and blamed 'terrorism' for the hold-up. He said: 'We have been unable to access two phones because we don't know the pins. 'There has been a priority with terrorism and other serious crime - on behalf of the Metropolitan Police I am sorry.' For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details. Advertisement It's their first week at university as they journey towards working life - but it was booze over books for Britain's freshers, last night, as they began celebrating their new found freedom. Pubs and bars across the country are being swarmed by drunk students, celebrating the famous fresher's events. Cheap booze and chips were strewn across city streets this morning after a big night out on Monday. As classes begin eighteen-year-old undergraduates were getting to know the pubs just as well as their professors. Freshers week officially started at many universities on Sunday, but nights out are set to continue all week long. Liverpool and Birmingham bars hosted huge club nights to welcome the teens - some of whom ended up worse for wear in the streets. Police and paramedics were called out to the students in multiple towns as young men and women were found collapsed in the road, causing chaotic scenes. Freshers week events in Liverpool ended in a group chat on some city steps for first year students who are getting to know the city A man is put into the recovery position on Broad Street in Birmingham as Aston University freshers took to the bar strip to take part in a pub crawl Too much for some: One man was supported back to his halls by two friends after a night out in Liverpool's city centre An ambulance was spotted in a Liverpool street as freshers made their way home clinging onto boxes of food - as well as one another One man was seen urinating against a tree while three friends lay on the ground for an unusual selfie in Birmingham Young students dressed to impress in the first week of university where they will begin classes between a whole week of nightlife Before: Older students were on hand to help out the freshers who will be getting to know their new city homes over the coming weeks Liverpool: Students clung onto one another as they enjoyed the city's student scene after a summer of celebrating their A-Level results Freedom! Freshers have moved out of home and into student halls for the first time as they begin university A man was also seen falling backwards before getting back up again and being led off to a taxi home after a big night out Girls ate chips on the floor in Liverpool as they attempted to soak up the alcohol consumed as bars offered cheap drink deals to entice the students Students hung around in the streets eating and chatting in Liverpool. There are multiple universities in the city, including Liverpool John Moores University The revellers were held upright by their classmates as they paraded around Liverpool - their home for the next three years Street feast: Many of the young students stopped for food on their way back to their halls after hours of partying New friends: The students got to know one another as they chatted. Two women used a bin to hold themselves upright A man holds a sick bucked whist leaning on a bollards on Broad Street in Birmingham. Many newly formed friends gave up their night to take care of their worse-for-wear companions Girls used a bus stop as a dining area as they ate food and chatted following one of many nights out in Liverpool An ambulance was called for students outside a club in Liverpool as undergraduates celebrated living alone for the first time Fancy dress outfits were also paraded around Liverpool city centre where there will be a 90s vs 2000s party for freshers week Girls danced down the road in Liverpool where freshers events kicked off with a welcome party on Sunday evening A man helped out as a student in Liverpool put her fingers down her throat to help herself throw up during the night out The taxi rank was heaving at the end of the evening as the students sat and waited for cabs to take them back to their new homes Feeling fresh? One couple was seen sleeping in the doorway of a shop in Liverpool while students ran riot in the city The city was used as a playground by some students who happily swung from barriers and posts as they celebrated their first week of university A group of girls in Liverpool were pictured looking somewhat fresher than their counterparts across the city Girls dressed to impress for the night out but most still ended up eating McDonald's in the street after hours of boozing One man was held up in a bus stop as Aston University students got to know one another on the first of many nights out One man lost his shoe as he was carried through Birmingham by his amused new friends. Broad Street was alive with new students, on Monday One young couple shared a kiss in Birmingham as students in the city got to know one another a little better on a night out A man was carried down the road by his friends in Birmingham as they enjoyed a night out on Broad Street Girls embrace in Liverpool as they make their way home from a night out. Students have an entire week of events this week as bars and pubs profit from freshers week Police officers were present in Liverpool as the streets were filled with drunken students on their first week away from home In Liverpool the new students will be treated to a week of cheap booze, comedy, dress up events and of course - lectures One girl leaned on a window as she steadied herself - while her new friend made sure she recorded the moment Unable to walk any further one group of girls sat on the floor in Liverpool. This week the students will be invited to comedy shows, a big quiz - and dozens of drinking events Queues in city kebab shops were often as long as lines at the bar in Liverpool as hungry teenagers descended A woman's legs were spotted from behind a wall in Broad Street in Birmingham as many students tasted their first big night out in the city A woman checks her phone whilst her friend gets some well earned rest in a flowerbed on Broad Street in Birmingham Two British woman have told how they were strip-searched and locked in a blood-stained police cell on Corfu after hiding a Greek man's clothes on the beach as a prank. Shona Cox and Vicki Albone, both from Saffron Walden, Essex, had saved for months to pay for their 2,000 package holiday but it was ruined when the 'harmless prank' went wrong. The 20-year-olds had met a group of men at the beach on Saturday, August 24 and after an afternoon together they hid the clothes of one of them a few sunbeds down while he went swimming. Ms Cox and Ms Albone say they were later locked up without food for 24 hours and hit with 1,600 of legal bills after being accused of taking clothes and a 400 Rolex. Shona Cox (left in both pictures) and Vicki Albone (right in both pictures) have told how they were strip-searched and locked in a blood-stained police cell on Corfu after hiding a Greek man's clothes on the beach as a prank Ms Cox (pictured) and Ms Albone had met a group of boys at the beach on Saturday, August 24 and after an afternoon together they hid the clothes of one of them a few sunbeds down while he went swimming Ms Cox described the conditions in the cell as 'absolutely gruesome' and claimed it was the 'most terrifying and traumatic experience' of her life. Pictured: The cell's toilet (left) and a filthy mattress (right) Airport worker Ms Cox, said: 'It was the most terrifying and traumatic experience of our lives. From start to finish, we were both treated so badly and I've never seen anything like it. 'No one explained anything to us but we were summoned into a room and strip searched. 'The cells were absolutely gruesome. There was graffiti on the walls and there was urine all over the floor. 'There was writing on the walls smeared in blood. The mattresses were rotten and there was liquid spewing out the side of one. 'I was forced to sleep on the bare mattress and was not given a sheet, pillow, a blanket or anything. Smoking was also allowed in the cells so it stunk of stale cigarettes.' Earlier on Saturday Ms Cox and her assistant teacher friend had been on Issos Beach where they had met a group of Greek men. She added: 'As the night went on I dared one of them, named Christoper, to run into the sea in just his boxers as we thought it would be funny. As he did, his two friends started laughing and got their phones out to record him. Ms Cox claimed that the mattresses they were given were rotten and there was 'liquid spewing out the side of one' 'While he was in the sea, we grabbed his clothes from a sun lounger and ran off a bit further up the beach and put his clothes about 10 sun loungers along. We thought it was a harmless joke and went back to the hotel.' But they were shocked to be met by a team of police officers in the lobby of the four star Labranda Sandy Beach resort that evening. The police demanded the pair return the clothes and 400 Rolex or face arrest. They claim that Christopher had fabricated a story that she had stolen his property, but denies ever touching a watch. Ms Cox added: 'He said that his friends had chased me back to my hotel room and saw us go in with the clothes and the watch. That was a complete lie, we did not touch a watch and no one chased us anywhere. 'The police said that if we didn't hand over the watch, they would have to arrest me. 'Even after numerous times explaining to them that we didn't take the clothes or the watch they still asked us to give it back and eventually arrested me.' They were thrown into the back of a police vehicle and taken to a station and made to give a written statement. Greek police demanded they find a lawyer despite it being Saturday evening. After a three hour search for an English speaking lawyer, statements were written, they were strip searched and locked in a cell, they said. Ms Cox (pictured) and her assistant teacher friend had been on Issos Beach where they had met a group of Greek boys Their phones were confiscated and were returned to them for 15 minutes the following day when they contacted their families and captured footage of the cell. Ms Cox claimed that at one point she threw up and instead of helping her, a security guard 'threw boiled sweets' at her. They were denied food and fresh water until 8pm on Sunday, having not eaten since lunch time before their arrest the previous day. 'We were given one meal the whole time we were locked up and weren't even given fresh water. The water was warm and dirty. My basic human rights were just taken away and no one cared. 'I'd like to think I'm quite a strong person but I have never cried so much or been so scared in my life.' They were taken out of the cell for a brief spell as police took them back to the hotel and searched the room from top to bottom, before locking them up again. After being taken to court the following day, her hearing was delayed as the witnesses had flown back to Athens and needed to return. Ms Cox continued: 'We were taken to court on Monday but it was delayed until Wednesday while the boys could return from Athens to testify. 'We were allowed to sleep in the hotel for the following days but we were terrified. 'My dream holiday and my first trip abroad had been ruined and all I could think of is "am I going to be sent to jail here for something I did not do?"' Ms Cox did not attend court on Wednesday and her lawyer dealt with the case in her absence. She added: 'We spent the whole of Wednesday in fear, waiting for that call and we did not hear anything until 5pm that afternoon to say that we were found not guilty. 'We were allowed to go home first thing the next day. 'This is a warning to everyone before they go to Greece, it may be a nice destination to go to but if a time comes that you're in trouble and you actually need help, this is how they treat you.' The foreign office has been contacted for comment. Theresa May meets EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow in the first of a series of choreographed moments over the next six months on the final road to Brexit. Britain will cease to be a member of the European Union at 11pm on March 29, 2019, exactly two years after Theresa May triggered Article 50 to officially start negotiations. But with fewer than 200 days to go no agreements are in place on what happens next - just an outline agreement for a transition deal and divorce bill, both subject to further agreement on the Irish border and future trading rules. What happens next? Theresa May (pictured last night in Downing Street) meets EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow in the first of a series of choreographed moments on the final road to Brexit With fewer than 200 days to go (pictured) no agreements are in place on what happens next - just an outline agreement for a transition deal and divorce bill, both subject to further agreement on the Irish border and future trading rules Salzburg Summit, September 19-20 In a crucial moment tomorrow, the Prime Minister will address EU leaders on her Chequers proposals for the first time. She will set out why the proposals are the only 'credible and negotiable' plan that both honours the referendum vote and - in her view - works for the EU. The response of EU leaders will be crucial. Most have been cool on the ideas so far but expectation is rising they could give EU Negotiator Michel Barnier new guidelines within which to strike a deal. EU Council President Donald Tusk has said the meeting must reach a 'common view' on the shape of the future UK-EU relationship and agree the final phase of talks. Failure would dramatically raise the chance of no deal. Next round of negotiations, September 21 to October 17 The following month of detailed talks will be among the most crucial so far. If the Salzburg summit sees EU leaders agree a broad framework as planned, the UK and EU negotiators will have just weeks to frame a 'political declaration' on the future relationship and finalise the withdrawal treaty. How far they get in drafting the documents - and how much is left to EU leaders themselves - will determine when, if at all, an agreement can be struck. The political declaration will explain in non-legal language what the two sides plans to agree in the final treaty. A political declaration was used in December 2017 to outline the proposed transition deal and the 39billion divorce bill agreed by the UK. This is what is currently being turned into legal language for the withdrawal treaty. EU Negotiator Michel Barnier (right in Brussels last week) maybe given new guidelines this week within which to strike a deal. EU Council President Donald Tusk (left) has said the meeting must reach a 'common view' on the shape of the future UK-EU relationship EU Summit, Brussels, October 18-19 October's EU summit has long been pencilled in as the opportunity for EU leaders to agree the withdrawal treaty on the terms of exit and a political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU. If a deal can be struck in October, it leaves plenty of time for it to be agreed in the UK and ratified in the EU, paving the way for an orderly Brexit in March. A deal is not expected to be finalised at this summit but both sides will hope for significant progress - even if the summit is used to set out the dividing lines one last time. Emergency EU Summit, Brussels, November 13 A one-day emergency summit in November is now widely expected. If it happens, there will be acute political pressure to finalise both the withdrawal treaty and political declaration - if nothing else to allow the EU to return to other business. Expect a high stakes meeting and a late night finish. Failure will see both sides walking up to the brink of a chaotic exit and peering over the edge. The response of the European Council (including German Chancellor Angela Merkel) will be crucial in the next stages of the EU talks EU Summit, Brussels, December 13-14 Given the need to ratify the deal, the December summit is the last chance to strike a deal. Brexit is not supposed to be on the agenda: if the talks reach this summit there has been a major breakdown. The EU does infamously find a way to agreement at the 11th hour and if Brexit talks are still live in December, many will hope for a fudge that can get both sides over the line. Last year, talks on the outline divorce deal were pushed to December and a deal was - just - reached. The so-called 'meaningful vote' in the UK Parliament, January 2019 Assuming there is a withdrawal treaty and political declaration, the next stage is for the action is in the UK Parliament. Mrs May promised Tory Remain rebels a 'meaningful' vote on the final deal in both the Commons and Lords. This is expected to be a simple yes or no vote on what she has negotiated - so in theory a detailed withdrawal treaty, spelling out the divorce bill and other issues such as citizens' rights, and the political declaration on the future relationship. Linking the two will be a high stakes moment. Brexiteers do not want to sign off the divorce bill without a trade deal and Remainers are reluctant to vote for a blind Brexit. But the Prime Minister has made clear it is deal or no deal: accept what she has negotiated or leave Britain crashing out on March 29, 2019 with no agreement in place. If the meaningful vote is passed, there will be a series of further votes as the withdrawal treaty is written into British law. The Prime Minister (pictured at the EU Council in June) has made clear it is deal or no deal: accept what she has negotiated or leave Britain crashing out on March 29, 2019 with no agreement in place Ratification in the EU, February 2019 After the meaningful vote in the UK, the EU will have to ratify the agreement. This is a two stage process. National parliaments in all 27 countries have to vote on the deal. It does not need to pass everywhere but must be carried in at least 20 of the 27 countries, with Yes votes covering at least 65 per cent of the EU population. The European Parliament must also vote in favour of the deal. It has a representative in the talks, Guy Verhofstadt, who has repeatedly warned the deal must serve the EU's interests. In practice, once the leaders of the 27 member states have agreed a deal, ratification on the EU side should be assured. Exit day, March 29, 2019 At 11pm on March 29, 2019, Britain will cease to be a member of the European Union, two years after triggering Article 50 and almost three years after the referendum. Exit happens at 11pm because it must happen on EU time. If the transition deal is in place, little will change immediately - people will travel in the same way as today and goods will cross the border normally. But Britain's MEPs will no longer sit in the European Parliament and British ministers will no longer take part in EU meetings. Negotiations will continue to turn the political agreement on the future partnership into legal text that will eventually become a second treaty. Both sides will build new customs and immigration controls in line with what this says. If there is no deal, there is little clarity on what will happen. Britain has outlined contingencies for a catastrophic breakdown in transport and goods networks; in practice short term, small side deals will be likely be rapidly negotiated to avert the worst consequences. A trio of masked thieves ransacked two shopping centres in Perth on Monday night. The gang donned balaclavas and ransacked Coles in Karawara and Woolworths in Bull Creek, the West Australian reports. The three men broke into Waterford Plaza shopping centre last night at 11.15pm and forced open the doors of Coles supermarket. A trio of masked thieves ransacked two shopping centres in Perth on Monday night The trio of thieves stole money and cigarettes from the Woolworths store A night shift worker confronted the men and was allegedly threatened with a weapon. The three men reportedly ransacked the tills of the supermarket. The masked trio went on to wreak more havoc when they broke into Woolworths at Stockland Bull Creek Shopping Centre at 11.50pm. They stole money and cigarettes from the Woolworths store. Local police officers from the Cannington and Fremantle districts were deployed to other shopping centres nearby to prevent further robberies. Investigations into the incident are ongoing. CCTV footage is being reviewed and forensic evidence is being analysed by Regional Investigations Unit detectives. An Australian musician saved the life of a teenager on Monday after spotting the boy struggling to swim on a New York beach. Roy Molloy, who plays saxophone for fellow musician Alex Cameron, jumped off the rocks at Rockaway Beach, in Queens, to save a young man who was drowning. The saxophone player, who is touring the country with Mr Cameron, said he became worried after hearing the anxious screams of the boy's parents. Roy Molloy (pictured), who plays saxophone for fellow musician Alex Cameron, jumped off the rocks and into the waters at Rockaway Beach, in Queens, to save a young man who was drowning The saxophone player, (left) who is touring the country with Mr Cameron, said he became worried after hearing the anxious screams of the boy's (right) parents 'The young guy's mum and dad were yelling and screaming for help,' Mr Molloy told CBS New York. 'I jumped in off the rocks there - all cut up and ripped my shorts.' Mr Molloy said a surfer helped him pull the boy to shore, believing the young man wouldn't have been able to do it on his own. The beach does not have any lifeguards on patrol after Labour Day on September 3. The boy was the third person to be saved at the beach on one day. Mr Cameron tweeted: 'Roy is probably not gonna talk about this so I will. Today he saved a heavy set boy in rough conditions at Rockaway Beach. 'Jumped in off the rocks and got to him before he drowned. Didnt think twice. The guy is a full time operator.' He said that a surfer helped him get the boy to shore, believing the young man wouldn't have been able to do it on his own (Pictured with Alex Cameron) The beach does not have any lifeguards patrolling following Labour Day weekend (Pictured with Alex Cameron) Mr Molloy posted on social media: 'Much love you guys. Please stay in the patrolled areas at the beach if you're not a strong swimmer.' He also tweeted a photo of himself playing saxophone at the beach with the caption: 'Sax practice and keeping the beach safe are not mutually exclusive.' Even Russell Crowe praised the musician for his actions. Constant 'unconsiderate' sex with a partner can be worse than being raped by a stranger, writer Germaine Greer has claimed. The feminist has recently published an essay called On Rape which has caused outrage for suggesting there is a 'spectrum' the crime can be committed on. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she described being raped by a stranger as 'bloody bad luck' but added it may not affect a woman's entire life in the way that abuse by a loved one can. It led to some outrage on Twitter with social media users with some branding the comments 'sickening' and 'belittling'. Scroll down for video Germaine Greer, pictured, told BBC Radio 4 'constant 'unconsiderate' sex' with a loved one can be 'wrose than rape by a stranger' The comments prompted outrage on social media with some branding her words 'a disgrace' Ms Greer said: 'I think it is important we don't diminish the effects of constant unconsiderate use of a woman's body by the man she loves. 'In some ways, it is worse to be abused and treated without consideration by the people who are at the centre of your life. 'Stranger rape is bloody bad luck, for sure, but it is like being run down by a bus. 'You don't have to internalise it and look at the structure of your whole life from that point of view. It is way out there on left field.' Ms Greer said she would like to see the law changed so that women are a formal party in any court case relating to their rape or sexual assault. Current laws mean that when women make complaints, their assaults are treated as alleged offences against the state, with the victim playing the role of a witness or a piece of evidence, she said. She added: 'The woman who complains of rape is herself not party to the action. 'She is a piece of evidence and she will be examined to find out if the claims she is making that the offence has occurred is true.' She added: 'The better way would be to begin again to look at it from a woman's point of view, rather than the point of view of the patriarchate. 'When you go to the police, you are asking the state to clean up an offence against itself, whereas if we were in Belgium you would be a party to the action as the victim and you would have a voice in court. 'As it is now, you have no voice in court, you don't have anyone representing you and you can't be helped to deal with the cross-examination. You are being treated almost like a child.' The comments prompted a mixed reaction, with some on Twitter saying they were 'disgraceful'. But others back Ms Greer and praised her for being brave and voicing opinions that show that sexual abuse and rape is 'not one size fits all' One user wrote: 'Germaine Greers offensive remarks about her interpretation of rape is an absolute disgrace. By doing this she is belittling all those who have been a victim of rape and what they had to go through. She sickens me beyond belief.' Another said: 'My standard reaction to Germaine Greer speaking these days is baffled shock. Im all for free speech but how is she being given so many platforms for such attention grabbing, ridiculous and hurtful comments.' But others praised her for her 'brave' opinions. One user wrote: 'ALWAYS happy to hear Germaine Greers unpalatable opinions. Shes brave and not afraid of the conversation (and abuse). I LOVE her. Sexual abuse (& rape) is not one size fits all. Obvs.' Katie Russell, spokeswoman for Rape Crisis England & Wales, said the situation was complex but the experiences of those abused by someone they know 'should not be minimised'. She said: 'It's always worth highlighting that the vast majority of those who are raped already know the perpetrator, often trust or even love them. 'Rapists can be and frequently are friends, colleagues, family members, dates, partners or exes. The writer has caused controversy with her recent essay On Rape which talks about there being a 'spectrum' of the crime 'Too often the victims and survivors of rape in this context have their experiences minimised because they're not perceived as 'violent' compared to, say, an attack by an armed stranger. 'But all sexually activity without consent is inherently violent and being raped by a loved one can have serious and long-lasting impacts. 'Ultimately each rape survivor is unique and deserving of specialist support to move forward positively with their lives, and any experience of sexual violence can be traumatic; we generally don't feel it's helpful to create a hierarchy of victimhood.' It comes after she compared rape to a fear of dangerous spiders and said trauma is 'dictated by the sufferer'. Appearing on Australian television earlier this week, she said she was an 'idiot' when dealing with the trauma of her own rape aged 19. She said: 'I was actually sorrier for the man who raped me than I was for myself, because I thought, what has happened to his sexuality? 'Why has he turned into this mad dog? They will shoot him. They will kill him. They will wipe him out.' Ms Greer added: 'Trauma is something that is dictated really by the sufferer. You know, I can't bear huntsman spiders. It is not their fault. It is my fault. 'I decided to be frightened of them. It is interesting to me that women are encouraged all the time to be terribly, terribly frightened and nearly always of the wrong thing.' Standing in solidarity with you in Christ Greetings to churches in China persecuted for the sake of righteousness Dear church pastors and co-laborers in Christ in China, We are a group of Christian leaders who share your call from God but serve Him overseas, proclaiming the Gospel and shepherding churches. Please accept our greatest respect for you for standing up straight and speaking up courageously for the truth you have put your faith in amid the persecutions and sufferings you are facing, and please send our warm regards to our numerous brothers and sisters in Christ, whom you are shepherding. May grace and peace from our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Dear chief shepherds of God's people, we read A Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith [Editor's note: Hereafter referred to as "Declaration"], which you jointly signed, and were moved to tears by the Holy Spirit. Although we are overseas and in a relatively easy environment, we belong with you to the body of Christ, and we dare not forget the Bible's teaching that "body parts should have equal concern for each other" [1 Corinthians 12:25]. "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it" [1 Corinthians 12:26]. In order to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, whom you believe is the Lord of the whole earth and the only and supreme head of the Church, you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. What a great honor and blessing! "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" [1 Peter 2:21]. If we are oblivious to and detached from your sufferings for the sake of Christ, we are no longer a part of His body, and we will be held accountable when we see Him on that day. Therefore, we have no other choice and are obliged to stand in solidarity with you in Christ, praying and interceding in tears for the persecutions against you, and giving our thanks and praise to God for your strength, endurance, and hope in the midst of sufferings. If we truly share in your sufferings for the Gospel, we will be able to share in your blessings from God, for the Bible says, " ... if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" [Romans 8:17b]. Dear chief shepherds of God's people, ever since China's top authorities reinforced the idolatrous worship of a certain leader and a certain ideology in recent years [Editor's note: This refers to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his administration, who are attempting to consolidate ideological power to the Communist Party and persecuting those who do not adhere to their beliefs], the Gospel message about Christ's cross, which you have preached, became more and more repulsive to them, and thus, they intensified persecutions against you. This is because the Gospel of Christ opposes any form of idol worship by mankind and holds fast that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23]. All of mankind, including those in power, are saved from perishing through their faith in the redemption of Christ Jesus on the cross. As long as we refuse to back down from this claim of truth, the world won't stop persecuting us. As our Lord Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" [John 15:18-19]. Therefore, no matter what excuses or criminal charges the authorities use to interrogate, raid, demolish, fine, outlaw, confiscate, shut down, or even detain you, it is not because you are not cunning enough in your responses, or you're growing too fast as a church, or you're connected with "overseas forces." It is only because you have been chosen out of the world by Christ. As the root cause of all persecutions suffered by Christian churches, this is also the secret to our partaking in the Lord's glory in the future. Dear chief shepherds, we thank and praise God for your faithfulness and goodness in Christ. As "stewards of the mysteries God" [1 Corinthians 4:1], you always put what he entrusted to you, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season" [2 Timothy 4:2a], above everything else, even in the midst of persecutions. Your Declaration begins with the Gospel message, calling on the world to repent and reconcile with God through Christ, because this is the highest call you have received from God. For this you were called, and for this you will also live or die. The four claims in your Declaration also flow out of this. For the sake of the Gospel, you must lead the church, "obey God rather than human beings" [Acts 5:29] and therefore resist everything coming from men. Again, for the sake of the Gospel, teach the church to follow the biblical principle of separating the church from the state; "Christians are obligated to respect the authorities, to pray fervently for their benefit, and to pray earnestly for Chinese society" [Declaration, Item 3] Even more so, you are "For the sake of the gospel, we are willing to suffer all external losses brought about by unfair law enforcement. Out of a love for our fellow citizens, we are willing to give up all of our earthly rights" [Declaration, Item 3]. All these have manifested that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" [Philippians 2:13]. Dear chief shepherds, it is our belief that, were it not for God's Spirit moving among you and his mighty arms sustaining you, you would not be able to stay faithful to the commission God entrusted to you, following in the footsteps of Christ, and being the good shepherds who lay down their lives for their sheep. As of today, we have seen God's power to preserve you and be present with you in your sufferings. He made you join hands and walk in front of your flock, bravely speaking up for truth. He meant for you to guide and protect his sheep, and inspire brothers and sisters in churches with your own example to not lose heart and fall captive to the world. Undaunted by the intimidation from the authorities, you boldly proclaim Christ as the only and supreme head of the Church, and make the world and God's churches all over the world hear your solemn promise: "... under no circumstances will we lead our churches to join a religious organization controlled by the government, to register with the religious administration department, or to accept any kind of affiliation. We also will not accept any 'ban' or 'fine' imposed on our churches due to our faith. For the sake of the gospel, we are prepared to bear all losseseven the loss of our freedom and our lives" [Declaration, Item 4]. We believe your resounding voices, filled with God's graceful and powerful proclamations, will spread with the content of your Declaration to inspire more Gospel workers to become fearless of persecutions, to preach the same Gospel, to be led by the same Spirit, to unite with you in one body, and to share the same resolve in front of God, under the leadership of Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign. This will bring a greater revival and unity to churches in China and make the Gospel spread faster and farther in the land of China. Dear chief shepherds, when you lag in the midst of a hundred different ways to be refined by fire, your faith, evidenced by your practice of self-denial and endurance, is being reported all over the world, and is showing to us, in particular, people in overseas churches, how to follow Jesus's example. Gracious God, may your mercy be with overseas Chinese churches, and may you not abandon us. Don't let us indulge in our comfort. Don't let us become the church in Laodicea"neither hot nor cold" and be spit out of your mouth [Revelation 3:16]. May God remember that we pray in tears day and night for you in your persecution. May God fulfill in us his promise that you have received because of our willingness to share in your sufferings in Christ and to fight the good fight with you for the Gospel: "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown" [Revelation 2:10]. Amen! Signed, Zhang Boli Lead Pastor of Washington Harvest Chinese Christian Church Police have found a giant stolen fibreglass dinosaur during a drug raid on a property earlier this month. According to the Fraser Coast Chronicle, the surprise discovery was found after Queensland police executed a search warrant on a Albany Creek property in north Brisbane on September 11. Along with the dinosaur, which is a replica of a velociraptor, cannabis, steroids, and other controlled drugs and utensils were seized during the raid. Police have seized a stolen giant fibreglass dinosaur during a drug raid in an Albany Creek property in north Brisbane A 21-year-old and a 29-year-old have been charged with a string of offences relating to the stolen dinosaur- which has been missing since 2016 It is believed the dinosaur and various other items were stolen from a veterinary surgery in 2016. A 21-year-old man has been charged with unlawful possession of stolen property, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of controlled drugs and possession of utensils- appearing in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on October 18. A 29-year-old has also been charged, with possession of dangerous drugs and possession of utensils and will appear in the same court on October 10. Police said the dinosaur will be returned to its rightful owner. A beauty therapist struck down with severe food poisoning while staying in the same Egyptian hotel at which a British couple died feared she would too. Jodie Brown, 20, from South Shields, was staying at the Steigenburger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Egypt, when she claims she suddenly fell ill just days into her dream trip. She spent two days in hospital when she returned to the UK after the 'holiday from hell' and claims Public Health England confirmed she had salmonella poisoning. Jodie (pictured, left, with partner Samuel Gibson) says she was left needing three drips when she came to hospital in the UK (right) following what she described as a 'holiday from hell' Wiped out: The beauty therapist claims she lost a stone at the hotel in Egypt and was stuck in her bed for days Now, as investigations into the hotel continue following the deaths of British couple John and Susan Cooper in August - which authorities in Egypt claimed were due to E.coli bacteria - Jodie is launching legal action against package holiday providers Thomas Cook through Hudgell Solicitors. Jodie had visited the hotel with her partner, Samuel Gibson, 23 - rated five star by Thomas Cook - having identified it as their dream holiday and saved up around 1,200 plus spending money for the week-long break. However, they alleged within days of arriving on June 11 - and without having left the hotel complex - Jodie became feverish, dizzy and faint. The couple (pictured) were staying at the same Egyptian hotel at which a British couple died last month Jodie - who lost a stone in weight during the ordeal - claims she feared shed die as her condition worsened on holiday and she was forced to stay in bed for four days. The beauty therapist, who spent a month recovering from her ordeal, said: 'The buffet was running for hours and new food was just being placed on top of food that had been there for a long time. It wasnt being replaced, just piled on top. 'It has been absolutely shocking to learn about the couple who died when at the hotel just a couple of months after we were there, especially having been so ill myself. 'The whole experience was horrifying, frightening and painful, the most traumatic of my life. 'I have never felt anywhere near as ill as that in all my life and it was so bad at times that I was worried that I may die. 'I felt like my insides were shutting down, I could barely walk without feeling like I was going to faint. 'It obviously ruined the entire holiday but I have been ill since I got back also. I have really struggled mentally and havent been eating well. 'I lost a stone in weight and I just dont feel right. I used to be very active and went to the gym regularly but I just dont have that energy at the minute.' Samuel took Jodie straight to A&E at South Tyneside Hospital as soon as they landed in the UK, where she was treated over two days, spending 24 hours on a drip having suffered from dehydration. When discharged she was advised to stay in bed for the next few days, before they were then told she had suffered from food poisoning through salmonella, which is usually caught by eating contaminated, under-cooked meat, as well raw or undercooked eggs. The beauty therapist says she was so sick that she feared she wouldn't make it home Jodie added: 'The hotel doctor thought I had a throat infection. I had classic fever symptoms of hot and cold flashes with extreme nausea and diarrhoea, but on our fourth day I became much worse and spent most of the day in bed. 'It developed to a point of critical illness, with a very strong fever, stomach cramps, sickness and diarrhoea. 'This continued for the last two days of our holiday and I was getting worse. 'I worried I wouldnt make it home as she couldnt get out of bed, was feeling very faint, and had to be next to a toilet at all times. 'It was a holiday from hell and I didnt think Id make it home I felt that unwell and Id not eaten or drank anything for days. 'As soon as the plane landed back in the UK I went straight to hospital and needed three drips as I was so dehydrated. 'At the time we did not know it was as serious as salmonella poisoning either.' Solicitor Paul McClorry, of Hudgell Solicitors, is representing an increasing number of people currently who, like Jodie, have suffered illness when staying at the hotel this summer. The case comes after John Cooper and Susan Cooper (pictured) both died at the hotel last month He said: 'We are representing many people who have stayed at the hotel from early April to late August this year who have been seriously ill. 'It appears there have been a number of health concerns which may have contributed to these illnesses, and this is not the first year that such claims have been brought against this hotel. 'Given the size of the hotel complex, and the fact we have cases from April through to August this year, it would not surprise me if we see the number of people affected this summer at the hotel reach several hundred as this matter unfolds. 'That of course could be hugely costly in terms of the total compensation settlements Thomas Cook could be facing. It wouldnt surprise me if it was in the region of seven figures, but it is only right that people are compensated for their loss of holiday, and illness. 'For most people the impact will hopefully only be a matter of days in terms of their illness, but for some it could have a longer term impact, and in those cases, substantial damages will be sought to adequately compensate them for their ongoing loss of earnings and medical costs.' A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: 'We are aware that a number of customers have come forward to say they have experienced illness while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Egypt. 'We are very sorry for any customers whose holidays have been spoiled, including Ms Brown and her partner.' A British tourist has drowned in a swimming pool in a Gran Canaria resort while on holiday with her husband. The tragedy happened around 6.30pm local time yesterday at an apartment block popular with British tourists called Apartamentos Babalu. The 70-year-old was pulled out of the water but attempts by a medical response team to revive her when they reached the scene proved unsuccessful. A routine investigation has been opened by a local court but sources said the death was being treated as an accident. A British tourist has drowned in a swimming pool at an apartment complex (pictured) in a Gran Canaria resort while on holiday with her husband The dead woman, who was on holiday with her husband, is thought to have been underwater for several minutes before being pulled out by onlookers who called the emergency services. A spokesman for a local emergency services coordination centre confirmed the death, saying emergency crew were called after receiving reports of a woman who had been pulled out of a swimming pool 'possibly suffering cardiac arrest'. 'The medical responders confirmed she was in cardiac arrest when she arrived and made unsuccessful attempts to revive her. 'She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took charge of the situation after that until court employees arrived.' Well-placed sources said it was thought the dead woman had drowned after falling ill in the water for reasons that are still being probed. It is not known where the woman is from. Travel websites describe the Babalu Apartments as 'great for couples and families who want to spend their days lazing by the pool.' The block is just a seven-minute walk from the beach. Advertisement This is the hilarious moment a hungry red squirrel pushes his tiny 'supermarket trolley' filled with monkey nuts in a forest. Photographer Craig Doogan spent three weeks patiently waiting for the right shot after dropping his children off at school each morning. Craig, 38, said: 'I dropped the kids off at school and went along to the woods for three weeks and left nuts on a log. I used different food each day so they weren't getting the same thing, including hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, grapes and bits of apple and carrot. 'I captured a few pictures of the squirrels knocking the trolley over but it took a while to get the one with the squirrel pushing the trolley. I was really chuffed that I managed to get it. Father-of-two Craig, from Dundee, captured the picture at Templeton Woods, just outside the City. He came up with the nutty idea when he saw the tiny shopping trolley in a shop and knew he had to attempt the funny picture. Craig said: 'I do quite a lot of photography, mainly landscapes, but decided to plan the squirrel shot when I came across the miniature trolley in a shop. I immediately knew that I wanted to do it.' It's a cracker! This is the hilarious moment a hungry red squirrel pushes his tiny 'supermarket trolley' filled with monkey nuts in a forest. Photographer Craig Doogan spent three weeks patiently waiting for the right shot after dropping his children off at school each morning and setting up in Templeton Woods, Dundee with his camera Clean up on aisle tree: In its haste, the squirrel toppled his trolley sending the monkey nuts tumbling to the woodland floor That old chestnut! Craig came up with the nutty idea when he saw the tiny shopping trolley in a shop and knew he had to attempt the funny picture The cute red squirrel was pictured pushing the little trolley filled with nuts just after 9am when Craig had dropped his two children to school A heartwarming tail: Craig said: 'I do quite a lot of photography, mainly landscapes, but decided to plan the squirrel shot when I came across the miniature trolley in a shop. I immediately knew that I wanted to do it' Sampling the goods: The red squirrel was pictured cracking open a nut and trying one for good measure Craig explained just how patient he needed to be to get the right snap: 'I captured a few pictures of the squirrels knocking the trolley over but it took a while to get the one with the squirrel pushing the trolley. I was really chuffed that I managed to get it' Advertisement Rarely seen photographs showing the aftermath of the First World War are going on display as part of an exhibition on the fallout of the conflict and the wave of hope that swept Europe. The stunning collection of 130 images were taken in the months following the signing of the Armistice between Germany and the Allies on November 11 1918. Four years of conflict had claimed around 17 million lives with 10million military personnel dying on the battlefield in some of the bloodiest battles the world had ever seen. Soldiers' lives were never the same again. Many still suffered from shell shock or were disabled. It was difficult for them to forget about the horrors of the war. Armistice Day celebrations in Birmingham in 1918. Millions took to the streets across the country to mark the moment peace was finally signed on November 11, a date that is still marked to this day for remembrance celebrations. The image of soliders and young men sitting on top of a Leyland truck is one of 130 rarely seen photographs showing the aftermath of the First World War The conflict left huge swathes of the Europe in ruins, as many countries struggled to repair the damage, as they were left in huge debt from years of fighting. Here, a refugee family returning to the devastated city of Amiens in France, looking at the obliterated remains of a house on September 7, 1918 Up to 10 million soldiers lost their lives during the First World War. Pictured here is the first released British prisoners that reached Tournai, a city in western Belgium, near the French border, on 14 November 1918 Four empires collapsed, the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German, and Russian, many countries including Britain were left in financial ruin, and the Treaty of Versailles placed severe penalties on Germany, who were forced to accept the blame for starting the conflict, and had to pay 132 billion gold marks to repair the damage they had done. It was the decisions made in the aftermath of the First World War that led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the outbreak of World War Two some 20 years later. The exhibition attempts to paint a picture of what life was like at the end of the war, showing Armistice Day celebrations in Birmingham, refugees returning to Amiens, France, and the treatments given to the many millions of injured servicemen that spent years fighting in the trenches. The incredible images will feature alongside documents and other objects from the Imperial War Museum's archives for Renewal: Life after the First World War in Photographs. Demobilised British men handing in their rifles before boarding the Rhine steamer at Cologne, which took them to Rotterdam, on their way home to England, on April 23, 1919 Germany was forced to accept the blame for starting the First World War after the Treaty of Versailles. After the Armistice was signed, German soldiers across the continent surrendered. Pictured is a a haul of 32,000 destroyed German Army rifles piled up and discarded after the end of World War One on November 11, 1918 Patients injured in the conflict are being taught to use their new artificial limbs at this rehabilitation centre in Roehampton, south west London. Soldiers' lives were never the same again. Many still suffered from shell shock from their years stuck in the trenches, or were left severely disabled. Some 80,000 British soldiers suffered shell shock (roughly 2% of all that were called up) Also on display will be images of 32,000 destroyed German rifles, a shearing machine cutting sword blades in half and the German battleship SMS Bayern sinking at Scapa Flow in June 1919. The exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London charts the initial optimism after the end of the First World War. But it also reveals the extent of destruction and dislocation it left behind, and how the promise of rebuilding the world did not always deliver. While the French city of Ypres which was devastated by the fighting was rebuilt along its medieval lines, in the UK social measures such as 'homes fit for heroes' ran out of money. The exhibition also shows the ingenuity employed in helping servicemen injured in the conflict, through plastic surgery and prosthetic limbs. And it highlights how companies such as aeroplane manufacturers switched tack to survive, in one case initially by bolting wicker chairs inside bombers to develop civil aviation as a peacetime alternative to warplanes. Workers break up a British Mark V Tank, probably at the Steelbreaking and Dismantling Company of Chesterfield, following the end of First World War. The company was engaged in the disposal of tanks and other surplus military equipment for scrap A worker dismantles huge military defences on the German island of Heligoland, in the North Sea. The First Battle of Heligoland Bight was the first naval battle of the First World War, fought on 28 August 1914, between the United Kingdom and Germany. Both sides engaged in long-distance sorties with cruisers and battlecruisers, with close reconnaissance of the area of sea near the German coastthe Heligoland Bightby destroyer German battleship SMS Bayern sinking at Scapa Flow on June 21, 1919. As part of the Armistice agreement at the end World War I, Germany had to surrender most of its fleet. A total of 74 ships of the German High Seas Fleet arrived in Scapa Flow for internment. On 21 June 1919, under the mistaken belief that peace talks had failed, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter gave the command to scuttle the entire fleet in the Flow. A total of 52 ships went to the seafloor and this remains the greatest loss of shipping ever recorded in a single day Armed civilians leading members of the Red Guard away during the liberation of Munich on May 1, 1918 Captain Francis Derwent Wood puts the finishing touches to a cosmetic plate and compares it to the face of this disfigured patient for whom the plate is being made, at the 3rd London General Hospital. It is not clear when the image was taken Alan Wakefield, head of First World War and early 20th century conflict at IWM, said: 'Drawing primarily on IWM's rich and varied photography archive, this new exhibition presents images from both official and personal collections, giving insight into the innovation, opportunism and resourcefulness that shaped the rebuilding and regeneration of the post-war world. 'Both surprising and inspiring, the exhibition highlights the resilience and ingenuity of the human spirit in a time of unprecedented social and political change.' Renewal: Life after the First World War in Photographs is a free exhibition at IWM London, as part of Making a New World, a season of exhibitions taking place across IWM London and IWM North until the end of March 2019 looking at how the First World War shaped today's society. In this photo horses and men of 1st Anzac Corps make their way past the ruins of the Cathedral and Cloth Hall in Ypres following the end of the First World War. A heap of fuselages from dismantled German planes at Cologne. The aircraft in the foreground of this photograph, taken on January 6, 1919, is a Pfalz Scout A businessman worth 34million failed to pay his ex-wife 200,000 he owed after the divorce, despite handing almost 100,000 over to his own lawyers. The man, who is based in Oman, was previously ordered to pay his ex-wife, who lives with the couple's children in London, 40,000 a month maintenance for six months during a High Court legal battle. But his lawyers have claimed his assets are 'illiquid and unrealisable' and his family company has suffered a 'considerable reverse' since the collapse of infrastructure giant Carillion. But senior judge Mr Justice Holman pointed out that he had managed to pay 95,000 to the 'prestigious' law firm which is representing him. The High Court heard how a businessman worth 34million failed to pay his wife 200,000 In a bid to break the impasse, the judge imposed a 'pound for pound' order, meaning the man must not give money to his solicitors unless his ex-wife's solicitors get the same. The man was supposed to make payments to fund day-to-day living for his ex-wife and children and to cover lawyers' bills she was running up during the legal battle. But he owes her more than 200,000, the court heard. At a previous hearing, the court heard how the couple had even squabbled over the use of a driver, whom the husband pays. Senior judge Mr Justice Holman ordered that the man match any payments he makes to his lawyers with payments to his wife The judge said: 'The wife complains that, because it is the husband who pays the salary of the driver, the husband instructs the driver that he is not to drive the wife anywhere alone in the car, unless she has the children with her and so it is a journey for the purpose and benefit of the children. 'This, frankly, is highly controlling, and in my view demeaning of the status of a recently divorced wife and mother of the children. 'It is, frankly, absurd if the cars are available and the proposed journey is within the contracted hours of work of the driver, that the wife and mother should not herself be able to undertake some reasonable journey driven by the driver. 'This, of course, has been the historical pattern in this family. They do not drive themselves.' The husband claimed it was because his ex vaped in the car when she was on her own, but it then emerged that he smoked while being driven around. To settle that dispute, the judge ordered that the driver's wages be paid to the wife, who would then pay him. A South Korean tourist has been held up at knife-point by a gang of men as he slept in his car on Tuesday morning. The man, 25, was asleep in his rented Nissan X-Trail, which was parked at the intersection of Sunset Blvd and Peninsula Dr in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, when he was ambushed by four men. The gang threatened the man with a knife and pulled him out of the car during the terrifying ordeal at around 3am. Four men held up a 25-year-old South Korean tourist as he slept in his car at the Sunset Blvd and Peninsula Dr intersection (pictured) in Queensland Queensland Police said that the 25-year-old tourist had been sleeping when a stolen 2005 Mitsubishi Magna pulled up in front of his rented car. One man got out of the vehicle in front, entered the rented vehicle through the unlocked passenger door and threatened the tourist with a knife. Another man appeared through the driver's side and pulled him out of the car. They then stole the victims car-keys, iPhone and watch and drove away in his rented vehicle. The South Korean then walked to the Orchard Ave Police station to report the incident. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Dane Sheraton told the Gold Coast Bulletin they have charged a 25-year-old man from Southport with armed robbery in company and two counts of fraud and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. They also currently speaking with a 29-year-old over the armed robbery and a search warrant has been issued for his property. As language barriers are holding up proceedings with the South Korean man, they are hoping for anyone with any information to come forward as they wait for a Native Korean translator. Anyone with information is urged to contact Policelink. A Texas daycare owner has been arrested for allegedly keeping children in a closet where they were confined to their car seats at her in-home facility and giving them Tylenol. Rebecca Anderson, 60, was charged with nine counts of endangering a child on Friday. Police received their tip off from the father of a six-month-old boy who had fastened a hidden camera onto his car seat when he dropped him off at Anderson's Mesquite, Texas, home. The footage showed her yanking him out of his car seat and giving him a substance with a plastic syringe. Rebecca Anderson, 60, was arrested on Friday at the day care she runs in Mesquite, Texas, where police found five children strapped into their car seats with ties around their necks. She is shown left, in her mugshot, and right, in a social media photograph She was also filmed yanking him by his bib, NBCDFW reports. When police searched the house on Friday, they found three children in their car seats in the closet in her master bedroom and one more in the master bathroom. The children had shoelace like ties around their necks which had to be cut off. Anderson said she put them on there to restrict the children's movement. When asked how many children were inside the home, police say she lied and told them there were only five. They discovered another four kids moments later. Anderson told the officers that she sometimes left the kids in their car seats for up to seven hours a day and admitted giving them all Tylenol. Police say she gave them it in unNecessary doses which may have put them at risk. Anderson remains in custody on a $45,000 bond. Police in Mesquite are asking for anyone who fears their child may have been victimized by her to come forward. The pressure in natural gas pipelines prior to a series of explosions and fires in Massachusetts last week was twelve times higher than it should have been, according to a letter from the state's U.S. senators to executives of the utility in charge of the pipelines. Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey sent the letter Monday seeking answers about the explosions from the heads of Columbia Gas, the company that serves the communities of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, and NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas. 'The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has reported that the pressure in the Columbia Gas system should have been around 0.5 pounds per square inch (PSI), but readings in the area reached at least 6 PSI - twelve times higher than the system was intended to hold,' the letter said. The pressure in natural gas pipelines prior to a series of explosions and fires in Massachusetts last week was 12 times higher than it should have been. This image from September 13 shows flames consume the roof of a home in Lawrence, Massachusetts The pressure spike registered in a Columbia Gas control room in Ohio, the senators said in the letter, which requests a reply by Wednesday. 'We write to request that you provide us with information in order to help the American people understand why this terrible disaster occurred, whether the company was sufficiently prepared to respond to an incident of this magnitude, and how we can prevent any similar tragedy in the future,' the senators wrote. Dozens of explosions and fires last Thursday killed one person and injured more than two dozen others. About 8,600 customers were affected, and many had to evacuate their homes for days and may have to go without gas service for weeks. The shocking information was in a letter from the state's U.S. senators to the heads of Columbia Gas. This photo shows firefighters battle a house fire on Herrick Road in North Andover. Columbia Gas President Stephen Bryant on Tuesday announced the utility is donating $10 million to an emergency relief fund for people affected by the emergency. The Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund will help residents of the three communities with food, housing and other short-term needs as they recover, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said. Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, who has been highly critical of Columbia Gas, said the utility is 'living up to their corporate responsibility' with the donation. The explosions are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt has said the investigation is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts. A British couple who died while on a Thomas Cook holiday in Egypt moved their granddaughter out of their hotel room after noticing a 'musty smell' hours before they fell ill, an inquest heard today. John and Susan Cooper suddenly on August 21, after becoming ill while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. They were staying with their 12-year-old granddaughter Molly when they noticed 'a acetone type smell' emanating from their room. In the middle of the night, Molly complained the smell was making her feel unwell, and Mr Cooper walked her to the room where the couple's daughter and Molly's mother, Kelly Ormerod, was staying before returning to his own room. Scroll down for video John and Susan Cooper died in their hotel room while on holiday in Egypt. Authorities in the country put their deaths down to E.coli but post mortems in the UK have been inconclusive A brief hearing at Preston Coroner's Court today heard post mortems into John and Susan Cooper's deaths had been 'inconclusive'. It was adjourned after senior coroner James Adeley requested all relevant reports and documents from Thomas Cook and Egyptian authorities. But he warned it 'could take months, even years' to get answers over what killed the couple. It was attended by the couple's daughter Kelly Ormerod, 40, who broke down in tears as she said she had to 'go home and prepare for their funerals'. Outside court Ms Ormerod said: 'All I would like to say is thank you very much for all the support I have received. 'At the moment now I have got to go home and prepare for a funeral tomorrow. 'If you would kindly leave me be, leave my family be, and let us grieve and get the grieving process on the way, and I am prepared to speak at a later date.' Kelly Ormerod arriving at Preston Coroner's Court ahead of the inquest into the deaths of her parents this afternoon A brief chronology of events was given in court with Dr Adeley explaining that as the deaths occurred outside the UK he could only make 'requests' for information from the authorities in Egypt. Forensic examinations carried out by authorities in Egypt reported the cause of deaths as being linked to E.coli bacteria, although this was dismissed by Ms Ormerod last week. Dr Adeley said through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office he would be requesting all relevant reports and documentation from a long list of public bodies in Egypt and from Thomas Cook. But he warned that requests to foreign countries 'can take months, even years'. Dr Adeley said neither of the couple were known to have any serious medical conditions before they left the UK for the holiday on August 13. The couple died at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada They were staying in one room with their 12-year-old granddaughter, Molly, while Ms Ormerod stayed in another room with her two other children. On the evening of August 20 the couple dined at the hotel buffet and it was thought they both ate liver before Mrs Cooper and Molly returned first to their room, 5107. The coroner continued: 'They noticed an acetone type smell replaced by what is described by the granddaughter as a funny, musty smell. 'A different smell from earlier in the week. It was established the next door room had been fumigated.' Around 1.15am Molly said the smell was making her feel unwell, Mrs Cooper called her daughter and Mr Cooper walked the girl to her mother's room before returning to his own room. Dr Adeley continued: 'On the morning of Tuesday 21st August, Ms Ormerod become concerned because neither had appeared by 11am.' Det Inspector Leah Rice, of Lancashire Police, told the hearing: 'The normal routine was Susan Cooper would usually be up six, six thirty, down to the pool to reserve sun beds for the day, then breakfast. 'However that morning she was not down for the sun beds.' The court heard Ms Ormerod became 'very concerned' and called for help when her father answered the door to their room and two doctors arrived. Dr Adeley said: 'Shortly after this Mr Cooper collapsed in the room and could not be revived and verified to have died at noon. Mrs Cooper was variably lucid.' The couple had been vomiting and feeling lethargic and Mrs Cooper had a heart attack in an ambulance on the way to hospital where her death was confirmed. Dr Adeley said he had only a single document from the authorities in Egypt stating E.coli as a cause of death for the couple and explaining the strange smell in the room as a leak of pesticides from the adjacent, fumigated room. He said he had no reports detailing toxicology, micro-biology, police or public health investigations. The coroner said he would be requesting from the authorities in Egypt: forensic reports, laboratory tests, toxicology reports, microbiology reports, details on the air conditioning system, test results on food and water, details from the Egyptian atomic energy authority, histology samples, and the details of the police investigation. He would also request the hotel group running the hotel and Thomas Cook to supply 'all the documentation'. Post-mortem examinations on Mr and Mrs Cooper in the UK have not been able to determine the cause of death and more tests are being carried out, but the results could take some time to come back. Their funerals will be held in Burnley on Wednesday morning. A Kentucky deputy and retired Marine has been left paralyzed following a fatal shootout with a Florida bank robbery suspect. Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton tells news outlets that doctors say 28-year-old deputy Jaime Morales is '90 per cent paraplegic.' State police say the suspect who shot Morales in the back of the head, 57-year-old Edward Reynolds, died at the scene. Scroll down for video Officials in Kentucky say Scott County Sheriff's Deputy Jaime Morales, 28 (left), was left paralyzed after being shot during an exchange of fire with Edward Reynolds, 57 (right) The shooting took place at a rest stop along Interstate 75 in Scott County, just north of Lexington, on the night of September 11 Video courtesy of LEX18 The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office in Florida had obtained an arrest warrant for Reynolds on September 11 in connection with a July bank robbery. Later that day, Morales was among a group of Scott County deputies and Georgetown police officers assisting the US Marshal's Service when they tracked down the fugitive to a rest area along Interstate 75 in Scott County, just north of Lexington. At 10.15pm that night, law enforcement officials confronted Reynolds and there was an exchange of gunfire, which left the suspect dead and deputy Morales critically injured. Morales has undergone multiple surgeries and will be transferred to a spinal rehabilitation facility when his chest tubes are removed. The 28-year-old Morales previously served as a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and has been with the Scott County sheriff's office for two and a half years, Sheriff Hampton said. Reynolds was wanted in connection with multiple bank robberies in Florida, including a heist that took place in Punta Gorda in May (pictured in CCTV screenshots) He described Morales as an 'outstanding' deputy who 'carries a lot of qualifications that you want to see in a deputy sheriff.' 'I told him I loved him and that we all loved him, and that we'll be with him and he's going to get through this,' Hampton told Lexington Herald-Leader. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and Attorney General Andy Beshear were among state leaders who sent their thoughts and prayers through Twitter to the deputy last week. A GoFundMe campaign was launched on Monday to help Morales and his family with his medical costs and other expenses related to his recovery, such as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. As of Tuesday morning, more than $7,500 has been raised. Warrior: The 28-year-old Morales previously served as a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (pictured) Morales has been with the Scott County Sheriff's Office for two-and-a-half years Morales' Facebook page indicates that the deputy is an avid fitness enthusiast The sheriffs office is also selling T-shirts emblazoned with Morales' badge number, 217, to raise additional funds for him. Morales' Facebook page indicates that the deputy is an avid fitness enthusiast who at one time worked as a personal trainer. While serving as lance corporal with the US Marine Corps in 2013, he earned a black belt in martial arts. Reynolds was wanted in Florida on a charge of robbery with a firearm in connection with a July 25 bank robbery in Sarasota County. According to an affidavit, Reynolds demanded $100, $50 and $20 bills as he lifted his shirt and showed the teller a gun in his waistband. He fled in a convertible, authorities said. Reynolds also was positively identified recently as a suspect in bank robberies earlier this year in Cape Coral, Florida, the affidavit said. Meanwhile, police in Punta Gorda identified Reynolds as the suspect in a bank robbery in the Florida city in late May. He indicated he had a weapon and demanded cash from a teller, police said. A married couple were the 'Fred and Rose West' of a seaside town for raping girls over 20 years, a court has heard. Wife Avril Griffiths, 61, allegedly 'groomed' the young girl victims for her husband Peter Griffiths, 65, to rape - with one victim claiming she had been 'passed around other men like a sex-toy'. One victim said: 'Everyone hated them. They were the Fred and Rose West of the town - people would avoid them.' Avril Griffiths allegedly befriended the vulnerable teens over the course of 20 years. One victim said: 'Everyone hated them. They were the Fred and Rose West of the town - people would avoid them' Caroline Rees, prosecuting, has said the couple exploited three victims 'in order to satisfy each of their sexual needs' between the 1970s and 1990s. The couple were well known in the seaside town of Barry, South Wales, where they allegedly carried out multiple rapes. Their alleged third victim said: 'I think if you ask most families in Barry, they'd hate them'. She said she had felt 'broken' ever since she had been raped by Griffiths as a teenager. The court heard the couple had bought the girl cigarettes and alcohol and Mrs Griffiths had dressed her in mini-skirts and heels to 'maker her look like her'. 'She was making me look like her, a mini-me,' she told Cardiff Crown Court. A court heard the couple gave one girl vodka before forcing her to pose for indecent photos with them while they were naked. Peter Griffiths then allegedly raped the girl and said she could not get pregnant 'because he had a vasectomy.' Cardiff Crown Court (pictured) heard Peter Griffiths raped another girl, aged 13, in bed while she was 'held down' by Avril Griffiths. A court heard the couple gave one girl vodka before forcing her to pose for indecent photos with them while they were naked Ms Rees said the couple would also take the girl 'dogging' in a van painted in the colours of TV series the A-Team. Ms Rees said: 'The male defendant would have sex with her in the back of a van while others looked on.' The court heard the girl was passed around to other men. Ms Rees said: 'She was used in effect as a sex toy for the gratification of others.' The court heard the girl was also taken on a boat in the Bristol channel where she was raped by Peter Griffiths. Avril Griffiths also allegedly sexually assaulted the girl on the boat. The girl later told police she had been 'ripped apart physically' after suffering injuries. Cardiff Crown Court heard Peter Griffiths raped another girl in bed while she was 'held down' by Avril Griffiths. The girl was around 13-years-old at the time. Avril denies five counts of rape, three counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of indecent assault. Peter Griffiths denies eight counts of rape, three counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and three counts of indecent assault. The trial continues. An interior designer who failed to pay up when her Chelsea basement extension damaged her neighbour's flat has been slapped with another 6,000 in costs by a judge. Olivia Walton, 28, was ordered to pay nearly 120,000 to her upstairs neighbour Michele Napp after the building work left floors and walls cracked, a window subsided and caused her tenant to leave. The cash award was made in April by a surveyor under the Party Wall Act, but Miss Walton, whose property is worth 3.1million, failed to pay up and she was ordered before Westminster Magistrates' Court today to settle the matter. Miss Walton, who has been pictured holidaying in St. Tropez while posing with designer handbags during the legal battle, had offered to pay back the sum at 1,500 per month but it was rejected because it would have taken six years to settle. Olivia Walton, right, has again been ordered to pay Michele Napp, left, over damage caused to her London flat due to work on a basement extension on Miss Walton's maisonette below The extension was carried out at this property in Chelsea, pictured, which damaged the walls and floor of Mrs Napp's flat above A hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court was told business consultant Mrs Napp was now losing 4,000 a month in rent from the property, which is worth 1.5 million. Miss Walton claimed she cannot afford the payout, despite earning up to 8,000 a month in rent from the luxury townhouse. Today a district judge ruled that the money is repayable in full as a civil debt and sent it back to the county court to be enforced. Judge Mike Snow also awarded Mrs Napp, 57, another 6,000 in costs after her barrister said bringing the matter to the magistrates' court was a 'final resort'. The judge rejected Mrs Napp's argument that legal fees had reached 14,000, describing the figures as 'eye-watering'. Miss Walton works for luxury interior designer Laura Hammett. Her father is a property developer whose latest venture controls student accommodation near their 4.6million family home in Jesmond, Newcastle. Mrs Napp's barrister Edward Blakeney said: 'To give some context to the matter Miss Walton occupies the ground floor and basement maisonette and Miss Napp occupies the first and ground floor. 'In December 2014 some works were undertaken by Miss Walton, and were due to finish in January 2015. They finished in October 2015.' Miss Walton, pictured left with sister Annabel outside court, had failed to pay the 114,000 awarded to Mrs Napp earlier this year, and a judge today added an extra 6,000 in costs to her total debt Miss Walton, left, had offered to repay Mrs Napp, right, at 1,500 per month but it was rejected because it would take six years to settle The barrister said a surveyor awarded Mrs Napp just under 113,000 for damage caused to the flat. Mr Blakeney said, 'Once the appeal period for that award passed, Mrs Napp emailed Miss Walton and requested payment. 'No payment was forthcoming so therefore the only option left open to Mrs Napp was to come to Magistrates' court.' Mr Blakeney said an email sent on May 10 contained the offer to pay 1,500 a month to Mrs Napp. He said: 'There was a suggestion of 1,500 a month but Mrs Napp found that unacceptable. 'In my submission the claimant was under no duty to respond to their payment proposals which are so obviously unsatisfactory.' Miss Walton claims she cannot afford the payout, despite earning up to 8,000 a month in rent from the luxury townhouse Judge Snow said: 'The only power I have is to make or not make the order. 'Section 17 of the Party Wall Act 1006 makes clear that what I'm required to consider is whether the sum payable can be recoverable summararily as a civil debt. 'That's a very long way of saying the money should be paid - although it has to be recovered through civil courts. 'The claimant in this case had the benefit of the surveyor's report prepared by Mr Moon going back to April this year. 'On the basis of that report it was quite clear she had an extremely strong case for a section 58 order being made and the case has come before me today. 'Whatever arguments in the past, there's no contention to the section 58 order being made today. 'I find the claims for costs eye watering and not reasonable - this is a straight forward procedure and cheap procedure. ' I'm ignoring what I have heard about payment plans because that's not what I'm concerned with under making an order under section 58. 'I'm satisfied to award costs of 6,000 including VAT.' Speaking outside court, Mrs Napp, who has a senior role at global consultancy firm KPMG, said: 'It's been a long journey. 'We will wait the 14 days to be paid and then see what the next stage is.' She said a statement would be made via her instructing solicitors shortly. Olivia and her sister Annabel both sat in the public gallery during the short hearing dressed in black suits and white blouses. They left court quickly and could not be reached for comment. The businesswoman who accused Barnaby Joyce of sexually harassing her has refused to reveal details of the alleged encounter in a bizarre television interview. Catherine Marriott told ABC's 7.30 report Tuesday she decided to speak up in the wake of Amy 'Dolly' Everett's suicide in January, taking inspiration from the 14-year-old's words, 'speak even if your voice shakes'. Following the tragic death, Ms Marriot lodged a formal complaint with the Federal National Party, despite being warned by friends to keep it private. Scroll down for video Catherine Marriott (pictured), who accused Barnaby Joyce of sexually harassing her, has refused to reveal details of the alleged encounter in a bizarre television interview She claimed her name was unethically exposed during Mr Joyce's highly publicised cheating scandal, and has now vowed to not speak further on the alleged August 2016 incident. The former West Australian Rural Woman of the Year claimed she was warned by friends not to tell anyone about the alleged incident, and that she would be 'destroyed' if she spoke out. 'I walked up to my hotel room and I burst into tears. I then couldn't sleep that whole night. I didn't actually sleep for a week,' Ms Marriott said. Her friends were stunned by what she told them, and Ms Marriott said she was left terrified by the prospect of making a formal accusation. A businesswoman who accused former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce (pictured) of sexual harassment has broken her silence Speaking on 7.30, Ms Marriott said 'When it happened, he (Mr Joyce) was the (Agriculture) Minister. He was a very popular Ag Minister at that time. I'm just a little human against a big system and I was terrified,'. '(Dolly) left the world with wise words far beyond her years, which were, 'Speak even if your voice shakes'. 'I was sort of like, 'take a good hard look at yourself. What's wrong with you, Catherine?'. She described having her name publicly leaked as 'one of the most frightening things that you will ever have to live through'. 'The control that I had over my own identity was taken away, and that's something that I will live now with for the rest of my life, and I think was... you know, I think it was really unfair, and it was really horrific,' she said. The former West Australian Rural Woman of the Year said she was inspired to make a complaint by the suicide of 14-year-old Dolly Everett (pictured) in January 'You can't tell anyone. You cannot tell anyone you will be destroyed if this comes out,' Ms Marriott said she was told by her friends. When she finally decided to lodge a confidential complaint details and her name were leaked to the media, an experience she described as 'unfair' and 'horrific'. 'That [having the complaint leaked] is one of the most frightening things that you will ever have to live through,' she said. Mr Joyce, who said the allegation pushed him to resign in February, has always disputed Ms Marriott's claims, calling them 'spurious and defamatory'. The complaint was leaked while Mr Joyce was battling criticism over his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia Mr Joyce said: 'I am fully aware of the night mentioned in August 2016. In her first interview since her complaint to the Nationals was leaked earlier this year, Ms Marriott (pictured) said she told her closest friends after the alleged August 2016 incident 'I absolutely deny any allegation of sexual harassment. I asked that this be referred to the police if the complainant wished to pursue this issue so I had the capacity to defend myself as I firmly believe the complaint to be spurious and defamatory. 'This allegation should have been dealt with immediately the complainant first believed there was an issue they wished to pursue and the passage of nearly a year and a half since the time of the event to when the allegation was raised has not allowed a clearer determination on this issue. 'The process also did not avail me of natural justice as it appears to have been discussed far and wide before it was ever brought to me. 'I cannot speak for others, but I don't appreciate the presumption that an allegation is a truth and, as stated at the time, this prompted my resignation not because I believed it was true, but because the allegation alone was so damaging to me and my party.' British fudge is being sold in Saudi Arabia for the first time after a British sweet expert was flown over to teach the country's confectionery producers how to make it. Andy Baxendale was contacted by chocolate makers Le Concheur based in Jeddah when they were looking for an expert to oversee their production of British-style fudge. The tasty treat is due to be sold to families going to the first cinema to be opened in Jeddah for 35 years after the Saudi government's decision to lift the ban on movie screenings in the country. Mr Baxendale-known in the confectionary industry as The Sweet Consultant- was flown out especially to help with manufacture and staff training. Sweet expert Andy Baxendale (pictured) teaching the a fellow confectioner how to make fudge A confectioner gets to gets with some gloopy fudge using two different scraping devices prior to it being set The sweet has been made using local ingredients and flavourings such as cardamom, dates and cinnamon. Now Mr Baxendale a former product development manager for Chewits in the UK, is looking to tie up deals to introduce British fudge to Dubai, the UAE and other countries in the region. The 51-year old from Wigan, Greater Manchester said: 'The demand for traditional British fudge in Saudi Arabia has soared since its launch earlier this month as people really enjoy both the taste and its presentation as the kind of high-quality product which people in Saudi Arabia love. 'When the temperature soars to 40 degrees C and humidity is sky high chocolate melts easily and so fudge is a great alternative and something which people look upon as a luxurious treat.' Fudge was identified as a treat that would be popular in Saudi Arabia because of its unique, luxurious texture and flavour and because, unlike chocolate, it doesn't melt in hot temperatures. Andy Baxendale and the team of confectioners he is teaching to make fudge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia The finished product: A confectioner neatly arranges the piece of fudge ready to go on sale to hungry customers in Jeddah Demand has already been so great that a second Le Concheur store is due to be opened this month at nearby Red Sea Mall, where the new cinema will be located. Religious hardliners were instrumental in getting movie theatres shut down in Saudi Arabia in the late 1980s. But in a sign of increasing liberalisation the Hollywood blockbuster Black Panther was shown in the capital city of Riyadh in April- the first opening of a commercial movie theatre in the country in 35 years. The relaxation of the rules has meant international firms are keen to build and operate theaters in the country, with a cinema in Jeddah expected to open in December this year. The sweet has been made using local ingredients and flavourings such as cardamom, dates and cinnamon Dr Abdullah Al-Ariefy, the owner of Le Concheur, said: 'We identified Andy as the man to help us develop and produce our own range of fudge because of his extensive track record for sweet development and production in the UK. 'His experience was essential in helping to create an authentic product and train staff we are already planning to invite him back to build on the success of the launch.' Mr Baxendale has a Master's of Science in Advanced Food Manufacture. He appeared in the BBC 2 confectionery show The Sweet Makers and is currently working to set up a National Academy of sweets to teach a new generation the art of confectionery production and development. A 17-year-old who pleaded guilty to mowing down a motorcyclist has been recorded by police telling a friend 'he didn't feel anything' after the horrific accident. The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, phoned a friend who was in juvenile detention when he saw the accident on the news. The teen and three others stole a BMW on November 8, 2017, before colliding with motorcyclist Keith Stevens, 33, when they tried to beat him through an intersection, a County Court heard on Tuesday. The motorcycle was dragged 85 metres, the fuel tank rupturing and bursting into flames, after the 17-year-old failed to stop after the collision Keith Stevens, 33, died in hospital following the horrifying incident in Melbourne 'And then, like, I saw it, and, like, f--- I can beat it, so I put my foot flat,' the teenager said in the phone call, according to The Age. 'It's going to be on ... your conscience for the rest of your life,' the teenager's friend said. 'Even after the accident, bro, I didn't feel anything. Like, I didn't feel no pain, no emotions about it,' he replied. The teenager admitted in the phone call that he had caused the accident and subsequently plead guilty in court. Keith Stevens, 33, died in hospital after suffering multiple fractures and burns to 50 per cent of his body. His motorcycle was dragged 85 metres, the fuel tank rupturing and bursting into flames, after the teenager 17-year-old failed to stop after the collision. He was hit near his home suburb of Mitcham. After the crash, the group abandoned the stolen car and tried to break into a property in Wantirna South before stealing another car from a nearby house. Mr Stevens' family thanked the community and police for their support following his death. 'Keith was a loving father, partner and son,' they said in a statement. 'Keith was our gentle giant. Born in Scotland, he called Australia home. His death is being felt by the lives he touched around the world.' A shackled woman captured on surveillance cameras ringing doorbells after fleeing her home when her boyfriend raped her says he left her a suicide note saying he would never have killed her. The woman, only identified as Lauren, was caught on CCTV frantically ringing her neighbors' doorbells in Montgomery, Texas, on August 24 in the middle of the night. Her boyfriend Dennis Ray Collins, 49, killed himself just days after the incident when the surveillance video of Lauren wearing just a t-shirt with shackles on her hands was released by police in a bid to track her down. Lauren revealed to Inside Edition that Collins had left her a suicide note when police started to close in on him. 'I never would've killed you as you thought,' he wrote. 'I'm sorry for what I've done and I wish I could turn back time. Love Dennis. Yes, love. I'm sorry.' The woman, only identified as Lauren, was caught on CCTV frantically ringing her neighbors' doorbells in Montgomery, Texas earlier this month in the middle of the night Despite being gagged and raped by Collins, Lauren said she did feel some guilt about her boyfriend's suicide. She believes the footage of her ringing doorbells may have saved her life. Her boyfriend Dennis Ray Collins, 49, fatally shot himself after the footage of Lauren wearing just a t-shirt with shackles on her hands went viral 'I worry that if this video didn't come out, and if he were not gone, that I eventually would be,' she said. Lauren also revealed the traumatic events that led to her fleeing the home and desperately ringing random doorbells in the neighborhood in a bid to get help. She was sleeping at the time at their home but woke to find him 'kneeling on my chest and stuffing some sort of cloths in my mouth, duct taping my entire head'. 'I truly felt like when that was happening, like, I was going to die there that night. There was nothing behind his eyes, it scared me and I didnt feel like it was the person I knew.' Lauren said her hands and feet were bound when her boyfriend raped her. She eventually managed to escape through the front door after begging Collins to let her get a drink of water because her throat hurt from screaming so much. Lauren was identified after Collins' ex-wife recognized her in the surveillance video and called police. Police had released the video of Lauren wearing just a t-shirt as she desperately rang doorbells in a bid to track her down and ensure she was safe Lauren was caught on CCTV frantically ringing her neighbors' doorbells after her boyfriend Dennis Ray Collins sexually abused her 'She was adamant it was the girlfriend in the video,' Montgomery County Sheriff's Department Lt Scott Spencer said. 'She had met her before.' The ex-wife had said she was worried because Collins had texted her threatening to commit suicide. Authorities said it was clear that Collins was upset by the video that had circulated widely online. Officers had to force their way into Collins' home and found him dead from a single gunshot wound in a bedroom. Collins had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted sexual assault, a felony, in 2000 and was given five years probation. Despite being gagged and raped by Collins, Lauren said she did feel some guilty about her boyfriend's suicide. She believes the footage of her ringing doorbells may have saved her life Lauren revealed that Collins had left her a suicide note when police started to close in on him If Collins was still alive, authorities said he would have faced serious charges including kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and sexual assault. Despite the traumatizing experience, Lauren said earlier this month that she forgave Collins and still loved him. 'Dennis, I believe in my heart, that's not who he truly is, so it hurts me to see him bashed online,' she told KTRK. 'It is truly difficult to understand the duality that exists within each of us. People would like to paint Dennis or myself as entirely good or entirely evil, light or dark, every human has both of these inside.' 'It is hard to understand how someone who treated me with such kindness is the person I saw that night.' Terrifying cases of strawberry tampering have emerged across the country in a 'food terrorism' saga, crippling an entire industry in just one week. Six strawberry farms in Queensland and one in Western Australia have been targeted by what authorities believe could have been disgruntled packaging employees. A non-exhaustive list of seven farms affected have been revealed, including Berry Obsession, Berry Licious, Donnybrook Berries, Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries, Oasis, and Mal's Black Label. Scroll down for video Terrifying cases of strawberry tampering have emerged across the country in a 'food terrorism' saga, crippling an entire industry in just one week Six strawberry farms in Queensland and one in Western Australia have been targeted by what authorities believe could have been disgruntled packaging employees Horrifying cases of needles and razors found inside fruit by stunned shoppers have surfaced in every state, with at least 13 people sharing their experience online. The sabotage has spread around the nation and police on Tuesday said the force were investigating more than 20 cases in NSW alone. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the saboteur. Anyone caught placing needles inside fruit will face up to 10 years in jail, police announced on Tuesday. Police believed the strawberries were spiked with sharp objects between packing and sale and are concerned some might have been the work of copycats. A non-exhaustive list of seven farms affected have been revealed, including Berry Obsession, Berry Licious, Donnybrook Berries, Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries, Oasis, and Mal's Black Label Horrifying cases of needles and razors found inside fruit by stunned shoppers have surfaced in every state, with at least 13 people sharing their experience online All strawberries from targeted farms have been removed from shelves, with some farmers forced to sacrifice entire crops amid the wide-scale contamination scandal. One man was rushed to hospital on September 9 after biting into a strawberry with a needle skewered through its centre. In another shocking instance, a strawberry filled with razor blazes was thrown into a Gold Coast yard, nearly killing the French bull-dog cross pug who ate it. Reports surfaced on Tuesday of sharp objects had also been discovered in other fruit, including an apple and banana purchased from separate Sydney retailers. The sabotage has spread around the nation and police on Tuesday said the force were investigating more than 20 cases in NSW alone Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the saboteur The contaminated banana was found in Bankstown in southwest Sydney, and the apple in Quakers Hill, northwest of the city, Nine News reported. Ten days on from the first recorded strawberry case, authorities have yet to pin down a culprit and continued searching high and low for leads. NSW Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said on Tuesday needles had been found from Tweed Heads to Albury and pleaded for the bandits to stop, Daily Telegraph reported. The investigations come as it was revealed strawberry growers are spending up to $20,000 to buy industrial-duty metal detectors in the hope of ensuring their fruit is safe before leaving their sites. Police believed the strawberries were spiked with sharp objects between packing and sale and were concerned some might have been the work of copycats The contaminated banana was found in Bankstown in southwest Sydney, and the apple in Quakers Hill, northwest of the city 'You are still causing alarm and anxiety to the public, you are causing economic loss to an industry, you are creating hysteria and making it a perilous adventure just to go and buy some fruit at a supermarket and feed your family,' he said. The contamination was described as 'food-terrorism' by the Health Authority and police said the public should cut the fruit in half before eating it. A mother from Kellyville, northwest of Sydney, claimed she found a needle inside an apple bought from Woolworths just as she was peeling it for her daughter's lunch. 'It just freaked me out because I'm thinking my daughter normally just grabs and just bites into apples,' she told Seven News. An Inside Edition film crew who planted valuable items inside a car to catch thieves on camera had their equipment stolen from their own vehicle while they were filming. The crew were attempting to lure 'smash and grab' thieves in the San Francisco Bay area of California, where a spate of robberies have taken place in recent months. However whilst they were confronting the man they caught stealing these items, their unattended crew car was broken into and thousands of dollars worth of equipment stolen. The Inside Edition film crew were reporting on high levels of 'smash and grab' car thefts and were in the process of confronting a suspect when their equipment was stolen A man broke into the car window and reached inside to take the planted items. The entire robbery took less than half a minute The crew had filmed themselves hiding tracking devices in a $250 speaker and a handbag, which they left in full view inside a car parked in well-known theft hotspots. Reporter Lisa Guerrero then explains that 'for [their] last trick,' the Inside Edition employees had also rigged the car with surveillance cameras to identify the perpetrators in the likely event the items were stolen. Unsurprisingly, the car was broken into by two 'smash and grab' thieves; a man who broke the back window and grabbed the handbag and speaker, and a female accomplice. The crew apprehended this man (centre) a train station, where Guerrero told him 'You've got my speaker right there, you just broke into our car, [we've] got it on camera' A man takes a handbag from the car by an Inside Edition crew in the San Francisco Bay Area, unaware that it contains a GPS tracker A man whose own surveillance cameras also caught the incident said 'it all lasted maybe 20 seconds.' The group managed to trace the duo to a train station through the GPS device inside the speaker. In the footage Guerrero says: 'You've got my speaker right there, you just broke into our car. [We've] got it on camera.' The man tries to stop the crew filming and pushes the camera away while refusing to hand over the speaker. Reporter Lisa Guerrero explains that 'for [their] last trick,' the crew had also fitted the car with surveillance cameras to identify the perpetrators in the robbery At one point, he says he wants to call his mother. Inside Edition said the man eventually left the speaker, and they later found the handbag in a garbage can. Their expensive film equipment, however, has not been recovered. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, more than 31,000 people reported 'smash and grab' robberies in the city in 2017 alone. Sara Thornton, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, has warned of difficulties for British police forces in the event of a no-deal Brexit Britain could lose access to European Arrest Warrants in the event of a no-deal Brexit, making it harder to catch on the run suspects like the novichok assassins, police have warned. Sara Thornton, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said forces fall back on 'slower, more bureaucratic' systems of sharing information if no deal is struck with the EU by next March. She said: 'Existing EU tools allow us to respond quickly and intelligently to crime and terrorism in the UK and the EU - they make us better at protecting the public. 'The alternatives we are planning to use, where they exist, are without exception slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective.' Two Russian GRU agents are wanted over the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in an attack which led to the death of British mother of three Dawn Sturgess. Russia will not extradite them but it is hoped they could be arrested if they travel abroad in future. Britain could have trouble arresting wanted men abroad, such as the novichok attack suspects Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov There are 40 tools that UK law enforcement may lose access to, including the European Arrest Warrant and the Schengen Information System, which was accessed 539 million times by British authorities last year alone. Ms Thornton added: 'The loss of these tools and the limitations of the alternatives will be felt in European countries too. 'The UK is one of the biggest contributors of intelligence to Europol systems and leads half of its operational coordination meetings. What is the European Arrest Warrant? The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) is a mechanism which allows wanted criminals to be extradited between EU states. Official statistics show 9,646 foreign suspects were booted out of the country under the scheme between 2009 and 2017. Between 2010 and 2016, Britain made 1,773 requests and 1,101 arrests were made. 956 were eventually surrendered. Advertisement 'For every one person arrested on a UK issued European Arrest Warrant, the UK arrests eight people on warrants issued by other member states. 'We have agreed a model that minimises the risks and makes best use of already pressured police resources. It does not predict a worst-case scenario but it does prepare for it. 'Our relationship with our European counterparts remains strong and we will continue to work together in the interests of UK and EU citizens.' Ms Thornton spoke as plans were unveiled for a new unit that will oversee how forces use alternative systems if the UK crashes out if the EU in the spring. A man was arrested after allegedly huffing silver spray paint and beating his mother on the head with a spatula. Glenn Allen Casdorph, 30, of St Albans, West Virginia, was charged on Friday with malicious wounding, WCHS reports. Police responded to the scene in McKinley Avenue at 10.45pm on Thursday after a domestic incident with injuries was reported. Glenn Casdorph (pictured in his booking photo on Friday) was arrested after allegedly huffing silver spray paint and beating his mother on the head with a spatula An officer found Casdorph sitting on a bench in his front yard with silver spray paint on his face and hands. Police said he also had a large steel bar in his hands. After detaining Casdorph, the officer found his mother Robin Casdorph inside the property. Her head was wrapped in gauze and she had a large amount of blood on the back of her neck and on her shirt, according to WCHS. St Albans police have had numerous encounters with Casdorph (pictured in a 2014 booking photo) and are aware that he frequently huffs spray paint She was not taken to hospital at the time. According to the criminal complaint, St Albans police have had numerous encounters with Casdorph and are aware that he frequently huffs spray paint. He is currently being held in the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston on a $10,000 or 10 per cent cash bond. A Canadian grandmother mauled to death by her own dog was trying to protect a toddler who was being attacked, police said. The deadly incident happened on Saturday evening at a home in Langdon, Alberta. Authorities said the dog, a boxer-pitbull mix, initially attacked a two-and-a-half-year-old child in the home and turned its aggression on the woman after she intervened. Officials were called to the home around 6pm for a report of a dog attack. The woman, identified as 50-year-old Lisa Lloyd, was pronounced dead at the scene. The child was rushed to Alberta Children's Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries, CBC News reports. Police said the toddler was Lloyd's granddaughter. A sign outside the property warns of 'guard dogs on duty' and tells visitors to 'honk for assistance' Neighbors told the outlet that a sign outside Lloyd's property warns of 'guard dogs on duty' and tells visitors to 'honk for assistance'. Witnesses said the dog had never shown signs of aggression and was well-behaved. Officials said the dog that attacked the woman and child, as well as another dog, were removed from the home and quarantined in Calgary. They will be monitored for a period of time and then the victim's family members can decide if the dog should be euthanized or not. 'With any dog bite in Alberta if the dog isn't euthanized right away, typically the dog will be quarantined and that's to monitor the dog for afflictions such as rabies,' Staff Sgt. John Spaans told CBC. A woman in Canada was killed when her own dog (file picture) attacked her at her home 'In this case, just for the benefit of the surviving victim, it's best to be monitored to see if they had potentially been infected.' He said after the monitoring period is over, the family can have the dog put down or the police can apply through the court system to have it declared dangerous so it can be euthanized. 'It's not a guarantee the courts will authorize the destruction,' Spaans said.'If family is able to show that safety measures have been put in place and no future attacks would happen, the person could still in theory keep the dog.' Peter Sutcliffe (pictured) has been rushed to hospital amid rumours over his ill health Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe has been rushed to hospital amid rumours over his ill health, it has been claimed. The 72-year-old serial killer, who is serving 20 life sentences at HMP Frankland, was reportedly taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital late on Sunday evening. Other patients at the hospital in County Durham claim to have seen Sutcliffe surrounded by prison officers while waiting at one of the wards. His health has been deteriorating for years, with reports earlier this year that he is completely blind due to damage to his eyesight caused by diabetes. After losing the sight in his left eye when another inmate attacked in him in 1997, an attempt to improve vision in his right eye this year left him without vision in either. Sutcliffe murdered 13 women in the UK and attempted to murder at least seven others. The former Bradford lorry driver attacked and murdered women between 1976 and 1981 using knives, hammers and screwdrivers. Most of his victims were women working as prostitutes. But last year he confessed on tape to a savage attack on a 14-year-old schoolgirl because he wrongly thought she was a prostitute. Scroll down for video Police officers are pictured at the scene of the murder of Yorkshire Ripper victim Irene Richardson in 1977 The first murder victim of Sutcliffe was Wilma McCann (left) in 1975, followed by the stabbing to death of Emily Jackson (right) in 1976 Sutcliffe admitted hitting Tracy Browne with a branch before throwing her over a wall. Despite having suffered two fractures to her skull Tracy managed to stagger to a farmworker's caravan and he raised the alarm. Sutcliffe confessed to being the Yorkshire Ripper in 1981 after police apprehended him with a prostitute. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia following his life sentence but was moved to Frankland Prison in Durham from Broadmoor psychiatric hospital last year after a ruling that he was sane enough to be transferred. While the mystery of the 'commercial terrorist' who has contaminated Australia's strawberries with sewing needles continues, social media users have come up with an innovative way to keep the strawberry industry alive. Twitter users are posting the hashtag #smashastrawb to share strawberry recipes, delicious-looking food and jams, as well as general messages of support for the country's fruit farmers. The sabotage of strawberries has now affected six states across Australia. The initiative was started by 6PR Morning Show host Gareth Parker and aims to encourage consumers to keep buying the strawberries. The movement comes as nervous growers fear a multi-million dollar commercial sabotage due to the scandal. Scroll down for video The initiative was started by 6PR Morning Show host Gareth Parker. The radio station earlier posted a picture of presenter Chris Ilsley with a strawberry nutella pizza Twitter users posted recipe ideas and general messages of support for Aussie farmers The movement comes as nervous growers fear a multi-million dollar commercial sabotage due to the scandal The social media trend is timely considering some brands of strawberries have been removed from supermarket shelves, and farmers across Australia have had to dump their fruit amid the peak growing season. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warned on Saturday that the hidden needles are putting Australia's $160 million strawberry industry at risk. 'Whoever is behind this is not just putting families at risk across Queensland and the rest of Australia -- they are putting an entire industry at risk,' Palaszczuk said. Head of the Western Australia Strawberry Growers Association, Jamie Michael, has shared images of truckloads of fruit being dumped following the recent Adelaide finding. Suncoast Harvest, a small farm on the Sunshine Coast, recently laid off about 100 workers weeks ahead of schedule as sales plummet amid the spiking scare. The farm blamed an 'international scare campaign' for the plunging sales. Australian state governments are also taking action and are offering money rewards for anyone with information on the strawberry contamination. The Queensland government on Saturday offered a $100,000 incentive for people with knowledge about the strawberry sabotage to come forward. Head of the Western Australia Strawberry Growers Association, Jamie Michael, has shared images of truckloads of strawberries being off-loaded Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced the establishment of a $1 million fund to assist Queensland's strawberry farmers. The WA government on Tuesday followed suit and are also offering a reward of $100,000 for anyone who comes forward with information. At least 13 people have gone public about finding needles in their strawberries since a man was rushed to hospital on September 9. Victims include young children and a dog. However, NSW Police said on Tuesday it was investigating 20 cases in that state alone so the total figure is likely much higher. Additionally, copycats put a needle in a banana and an apple, according to customers claiming to have found them. Consumers are advised to cut up their strawberries before eating them. Josephine Iyamu (pictured), 51, was sentenced to 14 years in jail at Birmingham Crown Court on July 4. Now Solicitor General Robert Buckland wants to go to the Court of Appeal and ask for an increase to her sentence An NHS nurse who used 'voodoo' magic to traffic vulnerable women from Nigeria into Europe to work as prostitutes could have her 14-year jail sentence extended. Josephine Iyamu, formerly of south London, used a witch doctor to convince her victims they were under her control and exploited them to fund a lavish lifestyle including jaunts to Europe and 700 designer shoes. The 51-year-old was a ringleader of an international human trafficking crime network and lived in a huge Nigerian mansion complete with a servants' quarters. Liberia-born Iyamu, who was made a British citizen in 2009 having been allowed to stay in the UK due to her nursing qualifications, organised the travel of five women from Nigeria to Germany. She was the first person to be prosecuted in the UK for arranging or facilitating travel for sexual exploitation of victims with no connection to Britain - and was sentenced to 14 years behind bars on July 4. Iyamu (pictured left during her arrest) was been convicted of using 'juju' magic to frighten Nigerian prostitutes who were trafficked to Europe. During questioning (right) she refused to answer any questions The victims were convinced they were under control due to the magic and trafficked to Europe Now Solicitor General Robert Buckland will go to the Court of Appeal on Thursday to challenge the jail term handed out to Iyamu. Mr Buckland will urge leading judges in London to find that the sentence imposed at Birmingham Crown Court in July is too low and should be increased. Iyamu was found guilty at the end of a 10-week trial of five offences under the Modern Slavery Act, and also of perverting the course of justice while on remand by arranging for relatives of the complainants in Nigeria to be arrested. Passing sentence, Judge Richard Bond told the married nurse that her 'vile' offences had left the women in fear of their lives. Iyamu charged each of her victims 30,000 and 38,000 to arrange for their travel to Europe - profiting from more than 15,000 from one victim alone via wire transfers and cash payments. One of the brothels to which the victims were brought in Germany The victims would then be forced to endure an arduous journey to the Libyan coast - which saw them shot at, ambushed and gang raped. They would then catch an inflatable boat crammed with hundreds of people to Italy before being moved into Germany to work as prostitutes. Iyamu forced one of her victims to have an abortion in Italy after being raped and impregnated on the journey. The judge said she would have been fully aware of the dangers involved in a four-week land journey across the Sahara to Tripoli in Libya, followed by a sea voyage on inflatable boats. The court heard during the trial that Iyamu made her victims swear oaths to hand over money during 'juju' ceremonies which saw them ordered to eat chicken hearts, drink blood containing worms, and endure powder being rubbed into cuts. The prosecution said it was clear that Iyamu, known as 'Madam Sandra', had travelled extensively across Europe and into Africa on a regular basis to meet victims. German police identified Iyamu as the ringleader of a Nigerian human trafficking operation after a brothel owner reported suspicions over one of his workers' paperwork last January. Iyamu and her husband Efe Ali-Imaghodor, 60, were arrested at Heathrow Airport on August 24 last year after travelling back from Nigeria. Police found her in possession of seven mobile phones and more than 30 SIM cards linked them to the German investigation. Officers also discovered a piece of paper detailing a list of items needed as part of the 'Juju' ceremonies and another with telephone numbers of criminal associates. Iyamu and her husband funded a lavish lifestyle by trafficking the women - pictured is just the servants quarters of their mansion in Nigeria Footage obtained by Nigerian authorities showed one of the 'juju' ceremonies taking place Iyamu - known as 'Madam Sandra' - had worked 37 days in 2016/17 as an agency nurse in south east London hospitals for NHS Capitol Staffing Services. She lived with husband Ali-Imaghodor, a cloakroom attendant, in an ex-council home in Bermondsey, south east London. The National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation found the victims - aged 24 to 30 - were made to undergo Juju rituals which exercised a control 'tighter than chains.' They were so terrified by the threat of voodoo magic that they had to undergo another black magic 'revokation' ceremony to undo the oath they took to pay Iyamu. Kay Mellor, NCA senior investigating officer, said Iyamu, originally from Liberia, became a British citizen in 2009 due to her nursing qualifications - which allowed her to be prosecuted in the groundbreaking case. She is the first British national to be convicted of human trafficking crimes not involving British victims and which were not committed in the country. Ms Mellor said: 'She was a registered nurse, she was an agency nurse and that totally goes against for me what a nurse is - somebody who looks after people, who makes them better and certainly what she was doing was totally opposed to what in my mind a nurse should be.' Police found an array of phones and sim cars on Iyamu when she was arrested in London The trafficking investigation - Operation Redroot - began after one victim was arrested and told German police of Iyamu's crimes. The victim's phone was then wire-tapped to gather evidence. The prostitute last January told German police she was born into a 'relatively poor family' in Nigeria and was told she could earn huge amounts of money working as a prostitute in Europe. Juju is a form of voodoo with 'highly respected' priests in West Africa. The Nigerian victims visited the priest multiple times and for up to a week as part of the oath-swearing ceremony. Ms Mellor said: 'They exert an insidious control which an expert witness has said is more powerful than chains.' Describing the ceremony, the officer added: 'They were given blood containing worms to drink. 'A chicken was used to hit her naked body on the back and on the chest. She had to eat the heart of the chicken which had just been killed. And the priest would cut their skin and mouth with a razor blade.' Iyamu then took snippets of her victims' head and pubic hair and kept them in individualised packages and she told the girls: 'You have now eaten from the devil and if you do not pay, the devil will kill you.' Defence counsel John Benson QC told the court that Iyamu - the daughter of a politician - had 'lost everything' as a result of her conviction, including her hope of pursuing a political career in Nigeria. An apprentice who was wrongfully arrested for the death of an African teenager claims he contracted hepatitis while behind bars. Tommy Jackson, 20, from Perth, says he 'can't hold down a job' and struggles to sleep after his stint in Casuarina Prison. At the age of 18, Mr Jackson spent 11 months locked up at the maximum security prison for a murder he didn't commit. Tommy Jackson, 20, 'can't hold down a job' and struggles to sleep after his stint in Casuarina Prison During his time behind bars, Mr Jackson claims he contracted hepatitis after being stabbed twice. 'I got stabbed twice, my arm got cut up,' he told A Current Affair. He is now fighting for compensation for the injuries he sustained and his time lost in prison. 'I'm not trying to be greedy,' he said. 'I'm just looking for something to help pay back my parents for all the money they put forward for me and something to give me a head start because I've been struggling ever since.' In February 2016, Mr Jackson attended an out-of-control party where teenager Kuol Akut was critically injured after being struck in the head with an object. The 17-year-old later died from the blow to his head. In February 2016, Mr Jackson attended an out-of-control party where teenager Kuol Akut (pictured) was critically injured after being struck in the head with an object Despite party-goers claiming police has arrested the wrong man, Mr Jackson was detained with some of the state's most notorious criminals. It was later determined Kuol died from one blow to the head, clearing the apprentice of murder. In 2017, Mr Jackson was cleared of all charges, including intending to do harm and doing an act to cause danger by a Supreme Court jury. Tommy's lawyer, Anthony Eyers said the young man should be compensated for his time behind bars. 'If you are acquitted and people are acquitted all the time you are simply released there is no sense of any system that you get any compensation for lost time,' Mr Eyers said. A new police investigation resulted in another youth pleading guilty to Mr Akut's death. Two caregivers at an Anchorage childcare center hit young children and performed 'mock surgeries' as a form of punishment, a damning investigation has revealed. The Crystal Child Development Center fired the two employees at Lake Otis Parkway on the spot in August following an investigation by authorities. Anchorage's Child Care Licensing Program first learned of the allegations on July 27, when a parent called to report 'fake surgeries' were happening in a preschool classroom, according to a report. Distressingly the probe also found that 'boys were required to carry around, eat and sleep with baby dolls,' as a form of punishment in the classroom'. The Crystal Child Development Center in Lake Otis (pictured) where staff performed 'fake surgeries' that involved using a stapler as a cutting tool to change the sex of the child Kathy Lynch, the child care licensing program supervisor for the city, said the allegations were serious enough that an inspector went to the child care center immediately. Two city inspectors, including one trained in forensic interviewing of children, visited the facility three times in the next three weeks, according to a report obtained by Anchorage Daily News. The inspectors interviewed children, parents and staff members of the facility which is licensed to care for up to 155 children from 8 weeks old to 6 years old. The report, dated August 24, revealed that in a pre-kindergarten classroom, a teacher and a teaching assistant conducted 'fake surgeries on the children to turn boys into girls or girls into boys'. 'The surgery includes having the child lay down on (the caregiver's desk) placing tape over the child's mouth, using a stapler like a pretend cutting tool to change the child into the opposite sex,' according to the investigation. Caregivers in the same classroom also used scissors to 'pretend to cut the child's hair'. The investigator also found that the same two caregivers hit children. It was disclosed that children are being 'hit,' 'slapped,' and 'whacked' in the head for misbehaving,' the report added. Suyeon Yi, the owner and administrator of Crystal Child Development Center, said she hoped the findings will not overshadow the work of the rest of her staff. She fired the two women when she was presented with the results of the investigation earlier this month. One of the employees had been working for the center for more than two years. The other had only been there for about six months. Both were in their 20s or early 30s and were hired with previous experience in child care. Both women passed background checks, Yi said. Shannon Kuhn, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Health and Human Services, said the investigation categorized the incidents as 'harmful treatment,' which is 'less serious than abuse or neglect' as defined by state law but can include banned forms of discipline. Two staff at the facility (pictured) were fired for slapping children 'in the head for misbehaving' The two workers will be marked in a statewide background check system as ineligible to work in Alaska child care facilities. Despite video monitoring in the classrooms, the on-site manager 'had no idea what was going on' and had not witnessed any of the abuse, Yi said. Yi said she is heartbroken for the children and worried about how the actions of two employees will reflect on the other caregivers she employs. The Lake Otis Parkway center is one of Crystal Child Development Center's three locations in Anchorage. Her centers have operated with relatively few complaints, especially considering the large number of children they care for. Yi told Anchorage Daily News: 'I want to make sure this one person's mistake doesn't define all the hard work we do here,' Yi said. 'We have almost 60 staff members. They are hard working, day in and day out. I don't want this to damage their reputation.' After the investigation, Yi was required to submit a 'plan of correction' to fix problems. She plans new training sessions to teach positive discipline techniques. She also plans to make it easier for employees to report misconduct anonymously to top administrators. An exhausted buffalo fought off a pride of lions only to have his testicles bitten by a hungry hyena. The injured beast inadvertently attracted the predator with his loud calls for help when the pride of lions attacked him in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The hyena soon arrived to see if it could finish what the lions had started. But the bull was too strong to bring down so the hyena made do with biting his testicles before scurrying off. Sian Green, a freelance guide, told latestsightings.com: 'This old buffalo bull, generally known as a 'dagga boy', was exhausted after a long fight with a pride of lions. 'When buffaloes are under attack by predators, they make a call, so as to attract back-up from a nearby herd. But, dagga boys are solitary, mostly, and so the calls usually end up alerting other predators of the attack. An exhausted buffalo fought off a pride of lions only to have his testicles bitten by a hyena The bull was too strong to bring it down so the hyena made do with biting his testicles before scurrying off 'A very brave hyena must have heard the commotion and came to see what was going on. 'The hyena could probably see that the buffalo was still in shock, and so while the buffalo was so exhausted, the hyena sneaks from behind sees an opening and grabs on to the buffalo's balls!' 'The buffalo is obviously in shock and in pain and quickly reacts to escape the hyena's hold. 'The buffalo must have had some good practice with fighting off the lions, and managed to fight off the hyena too.' Florida International University police released the sketch on Monday of the man they say attacked the two teenagers with a tree branch last week Police have released a sketch of a suspect wanted for beating two Florida high school students in a brutal attack that left them both hospitalized with fractured skulls. Florida International University police released the sketch on Monday of the man they say attacked the two teenagers with a tree branch last week. James Critz, 16, and Isabela Perdomo, 15, were brutally attacked as they gathered samples from a remote part of campus at Florida's International University where they attend classes in the integrated Marine Academy of Science and Technology. Police described the attacker as being 18 to 20 years old with a medium complexion. He is believed to have short spiked hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a white t-shirt that had a design and dark cargo shorts. The teenagers say he jumped on top of them and beat them with a tree branch, seconds after walking past them and saying hello. Isabela Perdomo, 15, was left with a fractured skull after being attacked by an unidentified assailant last week on her school campus in Florida James Critz, 16, was also left with a fractured skull. He was with Isabela when they were attacked The attacker fled without robbing or sexually assaulting either of the pair and he is yet to be found. After the assailant had run away, Isabela was able to make her way to a nearby building and call for help. The two teenagers were then taken to hospital where they remain. They both suffered skull fractures and facial injuries. Police are now trying to track down the person who attacked them. It remains unclear if he is a student at the university, where more than 40,000 are enrolled, or if he was visiting. Video courtesy Local 10 The students were in a remote part of campus where they were collecting samples. The attacker first walked past them, said hello, and then pounced. He used a heavy tree branch to carry out the attack The area where they were attacked is not frequented by students and can be accessed from a public road nearby. It is near the water's edge and is shrouded in trees. At first, the pair thought they were being attacked with a club. They later realized it was part of a tree which the attacker may have snapped off or picked off the ground nearby. The marine academy is a magnet school for high school aged students. Anyone with information should contact FIU police at 305-348-2626 or in the event of an emergency 305-348-5911. An injured dog made his own way to hospital for treatment after being attacked by a pack of strays in Turkey. Silla, a nine-month-old German Shepherd, was stolen from his owner Serdar Keskindir while he was at work. Desperate to get his beloved pet back, Mr Keskindir offered a reward of 2,000 Turkish lira (238). Silla, a German Shepherd, made his own way to hospital after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs He believes the reward on offer made it tricky for the thieves to sell Silla, so they dumped the dog. As Silla tried to make his way home, he was attacked by a pack of stray dogs, leaving him with an injured left leg. But the clever pooch then managed to make his own way to a hospital in the northern Amasya province. Video of the moment shows Silla running up to the entrance of the emergency room of the Amasya Vocational Training facility. Another clip shows a doctor treating the pooch's injured leg. Video of the moment shows Silla running up to the entrance of the emergency room of the Amasya Vocational Training facility Another clip shows a doctor treating the nine-month-old pooch's injured leg at the hospital He is in good health after his ordeal, according to local media reports. 'When the dog was then attacked by stray dogs and had its left leg injured, it went to search for help at an emergency unit,' Mr Keskindir said. He believes his dog spotted the ambulances and realised he could be treated there since he often accompanied Mr Keskindir on his job, where he recovers vehicles that have been in crashes. Mr Keskindir has thanked medics at the emergency unit for treating his dog, who he has now been reunited with. President Donald Trump said he would 'expose' the Department of Justice for abusing its power to 'spy' on his presidential campaign on Tuesday as he sought to justify his directive to the law enforcement agency to release classified communications about the Russia probe. 'Really bad things were happening, but they are now being exposed. Big stuff!' he tweeted. The president referenced New York Congressman Peter King in the message that highlighted the Republican lawmaker's appearance on Fox News the evening prior. King said, according to Trump: 'What will be disclosed is that there was no basis for these FISA Warrants, that the important information was kept from the court, theres going to be a disproportionate influence of the (Fake) Dossier. Basically you have a counter terrorism tool used to spy on a presidential campaign, which is unprecedented in our history.' President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to release a host of documents related to the Russia probe on Monday, including texts between two former FBI officials who talked about stopping his rise to power He said he would 'expose' the Department of Justice for abusing its power to 'spy' on his presidential campaign on Tuesday as he sought to justify the directive 'Really bad things were happening, but they are now being exposed. Big stuff!' he tweeted after apparently watching New York Rep. Peter King in a Fox News appearance King did not use those words exactly. He did not call the dossier 'fake,' for instance, but did call the spying on Page 'unprecedented.' He appeared on the news network to defend Trump's order from Democratic charges that the president's demand to DOJ that it release classified and sensitive information was 'desperate, dangerous and deliberately misleading' and a 'clear abuse' of presidential power. 'The President is potentially risking the lives of our patriots by compromising sources and methods, all so he can advance falsehoods and false narratives that distract from the truth of the Trump-Russia scandal,' House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said. Pelosi demanded that Trump allow special counsel Robert Mueller to continue his investigation into Russian election meddling unimpeded. 'This investigation is working, and must be allowed to continue to do its job free from the White House and GOPs interference,' she said. Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues were fuming after Trump ordered the Department of Justice to release a host of documents related to the Russia probe on Monday, including texts between two former FBI officials who talked about stopping his rise to power. Trump also directed DOJ to declassify pages from a warrant from a secret court that allowed the feds to spy on former campaign adviser Carter Page and all of the interview reports the bureau prepared to go along with it. WHEN WILL THE DOCS BE RELEASED? The Justice Department has not said when it will release the documents President Trump declassified. A DOJ spokesperson said Monday evening in a statement: 'The Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order.' It is likely to take weeks for the department to sort through all of the texts related to the Russia probe from all of the individuals named in the president's order. The department could release the documents in waves, although it provided no indication on Monday as to whether it would do so. In addition to the texts, Trump said he wanted interview reports released as well as specific pages from a FISA warrant to spy on Carter Page. The secret court already released a redacted version of the warrant in an atypical move earlier this year. Advertisement The president told Justice to publish reports tied to its interview with DOJ official Bruce Ohr, whose wife Nellie worked at the firm that put together the unverified dossier of dirt on the president, in the sweeping declassification of documents associated with the special counsel investigation. Ohr is known to have been in contact with the dossier's author, ex-British spy Christopher Steele. And in a further request, Trump called for the release of text messages relating to the probe that were sent or received by ex-FBI director James Comey, whom the president last year fired. The announcement came the same day as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's nomination ran off the skids following a woman's claim that he and a friend perpetrated a sex attack on her three decades ago. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders made the declaration in a statement distributed to reporters as the president was speaking at Hispanic Heritage Month event. It read: 'At the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency, the President has directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to provide for the immediate declassification of the following materials: (1) pages 10-12 and 17-34 of the June 2017 application to the FISA court in the matter of Carter W. Page; (2) all FBI reports of interviews with Bruce G. Ohr prepared in connection with the Russia investigation; and (3) all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all Carter Page FISA applications. 'In addition, President Donald J. Trump has directed the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr.' The documents Trump requested were not immediately available. But a Department of Justice spokesperson said in a Monday evening statement that the document review process had already begun. 'When the President issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of America's national security interests,' the person said. 'The Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order.' It was expected to take days, if not weeks, for DOJ to put together all of the requested materials, especially the Russia texts that Justice will have to sort through and review for each of the named targets. Trump was expected to demand the release of the documents relating to surveillance of his former foreign policy advisor and a Justice Department official who had contacts with the author of the 'Golden Showers' dossier any day. His inclusion of fired FBI Director James Comey's texts in the request, however, was a surprise Trump hinted at the action in a Monday morning tweets that mentioned four of the targets of his order The president told Justice to publish reports tied to its interview with DOJ official Bruce Ohr, whose wife Nellie worked at the firm that put together the unverified dossier of dirt on the president, in the sweeping declassification of documents associated with the special counsel investigation in addition to the text messages from Ohr, Comey, McCabe, Page and Strzok Trump was expected to demand the release of the documents relating to surveillance of Page, his former foreign policy advisor and Ohr, a career Justice Department official who had contacts with the author of the Golden Showers dossier, any day now. His demand that Justice release Comey's texts, on the other hand, was completely unexpected. Republicans running two key congressional panels have been pushing for the declassification of the surveillance documents and texts between Strzok and former FBI attorney Lisa Page for months, arguing that whey will reveal bias within the criminal justice system that Trump believes taints the Russia probe. Democrats on those same panels have argued that declassification would be a crass political move in advance of an election. Rep. Adam Schiff, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intel Committee, accused Trump on Monday of a 'clear abuse' of his presidential power. Trump said on several occasions that he planned to stay out of it but hinted more recently that he was likely to exercise his authority as the nation's chief executive to guide the affairs of the agency that is supposed to be independent. Axios reported Trump was expected to take the action last week. The publication quoted conservative Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina saying: 'After two years of investigations and accusations from both sides of the aisle about what documents indicate, it is past time for documents to be declassified and let the American people decide for themselves if DOJ and FBI acted properly.' Trump has railed against Ohr, a career Justice official who ran an organized crime task force, over his contacts with Steele, who wrote the dossier alleging the Russians had compromising material on the president from his time in the private sector. President Donald Trump is expected to declassify documents related to former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page and Justice Department official Bruce Ohr Trump has regularly brought up that Ohr's wife, Nellie, worked for Fusion GPS, the political intelligence firm that contracted Steele for the dossier. Ohr and Steele also had communications during the campaign. In emails Steele wrote to Ohr seeking help identifying a contact. The since-demoted Ohr told lawmakers that Steele told him at a July 2016 breakfast that Russian intelligence believed they had Trump 'over a barrel' with the blackmail documents that he outlined in the unproven dossier. Their breakfast took place after Kremlin-backed hackers had already stolen Democratic emails as part of Russian directed interference in the presidential election. Ohr acknowledged to Congress that he didn't tell his superiors about what he learned from Steele. Trump has demanded repeatedly since that he be fired, and threatened to strip him of his security clearance. He asked in a July tweet 'how the hell' Ohr was still working at the Justice Department, after including him on a list of officials who could lose their security clearances. 'I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace,' Trump wrote. 'I suspect I'll be taking it away very quickly. For him to be in the Justice Department and doing what he did, that is a disgrace.' Bruce Ohr (R), former U.S. associate deputy attorney general, maintained contacts with ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele President Donald Trump has railed against Ohr on Twitter Trump tweeted about Ohr numerous times in August. 'Will Bruce Ohr, whose family received big money for helping to create the phony, dirty and discredited Dossier, ever be fired from the Jeff Sessions 'Justice' Department? A total joke!' Trump tweeted August 20. Ohr lost his title of associate deputy attorney last December and relinquished leadership of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. Republicans have cited his meeting with Steele after the election and his failure to list his wife's work on government disclosure forms as factors that have marred the Russia probe, although there have been no indications he signed off on surveillance warrants or other materials. Ohr and Steele were both part of an effort to flip Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to try to secure cooperation against Russian President Vladimir Putin between 2014 and 2016, the New York Times reported early this month. Their work together began before Trump was ever a candidate. In another point of contention, Democrats have said that information aside from the dossier was used to obtain the FISA warrant to spy on Page, a low-level figure inside the Trump campaign. Their version of events is backed up by a redacted version of the warrant that has already been released by the court. 'After two years of investigations and accusations from both sides of the aisle about what documents indicate, it is past time for documents to be declassified and let the American people decide for themselves if DOJ and FBI acted properly,' said Rep. Mark Meadows, a key Trump ally among House Republicans Trump and Republicans in Congress maintain that the FBI relied on the Steele dossier to get surveillance on Page and start the Russia probe. FBI officials have testified that the dossier only corroborated information the bureau was already obtaining. Republicans also want to unseal documents related to surveillance warrants on Page, who an investor who advised Trump's campaign. Page had lived in Russia, traveled to Moscow during the campaign, and had been suspected by U.S. counterintelligence of being a possible Russian agent since 2013. They applauded him on Monday, with Congressman Matt Gaetz saying in a statement that he and his colleagues in the House had requested those documents for months but 'faced lengthy and unnecessary delays, redactions, and refusals from officials at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.' 'These documents will reveal to the American people some of the systemic corruption and bias that took place at the highest levels of the DOJ and FBI, including using the tools of our intelligence community for partisan political ends. Full transparency is the best way to ensure that surveillance abuses of this magnitude will never happen again,' Rep. Gaetz said. Schiff bashed Trump as having clearly engaged in an 'abuse of power' as he took him to task for his decision to 'intervene in a pending law enforcement investigation by ordering the selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team and thinks will advance a false narrative.' 'With respect to some of these materials, I have been previously informed by the FBI and Justice Department that they would consider their release a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods,' he said. 'This is evidently of no consequence to a President who cares nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self-interest.' Jeremy Hunt showed off his language skills today as he became the first minister to deliver a speech in Japanese. The Foreign Secretary gave a fluent address to an audience in Tokyo speaking of his 'admiration' for the country. Mr Hunt, who learned the language when he spent a year in Japan in his 20s, said: 'I have had a great love of Japan since I was a young man. I have great admiration for Japanese politeness, perfectionism and determination.' Mr Hunt also joked about his gaffe during a previous visit to China - when he accidentally said his wife was Japanese rather than Chinese. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave a fluent address to an audience in Tokyo today speaking of his 'admiration' for the country (pictured) Mr Hunt made light of his gaffe about his wife's nationality when he posted a picture of himself with Mr Abe today In Beijing in July, Mr Hunt seemed to be trying to ingratiate himself to his hosts by mentioning Lucia's nationality. However, he inexplicably blundered by getting her nationality wrong. Mr Hunt said: 'My wife is Japanese my wife is Chinese. 'Sorry, that's a terrible mistake to make.' In a Twitter post several hours later, the Cabinet minister appeared to see the funny side of the gaffe, apologising to the 'long-suffering Mrs H'. He wrote: 'Rule #1 as a new Foreign Sec: when reflecting in English with the Chinese on a conversation you had with them in Japanese about your Chinese wife, don't get any of those mixed up! Apologies to the long-suffering Mrs H!' He later posted a photograph of himself buying flowers for Lucia. Mr Hunt, tipped by many as a future Tory leader, held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and foreign minister Taro Kono during his latest trip. Aides said they discussed a range of issues including the future UK-Japan economic partnership and security on the Korean Peninsula. Alongside a picture of himself with Mr Abe, Mr Hunt wrote: 'Even if my wife isnt Japanese, good to meet the Japanese PM - and confirm the excellent partnership between our two countries.' Mr Hunt also expressed optimism about the prospects for a Brexit deal in an interview. 'I don't think it's brinkmanship. If we can't come to an agreement, then the default is that we will leave the EU on the 29th of March,' he told the Associated Press. 'So that could happen. But I don't think it's in anyone's interest for that to happen. So that's why we are cautiously optimistic that we will get a deal but there is a lot of work to do to get there.' Mr Hunt pictured with his wife Lucia at a Buckingham Palace garden part in 2016 Mr Hunt also held talks with counterpart Taro Kono during his visit to Japan today Mr Hunt said Mrs May would speak for the whole country following his predecessor Boris Johnson's public criticisms of her Chequers Brexit blueprint. He added: 'British politics is littered with the graveyards of people who have predicted the demise of Theresa May and been proved wrong. So I think she will succeed. Of course, Boris Johnson doesn't agree with some of the policy decisions that she's taken, but Theresa May has to speak not just for the 52% who voted for Brexit, she has to speak for 100% of the country and she has to find a way that builds bridges and unifies the country and that's what I'm confident she will do.' On North Korea, he added: 'I think the lesson of the last few years is that the pressure works. The sanctions are very important. And so the UK and Japan and other countries have been working hard to enforce those sanctions and we stand ready to relax those when we see concrete evidence of a change from North Korea.' Mr Hunt avoided a repeat of his earlier gaffe on a visit to China this year when he sought to curry favour with his hosts by telling them his wife was Chinese, only to refer to her as Japanese by mistake. A family who claimed to be brutally removed from a hostel and left abandoned near a graveyard by police has become the centre of an ongoing debate on the internet. It is said that the family of three, travelling from China to Sweden, arrived at their hostel in Stockholm around midnight while their booking was for the next night. The family reportedly refused to leave the hostel, which was fully booked, leading the staff to call the police who ejected them from the lobby. The event has caused political tensions between China and Sweden after Beijing accused Stockholm of violating human rights over the 'brutal abuse' of the family. Zeng and his mother from China were seen crying on the street after being ejected from a hostel in Stockholm. The family have sparked a debate after claiming to be brutally treated One of the family members, known by his surname Zeng, claimed to Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times last Saturday that he was travelling in Stockholm with his elderly parents. He said they arrived at the hostel in the wee hours of September 2 to check into the room for the night of September 2, and the hostel refused to let them remain after he offered to pay to stay in the lobby. Zeng claimed the police swore at them and beat them. He added that his father who had a heart disease started twitching and police carried on booting them out. He said they were eventually left near a graveyard across the Stockholm city in temperatures lower than 10 degrees celsius. The man did not explain why the family had arrived at the hostel so early, or why they didn't resort to alternative accommodation for the night. Zeng claimed the police swore at them and beat them while ejecting him and his elderly father and mother out of the hostel. A Swedish prosecutor said police had done nothing wrong When the incident was first reported last week, the Chinese web user gave the Zeng family an outpouring of support, showing sympathy to their experience. But after footage apparently showing the event emerged online, the public's opinion took a 180-degree turn, with more people accusing the family of being 'unreasonable' and acting like 'giant babies'. The footage showed the son, Zeng, repeatedly yelling 'this is killing' when police carried his father out of the building by his arms and legs. He was also seen crying loudly together with his mother, who later shouted loudly 'save me'. The footage did not show Swedish police beating or swearing at the family. This week, the incident has escalated into a diplomatic spat. Scandinavian countries are popular among Chinese tourists for their 'fair-tale like' landscape China on Monday urged Sweden to respond to its complaints about the alleged mistreatment of the family. The foreign ministry and China's embassy in Stockholm had asked Sweden to investigate the case but have yet to hear back, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. 'We once again urge Sweden to take seriously our concerns and take concrete measures to ensure the safety and legal rights and interests of Chinese tourists,' Geng said, adding that the family had been 'brutally abused by Swedish police.' A statement on the Chinese Embassy's website posted last Saturday said its citizens were asking for 'punishment, apology and compensation in time.' 'The Chinese Embassy in Sweden is deeply appalled and angered by what happened and strongly condemns the behavior of the Swedish police,' the statement said. The Swedish Embassy in Beijing posted on its microblog Sunday that it had been made aware of the accusations against the police and an independent investigation into the incident would be conducted to determine whether there had been 'negligence or illegal behavior.' In Stockholm, however, Chief Prosecutor Mats Ericsson said an investigation was closed on Sept. 7 after concluding that police had done nothing wrong. 'This is very normal (when you have) disorderly behavior,' he was quoted as saying by the Aftonbladet newspaper, one of Sweden's largest. 'Police have the right to remove a person from one place to another,' he said. Citing a police report, the tabloid said two people were lying on a sofa in the hotel lobby and refused to leave the premises at about 1:45 a.m. About 25 minutes later, a police patrol decided to remove them and the two people started screaming, reportedly about 'human rights.' The news broke just days after Dalai Lama held a lecture in Malmo, Sweden (pictured) Beijing and Stockholm have also experienced tensions over China's detention of a Chinese-born Swedish national, Gui Minhai, on suspicion of leaking state secrets The incident comes amid after Dalai Lama arrived in Sweden's third-largest city of Malmo last Tuesday. The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, 83, is labelled by China as a dangerous separatist. China routinely demands foreign nations bar him entry to deny him a platform to speak. Last Friday, the Chinese embassy in Sweden issued a travel warning to the Chinese citizens, informing them to be cautious while travelling in Sweden. 'The personal belongings and passports of Chinese tourists have been stolen frequently as of late,' the travel warning said. The news also came amid tensions between Stockholm and Beijing over China's detention of a Chinese-born Swedish national on suspicion of leaking state secrets. China has rebuked Sweden for demanding the release of Hong Kong-based bookseller Gui Minhai, 53, who was taken off a train by police in eastern China on Jan. 20 while in the company of two Swedish diplomats with whom he was traveling to Beijing. This is the heartbreaking moment a herd of elephants gathered to pay their last respects to their dead leader. Footage shows the animals surrounding the carcass on the banks of a lake near Anuradhapura, close to the Kalawewa reserve in Sri Lanka. Some of the elephants use their trunks to caress the fallen giant, which had been killed by a rival. Heartbreaking footage shows the moment a herd of elephants paid its last respects to its dead leader The video shows the animals gathering around the carcass on the banks of a lake near Anuradhapura, close to the Kalawewa reserve in Sri Lanka The extraordinary sight proved a draw for locals who flocked to the scene to take pictures and video. A clip of the incident shows around ten elephants surrounding their dead leader. But some reports suggested as many as 300 gathered nearby. Researchers have found that elephants, like humans, grieve for the dead by frequently visiting their graves, 'kissing' their bodies with their trunks and rocking to and fro with grief. Some of the elephants use their trunks to caress the fallen giant, which had been killed by a rival Researchers have found that elephants, like humans, grieve for the dead by frequently visiting their graves, 'kissing' their bodies with their trunks and rocking to and fro with grief But while humans usually reserve their grief for friends and family, elephants mourn over the death of the loosest acquaintance, an Oxford University study found in 2006. The creatures also show compassion towards the sick and dying, trying to nurse them back to health, the study found. Jaycee Duggard, 38, spoke out on Tuesday to support fellow kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart's fight to stop her captor's release from prison Jaycee Duggard has spoken out to support fellow kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart's pleas not to let one of her captors out of prison tomorrow. Duggard, 38, was taken captive when she was 11 and was held against her will by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in a tent in a backyard in Antioch, California, for 18 years until she was freed in 2009. Phillip had already spent time behind bars for kidnap and rape and had been let out early at the time. On Tuesday, Duggard begged Utah's parole board, which has granted the release of Wanda Barzee, one of Smart's abductors, to consider her case and stop the now 72-year-old woman from walking the streets again. 'I feel deeply for what Elizabeth is going through knowing this dangerous person is free to walk the street. 'Believe Elizabeth when she says this woman is a threat to society. 'Wasn't a lesson learned from my case, when Phillip was released from prison early in his first rape and kidnapping conviction? He was then free to take me with his wife's help.' Elizabeth Smart, seen left in an interview on Tuesday, is trying to stop her captor Wanda Barzee, right in a prison booking photo, from being released from custody on Wednesday Duggard added that Barzee, who helped her husband Brian David Mitchell snatch Smart from her home when she was 14 and then watched as he raped her 'every day' for nine months, was 'just as guilty' as he was. Duggard had two children in captivity by her rapist. In 2010, she won a settlement of $20million from the State of California which had missed several opportunities to save her. Smart, now 30, was just 14 when Wanda Barzee and her one-time husband Brian David Mitchell snatched Smart from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mitchell knew her because he had been hired by her family to do handiwork at their home. For nine months, the religion-obsessed couple kept Smart tied up in the woods where Mitchell subjected her to daily rapes and death threats. She was eventually rescued when a stranger saw the three of them in the street and recognized the pair from an episode of America's Most Wanted. Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped when she was 11 as she walked to the school bus in Lake Tahoe Duggard was held by Phillip and Nancy Garrido for 18 years between 1991 and 2009. They abducted her as she walked to the school bus aged 11. Phillip had already been jailed once before for kidnap and rape Jaycee was forced to live in a tent in the couple's back yard where she had two daughters in captivity Barzee was granted parole last Tuesday after spending 15 years behind bars. It was a sudden reversal on the Utah Parole Board's earlier decision that the seven years she spent in jail awaiting trial should not count towards her sentence. The 72-year-old will be released on September 19 and will be under federal supervision for five years. Smart said the decision was 'incomprehensible' and that she was 'surprised and disappointed' by it. At a press conference last week,she described her as still being a danger to society, saying: 'She is a woman who had six children yet could co-conspire to kidnap a 14-year-old girl, and not only sit next to her while being raped but encourage her husband to continue to rape me. 'So do I believe she's dangerous? Yes.' On Tuesday, she told in an interview how Barzee touched her while she was being raped and once laughed when she vomited after being forced to drink alcohol. Brian David Mitchell, Barzee's husband who raped Smart daily while holding her in captivity, is pictured in his 2004 mugshot. Duggard said his wife was 'just as guilty' as he was . Smart was just 14 when she was taken 'I know just how bad she really can be. She would encourage him to rape me. 'She would sit right next to me like the side of her body would be touching me,' Smart told CBS. 'While he was raping me. I mean, she was right there. So I mean, there were no secrets. She knew what was going on. 'She was the kind of woman that -- she was just evil and twisted,' she added. Barzee will be under federal supervision for five years. In 2010, seven years after Smart was rescued, Barzee pleaded guilty to kidnapping. Duggard was forced to live between small rooms in her abductors' back yard and a tent. Years into her captivity, they confidently took her out, along with her two daughters, and paraded them as though they were siblings. Smart is pregnant with her third child. She has turned her trauma into a tool and speaks at motivational events. She has also had her story turned into a Lifetime TV movie and she has written a book Duggard and her daughters were saved after Garrido took them to the University of Berkeley asking if could host a seminar about how he had cured his criminal behaviors. It sparked officials' concern because Jaycee and her daughters were pale and malnourished. Garrido and his wife are still behind bars. He will die there and she will likely never get out. She was sentenced to 36 years imprisonment in 2011. Now 63, she has another 29 years of her sentence before she is eligible for parole. Mitchell, who orchestrated Smart's kidnapping, will also die in prison. His wife is now 72 and Smart fears she is a danger because she still loves him. At her parole hearing in June, Smart begged the board not to let her out because she still carries around a book of his which contains religious notes and musings. Amid finger-pointing among President Trump's legal team that has stretched on for months, there are fresh indications that the president didn't tell all during private deliberations with his own lawyers, hampering their defense. Trump faces new potential legal exposure now that his longtime campaign chair, Paul Manafort, is cooperating with federal prosecutors. Manafort was present during the infamous Trump Tower meeting in June 2016, helped steer the party platform at the convention, is tied to a Russian oligarch, and spent time with key personnel when he helmed Trump's campaign. A new New York Times article points the finger at former Trump lawyer John Dowd for being exceedingly cooperative at the outset of the Mueller probe. President Donald Trump hasn't given his legal representatives a 'full account' of matters under investigation, according to a new report Bob Woodward's new book, 'Fear,' contains a passage where Dowd stages a mock interview with Trump in Mueller's office. It showed the 'full nightmare' of possibilities were Trump to testify under oath. 'He just made something up. That's his nature,' Dowd is quoted as saying. According to the book, Dowd counseled Trump, whom he considered a liar: 'Don't testify. It's either that or an orange jump suit.' According to a new New York Times account, people 'close to the president' are blaming failures on Dowd for his policy of cooperation at the start of the Mueller probe. 'What is more, it is not clear if Mr. Trump has given his lawyers a full account of some key events in which he has been involved as president or during his decades running the Trump Organization,' according to the article. Trump faces new potential legal exposure now that his longtime campaign chair, Paul Manafort, is cooperating with federal prosecutors Prosecutors have provided limited immunity to top Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg. Prosecturos were able to interview at least 10 witnesses without Trump lawyers present, according to the account. After Dowd left the president's legal team, his new lawyers had to spend 20 hours interviewing the president about areas being probed. However Dowd, in an appearance earlier this month on 'Hannity' on Fox News, blamed Mueller for making what he cast as misrepresentations. 'I saw a stall going on. I just had complete faith in him. We had shaken hands,' Dowd said. But Dowd identified Trump with the strategy of cooperating, including handing over reams of documents. Former Trump lawyer John Dowd credits President Trump with agreeing to cooperate fully with Mueller. 'By the way, the president gets the credit. He's the one that said: 'Give it to them,'' said Dowd. However Trump has yet to agree to an in-person interview 'I think I would have done it differently,' said the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is a member of Trump's legal team 'By the way, the president gets the credit. He's the one that said: 'Give it to them,'' said Dowd. 'The way we did it completely protected the president. We've not waived executive privilege. We've not had four years of litigation,' he said. Dowd told the paper it had been 'badly misinformed.' The piece quotes Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has been faulted for on-air stumbles even while raising doubts about Mueller with the public. 'I think I would have done it differently,' said the former New York mayor said. 'But now we can work with the fact that there was such complete cooperation.' Former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon told the paper: 'President Trump has been ill served by a legal team that failed to negotiate access, debrief and prep witnesses, constrain information flow and manage expectations. He finds himself in a legal mess today because of their incompetence.' Trump also compounded errors by dictating a misleading statement responding to the bombshell report about the 2016 meeting with Russian in Trump Tower. His own lawyers acknowledged he dictated it from aboard Air Force One. Trump also has tormented attorney general Jeff Sessions on Twitter at a time when investigators are reportedly probing potential obstruction of justice, and regularly brands the Mueller probe a 'witch hunt.' On Monday Trump issued an order declassify texts sent by FBI investigators as well as former FBI director James Comey as well as documents related to warrants at the start of the Russia probe. Trump's lawyers began to appreciate the extent of Mueller's advantage after it was reported that White House counsel Don McGahn spent 30 hours being interviewed by investigators. McGahn is now leaving his post in the fall. A woman was fatally shot by police responding to her 911 call after she lunged at them while holding a 10-inch knife inside her home. Susan Muller, 54, of Queens, New York, called 911 at about 5.30pm on Monday, reporting that there was an intruder in her home, authorities said during a press conference following the incident. Four police officers then arrived at her home, responding to her call. Muller greeted them at the door and told them that a woman, armed with either a knife or a razor, was in her home. Susan Muller, 54, was fatally shot by police responding to a 911 call in her New York home. Authorities said Muller had called 911 reporting an intruder in her home Authorities said Muller greeted the responding police officers and followed them inside her home. She is then said to have lunged at the officers while holding a knife The officers then entered her home, with Muller following them inside. At some point within the 50 seconds that the police were inside her home, Muller was said to have lunged at the police officers while holding a 10-inch kitchen knife. Muller was told to put down the knife, but ignored the commands, at which point an officer fired his weapon at her three times, striking her in the torso. The officers then attempted to give her aid, while calling for paramedics. Muller was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the shooting incident was caught on a police body cam and said they believed the 911 caller and Muller were the same person. Authorities said that Muller was holding this 10-inch kitchen knife when she lunged at officers. She ignored their commands to put the knife down and was shot by an officer Authorities said that there were no signs that there had been an intruder in Muller's home Authorities said that there was a 'history of calls' to Muller's home for a variety of reasons. Her boyfriend said that Muller suffered from both alcoholism and delusions Ed Rogers, Muller's boyfriend, told NBC 4 that he was not at home at the time she made the 911 call and that he did not know why she called police. Rogers said that Muller had been upset earlier in the day because the pharmacist would not fill her a prescription for the painkillers she had been proscribed for her knee. Rogers also told ABC 7 that Muller suffered from both alcoholism and delusions, but said that he 'could not see her getting volatile with the police, but I wasn't here when it happened.' Authorities said that there did not appear to have been any signs that there was an intruder in Muller's home and that police had responded to a 'history of calls' to her home over time for a variety of reasons. Kevin Tang, Muller's neighbor described her as being 'paranoid,' telling the New York Post that she once got locked out of her home and 'just went ballistic on the door.' Police said it is unclear why Muller called 911 and that they are investigating the incident and reviewing body cam footage. A body recovered from the bottom of the Grand Canyon is believed to be that of Mike Howard, 67, from Simi Valley, California, who went missing on September 7 during a rafting trip with his wife A body recovered from the bottom of the Grand Canyon is believed to be that of a California man who went missing during a rafting trip while trying to rescue his wife. Evidence found with the remains indicate it is 67-year-old Mike Howard of Simi Valley, Grand Canton National Park said on Monday. The body was recovered on Friday downstream of Phantom Ranch, about 10 miles from where Howard was last seen on September 7. Howard was swept away after going into the Colorado River to try to rescue his 65-year-old wife. Howard and his wife were on a Canyoneers commercial river excursion when he went missing. Howard and his wife (left) were on a Canyoneers commercial river excursion when he went missing after trying to rescue her, after she had slipped into the Colorado River Howard went into the river after her, below Clear Creek Rapid at river mile 85, at approximately 11.00am Mountain time; Howard is shown here in another river, at another time His wife had slipped into the river as she was getting off the boat to join their group in a day hike. Howard went into the Colorado River after her, below Clear Creek Rapid at river mile 85, at approximately 11.00am Mountain time. Both swam through Clear Creek Rapid, authorities said. Both swam through Clear Creek Rapid, and Howard's wife (left) was later rescued but a search turned up no sign of Howard (right) His wife was later rescued but a search turned up no sign of Howard. Howard's wife was later airlifted to the South Rim and taken to a Flagstaff, Arizona hospital. Her medical status is not known at this time. A medical examiner is expected to confirm the identity of the body. Susan Pain has been jailed for falsely claiming her daughter was injured in the Manchester bombing so she could claim insurance cash A woman who pretended to have a daughter who was seriously injured in the Manchester Arena attack to make an insurance claim has been jailed for two years. Susan Pain, 51, of Merseyside, was sentenced for two counts of fraud at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after she pleaded guilty at magistrates' court to claiming 139,000 through 31 fraudulent insurance claims. Pain, with shoulder-length blonde hair and wearing a black polka dot dress, stared at the floor as she was sentenced. She claimed to have a daughter called Sophie who 'had sustained multiple serious injuries' when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device at the arena on May 22 last year. Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant in fact had no daughter and the claim was of course false.' Judge Alan Conrad QC said: 'I am sure all right-minded members of the public would be shocked, in particular, that you would use a tragedy which shook the nation as the basis for a fraudulent claim.' The suicide bombing in Manchester killed 22 and injured around 800 people in May last year The court heard Pain had worked for insurance broker Money Medical Management, which sold policies underwritten by AXA, since she was 16 and oversaw a section of the business which provided insurance for medical professionals to cover unexpected loss of earnings. Between January 2010 and August 2017 she made claims under the names of several friends and family members. In one she claimed her friend's seven-year-old son had leukaemia, while another said her niece's elderly mother was housebound after a fall. One of the other claims saw Pain posed as an orthodontist who had taken a leave of absence because her daughter required open heart surgery and the hospital was far away from home. In July last year she claimed for 2,500 she said she had suffered in loss of earnings after her daughter had been in intensive care following the arena attack and had to undergo major operations. Her friends and family were oblivious to Pains fraudulent activity and that she was using their names. A court heard they only agreed to receive the money because she had told them that it was for her bonus at work and that she would obtain a tax advantage if cash was paid into their accounts, before they returned it to her. Judge Conrad said: 'In some cases you used false documents in support of claims and such was the trust in which you were held they were never challenged.' Michael Bagley, defending, said: 'How she got to this point is still fundamentally difficult to understand.' He said Pain was still in debt, despite the fraudulent claims. Bomber Salman Abedi is seen before his horrific attack of a stadium of young music fans He added: 'She is relieved it is over. The greatest punishment for her, of course, is social ruin. She is going to have to confront a life now where all her achievements are set at nought.' Detective Constable Ant Andrews, of City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, which investigated the claims, said: 'Pain exploited the tragic terror attack at the Manchester Arena, as well as other examples of human suffering, to make a financial gain. 'She betrayed the trust she had with her friends and family, using their details to make the false claims, then lying to them so she could receive the money she'd stolen. 'She is now paying a significant price for her fraudulent activity, not just with the sentence handed down by the court, but also with the loss of her job and reputation.' Carolyn Scott, head of household and lifestyle at AXA Insurance, said: 'Ms Pain took advantage of a position of trust to deceive her employer and defraud AXA. She used details of extremely upsetting events and circumstances to make fraudulent claims for her own personal gain.' Sarah Hyland suspects her character may be killed off in the final season of Modern Family after it was announced a significant character would die, she revealed to DailyMailTV. The 27-year-old admitted that ABC showrunners have kept her in the dark and she hadn't yet talked to her co-stars about the dramatic twist. Speaking to DailyMailTV at the star-studded Audi Celebrates the 70th Emmys event, Hyland said: 'I have no idea. I don't even know. Could be me. Goodbye Haley Dunphy. Who knows?' But Hyland said she was ready to leave the show behind, revealing she wants to ditch comedy for a dramatic role, adding that she refuses to be 'pigeonholed' as her teen character Haley Dunphy. The 27-year-old (pictured with co-star Ty Burrell) admitted that ABC showrunners have kept her in the dark and she hadn't yet talked to her co-stars about the dramatic twist Speaking to DailyMailTV at an Emmy event, Hyland (pictured with co-star Sofia Vergara) said: 'I have no idea. I don't even know. Could be me. Goodbye Haley Dunphy. Who knows?' Hyland told DailyMailTV: 'For 14 years I did dramas, so I'm excited to possibly get back into dramas. I would really love to do some action. 'I just find it invigorating and I've done some action work on things before and some wirework and I just absolutely loved it, so I would love to do more things like that in film.' She added: 'If that means I have to knock doors down then I will. I will refuse to be kept in a pigeonhole that is Haley Dunphy.' Hyland earns an estimated $110,000 per episode on the show, which starts its farewell season on September 26. It's estimated the show and her status as a top TV star has helped her amass a $9 million fortune. Her refreshing approach to fighting for roles and auditioning despite her success is coupled with a desire to get behind the cameras as well. Hyland (pictured at an Emmys party on Friday) said she was ready to leave the show behind, revealing she wants to ditch comedy for a dramatic role, adding that she refuses to be 'pigeonholed' as her teen character Haley Dunphy Hyland earns an estimated $110,000 per episode on the show, which starts its farewell season on September 26. Pictured: Hyland with fellow cast members (l-r) Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara Hyland said: 'I actually filmed a movie this summer that I executive produced called The Wedding Year. It should hopefully be out next year. 'But I really love producing and I love being behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera. It's really invigorating for me and it's something new and different and you can get comfortable playing the same character for so long.' Hyland learned from her success that being in Hollywood is not all glamorous parties and award ceremonies, but requires 'passion, a work ethic', with the need to be able to 'really hone your craft.' She added: 'Trust me, it is not worth it if you do not want to do this for the rest of your life.' Hyland was at several Emmy events with her Bachelorette alum boyfriend Wells Adams, who said they 'are happy and really in love' after moving in together. Hyland was at several Emmy events with her Bachelorette alum boyfriend Wells Adams, who said they 'are happy and really in love' after moving in together Sarah Hyland posted a bikini clad photo with Wells Adams to social media on Sunday to commemorate their one year anniversary After 'sliding into her DMs,' Sarah wrote on their one year anniversary that the Bachelorette star gave her her 'last first kiss' The couple celebrated their first anniversary over the weekend, and Adams said: 'We have had a great time this weekend. It has been a lot of fun. 'Things are going great and we are really happy. It has been the best year of my life.' Hyland posted over the weekend a picture of the two and wrote: '1 year ago today, You asked to hold my purse when I was dancing. In that moment you took my heart. 'You then gave me my last first kiss. And in that moment you took my breath away. I love you to Pluto and back.' Also on their anniversary, Adams took to Instagram to post a red carpet picture of the couple from an event on Saturday. He echoed his girlfriend's loving sentiment in the caption. He wrote: 'I kissed this beautiful woman for the the 1st time a year ago today. Best year of my life. I love you to Pluto and back.' The couple has been dating for just a year and the actress told Jimmy Kimmel that they met after he slid into her DMs. A mother who served in the Navy for 19 years and had just been promoted was found dead inside her Florida home on Monday. Andrea Washington, 37, a mother-of-three from Jacksonville, was found after police were called to the home just after midnight only to find her body inside. Washington had a protective order granted two weeks ago after reporting domestic violence by a man she was living with, and was due in court over the order just hours after she was found. Andrea Washington, 37, a mother-of-three from Jacksonville, was found dead in her home on Monday after police were called shortly after midnight Police have not released a cause of death, but say foul play is suspected. No information on suspects has been released. Officers have also not confirmed that Washington was the one found inside the home, but she was identified by a neighbor who spoke to WJXT. Washington's social media identifies her as a gas turbine mechanic in the US Navy, but friend Phantom McClendon told First Coast News that she was promoted to Chief Petty Officer on Friday. 'The goal of making chief is a major accomplishment and for her to make it after all these years ... and the simple fact that she can't even enjoy it,' he said. 'She couldn't even go to work in her freshly pressed khaki uniform. 'I just sent her a message on Friday right when she got pinned and told her "I'm proud of you."' Andrea, who had three sons, served 19 years in the Navy and had just been promoted to Chief Petty Officer on Friday before she was killed On September 4 a judge granted Washington a protective order after she was attacked in her home just days earlier. A man she was living with, who is not named, allegedly pushed her to the floor, kicked her in the stomach and then chased her before pulling a gun. She told the court the fight happened after she asked the man whether he was going to start paying bills. The man was also accused of kicking a hole in her bedroom door and closet door, destroying her iPad, and taking the keys to her car and mailbox. She was due in court on Monday over the order, First Coast reports, though it does not say why. Mr Justice Holman (pictured) was told that a transgender man who gave birth to a baby is unable to register as the child's father A transgender man whose baby is at the centre of an historic human rights battle cannot yet get child benefit, a High Court judge has been told. The baby could become the first person born in England or Wales who will not legally have a mother due to a dispute about the infant's birth certificate. Lawyers say the baby is the child of a single parent who was born a woman but now lives as a man after undergoing surgery. They have told judges that he had been biologically able to get pregnant and give birth but had legally become a man when the child was born. He wants to be identified as the childs 'father' or 'parent' on a birth certificate but a registrar told him the law requires people who give birth to be registered as mothers. The man has taken legal action after complaining of discrimination. He says forcing him to register as the childs 'mother' breaches his human right to respect for privacy and family life. Because of the delay in the completion of the birth certificate, he has been left unable to claim child benefit. The case has been analysed at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and lawyers representing the man are lined up against lawyers representing the Registrar General for England and Wales and Government ministers. A trial might not take place until next year. Mr Justice Holman was given updates on developments on Tuesday, when he oversaw the latest hearing Lawyers said the baby had been given a passport because British citizenship had been established. But Ben Jaffey QC, who is representing health and social care ministers and Home Office ministers, told the judge that child benefit had not yet been granted. Mr Jaffey said a child needed a birth certificate before child benefit could be given. He said the child at the centre of the case had not been given a birth certificate because a judge had yet to rule on the mans challenge. Mr Justice Holman said the man was 'taking a stand' and mounting a 'head-on challenge' to a 'wall of legislation'. He suggested that Sir Andrew McFarlane, the President of the Family Division of the High Court and most senior family court judge in England and Wales, might oversee a trial and make a decision. The case hit the headlines in June after another judge oversaw a preliminary hearing. The transgender man has taken his case to the High Court, complaining that his human rights are being breached Mr Justice Francis said then that the issue had never been raised in a court in England and Wales before. The judge said if the man won his fight, ministers might have to consider changing the law. He said the baby could not be identified in media reports and said journalists should not reveal the babys gender or age, or the mans age, and should not give any clue as to where the man and the child lived. Lawyers say other transgender men have given birth but have been registered on birth certificates as mothers. They say if the man wins his fight the child will be the first person born in England or Wales not to legally have a mother. Advertisement Rescuers have dramatically plucked a man and his dog from rising Florence floodwaters in North Carolina after they became stranded on the roof of his van. Willie Schubert was desperately clutching his dog Lucky when members of a Coast Guard helicopter crew saved him on Monday in Pollocksville. The van Schubert was perched on was almost completely engulfed by floodwaters when search crews reached him. Incredible video shot from the Coast Guard helicopter showed two rescuers being lowered down on to the roof of a home near where the vehicle was floating. Scroll down for video Willie Schubert and his dog Lucky were rescued from Florence floodwaters in North Carolina on Monday after becoming stranded on top of his van A frazzled Schubert and his dog Lucky were hoisted to safety aboard a US Coast Guard helicopter on Monday Schubert, who was barefoot and shirtless, cradled his dog as he was lifted into a rescue cage and hoisted off the roof. 'Thank you,' a frazzled Schubert mouthed to members of the crew when he eventually made it into the safety of the helicopter and was able to shake their hands. It was not clear how long Schubert had been stranded. Emergency crews have been using helicopters and boats to rescue people trapped by still-rising rivers caused by Hurricane Florence. The death toll from Florence has now risen to at least 32. Crews delivered food and water to Wilmington on Monday as the storm's remnants took aim at the densely populated Northeast. A day earlier, Wilmington's entire population of 120,000 people was cut off by flooding. The van Schubert was perched on was almost completely engulfed by floodwaters when search crews reached him Willie Schubert was desperately clutching his dog Lucky when members of a Coast Guard helicopter crew saved him on Monday in Pollocksville U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Samuel Knoeppel and Randy Haba spoke to Willie Schubert after helping him from the van to the roof Coast Guard rescuer Samuel Knoeppel shields Schubert and his dog from the blast of the helicopter hovering overhead By midday Monday, authorities had reopened a single unidentified road into the town, which stands on a peninsula. But it wasn't clear if that the route would remain open as the Cape Fear River kept swelling Officials could not say for certain when other roads might be clear. In some places, the rain has finally stopped and the sun peeked through. However, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that dangerously high water would persist for days. He urged residents who were evacuated from the hardest-hit areas to stay away because of closed roads and catastrophic flooding that submerged entire communities. 'There's too much going on,' he said. Downgraded from a tropical depression, the deadly storm still had abundant rain and top winds around 25 mph. Forecasters said it was expected to continue toward the Northeast, which is in for as much as four inches of rain, before the system moves offshore again. Schubert, who was barefoot and shirtless, cradled his dog as he was lifted into a rescue cage and hoisted off the roof Schubert cradled his dog tightly as he was loaded into the Coast Guard rescue basket on Monday It was not clear how long Schubert had been stranded on the van before he and Lucky were rescued Schubert was spotted cradling Lucky tightly until they reached the safety of the rescue helicopter A frazzled Schubert thanked members of the crew when he eventually made it into the safety of the helicopter and was able to shake their hands The death toll climbed to 32, with 25 fatalities in North Carolina, as authorities found the body of a 1-year-old boy who was swept away after his mother drove into floodwaters and lost her grip on him while trying to get back to dry land. Elsewhere in North Carolina, an 88-year-old man died after his car was swept away. Authorities in Virginia said one person was dead after an apparent tornado. Flooding worries also increased in Virginia, where roads were closed and power outages were on the rise. In all, about 420,000 homes and businesses in three states were in the dark. Most of the outages were in North Carolina. Florence, once a fearsome Category 4 hurricane, was still massive. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states. Fears of what could be the worst flooding in the state's history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it was not clear how many had fled or even could. Resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the Waccamaw River, is helped onto the pier in Conway, S.C., on Monday Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday The two-month-old giraffe calf that sparked a trampling attack on an American mother and her toddler son has died in South Africa. Dr Katy Williams, who turned 36 on Monday, and her son Finn were nearly killed when they surprised a giraffe, who was with her calf, on the Blyde Wildlife Estate in Hoedspruit near their home. They were rescued by husband Dr Sam Williams, who chased the animal away, but both remain in hospital following the giraffe's rampage earlier this month. Meanwhile, the giraffe was successfully relocated - but her two-month-old calf died, News24 reports. Blyde Wildlife Estate manager Riaan Cilliers confirmed the calf's death but said all the necessary precautions had been taken during the relocation process. The two-month-old giraffe calf that sparked a trampling attack on Dr Katy Williams and her toddler son (pictured together) has died in South Africa They were rescued by husband Dr Sam Williams, who chased the animal away, but both remain in hospital following the giraffe's rampage earlier this month 'We are all devastated by this very sad news,' he said. Katy's father Jack Standish posted an update on GoFundMe about his daughter and grandson over the weekend. He said his daughter 'still has a way to go in her recovery but is now talking and slowly she is getting into a wheelchair with help and a lot of tubes and monitoring go along for the ride. 'Finn is not recovering as fast as Katy, but each day we see some improvement.' He added: 'Sam continues to be a tower of strength for his family. 'I continue to feel very optimistic that in time both Katy and Finn will reach a full recovery.' Three-year-old Finn Williams needed life-saving brain surgery after he and his wildlife biologist mother Katy, 35, were attacked in South Africa (pictured together before the attack) In a previous post, he said: 'Monday the 17th of September is her birthday. Told her we could not bring a cake, she is still being fed via a tube. No flowers in the ICU. 'So all she wants is her hair washed and a hairdresser to shorten her long hair. 'Both of her Doctors have told me that she is amazing related to her healing and positive attitude. Looking better each day.' He added: 'Finn, we can not tell his overall conditions until he is totally off the sedative which was required to have him rest and heal. 'He is breathing on his own at the current time. He is in casts for his broken leg and arms. The mother and son were trampled on the Blyde Wildlife Estate (above) in Hoedspruit near their home 'We hope by the end of this weekend to have a better idea of his overall condition.' The mother and son were just 150 yards from their home on the Blyde Wildlife Estate when they were attacked. Finn had an emergency operation immediately to release pressure on his brain while his mother had surgery the next day and regained consciousness five days ago. Family lawyer Marina Botha confirmed: 'Finn is still sedated but he is beginning to wake up. 'As his sedatives are reduced and he starts to regain consciousness his medical team expect to get further indications of the severity of his injuries. 'We can confirm that he is breathing independently and we hope to have more information in the near future' she said. Dr Sam Williams (centre) is keeping up bedside vigils at the South African hospital where his son is in a paediatric intensive care unit The pair are recovering in intensive care at the Busamed Modderfontein Hospital near Johannesburg, South Africa. Father Dr Williams, 36, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, has been keeping bedside vigils since the attack on September 3. Katy, from Baltimore, Maryland, who initially could only communicate with her husband by sign language, is now swapping hand written notes with him. The lawyer added: 'Katy's recovery is going well and her condition is improving daily. 'She understands that it will take time to recover fully but she has a positive attitude and she is surprising doctors with her rapid progress. 'She is communicating with Sam by writing words and sentences on paper. And she has written to ask him to thank everyone for their overwhelming support on her behalf'. The giraffe attack happened after they stumbled across the giraffe and her young calf by accident. It is thought the giraffe had been spooked and was protecting her calf but it attacked the young mum and her son and the 15-foot-tall giraffe trampled them both underfoot. The lawyer confirmed the giraffe that carried out that attack is being moved to another reserve and will not be destroyed. Both victims were airlifted to hospital near Johannesburg and placed in medically induced comas while two teams of surgeons operated on them to repair life threatening injuries. The attack happened near their home on the Blyde Wildlife Estate near Hoedspruit (pictured) Dr Sam Williams first revealed on Tuesday that he and Katy were communicating by sign language although he said it was 'difficult' due to the nature of her injuries. He said:'I was amazed to see Katy wake up and to be able to talk to her and to reassure her that we were there for her. 'Finn is stable and doctors are satisfied with his condition under the circumstances. I hope that in time he will also wake up so that we can all be reunited as a family. Katy's father Jack Standish and son David have flown from the US to be at the bedside of their daughter, who is a respected scientist and wildlife biologist. Mr Standish said: 'There can be nothing worse than being thousands of miles away when something of this nature happens to your daughter and grandson. 'It was so difficult not to be able to do anything for her and Finn and it is the worst nightmare that any parent can face. Katy Williams and son Finn, three, (pictured) were taken to hospital after the giraffe attack 'I can always tell how Katy is doing by the look in her eyes. I can see that she was very happy to see us but that she is very concerned about Finn. 'I know it will take a long time for them to recover but I will be here as long as they need me. 'I can inform everyone who speculated about how this tragic incident happened that Katy is very well trained in all aspects of wild life through university and years in the field. 'Katy and I have talked about the danger of giraffes on the reserve where they live previously. They know they had to be cautious around them. 'This was an unfortunate incident but I can inform you that Katy would not deliberately put herself and Finn in danger. 'We hold no judgement against the giraffe. This is just the way nature is and we accept that.' A New Zealand man who broke into his former partner's home and punched her 15 times because she didn't want to cuddle him has been ordered to pay her $175 in compensation. Caleb O'Connel, 21, ignored a standing AVO when he broke into his former partner's home and slid into her bed while she sleeping on January 20. When asked what he was doing, he exclaimed that he 'wanted cuddles' but after she rejected his advances he became irate. Caleb O'Connel broke into his ex-girlfriend's house and punched her 15 times because she didn't want to cuddle him After she repeatedly asked him to leave, O'Connel began screaming: 'Is this what you want, do you want me to beat you up?' according to the New Zealand Herald. He then pushed her onto the bed and punched her 15 times on her legs as she curled into the foetal position to try and protect herself. The woman kicked at her ex-boyfriend but he grabbed her ankle, slapped her on the arm and climbed on top of her. Hearing the commotion from next door, a neighbour called out and O'Connel fled the property. O'Connel, who lives in Dunedin, was previously barred from seeing or having any contact the woman after he hurled a glass at her face just three weeks earlier. O'Connel appeared in Dunedin District Court last week and pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, intentional damage and two counts of assault. The victim said she wanted to see change in O'Connell and his alcohol abuse had to be addressed. O'Connel has been sentenced to 12 months of intensive supervision, four months of community detention, 150 hour's community work and is forced to pay $175 to the victim. O'Connel appeared in Dundein District Court in New Zealand and pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, intentional damage and two counts of assault A Texas man was stung more than 600 times by bees while he was mowing his yard over the weekend. Vern Roberts said he was attacked by Africanized honey bees, also known as 'killer bees' outside his home in Wallis. His wife Mary was inside their house when she heard him screaming and ran outside to try and rescue him. Vern Roberts (pictured), of Texas, was stung more than 600 times by 'killer bees' over the weekend. He was stung all over his body, including his mouth and even down his throat Roberts was stung all over his body, including in his mouth and even down his throat Roberts said he 'tried to get away' but the bees were too overwhelming. He told KHOU: 'I tried to stop, drop and roll... I would stagger and fall and flop around, all sorts of things.' Roberts was stung 600 times all over his body, including in his mouth and even down his throat. His wife Mary was stung more than 60 times while trying to get him to the safety of their home. Once inside, Mary called 911, but when paramedics they were unable to get to Roberts because their yard was swarming with bees, according to KHOU. Roberts was forced to walk outside just to get to the ambulance and was subsequently stung more. He was rushed to a local hospital where he spent three days in the intensive care unit. He's expected to make a full recovery. An ex-bikie member who escaped unscathed after 14 bullets struck his house has sent stern message to those responsible. Daniel Devries told his attackers to 'be a man' and knock on his door after his South Australian home was sprayed with more than a dozen bullets. 'Knock on my door don't drive past my house with guns and spray bullets with my daughter in the house,' Mr Devires told Seven News. Scroll down for video Daniel Devries (pictured) told his attackers to 'be a man' and knock on his door after his South Australian was sprayed with more than a dozen bullets Mr Devires was asleep with his three-year-old daughter when the attack took place last weekend. The former member of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle gang was woken up by the sound of gunfire. 'Thank God that we chose the lounge,' Mr Devries said. 'You never know how it could've ricocheted my daughter sleeps right here.' Despite leaving the bikie gang four months ago, Mr Devries won't confirm whether it was his former gang who planned the attack, citing the 'code of silence' Despite leaving the bikie gang four months ago, Mr Devries wouldn't confirm whether it was them who planned the attack, citing the 'code of silence'. 'I've done some bad things in my time, I'll tell you that, but I'm trying to change my life for my daughter,' he said. 'My daughter comes first,' he said. An investigation led by Crime Gangs Task Force is now underway with police combing the scene for any evidence. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Britons will be eating shorter chips next year because the dry summer has yielded smaller potatoes. The UK imports almost 750,000 tonnes of frozen chips per year from Belgium and the Netherlands where farmers have suffered a 20 per cent drop in crop yields due to lack of rain. Another one million tonnes of frozen fries are made from homegrown spuds - but even our farmers have seen a 10 - 15 per cent drop in yields. Britons will be eating smaller chips next year because the dry summer has yielded smaller potatoes (stock image of fish and chips) Cedric Porter, editor of World Potato Markets, told The Telegraph: 'This was the hottest British summer since 1976, which any potato person will tell you was an almost mythical year. It is still talked about in potato circles. 'The chips are down,' he added. 'You can expect smaller chips in Britain and in Europe.' Pierre Lebrun, the coordinator of the potato sector of Wallonia, said chips will be an inch shorter than their usual 3.5 inches long. 'We will eat small fries,' he said. Low yields have sent the prices of potatoes on the open market soaring from 8.90 per ton last year to 222 per ton this year, Mr Porter said. Drought and heatwaves since late spring have withered crops in northern Europe, fuelling concern about tightening grain supplies. In August, Paris wheat futures soared to their highest in over five years. Analysts at Strategie Grains lowered their outlook for the EU's barley harvest, pegging production at 57.1 million tonnes, down 2.5 million tonnes from the firm's July estimate. 'Yields in Poland and the Baltic countries are very low and they could even be described as catastrophic in Germany and Scandinavia,' the firm said of wheat and barley. 'Disappointingly low yields are now confirmed in France, Italy, UK, and the central and southeast EU countries,' it added. John McDonnell was today confronted with his own demands for 'direct action' against Tories amid fury at left-wing goading of Jacob Rees-Mogg's children. The shadow chancellor was challenged over his previous comments calling for people to 'challenge' Conservative politicians whenever they see them on the streets. During a webchat on Mumsnet, one reader highlighted the episode last week when Mr Rees-Mogg was accosted at his London home by a protester who told his six-year-old son that his father was a 'totally horrible person'. The user, BayeauxT, wrote: 'Do you agree that Jacob Rees-Mogg's children are fair game? Shadow chancellor John McDonnell (pictured speaking in London last week) was challenged over his previous comments calling for people to 'challenge' Conservative politicians whenever they see them on the streets Activist Ian Bone (right, in the flat cap) was filmed accosting the Rees-Mogg family and telling the children that their father doesn't pay their nanny Veronica Crook (in black) 'very much' because he was too busy 'posing as a Latin eating, gut-orientated toff' 'You are reported to have said: 'I want to be in a situation where no Tory MP, no Tory MP, no coalition minister, can travel anywhere in the country, or show their face anywhere in public, without being challenged, without direct action.' Mr McDonnell replied that the incident was 'appalling' and he 'totally condemned' it. 'What I have said in the past is that MPs of whatever persuasion should be confronted by people if their actions in parliament are appalling,' he said. 'Protest and direct action have been part of our political life since time immemorial. Nevertheless, that protest and direct action must be peaceful.' The demand for 'direct action' was originally made by Mr McDonnell in 2011, when the coalition government was in power and implementing austerity measures. Mr Rees-Mogg's three youngsters stood stunned last week as activist Ian Bone, wearing a flat cap and leaning on a stick, was filmed shouting at them: 'Your daddy won't answer the question. 'Your daddy is a totally horrible person. 'A lot of people don't like your daddy, you know that. No he's probably not told you about that.' The grandfather and father-of-five added: 'A lot of people hate him.' During the hour-long webchat today, Mr McDonnell also said he is hoping that the next leader of the Labour Party will be a woman. He admitted Labour's anti-Semitism crisis 'should have been handled much more effectively and sooner', adding that he hoped the party 'can move forward on this issue much more constructively'. He also said Labour needed to 'build bridges with the Jewish community'. A Labour General Election win, he said, was 'achievable', and added that the party 'respects' the EU referendum result. Mr McDonnell also defended his employment of Jeremy Corbyn's son Seb, adding: 'He was appointed on merit and I regret the level of abuse he's received just because of his surname... I do not believe that people's families should be brought into political debate in this way.' Mr Rees-Mogg (pictured in Westminster last week) shrugged off the protester's rant Mr Bone told the children: 'Daddy doesn't pay nanny much, so poor nanny Crook who looks after you and wipes your bottom, she doesn't get enough money every week'. Ms Crook (holding the baby) regularly appears in family pictures He said he was 'really worried' about the state of social media, adding: 'People seem to think they can say anything on social media often in ways they would never say to your face. I just find we all need to stand back a bit and think hard about how we communicate and the reaction of people to our words. That includes me.' Asked if the UK could repair relations with Russia in the wake of the Salisbury attack, he said: 'Of course... but I believe we can be more effective by the use of orders to tackle the Russian money that is flowing through the City of London, often in money laundering exercises.' Answering the customary Mumsnet question on his favourite biscuit, Mr McDonnell replied: 'My Mum worked behind the biscuit counter in BHS and we lived off broken biscuits, in particular rich tea.' Hero police officer Keith Palmer was stabbed 12 times with two knives after trying to stop the Westminster Bridge attacker, an inquest has heard. Khalid Masood murdered five people and injured 50 others when he drove his car into pedestrians outside the Houses of Parliament in March 2017. After leaping out of his car, Masood launched himself at PC Palmer and inflicted three serious stab wounds and nine 'minor' injuries. One of the wounds was seven inches deep and both fractured the officer's rib and passed into the heart, causing massive blood loss. It comes as the inquest also heard how unarmed PC Palmer was 'completely failed' by the security designed to protect him, with armed officers stationed too far away. PC Keith Palmer (left) was pictured less than an hour before the attack at the Houses of Parliament with tourist Staci Martin (right) PC Lee Ashby, one of two authorised firearms officers (AFOs) who was on duty in New Palace Yard when Masood struck, said he would have taken the shot if he had been on a fixed post at Carriage Gates. He and colleague PC Nicholas Sanders were instead positioned at the other side of the yard where they could not see or hear the carnage unfolding, and no AFOs had been near the gates for almost an hour. PC Ashby said he was responsible for patrolling 'sector three', including the Members' Entrance, Carriage Gates and College Green. The experienced marksman accepted it was not possible to provide effective cover for the gates on his patrol and agreed the system left unarmed officers unprotected at the entrance 'more often than not'. Dominic Adamson, representing PC Palmer's widow Michelle, said: 'The system of security at the Palace of Westminster completely failed to protect PC Palmer on that day?' PC Ashby replied: 'It would seem so, sir.' Paramedics desperately try to help PC Keith Palmer, as he bleeds to death outside the Houses of Parliament (bottom right) On Wednesdays, it was suggested to armed officers that they should prioritise the Member's Entrance, because cabinet ministers and a large number of MPs would be attending Prime Minister's Questions, the inquest heard. Theresa May was in the building at the time that Masood broke through the open Carriage Gates and stabbed PC Palmer, who was guarding the gates. The armed officers were not told they should concentrate on the 'vulnerable' entrance that PC Palmer was guarding, the inquest heard. PC Lee Ashby told the inquest that he would have shot Masood as he attacked the unarmed officer if he had been at the Carriage Gates entrance. But he said a fixed position behind the Carriage Gates was abandoned in late 2012 and 'roving' patrols were introduced instead. PC Ashby said he had to cover three other entrances and the fenceline and he could not be at 'more than one place at a time.' Dr Robert Chapman, a consultant forensic pathologist, described how a seven-inch deep wound under PC Palmer's left arm had fractured the officer's fourth rib. Khalid Masood (pictured left) murdered five people (including PC Palmer, right) and injured 50 others when he drove his car into pedestrians outside the Houses of Parliament in March 2017 It then continued into the chest cavity and left lung, through the pulmonary artery, and into the left atrium of the heart. 'This would be a severe force injury to cause significant damage to a bone, the fourth rib,' the pathologist said. He said there had been 'immediate and profuse blood loss into the chest space' adding: 'In my opinion this injury was not survivable.' A 'moderate force injury' stab wound to PC Palmer's left upper arm was three inches in length damaged the humerus bone. Meanwhile, a 'cutting wound' to the back of PC Palmer's head was 3.7 inch in length and scored the skull underneath. PC Palmer was 'failed by security protocol' The police officer murdered in the Westminster terror attack was 'completely failed' by the security designed to protect him. PC Keith Palmer, 48, was stabbed to death by Khalid Masood, 52, as firearms officers stood out of range. PC Lee Ashby was on duty in the New Palace Yard section and was in the Members' Entrance at the House of Commons when PC Palmer knifed. PC Ashby told the inquest he believed he was carrying out his duty and standing in the correct area, particularly as it was Prime Minister's Questions at the time. Official instructions stated, 'Officers to be positioned in close proximity to the gates when they are open, but not outside.' But PC Ashby and his colleagues followed a map from 2012 which was posted in the operations room and were unaware of newer instructions. PC Ashby said: 'Every firearms officer performed a patrol as per the map, as per they're supposed to do.' Dominic Adamson, on behalf of PC Palmer's widow, Michelle, asked: 'Your experience of patrolling in New Palace Yard was never challenged by any of your colleagues of your rank?' 'Never challenged by any colleagues of my rank or any rank,' the officer replied. Mr Adamson said: 'If these were your instructions you did not as a matter of fact follow them.' 'No sir.' 'And even now you, as an Authorised Firearms Officer, have not had explained to you what you were doing wrong?' 'No.' A report was made by the Department of Professional Standards in December 2017 which assessed this as 'poor practice.' The report stated: 'It is clear that this procedure is not unique to these officers and that wider command practice was reflective of the same misunderstanding.' PC Ashby told the inquest he had not been made aware of the findings and had not been contacted by a single representative of the Department of Professional Standards. Mr Adamson said: 'The state of security arrangements for that area were so lax that the relevant post instructions were not being performed or acted upon over a number of years. 'You weren't there because you weren't expected to be there.' PC Ashby replied, 'That's correct.' 'The system of security at the Palace of Westminster completely failed to protect PC Palmer on that day did it not?' Mr Adamson said. 'It would appear so sir.' 'Because it had not been functioning for years?' 'Based on the sector three map that I was responsible for, yes.' Advertisement The inquest heard there were nine other minor stab wounds, to his upper back, upper right shoulder, chest, upper left thigh, left wrist and hand. Injuries to the back of his hand and left palm were 'consistent with the edge of a sharp weapon' and indicated the 'possible use of the hands in a defensive way and similar to the injury to the left arm.' Kurt Cochran, 54, Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Andreea Cristea, 31, were also killed after being hit by the Hyundai being driven by Masood. Consultant pathologist Ashley Fegan-Earl described the injuries suffered after the vehicle was deliberately used as a weapon, adding: 'It is as lethal as a knife or a gun.' Masood crashed his car before stabbing PC Keith Palmer, 48, to death at the gates to the Palace of Westminster before being shot three times by police on March 22. An inquest at the Old Bailey on Tuesday heard Mr Cochran, Mr Rhodes, and Ms Frade suffered 'unsurvivable' injuries during Masood's rampage on Westminster Bridge. Mr Fegan-Earl said Ms Cristea's head injuries would have been likely proved fatal even had he not been thrown 10ft into the air before plunging 41ft to the Thames. She was pulled out after five minutes spent lying unconscious and face down in the water, but died in hospital two weeks later. Her cause of death was given as multiple organ failure due to head injury and immersion. Jonathan Hough QC, for the coroner, queried whether Ms Cristea might have lived if her head had been lifted out of the water sooner after the inquest heard she had initially been hooked by the crew of a tourist boat after around two minutes and 18 seconds. The pathologist said: 'I suspect not.' The inquest heard American tourist Mr Cochran pushed his wife Melissa out of the way moments before he was struck and toppled head first over the balustrade and onto the pavement below. He suffered multiple bruises, fractures and brain injuries and his 'survival period would have been brief', pathologist Dr Simon Poole said. A lawyer for Mr Cochran's sister had questioned why medics had not done chest compressions after he flatlined at the scene. Gareth Patterson QC said: 'We heard ordinarily chest compressions would be carried out. Because the paramedic was treating the incident as a major incident no chest compressions were conducted. 'If that had been done, might that have made a difference?' Dr Poole replied: 'I don't think so.' He added that the severity of the head wound and fractures to the skull were 'unsurvivable'. The inquest heard Mr Rhodes suffered a 'devastating' head injury when he was struck by Masood's rented car before being thrown on to the road. He was taken to King's College Hospital for treatment but died around 24 hours later. Dr Fegan-Earl said: 'The injury was devastating, unsurvivable and, in my opinion, it would have rendered him deeply unconscious straight away. 'There was no issue with the medical treatment he received and the formal cause of death was given as head injury.' Questions have been raised over whether it would have been possible to transport Mr Rhodes to hospital more quickly by air ambulance. But asked if Mr Rhodes could or would have survived had he received earlier medical intervention, the pathologist said: 'In my opinion, no.' Dr Fegan-Earl said Ms Frade's 'death would have been near instantaneous and in my opinion without suffering' when she was struck from behind, thrown into the air and under the wheels of a double-decker bus. He said she suffered a 'devastating, unsurvivable head injury' as well as 'devastating internal injuries' and fractures to her lower limbs. She would have been rendered unconscious immediately on the initial impact with Masood's car, which may have been fatal in itself, he added. Ms Frade's official cause of death was given as head and chest injuries. By Eric Weisbrot, chief marketing officer, JW Surety Bonds Starting a new business is exciting for many, as it lays the groundwork for creating opportunities that are not readily available in the normal nine-to-five grind. That excitement extends to those wishing to start a business in the transportation and logistics industry, particularly because of the high growth rate in the marketplace. Licensed freight brokers have a significant chance of making a name for themselves in the industry as experts predict an increase in the demand for intermediaries to help keep up with the shipping rush. However, just because the opportunity for successful freight brokerage businesses is ripe does not mean everyone who tries will succeed. Being a successful freight broker from the start requires business know-how as well as specific insight into the industry as a whole. Here are the top 10 reasons new freight brokers miss the mark, and how prospects in the market can set the stage for success. Not Allocating Enough Capital Nearly all new businesses require some amount of capital on hand to open the doors, even when the business operates mostly through digital communication and phone calls. Freight brokerage businesses do not have steep requirements for getting started from a financial perspective, but some startup costs must be considered. Freight brokers need to have enough set aside for registering a new business, getting the right equipment and technology tools to manage workflow, and securing a bond, insurance, and cash reserves. Those who fail to plan for these necessary expenses cannot last long in the freight brokerage business. Misunderstanding Business Requirements Being a freight broker is appealing to many because it does not require extensive resources or knowledge. However, having a legitimate freight broker business does have specific business requirements that cannot be overlooked. Some freight brokers new to the industry bypass the licensing mandates, either on a state or federal level, while others completely overlook the need to get a freight broker bond. Both of these aspects of the business are necessary components to operate legally, and successful freight brokers follow these rules closely. Ignoring the Importance of Industry Experience Having a few years of experience in transportation and logistics goes a long way as a freight broker. Some individuals see the opportunity in the market and assume starting a freight brokerage is as simple as acquiring a leads list, a laptop, and a reliable phone. However, successful freight brokers need experience in the industry to thrive for the long term. Experience can be garnered in several different areas, including trucking, business management, and logistics, but the bottom line is that some level of understanding of the market is needed. Not Making the Right Connections Successful freight brokers take time to cultivate strong business relationships, many of which originate from their experience in the industry. Those who are newer to the freight brokerage or transportation business may find it difficult to make these connections right away. However, participating in online forums, talking about opportunities and challenges with carriers and shippers, and being open to new business relationships with other freight brokerage firms is beneficial in overcoming this obstacle. Avoiding the Tech Train In transportation, technology is looked upon as either a helping hand or a barrier to overcome. New freight brokers who wish to be successful in launching their business need to embrace the right technology tools from the start. Several digital solutions for managing a freight brokerage business exist, as do technology platforms for business management needs like accounting and payroll. Implementing these resources is necessary in order to be successful over time. Failing to Market A significant aspect of operating a freight brokerage business is the ability to market services and solutions to the masses. According to the most recent data, there are more than 13,000 licensed freight brokers operating in the United States, meaning competition is high. New freight brokers should have strategies in place to market their business, whether that is through online, print, or other media outlets. Leaving Prospects Hanging Freight brokers who start out with immediate success may find themselves overwhelmed by the number of prospects asking for their help. One of the challenges in being a new, successful freight broker is implementing systems to manage lead flow over time. Fortunately, many lead-management tools are available that can help create a sustainable process for keeping in contact with prospects as they materialize. Incorrect Pricing It is often difficult for new freight brokers to set their rates correctly the first time. They either price their services too low and lose out on potential profits, or they create an unrealistic price that pushes them out of the running for new business. Staying up to date with industry trends in pricing and freight rates is beneficial in setting the right price initially and as the business grows. Avoiding Additional Education Freight brokers who lean too heavily on their industry experience or previous success may ultimately fail because they overlook the importance of ongoing training and education. Freight broker training courses exist at many colleges and universities around the country, as well as several online schools. Staying up to date on current operations procedures, shipping and carrier needs, and pricing and marketing tactics through freight broker training can make a substantial difference in success or failure as a broker. Not Doing the Work Finally, new freight brokers miss the mark in operating a successful, profitable business because they do not put in the time and effort needed. The brokerage business requires constant lead sourcing and follow-up, as well as staying on top of the progress of each job. Additionally, freight brokers need to put in the work of operating their business in line with state and federal regulations over time. Failing to exert the energy required to keep up with all the aspects of a brokerage business will lead to a less-than-successful business. Avoiding these common mistakes as a new freight broker will help ensure your business stays operating successfully both now and in the future. Eric Weisbrot is the Chief Marketing Officer of JW Surety Bonds. With years of experience in the surety industry under several different roles within the company, he is also a contributing author to the surety bond blog. A former Republican state senator in Oklahoma has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking. Ralph Shortey, who pleaded guilty last year to paying a teenage boy for sex, apologized in court on Monday for 'leading a double life of sin'. US District Judge Timothy DeGiusti handed down the sentence to Shortey, 36, who had faced between 10 years and life in prison. DeGiusti also ordered the father-of-four to serve 10 years of supervised probation once he is released from prison and said he will impose a fine - which could be up to $250,000 on the former two-term lawmaker at a later date. Scroll down for video Former Senator Ralph Shortey (pictured) was arrested after being found in a motel with a teen Oklahoma police captured footage of Shortey (above) as they confronted him in Moore Hotel where he was found with a 17 year old boy they suspected he had hired to engage in sex After the sentence was handed down, Shortey said: 'I have begged God's forgiveness, and I hope that this all is another example to everyone to live a true life and to be what you say you are.' He pleaded guilty in November in exchange for prosecutors dropping three child pornography charges against him. On Monday his defense attorney Ed Blau said: 'I believe, based on Mr. Shortey's tragic background, the judge did the right thing and showed him some leniency'. Shortey was arrested in March 2017 after police found him in a suburban Oklahoma City motel room with a then-17-year-old boy. Police were acting on a tip from the teen's father when they went to the motel and said they smelled marijuana coming from the room. Police accused him of hiring the teen for sex. Shortey resigned shortly after the arrest and his wife obtained a divorce earlier this year. A police report indicated a search of the teen's tablet computer uncovered a series of sexually explicit exchanges in which Shortey referred to the teen as 'baby boy' and offered him cash in exchange for 'sexual stuff'. The FBI also found that Shortey had previously used fake names to send and receive child pornography and to go on Craigslist to seek casual encounters with males, the 'younger the better'. Shortey was twice elected in a district covering south Oklahoma City and parts of two suburbs. According to an affidavit seen by KFOR, the teen told authorities that he and Shortey had known each other for about one year. He said they originally met last year through a Craigslist personal encounter ad in or around February 2016. Shortey told detectives he met the teen through a coffee shop he owns, and learned that he had dropped out of high school. From then until March, the documents state, Shortey "obtained at least one image of John Doe's penis." 'When we first met, I was trying to help him study and get his GED,' Shortey said on an interrogation tape obtained by KFOR. Shortey speaking at Senate committee hearing in February 2017 (pictured), just one month before being found in a motel with a boy he had told police was 'just a friend' Shortey told detectives that the young man was supposed to take a test for his GED the next day, and had asked him to come pick him up. He said: 'The night that he called me, he just said that he needed to get out of his house. I'm assuming, I thought that he'd told me that he lived with some friends and he had told me in the past that it was hard for him to get clean because he was always with his friends, living with them. 'So when he called and said that he needed to get out of there, that he had a test the next day, then the choice was bring him over to my house, which I don't think my wife would have appreciated.' However the teen's Kindle tablet revealed the boy had told the man who went by the name of 'Jamie Tilley' that he needed money for spring break, to which the adult, believed to be Shortey, responded, 'Would you be interested in sexual stuff?' 'He offered him money for sexual contact, he then picked up that minor and took him to a hotel for that purpose,' Susan Caswell, Cleveland County first assistant district attorney, told KFOR after charges were filed. A federal indictment that was unsealed in September shows that Shortey was charged in federal court with two counts of transportation of child pornography, production of child pornography and child sex trafficking. Shortey ultimately pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking in exchange for the other charges to be dropped. Following a tip from the boy's father, police went looking for the teen at a Super 8 Motel in Moore, Oklahoma, on March 9, at a room rented with Shortey's driver's license and credit card. When officers knocked, Shortey told them he and the teen were getting dressed. 'When Shortey opened the door, Doe left the room with his backpack, which contained a bottle of lotion,' the police report stated. 'Inside the room, Moore Police offers found Shortey's backpack. Shortey's backpack contained an open box of condoms and a laptop computer.' The report also stated Shortey was in possession of child pornography that 'depicts a man engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent girl.' Western Virginia is the least diverse state in the U.S., according to a new nationwide analysis of racial, cultural and economic inequalities in America. Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia had the worst scores in the nation for socioeconomic and cultural diversity, and very low scores on religious and political diversity. A report released Tuesday by WalletHub ranked each state based on six metrics of diversity: socioeconomics, culture, economics, household marital status and age groups, religion and politics. This interactive graphic ranks the states from most (California) to least (West Virginia) diverse. Hover over the map to see how your state ranks. The below map shows the evolution of ethnic and racial diversity in each state from 2009-2016. By 2044, the U.S. will no longer have one ethnic majority (currently white people), and will only continue to grow in diversity, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the analysis didn't strictly look at different measures of diversity through the lens of race, but also considered overall disparities in educational achievement, income inequality and other factors. 'Diversity is a term that is commonly used as a euphemism to mean representation of people of color, but diversity, in an inclusive sense, can mean representation of any number of important social identities such as race, gender, class, sexual orientation, age, religion, ability and more,' said Hephzibah V. Strmic-Pawl, a professor of sociology at Manhattanville College. 'In all accounts of diversity, however, is an underlying conversation about discrimination and oppression,' she added. Using the WalletHub scale, Maine was second-worst on diversity overall, ranking near the bottom on all the same factors that landed West Virginia in last place, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Montana and Kentucky. Ranking Diversity in America: From most to least diverse 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 California Texas Hawaii New Jersey New York New Mexico Maryland Florida Nevada Illinois Arizona Virginia Georgia Connecticut Alaska Delaware Colorado Washington Massachusetts North Carolina Rhode Island Oklahoma Louisiana South Carolina Kansas Nebraska Alabama Minnesota Mississippi Pennsylvania Oregon Tennessee Arkansas Idaho South Dakota North Dakota Michigan Missouri Wisconsin Indiana Wyoming Ohio Utah Iowa Kentucky Montana New Hampshire Vermont Maine West Virginia Advertisement At the other end of the spectrum, California was the most diverse state in the nation, ranking first for cultural diversity and third for socioeconomic diversity. Texas came in second with top scores for cultural and religious diversity, followed by Hawaii, which ranked high on socioeconomic, cultural and economic diversity. New Jersey came in fourth, followed by New York, New Mexico, Maryland and Florida. When WalletHub researchers broke down the states by income diversity regardless of race Alaska scored the highest, with the least income inequality in the nation, followed by Maryland, Hawaii, New Hampshire and Connecticut. The American South is home to the greatest disparities between the rich and poor, with Mississippi ranking at the bottom on that metric, followed by West Virginia, Arkansas, Alabama and Kentucky. Researchers also compared educational attainment in terms of how many people attained degrees, finding that Massachusetts had the best scores in the U.S., followed by California, New York, Maryland and New Jersey. Wyoming ranked last in the nation on educational attainment, followed by West Virginia, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. California also topped the list for most linguistic diversity in the U.S., followed by New Mexico, Texas, New Jersey and New York. West Virginia, again, ranked at the bottom, followed by Mississippi, Montana, Alabama and Kentucky. Strmic-Pawl said that states can take steps to promote all kinds of diversity at home, which is good for the economy and communities at the local level. 'States can encourage companies and policymakers to create community and educational programs in underrepresented communities so that they are given opportunities,' she said. 'Outreach programs on the public and private level have a record of success.' She gave the example of Pensole: Footwear Design Academy of Portland, Oregon, noting that the company has successfully created jobs for people of diverse backgrounds in the shoe industry. 'A diverse area needs to be diverse not just for the sake of diversity but as a pathway for creating equal opportunities and resources,' Strmic-Pawl said. 'If there is a more egalitarian society then there will be greater social innovation and social cohesion.' At least 38 states have 'set-aside' programs where a certain portion of government contracts are guaranteed to go to minority businesses. Some of those states mandate quotas for those contracts, while others treat it as a guideline. For example, Connecticut, which ranks fourteenth on WalletHub's scale, sets aside 25 percent of its contracts for small businesses, and 25 percent of that must be awarded to minority business enterprises, according the National Conference of State Legislatures. New York has a target of 30 percent of contracts going to minority and women-owned businesses, and a goal of 6 percent of those going to veteran and disability owned businesses. A 61-year-old man was shot at and fatally wounded by police after he pointed a gun at them while exiting a vehicle during a traffic stop. Paul Askins, 61, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was killed by police during a highway traffic stop on August 31. The incident, which was captured by body and dashboard cameras, occurred at about 4.41pm, when two deputies stopped a truck for making an unsafe turn 'right in front of them,' according to a Douglas County Sheriff's Office Facebook post. Body cam footage shows the moment when deputies ask Paul Askins, 61, to exit a truck during a traffic stop. In the video, Askins can be seen holding up a gun before deputies shoot him There were four adult passengers in the truck two men and two women. The driver was said to be a woman, who deputies discovered had a restraining order against her by a male who appeared to match the description of the man in the rear right passenger seat, later identified as Askins. Authorities later discovered that Paul Askins had two arrest warrants out, one for second-degree degree burglary of a building and the other for Failure to Appear The two women and the second man, who was in the front passenger seat, cooperated with the deputies. Askins, however, refused to give the deputies his legal name. Eventually, the deputies told Askins to exit the vehicle. Body and dashboard cameras show the moment when a deputy, who has not been identified, approaches the right rear passenger door and tells Askins to step out of the truck. After a few seconds, Askins peers out of the rolled down window and then opens the door, pointing a handgun at the deputy as he steps down from the truck. The deputy can be seen quickly backpedaling and falling to the ground on his back as he fires his gun at Askins. Askins can be seen standing with his gun raised in a firing position, aiming at the first deputy, before he falls down after being shot. Multiple camera angels caught the deputy waiting for Askins to exit the pulled-over truck As Askins raises his gun at the deputy, the deputy falls back and draws his own weapon Other camera angels show a second deputy and a third man with their guns drawn, while Askins falls to the ground and rolls over after being hit Other points-of-view footage show a second deputy drawing his gun and firing at Askins, while a third man, who is not in uniform, rushes from the driver's side door, around the back of the truck with his gun drawn. Authorities said that Askins was shot multiple times and was fatally wounded during the incident. The deputies involved in the shooting do not appear to have been injured and no injuries of the other truck passengers were reported. Following the incident, authorities said that Askins was not the man the female driver had a restraining order against and that Askins had not actually fired his gun at the deputies, according to the Denver Post. At the time of his death, Askins was said to have had two active warrants out against him from El Paso County, Colorado. One of the warrants was for second-degree degree burglary of a building, while the other was for Failure to Appear. Authorities said the investigation is still open and active and that additional details about the incident and investigation were not being released yet. The three other truck passengers have not been named. It is unclear if any of them will face charges, but authorities said that they did not have any arrest warrants, according to KRDO. A man has been charged with murdering his father by stabbing him to death in a fight over money then trying to dismember his body before dumping it by the side of the road. Robert Coult III is accused of killing his father, Robert Coult Jr., at their home in Yeoden, Pennsylvania, on Friday. Prosecutors say he attacked his 59-year-old father while they argued over a 'small' sum of money. Robert Coult III, 31, appeared outside a police station on Monday (left) where he was charged with the murder of his father, Robert Coult Jr, (right) who was found bludgeoned to death and stabbed in the head on Saturday Afterwards, he placed his father's lifeless body in the passenger seat of his car, fastened the seat belt and drove to a county club where he discarded it on the side of the road after failing to take him apart, police say. The body was found by a by-passer who alerted police. Coult III was arrested after showing indifference about his father's death. On Tuesday, he was seen outside the police station but said nothing to suggest any emotion about the killing. The fight allegedly began at the men's home in Yeadon, Pennsylvania (pictured), where the son is said to have pushed his father down the stairs in a fight over money then bludgeoned him with a hammer and stabbed him in the head with a kitchen knife According to police, the 31-year-old son was indifferent when they visited his home after his father's body was found and he changed his story many times. His father previously had him committed to a mental hospital against his will On his way out, he called a group of journalists asking him questions 'vultures'. Prosecutors have not yet revealed what the sum of money was which started the argument or why it had caused a disagreement. Coulton allegedly propped his father's corpse up in his car and drove him 16 miles to the country club where he dumped his body Coult Jr. had previously put his son in a mental hospital against his will, and officers had been called to the home on reports of domestic disturbances. The pair's argument allegedly began on Friday with Coult III allegedly pushing his father down the stairs. He then retrieved a hammer and bludgeoned him on the head, prosecutors said, according to Philly.com. Unsatisfied that he was still breathing, the son then allegedly retrieved a knife from their kitchen and stabbed him in the head. He then put his dead body in the front seat of their car and drove 16 miles to Philadelphia Country Club where he dumped him on a road outside, they allege. Police believe he then tossed bloodied towels he had used to try clean up the scene in a dumpster. He is said to have thrown the clothes he was wearing in a separate dumpster. After his father's body was found the next day and police identified him, the younger man is said to have behaved strangely when questioned. Police found the older man's discarded corpse by the side of the road on Saturday Relatives say that he returned home on Saturday and was playing video games while they were looking for his father. Upon police questioning, Coult's story changed several times, officers said. He told them his father's car was having work done at the mechanic which piqued their suspicion. A DNA test of the vehicle later revealed traces of blood. Police also found evidence of spattered blood inside the house which someone had tried to clean up. Coult III remains in custody awaiting his next court date on September 25. Two men who caused the death of a pregnant mother after towing an unroadworthy van 27 miles down a dual carriageway have been jailed. Lukasz Orywal, 37, fitted a 'makeshift' one-metre tow bar between his Chrysler Voyager and a 'non-runner' van he had bought for 300. He drove the Chrysler, while his friend and convicted burglar Andy Hurns, 28, sat in the driver's seat of the van behind on August 25 last year. Witnesses who saw the two vehicles speeding down the A17 in Leadenham in Lincolnshire saw the van swinging from side to side. After 27 miles the tow bar snapped and sent Orywal's car spinning at 45 degrees onto the wrong side of the road - where it hit an oncoming VW Passatt. The driver Kamil Zdeb, 27, a lorry driver from Bradford, survived, but his wife Aneta, 26, who was 14 weeks pregnant, died as a result of traumatic liver and heart injuries. In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement read out today at Lincoln Crown Court, Mr Zdeb told of how his three-year-old daughter still cries out for her mother at night. Lukasz Orywal, 37 (pictured right) and Andy Hurns, 28 (pictured left) were jailed for three years and nine months and banned from driving for four years and four months after causing the death of pregnant mother Aneta Zdeb Hurns, of Retford, and Orywal, of Lound, both admitted causing death by dangerous driving. Both men were jailed for three years and nine months, banned from driving for four years and four months and must take an extended retest. Mr Zdeb was knocked unconscious in the crash, but his daughter was protetced by her car seat and escaped with just scratches to her arms and legs. His wife died just a few hours later after being admitted to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. They had been driving from Bradford to visit family in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Lincoln Crown Court heard Orywal, who worked as a groom for a professional three day event, had refused to pay 300 to hire a transporter for the van. He fled the scene and was only arrested the following day after making a phone call from a shop in the village of Claypole - eight miles from the crash. Hurns, who did not have a driving licence and had been promised cash by Orywal to take control of the van, remained at the scene and tried to help move some of the debris. Both men were jailed for three years and nine months after Judge Simon Hirst told them: 'The driving from both of you was appalling in so many respects.' Orywal, who lived in the village of Lound between Retford and Gainsborough, had arranged to pick the van up from a motor dealer 27 miles away in Boston after being told it was a 'non-runner only used to be used for spares and repairs'. Jon Fountain, prosecuting, said a 'make shift rigid tow bar' made from a farm jack was attached between the two vehicles. CCTV caught the two men stopping at a petrol station shortly after leaving Boston to check the tow bar. Mr Fountain told the court: 'They must have been aware of the problems within minutes of setting off.' Collision investigators who examined the two vehicles after the crash found the van's brakes to be defective and concluded it should not have been towed at any speed above 15mph. The van was also at least half a ton over the safe braking limit to be towed by the Chrysler. 'When Orywal braked the momentum of the Movano van pushed the Chrysler across the carriageway before slicing off the tow bar and continuing,' Mr Fountain added. In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement read out today at Lincoln Crown Court (pictured) Mr Zdeb told of how his three-year-old daughter still cries out for her mother at night after she died as a result of the crash 'Orywal fled the scene on foot. The next day he made a call on a mobile phone from a village shop in Claypole. He was collected and arrested.' The court heard Mr Zdeb was still 'too distressed' to attend court to watch the sentencing but wanted his victim impact statement read out. In the statement Mr Zdeb said: 'I thought at first that I could cope by myself. Time has showed there is no such possibility. I don't know what to do. 'I just can't believe she has gone. We were young; our lives in front of us. We had so many plans. 'I have a child, three years old, who needs a mother and she hasn't got one. She cries out at night for her mother. 'She was 26 years of age. She was too young to die. Where is the sense?' Hurns, from Retford, was interviewed by police and said he had expressed his concerns to Orywal after stopping before the collision. He told officers he did not know why he had continued other than to get home. Later asked by police if he thought the van was safe. He told officers 'it was a pile of s***'. The court heard Hurns had a bad criminal record with previous convictions for burglary, assault and driving over the prescribed limit. He did not hold a driving licence after 'taking some lessons' and his provisional licence had expired. Michael Cranmer-Brown, mitigating for Orywal, said he had been in the UK for five years and had just one conviction for speeding. Passing sentence Judge Hirst told them: 'The driving from both of you was appalling in so many respects. 'First, you Mr Orywal, you knew a transporter was required but you would not pay for one. 'You set up a rigid tow bar between the Chrysler and the van. There was less than a metre behind the Chrysler. 'You stopped shortly in to the journey. It is clear from the footage both of you knew this was dangerous but you carried on. 'Both of you knew the van was moving from side to side, crossing the white line, bumping in to the back of the Chrysler, but you didn't stop. 'You drove at about 55mph. The safe speed limit was no more than 15mph, and you drove for 27 miles.' The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into potential fraud by Tesla Inc. following CEO Elon Musk's tweet in August that he had 'funding secured' to take the company private. The company said on Tuesday that it received a 'voluntary request for documents' from the DOJ, following Musk's post, the Wall Street Journal reported. Though Tesla said it hasn't received a request for testimony or had any documents summons by subpoena, the voluntary request is generally the first step in this type of federal investigation. Should a criminal case move forward, it would be in parallel to an investigation already underway by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a lawsuit brought by shareholders. Tesla's stock price intially dropped by 6.64 percent on Tuesday, to $288.20, after the criminal investigation was revealed, before slightly rebounding by 3pm Eastern to a drop of 3.44 percent and a price of $284.70. Tesla stock rose 11 percent in one day on August 7, the day Musk tweeted the offending statement, kicking off more than a month of turmoil for the electric car company, with several top executives leaving the company in the last week. The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Tesla Inc. following CEO Elon Musk's tweet in August that he had 'funding secured' to take the company private, the company said; Musk is shown here at an event at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California on Monday Tesla has already been under heightened scrutiny since Musk's chaotic announcement on August 7 on Twitter that he was considering taking Tesla private in a buyout valued at $72 billion, a plan that was reversed two weeks later. 'Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured,' he tweeted on August 7. Musk followed up the post with a threaded reply, writing, 'Shareholders could either [opt] to sell at 420 or hold shares and go private.' Tesla has already been under heightened scrutiny since Musk's chaotic announcement on August 7 on Twitter that he was considering taking Tesla private in a buyout valued at $72 billion, a plan that was reversed two weeks later The ill-fated effort has also prompted a class-action lawsuit alleging Musk was trying to punish investors who bet against the company. The billionaire' s behavior has raised concerns about his corporate leadership, with several Wall Street analysts and some investors urging Tesla to appoint a strong second-in-command. Meanwhile, Tesla's top accountant, chief accounting officer Dave Morton, announced on September 7 that he was stepping down after just one month on the job, citing the electric car company's frenetic pace. Tesla's stock price initially dropped by 6.64 percent on Tuesday, to $288.20, after the criminal investigation was revealed The price slightly rebounded by 3pm Eastern to a drop of 3.44 percent and a price of $284.70 Tesla's chief accounting officer Dave Morton (pictured) announced on September that he was stepping down after just one month on the job Morton gave notice on September 4 that he was resigning, according to a filing on Friday. 'Since I joined Tesla on August 6, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations,' Morton said in the securities filing. 'As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future. I want to be clear that I believe strongly in Tesla, its mission, and its future prospects, and I have no disagreements with Tesla's leadership or its financial reporting.' Communications Vice President Sarah O'Brien (left) and head of Human Resources Gabrielle Toledano (right) left Tesla, with their last days both being on September 7 Communications Vice President Sarah O'Brien, who had been on leave, also left after two years at the company, with her last day being on September 7. Regarding O'Brien's departure, Tesla said in a statement issued on August 25 that the move had been planned for at least 'a couple of months.' 'We'd like to thank Sarah for all her contributions to Tesla and we wish her the best,' a Tesla spokesperson told Bloomberg News in an emailed statement. 'Sarah's transition has been underway for a couple of months and Dave Arnold, Tesla's Sr. Director of Global Communications, will take on her responsibilities.' O'Brien reportedly made the call to move on before Musk tweeted about taking the company private with Saudi Arabian investors on August 7. HR boss Gabrielle (Gaby) Toledano's last day with Tesla was also on September 7, after having been on leave for the last month, Bloomberg News reported. As of 1pm Eastern on Tuesday, Tesla's stock was down by nearly 12 percent for the month Ahead of the shakeup, Musk gave a bizarre interview late on September 6 in which he was seen smoking marijuana on footage from Joe Rogan's podcast. In the interview with comedian Rogan, Musk drank whiskey and tried a marijuana-and-tobacco cigarette proffered by the comedian as he mused about artificial intelligence and colonizing space. Towards the end of the podcast, Rogan lit a 'cigar' rolled with both tobacco and marijuana - a drug which is legal in the state of California - and offered it to Musk. 'You probably can't do this because of stockholders, right?,' Rogan asks Musk. Musk, who earlier joked that mushrooms - both a harmless fungi and an psychedelic drug - are 'delicious', clarified that the drug is legal, and was seen taking a puff on the joint before handing it back. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never,' he told Rogan. 'I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however I don't find it's very good for productivity.' The appearance was the latest unorthodox move by Musk, who has often surprised investors with brash and unpredictable behavior as Tesla has sought to live up to lofty manufacturing targets for its Model 3 electric car. Musk has admitted to severe stress from running Tesla. Don't treat Christine Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, the same way you treated me was Anita Hill's message to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Hill accused Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment when he was her boss and was subjected to intense personal questioning before the judiciary committee during his confirmation process. In an ope-ed in the New York Times on Tuesday, she wrote 'the integrity of the court' and 'the country's commitment to addressing sexual violence' is at stake. Don't treat Christine Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, the same way you treated me, Anita Hill, seen here at the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing, wrote in a New York Times op-ed Clarence Thomas at his 1991 confirmation hearing where he said he felt like he was a victim of 'high tech lynching' Christine Blasey Ford has accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault 'There is no way to redo 1991, but there are ways to do better,' Hill noted. 'In 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee had an opportunity to demonstrate its appreciation for both the seriousness of sexual harassment claims and the need for public confidence in the character of a nominee to the Supreme Court. It failed on both counts,' she added. Some of the same senators who sat on the judiciary panel in 1991 - Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Chuck Grassley - are on the committee today and will be questioning Kavanaugh and Ford this coming Monday. Hill advised all senators on the panel - 11 Republicans who are all white men, and 10 Democrats that include four women - to refrain from pitting the public interest in confronting sexual harassment against the need for a fair confirmation hearing, to have a neutral body investigate Ford's allegation, not to rush the hearings, and to call Christine Blasey Ford by her name instead of labeling her Kavanaugh's accuser. She noted Ford is outsourced compared to Kavanaugh, who has been sherpaed through the confirmation process and has had one-on-one meetings with senators. Hill concludes that since Kavanaugh 'stands to gain the lifetime privilege of serving on the country's highest court, he has the burden of persuasion. And that is only fair.' The 1991 bruising confirmation battle has returned to the halls of the Senate given the parallels between Thomas and Hill and Kavanaugh and Ford. Democrats, especially, have coopted Hill's name to call for a delay in Kavanaugh's confirmation process. 'In 1991, five days after Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment became public against her wishes, the Judiciary Committee held three days of controversial hearings. Now, just one week after Christine Blasey Ford shared her story, Republicans want to repeat past mistakes, rushing the process to hold a hearing,' Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement Monday night. 'What's worse at that time, President Bush asked the FBI to do its job and perform an investigation looking into Anita Hill's allegations, which it did. Now, under the Trump administration, Republicans want to do even less by blocking any investigation into Dr. Ford's allegations,' she added. Ford, in a bombshell interview on Sunday, described to The Washington Post in detail how, when she was at a teenage party in the 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend followed her upstairs when she went to the bathroom and pushed her into a bedroom. She detailed how Kavanaugh held her down, tried to rip off her swimsuit, and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. She said she escaped when his friend, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them. 'I thought he might inadvertently kill me,' Ford told the newspaper. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who led the Senate Judiciary Committee Thomas's 1991 confirmation hearing, said any woman's public claim of assault should be believed. Joe Biden, when he led the Senate Judiciary Committee during Clarence Thomas' hearing Biden said he believed Anita Hill from the start 'For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you've got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she's talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not it's been made worse or better over time. But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron,' he told reporters Monday at a reception at the Irish Ambassador's residence, according to The Washington Post. Biden said Ford's sexual assault accusation against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee brought up memories of the 1991 hearing. Biden, then a senator from Delaware, presided over the three days in October 1991 when Hill and Thomas were questioned about her allegations against him. Hill testified of Thomas, when he was her boss at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1982: 'spoke about acts that he had seen in pornographic films involving such matters as women having sex with animals and films showing group sex or rape scenes... On several occasions, Thomas told me graphically of his own sexual prowess.' She also said of one occasion: 'Thomas was drinking a Coke in his office, he got up from the table at which we were working, went over to his desk to get the Coke, looked at the can and asked, 'Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?'' Thomas denied the allegations and said he was the victim of a 'high tech lynching.' 'I deny each and every single allegation against me today that suggested in any way that I had conversations of a sexual nature or about pornographic material with Anita Hill, that I ever attempted to date her, that I ever had any personal sexual interest in her, or that I in any way ever harassed her,' he said. Biden said he believed Hill. 'Oh, I thought she was telling the truth at the beginning,' Biden said. 'I really did.' Brett Kavanaugh leaving his Maryland home Tuesday as he tries to save his Supreme Court nomination The Senate Judiciary met in October 1991 for the Clarence Thomas hearings. Pictured from left to right are -Senators Orrin Hatch (who is still on the committee), Strom Thurmond, Joseph Biden, Edward Kennedy, Howard Metzenbaum, and Patrick Leahy (who is still on the committee) 'There is no way to redo 1991, but there are ways to do better,' Anita Hill wrote Tuesday But he was criticized for allowing personal questioning of Hill from the all-male Senate panel. He voted against confirming Thomas and later apologized for his handling of the hearings. Biden said Monday night: 'The one regret I have is I wish there had been a way I could've controlled the questions. But you can't in a committee. Remember, when they went after the last victim [Hill], I kept trying to gavel, but there was no way to say, 'You can't ask that question.' The former vice president, who is mulling a 2020 presidential bid, spoke with reporters at Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall's Washington D.C. residence to celebrate the publication of the new Cambridge History of Ireland. But as the questions continued, Biden's staffers grew visibly uncomfortable and tried to move him on. He ignored their nudges, however, to hold forth on the topic. In the aftermath of the hearings, a then-record number of women - five - joined the other two women in the United States Senate for a total of seven, in an election dubbed 'The Year of the Woman.' Biden also praised Sen. Dianne Feinstein's handling of Ford's accusation. Republicans have complained Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, held on to a letter she received from Ford for too long. The date on the letter was July 30, 2018. 'Dianne's getting beat up now for why didn't she go forward,' Biden said. 'The one thing that's not said is, of all the progress we've made in the country, #Metoo, you still have the fundamental question of, what is the individual's right to come forward or not to come forward?' Biden added that Feinstein sits on the Judiciary Committee because he insisted when she got elected in 1992 that she, as well as newly-elected Democratic Sen. Carol Mosley Braun join the then all-male committee. 'Neither one wanted to be on and I campaigned for them on the condition that if they won they had to come on the committee,' Biden said A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for both sexually abusing an underage girl with a mental disability, and what authorities say was the largest collection of child pornography state law enforcement officials have seen. Lawrence Jamieson of Malvern was sentenced on Monday in federal court after pleading guilty in September 2017 to sex crimes and child pornography charges. Jamieson, now 59, and accomplice John Christopher Brown, 27, manipulated a girl who was then ages 15 and 16 into engaging in sexual acts with both men, which were filmed, and distributed by Jamieson online. An investigation into that crime revealed Jamieson had more than 14.4 million images and videos of children and infants being sexually abused, authorities said. 'Predators, take note,' US Attorney William McSwain said in a statement announcing the sentence. 'No matter who you are or where you come from, we will hunt you down, prosecute you, and put you in a jail cell for a very long time.' Jamieson pleaded guilty to the charges in September of last year, and was finally sentenced on Tuesday. The sentence for Brown, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, is still pending. Lawrence Jamieson, 59 (left), has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for both sexually abusing an underage girl with a mental disability with the help of John Christopher Brown, 27 (right), and what authorities say was the largest collection of child pornography state law enforcement officials have seen Jamieson's stash of images was collected over 15 years and was discovered when he was arrested in 2016 on charges that he and Brown manipulated an underage girl who is on the Autism spectrum, with learning disabilities and mental health issues, into performing sex acts on both men,Metro News reported. '[Jamieson] is the worst of the worst type of criminal a child predator who derives satisfaction from abusing societys must vulnerable members,' McSwain said. 'The details in this case are horrific,' he said, adding that '[Jamieson] concocted and carried out a plan to sexually abuse a child within his care someone he knew was susceptible to his influence.' Jamieson, now 59 (pictured in custody), and accomplice John Christopher Brown, 27, manipulated a girl who was then ages 15 and 16 into engaging in sexual acts with both men, which were filmed, and distributed by Jamieson online An investigation into that crime revealed Jamieson had more than 14.4 million images and videos of children and infants being sexually abused, authorities said Jamieson plotted to introduce the victim, who was described as someone who was in the care of Jamieson, to Brown beginning in February of 2015, when Brown was then 23. 'He [Jamieson] targeted this underage girl by first recruiting another adult male to pose as a teenaged boy so that they could dupe the victim into believing he was her boyfriend and gain her trust,' federal prosecutors said. Jamieson convinced the victim that Brown was 17 years old, and also a student, with Brown altering his appearance to make himself look younger, prosecutors said. Jamieson plotted to introduce the victim, who was described as someone who was in the care of Jamieson, to Brown (pictured) beginning in February of 2015, when Brown was then 23 Jamieson convinced the victim that Brown was 17 years old, and also a student, with Brown altering his appearance to make himself look younger, prosecutors said The victim and Brown then engaged in sex acts, which Brown photographed and filmed and turned over to Jamieson, who distributed them online. The victim and Brown then engaged in sex acts, which Brown photographed and filmed and turned over to Jamieson, who distributed them online. Jamieson's collection also included a cell phone video of him having sex with the underage girl, prosecutors said. The abuse came to light when it was discovered by the victim's mother. When interviewed, the victim told authorities that Brown was 'everything she ever wanted in a boyfriend.' She was not aware Brown was an adult or that he was using her to create child pornography. Jamieson's collection also included a cell phone video of him having sex with the underage girl When interviewed, the victim told authorities that Brown was 'everything she ever wanted in a boyfriend; ' She was not aware Brown was an adult or that he was using her to create child pornography for Jamieson (pictured) to distribute The lot uncovered during the investigation contained 'some of the most demented images imaginable of toddlers and infants being sexually assaulted by adult men and women, and in some cases, by animals,' federal prosecutors said. The federal cases against Jamieson and Brown were undertaken as part of Project Safe Childhood, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. President Trump said Tuesday that he feels 'terribly' for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the judge's wife and daughters, because they've been caught in the middle of a Democratic effort to 'obstruct' his presidency. Trump said at a news conference that a sex attack allegation against Kavanaugh is 'shame' and referred to the judge whose nomination is hanging on by a thread as a 'great gentleman.' 'I feel so badly for him that hes going through this be honest with you. I feel so badly for him. This is not a man that deserves this,' Trump told journalists. The president pinned the blame for the 11th-hour chaos on Democrats, who he accused of resisting and obstructing his every move. He said he'd support an FBI prove into Kavanaugh's accuser's charge, except the law enforcement agency has said 'thats not what they do.' Earlier in the day, the president said that he had not talked to Kavanaugh, who was at the White House for the second day in a row, since Palo Alto University Professor Christine Ford accused the federal judge of drunkenly attempting to assault her when they were in their teens. 'Specifically I havent wanted to, I think its something that he will do very well,' Trump told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office. 'I havent wanted to speak with Judge Kavanaugh, because I know somebody will ask what you asked me, which is have you spoken to him. Specifically I thought it would be a good thing not to, he can handle himself better than anybody.' President Trump said Tuesday that he feels 'terribly' for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the judge's wife and daughters, because they've been caught in the middle of a Democratic effort to obstruct his presidency Trump said at a news conference that a sex attack allegation against Kavanaugh is 'shame' as he referred to the judge whose nomination is hanging on by a thread as a 'great gentleman' who does not deserve to have his reputation tarnished The president said then that Kavanaugh is an 'outstanding person' who he thought was being unfairly maligned by Democrats. They knew about the charge in July and suppressed it until after Kavanaugh had testified. The president also rejected calls from Democrats for the FBI to investigate the matter on the grounds that the bureau doesn't want to. 'I dont think the FBI should be involved, because they dont want to be involved, if they wanted to be, I would certainly do that,' he said. 'As you say, this is not really their thing. The Senators will do a good job.' The FBI said in a Monday evening statement that its job is to determine whether appointees are a national security risk. As the charge against Kavanaugh 'does not involve any potential federal crime,' the FBI declined to investigate. It forwarded a letter it received on Sept. 12 outlining the allegations against Kavanaugh to the White House counsel. Trump said an East Room press conference on Tuesday afternoon that an FBI probe wouldn't 'bother' him and he believes that Kavanaugh should go through whatever process that senators lay out, 'because there shouldnt even be a little doubt.' 'I dont want to play into their hands,' he said. 'Hopefully the woman will come forward, state her case. He will state his case before representatives of the United States Senate, and then they will vote. They will look at his career. They will look at what she had to say from 36 years ago, and we will see what happens.' President Trump said Tuesday that he has not talked to his Supreme Court nominee since Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexually assaulting a woman when he was a teen Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh leaves his home September 18, 2018 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Kavanaugh is scheduled to appear again before the Senate Judiciary Committee next Monday Kavanaugh and his accuser are scheduled to go head-to-head in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. The hearing sets up a potential show down on Capitol Hill, the likes of which have not been seen since Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill testified in 1991 after she accused him of sexual harassment. Thomas was ultimately confirmed after a bitter and bruising battle. But the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing comes more than 25 years later, amid the #metoo movement, and when women have been energized after the election of Donald Trump as president. Republicans were under heavy political pressure - including some from members of their own party - to hold a public hearing and they finally caved on the issue Monday evening. Key votes for the GOP - including Sens. Susan Collins, Jeff Flake and Lisa Murkowski - were calling for a delay after Ford publicly identified herself in an explosive Washington Post interview on Sunday. Republicans can only afford to lose one of of their own should every Democrat vote no on Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh denies that he was at the high school party in question where Ford said he attempted to rape her as a friend watched when they were both students in suburban Washington D.C. during the 1980s. The federal judge spoke with Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for about 10 minutes Monday afternoon in a conversation in which Kavanaugh made the denial, a Hatch aide told NBC News. Hatch says Kavanaugh is 'honest' and 'straightforward,' and he thinks woman who has brought accusation is 'mixed up.' President Trump has not commented directly Ford's credibility, although he says he's 'totally supportive' of the Supreme Court nominee and cannot 'imagine that anything happened. Kavanaugh is in the fight for his judicial life as he tries to salvage his Supreme Court nomination. He met with the White House legal team on Monday morning, put out a new statement offering to speak to the judiciary panel again, and was calling key senators ahead of a scheduled Thursday vote on his nomination. That vote is postponed now in the wake of the Monday hearing. His nomination was seen as losing momentum after several Republican senators said they wanted to hear what Ford had to say. A hearing on Monday, September 24, at 10 am would still give the judiciary committee and the full Senate time to vote on Kavanaughs nomination before the Supreme Court starts its new term on Oct. 1. Hatch past defenses Sen. Orrin Hatch, the senior senator from Utah, also originally defended his former chief of staff Rob Porter against allegations of domestic abuse from his former wives. Hatch told DailyMail.com, which broke the story on Porter, that his former aide turned White House staff secretary was 'kind and considerate towards all.' He later apologized for defending him and wrote letters of apology to Porter's former wives. He was also a stark defender of Justice Clarence Thomas during his 1991 confirmation hearing when he was accused by Anita Hill of sexual harassment. In 2010, when it was revealed Thomas' wife called Hill and asked her to apologize to her husband, Hatch agreed that Hill should do so. 'People have got to understand that Justice Thomas and his wife are good honest people who deserve an apology!' he tweeted at the time. Advertisement Republican senators have long had the goal of getting Kavanaugh, who is expected to move the high court to the right in his replacement of Justice Anthony Kennedy - who was often a swing vote on social issues - in place in time for the new term. Meanwhile, the White House issued its third statement of the day on the matter on Monday evening, saying Kavanaugh is ready to testify at a moment's notice. 'Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him,' said White House spokesman and Kavanaugh sherpa Raj Shah. A key Republican senator warned Kavanaugh if he lied, he's out. 'Obviously, if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying,' Sen. Susan Collins said Monday afternoon on Capitol Hill. Republicans have a 51-seat majority in the Senate. If all Democrats vote no on Kavanaugh they can only lose one senator. GOP Sen. Jeff Flake had also expressed doubt about his vote, saying he wants to hear from Ford. 'If they push forward without any attempt with hearing what she's had to say, I'm not comfortable voting yes,' Flake told Politico on Sunday. By Tuesday night, however, Ford's hedging on an appearance had Flake swinging back the other way. 'When Dr. Ford came forward, I said that her voice should be heard and asked the Judiciary Committee to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh. It did so. I now implore Dr. Ford to accept the invitation for Monday, in a public or private setting. The committee should hear her voice,' he said. Democrats have already grilled Kavanaugh once and will likely do so again, particularly honing in on his argument he was not at the party in question. Hatch told CNN that Kavanaugh told him Ford may be mistaking him for someone else - and that he wasn't even at the party in question. And a Hatch spokesperson told ABC News of Kavanaugh: 'He told Senator Hatch he was not at a party like the one she describes, and that Dr. Ford, who acknowledged to the Washington Post that she 'did not remember some key details of the incident,' may be mistaking him for someone else.' Kavanaugh spoke to Judiciary committee staff at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, shortly before next week's hearing was announced. Democratic staff skipped the call in protest. Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the panel, had objected to a phone call given on public hearing had been scheduled at that time. Christine Blasey Ford in her Freshman Year at Holton Arms School 'Obviously if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying,' Sen. Susan Collins said Ford, now a 51-year-old college professor at Palo Alto University, accused Kavanaugh of attacking her and attempting to rape her when she was 15 years old and at a teenage party. She claims Kavanaugh, who was 17 at the time, held her down on a bed in a locked room while he covered her mouth and tried to force himself on her. Mark Judge, a classmate of Kavanaugh's who Ford says was in the room when the attack happened, strongly denied witnessing at attempted assault. 'It's just absolutely nuts. I never saw Brett act that way,' Judge told The Weekly Standard on Friday. He added that he had never seen boys 'rough-housing' with his female peers from other schools in ways that might have been interpreted negatively: 'I don't remember any of that stuff going on with girls.' Judge also did not deny being at the party in question to the New York Times, saying he never saw the incident in question. 'I never saw anything like what was described,' Judge said. The high school buddy of Kavanaugh's said he will not participate in the Senate hearing, because he does not believe his comments are of relavance. Mark Judge has been identified as Brett Kavanaugh's friend at the incident in question Christine Blasey (now Ford) in her high school yearbook Brett Kavanaugh in his high school yearbook President Trump has said he has full confidence in the U.S. Senate and their procedures to sort the matter out. 'And what they're doing and I think that's probably what they're going to do. They'll go through a process and hear everybody out. I think it's important. I believe they think it's important,' Trump on Monday said. The president initially said he'd be fine if there was a delay in moving Kavanaugh's confirmation forward, although he has since grown more impatient. 'If it takes a little delay it'll take a little delay. It shouldn't certainly be very much,' he said. 'I'm sure it will work out very well,' he added. 'You're talking about an individual who is as high a quality individual as you will ever see.' Trump noted: 'I think he's very much on track. If they delay a little bit just to make sure everybody's happy they want to be happy. I can tell you the Republican senators want to be a hundred percent happy themselves. They're doing it very very professionally.' He also echoed Republican senators in saying Democrats should have brought this up sooner in the process. 'I wish the Democrats could have done this a lot sooner, because they had this information for many months. And they shouldn't have waited til literally the last days. They should have done it a lot sooner. But with all of that being said we want to go through the process. He said: 'One thing I will say is that as I understand it, Judge Kavanaugh spent quite a bit of time with Senator Feinstein and it wasn't even brought up at that meeting and she had this information. So you would have thought certainly that she would have brought it up at the meeting not wait til everything's finished and then have to start a process all over again,' he said. Asked if Kavanaugh offered to withdraw his nomination, Trump scoffed: 'What a ridiculous question.' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who will schedule Kavanaugh's vote on the Senate floor, talked about the Senate process rather than the allegations on Monday afternoon. He slammed Democrats for bringing it 'forward at the last minute in irregular manner' in remarks on the Senate floor. Kavanaugh had said Monday morning he is willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the wake of Ford's public accusations against him, noting that before she identified herself, 'I had no idea who was making this accusation.' He again denied the charge against him as he desperately works to save his nomination. 'This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describesto her or to anyone,' Kavanaugh said in a statement provided by the White House. He was spotted arriving at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday morning, shortly after 10 am ET, stepping out of black SUV and going in a side entrance, as well as Tuesday. He was not meeting with Trump, White House spokesman Raj Shah told DailyMail.com. He was meeting with the White House legal team to prepare for potential interviews or questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, CNN reported. Kavanaugh said he 'had no idea' who made the allegation until Ford identified herself Sunday in a bombshell Washington Post interview. 'Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday,' he noted. He added: 'I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity.' President Donald Trump defended Kavanaugh at the White House on Monday: He's 'never even had a little blemish on his record' Sen. Orrin Hatch is defending Kavanaugh, seen here meeting with him in July in his Senate office shortly after he was nominated to the Supreme Court Republican leaders in the Senate hope to have Kavanaugh confirmed by Oct. 1, which is the starting date for the Supreme Court's fall turn. The party is facing additional pressure from a ticking clock: if Kavanaugh's confirmation vote is delayed until after the election, Democrats could be in control of the Senate. Additionally Kavanaugh is said to have hired Beth Wilkinson, of the law firm Wilkinson Walsh and Eskovitz, to be his attorney,CNN reported. However, the White House is in a bit of a catch-22 situation: if they go negative on Ford they could alienate two of the key Republican votes in the Senate - female senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. Additionally, they could fire up women, many of whom were angered and motivated in the wake of Trump's election, which could backfire on the party in the midterms. After Clarence Thomas was confirmed in 1991 - a process which saw him fight off sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill - a then-record number of Democratic women were elected to the Senate in 1992, in what was dubbed 'The Year of the Woman.' Ford had said she was willing to testify before the Senate on her allegation that Kavanaugh tried to rape her in high school, her attorney revealed on Monday morning. 'She's willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth, yes,' her attorney Debra Katz told NBC's 'Today Show' on Monday morning. Katz, who made the rounds of the morning news shows to talk about the bombshell allegations against Trump's Supreme Court nominee, told 'CBS This Morning' Ford is 'willing to do what she needs to do.' 'My client will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the Senate Judiciary Committee has the full story and the full set of allegations to allow them to make a fully informed decision,' she said. 'She's willing to do what she needs to do.' Katz did express concern Ford would be grilled by Republicans if she appears. 'They intend to grill her,' she said on CBS. 'This is not an exercise that is designed to get at the truth. This is an exercise that's designed to terrify somebody that's already been traumatized.' 'Anyone who comes forward as Dr. Ford has deserves to be heard, so I will continue working on a way to hear her out in an appropriate, precedented and respectful manner,' he said in a statement Monday afternoon. In a interview in The Washington Post on Sunday, Ford detailed an alleged attack on her committed by Kavanaugh when the two were high school students in suburban Maryland. Ford believes the attack was 'attempted rape,' Katz said on 'The Today Show.' 'She believes if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped,' Katz added. Katz offered more details to CNN. 'The reason she thought he might inadvertently kill her is because he had her hand over his mouth and she was having a hard time breathing, and he was so inebriated, and because of that, his inability to take her clothes off, otherwise he would have raped her,' she told 'New Day.' Ford described to The Washington Post in detail how, when she was at a teenage party in the 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend followed her upstairs when she went to the bathroom and pushed her into a bedroom. She detailed how Kavanaugh alleged held her down, tried to rip off her swimsuit, and groped her. She said she escaped when his friend, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them. 'I thought he might inadvertently kill me,' she told the newspaper. But Katz said her client was not taking a position on whether or not Kavanaugh should withdraw his nomination to the high court. 'She's not taking a position on this. She thinks these allegations bear on his character and his fitness. And the denials, of course, also bear on his character and fitness,' the lawyer said on 'The Today Show.' She added: 'This is not a politically-motivated action. She was reluctant to come forward. And she was outed after she had made the decision not to come forward.' Katz said Ford has been threatened. 'She did receive a lot of very vicious, sexually violent e-mails from total changers. Of course, that's extremely unsettling,' she said. Katz told CNN of Ford: 'She is already getting a lot of hostile threats and recrimination, and that's, of course, quite disturbing and unfortunate.' And White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Ford should not be insulted and that her allegations should be heard. 'This woman should not be insulted and she should not be ignored,' Conway said on 'Fox & Friends' Monday morning. 'Allowing this woman to be heard in sworn testimony, allowing Judge Kavanaugh to be heard in sworn testimony about these specific allegations would be added to the very considerable mountain of evidence and considerations that folks will have when they weigh whether or not to vote for judge Kavanaugh to be on the Supreme Court,' she noted. 'So, let me make very clear. I have spoken with the president. I have spoken with Sen. Graham and others. This woman will be heard,' Conway said. But, she reminded, Kavanaugh has been through multiple background checks. 'Judge Kavanaugh is a man of character and integrity who has been through six FBI vettings, which can I tell you first hand are significant and thorough. He also has been lauded by women from every different aspect of his life. And this is significant. This is very significant for a man of character and integrity to be spoken about so highly by women who maybe didn't vote for President Trump,' Conway added. Netflix is being mocked over a tweet it posted congratulating actress Regina King on her Emmy win for Seven Seconds after the streaming giant canceled the show earlier this year. On Monday, King took home the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her role as Latrice Butler, the mother of a young black teenager killed by a white cop in a hit-and-run. Netflix congratulated King on nabbing the award, writing in a tweet: 'REGINA KING DESERVES THE WORLD'. Many social media users scoffed at the post writing that she deserves the world and a second season of Seven Seconds after the show was canceled following its first season. Regina King won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her role in Netflix's Seven Seconds Netflix congratulated King on the win, but was mocked by fans because they canceled the show after one season 'She deserved to not have her show canceled,' a Twitter user named Broncos posted. 'Then why you cancel the show then?' another user named Amanda Rae asked. Dwight Williams posted: 'How bout uncanceling this great show??' 'Yup! She deserves the world AND another season,' user Stephen Mendoza tweeted, while Funnimville added: 'Yeah, we know she deserves the world! so, where's the second season?!' Seven Seconds premiered on Netflix in February. The 10-episode series focused on the fatal hit-and-run of a black teenager, the cop who did it and the lengths the police department took to cover it up. The series was meant to be a crime anthology series but Netflix decided not to renew the show after its first season. Many users took to social media to mock Netflix for congratulating King on a show it canceled King played Latrice Butler, the mother of a young black teenager killed by a white cop in a hit-and-run 'We loved working with Veena Sud, Regina King and the cast and crew of 'Seven Seconds,'' Cindy Holland, vice president of original content at Netflix, said at the time. 'Together they created a compelling, timely and relevant crime drama. The first season is a complete, stand-alone story that we are proud to feature on Netflix for years to come.' During King's Emmy speech on Monday, she did not mention the show's cancelation, instead thanking the streaming-service for allowing her and her co-stars to tell an important story. 'Thank for creating an opportunity to tell a story and hold a mirror up to what's going on today,' she said. After a few more moments of thanks and pauses to collect her thoughts, she finally admitted with a smile, 'This is amazing. I want to curse right now. This is good.' The New York Times went to print with an embarrassing mistake in Tuesday's early edition inside their Emmy Awards coverage in which they captioned a photo of Angela Bassett for Omarosa Manigault Newman. The photo, which appeared in the Arts section in an overview of Monday night's Emmys, pictured 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' star Rachel Brosnahan accepting her prize for best actress in a comedy from presenters Tiffany Haddish and Angela Bassett. The caption read: 'Clockwise from top, Rachel Brosnahan, left, accepting the Emmy for outstanding lead in a comedy series for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,' from Tiffany Haddish, center, and Omarosa Manigault Newman. There was no indication that Omarosa, a former Trump White House staffer and reality star, was at the Emmys. Pictured: Rachel Brosnahan (L) accepts her award from Tiffany Haddish (C) and Angela Bassett (R) onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday Several photos were captioned, however it was the Arts section, page C2's main image that erroneously labeled Angela Bassett as Omarosa Manigault Newman While the caption error was first made by Getty, the photo provider for the image, it was a mistake that should have been spotted and corrected by the Times' eagle-eyed editorial staff. The venerable outlet tweeted an apology for the gaffe, writing: 'We regret running an incorrect caption from a photo wire service in some early print editions. We will issue a correction in tomorrow's paper.' Getty has since updated their photo captions and included the following note in its metadata: 'The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Robyn BECK has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Angela Bassett] instead of [Omarosa Manigault Newman]. [] We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.' Not Angela Bassett: Omarosa, a former White House aide for President Trump and former reality star, did not appear to have attended the Emmys Several of the images that included Bassett where captioned in Getty's services as Omarosa. Omarosa has yet to comment on the mistake, however Bassett shared a gif from the TV show Sandal of character Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington. In the gif, Pope's character, who is a fixer for political scandals around the White House, says 'Its handled' as she struts towards the camera in an apparent reference for the Times' apology and impending correction. The New York Times has been covering Omarosa extensively through the past month as the former aide to President Trump has been on a book tour for her White House tell-all 'Unhinged.' The explosive tome, which Omarosa has in part backed-up with several recordings she secretly made during her time with the administration, also spent several weeks atop bestseller lists like Amazon's and the paper's own New York Times Best Seller List. Full page from The New York Times' early print edition on Tuesday: Antonio White, 54, was convicted on Friday and sentenced to life in prison for raping a woman in Atlanta, Georgia, back in 2007 A man has been sentenced to life in prison for rape after his victim happened to recognize him at a train station six years later. Antonio White, 54, was convicted on Friday of raping the woman in Atlanta, Georgia, back in 2007. Six years after the attack occurred, authorities said White was waiting for a train at a MARTA subway station in Atlanta when his victim spotted him. 'She was overcome by the moment and began to yell out that he was the man who had raped her six years earlier,' the Fulton County district attorney's office said. Hearing her cries for help, MARTA police ended up arresting White and turned him over to Atlanta police. The victim told investigators that she had been walking to another subway station in Atlanta in August 2007 when White drove up in his vehicle and asked if she wanted a ride. She said she agreed because she recognized White from the south-east Atlanta neighborhood where they both used to live. Authorities said that instead of driving her home, White took the victim to an abandoned home. Six years after the attack occurred, authorities said White was waiting for a train at a MARTA subway station (above ) in Atlanta when his victim spotted him When she tried to run from the car, White chased her with a gun, grabbed her hair and dragged her back into the car at gunpoint. He raped the victim inside his car, telling her: 'Shut up that screaming (expletive) or I'll kill you.' The victim told family, friends and neighbors that she had been raped but never officially reported it to police because she didn't know her attacker's real name and didn't believe anything would ever come of the case. Following his arrest in 2013, investigators discovered White was behind the sexual assaults of four other women between 1983 to 2008. During his recent trial, prosecutors said White would often approach the women on foot and assault them in wooded areas. White has prior convictions for rape and robbery, and previously pleaded guilty to sexual battery. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jeffrey Jones, 29, was the first of five people to be sentenced Monday and got off with five years probation in a plea deal A Michigan man who was part of a fake law enforcement team that held teenagers at gunpoint and handcuffed people has been given five years' probation after striking a plea deal. Flint man Jeffrey Jones, 29, was the first of five people to be sentenced Monday and got off with the light punishment after the prosecutor ultimately thought the crew was trying to do the right thing. Emily Burrison, 27, Willie Strong, Austin Erwin, and Auston Rose also faked their positions of authority since 2015, before being caught in September 2017, according to ABC12. Their streak ended after a complaint came in about rude rangers at the Stepping Stone Falls and Picnic Area to real Genesee County Parks police Chief Kevin Shanlian. He thinks there could have been hundreds of people who had a bad experience with them. The rest of the group is expecting to hear their fate soon but after pleading guilty it's believed they'll receive a similar sentence to what is usually a four-year felony. The Michigan man who was part of a fake law enforcement team that held teenagers at gunpoint and handcuffed people It's believed the group and possibly five more people could have had bad experiences with hundreds of other members of the community 'I find the charges extremely disturbing,' Mlive.com reports Judge Celeste Bell said. 'Taking the law into your own hands the way these charges have read - taking people in custody, armed in Genesee County parks -- I'm extremely offended by that behavior. However, out of respect for the prosecutor's office and if they wish to resolve the cases in this fashion, I'm going to adopt that recommendation.' Aside from probation, Jones has been ordered to return the fake uniforms, badges and emergency lights used on his vehicle when he was part of the Genesee County Fire and EMS Media-Genesee County Task Force Blight Agency created in 2015. The five people, and possibly up to five others, fooled police and firefighters when they responded to 911 calls too. Emily Burrison, 27, (left) joined the fake cop squad for three years in the area She along with other members in the group donned a fake uniform and used handcuffs Jones received credit for spending 119 days behind bars and said sorry for his behaviour at Genesee County Circuit Court. 'I'd just like to apologize. I know I made bad choices and I'd just like to ask for a second chance,' he told onlookers. 'I promise this will not happen again. I let my family down when I got involved in this. I let a lot of people down.' Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton had previously said the group was simply 'very misguided' and that he believes they 'were trying to help the community'. However, during the incident that resulted in them being found out, the 'arrested' visitors to a park for trespassing during closing hours. It was untrue and the park was in fact open. Fake policemen Auston Rose (left) and Willie Strong (right) are due to hear their fate soon Jones has been told to hand his badge, uniform, and car emergency lights in and it's expected the others will be asked to do the same in their plea deals The fake law enforcement team also worrying took information from people's driver's licences and recorded personal information on their laptops. They reportedly scared members of the community by telling them they were being put on criminal watch lists. On one occasion they tried to enter the scene of a house fire but were not given access by a real officer. Perhaps the worst case though was when the group of men and women wielded guns in the direction of teenagers who had broken into Flint Central High School. Prosecutor Leyton had previously said: 'To me, this is serious stuff. You can't run around pretending to be law enforcement. I don't know what these people were thinking.' John Lydon - or Johnny Rotten to use his punk name - really couldnt give a monkeys arse about what you think of him or his music. Hes spent a lifetime dedicated to challenging conventional wisdom and- in the end- being revered as a modern icon. Lydon still represents the ultimate challenge to the Establishment, a man most middle class parents would dread their kids holding up as a role model. Still a rebel at 62, hes shown no signs of mellowing and slowing down, still touring with his band Public Image Ltd. But has Johnny Rotten given up the fight in one department- his own public image? What about grooming, cutting a fashionable figure at all times in the era of Instagram and social media, preening and primping like every other moderately famous musician, actor or reality star? Janet Street-Porter met John Lydon over 42 years ago in 1976, when he and the newly formed Sex Pistols played at a Valentines Day party in a loft by Londons Tower Bridge janet Street Porter and Johnny Rotten in 1978. She made a television documentary about the rise of Punk Rock, filming the Clash and then the Sex Pistols- it was to be their first TV appearance Given his personality, recent photos of the King of Punk looking rather overweight at LA airport, slumped next to his battered wheelie case are bound to be dismissed as a whatever moment. Dressed for comfort rather than the catwalk, John looks exactly like me after a long haul flight. Those bondage trousers of yesteryear have been replaced by something with an elasticated waistband. I can hear the howls of pain emanating from ageing former punks all over the world, the devotees who still keep their ripped tee shirts and Sex Pistols memorabilia carefully folded in boxes. They put on Anarchy In the UK and re-live those happy days of 1976, the hours spent chucking yourself into the mosh pit front of the stage at Sex Pistols gigs, only to get covered in a large amount of spit. Naturally, critics have sneered that the King of Punk looks shockingly unrecognisable as if he must be on permanent stand-by on to pop on a multi-coloured tartan suit and strut his stuff for a Vivienne Westwood fashion show or a highly paid butter commercial. We are so used to the likes of Rod Steward on a carefully choreographed airport stroll (for the press, naturally) complete with loving wife holding his hand, (she probably selected his on-trend Gucci slippers), perfectly pressed trousers and precisely ruffled hair, that Johnny Lydons tramp-like persona comes a bit of a rude reality check. Sex Pistols' John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten, 62, waits for his luggage at LAX airport in Los Angeles, California Given his personality, recent photos of the King of Punk looking rather overweight at LA airport, slumped next to his battered wheelie case are bound to be dismissed as a whatever moment, says JANET STREET-PORTER This is what men of a certain age look like when they are away from home and can eat the crap they really like, says JANET STREET-PORTER Wake up everyone! This is what sixty-something men look like when they can drink large amounts of beer without a partner giving them the forget it stare. This is what men of a certain age look like when they are away from home and can eat the crap they really like (fast food full of grease and carbs- which is all you can get anyway at 11pm after a gig and youve signed hundreds of autographs and posed for selfies). John does look as if touring with his band and publicising a new documentary (The Public Image is Rotten) has impacted on his waistline. It might have expanded but I very much doubt theres be much change in his mental outlook- this isnt someone who is going to turn into a docile pensioner any day soon. We met back over 42 years ago in 1976, when he and the newly formed Sex Pistols played at a Valentines Day party in a loft by Londons Tower Bridge. It was early days- the band sounded appalling, and their performance came to an abrupt end when the PA system failed. The road crew started to fight with the sound technicians and I left before it got nasty. That autumn, I made a television documentary about the rise of Punk Rock, filming the Clash and then the Sex Pistols- it was to be their first TV appearance. I tried to film an interview with John in a squat in Soho and got a stuffed rat chucked at my head as he spouted I dont have no heroes, theyre all useless. What an anthem for anyone under 21, back in the days when Maggie Thatcher was leader of the Tory party and the British government was male, middle aged and mediocre- not to mention white. Janet Street-Porter's television documentary gave Johnny Rotten his first television exposure That footage has now been shown around the world, along with the Sex Pistols performance in a church hall we hired for the occasion. Lydons stage presence was simply electrifying- and Elton John rang me one Sunday, asking to meet to discuss the revolution that was going on in pop music. Elton was totally bowled over by punk, realising that nothing in pop would be the same again. John Lydon didnt just take on the establishment with hits like God Save the Queen, his alternative National Anthem (which topped the charts in the Queens Silver Jubilee Year in 1977) and Anarchy in the UK, he sent shock waves through the world of popular music- he mouthed off about Queen and pomp rock, played in a pubs and small village halls where kids could get up close- everything mega stars like Rod Stewart had left behind long ago. John Lydon aka Jonny Rotten performing with The Sex Pistols in 1977 Ive known him through three of my marriages, while hes always been devoted to one partner for almost 40 years. Nora has been his rock and his soul mate, a woman who shuns the limelight and gets on with her life. A man of many contradictions, a shy sensitive soul who carefully keeps that aspect of his personality hidden, a loud mouth who can terrify any hard-bitten interviewer with one withering F*** off. From Vogue to your local newspaper, he doesnt discriminate, but behind that belligerent facade lurks a highly intelligent bloke. At my 50th birthday guests like Stephen Fry, Ruby Wax and Ian McKellen and the boss of the BBC all queued up to be insulted by the king of Punk. What an inspiration. Lets raise a glass to John Lydon, for proudly letting it all hang out in sweat pants. Advertisement North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in 'toasted' to peace at talks held during a lavish banquet in Pyongyang. The two Korean leaders clinked red wine glasses today during the summit at the Paekhwawon State Guesthouse in the North's capital. Before the dinner, South Korea's president and the North's leader drove together through the streets of Pyongyang in an open top parade past cheering crowds before opening the talks. Thousands of citizens, holding bouquets and chanting in unison for 'Reunification of the country', lined the streets as Kim and Moon rode through the city in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kim's predecessors - his father and grandfather - lie in state. At a banquet after the first day of the summit, Moon said the 'complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of peace' were priorities. Kim and Moon hugged at Pyongyang's international airport - where the North Korean leader had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted. The South Korean leader said there would be challenges ahead but that he and Kim had 'trust and friendship'. Kim hailed his relationship with Moon, and said the pair would discuss 'various issues ... in a frank and open-minded manner'. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, toasts with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol Ju during a welcome banquet in Pyongyang Moon Jae-in (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) clap as they watch an art performance by Samjiyon Orchestra at Pyongyang Grand Theatre A big screen shows a picture of both Korean leaders holding their hands aloft during an art performance by Samjiyon Orchestra Moon Jae-in (left), his wife Kim Jung-sook (second right), Kim Jong-un (second left) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (right) waved to the crowds at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre Moon wants to see stalled denuclearisation talks between his hosts and the United States begin again. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people waved North Korean flags and another depicting an undivided peninsula - while the South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Hundreds of North Koreans in colourful, traditional dress waved unification flags at the tarmac in Pyongyang as South Korea's Moon arrived. After the pair embraced, they travelled from the airport by car. Welcoming President Moon and his wife to his country, Kim said: 'We hope you feel at home. We can talk more in the afternoon.' Moon told Kim as they opened two hours of formal talks at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party: 'I am acutely aware of the weight that we bear', adding that he felt a 'heavy responsibility'. The North Korean leader declared his backing for the denuclearisation of the peninsula at his Singapore summit with US President Donald Trump in June. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have since sparred over what that means and how it will be achieved. President Moon, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their third summit this year on denuclearisation and called for a 'reboot' of the stalled talks with the US Moon Jae-in, left, talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the theatre visit as part of the summit held in the North Moon, and said the pair would discuss 'in a frank and open-minded manner', before they toasted to peace at talks in Pyongyang Moon and Kim take in a picture of themselves shaking hands as they arrive to attend the welcome banquet in Pyongyang Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol Ju wait for the arrival of Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook at the theatre today The US is pressing for the North's 'final, fully verified denuclearisation', while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned 'gangster-like' demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the criticism on Tuesday, saying Washington was 'totally to blame' for the deadlock. It added: 'The US is stubbornly insisting on the theory of "dismantlement of nukes first".' Moon will hold another round of formal talks with Kim on Wednesday, as he urges the North Korean leader to make substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump. Moon is due to meet Trump later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Moon said, referring to Monday's traditional holiday: 'I wish this will be a summit that produces abundant results as a gift to the 80 million people of this nation for Chuseok.' The pair clinked red wine glasses at the lavish dinner after driving through Pyongyang in an open-top car and visiting the Pyongyang Grand Theatre South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wave from a car during a parade through a street in Pyongyang, North Korea on Tuesday After the pair hugged at the airport they travelled by an open-top car through crowds of cheering North Koreans waving 'reunification' banners and bouquets of flowers WELCOME: Women wearing traditional dress line the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea to welcome Moon and Kim South Korean President Moon Jae-in, third from left, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, second from left, are welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju upon their arrival at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang Earlier at the summit Kim Jong-Un credited US President Donald Trump for peace talks on the Peninsula as he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for their third summit this year in Pyongyang on Tuesday. Referring to his June summit in Singapore with Trump, Kim said: 'Thanks to that, the political situation in the region has stabilised and I expect more advanced results.' A state-run newspaper says the public cheering will not lead the North Korean dictator to immediately end his nuclear program, however, and that a formal pact with the US will remain out of reach until Washington relaxes its position. 'It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities,' a Rodong Sinmun editorial said on Tuesday 'without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war.' According to Reuters, the editorial said 'the responsibility falls squarely on the United States' to jump-start a conversation. Trump has said that sanctions on the isolated nation will only be removed when the nation fully denuclearises and says he will keep his maximum pressure campaign on North Korea until Kim budges. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has embraced Kim Jong Un as the two leaders met for their third summit in Pyongyang Moon is seeking to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States The two leaders hugged on the tarmac after Moon disembarked from his Boeing 747 aircraft, which displayed the South's own emblem as it landed on Tuesday He has at the same time been praising Kim for returning the remains of American service members who died in the war that did not result in peace agreement even after the fighting had ended. The White House said last week that Trump had received a 'very warm, very positive letter' from Kim asking to set up a second meeting, 'which we are open to and already in the process of coordinating,' press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Her declaration was an about-face from Trump's decision to cancel a planned face-to-face between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim in Pyongyang in August. Sanders signalled that the annual military parade in North Korea honouring its founding was the reason for the policy shift. This year's celebration was devoid of nukes and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Prior to the Trump-Kim summit in Pyongyang, the two Koreas restarted talks after a detente brought on by the Winter Olympics. They walked under one flag at the Opening Ceremony. Both leaders have credited President Trump for bringing them together for peace talks like the ones happening in Pyongyang on Tuesday. He sent his daughter Ivanka and Vice President Mike Pence to the Olympic Games as emissaries. Moon's plane had taken off from the military's Seoul Air Base for the 80-minute flight to the North Korean capital South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, wave during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, waves as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claps during a car parade through Pyongyang streets Moon signs a guest book as North Korean leader before his summit with Kim at the Workers' Party of Korea headquarters Moon is seeking to reboot stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States Both leaders have credited US President Trump with the thaw in relations between the North and South 'Let's open an era of peace and prosperity with the solidarity of one people,' read a hoarding displayed outside the terminal. The South Korean president's plane had taken off from the military's Seoul Air Base for the 80-minute flight to the North Korean capital, with the president and his wife smiling and waving to well-wishers before boarding. Moon - whose own parents fled the North during the 1950-53 Korean War - is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The rare visit comes amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula that has seen Moon and Kim exchange brotherly hugs and warm smiles at their first meeting in April at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit 'will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history.' Moon, who met Kim again in May, was instrumental in brokering the historic summit the following month between US President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, when Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook wave upon their arrival at Sunan International Airport Pyongyang citizens wave bouquets as they watch a car parade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in Hundreds of people lined the tarmac at Pyongyang international airport - where Kim supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted - holding North Korean and unification flags showing an undivided peninsula South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend an official welcome ceremony at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, in Pyongyang South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, is escorted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea The US is pressing for the North's 'final, fully verified denuclearisation', while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned 'gangster-like' demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally Moon, who met Kim again in May, was instrumental in brokering the historic summit the following month between US President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, when Kim backed of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's 'final, fully verified denuclearisation', while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned 'gangster-like' demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook wave during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, is greeted by North Koreans as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches during a welcome ceremony South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ride during a car parade through Pyongyang streets South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, chats with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a car parade through Pyongyang streets, North Korea Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation 'especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North', it was said on Tuesday South Korean President Moon Jae-in waves next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after a welcome ceremony The rare visit comes amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula that has seen Moon and Kim exchange brotherly hugs and warm smiles at their first meeting in April North Korean people greet South Korean president Moon Jae-in on a street during the third Inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang South Korean president Moon Jae-in (right, front) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L, front) during a welcome ceremony at the Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang After the pair embraced, they travelled from the airport by car. Welcoming President Moon and his wife to his country, Kim said: 'We hope you feel at home. We can talk more in the afternoon' Moon has been pushing inter-Korean economic cooperation but several South Korean newspapers urged caution Monday, with the Korea Herald calling the businessmen's presence on the trip 'untimely' Moon is accompanied by several business tycoons - including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor - and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation Moon will be accompanied by several business tycoons - including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor - and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. He has been pushing inter-Korean economic cooperation but several South Korean newspapers urged caution yesterday, with the Korea Herald calling the businessmen's presence on the trip 'untimely'. Other issues on Moon's agenda include improving inter-Korean ties and easing military tensions on the peninsula. Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty - implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend an official welcome ceremony at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport as hundreds waved unification flags Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty - implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the North's leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from left, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, left, arrive on to a red carpet Richard Edward Kelih Jr., 59, as killed Tuesday after his pickup truck was overtaken by rushing water during a flash flood caused by the remnants of Hurricane Florence A Virginia man was killed Tuesday after his pickup truck was overtaken by rushing water during a flash flood caused by the remnants of Hurricane Florence. Virginia State Police said the pickup was found upside down and submerged in water that had flooded Route 607 in Louisa early Tuesday. Police said it appears that Richard Edward Kelih Jr., 59, was attempting to cross the road when water began rushing around his vehicle. It's the second death in Virginia attributed to Florence. On Monday, an employee of a flooring company died when a tornado touched down in Chesterfield, just south of Richmond. The man's identity has not yet been released. Chesterfield Fire/EMS spokesman Lt. James Elmore said the man was found dead under a pile of debris. A second person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The building was nearly leveled. The roof blew off and debris was sent hundreds of yards cross parking lots in the small industrial park where the company is located. Florence is being blamed for at least 34 deaths in three states, according to AP. Remnants of the once-powerful Category 4 hurricane are now a rainy, windy mass of low pressure. Worried West Virginians got a reprieve when predictions of possible devastation didn't come to fruition from the remnants of Florence. Before the storm made landfall last week, forecasters said it could result in 'life-threatening, catastrophic flooding rainfall' across the mountains of western North Carolina, western Virginia and eastern West Virginia. Instead, the storm brought 1 to 2 inches of rain in much of West Virginia before moving out early Tuesday. The state is still recovering from June 2016 floods that killed 23 people statewide. Florence is being blamed for at least 34 deaths in three states, according to AP. Pictured, the flooded town of Pollocksville, NC, Tuesday A flooded neighborhood stands next to the Lumber River in this aerial photograph taken after Hurricane Florence hit Pembroke, North Carolina, U.S. New York Urban Search and Rescue team members evacuate residents as flood waters inundate the Heritage at Fort Bragg Apartments in Spring Lake, N.C., Tuesday The Greenbrier County community of Rainelle had braced for the worst from Florence, even moving its fleet of trucks to higher ground in anticipation of the storm. But the state did not escape undamaged and Elmore said four areas of Chesterfield were struck badly. Trees were downed and there was some structural damage. The Chesterfield tornado has been categorized by the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia, as an EF2, with winds of up to 120 miles (about 190 kilometers) per hour. Meteorologist Mike Rusnak confirmed that a second, less-powerful tornado touched down Monday near Chase City, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, near the border with North Carolina. That tornado had wind speeds of 80 to 85 miles from a tropical connection with Florence,' Rusnak said. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Bobby Hawkins said the tornado seemed to skip along the ground, touching down, then going up, then touching down again. Hawkins said the storm knocked down trees, damaged several homes and washed out some roadways, but no one was hurt. Flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence overtakes the town of Pollocksville, N.C., Tuesday Traffic cones sit submerged in a flooded street near the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday Kenny Babb retrieves a paddle that floated away on his flooded property as the Little River continues to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Linden, N.C., Tuesday Hawkins said the farmers and others in the rural community immediately came together to help each other. Cleanup was well under way Tuesday. 'We've got a bunch of Bubbas around here with power saws, and we can clear a road in five minutes,' Hawkins said. 'They don't have to wait for someone to tell them to do it.' Rusnak said National Weather Service teams were out Tuesday assessing the damage and working to determine whether additional tornados touched down. The weather service issued more than a dozen tornado warnings across several Virginia counties on Monday. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump will have a firsthand look at the impact of former Hurricane Florence. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump plans to travel on Wednesday to North Carolina, which bore the brunt of the powerful storm. Days after the hurricane rolled through, the region is dealing with massive flooding. In Wilmington, North Carolina, residents lined up by the hundreds Tuesday for free food, water and tarps while officials managed to open two routes into the waterlocked city. North Carolina officials say even though the sun is shining in parts of the state, major flooding is continuing in the aftermath of Florence and is expected to worsen in some areas. Sierra Price and son, Ryland Ross, 10 months, wait outside their home at Julian and Glendale Streets as work begins on cleanup in the area near Richmond,Virginia on Tuesday. A Virginia man was killed Tuesday after his pickup truck was overtaken by rushing water during a flash flood caused by the remnants of Hurricane Florence Water floods University Blvd., after an apparent tornado touched down in Henrico County, Va., Monday, Sept Gov. Roy Cooper says 16 rivers are at major flood stage Tuesday with an additional three forecast to peak Wednesday and Thursday. He says he knows for many North Carolinians it feels like 'a nightmare that just won't end.' About 10,000 people are in shelters across the state and around 343,000 are without power. Cooper says first responders have reported rescuing and evacuating more than 2,200 people and about 575 animals. Officials say more than 1,100 roads are closed, 255 of those primary roads. The state's two major interstates, I-40 and I-95, are closed in many locations. There have been 26 confirmed fatalities in North Carolina due to the storm. Forecasters say it could still be several days before rivers in South Carolina crest. That's because water is flowing into them from North Carolina rivers swollen by Florence's relentless rains. National Weather Service officials said Tuesday that the Pee Dee River was beginning to crest at the town of Cheraw but it would take several days or more for it to reach its high point downstream. Many areas in the northeastern portion of the state are beginning to fill with water after torrential rains delivered by Florence. Gov. Henry McMaster flew over the area in a helicopter with the National Guard on Monday. McMaster warned that counties in that area would continue to flood as water flows into the state toward the ocean at the Myrtle Beach area. The author of a sinister blog post titled 'How to murder your husband' denied doing just that in an Oregon courtroom on Monday. Nancy Crampton-Brophy, 68, made a brief appearance via videolink where she pleaded not guilty to shooting dead her late husband Daniel at the Oregon Culinary Institute on June 2. Daniel, 63, was found dead in the morning by his students. His wife, whose other works include The Wrong Husband and The Wrong Lover, was arrested in September. Nancy Crampton-Brophy, 68, made a brief appearance via videolink on Monday (left) where she pleaded not guilty to shooting dead her late husband Daniel (right) at the Oregon Culinary Institute on June 2 In 2011, Crampton-Brophy wrote this blog post titled How To Murder Your Husband Police have been tight lipped about why they believe she is guilty. Investigators are yet to offer a motive and they will not say what led them to suspect her. On June 2, Daniel's students found him lying dead in the classroom where he taught. The next day, Nancy took to Facebook to tell friends that he'd died. She wrote: 'For my facebook friends and family, I have sad news to relate. My husband and best friend, Chef Dan Brophy was killed yesterday morning. 'For those of you who are close to me and feel this deserved a phone call, you are right, but I'm struggling to make sense of everything right now,' she wrote. She went on to ask that none of her friends call her while she processed what had happened. In June, Daniel's adult son Nathaniel posted a heartbreaking plea for information about his father's death on Facebook According to CBS, the woman's behavior became strange in the weeks afterwards. Brophy was a revered chef and teacher at the culinary institute She is said to have told friends she knew she was a suspect but, they said, did not seem to care. Don McConnell, who shares a fence with Crampton-Brophy in Beaverton, told KOIN-TV that he had asked her whether she had heard anything about the investigation. 'She said, "No, I'm out of the loop,'" McConell said. 'I went, "Well, what do you mean?" 'She says, "Well, they consider me a suspect."' Since her arrest, she has changed lawyers once. Daniel had children from a previous relationship when he married Nancy 27 years ago. The couple appeared to live a happy life together in Portland where they raised chickens. 'The thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough.' Nancy was proud of her husband's work at the institute and shared videos of it on Facebook. She spoke about their marriage in writer forums where she said their marriage, like any other, had its 'ups and downs'. The blog post, which she wrote on site Seeing Jane in 2011, began: 'As a suspense writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about murder and, consequently, about police procedure. Nancy's fictional works include erotic novels including one called 'The Wrong Husband' and another called 'Hell on the Heart' 'After all, if the murder is supposed to set me free, I certainly don't want to spend any time in jail, And let me say clearly for the record, I don't like jumpsuits and orange isn't my color.' It included five potential motives for wanting to kill your husband that were divided into the following categories; 'Financial: Divorce is expensive, and do you really want to split your possessions?' 'Lying, cheating b*****d: This is a crime of passion. In anger, you bash his head in or stab him with a kitchen knife.' 'Fell in love with someone else: Let's say your Church frowns on divorce. You need to be a widow, so you won't fall out of favor with your religion.' 'Abuser: This one is tough. Anybody can claim abuse. What is abuse?' The 68-year-old is shown in an author profile photo, left, and in her booking photograph 'It's your profession: Now we're talking. You already possess both skill and knowledge. 'You have the moral ambiguity necessary to carry it off.' She also gave the reader 'options' on what their murder weapon or technique should be. She wrote: 'Guns - loud, messy, require some skill. If it takes 10 shots for the sucker to die, either you have terrible aim or he's on drugs. 'Knives - really personal and up close. Blood everywhere. Eww.' She went on to describe poison as the 'woman's weapon' but described why it was not ideal because it took so long to kill the intended victim. 'Poison - considered a woman's weapon. Arsenik is easy to obtain, worse, easy to trace. It takes a month or two to kill someone. Plus, they're sick the entire time. 'Who wants to hang out with a sick husband? Knowledge of pharmaceuticals would be handy. Availability would be even better,' she wrote. Though she said she found it 'easier to wish people dead than to actually kill them', she said ominously: 'The thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough.' The number of older people left stuck in hospital beds is rising as a result of the social care crisis, figures reveal. In July almost 130,000 days of care were lost in hospitals because staff were unable to move patients to another part of the NHS or to council care. The figure 4,000 higher than the previous month follows a long period where so-called bedblocking was going down. Labour said the increase was particularly worrying because it comes at the height of summer, when pressures on the NHS are traditionally much lower. The figures reveal the extent of Britain's social care crisis, where patients block the beds because of delays. More than 130,000 days of care were lost in one month alone, according to new figures Much of the problem is because of the social care crisis, which is stopping local authorities from providing adequate support in the community. It means older people are forced to stay in hospital beds despite not needing medical attention, delaying operations for other patients. When a person has to stay a night in a hospital bed when they do not medically need one it is recorded as a 'delayed transfer of care'. The figures differentiate between whether the delay was caused by another part of the NHS or by the social care system. In July, there were 86,082 delayed transfers of care as a result of the NHS delays, and 42,684 as a result of social care making a total of 128,766. The previous month, the respective figures were 84,124 and 40,209 a total of 124,333. That is a rise of 4,433 days of care lost up 3.6 per cent. The figures had in general been falling over the previous year and the increase starkly illustrates the pressures facing the social care system amid continued delays of concrete proposals for reform. It emerged this week that ministers are considering asking workers to contribute from their salaries to pay for their future social care in a similar way to how pensions are deducted. Patients who get better are then forced to stay in hospital beds despite not needing any medical attention. This is because of NHS delays in processing patient paperwork, which means patients not needing any more medical attention cannot go home Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board, said: 'With people living longer, increases in costs and decreases in funding, adult social care is at breaking point. 'Over recent years, councils have protected adult social care relative to other services. 'But the overall funding picture for local government means adult social care services still face a 3.5billion funding gap by 2025 just to maintain existing standards of care. 'The likely consequences of this are more and more people being unable to get quality and reliable care and support.' Barbara Keeley, Labour's social care spokesman, said: 'This rise in delayed transfers of care should come as a concern as winter approaches, when pressure on social care services will grow. 'There are still parts of the country where a lack of social care is leading to people staying unnecessarily long in hospital when they should be able to return to their home and community. 'The truth is that councils who deliver care are still struggling under the weight of 40 per cent cuts to their budgets by the Government, which has led to care homes and home care agencies withdrawing from contracts.' He previously revealed that worries about social media had made him ban his children from posting selfies. Now Jamie Oliver has admitted he uses a 'spy app' to monitor the location of his teenage daughters. The TV chef father of Poppy, 16, Daisy 15, Petal, nine, Buddy, eight, and River, two said the phone application enables him and his wife Jools to see exactly where their children are and the route they are taking. 'We use an app to keep track of our kids' whereabouts,' Oliver said in an interview with Woman magazine. TV chef and restaurant owner Jamie Oliver and Jools with Poppy, Daisy, Petal and Buddy after the birth of son River in 2016 'The older girls, Jools and I are all on an app called Life360, which means we can see exactly where everybody is and the route they've gone.' Outlining the benefits of the app, he said: 'So if one of the girls says, 'I'm going to Camden Town' and I can see they've gone to Reading, then we have a problem. They can check on me, too, and see how fast I'm driving. It's brilliant.' The free Life360 software is a family networking app which runs on mobile devices. It allows users to view family members on a map, communicate through the day, and receive live alerts when loved ones arrive at home, school or work. Users can create 'circles' with family or friends who also have the app on their phone. A user can turn off their location but other members of the circle are updated so they can make sure that member is safe. Jamie Oliver receives live alerts and communicates with his family during the day on a free smartphone app, Life360, which can track the location of family members Oliver and his wife, both 43, have been married for 18 years and the chef told the magazine his love for her had grown in that time. 'I like watching Jools get older,' he said. 'I love her more now than I ever have before. 'I feel like my love widens and I'm enjoying her evolving as a woman, growing older. I like it her wrinkles have been earned. 'There has been a lot of chaos in the past 20 years, but she keeps the home very normal and stable, and that's a lovely thing. We're yin and yang she's very homey and family based and I grew up in a pub, I love going out and meeting people and that is not her idea of fun. 'She gets a lot more stressed than me and I calm her down and give her strength. But we come together over parenting; our approaches are very similar.' Oliver, who works long hours running his 240million cooking empire, said it did not feel weird to leave most of the parenting to Jools during the week. 'I don't think that being a weekend dad is that weird,' he said. 'Actually, I think I'm a full-time dad, it's just that I'm physically active with the kids at the weekends and the holidays. 'Probably 95 per cent of Britain is the same. I don't know how many dads or working parents are home for dinner five days a week. 'In my company we have flexible hours for staff and we're very conscious of parents' needs, but because I'm the boss I've got a few more things to do. I go in quite early and finish late most days. 'Sometimes, the kids drop in. Poppy came into the office to open her GCSE results I'd never seen her smile like that.' Last year Oliver revealed that he had banned daughter Daisy from posting selfies and compared the trend to pornography. He told The Lifestyle News Hound podcast: 'We're the first generation of parents to deal with this [social media]. 'I'm going to generalise massively here, but from my observation so far, at 13 to 14 the kind of pictures girls are putting up, from what I have seen, are split 50/50 a normal young girl and then this weird hybrid of, dare I say it, quite porno, luscious, pouty lips, pushing boobs out. 'I'm like, 'My god!' I don't even want to look at some of the things my daughter shows me. I'm like, 'Really? Aren't their parents all over that like a rash?' 'We banned Daisy from doing selfies. It's almost the sugar of social media it's a quick way to get some sort of pat on the back or love.' Michel Barnier has vowed to 'improve' the EU's Irish border plan to secure a Brexit deal - but is still insisting that checks must apply between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland. The bloc's chief negotiator said he hoped talks were on the 'home straight' and he was working on a compromise to bring agreement into 'grasp'. But he made clear that the proposal will put the border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK - something Theresa May is adamant she will not accept as it would risk splitting the union. The DUP, which is propping the Tories up in power, also flatly dismissed Mr Barnier's new version of the backstop. The manoeuvring comes as Mrs May heads for Salzburg to plead for EU leaders to help break the deadlock in talks. The premier had hoped to discuss her Chequers plan directly with counterparts for the first time. But EU council president Donald Tusk stepped in to quash the idea - meaning Mrs May will have to make do with a 10 minute speech over dinner tonight that is set to be received in silence by other leaders. Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier, pictured in Brussels today. Theresa May (pictured right in Downing Street today) insists she will not accept customs checks between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland Mr Barnier renewed his efforts to 'de-dramatise' the Irish border issue last night by saying he was working on a new draft of his blueprint. Eurocrats have been sounding a more optimistic tone about the way checks can be enforces over recent weeks, including admitting that technology and 'trusted trader' schemes can largely do away with the need for physical infrastructure. The EU official suggested officials could inspect goods entering the UK via Ireland on ferries and in business premises away from the border. He said: 'We are ready to improve this proposal. Work on the EU side is ongoing. We are clarifying which goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK would need to be checked and where, when and by whom these checks could be performed'. The 67-year-old said talks were in the 'home straight', although two key issues remained unresolved ahead of October's deadlines - one being the problem surrounding the Irish border. Barnier said that an Irish 'backstop' must be legally operationally and respect the UK's constitutional integrity. He said: We can also clarify that most checks can take place away from the border at the company premises or in the markets. We need to de-dramatise the checks that are needed.' Mr Barnier said he was looking at a range of ways to ensure the UK did not sidestep EU controls on British goods. In a nod to UK concerns about creating a border within the UK, Mr Barnier insisted it was only an 'insurance policy' which may never be used if a deal was struck. He added that October would prove to be the 'moment of truth' when it becomes clear if a deal could be reached. Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Mr Barnier said: 'It is then we shall see whether agreement we are hoping for is in our grasp.' 'October is the key point in time - it is the moment of truth. We will see whether an agreement is in reach at that moment based on a subjective evaluation which I will be submitting in reporting to the European leaders on the state of negotiations.' He added: 'A lot of issues, including the Irish issue, will I hope have made significant progress and hopefully will have been resolved.' Mrs May struck a defiant note today ahead of her address to EU leaders at dinner. In an interview before she jetted out to Austria, she claimed Brexit meant the 'freedom to deliver the British dream'. Mrs May said: 'We gave people the opportunity to make a choice. They made that choice. 'If we as politicians want people to trust us, then we have to deliver for them on that. Mr Barnier, pictured last night, also admitted the EU could yet fail to reach an agreement on the terms of their divorce with Britain The EU chief Brexit negotiator's told officials that they were rethinking the border question to get a deal done 'I'm putting on the table what we think is the right plan for the UK and deliver a good deal for the EU. 'When the referendum took place, we gave people the opportunity to make a choice. They made that choice. If we as politicians want people to trust us, then we have to deliver for them on that. If we were to go back on that vote, it would destroy trust in politicians. 'A lot of people out there, however they voted in the referendum, say a decision's been taken, let's get on with and do it. 'I'm confident we can get a good deal. We've put the Chequers plan on the table and that does deliver for people. 'I believe that what we're proposing is the Brexit that delivers the freedoms that people voted for making our own laws, controlling our own borders, controlling our money. 'What I hear from other EU leaders is a recognition of that timetable and a recognition of the importance of showing we can sit down and come to an agreement. 'I'm not going to be pushed away from doing what is necessary to get the right deal for Britain. 'The plan that is on the table to take us forward, the plan that delivers on the Brexit vote but also protects jobs and maintains the unity of the UK is the Chequers plan. I haven't seen another plan that delivers on all of those. she said. 'I think people want to come together. For most people, they want Brexit done and they want to feel the country at last has come together. 'As a nation, we're at a really important point in our history. Brexit is that important point because our future is in our own hands. 'We'll have the opportunity to take the freedoms that people voted for and use them to deliver that better future for everybody.' Rejecting Mr Barnier's latest overtures, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: 'So Michel Barnier says he can do different kinds of checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK as if that makes it more palatable. 'The fundamental point is that internal UK checks are only needed if it is intended to separate Northern Ireland from Great Britain. 'Despite the talk of 'improvements' the backstop being insisted upon by the EU ... still means a border down the Irish Sea although with different kinds of checks. 'The fact is that both Theresa May and the Labour Party have said no British prime minister could accept such a concept.' Hundreds of dogs and cats have been rescued from an animal shelter that was about to collapse during Hurricane Florence. The Carteret County Humane Society in New Port, 15 miles from the North Carolina coast, flooded and its roof threatened to collapse on Friday during the catastrophic storm. The staff and animals were rescued around 8pm with help from the Cajun Navy. More than 100 cats and dogs were rescued in trucks and taken to a temporary shelter at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The Cajun Navy headed down toward the North Carolina coast on Friday night, responding to an SOS on Facebook from the Carteret County Humane Society in Newport to rescue more than 100 cats and dogs trapped at the shelter Hundreds of dogs and cats have been rescued from an animal shelter that was about to collapse during Hurricane Florence. Pictured: Bailey, a rescued dog, howls inside his cage before a walk by a volunteer at a makeshift animal shelter A rescued cat, unamed, at a makeshift animal shelter at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds The Carteret County Humane Society in New Port, 15 miles from the North Carolina coast, flooded and its roof collapsed on Friday during the catastrophic storm The animal shelter had desperately requested for people to donate crates so they could transport the animals out of the facility and to a safer location The society pleaded for help, saying that at least two people along with 43 dogs and about 80 cats were trapped on the top floor of the building as they feared the roof would collapse Dr Kelli Ferris, a vet from N.C. State University, was leading the rescue operation. Dr Ferris has been part of disaster response for animal rescue during Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. She told DailyMail.com: 'The majority of dogs that we have here either had not found an owner prior to the storm or were turned over by owners prior to the storm. 'We have a few dogs that have come in from other flooded areas that are going to go into a holding place for the long term, giving their owners a chance to reclaim them at some point in the next month.' The pets were being given medical exams and walked and fed by volunteers. More than 100 cats and dogs were rescued in trucks and taken to a temporary shelter at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Pictured: Rescued cat, Mojo, sits in a cage at the makeshift animal shelter Shark, a rescued dog, goes back inside his cage after a walk by a volunteer Alicia Morenberg, 75, at a makeshift animal shelter at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds Dr Kelli Ferris, a vet from N.C. State University, was leading the rescue operation. Dr Ferris has been part of disaster response for animal rescue during Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey Nala, a rescued dog, relaxes inside her cage after a walk on Tuesday afternoon Sheryl Dupont, 70, of Raleigh cares for a rescued cat, Hudson, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence on Tuesday The pets were being given medical exams and walked and fed by volunteers Dr Ferris brought out one dog Bailey, a mixed breed, who was wearing a collar to stop him scratching an ear infection. 'Bailey and a lot of Bailey's friends will be available for adoption,' she said. Savannah Crockett, 28, a vet nurse, Karen Raymond, 40, a surgical tech and Megan Davis, 34, who has been fostering dogs for six years, were volunteering on Tuesday. Megan told DailyMail.com: 'These animals have no one right now but us. They are scared and distressed, they don't know where they are or who we are. Dogs especially are creatures of habit so they need the stability.' Karen said: 'It's been so amazing to see the community come together with donations for the animals.' Savannah Crockett, 28, a vet nurse, Karen Raymond, 40, a surgical tech and Megan Davis, 34, who has been fostering dogs for six years, were volunteering on Tuesday Savannah Crockett, 28, Karen Raymond, 40, Megan Davis, 34, spending time with dog, Nala Megan told DailyMail.com: 'These animals have no one right now but us. They are scared and distressed, they don't know where they are or who we are. Dogs especially are creatures of habit so they need the stability.' Pictured: Volunteers comforting a blind dog The society wrote on its Facebook page: 'Animals made it out safely and to their temporary locations! Big thanks to Colonial Capitol Humane Society and Peak Lab Rescue and the hundreds of other volunteers for their help and support!' Dr Ferris said she grateful for all the volunteers who had showed up to help and the mountains of donations including dog and cat food, blankets and toys. More information can be found on Facebook at Carteret and Craven Displaced Dogs and Cats. Dogs are not able to be adopted from the temporary shelter. The animals will be transferred to partner rescue shelters, like Cause For Paws, and will be available for adoption into loving homes. Donations can be made to rescue animals after Hurricane Florence via North Carolina's state-run, http://sartusa.org/. Bandit, a rescued dog, relaxes inside her cage after a walk by a volunteer in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence The animals will be transferred to partner rescue shelters, like Cause For Paws , and will be available for adoption into loving homes Hundreds of dogs and cats were been rescued from an animal shelter that was about to collapse during Hurricane Florence The twin daughters of Mexican drug lord El Chapo have just celebrated their 7th birthday with an elaborate Barbie-themed extravaganza. Emma Coronel, the wife of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, threw the lavish birthday party for their young daughters, Emaly and Maria, in Mexico. The former Mexican beauty queen shared a photo of the pink party decor on Instagram on Monday, saying: 'My princess's birthday'. Mexican drug lord El Chapo's twin daughters have just celebrated their 7th birthday with an elaborate Barbie-themed party The party featured huge arches made of pink balloons and an abundance of Barbie paraphernalia. A ballroom with a chandelier was redesigned to be a giant pink Barbie Dreamhouse, complete with pink cakes, candy and a large Barbie neon sign. The photo of the lurid pink decorations were quick to make headlines in Mexican media. Maria and Emaly were born in the United States but live in their father's home state of Sinaloa. Emma Coronel, the wife of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, threw the lavish birthday party for their young daughters, Emaly and Maria, in Mexico The ex-Mexican beauty queen and her two daughters have been spotted at El Chapo's various court appearances in New York (pictured left in February) in the past year. He is currently locked up in a high security prison The party featured an abundance of Barbie paraphernalia, including personalized water bottles The photo of the lurid pink decorations were quick to make headlines in Mexican media It is not known if other members of the family were present at the party, including their grandmother Maria Consuelo Loera Lopez or El Chapo's two sons Archivaldo and Alfredo Guzman. But one thing is certain - El Chapo missed out on the lavish celebrations. The drug lord is currently locked up in a high security prison in New York following his extradition from Mexico in January last year. He has been charged with 17 crimes, among them that of leading the extremely dangerous Sinaloa drug cartel and of transporting at least 200,000 kilos of cocaine to the US from Mexico. His wife Emma, who he married in 2007, has US nationality. Emma and her two daughters have been spotted at El Chapo's various court appearances in New York in the past year. The massive party featured several different sections - all decked out heavily in pink A ballroom with a chandelier was redesigned to be a giant pink Barbie Dreamhouse, complete with pink cakes, candy and a large Barbie neon sign Life-size Barbie cut outs features heavily as part of the party's pink inspired decor Students from an Alabama high school apologized for taking an offensive photo of six white students standing on one black student who is face down on the floor. The photo was taken last week at Moody High School and featured the white teenage boys in cowboy boots along with the caption 'We got us one.' The image quickly made its rounds on social media but Moody High School Principal Christopher Walters told AL.com that the picture was intended to be a joke. Scroll down for video The photo was taken last week at Moody High School and featured the white teenage boys in cowboy boots along with the caption 'We got us one.' 'We have confirmed that all students involved are friends and participated voluntarily in creating the picture, which they say was intended to be a 'joke,'' he said, according to AL.com. 'The picture is offensive and unacceptable, and it does not reflect the values of our school, our students, or our community.' According to one of the boy's parents, the teens were trying to make fun of racist people when they posed for the photo. The image quickly made its rounds on social media but Moody High School Principal Christopher Walters told AL.com that the picture was intended to be a joke 'They really were making fun of racist people,' Jennifer Kellum, the mother of one of the boys in the photo insisted in an interview with a local TV station Austin Glass - the woman's son - who appeared in the photo with a maroon shirt with his foot on the other student, felt that the photo had been taken 'out of proportion' 'They really were making fun of racist people,' Jennifer Kellum declared to CBS 42. Austin Glass - the woman's son - who appeared in the photo with a maroon shirt with his foot on the other student, felt that the photo had been taken 'out of proportion.' 'If I could go back, I wouldn't have took the picture,' he added. 'I probably wouldn't have even dressed up for that day.' Nick Fuller, the black teen featured in the seemingly racist photo, apologized for the role he played. He stated: 'I'm thinking about it now, but I didn't think about it when we first took the photos. I'd still like to say sorry again for anyone I offended.' The school had allowed students to dress up as if they were from New Orleans, Hollywood, Hawaii and Dallas. The white boys in the photo represent 'Dallas' and are wearing boats along with flannels. A local New York City business owner has added a new form of payment currency: the Mexican peso. Guillaume Guevara opened his small store, Miscelanea NY, three years ago, selling Mexicans good in Manhattan's East Village. Guevara knew of people who would travel south of the border, returning with great stories but also with the neighboring country's paper currency. This normally meant Mexicans bills, and coins too, would just linger in their homes since they weren't accepted by businesses in the United States. Miscelanea NY, a store that specializes in Mexican goods in New York City, is accepting Mexican currency as a form of payment Local New York City business owner Guillaume Guevara has welcomed the idea of allowing customers to pay with the Mexican peso at his small store The clever shop owner then just thought why not add the option of allowing his customers to pay with the Mexican peso at Miscelanea NY along with the customary method of the American dollar, credit and debit cards. 'There are a lot of people that go on vacation to Oaxaca, Tulum, even Mexico City,' Guevara told Spectrum Noticias 1. 'And they return and they're stuck with $300 pesos that they couldn't spend at the airport. I tell them, "you can have $300 pesos in a box for 20 years or you're better off buying a pie or soft drink.''' Guevara's innovative business idea took off last week and runs through the end of September. And so far it's worked, according to a customer that spoke to Spectrum Noticias 1. 'I think it's a good idea being that a lot of people come from Mexico on vacation and they might have a certain amount of pesos and instead of exchanging them, they can come here to Miscelanea and purchase with pesos.' Only Mexican bills are accepted under this unique, customer friendly concept. Any leftover change is handed back in the form of American currency The exchanged rate is rounded off, $20 pesos for a dollar to be exact, rather than the listed Tuesday listed rate of $18.78 pesos per American dollar, to make the transaction much smoother. 'We're applying the great Cancun method, it's $20 pesos for a dollar,' Guevara said. At Miscelanea NY, customers are welcomed until the end of September to pay with the Mexican peso if they wish to do so The former high school health teacher recently acquitted of having sex with a 17-year-old student has revealed that she now works in a diner and sees a trauma counselor to help with the stress of her ordeal. Jill Lamontagne, 30, resigned from her five-year post as a health teacher at Kennebunk High School in Kennebunk, Maine, in 2017, after being accused of having sex with a then 17-year-old student who she had been giving homework help to so that he could graduate. Now 19, the student testified at Lamontagne's trial that they had participated in the sex acts at the school and in her home. Lamontagne denied all the charges. After being found not guilty of having sex with an underage, former student, Jill Lamontagne, 30, said that she is now working at a diner and seeing a trauma counselor Lamontagne said that she has been spending time with her husband, Steve, and two children, while also jotting down notes about her experience which she is hoping to turn into a book She was found not guilty of all charges after a two-hour jury deliberation in July. Lamontagne told the Press Herald that since the trial ended, she has been working at a diner and spending time with her husband, Steve, and two young children, ages four and five. She said that she has also been handling calls from media organizations and taking notes for a book about her experience that she is contemplating writing. Lamontagne said that she began seeing a trauma counselor to help her deal with the stress of the accusation and continues to do so, despite the acquittal. 'I dont get my job back, (attorney) fees back, the old version of me back,' Lamontagne told the newspaper about the aftermath of the trial. 'I dont get rid of the trauma. Im innocent, thats it.' Lamontagne was accused of having sex with a former student in October 2017. After a two-hour jury deliberation, she was acquitted of all charges in July 2018 Lamontagne (pictured in July 2018) claimed that despite the trauma of her ordeal, she wouldn't do anything differently when trying to help out the student Lamontagne said she holds school officials partially responsible for what happened to her, calling the school administration and superintendent 'the weak part of the puzzle' and claiming that they had 'assisted the police in building a case against me.' Superintendent Kathryn Hawes said in an email to the Press Herald that 'it is not our role to "build a case" against anyone' and that they district had assisted authorities when requested, as always. Among the things that Lamontagne testified about during the trial, was the fact that she had been helping the unnamed teen with his school work and knew that he had had some emotional troubles. She said that she didn't refer him to the school's social worker because she didn't think they'd get along and opted to work independently with the student instead. Weeks after the not guilty verdict, Lamontagne claimed that she still would chose the same course of action now as she did back then, telling the newspaper that she 'did what I thought was right for a kid in a rough spot.' She added that she wouldn't have been able to do more than she did, but that she would not have been happy if she had done less than what she did. Lamontagne said that while she has not abandoned the idea of teaching, she is exploring other career options, including nursing, counseling and holistic health. Video courtesy of News Center Maine A suspect in Florida who was accused of kidnapping an infant was heroically taken down by a K9 cop that was expertly guided by his handler. The harrowing collar was captured on police body camera. Pasco County deputies hunted for the suspect, 24-year-old Kevin Wilson, after they responded to a call from a home in New Port Richey on Monday about the attempted kidnapping of a six-month-old baby. Wilson had given up on taking the baby after the woman's uncle threatened him at gun point, but fled the scene and eventually ditched his vehicle to hide in a wooded area where Sgt. Ferguson and K9 Titan tracked him down. In the incredible footage, Sgt. Ferguson is led by his powerful partner, Titan, who has picked up on Wilson's scent as the helicopter unit over head locks their eyes on Wilson. Pasco County Sheriff's K9 Titan gets on the trail of suspect Kevin Wilson's scent. The K9 cop runs towards brush where the 24-year-old is hiding The powerful K9 latches onto Wilson's arm. As the suspect shouts in pain, his handler, Sgt. Ferguson, encourages the dog while commanding Wilson to roll onto his stomach for arrest When Wilson does not listen to the deputies' commands, Ferguson is heard on the body camera telling him he is not releasing the dog till he rolls over to be placed in custody Wilson is convinced at gunpoint and with the Titan's powerful jaws on his arm to finally listen to deputies orders to get onto his stomach 'Good boy!' Sgt. Ferguson praises his K9 partner for helping get Wilson placed under arrest Ferguson commands the suspect to roll over, who is screaming in pain with Titan locked on his arm, but when he refuses to roll over the Sgt. warns him he won't release the dog's grip until he does. 'Roll over or we're not taking the dog off!' a deputy is heard shouting during the intense arrest. The officer encourages his K9 partner, telling him 'Good boy Titan, you hold him, good boy!' 'That's a good boy, you hold that man. Good boy!' Sgt. Ferguson, with the help of Titan, convince the suspect to roll over onto his stomach to be handcuffed and hauled to jail. The mother of the baby girl told deputies the upsetting ordeal started when Wilson climbed into her second floor bedroom window and she allowed him inside, according to WFL8 News. After a few minutes, however, she told him he needed to leave and an argument ensued during which Wilson allegedly grabbed the baby. The mother screamed to her uncle who also lives at the home as Wilson fled down the stairs. Her uncle, armed with a gun, chased after Wilson who ran outside, while the mother pleaded for him to let her baby girl go. Whose a good boy? K9 cop Titan helped collar Kevin Wilson, 24 (both pictured) after the suspect tried to kidnap a woman's baby girl from her home Deputies say the mother reported that Wilson then terrifyingly told her 'You'll never see her again,' while squeezing the baby so tightly that Wilson appeared to possibly be choking her. As the uncle persisted with his firearm, Wilson eventually gave the baby girl back and drove off. Deputies were able to track down Wilson's car which had been abandoned on a road- and he appeared to have disappeared into a wooded area. With Pasco's K9 unit and helicopters in tow, they were able to track him down to a nearby McDonald's. With several schools in the area, deputies ordered a lockdown while they searched for the suspect before finally making the dramatic arrest. Wilson is facing a slew of charges including child neglect, interference with custody and violation of pre-trial release. Additionally the arrest report says a no-contact order is in place against Wilson following a domestic battery arrest that happened in July. TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham has unveiled a 'people's manifesto' to save endangered wildlife. The proposals call for all primary schools to be 'twinned' with farms to improve understanding of food production and for classes to name and 'own' urban trees. His 200-suggestion manifesto also includes plans for wildlife ponds to exist in every industrial estate, a tax on pesticides and domestic cats to remain in at night to avoid killing wild birds. Chris Packham (pictured) has called for primary schools to be 'twinned' with farms across the UK Packham's goal is to reverse what he calls an 'ecological apocalypse', with more than half British species in decline. The proposals come ahead of the People's Walk For Wildlife in Hyde Park in London on Saturday, which starts at 1pm. Deputies in Florida were not impressed when a woman accused of pushing her neighbor tried to pass herself off as a member of the world-famous Kardashian clan. The following citizen may have watched too many episodes of KUWTK [Keeping Up with the Kardashians)] the Marion County Sheriff's Office quipped in a Facebook post. According to the agency, at around 2pm on Friday, 35-year-old Crystal Jene-Amber Kohler randomly approached her neighbor in Ocala and declared: Im a Kardashian. Im going to f*** you up! Which one is she? Crystal Jene-Amber Kohler, 35, on Friday told her neighbor in Florida she is a 'Kardashian' before swearing at her and allegedly pushing the woman in the chest The 5-foot-5, 155-pound brunette then allegedly shoved the woman in the chest with both hands. When deputies were summoned to the scene and asked the reality TV star wannabe why she attacked her neighbor, Kohler reportedly replied that the victim was too nosey,' according to the Miami Herald. On her part, the neighbor claimed that Kohler has been feuding with her and yelling at her without any provocation for quite some time. It appears that the only thing Kohler has in common with socialites Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian (pictured above with their half-sisters Kendal and Kylie Jenner) is that she, too, has the letter K in her last name Kohler was charged with one count of simple battery. She remains in the Marion County Jail on $500 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for September 26. Kohlers mugshot shows the bogus Kardashian dressed in a white-and-orange striped jail garb, with her eye makeup smudged and her brown locks in disarray. It appears that the only thing the Floridian has in common with glamorous multimillionaire socialites Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian is that she, too, has the letter K in her last name. President Donald Trump took a preemptive strike Tuesday against criticism that may flow from the federal response to Hurricane Florence claiming Democrats in the future will start peddling the 'total lie' that first responders didn't perform well. Trump issued the posts on Twitter Tuesday, while North Carolina is still dealing with the devastation and coastal and inland flooding wracked by the powerful storm. He also hailed first responders. 'Right now, everybody is saying what a great job we are doing with Hurricane Florence and they are 100% correct,' Trump wrote. He continued in a pair of tweets: 'But dont be fooled, at some point in the near future the Democrats will start ranting... that FEMA, our Military, and our First Responders, who are all unbelievable, are a disaster and not doing a good job.' President Donald Trump hailed the response to Hurricane Florence, then predicted 'Democrats will start ranting' in the future about it Then he predicted: 'This will be a total lie, but thats what they do, and everybody knows it!' Members of both parties have praised first responders, a gesture that is par for the course in the politics of disaster response. To date the federal response to Florence has not drawn negative reviews, apart from explosive reports of an inspector general's investigation of FEMA director Brock Long for having federal employees drive him home to North Carolina in government vehicles over a period of a year at taxpayer expense. President Donald Trump praised the hurricane response - then cautioned 'don't be fooled' Trump predicted critics would tell a 'total lie' A man works in the reconstruction of Rodanthe pier after being partially damaged after the pass of Hurricane Florence, now downgraded to a tropical depression in Rodanthe, North Carolina, U.S., September 18, 2018 Floodwater from Cross Creek covers North Cool Spring Street on the edge of downtown Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that the flooding set off by rain from Florence is far from over and will get worse in places A man walks through a flooded street in Jersey City, N.J., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Remnants of the once-powerful Hurricane Florence are now a rainy, windy mass of low pressure. The system has speeded up on a path toward the heavily populated Northeast Emergency personnel take a family to safety after Little River overflowed its banks and flooded part of the apartment complex on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Spring Lake, N.C. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that the flooding set off by rain from Florence is far from over and will get worse in places As the storm approached last week, Trump declared the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico an 'incredible, unsung success.' He earlier called the response 'fantastic,' even after a university study put the death toll at nearly 3,000. "I think we did a fantastic job in Puerto Rico, ' Trump said. It took months to restore power to the island. Trump repeatedly referenced the difficulty of getting supplies there because Puerto Rico is an island, and repeatedly blasted local leadership, including the mayor of San Juan, a Trump critic. The partner of a white Chicago police officer charged in the death of a black teenager has testified that the victim still posed a threat after he was shot and fell to the ground. Former officer Joseph Walsh was Jason Van Dyke's police partner the night 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot dead in Chicago in 2014. Walsh testified on Tuesday under a grant of immunity during the second day of Van Dyke's murder trial. Walsh is among three officers indicted on charges they conspired to cover up how the 2014 killing of McDonald happened. McDonald was carrying a small knife in his right hand and was running down the middle of a street as officers pursued him after reports that someone was breaking into vehicles in a trucking yard. Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke listens during the second day of his murder trial for the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald on Tuesday Walsh said that after he and Van Dyke got out of their squad car to confront McDonald, he saw the 17-year-old raise his right arm and 'swing that up to shoulder level ... in our direction.' Video of the shooting does not confirm Walsh's account, but the officer testified that it was taken from a different angle than his vantage point. Van Dyke continued shooting McDonald after the teenager fell to the ground, firing a total of 16 shots. Walsh was next to Van Dyke with his own gun drawn, but testified that he chose not to shoot. Walsh told the jury on Tuesday that he believed McDonald still posed a threat even when he fell to the ground because he never lost hold of his knife. Prosecutors have stressed that no other officers who encountered McDonald opened fire. Van Dyke's attorneys have said he was scared for his life and the life of others and acted as he was trained to do. The video of McDonald's shooting was shown to jurors at least five times during the initial day of testimony on Monday. A video image of McDonald body lying in the street is displayed in court on Tuesday (above) Laquan McDonald (pictured) was 17-years-old, when he was walking away from officers while armed with a knife. He was shot 16 times by Van Dyke who is claiming self-defense It comes after the video of McDonald's shooting was shown to jurors at least five times during the initial day of testimony on Monday. The first was just 15 minutes into the prosecution's opening statements. The recordings show the officer shooting McDonald on October 20, 2014, as the 17-year-old - carrying a small knife in one hand - walks away from officers. V Van Dyke's defense lawyer showed the knife in the court room, dramatically motioning with the three-inch blade. Former officer Joseph Walsh was Jason Van Dyke's police partner the night 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot dead in Chicago in 2014. He is pictured above in July last year 'He shot him... not once, not twice, but three, four, five, six seven, eight - he's only half way done - nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 times in total,' special prosecutor Joseph McMahon told jurors, rapping his knuckles on a lectern each time he said a number. Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. 'Not a single shot was necessary or justified,' he said at another point in his opening statement. But defense attorney Daniel Herbert argued that Van Dyke 'is not a murderer. ... He is a scared police officer who was fearful for his life and the life of others and acted as he was trained to do.' Herbert also argued that the number of shots fired was irrelevant: 'They didn't charge him with shooting too many times. They charged him with first-degree murder.' The video's release about a year after the shooting sparked large protests, demanding the police superintendent be fired and police reform. Herbert painted a picture of McDonald as a crazed teenager who had attacked a truck driver and a squad car and had tried to get into two restaurants. He said McDonald had flicked his folding knife open when Van Dyke pulled up. McDonald was 'planning to attack' again, Herbert said. 'He's not trying to escape.' He and McMahon both noted McDonald had the hallucinogenic drug PCP in his system. Special prosecutor Joseph McMahon holds McDonald's knife at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday before showing jurors video of Van Dyke shooting the victim This undated autopsy diagram provided by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office shows the location of wounds on the body of McDonald who was shot 16 times But McMahon said Van Dyke didn't know that - or anything else about McDonald - when he opened fire just six seconds after getting out of his squad car. 'What he did see was a black boy walking down a street with a chain link fence with the audacity to ignore the police,' McMahon said. Herbert took the prosecutor to task for bringing up race. 'The government wants to you think this is a racial issue,' he told jurors. 'Race had absolutely nothing to do with this.' During later testimony, prosecutors showed side-by-side videos of the shooting from different squad cars and from surveillance cameras at a nearby Dunkin Donuts. At one point, prosecutors stopped the video just as McDonald was shot and then as he lay on the ground. Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. A woman in Oklahoma has been arrested for stealing items from people's graves at a cemetery and using them to decorate her home. Police in Prague had installed surveillance cameras at the town's municipal cemetery several months ago after several people complained about graveside thefts. Authorities captured footage of Takisha Taber, 39, taking belongings from people's graves between 8.30am and 10.30am last Tuesday morning. Takisha Taber (pictured in her mugshot left and right) was arrested last Friday after CCTV footage captured her taking items from grave-sites at Prague Municipal cemetery in Oklahoma where people had made complaints She can be seen walking away from one grave with belongings in her arms and returning to put them in a pick-up truck where another individual was waiting for her. It is understood she used some of the items to decorate her home. Prague Police Chief John Fluitt said Taber confessed to thefts last Friday, after police showed her surveillance of her stealing items last Tuesday morning. Kelly Reno suspects Taber stole several items her daughters had left for their father Ronald, who died in 2016 from a heart attack. Reno told News9: 'It sickens me. She took what his daughters had put out there for him. And it's disgusting that somebody would do that to our loved ones. 'Everything that my babies had put out here for their daddy is gone.' Police installed surveillance cameras at the cemetery which captured Taber walking to her pick-up truck (pictured) as she took items from graves last Tuesday morning Taber used a blue pick-up truck (pictured) to steal items from the cemetery which she subsequently used to decorate her own home, according to police She said that her daughters had been left very distressed that keepsakes they had left for their father had been taken from his grave. Asked what she would like to say to the suspect, Reno replied: 'I hope it comes back to you and karma will come and get you.' Prague Mayor Cliff Bryant said that once Taber is convicted, the city of Prague plans to seize her pickup truck and sell it to purchase more surveillance cameras. Mayor Bryant said: 'The message is to have respect.' Aaron Jones (pictured), 30, admitted posting the video but insisted he wasn't responsible for spraying homeless Michael Cash with paint Police have arrested a man on suspicion of assaulting a homeless person who was sprayed with red paint before he was found dead in a cemetery. Michael Cash, 32, was covered in paint while sitting outside a Tesco Express in Eston, Middlesbrough, on Sunday, September 9. Video footage emerged of the attack, where a man is heard saying 'this is how we deal with beggars on the street' and 'he's not even a beggar'. Cash was found dead in Eston Cemetery three days later, on Wednesday September 12. Following a post-mortem examination, police said they are not treating the death as suspicious. A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage. He has been released under investigation whilst inquiries continue. A Just Giving page has been set up to raise money for Michael Cash's funeral. The shocking footage was uploaded to Facebook over the weekend but later taken down Mr Cash (pictured) was spray-painted red by thugs and days later his body was found in Eston Cemetery Vicki Gaffney, 38, who works in Iceland, said: 'He was involved in a spray painting incident last week, and that was just disgusting. 'I thought how can someone treat him in that way when he was in such despair? 'At that point he must have been so down. The paint just covered the only clothes he had. It is just outrageous. 'Then the next thing I heard was that he had died - I was so sorry.' Flowers and cards have been left by the wall in Normanby, Middlesbrough, where red paint could still be seen at the spot where the man who was in his 30s used to sit Police have confirmed that the body found in Middlesbrough was that of Michael Cash (pictured) The decorator who filmed the spray paint incident said he is in need of police protection after being threatened by furious neighbour. Aaron Jones told The Sun: 'I posted the video and I'm sorry for that, and I feel for the lad's family. 'But I wasn't responsible for spraying him with paint - I just came out of the shop and took a video.' Mr Jones also said the people to blame for Mr Cash's death were the people who 'funded his habit.' The video has since been deleted. A group of children aged between 11 and 14 have been arrested for trying to rob an elderly man at gunpoint and beating him with his own cane in Houston. The juveniles attacked 76-year-old Ray Johnson on September 9, shoving him to the ground and beating him on the head with a gun which they also pointed in his face. They used the elderly man's cane to hit him and demanded money but were scared off when he screamed for help and two neighbors ran over to help him. Last week, police arrested three kids in connection with the attack. They were aged 11, 12 and 14. None of their identities are being released because of their age. Scroll down for video The three teenagers who were arrested are part of a larger group seen above in surveillance footage on September 9 not long after they attacked the elderly man. Three are still on the loose Police are still looking for another three kids they believe may be responsible, alongside the others, for a wave of crime which includes robbery, assault and car theft. The three juveniles were arrested after police matched their description to a group they saw fleeing from them in a car on September 12. When police tried to pull the group over, they fled. There were four of them in the vehicle at the time. Police tracked down two of them and they admitted to the attack on Johnson as well as stealing the car they were in. They told the officers their plan was to set it alight and that they had been on a crime spree around the city 'for the kicks.' Ray Johnson, 67, was hit over the head with his cane (pictured) and had a pistol smacked over his head by the youths but he said he does not hold it against them and is praying for them. Image courtesy of ABC 'This is the attitude of some of the young juveniles that we have out there that we're just going to assault people and steal their goods and we're going to cause serious bodily injury, just for kicks,' Constable Ted Heap said. Johnson, who was not left with any serious injuries, spoke out on Tuesday to say he had forgiven them for their actions. He said he 'loved kids', was a Boy Scouts leader and wanted the children to know he is praying for them. 'I prayed for those kids that night. 'There is hope for them. These kids just need a little guidance and a little love. 'There's hope for them. I love them all,' he said at a press conference. In total, police fear the group of children may be responsible for more than 20 crimes across the city since May 2017. Anyone with information about these crimes or anyone who may have been a victim of a similar crime is urged to contact Harris County Precinct 5 at 281-463-6666. More than a dozen immigrants have showed up for deportation court hearings in Dallas only to find that they were never actually added to the dockets and have been given by ICE what court officials described as 'fake dates,' according to a new report. The immigrants were turned away, as have others in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami, according to The Dallas Morning News. In some cases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have instructed immigrants to arrive in court on weekends, at midnight, or even on non-existent dates Sept. 31, for example. ICE arrested 160 immigrants on Aug. 28 at Load Trail in Sumner, Texas. The raid was the agency's largest on record since 2008. Now many of the immigrants have been assigned 'fake dates' to appear in immigration court, making it harder for them to fight their deportation proceedings With a backlog of nearly 750,000 cases nationwide, the issue is throwing a new wrench into an already strained immigration court system. Many of the immigrants turned away in Texas were arrested on Aug. 28 during the largest workplace ICE has conducted in a decade. That operation, at Load Trail in Sumner, Texas (about 100 miles northeast of Dallas), netted 160 arrests. Many of those arrested were released with a notice to appear in court, but when they arrived they were told to fill out a new form and instructed to call a phone number repeatedly until they receive a new court date. It's an attempt to fulfill the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. -Former immigration Judge Jeffrey S. Chase 'It's a madhouse,' said Dalila Reynoso, a church employee who has been helping workers and their families since the raid in Sumner. A spokesman for ICE referred DailyMail.com to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which falls under the DOJ. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Santos Monroy, 29, told the Dallas Morning News that he had worked for Load Trail for six years before the arrest, and that now the Mexican national is losing sleep because he is worried about his immigration status and how he will take care of his wife and four children. 'I am always thinking of what will happen tomorrow,' he said. Immigration attorneys say the root of the problem is a June 21 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case known as Pereira v. Sessions. The ruling in that case requires the federal government to put dates and court locations on all notices to appear in immigration court. While not every state has immigration court, immigrants living in each state have cases before an immigration judge. This map illustrates where in the U.S. people with pending immigration cases are living For many years, a large number of those notices would be mailed to immigrants with no actual date, time or place to appear. In some cases immigrants were ordered deported despite their lack of proper notice to appear. 'Given today's advanced software capabilities, it is hard to imagine why DHS and immigration courts could not again work together to schedule hearings before sending notices to appear,' wrote Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the decision on Pereira. Now it appears that the Department of Homeland Security is attempting to comply even if the dates and times being assigned to immigrants are not actually logged in the court system and coordinated across agencies. 'It's an attempt to fulfill the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law,' former immigration Judge Jeffrey S. Chase told DailyMail.com. Ashley Huebner, the Chicago-based associate director of legal services for the National Immigrant Justice Center told the Dallas Morning News that she has come across 'dozens and dozens' of immigrants with 'dummy dates' on their court appearance documents. Many travel long distances to get their day in court, only to be turned away. 'The immigration court system is confusing enough on a normal day,' Huebner said. 'But to have an individual who probably does not speak English ... and receives a document in which DHS has purposely listed a fake date and time is a real different level of confusion and absurdity.' In the meantime, ICE is ramping up its enforcement efforts, even as the bottleneck in immigration courts continues to grow. The backlog in immigration cases has increased 38 percent since President Trump took office, according to government data. The backlog of immigration cases has risen steadily over the past decade, but has jumped significantly since President Trump took office Nationwide, there were 746,049 pending cases as of July 31 up from 542,411 at the end of January 2017, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. As of July 20, ICE had more than tripled the number of work site investigations it conducted so far in 2018. Since October 1, 2017 the beginning of fiscal year 2018 ICE has opened investigations into 6,093 workplaces, compared to 1,716 in all of fiscal year 2017. The agency also made 984 administrative arrests as of July 20 of this year, nearly six times the 172 officials made the year prior. Administrative arrests are when someone is accused of being in the country illegally, but they haven't been charged with any other crimes. ICE officials also increased the number of criminal arrests it made, taking in 675 immigrants compared to 139 in all of 2017. Altogether, the 1,659 arrests made so far in FY2018 amount to five times the 311 arrests of FY2017. A Brazilian Victoria's Secret model suing a California hotel for bed bugs said she wanted to 'rip her skin off' after she suffered more than 90 bites on her arms, legs and back. Sabrina Jales St Pierre filed a lawsuit in June against the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Palm Desert after she woke up to dozens of red marks and welts covering her entire body. 'I literally wanted to rip my skin off,' she told NBC Los Angeles. 'The first morning, when I woke up, I noticed a couple of bites on my arm, but I didn't think anything of it. And then, the second morning is when I noticed all the bites, and that's when it got worse.' St Pierre, who has modeled for Victoria's Secret, Versace, and Valentino, stayed at the three-star hotel in 2016 for a photoshoot. The model told the outlet that she suffered over 90 bed bug bites on her body and was out of work for more than two months. Brazilian model Sabrina Jales St Pierre is suing Embassy Suites in Palm Desert, California, claiming her room was infested with bed bugs that left her covered in bites (pictured) St Pierre had been staying at the Embassy Suites in Palm Desert in 2016 when she saw the red bites spread across her legs, shoulders, and back St Pierre said during an interview the bites were so bad she wanted to 'rip (her) skin off' 'She absolutely got massacred,' her lawyer Brian Virag said. St Pierre's horror stay isn't the first time the hotel has been called out for unsanitary conditions. According to NBC Los Angeles, Santa Ana Police sergeant Gary Bruce, who was in one of the lead police cars during the infamous OJ Simpson pursuit down a Los Angeles freeway in 1994, said he suffered multiple bed bug bites following a June stay. St Pierre has filed a lawsuit against Hilton Worldwide Inc and Embassy Suites management, claiming she suffered physical and emotional distress 'There's no doubt in my mind it was definitely bed bugs,' he said. The outlet also reported in April that an investigation revealed that the Palm Desert hotel didn't always change pillowcases after guests checked out of the rooms. A manager said at the time that they take guest health and safety 'very seriously', but 'sometimes human error occurs.' A manager for Embassy Suites said both bed bug cases were investigated by the hotel as well as an outside pest control company and no pests, including bed bugs, were found. 'We did all the proper protocols and found no evidence,' Carlos Mendoza said. 'Now we have to go through the lawsuit to defend the reputation of the hotel.' St Pierre filed the lawsuit against Hilton Worldwide Inc and Embassy Suites management, claiming she suffered physical and emotional distress. She is seeking an unknown amount of monetary and punitive damages. Carlos Mendoza, the general manager for the Palm Desert hotel (pictured), claims no evidence of bed bugs were ever found in St Pierre's room The model, who has worked for Victoria's Secret and Valentino, said she had more than 90 bites St Pierre (pictured with her husband and child) claimed she had to seek medical attention for the bites for 'an extended period of time' Virag claims St Pierre has had 'nightmares about the experience' and continues to experience 'psychological trauma and fear of bed bugs today'. 'This was especially traumatic for Sabrina because her body is her work, so this severely affected her work and her career,' he added. 'She had to continue working during the hotel stay, but the bite marks all over her body made her feel embarrassed, ashamed, and humiliated.' Virag, who specializes in bed bug cases, has claimed that St Pierre's bites were among the worst he has seen in nearly a decade. The model has claimed that she suffered 'psychological trauma' and 'nightmares' from the experience at the hotel and was out of work for two months He added that the model had to seek medical attention for the bites 'for an extended period of time'. Mendoza said the hotel agreed to dry clean St Pierre's clothes after the incident because 'the comfort and health and safety of our guests is most important'. 'Our experience with bed bugs though is that people travel with them and bring them to hotels,' he added. 'Once they are in our rooms, we take corrective actions.' Theresa May today insisted people should be 'proud' to live on council estates as she vowed to end the 'stigma' of social housing. The Prime Minister condemned sneering attitudes towards housing association and council house tenants, who she says have nothing to be ashamed of. She said council house tenants were our 'friends and neighbours' and 'not second-rate citizens', as she announced 2billion for new housing association properties. Residents should be able to say they were an 'estate person' without feeling looked down on. 'They should be proud to call it their home,' she added. Since Margaret Thatcher's right-to-buy policy allowed millions of council house tenants to buy their homes, Tory leaders have emphasised the party's mission of increasing home ownership. Theresa May, pictured speaking at the Housing Federation today, said people should be proud to live on housing estates The Prime Minister condemned sneering attitudes towards housing association and council house tenants, who she says have nothing to be ashamed of Downing Street last night denied the speech meant Mrs May was abandoning this tradition and pointed towards Government efforts to get more people on the housing ladder. A No 10 source said: 'The central Tory focus on home ownership is absolutely undimmed.' Mrs May's remarks at a housing conference will be seen as a bid to steal Labour's clothes and boost her credentials as a campaigner for social justice. The PM said the 'overriding priority' is to build 300,000 homes a year by 2020. In a speech to the National Housing Federation Mrs May called on associations to build more high-quality social housing and urge them to help change attitudes. She said: 'For many people, a certain stigma still clings to social housing. Some residents feel marginalised and overlooked, and are ashamed to share the fact that their home belongs to a housing association or local authority. Mrs May (pictured leaving Downing Street today) called on associations to build more high-quality social housing and urge them to help change attitudes 'On the outside, many people in society including too many politicians continue to look down on social housing and, by extension, the people who call it their home. 'We should never see social housing as something that need simply be 'good enough', nor think that the people who live in it should be grateful for their safety net and expect no better. 'Whether it is owned and managed by local authorities, tenant management organisations or housing associations, I want to see social housing that is so good people are proud to call it their home our friends and neighbours who live in social housing are not second-rate citizens.' The new money which will become available in 2022 is an attempt to send a signal to housing associations that they can build homes with the confidence Government funding will continue in the long term. As well as encouraging home ownership, Mrs May said she wants to ensure those who cannot afford to buy have somewhere they are proud to live. Housing associations should 'lead major developments' instead of just taking a share of private sector projects, she argued. Mrs Thatcher's right-to-buy allowed hundreds of thousands of council house tenants to buy their homes at a discount. Theresa May was last week pictured watching The Chase with husband Phillip, at Chequers. BBC producers filmed the 'a day in the life' documentary for an episode of Panorama. Mrs May will say politicians should never see social housing as 'something that need simply be good enough' Under David Cameron the Tories proposed extending this to housing association tenants, a pledge shelved after the 2015 election. Housing association chiefs have urged ministers to give them long-term funding. Mrs May will point out that eight associations have already been handed deals worth almost 600million. She will say the new money 'will give you the stability you need to get tens of thousands of affordable and social homes built where they are needed most'. David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: 'The announcement of 2billion of new money for social housing is extremely welcome but the really big news here is the Prime Minister's long-term commitment to funding new affordable homes. This represents a total step change. 'For years, the way that money was allocated meant housing associations couldn't be sure of long-term funding to build much-needed affordable housing.' A 19-year-old woman is in critical but stable condition after being run over in a San Antonio, Texas Walmart parking lot Monday night. Maria Hoover was reportedly riding on the hood of a car but was mowed down when she fell off and the vehicle mounted her skull. The driver, who is believed to know the teenager, claims he couldn't stop when she slipped from the front of the motor. A Texas teenager is in critical but stable condition after being run over in a San Antonio Walmart parking lot Monday night around 10pm Maria Hoover, 19, was reportedly riding on the hood of a car but was mowed down when she fell off and the vehicle mounted her skull The driver claims he couldn't stop the motor and law enforcement believe they were playing around when the incident occurred Hoover became trapped underneath the tyre at around 10pm and witnesses rushed to help remove her from underneath the car. It took four people to life the weight of the vehicle off her and a fifth person pulled her out from beneath it. In images obtained from Ksat.com law enforcement can be seen talking to bystanders for their various accounts at the scene. Law enforcement could be seen talking to bystanders for their various accounts at the scene It took five bystanders to lift the car off Hoover and pull her out from beneath it Traffic Investigation Detectives are looking into what happened when Hoover was injured Footage also shows the woman being carried away on a stretcher after calling out in distress. 'She fell off and it came to rest on top of her,' San Antonio Police Department Sgt. T. Hardeman told Chron.com, adding that it's too soon to say whether any charges will be filed. The Toyota Yaris was moving at a slow 5-10 mph and law enforcement thinks the Hoover and the driver were simply playing around when the incident occurred. Hoover was airlifted from outside the Northwest Side store, situated on 5000 block of NW Loop 410 and Palestine, to University Hospital to deal with the major injuries including head trauma. Traffic Investigation Detectives are looking into what happened. Children enslaved by county lines drug gangs are being rejected by councils even after they are referred for help, a leading charity claimed yesterday. Local authorities are regularly turning a blind eye to drug runners as young as 12 who have run away from home because they don't meet the 'threshold for safeguarding', according to St Giles Trust. Evan Jones, head of community services at the charity, said half of their referrals to children's services were 'resisted' because the victims weren't abused at home. St Giles Trust said local authorities are regularly turning a blind eye to drug runners as young as 12 who have run away from home The charity has helped more children trapped in county lines gangs than any other voluntary sector organisation, but said many 'blinkered' councils still see children peddling class A drugs on the streets as a criminal activity that they chose to get involved in. Senior officials, including local politicians and police and crime commissioners, still just 'don't want to know' about the problem, he said. Yesterday, Mr Jones called for a co-ordinated national response as he said local authorities needed to wake up to the 'cult' of county lines, so-called because of the phone lines used by gangs to sell and distribute drugs. He spoke out after a Daily Mail investigation revealed the scale of the menace blighting Britain, which the Children's Commissioner said could involve as many as 50,000 children. The charity, which has centres in London, Cardiff and Kent, has been swamped by calls to help teenage drug runners all over the country from parents, police officers and social workers. Among those they have helped was a girl of 14 being sexually abused in a house by drug users and dealers. In another instance a teenage boy was stabbed 15 times after straying into a rival gang's territory. The charity said it has been swamped by calls to help children from all over the country Despite being the biggest charity in the sector, it can take on only a tenth of the calls and a number of the 60 to 70 children they help a year are rejected by their local children's services. 'I would say we get resistance on about half of referrals we make and then we get serious resistance on about 10 per cent that's really stonewalling, people who don't want to take the case and are trying to find any reason not to,' Mr Jones said. 'One of the problems is the level of risk these young people are exposed to is not well understood by conventional children's services and statutory services. 'Social services tend to look at risk in the family home. For example, if a social worker came out to a house and found tin foil and a burnt spoon on the kitchen table they would probably whisk those children into care quick as you like. Local MP Clive Lewis (pictured) said the scale is not surprising 'But if one of those children aged 13 or 14 went missing for a week and as far as we knew they were in a crack house where there were dirty needles all over the place and vomit and people passed out in the corner, we have many occasions when we are told those children don't meet the threshold for safeguarding because it is happening outside the family home. It is a blinkered thing.' He went on: 'There is a kind of a corporate blind eye being turned. People didn't want to know about this issue. 'We have been talking about it since 2012, it's got better but there are still areas where it is not seen as a problem.' Mr Jones said many social workers had no experience of county lines, unlike St Giles Trust which employs case workers who used to be drug runners. On Monday, the Mail highlighted the problem of drug gangs in Norfolk, where police have made more than 700 arrests, including 126 children. Yesterday local MP Clive Lewis said: 'The scale of this saddens me but it is not a surprise.' A Ryanair worker was caught calling a passenger a 'fat slob' after he complained the airline did not let his wife on board. Lauren Coupland, from Derby, went on a Facebook rant after David Bookbinder took Ryanair to task for how they treated his wife. Mr Bookbinder claimed his Chinese wife Wang Yi was not allowed to travel due to visa issues. Lauren Coupland, from Derby, went on a Facebook rant after David Bookbinder took Ryanair to task for how they treated his wife Miss Coupland left a comment under a local newspaper article where Mr Bookbinder complained about Ryanair's treatment of his wife In response to a local newspaper article about Bookbinder's incident, Coupland wrote: 'I bet his wife was hoping deep down that she wouldn't get on the flight and he would carry on his journey without her. 'I mean waking up to that fat slob every morning!' Miss Coupland is registered as working as a 'customer service supervisor' for Ryanair on her Facebook page, while there is also pictures of her wearing the uniform on her social media page. Mr Bookbinder, 78, and his wife were strangded at East Midlands Airport after they were refused entry onto the plane. They were supposed to fly to Tenerife but were unable to make the flight after Ryanair staff refused to allow Wang Yi to fly as she did not have a visa for travel in the EU Schengen zone. Mr Bookbinder, 78, and his wife were strangded at East Midlands Airport after they were refused entry onto the plane However he argued because she is travelling on his British visa that she did not need the visa. Miss Coupland has since deleted any reference to Ryanair in her profile, although pictures of her posing in the uniform remain on her profile. There is no suggestion Miss Coupland was involved in refusing to allow Wang Yi on her flight, and she has since deleted her public remarks about Mr Bookbinder. MailOnline has approached Miss Coupland for comment. Ryanair said it does not comment on 'unverified social media posts'. Steven Howard, 32, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested by local police on Monday A New Hampshire man has been arrested for attempting to rob a Dominos Pizza restaurant armed with a needle. The incident took place at the pizza chain location on 212 Lowell Street in Manchester at around 6:44pm on Monday. Local police received a report of a man who had robbed the restaurant using an uncapped hypodermic needle that he threatened to use against an employee, according to The Union Leader. The police received a description of the man, who was white and standing at around 5 feet, 5 inches with short dark hair. He was wearing a blue shirt and a gold colored chain. The suspect fled the restaurant with an undetermined sum of money. Nobody was injured. Manchester police said they located a man who fit the description at a nearby park. Local police received a report of a man who had robbed a Domino's Pizza restaurant using an uncapped hypodermic needle that he threatened to use against an employee. The Domino's location in Manchester is seen in the above file photo The man was arrested. He was later identified by police as Steven Howard, 32. Howard has been charged with armed robbery. He was also wanted for arrest in an unrelated matter. Police are asking anyone with further information to contact them at (603) 668-8711. A Pennsylvania mother has been charged with the alleged poisoning death of her two-year-old son after allegedly putting Vicodin in his sippy cup. Jennifer Clarey, 42, was arraigned Tuesday and charged with one count of criminal homicide in the wake of the alleged overdose death of her two-year-old son, Mazikeen Curtis, in August, according to court documents. Curtis' body was found inside Clarey's Tullytown, Pennsylvania, home on August 25 after 10.30pm by police responding to a welfare check requested by Clarey's neighbors, WPVI reported. Jennifer Clarey, 42, was arraigned Tuesday and charged with one count of criminal homicide in the wake of the alleged overdose death of her two-year-old son in August Authorities said that while performing a welfare check at Clarey's home, they found her son, Mazikeen Curtis, two, dead and lying next to her Her neighbors made the decision to call authorities after noticing that Clarey was behaving differently than normal earlier in the evening. 'It wasn't something that I had ever seen before so for me to hear and see what I was seeing was just not her,' one of her neighbors, Dawn Dunlap, told the news station. Authorities found this empty pill bottle for a hydrocodone-acetamin prescription in Clarey's home. Hydrocode was also found in her son's blood and in his sippy cup Court documents, obtained by Levittownnow.com, revealed that Clarey was said to be uncooperative and intoxicated when the welfare check was requested. Upon entering Clarey's home, police reportedly found Clarey lying on a bloody sheet next to Curtis, who appeared to have been dead for a while. Clarey was said to have had self-inflicted wounds on both wrists and was transported to the hospital where she received several stitches. An autopsy on Curtis revealed that, while he did not show any obvious signs of trauma, his brain was 'swollen and dusky,' symptoms consistent with a drug overdose. Blood samples then revealed fatally-toxic levels of hydrocodone, sold under the brand name Vicodin, and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine commonly found in Benadryl. Authorities said that an analysis of the residue found in Curtis' sippy cup tested positive for hydrocodone, as well. Authorities said they found Clarey lying on a bloody sheet next to her son and that she had self-inflicted wounds on her wrist. She was transported to a hospital where she received stitches An autopsy on Curtis revealed signs consistent with an overdose, while blood tests showed that he had hydrocodone and diphenhydramine in his blood Clarey's neighbors told authorities that she had been acting oddly, which prompted the welfare check at Clarey's home The drugs found in Curtis' blood and in the sippy cup matched those that had been found by authorities in Clarey's home. Police conducting a search of Clarey's home unearthed a bloody knife and razor blades, which had been locked away with a prescription bottle for hydrocodone-acetamin. The pill bottle had its child-safe cap on and was empty, although the 120-pill prescription had been filled on August 18, less than a week before Curtis died. Police also said they found an empty four ounce bottle of childrens Benadryl in the kitchen garbage. That bottle also had its cap on. During their investigation, police said they determined that Curtis had never been prescribed hydrocodone and that there was no reason for a toddler to have had the drug in his system. While briefing reporters, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub called Curtis' death 'a killing with malice' and said that it was 'a murder and the weapon was the painkillers' that came from the prescription bottle. Clarey is being held without bail at Bucks County Prison. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 25. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday flatly dismissed reports suggesting he may be leaving President Donald Trump's administration in the coming months, saying flatly: 'I wouldn't take it seriously at all.' 'How many times have we been through this, now, just since I've been here? It will die down soon, and the people who started the rumor will be allowed to write the next rumor, too,' Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. 'Just the way the town is,' he added. 'Keep a sense of humor about it.' The remarks were the most direct by Mattis to date about intensifying rumors about his future as Trump approaches the half-way mark of his four-year term amid speculation about changes to his cabinet after upcoming November mid-term elections. Mattis has become a focus in media stories in recent weeks about the Trump administration, particularly after the release of a book this month by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward that portrayed Mattis privately disparaging Trump to associates. Tthe author says Mattis told close associates after a National Security Council meeting this year that the president acted like - and had the understanding of - 'a fifth- or sixth-grader.' Staying: Defense secretary Jim Mattis - who welcomed Philippine secretary of national defense Delfin Lorenzana to the Pentagon Tuesday - said he is not leaving his role Not happy? A New York Times report said Trump - who hosted Polish president Andrzej Dud at the White House - had 'soured on his defense secretary, weary of unfavorable comparisons to Mattis as the adult in the room. Mattis strongly denied making any such remarks. Trump on Sept. 5 said he defense chief would remain in his job, adding: 'He'll stay right there. We're very happy with him. We're having a lot of victories.' But a New York Times report on Sept. 15 said Trump had 'soured on his defense secretary, weary of unfavorable comparisons to Mattis as the adult in the room.' It also noted this year's arrival in the White House of Mira Ricardel, who now has the powerful post of deputy national security adviser and who current and former officials tell Reuters is believed to dislike Mattis. Western officials privately extol Mattis, whose standing among NATO allies has risen as they become increasingly bewildered by Trump's policies on trade and Iran and disoriented by his outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mattis has a dim view of journalism about inside-the-beltway politics in Washington, using the word 'fiction' to describe Woodward's book and similar reporting about closed-door conversations among U.S. national security leaders. Asked about the recent reports speculating about his departure, Mattis said: 'It's like most of those kinds of things in this town. 'Somebody cooks up a headline. They then call to a normally chatty class of people. They find a couple of other things to put in. They add the rumors... Next thing you know, you've got a story,' he said. Still, Mattis is not political by nature, and previously made no secret of the fact that he was not looking to become secretary of defense - or even return to Washington - when Trump was elected. The retired Marine general had stepped down from the military in 2013 and taken a job at Stanford University. He told his Senate confirmation hearing last year he was 'enjoying a full life west of the Rockies' when the call came about the position. Asked Tuesday whether he thinks about leaving, Mattis said, 'I think about doing my job each day.' After answering questions about his future, Mattis was asked whether he never considered life after the Pentagon. Mattis joked: 'Of course I don't think about leaving.' 'I love it here,' he said with a smile. 'I'm thinking about retiring right here. I'll get a little place here down on the Potomac.' Venomous cottonmouth snakes were spotted slithering around Hurricane Florence floodwaters over the weekend in North Carolina. Bradley Dixon recorded video Sunday in Hampstead where he witnessed one large and one smaller cottonmouth snake 'soaking up some sun' just feet away from him, he wrote in a Facebook post. 'The big one looks to be about four feet long... the little one is about three and a half feet long,' Dixon said. 'Just walked up on these guys on the farm I evacuated to just off of Topsail Island! They don't seem to have a care in the world! 'If you are in an area that is flooded keep an eye out for snakes... these Cottonmouths are one of the six venomous snakes in North Carolina.' North Carolina resident Bradley Dixon spotted venomous cottonmouth snakes over the weekend in Florence floodwaters Dixon recorded video Sunday in Hempstead where he witnessed one large and one smaller cottonmouth snake 'soaking up some sun,' he wrote in a Facebook post 'If you are in an area that is flooded keep an eye out for snakes... these Cottonmouths are one of the six venomous snakes in North Carolina,' he said The venomous snakes weren't the only things found floating in the hurricane floodwaters. With North Carolina being one of the nation's largest pork producers, heavy waters lifted pig manure from its pits. Dr Neill Grigg, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Colorado State University, spoke to DailyMail.com about the matter. He said the animal manure is stored in 'lagoons,' open earthen pits, into which tons of animal waste pours from the farms where the hogs are kept. The animals produce 10 billion pounds of manure every year. 'Hog, chicken, animal, and human waste all have a lot of different kinds of bacteria,' Dr Grigg said. 'The deadly one is E. coli, but all sorts can make you sick from contact as well as from drinking contaminated water.' A hog farm is inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, North Carolina on Sunday With North Carolina being one of the nation's largest pork producers, the heavy waters lifted pig manure from its pits In 1999 and 2016, Hurricanes Floyd and Matthew, respectively, brought flood waters that overran a number of pig lagoons. It is unclear how many people may have been sickened in the aftermath of the storms. The state urged pig farmers to pump as much of the waste as possible from the lagoons and haul it away. Colonies of fire ants were even seen attempting to survive in the floods. The Weather Channel said in a video clip taken in Rocky Point: 'People arent the only ones trying to stay afloat.' The Weather Channel added that the ants are able to turn their bodies into rafts then 'link together to form floating islands.' Claims by a Russian model that she was the victim of a Vladimir Putin poison plot after she and her husband were taken ill at a Salisbury restaurant were today dismissed by police. Blonde lingerie model Anna Shapiro claimed she was targeted in the same city where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the deadly nerve agent Novichok in March. Her husband Alex King remains in hospital after Shapiro claimed she found him collapsed and foaming at the mouth in the restaurant's toilet. Police said they were not treating the incident on Sunday as 'suspicious' while one line of follow up inquiry is that the so-called poisoning was a hoax. A source at Wiltshire Police said: ' We will be talking to the couple involved and one line of inquiry is that this was all a hoax. 'When Mr King leaves hospital we will interview him. We have already taken a statement from the female involved and will talk to her again.' Anna Shapiro, 30, and her husband Alex King, 42, fell ill while dining in the city's Prezzo last Sunday Anna Shapiro moved to London in 2008 and tied the knot with her partner Alex King last month The part-time model believes she was the target of a Kremlin hit A claim by Shapiro that she was under 24-hour police guard was also dismissed as 'nonsense' by the source. Kremlin officials also poured scorn on the model's story that she was being targeted as she was an outspoken critic of President Putin. An official spokesman in Moscow dismissed Shapiro's claims as 'absurd'. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'I don't think there is any sense in commenting on such reports.' 'The absurdity of the most part of information coming from Salisbury is evident.' Shapiro, who models under the name Anna Webb, claimed she and her husband were taken ill at the Prezzo restaurant in the centre of Salisbury. As their symptoms were similar to that caused by the deadly nerve agent Novichok a full-scale emergency was launched and part of the city put into lockdown. Witnesses had described the scenes at the restaurant as like 'armegeddon' as police and emergency services, some wearing protective Hazmat suits, rushed to the scene on Sunday evening as a major incident was declared. Shapiro, 30, was discharged from hospital after an overnight stay and told The Sun newspaper she believed President Putin wanted her dead. She said because she had turned her back on her country by taking Israeli citizenship Putin wanted her dead. The model also said she had fled London after receiving death threats. Ms Shapiro is a part-time model from Russia who has criticised Putin in the past It is believed Ms Shapiro and Mr King may have been attacked using strychnine, senior security sources say Emergency services outside the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury on Sunday, where police have closed streets as a 'precautionary measure' She claimed the owner of a rented 55 a night farmhouse in the village of Landford where she was staying had recommended she and her 42 year old husband visit Prezzo for a meal. Owners of bed and breakfast lodgings in the village, about 11 miles from Salisbury, said they were not aware of any farmhouse in the area that can be rented for 55. They also said with numerous country pubs in the vicinity no local hotelier would have recommended a chain restaurant in Salisbury. 'It is just laughable that anyone living in Landford would suggest an Italian chain restaurant as the best place to eat,' said one B&B owner. 'It just does not make sense. Why would anyone recommend an 11 mile drive when there are far closer places with much better food and atmosphere.' Another B&B owner said Shapiro's claim of renting a 55 a night farmhouse was unrealistic. 'There is nowhere around here or the New Forest where it is so cheap, said the B&B owner who asked not to be named. Prezzo restaurant which is less than quarter of a mile from where the Skripals dined at the Zizzi restaurant before falling ill remained closed on Wednesday with two police officers at the entrance. Ms Shapiro said she denounces Putin's policies, which has angered her family A forensic team could be seen inside the restaurant but Wiltshire Police have said the incident was 'not suspicious' and the couple were not exposed to any kind of nerve agent. The spokesman added: 'Enquiries into what caused the pair to become unwell are still ongoing.' In the interview with The Sun it was claimed that the model and her husband could have been affected by rat poison. A spokesman for Prezzo said the chemical strychnine used in rat poison was not used at the restaurant. A spokesman said: 'Responding to a report published by The Sun this morning, we wish to confirm that the chemical 'strychnine' is not used in Prezzo in Salisbury. This has been verified through independent technical support. 'We have been informed that Wiltshire police are not linking the event on Sunday evening to the recent nerve agent poisonings in Salisbury and Amesbury and have made no suggestion that the illness was a result of anything present in our restaurant. 'Based on the information we have received, this is an isolated incident. We can also confirm that none of our team suffered any related illness, and all are well and keen to return to duty when the restaurant re-opens. They dealt with the circumstances of Sunday evening in an admirable manner and our thanks go to each of them. At Prezzo our sole aim is to care for our customers and the events of Sunday evening have shocked us all. 'Our Salisbury branch remains closed, as a precautionary measure only, while the police complete tests into the cause of the illness. We await information from the police and as soon as we have that, we will issue a further statement. A South Australian mother said she discovered a nail implanted inside an apple (pictured) which she purchased on Sunday It is not just needles which have been found embedded in Australian fruit - a nail has now been discovered implanted inside an apple. A South Australian mother was horrified when she uncovered the rusty nail as she prepared lunch for her son. Hayley Bland, from Murray Bridge, south-east of Adelaide, said she had purchased the pre-packaged Pink Lady apples from a Woolworths store on Sunday. 'The second apple I picked up, I noticed something hard on my fingers, and as I turned the apple around I noticed the nail,' Ms Bland told Seven News. 'That could've easily been swallowed with him taking a bite of the apple.' Ms Bland said she has contacted police following the disturbing find. A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'We're aware of the customer report. The details have been referred to the authorities leading the response to this matter and we'll consult with them on next steps'. The South Australian produce market has announced it will install X-ray machines to scan fruit for metal objects before they are distributed to market. Consumers are being warned to cut and wash fruit before eating and South Australian Produce Market's Angelo Demasi also urged shoppers to 'be vigilant at retail level because we think that this dog act is done at retail level'. The nail discovery comes after a needle was reportedly found inside an apple. The South Australian woman was preparing lunch for her son when she made the horrifying discovery Hayley Bland (pictured) told Seven News: 'The second apple I picked up, I noticed something hard on my fingers, and as I turned the apple around I noticed the nail' New South Wales Police are investigating claims that an apple was found with a sewing needle inside of it in North Sydney on Tuesday. A woman was peeling freshly bought apples for her daughters to enjoy when she made the horrifying discovery, firstly believing it to be the stem of the fruit. Seven News reported it was a Pink Lady Apple from inside a pre-packed container at the Woolworths in the The Ponds, in Sydney's north-west. The woman, named only as Carmello, said she was stunned. 'I just thought wow this can't possibly be happening,' she said. A Sydney woman reportedly discovered a sewing needle inside an apple (pictured) purchased in North Sydney on Tuesday Horrifying cases of needles being found in strawberries have emerged right across Australia 'I've seen the news about the strawberries and I've been vigilant with cutting those up for the girls, but to see this in an apple, I actually thought these were safe.' A number of strawberries and bananas have also been found to have foreign objects inside them. Horrifying cases of needles and razors found inside fruit by stunned shoppers have surfaced in every state, with at least 13 people sharing their experience online. Six strawberry farms in Queensland and one in Western Australia have been targeted by what authorities believe could have been disgruntled packaging employees. An entire industry has been crippled in just one week following the contamination scare This map show the cases of strawberry tampering which have emerged across the country in a 'food terrorism' saga Six strawberry farms in Queensland and one in Western Australia have been targeted by what authorities believe could have been disgruntled packaging employees Everything you need to know about strawberry contamination scare How many cases are there? At least 13 people have gone public about finding needles in their strawberries since a man was rushed to hospital on September 9. Victims include young children and a dog. However, NSW Police said on Tuesday it was investigating 20 cases in that state alone so the total figure is likely much higher. Additionally, copycats put a needle in a banana and an apple, according to customers claiming to have found them. Which brands are involved? Seven brands, six from Queensland and one from Western Australia, have been targeted so far. They include Berry Obsession, Berry Licious, Donnybrook Berries, Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries, Oasis, and Mal's Black Label. Who is responsible? Police are searching for the original culprit and likely at least one copycat who placed the needles or razor blades but have not mentioned any leads. Tampering is believed to have occurred during the packing stage, which is done at a central facility with many different brands, or soon after. Can you still buy strawberries? Supermarkets recalled all berries from the affected brands and Coles and Aldi temporarily pulled all strawberries from shelves until Monday. The affected brands remain excluded from supermarket shelves. New Zealand retailers have cut off Australian strawberries indefinitely. Should you buy strawberries and how can you eat them safely? Health and food safety authorities advise customers to cut each berry in half to reveal if there is any sharp metal hidden inside How has this affected growers? The growers targeted by the contamination are unable to sell their stock and at least one of them has dumped millions of berries in a ditch. Other companies have also mass scrapped stock as consumers are too worried to buy strawberries at all and sales collapsed. Strawberries are a $160 million industry in Queensland alone and the state government announced a $1 million fund to assist growers. Can't they just use metal detectors? Some have resorted to this, but they cost at least $30,000 to install and may not prevent anything as police believe it happened at the packing stage. Why are growers poisoning and throwing away perfectly good strawberries? Even though their stock has not been targeted, demand for strawberries has crashed as customers are worried they will be the next victim. With no one to sell the fruit to, it will go off and rot in storage, so there is no point in keeping or even harvesting it. What are the alternative theories? Police believe a disgruntled employee or similar is most likely to be responsible and copycats may have mental issues. However, there are many other theories about the reasons behind the contamination scare doing the rounds on social media. Some believe some of the needles were placed in the fruit at the supermarket by the victims who were just trying to get attention. Others believe a foreign nation or company competing with Australian farmers to be behind it as an act of corporate espionage. The Australian Government was also accused of being behind it as part of an elaborate plot to kill off Australian farming. It would then sell the land to overseas companies and make the population dependent on the government for imported food. Terrorism is another popular explanation, with the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association even calling it 'commercial terrorism'. This theory got a boost when a psychologist on Tuesday said the culprit was likely attempting to instill fear in customers. Backpackers, who make up much of the picking workforce, are also under suspicion online by those who believe it to be revenge for them not getting long-term visas. Advertisement Six brands of strawberry - Donnybrook Berries, Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries, Oasis, Berry Obsession and Berry Licious - have been recalled amid the contamination scare which has devestated the industry. Jamie Michael, the head of the Western Australia Strawberry Growers Association, earlier this week shared images of truckloads of fruit being dumped following a recent Adelaide finding. The Australian federal government has launched an investigation to restore confidence after needles were reportedly found in strawberries in all six Australian states, although no injuries have yet been reported. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the saboteur. Anyone caught placing needles inside fruit will face up to 10 years in jail, police announced on Tuesday. Another day, and another key element of our industrial heritage finds itself under threat. Confirmation that the mighty firm of Unilever, an icon of Britain's corporate landscape, is planning to ditch its headquarters here in favour of a single base in Rotterdam is not just a concern for the City and its institutions. It would be a serious blow to our national pride. If nothing else, the proposed move is the wake-up call that the Government needs to reassure UK-based companies that Britain is the best place in the world to do business. But will ministers take heed? From its foundation as the soap maker Lever Brothers in 1885, Unilever built a deserved reputation for high-quality goods, social responsibility and ethical management. Peter Hargreaves became a billionaire as the founder of online stockbroking marketplace Hargreaves Lansdowne Rooted in Christian idealism, William and James Lever's treatment of their workforce at the Port Sunlight factory on the Wirral fair pay, good housing and the provision of leisure facilities became a beacon for compassionate capitalism. Reliability After Lever Brothers' merger with Dutch firm Margarine Unie in 1929 to create the behemoth Unilever, those high standards and rock-solid corporate reliability were maintained. It might in reality be an Anglo-Dutch company that has acquired global brands, but we have come to think of so many of its products from Marmite and Hellmann's mayonnaise, to PG Tips, Persil detergent, the Dove beauty brand and Magnum ice cream as quintessentially British. The loss, however, of this cherished asset the move is the brainchild of its 10 million-a-year Dutch chief executive Paul Polman should be far more than a matter of wistful patriotic regret. As the founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, one of Britain's leading financial services companies, I fear it could cause real damage to our commercial base and our national investment system. Unilever announced this week it was planning on ditching its UK-based HQ in favour of Rotterdam If Unilever shifts its domicile to the Netherlands, its shares will no longer qualify for the FTSE 100 Index in London.Institutional investors feel they are, in effect, being asked by Polman to collude in a Dutch takeover of Unilever. This may ultimately depress the value of their shares as FTSE 100 tracker funds are compelled to sell their holdings. Understandably, many including some of our biggest companies are making their anger felt. Over the years, Unilever has built up a wonderful track record of never cutting its dividends, which has made it an ideal investment for retirement. The company may not have offered exciting immediate yields or high instant returns, but it was hard to beat over the longer-term. That is what made Unilever beloved of stockbrokers and fund-holders. Now, all that is at risk. Polman, set to retire next year, says he wants to simplify the firm's structures with one corporate HQ (currently there are two, in London and Rotterdam), reducing bureaucracy and duplication. In theory, I agree. Having more than one HQ dissipates a unifying sense of purpose and means executives waste far too much time shuttling between organisations. But why on earth has he chosen the Netherlands rather than Britain? This country should have been the obvious choice. Apart from its history here, 60 per cent of Unilever's sales originate from the UK, while English, the global language of commerce, gives us a huge competitive advantage, especially in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America, where Unilever household and beauty products are becoming popular. The pro-EU brigade will insist that Polman's choice was driven by Brexit. According to their narrative, the Leave vote has left Britain hopelessly cut off from Europe, so more moves like Unilever's are inevitable. But this is a warped analysis based on politicised wishful thinking. The probable reason lies in the chief executive's instinctive preference, as a Dutchman, for his homeland over Britain and for the Dutch model of capitalism. It provides greater protection against predatory bids by foreign firms, and after a brutal takeover attempt of Unilever by global giant Kraft Heinz last year, Polman has good cause to be wary of similar initiatives that the more open market in Britain encourages. But he will also have been heavily influenced by the Dutch government's recent decision to agree in principle a more welcoming tax environment for corporations, particularly through a reduction in the taxation of shareholders' dividends. In fact, the Dutch tax changes planned for 2020 bringing the country's tax structure into line with that of other more tax-friendly countries, including Britain were specifically intended to lure companies like Unilever. Brexit has cast doubt onto several firms' headquarters in the UK - sparking fears they could move to EU countries Competitive It may not be a coincidence that Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands who initiated the changes, was a manager at Unilever before he entered politics. Ministers here should take note: Britain may be losing one of its great companies because a Continental neighbour has adopted a more competitive corporate tax regime. So how should we respond? How can we make Britain the place where the world comes to do business, while protecting our corporate heritage? We know that corporate taxes and red tape shackle enterprise. And to be fair, this Government has taken some steps in this direction by lowering corporation tax to a record low of 19 per cent. Contrary to the warnings of the doom-mongers who wailed about 'giveaways to the super-rich', these tax reductions actually increased Treasury revenues, with corporation tax take rising from 44 billion to 58 billion over the past three years. That's all well and good. But to unleash commercial dynamism fully, I believe the Government should abolish corporation tax altogether. Employment and investment would soar and, instead of seeing companies making plans to leave Britain, I have no doubt that they would come flocking. The knock-on effect, of course, would be that the accompanying explosion in wealth and job creation would generate increased revenues for the Government. Prosperity We are living in a much more fluid, globalised world. Capital can be transferred across the globe at a click of a mouse. Governments have to adopt radical new thinking if they want businesses to stay and flourish. Whatever you think of Brexit, the fact is we are leaving the EU, so surely we should be pulling together to make a success of it. I believe that Brexit offers a golden opportunity for a major reset on our national approach to taxation and enterprise. It is through the embrace of the global free market that real prosperity lies if only Westminster and Whitehall would seize the moment. Sadly, I fear it may come too late to save Unilever for Britain. The shareholders' meeting is next month and, despite the signs of revolt, the board will be determined to ram through the Chairman's flawed plan. Ironically enough, my own company might nominally benefit, for if Unilever goes, we will move up one place in the FTSE 100 Index pecking order. But really I want Unilever to remain where it was born. Leaving the EU should give us new opportunities to export and trade with the world, but we will only succeed if we are fit, ready and business-friendly. That's why the Government should be working night and day to encourage and empower the thousands of businesses which will drive Britain forward in the years to come. 100m backlash begins against Unilever's bid to close UK HQ: Crisis as investors launch bid to stop Marmite-maker relocating to Netherlands Unilever's bid to ditch its UK headquarters faced a full-blown crisis last night M&G Investments said it will oppose the firm's proposal for a single legal base in the Netherlands Three of Aviva's investors have already warned against the change Unilever's bid to ditch its UK headquarters faced a full-blown crisis last night. Savings giant M&G Investments said it will oppose the firm's proposal for a single legal base in the Netherlands. Aviva Investors, Columbia Threadneedle and Lindsell Train Unilever's third largest shareholder in London have already warned against the change. Unilevers offices on Victoria Embankment in London It was also feared the move could land British investors with a 100million foreign tax grab. Last night NFU Mutual became the first minor shareholder to break cover and oppose the proposal. Unilever the maker of household favourites like Marmite and Persil wants to sever its links to Britain which have endured since Victorian times. The change needs the backing of 75 per cent of investors who own shares through the London Stock Exchange at a crunch vote next month. M&G which looks after 285.8billion of savers' cash and sponsors the Chelsea Flower Show hit out at Unilever's failure to consult shareholders. Head of corporate finance, Rupert Krefting, said: 'We do not support Unilever's proposal to redomicile to the Netherlands as the company has not adequately persuaded UK shareholders.' RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 2 Next ROBERT HARDMAN: Port Sunlights visionary founder will be... 100m backlash begins against Unilevers bid to close UK HQ:... Unilever boss claims to be Geordie but is more Sting than... Share this article Share It is feared British savers could be stung with a tax grab of more than 100million a year. Overseas investors face a 15 per cent 'withholding tax' on dividends under Dutch law. If the UK office is ditched, British investors will become liable for Dutch taxes. An estimated 43 per cent of Unilever investors through the London Stock Exchange are British, according to Bloomberg, and last year they earned 645million in dividends. If the tax had applied, they would have lost out to the tune of 97million. The Dutch government pledged to scrap the tax in 2020 but there are fears it could be kept after all. Unilever claims to have found a way that would allow British investors to carry on getting payouts without paying the tax. But investors fear the Dutch authorities could close the loophole. NFU Mutual, which is among the top 60 shareholders in Unilever, said it will vote against the plans. A spokesman said: 'We see no benefit to our investment if the vote is passed.' Several stock market tracker funds could vote against the plan too. Many of these funds seek to follow the performance of the FTSE 100 index of British firms. Unilever will be kicked out of the FTSE 100 if it closes its UK HQ meaning these tracker funds will have to sell their stakes. A Unilever spokesman said: 'It is anticipated that Dutch withholding tax will be abolished on January 1, 2020. 'If it is not, shareholders would receive dividend substitution payments free of Dutch withholding tax for a considerable period of time. 'In addition, the Board would also consider alternative structures or measures to mitigate the impact of Dutch withholding tax.' By James Burton Chief City Correspondent For The Daily Mail A man who was in the United States illegally allegedly killed a mother of five before fleeing across the border to Mexico, police have said. Dallas police found the body of Martha Alva, 35, in Northwest Dallas on Sunday morning near a dead end. Investigators believe her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Ernesto Carrillo Hernandez, killed her. Hernandez, 32, who was living in Monterrey, did not have legal status in the U.S., according to Fox 4 TV. Investigators say his car was found near the border in Eagle Pass, Texas. Alvas family said she was last seen with Hernandez last Saturday night. Ernesto Carrillo Hernandez (left), a man who was in the United States illegally, allegedly killed Martha Alva (right), a 35-year-old mother of five before fleeing across the border to Mexico, police have said Police found Alva's body near the end of Walnut Hill Lane just west of I-35 in Dallas on Sunday morning Destiny Osorio, 18, is the oldest of Alvas five children. She will now have to care for the other four. Honestly, I never pictured myself organizing my own mom's funeral, she said. This is very tough. Osorio says her mother worked at TGI Fridays as a restaurant manager for years. After work on Saturday night, Hernandez picked Alva up at the TGI Fridays in the West End, her family told investigators. She was scheduled to show up for work the next day at noon, but she never did. I had a feeling something happened because she never misses work, Osorio said. She would put her all into this job. This job was what she lived off of to provide for us. Alvas family said she was last seen with Hernandez last Saturday night. She was picked up by Hernandez after she finished work at a local TGI Friday's. The next day, she did not show up for work Alvas family said that Hernandez was abusive toward her in the past, but he was never reported to police Osorio, who is in college, says she will continue to soldier on because thats what her mother would have wanted. My mom was strong-minded. She was strong, Osorio said. I know if she was here, she would've been like, Don't let that stop you. You have to continue. You have to do better. I have to be the role model for my brothers now. I would want them doing the same. I can't let myself go no matter what. Alvas family said that Hernandez was abusive toward her in the past, but he was never reported to police. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information leading to Hernandezs arrest. DailyMail.com reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. Two waitresses are suing a New Hampshire cafe over claims they were fired because management wanted younger, prettier staff. Stephanie Plante, 42, of Swanzey, and Karen Berthiaume, 67, of Winchester, jointly filed the age discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Concord. They were both working at Audrey's Cafe, a Monadnock-area landmark, when new management took over in 2013. Plante had been working at the establishment for 20 years before it was taken over. The women claim Malaise Lindenfeld, who bought the cafe, told Plante and Doug Shackett, the prior owner of the cafe, that they needed to hire 'better looking' wait staff, and one of the current staff was 'too busty,' the Union Leader reports. Two waitresses are suing Audrey's cafe, New Hampshire, over claims they were fired because management wanted younger, prettier staff Another server 'had ugly lips' and 'looked like she was smelling a bad fart all day,' the lawsuit states. 'Lindenfeld made the comment because the server often looked unhappy and she was concerned that this would negatively impact her customers,' Lindenfeld said in her response. It continued that it was a common phrase in her native Venezuela. The suit also states that the new owners introduced a new 'revealing' uniform which they were forced to wear. When they complained about the 'inappropriate, cleavage-revealing and tight' T-shirts, the owners said they wanted to replace them with younger staff, the lawsuit states. 'The female servers, including the plaintiffs, felt uncomfortable in the shirts, and plaintiffs and the staff expressed that they were not appropriate because the shirts' junior cut revealed cleavage and were tight across their breasts and they were so skimpy that they rode up to reveal bare skin during lifting and reaching and were especially inappropriate for mature, older women,' the lawsuit states. Stephanie Plante, 42, of Swanzey, and Karen Berthiaume, 67, of Winchester, were both working at Audrey's Cafe, a Monadnock-area landmark, when new management took over in 2013 The former owner Shackett reportedly became concerned after seeing the uniforms that staff were being discriminated against and tried to buy them new, less revealing shirts. But Lindenfeld told staff they had to wear her original shirts or be fired, according to the lawsuit. The suit states that Shackett was told by Lindenfeld she wanted to hire 'better-looking women'. He then drew Plante's attention to a section of the company handbook which set down rules about staff discrimination. Lindenfeld insists in her response that the pair were fired for poor job performance. The waitresses were then banned from Audrey's and three other businesses Lindenfeld owned. The lawsuit was filed in February, and is currently scheduled for a 2019 trial. The 'golden boy' son of a Russian tycoon is on the run after allegedly beating a porn star to death and seriously assaulting four prostitutes. Ex-Gazprom executive Andrey Demenkov, 32, struck mother-of-one Olga Kudrova, 21, more than 100 times with a blunt instrument, according to the criminal case against him. He had also sought to drown her in a bath but she died from a blow to the temple, said a forensic report. Andrey Demenkov, pictured when younger, has been accused of killing a porn star and severely beating four prostitutes Mother-of-one Olga Kudrova, 21, was killed after being struck more than 100 times with a blunt instrument, according to the criminal case against Police say the woman worked as an escort as well as being an adult actress, but before visiting Demenkov she told relatives she was seeing the man she loved. In July, he had allegedly kidnapped and 'severely beaten' a 32-year-old woman at his St Petersburg apartment where Kudrova was found dead. Four other women - all sex workers - were also attacked and suffered serious injuries, said police. Demenkov had also sought to drown Kudrova (above) in a bath but the mother-of-one died from a blow to the temple, said a forensic report Police - who have nicknamed the suspect 'Bluebeard' - are warning that Demenkov (above) is a danger to women from violence and holding them against their will Previously he had been convicted of kidnapping a woman friend and subjecting her to a four day ordeal including 'torture' before she escaped by a 'miracle' after managing to alert neighbours. He was put on probation after 'repenting' this attack in court. Police - who have nicknamed the suspect 'Bluebeard' - are warning that Demenkov is a danger to women from violence and holding them against their will. A law enforcement source said: 'We are looking for a criminal, but in fact this is someone who is a kind of 'Bluebeard'. According to the French legend, the wealthy Bluebeard killed his wives and hid them in a locked room in his castle. The suspect's father Valery Demenkov, 69, is a former senior policeman turned wealthy business tycoon, say reports. He found Kudrova's battered body in the bath after going to his son's apartment when he failed to answer his phone, according to police. He called an ambulance but she was found to have died of her injuries. Demenkov had previously been convicted of kidnapping a woman friend and subjecting her to a four-day ordeal including torture before she escaped by a miracle after managing to alert neighbours A law enforcement source said: 'We are looking for a criminal, but in fact this is someone who is a kind of 'Bluebeard'. The above photo shows the tycoon 's son in more recent years Police say the suspect went on the run and a major search is underway for him. On his social media he posted 'Too weird to live, and too rare to die', and in another account 'Never believe a woman'. Police say that in the July attack four female sex workers were injured. They suffered broken ribs and one a fractured leg. Three of these victims resisted making formal complaints amid fears they would be publicly identified, say law enforcement sources. Kudrova had given birth to a son earlier this year. New mum: Olga Kudrova, above, gave birth to a son earlier this year A pro-Russian fighter was seriously injured after deliberately shooting himself in the stomach while being filmed testing the strength of a bulletproof vest in Ukraine. The incident - described as fatal in unconfirmed social media reports - occurred in the region of Donbass, the shortened name for the Donetsk and Luhansk coal mining regions in eastern Ukraine. In a shocking video, the young man - named as 'Domovoi' by Ukrainian media - wearing a dark bulletproof vest, can be seen loading a Stechkin automatic pistol in front of his friends. The male voice of the cameraman in the background can be heard explaining that the man with the firearm is wearing sixth-grade armour, the same as that worn by Russian Special Forces. Meanwhile the tester points the gun at himself and with the cry of 'that's it, f***, Donbass!', shoots himself in the stomach. After the shot, the tester falls to his knees in obvious pain while throwing the pistol aside and holding his left hand to his stomach. The fighter can be seen on the left, aiming the automatic pistol at himself, before suddenly grabbing his stomach (right) in pain The man, named as Domovoi in Ukrainian media reports, grips his stomach and drops onto the ground The cameraman can be heard initially joking: 'Looks like he's dying. Yes, he's dying.' Suddenly concerned, he asks: 'F***, are you dying? Are you really wounded, bro?' But the tester does not reply to the cameraman. Instead, he takes the vest off and lies down on the ground. The unsympathetic cameraman utters a short laugh and says: 'Looks like he's wounded. 'Looks like he's going to die now. I have to stop filming now, sorry.' According to local social media reports, the tester, identified only by his nickname Domovoi (House-Elf), later died as a result of shooting himself in the stomach. But this has not been officially confirmed. One media report suggested that the bullet hit him in the abdomen, in an unprotected part of the vest, rather than the armored plate. Clearly injured, he is pictured above on all fours. A military expert, Mikhail Bratskov, said the bullet could have easily torn his internal organs Military expert Mikhail Bratskov explained: 'The shot was fired at close range. 'Even if the vest was not penetrated by the bullet, the kinetic energy of the bullet could easily tear the tester's internal organs.' It has been reported that the tester was a member of a Russian-backed militia occupying the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine as a result of Russian military intervention in 2014. Some Android 9 Pie users were surprised last week when they discovered their phone's Battery Saver feature had turned on by itself. Making the situation more bizarre, users reported that the setting was switched on when their devices were almost fully charged, instead of when the battery was low. The issue was initially thought to be a bug, but Google has now cleared up why the setting was turned on remotely without users' consent. Some users of Google's Android Pie 9 were surprised last week when they discovered their phone's Battery Saver feature had turned on by itself In a post on Reddit, Google explained that it was conducting an internal test that 'mistakenly' rolled out to all users. 'This was an external experiment to test battery-saving features that was mistakenly rolled out to more users than intended,' Google wrote on Reddit. 'We have now rolled out battery saver settings back to default. Please configure to your liking. Sorry for the confusion.' Battery Mode alters certain settings on a smartphone to preserve battery power. In some cases, it delays incoming notifications and will disable the phone's GPS when the display is turned off. It may also stop apps from refreshing content in the background when they're not open. Users can alter their settings so that Battery Saver turns on once the phone's battery reaches a certain percentage. Battery Mode alters certain phone settings to preserve battery power. In some cases, it delays incoming notifications and will disable the phone's GPS when the display is turned off But the bug allowed Google to do that without smartphone owners' knowledge. Reddit users who were affected by the issue said they were owners of the Google Pixel phone, while others said it affected their Essential phones and One Plus6 devices, as well as Nokia phones. Understandably, the issue has angered some Android users who believe the firm shouldn't be able to remotely change settings on users' devices. 'Screwed me up pretty majorly - I drive for Lyft and was in the middle of driving a passenger to his requested drop-off,' wrote Reddit user mtooney79 in the thread. 'As expected when battery saver is activated, my GPS became unusable, the Lyft app stopped updating and I ended up looking like a fool...who can't find his way around. Reddit users who were affected by the issue said owned Google Pixel phones (pictured), while others said it affected their Essential phones and One Plus6 devices, as well as Nokia phones 'Had I known the capability to change a setting on my phone remotely existed, I could've triaged things quickly,' the user added. Reddit user DoctarSwag wrote: 'OK, but how is it that you have the power to control our phones this way? I don't think you guys should be able to control settings on our phone...' Both Google and Apple have 'kill switches' that allow them to make changes to their smartphone software in the event of an emergency, but in this case, it was a test gone wrong. Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding. But can people really rely on their smartphones to steer themselves out of a disaster zone? Amid heavy rain from Florence, some smartphone or in-car map directions in recent days have sent people in North Carolina onto flooded roads and others closed to traffic. Google-owned Waze said Monday it's worked with local governments and its own community of volunteer map editors to mark closures of more than 1,300 roads in North Carolina and hundreds more in South Carolina and Virginia. But the North Carolina Department of Transportation warned in a tweet on Sunday night that Waze and other travel apps are unable to keep up with Florence-caused road closings. Scroll down for video Above, flooded vehicles sit on a closed section of Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., where the Lumber river overflowed following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding 'It is not safe now to trust them with your life,' the agency warned after another Twitter user credited Waze for helping her avoid floodwaters during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. 'This storm, this flooding, these road closings are worse than Matthew, and they'll get even worse. Please stay safe!' GPS-powered mapping systems have come a long way since updating an in-car navigation system required loading a compact disc with the latest geographic data. More cars now come with navigation systems that are updated remotely and automatically. Other drivers rely on apps like Waze, Google Maps or Apple Maps. It can still be hard to keep up with Mother Nature. Miguel Melo, 22, said he was trying to drive from North Carolina to Florida to get to a friend's house when his SUV stalled out in high water in Lumberton. He was waiting with his stalled car on a service road parallel to flooded Interstate 95. 'The GPS brought me here. It's stupid, and it's really bad. I'm in trouble,' said the Raleigh resident, who was parked in a dry spot of road. State officials had warned in previous days that GPS was taking people down routes where roads had flooded and urged people to check a list of road closures before driving. 'A map in a catastrophe is only so good as its ability to capture real-time information either from sensors or people,' said Steve Goldsmith, a professor who directs Harvard University's Data-Smart City Solutions project. WHICH NAVIGATION APP IS THE MOST EFFICIENT? Blogger Artur Grabowski collected data from 120 trips since early 2017. He measured his activity on Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze to determine which navigation service got their users to their destination quickest. For each trip, he randomly selected an app to use and recorded this data in each trip: Grabowski collected a data set (pictured) based on 120 trips taken via Apple Maps, Waze and Google Maps since early 2017 Which app was randomly selected to follow for each trip (Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze) Estimated driving time for each app Departure and arrival time Traffic conditions (i.e. work commute hours or not) Weather conditions (i.e. rain or not) Driving type (i.e. >75% city, >75% highway, or mixed) From that data, he charted how often each app provided slower/faster trip time. He also measured how often the app got users to their destination on time and if not, how often users arrived at their destination later than expected. From that, he combined the estimated trip times with estimation errors to arrive at an error adjusted estimated trip time. This figure determined his key question: Which navigation app actually gets you to your destination most quickly? Based on his results, he determined that Google Maps gets users to their destination fastest . Advertisement Goldsmith, a former mayor of Indianapolis and former deputy mayor of New York, said the good news is that the flourishing of map apps has 'unlocked the ability of people to post information in real time and help their neighbors.' Waze, in particular, relies on a large community of users inputting data about the latest road conditions. Goldsmith said more government agencies are also entering two-way information sharing arrangements that help provide a better picture of what's happening on the ground, both for emergency responders and the travelers themselves. 'Individuals themselves will always collectively have more information than governments will,' he said. 'They'll have more information but less well organized.' Local authorities say people shouldn't rely on apps to avoid flooding, even though Waze and others are working to stay up to date After a bridge collapsed last month in Genoa, Italy, map providers such as Google were swift in updating their road maps, said Sam Hind, a researcher at the University of Siegen in Germany who studies navigation technology. But disasters like Florence are trickier, Hind said. 'A single incident is obviously far easier to render and change than a general area that is under floodwaters,' Hind said. 'If it's a large area with many roads, there has to be some form of labor involved in selecting all those roads and those junctions that are impassable.' Google said in a statement Monday that it uses both algorithmic and manual methods to account for emergency road closures on Google Maps and Waze. And the company said it's working with local authorities on the ground, including the South Carolina and North Carolina transportation agencies and several county governments. Here Technologies, which supplies mapping systems to many carmakers, said it's also working with local authorities to update road closures, though there can be a lag time in getting the latest information if the vehicle isn't connected to the service. Apple and mapping companies TomTom and Garmin didn't respond to requests for comment about their Florence response Monday. Amazon could be planning to seriously beef up its line of Alexa-enabled devices. The internet giant is mulling the launch of eight new devices that can be controlled just by using your voice and its digital assistant technology, Alexa. It could release a microwave, amplifier, receiver, subwoofer and an in-car gadget, CNBC reported, citing sources close to the situation. Scroll down for video Smart speakers are becoming a fixture in our households. That's according to Adobe, which found in a poll of US consumers that nearly half could own one by the end of the year Amazon could reveal these new devices at an event by the end of this year, an internal document indicated, CNBC said. Some of the devices will have Alexa built in, while others will be able to connect to the voice assistant. Alexa is already linked up with several devices in the smart home market, ranging from voice-controlled thermostats, coffee makers, light bulbs and many more items. Other smart home devices enable users to connect popular voice assistants, like Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant and Microsoft's Cortana, with appliances and other items around the home. It's unclear whether the devices will be branded as part of the Echo line, which includes devices like the original Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show. Amazon may decide to launch an entirely separate line dedicated to Alexa-equipped home devices, separate from the Echo line. It's unclear whether the devices will be branded as part of the Echo line, which includes devices like the original Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show, or if it will launch a separate line The CNBC report also suggests that Amazon could eventually use its Alexa-equipped smart home devices as an in with home builders. It previously announced a partnership with home construction company Lennar to include two Echo speakers in new homes and offered at-home visits from Amazon technicians. Amazon has signaled that it wants Alexa to be in more places than just your bedroom or living room. 'We want customers to be able to use Alexa wherever they are,' Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in the firm's most recent earnings report. 'There are now tens of thousands of developers across more than 150 countries building new devices using the Alexa Voice Service, and the number of Alexa-enabled devices has more than tripled in the last year.' Convoys of driverless lorries could soon take to roads across the UK with the M6/M74 corridor set to be the busiest. At least that's according to a new report that examined the routes across the country most likely to be used by firms who employ the burgeoning technology. The route between Manchester and Glasgow was found to be the most commercially valuable, while the M25 around London would see the biggest improvements in safety with the introduction of autonomous vehicles, the report forecasts. Platoons of self-driving lorries are expected to be trialled on England's motorways by the end of the year. Scroll down for video Convoys of driverless lorries could soon take to roads across the UK, with the best routes examined in a new report by transport information firm Inrix. Platoons of self-driving lorries are expected to be trialled on England's motorways by the end of the year TOP FIVE UK COMMERCIAL ROUTES 1. M6/M74 Manchester-Glasgow 2. A1 Sheffield-Edinburgh 3. M5/A38 Plymouth-Birmingham 4. A9 Edinburgh-Inverness 5. M4 Swindon-Swansea Source: Inrix Advertisement Companies would maximise profits by deploying autonomous HGVs on the 215-mile (346km) Anglo-Scottish route because of its long distance and relatively low congestion, according to Kirkland, Washington, transport information firm Inrix. The second most feasible corridor would be the A1 between Sheffield and Edinburgh, followed by the M5/A38 route between Plymouth and Birmingham. The M25 London orbital motorway was selected as the road where driverless lorry technology could lead to the biggest safety improvement. As it stands, this road has significantly higher levels of dangerous incidents per mile than any other route in the country. Coventry-Manchester on the M6 was in second place. The report stated that highly automated vehicles (HAVs) are 'posed to dramatically alter the long-haul trucking sector'. In a written statement, a company spokesman said: 'HAVs continue to dominate headlines, often with a narrative of how the technology is going to either alleviate or exacerbate all of our transportation challenges. 'However, transportation experts agree that like any technological innovation, the ultimate impact of impending driverless vehicles will have much more to do with when and where the technology is deployed than an inherent value or downside 'Leveraging current data on travel patterns and conditions is essential to maximising the significant upside of HAVs, while minimizing the downside.' The M6/M74 corridor between Manchester and Glasgow (pictured) is set to be the busiest while the M25 around London was selected as the road where driverless lorry technology could lead to the biggest safety improvement TOP FIVE UK ROUTES TO SEE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS 1. M25 London orbital motorway 2. M6 Coventry-Manchester 3. M5/A38 Plymouth-Birmingham 4. M4 Swindon-Swansea 5. A1 Sheffield-Edinburgh Source: Inrix Advertisement Inrix predicted that the cost of the technology will decline as it is developed, and stated that it could provide 'valuable savings' for UK firms due to the shortage of qualified HGV drivers and uncertainty over the movement of people after Brexit. Up to three wirelessly connected HGVs will travel in convoy, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle. Lorries driving close together could see the front vehicle pushing air out of the way, making the other vehicles more efficient and lowering their emissions. The Government announced in August 2017 that it would provide 8.1 million of funding towards the trials, which will be carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory. Autonomous trucks are coming so where should they go? New @INRIX paper our for #ITSWC18 shows how existing understanding of vehicle movement can be used to maximize the potential of automated freight. https://t.co/ff2YIHdv3J Avery Ash (@averyaash) September 17, 2018 All lorries involved will have a driver ready to take control if required. While it might seem that driverless lorries are still the stuff of science fiction, firms are already making strides into making them a reality. A 40-tonne driverless truck was successfully tested in Shanghai in May, marking a major milestone in China's automation push. Armed with high-tech cameras and sensors, the unmanned lorry can travel up to 49.7 mph (80 kph) safely while transporting cargo, according to its maker. While it might seem that driverless lorries are still the stuff of science fiction, firms are already making strides into making them a reality. A 40-tonne driverless truck was successfully tested in Shanghai in May, dubbed 'Strolling Dragon' (pictured) Uber was until recently working on its own version of an autonomous delivery truck (pictured), after its acquisition of startup firm Otto, which appeared to be making good progress before it was axed in July Named 'Strolling Dragon', the model is claimed to be the first self-driving truck developed by a Chinese e-commerce company to pass logistics campus tests and highway-scenario road tests in China. Uber was until recently working on its own version, after its acquisition of startup firm Otto, which appeared to be making good progress before it was axed in July. Instead, Uber will be refocusing its efforts on developing self-driving cars, according to TechCrunch. The move comes as Uber recently resumed testing its fleet of autonomous vehicles following a fatal crash in Arizona earlier this year. A devastating solar storm which could fry power grids and knock out communication systems on Earth is a matter of 'when, not if', the Met Office warned. Solar storms high-speed streams of radioactive particles launched from the sun pose a threat to national infrastructure, UK industry and the wider public, it said. These potentially devastating storms are the focus of a new European Space Agency satellite dubbed the Solar Orbiter a mission part-funded by the UK Space Agency. British engineers are putting the finishing touches to the satellite this week before sending it to Germany to begin a year-long test campaign. Scroll down for video Airbus engineers working on the probe. British engineers are putting the finishing touches to the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter satellite this week before sending it to Germany to begin a year-long test campaign Catherine Burnett, head of the Met Office's Space Weather Monitoring Unit, said the probe will help scientists spot and prepare for future solar storms. The largest solar storm ever recorded, The Carrington Event in 1859, took out telegraph machines across the US, purportedly causing sparks to fly from equipment some bad enough to set fires inside offices. Scientists have previously warned that a repeat of the event could grind the world's high-tech infrastructure to a halt. 'The threat of space weather to national infrastructure, UK industry and the wider public is such that it is now part of the Government National Risk Register and there is a need for forecasting to try to mitigate that risk,' Ms Burnett told the Telegraph. 'We try to advise when space weather will have an impact on technology, so we're looking for solar flares which can knock out high frequency telecommunications, coronal mass ejections which have the potential to take out our power grids and solar radiation which impact satellite communications systems and GPS. 'We think that the big solar incidents, like the Carrington Event, happen between one in 100 or one in 200 years, so it is a case of "when, not if" we have one.' A devastating solar storm is a matter of 'when, not if', according to the Met Office. Solar storms - high-speed clouds of radioactive particles - are the focus of the Solar Orbiter mission (artist's impression) which will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2020 SOLAR STORMS PRESENT A CLEAR DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND CAN DAMAGE SATELLITES Solar storms, or solar activity, can be divided into four main components that can have impacts on Earth: Solar flares : A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth. : A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth. Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) : Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. : Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. High-speed solar wind streams : These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth. : These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth. Solar energetic particles : High-energy charged particles thought to be released primarily by shocks formed at the front of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. When a CME cloud plows through solar wind, solar energetic particles can be produced and because they are charged, they follow the magnetic field lines between the Sun and Earth. Only charged particles that follow magnetic field lines that intersect Earth will have an impact. While these may seem dangerous, astronauts are not in immediate danger of these phenomena because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions. However, they do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks. This photo shows the sun's coronal holes in an x-ray image. The outer solar atmosphere, the corona, is structured by strong magnetic fields, which when closed can cause the atmosphere to suddenly and violently release bubbles or tongues of gas and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections The damage caused by solar storms Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. When Coronal Mass Ejections strike Earth they cause geomagnetic storms and enhanced aurora. They can disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates and overload electrical systems. A large influx of energy could flow into high voltage power grids and permanently damage transformers. This could shut off businesses and homes around the world. Source: NASA - Solar Storm and Space Weather Advertisement The ESA's Solar Orbiter will observe the sun's poles to study its atmosphere, known as the corona. This is the region where solar storms originate, and scientists hope that shedding light on how the corona forms will also provide answers on what triggers the storms. The satellite is due to launch in 202 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA. It was constructed at an Airbus factory in Stevenage, and is currently being prepared to travel to Germany for intensive testing ahead of its flight. Solar Orbiter will fly within 27 million miles (43 million km) of the solar surface to closely inspect our star's poles. Its heat shields are expected to reach temperatures of up to 600C (1,112F) during its closest flybys. This image captured by Nasa shows a solar flare. The largest solar storm ever recorded, The Carrington Event in 1859, took out telegraph machines across the US, reportedly causing sparks to fly from some equipment - some bad enough to set fires Engineers designed the spacecraft to withstand extremes of temperature scorching heat from the sun battering one side of the satellite, while the other remains frozen because the orbit keeps it in permanent shadow. UK Space Agency Head of Science Chris Lee said: 'This is an exciting time for solar science. 'UK research and engineering teams are at the heart of this mission which will help us understand more about our star the sun and its effects on us all here on Earth.' Pictured are the satellite's dense heat shield, including holes for its telescopes to peak through. The Solar Orbiter will be loaded with a carefully selected set of 10 telescopes and direct sensing instruments Spaceships of the future could fly from Earth to Mars in just ten weeks using thrusters that don't need any rocket fuel, according to an ambitious new plan. A British researcher has been awarded 990,000 ($1.3 million) by the US government to develop a fuel-free rocket engine that converts sunlight into thrust. The four-year study aims to make the concept dubbed Em Drive a reality, with the hope of making space travel far cheaper and safer. However, not all scientists are convinced, with some dismissing the engine as 'impossible' because to work it would have to violate a fundamental law of physics. Scroll down for video A British researcher has been awarded 990,000 ($1.3 million) by the US government to develop a fuel-free rocket engine that converts sunlight into thrust. Pictured is a prototype of a similar 'impossible' engine built by US researchers WHAT IS AN EM DRIVE? The concept of an EM Drive engine is relatively simple. It provides thrust to a spacecraft by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container. Solar energy provides the electricity to power the microwaves, which means no propellant is needed. The implications for this could be huge. For instance, current satellites could be half the size they are today without the need to carry fuel. Humans could also travel further into space, generating their own propulsion on the way. But when the concept was first proposed it was considered implausible because it went against the laws of physics. Its allegedly fuel-free nature also means that the drive may directly contradict the law of conservation of momentum. It suggests it would produce a forward-facing force without an equal and opposite force acting in the other direction. Advertisement Physicist Dr Mike McCulloch, from Plymouth University, will attempt to prove them wrong using a 990,000 ($1.3 million) cash cow awarded by the US government. The United States Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) hopes the project can revolutionise space travel. The engine would propel itself using differences in intensity of a mysterious type of radiation dubbed Unruh radiation. The system is based on electromagnetic drive, or EM Drive, which converts electrical energy into thrust without the need for rocket fuel. Dr McCulloch will attempt to figure out a workable theoretical model for the engine, providing a blu-print for engineering teams. 'Ultimately, what this could mean is you would need no propellant to launch a satellite,' he said. 'But it would also mean you only need a source of electrical power, for example solar power, to move any craft once it is in space. 'It has the potential to make interplanetary travel much easier, and interstellar travel possible.' EM Drives like the one proposed by Dr McCulloch are cone-shaped thrusters that use microwaves to create thrust. The claim is that microwaves bounce back and forth inside the truncated cone, generating thrust toward its narrowest end. Solar energy provides the electricity to power the microwaves, which means no propellant is needed. Four of these futuristic engines have been built to date, including one from Nasa, each capable of producing only a minuscule amount of thrust. When the concept was first proposed in the early 2000s it was considered impossible because it violated a fundamental law of physics. Its allegedly fuel-free nature suggests the creation of a forward-facing force without an equal and opposite force acting in the other direction breaking the law of conservation of momentum. A Nasa image revealing the magnetic fields of an Em Drive, a fuel-less engine that a British researcher is attempting to develop. The concept has generated widespread excitement about its potential to be used in deep space travel Scientists have previously compared this to placing yourself inside a box, pushing on the side, and generating thrust. Dr McCulloch's engine gets around this hiccup using a new theory of inertia, which describes the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion. Scientists have puzzled for decades over what causes inertia, and Dr McCulloch's theory promises to solve the mystery, while also offering an ambitious new design for rocket thrusters. HOW DOES AN EM DRIVE PRODUCE THRUST? Dr Mike McCulloch of Plymouth University has a new explanation about how the EmDrive works The EmDrive creates thrust by bouncing microwaves around in an enclosed chamber, and uses only solar power. According to classical physics, the EM Drive should be impossible because it seems to violate the law of conservation of momentum. The law states that the momentum of a system is constant if there are no external forces acting on the system which is why propellant is required in traditional rockets. But Mike McCulloch of Plymouth University has a possible explanation based on a new theory of inertia. McCulloch's suggests inertia arises from an effect predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity called 'Unruh radiation'. The Unruh radiation effect states that if you're accelerating in a vacuum, empty space will contain a gas of particles at a temperature proportional to the acceleration. According to McCulloch, inertia is the pressure that the Unruh radiation exerts on an accelerating body. The concept of an EM Drive engine is relatively simple. It provides thrust to a spacecraft by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container When the accelerations involved are smaller, such as is the case with the EmDrive, the wavelength of Unruh radiation gets larger. At extremely small accelerations, the wavelengths become too large to fit in the observable universe. As a result, inertia may only take on whole-wavelength units over time, causing it to become 'quantized.' This means it can only in some multiple of a unit of measure, causing sudden jumps in acceleration. But because of the EmDrive's truncated cone, the Unruh radiation in tiny. The cone allows Unruh radiation of a certain size at the large end but only a smaller wavelength at the other end, according to an in-depth report by MIT. This means the inertia of photons inside the cavity change as they bounce back and forth. To conserve momentum, they are forced to generate thrust. Advertisement His 'quantised inertia model' links in with something called 'the Unruh effect', which was originally described by Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It asserts that accelerating objects heat up the cold space around them through black body radiation. According to Dr McCulloch, inertia is the tiny amount of pressure this 'Unruh radiation' exerts on an accelerating body. At very small accelerations, such as those experienced by the microwaves in an EM Drive, the Unruh radiation wavelengths become so large they no longer fit in the observable universe, meaning they are 'quantised'. This is because the photons that make up the waves jump from one wavelength to another. The propulsion system may make deep space travel like that seen in Star Trek a reality. Pictured is the programme's USS Enterprise spaceship Dr McCulloch theorises that photons inside an EM Drive also jump from one wavelength to another as they bounce back and forth within the engine. To conserve momentum, they must generate thrust, which pushes the thruster forward without the need for rocket fuel. This works similarly to the way that a ship is pushed towards a dock because of waves hitting it from the seaward side. The QI theory neatly dodges questions over the law of conservation of momentum - as energy is produced via radiation intensity - though it has yet to be proved right. WHAT IS THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM? The basic laws that are applied in the theory of the EmDrive include Newton's laws including the law of conservation of momentum and the law of conservation of energy. At its most simple, the law of conservation of momentum can be explained by studying collisions. During a collision between two objects - object 1 and object 2 - the forces acting on and between the two objects are equal, and opposite in direction. These forces act for a set amount of time depending on the strength of the force and the shape and size of the objects, but regardless of how long this lasts, the time on each object is the same. The EmDrive appears to violate this law because it seemingly produces a forward-facing force that powers it through space without an equal and opposite force acting in the other direction. However, the electromagnetic wave momentum that is created in the resonating cavity travels to the end walls. At this point, the momentum gained and the momentum lost by the electromagnetic wave is equal, which suggests it complies with the law. Advertisement Dr McCulloch's QI theory received special attention because of the high cost of launching rockets with explosive propellant. His thruster would be much cheaper and safer - only requiring a source of electrical power to accelerate a rocket. Dr McCulloch, lecturer in geomatics, believes the study could benefit all forms of propulsion and transport - including cars and planes. He said: 'I believe QI could be a real game changer for space science - it is hugely exciting to now have the opportunity to test it. 'I have always thought it could be used to convert light into thrust, but it also suggests ways to enhance that thrust.' Nasa's test set-up for a futuristic EM Drive in its 'Eagleworks' lab. The system is based on electromagnetic drive, or EM Drive, which converts electrical energy into thrust without the need for rocket fuel The research is being funded to improve the understanding of how to control the interaction of light and engineered materials. Dr McCulloch will collaborate with experimental scientists from the Technische Universitat Dresden in Germany, and the University of Alcala in Spain. The Plymouth team will first seek to develop a fully predictive theoretical model of Unruh radiation. A series of experiments will then be conducted in Germany and Spain to test whether the thrust is specifically due to quantised inertia, and whether it can be enhanced significantly. A new lawsuit claims employers are using Facebook to target job ads to men only, excluding women and anyone who identifies as another gender from employment opportunities. The claim, filed by the ACLU and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accuses the company of violating labor and civil rights laws by publishing discriminatory job ads and also lists 10 employers that it claims published the ads. The group says changes that Facebook made to its ads systems this year to prevent discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion and other characteristics didn't extend to gender. Scroll down for video A new lawsuit claims employers are using Facebook to target job ads to men only, excluding women and anyone who identifies as another gender from employment opportunities Facebook said there is 'no place for discrimination' on its platform and that it will defend its practices once it can review the complaint. The complaint says Facebook allows for job ads that target potential applicants based on their gender. This includes women as well as people who do not identify as either men or women, or 'non-binary' people. The 10 other employers named in the complaint include Abas USA, Defenders, Nebraska Furniture Mart, City of Greensboro North Carolina, Need Work Today, Renewal by Andersen LLC, Rice Tire, JK Moving Services, Enhanced Roofing & Modeling and Xenith. The complaint was filed on behalf of three women, living in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, who allegedly were not shown ads for jobs in traditionally male-dominated fields, even though they appeared qualified for those positions. The ads, which the ACLU says appeared over the course of several months in 2017 and 2018, were for jobs such as tire salesman, mechanic, roofing worker and security engineer, said Galen Sherwin, senior staff attorney at the ACLU's Women's Rights Project. Facebook said there is 'no place for discrimination' on its platform and that it will defend its practices once it can review the complaint. The complaint was filed on Tuesday 'I shouldn't be shut out of the chance to hear about a job opportunity just because I am a woman,' Linda Bradley, one of the complainants, said in a statement, according to USA Today. The ACLU says that the women, as well as the union's other female and other non-male members, have 'routinely been denied the opportunity' to receive job ads and recruitment on Facebook that their male counterparts received. Targeting job ads by gender is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Facebook already tells advertisers that their ads must not discriminate, or encourage discrimination against people based on 'personal attributes such as race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, disability, medical or genetic condition.' In April, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development filed an administrative complaint saying Facebook's advertising tools allow landlords and real estate brokers to engage in housing discrimination. Facebook said at the time that it prohibits such discrimination and that it has been working to strengthen its systems. But Tuesday's complaint says Facebook has 'long known' that employers and employment agencies were using its platform to discriminate on the basis of gender. DO FACEBOOK ADVERTISERS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST USERS? ProPublica investigations in 2016 and 2017 revealed that Facebook's advertisers were able to discriminate against users by filtering out certain ethnic and religious groups, as well as genders, from seeing certain ads. In 2016, a separate investigation by the news site revealed that Facebook allows advertisers to discriminate by race in housing ads, allowing advertisers to filter out certain ethnic groups from seeing their ad. Although Facebook said it corrected this flaw, a follow-up investigation revealed that advertisers could still discriminate by: Race (e.g. African Americans) Religious affiliation (e.g. Jews) Family status (e.g. mothers of high school children) Disability (e.g. people who require wheelchair ramps) National origin (e.g. and expats from Argentina) Language (e.g. Spanish speakers) Advertisement Instead of eliminating this behavior, the ACLU said Tuesday, Facebook has encouraged it. 'They have been on notice for quite some time,' Sherwin said. 'They should have paid closer attention. They had plenty of opportunity to fix this.' According to the complaint, Facebook has 'consciously decided not to stop itself or employers from targeting employment ads that exclude female users from receiving the ads.' In addition, while companies can actively choose to exclude women from seeing their job ads, a popular Facebook advertising tool called 'lookalike audiences' can also lead to similar results, the ACLU says, even if it is not intended. It lets advertisers target people who 'look like' their existing customer base, but are not customers yet. When it comes to job ads, a company can target potential employees with similar characteristics -including gender - to their existing employee base. This, the ACLU says, is illegal. 'Their machine learning is supposed to flag (ads for) employment, housing or credit,' Sherwin said. 'But it isn't working. Whatever mechanism they have in place is not up to the job.' Sony's new-and-improved Aibo robot dog is finally coming to the US. The Japanese tech giant said Tuesday the special 'First Litter Edition' is now open for pre-orders in the US, with the robotic 'puppy' arriving on consumers' doorsteps in mid-December - 'just in time for the holidays,' Sony said. The new-and-improved Aibo was first announced in August and comes at a hefty cost, with a price tag of $2,899. Scroll down for video Sony's new-and-improved Aibo robot dog is finally coming to the US. The tech giant said a special 'First Litter Edition' will go on sale in September for the hefty price tag of $2,899 THE NEW AIBO Aibo is billed as a pet that behaves like a puppy using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and interact with its owner and surroundings. The reborn Aibo features new actuator technology allowing it move more smoothly and naturally like a real dog. With sensing and AI technologies, Aibo can run toward its owner and detect smiles and words of praise, and can remember what actions please the owner. Its eyes are made of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays making it capable of diverse expressions. The robot comes with an array of sensors, cameras and microphones and boasts internet connectivity, allowing owners to play with the pet remotely via smartphone. Advertisement The 'First Litter Edition' Aibo packs more smarts than previous iterations, like the ability to learn custom tricks, map and navigate a room with ease and learn up to 100 faces. For $2,899, buyers get a bundle that includes Aibo, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, an 'aibone' and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app. Aibo 2.0 is a major step up from the original robotic puppy dog first launched by Sony back in 1999. Sony says it fitted Aibo with tons of cameras, touch sensors and microphones to make it more responsive and lifelike. The puppy's 4,000 parts and 22 actuators allow it to wag its tail, shake your hand, move its ears back and forth and kick a ball, as well as move or blink its eyes thanks to two Sony organic LED displays that can even follow its owner around. A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect and analyze sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. Aibo responds to your touch when you scratch or pet it and can even recognize words of praise and smiles. Sony's latest re-imagination of Aibo has also given the robo dog a personality. Using a Wifi connection, Aibo uploads all of its day-to-day experiences to the cloud, forming a memory database that enables its unique personality to grow and evolve over time. This makes it so that 'no Aibo is the same,' according to the firm. 'Aibo keeps on growing and changing, constantly updating its data in the cloud,' Sony explained. 'Over time, your approach to nurturing Aibo will gradually shape its personality - it could be a doting partner, a wild, fun-loving companion, or anywhere in between. 'It'll even learn new tricks through interactions with other Aibo, experiences with changing seasons and different events,' the company added. Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, such as 'sit,' 'stay,' and 'come.' There's also a 'mimic' mode, where owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements. A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. Its 22 actuators make it move in a more natural way Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, like 'sit,' 'stay,' and 'come.' 'Mimic' mode lets owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements It can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender. Users can tell their Aibo to 'go to the kitchen' and it's able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination. 'You'll be amazed at what your Aibo can do, but it can't do everything by itself - for some tricks to work, you'll need to interact with your Aibo or help it out a bit,' the company explained. 'Team up, tackle new tricks together, and watch your Aibo grow.' Aibo can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender Users can tell their Aibo to 'go to the kitchen' and it's able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination For $2,899, consumers get a bundle that includes Aibo, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, an 'aibone' and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app Sony released the new version of Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. Japanese consumers can pick up an Aibo without a cloud plan and also at a discount - the new dog is priced at $1,760 there. However, the company admits that Aibo isn't necessarily meant to be for the average consumer. Early adopters and robot enthusiasts are more likely to be open to paying nearly $3,000 for the next-generation robot dog. 'We believe the price we're launching at is a great value, when you look at all things included,' Sony Electronics president and COO Mike Fasulo told Engadget. Sony released the new Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. The company admits that it isn't meant to be for the average consumer 'We're talking about the future, with AI and learning...it just gets better as the days and weeks go.' Sony initially discontinued the original Aibo in 2006 due to financial troubles at the firm. But Aibo diehards continued to purchase older models and even spend hundreds of dollars on maintenance costs. Now, Sony is putting its AI expertise to work with the new Aibo and is hoping consumers will be drawn to the 'one-of-a-kind' product. 'Aibo's charming personality, dog-like behaviors and ability to intelligently interact with family members help to create a personal bond,' Fasulo said in a statement. 'Bringing aibo back to the U.S. reflects Sony's broader commitment to provide consumers with products that not only entertain them, but also enrich their lives.' Solar Orbiter is a European Space Agency mission with support from NASA to explore the Sun and effect our host star has on the solar system - including Earth. Solar Orbiter (artist's impression) is a European Space Agency mission to explore the sun and its effect on the solar system. Its launch is planned for 2020 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA The satellite launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida in February 2020 and reached its first close approach to the Sun in June 2020. It was built in Stevenage, England and is loaded with a carefully selected set of 10 telescopes and direct sensing instruments. Solar Orbiter will fly within 26 million miles (43 million km) of the solar surface to closely inspect our star's poles. Scientists are investigating how the sun's violent outer atmosphere, also known as its corona, forms. It was built in Stevenage, England and is loaded with a carefully selected set of 10 telescopes and direct sensing instruments This is the region from which 'solar wind' - storms of charged particles that can disrupt electronics on Earth - are blown out into space. Through Solar Orbiter, researchers hope to unravel what triggers solar storms to help better predict them in future. The Solar Orbiter's heat shields are expected to reach temperatures of up to 600C (1,112F) during its closest flybys. It will work closely with Nasa's Parker Solar Probe, which launched in August 2018, and is also studying the sun's corona. Ross Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This analysis originated at texastribune.com. Contact Ramsey at rramsey@texastribune.org. John Steinbeck said of Positano in 1953: It is a dream place that isnt quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone. Steinbeck paints so appealing a picture of the Italian coastal town that he might send people there in their droves, yet adds that his initial impulse had been to conceal it. You think, he writes, if I tell, it will be crowded with tourists and they will ruin it... There isnt the slightest chance of this in Positano... There is no room. Enchanting: The cliffside Italian town of Positano that climbs up from the Med Modern tourism has found a way to prove Steinbeck wrong: the streets of Positano are crammed with tourists. But even the crowds that fill the streets me and my husband included cant quite diminish the wonder we all felt as we strolled down jasmine-drooped staircases and past bars with tables covered with Aperol spritzes. Following in the footsteps of Steinbeck, we had arrived at Le Sirenuse hotel after a long and winding car journey along the Amalfi Coast, from Naples airport and through Sorrento. Peaky after experiencing the lunatic driving of the southern Italians, we emerged from the car into Le Sirenuses cool, palm-filled reception. A bell boy grappled with our cases as we explored the three floors of communal space, each of them cast with hand-painted, multi-coloured tiles. Ceramics are a big deal in Positano a nearby shop had piles of tiles, bowls and plates packed in bubble wrap, thousands of euros worth of products, which had been bought by visitors who were shipping them back to Texas, Russia and China at enormous expense. At Le Sirenuse we were led to the dining room for lunch. The ceiling was alive with grape vines and tiny lights. You dont tend to look up so much as gaze out, though: the view of the beige, yellow, pink and red building facades crawling up the hills is one of the most beautiful in the world. Its punctuated by the Duomo Positano, and gives way to bobbing fishing boats from which you can hear the shouts of the fishermen and tour guides. Steinbeck described Le Sirenuse, then newly converted from an old family house into a hotel, as spotless and cool. He adds: Every room has its little balcony and looks out over the blue sea to the islands of the sirens from which those ladies sang so sweetly. The local fishermen claim you can still hear the mermaids singing, as described by Homer, whose legend said that there are three islands, now called Li Galli, facing Positano, which are the bodies of three sirens. So cool: Le Sirenuses swimming pool is adorned with lemon trees and looks out over the sea The story goes that they killed themselves because Odysseus escaped the trap of their song.We couldnt hear the song from our balcony, but we did have a perfect view of Li Galli: sitting out there with a glass of aglianico wine marked some of our happiest memories of Positano. The hotel lays on a lot of complimentary activities: exploring on foot with a guide, a boat trip along the Amalfi Coast (with bellinis prepared for you after youve had a dip in the Med), and early-morning Pilates are all included. There are also wine-tasting sessions and cookery courses. The hotels La Sponda restaurant must be booked in advance for dinner and lunch, too, if you want to glimpse the view in all its daytime glory. We ate burrata and tomatoes, calamari, lamb and tiramisu, drank red wine and felt as if life couldnt get any better. Until we arrived for breakfast theres a prosecco trolley and four kinds of mozzarella. The thing about Positano is while youre experiencing it, you know its a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Its not easy to get to by car and the hotel prices are high. But its worth it even if Steinbeck may not have approved. Holidays to Yugoslavia were something of an oddity in the communist era. Marshal Tito, the countrys ruler, ran a different communist model from the Soviet-style regime fashioned under Stalin. And its pretty clear that the Soviet government wasnt thrilled by Yugoslavias show of independence. Like Stalin, Tito was no fan of human rights. He did, however, support the concept of a market-based economy, which meant life was generally better for residents and tourists. Classic charm: The beautiful waterfront at the Venetian-influenced Trogir, set on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Ciovo Anybody who visited the likes of East Germany or Romania before the Iron Curtain fell would hardly have contemplated them as a potential holiday destination. Yugoslavia, however, had a devoted following with large numbers from the UK flocking to Dubrovnik and Split. No sooner had Yugoslavia dispensed with communism than the region was plunged into a bitter civil war which destroyed tourism for a decade. As a result, it wasnt until well into the 21st Century that Croatia emerged as a major new destination. Dubrovnik and Split were obvious stars but it quickly became apparent there was more to Croatia than most realised. For a start, it has more than 1,200 miles of coastline and 1,200 islands. Most of the islands are just blobs of rock in the Adriatic, but of the 50 that are inhabited, several are destinations in their own right. Hvar is a perfect example. What they all have in common is that they have come to the package- holiday party very late. For many of the islands its not just that the Tito regime didnt develop them as holiday places, visitors were actually banned: Tito feared a seaborne invasion (from the West and probably the East, too) so there were elaborate early-warning stations and other defensive structures intended to protect Yugoslavia. Even today, on many of the smaller, uninhabited islands, visitors are not allowed to stay overnight (for environmental rather than defence reasons). So while other Mediterranean islands from Majorca to Cyprus were throwing up tower-block hotels and ploughing up vast swathes of countryside to build airports, Croatias islands escaped the worst excesses of modern tourism. This nations charm resides in its natural, unsophisticated but thoroughly stylish ambience. If youre looking for an autumn break, the weather in Croatia tends to remain warm and sunny until at least the end of October. Many of the island towns are perfect gems. Places such as Sibenik, which is an architectural treasure trove. Pride of place goes to the Cathedral of St James, built in stone between 1431 and 1536. Holy treasure: The Cathedral of St James, which was built between 1431 and 1536 and takes pride of place in Sibenik Sibenik, like the Swedish capital Stockholm, is built over an archipelago. The city is an intriguing maze of narrow alleys and squares with a host of fascinating small shops and fine places to eat. Rovinj nestles in an arm of the Adriatic where Croatia meets Italy. It has the look of a mini-Venice with narrow streets of sunburnt buildings dominated by the campanile of the Church of St Euphemia. Another delight is Trogir, set on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Ciovo. Founded by the Greeks, it was later influenced by the Romans and Venetians. It is a wonderful mixture of churches, palaces, towers and fortifications. Its Romanesque-Gothic quarter is one of the best-preserved in all of Central Europe. Sibenik, pictured, is built over an archipelago. The city is an intriguing maze of narrow alleys and squares with a host of fascinating small shops and fine restaurants One of my favourite places is the former fishing village of Novigrad: the perfect away-from-it-all place to enjoy peace and quiet. If youre looking for a busier environment then head for Dubrovnik, the famous walled city that found itself on the front line of the civil war in 1991. Like Venice, you have to see Dub-rovnik to understand its attraction. The churches, palaces and ramparts are remarkable, with style and history combining in perfect harmony. There are lots of bigger resorts that offer a base for a beachy holiday. It is hard, however, to resist the attractions of Split. The town offers a pedestrianised waterfront and smart ambience. The stunning palace of the Emperor Diocletian is in the centre, where you can shop in an underground palace complex or sip cocktails within arms reach of ancient columns. Perfect. This is the bizarre moment an unruly passenger forces a plane to turn back 30 minutes after take-off because he is too hot. The incident occurred on an internal Colombian flight between Bogota and Monteria. Video uploaded to social media shows the unnamed individual complaining that the cabin is too hot and that something must be done. The passenger pictured on the left forced a plane to turn around after take-off - because he was too hot When staff remonstrate with him he threatens to open the emergency door. Other passengers were incredulous as they watched the man berate the cabin crew. With the passenger refusing to calm down and continuing to threaten to open the door, the pilot took the decision to return to Bogota. On landing at the point of departure, the man was escorted from the plane by Colombian National Police and members of the Civil Aviation Authority to loud jeers from his fellow passengers. The incident occurred on an internal Colombian flight between Bogota and Monteria The disruptive passenger is pictured here leaving the plane Social media commentators were largely unsympathetic to the over-heated passenger. Several commentators suggested he should have been thrown out the plane in mid-air, while others suggested he may have been suffering from a mental illness or have ingested hallucinogenic drugs. Others suggested that he was simply unused to flying and should go back to taking the bus in the future. A spokesperson for Air Plan, the concessionary that operates Monteria airport, said: 'A disruptive and aggressive passenger generated problems so the captain decided to return.' On Sunday, Australian chef Shannon Bennett made his first public appearance following his split with long-term partner Madeleine West. The 42-year-old MasterChef guest judge attended George Calombaris' wedding to his girlfriend-of-11-years Natalie Tricarico in Greece. Clad in a white shirt, distressed jeans and a navy suit jacket, the TV personality mingled with the likes of Gary Mehigan and Matt Moran at the reception. Stepping out: On Sunday, Shannon Bennett (left image, left) made his first public appearance since his split with Madeleine West (right) at George Calombaris' wedding to Natalie Tricarico in Greece The wedding is believed to have taken place at the Island Athens Riviera resort, which boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Greek City Times. Shannon was featured in several photos shared to Instagram, alongside a host of well-known Australian chefs, TV stars and food critics. The guest list included Nigella Lawson, Manu Feildel and Miguel Maestre, among many other luminaries from the culinary world. The wedding was Shannon's first public appearance since his partner Madeleine confirmed their split after 13 years together. Gang's all here! Shannon was featured in several photos shared to Instagram, alongside a host of well-known Australian chefs, TV stars and food critics Madeleine, 38, told Stellar on Sunday September 9 that she and Shannon were 'striving to reconnect as friends and parents'. The former couple share six children together, with Madeleine telling the publication that having a large family 'puts exponential pressures on a relationship'. She explained: 'Having a public profile, having two high-pressure careers, having a multitude of children and I will say they are a lot harder to train than dragons it puts exponential pressures on a relationship, and cracks can form, and things that we don't necessarily plan in the beginning can happen'. Out and about: The wedding was Shannon's first public appearance since his partner Madeleine confirmed their split after 13 years together Madeleine and Shannon began dating in 2005. They are parents to Phoenix, 12, Hendrix, 10, Xascha, 8, Xanthe, 6, and twins Xalia and Margaux, 4. It comes after Woman's Day first reported that the couple 'broke up' in July. A source allegedly told the magazine: 'Nobody knows what went wrong but whatever happened, it's sad. They have such a beautiful family'. Last September, Shannon and Madeleine bought a mansion in the ritzy Melbourne suburb of Toorak for a rumoured $16million. Fame: Shannon is the head chef of Melbourne's famed restaurant Vue de monde, and has published eight cookbooks Shannon is the head chef of Melbourne's famed restaurant Vue de monde, and has published eight cookbooks. Meanwhile, Madeleine is best known for playing Dee Bliss on Neighbours from 2000 until 2003. She returned to the soap for a recurring role last year, and is now heading back to screens in Network Ten drama Playing For Keeps. Advertisement The stunning five bedroom Melbourne home Sticks and Wombat renovated on The Block last year has sold a cool $2.83 million in a post-auction sale over the weekend. The lucky new owners snapped up the Elsternwick property after it was passed in at $2.66 million at auction. The Melbourne home was previously sold for $2.65 million on the show, with Sticks and Wombat profiting $130,000 in prize money. Sold! The stunning five bedroom pad renovated by Sticks and Wombat on The Block fails to sell at auction... before being snapped up for a cool $2.83 million Rivals Josh and Elyse won The Block 2017, took home a whopping $547,000 after their own home sold for an impressive $3.067 million. The previous owners of Sticks and Wombat's home wanted to fetch between $2.7-$2.85 million at auction. According to Nine Homes, they sold it less than a year after purchasing it on The Block because they are now permanently based in NSW. The boys: Pictured are Sticks (R) and Wombat (L) Luxe! Sticks and Wombat's home features four bathrooms and a three-car garage, and is located in Melbourne's Elsternwick Pricey: The owners had wanted to fetch between $2.7-$2.85 million at auction (pictured is the master bedroom) Sticks and Wombat's home features four bathrooms and a three-car garage. The jewel in the crown is a stunning kitchen with wood detailing, concrete-finished cupboards and a large island bench. The sprawling property also has a small pool and a large master bedroom, complete with its own lounge area and walk-in wardrobe. Spacious: The jewel in the crown is a stunning kitchen with wood detailing, concrete-finished cupboards and a large island bench Selling up: According to Nine Homes , the owners of the home sold it less than a year after purchasing it on The Block because they are now permanently based in NSW Modern: Throughout the home are light wooden floorboards and tiles in the bathrooms, while all bedrooms are carpeted Throughout the home are light wooden floorboards and tiles in the bathrooms, while all bedrooms are carpeted. Real Estate agent Michael Paproth told The Herald Sun that the home sold with a reasonable profit because people are looking for 'well-positioned family homes.' 'The market's demise has been overstated,' he explained. Plenty of room! Real Estate agent Michael Paproth told The Herald Sun that the home sold with a reasonable profit because people are looking for 'well-positioned family homes' Tegan Martin has spoken about the negative effects of her heavy drinking while she was modelling in Europe during her early twenties. Speaking to Yahoo Be! on Monday, the 26-year-old former beauty queen revealed: 'My binge drinking phase was when I was living in Europe as a model.' 'I was living in Paris and I was nightclubbing every single night from Thursday night to Sunday night,' she added. Scroll down for video 'I was nightclubbing from Thursday to Sunday night': Tegan Martin (pictured) has revealed that binge drinking as a young model in Europe 'negatively impacted her long-term health' Tegan confessed the 'anxiety' she experienced during her teenage years accelerated her unhealthy relationship with alcohol. 'I remember being so anxious in my teens and always on edge and feeling like I didn't know why things wouldn't go right for me,' she said. The Ocsober ambassador - who will abstain from alcohol throughout next month - added that binge drinking in her youth 'negatively impacted her long-term health'. Candid confession: Tegan confessed the 'anxiety' she experienced during her teenage years accelerated her unhealthy relationship with alcohol 'I am so excited to be part of Ocsober, early education is paramount and I certainly think that binge drinking in my late teens had a negative impact on my long-term health,' Tegan explained in her ambassador bio on the Ocsober website. 'It's important for children to have role models and people other than their parents educating them that maybe it's not so cool to drink and it is OK to say no to peer pressure around alcohol.' Following her hard-partying lifestyle in Europe, Tegan contracted glandular fever and began to show the first signs of chronic fatigue. Former beauty queen: Tegan competed in the Miss Universe competition in 2014, finishing in the top 10. Pictured here during the competition in Miami, Florida 'I'd sleep for 10 hours a night, and if I had a shoot in Sydney I'd sleep during the two-and-a-half hour train ride from Newcastle,' she told The Daily Telegraph in January. Tegan competed in the Miss Universe competition in 2014, finishing in the top 10. Earlier that year, she was crowned Miss Universe Australia after representing her hometown in the national competition. Tegan made headlines last year when she claimed she was 'too fat' to appear on Australia's Next Top Model. 'I was too fat for Next Top Model. They just said, like, they made out like I was "too commercial",' she said while on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 'I have always had curves, like boobs and a bum. And that's why, when I lived in Paris, I had to, like, starve myself to work.' 'It is disgraceful but lucky I am out of that patch now,' she added. Network Ten will be bracing itself for further embarrassing headlines as Grant Kemp continues to stand by his allegations that new Bachelorette Ali Oetjen was unfaithful during their relationship. Speaking to The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday, the firefighter responded to Ali's recent claims that he was simply using her to keep himself in the spotlight. During the interview, Grant doubled down on his allegations that Ali engaged in oral sex with a man at his Los Angeles home back in March, while they were still dating. It's only going to get worse, Ali! Grant Kemp has revealed MORE embarrassing details about the Bachelorette's 'infidelity' as he blasts Network Ten for scrambling to save her reputation He said: 'It's true! One of my friends vouched for me and went on record saying that she was with me when it [the cheating] happened. It's like... how did did it not happen?' Grant further claimed that if his mobile phone was subpoenaed, evidence would be found that proves beyond all reasonable doubt that Ali did in fact cheat on him. '[If you were to] go through my phone records in court, you would find all of the messages from her saying that she did what she did and she feels horrible about it.' Damage control? Grant, who dated Ali for several months after filming Bachelor In Paradise, claimed that Network Ten scrambled to 'save her reputation' following the alleged cheating. Pictured: Ali in the first trailer for The Bachelorette Grant, who dated Ali for several months after filming Bachelor In Paradise, claimed that Network Ten scrambled to 'save her reputation' following the alleged cheating. 'They ran so much blockage on everything I tried to put out about her because they were trying to save her reputation,' he said, adding that producers had asked Ali to be the Bachelorette several years ago, but she was in a relationship at the time. However, he was determined to tell the 'truth' and defend his reputation after several false news reports were published about the circumstances of their split. Grant concluded by claiming there was no excuse for Ali's behaviour. 'There's no excuse for it, like you know what you're doing you were coherent, you're not a victim of any kind,' he said. 'If I'm dating somebody and I want to hook up with someone else, I just break up with them and then I go do that. Theres no point [in cheating].' Scandalous: Speaking to KIIS FM, Grant doubled down on his allegations that Ali engaged in oral sex with a man at his Los Angeles home back in March, while they were still dating In May, Grant made bombshell allegations that Ali cheated on him in March while she was staying with him at his home in Los Angeles. 'I had left [the house] to go and find my friends,' Grant previously told KIIS FM. 'I came back inside and [a man] was going down on her on my stairs. So I kicked her out of my house that night.' After the explosive claims, it was reported that Ten wanted to replace Ali, who'd just been announced as Australia's new Bachelorette, and hire Nikki Gogan instead. The network later denied this. Non-denial denial? Network Ten has never denied Grant's allegations, instead issuing a carefully-worded statement alluding to 'misleading claims' and 'false rumours' Network Ten has never denied Grant's allegations, instead issuing a carefully-worded statement at the time which read: '[There's] two sides to the story of why they broke up. However, this is a private matter and Ali will not be commenting on misleading claims being made by other parties or the false rumours that are being spread. 'Ali's relationship with Grant came to an end but she is very happy to have the opportunity to find love in the new season of The Bachelorette Australia.' Over the weekend, Ali also did not deny Grant's claims when given the opportunity. Instead, she told Stellar magazine: 'My major reason for not saying anything [in response to the cheating allegations] is that I don't want to give him any ammunition or any reason to keep coming back in the limelight, which is what he wants. 'He wants to keep on grabbing those headlines. It speaks volumes for who he is really.' Padma Lakshmi wore a 'recycled' red carpet look to Monday's Emmy Awards. The Top Chef hostess and judge, 48, looked lovely as she slipped into a red-hot J Mendel dress which she first wore to an event in Mumbai, Indian nearly one year ago. The author/actress sent a message with her outfit, telling People 'Im excited to wear this beautiful J. Mendel dress again... It seems wasteful not to enjoy these dresses.' Heating things up: Padma Lakshmi made a statement by repeating a red carpet look by J Mendel which she first rocked one year ago The starlet stunned in the scarlet number, which she first sported to Vogue India Women of the Year Awards in Mumbai last September. Revealing her reasoning, Padma said: 'I think in this day and age we should stop sending the message to young women and girls that we all have these endless closets of clothes we never wear more than once, especially on a red carpet.' 'The hours that it takes, the artisans labor and the gorgeous fabrics all deserve to be worn again and treasured. It seems wasteful not to enjoy these dresses.' And while the star said 'fashion is fun,' she admitted 'Its a lot of pressure!' 'What matters is the work that got us here to the Emmys. Instead of fretting so much over what to wear, Id rather go to the park and throw a ball with littlehands or tinker in the kitchen with her bonding over delicious food. I want to teach her that there is more to life.' First time around: The starlet first sported the beautiful crimson frock to Vogue India Women of the Year Awards in Mumbai last September, pictured above Why waste it? The author/actress sent a message with her outfit, telling People 'Im excited to wear this beautiful J. Mendel dress again... It seems wasteful not to enjoy these dresses' Designed from airy chiffon, Padma's gown also featured a deep neckline and sexy cut-outs upon the bodice. She accessorized with a pair of bronze heels and a blue ribbon in support of the American Civil Liberties Union, as well as solid gold hoops with matching bangles. Padma let her raven tresses sweep down past her shoulders while styled into a deep side part. For makeup the star went for a dewy glow with flushed cheeks and a pinky-nude lip. Extra credit: She accessorized with a pair of bronze heels and a blue ribbon in support of the American Civil Liberties Union, as well as solid gold hoops with matching bangles This year's ceremony will be co-hosted by Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost and Michael Che. NBC is broadcasting the show which airs 8 pm ET/5 pm PT live on both coasts. It's a particularly exciting year for Netflix as they finally dethroned HBO by earning the most Emmy nominations scoring 112 nods, beating HBO's 108. She rose to fame in 2016 on The Bachelorette and is known for being outspoken. And on Tuesday, Georgia Love named and shamed a Melbourne cafe live on Studio 10, claiming they still owe her money for 'paid advertising.' The journalist said that the cafe ignored her invoice and blocked her number and Instagram when she asked for the money. 'They've blocked my number and my social media': Former Bachelorette star Georgia Love (pictured) slammed a Melbourne cafe on Studio 10 on Tuesday and claimed they owe her money for 'paid advertising'... but have ignored her 'I was asked by a cafe in Melbourne to do some paid advertising for them,' Georgia said, keeping the cafe name under wraps until the end of the segment. 'Did so and sent them the invoice and never heard back,' she claimed. Georgia said she tried chasing the cafe via email, calling the manager and commenting on Instagram but had no luck. Claims: The journalist said that the cafe ignored her invoice and blocked her number and Instagram account when she asked for the money (pictured at the cafe. The cafe has now removed the above shot of Georgia from their Instagram) 'Gave them a quick little "not sure if you got my last email" and didn't hear back... they just ignored all of my emails.' 'I got the number of the manager, he blocked my number so I started commenting on their Instagram page saying "hi guys, just me, not sure if you're getting my emails. Would appreciate if you write back." She added: 'They were deleting all my comments and eventually blocked me off social media.' 'Sent them an invoice': Georgia said she tried chasing the cafe via email, calling the manager and commenting on Instagram but had no luck Claim to fame: She rose to prominence in 2016 when she appeared on The Bachelorette Daily Mail Australia has contacted the cafe for comment in relation to this story. Meanwhile, in a now-deleted photo on the cafe's Instagram page, Georgia is pictured enjoying a meal. The snap was posted on October 15, with Georgia wearing a F45 singlet and tucking into a salad. 'Always a pleasure to see this gem,' the post read. The cafe appears to be a celebrity favourite, with Anthony Callea and Sophie Monk having visited the establishment. She's known for her stylish ensembles on the red carpet and at glitzy soirees. And Millie Mackintosh didn't disappoint on Monday, as she attended The BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund party at The National Gallery in London. The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, commanded attention in an electric pink leather trouser suit. Stylish: Millie Mackintosh attended The BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund party at The National Gallery in London Pairing the outfit with a racy, hot-pink shirt, the reality star oozed glamour as she posed for the cameras. She styled her glossy raven tresses in a sleek middle-parting, and covered her plump lips with a smattering of peach coloured lipstick. Letting the statement ensemble do all the talking, Millie added height with a pair of clear-strap, barely there heels. Sleek: The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, commanded attention in an electric pink two-piece suit Hot stuff: Pairing the outfit with a racy, hot-pink shirt, Millie oozed glamour as she posed for the cameras Meanwhile, Millie broke down in tears when talking about her own experiences with school bullies as part of a new campaign last week. The fashionista shared the emotional memories via Instagram for charity Anti-Bullying Pro, which also spoke to other celebrities about their school experiences. Speaking directly to the camera, Millie said: 'I would um, you know laugh it off', as she spoke about her past. Fashion: She styled her glossy raven tresses in a sleek middle-parting, and covered her plump lips with a smattering of peach coloured lipstick Mille sat behind a desk in an empty classroom as she spoke, in a bid to help anyone else who might be going through the same thing. It was clear she was struggling to get her words out at one point, but she persevered nonetheless. Tearfully addressing the camera, she said: 'I'm sorry it's all coming back.' Her post is part of a celebrity campaign against bullying as children across the country prepare to go back to school in September. Kyle Sandilands and his longtime friend Karl Stefanovic regularly taunt each other on air with playful jokes. And on Tuesday, the KIIS FM host took a swipe at the Channel Nine star after learning he agreed to be roasted on ABC's Hard Chat in 2015 without payment. The 47-year-old claimed he wasn't surprised that Karl took the gig without charging an appearance fee, saying: 'He'll show up to the opening of an envelope!' Scroll down for video 'He'll show up to the opening of an envelope': On Tuesday, Kyle Sandilands took a swipe at Karl Stefanovic after learning he agreed to be roasted on ABC's Hard Chat in 2015 without payment Hard Chat host Tom Gleeson had been trying to convince Kyle to appear on the show, but he balked at the idea of not being paid. 'We have an end-of-year special called The Yearly, where we wrap up the year. Maybe you could be the big end-of-year Hard Chat? Karl Stefanovic did it,' Tom said. Kyle replied, 'He'll show up to the opening of an envelope!' which prompted the comedian to say: 'Yeah, I know - but you could too.' 'You guys have no budget, clearly,' co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson added. Just kidding! Kyle and Karl (pictured with his fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough in April) are longtime friends and known to taunt each other on air with playful jokes In August, Kyle revealed on Hit 105's Stav, Abby & Matt that he gets paid a whopping $45,000 a day to host his Sydney breakfast show. The revelation came after Matty Acton revealed he once got a $220 speeding fine when he was filling in for Kyle one day when he called in sick. 'I heard that whinging as well, yeah,' Kyle said, adding. 'Do you want me to spare you that money? I earn $45,000 a day so I'm happy to pay it.' Earlier that week, ex-NRL star Beau Ryan was left gobsmacked over Jackie O's reported $20million pay cheque. She and Kyle are reportedly earning a whopping $20million each over a period of five years while hosting KIIS FM's The Kyle And Jackie O Show. In 2016, it was reported that Kyle and Jackie had signed a five-year contract with ARN to earn $5million a year, depending on ratings. Network Ten offered former Channel Nine star Lisa Wilkinson a rumoured $2million contract to anchor its new show, The Sunday Project. But despite spending eight months hosting the show and enjoying numerous overseas trips interviewing celebrities, Lisa still hasn't delivered ratings success. Ten, which was bought by CBS in August 2017, has showed a noticeable decline in the ratings since January - the same month Lisa debuted on The Sunday Project. Was she worth the $2million paycheck? Lisa Wilkinson has been unable to pull The Sunday Project from its ratings drought despite spending weeks overseas interviewing celebrities According to the latest OzTam ratings, the Sunday Project fell to thirteenth place in the prime time slot, with just 312,000 metro viewers tuning in. By contrast, a solid 481,000 metro viewers tuned in to watch Lisa mark her territory on the show back in January. Speaking to Who magazine following a bout of particularly disastrous ratings in April, Lisa insisted she wasn't focusing on the numbers. Ratings decline: Ten, which was bought by CBS in August 2017, has showed a noticeable decline in the ratings since January - the same month Lisa debuted on The Sunday Project 'In the end, I just want to do good work and the rest will follow,' she said. 'We're bedding down particularly The Sunday Project at the moment and working out the best mix for the show and one of the wonderful things about going to The Project is the trust that people have in the journalism. 'They trust us in my experience more than any other interview program on Australian television.' Oh dear! According to the latest OzTam ratings, the Sunday Project fell to thirteenth place in the prime time slot, with just 312,000 metro viewers tuning in Wish you were here? Lisa flew to the United Kingdom back in May to cover the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle She's a high flyer! Lisa jetted off on another overseas assignment for The Sunday Project earlier this month - her fourth trip in just seven months Indeed, Lisa has been putting her expertise to good use since signing with Channel Ten, having recently embarked upon her fourth overseas assignment in just seven months. Taking to Instagram earlier this month to document her newest adventure to New York, Lisa shared a selfie while standing in front of a departures board. 'Hey QF11, wait for me! Heading for the US for the most amazing round of interviews for the Sunday @theprojecttv - can you guess who with?' she wrote in the caption.' VIP in Vegas! Lisa was in Las Vegas in February to chat with Celine Dion It's the third trip the veteran presenter has taken to America for work this year. She flew to Las Vegas in February to interview Celine Dion, before jetting to New York in April for a one-on-one chat with Amy Schumer. She also travelled to Britain in May to cover the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Clearly bitten by the travel bug, Lisa also took holiday leave to embark on a lavish European getaway with her husband Peter FitzSimons in August. The Prisoner Rating: Peter Brook, aged 93, has co-written and co-directed a Beckettian play about a murderer, Mavuso, who is condemned to 20 years not in clink. Instead he must squat on a hill opposite a white-walled prison in some undefined, possibly African or Asian desert. There he sits for years and years, staring, staring. And we, poor saps of the audience, are condemned to watch this stuff for minutes and minutes (about 75 in all). Long before the end you will certainly empathise with this killer. Glacial: Donald Sumpter and Hiran Abeysekera Paris-based Mr Brook is much prized by the Establishment. Wonderful, wonderful Peter. Greatest director in the English language, such an intellectual, etc. He was there last night, being fussed over by two Francophone women who were patting his grey hair as though he were some gaseous old family lurcher. He was lapping up this and numerous other salaams. Who can blame him? It must be wonderful to have lasted so long, to have pumped out so much existential angst, often with public subsidies, and find the pencil-suckers still haven't called your bluff. Scintillating, this fable is not. The pace is glacial as it puts across the tedium of Mavuso's existence. The stage is empty save for a few tree stumps. The actors go barefoot. Always a bad sign. Peter Brook, aged 93, has co-written and co-directed a Beckettian play about a murderer, Mavuso, who is condemned to 20 years not in clink Is the story maybe a little patronising? Mavuso (Hiran Abeysekera) has killed his father after finding him in bed with his daughter Nadia (Kalieaswari Srinivasan). Mavuso also lusts after Nadia, even though she is his sister. No one seems terribly offended by this incest. Well, that's Abroad for you, Mavis. The role of jurist falls to Mavuso's Uncle Ezekiel (Herve Goffings), full of traditional lore and cryptic pronouncements. A t the start we are introduced to a dwarf but he has the, er, shortest of appearances. Throw in some Third Worldish chants (quite engaging), a dead rat (Mavuso kebabs it) and an old white man (Donald Sumpter) who does some narration and exploration. A collector's item. He is nominated for Best Actor at the Emmy's for his role in Showtime's Patrick Melrose. And Benedict Cumberbatch ensured he looked every inch the leading man as he arrived at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday. The Doctor Strange actor, 42, cut a dapper figure in a sharply tailored suit as he posed alongside his stunning wife of three years, Sophie Hunter, 40. Cute couple: Benedict Cumberbatch looked dapper as he posed with his stunning wife Sophie Hunter at the Emmy Awards on Monday Benedict paired his three-piece suit with smart patent brogues and showed off his newly-shaved haircut. Sophie, meanwhile, looked showstopping in a canary-yellow column gown with a stylish funnel neckline. Letting the statement gown do all the talking, she accessorised simply with jade-encrusted earrings and a matching ring. The brunette beauty swept her glossy dark hair into a simple up-do and plumped her pout with a slick of scarlet lipstick. Suited and booted: The Doctor Strange actor, 42, paired his three-piece suit with patent brogues and showed off his newly-shaved haircut Glamorous: Sophie, meanwhile, looked showstopping in a canary-yellow column gown with a stylish funnel neckline The couple, who have been married for three years and have two children, looked as smitten as ever as they shared the red carpet. Benedict may be nominated tonight, but back in 2014 he won a gong for his role in Sherlock. In Patrick Melrose, Cumberbatch played a man who suffered a traumatic and abusive childhood and ends up battling addiction and substance abuse in New York City. She's a gem: Letting the statement gown do all the talking, she accessorised simply with jade-encrusted earrings and a matching ring Looking good: The brunette beauty swept her glossy dark hair into a simple up-do and plumped her pout with a slick of scarlet lipstick The drama mini-series was based on the semi-autobiographical novels by Edward St. Aubyn from the 1980s through early 2000s. It's the actor's sixth outstanding lead actor Emmy nod - he's been nominated four times for Sherlock, with one win, and once for the British drama series Parade's End. Benedict's latest starring role in the new Channel 4 drama Brexit, follows the data-driven political campaign for Brexit. Loved-up: The couple, who have been married for three years and have two children, looked as smitten as ever as they shared the red carpet The one-off will explore the 'myriad tactics employed to swing one of the most surprising referendum results in living memory'. The Crowns John Heffernan will play political lobbyist Matthew Elliott, Call the Midwifes Liz White will star as Mary Wakefield a journalist and Mr Cummingss wife and Poldarks Kyle Soller will take the role of Zack Massingham, founder of a data technology company that helped target voters through social media. The project was announced in May amid controversy over the political impact of data-mining, with investigations examining possible links between Vote Leave's campaign and data companies. Vicki Gunvalson's boyfriend Steve Chavez Lodge didn't appear to be ready to tie the knot with the O.G. of the O.C. on Monday's episode of the Bravo reality show. The 56-year-old reality star pressured the public affairs worker for marriage on The Real Housewives Of Orange County demanding: 'I want to be Mrs. Chavez.' 'You better not let me down,' she ordered at a surprise party thrown to celebrate her birthday. Under pressure: Vicki Gunvalson pressured her boyfriend Steve Lodge to marry her on Monday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Orange County 'Do I deserve this kind of love?' Steve cringed. The show titled 'A Peace Treaty, a Blind Date, and a Divorce No One Understands' opened with the melee at Eddie Judge's birthday party. Kelly Dodd had just called Emily Simpson's husband Shane 'a little b****'. 'I'll kill youf*** you,' yelled Emily, a copyright attorney from Ohio. Not ready: Steve made it pretty clear that he wasn't ready to walk down the aisle with Vicki Birthday surprise: Vicki was surprised by her brother Billy who came to her birthday party Harsh language: The episode opened with the aftermath of Kelly Dodd calling Emily Simpson's husband 'a little b****' Death threat: Emily threatened to kill Kelly for insulting her husband 'Kelly fights really dirty,' remarked Vicki. 'I don't like people getting in my business,' explained Kelly, a fiery 42-year-old mother-of-one. Kelly then told the women that she'd heard a rumor that Steve was 'only using Vicki for money.' Urged calm: Shane urged Emily to calm down after she threatened to kill Kelly Spreading rumors: Kelly spread a rumor that Steve was only with Vicki for her money 'He's a bad person, everyone should know,' announced Kelly, who was furious that Steve had introduced her ex husband Michael to his new girlfriend. 'I guarantee you she wants to see our relationship fold, she doesn't want anyone happy' Vicki told Tamra Judge. Tamra then informed Vicki that Kelly thought Steve was a gold digger. Information relayed: Tamra Judge let Vicki know that Kelly thought Steve was a gold digger 'Shame on hereverybody's always after what I have,' raged Vicki. Meanwhile, newly separated Shannon Beador went on a blind date with a man called Tom Hullen. 'I'm wearing what some people might call the f*** me shoes,' said Shannon, who met Tom through a professional matchmaker. Shaming time: Vicki said that Kelly should be ashamed of herself Moving on: Shannon Beador went on a date with a man she met through a pro matchmaker Adding: 'Bill Clinton was president last time I had a first date.' The date went well, despite her nerves. 'But Tom has many cats and I'm not a cat person,' fretted Shannon, 54, who had separated from her husband David after 17 years of marriage. First date: The mother-of-three reality star went on a date with Tom Hullen She then went to see an 'energy healer' called Dr. Moon for her sprained ankle. He also checked over Vicki, finding 'sadness and anger.' Long Island transplant Gina Kirschenheiter was experiencing problems with her long distance husband Matt. Energy healer: Shannon went to see her energy healer Dr. Moon for her sprained ankle 'I don't feel like my marriage was a failure, I just feel like it's ending,' she told Emily. She sobbed later, describing the decision to divorce as 'death by 1,000 paper cuts.' 'He's been my best friend for 11 years,' added the 34-year-old mother-of-three. Divorce decision: Gina Kirschenheiter was experiencing problems with her long distance husband Matt Emily and Kelly met to discuss the ruckus at Eddie's birthday. Kelly said Shane was 'butting in' and taking Steve's side. 'That's my husband, that's the father of my children,' said Emily, who objected to the 'name calling'. Tense talk: Kelly and Emily met up to discuss the ruckus at Eddie Judge's birthday party They soon laughed off the incident. At dinner, Gina tried to break the news of her divorce to her friends. 'We will be best friends for the rest of our lives,' she told them. Best friends: Gina during dinner insisted that she and Matt would remain best friends Getting emotional: The mother-of-three cried while talking to her mother on the phone about her divorce Tamra decided that Vicki wasn't really into Steve. 'She does not love that man,' she said decisively. Gina told Shannon she shouldn't have let Kelly confront Shane at the party. Bold statement: Tamra declared that Vicki did not love her boyfriend Steve 'Very judgmental Gina,' huffed Shannon. The Real Housewives Of Orange County continues next week on Bravo. A sneak peek of the episode showed Vicki telling Gina that she doesn't possess 'a moral compass.' Angela Bassett and Tiffany Haddish provided a fun Black Panther moment as they presented at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Monday. Bassett, 60, and Haddish, 38, crossed their arms as they faced one another and bowed as they faced one another, as they were onstage to present the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award. In the smash hit Marvel film, Bassett played Ramonda, the mom of Chadwick Bosemans titular character. Wakanda Forever salute: Tiffany Haddish, 38, and Angela Bassett, 60, provided a fun Black Panther moment as they presented at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Monday The ladies wound up presenting Rachel Brosnahan with the honors for her role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Brosnahan, in her acceptance speech, said that her series speaks to the importance of voting. 'One of the things I love the most about this show -- while I have you captive for another two seconds -- it's about a woman who is finding her voice anew,' she said. It's something that's happening all over the country right now. One of the most important ways that we can find and use our voices is to vote. 'So if you haven't already registered, do it on your cellphone right now. Vote, show up, and bring a friend to the polls. Thank you so much!' Queens: The ladies were there to present the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award Respect: Bassett and Haddish crossed their arms as they faced one another and bowed as they faced one another in a callback to the Marvel movie Fashionable: Haddish wore a multicolored gown while Bassett looked amazing in a white dress Dynamic duo: The stars teamed up to present at the awards ceremony Earlier this year, Bassett told Vanity Fair that Black Panther was one of few motion pictures she and her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance, encouraged their 12-year-old twins to take in. 'We keep them back from premieres and this sort of thing,' she told the publication. 'We try to keep them doing their own thing, out and away from it all.' She said that Black Panther 'was one that we felt it was imperative that they experienced and witnessed' as an 'iconic film' filled with 'positive images.' Fan favorite: Angela took to the stage in a gorgeous white dress Matching outfits: Dave Chappelle teamed up with Angela backstage at the event She continued, 'They can see themselves in a light as warriors, as heroes, as kings, as queens, and potential panthers. 'All things positive. I really wanted them to experience something that in the way they carry themselves, how they walk through the day, with their heads held high and their chests poked out, feeling good about who they are.' Fan favorite: The reference to the motion picture was popular with the crowd and on Twitter Gorgeous: Haddish and Bassett beamed as they prepared to bestow the honors She reached a new level of fame in June with her Netflix special Nanette. And Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby mingled with the likes of Jodie Foster at the streaming service's annual Emmy Award Nominee Toast in LA on Saturday. The 40-year-old funnywoman cut a smart casual figure in a black T-shirt, which she paired with navy trousers and a coordinating blazer. Friends in high places! Australian stand-up comedian Hannah Gadsby (right) mingled with Jodie Foster (left) at Netflix's Emmy Awards party in Los Angeles on Saturday Hannah posed for photos with Jodie at the event hosted by Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos. Jodie, 55, looked elegant in a round-neck black frock, featuring a contrasting plaid and floral print. The American actress styled her shoulder-length hair straight and loosely, and sported a minimal makeup palette. Social: Hannah posed for photos with American television writer Norman Lear (centre) and Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos (right) Hannah received widespread praise for her Netflix stand-up special Nanette when it premiered earlier this year. The comedy routine delved into issues of sexism and homophobia, and Hannah's personal experience of prejudice. In an interview with Variety in July, Hannah admitted that the positive reaction to the show had been overwhelming. Fame: Hannah received widespread praise for her Netflix stand-up special Nanette when it premiered earlier this year. Pictured in New York on May 21 'It's a bit much. I've had to go into hiding,' she said with a laugh. 'To get recognised in New York is weird because that's definitely a place you shouldn't get recognised. I don't quite know what to make of it.' Hannah hails from Tasmania, an island to the south of the Australian mainland. After several years of local success, she reached an international audience in 2018. He portrays a sociopath in the upcoming Netflix true-crime thriller series, Dirty John. But Eric Bana cut a dapper figure as he attended the 70th annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday evening, alongside his co-star Connie Britton. The father-of-two looked smart in a navy suit as he cosied up to the 51-year-old age-defying beauty, who stunned in a low-cut turquoise and aqua Sachin & Babi gown. Blue steel! Eric Bana cuts a suave silhouette in a navy suit as he poses alongside Dirty John co-star Connie Britton who stuns in a low-cut turquoise Sachin & Babi gown at Emmy Awards The silver fox, who studied sociopaths for his new role, oozed with charm and sex appeal. Eric cut a sharp silhouette in the midnight blue ensemble; made up of a dinner jacket fitted with glossy lapels, a crisp white shirt, skinny tie and a pair of slinky trousers. The hunk looked as though he had just run his fingers through his mane as he sported a slick wavy hairdo. He paid homage to his rugged Aussie roots by rocking a manicured five o'clock shadow. Looking good! The father-of-two looked smart in a navy suit as he cosied up to the 51-year-old age-defying beauty, who stunned in a low-cut turquoise and aqua gown Meanwhile, Connie opted for a light and bright ensemble consisting of a floor-length floral gown emblazoned with aqua, green and mint blooms. The screen siren offered onlookers a small glimpse at her toned legs, peeping through the gown's sultry thigh-high middle split. She teamed her gorgeous garb with green drop earrings and a dainty white clutch. Gorgeous! Connie opted for a light and bright ensemble consisting of a floor-length floral gown emblazoned with aqua, green and mint blooms The pair's upcoming Netflix series is based on the real life love story between John Meehan (Erin Bana) and Debra Newell (Connie Britton). The pair met on an over-50s dating website in 2014, and five weeks after their first date, they were living together in Newport, California. With their romance progressing at lightning speed, the couple were secretly married just two months in. Five o'clock shadow! Eric (pictured) paid homage to his rugged Aussie roots by rocking a manicured five o'clock shadow 'This was one of the first occasions where something came along that was doable and that was extremely attractive': The Chopper actor (pictured) recently revealed why his role in Dirty John made US television 'a viable option' The Chopper actor recently revealed why his role in Dirty John made US television 'a viable option'. 'US TV's something that hasn't really been a viable option for me simply because I live in Australia. But this was one of the first occasions where something came along that was doable and that was extremely attractive,' he told The Daily Telegraph this month. 2018 Emmy Awards: Erin (left) Connie (right) looked every inch the Hollywood stars as they attended the 2018 Emmy Awards on Monday. The pair pictured presenting an award at the 70th annual Emmy Awards 'I've looked at a lot of TV stuff over the past 10 years, and this was the one that got me,' the actor continued. Eric lives in Melbourne with his wife Rebecca Gleeson, 47, and their two children, Klaus, 19, and Sophia, 16. He became a household name in '90s comedy sketch series Full Frontal, before starring in comedy-drama The Castle and film Chopper in 2000. The west has definitely been won. Jeff Daniels took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as outlaw Frank Griffin in the western drama Godless at the 70th annual Emmy's ceremony held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Monday. This is Daniels' second Emmy win out of five nominations over his illustrious career in Hollywood. Proud moment: Jeff Daniels, 63, won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards Always one to offer wit and bit of dry humor, the veteran actor thanked everyone from his ride instructor, to his driver and horse wrangler. 'Little tip for you young actors: When they call and ask if you can ride a horse, dont lie,' he joked. He then showed his comedic timing when he paused and gave a shout out to his wife and family, which got some laughs from the crowd. Wit and humor: The veteran actor got laughs when he thanked his ride instructor, driver and horse wrangler Comic relief: He got more laughs when he joking slipped in a thanks to his wife and family Gratitude: Daniels thanked his horse and revealed he was thrown off of him three times: 'The third and last time I broke my wrist .. it was my left wrist, it's now officially healed -- thank you' The 63-year old then gave a special thanks to his horse, Apollo. 'He was Jeff Bridges's horse on True Grit and I felt he was making unfair comparisons,' he joked again to the amusement of the audience. In closing, Daniels talked about how he thrown off his horse three times. 'The third and last time I broke my wrist .. it was my left wrist, it's now officially healed - thank you,' the actor said in a nod of gratitude. Godless was named one of the year's best in 2017 by both The Washington Post and Vanity Fair Daniels won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead actor in a Drama series for his role in The Newsroom in 2015. Say cheese: Michelle Dockery, Daniels and his wife Kathleen Rosemary Treado posed for a selfie at the 70th Primetime Emmy Award She's no stranger to spending big money on plastic and cosmetic surgery enhancements, splashing out a whopping $35,000 on procedures, including a nose job and breast enlargement, in the past. But Keira Maguire, 32, has been hit back at claims she's had cheek fillers, following her latest Instagram post promoting her new porcelain veneers. Several users left comments questioning her plump cheeks, including one who wrote, 'I love you but too much Botox & fillers.' Scroll down for video 'They are all me': Bachelor In Paradise star Keira Maguire has hit back at speculation she's had cheek fillers Another wrote, 'Also had cheek fillers can tell in this pic.' In response, the Bachelor In Paradise star replied, 'if you are referring to my cheeks having too much filler, my cheeks dont they are all natural... so should I take offence?' She later took to her Instagram Story to reiterate that she has not had any procedures on her cheeks. 'So many people say I've had cheek fillers... No They are all me... but thanks,' she ranted. 'I love you but too much Botox & fillers': Several users left comments questioning her plump cheeks under her latest Instagram post promoting her new porcelain veneers They're natural! Keira said, 'So many people say I've had cheek fillers... No They are all me... but thanks' On Monday, Keira debuted her new set of pricey porcelain veneers, which experts predict could cost an estimated $30,000. The blonde flaunted her paper white smile as she stepped out of Vogue Dental Studios in Melbourne. 'A lot of you have been asking what's different about me!?! Well, I've had my Veneers done,' she began. Keira explained she recently replaced her composite veneers with porcelain to achieve a more 'natural-looking' smile. Check out her chompers: On Monday, Keira debuted her new set of pricey porcelain veneers, which experts predict could cost an estimated $30,000 Winning grin: 'This is something I had wanted to do for a couple of years now and I wouldn't look back,' Keira said of the procedure. Pictured: Before - top, after - below 'I actually already had composite veneers which I've replaced with porcelain. Now instead of fake and bulky looking teeth, I feel my teeth are much more natural looking and I couldn't be happier,' she said. Keira concluded: 'This is something I had wanted to do for a couple of years now and I wouldn't look back.' A dental expert told Daily Mail Australia the estimated cost of porcelain veneers for the top row is approximately $30,000. Keira previously told NW magazine she felt pressured to change her appearance after rising to fame on reality TV. 'Being in the spotlight, you focus more on those things you want to change,' she explained. 'My nose and breasts were the two other things I've wanted to have done for 10 years. 'I've always wanted to get them done, but being in this industry just forced me to get it done in a more prompt manner.' She added: 'I have the best boobs I've ever seen!' Peter Dinklage had his priorities sorted by the time he hit the stage this time around. The 49-year old actor took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO's Game of Thrones at the 70th annual Emmy's ceremony held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Monday. The hit series won three awards on the night, as the show was declared the Best Drama of 2018 and the best Special Visual Effects. Proud moment: Peter Dinklage took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO hit series Game of Thrones Among the first things Peter did was thank his wife, who was proudly sitting in the audience. 'Thank you, Erica, for putting up with me. Im very temperamental and I love you very much,' he said, after noting that he forgot to thank her when he won the Emmy for the same category in 2015. Dinklage also gave a nod to Game of Thrones co-creators Dave Benioff and Dan Weiss. 'Thank you for changing my life. I cannot walk down the street anymore,' he joked. 'You are honestly the most talent amazing people I know besides my wife Erica.' Loved up: The 49-year-old actor held hands with his wife Erica Schmidt on the red carpet Priorities, priorities: Dinklage quickly thanked his wife and noted that he forgot to thank her when he won an Emmy in 2015 Success: The group punched their trophies in the air as they rejoiced their triple Emmy win Victorious: The cast beamed after their resounding success at the award ceremony Giving thanks: Dinklage also gave a nod to Game of Thrones co-creators Dave Benioff and Dan Weiss: 'Thank you for changing my life. I cannot walk down the street anymore,' he joked Three's a charm! This is Dinklage's third Emmy win and seventh nomination for his work as Tyrion Lannister in G.O.T. The American-born star acknowledged his on-screen brother Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, whom he called a 'brother from another mother.' 'I love you and I share this with you because you're an amazing handsome brother. And George R.R. Martin for creating this whole thing.' This is Dinklage's third Emmy win and seventh nomination for his work as Tyrion Lannister. This year's nomination puts him in an elite category of being the most nominated actor of all time in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, according to Deadline. 'I couldn't go home on the weekends': After accepting the award, Peter opened up about how spending time away from his family to shoot the show affected him Over the moon: The elated actor proudly lifted his gong in the air after accepting the award Speaking after the show, Peter confessed he found it 'very sad' when he wrapped up filming the long-time series in July. He told reporters: 'I had my last day on set in July, just over two months ago now and it was very sad. This is not only a great TV show to be a part of, but it was an enormous family to be a part of. 'I'm sure you've heard that before from actors but in this case I was far from home, I live in New York and we shot the show in Europe. End of an era: Peter confessed he found it 'very sad' when he wrapped up filming the long-time series in July Poignant moment: Nikolaj Coster-Waldu and Peter looked emotional as they marked their success of the show In good company: Peter rubbed shoulders with co-stars [from left] Kit Harrington and Nikolaj Coster-Waldu inside the event 'So many times I had to stay there and couldn't go home on the weekends and I really developed deep roots in the community of Ireland and some of the other countries we shot in.' He added: 'It was definitely hard to say goodbye, because it wasn't just saying goodbye to the show, I was saying goodbye to a life over there.' And the actor admitted it will be hard to "top" both the success and the experience he had working on the fantasy saga. Shining star: Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, looked radiant on the red carpet Wow effect: Emilia stunned in a black sheer floral dress by Dior Haute The finer points: The 31-year old actress accessorized with a pair of amazing dangling earrings Game of Thrones won for Outstanding Drama series. Many of the stars of the blockbuster HBO show were on hand to relish the spotlight on the red carpet. Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, absolutely shined on the red carpet in a black sheer floral dress by Dior Haute. She added a pair of dangling earrings and had her hair pulled back in a bun. Making a statement: Gwendoline Christie shined in a bright yellow dress with a plungling neckline The red carpet lit up as 39-year old British star strutted her stuff in front of photographers Co-star Gwendoline Christie looked a far cry from her role as Brienne of Tarth in a bright yellow dress that had a Game of Thrones-style rope that acted as a belt to accentuate the waistline. She wore her platinum blonde hair in a bob cut with a part down the middle. As for the rest of the G.O.T crew: Kit Harrington looked dashing in a classic black suit and tie; the always handsome Nikolaj Coster-Waldau went with a show-stopping golden velvet jacket and black dress pants; Nathalie Emmanuel showed off her amazingly toned figure in a strapless black gown; and G.O.T author George R. R. Martin looked distinguished in a black pinstripe suit. Classy: Kit opted for a classic black suit and tie look Classic: The London-born star looked ruggedly handsome with his trademark beard Bold statement: Nikolaj sported a classic lounge vibe with a golden velvet jacket and black dress pants Memories: The 48-year old Danish star enjoyed the moment with wife Nukaaka Coster-Waldau The it factor: Nathalie Emmanuel showed off her toned figure in a strapless black gown Rising star: The British actress, 29, is also known for her role in The Fate and the Furious (2017) Classic: G.O.T. author George R. R. Martin looked distinguished in a pinstripe suit Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby became an overnight sensation back in June thanks to the success of her Netflix stand-up special Nanette. And it seems the star has been climbing the Hollywood ladder at lightning pace, having made her debut appearance at the 2018 Emmy Awards on Monday. Before presenting the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Hannah left the crowd in stitches with a self-deprecating monologue. 'She's been the funniest person all night!' Fans are calling for Netflix sensation Hannah Gadsby to host the Emmys after she left the crowd in stitches with her self-deprecating monologue Fans flocked to Twitter with messages of support following the hilarious speech, with many calling for her to host next year's Emmy Awards. 'OK so who is Hannah Gadsby and why don't I know who she is? She's been the funniest person all night,' one viewer wrote, while another added: 'Hannah Gadsby just made my night.' Some fans even suggested that Hannah's routine was funnier than the jokes delivered by this year's hosts, Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che. 'Just made my night': Fans flocked to Twitter with messages of support following the hilarious speech on Monday night, with many calling for her to host next year's Emmy Awards 'Those two mins were the funniest [and] timeliest of the entire show': The comedian, 40, became an overnight sensation in June thanks to the success of her Netflix special Nanette 'Emmys, y'all should have had Hannah Gadsby host. Those two mins were the funniest [and] timeliest of the entire show,' read one enthusiastic tweet. Another suggested that the funnywoman should win an Emmy herself, tweeting: 'No one else should win an Emmy until Hannah Gadsby does. If that means we wait a year, then we wait a year.' During her routine, Hannah joked that she wasn't famous enough to be presenting the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. 'Here's a surprise, a nobody from nowhere getting this sweet gig': During her routine, Hannah joked that she wasn't famous enough to be presenting an award at the ceremony Overshadowing the stars: Some fans even suggested that Hannah's routine was funnier than the jokes delivered by this year's hosts, Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che 'Here's a surprise, a nobody from nowhere getting this sweet gig. This is not normal. The world's gone a bit crazy,' Hannah joked. 'I got a new suit, new boots, just because I don't like men. Not all men. Just a lot of them,' Hannah continued, before announcing the award went to Stephen Daldry. Stephen was unable to accept the award, however, prompting Hannah to say, 'Probably because of me. So I'll just leave now', before seeing herself off stage. Snezana Markoski recently revealed that she has increased her cardio exercise in the lead up to her wedding with fiance Sam Wood. And the 38-year-old showed off the results of her hard work on Thursday when she posed for a series of leggy Instagram snaps. Posing outdoors, the mother-of-two proudly showcased her slimmed-down frame in a celestial wrap dress with a flirty hemline. Shedding for the wedding? The Bachelor's Snezana Markoski, 38, flaunted her slimmed-down frame and lean legs in a mini dress on Thursday, ahead of her wedding to Sam Wood She completed her look with a high ponytail and a pair of strappy gold stilettos. While Snezana used the photo caption to promote a shoe brand, many fans were more interested in her envy-inducing figure. 'OMG! Those legs! Haha far out! She's beautiful!' one follower commented. Legging it: Posing outdoors, the mother-of-two proudly showcased her slimmed-down frame in a celestial wrap dress with a flirty hemline Bronzed beauty: She completed her look with a high ponytail and a pair of strappy gold heels 'Check out those pins! Such a babe,' another wrote. Snezana welcomed her second child, daughter Willow, in October last year and has since spoken about her struggles to get back into shape. Speaking to Yahoo Be last month, Snezana revealed that she incorporates Willow into her workouts, sometimes using her as a resistance weight. 'It's great to exercise and be a mum at the same time,' she said. 'Those legs!' While Snezana used the photo caption to promote a shoe brand, many fans were more interested in her envy-inducing figure Snezana also recently told Woman's Day that she has increased her cardio exercise in the lead up to her wedding day. The 2015 Bachelor couple have not announced a date for their nuptials, but fans have been speculating that it could be sooner rather than later. The lovebirds are set to jet off to Snezana's home country of Macedonia in the coming days, sparking speculation of an overseas wedding. Baby knows best! Speaking to Yahoo Be last month, Snezana revealed that she incorporates baby Willow into her workouts, sometimes using her as a resistance weight She's one of Australia's biggest Hollywood exports, having appearing in films including The Others and Eyes Wide Shut. And on 60 Minutes this week, Nicole Kidman reflected on her first interview with the show back in 1989, at the very start of her career. The 51-year-old hasn't changed a bit since her first appearance, where the fresh-faced beauty talking at the time about how she would handle fame if she becomes a 'big name.' Scroll down for video She hasn't changed a bit! Nicole Kidman, 51, appeared on 60 Minutes this week (L) and reflected on her first appearance on the show back in 1989 (R) at the start of her Hollywood career 'I just have to say this,' Nicole began on the show on Sunday. 'I watched a clip of me with Mike Munro when I was young... and you had my dad, my grandmother and my mum around a pianola playing,' she said, as the footage aired. Nicole could be seen answering Mike's question about handling fame, with him asking her: 'How are you going to handle it years down the road and you are a big name and you are on a pedestal?' Good memories: 'I watched a clip of me with Mike Munro when I was young... and you had my dad, my grandmother and my mum around a pianola playing,' she said, as the footage aired Looking back: In the older footage, Nicole could be seen answering Mike's question about handling fame, with him asking her: 'How are you going to handle it years down the road and you are a big name and you are on a pedestal?' 'Really badly,' Nicole replies. After looking back, Nicole said she was grateful to have that old footage of her family and of her late father. 'So that's another reason why I'm here, saying thank you,' she said. In the old footage, Nicole has red curly locks which compliment her flawless porcelain complexion. Hollywood star: Meanwhile this month, she opened up to Marie Claire US and completed a racy shoot for the publication Meanwhile this month, she opened up to Marie Claire US and completed a racy shoot for the publication. In the accompanying interview, Nicole muses on whether she's ruled by her head or her heart when it comes to work, explaining: 'I always say I'm a pretty even mix, but I'm probably dominated by [my heart]. If you don't come from a feeling place, you just end up with an enormous amount of technique.' 'I have this [brains], but that can be overruled. It fluctuates too. I have a strong sexuality. It's a huge part of who I am and my existence.' Fashion 'bad boy' Jordan Barrett is at risk of being banned by Instagram again after he posted two X-rated images of naked women to his account this week. On Tuesday, the male model, 22, took to his popular page with a photograph of nineties fashion model Shalom Harlow posing topless with a strategically placed towel over her nether-regions. The Canadian model and actress was pictured exposing her left breast as she covered the other side of her chest with her arm. Fashion 'bad boy' Jordan Barrett risks (right) Instagram ban AGAIN after posting a topless photograph of model Shalom Harlow and an X-rated image of two naked women diving into the ocean She also pulled a seductive look while suggestively resting her index finger on her plump bottom lip. 'Shalom went M.I.A,' Jordan captioned the racy photograph. Meanwhile a second image depicted two stark-naked women diving into the ocean from a boat. Risky: On Tuesday his popular page with a photograph of nineties fashion model Shalom Harlow posing topless with a strategically placed towel over her nether-regions Taking a dip: Meanwhile the second image showed two naked women diving into the ocean from a boat The extremely bronzed nude pair were seen diving in tandem with their arms outstretched. Jordan risked a ban from Instagram again in December last year after he re-uploaded a pornographic image to the platform. Jordan erred on the side of caution, however, sharing a pixellated version of a photo showing a couple having sex. Sound familiar? Jordan risked a ban from Instagram again in December last year after he re-uploaded a pornographic image to the platform Taking to his Instagram story, Jordan shared an X-rated shot of a couple getting intimate. However the male supermodel protected the modesty of those in the photo by blurring out their private parts. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in August last year, Jordan defended the racy pictures, arguing they were artistic. Censored: Jordan erred on the side of caution, however, sharing a pixellated version of a photo showing a couple having sex 'Those photos are all art': Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last year, Jordan defended the racy pictures, arguing they were artistic 'Those photos are all art. It's an art account. It's all art, every image on there,' he said. Jordan maintains the 'art' account separately to his main, personal Instagram account, which also features racy imagery. He said: 'What everyone else thinks is raunchy... Some people don't, it's everyone's opinion.' Love Island's Erin Barnett 'finally met the hotter version' of herself after bumping into Imogen Anthony at a fashion launch in Sydney on Tuesday. Weeks after splitting from Eden Dally, the 23 year-old smouldered for the lens alongside Kyle Sandilands' girlfriend at an event for bikini brand, TJ Swim. Taking to Instagram, Erin offered a sultry gaze away from the camera while flaunting a generous display of tanned, toned back in a strapless summer dress. 'I've finally met the hotter version of me!' Love Island's Erin Barnett heaps gushing praise while fangirling over Kyle Sandiland's girlfriend Imogen Anthony...weeks after break-up with Eden Dally Captioning the image, she wrote: 'I've finally met the hotter version of me!' F**k I love you!' Social media sensation Imogen meanwhile, donned a eye-catching black and white pinstripe trousers and matching bustier baring her toned midriff. Capping off the look with a wide-brimmed black hat, the blonde courted attention with an eye-catching gold choker and attached pendant. Short-lived: Erin called it quits with Eden Dally in early September when they announced their break-up after just three months together While sporting contrasting outfits, both Instagram models bore strikingly similar make-up palettes of dewy foundation, pink lips and wing-tipped mascara. The photogenic display comes after Erin called it quits with Eden Dally in early September when they announced their break-up after just three months together. Since then, cheating allegations have been levelled against the prison officer - most notably after he was photographed getting close to co-star Natasha Webster on his 26th birthday in Sydney, the night before confirming his split with Erin. Infidelity claims: Cheating allegations were levelled against the prison officer - most notably after he was photographed getting close to co-star Natasha Webster (pictured) the night before confirming his split with Erin but he has since denied these rumours Shortly after their split, Erin revealed on Instagram that she's 'heartbroken and angry' in a cryptic post. When a fan asked what happened with Eden, she replied: 'A leopard never changes its spots' and added 'just wasn't meant to be,' along with a heartbreak emoji. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last week, Eden denied cheating with Natasha and took a swipe at fans who had sent her death threats after the two spent time together. 'Boys and girls can hang out and I just found it disgraceful that people would actually threaten her life, saying that she had something to do with our break up,' he said. They are best known for helping people better their lives. So it comes as no surprise that Queer Eye's the Fab Five brought their fashion A-games to their latest red carpet. The reality stars - Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Karamo Brown - looked stylish in their own ways as they arrived on the red carpet for the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday. Looking fab! Queer Eye's The Fab Five - pictured from left to right: Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Karamo Brown - looked stylish in their own ways as they arrived on the red carpet for the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday No doubt it was a time to celebrate as they earned the Emmy for Structured Reality Program for their Netflix series. They definitely turned heads as they upped their fashion event at the star-studded event held at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. Jonathan, 31, donned a white suit with flared trousers with black leather shoes. Rocking it! No doubt it was a time to celebrate as they earned the Emmy for Structured Reality Program for their Netflix series Vibes: Karamo, 37, looked dignified in a black cloak over a burgundy vest with matching trousers tucked into black leather riding boots Thrill of a lifetime: They happily posed for a selfie with actress Megan Mullally He accessorized with a transparent scarf and a purple bag which looked like a sack. Karamo and Antoni seemed to draw inspiration from fashion of decades maybe even centuries back. Karamo, 37, looked dignified in a black cloak over a burgundy vest with matching trousers tucked into black leather riding boots. Can you believe? The Fab Five even got to hit the stage together as they presented one of the biggest awards of the night: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series which ultimately went to Matthew Rhys for The Americans He also sported a crisp white dress shirt with a red tie as his accessories were gold including tie clip and small chain on his vest. Antoni, 34, looked like a virtuoso in a short black double breasted coat with silver buttons over a white dress shirt with the same buttons. He complete the look with cummerbund and shiny metallic silver sneakers. Dapper: Four of the Fab Five were pictured at the backstage creations giving Tan, 35, sported a white and red checked suit along with a crisp white dress shirt, black bowtie, and black leather heeled shoes. Bobby, 37, kept it simple in a blue suit with a black lapel with a white dress shirt, black leather dress shoes, and a bowtie. The Fab Five even got to hit the stage together as they presented one of the biggest awards of the night: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series which ultimately went to Matthew Rhys for The Americans. Full Frontal: They joined host Samantha Bee for a cute snap She known for playing warrior Brienne of Tarth in beloved HBO series Game of Thrones. And Gwendoline Christie, 39, showcased her statuesque frame in a striking yellow silk gown for the 70th Annual Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre on Monday night in Los Angeles. The acclaimed TV and film star's red carpet look featured a plunging neckline which highlighted her decolletage and teased at her cleavage while she posed for photos. Yellow there! Gwendoline Christie, 39, showcased her statuesque frame in a striking yellow silk gown for the 70th Annual Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre posing with the all-new all-electric Audi e-tron on Monday night in Los Angeles The Star Wars actress' slinky floor-length ensemble accentuated her midriff with a tassel-detailed gold waist belt for the star-studded occasion. Gwendoline's glamorous look also featured waterfall sleeves while a slight train followed behind her. Letting her dress do the talking, she kept her accessories to a minimum, sporting a bronzed silk clutch, white pumps and Ara Vartanian jewellery. Complementing her designer gown, she worked her chin-length platinum blonde locks into a soft curl and sported a bold red lip. Slinky: The acclaimed TV and film star's red carpet look featured a plunging neckline which highlighted her decolletage and teased at her cleavage while she posed for photos All in the details: The Star Wars actress' slinky floor-length ensemble accentuated her midriff with a tassel-detailed gold waist belt for the star-studded occasion Gwendoline attended the star-studded ceremony alongside her Game of Thrones cast mates, inducing Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage. Game of Thrones roared back onto the Emmys battlefield with 22 bids but faced a formidable opponent in The Handmaid's Tale - last year's top drama series. Peter Dinklage accepted the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award for Game of Thrones while the long-running fantasy drama picked up the Best Drama honour. Mane attraction: Complementing her designer gown, she worked her chin-length platinum blonde locks into a soft curl Dressed to impress: Letting her dress do the talking, she kept her accessories to a minimum, sporting a bronzed silk clutch, white pumps and Ara Vartanian jewellery Red alert! The British actress sported a bold red lip for the star-studded occasion Her towering height has seen her take on more brazen roles, having played a warrior in Game of Thrones and a First Order stormtrooper in the Star Wars franchise. And it isn't just in the movies that Gwendoline has embraced being different, as the British actress said she's 'happy to be on the outside' in a refreshing interview with ES Magazine. The Top of the Lake star, who stands at 6ft 3in, revealed she was bullied 'terribly' at school but has learned to find her 'inconsistencies and ugly parts' beautiful in later life. Beauty: She accentuated her alabaster skin with a soft bronzed eye Picture perfect: The actress posed for photos with GoT producer Bernadette Caulfield Delight: The pair beamed as they celebrated the show's win for Best Drama series She confessed: You either think Im unconventional and theres no place for me and therefore I should disappear, or you think good, Im happy to be on the outside. 'Because if this is the small-minded, mean, uncompassionate viewpoint of the inside, then I dont want to be there. Im happy out here with all the other leftovers, who show love and support for each other. 'All of the inconsistencies, complexities and ugly parts whatever that might mean can exist and beauty can be made out of it. Thats what I want beauty to be. Her co-star Claire Foy took home the title of Best Actress in a Drama at the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night. But The Crown's Vanessa Kirby stole the show on the red carpet, as she sauntered into the event in a stunning blush gown, showcasing her lithe physique. Sure to give the cameras a steely stare, the actress, 30, posed in the figure-hugging floor-length Tom Ford dress, which featured a halterneck design. Steel-ing the show: The Crown's Vanessa Kirby stole the show on the red carpet, as she sauntered into the Emmys in a stunning blush gown, showcasing her lithe physique on Monday night Showcasing her lean arms, the former Princess Margaret actor teamed the look with a coral clutch and silver Jimmy Choo heels, adorning her wrists with bangles. She wore shimmering earrings, which were showcased perfect by her hairstyle. Moroccanoil celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett explained that the look was 'inspired by Vanessa's Tom Ford gown', adding that he wasted to create a 'do that would mirror the 'elegant and sleek' style of the dress. To create that sleek look, Bryce used the Moroccanoil Treatment Light on damp hair, before adding texture to Vanessa's blonde tresses with the brand's Dry Texture Spray. After sweeping the starlet's hair to one side, he locked the style in place with the Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium to ensure the 'do did not falter throughout the night. For makeup, the Netflix star wore a light dusting of bronzer, smokey eye make-up and a clay pink lip which she matched to her freshly manicured nails. Co-star Claire won her gong for her role as Elizabeth II in The Crown - opposite whom Vanessa portrayed the Queen's sister Princess Margaret. Vanessa was up for Best Supporting Actress, but lost out to Thandie Newton who won for her role in Westworld. Thandie also beat Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), and Ann Dowd, Yvonne Strahovski and Alexis Bledel (all for The Handmaids Tale). Working it: Sure to give the cameras a steely stare, the actress, 30, posed in the figure-hugging floor-length dress, which featured a halterneck design Stunning: Showcasing her lean arms, the former Princess Margaret actor teamed the look with a coral clutch and silver heels, adorning her wrists with bangles Pretty in pink: She wore shimmering earrings and swept her blonde mane into a light wave to one side, letting it cascade around her shoulders Co-star: Claire Foy took home the title of Best Actress in a Drama at the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards for her role as Elizabeth II in The Crown - opposite whom Vanessa portrayed the Queen's sister Princess Margaret Pipped to the post: Vanessa was up for Best Supporting Actress, but lost out to Thandie Newton who won for her role in Westworld Vanessa and Claire will no longer portray the iconic real-life figures as the series goes into its new third season. They are being replaced by actresses Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter, who will play Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret respectively. Filming is already underway for the third season, which will follow the lives of the royals from 1964. Season four will portray what happened to them up until 1976. On Monday, the new stars of the series were spotted at Winchester Cathedral, clad in all-black, thought to be shooting a scene portraying the funeral of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Chic: The Netflix star wore a light dusting of bronzer, smokey eye make-up and a clay pink lip which she matched to her freshly manicured nails Glam: Vanessa and Claire will no longer portray the iconic real-life figures as the series goes into its new third season Sleek: They are being replaced by actresses Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter, who will play Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret respectively Replaced: Filming is already underway for the third season, which will follow the lives of the royals from 1964 While his funeral took place in London, it's thought the scenes are being shot elsewhere. As The Crown follows the royals as they get older, it was always the plan that Claire and Vanessa - as well as the other members of the cast - be replaced. Seasons five and six will also see a reshuffle take place, with new actors taking on the roles of the royals. Claire fought back tears as she won what was her first ever Emmy Award on Monday - just months after a gender pay scandal centered around her role on the Netflix series. The 34-year-old Stockport-native got emotional as she accepted the Lead Actress in a Drama Series trophy at the 70th Annual Primetime Emmys at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night. Out with the young...: As The Crown follows the royals as they get older, it was always the plan that Claire and Vanessa - as well as the other members of the cast - be replaced Re-generation: Seasons five and six will also see a reshuffle take place, with new actors taking on the roles of the royals Missing out: On Monday, the new stars of the series were spotted at Winchester Cathedral, clad in all-black, thought to be shooting a scene portraying the funeral of Prime Minister Winston Churchill Claire was involved in a gender pay controversy earlier this year when it was revealed that her co-star Matt Smith had been paid more for the show over the first two seasons. She ended her speech by addressing how the show is moving on without her and Matt while also giving him a special dedication. She said: 'So I dedicate this to the next cast, the next generation. And I also dedicate this to Matt Smith.' Support: The actress was supporting her co-star Claire as she took home the win Got the look: Vanessa's gown for the evening was designed by Tom Ford She beat out stiff competition on Monday night, including Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Keri Russell (The Americans), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld), and Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) who was the first ever Asian actress nominated in the category. Choking back tears throughout her speech, the English beauty began by saying: 'I was given a role that I never thought I'd get a chance to play.' It was her first nomination and first Emmy win. Claire's surprise was clear as she started her speech saying: 'This wasn't supposed to happen. I just felt so proud then of being in the company of such extraordinary performers. Touched: Choking back tears throughout her speech, the Claire began by saying: 'I was given a role that I never thought I'd get a chance to play' Sisterhood: She was presented the award by Emmy winner Sarah Paulson, with the sharing a warm hug Friction: There were reports that Foy was set to receive a whopping 100,000 in back pay after the shocking pay gap was revealed but she has since dismissed those reports 'And I know everyone is talking at the moment about women in the industry but if that's anything to go by - bloody hell. That's technically not swearing!' She went on: 'Listen, thank you Emmys,' she continued. 'I had the most extraordinary two and a half years on this programme. 'I was given a role that I never thought I'd get a chance to play and I met people who I will love forever, and ever and ever. And the show goes on, which makes me so so proud.' Alyssa Milano used her time at the Netflix Emmy after party on Monday to make a political statement. The 45-year-old actress and activist showed her support for women who have accused Supreme Court nominees of sexual assault, wearing badges with their names on. Attached to the star's clutch were small pink badges that read 'I still believe Anita Hill', and 'I believe Christine Blasey Ford'. Making a statement: Alyssa Milano used her time at the Netflix Emmy after party on Monday to make a political statement Christine Blasey Ford has been at the centre of a political storm this month as she prepares to testify in public before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Palo Alto University professor accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of trying to rape her while in high school. Kavanaugh 'categorically and unequivocally' denied this allegation. Sending a message: The 45-year-old actress and activist showed her support for women who have accused Supreme Court nominees of sexual assault, wearing badges with their names The story echoes that of Anita Hill, who accused high court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in in 1991. She pushed sexual misconduct into the public realm when she testified during confirmation hearings for Thomas, now a justice on the court. Thomas denied the claims. The badges were given out to attendees of several of the guests at the Emmys afterparties. Believes them: Attached to the star's clutch were small pink badges that read 'I still believe Anita Hill', and 'I believe Christine Blasey Ford Accusers: Christine Blasey Ford (L) has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of trying to rape her while in high school. Anita Hill (R) accused high court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in in 1991 Joining Milano inside the bash was Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards. The reality star, 49, was dressed in a green dress reminiscent of the Eighties show Dynasty complete with large shoulder pads. Taking to Instagram, she wrote: 'Looking forward to spending the evening with @teddimellencamp & my shoulder pads #the80sareback #Dynastythrowback' She was later spotted with her cast mate Teddi Mellencamp as they popped up at the Netflix Emmy After-Party in Los Angeles on Monday after a dinner at Craig's. Kyle was a green goddess in a plunging green gown that featured shimmering fabric and a hem that cut just above the knee. Her trademark raven tresses were swept up in a high ponytail as loose tendrils framed her youthful face. Self-deprecating: Kyle Richard, 49, proved on trend as she poked fun at her throwback style with an Instagram post on Monday Throwback: The RHOBH's star dressed in a shimmering green dress reminiscent of the Eighties show Dynasty complete with large shoulder pads posing with co-star Teddi Mellencamp Funny girl: She captioned the shot: 'Looking forward to spending the evening with @teddimellencamp & my shoulder pads #the80sareback #Dynastythrowback'; posing with co-star Teddi Mellencamp Impressive: Daring to impress, the daughter of legendary rocker John Cougar Mellencamp flaunted her ample cleavage as her dress boasted a plunging neckline leaving Craig's Two's company: The gal pals seemed in good spirits as they chatted away on the night Allowing her natural good looks to shine, the mother of four went with a subtle makeup palette. Meanwhile, Teddi spoke of how reality television affected her family of five. 'I mean, it's really made us even more of a team, because you really support one another and you want to be there for somebody,' she began, to Us Weekly. Green goddess: Kyle was a green goddess in a plunging green gown that featured shimmering fabric and a hem that cut just above the knee Taking the plunge: The low-cut neckline offered a look at Kyle's ample assets on the outing Stunning: The tanned and toned brunette bombshell was a vision of beauty on the outing On the move: Kyle's long legs ensured all eyes would be on her as she sauntered into her car 'You want, you know, you want to take care of each other. We're going through a lot and our family is the most important thing and, you know, we came out stronger for it.' Teddi also reflected on her season eight appearance. 'You know, I trusted my gut always,' she began. 'And maybe this past season there were moments like, 'Maybe I shouldn't have!' But then watching it back I'm like, 'No, you know what? Your gut was right.' Just follow it.' This comes after tension brewed between Teddi and castmates Dorit Kemsley and Erika Girardi. She's never been one to blend into the background. And Lara Stone ensured all eyes would be on her as she put on a sizzling display in a flesh-flashing scarlet mini dress at the Hublot London Flagship opening dinner at Beck's London on Monday. The 34-year-old model looked sensational as she cuddled up to her property developer boyfriend David Grievson at the bash. Glamorous: Lara Stone ensured all eyes would be on her in a flesh-flashing scarlet mini dress at the Hublot London Flagship opening dinner at Beck's London on Monday Showing off her incredible figure, the mother-of-one dazzled in a tiny mini dress that clung to her hourglass curves. Showcasing her ample cleavage, the blonde bombshell sizzled in the gown, that boasted a large keyhole cut out across the bodice, whilst her tanned and toned pins were boosted with a pair of black strappy heels. Lara finished off the look by styling her glossy golden locks in a ponytail, with loose tendrils framing her pretty features. Two's company: The 34-year-old model looked sensational as she cuddled up to her property developer boyfriend David Grievson at the bash Flaunting her curves: Showing off her incredible figure, the mother-of-one dazzled in a tiny mini dress that clung to her hourglass curves Lara met London based David through friends in January and was then seen with the London-based businessman at Chanels Paris Fashion Week presentation in March. A source told The Sun in April: Lara and David are really in love, their relationship has moved faster than expected but they seem completely besotted.' The couple have since enjoyed a romantic holiday in Sri Lanka, from where Lara has kept Instagram followers updated on her movements with a string of social media snaps. Leggy lady: Showcasing her ample cleavage, the blonde bombshell sizzled in the gown, that boasted a large keyhole cut out whilst her tanned and toned pins were boosted with heels Blonde bombshell: Lara finished off the look by styling her glossy golden locks in a ponytail, with loose tendrils framing her pretty features Lara had previously been linked with Australian model Jordan Barrett and actor Andrew Gray, but her new romance with Grievson is thought to be her first serious relationship since splitting with Walliams. The former couple, who married in 2010 and are parents to four-year old son Alfred, were granted a decree nisi by Judge Heather MacGregor at London's Central Family Court in a hearing lasting less than 60 seconds in September 2015. Comic Walliams had cited Lara's 'unreasonable behaviour' for the 'quickie divorce', with their case being put through alongside 20 other couples. Their relationship began after Lara's now-beaten battle with alcoholism following a stint in rehab in 2009. She isn't afraid to take risks when it comes to her style. And Suki Waterhouse reiterated her love of edgy fashions as she attended the premiere of her latest flick, Assassination Nation, at the Metrograph Theater in New York City on Monday night. The 26-year-old actress rocked an outlandish trouser suit as she joined her co-stars, including Odessa Young and Abra, at the flick's star-studded debut. Fashionista: Suki Waterhouse reiterated her love of edgy fashions as she attended the premiere of her latest flick, Assassination Nation, at the Metrograph Theater in New York City on Monday night. Showing off her flair for fashion, Suki rocked a cobalt blue, velvet suit that boasted an array of sparkling gold embellishments. The British actress, who stands at 5ft 8in, was set to tower over her peers as she paired her statement suit with metallic platform heels. Continuing to evoke the sixties with her look, Suki styled her trademark blonde tresses into loose curls, though she left her full, choppy fringe straight. Jazzy: The 26-year-old actress rocked an outlandish trouser suit as she joined her co-stars, including Odessa Young and Abra, at the flick's star-studded debut Making a statement: Showing off her flair for fashion, Suki rocked a cobalt blue, velvet suit that boasted an array of sparkling gold embellishments Statuesque: The British actress, who stands at 5ft 8in, was set to tower over her peers as she paired her statement suit with metallic platform heels Amplifying the glamour, the Love, Rosie star opted for a dramatic make-up look, sporting a shimmering pastel blue eyeshadow and a thick winged eyeliner, while her cheeks were emphasised with a soft sweeping of blusher. Suki was joined on the night by co-stars Hari Nef, Abra, Anika Noni Rose and Odessa Young, all of whom pulled out the stops in chic trouser suits or flirty frocks, before heading to the afterparty at Metrograph where SVEDKA cocktails were served. The R-rated movie revolves around four high school girls in modern-day Salem who start packing heat after a hacker exposes the town's dirty secrets. Gorgeous: Continuing to evoke the sixties with her look, Suki styled her trademark blonde tresses into loose curls, though she left her full, choppy fringe straight In good company: Suki was joined on the night by co-stars [from left] Hari Nef, Abra, Anika Noni Rose and Odessa Young, all of whom pulled out the stops in chic trouser suits or flirty frocks It soon escalates into a full-on gender war and obtained its rating for 'disturbing bloody violence, strong sexual material including menace, pervasive language, and for drug and alcohol use - all involving teens,' according to IMDb. Waterhouse plays one of the four main characters - the other girls are played by Odessa Young, Hari Nef and Abra - and it also stars Bill Skarsgard, Joel McHale and Bella Thorne. Assassination Nation, directed by Sam Levinson, is set to open in theatres on September 21. She recently gave fans an insight into her battle with endometriosis and chronic pain management. Yet Lena Dunham looked in better health as she stepped out for a stroll around Los Angeles on Monday. Looking effortlessly chic as she paid a visit to a friend, the 32-year-old Girls actress turned heads in a summery floral midi dress. Chirpy: She recently gave fans an insight into her battle with chronic pain. Yet Lena Dunham looked in better health as she stepped out for a stroll around Los Angeles on Monday Lena looked stylish on the outing in a navy tea dress with short sleeves and a floaty hem with a split along the front to show off her long legs. The pretty brunette accessorised with a small black handbag, whilst heeled mules gave her petite frame a boost. Lena finished off the look by sweeping her glossy locks away from her face with a pair of sunglasses and donning a pair of hooped gold earrings. Blooming lovely! Looking effortlessly chic as she paid a visit to a friend, the 32-year-old Girls actress turned heads in a summery floral midi dress Lena looked in good spirits on the outing, despite recently being admitted to hospital. On Thursday the actress shared a Polaroid taken from her stay at the hospital, where she sat on the edge of her bed while waiting to be discharged. 'Thank you Georgie for capturing that chronic illness isn't pretty,' Lena, 32, wrote in the photo, thanking her photographer, Georgie Wileman. The photo was taken as part of the hashtag, This Is Endometriosis, which sees women chronicle their daily battle with the disorder on social media. Blue-tiful: Lena looked stylish on the outing in a navy tea dress with short sleeves and a floaty hem with a split along the front to show off her long legs All about the accessories: The pretty brunette accessorised with a small black handbag, whilst heeled mules gave her petite frame a boost No shade: Lena, who donned a pair of Sense Of Sonder by MOY Atelier shades, took to her social media platform to document her journey It has been nearly a year since the Emmy nominee underwent a radical hysterectomy after suffering severely from endometriosis, and the star has been an open book about her experience with the condition on social media. Georgie provided more details about the shoot on her Instagram, complimenting the actress on her 'strength and bravery.' 'I worked with the wonderful Lena for THIS IS ENDOMETRIOSIS yesterday. We took this polaroid before we started shooting. Visiting the hospital I've lain in countless times was challenging, but when I saw this girls face, my hands stopped shaking. The love and connection between two people that are living the same fight is hard to put into words. 'Chronic illness isn't pretty': Lena looked in good spirits on the outing, despite recently being admitted to hospital as she continued her battle with endometriosis Tucking in: Fortunately for Dunham, the actress was greeted by the love and support of her friends and family when she returned home from the hospital '@lenadunham was waiting to be discharged after yet another hospital stay, a painful regularity for those with endometriosis. Like all those I meet with this disease, Lena's strength and bravery ached my heart.' Fortunately for Lena, the actress was greeted by the love and support of her friends and family when she returned home from the hospital. The actress nourished herself with a plate full of potatoes, and even managed to enjoy fashion week from the comfort of her bedroom. 'I'll be wearing this in my room with the heating pad on': Lena thanked several designers for sending them their clothing, even though she wasn't feeling well enough to attend their shows Lena thanked several designers for sending them their clothing, even though she wasn't feeling well enough to attend their shows. 'Continuing #NYFW from my room!' Lena declared in one snap. 'I wasn't well enough to get out to shows but I'm blessed to know wise, body positive designers who gift me stunning pieces. My true fave is @batshevadress! What a (crown emoji) Esther she is. Good luck today, Bat! I'll be wearing this in my room with the heating pad on.' Lena also revealed she had relied on the help of healers to help her in her pain management. 'And I have my pain managed by these queens,' she wrote in a snap of herself laying on a bed. 'Woman healers change lives and open new possibilities and keep me out of the f**king hospital - I am blessed in every way.' The six-year-old son of Real Housewives Of Sydney star Lisa Oldfield was rushed to hospital on Monday. Lisa's son Bert had been injured in a brawl with his older brother Harry, eight. And on Tuesday, Lisa, 43, appeared on Celeb HQ with Zoe Marshall and John 'JC' Caldwell to reveal that Bert was 'sucker punched' by Harry after being beaten at game Multiplication Snap. Foul-mouthed: Lisa Oldfield revealed more about why her son Bert was punched by his older brother Harry. Pictured: Lisa Oldfield with sons Bert and Harry 'Harry got up from the table to walk away and as he did he sucker punched his little brother right in the shoulder - the same shoulder he's broken twice before,' said Lisa. She continued: 'Harry got sent to the naughty corner where I forgot him for two hours, and Bert went off to hospital. 'But the good news is that it is actually not broken but he has done a lot of major tissue damage.' Family feud: On Tuesday, Lisa, 43, appeared on Celeb HQ with Zoe Marshall and John 'JC' Caldwell to reveal that Bert was 'sucker punched' by Harry after being beaten at game Multiplication Snap Foul-mouthed Lisa said Harry's 'mobile device' had been taken off him for four months as punishment for his behaviour and he 'actually begged for a smack' instead. On Monday night, Oldfield took to Instagram to share a snap of Bert lying on a stretcher before he was driven to hospital. He appeared to be in high spirits, wrapped up in blankets and in the back of an ambulance. Sibling rivalry: 'Harry got up from the table to walk away and as he did he sucker punched his little brother right in the shoulder - the same shoulder he's broken twice before,' said Lisa She continued: 'Harry got sent to the naughty corner where I forgot him for two hours, and Bert went off to hospital. But the good news is that it is actually not broken but he has done a lot of major tissue damage' The concerned mother wrote in the caption: 'Not again! Harry has broken #badbert's collarbone for a third time! Same bloody one!!! My poor little guy!' However, Lisa admitted Bert appeared to find humour in the situation. Recalling her son's conversation with a doctor, Lisa wrote: 'Bert to the Doctor "I suppose my rugby career is f****d?"' She's known for her flaunting her sensational figure in an array of racy ensembles on the red carpet and at glitzy soirees. And Emily Ratajkowski, 27, was back to her skin-flashing ways as she highlighted her pert posterior and a hint of underboob in another raunchy Instagram selfie on Monday. The model-turned-actress left little to imagination in her bathroom shot as she went braless under her sleeveless crop top. Figure-flaunting: Emily Ratajkowski, 27, was back to her skin-flashing ways as she highlighted her pert posterior and a hint of underboob in another raunchy Instagram selfie on Monday Showcasing her enviable figure, the Gone Girl drew attention to her taunt stomach and narrow midriff in the barely-there ensemble as she posed in the mirrored restroom. Emily upped the ante in a pair of skimpy black Brazilian-style underwear which drew attention to her incredible peachy derriere. Complementing her daring display, she worked her brunette tresses into a loose style and sported a pair of silver oversized hoops. She captioned the shot with two ping pong paddles emojis. The American bombshell continued to set pulses racing on the photo-sharing platform as she posed completely topless for another snap. Pulse-racing: The American bombshell continued to set pulses racing on the photo-sharing platform as she posed completely topless for another snap Despite seductively looking down the camera, it was difficult to draw fans' attention away from her muzzed nipple in the shot. The Blurred Lines breakout star's latest scantily-clad display comes days after she attended the grand opening of Found Hotel in Chicago on Saturday night and shared a number of selfies inside the venue. Emily recently told Paper Magazine that she treats her Instagram page as a 'sexy feminist magazine,' complete with seductive selfies. 'I think that the whole idea that because the body I was given might play into some patriarchal idea, I should be ashamed of it or be covering it up is ridiculous,' she said. Grand: The Blurred Lines breakout star's latest scantily-clad display comes days after she attended the grand opening of Found Hotel in Chicago on Saturday night 'I find empowerment in celebrating and sharing my sexuality. I think my body is beautiful and a lot of different bodies are beautiful.' Emily was propelled her into stardom after she appeared in Robin Thicke's controversial video for his song Blurred Lines, back in 2013. But modelling was supposed to be just a day job for the star, a temporary gig that would enable her to make some money before possibly going back to school. 'To have something that I was just viewing so much as a 9-5 job turn into something I really was not expecting was super surprising,' she added. Emily has stuck with modeling, appearing on the cover of Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and CR Fashion Book, among other publications. She has walked the runways of some of the highest-profile designers, including Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu. She is set to make her long-awaited debut as the first female Doctor next month. And Jodie Whittaker inevitably takes centre stage in new images from the long-awaited eleventh series of Doctor Who, which is finally set to kick off next month. The BBC sci-fi's much-anticipated return comes as Jodie also revealed she is set to earn 'no less' than the amounts paid to her male predecessors on the show. Exciting: Jodie Whittaker inevitably takes centre stage in first-look images from the long-awaited new series of Doctor Who, which is finally set to kick off next month In the images, Jodie can be seen in character as the Thirteenth Doctor, sporting her brand new character attire with sonic screwdriver in hand, as she joins her companions in a mysterious alien world. The Doctor will be joined in the TARDIS by three new companions this series, Graham (The Chase's Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yasmin (Mandip Gill), as they travel through space and time on an array of new adventures. So far little has been revealed about the 10-episode series, though a synopsis for the first episode - to air on Sunday 7th October - has been revealed which shows the Doctor will meet her new best friends in Sheffield. Anticipated: The teaser images show Jodie's incarnation of the Thirteenth Doctor with her sonic screwdriver in hand as she travels to an alien world with her companions The location change is a surprise for some fans, as since the show's 2005 reboot a majority of the action has taken place in the heart of London. It reads: 'We don't get aliens in Sheffield.' In a South Yorkshire city, Ryan Sinclair, Yasmin Khan and Graham O'Brien are about to have their lives changed forever, as a mysterious woman, unable to remember her own name, falls from the night sky. Can they believe a word she says? And can she help solve the strange events taking place across the city?' The teases come as Jodie revealed she is set to be paid the same as her male predecessors for taking on the role, after the scandalous news that nine of the BBC's highest earners were men. New face: Jodie also recently revealed she is being paid 'no less' than her male counterparts for taking on the role, the first female Doctor in the show's 55 year history Speaking at a press event in Cardiff, she told The Sun: 'I absolutely know that I am not being paid less than any other Doctor. 'It is not the show to set that standard and then have that revelation be the sidebar. It isn't. Thank God. 'So to be in the moment of change for that is incredibly exciting, particularly because it's in a world where it's absolutely true of this character.' Doctor Who returns on Sunday 7th October on BBC One. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel just got a little bit more marvelous following the Amazon Prime shows impressive Emmys 2018 showing, with lead Rachel Brosnahan winning her first ever Primetime Emmy Award. The former House of Cards actress was teary-eyed as she accepted the Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Mrs. Midge Maisel, a young divorcee from a Jewish family who tries to break onto the late 1950s New York stand-up scene. 'Wow. Thank you guys so much. Hi,' the 27-year-old actress told the LA Microsoft Theater audience. Holding back tears, she added: 'My friends and my family, you are absolutely everything to me.' Rachel Brosnahan won the Emmy for her role on Amazon Prime's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Brosnahan recently lost her aunt, the fashion designer Kate Spade, who committed suicide in June. The actress paid tribute to the show creators, Dan Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino, with the latter winning the Emmys for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing. I'll be thanking you for the rest of my life for trusting me with your Midge.' Brosnahan went on to place the show and its message in a more current context: 'One of the things I love the most about this show, while I have you captive for another two seconds, it's about a woman who is finding her voice anew. 'It's something that's happening all over the country right now. One of the most important ways that we can find and use our voices is to vote. 'So if you haven't already registered, do it on your cell phone right now. Vote, show up, and bring a friend to the polls. Thank you so much.' Here is all you need to know about Rachel Brosnahan including who she is, what her net worth is and her acting career including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and House of Cards. Who is Rachel Brosnahan? Rachel Brosnahan was born on December 15, 1990 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but grew up in Highland Park, Illinois. Her mother is British and her aunt was the late fashion designer Kate Spade. Brosnahan fell into acting at a young age, starring in musical theatre productions as a child. The actress was also on her high schools wrestling team, and said she wished she could have continued with it. After high school, Brosnahan went to NYUs Tisch School of the Arts, although she told The Hollywood Reporter that screen acting was not the goal. Initially, I had no interest at all in screen acting. I wanted to be a theater actor exclusively. In 2009, Brosnahan scored her first feature film credit with the Michael Bay-produced horror film The Unborn. During college, Brosnahan started adding TV work to her CV, with guest spots on the likes of The Good Wife, In Treatment, Greys Anatomy and Orange is the New Black. The film and TV stuff came up initially as something to pay the bills, and also something that would give me a different kind of experience. In 2014, Brosnahan appeared in six episodes of NBCs The Blacklist. The year before that, Brosnahan had her breakthrough role on the Netflix series House of Cards, although it only became a breakthrough several episodes in. The actress initially auditioned for the role of investigative reporter Zoe Barnes, which went to Kate Mara. Brosnahan was later recalled to read for the role of Rachel Posner, a call girl who gets caught up in the political intrigue. It was supposed to be a very small role, around five lines in one episode. But she kept being called back, each time with a more expanded role. It was episode by episode. Each one was a surprise, she said. By the end, Brosnahan appeared in seven episodes of the first season, eight episodes of the second season and a crucial appearance in one episode of the third season, which got Brosnahan her a Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series. As her House of Cards tenure was drawing to a close, Brosnahan went on to work on the critically-acclaimed but short-lived series Manhattan, which followed the people working on the Manhattan Project. She followed that up with her first partnership with Amazon, on Woody Allens Crisis in Six Scenes before getting invited to audition for Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladinos new show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Brosnahan recalls falling in love with the script from the very first page, despite having reservations about never really having done any comedic acting. Brosnahan ended up delaying the audition due to illness, but the by the time the rescheduled date came around, Brosnahan felt even worse. She forced herself to fly to LA from New York to audition, learning quickly after the audition that she got the part. I got a phone call earlier that same day saying that I had lost a part in a movie because they really liked me, they thought I was great, but I just wasn't funny. And then a couple of hours later, I got this call about Maisel, and I was like, very confused. It turned out to be the role that pushed Brosnahan to the front of the pack of leading ladies, earning her a Golden Globe for Best Actress and now an Emmy. Who is Rachel Brosnahan dating? Brosnahan is reportedly in a relationship with The Magicians actor Jason Ralph. According to Popsugar, the pair met in 2015 on the set of WGNs Manhattan. Ralph, an actor who has starred in Syfys The Magicians, joined Brosnahan at the 2018 Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards and the New York Theater Workshop Gala in April 2018. What is Rachel Brosnahans net worth? Rachel Brosnahans net worth is estimated to be $3 million, according to The Squander, which also reports that she earns approximately $400,000 a year. She stole the show during her London Fashion Week debut on Sunday. Yet it was business as usual for Victoria Beckham on Tuesday as she headed for a meeting of fashion minds with legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the former Spice Girls' Dover Street store in London. Naturally, the duo were bang on trend, with the designer, 44, showing her wild side in a stunning leopard print wrap dress, while the formidable journalist, 68, nailed her favoured sleek style in a burgundy leather jacket with a floral gown. Meeting of minds: It was business as usual for Victoria Beckham on Tuesday as she headed for a meeting of fashion minds with legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the former Spice Girls' Dover Street store in London Victoria was pulling her trademark pout as she strutted down the street in her animal print dress which clashed perfectly with her blue shoes and bag. To allow her uncharacteristically garish ensemble to do the talking, she kept her beauty regimen simple with her hair in an elegant chignon. Anna meanwhile was rocking her trademark bob with an elegant leather coat and Seventies-inspired dress for the chic outing. Victoria's outing came after she hosted a star-studded party on Sunday evening to celebrate the tenth year of her eponymous fashion label, during which she was putting on an energetic rendition of Spice Up Your Life for her party guests. Here come the girls! Naturally, the duo were bang on trend, with the designer, 44, showing her wild side in a stunning leopard print wrap dress, while the formidable journalist, 68, nailed her favoured sleek style in a burgundy leather jacket with a floral gown Clashing colour: She was strutting her stuff into the venue as she clashed her leopard print dress with a pair of powder blue heels and a coordinating clutch bag A vision: She stole the show during her London Fashion Week debut on Sunday Leopard print lady: To allow her uncharacteristically garish ensemble to do the talking, she kept her beauty regimen simple with her hair in an elegant chignon In an Instagram video posted by the woman of the moment, Victoria was seen standing before her adoring guests, singing the iconic Spice Girls track with gusto. She had no problem replicating the moves that go with the song - last seen performing them on stage at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. London Fashion Week saw Victoria host her first ever London show celebrating a hugely successful decade in business, having normally showcased her designs at New York Fashion Week. Strutting their stuff: The duo proved themselves to be true fashionistas as they headed into the shop in their finery Victoria's party turned out to be quite the family turnout after the show with all four children - Brooklyn, 19, Romeo, 16, Cruz, 13 and Harper, seven - in attendance, as well we as her sister, Louise Adams, and sister-in-law, Joanne. Brooklyn was seen partying late into the evening, while his three siblings were sent home at a sensible hour. All of Victoria's nearest and dearest flocked to the fashion event with the likes of the Ramsays, David Furnish, Alexa Chung and Liam Payne showing their support. Dynamic duo: The stunning star's stylish ensemble perfectly complimented the fashion powerhouse Clashing colours: while Anna clashed her floral print and snakeskin boots, Victoria was meshing brown-based animal prints with her blue shoes She's known for being the queen of daytime television, and is praised for her stunning yet demure ensembles. Yet throwback snaps from a photoshoot with lads magazine Arena show that Holly Willoughby has a saucier side, with the This Morning presenter stripping down to some scanty ensembles. Holly, now 37 years old and a mother-of-three, has barely aged a day in the 13 years since she posed for the shoot, at which point she was just 24 years old. Steamy: Throwback snaps from a 2005 photoshoot with lads magazine Arena show that Holly Willoughby has a saucier side, with the This Morning presenter stripping down Oozing glamour in the shots, Holly is seen going braless beneath a cut-away gold top as she smoulders down the lens in one stunning snap. Another sexy snap sees Holly posing in just a black bra and flirty tutu, which she posed with provocatively hitched up around her midriff. Sheathing her legs in sheer stockings, the blonde bombshell also dons a pair of towering black heels. The final sultry snapshot sees Holly posing coquettishly in a nude bustier that draws attention to her ample cleavage. Flirty: Another sexy snap sees Holly posing in just a black bra and flirty tutu, which she posed with provocatively hitched up around her midriff Dressed to impress: Sheathing her legs in sheer stockings, the blonde bombshell also dons a pair of towering black heels Earlier in the week, snaps of a teenage Holly posing in a nightclub-themed photoshoot for girls' magazine Mizz emerged. Holly's potential as a model had been spotted by a talent scout on a school trip to The Clothes Show Live in Birmingham at the age of 14. In one 1997 snap taken when she was just 16 years old she perched on a step in a gold dress. In another image, she sat at a table with another model laughing and sipping a drink. Chest a glimpse: The final sultry snapshot sees Holly posing coquettishly in a nude bustier that draws attention to her ample cleavage Privately-educated Holly has just been named as the new face of Marks and Spencer after forging a lucrative TV career fronting This Morning, Dancing on Ice and The Voice. She has also landed the plum job of co-hosting the next series of I'm a Celebrity, taking her fortune to an estimated 21million. Holly will be filling in for Ant McPartlin on I'm A Celeb while the embattled star takes some time out of the limelight following his drink driving conviction. Confirming she would be taking her children out of school, she told This Morning viewers: 'The kids are coming with me so I had to talk to the schools then mum and dad are coming for a bit too.' 'So when I sorted the logistics I then thought, "Theres going to be spiders there!' Throwback: Earlier in the week, snaps of a teenage Holly posing in a nightclub-themed photoshoot for girls' magazine Mizz in 1997 emerged The squeamish star then went on to describe the things she wasn't looking forward to about being in the jungle. She declared: 'Three things I'm not looking forward to - the eating something challenge. It's going to be horrible! 'The smells, Im not good with smells! And when they come out with the stuff... What have I done?' She recently broke down in tears after learning she is to storm the coveted Victoria's Secret runway. And Winnie Harlow continued to make waves in the modelling world as she strut her stuff at the Natasha Zinko show during London Fashion Week on Tuesday morning. The 24-year-old beauty commanded attention as she showcased her fashion versatility in a luminous green dress. The brighter the better: Winnie Harlow continued to make waves in the modelling world as she strut her stuff at the Natasha Zinko show during London Fashion Week on Tuesday morning The runway sensation was hard to miss in the neon number, which was emblazoned with the words 'Fu' and 'Fufu'. Making the look yet more eccentric were her thigh-high boots as well as a statement choker necklace that boasted a large dollar sign pendant. Winnie looked in her element as she held her stoic model gaze and stormed the outdoor runway, before regrouping with the rest of the show's cast for one final smoulder. Eccentric style: The 24-year-old beauty commanded attention as she showcased her fashion versatility in a luminous green dress Luminous look: The runway sensation was hard to miss in the neon number, which was emblazoned with the words 'Fu' and 'Fufu' The star is proving to be one of the most in demand models during the current run of Fashion Weeks, having also walked for Adidas, House of Holland and Julien MacDonald, as well as Natasha Zinko, in London alone. After starting her career as a contestant on America's Next Top Model in 2014, the Canadian model, 24, will now be taking to the coveted Victorias Secret Fashion Show in November. The exact moment Winnie found out she had earned her wings has been uploaded to Models Daily's Twitter account and it has also been reported she went on to make the official announcement at the IMG VIP Lounge by Principessa Prosecco. Bling bling: Making the look yet more eccentric were her thigh-high boots as well as a statement choker necklace that boasted a large dollar sign pendant Glam squad: Winnie's luminous frock was teamed with a striking red lipstick, though there was minimal product on the skin for a more natural look Winnie - who has skin condition vitiligo - also recently discussed the changes in the modelling industry in an interview with ELLE magazine. She explained: 'There is a big shift happening in the fashion industry in terms of beauty standards, and I feel Im part of that shift. 'I remember on Americas Next Top Model, Tyra Banks asked me if a photographer told me to cover my skin for a shoot, would I do it? Making an entrance: Winnie looked in her element as she held her stoic model gaze and stormed the outdoor runway Dare to be different: The show comprised a number of striking looks, including a pink trouser suit and reptile print fabrics 'I said no. I dont care who it is, or who thinks I should. Im going to stay true to myself.' She previously lashed out at being branded 'a sufferer' of pigment disease Vitiligo, as she penned on Instagram: '"I'm not a 'Vitiligo Sufferer" I'm not a 'Vitiligo model. 'I am Winnie. I am a model. And I happen to have Vitiligo. Stop putting these titles on me or anyone else.' Just as all the drama around the Common Core State Standards was starting to seem passe, theres the potential for it to raise its head again in a closely watched political contest. About a month ago, Republican gubernatorial norminee Ron DeSantis resurfaced the issue in a Tweet calling for the end of the standards in Florida. And his campaign site states crisply: Stop Common Core. We can improve our education system in Florida by stopping Common Core, empowering parents to make the best decision for their students and getting our Constitution back in the classrooms in a big way! pic.twitter.com/rGvpqRTEX6 Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) August 2, 2018 Other than that remark, DeSantis has not elaborated much about how he would pursue this goal if he won the contest, or where it would fall on his list of priorities. The common-core standards debuted in 2010. But politicans began calling for states to dump them after the federal government gave states incentives to adopt the standards. Teachers struggling with a lack of appropriate materials and looming tests tied to the standards pushed back, too. Many states subsequently replaced or renamed them, though several dozen still use the standards or close copies of them. In the Sunshine State, reading and math expectations are now simply called the Florida Standardsbut the state appears to have kept most common-core content while adding some pieces, including a cursive writing mandate and some calculus expectations. The state was not among those included in a review of states that had made the most substantive changes to the expectations released last month by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute . In general, much of the political brouhaha around the common core seems to have faded, though a recent poll by the journal Education Next found that the term common core still fares much more poorly in opinion polls than the concept of shared reading and math standards. DeSantis campaign spokeswoman didnt immediately return a message left for her at Republican party headquarters in Florida. But if education gets an airing in the next few months, common core could be among the topics. And many eyes are on this race, especially after Andrew Gillum pulled out a surprising win in the Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary. The promise of a gubernatorial battle between a Republican who has embraced President Trumps rhetoric facing off against a Democrat who has received the blessing of Bernie Sanders, the standard-bearer of the progressive wing of the party, is irresistible. Its also being viewed as as bellwether for the 2018 midterms and beyond. Gillums campaign site is more detailed on education policy than DeSantis, but it doesnt mention the standards. Gillum does, however, criticize high-stakes testing. Jeffrey Henig, a professor of public policy and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, said DeSantis could be hoping to energize core Republican voters with the reference to the standards. If DeSantis believes that his main goal is turning out Republicans, its possible including it in his platform could help, tied to a broader message about resistance to interference from Washington, D.C., he said. It seems less likely to appeal to other voters who dont follow the topic that closely (other than teachers, who lean Democratic), Henig noted, but that also means that theres probably little downside to revisiting the issue. Ron DeSantis, Republican candidate for Florida Governor, waits for the start of a news conference after an airboat tour of the Florida Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Wilfredo Lee/AP They have been happily dating since 2016. And Kristen Stewart and girlfriend Stella Maxwell appeared stronger than ever as they enjoyed a romantic date at Cecconi's restaurant in Berlin on Monday night. The actress, 28, who cut a stylish figure in a black bomber jacket, looked in the throes of love as she fed Stella, also 28, during the al fresco dinner. Smitten: Kristen Stewart and girlfriend Stella Maxwell looked loved-up as they enjoyed a romantic date at Cecconi's restaurant in Berlin on Monday night Kristen, who has just been cast in Sony's Charlie's Angels reboot, along with Naomi Scott and Ella Balins, layered the bomber jacket atop of a simple black t-shirt, accessorising her look with a gold chain necklace. She wore her platinum blonde locks in her signature style, while Stella showed off her model flair in a black leather jacket. The pair appeared in high spirits as they dined with a pal at the Italian eatery, packing on the PDA as they indulged in a glass of red wine. Cute: The actress, 28, who cut a stylish figure in a black bomber jacket, looked in the throes of love as she fed Stella, also 28, during the al fresco dinner Stella and Kristen have gone from strength-to-strength since their romance was made public by pictures of the lovers smooching in the back of a cab in Milan. Despite their blossoming romance only being public since early last year, they were first romantically linked to one another back in 2016. It is no wonder Stella caught the eye of the Twilight star as she is a well established lingerie model for Victoria Secret who has been walking the catwalk for the brand since she was first given her wings in 2015. Stylish: Kristen, layered the bomber jacket atop of a simple black t-shirt, accessorising her look with a gold chain necklace, while Stella showed off her model flair in a black leather jacket Despite the fall-out of her highly-publicised romance with Robert Pattison, the actress previously confessed she wants to try 'everything' in the field of love. She told Harper's Bazaar last year: 'Some people know they like grilled cheese and they'll eat it every day for the rest of their lives. 'I want to try everything. If I have grilled cheese once I'm like, "That was cool, what's next?"' Asides from her love-life, Kristen said the new Charlie's Angels will be more 'woke' than its predecessors after being announced as part of the line-up. 'God, its so funny. I know if I say this a certain way, I know that this will be written down. But its not such a bad thing. Its kind of like a 'woke' version,' she said in an interview with Variety. Stewart also teased that this reboot will feature much more than just the three Angels, adding, 'There's a whole network of Angels, it's like women across the entire globe are connected and helping each other.' She didn't win for The Sinner but it looks like Jessica Biel won something else instead: loads of affection from her husband Justin Timberlake. When backstage at the Emmy Awards at LA's Microsoft Theater on Monday, the beauty was showered with kisses by the Suit And Tie crooner. And the blonde mother-of-one also returned the love as she smooched on her husband too. Scroll down for list of winners... So much love: She didn't win for The Sinner but it looks like Jessica Biel won something else instead: loads of affection from her husband Justin Timberlake on Emmy night on Monday Suit and tie man: The Grammy winner had one arm around his lady love and held a cocktail in the other hand The Grammy winner had one arm around his lady love and held a cocktail in the other hand. She put her hands on his face and neck as she smiled like a schoolgirl who was smitten with her crush. And Justin - who used to date Britney Spears and Cameron Diaz before settling down with Biel - looked thrilled when she returned the affection by planting a kiss on his face. Happy husband: And Justin - who used to date Britney Spears and Cameron Diaz before settling down with Biel - looked thrilled when she returned the affection by planting a kiss on his face. Biel looked absolutely divine in a heavenly white gown that was strapless and came in at the waist. She also wore large diamond earrings. The couple were ready to celebrate Jessica's milestone Emmy nomination at the show - but were crestfallen to learn there was no booze served at the show. Angelic! She looked absolutely divine in a heavenly white gown as she attended the 2018 Emmy Awards Jessica posted a hilarious before-and-after snap of her with Justin as she tweeted, 'Our faces when we learned there's no booze at the #Emmys.' The couple gave the camera furious faces in the after snap, after realizing the event would be alcohol-free. Monday marks a significant career milestone for Jessica, 36, who has been nominated for her very first Emmy award. The actress put on an award-winning display in her opulent white dress, which cinched into her svelte torso and draped elegantly upon the red carpet. Showing his support! Justin sharpened up in a jet black suit as he attended the show alongside his Emmy nominated lady love Working her magic! Biel dazzled in the elaborate white gown that hugged her toned torso She was the picture of beauty perfection with her light brunette tresses cascading alongside her shoulders in flowing, elegant waves, along with a hue of strawberry pink lipstick to brighten up her complexion. The actress carried a matching white clutch, carrying it in her free hand as she linked arms with her dapper husband. Justin was sharp and stylish in his black tuxedo, shiny black shoes, and budding beard as he showed his support for his wife on the red carpet. Arm in arm: The couple were attached at the hip as they made their grand entrance Speaking with E! as they made the red carpet rounds, Justin raved about his Emmy nominated wife. In season one of The Sinner, Jessica plays Cora Tannetti, a woman who stabs a man to death on the beach but has no recollection of her motive. Jessica is not just a star on the show, but she is also an executive producer. Hello gorgeous: Biel radiated in her strawberry pink lipstick with flowing waves 'I was there too and saw her option this and develop it from scratch and I saw how much she put into it,' Justin explained. 'I'm just so proud to be here and see this happen for her.' Justin explained he actually learned of Jessica's nomination before she did, as the actress was in Europe at the time of the announcement. The series holds a special place in Jessica's heart. Proud as can be! Justin told E!, 'I'm just so proud to be here and see this happen for her' 'It's like my baby': Jessica raved of her critically-acclaimed series The Sinner, which she also executive produces Disappointed! The couple were ready to celebrate Jessica's milestone Emmy nomination at the show - but were crestfallen to learn there was no booze served at the show Not happy campers! The couple gave the camera furious faces in the after snap, after realizing the event would be alcohol-free 'It's like my baby,' she told E!. 'It means everything to be nominated for this,' she gushed. 'It's an awesome honor, it's wonderful, it's very, very exciting.' Justin joked that he 'might do something obnoxious' should Jessica win. 'I'd hope for nothing less than something really inappropriate,' she replied. Glamming it up: She was the picture of beauty perfection with her light brunette tresses cascading alongside her shoulders in flowing, elegant waves, with a hue of strawberry pink lipstick to brighten up her complexion Dark: In season one of the series, Jessica plays Cora Tannetti, a woman who stabs a man to death on the beach but has no recollection of her motive Scarlet Johansson stole the red carpet at the Emmy Awards on Monday evening. The beauty - who was there to support beau Colin Jost as he co-hosted the event - had all eyes on her white gown. But when the Avengers star turned around, she revealed a massive tattoo on her back. Here it is: Scarlet Johansson stole the red carpet at the Emmy Awards on Monday evening; she also showed off a large tattoo Gorgeous: The inking was of a branch of roses and it appeared a little lamb was off to the side The inking was of a branch of roses and it appeared a little lamb was off to the side. It's not new - she already showed it off in May at the Met Gala in NYC. Scarlett made no attempt to hide the ink, which peeked out from the back of her dress. At one point she did an over-the-shoulder pose so photographers were sure to get a good shot of her markings. This is her fifth tattoo. Her other tattoos are: two circles on her ankle, a sunrise on her arm, a bracelet on her wrist, and a Lucky One stamp on her ribs. Months ago: It's not new - she already showed it off in May at the Met Gala in NYC So in love: The star looked radiant in a white gown while supporting her boyfriend Colin Jost As she joined Colin, 36, on the red carpet it was clear that they only had eyes for each other. The SNL favorite, who was dressed in a deep plum Armani design, gazed at his lovely partner. Scarlett added silver stilettos with ankle straps as well as dangling Nikos Koulis earrings for a bit of sparkle. Well suited: Colin looked dapper in an Armani tuxedo ahead of his hosting gig Taking the plunge: The Avengers talent commanded attention in a white Balmain gown with a dramatic V-neck and sexy slit She has a tattooed bracelet on her right wrist Blond ambition: Radiating red carpet glamour, she swept her blonde hair backwards with a bit of a wave She also added diamond bangles and a beautiful solitaire ring. Radiating red carpet glamour, she swept her blonde hair backwards with a bit of a wave. For beauty, the American actress 'collaborated' with makeup artist Frankie Boyd for Pat McGrath Labs, who explained that the starlet wanted her cosmetics to complement her custom Balmain gown for the evening. 'Scarlett was super collaborative with her look for the Emmys and wanted the makeup to be a modern twist on old Hollywood glamour,' Frankie revealed. 'We kept it very fresh and youthful with a cleaner eye and lip moment.' The beauty guru focused on a natural, glowing complexion, adding to the star's natural radiance with the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish 003: Highlight + Balm Duo, which was used to accentuate the high points of her face. She then used the Rose Gold 005 shade from the brand's Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Palette to create a natural flush. Glitz and glamour: Scarlett added silver stilettos with ankle straps as well as dangling earrings for a bit of sparkle The tattoo on the inside of her right ankle wasn't visible under the asymmetrical dress For the eyes, it was all about the chic and subtle wing, which Frankie created with the Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner, after contouring the lid with a variety of shades from the same Mothership palette. The finishing touch to the look was the lip color - the Lip Fetish: Lip Balm in VR Pink Astral - which Frankie revealed was such a big hit with Scarlett that she actually 'took it with her'. Joining Colin as host is his Saturday Night Live Weekend Update partner Michael Che. NBC is broadcasting the show which airs 8 pm ET/5 pm PT live on both coasts. It's a particularly exciting year for Netflix as they finally dethroned HBO by earning the most Emmy nominations scoring 112 nods, beating HBO's 108. In good company: Joining Colin as host is his Saturday Night Live Weekend Update partner Michael Che Gemma Collins has admitted while it was tough to show her tumultuous relationship with James 'Arg' Argent on screen, it's been worth it for the fan response. The TOWIE star gave her fans a bigger insight into her rollercoaster romance on her recent reality show Diva Espana, and has told MailOnline that after the honest and emotional portrayal, the couple are now happier than ever. Speaking to MailOnline to promote her guest appearance on new reality series ReFreshers Week presented by Strongbow, Gemma gushed she would love to show more of her relationship on a whole series of Diva Espana. Happy days: Gemma Collins has admitted while it was tough to show her tumultuous relationship with James 'Arg' Argent on screen, it's been worth it for the fan response Gemma admitted that her on/off romance with Arg, who recently returned to rehab for ongoing support, is stronger than ever, confessing of her TOWIE star beau: 'You know what, he is also doing so so well, I cant tell you. We are very happy, we've just come back from a wedding and holiday in Mallorca, we have had the most wonderful time.' 'Im very in love and very happy, honey, were in a great, great place. Hes doing really well, we are stronger than ever and you know what, Im really happy if Im being honest, Im in love. Its all worth it when you come out the other side, you know.' 'Obviously we have to take a day at a time, Ive got to say, hes really trying and he's doing absolutely amazing. We're just so in love, its like were kids againit's the first time in a very long time that I'm very happy at the moment.' Shock factor: Speaking to MailOnline to promote her guest appearance on new reality series ReFreshers Week presented by Strongbow (pictured in a promo shot for the series), Gemma gushed she would love to show more of her relationship on a whole series of Diva Espana With the success of Diva Espana, there's talks of Gemma landing her own full series, with the star gushing: 'You know what, thats the dream!' Gemma added that she's glad she didn't shy away from showing off the tricky moments in her relationship, explaining: 'Diva Espana went out, people know what I'm like, it was hard at the time. Obviously you have to put on a pretend sometimes everything is really good.' 'Diva Espana was for me to let my fans and public, people who known me for years, into my life and what was going on.''The answer isI would love to make another one, obviously there's talks going on at moment.' High emotions: The TOWIE star gave her fans a bigger insight into her rollercoaster romance on her recent reality show Diva Espana, and has told MailOnline that after the honest and emotional portrayal, the couple are now happier than ever 'I think they saw I was going through a tough time but still managed to keep everyone laughing, s**t happens, you have to carry on.' Gemma added that while she continues to have a relationship with the show that made her name, TOWIE, she is hoping to move on. 'Ive got a bit of a deal with the producers now, so my life has moved on from TOWIE, Im not going to lie. I would never turn my back on the show that made me.' Happy days: With the success of Diva Espana, there's talks of Gemma landing her own full series, with the star gushing: 'You know what, thats the dream!' 'For me, Lime, the production company, have been amazing with me, so basically its a bit hard on TOWIE as you cant reference you're a celebrity or a star. Im not allowed to say I'm at a photoshoot, or Ive just done an interview.' 'I have a deal with producers now, if Im in Essex and about, and I can film, I will always film with them. But just through natural progression, my life has evolved for me, I will always be a TOWIE girl at heart, but I'm not really that TOWIE girl anymore.' Next up for Gemma is ReFreshers which sees British actor and comedian Tom Rosenthal as host as viewers follow eight ReFreshers on a journey discovering new places, new people whilst fearlessly taking on new challenges. Happy days: Next up for Gemma is ReFreshers which sees British actor and comedian Tom Rosenthal as host as viewers follow eight ReFreshers on a journey discovering new places, new people whilst fearlessly taking on new challenges An all-star line-up of celeb guests include Gemma, rapper Lady Leshurr, superstar DJ Jodie Harsh, Charlotte Dawson, and comedians London Hughes and Ed Gamble, whose participation in hosting uni-inspired tasks will remind both the viewers and cast of a time when life was carefree. 'It was great fun, I was asked to do this, I was like "ooo I havent been to university myself, but I remember being 21, totally carefree, living my best life", Gemma says. 'Refreshers week, it just encourages people to go back and achieve what they want in life. Its never too late. Can you imagine GC at university? Eating beans and pasta? Do you know what, if I was at uni, Id obviously be a plus sized Elle Woods. Do you know what I mean?' ReFreshers Week presented by Strongbow launches on Monday 24th September at 10pm on MTV. To be in with a chance of having a favourite memory refreshed, head to Strongbow UK Facebook page and share a memory with #RefreshYourStatus Her quick wit and tales made her a fan favourite on Celebrity Big Brother. And Kirstie Alley was up to her usual tricks as she took part in a hilarious Twitter exchange with former housemate Ryan Thomas on Monday. Despite having jetted back to her native America, the 67-year-old actress proved Ryan was still on her mind as she sent out a saucy tweet claiming she wanted to 'sh*g' Ryan's brother Scott. Hilarious: Kirstie Alley was up to her usual tricks as she took part in a hilarious Twitter exchange with former housemate Ryan Thomas on Monday Ryan had shared a cute picture of himself with Kirstie with the caption: 'Life's no fun without you in it, miss you @kirstiealley.' And quick to come back with a quip, Kirstie replied: 'Hell man, with Brothers like yours you should never be without fun.. damn, I forgot to shag Scot!! Oh well I'll be back soon..:) 'Life's no fun without you in it, miss you @kirstiealley.' Scott also got in on the joke, responding with laughing emojis alongside: 'hurry back soon @kirstiealley' Naughty: The 67-year-old actress proved Ryan was still on her mind as she sent out a saucy tweet claiming she wanted to 'sh*g' Ryan's brother Scott (pictured together) Hilarious: Kirstie was caught in a hilarious exchange with both Ryan and Scott Kirstie recently stuck up for Ryan as she slammed Roxanne Pallett's 'career destroying' false claims after the actor was caught up in the 'Punchgate' row. The actress, who finished runner-up to Ryan in Monday night's final, weighed in on the incident during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of This Morning. Roxanne, 35, ignited a storm of controversy after she accused actor Ryan, 34, of 'deliberately and repeatedly punching' her, despite video footage suggesting otherwise. No holds barred: The actress who finished runner-up to Ryan in Monday night's final, weighed in on punchgate during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of This Morning However she later quit the house and admitted she was wrong after seeing Ryan's devastation. Laying into Roxanne, the Look Who's Talking star said the actress had risked ruining Ryan's career and livelihood with her claim. She said: 'The thing with Roxanne was, it was 48 hours before anyone knew. I certainly didn't know for 48 hours. 'When I found out what her actual accusation was, I realised that it was a career destroyer and it became serious business. Controversy: Roxanne, 35, ignited a storm of controversy after she accused actor Ryan, 34, of 'deliberately and repeatedly punching' her, despite video footage suggesting otherwise 'My only advice to Ryan was get to the producers. At that time I heard she'd gone to the producers and to her manager Kirstie was also shown the footage of the incident and responded with incredulity. She said: 'That was it?! We were all jacking around like that. That looks like he didn't even make contact. 'The thing that disturbed me the most is that when I talked to her, she said 'ouch' and she said he didn't apologise, and you can see that he did.' The blonde beauty revealed coming out of the house had taken some getting used to, saying: 'I feel like ive been run over by a truck. I walked out, we had a party and then I went into a hotel and I nestled in my bed and it was so quiet and beautiful. In the dark: Kirstie said: 'When I found out what her actual accusation was, I realised that it was a career destroyer and it became serious business' Hitting back: 'All of a sudden i hear waahh wooh, its the people from the house in my hotel screaming and whooping. I opened the door and it was Gabby' 'All of a sudden i hear waahh wooh, its the people from the house in my hotel screaming and whooping. I opened the door and it was Gabby.' The star admitted she had struggled to adjust to the house at first, thinking she was 'going to go mad' on the third day, but was now keen to return to the UK for more work opportunities. Discussing a playful anecdote from the house, Kirstie joked that Ryan tried to sleep in her bed. She said: 'He said he sleep walked that night to my bed, I think that was intentional. then he saw the cameras and backed off!' The interview comes as CBB winner Ryan fought back tears as he watched back his emotional breakdown on the show in the midst of 'Punchgate'. Coy: The interview comes as CBB winner Ryan fought back tears as he watched back his emotional breakdown on the show in the midst of 'Punchgate' The incident: Kirstie was also shown the footage of the incident and said: 'That was it?! We were all jacking around like that. That looks like he didn't even make contact' The former Coronation Street star appeared on Jeremy Vine on Wednesday morning to discuss the incident in which he was accused of punching his co-star Roxanne. While talking about the incident, he was grilled over whether he would meet up with Roxanne for 'a cup of tea' to hash out their issues, however he ruled out the meeting and admitted his focus was seeing his daughter Scarlett. Ryan watched the footage live, after which he was left stunned and emotional as he watched himself weeping in the Diary Room and desperately pleading his innocence. Tough:The interview comes as CBB winner Ryan fought back tears as he watched back his emotional breakdown on the show in the midst of 'Punchgate' Speaking to Jeremy, he said: 'You don't have any idea what's going on just in general, the whole show... [Punchgate] is just a tiny bit of my journey. In that situation you want your friends and loved ones but the whole process... it's tedious... 'There's no element of time and the boredom... everything is heightened. Nominations become a horrible thing because you end up having to b***h and I know it has to happen and everyone knows what they're doing in there.' When asked if he is prepared to forgive her, he said: 'I think Roxanne has been through a lot. CBB makes headlines and sometimes for the wrong reasons. It's time we look forward. She's suffering enough. I don't want to be part of it.' Heartbroken: When asked if he is prepared to forgive her, he said: 'I think Roxanne has been through a lot. CBB makes headlines and sometimes for the wrong reasons. It's time we look forward. She's suffering enough. I don't want to be part of it' On the subject of meeting up with Roxanne to hash out their issues, Ryan stated: 'It's something looking forward that I don't want to dwell on... 'I don't want to think of the experience in a negative way. Its not to say I don't want to see her but no offence to Roxanne but i have a daughter and I don't want to think about that now.' Roxanne, who gave her first interview to Jeremy following her departure, claimed to be left heartbroken in the midst of the scandal which she insisted was a 'genuine error' although viewers have continually slammed the star. She branded herself 'Britain's Most Hated Woman' last week when she sensationally quit the house after falsely accusing 'broken man' Ryan - in what came to be known as 'Punchgate'. The Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes has revealed her son was caught up in the Parsons Green terror attack in September last year. The 42-year-old actress, who has the nation captivated in the thrilling BBC drama, candidly discussed her terror when she discovered 18-year-old son Myles, who she shares with first husband Spencer McCallum, was embroiled in the drama. She told Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine: 'I got a text from him written in capitals, so I knew immediately something was wrong. They were in a tunnel and the lights were going on and off. The what if doesnt bear thinking about. Shocking: The Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes has revealed her son was caught up in the Parsons Green terror attack in September last year The attack in question saw asylum-seeker Ahmed Hassan, 18, who built a 'Mother of Satan' nail bomb in the bedroom of his foster home, try to kill 93 people by setting off a 'bucket bomb' at Parsons Green station in west London last September. Luckily the device failed to properly detonate, but still left 51 passengers with serious burns. Many passengers were badly burned, but it was only a 'matter of luck' that scores were not killed, prosecutors said earlier this year. The disturbing case raised questions of authorities after it emerged Hassan told immigration officials he had been 'trained to kill' by ISIS, and said to a teacher it was his 'duty to hate Britain'. Heartbreaking: The 42-year-old actress, who has the nation captivated in the thrilling BBC drama, candidly discussed her terror when she discovered 18-year-old son Myles, who she shares with first husband Spencer McCallum, was embroiled in the drama Tough: She told Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine: 'I got a text from him written in capitals, so I knew immediately something was wrong. They were in a tunnel and the lights were going on and off. The what if doesnt bear thinking about' (Myles pictured on his Go Fund Me page) Away from the horror past, Keeley's character, Home Secretary Julia Montague, appeared to meet a gruesome end when she was killed by a bomb in the hit drama Bodyguard's penultimate episode on Sunday night. Meanwhile, Keeley's apparent death in Sunday night's penultimate episode of Bodyguard left fans in uproar. Dedicated followers are now convinced she's still alive after Julia Montague made a brief appearance in a teaser clip from the finale. Callous: A photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of bomber Ahmed Hassan on a train to Brighton after a device exploded on the District Line train at Parsons Green station on September 15, 2017 Burning: A snapshot of the device, taken by a passenger, shows a white container burning inside a London Underground tube carriage The BBC One series has achieved consolidated viewing figures of 10.4 million for its first episode. This is the highest launch figure for any new drama across all UK channels since 2006, the corporation said. Co-star Richard Madden admitted he has been flanked by bodyguards in the past so can sympathise with Julia to a degree. He said: 'I've had a few bodyguards. I had one in Rio who had been shot about four times, and I had a female bodyguard in Mexico City who was 6ft 5in. When a fight broke out at a party, my feet didn't touch the ground. 'She had me up, out and into the footwell in the back of the car. The door wasn't even closed before we were speeding off.' Understanding: Far from being a total stranger to her art, Keeley admitted she has been flanked by bodyguards in the past so can sympathise with Julia to a degree She made her red carpet debut at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night, following the birth of her first child, son, Ennis, four-months ago. And knowing how hard these few months may have been for Kirsten Dunst, 36, and her fiance Jesse Plemons, 30, fellow actress Keri Russell was overheard commiserating the new parents. On the red carpet, the 42-year-old, who has three children of her own, encouraged the pair to keep hanging in there. Scroll down for videos Cheering them on: Keri Russell gave new parents Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons a bit of encouragement on the Emmys red carpet on Monday night. 'It's hard. Especially at first.' Keri told the new parents according to Us Weekly. And whether or not Kirsten has been having a hard time with the new addition, Monday night saw the actress oozing with style and glamour on the red carpet. The beauty stunned in a navy frock that featured a plunging neckline which showcased her ample cleavage. Keep on going! 'It's hard. Especially at first.' Keri told the new parents according to Us Weekly Makes it look easy! And whether or not Kirsten has been having a hard time with the new addition, Monday night saw the actress oozing with style and glamour on the red carpet The one-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee had her blonde tresses parted to one side which cascaded down her shoulders. Kirsten's makeup look was created by celebrity artist Jillian Dempsey, who used a mix of products from her own range, as well as several other high-end favorites, including Tom Ford lipstick in Flame - the perfect peachy coral to complement the deep navy of her dress. She then accessorized with Fred Leighton diamond double fan earrings by Suzanne Belperron, a Fred Leighton emerald and diamond cuff by Suzanne Belperron, and her engagement ring. Kirsten gave birth to her first child with Jesse, a son, Ennis, on May 3 in Santa Monica, California. Stunner: She painted her lips a subtle glossy red and she accessorized with Fred Leighton diamond earrings, a Fred Leighton bracelet, and her engagement ring Parents themselves: Since getting together in 2014, Keri and Matthew welcomed their first child, son, Sam in 2016 The couple began dating when they co-starred on Fargo in 2016, and they got engaged earlier this year before confirming their pregnancy news a month later. Meanwhile it was also a big night for Keri Russell and her partner Matthew Rhys. The 43-year-old star won Lead Actor for his Drama Series, The Americans. Since getting together in 2014, Keri and Matthew welcomed their first child, son, Sam in 2016. The Golden Globe winner also shares son River, 11, and daughter Willa, six, with her ex-husband Shane Deary. Advertisement She walked down the aisle to the Beatles hit Here Comes The Sun in Kalkan, Turkey, marrying her fiance Oliver Mellor on Sunday. And ahead of the romantic nuptials, Rhian Sugden enjoyed a girls' trip out to sea with her bridesmaids. The former glamour model, 32, showed off her killer curves in a busty bridal-inspired swimsuit, later slipping into a green one-piece to cover herself in Turkish mud for some last-minute pampering. Time of her life: Ahead of her romantic wedding, Rhian Sugden enjoyed a girls' trip out to sea with her bridesmaids in Turkey Rhian ensured all eyes were on her as she flaunted her eye-popping cleavage in the plunging white swimsuit, enjoying drinks on the boat before heading for a swim during the fun day out. She cinched in her tiny waist with the swimsuit's matching belt, while the backless design ensured plenty of skin and her tremendous pins were on show. The busty blonde appeared in high spirits as she donned a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses after her paddle in the sea and showcased her natural beauty by opting to forego make-up. All eyes on her: The former glamour model, 32, showed off her killer curves in a busty bridal-inspired swimsuit, later slipping into a green one-piece to cover herself in Turkish mud for some last minute pampering Stunning: Feeling refreshed, the bridal party headed to the beach with Rhian showcasing her sensational figure once more as she slipped into a ribbed green one-piece Busty display: Rhian flaunted her eye-popping cleavage in the plunging white swimsuit as she headed for a swim during the fun day out Golden goddess: The busty blonde appeared in high spirits as she donned a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses after her paddle in the sea and showcased her natural beauty by opting to forego make-up Killer curves: She cinched in her tiny waist with its matching belt, while the backless design ensured plenty of skin was on show On top of the world: Rhian beamed with delight as she bonded with her bridesmaids on the fun girls' trip, no doubt excited for the impending nuptials Hourglass physique: The ribbed green swimsuit featured a white belt and a low-scoop neckline which made the most of her ample assets Feeling the nerves: Rhian screamed and put on an animated display as she prepared to dive in the water Feeling refreshed, the bridal party headed to the beach with Rhian showcasing her sensational figure once more as she slipped into a ribbed green one-piece. The Manchester beauty slathered herself in Turkish mud- famed for having properties which exfoliate the skin. Rhian beamed with delight as she bonded with her bridesmaids on the fun girls' trip, no doubt excited for the impending nuptials. The boat outing came ahead of the romantic nuptials held on the beach on Sunday. Spot of pampering: The Manchester beauty slathered herself in Turkish mud- famed for having properties which exfoliate the skin Soaking up the rays: Rhian got some last minute sun and was spotted topping up her tan on a sun lounger Here comes the bride! The boat outing came ahead of the romantic nuptials held on the beach on Sunday During the ceremony, the glamour model wowed in a low cut white lace and tulle gown as she wed her former Coronation Street beau. Rhian looked on cloud nine for her walk down the aisle to the Beatles hit Here Comes The Sun, where they have enjoyed several holidays together since they met. The Instagram sensation wed Oliver, her boyfriend of six years, in a blissful ceremony by the Mediterranean sea, with their close friends and family in attendance. Wedded bliss: Rhian walked down the aisle to the Beatles hit Here Comes The Sun in Kalkan, Turkey, marrying her fiance Oliver Mellor on Sunday Guests were reduced to tears as Oliver's sister Kate read an emotional poem while the couple read their own vows. Oliver proposed at a sold-out Manchester theatre in 2014. Speaking at the time about the proposal, she told The Sun: 'I started blubbing like a baby. He's definitely the one for me, even if he did get a ring the size of a hula hoop.' Getting wedding ready: The star cooled off with a dip in the sea as she let the mud dry for the final ceremony pamper preparations Rise to fame: Before she met Oliver, Rhian was involved in a scandal with Vernon Kay, with the starlet first coming to the forefront when she went public with several racy messages sent by the married TV presenter in 2010 Before she met Oliver, Rhian was involved in a scandal with Vernon Kay, with the starlet first coming to the forefront when she went public with several racy messages sent by the married TV presenter in 2010. It was then revealed the pair had got back in touch in 2015, with Vernon sending hundreds of texts asking to 'reconnect' with the model. After a break of six years, the busty blonde candidly and shockingly admitted that it felt like an 'old friendship coming back'. The blonde beauty recently claimed however that she had been treated as 'the villain' in the light of the sexting scandal, while the radio host has had a career boost. The 44-year-old was famously forced to make an apology to his wife Tess Daly on BBC Radio 1 following the sexting scandal. Vernon went on to promise live on air that he would no longer contact Rhian or the four other women he had been caught messaging at the time. Big changes are afoot for the eclectic characters on NBC's Will & Grace in its upcoming 10th season. NBC released a new preview this morning on Twitter, featuring new footage from the upcoming season, debuting Thursday, October 4 at 9 PM. The preview not only teases the story changes that are coming, but also some new guest stars, such as Matt Bomer, Jon Cryer and David Schwimmer. Megan Mullally reveals in this behind-the-scenes video that her character Karen Walker is divorcing her longtime husband Stan, who has never been seen on the show before but is often referenced. Debra Messing's Grace Adler has decided to enter politics, while Eric McCormack's Will Truman is also trying out a new career as a teacher. 'I think if there was a theme for last season it was, the more things change, the more things stay the same,' said McCormack. 'But now, that we've done that, we need to switch it up.' Will & Karen: Megan Mullally reveals that her character Karen Walker is divorcing her longtime husband Stan, who has never been seen on the show before but is often referenced Grace & Will: Debra Messing's Grace Adler has decided to enter politics, while Eric McCormack's Will Truman is also trying out a new career as a teacher Change is also in the air for Sean Hayes' Jack McFarland, who is getting ready to marry his partner Estefan (Brian Jordan Alvarez). The video also reveals even more guest stars who will be appearing this season, including Chelsea Handler and Alec Baldwin, returning as Karen's former lover Malcolm Widmark, who had a guest-starring arc on Season 7 back in 2005. Fans also get their first look at David Schwimmer, who plays Grace's new boyfriend, Noah. Hubby-to-be: Change is also in the air for Sean Hayes' Jack McFarland, who is getting ready to marry his partner Estefan (Brian Jordan Alvarez) Grace's new bf: Fans also get their first look at David Schwimmer, who plays Grace's new boyfriend, Noah 'Just playing at the level of this cast, who are the top of their game, it was kind of like this great, wonderful gift,' Schwimmer said. The new season of Will & Grace will be part of NBC's Thursday night comedy block once again, airing at 9 PM ET. The show will be sandwiched between Superstore at 8 PM, The Good Place at 8:30 PM, new sitcom I Feel Bad at 9:30 PM and the one-hour drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at 10 PM. Noah & Grace: 'Just playing at the level of this cast, who are the top of their game, it was kind of like this great, wonderful gift,' Schwimmer said Change is coming: 'I think if there was a theme for last season it was, the more things change, the more things stay the same,' said McCormack; on the far right is Sandra Purpuro as Francie They starred together in The Elephant Man on Brodway back in 2014. And Bradley Cooper's strong bond with Patricia Clarkson lives on. The 43-year-old actor and 58-year-old actress were spotted on a stroll together in New York City on Sunday. Close pals: Bradley Cooper and Patricia Clarkson were spotted on a stroll together in New York City on Sunday No doubt the two longtime friends were enjoying some catch-up time as they have been busy juggling their successful acting careers and personal lives. Bradley kept it casual in a short-sleeved blue button-down shirt with jeans and a pair of Riccardo Tisci x Nike Air Force 1 high-tops. He accessorized with a backwards red Philadelphia Phillies cap, mirrored aviator shades, and a watch. Patricia looked hip in a patterned white blouse with skinny blue jeans, and grey suede heels featuring a studded detailing. Just us: No doubt the 43-year-old actor and 58-year-old actress were enjoying some catch-up time as they have been busy juggling their successful acting careers and personal lives Mutual admiration: They starred together in The Elephant Man on Brodway back in 2014 She sported large designer shades and carried along a black leather bag. Her strawberry blonde tresses were worn down flowing over her shoulders as she wore complementary make-up to accentuate her natural looks including a swipe of red lip. The two forged a close bond together as they worked on the play The Elephant Man together back in 2014. Chill: Bradley kept it casual in a short-sleeved blue button-down shirt with jeans and a pair of Riccardo Tisci x Nike Air Force 1 high-tops Represent: He accessorized with a backwards red Philadelphia Phillies cap, mirrored aviator shades, and a watch Bradley - along with Marin Scorsese - even threw Patricia a party to honor her in December 2015. Of Cooper, Patricia told W Magazine: 'He's exactly what you think he is. I'm being honest. He was well raised. That boy was well raised.' She gushed about him more as she also added: 'He's a lovely, exceptional man, who just happens to be a great actor.' Tight-knit: Bradley - along with Marin Scorsese - even threw Patricia a party to honor her in December 2015, as they are pictured starring together in The Elephant Man on Broadway back in November 2014 The outing with pal Patricia comes just days after Bradley admitted that he would have never thought that starting a family with Irina Shayk, 32, could change his entire outlook on life. He credited his supermodel girlfriend and their one-year-old daughter Lea De Seine in helping him become more 'present' as an actor. So I guess having a child, and having a family of my own which is a miracle and something Ive always dreamt of has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present,' said the Pennsylvania native, who is directing and acting in A Star Is Born. Family support: Bradley would have never thought that starting a family with Irina Shayk, 32, could change his entire outlook on life. Seen in May The movie star said A Star Is Born was the first time in his career where he could simply focus on a movie and take his time with it as opposed to jumping from one project to the next. Taking into consideration all of the films he has starred in over the course of almost 20 years, the actor admits that he had gotten to a point in life where he had lost direction on what kind of stories he wanted to bring to the forefront. Cooper told PEOPLE Magazine that it wasnt until he reached the age of 39 where he decided to slow down. He stressed that while hes had a string of blockbuster hits, nothing has felt as authentic as working on a movie for a staggering four years. Quality time with baby Lea: Working on a movie for as long as he did on his latest project made Cooper aware of the beauty in taking time when creating art; pictured in Venice, Italy in August I spent about 15 years going from movie to movie to movie. And then I hit 39 and I stopped and I said, What do I really want to do? Bradley tells the publication. I want to tell Joseph Merricks story in The Elephant Man. So I did that for a year. 'Then this story came to me, A Star Is Born, and then I spent the next four years doing that.' Working on a movie for as long as he did on his latest film made Cooper aware of the beauty in taking time when creating art. A Star Is Born will mark the first time that the War Dogs star took on an astounding number of roles on a film set. Cooper is credited as a screenwriter, director, and actor in the motion picture which co-stars pop star Lady Gaga, 32. Its worth all the time to dedicate, even if one piece of art comes out of it in a half a decade, that would still be incredible as long as I can feel like its the movie I wanted to make, which is this movie, the American Sniper actor continued. Leading lady: Cooper is credited as a screenwriter, director, and actor in the motion picture which co-stars pop star Lady Gaga, 32; pictured at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9 His first directorial effort: It would appear that by taking his time in putting together his first directorial film has paid off It would appear that taking his time in putting together his first directorial film has paid off. A Star is Born is already expected to be nominated for Best Picture at the 90th Annual Academy Awards. The full Oscar nominations will be announced during a live stream on January 23 while the actual ceremony will air on March 4. She's the former Bachelorette who's known for always putting on a stylish display. And that was Kaitlyn Bristowe's aim at Monday night's Emmy Awards. However, a slight wardrobe malfunction left her in quite the pickle. The 33-year-old beauty was dressed in a stunning black gown, however, the zip split mid-show down to her 'mid-crack' - leaving her unable to give Betty White, 98, a standing ovation when she received an award for her 80 years in show business. Bad timing! Bachelortte Kaitlyn Bristowe's suffered a horrid wardrobe malfunction at the Emmys on Monday that left her unable to give Betty White standing ovation 'Sitting in the emmys and my zipper just busted and my butt is exposed and I can't get up and I dunno what to do,' she shared on Twitter. Kaitlyn also took to her Instagram Stories to post a photo for proof of her dilemma, captioning: 'When you're zipper breaks'. The reality star further explained to her followers that the zip had been broken to her 'mid crack', however, that wasn't her only problem. Gorgeous: She's the former Bachelorette who's known for always putting on a stylish display Sharing with her fans: The star took to Twitter to share the embarrassing news 'I either stood for Betty White and showed my a** or stayed seated and looked like an a**,' she Tweeted. And while Kaitlyn's 433K followers were trying to help her come up with solutions, she revealed there was another obstacle she was facing alongside the malfunction. 'Here's the kicker. I'm in the wrong seat and people are asking me to move,' she explained. Before the drama: The 33-year-old beauty was dressed in a stunning black frock, however, the zip split mid-show down to her 'mid-crack' - leaving her unable to give Betty White, 98, a standing ovation when she received an award for her 80 years in show business However, while she struggled to find a single person with some pins, it appeared as though everything worked out in the end. 'The couple let me stay, and he offers me his jacket every time we have to stand. Chivalry is not dead.' And just when fans thought it was all over, there was more, with Kaitlyn tweeting: 'THIS STORY JUST GOT SO MUCH BETTER'. Wardrobe change: And lucky for Kaitlyn, she had a spare dress back in her hotel room, making a quick wardrobe change before heading out to the Governors Ball 'They came and got us and moved us closer to the front, so I had to get up and waddle down in front of everyone, towards the front with my hands clasping my dress.' And lucky for Kaitlyn, she had a spare dress back in her hotel room, making a quick wardrobe change before heading out to the Governors Ball. 'The Governors Ball did not disappoint. I had 4 helpings of truffle mashed potatoes and it paired perfectly with my wine. Truly living my best life,' she captioned. The Canadian native rose to fame after placing third on The Bachelor and returning as The Bachelorette in season 11. She has been with her chosen fiance Shawn Booth since he proposed in the finale in 2015. Sofia Vergara wasted no time in setting an Instagram troll straight after they questioned whether she's had work done to her face. The Instagram user wrote a comment under one of Sofia's photos this week asking why the Modern Family star 'looks a little different now'. His comment read, 'lately i've been noticing that u did something to your face... i can't find what but your face looks a little bit different now' 'Looks a little bit different': Sofia Vergara has hit back at a troll on Instagram who questioned whether she had done something to her face Sofia, 46, took it in her stride as she responded simply, 'its called aging.' The Colombian beauty was also the target of another troll on her husband's Instagram account on Monday. The Spider-Man star shared a promotional video for Hulu which featured his wife of three years saying 'Never date Joe Manganiello. He ruins men forever.' A user wrote under the clip, 'How many takes for Sofia to pronounce your name correctly?' along with a laughing emoji. Don't feed the trolls: This Instagram user made his opinion known about the Modern Family star's face The 46-year-old TV star took it in her stride as she coolly replied 'it's called aging.' Got her back: Sofia's comment came after her husband Joe Manganiello stepped in to hit back at a troll who had made fun of Sofia's accent in a clip he posted After a commenter asked 'how many takes for Sofia to pronounce your name correctly?' the 41-year-old Magic Mike hunk came back with a perfect response The 41-year-old Magic Mike hunk came back with a perfect response, writing 'I hope you're sitting down for this one but it's her last name too'. Sofia opened up about her thick accent in 2017 when she told CBS: 'When it comes out, it comes out however it wants to come out,' she said. 'I cant control it. You think I would sound like this after 25 years in this country if I could control it? 'I think it's become more horrible,' she added. 'I started to learn that it's funnier when I would say ye-aas, like yes, so now, it's like I don't even know what my accent is anymore.' Sitting pretty: The star moved from Colombia to the USA in the late 1990s and still has a thick accent The Bachelor Nick Cummins' brother posted an insensitive meme about one of the show's contestants, Brooke Blurton, on Tuesday. Jacob Cummins, who briefly appeared on the show during a group date last month, shared a tasteless image that suggested Nick had 'turned' the 23-year-old youth worker 'straight'. In last Wednesday's episode, Brooke told the former Wallaby that she had previously dated women, but emphasised that she was not lesbian or bisexual. Scroll down for video Another PR disaster for Channel Ten: The Bachelor Nick Cummins' brother Jacob (left) posted an insensitive meme about one of the show's contestants, Brooke Blurton (right), on Tuesday The meme Jacob posted to Instagram included an image of Bachelor 2016 couple Richie Strahan and Alex Nation, as well as an image of Alex and her ex-fiancee Maegan Luxa, who she began dating after splitting with Richie. It also featured a paparazzi photo of his brother at Sydney Airport taken on May 10 and an on-set picture of Nick carrying Brooke in his arms during a group date. 'Richie turns them gay, Honey Badger turns them straight #Standard,' the meme was captioned. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment. Tone deaf: Jacob Cummins, who briefly appeared on the show during a group date, shared an image that suggested his brother Nick had 'turned' the 23-year-old youth worker 'straight' Brooke has said on the show that she doesn't consider herself bisexual or lesbian and is instead attracted to a person regardless of their gender. She told Nick during a cocktail party: 'This is really uncomfortable for me to tell you but... I've had two relationships with women.' 'When I was in those relationships, I looked beyond what they were as female and I really loved [them] for who they were as people,' she added. Offensive? The meme Jacob posted included an image of Nick at Sydney Airport taken on May 10 (left) and an on-set picture of Nick carrying Brooke in his arms during a group date (right) Insensitive? 'Richie turns them gay, Honey Badger turns them straight #Standard,' the meme was captioned. Pictured: Bachelor 2016 winner Alex Nation kissing her then-fiancee Maegan Luxa last year, following her split with Richie Strahan 'I'm not a bisexual or a lesbian or anything like that, I'm a big lover of people and who they are.' Alex, 27, has previously claimed that she always identified as pansexual. She told Cosmopolitan after debuting her relationship with Maegan last year: 'People ask, "Are you gay now?" And I say, "No, I'm just Alex!"' Sexuality: Alex, 27, has previously claimed that she always identified as pansexual. Pictured with her ex-boyfriend Richie Strahan in The Bachelor 2016 finale Jacob Cummins briefly appeared on an episode of The Bachelor that aired last month. He featured alongside several family members as they socialised with the contestants at the mansion. The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten Often considered an inspiration for Rupert Campbell-Black the hero of Jilly Cooper's bonkbusting 'Rutshire' novels legendary Old Etonian huntsman Robin Smith-Ryland is on the loose once more. For I can disclose that the thrice-married equestrian, now 64, has just filed for divorce from his wife, Lucy. But Smith-Ryland, whose only offspring a 40-year-old son, Alexander was born out of wedlock during an entanglement with an Australian lover, Denita Schaeffer, insists that he's not saddling up with anyone else, or certainly not at the moment. 'It's very sad; I guess we just grew apart,' he tells me from Sherbourne Park, his 2,000-acre Warwickshire estate, where Princess Margaret was a frequent guest. Robin Smith-Ryland's only offspring a 40-year-old son, Alexander was born out of wedlock during an entanglement with an Australian lover. Robin is pictured. 'Lucy's in my London flat. As far as I know, she hasn't got anyone else any more than I have.' The now estranged couple married in 2008, with Smith-Ryland (right) a former joint master of the Quorn, the Prince of Wales's favourite hunt in the days when Charles rode to hounds explaining that he wanted to 'do it quickly, before the hunting season started'. But he is almost as acclaimed for his restless romantic life as for his equestrian prowess. His first, short-lived marriage was in 1982 to Eliza Dugdale. Robin Smith Ryland is often considered an inspiration for Rupert Campbell-Black the hero of Jilly Cooper's bonkbusting 'Rutshire' novels. Jilly is pictured Speedily divorced, he re-married three years later, his new bride being noblewoman Baroness Helene de Ludinghausen, several years his senior. Three years ago, Smith-Ryland hosted a swingers' convention at Sherbourne Park but complained it was too 'tame'. Madonna should have followed Stella's style Material girl Madonna may have just turned 60, but she is still determined to get down with the kids as she showed when she turned up to Stella McCartney's London Fashion Week party. Sporting chunky sunglasses, the pop star paired an Adidas shirt, which had lace sleeves, with frayed black denim jeans. Stella, 47-year-old fashion designer daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, dressed a little more conventionally for her age in a blue one shouldered midi-dress. Madonna and Stella McCartney Stan Smith X Stella McCartney Party Did J.K. cast her spell on the council? J. K. ROWLING has been given the go-ahead by planners for a makeover of her 31-room Edinburgh mansion after it was deemed 'invisible' from public view just like Harry Potter's magic cloak. As I revealed last month, the author's architects were ordered back to the drawing board after council bigwigs slammed their 'completely garbled' plans for the 16th-century tower house. They have now been granted planning permission to turn a games room into a kitchen and the existing kitchen into a boots room and laundry. Rowling and her husband, Potter lookalike Neil Murray, needed consent because the house, for which they paid more than 2 million in 2009, is Grade II-listed and in a designated conservation are Countdown presenter Nick Hewer is not a fan of reality TV. 'I watched a bit of Celebrity Big Brother the other day. I would prefer to eat my leg, parboiled, through fishnet tights than do anything like that,' he says. 'How can people put themselves at the mercy of looking ridiculous?' Well, he should know, after his disastrous time on The Great Celebrity Bake Off earlier this year. Adds Hewer: 'I nearly had a nervous breakdown. I went home and didn't speak to anyone for four days because I thought I looked such an idiot.' She recently gave birth to her first child, thought to be a little girl. And Cheyenne Tozzi had a well-deserved night out on Tuesday, attending the opening of the new Bulgari store in Sydney. The 29-year-old certainly turned heads at the event, showing off her ample cleavage and incredible post-baby body in a black Alex Perry low-cut gown. Hot mama! New mother Cheyenne Tozzi shows off her eye-popping cleavage and incredible post baby-body in a racy Alex Perry dress after giving birth to her first child She accessorised with jewels from the Italian luxury brand, as well as a lust-worthy snakeskin handbag. The blonde beauty let her pregnancy glow shine through by wearing minimal makeup on her flawless complexion and had her flaxen locks out and styled in a soft wave. Cheyenne appeared to have ball during her night out, spending time with good friend Ricky Matthew, who works for her modelling agency IMG. Fun night out! Cheyenne had a ball with her good pal Ricky Matthew who works for IMG The outing comes after the Australian-born model, who was extremely private regarding her pregnancy, was seen tenderly cradling her newborn baby as she stepped out in Sydney last Friday. Looking every bit the besotted mum, she was accompanied by several friends as well as her model boyfriend, Marlon Teixeira, 26. Cheyenne and Marlon have not released any details about the arrival of their newborn, keeping the baby's name, sex and birth date a secret. A well-deserved night out! The blonde beauty recently gave birth to her first child, thought to be a little girl However, they appear to have welcomed a little girl, with the tot seen swaddled in a pink blanket on Friday. Last month, Cheyenne spoke about her pregnancy with Harper's Bazaar Australia. Like most expectant mums, the model said she was nervous about raising a child. Glowing: The mother-of-one showed off her post-pregnancy glow by wearing minimal makeup Stunning accessories! Cheyenne accessorised with a lust-worthy snakeskin Bulgari handbag 'Of course I'm freaked out about parenting, but Tahyna (her actress sister) has a little girl who I know will be close to mine, and my family always has lots of love and humour and support. We're strong women. I've got role models,' she added. Cheyenne will also be supported by boyfriend Marlon, who is one of the world's most in-demand male models. The couple confirmed their pregnancy back in June, saying they were 'thrilled' to be starting their family. BBC radio presenter Cerys Matthews's disclosure that she avoids playing records by privately educated musicians has amused the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland. For the Tory MP, 49, attended the same 12,369-a-year Welsh private school, St Michael's, near Llanelli, as Cerys. 'That is a risky road for her to take,' Buckland says of Cerys's comments. 'She was a year below me. 'I did lots of singing at school, as did Cerys, but she made more of a success at it than me.' Cerys Matthews's disclosure that she avoids playing records by privately educated musicians has amused the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland Bottoms up... but not in prudish Edinburgh One poster shows bare bottoms, and the other barred bottoms. The reason? The decency police north of the border have slapped a five-bar gate across the naked rear ends of a group of ladies running into the hills for fear it will offend audiences. The censored poster outside Edinburgh's Festival Theatre advertises a touring production of Calendar Girls Musical, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's show about ladies who pose nude for a calendar. The censored poster outside Edinburgh's Festival Theatre advertises a touring production of Calendar Girls Musical Yet audiences further south are embracing the 'ungated' version of the giant poster outside the Liverpool Empire. 'The poster is a celebration of beautiful ladies of all sizes, which is exactly what the spirit was of the original calendar so why censorship now?' despairs producer David Pugh, who was forced to provide alternative artwork. The Marquess of Bristol, 38, married earlier this year, and now his younger sister, the former 'It-girl' Lady Isabella Hervey, has some happy tidings of her own. The 36-year-old has told friends she's expecting a baby girl with her Belgian businessman husband, Christophe De Pauw. The couple already have two sons, Victor and Patrick. The news might be somewhat bittersweet for Isabella's older sister Lady Victoria, 41, who disclosed last year that she has frozen her eggs. Cara De La Hoyde admitted she was 'gutted and shocked' after being dropped as one of her BFF Olivia Buckland's bridesmaids at the last minute. The Love Island 2016 winner decided not to attend the star-studded ceremony following the embarrassing snub amid claims their friendship was on the rocks. While insisting she didn't want it to be a 'whole situation' and the wedding to be solely about Olivia and Alex, Cara did freely express her hurt feelings on the matter. 'I'm very shocked and a bit gutted': Cara De La Hoyde admitted she was 'gutted and shocked' after being dropped as one of her BFF Olivia Buckland's bridesmaids at the last minute The reality star told new! magazine: 'I'm very shocked that it happened. I didn't expect it. I'm a little bit gutted about the whole situation. 'It's Olivia's wedding and I want her to have an amazing day. The whole day's about her and Alex and that's what I want it to be about. 'I don't want it to be a whole situation. It's about them and their day and having an amazing time.' Olivia, 24, had previously warned MailOnline last year ahead of her upcoming nuptials that she would become bridezilla. Awkward: The Love Island 2016 winner decided not to attend the star-studded ceremony following the embarrassing snub amid claims their friendship was on the rocks Just married! Olivia treated fans to their first glimpse of the wedding bands worn by herself and her new husband in a sweet Instagram shot She told us at the time: 'I'm a little bit of a bridezilla. You don't realise how stressful it is until you go through it...I think bridezilla will make its way out fully eventually.' The newly-married star recently shared a string of cryptic posts about realising who her 'real friends are' after Cara revealed she wouldn't attend her big day. Olivia penned in her new! column that she hadn't spoken to her Love Island BFF in awhile but she assured fans that 'everything' was 'fine', despite the drama. The blonde bombshell married the man of her dreams Alex Bowen in a lavish ceremony surrounded by close friends and family. 'I do': Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen have married in an lavish ceremony surrounded by close friends and family Love: The reality stars are the first Love Island couple to say 'I do' after meeting on the beloved ITV2 series in 2016 Olivia and model Alex, 27, tied the knot on Saturday at Gosfield Hall, which boasts 10 acres of elegant grounds, in the blonde beauty's native Essex. The reality stars are the first Love Island couple to say 'I do' after meeting on the beloved ITV2 series in 2016. The reality duo are reported to have wed at the jaw-dropping Gosfield Hall, which boasts 23 luxurious bedroom suites for up to 67 guests. Ceremony: 24-year-old Olivia and model Alex, 27, tied the knot on Saturday at Gosfield Hall, which boasts 10 acres of elegant grounds, in the blonde beauty's native Essex The decadent venue can seat up to 116 guests under 'crystal chandeliers and double-height mirrors' in their main dining hall, the Marquis of Buckingham's Ballroom. Following a night of celebration, the couple are sure to spend their first night as man and wife in the Rococco Bridal Suite, which was decorated during the residency of King Louis XVIII. Having met on the 2016 series of ITV2's Love Island, Olivia and Alex came in second place behind Cara and her fiance Nathan Massey. Story: Following their stint on the popular series, the couple quickly moved in together in her native Essex in August 2016, before Alex popped the question during a romantic trip to New York that December after just five months of dating Following their stint on the popular series, the couple quickly moved in together in her native Essex in August 2016, before Alex popped the question during a romantic trip to New York that December after just five months of dating. Hunky scaffolder and fitness model Alex ignored claims that the couple were only a 'showmance' and popped the question after whisking Olivia away to a romantic trip to the Big Apple. Despite coming in second place to Nathan and Cara, the couple won over the hearts of the nation. In July, Olivia talked to OK! Magazine about her impending nuptials, which will see the show's host Caroline Flack attend, and revealed up to 250 guests would be attending. She said: 'I could cry now. Im so emotional about everything. Were having 100 in the day and 250 in the night. The day will be the lovey-dovey stuff and then the evening is a big party. 'We've got a special musical guest and Im so excited! Its someone Ive been a fan of for years. I dont think anyone will guess as its quite random.' Claire Foy didn't get to spend much time basking in the glow of her Emmy win Monday night. After only one brief night celebrating her big win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, the 34-year-old actress was back to work Tuesday The beautiful Brit traded her crown for a dragon tattoo to promote her upcoming film The Girl in the Spider's Web. Back to work: On the heels of her big Emmy win, Claire Foy was busy promoting her latest movie The Girl in the Spider's Web in Los Angeles on Tuesday Cheese! The actress was all smiles after winning the Emmy on Monday night for her role in the Netflix show The Crown Pose! Director Fede Alvarez posed with Claire, who is the star of his upcoming mystery thriller At an event for the thriller in Los Angeles, Foy was all smiles in a simple black Derek Lam 10 Crosby dress as she sat for a brief Q&A about the film. Her cropped brunette bob was blown out a bit more voluminously than her Emmy look the night before. The mother of one glowed with a fresh face of minimal makeup. Claire donned a short sleeve black dress with a keyhole neckline that fell to her shins and a pair of strappy heels. The dress featured small cutouts at her trim waist and gathered in the middle with large gold metal belt buckle. The Queen is stepping off the throne and into the iconic role of Lisbeth Salander, the dark crime avenging antihero from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Foy's new film is a soft-reboot of the films based on the Millennium Trilogy book series by Stieg Larsson. LBD: Claire opted for a simple little Derek Lam 10 Crosby black dress with matching black heels and a black belt with a statement belt buckle Q&A: The actress sat for a brief question and answer session at an event to promote her new dark thriller Iconic role: Foy is working with director Fede Alvarez on a soft reboot of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series Lisbeth Salander: Claire is taking over the iconic role of avenging antihero, Lisbeth, from Rooney Mara who starred in the American adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Following Larsson's death in 2004, author David Lagercrantz penned The Girl in the Spider's Web. Actress Rooney Mara originally played Lisbeth in the American film adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, however there were Swedish versions adapted from all three books boy Larsson. In The Girl in the Spider's Web, out in theaters November 9 in the US and November 21 in the UK, Mikael and Lisbeth 'encounter a web of spies, cybercriminals and government corruption.' Foy is heading to the silver screen after playing young Queen Elizabeth in the hit Netflix drama The Crown. On Monday, the she took home her first Emmy for the role and fought back tears during her speech. She dedicated her win in part to actor Matt Smith who plays the Queen's husband Prince Philip. The actress was up against an incredibly talented crop of actresses this year and her win came as a bit of a surprise. Outstanding! Accepting her Emmy last night, the 34-year-old dedicated her award to her costar, Matt Smith This was the star's last year of eligibility for the role. The new season of the royal drama will introduce an entirely new cast. The choice to recast the whole show is due to the speed in which the series flies through history. Seasons one and two saw Queen Elizabeth through her coronation and two decades of her rule. By season three, Her Majesty will be nearing 50-years-old and the rest of the characters will have likewise aged so the actors will all be replaced. Claire will give the reign to Broadchurch actress Olivia Colman and Matt Smith will be replaced by Outlander and Game of Thrones star Tobias Menzies. Vanessa Kirby who played Princess Margaret will be replaced by Helena Bonham Carter. Season three of The Crown will stream on Netflix in 2019. Sian Age: 20 Occupation: Fashion student Motivation for entering The Circle: She wants to test whether she can be popular based on just her personality alone. Because she wont meet other players face to face, The Circle will give her the chance to do just that. A sick Iraqi detainee who for years had been shuffled between Manus Island and "inadequate" medical facilities in Port Moresby has tried to kill himself by swallowing razor blades, an advocate says. The 46-year-old man swallowed more sharp implements after being admitted to the hospital and is now bleeding internally, Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul told AAP on Sunday. The asylum seeker, who has been held in Manus Island's offshore detention centre since 2013, has been hospitalised in Port Moresby multiple times over the last few years for a chronic stomach illness, Mr Rintoul says. He was transferred from Manus Island to Port Moresby's Pacific International Hospital for a third time last year and has remained there, under guard, for 17 months. The man had been held in what Mr Rintoul called the "two-star" Granville Motel for the entire time in Port Moresby, unable to leave except for further tests, alongside about 60 other sick detainees. On Friday the man had "had enough" of his chronic illness, indefinite detention and lack of treatment, Mr Rintoul said, and tried to end his own life by swallowing six razor blades. After he was admitted to hospital he swallowed two more blades along with a pair of nail clippers. His condition is unclear but a source told the refugee coalition the man is now passing blood. Mr Rintoul said the self-harm shows the slow, inefficient and inadequate treatment refugees experience under Australia's offshore processing regime, particularly when it comes to mental health support. "There's no reason to believe he was suffering something untreatable," Mr Rintoul said. "There are many people there with medical problems who could be simply dealt with if PIH had the facilities." It's not uncommon for detainees to endure months of treatment in Pacific International Hospital only to return to Manus Island in the same condition, Mr Rintoul said. "There are enough examples now of people being transported back and forth so they know there's no proper treatment," he said. Mr Rintoul said the medical access is a "sham" for detainees who remain Australia's moral responsibility. "There's another guy I saw who had receding gums," he said. "His life isn't in danger but he's got to a point where about eight front teeth are totally exposed. He's not got any effective treatment for two years." "The government is just creating circumstances where people either take their lives or return home. They're refugees, but there's no responsibility or duty of care." Pacific International Hospital and the Department of Home Affairs have been contacted for comment. Greg Inglis is free to play in South Sydney's preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters after being charged with grade one dangerous contact by the NRL judiciary. Inglis was sanctioned for the first-half crusher tackle on St George Illawarra's Tim Lafai in Saturday night's 13-12 win but the low grading means he can escape a suspension with an early guilty plea. The Dragons' Jeremy Latimore was also charged with a grade one dangerous contact sanction out of the match for his collision with Rabbitohs winger Campbell Graham. After a lifetime of working, Alison Park had planned to retire by her late 50s with her mortgage at least mostly paid off and with ample choices as to how to spend her hard-earned cash - including on travelling. But life had other plans. By 50, the Tasmanian's aggressive inflammatory arthritis led to a doctor telling her that if she didn't stop working, she would soon be dead. "My rheumatologist said if you keep going like this, I'll be coming to your funeral by the end of the year," she told AAP. Ms Park was forced to retire from her job as director of nursing at the Royal Hobart Hospital in 2007 and found her financial plan was turned on its head. "It was a complete 360, I had to rework everything," she said. She counts herself "eternally grateful" that she was permitted by the terms of her superannuation to draw on those funds early. But her new lifetime pension meant her income fell to at least a third of what it was, making repaying her mortgage and saving for any indulgences challenging, after paying for medications and appointments. "You make the best of what you've got," she said. "I've often said, and friends laugh, that if it means baked beans on toast for a week to be able to do what I do, then I do it." According to new research, Ms Park is not alone in feeling the financial strain of retiring early due to ill health, and neither is the Australian economy. A hefty $20.8 billion is lost each year in superannuation funds due to retirements forced by illness between ages 50 and 54, the study by Victoria University has found. Individuals lost on average $142,100 - compromised of $118,600 in balances foregone and $23,500 in funds withdrawn. Such retirements also cost the nation's gross domestic product $45.3 billion, or about 2.5 per cent of GDP. Professor Bruce Rasmussen at Victoria's University's Institute of Strategic Economic Studies says that's a significant blow to the economy and more than the government spends on defence annually. He said the cost of people retiring early due to ill health is far greater than some initiatives that may help them stay healthy and at work. "One of the suggestions might be that there should be better screening of both mental illness and muscular-skeletal problems, probably in the workplace," Prof Rasmussen told AAP. "The idea of getting onto these things early, as we've learnt in so many treatment programs, is a real advantage." The research, which Medicines Australia commissioned through the McKell Institute, involves fresh analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics's Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. Health conditions typically associated with early retirement include psychological and psychiatric illnesses, particularly depression and anxiety, and musculoskeletal and connective tissue conditions including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, neck and back problems. Federal Liberal Party president Nick Greiner has paved the way for preselection numbers to be revealed in Tony Abbott's seat of Warringah, saying there's no reason to keep it secret. "I can't particularly see why they shouldn't announce the result in any preselection," he told ABC TV on Sunday night. Mr Greiner said as the party had announced the result in Wentworth - in former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's old seat - the same should apply to the Sydney electorate of Warringah. Mr Abbott, who hopes to recontest the federal election in Warringah, reportedly faced a heated preselection endorsement meeting on Friday. "There are clearly very strong, different views about Tony - his views, the way he has behaved since he was defeated by Mr Turnbull. "It is not surprising there are both the passionate supporters and quite a few who are apparently against him. It is sort of the nature of democracy. I don't think we should get too excited about that." Yet Mr Greiner admitted it was technically a "matter for the state organisation" - the NSW Liberals. Federal Labor president Wayne Swan said there were concerns at the last federal election about whether Mr Abbott could retain the seat, let alone now. "I am sure there are Liberals on the ground who are concerned ... about his behaviour, and ... about whether they can hold the seat," he told the ABC. "We (Labor) learnt our lesson the hard way. The Liberals did not learn from us and the consequence of that is disillusionment with the political system and that affects all of us in the political system ... and undermines trust in democracy and undermines participation." A daily aspirin will not lower the risk of death or heart attacks in healthy older people but will increase the risk of internal bleeding, a major Australian-American study has found. The landmark study involving more than 19,000 people aged over 70 has shown that taking a low dose (100mg) of aspirin every day will not prolong life or prevent disability, despite common beliefs the pill helps healthy seniors live longer. Three papers published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Monday revealed the result of a seven-year study that could lead to a rethink of global guidelines relating to the use of aspirin to prevent common conditions associated with ageing. The clinical trial did not include people who take aspirin for medical reasons as advised by their doctor, including those who have already suffered a heart attack or stroke. Instead, it focused on answering the question of whether the drug reduced the risk of healthy seniors suffering their first heart attack or stroke, or losing their good health. Lead author Professor John McNeil says the results are clear: "If you don't need it, don't take it." The randomised double-blind trial, called ASPREE, was conducted by Monash University in Australia and the Berman Centre for Outcomes and Clinical Research in the United States. Using the help of GPs, researchers recruited 16,703 older people in Australian and 2411 in the United States, with approximately 9500 people in both the aspirin and the placebo group. The participants took a daily low-dose of aspirin every day for nearly five years, with researchers monitoring their health and any occurrences of disease, disability or death. They found an increase in the number of cases of serious internal bleeding among the aspirin takers (3.8 per cent) compared to the placebo group (2.8 per cent). "There was more bleeding, particularly from the stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract," Prof McNeil told AAP. The study also showed slightly higher rates of death in those taking aspirin, primarily from cancer, although the results were not statistically significant, he said. The "tentative finding" required further investigation as researchers in other studies suggest aspirin may prevent cancer, he said. Prof McNeil cautioned the findings did not apply to those with existing conditions where aspirin is recommended as a preventative measure against further heart attacks, strokes or angina. He said anyone with questions should follow the advice of their doctor. The APREE trial was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the Australian National Health and Medical Council, Victorian Cancer Agency and Monash University. Police forensic teams are continuing their search for evidence in the former Sydney home of Lynette Dawson, who disappeared more than 35 years ago. Ms Dawson was 33 when she went missing from the northern beaches in 1982, leaving behind two daughters. Investigators started to dig last Wednesday at Ms Dawson's old Bayview home, where she was living with her husband Chris Dawson, who has long been a person of interest in the case. The former Newtown Jets rugby league player denies any involvement in his wife's disappearance. Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Scott Cook, at the start of the search, promised to go "until we hit rock" as officers pull apart the yard and sift through the earth. The search would continue through Monday, a NSW Police spokeswoman told AAP. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is being asked to introduce pill testing at major events rather than follow through on her promise to shut down a dance festival after a spate of serious drug overdoses. Two people died and three remain critical suspected drug overdoses at dance festival Defqon.1 in Sydney on Saturday. Hundreds more sought medical treatment during the celebrations and Ms Berejiklian says she will shut down the festival. "Of course I want young people to have fun at these festivals, but this particular one has had a bad safety record and now we have had yet another night of terrible tragedy," she said on Twitter on Sunday. "I want to send the strongest message to event organisers. More needs to be done to address the serious drug culture at these events." Her social media account was quickly inundated by dozens of calls for new drug strategies, chiefly pill testing. "How about you engender real change?" one person wrote. "Drug reform and legalised pill testing. Prohibition has failed and continues to kill." "Shocking is 2 Sydney kids on mortuary slabs when Canberra kids had their pills tested and are still alive," another wrote, in reference to the ACT's use of pill testing at a music festival earlier this year. Their comments echoed calls from Greens MP David Shoebridge, who called for festivals to introduce pill testing, amnesty bins and other harm minimisation measures. Federal Liberal Party president Nick Greiner says there is no reason why Tony Abbott's preselection endorsement numbers should not be revealed despite it currently being under wraps. "I can't particularly see why they shouldn't announce the result in any preselection," he told ABC TV on Sunday night. Mr Greiner said as the party had announced the result in Wentworth - in former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's old seat - the same should apply to the Sydney electorate of Warringah. Mr Abbott reportedly faced a heated preselection meeting on Friday. "There are clearly very strong, different views about Tony - his views, the way he has behaved since he was defeated by Mr Turnbull," Mr Greiner said. Yet Mr Greiner admitted it was technically a matter for the NSW Liberals. Federal Labor president Wayne Swan said there were also concerns last federal election about whether Mr Abbott could retain the seat. "I am sure there are Liberals on the ground who are concerned ... about his behaviour, and ... about whether they can hold the seat," he told ABC TV. The government will work with the aged-care sector to establish the scope of a royal commission ordered by the prime minister. Scott Morrison announced the royal commission on Sunday following appalling cases of abuse of elderly people. The prime minister said when Australians make the challenging decisions of how their loved ones will be looked after, they need to have confidence in the nation's aged-care system. "That would have to be one of the toughest decisions you make. They are relying on you, 100 per cent, in their time of greatest vulnerability," he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday. The inquiry comes after audits at some facilities revealed a "disturbing trend" of non-compliance and abuses in the sector, he said. There was a 177 per cent increase in the number of aged-care homes where a serious risk to residents was identified in the past financial year. There was also a 292 per cent increase in the number of facilities that refused to comply with rules. The royal commission will look at the quality of both residential and home aged care, including how young Australians with disabilities are cared for in residential facilities. Mr Morrison said the government will take a few weeks to settle its terms of reference, in collaboration with the aged-care sector. A number of aged-care groups have welcomed the royal commission. But some have said they don't want it to slow down urgent reforms, which have been recommended by a range of previous inquiries. "We must press on with addressing key workforce and funding issues, and not lose sight of making the system better right now," Leading Age Services Australia chief executive Sean Rooney said. Mr Morrison said the government would not pause important work in the sector already under way. The search for the culprits inserting needles into strawberries is spreading after more punnets of contaminated fruit were found in South Australia and NSW. It's feared copycats might be behind the latest discoveries inside supermarket strawberries, with consumers warned to continue to cut up any fruit not on the recall list before eating it. Numerous needles and pins have been found in the fruit across the country, prompting the federal government to announce it's examining the states' handling of the problem. The latest contaminated batch was detected in Woodville, outside Newcastle NSW. The punnet of Wallace Road strawberries was bought from Coles at the nearby Stockland Greenhills shopping centre, NSW Police told AAP on Sunday. Authorities hope a $100,000 reward for information offered by the Queensland government will lead to the capture of the culprit or culprits. NSW detectives will meet on Monday to share information as they work to figure out the origin of the contamination. The sabotage spread to South Australia at the weekend, with a needle found in a punnet of Mal's Black Label strawberries on Sunday. Tasmania police are also investigation the possible contamination of a punnet bought at a Woolworths in Hobart. The discovery came as Coles and Aldi supermarkets pulled all strawberries from their shelves across the country, except Western Australia, as a precaution. Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries have recalled their strawberries nationwide. Police are also investigating contamination of fruit sold by Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries and Oasis in stores in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. Health Minister Greg Hunt has ordered the national food safety watchdog to assess the states' handling of strawberry contamination. "This is a very vicious crime and it's a general attack on the public, and it's also an attack on a specific industry," he told reporters on Sunday. A health warning to throw out or cut up strawberries remains in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. "Remember, if in doubt, throw them out. Otherwise, make sure you chop before you chomp," Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said. Scott Morrison faces a rocky week of parliament as a new poll shows the government still trailing the Labor opposition. The Fairfax-Ipsos poll gives Labor a 53-47 per cent two-party preferred lead over the coalition, down two points over the past month. After weeks of disunity within the Liberal Party, leading to Mr Morrison taking the reins from Malcolm Turnbull, only 49 per cent of voters believe the prime minister has the confidence of his party compared with 70 per cent for Mr Shorten. However, the poll had some positive news for Mr Morrison. The prime minister is considered trustworthy by 49 per cent of voters compared with 39 per cent for Mr Shorten. And the former federal treasurer's economic credentials are rated by 66 per cent of voters, compared with 47 per cent for the opposition leader. The government is expected to face pressure this week with Labor and the Greens seeking to refer Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to the High Court to test whether he is breaching the constitution over his family's financial interest in two childcare centres. Mr Dutton says his legal advice puts his eligibility beyond doubt. Labor leader Bill Shorten says the opposition will wait until it knows it has the support of some government MPs to try to refer Mr Dutton. An inquiry report due on Wednesday will shed light on another matter affecting Mr Dutton - his ministerial decisions to approve visas for two au pairs. Liberal unrest is expected to continue as party president Nick Greiner told ABC TV on Sunday night he didn't see why the results of the preselection in former prime minister Tony Abbott's seat of Warringah should not be publicly released. The result of another preselection, in the seat of Wentworth vacated by Mr Turnbull, is also expected to be aired in parliament. The Liberals preselected diplomat Dave Sharma, who does not live in the seat, despite Mr Morrison backing a female candidate. Mr Sharma faces a tough test against independent candidate Dr Kerryn Phelps, who announced her nomination on Sunday. Speaker Tony Smith will issue the writ for the October 20 by-election on Monday. The government's credibility will also come under scrutiny on Tuesday with an inquiry into the controversial granting of $444 million to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation taking evidence from the foundation's management. Labor will use parliament to seek details around the government's announcement of a royal commission into the aged-care system, which the coalition has previously rejected. Mr Morrison's announcement on Sunday did not include the terms of reference, cost, timing or who will be the royal commissioners. Peter Dutton faces another week of pressure and questions about his eligibility to sit in federal parliament. The Home Affairs Minister has been under intense scrutiny for almost a month because of his family's financial interest in two childcare centres. Section 44 of the constitution disqualifies anyone who has a "direct or indirect pecuniary interest" in any agreement with the Commonwealth. The calls for Mr Dutton to be referred to the High Court have been growing louder from all corners of politics. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who Mr Dutton attempted to push out of the top job before being replaced by Scott Morrison, tweeted from New York on Thursday that it should happen. Labor leader Bill Shorten has been urging more coalition MPs to "ventilate their feelings" about the situation. During the Liberal leadership crisis, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue advised that he could not categorically determine Mr Dutton's status and only the High Court could. Mr Dutton told parliament on Thursday the advice he has taken in relation to his position has "put the question beyond doubt". But constitutional law expert Anne Twomey told The Australian on Saturday that the solicitor-general's opinion brought up information that "raised considerably the risk of disqualification". Mr Shorten said there needed to be clarity about Mr Dutton's position. "This is not just Labor saying there's a cloud over the eligibility of a senior minister - it's now Malcolm Turnbull, it's now Julie Bishop," Mr Shorten told ABC TV's Insiders program. "The advice ... doesn't give a 100 per cent guarantee and having learnt the hard way myself, you're better removing all ambiguity and submitting it to the High Court." Greens MP Adam Bandt has been speaking to Liberal MPs about voting to refer Mr Dutton to the High Court, and the Greens believe support is rising. Mr Bandt threatened to move a no-confidence motion against Mr Dutton for misleading parliament last week. Queensland Police are yet to answer why a man on a train platform southwest of Brisbane was shot dead during a stand-off. It's believed the man had a knife on the platform at Ipswich Central train station and confronted officers, who were forced to open fire around 4.15pm on Sunday. The man, reportedly aged in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene after what was described as a brief encounter. No one else was hurt. Acting Superintendent Melissa Adams would not say why police fired at the man as the investigation was still in the "very early" stages. "To have one deceased person is one too many. This is a really traumatic time for police and for the local community and we are going to work as hard as we can to help people through that," she told reporters on Sunday. A number of commuters were on the platform and witnessed the incident, The Courier-Mail reports. They are being interviewed by police The Ethical Standards Command is investigating on behalf of the state coroner. Detectives are continuing their search of the home of a woman whose bones were discovered at the base of the Kangaroo Point cliffs in inner Brisbane. The remains were discovered by a passer-by last week in long grass near the popular riverside parkland area overlooking the city. Police have not released the cause of the 37-year-old's death and it's not known how long her remains were in the bag. The woman, who cannot be named for cultural reasons, had been missing since November 27 last year. Detective Senior Sergeant Warren Gibbs says the man who found the bag may have known the woman. "A lot of people around this location do know each other and do talk to each other," he said. The man and other people have been interviewed by police but no one is in custody. Police have searched the woman's home at Kangaroo Point, which is described as having fluid occupancy. Investigators are calling for people who shot drone footage over the area in the past year to review it for suspicious activity. Austrian world No.8 Dominic Thiem was full of praise for Alex de Minaur after being given the fright of his life by the Australian teenager in their Davis Cup reverse singles rubber. Thiem beat the 19-year-old 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-4 in an absorbing match that lasted almost three hours on outdoor clay at the Messe Congress complex in Graz on Sunday. The 25-year-old French Open finalist, who also ended Rafael Nadal's 51-week unbeaten run on clay at the Madrid Open in May, delivered his nation an unassailable 3-1 lead to ensure they'll be seeded in February's qualifying round for the new-look competition. Despite the defeat, De Minaur's performance against one of the best players in the world on home soil and on his favoured surface is another positive sign in what's been a magnificent 12-months for the world No.38 from Sydney. "Alex has proved he's world class this year," Thiem said. "At the US Open he played really good which was on a pretty slow hard court so I was not that surprised by how well he played today." Having raced into a two-set lead, Thiem looked on course to wrap up a routine victory similar to his dismantling of Jordan Thompson in Friday's opening rubber. But the resilient de Minaur took out the third set and then had two glorious opportunities to force the match to a decider after twice breaking Thiem's serve. However, the Austrian broke back immediately on both occasions then saved his third break point of the set before holding his nerve to close out the win. "I think I was really close," de Minaur said. "Being up a break in the fourth, I played not my greatest game and then I still had another break point at 4-4 so I really thought I was points away from going to the fifth and then anything could have happened. "At the end of the day, I've just got to learn from these things. "They do sting a lot but it's a learning process for me and hopefully next time I'm in the same situation I don't make the same mistake." Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt said he was proud of how his undermanned team performed in the absence of Nick Kyrgios. "We came here to win, but we also came here to give 100 per cent and leave it all out here, and if we weren't good enough, we weren't good enough," Hewitt said. "But I couldn't be prouder of my team - the guys that played, the guys that didn't play. "Everyone came here, they prepared, they did absolutely everything that we asked them to and they left it all out there." Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the alleged bullying and harassment of elected women in the Liberal Party has taken place in state branches, not in Canberra. Mr Morrison said there were "a range of views" about people's behaviour during the Liberal leadership crisis several weeks ago, but it was clear "intense lobbying" had taken place. "I should stress that in the cases when I've spoken to people specifically, it actually referred to what was happening back in their state divisions of the Liberal Party," he told the Nine Network on Monday. "It wasn't about what was actually happening here in Canberra, and so I've been raising that with the party organisation itself." South Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi threatened to name Liberal colleagues accused of bullying during the leadership crisis, while her Victorian colleague Julia Banks opted to quit politics altogether. The prime minister said there had been some "mixed messages" about what had occurred during the coup. "But honestly our party, our team here in Canberra, wants to focus on the issues that matter to the Australian people, not ourselves," he said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says he will "favourably consider" any request to extend the banking royal commission, after the inquiry confirmed regulators had been far too soft on bad behaviour. Mr Frydenberg has offered royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne more time to conduct his investigations, with an interim report due later this month and a final report expected in February. "We will leave no stone unturned in getting a better financial system which is better customer-focused for the Australian people," he told ABC radio on Monday. An opportunist thief has gone on a spending spree with a credit card that was accidentally left in a Melbourne ATM. A woman left her card in the machine on September 5 and the thief found it, withdrew cash, then used it to spend up at shops in Wheelers Hill, Malvern East and Richmond. Police released an image of a man they want to talk to. He looks to be Caucasian, in his late 20s, about 185cm tall, of solid build with a sleeve tattoo on his left arm and wears glasses. Fears over needles in Australian strawberries have spilled across the Tasman, with one of New Zealand's two major food distributors taking the fruit off its shelves as a precaution. Foodstuffs - which supplies various chains that make up about half of New Zealand's grocery store market - in a statement on Monday said it had stopped shipping Australian strawberries to its stores. While none of its products had been affected by the major recall in Australia, it had brought the freeze in to reassure customers, a spokesman said. The New Zealand strawberry season would kick off shortly, filling the supply gap, a spokesman said. New Zealand imports the fruit from Australia when it's out of season, from April to September. The announcement comes as needles were found inserted into more strawberries in South Australia and NSW over the weekend, adding to incidents across the country and prompting fears of copycat behaviour. The discovery came as Coles and Aldi supermarkets pulled all strawberries from their shelves, except Western Australia, as a precaution. Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries have recalled their strawberries nationwide. A health warning to throw out or cut up strawberries remains in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. One-in-three Australians are card-only shoppers and almost all prefer card to cash when given the option, a new survey suggests. The YouGov Galaxy poll of 1000 Australians released on Monday suggests millions have ditched cash or only carry it as a last resort. Four-in-five Australians say paying by card is much faster and more convenient than paying with cash, the poll commissioned by payment provider Square suggests. Close to five million haven't been near a bank or ATM in the past four weeks or can't remember the last time they withdrew cash. Australians under 40 carry just an average of $38 while baby boomers have about $72 in their wallet. The consumer behaviour is affecting organisations too with more than half of small and medium businesses believing their firm will become cashless in the future. Nathan Dalah and his team at Sydney's Fishbowl Sashimi Bar took that step this year after finding cash to "quite interruptive" and time-consuming for his staff. "Being cashless means we no longer have to rely on our staff members across multiple locations to physically count cash, reconcile it and take it to the bank," he said in a statement. "Card payments eliminate accounting errors and wasted time, plus the experience is better because the queues move faster and the service is cleaner." The poll is further backed up by Commonwealth Bank data released on Monday showing smartphone payments grew 35 per cent in the past six months. Australia has among the highest concentration of point-of-sale devices in the world with 960,000 EFTPOS terminals, electronic payments industry group AusPayNet says. And while we have more than 30,000 ATMs across the nation, that number has dropped by 1200 in the past two years. The number and value of ATM cash withdrawals have been declining since 2008, a Reserve Bank report said last year. Scott Morrison says he and United States President Donald Trump both understand that some voters feel like globalisation has left them behind. In an interview with the New York Times, published over the weekend, the prime minister said some feel forgotten as the global economy grows. "And that's what we get. The president gets that. I get it," Mr Morrison told the newspaper. Mr Morrison spoke with President Trump after taking over from Malcolm Turnbull and described him "very practical" and someone "who's not going to waste a day". Despite worries about President Trump's ability to keep his White House administration together, the newspaper said Mr Morrison was positive about the relationship between the two countries. "We look through the dust,'' Mr Morrison said. The newspaper also reported Mr Morrison has a model of a migrant boat in his office, with the caption "I stopped these" attached. The NSW government has performed yet another backflip, this time ditching a proposed ban on fishing at 25 new marine park sites between Newcastle and Wollongong. Just weeks after the government announced the proposal to create the aquatic parks, Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair on Monday backed down on the most controversial aspect of the plan. Despite the proposal still being out for public consultation, Mr Blair said the government would scrap the plan for fishing bans in the new marine parks. "The proposed lockout of fishers in the 25 sites is absolutely unacceptable," the minister told reporters in Sydney. Strawberry tampering did not happen in Western Australia despite the discovery of needles secreted inside a punnet grown there and exported to South Australia, the state health minister says. South Australian police are investigating but WA Health Minister Roger Cook says people should be "very confident" about local strawberries. "There has been no incident of tampering of strawberry products in WA," he told reporters on Monday. "People should obviously be cautious, but there should be no fear in consuming strawberry products. "We don't know where this took place ... the contamination may have taken place in South Australia." It's been almost a year since Jade Goodwin's body was found in a shallow grave in regional Victoria, but a forensic pathologist is unable to say how he died. Hastings friends Brendan McDowall, Shane Heiberg, Natalie Dalton and Olivia McOrmond are charged with murdering the 39-year-old father whose body was found at Tyabb on October 22. During a committal hearing for all four at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, magistrate Olivia Trumble heard the victim is believed to have died on October 15, though the cause is unknown. WHAT WE LEARNED * Human Services is getting an extra 2750 staff to handle a backlog of applications and delays in phone call responses. * 920,000 people will require aged care by 2050. -- WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN You can't trust Labor with the budget or the economy. -- WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT Why did the former treasurer (now prime minister) use his first budget to cut $1.2 billion from aged care. -- WHAT THEY SAID "How can the prime minister continue to deny a cut of $1.2 billion in aged care funding in his first budget, when it's here in black and white?" Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. "Only under the Labor Party can one plus one equal zero." - Prime Minister Scott Morrison on aged care funding, which he says is increasing year-on-year. "I don't want to fight about this issue - I want to fix it." - Morrison. "Will the minister now apologise to older Australians and their families for refusing to acknowledge the crisis in aged care?" Labor spokeswoman Julie Collins on Ken Wyatt's comment in May that the opposition was "fearmongering". "If Fatman Scoop's listening, I'll see him at RnB Friday." - Morrison. -- TWEETED @CatherineKingMP Kicked out of Question Time for calling out the Liberal cuts to the dementia supplement. My mum was among thousands of people affected by this cruel cut. Just another example of this Government's shocking record on aged care. A sister of a man accused of executing Sydney teenager Brayden Dillon has been charged as an accessory to the killing. Intruders forced their way into the 15-year-old's home and shot him in the head as he lay in his bed in Glenfield, in the city's southwest, in the early hours of April 14 in 2017. Strikeforce Wongala charged Conrad Craig with the teen's murder last July and later that month - a day after what would have been Brayden's 16th birthday - Sophie Massie was also charged with his murder. Investigators on Monday charged a 35-year-old woman, a relative of Craig, with being an accessory to the murder after the fact, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, perverting the course of justice, drug supply and participating in a criminal group. Police will allege the woman handled money to help provide a false affidavit on behalf of her brother and passed information about the murder between various people. They will also allege she obtained drugs to take into a prison under the direction of an inmate. She was expected before Blacktown Local Court on Monday. Australians should be protected from inevitable data breaches in the government's controversial e-health records, says Labor. Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King says Labor would not oppose privacy-strengthening legislation from passing the lower house, but would leave it to be debated in the Senate once an inquiry into the system had been completed. "It is foolish of any government to say this data won't leak at some point ... what are the protections for people when that actually occurs?" she said on Monday. A recent data breach at Perth Mint saw hackers take the personal details of about 3200 customers, far more than initially suspected, but investors have been assured their investment remains safe and secure. The mint said earlier this month the breach occurred on the system of a third-party technology provider and only involved 13 customers of the Depository Online precious metals trading platform. On Monday, the mint said it had emerged the number of affected customers was much higher than first thought, but their investments were safe and there was no evidence to suggest internal systems had been compromised. Armed police will be permanently based at some of the Northern Territory's poorest performing schools in a return of a program previously dumped. The new "school-based policing officers" will return from next month in 10 schools, selected on the basis of the high numbers of suspensions and incidents occurring there and identified "at risk" youth. The move comes amid sharp rises in assaults and suspensions at NT Education Department schools. The Sanderson Middle School in Darwin went into lockdown a fortnight ago when when a group of another school trespassed, threatening teachers and students. Sanderson will receive a police officer, with the other schools based around Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. The more support there was around young Territorians the better the chance of them having brighter futures and avoiding trouble as adults, Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Nicole Manison said. The president of the Northern Territory Council of Government School Organisations Tabby Fudge said the program was an example of a proactive approach to policing in the community. "School is a microcosm of the larger community and if we get it right in our schools, there are flow-on effects and people grow up happier with healthier results and we get it right with our kids," Ms Fudge told reporters. It will be up to police how visible their guns are but they will carry weapons in case there are nearby emergencies. When Ms Manison and Education Minister Selena Uibo visited Palmerston College on Monday, students were being given a class by police officers in cyber safety. The message was about not sharing too much personal information online, including intimate pictures, to avoid being blackmailed. Ms Manison said she had also asked police to be aware of Aboriginal children that were transient between remote communities and urban . centres make sure they received care and attention. "I've asked police to do make sure we have got the model right, this government's intention is to keep police in schools," she told reporters. Ms Manison said the new model aims to address issues raised during the Royal Commission into children in detention the NT, with a greater focus on safety, youth engagement and youth diversion. Deputy Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro said there was no new funding and of 150 government schools across the Territory only 10 would receive police, meaning most of the 33,000 students would miss out. An Adelaide woman has been found guilty of membership of the Islamic State terror group in South Australia's first terrorism trial. A Supreme Court jury returned their verdict against Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif on Monday after three hours of deliberations. The 23-year-old and her supporters did not show any emotion as the guilty verdict was handed down. Her lawyer, Bill Boucaut SC, asked for a six-week adjournment to obtain reports before a sentencing hearing, while Justice David Peek said she could be required to give evidence. Abdirahman-Khalif's supporters, who were present each day of the trial, covered their faces and said they did not wish to speak to waiting media in a fiery exchange outside court. When asked if they accept the jury's verdict, one responded: "You ask her yourself, don't ask me... Am I working? Am I getting paid? You get paid, you go and ask," while another told reporters she was not a terrorist. Abdirahman-Khalif had pleaded not guilty to membership of a terrorist organisation. During the trial, the court heard she was stopped by police at Adelaide Airport after she tried to board a plane to Istanbul in July 2016. Carrying only hand luggage and less than $200 in cash, she told officers she intended to work for an aid organisation and expected her living expenses and the cost of a flight home would be covered. Abdirahman-Khalif was later released, but arrested at the Port Adelaide TAFE SA campus in May 2017, following a year-long investigation. In evidence, a counter-terrorism police officer said 127 video files of "investigative relevance" were found on her phone, and the jury was played a compilation of violent scenes. The court also heard she had been in communication with three young women and knew about their deadly terror attack on a police station in Kenya before it occurred. In his closing statements last week, prosecutor Chris Winneke QC said Abdirahman-Khalif had "wholly embraced the concepts and aligned herself with the ideology of the Islamic State". He said she had gone a step further by taking action to become a member of the group. "She set off to go to Turkey, to engage with terrorists in the view of lending her support to Islamic State," he said "In doing so, she became a member of Islamic State." Abdirahman-Khalif was remanded in custody to reappear before the court in October. She is expected to appeal the verdict. Scott Morrison has stared down calls for Australia to abandon international emissions commitments, arguing engaging in climate wars won't cut power prices. The prime minister is holding firm against conservatives who are urging him to pull out of the Paris climate change target to reduce carbon emissions. "Engaging in the climate wars may tickle the ears of the ideologues, but it frankly it makes no difference to what's going to happen with electricity prices," Mr Morrison told Sky News on Monday night. He said Australia's strategic relationships with Pacific neighbours were too important to risk for a move which wouldn't help power bills at home. "Our strategic security partners - this is their number one issue," the prime minister said. "I'm not going to compromise Australia's national security by walking away from a commitment that was made a number of years ago." Mr Morrison again said Australia was on track to meet its Paris carbon emission reduction commitment "at a canter". But he warned Labor's 45 per cent emissions reduction target would be a disaster for power prices, compared to the 26 per cent Paris target. "Twenty-six is a low alcohol beer, 45 per cent is a full schooner of single malt when it comes to its impact on electricity prices." There will not be a ban on fishing in 25 new NSW marine parks after the state government backflipped on another controversial policy. Just weeks after the government announced the plan to create the aquatic parks, Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair on Monday backed down on the most contested aspect of the plan. Despite the proposal still being out for public consultation, Mr Blair said the government would scrap the plan for fishing bans in the new marine parks. The plan to ban fishing in the new marine parks has been dogged by criticism and a targeted campaign by the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. The minor party threatened to run in every coastal seat at the March state election, and campaign on the fishing bans, if the government did not back down on the plan. But Mr Blair denied it was a backflip because the plan was still out for public consultation. Environmental and conservationist groups have decried the backdown with one likening the decision to permitting hunting in national parks. There's more than two months until Victorians go to the polls but the state's politicians are gathering for their final week in parliament ahead of the election. The Labor government still has more than 20 bills awaiting consideration by the upper house, including laws for higher nurse-to-patient ratios, gambling amendments, and several law and order bills. As parliament resumes on Tuesday, it's a near certainty the workload will not be completed by the end of the week. It has been a hostile year in parliament, with both major parties using procedural moves to hold up the approval of laws. The state election is scheduled for November 24. Police detectives working to find out what happened to Sydney woman Lynette Dawson are back at square one after days of digging in the dirt beneath her former home yielded no clues about her disappearance. Ms Dawson was 33 when she went missing from the northern beaches in 1982, leaving behind two daughters. Her husband, Chris Dawson, has long been a suspect in the case but the former Newtown Jets rugby league player denies any involvement in her disappearance. Investigators dug up the Bayview home for almost a week but found no human remains and no significant clues. A police source on Monday told AAP the only things beneath the now torn-up lawn were large pieces of rock. The investigation into Ms Dawson's fate must now turn back to other avenues beyond the family home. The hunt for one of Australia's most wanted fugitive criminals continues after a false sighting in Melbourne's CBD left police red-faced. Victoria Police had to removed images online of a man officers had believed was alleged murderer Jonathan Dick, in Melbourne's CBD, just hours after their release. The man pictured came forward to police on Monday night after the images were released, and he was found not to be Dick. Police had believed the man was holding the same red-jacket Dick, 40, wore when he hit his former friend in the head with a hammer on a driveway in Keilor in August. Dick has been on the run since allegedly murdering his brother, David Dick, who was slashed across the head with a sword at Westfield Doncaster shopping centre last year. He was named in a Crime Stoppers list of Australia's 10 most-wanted outlaws in August. Two of Dick's distinct tattoos have also been published; a Wolverine versus Sabre-tooth tattoo on his right thigh to knee, and an Incredible Hulk tattoo on his left calf. Police urge anyone who sees Dick to phone triple-zero. Young Australians with disabilities living in aged care could be major beneficiaries of the royal commission into the sector, a leading housing provider says. Scott Morrison announced an inquiry into the aged care sector on Sunday after what he described as an "alarming and disturbing" spike in elder abuse and poor standards. The inquiry will look at the quality of both residential and home aged care, including how young Australians with disabilities are cared for in residential facilities. That could shed light on why young people are living in aged care in the first place, the prime minister has said. "That may give rise to observations to why people are finding themselves in those settings, which relate to services provided at a state level or in other areas," he told FiveAA radio on Monday. There are more than 6200 Australians aged under 65 with disabilities living in residential aged care facilities, according to Youngcare, which provides age-appropriate living spaces for young people with high-care needs. The group has welcomed the attention the royal commission will give to complex challenges that cohort faces. "This royal commission presents an opportunity to shape a national solution for young people with high-care needs," Youngcare chief executive Anthony Ryan said. "Every young Australian with high-care needs deserves to live in age-appropriate housing and lead a life of independence, dignity and choice." It comes after Greens senator Jordon Steele-John made an emotional plea on Monday for abuse against Australians with disabilities to be given greater focus as part of the royal commission. Senate leader Mathias Cormann said the terms of reference of the inquiry will be determined in consultation with the community. The government has also sought to bat away claims by Labor that it has cut aged care funding, with Mr Morrison telling parliament it has spent more than $1 billion extra on the sector annually. Age Discrimination Commissioner Kay Patterson said she was concerned the "argy-bargy" around the issue and upcoming media exposes would stop people working in aged care. "That's going to cost," she told ABC Radio on Monday. The former head of the CSIRO's atmospheric research team and a former premier are among a group of more than 50 experts urging the West Australian government to permanently ban fracking in the state. Graeme Pearman and Carmen Lawrence will visit WA's state parliament in Perth on Tuesday morning to call for the ban on fracking, with an open letter that also includes support from 2003 Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley and Climate Council chief Tim Flannery. The group penned the letter as they await the release of the final report by the WA Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into fracking. The WA Labor government called for the inquiry to decide on the future of the method after placing a moratorium on it throughout the state, as well as banning onshore gas fracking in the Perth, South West and Peel regions. The group of experts has grown from more than 30 scientists co-ordinated by the left-leaning Australia Institute who also urged the Northern Territory government to ban fracking. Former CSIRO atmospheric research head Graeme Pearman says WA is facing severe dry conditions with increasing fire seasons and heat waves as a result of global warming. "Within our children's lifetime, we are facing potential temperature rises of up to 6.5 degrees, with largely irreversible impacts on water supply, coastal flooding, crop and grazing production, human health and biodiversity," Professor Pearman said. Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare says fracking will make it impossible for Australia to meet its emission reduction target and threaten global Paris agreement targets. The Institute for Financial and Energy Analysis' Bruce Robertson says fracking in the state will drive up domestic gas prices to above global parity prices, as has happened in the eastern states. Scott Morrison wants bullies in the Liberal Party dealt with and efforts stepped up to get more women into parliament. He's told the party's federal executive to come up with a rigorous complaints process after NSW Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis announced she was quitting politics over "bullying" in her local branch. "Ann raised a number of genuine concerns with me regarding her treatment," the prime minister said in a statement on Monday. "This is in addition to complaints I have received from other colleagues about processes in the party's organisational wing." Mr Morrison has asked the party executive to ensure there is "a rigorous and confidential process" to deal with concerns and complaints from party members, including MPs. Frontbencher Kelly O'Dwyer said people needed to know their complaints would be dealt with independently. "Being rigorous, it needs to be independent," she told reporters on Monday. Mr Morrison also wants "concrete plans" to ensure the party attracts and supports outstanding male and female candidates. "I continue to make it clear that I want to see more women in the federal parliament," he said. "The federal and state branches of the Liberal Party will work towards that outcome." Ms Sudmalis will quit at the next election, making her the third Liberal woman in the lower house to announce her departure. "My decision has been made after six-and-a-half years of holding my pledge to be a team player in the face of NSW Liberal Party bullying, intimidation, leaking and undermining at a local level," Ms Sudmalis said. The MP's exit comes as the Liberal Party faces a backlash over its lack of commitment to preselecting women. Victorian Liberal Julia Banks announced she would quit at the election over bullying claims, while Queensland Liberal Jane Prentice is going after losing her own preselection. South Australian senator Lucy Gichuhi, who has been relegated to an unwinnable position on the Liberals' ticket for the next election, also threatened to name colleagues accused of bullying during the leadership crisis. Just under one in four Liberal MPs are women compared with almost 50 per cent in Labor ranks. Adani could take billions of litres of water from a Queensland river for its coal mining operations without proper scrutiny, environmental groups say. The Australian Conservation Foundation and Lock the Gate say Environment Minister Melissa Price did not apply an assessment known as the water trigger to the mining giant's proposed water infrastructure in the Galilee Basin. If approved they say it will allow Adani to pump 12.5 billion litres of water each year and pipe it to the Indian firm's Carmichael coal mine project. A former Northern Territory chief justice has been appointed to review South Australia's sentencing discount laws, Attorney-General Vickie Chapman says. The scheme, which offers criminals up to 40 per cent off their sentences in exchange for early guilty pleas, will be examined by Brian Martin QC AO. "I have asked Mr Martin to look at whether the level of the discount available to offenders gets the balance right in delivering benefits to the community while ensuring the level of punishment is appropriate," Ms Chapman said on Tuesday. Today's birthday, September 24: Broadway star and actor Ben Platt (1993 - ) With fans including Beyonce and Zac Efron, award-winning Broadway star and actor Ben Platt has cemented himself as an industry darling at only 25 years old. Born in Los Angeles in 1993, Platt is one of five children born to Jewish couple Marc and Julie Platt. Performing pedigree runs through the family's veins - his father is an acclaimed producer who worked on La La Land and Wicked, and his elder brother Jonah has also made his mark on Broadway. Platt scored his first role at age nine, performing alongside Kristin Chenoweth in The Music Man. He performed a number of small-scale roles throughout his earlier years at prestigious schools in LA, before being accepted to Columbia University after his graduation in 2011. Six weeks after classes started in 2012, he dropped out to take a role as Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Book of Mormon's Chicago production. At age 19, Platt is the youngest to ever play this role, which he reprised on Broadway in 2014. Platt found worldwide fame as magician Benji in the critically acclaimed first instalment of a capella comedy Pitch Perfect. He also appeared in the 2015 sequel. In 2015, Dear Evan Hansen premiered in Washington DC with Platt playing the titular role. The musical was positively received, and was picked up for a run at Off Broadway's Second Stage Theater, with Platt wowing as the lead again. His performance won the musical a year-long stint on Broadway, for which Platt won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2017. Dear Evan Hansen also won the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. Since wrapping up his stint as Evan in November 2017, Platt has a number of films and television shows in the pipeline. He is also currently working on his debut album, after being signed by Atlantic Records in late 2017. 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. Federal parliament's powerful privileges committee won't be investigating the withdrawal of funding for Katter's Australian Party in Queensland. KAP senator Fraser Anning wanted an inquiry into whether Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was in contempt of the Senate when she withdrew resources from the party after the senator made an incendiary speech, widely labelled as racist. Senate President Scott Ryan said it was hard to see how fewer resources for staff in state parliament stopped Senator Anning from doing his job. "It is not explained how the withdrawal of staff resources to Queensland state members of his party affects him in his duties as a senator," the president told parliament on Tuesday. Earlier in the month, Ms Palaszczuk pulled funding to party, led federally by Bob Katter and by his son Robbie in Queensland, after state MPs refused to denounce Senator Anning's first speech. In the address, Senator Anning called for a ban on Muslim migration and used the term "final solution" which he later denied was a reference to the holocaust. Win or lose Friday night's NRL preliminary final against Cronulla, Billy Slater has left an indelible mark in Melbourne. Ahead of his last-ever game at AAMI Park, and dependent on the result possibly his final NRL match before retirement, Slater has been honoured with a giant mural painted on a wall just a stone's throw from the ground. The 35-year-old, who has spent almost half his life at the Storm, said he was humbled to have a mural commissioned by the club and painted by Sid Tapia. "It's an iconic precinct here in Richmond with AAMI Park over the road and the MCG - it's a great area for sport so to have my mug on the wall is pretty humbling," Slater said on Tuesday. The mural is an image from last year's grand final of Slater holding up the premiership trophy, wearing the Clive Churchill medal for best on ground. The fairytale would be to bow out repeating the feat, with the team coming first for the Test and Queensland fullback. "The beauty of my situation is that the position that we're in is far bigger than myself," Slater said. "If we play well we'll give ourselves the chance to play in a grand final and that's what we've all been working really hard for the last 11 months. "It's a huge occasion - it's not about me the position we're in and what we've got in front of us if we play well. "We're working really hard to make it a special moment, in our preparation," Slater said of the team. "Obviously the result determines whether Friday night is my last-ever game or we go on to play in a grand final. "Either way it's my last game in Melbourne so it's pretty special." Slater said he wasn't getting caught up in the sentimentality of his last hurrah at AAMI Park. "I will keep everything as normal as possible," he said. "In the back of my mind I understand the position I'm in and the repercussions of winning or losing but my main focus is to play well and that's all I care about." The competition watchdog has warned dairy processors not to mislead farmers on milk prices, raising concerns inflated rates are being passed on to consumers. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's dairy inquiry found all contracts for milk supply allow processors to pass-through movements in farm gate prices to supermarkets. "Dairy processors need to be honest with farmers. We have written to a number of processors warning them not to mislead farmers by blaming private label milk contracts for the prices offered for milk at the farmgate," ACCC chair Rod Sims said. "We're concerned this is misleading as the power lies with processors to raise the farmgate price paid to farmers, and then pass these higher farmgate prices on to supermarkets." Farmers sell products to dairy processors who process and package the product, before onselling to supermarkets for sale to consumers. The ACCC's warning comes after an 18-month inquiry into the industry, with the findings released in April. Australian No.1 Ashleigh Barty overcame doubles partner CoCo Vandeweghe in a tough three-set encounter to progress to the second round at the WTA Tokyo tournament. Barty, the seventh seed, had to battle all the way in a 4-6 6-3 7-5 win over American Vandeweghe, her partner earlier this month in her first grand slam doubles triumph at the US Open. Australia's world No.17 will play either former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka or Japanese wildcard Kurumi Nara in the second round. If she's to go deeper into the tournament Barty will then have to potentially overcome world No.2 Caroline Wozniacki with US Open champion Naomi Osaka looming large in a semi-final. The devastated husband of a Sydney woman who remains in a coma after being T-boned by a speeding cop car is planning to launch legal action against NSW Police. Gai Vieira was critically injured in the collision at a Cronulla intersection on September 5. Her two-year-old grandson escaped unhurt. Police later confirmed the highway patrol car was travelling at 124 km/h in a 70 zone without flashing lights or sirens when the crash happened. The officer was, at the time, chasing a driver allegedly using their mobile phone. Ms Vieira's husband, Bert Vieira, on Tuesday vowed to launch legal action to force NSW Police to change the way they conduct pursuits. "I don't know what legal action will be taken but we will take it," he told AAP. Mr Vieira said he would leave it to his lawyer to determine the scope of any civil lawsuit. He's said NSW Police needs to be "hurt" before the organisation will change. The grieving race horse owner understands police have to pursue violent offenders at speed. But he argues when it comes to a driver using their phone the risk of harm to the community outweighs the benefit of making an immediate arrest. "I drive to work every day in this city, people are always on their phones, smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee in their cars, what happens if you chase them all?" he told AAP. "My life is lying in a coma. I don't think it's worth it." Mr Vieira said he was shocked the officer involved had not faced criminal charges almost two weeks after the crash. "Police have their rules and we have ours," he said. "We have to stop all that. Before we finish we will get all the right answers." Mr Vieira, choking back tears, revealed he was only speaking with the media because the "rules have to change". Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy late last week said the incident was "regrettable" and police were taking it very seriously. "Officers do not wake up in the morning thinking they're going to be involved in crashes," he told reporters in Sydney. "We don't want this to happen and we want the community to be safe." A critical investigation team is investigating whether it was reasonable for the police car's lights and sirens to be off. Mr Vieira is pleased the local council is considering installing traffic lights at the intersection where the crash occurred. "When my wife wakes up - and she will wake up - she will be so happy those lights are there to protect her family and every family in Cronulla." A Senate inquiry has urged the government overhaul a massive trade deal, restoring labour market testing and stripping out provisions allowing foreign investors to sue Australia. A Labor-dominated committee's report into the Trans-Pacific Partnership also called for legislation to ensure a future government cannot waive labour market testing. It said controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions should be removed from existing free trade agreements. The committee also recommended new laws to stop future administrations from signing deals with ISDS provisions. The rarely used provisions, common in trade agreements, allow foreign investors to sue countries if they believe they are not being treated fairly. The government argues the ISDS provisions protect Australian businesses overseas, denying it would see foreign companies sue the government. The 11-nation deal has sparked tensions within Labor, with backbenchers unsuccessfully moving motions in caucus on Tuesday trying to abandon support for the TPP. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has pointed to the example of New Zealand, which managed to negotiate out of some of the intellectual property provisions in the agreement, as an option for future Shorten government. Former trade minister Steve Ciobo says the deal gives Australian exporters easier access to 500 million consumers and will boost national income by $15.6 billion by 2030. Centre Alliance's Rex Patrick has been a strident critic of Labor for supporting TPP-11 legislation. "The recommendations are Groundhog Day - they're weak and the Senate needs to draw a line in the sand," Senator Patrick told parliament. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the idea a Shorten Labor government could change the deal once elected was "bollocks". "What is absolutely crystal clear is what a dog of a deal the TPP is for Australia," she said. The committee recommended creating a new accredited trade advisors body with industry, unions and civil society groups giving real-time advice on agreements during negotiations. Before new free trade agreements are signed, the Productivity Commission should undertake independent economic modelling for public release, the report said. Opponents of a proposed Apple store at Melbourne's Federation Square are rallying against the development. Advocacy group Citizens for Melbourne want the tech giant's flagship commercial store kept out of the central public space and plan to gather at Federation Square on Wednesday evening to call on the state government to reject the proposal. "Telling a retailer to do its retailing in a retail space - not in our public space - would be popular and cost us nothing," group president Tania Davidge said. Under plans supported by the government, the Yarra Building at the Fed Square site would be knocked down to make way for the Apple store and the Koorie Heritage Trust would be relocated nearby. National Trust Australia's Victorian division chief executive Simon Ambrose agrees it's a "no-brainer" to tell Apple to leave the precinct alone. He will be among the speakers addressing the crowd on Wednesday, along with City of Melbourne councillor Rohan Leppert and Ms Davidge. The National Trust has nominated Federation Square for the Victorian Heritage Register to recognise its "historical, architectural, aesthetic and social significance to the state". If successful, future developments at the landmark site would require assessment and permission from Heritage Victoria. The store was announced in December without public consultation and is expected to open in late 2020. Premier Daniel Andrews has previously said Melbourne should embrace the store or risk it being based in Sydney. The company has already offered a revised design for the building following initial outcry. Hong Kong weather authorities issued their maximum alert for the storm, which hit the city with gusts of more than 230 kilometres per hour (142 mph) and left 213 people injured, according to government figures Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into mainland China late on Sunday after leaving a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and Macau and killing at least 59 people in the northern Philippines. The world's biggest storm this year felled trees and sent skyscrapers swaying in high-rise Hong Kong, injuring more than 200 people there before making landfall on the coast of Jiangmen city, in southern China's Guangdong province. Provincial authorities said they evacuated a total of 2.37 million people and ordered tens of thousands of fishing boats back to port before the arrival of what Chinese media has dubbed the "King of Storms". State-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported the typhoon had killed two people in Guangdong. Super Typhoon Mangkhut Mangkhut left large expanses in the north of the main Philippine island of Luzon underwater as fierce winds tore trees from the ground and rain unleashed dozens of landslides. Hong Kong weather authorities issued their maximum alert for the storm, which hit the city with gusts of more than 230 kilometres per hour (142 mph) and left 213 people injured, according to government figures. As the storm passed south of Hong Kong, trees were snapped in half and roads blocked, while some windows in tower blocks were smashed and skyscrapers swayed, as they are designed to do in intense gales. The Philippines was just beginning to count the cost of the typhoon which hit northern Luzon on Saturday. The death toll jumped to 59 on Sunday evening, police said, as more landslide victims were discovered. Authorities said they would continue efforts in the morning to dig out a group of two dozen miners who are feared dead after their bunkhouse was hit by a landslide near the northern city of Baguio. Hong Kong's observatory warned that Mangkhut would pass 100 kilometres south of the city as it raised the storm alert to its highest level In the town of Baggao the typhoon demolished houses, tore off roofs and downed power lines. Some roads were cut off by landslides and many remained submerged. Farms across northern Luzon, which produces much of the nation's rice and corn, were swamped by muddy floodwater, their crops ruined just a month before harvest. "We're already poor and then this happened to us. We have lost hope," 40-year-old Mary Anne Baril, whose corn and rice crops were spoilt, told AFP. "We have no other means to survive," she said tearfully. - Flooding in Hong Kong and Macau - An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people. Philippine soldiers help a family with a sick child to a government vehicle after their ambulance failed to make it through fallen debris from Super Typhoon Mangkhut in Baggao town The latest victims were mostly people who died in landslides, including a family of four. In addition to those killed in the Philippines, a woman was swept out to sea in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, waters surged in the famous Victoria Harbour and coastal fishing villages, from which hundreds of residents were evacuated to storm shelters. Mangkhut was packing sustained winds of 175kph (110mph) as it hurtled toward China's heavily populated southern coast Some roads were waist-deep in water with parts of the city cut off by floods and fallen trees. In the fishing village of Tai O, where many people live in stilt houses built over the sea, some desperately tried to bail out their inundated homes. "Floodwater is rushing into my home but I'm continuously shovelling the water out. It's a race against time," resident Lau King-cheung told AFP by phone. The government warned people to stay indoors but some ventured out, heading to the coast to take photos. A couple with a child were seen by an AFP reporter taking pictures on a pier known as a popular Instagram spot as waves surged and almost submerged it. Typhoon Mangkhut killed at least 25 people in the Philippines as it smashed homes and left behind torrents of floodwater Others stayed at home but were terrified by smashing windows in their apartments. "The entire floor and bed are covered in glass," one resident told local broadcaster TVB after her bedroom window shattered. "The wind is so strong." Almost all flights in and out of Hong Kong were cancelled. Schools in the city will be shut Monday. In the neighbouring gambling enclave of Macau, all 42 casinos shut down for the first time in its history. As the storm moved past Macau, streets became submerged under water gushing in from the harbour. Emergency workers navigated the roads on jet-skis and dinghies, rescuing trapped residents. The government and casinos are taking extra precautions after Macau was battered by Typhoon Hato last year, which left 12 dead. burs-jm/ey/sm/amz/bp South Korea's Moon Jae-in will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the third time in Pyongyang this week South Korean President Moon Jae-in travels to Pyongyang this week for his third summit with Kim Jong Un, looking to break the deadlock in nuclear talks between North Korea and the United States. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the 1950-53 Korean War -- flies north on Tuesday for a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. No details of the programme have been announced but Pyongyang is likely to pull out all the stops to create a good impression, with tens of thousands of people lining the streets to welcome him. The visit comes after the North staged its "Mass Games" propaganda display for the first time in five years. The new show featured imagery of Kim and Moon at their first summit in April in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula -- prompting the unusual sight of tens of thousands of North Koreans in the May Day Stadium applauding pictures of Seoul's leader. One diplomatic source predicted the visit would see "Kim and Moon together receiving the same sort of applause". But while the summit at the Panmunjom border truce village was high on headline-grabbing symbolism, with Moon stepping briefly into the North and the two sharing an extended one-to-one woodland chat, pressure is mounting for substantive progress. Moon, who met Kim again in May, was instrumental in brokering the historic summit the following month between US President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, when Kim backed denuclearisation of the "Korean peninsula". But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. At the same time the US and South have sometimes moved at radically different speeds in their approach to the North. Moon will try again to "play the role of facilitator or mediator", said his special adviser on foreign affairs Moon Chung-in. "He believes that improved inter-Korean relations have some role in facilitating US-DPRK talks as well as solving the North Korean nuclear problem," he told reporters, using the North's official acronym. Last month Trump abruptly cancelled a planned visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang, after the North condemned "gangster-like" demands for what it called its unilateral disarmament. Washington has been adamant that the North carry out a "final, fully verified denuclearisation" first, while Pyongyang is demanding a formal declaration from the US that the Korean War is over. But Kim has since sent Trump a letter seeking a second summit and held a military parade for his country's 70th birthday without showing off any intercontinental ballistic missiles, prompting warm tweets from the US president. - Special guests - North Korea will want to exploit Trump's eagerness to declare progress before the US mid-term elections in November to secure concessions, said Go Myong-hyun, an analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, and will view "every meeting as a viable political opportunity" towards that goal. But whether Pyongyang is willing to offer something concrete in return is yet to be seen. Moon may try to convince the North Korean leader to verbally commit to providing a list of the country's existing nuclear programme, said Shin Beom-cheol, another analyst at the Asan Institute. The visit comes after the Moon's visit to Pyongyang comes after North Korea put on its "Mass Games" propaganda display for the first time in five years "It won't be South Korea that inspects and verifies, so if we can get something out of Kim Jong Un's mouth, that will be significant," Shin said, adding the next step could be a summit between Kim and Trump sometime in October. Despite the deadlock in denuclearisation talks, since the Panmunjom summit the two Koreas have sought to pursue joint projects in multiple fields. But North Korea is under several different sets of sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes, complicating Moon's desire to promote cross-border economic schemes. The dovish South Korean president is taking several South Korean business tycoons with him to the North, including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of the Hyundai Motor Group, whose founder was a wartime refugee from the North. "He is sending a message to the North to speedily complete denuclearisation, conclude talks with the US so that South Korea can begin full-fledged economic cooperation," said analyst Go. And special advisor Moon Chung-in added that the South Korean president could look to persuade Kim to come up with a "somewhat radical and bold initiative", such as dismantling some nuclear bombs, and press the US for reciprocal measures. "And the United States should be willing to come up with major economic easing of economic sanctions," he said. Syria last held local elections in December 2011 Voting began across government-controlled parts of Syria on Sunday for the war-ravaged country's first local elections since 2011, state news agency SANA said. Polling booths opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and are expected to stay open for 12 hours. "Voting centres opened for citizens to cast their ballots to elect their representatives in the local administrative councils," SANA reported. "More than 40,000 candidates are competing for 18,478 seats across all provinces," it said. Syrian state television broadcast footage of voters around Damascus and in the coastal government bastions of Tartus and Latakia dropping their ballots into plastic boxes as election officials looked on. Syrian troops now control around two-thirds of the country after scoring a series of military victories in recent months, including around Damascus and in the country's south. Voting was expected in some of the recaptured areas. The number of seats had slightly increased from the roughly 17,000 open in the last elections, as smaller villages had been promoted to fully fledged municipalities. The councils operate at the municipal level, and newly elected representatives are expected to have more responsibilities than their predecessors, especially those linked to reconstruction and urban development. Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the conflict. It held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that renewed President Bashar al-Assad's rule for another seven years. Australia's strawberry industry faces a threat from a mystery saboteur An Australian state has offered a large reward for information after sewing needles were found in strawberries sold in supermarkets, in what the federal health minister described as a "vicious crime". The issue came to light last week when a man was taken to hospital with stomach pains after eating the fresh produce bought at a supermarket in Queensland state. Since then, people have posted on social media photos of other strawberries with small metal pins stuck into them. Several brands grown in Queensland have been withdrawn from supermarkets, and there have been multiple reports of other cases in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. "Whoever is behind this is not just putting families at risk across Queensland and the rest of Australia -- they are putting an entire industry at risk," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Saturday. Her government is offering a Aus$100,000 (US$71,500) reward for any information that leads to the capture and conviction of those responsible. "I would urge anyone with information that may be relevant to this incident in any way to contact police as soon as possible," she added. Queensland Police told national broadcaster ABC the contamination of the strawberries -- usually sold in small plastic boxes called punnets -- was done "obviously to injure somebody". They have yet to reveal possible motives but the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association said a disgruntled former worker might be responsible. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said Sunday he had ordered the national food safety watchdog to assess the handling of the cases, calling the sabotage a "very vicious crime". The Queensland strawberry industry is valued at about Aus$160 million (US$114 million). The ABC said Saturday wholesale prices had fallen by half to 50 Australian cents per punnet, below the cost of production. Consumers have been urged to cut up their strawberries before eating. A voter dips her finger in ink at a polling station in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on September 16, 2018 Syrians in government-controlled areas cast their ballots on Sunday in the first local elections there since 2011, when the country's ill-fated uprising erupted against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Seven years since the last vote, the conflict has killed more than 360,000 people, forced millions more to flee, and left the economy in tatters. Now, Syrian troops are back in control of around two-thirds of the country after a string of victories, most recently around Damascus and in southern Syria. More than 6,550 voting centres opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) across government-held parts of the country, state media reported. Sunday is a regular working day in Syria but voting was extended by five hours until midnight (2100 GMT) because of "high participation", state news agency SANA said, without giving turnout figures. It said more than 40,000 candidates were competing for 18,478 seats on local administrative councils. Women walk past a poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus during local elections on September 16, 2018 In Damascus, election posters mostly featuring incumbents were plastered across public squares, including in the Old City. Mohammad Kabbadi, a 42-year-old government employee, cast his ballot in the Bab Sharqi district of the capital for a candidate from his neighbourhood. "I know exactly who I am going to vote for -- he's young, active and his victory will bring good things to residents of this area," said Kabbadi. - 'Change for the better' - State television broadcast footage of voters around Damascus and in the coastal government bastions of Tartus and Latakia dropping their ballots into plastic boxes as election officials looked on. Voting was also under way in areas recaptured by the government in the past year, including the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, recaptured in full last October by Syrian troops after fierce battles against the Islamic State group. A man votes in Syria's first local elections since 2011 on September 16, 2018 in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus Mohammad Tah, 36, said he was happy to vote but hoping for an improvement in the city's ravaged infrastructure. "I'm optimistic that the incoming council will rebuild and recover the city after the huge destruction suffered by years of fighting," he told AFP by telephone from Deir Ezzor. East of the capital, people trickled into a school being used as a voting centre in the town of Jisreen. Jisreen was overrun by government troops this past spring as they seized the broader area of Eastern Ghouta from rebels in a blistering two-month assault that left the suburb in ruins. "These are the first elections... in Jisreen since the problems began," said Abu Haytham, a 64-year-old voter. "We hope these elections will change things for the better, to pave the streets and improve the electricity." - 'Why vote?' - No voting took place in areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of the northeast and rebel-held Idlib province in northwest Syria that has become home to some three million people. Syrian troops have amassed around the opposition bastion for weeks, although an expected assault appears to be on hold for now as regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey try to hash out a deal on Idlib. A vast majority of the candidates in Sunday's polls were members of the ruling Baath party or affiliated to it, which deterred some people from casting their ballots. "Why vote? Will anything change? Let's be honest," said Humam, a 38-year-old working in the capital's Mazzeh district who opted to stay at home. A woman casts her ballot for Syria's first local elections since 2011 in Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of the capital Damascus The number of seats has slightly increased from the roughly 17,000 available posts in the last elections, as smaller villages had been promoted to fully fledged municipalities. Council members serve four-year terms at the municipal level and are mostly responsible for service provision and other administrative matters. Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the conflict. It held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that renewed Assad's reign for another seven years. Aerial shot of houses destroyed at the height of Typhoon Mangkhut in Gattaran, in Cagayan province The skeleton of a shattered school, bare walls of homes stripped of their roofs and vast cornfields drowned in muddy floodwaters: this is the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut as seen from the air. A day after the world's worst storm of the year carved a path of deadly destruction across the northern Philippines' agricultural heartland, AFP was able to fly over some of the damage in Cagayan province. Clumps of trees were picked clean of their leaves by the gusting winds of up to 255 kilometres (160 miles) per hour that tore through the region. Multiple homes were missing part or all of their roofs. Rivers swollen from the typhoon's torrential downpours overflowed their banks and inundated massive stretches of farmland. Harvest time for much of the region was just weeks away. "I saw widespread damage to planted crops, mostly corn. The corn crops were destroyed," said national disaster agency chief Ricardo Jalad. Among the hundreds of buildings destroyed, an elementary school was missing most of its green roof, the bare bones of its rafters now exposed to the elements. The stacked students' chairs were visible from above. Authorities were still assessing the extent of destruction in the remote, hard-to-access area, but 115 schools were believed to have been destroyed. "It is tearful looking at the damaged schools. The books and computers were really covered with mud and destroyed," Education Secretary Leonor Briones told reporters. Damage to schools alone would cost 106 million pesos ($1.9 million), she added, while officials had yet to fully count the cost of flooded crops. The storm is just one more hardship for the nearly five million people who live in its path, a quarter of whom survive on a few dollars per day. Authorities say they have yet to make a full assessment of the destruction as six provinces in the northern Philippines remain without power and communication lines. The death toll now stands at 49. Aerial shot of flooded rice and cornfields near Alcala, Cagayan province Authorities said they would offer aid to farmers while planning to airlift vegetables, fruit, poultry and fish from the southern island of Mindanao to augment the food supply in the north. Lean Goldin holds a picture of her son Hadar (L) in the family home in Kfar Saba, central Israel Leah and Simha Goldin have been thrust into an unwanted spotlight -- but all they want is finally to be able to bury their son who served in the Israeli army. From their living room in central Israel, surrounded by books and family photos, they have waged a years-long campaign to bring back the remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Their efforts have received increased attention in recent weeks as mediators seek a long-term truce between Israel and Gaza's rulers Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement believed to be holding his body. "This thing that's in our hearts -- to run around with a knife in our hearts -- has been forced upon us," said Leah, a computer scientist. "We're not diplomats. We're not legal experts," she said at her home in Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv. The Goldins argue that Israel's government has not done enough to bring back the remains of their son. The couple met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 2, along with the family of another soldier killed in the war, but they accuse the premier of "still doing nothing significant". They say a long-term truce deal with Hamas that does not guarantee the return of their son's remains would be a mark of shame for Israel and an insult to the family. Netanyahu told them "there would be no arrangement in the Gaza Strip without the return of the boys". - Pressure on Hamas - Hadar Goldin was killed on August 1, 2014 while serving with the Israeli army Hadar Goldin's remains and those of another soldier killed in 2014, Oron Shaul, are believed to be in the hands of Hamas. Two Israeli civilians -- both reputed to be mentally unstable -- are also believed to be in Hamas custody after entering the blockaded Gaza Strip. The Islamist movement has mooted the possibility of an exchange, but the price would likely be high. In 2011, Israel traded over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the release of Gilad Shalit, a soldier held captive in Gaza for more than five years. The Goldin family says Israel's government should instead find ways to further pressure Hamas. Last year, partly in response to the Goldins' campaign, Israel imposed new restrictions on the Islamist group, including refusing to return the bodies of its militants. "It's first and foremost the Israeli prime minister's responsibility, the same one who sent Hadar to war," said Leah. The family has organised events to raise public awareness, including exhibitions of Hadar's colourful paintings of landscapes and people. They attend parliamentary discussions on their cause and meet with ministers and lawmakers. Supported by former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler, they have participated in sessions at the United Nations Security Council and the European Parliament. Leah has vowed to keep up her efforts -- "even if I have to reach Gaza" -- not just for her son, but for soldiers "who will fight the next war". - Gaza assault - Leah (L) and Simha Goldin have campaigned for four years to recover the remains of their son Hadar, who was killed in the 2014 Gaza war Hadar Goldin was part of a team of Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip on August 1, 2014 trying to find and destroy militant tunnels. A 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire had been declared that morning, and as a result Israel says Goldin's team was prohibited from using weapons during their search except in the case of immediate danger to their lives. According to Israel's military, the soldiers came under fire from Gaza militants who killed Goldin and took his body into a tunnel. Two other soldiers were also killed. Israel's military did not know at the time if Goldin was dead or alive, and it launched a massive operation to find him and attack militant posts. The assault came to be known as "Black Friday". Rights groups say more than 130 Palestinians civilians died, while Israel's army acknowledges that up to 70 civilians were killed unintentionally. The war would end later in August without Goldin's body being recovered. Netanyahu "could have conditioned the end of the war on returning the soldiers", said Simha. Missing soldiers evoke particular emotion in Israel, a country of around nine million people where military service is compulsory for most Jewish citizens. "The initial deed of granting a dead soldier a Jewish burial is an act of true grace," said Simha, a history professor. "Any Jew in the world knows that's the first thing to do, and it hasn't been done." Myanmar journalist Wa Lone (C) is escorted by police after being sentenced earlier this month Several dozen people rallied in central Yangon on Sunday against the jailing of two Reuters journalists, lamenting the shrinking space for free expression in Myanmar despite the advent of civilian rule. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were sentenced two weeks ago to seven years behind bars under the Official Secrets Act. The judgement sent shockwaves through the country's nascent community of journalists because it echoed life under the former junta, when the press was heavily censored and reporters routinely jailed. The ruling also sparked a global outcry against Myanmar's army and against de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to speak up for the pair. "We are very angry. We are disappointed in the new government. Shame on them," activist Maung Saung Kha, 25, told AFP. "We condemn the sentence... they should be released." Protesters released black balloons emblazoned with photos of the two jailed reporters. "The image of the country has been hurt by the court decision," protester Thin Zar Shun Lei Yi added. While journalists have rallied to the reporters' cause -- some using the hashtag #arrestmetoo -- the general public has been apathetic in its response to the verdict. The reporters were arrested in December while investigating the extra-judicial killing by security forces of 10 Rohingya men during last years military crackdown against the stateless Muslim minority. The incident was later acknowledged by the army. The UN says a campaign of widespread murder, rape and arson forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into Bangladesh. UN investigators say the violence merits the prosecution of top generals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Its rights arm is due to release the full findings of its investigation into the crackdown in coming days. The reporters will appeal against the verdict but the process will likely take many months, if not years. A presidential pardon is also a possibility. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C-R) attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his offices in Jerusalem Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday his country is taking action to stop its foes from acquiring sophisticated arms, hours after Damascus said Israeli missiles targeted its airport. Israel has not officially confirmed or denied a report by Syrian state news agency SANA of an attack late Saturday on Damascus international airport. "Israel is constantly working to prevent our enemies from arming themselves with advanced weaponry," Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying at the start of his cabinet's weekly meeting. "Our red lines are as sharp as ever and our determination to enforce them is stronger than ever." SANA quoted a Syrian military source as saying that air defences "shot down a number of hostile missiles" during the attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes hit a weapons depot outside the airport. Israel has vowed to prevent its arch-foe Iran, which is a main backer of the Damascus government, from gaining a military foothold in neighbouring war-torn Syria. Earlier this month, Israel acknowledged having carried out more than 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months, mainly against Iranian targets. It has also admitted to striking Syria to prevent what it says are deliveries of advanced weaponry to Lebanon's Hezbollah, an armed movement backed by Iran and which fights alongside Syrian troops. The last reported Israeli strikes on Syria took place on September 4, when Syrian state media said the military's air defences downed several missiles in the coastal province of Tartus and in central Hama. Netanyahu was speaking two days before the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, and the anniversary of the outbreak of the Yom Kippur war. The 1973 conflict started with a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria that Israel was only able to defeat after setbacks that caused severe losses. "Forty-five years ago, intelligence erred by holding to a mistaken assessment regarding the war intentions of Egypt and Syria," he said. "When these intentions became clear beyond all doubt, and when the danger was on our very doorstep, the political leadership made a grievous mistake by not allowing a pre-emptive strike. We will never repeat this mistake." Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979, but the Jewish state and Syria are still officially in a state of war. United Nations special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths is pictured upon arrival at Sanaa airport Fresh clashes and air strikes around the Yemeni city of Hodeida have killed 32 rebels, hospital and medical sources said Sunday, as the UN envoy kept up peace efforts in Sanaa. A military source told AFP the Saudi-led coalition fighting alongside the Yemeni government against Shiite Huthi rebels carried out an air raid on a radio station tower in the port city of Hodeida. Three people died in Sunday's raid, he said, while Huthi-run Al-Masirah television said four people were killed, three security guards and a station employee. According to medical sources in Hodeida province, which is controlled by the Huthis, at least 32 insurgents have been killed and 14 others wounded in clashes and air strikes since Saturday. The coalition accuses the Tehran-aligned Huthis of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida and has imposed a partial blockade on the port, which the rebels seized in 2014. In June, pro-government forces launched a major operation to retake both the city and its port, the entry point of most of the impoverished country's imports and aid. The troops, backed by coalition air strikes, have retaken a number of towns across Hodeida province but have not yet breached the city. Map of Yemen locating Hodeida, where at least 32 rebels were killed, hospital and medical sources said The coalition in July announced a temporary ceasefire in Hodeida to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. The UN's Yemen envoy, Martin Griffiths, arrived Sunday in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, without making any statement to the media. Griffiths is pushing for new peace talks after a failed attempt to bring the two sides together in Geneva earlier this month. The rebels kept away from the talks, accusing the UN of failing to guarantee the return of their delegation from Switzerland to Sanaa and to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. The Huthis' foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdallah, said his side supported the UN's peace efforts and urged it to pressure the coalition to stop "targeting civilians", the rebel-run news agency Saba reported. He called for confidence-building measures such as the reopening of Sanaa airport to commercial flights and the payment of civil servants' salaries in all areas of Yemen. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in 2015 in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Huthis. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands on the brink of famine. Israeli forensic policemen inspect the site where an Israeli man was fatally stabbed by a Palestinian near a mall at the Gush Etzion junction near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on September 16, 2018 A Palestinian fatally stabbed an Israeli-American man near the entrance to a mall in the occupied West Bank on Sunday before being shot and wounded at the end of a brief foot chase, officials said. The man killed, Ari Fuld, was a right-wing activist who has appeared regularly on television, but a police spokesman said there was no indication he was targeted for that reason. Fuld, 45, was a father of four who lived in the Israeli settlement of Efrat, near the mall where he was stabbed. The Palestinian attacker was 17-year-old Khalil Jabareen, from the village of Yatta in the southern West Bank, according to Palestinian security sources. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Jabareen was moderately wounded. The incident took place at the Gush Etzion Junction south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, according to Israel's military, which provided the details of the stabbing. Surveillance footage shared on news sites and social media showed the assailant approaching an older man near the mall entrance and stabbing him several times. He is then pursued by civilians and shot nearby. There is regular friction between Israelis and Palestinians at the junction, which lies near a major Israeli settlement bloc and has been the site of numerous lone-wolf Palestinian attacks. - Vocal defender of Israel - Fuld created a Facebook page called "Israel Defense Page" and was a hardline defender of Israel in his television appearances. During last year's march by right-wing Israelis through east Jerusalem's Old City to commemorate 50 years since Israel seized control of it in the Six-Day War, Fuld said it was a "miraculous day" for Jews. "Today we are celebrating the unification of Jerusalem," he said. US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on Twitter that "America grieves as one of its citizens was brutally murdered by a Palestinian terrorist." "Ari Fuld was a passionate defender of Israel & an American patriot." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "in the name of every citizen of Israel, I send my condolences to the family of Ari Fuld, who was murdered today in a terrorist attack". "He was an advocate for Israel who fought to spread the truth about Israel." A wave of Palestinian knife attacks against Israelis broke out in 2015, but they have since become sporadic. On September 3, a Palestinian wielding a knife approached an Israeli military checkpoint near the hardline Kiryat Arba settlement in the Hebron area and was shot dead by soldiers, according to the army. In a stabbing attack on July 26 in the West Bank settlement of Adam, one Israeli was killed and two wounded. The 17-year-old Palestinian attacker was shot dead. There are concerns that tensions between Israelis and Palestinians will increase this month as Jews celebrate their high holidays and pay more visits to holy sites. In previous years, increased Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City -- what Jews call the Temple Mount -- have led to such tensions. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. While protests and clashes have continued at varying levels along the blockaded Gaza Strip border since March 30, the West Bank has remained relatively calm. In the Gaza unrest, at least 179 Palestinians have been killed since March 30. One Israeli soldier has been killed in the Gaza border area since then. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, of seeking to use the protests to carry out attacks or infiltrations. It says its actions are necessary to defend the border. Palestinians and rights groups say protesters have been shot while posing little threat. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008. mib-ssh-cmr-mjs/dv Teodorin Nguema Obiang is vice president of Equatorial Guinea and son of its longtime president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema More than $16 million in cash and luxury watches were seized at an airport in Brazil in the luggage of a delegation accompanying the son of the president Equatorial Guinea, local media reported. Teodorin Nguema Obiang, vice president of Equatorial Guinea and son of its longtime president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, arrived Friday on a private plane at Viracapos airport near Sao Paulo as part of an 11 person delegation. O Estado de Sao Paulo reported on its website late Saturday that federal police found $1.5 million in cash in one bag and watches worth an estimated $15 million in another. TV Globo said Obiang was the only member of the delegation who had diplomatic immunity as the group was not on an official mission. The bags of other delegation members were inspected as Obiang waited outside in a car, it said. Brazilian law prohibits people from entering the country with more than 10,000 reais, or about $2,400, in cash. Brazil's foreign ministry told AFP that it was "in permanent coordination with the federal police and the customs service over the case and to decide what measures should be taken." The embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Brasilia did not respond to questions about the matter. O Estado de Sao Paulo quoted a diplomatic source from Equatorial Guinea as saying the money was to pay for medical treatment Obiang was to undergo in Sao Paulo. As for the watches, they were for the "personal use" of the president's son, and were engraved with his initials, the report said. Accused of using public funds to support a lavish lifestyle, Obiang was sentenced in France to a three-year suspended sentence in October 2017 for money-laundering. He has visited Brazil several times, attending the 2015 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro when a samba school won top honors for a Equatorial Guinea-themed parade but was heavily criticized because of alleged funding for it by the Obiang regime. Obiang, an autocrat with broad powers to rule by decree, has been in power for 38 years. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas pictured at a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee. He accuses President Trump of bias in favour of Israel and says he is blackmailing them to force them to accept the White House's The United States has cut additional aid to the Palestinians for programmes supporting conflict resolution with Israelis, an official said Sunday, adding to more than $500 million in other cuts. The latest cuts come from $10 million in programmes on reconciliation involving Palestinians as well as Jewish and Arab Israelis. The portion of the money involving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip was being redirected to programmes between Jewish and Arab Israelis, a US embassy official said. It was not clear how much of the $10 million was being redirected. US officials also could not confirm whether the latest cut meant all non-security related aid to the Palestinians had now been eliminated. "As announced in August, the administration redirected more than $200 million that was originally planned for programmes in the West Bank and Gaza," a US embassy official said. "At the same time we redirected a portion of the $10 million which was planned for conflict management and mitigation." The official said the portion involving Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza would be used "to enhance" programmes in Israel instead. US President Donald Trump has said he will withhold aid from the Palestinians to force them to negotiate as the White House prepares a plan for Middle East peace -- what he has called the "ultimate deal". The Palestinian leadership cut off contact with the White House after Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December. They accuse Trump of blatant bias in favour of Israel and say he is blackmailing them to force them to accept the White House's terms. In recent weeks, the US government has announced more than $500 million in cuts in Palestinian aid, including cancelling support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. It has maintained security-related aid, having provided $61 million in assistance this year. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. Tariq Ramadan, a prominent and controversial figure within Islam, insists all relations with his two accusers in France were fully consensual Prosecutors in Geneva have opened a rape and sexual misconduct investigation against Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, who has been detained in France since February on separate rape charges, Swiss media reported Sunday. The Tribune de Geneve newspaper quoted Geneva's prosecutor's office spokesman Henri Della Casa as saying that authorities had decided to open a formal criminal inquiry into allegations that Ramadan raped a woman in a Geneva hotel in 2008. "I confirm the opening of an inquiry," the paper quoted Della Casa as saying, a key step that indicated the authorities believed the allegations merit further investigation. The accuser lodged her complaint in April. "The prosecutors and Geneva police have worked quickly and worked well," Romain Jordan, the lawyer representing Ramadan's Swiss accuser, told AFP in an email. He described the decision to open a criminal inquiry as "a major advance" that "demonstrates the seriousness of the allegations made by our client." Ramadan, a Swiss citizen whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement, has not yet been interviewed by Swiss prosecutors. Jordan said that following the opening of a criminal case, Swiss investigators will now have to travel to France to hear Ramadan's side of the alleged rape. The 56-year-old scholar, a prominent and controversial figure within Islam, has denied any criminal wrongdoing. Ramadan, who took leave from his post at Oxford University after the allegations surfaced, has complained that his imprisonment has made it more difficult for him to receive treatment for multiple sclerosis. Ramadan, a married father of four who is one of European Islam's best-known figures, is being held in a prison hospital in Fresnes, south of Paris. On Tuesday, Ramadan will be questioned in the presence of a second accuser, a disabled woman identified as "Christelle" who claims he raped and beat her in a hotel in the southeastern French city of Lyon in 2009. Palestinian protesters wave national flags in front of Israeli troops during a protest on September 14th, 2018. Protesters protested against Israel's plans to demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, in the occupied West Bank An American-French law professor arrested by Israel while protesting against the demolition of a Palestinian village in the West Bank is to be deported, his lawyer said Sunday. US-born Frank Romano, who teaches law at the Paris Nanterre University, was detained on Friday while taking part in a demonstration at the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem. "There is an administrative decision to deport him," lawyer Gaby Lansky told reporters. A spokeswoman for the Israeli interior ministry could not immediately confirm such a decision. The village of roughly 200 people in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is at risk of being demolished at any time, despite fierce criticism from key European nations. On September 5, Israel's supreme court upheld an order to raze it on grounds it was built without the proper permits. It is extremely rare for Palestinians to be given Israeli permits to build in Area C of the West Bank, where Khan al-Ahmar is situated. The village is located in a strategic spot near Israeli settlements and along a road leading to the Dead Sea. There have been warnings that continued settlement construction in the area could eventually divide the West Bank in two and cut it off from Jerusalem, dealing a death blow to any remaining hopes of a two-state solution. Anti-demolition activists said Romano was arrested along with two Palestinian protesters when they tried to block bulldozers sent in by Israeli authorities to seal off an access road to the village. Pictures on social media show him being led from the scene by Israeli riot police. The party of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz won an additional 22 seats in Saturday's runoff vote, bringing its majority to 89 in the 157-seat parliament Mauritania's ruling Union for the Republic party scored a meagre victory in municipal elections in the capital Nouakchott while sweeping legislative polls, according to official results announced Sunday. The party of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz won an additional 22 seats in Saturday's runoff vote, bringing its majority to 89 in the 157-seat parliament. Another four seats representing overseas constituents remain to be filled through a vote by MPs. The UPR fared worse in municipal elections. In Nouakchott, the party clinched the regional council with barely one percentage point more than the radical opposition Islamist Tewassoul coalition, said electoral commission (CENI) spokesman Moustapha Sidel Moctar. It won six of Nouakchott's nine districts, some by just dozens of votes. It was still an improvement on 2013, when the UPR won five districts. Mauritania, a former French colony, is a frontline country in the fight against Islamist extremists. Aziz, 61, came to power in a coup in 2008. He won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. He has been frequently accused by opposition figures and NGOs of rights abuses, and though he says he will not seek a third mandate -- which would be against the constitution -- statements by ministers and supporters have led some to suggest he might. The other three went to the radical opposition including two to the Tewassoul party, which won 14 seats in parliament. CENI revised upwards its turning estimate from around 40 percent to nearly 64 percent. It said full results could be expected early in the week. The president, who voted in Nouakchott, hailed the results of the first round, saying Saturday: "Mauritanians have voted for stability, development and progress". They had "rejected religious extremists and racists who have destroyed the country and tarnished the image of Islam around the world," he said. Syrian health workers hold opposition flags and roses as in the village of Atme in northern Idlib province on September 16, 2018 More than 300 doctors and nurses rallied Sunday in the rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib, urging the international community to protect them against an expected offensive by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Brandishing roses and wearing white coats and blue surgical uniforms, the demonstrators gathered in front of the hospital in Atme, near the border with Turkey, an AFP correspondent reported. Backed by its ally Russia, the Syrian regime has targeted several areas of Idlib with artillery and air strikes, sometimes hitting hospitals and rescue centres in the country's last major opposition stronghold. But the intensity of the Russian air strikes has dropped off in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor that gets its information from sources on the ground. The protesters in Atme, both men and women, waved the flag of the Syrian revolution as well as placards in English that read "UN, protecting us is your responsibility". Another directly addressed UN Syria envoy Staffan De Mistura, telling him "protecting health worker in Idlib is part of your mission". "We call for an end to the strikes against hospitals and our protection by the United Nations," said nurse Fadi al-Amur. Medical staff in Atme, a town in the rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib, urge the international community to protect them from an expected regime offensive "Medical staff are neutral. We treat civilians affected by the Russian and Syrian air strikes," he told AFP. The United Nations said an air strike on September 6 struck an NGO-backed hospital in Kafr Zita, a town in the neighbouring province of Hama, putting it out of service. It said information on the location of the hospital had been provided to parties whose aircraft are involved in the conflict in order to avoid such incidents. Two days after the attack on the hospital in Hama, a strike hit and damaged an underground hospital on the outskirts of Hass in Idlib, according to the Observatory. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that the Syrian regime was not preparing a major offensive on Idlib, and that his government would do everything to protect civilians. The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly warned that such an offensive would unleash a "bloodbath" and "humanitarian catastrophe" in Idlib, which is home to three million people. The Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, when the Assad regime waged a vicious crackdown on pro-democracy protests that evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and world powers. It has killed an estimated 360,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. Kavanaugh released a statement Friday denying the incident, saying: "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time" A college professor went public for the first time Sunday to accuse President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s, prompting calls to postpone the nomination vote. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, initially detailed the allegations about Brett Kavanaugh in confidential letters to her local congresswoman and later to California Senator Diane Feinstein, a senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Now Ford has told The Washington Post she had decided to waive her anonymity because she felt her "civic responsibility" was "outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation" after the basic outlines of the story emerged in media last week. Kavanaugh had previously released a statement on Friday denying the incident, saying: "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time." Ford, who is a registered Democrat herself, told the Post in an interview that one summer in the early 1980s Kavanaugh and a friend, both of whom were "stumbling drunk," cornered her in a bedroom at a teenagers' party in a house in Montgomery County, just outside Washington. Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed while his friend watched, she said, then groped her while attempting to remove her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing on top of it. When she attempted to scream for help, Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth. "I thought he might inadvertently kill me," said Ford, who is now 51 years old and lives in northern California. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." She said she was finally able to escape when another of Kavanaugh's classmates at his prestigious private school, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them, whereupon all three were sent tumbling and she was able to escape the room, first locking herself in a bathroom briefly before fleeing the house. She added she did not tell anyone about the attack until 2012 when she brought it up during couples counseling therapy with her husband. The therapist's notes from the time, seen by the Post, do not mention Kavanaugh by name but otherwise echo the claim, describing an attack by students "from an elitist boys' school" who went on to become "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington." Notes from a subsequent therapy session a year later describe the attack as a "rape attempt." - 'An insult to women' - A number of Judiciary Committee members urged holding off on a vote in light of Ford's testimony -- including Republican Jeff Flake, a vocal critic of Trump, who told the Post that she "must be heard" first. One of 11 Republicans on the panel with 10 Democrats, Flake's support is key to moving forward. The Judiciary Committee is currently due to vote on the nomination on September 20. A vote of the full Senate would follow if the committee approves his nomination. "I've made it clear that I'm not comfortable moving ahead with the vote on Thursday if we have not heard her side of the story or explored this further," Flake said. Senator Dick Durbin echoed that call, adding that "we also must respect and listen to Dr. Ford, who is now a target of personal attacks because she had the courage to come forward." Senator Feinstein meanwhile said that "from the outset, I have believed these allegations were extremely serious and bear heavily on Judge Kavanaugh's character." "I support Mrs. Ford's decision to share her story, and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation," added Feinstein, who had previously forwarded the allegations to federal authorities. "This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he would "gladly listen" to further comments from Ford, urging it must "be done immediately so the process can continue as scheduled." Chuck Schumer, who is the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, also called on the committee's Republican chairman to postpone the vote so the accusations could be probed. "For too long, when women have made serious allegations of abuse, they have been ignored. That cannot happen in this case," Schumer said. "To railroad a vote now would be an insult to the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court." UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths gives a press conference on September 5th. He is pushing for new peace talks The United Nations is working to open a humanitarian air bridge to take Yemeni cancer patients for treatment at qualified facilities, WHO country representative for Yemen Nevio Zagaria said Sunday. "The aim is to help patients suffering from cancer, chronic diseases and congenital anomalies receive the treatment they need," Zagaria said, adding that 12 health conditions had been targeted. These include leukaemia, cervical and thyroid cancer, and "patients who need... bone marrow and kidney transplants," said Zagaria of the World Health Organization (WHO). The air bridge will operate for an initial trial period of six months, WHO said, without specifying where the patients would be sent for treatment. "Eighty percent of patients for this flight are women and children," Zagaria said, adding: "The air bridge is one of their last hopes." Twenty-two million people, or three in four Yemenis, require some form of humanitarian assistance in the conflict-ravaged country. On Sunday, hospital and medical sources said clashes and air strikes around the city of Hodeida killed 32 rebels. A military source told AFP the Saudi-led coalition fighting alongside the Yemeni government against Shiite Huthi rebels carried out an air raid on a radio station tower in the port city. The coalition accuses the Tehran-aligned Huthis of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida and has imposed a partial blockade on the port, which the rebels seized in 2014. The coalition in July announced a temporary ceasefire in Hodeida to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. The UN's Yemen envoy, Martin Griffiths, arrived Sunday in the rebel-held capital Sanaa. He is pushing for new peace talks after a failed attempt to bring the two sides together in Geneva earlier this month. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in 2015 in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Huthis. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands on the brink of famine. A cross is seen in flood water at a cemetery in Grifton, North Carolina Hidden in North Carolina's coastal plain, Contentnea Creek is a local treasure, a place to fish, paddle and birdwatch -- but after Hurricane Florence's torrential rains, the stream has morphed into a menace. Waters in this tributary of the Neuse River are now dangerously close to the small bridge providing access to the tranquil, rural village of Grifton, population 2,500. Deadly Hurricane Florence has weakened. But authorities warn the danger is far from over, with swollen waterways threatening catastrophic flooding. Residents in Grifton are scrambling to prepare for the worst, having taken a hard hit from past monster storms Floyd in 1999 and Matthew in 2016. Bridge access will likely be cut Wednesday, when it's predicted that waters bloated by pounding rains unleashed by Florence, since downgraded to a tropical depression, will peak. The creek has already begun overflowing its banks in some spots, but for now emergency personnel are largely on standby. "People who needed to be evacuated were evacuated," said Justin Johnson, Grifton's fire chief. "We continue to patrol the area, but people have already been through Hurricane Matthew and know what to expect." Matthew roared into the Eastern Seaboard in 2016, making landfall in Florida before slowly marching up the US East Coast. The northward turn took several states, including North Carolina, by surprise; unprepared for severe flooding, 26 people died. But this time, local authorities have appealed to the US National Guard for relief operations help. - On guard - A car is partially submerged in floodwater near a house in Grifton, North Carolina Sergeant John Brandt and his team were deployed to Grifton, where they've been camped out for several days in a room in the local fire department barracks. "The Fire Department crews are mostly volunteers, but their professionalism is amazing. They are well trained," Brandt said from the cabin of his rescue vehicle. "It's great for North Carolina to have all these great resources helping to keep the death toll low." As even higher floodwaters loom, the National Guard reserves are lending a semblance of reassurance to locals, whom Brandt said have been "really accommodating." A mailbox peeks out from the floodwaters along with the top of crosses at a cemetery. Pointing out in front of the deluged road that passes by, Brandt says yesterday the area was still passable. A few prefabricated cottages at the edge of the stream appear abandoned, and Brandt says many of them were condemned post-Matthew. "They were bought by the FEMA and supposed to be destroyed in the next couple of weeks," he said from behind the wheel. But perhaps even more than the still fresh memory of Matthew, that of 1999's Floyd has Grifton residents like Denise Harper on guard. "After Floyd, we got cut off, there was nowhere to go, water everywhere, the military had to come to bring us some food," the nurse said. "A lot of people have evacuated already. It's worrying to watch the water slowly rising." Area authorities have set a curfew from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am to minimize risks at night, but according to the town's mayor Billy Ray Jackson, these measure are not always enough. "You can put mandatory evacuations and curfews in place, the problem is to enforce them. You'll always have people thinking they can ride it out," he said. "And those people are the first ones to call for help when in trouble, putting other people's lives at risk." A man uses a pickaxe on September 15, 2018 to expand a cave in Kafr Ain, a rebel-held village in the south of Syria's Idlib province The grotto in northwestern Syria has already saved his children's lives once. Fearing more air attacks, Abdulmonem is expanding the makeshift bomb shelter in case they need to take refuge there again. Residents of Idlib province and surrounding areas have been bracing themselves for a Russian-backed government offensive on the country's largest remaining rebel-held zone. Some three million people live in the area and the United Nations has warned that a full-scale regime assault could spark the century's worst humanitarian catastrophe. Residents' fears have been heightened by Russian and Syrian air strikes, artillery fire and barrel bombs that have killed more than 30 civilians across the province in the past month, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Sat outside the craggy cave opening in his hometown of Kafr Ain, in Idlib's south, Abdulmonem Sheikh Jassem explains how he is trying to keep his family safe. "About 10 days ago, we started digging out, expanding, and equipping the cave in case there's new bombing," says Jassem, a 55-year-old former truck driver. Citing a bad back and knee problems, he has hired a labourer to transform the grotto into a full shelter. Working by the dim light filtering in through the mouth of the cave, the elderly worker chips away at the rock face with a pickaxe to widen the cramped space. The builder's two scrawny children, covered in a thick layer of dust, move rocks torn loose from the wall to a wheelbarrow outside, which they periodically dump in the nearby hills. "We're expanding it out, then we'll paint it and put stairs at the entrance so you can go up and down easily," says Jassem, who has four daughters and two sons of his own. - 'Scared for my children' - Two years ago, Jassem and his family rushed to the very same cave to hide from an incoming regime helicopter. "Our house was demolished but we were in the cave, thank God, so no one was wounded or hurt," he says, his coarse salt-and-pepper hair tapering down into stubble on his tanned, wrinkled face. "I'm the most scared for my children," he says. "Fear is normal for those who have a family." The regime's use of air raids across Syria has sent residents fleeing to basements or caves, even forcing hospitals, community centres and schools to move underground Syria's conflict erupted in 2011. Within four years, rebels and hardline jihadists had overrun swathes of territory, including Idlib province. But since then, government troops have made a fierce comeback and recaptured nearly two-thirds of the country, bolstered by Syrian and Russian warplanes. The regime's use of air raids across Syria has sent residents fleeing to basements or caves, even forcing hospitals, community centres and schools to move underground. Medics in rural parts of Idlib have done the same. On September 8, an underground hospital on the outskirts of Hass in the south of the province was damaged by an air strike, according to the Observatory. A recent wave of strikes near the town of Hobeit further south sent Abu Mohammad, his uncle and his young cousins into their homemade bomb shelter, he tells AFP. The family dug out the large cellar during the early years of Syria's war. The floors and walls have been smoothed over with concrete and painted, and several fluorescent bulbs cast a blue-white light into the room. A shelf carved into one wall holds water and jars of pickles and other preserves. - Stocking up - "The bombing got worse on this area because it's close to regime territory in northern Hama province," just south of Idlib, says Abu Mohammad, 25. "We had to clean the shelter out again, bring preserves and everything we might need so that we won't have to go back up to the house." Residents of Idlib province and surrounding areas have been bracing themselves for a Russian-backed government offensive on the country's largest remaining rebel-held zone The UN has urged the conflict's top powerbrokers -- Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- to engage in talks to avoid a "bloodbath" in Idlib. Bombardment has slowed over the past week, and on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that Syrian troops were planning a major offensive on Idlib. For eight-year-old Omran, a cousin of Abu Mohammad, the most important thing is being able to go to school safely. The threat of air attacks has prevented the dark-eyed boy going to class for more than a week. "I have lots of friends who have been wounded and some of them died," says Omran. "I want to read, write, and go to school every day." Typhoon Mangkhut stripped traditional bamboo scaffolding from constructions sites across Hong Kong Hong Kong began a massive clean-up Monday after Typhoon Mangkhut raked the city, shredding trees and bringing damaging floods, in a trail of destruction that has left dozens dead in the Philippines and millions evacuated in southern China. The death toll in the Philippines, where the main island of Luzon was mauled with fierce winds and rain, rose to 65 overnight as rescuers pulled more bodies from a huge landslide in the mountain town of Itogon. National police spokesman Senior Superintendent Benigno Durana told AFP that 43 other people are missing, and more than 155,000 people remain in evacuation centres two days after the typhoon struck. No caption After tearing through Luzon and pummelling Hong Kong and Macau, the storm made landfall in mainland China late Sunday, with two reported dead in Guangdong province. Authorities there said they had evacuated more than three million people and ordered tens of thousands of fishing boats back to port before the arrival of what Chinese media had dubbed the "King of Storms". In the high-rise city of Hong Kong, the government described the damage as "severe and extensive" with more than 300 people injured in Mangkhut which triggered the maximum "T10" typhoon alert. A man drives his motorbike through partially flooded streets a day after super Typhoon Mangkhut in Yangjiang, in Guangdong province The monumental task of cleaning up the city began as residents, some in suits and ties, struggled to get back to work on roads that remained blocked by felled trees, mud and debris. Schools were closed, along with bus services, and travel disruption saw commuters piling onto platforms trying to board infrequent trains after trees fell on overhead lines. Landslides and severe flooding affected some areas, with over 1,500 residents seeking refuge in temporary shelters overnight. After tearing through Luzon and pummelling Hong Kong and Macau, the storm made landfall in mainland China, with two reported dead in Guangdong province The storm, with gusts of more than 230 kilometres per hour (142 mph), sent buildings swaying and waters surging into homes and shopping malls, with some roads waist-deep in water. Windows in tower blocks and skyscrapers were smashed as people cowered inside. In the neighbourhood of Heng Fa Chuen, thousands of rocks and pebbles from the sea covered parkland along the coastline which had been battered by pounding waves. The city's main Victoria Park had become an obstacle course with hundreds of trees down and many completely uprooted. Emergency teams were sawing apart some of the biggest trees blocking roads and pathways across the city in a clean-up operation that is likely to take days. The storm, with gusts of more than 230kph (142 mph), sent buildings swaying in Hong Kong and smashed windows in tower blocks and skyscrapers as people cowered inside In the neighbouring gambling enclave of Macau, all 42 casinos shut down for the first time in its history as the storm approached. They opened again on Monday but Macau was still in recovery mode after severe flooding hit parts of the city, forcing emergency workers to rescue people from their shops and homes using boats and jetskis. As the storm moved past the enclave Sunday, streets became submerged under water gushing in from the harbour. The government and casinos have taken extra measures in recent times, determined to avoid a repeat of Typhoon Hato which battered Macau last year, killing 12 people and drawing accusations it was ill prepared for a major storm. ey-lm/sls General Vincent Brooks, commander of USFK, the UN Command and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Korea, has been in the post since April 2016 Washington is set to replace the commander of US forces in South Korea amid a rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula, even as denuclearisation of the North stalls. The US stations 28,500 troops in the South, a treaty ally, to defend it against its nuclear-armed neighbour, which invaded in 1950, triggering the Korean War. General Robert B. Abrams, commander of the US Army Forces Command, will undergo a confirmation hearing next week to be head of US Forces Korea (USFK), the Senate Armed Services Committee's website showed. If his nomination is approved, he will succeed General Vincent Brooks as commander of USFK, the UN Command and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Korea, who has been in the post since April 2016. The outgoing commander has described his time in the South as "a rollercoaster ride", with the peninsula turning from the fears of war to a historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "We have gone from points of great tension and great danger to points of great opportunity and sometimes back and forth between those, never being completely certain about what will come the next day," Brooks told reporters in Seoul last month. "So it's been quite a ride and a great honour to have been part of such a historic period of time," he added. Abrams, whose father was a former Army Chief of Staff, General Creighton W. Abrams Jr., comes from a family of career military officers. He has held various command and staff positions across the Army and Joint Community in Germany, the US and Southwest Asia during his 34 years of active service. Former vice-president of DR Congo Jean-Pierre Bemba is one of six hopefuls excluded by the election commission from the December 23 vote Former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba said Monday he would be willing to support an opposition candidate in DR Congo's much-delayed presidential election, which he is banned from standing in. Bemba, one of six hopefuls excluded by the election commission from the December 23 vote, told magazine Jeune Afrique the country is still "very far" from holding a democratic election. "But if the elections take place under (democratic) conditions, and if the opposition unites behind one candidate, then yes... I will support that person and I will make them win," he said. Bemba has previously accused President Joseph Kabila of trying to hand-pick a successor by eliminating serious rivals, branding the vote a "parody" after he was barred from contesting earlier this month. The former Belgian colony has not seen a peaceful transition of power since 1960. Kabila -- in power since 2001 despite his second and final term ending two years ago -- said in August he will not run again after keeping silent on the issue for months, fuelling tension and deadly unrest in the volatile central African nation. The president has named his former interior minister Ramazani Shadary as his chosen successor. In an interview headlined "Kabila was scared of me", Bemba said any call to boycott the election "would not be my personal decision, but that of the opposition". Bemba, who was vice-president of an interim government between 2003 and 2006, had appealed the decision to exclude him from running in the election. But the Constitutional Court upheld the ban, citing his conviction by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for bribing witnesses at his war crimes trial. Bemba has been acquitted of charges of murder, rape and pillaging committed by his private army in the neighbouring Central African Republic in 2002-3, but is due to be sentenced Monday over the bribery conviction. Bemba told the magazine that the ICC prohibits him from commenting on the case, but added that bribing witnesses did not constitute corruption. "In DR Congo's penal code, corruption and perjury are defined by two different articles of law," he said. China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite claims from Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines Japan has carried out its first submarine drill in the South China Sea, local media said on Monday, a move that could provoke Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters. The anti-submarine drill was conducted on Thursday in the region to "improve strategic techniques", Japan's defence ministry said in a short statement. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe defended the drill, which he said does not aim to target "a particular nation." Neither Abe nor a ministry spokesman said whether it was the first such exercise there. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said the submarine Kuroshio joined three Japanese warships in waters just southwest of the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal. China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, despite competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Tensions have been high over the Scarborough Shoal since Beijing seized it from Manila in 2012. The newspaper said the one-day submarine exercises were Tokyo's first in the South China Sea. The Maritime Self-Defence Force carried out a "practical" anti-submarine drill, including an exercise to spot enemy submarines with sonar devices, the Asahi said, quoting government sources. The sources described it as a legitimate naval exercise in neutral waters, with rights of access under international law. Abe stressed that he agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month that he will visit Beijing soon, saying Japan-China relations have entered "a new stage." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang declined to confirm the drill, but said that "the situation in the South China Sea is improving." Japan "should act cautiously and avoid doing anything which would harm regional peace and stability", he told a regular press briefing. Following the drill, the Japanese submarine made a port call on Monday at Cam Ranh in central Vietnam to promote defence cooperation with Hanoi, Japan's defence ministry said in a separate statement. The submarine with 80 people aboard will stay until Friday. It was the first call by any foreign submarine at the strategically important port, a defence ministry spokesman said, citing a Vietnamese counterpart. China has engaged in years of land-reclamation work on reefs it controls in the South China Sea and has built both civilian and military facilities on them. Earlier this month Beijing lashed out at Britain for sailing a warship close to the disputed islands -- one of a series of "freedom of navigation" exercises carried out in recent years by the US and its allies. Two years ago Stephan Pursell left the gleaming surf of Queensland to become the law across a vast swathe of Australia's outback Being the only policeman in an area the size of Britain might be daunting for some, but not for Senior Constable Stephan Pursell. The easy-going 53-year-old runs a modest police station in the equally modest town of Birdsville, making him the law across a vast swathe of outback Australia. In this isolated, arid, ferrous-red-and-orange moonscape fringing the Simpson Desert, dust, pesky flies, feral camels, wild dogs and deadly snakes are your main companions. Pursell acknowledges that his patch -- which takes four days to drive across -- is "quite big". But he relishes the challenge. Australian 'lone ranger' cop "This (job) came up and I thought, 'what an iconic location in Australia', he said, "so I put an application in." He got the gig, and so two years ago hauled himself and his wife Sharon away from Queensland's gleaming surf, 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) to the east, and into this sandy cauldron. It is not a place for everyone. Daytime temperatures can soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong winds can whip up dust storms that blot out the sun and turn the skies dark. "You've got to experience it to enjoy it. It's an amazing place," said Pursell, who became an internet sensation last year after shots of him frying an egg in the withering heat on the bonnet of his Toyota Land Cruiser went viral. Birdsville itself is home to just over 100 people. There's one hotel that doubles as the watering hole. A roadhouse allows people to stock up on fuel and life-saving essentials. But the highlight may be a bakery selling curried camel pies. In this isolated, arid moonscape fringing the Simpson Desert, dust, pesky flies, feral camels, wild dogs and deadly snakes are your main companions The tiny township is a relief from the barren landscape. Surrounding Birdsville are endless sandy plains and rolling dunes that merge into the distant horizon, a nothingness that's both mesmerising and isolating. So what's the workload like? "Crime's not an issue," Pursell admits, adding that much of his job is that of a first responder. "The type of jobs that we do is mainly just making sure that people get here safely, get home safely. Breakdowns, medical issues, accidents -- we've got to be ready to respond to those sorts of things." The most common type of accident is vehicles rolling over, but the station has also had to deal with a pilot whose plane lost a wheel in the air after colliding with a pelican. Pursell realised more people were popping into his station to talk to him after he was described in the local media as having the loneliest job in the country Because he has to monitor an area of 240,000 square kilometres (around 92,500 square miles) -- where you can go for hours or days before someone passes -- the involvement of the local community is essential. A nurse, mechanic, Aboriginal ranger or community members may join him on rescue missions. Police officers at other stations hundreds of kilometres away also work with Pursell and nearby cattle stations to track travellers as they pass through. Twice a year the pace picks up a bit, for the century-old Birdsville horse races, which are known across Australia, and for the Big Red Bash music festival. Both annual events attract more than 6,000 tourists who travel for up to several days in four-wheel drives or in small planes from across the vast continent. - Never lonely - Pursell's predecessor, Senior Constable Neale McShane, who retired in 2015 after a decade in Birdsville, says there was "never a dull moment". The Royal Flying Doctor Service also plays a crucial role, ferrying patients in remote regions to the nearest hospitals Each rescue of a stranded or injured traveller requires an epic drive across long dirt roads or countless sand dunes in the Land Cruiser for hours and sometimes days. Sometimes what is required is a helicopter big enough to carry a police officer, a nurse and a stretcher, so a call is put out for any aircraft in the vicinity that can help out. The Royal Flying Doctor Service also plays a crucial role, ferrying patients in remote regions to the nearest hospitals. In 2009, during a desperate search for helicopters to rescue an injured motorcyclist stuck on a sand dune, an army Chinook -- possibly the only one to ever land at Birdsville -- touched down at the airport, looking to refuel. The man was quickly rescued and made a full recovery. There are definite upsides to the job, McShane told AFP. "When you are out sleeping in the desert looking up at the stars, and they (feel) so close you can touch them." But in a small, remote community, talking about sensitive personal issues can be difficult, he says. And the job is non-stop, with calls coming in at any time of the day on any day of the week, each of them possibly involving someone you know well who is in peril or has died. Perhaps surprisingly, one problem the policemen don't complain about is loneliness. Pursell realised more people were popping into his station to talk to him after he was described in the local media as having the loneliest job in the country. "People came in just to have a chat, because they thought I was lonely," he says. "We've have never felt isolated or lonely out here. It's a great little town." The meeting in Pyongyang between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will mark the latest stage of a diplomatic thaw on the peninsula Denuclearisation will be high on the agenda for this week's inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday on the eve of his third meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon will fly to the North Korean capital on Tuesday for the latest stage in a diplomatic thaw on the peninsula, although progress has stalled in denuclearisation talks between Pyongyang and Washington. "I've confirmed the sincere willingness of both Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Trump on several occasions," Moon said during a Cabinet meeting. "I plan to hold frank talks with Chairman Kim Jong Un on ways to find a point of compromise between the US demand for denuclearisation and the North's demand for ending hostile relations," he added. Moon, who met Kim in April and May this year, was instrumental in brokering the historic Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim in June, when Kim backed denuclearisation of the "Korean peninsula". But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang is seeking a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over -- hostilities ceased with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. It has condemned demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally as "gangster-like". The dovish South Korean leader -- who has gladly taken on the role of a mediator -- will try to close the gap between the US and the North, according to Moon's chief of staff Im Jong-seok. "Through various meetings and phone calls, President Moon has a better understanding of what the US is thinking than Chairman Kim," Im told reporters. Moon is due to fly to New York later this month to attend the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to meet Trump. Moon will hold at least two formal meetings with Kim, who may make a rare appearance at the airport to welcome his guests, the chief of staff said. The South's president is also scheduled to attend a concert and visit key sites in the North's capital with his delegation, which includes tycoons Lee Jae-yong -- the heir to the Samsung group -- and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. Moon has been pushing inter-Korean economic co-operation but several South Korean newspapers urged caution Monday, with the Korea Herald calling the businessmen's presence on the trip "untimely". "It is better to postpone economic projects involving the North until after negotiations to remove its nuclear program make substantial progress," it said in an editorial. And investment in the North was "fraught with risks and uncertainty", it added. Other issues on Moon's agenda will be improving inter-Korean ties and easing military tensions on the peninsula. Seoul said this could lay the groundwork for a declaration on the Korean War - implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip. Rice plantation in the northern Philippines were devastated by Super Typhoon Mangkhut As Typhoon Manghkut hurtled toward the Philippines, those in its firing line had a stark choice: stay or flee. Many chose to remain in order to protect their most precious possessions -- their food and livestock. Residents of the storm's ground zero, in Baggao on the eastern flank of Luzon island, knew they would be hit full-force, but losing their livelihoods was a disaster they were willing to risk everything to prevent. "Our house was blown away. We were flooded," Diday Llorente, 55, told AFP. "But we did not evacuate because we didn't want to leave our carabao (water buffalo) and livestock." Typhoon Mangkhut flooded farm fields including those of Mary Anne Baril, who says it has destroyed her livelihood Llorente lives in the coastal farming area of Baggao that is home to some 80,000 people, and which took a direct hit from Mangkhut when it made landfall there in the pre-dawn darkness on Saturday. In this key farming region of northern Luzon island, a quarter of the people live in poverty -- getting by on less than US$2 per day. Like many in the region Llorente is a small-scale farmer, eking out a fragile existence from the land. The two hectares (five acres) of corn she farms with her husband were drowned in flood waters. Some farmers were able to save their crops with hasty harvests as Typhoon Mangkhut approached For farmers like her, there is no insurance to compensate for a destroyed crop or dead cow, and no rainy-day savings to bridge the gap. "If we think from their perspective, these are really their greatest assets... whatever little they have is all they have," Lot Felizco, country director for Oxfam Philippines charity, told AFP. "It's really heartbreaking... for people who already live in a very difficult and dangerous situation. What choices do they have?" she asked. - 'No means to live' - The decision not to evacuate can have horrendous consequences. Many of the 7,350 people killed or missing in the nation's deadliest storm, Super Typhoon Haiyan of 2013, did not heed warnings of a heavy storm surge. Yet, for those in Baggao the threat of losing their produce, to the violent weather or to thieves, has a powerful influence. No caption Aida Acopan, 59, evacuated from her home during the last massive storm that struck the area, 2016's deadly Typhoon Haima. She survived, but at a cost. "Someone broke into my house and stole half a cavan of rice... so I didn't want to take any chances this time," she said. The loss was roughly 25 kilos (55 pounds) of the staple that is consumed at every meal in the Philippines. Having sufficient supplies of it is a primary concern in rich and poor households alike. With that roughly $10 loss in mind -- worth more than a weeks income for the Philippines poorest people -- and after days of increasingly urgent warnings from authorities last week, she came to a decision about what to do this time. "We decided not to evacuate," she said, standing outside her battered, but still standing home of concrete blocks and wood. Torrential rains from the super typhoon flooded rice fields in the Philippines' agricultural north The other problem with evacuating is that it does not come with any guarantees. Shelters in the Philippines are basic affairs, usually just some floor space in a school or gymnasium. "They (evacuees) lose whatever little control they have over the situation," said Felizco. But there are no guarantees either that staying with one's crops or animals will mean that they survive. In the case of Mangkhut, gusting winds topped 255 kilometres (160 miles) per hour and some areas got a month's worth of rainfall in a matter of hours. Mary Anne Baril stayed in her home as the typhoon uprooted trees, snapped power poles in half and flooded farm fields, including hers. "We're already poor, then this storm happened to us," she told AFP as she brushed away tears. "We have no other means to live." Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, seen on the left, welcomed US Defence Secretary James Mattis when he touched down in Skopje US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Skopje on Monday to throw his support behind a 'yes' vote in Macedonia's upcoming referendum on a name change and to counter "Russian influence" against the move. Slated for September 30, the vote will ask Macedonians whether they want to change the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia, in a move which could open the door to NATO and EU membership. The referendum follows a landmark agreement between Athens and Skopje in June which sought to break the stalemate that has poisoned their relations since 1991 and hobbled Macedonia's integration with the West. Greece objects to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has its own province of the same name. It has also accused Skopje of territorial ambitions and blocked the Balkan country from joining NATO or starting EU accession talks. Speaking on the plane en route to Skopje, Mattis said it was up to the Macedonians to decide whether they wanted the change, which could open important doors for this country of 2.1 million. "I think to the people whose lives can be changed by economic opportunities, by security... it's very important that they have those options available," he said. "We'll just look at how they'll shape their own future, not... someone else." - 'Russian influence operations' - But he had harsh words for what he called "Russian influence operations" and efforts to pay off certain political groups. "We don't want to see Russia doing there what they have tried to do in so many other countries," he said. "No doubt that they have transferred money and that they are also conducting a broader influence campaign," he said. Macedonian media have led a campaign for a 'yes' vote, which seems the likely outcome Russia is opposed to any NATO enlargement in eastern Europe and the Balkans, and Washington has accused Moscow of leading an online disinformation campaign in Macedonia to discourage voters from taking part. On arrival, Mattis -- the first US defence chief to visit Skopje since 2004 -- met his Macedonian counterpart Radmila Sekerinska and Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who struck the name-change deal with Greece. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Mattis said Washington and Skopje would expand "cybersecurity cooperation to thwart malicious cyber activity that threatens both our democracies". - 'No proof of Russian influence' - But Zaev played down his allegations of Russian meddling. "We don't have proof about Russian influence," he told reporters earlier on Monday on the sidelines of freedom of speech conference. But the name deal has also unleashed angry protests in both Macedonia and Greece "The Russian Federation is a friend to Macedonia and they have nothing against our integration in the EU, but they are against our integration in NATO," he said. Montenegro, another tiny Balkan country, joined NATO in 2017, despite opposition by Moscow and part of the population. But Laura Cooper, who is in charge of Pentagon policy on Russia and central Europe, accused Moscow of paying voters to boycott the referendum and of financially supporting pro-Russian organisations. "They are swooping in now with disinformation and other forms of malign influence to try to change the minds of the Macedonian people," she told reporters. "There is this influence campaign to try to buy off people and try to support pro-Russian organisations." - Macedonia's 'consequential mistake' - In June, Russian ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told Greek media that Macedonia's choice to become a NATO member was "a mistake". "There are errors that have consequences," he said. Speaking to Macedonian news portal Nova Makedonija in late August, Russian ambassador Oleg Shcherbak accused the West of putting "very strong media and psychological pressure" on Macedonian voters. Macedonian media, notably the main TV channels, have led a 'yes' campaign, which seems the likely outcome. Under the Macedonian constitution, the referendum is only "consultative" -- meaning that any vote in favour of the change will need to be backed by parliament with a two-thirds majority. The nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE, which opposes the name change, has decided not to back a social media campaign calling for a boycott of the vote. A Yemeni child walks towards a building that was reportedly destroyed in a previous Saudi-led coalition air strike in Sanaa, on September 5, 2018 At least seven civilians have been killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, an official and rebel media reported Monday. The strike hit a house in the Huran district of central Yemen's Bayda province on Sunday, leaving one man, four women and two children dead, an official said. Rebel-run news agency Saba put the number of deaths at 11. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the house had not been the intended target. Yemen's long-running conflict escalated in 2014 when Iran-backed Huthi rebels seized control of large areas including the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year on the side of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country is teetering on the brink of famine. American-French law professor Frank Romano (L) stands next to his lawyer Gaby Lasky on September 16, 2018 An American-French law professor arrested while protesting against the demolition of a Palestinian village in the West Bank says an Israeli court has revoked a deportation order against him. Frank Romano, who teaches law at the Paris Nanterre University, was released late Sunday on the orders of the Jerusalem magistrates court and spoke in a video posted on social media. He said that police had earlier handed him to immigration officials for immediate deportation without a court hearing but he refused to sign a consent form. "The judge called the immigration and said 'bring him back' and we had the hearing," he said. In the courtroom, the judge ordered his release, he said. Supporters said he was allowed to stay in Israel until September 25, the original date of his return flight. He was ordered to lodge a surety of 1,000 shekels ($256, 240 euros) and provide a guarantor for a separate 5,000 shekel bond, they said. Romano was detained on Friday while taking part in a demonstration at the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem. The village of roughly 200 people in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is at risk of being demolished at any time, despite fierce criticism from key European nations. On September 5, Israel's supreme court upheld an order to raze it on grounds it was built without the proper permits. It is extremely rare for Palestinians to be given Israeli permits to build in Area C of the West Bank, where Khan al-Ahmar is situated. The village is located in a strategic spot near Israeli settlements and along a road leading to the Dead Sea. There have been warnings that continued settlement construction in the area could eventually divide the West Bank in two and cut it off from Jerusalem, dealing a death blow to any remaining hopes of a two-state solution. Anti-demolition activists said Romano was arrested along with two Palestinian protesters when they tried to block bulldozers sent in by Israeli authorities to seal off an access road to the village. Pictures on social media show him being led from the scene by Israeli riot police. Fears have been raised of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion Moscow said Monday there would be no assault on Syria's Idlib as the leaders of Russia and Turkey agreed to create a demilitarised zone around the Syrian rebel-held province. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- who are on opposite sides in the deadly seven-year conflict in Syria -- met for over four hours in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi to decide the fate of Idlib, home to three million people. "We will prevent a humanitarian tragedy which could happen as a result of military action," Erdogan said after the talks. Putin said the two leaders agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops by October 15. This would entail a "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib including the Al-Nusra Front, he added. Putin and Erdogan also agreed on the withdrawal of "heavy weaponry from this zone," including tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, and rocket launchers belonging to all armed groups, the Russian leader added. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transportation routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the agreement between Putin and Erdogan meant that no military action would be taken against Idlib, Russian news agencies reported. Putin and Erdogan met in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly warned that such an offensive would unleash a "bloodbath" and "humanitarian catastrophe" in Idlib. Turkey has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to avert a possible attack. Erdogan and Putin met previously on September 7 in Tehran for a three-way summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. At that summit the Russian and Turkish leaders openly disagreed over how to deal with the rebel stronghold, which borders Turkey. - Mass exodus fears - Turkey's military has reportedly sent reinforcements to Idlib in recent weeks. Tanks and other hardware, with a convoy of 50 military vehicles, were sent over the border Sunday, according to the Hurriyet daily. Russia and Iran are key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Turkey however backs opposition fighters seeking the ouster of the Syrian leader. It has said a large-scale offensive against the rebels could trigger a mass exodus towards its border. Russian and Syrian air strikes, artillery fire and barrel bomb attacks have killed more than 30 civilians across the province in the past month, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The bombardment has slowed over the past week, however, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that the Syrian regime is not preparing a major offensive against Idlib, adding that Moscow will do everything to protect civilians. Turkey has said a large-scale offensive against the rebels could trigger a mass exodus towards its border "What is being presented at the moment as the beginning of a Russian-backed offensive by Syrian forces is not a faithful representation of the facts," Lavrov said. "We are doing everything to ensure that the civilian population would not suffer," he said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday said Turkey was ready to cooperate with anyone in the fight against terror groups in Syria. But he criticised the Damascus regime for using the presence of jihadists to legitimise a possible operation in Idlib. The Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, when the Assad regime launched a crackdown on pro-democracy protests. The crackdown evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and world powers. It has killed an estimated 360,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. Retired Philippine general Jovito Palparan at the time of his arrest in 2014, convicted of the kidnapping of two university students A retired Philippine army general was sentenced on Monday to decades behind bars over the 2006 disappearance of two activists, hailed by campaigners as a rare case of a top official being held to account. Jovito Palparan, dubbed "The Butcher" by leftist groups for his brutal anti-insurgency tactics against communist guerillas, was convicted of kidnapping and handed a minimum term of 20 years by a court in Bulacan province just north of Manila. Palparan and three other ex-military officers were accused of abducting two female university students in 2006, on the suspicion they were linked to communist groups. The women remain missing. The court ruled that witness testimonies that the two students were seen in a military camp being tortured were "credible". One witness said the women told him they were raped. Human rights groups accuse Palparan of being behind the killing of leftists when he was a top military officer battling communist guerrillas in rural areas of the impoverished archipelago, under former President Gloria Arroyo. "He was one with his men in the desire to stamp out the enemies of the state... who they believe deserve to be erased from the face of the earth at any cost," the court ruling said. Palparan denied the charges, calling the judge "stupid" as the verdict was read on Monday. A government commission which investigated political killings said in 2007 that Palparan was a key suspect in murders of people deemed "enemies of the state". He went into hiding in 2011 after being charged in the case of the two activists, but was arrested in 2014. The military has been accused of carrying out extra-judicial killings of opponents. The 49-year communist rebellion in the largely Catholic nation is one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies and has claimed 30,000 lives by the government's count. On Monday, Human Rights Watch said Palparan's conviction dealt a "big blow" to the nation's infamous "culture of impunity" in which powerful figures can commit crimes without fear of punishment. Cristina Palabay, secretary general of rights group Karapatan, said the conviction was a warning to security officers over President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, which has killed thousands. "It sends a strong message to men in uniform that they can't do as they please. So with Duterte essentially doing a Palparan 2.0, I fear the possibility of him pardoning (Palparan)," Palabay told AFP. Duterte's spokesman said the government respected the ruling and wanted justice for the victims. Editors Note: Rebecca LeBlond, Director, Global Citizens Program, Democracy Prep Public Schools , shares the reasons that high school study abroad can be beneficial for all students and how to make it happen. In the winter and spring of 2018, nearly 400 students from across the seven high schools in the Democracy Prep Public Schools network traveled abroad on week-long, educator-led programs to examine global challenges through real-world experience. Destinations of the 21 distinct groups included Ecuador, France, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain. The Global Citizens Program at Democracy Prep is designed to ensure that students gain firsthand appreciation of the fact that there is no corner of the world they cannot access or in which they cannot be successful. At the same time, the program seeks to transform the idea of what is possible for educational global travel experiences in public schools. Through strategic budgeting, Democracy Prep schools are able to fund over 85 percent of the total program costs for students. Since the first Democracy Prep high school students traveled to London in 2010, we have found, again and again, that these opportunities present both quantitative and qualitative benefits. Our hope is that, by sharing some of the lessons learned through the growth of the Global Citizens Program, others may find some inspiration to advance similar opportunities in their own schools or support the continued expansion of opportunities for high school students to participate in educational global travel, particularly for those who are underrepresented in the wider study abroad field. Benefits of Short-Term Global Travel Programs 1. College Applications and Acceptances Democracy Prep schools place a significant emphasis on ensuring that all students are prepared for success in college. Our school culture demonstrates this emphasis in myriad ways, including with a focus on preparation to apply to college. In order to participate in a global travel program, students are required to submit an application, which includes questions loosely modeled after those found on The Common Application . These prompts provide the opportunity for students to tell their story, demonstrate why they are the right fit for the program, what they will bring to the table, and how they will complement and enhance the overall group experience. Additionally, this application process ensures that students are not selected based solely on academic success. While 20 percent of our high school students travel abroad each year, by the time they graduate, more than 60 percent will have had at least one abroad experience. This is significant not only because 75% of Democracy Prep high school students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, but it also demonstrates that the opportunities are not solely limited to those who either can pay to participate or to those with the highest grades but also because of the impact these experience(s) may have on college acceptance rates. Among 2018 seniors, there was a positive correlation between traveling abroad and the average number of acceptances per college application that students submitted. The average college acceptance rate was 38 percent for those who did not travel abroad versus 48 percent for those who did. Because there is a wide range in the total number of colleges a student applies to, simply counting the number of acceptances would not paint a clear enough picture as to whether travel abroad increases acceptance rates. When accounting for the range in total applications, we found that students who traveled abroad had, on average, a 10-percent higher average acceptance rate than their peers who did not travel abroad. 2. Global Mindedness In 2018, Democracy Preps Global Citizens Program implemented a brief assessment to measure what, if any, impact these short-term global travel experiences have on students global mindedness or global competence. In order to do so, we drew on questions from the 2018 OECD PISA global competence framework , specifically from the global mindedness construct. For each of the four statements below, students were asked to select one response (strongly disagree, disagree, agree, or strongly agree). I think of myself as a citizen of the world. I think my behavior can impact people in other countries. I can do something about the problems of the world. Looking after the global environment is important to me. The gathered results demonstrated that students who traveled abroad not only predominantly agreed with the statements but that there was growth across all questions from before departure to after their return. On a four point scale, the average agreement before traveling was 3.1. Post-travel, the average increased to 3.4. Interestingly, the question that averaged the lowest overall agreement was c': I can do something about the problems of the world, defined by PISA as the global self-efficacy facet of global mindedness. We do not have a clear sense of why this was the case. Thus, in future assessments we may solicit more feedback on this particular question to gain insight into a potential answer and opportunities to address this. 3. Social Capital While college acceptance percentages and global mindedness currently allow for some level of quantitative analysis, there are also qualitative benefits of cross-cultural experience that are less tangible but by no means less significant. As an article in The Atlantic examining the impact travel can have on creativity points out, Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms. At Democracy Prep, we believe deeply in the benefit of global travel for the impact it has on the current and future confidence, success, career readiness, and overall social capital and well-being of our students and alumni. As first-generation college students, students of color, or students of financial need, the fact that 60 percent of Democracy Prep graduates will arrive on their college or university campus having already had at least one experience abroad cannot be underestimated. To be able to describe seeing the statue of David at the Accademia in Florence in an Intro to Art History course, for example, or to leverage their experience of service learning in Ecuador in a seminar or as part of a student club, may very well serve as a shared experience and to dispel preconceived notions about who does and does not have high school travel experience. How to Make It Happen How then can opportunities for all high school students, including and especially those who are traditionally underrepresented as study abroad participants, both be increased and made to be more impactful? What can other schools, districts, and educational leaders do in pursuit of further equity of opportunity? Below are some ideas and suggestions for increasing access to global travel as well as the impact for high school students. These are by no means exhaustive but include some of the lessons learned as Democracy Preps Global Citizens Program embarks on its tenth year of offering global travel opportunities to every high school student. Teachers and some administrators may not be accustomed to discussing availability of school funds or reviewing budgets, but it most certainly cant hurt to ask. Just $3,000-$5,000 can go a long way in making travel opportunities possible for more students. Many high schools offer programs for any student whose family can afford to pay to participate. While some scholarships and financial aid may be available for many students, costs can still be prohibitive. By offsetting the cost of participation to reduce the overall cost for some participants, schools may have a more balanced representation of participants and a greater impact as a result. Additionally, when pursuing possibilities, remember that traditional program providers offer convenience at a cost. Explore options to coordinate some arrangements directly, such as a service-learning partnership with a local organization, a half day spent visiting a host school, enjoying some meals that are not pre-arranged, and using local transportation (e.g., the metro in Rome). These serve the dual purpose of being both cost effective and allowing students to have a more authentic, local experience. 2. Require deliverables. Just as participation based on the ability to pay ones way does not inherently or effectively contribute to an impactful group experience, limiting the program solely to direct experiences on the ground does not maximize the potential takeaways. Once accepted into a travel program at Democracy Prep, students are required to attend three to five (and often more) pre-departure workshops, which include a review of and reflection on aspects of historical, social, political, and cultural significance. In-country, daily reflections both in shared group format and in the form of journaling help solidify students experiences, knowledge gained, and skills developed. Upon their return, students frequently present to the wider school community or to elementary or middle school peers, reference their experiences in college application essays and interviews, and speak at enrollment and back-to-school nights for new and returning families. 3. Educator involvement. An essential component of the Global Citizens Program is the faculty and staff who serve as program leaders and chaperones with an average educator-to-student ratio of 1:5 on most programs. This allows for valuable small-group experiences and leverages the knowledge that faculty and staff have of the students, as well as their expertise as educators. In advance of departure, chaperones participate in a training that includes content about logistics, health, and safety, as well as scenario-based training exercises and an exploration of cross-cultural differences, orientation, and communication practices. In addition, faculty and staff each take on a specifically designated role (e.g., program lead, administrator, documentarian, facilitator, etc.) to ensure clarity around roles and responsibilities and maximize effectiveness. When people think about study abroad, many likely envision an undergraduate student embarking on a traditional semester-long sojourn to a foreign institution of higher education. But as the understanding of what it means to be globally competent evolves, so to does the definition of a global experience. Similarly, as research and information continues to point to the value and importance of possessing a global mindset and intercultural skills for success, the significance and value of an experience that contributes to developing those also grows. Thus, we anticipate the expansion of opportunities to embark on a global education experience, particularly for high school students, K-12, and traditionally underrepresented students, and we welcome and encourage more schools and organizations to join us. Connect with Democracy Prep , Heather , and the Center for Global Education on Twitter. Photos by Democracy Prep faculty and staff and used with permission. Lieutenant Kim (top) and Corporal Woo (bottom) pose for portraits on either side of the Panmunjom truce village On either side of the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Koreas, a soldier stares at the camera, the emblematic blue huts of the truce village of Panmunjom behind him. Hong Kum Ju (top) at the food factory where she works near North Korea's eastern port city of Wonsan, North Korea, and Kim Si-eun (bottom) at the Spam factory where she works in Jincheon, south of Seou Seoul's President Moon Jae-in will fly straight to Pyongyang on Tuesday for his summit with the North's leader Kim Jong Un -- but for ordinary citizens of both countries, travel between them is banned. North Korean ginseng farm manager Kim Young Guk (top) and South Korean farmer Hwang In-suk (bottom) The two soldiers at Panmunjom were standing less than 100 metres apart, but getting from one location to the other would require a journey of more than 2,000 kilometres, via China. Ri Kum Hui (top) poses after a military parade and mass rally in Pyongyang, and retired rear-admiral Park Sae-hun (bottom) at a protest in Seoul to demand the redeployment of US tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea The images are one of a series of paired portraits taken by AFP photographer Ed Jones in the two countries, one of them a capitalist democracy and the other an isolated, nuclear-armed state. Kim Song Jong (9, top) after a dance performance at a Children's Day event in Pyongyang, and Yoon Hyerim (10, bottom) after a dance performance at Dongdaemun Design Plaza during Seoul Fashion Week From farmers, factory workers and petrol attendants to tour guides, shoppers and schoolchildren, the photographs highlight the visual similarities and differences between the two societies and their peoples. Students Pak Kum Ryong (23, top) in Pyongyong and Lim Jun-beom (24, bottom) in Seoul Reflecting the countries' geographical locations, the Northern portrait is always the top of the pair. Ri Song Hui (21, top) at the Munsu Water Park in Pyongyang and Kwon Ye Seul (30, bottom) at the Carribean Bay water park south of Seoul AFP is one of only a handful of international news organisations to operate a bureau in Pyongyang, giving it unusual access to the isolated country -- Seoul-based Jones is the only photographer living in the South who regularly visits the North, giving him a unique perspective on the two. Han Gwang Rim and his daughter Su Ryon (top) at a supermarket in Pyongyang, and Hong Sung-cho (bottom) with son Hong Jinu at a supermarket in Bundang near Seoul "It's less about the technical aspects of the picture and more about the access," said Jones. "It's a rough style of photography which is more about the story of the two countries. North Korean tour guide Choi Hee Ok (top) at the viewing deck of the landmark Juche Tower in Pyongyang, and South Korean tour guide Bang Sung-hee (bottom) at the viewing deck of the landmark 63 Building in Seoul "You can put the pictures side by side but the people can't stand side by side in real life and there's something inherently captivating about that." Seven people died and five are in a coma after taking drugs at an electronic dance music festival in Hanoi, officials said, prompting a probe to trace the substance Seven Vietnamese have died and five are in a coma after taking drugs at an electronic dance music festival in Hanoi late Sunday, officials said, as authorities scrambled to trace the substance. The victims, all Vietnamese, tested positive for an unspecified drug prompting officials to ban all EDM festivals in the capital in the wake of the fatal incident, which has shocked the conservative city. "Police investigators are trying to figure out what type of drug that was," deputy director of Hanoi police Nguyen Van Vien told reporters Monday. Officials said the dead were all in their 20s, while the five people in a coma are between 18 and 30 years old. The sick are being treated in intensive care at two Hanoi hospitals. If the deaths are confirmed as drug-related it could be one of the worst mass deaths at a music festival linked to narcotics in recent memory anywhere in the world. Sunday night's "Trip To The Moon" festival was hosted by Vietnam Electronic Weekend in Hanoi's upscale West Lake, a neighbourhood popular among expats, teachers and youth for its nightlife and club scene. Hundreds joined the event which sprawled across three stages and included EDM big hitters Yellow Claw and Headhunterz on the line-up, according to the online flyer for the event. Investigators are trying to confirm who brought the drugs into the venue and said all events of its kind would be banned in the capital pending the probe. "The incident yesterday... was very painful. It was a great loss," said Tran Xuan Ha, deputy head of Hanoi government's propaganda department said. Tickets to the event cost between $21 and $135 in a country which has joined Asia's multi-million-dollar fixation on EDM. Most ravers are found in the cosmopolitan and more free-wheeling southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City. But the EDM party scene has gained popularity in the capital of the communist nation, as has drug use among young people. It was the third Vietnam Electronic Weekend festival held in the country and was slated to be the biggest yet, according to state media. Shocked Hanoians took to the internet Monday after the deaths. "A warning message for those young ones who have been so irresponsible for their own (lives)," reader Nam Huynh wrote on VNExpress. There are some 220,000 registered drug users in Vietnam, according to official figures. In the past, most users were hooked on opium and heroin, though strong synthetics such as ICE and E are becoming increasingly popular, especially among Vietnam's partying youth. The synthetic substances largely come into Vietnam through porous borders from the notorious 'Golden Triangle' drug producing zone -- comprised of lawless parts of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand -- though some high-profile busts in recent years in Vietnam have uncovered domestic labs. On Saturday evening, two Australians died of suspected drug overdoses at an electronic music festival in Sydney, according to national broadcaster ABC. Searchers have already pulled 11 bodies from the vast debris field in Itogon, in the disaster-hit Philippines' north Philippine rescuers used shovels and bare hands to claw through mounds of rocky soil on Monday in a desperate search for dozens feared buried under a landslide unleashed by Typhoon Mangkhut. Searchers have already pulled 11 bodies from the vast debris field in Itogon in the disaster-prone nation's north. Dozens may still be buried, with little hope they have survived. Tearful families surrounded a white board bearing names of the dead and missing as others inspected recovered bodies for signs these could be their loved ones, more than 48 hours since the typhoon hit the north of the country's main island of Luzon. "We're relieved that it's not him," Joan Catteg, 42, told AFP referring to her missing cousin Harvey, a miner in the area. "He was at the bunkhouse during Typhoon Mangkhut. He texted his wife not to worry. He said nothing bad will happen to him and that once the rain stops, he will go up. But he hasn't returned until now." Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said there were an estimated 40 to 50 people in the area during the landslide. "We believe that those people there, maybe 99 percent, are already dead," he said. A hillside weakened by the monster storm's lashing rains collapsed on the miners' bunkhouse about half a kilometre below. Mangkhut, the world's most powerful storm this year, pounded the Philippines at the weekend with torrential rain and violent winds that snapped utility poles and sheared roofs off homes. Authorities say 65 are confirmed dead, mostly buried in landslides. - Excruciatingly slow - Hundreds of rescuers in rows formed a human chain to pass rocks, debris and tree trunks out of the search area in Itogon. The massive landslide left a gaping gash in a green hillside studded with small homes topped with rusting metal roofs. With damaged roads preventing the use of heavy equipment, soldiers, police and miners used shovels and channelled water from a nearby stream to loosen the earth. It was excruciatingly slow work, with rescuers having to hike down the mountain for an hour before getting to the site. "In the morning, the sun is too hot, the soil is dry, making it hard to dig," rescuer Allan Drilon told AFP. "It will be better if we have heavy equipment ... but it's not possible because the path going down is only wide enough for people to pass." Residents of the remote town, in the Cordillera range about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Manila, had sought refuge in the old bunkhouse to avoid the wrath of Mangkhut. The two-storey structure was abandoned by a gold mining firm in an area that has since been settled by small-time miners, the mayor said. Black body bags were lined up at a tent on a nearby road above the bunkhouse. Landslides and flooding elsewhere in the Philippines forced nearly 200,000 people to flee their homes, according to a police tally. Weeks of heavy monsoon downpours had already left hillsides unstable in the region. The landslide site in Itogon Crescencio Bacalso, the governor of Benguet province that includes Itogon, also cited a tragic case in Baguio, the region's largest city, where small-scale miners were helping to find a woman whose house had been buried. "Unfortunately, there was a second collapse and the responders themselves became victims of a landslide. Six of them managed to crawl out but two others are missing," Bacalso said. One of those found guilty was sentenced for his part in the mass kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in 2014 Nigeria was on Monday urged to ensure that trials of Boko Haram suspects meet international standards, amid concern about due process and prolonged periods of detention. Human Rights Watch warned that failure to do so could even exacerbate the conflict, which has left more than 27,000 dead in northeast Nigeria since 2009. Trials of 1,669 suspects, some of whom had been held for years, began at civilian courts sitting at a remote military base in Niger state last October. The trials were welcomed at the time but there were concerns about justice being seen to be done as proceedings took place behind closed doors with media and the public banned. What information has emerged has come from government statements, although reporters were briefly allowed to observe proceedings in February. HRW's Anietie Ewang said: "Nigeria needs to pursue justice for those responsible for Boko Haram's atrocities and end the prolonged detention of thousands of suspects. "However, to achieve justice and deter extremist attacks, the Nigerian government's overall strategy and trial procedures need to conform with constitutional safeguards and international standards." Ewang said the group was able to monitor the third round of proceedings in July at which more than 200 defendants were tried. A total of 113 people were convicted and sentenced on charges including membership of a proscribed organisation, supporting Boko Haram and participating in acts of terrorism. One of those found guilty was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his part in the mass kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014. According to government statements, 240 people have been convicted in connection with the insurgency while 1,054 have been acquitted or had their cases dropped for lack of evidence. HRW catalogued concerns about the trials, from the short length of time of proceedings and ambiguity of detail in charges to lack of interpreters and access to lawyers. The group urged the government to improve trial procedures and consider "truth commissions" and other efforts at reconciliation, particularly for lesser, non-violent crimes. It also urged the international community to focus on non-military means of supporting Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram to ensure "genuine justice and accountability". "Trials that abuse suspects' rights are not only unlawful, they can backfire by alienating local communities and handing a recruitment card to groups like Boko Haram," said Ewang. Participants attend an investment conference in Riyadh on October 25, 2017 Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund said Monday it has secured its first ever international loan, boosting the kingdom's diversification drive after its flotation of state oil giant Aramco stalled. The Public Investment Fund said in a statement that it had obtained an $11 billion (9.4 billion euro) loan as "the first step in its strategic, medium-term debt funding programme". "We are pleased to have completed this international syndicated loan," said the fund's managing director Yasir al-Rumayyan. The PIF had previously sought to raise billions of dollars through an initial public offering of shares in Aramco to fund projects that seek to reduce the kingdom's dependence on oil. Diversification is a key focus of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan, which aims to transform the Saudi economy through a slew of projects from hi-tech start-ups to a new mega city. But the Aramco IPO -- once touted by Saudi officials as aiming to raise $100 billion -- has hit the buffers, with executives at the oil giant citing unfavourable market conditions. That prompted the PIF to turn to other sources to fund its programmes. The fund said that under the Future Investment Initiative launched in October 2017, it aims to beef up its assets to $400 billion by 2020. Its current holdings are estimated at $230 billion, mostly in the form of major stakes in companies including SABIC petrochemicals, Saudi Arabia's largest listed firm. The PIF is in talks to sell its 70-percent stake in SABIC to Aramco for an estimated $70 billion as another way of raising cash. The fund is aggressively pushing a host of big-ticket investments -- from Uber to the planned $500 billion NEOM mega city on the Red Sea coast. Later on Monday, the fund announced it had inked a $1 billion investment agreement with US electric car-maker Lucid Motors. Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties made binding undertakings to carry out the transaction subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, PIF said in a statement. The agreement aims to provide the necessary funding for the commercial launch of Lucid's first electric car in 2020, it said. It has also invested in British tycoon Richard Branson's space tourism company Virgin Galactic and pledged tens of billions of dollars to funds run by SoftBank and Blackstone. Since 2016, PIF has committed to investments worth $95 billion including stakes in high-risk tech firms such as electric car company Tesla, according to the International Monetary Fund. After oil prices crashed in mid-2014, Saudi Arabia -- the world's top crude exporter -- accumulated budget deficits of more than $260 billion and borrowed over $100 billion to help finance the shortfall. But the central bank still has around $500 billion in state reserves, bolstered by a recent partial recovery of oil prices. Ethiopia's Oromo people gather to celebrate the return of the formerly banned anti-government group the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) at Mesquel Square in Addis Ababa, on September 15, 2018 Ethnic violence in Ethiopia left 23 people dead at the weekend, state media reported Monday, as protests against the killings gripped the capital Addis Ababa where an angry crowd gathered in the city centre. The state-owned Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) said an organised mob carried out a spree of murder and looting in and around Burayu town, leaving 23 people dead and 886 displaced, citing Oromia regional police commissioner Alemayehu Ejigu. ENA reported that over 70 people had been arrested. On Twitter, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's chief of staff, Fitsum Arega, said the leader "strongly condemns the killings and acts of violence against innocent citizens." "These cowardly attacks represent a grave concern to the unity and solidarity of our people and will be met with an appropriate response," he said, without providing a toll. On Monday an angry crowd gathered in central Meskel Square to protest against the killings which some blame on ethnic Oromo youth. There was a heavy police presence in the city centre while some roads out of the capital were blocked by other protesters. The weekend killings followed the triumphant return from exile of leaders of the once-outlawed Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) rebel group who struck an agreement to lay down arms with reformist Prime Minister Abiy. Addis Ababa is an ethnically-mixed city of around four million people, but is situated within the larger Oromo-dominated Oromia region. Oromo-led anti-government protests that began in late 2015 helped bring about the resignation of Ethiopia's former leader and Abiy's subsequent rise to power. Thanathorn faces a 'fake news' charge Thai police on Monday charged members of a new progressive party led by a maverick 39-year-old tycoon with spreading "false" information about the ruling junta in a Facebook live broadcast. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was charged under the Computer Crime Act alongside two other members of the "Future Forward" party over a weekly broadcast on Facebook in June. The show accused the junta of trying to intimidate rivals into aligning with it before next year's election, Pannika Wanich, a spokeswoman for Future Forward, told AFP. If convicted under the draconian law, the trio face hefty fines and up to five years in jail. But the Future Forward party said it would continue its campaigning before its formal launch onto the political stage on October 1. "We are not afraid. We will fight the case and continue our political activities," Pannika said. Last week the junta announced a partial easing of a ban on political activities which it imposed after toppling the civilian government in 2014. Thanathorn's legal woes come just months after he launched his political career, hoping to win votes among a public wearied by the 12-year power struggle between a pro-junta old guard and allies of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He attracted some comparisons to other "outsider" politicians making waves around the globe, such as France's Emmanuel Macron. But analysts say the political novice has yet to make a serious case for his liberal party. Under a junta-scripted constitution anyone convicted of a criminal offence is banned from running as a lawmaker. The Pheu Thai party, which formed the government toppled in 2014, has yet to reveal who its leader will be ahead of the polls. Ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, who led that government, joined her brother Thaksin in self-exile last year just before a court found her guilty of criminal malfeasance during her time in office. Cepsa has since 2011 been wholly owned by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Abu Dhabi's state investor plans to float at least 25 percent of Spain's Cepsa by the end of 2018, the energy company announced Monday, in what would be the largest listing in a decade on the Madrid stock exchange. Cepsa, which operates across the entire oil and gas value chain, did not say how much the deal would be worth, but market sources said the listing could value the firm at around 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion). Spanish business daily Expansion said the listing, which is subject to market conditions, is set to be the biggest Spain has seen in a decade. Cepsa has since 2011 been wholly owned by Abu Dhabi's state investor Mubadala, whose vast portfolio also includes stakes in private equity firm Carlyle, telecoms company Etisalat Nigeria and gas firm Emirates LNG. XTB analyst Joaquin Robles said Mubadala had chosen the timing of the listing "very well" since Spanish investor appetite is high, amid strong economic growth while oil prices have rebounded. Oil topped $80 a barrel in May for the first time since 2014, boosted by OPEC-led output cuts and falling Venezuelan and Libyan output, as well as by an imminent drop in Iranian exports as US sanctions return. While a barrel hovered around 478 dollars on Monday, he predicted it could once again top $80 dollars a barrel "in the coming months". "We are proud of our partnership with Cepsa, which is a strategic energy investment for Mubadala and a national industrial champion for Spain," said Musabbeh Al Kaabi, head of petroleum at Mubadala. The planned listing on the Madrid stock exchange is "a natural and strategic fit for Cepsa that will provide wider access to capital markets to support financial flexibility," he added in a statement. Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund IPIC in 2011 bought the remaining 48.8 percent of Cepsa shares which it did not already own from France's Total for 3.7 billion euros. Last year IPIC merged with Mubadala. The vast majority of the United Arab Emirates' crude oil reserves are located in Abu Dhabi -- capital of the Gulf emirate. Cepsa posted a net profit in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) of 441 million euros during the first half of 2018, a 7.0 percent increase over the previous year. The company is mainly active in oil refining and distribution in Spain but it is also active in oil and gas exploration and production in Latin America and North America. A fire engulfs a residential structure near a hospital in Hanoi Firefighters late Monday battled a major blaze in central Hanoi that engulfed several homes near a children's hospital and sent panicked residents running for safety. There were no deaths or injuries reported hours after the fire started in a crowded part of the Vietnamese capital, but a huge plume of smoke could be seen from several kilometers away. Patients were wheeled out of a nearby children's hospital -- which was not on fire -- as much of the area's electricity was shut off, according to AFP reporters at the scene. "I have never seen such a big fire, it must have been more than 100 meters (330 feet) high I think," resident Dinh Thi Chung told AFP. Another resident wept nearby as she watched firefighters extinguish the blaze. "We lost everything.... there were 20 households in the area, all on fire," the woman said. A police officer said they were not yet able to confirm any casualties as they battled the inferno. Big blazes are relatively common in Vietnam, where fire prevention and firefighting services remain underdeveloped. Thirteen people were killed in an apartment complex fire in Ho Chi Minh City in March after the high-rise was engulfed in flames overnight, trapping many inside their apartments. That was Vietnam's deadliest fire since 2016 when a blaze in a karaoke bar in Hanoi left 13 people dead, mostly government workers who died in the club's soundproof chambers. Buildings hit by regime bombs in Syria's southern Idlib province, pictured on September 9, 2018 Iran said Monday it is committed to protecting civilians if its Syrian regime ally launches a full-scale offensive on the country's last rebel stronghold of Idlib province. "The humanitarian issue is of significant importance to us," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told journalists in Tehran. "In line with our policy of fighting terrorism and reclaiming Syria's territorial integrity, we are highly determined to solve the Idlib issue so that the people are not harmed," he added. Tehran is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's seven-year conflict, and has said it is ready to support an assault by regime forces on the rebel-held province. Iran, Russia and Turkey met at a Tehran summit on September 7 to discuss the expected offensive against Idlib but were unable to overcome their differences. While Ankara says it agrees with Moscow on the need to push extremists out, it is concerned about the fate of pro-Turkey rebels also present in the area. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan were due to meet on Monday to continue the talks. Although Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will not be present, Ghasemi said Tehran is continuing discussions with both countries as well as Damascus. Sixty percent of Idlib's area is controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group, an alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate. Turkey has meanwhile bolstered its military presence in Idlib, with Ankara aiming to prevent a Moscow-backed assault by Assad's forces who have massed around the province in recent weeks. The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly warned that such an offensive would unleash a "bloodbath" and "humanitarian catastrophe" in the area, which is home to three million people. By Trend Holding of a military parade on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku is an important event in the history of the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood, just like the liberation of Baku from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation by the Islamic Army of the Caucasus on September 15, 1918, Aydin Guliyev, editor-in-chief of the Baki Khabar newspaper, political expert, told Trend Sept. 17. Guliyev said that the results of the event 100 years ago were just as important in the future fate of Azerbaijan, as the consequences of solemn events timed to the 100th anniversary of Bakus liberation that play an effective role in the general Turkic integration. A joint parade with the participation of Turkish and Azerbaijani servicemen in Baku is an event that gives grounds for drawing various conclusions, Guliyev said. First, this event showed that if the political and economic cooperation of Azerbaijan and Turkey is the decisive guarantor of overall development and prosperity in the region, military cooperation between the two countries plays the role of indispensable tandem for regional peace and security. Secondly, one of the most important messages of this event is that the construction of the armies of the two countries is undergoing a period of revival, he noted. Thirdly, the whole world saw that the Azerbaijani and Turkish armies have a flexible structure that makes it possible to unite their capabilities in any situation, even in a military one. Fourthly, holding of the solemn military parade at the same time with the new military adventurist games of Armenia, which continues its aggressive policy against Azerbaijan, is valuable as a response message to sane people. Fifth, the potential of personal relations between President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was demonstrated, capable of making changes in all spheres, including the military one, Guliyev added. Finally, some well-known forces that were hoping they can neutralize Turkey, faced the fact that they are mistaken in case if the most dramatic scenario in Nagorno-Karabakh begins. The expert stressed that the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey made a page that is a source of pride and provides a basis for in-depth analysis go down in history. The leaders renewed in memory the joint successful, if to say in modern language, antiterrorist operation carried out by the Azerbaijani and Turkish armies 100 years ago, the expert said. The time has changed, but the sources of threat remain the same. I think that by holding the grandiose parade, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it possible to significantly reduce the ways leading to joint antiterrorist operations of the two fraternal countries. On September 15, Azerbaijan marked the centenary of Bakus liberation from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation and a solemn parade marking this event was held at the Azadlig Square. On this day in 1918, the Islamic Army of the Caucasus, which included the Azerbaijani corps, entered Baku, liberating the city from the Bolshevik-Dashnak occupation. The liberation of Baku is an event of exceptional importance for the Azerbaijani-Turkish friendship and brotherhood. Despite that during 70 years of the Soviet rule this event was purposefully explained in an erroneous context, the Azerbaijani people never forgot the heroism of Turkish soldiers. Ethiopia's Oromo people gather to celebrate the return of the formerly banned anti-government group the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) at Mesquel Square in Addis Ababa, on September 15, 2018 Demonstrators flooded the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday, blocking roads and shutting businesses in an explosion of anger following the killing of 23 people on the city's outskirts over the weekend. The unrest in Ethiopia's largest city was the latest instance of ethnic violence to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has undertaken aggressive reforms including reigning in the security forces since his April inauguration. Police appeared spread thin as groups of mostly young men waving protest flags and tree branches jogged through neighbourhoods across the city to denounce the weekend killings in the Burayu suburb. Ethiopia's police chief, Zeynu Jemal, said officers had shot dead five people on Monday, describing them as "dangerous vagrants" who attempted to loot property and steal police weapons. "I came for justice because our brothers and sisters are being slaughtered and thrown into the woods," said Bizuayehu Biyargegne Getahun, one of a group of more than a hundred protesters gathered in the central Meskel Square. "They're raping our sisters and mothers," she claimed. Zewdu Tinae called on the government to prevent the violence that he said had killed his brother and neighbour. "The government is saying let's come together, but we're being driven apart because there's no rule of law," he said. State-owned Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) said the violence in Burayu was carried out by an organised mob, who looted, killed and forced 886 people out of their homes, citing Alemayehu Ejigu, police commissioner for the Oromia region that surrounds Addis Ababa and includes Burayu. Local media reported up to 200 arrests. On Twitter, Abiy's chief of staff, Fitsum Arega, said the leader "strongly condemns the killings and acts of violence against innocent citizens. "These cowardly attacks represent a grave concern to the unity and solidarity of our people and will be met with an appropriate response," he said. - Anger, reprisals - But that wasn't enough for many protesters, who blamed the Oromos, Ethiopia's largest ethnicity which inhabits Oromia, for targeting minorities. "People of Gamo and people of other ethnicities are being attacked," said Mahmud Emersa, referring to a minority ethnic group from southern Ethiopia. He claimed the violence has gone on for the past four years. The roads to Burayu were blocked by protesters on Monday, who threatened journalists covering the demonstrations. Businesses closed their doors and avenues across the city were jammed with commuters waiting for public transportation that had greatly reduced due to the unrest. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries in the demonstrations. The weekend killings followed the triumphant return from exile of leaders of the once-outlawed Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) rebel group who in August agreed with Ethiopia's government to lay down arms. But in the days before their return, clashes broke out between young men from the ethnically-mixed city of around four million people and Oromos who came into Addis Ababa to welcome the OLF. Oromo-led anti-government protests that began in late 2015 helped bring about the resignation of Ethiopia's former leader and Abiy's subsequent rise to power. An Oromo himself, Abiy has shuffled the leadership of Ethiopia's police, military and intelligence arms, which have long been accused of abusing human rights. But while he's encouraged the people of Africa's second most-populous country to set aside their differences, bloody ethnic conflicts have rocked his administration. The most serious began shortly after his inauguration, when clashes between Oromos and members of the Gedeo ethnic displaced nearly one million people. The number of rhinos killed in South Africa has mounted from 13 in 2007 to more than 1,000 annually Conservationists expressed shock Monday after a Thai kingpin of the illegal rhino horn trade was released from jail in South Africa after serving just six years of his 40-year sentence. Chumlong Lemtongthai was freed on parole in Pretoria last week and immediately flew back to Bangkok, government officials told AFP. Lemtongthai pleaded guilty in 2012 to running bogus rhino hunts as a cover to source horns to sell on the lucrative black market. His long sentence had been hailed by campaigners as a breakthrough in the criminal prosecution of traffickers. But his release triggered accusations that South African authorities were failing to act to stop the slaughter. "His early release is an utter disgrace. It makes a complete mockery of the seriousness of the crimes perpetrated," Audrey Delsink, director the Humane Society International animal charity, told AFP. "It sends a strong message that high-level poachers with known links to wildlife trafficking networks are treated with leniency. "Lemtongthai was personally involved in the illegal slaughtering of 26 rhinos, and ordering the deaths of at least 50 animals." The World Wildlife Fund said authorities must push for "successful prosecutions and appropriate sentencing of those responsible". Lemtongthai enlisted Thai prostitutes to pose as fake hunters on game farms in North West province, obtaining permits from the provincial authorities to shoot a set number of rhino. Professional hunters shot the rhino and Lemtongthai's Laos-based trafficking network used false paperwork to traffic the horns as legitimate hunting trophies before selling them on Asia's traditional medicine market. Driven by rocketing demand in Asia, the number of rhinos killed in South Africa has climbed steeply in the past decade from just 13 in 2007 to reach more than 1,000 annually in the past five years. In the last eight years alone, roughly a quarter of the world population of rhinos has been killed in South Africa, home to 80 percent of the remaining animals. Rhino horn is composed mainly of keratin, the same substance as in human nails, and is falsely believed by some to have powerful healing properties. "Unfortunately, people connected with him will be back, or are back already, and the slaughter will continue," forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan told the Oxpecker wildlife investigative group that tracked the case. Lemtongthai's 40-year sentence was reduced on appeal in 2013 and again in 2014. "When the parole board considered his profile, they saw fit that he was ready for parole. We applied law as prescribed," correctional services department spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo told AFP. "We don't expect him back in the country." Deputy Russian Ambassador to the UN Vladimir Safronkov talks with Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council called by the United States to discuss sanctions against North Korea The United States on Monday accused Russia of "cheating" on UN sanctions against North Korea with plans for a railway project, oil transfers and ongoing business dealings with Pyongyang. Russia shot back and charged that Washington was blocking steps to foster cooperation between North and South Korea and using a UN sanctions committee "as a select channel to punish" North Korea. US Ambassador Nikki Haley told a Security Council meeting that the United States has evidence of "consistent and wide-ranging Russian violations" of the tough economic penalties imposed on North Korea. Sanctions "cannot be an end in itself," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia responded. "You should, instead of creating roadblocks, promote the inter-Korean cooperation and dialogue," he told Haley. The raucous meeting highlighted divisions between the United States, which is pushing for sanctions to be fully enforced on North Korea, and Russia, which argues that incentives must be offered to Pyongyang to move forward. Led by the United States, the council last year adopted three sets of wide-ranging sanctions aimed at cutting off revenue to North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Haley said Russia had been "cheating" despite supporting UN sanctions resolutions. "Step by step, sanction by sanction, and time and time again, Russia is working across the board to undermine the sanctions regime," she said. The United States maintains that UN sanctions which have dealt a blow to North Korea's economy must remain in place until Pyongyang has completely scrapped its nuclear weapons and military programs. - Row over UN report - Russia wants to develop railway links between North and South Korea to export coal from its Far East region and reach South Korean ports, Haley said. Russia also blocked a US move to blacklist Russian ships allegedly involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined oil to North Korea and is refusing to expel a North Korean operative, Haley said. In a rebuttal, Nebenzia said the plan for rail links was not in violation of sanctions resolutions and rejected accusations of a Russian ship involved in oil transfers. He said Russia had asked for further information from the United States on the North Korean national. The council meeting was called by the United States after a report by an independent UN panel of experts was amended under pressure from Russia to remove sections that deal with Russian businesses. The United States blocked release of the report on implementation of sanctions in protest at the changes in the latest version. China called for UN sanctions to be enforced but recalled that resolutions allow for a lifting of the punitive measures if there is progress toward denuclearization. Chinese Ambassador Mao Zhaoxu said "confrontation is a dead-end" and diplomacy must be "actively" promoted to bring an end to the standoff on the Korean peninsula. China and Russia have argued that North Korea should be rewarded with the prospect of eased sanctions for opening up dialogue with the United States and halting missile tests. Members of an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish family watch their father as he carries a chicken before performing the Kaparot ceremony in the neighbourhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem In the stone alleyways of a Jerusalem neighbourhood, live chickens are repeatedly lifted above the heads of strictly religious Jews before being slaughtered -- a ritual authorities are discouraging. "We say that all our bad activities throughout the year should be taken from us and given over to the chickens," says Yakov Schwartz, a 26-year-old dressed in the black suit and hat worn by ultra-Orthodox Jews, long sidelocks dangling beyond his ears. The annual atonement ritual known as Kaparot occurs ahead of the fasting holiday of Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar beginning Tuesday night. Many of those who participate in it believe it absolves them of their sins, which are transferred to the chicken. The slaughtered chicken can then be donated to the poor or another worthy cause if not kept for the family. But with public health and animal welfare in mind, Israeli authorities are encouraging the religious to opt out of using chickens in the ritual and simply donate money instead. Many Jews, particularly among the non-ultra-Orthodox, prefer to donate money. Schwartz is part of a crowd of ultra-Orthodox in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood gathered next to stacks of plastic cages holding chickens for the ritual, white feathers fluttering in the air and littering the ground. He holds a chicken under its wings and lifts it over the heads of his three young children -- a male for the two boys and a female for his daughter -- and moves it in a circle as the ritual demands. While doing so, he recites the prayer that goes with the custom. Schwartz, in town from London for the holiday, then walks over to the open-air slaughtering station just steps away, where chickens' throats are slit before being hung upside down on a carousel and later butchered. - 'Trying to convince' - The process plays out over and over again, both there and at another location under a tent in Jerusalem's most iconic ultra-Orthodox district, where signs call on women to dress modestly and Jewish law is scrupulously observed. An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man swings a chicken over the head of a relative as he performs the Kaparot ceremony in Jerusalem At the second location, a man in a blood-splattered shirt methodically hangs bleeding chickens on the carousel, cutting off the ends of their wings before sending them on their way. The custom is thought to have developed as an imitation of the ritual sacrifice of animals at the biblical-era first and second Jewish temples. But the agriculture ministry has been running a campaign for the last three years to encourage the use of money instead of chickens, a ministry official says. It also inspects sites that carry out the custom and can shut them down if they violate public health or animal welfare laws, according to the official. But, as in other matters involving the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, the ministry takes a careful approach when it comes to Kaparot. The ultra-Orthodox are among Israel's fastest-growing communities and account for some 10 percent of the population. The most extreme among them are hostile to the state, but those who do participate in politics wield significant influence. Ultra-Orthodox parties currently hold 13 seats out of the 66 in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's parliamentary coalition. Shuki Friedman, director for the centre for religion, nation and state at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, says the custom is not considered a core ritual in Judaism. But he says Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, a religious nationalist, would be unlikely to strongly challenge the ultra-Orthodox community on the issue. "They can't go directly against this custom," Friedman tells AFP. "He's trying to convince rather than go against or criticise." A picture from the Algerian Press Service (APS) shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel meeting Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia in Algiers on September 17, 2018 Algeria will take back its citizens illegally residing in Germany, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia pledged Monday during a visit by the country's Chancellor Angela Merkel. "I confirm that Algeria will bring its citizens back, whether it's a matter of 3,000 or 5,000 (people)," the premier said during a news conference alongside Merkel. Ouyahia said most citizens had been returned on Air Algerie flights, adding the process could be speedier if Berlin was able to convince Lufthansa to fly them back on its regular flights. Merkel affirmed the "will in Germany to welcome those who have good reasons to flee their countries," such as Iraqis and Syrians, offering them the right to stay and work. "On the other hand, where the right to remain does not exist we expect that the state can take action. "To that end, we need partners who are in agreement with us and Algeria is one of those partners," Merkel said. Ouyahia said the Algerian authorities were also taking action against those illegally entering its territory. "Algeria does battle for the rest of the international community," he said, by preventing "20,000 to 30,000 people annually from entering Algeria illegally" from where many continue their journeys to Europe. Berlin wants to classify the North African nation as a "safe" country, as part of a legal change which would make it harder for Algerians to claim asylum in Germany. Algiers has meanwhile asked Berlin to implement extradition requests issued by Algerian courts. Speaking on Monday, Ouyahia denied Algeria had abandoned "Africans in the desert", following accusations by rights groups that thousands of migrants were dumped at the border. Earlier this month the International Organization for Migration said more than 400 people had been rescued from the desert in northern Niger in two days, without specifying whether they had been pushed back from neighbouring Algeria. Merkel, who departed Algeria later on Monday, also met with the country's ailing president, 81-year-old Abdelaziz Bouteflika during her official visit. As well as migration, economic issues and terrorism were also on the agenda, according to official Algerian Press Service. "We wish... to contribute to the diversification of the Algerian economy" hit hard by low oil prices, Merkel said. She also said Germany was willing to continue its "close cooperation" with Algeria in defence and security, particularly for "the fight against terrorism and internal security". Hundreds of Israelis from the Jewish Ethiopian community hold up photographs of relatives outside the parliament in Jerusalem on March 12, 2018 during a demonstration demanding the state allow their family members in Ethiopia to join them in Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday decided to allow 1,000 Ethiopians to immigrate to Israel, his office announced, in a rare intake of the Falashmura community. The Falashmuras claim to be descendants of Ethiopian Jews, and they have long fought for the right to settle in Israel, even though the Jewish state does not recognise them as such. Israel -- which took in tens of thousands of Jews from the African nation in the 1980s and 1990s -- considers that process to be complete. It also applies a restrictive immigration policy for non-Jews. But in 2015, the government established a nominative list of 9,000 Ethiopians who were allowed to immigrate to Israel within five years on the basis of family reunion. Netanyahu said that since that decision, 1,300 Falashmuras had immigrated to Israel. "I am pleased to inform you that I have decided that approximately 1,000 community members -- whose children are already here -- must be brought to Israel," Netanyahu said. Israel's Ethiopian community now numbers around 140,000 people, including more than 50,000 born in the Jewish state. Most of them are descendants of communities cut off from the Jewish world for centuries, and were belatedly recognised by Israeli religious authorities. But the Falashmuras, most of whom were forced to convert to Christianity in the 19th century but remained closely attached to the Jewish tradition, never received such recognition. Ethiopian Jews have staged a series of protests in recent years to denounce racism and discrimination against them in Israel, and to demand that family members in Ethiopia be allowed to join them. Some Ethiopian Jews oppose new waves of immigration, arguing that Israel is facing enough difficulties integrating the existing community and that those who are still in Ethiopia are not Jewish. "We are not prepared to accept racism against the Ethiopian Jewish community or against any other (community) in Israel," Netanyahu said. A non-governmental organisation representing Ethiopians in Israel called on Netanyahu to give the remaining Jews in the African nation permission to immigrate. "We demand that the PM commit to his promises and provide an immediate resolution to bring to Israel all the 8,000 members of the remaining Jewish community of Ethiopia," said Alisa Bodner, spokeswoman for the Struggle for Ethiopian Aliyah group. "As long as the government continues to violate the 2015 commitment and keep families apart, we will continue to protest and fight for justice." Lead prosecutor Joe McMahon holds the three-inch blade Laquan McDonald carried the night we was killed Attorneys made opening arguments Monday in the trial of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder for shooting a black teen four years ago, a politically-charged case that has roiled the city. The prosecution said Jason Van Dyke unlawfully shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in the street October 2014, after the knife-wielding teen disobeyed officers' orders to drop the weapon. Van Dyke simply saw "a black boy, walking down the street... and having the audacity to ignore the police," lead prosecutor Joe McMahon told the court. The defendant's attorney Daniel Herbert countered with a portrait of McDonald as a dangerous criminal, high on hallucinogenic drug PCP, who had threatened members of the public during a "wild rampage." The shooting, captured on dash-cam video, has upended the city's politics and left many fearful that violence could break out if the officer is acquitted. The video shows Van Dyke firing 16 bullets into McDonald, who appeared to have been walking away from officers. Van Dyke continued to fire even after the teen collapsed. None of the other nine officers at the scene fired their weapons. Opening statements began after a week of jury selection, as 12 jurors were picked from a pool of 200. Only a handful of protesters were outside the courthouse Monday, but the city was keenly watching the case's outcome. The incident was considered another example in a series of fatal encounters between police and African Americans in recent years that led to the Black Lives Matter Movement. "We're trying to get justice," McDonald relative and family spokesman Marvin Hunter told reporters. "Justice in the matter of this case sets a precedent around this country for all of the people that have suffered what Laquan had suffered." Libyan Interior Minister Abdessalam Ashour (C-R) and undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications in the Al-Wefaq Government Hisham Abu Shkiwat (C-L) greet members of the security forces for Tripoli's Mitiga International Airport Libya's internationally recognised government on Monday said a "regular force" would be tasked with securing the capital's only working airport, closed again last week due to violence, the interior minister said. Mitiga International Airport, located in a former military base that includes a prison, is currently controlled by the Special Deterrence Forces -- a Salafist militia that serves as Tripoli's police force. Allied with Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord, the ultra-conservative group hunts down both jihadists and traffickers and holds suspected members of the Islamist State group and regular criminals in the compound's prison. Rival armed groups regularly carry out attacks against the Mitiga base, forcing the airport to close several times. On Tuesday rockets hit the airport's perimeter prompting a suspension of flights. The airport, on Tripoli's eastern outskirts, had already been closed from August 31 to September 6 due to fighting between rival armed groups near the capital. It reopened on September 7 after the United Nations brokered a ceasefire. At a Monday press conference at the airport, Interior Minister Abdessalam Ashour said it would reopen in 72 hours after the establishment of a "regular force" led by a police colonel. The new security force would only deal with the interior of the airport, Ashour added. Security of its permitter would be "the responsibility of the armed forces and its general staff", he said, without specifying whether the Special Deterrence Forces would relocate or if the prison would be shuttered. Deputy Transport Minister Hisham Abu Shkiwat said he expected the airport to reopen "within a few days" after it had come under attack five times since the start of the year. The Libyan capital has been at the centre of a battle for influence between armed groups since dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted in 2011. Around 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has sparked a grave humanitarian crisis The Saudi-led coalition said pro-government forces in Yemen launched a new offensive on Monday night against the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, after an 11-week pause during UN efforts to hold peace talks. "A military operation to liberate Hodeida and its port has begun on multiple fronts," a senior coalition official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Brigadier General Ali al-Taniji, the commander of coalition forces on Yemen's west coast, confirmed the operation in remarks to state media in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia's main partner in the coalition. Pro-government forces launched air raids against rebel positions in and around the city of 600,000. Residents told AFP they had heard explosions. The coalition accuses the Tehran-aligned Huthi rebels of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida and has imposed a partial blockade on the port, which the rebels seized in 2014. In June, it launched a major operation to retake both the city and its port, the entry point of most of the impoverished country's imports and aid. The troops, backed by coalition air strikes, have retaken a number of towns across Hodeida province but have not yet breached the city. The coalition in July announced a temporary ceasefire in Hodeida to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. The UN's Yemen envoy, Martin Griffiths, arrived Sunday in the rebel-held capital Sanaa. He is pushing for new negotiations after a failed attempt to bring the two sides together in Geneva earlier this month. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in 2015 in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Huthis. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands on the brink of famine. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured arriving in Washington for trade talks on September 5, 2018, says a deal is "eminently possible" Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday she will return to Washington by the end of the week to resume talks with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Freeland left the US capital last Tuesday, saying a deal to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was "eminently possible," but did not set a date for her return. The Canadian negotiating team, which she leads, has continued discussions with the Americans in her absence, and Freeland has been in contact with Lighthizer during this "intensive phase of the negotiations." "We agreed that we would continue to talk in Washington later this week," she told reporters, adding that no date has yet been set. Negotiations to modernize the 1994 accord between Canada, the United States and Mexico started a year ago at the behest of US President Donald Trump, who called it "one of the worst trade deals in history" for sending many manufacturing jobs -- notably in the auto sector -- to Mexico. On Friday, Freeland met representatives of the Canadian dairy sector worried that the government might make concessions to give the Americans increased access to Canada's dairy market. The supply-managed sector sees milk, egg and poultry production and prices controlled by the government, resulting in higher prices for consumers, but a stable income for farmers. It is closed to most foreign imports, including from the United States, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to defend the system. "I had a long and good conversation with dairy farmers and processors," Freeland said. "It was important for us to understand their perspective and it was an opportunity for me to hear directly from them," she said. The United States, which has surplus milk production, wants more access to the Canadian market. It has become a sticking point in the NAFTA negotiations, along with Canadian demands for an international system for resolving disputes, and Canadian cultural subsidies. By Trend Azerbaijans defense minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the ministry visited units stationed in the front line zone and checked the state of combat readiness of military personnel, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message Sept. 17. The minister of defense visited units located near the settlements that underwent fire by Armenia on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border for several days. The minister heard reports on the current situation and observed the foremost positions of the enemy. The minister got acquainted with the situation in the foremost units and gave specific instructions to the units located along these directions connected with urgent retaliatory actions and the adoption of tougher measures against the shelling of civilians by Armenian troops. Hasanov, meeting with servicemen, inquired about their concerns, social and living conditions, and talked to them at the tea table. Little hope to go to the United States: displaced syrians pose for a photograph in the camp "Hope" in the Syrian village of Kafr Lusein, north of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, on September 13, 2018. The Trump administration slashed its annual cap on refugee acceptances Monday for the second year in a row, saying it would take a maximum of just 30,000 in the fiscal year to come. That was down from a 45,000 limit in the year that ends on September 30 -- but higher than the actual number of refugees resettled in the past year, around 21,000. It was the lowest number for the State Department's refugee program since it was instituted in 1980. "The improved refugee policy of this administration serves the national interest of the United States, and expands our ability to help those in need all around the world," said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "We are and continue to be the most generous nation in the world." The new level was barely over one-quarter of the 110,000 cap set by former president Barack Obama for fiscal year 2017. The sharp fall is part of President Donald Trump's overall crackdown on immigration. "We will continue to assist the world's most vulnerable while never losing sight of our first duty: serving the American people," Pompeo said. Pompeo said the burden of hundreds of thousands of asylum requests, most of them from Mexicans and Central Americans, had taxed the bureaucracy assessing applications. He also said that the government had to be more careful not to admit potential criminal and terror threats. "Already this year we have seen evidence that the system previously in place was defective," he said. "It allowed a foreign national to slip through who was later discovered to be a member of ISIS, as well as other individuals with criminal backgrounds." According to State Department figures through September 14 -- two weeks before the end of fiscal 2018 -- the country had admitted only 20,825 refugees, less than half of this year's quota. Of them, 9,566 were from Africa, 3,418 from East Asia, 3,706 from the Middle East and South Asia, and 3,279 from Europe. The United States has been criticized for taking only a handful of Syrian refugees this year out of the hundreds of thousands left stranded by a grueling civil war. Pompeo said the United States is now processing the applications of more than 280,000 asylum seekers, adding to another 800,000 already awaiting adjudication of their asylum requests. But most of those have come across the southwestern US border from Central America, and are people the administration has labelled economic migrants who should not be permitted to stay. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is under fire over accusations of xenophobia and racism at the State Department The US State Department is on the defensive after Democratic lawmakers said the agency was remaining silent over xenophobia and racism, and an ex-diplomat said white males were the overwhelming majority in senior official recruits. Detractors at the department say Republican Donald Trump's arrival in the White House in early 2017 was a turning point. "We are extremely alarmed by the Trump administration's policy of remaining silent in international fora about racism and xenophobia and declining to condemn hate speech and incitement," six Democratic representatives wrote in a scathing letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They pointed to an episode that saw a senior State official dispute "the idea that leaders have a 'duty to condemn hate speech or incitement' and tried to strike an entire section of a United Nations document that links fighting racism with building a diverse democratic society." "This is a dangerous policy," the signatories wrote, saying "this latest blunder amplifies the increasingly widespread perception that some officials in the Trump administration are racist and support an anti-foreigner, anti-Muslim discriminatory agenda." Uzra Zeya -- who worked at the State Department for nearly three decades, before resigning this year after she was "blocked" from several top jobs -- blasted her former employer in Politico, writing "Trump is making American diplomacy white again." In 2017, she said "the exclusion of minorities from top leadership positions in the State Department and embassies abroad," began trending. According to her analysis of public statistics, 64 percent of Trump ambassador appointees were white, non-Hispanic men -- seven points higher than under his predecessor Barack Obama. From September 2016 to June 2018, she said the share of African Americans in senior foreign service fell from 4.6 to 3.2 percent. In a similar vein, the steady upward trend of women ambassadors has reversed for the first time since the late 1990s. "The assertion that @StateDept is 'racist' is disgusting and false-a brazen attempt to create division for domestic political gain," agency spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted Sunday. "State is among the most diverse of government agencies." A Harley-Davidson motorcycle is parked in front of a restaurant in Shanghai President Donald Trump, to the alarm of US trading partners, has kept his course of aggressive trade policy, imposing punitive tariffs on countries he accuses of cheating American workers. His trade war with China escalated on Monday to cover nearly half of all US imports from that country. It is by far the largest and broadest of several fights picked by Trump. Here is a summary of the ongoing conflicts: - China - After weeks of threats, Trump followed through with 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion in imports from China, which take effect September 24, and are on top of the $50 billion already subject to 25 percent duties. The latest round of imports will face 10 percent tariffs through the end of the year, and then the rate will jump to 25 percent, giving businesses time to find new suppliers, officials said. The new taxes will hit a broad swath of products, including billions in Chinese-made voice data receivers, computer memory modules and automatic data processors. However, the initial list announced in July was reduced by 300 product lines, sparing consumer electronics like smart watches and bluetooth devices, and child safety products such as high chairs, car seats and play pens, among others. China has accused the United States of starting the "largest trade war in economic history," and has again vowed to retaliate with duties on $60 billion in US goods, but since the country only imports $130 billion in US goods, its ability to hit back with matching tariffs is now limited. Trump has threatened to target another $267 billion in goods the US imports from China. Beijing has filed a complaint in the World Trade Organization against the US actions. China vowed to retaliate against the new round of tariffs announced Monday by Trump. - European Union - On June 1, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from the EU, Canada and Mexico. Trump has said the European Union is "possibly almost as bad as China" when it comes to trade, as a raft of retaliatory tariffs from Brussels came into effect on June 22. From blue jeans to motorbikes and whiskey, the EU's hit list of products targeted the most emblematic of American exports. Trump has also threatened to impose punitive levies on imported cars, something Germany's powerful auto industry particularly fears. But Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced a plan on July 25 to defuse the row, with Washington backing off the auto tariffs against Europe, at least for now. Both sides are now discussing how to pursue talks toward zero tariffs. But the European Commission is awaiting a negotiating mandate from EU member states. - Canada and Mexico - Canada and Mexico, members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the US, have imposed their own counter-tariffs on US goods after Washington's steel and aluminum duties took effect. Those tariffs were imposed after Trump came to office demanding an overhaul of the "terrible" NAFTA deal. Complicated talks to that end have been proceeding. Last month, Mexico and the US finalized a preliminary agreement on a new NAFTA pact they intend to sign by December 1. Since then, Canada has been in intense talks to preserve NAFTA as a three-country deal, but negotiations remain hung up on the dispute resolution mechanism as well as on Ottawa's strict control over its domestic dairy market, which Trump has repeatedly railed against. - Japan - Japan is another target of Trump's steel tariffs, which Tokyo calls "extremely deplorable." Japan has informed the WTO that it plans to impose retaliatory measures on US goods to the tune of 50 billion yen ($455 million). It also wants an exemption from the threatened US duties on auto imports, which represent a major threat to its car industry as well as Germany's. - Iran - In May, Trump announced he was abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposing sanctions in two phases in August and November, with the second targeting the country's vital oil and gas sector. That entails the potential for huge penalties against those who trade with Iran, including European energy firms and automakers. Europe has vowed to keep providing Iran with the economic benefits it received from the nuclear deal. But many of its bigger companies have already pulled out of the country before their investments could bear fruit, including Total, Daimler, Siemens and Peugeot. - Turkey - Igniting a secondary skirmish, Trump last month said that he had doubled steel and aluminum tariffs on NATO ally Turkey amid a row over an American pastor held for two years on terror charges. The Twitter announcement on August 10 caused the Turkish lira to crash nearly 20 percent, and prompted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to claim Turkey was victim of a "political plot" and an "economic war." Turkey has in turn hiked tariffs on imports of several US products such as rice, alcohol, leaf tobacco, cosmetics and cars. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) came to Pyongyang's international airport to welcome South Korean President Moon Jae-in (C) South Korea's president and the North's leader Kim Jong Un drove together through the streets of Pyongyang on Tuesday past thousands of cheering citizens before opening a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between his hosts and the United States. Kim and Moon embraced at Pyongyang's international airport -- where the North Korean leader had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted. Graphic showing previous summits between North and South Korea The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people waved North Korean flags and another depicting an undivided peninsula -- while the South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands of people, holding bouquets and chanting in unison "Reunification of the country!" lined the streets as Kim and Moon rode through the city in an open-topped vehicle. "I am acutely aware of the weight that we bear," Moon told Kim as they opened two hours of formal talks at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party, adding that he felt a "heavy responsibility." The talks covered "various issues arising in further accelerating the development of the north-south relations", the North's KCNA news agency said. Kim and Moon "had a frank and candid conversation over important matters of mutual concern," it added, without providing details. At a banquet after the first day of the summit, Moon said the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of peace" were priorities. South Korea's Moon (R) has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim Jong Un (L) and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula The South Korean leader said there would be challenges ahead but that he and Kim had "trust and friendship." Kim also hailed his relationship with Moon. The North Korean leader declared his backing for the denuclearisation of the peninsula at his Singapore summit with US President Donald Trump in June. But no details were agreed. Washington and Pyongyang have since sparred over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation," while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the criticism Tuesday, saying Washington was "totally to blame" for the deadlock. The US called the summit "a historic opportunity for Chairman Kim to follow through his commitment that he made to President Trump." "We hope to see a meaningful verifiable step toward the denuclearisation of North Korea," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, adding that US officials were consulting closely with South Korean counterparts during the summit. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people on the tarmac waved North Korean flags and unification ones depicting an undivided peninsula Moon will hold another round of formal talks with Kim on Wednesday, as he urges the North Korean leader to make substantive steps toward disarmament that he can present to Trump. Moon is due to meet Trump later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. - 'Rosy headlines' - The dovish South Korean president is looking to tie the inter-Korean process and the US-Northern talks closer together to reduce the threat of a devastating conflict on the peninsula. At the same time Kim will look to secure closer inter-Korean cooperation as Seoul and Washington move at increasingly different speeds in their approaches to Pyongyang. Analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea," Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would focus on "areas that promise economic benefits for the North," it added. President Moon Jae-in, whose own parents fled the North during the three-year Korean War, is on a three-day trip to Pyongyang "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." There have been many previous rounds of negotiations with the North, but deals have subsequently fallen apart -- Wednesday will mark 13 years to the day since Pyongyang agreed to abandon all of its nuclear weapons and return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has since carried out six nuclear tests and launched intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland. - 'First, second, third' - Moon's own parents fled the North during the Korean War that left the peninsula divided and technically in a state of conflict. His three-day visit is the first by a South Korean president to Pyongyang in a decade. It is also the two leaders' third meeting this year. Moon -- whose poll ratings have fallen in the face of economic difficulties -- was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. Moon has been pushing inter-Korean engagement, which is complicated by international sanctions against the North. South Korean media have urged caution, calling for substantial progress towards denuclearisation first. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation." Ninety percent of migrants who enter Europe are helped by human traffickers, according to Europol's Robert Crepinko They scale barbed-wire topped fences and cross the sea in inflatable boats or jet skis -- more than 36,000 migrants entered Spain this year seeking a better life in Europe. Almost all of them relied on smugglers to make the crossing. Ousman Umar, who made a five-year journey from Ghana to Spain, said it was "impossible" to travel thousands of kilometres (miles) from sub-Saharan Africa through deserts and other inhospitable areas without the aid of gangs. "There is almost no chance of reaching Europe illegally" without paying traffickers, Robert Crepinko, the head of the human smuggling unit at Europol, the European Union's policing arm, told AFP. Ninety percent of migrants who enter Europe are helped by human traffickers, he added, citing a 2015 study. Spain has become the main entry point for migrants arriving this year, after Italy and Greece. In order to reach the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, migrants must first scale the barbed wire fences which mark the only land borders between the EU and Africa "The journey can last one year, two years, depending on the ring and the funds you have, because the trafficking networks will take you as far as you can pay," Jose Nieto Barroso of the national police's human smuggling unit UCRIF told AFP. Migrants gather in Morocco because "it's the best place to wait for the right moment to cross" over to Spain, said Nieto Barroso. The vast majority pay for a spot on an inflatable dinghy or to take part in a mass run on the heavily fortified border fences that surround Ceuta and Melilla, two tiny Spanish territories in North Africa that share the EU's only land borders with Africa. - Up to 5,000 euros - Human traffickers charge 18 euros ($21) to try to scale the border fences, 200-700 euros to join a packed boat to cross the narrow Strait of Gibraltar separating Spain from Morocco by just 15 kilometres (nine miles) at its narrowest point, or up to 5,000 euros to make the trip by jet ski, according to Spanish police. A border fence encircles Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta which lies on the Strait of Gibraltar, surrounded by Morocco Europol estimates migrants pay on average 3,000-5,000 euros for a complete trip to Europe. Once in Spain, many want to move on to wealthier northern European countries like Britain, France and Germany where they believe they will have better opportunities, or because they already have family there. Once again, human traffickers play a role in getting them there. The smugglers promise migrants they will be rescued at sea by the Spanish coast guard and then taken to migrant reception centres where "in three or four days members of the network will be in the area and get you out," Nieto Barroso said. The gang will then take the migrants to another country or, in worst-case scenarios, pass them on to other gangs that exploit them. - 'Chaotic' reception - Women are sometimes forced into prostitution while men are used as slave labour in agriculture or made to beg in the streets. The rings "supply people. They say: 'I have 8, 12, 15 people from the sub-Sahara who can be put to work'," said Nieto Barroso. Gangs take advantage of the "brutal collapse" of overcrowded migrant reception centres, and gain access to migrants through nonprofit organisations which work with the newcomers, he added. Paloma Favieres of the Spanish Committee for Refugee Aid (CEAR) denounced the reception Spain gives migrants as "chaotic". She said she notifies police whenever she believes a migrant is at risk of falling prey to human traffickers but stressed it was up to police "to fight against crime". "I don't get any help from the police," she told AFP. With migrant arrivals to Spain's southern shores on the rise, more of them are heading north to the border town of Irun, some sleeping rough as they wait to cross into neighbouring France, or to Santander, where police in August arrested two people for hiding migrants in their vehicle which was going to board a ferry bound for Britain. Police smashed 25 human trafficking rings in Spain last year but many more remain active in Africa, recruiting more migrants. Foreign companies operating in China do not enjoy a fair playing field, the EU Chamber of Commerce report says Foreign companies cannot compete on a level playing field in China because the world's second-largest economy is stuck in a "reform deficit", a European business group said Tuesday. Despite four decades of booming growth, Beijing has fallen behind on pledges to implement reforms and liberalise its economy, the EU Chamber of Commerce in China wrote in its annual report. The comments come as China-US trade tensions fray, with Donald Trump on Monday announcing new tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods that will take effect next week. "The root cause of the US-China trade war is China's incomplete market opening," said Mats Harborn, president of the EU Chamber. "Reducing the reform deficit should also help with reducing tensions in the ongoing trade war," he added. The 394-page position paper details the problems EU firms face in China, and represents the voices of 1,600 European companies, including big names such as Siemens, Volkswagen and Airbus. The chamber said it received "a clear no" when it asked members whether international companies compete on a level playing field in China. European firms face myriad issues in China, the report said, including preferential treatment for monopolistic state-owned companies, market access barriers and government red tape, as well as intellectual property protection and forced technology transfer. "China's old economic order is still lingering in society," Harborn said, noting the Communist Party's determination to make state-owned enterprises "stronger bigger and better" was actually detrimental to the development of China's economy. The roped-off Chinese internet was also identified as a headache by more than half of businesses, according to the chamber's survey. As Washington shows signs of ironing out trade frictions with Brussels, Beijing is increasingly worried its top two trade partners could gang up on it. Harborn called Trump's tariff campaign "economic madness" and said "we will not pressure China into increasing its reform and opening". But European companies and officials share many of the same concerns as Washington, and Harborn said "we are also very frustrated by the lack of progress we see". Beijing had pledged that 2018 -- the 40th anniversary of former leader Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening policies that jump-started China's economic miracle -- would be a big year for further changes. But the tensions created by China's attempts to use market mechanisms in a state-led economy remain unresolved, despite the Communist Party emphasising five years ago "the decisive role of the market in allocating resources", the chamber's report said. A number of sectors remain "heavily dominated" by state-owned firms, suppressing the possibility for competition, according to the report. The chamber said China has made some positive changes this year, like opening up financial and manufacturing fields and lowering tariffs, but said they were not enough. It is "more than the pessimists thought but less than the optimists hoped for", said Jacob Gunter, policy coordinator for the chamber. 'Legalise weed': Cannabis supporters demonstrated to demand legalisation South Africa's top court ruled Tuesday that private, personal cannabis use was legal in a landmark case that pit law enforcement agencies against marijuana advocates and the judiciary. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, delivering the Johannesburg-based Constitutional Court's unanimous verdict, declared the law banning marijuana use in private by adults "unconstitutional and therefore invalid". "It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption," he said, reading the ruling to cheers from the public gallery. The court also ordered parliament to draft new laws within 24 months to reflect the order. Outside, pro-cannabis campaigners lit pipes and rolled joints to celebrate the news, filling the air with the distinctive scent of marijuana. "I'm happy I won't be getting any more criminal records for possession," Ruaan Wilson, a 29-year-old wearing shorts and sunglasses, told AFP before pausing for a puff. "Now we can get police to focus on real drugs and thugs," he added. A court in the Western Cape had ruled in March 2017 that a ban on cannabis use by adults at home was unconstitutional, a move that effectively decriminalised it in the province, which includes Cape Town. But the ministers of justice, police, health and trade challenged that finding, arguing that there was "objective proof of the harmful effects of cannabis." Tuesday's ruling will not decriminalise the use of the drug in public nor the offences of supplying or dealing -- but cultivation for personal, private use will no longer be illegal for adults. - 'We are free now' - Previously, possessing, growing or using marijuana for personal use, even in small quantities, exposed users to fines of several thousand rand (hundreds of dollars) as well as jail time. Although custodial sentences were rare, penalties for selling the plant were far higher. Three cannabis users who had faced prosecution for using the drug argued in the Constitutional Court that the prohibition "intrudes unjustifiably into their private spheres". Use of cannabis and medicinal marijuana has gained ground in many parts of the world Activists clutching banners reading "Weed are free now" and Rastafari flags gathered outside the court in central Johannesburg. Other boards read "Free the weed", and "Legalise weed, end economic depression #weedislife". Some activists also called for cannabis to be decriminalised for public use. "It's not enough, we also have privacy in person, as we walk in a public space, therefore we should be allowed to carry cannabis in public," said Jeremy Acton, leader of the Dagga Party in South Africa which advocates for the rights of cannabis users. Previous court hearings on the emotive issue have drawn protests by those opposed to legalising cannabis, as well as by those in favour of decriminalisation. Use of cannabis and medicinal marijuana has gained popularity in many parts of the world to ease suffering from cancer, glaucoma, HIV and AIDS, and other serious health conditions. - 'Able to develop the plant' - But opponents fear crime connected to drug abuse and the risk of users migrating to harder drugs. "The ruling contradicts the efforts of government and the South African society to deal with drug addiction and crime in our country," said Kenneth Meshoe, leader of the opposition African Christian Democratic Party, in a statement. The country's Medical Research Council has already launched trials to help guarantee quality, consistency and standards, according to local media. "We have used cannabis to treat anxiety, colic in children and as an antiseptic in secret for many years," said Phephsile Maseko of the Traditional Healers Organisation. "Now we will be able to develop the plant even further." The South Africa Constitutional Court verdict said a law banning private marijuana use by adults "is unconstitutional and therefore invalid" The agriculture ministry said in a statement that it noted the ruling, adding that the decision by some US states to legalise the drug showed "a huge potential for job creation". Globally, the legal status of cannabis varies widely. In Portugal, for example, possession and use is largely decriminalised, while users in Saudi Arabia face the death penalty. The breakthrough for South African cannabis users came just a day after US soft drinks giant Coca-Cola confirmed it was studying the use of a key ingredient in marijuana to make "wellness beverages". A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into Bangladesh Myanmar's army has used unfathomable levels of violence against minority Rohingya, UN investigators said Tuesday, calling for the military to be removed from politics and top generals to be prosecuted for genocide. The UN report, which laid out in meticulous detail a vast array of violations committed by the country's powerful military, came just hours before the International Criminal Court's prosecutor announced a preliminary probe into crimes against Rohingya Muslims. "It is hard to fathom the level of brutality of Tatmadaw operations, its total disregard for civilian life," head of the UN fact-finding mission Marzuki Darusman told the UN Human Rights Council, referring to the nation's military. Myanmar's ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, slammed Tuesday's report as "one-sided" and "flawed". The ICC's preliminary examination could lead to a formal investigation and then possible indictments. "I have decided to proceed to the next phase of the process and to carry out a full-fledged preliminary examination of the situation at hand," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into Bangladesh amid accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017. - 'Genocide' - A shorter version of the UN report, published last month, had already called for Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing (pictured) and five other top military commanders to be prosecuted in an international court for genocide The UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats", and said that estimates that some 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown was likely a conservative figure. It said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the stateless Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide". A shorter version of the mission's report, published last month, had already called for Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders to be prosecuted in an international court for genocide. In his presentation, Darusman provided excruciating details of massacres in Rohingya villages, pointing out that "the men were systematically killed. Children were shot, thrown into the river or onto a fire". Women and girls meanwhile were routinely gang-raped before being locked inside burning houses. Of those who survived, many had been severely bitten, in what appeared to be "akin to a form of branding," he said. - Rape as war tactic - The investigators directed specific criticism at Aung San Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military Darusman said the "scale, cruelty and systematic nature (of the sexual violence) reveal beyond doubt that rape is used as a tactic of war". The UN analysis decried the army's hold on political life in Myanmar, which only recently emerged from almost a half century of total military junta rule. The military holds a quarter of seats in parliament and controls three ministries, making its grip on power firm despite reforms beginning in 2011. Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals, whose presence in parliament gives them an effective veto on constitutional changes. "There cannot be any democratic transition in Myanmar unless the Tatmadaw relinquishes its control of the politics, of the economy and of the constitution," UN investigator Christopher Sidoti told reporters. "We have seen not the birth of democracy in Myanmar, regrettably, but the stillbirth." The UN mission said Suu Kyi's government had also helped enable the widespread rights violations in Myanmar by allowing hate speech against the Rohingya to flourish and using civilian laws to crack down on media and others speaking out against abuses. The investigators directed specific criticism at Suu Kyi, whose global reputation has been shattered by her failure to speak up for the Rohingya against the military. While acknowledging that the civilian authorities have little influence over military actions, the report said that their "acts and omissions" had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes". - Court probe - Many of the Rohingya refugees in the vast camps in Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country Pointing to "deeply entrenched" impunity in Myanmar, the investigators said the only chance to obtain accountability was through the international justice system. The announcement of the ICC probe comes nearly two weeks after judges ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based court, it still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because Bangladesh is a member. Myanmar has, however, dismissed the court's authority and analysts have pointed to its lack of enforcement powers. Bensouda said the initial probe "may take into account a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting." Among the UN's other recommendations were an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against individuals deemed most responsible. It also called for a "comprehensive, independent inquiry" into the UN's own role in Myanmar since 2011, warning that "quiet diplomacy" appeared to have sidelined those pushing to loudly denounce rights violations. Syria accidentally downed a Russian Ilyushin military aircraft (like this one pictured) when its air defences went into action against an Israeli missile strike, the Russian army says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to defuse a crisis on Tuesday after Syrian defences mistakenly downed a Russian warplane after Israeli air strikes. The incident late Monday was the deadliest known case of friendly fire between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention. Putin said it was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances". The Ilyushin plane dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria's Idlib province. The deadly chain of events started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia. Israel said it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It sees Iran's military presence in Syria as a threat, and Netanyahu told Putin by phone on Tuesday his forces would keep acting against it. "Israel is determined to stop Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and the attempts by Iran, which calls for the destruction of Israel, to transfer to Hezbollah lethal weaponry (to be used) against Israel," said Netanyahu. Israel expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". Putin said Russia would beef up security for its forces in Syria, in what he called "steps that everyone will notice". The Kremlin said Putin also warned Netanyahu against carrying out such operations in the future. Russian reconnaissance plane shot down by Syria Putin "reminded" Netanyahu that such operations "violated Syrian sovereignty" and said "agreements around the prevention of dangerous incidents were not observed". "The president of Russia urged the Israeli side not to allow such situations from now on," it added. The plane, downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence system, had a crew of 15 who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military accused Israeli pilots of using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". Israel denied the accusations, saying its jets were already back in Israeli airspace when Syrian forces launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane. Russia stressed the incident would have no impact on the Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. - 'Tragic miscalculation' - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also expressed "sorrow" over the Russian deaths, and said the incident showed "the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theatre of operations". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles, suspected to be Israeli, did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a joint press conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on September 17, 2018 The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two key actors agreed to create a demilitarised zone, 15-20 kilometres (9-12 miles) wide, along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be implemented by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police", Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes must be restored between Latakia and Aleppo, as well as those linking the port to Hama city, he added. - Distrust in Idlib - Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending Syria's seven-year war, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy". United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the accord should avert an all-out military assault on the rebel stronghold and "provide reprieve for millions of civilians". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. But the deal was met with distrust by some of the three million Syrians living in the Idlib region. "The decision that came out was just a partial one. It doesn't solve the Syrian people's problem," said Wassim Sweid, one of hundreds of protesters who gathered in the rebel-held town of Binnish. "In my opinion, this agreement will not put a stop to the shelling." The UN had warned a fully-fledged ground assault could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people. Israeli forces, seen here during a drill on August 13, 2018, regularly stage overnight raids to arrest Palestinians in the West Bank A Palestinian died after being arrested during a raid in the occupied West Bank overnight, the Israeli army said Tuesday, with his family accusing soldiers of beating him. The army confirmed the death of Mohammed Khatib, 24, in custody but said he had not resisted arrest. "The army apprehended a Palestinian suspected of hostile activities in Beit Rima during the night," an army spokeswoman told AFP, referring to a village north of Ramallah. "He was arrested without violence or resistance from his part. He lost consciousness and was treated by Israeli soldiers at the scene." He died later in hospital, she added. The military did not provide further details on the reasons for his arrest. Khatib's brother Bashir told AFP by phone that the army had raided the house in the early hours of Tuesday morning. "They entered Mohammed's room while he was sleeping, and they beat him violently and we heard screaming," he said. "After a while he went silent, and a soldier carried him out on his back." In a statement, the family called for international witnesses to attend the post-mortem if Israeli authorities insisted on carrying one out. The Palestinian Prisoners Club said it held Israel responsible for Khatib's death. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 85 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 18. Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. 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, in 1992 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 the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. A gay pride parade in Hong Kong: campaigners say it lags behind in LGBT rights Hong Kong announced Tuesday that overseas same-sex partners would qualify for the right to live and work in the city after a landmark court victory by a British lesbian earlier this year. It is a step forward for LGBTQ rights in Hong Kong, which has been criticised by campaigners for lagging behind on equality issues. Under the revised immigration policy which will come into force Wednesday, anyone who has entered into a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union or same-sex marriage abroad could be eligible to apply for a dependant visa. But it added that a valid marriage under Hong Kong law would still require a couple to be heterosexual, saying there should not be "any expectation" that the government would fully legalise same-sex partnerships, which are currently unrecognised. Opposite-sex couples who had entered into civil unions and civil partnerships abroad would also qualify for dependant visas under the new rules, the government said in a statement. The Briton known as "QT" won her case in July, prompting a review of the visa policy. She was denied a dependant visa when she moved to the city after her partner got a job there, and was forced to stay on as a visitor without the right to work. QT had entered into a civil partnership in Britain in 2011. She was backed by major financial institutions in her fight for visa rights in the economic powerhouse. The Court of Final Appeal ended the protracted legal battle by ruling that it was "counter-productive" only to extend dependant work rights to straight couples because it would discourage overseas talent from coming to Hong Kong. Human rights lawyer Michael Vidler, who represented QT, said he welcomed Tuesday's announcement but the government had been forced into it by the court ruling. "What would be good is if the government changed the rest of its policy," Vidler told AFP. "It's about time the government took a corrective step to bring about a way in which local Hong Kong gay men and women can join in a civil union or civil partnership or civil marriage to reflect their lifelong commitment to one another," he added. Hong Kong only decriminalised homosexuality in 1991. While LGBTQ groups have become more prominent in the semi-autonomous Chinese city, conservative activists -- many of them evangelical Christians -- have also launched anti-rights campaigns. Public libraries have recently hidden away LGBTQ-themed children's books in request-only closed-off areas after pressure from conservative campaigners. A picture taken on September 13, 2018 shows the carcass of a car reportedly destroyed in a Saudi-led coalition air strike on the eastern outkirts of Hodeida ahead of its resumed offensive on the rebel-held Yemeni port city Yemen's Huthi rebels accused the government and its Saudi-led allies on Tuesday of deliberately targeting food warehouses in Hodeida as they resumed an offensive on the rebel-held port city after an 11-week pause. "International food supply warehouses were targeted in Hodeida (late on Monday), a clear sign that there is a plan by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies to make warehouses and densely populated neighbourhoods legitimate targets of their terrorist operations," the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said. There was no immediate confirmation that any aid warehouses had been hit from the World Food Programme or other UN agencies battling the threat of famine hanging over millions of Yemenis. WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel declined to comment on the Huthi statement. The Red Sea port of Hodeida is a vital lifeline for aid shipments to Yemen and the WFP has previously warned that any major fighting could halt food distributions to eight million Yemenis dependent on them for survival. The rebel leader accused the rest of the international community of not doing enough to stop the coalition resuming its offensive, which it described as "terrorism". "International tolerance of terrorism has only encouraged (the coalition) to plan and deliberately commit crimes," Huthi said. The coalition announced late on Monday that it was ending the 11-week pause it had observed while UN efforts to convene peace negotiations continued. Proposed UN-brokered talks in Geneva fell apart earlier this month when rebel delegates failed to show up, charging that they had not received promised guarantees for their return home afterwards. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the Huthis of receiving arms smuggled from Iran through Hodeida, a charge both Tehran and the rebels deny. The coalition first launched an offensive to retake the city in June, after capturing several of the province's smaller towns. The rebels seized the Red Sea coast along with the capital Sanaa and much of the north in 2014. The coalition intervened in March of the following year, when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in second city Aden. The conflict has since killed nearly 10,000 people and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Dominic Ongwen, a former top commander in Uganda's brutal rebel Lord's Resistance Army, faces 70 charges at the International Criminal Court A Ugandan warlord must be acquitted of war crimes because he himself was a brutalised former child soldier in the Lord's Resistance Army, defence lawyers told the International Criminal Court on Tuesday. Dominic Ongwen, 43, faces 70 charges arising from a reign of terror in northern Uganda in the early 2000s as part of the sinister rebel LRA, led by its fugitive chief Joseph Kony. But his attorneys told the court in The Hague that Ongwen could not be held responsible as he was kidnapped by the LRA at the age of nine and "spent nearly 27 years in the grip of the LRA" as a "slave". "Dominic Ongwen was a victim rather than a perpetrator. Once a victim, always a victim," his lawyer Krispus Ayena Odongo told the court. "Children abducted by the LRA, the accused included, are used in the war in northern Uganda, and grew up in one of the most brutal environments ever before known to humanity," he added. "The accused did not possess a mind of his own, save for the survival instinct he developed to navigate the harsh conditions of the bush." Ongwen sat impassively in court listening to the proceedings through headphones as his lawyers detailed the "mindboggling" violence of Kony's LRA. - 'Nothing left alive' - A self-styled mystic and prophet, Kony launched a bloody rebellion more than three decades ago seeking to impose his own version of the Ten Commandments in northern Uganda. The United Nations says the LRA has slaughtered more than 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children since it was set up in the mid-1980s. It also crossed borders to also sow terror in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Prosecutors say Ongwen was a "ferocious" and "enthusiastic" senior LRA commander in charge of Kony's infamous Sinai brigade, which among many crimes abducted young girls and women to serve as domestic workers and sex slaves. At its opening in 2016 the trial saw a gruesome video depicting the aftermath of an LRA attack on a refugee camp, with images of disemboweled children and charred bodies of babies in shallow graves. In another attack against the Odek refugee camp in 2004, Ongwen instructed his troops that "nothing should be left alive," prosecutors said, citing radio intercepts. However the defence have argued that Ongwen is the first accused before the ICC to face the very same charges -- war crimes and crimes against humanity -- of which he is also a victim. "Once captured as a victim, the accused was indoctrinated and made to live by the strict edicts of the LRA based on spiritualism or die -- period," the lawyer said. - 'Kill their own parents' - Kony, who remains at large, used his supposed role as a spirit medium to "control the minds of child soldiers", coupled with a pitilessly brutal regime, Odongo told the court. LRA child soldiers were "cowed into total submission by excruciating pain, by beatings, and exposure to some of the most gruesome torture and killings." "Some were made to kill their own parents" as part of a "cleansing process", he said. Ongwen should be given credit, he said, for surrendering to US special forces hunting Kony in the Central African Republic. He was transferred to the ICC shortly afterwards. No caption The lawyer added that the Ugandan government had not brought the case before the court in The Hague "with clean hands". "This being a political case, those who have testified for the prosecution case are well aware that they have to go back and live in a state that has every reason to hide their role in the atrocities on trial in this court," Odongo said. He also hit out at the international community and the ICC itself for failing bring Kony to justice. "The prosecutors should be looking for Kony, not Dominic Ongwen, the victim," he said. More than 4,000 victims are also taking part in Ongwen's trial which began more than a decade after a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2005. Disruption to supplies coming through Hodeida in Yemen could 'cause starvation on an unprecedented scale', Save the Children has warned Fears were growing of a humanitarian crisis in Yemen after Saudi-backed government forces launched a series of attacks on rebel-held Hodeida, as a charity warned Wednesday that more than five million children were at risk of famine in the war-torn state. The Huthi rebels accused the government and its Saudi-led allies of deliberately targeting food warehouses as the coalition said it had resumed a "military operation to liberate Hodeida and its port". Pro-government forces and medical sources in Hodeida province told AFP that 40 Huthis had been killed around the embattled city since Monday night. The fight for Hodeida, which the Huthis seized in 2014, was put on hold for 11 weeks as the United Nations struggled to bring warring parties to peace talks in Geneva. But the talks collapsed earlier this month after the northern Yemeni rebels refused to attend. The Red Sea port city is a vital lifeline for aid shipments to Yemen, the most impoverished country in the Arab world. The UN has warned that any major fighting could halt the distribution of food to eight million Yemenis dependent on aid to survive. The coalition said it had resumed a 'military operation to liberate Hodeida and its port' Disruption to supplies coming through Hodeida could "cause starvation on an unprecedented scale", charity Save the Children said in a report on Wednesday. An extra one million children now risk falling into famine as food and fuel prices soar, bringing the total to 5.2 million, the charity said. - Claims over food warehouses - Brigadier General Ali al-Taniji, commander of coalition forces on Yemen's west coast, confirmed Tuesday that the alliance had launched an operation in Hodeida, in a statement to state media in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia's main partner in the coalition. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior coalition official told AFP the operation was being fought on multiple fronts. Residents in and around the city, home to 600,000 people, reported hearing explosions throughout Monday night. Residents in and around the city, home to 600,000 people, reported hearing explosions throughout Monday night "International food supply warehouses were targeted in Hodeida, a clear sign that there is a plan... to make warehouses and densely populated neighbourhoods legitimate targets," said the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi. He also accused the international community of being complicit in the attacks, saying "tolerance of terrorism has only encouraged (the coalition) to plan and deliberately commit crimes". A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition did not respond to a request for comment, while a World Food Programme spokeswoman declined to say whether the UN agency's facilities had been hit. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the Huthis of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida, a charge the rebels and Tehran deny, and they have imposed a partial blockade on the port. The Red Sea port city is a vital lifeline for aid shipments to Yemen, the most impoverished country in the Arab world UN envoy Martin Griffiths is due in Riyadh on Wednesday, having left the Yemeni capital Sanaa after a three-day trip. Progress was made to resume consultations and confidence-building measures, including the reopening of Sanaa airport to commercial flights and the release of prisoners, the envoy's office said in a statement. Griffiths is pushing for new peace negotiations after the Geneva talks failed to get off the ground, with the Huthis saying they had not received guarantees for their safe return home afterwards. - Humanitarian flights - The UN has said it is working to open a humanitarian air bridge to transport Yemeni cancer patients abroad for treatment. But the Huthis said plans to fly patients out of rebel-held Sanaa on Tuesday had been stopped by the coalition, accusing it of failing to cooperate. World Health Organization spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told AFP there was "no date set for the first flight" pending "final approval from all parties". The UN has warned that any major fighting could halt the distribution of food to eight million Yemenis dependent on aid to survive While the rebels control the capital, Saudi Arabia and its allies control Yemen's airspace and have put Sanaa's international airport under blockade. In wheelchairs and carrying sick babies, Yemenis in Sanaa lined up Tuesday outside the health ministry as rumours of the impending flight spread. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Yemen's ambassador to the UN, said his government was willing to "do whatever it takes to alleviate the suffering and pain of Yemenis", in a letter to Secretary General Antonio Guterres. But he asked that the UN and all its branches not sign agreements "except with the legitimate, internationally recognised government of Yemen". Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a major operation to retake Hodeida in June before announcing the pause for peace talks. The troops, backed by coalition air strikes, have retaken a number of towns across Hodeida province but have not yet breached the city. The Saudi-led alliance intervened in the Yemen conflict in 2015 in a bid to bolster embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the UN, in his war against the Huthis. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the UN says Yemen is now facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Rescuers carry a body bag containing the body of a victim of a landslide during heavy rains at the height of Typhoon Mangkhut in Itogon town The miners in the mountains of the northern Philippines usually dig for gold. But on Tuesday they were digging for their colleagues and relatives buried under a vast landslide unleashed by Typhoon Mangkhut. Searchers have already pulled over a dozen corpses from the mud and debris in the mining town of Itogon, and up to 40 more people could be entombed -- with very little hope they are alive. "I know all of them. I work with them," said miner Johnny Paggadut Jr. "The only thing on my mind now is I want to help give the bodies of my friends back to their families." Around him hundreds of searchers, a quarter of whom were miners, scraped away at the hardening mass of mud as cadaver-sniffing dogs were led across the site. A roughly half-kilometre (third of a mile) stretch of hillside in the Cordillera range collapsed on dwellings used by small-scale miners and their families as the typhoon dumped a month's worth of rain in a matter of hours. Even before the storm hit, the hilly region was primed for landslides after a month of monsoon rains saturated the soil. Carlos Payadon, 62, was working the hot, muddy pit on Tuesday in search of his nephew Sidney Dumugdog. He had hoped the young man, in his 20s, would find a different job with fewer risks, but Dumugdog needed the money. "I know he is already dead. But I just hope we can dig up his body," Payadon said. "I can't give up. When you give up it's like forsaking your family." - 'I will continue digging' - Itogon is one of the country's oldest mining hubs, with known gold panning activity stretching back to before the 17th-century Spanish colonial conquest. Thousands of people from all over the country still flock to the upland town seeking their fortune in largely unregulated mining, which is accompanied by periodic deadly accidents. A rescuer guides his sniffer dog at the scene of the landslide in Itogon Paggadut helped dig out the corpses of six friends in the same area in 2008 when a typhoon triggered a landslide. He himself could have been trapped under the mud this time had he not decided at the last minute to visit his children in another province. "This is where I live," he said looking up at the gash the slide left in a towering green hill. "In times like this, miners from all over the region pitch in," provincial police chief Lyndon Mencio, told AFP, adding they are an asset because of expertise at tunnelling. "All belong to the same profession and doing this gives them comfort, knowing they could count on this same kind of help," he added. It will be an excruciatingly slow effort to clear the site of debris. Because the slide destroyed roads going into the area, no heavy equipment has been able to reach the site. The government said it has sent a two-dozen-strong rescue team with high-tech life-detecting devices. But Tuesday was already the fourth day after the slide and while officials spoke of a possible miracle, the miners were more sombre. "It hurts a lot," said 27-year-old Jonathan Dunuan. "I will continue digging until all of the bodies have been found." NEW BERN, N.C. (AP) - The Marines, the Coast Guard, civilian crews and volunteers used helicopters, boats and heavy-duty vehicles Saturday to rescue hundreds of people trapped by Florence's onslaught, even as North Carolina braced for what could be a fearsome new stage of the disaster: widespread, catastrophic inland flooding. The death toll from the hurricane-turned-tropical storm climbed to 11. A day after blowing ashore with 90 mph (145 kph) winds, Florence practically parked itself over land all day long and poured on the rain. With rivers swelling toward record levels, thousands of people were ordered to evacuate for fear the next few days could bring the most destructive round of flooding in North Carolina history. A sailboat is shoved up against a house and a collapsed garage Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, after heavy wind and rain from Florence, now a tropical storm, blew through New Bern, N.C. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) More than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of rain had fallen in places, and the drenching went on and on, with forecasters saying there could be an additional 1 feet (45 centimeters) before Sunday is out. "I cannot overstate it: Floodwaters are rising, and if you aren't watching for them, you are risking your life," Gov. Roy Cooper said. As of 11 p.m., Florence was centered about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east-southeast of Columbia, South Carolina, amd crawling west at 3 mph (6 kph) - not even as fast as a person walking. Its winds were down to 40 mph (75 kph). But with half of the storm still out over the Atlantic, Florence continued to collect warm ocean water and dump it onshore. In its initial onslaught along the coast, Florence buckled buildings, deluged entire communities and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. But the storm was shaping up as a two-part disaster, with the second, delayed stage triggered by rainwater working its way into rivers and streams. The flash flooding could devastate communities and endanger dams, roads and bridges. Stream gauges across the region showed water levels rising steadily, with forecasts calling for rivers to crest Sunday and Monday at or near record levels. The Little River, the Cape Fear, the Lumber, the Neuse, the Waccamaw and the Pee Dee were all projected to overrun their banks, possibly flooding cities and towns. Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of up to 7,500 people living within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of a stretch of the Cape Fear River and the Little River, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the coast. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000. Record flooding is expected Tuesday on the Cape Fear at a crest of 62 feet (nearly 19 meters) there. In the Fayetteville area, John Rose owns a furniture business with stores less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) away from the Cape Fear River. He moved quickly as workers helped him empty more than 1,000 mattresses from a warehouse in a low-lying strip mall. "If the river rises to the level they say it's going to, then this warehouse is going to be under water," he said. And on Saturday evening, Duke Energy said heavy rains caused a slope to collapse at a coal ash landfill at a closed power station outside Wilmington, North Carolina. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the Sutton Plant and that contaminated storm water likely flowed into the plant's cooling pond. The company hasn't yet determined whether any contamination entered the Cape Fear River. Sutton was retired in 2013 and the company has been excavating ash to remove to safer lined landfills. The ash left behind when coal is burned contains toxic heavy metals, including lead and arsenic. One potential road out was blocked as flooding forced the shutdown of a 16-mile (26-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 95, the main route along the Eastern Seaboard. In New Bern , along the coast, homes were completely surrounded by water, and rescuers used inflatable boats to reach people. Kevin Knox and his family were rescued from their flooded brick home with the help of Army Sgt. Johan Mackie, whose team used a phone app to locate people in distress. Mackie rode in a boat through a flooded neighborhood, navigating through trees and past a fencepost to reach the Knox house. "Amazing. They did awesome," said Knox, who was stranded with seven others, including a boy carried out in a life vest. New Bern spokeswoman Colleen Roberts said 455 people in all were rescued in the town of 30,000 residents without any serious injuries or deaths. But thousands of buildings were damaged in destruction Roberts called "heart-wrenching." Across the Trent River from New Bern, Jerry and Jan Andrews returned home after evacuating to find carp flopping in their backyard near the porch stairs. Coast Guard helicopters were taking off across the street to rescue stranded people from rooftops and swamped cars. Coast Guard members said choppers had made about 50 rescues in and around New Bern and Jacksonville as of noon. And Marines rescued about 20 civilians from floodwaters near Camp Lejeune, using Humvees and amphibious assault vehicles, the base reported. In Lumberton, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) inland, Jackie and Quinton Washington watched water filling both their front and back yards near the Lumber River . Hurricane Matthew sent more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water into their home in 2016, and the couple feared Florence would run them out again. "If it goes up to my front step, I have to get out," Quinton Washington said. The dead included a mother and baby killed when a tree fell on a house in Wilmington, North Carolina. South Carolina recorded its first death from the storm, with officials saying a 61-year-old woman was killed when her car hit a tree that fell across a highway. Three died in one inland county, Duplin, because of water on roads and flash floods, the sheriff's office said. A husband and wife died in a house fire linked to the storm, officials said, and an 81-year-old man died after falling and hitting his head while packing to evacuate. In Washington, President Donald Trump was briefed on Florence's impact and later tweeted, "Deepest sympathies and warmth go out to the families and friends of the victims. May God be with them!" The National Hurricane Center said Florence broke a North Carolina rainfall record that had stood for almost 20 years: Preliminary reports showed Swansboro got more than 30 inches (75 centimeters) and counting, obliterating the mark set in 1999, when Hurricane Floyd dropped just over 24 inches (60 centimeters) on the state. As of noon, Emerald Isle had more than 23 inches (58 centimeters) of rain, and Wilmington and Goldsboro had about a foot (30 centimeters). North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had around 7 inches (18 centimeters). Forecasters said the storm will eventually break up over the southern Appalachians and then swing to the northeast, its remnants moving into the mid-Atlantic states and New England by mid-week. ___ AP writers Jonathan Drew in Wilmington; Jeffrey Collins in Fork, South Carolina; Emery P. Dalesio in New Bern; Denise Lavoie and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Seth Borenstein and Michael Biesecker in Washington; Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Russ Bynum in Columbia, South Carolina; Pete Iacobelli in Clemson, South Carolina, and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes A pickup truck drives on a flooded road past a farm house that is surrounded by flooded fields from tropical storm Florence in Hyde County, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A pickup truck drives on a flooded road past a farm house that is surrounded by flooded fields from tropical storm Florence in Hyde County, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Flood waters from hurricane Florence inundate the town of Engelhard, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A farm house is surrounded by flooded fields from tropical storm Florence in Hyde County, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A farm house is surrounded by flood waters from tropical storm Florence in Hyde County, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A tug boat sits next to a Shriner's Temple statue on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The boat washed up from the Neuse River with storm surge and debris from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A boat rests in front of a damaged home from tropical storm Florence in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept.15, 2018. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) Youth look over a sailboat that washed ashore from the Neuse River, near East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Sept. 15, 2018. The boat was carried by storm surge and flooding from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) City of New Bern technicians work to access an electrical utility box at East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Satuday, Sept. 15, 2018, that was destroyed by storm surge from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A boat rests between the shifted roof of a garage and a damaged home from tropical storm Florence in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept.15, 2018. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) Jake Head walks through heavy rain from tropical storm Florence in Wilmington, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP) Oceanfront homes sit over rough surf from tropical storm Florence in Rodanthe NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Kevin Knox carries gas and a generator after being rescued from his flooded neighborhood from the effects of Florence, now a tropical storm, in New Bern, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed) A vehicle with the Wilmington Fire Department drives through a flooded street from Florence, now a tropical storm in Wilmington, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP) A fallen tree from Florence, now a tropical storm, covers several cars in Wilmington, N.C., Saturday, Sept.15, 2018. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP) Bennie Todd shows how high the Lumber River rose during Hurricane Matthew two years in his backyard in Lumberton, N.C., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Now the town is bracing for another potentially catastrophic flood, as heavy rains from Florence batter the region with rain and the river rises through the weekend. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Workers shore up an area on a railway prone to flooding from the nearby Lumber River in Lumberton, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 in anticipation of flooding from heavy rains from Florence, now a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Rescue personnel use a small boat as they go house to house checking for flood victims from Florence, in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Authorities evacuate a family from rising waters caused by Florence, now a tropical storm, on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 in New Bern, N.C. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed) Robert Simmons Jr. and his kitten "Survivor" are rescued from floodwaters after Hurricane Florence dumped several inches of rain in the area overnight, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 in New Bern, N.C. (Andrew Carter/The News & Observer via AP) Houses are surrounded by water from Florence, now a tropical storm, in New Bern, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Rescue personnel use a small boat as they go house to house checking for flood victims from Florence, in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Boats are stacked up on each other in a marina as a result from Florence in New Bern, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Workers apply dirt to cover a railway which is prone to flooding from the nearby Lumber River in Lumberton, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 in anticipation of flooding from heavy rains from Florence, now a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A downed tree uprooted by Hurricane Florence likes next to homes in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Youths look over a sailboat that washed ashore near East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Sept. 15, 2018, after Hurricane Florence brought flood damage and storm debris. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A 40-foot yacht lies in the yard of a storm-damaged home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The boat washed up with storm surge and debris from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) New Bern firefighters check the safety of residents in a flood and wind damaged area of Johnson Street in historic New Bern, N.C., Sept. 15, 2018. Hurricane Florence brought high winds and storm surges to eastern North Carolina. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A 40-foot yacht lies in the yard of a storm-damaged home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The boat washed up with storm surge and debris from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) City of New Bern crews work to clear storm damaged trees in historic New Bern, N.C., Sept. 15, 2018. Hurricane Florence brought high winds and storm surges to eastern North Carolina. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) Resident Alice Tolson steps over storm debris that washed up from the Neuse River at her home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, after Hurricane Florence sweeps over eastern North Carolina. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) Resident Joseph Eudi looks at flood debris and storm damage from Hurricane Florence at a home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A member of the National Guard watches a weather report in a storm shelter at Ridge View High School as remnants of Florence slowly move across the East Coast Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Columbia, S.C. The tropical storm is practically parked over the Carolinas, really pouring on the rain. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) A flooded mailbox on Mill Creek Road is barely above water after Florence hit Newport N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A day after blowing ashore with 90 mph (145 kph) winds, Florence practically parked itself over land all day long and poured on the rain. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) A high water mark is written on the side of Lynda Willis' home after Hurricane Florence hit Davis N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Jeff Pyron, left, and Daniel Lilly cover Lilly's roof after Hurricane Florence hit Davis N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The town had 4 1/2 feet of storm surge. "I had my house raised for Irene cause I got flooded from the bottom, now i'm getting flooded from the top," Lilly said. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) A member of the US Coast Guard walks down Mill Creek Road checking houses after tropical storm Florence hit Newport N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A day after blowing ashore with 90 mph (145 kph) winds, Florence practically parked itself over land all day long and poured on the rain. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Danny Hill pilots his boat past his neighbors' homes on Mill Creek Road after Hurricane Florence hit Newport N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A registered sex offender jailed since last year has been charged in the kidnapping and killing of two Arizona girls who went missing in 2012 and 2014, authorities announced Saturday. Christopher Matthew Clements, 36, was indicted on Friday by a grand jury on 21 criminal counts, including murder and kidnapping charges in the deaths of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez, Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said. Celis went missing from her Tucson home in April 2012, and her body was discovered in what was described as a rural area in March 2017. This undated photo released by the Tucson Police Department on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 shows Christopher Matthew Clements, 36. Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, that Clements was indicted a day earlier by a grand jury on murder and kidnapping charges in the deaths of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez, who went missing in 2012 and 2014. (Tucson Police Department via AP) Gonzalez' body was discovered in June 2014 in the Avra Valley community near Tucson, not far from where Celis' remains would be found three years later. Magnus and other officials held a news conference to announce the indictment. But they declined to answer questions from reporters and did not disclose how the girls died or what prompted authorities to investigate Clements in the killings, except to say that the FBI in 2017 learned Clements might have information about the death of Celis. He then provided information to authorities that led to the discovery of Celis' remains, Magnus said. Investigators later discovered additional pieces of evidence, but they did not describe Saturday what they had found. Clements had already been in a Phoenix-area jail for more than a year facing other charges when the indictment was issued. Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall called the identification of Clements as the killer of the girls "long overdue." "The heart-wrenching tragedies of Maribel Gonzalez and Isabel Celis' murders have been compounded by a very long, long wait for justice," she said. Celis' father reported the girl missing on the morning of April 21, 2012, after he went to her bedroom and she was not there. Police previously did not name suspects, but they said they found "suspicious circumstances around a possible entry point" into the home. A medical examiner last year ruled Isabel Celis' death as "homicide by unspecified means." A heavily redacted autopsy report did not indicate how she died. Gonzalez went missing on her way to a friend's house. Her body was found days later. Clements made his first court appearance Saturday morning. He does not yet have an attorney but will be assigned one at a Sept. 24 arraignment. Clements was being held on a $2 million bond, Tucson Police Sgt. Pete Dugan said. Clements was jailed in April 2017 on suspicion of burglary, theft and fraudulent schemes, Maricopa County Sheriff's Sgt. Bryant Vanegas said Saturday. Vanegas did not have information about when Clements might be transferred to southern Arizona to face charges in the case of the girl's killings. The indictment made public Saturday did not provide any details about how the girls were killed or what evidence linked Clements to the killings. It said he was also charged with burglary, theft and possession or distribution of child pornography in other cases dating from 2012 through 2016. Clements was charged and convicted in Oregon in 1998 of sex-related crimes and was required to register as a sex offender. He was charged and convicted in 2006 in Bay City, Florida, for failing to register, according to Florida law enforcement records. He was also charged in 2008 in Tucson with failing to register as a sex offender. He was convicted and sentenced to serve 46 months in prison and five years of supervised release The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that sentence in 2011, finding that the federal law requiring him to register as a sex offender within three days of moving to a new home was passed after his 1998 conviction and therefore did not apply to his crime. Florence's strong winds may be dropping, but heavy rain and floodwaters are bringing wet misery to much of North and South Carolina. Here are snapshots of people struggling to cope in the aftermath of the powerful storm that made landfall as a hurricane on Friday: HOPING IT DOESN'T GET WORSE Police helped Debbie Covington's elderly parents leave their home in a low-lying neighborhood of Cheraw, South Carolina, early Sunday and shelter at Covington's house on higher ground next door. A home is seen in floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in Marion, S.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Several backyards were flooded by afternoon, swollen with rainwater that was running downhill. Soaking wet and without shoes, Covington was nervously watching the muddy water rushing nearby, wondering if they needed to seek shelter elsewhere. She had just run an errand and had some trouble returning home. "I was driving the truck and everywhere I went, I couldn't get here," she said. "One way some trees were down. Another was blocked by water." Still, Covington said she planned to wait a little longer before evacuating. "We're OK right now, as long as it doesn't get a lot worse," Covington said. Around the corner from Covington's house, a vacant lot was underwater with two heavy backhoes used in construction and a truck submerged to the tops of their tracks and tires. A portable toilet bobbed in the water, leaning at an angle. Samantha Graham's house sat on higher ground nearby, but still had water seep into her basement and soak the carpet. "It's a lot of water," Graham said as she walked her dog and looked at the flooded yards at the bottom of the hill. "Hopefully it doesn't cross the road more than it already has." 'SOON I'LL BE GOING BACK ACROSS THE STREET' Three straight days of rain- sometimes pausing, but sometimes pouring - brought floodwaters Sunday to the doorsteps of Mildred Smith and her niece, Jovanaka Smith, who live across the street from each other in the town of Bennettsville in northeastern South Carolina. First, Mildred Smith fled her own home, wading across Talon Drive through the muddy water as she leaned on grandson for support. "I almost drowned myself leaving my house," she said. "It was more than knee deep." Then the water kept rising and reached the top step to Jovanaka Smith's front porch. Finally a knock came at the door. A crew of firefighters wearing rubber waders were going door-to-door, encouraging residents to leave. Finally, both women agreed to go. They didn't evacuate far. The women were left on dry ground at relative's home two doors down. From there, they watched and waited for the water to recede. "The rain has ceased," said Mildred Smith. "So I figure soon I'll be going back across the street." WATCHING THE WATER RISE On a country road just east of Goldsboro and two state prisons evacuated earlier this week ahead of expected flooding, Zack Lollar watches drivers make the tough decision whether their trucks are high enough to ford the high water or turn around. The road Sunday was flooded about a mile away from the Neuse River's usual bank. Lollar is watching how far the river floods. His home's interior was flooded by more than a foot of water during Hurricane Matthew two years ago. Afterward, his family received Federal Emergency Management Agency money to raise the ranch house onto a new base of concrete blocks about four feet off the ground to prevent a repeat of flooding damage, said Lollar, 24. "The house will be all right, but I don't want to get stuck out here," he said. "Got nothing else to do but watch the water rise.'" CHECKING IN ON MOM Coffee from a fast-food restaurant in hand, 63-year-old Melvia Eato and her grown son and daughter watched from her front porch as the water rose on her street in Goldsboro, North Carolina. About 100 yards of the road was blocked Sunday morning by water lapping a few doors away, left by a deluge Saturday. Light showers lingered Sunday. Eato said she saw no reason to leave since only her basement flooded during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, a standard used to measure flooding in the town. "I was here during Matthew, doing what I'm doing now. Me personally, I don't have any fear," she said. Her son, 45-year-old Lionel Atkinson, said he came to check on his mother on Thursday and decided the many roads that have since flooded made it was too risky to drive home to LaGrange, about 15 miles east. "We all came down to make sure she was all right. I didn't think I'd get stuck," he said. "We came here and this is where we've been." ANXIOUS TO GET HOME When he heard a Category 4 hurricane was headed for North Carolina, possibly affecting his home in Goldsboro, Eugene Johnson and his wife packed their 4-year-old son into their car and headed west, ending up in Jackson, Tennessee. After hearing that the storm's force had diminished, Johnson drove nine hours through the night to arrive at his townhouse near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base early Sunday. "I heard the storm was over with and wanted to check my house, make sure everything was all right. There's a bunch of trees down and stuff, but that's about it," Johnson said. Back in the neighborhood that suffered extensive flooding two years ago after Hurricane Matthew, he pushed aside the sandbags pinned across the front door and found the electricity happily intact. He left solidly in place the protective barriers meant to keep potential flooding from rising under the garage door or back slider. Johnson said he wanted to get home while Florence was still in South Carolina and before it made its predicted northerly hook over the Appalachian Mountains that separate the two states. "I felt the storm was leaving, I heard it went down to South Carolina. So I figured if I leave now I ain't got to worry about running into it because it was going to the mountains and Asheville. I'm like, beat the clock." ___ Contributing to this report are Emery Dalesio from Goldsboro, North Carolina; and Russ Bynum, from Cheraw, South Carolina. ___ For the latest on Florence, visit www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence encroach on homes in Marion, S.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Rockeem Williams walks down a street through floodwaters from Hurricane Florence, in Marion, S.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class David Kelley guides a car out of a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence . (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Don Tantanella paddles the boat through shallow water as he patrols a neighborhood inundated with water in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence . (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A man points out where people need assistance to members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Duke Energy said Saturday night that heavy rains from Florence caused a slope to collapse at a coal-ash landfill at a closed power station near the North Carolina coast. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the L. V. Sutton Power Station outside Wilmington and that contaminated runoff likely flowed into the plant's cooling pond. The company has not yet determined whether the weir that drains the lake was open or if contamination may have flowed into the Cape Fear River. That's enough ash to roughly fill 180 dump trucks. Florence slammed into the North Carolina coast as a large hurricane Friday, dumping nearly three feet (1 meter) of rain and swelling the region's rivers. The resulting flooding forced swift-water rescues and left several people dead. FILE - In this June 23, 2014 file photo, the dried-up bed of an inactive coal ash pond is seen at Duke Energy's Sutton plant in Wilmington, N.C. Duke Energy says heavy rains from Florence have caused a slope to collapse at a coal ash landfill at a closed power station near the North Carolina coast. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Saturday night, Sept. 15, 2018, that about 2,000 cubic yards of ash have been displaced at the L. V. Sutton Power Station outside Wilmington. (Mike Spencer/The Star-News via AP) Sheehan said the company had reported the incident to state and federal regulators "out of an abundance of caution." The coal-fired Sutton plant was retired in 2013 and the company has been excavating millions of tons of ash from old waste pits and removing it to safer lined landfills constructed on the property. The gray ash left behind when coal is burned contains toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead and mercury. Duke has been under intense scrutiny for the handling of its coal ash since a drainage pipe collapsed under a waste pit at an old plant in Eden in 2014, triggering a massive spill that coated 70 miles (110 kilometers) of the Dan River in gray sludge. In a subsequent settlement with federal regulators, Duke agreed to plead guilty to nine Clean Water Act violations and pay $102 million in fines and restitution for illegally discharging pollution from coal-ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. The company is in the process of closing all of its coal ash dumps by 2029. Spokeswoman Megan S. Thorpe at the state's Department of Environmental Quality said state regulators will conduct a thorough inspection of the site as soon as safely possible. "DEQ has been closely monitoring all coal ash impoundments that could be vulnerable in this record breaking rain event," Thorpe said. She added that the department, after assessing the damage, will "hold the utility accountable for implementing the solution that ensures the protection of public health and the environment." There are at least two other coal-fired Duke plants in North Carolina that are likely to affected by the storm. The H.F. Lee Power Station near Goldsboro has three inactive ash basins that flooded during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, exposing a small amount of coal ash that may have flowed into the nearby Neuse River. The old waste pits are capped with soil and vegetation intended to help prevent erosion of the toxic ash beneath. The Neuse is expected to crest at more than nine feet (3 meters) above flood stage Monday and Sheehan said the company expects the same ash basins are likely to be inundated again. At the W. H. Weatherspoon Power Station near Lumberton, Sheehan said it had already rained more than 30 inches (75 centimeters) by Saturday evening, causing a nearby swamp to overflow into the plants cooling pond. The Lumber River is expected to crest at more than 11 feet (3.3 meters) above flood stage Sunday, which would put the floodwaters near the top of the earthen dike containing the plant's coal ash dump. Environmentalists have been warning for decades that Duke's coal ash ponds were vulnerable to severe storms and pose a threat to drinking water supplies and public safety. "Unfortunately, Duke Energy has spent years lobbying and litigating and still has not removed the coal ash from its dangerous riverfront pits in the coastal area, some of which are in the floodplain," said Frank Holleman, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center who has battled the company in court. "When a hurricane like Florence hits, we have to hope and pray that our communities do not suffer the consequences of years of irresponsible coal ash practices by the coal ash utilities." ___ Follow Associated Press investigative reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck HOUSTON (AP) - A U.S. Border Patrol supervisor was jailed Sunday on $2.5 million bond in Texas, accused of killing at least four women and injuring a fifth who managed to escape. Juan David Ortiz, 35, was in custody in Laredo on four counts of murder along with charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint, Webb County jail records showed. Ortiz was arrested a day earlier, after being found hiding in a truck in a hotel parking lot in Laredo, at about 2 a.m. Saturday, capping what investigators portrayed as a 10-day string of violence. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said Saturday that investigators "consider this to be a serial killer" whose victims were believed to be prostitutes. Law enforcement officers gather near the scene where the body of a woman was found near Interstate 35 north of Laredo, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four women was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman who had been abducted managed to escape from him and notify authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a "serial killer." (Danny Zaragoza/The Laredo Morning Times via AP) Alaniz described how the Customs and Border Patrol supervisor continued going to work as usual throughout that time. "As law enforcement was looking for the killer ... he would be reporting to work every day like normal," he said. It all began with the discovery Sept. 4 of the body of 29-year-old Melissa Ramirez. According to a police affidavit , Ortiz said he killed Ramirez a day earlier. Like the other victims, Ramirez was shot in the head and left in a road in rural northwest Webb County. She was a mother of two. A second victim, 42-year-old Claudine Anne Luera, was found shot and left in the road Thursday morning, badly injured but still alive, according to the affidavit. The mother of five died at a hospital later that day. On Friday, according to the affidavit, Ortiz picked up a woman named Erika Pena. She told police she struggled with Ortiz inside his truck, where he pointed a pistol at her, but that she was able to flee. She made it to a gas station where she found a state trooper whom she asked for help. According to the affidavit, Ortiz told investigators that after Pena ran off, he picked up his last two victims, whose identities have not yet been released by authorities. Jail records don't list an attorney to speak for Ortiz, who had worked for Border Patrol for 10 years. Alaniz said the dead are believed to have been prostitutes and that one of them was a transgender woman. At least two were U.S. citizens; the nationalities of the others were not known, he said. He said investigators are still working to determine a motive. Ortiz was believed to have acted alone. The federal agency issued a statement offering its "sincerest condolences" to the victims' families and saying criminal activity by its employees is not tolerated. The Texas Department of Public Safety, whose Texas Rangers are investigating, referred questions on the case to the Webb County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Martin Cuellar did not return several messages seeking comment. ___ Associated Press reporters Diana Heidgerd in Dallas and Matt Sedensky in Philadelphia contributed to this report. ___ Sign up for the AP's weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv Law enforcement officers gather near the scene where the body of a woman was found near Interstate 35 north of Laredo, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four women was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman who had been abducted managed to escape from him and notify authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a "serial killer." (Danny Zaragoza/The Laredo Morning Times via AP) By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of the Masalli-Nematlari LLC's rice plant. Director of the plant, Aghamirza Karimov, informed the president of the conditions created there. The complex occupies a total area of one hectare. The rice paddies occupy an area of 60 hectares. The construction of the plant started last November and was completed this September. President Aliyev was informed of the latest technologies used to cultivate rice. The president then launched the rice plant. President Aliyev toured the plant. The facility has a monthly processing capacity of 300 tons and drying capacity of 900 tons of rice. It created 15 permanent jobs. The capacity of the plant will be doubled in the future, while the number of staff will be increased to 40. HONG KONG (AP) - Mangkhut weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it moved deeper into southern China on Monday, leaving death and destruction from Hong Kong to the Philippines. The storm was still affecting southern China's coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan and rain and strong winds were expected to continue through Tuesday. Hong Kong residents were told to stay away from the coastline and be on alert for occasional gales. Bus, ferry and rail services were suspended and almost 900 flights were canceled at the city's airport, one of the world's busiest. The South China Morning Post said Hong Kong's hospitals had to use backup power due to outages caused by the storm. Rescuers use a search dog to look for victims believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Mangkhut earlier lashed the Philippines, sparking landslides and building collapses that killed at least 65 people, with another 43 missing. Authorities reported four deaths from falling trees and building materials in Guangdong, China's manufacturing hub. As of Monday morning Mangkhut was on track to pass over the Guangxi regional capital of Nanning and move toward the border with tourism powerhouse Yunnan province. The Hong Kong Observatory reported Mangkhut was the most powerful cyclone to hit the city since 1979, packing maximum sustained gusts of 195 kilometers per hour (121 mph). Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China after lashing the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain that caused landslides feared to have buried dozens. More than 2.4 million people had been evacuated in southern China's Guangdong province by Sunday evening to flee the typhoon, state media said. "Prepare for the worst," Hong Kong Security Minister John Lee Ka-chiu urged residents. That warning followed Mangkhut's devastating march through the northern Philippines on Saturday with sustained winds of 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour. Landslides caused by the pounding storm hit two villages in Itogon town in the mountain province of Benguet. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan told The Associated Press by phone that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building - a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel - was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. Three villagers who managed to escape told authorities what happened. "They thought they were really safe there," the mayor said Sunday. He expressed sadness that the villagers, many of them poor, had few options to survive in a region where big corporations have profited immensely from gold mines. The rescue work halted for the night before resuming Monday morning. Men used pikes and shovels to dig into the mud since the soaked ground was unstable and limited the use of heavy equipment on site. The typhoon was occurring as tropical weather also was devastating the southern U.S. Florence has dumped historical levels of rain on North Carolina. Mangkhut made landfall in the Guangdong city of Taishan at 5 p.m. Sunday, packing wind speeds of 162 kilometers (100 miles) per hour. State television broadcaster CGTN reported that surging waves flooded a seaside hotel in the city of Shenzhen. The storm shattered glass windows on commercial skyscrapers in Hong Kong, sending sheets of paper pouring out of the buildings, fluttering and spiraling as they headed for the debris-strewn ground, according to videos on social media. Mangkhut also felled trees, tore scaffolding off buildings under construction and flooded some areas of Hong Kong with waist-high waters, according to the South China Morning Post. Casinos on Macau were ordered closed for the first time due to the typhoon. ___ Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines. Associated Press journalists Aaron Favila and Joeal Calupitan in Tuguegarao, Philippines, and Gillian Wong in Beijing contributed to this report. Rescuers dig on the site where victims were believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers move stones at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers move stones at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a worker walks by a road sign damaged by typhoon Mangkhut on a street in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China on Sunday after lashing the northern Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains. (Liang Xu/Xinhua via AP) In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an office building's windows damaged by Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong. Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China on Sunday after lashing the northern Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain. (Wang Shen/Xinhua via AP) A truck works near the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) A helicopter passes by the site of a landslide where victims are believed to have been buried after Typhoon Mangkhut barreled across Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) MIAMI (AP) - A heavy-duty response already is slogging through heavy rains and floodwaters to help people trapped or displaced by Florence's watery onslaught. Storm winds might be dropping, but rivers are rising and the next few days could bring the most destructive round of flooding in North Carolina history. Meanwhile, half a world away, Hong Kong was braced for the strongest typhoon to hit in nearly two decades. BY THE NUMBERS -Storm deaths: Florence is being blamed for at least 17 deaths in the Carolinas, while Typhoon Mangkhut has killed at least 66 people in the Philippines and China. A tattered American flag after Hurricane Florence in Jacksonville N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) -Heavy rains: Nearly 34 inches (86 centimeters) of rain fell from Thursday through Sunday in Swansboro, on the North Carolina coast, according to the National Weather Service -In the dark: About 625,000 outages as of Sunday afternoon, mostly in North Carolina -Protected: About 15,000 people in shelters in North Carolina -Grounded: More than 2,400 flights canceled -Storm losses: Mayor of New Bern, North Carolina, says his city has 30 roads still unpassable, 4,200 homes and more than 300 commercial buildings damaged, 6,000 customers without power and 1,200 residents in shelters -Evacuations: Tens of thousands ordered out of communities along North Carolina's steadily rising rivers, while over 2.4 million people in southern China's Guangdong province were warned to escape Mangkhut -To the rescue: Over 1,000 search-and-rescue personnel with 36 helicopters and over 200 boats were working in North Carolina IMAGES FROM THE GROUND Images captured by Associated Press journalists show flooding caused by Florence in the Carolinas and Mangkhut in the Philippines . TYPHOON MANGKHUT Social media posts from Hong Kong show the storm shattering glass windows on commercial skyscrapers, sending sheets of paper pouring out of the buildings, fluttering and spiraling as they headed for the debris-strewn ground. In the Philippines, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, are feared trapped by a landslide triggered by the typhoon in a mountain province. TWO MAJOR STORMS Florence and Mangkhut roared ashore the same day, half a world apart, but the way they spread devastation was as different as water and wind . Experts say Mangkhut may well end up being the deadlier storm, though Florence could tally a higher insured damage total. FLORENCE FATALITIES Among the latest storm-related deaths in South Carolina confirmed by authorities: a man who drowned when a pickup truck flipped into a drainage ditch, a couple who died of carbon monoxide poisoning running a generator indoors, a woman whose vehicle hit a tree branch, a pickup truck driver who died after the vehicle struck a bridge support and another pickup driver who lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree WILMINGTON STRANDED Authorities are planning to airlift food and water into Wilmington, North Carolina, because storm damage cut off road access on Sunday. But while the city was inaccessible from the outside, streets in Wilmington were busy with people looking for supplies in businesses that had power. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES Officials say closures could last up to a week along Interstate 95 in North Carolina. The highway could be flooded near Fayetteville and near the South Carolina state line because of expected flooding in the Cape Fear and Lumber rivers. A 16-mile (26-kilometer) stretch of I-95 near Dunn was already closed Saturday. COAL ASH Duke Energy says heavy rains from Florence caused a slope to collapse at a coal-ash landfill at a closed power station near the North Carolina coast. A spokeswoman says contaminated runoff - enough to fill roughly 180 dump trucks - likely flowed into the plant's cooling pond, and it was not yet clear whether any contamination may have flowed into the Cape Fear River. NORTH CAROLINA RECOVERY Emergency management officials and nonprofit groups aren't waiting for Florence's rains to end or floodwaters to recede before starting to help people recover from the storm. Tens of thousands of meals were being prepared to serve in the most damaged areas, and hotel rooms and other temporary housing are being located for people displaced from their homes. OUTER BANKS Outer Banks residents and businesses owners are reporting relatively minimal damage in the low-lying barrier islands. Though the popular North Carolina tourist destination seems to have been spared the worst of Florence's wrath, the islands still have some of the fastest rates of sea level rise in the world, nearly an inch a year. FLOOD INSURANCE When Florence's floodwaters recede, they may reveal gaps in flood insurance coverage . An Associated Press analysis found there are roughly 5.1 million active flood insurance policies in the U.S., and while many new policies were signed after Hurricane Harvey flooded parts of Texas and Louisiana last year, not all vulnerable homeowners are covered. RECOVERY SUPPLIES The government can only do so much when a storm strikes, so hardware and building supply companies get ready with batteries, gas cans, tarps and chain saws long before landfall. Home Depot and North Carolina-based Lowe's - the two biggest home supply companies - both activated sophisticated emergency command centers with their own meteorologists. WILD HORSES Wildlife experts say there was no need to worry about a herd of wild horses that roams North Carolina's Outer Banks. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund posted a Facebook update Saturday saying the herd of wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs were "doing their normal thing - grazing, socializing, and wondering what us crazy humans are all worked up over." ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes Resident Joseph Eudi looks at flood debris and storm damage from Hurricane Florence at a home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A member of the U.S. Coast Guard walks down Mill Creek Road checking houses after tropical storm Florence hit Newport N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) City of New Bern crews work to clear storm damaged trees in historic New Bern, N.C., Sept. 15, 2018. Hurricane Florence brought high winds and storm surges to eastern North Carolina. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) Candice Willis, right, and her daughter Naiya, 11, walk to a bus after being evacuated from their flooded neighborhood as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A 40-foot yacht lies in the yard of a storm-damaged home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The boat washed up with storm surge and debris from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A 40-foot yacht lies in the yard of a storm-damaged home on East Front Street in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The boat washed up with storm surge and debris from Hurricane Florence. (Gray Whitley/Sun Journal via AP) A special announcement for "Hurricane Hours" is displayed on a shop window as the remnants of Hurricane Florence slowly move across the East Coast Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 file photo, Joe Gore, left, and Joshua Adcock prepare for Hurricane Florence as they board up windows on a home in Emerald Isle N.C. Before and after a hurricane, Ace is the place. And Home Depot, Lowe's, and many other hardware and building supply outlets. Not surprisingly, these companies plan for storms such as Hurricane Florence all year. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland, File) FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 file photo, people line up outside a Home Depot for a new supply of generators and plywood in advance of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C. "It's a year-round thing for us," said Margaret Smith, spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Home Depot. "When it's hurricane season, we are operating 24 hours a day." (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 file photo, Jim Craig, David Burke and Chris Rayner load generators as people buy supplies at The Home Depot in Wilmington, N.C. "It's a year-round thing for us," said Margaret Smith, spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Home Depot. "When it's hurricane season, we are operating 24 hours a day." (Ken Blevins/The Star-News via AP, File) Chris Lishka works to remove a tree from his roof after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) A power truck works to restore power on a flooded road after Hurricane Florence near Richlands N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) The damaged Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Elton Matheson, who rode out the storm, looks at the flooded waters in front of his home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Joe Wiggins takes a moment on the porch of his water surrounded home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Elton and Claudia Matheson, who rode out the storm, looks at the damage from the high water under his home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Joe Wiggins prays on the porch of his water surrounded home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Chris Lishka works to remove a tree from his roof after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Joe Wiggins takes a moment on the porch of his water surrounded home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) An employee of Duke Energy handles downed power lines after a huge tree fell on Spainhour Road as a result of steady rainfall from the effects of Tropical Storm Florence, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 in Morganton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek) Work crews from Asplundh Tree Expert Company cut away tree limbs from a power line after a huge tree fell on Spainhour Road as a result of steady rainfall from the effects of Tropical Storm Florence, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 in Morganton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek) Jayme Cayton walks up to her flooded home for the first time after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Joe Wiggins peers from his front door of his water surrounded home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) As rain from Florence continued to lash the Carolinas, the region's swollen rivers were beginning to swamp coal ash dumps and low-lying hog farms Sunday, raising pollution concerns. Duke Energy said the collapse of a coal ash landfill at the L.V. Sutton Power Station near Wilmington, North Carolina, is an "on-going situation," with an unknown amount of potentially contaminated storm water flowing into a nearby lake. At a different power plant near Goldsboro, three old coal ash dumps capped with soil were inundated by the Neuse River. An Associated Press photographer who flew over eastern North Carolina on Sunday saw several flooded hog farms along the Trent River. It wasn't immediately clear if any animals remained inside the long metal buildings ringed by dark water. A hog farm is inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Such farms typically have large pits filled with hog urine and feces that can cause significant water contamination if breached or overtopped by floodwaters. State environmental regulators said Sunday they had not yet received any reports of spills. An AP analysis of location data from hog waste disposal permits shows there are at least 45 active North Carolina farms located in 100-year and 500-year floodplains at risk of being inundated by nearby streams and rivers. Federal forecasters predicted several rivers would crest at record or near-record levels by Monday, with high water potentially remaining for days. Officials with the N.C. Park Council, and industry trade group, said farmers had prepared for the storm by lowering water levels in their waste ponds and moving animals to higher ground. At the Sutton plant, Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Sunday that a full assessment of how much ash escaped from the water-slogged landfill can't occur until the rain stops. She said there was no indication that contaminants from Sutton Lake had drained into the nearby Cape Fear River. "We think the majority of the ash is settling out before it gets to the lake," Sheehan said. "We believe the chances are minimal that coal ash constituents will make it to the Cape Fear." The company initially estimated Saturday that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the landfill, enough to fill about 180 dump trucks. Sheehan said Sunday that estimate could be revised after further scrutiny. The coal-fired Sutton plant was retired in 2013 and the company has been excavating millions of tons of ash from old waste pits and removing it to safer lined landfills constructed on the property. The gray ash left behind when coal is burned contains toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead and mercury. State environmental regulators said they had been unable to inspect the site of the landfill collapse because of flooded roadways in and around Wilmington. "There was a failure in the lined landfill" with material moving toward Sutton Lake, said Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. "And so it's imperative that we get our folks on the ground to do some water testing." Duke's handling of coal ash waste has been under intense scrutiny since a drainage pipe collapsed under a waste pit at an old plant in Eden in 2014, triggering a massive spill that coated 70 miles (110 kilometers) of the Dan River in gray sludge. In a subsequent settlement with federal regulators, Duke agreed to plead guilty to nine Clean Water Act violations and pay $102 million in fines and restitution for illegally discharging pollution from coal-ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. The company is working to close all of its coal ash dumps by 2029. Sheehan said Sunday that three inactive ash basins at the H.F. Lee Power Station near Goldsboro were under water. The old waste pits are capped with soil and vegetation to deter erosion. During Hurricane Matthew in 2016, floodwaters eroded part of the cap, exposing a small amount of ash that may have flowed into the Neuse River. The Neuse is expected to crest at more than nine feet (3 meters) above flood stage Monday. At the W. H. Weatherspoon Power Station near Lumberton, flooding from a nearby swamp was flowing into the plant's cooling pond. The Lumber River is expected to crest at more than 12 feet (3.3 meters) above flood stage late Sunday, putting floodwaters near the top of the earthen dike containing the plant's coal ash dump. Environmentalists have warned for decades that Duke's coal ash ponds were vulnerable to severe storms and could pose a threat to drinking water supplies and public safety. "Disposing of coal ash close to waterways is hazardous, and Duke Energy compounds the problem by leaving most of its ash in primitive unlined pits filled with water," said Frank Holleman, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. "In this instance, it appears that Duke Energy has not done enough to ensure that its new Wilmington landfill safely stores coal ash. After this storm, we hope that Duke Energy will commit itself to removing its ash from all its unlined waterfront pits and, if it refuses, that the state of North Carolina will require it to remove the ash from these unlined pits." ___ Associated Press data journalist Angeliki Kastanis in Los Angeles and writer Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh contributed. ___ Follow AP investigative reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck FILE - In this June 23, 2014 file photo, the dried-up bed of an inactive coal ash pond is seen at Duke Energy's Sutton plant in Wilmington, N.C. Duke Energy says heavy rains from Florence have caused a slope to collapse at a coal ash landfill at a closed power station near the North Carolina coast. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Saturday night, Sept. 15, 2018, that about 2,000 cubic yards of ash have been displaced at the L. V. Sutton Power Station outside Wilmington. (Mike Spencer/The Star-News via AP) A hog farm is inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Muslim militants have freed three Indonesian men they kidnapped at sea early last year off Malaysia then brought them to their jungle hideouts in the southern Philippines, officials said Sunday. The Indonesians were freed Friday with the help of the Moro National Liberation Front, a rebel group that signed a peace deal with the Philippine government, in Indanan town in Sulu province, police said. The released hostages, Hamdam Salim, Subandi Sattuh and Sudarlan Samansung, were to be handed to the Indonesian ambassador in southern Zamboanga city later Sunday, the military said. In this photo released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, three Indonesian hostages (in civilian clothes) pose with Philippine military officers and an Indonesian military attache in Zamboanga city following their Friday release from captivity in Jolo, Sulu by Muslim militant kidnappers Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in the southern Philippines. The freed Indonesians are Hamdam Salim, third from left, Subandi Sattuh, fourth from left, and Sudarlan Samansung, second from right. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP) While cruising on board a speedboat, the three were taken at gunpoint by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants off Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island in January last year. The hostages were brought aboard motorboats to the gunmen's jungle hideout in Sulu, a poor, predominantly Muslim province in the southern Philippines where the Abu Sayyaf has had a presence since the late 1980s, security officials said. An Abu Sayyaf commander, Marjan Sahidjuan, who uses nom de guerre Apo Mike, led the abductors who freed the captives in exchange for a ransom, a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to media. Regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Gerry Besana said the military is unaware of any ransom payment and added that relentless offensives pressured the kidnappers to let go of their hostages. Efforts by the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to beef up security along their massive sea border have considerably eased piracy and kidnappings in the past months primarily by the Abu Sayyaf, which is blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization. The Philippine police, however, said that the two Indonesian skippers of a Malaysian fishing boat were abducted on Tuesday off Semporna Islands in Sabah, Malaysia, and also taken by suspected militants armed with M-16 rifles toward the southern Philippines. The Philippine military said it was trying to confirm the reported kidnapping. KHAN AL-AHMAR, West Bank (AP) - For the anxious Palestinian residents of Khan al-Ahmar, there's little left to do but wait. After the West Bank hamlet lost its last legal protection against demolition late last week, Israeli forces could swoop in any day now to tear down the desert community's few dozen shacks and an Italian-funded schoolhouse made from recycled tires. Some hold out hope that Israel might be deterred by an inevitable international outcry over razing the community. Major European countries have warned that flattening Khan al-Ahmar poses a grave threat to the already fading prospects of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. FILE - This Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 file photo shows a sunrise over West Bank hamlet of Khan al-Ahmar. The Palestinian residents of Khan al-Ahmar cling to hopes that international pressure can save their strategically located West Bank hamlet from Israeli army bulldozers. After the West Bank hamlet lost its last legal protection against demolition late last week, Israeli forces could swoop in any day now to tear down the tiny desert community's few dozen shacks and schoolhouse made from recycled tires.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) The seemingly outsized international attention being paid to the tiny community is linked to its strategic location in the center of the West Bank. It's an area deemed essential for setting up a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in 1967. Israel has portrayed the battle over Khan al-Ahmar as a mere zoning dispute. Critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies say the village has become a symbol for what they describe as an ongoing displacement of Palestinians to make room for Israeli settlements. With demolition now looming, dozens of activists, including foreigners, have been spending nights in Khan al-Ahmar to show support. They sleep on mattresses spread out under green tarp covering the front yard of the Italian-funded school. "We cannot prevent demolition," said activist Mohammed Abu Hilweh, 30, from Jerusalem, as he stretched out on a mattress on a recent evening, settling in for the night. "But we can resist, delay and when it happens, we can rebuild," he said. Khan al-Ahmar is located a few dozen meters from a four-lane highway that runs east-west, effectively slicing the West Bank in half at a narrow waist and linking Jerusalem with the Jordan Valley. The highway is also flanked by several Israeli settlements, including Maaleh Adumim, the West Bank's third largest. A new settlement across the highway from Maaleh Adumim, called E1 by Israeli planners, would effectively block the remaining land link between West Bank Palestinians and east Jerusalem, their hoped-for capital. Khan al-Ahmar sits just outside the area mapped for E1, which until now had largely been frozen under U.S. pressure. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, called the planned demolition a "blatant attempt" by Israel to separate the Palestinians from Jerusalem. "It is absolutely imperative that the international community intervene," she said. For the past 25 years, the international community has favored the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as the best hope for peace. But those hopes are quickly fading. In a departure from predecessors, President Donald Trump, who has promised a new peace plan, has refused to endorse the two-state solution while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, over Palestinian opposition. The U.S. State Department has said little about the looming demolition, referring reporters to the Israeli government for details. By contrast, European governments have been outspoken. "The demolition of this small Palestinian village would not only affect a local community," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini recently told the European Parliament. "It would also be a blow against the viability of the state of Palestine and against the very possibility of a two-state solution." Separately, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom warned in a rare joint statement that demolition would have "very serious" consequences. On Sunday, U.N. Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov urged Israel not to carry out the demolition, warning it could "undermine the chances" for establishing a viable Palestinian state. For now, Israel appears to be moving ahead. After a decade-long legal battle, Israel's Supreme Court rejected a final appeal earlier this month. Late last week, a moratorium on demolition expired. Israel has not announced a date for the demolition, but earlier this week dismantled five corrugated metal shacks near Khan al-Ahmar that had been set up by villagers a few days earlier in a show of defiance. On Friday, troops returned with heavy equipment, removing earthen mounds set up to slow demolition. Two Palestinians and an American-French law professor were detained. The 180 residents of Khan al-Ahmar are members of the Jahalin Bedouin tribe that has lived in the area since being expelled from the southern Negev Desert after Israel's establishment in 1948. The United Nations granted them refugee status. Shani Sasson, a spokeswoman for COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said Israel has offered to relocate the villagers. She said the tribe squats on land that is not safe for living, and that the Israeli government has prepared an alternative site just a few kilometers (miles) away with sewage treatment and access to water and electricity. She said Israel has invested over $2 million in the relocation project. "We are doing them a service," she said. "This is not against them, this is for them." Residents acknowledge that life in their village is tough. But they say there is no place they would rather live. They say Israel is trying to move them to a site that will be too crowded for their livestock and that sits near a sewage facility and a garbage dump. "We Bedouin people like the desert life," said Yousef Abu Dahouq, a Khan al-Ahmar resident, sitting on a wooden bench near the school, sipping tea and smoking a waterpipe. "We live next to each other, support each other." The Palestinians and Europeans see a deeper Israeli agenda. Khan al-Ahmar is in the 60 percent of the West Bank that is known as Area C and remains under full Israeli control, according to interim peace deals from the 1990s that are seemingly locked in place because of diplomatic paralysis. The remainder of the territory is administered by a Palestinian autonomy government. Area C is home to about 400,000 Israeli settlers and an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Palestinians. Israel places severe restrictions on Palestinian development while supporting and promoting dozens of settlements in the area. The EU has attempted to build numerous structures for Palestinians in Area C, only to see them demolished or rejected because of a lack of hard-to-get permits. Khan al-Ahmar's Italian-funded school was built from car tires because a construction permit could not be obtained. "This is the situation on the ground: New settlements for Israelis are built, while Palestinian homes in the same area are demolished," said Mogherini. "This will only further entrench a one-state reality, with unequal rights for the two peoples, perpetual occupation and conflict." The village chief, Eid Khamis, promised to put up a fight. "They want to kick us out and build settlements and we will not let that happen," he said. "It's our land." TIVAT, Montenegro (AP) - Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: a dispute over an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. The disagreement is so serious that Croatia is threatening to block Montenegro's efforts to join the European Union, and it's also reviving old tensions. In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, the training vessel 'Jadran' is moored in the port of Tivat, Montenegro. Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) Being part of shrunken Yugoslavia together with Serbia, Montenegrin troops launched an assault against the medieval Croatian town of Dubrovnik in 1991, keeping it under siege for months. The town, a UNESCO heritage site, was shelled from land and sea before an international outcry stopped the onslaught. Before the war between the two Adriatic Sea neighbors, the 60-meter (200 feet) white vessel with three masts was docked in the Croatian port of Split before it was moved to Montenegro in 1990 for repairs. Croatia says its home port has always been Split, thus it must be returned after it was "illegally" taken. Montenegro claims that an agreement between the warring sides after the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s calls for all military equipment that found itself on a state's territory belongs to that state. "Jadran became part of this town's history 85 years ago and I'm confident that it will outlive us all and in the next 85 years continue to welcome new generations, new sailors and new visitors," Montenegro Defense Minister Predrag Boskovic said last month in Tivat during Jadran's 85th-anniversary celebrations. He said that Montenegro's government in 2013 provided significant funds for its overhaul, indicating it is not willing to hand it over to Croatia anytime soon. The Croatian Defense Ministry says that the return of Jadran is one of its main foreign policy priorities and some Croatian officials have hinted the European Union-member state would block Montenegro's membership in the bloc if it isn't. "The training ship Jadran is in the ownership of the Republic of Croatia and is an integral part of Croatia's naval history," Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic said in a statement. "Croatia will take all legal steps to return it to the Croatian dock, and demands that Montenegro respects ... international laws." Krsticevic said that "in the spirit of good neighborly relations and as a goodwill gesture," Croatia has offered to share the ship for training purposes, but that it first has to be returned to Split. The ship has had a turbulent history, serving in the navies of eight different countries. The vessel was called Marco Polo when it was taken over by Italy during World War II. It was abandoned in Venice and left to decay. The ship's equipment was looted and was barely floating, serving as a bridge over one of the Venetian canals at one point. The ship's Montenegrin sailors said they will never surrender their beloved vessel to Croatia because of its history and the fact that its first docking after delivery from a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, in 1933 was in Montenegro. "For Montenegro's navy, this is the most important vessel in historic, cultural and technical terms," said its captain Zoran Ivanovski. "To be honest, I'm not paying attention to the Croatian demands. My job is to command this ship. I have my crew and the ship belongs to Montenegro." ___ Darko Bandic contributed to this report. In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, crewmen sail aboard the training ship 'Jadran' near the port of Tivat, Montenegro. Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, the training vessel 'Jadran' is moored in the port of Tivat, Montenegro. Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, crewmen sail aboard the training ship 'Jadran' near the port of Tivat, Montenegro. Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, sailors take selfie photos aboard the training ship 'Jadran' as they sail near the port of Tivat, Montenegro. Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, a sailor pulls rope during a sail aboard the training ship 'Jadran' near the port of Tivat, Montenegro. Montenegro and Croatia have resolved almost all of their differences more than two decades after fighting a war, except for one: an 85-year-old former Royal Yugoslav Navy training ship. The majestic sailing vessel called Jadran, or the Adriatic, is currently part of the Montenegrin naval fleet based in the port of Tivat. Croatia is demanding the return of the tall ship, which Montenegro adamantly refuses to do. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - A Pakistani government official says the roof of a mud and brick house collapsed amid heavy rain in northwestern Pakistan killing four members of a family and injuring another. Fahad Khan, a district official in Hangu, said Sunday that a couple and their two minor children were buried under the debris when the roof collapsed the previous night amid heavy rains in the region. Khan said rescue workers recovered the bodies in the morning and transported an injured boy to the area's main hospital. The official said there are reports of damage to other mud houses but no other immediate reports of injuries or fatalities. Heavy rains in northwest Pakistan commonly damage mud and brick homes. LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May concedes that she gets "irritated" by the debate over her leadership during the difficult Brexit negotiations. She told the BBC in an interview scheduled to be broadcast Monday that she is concerned for the country's future, not her own, as talks about Britain's upcoming exit from the European Union continue. May faces a split in her Conservative Party, with some influential figures preferring a more complete break with the EU than she is advocating. Roughly 50 hard-liners met Tuesday night to discuss her possible ouster. FILE - In this July 24, 2018 file photo, British Prime Minister Theresa May listens at the start of her meeting with the Qatar's emir at 10 Downing Street in London. May has told the BBC in an interview scheduled for broadcast Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that she gets "irritated" by the debate over her leadership during Brexit negotiations. (Matt Dunham, Pool Photo via AP, File) In the interview, May said the leadership talk can be distracting. "I get a little bit irritated, but this debate is not about my future. This debate is about the future of the people of the U.K. and the future of the United Kingdom," she said. "That's what I'm focused on, and that's what we should all be focused on." The opposition Labour Party is also increasingly divided over the Brexit issue. London Mayor Sadiq Khan broke ranks on Sunday with party leader Jeremy Corbyn to publicly back a second referendum of whether Britain should go forward with plans to leave the EU. Writing in The Observer, Khan said Britain faces either a bad deal or no deal at all - options he said are "incredibly risky." He said the public deserves a right to choose between any deal reached by the government or staying in the EU. He said that if no deal is reach, the public should be able to choose between the "no deal" scenario or remaining in the bloc. The mayor's stance is expected to put more pressure on Corbyn at the Labour Party conference later this month. In her interview, May criticized former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who resigned in July to protest her plan to keep some close ties to the EU after Brexit. Johnson, who is seen by many analysts as positioning himself as a possible successor to the embattled prime minister, recently caused a furor by comparing May's Brexit strategy to a "suicide vest." "I have to say that that choice of language is completely inappropriate," May said. LONDON (AP) - British police are asking the public to help identify two men suspected of stealing the ashes of an elderly woman's husband along with cash, bank cards and jewelry. Police released images of the suspects Sunday. Detective Robert Costigan called it a "particularly harrowing crime" that has had a devastating impact on the 83-year-old victim. Police said a man posing as a plumber convinced the woman to let him into her home in the southeastern London borough of Greenwich, saying there was a leak. In these undated grabs taken from CCTV provided by the Metropolitan Police, a view of 2 suspects wanted in connection with a burglary, in Greenwich, London. British police are asking the public to help identify two men suspected of stealing the ashes of an elderly woman's husband along with cash, bank cards and jewelry. Police released images of the suspects Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Detective Robert Costigan called it a "particularly harrowing crime" that has had a devastating impact on the 83-year-old victim. (Metropolitan Police via AP) When the man left, the woman realized that items had been stolen, including a heart-shaped locket and a heart-shaped box that both contained her husband's ashes. Police believe a second man entered the home while the victim was distracted by the man pretending to be a plumber. JERUSALEM (AP) - A Palestinian assailant on Sunday fatally stabbed an Israeli settler outside a busy mall in the West Bank. The victim was identified as Ari Fuld, a U.S.-born activist who was well-known in the local settler community and an outspoken Israel advocate on social media platforms. The military said the attacker arrived at the mall near a major junction in the southern West Bank, close to the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, and stabbed the Fuld before fleeing. Israeli police investigates at the scene of an stabbing attack in the West Bank settlement of Gush Etzion Sunday, Sept. 15, 2018. The Israeli military says a Palestinian attacker has stabbed and critically wounded an Israeli man in front of a mall. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) Video footage showed Fuld giving chase and firing at his assailant before collapsing. Other civilians shot the attacker, whom Israeli media identified as a 17-year-old from a nearby Palestinian village. He was reportedly in moderate condition. Fuld, a 45-year-old father of four who lived in the nearby settlement of Efrat, was evacuated to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Fuld was a well-known English-language internet commenter on current affairs and the weekly Torah lesson. He was known for his hard-line nationalist ideology and strong support for the Israeli military. Settler spokesman Josh Hasten, who said he had known Fuld for about a decade, said his friend traveled widely to showcase "the beauty and reality of life" in the country. He delivered care packages to Israeli soldiers and would go on solidarity trips to communities near the Gaza Strip during times of fighting with the Hamas militant group, Hasten said. "When the rockets were falling, that's when he would get in his car and go down to Sderot," Hasten said. Fuld also was known for an outspoken manner that included verbal clashes with Palestinians and critics of Israel that could land him in trouble. At times, his Facebook account was suspended. "He did not hold back on his opinions," Hasten said. "If that meant 30 days of Facebook jail, so be it." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Fuld on Facebook for fighting his attacker "heroically" and remembered him as "an advocate for Israel who fought to spread the truth." On Twitter, David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel and a strong supporter of the settlements, called him "a passionate defender of Israel & an American patriot." Since 2015, Palestinians have killed over 50 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks. Israeli forces killed over 260 Palestinians in that period, of which Israel says most were attackers. By Trend The Minister of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev held a meeting with the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Brian McFeeters, "UzDaily.uz" reported referring to the press service of the ministry. Khodjaev has briefed the American side on the ongoing large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan. During the meeting, the parties discussed the resumption of the negotiation process for Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO, the prospects of regional economic cooperation in Central Asia, as well as the preparations for the "US Business Week in Uzbekistan" during October 15-19, 2018. The "US Business Week" will be organized in Uzbekistan for the first time. The week will include the United States Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Meeting, the Central Asian Trade Forum and the Uzbek-US Business Forum. In particular, the organizers of the Central Asian Trade Forum are the USAID and the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan. This forum is one of the largest annual events contributing to the development of regional trade and cooperation in Central Asia. Each year, the forum brings together representatives of the public and private sectors and industry experts to exchange ideas, inform about new technologies and trade development in order to assess demand in foreign markets and conclude trade transactions. This year's Central Asian Trade Forum focuses on innovations and reforms in Central Asia, including e-commerce, rural development and policy reform. JOHANNESBURG (AP) - The usual suspects - Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Darth Vader - roamed at Comic Con Africa. A few African characters were also on display: Kwezi, Captain South Africa and Shaka Zulu. The success of Marvel's "Black Panther" film spiked interest in African stories, and creators on the continent hope to capitalize with more comic book characters of their own. The three-day convention ending Sunday in South Africa was a platform for their efforts, even if it was dominated by the global superheroes, villains and other pop culture figures who have been around for decades. Many of the first African comic books are "caricatures of Supermans, of Captain Americas," said Bill Masuku, a Zimbabwean artist and writer. "But if you allow that to grow, giving it time, you will get better quality story-telling that is naturally African." In this Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 photo, Bill Masuku, a Zimbabwean comic book artist and writer, sits at a stall at Comic Con Africa, a three-day comic book and pop culture convention in Johannesburg, South Africa. The success of Marvel's "Black Panther" film spiked interest in African stories, and creators on the continent hope to capitalize with more comic book characters of their own. The three-day convention ending Sunday in South Africa was a platform for their efforts, even if it was dominated by the global superheroes, villains and other pop culture figures who have been around for decades. (AP photo/Christopher Torchia) One example is Masuku's Captain South Africa, a black female superhero who "doesn't want to punch criminals because that doesn't end crime," he said at a convention stall where he also promoted another of his creations, Zimbabwean superhero Razor-Man. Thousands of people, many in costume, turned out for the suburban Johannesburg event introduced by Reed Exhibitions. ReedPOP, a subsidiary of the global company, hosts similar conventions around the world and brought its model to Africa for the first time. Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya have been running their own "comic con" festivals for several years; South Africa's annual ICON comic and games convention started in 1992. Hurricane Florence scrapped plans by Anthony Mackie, the actor who has played Marvel's Falcon superhero, to travel to Comic Con Africa. Aquaman actor Jason Momoa also canceled. Kevin Sussman from "The Big Bang Theory" and Yetide Badaki from "American Gods" made it, to the delight of autograph and photo op seekers. "If you have issues with personal space, comic cons are not for you," said ICON director Les Allen as he waded through crowds. Up ahead, video gamers playing a "Counter-Strike" first-person shooter in sound-proof booths battled each other on giant screens as spectators followed the combat. Someone in a reptilian "Predator" outfit paced the hall, posing with fans. Other people had masks, hoods, swords and staffs and there was plenty of spandex and hair spray, of course. "Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince," a glossy graphic novel about the real-life Zulu king who built an empire at a time of European expansion into Africa, was among home-grown projects on display. The story of power and intrigue was written and drawn by South African Luke Molver. "To a large extent, African stories get told by people outside of Africa, about people in Africa," said Robert Inglis, the book's promoter and director of Jive Media Africa, a company based in South Africa. Part of the reason is that many African stories circulate through "word of mouth" and don't have the "lasting kind of print space" to resonate internationally, he said. Nearby, Janine Evans was offering capes modeled on traditional Basotho blankets and other clothing merchandise associated with a band of southern African superheroes. "Our aim here is to actually take the Afrocentric from the fantasy world and bring it into people's everyday lives," she said. One African superhero is Kwezi, a comic book character drawn by creator Loyiso Mkize. He is a young man who learns he has special powers, and then sorts out problems in the local community. In a short video animation, a flying Kwezi checks a phone message that summons him to an urban Johannesburg neighborhood: "Trouble in Braamfontein, we need you now!!!!" Other promotions at Comic Con Africa include "The Tokoloshe," a South African horror movie whose name refers to an evil spirit; and "Apocalypse Now Now," a South African short film and novel whose name plays on the uniquely South African phrase meaning "soon." The goal is "to normalize the existence of African content and creators," said Masuku, the Captain South Africa creator. "We're still making the steps to get there. I'm happy with where we are right now." ___ Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris A boy dressed as Superman stands among other visitors to the Comic Con Africa event, a three-day comic book and pop culture convention in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. Wonder Woman and other usual superheroes were in abundance, but also some African characters seemingly sparked by the success of Marvel's "Black Panther" film.(AP Photo/Christopher Torchia) DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria held its first municipal elections since 2011 on Sunday, amid tensions with the country's self-administered Kurdish region, which refused to allow polls. Candidates campaigned on promises to promote reconstruction after seven years of civil war left cities and towns in ruins. "We hope we can meet the people's aspirations and improve conditions and services in the city," said Hassan Taraqji, a Baath party candidate in Damascus. In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrians cast their votes at a polling station during municipal elections, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Sept 16, 2018. Syria is holding its first municipal elections since 2011 amid tensions with the country's self-administered Kurdish region, which is refusing to allow polls. (SANA via AP) The Baath party, which has controlled Syria's political and security apparatuses since the 1960s, was expected to sweep the elections. The war waged by President Bashar Assad's government against local opposition forces and the Islamic State group has cost the country more than $300 billion in economic damage, according to a recent U.N. study. Observers say more than 400,000 people have been killed. But parts of the country remain beyond Damascus' reach, including the U.S.-backed self-administered Kurdish region in north Syria, which also includes Arab and minority populations. The region is governed by its own Syrian Democratic Council, which refused to allow the Damascus-organized elections to proceed on its territory. "The regime wants us to remain under its rule and under the rule of the Baath," said Ibrahim Ibrahim, a spokesman for the administration. Kurdish officials say they want a federalized Syria that respects the northeast's autonomy from Damascus and guarantees rights and privileges for national minorities. High-level meetings between representatives of the SDC and Baath and federal officials in Damascus are yet to produce a breakthrough. Damascus insists it will assert its authority over the whole country. Hussein Dabboul, a Member of Parliament from Aleppo, a north Syrian city near the edges of the self-administration zone, said the SDC was "linked to foreign powers and to the United States, and it has certain objectives and targets." Human rights groups have criticized the Kurdish-led administration for single-party rule. The administration held local elections in 2017. More than 40,000 candidates are competing for 18,478 council seats, according to the Ministry of Local Administration. Polls were slated to close at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), but authorities extended voting nationwide until midnight. Sunday is the first day of the workweek in Syria. Opposition-held areas were excluded from the polls. Some 3 million people of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million live under opposition rule in the country's northwest Idlib province and surrounding areas. Another 5.6 million are refugees abroad; they were also excluded from the vote. Presidential elections were held in 2014 in limited areas of government control. ___ Associated Press writer Philip Issa in Beirut contributed to this report. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Police in Barcelona intervened Sunday to keep a group of Catalan separatists away from participants in a march supporting more teaching of Spanish in local schools and the greater cause of Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep people on both sides from reaching the opposing crowd when the separatists rallied in a square where the pro-unity marchers planned to finish. There were no reported incidents of violence. "They let the separatists take over the square and we couldn't enter. People are angry," Gloria Lago, an organizer with grassroots group Hablamos Espanol, (We Speak Spanish), told Catalan television TV3. A demonstrator supporting Spanish unity shouts slogans towards Catalonian separatists during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Many of the 1,000 marchers waved Spanish flags and chanted "We are not fascists, We are Spaniards!" and "Don't be fooled, Catalonia is Spain!" Meanwhile, supporters of the region's independence from Spain held a banner that read, "We defend the language." Catalan is the main language in the northeastern region's schools. Both Spanish and Catalan are spoken by the 7.5 million residents in the bilingual region. Last year, Catalonia's separatist-led Parliament issued an illegal and ineffective declaration of independence. Its leaders are currently pushing Spain' central government to authorize an official referendum on secession. Polls and election results show the region is roughly equally divided on the secession question. Demonstrators holding "esteladas" or independence flags and placards call for the freedom of Catalonian politicians prisoners during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Demonstrators wave "esteladas" or independence flags during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Catalan police officers cordon off the area separating supporters of the Spanish unity and Catalonian separatists during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) A woman shouts slogans against Catalan separatists protesters during a rally in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Demonstrators supporting Spanish unity march during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Pro independence demonstrators shouts slogans against demonstrators supporting Spanish unity, during a rally in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Catalan police officers cordon off the area separating supporters of the Spanish unity and Catalonian separatists during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Demonstrators supporting Spanish unity march, during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police in Barcelona had to intervene on Sunday to keep apart a group of Catalan separatists and a march of those who support Spanish unity. Police formed a barrier to keep the opposing groups from reaching one another when the separatists rallied in a downtown square where the march in favor of the increased teaching of Spanish in local schools had planned to finish. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Members of the Castellers of Poble sec form their famous human tower called "castell" in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) NEW YORK (AP) - The number of Americans with flood insurance is on the rise, yet Hurricane Florence is likely to make it painfully clear that too many homeowners in the Carolinas and other vulnerable regions remain unprotected. An analysis of federal flood insurance records by The Associated Press found there were roughly 5.1 million active flood insurance policies in the U.S. as of July 31, up from 4.94 million a year earlier. The Carolinas had modest gains - a 2.5 percent increase in South Carolina and a 3.5 percent increase in North Carolina. Rescue personnel use a small boat as they go house to house checking for flood victims from Florence in New Bern, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) But large gaps in coverage remain. South Carolina is the second-highest insured state for flooding, with roughly 65 percent of properties in flood hazard areas insured. But in North Carolina, where forecasters say the storm might bring the most destructive round of flooding in state history, flood coverage is less common, with only 35 percent of at-risk properties insured. After blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90 mph (145 kph) winds, Florence virtually parked itself much of the weekend atop the Carolinas as it pulled warm water from the ocean and hurled it onshore. Storm surges, flash floods and winds scattered destruction widely. Most of the gains observed in the federal flood insurance data over the past 12 months occurred in Texas, with about 145,000 new policies. Insurance experts say that Hurricane Harvey, which brought tremendous flood damage to Texas and Louisiana late last summer, helped increase public awareness that homeowners need flood insurance. "That's terrific. Nothing sells flood insurance like a storm," said Robert Hunter, who ran the National Flood Insurance Program in the 1970s. Still, federal officials say there are too many Americans in vulnerable areas who lack flood insurance - even after storms such as Sandy, Matthew and Harvey caused widespread property damage and financial losses with storm surge and rainfall. A look at the five-year and 10-year trends shows a decline in the number of flood insurance policies nationwide. Property insurance typically doesn't cover flooding, and flood insurance remains by and large a federal government program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. FEMA requires most homeowners with mortgages living in certain designated areas to buy flood insurance. But there are numerous neighborhoods across the U.S. that are vulnerable to flooding but where insurance isn't mandatory and many residents choose not to enroll - sometimes with dire consequences. In the five years before Hurricane Harvey walloped Houston last year, for instance, the number of homes covered in the city dropped 11 percent. The monster storm ended up flooding more than 150,000 homes in the area, leaving many people digging into their savings to repair their houses. Data show that even with the increase in flood insurance coverage over the past year, the number of homes covered is down 3 percent in North Carolina and 6 percent South Carolina compared with five years ago. Researchers and insurance experts say many Americans choose not to get flood insurance because of a belief that flooding will not happen to them, or if it does, federal disaster assistance cover their losses. But federal disaster relief typically consists of low-interest loans - money that must be repaid. The maximum amount of disaster assistance available to an individual or household is $34,000, which is typically not enough to cover repairs caused by flooding. The average damage caused by flooding during Harvey was around $80,000, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. "We have been working for the last couple years to close the insurance gap, but still not near enough people have necessary coverage. We still have a lot of work to do," said David Maursted, the current director of the government's flood insurance program, in a conference call with reporters on Thursday. Because Hurricane Florence hit the Carolina coast as a less powerful Category 1 storm, damages are expected to be less severe than originally estimated. Property data company CoreLogic estimates the storm surge and wind from Florence will cause roughly $3 billion to $5 billion in damages. But the potential property damage in the Carolinas could once again strain the financial health of the nation's flood insurance program. Starting with Katrina in 2005, a series of catastrophic storms have forced the program to pay out billions of dollars more in claims than it receives in premiums. Last year, the damages from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused the program to reach its $30.5 billion statutory limit on borrowing. In renewing the flood insurance program's mandate last year, Congress forgave roughly $16 billion in the program's debt. But the program is still roughly $20.5 billion in the red, according to FEMA. Maursted said NFIP insurance companies are already deploying claims agents and adjusters to the area and they do not expect any delays in processing claims. Policyholders who have flood insurance should file a claim with their insurance company as soon as they feel it's safe enough to do so. ___ AP Data Journalist Meghan Hoyer reported from Washington and AP Business Writer Ken Sweet reported from New York. AP Business Writer Bernard Condon contributed to this report from New York. A farm house is surrounded by flood waters from tropical storm Florence in Hyde County, NC., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) BERLIN (AP) - Thousands of people are protesting against the expansion of a coal strip mine in western Germany that would entail the clearing of an ancient forest. Police in the city of Aachen estimated that 4,000 protesters took part in a march toward Hambach forest Sunday. Some carried saplings they planned to plant between the woodland and the adjacent lignite mine operated by German utility company RWE. Authorities have been trying for days to evict environmentalists who chained themselves to treehouses and tree trunks. Protesters who try to enter the Hambach forest are stopped by the police in Kerpen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Thousands of people are protesting against the expansion of a coal strip mine in western Germany that would entail the chopping down of an ancient forest. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) German news agency dpa reported that two men who were hiding inside a makeshift tunnel left voluntarily after medics warned they could run out of oxygen. Environmental groups hope a government-appointed committee examining the future of Germany's coal industry will recommend halting large-scale cutting in Hambach forest. Protesters who try to enter the Hambach forest are stopped by the police in Kerpen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Thousands of people are protesting against the expansion of a coal strip mine in western Germany that would entail the chopping down of an ancient forest. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP) Protesters walk on a field close to the Hambach forest in Kerpen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Thousands of people are protesting against the expansion of a coal strip mine in western Germany that would entail the chopping down of an ancient forest. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP) Protesters walk on a field close to the Hambach forest in Kerpen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Thousands of people are protesting against the expansion of a coal strip mine in western Germany that would entail the chopping down of an ancient forest. Slogan reads 'Coal I Not System Relevant!'. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP) LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) - The investigation into the Boston-area natural gas explosions is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said the sensors can signal for gas pressure to be increased if the pressure gets too low. He said investigators will try to determine whether those sensors played any role in Thursday's explosions and fires. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, a teenager was killed and dozens of people were injured in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover. Thousands were forced to leave their homes. ADDS NAME OF THE POLICE OFFICER HOMEOWNER - The house owned by Lawrence Police Officer Ivan Soto sits nearly burned to the ground on Jefferson Street, in Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. It was one of multiple houses that went up in flames on Thursday afternoon after gas explosions and fires triggered by a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in several communities north of Boston. After rushing home to check on his family and warn his neighbors to evacuate, Soto went back on patrol while his house was burning down. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) Also Sunday, residents in the three communities north of Boston were allowed to return to their homes after crews finished shutting off nearly 8,600 gas meters. Electricity was restored to all the affected homes and businesses, but gas service may not be restored for weeks. "It's evident to me and to all of us the Merrimack Valley and the residents of our state are being as supportive as they can be and as kind as they can be to one another during this most difficult time," Gov. Charlie Baker said at a news conference Sunday. "We still have a very long way to go but we're very happy that people can return to their homes this morning." Schools in Lawrence will be closed Monday because of the natural gas situation, officials said. Sumwalt said the investigation is focused on high pressure in pipelines. On Saturday, he said officials will be looking at how local Columbia Gas officials responded to a "pressure increase" in the Lawrence area that was detected at the company's pipeline control center in Columbus, Ohio, prior to the explosions and fires. He said there was no evidence the explosions were intentional. Columbia Gas on Sunday turned away hundreds of Lawrence residents who wanted to make damage claims because it couldn't handle the deluge, The Boston Globe reported. The company told residents, many of whom waited for several hours, to come back Monday. "I am tired. I am frustrated," Renata Rena, who waiting in line with her 3-year-old daughter, told the newspaper. Joe Hamrock, chief executive of Columbia Gas' parent company, NiSource, said Sunday that the company was taking full responsibility for what happened and is implementing a service restoration plan. He said the devastation and tragedy caused by the explosions are heartbreaking. "We're in this for the long run," Hamrock said. "We know this has damaged the confidence and trust in our company and what we do. Our full commitment is restoring that trust and that confidence." Officials said gas company technicians will turn all the meters back after safety inspections of the entire system are complete - a process expected to take several weeks. They warned residents not to turn the meters back on themselves, not to turn on gas appliances until service is restored and to call 911 and leave their homes if they smell gas. The house owned by Lawrence Police Officer Ivan Soto sits nearly burned to the ground on Jefferson Street, in Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. It was one of multiple houses that went up in flames on Thursday afternoon after gas explosions and fires triggered by a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in several communities north of Boston. After rushing home to check on his family and warn his neighbors to evacuate, Soto went back on patrol while his house was burning down. (AP Photo/Bob Salsberg) ADDS IDENITY OF VICTIM LEONEL RONDON- A collapsed home and car sit damaged on Chickering Street in Lawrence, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, after a series of gas explosions in several communities north of Boston. Authorities said Leonel Rondon died after the chimney toppled by the exploding house crashed into his car in the driveway. He was rushed to a Boston hospital but pronounced dead there in the evening. (Carl Russo/The Eagle-Tribune via AP) Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker tours 35 Chickering St., where a young man was killed during a gas explosion in Lawrence, Mass, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Investigators worked Friday to pinpoint the cause of a series of fiery natural gas explosions that killed a teen driver in his car just hours after he got his license. (Mark Garfinkel/The Boston Herald via AP) An outraged Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera, left, talks about Columbia Gas as Mass. Governor Charlie Baker, right, listens during a press conference in Lawrence, Mass, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, the day after a massive natural gas leak caused fires and explosions in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover, Mass. (Tim Jean/The Eagle-Tribune via AP) People walk with suitcases and belongings down South Broadway Street in South Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, after a massive natural gas disaster Friday that affected areas in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, Mass. (Amanda Sabga/The Eagle-Tribune via AP) In this Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 photo, two young men comfort each other after a gas explosion destroyed a house on Chickering Street killing a teenager who was in his car in Lawrence, Mass. Authorities said Leonel Rondon, of Lawrence, died after a chimney toppled by an exploding house crashed into his car. Dozens of houses in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover caught fire from the natural gas explosions. (Carl Russo /The Eagle-Tribune via AP) In this Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 photo, children sleep as their families take shelter from the Red Cross at Arlington Middle School in Lawrence after a series of natural gas explosions that affected areas in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, Mass. (Amanda Saba /The Eagle-Tribune via AP) A worker with Columbia gas stands over an open man hole as the crew works to make sure there are no gas leaks at the corner of Parker and Salem Streets in Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Multiple houses were damaged Thursday afternoon from gas explosions and fires triggered by a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in several communities north of Boston. (AP Photo/(AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the government's disaster relief agency says he has no intention of stepping aside, especially during Florence, despite being under investigation by a federal watchdog. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long says, "I'm here to serve my country every day. That's all I do. And when it's over, whenever it ends, I'm ready to go back home, love my family." Long says Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen (KEER'-sten) Nielsen "has never asked me to resign" from FEMA. He says the two have a "very functional and professional relationship." On Thursday, Long said he never intentionally misused federal vehicles after news broke that DHS' inspector general was investigating him. Long has said he'll cooperate and own up to any mistakes. Long spoke Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation." HOUSTON (AP) - The Latest on a Border Patrol agent accused in the killing of four women in Laredo, Texas (all times local): 12:55 p.m. Authorities in Texas say a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot four female sex workers in the head. Law enforcement officers gather near the scene where the body of a woman was found near Interstate 35 north of Laredo, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four women was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman who had been abducted managed to escape from him and notify authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a "serial killer." (Danny Zaragoza/The Laredo Morning Times via AP) Juan David Ortiz of Laredo is being held Sunday on four murder counts, plus aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint. Bond is $2.5 million. Affidavits acquired by the Laredo Morning Times say the first body was located Sept. 4 and a second victim was found alive Thursday morning, but died at a hospital. Affidavits say one woman escaped from Ortiz Friday night after he pulled a gun on her. Investigators believe Ortiz picked up and fatally shot two more victims after the surviving victim fled. One body was located later Friday. The last body was found Saturday after Ortiz told officers where to look. ___ 9:50 a.m. A South Texas Border Patrol supervisor charged in the killing of four women and a possible attempt on the life of a fifth is jailed in Laredo on a $2.5 million bond. Webb County jail records show Juan David Ortiz is being held Sunday on four counts of murder, with bond set at $500,000 per charge. He also faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint, and bond is set at $250,000 for each of those counts. Jail records don't list an attorney to speak for Ortiz, a 35-year-old agent from Laredo. He was arrested early Saturday when investigators found him hiding in a truck in a hotel parking lot in Laredo, about 145 miles (230 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. ___ 11 p.m. Saturday Texas authorities have charged a U.S. Border Patrol supervisor in the killing of four female sex workers and an attack on a fifth who escaped and found help. Juan David Ortiz was arrested Saturday after he was found hiding in a truck in a hotel parking lot in Laredo. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz says he was charged with four counts of murder as well as aggravated assault and unlawful restraint. The victims, including a transgender woman, had been murdered since Sept. 3. Alaniz says authorities consider Ortiz a serial killer. The names of the victims have not been released, but Alaniz says two are U.S. citizens. Nationalities of the others are not yet known. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court was thrust into turmoil Sunday after the woman accusing him of high school-era sexual misconduct told her story publicly for the first time. Democrats immediately called for a delay in a key committee vote set for this later week and a Republican on the closely divided panel said he's "not comfortable" voting on the nomination without first hearing from the accuser. The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, told The Washington Post in her first interview that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed at a Maryland party they attended in the early 1980s, clumsily tried to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. "I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the third day of his confirmation hearing to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers has come forward to The Washington Post. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Ford, 51 and a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, says she was able to get away after a friend of Kavanaugh's who was in the room jumped on top of them and everyone tumbled. Kavanaugh, 53 and a federal appeals judge in Washington, on Sunday repeated an earlier denial of Ford's allegation. "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time," Kavanaugh said through the White House. The allegation first came to light late last week in the form of a letter that has been in the possession of Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, for some time. The committee recently concluded four days of public hearings on the nomination and the panel's Republican chairman, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, scheduled a Thursday vote on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm Kavanaugh for a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court. Democrats, led by New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, immediately called for it to be postponed, though Republicans gave no indication Sunday that they would accede to the calls by Democrats, most of whom already publicly oppose Kavanaugh. A spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee said late Sunday that Grassley is trying to arrange separate, follow-up calls with Kavanaugh and Ford, but just for aides to Grassley and Feinstein, before Thursday's scheduled vote. Feinstein late Sunday rejected Grassley's plan for phone interviews with Kavanaugh and Ford. "Staff calls aren't the appropriate way to handle this," Feinstein said. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a committee member, told The Washington Post and Politico in interviews Sunday that he's "not comfortable" voting for Kavanaugh until he learns more about the allegation. Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the committee, whose 10 Democrats all oppose Kavanaugh. A potential "no" vote from Flake would complicate Kavanaugh's prospects. Feinstein applauded Flake's call to slow things down. "I agree with Senator Flake that we should delay this week's vote," she said. "There's a lot of information we don't know and the FBI should have the time it needs to investigate this new material." Another Republican member, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said he's willing to hear from Ford provided that it's "done immediately" to keep the confirmation process on track. Critics have accused the GOP of fast-tracking the process to get Kavanaugh on the court by Oct. 1, the first day of the fall term. Senate Republicans, along with the White House, see no need to postpone voting over what they consider uncorroborated and unverifiable accusations, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. In considering their options Sunday, Republicans largely settled on the view that Ford's story alone was not enough to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation. Grassley could invite Ford to testify, likely in closed session before Thursday. Kavanaugh would also probably be asked to appear before senators. The panel would also likely seek testimony from Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's friend and classmate who Ford says jumped on top of her and Kavanaugh. Judge has denied that the incident happened. Republicans have not settled on the strategy, the person familiar with the situation said, but were weighing options, including doing nothing. Republicans say the allegations have already cast a shadow over Kavanaugh but that it does not appear to be enough to change the votes in the narrowly divided 51-49 Senate. Key will be the views of Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who did not immediately comment publicly Sunday. A spokesman for Grassley said Kavanaugh already went through several days of hearings and has been investigated by the FBI. The White House has accused Feinstein, who revealed the letter's existence late last week, of mounting an "11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation." The White House has also sought to cast doubt about Ford's allegation by noting that the FBI has repeatedly investigated Kavanaugh since the 1990s for highly sensitive positions he has held, including in the office of independent counsel Ken Starr, at the White House and his current post on the federal appeals court in Washington. Both Democratic and Republican senators questioned Feinstein's handling of the allegation. Kavanaugh's nomination has sharply divided an already closely divided Senate, with most Democrats opposing him and most Republicans supporting him. But the allegations of sexual misconduct, particularly coming amid the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, coupled with Ford's emergence could complicate matters, especially as key Republican senators, including Collins and Murkowski, are under enormous pressure from outside groups who want them to oppose Kavanaugh on grounds that as a justice he could vote to undercut the Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion in the U.S. Ford told the Post that Kavanaugh and a friend - both "stumbling drunk," she says - corralled her into a bedroom during a house party in Maryland in the early 1980s when she was around 15 and Kavanaugh was around 17. She says Kavanaugh groped her over her clothes, grinded his body against hers and tried to take off her one-piece swimsuit and the outfit she wore over it. Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand when she tried to scream, she says, and escaped when Judge jumped on them. In the interview, Ford says she never revealed what had happened to her until 2012, when she and her husband sought couples therapy. Portions of her therapist's notes, which Ford provided to the Post, do not mention Kavanaugh by name but say Ford reported being attacked by students "from an elitist boys' school" who went on to become "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington." Kavanaugh attended a private school for boys in Maryland while Ford attended a nearby school. Ford's husband, Russell Ford, also told the newspaper that his wife described during therapy being trapped in a room with two drunken boys and that one of them had pinned her to a bed, molested her and tried to prevent from screaming. He said he recalled his wife using Kavanaugh's last name and expressing concern that Kavanaugh - then a federal judge - might someday be nominated to the Supreme Court. The therapist's notes say four boys were involved, but Ford says that was an error by the therapist. Ford says four boys were at the party, but only two boys were in the room at the time. Ford had contacted the Post through a tip line in early July after it had become clear that Kavanaugh was on Trump's shortlist to fill a vacancy but before the Republican president nominated him, the newspaper said. A registered Democrat, Ford contacted her representative in Congress, Democrat Anna Eshoo, around the same time. In late July, Ford sent a letter through Eshoo's office to Feinstein. Feinstein said she notified federal investigators about the letter, and the FBI confirmed it has included the information in Kavanaugh's background file, which all senators can read. Sixty-five women who knew Kavanagh in high school defended him in a separate letter, circulated by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, as someone who "always treated women with decency and respect." The effort around the pro-Kavanaugh letter began to take shape after his confirmation hearings earlier this month when rumors began to circulate, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly. The signatures on the letter came together in about 24 hours, the person said. Ford told the Post she changed her mind about coming forward after watching portions of her story come out without her permission. She said if anyone was going to tell her story, she wanted to be the one to tell it. ___ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report. ___ Follow Darlene Superville and Lisa Mascaro on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap and http://www.twitter.com/LisaMascaro BEIRUT (AP) - They dug trenches around towns, reinforced caves for cover and put up sand bags around their positions. They issued calls to arms, urging young men to join in the defense of Idlib, the Syrian province where opposition fighters expect to make their last stand against Russian- and Iranian-backed government troops they have fought for years. This time, it's "surrender or die." As the decisive stand for their last stronghold looms, this motley crew of tens of thousands of opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical groups, is looking for ways to salvage whatever is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018 file photo, fighters with the Free Syrian army eat in a cave where they live, in the outskirts of the northern town of Jisr al-Shughur, Syria, west of the city of Idlib. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. (Ugur Can/DHA via AP, File) In its last chapter, just as it has throughout the long, bloody war, the Syrian rebellion's fate lies in foreign hands. This time, the splintered and diverse rebels have only Turkey. "The whole world gave up on us, but Turkey will not," said Capt. Najib al-Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkish-backed umbrella group known as the National Front for Liberation. Idlib, with its 3 million residents and more than 60,000 fighters, is Turkey's cross to bear. Ankara has appealed to Russia and Iran, its uneasy negotiating partners, for a diplomatic resolution to the ticking bomb. At the same time, it has sent reinforcements of its troops ringing Idlib, a move designed to ward off a ground assault, at least for now. A wide offensive is only likely after a green light from Russia. But delicate diplomatic moves are at work. Moscow is keen on strengthening ties with Turkey, at a time when Ankara's relations are at their lowest with the United States. Turkey, by calling on the United States and Europe for support, seems to be playing on that interest to pressure Russia to accept its proposals for a solution on Idlib that avoids an attack. On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets for the second time in 10 days with Russia's Vladimir Putin, this time in Sochi, Russia. "After proving its influence in Syria and the Middle East, Russia wants to pull Turkey away from the West much more than achieve a military victory over the armed Syrian opposition," Mustafa Ellabbad, an expert on Turkish-Arab relations, wrote in Kuwait's al-Qabas newspaper. The province, the size of Lebanon, has been the beating heart of the rebellion for years. In rebel hands since 2015, it is the largest contiguous territory they controlled. It has access to Turkish borders, securing supply lines for weapons, fighters and aid. For the past two years, Idlib became the shoe-box into which were pushed an estimated 20,000 rebel fighters from around the country, after their losses to government troops and surrender deals negotiated with Russia and Damascus following devastating sieges. Civilians who refused to go back under government rule were also bussed there, nearly doubling the province's population. Among the estimated 60,000 opposition fighters in Idlib are at least 10,000 radicals affiliated with the al-Qaida-linked group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee). Thousands of foreign fighters, from China, Europe and the Middle East, are the backbone of the radical groups. The Turkish reinforcements are going to 12 observation points that Ankara set up around Idlib last year under a deal with Russia and Iran creating a "de-escalation zone." The deal also effectively stopped an earlier government advance and set Turkey up as Idlib's protector. Separately, Turkey has troops stationed in the enclave under its control north and east of Idlib, where it backs Syrian opposition fighters and a civilian administration. It is part of its plan to create a safe area along the border where some of the more than 3 million Syrian refugees it hosts may return. Ankara initially sent in its troops more than two years ago to push out the Islamic State group and Syrian Kurdish fighters. For Ankara, the increasingly assertive, U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds were an existential threat that encourages the aspirations of its own Kurdish insurgents. "In the mind of the rebellion, the hope is that from Turkish support they can have ... a republic of northern Syria, protected by Turkey like Northern Cyprus," said Fabrice Balanche, a Syria watcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. These Turkey-administered areas are likely to be the destination of the displaced and rebels of Idlib in case of an offensive. An Idlib offensive holds multiple threats for Turkey right on its border - a humanitarian crisis, a security nightmare with thousands of gunmen loose and a defeat to its plans for the safe zone. If Syrian forces retake Idlib with no agreement on the fate of the opposition fighters, they could threaten the Turkey-controlled enclave, and Ankara would lose credibility with the fighters and leverage with Damascus on any future deal. "There is really no way for the Syrian military and Damascus' allies to launch a military offensive on Idlib that doesn't have deeply negative, injurious effects on Turkey. There is no real way they can cushion this for Turkey," said Sam Heller, a Syria expert in the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. Turkey's strategy in the opposition areas has been complicated by the presence of radical fighters. By backing the National Front, it argued it can draw fighters away from the al-Qaida-linked HTS, the dominant power in the province, forcing it to dissolve and creating a new opposition force ready to negotiate with the Syrian government. The strategy has had limited success. The National Front in recent months gained control of territory in Idlib from HTS, which still controls nearly 70 percent of the province. HTS began to show signs of splits and two weeks ago, Turkey declared it a terrorist group. But with the onset of a military offensive, HTS has set up joint operation rooms with different National Front factions. Making a rare video appearance in late August, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani - wearing an olive-green military uniform - vowed to fight Assad's forces and said Turkish observation points were no protection. The HTS spokesman in Idlib said now was not the time to talk about dissolving into Turkish-backed rebel groups. He underlined that an arrangement must eventually be made for the foreign fighters in the group. "Right now, no sound is louder than that of the battle," Imad Eddin Mujahed said. "We have many military surprises; enough to upset the balance and ward off aggressors." In rallies around Idlib the last two weeks, protesters took to the streets to deny that the province is a hotbed of extremists. Thousands raised only the flag of the Syrian revolution, a reminder that there was once a popular uprising against Assad, and Idlib is now its last bastion. Some raised banners reading: "The rebels are our hope and the Turks are our brothers." Syrian forces and Iranian-backed militias are likely to avoid a clash with the Turkish troops. But the stance of the Syrian government and Iran is clear-cut: They vow to recapture all Syrian territory and are loath to see an expansion of Turkish and American influence. They argue the West fueled jihadis with past support of the opposition and now must let Syria get rid of them. "Assad and Russia gave the choice to the international community: First we kill everybody. Second thing, (they said) if you want to protect (Idlib) then take those people you think are nice ... It is cynical but puts the international community before its contradictions," said Balanche. Al-Mustafa, the National Front spokesman, said the rebels are prepared for a battle he called "existential." But, he added, "our cause will not end if we lose this battle." FILE - In this file photo posted on the Twitter page of Syria's al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front on March 28, 2015, a fighter from Syria's al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front holds his group flag as he stands in front of the governor building in Idlib province, north Syria. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. (Al-Nusra Front Twitter page via AP, File) FILE - In this Tuesday Sept. 11, 2018 file photo, Turkey-trained Syrian opposition fighters of the 'National Army' group formally known as Free Syrian Army, train in a camp in the Turkish-controlled northwestern city of Azaz, Syria. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. (Ugur Can/DHA via AP, File) FILE - This Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 file photo, a convoy of Turkish military trucks carrying tanks destined for Syria, moves near the town of Kilis, Turkey. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. (Resit Celebioglu/DHA via AP, File) FILE - This undated file photo released by the militant group Levant Liberation Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, shows Abu Mohammed al-Golani of the militant Levant Liberation Committee and the leader of Syria's al-Qaida affiliate, left, talking with a fighter, in the countryside of Latakia, Syria. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. (Militant UGC via AP, File) FILE - This file photo released on Monday, Sept 10, 2018 by the Syrian Civil Defense group known as the White Helmets, shows smoke rising from a Syrian government airstrike, in Hobeit village, near Idlib, Syria. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP, File) This photo provided Monday, Aug 20, 2018, by the al-Qaida-affiliated Ibaa News Network, shows fighters of the al-Qaida-linked coalition known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee, training in Idlib province, Syria. As the decisive battle for Idlib looms, a motley crew of tens of thousands of Syrian opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical, are digging their heels_ looking for ways to salvage what is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country. The caption in Arabic reads: "From inside one of the training centers, the 'Group of Death,' also known as 'Red Group,' belonging to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham." (Ibaa News Network, via AP) Protesters wave Syrian and Turkish flags as they attend a demonstration against the Syrian government offensive to Idlib, in the northwestern town of Maarat al-Numan, also known as al-Maarra, south of Idlib, Syria, Friday, Sept 14, 2018. Syrian government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, have been massing troops for weeks in preparation for an attack on Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in the country. The U.N. has warned that a battle will spark a humanitarian catastrophe. (Ugur Can/DHA via AP) More than 200 companies from 24 countries are taking part in the inaugural edition of The Big 5 Construct Egypt, the Cairo-based edition of The Big 5, the Middle East region's largest portfolio of construction events, which opened today (September 18). Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar inaugurated the expo which will run at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre (EIEC) till September 21. Over the next four days, leading companies will display hundreds of products for Egypts booming $335 billion construction market, said the organisers dmg events. Speaking at the opening, Nassar said: "Alongside being the perfect platform to bring the latest international best practices to Egypts construction sector, international partnerships that would result from The Big 5 Construct Egypt, will help boost other sectors such as tourism, as well as bolster import and export opportunities." He reiterated his confidence that this edition would be the first of larger-scale editions of The Big 5 Construct Egypt in the years to come. Josine Heijmans, the portfolio director at dmg events, said: "International players showed a terrific interest in the Egyptian construction market, which is one of the fastest growing and most promising in the region. We are extremely proud to launch the show today, hosting 15 country pavilions from countries such as Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, China, Turkey, India, France and Greece our official country partner." The introduction of The Big 5 Construct Egypt is equally, warmly welcomed by Egyptian construction companies. Major industry names like Kandil Steel, Orascom Group, Sphinx Glass, Ezzsteel, and Al Sherif Group are exhibiting at the show, which they also support as partners and sponsors. Egypt is currently starting a major infrastructure spending. There are huge business opportunities for construction steel and the related engineering industries like electric cables, solar panels, and later on white goods, remarked Tarek Elnaghia, the marketing manager at Kandil Steel. "We are increasing our productions capacity by 50 per cent by the end of 2019, so this is the perfect time for us to take part in The Big 5 Construct Egypt," he stated. The events B2B matching program provides participants with a unique platform to connect, build strong relationships and grow together, said the organisers. Local Egyptian companies have the chance to establish new, profitable export partnerships, while international participation is expected to boost the flow of FDI into the country, they added. Heijmans pointed out that the Big 5 comes to Egypt at a time when the need for new technology, international partnerships, business development and advanced learning is at its peak. "The Big 5 Construct Egypt offers a one-stop-shop for companies and industry professionals who want to remain atop of the latest developments in the sector, and we are very proud of the positive impact we are making in Egypt," she stated. More than just an exhibition, The Big 5 Construct Egypt provides industry professionals with invaluable learning opportunities in the form of free to attend CPD (Continuing Professional Development) certified courses. Visitors can attend over 40 workshops and receive a certificate at the end of each session, at no cost, she added. The workshops cover a wide range of topics, including Future Trends and Technologies, BIM and Project Management, New Policies and Reforms, Sustainability and Technology, Urban Development, Architecture and Design, BIM and Project Management, Contract Management, as well as Sustainability and Technology. On the opening day, The Big 5 Construct Egypt also introduced the Women in Construction seminar series. Presenting the diverse experiences of some of Egypts pioneering female construction executives, the seminar aims to advance and further empower the industry by changing the popular misconception of construction being a male dominated field. The workshops will continue running during the shows four days, with an impressive lineup of speakers. Some of the most prominent names include Nihal El Megharbel, Urban policies, Legislations and Governance Program Manager, UN-Habitat, Egypt; Dalia Sadany, Founding Chairman of Dalia Sadany Dezines; Yasser AlBeltagy, Chairman, Yasser AlBeltagy Architects (YBA); Moustafa El Sayed, Chairman & Managing Director, EGEC; Salah Omar Omran, BIM Manager, Turner International Saudi; Ahmed Salman, Architecture Section Head, Pinnacle Construction Projects; and Tamer Shafik, Business Development Director, Orascom Construction.-TradeArabia News Service FARGO, N.D. (AP) - In a story Sept. 16 previewing a trial in the death of a North Dakota woman whose baby was cut from her womb, The Associated Press misidentified the victim. She was Savanna Greywind, not Samantha Greywind. A corrected version of the story is below: 2nd trial in case that shined light on missing Native women The case of a North Dakota woman who bled to death when a neighbor cut her baby girl from her womb will be replayed in court this week when a second suspect in her killing goes to trial By DAVE KOLPACK Associated Press FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A second suspect in the killing of a North Dakota woman whose baby was cut from her womb will stand trial this week, more than a year after her disappearance transfixed the state and shined a light on what advocates call oft-overlooked violence against Native American women. Savanna Greywind was 22 years old and eight months pregnant when she vanished in August 2017. Her disappearance sparked vigils and searches before her body was found eight days later, shrouded in plastic and dumped in the Red River. A neighbor in her apartment building, Brooke Crews, admitted that she killed Greywind and cut her baby from her womb. Crews' boyfriend, William Hoehn, goes on trial Tuesday on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Hoehn has admitted that he helped cover up Greywind's murder, but he said he didn't know Crews had planned to kill her. Here's a look at the case and the trial: MODELING A DRESS, THEN AN ATTACK Crews and Hoehn lived in apartment two floors above Greywind's, and Crews had befriended the young woman. Shortly before her disappearance, Greywind texted her mother that she was going upstairs to model a dress that Crews was sewing. According to prosecutors, Crews told investigators that she and Greywind got into an argument and that she pushed Greywind down and knocked her out before cutting her open. Greywind bled to death. When Crews and Hoehn were arrested and the newborn was found with them, Crews claimed that Greywind, who was still missing at the time, had given her the child. When Crews pleaded guilty in February, she apologized to Greywind's family, saying there was "no excuse" for what she had done. HOEHN'S ACCOUNT Hoehn told police that he came home to find Crews cleaning up blood in their bathroom. Hoehn said Crews presented him with an infant girl and said: "This is our baby. This is our family." Hoehn said he took garbage bags containing bloody shoes and his bloody towels and disposed of them away from the apartment complex. Hoehn earlier this month pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and lying to police, a misdemeanor. The remaining conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison. WILL CREWS TESTIFY? Though Crews gave some details of the crime at her sentencing, she hasn't given a public accounting of Hoehn's role. It isn't clear whether she will testify at his trial, but she is on a list of more than 50 potential state witnesses. Cass County prosecutor Ryan Younggren declined to say whether he'll call Crews to testify. Bruce Quick, a prominent Fargo defense attorney who isn't involved in the case, said Crews might have an incentive to testify if it gives her a shot at parole. Steve Mottinger, who represented Crews in her proceedings, declined to comment. SAVANNA'S ACT Greywind was a member of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe and her family has ties to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, two North Dakota groups that traveled to the Fargo area to search for Greywind. Her death prompted North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to introduce Savanna's Act, which aims to improve tribal access to federal crime information databases and create standardized protocols for responding to cases of missing and murdered Native American women. A similar bill has been introduced in the U.S. House. Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents the Greywind family, said after Crews' sentencing that the only good to come from such a horrific crime is the possibility that other Native American women may benefit from the legislation. ___ Sign up for the AP's weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv BERLIN (AP) - German police called in more than 1,000 officers to prevent violence during a far-right protest Sunday in the eastern town of Koethen, where a man died a week ago following a dispute with two migrants. News agency dpa reported that water cannons and mounted police were on hand to keep the peace between far-right groups and counter-protesters. Far-right organizations, including the anti-Islam group PEGIDA, called the protest over the death of a 22-year-old German man in Koethen a week ago. Protesters against a far-right demontration gather at the train station of Koethen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Far-right organizations including the anti-Islam group PEGIDA say they want to protest the death a week ago of a 22-year-old German who died after a dispute with two migrants. (dpa via AP) Authorities have said the man had severe chronic heart disease and that an autopsy showed he suffered a heart attack after being punched in the face. Two Afghan men, ages 18 and 20, have been arrested. Officials have expressed concern that the man's death could lead to physical attacks on migrants of the kind seen in the eastern German city of Chemnitz following the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old man last month. A Syrian man and an Iraqi man were arrested as suspects in that slaying, while another migrant is being sought by police. The Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Koethen warned students to avoid the site of the "potentially violent demonstrations." Koethen is located about 125 kilometers (78 miles) southwest of Berlin in Saxony-Anhalt state, where the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party received almost a fifth of the vote last year. Police reported that a 17-year-old Afghan man was attacked by Germans in the town of Hasselfelde, Saxony-Anhalt, late Saturday. In a separate incident, three Somalis were attacked Saturday by a group of Germans in the nearby town of Halberstadt. WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Catastrophic flooding from Florence spread across the Carolinas on Sunday, with roads to Wilmington cut off by the epic deluge and muddy river water swamping entire neighborhoods miles inland. "The risk to life is rising with the angry waters," Gov. Roy Cooper declared as the storm's death toll climbed to 17. The storm continued to crawl westward, dumping more than 30 inches (75 centimeters) of rain in spots since Friday, and fears of historic flooding grew. Tens of thousands were ordered evacuated from communities along the state's steadily rising rivers - with the Cape Fear, Little River, Lumber, Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers all projected to burst their banks. In Wilmington , with roads leading in and out of the city underwater and streams still swelling upward, residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants for basic necessities like water. Police guarded the door of one store, and only 10 people were allowed inside at a time. Hog farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Woody White, chairman of the board of commissioners of New Hanover County, said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city of nearly 120,000 people. "Our roads are flooded," he said. "There is no access to Wilmington." About 70 miles (115 kilometers) away from the coast, residents near the Lumber River stepped from their homes directly into boats floating in their front yards; river forecasts showed the scene could be repeated in towns as far as 250 miles (400 kilometers) inland as waters rise for days. Downgraded overnight to a tropical depression, Florence was still massive. But with radar showing parts of the storm over six Southeastern states and flood worries spreading into southern Virginia and West Virginia, North and South Carolina were still in the bull's-eye. Half way around the world, meanwhile, Typhoon Mangkhut barreled into southern China on Sunday after lashing the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rain that left dozens dead. More than 2.4 million people were evacuated from China's southern Guangdong province ahead of the massive typhoon, the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades. In North Carolina, fears of what could be the worst flooding in the state's history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it wasn't clear how many had fled or even could. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brock Long, said officials were focused on finding people and rescuing them. "We'll get through this. It'll be ugly, but we'll get through it," Long told NBC's "Meet The Press." President Donald Trump said federal emergency workers, first responders and law enforcement officials were "working really hard." As the storm "begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional!" he declared in a tweet. The storm's death toll climbed to at least 17 when a 3-month-old child was killed when a tree fell across a mobile home in North Carolina. Earlier, officials said three people died in separate, weather-related traffic accidents in South Carolina. Victor Merlos was overjoyed to find a store open for business in Wilmington since he had about 20 relatives staying at his apartment, which still had power. He spent more than $500 on cereal, eggs, soft drinks and other necessities, plus beer. "I have everything I need for my whole family," said Merlos. Nearby, a Waffle House restaurant limited breakfast customers to one biscuit and one drink, all take-out, with the price of $2 per item. Kenneth Campbell had donned waterproof waders intending to check out his home in Lumberton , but he didn't bother when he saw the Coast Guard and murky waters in his neighborhood. "I'm not going to waste my time. I already know," he said. As rivers swelled, state regulators and environmental groups were monitoring the threat from gigantic hog and poultry farms located in low-lying, flood-prone areas. The industrial-scale farms contain vast pits of animal feces and urine that can pose a significant pollution threat if they are breached or inundated by floodwaters. In past hurricanes, flooding at dozens of farms also left hundreds of thousands of dead hogs, chickens and other decomposing livestock bobbing in floodwaters. Stream gauges across the region showed water levels rising steadily, with forecasts calling for rivers to crest Sunday and Monday at or near record levels. The Defense Department said about 13,500 military personnel had been assigned to help relief efforts. Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of up to 7,500 people living within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of a stretch of the Cape Fear River and the Little River, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the North Carolina coast. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000. John Rose owns a furniture business with stores less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the river. Rain-soaked furniture workers helped him quickly empty more than 1,000 mattresses from a warehouse in a low-lying strip mall. "It's the first time we've ever had to move anything like this," Rose said. "If the river rises to the level they say it's going to, then this warehouse is going to be under water." Fayetteville city officials, meanwhile, got help from the Nebraska Task Force One search and rescue team to evacuate 140 residents of an assisted-living facility to a safer location at a church. Rainfall totals were stunning. In Swansboro, North Carolina, nearly 34 inches (85 centimeters) of rain had fallen by Sunday afternoon and 20 other places in North Carolina had at least 20 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Another 30 sites in North and Carolina had at least 10 inches (25 centimeters). Water on the Cape Fear River near Chinquapin got so high that electronic instruments used to monitor flooding quit working after it became submerged, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The same thing happened on the Trent River. Still, there was some good news: Power outages in the Carolinas and Virginia were down to about 580,000 homes and businesses after reaching a high of about 910,000 as the hurricane plowed into the coast. Utilities said some outages could last for weeks. In Goldsboro, North Carolina, home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, roads that frequently flood were already closed Saturday by rushing water. Dozens of electric repair trucks massed to respond to damage expected to hit central North Carolina as rainwater collected into rivers headed to the coast. Duke Energy said heavy rains caused a slope to collapse at a coal ash landfill at a closed power station outside Wilmington late Saturday, but there was no indication contamination had drained into the nearby Cape Fear River. The company initially estimated that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the landfill, enough to fill about 180 dump trucks. Sheehan said that estimate could be revised. Near the flooded-out town of New Bern , where about 455 people had to be rescued from the swirling flood waters, water completely surrounded churches, businesses and homes. In the neighboring town of Trenton, downtown streets were turned to creeks full of brown water. The rain was unrelenting in Cheraw, a town of about 6,000 people in northeastern South Carolina. Streets flooded and Police Chief Keith Thomas warned people not to drive, but the local food and gas store had customers. "As you can tell, they're not listening to me," he said. ___ Associated Press writers Alex Derosier in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Jonathan Drew in Wilmington, North Carolina; Allen G. Breed and Emery P. Dalesio in New Bern, North Carolina; Denise Lavoie and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; Gary Robertson and Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, North Carolina; Meg Kinnard and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Russ Bynum in Cheraw, South Carolina; Seth Borenstein and Michael Biesecker in Washington; Lolita C. Baldor at the Pentagon; Jennifer Kay in Miami; and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence inundate the town of Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A tattered American flag after Hurricane Florence in Jacksonville N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team check cars in a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Joanna Faulkner carries her daughter Kayla, 3, out of a high water vehicle after being evacuated by the police when her neighborhood began to flood as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A member of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wades through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A backhoe moves through the streets inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Susan Hedgepeth is assisted along with her dog Cooper by members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Hedgepeth was moved to higher ground. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Petty Officer Second Class David Kelley patrols a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A member of the U.S. Coast Guard assists Roger and Susan Hedgepeth in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Members of the Nebraska Task Force 1 urban search and rescue team help load an elderly resident onto a bus as they evacuate an assisted living facility to a church as a precaution against potential flooding the city could see from tropical storm Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Ernestine Crumpler, 80, is helped by members of the Nebraska Task Force 1 urban search and rescue team as they evacuate an assisted living facility to a church as a precaution against potential flooding the city could see from tropical storm Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Residents of an assisted living facility sit on a bus as they are evacuated to a church as a precaution against potential flooding the city could see from tropical storm Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Residents of an assisted living facility are evacuated to a church as a precaution against potential flooding the city could see from tropical storm Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. After blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90 mph (145 kph) winds, Florence virtually parked itself much of the weekend atop the Carolinas as it pulled warm water from the ocean and hurled it onshore. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A member of the U.S. Coast Guard walks down Mill Creek Road checking houses after tropical storm Florence hit Newport N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) A downed tree uprooted by Hurricane Florence lies next to homes in New Bern, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A member of the U.S. Coast Guard walks down Mill Creek Road checking houses after tropical storm Florence hit Newport N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Members of the Nebraska Task Force 1 urban search and rescue team help load an elderly resident onto a bus as they evacuate an assisted living facility to a church as a precaution against potential flooding the city could see from tropical storm Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A man peers from his flooded home in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Susan Hedgepeth is assisted along with her dog Cooper by members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Hedgepeth was moved to higher ground. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Luke Churchill, left, stands with his wife, Mary and their children, Katie, 13, Liam, 9, and Raighan, 3, as they wait in the rain outside an open Waffle House restaurant in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence traveled through the area Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Wilmington police stand guard as a Lowe's Foods employee stands by the door of the store in Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence traveled through the area Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. The store was allowing only 10 people into the store at any one time and the line stretched for over 100 yards. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) A hog farm is inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A backhoe moves through the streets inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Farm equipment is surrounded by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence near Trenton, NC., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence inundate the town of Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Homes along the New river are flooded as a result of high tides and rain from hurricane Florence which moved through the area in Jacksonville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Depression Florence moving west across the United States on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (NOAA via AP) Permanent platforms are empty after their trailers at a park off Route 181 were relocated in anticipation of the adjacent rising water of Steele Creek as a result of the effects of Tropical Storm Florence, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 in Morganton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek) Chris Lishka works to remove a tree from his roof after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Joe Wiggins takes a moment on the porch of his water surrounded home after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) A power truck works to restore power on a flooded road after Hurricane Florence near Richlands N.C.,Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) PHOENIX (AP) - Officials at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport say parts of a busy terminal have been shut down as police investigate a vehicle that was left unattended. Authorities say a suspicious vehicle was parked outside early Sunday and its owner could not be found. An airport spokeswoman says the pre-security area in the east side of Terminal 4 was evacuated and three of the four security checkpoints at the terminal have also been closed. The Sky Train also has stopped dropping passengers off at the terminal as authorities investigate the situation. It's unclear if any flights have been affected and when the terminal will be re-opened. SANAA, Yemen (AP) - A suspected airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels hit a local radio station in the Red Sea port province of Hodeida on Sunday, killing at least four people, a rebel official said. The minister of information in the pro-rebel government, Abdel-Salam Gabir, said three security guards and an employee were among those killed in the attack in al-Marawa district in Hodeida. Heavy fighting has been raging around Hodeida as Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition are trying to retake the city from the rebels, known as the Houthis. The latest offensive began earlier this month following the failure of what was hoped to be renewed peace talks in Geneva. It was concentrated in the eastern and southern entrances to the city, which is considered the lifeline of Yemen. The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, meanwhile arrived in Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, on Sunday in an effort to agree on a new date for peace talks, Yemeni officials said. They said Griffiths met with Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the rebels, and other top rebel officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. Griffiths met last week with representatives of the rebels in Muscat, Oman's capital, to discuss ways to ensure their participation in future consultations. He sought earlier this week to downplay the significance of the failure of launching peace talks, saying on Saturday that he would head back to Yemen and neighboring Oman "within days" to work toward an agreement on a new date. A delegation of the internationally recognized government arrived in Geneva last week for the talks, which were supposed to start on September 6, but the Houthis did not, arguing their safe return was not guaranteed. Shortly after the failure to launch peace talks, the government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition renewed their offensive to retake the rebel-held Hodeida. They had tried to overrun Hodeida in June but were blocked by the rebels' resistance. One main objective of the ongoing fighting is to cut off the road between Hodeida and Sanaa, thus depriving the capital city, which is controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthis, from supplies arriving by sea. Government forces are also trying to cut off the road to Taiz, a fiercely contested and strategic city south of Hodeida. Impoverished Yemen has been embroiled in the war pitting the Saudi-led coalition against the Iran-aligned Houthis since March 2015. The war against the rebels has devastated impoverished Yemen, turning the Arab nation into the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 20 million people in need of assistance. CHICAGO (AP) - Opening statements are expected Monday in the first-degree murder trial of a white Chicago police officer in the fatal shooting of a black 17-year-old, Laquan McDonald. Officer Jason Van Dyke is scheduled to go on trial in a Cook County, Illinois, courtroom. He also is charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty. Van Dyke's attorneys say he feared for his life when he shot McDonald 16 times. Video shows Van Dyke opening fire as the young man walks away from officers with a knife in his hand. FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2014 file image taken from dash-cam video provided by the Chicago Police Department, Laquan McDonald, right, walks down the street moments before being fatally shot by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in Chicago. Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan has the task of presiding over Van Dyke's murder trial, one of the city's biggest trials in decades. For Gaughan, 77, the trial caps a career and a life that have included chapters as an engineering student, war hero, young man who had his own brush with the law, attorney and judge. (Chicago Police Department via AP, File) Here are key moments in the case: 2014 Oct. 20: Van Dyke fatally shoots McDonald after responding to a call about a teenager breaking into cars. Other officers back Van Dyke's claim that McDonald, who had a small knife with its blade folded, posed a threat to Van Dyke's life. 2015 April 15: The Chicago City Council votes to approve a $5 million settlement with McDonald's family. Nov. 24: More than a year after the shooting, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez announced she was charging Van Dyke with first-degree murder. Hours later, the city responds to a judge's order and releases dashcam video of the shooting that shows McDonald veering away from officers. The footage appears to contradict the accounts of Van Dyke and the other officers on the scene that he lunged at them with the knife. The video's release sparks days of protests. Dec. 1: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fires Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy after a public outcry over the handling of the McDonald case. Dec. 7: The U.S. Department of Justice announces that its civil rights division will investigate the police force, looking for patterns of racial disparity in its use of force. Dec. 9: Emanuel apologizes for McDonald's killing in a speech before the City Council. He says Chicago's police force needs "complete and total reform." Dec. 16: A grand jury indicts Van Dyke on six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct. 2016: Feb. 16: The city of Chicago says it will release videos of police shootings and in-custody deaths within 60 days, after being criticized for refusing to release the McDonald shooting video for more than a year. April 12: A task force established by Emanuel to look into police practices in the wake of the McDonald shooting says the department must acknowledge its racist past and overhaul its handling of excessive force allegations. It also recommends abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates officer misconduct. April 21: Emanuel announces changes to how police shootings and misconduct cases are handled, but draws criticism for stopping short of abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority. May 13: Emanuel announces that he is abolishing the Independent Police Review Authority and replacing it with the Civilian Police Investigative Agency, which will have more independence and resources. June 3: Chicago releases hundreds of videos that offer startling glimpses into violent encounters involving police, including the fatal shooting of a robbery suspect speeding toward officers in a van and an incident in which an officer slammed his night stick against a man's head at a party. Aug. 18: Superintendent Eddie Johnson says seven Chicago police officers should be fired for filing false reports in the McDonald shooting. Oct. 7: Johnson releases details of a proposed new policy that would require officers to use the least amount of force necessary and emphasizes the "sanctity of life." Nov. 16: A special prosecutor says a grand jury has been impaneled to hear evidence into a possible cover-up by Chicago police officers in the McDonald shooting. 2017 Jan. 13: The Justice Department announces the findings of its civil rights investigation. It says the Chicago Police Department has violated the constitutional rights of residents for years - permitting racial bias against blacks, using excessive force and killing people who didn't pose a threat. It concludes that the pattern was attributable to "systemic deficiencies" within the department and the city, including insufficient training and a failure to hold bad officers accountable for misconduct. March 23: A grand jury adds 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm to the first-degree murder charges against Van Dyke in the McDonald shooting. The new indictment raises the number of felony counts against Van Dyke to 23. May 17: The Police Department releases a new use of force policy that requires Chicago officers to undergo de-escalation training and imposes stricter rules on when they can fire their weapons at fleeing suspects. June 3: Media reports say the city of Chicago and the Justice Department have negotiated a draft agreement that calls for an independent monitor to oversee reforms for the police force, which is the nation's second largest. But it is unclear if there will be court oversight at some stage in the future. June 14: Leading community groups, including a Black Lives Matter organization, file a class-action lawsuit against Chicago in a bid to bypass or scuttle a draft agreement between the city and the Justice Department that seeks to reform the police without federal court oversight. June 27: Three Chicago police officers are indicted on felony charges that they conspired to cover up Van Dyke's actions in the killing of McDonald. Aug. 28: The city of Chicago changes course and says it wants to carry out far-reaching reforms of its police under strict federal court supervision, abandoning a draft deal on reforms with the Trump administration that envisioned no court role. Nov. 14: The grand jury that indicted three Chicago police officers on charges that they conspired to cover up what happened when Van Dyke fatally shot McDonald disbands without indicting anyone else in the department. Dec. 11: The Chicago Police Department says all patrol officers are now equipped with body cameras. 2018 March 20: The American Civil Liberties Union and several community organizations say that they have reached an agreement to provide input into reforms being proposed for the Chicago Police Department. Sept. 13: Lawyers finish choosing 12 jurors and five alternates for Van Dyke's murder trial. Emanuel and Illinois' attorney general Lisa Madigan meanwhile unveil an updated plan to reform the city's police, saying it will ensure permanent, far-reaching changes within a 12,000-officer department that has a long history of committing serious civil rights abuses. The more than 200-page document is submitted to U.S. District Judge Robert Dow for his consideration. ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago police sergeant and another man have been charged with robbing two gas stations at gunpoint. The Chicago Tribune reports that Rosemont Police Sgt. Edward J. Karas and Wright W. O'Laughlin of Chicago have been charged with armed robbery. The men were arrested Thursday after they were spotted in a vehicle similar to the one used by the suspects in a robbery the day before at a Park Ridge gas station, and police saw that they looked similar to the suspects. Police say O'Laughlin robbed the store at gunpoint while Karas drove the "getaway" vehicle. They are also accused of robbing a gas station in Norridge. At the time of the robberies, Karas had been stripped of his police powers pending an unrelated internal investigation. CHICAGO (AP) - A convicted felon from California accused of shooting and wounding a suburban Chicago police officer during a traffic stop is being held without bond. Daniel Mageo was formally charged Saturday with two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer and aggravated battery to a police officer. Prosecutors said Saturday that the 27-year-old Mageo is on parole for a July 2014 felony human trafficking conviction involving a child victim. Cicero police Officer Luis Duarte was wounded in the shooting Thursday on Chicago's southwest side. He is in good condition following surgery. Mageo is hospitalized after authorities say another Cicero Police Department officer shot him during a shootout. PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on partial closure at busy Phoenix airport terminal due to unattended vehicle (all times local): 11:50 a.m. Police say a terminal at the Phoenix airport has been re-opened after an unattended rental car left in a curb lane prompted a security scare. Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson says a bomb squad determined the vehicle was not a danger before the terminal re-opened. The car was found early Sunday on the upper deck of Terminal 4. Officials at Sky Harbor International Airport say some outbound flights were delayed. Carriers affected include American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways and Southwest Airlines. Airport officials encouraged travelers to confirm the status of flights with their carrier. _ 11:30 a.m. Officials say an unattended rental car left in a curb lane has caused flight delays and the partial closure of a busy terminal at the Phoenix airport. Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson says a bomb squad is working to make sure the vehicle is not a danger before the terminal can be re-opened. The vehicle was found about 7 a.m. Sunday on the upper deck of Terminal 4. Authorities are also trying to contact the person who last had the car. Officials at Sky Harbor International Airport say some outbound flights are being delayed. Carriers affected include American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways and Southwest Airlines. An airport spokeswoman says three of the four security checkpoints at the terminal remain closed and the Sky Train has stopped dropping passengers at the terminal. ___ 10 a.m. Authorities say a handful of outbound flights from the Phoenix airport are being delayed as police investigate a vehicle that was left unattended near a terminal. Authorities say Terminal 4 was partially closed early Sunday and carriers affected include American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways and Southwest Airlines. Phoenix police say they are working to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Authorities say a suspicious vehicle was parked in a lot, and police were called when its owner could not be found. An airport spokeswoman says three of the four security checkpoints at the terminal have been closed and the Sky Train has stopped dropping passengers at the terminal. _____ 9 a.m. Officials at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport say parts of a busy terminal have been shut down as police investigate a vehicle that was left unattended. Authorities say a suspicious vehicle was parked outside early Sunday and its owner could not be found. An airport spokeswoman says the pre-security area in the east side of Terminal 4 was evacuated and three of the four security checkpoints at the terminal have also been closed. The Sky Train also has stopped dropping passengers off at the terminal as authorities investigate the situation. It's unclear if any flights have been affected and when the terminal will be re-opened. BERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are meeting to discuss migration before an upcoming European Union summit on the topic. Merkel told reporters in Berlin as she and Kurz prepared to sit down for their one-to-one talks Sunday that "migration is, of course, a very important issue." The EU's member countries are divided over how to respond to mass migration. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and the Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, arrive for a statement prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Some refuse to accept any asylum-seekers from the southern nations where most newcomers land first. Others are encouraging greater solidarity within the 28-nation EU. Merkel and Kurz are set to join other national leaders at the two-day summit starting Wednesday in Salzburg, Austria. Their agenda includes a review of Brexit negotiations. The Austrian leader next travels to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. __ This version has been corrected to show French president's first name is spelled Emmanuel, not Emanuel. US-based MIT and Community Jameel, the social enterprise organization founded and chaired by Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel 78, launched the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health (J-Clinic) at MIT. This is the fourth major collaborative effort between MIT and Community Jameel. J-Clinic, a key part of the MIT Quest for Intelligence, will focus on developing machine learning technologies to revolutionize the prevention, detection, and treatment of disease. It will concentrate on creating and commercializing high-precision, affordable, and scalable machine learning technologies in areas of health care ranging from diagnostics to pharmaceuticals, with three main areas of focus: Preventative medicine methods and technologies with the potential to change the course of non-infectious disease by stopping it in its tracks. Cost-effective diagnostic tests that may be able to both detect and alleviate health problems. Drug discovery and development to enable faster and cheaper discovery, development, and manufacture of new pharmaceuticals, particularly those targeted for individually customized therapies. J-Clinics holistic approach will utilize MITs strong expertise in cellular and medical biology, computer science, engineering, and the social sciences, amongst other areas. The health care system has no shortage of data, said MIT president L Rafael Reif. But it has far too little access to the kinds of tools and experts who can translate population-level data into clinical insights that could make it possible to tune care precisely for individuals. Building on MITs deep expertise in fields from cancer to neuroscience, and our longstanding connections to Bostons world-class medical community, J-Clinic offers an accelerated path to creating new technologies that could help make health care more effective everywherefrom villages in developing nations to major teaching hospitals. We are grateful to Community Jameel for their humanitarian vision, boldness, generosity and continued enthusiasm for collaborating with MIT on their efforts to help make a better world, Reif added. J-Clinic will leverage MITs strong relationship with industry and Boston-area hospitals to test, integrate, and deploy new technologies. It will also seek to advance patentable research that could be commercialized and spun-out through licensing to startups and pharmaceutical companies putting these advances into real-life practice. The J-Clinic will positively impact the world by accelerating the creation of machine learning technologies and algorithms that will make preventing, detecting, and treating disease more precise, affordable, and personalized, said Anantha P Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, who will serve as J-Clinics chair. It will be a truly multifaceted effort that amplifies synergies between the life sciences and the latest research in human and machine intelligence. J-Clinic will inspire innovation for the betterment of humanity. As part of its work, J-Clinic will support research projects, education, workshops, and other activities at the intersection of machine learning and biology. Channelling MITs machine learning expertise into health care will transform medical outcomes for people around the world, said Fady Jameel, President of Community Jameel International. Health care has been an important sphere of activity for Community Jameel since our earliest days, from founding the first non-profit hospital for physical rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia, to partnering on the King Salman Center for Disability Research. J-Clinic continues our journey of supporting cutting-edge research and driving innovation in health care, in Saudi Arabia and around the whole world. This marriage of machine learning with clinical and biological insights aspires to spur a global transformation in the healthcare and medical fields with the aim to save the lives of millions of people, spawn new technologies, and improve the entire health care industry around the globe. TradeArabia News Service WELLFLEET, Mass. (AP) - A 26-year-old man who was killed in a shark attack off a Cape Cod beach had been a part-time engineering student who was engaged to be married and loved surfing and other outdoor activities, according to friends and school officials. Arthur Medici, of Revere, Massachusetts, was bitten by a shark Saturday while boogie boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet and later died at a hospital. He was the state's first shark attack fatality in more than 80 years and the second attack victim this summer on Cape Cod. The beach remained closed to swimming Sunday. Flowers were placed at the base of a sign that said "No swimming surfing etc. until further notice," but some people were paddleboarding in the water, the Boston Herald reported. Two signs at the top of the dune at Newcomb Hollow Beach alert visitors that the beach is closed to swimming, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Wellfleet, Mass. A Revere man died after being bitten by a shark off Newcomb Hollow Beach on Saturday. (Merrily Cassidy/The Cape Cod Times via AP) A shark was spotted several miles south of Wellfleet on Sunday, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. Medici was a part-time engineering student at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston last spring, the school said in a statement Sunday. It did not provide any other information about his studies including why he wasn't enrolled in the current semester. The school offered condolences to Medici's family and friends. He moved to the U.S. from Brazil two years ago to attend college, friends told WCVB-TV. A GoFundMe page set up by family and friends to cover funeral costs had raised more than $16,000 as of Sunday afternoon. "Arthur was a very happy young man," said a posting on the page. "He loved life, he was an active member of a Christian church, devoting his life to the Lord. ... He loved hiking, biking, surfing and various other sports. ... He was always joyful and willing to help others, even going as far as feeding the homeless. "He was happily engaged to a smart, kind-hearted medical student with a bright future," it continued. "Our lives are never going to be the same without him. His laughter filled our home and he will be greatly missed by us all." There also was an outpouring of condolences on his Facebook page . Medici had worked at The Capital Grille restaurant in Burlington, just outside of Boston, and left the job more than a year ago, restaurant spokesman Rich Jeffers said. "Just like everybody else, we're shocked and saddened," he said. "It's just terrible." Medici was attacked around noon as he and a friend were boogie boarding. The friend dragged him ashore, and people on the beach attempted life-saving measures including CPR and applying tourniquets. He was taken to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, where he was pronounced dead. On Aug. 15, a 61-year-old New York man was severely injured after fighting off a shark off Truro, about 4 miles north of Saturday's attack. He's currently recovering in a Boston hospital. Saturday's attack was the third fatal shark attack in the world this year, with the other two occurring in Brazil and Egypt, according to Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History. There have been 39 confirmed unprovoked shark bites worldwide this year, including 22 in the U.S., most of them on the East Coast, Naylor said. Joe Booth of Mattapoisett talks about witnessing the shark incident off Newcomb Hollow Beach Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Wellfleet, Mass. A 26-year-old man from Revere died after being pulled from the water after being bitten by a shark. (Merrily Cassidy/The Cape Cod Times via AP) Cape Cod National Seashore Park Ranger Eric Trudeau walks up to a group of visitors on Newcomb Hollow Beach telling them that the beach is closed to swimming, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Wellfleet, Mass. Trudeau was walking up and down the beach alerting people to the beach closure after a Revere man was bitten and died from a shark bite Saturday off Newcomb Hollow Beach. (Merrily Cassidy/The Cape Cod Times via AP) Police and rescue vehicles fill the parking lot at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, Mass., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, after a man was fatally attacked by a shark. (Steve Heaslip/The Cape Cod Times via AP) People look out at the shore after a reported shark attack at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, Mass, on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A man boogie boarding off the Cape Cod beach was attacked by a shark on Saturday and died later at a hospital, becoming the state's first shark attack fatality in more than 80 years. (AP Photo/Susan Haigh) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and an allegation of sexual misconduct against him (all times local): 10:50 p.m. President Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is in turmoil after the woman accusing him of high school-era sexual misconduct told her story publicly for the first time. FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, after more than an hour of delay over procedural questions, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh waits to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the third day of his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers has come forward to The Washington Post. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Democrats are calling for a delay in a key committee vote set for Thursday. And a Republican on the panel, Arizona's Jeff Flake, says he's "not comfortable" voting on the nomination without first hearing from the accuser. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa is trying to arrange separate, follow-up calls with Kavanaugh and accuser Christine Blasey Ford before the vote, but just for aides to top members. The panel's ranking Democrat, California's Dianne Feinstein, is rejecting that plan, saying there's more that senators don't know. ___ 7:20 p.m. A Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he's "not comfortable" voting in favor of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court until he learns more about the sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh dating to when he was in high school. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake tells Politico and The Washington Post in interviews Sunday that the closely divided committee needs to hear from Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. Ford told her story to The Washington Post in a piece published Sunday. Kavanaugh denies her allegations. Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, which has scheduled a Thursday vote on Kavanaugh's nomination. But the nomination's prospects would become complicated without Flake's support, given that the 10 Democrats on the panel oppose his nomination. ___ 6:55 p.m. The GOP chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee wants to set up a call with the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct and the top Republican and Democratic members of the panel. A spokesman says Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is "actively working" to set up a call with the woman and with Kavanaugh ahead of Thursday's scheduled committee vote. Spokesman Taylor Foy says Grassley and the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, routinely hold such "bipartisan staff calls" when updates are made to a nominee's background file. The FBI last week updated Kavanaugh's file after the allegation from his high school years was made public. The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, has since discussed her accusation in an interview with The Washington Post. Kavanaugh has denied it. ___ 5:25 p.m. A Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham, says he's willing to hear from the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct while in high school. The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, discussed her accusation in an interview with The Washington Post. Kavanaugh has denied it. The South Carolina senator says if the panel is going to hear from Ford, "it should be done immediately" so the confirmation process can continue as scheduled. A committee vote is scheduled for Thursday, but several key Democrats have said it should be postponed. Graham says he would "gladly listen to what she has to say" and compare it "against all the other information" the committee has considered about Kavanaugh. ___ 4:45 p.m. A House Democrat from California says she's "grateful" the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in high school has the courage to tell her story. The woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, Christine Blasey Ford, discussed her accusation in an interview with The Washington Post. Kavanaugh has denied the accusation. Her congresswoman, Democrat Anna Eshoo, says in a statement Sunday that she's proud of her constituent for "the courage she has displayed to come forward." Eshoo says that in weighing privacy concerns, the woman "has demonstrated her willingness to risk these factors to present the truth." Eshoo's statement doesn't refer to Ford by name. Ford tells the Post that she sent a letter about Kavanaugh to Sen. Dianne Feinstein via Eshoo's office. Feinstein is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. ___ 3:50 p.m. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have given no indication they plan to delay Thursday's vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh amid an allegation of sexual misconduct from when he was in high school. A spokesman for Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said Sunday that "it's disturbing that these uncorroborated allegations from more than 35 years ago" would surface ahead of voting. Spokesman Taylor Foy had no new information about the committee's planned vote. He says Kavanaugh already went through several days of hearings and was vetted by the FBI. He says the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, should have brought the matter to the panel earlier. He says, "It raises a lot of questions about Democrats' tactics and motives." Kavanaugh has denied the accusation. ___ 3:35 p.m. The Senate's Democratic leader says the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee must postpone a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination now that a woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct decades ago has told her story to The Washington Post. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday that postponement is warranted until what he calls "serious and credible allegations" are thoroughly investigated. Kavanaugh has denied the accusations. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has scheduled a Thursday vote on Kavanaugh's nomination. Schumer says that women making serious allegations of abuse have been ignored for too long. Schumer says Kavanaugh's credibility on other issues has been questioned. He says that to "railroad a vote now" would insult the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court. ___ 3:10 p.m. The senator who received a letter from a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers says she supports the woman's decision to tell her story publicly. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also says the FBI should investigate now that Christine Blasey Ford has spoken to The Washington Post in an article posted Sunday. Feinstein says the investigation should occur before the Senate moves ahead with Kavanaugh's nomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote Thursday on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm him to a lifetime appointment on the nation's highest court. Feinstein says she believed from the outset that the allegations were "extremely serious" and "bear heavily" on Kavanaugh's character. Kavanaugh denies the allegations. ___ 2:15 p.m. The woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers has come forward to The Washington Post. California professor Christine Blasey Ford tells the newspaper that Kavanaugh and a friend corralled her in a bedroom during a gathering at a house in Maryland in the early 1980s. She says that both boys were "stumbling drunk" and that the friend watched as Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and clumsily tried to pull off her clothes. She says she tried to scream and Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. Ford says she escaped when Kavanaugh's friend jumped on top of them and they tumbled. The now-53-year-old Kavanaugh denies the allegation. Ford says she didn't reveal what happened until 2012 during couples therapy with her husband. ___ 10:50 a.m. A Democratic senator says an anonymous allegation of sexual misconduct this late in the process is unlikely to derail Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. But Doug Jones of Alabama says there's time for lawmakers to investigate. The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote on the nomination Thursday. Kavanaugh has denied an allegation of sexual misconduct dating to when he was in high school. The New Yorker magazine reported that the alleged incident took place at a party when the now 53-year-old Kavanaugh attended private school in Maryland. The woman making the allegation attended a nearby school. The Associated Press has not confirmed The New Yorker's account. The New Yorker did not name the woman. Jones says he wishes the matter had been raised earlier. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - An arrest warrant has been issued for a man in Florida who flashed a gun while trying to prevent four students from getting on an elevator with him at an apartment building. The Tallahassee Democrat reports that the Tallahassee Police Department last Friday issued the warrant for Don Crandall for improper exhibition of a firearm. Crandall, who is white, was videotaped trying to stop a group of mostly-African American young men from entering an elevator at the building, claiming they didn't belong in the building without a key. The men were students at Florida A&M University. After the video went viral, Crandall was fired from his job as a hotel manager. ___ Information from: Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, http://www.tdo.com NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The remains of a Tennessee World War II pilot have been laid to rest at his family's cemetery. The Tennessean reports a funeral was held Saturday for Navy Reserve Ensign Harold P. DeMoss in Nashville. He was 21 when his airplane crashed during training in July 1945 in a remote area on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. DeMoss was buried next to the graves of his mother and father. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says DeMoss' remains were accounted for in May and identified through "material and circumstantial evidence" after excavating the crash site in 2016. ___ Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com LONDON (AP) - Police closed roads and called a hazardous response team Sunday night after two people became ill at a restaurant in the English city where a Russian ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned with a chemical nerve agent. Wiltshire Police described the emergency steps taken in response to "a medical incident" in Salisbury as a precaution. Authorities later lifted the alert and said no evidence of the nerve agent Novichok involved in the earlier case was found when the two ill people were examined at a hospital. Salisbury spent months with quarantine tents and investigators in full-body protective gear combing for evidence after Sergei Skripal and his adult daughter were found unconscious on a bench in March. Emergency services personnel stage outside Prezzo restaurant, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in Salisbury, United Kingdom, where police have closed streets as a "precautionary measure" after two people were taken ill from the restaurant, amid heightened tensions after the Novichok poisonings earlier in the year. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP) Its residents were put back on edge in June when a man and a woman living in a nearby town were hospitalized with signs of exposure to the same Soviet-made Novichok. The woman, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, died. Britain's counter-terrorism police said this month they think Sturgess' boyfriend found a counterfeit perfume bottle containing remnants of the substance originally applied on the front door of Skripals home in Salisbury. The man and woman who got sick at the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury remained in the hospital under observation but "we can now confirm that there is nothing to suggest that Novicho" was involved, Wiltshire Police said in a statement. "A cordon will remain in place around Prezzo at this time as part of ongoing routine enquiries. All other areas that were cordoned off will now be reopened," the statement added. British prosecutors have charged two Russian men in absentia with poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. They have alleged Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were Russian intelligence agents, which they and Moscow have denied. LUMBERTON, N.C. (AP) - Dams overflowed, dozens of roads flooded and whole neighborhoods were inundated as unrelenting rain from Tropical Depression Florence continued to fall over North Carolina. The flooding could worsen as Florence crawls westward, dumping more than 30 inches (75 centimeters) of rain in some spots since Thursday afternoon. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bull's-eye. Many residents who stayed in their homes to ride out the storm now face evacuation orders because of rising flood waters, days after Florence made landfall Friday with 90 mph (145 kph) winds. Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team wade through a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Water on the Cape Fear River, which passes through Fayetteville, kept rising Sunday, reaching more than 41 feet (12.5 meters), according to the National Weather Service. Streams and creeks were running so high Sunday in the area around Charlotte, North Carolina's biggest city, that the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency. Roads to Wilmington were cut off by the epic deluge and muddy river water swamping entire neighborhoods miles (kilometers) inland. A man peers from his flooded home in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Members of the North Carolina Task Force urban search and rescue team check cars in a flooded neighborhood looking for residents who stayed behind as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class David Kelley patrols a flooded neighborhood with residents in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Susan Hedgepeth is assisted along with her dog Cooper by members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Hedgepeth was moved to higher ground. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Petty Officer Second Class David Kelley patrols a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence inundate the town of Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Hog farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Residents step out of a high water vehicle after being evacuated by the police when their neighborhood began to flood as Florence continues to dump heavy rain in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Farm equipment is surrounded by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence near Trenton, NC., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) The death toll attributed to Florence stands at 17, including 11 in North Carolina and six in South Carolina. -30-year-old Rhonda R. Hartley died early Sunday after driving a pickup truck into standing water near Gilbert, South Carolina, losing control and hitting a tree, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. -A 3-month-old baby boy died when a large pine tree fell atop a mobile home, splitting it in the middle, according to Police Capt. Jon Leatherwood in Gaston County, North Carolina. Leatherwood said the boy's father and mother were home but were not hurt. A car travels past a sinkhole in downtown Wilmington, N.C., after Hurricane Florence traveled through the area Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) -42-year-old Jeffrey B. Youngren of Elgin, South Carolina, died Sunday when a pickup truck hit a bridge piling in Kershaw County, said Coroner David West, who added that weather "played a big part" in the death. -23-year-old Michael Dalton Prince died Sunday after the truck he was riding in lost control on a flooded two-lane road in Georgetown County, South Carolina, said Coroner Kenny Johnson. The driver and another passenger escaped after the truck landed upside down in a flooded ditch. -63-year-old Mark Carter King and 61-year-old Debra Collins Rion of Loris, South Carolina, died of carbon monoxide poisoning from running a generator indoors, authorities said -A husband and wife died in a Fayetteville, North Carolina, house fire Friday -A mother and her 8-month-old child were killed when a massive tree crushed their brick house Friday in Wilmington, North Carolina -An 81-year-old man died while trying to evacuate Wayne County, North Carolina, on Friday - A 78-year-old man was electrocuted in the rain while trying to connect extension cords for a generator in Lenoir County, North Carolina -A 77-year old man died after he went outside to check on his hunting dogs and was blown down by strong winds -Three people died in Duplin County, North Carolina, because of flash flooding and swift water on roadways -61-year-old Amber Dawn Lee died late Friday when the vehicle she was driving struck a tree near the town of Union, South Carolina Authorities say the storm did not cause some other deaths that occurred during Florence in North Carolina: a woman who died of undetermined causes in a shelter, a woman who suffered a heart attack at home during the storm, and a couple whose apparent murder-suicide was investigated during hurricane conditions in Otway. TEPIC, Mexico (AP) - Mexico's president-elect kicked off a nationwide tour Sunday with his new head of security in tow: a restaurant owner named Daniel Asaf who will coordinate a civilian brigade in lieu of the Mexican equivalent of the U.S. Secret Service. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who takes office Dec. 1, introduced Asaf to reporters at Mexico City's international airport before departing for Tepic, capital of the western state of Nayarit. He said Asaf will organize 20 civilian assistants who will accompany him five at a time so he can interact with voters without getting squashed. The wildly popular Lopez Obrador enjoys engaging with everyday Mexicans and is mobbed daily by well-wishers. He shakes hands. He poses for pictures. And he pauses to listen to pleas that range from tearful requests for assistance locating kidnapped or missing loved ones to humble requests for jobs. Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador walks through supporters as he holds an event in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. The president-elect kicked off his nationwide tour with a new security group of 20 people who will rotate five at a time to accompany him everywhere, with the goal of allowing the incoming president to interact with voters without getting squashed. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Lopez Obrador campaigned across Mexico for 13 years with two failed bids for the presidency before winning the highest office in a landslide July vote. He visited remote and dangerous hamlets with a modest entourage. His head of security between 2003 and 2011 was Polimnia Romana, a veterinarian who assembled a small group of female police to handle crowd control. The female force's light touch with children and women who approached Lopez Obrador earned them the nickname "the gazelles." Romana finds it "very worrisome" that Lopez Obrador wants to entrust his safety to someone without security experience as he nears the presidency. Lopez Obrador "cares too much about public opinion," she said, adding that he is "behaving like a candidate who is looking for votes." Mexican presidents are only eligible to serve a single six-year term. The country's constitution spells out various succession plans should a sitting president be incapacitated, depending on his time in office. Interim leadership could fall to the interior minister or head of the Senate until general elections are held again. Mexico is a dangerous place for politicians. More than 145 politicians - most local figures - have been killed in Mexico over the past year. Mexican security experts say Lopez Obrador is taking on too much risk. They point to this month's stabbing on a crowded street of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro and to the 1994 assassination of Mexican presidential hopeful Luis Colosio as proof that you never know who might have murderous intentions. Alleged assailants in both cases have been painted as lone wolfs acting out of mental instability and disagreement with the politicians' messages. Lopez Obrador is "playing with fire," said Alejandro Schtulmann, president of the Mexico City-based political risk firm EMPRA. Security analyst Alejandro Hope said the low-key civilian detail makes it "easier" for someone to harm the incoming president, whether he's visiting violence-torn rural areas or congested cities. Hope also pointed out that the Mexican secret service does more than guarantee the personal security of the president. It secures his communications and the installations he will visit, while handling logistics and acting as point-people for visits by international leaders. Lopez Obrador acknowledged Sunday that he would like a more orderly way to feel the pulse of the electorate, but he also reiterated a desire to continue "collecting the feelings of the people" via direct contact. Standing before a cheering crowd of thousands in Tepic, Lopez Obrador lambasted the way the 8,000-strong official Mexican security force cordons off presidents. "You are all going to take care of me," he shouted to the crowd. "The people will take care of me." Many Lopez Obrador supporters, though, are also concerned for his safety. The incoming president has vowed to tackle corruption, which could pit him against powerful vested interests that some fear might seek to harm him. Myrna Manjarrez, a teacher who applauded Lopez Obrador in Tepic, thinks his personal security plan is dangerous but doable with the help of regular Mexicans. "It can work because he's a person who is very attentive with the public. He's a likable person," she said. Bernardo Narvaez, a retiree who attended the rally, hopes Lopez Obrador changes his mind and incorporates professional bodyguards once he becomes president. "He and the people close to him should find a way to take care of him and protect him as much as possible," said Narvaez. ___ Associated Press writer Sofia Ortega reported this story in Tepic and AP writer Amy Guthrie reported from Mexico City. AP writers Peter Orsi and Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report. A man makes way for the vehicle carrying Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador away from an event with supporters in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador kicked off his nationwide tour with a new security group of 20 people who will rotate five at a time to accompany him everywhere, with the goal of allowing the incoming president to interact with voters without getting squashed. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters from a vehicle in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador kicked off his nationwide tour with a new security group of 20 people who will rotate five at a time to accompany him everywhere, with the goal of allowing the incoming president to interact with voters without getting squashed. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets indigenous youths on stage at an event with supporters in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador is beginning a nationwide tour ahead of his Dec. 1 inauguration. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Daniel Asaf, who coordinates security and logistics for Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, receives an envelope from a supporter as he stands near Lopez Obrador, center right, who greets supporters in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador kicked off his nationwide tour with a new security group of 20 people who will rotate five at a time to accompany him everywhere, with the goal of allowing the incoming president to interact with voters without getting squashed. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Daniel Asaf, left, who coordinates security and logistics for Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, stands behind the president-elect addressing supporters in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador kicked off his nationwide tour with a new security group of 20 people who will rotate five at a time to accompany him everywhere, with the goal of allowing the incoming president to interact with voters without getting squashed. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador talks with people during an event in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador kicked off his nationwide tour with a new security group of 20 people who will rotate five at a time to accompany him everywhere, with the goal of allowing the incoming president to interact with voters without getting squashed. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks to supporters in Tepic, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Lopez Obrador is beginning a nationwide tour ahead of his Dec. 1 inauguration. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) - The Latest on the natural gas explosions in Massachusetts (all times local): 5:10 p.m. Federal officials say the investigation into the Boston-area natural gas explosions is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts. The house owned by Lawrence Police Officer Ivan Soto sits nearly burned to the ground on Jefferson Street, in Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. It was one of multiple houses that went up in flames on Thursday afternoon after gas explosions and fires triggered by a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in several communities north of Boston. After rushing home to check on his family and warn his neighbors to evacuate, Soto went back on patrol while his house was burning down. (AP Photo/Bob Salsberg) National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Sunday that the sensors can signal for gas pressure to be increased if the pressure gets too low. He said investigators will try to determine whether those sensors played any role in Thursday's explosions and fires. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, a teenager was killed and dozens of people were injured in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover. Officials say it appears there was too much pressure in Columbia Gas' pipelines. The gas company also is investigating. Gas was turned off and residents were allowed to return to their homes Sunday. ____ 10:38 a.m. Residents in communities north of Boston that were rocked by natural gas explosions have been given the green light to return to their homes. Gov. Charlie Baker and other officials announced Sunday morning that people in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover were cleared to return home. Electricity was restored to nearly all homes and businesses, but gas service will remain shut off while officials continue investigating what caused Thursday's explosions and fires. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, a teenager was killed and dozens of people were injured. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate. Officials said it appeared Columbia Gas' pipeline control center in Columbus, Ohio, registered a pressure increase in the Lawrence area before the explosions. Crews have turned off nearly 8,600 gas meters in the area. ADDS NAME OF THE POLICE OFFICER HOMEOWNER - The house owned by Lawrence Police Officer Ivan Soto sits nearly burned to the ground on Jefferson Street, in Lawrence, Mass., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. It was one of multiple houses that went up in flames on Thursday afternoon after gas explosions and fires triggered by a problem with a gas line that feeds homes in several communities north of Boston. After rushing home to check on his family and warn his neighbors to evacuate, Soto went back on patrol while his house was burning down. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) - A new commemorative stamp from the U.S. Postal Service honors first responders across the country, including firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel who assisted during a wildfire and a deadly mudslide in the Montecito, California, area. KSBY-TV reports that media giant and Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey gave local first responders a personal thanks during a Friday stamp ceremony. The stamp depicts a firefighter, paramedic and police officer in red, white and blue. Winfrey described the first responders who worked during the Thomas Fire and the Jan. 9 mudslide as brave and undaunted. Teen Lauren Cantin, who was rescued from mud by first responders, sang "God Bless America" at the ceremony. Her father and brother were killed in the mudslide. ___ Information from: KSBY-TV, http://www.ksby.com/ More than 120 companies will participate in the fourth edition of Dubai Design Week, the regions largest creative festival, running from November 12 to 17 at locations across the city. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3) and supported by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, the programme will feature 230 events, encompassing exhibitions, commissioned installations, awards and competitions, talks and workshops, tours and experiences for design enthusiasts and public visitors alike. An accessible meeting point for the global design community, since its inauguration in 2015, Dubai Design Week has become a platform for growing and enabling the regions design scene, attracting 60,000 visitors to the event at d3 alone throughout the 2017 edition. Dubai Design Week will this year launch its first app, allowing visitors to create personalised schedules on the go based on preferences and interests and to be the first to get notified of must-attend launches and events. d3s chief executive officer Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi said: d3 is once again thrilled to be the strategic partner and host of the fourth edition of Dubai Design Week. For 2018, we are proud to add d3s UAE Design Stories exhibition to the programme and highlight several projects under d3s Design for Good initiative which supports and promotes social change within the UAE. It's always important for us to continue to support the growth of the design industry as a whole and it is events like this that celebrate design from across the region which truly cement Dubai, and d3, as a design destination. Coinciding with the event, this November will see the official opening of the Jameel Arts Centre, Dubais first contemporary arts museum, the inaugural Fikra Graphic Design Biennial in Sharjah, the first of its kind in the region, and a range of activities staged at Alserkal Avenue, reinforcing November as the annual focal point for design and creativity in Dubai. The Middle Easts leading design innovation competition, the Audi Innovation Award has challenged designers in the region to respond to the theme Connections. With a panel of distinguished judges selecting the winning project amongst 450 registrations of interest, the winner will be announced on November 13, during Dubai Design Week, and receive $25,000 worth of investment in their design. The winning project of Urban Commissions 4.0 will be unveiled during Dubai Design Week on November 13, where it will be installed permanently in Dubai Design District (d3). The annual competition is an initiative by Dubai Design Week, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (DCAA) and Dubai Design District (d3). Presenting an opportunity for designers living in the UAE to promote the use of local manufacturing and resources to produce one item of urban furniture with a budget of Dh50,000 ($13,610), the winning design is to be unveiled during Dubai Design Week on November 13, where it will be installed permanently in Dubai Design District (d3). The open-call competition, Design 100, for designers from the UAE to create a piece of furniture or functional object for the chance of having 100 editions produced by Dubai Design District (d3) in partnership with American Hardwood Export Council will unveil its winner within Downtown Editions, where winning product will be sold to the fairs visitors and all proceeds will be allocated to Dubai Cares and their support for Syrian refugees. TradeArabia News Service WASHINGTON (AP) - The House intelligence committee chairman said Sunday he plans to release the transcripts of dozens of private interviews conducted during its investigation into Russian election-meddling and would push the director of national intelligence to declassify others. "I think full transparency is in order here, so I expect to make those (transcripts) available from our committee to the American public here in the next few weeks," said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., months after the GOP colleague who led the investigation said such a release could have a "chilling impact" on testimony in future inquiries. He said the committee interviewed nearly 70 people, and he estimated that about 70 percent to 80 percent of those interviews are not classified. "Those need to be published, and they need to be published, I think, before the election," which is Nov. 6, Nunes told Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures." File-This April 12, 2018, file photo shows Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. speaking during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House intelligence committee chairman said Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, he plans to release the transcripts of dozens of private interviews conducted during its investigation into Russian election-meddling and would push the director of national intelligence to declassify others. ``I think full transparency is in order here, so I expect to make those (transcripts) available from our committee to the American public here in the next few weeks,'' said Nunes, months after the GOP colleague who led the investigation said such a release could have a "chilling impact" on testimony in future inquiries. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Nunes said he hoped it would take Dan Coats, the national intelligence director, only "a matter of days" to act once Nunes made his request about the classified depositions, and "they don't do their normal foot-dragging where they slow roll and we don't get these before the election." Making the transcripts available can only be done by committee vote. Committee Democrats have said they want the transcripts made public. The committee already has released a handful of transcripts, but only in cases where the witness insisted on a public disclosure. GOP Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas, who led the investigation, said in March, when the committee completed a draft of its final report that found no coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, that he decided against releasing the whole transcripts for fear it could hinder future probes. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the highest ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, called upon Nunes to schedule a meeting "immediately" so members could vote on releasing the transcripts. The Schiff has favored complete disclosure so the public could make its own judgment about the witnesses. "The American people deserve to see what we uncovered, the questions witnesses refused to answer," Schiff said in a statement released Sunday. That is the approach Nunes is taking, saying he wanted Americans to "see the work that we did and they can see all the people that were interviewed by us and their answers to those questions." Nunes said "there's so much that's out there that's misinformation or disinformation on this 'Russia-gate' fiasco that we need this information out before the election." That both Republicans and Democrats want the transcripts released underscores the partisan lens through which each side has viewed the investigation. Republicans are likely to say that the content of the interviews proves there was no evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia; Democrats probably would say they prove there was evidence. The Senate intelligence committee is still conducting its own investigation and has interviewed far more witnesses than the shorter House probe. The chairman, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, has said he won't release committee documents, so it is unclear whether any of those interviews will ever become public. FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say a central California police officer has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting two women. The Fresno Bee reports Woodlake Police officer Oscar Robles was arrested Thursday. He could face charges including penetration with a foreign object and assault under the color of authority. It wasn't known Sunday if the 26-year-old has an attorney. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux says the investigation began last week after a woman told deputies that she had been assaulted by an officer. A second woman soon came forward saying that the same thing had happened to her. Detectives say the alleged assaults occurred in January and May. Boudreaux says in one assault Robles was in uniform. Investigators believe there are other victims. ___ Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - An observatory in the mountains of southern New Mexico that had been closed since early September because of an undisclosed security concern is scheduled to reopen on Monday, officials managing the facility said. The Sunspot Solar Observatory no longer faces a security threat to staff, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy said in a statement Sunday. The facility closed on Sept. 6. The association has hired a temporary security team to patrol the observatory when it reopens. "Given the significant amount of publicity the temporary closure has generated, and the consequent expectation of an unusual number of visitors to the site, we are temporarily engaging a security service while the facility returns to a normal working environment," the association said. FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, file photo, security guards are stationed at the entrance to the Sunspot Solar Observatory to turn away the visitors curious about the site's sudden closure, in Sunspot, N.M. The observatory, which has been closed since early September because of an undisclosed security concern, is now scheduled to reopen on Monday, Sept. 17, officials managing the facility said. (Dylan Taylor-Lehman/Alamogordo Daily News via AP, File) Authorities have not revealed the nature of the security threat the observatory faced. The FBI has referred all questions to the association. "We recognize that the lack of communications while the facility was vacated was concerning and frustrating for some. However, our desire to provide additional information had to be balanced against the risk that, if spread at the time, the news would alert the suspect and impede the law enforcement investigation. That was a risk we could not take," the association said. Located atop Sacramento Peak, the observatory was established in 1947. It overlooks the Tularosa Basin - an expanse of desert that includes the city of Alamogordo, Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands Missile Range, White Sands National Monument and the site of the world's first atomic bomb test. The telescope at Sunspot was originally built by the U.S. Air Force. After several years of operation, it was transferred to the National Solar Observatory, which is part of the National Science Foundation. New Mexico State University in 2016 launched an initiative funded by the foundation to upgrade and update the facility through the newly formed Sunspot Solar Observatory Consortium. Officials said Sunspot's one-of-a-kind telescope produces some of the sharpest images of the sun available in the world. Data from observations done at Sunspot is sent to New Mexico State University servers and can be used by researchers around the world. PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - Reunification Highway runs all the way from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the North from South Korea, 170 kilometers (100 miles) away. It starts under a giant concrete arch depicting two women in traditional gowns reaching out to each other and holding up a map of a unified Korea. Road signs along the way show the distance to Seoul, though it's impossible to actually drive there. The highway is one of the best in North Korea. It's paved - a rarity in the North. It's broad and visibility is generally good. But it's also riddled with cracks and potholes. Lanes aren't marked well, if at all. At night it's pitch black, unless there are oncoming headlights. If it were on the South side, it wouldn't be one of the best, it would be among the very worst. Could fixing it help pave the way to denuclearization? This Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, photo shows the Arch of Reunification, a monument to symbolize the hope for eventual reunification of the two Koreas, in Pyongyang, North Korea. While Pyongyang's talks with Washington over the future of Kim Jong Un's nuclear arsenal have bogged down, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is pushing hard to link the roads and railways of the two Koreas and to help improve the North's often decrepit infrastructure. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) When South Korean President Moon Jae-in travels to Pyongyang this week for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he will have two major tasks: He needs to keep Pyongyang's talks with Washington on denuclearization from breaking down so that his own efforts at rapprochement can continue, and he needs to speed up a series of inter-Korean cooperation and engagement projects to keep frictions with the North low and his domestic critics at bay. With each summit, the stakes get higher. It's still unclear what Kim, riding a wave of successes in his debut on the world stage and fresh off a major celebration marking North Korea's 70th anniversary, intends to do with his nuclear weapons. And pressure is mounting in the administration of President Donald Trump for quick and concrete progress. Moon's gamble has consistently been to pursue increased engagement on such things as joint projects to improve roads, railways and the North's decrepit electricity grid with the big-ticket items that generally get all the headlines - denuclearization and a formal peace agreement for the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Moon's approach hinges on the belief that better inter-Korean relations will naturally lower tensions and that joint projects to improve the North's infrastructure are an investment in Korea's future that has the potential to benefit both sides significantly in the long term. Kim has been all ears. His push this year to pursue better relations with the North's neighbors, resulting in a flurry of summits with Moon and Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his meeting with Trump in June, was based on his claim that he had sufficiently built up his arsenal of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons and could shift his primary focus to improving the domestic economy. Fixing the country's infrastructure is a big part of that, and the reason why is telling. Since assuming power after the death of his father in late 2011, Kim has allowed a market-based economy to grow significantly. The North remains decidedly socialist, and the role of the central government in economic planning and policies continues to be key. But the role of markets and capitalist-style entrepreneurialism has also become an established fact of daily life and an important income source for the regime. Better roads and railways, and the ability to move goods and people quickly and reliably, would help such economic activity grow. Kim has been surprisingly open about the sad state of his country's transportation system. In his first summit with Moon, he expressed his "embarrassment" about the "poor transit infrastructure." That same month, he conveyed his "uncontrollable grief" over the death of dozens of Chinese tourists whose bus plunged off a bridge near the city of Kaesong, which is close to the South Korean border. Proposals to boost the North's infrastructure go way back. They were an important part of the South's "Sunshine" policies of the late 1990s to 2009, when the North conducted a nuclear test that sent relations into a rapid downward spiral. Seoul declared the policies a failure the following year, but Moon has wasted no time in trying to revive them. In their first meeting, Moon laid out his plans for North Korean development on a USB memory stick. Ultimately, South Korea wants to see a high-speed train linking its capital of Seoul to Pyongyang and farther north to Sinuiju, an important trade hub on the Chinese border. The price tag is a reported $35 billion. By the time the summit was over, both sides had agreed to work together to improve the roads and railways in what is called the eastern transportation corridor, and from Pyongyang to Sinuiju. How far they will get remains to be seen. Similar plans have been kicking around for years, if not decades. Connecting the rail systems was on the agenda of a North-South summit in 2000 as well. Moon's vision goes well beyond Korea's borders. At an event last month, he said he wants to see the establishment of road and rail links with the North to deepen regional economic integration with China, the Russian Far East and even Mongolia. He said he wants this to get underway before the end of the year. The biggest obstacle, however, might be the United States. The U.S.-led United Nations Command, which monitors activity around the DMZ, blocked plans for the North and South to conduct a field study of the North's railroads last month. The plan was to run a train along a railway linking Seoul to Sinuiju. The command reportedly refused to approve the plan because Seoul did not supply enough details. Officials in Washington have also expressed concern that Seoul may be moving too fast and undermining support for trade sanctions that the U.S. sees as one of its best means of keeping the pressure on Pyongyang high. The Trump administration says it will keep its "maximum pressure" policy and sanctions in place until the North demonstrates it is serious about denuclearization. ___ Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, photo, a biker crosses a motorway from Pyongyang to Nampo, a city and seaport located on the west coast of North Korea. While Pyongyang's talks with Washington over the future of Kim Jong Un's nuclear arsenal have bogged down, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is pushing hard to link the roads and railways of the two Koreas and to help improve the North's often decrepit infrastructure. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - The Constitutional Court ordered President Jimmy Morales late Sunday to allow the head of a U.N.-backed anti-corruption commission to return to Guatemala, dealing a blunt rebuke to the leader who has sought in recent weeks to defang the body and its work. The unanimous ruling by the court's five magistrates marked the second time in as many years that the court has reversed Morales' efforts to keep commission chief Ivan Velasquez out of Guatemala. Velasquez has pressed a number of high-profile graft probes, including one that is pending against the president himself. There was no immediate public reaction from the president. His spokesman, Alfredo Brito, did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales delivers his speech during a a session to celebrate the country's independence, in Guatemala City, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Thousands of police and at least 50 heavily-armed soldiers set a security cordon around congress that greatly exceeded normal, while about 8,000 protesters called for Morales' resignation and expressed their opposition to his decision not to renew the mandate of a United Nation's-backed anti-corruption commission. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros) Morales announced in late August that he would not renew the mandate of the commission for another two-year term, effectively giving it a year to wind down and end its activities. A few days later he said that Velasquez, a Colombian national who was traveling in Washington at the time, would be barred from re-entering the Central American nation. Morales called him "a person who attacks order and public security in the country." Morales' order touched off public protests in support of the body, and multiple appeals were promptly filed with the Constitutional Court. In issuing its decision Sunday night, the court said its ruling must be obeyed and cannot be appealed. Morales said earlier this month that he was "not obligated to obey illegal rulings," which observers interpreted as a clear allusion to the court's previous checks on his actions. Last year, Morales had declared Velasquez persona non grata and tried to have him expelled from the country, but that move was blocked by the Constitutional Court. Among the investigations that the commission, known as CICIG for its initials in Spanish, has brought in Guatemala was one that led to the resignation and jailing of former President Otto Perez Molina and his vice president. Others have ensnared dozens of politicians, public officials and businesspeople. Morales is suspected in a case involving more than $1 million in purported illicit campaign financing. In August, Guatemala's Supreme Court allowed a motion by CICIG and Guatemalan prosecutors seeking to lift the president's immunity from prosecution to go to lawmakers. If they approve it, he would be opened up to possible prosecution. Morales denies wrongdoing, but critics saw his move to wind down CICIG and bar Velasquez as a maneuver to protect himself as well as relatives and associates also in the sights of investigators. The president had asked the United Nations to designate someone to replace Velasquez, but the world body opted to keep him in charge for the time being, working remotely from abroad. The U.N. defended CICIG and its commissioner, saying the body has played "a pivotal role in the fight against impunity in Guatemala." Demonstrators march against Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and in support of the fight against corruption in Guatemala City, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) A woman walks in front of a police line as demonstrators march against Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and in support of the fight against corruption in Guatemala City, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) A man holds a sign that reads in Spanish "Resign Jimmy" during a march against Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and in support of the fight against corruption in Guatemala City, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that he will push for "irreversible, permanent peace," and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, during "heart-to-heart" talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week. His chief of staff, however, played down the chance that Moon's summit with Kim will produce major progress in nuclear diplomacy. Moon flies to Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third summit of the year with Kim. This one comes as global diplomatic efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program have stalled and questions have been raised about how serious Kim is about following through with his vague commitments to denuclearize. "I aim to have lots of heart-to-heart talks with Chairman Kim Jong Un," Moon said during a meeting with top advisers, according to his office. "What I want to achieve is peace. I mean irreversible, permanent peace that is not shaken by international politics." South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a cabinet meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. A senior South Korean official on Monday played down the chance that this week's inter-Korean summit will result in major progress in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program. (Hwang Gwang-mo/Yonhap via AP) To achieve such a peace, Moon said he'll focus during the summit on easing a decades-long military standoff between the Koreas and promoting a North Korea-U.S. dialogue on denuclearization issues. Moon said he wants "to find a middle ground between a U.S. request for (North Korea's) denuclearization and the North's request for corresponding measures such as ending hostile relations and security assurances." During a June summit between Kim and President Donald Trump, the North Korean leader expressed his commitment to denuclearization while Trump promised to provide him with security guarantees and announced the suspension of major military drills with South Korea. North Korea has long maintained that its nuclear program is aimed at coping with what it calls U.S. military threats. North Korea is pushing for a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War. It also wants the lifting of U.S.-led sanctions. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Earlier Monday, Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, told reporters that it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. He said progress will depend on how candid the discussions are. Im said he expects the summit to produce "meaningful" agreements that "fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war" between the two Koreas. He said the agreements will help promote chances for the signing of a peace treaty that formally ends the Korean War. Military officials have in recent months discussed the possibility of disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas' shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. The Koreas' 248-kilometer (155-mile) border is the world's most heavily fortified, with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed along a line that's laced with mines, barbed wire fences and anti-tank traps. The navies of the Koreas have fought several bloody skirmishes off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Moon will also take a group of business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong to Pyongyang. Some experts say Moon is preparing for the resumption of inter-Korean economic cooperation projects after diplomacy eventually yields results. Currently, all major joint economic projects between the Koreas remain stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from left, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. A senior South Korean official on Monday played down the chance that this week's inter-Korean summit will result in major progress in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program. (Hwang Gwang-mo/Yonhap via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, top third from left, presides over a cabinet meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. A senior South Korean official on Monday played down the chance that this week's inter-Korean summit will result in major progress in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program. (Hwang Gwang-mo/Yonhap via AP) Presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok speaks to the media during a briefing at a press center for the inter-Korean summit in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The senior South Korean official is playing down the chance that this week's inter-Korean summit could produce major progress in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok speaks to the media during a briefing at a press center for the inter-Korean summit in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The senior South Korean official is playing down the chance that this week's inter-Korean summit could produce major progress in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) South Korean Presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok speaks to the media during a briefing at a press center for the inter-Korean summit in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The senior South Korean official is playing down the chance that this week's inter-Korean summit could produce major progress in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear program. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) NEW YORK (AP) - Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of Woody Allen and the estranged adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, defended her husband against what she contends is unfair treatment in the #MeToo era and attacked her adoptive mother in her first public comments about the relationships in decades. New York magazine posted on its website Sunday night an in-depth article about Previn in which she talks of a troubled relationship with her mother and tells how she fell in love in 1992 with Allen, who was Farrow's boyfriend at the time. The 47-year-old said she and her mother clashed soon after Farrow adopted her and that her mother many times treated her like a maid. She denies being manipulated into a relationship by Allen. FILE - In this Wednesday, May 11, 2016, file photo, Soon-Yi Previn attends the Opening Ceremony at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. Previn, the wife of director Woody Allen and the estranged adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, has spoken publicly about her turbulent life for the first time in decades. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Previn told the magazine that she decided to speak out now because Dylan Farrow, who is an adopted daughter of Allen, is, in her view, unfairly accusing her husband of sexual abusing her when she was a child. "I was never interested in writing a 'Mommie Dearest,' getting even with Mia - none of that," Previn told the magazine. "But what's happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust. (Mia) has taken advantage of the #MeToo movement and paraded Dylan as a victim. And a whole new generation is hearing about it when they shouldn't." She also said of Farrow: "Mia wasn't maternal to me from the get-go." An email sent to Mia Farrow's agent Sunday night was not immediately returned. The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual abuse, but Dylan Farrow has commented extensively on her allegations that Allen abused her in 1992 when she was 7-years-old. Allen was investigated but wasn't charged, and he has long denied inappropriately touching Farrow. In a statement in January after Dylan Farrow's allegations resurfaced, Allen reiterated his denial and accused her and her family of using the Time's Up movement "to repeat this discredited allegation." In separate statements posted on Twitter Sunday night, Dylan Farrow and Ronan Farrow say their mother is a good parent and that the New York magazine article is inaccurate and unfair. Dylan Farrow also noted that the New York magazine piece's author, Daphne Merkin, calls herself a longtime friend of Allen's. The director, who faced a wave of backlash earlier this year including several prominent actors vowing not to work with him again, is also quoted in the New York magazine piece. "I am a pariah," Merkin quotes the director as saying during a lunch. "People think that I was Soon-Yi's father, that I raped and married my underaged, retarded daughter." LAS VEGAS (AP) - Portraits of the 58 people killed in last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas went on display Monday after artists from around the world donated their time to memorialize the victims. "I want people to know these individuals," Mary Jo von Tillow said at the display's opening in Las Vegas. "It puts their face out there, and people get to know who the 58 were." The Cameron Park, California, resident spoke in front of the wall of portraits that included a painting of her husband, Kurt von Tillow, shown smiling in a tuxedo with an American flag behind him. Portraits of victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas are on display, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Portraits of the 58 people killed in last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas went on display Monday after artists from around the world donated their time to memorialize the victims. (AP Photo/John Locher) It was a fitting tribute to her patriotic husband, one of the victims of the Oct. 1 shooting, who always wore the stars and stripes and was nicknamed "Captain America," she said. The paintings, drawings and digital art will be displayed at a county building in Las Vegas until Oct. 19, when they are to be given to the victims' families. The portraits come in various sizes and shapes. Some are in color. Others are black and white. Some just show a smiling face, while others place their subject at the beach or in the woods. That speaks to the individual personalities of the 58 people killed that night, artist and project organizer Ellen Abramo said. Abramo and her cousin started the project after participating in a similar project commemorating the 49 victims of the 2016 mass shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. Abramo said she hopes the portraits of those killed at the Las Vegas Strip country music festival are meaningful gifts that show the families who have lost loved ones that there are people out there who care about what they went through. "Our hearts are with them, and we hurt for them. We wish that we could bring their loved ones back, and this is the best thing that we can do with our talents," she said. Abramo, of Nazarath, Pennsylvania, drew a portrait of Rhonda LeRocque, a 42-year-old from Tewksbury, Massachusetts, who was at the country music festival with her husband. She was drawn to the fellow mother who, like her, lived on the East Coast, loved to cook and was described as very gentle, sweet and loving. "When I read all the wonderful things that her family and friends said about her, I just couldn't help but think that I hope that I will be as good of a mother and wife that people will say those things about me," Abramo said. To find other contributors, Abramo put out a call to artists asking if they wanted to participate and asked them to submit two examples of past portraits they had done in order to ensure they could capture a good likeness. One of those who responded was Amanda Roth, a 33-year-old art teacher from Redondo Beach, California, who was at the concert with friends with the gunfire broke out. Signing onto the project to paint a picture of Jordan Mclldoon, a 23-year-old mechanic's apprentice from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, helped her work through her own experience at the shooting, Roth said. "I came home, tried to sleep and tried to forget about it," she said. "I didn't quite process it until I started painting Jordan." She played country music while she worked and was able to speak to Mclldoon's mother to learn more about him and look at family photos. "Jordan became this kind of guardian angel for me. He kind of guided me through this and helped heal me a little bit more," Roth said. When she finished, a picture of her work was posted on the Facebook page for the portraits project. Roth said Mclldoon's mother reached out to her online and told her she liked the painting. She's still waiting to see the mother's reaction in person at a special reception in October for artists and family members of the victims. "There's something about having complete strangers reach out and be a part of this," Roth said. "Hopefully, they can see these paintings and smile." Mary Jo von Tillow, widow of victim Kurt von Tillow, speaks at an event to unveil portraits of victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Portraits of the 58 people killed in last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas went on display Monday after artists from around the world donated their time to memorialize the victims. (AP Photo/John Locher) Mary Jo von Tillow, widow of victim Kurt von Tillow, attends an event to unveil portraits of victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Portraits of the 58 people killed in last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas went on display Monday after artists from around the world donated their time to memorialize the victims. (AP Photo/John Locher) GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - In a blunt rebuke to President Jimmy Morales, Guatemala's Constitutional Court ordered that the head of a U.N.-backed anti-corruption commission be let back in the country two weeks after Morales barred him as he moved to defang the investigative body. The unanimous ruling late Sunday by the court's five magistrates marked the second time in as many years that the court has reversed Morales' efforts to keep Ivan Velasquez out of Guatemala. The commission's chairman has pressed a number of high-profile graft probes, including one pending against the president himself. There was no immediate public reaction from the president. His spokesman, Alfredo Brito, did not respond to phone calls Sunday night seeking comment. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales delivers his speech during a a session to celebrate the country's independence, in Guatemala City, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Thousands of police and at least 50 heavily-armed soldiers set a security cordon around congress that greatly exceeded normal, while about 8,000 protesters called for Morales' resignation and expressed their opposition to his decision not to renew the mandate of a United Nation's-backed anti-corruption commission. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros) Morales announced in late August that he would not renew the mandate of the commission for another two-year term, effectively giving it a year to wind down and end its activities. A few days later the president said that Velasquez, a Colombian national who was in Washington at the time, would be prohibited from re-entering this Central American nation. Morales called him "a person who attacks order and public security in the country." Morales' order touched off public protests in support of the body, and multiple appeals were promptly filed with the Constitutional Court. In issuing its decision, the court said its ruling must be obeyed and cannot be appealed. Morales said earlier this month that he was "not obligated to obey illegal rulings," which observers interpreted as a clear allusion to the court's previous checks on his actions. Last year, Morales had declared Velasquez persona non grata and tried to have him expelled from Guatemala, but that move was blocked by the Constitutional Court. Among the investigations that the commission, known as CICIG for its initials in Spanish, has brought in Guatemala was one that led to the resignation and jailing of former President Otto Perez Molina and his vice president. Others have ensnared dozens of politicians, public officials and businesspeople. Morales is suspected in a case involving more than $1 million in purported illicit campaign financing. In August, Guatemala's Supreme Court allowed a motion by CICIG and Guatemalan prosecutors seeking to lift the president's immunity from prosecution to go to lawmakers. If they approve it, he would be opened up to possible prosecution. Morales denies wrongdoing, but critics have seen his effort to wind down CICIG and bar Velasquez as a maneuver to protect himself as well as relatives and associates also in the sights of investigators. The president had asked the United Nations to designate someone to replace Velasquez, but the world body opted to keep him in charge for the time being, working remotely from abroad. The U.N. defended CICIG and its commissioner, saying the body has played "a pivotal role in the fight against impunity in Guatemala." Youths shout slogans against the government of President Jimmy Morales, in Guatemala City, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros) A man holds a sign that reads in Spanish "Resign Jimmy" during a march against Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and in support of the fight against corruption in Guatemala City, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, center, smiles at congress President Alvaro Arzu Escobar during a session to celebrate the country's independence, in Guatemala City, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Thousands of police and at least 50 heavily-armed soldiers set a security cordon around congress that greatly exceeded normal, while about 8,000 protesters called for Morales' resignation and expressed their opposition to his decision not to renew the mandate of a United Nation's-backed anti-corruption commission. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros) A man holds a sign that reads in Spanish "Resign Jimmy" during a march against Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and in support of the fight against corruption in Guatemala City, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) Demonstrators march against Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and in support of the fight against corruption in Guatemala City, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. President Morales had announced that he would not renew the U.N.-backed commission investigating corruption in the country for another two-year mandate, giving the commission until the end of its current term in September 2019 to transfer all its functions to Guatemalan institutions. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) WASHINGTON (AP) - The prognosis for President Donald Trump and his party was grim. In a post-Labor Day briefing at the White House, a top Republican pollster told senior staff that the determining factor in the election wouldn't be the improving economy or the steady increase in job creation. It would be how voters feel about Trump. And the majority of the electorate, including a sizeable percentage of Republican-leaning voters, doesn't feel good about the president, according to a presentation from pollster Neil Newhouse that spanned dozens of pages. Newhouse's briefing came amid a darkening mood among Republican officials as the November election nears. Party leaders were already worried that a surge in enthusiasm among Democrats and disdain for Trump by moderate Republicans would put the House out of reach. But some Republicans now fear their Senate majority is also in peril - a scenario that was unthinkable a few months ago given the favorable Senate map for the GOP. FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a Congressional Medal of Honor Society Reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) "For Republican candidates to win in swing states, they need all of the voters who support President Trump, plus a chunk of those who do not," said Whit Ayres, a GOP pollster. "That is threading a very narrow strategic needle." Operatives in both parties say Republicans still have the edge in the fight for control of the Senate. But GOP officials are increasingly worried that nominees in conservative-leaning states like Missouri and Indiana are underperforming, while races in Tennessee and Texas that should be slam-dunks for Republicans are close. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell raised an alarm last week, warning that each of the competitive Senate races would be "like a knife fight in an alley." Some of the public fretting among Republicans appears to be strategic, as party officials try to motivate both voters and donors. Many moderate Republican voters "don't believe there is anything at stake in this election," according to the documents Newhouse presented to White House officials. He attributed that belief in part to a disregard for public polling, given that most surveys showed Democrat Hillary Clinton defeating Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Newhouse and the White House would not comment on the early September meeting. The Associated Press obtained a copy of Newhouse's presentation, and two Republicans with knowledge of the briefing discussed the details on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly. At the White House, anxiety over the midterms has been on the rise for months as polls increasingly show a challenging environment for the GOP and heightened Democratic enthusiasm. The sheer number of competitive races in both the House and Senate is stretching cash reserves and forcing tough calculations about where to deploy resources and surrogates. And there are growing fears that the coalition of voters that delivered Trump to the White House will not come out for midterms. Even if those voters do show up in large numbers, Republicans could still come up short. The polling presented to White House officials, which was commissioned by the Republican National Committee, showed that Trump's loyal supporters make up about one-quarter of the electorate. Another quarter is comprised of Republicans who like Trump's policies but not the president himself and do not appear motivated to back GOP candidates. And roughly half of expected midterm voters are Democrats who are energized by their opposition to the president. White House aides say Trump is getting regular briefings on the political landscape and is aware of the increasingly grim polling, even though he's predicted a "red wave" for Republicans on Twitter and at campaign rallies. Aides say Trump's sober briefings from GOP officials are sometimes offset by the frequent conversations he has with a cadre of outside advisers who paint a sunnier picture of the electoral landscape and remind the president of his upset victory in 2016. The paradox for Republicans is that most Americans are largely satisfied with the economy, according to numerous surveys. But the party has struggled to keep the economy centered at the center of the election debate. Trump keeps thrusting other issues to the forefront, including his frustration with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and his intense anger with unflattering portrayals of his presidency in a book by journalist Bob Woodward and an anonymous editorial from a senior administration official that was published in the New York Times. He stunned some backers Thursday when he disputed the death toll in Puerto Rico from last year's Hurricane Maria, just as another storm was barreling toward the East Coast. Newhouse told White House officials that Trump could appeal to moderates and independents by emphasizing that a Democratic majority would be outside the mainstream on issues like abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and government-funded health care. Other Republican strategists have offered candidates similar advice. Karl Rove, who served as chief political strategist to President George W. Bush, said that if Republicans cast their Democratic rivals as soft on immigration or in favor of high-dollar government spending on health care, "that's a toxic mix to the soft Republicans and Republican-leaning independents." In his most recent campaign appearances, Trump soft-peddled his predictions for a Republican wave and warned supporters that a Democratic congressional majority would have consequences. But he focused less on the policy implications of Democrats regaining control of Congress and more on the impact on his presidency, including the prospect of impeachment. "If it does happen, it's your fault, because you didn't go out to vote," Trump said of the prospect of getting impeached. "You didn't go out to vote - that's the only way it could happen." ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC , Catherine Lucey at http://twitter.com/catherine_lucey and Zeke Miller at http://twitter.com/zekejmiller Over 100 leading brands from 80 countries are expected to take part in the upcoming The Global Franchise Market Exhibition (TGFM), a top event for local, regional and international franchisors and brand owners, in Dubai, UAE. The Malaysian Franchise Association (MFA), which aims to promote entrepreneurship through franchising, has chosen Dubai a global business and financial destination and the 3rd edition of the event to explore the emerging and lucrative markets in the Mena region. The TGFM will bring together leading investors, master franchisees, licensees, entrepreneurs, and leading brands in various sectors and it is expected to attract over 2,000 visitors and participants during its run on December 5 and 6. Among the five pavilions participating in TGFM, Malaysia is joining as one of the biggest pavilions offering a great platform for B2B meetings. Datur Radzali Hassan, chairman of MFA, said, Dubai, which is home to more than 120 nationalities, is a global tourist destination and a commercial hub in the GCC that provides a great business and investment platform for entrepreneurs from Malaysia seeking new opportunities and leading franchisors and franchisees looking for new markets. At TGFM, Malaysian Franchise Association aims to leverage Dubais position as an international franchise destination and test their products viability and brands reach within the region. With a diverse list of brand owners, franchisors and franchisees in many categories such as: Food & Beverage and Education, I am highly confident that MFA can maximize its results and connect with many local franchisees and franchisors, consultants, service providers and suppliers. Within many countries, the GCC region has always been a strategic location for Malaysian franchisors to grow their market, Dubai in particular was the first to offer freehold property to foreign investors, which catapulted UAEs status as an international property investment hub. With nearly 1,200 Malaysian franchise outlets operating in GCC countries as of last year, at TGFM we are looking forward to forge new partnerships and collaborate with local partners to expand our footprint in the region, he added. Anas Al Madani, vice chairman and Group CEO of Index Holding, said, Today, Dubai has become a key global business and financial hub, owing to its strategic location, favourable climate for investment, several new policies and regulatory mechanisms. The city has become among the most sought-after destinations for investors, entrepreneurs, franchisors and start-ups. In addition, Dubai is among the first cities in the region, which was quick to realize the benefits of the franchise business model in many key sectors including education, transportation and tourism. Major global companies and top franchise operators have already established their footprint in the emirate while many more are seeking new avenues for investment and expanding their businesses through their franchise partners within the region. As the franchise market in the UAE and Dubai in particular is rapidly maturing, we are witnessing a trend where a growing number of international brands are expanding in the region. Over 200 brands participated in the last two editions of TGFM and more brands are choosing the show to connect with investors and franchisees, and I am highly confident that TGFM will offer Malaysian brands unprecedented opportunities to expand and grow, he added. Malaysia Franchise Association will be involved in a number of activities through its exclusive pavilion at TGFM, with the presence of many franchisors, franchisees and brand owners seeking new opportunities in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. Some of the leading brands representing Malaysia at TGFM include: The Manhattan Fish Market (F& B), Marrybrown (F&B), Smart Reader Kids (Pre-School Education), Global Art (Pre-School Education). In addition, MFA will be expected to make key announcements, launch new partnerships and involve in many Memoranda of Understandings with various government entities and partners in the UAE. The Global Franchise Market (TGFM) being is organized annually by Index Conferences and Exhibitions a member of Index Holding with the support of the Department of Economic Development Dubai and under the strategic partnership of Franchise Souq and Francorp Middle East. TradeArabia News Service A doctors group took a stand in support of transgender children Monday, offering advice in what it called "a rapidly evolving" field. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended support for kids who change their names or hairstyles to affirm their chosen gender identity. The group said children are more likely to have better physical and mental health with such support. The policy describes interventions including hormones to suppress puberty and even surgery for teens on a case-by-case basis. It calls for advocacy in favor of laws protecting transgender youth from discrimination. The recommendations, published in the journal Pediatrics, come at a time when the Trump administration has put the brakes on such protections. A study earlier this year found nearly 3 percent of U.S. youth identify as transgender or by other nontraditional gender terms. The doctors group, which represents 67,000 physicians who treat children and young adults, previously has made public statements in response to so-called bathroom legislation involving transgender people, but this is its first policy statement. ___ Follow AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson on Twitter: @CarlaKJohnson ___ The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" became the first streaming series to win top Emmy comedy honors and HBO's "Game of Thrones" recaptured the best drama series award Monday at a ceremony that largely slighted its most ethnically diverse field of nominees ever. With the exception of "Saturday Night Live," broadcast shows were shut out of the top awards as 21st-century platforms continued to overshadow traditional network fare like "This Is Us." HBO, which had ceded its top-dog status in total nominations for the first time in 17 years in July (108, to Netflix's 112), ended up in a tie for wins with the streaming service at 23 each. David Benioff and the cast and crew of "Game of Thrones" accept the award for outstanding drama series at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," a freshman sitcom about an unhappy 1950s homemaker liberated by stand-up comedy, earned best actress honors for star Rachel Brosnahan. Her castmate Alex Borstein earned the supporting actress trophy and the series creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino ("Gilmore Girls"), nabbed writing and directing awards. Claire Foy of "The Crown" and Matthew Rhys of "The Americans" won top drama acting Emmys, their first trophies for the roles and last chance to claim them, with Foy's role as Queen Elizabeth II going to another actress and Rhys' show wrapped. The field bested by Foy included last year's winner Elisabeth Moss for "The Handmaid's Tale" and Sandra Oh of "Killing Eve," who would have been the first actor of Asian descent to get a top drama award. "This wasn't supposed to happen," said a startled Foy. She played the young British queen who, as the series continues, will be shown advancing in years. "Game of Thrones," which sat out last year's Emmys because of scheduling, won its third best drama trophy despite competition from defending champ "The Handmaid's Tale." "Thank you for letting us take care of your people," ''Game of Thrones" producer D.B. Weiss said to George R.R. Martin, whose novels and their characters fuel the drama. In a ceremony that started out congratulating TV academy voters for the most historically diverse field of nominees yet, the early awards all went solely to whites. An African-American sweep of guest series actor awards at the recent creative arts Emmys suggested big changes ahead for the awards, which only recently have given significant honors to performers and creators of color. But there was disappointment for "Atlanta," which had claimed acting and directing trophies last year for its star and creator Donald Glover and seemed poised for more with 16 nominations. Rather than become the first black-led comedy in 33 years to be named the best (since "The Cosby Show" in 1985), "Atlanta" was shut out Monday (it won two awards, including guest actor for Katt Williams, last week). The showing by "Mrs. Maisel" extended the long winning streak of shows that focus on white lives, including "Modern Family" and "Friends," with ethnic minorities rarely given screen time. "Let's get it trending: #EmmysSoWhite," presenter James Corden joked at the ceremony's midway point. Then Regina King broke the string, with a best actress win in a limited series or movie for "Seven Seconds," which tracks the fallout from a white police officer's traffic accident involving a black teenager. "I feel like a lot of times we are so divided as a country that things are always black and white. I'm guilty of that a lot of times. I think that probably played into my assumption the chances of me winning was so small," King said backstage. Darren Criss, who is of Filipino descent, won the lead acting award for the miniseries "The Assassination of Gianni Versace," which won best limited series. Black actress Thandie Newton won best supporting drama actress for "Westworld." Peter Dinklage added a third acting trophy to his collection for "Game of Thrones." Brosnahan used her acceptance speech to give a shout-out to her comedy's celebration of women power. "It's about a woman who's finding her voice anew, and it's one of the things that's happening all over the country now," she said. She urged the audience to exercise that power by voting. Bill Hader collected the best comedy actor award for "Barry," a dark comedy about a hired killer who stumbles into a possible acting career. Henry Winkler, aka "The Fonz," won a supporting actor award - his first Emmy - for "Barry," four decades after gaining fame for his role in "Happy Days." "If you stay at the table long enough, the chips come to you. Tonight, I got to clear the table," an ebullient Winkler said, with an equally delighted auditorium audience rising to give him a standing ovation. To his grown children, he said: "You can go to bed now, daddy won!" The biggest award won by a broadcast network was "Saturday Night Live" for best variety sketch series. The Emmys had a real-life dramatic moment when winning director Glenn Weiss, noting his mother had died two weeks ago, proposed to his girlfriend , Jan Svendsen. "You wonder why I don't want to call you my girlfriend? It's because I want to call you my wife," Weiss said. She said yes, he put his mother's ring on her finger and the crowd whooped and cheered. John Oliver, in picking up the trophy for best variety talk show award for "Last Week Tonight," thanked Weiss' girlfriend for giving the right answer or, he joked, the whole ceremony could have gone south. The Emmys kicked off with a song, "We Solved It," a self-mocking celebration to the diversity of nominees sung by stars including Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson. The tune included a mention of Oh's possible victory: "There were none, now there's one, so we're done," the comedians sang. Oh played along from her seat: "Thank you, but it's an honor just to be Asian," said the Korean-Canadian actress. "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels, producing his second Emmy telecast in 30 years, was tasked with turning viewership around after the 2017 show's audience of 11.4 million narrowly avoided the embarrassment of setting a new low. The ceremony clearly bore his stamp, with Michael Che and Colin Jost as hosts and familiar "SNL" faces, including Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin, as presenters and nominees. The long-running NBC sketch show, already the top Emmy winner ever with 71, won again for best variety sketch series. The pressure was on Michaels because NBC and other broadcasters are increasingly reliant on awards and other live events to draw viewers distracted by online options. The networks, which air the Emmy telecast on a rotating basis, are so eager for the ad dollars it generates and its promotional value for fall shows that they endure online competitors sharing - and dominating - the stage. ___ AP Writers Jonathan Landrum Jr. and Mike Cidoni Lennox in Los Angeles and Leanne Italie in New York contributed to this report. ___ Online: http://emmys.com ___ Lynn Elber can be reached at lelber@ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber . Amy Sherman-Palladino, front and center left, Daniel Palladino and the cast and crew of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" accept the award for outstanding comedy series at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Rachel Brosnahan winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" poses in the press room at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Claire Foy accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "The Crown" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Matthew Rhys accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "The Americans" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Amy Sherman-Palladino accepts the award for outstanding writing for a comedy series for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Hosts Colin Jost, left, and Michael Che speak at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Throwing a lifeline to a city surrounded by floodwaters, emergency crews delivered food and water to Wilmington on Monday as rescuers picked up more people stranded by Hurricane Florence and the storm's remnants took aim at the densely populated Northeast. The death toll from Florence rose to at least 32, and crews elsewhere used helicopters and boats to rescue people trapped by still-rising rivers. "Thank you," a frazzled, shirtless Willie Schubert mouthed to members of a Coast Guard helicopter crew who plucked him and his dog Lucky from atop a house encircled by water in Pollocksville. It was not clear how long he had been stranded. An unidentified family member carries Ruth Brady to safety at the Wilmington airport in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Brady was one of several family members rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter crew north of Wilmington. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A day earlier, Wilmington's entire population of 120,000 people was cut off by flooding. By midday Monday, authorities reopened a single unidentified road into the town, which stands on a peninsula. But it wasn't clear if that the route would remain open as the Cape Fear River kept swelling. And officials did not say when other roads might be clear. In some places, the rain finally stopped, and the sun peeked through, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that dangerously high water would persist for days. He urged residents who were evacuated from the hardest-hit areas to stay away because of closed roads and catastrophic flooding that submerged entire communities. "There's too much going on," he told a news conference. About two dozen truckloads of military MREs and bottled water were delivered overnight to Wilmington, the state's eighth-largest city, officials said. The chairman of New Hanover County's commissioners, Woody White, said three centers would open by Tuesday morning to begin distributing essentials to residents. "Things are getting better slowly, and we thank God for that," White said. Mayor Bill Saffo said he was working with the governor's office to get more fuel into Wilmington. "At this time, things are moving as well as can be in the city," he said. Crews have conducted about 700 rescues in New Hanover County, where more than 60 percent of homes and businesses were without power, authorities said. Compounding problems, downed power lines and broken trees crisscrossed many roads in Wilmington three days after Florence made landfall. The smell of broken pine trees wafted through damaged neighborhoods. At the White House, President Donald Trump said almost 20,000 military personnel and federal workers were deployed to help with the aftermath. "We will do whatever it takes to keep the American people safe," Trump said. Preliminary statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed Florence had the fourth-highest rainfall total of any hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1950, with 35.94 inches (91.2 centimeters) at Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Harvey's total of 60.58 inches (60.5 centimeters) last year in Texas is No. 1. Desperate for gas to run a generator at home, Nick Monroe waited in a half-mile-long (more than half-kilometer) line at a Speedway station even though the pumps were wrapped in plastic. His power went off Thursday before Florence hit the coast, but he couldn't recall exactly when. "It's all kind of a blur," Monroe said. At another gas station, a long line of vehicles followed a tanker truck that pulled in with 8,800 gallons (33,000 liters) of fuel. Downgraded from a tropical depression, the deadly storm still had abundant rain and top winds around 25 mph (35 kph). Forecasters said it was expected to continue toward the Northeast, which is in for as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain, before the system moves offshore again. The death toll climbed to 32, with 25 fatalities in North Carolina, as authorities found the body of a 1-year-old boy who was swept away after his mother drove into floodwaters and lost her grip on him while trying to get back to dry land. Elsewhere in North Carolina, an 88-year-old man died after his car was swept away. Authorities in Virginia said one person was dead after an apparent tornado. Flooding worries also increased in Virginia, where roads were closed and power outages were on the rise. In all, about 420,000 homes and businesses in three states were in the dark. Most of the outages were in North Carolina. Florence, once a fearsome Category 4 hurricane, was still massive. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states. Fears of what could be the worst flooding in the state's history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, though it was not clear how many had fled or even could. Emergency officials had difficulty keeping up with the scope of the spreading disaster. In Lumberton, where the Lumber River inundated homes, Fire Chief John Paul Ivey couldn't even count how many calls authorities had received about people needing to be rescued. "We've been going so hard and fast we don't have a number yet," he said. ___ Waggoner reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press photographer Steve Helber in Pollocksville, North Carolina, and AP writers Jonathan Drew in Lumberton, North Carolina; Gary Robertson in Raleigh; and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Follow Martha Waggoner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes . A man waits in a long line waiting for gas to arrive at a station near Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence has cut off areas around Wilmington, N.C., forcing people to stand in long lines for fuel, food and other supplies. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) FILE- In this Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, file photo flooded vehicles sit on a closed section of Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., where the Lumber river overflowed following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding, but local authorities say people shouldn't rely on them. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File) Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., right, shakes the hand of U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Samuel Knoeppel, left, as flight mechanic, David Franklin, second from left, and swimmer Randy Haba, second from right, stow their gear after Schubert was rescued off a stranded van in Pollocksville on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A tow truck splashes through standing water along a closed section of Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Samuel Knoeppel, center, and Randy Haba, bottom right, approach to Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., on a stranded van in Pollocksville on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Water rushes just underneath a bridge in Lumberton, N.C., in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A National Guard vehicle drives past a truck washed off the roadway from floodwaters in Dillon, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Tombstones sit submerged in floodwaters from Hurricane Florence, in a cemetery in Marion, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Willie Delong, of Holly Ridge, N.C., fills gas cans at a convenience store in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Delong traveled over an hour to get gas for generators for three families. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Homes and a power station are surrounded by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Newport, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Floodwaters surround homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Newport, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team check on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Residents walk through a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A funnel cloud hangs over the Richmond, Va., skyline, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) A resident stands on her pier looking out onto the rising Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Residents are evacuating as the river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Damage from an apparent tornado is seen at St. John Furniture, on Hull Street, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Chesterfield, Va. (Dean Hoffmeyer/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) William Larymore, left, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, partially visible behind, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, back to a pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) William Larymore, right, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, onto the pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Flooded rivers from Florence's drenching rains have swamped coal ash dumps and low-lying hog farms, raising pollution concerns as the swollen waterways approach their crests Monday. North Carolina environmental regulators say several open-air manure pits at hog farms have failed, spilling pollution. State officials also were monitoring the breach of a Duke Energy coal ash landfill near Wilmington. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan said Monday that the earthen dam at one hog lagoon in Duplin County had been breached. There were also seven reports of lagoon levels going over their tops or being inundated in Jones and Pender counties. A hog farm is inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Regan said state investigators will visit the sites as conditions allow. The large pits at hog farms hold feces and urine from the animals to be sprayed on nearby fields. The Associated Press published photos of a hog farm outside Trenton on Sunday with long metal buildings ringed by dark water. Satellite photos of the same farm taken before the storm show the location of a hog waste pit completely submerged under floodwaters in the AP photos. The N.C. Pork Council, an industry trade group, emphasized Monday that the hog waste pits flooded by Florence represented a comparatively small number when compared with the total number statewide. "While there are more than 3,000 active lagoons in the state that have been unaffected by the storm, we remain concerned about the potential impact of these record-shattering floods," the pork council's statement said. An AP analysis of location data from hog waste disposal permits shows at least 45 active North Carolina farms are located in 100-year and 500-year floodplains.ook Federal forecasters predicted several rivers would crest at record or near-record levels by Monday, and high water could linger for days. Duke Energy said the flow was stopped Monday from the weekend collapse a coal ash landfill at the L.V. Sutton Power Station near Wilmington, North Carolina, and that cleanup work had begun. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said a full assessment of how much ash escaped from the water-slogged landfill is ongoing. The company initially estimated Saturday that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced, enough to fill about 180 dump trucks. The coal-fired Sutton plant was retired in 2013 and replaced with a new facility that burns natural gas. The company has been excavating millions of tons of leftover ash from old waste pits at the site and removing it to a new lined landfill constructed on the property. The gray ash left behind when coal is burned contains toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, lead and mercury. Photos from the site provided to AP by Cape Fear River Watch, an environmental advocacy group, show cascades of gray-colored water spilling from at least two breaches at the landfill and flowing toward Sutton Lake, the plant's former cooling pond which is now used for public recreation, including fishing and boating. Sutton Lake drains into the Cape Fear River. Sheehan said Duke's assessment is that there was minimal chance any contaminants from the spill had reached the river. At a different power plant near Goldsboro, three old coal ash dumps capped with soil were inundated by the Neuse River. Duke said they had no indication that those dumps at the H.F. Lee Power Plant were leaking ash into the river. Duke's handling of ash waste has faced intense scrutiny since a drainage pipe collapsed under a waste pit at an old plant in Eden in 2014, triggering a massive spill that coated 70 miles (110 kilometers) of the Dan River in gray sludge. The utility later agreed to plead guilty to nine Clean Water Act violations and pay $102 million in fines and restitution for illegally discharging pollution from ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. It plans to close all its ash dumps by 2029. Environmentalists have warned for decades that Duke's coal ash ponds were vulnerable to severe storms, potentially threatening drinking water supplies and public safety. "Duke Energy should learn its lesson from this latest coal ash failure, and pledge today that it will remove all its coal ash from dangerous unlined riverfront pits," said Frank Holleman, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. "If Duke Energy's newly-designed and built landfill cannot withstand flood waters, there is even more reason to fear Duke Energy's continued disposal of coal ash in unlined riverfront pits." ___ Associated Press investigative reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington. Data journalist Angeliki Kastanis contributed to this report from Los Angeles. ___ Follow Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 photo. released by Cape Fear River Watch, gray water containing coal ask flows from a ruptured landfill at the L.V. Sutton Power Station in Wilmington, N.C., and flows toward Sutton Lake, near the Cape Fear River. Duke Energy says it's initial estimate is that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the landfill, enough to fill about 180 dump trucks. The photo was taken by Kemp Burdette with the Cape Fear River Watch, an environmental advocacy group. (Kemp Burdette/Cape Fear River Watch via AP) In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 photo. released by Cape Fear River Watch, gray water containing coal ask flows from a ruptured landfill at the L.V. Sutton Power Station in Wilmington, N.C., and flows toward Sutton Lake, near the Cape Fear River. Duke Energy says it's initial estimate is that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the landfill, enough to fill about 180 dump trucks. The photo was taken by Kemp Burdette with the Cape Fear River Watch, an environmental advocacy group. (Kemp Burdette/Cape Fear River Watch via AP) A hog farm is inundated with floodwaters from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) FILE - In this June 23, 2014 file photo, the dried-up bed of an inactive coal ash pond is seen at Duke Energy's Sutton plant in Wilmington, N.C. Duke Energy says heavy rains from Florence have caused a slope to collapse at a coal ash landfill at a closed power station near the North Carolina coast. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Saturday night, Sept. 15, 2018, that about 2,000 cubic yards of ash have been displaced at the L. V. Sutton Power Station outside Wilmington. (Mike Spencer/The Star-News via AP) Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peru's president is facing a standoff with lawmakers over his call for a referendum on anti-corruption measures. In a televised speech Sunday night, President Martin Vizcarra ordered the opposition-dominated congress to hold a special session Wednesday to debate his proposal. If they block it in a no-confidence vote, Vizcarra will then be empowered by Peru's constitution to dissolve congress, something he has already threatened. In this photo provided by the Peruvian government, Peru's President Martin Vizcarra speaks during a national message at the government palace in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Vizcarra called to the Congress approve his proposals on Wednesday seeking to be submitted to a referendum in December to reform the political and judicial system, which if denied by Parliament could give way to the president closing the Congress. (Andres Valle/Andina News Agency via AP) Peru's congress was last closed in 1992 during the authoritarian rule of Alberto Fujimori. But polls suggest they are rallying behind Vizcarra's campaign to clean up politics following the leak of several videos showing judges negotiating bribes with politicians to settle cases. Vizcarra took over as president in March after Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned amid a vote-buying scandal. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Taliban launched multiple attacks on Afghan checkpoints as well as police and military bases in different parts of the country, killing at least 27 members of the security forces, Afghan officials said Monday. The attacks and the high casualty toll underscore the difficulties Afghan forces face in trying to secure the country on their own. The Afghan forces have struggled to combat both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate since the U.S. and NATO formally ended their combat mission in the country in 2014. In western Farah province, attacks began on Sunday night and killed at least 17 members of the security forces. Fared Bakhtawer, head of the provincial council, said the Taliban attacked police checkpoints across the province and around the provincial capital. A group of Taliban fighters first targeted checkpoints in the district of Push Rod, where 10 policemen died. Another attack struck in Bala Buluk district, where seven were killed and at least three others were abducted by the insurgents. Separately, also in Bala Buluk, six policemen surrendered to the Taliban after an intense battle. There were also attacks elsewhere in Farah but Bakhtawer couldn't provide any casualty figures, pending more detailed reports. In northwestern Badghis province, five officers were killed, including Abdul Hakim, the police commander of a reserve unit, in an attack that took place on Monday morning near the provincial capital of Qala-i-Now. Jamshid Shahabi, spokesman for the Badghis governor, said around 22 Taliban fighters were killed and 16 others were wounded during the gunbattle there. In northern Baghlan province, the Taliban on Monday attacked a joint army and police base, killing three army and two police officers, said Gen. Ekramuddin Serih, the provincial police chief. Four other members of the security forces were wounded in the attack, which took place in the Baghlani Markazi district, he said. "The base is under the control of the Afghan security forces now and reinforcements have also been sent to the district," he said. The police chief added that at least 20 Taliban were killed and wounded in the fighting. Taliban spokesman Qari Yusouf Ahmadi said the Taliban were claiming responsibility for the attacks in Farah. Separately, the insurgents also claimed the attack in Badghis. The Taliban have a strong presence in all three provinces and often attack on Afghan security forces there. WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly two years out of the White House, former President Barack Obama is facing another political test. To the delight of many Democrats, he's stepped back into the fray that former presidents often try to avoid, campaigning for Democratic candidates ahead of the midterms and blasting the political culture of the Trump era. He attracted a large, adoring crowd this past week in Ohio and will be in Pennsylvania on Friday campaigning for Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. But Obama's return poses challenges for both the former president and his party. For one, Obama has struggled to turn admiration for him into votes when he's not on the ballot. Democrats lost significant ground in the 2010 and 2014 midterms and his enthusiastic campaigning for Hillary Clinton didn't carry her across the finish line in 2016. Perhaps more importantly, Obama's public re-entry into politics could serve as a motivating factor for Republicans, potentially handing the GOP a gift at a time when they face an uphill battle to maintain their grip on Congress. FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2018, photo, former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray in Cleveland. Another political test in the coming week for Obama as the former president tries to boost Democratic candidates and party enthusiasm without also motivating President Donald Trump's supporters as the November elections near. (AP Photo/David Dermer) "This is perfect for us," said Rep. Lou Barletta, the Republican challenging Casey for the Senate seat. "It will energize Republicans as a reminder." The former president will also "energize those blue-collar Democrats who worried about their jobs under Obama and went out to vote for Donald Trump," Barletta added. For their part, Democrats say an Obama visit is a huge boon. Massive crowds give candidates and the party a chance to organize, update contact lists, motivate new donors and boost volunteerism. Michael Halle, the campaign manager for Richard Cordray, the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio, said Obama's visit sent a message about the stakes of the race, which could have implications for redistricting and voting rights in the future. "First and foremost, it's important for the people who live in Ohio," he said. "But secondly, there are also significant national implications, and I think the (former) president weighed those in making the decision." An aide to the former president said Obama is aware that he does not have a strong record of aiding Democrats in midterm elections and that his presence can have the effect of galvanizing Republican voters. The aide said Obama would take a strategic approach to the midterm races and pointed to the light footprint that the former president kept earlier in his post-presidency. That's when he recorded a get-out-the-vote robocall for Democrat Doug Jones, rather than travel to Alabama to appear with Jones ahead of his upset Senate victory. The aide cast the decision as an example of how Obama could still lend his voice in a part of the country where he is less popular. The aide lacked authorization to discuss publicly Obama's thinking and spoke on condition of anonymity. Scott Mulhauser, who served as Vice President Joe Biden's deputy chief of staff during the 2012 election, said Obama left office as the "most admired man in the country, and his popularity has only increased since." "Part of his success is being strategic in his approach to campaigning - coordinating with campaigns to maximize his impact and minimize any blowback, stumping where it makes sense and avoiding where it doesn't," Mulhauser said, noting Obama's role in the Jones campaign. "He's rightfully out on the trail for certain campaigns, taking a pass on others and recording calls and sending emails on behalf of those that want to use him and his popularity in a targeted manner." In Pennsylvania, Obama returns to a state he carried twice but that swung to Trump in 2016. The state features critical contests for Congress and governor. Rep. Dwight Evans of Philadelphia, where Obama will campaign, said that the former president's presence will be important for his ability to motivate African-American voters, college-aged voters and the poor. "I think that he can help Democrats, and I think it needs to be really targeted," Evans said. Both African-Americans and college-age voters were crucial to Obama's victories in 2008 and 2012, and because Obama was the first black president, Evans said, "he can say some things to the African-American community that cannot be said by anybody else." While in Philadelphia, Obama will fundraise for Senate Democrats in general and in particular, Casey, who was among Obama's earliest Senate backers when he sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. While Obama's full schedule is taking shape, aides say he is weighing how to best engage on behalf of Democratic candidates across the nation. Earlier this year, he endorsed more than 80 Democrats across more than a dozen states, and aides say a second wave of endorsements is expected this fall. Brenda Boots, 42, who attended the Ohio rally, said Obama is a welcome presence and hoped he would inject the governor's race with new life. "How could he hurt?" she asked. "I don't think he could hurt." ___ Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Cleveland contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of foster children may be getting powerful psychiatric drugs prescribed to them without basic safeguards, says a federal watchdog agency that found a failure to care for youngsters whose lives have already been disrupted. A report released Monday by the Health and Human Services inspector general's office found that about 1 in 3 foster kids from a sample of states were prescribed psychiatric drugs without treatment plans or follow-up, standard steps in sound medical care. Kids getting mood-altering drugs they don't need is only part of the problem. Investigators also said children who need medication to help them function at school or get along in social settings may be going untreated. FILE - In this March 21, 2006 file photo, pills move through a precision weighing machine at a pharmaceutical manufacturers trade show in New York. A federal watchdog agency says thousands of foster children may be getting powerful psychiatric drugs prescribed to them without required safeguards. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) The drugs include medications for attention deficit disorder, anxiety, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Foster kids are much more likely to get psychiatric drugs than children overall. "We are worried about the gap in compliance because it has an immediate, real-world impact on children's lives," said Ann Maxwell, an assistant inspector general. Among the situations investigators encountered was the case of a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with ADHD, learning and speech disorders, outbursts of temper and defiance, and hair-pulling disorder. He had been put on four psychiatric drugs. But a medication review questioned the need for some of the medications. Of the four, two were discontinued and one was reduced in dosage, investigators said. Two different medications were then prescribed. Investigators found no evidence that a treatment plan for the boy had been developed in the first place, before starting him on medication. In another case, an 11-year-old boy had been put on two medications after being diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and behavior problems. But over a three-month period his foster mother had problems getting prescription refills. By the fourth month, the boy's life was out of control. His decline included stealing, lying, bullying and an in-school suspension. Investigators found there was no requirement in that state for case workers to follow up with foster parents about medications. The lack of effective follow-up contributed to the boy's downward spiral. "These children are at greater risk of not getting the medications they need, but equally important, they are at risk of getting powerful medications that they do not need," Maxwell said. The inspector general is recommending that the HHS Administration for Children and Families develop a strategy to help states meet their existing requirements for prescribing psychiatric drugs to foster children, and to generally raise standards for case-by-case oversight. In a formal response to the report the children's agency said it may need additional legal authority. The agency also said it is committed to making sure foster children get psychiatric medications only when medically appropriate. Officials noted that the inspector general's findings covered just five states. Foster children come into the mental health system with added complications. Their most basic connections in life have been stressed or severed. They may have suffered neglect or abandonment. They may have witnessed or been a victim of abusive behavior or violence. A 2010 study from the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute found that estimated rates of psychiatric drug use among youth in foster care are much higher (13 percent to 52 percent) than among youth overall (4 percent). Compounding the challenge for foster children is the fact that responsibility for their well-being is often divided among foster parents, birth parents, relatives and case workers. That can increase chances for miscommunication and conflict, not to mention everyday problems going unaddressed until they escalate. Caring for foster kids is a shared responsibility of state, local and federal agencies. The federal government provides grants to state programs and also covers health care for foster children through Medicaid, which spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on psychiatric drugs. Nationally, it's been estimated that about 120,000 children in foster care take at least one such medication. The inspector general scrutinized a sample of 125 cases from each of five states with the highest overall percentages of foster children treated with psychiatric drugs. Those states were Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Virginia. The cases covered the period from October 2014 through March 2015. Investigators looked at each state's compliance with its own particular requirements for treatment planning and follow-up. Maxwell said the finding that 34 percent of children did not have either treatment plans or follow-up monitoring translates to about 4,500 children in the five states examined. She said the national number would certainly be higher but the design of the inspector general's review did not allow for a simple extrapolation. Even among the five states cited there were wide differences. ___ Online: Inspector general's report: https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-07-15-00380.pdf MIAMI (AP) - The forecast for Florence has not changed, unfortunately: It's still raining, and rivers are still rising. All but one road in and out of a North Carolina city of 120,000 people are underwater or blocked by debris. Residents of inland communities who thought they were safe from the storm have to find high ground because of expected flooding. When the sun finally comes out later this week, it's going to take a long time to dry out. BY THE NUMBERS -Storm deaths: Florence is being blamed for at least 32 deaths in the Carolinas and Virginia, while Typhoon Mangkhut has killed at least 69 people in the Philippines and China. Coast Guard Road leading to the south end of Emerald Isle is seen after Hurricane Florence hit Emerald Isle, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) -Heavy rains: Nearly 34 inches (86 centimeters) of rain fell from Thursday through Sunday in Swansboro, on the North Carolina coast, according to the National Weather Service -In the dark: About 400,000 outages, mostly in North Carolina -Damage estimates: $17 billion to $22 billion in lost economic output and property damage, according to economists at Moody's Analytics -Evacuations: Tens of thousands ordered out of communities along North Carolina's steadily rising rivers, while over 2.4 million people in southern China's Guangdong province were warned to escape Mangkhut -To the rescue: Over 1,000 search-and-rescue personnel with 36 helicopters and over 200 boats were working in North Carolina, and the Defense Department assigned 13,500 military personnel to help relief efforts -Safe now: North Carolina's governor says 2,600 people and 300 animals have been moved to safety as of mid-day Monday -Blocked: 1,200 North Carolina roads closed, including 357 primary roads -Grounded: about 200 U.S. flights canceled Monday, down sharply from the 3,500 canceled from Wednesday through Sunday -Washed out: 2 U.S. government river monitoring gauges stopped transmitting after waters reached 21.5 feet (6.5 meters) and 24.2 feet (7 meters), and more gauges were expected to fail as rivers continued rising IMAGES FROM THE GROUND Images captured by Associated Press journalists show flooding caused by Florence in the Carolinas and Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines . POWERFUL MANGKHUT About 50 poor miners and their families sought refuge from Typhoon Mangkhut in a chapel, but it appears unlikely that any survivors will be pulled from the shelter that ended up buried by a landslide . Mangkhut weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it moved deeper into southern China on Monday. FLORENCE'S VICTIMS A 3-month-old baby boy whose North Carolina mobile home was split by a falling pine tree is among at least 32 deaths linked to Florence. Authorities also have recovered the body of 1-year-old North Carolina boy who was swept from his mother's arms by floodwaters. And authorities near Richmond, Virginia, said one person died after an apparent tornado touched down there as remnants of Florence headed northward. WATCHING THE WATER Florence has taken a deceptive turn: Violent winds that rattled shingles off houses and tore down trees subsided and the pounding rain slowed to a pour, lulling many in its path into believing they've already weathered the worst of it. Authorities in Fayetteville, North Carolina, using bullhorns to try to rouse people from their complacency, are finding some storm-weary residents just don't want to leave in spite of rising risks of devastating flooding. TOXIC SITES The Carolinas' swollen rivers have swamped coal ash dumps and low-lying hog farms . North Carolina environmental regulators say several open-air manure pits at hog farms have failed, spilling pollution. DAM HAZARDS Something else to worry about: some dams might not be able to hold up under the strain of the devastating flooding in North Carolina. According to data obtained by The Associated Press, the state has 1,445 dams rated high hazard, and 185 of those structures had conditions of poor or unsatisfactory during recent inspections. WAFFLE HOUSE INDEX Some good news: Waffle House is open ! CEO Walt Ehmer says the restaurant chain that's famous for staying open in spite of natural disasters is sending workers and food into Wilmington, North Carolina, which was cut off by Florence's floodwaters. STORM STORIES When evacuating flooded areas , don't rely on GPS to get you around high waters. That's the lesson learned by one North Carolina motorist who wanted to drive to Florida to escape Florence's devastation but instead got steered into flooding that closed a stretch of Interstate 95. He was left stranded and wondering when his insurance company might be able to send roadside assistance. DEATH TOLL DEBATES It could be months before the number of fatalities caused by Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut to be fully known, and it's common for these kinds of tallies to sharply escalate as officials take account of the deaths indirectly caused by a storm. Disaster experts say it's often difficult to quickly confirm hurricane-related fatalities because of the vast regions storms can affect. STILL TALKING ABOUT MARIA While dealing with Florence in the Carolinas, the Trump administration's disaster relief chief found himself talking on Sunday news shows about the death toll in Puerto Rico from last year's Hurricane Maria, which President Donald Trump loudly disputed on Twitter. Brock Long of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said "the numbers are all over the place" and "there's just too much blame going around." ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes Rescue workers recover the body of a 1-year-old in Union County on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 after the child was swept away in floodwaters resulting from the remnants of Hurricane Florence on Sunday. (David T. Foster III/The Charlotte Observer via AP) Rescue workers stage their equipment for the search for a a 1-year-old in Union County on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, after the child was swept away in floodwaters resulting from the remnants of Hurricane Florence on Sunday. The child's body was later recovered. (David T. Foster III/The Charlotte Observer via AP) A National Guard vehicle drives past a truck washed off the roadway from floodwaters in Dillon, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Gerald Generette, left, and Maurice Miller look onto the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) The Coast Guard helps Julie Lamb out of a boat with her infant children after a water rescue on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Lumberton, NC. (AP Photo/Jonathan Drew) Gerald Generette, right, and Maurice Miller look onto the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A group of local fishermen keep an eye on the Cape Fear River as they stage for potential water rescues while additional flooding remains a threat from Florence, in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday condemned Russia's efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Skopje that there is "no doubt" that Moscow has been funding pro-Russian groups to defeat the referendum on a name change later this month. "They have transferred money, and they're also conducting broader influence campaigns," Mattis said. "We ought to leave the Macedonian people to make up their own minds." U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, left, shakes hands with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, right, during their meeting at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) Macedonians will vote Sept. 30 on whether to approve the name North Macedonia in an effort to placate Greece, which has for years blocked Macedonia's path to NATO and the European Union. But any progress toward NATO membership by the Balkan nation is strongly opposed by Russia, which doesn't want the alliance to expand to areas formerly under Moscow's influence. Mattis, speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, made no mention of Russia but announced that the U.S. plans to expand its cybersecurity cooperation with Macedonia "to thwart malicious cyber activity that threatens our democracies." Zaev predicted that Macedonians will vote in favor of the name change and thus the move into NATO. "There is no other alternative for the Republic of Macedonia than the integration into NATO and the EU," he said. Speaking later Monday at another event, Zaev said he had "no evidence for Russia's influence" in Macedonia. He said Russia has no objections for Macedonia's integration into the EU, but it's "openly against our integration in NATO." Macedonia's main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party repeated its position that "the agreement with Greece is the worst deal signed in the Macedonia's history." A pro-Russian small oppositional party, Unique Macedonia, strongly criticized Mattis' remarks on Moscow's efforts to use money to influence the opposition to defeat the referendum. Mattis is the latest in a string of international leaders visiting Macedonia to voice support for the referendum, and he's the most senior U.S. official to visit. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz have visited and made public endorsements of the name change, saying it's critical in order for the country to join NATO after years of waiting. Mattis said he and other NATO allies "say right up front in open press what we think." "We're not passing money to people behind the scenes," he said. "We're not putting together parties that we control or try to control." Russia has already been called out for trying to influence the vote. In July, Greece expelled two Russian diplomats accused of supplying funds to protest groups opposing the name change deal. Russia denounced the expulsions as unjustified. Greece, a member of NATO, has for years vetoed attempts by Macedonia to join NATO, complaining about the country's name since Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s. Greece argues the name implies a territorial claim against the northern Greek region of Macedonia and its ancient heritage. NATO leaders in July formally invited Macedonia to begin membership talks on the condition it wouldn't become effective until the name change was implemented. But there's widespread concern about Russian impact on the vote. "There is this influence campaign to try to buy off people and try to support pro-Russian organizations," said Laura Cooper, the U.S. deputy assistant defense secretary for Russia and the region. She said she couldn't give specifics about the payoffs but said the U.S. is aware of financial support Moscow has given to pro-Russian people and groups working to undermine the referendum. Evelyn Farkas, an expert on the region who is a fellow with the Atlantic Council and a former Defense Department adviser, said Mattis' visit to the tiny nation could help sow support for the name change. "I think Mattis could make or break this thing by delivering a strong message to the opposition, which has been grudgingly quiet, that they need to come out in full-throated support, because they're not going to get another chance later," Farkas said. "He can tell them this is their last chance." According to Cooper, the U.S. has given Macedonia about $5 million in security assistance annually since 1991, and the total U.S. aid since then has been about $750 million. Mattis also met with Macedonia President Gjorge Ivanov and Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska. Ivanov, in a statement, said Macedonia's "strategic interest and the highest goal remains accession" to NATO and the European Union, which he said would contribute to prosperity for the region. The referendum vote is non-binding, and polls indicate Macedonians will likely back the deal. But even if the turnout is below the required 50 percent, if most of the people vote "yes" it will give parliament and the government a mandate to proceed. The agreement with Greece was signed in June and requires changes to the Macedonian Constitution. The final step for NATO admission is ratification by Greece's parliament, which would vote only after Macedonia completes all necessary procedures. ___ Associated Press writer Konstantin Testorides in Skopje contributed to this report. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis talks to the media in the presence of Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev following their meeting at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, left, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, right and Macedonian Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska, center, shake hands while posing for the media, after their meeting at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, left, looks at Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, right, during a press conference following their meeting at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis walks past an honor guard squad during a welcome ceremony upon his arrival at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, left, and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, top right, observe the national anthems during a welcome ceremony at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, center, accompanied by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, left, walk past an honor guard, upon his arrival at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, left, talks to the media in presence of Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, right, following their meeting at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday and condemned Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis talks to the media in presence of Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev following their meeting at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, center, is welcomed by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, right, upon his arrival at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, center left, and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, center right, observe the national anthems during a welcome ceremony at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, center, accompanied by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, right, walks past an honor guard squad upon his arrival at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. UMattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, is welcomed by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, left, upon his arrival at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, accompanied by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, left, walks past an honor guard squad upon his arrival at the government building in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) Theres a strong and growing demand for schools to provide instruction across grade levels and subjects that leads to students who are bilingual and biliterate. In this second installment on the growth in dual-language learning, one expert advises schools to take a year to plan a new program and to commit to a multi-year endeavor to teach students to read, write, and speak fluently in two languages. Education Week has talked with several regional and national dual-language education experts, who offer insights into what it takes to launch dual-language programs and strengthen existing ones. If you havent already, read our explainer on dual-language learning before you dive into our conversation with Rosa Molina, the executive director of the Association for Two-Way & Dual-Language Education, which provides technical assistance and professional development to two-way immersion programs in California and the Western region of the United States. Molina previously served as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Ravenswood City schools in East Palo Alto, Calif., from 2009 to 2011, and spent 25 years working in a variety of roles in the San Jose Unified schools. Education Week edited the questions and responses for clarity and length. Question: How long does it take to start dual-language program, if done properly? Answer: A years planning is really optimum. So that you can put certain elements in place and we highly suggest to programs that they select their school and then survey the incoming kindergarten and preschool parents to see what their interest is. Its a multi-year endeavor for their children so parents have to be very well grounded and informed about what these programs are and how long it takes for students to reach the goal set out by the program. When you dont have interest, then you wait until you do get interest because you need to have what we call linguistically balanced classrooms, in order for the programs to be effective. Q: How do you maintain a good balance of native speakers of the target language, as well as the native English-speakers? A: In [many] districts in this country, we have these demographics, where you have children who are speakers of other languages and English speakers who are interested in learning a second language. And when you can develop a program where you combine these children in this setting, it requires parents to be very knowledgeable about what that means ... an eight- to nine-year commitment to ensuring that the kids become fluent in both languages. And its not even fluency that were going for, were going for literacy. Literacy in two languages, so reading and writing, speaking and receptive language. If it was just teaching children to speak, we could probably do that within the scope of three years. But its the reading and writing process that takes time and so were looking for grade-level proficiency in both languages over the course of their K-8 experience. Were starting early enough where children see this as just an integral part of their school. There isnt the resistance that we see when we start with students at a middle school, for example, [or] at the high school and theyre very peer conscious. And pronunciation really matters to them and theyre not using it as much and its really only an hour a day. This is a very different process and a very different concept. Q: Are more school districts looking to expand dual-language programs into their middle schools and high schools? A: We suggest, from the beginning stages of implementation, that the programs design themselves to be a K-12 endeavor because we cant just put an elementary program in place and then not have that middle school program developed, since the students go into middle school with a 6th-grade level of another language and they should be allowed to take it further. Our goal is that students can move into high school at the highest level of language proficiency and that they can then end up taking Advanced Placement as 9th graders and then have other options that open up their schedule to a third language or courses for special courses, like legal and medical translation courses or internships. Were working with many districts as theyre working through the middle school and high school [program development]. You blink and five years passed and those kids (heading into middle school) are ready for something else. You just cant move them into middle school and put them into Spanish I. Theyre so far beyond that. They dont fit in the regular world language structure. Photo: Kindergarten teacher Priscilla Joseph works with students starting their second year enrolled in the Toussaint LOuverture Academy, a Haitian Creole dual-language program at Mattahunt Elementary School in Boston. --Gretchen Ertl for Education Week Related Reading on Dual-Language Learning Dual-Language Learning: 6 Key Insights for Schools Will Every State Offer Special Recognition for Its Bilingual Graduates? Dual-Language Programs Boost Student Achievement in English, Study Finds The various bus types and officials at the unveiling. Saudi Arabias Arriyadh Development Authority has unveiled the buses that will form the bus network of the Riyadh Public Transport Network. This follows a meeting of the High Committee of King Abdul Aziz Public Transit Project chaired by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdul Aziz, the chairman of the Council of the Arriyadh Development Authority. The first few buses are undergoing testing, and more vehicles are being delivered. Bus services will commence later in 2019, a statement said. In total, the initial Riyadh bus system will operate with 842 buses. The vehicles specifications are as follows: MAN -Lions City 10.5m length; 65 passengers capacity; 2 doors; and fleet size - 242; Mercedes - Citaro - 12m length; 70 passengers capacity; 3 doors; and fleet size - 179; and Mercedes - Citaro G - 18m length; 110 passengers capacity; 4 doors; and fleet size 421. The buses have air conditioning which has been specially modified to operate with the extreme heat of the Riyadh summer. The buses meet Euro 5 emission standards and offer on-board free wifi for customers. All buses are fully wheelchair accessible and incorporate air suspension for a smooth ride. In addition, interior and exterior design complements the design of the Metro trains. The bus network is comprehensive with 2,860 bus stations and stops. Facilities at stops and stations vary according to usage with four different types of bus shelters. A replica of one of the air-conditioned bus shelters can be seen by visitors to the Riyadh Public Transit Visitor Center. Three different types of bus route will be operated: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fully segregated bus routes - three lines covering 103 km route length; Community lines 19 lines covering 910 km route length; and Feeder lines primarily to link local communities to the Metro 58 lines covering 892 km route length. Deployment of bus infrastructure (stops and shelters) is being done in parallel with BRT construction and is ongoing at 650 sites across Riyadh, the statement said. The bus system will be closely integrated with the Riyadh Metro, enabling citizens to travel quickly, safely and cheaply across the city. This will improve connectivity between residential, commercial and industrial parts of Riyadh, it said. - TradeArabia News Service BEIJING (AP) - One of China's most prominent figures in global finance says Beijing should press Washington to end their tariff battle by clamping down on exports of goods needed by American companies, according to news reports Monday. The comments by Lou Jiwei, a former finance minister and chairman of China's sovereign wealth fund, follow reports regulators are squeezing American companies by slowing down customs approvals and stepping up environmental and other inspections. Also Monday, an official newspaper called for more aggressive measures to "make American pain worse" following tariff hikes by both sides on $50 billion of each other's goods. In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, photo, an American flag is displayed together with Chinese flags on top of a trishaw in Beijing. Chinese news reports have quoted a former finance minister as saying Beijing can disrupt American companies' operations by imposing "export controls" if it needs more leverage in its mounting tariff dispute with Washington. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Beijing is considering Washington's invitation last week to revive talks on their fight over Chinese technology policy and plans for state-led development of global champions in robotics and other fields. American officials say those violate Beijing's market-opening commitments and worry they might erode U.S. industrial leadership. Speaking Sunday at an economics forum, Lou said Beijing should disrupt supply chains of American companies that rely on China's vast manufacturing industries, the website Sina.com reported. China's "counterattack strategy needs to restrict exports to the United States as well as (imports of) U.S. goods," Lou was paraphrased as saying. "Only knowing the pain of fighting will stop the war and cause (the United States) to negotiate seriously," said Lou. Lou was finance minister through 2016 and serves as chairman of China's 1.9 trillion yuan ($290 billion) National Social Security Fund, which manages assets of government pension plans. He is a former chairman of China's sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corp. The Chinese government said last week it welcomed Washington's proposal for more talks, though neither side has given any indication it is willing to compromise. Communist leaders see their industry plans as a path to prosperity and global influence. China wants talks based on "mutual trust," said a foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang. He didn't answer directly when asked whether Beijing would back out if U.S. President Donald Trump goes ahead with a proposed tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese goods. If an increase goes ahead, "China will have to take necessary countermeasures," said Geng at a regular daily briefing. Chinese authorities have yet to confirm what steps aside from retaliatory tariffs they might take. But they have threatened "comprehensive measures" as Beijing runs out of imports for penalties due to its lopsided trade balance with the United States. Other commentators have suggested Beijing use its holdings of U.S. government debt or target American companies in China. The Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party, warned that China sees the technology conflict as a long battle. "China will choose the most favorable and powerful way to counterattack," said the newspaper, which is known for its nationalist and confrontational tone. "We are looking forward to a more beautiful counterattack that will make American pain worse." Sina and other outlets did not indicate whether Lou suggested specific products or industries Beijing might target. Last week, the American Chambers of Commerce in China and in Shanghai reported 52.1 percent of more than 430 companies that responded to a survey said Chinese authorities are subjecting them to "qualitative measures" including slower customs clearance and increased inspections and bureaucratic procedures. ITOGON, Philippines (AP) - Dozens of people believed buried in a landslide unleashed by Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines probably did not survive, a mayor said Monday, although rescuers kept digging through mud and debris covering a chapel where they had taken shelter. Of the 40 to 50 miners and their families believed inside the chapel, there is a "99 percent" chance that they all were killed, said Mayor Victorio Palangdan of Itogon, the Benguet province town that was among the hardest hit by the typhoon that struck Saturday. Mangkhut already is confirmed to have killed 66 people in the Philippines and four in China, where it weakened to a tropical storm as it churned inland Monday. Rescuers retrieve a body they recovered at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Palangdan said rescuers have recovered 11 bodies from the muddy avalanche, which covered a former bunkhouse for the miners that had been turned into a chapel. Dozens of people sought shelter there during the storm despite warnings it was dangerous. "They laughed at our policemen," he said. "They were resisting when our police tried to pull them away. What can we do?" Police and soldiers were among the hundreds of rescuers with shovels and picks searching for the missing along a mountainside as grief-stricken relatives waited nearby, many of them praying quietly. Bodies in black bags were laid side by side. Those identified were carried away by relatives, some using crude bamboo slings. Jonalyn Felipe said she had called her husband, Dennis, a small-scale gold miner in Itogon, and told him to return to their home in northern Quirino province as the powerful typhoon approached Friday. "I was insisting because the storm was strong but he told me not to worry because he said they're safe there," said a weeping Felipe, adding that her husband was last seen chatting with fellow miners in the chapel before it was hit by the collapsing mountainside. She said she screamed after hearing the news about her husband, and their 4-year-old son sensed what had happened and cried too. Palangdan said authorities "will not stop until we recover all the bodies." Itogon resident Roel Ullani helped search for the missing, including several of his cousins and other relatives. "For me, it will just be retrievals," he said. Many of those who sought cover in the two-story building thought it was sturdy but the storm was just too severe, with the avalanche covering it "in just a few seconds," Ullani said. Environmental Secretary Roy Cimatu said the government will deploy soldiers and police to stop illegal mining in six mountainous northern provinces, including Benguet, to prevent such tragedies. Philippine officials say that gold mines tunneled by big mining companies and by unauthorized small miners have made the hillsides unstable and more prone to landslides. Tens of thousands of small-time miners have come in recent years to the mountain provinces from the lowlands and established communities in high-risk areas such as the mountain foothills of Itogon. On Monday, Mangkhut was still affecting southern China's coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, and rain and strong winds were expected to continue through Tuesday. The storm was about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of the city of Nanning in Guangxi region on Monday afternoon, moving in a northwesterly direction and weakening as it progressed. There were no new reports of deaths or serious damage. Life was gradually returning to normal along the hard-hit southern China coast, where high-rise buildings swayed, coastal hotels flooded and windows were blown out. Rail, airline and ferry services were restored and casinos in the gambling enclave of Macau reopened. In Hong Kong, crews cleared fallen trees and other wreckage left from when the financial hub felt the full brunt of the storm Sunday. "This typhoon really was super strong ... but overall, I feel we can say we got through it safely," Carrie Lam, the territory's chief executive, told reporters. The Hong Kong Observatory said Mangkhut was the most powerful storm to hit the city since 1979, packing winds of 195 kph (121 mph). The typhoon struck Asian population centers as Hurricane Florence caused catastrophic flooding in parts of North Carolina in the United States. ___ Associated Press writers Jim Gomez and Cecilia Forbes in Manila contributed to this report. Rescuers carry a body they recovered at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Jonalyn Felipe, center, waits for news of her missing husband with her inlaws near the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. A Philippine mayor said Monday that it's unlikely any of the dozens of people thought buried in a huge landslide set off by Typhoon Mangkhut will be found alive, though rescuers were still digging through the massive mound of mud and debris covering a chapel where they had sheltered. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Jonalyn Felipe waits for news of her missing husband near the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. A Philippine mayor said Monday that it's unlikely any of the dozens of people thought buried in a huge landslide set off by Typhoon Mangkhut will be found alive, though rescuers were still digging through the massive mound of mud and debris covering a chapel where they had sheltered. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) A resident stands beside toppled houses at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Bodies recovered at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers inspect bodies recovered at the site of a landslide from Typhoon Mangkhut in Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) A miner waits for news as the search continues for victims believed to be buried in a landslide caused by Typhoon Mangkhut in Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers continue to search for victims buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers carry a body recovered from a landslide caused by Typhoon Mangkhut in Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers push water along a drainage as operations continue at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) People clean up debris caused by Typhoon Mangkhut outside a housing estate on the waterfront in Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast. The biggest storm of the year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) A big rock, which was blowed by Typhoon Mangkhut is stuck in between the fence on the waterfront of a house estate in Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast. The biggest storm of the year left dozens dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) People walk past fallen trees caused by Typhoon Mangkhut outside a housing estate on the waterfront in Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast. The biggest storm of the year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) A man walks past a fallen tree caused by Typhoon Mangkhut outside a housing estate on the waterfront in Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast. The biggest storm of the year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - Vendors selling everything from car batteries to "kangaroo essence" health pills have descended on Pyongyang for an international trade fair. Though North Korea continues to be one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world, this year's trade fair, which opened in the North Korean capital on Monday, includes more than 320 companies and is making something of a comeback, with many Chinese entrepreneurs taking part. Almost all of the companies with stalls at the fair are from North Korea or China. But several other countries are represented - a Russian medical technology company is selling heart-beat monitoring wrist watches, for example, and the kangaroo capsules, supposedly good for the health, are being sold by a New Zealand company. Businesses from a few more countries, such as Italy and Cuba, are there seeking business opportunities, but aren't selling anything. North Korean saleswomen try to make a sale at the 14th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Despite continuing sanctions and political uncertainties, this year the fair is making something of a comeback, with more than 320 companies and a large Chinese continent participating. North Korea is hoping its recent diplomatic outreach to its neighbors and its talks with Washington will help break down support for sanctions and open the way for it to boost its trade with the outside world. (AP Photo/Eric Talmadge) Benjamin Qi, of the Beijing-based Ex-Easy Network and Technology Co. Ltd., said the number of Chinese at the fair this year had doubled or even tripled from the last couple of years. "Definitely they are looking for partners who can sell their products, that's the most important because after they have their sales here in North Korea then they can start making some factories or some other investment," said Qi, who helped make arrangements for Chinese participants. "But the first step is they should sell their products." O Ryong Chol, North Korea's vice minister of external trade, said in an opening address that the political climate on the Korean Peninsula has been changing fundamentally since leader Kim Jong Un met South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April and had a summit with President Donald Trump in June. Moon was due to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third summit with Kim. O said the North remains committed to building up its socialist economy and is ready to actively pursue trade deals with foreign countries. The trade fair itself was livelier and better attended than in the past few years, when the North was more actively testing its missiles and nuclear weapons and faced deeper political isolation. "The DPRK in the future, too, will extend developing external relations with other countries on a higher level on the principle of respect of sovereignty, equality and reciprocity," he said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea's trade fairs - another one is held in the spring - offer interesting insights into the country's often mysterious economic priorities. The local products displayed were mostly clothing, traditional medicines, cosmetics, processed foods and beverages. But several of the country's main electronics makers showed off their brands' flat-screen TVs, mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The Chinese vendors, mostly small or medium-sized businesses, focused on practical, daily life goods. At one stall, a Chinese salesman from Dandong demonstrated stick-free frying pans, while a few stalls down a salesman from a Beijing-based company showed North Korean women how easily his irons could smooth wrinkles out of a man's dress shirt. Qi said the companies select products that do not violate sanctions. "China also follows international sanctions," he said. "So all products that belong to the sanctions list are not allowed to come here. We only bring those products that are allowed." ___ Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge North Korean sales representatives show off water purifiers at the 14th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Despite continuing sanctions and political uncertainties, this year the fair is making something of a comeback, with more than 320 companies and a large Chinese continent participating. North Korea is hoping its recent diplomatic outreach to its neighbors and its talks with Washington will help break down support for sanctions and open the way for it to boost its trade with the outside world. (AP Photo/Eric Talmadge) A Chinese salesman demonstrates his wares at the 14th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Despite continuing sanctions and political uncertainties, this year the fair is making something of a comeback, with more than 320 companies and a large Chinese continent participating. North Korea is hoping its recent diplomatic outreach to its neighbors and its talks with Washington will help break down support for sanctions and open the way for it to boost its trade with the outside world. (AP Photo/Eric Talmadge) Staff at a booth selling North Korean honey and other goods wait for customers at the 14th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Despite continuing sanctions and political uncertainties, this year the fair is making something of a comeback, with more than 320 companies and a large Chinese continent participating. North Korea is hoping its recent diplomatic outreach to its neighbors and its talks with Washington will help break down support for sanctions and open the way for it to boost its trade with the outside world. (AP Photo/Eric Talmadge) MOSCOW (AP) - A candidate in Russia's Far East said on Monday he is starting a hunger strike over alleged irregularities in a gubernatorial race. With 95 percent of the ballots counted, Andrei Ishchenko of the Communist Party had a 5 percent lead over the candidate from a pro-Kremlin party in Sunday's runoff vote for governor of the Primorye region. But election officials reported a few hours later that, with all the votes counted, the Kremlin party's candidate was on top. In a video message posted on his Facebook page early Monday, Ishchenko accused election authorities of rigging the results and said he would start a hunger strike in protest. Andrei Ishchenko, communist candidate of the governor election in Primorye region, centre, attends a protest rally with his supporters in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Ishchenko said on Monday he is starting a hunger strike over alleged irregularities in a gubernatorial race. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov) Ishchenko called on his supporters to join him and to hold protests in the Pacific port of Vladivostok. The upheaval in Vladivostok comes less than a week after President Vladimir Putin hosted the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea there at a major economic conference. Putin also met with the Kremlin candidate, Andrei Tarasenko, ahead of the runoff and told him, according to the transcript on the Kremlin website, that "everything is going to be fine." Speaking Monday to his supporters outside the headquarters of the regional administration, Ishchenko said he had "no right to back down" and that he'll be spending the night there until the election results are annulled. Allies of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Vladivostok called on their supporters to join the protest. About 1,000 people were rallying early Monday evening in support of Ishchenko. Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of the Russian Election Commission, told Russian news agencies on Monday that election authorities will be considering all complaints before official results are announced later this week. Ishchenko said his proxies who monitored the vote count in several towns and cities have copies of the vote count protocols that differ from the results announced by local election officials. People gather for a protest rally at the Primorye region administration's building after the governor election in the Primorye region in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Communist candidate Andrei Ishchenko, in Russia's Far East said on Monday he is starting a hunger strike over alleged irregularities in a gubernatorial race. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov) People gather for a protest rally at the Primorye region administration's building after the governor election in the Primorye region in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Communist candidate Andrei Ishchenko, in Russia's Far East said on Monday he is starting a hunger strike over alleged irregularities in a gubernatorial race. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov) Andrei Ishchenko, communist candidate of governor election in Primorye region, center, speaks with his supporters in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Andrei Ishchenko said on Monday he is starting a hunger strike over alleged irregularities in a gubernatorial race. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov) Andrei Ishchenko, communist candidate of governor election in Primorye region, speaks with his supporters in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Andrei Ishchenko said on Monday he is starting a hunger strike over alleged irregularities in a gubernatorial race. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov) ITOGON, Philippines (AP) - The Latest on Typhoon Mangkhut (all times local): 4:30 p.m. Life is gradually returning to normal along the hard-hit southern Chinese coast, where high-rises swayed, coastal hotels flooded and windows were blown out as a result of Typhoon Mangkhut. People clean up debris caused by Typhoon Mangkhut outside a housing estate on the waterfront in Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast. The biggest storm of the year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Rail, airline and ferry services have been restored and casinos in the gambling enclave of Macau have reopened for business. In Hong Kong on Monday, crews were clearing fallen trees and other wreckage left when the financial hub felt the full brunt of the storm on Sunday. Authorities have reported four deaths from falling trees and building materials in Guangdong, China's manufacturing hub. At least 65 people died when the storm swept through the northern Philippines over the weekend before lashing southern China. ___ 3:30 p.m. A Philippine mayor says it's highly unlikely any of the 40 to 50 people who are feared buried in a huge mudslide set off by Typhoon Mangkhut can be found alive. Mayor Victorio Palangdan of Itogon town in Benguet province, among the worst-hit by the typhoon that struck Saturday, said in a news conference Monday that there's "99 percent (chance) that they really are all dead." Palangdan says rescuers have dug out 11 bodies from a muddy mound covering a former miners' bunkhouse which had been turned into a chapel. Dozens of residents sought shelter there during the storm Saturday despite warnings it was dangerous. Palangdan says: "They laughed at our policemen. They insisted. They were resisting when our police tried to pull them away. What can we do?" Hundreds of rescuers, including police and soldiers, scrambled to search for the missing as grief-stricken relatives waited nearby, many of them quietly praying. ___ 2 p.m. The Philippine government has ordered a stop to all illegal mining in six mountainous northern provinces in a drastic decision to prevent more tragedies after Typhoon Mangkhut set off landslides that trapped dozens of poor people, including small-scale miners. Environmental Secretary Roy Cimatu announced the ban during a news conference Monday in Benguet province, where 54 of the 65 typhoon deaths in the Philippines occurred. Mangkhut hit the Philippines on Saturday and Hong Kong on Sunday before weakening to a tropical storm Monday in inland China, where four have died. Cimatu said army troops and police would be deployed to enforce the ban, which covers about 10,000 small miners in Benguet's Itogon town, where dozens of poor miners and their families were feared buried by a landslide. ___ 12:15 p.m. Philippine and Chinese authorities say the death toll from a typhoon has risen to at least 69 with dozens missing. Mangkhut weakened to a tropical storm Monday morning as it moved deeper into southern China, where rain and strong winds were expected to continue through Tuesday. A Philippine national police report said the death toll as of Monday midday was 65, with 43 people missing and 64 injured. Chinese authorities reported four deaths from falling trees and building materials in Guangdong, China's manufacturing hub. Many of the missing in the Philippines are gold miners and their families feared buried in a landslide after seeking shelter in a bunkhouse-turned-chapel in a village in Benguet province. Mangkhut battered the northern Philippines on Saturday before slamming into southern China on Sunday. It was the most powerful typhoon to hit Hong Kong since 1979, packing winds of 195 kilometers per hour (121 mph). ___ 11:30 a.m. Mangkhut has weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it moves deeper into China. The storm was still affecting southern China's coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan on Monday morning and rain and strong winds were expected to continue through Tuesday. Hong Kong residents were being told to stay away from the coastline and be on alert for occasional gales. Bus, ferry and rail services were suspended and almost 900 flights were canceled at the city's airport, one of the world's busiest. The South China Morning Post said Hong Kong's hospitals had to use backup power due to outages caused by the storm. Mangkhut earlier lashed the Philippines, sparking landslides and building collapses that killed at least 64 people. At least two deaths have been reported in China. As of Monday morning Mangkhut was on track to pass over the Guangxi regional capital of Nanning. The Hong Kong Observatory reported Mangkhut was the most powerful cyclone to hit the city since 1979, packing maximum sustained gusts of 195 kilometers per hour (121 mph). ___ 9 a.m. Rescuers are resuming work to find people feared trapped by a landslide in a Philippine gold-mining area that was pounded by wind and rain from Typhoon Mangkhut. The workers used pikes and shovels to dig into the mud Monday morning, with the use of heavy equipment limited on the soaked ground. Philippine police had said earlier that at least 40 people, mostly gold miners, were feared to have been trapped when part of a mountain slope collapsed on miners' bunkhouses in a far-flung village of Itogon town in Benguet province. At least seven bodies had been dug out Sunday before the work had ceased during the night. Mangkhut battered the northern Philippines on Saturday before slamming into southern China. At least 64 deaths were reported in the Philippines and two more in China as of Sunday. People walk past fallen trees caused by Typhoon Mangkhut outside a housing estate on the waterfront in Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast. The biggest storm of the year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Rescuers retrieve a body they recovered at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers push water along a drainage as operations continue at the site where victims are believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers carry a body recovered from a landslide caused by Typhoon Mangkhut in Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Rescuers continue to search for victims buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut lashed Itogon, Benguet province, northern Philippines on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoon's onslaught Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-story building in the village of Ucab. The building, a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel, was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) ISTANBUL (AP) - Istanbul's governor says police have released 275 workers a day after hundreds were detained following a protest denouncing poor working conditions at the city's new airport. State-run Anadolu agency quoted governor Vasip Sahin as saying Monday the construction company is trying to improve working conditions. Arzu Cerkezoglu, head of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey, told The Associated Press that over 500 workers were detained over the weekend, taken from their construction site sleeping quarters. Local media said police used tear gas Friday to break up a protest by workers demanding better conditions, including improved safety. Another 20 were arrested Saturday as they demonstrated in support of the detained workers. The new airport, one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's major constructions projects, is to open Oct. 29. LONDON (AP) - British police said Monday that they don't know what made a man and woman sick at a restaurant near where former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned - but it wasn't the nerve agent Novichok. Police officers and paramedics descended on the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury after a man and a woman became sick on Sunday evening. Roads were cordoned off as medics in protective suits investigated. The major response followed the March poisoning of Skripal, an ex-Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia, who were left critically ill. Two local people who came into contact with Novichok later also were poisoned, and one of them died. A police officer stands behind a cordon on the High Street in Salisbury, Britain, where police closed roads as a "precautionary measure" after two people were taken ill from the Prezzo restaurant, right in the background, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. Police closed roads and called a hazardous response team Sunday night after two people became ill at the restaurant in the English city where a Russian ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned with a chemical nerve agent. The conditions of a man and woman who got sick at the restaurant was under investigation. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP) Wiltshire Police said the 42-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, whose names were not released, remained in hospital under observation. The police force said that because of the previous incidents "tests were immediately carried out which enabled us to rule out that the pair had been exposed to Novichok." Detective Sgt. Jonathan Davies-Bateman said "tests are ongoing to understand what, if anything, the pair have come into contact with which may have caused them to fall unwell." "At this stage, it is unclear as to whether or not a crime has been committed," he said. Amanda Worne, who was at the restaurant, said a police officer told her the couple who fell ill were Russian. The police force declined to comment on their nationality. British officials blame the Russian government for the attack with a banned chemical weapon on the streets of an English city. The U.K. has charged two suspects in absentia, and said they worked for Russian military intelligence. The two men went on Russian TV last week and said they were merely tourists who had visited Salisbury to see its famous cathedral. Health authorities say there is little risk to the public in Salisbury, but acknowledge they can't be sure whether all of the nerve agent has been found and removed. Salisbury City Council leader Matthew Dean tweeted that there had been "a number of false alarms since the Skripal poisoning." He said it was correct for emergency service personnel to start with a "highly precautionary approach until they know otherwise." Emergency services personnel stand near the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury, Britain, where police closed roads as a "precautionary measure" after two people were taken ill from the restaurant, Sunday Sept. 16, 2018. Police closed roads and called a hazardous response team Sunday night after two people became ill at the restaurant in the English city where a Russian ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned with a chemical nerve agent. The conditions of a man and woman who got sick at the restaurant was under investigation. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP) Ambulances are parked outside the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury, Britain, where police closed roads as a "precautionary measure" after two people were taken ill from the restaurant, Sunday Sept. 16, 2018. Police closed roads and called a hazardous response team Sunday night after two people became ill at the restaurant in the English city where a Russian ex-spy and his daughter were poisoned with a chemical nerve agent. The conditions of a man and woman who got sick at the restaurant was under investigation. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP) ISTANBUL (AP) - The Turkish coast guard says a boat carrying migrants has capsized off the coast of Bodrum in southwestern Turkey, killing at least two women. A further 16 people were rescued. The coast guard said Monday it is searching for one more woman reported missing from the boat. Of those rescued, 15 were from Iraq and one was Syrian. Hundreds of migrants continue to attempt to reach the Greek islands from the Turkish coast each week, hoping to eventually make their way to more prosperous European Union countries. Others attempt to enter Greece by crossing a river that runs along the land border between the two countries. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Public fears about sewing needles concealed inside strawberries on supermarket shelves have spread across Australia and New Zealand as growers turn to metal detectors and the Australian government launches an investigation to restore public confidence in the popular fruit. The government of Queensland state, where the contamination scare started last week, offered a 100,000 Australian dollar ($72,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for inserting needles into strawberries after six brands - Donnybrook Berries, Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries, Oasis, Berry Obsession and Berry Licious - were recalled. The scare had spread across the nation by Monday, with needles reported found in strawberries in all six Australian states. No injuries have been reported. In this Sept. 14, 2018, photo, empty shelves, normally stocked with strawberry punnets, are seen at a Coles Supermarket in Brisbane. Public fears about sewing needles concealed inside strawberries on supermarket shelves have spread across Australia and New Zealand as growers turn to metal detectors and the Australian government launches an investigation to restore confidence in the popular fruit.(Dan Peled/AAP Image via AP) Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt ordered the national food safety watchdog to investigate Queensland's handling of the needle scare. He directed Food Standards Australia New Zealand to investigate whether there are supply chain weaknesses that need to be fixed. "The job is very, very clear. Protect the public and keep them safe," Hunt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Both of New Zealand's major food distributors, Foodstuffs and Countdown, announced on Monday they are taking Australian strawberries off their shelves because of the scare. New Zealand imports Australian strawberries when they are out of season locally from April to September, and both chains say the home-grown product will be on supermarket shelves soon. Queensland Strawberry Growers Association vice president Adrian Schultz said what had started as a single act of "commercial terrorism" had brought a multimillion-dollar industry to its knees. "I'm angry for all the associated people, it's the farmers, the people who supply them, the packaging people, the truckies with families to support, who suddenly lose their jobs ... it's far-reaching," Schultz said. Major Australian supermarket chains Coles and Aldi have pulled all strawberries from their shelves across Australia except in Western Australia state as a precaution. But Western Australia police announced Monday that the first suspected needle contamination case has been reported in locally grown fruit. A man in the town of York reported to police that he found a needle in a sink after washing strawberries. The report came after a 7-year-old girl in South Australia state found a needle in a Western Australia-grown strawberry on Saturday. Western Australia Health Minister Roger Cook said the needle could have been inserted in the fruit after it arrived in South Australia. Strawberry Growers Association of Western Australia president Neil Handasyde said growers had received requests from major retailers and insurance companies to scan fruit for needles. "As an industry we are sure that (the needles) are not coming from the farm, but we're trying to get confidence into consumers that when they buy ... strawberries, that there isn't going to be anything other than strawberries in there and they're safe to eat," Handasyde told ABC. "Industry are looking at lots of different ways of tackling this issue. There's been metal detectors purchased and tamper-proof packaging looked at," he said. Handasyde said he paid AU$20,000 for a metal detector for his berry farm. BRUSSELS (AP) - Belgian police shot and wounded a man who attacked one of the officers with a knife on Monday in a northern neighborhood of the capital city, Brussels. "The man attacked one of our colleagues with a knife," slightly wounding the officer on the head, said Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van De Keere. Van De Keere said that a second officer shot the attacker and "seriously wounded him." A Belgium police officer stands next to a cordoned-off area after it was reported that a man attacked a policeman with a knife in Brussels, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Belgian police have shot and injured a man after he attacked one of the officers with a knife in a northern neighborhood of the capital city, Brussels. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) The spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor's office, Ine Van Wymersch, said the incident did not appear to be terror related. Prosecutors said in a statement that the man, who was not identified, had pulled out the knife when police tried to get him to move away from some government offices. Three shots were fired at him after he struck one of the officers. "The suspect was hit by a bullet in the body and another in the leg. He is in critical condition," the statement said. An investigation has been launched. A local resident, who would only identify himself as Aziz, told The Associated Press that he heard up to three shots. "I heard a gunshot. Then two or three. Then a guy fell down on the ground and the police were shouting 'drop the knife, drop the knife,' and the guy fell on the ground." The incident happened near a park where migrants routinely camp while their applications for residency permits are assessed nearby. BASF, a German chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world, said it has appointed Michael Wille as the new managing director of its unit Plastic Additives Middle East (Pame) based in Bahrain. Pame is the state-of-the-art production facility for customer-specific antioxidant blends (CSB) in Bahrain. The appointment marks an important step in BASFs support of the fast-growing polymer industry in the Middle East. As the leading manufacturer and supplier of plastic additives in the region, BASF plans to continue to boost the local production of CSB additive blends tailored to meet specific customer needs. CSB is an integral part of the portfolio the company offers to the plastics industry, said a statement from BASF. Welcoming Wille on board, Frank Fasdernes, vice president, responsible for the operating division Performance Chemicals in the Middle East, BASF: "We are pleased to have Wille assume the role of managing director for Bahrain. His expertise and strengths in engineering and leadership will drive the continued growth of the company in this high-potential region and beyond." "His well-deserved appointment is the outcome of his relentless efforts in BASFs global expansion since 2002," he noted. Alberto Giovanzana, the vice-president for Plastic Additives, Europe Middle East and Africa at BASF, said: "Since it began operations in 2012, BASF Pame has been the first wholly-owned production facility for BASFs Plastic Additives business in the Middle East and one of the largest of its kind in the world." "We are proud to operate the site with the highest safety and environmental standards," he stated. On Wille's appointment, Giovanzana said: "He will lead the competent team in Bahrain to maintain these standards and to ensure that we fulfil our commitment towards providing local production and services to the fast growing polymer market in the Middle East, especially to our key customers in the GCC countries." "Over two decades, Wille has held several senior international positions within BASF, contributing to the companys growth and expansion of operations across markets in Europe and Asia, primarily in the field of engineering and operations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the Brexit negotiations (all times local): 11:15 a.m. The head of the International Monetary Fund says that a failure to agree on a Brexit deal "would have dear economic consequences." International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde speaks during a press conference to mark the publication of the 2018 Article IV assessment of the UK at the Treasury in central London, Monday Sept. 17, 2018. (John Stillwell/Pool via AP) Christine Lagarde told a news conference in London on Monday that she's a "desperate optimist" but that it is possible that Britain and the European Union will not have agreed on future relations before Britain leaves the bloc in March. The IMF says that even if there is a deal, it would still come with economic costs for Britain, as it would mean more barriers to trade than the current situation. As part of the EU, Britain currently enjoys the freedom of goods, services, money and people to move across borders with 27 other countries in the region. Brexit will revoke some of those freedoms. Lagarde said, "Whatever the deal is will not be as good as it is at the moment." ___ 10:20 a.m. British Prime Minister Theresa May is fighting back against opponents of her blueprint for Brexit, saying Parliament will have to choose between her proposal and crashing out of the European Union without a deal. May said Monday on the BBC that if rebel lawmakers shoot down a deal between her government and the EU, "the alternative to that will be having no deal." With just over six months until Britain is due to leave the 28-nation EU on March 29, May's Conservative government remains divided over how close an economic relationship to seek with the bloc. Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who says Britain should make a clean break with the EU, wrote in Monday's Daily Telegraph that May's Brexit negotiations were heading for a "spectacular political car crash." KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Latest on developments in Afghanistan (all times local): 2:40 p.m. An Afghan official says Taliban attacks in western Farah province since the previous night have killed at least 17 members of the country's security forces. Fared Bakhtawer, head of the provincial council in Farah, said on Monday that the attacks took place in different parts of the province, including checkpoints around the provincial capital. He says a group of Taliban fighters targeted checkpoints in the district of Push Rod, where 10 policemen died. Another attack struck in Bala Buluk district where seven were killed and at least three others were abducted by the insurgents. Separately, also in Bala Buluk, six policemen surrendered to the Taliban after an intense battle. He added that there were also attacks elsewhere in Farah but couldn't provide any casualty figures, pending more detailed reports. ___ 10:50 a.m. The Taliban have attacked Afghan police and military bases, killing at least 10 members of the security forces. Afghan officials said that in northwestern Badghis province, five officers were killed, including Abdul Hakim, the police commander of a reserve unit, in an attack that took place near the provincial capital of Qala-i-Now. Jamshid Shahabi, spokesman for the Badghis governor, says around 22 Taliban fighters were killed and 16 others were wounded during the battle there. And in northern Baghlan province, the Taliban launched attacks against a joined army and police base, killing three army and two police officers. Gen. Ekramuddin Serih, the provincial police chief, says four other members of the security forces were wounded in the attack in the Baghlani Markazi district. The police chief added that reinforcements were sent and that the base is now under Afghan forces' control. He said at least 20 Taliban were killed and wounded in the fighting. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban. MADRID (AP) - Spain's center-left prime minister says he will seek to suppress immunity for lawmakers and other publicly elected officials to "restore people's confidence" in politics. Pedro Sanchez announced the bid at an event on Monday marking 100 days since he ousted his conservative predecessor. Sanchez promised then to root out corruption and modernize Spain, but his Socialist administration has been hampered by erratic policymaking and a fierce opposition. The proposal to make it easier for politicians to be prosecuted would need parliamentary backing, but the Socialists only hold 84 of the 350 seats in the country's lower house. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez makes a speech marking over 100 days in government at the Casa de America in Madrid, Spain, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez came to power after leading a no-confidence vote in parliament on May 31 that pushed out former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. (AP Photo/Paul White) "We hope to have the backing of the chamber," Sanchez said. "We would offer an image of exemplarity, solidarity and empathy." Sanchez called on the opposition to help with deep reforms needed over the next decade. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez makes a speech marking over 100 days in government at the Casa de America in Madrid, Spain, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez came to power after leading a no-confidence vote in parliament on May 31 that pushed out former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. (AP Photo/Paul White) MOSCOW (AP) - The leaders of Russia and Turkey agreed Monday to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib region, the last major stronghold of anti-government rebels where fears had been running high of a devastating offensive by government forces. The zone will be established by Oct. 15 and be 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) deep, with troops from Russia and NATO-member Turkey conducting coordinated patrols, President Vladimir Putin said at the end of a more than three-hour meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. The deal marked a significant agreement between the two leaders and effectively delays an offensive by Syria and its Russian and Iranian allies, one that Turkey fears would create a humanitarian crisis near its border. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands after their joint news conference following the talks in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets for the second time in 10 days with Russia's Vladimir Putin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Putin said "radical militants" would have to withdraw from the zone. Among them would be those from the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham - Arabic for Levant Liberation Committee. The group denies it is linked to al-Qaida. It was not immediately clear exactly how the deal would be implemented in the province, which is home to more than 3 million Syrians and an estimated 60,000 rebel fighters from various groups. "I believe that with this agreement we prevented a great humanitarian crisis in Idlib," Erdogan said at a joint briefing with Putin. Turkey has been eager to prevent an assault by Syrian government troops in the province. Putin said he believed the agreement on Idlib could hasten final resolution of Syria's long and devastating civil war. "We agreed that practical implementation of the steps we plan will give a fresh impetus to the process of political settlement of the Syrian conflict and will make it possible to invigorate efforts in the Geneva format and will help restore peace in Syria," he said. Asked whether Syrian President Bashar Assad's government agreed with the Putin-Erdogan plan, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told reporters in Sochi that "in the coming hours, we will agree with them on all the positions put forth in this document." Ahmed Ramadan, a spokesman for the Syrian political opposition in exile, said the agreement offered Russia a chance to walk back its threat against Idlib and represented a success for diplomatic pressure from Turkey and the United States, which was also against an offensive. Ramadan also said the deal offers the Syrian government and Russia one of their main demands, which is securing the highway that passes through Idlib and links northern Syria with other cities. That was one of the government's strategic aims in an offensive in Idlib. "Turkey offered Putin a ladder with which to climb down from the tree, threatening a military offensive in Idlib that had little chance for success," Ramadan said in a series of text messages with The Associated Press. "The Turkish and U.S. serious pressures were the reason behind Russia abstaining from the offensive and offering an air cover which means Iran alone won't be able to carry out the offensive with the overstretched forces of the Assad regime." He said Russia has also refrained from its accusations that the rebels are all terrorists. "Russia swallowed all its accusations," he said. "Turkey is in a strong position." He said the zone would be enforced by Turkish patrols on the opposition side and Russian patrols on the government side. Ramadan added that the opposition was now stronger than when it was after losses in Daraa and Ghouta. He said the Russians reached the agreement without negotiating it first with the Syrian government, pointing to Shoigu's comments that Moscow will discuss the deal with the Syrian government later. Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed rebel group Faylaq al-Sham, thanked Erdogan for preventing an offensive and giving the rebels time to defend their rebellion and people. Millions "of civilians in Idlib are in peace," he tweeted. He said he was confident that the deal "would not have been possible without the steadfastness of our people and fighters. Thank you, Erdogan." Capt. Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed umbrella group of opposition fighters known as the National Front for Liberation, said diplomatic efforts have prevented a wide-offensive on Idlib but that his group still needs to learn the details of the deal. He said the nature of the demilitarized zone and how it would be implemented are not yet clear. "We need details," he said, adding that the Assad government has broken many agreements before, including the Russian-Turkey negotiated de-escalation zones. "We will remain ready for fighting," he said. Russia has called Idlib a hotbed of terrorism and had said the Syrian government has the right to retake control of it. In recent weeks, Russian officials repeatedly claimed rebels in Idlib were preparing a chemical weapons attack that could be blamed on the Syrian government and prompt a retaliatory strike by the West. Turkey had appealed to Russia and Iran, its uneasy negotiating partners, for a diplomatic resolution. At the same time, it has sent reinforcements to its troops ringing Idlib, a move designed to ward off a ground assault, at least for now. The International Rescue Committee, a New-York based humanitarian group, said the people of Idlib "will rest easier tonight knowing that they are less likely to face an impending assault." However, Lorraine Bramwell, the group's Syria country director, cautioned that previous de-escalation deals didn't last long. "In order to give people in Idlib peace of mind then, this agreement needs to be built upon by the global powers working together to find a lasting political solution that protects civilians," Bramwell said. "It is also essential that humanitarian organizations are allowed to reach those who will remain in need throughout Idlib, including in any 'demilitarized zone.'" Idlib and surrounding areas were quiet Monday, a continuation of the calm that started less than a week ago amid Russia-Turkey talks. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Heintz reported this story in Moscow and AP writer Sarah El Deeb reported from Beirut. AP writer Neyran Elden in Istanbul, Turkey, contributed to this report. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, gestures while speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin, during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis around a rebel-held region in Syria. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis around a rebel-held region in Syria. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures while speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis around a rebel-held region in Syria. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis around a rebel-held region in Syria. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis around a rebel-held region in Syria. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday in a bid to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis around a rebel-held region in Syria. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A former Republican state senator in Oklahoma was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Monday on a child sex trafficking charge. U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti handed down the sentence to Ralph Shortey, 36, who faced sentences of between 10 years and life in prison. DeGiusti also ordered Shortey to serve 10 years of supervised probation once he is released from prison and said he will impose a fine on the former two-term lawmaker at a later date. The fine could be up to $250,000. Shortey pleaded guilty in November in exchange for prosecutors dropping three child pornography charges against him. He said at the time that the plea deal was in the best interest of him and his family. FILE - This March 16, 2017, file photo, provided by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office in Norman, Okla., shows Ralph Shortey. The former Republican state senator is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, on a child sex trafficking charge. (Cleveland County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) Shortey was arrested in March 2017 after police found him in a suburban Oklahoma City motel room with a then-17-year-old boy. Police were acting on a tip from the teen's father when they went to the motel and said they smelled marijuana coming from the room. Police accused the married father of four of hiring the teen for sex. Shortey resigned shortly after the arrest. His wife obtained a divorce earlier this year. A police report indicated a search of the teen's tablet computer uncovered a series of sexually explicit exchanges in which Shortey referred to the teen as "baby boy" and offered him cash in exchange for "sexual stuff." The FBI also found that Shortey had previously used fake names to send and receive child pornography and to go on Craigslist to seek casual encounters with males, the "younger the better." Shortey was twice elected in a district covering south Oklahoma City and parts of two suburbs. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (all times local): 8:15 p.m. The Justice Department says the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "does not involve any potential federal crime" for the FBI to investigate. FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the third day of his confirmation hearing to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers has come forward to The Washington Post. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) The department said in a statement Monday night that the FBI's role during background investigations is to evaluate whether the nominee could pose a national security risk and then provide that information "for the use of the decision makers." The department says it's not the job of the FBI to judge the significance or the credibility of an accusation. In the case of Kavanaugh, the FBI received a letter Sept. 12 with allegations of misconduct in the 1980s, when both Kavanaugh and his accuser were teenagers. The Justice Department says the FBI forwarded the letter to the White House counsel's office. ___ 6:35 p.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing next Monday with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual assault when they were teens. That's according to the GOP chairman, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who announced the hearing Monday "to give these recent allegations a full airing." Grassley had tried to have the panel's staff conduct phone interviews with both Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. But Democrats rejected the private interviews and want the FBI to investigate the allegations as part of the nominee's background investigation. Grassley says "anyone who comes forward" as Ford has done "deserves to be heard." Kavanaugh denies assaulting the woman. The White House says he "looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name." ___ 6:10 p.m. The White House says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is ready to testify in the Senate as soon as Tuesday so "he can clear his name of this false allegation" about a sexual assault while in high school. Republicans say plans are in the works for a public session for both Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the college professor who is accusing him of sexual assault when they were high-school age. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation. White House spokesman Raj Shah says Kavanaugh "looks forward to a hearing" and "stands ready to testify." Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told reporters the public session would be a "full opportunity" for both to be heard. A Senate aide says the hearing will likely be held next week. ___ 5:25 p.m. A person familiar with the Senate's effort to confirm Brett Kavanaugh says Republican aides on a Senate panel were planning to talk to the Supreme Court nominee Monday to discuss the allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman when both were in high school in the 1980s. The source says GOP aides on the Senate Judiciary Committee were hoping to arrange a similar phone call on Tuesday with his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. Democrats say they won't participate in the call because the accusations merit more attention. They want Republicans to delay Thursday's planned Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Kavanaugh's nomination so the FBI can investigate the charge. Senate Republicans are showing no willingness to postpone the meeting, though President Donald Trump has said there might be a "little delay." The source spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal information they weren't authorized to discuss publicly. ____ By Mary Clare Jalonick ___ 4:35 p.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee's top Democrat says her party's aides won't participate in a phone call the staff of majority Republicans have planned with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The private interview via phone follows accusations made by Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein says Republicans gave Democrats just a few hours notice. She says a staff-only call is unacceptable because of the allegations' "enormity and seriousness," and violates how the panel has worked in the past. Feinstein said the FBI should conduct the interview and let the Judiciary panel decide whether to seek additional information. Feinstein's statement came as Republicans deflected offers by Kavanaugh and Ford to testify before the committee. Republicans have planned for a committee confirmation vote Thursday, with a full Senate vote later this month. ___ 4:30 p.m. A key Republican senator says it would be "disqualifying" if Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh lied about a sexual assault allegation from high school. Susan Collins of Maine tells reporter that she asked about the accusation when she spoke with Kavanaugh on Friday. She says Kavanaugh was "absolutely emphatic" that the allegation was not true. Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were both high-school age. He calls the accusation "completely false." Collins said the conflicting accounts are why it's important that both Ford and Kavanaugh testify under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Along with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Collins is considered a potential swing vote on Kavanaugh. If both oppose him, his nomination could stall. ___ 4:25 p.m. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says Republicans on the Judiciary Committee can't be trusted to conduct an impartial review of the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Schumer says voting on Kavanaugh scheduled for this week must be delayed so these "serious and credible" allegations can be investigated by the FBI. He said from the Senate floor, "This has to be done by an independent outside body." The New York Democrat says he believes Christine Blasey Ford, the college professor accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault while the two were at a party in high school. Kavanaugh denies the allegation. The Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, wants the panel's top staff to interview Ford and Kavanaugh. Democrats reject that and want a full investigation. ___ 4:10 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the GOP will review the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "by the book" with bipartisan interviews on the Judiciary Committee. The Republican leader criticized Democrats for sitting on the information during weeks of debate on Kavanaugh's nomination. During all that time, "they did not raise it," he said in a Senate floor speech. McConnell says he has "great confidence" in the Senate Judiciary Committee's GOP chairman, Chuck Grassley, who has said he will seek interviews with both Ford and Kavanaugh. He says Grassley is following standard practice of private interviews when new information is added to the background file of a nominee. Christine Blasey Ford accuses Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a party in high school. Kavanaugh calls the accusation "completely false." ___ 3:40 p.m. President Donald Trump says "a little delay" may be needed on an upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. But the president is predicting that it will "work out very well." The president is facing questions about Kavanaugh amid scrutiny of a woman's claim that the judge sexually assaulted her at a party when they were both in high school. Trump says he wants a "full process" to investigate the allegations. But the president says Kavanaugh's nomination is "on track. I think he's very much on track." Trump is praising Kavanaugh as one of the finest people he's known. And he called a question about whether Kavanaugh should withdraw "ridiculous." ___ 3:30 p.m. Sen. Orrin Hatch says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh told him he wasn't at the party where a woman has accused him of sexually assaulting her. The Utah Republican tells CNN, "Somebody's mixed up." College professor Christine Blasey Ford is accusing Kavanaugh of assault at a party when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh denies the allegations. Hatch says he talked to Kavanaugh for about 10 minutes by phone Monday and says the judge is "naturally very upset about it." Hatch says Kavanaugh told him, "This did not happen." The senator, who is on the Judiciary Committee vetting Kavanaugh, tells reporters it would be hard for senators not to consider "who the judge is today. Because that's the issue. Is this judge a really good man? And he is." ___ 3:10 p.m. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill wants a review of the sexual misconduct allegations made against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The Missouri senator says she's "deeply troubled" by the allegations raised by Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than 30 years ago when they were in high school. Kavanaugh denies the claims. McCaskill is among 10 Senate Democrats up for re-election in states Trump won. She hasn't said how she will vote on Kavanaugh. A spokeswoman for her challenger, Republican Josh Hawley, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Hawley has said he supports Kavanaugh's confirmation. Missouri's other senator, Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, also said the Judiciary Committee should examine Ford's claims before further action is taken. ___ 2:55 p.m. Three Senate Democrats up for re-election say the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct should testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Professor Christine Blasey Ford says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school more than three decades ago. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who is up for re-election in a state where President Donald Trump is popular, says the Senate needs to listen to Ford and hear her story. Her election opponent, Republican Kevin Cramer, questioned the timing of the allegation and says the confirmation process should proceed. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, another Democrat facing a tough re-election race, says Ford and Kavanaugh should testify "as quickly as possible." Manchin says Ford "deserves to be heard" and Kavanaugh "deserves a chance to clear his name." Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, another vulnerable Democrat, says that the allegations are "serious" and merit further review. ___ 2:50 p.m. Former Vice President Joe Biden is suggesting the Senate Judiciary Committee postpone its vote on the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brent Kavanaugh, and that the committee investigate the decades-old allegations of sexual assault against him. In a statement from spokesman Bill Russo, Biden says Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, "deserves a fair and respectful hearing of her allegations, and that the Committee should undertake a thorough and non-partisan effort to get to the truth, wherever it leads." Biden, a Democrat, was a longtime member of the committee during his 36 years in the Senate from Delaware before becoming vice president in 2009. Biden is weighing a 2020 campaign for president. Biden was the committee's chairman during the contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Robert Bork in 1987 and presided over Clarence Thomas' hearing in 1991 when Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment, allegations he denied. ___ 11:50 a.m. A key Republican senator, Susan Collins, says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual misconduct should both testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Collins tweeted Monday that Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh "should both testify." The Maine Republican is a key swing vote on Kavanaugh's nomination. If she were to vote against Kavanaugh, the opposition of another Republican could block his nomination. The Judiciary panel's chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, wants Kavanaugh and Ford to be interviewed by phone by bipartisan staff. But Democrats say staff calls are insufficient and want the proceedings postponed so the FBI can investigate. Ford says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh denies the claim, calling it "completely false." ___ 11:35 a.m. President Donald Trump's eldest son is appearing to mock a woman's sexual assault allegations against his father's nominee for the Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor, has come forth with an allegation that Brett Kavanaugh, the president's nominee, assaulted her at a party more than 30 years ago. Donald Trump Jr. posted an image on Instagram Monday with the caption "Judge Kavanaugh sexual assault letter found by Dems..." The photo attached shows a crumpled-up piece of notebook paper with a scribbled message: "Hi Cindy will you be my girlfriend, Love Bret." The note has boxes to check for "yes" or "no" and seems to compares Kavanaugh's accuser to a school yard crush. Trump Jr. also "liked" a tweet from conservative actor James Woods that compared the accusation to a #MeToo "lynching." ___ 11:20 a.m. All 10 Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats want that panel's Republican chairman to postpone this week's planned committee vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. The Democrats have written Iowa GOP Sen. Charles Grassley saying delaying Thursday's hearing would give the FBI time to investigate allegations by a woman who says a drunk Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when both were in high school in the early 1980s. The letter says there are serious questions about Kavanaugh's "record, truthfulness and character." The White House and Kavanaugh deny any assault took place. Grassley hasn't indicated he'd delay the committee vote. Christine Blasey Ford described the alleged assault in an interview with The Washington Post published Sunday, complicating what had seemed to be a smooth path to Kavanaugh's Senate confirmation. ___ 10:55 a.m. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has arrived at the White House amid scrutiny of a woman's claim he sexually assaulted her at a party when they were in high school. Kavanaugh went to the West Wing on Monday shortly after issuing a strongly worded statement denying the woman's allegation and stressing his willingness to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee to "refute" it. It's unclear with whom he's meeting. The White House is standing behind Kavanaugh as the allegation threatens his nomination. The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, came forward Sunday in an interview with The Washington Post to say a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers. ___ 10:30 a.m. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is again denying a woman's allegation he sexually assaulted her at a party three decades ago. The White House released a new statement Monday from the nominee in which he calls the claim "completely false." Kavanaugh says he never did what the accuser describes "to her or anyone." The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, came forward Sunday in an interview with The Washington Post to say a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh says in the statement he "had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself." Kavanaugh had been on a smooth confirmation track, but the new allegations have roiled that process. ___ 8:20 a.m. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway says a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school "should testify under oath and she should do it on Capitol Hill." She says that's up to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Conway told reporters Monday accuser Christine Blasey Ford should "not be ignored or insulted." Conway says Kavanaugh also should testify to the allegations, noting he has already provided testimony and has undergone FBI background checks. Ford tells The Washington Post a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers in the 1980s. Kavanaugh has "categorically" denied the allegations. The White House says "Kavanaugh and the White House both stand by that statement." ___ 7:30 a.m. A lawyer for a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school says her client is willing to tell her story publicly to the Senate panel considering his nomination. She says the woman considers Kavanaugh's actions "attempted rape." Debra Katz represents Christine Blasey Ford, who tells The Washington Post a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers in the 1980s. Katz told NBC's "Today" show she "clearly considers this an attempted rape." Kavanaugh has "categorically" denied those allegations, a denial repeated Monday by the White House. Katz tells ABC's "Good Morning America" the accuser is "willing to cooperate" with investigators and the Senate Judiciary Committee. She says Ford, a Democrat, isn't politically motivated. The Republican-controlled Senate panel appears committed to a vote on Kavanaugh this week. In this image from video, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks on the flood of the U.S. Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. McConnell says Republicans will review the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "by the book" with bipartisan interviews on the Judiciary Committee. (Senate Television via AP) President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of the President's National Council of the American Worker in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A man with a history of drug convictions fatally shot a Kansas sheriff's deputy as the deputy tried to handcuff the man on suspicion of vehicle theft, the sheriff's department said Monday. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office identified 29-year-old Robert Greeson as the suspect in the killing of Deputy Robert Kunze, who died at a hospital after the shooting Sunday afternoon just outside Wichita. Greeson also died at the scene. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter described the 41-year-old Kunze as "an exceptional deputy." Kunze was a 12-year veteran of the force. This 2012 photo provided by the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office in Kansas shows Deputy Robert Kunze, who was shot Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, after receiving a call about a black truck that had been stolen. Both Kunze and a suspect were killed after a fight broke out as the suspect was being arrested in a rural area of Wichita, authorities say. (Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office via AP) Easter said Kunze was responding to a report about a man in a stolen black truck who was lurking around two all-terrain vehicles and another pickup about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Wichita. When Kunze arrived, he found the hood open on the black truck. Kunze patted down the suspect's waistband and found a .40-caliber handgun. The gun was placed away from the two of them, but a fight ensued when Kunze tried to handcuff the suspect, Easter said at a news conference Sunday. Kunze was able to use the emergency button on his portable radio to summon help. Another deputy arrived about a minute later, and two witnesses hiding nearby said shots had been fired. The deputy found Kunze and the suspect on the ground. A .40-caliber handgun was found next to the suspect. Kunze had been shot once in his upper torso, above his ballistic vest, Easter said. The suspect was shot in his upper torso and waist. Easter said the deputy's vehicle was equipped with a dash camera but that footage was not yet available. The department is waiting for ballistic testing to determine how many rounds were fired and from which weapon or weapons, Easter said. Greeson had been a suspect in the earlier theft of a .40-caliber weapon as well as the black truck and another vehicle on Sunday, Easter said, adding that while there were no other suspects in the deputy's death, there may be more in the other cases. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is tracing the weapon found at the scene to find out who owned it and whether it had been stolen, agency spokesman John Ham said. Kansas Department of Corrections records show Greeson had convictions for selling and distributing drugs and for aggravated battery. While incarcerated, he had multiple disciplinary infractions, including for fighting. The sheriff's office posted a badge covered with a blue and black mourning band on its Facebook page to remember Kunze. Easter said Kunze "worked with great pride, loved and encouraged the people who worked with him, but most of all he loved his family." Kunze had a wife and child. "We will always remember him for his smile, his contagious laugh and his ability to engage anyone and everyone in conversation," Easter said. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Justice Sonia Sotomayor says reading helped her reach the Supreme Court. Sotomayor on Sunday celebrated the release of her two children's books by speaking to parents and children at the Newark Public Library in New Jersey. The Star-Ledger of Newark reports she said she never dreamed she would become a Supreme Court justice because she didn't know what one was when she was a child. She says her mother made sure books were part of her upbringing. FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2018, file photo, Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor talks about her children's book, "Turning Pages: My Life Story", during the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington. Sotomayor says reading helped her reach the Supreme Court. Sotomayor on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, celebrated the release of her two children's books by speaking to parents and children at the Newark Public Library. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) Sotomayor's books, "Turning Pages: My Life Story" and "The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor!" examine how her family and her determination moved her through life. BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Hungary's prime minister claimed Monday that the European Union is seeking to take over the defense of the bloc's external borders from some countries in order to facilitate the entry of migrants. Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of immigration, said during the inaugural meeting of parliament's fall session that EU bureaucrats "don't want to stop immigration, they want to manage it." With European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker proposing last week the addition of 10,000 border guards by 2020 to Frontex, the EU's border and coast guard agency, Orban said it was right for the EU to "finally turn its view toward border protection." Removes references to the parliament president - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, front, delivers his address during the opening of the autumn session of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (Tamas Kovacs/MTI via AP) "But it's not right if they want to take the right of border protection away from us and if Brussels wants to direct the defense of Hungary's borders," Orban said. "Our borders are protected not only by professionals but by patriots." Orban quoted a statement made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sept. 12 in which she said that EU members would have to cede some of their national rights to Frontex. But Orban ignored Merkel's next sentence from the same speech in which she said that EU countries must share the burden of migration in a show of solidarity, which the Hungarian leader has resisted doing. "Our position in this issue is clear - our homeland is not a house of passage nor a reception camp," Orban said. "If we wanted to mix with other cultures and civilizations, then we will consult about it and we will decide about it. Though I would advise the Hungarian people against this idea." Orban also confirmed that his government would appeal on procedural grounds a vote last week in the European Parliament meant to launch possible political sanctions against Hungary because of risks to the rule of law and EU values. The government claims that only the exclusion of abstentions when calculating the outcome of the vote made it possible to reach the two-thirds majority needed for the motion to pass. Responding to Orban's speech, opposition lawmakers criticized his position on EU's plans to expand border security and accused Orban of trying to hide behind the Hungarian people for his failure in the European Parliament after Orban said that the vote was against Hungary, not against his government's disputed policies. "You are too cowardly to say that ... the European Parliament graded as failing the performance not of Hungary, but your performance," said Ferenc Gyurcsany, a former prime minister and now leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition. "Is my 85-year-old mother responsible for what happened in this country or are you? Cowards." The far-right Jobbik party, which also opposes immigration, said that Orban was a hypocrite to oppose immigration while at the same time allowing tens of thousands of foreigners, mostly Chinese but also many Russians, to get Hungarian papers through the purchase of so-called residency bonds, a scheme discontinued last year. "In this question, you should support Europe's defense of its shared borders," Jobbik faction leader Marton Gyongyosi said. Orban has tried to discredit any criticism from the EU by claiming that Hungary is being singled out by pro-migration forces due to its anti-immigration policies and he also criticized the current EU leadership. "They were unable to keep the United Kingdom within Europe, and they were unable to keep the migrants out, outside of Europe," Orban said. "Both are serious, historic mistakes." ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. CAIRO (AP) - A senior Italian official meeting with Egypt's president on Monday raised the issue of an Italian student gruesomely killed in Cairo in 2016, objecting to what he said was a lack of progress in resolving the case. Speaking to Italy's state television in Cairo after meeting President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Roberto Fico, president of Italy's Chamber of Deputies, said the Egyptian leader assured him that Giulio Regeni's case was a "priority" for Egypt. In response, Fico said facts, not words, is what counted and demanded that the case be more rigorously investigated and the culprits soon put on trial, according to the channel's report. The Egyptian investigation, Fico said, was at a "stalling point." His comments contrasted with the relatively upbeat statement put out by el-Sissi's office after Monday's talks. According to that statement, Fico told el-Sissi that a "swift and final" resolution of the Regeni case would help boost relations between Cairo and Rome and that he expressed his appreciation for Egypt's "strong will" to find the killers through cooperation with Italy. El-Sissi assured Fico of his nation's commitment to "full transparency" in the joint pursuit of the culprits, the statement added. Regeni, a graduate Cambridge University student who researched trade unions in Egypt, was 28 when he disappeared in Cairo on January 25, 2016 - the fifth anniversary of Egypt's popular uprising when thousands of police deployed across Cairo to pre-empt any attempt to mark the occasion. His body was found several days later by the side of a highway near Cairo with torture marks that activists and rights groups say resembled the results of widespread torture practices in Egyptian detention facilities. Egypt has recently acknowledged that Regeni was being watched by police while in Cairo because of the nature of his research. Fico on Monday said nine people "had moved around Giulio Regeni, a network that tailed him, followed him" and then "abducted him, tortured him and killed him," according to the Italian state TV report. The case roiled Cairo's relations with Rome, with Regeni's family and Italian media accusing Egyptian security forces of torturing and killing him. They have denied any involvement and since 2016 have suggested several alternative scenarios for his death, including being hit by a car or victimized by a criminal gang that specializes in robbing foreigners. Italy withdrew its ambassador in April 2016, saying Egypt was not cooperating in an Italian investigation, without providing additional details. An ambassador returned last September. Egypt has throughout the Regeni affair hinted that an outlawed Islamist group - the Muslim Brotherhood - was behind the killing to poison relations with Italy and smear Egypt's international image. As defense minister, el-Sissi led the military's 2013 ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood stalwart whose one year in office proved divisive. El-Sissi was elected president a year later and re-elected earlier this year for a second, four-year term. In the comments carried by the Italian state TV, Fico said Regeni was tortured for seven days, and that the torture was not the work of ordinary citizens. Evidence, he explained, indicated that "sophisticated" torture methods were used. Fico's visit to Egypt is the latest by a top-level Italian official since a right-wing government took office in Italy following elections in March. Fico is a member of the populist 5-Star Movement, the main coalition partner of the anti-migrant League party. Before Fico, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi came to Egypt and met with el-Sissi. As was the case on Monday, the Egyptian government has in the past consistently released statements after talks between el-Sissi and visiting Italian officials saying they were given assurances of Cairo's commitment to track down and put on trial Regeni's killers. But, while Regeni's case remains a thorn in the side of relations between the two countries, Egypt's successful efforts to stop illegal migration to Europe, and Italy in particular, has resuscitated a measure of warmth in relations. El-Sissi, according to Monday's statement, told Fico that Cairo has shown itself to be a "leading and credible" partner with Italy in combating illegal migration, a top priority for the current Italian government. Egypt's security measures and close monitoring of its Mediterranean coastline have prevented migrants from crossing the sea into Europe since 2016, the country's leader was quoted as saying. Egypt and Italy are bound by close and mutually beneficial economic and commercial links, including the development of a vast natural gas field off Egypt's Mediterranean shores that Cairo is hoping will fulfill its ambition to become a regional energy hub. ___ D'Emilio reported from Rome. Airlines in the European aviation sector may be looking at the possibility of massive consolidation, similar to what occurred in the US recently, as many struggle to make a profit even though expenses, such as the cost of fuel, have been relatively low, an aviation expert has revealed. According to Gediminas Ziemelis, one of the most talented young leaders in the global aerospace industry, between 2004 and 2015, the US airline industry saw 11 major air carriers merge into four. This massive consolidation took place as a response to industry slowdowns and from the lack of ability on the airlines part to generate a profit. As the dust settled, the remaining airlines have learned from their past and are practising capacity discipline. The airlines left are now generating a profit, but as a result, the industry has become much less welcoming to new airlines. "Europe conversely, has a vibrant variety in the airline industry with some countries boasting more than one prominent airline. But with the recent bankruptcy of three major European airlines - Alitalia, Air Berlin, and Monarch there are signs of an impending large consolidation on the horizon similar to what occurred in the US," he said. The first of many Monarch was one the biggest and most tenured UK airlines, yet it was forced to cease operations almost overnight from a variety of factors that compounded to a burden Monarch could not handle. The Brexit induced weakening of the pound created an economic burden on Monarch as the airline purchased its fuel in US dollars. Additionally, some of its main destinations namely those in Tunisia, Turkey, and Egypt lost demand because of recent terrorism, forcing the airline to try to recuperate funds by flying saturated routes in Europe, where it could not compete with airlines who had a better angle on that market. Alitalia faced unique problems of its own before declaring bankruptcy following a trend of being unprofitable, resulting in one of its major shareholders, Etihad, pulling out. Air Berlin suffered from not choosing a strategy. It was neither a low-cost or a legacy carrier but instead stuck somewhere in the middle with few competitive advantages. Combined with internal struggles and the inability to please passengers, Air Berlins only lasting legacy will be in the items auctioned off to the public, Ziemelis said. More failure in the near future The challenges faced by the now bankrupt airlines are not isolated to the past, as over the next 12 months it is likely at least five additional medium-sized European airlines will follow suit and also go bankrupt. Last year, many airlines were struggling to make a profit even though expenses, such as the cost of fuel, were relatively low and oil only cost around $40 per barrel. This winter, oil prices are estimated to reach $80 per barrel, which will put the financial security of many smaller airlines in peril. Fuel makes up 35 per cent of the total cost of an airline and the airlines who missed the opportunity to hedge prices will suffer additional expenses, Ziemelis said. The effects of the pilot shortage will also start being felt in the next year, as larger airlines did not invest enough in cadet programmes to ensure an influx of new pilots to replace all those retiring. Resultantly, large airlines will headhunt pilots from smaller airlines by offering higher salaries. Not only will the smaller airlines be suffering from losing a significant portion of their pilots but many did not plan a sufficient margin for the E261 compensation for passengers with some airlines incurring multi-million dollar unplanned expenses. US similarities If European airlines continue to fail, the landscape will begin to look similar to the US model in that consolidation will continue until only a few large airlines remain with the smaller airlines becoming absorbed or going bankrupt. The effect this has on the end user, passengers, is the considerable risk for ticket prices to increase dramatically. While the possibility of massive consolidation is a looming thought in many analysts minds, Europe has somewhat of an advantage in preventing the scale of consolidation that occurred in the US just a short time ago. The US uses a hub and spoke system of airports, so one of the main reasons there were so many buyouts was purely for geographic reasons so that airlines could maintain the edge in their regions and not because of similar corporate structures or business plans. The European airport model does not use a hub and spoke system as point-to-point travel is the preferred method. This difference in airport structures provides Europe with a natural buffer to prevent large-scale consolidation like what occurred in the US. The possibility for the European landscape to change drastically still remains. Some will succeed, many will fail "While the European model of airlines favouring low-cost carriers over legacy carriers is a more volatile market than the US model, it will likely continue to favour low-cost carriers despite an increase in consolidation and failure. This is because low-cost carriers are important to the fabric of the European air system," Ziemelis pointed out. According to CAPA, low-cost carriers (LCCs) account for 40.4 per cent of the seats filled in Europe, compared to only 32.5 per cent in the US. Also, according to Allegiant, ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) account for 28 per cent of the market in Europe and only 6 per cent in the US. Even in the face of financial hardship and fierce competition, causing many airlines to face possible bankruptcy, the statistics are still on the airlines side. "The market spoke and has determined that flexible European LCCs and ULCCs are here to stay. The only thing that remains is for the airlines themselves to find their niche, secure their market, and prepare to stay in it for the long haul while letting the airlines who do not have what it takes fade into obscurity," said Ziemelis. - TradeArabia News Service LONDON (AP) - The Duchess of Sussex is giving her backing to a cookbook from a community kitchen set up in the aftermath of London's deadly Grenfell Tower fire. The former Meghan Markle has written a foreword to a volume of recipes from the Hubb Community Kitchen. It was set up by women displaced when fire destroyed the west London high-rise in June 2017, killing 72 people. The recipes from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and beyond reflect the diversity of the local community. In this undated photograph issued by Kensington Palace on Monday Sept. 17, 2018, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex cooks with women in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in London. Set up in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the community kitchen has resulted in the publication of "Together: Our Community Cookbook", which the Duchess of Sussex has written the foreword. (Jenny Zarins/Kensington Palace via AP) The duchess wrote that the community kitchen "is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together" and "creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy." Kensington Palace said Monday that proceeds from "Together: Our Community Cookbook" will go toward keeping the kitchen open and helping it expand. In this undated photograph issued by Kensington Palace on Monday Sept. 17, 2018, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, center front, poses for a photograph with women of the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in London. Set up in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the community kitchen has resulted in the publication of "Together: Our Community Cookbook", which the Duchess of Sussex has written the foreword. (Jenny Zarins/Kensington Palace via AP) LONDON (AP) - Julian Assange had just pulled off one of the biggest scoops in journalistic history, splaying the innards of American diplomacy across the web. But technology firms were cutting ties to his WikiLeaks website, cable news pundits were calling for his head and a Swedish sex crime case was threatening to put him behind bars. Caught in a vise, the silver-haired Australian wrote to the Russian Consulate in London. "I, Julian Assange, hereby grant full authority to my friend, Israel Shamir, to both drop off and collect my passport, in order to get a visa," said the letter , which was obtained exclusively by The Associated Press. FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2011 file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at Belmarsh Magistrate's court in London for an extradition hearing. According to a cache of internal WikiLeaks files obtained by The Associated Press, Assange sought a Russian visa and staffers at his radical transparency group discussed having him skip bail and escape Britain as authorities closed in on him in late 2010. (AP Photo/Sang Tan) The Nov. 30, 2010, missive is part of a much larger trove of WikiLeaks emails, chat logs, financial records, secretly recorded footage and other documents leaked to the AP. The files provide both an intimate look at the radical transparency organization and an early hint of Assange's budding relationship with Moscow. The ex-hacker's links to the Kremlin would become increasingly salient before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when the FBI says Russia's military intelligence agency directly supplied WikiLeaks with stolen emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman and other Democratic figures. In a statement posted to Twitter, WikiLeaks said Assange never applied for the visa or authored the letter, naming a former associate of his as the alleged source of the document. WikiLeaks did not return a follow-up email seeking clarification on whether Shamir applied on his behalf, or whether a lawyer or someone else at WikiLeaks might have drafted the letter. The Russian Embassy in London said it doesn't discuss the personal details of visa applicants. WikiLeaks has repeatedly been hit by unauthorized disclosures , but the tens of thousands of files obtained by the AP may be the biggest leak yet. The AP has confirmed the authenticity of many of the documents by running them by five former WikiLeaks associates or by verifying non-public details such as bank accounts, telephone numbers or airline tickets . One of the former associates, an ex-employee, identified two of the names that frequently appeared in the documents' metadata, "Jessica Longley" and "Jim Evans Mowing," as pseudonyms assigned to two WikiLeaks laptops. All five former associates spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, in some cases because they didn't want their past association with WikiLeaks to become public, and in others because they feared legal retaliation or harassment from the group's supporters. Among other things, the documents lay out Assange's campaign to avoid being arrested and extradited to Sweden over allegations that he sexually molested one woman and raped another during a trip to the Scandinavian country in August 2010. Assange has always denied wrongdoing in the case, which he cast as a prelude to extradition to the U.S. The Swedish prosecution jeopardized what at the time was WikiLeaks' biggest-ever disclosure: the publication of around 250,000 U.S. State Department cables. Swedish authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on Nov. 18, just 10 days before the cables exploded across the web, with bombshell revelations about drone strikes in Yemen, American spying at the U.N. and corruption across the Arab world. Italy's then-foreign minister, Franco Frattini, described the release as the "Sept. 11 of world diplomacy." Enraged American politicians demanded that Assange be treated like a terrorist. Metadata suggests that it was on Nov. 29, the day after the release of the first batch of U.S. State Department files, that the letter to the Russian Consulate was drafted on the Jessica Longley computer. The AP couldn't confirm whether or when the message was actually delivered, but the choice of Israel Shamir as a go-between was significant. Assange's involvement with Shamir, a fringe intellectual who once said it was the duty of every Christian and Muslim to deny the Holocaust, would draw indignation when it became public. Shamir told the AP he was plagued by memory problems and couldn't remember delivering Assange's letter or say whether he eventually got the visa on Assange's behalf. "I can't possibly exclude that it happened," Shamir said in a telephone interview. "I have a very vague memory of those things." Shamir's memory appeared sharper during a January 20, 2011, interview with Russian News Service radio - a Moscow-based station now known as Life Zvuk, or Life Sound. Shamir said he'd personally brokered a Russian visa for Assange, but that it had come too late to rescue him from the sex crimes investigation. Russia "would be one of those places where he and his organization would be comfortable operating," Shamir explained. Asked if Assange had friends in the Kremlin, Shamir smiled and said: "Let's hope that's the case." Shamir often makes eyebrow-raising claims (in the same interview he said that the U.S. offered Assange $100 million not to publish the cables), but it was true that any visa for Assange would have been moot. On Nov. 30, 2010 - the date on the letter - Interpol issued a Red Notice seeking Assange's arrest, making any relocation to Russia virtually impossible. With legal bills mounting , Assange turned himself in on Dec. 7 and his staff's focus turned to getting him out of jail. One WikiLeaks spreadsheet listed names of potential supporters arrayed by wealth and influence; a second one titled "Get Out of Jail Free" tracked proposed bail donations and pledges for surety. As they gathered money, Assange's allies also plotted what to do once the WikiLeaks founder was released. One document showed Guatemalan human rights lawyer Renata Avila floating the idea of jumping bail. "I will advise him to seek asylum abroad: we already contacted the Ministry of Justice in Brazil, there is a possibility to run out of the country in a Brazilian ship," Avila told fellow WikiLeaks supporters in a memo . The document said Assange should "plan to escape and pay the bail money back to his supporters." Avila didn't return repeated messages seeking comment. It's not clear whether her idea went anywhere; former Brazilian Justice Minister Eduardo Cardozo, who was serving on then-President-elect Dilma Rousseff's transition team at the time, told the AP that he'd never heard of an Assange asylum request. Assange would eventually skip bail after exhausting his British legal campaign to block the Swedish extradition effort, darting into the Ecuadorean Embassy on June 19, 2012. The move frustrated the sex crimes prosecution, which was dropped last year, but it sparked a standoff that continues to this day, with Assange refusing to leave the embassy unless he is shielded from extradition to the U.S. Assange's escape left many of his guarantors in the lurch. When a group of them went to court in late 2012 to reduce their bill, the escape plan went unmentioned. A lawyer for four of Assange's supporters, Henry Blaxland, told the judge that Assange's Ecuadorean asylum stunt caught everyone off guard. "Nobody could reasonably have foreseen that's what he would do," Blaxland said. ___ Varya Kudryavtseva in Moscow, and Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo, Brazil, contributed to this report. ___ Online: A selection of the leaked documents: https://www.documentcloud.org/search/projectid:40593-WikiLeaks ___ Raphael Satter can be reached at: http://raphaelsatter.com ISLAMABAD (AP) - A provincial government in Pakistan has returned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, as well as his daughter and son in-law, to prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Sharif and his two relatives were released on parole last week to attend the funeral of Sharif's wife, who died in a London hospital. They were flown back from the eastern city of Lahore Monday to the capital Islamabad then taken to Adiala prison amid tight security arrangements. Kulsoom Nawaz was suffering from throat cancer. She died last Tuesday at the age of 68. Sharif and his daughter and son-in-law are serving ten, seven and one-year sentences, respectively, in a corruption case. The Supreme Court last year disqualified Sharif from holding office and later an anti-graft tribunal convicted him and his relatives. NEW YORK (AP) - At age 90, Burt Bacharach hasn't lost faith in the power of music. "Music softens the heart, makes you feel something if it's good, brings in emotion that you might not have felt before," he told The Associated Press during a recent telephone interview. "It's a very powerful thing if you're able to do to it, if you have it in your heart to do something like that." The celebrated songwriter has collaborated with fellow Grammy winner Rudy Perez on "Live to See Another Day," a somber ballad inspired by the Parkland massacre and other school shootings. Released Monday, the song was recorded with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and features the vocals of two Florida teens, Haven Star and Angie Green. Proceeds will be donated to the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, an anti-gun violence organization based in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 schoolchildren in 2012. FILE - This May 6, 2013 photo shows composer Burt Bacharach posing for a portrait in New York. The celebrated songwriter has collaborated with fellow Grammy winner Rudy Perez on "Live to See Another Day," an emotional ballad inspired by the Parkland massacre and other school shootings. (Photo by Scott Gries/Invision/AP, File) Bacharach says the new song, which includes such lyrics as "We can't live like this forever/ Got to have a change of heart," was about love and "keeping our kids safe." "It's just crazy," he said of the school shootings. "I think the best you can do (as a songwriter) as far as putting out a message, is ... move people." Perez said in a statement that "Live to See Another Day" is "our cry to stop the violence aimed at our children in schools." Bacharach is among the most successful composers of his time, with hits including "I Say a Little Prayer," ''Alfie" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." He's not thought of as a "protest" writer, but current events have moved him before. In the mid-1960s, he and lyricist Hal David were concerned about the country's growing presence in Vietnam and wrote "What the World Needs Now," a standard that Bacharach still features in live performance. Onstage, he might make a joke about President Donald Trump's promise to build a wall along the Mexican border or dedicate a song to victims in Puerto Rico of Hurricane Maria. Bacharach says he has no plans to stop writing, or performing. He contributes music to a new album by Elvis Costello, a longtime admirer with whom Bacharach has worked with before, and he continues to tour, including a two-hour show in July at London's Royal Festival Hall. "You can throw up your hands and say, 'I can't do this anymore,' but it's what I do. I'm not just going to stop and retire, that is like dying, you know." ____ Sandy Hook Promise Foundation: sandyhookpromise.org Video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67bJcPztqt8&feature=youtu.be WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on Tropical Depression Florence (all times local): 8:45 p.m. More North Carolina counties have qualified for federal disaster aid for their homeowners, renters and businesses reeling from Hurricane Florence damage. A man paddles a kayak in a flooded neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, in Fayetteville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced late Monday that 10 additional counties have been designated for individual assistance, bringing the total to 18 counties damaged by the storm overall as qualifying for such assistance. Residents and businesses that have damage should file insurance claims first before applying for government assistance. The aid could include grants or low-interest loans. The new counties designated Monday are Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Lenoir, Jones, Robeson, Sampson and Wayne counties. Designating the 18 counties also means the federal government can reimburse state and local governments for debris removal and other emergency actions. ___ 8 p.m. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says the city of New Bern is a strong and resilient community and will make it through the devastating flooding that damaged riverfront buildings and mangled homes and sailboats. Cooper and House Speaker Tim Moore traveled Monday to the city of 30,000 people about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Raleigh to view the damage caused by Hurricane Florence. Torrential rains and storm surge going up the Neuse River left water marks on homes and businesses measured in feet, making North Carolina's Colonial-era capital one of the hardest-hit communities when the storm first reach landfall. New Bern Fire Chief Robert Boyd said 4,300 homes were inundated by floodwaters. That's about one-third of all the city's homes. The governor and speaker also worked a line briefly in the Temple Baptist Church parking lot to hand out dinners, water and ice to grateful motorists who drove in for help. ___ 8 p.m. North Carolina government officials announced they had cleared a driving route to get needed supplies and first responders into Wilmington, where major roads from the north and west have been blocked by rising flood waters. But they weren't sharing that path publicly Monday, in part because they didn't want the road unnecessarily clogged with residents aiming to return to check how their homes fared in Hurricane Florence. Transportation Department spokesman Steve Abbott said in a statement the route wasn't being disclosed because it's still risky. He said state troopers were providing escorts because the road's condition is tenuous and could become dangerous again. Abbott also says "no safe, stable and reliable route currently exists for the public" to travel to and from Wilmington. DOT Secretary Jim Trogdon said the unidentified route opened up once workers removed debris and downed utility lines and flood waters receded. ___ 8 p.m. More North Carolina counties have qualified for federal disaster aid for their homeowners, renters and businesses reeling from Hurricane Florence damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced late Monday that 10 additional counties have been designated for individual assistance, bringing the total to 18 counties damaged by the storm overall as qualifying for such assistance. Residents and businesses that have damage should file insurance claims first before applying for government assistance. The aid could include grants or low-interest loans. The new counties designated Monday are Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Lenoir, Jones, Robeson, Sampson and Wayne counties. Designating the 18 counties also means the federal government can reimburse state and local governments for debris removal and other emergency actions. ___ 7:45 p.m. Authorities say the number of deaths tied to Florence has risen to at least 32, the bulk of them in North Carolina. Officials say the latest deaths include a person who died in an apparent tornado near Richmond, Virginia, as remnants from the once-powerful hurricane swept northward from the Carolinas. North Carolina authorities released a full list of deaths on Monday afternoon, bringing the death toll for the state up to 25. ___ 7:45 p.m. Authorities say a student was struck by lightning at a south central Virginia middle school. News outlets report that the Charlotte County sheriff's office says the boy was struck by lightning at Central Middle School during storms Monday. There was no immediate word on his condition. There was a tornado warning in the county, but no reports of damage. Charlotte County Public Schools will be closed Tuesday because of multiple road closings in the county. ___ 6:50 p.m. Three television stations in a hurricane-ravaged North Carolina city are about to go dark because there's no gas to keep their generators running. WWAY-TV in Wilmington reported that engineers braved the wrath of Hurricane Florence to switch the transmitters to generator power after electricity to the site went out. In addition, WECT and WSFX also lost power to their own transmitters, so the WWAY technicians switched those stations to generator power as well. The stations made arrangements before the storm to have fuel available to refill the generators, but flooding in the area has made it impossible to get gasoline to the tower. WWAY briefly went off the air around 3 p.m. WECT and WSFX are also expected to run out of fuel soon and could lose their over-the-air signals. The statement from WWAY said the stations have been working with local, state and federal officials to determine how to access the transmitter site by ground or air to provide information to the area during recovery from the storm. ___ 6:25 p.m. Many areas in South Carolina's northeastern corner are already covered in water as the state prepares for what officials say could be as much as a foot more of water flowing into the state's rivers following Florence. A reporter traveling with Gov. Henry McMaster aboard a National Guard helicopter Monday saw homes, businesses and other structures already surrounded by water as river levels continue to rise. The tiny town of Nichols was nearly entirely destroyed in the flooding that followed Hurricane Matthew in 2016. On Monday, a river that flows alongside the town was swollen, and local officials say they were trying to evacuate all residents. Areas from Florence to Chesterfield, Conway and Dillon were dotted with expanses of water Monday. Officials say rivers in the area may not crest for several more days. ___ 6:25 p.m. President Donald Trump says the aftermath of last year's hurricanes in Puerto Rico have been an "incredible, tough situation" but adds, "we fought, and we are winning that one big." Trump is speaking at a White House event honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. Trump is recognizing Puerto Rican Lt. Gov. Luis Rivera Marin and says "we stand with Puerto Rico" and will help the island rebuild "stronger and better than ever before." The president last week disputed the death toll in Puerto Rico from last year's Hurricane Maria. Trump is also addressing the impact of Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. He says, "We will do whatever it takes to keep the American people safe," and the nation grieves for those who have lost loved ones in the storm. ___ 6 p.m. Authorities in Virginia say one person is dead after an apparent tornado touched down in the Richmond area and caused a building to collapse. Chesterfield Fire/EMS spokesman Lt. Jason Elmore said a second person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries Monday, and that all the people at Old Dominion Flooring have been accounted for. Dominion Energy reported 6,000 customers in the Richmond area were without power due to Monday's storm. Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Jeff Caldwell said his agency considers the storms part of the remnants of Hurricane Florence, which left flooding rains across much of North Carolina over the weekend. Caldwell said the department is tracking at least seven potential tornadoes in the Richmond area. He said the tornadoes still need to be confirmed by the National Weather Service. ___ 6 p.m. North Carolina's elections officials are assessing the possible effects of Hurricane Florence on county boards and the 2018 vote. The State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement said in a statement Monday that it's communicating with elections officials in the state's 100 counties. It also has contacted leaders of the state's political parties to keep them up-to-date on the situation. The state board said it's already sending out state ballots for several counties that can't do so because of flooding, power and internet outages or because their offices are inaccessible. Registered voters in North Carolina may vote by mail; vote in person from Oct. 17 through Nov. 3; or vote on Election Day, Nov. 6. ___ 5:25 p.m. A mission to observe flooding in northeastern South Carolina has turned into a rescue mission after Gov. Henry McMaster spotted a pair stranded on a flooded vehicle. McMaster was touring portions of Chesterfield County in a National Guard helicopter on Monday when he spotted two people lying down on a vehicle nearly completely submerged in rushing flood waters. Sheriff Jay Brooks radioed to the ground to dispatch a rescue crew. A few moments later, McMaster asked Guardsmen to land the chopper to observe the rescue. On the ground, he watched as the two people safely got into a rescue boat and flashed him a thumbs up. McMaster says officials in this area have told him local water sources in this area are nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) higher than normal. Officials expect as much as a foot (30 centimeters) more as river basins absorb more water flowing into the state from North Carolina following Florence's torrential rains. ____ 5:25 p.m. About 60 children in state custody along the coast of North Carolina have been evacuated to a YMCA conference center in the western mountains. The Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina chose to evacuate its residential center in Lake Waccamaw on Wednesday. They had hoped to return on Monday, but their facility is about 40 miles west of Wilmington and has been hit with heavy flooding, damaging a few buildings. Vice President Tom Huggins said they hope to return on Thursday. Chaplin Joe Kennedy said most of the children range in age from 13 to 18. He says most of the children are from the flat, coastal regions of North Carolina and had never seen mountains before. A few of them went on hikes and have helped clean the trails of debris from the storm. ___ 5:05 p.m. Forecasters say Florence has transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone that still carries heavy rains and gusty winds. According to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, Florence has become an increasingly elongated low-pressure area that's still producing heavy rain over parts of the Mid-Atlantic. By 5 p.m. Monday, the system had top sustained winds of 25 mph (35 kph). It was centered about 85 miles west-southwest of Morgantown, West Virginia, and moving east-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph). Forecasters say catastrophic flooding continued Monday in the Carolinas, and flash flooding and tornado risks were expected as far north as Pennsylvania. ___ 5:05 p.m. Skies are mostly clear above Fayetteville, North Carolina as days of rain brought by Tropical Storm Florence have passed, but rivers in the city and the surrounding region continue to flood. The Cape Fear River on Monday reached a level of nearly 54 feet (16 meters), and is set to crest at 62 feet (19 meters) Tuesday. Rushing brown water lapped at the bottom of the span of a rail bridge crossing the river. The piles supporting the bridge had been still visible just one day before. The Little River, a tributary of the Cape Fear River, reached 34 feet (10 meters) in Spring Lake near Fort Bragg on Monday afternoon, rushing across roads, flooding a motel, and leaving a cemetery under water. City of Fayetteville spokesman Kevin Arrata says 62 water rescues have been performed so far in Fayetteville and the surrounding area. ___ 5:05 p.m. A flood watch remained in effect until late Monday in portions of far southern and eastern West Virginia with locally heavy rain a possibility. By Monday evening most of the state was spared the storm's wrath and most remnants of Florence had exited the state. A warning for minor flooding was posted for the Shenandoah River in the state's Eastern Panhandle from Tuesday night through Wednesday night. Appalachian Power reported about 2,400 customers were without electricity in southern West Virginia late Monday afternoon. FirstEnergy reported a few hundred outages in northern and eastern sections of the state. ___ 4:10 p.m. A tornado has touched down just outside of Richmond, Virginia - at least the second tornado to hit the state as the remnants of Hurricane Florence passes through. The National Weather Service said on Twitter that a confirmed tornado was on the ground in Chesterfield County Monday afternoon. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The county school system said all students in county schools were sheltered in place. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management said earlier that a tornado damaged three properties in Mecklenberg County, which is near the border with North Carolina. Large swaths of the state have been under flash-flood and tornado watches and warnings as Florence moves north through the state. ___ 4:10 p.m. Lumberton Fire Chief John Paul Ivey said his firefighters and other Robeson County agencies have responded to hundreds of calls for water rescue and other assistance across the county since Florence began blowing through days ago. "We've been going so hard and fast we don't have a number yet," he said when asked if there was a total he could provide. He said a damage estimate would also come later for the town inundated by floodwater. He says the river is expected to crest sometime Monday night around 25 feet (8 meters), more than 10 feet (3 meters) above flood stage, which matches weather service data for a Lumberton stream gauge. ___ 4 p.m. Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding, but local authorities say people shouldn't rely on them. Some smartphone map directions in recent days have sent people in North Carolina onto flooded roads and others closed to traffic. Google-owned Waze said Monday it's worked with local governments and its own community of volunteer map editors to mark closures of more than 1,300 roads in North Carolina and hundreds more in South Carolina and Virginia. But the North Carolina Department of Transportation warned in a Twitter post on Sunday night that Waze and other travel apps are unable to keep up with the Florence-caused road closings. The agency says "it is not safe now to trust them with your life." ___ 4 p.m. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has 300 people on the ground and is ready to go into places such as Wilmington, North Carolina, as soon as it is safe to do so. Nielsen spoke Monday in Raleigh, North Carolina, before surveying flood damage in Kinston. Nielsen said she briefed President Donald Trump on Florence response and recovery efforts in the Carolinas on Monday morning. She said the president would arrive himself as soon as it was safe, so as to not disrupt any lifesaving operations. She urged evacuees to stay where they are until local officials say the danger of more flooding has passed. She also warned people about the dangers of walking or driving in flooded areas. ___ 4 p.m. Federal officials so far have not requested the aid of two U.S. Navy ships that are ready to help with hurricane recovery efforts. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said Monday that current needs are being met through the National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies. The National Guard said more than 6,000 personnel have gone to North Carolina and South Carolina. Another 2,000 are on standby. The U.S. Coast Guard said more than 3,000 of its members are responding. The Navy ships are ready to send in hundreds of Marines and sailors. FEMA spokesman John Mills said emergency officials still want those ships positioned off the coast to be "ready and available to go in case the situation becomes more dire." ___ 3:40 p.m. An economic consulting firm says Hurricane Florence may result in between $17 billion and $22 billion in lost economic output and property damage. That would put Florence in the Top 10 of costliest hurricanes to hit the United States. Economists at Moody's Analytics caution that this estimate could be revised significantly higher as more information comes in on the extent of inland flooding. The consulting firm says it is putting property losses at between $16 billion and $20 billion and lost economic output at between $1 billion and $2 billion. The total cost of hurricanes has been rising because of increased construction in coastal areas and more severe flooding associated with rising sea levels. ___ 3:40 p.m. The North Carolina Highway Patrol says rains spawned by Hurricane Florence are to blame for a fatal crash which killed a Florida truck driver. First Sgt. J.E. Dowdle said 56-year-old Orville King III of Jacksonville, Florida, was driving north on Interstate 85 near Kings Mountain on Sunday. Dowdle said a car was passing King in the left lane when both vehicles hydroplaned. King slid off the right side of the road and struck a tree. Dowdle said the accident was the worst he'd seen in his career. He said the 18-wheeler split in half and King died at the scene. The trooper said the other driver wasn't hurt. Kings Mountain is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Charlotte. ___ 3:20 p.m. Virginia officials say a tornado touched down and damaged three properties in the southern part of the state near the border with North Carolina. Virginia Department of Emergency Management State Coordinator Jeff Stern said the tornado touched down in Mecklenburg County on Monday. Stern said there were no reports of injuries, and two homes and a trailer were damaged. Much of the western part of Virginia has been under flash-flood and tornado watches as Florence circles north. ___ 3:20 p.m. President Donald Trump says his administration "will not rest" until the "job is done" in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. The president is offering his thoughts to the people of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and everyone else who has been affected by the storm. Trump tells reporters at the White House that 20,000 federal personnel have been deployed. He says they are "putting their lives on the line." Florence is being blamed for at least 20 deaths in the Carolinas and the storm has left about 500,000 customers without power, most of them in North Carolina. ___ 3:20 p.m. Officials in a coastal North Carolina city and county without road access say the situation is improving, but they're still waiting for rivers to crest from the massive rains dropped by Hurricane Florence. The mayor of Wilmington and the chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners said at a news conference Monday that evacuees cannot return to most of the county. Board chairman Woody White said residents of Carolina and Kure beaches could return as of noon Monday. White says 20 trucks with supplies arrived Monday from Fort Bragg via a route that authorities found for them. He says three distribution centers will be operating no later than 7 a.m. Tuesday. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo says he's working with the governor's office to get more fuel into the city and that "at this time, things are moving as well as can be in the city." ___ 3 p.m. Officials say an 88-year-old man is dead after his car was swept off a North Carolina road by floodwaters. Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey said at a news conference Monday that 88-year-old Clayborn Lee Wright of neighboring Anson County was found dead Monday morning. He says Wright's car was swept off the road by floodwater overnight. He says the window of the car was open so he may have tried to escape. Union County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tony Underwood said Wright's death was one of two storm-related deaths in the county overnight. The other was 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch, whose mother told authorities she was swept off the road by floodwaters Sunday night after driving past barricades on the way to visit relatives. She said she lost her grip on her son in the deep water. Florence has been blamed for at least 20 deaths in the Carolinas. ___ 3 p.m. Two North Carolina school systems are apologizing for scheduling classes after flooding made some roads impassable and one school was caught in a ditch near a flooded road. News outlets report the Durham County and Orange County school systems issued the apology Monday. In Durham County, school officials said that while they made the best decision they could, they were sorry for "the difficulties that came from our decision to open school." Orange County Schools also apologized on its Facebook page after students were forced to wait for the bus in the rain, standing beside flooded roads. The statement said officials tried to make a decision to keep schools open using the best information it had at the time. "We got it wrong, and we apologize for that." Parents voiced their concerns on social media, spurred by a video which showed a bus plowing through floodwaters. Emergency officials were dispatched after a report that a school bus headed to an elementary school was caught on a flooded road in Durham. ___ 3 p.m. The U.S. military said it's ready to respond to communities ravaged by Hurricane Florence "at a moment's notice." The U.S. Northern Command on Monday tweeted a quote from Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy. He said he anticipates the military will play a role in response efforts to the Carolinas. The general said those efforts include search-and-rescue operations and deploying high-water vehicles and swift-water boats in areas with extreme flooding. Two U.S. Navy ships are in position near the East Coast. They're ready to send in hundreds of Marines and sailors as well as helicopters, landing boats, ground vehicles and generators. ___ 2:40 p.m. North Carolina environmental regulators say several open-air manure pits at hog farms have failed and are spilling pollution. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan said Monday that the earthen dam at one hog lagoon in Duplin County had been breached. There were also seven reports of lagoon levels going over their tops or being inundated in Jones and Pender counties. Regan said state investigators will visit the sites as conditions allow. The large pits at hog farms hold feces and urine from the animals to be sprayed on nearby fields. The Associated Press published photos of a hog farm outside Trenton on Sunday where a waste pit was completely submerged under floodwaters. The N.C. Pork Council, an industry trade group, later denied there had been any reports of spills. ___ 2:40 p.m. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has dispatched a small team of workers onto the campus to assess damage in the wake of Hurricane Florence. In an email sent Monday, officials said the school would remain closed through next Monday, adding that the school won't necessarily reopen on that day. The statement said that means there will be no classes at the school this week. The statement also notes substantial progress has been made in developing a plan for what lies ahead for the school, which has an enrollment of nearly 17,000. The email cites state and local authorities who say people should not try to return to Wilmington from outside the area, nor should they be traveling on local roads. ___ 1:30 p.m. North Carolina's top transportation official says there is now some access into the city of Wilmington, previously cut off by floods from former Hurricane Florence. Department of Transportation Secretary James Trogdon said Monday that there is one major accessible route into the city of nearly 120,000. He did not say what road that is, and no other details were available immediately. ___ 1:30 p.m. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says the crisis "continues" in his state due to flooding and tornadoes from Florence. Cooper said at a news conference Monday that "the danger is still immediate." He said floodwaters continue to rise as rivers crest "and they will for days." Cooper said first responders have rescued and evacuated more than 2,600 people and 300 animals from flooded areas so far. He said about 484,000 people in North Carolina are without electricity. ___ 1:30 p.m. Air travel was returning to near normal levels in the Florence-hit Southeast on Monday. According to tracking service FlightAware, about 200 U.S. flights had been canceled by midday, almost all due to the storm and its aftermath. That was down sharply from the weekend. More than half of Monday's cancellations were in Charlotte or Wilmington, North Carolina. The Wilmington airport remained closed to airlines, and officials said they were waiting for parts to repair a generator breakdown that left the terminal without power. The entire city of Wilmington is currently cut off by floodwaters. About 3,500 flights were canceled Wednesday, when the storm was approaching the Carolina coast, through Sunday. ___ 1:30 p.m. State transportation officials say heavy rains from Tropical Depression Florence have spared most of the western North Carolina mountains. State Department of Transportation spokesman David Uchiyama (yoo CHI yama) says that as of Monday afternoon, four roads were closed in Yancey County. But he said all of those should be open by the end of the day. In Henderson County, heavy rains delayed repairs on highway 9 from a previous mud slide that happened June 5. Crews were busy cleaning up dirt that had clogged the roadway. Uchiyama said that road will be open by the end of the day. Uchiyama says so far the area has had "no other significant damages." But he also warned that the area is always at risk of mudslides. He said they can happen without warning, sometimes several days or weeks after heavy rainfall. ___ 12:15 p.m. Workers with the restaurant chain Waffle House are being brought in from around the country to help keep the company's locations up and running in areas affected by Florence. Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer was picking up a team at the Wilmington, North Carolina, airport on Monday. Ehmer spoke to The Associated Press by phone. Ehmer says about 150 workers had been brought in as of Monday as part of the company's emergency response team. He says it's part of the company's culture to never close. The extra hands were partly needed because some local workers had to evacuate. The chain is so well known for staying open no matter what that former Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate created the so-called Waffle House Index. Fugate used the restaurants as a benchmark for how quickly local communities could rebound from hurricanes. Under the index, a closed Waffle House was a bad sign. Ehmer says Waffle House is having to fly some food into Wilmington, which has been cut off from road access by Florence's floodwaters. ___ 11:30 a.m. Authorities say two homes in North Carolina were slightly damaged by a suspected tornado. Wayne County spokesman Joel Gillie said the tornado landed early Monday near Pikeville, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Goldsboro. Gillie says no one was hurt, but the powerful winds spinning off the remnants of Florence caused major damage to the roof of one home. ___ 11:30 a.m. A rail company says it's investigating whether heavy rains from Florence contributed to a train derailment in North Carolina. CSX said in a news release that the derailment happened Sunday night in Anson County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Charlotte. The railroad company said nine locomotives and five railcars ran off the track. The company said none of the cars was carrying hazardous materials. But some of the locomotives spilled diesel fuel and motor oil. The company says it is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the cleanup. The two train crew members were taken to local hospitals to be treated for minor injuries. ___ 11:30 a.m. A weakening Tropical Depression Florence is forecast to drop up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain over parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England over the next few days. By 11 a.m. Monday, Florence was centered about 240 miles (385 kilometers) west of Charlottesville, Virginia, and moving northeast at 15 mph (24 kph). The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, says Florence's top sustained winds have dropped to 25 mph (35 kph) but the system still poses an excessive rain threat. Forecasters say tornadoes also were possible Monday from the Carolinas into parts of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Authorities say two homes in North Carolina were slightly damaged by a suspected tornado early Monday. No one was injured. ___ 10:40 a.m. A North Carolina sheriff's office says it has recovered the body of a 1-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters after his mother lost her grip on him. The Union County Sheriff's Office identified the boy on its Facebook page Monday as Kaiden Lee-Welch. Spokesman Tony Underwood said a woman and her child were on their way to visit relatives when she drove past some barricades on N.C. Highway 218 in northern Union County. The woman later told authorities someone had pushed the barricades to the side a little, making her think it was OK to go through. The woman's car was swept off the road by the floodwaters, pinning it against a group of trees. She was able to free 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch from his car seat and escape. But the waters were deep, and Underwood said the woman lost her grip and her son was swept away. ___ 10 a.m. Two U.S. Navy warships carrying helicopters and rescue equipment are in position off the East Coast to help with the response to hurricane-turned-Tropical Depression Florence. The U.S. Navy said in a statement Monday that the amphibious attack assault ship USS Kearsarge and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington are available to provide support if it's requested by civilian officials. The ships are ready deploy hundreds of Marines and sailors as well as Osprey aircraft, helicopters, landing boats, ground vehicles and generators. The sailors and Marines are capable of conducting search-and-rescue missions as well as clearing debris. Military officials said the USNS Comfort hospital ship has not been deployed because communities surrounding the disaster area are able to provide adequate medical services. ___ 10 a.m. President Donald Trump has approved federal funding to aid recovery efforts in areas of South Carolina affected by Florence. In a news release Monday, the White House said Trump had declared that a major disaster exists in the state. He ordered that federal aid be used "to supplement state, tribal and local" recovery efforts in the state. ___ 9:30 a.m. The devastating flooding in North Carolina from Florence has raised concerns about whether some dams will be able to hold up under the strain. According to data obtained by The Associated Press, the state has 1,445 dams rated high hazard. That's out of a total of about 5,700 dams that range from large federal ones to small privately owned ones. A high hazard classification means a failure could be likely to cause the loss of one or more human lives. The data show that of the state's high-hazard dams, 185 had conditions of poor or unsatisfactory during recent inspections. The data comes from the National Inventory of Dams. ___ 9:30 a.m. Florence has left about 500,000 customers without power, most of them in North Carolina. About 467,000 customers were without service in North Carolina, including in the Wilmington area, which is surrounded by floodwaters and has been cut off. About 17,000 customers were without service in South Carolina, mostly in northeastern South Carolina near the North Carolina state line. About 12,000 customers were without service in Virginia. Most of those were the southwestern part of the state. ___ 9:30 a.m. Dozens of roads are closed in the western parts of Virginia as Florence circles its way across the state. State transportation officials said early Monday that roads are blocked by downed trees or covered with standing water. Appalachian Power reported more than 7,000 Virginia customers were without power early Tuesday. Florence brought heavy rains to parts of Virginia late Sunday and early Monday as the storm trekked north. Virginia officials have warned residents to brace for significant rainfall and possible flash flooding in the southwest and southern part of the state. The city of Roanoke asked residents who live in flood plains to voluntarily evacuate. ___ 9:30 a.m. Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will begin assessing the impact of Tropical Storm Florence. Park officials said in a statement Monday that areas of the park that straddle Tennessee and North Carolina will be opened to the public once they are deemed safe. Facilities and roads that were closed in anticipation of the storm remained closed early Monday. Other roads and facilities have remained open, including the Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers. ___ 8:20 a.m. Authorities are searching for a 1-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters in North Carolina after the boy's mother lost her grip on him. Union County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tony Underwood said a woman and her child were on their way to visit relatives Sunday night when she drove past some barricades on highway 218 in northern Union County. The woman later told authorities someone had pushed the barricades to the side a little, making her think it was OK to go through. The woman's car was swept off the road by the floodwaters, pinning it against a group of trees. She was able to free 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch from his car seat and escape. But the waters were deep, and Underwood said the woman lost her grip and her son was swept away. ___ 6:20 a.m. A train has derailed in North Carolina, but it's not clear whether it was storm-related. WBTV reports that the CSX train derailed Sunday evening in Anson County, east of the state's largest city of Charlotte. The station says the derailment led to at least one road closure. The station cites CSX officials as saying that the derailment involved several cars on a train headed to Hamlet, North Carolina. Officials have reported flooding caused by Tropical Storm Florence in Union County, located between Charlotte and Anson County. They did not say whether there were any injuries or what the train was carrying. ___ 1 a.m. With Wilmington cut off from the rest of North Carolina by still-rising floodwaters from Florence, officials plan to airlift food and water to a city of nearly 120,000 people as rescuers elsewhere pull inland residents from homes threatened by swollen rivers. The spreading disaster claimed additional lives Sunday, with at least 17 people confirmed dead, and the nation's top emergency official said other states were in the path this week. Brock Long of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says not only to expect more impacts in North Carolina, but also "you are about to see a lot of damage going through West Virginia, all the way up to Ohio as the system exits out." In Wilmington, the state's eighth-largest city, residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants on Sunday for basic necessities like water. Police guarded the door of one store, and only 10 people were allowed inside at a time. ___ For the latest on Florence, visit www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes A funnel cloud hangs over the Richmond, Va., skyline, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) A tow truck splashes through standing water along a closed section of Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) People react to the helicopter above, as they wait at the edge of a flooded section of Highway 501, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, in Latta, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Floodwaters surround a trailer in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Pollocksville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) An unidentified family member carries Ruth Brady to safety at the Wilmington airport in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Brady was one of several family members rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter crew north of Wilmington. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Samuel Knoeppel, center, and Randy Haba, bottom right, approach to Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., on a stranded van in Pollocksville on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., cradle his dog Lucky as he waits to be rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew off a stranded van in Pollocksville, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A resident surveys the rising water in a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A member of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team checks on residents in a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence . (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Don Tantanella checks on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) The Coast Guard helps Julie Lamb out of a boat with her infant children after a water rescue on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Lumberton, NC. (AP Photo/Jonathan Drew) Residents paddle a boat through a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Rescue personnel wade through a flooded apartment complex to evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Rescue personnel paddle through a flooded apartment complex to evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A man waits in a long line waiting for gas to arrive at a station near Wilmington, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence has cut off areas around Wilmington, N.C., forcing people to stand in long lines for fuel, food and other supplies. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Floodwater surrounds a neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Marion, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A man tries to get his dog out of a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Bob Richling carries Iris Darden, 84, out of her flooded home as her daughter-in-law, Pam Darden, gathers her belongings in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Floodwater from Hurricane Florence threatens homes in Dillon, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Cars are submerged in a neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) People react to the helicopter above, as they wait at the edge of a flooded section of Highway 501, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, in Latta, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has pledged to grant citizenship to Pakistan-born children of Afghan and Bengali refugees who have been living in the country for decades. Khan, in his first visit to commercial hub Karachi city, said hundreds of thousands of Afghans and Bangladeshis live in the country without the benefits of its social security system. Addressing a fundraiser for dam construction, Khan said the children's lack of documentation and education has prevented them from getting jobs, so they turn to crime. He said his government will grant them citizenship. His comments drew criticism from the opposition Pakistan People's Party on Monday. Provincial minister Saeed Ghani said Pakistan could not afford the move. U.N. reports say Pakistan has the largest refugee population in the world, mostly from Afghanistan. REVERE, Mass. (AP) - The aunt of the Massachusetts man killed by a shark over the weekend says that she told her nephew to stay away from Cape Cod waters but that he laughed off her concerns. Marisa Medici tells the Boston Herald that every time she asked Arthur Medici not to go to Cape Cod, he said, "The sharks don't bite me. I'm Superman." He died at the hospital after getting bitten Saturday while boogie boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. The 26-year-old Revere man was the state's first shark attack fatality since 1936. Two signs at the top of the dune at Newcomb Hollow Beach alert visitors that the beach is closed to swimming, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Wellfleet, Mass. A Revere man died after being bitten by a shark off Newcomb Hollow Beach on Saturday. (Merrily Cassidy/The Cape Cod Times via AP) He was with his future brother-in-law when he was bitten on the legs about 30 yards offshore. His femoral arteries were severed. The aunt says Arthur Medici was "handsome outside, inside, joyful," and the house was always full of his laughter. ___ Information from: Boston Herald, http://www.bostonherald.com MOSCOW (AP) - The Russian military said on Monday that the missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board, came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia. The jet was shot down by a Soviet-made missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border, where fighting had been raging for months between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. The Netherlands and Australia announced in May that they believe the missile was transported to Ukraine from a military unit in the Russian city of Kursk. Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media during a press conference, in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The Russian military said on Monday that the missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board, came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia. (Kirill Zykov/Moscow News Agency via AP) Russia has vehemently denied involvement and has over the years come up with various theories as to the cause of the crash, generally laying the blame on the Ukrainian side. Lt. Gen. Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters on Monday that the military had studied and declassified archives at the research center outside Moscow that produced the Buk missiles after the Dutch investigators displayed parts of the missile and their serial numbers. Parshin said the Russian archives show that the missile that was made of these parts was transported to a military unit in western Ukraine in 1986, and to Russia's knowledge never left Ukraine. Asked about the possibility that the separatists may have seized the missile system during fighting in 2014, Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov conceded that Russia does not have any documents proving otherwise but pointed to the statements of Ukrainian officials who have denied that separatists seized any of their Buks. The Joint Investigation Team, set up by nations that lost citizens in the MH17 crash, said in a statement that it has "taken note" of the information that the Russian military made public on Monday. The investigators said they had asked Russia for information regarding the serial numbers before but had not received a reply. The separatists in the weeks prior to the plane crash bragged on social media about shooting down Ukrainian military aircraft. On the day that MH17 crashed, a rebel commander posted that his troops had shot down a Ukrainian military plane. He later said his account has been hacked and that the rebels did not shoot down any aircraft that day. A highly placed rebel, speaking to the AP shortly after the crash, admitted that rebels were responsible. The rebels believed they were targeting a Ukrainian military plane, the person said. He did not speculate, however, on a possible role of the Russian military in the attack. The Russian military did provide material assistance to the rebels, and journalists sighted sophisticated weapons in the separatist-controlled areas that were never in Ukraine's arsenals. Oleksandr Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defense Council, said on Monday that Russia's claim is "yet another failed fake report that the Kremlin made up in order to cover up their crime that has been proven by the official investigation as well as independent experts." __ Yuras Karmanau in Kiev, Ukraine, and Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this report. Lt. Gen. Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defense Ministry, speaks to the media during a press conference in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The Russian military said on Monday that the missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board, came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia. (Kirill Zykov/Moscow News Agency via AP) ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Several thousand Ethiopians demonstrated in the streets of the capital on Monday morning to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. Commissioner of the federal police Zeynu Jemal said that five people were killed in the Monday protests and between 20 and 25 people were killed in the weekend attack. He said that 700 suspects are in custody. Victims of the attack and their families alleged the perpetrators are some groups of youths from the surrounding Oromia region. Thousands of protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. Three banners in Amharic from left to right read "Justice for the people of Amhara, Tigray and Southerners", "Stop ethnic-based attacks" and "One mouth, but two tongues". (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Police fired tear gas to try to disperse the demonstrators, but people continued to flock to central Meskel Square. The demonstrators are calling on the government to take firm measures against the perpetrators. "We demand justice," some of the rally goers chanted when they passed by the offices of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, on the way to Meskel Square. "The government's task is to protect its citizens, not to send condolences after they are butchered," shouted a protester. There were also protests in Arba Mich, the capital city of Ethiopia's Southern region and the home area of many victims of Saturday's attacks, in which demonstrators kneeled to urge justice. For the first time since taking office in April, Ethiopia's reformist leader Abiy has come under sharp criticism for what some see as his soft stance and people are calling on him on social media to toughen up and restore law and order. Some Ethiopians are also openly calling for a state of emergency to be put in place to avoid further killings. For his part Abiy denounced the killings. "Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed strongly condemns the killings and acts of violence against innocent citizens ... These cowardly attacks represent a grave concern to the unity and solidarity of our people & will be met with appropriate response," said Fitsum Arega, the prime minister's chief of staff, in a tweet on Sunday. Ethnic-based attacks over land and resources are not new in this East African nation of more than 80 ethnic groups. But the severity of such attacks has grown in recent months. The U.N. Children's Fund UNICEF said in August that as many as 2.8 million Ethiopians were internally displaced, mainly due to ethnic-based attacks in various parts of the country. Members of the army and riot police attempt to control protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, as they demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) A woman shouts slogans as thousands of protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Thousands of protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. Banner in Amharic reads "The government should stop the attacks against our people." (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Thousands of protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Thousands of protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Ethiopian army soldiers, left, attempt to control protestors from the capital and those displaced by ethnic-based violence over the weekend in Burayu, as they demonstrate to demand justice from the government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Several thousand Ethiopians have gone out onto the streets of the capital to protest ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of the city in which more than 20 people died over the weekend. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) Best Western Hotels & Resorts has appointed Luckrada Lucksanawimol as its new regional director sales - Asia. Lucksanawimol, or Annie as she is better known, brings an impressive set of skills to Best Western. Having achieved a Masters Degree in International Business Management from Stamford International University, she has held senior sales and management roles for a series of major hotels and resorts, both at property and head office levels. Her experience includes serving as director of sales at B-Lay Tong Phuket, during the time it was operated by AccorHotels as part of the MGallery Collection; and serving as director of sales for the former dusitD2 Patong Resort, which was managed by Dusit International. She was also Cluster Director of Sales for Bangkok-based BHMAsia, overseeing 17 properties in Thailand and beyond. Most recently, Lucksanawimol was executive assistant manager at B-Lay Tong Phuket, having returned to the property in 2017. She now embarks on the latest chapter in her career as regional director sales for Best Western, with responsibility for the companys expanding portfolio of hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia and Japan. Annie is a confident, charming and forward-thinking person and a highly-skilled hospitality professional. Not only does she have extensive experience of sales, but she has also been involved in hotel operations at senior management level, giving her a deep understanding of the industry. We are delighted to have her onboard our dynamic team, and I am sure that her talent and expertise will be great assets to our entire company, said Olivier Berrivin, Best Westerns managing director of International Operations Asia. I am thrilled to be joining to Best Western, which is one of the most famous names in the hotel industry. This is a very exciting time for the company, with many fantastic new hotels and innovative brands being launched in Asia. I look forward to working with the entire team and helping Best Western to achieve even more success in the future, Lucksanawimol said. She will now be based at Best Westerns Asia head office in Bangkok. - TradeArabia News Service THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday re-imposed a one-year prison sentence and 300,000-euro ($350,000) fine on a former Congolese vice president for interfering with witnesses at his war crimes trial. However, Jean-Pierre Bemba will not have to go to prison due to time he has already spent in the court's custody. Bemba and members of his legal team were convicted in 2016 of corruptly influencing witnesses in his trial on charges of commanding troops who committed atrocities in the Central African Republic. Appeals judges acquitted him of all charges in that case earlier this year and ordered him freed. Former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba poses for a photograph after being interviewed by The Associated Press in Waterloo, Belgium, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Bemba, a top Congo opposition figure who is barred from December's presidential election is warning that "chaos" will follow if the vote is not transparent and fair. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Appeals judges in his witness tampering trial upheld most of Bemba's convictions earlier this year but ordered trial judges to reconsider his sentence and those of two of his lawyers. At a brief hearing Monday, the trial judges re-affirmed Bemba's original sentence and sentenced his lawyers, Aime Kilolo and Jean-Jacques Mangenda, to 11 months - equivalent to the time they have already served. Kilolo was also fined 30,000 euros ($35,000). Bemba's conviction on witness interference charges has ruled him out of standing as a candidate in Congo's Dec. 23 election. The African nation's electoral commission said that the guilty verdict amounted to corruption. Congolese law bars people convicted of corruption from running for the presidency. Bemba has accused both the commission and the Constitutional Court, which this month upheld the commission's decision, of being under "full control" of the government of President Joseph Kabila, who after two years of deadly unrest amid the long-delayed election has said he will step aside. Bemba, whose father was close to former longtime leader Mobutu Sese Seko, finished second to Kabila in the 2006 election. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa Former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba poses for a photograph after being interviewed by The Associated Press in Waterloo, Belgium, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Bemba, a top opposition figure, has been definitively barred from running as a presidential candidate in December's long-delayed election. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) SAO PAULO (AP) - The man leading Brazil's presidential election polls says he is worried that fraud could cost him victory in October, raising questions about whether he would accept defeat. Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro made a Facebook live posting Sunday saying he sees a risk that fraud might give the election to Fernando Haddad, who has replaced jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the left-leaning Workers Party ticket. Da Silva led in polls before being disqualified due to a corruption conviction. "The great concern is not to lose the vote, it is to lose by fraud. That possibility of fraud in the runoff, maybe even in the first vote, is concrete," Bolsonaro said in his first address to supporters from a hospital where he is recovering from a Sept. 6 stabbing attack. FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Jair Bolsonaro, National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate, greets supporters during a campaign rally in Brasilia, Brazil. Now that former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has been bumped off the ballot for a corruption conviction, Bolsonaro is leading in the polls, apparently with the aid of evangelical backers. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) "The Workers' Party discovered the way to power, and that is the electronic voting," he said. Bolsonaro didn't provide any evidence to support his claim, though over the years he has expressed distrust in Brazil's electronic voting system. The congressman sponsored a bill for voters to get a receipt after casting their ballots, a move that was later blocked by Brazil's top court on grounds it might lead to fraud. Recent polls show Bolsonaro and Haddad are likely to lead the Oct. 7 first-round vote and then face an Oct. 28 runoff. Bolsonaro has been hospitalized since the stabbing and while he left intensive care over the weekend, it's unclear when he might be able to resume personal campaigning. The motive for the attack on him remains unclear. On Monday Haddad accused the far-right candidate of "toying with democracy" with the fraud claim and said that Bolsonaro and his vice presidential running mate, retired Gen. Hamilton Mourao, are raising the risk of authoritarianism in Brazil, which emerged from two decades of dictatorship in 1985. Last week Mourao suggested during a news conference that Brazil's constitution could be reformed by a group of unelected "notables" and raised the idea of a "self-coup" in case of "anarchy," though he didn't say what those terms mean for him. "We are in a tough moment," Haddad said during an interview with several Brazilian media. "Either we defend our constitution to the end or we will see an authoritarian solution." Right-leaning candidate Geraldo Alckmin, who hopes to outrace Bolsonaro to the run-off by appealing to anti-Workers' Party voters, suggested his adversary "is trying to justify his defeat beforehand." "I took part in 10 elections," Alckmin told journalists in the capital, Brasilia. "I won and I lost, there was never fraud." Left-leaning Ciro Gomes, who is polling third, said Bolsonaro is following "the coup d'etat guidebook" by suggesting he might not accept defeat. Brazil's chief justice, Jose Dias Toffoli, reacted to Bolsonaro by saying the electronic voting system is "totally reliable." "The system is open to auditors of all political parties six months before the election. Many prosecutors and Brazil's bar association have access too," the chief justice said. "Some people just believe in myths." Bolsonaro also accused Haddad of plotting to free da Silva if he wins the presidency. WASHINGTON (AP) - A woman's accusation that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school buckles what had been a smooth path to a seat on the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh denies the allegation, but his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, came back with an offer to testify publicly to Congress. Kavanaugh did the same. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans first resisted, then agreed to, a public hearing featuring both of them, under oath, in the crosswinds of the #MeToo movement and the Nov. 6 elections. Then there is the man in the Oval Office himself the subject of sexual misconduct accusations by more than a dozen women - all liars, he has said. In this Sept. 6, 2018 photo, Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh waits to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the third day of his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Official Washington is scrambling Monday to assess and manage Kavanaugh's prospects after his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, revealed her identity to The Washington Post and described an encounter she believes was attempted rape. Kavanaugh reported to the White House amid the upheaval, but there was no immediate word on why or whether he had been summoned. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Some things to know about the forces that have swamped the Kavanaugh nomination: ___ THE STATE OF THINGS The world will soon hear firsthand Ford's allegation of the assault and Kavanaugh's denial if both appear at a hearing called by Senate Republicans. The GOP's announcement of a Sept. 24 hearing follows a daylong scramble in Washington to assess Kavanaugh's prospects after Ford revealed her identity to The Washington Post. Ford described an encounter she believes was attempted rape. Kavanaugh came to the White House amid the upheaval, but there was no immediate word on why or whether he had been summoned. Ford sent her lawyer out to be clear on some key points. "She believes that if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped," Debra S. Katz told NBC's "Today" show. Through the White House, Kavanaugh "categorically and unequivocally" denied the allegation and declared that he, too, is willing to testify under oath. Ford said she was reluctant to come forward until reporters began contacting her. Kavanaugh, she told the Post, pinned her to a bed at a Maryland party in the early 1980s and tried to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. She said she was around 15 at the time. He would have been around 17, she said. Kavanaugh, now 53, attended a private school for boys in Maryland, while Ford, now 51, attended a nearby school. The decision to call a public hearing was a major backtrack. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at first said he would seek private interviews with both Kavanaugh and Ford, an idea that was endorsed by top Republican leaders. ___ SENATE MATH Which way Kavanaugh's nomination goes - to the high court or down in defeat - is all about the math of votes in the 100-member Senate. The party split goes like this: 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 2 independents, both of whom caucus with the Democrats. So two Republican votes against Kavanaugh's confirmation would derail it. Vice President Mike Pence could break a 50-50 tie. More than two Republican senators have not committed to voting yes. Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a member of the Judiciary Committee, says he is not comfortable holding a vote until Ford's allegations are heard. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who also is retiring, is not on the panel but said the vote should be postponed until the committee has heard from Ford. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, refused to say how she'd vote but tweeted earlier Monday that both Ford and Kavanaugh to testify to the Judiciary Committee under oath. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, says she has questions about the allegation. ___ PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP Trump stayed publicly silent on Kavanaugh over the weekend but told reporters Monday afternoon that "a little delay" may be needed on the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee vote. However, Trump predicted that the judge's nomination will "work out very well." He insisted the nomination was "very much on track." The president praised Kavanaugh as one of the finest people he's known, and he called a question about whether Kavanaugh should withdraw "ridiculous." It was a markedly restrained response from the bombastic president. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway appeared to set the tone across multiple morning shows on Monday when she pushed for Ford to be allowed to testify before lawmakers. "She should not be insulted. She should not be ignored. She should testify under oath, and she should do it on Capitol Hill," Conway said. Kavanaugh should be afforded the same opportunity, she added. Either way, Trump's own history could be drawn into the discussion. More than a dozen women have accused him of sexual misconduct, which he denies. Then there's the 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape that repelled many Republicans when it became public during the 2016 election. On it, Trump can be heard boasting of grabbing women by their genitals and kissing them without permission. Trump apologized but also defended himself, calling his comments "locker-room talk." ___ REPUBLICANS Republicans at first seemed determined to avoid a public airing of the allegations against Kavanaugh and on Monday began a vociferous defense of the judge. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Democrats of keeping the allegation secret until the "eleventh hour" and said Kavanaugh has been thoroughly vetted. Another senior Republican on the Judiciary panel, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, said Kavanaugh told him in a phone call that he wasn't at the party where Ford alleges the assault took place. Hatch told CNN: "Somebody's mixed up." Conspicuously absent from the Republican remarks were any personal attacks against Ford. The restraint may have been aimed at avoiding a fight with Collins and Murkowski, the two GOP senators most likely to derail the nomination. ___ THE ELECTION Trump won 41 percent of votes cast by women nationally in 2016 - despite the "Access Hollywood" tape, his habit of criticizing women's looks and the fact that his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, is a woman. But two years later, the president and his party are facing a headwind of opposition from women in the midterm election that the Kavanaugh allegation could amplify. A record number of women, most of them Democrats, will be on the nation's ballots in the Nov. 6 congressional elections. In the House, Democrats need to flip 23 Republican-held seats to win the majority. In the Senate, the Democrats would have to gain two seats. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman ___ This story has been corrected to show that Trump won 41 percent, not 42 percent, of the female vote. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Police say a developmentally disabled man shot a University of Alabama student, resulting in the arrest of his caregiver. News outlets report the 21-year-old male student was shot in the arm outside a popular brunch spot Sunday. Tuscaloosa police Capt. Kip Hart says the shots rang out from a parked car. Investigators found the car, which had fled the scene, and learned the shooter was a 28-year-old man in the care of 30-year-old Javaris Deangelo Dubose. Hart says Dubose had left his loaded pistol inside the car while making a reservation. Dubose is charged with reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. The unidentified shooter was taken to a facility for monitoring and evaluation. It's unclear if Dubose has an attorney who could comment. The student has been released from the hospital. SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) - Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat producers in the world, announced Monday that its president and CEO Tom Hayes will step down at the end of September for "personal reasons." Tyson's board of directors said its group president of beef, pork and international divisions Noel White will succeed Hayes. Gary Mickelson, Tyson spokesman, did not elaborate on Hayes' resignation, but said, "there are no issues of personal conduct or integrity." This April 4, 2017, photo provided by Tyson Foods Inc., shows Tyson executive Tom Hayes in Springdale, Ark. Tyson Foods has announced its president and chief executive officer Tom Hayes will step down at the end of September for "personal reasons." Tyson's board of directors said Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that its group president of beef, pork and international divisions Noel White will succeed Hayes. (Beth Hall/Tyson Foods Inc. via AP) Hayes joined Tyson in 2014 with its acquisition of The Hillshire Brand Company, where he was chief supply chain officer. In 2016, Hayes was appointed first president and then CEO of the Springdale, Arkansas-based company. "It is a very difficult decision to leave Tyson Foods, but after careful consideration and discussions with my family and the board, I know it is the right thing to do," Hayes said in a statement. Tyson said White has been with the company since 2001, when it acquired beef and pork producer IBP, where White had worked since 1983. He previously served as chief operations officer and president of poultry. John Tyson, chairman of the board of directors and grandson of the company's founder, said the board has "the utmost confidence" in White, who said he was "honored" by the appointment. In an unrelated incident Monday morning, officials reported a fire at White's house in Johnson, Arkansas. Fayetteville Fire Chief David Dayringer said no one was hurt but the home was damaged. Dayringer said the fire appeared to have started accidentally as the result of a gas leak in the fireplace. ___ This story has been corrected to show Tyson acquired IBP in 2001, not 1983. CHICAGO (AP) - Another Daley wants to be mayor of Chicago. Former White House chief of staff William "Bill" Daley said Monday he's running for the seat previously held by his brother, Richard M. Daley, and his father Richard J. Daley. The announcement follows Mayor Rahm Emanuel's surprise decision not to seek a third term in 2019. FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2013 file photo, former White House chief of staff Bill Daley meets with media after making the decision to drop out of Illinois' 2014 gubernatorial race, in Chicago. Daley has decided he wants to be mayor of Chicago. William "Bill" Daley said Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 he's running for the seat previously held by his brother, Richard M. Daley, and his father Richard J. Daley. The announcement follows Mayor Rahm Emanuel's surprise decision not to seek a third term in 2019. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File) Daley says: "I love this city." He says while there is much to celebrate about Chicago, the nation's third-largest city faces serious issues including crime and troubled finances. Daley says he'll fight for "safe, strong, affordable neighborhoods." The 70-year-old was Commerce Secretary under President Bill Clinton and succeeded Emanuel as President Barack Obama's chief of staff. More than a dozen people have said they're running in the Feb. 26 election, and others could still jump in. WASHINGTON (AP) - Farmers worry about falling crop prices and lost sales overseas. Manufacturers fear rising costs and new foreign taxes on their exports. American allies overseas are furious. By any conventional gauge, President Donald Trump's uncompromising stance toward tariffs and the pain they've begun to cause U.S. individuals and companies so close to midterm elections would seem politically reckless. Yet Trump appears to be betting that his combative actions will soon benefit the country and prove a political winner. Ditching decades of U.S. trade policy that he says swindled America and robbed its workers, Trump insists he can save U.S. jobs and factories by abandoning or rewriting trade deals, slapping taxes on imports and waging a brutal tariff war with China, America's biggest trading partner. FILE- In this July 24, 2018, file photo a barn with a banner reading "Trump" is seen behind a field of soy beans in Ashland, Neb. The U.S. and China have imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other's products. Ditching decades of U.S. trade policy that he says swindled America and robbed its workers, President Donald Trump insists he can save U.S. jobs and factories by abandoning or rewriting trade deals, slapping taxes on imports and waging a brutal tariff war with China, America's biggest trading partner. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File) "Prior presidents in both political parties have never really moved to try to help and protect the American economy and its workforce, its farmers, its manufacturing workers, in a way of creating a level playing field," Larry Kudlow, the top White House economic adviser, told reporters last week. "They give it lip service, and then they back off. This president has no intention of backing off. None. Zero." Trump's apparent belief is that he and congressional Republicans can rely on the unswerving support of core GOP voters - even in rural areas that have been economically hurt by his trade disputes - and maybe succeed in delivering better trade deals before Election Day. Still, as an insurance policy against failure, the administration is providing $12 billion in farm aid to soothe trade-war wounds in rural America. All told, it's a high-risk political gamble. "It's still unclear ultimately how the issue plays in November," said Nathan Gonzales, publisher of Inside Elections, a nonpartisan newsletter. The U.S. and China have imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other's products in a rumble over American allegations that Beijing uses predatory tactics to acquire foreign trade secrets and to try to overtake America's global supremacy in high technology. Over the weekend, news reports indicated that the administration is set to announce tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese imports - a step that that would significantly escalate the trade war between the world's two largest economies. Beijing has said it would swiftly retaliate against additional U.S. tariffs. Caught in the crossfire are U.S. soybean farmers, a prime target of Beijing's retaliatory tariffs, whose exports to China account for about 60 percent of their overseas sales. These tariffs make U.S. soybeans prohibitively expensive in China. That means lost sales for American farmers. Separately Trump has enraged U.S. allies like Canada and the European Union by declaring their steel and aluminum a threat to America's national security as justification for slapping taxes on them. On yet another trade front, the president would raise the stakes considerably if he carries out a threat to tax $340 billion in imported cars, trucks and auto parts - action that would raise prices for vehicles Americans buy. What's more, Trump has threatened to kick Canada out of a North American trade bloc if it doesn't cave in to pressure to open its dairy market, among other things. Trump is running into resistance in pockets across the country. American farmers who rely on exports are facing retaliation from U.S. trading partners, which depresses export sales and prices of agricultural commodities. Manufacturers that buy steel and aluminum are being hurt by higher prices and supply shortages resulting from the tariffs on imported metals. Corporations fear that Trump's drive to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement will disrupt the supply chains that they've spent the past 24 years building across the United States, Canada and Mexico. If the trade war with China further escalates, consumers would face higher prices at the mall and online. On the basis of public opinion surveys, at least, the president's approach poses political risks. A poll released Aug. 24 by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 61 percent of Americans disapproved of the president's handling of trade negotiations. "The Trump administration has handed Democrats in the midterms at least a talking point, not just with farmers but with consumers," said Mickey Kantor, the top American trade negotiator under President Bill Clinton and now a partner at the Mayer Brown law firm. Missouri's embattled Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, is trying to link her Republican challenger, Trump ally Josh Hawley, to a nail manufacturing plant that says it might have to close because the Trump steel tariffs have driven up its costs. Likewise in North Dakota, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is running ads tying her Republican challenger, Rep. Kevin Cramer, to Trump's "reckless trade war." Besides unveiling $12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by the conflicts, Trump is seeking to reach trade deals to show that his brass-knuckles approach will succeed in the end. He has said he expects to sign a deal with South Korea later this month during the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier this month, he announced an agreement with Mexico to replace NAFTA - a move intended to pressure Canada to embrace a new North American accord on terms favorable to the United States. Plans are underway for a delegation from China to resume trade discussions with the Trump team as early as this week. In addition, Trump says his team has started trade discussions with Japan and has received interest from India. For the president, the bet is that America's trading partners will capitulate promptly to his demands, rather than delay negotiations in the hope that Democrats will take control of the House and possibly the Senate and leave the president in a weaker bargaining position. "There is some pressure to get results," said Philip Levy, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a White House economist under President George W. Bush. "They need to do something where they can say, 'Hey, this different approach actually works.' " Trump is also relying on the loyalty of his supporters in rural America. He has called farmers "patriots" who are willing to absorb economic pain in the short run to buy time for him to negotiate trade deals more advantageous to the United States. Approval for Trump's performance is still running at 53 percent in rural areas, compared with 39 percent overall, according to an NPR/Marist poll released last week. Even if they're worried about the trade disputes, many rural Americans support Trump's stands on social issues such as immigration - a sign that the president may have enough political leeway to drive forward with his hard line on trade. "Trump," said chief global strategist Greg Valliere of Horizon Investments, "has a lot of Teflon in the farm belt." ___ AP Economics Writer Josh Boak contributed to this report. ___ Follow Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC and Wiseman at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP In this July 25, 2018, photo a worker watches as a cauldron of melted recycled steel finishes it's pour, at the NUCOR Steel Gallatin plant in Ghent, Ky. Ditching decades of U.S. trade policy that he says swindled America and robbed its workers, President Donald Trump insists he can save U.S. jobs and factories by abandoning or rewriting trade deals, slapping taxes on imports and waging a brutal tariff war with China, America's biggest trading partner. Separately Trump has enraged U.S. allies like Canada and the European Union by declaring their steel and aluminum a threat to America's national security as justification for slapping taxes on them. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) FILE- In this June 5, 2018, file photo steel pipes are seen through a roll of steel at the Borusan Mannesmann Pipe manufacturing facility in Baytown, Texas. Ditching decades of U.S. trade policy that he says swindled America and robbed its workers, President Donald Trump insists he can save U.S. jobs and factories by abandoning or rewriting trade deals, slapping taxes on imports and waging a brutal tariff war with China, America's biggest trading partner. Separately Trump has enraged U.S. allies like Canada and the European Union by declaring their steel and aluminum a threat to America's national security as justification for slapping taxes on them. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) FILE- This is a July 13, 2018, file photo shows a seedpod in a young soybean plant, one of the crops on The Gaddis Farms in Bolton, Miss. The U.S. and China have imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other's products. Caught in the crossfire are U.S. soybean farmers, a prime target of Beijing's retaliatory tariffs, whose exports to China account for about 60 percent of their overseas sales. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) - Actress Diane Neal will be on the November ballot as an independent congressional candidate in a sprawling upstate New York district after winning a court case over her petition signatures. The state Board of Elections last month rejected over 1,800 of the more than 4,100 signatures on Neal's petition to get on the ballot in the 19th Congressional District. On Monday, the state Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled in Neal's favor in her challenge of the decision. Democrat Antonio Delgado is challenging Republican Rep. John Faso to represent the district north of the New York City area. File-This May 2, 2018, file photo shows actress Diane Neal posing at a diner, during an interview in Kingston, N.Y. Neal will be on the November ballot as an independent congressional candidate in a sprawling upstate New York district after winning a court case over her petition signatures. The state Board of Elections last month rejected over 1,800 of the more than 4,100 signatures on Neal's petition to get on the ballot in the 19th Congressional District. On Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, the state Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled in Neal's favor in her challenge of the decision. Democrat Antonio Delgado is challenging Republican Rep. John Faso to represent the district north of the New York City metro area. Neal portrayed Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak on "Law and Order: SVU." She hasn't held political office and lives in the Ulster County village of Hurley. (AP Photo/Mary Esch, File) Neal portrayed Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak on "Law and Order: SVU." She hasn't held political office and lives in the Ulster County village of Hurley. Many residents of the Carolinas have seen hurricane flooding before, but they say they haven't seen anything like the deluge Florence has dropped over both states since making landfall late last week. Here are snapshots of people struggling to cope with the flooding while rivers were still rising: WORSE THAN MATTHEW Lumberton, North Carolina, resident Kevin Caudle, his wife and son put on calf-high rubber boots and grabbed handfuls of garbage bags to retrieve belongings from their home in a flooded neighborhood. Brent Lamb, right, and his daughter Laci, 4, are removed from a flooded neighborhood by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, following flooding from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) They had stayed in their house until Sunday night, when rising floodwaters prompted them to go to a relative's home on drier ground elsewhere in Lumberton, which is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Wilmington . Caudle said Hurricane Matthew had damaged some duct work but had not totally ruined his house nearly two years ago. Surveying the murky brown water that had risen by Monday morning, he said Florence's deluge appeared worse. "We thought (Matthew) was a 100-year storm. But 23 months later, there's this," he said. "It's worse than Matthew. The water is going higher than Matthew. I've never seen it that high." Caudle and his family then waded into the brown water, past a U.S. Coast Guard trailer where three boats had launched to patrol the neighborhood and rescue people needing help. On one of those boats was Julie Lamb and her 15-month-old twins. Lamb's husband, 4-year-old daughter and pug dog were waiting for a second boat to rescue them from the home of Lamb's parents. During Matthew, flooding never reached the house. But Monday, the yard was underwater, and the flooding looked far from over. "It's coming up. We were just praying for the best," Lamb's husband, Brian, said. CALLING FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE Miguel Melo was trying to drive from North Carolina to Florida to get to a friend's house when his SUV stalled out in high water in Lumberton. The 22-year-old got stranded with his stalled car in a dry patch on a service road parallel to Interstate 95, which was closed due to rising waters. "The GPS brought me here. It's stupid, and it's really bad. I'm in trouble," said the Raleigh resident. State officials had warned in previous days that GPS was aiming people toward flooded routes and urged people to check for road closures before driving. Melo called his car insurance company to send roadside assistance, but he was not sure when or if it would arrive. He shrugged when asked if he had been concerned about driving through an area hit by the storm. "I'm crazy. I made a bad decision," he said. STUCK WITH FLOODING Liz and Lee Reeser evacuated from Eastover, north of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to a friend's farm a few miles away when a swamp drainage canal feeding into the Cape Fear River threatened to flood their home Sunday. By Monday morning, their cul-de-sac was covered in at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) of water, nearly submerging mailboxes. Even though rain has started to let up in the Fayetteville area, floodwaters continue to rise as the region drains. The Reesers didn't want to take chances with Florence, especially since the fire department had to rescue them when Hurricane Matthew flooded their home two years ago. Lee Reeser said they were not able to return to their home for 13 months after that storm. He is fed up with getting flooded out, but says he's stuck with the house he has. "Yeah, I considered moving, but who is going to buy a house that floods?" he said. "I'd have to jack it up like a birdhouse 13 feet up in the air." ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Drew in Lumberton, North Carolina, and Alex Derosier in Eastover, North Carolina, contributed to this report. ___ For the latest on Florence, visit www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes Miguel Melo walks down a flooded road after his car stalled while driving through the water in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) The Coast Guard helps Julie Lamb out of a boat with her infant children after a water rescue on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Lumberton, NC. (AP Photo/Jonathan Drew) Water rushes just underneath a bridge in Lumberton, N.C., in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team check on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A man tries to get his dog out of a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Latest on the sentencing of a former Oklahoma state senator convicted of child sex trafficking (all times local): 11:50 a.m. A former Republican state senator in Oklahoma has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on a child sex trafficking charge. FILE - This March 16, 2017, file photo, provided by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office in Norman, Okla., shows Ralph Shortey. The former Republican state senator is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, on a child sex trafficking charge. (Cleveland County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) Ralph Shortey was sentenced Monday in federal court in Oklahoma City. He had faced a sentence of up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Shortey pleaded guilty in November in exchange for prosecutors dropping three child pornography charges against him. He said the plea deal was in the best interest of him and his family. The 36-year-old Shortey was arrested in March 2017 after police found him in a suburban Oklahoma City motel room with a then-17-year-old boy. He resigned shortly after the arrest. Shortey was twice elected in a district covering south Oklahoma City and parts of two suburbs. ___ 7:15 a.m. A former Republican state senator in Oklahoma faces a minimum of 10 years in prison on a child sex trafficking charge. Ralph Shortey is due in federal court in Oklahoma City Monday. He could be sentenced to as much as life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Shortey pleaded guilty in November in exchange for prosecutors dropping three child pornography charges against him. He said the plea deal was in the best interest of him and his family. The 36-year-old Shortey was arrested in March 2017 after police found him in a suburban Oklahoma City motel room with a then-17-year-old boy. He resigned shortly after the arrest. Shortey was twice elected in a district covering south Oklahoma City and parts of two suburbs. Leading travel commerce platform Travelport has appointed Mark Meehan as managing director of its newly formed Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APACMEA) region. Meehan has built a distinguished career at Travelport, having been successful in a range of high-profile global and regional roles over his 19-year tenure with the company. Most recently, he was managing director of Travelports Asia Pacific operations, which grew by 10 per cent during 2017. Prior to this, Meehan was managing director for Travelport Africa, a role that saw him grow the companys share across the continent and establish owned operations in both South Africa and Kenya. Before his time in Africa, Meehan was senior vice president of Global Operations at Travelport, charged with driving excellence in customer service across the business. He also held the role of Vice President of Finance and Acquisition, where he led the integration of several businesses acquired in countries including the UK, Italy and Denmark. In his new role, Meehan will focus on bringing greater alignment across Travelports operations in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa; high growth territories that share commonalities in customer needs and operational delivery. While he will continue to be based in Singapore, he will also regularly work from Travelports office in Dubai, which acts as the companys sub-regional headquarters for the Middle East and Africa. Stephen Shurrock, chief commercial officer at Travelport, said: We see substantial growth opportunities across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, which we feel will be best realised through a more united operational approach. In Mark, we have the perfect person to lead this new region. His exceptional leadership skills, proven track record and deep understanding of territories across APACMEA are second to none. I look forward to working closely with him to accelerate the regions collective commercial success. Meehan added: Im delighted to take on this newly expanded role. Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa are all exciting, dynamic and fast-paced territories, which share many of the same opportunities and challenges. I look forward to embracing these in collaboration with our customers, and where better place to start than in Cape Town next week at Travelport LIVE Africa. The event will bring customers from across the continent together with leaders from Travelport, as well as partners like Microsoft, to discuss the new normal in travel technology and the many opportunities it brings. - TradeArabia News Service NEW YORK (AP) - Police have arrested a man on arson charges in connection with the fire in a parking garage that damaged dozens of vehicles and sent thick black smoke billowing over a Brooklyn neighborhood. Twenty-three-year-old Avon Stephens, of Brooklyn, was arrested Monday, hours after the fire broke out on two floors of the four-story garage at around 9 a.m. in the Mill Basin neighborhood. The Kings Plaza mall was closed as a result. Fire officials say 21 people were injured. All but three of them were firefighters. None of the injuries are considered life-threatening. In this screen shot from video, smoke billows from a fire at a parking garage in the Mill Basin neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. The Fire Department of New York said dozens of vehicles were damaged when the fire broke out on two floors of the four-story garage at around 9 a.m., causing non-life-threatening injuries to 21 people, including 18 firefighters, and the Kings Plaza mall was closed as a result. (Citizen App via AP) It took nearly three hours to get the fire under control. The cause is under investigation. It wasn't clear if Stephens had a lawyer who could comment. JACKSON, Ky. (AP) - Police say an eastern Kentucky man who barricaded himself in a home and fired at officers has died. Trooper Jody Sims told WYMT-TV that police were called Sunday to a home in Breathitt County for a welfare check and had shots fired in their direction upon their arrival. Sims said a state police detective suffered minor injuries when a bullet fragment ricocheted and hit him in the face. He said the man who fired the shots died. Sims did not release a cause of death and said it was unclear whether police returned fire. He said the identity of the deceased was being withheld pending notification of kin. Police were investigating. No other information was immediately released. ___ Information from: WYMT-TV, http://www.wymt.com/ FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The river seethed a quarter-mile away, bulging from its banks, so the patrol cars circled the neighborhood three times. "Get out now," a voice boomed from a bullhorn. "This is an emergency." Waheeda Reese and her 14-year-old daughter, Anissa, were inside watching news reports about drowned towns all over the state and rain that hadn't yet stopped. U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Samuel Knoeppel, top, and Randy Haba, bottom left, talk to Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., as he is rescued from a rooftop in Pollocksville, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) "All that water is going to come this way," Anissa said, trying to convince her mother it was time to leave. The city had taped a mandatory evacuation notice to their front door, and a friend in the fire department had called to warn: "I don't want to have to come pick you up in a boat." They still had 22 hours until a deadline to go, and Waheeda wanted to stay. She pointed out the window and said, wishfully, "Look, I think the rain's letting up." As the days drag on, Hurricane Florence has taken this deceptive turn: The violent winds that rattled shingles off houses and tore down trees have subsided, and the pounding rain has eased, lulling many in the storm's path into believing they've already weathered the worst of it - even as rivers quietly churn and continue to rise. The storm has claimed more than 30 lives and an untold number of homes on its slow march across North Carolina, inundating city after city : Wilmington, New Bern, Lumberton. Now authorities are warning that by the time the Cape Fear River in Cumberland County crests Tuesday at 62 feet (19 meters) - 27 feet (8 meters) over its flood stage - it will threaten to swamp anything within a mile on either side of it. Its tributary, the Little River, is expected to flood, too. More than 7,000 people were ordered to evacuate by Sunday afternoon. But many, weary of a storm that's lingered on and on, did their own rough calculus of the odds and decided to stay. As the Cape Fear River swelled, rescue teams trudged along its banks, pleading with people to get out of its way. Police officers went door to door. The mayor of Fayetteville presented the problem in the starkest of terms: Evacuate or notify your legal next of kin. Military trucks in rural corners of the county barreled down dirt roads quickly becoming mud pits. "Please go," soldiers asked stubborn residents along the massive river that curls downstream through small towns, farms and rural mobile home parks and into the city of Fayetteville, where the Reeses live in a subdivision that butts up against the bank. Anissa's friend down the street was evacuating with his family and knocked on her door, begging her and her mother to come. The Reeses had packed their things just in case, tucking important documents in a water-tight bag. They stacked chairs on top of tables and moved all the family photos upstairs. Then they waited to see what would happen. A few miles away, a high-water rescue team comprising two dozen soldiers from Fort Bragg rested on cots in an arena - preparing for water to surge into neighborhoods and send residents climbing out windows and onto rooftops, a familiar scene since Florence made landfall Friday morning. "I want to make sure those citizens realize the decisions they're making," said Lt. John Savage, who commands the team that knocked on doors to talk with those staying behind. "We have thorough conversations with them to let them know the gravity of the situation they're in." Over the weekend, a military truck rolled down the mucky lane to Kevin Blades' house 20 miles (32 kilometers) upstream from Fayetteville, near where the Cape Fear and Little rivers meet. Savage said there is particular concern about this area. Six horses were drinking from floodwater already pooling on the front lawn. Power had been out for days. The dirt road to the house was so soggy, the truck got stuck in the mud and Blades and a neighbor had to tow it out. Blades informed the soldiers he planned to stay anyway and not to worry because he had an escape plan in mind. "If I have to," he said, "I'll ride the horses out of here." The soldiers left, the Blades played cards, the rain poured on, and the river rose. Down the road, in the tiny town of Linden, Mayor Marie Butler woke up Sunday morning and asked her son to drive her to look at the Little River. She'd encouraged her residents to leave, but just about everyone she knows decided to stay, so she felt like she had to stay, too - to sound the alarm if the river gets close to spilling over. "It didn't look that bad," she said. "It's going to get bad," her son, Thurman Jackson, replied. "There's a lot of water coming down that river." "I'm just praying that the Lord turns it around," Butler said, looking up at the sky. From Linden, the Little River ribbons west to a town called Spring Lake, where authorities shut down already-flooded roads and some who'd stayed put started to worry. Mary Ingram stood outside a convenience store, open only thanks to a generator. She lives with her mother and 1-year-old son two blocks outside of the mandatory evacuation area, so she thought they'd be safe. Then it hit her: "My mom can't swim. So if it does flood, I can't save both her and the baby." She decided to stay, nonetheless. In the tiny hamlet of Wade, population around 570, Athena Moore has been waiting out Florence in her mobile home a quarter mile (half a kilometer) from the Cape Fear River. Many of her neighbors cleared out, but she's hosting two friends who fled from the coast as the hurricane roared ashore only to find themselves now in a flood zone. They're all planning to stay, because they don't have anywhere else to go. Back in Fayetteville, as downtown streets started flooding Sunday, Waheeda Reese finally decided it was time to pack the car and get her daughter out. "So would you be offended if I just dropped you off and came back to stay here?" she asked Anissa. "Kind of," her daughter said. "Why?" "Because you need to be safe, too." ___ Follow Claire Galofaro on Twitter at https://twitter.com/clairegalofaro ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes In this Sunday afternoon, Sept 16, 2018 photo, Waheeda Reese and her daughter, Anissa, pack up the car to leave their home in a mandatory evacuation area in Fayetteville, N.C., barely making the 3 p.m. deadline officials set for residents to leave the area. The Cape Fear River runs about a quarter-mile from their subdivision, and police cars have been circling through demanding over the loud speaker that they evacuate. Waheeda was hesitant to leave her home as the floodwaters rose, and Anissa had tried to convince her for days it was time. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro) In this Sunday afternoon, Sept 16, 2018 photo, Waheeda Reese watches it rain from a window in her home in a mandatory evacuation area in Fayetteville, N.C. The Cape Fear River that runs about a quarter-mile away from her subdivision is expected to crest Tuesday, and authorities have ordered people within a mile of its banks to get out immediately. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro) In this Sunday afternoon, Sept 16, 2018 photo, Mary Ingram checks the news on her phone outside a convenience store in Spring Lake, N.C, about a mile from where the Little River runs. Officials warn that the river is likely to pour from its banks and inundate towns in Cumberland County. Ingram lives just outside the mandatory evacuation zone, and was growing worried about the rising water. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro) Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence inundates homes in Pollocksville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team check on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A man tries to get his dog out of a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Residents paddle a boat through a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A tow truck operator moves through standing water n Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 where the Lumber River overflowed and flooded a stretch of Interstate 95 following Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Rescue personnel paddle through a flooded apartment complex to evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The Latest on the fatal shooting of a deputy (all times local): 12:35 p.m. A man with a history of drug convictions has been identified as the suspect in the fatal shooting of a Kansas sheriff's deputy. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office announced Monday that 29-year-old Robert Greeson tussled with Deputy Robert Kunze Sunday afternoon about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Wichita. The deputy was shot once and died at a hospital. Greeson was found dead at the scene with two gunshot wounds. Kansas Department of Corrections records show Greeson had convictions for selling and distributing drugs and for aggravated battery. While incarcerated, he had multiple disciplinary infractions, including for fighting. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says the shooting happened as Kunze responded to a report about a man in a stolen black truck who was lurking around two all-terrain vehicles and another pickup. ___ 7 a.m. Authorities say a Kansas sheriff's deputy and a suspect were killed during a fight that broke out as the suspect was being arrested. The Wichita Eagle reports that Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says Deputy Robert Kunze was shot Sunday about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Wichita after responding to a call about a suspicious person. Easter says Kunze patted down the suspect's waistband and found a 40-caliber handgun. Kunze was handcuffing the suspect when the fight began. Easter says Kunze's service weapon was discharged, but investigators don't know if the suspect's handgun was fired. Another deputy who responded found Kunze on the ground along with the suspect, whose name hasn't been released. The deputy died at a hospital, while the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. ___ Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com NEW YORK (AP) - The lawyer for a New York City transit worker charged in a possible road-rage killing says he believes police arrested the wrong person. Bus maintenance worker Gifford Hunter was arraigned Monday in the death of off-duty correction officer Jonathan Narain. Correction officers packed the courtroom. Police say Narain and Hunter, who was on a motorcycle, argued before Hunter opened fire at a Queens intersection and sped away early Friday. Defense attorney Kenneth Finkelman tells WCBS that Hunter has no criminal record and doesn't own a gun. ___ Information from: WCBS-TV, http://www.cbs2ny.com LAREDO, Texas (AP) - The Latest on the arrest of a Border Patrol accused of killing four women (all times local): 4:15 p.m. A Texas prosecutor says a Border Patrol agent targeted a vulnerable community when he killed four women. Law enforcement officers gather near the scene where the body of a woman was found near Interstate 35 north of Laredo, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four women was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman who had been abducted managed to escape from him and notify authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a "serial killer." (Danny Zaragoza/The Laredo Morning Times via AP) Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz spoke Monday about the allegations against 35-year-old Juan David Ortiz. He's accused of fatally shooting four women and injuring a fifth who escaped. Alaniz says Ortiz sought out a "community of people" who were vulnerable "whether it be because of alcohol, substance abuse, drug addiction or prostitution." Alaniz noted that all of the victims were shot in the head with a handgun and taken to desolate areas around Laredo. Alaniz says Ortiz "executed" the victims in a "cold and callous way." Alaniz said that investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the killings. ___ 3:20 p.m. A Texas prosecutor says the Border Patrol agent charged with killing four women is a "rogue individual" whose actions don't reflect on the agency. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz spoke during a news conference Monday about the murder charges against 35-year-old Juan David Ortiz. He's also accused of injuring a fifth woman who escaped. Alaniz praised law enforcement for tracking and arresting Ortiz early Saturday. He says Ortiz's actions "do not reflect the work done by the men and women of Border Patrol." U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost echoed the sentiments and said Ortiz has been placed on unpaid suspension. Webb County sheriff's Chief Deputy Federico Garza says Ortiz wasn't on duty and wore civilian clothes during the killings. ___ 2:40pm Investigators say a Border Patrol agent accused of killing four women collected an arsenal of weapons to prepare for a confrontation with Texas police after he thought he'd been identified. Webb County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Federico Garza released the information Monday during a news conference. He says 35-year-old Juan David Ortiz collected numerous weapons at his home after another victim escaped and sought help from a state trooper at a nearby gas station. Garza says Ortiz wasn't immediately identified as the suspect in the woman's kidnapping and the deaths. But he was later identified and spotted at another gas station hours later. He fled and hid in a hotel parking lot. Garza says Ortiz "was going to try to commit suicide by cop" by brandishing his cellphone to look like a weapon. Instead, Ortiz was taken into custody this weekend in Laredo, Texas. He's being held on $2.5 million bond on several charges, including four counts of murder. ___ 1:10 p.m. The Navy says a Border Patrol agent accused of killing four women near the U.S.-Mexico border was in the service for almost eight years. A biography of Juan David Ortiz released Monday says that he enlisted in the Navy in July 2001 and served until May 2009. He was listed as a hospital corpsman, second class. He joined the Border Patrol shortly after leaving the Navy. The Border Patrol often recruits servicemembers and gives hiring preference to eligible veterans. Authorities say the 35-year-old Ortiz "provided a voluntary verbal confession" early Saturday in the deaths of the four women. He's being held on $2.5 million bond on four counts of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful restraint. ___ 12 a.m. A U.S. Border Patrol supervisor remains jailed in Texas after he confessed to killing four women and assaulting a fifth who managed to escape, police said in court records. Juan David Ortiz is being held in Laredo on $2.5 million bond on four counts of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint. According to affidavits , the 35-year-old Ortiz "provided a voluntary verbal confession" early Saturday in the deaths of the women. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz described Ortiz as a serial killer whose victims were believed to be prostitutes. Jail records don't list an attorney to speak for Ortiz, who had worked for Border Patrol for 10 years. He is the second Border Patrol agent in Laredo to be arrested on a murder charge this year. Law enforcement officers gather near the scene where the body of a woman was found near Interstate 35 north of Laredo, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four women was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman who had been abducted managed to escape from him and notify authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a "serial killer." (Danny Zaragoza/The Laredo Morning Times via AP) PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) - Stanford University is dropping the name of a controversial 18th century Spanish priest and colonizer from its mailing address and two dormitories. Junipero Serra led the system of missions in California that "contributed to the destruction of the cultural, economic, and religious practices of indigenous communities and left many tribal communities decimated," according to the advisory committee that recommended removing his name. Serra founded the first nine of 21 missions built by Spanish colonists from 1769 to 1823, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday . Native Americans were kept as slave labor and punished if they tried to escape. File - In this Sept. 23, 2015 file photo, an interview is conducted next to a statue of Junipero Serra at the Carmel Mission in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif. Northern California's Stanford University has announced it will drop the name of a controversial 18th century Spanish priest from two dormitories and its mailing address. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, that Serra led the California Missions system that helped destroy native culture throughout California. Serra founded the first nine of 21 missions built by Spanish colonists from 1769 to 1823. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) The decision by the prestigious private school is the latest example of universities, cities and other institutions abandoning statues or names of controversial historical figures. Last week, San Francisco removed a statue long decried as racist. The "Early Days" sculpture showed a Spanish cowboy and priest towering over an indigenous person. The university is seeking to rename its mailing address, Serra Mall, for its co-founder Jane Stanford. Two dorms named for Serra will get new monikers. "We hope that renaming the two Serra houses and Serra Mall will remove a significant hurt to Native Americans, other members of the Stanford community, and the larger diverse world that Stanford seeks to embrace," the advisory committee wrote. The committee acknowledged the "sense of loss" that alumni and others might feel at changing the university's main street. But it also said that the Serra name is a source of "genuine pain." ___ Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - NASA chiefs going back 30 years have come together to mark the space agency's 60th anniversary. Five former NASA administrators joined current boss Jim Bridenstine in Orlando on Monday. It was the largest gathering ever of NASA heads and included every administrator since 1989. The conference was arranged by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The longest-serving administrator, Daniel Goldin of the 1990s, told Bridenstine there's more to NASA than human spaceflight and that the science and technology programs can help draw more public support. In this photo provided by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), from left, former NASA Administrators Richard Truly, Daniel Goldin, Sean O'Keefe, Michael Griffin and Charles Bolden and current NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and former NASA Historian Roger Launius, pose for a photo, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. The group gathered to mark the upcoming 60th anniversary of NASA, during a meeting of AIAA. (AIAA via AP) Richard Truly of the post-Challenger shuttle era agreed, but noted humans need to explore. Bridenstine, meanwhile, ran down NASA's latest plans for sending astronauts back to the moon. Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin was present for the panel discussion. NASA began operations on Oct. 1, 1958. MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (AP) - A judge threw out a man's murder conviction Monday in the 2014 death of a Southern Illinois University student after saying that jurors could have been confused by wording in the man's indictment. Jackson Circuit Court Judge Mark Clarke had delayed Gaege Bethune's sentencing hearing, originally set for August, to Monday after the Eldorado, Illinois, man hired a new defense attorney following his conviction who questioned his trial and the evidence prosecutors had presented. A jury convicted Bethune in June of first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Pravin Varughese, an SIU student from the suburban Chicago community of Morton Grove. This undated photo provided by the Jackson County Sheriffs Office in Murphysboro, Ill., shows Gaege Bethune. A Jackson County judge vacated Bethune's first-degree murder conviction Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the 2014 death of Southern Illinois University student Pravin Varughese. A jury had convicted Bethune in June in the suburban Chicago man's death, but his new defense attorney sought to have the conviction thrown out. The case is now set for a new trial. (Jackson County Sheriffs Office via AP) Prosecutors said Bethune and Varughese were intoxicated when they fought while driving around Carbondale looking for cocaine in February 2014 and that Bethune caused head injuries that left Varughese disoriented and led to his hypothermia death. But Bethune's new defense attorney, Steven Greenberg, argued that no evidence was presented at trial to prove the claim that Bethune caused head injuries that left Varughese disoriented and led to his death. "It's not a murder," Greenberg said of his primary issue with Bethune's conviction and the trial. Before announcing Monday's ruling vacating the conviction, Clarke said prosecutors did present sufficient evidence for the conviction and that there was no misconduct on anyone's part. But he said there was the possibility that the jury could have been swayed by the wording of Bethune's indictment. Bethune is now set for a new trial, which has not yet been scheduled. Bethune's father, Don Bethune, called Monday's ruling "definitely a blessing" and said he's hopeful for his son's next trial. "We all believe you've got to do things right and things will come back right," he told The Southern Illinoisan. __ This story has been corrected to show that Bethune, not Varughese, is from the southern Illinois community of Eldorado. SEATTLE (AP) - The last of the estimated 125,000 Washington state children who missed the start of school because of teacher strikes are now all going back to class, ending a series of teacher strikes over pay raises that escalated some cases to court and state intervention. South of Seattle in the city of Tumwater, teachers ratified a new work contract agreement on Monday after a 16-day strike. Tumwater teachers were the last of the Washington state educators on the picket lines and school is expected to start for the district's 6,800 children on Tuesday. Tumwater was among the 13 school districts across the state that had teacher strikes over a monthlong period that began in August, affecting about 11 percent of the state's 1.1 million school children. Bargaining units at most of the state's 295 school systems had sought to renegotiate salaries this year after the state infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle that determined the state was inadequately funding public education. Meeting in the Tumwater High School gymnasium Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Tumwater, Wash. Black Hills High School teacher Matt Bell leads a jubilant group of his fellow educators in the Neil Diamond song "Sweet Caroline" as they celebrate a 98% ratification of their new two-year contract with the district. (Steve Bloom/The Olympian via AP) Most of the disputes were negotiated quietly and many ended with double-digit percent salary increases for teachers amid orders from the lawsuit and as political dynamics with the "Red4Ed" protest movement shifted the national conversation about teacher pay and value. In Washington state, teachers largely prevailed despite escalation tactics on both sides. Tumwater teachers were among the two unions dealt a blow when the district sued them to get them back into the classroom and a judge declared that the teacher strikes were illegal. Tumwater teachers resisted that order, as no penalties were imposed, but they were due back in court on Monday. New contract terms with 16.7 percent pay raises were then reached by late Sunday. The district issued a statement that read in part: "This agreement honors the valuable work our educators conduct with students as well as our commitment to providing a professional and competitive wage." Monday also marked the first day of school for Tacoma Public Schools, one of the state's largest districts, after teachers went on strike for 10 days. The teachers' union had rejected the district's call for a state arbitrator before winning 14 percent pay raises for all certified educators and 19 percent pay raises for office staff. The Battle Ground School district had similarly asked for the state's rarely-used Public Employment Relations Commission to provide third-party "fact-finding" that could have resulted in non-binding pay recommendations, which the unions had decried as a stall tactic. Angel Morton, president of the Tacoma teachers union, said teachers and school staff are now working to repair their relationship with the administrators. "We ended up with what we asked for all along," Morton said. Other school district teachers also threaten to walk off their jobs by voting to authorize strikes. Teachers at Seattle Public Schools, the state's largest district, did so but soon reached a one-year deal giving them 10.5 percent raises just before the first day of school with a new superintendent at the helm. ___ Follow AP Education Reporter Sally Ho on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_SallyHo. By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, claimed in the last week of August that the state government had succeeded in considerably reducing the number of deaths due to encephalitis in the state. Yogis claimwhich was not supported by any concrete datawas endorsed by many lawmakers and even several media outlets went ahead to report the same claim without any verification. However, the reason behind Adityanaths strange claim lies in the data released by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). In the data released earlier this month, NVBDCP miraculously reduced the number of deaths until the end of the August. Support TwoCircles Until the end of July, NVBDCP reported that the total number of deaths because of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) were 124. Out of this, AES accounted for 118 deaths while JE was responsible for 6 deaths. But when data was released in September, which also included the total number of deaths until the end of August, the total number was strangely reduced to 113. Out of this number, 110 deaths were because of AES while only 3 deaths were said to have been due to JE. NVBDCP has reported that until July 31, UP had 1,299 cases of AES out of which 118 lost their lives. The number of cases pertaining to JE was 75, out of which 6 patients lost their lives. But until August, NVBDCP reported, that UP had 1,545 cases of AES out of which 110 people lost their lives, and 3 patients died out of 90 cases of JE. The data released by NVBDCP shows that the total deaths this year by August compared to the figures released in July. Even simple calculations prove that the authorities have been playing with the death data and it is possible that such manipulated numbers are the basis of the claims made by Yogi Adityanath and several other politicians. In August, we released a detailed investigation explaining why and how Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur had stopped providing death figures to anyone in the state. We also reported that detailed death numberswhich were being issued every day until October last yearwere handed out to one or two persons, including chief medical officer (CMO) Gorakhpur, in sealed envelopes. If only the numbers from BRD Medical College would be taken into account, 89 children lost their lives because of encephalitis until the end of July. The number, revealed by our sources at the medical college, was confirmed by CMO Gorakhpur in a detailed meeting last month. So if only at BRD Medical College 89 deaths were recorded due to encephalitis, there is very less possibility that the whole state would have seen only 118 deaths. What remains unanswered is how the total number of deaths actually decreased in August versus July, making the official report look dubious and faulty. Gorakhpur has been fighting the outbreak of encephalitis for the past several years. After last years August tragedy in which a few dozen children lost their lives because of a critical shortage of oxygen, BRD Medical College has indeed learned some lessons. The hospital has created a couple of big wards with an increase of around 200 beds. Ganesh Kumar, the Medical College Principal, who is upset with media because of negative reporting, claims that the hospital has managed the load so well that the staff is free most of the time. However, many doctors refuted this by saying that authorities still have to do many things to ensure life for children. We also reported that BRD Medical College was actually not reporting the cases of Japanese Encephalitis to ensure that there would be lesser patients of encephalitis in the records. In our prolonged reports and investigations, we have managed to produce the number of dead children only, but the death number released by NVBDCP comprise deaths occurred in every age group. So if the number of dead children is 89 at just BRD Medical College, how is the cumulative death number only around 110 for the state? A senior paediatrician at Lucknows King George Medical College told TwoCircles.net, The numbers are indeed misleading. If around 90 children died at Gorakhpur medical college only, how is it possible that only 28 deaths occurred in rest of the state? He further said, It clearly shows that central government is suggesting the state authorities in Uttar Pradesh to basically lie about deaths of innocent children. When TwoCircles.net reached out for comments over the misleading numbers, this correspondent did not get any reply from regional centres and officers of NVBDCP. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Florence - which was once a hurricane and now is a tropical depression - is being blamed for at least 32 deaths in the Carolinas and Virginia. 25 were in North Carolina. Officials in those states are still worried about what's to come, because it's still raining and rivers are swelling. Several of the people who died in recent days were swept up in stormwaters. Three small children have been killed, two from falling trees. Here's a look at Florence's victims: SLIPPED OUT OF HIS MOTHER'S GRASP Rescue workers recover the body of a 1-year-old in Union County on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 after the child was swept away in floodwaters resulting from the remnants of Hurricane Florence on Sunday. (David T. Foster III/The Charlotte Observer via AP) A 1-year-old boy was swept into floodwaters Sunday when the car his mother was driving came upon rushing water. The water from a nearby creek in Union County had risen quickly, and the current was swift. Dazia Lee told local media that she isn't from the area and was unfamiliar with the roads. The water pushed her car off the road and left her stuck in a group of trees, authorities said. Lee was able to get Kaiden Lee-Welch out of the car, but the water caused her to lose her grip, she told Fox 46 WJZY . "I was holding his hand, trying to hold him, trying to pull him up," she told the TV station. "I couldn't hold on anymore and he let go." She described him as "the sweetest boy." Little Kaiden's body was found Monday. A family member outside the home Monday said the mother was in the town of Monroe to return her son's body to Charlotte. He said Lee was doing all right, but he teared up after a visitor spoke with him. Lee said that she would never intentionally put her baby in harm's way. Lee said she is from Charlotte and said there was no barricade telling her about the dangerous situation ahead. "I saw people coming in and out, so that's when I thought, I was about to detour but I stopped I saw the cars coming in and out... thought it was safe," Lee told WCNC . Lee said she was bringing the baby to visit his great-grandmother. Police had initially reported that the mother went around the barricades before entering the dangerous road. IN HIS MOTHER'S ARMS Three-month-old Kade Gill, who was born on Father's Day, was in his mother's arms. They were sitting on the sofa when a tree crashed through the roof of the family's mobile home, killing the child. "The tree had divided us," said father Olen Gill, who talked to The Gaston Gazette when he returned to the destroyed home with his wife after her release from the hospital. "I'm in the kitchen and she's in the living room on the couch." The tragedy happened Sunday in Dallas, North Carolina, which is about 240 miles (385 kilometers) west of where Hurricane Florence made landfall Friday in Wrightsville Beach. Mother Tammy Gill said she called her son "Little Man," and that he was born premature. "He was a fighter in the beginning. He came five weeks early, survived the NICU 10 days," she said. Her daughter Autumn Gill told The Charlotte Observer that her parents, who have been together 22 years, thought their family was complete after five children. "They didn't think she could have another," Autumn Gill said. "Surprise! We got baby Kade." They'd later tell her they heard only a gust of wind before one of those towering pines smashed into their home. Olen Gill, standing in the kitchen, was unharmed but couldn't reach his wife and baby. Tammy Gill, who told her daughter she had just settled on the couch to feed Kade, couldn't move. Both mother and child were trapped by the tree, a neighbor told the paper. Rescue workers had to cut the tree to free Tammy Gill. They tried to revive her infant, but doctors at a nearby hospital pronounced him dead. RESCUERS PRAYED FOR MOTHER AND SON Leasha Murphy-Johnson and her 8-month-old son were the first fatalities reported from the storm. Murphy-Johnson, her husband Zac and their son were in bed Friday morning when a massive tree fell into their house in Wilmington, North Carolina. Authorities said it killed mother and baby, and trapped Zac Johnson. Rescuers worked for hours with airbags, saws, heavy lifting and other specialized equipment to free him. Zac Johnson was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries and will survive, according to the Port City News . Neighbor Adam Sparks told The Associated Press that before the storm hit, he noticed the family was stocking up. "It went from zero to 100 real quick," he said. "Really all you could do is stay inside and hope for the best." At first he thought the firefighters were there to help restore electricity, but when he saw police and paramedics arrive he knew it was something much more tragic. Sparks said his neighbors "were a regular American family just like anyone else." When rescuers realized there was nothing more they could do to save the mother and son, they knelt in a prayer circle in the driveway. FLASH FLOODING PROVED DEADLY Rhonda R. Hartley, 30, died early Sunday after driving a pickup truck into standing water near Gilbert, South Carolina, losing control and hitting a tree, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. Jeffrey B. Youngren 42, of Elgin, South Carolina, also died Sunday when a pickup truck hit a bridge piling in Kershaw County, said Coroner David West, who added that weather "played a big part" in the death. Michael Dalton Prince, 23, died Sunday after the truck he was riding in lost control on a flooded two-lane road in Georgetown County, South Carolina, said Coroner Kenny Johnson. The driver and another passenger escaped after the truck landed upside down in a flooded ditch. Officials caution people not to drive down barricaded roads and to be cautious of any standing water. What seems like a small puddle can escalate into a raging current within seconds. "Our hearts go out to the families of those who died in this storm," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday. "Hurricane Florence is going to continue its violent grind across our state for days. Be extremely careful and stay alert." ___ Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Jonathan Drew in Wilmington, North Carolina, contributed to this report. ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes . Rescue workers recover the body of a 1-year-old in Union County on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 after the child was swept away in floodwaters resulting from the remnants of Hurricane Florence on Sunday. (David T. Foster III/The Charlotte Observer via AP) CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Grizzly bears aren't docile animals, but an especially aggressive attack that killed a hunting guide and injured his client is puzzling wildlife officials. A female bear that was with its cub killed Mark Uptain of Jackson Hole and injured Corey Chubon of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, after they went to cut up an elk that Chubon shot with an arrow a day earlier. Unlike other grizzlies that frequently startle and sometimes attack elk hunters in the Yellowstone National Park region, these bears didn't appear to be after the meat and weren't taken by surprise, Wyoming Game and Fish Department regional supervisor Brad Hovinga said Monday. FILE - In this July 6, 2011, file photo, a grizzly bear roams near Beaver Lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wy. An attack by a female and her more than 1-year-old cub in the Teton Wilderness east of Grand Teton National Park happened in an area where Wyoming officials are trying to persuade a judge to allow grizzlies to be legally hunted. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart,File) The attack Friday in the Teton Wilderness east of Grand Teton National Park happened in an area where Wyoming officials are trying to persuade a judge to allow grizzlies to be legally hunted for the first time in decades. Environmentalists argue that the Yellowstone region's grizzlies, which lost federal protections last year, are not abundant enough to sustain hunting. A U.S. judge in Montana has postponed hunts that were set to begin this month in Wyoming and Idaho while he considers that argument. Friday's attack shows how a hunter can carry both a gun and bear spray and still become the hunted. "This was something that we don't see very often or we don't hear about very often, where a bear just comes in and attacks an individual and not in relationship to a defensive behavior," Hovinga said. Five Game and Fish Department employees trapped the cub with meat from the slain elk Sunday, and the mother bear charged them. Two officers shot the sow dead, and officials euthanized the cub. "That could be somewhat different because her yearling was there and caught in the snare. Still, that was somewhat aggressive," Hovinga said. Officials plan DNA testing to verify the same bears were responsible for the attack but are almost positive based on Chubon's description. At the scene of the attack, they found a used can of bear spray, which wildlife officials often advocate as the best defense - in some cases, better than a gun - against a charging grizzly. Chubon tried to throw a handgun to Uptain during the attack but it fell short, he told WESH 2 News in Orlando, Florida. "Somehow the grizzly let me go and charged Mark again. And that's when I made the decision to just run for my life," Chubon told the TV station Sunday. He credited Uptain's actions to fend off the bear with saving his life. Chubon called for help from his cellphone. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital with significant scrapes and bite wounds but no life-threatening injuries. Conflicts between grizzly bears and humans in the Yellowstone region have become more common as the species has recovered from near-extermination in the early 20th century, although fatal attacks on humans are still rare. In 2017, wildlife managers tallied 273 conflicts between humans and grizzly bears in the region spanning northwest Wyoming, southeast Montana and eastern Idaho. Almost two-thirds of those involved attacks on cattle. Wildlife officials killed at least nine grizzlies last year due to livestock attacks. Hunters acting in self-defense killed 15 grizzlies. ___ Associated Press reporter Matthew Brown contributed to this report from Billings, Montana. ___ Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver BOSTON (AP) - A relief fund is being set up to help Massachusetts residents whose lives were disrupted Thursday by a series of natural gas fires and explosions. The announcement was made Monday by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and leaders of the three affected communities. Baker wants to have the foundation running by the end of the week. The announcement comes as Massachusetts lawmakers said they're holding off on oversight hearings until after the National Transportation Safety Board completes an initial review of the incident. Residents stand in a block-long line outside a customer help center staffed by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts in Lawrence, Mass., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, a teenager was killed and dozens of people were injured in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover following a failure last week in the area natural gas delivery service. Federal officials say their investigation is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) The donations to the foundation will be in addition to payments from Columbia Gas, the utility serving Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, and payouts from insurance companies. Columbia Gas continues to process claims and distribute gift cards to help residents buy items like groceries. One person died and about 25 were injured in the explosions last week. Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo said his first instinct after learning of the fires was to immediately call for oversight hearings. He decided instead to let the NTSB conduct its review first. "Maybe that's something we might be able to build upon," he told reporters at the Statehouse. Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka also didn't rule out future oversight hearings. Baker said the NTSB report will become a "kind of the guidepost for all the issues around fines and penalties." Baker said that he's spoken face-to-face with the CEO of Columbia Gas' parent company, NiSource and said "we're going to expect you to step up in a big way." "We should keep really good records - and we will - to make sure that everything that should get billed back to Columbia related to the outage and all the rest, does," Baker told reporters Monday. Joe Hamrock, chief executive of NiSource said Sunday the company is taking full responsibility for what happened and is "in this for the long run." Columbia Gas said that it would replace 48 miles of pipeline in the communities. Baker's Democratic rival Jay Gonzalez said Monday there needs to be changes at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to improve oversight of the natural gas infrastructure, including hiring more inspectors and speeding repairs of leaking gas pipelines. "The current system of oversight for Massachusetts' natural gas infrastructure is woefully under-resourced," Gonzalez said, noting the department has just eight inspectors to monitor nearly 21,000 miles of natural gas pipelines. Baker said the department is hiring an additional three inspectors which he said would put the agency "basically in the same place they've been dating back into the previous administration." Slowly life was beginning to return to normal as first electricity, then gas service, was being restored. In Lawrence, students will return to school Tuesday for the first time since the explosions and fires. Schools in Andover and North Andover opened again on Monday. A police officer stands in the doorway as residents stand in a block-long line outside a customer help center staffed by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts in Lawrence, Mass., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged, a teenager was killed and dozens of people were injured in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover following a failure last week in the area natural gas delivery service. Federal officials say their investigation is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Loud explosions shook Syria's coastal province of Latakia late Monday, sending orange flames into the sky in what Syrian state media said was an Israeli attack on a state company for technical industries that injured 10 people. Explosions continued for nearly a half hour, said state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV, which aired footage showing streaks of white light flashing across the sky. An unidentified military official was quoted as saying Syrian air defenses intercepted some missiles heading for the provincial capital of Latakia from the sea. Al-Ikhbariya said all two of the injured were hospitalized and the rest were released after treatment. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which initially reported the explosions, also reported 10 wounded, saying all of them were soldiers and some were in critical condition. The war monitoring group said the target appeared to be an ammunition depot that in the compound of the state Institute for Technical Industries. The group it was not clear if the depot was for Iranian or Syrian forces. The strikes followed a similar attack on Damascus International Airport late Saturday, which Syrian state media also blamed on Israel. A military official quoted then on state media said Syrian air defenses intercepted some missiles coming from the sea. Other attacks were reported on Sept. 4 that targeted sites in the coastal Tartus area and in Hama province. The Observatory said at the time that the Sept. 4 attacks were believed aimed at Iranian military posts. Israel is widely believed to have been behind a series of airstrikes mainly targeting Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria that have joined the country's war fighting alongside the government. Israel rarely acknowledges attacks inside Syria, but has said it will use military action to prevent weapons transfers to its enemies. Earlier this month, an Israeli military official said the Jewish state has struck over 200 Iranian targets in Syria over the past 18 months. U.S. and Israeli officials have said that Iran and Hezbollah should end their armed presence in Syria. Israel says it will not tolerate Iran's growing presence in Syria. Monday's attack came hours after Russia and Turkey announced an agreement that effectively prevents a Syrian government offensive against Idlib, a rebel-held area in northwestern Syria. ___ Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - A 10-year-old boy and his parents are dead after police say the boy's father shot four family members and himself at their Maryland home. Montgomery County police said in a release that officers and fire and rescue personnel called to a home in Silver Spring early Monday for a report of multiple people shot found five members of a family shot. Police say 57-year-old Yong Mun Kim shot his wife, 48-year-old Sang Yeon Kim, their two children, and his wife's 22-year-old daughter. The parents died on the scene and their 10-year-old son, Andy, died at a trauma center. Police say the adult daughter and the second child were in critical condition. Police say detectives believe the shooting was a domestic-related event that was contained within the home. LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on 58 portraits created of the victims of last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas (all times local): 12:45 p.m. California resident Mary Jo von Tillow says a portrait showing her husband, Kurt von Tillow, smiling in a tuxedo with an American flag background is exactly how the patriotic father would want to be remembered. Mary Jo von Tillow spoke Monday in Las Vegas as the portraits of 58 people killed in last year's mass shooting at a country music festival were displayed. She said her husband was very patriotic and was nicknamed "Captain America." So the artist, Virginia Culbertson, painted the flag behind him. She, her husband and four others in her family were at the Oct. 1 concert where a gunman fired on the crowd from the Mandalay Bay casino-resort across the street. Von Tillow says the portraits put the faces and stories of the 58 victims out there for people to get to know them. ___ 12:05 a.m. Artists from around the world have memorialized the 58 people killed in last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas with individual portraits of each victim. The paintings, drawings and digital art will be displayed in Las Vegas starting Monday until they are given to the victims' families in October. Artist Ellen Abramo said she organized the effort after participating in a similar project commemorating the 49 victims of the 2016 mass shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. Abramo said she hopes the portraits are meaningful gifts that show the families who have lost loved ones that there are people out there who care about what they went through. The portraits are scheduled to be displayed at the Clark County Government Center until Oct. 4, when a reception will be held for participating artists and the families of those they painted. SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - Police in northwest Louisiana have shot and killed one man and seriously wounded two others in two incidents over the weekend. Shreveport police say the man who was killed Sunday reportedly was holding a woman at gunpoint and firing a gun in the front yard of a home. They said in a news release that neither the woman nor the officer was hurt. The man was shot in the upper body shortly after 1 p.m. and died at a hospital. Police had been called to the same home about 5 a.m. Sunday, Cpl. Angie Wilhite, a police spokeswoman, told KSLA-TV . The Caddo Parish Coroner's Office said Monday that an autopsy was scheduled on 31-year-old Jerry Foster, who was identified by fingerprints. The two shot late Saturday reportedly pointed guns at an officer who answered a call about people walking through a neighborhood shooting firearms. Two men were hospitalized with life-threatening wounds. When the officer arrived, "The two men separated, in what investigators believe was an ambush attempt on the officer," Wilhite said in a news release Sunday morning. She said one man "reportedly brandished a handgun and pointed it at the officer" as the officer got out of a marked patrol car. After the officer shot him, she said, the other man reportedly pointed his gun at the officer, who fired again. She said both face charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and illegal use of a weapon. The officers involved were put on paid leave in accordance with department policy. WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. will slash the number of refugees it will accept for a second straight year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, insisting amid criticism from human rights groups that the country is still committed to providing sanctuary to people fleeing the world's danger zones. Up to 30,000 refugees will be allowed into the country next year, down from a cap of 45,000 this year. It will be the lowest ceiling on admissions since the program began in 1980. The announcement comes despite calls from global humanitarian groups that this year's cap of 45,000 was too low. Pompeo sought to head off potential criticism of the reduction by noting that the U.S. would process more than 280,000 asylum claims in addition to more than 800,000 already inside the country who are awaiting a resolution of their claims. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about refugees as he makes a statement to the media Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) "These expansive figures continue the United States' long-standing record as the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance," he said. The 30,000 cap is the maximum number of refugees the U.S. will admit during the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The actual number allowed in could be lower. So far this year, the U.S. has only admitted 20,918 refugees for the fiscal year set to end in two weeks, according to State Department records. President Barack Obama raised the ceiling to 110,000 in 2017, but the pace slowed dramatically after President Donald Trump took office and issued an executive order addressing refugees. In 2016, the last full year of the Obama administration, the U.S. welcomed nearly 85,000 refugees. Pompeo said the lower ceiling reflected commitment to aiding families forced to flee their homes by war, persecution or natural disasters while "prioritizing the safety and well-being of the American people." He cited the case of an Iraqi refugee who was arrested in California for killing a policeman in his homeland while fighting for the Islamic State organization. "This year's proposed refugee ceiling must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States," he said, citing U.S. contributions to foreign aid and other forms of humanitarian assistance. Amnesty International accused the Trump administration of "abandoning" refugees with the lower cap. "This is the lowest goal in the history of the program, and compounded by this administration's history of creating road block after road block for refugees to arrive, this must be perceived as an all-out attack against our country's ability to resettle refugees both now and in the future," said Ryan Mace of Amnesty International. Worldwide, there were some 25.4 million refugees last year, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, with many more people internally displaced within their home countries. Most aid groups and governments advocate resettlement as a last resort, preferring to allow refugees to return to their homes if conditions improve, rather than permanently moving to another country. During the ceiling announcement Monday Pompeo advocated U.S. efforts "to end conflicts that drive displacement in the first place and to target the application of foreign aid in a smarter way." Trump has made limiting immigration a centerpiece of his policy agenda. The Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy that forcibly separated families at the U.S. southern border sparked outrage among Republicans and Democrats alike. Last year Trump temporarily banned visitors from a handful of Muslim-majority nations, and insists he'll build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has linked increased immigration to increased crime in the United States. Yet, according to resettlement agencies in the United States, the U.S. vetting process is one of the world's toughest. Of the 3 million refugees admitted to the U.S. since 1975, not one has been arrested for carrying out a lethal terror attack on U.S. soil, according to resettlement agencies. Most applicants to the U.S. refugee program spend at least three years being interviewed, undergoing biometric checks and medical exams, and filling out paperwork. Cases are screened by the Defense Department, FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. After they are resettled, refugees continue to undergo security checks in the United States for five years or more. The Trump administration added requirements, including longer background checks and more screenings for females and males between 14 and 50 from certain countries, including Iraq. __ Associated Press writer Meghan Hoyer contributed to this report. MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Boko Haram extremists have killed a Red Cross worker who was abducted earlier this year during an attack in the Kala Balge government area in northern Nigeria's Borno State, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday. "The International Committee of the Red Cross condemns in the strongest terms the tragic killing of its abducted colleague Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa," the group said in a statement. Khorsa was kidnapped in March along with two other health workers after an attack on a military facility in the town of Rann in Kala Balge area that left at least four soldiers and police officers dead. The Red Cross called for the immediate release of the two others still being held, who it said were a midwife and a health care worker. Eloi Fillion, head of the Red Cross delegation in Abuja, said Khorsa had moved to Rann to "selflessly to help those in need." Fillion said the three were providing essential pre-natal care for people in Rann, whose population has more than doubled recently from people fleeing violence in the region. "We urge those still holding our colleague Hauwa and Alice to release these women. Like Saifura, they are not part of the fight. They are a midwife and a nurse. They are daughters, a wife, and a mother - women with families that depend on them," the Red Cross statement said. Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and kidnapped thousands in its nine-year insurgency. Hyderabad/Patna, Sep 18 (IANS) Telangana Police on Tuesday said that they have arrested seven accused over the killing of a Dalit youth, who was hacked to death last week in a case of honour killing. The accused include a hired killer from Bihar. The police revealed that T. Maruthi Rao, the main accused, struck the deal to kill his son-in-law Pranay Kumar for Rs 1 crore. The accused include Asgar Ali and Mohammed Abul Bari, who were earlier arrested and acquitted in the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. Pranay Kumar, 23, was hacked to death on Friday as he was coming out of a hospital in Miryalguda town of Nalgonda district along with his wife Amrutha Varshini, with whom he had an inter-caste marriage. Nalgonda Superintendent of Police A.V. Ranganath told reporters that they have cracked the sensational case, which evoked huge public outrage. Amrutha and Pranay, who were in love since their school days, had married in January this year against the wishes of her father Maruthi Rao, a businessman who comes from an upper caste. According to the police, Maruthi Rao hatched the plot to eliminate Pranay with the help of Asgar Ali, Bari and Abdul Karim. Maruthi Raos brother T. Shravan and driver S. Shiva are the other accused. The police chief said the conspiracy was hatched in July. The deal was struck for Rs 1 crore though Asgar and Bari had demanded Rs 2.5 crore. Maruthi Rao had paid Rs 15 lakh advance. In the meantime, when Amrutha became pregnant, his father tried to pressurise her to abort because he was afraid that if Pranay is killed and a child is born to her daughter, it will lead to more problems. She, however, refused to abort, the SP said. The investigations revealed that the gang failed to execute the plot on couple of occasions. As the couple was sensing danger to their lives, the police had suggested them to install CCTVs around their house. On August 17, they hosted a wedding reception, which further angered Maruthi Rao and he speeded up his efforts to get Pranay killed. On September 14, when Pranay was coming out of a hospital along with his wife following a regular pregnancy check-up, an unidentified armed with axe attacked him from behind. Pranay died on the spot even as his wife ran into hospital screaming for help. The horrific images were captured in CCTV. After questioning Maruthi Rao and others, the police identified the killer as Subhash Sharma, a native of Bihar, whom Bari had met in Rajahmundry Central Jail. Sharma was taken into custody from Jagatsinhpur in Samastipur district of Bihar. A Samastipur police officer Paritish Kumar said Sharma was arrested by a team of Telangana Police along with the local police. He was produced in a court and handed over to the Telangana Police on transit remand. Both Asgar Ali of Nalgonda and Bari of Hyderabad were arrested in 2003 for their alleged involvement in the killing of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. The police had claimed that they underwent terrorist training. An anti-terror court in Gujarat had sentenced them along with seven others to life imprisonment in 2007. However, Gujarat High Court later acquitted them. HONOLULU (AP) - The retired U.S. judge who was tied up after a man allegedly shot and killed three people in Honolulu in 2006 says he's satisfied with a ruling that dismisses all charges but recommits him to a psychiatric hospital. Capping one of Hawaii's most infamous cases, a state judge last week found Adam Mau unfit to stand trial and dismissed all charges, including murder and kidnapping. Mau was accused of taking a taxi to a scenic lookout, where he killed the driver and a couple photographing city lights. He drove to the nearby home of former U.S. Magistrate Joseph Gedan and tied up Gedan, his wife and their housekeeper before fleeing in Gedan's car. "I guess that's appropriate because if he went to trial, he would be found not guilty by reason of insanity," Gedan told The Associated Press Monday, adding the ruling seemed like a "foregone conclusion." FILE - In this July 10, 2006, file photo, Adam Mau is arraigned in Honolulu. The retired U.S. judge who was tied up after Mau allegedly shot and killed three people in Honolulu in 2006 says he's satisfied with a ruling that dismisses all charges but recommits him to a psychiatric hospital. Capping one of Hawaii's most infamous cases, a state judge earlier in September 2018 found Mau unfit to stand trial and dismissed all charges, including murder and kidnapping. (Richard Walker/Honolulu Star-Bulletin via AP) The Gedans are satisfied with the outcome - as long as Mau remains committed, Gedan said. The 124-page ruling says Mau is re-committed to the custody of the state Department of Health, to be placed in an appropriate medical institution such as the Hawaii State Hospital. Mau, who is also known as Adam Koon Wai Mau-Goffredo, has been at the hospital since 2008 and is likely to remain there for a long time, said his defense attorney, Brook Hart. "Adam never tried to leave or even spoke of leaving," Hart said, unlike another patient who was found not guilty by reason of insanity of a 1979 murder. Randall Saito left the state hospital outside Honolulu in November and took a taxi to a chartered plane that took him to the island of Maui and then boarded another plane to San Jose, California, where he was captured. The ruling concluded that Mau isn't able to help with his defense. "The court concludes that defendant's memory deficits combined with ongoing symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as six brain injuries in addition to his birth trauma, impair his ability to understand abstract concepts and rationally weigh that various factors involved in making the legal decisions which would be required of him in a trial in these criminal proceedings," the ruling said. Honolulu prosecutors, who opposed dismissing the charges and argued that he should be found fit to stand trial, didn't comment on the ruling. Peter Carlisle, who was Honolulu's prosecuting attorney in 2006, called it one of the worst cases he has seen. "I think the bottom line is there's absolutely no way this guy should be set free in the community before he is dead," Carlisle said. NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump's eldest son on Monday appeared to mock the sexual assault allegations against his father's nominee for the Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor, has come forth with an allegation that Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the president's nominee, assaulted her at a party more than 30 years ago. Kavanaugh denied the charges, releasing a statement Monday that he was willing to speak to a Senate panel to "refute" the allegation. Donald Trump Jr. posted an image on Instagram with the caption "Judge Kavanaugh sexual assault letter found by Dems..." FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2016 file photo, Donald Trump Jr., walks from the elevator at Trump Tower in New York. President Donald Trump's eldest son on Monday appeared to mock the sexual assault allegations against his father's nominee for the Supreme Court. Donald Trump Jr. posted an image on Instagram that seems to compares Kavanaugh's accuser to a school yard crush. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The photo attached shows a crumpled-up piece of notebook paper with a scribbled message: "Hi Cindy will you be my girlfriend, Love Bret." The note has boxes to check for "yes" or "no" and seems to compare Kavanaugh's accuser to a schoolyard crush. Trump Jr. also "liked" a tweet from conservative actor James Woods which compared the accusation to a #MeToo "lynching." Woods later deleted the tweet. Republican Rep. Billy Long of Missouri also took to Twitter to mock the accusation, retweeting a message from another user who posted a black-and-white photo of a little boy kissing a little girl on the forehead. "Exhibit A. Democrat evidence against Brett Kavanaugh 1963," the post reads. Trump Jr. has long been the Trump child most in touch with the president's most ardent voters. He seems to relish the button-pushing, asserting or trolling Tweet. His social media feed has traded in conspiracy theories and hard-line messages about immigration or gun control. He once circulated a post that compared Syrian refugees to a bowl of Skittles candy that contained some that "would kill you." The president's oldest son is beloved on the right as the swaggering embodiment of the Make America Great Again agenda. And he's embracing his role as a popular emissary for his father, crisscrossing the country on campaign trips, penning op-eds in support of favored candidates and downplaying talk of his own legal exposure stemming from his involvement in a 2016 Trump Tower meeting that's a focus of Mueller's probe into possible links between the president's election campaign and Russia. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund invested more than $1 billion Monday in a Silicon Valley electric car maker just weeks after Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier claimed the kingdom would help his own firm go private. Tesla stock dropped briefly Monday in reaction to the news, the same day that the Saudi fund announced it had taken its first loan, an $11 billion borrowing from global banks as it tries to expand its investments. It wasn't clear if that loan money played a part in the electric-car investment. The infusion represents a coup for Lucid Motors, a Newark, California, startup whose leadership includes six former Tesla executives, including an engineer who oversaw the design of the Tesla Model S that proved electric cars could be aesthetically pleasing and fast, in addition to reducing air pollution. FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, file photo released by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks at the opening ceremony of Future Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund invested over $1 billion on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in an American electric car manufacturer just weeks after Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier claimed the kingdom would help his own firm go private. (Saudi Press Agency via AP, File) The electric-car investment is a bold move for Saudi Arabia, an ultraconservative kingdom that for decades has relied on its oil wealth as the world's top crude exporter but now appears determined to build a more diversified portfolio to lessen its dependence on fossil fuels. But previous splashy market-moving promises by the kingdom's assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have yet to materialize. Lucid is depending on the Saudi money to help realize its goal of delivering its first vehicle, the Lucid Air, in 2020. Besides helping to put the final touches on the Air model, Lucid plans to use the money to finish the construction of its Casa Grande, Arizona factory, where it has pledged to employ 2,000 workers by 2022, at which point it aims to be manufacturing 130,000 vehicles annually. The Lucid Air will sell at a starting price of $52,500, although the initial batch of vehicles will cost more than $100,000, according to the company. The vehicle will have a battery range of 240 miles to 400 miles per charge, depending on what kind of extras are ordered. It is being designed in the mold of a jet for carrying executives, with more room in the interior cabin than cars powered by gas combustion engines. Lucid Air is supposed to fast; in early tests on tracks, it has topped 200 miles per hour, according to the company. "We will demonstrate the full potential of the electric-connected vehicle in order to push the industry forward," said Peter Rawlinson, Lucid's chief technology officer and former the lead engineer of the Tesla Model S. This is by far the biggest investment in Lucid, putting Saudi Arabia in the firm's driver seat. Three previous venture funding rounds have netted Lucid Motors some $131 million, according to the business information website crunchbase.com. Lucid's deal is being struck a few weeks after Musk tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private as part of negotiations that he later revealed involved Saudi Arabia. Investors pushed Tesla's shares up 11 percent in the hours after Musk's August 7 tweet about the potential buyout, boosting its valuation by $6 billion. There are multiple reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the disclosure, including asking board members what they knew about Musk's plans. Experts say regulators likely are investigating if Musk was truthful in the tweet about having the financing set for the deal. Musk later said the Saudi Public Investment Fund would be investing in the firm, something Saudi officials never commented on. The chatter died down after Musk announced on Aug. 24 said Tesla would remain publicly traded. The Financial Times newspaper previously reported that the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, known by the acronym PIF, had secured a near 5-percent stake in Tesla recently. On Monday, Tesla stock fell as much as 2 percent before rebounding to close at $294.84, down by just 36 cents. The Las Vegas-based Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute estimates the Saudi fund has holdings of $250 billion. Those include a $3.5 billion stake in the ride-sharing app Uber. The $11 billion loan allows it to make further investments without divesting from its other holdings. Saudi Arabia's 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose father is King Salman, has talked about using the PIF to help diversify the economy of the kingdom, which relies almost entirely on money made from its oil sales. However, other business promises made by the crown prince have yet to come to fruition. The most notable is his January 2016 pledge for an initial public offering of the state-run oil behemoth Saudi Aramco. Officials have suggested the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. could have a valuation of $2 trillion. In comparison, Apple in August became the world's first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion. But analysts have offered far lower valuations for Aramco and multiple delays have struck the project since. In August, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom "committed to the IPO of Saudi Aramco at a time of its own choosing when conditions are optimum." ___ Associated Press writers Tom Krisher in Detroit and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap . His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz . FILE - In this June 15, 2015, file photo, a Saudi man walks through the Tadawul Saudi Stock Exchange in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund invested over $1 billion on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in an American electric car manufacturer just weeks after Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier claimed the kingdom would help his own firm go private. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Canada and the U.S. states of Alaska, Oregon and Washington would all reduce their catch of fragile salmon species under the terms of an updated international agreement that, if approved, will spell out the next decade of cooperation between the U.S. and Canada to keep the migratory fish afloat in Pacific waters. Members of the Pacific Salmon Commission on Monday recommended a conservation plan that stretches to 2028 after two years of intense negotiations involving fishermen, tribes on both sides of the border and state and federal officials. It must be approved by both the U.S. and Canadian governments. The international commission first met in 1985 to create more cooperation between Canada and the U.S. on protecting salmon, which migrate thousands of miles from inland streams to the Pacific Ocean and then back to their spawning place. The agreement covers pink, Coho, sockeye, chum and chinook salmon and spans a territory from Cape Falcon, Oregon, in the south to southeast Alaska in the north. The current agreement expires Dec. 31. FILE - In this undated file photo, a chinook salmon is hooked near Brookings, Ore. Alaska and Canada would reduce their catch of endangered Chinook salmon in years with poor fishery returns under an agreement that spells out the next decade of cooperation between the U.S. and Canada to keep various salmon species afloat in Pacific waters. (Jamie Lusch/The Medford Mail Tribune via AP, File) One of the most significant parts of the new treaty is reductions in the allowed harvest of chinook salmon, and particularly of chinook populations that are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said. That includes chinook stocks from the Puget Sound in Washington and the Columbia River basin that straddles Oregon and Washington. These salmon migrate north hundreds of miles to British Columbia and southeast Alaska, making it important to protect their numbers all along the journey, commission members agreed. Orca whales in the Puget Sound, which rely on chinook as a primary food source, have struggled recently because so few salmon are making it to the Pacific Ocean. Alaska will reduce its catch by 7.5 percent in the southeast when poor chinook returns are expected. Canada will do so by 12.5 percent and Oregon and Washington will reduce their catch anywhere from 5 to 15 percent, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said he had asked U.S. federal officials to consider a one-year delay in implementing a revised treaty because some fishing groups were unhappy with the proposal to reduce the harvest. That was not possible, he wrote in a statement. "I regret the reduction of even one salmon available to Alaskans for harvest," he said. "However, this treaty agreement protects the health and sustainability of our salmon stocks and guarantees Alaska's ability to directly manage our fisheries without federal interference." The updated treaty was announced a few days after Washington state authorities took the highly unusual step of closing salmon fishing on a section of the main stem of the Columbia River. The count of fall chinook at Bonneville Dam last week was 105,795 fish, about half of what is normal. The fall chinook count at Bonneville Dam hovers around 29 percent below the preseason forecast. Funding requests to implement the treaty will include money for the Puget Sound chinook fishery and to support recovery efforts for the orcas that live in the Puget Sound. Orcas there have struggled with a lack of food because of greatly reduced numbers of chinook salmon making it to the Pacific Ocean. Their plight has received international attention recently as marine biologists tracked and tried to treat an emaciated and sick female orca. Another female from the same pod spent weeks carrying her newborn calf on her nose after it died shortly after birth, eliciting worldwide sympathy. RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (AP) - One Sacramento County sheriff's deputy was killed Monday and another wounded after exchanging gunfire with a suspect at an auto shop just outside of the capital city. A man, whose identity has not released, shot and killed 27-year-old Deputy Mark Stasyuk and injured Deputy Julie Robertson, 28, said Sheriff Scott Jones. They were responding to a call about a dispute between the suspect and an employee at Pep Boys auto shop. "It's incredibly difficult for all of us," Jones said outside the scene. Police vehicles block streets some distance away from there two Sacramento County sheriff's deputies and a bystander were shot during an incident in Rancho Cordova, Calif., just outside Sacramento, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Department spokesman Sgt. Shaun Hampton says the suspect is in custody. Hampton says the shooting Monday afternoon occurred at a Pep Boys auto parts store, but did not provide details on the deputies' or the bystander's condition. (AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper) The suspect and a bystander were also shot. Jones said he did not know the suspect's specific condition but that he was alert and talking to officers and was expected to survive. The bystander suffered non-life threatening injuries, Jones said. The suspect fired at Stasyuk and Robertson as soon as they encountered him, Jones said. Neither knew the suspect had a gun when they approached. "As soon as they arrived and engaged the subject he turned as if to run or flee and then immediately turned around and started firing without warning," Jones said. Stasyuk was struck in the "upper body," Jones said, while Robertson was hit in the arm. She returned fire as the suspect fled. He was taken into custody by to other officers, who also exchanged gunfire with him. Neither deputy was wearing a body camera. The incident shut down a busy roadway in Rancho Cordova, a city just outside of Sacramento. Monday's shooting was the second fatal incident for the Sacramento County sheriff. Deputy Robert French was killed and two California Highway Patrol officers were wounded last August during an investigation into a car-theft ring in an unincorporated area outside Sacramento. "It's an incredible hole that never quite gets filled in the hearts of our department," Jones said. Stasyuk had been with the department for nearly five years, while Robertson has been there for two and a half. Both were assigned to patrol in Rancho Cordova, which contracts with the sheriff's office for law-enforcement services. "We are very thankful for his sacrifice and very sorrowful for his family," Mayor Linda Budge said of Stasyuk. Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement of condolence and said flags in the Capitol will be flown at half-staff in the deputy's honor. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is recognizing the contributions of Latino entrepreneurs to the United States during a White House event for the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. "America is winning again and Hispanic-owned businesses are leading the way," Trump said Monday after hearing from two Latino owners of restaurant chains. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza attended with dozens of business, faith, community and local elected leaders gathered at the East Room, who at one point started chanting "four more years" in reference to a potential Trump re-election in 2020. President Donald Trump speaks during a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, New Mexico Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, sent a letter last week to Trump rejecting his invitation to the event because she considers his policies harmful to the Hispanic community. President Donald Trump listens as business owner Irina Vilarino speaks during an Hispanic Heritage Month event in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for his third and possibly most challenging summit yet with leader Kim Jong Un in which he hopes to break an impasse in talks with the United States over the North's denuclearization and breathe energy into his own efforts to expand and improve relations between the Koreas. In what are by now familiar images of the two Korean leaders hugging and exchanging warm smiles, Kim greeted Moon at Pyongyang's airport. They have met twice this year at the border village of Panmunjom, but Moon's visit is the first by a South Korean leader to the North Korean capital in 11 years. Traveling with Moon are business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong, underscoring Moon's hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, wave during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) Moon was expected to have talks with Kim on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Moon's chief of staff. Moon and Kim were also expected to jointly announce the results of their talks on Wednesday if things go smoothly. Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday. Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, were greeted by Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The North Korean leader then led his guests to meet some of his senior officials, and they exchanged mutual greetings with Moon's delegation. Thousands of North Koreans cheered and waved flower bouquets and national and unification flags. North Korean soldiers and naval troops quick-marched into position to welcome Moon, and the two leaders inspected the honor guard, according to South Korean media pool footage from the site. A signboard said, "We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-in." As Moon arrived, the North's main newspaper said the United States was responsible for the lack of progress in denuclearization talks. "The U.S. is totally to blame for the deadlocked DPRK-U.S. negotiations," the Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial. It said Washington is "stubbornly insisting" the North dismantle its nuclear weapons first, an approach "which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues," while failing to show its will for confidence-building "including the declaration of the end of war which it had already pledged." State-run media reported Moon was to begin a visit, but gave few details. Security was tight all morning. Requests by The Associated Press to go to the airport or to drive around the city were denied. Moon is under intense pressure from Washington to advance the denuclearization process. Before his departure he said he intends to push for "irreversible, permanent peace" and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. "This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks," Moon said Tuesday morning just before his departure. "It's very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want." But his chief of staff tried to lower expectations of major progress on the future of Kim's nuclear arsenal. Kim, meanwhile, is seemingly riding a wave of success. The North just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark North Korea's 70th anniversary. China, signaling its support for Kim's recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. That's important because China is the North's biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. While signaling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kim's strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. Talks between the United States and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kim's meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. To keep expectations from getting too high, Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements that "fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war" between the two Koreas. South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the North's city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of progress could be on a formal agreement ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas' shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Korea's capital for summits. Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun went to Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 respectively to meet Kim's father, Kim Jong Il. Those trips produced a slew of inter-Korean rapprochement projects, which were suspended after conservatives took power in Seoul. ___ Hyung-jin Kim reported from Seoul. AP journalists Kim Tong-hyung and Foster Klug contributed from Seoul. Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge In this image made from video provided by Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, hugs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un upon arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Moon landed in Pyongyang for his third summit this year with Kim. (Korea Broadcasting System via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, front right, his wife Kim Jung-sook, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, front left, and his wife Ri Sol Ju, left, inspect honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, waves while walking with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook wave during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, is greeted by North Koreans as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, second from left, are welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju upon their arrival at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, is escorted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, stands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) In this image made from video provided by Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, poses with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a photo on the podium upon arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Moon landed in Pyongyang for his third summit this year with Kim. (Korea Broadcasting System via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The main focus of outside attention to this week's inter-Korean summit is whether it can find ways to resolve the stalemated diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program. Also at stake is what steps the Koreas will take to lower decades-long military tensions and improve ties. A look at the key issues on the agenda for the summit in Pyongyang between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in that is their third meeting this year: ___ FILE - In this March 27, 2018 file photo, a man watches a TV screen showing file footages of U.S. President Donald Trump, right, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. The main focus of outside attention to this week's inter-Korean summit is whether it can find ways to resolve the stalemated diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program. Also at stake is what steps the Koreas will take to lower decades-long military tensions and improve ties. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) DENUCLEARIZATION Since entering talks earlier this year, Kim has repeatedly promised to realize the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," but without providing a detailed timetable or road map for the process. Kim has dismantled his nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites and taken other goodwill measures, such as releasing three American detainees. His government wants the United States to respond by jointly declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, but U.S. officials want Kim to take additional steps that can prove he's sincere about denuclearization. Moon said Monday that he'll mediate between Kim and President Donald Trump to help them settle their differences and move toward denuclearization. But his chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, had acknowledged earlier in the day that it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. Some experts say Moon's trip to Pyongyang could be successful if he gets Kim's promise to submit an inventory of his nuclear warheads, fissile materials and other assets if Trump agrees to the end-of-the-war declaration. Moon - who brokered the historic Trump-Kim summit in Singapore in June - is expected to meet Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York later this month. ___ EASING THE MILITARY STANDOFF Kim and Moon could agree on a package of steps aimed at drastically reducing their countries' military standoff along their tense border. Their military officers have been working together to draft such steps since Moon and Kim agreed to eliminate the danger of war during their first summit in April. Im said Monday that he expects this week's summit to yield "meaningful" accords that "fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war" between the two Koreas. The Koreas' 248-kilometer (155-mile) border, called the Demilitarized Zone, is the world's most heavily fortified, with hundreds of thousands of combat-ready troops deployed along a line that's laced with mines, barbed wire fences and anti-tank traps. The countries' poorly marked western sea boundary has been the scene of several deadly naval skirmishes in recent years. During the summit, Moon and Kim could agree on withdrawing guard posts inside the DMZ; having their troops disarmed at their shared border village of Panmunjom, the site of their April summit; and conducting joint searches for the remains of soldiers killed during the war in DMZ areas. Establishing a "peace zone" near the disputed sea boundary to ban the entry of navy ships and live-fire drills is also possible, according to South Korean media reports. ___ IMPROVING TIES The summit will also focus on how to further improve inter-Korean ties in line with what the leaders agreed to during their April summit. Some of the April accords have already been implemented, such as holding a temporary reunion of relatives separated by the Korean War, cooperating during the recently concluded Asian Games and establishing the Koreas' first liaison office at the North Korean border town of Kaesong. Carrying out other agreements, such as reconnecting severed inter-Korean railways and roads and resuming stalled past cooperation projects, would be difficult, as it would violate U.S.-led international sanctions on the North. Moon is to take 16 business figures to Pyongyang, including Samsung's de facto leader, Lee Jae-yong. They are to meet Ri Ryong Nam, vice premier of North Korea's Cabinet, but it's unclear what issues they'll discuss. Some experts say Moon is preparing for the resumption of inter-Korean economic cooperation projects after diplomacy eventually yields results. Im, Moon's chief of staff, said the summit could produce some "good news" over Seoul's push for holding more reunions of separated families. FILE - In this May 24, 2018 file photo, command post facilities of North Korea's nuclear test site are exploded in Punggye-ri, North Korea. The main focus of outside attention to this week's inter-Korean summit is whether it can find ways to resolve the stalemated diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program. Also at stake is what steps the Koreas will take to lower decades-long military tensions and improve ties.(Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP, File) FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2018 file photo, South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, center left, and Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification, center right, attend at an opening ceremony for two Koreas' first liaison office in Kaesong, North Korea. The main focus of outside attention to this week's inter-Korean summit is whether it can find ways to resolve the stalemated diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program. Also at stake is what steps the Koreas will take to lower decades-long military tensions and improve ties. (Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP, File) Devastating flooding in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence has raised concerns about whether dams across the state, some of them already in poor condition, will be able to hold up under the strain. State officials have been monitoring dam safety in cooperation with local authorities and say there has been at least one dam breach so far, with no homes affected. But there have been several other locations of concern and false alarms about dam failures that have caused panic. According to data submitted to the National Inventory of Dams for this year's deadline and obtained by The Associated Press, the state has 1,445 dams rated high hazard out of about 5,700 dams total, ranging from large federally owned ones to small private ones. That hazard classification does not indicate the likelihood of failure - just that any failure would be likely to cause the loss of one or more human lives. FILE- In this Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, file photo flooded vehicles sit on a closed section of Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., where the Lumber river overflowed following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding, but local authorities say people shouldn't rely on them. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File) Of those high-hazard dams, 185 had conditions of poor or unsatisfactory during recent inspections, the data show. And many of those dams were in areas that have been inundated with water. Ahead of the storm, workers with North Carolina's Dam Safety Program identified vulnerable structures, contacted dam owners and operators to call attention to the threat and asked them to consider lowering impoundment water levels to temporarily increase storage capacity prior, Bridget Munger, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Quality said. Dam safety personnel have also been deployed to the state Emergency Operations Center since before the storm, Munger added. State Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said Monday that there had been one dam breach in Brunswick County. He said no homes were affected in the inundation area. On Sunday night, an Associated Press reporter was with a U.S. Army swift-water rescue team in Fayetteville when a call came over the radio about a dam failure in Pinehurst, which turned out to be a false alarm. Then another call came in reporting another dam breach. Soldiers who had been resting on cots starting donning boots, helmets and life vests, and a team deployed toward a nearby fire department. About halfway there, the call was canceled - another false alarm. A Facebook post claiming a dam in Hope Mills, a suburb of Fayetteville, had failed caused trouble there Sunday night, Mayor Jackie Warner said. "It created a panic because people thought the dam had broken, and they didn't know which way the water would go," she said. Residents started calling asking if they needed to leave their homes, she said. The dam held up just fine. Rumors also spread Sunday night in nearby Hoke County about a dam break. Mandatory evacuations were ordered because of flooding at a lake, but the dam wasn't breached, emergency management coordinator Andrew Jacobs said. The evacuation order was lifted Monday afternoon. In McLaughlin Lakes, a subdivision immediately next to the lake, most declined to evacuate. "It was an overreaction, don't you think?" Jeff Konopka asked his neighbors. "Very much so," said Kim Santiago, who has lived beside the lake for 24 years and has seen the dam overflow in numerous storms. Two of North Carolina's high-hazard dams are at Duke Energy's Weatherspoon Plant in Robeson County, an area that has been swamped with water. One is at a cooling pond and the other at a coal ash pond. The dam at the coal ash pond was found to be in poor condition during an inspection last year, according to the data. Both structures were performing well and no problems were expected, Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Monday. Catastrophic dam failures are infrequent, and age is a leading indicator of dam failure, with the exception of seismic or weather events, a 2008 Congressional Research Service report found. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave a "D'' grade to the state of the country's dams in a 2017 report, noting the average age of the dams is 56 years old. The ASCE estimated there are more than 2,000 "deficient high-hazard" dams lacking investment in repairs and upgrades. Mark Ogden, a technical specialist with the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, said states have made significant strides in improving dam safety in recent years. But he said rising numbers of people living downstream of old dams, new dam safety technologies and other factors mean lots of upgrades are needed. "In general, dam safety has improved tremendously over the years but there's still a long way to go," Ogden said. ____ Rankin reported from Richmond, Virginia. Associated Press video journalist Joshua Replogle in Elizabethtown, North Carolina; Claire Galofaro in Hoke County, North Carolina; data journalist Michelle Minkoff in Washington; researcher Randy Herschaft in New York; and writer Alan Suderman in Wytheville, Virginia, contributed reporting. HONOLULU (AP) - The wife of a former Honolulu chief is resigning as a deputy prosecutor nearly a year after a grand jury indicted the couple on corruption-related charges. The Honolulu prosecuting attorney's office issued a one-sentence news release Monday: "Katherine Kealoha has resigned as a Deputy Prosecutor." Kealoha's husband is former police Chief Louis Kealoha. He agreed to retire amid a federal investigation. FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017, file photo, former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, right, and his wife, Katherine, leave federal court in Honolulu. Katherine Kealoha is resigning from her job as a deputy prosecutor nearly a year after a grand jury indicted the couple on corruption-related charges. The Kealohas are accused of orchestrating the framing of a relative for a mailbox theft. Prosecutors also allege Kealoha bilked relatives, banks and children whose trusts she controlled. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File) The Kealohas are awaiting two trials. One trial is for allegations they orchestrated the framing of a relative for a mailbox theft. Current and former police officers will be tried with the couple in that trial. Another trial against the Kealohas will be for bank fraud and identity theft, including allegations Katherine Kealoha bilked family members, banks and children whose trusts she controlled. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Henry Winkler won the first Emmy of his career on Monday, more than four decades after he was first nominated for his role as The Fonz in "Happy Days." The 72-year-old Winkler looked bowled over when he won for best supporting actor in a comedy series on Monday for his role as Gene Cousineau on HBO's dark comedy "Barry." Once he took the stage amid roaring applause and a standing ovation, Winkler joked that he wrote his speech 43 years ago. Henry Winkler accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "Barry" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Then Winkler quoted some advice he got in Hollywood, saying that "if you stay at the table long enough, the chips come to you." "Tonight I got to clear the table," he said. Winkler was nominated three times for his work on "Happy Days," in 1976, 1977 and 1978. His character Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli spawned a cultural craze and made him one of the biggest stars on TV. Winkler also was nominated for an Emmy in 1979 for an informational program and most recently in 2000 as a guest actor in "The Practice." Backstage after his win, Winkler joked with reporters that he was wearing rubber pants with a little powder, just in case he wet himself if he won. "But I had control," he joked. He expressed wonder at the win and the path his life and career have taken, saying he dreamed of being an actor when he was 7- years-old living in New York City "with short German Jewish parents who did not want me to be an actor." "I was 27 when I started doing The Fonz. I'm now 72 and I'm standing right here in front of you with her," Winkler said, referring to his Emmy statuette. "Wow." Henry Winkler accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "Barry" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Henry Winkler accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "Barry" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Henry Winkler poses in the press room with the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "Barry" at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - There are spicy beers and even peanut butter beers, made to stand out on crowded shelves. Then there's a murky, green brew that looks a lot like algae. It's making a statement on the one ingredient brewers can't do without - clean water. The ghastly-looking "Alegae Bloom" beer made by Maumee Bay Brewing Co., which relies on Lake Erie for its water, is a good conversation starter that reminds customers about the toxic algae that show up each year in the shallowest of the Great Lakes, said brewery manager Craig Kerr. Workers came up with the idea last summer when a thick coat of algae settled into a creek alongside its brew house. A glass of "Alegae Bloom" beer at Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The brewery is making the green, murky beer to draw attention to the algae blooms that taint Lake Erie's water. (AP Photo/John Seewer) "We're going to keep doing this until the algae bloom isn't there anymore," Kerr said. "The goal is to never make this beer again." Craft brewers nationwide are pushing for strong environmental regulations while also working to preserve rivers and streams, all in the name of water. A growing number are getting involved at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to do away with a rule that a group of brewers say protects water sources from pollution. Some brewers, like Maumee Bay, are serving up seasonal batches to draw attention to pollutants that threaten Florida's aquifers and Colorado's mountain streams. Mixing beer into debates over environmental policy adds levity to discussions about protecting the nation's waterways and helps connect with new audiences. "We're reaching people where they drink," said Becky Hammer, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, who oversees the Brewers for Clean Water campaign, which has grown from a few dozen members to nearly 100 during the past five years. The council has seized on the efforts by brewers to team up with them in lobbying against the repeal of an Obama-era clean water rule intended to reduce sources of pollution dumped in the small tributaries of larger lakes and rivers. But that's not the only water issue that beer makers are worried about. A group of brewers in Michigan voted this year to back shutting down an aging oil pipeline where lakes Huron and Michigan meet because it could be vulnerable to leaks. "This is my livelihood," said Larry Bell, owner of Bell's Brewery. "It's a business issue for us, but it's also good for the community and society that we have clean water. He got a close look at how vulnerable the water supply is after a pipeline spilled oil near his brewing facility in 2010. Some craft breweries in Salem, Oregon, stopped making beer for several weeks in June after an algae bloom led to a drinking water warning for the young and sick. Ian Croxall, a co-owner of Santiam Brewing in Salem, said they could've stayed open, but customers were asking "if the beer was being made with toxic water." The brewery lost about $40,000 and spent another $5,000 on a new filtration system in case the toxins return, he said. Craft brewers say it's their duty to protect the water they use. Beer is about 90 percent water, after all. Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Co. and Swamp Head Brewery in Gainesville, Florida, trace their involvement in clean water campaigns to founders who saw protecting the environment as part of their business model. But getting involved in clean-water politics can create sticky situations. New Belgium Brewing Co. found that out three years ago when bars and restaurants in Craig, Colorado, began a boycott of its beer. It turned out the company had given money for waterways projects to an environmental group involved in an unrelated court case that threatened to shut down a coal mine just outside the city. "We felt compassionate and listened to them," said Katie Wallace, New Belgium's assistant director of sustainability. "Public perception is something we care about, but it doesn't change our overall view." New Belgium, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, said it has given $16 million to nonprofit groups, with a large chunk going toward water protection projects. It also has been one of the loudest voices calling for stronger environmental policies. That means occasionally hearing from people telling them "stick to making beer." "We didn't ask politics to get involved in beer," said Wallace. "But they did when our No. 1 ingredient is being threatened." Bartender Rodney Shipp pours a can of "Alegae Bloom" beer at Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The brewery is making the green, murky beer to draw attention to the algae blooms that taint Lake Erie's water. Craft brewery operators whose most important ingredient comes from the nation's lakes and rivers are becoming a strong voice for clean water. (AP Photo/John Seewer) WASHINGTON (AP) - By imposing tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, President Donald Trump has intensified his trade war with Beijing and triggered the likelihood of price increases for many American companies and consumers. Beijing has said it will swiftly retaliate against American exporters - a move that stands to hurt U.S. farmers and other companies that sell their products to China. Beijing may also raise obstacles for U.S. companies to do business in China. Here's a look at what's happening and its likely impact. In this Sept. 13, 2018, photo, a container ship sails past the city skyline of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province. The Trump administration announced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that it will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires. (Chinatopix via AP) ___ WHAT IS THE U.S. DOING? The Trump administration will begin taxing $200 billion in Chinese goods starting Monday. The tariffs will start at 10 percent and rise to 25 percent in 2019. The target list is huge, ranging from rattan mats to burglar alarms to bicycles. But the administration struck some items from the originally planned $200 billion tariff list, including bicycle helmets and other child safety products. And, in a victory for Apple Inc., smart watches and some other electronics products won't be subject to the new tariffs, either. The administration and Beijing have already imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other's products. Beijing's target list of U.S. goods to penalize was heavy on agriculture. That's hardly a coincidence. Its tariffs are meant to deliver pain to American farmers, who overwhelmingly backed Trump in the 2016 election and whose interests are represented by powerful lobbyists and members of Congress. Exports to China account for about 60 percent of the overseas sales of American soybean farmers, who stand to lose sales as a result of China's tariffs. ___ WHAT'S BEHIND THE U.S.-CHINA RIFT? The Trump administration has accused China of using predatory tactics in a lawless drive to overtake America's technological supremacy. U.S. officials point to Beijing's long-range development plan, "Made in China 2025," which calls for creating powerful Chinese entities in such areas as information technology, robotics, aerospace equipment, electric vehicles and biopharmaceuticals. Foreign business groups argue that "Made in China 2025" is unfairly forcing them to the sidelines in those industries. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative concluded after an investigation that China's tactics range from requiring U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over technology in return for access to the vast Chinese market to outright cyber-theft. The U.S. also asserts that Beijing uses state money to buy American technology at prices unaffordable for private companies. The Trump administration said the new tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports was a response to Beijing's failure so far to end those tactics. ___ WHAT'S THE LIKELY IMPACT FROM A U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR? It's not entirely clear. Economists at Bank of America Merrill Lynch have warned that a full-fledged trade war, especially one that lasts more than a year, would slow the U.S. economy. By disrupting supply chains, eroding business confidence and heightening uncertainty, a trade war, they say, could "push the economy toward full-blown recession" and jeopardize America's economic expansion - the second-longest on record. Besides American soybean farmers, American manufacturers are also being squeezed. Machinery and components used in finished goods made in the United States have been affected. U.S. manufacturers are having to pay more for parts and equipment, thereby putting them at a competitive disadvantage to foreign rivals. ___ ISN'T THE U.S. ALSO SPARRING WITH OTHER TRADING PARTNERS? Trump is battling in just about every direction. He has imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum - action that has drawn retaliatory tariffs from U.S. allies like Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The president is also threatening to impose tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts on the grounds that they pose a threat to America's national security. Trump also wants to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes the United States, Mexico and Canada, with a new agreement that would shift more auto production to the U.S. The administration has already reached a deal with Mexico that excluded Canada. Talks to keep Canada in a North American trade bloc have been ongoing, with the two longtime allies divided over such issues as Canada's dairy market and U.S. efforts to shield drug companies from generic competition. By brawling with America's friends, critics say, Trump has squandered an opportunity to build a united front against China. After all, Europe, Japan and other rich countries have the same complaints about Chinese trade practices that America does. ___ IS THERE ANY REASON TO EXPECT A RESOLUTION? There have been periodic reports that the Trump administration was on the verge of resuming talks with Beijing. Informal communications are still going on, administration officials have said, but no formal talks are scheduled. For a time, it looked as though peace might be at hand. In May, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declared the trade war "on hold." The Trump administration suspended its tariffs after Beijing agreed to increase its purchases of U.S. goods, especially in agriculture and energy. The idea was that China's additional purchases would shrink its trade surplus with the United States. Yet the cease-fire was short-lived. Critics dismissed Beijing's commitments as vague, and Trump decided to proceed with the tariffs after all. ____ HAVE THERE BEEN TRADE WARS BEFORE? You'd have to go back to the 1930s to find anything close to the hostility between the U.S. and its top trading partners right now. During the Great Depression, many countries, including the United States, closed their markets to imports. A plunge in global trade likely worsened the Depression. Many less intense trade conflicts have followed. President Ronald Reagan slapped tariffs on $300 million worth of Japanese imports in a dispute over the semiconductor industry and strong-armed Tokyo into accepting limits on car shipments to the United States. In 2002, President George W. Bush imposed tariffs on Chinese steel. The move allowed U.S. steel producers to increase prices, raising costs for companies that buy steel and pressuring them to cut back elsewhere. But the tariffs are thought to have cost significant U.S. job losses. In 2009, the Obama administration imposed tariffs on Chinese tires, charging that a surge in imports was hurting the U.S. tire industry. Beijing counterpunched. It imposed a tax of up to 105 percent on U.S. chicken feet - a throwaway item in the U.S. that's considered a delicacy in China. The Peterson Institute for International Economics calculated that the tariffs probably saved 1,200 American tire jobs. But consumers paid over $900,000 in higher tire prices for each job saved. ____ Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP In this Aug. 29, 2018, photo, a man works in an auto parts factory in Liaocheng in eastern China's Shandong province. The Trump administration announced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that it will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires. (Chinatopix via AP) WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - The death toll from Hurricane Florence climbed to at least 37, including two women who drowned when a sheriff's van taking them to a mental health facility was swept away by floodwaters, and North Carolina's governor pleaded with thousands of evacuees not to return home just yet. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, arrived in storm-ravaged North Carolina on Wednesday and helped volunteers at a church in the hard-hit coastal town of New Bern. "How's the house?" Trump was heard asking one person as distributed plastic foam containers of food, including hot dogs, chips and fruit. "You take care of yourself." Kyle Crawford uses a shopping cart to carry bags of ice he purchased days after Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Wilmington, population 120,000, was still mostly an island surrounded by floodwaters, and people waited for hours Tuesday for handouts of food, water and tarps. Thousands of others around the state waited in shelters for the all-clear. "I know it was hard to leave home, and it is even harder to wait and wonder whether you even have a home to go back to," Gov. Roy Cooper said. After submerging North Carolina with nearly 3 feet (1 meter) of rain, the storm dumped more than 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters) of rain in the Northeast, where it caused flash flooding. Cooper warned that the flooding is far from over and will get worse in places. "I know for many people this feels like a nightmare that just won't end," he said. Addressing roughly 10,000 people who remain in shelters and "countless more" staying elsewhere, Cooper urged them to stay put for now, particularly those from the hardest-hit coastal counties that include Wilmington, near where Florence blew ashore on Friday. Roads remain treacherous, he said, and some are still being closed for the first time as rivers swelled by torrential rains inland drain toward the Atlantic. At least 27 of the deaths happened in North Carolina. In South Carolina, two women died on Tuesday evening when floodwaters from the Little Pee Dee River engulfed the van taking them to a mental health facility, authorities said. The risk of environmental damage mounted, as human and animal waste was washed into the swirling floodwaters. More than 5 million gallons (18 million liters) of partially treated sewage spilled into the Cape Fear River after power went out at a treatment plant, officials said, and the earthen dam of a pond holding hog waste was breached, spilling its contents. The flooding killed an estimated 3.4 million chickens and 5,500 hogs on farms. In Wilmington on Tuesday, workers began handing out supplies using a system resembling a giant fast-food drive-thru: Drivers pulled up to a line of pallets, placed an order and left without having to get out. A woman blew a whistle each time drivers had to pull forward. Todd Tremain needed tarps to cover up spots where Florence's winds ripped shingles off his roof. Others got a case of bottled water or military MREs, or field rations. An olive-drab military forklift moved around huge pallets loaded with supplies. Brandon Echavarrieta struggled to stay composed as he described life post-Florence: no power for days, rotted meat in the freezer, no water or food and just one bath in a week. "It's been pretty bad," said Echavarrieta, 34, his voice breaking. About 3,500 vehicles came through for supplies on the first day they were available, county officials said in a Facebook post. Supplies have been brought into the city by big military trucks and helicopters, At Fayetteville, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) inland, near the Army's sprawling Fort Bragg, flooding from Cape Fear River got so bad that authorities closed a vehicle bridge after the water began touching girders supporting the span's top deck. Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said it was unclear if the bridge was threatened. "We've never had it at those levels before, so we don't really know what the impact will be just yet," he said. ___ Waggoner reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. AP photographer Gerry Broome in Lumberton, North Carolina; Gary Robertson in Raleigh; Alex Derosier in Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Follow Martha Waggoner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes ___ This story has been corrected to show the death toll in North Carolina is 27, not 29. Maine Johnson with the city's communications department, takes photos of the Cape Fear River after its projected time of cresting in Fayetteville, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Ralph Nixon drinks a cup of coffee as he takes a break from helping customers at Rose Ice & Coal purchase ice in Wilmington, N.C. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) People begin to form a line as they wait outside Rose Ice & Coal for it to open days after Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Stan Atamanchuk, right, buys large bags of ice from Roase Ice & Coal days after Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) In this combination of photos, Cape Fear River flows under the Person Street bridge on Sept. 15, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Goldman) President Donald Trump visits the Temple Baptist Church, where food and other supplies are being distributed during Hurricane Florence recovery efforts, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, in New Bern, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Charles Gardner checks the level of the Cape Fear River near his property after its projected time of cresting in Fayetteville, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) This combination of photos shows the Cape Fear River on Sept. 17, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C. (AP Photos/David Goldman) President Donald Trump visits the Temple Baptist Church, where food and other supplies are being distributed during Hurricane Florence recovery efforts, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, in New Bern, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Cars sit abandoned on a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Lillington, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) In this combination of photos, the Cape Fear River flows under the Grove Street bridge in the background on Sept. 16, 2018, left and on Sept. 19, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C. (AP Photos/David Goldman) This combination of photos shows the Cape Fear River on Sept. 16, 2018, left, and on Sept. 19, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C. (AP Photos/David Goldman) Augustin Dieudomme looks out at the flooded entrance to his apartment complex near the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Residents look out at the flooded entrance to an apartment complex near the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Augustin Dieudomme walks by the flooded entrance to his apartment complex near the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A car sits in a flooded parking lot at an apartment complex near the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Devastating flooding in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence has raised concerns about whether dams across the state, some of them already in poor condition, will be able to hold up under the strain. State and local officials have been monitoring dam safety and say there have been at least two breaches so far that caused no major issues. But there have been several other locations of concern and false alarms about dam failures that have caused panic. According to data submitted to the National Inventory of Dams for this year's deadline and obtained by The Associated Press, the state has 1,445 dams rated high hazard out of about 5,700 dams total, ranging from large federally owned ones to small private ones. That hazard classification does not indicate the likelihood of failure - just that any failure would be likely to cause the loss of one or more human lives. FILE- In this Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, file photo flooded vehicles sit on a closed section of Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., where the Lumber river overflowed following flooding from Hurricane Florence. Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding, but local authorities say people shouldn't rely on them. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File) Of those high-hazard dams, 185 had conditions of poor or unsatisfactory during recent inspections, the data show. And many of those dams were in areas that have been inundated with water. Ahead of the storm, workers with North Carolina's Dam Safety Program identified vulnerable structures, contacted dam owners and operators to call attention to the threat and asked them to consider lowering impoundment water levels to temporarily increase storage capacity prior, Bridget Munger, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Quality said. Dam safety personnel have also been deployed to the state Emergency Operations Center since before the storm, Munger added. State Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said Monday that there had been one dam breach in Brunswick County. He said no homes were affected in the inundation area. A failure at an unregulated dam in Anson County prompted the evacuation of about 12 homes Monday night but the water receded and the evacuees have since been allowed to return, emergency manager Rodney Diggs said Tuesday. On Sunday night, an Associated Press reporter was with a U.S. Army swift-water rescue team in Fayetteville when a call came over the radio about a dam failure in Pinehurst, which turned out to be a false alarm. Then another call came in reporting another dam breach. Soldiers who had been resting on cots starting donning boots, helmets and life vests, and a team deployed toward a nearby fire department. About halfway there, the call was canceled - another false alarm. A Facebook post claiming a dam in Hope Mills, a suburb of Fayetteville, had failed caused trouble there Sunday night, Mayor Jackie Warner said. "It created a panic because people thought the dam had broken, and they didn't know which way the water would go," she said. Residents started calling asking if they needed to leave their homes, she said. The dam held up just fine. Two of North Carolina's high-hazard dams are at Duke Energy's Weatherspoon Plant in Robeson County, an area that has been swamped with water. One is at a cooling pond and the other at a coal ash pond. The dam at the coal ash pond was found to be in poor condition during an inspection last year, according to the data. Both were performing well and no problems were expected, Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Monday. Catastrophic dam failures are infrequent, and age is a leading indicator of dam failure, with the exception of seismic or weather events, a 2008 Congressional Research Service report found. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave a "D'' grade to the state of the country's dams in a 2017 report, noting the average age of the dams is 56 years old. The ASCE estimated there are more than 2,000 "deficient high-hazard" dams lacking investment in repairs and upgrades. Mark Ogden, a technical specialist with the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, said states have made significant strides in improving dam safety in recent years. But he said rising numbers of people living downstream of old dams, new dam safety technologies and other factors mean lots of upgrades are needed. "Dam safety has improved tremendously over the years but there's still a long way to go," Ogden said. ____ Rankin reported from Richmond, Virginia. Associated Press video journalist Joshua Replogle in Elizabethtown, North Carolina; Claire Galofaro in Hoke County, North Carolina; data journalist Michelle Minkoff in Washington; researcher Randy Herschaft in New York; and writer Alan Suderman in Wytheville, Virginia, contributed reporting. Water is released from the dam at Hope Mills Lake into the Cape Fear River, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in Hope Mills, N.C., south of Fayetteville, after floodwaters from Hurricane Florence inundated the area. (Casey Toth/The News & Observer via AP) A resident stands on her pier looking out onto the rising Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Residents are evacuating as the river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) William Larymore, left, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, partially visible behind, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, back to a pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - At the heart of the nuclear impasse with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South for a formal end to the Korean War. It appears reasonable, on its face. While there's been occasional, sometimes serious violence since the war ended in 1953, including in 2010 when 50 South Koreans were killed in attacks blamed on the North, the enmity hasn't risen to the same level of carnage seen in the 1950s. FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2018, file photo, a man walks by a "Peace" sign before a ceremony to celebrate Korean Liberation Day in Seoul, South Korea. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) But war officially remains. That's because the Korean War ended with a military cease-fire, in the form of an armistice, not a formal peace treaty. Figuring out how to make a peace agreement will be a critical part of the summit now taking place between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Washington's current reluctance to move ahead on the Koreas' call to formally end the war highlights just how big a concession many observers feel it would be. There are worries that it would remove key leverage against North Korea and might make war more, not less, likely, if it creates momentum toward withdrawing the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as a buffer against North Korean aggression and, if Pyongyang gets its way, inserts a wedge between Seoul and its U.S. ally. There have been calls for a peace treaty, a peace regime and an end-of-war declaration. But what does each mean? What nuclear moves will North Korea have to make to satisfy Washington? And what part will U.S. President Donald Trump play? AP takes a look: ___ WHAT KIND OF PEACE? The general idea, from the Korean side, is to get an end-of-war declaration this year that would then begin a process to replace the 65-year-old armistice with a formal peace treaty. If that end-of-war declaration is settled - no easy task - years of legal and political negotiations to get to a peace treaty would lie ahead. In the meantime, if like-minded, liberal governments remain in power in Seoul, supporters would try to set up a "peace regime" that could see increased trade, deeper engagement and incremental disarmament - all meant to make sure that peace holds. ___ WHY THERE'S WORRY Washington has so far said that there can be no end-of-war declaration until North Korea reveals the contents of its nuclear program as a precursor to dismantlement. North Korea is calling for the peace declaration to come first. The United States fears that doing it North Korea's way would remove its leverage and allow the North to endlessly draw out the process by providing only partial nuclear concessions as it reaps rewards. There's also worry that a legally binding peace treaty would allow North Korea, and its backers in the U.N. Security Council, Russia and China, to demand that the U.S.-controlled U.N. Command that polices the Korean border under the armistice be disbanded. "Kim Jong Un's demand for a treaty is not a genuine call for peace, but rather an effort to erode the strong South Korean-U.S. position that has prevented war for 65 years," David Maxwell, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote last month. "Pyongyang believes the departure of U.S. forces from South Korea would allow (Kim) to coerce the South and, if necessary, apply force to achieve his objectives without U.S. interference." South Korean officials who visited Pyongyang earlier this month said Kim Jong Un told them that an end-of-war declaration wouldn't weaken the U.S.-South Korean alliance or lead to the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. But Kim has yet to make any of his assurances in public, and his propaganda services have not released a detailed proposal for what the North wants an end-of-war declaration to look like. Moon Chung-in, a special national security adviser to President Moon, has said that Seoul would try to make sure that any peace deal retains the existing armistice agreement until a treaty is signed, and would also try to include an item that links the denuclearization of North Korea with a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. But Thae Yong Ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to the South in 2016, warned on his blog last week that North Korea has consistently maintained until now that an end-of-war declaration would put an end to the armistice and dissolve the U.N. Command. ___ CAN A DEAL HAPPEN? Standing in the way of a peace treaty are both Koreas' constitutions, which would have to be changed because each claims sovereignty over the entire Korean Peninsula. This could be difficult in South Korea, where many conservatives are deeply skeptical of North Korea's intentions and Moon's attempts to engage the North. "On the North's side, it would be a useful test of Pyongyang's sincerity to ask it to officially give up its claim to sovereignty over the South in the declaration," said Ralph Cossa, an Asia expert at the Pacific Forum. Both Koreas likely have an ally in Beijing, which has long been wary of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and the presence in the South of U.S. troops and their high-tech, high-powered technology and weapons. Even if U.S. forces remain in the South after a peace deal, the removal of the U.N. Command would end an agreement with Tokyo that calls for military bases in Japan to assist in the defense of the South, Cossa said. Getting all U.S. troops out of Northeast Asia is a longtime goal of North Korea. The U.S. Senate would be another big hurdle. Confirmation of a treaty requires a two-thirds vote, which, Cossa points out, would be a tough sell if North Korea is still armed with nuclear missiles. Asked about the U.S. position on a war-ending declaration, a State Department spokesperson, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to comment by name, said that during their June summit in Singapore, "President Trump and Chairman Kim committed to working toward complete denuclearization and to joining their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Efforts toward a lasting peace regime are dependent on progress toward complete denuclearization." Trump, ahead of that June summit, acknowledged that he talked with a visiting North Korean envoy about ending the war. "It's got to be the longest war - almost 70 years, right? And there is a possibility of something like that. ... Can you believe that we're talking about the ending of the Korean War?" But Trump has also reportedly expressed deep skepticism of the U.S. military presence in South Korea. An end-of-war declaration, Cossa said, could be taken by Trump as "further justification to follow this instinct, which in my view would be destabilizing and would lead to a great push (at least among the defense community in South Korea) for development of an independent South Korean nuclear capability." ___ Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Foster Klug, AP's bureau chief for South Korea, has covered the Koreas since 2005. Follow him at www.twitter.com/apklug FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2015, file photo, U.S. and South Korean army soldiers pose on a floating bridge on the Hantan river after a river crossing operation, part of an annual joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States in Yeoncheon, south of the demilitarized zone that divides the two Koreas, South Korea. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, June 12, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, reaches to shake hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island in Singapore. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) FILE - In this April, 27, 2018, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in raise their hands after signing a joint statement at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. (Korea Summit Press Pool via AP, File) FILE - In this June. 12, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, stands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) FILE - In this June 8, 2018, file photo, a man walks by a map of the Korean War at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, South Korea. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) FILE - In this Jan 25, 2017, file photo, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the UK, Thae Yong Ho speaks to the media at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Seoul, South Korea. At the heart of the current impasse in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is a seemingly straightforward demand by both North and South Korea for an end to the Korean War. The former North Korean diplomat, who defected to the South in 2016, warned on his blog that North Korea consistently maintained until now that an end-of-war declaration would put an end to the armistice and dissolve the U.N. Command. (Ed Jones/Pool Photo via AP, File) FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The river seethed a quarter-mile away, bulging from its banks, so the patrol cars circled the neighborhood three times. "Get out now," a voice boomed from a bullhorn. "This is an emergency." Waheeda Reese and her 14-year-old daughter, Anissa, were inside watching news reports about drowned towns all over the state and rain that hadn't yet stopped. U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Samuel Knoeppel, top, and Randy Haba, bottom left, talk to Willie Schubert of Pollocksville, N.C., as he is rescued from a rooftop in Pollocksville, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) "All that water is going to come this way," Anissa said, trying to convince her mother it was time to leave. The city had taped a mandatory evacuation notice to their front door, and a friend in the fire department had called to warn: "I don't want to have to come pick you up in a boat." They still had 22 hours until a deadline to go, and Waheeda wanted to stay. She pointed out the window and said, wishfully, "Look, I think the rain's letting up." As the days drag on, Hurricane Florence has taken this deceptive turn: The violent winds that rattled shingles off houses and tore down trees have subsided, and the pounding rain has eased, lulling many in the storm's path into believing they've already weathered the worst of it - even as rivers quietly churn and continue to rise. The storm has claimed at least 25 lives as of Monday evening and an untold number of homes on its slow march across North Carolina, inundating city after city : Wilmington, New Bern, Lumberton. Now authorities are warning that by the time the Cape Fear River in Cumberland County crests Tuesday at 62 feet (19 meters) - 27 feet (8 meters) over its flood stage - it will threaten to swamp anything within a mile on either side of it. Its tributary, the Little River, is expected to flood, too. More than 7,000 people were ordered to evacuate by Sunday afternoon. But many, weary of a storm that's lingered on and on, did their own rough calculus of the odds and decided to stay. As the Cape Fear River swelled, rescue teams trudged along its banks, pleading with people to get out of its way. Police officers went door to door. The mayor of Fayetteville presented the problem in the starkest of terms: Evacuate or notify your legal next of kin. Military trucks in rural corners of the county barreled down dirt roads quickly becoming mud pits. "Please go," soldiers asked stubborn residents along the massive river that curls downstream through small towns, farms and rural mobile home parks and into the city of Fayetteville, where the Reeses live in a subdivision that butts up against the bank. Anissa's friend down the street was evacuating with his family and knocked on her door, begging her and her mother to come. The Reeses had packed their things just in case, tucking important documents in a water-tight bag. They stacked chairs on top of tables and moved all the family photos upstairs. Then they waited to see what would happen. A few miles away, a high-water rescue team comprising two dozen soldiers from Fort Bragg rested on cots in an arena - preparing for water to surge into neighborhoods and send residents climbing out windows and onto rooftops, a familiar scene since Florence made landfall Friday morning. "I want to make sure those citizens realize the decisions they're making," said Lt. John Savage, who commands the team that knocked on doors to talk with those staying behind. "We have thorough conversations with them to let them know the gravity of the situation they're in." Over the weekend, a military truck rolled down the mucky lane to Kevin Blades' house 20 miles (32 kilometers) upstream from Fayetteville, near where the Cape Fear and Little rivers meet. Savage said there is particular concern about this area. Six horses were drinking from floodwater already pooling on the front lawn. Power had been out for days. The dirt road to the house was so soggy, the truck got stuck in the mud and Blades and a neighbor had to tow it out. Blades informed the soldiers he planned to stay anyway and not to worry because he had an escape plan in mind. "If I have to," he said, "I'll ride the horses out of here." The soldiers left, the Blades played cards, the rain poured on, and the river rose. Down the road, in the tiny town of Linden, Mayor Marie Butler woke up Sunday morning and asked her son to drive her to look at the Little River. She'd encouraged her residents to leave, but just about everyone she knows decided to stay, so she felt like she had to stay, too - to sound the alarm if the river gets close to spilling over. "It didn't look that bad," she said. "It's going to get bad," her son, Thurman Jackson, replied. "There's a lot of water coming down that river." "I'm just praying that the Lord turns it around," Butler said, looking up at the sky. From Linden, the Little River ribbons west to a town called Spring Lake, where authorities shut down already-flooded roads and some who'd stayed put started to worry. Mary Ingram stood outside a convenience store, open only thanks to a generator. She lives with her mother and 1-year-old son two blocks outside of the mandatory evacuation area, so she thought they'd be safe. Then it hit her: "My mom can't swim. So if it does flood, I can't save both her and the baby." She decided to stay, nonetheless. In the tiny hamlet of Wade, population around 570, Athena Moore has been waiting out Florence in her mobile home a quarter mile (half a kilometer) from the Cape Fear River. Many of her neighbors cleared out, but she's hosting two friends who fled from the coast as the hurricane roared ashore only to find themselves now in a flood zone. They're all planning to stay, because they don't have anywhere else to go. Back in Fayetteville, as downtown streets started flooding Sunday, Waheeda Reese finally decided it was time to pack the car and get her daughter out. "So would you be offended if I just dropped you off and came back to stay here?" she asked Anissa. "Kind of," her daughter said. "Why?" "Because you need to be safe, too." ___ Follow Claire Galofaro on Twitter at https://twitter.com/clairegalofaro ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes In this Sunday afternoon, Sept 16, 2018 photo, Waheeda Reese and her daughter, Anissa, pack up the car to leave their home in a mandatory evacuation area in Fayetteville, N.C., barely making the 3 p.m. deadline officials set for residents to leave the area. The Cape Fear River runs about a quarter-mile from their subdivision, and police cars have been circling through demanding over the loud speaker that they evacuate. Waheeda was hesitant to leave her home as the floodwaters rose, and Anissa had tried to convince her for days it was time. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro) In this Sunday afternoon, Sept 16, 2018 photo, Waheeda Reese watches it rain from a window in her home in a mandatory evacuation area in Fayetteville, N.C. The Cape Fear River that runs about a quarter-mile away from her subdivision is expected to crest Tuesday, and authorities have ordered people within a mile of its banks to get out immediately. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro) In this Sunday afternoon, Sept 16, 2018 photo, Mary Ingram checks the news on her phone outside a convenience store in Spring Lake, N.C, about a mile from where the Little River runs. Officials warn that the river is likely to pour from its banks and inundate towns in Cumberland County. Ingram lives just outside the mandatory evacuation zone, and was growing worried about the rising water. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro) Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence inundates homes in Pollocksville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Shallow Water Rescue Team check on a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A man tries to get his dog out of a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Residents paddle a boat through a flooded neighborhood in Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A tow truck operator moves through standing water n Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 where the Lumber River overflowed and flooded a stretch of Interstate 95 following Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Rescue personnel evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Rescue personnel paddle through a flooded apartment complex to evacuate residents as flooding continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Gerald Generette, left, and Maurice Miller look onto the Cape Fear River as it continues to rise in the aftermath of Florence in Fayetteville, N.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) William Larymore, right, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, onto the pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) William Larymore, left, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, partially visible behind, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, back to a pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) MIAMI (AP) - Like hurricanes Harvey and Katrina before it, Florence will be remembered for unleashing a staggering amount of water over a vast area. The flooding unfolded just as forecasters expected, but many residents in the Carolinas still seemed caught off guard as they were plucked off a vehicle's roof or pulled by boat from their flooded homes. Whether they were just stubborn, short of resources to leave or believed they had already seen worse devastation, all will be haunted by what the water has swept away. BY THE NUMBERS -Storm deaths: Florence is being blamed for at least 34 deaths in three states, and Typhoon Mangkhut has killed at least 74 people in the Philippines and China. Farm buildings are inundated with floodwater from Hurricane Florence near Trenton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) -Heavy rains: Nearly 36 inches (91 centimeters) of rain has fallen over Elizabethtown, North Carolina, and other towns have seen roughly 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rainfall since Thursday -High water: The Cape Fear River is set to crest at 62 feet (19 meters) on Tuesday -In the dark: About 320,000 outages, mostly in North Carolina -Damage estimates: $17 billion to $22 billion in lost economic output and property damage, according to economists at Moody's Analytics -Evacuations: Tens of thousands ordered out of communities along North Carolina's steadily rising rivers, while over 2.4 million people in southern China's Guangdong province were warned to escape Mangkhut -To the rescue: Over 1,000 search-and-rescue personnel with 36 helicopters and over 200 boats were working in North Carolina, and the Defense Department assigned 13,500 military personnel to help relief efforts -Safe now: North Carolina's governor says 2,600 people and 300 animals had been rescued -Blocked: 1,200 North Carolina roads closed, including 357 primary roads -City underwater: 4,300 homes in New Bern, North Carolina, inundated by flooding, or one-third of the entire number of homes in the city -Grounded: about 200 U.S. flights canceled Monday, down sharply from the 3,500 canceled from Wednesday through Sunday IMAGES FROM THE GROUND Images captured by Associated Press journalists show flooding caused by Florence in the Carolinas and Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines . FLORENCE'S VICTIMS Officials in the Carolinas are worried about what deaths are still to come amid the swelling rivers and flooding from Florence's crawl across both states. So far, several people have died after being swept up in the stormwaters , and falling trees have killed two small children. TYPHOON MANGKHUT A Philippine police officer says residents of a mining camp in a mountain village refused to leave ahead of the powerful typhoon, believing their chapel and nearby bunkhouses were on stable ground. Now dozens of people are missing after a massive landslide buried the structures. WILMINGTON GETS SUPPLIES One of North Carolina's largest cities still is mostly cut off by floodwaters, so food, water and tarps are being brought into Wilmington by big military trucks and helicopters. More than 60 percent of homes and businesses were without power, and crews have completed about 700 rescues in the county where Wilmington is located. SAVE HOMES OR A HIGHWAY? A wall of concrete barriers and plastic sheets is being built along U.S. Highway 501 to save the main road into Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, from going underwater. Residents in the nearby town of Conway worry that's going to send water from the rising Waccamaw River to flood their homes instead. DAM HAZARDS At least one North Carolina dam has breached so far under the strain of Florence's flooding, but officials say no homes were affected. False alarms about dam failures have caused panic in a state where there is a lot of concern about whether many dams already in poor condition will hold as rivers keep rising. EAGLE-EYED GOVERNOR South Carolina's governor was doing a flyover of Florence's flooding in his state when he spotted two men stranded atop a flooded pickup truck. After watching the rescue, Gov. Henry McMaster said water in that part of Chesterfield County rose at least a foot (30 centimeters) after the men initially were spotted. EXPLAINING THE DANGER Experts say people likely got complacent about Florence because of a scale that only categorizes hurricanes by wind strength . Water is responsible for the vast majority of deaths in hurricanes and tropical storms, but that hazard isn't included in the system forecasters used when they described the storm as a "Category 1 hurricane" at landfall. RECALCULATING Relying just on a smartphone to steer out of a disaster zone is not a smart idea. After some navigation apps or in-car map directions sent people in North Carolina onto roads that got flooded or blocked by debris, Google-owned Waze said it was working with local governments and its own community of volunteer map editors to mark closures of more than 1,300 roads in North Carolina and hundreds more in South Carolina and Virginia. MORE ABOUT MARIA President Donald Trump said the aftermath of last year's hurricanes in Puerto Rico has been an "incredible, tough situation" but he added, "we fought, and we are winning that one big." Trump said almost 20,000 military personnel and federal workers were deployed to help with the aftermath of Florence in the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic, and they would "do whatever it takes to keep the American people safe." ___ For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes Crews with N.C. Baptist on Mission set up Monday Sept. 17, 2018 at the First Baptist Church of Independence Blvd. in Wilmington, N.C. The group plans on offering relief to those going thorough the aftermath of Hurricane Florence for as long as they are needed. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP) A message outside a razed home along the Neuse River in New Bern, N.C. on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Near the flooded-out town of New Bern , where about 455 people had to be rescued from the swirling floodwaters, water completely surrounded churches, businesses and homes. In the neighboring town of Trenton, downtown streets were turned to creeks full of brown water.(AP Photo/Gary D Robertson) Chris Stein yells at an Onslow County Sheriff deputy begging for a power company to come cut the wires that are down in front of her neighborhood near Jacksonville N.C.,Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. She says "It's like being in Jurassic Park" and has been trapped for 4 days. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) The Cape Fear River rises under a closed Interstate 40 just north of Wilmington, NC in Castle Hayne N.C.,Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland) William Larymore, left, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, partially visible behind, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, back to a pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) William Larymore, right, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Salvatore Cirencione, of the State Law Enforcement Division, help resident Franklin Bessemer, who lives on the river, onto the pier on the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Bessemer's boat had quit while he was checking on his home as residents evacuate. The river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A funnel cloud hangs over the Richmond, Va., skyline, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) A resident stands on her pier looking out onto the rising Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Residents are evacuating as the river is expected to flood in the coming days due heavy rains from Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Traffic moves past a downed tree on Ridge Road near Glendale Road in Henrico County, Va., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, as the remnants of Florence pass through the area. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - Guns in schools to protect students from grizzly bears? Betsy DeVos endured yet another rocky Senate confirmation hearing to become education secretary - this time on a theater stage. During the performance at Arena Stage, about a dozen student actors from local high schools played frustrated Democrats and friendly Republicans grilling DeVos about the public education, the role of the federal government in civil rights, and her family wealth. "We are living in a time when people think they are looking for truth, but are being told there are alternative facts and, frankly, we are just trying to show facts," Chris Burney, a co-producer of the show, said in an interview before the performance. "This is what was spoken, these are the words that were spoken, now that you know what the facts are, how do you engage with them?" Actors Vanessa Lock, left, as Betsy DeVos, Cole Sitilides, center, and Jenny Waxman perform in the play "The Confirmation Hearing for the Secretary of Education" in Washington's Arena Stage theater on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. In the play, about a dozen student actors from local high schools posed as frustrated Democrats and friendly Republicans to grill DeVos on the merits of public education, the role of the federal government in civil rights, and her family wealth. (AP Photo/Maria Danilova) The play, titled simply "The Confirmation Hearing for the Secretary of Education," was part of "American Scorecard," a series of dramatic readings of congressional transcripts by actors. Other shows in the series have been devoted to banking, the investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election and the confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who later resigned. DeVos' less-than-smooth performance at her confirmation hearing generated satire on television and social media and marked the start of her rocky tenure. After the hearing, two Republican senators joined the Democrats in voting against DeVos, and Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote that secured her the job. Putting prominent public figures on the stage as part of documentary theater is not new, said Jodi Kanter, a theater professor at George Washington University. For instance, Anita Hill's powerful testimony at the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991 also inspired a play. "It can be extremely valuable to people who are trying to make sense of the current political actors and how they got to where they are and what they are up to," Kanter said. DeVos' 3-hour hearing was condensed to under an hour, with roughly the same time given to Republicans and Democrats. The play ended with excerpts from a speech DeVos later gave as education secretary. DeVos was played by a professional actress while students, selected from educational theater programs, were cast for their roles irrespective of age, gender and race of the character they were playing. Burney said that was meant to symbolize diversity and to amplify what was being said rather than who was saying it. The play contained some of the most awkward and contentious moments of the hearing, such as DeVos suggesting that guns may help protect rural schools from grizzly bears and her struggle to distinguish between proficiency and growth when accessing student achievement. "She looks as if she walked onto the wrong set by accident," Diana Taylor, an arts professor at New York University, said of DeVos' original confirmation hearing. But the producers insist that their aim was not to criticize or ridicule, but to encourage dialogue and understanding. "We work really hard to make it so it's not a cartoon or lampoon, but so that everyone who's involved and every voice that's heard is respected, so hopefully then people can find what do we share in common," said Burney. "We personally did not try to paint DeVos any way, whether it's a good or bad character," said Henry Nieopoetter, a high school senior from Maryland. "Whatever the audience thinks they can now decide 'cause they are now knowledgeable." Fran Kirmser, the Broadway producer who conceived the series, said American society has become deeply polarized. In New York, Kirmser said, she has heard people scream "Not my president" in reference to Donald Trump, "but the fact of the matter is, this is our president." "So I think we all really need to listen and learn and move forward accordingly," Kirmser said. The Education Department did not provide a comment for this story. ___ This version corrects the name of the Broadway producer who conceived the series. It is Fran Kirmser, not Frank. Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - At least nine members of a local Afghan police force were killed when another policeman opened fire at them at a checkpoint in northern Balkh province, a provincial official said Tuesday, the latest so-called "insider attack" in Afghanistan. One policeman was wounded and three others were missing in the late Monday shooting in the district of Char Bolak, said Mohammadudin Khanjer, a police official. According to Khanjer, the attacker was a policeman from another checkpoint in the same district. He fled the scene, apparently to join the Taliban, and took with him all weapons from the checkpoint, Khanjer said. The Taliban made no immediate comment on the attack but insurgents are active in Char Bolak and often attack Afghan security forces there. In Kabul, the country's intelligence agency - the National Directorate of Security - said Tuesday that its officers have arrested at least 26 suspected members of the Islamic State group. The agency said the militants had planned to target Shiite Muslims during the commemoration of Ashura this week, a major Shiite holiday. A statement from the agency Tuesday said the militants, including a group leader, were nabbed in separate operations in Kabul. The IS affiliate in Afghanistan has stepped up attacks on minority Shiites across the country and especially in Kabul. An attack earlier this month in a Kabul Shiite neighborhood involving a twin bombing of a wrestling center killed at least 21 people, including two reporters, and wounded 89 others. Afghan forces have struggled to combat both the Taliban and IS since the United States and NATO formally ended their combat mission in the country in 2014. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A 38-year-old man on probation for a gun crime has been accused of killing a sheriff's deputy and wounding another in a shootout that started with an argument at an auto parts store in the Sacramento area, authorities said Tuesday. Anton Lemon Moore of the city of Rancho Cordova, just outside the capital city, was hospitalized after being shot multiple times during gunbattles with deputies Monday, the sheriff's department said. Deputies responded to a report of a dispute between a customer and an employee at a Pep Boys in Rancho Cordova in a "routine call" that gave no indication the customer had a gun, Sheriff Scott Jones said. This undated handout photo provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, shows suspect Anton Lemon Moore, 38,, who is accused of fatally shooting a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy and wounding another deputy during a shootout in Rancho Cordova, Calif., the day before. Moore was wounded in the gun battle and was hospitalized. (Sacramento County Sheriff's Department via AP) "As soon as they arrived and engaged the subject, he turned as if to run or flee and then immediately turned around and started firing without warning," the sheriff said. Deputy Mark Stasyuk, 27, was shot in the upper body and killed. Deputy Julie Robertson, 28, was hit in the arm but shot back as the attacker fled. Robertson and a bystander who was hit in the crossfire were released from the hospital Tuesday, sheriff's Sgt. Shaun Hampton said. Moore, who is also known as Anton Lemon Paris, was taken into custody by other officers after a second shootout, Jones said. Moore pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of carrying a loaded firearm in 2016 and was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years of probation, according to Sacramento County court records. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm for 10 years. He has faced three other misdemeanor cases since 1998, records show. Moore faced felony charges of assault with a firearm in 2003 but was acquitted by a jury. Monday's shooting was the second fatal incident for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in little more than a year. Deputy Robert French was killed and two California Highway Patrol officers were wounded last August during an investigation into a car theft ring in an unincorporated area outside Sacramento. "It's an incredible hole that never quite gets filled in the hearts of our department," Jones said. Stasyuk was a four-year veteran of the department, and Robertson has been with the agency for about three years. Both were assigned to patrol in Rancho Cordova, which contracts with the sheriff's office for law-enforcement services. "We are very thankful for his sacrifice and very sorrowful for his family," Mayor Linda Budge said of Stasyuk. Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement of condolence and said flags at the Capitol would be flown at half-staff in the deputy's honor. In this undated photo provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office is Deputy Mark Stasyuk. The Sacramento County sheriff's deputy was killed and another wounded in a shootout Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that started with an argument at a Pep Boys store, authorities said. The suspected gunman and a bystander were wounded, but they were expected to survive, Sheriff Scott Jones said. Stasyuk, 27, was shot in the upper body and killed. Deputy Julie Robertson, 28, was hit in the arm but shot back as the attacker fled. (Sacramento County Sheriff's Office via AP) Sacramento County sheriff's deputies wait outside of the emergency room at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif., after two deputies were shot, one fatally, while exchanging gunfire with a suspect, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Rancho Cordova, Calif. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP) Police vehicles block streets some distance away from there two Sacramento County sheriff's deputies and a bystander were shot during an incident in Rancho Cordova, Calif., just outside Sacramento, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Department spokesman Sgt. Shaun Hampton says the suspect is in custody. Hampton says the shooting Monday afternoon occurred at a Pep Boys auto parts store, but did not provide details on the deputies' or the bystander's condition. (AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper) TOKYO (AP) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Tuesday that the U.K. will flourish with or without an agreement on its relationship with the European Union after it leaves the grouping next year. A "no-deal" Brexit is possible, he said in an interview in Tokyo, "but I don't think it's in anyone's interest for that to happen. So that's why we are cautiously optimistic that we will get a deal. But there's a lot of work to do to get there." British Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday to meet other EU leaders. She needs to win over both the European Union and critics of her Brexit proposal within her own Conservative Party. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt speaks during aN interview with The Associated Press at British Embassy in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hunt said it's time for North Korea to take concrete actions toward eliminating its nuclear weapons. Hunt told that Britain is ready to relax economic sanctions on North Korea when there is concrete evidence of a change from the North Korean side. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Japanese companies with operations in Britain are among those worried about the impact of a "no-deal" Brexit, in particular on their ability to export from the U.K. to the rest of Europe without tariffs or other trade restrictions. Under a no-deal scenario, the U.K. would leave the EU without establishing rules for future trade between Britain and the 27 remaining EU member countries. "The U.K. will flourish and prosper as one of the strongest economies in the world whatever the outcome of these talks," Hunt said, noting its business-friendly environment and strong universities. He defended the May government's proposed Brexit deal, which has been roundly attacked by his predecessor, Boris Johnson. Hunt succeeded Johnson as foreign secretary in July. "British politics is littered with the graveyards of people who have predicted the demise of Theresa May and been proved wrong," he said. "Of course Boris Johnson doesn't agree with some of the policy decisions that she's taken, but Theresa May has to speak not just for the 52 percent who voted for Brexit, she has to speak for 100 percent of the country," he added. Hunt is in the Japanese capital to hold annual U.K.-Japan strategic dialogue talks with Foreign Minister Taro Kono. He said he welcomes the summit that started Tuesday between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but that the time has come for the North to take concrete steps toward eliminating its nuclear weapons. "Words get you so far. I think words have helped, they've changed the atmosphere, but we need to see actions now," he said. Britain has sent warships to the Pacific to help patrol for transfers between ships at sea that violate economic sanctions on North Korea. Hunt said Britain is ready to relax sanctions if there is concrete evidence of change on the North Korean side. Hunt, who lived in Japan in the early 1990s, delivered a short speech without notes in Japanese to about 50 people from U.K.-Japan exchange programs. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt delivers a speech during a "strategic dialogue" at British Embassy in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hunt said it's time for North Korea to take concrete actions toward eliminating its nuclear weapons. Hunt told that Britain is ready to relax economic sanctions on North Korea when there is concrete evidence of a change from the North Korean side. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt delivers a speech during a "strategic dialogue" at British Embassy in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hunt said it's time for North Korea to take concrete actions toward eliminating its nuclear weapons. Hunt told that Britain is ready to relax economic sanctions on North Korea when there is concrete evidence of a change from the North Korean side. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at British Embassy in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hunt said it's time for North Korea to take concrete actions toward eliminating its nuclear weapons. Hunt told that Britain is ready to relax economic sanctions on North Korea when there is concrete evidence of a change from the North Korean side. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his courtesy call at his official residence in Tokyo Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool) FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) - OPEC must stick together for the good of the global economy as founding member Iran faces renewed U.S. sanctions, the head of the cartel said Tuesday - though he did not address how an already-tight market will make up for the loss of Iranian supply. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo also said an agreement between OPEC and non-members that cut production and helped bring prices back up from lows of $30 a barrel in January 2016 was now "a permanent feature." Cementing that arrangement would be one of the topics of discussion as OPEC meets this Sunday in Algeria, he added. OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo speaks at an event in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. The head of OPEC said that the oil cartel must stick together for the good of the global economy amid Iran facing renewed U.S. sanctions. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) Still, OPEC will face rising anger from Iran, one of the cartel's top producers. Tehran feels increasingly under pressure after President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May. Crushing U.S. oil sanctions on Iran will resume in early November and already, American allies in Asia are cutting back on their purchases of Iranian crude. The U.S. moves have gotten furious reactions from Iran, especially amid talk of American officials asking Russia and Saudi Arabia to make up the difference. "Mr. Trump's attempt to prevent Iran from appearing on the global crude oil markets has allowed Russia and Saudi Arabia, which would not favor low prices, to pursue hostage-taking policies in the market," Iranian OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said on Saturday. Speaking Tuesday at the Gulf Intelligence Energy Markets Forum in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Barkindo offered no specifics on how the cartel will protect Iran while trying to simultaneously comfort Tehran. "Iran is not only a founding member of OPEC, it's a very important member of this organization. . We have no choice but continue to work with all parties," Barkindo said. Benchmark Brent crude already is nearing $80 a barrel and analysts believe it may go even higher as production remains low. A loss of Iranian supply likely will further drive up prices. Trump, facing midterm elections in the United States, already has called for more oil production from Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down prices with limited effect. A gallon of regular gasoline costs on average $2.85 in the U.S., up from $2.62 a year ago, according to AAA. Barkindo praised the agreement between OPEC and non-members that cut production and said the cartel would work to make it permanent. "The declaration of cooperation has come to stay," he said. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap . His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz . TANGIERS, Morocco (AP) - Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers - only to be chased from their makeshift camps. Migrants have been arriving in Morocco in increasing numbers in a bid to get to Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar. A prime route from Libya to Italy is being choked, notably by the Libyan coast guard intercepting smugglers' boats. Rights activists in this North African kingdom say the crackdown on migrants is the biggest since 2015. In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, sub-Saharan migrants aiming to cross to Europe take shelter in a forest overlooking the neighborhood of Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) Many of those arriving in Tangiers, one of several Moroccan jump-off points to Spain, say they escaped into the forest after police smashed doors of their small shared rooms in Tangiers and took money they were making to pay smugglers. Now, migrants say they aren't safe in the nearby forest where they claim there are more raids, with police seizing their belongings, burning camps and forcing them onto buses to head to points in southern Morocco - further away from the northern border. Those who escaped the raids in town and in the forest say they have nowhere left to hide. If they return to the city, "They (authorities) ask residents to hand us over if we go asking for water," said Skey Mansare, a migrant from Cameroon. A Morocco government spokesman, Mustapha El Khalfi, said the country can no longer let its territory shelter human trafficking networks and refuses to play the role of gendarme of the region. Authorities say Morocco prevented 65,000 migrants from crossing to Spain in 2017. In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, Alex Brandan, a Cameroonian migrant, poses for a portrait as he takes shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. Migrants have been arriving in Morocco in increasing numbers in a bid to get to Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar. A prime route from Libya to Italy is being choked, notably by the Libyan coast guard intercepting smugglers' boats. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, sub-Saharan migrants aiming to cross to Europe take shelter in a forest overlooking the neighborhood of Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, a Muslim sub-Saharan migrant aiming to cross to Europe performs prayers as he takes shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, a sub-Saharan migrant aiming to cross to Europe takes shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps.(AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, a sleeping mattress is seen on a tree in a forest where sub-Saharan migrants aiming to cross to Europe have taken shelter in, near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, a sub-Saharan migrant aiming to cross to Europe walks on a burnt patch following a raid by police, near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, clothes belonging to sub-Saharan migrants aiming to cross to Europe are scattered on in a forest following a police raid, near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, shoes belonging to sub-Saharan migrants aiming to cross to Europe are scattered on in a forest following a police raid, near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, sub-Saharan migrants fetch for water as they take shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, belongings of sub-Saharan migrants aiming to cross to Europe are hung on a tree in a forest they had taken shelter in, near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, a sub-Saharan migrant takes shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, Tresor-Debrun, a Cameroonian migrant, poses for a portrait as he takes shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 photo, sub-Saharan migrants pose for a portrait as they take shelter in a forest near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants escaping poverty and violence in their home countries are fleeing to forests to escape police raids in the northern Moroccan port city of Tangiers _ only to be chased from their makeshift camps. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 photo, Mousa, a sub-Saharan migrant from Senegal aiming to cross to Europe collects scattered clothes following a police raid on a forest where migrants had taken shelter, near Masnana, on the outskirts of Tangier, Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) A man is accused of rubbing his bare behind on produce at a grocery store in northern Virginia before putting the items back on display. Michael Dwayne Johnson, of Manassas, is charged with indecent exposure and destruction of property. The incident took place at a Giant grocery store at approximately 4.30pm on Saturday. Michael Dwayne Johnson, of Manassas, Virginia, has been charged with indecent exposure and destruction of property after he allegedly rubbed produce from a local grocery store on his behind and then put the items back on display The incident took place at a Giant grocery store in Manassas, Virginia, after approximately 4.30pm on Saturday The 27-year-old was detained at the store, according to NBC Washington. A Manassas police release says an employee on Saturday noticed Johnson grabbing produce, pulling down his pants and rubbing the produce on his behind before putting it back. It says the store had to destroy several pallets of produce because of Johnson's actions. A police spokeswoman says the report lists fruit as the ruined produce. Authorities have not released a motive. It's unclear if Johnson has a lawyer. NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on the U.S.-China trade war (all times local): ___ 11:30 p.m. FILE- In this July, 5, 2018, file photo, a ship to shore crane prepares to load a 40-foot shipping container onto a container ship at the Port of Savannah in Savannah, Ga. China said Tuesday, Sept. 18, that it will take "counter-measures" to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports and an American business group warned a "downward spiral" in their trade battle appears certain. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File) China's No. 2 leader has appealed for global support for free trade following tit-for-tat U.S. and Chinese tariff hikes in an escalating battle over Beijing's technology policy. Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday in a speech to a business conference that disputes must be worked out through consultation. China announced a tariff hike on $60 billion of American imports on Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's increase on $200 billion of Chinese goods. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the eastern city of Tianjin, Li said, "it is essential that we uphold the basic principles of multilateralism and free trade." Li said disputes "need to be worked out through consultation. No unilateralism will offer a viable solution." ___ 3:30 p.m. President Donald Trump is defending the nation's continuing trade deficits, arguing that he's only "just started." Trump is telling reporters at a joint White House press conference with the president of Poland that, "this is a process" and that "it takes a little time." Trump is also complaining that the U.S. has been "ripped off" by China, the European Union and "virtually every country that it does business" with for too long. He says he's no longer letting that happen. He's also recounting his conversations with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, calling Juncker "tough" and "nasty" and "the kind of guy I want negotiating for me." Poland is a member of the EU. ___ 1:58 p.m. President Donald Trump says he's prepared to impose a 25 percent tax on an additional $267 billion in Chinese imports. He tells reporters at the White House that the new tariffs would be a response to Beijing's announcement that it's retaliating against the Trump administration's imposition of a 10 percent tax on $200 billion of Chinese imports, to begin Monday. That tax will jump to 25 percent in 2019, Trump said. The president has previously floated the $267 billion figure, but Tuesday was the first time he's specified that the tax rate on those goods would be 25 percent. If Trump ultimately enforces another round of tariffs against China, practically every Chinese good imported to the United States would be hit by higher tariffs. ___ 11:55 a.m. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is downplaying the economic impact of the US-China trade war on consumers. When asked Tuesday morning on CNBC how tariff increases will impact American families, Ross said: "Because it's spread over thousands and thousands of products, nobody's going to actually notice it at the end of the day." China on Tuesday said it will retaliate with higher tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods after President Donald Trump announced new U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Overall, the aluminum and steel tariffs could cost the U.S. beverage industry nearly $348 million, according to The Beer Institute. Coca Cola has announced plans to raise prices, citing the cost of raw materials and packaging, though the impact on consumers is hard to gauge. China's Finance Ministry says it is going ahead with plans announced in August for increases of 10 percent and 5 percent on 5,207 types of U.S. goods. _____ 10:40 a.m. Wall Street, which has anticipated rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China, took the latest volley of tariffs in stride. Gains in technology, energy and consumer-focused companies outweighed losses in utilities and elsewhere. Apple, which has an exemption to the new tariffs on goods imported from China, is up 1 percent. The S&P 500 index rose 8 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,897. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 32 points, or 0.1 percent, to 26,094. The Nasdaq composite gained 54 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,949. China says it will increase tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods Tuesday in retaliation after President Donald Trump announced new U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Both sides are ratcheting up tariffs and rhetoric with an American business group is warning that a downward spiral in the conflict appears certain. China's Finance Ministry says it is going ahead with plans announced in August for increases of 10 percent and 5 percent on 5,207 types of U.S. goods. _____ 9:45 p.m. China says it will increase tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods in retaliation after President Donald Trump announced new U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. It's the latest volley in the trade war between the two countries, and an American business group is warning that a downward spiral in the conflict appears certain. China's Finance Ministry says it is going ahead with plans announced in August for increases of 10 percent and 5 percent on 5,207 types of U.S. goods. A list released last month included coffee, honey and industrial chemicals. ___ 6:55 p.m. The European Union's trade chief says U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports is "very unfortunate" and that the EU disagrees with the methods he's using. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that "this escalation is of course very unfortunate." Malmstrom said the 28-nation EU - the world's biggest trading bloc - shares Washington's concerns about some of China's policies "but we disagree with the methods that the U.S. is using." She noted that "trade wars are not good and they are not easy to win." Trade officials from the EU, U.S. and Japan meet again next week for talks aimed at easing trade tensions. ___ 3:40 p.m. China said Tuesday it will take "counter-measures" to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports and an American business group warned a "downward spiral" in their trade battle appears certain. The Commerce Ministry gave no details of China's response to U.S. tariffs imposed in their fight over Chinese technology policy. But Beijing previously released a $60 billion list of American goods for retaliation. The Trump administration announced the tariffs on some 5,000 Chinese-made goods will start at 10 percent, beginning Monday. They rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1. If China retaliates, Trump threatened Monday to add a further $267 billion in Chinese imports to the target list. ___ 3:20 p.m. The American Chamber of Commerce in China says Beijing will "dig its heels in" after U.S. tariff hikes and appealed for a negotiated end to their trade battle. The chamber on Tuesday warned a "downward spiral" appears certain after President Donald Trump approved a tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese imports in a dispute over Beijing's technology policy. China has said it will retaliate. The chamber chairman, William Zarit, said in a statement, "Contrary to views in Washington, China can - and will - dig its heels in and we are not optimistic about the prospect for a resolution in the short term." The chamber appealed to both governments for results-oriented negotiations. In this Sept. 16, 2018, photo, American flags are displayed together with Chinese flags on top of a trishaw in Beijing. The American Chamber of Commerce in China says Beijing will "dig its heels in" after U.S. tariff hikes and appealed for a negotiated end to their trade battle. The chamber on Tuesday, Sept. 18 warned a "downward spiral" appears certain after President Donald Trump approved a tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese imports in a dispute over Beijing's technology policy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) FILE- In this July, 5, 2018, file photo, a jockey truck passes a stack of 40-foot China Shipping containers at the Port of Savannah in Savannah, Ga. China said Tuesday, Sept. 18, that it will take "counter-measures" to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports and an American business group warned a "downward spiral" in their trade battle appears certain. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File) In this Aug. 29, 2018, photo, a man works in an auto parts factory in Liaocheng in eastern China's Shandong province. The Trump administration announced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that it will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires. (Chinatopix via AP) In this Aug. 29, 2018, photo, a man works in an auto parts factory in Liaocheng in eastern China's Shandong province. The Trump administration announced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that it will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires. (Chinatopix via AP) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A lawyer defending an alleged commander in Uganda's shadowy Lord's Resistance Army accused of crimes including murder, sexual slavery and using child soldiers cast him Tuesday him as a victim of the rebel group and its brutal leader, Joseph Kony. In his opening statement at the International Criminal Court trial of Dominic Ongwen, defense lawyer Krispus Ayena told judges that Ongwen was abducted as a 9-year-old child, plunged into an environment of extreme brutality and effectively stripped of his free will. Ayena said that Ongwen "did not possess a mind of his own save for the survival instinct" he developed to navigate the harsh conditions in the LRA. FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 file photo, Dominic Ongwen, a senior commander in the Lord's Resistance Army, whose fugitive leader Kony is one of the world's most-wanted war crimes suspects, sits in the court room of the International Court in The Hague, Netherlands. In his opening statement on Tuesday Sept. 18, 2018, a lawyer defending Ongwen accused of crimes including murder, sexual slavery and using child soldiers is casting him as a victim of the rebel group's brutal leader, Joseph Kony. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool, File) Prosecutors allege that Ongwen is a former child soldier who turned into a murderous commander. Kony, also indicted by the court in 2005, remains at large despite an intensive man hunt aimed at capturing him. The case against Ongwen, now aged about 40, poses difficult questions for judges about whether a boy snatched on his way to primary school and raised in a cult-like group renowned for its brutality can also be considered a perpetrator of crimes. Ongwen's trial started in December 2016 when he pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, rape, sexual enslavement and using child soldiers during the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda. He is specifically charged with commanding an LRA unit that launched attacks on camps for displaced people in northern Uganda in 2003 and 2004. At the start of the trial, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told judges that Ongwen rose swiftly through the ranks because of his reputation as a ruthless killer. She said that while Ongwen's traumatic past could be a mitigating factor for judges considering a sentence if he is convicted, it "cannot begin to amount to a defense or a reason not to hold him to account for the choice that he made: The choice to embrace the murderous violence used by the LRA and make it a hallmark of the attacks carried out by his soldiers." Ongwen's lawyer disagreed, arguing that his upbringing in the LRA and devotion to its "demiGod" leader, Kony, absolves him of criminal responsibility. "Once a victim, always a victim," Ayena said. "One cannot be a victim and, still in the grips of the same system that victimized him, become a perpetrator." ___ This version corrects the name of the member of Ongwen's legal team who spoke to Krispus Ayena, not Joseph Akwenyu. PITTSBURGH (AP) - A scientist who warned about the environmental threat of microbeads is one of six people being honored with $250,000 cash awards from the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Family Foundation. The annual Heinz Awards recognize achievement in the arts, public policy, the economy and other areas. The recipients of the 23rd annual awards were announced Tuesday. Among them are SUNY Fredonia researcher Sherri Mason, who found that billions of tiny microbeads, the tiny bits of plastic found in some exfoliating body washes and facial scrubs, were being released into the nation's waterways each day. The foundation said her work spurred state and federal microbead bans. Other winners are environmental psychologist Ming Kuo, of Urbana, Illinois; marine biologist Enric Sala, of Washington, D.C.; and education expert Norman Atkins, multidisciplinary artist Ralph Lemon, and international business consultant Linda Rottenberg, all of New York City. SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Macedonia will take a big step to joining the European Union if the country supports a name change to "North Macedonia," the official in charge of the bloc's enlargement negotiations said Tuesday. Following talks with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in the capital Skopje, Johannes Hahn said the Sept. 30 vote is a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity for Macedonians to improve their daily lives. A vote to authorize the name change would be an important step towards resolving a long-standing dispute with neighbor Greece, which has raised objections to Macedonia's EU accession as well as blocking its NATO membership. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, to meet his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov, on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) Greece has long sought a name change because it says the current one implies claims on its own northern province of Macedonia, and on its ancient heritage. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also voiced hope that the country will be able to start EU accession talks next June. But he also called on the Macedonian leadership to continue with reforms that the EU has been requesting for years to bring the country in line with 'EU criteria. "More reforms are needed on all topics - rule of law, fighting organized crime and corruption," Maas said after talks with his Macedonian counterpart, Nikola Dimitrov in Skopje. Dozens of western officials including German chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, have visited Skopje in recent weeks to encourage turnout in the vote - which will only be valid if just over fifty percent of registered voters participate. Commissioner Hahn said the deal is "appreciated" by the international community, because it would solve a long-running dispute. "It is a proof for everybody that so-called frozen conflicts can be resolved if (leaders) have a determination to solve the issue," Hahn said. "This agreement has an impact (that) goes far beyond the EU." If Macedonians vote for the deal in the referendum, the country's parliament must then amend the constitution to adopt the new name. For the deal to come into effect, Greece's parliament would then have to ratify it. Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov talks to the media during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, left, talks during a joint news conference with Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov following their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaks during a joint news conference with Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas adjusts the headphones during a joint news conference with Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaks during a joint news conference with Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, not pictured, at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, left, speaks during a joint news conference with Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov following their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, left, shakes hands with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov upon his arrival at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, left, is welcomed by his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov upon his arrival at the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Skopje ahead the upcoming referendum for changing the country's name in "North Macedonia" that could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO and EU. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn talks for the media during a news conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, following their meeting in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hahn has urged Macedonians to back a name deal referendum planned for the end of this month that will change the country name to "North Macedonia" and pave the way for accession to EU and NATO. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn looks on during a news conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, following their meeting in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hahn has urged Macedonians to back a name deal referendum planned for the end of this month that will change the country name to "North Macedonia" and pave the way for accession to EU and NATO.(AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, left, talks during a media conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, after their meeting in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hahn has urged Macedonians to back a name deal referendum planned for the end of this month that will change the country name to "North Macedonia" and pave the way for accession to EU and NATO.(AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, left, talks with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, during their meeting in Skopje, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Hahn has urged Macedonians to back a name deal referendum planned for the end of this month that will change the country name to "North Macedonia" and pave the way for accession to EU and NATO.(AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) President Donald Trump has hailed a decision by North Korea to allow international inspectors to observe a 'permanent dismantlement' of its key missile facilities, freeze missile and nuclear testing, and to take other steps toward normalization of relations with South Korea. The president tweeted late Tuesday: 'Kim Jong Un has agreed to allow Nuclear inspections, subject to final negotiations, and to permanently dismantle a test site and launch pad in the presence of international experts. 'In the meantime there will be no Rocket or Nuclear testing.' Trump also tweeted on Tuesday that North Korea has agreed to conduct searches for the remains of soldiers who went missing during the Korean War. 'Also, North and South Korea will file a joint bid to host the 2032 Olympics,' the president tweeted. 'Very exciting!' Scroll down for video President Donald Trump has hailed a decision by North Korea to allow international inspectors to observe a 'permanent dismantlement' of its key missile facilities, freeze missile and nuclear testing, and to take other steps toward normalization of relations with South Korea South Koreas President Moon Jae-in (seen left with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang) said on Wednesday (local Korea time) that the North would agree to dismantle missile sites and take other significant steps if the United States takes reciprocal measures Moon and Kim pose for photographs after signing a joint statement in Pyongyang on Wednesday A joint statement says the two Koreas agreed to establish buffer zones along their land and sea borders to reduce military tensions and prevent accidental clashes South Koreas President Moon Jae-in said on Wednesday (local Korea time) that the North would agree to dismantle missile sites and take other steps such as closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex if the United States takes reciprocal measures. North and South Korea agreed that the Korean Peninsula should turn into a 'land of peace without nuclear weapons and nuclear threats,' Moon said following the conclusion of his summit talks with the North Korean leader. Speaking at a joint press conference with Moon, Kim said he will visit the Souths capital Seoul 'in the near future.' Speaking at a joint press conference with Moon, Kim said he will visit the Souths capital Seoul 'in the near future' The statement signed by the countries defense chiefs also says the Koreas agreed to withdraw 11 guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone by December with the aim of removing them eventually A joint statement says the two Koreas agreed to establish buffer zones along their land and sea borders to reduce military tensions and prevent accidental clashes. The statement signed by the countries defense chiefs also says the Koreas agreed to withdraw 11 guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone by December with the aim of removing them eventually. The statement says the Koreas also agreed to no-fly zone above the military demarcation line that bisects the two Koreas that will apply to planes, helicopters and drones. In this file photo, a North Korean soldier stands guard in front of a rocket at the Sohae Satellite Launch Station in Tongchang-ri. North Korea will close its Tongchang-ri missile testing site, the South's President said on Wednesday after a summit with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang Seoul has been stressing the importance of reducing the conventional military threat between the Korea to prevent accidental clashes that can escalate into a nuclear conflict. The statement was issued following the Pyongyang summit between Kim and Moon. Moon also said the Koreas have agreed to establish a joint military committee to evaluate how to reduce tensions. Moon said Wednesday the plans for the committee are part of a commitment to remove 'any threat that could cause war' on the Korean Peninsula. Moons government has been stressing the importance of reducing the conventional military threat between the Korea to prevent accidental clashes that can escalate into a nuclear conflict. The Koreas first agreed to form a joint military committee in 1991, but the plans werent carried out due to turbulent relations between the rivals. Kim gave the South Korean president an exceedingly warm welcome on Tuesday. The two leaders are seen during a parade in Pyongyang after Moon's arrival in the North Korean capital After the pair hugged at the airport they travelled by an open-top car through crowds of cheering North Koreans waving 'reunification' banners and bouquets of flowers WELCOME: Women wearing traditional dress line the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea to welcome Moon and Kim Washington wants North Korea to outline the entirety of its nuclear program, and its response to Wednesday's joint statement from the Koreas remains to be seen. While the declaration appears to fall short of what Washington wants, Trump has maintained that he and Kim have a solid relationship and both leaders have expressed interest in meeting again after their June summit in Singapore. North Korea has been demanding a declaration formally ending the Korean War, which was stopped in 1953 by a ceasefire, but neither leader mentioned it as they read the joint statement. 'We have agreed to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace that is free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threat,' Kim said as he stood by Moon's side at the guesthouse where Moon is staying. 'The road to our future will not always be smooth and we may face challenges and trials we can't anticipate. But we aren't afraid of headwinds because our strength will grow as we overcome each trial based on the strength of our nation.' Kim and Moon earlier smiled and chatting as they walked down a hallway and into a meeting room to finalize the joint statement, which also said that the leaders would push for a Korean Peninsula without nuclear weapons and to 'eliminate all the danger of war.' North Korea was expected to hold a huge mass games spectacle later in the day, with Moon attending an event expected to draw about 150,000 spectators, Seoul said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, third from left, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, second from left, are welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju upon their arrival at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, toasts with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol Ju during a welcome banquet in Pyongyang Moon Jae-in (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) clap as they watch an art performance by Samjiyon Orchestra at Pyongyang Grand Theatre A big screen shows a picture of both Korean leaders holding their hands aloft during an art performance by Samjiyon Orchestra Moon Jae-in (left), his wife Kim Jung-sook (second right), Kim Jong-un (second left) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (right) waved to the crowds at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre It wasn't clear if Kim would attend. North Korea first staged its mass games in 2002, when Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, was leader. They continued most every year until 2014, then were revived during North Korea's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of its state founding earlier this month. Kim gave the South Korean president an exceedingly warm welcome on Tuesday, the first day of the summit, meeting him and his wife at Pyongyang's airport - itself a very unusual gesture - then riding into town with Moon in an open limousine through streets lined with crowds of North Koreans, who cheered and waved the flag of their country and a blue-and-white flag that symbolizes Korean unity. The made-for-television welcome has become routine for their summits, after two meetings earlier this year. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, wave during a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport Moon's plane had taken off from the military's Seoul Air Base for the 80-minute flight to the North Korean capital Moon signs a guest book as North Korean leader before his summit with Kim at the Workers' Party of Korea headquarters Moon is seeking to reboot stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States Both leaders have credited US President Trump with the thaw in relations between the North and South The summit talks began at the ruling Workers' Party headquarters where Kim and Moon were joined by two of their top deputies - spy chief Suh Hoon and presidential security director Chung Eui-yong for Moon, and for Kim, his sister, Kim Yo Jong, and senior Workers' Party official Kim Yong Chol, according to Moon's office. At the start of their meeting Tuesday, Kim thanked Moon for brokering the June summit with Trump. 'It's not too much to say that it's Moon's efforts that arranged a historic North Korea-U.S. summit. Because of that, the regional political situation has been stabilized and more progress on North Korea-U.S. ties is expected,' Kim said, according to South Korean media pool reports and Moon's office. Moon responded by expressing his own thanks to Kim for making a 'bold decision' in a New Year's speech to open a new era of detente and send a delegation to the South Korean Winter Olympics in February. NEW DELHI (AP) - Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone appeared in New Delhi on Tuesday for the unveiling of her wax likeness at the city's Madame Tussauds museum, a symbol of changing cultural mores in a country where arranged marriages remain common and celebrity kisses in public constitute front-page news. The statue represents the Canadian-born, Indian-American actress and entrepreneur's acceptance by mainstream Indian society even as conservative Indian politicians condemn her porn-star past. Born Karenjit Kaur Vohra to a Sikh Punjabi family, Leone, 37, made a name for herself in the porn industry before breaking into Bollywood in 2012, starring in the sequel to the hit movie "Jism," Hindi for "body." Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone stands with her wax likeness during its unveiling at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018.The statue unveiled Tuesday represents the 37-year-old celebrity's acceptance by mainstream Indian society even as conservative Indian politicians condemn her porn-star past. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) A string of movies, a documentary and a Netflix biopic have garnered her huge audiences - even as critics have panned her acting abilities. For years, Leone has been India's most Googled entertainer. With the statue, Leone joins the pantheon of Indian celebrities - including Bollywood stars Madhubala and Katrina Kaif, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - immortalized in wax. Leone's rise in India has not been without controversy. In 2011, Anurag Thakur, head of the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, now India's ruling party, and a member of India's Parliament, sought to censure a TV channel that ran a reality-TV show featuring Leone. Thakur argued that an adult-entertainment star's appearance on the show would have a "negative impact on the mindset of children." In 2015, India's Community Party leader Atul Kumar Anjan decried a condom ad featuring Leone as "disgusting and dirty," and said it promoted sex and could lead to a rise in rape cases in India. An antagonistic interview with Bhupendra Chaubey of CNN News18 inspired a firestorm in the Indian press and on social media. In the interview, Chaubey asked whether Leone regretted working in the porn industry, and whether she was aware that Indian housewives worried she would steal their husbands. Chaubey said some found Leone "completely antithetical to what we perceive as the ideal of an Indian woman." While some viewers lambasted Chaubey for sexism, Indian author and marketing maven Suhel Seth tweeted that it was "a mirror unto us! How many people before this interview were willing to be by her side?" "I don't see myself the way other people see me," Leone said in a news conference Tuesday, adding that the statue stood for "women speaking up and women doing what they're passionate about." Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone stands with her wax likeness during its unveiling at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018.The statue unveiled Tuesday represents the 37-year-old celebrity's acceptance by mainstream Indian society even as conservative Indian politicians condemn her porn-star past. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone stands with her wax likeness during its unveiling at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018.The statue unveiled Tuesday represents the 37-year-old celebrity's acceptance by mainstream Indian society even as conservative Indian politicians condemn her porn-star past. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) People raise their mobile phones to take photos and videos of Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone during the unveiling of her wax likeness at the Madame Tussauds museum in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. The statue unveiled Tuesday represents the 37-year-old celebrity's acceptance by mainstream Indian society even as conservative Indian politicians condemn her porn-star past. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) MADRID (AP) - A Spanish court on Tuesday rejected a request to extradite a former HSBC employee to serve a five-year prison sentence in Switzerland, where he was convicted for leaking a massive trove of bank data that led to tax evasion probes worldwide. The ruling was the second time Spain's National Court refused to extradite Herve Falciani, a French-Italian computer expert who in 2008 disclosed tens of thousands of records of HSBC customers who allegedly used the bank's Swiss branch to avoid taxes. He was convicted in absentia of breaching financial secrecy laws in Switzerland in 2015. A panel of three National Court judges ruled Tuesday that Falciani had already been cleared from extradition in 2013, when the same court ruled that "aggravated economic espionage" is not a crime in Spain. Herve Falciani, left, leaves the national court after an extradition hearing in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. A former HSBC employee convicted of economic espionage in Switzerland is resisting extradition from Spain, arguing that his massive data leak from the bank's Geneva subsidiary led to dozens of judicial tax evasion probes worldwide. (AP Photo/Aritz Parra) The judges also say that Falciani didn't reveal any secrets because he only shared them with authorities who initiated investigations in dozens of countries, including in Spain. Falciani, 46, was first arrested in Spain in 2012. He spent 170 days in prison before he was released. He was arrested again in Madrid in April, in a renewed effort by Swiss authorities to make him serve his prison time. Falciani said he believed Spain's previous conservative administration arrested him in order to use him as "a bargaining chip" in requests to extradite pro-independence Catalan politicians in Switzerland. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, he said the only explanation of why he was arrested again this year after a lull in his case was political. He claimed that the initiative to arrest him had not come from Swiss authorities. The Spanish government denied the allegations. Falciani has said that being free over the past five years allowed him to work with anti-corruption prosecutors in the country and elsewhere, helping France recover millions of euros (dollars) in fines and Belgian authorities open a massive probe into the diamond market. BEIJING (AP) - China unveiled a slew of changes under mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump over technology. Beijing promised to cut tariffs, open its auto industry and buy American exports. But none of that was what Trump wanted: An end to development policies Washington says are based on theft of know-how and might erode U.S. industrial leadership. Exporters scrambled to replace lost orders after Trump pulled the trigger in July with his first round of tariff hikes on $50 billion of Chinese imports. Waves of job losses loom over factory towns. So far, however, Chinese leaders express confidence in their $12 trillion-a-year economy and are refusing to budge on tactics they see as a path to prosperity and global influence. In this Sept. 16, 2018, photo, American flags are displayed together with Chinese flags on top of a trishaw in Beijing. The American Chamber of Commerce in China says Beijing will "dig its heels in" after U.S. tariff hikes and appealed for a negotiated end to their trade battle. The chamber on Tuesday, Sept. 18 warned a "downward spiral" appears certain after President Donald Trump approved a tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese imports in a dispute over Beijing's technology policy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) The communist leadership appears no more likely to back down after Trump escalated their dispute Monday by approving penalties on an additional $200 billion of Chinese goods, according to economists, political analysts and business groups. "Contrary to views in Washington, China can - and will - dig its heels in," said the chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, William Zarit, in a statement. "We are not optimistic about the prospect for a resolution in the short term." Trump's complaints strike at the heart of the Communist Party's view of itself as economic development leader - a venture capital investor on a national scale, boldly creating new industries. That role has gained prominence since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, despite the party's 2013 pledge to give market forces a "decisive role" in the state-dominated economy. Reform advocates complain state-owned companies that dominate banking, energy and other industries are getting bigger. They say that ignores the lessons of three decades of market-style changes that propelled China's economic boom. Beijing is still figuring out what Washington wants, said Citigroup economist Li-Gang Liu. "The bottom line from the U.S. side is not clear," Liu said in an email. "Without clarity as to what President Trump wants from the Chinese exactly, it is difficult to see any progress ahead." The ruling party sees initiatives including "Made in China 2025," which calls for state-led creation of global champions in robotics, electric cars and other fields, as essential for raising incomes for China's poor majority and restoring the country to its historic status as a technology and cultural leader. Washington, Europe and other trading partners complain that explicitly nationalistic goals of creating Chinese global brands and promise subsidies to local competitors violate Beijing's promises to treat companies equally. American officials also say Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. While rebuffing U.S. pressure, Beijing has unveiled other changes long sought by its trading partners. The government announced in April it would allow full ownership of electric car manufacturers beginning this year and lift all ownership caps in the industry by 2020. Beijing agreed to join the European Union in proposing reforms of the World Trade Organization, which Washington complains is antiquated and unable to cope with Chinese-style challenges. Chinese leaders appear to be wrestling with how to present their plans in a way that causes less foreign opposition, said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy. He said there was "considerable debate" about how to handle Washington at the leaders' annual summer retreat at the seaside resort of Beidaihe. "I do think there is some internal debate about, Did we handle this right? Is there some way we can acknowledge to the U.S. side and others that we recognize there are changes we need to make?" said Haenle. But doing that without looking like Chinese leaders are "caving in to the United States will be a difficult endeavor to pull off." Chinese leaders might have hoped cooperating on North Korea would win over Trump. But he went ahead with tariff hikes even after Beijing joined the "maximum pressure" campaign on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up nuclear weapons and Xi skipped the regime's 70th anniversary festivities this month. "I don't think they have any great hopes that Trump is going to be any easier on them," said Haenle. Beijing's conviction that it needs to accelerate technology development was reinforced by this year's near-death of ZTE Corp., one of China's biggest tech companies, said Citigroup's Liu. ZTE announced it might shut down after Washington imposed a seven-year ban on sales of U.S. components and technology to the state-owned manufacturer of telecoms equipment, citing its exports to North Korea and Iran. To regain access, ZTE agreed to pay a $1 billion fine, replace its executive team and embed a U.S.-chosen compliance team in the company. Chinese leaders realized "they don't have core technology," said Liu. "Made in China 2025" has "become more important than before and will be accelerated." Some Chinese reform advocates see a possible way out: Restructure "Made in China 2025" and other initiatives to make them more market-oriented and strip out subsidies that irk Washington and other governments. They say that would pay dividends for China by encouraging creativity and efficiency through competition. "That would be nothing more than promising further opening and reform. Government interference in business would be corrected," said Hu Xingdou, an economist in Beijing. "These are all good for the Chinese people." Beijing might hope Trump will "move to a more conciliatory position," especially if his Republican Party suffers setbacks in November elections, said Haenle. But he said they doubt they know enough about American politics to try to influence the outcome by offering concessions. The impact on China has been smaller than some American leaders hoped. Monday's latest tariff hike might trim China's economic growth by 0.3 to 0.5 percentage points over the next year, Lillian Li of Moody's rating agency said in a report. But government stimulus spending and easier credit should offset that, leaving China's growth forecast unchanged at 6.6 percent this year and 6.4 percent in 2019, she said. Citigroup estimates the first U.S. tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods will wipe out about 881,000 industrial jobs. That could rise to 3.5 million additional lost jobs over three to five years if the tariffs on $200 billion of imports increase to 25 percent, it said. The dispute has a silver lining for some Chinese companies as some local governments act on longstanding complaints by cutting taxes and fees and simplifying bureaucracy. Guangdong province, an export center adjacent to Hong Kong, announced changes on Sept. 10 that it said would cut costs for businesses there by 200 billion yuan ($31 billion) in 2018-20. "We believe Chinese industries will come out of the trade war stronger than before," said Citigroup's Liu. ___ AP researcher Yu Bing contributed. In this Aug. 29, 2018, photo, a man works in an auto parts factory in Liaocheng in eastern China's Shandong province. The Trump administration announced Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, that it will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires. (Chinatopix via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - If North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was searching for the perfect propaganda set piece, something designed to show his people that he's a strong leader pushing inexorably for the long-delayed, long-promised prosperity they deserve, then visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in might be providing him with a unique opportunity. Moon believes that his deep engagement with North Korea is crucial after last year's fears of war, when Washington reacted with fury to a torrent of ever-more-powerful North Korean weapons tests. He argues better ties with North Korea will help South Koreans, and the region, by settling the standoff over the North's pursuit of a nuclear arsenal designed to target the U.S. mainland. But his engagement push, which includes bringing some of South Korea's most powerful business tycoons to Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, strikes some observers as also boosting Kim as he tries to show his citizens that he's pivoting to economic improvement and - crucial yet unspoken - raising his impoverished nation up to South Korea's level, after his claim last year to have completed his nuclear arsenal. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wave from a car during a parade through a street in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) Throughout the first day of Moon's three-day trip to North Korea, the South Korean leader could be seen grinning broadly as he and Kim enjoyed the ecstatic reception of a Pyongyang that seemed to have been painted, polished and framed until it was the best possible version of itself - on the video that South Korean media traveling with Moon captured and beamed back to Seoul, at least. Consider one telling scene, not long after Moon's arrival Tuesday, when cameras caught Kim and his sister, Kim Yo Jong, who acts as her brother's chief propagandist, both maneuvering Moon so that he had the perfect view - and could be perfectly seen on a reviewing stand, Kim by his side - as an honor guard of goose-stepping troops armed with bayonet-tipped rifles marched by. A little later, Moon waded into the crowd of elite North Korean citizens who'd been brought out to welcome him, shaking hands with some and then deeply bowing amid wild cheers. Even the venue for one of the leaders' meetings - the ruling Workers' Party headquarters, where Moon signed a guestbook near a map depicting a single, undivided Korea - will play well with a delighted North Korean public. The optics of Moon's visit to Pyongyang are "reminiscent of the Chinese emperor receiving tributary missions - with a pan-Korean ethnic nationalistic twist - the Son of Heaven graciously receiving the barbarian envoy, dazzling the visitor with opulence, grace, and power," according to Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at Tufts University's Fletcher School. North Korea, Lee said, portrays all visits by foreign heads of state as reflecting on the "manifold virtues of the Great Leader," and that's especially true of "a Pyongyang pilgrimage by the leader of the illegitimate Korean state" to the south. Moon's office downplayed worries that North Korea could use his visit as propaganda, saying the enthusiastic welcome for Moon should be "seen just as it is." The images of Moon being led through Pyongyang by Kim will likely be picked over, edited and shown repeatedly on North Korean state TV. Moon's trip will also become a centerpiece of North Korea's propaganda specialists as they promote an ideology of race-based nationalism that describes North and South Korean people as one nation, temporarily divided, according to Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Korea University. The North has repeatedly used this ideology to back its demand that the South split from its alliance with the United States. "The lavish welcome for Moon will be used to push an image of the Koreas as belonging to a single nation and create detachment between Washington and Seoul," said Nam, a former official in South Korea's spy agency. Moon's office said Seoul and Washington are at all times maintaining close communication over North Korea. Nam also said that the visit will help restore the pride of North Koreans, who have been promised economic prosperity after a devastating famine in the 1990s and a steady focus on building the military. Vipin Narang, a North Korea expert at MIT, said Kim's efforts this week fit into his new strategic line. "Nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles are quietly being mass-produced but Kim won't flaunt them. All attention and focus is on economic development," Narang said. There's speculation that the scale of the political theater could grow even grander on Wednesday, the second day of the summit, with North Korea possibly engineering one of its huge mass games spectacles for Moon. The North is being treated to a veritable who's who from the world of high-powered South Korean business leaders, many of whom could be seen lining up to get on Moon's plane for Pyongyang on Tuesday, some looking a little taken aback at having their IDs scanned by a security person. Moon, meanwhile, during his welcome in Pyongyang, looked "like a child in a candy store - wide-eyed, all smiles, bowing to the North Korean people gathered at the airport, and with a retinue of (business leaders) eager to make gifts in the billions of dollars," Lee, the Korea expert at Tufts, said. "It's all grand theater, North Korean style." ___ AP writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report. ___ Foster Klug, AP's bureau chief in South Korea, has covered the Koreas since 2005. Follow him at www.twitter.com/apklug South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gesture as they attend a welcoming ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, second from right, is greeted by North Koreans as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, is greeted by North Koreans during a welcome ceremony at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center right, toasts with South Korean president Moon Jae-in during a welcome banquet in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ride in a car parade through Pyongyang in North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) Women wearing traditional dress line the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea, to welcome South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un passing by during a car parade, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before their summit at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) With Kim Yo Jong, left, sister of North Korean Leader, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Koran leader Kim Jong Un, right, arrive at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right center, talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left center, as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong, right, sits during their summit at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, center, and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, right, sit onboard a plane before leaving for Pyongyang, North Korea, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Seoul military airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. President Moon Jae-in began his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday with possibly his hardest mission to date - brokering some kind of compromise to keep North Korea's talks with Washington from imploding and pushing ahead with his own plans to expand economic cooperation and bring a stable peace to the Korean Peninsula. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, toasts with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol Ju during a welcome banquet in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Family members, human rights activists and civic groups gathered in Colombo on Tuesday to demand a speedy and fair investigation of a Sri Lankan student detained in Australia on a terrorism charge. Kamer Nizamdeen, 25, was arrested in Sydney on Aug. 30 and accused of planning to carry out terror attacks, according to the New South Wales police website. Police said they found the plans in a notebook. A support group, United for Kamer, held a peaceful protest as part of their call for a fair trial for Nizamdeen. The group said Nizamdeen had been working for the University of New South Wales and has been kept in solitary confinement since his arrest. It said Nizamdeen denies what police say he wrote in the notebook, which had not been with him for two months. A statement from the family read at the protest said Nizamdeen was allowed to contact one family member immediately after the arrest but was then denied access to legal counsel or family members. The statement read by Nizamdeen's uncle, Kaleel Cassim, said the family is alarmed by a lack of information. "We accordingly call upon the Australian government to ensure that investigations into allegations against Kamer are concluded expeditiously, and that he is guaranteed the right to communicate regularly with his family," the statement said; also asserting his right to receive advice from his attorney. The protesters silently held placards that read, "He has been framed" and "Kamer is innocent." The Church of England is said to be considering co-ordinating an effort to find a group of buyers for the loan book of failed pay day lender Wonga to prevent it falling into the hands of unscrupulous loan sharks. A source close to the matter said it was highly unlikely the church would be directly involved in the purchase of Wongas estimated 400 million book. Instead, it would work to bring a consortium of non-government organisations and philanthropists to organise a buyout, the source said, but that any plan was in a very preliminary stage. Justin Welby will try to use the Church of Englands influence to find an ethical buyer for Wongas loan book following its collapse, source claims (Yui Mok/ PA) The news comes a week after independent MP Frank Field called on Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby asking him to find good people to buy Wongas loan book. Existing borrowers are thought to total around 200,000, and Mr Field said he feared they could be left at the mercy of money lenders and bailiffs who could purchase the debt at a knockdown price. In a letter to the archbishop, he said: Is there a possibility please of you asking the Church Commissioners quickly to assemble a consortium of good people with money who will attempt to buy those poor peoples loan books at a knockdown price? THREAD - Wonga's loan books are likely to be sold and, if the past record is any guide to the future, those loans will probably be sold at knockdown rates. Within these loan books are likely to be some devoted exclusively to the exploitation of the poor. Frank Field (@frankfieldteam) September 6, 2018 He said swift action by the church would stop a new lender terrorising the poor and would be an example of the jubilee in setting slaves free of their debts. According to the Book of Leviticus, a jubilee year occurs every 50th year, during which slaves and prisoners are freed and debts forgiven. Administrator Grant Thornton is running Wongas loan book while it looks for a buyer. Mr Field said that such a purchase led by the Church of England could mark the beginning of a peoples bank. He told the Press Association: Wonga targeted people who are beyond the abyss. This is an ambulance rescue operation, but longer term we need to look at offering long-term credit, through a peoples bank, for those who are in urgent need. A spokesman for the Church of England said: We are reflecting on what may or may not be possible in the months ahead regarding the repercussions following Wongas collapse. In 2013 the Archbishop was forced to admit the Church of Englands investment fund had invested indirectly in Wonga. Although the sum was small about 75,000 out of investments totalling 5.5 billion he described it as embarrassing. It shouldnt happen, its very embarrassing, but these things do happen and we have to find out why and make sure it doesnt happen again, Archbishop Welby said at the time. Theresa May has admitted she gets irritated by the debate over her leadership and lashed out at possible successor Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister insisted she was focused on the countrys future rather than her own, in a BBC interview to mark the six-month countdown to Brexit. Mrs May criticised Mr Johnson for using completely inappropriate language when he described her Brexit strategy as putting the UK in a suicide vest. Around 50 Brexiteers met to war-game ways to oust the Prime Minister on Tuesday evening and Mr Johnson is widely-expected to vie to replace Mrs May. Asked if she would reassure the Conservative party she was not determined to go on and on, the PM told BBC Panoramas Inside No 10: Deal or No Deal?: I get a little bit irritated but this debate is not about my future, this debate is about the future of the people of the UK and the future of the United Kingdom. Thats what Im focused on and thats what we should all be focused on. Its ensuring that we get that good deal from the European Union which is good for people in the UK, wherever they live in the UK, thats whats important for us Its the future of people in the UK that matters. Mr Johnson faced a Tory backlash after comparing Mrs Mays Brexit plan to a suicide vest and his former communications director, Guto Harri, said on Saturday that his ex-boss was digging his political grave. Theresa May at her desk at 10 Downing Street (Panorama/BBC) Mrs May said the former foreign secretarys comments were not right. I have to say that that choice of language is completely inappropriate, she said. I was home secretary for six years, and as Prime Minister for two years now I think using language like that was not right and its not language I would have used. The PM was once described as bloody difficult woman by former Cabinet minister Ken Clarke, and later claimed the description as a badge of honour. She told the programme that person is still there, but theres a difference between those who think you can only be bloody difficult in public, and those who think actually you bide your time, and youre bloody difficult when the time is right and when it really matters. A Holyrood committee could vote to ban the mechanical harvesting of kelp, after more than 10,000 people backed a petition against the practice Ailsa McLellan, an oyster farmer from Ullapool, started the petition after the first application for industrial scale dredging for the seaweed was submitted in Scotland. The proposal, by Ayr-based firm Marine Biopolymers, could eventually see a reported 30,000 tonnes of the seaweed gathered each year off the countrys west coast by specially adapted boats. We and our partners @ArranCoast @siftscotland are extremely worried about proposals to allow mechanical kelp dredging in Scotland, which would rip up this critical habitat upon which many species depend. Please RT and follow @Savekelp to find out how you can help. #nokelpdredge pic.twitter.com/KclaVWRfoY Fauna & Flora Int. (@FaunaFloraInt) September 14, 2018 Fishermen and environmental campaigners warned such a move could be destructive to not just the kelp beds, but many other fish and shellfish in the surrounding waters. On Tuesday, Green MSP Mark Ruskell will ask Holyroods Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee to back a motion which would outlaw this mechanical dredging. He will put forward an amendment to the Crown Estate Bill, which would only permit kelp harvesting where the plant can recover. Ms McLennan, the founder of the No Kelp Dredging Facebook campaign, called for MSPs support to put an end to the anxiety this application has caused across our coastal communities. She insisted it would be environmentally and economically disastrous for Scotland if mechanical dredging for kelp was given the go ahead. Dear @GillianMSP, @ClaudiaBeamish, @FinCarson, @RichardLyleSNP, @Angus4FalkirkE, @Alex_RowleyMSP & @zsstevens: please support @MarkRuskell's amendment to protect Scotland's kelp next week! Kelp supports a huge range of wildlife and sustainable jobs: please protect both. pic.twitter.com/2upYFOApWy Help The Kelp (@Savekelp) September 12, 2018 The campaigner said: Our wild kelp beds are incredible assets that belong to all of us. Kelp plays a significant part in limiting climate change, locking up carbon and buffering the sea against increasing acidification. Kelp protects coastlines from the impact of waves and shifting sediment, which is important in areas such as Uist which face serious coastal erosion. Wild kelp forests support a wide range of species essential for coastal businesses, including fishing, wildlife tourism and aquaculture. Existing businesses that harvest kelp do it responsibly and sustainably. The rules say that no kelp can be destroyed, that any bycatch of other species must be recorded, and that we must not alter the habitat. These are sensible rules, and they are obviously not compatible with mechanical dredging that tears kelp up by the roots. It would be environmentally and economically disastrous if this practice were to be allowed. I would urge MSPs from all parties to support this amendment next week and put an end to the anxiety this application has caused across our coastal communities. Kelp forests support a number of species (Andy Jackson/Subsea TV/PA) The Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT), which recently launched its Help The Kelp campaign, also spoke out in favour of a ban SIFT executive director Charles Millar said: The industrial dredging of Scotlands kelp forests would seriously undermine the ability of our inshore waters to support a diverse, healthy population of marine species. In particular, our kelp forests play a crucial role as nursery habitats for numerous commercially-fished species, and removing large portions of this habitat would be detrimental to the already-fragile inshore fishing communities around our coastline. Saul Canelo Alvarez is open to the idea of a third fight against Gennady Golovkin after taking a points decision and the Kazakhs WBC and WBA middleweight titles in Las Vegas. Billed Canelo v GGG II, the fight came nearly a year to the day since a split-decision draw left Golovkin stunned. And Triple G was stunned again with a tight decision favouring the Mexican on the eve of his countrys Independence Day with two judges scoring the fight 115-113 and the third 114-114. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, left, Gennady Golovkin battle in Las Vegas (Steve Marcus/AP) Speaking after the fight, Canelo said: If the people want a third fight, we will do it again. But for now, I want to enjoy the moment with my family and my people. But if they want us to do it again, no doubt. Hes a great fighter but Im a great fighter and I showed it tonight. Alvarezs six-month ban after testing positive for clenbuterol he claimed the positive test came from eating contaminated meat scuppered the first prospective rematch date earlier this year. So expectations were high as the pair went toe to toe in the highly anticipated bout at the T-Mobile Arena. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez celebrates victory (Isaac Brekken/AP) Canelo controlled the pace but Golovkin was better with the jab in the early stages, almost a reversal of last September. Canelo got in some strong body work in the second half of the fight but, into the 12th round, it was the champion who was pushing harder, landing a left-hook and uppercut. Going into the final three minutes, all three judges had it at 105-104 in favour of the challenger with the Mexicans strong chin and even stronger resolve saw him go the distance and take the straps as Golovkin tasted defeat for the first time in 40 fights. Golovkin left the ring without speaking, but later said: Im not going to say who won tonight because the victory belongs to Canelo according to the judges. I thought it was a very good fight for the fans and very exciting. I thought I fought better than he did. An opposition Israeli politician has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismiss his ambassador to the United States for failing to report sexual assault allegations against a top Netanyahu aide. Karin Elharrar said Ron Dermer should be recalled from Washington for not reporting the warnings he received about David Keyes, Mr Netanyahus spokesman to foreign media. Last week, Julia Salazar, a candidate for New Yorks state senate, accused Mr Keyes of sexually assaulting her five years ago. Wall Street Journal reporter Shayndi Raice tweeted she too had a terrible encounter with Mr Keyes before he became Mr Netanyahus spokesman. I also had a terrible encounter with David Keyes once and 100% believe her. I knew this would come out about him at some point. https://t.co/u9uo4pAlHh Shayndi Raice (@Shayndi) September 11, 2018 She described him as a predator and someone who had absolutely no conception of the word no'. At least a dozen other women have since come forward with varying allegations, some of which are said to have been committed since Mr Keyes took up his current position in early 2016. Mr Keyes, 34, denies the allegations, saying all are deeply misleading and many of them are categorically false. Mr Keyes says he has taken a leave of absence amid the uproar to try and clear his name. But the scandal has since spread to the rest of Mr Netanyahus inner circle, previously rocked with accusations of sexual improprieties. Julia Salazar said that she was sexually assaulted five years ago by David Keyes (Mary Altaffer/AP) Natan Eshel, a former top aide, was forced to resign in 2012 after allegations emerged that he harassed and intimidated a woman in the prime ministers office, including taking pictures up her skirt. Earlier this year, Mr Netanyahus son Yair came under fire after a recording emerged of him joyriding at taxpayer expense to Tel Aviv strip clubs and making misogynistic comments about strippers, waitresses and other women. Over the weekend, Mr Dermer, who was perhaps Mr Netanyahus closest associate before taking office in Washington, confirmed he was warned in late 2016 by New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, then of the Wall Street Journal, about Mr Keyes questionable behaviour toward women. The New York Times reported that Mr Stephens, who said he had barred Mr Keyes from visiting the Wall Street Journal offices because of harassment complaints of women there against him, warned Mr Dermer that Keyes posed a risk to women in Israeli government offices. Mr Dermer said he did not report this further since he did not consider the harassment allegations criminal. But Ms Elharrar noted in her letter to Mr Netanyahu that Mr Dermer was unqualified to judge this. Under Israeli law sexual harassment is a crime and public servants are required to report any knowledge of it. Therefore, she said, she demanded Mr Dermers dismissal since it is unreasonable that someone holding such a prominent position would violate the law so blatantly. Mr Netanyahu has yet to comment on the affair. Michal Rozin, a legislator with the opposition Meretz party, said his silence could be interpreted as tolerance of the alleged acts and she demanded he take a clear stance against sexual assault and harassment. Glasgow School of Arts fire-hit Mackintosh Building will be rebuilt but could take four to seven years to complete, the art school board chairwoman has said. Muriel Gray said the rebuild would follow Charles Rennie Mackintoshs original designs, adding she hopes no public money will be needed. The renowned building has faced speculation about its future after being engulfed by a huge blaze on June 15, as a restoration project following the devastating fire four years earlier neared completion. Ms Gray told the Herald on Sunday: We are resolved that the Mackintosh comes back as a working art school, as a major player, a cultural leader for the city and the Scottish economy. She added: It will be beautiful. It will be as Mackintosh designed it, to the millimetre. The Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art on fire in June (@banpo_monkey/PA) People argue [a rebuild will take] anywhere between four and seven years, she added. That will depend on the insurance money, getting the right people in place to do it, building regulations, all the standard technical and financial stuff, but for the forensic detail we have on the building, we could practically 3D print it. The author and broadcaster, a former student at the art school, hopes the rebuild can be funded largely from insurance payouts, private donations and charitable fundraising. She said: We are entirely trusting that this is not going to cost any public money at all. Lehman Brothers bankers who once feasted on champagne and caviar during boom times will have to settle for burgers and donuts this weekend as they mark a decade since the lenders disastrous collapse. A series of staff reunions in London, New York and Hong Kong commemorating the US banks collapse in 2008 will kick off in the coming days, but many will be low-key affairs devoid of the excess that once typified the industry. Lavish parties are to be replaced by more modest get-togethers, with former Lehman staff kept on to help with the administration set to catch up over burgers and donuts. Lehman Brothers bankers are expected to mark the 10-year anniversary of the banks collapse (Tim Goode/PA) Russell Downs, the lead administrator at PwC, told the Press Association: Twenty people (are) working for me here and we will find an appropriate way to mark the 10 years next week but it will be low key and casual. It may be donuts, it may be Danish pastries, it may be a trip to get a burger at lunch, I dont know but it will be low key and appropriate. A separate London meeting will take place on September 15 at a secret location, where hundreds of former workers have been invited to share cocktails and canapes. News of the gatherings sparked fury earlier this year, with shadow chancellor John McDonnell branding them sickening. One ex-Lehman banker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Press Association: I dont know where people get off saying what they have, we loved the bank. The coverage has really missed the point, some of it has been callous. Employees want to commemorate what was an important date in their lives. It was a sad day for us individually, employees at Lehman had close bonds. The failure of the US banking giant became one of the most infamous and shocking moments of the crisis, spiralling the credit crunch into full-blown market chaos. A former Lehman Brothers banker has claimed he was hurt by the crisis as much as anyone after losing his bonus following the lenders disastrous collapse. The US banks administration on September 15 2008 was one of the most famous moments of the financial crisis and helped trigger a tidal wave of negative sentiment directed at the banking sector. Millions lost jobs and homes as a result of the crisis, while greed and recklessness came to define the industry, a reputation that many working within it have attempted to shed. Greed and recklessness came to define the banking industry after the financial crisis (Tim Ireland/PA) But one ex-Lehman banker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Press Association: I lost five years worth of bonuses. I was hurt by the crisis as much as anyone. He added that the Lehman Brothers collapse was the result of just 20 or 30 guys at the bank, and pointed out that, unlike other lenders, it did not receive a Government bailout. Recalling the day that Lehman officially collapsed, he said: Id gone through the weekend not knowing if we would make it through until Monday, Id gotten wind the week before that we needed a buyer. The general view was that Lehman wasnt a firm of cowboys and it was one part of the business that had spiralled out of control. I was shocked, the Barclays deal had fallen through, it was surreal, grief and anger. He pointed the finger at former chief executive Dick Fuld and ex-Lehman operating head honcho Joe Gregory when discussing the banks demise. Mr Fuld, who was at the helm at the time of the banks collapse, was the guy we set up to go and beat everyone up, while Mr Gregory was the warm, empathetic guy, the cheerleader of the bank. There were feelings of anger balanced between the two. Employees felt they had the bank out in too concentrated risk. And they did not allow for a board of directors that would be more critical, a soft board. There was also a lot of anger at the real estate guys, the former banker said. Despite the anger, former employees still have fond memories of their time at Lehman. A lot of people loved the bank, loved the culture, me included. There was a feeling that Lehman was a much better place to work than places like Goldman (Sachs), Deutsche (Bank) and Barclays. Glasgow University received benefits worth the equivalent of up to 199 million from slave trade cash, researchers have found. The university carried out a year-long study into thousands of donations made in the 18th and 19th centuries and discovered some were linked to slave trade profits. Creating a centre for the study of slavery and memorial or tribute in university grounds in the name of the enslaved has now been agreed by the university as part of a reparative justice programme. The research identified 16 bursaries, endowments and mortifications donated between 1809 and 1937 with direct links to profits from slavery. Donations to the 1866-1880 campaign to build current campus at Gilmorehill found 23 people who gave money had some financial links to the New World slave trade. In total, the money received is estimated as having a present day value of between 17 million and 199 million. Glasgow University Principal Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli (David Cheskin/PA) Glasgow University Principal Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli said: This report has been an important undertaking and commitment to find out if the university benefited from slavery in the past. Although the university never owned enslaved people or traded in the goods they produced, it is now clear we received significant financial support from people whose wealth came from slavery. The university deeply regrets this association with historical slavery which clashes with our proud history of support for the abolition of both the slave trade and slavery itself. He highlighted the universitys historic anti-slavery activity which included petitioning Parliament to abolish slavery, awarding an honorary degree to the emancipationist, William Wilberforce, and educating former slave James McCune Smith, who became the first ever African American to receive a medical degree. An elderly widow had her husbands ashes stolen after two men conned their way into her home, Scotland Yard has said. The heart-shaped silver locket and box containing the ashes were snatched from the 83-year-olds home in Greenwich, south-east London, along with her wedding ring. Police on Sunday appealed for the publics help to identify two suspects in the particularly harrowing crime. A heart-shaped silver box containing a mans ashes that were snatched from his widows home in Greenwich (Met Police/PA) At about 2pm on Friday, one knocked on her door under the guise of being a plumber needing to inspect a leak coming from her home in Annandale Road. The second man is believed to have entered while the pensioner was distracted. Once they had left, the pensioner noticed the priceless items had been stolen along with gold chains and cash. Detective Constable Robert Costigan said: This is a particularly harrowing crime that targeted a vulnerable member of our society. The victim had possessions stolen that are irreplaceable and this has had a devastating effect upon her. Anyone with information can contact police on 101 on Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Lib Dem deputy leader Jo Swinson has said the party needs to change in order to attract new voters. Ms Swinson, who was a minister in the coalition government, also refused to rule out a leadership challenge when Sir Vince Cable steps down. Speaking to Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday, she said: Weve got the ingredients to be able to challenge the other parties, weve got the infrastructure of parties right across the country in terms of local associations, candidates, the whole idea of a centrist party gets talked about endlessly but doesnt really get off the ground. Liberal Democrats deputy leader Jo Swinson speaks at the partys autumn conference in Brighton (Gareth Fuller/PA) You dont need to set up a new party because the Liberal Democrats are here, but we recognise that we have to change in order to make it easier for people that perhaps havent looked at us before to look again at the Lib Dems. What's the point of the Liberal Democrats? Deputy Leader @joswinson says they are the centrist party that people are looking for as Conservatives and Labour move towards the extremes. #Ridge pic.twitter.com/GjQTXLF73c Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) September 16, 2018 The East Dunbartonshire MP was later asked if she would consider running for the leadership of the party, to which she responded: Theres no vacancy at the moment. Vince has set out the things that he wants to do before he stands down. She added: At the time that Vince does stand down, then absolutely Ill take a view at that point. Ms Swinson also told how she hoped the Labour Party would shift its position on a second EU referendum after an intervention from London Mayor Sadiq Khan. THE OBSERVER: Give Britain a new referendum in Brexit, says Sadiq Khan #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/cpZIra0axs Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) September 15, 2018 Mr Khan, writing in the Observer, insisted that the people should be given the chance to reject a Brexit deal that will be bad for the economy, jobs and the NHS. Ms Swinson welcomed his comments, adding: I think it shows that momentum is building to have a peoples vote on the deal. She was later asked on BBC Radio 5s Pienaars Politics if she worried about a potential public backlash if a second vote was granted. She said: What worries me is seeing our country heading off the edge of the precipices towards a no deal Brexit where we are talking about potential food shortages and medicines being stockpiled and what thats going to do to our economy. That really keeps me awake at night, so Brexit in my view must be stopped. Theresa Mays Brexit plan is the right one for now and could be altered by a future prime minster, Michael Gove has said. The Environment Secretary admitted the Chequers proposals had forced him to compromise on some of his beliefs, but insisted the most important issue now was ensuring Britain leaves the European Union in good order. Mrs Mays Brexit blueprint sparked the resignations of Boris Johnson and David Davis, and has infuriated hardline Brexiteers. A future PM could always choose to alter the relationship between Britain and the EU, says @michaelgove but the Chequers approach is the right one for now. #marr pic.twitter.com/yEAIyQXkLo BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 16, 2018 Asked if the plan would be permanent, Mr Gove told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show: Yes, but theres one critical thing, a future prime minister could always choose to alter the relationship between Britain and the European Union. But the Chequers approach is the right one for now because we have got to make sure that we respect that vote and take advantage of the opportunities of being outside the European Union. "To have a second referendum would be to throw this government a lifeline" says Shadow International Trade Secretary @BarryGardiner #Ridge pic.twitter.com/Wd33b0wgUe Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) September 16, 2018 Mr Gove said the responsibility was now on the European Union to compromise because weve shown flexibility. Ive compromised, he added. Ive been quite clear that some of the things that I argued for in the referendum passionately, as a result of Chequers I have to qualify one or two of my views. I have to acknowledge the parliamentary arithmetic. I believe the critical thing is making sure we leave in good order with a deal which safeguards the referendum mandate. Labours London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for voters to have the final say on what happens next. In an article for the Observer, he wrote: This means a public vote on any Brexit deal obtained by the Government, or a vote on a no-deal Brexit if one is not secured, alongside the option of staying in the EU. Sadiq Khan called for a fresh referendum (BBC) But shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said a fresh referendum would give Mrs May a lifeline. He told Ridge On Sunday: Calling for a second referendum is really giving her a lifeline because then she can say Oh, if I cant get it through Parliament Ill go back to the people. Liam Fox said Brussels has made reassuring noises in recent weeks in the Brexit negotiations. The International Trade Secretary previously put the chances of a deal at 60-40. Asked about the assessment, he told Ridge: Over the last few weeks we have certainly heard more reassuring noises from the European Commission and some of our European partners. They have understood that Britain is serious that if we dont get a good deal we could end up with no deal. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is facing calls to intervene in the case of a British former soldier sentenced to jail in Turkey after fighting the Islamic State terror group. Joe Robinson, 25, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment after being accused of fighting alongside the Peoples Protection Units of Syrian Kurdistan (YPG), which the Turkish state considers a terrorist organisation. The YPG is not banned in the UK and Robinson, from Accrington, Lancashire, said he only spent a month with them in Syria while providing medical support to civilians. His Bulgarian fiancee Mira Rojkan is among those to call on Mr Hunt to apply pressure on Turkey to rethink its treatment of the veteran, who is on bail in Kusadasi awaiting an appeal. Rojkan, a law student in Leeds, was arrested alongside Robinson while they were on a family holiday last year. The 23-year-old was given a suspended prison sentence for supposedly engaging in terrorist propaganda, for what she said was sharing pro-Kurdistan messages on Facebook. She said the Bulgarian state provided her with more support than Britain has her fiancee. The UK should stop saying they cant do it, we know they can. Were talking about a veteran, she said. He (Mr Hunt) needs to get in touch with the Turkish authorities on a diplomatic level. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said officials are ready to provide Robinson with further assistance, adding: We have been following this case very closely and have raised it with the Turkish authorities. The YPG is considered by Turkey as a terror organisation because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers Party which is fighting for autonomy for the region. But Robinson was unaware of their ideology when he spent a month in Syria with them in July 2015 during which he did not see conflict, according to Rojkan. She said it was in the following three months in Iraq that he fought IS with the Peshmerga, the Iraqi Kurdish military. Both were convicted by Turkey (Mira Rojkan/PA) Rojkan said they had written to former foreign secretaries Boris Johnson and Alan Duncan over the case, but hope Mr Hunt will now intervene. He has stepped up pressure against Iran in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian mother jailed on a spying charge by the Islamist regime, after Mr Johnson came under criticism. Ibrahim Dogus, the founder of UK-based think-tank Centre for Turkey Studies, said Robinson is a hero and deserves a medal not a prison sentence. The Foreign Secretary should make contact with the Turkish authorities and urge them to reverse their position on this young man, he added. Counter-terrorism police are jumping on the popularity of the Bodyguard series in a drive for new recruits. Police chiefs hope they can attract a younger, more tech-savvy audience for the fight against real-life terrorism with a social media strategy during the BBC show. The series, about a troubled bodyguard tasked with protecting a Home Secretary from terror, won 10 million viewers for its first episode making it the biggest new British drama in more than a decade. Richard Madden as David Budd and Keeley Hawes as Julia Montague in the new BBC1 drama (Des Willie/BBC) The senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, said thousands had flocked to police recruitment sites in recent weeks thanks to the drive. If were capturing the imagination of people who might not have previously considered a career in policing, thats a great step forward, he added. Of course we need more detectives and more armed officers, similar to those featured in the programme. But just as important are those with the technical knowledge and skills to exploit terrorists digital devices for crucial evidence gathering. By using social media as a recruitment tool, we hope to attract a younger, more tech-savvy audience, whose skills will ensure were ready to face the evolving threat as it moves ever-closer to a virtual online space. While everyone is hooked on @BBCOne #Bodyguard, our Counter Terrorism Policing teams continue to work around the clock to keep the country safe. Theres never been a more important time to work in Counter Terrorism. Could it be the career for you? https://t.co/rKYQ2cBUrS pic.twitter.com/SqKZ807XoG Counter Terrorism Policing UK (@TerrorismPolice) September 2, 2018 As the series penultimate episode was to air on BBC One on Sunday night, officers were expected to use Twitter in a new drive. One previous tweet from Counter Terrorism Policing UK read: While everyone is hooked on @BBCOne #Bodyguard, our Counter Terrorism Policing teams continue to work around the clock to keep the country safe Could it be the career for you? Education Secretary John Swinney has come under increased pressure to respect the result of a crunch Holyrood vote on controversial primary one tests. The Scottish Government is expected to be defeated at the vote on Wednesday as all opposition parties oppose the tests, which some teachers have said left pupils in tears. In an interview on the BBCs Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Mr Swinney repeatedly refused to say whether or not he would scrap the tests in the event of a government defeat on Wednesday. Education Secretary urged to respect the result of a Holyrood vote on P1 tests (David Cheskin/PA) He was asked If parliament votes to scrap them, will you scrap them? He replied: Well see what parliament comes up with on Wednesday. Parliamentary motions are not binding on the government, the only thing thats binding on the government is legislation. So, well reflect on whatever parliament produces on Wednesday in the debate but we will make the very strong, evidenced argument for primary one standardised assessments because its part of the integral process of learning for young people within Scotland and its important that we identify at the earliest possible opportunity the needs of young people and support them to overcome those challenges. He was repeatedly pressed on the issue of the vote but would not give a definitive answer. The SNP is refusing to rule out ignoring the will of the Scottish Parliament if MSPs vote to end the standardised testing of Primary 1 pupils later this week. It's time for the SNP to listen to parents, pupils and teachers. These tests must be stopped. Agree? RT. pic.twitter.com/GKDyqHRkPK Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) September 16, 2018 Scottish Labours education spokesman Iain Gray described Mr Swinneys answers as a thinly veiled threat to ignore the will of the Scottish Parliament while Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie said they were an astoundingly arrogant intervention. Mr Gray urged the education secretary to listen to teachers who believe the tests are useless, adding: Its time for Mr Swinney to put the children of Scotland ahead of his ego and bin these tests. Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie added: Ive worked all my life for a democratic Scottish Parliament and I find it astonishing that a Government minister could contemplate plowing onward if parliament expressly instructed him to stop. Scottish Green education spokesman Ross Greer said if the parliament votes as expected against the tests, therell be no justification for John Swinney to ignore the tide of evidence and the strength of feeling against this deeply misguided government policy. Five candidates are in the mix for next months presidential election in Ireland. Liadh Ni Riada: Liadh Ni Riada was unveiled as Sinn Feins chosen candidate on Sunday. She was hot favourite for the nomination ever since the party signalled its intent to run. CONFIRMED: @LiadhNiRiadaMEP has just now been selected by the Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle to contest the upcoming presidential election #Aras18 pic.twitter.com/vjnZnMPZmS Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) September 16, 2018 The former television producer from Dublin is the daughter of legendary Irish trad musician and composer Sean O Riada. Ms Ni Riada entered the political arena in 2011 by joining Sinn Fein. She was elected in 2014 as one of her partys four MEPs on the island of Ireland, representing the South constituency. The 52-year-old is the youngest of the five confirmed candidates and one of two women in the race. In the European Parliament, she has been a vocal advocate for the Irish fishing industry, and critical of the Common Fisheries Policy arguing the Irish have not received their fair share of the fishing quota. Before her political career, Ms Ni Riada served on the board tasked with setting up Irelands Irish language television channel, TG4. She ran her own production company for several years, and has been an advocate of the Irish language. Ms Ni Riada currently lives in the Muskerry Gaeltacht, an Irish speaking area of Co Cork. Michael D Higgins has announced his intention to run for a second term as president (Brian Lawless/PA) Michael D Higgins: The sitting President, 77, was born in Limerick and had an academic career in the 1960s-70s, teaching sociology in Ireland and the United States. He entered the political arena in the late 1960s, joining the Labour Party and served as a senator in the 1980s before representing Galway West in the Dail from 1987 to 2011. Mr Higgins is a fluent Irish speaker and served as minister for arts, culture and the Gaeltacht in the 1990s. He is also a published poet and has presented TV documentaries. Mr Higgins was first elected president in 2011 after running as an independent candidate. He made history in 2014 when he became the first Irish President to undertake an official state visit to the UK. Earlier this year, he welcomed Pope Francis to Ireland the first papal visit in almost 40 years. As the current president, Mr Higgins is able to nominate himself as an independent candidate for another seven years in office. However, he has secured the backing of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour, who have agreed not to field candidates from their own parties. Presidential candidate Sean Gallagher came second in the 2011 election (Niall Carson/PA) Sean Gallagher: The 56-year-old businessman and former Dragons Den star from Ballyhaise, County Cavan, finished second in the 2011 Irish presidential election. He secured more than half a million first preference votes, but lost out to Mr Higgins. Mr Gallagher has described himself as coming from the Fianna Fail gene pool, but is running as an independent. In 2002 he co-founded Smarthomes, a home technology business. The company won numerous awards for innovation, and Mr Gallagher was a finalist in the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year contest. Mr Gallagher became a public figure during his time as an investor on RTE Ones Dragons Den from 2008 to 2011. Last year, State broadcaster RTE apologised to Mr Gallagher over a fake tweet read out during a live TV debate during the last election campaign. The tweet, which accused Mr Gallagher of collecting funds for Fianna Fail, was purported to be from an official account linked to the late Martin McGuinness, who also ran for president in 2011. However, it later emerged the account was not the official campaign account of the Sinn Fein candidate. Mr Gallagher had been leading some opinion polls in the 2011 race prior to the tweet furore in the closing stages of the campaign. Mr Gallagher won the backing of Roscommon, Mayo, Leitrim and Wexford councils, and was the first independent candidate to secure a nomination. Presidential candidate Gavin Duffy is well known for his role as an investor in the Irish version of Dragons Den (Niall Carson/PA) Gavin Duffy: The entrepreneur and businessman from Sallins, Co Kildare, is best known for his role on the RTE programme Dragons Den. Mr Duffy, 58, started his career as a shareholder in radio stations, and in 1992 he co-founded a media and management consultancy. He is the former owner of HRM, one of Irelands largest recruitment companies. His early career in the media included presenting the first RTE television business programme, Marketplace; broadcasting on Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One, and founding regional radio station LMFM. Later, Mr Duffy became a serial entrepreneur and is now a veteran of over 40 start-ups. His venture capital portfolio has been concentrated on recruitment, professional development, education and media. He has been a panellist on the Irish version of Dragons Den for all eight seasons since the show began in 2009. Mr Duffy has worked in the past as an adviser to both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. He has said he would accept the full presidential salary of 350,000 euro. The current President, Michael D Higgins, has voluntarily reduced his own salary to under 250,000 euro while in office. Mr Duffy will run as an independent candidate after securing his nomination by winning the backing of Waterford, Meath, Carlow and Wicklow councils. Senator Joan Freeman is a mental health activist (Niall Carson/PA) Joan Freeman: The independent member of the Irish Seanad is a psychologist and mental health activist from Dublin. Senator Freeman has served on the Seanad since May 2016 after being nominated by the then taoiseach Enda Kenny. She is the chairperson on the committee on mental health. The 60-year-old founded Pieta House, a suicide intervention charity, in 2006 in Lucan, County Dublin. It now boasts 12 additional centres around Ireland. Senator Freeman also founded the annual fundraising event Darkness into Light in aid of Pieta House. The event began with 400 participants in 2008 and has since grown with approximately 200,000 people participating in the 2018 events held across Ireland, including at the Phoenix Park. She resigned from Pieta House in 2014, in order to concentrate on developing Solace House, a similar charity based in New York City launched in 2015. Senator Freeman will run as an independent candidate. She earned the backing of Galway City Council as well as Galway County, Fingal and Cork County councils. The Lib Dems have signed off on a policy to give migrant spouses an entitlement to benefits from their first day in the UK without any form of means testing. The move was voted through at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton despite opposition from party HQ and warnings from activists that the party would be slaughtered on the doorstep as a result. The demand was tagged on as an amendment to a major new policy which outlined the Lib Dems approach to immigration issues. The partys home affairs spokesman Sir Ed Davey urged delegates to reject the proposal (Stefan Rousseau/PA) In practice it would mean, under a Lib Dem government, migrant spouses and legal partners can claim without any form of means testing or prohibition on seeking support from the state. The partys home affairs spokesman Sir Ed Davey urged delegates to reject the proposal, saying the policy had already captured the spirit of the amendment. Louise Morales, a local Lib Dem councillor in Woking, also urged members to vote against the measure, telling the conference hall the party would be slaughtered for it. She added: For the average knocking on doors I cannot go to the public and say, oh were going to give people a visa and they are instantly going to be able to claim benefits. The policy paper, which faced some opposition for not going far enough in reforming the immigration system, also calls for the abolition of the net migration target, closure of eight detention centres, allowing asylum seekers to work while their claims are decided and removing responsibility for visas and asylum from the Home Office. Further measures include making funds available to local authorities to reward community groups who develop innovative and successful ways of promoting social cohesion and enabling graduates to stay and work in the UK for two years after their course. Sir Ed said: Britains immigration system is in desperate need of reform. Families are separated by complex visa requirements. The NHS cant recruit the doctors it needs. People without documents are denied access to healthcare and housing. Confidence in the system has been shattered. We will scrap Theresa Mays damaging net migration target and hostile environment. Well strip the discredited Home Office of responsibility for visas and asylum. Well end indefinite detention and invest the money saved in community-based alternatives, lower visa fees, and a bigger, reformed Border Force. Former party leader Tim Farron brought people to their feet with his advocacy of the proposals, saying: There is an urgency to this debate we are perhaps a few weeks away from an immigration bill coming to this Parliament. If we pass this paper today we will have the most liberal, compassionate tool kit to take on the Tories, to shame Labour and help the people who need it most, if we delay we will not. Michael Gove has refused to condemn Viktor Orban, as the Conservatives faced a backlash for opposing European condemnation of the controversial Hungarian prime minister. Tory MEPs opposed a censure motion against Hungary in the European Parliament earlier this week after years of criticism that Mr Orban is anti-democratic, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic. Mr Gove said he had views about Mr Orban but was not going to be drawn into giving an assessment of individual leaders. Michael Gove on The Andrew Marr Show (BBC) He told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show he did not believe that individual criticisms of the kind you are understandably tempting me to make necessarily help us in ensuring we get both solidarity on the issues that count and the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union. Environment Secretary @michaelgove talks about Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and the Conservative party #marr pic.twitter.com/2VjIypJAaL BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 16, 2018 MEPs voted overwhelmingly to back a report recommending action against the Hungarian government over its electoral system, media freedoms, independence of the judiciary, mistreatment of asylum seekers and refugees, and limits on the functioning of non-governmental organisations. Mr Gove said it was not true the Conservatives supported Mr Orban despite Tory MEPs opposing the measures. Its a long-standing principle of a number of MEPs from different countries and from different parties not to believe that the European Parliament should interfere in or censure the internal democracy of a particular country, he said. Tory peer Lord Finkelstein described the move by Conservative MEPs as very distressing and it was condemned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Muslim Council of Britain. A source told the Press Association Mr Goves instinct was to be critical of Mr Orban. Shadow Cabinet office minister Jon Trickett said: Each week that passes shows the acceleration of extremist right wing tendencies in the Conservative Party. Today Michael Gove refused to condemn Viktor Orban who leads the Hungarian governments pandering to antisemitism and Islamophobia, attacks on judicial and media independence and abhorrent treatment of refugees and minorities. It is shocking that Tory MEPs voted against censuring the reactionary Hungarian government and that Cabinet ministers are now choosing to support the Orban governments authoritarian and anti-democratic practices. Theresa May should do what Gove failed to do and condemn the Hungarian government. Typhoon Mangkhut has made landfall in southern China after lashing the northern Philippines. Strong winds and heavy rain have left at least 64 people dead in the Philippines, while dozens more were feared buried in a landslide. More than 2.4 million people had been evacuated in southern Chinas Guangdong province by Sunday evening to flee the massive typhoon and nearly 50,000 fishing boats were called back to port, state media reported. The gambling enclave of Macau closed casinos for the first time and the Hong Kong Observatory warned people to stay away from the Victoria Harbour landmark, where storm surges battered the sandbag-reinforced waterfront. Hong Kongs RTHK broadcaster cited experts as saying Mangkhut was expected to be the strongest typhoon to hit the city in decades. The Hong Kong Observatory issued its strongest storm warning for 10 hours on Sunday, just slightly shorter than the record time of 11 hours set by Typhoon York in 1999, the South China Morning Post reported. The storm made landfall in the Guangdong city of Taishan at 5pm, packing wind speeds of 100 mph. State broadcaster CGTN reported that surging waves flooded a seaside hotel in the city of Shenzhen. Strong winds on a pier on Victoria Habour Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP) Groceries flew off supermarket shelves in the provincial capital of Guangzhou as residents stocked up in anticipation of being confined to their homes by the typhoon, Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said. Authorities in southern China issued a red alert, the most severe warning, as the national meteorological centre said the densely populated region would face a severe test caused by wind and rain and urged officials to prepare for possible disasters. Hundreds of flights were canceled. All high-speed and some normal rail services in Guangdong and Hainan provinces were also halted, the China Railway Guangzhou Group Co said. The storm broke windows, felled trees, tore bamboo scaffolding off buildings under construction and flooded areas with sometimes waist-high waters, according to the South China Morning Post. The paper said the heavy rains brought storm surges of 3m (10ft) around Hong Kong. Hong Kong Security Minister John Lee Ka-chiu urged residents to prepare for the worst. People walk through floodwaters on the waterfront in Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP) Because Mangkhut will bring winds and rains of extraordinary speeds, scope and severity, our preparation and response efforts will be greater than in the past, Mr Lee said. Each department must have a sense of crisis, make a comprehensive assessment and plan, and prepare for the worst. Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific said all of its flights would be canceled between 2.30am on Sunday and 4am on Monday. The city of Shenzhen also cancelled all flights between Sunday and early Monday morning. Hainan Airlines cancelled 234 flights in the cities of Haikou, Sanya, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai scheduled over the weekend. In Macaus inner harbour district, the water level reached 1.5m (5f) on Sunday and was expected to rise further. The district was one of the most affected by floods from Typhoon Hato, which left 10 people dead. Brexit has dominated the political agenda since Britain voted to leave but it seems many people still do not know what it is or when it is happening. The most Googled question in the UK about the issue in the last two weeks was when is Brexit? followed by what is Brexit?, the search engine has revealed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the most searched for questions is about the complex Chequers plan for future relations with the EU. One of the most searched for questions is about the complex Chequers plan (John Stillwell/PA) But the impact that quitting will have on house prices was also among the most Googled issues. Across the rest of the EU, Google was used to search what Brexit is and whether citizens from the rest of the bloc will need permission to live in Britain after it quits. Here are the most popular questions from the last two weeks: UK: When is Brexit? What is Brexit? Will Brexit happen? What is no deal Brexit? When was the Brexit vote? What is the Chequers deal? Will Brexit affect house prices? What will happen after Brexit? How many people voted for Brexit EU 27: What is Brexit? What is no deal Brexit? What are the consequences of Brexit? Do I need to request to live in Britain after Brexit? Will Brexit cause a recession? When is Brexit happening? Will Brexit happen? Will there be civil unrest after Brexit? What is the pound to Euro exchange rate? What will happen to bank shares after Brexit? A 95-year-old woman has died in a crash on a motorway slip road. The 68-year-old woman driver is a critical condition after her car appeared to lose control heading on the slip road from the M73 at junction 8 of the M8. Police said the silver Ford Fiesta was heading north when it seemed to lose control, leave the road and crash into a ditch on the verge around 3.30pm on Saturday. The driver is being treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow (Peter Byrne/PA) The emergency services attended but the elderly woman was declared dead at the scene. The driver is being treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Police closed the road as investigations were carried out and are now appealing for witnesses. Motorists in the area at the time are also being asked to check their dash cam footage. Leaders from Ethiopia and Eritrea have signed a peace agreement during a summit in Saudi Arabia, yet another sign of warming ties between two nations that have face decades of war and unease. Terms of the agreement signed by Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki were not immediately clear. Saudi authorities did not respond to specific questions about the accord, which earlier had been described as being a further endorsement of a historic deal reached between the two nations in July. The peace deal resulted in restoration of normal relations between the countries, on the basis of the close bonds of geography, history and culture between the two nations and their peoples, Saudi Arabia said in a statement on Sunday, calling the accord the Jeddah Agreement. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia praised the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea for exercising leadership and courage to restore the brotherly relations between the two countries, thus forming the foundation for a new phase that will bring significant developments in the relations between the two nations in all fields, the statement added. Eritreas President Isaias Afwerki signs a peace accord (AP) Saudi King Salman and his assertive 33-year-old son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were on hand for the summit in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Also attending was Emirati foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres. The Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders also were awarded for their efforts the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, the kingdoms highest civilian honour. Mr Abiy and Mr Isaias signed a joint declaration of peace and friendship on July 9, ending 20 years of enmity and formally restoring diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Landlocked Ethiopia fought a bloody war with Eritrea from 1998 to 2000 over a border dispute that killed tens of thousands of people. Ethiopias prime minister Abiy Ahmed signs the deal (AP) The conflict ended in an uneasy peace with Eritrea, which earlier fought a decades-long war of independence from Ethiopia. Yet that suddenly changed with the election of Mr Abiy as prime minister in April. A whirlwind of talks suddenly ended the long conflict between the two nations in July, with telephone calls and flights suddenly possible between the two nations. It was particularly surprising for Eritrea, a closed-off nation of five million people ruled by Mr Isaias since 1993. Eritreas system of compulsory conscription that led thousands of Eritreans to flee towards Europe, Israel and elsewhere. HRH King Salman in the presence of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman & UN SG H.E. Antonio Guterres has awarded the highest medal in the Kingdom to H.E. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and H.E. President Isaias Afeworki for bringing peace between the two countries. #Ethiopia #Eritrea pic.twitter.com/JSeo2On7Pz Fitsum Arega (@fitsumaregaa) September 16, 2018 Ethiopia is home to 105 million people. The signing ceremony on Sunday in Saudi Arabia also served as a nod to the growing importance Gulf Arab nations put on East Africa amid the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The United Arab Emirates, also believed to have played a part in talks between Ethiopia and Eritrea, has been building up a military presence in the Eritrean port city of Assab. The strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which sits off Eritrea and neighbouring Djibouti, links the Red Sea and the Suez Canal with the Gulf of Aden and ultimately the Indian Ocean. Dozens of commercial ships daily transit the route, some 10 miles wide at its narrowest point. A man has suffered serious injuries after being chased and stabbed in an attack police are treating as an attempted murder. The 25-year-old was walking along Dalness Street in Glasgow at around 9.20pm on Saturday when he was pursued and assaulted by another man armed with a knife. The victim was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he is in in a stable condition. Police said the attacker was dressed unusually (David Cheskin/PA) Police Scotland said the suspect was dressed unusually at the time, wearing a red hooded robe rather like a bathrobe. Officers in Glasgow are appealing for information after a 25 year-old man was seriously injured during an attack on Saturday night in Dalness Street. The suspect was wearing a red and white robe - do you remember seeing anything? https://t.co/4dB3VYyDkS Greater Glasgow Police (@GreaterGlasgPol) September 16, 2018 Detective Constable Jacqueline Harris said: This was a violent attack and therefore we are appealing to anyone with any information regarding this incident to come forward so we can find the person responsible. The suspect was dressed unusually, in a red hooded robe with white lining likened to that of a bathrobe. Think back, do you remember seeing anyone wearing anything similar last night? Officers have been checking CCTV in the area as well as making door to door enquiries. It happened in a residential area and therefore you may have heard or seen something unusual which could help us. We urge you to come forward. The suspect is also described as being white and in his 20s. Anyone with information is being asked to contact police on the 101 number, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Sinn Feins candidate for Irelands presidential election has pledged to be a new president for a new Ireland. MEP Liadh Ni Riada also vowed to initiate an inclusive citizens conversation on Irish unification if elected head of state in Octobers poll. The 51-year-olds anticipated selection was confirmed at a meeting of Sinn Feins ruling council, ard chomhairle, on Sunday afternoon. The former TV producer, who is daughter of legendary Irish trad musician and composer Sean O Riada, is a vocal Irish language advocate and one of Sinn Feins four MEPs. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald (right) with the partys presidential candidate Liadh Ni Riada (Tom Honan/PA) Married mother-of-three Ms Ni Riada, who has faced personal adversity with the death of both parents at an early age and the death of her first husband in her 20s, said she would be a positive voice for Irish unity. Ireland has radically changed since the last presidential election, she told supporters in Dublin after her nomination was confirmed. Weve become a more caring and inclusive society. A global inspiration when it comes to progressive social change. But we are only at the beginning of this new chapter. Its time for all of us, particularly our younger generation, to write our own story, to shape a new and United Ireland. Ireland needs an energetic president to support and encourage this journey. Ms Ni Riada becomes the fifth name in the mix for next months poll. Sitting president Michael D Higgins, who was first elected in 2011, has already announced his intention to run for a second term. Irish Presidential candidate Gavin Duffy pictured at the Galway Summer Festival at Galway Racecourse (Brian Lawless/PA) Two businessmen who were both investors on the Irish version of Dragons Den, Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy, are running as independent candidates, as is mental health advocate Senator Joan Freeman. The Sinn Fein candidate vowed to champion a caring and fair Ireland. An Ireland where every child has a home. An Ireland that leaves no one behind, she said. She said she would launch a presidential initiative to recognise employers who paid fair wages and would lead a drive to bring home emigrants who left during the economic crash. Ms Ni Riada said she wanted to take action on mental health issues and also promote the need to share the nations prosperity. My vision for a new Ireland is a pluralist and inclusive one, a United Ireland that respects the identities and traditions of all, she added. I will be a positive voice for Irish unity, leading by example and demonstrating the outreach and inclusivity needed to bring the people of this island together. The Euro MP said Brexit would have a major impact on the countrys political and constitutional future. Increasingly the prospect, shape and nature of a united Ireland will be a feature of public discussion and political decision making, she said. As president, I will initiate an inclusive citizens conversation on a future united Ireland. The past seven years have witnessed the disappearance of a lot of Irelands of old certainties. Partition too will be overcome. The tide of history is with those seeking to build a new, progressive and inclusive future. She said reconciliation would be a theme of her presidency. I am asking you to take that journey with me as I stand here before you today, as one of us, a proud Republican woman, asking you to help me become a president for all of us, she told supporters wearing t-shirts carrying her name. Together we can win. Together we can make history. Together we can ensure that we have a new president for a new Ireland. Sean Gallagher and Senator Joan Freeman are independent candidates in the presidential race (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Gallagher, Mr Duffy and Ms Freeman all secured the required endorsement of four local councils in order to officially become candidates. As incumbent, Mr Higgins is able to nominate himself while Sinn Fein had the necessary political strength in the Irish parliament to name its own candidate. The two biggest parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, are both backing Mr Higgins for a second stint, as is the Labour Party. A range of other would-be independent candidates still retain hope of convincing undeclared councils to back their bids before the September 26 deadline. They could also secure a nomination with the backing of 20 independent members of both houses of the Irish parliament, the Dail and Seanad. The election is taking place on October 26. Irish President Michael D Higgins has announced his intention to run for another term (Maxwells/PA) As incumbent, Mr Higgins is able to nominate himself while Sinn Fein has the necessary political strength in the Irish parliament to name its own candidate. The two biggest parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, are both backing Mr Higgins for a second stint, as is the Labour Party. A range of other would-be independent candidates still retain hope of convincing undeclared councils to back their bids before the September 26 deadline. The election is taking place on October 26. Overnight ethnic-based attacks in the outskirts of Ethiopias capital, Addis Ababa, have killed several people and caused hundreds to flee their homes. Several lives were lost and properties damaged due to this attack, head of the Oromia police commission, Alemayehu Ejigu, told the state broadcaster ETV on Sunday. He said 70 suspects have been arrested. The perpetrators are criminals organised in groups to kill people and cause damages to the properties of targeted citizens, he said. PM Abiy Ahmed strongly condemns the killings & acts of violence against innocent citizens around Ashawa Meda, Kataa & Fili Doro last night. These cowardly attacks represent a grave concern to the unity & solidarity of our people & will be met with appropriate response. #Ethiopia Fitsum Arega (@fitsumaregaa) September 16, 2018 This is a shameful act. The killings were denounced by Ethiopias new, reformist leader. Prime minister Abiy Ahmed strongly condemns the killings and acts of violence against innocent citizens These cowardly attacks represent a grave concern to the unity and solidarity of our people & will be met with appropriate response, said Fitsum Arega, the prime ministers chief of staff, in a tweet. Police said the attacks started late on Saturday afternoon in the Burayu and Ashewa Meda areas just outside of the capital. They did not say what prompted the violence. Scores of Addis Ababa residents demonstrated in front of the state broadcaster calling for the perpetrators, whom they suggested were youths from the surrounding Oromia region, to be brought to justice. Some locations in the north and northwestern parts of Addis Ababa remained tense on Sunday. City officials visited the displaced on Sunday morning pledging support but Ethiopians are expressing anger on social media and urging Ethiopias new leader, prime minister Abiy Ahmed, to take serious measures to stop ethnic-based attacks. Ethiopias prime minister Abiy Ahmed has condemned the violence (AP) Ethnic-based attacks over land and resources are not new in this East African nation of more than 80 ethnic groups. But the severity of such attacks has grown in recent months. The UN Childrens Fund Unicef said in August that as many as 2.8 million Ethiopians were internally displaced, mainly due to ethnic-based attacks in various parts of the country. Frustrated by the new wave of conflicts, Ethiopias leader has warned in recent weeks that those who are instigating the violence in different parts of the country should stop their actions or his government will be forced to take measures. We are only humans, so we wont sit and watch them from now on, he said. These crises are posing the biggest challenge to Mr Abiy since he came to power in April, and people are urging him on social media to be tough and start taking serious measures against the violence. A former soldier sentenced to jail in Turkey after fighting the Islamic State terror group is begging for a firm intervention from the UK Government. Joe Robinson, 25, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment after being accused of fighting alongside the Peoples Protection Units of Syrian Kurdistan (YPG), which the Turkish state considers a terrorist organisation. The YPG is not banned in the UK and Robinson, from Accrington, Lancashire, said he only spent a month with them in Syria while providing medical support to civilians. Robinson, on bail in Kusadasi awaiting an appeal, called on Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to act urgently. Its got to the point now where Im mentally, physically and emotionally drained, he told ITV News. Im a proud man but I am literally at the point where I am begging, begging the British Government to do something. We havent really seen any intervention from them, we havent seen any discussions within a high scale in the Government. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said officials are ready to provide him with further assistance, adding: We have been following this case very closely and have raised it with the Turkish authorities. But Robinsons Bulgarian fiancee Mira Rojkan also called on Mr Hunt to apply pressure on Turkey. Mira Rojkan was also arrested last year (Mira Rojkan) Rojkan, a law student in Leeds, was also arrested during the family holiday last year. The 23-year-old was given a suspended prison sentence for supposedly engaging in terrorist propaganda, for what she said was sharing pro-Kurdistan messages on Facebook. She said the Bulgarian state provided her with more support than Britain has her fiancee. He (Mr Hunt) needs to get in touch with the Turkish authorities on a diplomatic level, she said. The YPG is considered by Turkey as a terror organisation because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers Party which is fighting for autonomy for the region. But Robinson was unaware of their ideology when he spent a month in Syria with them in July 2015 during which he did not see conflict, according to Rojkan. She said it was in the following three months in Iraq that he fought IS with the Peshmerga, the Iraqi Kurdish military. Rojkan said they had written to former foreign secretaries Boris Johnson and Alan Duncan over the case, but hope Mr Hunt will now intervene. He has stepped up pressure against Iran in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian mother jailed on a spying charge by the Islamist regime, after Mr Johnson came under criticism. Thousands of people have marched in Macedonias capital to promote support for changing the countrys name in an upcoming referendum that also could clear the way for Nato membership. The referendum scheduled for September 30 will seek voter approval of an agreement with Greece to rename the small Balkan nation North Macedonia. The deal is designed to end a bitter 27-year dispute over rights to the Macedonia title and to remove Greek objections to its northern neighbour becoming a member of Nato and the European Union. Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev waves a Macedonian flag (Boris Grdanoski/AP) Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev, who reached the agreement with Greeces prime minister in June, addressed the marchers in front of the EUs office in Skopje on Sunday. He urged citizens to grasp a historic opportunity and back the name deal, which he described as fair. The message is: We want the future, we want a European Macedonia! It is our responsibility to secure a future for our children and their children, Mr Zaev said. Opposition party VMRO-DPMNE staged its own rally on Sunday in the eastern town of Stip to encourage voters to reject the name change. People marching in Skopje (Boris Grdanoski/AP) Opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski, who has criticised the government for accepting a deal that in his view prioritises Greek interests, said, Citizens have the right to fight until the last breath. Despite the forceful words, VMRO-DPMNE and the rest of Macedonias political opposition have advised supporters to vote according to their consciences. Voter turnout will be a crucial factor in the referendum is crucial: 50% plus one of Macedonias 1.8 million registered voters must cast ballots for the referendum vote to be valid. Opinion polls indicate the name change would be approved, but turnout could fall just short of the required threshold. Supporters of a former UBS trader facing deportation to Ghana after being convicted of fraud are preparing an 11th hour legal challenge to try and keep him in the UK. Kweku Adoboli, 38, was jailed for seven years in 2012 for two counts of fraud that resulted in 1.4 billion losses. Mr Adoboli who left Ghana at the age of four was released after serving half of his sentence and had been involved in teaching at several universities and working with an initiative promoting responsible leadership. But he was detained during a fortnightly check-in at Livingston Police Station, West Lothian, on September 3 and taken to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in South Lanarkshire. Despite almost 75,000 people signing a petition against his deportation, he has now been moved to Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre at West Drayton. Mr Adoboli is due to be deported in the early hours of September 18 on a charter flight having lived in the UK since the age of 12. A group of 114 MPs and MSPs also wrote a letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to intervene, but Mr Adobolis supporters were told an appeal before a tribunal would have no hope of success. Minster of State for Immigration Caroline Nokes has refused to intervene in Mr Adobolis case (PA/ Victoria Jones) Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said in a letter that all foreign nationals sentenced to more than four years imprisonment are subject to automatic deportation unless there are compelling reasons for them to remain. She wrote: Financial crime, like all crime, has an impact on the society that we live in and the public expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crime. Now his legal team are applying for a judicial review and are seeking an injunction to prevent Mr Adobolis removal on Tuesday. Mr Adoboli said: By denying the application of discretion to my case, a precedent is being created that will allow the Home Office to deny human rights to many other deserving cases. He added: This is the Hostile Environment at work and we should all use this opportunity to persuade the Government to deliver on the fair and decent immigration policy it promised His lawyer Jackie McKenzie previously said: [Mr Adoboli] is de facto British all his main relationships and friendships are in the UK. Kweku doesnt even speak his native languages in the way he would be required to to work in Ghana. A 26-year-old man who was killed in a shark attack off a Cape Cod beach had been a part-time engineering student who was engaged to be married and loved surfing and other outdoor activities. Arthur Medici, of Revere, Massachusetts, was bitten by a shark on Saturday while boogie boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet and later died at a hospital. He was the states first shark attack fatality in more than 80 years and the second attack victim this summer on Cape Cod. The beach remained closed to swimming on Sunday. Flowers were placed at the base of a sign that said No swimming surfing etc. until further notice, but some people were paddleboarding in the water, the Boston Herald reported. Two signs at the top of the dune at Newcomb Hollow Beach (Merrily Cassidy?AP) A shark was spotted several miles south of Wellfleet on Sunday, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. Mr Medici was a part-time engineering student at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston last spring, the school said in a statement on Sunday. It did not provide any other information about his studies and the school offered condolences to Medicis family and friends. He moved to the US from Brazil two years ago to attend college, friends told WCVB-TV. A GoFundMe page set up by family and friends to cover funeral costs had raised more than 16,000 US dollars as of Sunday afternoon. Press Release: Man Dies as a Result of a Shark Bite at Cape Cod National Seashorehttps://t.co/4UOfZUpzeZ Cape Cod NS (@CapeCodNPS) September 16, 2018 Arthur was a very happy young man, said a posting on the page. He loved life, he was an active member of a Christian church, devoting his life to the Lord. He loved hiking, biking, surfing and various other sports. He was always joyful and willing to help others, even going as far as feeding the homeless. He was happily engaged to a smart, kind-hearted medical student with a bright future, it continued. Our lives are never going to be the same without him. His laughter filled our home and he will be greatly missed by us all. Cape Cod National Seashore Park Ranger Eric Trudeau walks up to a group of visitors (Merrily Cassidy/AP) There also was an outpouring of condolences on his Facebook page. Mr Medici had worked at The Capital Grille restaurant in Burlington, just outside of Boston, and left the job more than a year ago, restaurant spokesman Rich Jeffers said. Just like everybody else, were shocked and saddened, he said. Its just terrible. Mr Medici was attacked around noon as he and a friend were boogie boarding. Police and rescue vehicles at Newcomb Hollow Beach (Steve Heaslip/The Cape Cod Times via AP) The friend dragged him ashore, and people on the beach attempted life-saving measures including CPR and applying tourniquets. He was taken to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, where he was pronounced dead. On August 15, a 61-year-old New York man was severely injured after fighting off a shark off Truro, about four miles north of Saturdays attack. He is currently recovering in a Boston hospital. Saturdays attack was the third fatal shark attack in the world this year, with the other two occurring in Brazil and Egypt, according to Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Programme for Shark Research and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History. There have been 39 confirmed unprovoked shark bites worldwide this year, including 22 in the US, most of them on the East Coast, Mr Naylor said. Children who take paracetamol during their first two years of life may be at a higher risk of developing asthma by the age of 18, especially if they have a particular genetic makeup, a study has found. Research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Paris showed the link between paracetamol use and asthma seemed strongest in those who had a particular variant of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene, GSTP1. But the study authors stressed that the findings showed only that there was an association between paracetamol and asthma not that paracetamol caused the lung condition. Paracetamol is recommended by the NHS to treat most kinds of childhood ailments, including headache, stomach ache, ear ache, and cold symptoms, while it can also be used to reduce fever. The leading brand is Calpol. (Lauren Hurley/PA) The research, carried out at the University of Melbourne, Australia, looked at 620 children who had been followed from birth to 18 years old as part of the Melbourne Atopy Cohort Study. They had been recruited to the study before they were born because they were considered to be potentially at high risk of developing an allergy-related disease as they had at least one family member (mother, father or sibling) with a self-reported allergic disease (asthma, eczema, hay fever or a severe food allergy). After their birth, a research nurse rang the family every four weeks for the first 15 months, and then at 18 months and at two-years-old to ask how many days in the previous weeks had the child taken paracetamol. When the children were 18-years-old they gave a blood or saliva sample, which was tested for variants of the GST genes: GSTT1, GSTM1 and GSTP1. They were also assessed for asthma, and a spirometry test was performed to measure the amount of air inhaled and exhaled when breathing through a mouthpiece. Researchers found one variant of the GSTP1 gene GSTP1 Ile/Ile (in which the amino acid Isoleucine (Ile) is inherited from both parents) was associated with almost twice the risk of developing asthma. Xin Dai, a nurse and PhD student at the university, said: We found that children with the GSTP1 Ile/Ile variant had 1.8 times higher risk of developing asthma by the age of 18 years for each doubling of the days of paracetamol exposure when compared to children who were less exposed. In contrast, increasing paracetamol exposure in children who had other types of GSTP1 did not alter the risk of asthma. We also found effects in children who had a variant of GSTM1 in which one part is not functioning. In these children increasing paracetamol use was associated with small, but significant reduction in the amount of air they could forcibly breathe out in one second at 18 years. Our findings provide more evidence that paracetamol use in infancy may have an adverse effect on respiratory health for children with particular genetic profiles and could be a possible cause of asthma. There is mounting evidence that the GST superfamily of genes, including three major classes, GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1, are associated with various diseases, including cancers, asthma, atherosclerosis, allergies, Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Our study adds to this body of evidence. Commenting on the study, Neil Pearce, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: The idea that paracetamol use early in life may increase the risk of developing asthma has been around for about 20 years. It has been extraordinarily difficult to prove or disprove. The problem is that children are not given paracetamol early in life for no reason. They are often given it because they have respiratory infection. It may be the infection which increases the risk of asthma, not the paracetamol. The picture is further complicated because these children are often also given antibiotics, which is also a possible risk factor for developing asthma. This study adds one important finding, namely that the association between early life antibiotic use and subsequent asthma risk occurred in children with a particular genetic variant (the GSTM1 null genotype). This perhaps provides one more piece of evidence in support of the idea that the association between early life paracetamol use and asthma may be causal, but there is a long way to go before we can be more certain about this. A quick and easy test for viral infections could reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and hospital admissions, researchers claim. They said the test, which takes just 50 minutes to obtain results, could save hospitals about 2,000 for each patient not admitted to hospital and would help to relieve winter pressures on available beds. Their findings, which are being presented to the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Paris, could also help to reduce the development of antibiotic resistance by reducing the amount of antibiotics prescribed. The cost of POCT is offset by avoiding the cost of lab testing and the cost of admitting patients to hospital beds (Peter Byrne/PA) The procedure, known as point of care respiratory viral testing (POCT), has been trialled at Watford General Hospital in Hertfordshire since January. It is quick and simple to perform, by inserting a swab into the patients nostril to collect a sample of secretions from the back of the nose. The sample is prepared and inserted into a compact machine called a FilmArray, which analyses the sample and then generates a printout. Dr Kay Roy, consultant physician in respiratory and general internal medicine at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Watford, told the congress: Initial results on the first 1,075 patients, show the potential of this service. We were able to identify 121 patients who had viral infections, lacked any evidence of bacterial infection, had a normal chest X-ray and only modest indicators of inflammation. Of these, hospital admission was subsequently avoided in 25% and unnecessary antibiotics were avoided in 50%. None of the 30 patients who avoided hospital admission and who were not prescribed antibiotics experienced adverse clinical outcomes, which is reassuring. She said the whole process from obtaining a sample from the patients nose to getting a result should take less than 50 minutes. This is the same test and technology as used in our microbiology laboratory, but we have brought the equipment to the patients bedside, Dr Roy added. Results from samples sent to the microbiology lab can take more than two days. She said that earlier bedside testing in A&E improves infection control, reducing the risk of spreading infection to vulnerable groups. The cost of POCT is offset by avoiding the cost of lab testing and the cost of admitting patients to hospital beds. The findings clearly point towards a net cost saving, Dr Roy added. Each respiratory admission can cost around 2,000. We could make a significant saving for national health services by avoiding unnecessary admissions in patients who may have otherwise been admitted and given antibiotics while waiting up to two days for results from the lab. Patients in whom antibiotics were avoided also contribute to cost savings, as do the beds and wards which remain open. President-elect of the ERS, Professor Tobias Welte, who was not involved in the research, said the test could prove very useful. He said: As European populations age, there is increasing pressure on the availability of hospital beds. Having to close a ward because a patient has been admitted with a viral infection that could spread to other patients and is not treatable with antibiotics places even more pressure on hospitals, as well as being expensive. The innovative approach described in this presentation could make a significant difference not only to hospitals but also to patients, whose quality of life will be much improved by avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use and admittance to hospital. However, this test will have to be compared to guidelines and recommended best clinical practice to confirm its usefulness. Teams in hazardous material suits have been a feature in Salisbury after the Novichok attack, but future chemical tests could be aided by drones. The Ministry of Defence said on Monday that a fleet of drones and robots were trialled to examine for chemical agents and biological threats while keeping troops and emergency services at a safe distance. Scientists from Porton Down, the military research facility that tested for the nerve agent after the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal, were involved in the trial at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: Following the reckless nerve agent attack in Salisbury this year, we have seen the bravery and professionalism of our Armed Forces, emergency services and MoD scientists. They have worked tirelessly to investigate and clean up deadly contaminated areas. This project will ensure we stay at the forefront of dealing with such heinous attacks, whether on our streets or on foreign battlefields. The 3 million Project Minerva launched in September 2016 saw a Snake Eyes drone tested that can relay 3D images while detecting chemical agents using a laser system, the MoD said. A `Snake Eyes drone (MoD) Salisbury has been subjected to a widespread testing for the nerve agent after it was used in an attempted murder on Mr Skripal on March 4. His daughter Yulia was also successfully treated, but about three months later a 44-year-old woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after inadvertently coming into contact with the agent stored in a perfume bottle. Police and the Government have accused two men alleged to be Russian military intelligence service officers of carrying out the attack on the orders of the Kremlin. The brother of a teenager who was murdered and secretly buried by the Provisional IRA over 40 years ago says his family feel cautiously positive about a new search for his remains. But Oliver McVeigh said the start of the new search will be hard for his family who have already been through four previously. Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore, Co Tyrone was last seen in November 1975. A new search begins at Bragan Bog, Co Monaghan (Rebecca Black/PA) It is believed he was abducted and killed by the IRA before being secretly buried at Bragan bog near Emyvale in Co Monaghan. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) announced a new search will begin in the area on Monday. Four searches have been carried out since 1999 by the Garda and the ICLVR. Oliver McVeigh said he and his family have learned not to expect too much too soon. It is hard to get your hopes up, you just hope that something is found this time, he said. We have been in this position four times before, we have learned not to expect too much too soon. But you never know, we are positive enough. The new search will focus on an area around one acre in size. ICLVR lead investigator Geoff Knupfer said they remain convinced that Mr McVeigh was buried at Bragan Bog. Over the last five years since the last unsuccessful search we have been working to refine the search area, he said. That is what often has to be done when we are searching for a body that has been buried somewhere in a vast expanse of bog over 40 years ago. Thats what happened in the search for Brendan Megraw whose remains we found in October 2014 in Oristown Bog, Co Meath some 15 years after searching commenced. And we were close to the burial place of Seamus Ruddy in an earlier search before we recovered his remains in France in May last year. But close is not good enough. The fact that we are back on Bragan Bog for a fresh search does not mean that anyone who has information about where Columba is buried should assume that it is no longer relevant. Jon Hill, a senior investigator with the ICLVR who will take charge of the initial phase of the search, said they will do all in their power to find Mr McVeigh. We carried out a scoping exercise earlier in the year and are now concentrating on an area of around one acre in size, he said. Jon Hill, senior investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (Rebecca Black/PA) While that is relatively small compared to some of the searches weve carried out in the past, each one presents its own challenges and so I dont want to put a definitive time frame on it. Obviously we hope that we have an early success but if thats not the case then well press on for as long as it takes. We have a dedicated and vastly experienced team of contractors and forensic archaeologists working on the search. We all know what this means to the McVeigh family and we will do everything in our power to bring this search to a successful conclusion. Three of the 16 classified as the disappeared remain missing. They are Mr McVeigh as well as former monk Joe Lynskey and soldier Robert Nairac. Mr Knupfer has issued a fresh call for information which could lead to their remains being found. The ICLVR can be contacted by telephone: 00800-55585500 International: +353 1 602 8655 President Donald Trumps nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court has been thrust into turmoil after the woman accusing him of high school-era sexual misconduct told her story publicly for the first time. Democrats immediately called for a delay in a key committee vote set for this later week and a Republican on the closely divided panel said he was not comfortable voting on the nomination without first hearing from the accuser. Christine Blasey Ford discussed her accusation in an interview with The Washington Post. I thought he might inadvertently kill me, she told the paper. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing. Ms Ford, 51, a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, said she was able to get away after a friend of Kavanaughs who was in the room jumped on top of them and everyone tumbled. President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee (Alex Brandon/AP) Mr Kavanaugh, 53 and a federal appeals judge in Washington, on Sunday repeated an earlier denial of Ms Fords allegation. I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time, Mr Kavanaugh said through the White House. The allegation first came to light late last week in the form of a letter that has been in the possession of Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, for some time. The committee recently concluded four days of public hearings on the nomination and the panels Republican chairman, Chuck Grassley, scheduled a Thursday vote on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm Mr Kavanaugh for a lifetime appointment to the nations highest court. Democrats, led by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, immediately called for it to be postponed, though Republicans gave no indication on Sunday that they would accede to the calls by Democrats, most of whom already publicly oppose Mr Kavanaugh. A spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee said late on Sunday that Mr Grassley is trying to arrange separate, follow-up calls with Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ford, but just for aides to Mr Grassley and Ms Feinstein, before Thursdays scheduled vote. But Senator Jeff Flake, a committee member, told The Washington Post and Politico in interviews on Sunday that he is not comfortable voting for Mr Kavanaugh until he learns more about the allegation. Mr Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the committee, whose 10 Democrats all oppose Mr Kavanaugh. A potential no vote from Mr Flake would complicate Mr Kavanaughs prospects. Another Republican member, Senator Lindsey Graham, said he is willing to hear from Ms Ford provided that it is done immediately to keep the confirmation process on track. My statement on Judge Kavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/QGz3uUyzC9 Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 16, 2018 Critics have accused the Republican Party of fast-tracking the process to get Mr Kavanaugh on the court by October 1, the first day of the autumn term. Mr Grassley could invite Ms Ford to testify, likely in closed session before Thursday. Mr Kavanaugh would also probably be asked to appear before senators. The panel would also likely seek testimony from Mark Judge, Kavanaughs friend and classmate who Ms Ford says jumped on top of her and Kavanaugh. Mr Judge has denied that the incident happened. A spokesman for Mr Grassley said Mr Kavanaugh already went through several days of hearings and has been investigated by the FBI. The White House has accused Ms Feinstein, who revealed the letters existence late last week, of mounting an 11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation. The White House said that the FBI has repeatedly investigated Mr Kavanaugh since the 1990s for highly sensitive positions he has held, including in the office of independent counsel Ken Starr, at the White House and his current post on the federal appeals court in Washington. Ms Feinstein on Sunday called on the FBI to investigate Ms Fords story before the Senate moves forward on this nominee. Mr Kavanaugh attended a private school for boys in Maryland while Ms Ford attended a nearby school. Sixty-five women who knew Mr Kavanagh in high school defended him in a separate letter, circulated by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, as someone who always treated women with decency and respect. Brexit makes headlines on Monday, along with reports on Chris Evanss successor on the Radio 2 breakfast show and exploitation of children by drug-dealing gangs. The Times says the EU is secretly preparing to accept a plan for the Irish border that will use technology to minimise customs checks, raising the prospect of Theresa May reaching a Brexit deal. Tomorrow's Times front page: Boost for May as EU backs Irish border plan pic.twitter.com/IO9NibFU6I The Times (@thetimes) September 16, 2018 The Metro leads with Environment Secretary Michael Goves call for support for the prime ministers negotiating strategy in the so-called Chequers plan. What the papers say - September 17 However Boris Johnson has renewed his criticism of the proposals, writing in his Daily Telegraph column that plans for the Irish border are disastrous. The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'May's Irish Brexit plan is a disaster, warns Boris' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/qTyVFtsSAE The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 16, 2018 Supporters of a no-deal Brexit are launching a chuck Chequers campaign in a bid to build grassroots support for abandoning the proposals, the i reports. Meanwhile Deutsche Bank is increasing plans to shift hundreds of billions in assets from London to Frankfurt amid concerns over the complexity of UK operations after Brexit, the Financial Times reports. Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition Monday September 17 https://t.co/3U0fyJym9k pic.twitter.com/OcIJ1FmNvV Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) September 16, 2018 In other news, Zoe Ball is in talks to take over Chris Evanss BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, The Sun reports. EXCLUSIVE BBC bosses have offered Zoe Ball the Radio 2 Breakfast Show and she is in advanced negotiations to replace Chris Evans. Devastating blow for favourite and current sub Sara Cox. My full story from tomorrows @TheSun https://t.co/6kiSVy2PoF pic.twitter.com/p9c0hNMoEp Dan Wootton (@danwootton) September 16, 2018 The Daily Mail leads with an investigation into county lines drug gangs and their use of vulnerable children for their operations. Children at risk of abuse are being identified by some councils by using technology to analyse data, The Guardian reports. The Guardian front page, Monday 17 September 2018: Council algorithms use family data to predict child abuse risk pic.twitter.com/b7CADWqci5 The Guardian (@guardian) September 16, 2018 The Daily Mirror carries a report on the future of social care on its front page. The Daily Express leads with a study on potential risks of regularly taking aspirin. Meanwhile The Independent carries new research that suggests female human trafficking victims are being illegally held in prison because of a failure to spot exploitation by authorities. Half the public believe Brexit will have a negative impact on the country, while an overwhelming majority are critical of the Governments handling of the exit talks, according to polling. Just a third of voters think they will be better off in five years as a result of Britain quitting the European Union, the ComRes survey for BBC Radio 5 Live found. Some eight out of 10 voters, 79%, think the exit negotiations have been handled badly by the Government. Theresa May with husband Philip at Chequers (Jeff Overs/BBC Panorama) Prime Minister Theresa May has faced intense criticism from within Tory ranks about her Brexit blueprint and around 50 Brexiteers met to war-game ways to oust her last Tuesday evening. Extracts released over the weekend of an interview that will air on Monday evening revealed the PM is irked by the talk surrounding her future as leader. She told BBC Panoramas Inside No 10: Deal Or No Deal?: I get a little bit irritated but this debate is not about my future, this debate is about the future of the people of the UK and the future of the United Kingdom. The interview was carried out at Chequers, the Prime Ministers country retreat. Theresa May and her husband Philip watch The Chase at Chequers (Jeff Overs/BBC Panorama) Photographs show Mrs May later sipping tea with husband Philip while watching an episode of ITVs The Chase with her official red box of Government documents at her side. As the six-month countdown to exit day approaches, the ComRes survey shows 41% of voters think quitting the bloc will have a positive impact compared to 50%. Some 32% think their household will be better off in 2023 but 54% disagree The EU faced criticism with 63% saying it had handled the talks badly. ComRes interviewed 1,002 GB adults via telephone between September 6 and 9 2018. Data was weighted to be demographically representative of all British adults aged 18+. One in eight casualties on Englands motorways and major A-roads are caused by tailgating, according to new analysis. Highways England, which manages the roads, said more than 100 people are killed or seriously injured each year in accidents where a vehicle has driven too close to the one in front. The government-owned company believes only a small minority of tailgating is deliberate, with many drivers simply unaware they are dangerously invading someone elses space. Tailgating is blamed for one in eight casualties on Englands motorways and major A-roads (Highways England/PA) It has launched a campaign named Dont Be A Space Invader, which is based on the popular arcade game. The Highway Code says drivers should allow at least a two-second gap between vehicles, which is doubled on wet roads. More than one in four drivers in England admit they have driven so close to the car in front it may have been difficult to stop in an emergency in the last three months, according to a poll of 1,109 people. This suggests that millions of drivers are tailgating on the countrys roads. Additional in-car research using dashcams, facial recognition, emotion tracking and heart monitors revealed that a drivers typical reaction to being tailgated is surprise, anger and contempt, with a spike in heart rate. Tailgating was identified as the biggest single bugbear that drivers have about other road users. The Dont Be A Space Invader campaign is supported by former Formula 1 world champion Nigel Mansell, who is president of road safety charity IAM RoadSmart. He said: Tailgating is a driving habit I utterly deplore. Not only is it aggressive and intimidating, but it can lead to a crash with a tragic outcome. There is absolutely no upside to it. You will not get to your destination faster, you are not a skilled driver for doing it, and you are putting so many innocent people at risk. Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, said: Tailgating makes the driver in front feel targeted and victimised, distracting their attention from the road ahead and making them more likely to make a mistake. If that leads to a collision, then people in both vehicles could end up seriously injured or killed. We want everyone to travel safely, so the advice is stay safe, stay back. Mangkhut weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it moved deeper into southern China on Monday, leaving death and destruction from Hong Kong to the Philippines. The storm was still affecting southern Chinas coast and the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan and rain and strong winds were expected to continue through Tuesday. Hong Kong residents were told to stay away from the coastline and be on alert for occasional gales. Bus, ferry and rail services were suspended and almost 900 flights were cancelled at the citys airport, one of the worlds busiest. The South China Morning Post said Hong Kongs hospitals had to use back-up power due to outages caused by the storm. A fallen tree caused by typhoon Mangkhut lies at a street in Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP) Philippine and Chinese authorities said the death toll from a typhoon has risen to at least 69 with dozens missing. A Philippine national police report said the latest death toll was 65, with 43 people missing and 64 injured. Chinese authorities reported four deaths from falling trees and building materials in Guangdong, Chinas manufacturing hub. Many of the missing in the Philippines are gold miners and their families feared buried in a landslide after seeking shelter in a bunkhouse-turned-chapel in a village in Benguet province. As of Monday morning Mangkhut was on track to pass over the Guangxi regional capital of Nanning and move toward the border with tourism powerhouse Yunnan province. The Hong Kong Observatory reported Mangkhut was the most powerful cyclone to hit the city since 1979, packing maximum sustained gusts of 121 mph. Rescuers work on the site where victims were believed to have been buried by a landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut barrelled across the northern Philippines (Aaron Favila/AP) More than 2.4 million people had been evacuated in southern Chinas Guangdong province by Sunday evening to flee the typhoon, state media said. Prepare for the worst, Hong Kong Security Minister John Lee Ka-chiu urged residents. That warning followed Mangkhuts devastating march through the northern Philippines on Saturday with sustained winds of 127 miles per hour. Landslides caused by the pounding storm hit two villages in Itogon town in the mountain province of Benguet. Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said that at the height of the typhoons onslaught on Saturday afternoon, dozens of people, mostly miners and their families, rushed into an old three-storey building in the village of Ucab. The building a former mining bunkhouse that had been transformed into a chapel was obliterated when part of a mountain slope collapsed. Three villagers who managed to escape told authorities what happened. Palangdan said Monday that of the 50 feared buried there was a 99% (chance) that they really are all dead. Palangdan said rescuers have dug out 11 bodies from a muddy mound covering the former bunkhouse. They laughed at our policemen. They insisted. They were resisting when our police tried to pull them away. What can we do? he said. Broken glass from windows caused by Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP) Men used pikes and shovels to dig into the mud since the soaked ground was unstable and limited the use of heavy equipment on site. Mangkhut also shattered glass windows on commercial skyscrapers, felled trees, tore scaffolding off buildings under construction and flooded some areas of Hong Kong with waist-high waters, according to the South China Morning Post. Casinos on Macau were ordered closed for the first time due to the typhoon. More than one in 10 people in the UK live in persistent poverty, according to a report that takes a fresh look at the way financial hardship is measured. A major study by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC) found that 7.7 million people, 12.1% of the UK population, have spent all or most of the last four years or more in poverty. Given that we know that long periods in poverty can be particularly damaging to peoples lives and prospects, this is a significant concern, the report stated. In total, 14.2 million people in the UK were found to be in poverty under the new measure 8.4 million working-age adults, 4.5 million children and 1.4 million people of pension age. "Currently there is no agreed government measure of #poverty, the @SocMetricsComm mission is to provide a new consensus that enables action in the UK."#NewPovertyMeasure https://t.co/HUecZx6r63 pic.twitter.com/IFi99ntCuA Social Metrics Comm. (@SocMetricsComm) September 17, 2018 Of those, nearly half 6.9 million are living in families with a disabled person, the research suggests. Meanwhile, 2.5 million UK residents are at risk of falling into poverty, the report reveals. The SMC, which describes itself as an independent, non-partisan organisation, was brought together to develop what it says is a new approach to poverty measurement that better reflects the nature and experiences of poverty that different families in the UK have. The body said its work over the last two-and-a-half years has given rise to a new measure which makes significant changes to our understanding of who is in poverty. The commissions new measure accounts for the negative impact on peoples weekly income of inescapable costs such as childcare and the impact that disability has on peoples needs; and includes the positive impacts of being able to access liquid assets such as savings. It also takes the first steps to including groups of people previously omitted from poverty statistics, like those living on the streets or in overcrowded housing, SMC chair Baroness Stroud said. Under the new measure, the majority (68%) of people living in workless families are in poverty, the report outlines. This compares to 9% for people living in families where all adults work full time. There are 2.5 million people in the UK who are less than 10% above the poverty line, meaning that relatively small changes in their circumstances could mean they fall below it, the commission found. The report also revealed some areas of good news with far fewer pensioners living in poverty than previously thought following a significant fall in pensioner poverty over the last 15 years. Poverty rates were found to vary significantly across the UK. Rates in Scotland are lower than in other UK countries, while Welsh poverty rates are typically higher than in other countries, and England has the highest child poverty rate, the report stated. A homeless person and their dog on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh (PA) Overall poverty rates in Scotland are nearly three percentage points lower than the UK overall (19.2% compared to 22%), but Scotland was still found to have some groups experiencing high rates of poverty. The SNP has called on the UK Government to take urgent action at the Budget to tackle poverty following the reports findings. And the Scottish Governments Communities Secretary, Aileen Campbell, said: As the Commission makes clear, much UK Government political debate in the past decade has focused on the measurement of poverty rather than the action needed to drive better outcomes. The reverse is the case for the Scottish Government where we have moved past measurement to action, particularly through ambitious child poverty targets and our first tackling child poverty delivery plan. A UK Government spokeswoman said: Measuring poverty is complex, and this report offers further insight into that complexity and the additional measures that can be taken into consideration. This Government is committed to making a positive difference to the outcomes for poor and disadvantaged families and children. Through our welfare reforms we are providing personalised support, helping people overcome their specific barriers and allowing them to progress into work and then progress in work as we know this still remains the best route out of poverty. Running parallel with that support, we continue to spend 90 billion a year on working age benefits to provide a safety net for those who need it when they need it, and we will be spending 54 billion this year, more than ever before, to support disabled people and those with health conditions. The chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover was making it up when he warned that a hard Brexit would wipe out its profits and cost tens of thousands of jobs, a Tory Brexiteer has claimed. Former shadow minister Sir Bernard Jenkin accused Professor Dr Ralf Speth of scaremongering over a prediction that crashing out of the EU would have a horrifying effect on the leading automotive firms business. Prof Speth had told the UKs first Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham attended by the Prime Minister that a hard Brexit could result in the worst of times for the UK while the cost to Jaguar Land Rover would be more than 1.2 billion a year. Embarrassing. The Conservative Party is the party of business. Im backing Raif Speth & all the other business leaders & trade unions who are being honest about the disaster of a #NoDeal hard #Brexit & are increasingly backing @peoplesvote_uk https://t.co/N67nF34whf Anna Soubry (@Anna_Soubry) September 17, 2018 Asked his view on the German businessmans warning on Monday, Sir Bernard, a member of the Eurosceptic European Research Group, told BBC Radio 4s Today: Im afraid I think hes making it up. Weve had figures made up all the time by the scaremongers in this debate and Im afraid nobody believes them. The warning by Prof Speth, who has worked in the car industry for more than 30 years, followed similar warnings from other industry bosses, including Airbus and BMW, about the potentially damaging consequences of Britains decision to leave the EU. Ralf Speth, chief executive officer of Jaguar Land Rover, had warned about the impact of a hard Brexit (Chris Ratcliffe/PA) Sir Bernards comments were described as embarrassing by pro-Remain Tory MP Anna Soubry. She said on Twitter: The Conservative Party is the party of business. Im backing Raif (sic) Speth & all the other business leaders & trade unions who are being honest about the disaster of a #NoDeal hard #Brexit & are increasingly backing @peoplesvote_uk. Technical papers released by the Government on Thursday warned that cars made in the UK may no longer be valid for sale in the European Union without a Brexit deal. Type approval, which demonstrates that vehicles comply with safety and environmental standards, would not be valid for sales in the EU if issued in the UK, it said. UK manufacturers would need to obtain type approval in an EU country to continue selling their products there. The Government said it plans to issue provisional UK type approval to firms which already hold EU versions. Jaguar Land Rover declined to comment. Belgian police shot and wounded a man who attacked one of the officers with a knife in Brussels. The man attacked one of our colleagues with a knife, slightly wounding the officer on the head, said Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van De Keere. Ms Van De Keere said that a second officer shot the attacker and seriously wounded him. The spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutors office, Ine Van Wymersch, said the incident did not appear to be terror related. Belgium police officers stand next to a cordoned-off area (Francisco Seco/AP) Prosecutors said in a statement that the man, who was not identified, had pulled out the knife when police tried to get him to move away from some government offices. Three shots were fired at him after he struck one of the officers. The suspect was hit by a bullet in the body and another in the leg. He is in critical condition, the statement said. An investigation has been launched. A local resident, who would only identify himself as Aziz, told reporters that he heard up to three shots. I heard a gunshot. Then two or three. Then a guy fell down on the ground and the police were shouting drop the knife, drop the knife, and the guy fell on the ground. The incident happened near a park where migrants routinely camp while their applications for residency permits are assessed nearby. Britain is heading full throttle for a total write-off of Brexit if it continues with Theresa Mays disastrous plans for the Irish border, Boris Johnson has claimed. The backstop deadlock is being used to force the UK into becoming a vassal state and the talks are on course to end in a spectacular political car crash, according to the former foreign secretary. Mr Johnson said the European Unions fallback position for the Irish border would mean Northern Ireland was annexed by Brussels. A future PM could always choose to alter the relationship between Britain and the EU, says @michaelgove but the Chequers approach is the right one for now. #marr pic.twitter.com/yEAIyQXkLo BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 16, 2018 Alternative plans set out by Mrs May would effectively keep Britain in the bloc, he added. However, the PM has said the counter-proposal to her Chequers plan is still a hard border and hers is the only way that does not carve up the United Kingdom. Mrs May also warned that the only alternative to Parliament passing her proposals would be no-deal. It has been reported that the EU is preparing to accept use of technology to avoid the need for new border infrastructure. Mr Johnson has backed proposals by the pro-Brexit European Research Group that physical checks can be done away from the border, without keeping the UK or Northern Ireland tied to EU customs rules. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, he said: If the Brexit negotiations continue on this path they will end, I am afraid, in a spectacular political car crash. If we are to get out of this mess, and get the great British motor back on track, then we need to understand the Irish backstop, and how it is being used to coerce the UK into becoming a vassal state of Brussels, he added. The EUs backstop would leave a border down the Irish sea while the UKs proposal left it volunteering to remain effectively in the customs union and large parts of the single market until Brussels says otherwise, Mr Johnson said. Mrs May said there are only two possible solutions - the Chequers plan, or no deal (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Both versions of the backstop are disastrous, he wrote. One threatens the union; the other version and its close cousin, Chequers keep us effectively in the EU, as humiliated rules takers. We need to challenge the assumptions of both these Irish backstops, or we are heading full throttle for the ditch with a total write-off of Brexit. We are straining at the gnat of the Irish border problem in fact we havent even tried to chew the gnat and we are swallowing the camel of EU membership in all but name. Mrs May said there needs to be friction-free movement of goods across the Irish border, without customs or regulatory checks between the UK and EU, after Brexit. She said that the counter-proposal will not solve the issue of no hard border by having a hard border 20km inside Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland deserve to be listened to in these negotiations by the UK Government, as do people elsewhere in this country, she told the BBC. I want to ensure that as we go forward we have that strong union Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. They dont want a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Mr Barnier is seeking to harness new technology to minimise potential border checks (Niall Carson/PA) The only proposal thats been put forward that delivers on them not having a hard border and ensures that we dont carve up the United Kingdom, is the Chequers plan. Mrs May also said she believes Parliament will vote for a deal to maintain a good trading relationship with the EU and cooperation on other matters. But she cast doubt on whether the EU would offer a better deal if MPs rejected it, adding: I believe well get a good deal, well bring that back from the EU negotiations, put that to Parliament. I think the alternative to that will be not having a deal because a) I dont think the negotiations will have that deal, and b) were leaving on March 29 2019. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is drafting a new protocol text that includes the use of technology to minimise checks at the Irish border, according to The Times. Diplomatic notes seen by the paper state: The biggest unsolved problem is Northern Ireland. There is a political mobilisation in the UK in this regard. Therefore, we are trying to clarify the EU position. A 5 million fund is being launched to support projects that showcase the breathtaking scenery, wildlife and culture of the Highlands and Islands. Ten projects will be chosen to benefit from the new Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, which is led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The fund will support projects that encourage visitors to experience more of the unique nature and culture of the Highlands and Islands and also aims to benefit communities. The fund will support projects that encourage visitors to experience more of the unique nature and culture of the Highlands and Islands (Yui Mok/PA) Each project will receive at least 250,000 from the fund. Trade, Investment and Innovation Minister Ivan McKee, said: Todays announcement of the 5 million Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund is fantastic news for the Highlands and Islands. This money will go towards improving visitors facilities and access to its most remote and rural areas. The 5 million comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and will support inclusive and sustainable growth, a key part of the Scottish Governments National Performance Framework. Scotlands breathtaking scenery and culture is recognised around the world, and improving the experiences for tourists in the Highlands and Islands will benefit the national and local economies by sustaining jobs and creating new opportunities. The funding comes through the Scottish Governments European Regional Development Fund programme, with match funding from other sources bringing overall investment to more than 7 million. The funding round will open in early January 2019 and close in late April 2019, with decisions on the successful projects to be announced in early summer next year. Mike Cantlay, SNH Chairman, said: The close links between nature and culture in the Highlands and Islands are a huge draw for tourists across the globe, and the economic benefits are a vital way of maintaining our rural populations, jobs and skills. Parts of the Highlands and Islands are well served, but we know there are even more out there with potential to bring benefits to rural communities in the coming years. We are hugely excited to find out more about projects that can make a crucial difference to visitor experience, as well as local quality of life. Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg has accused Theresa May of presenting Britain with a con trick choice on Brexit. Sir Nick, who is back in the political spotlight on Monday with an address to a meeting at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, insisted the Prime Minister was offering either a fudge or the abyss on EU exit by claiming the only alternative to her Chequers proposals is a no deal withdrawal. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think it is a deep disservice to our democratic traditions to have a Prime Minister now saying: Youve got no choices left, its my fudge or the abyss that is not true. Sir Nick Clegg (Victoria Jones/PA) We always have more choices if only we are prepared to take them. Of all the con tricks we have been subject to in this whole sorry Brexit saga from the lies in the referendum to the so-called virtues of what is nothing more than an inelegant fudge in Chequers I think the worst is now to come. Were now going to be told: Its my way or no way its either the Chequers fudge or a sort of cataclysmic cliff edge. The idea that the only thing this country should accept is a fudge or the abyss is not only, I think, an insult to the intelligence of British voters, but its simply not true. Sir Nick insisted that his experience as an MEP taught him that Britain would be given more time by the EU to reflect on what it wanted to happen ahead of the slated withdrawal date of March 29 2019. He said: The clock is ticking, but the clock can definitely be changed. One thing that is very elastic in Brussels is time. Theyve got a name for it. Its called stop the clock and it is provided for in the EU treaties. Sir Nick said the UK could tell Brussels: Im sorry, weve got a bit stuck here, we need more time to straighten ourselves out and decide what we want to do next. The ex-Lib Dem leader called for a pause in the withdrawal process so that the UK can hold a peoples vote on Brexit. Sir Nick was scathing about the current Brexit situation, saying: Its the equivalent of leaving your home, locking your front door, chucking your key away and having absolutely no idea where you are going next. The ex-deputy PM said he had been holding talks with European leaders on the Brexit situation to ensure the UK had more choices on what to do about its relationship with the EU. Unilever shareholder Aviva Investors is preparing to vote down the consumer goods giants plans to shift its headquarters out of London. Aviva Investors, which holds a 1.4% stake in the London-listed firm, warned that the move will fail to benefit shareholders who will likely be forced to offload Unilever stock after its is removed from the FTSE 100. Unilever, which owns well-known brands including Marmite and Dove soap, will put plans to simplify its dual headquarter structure to shareholders on October 25 and 26. Unilevers offices on Victoria Embankment in London (PA) If successful, Unilever will ditch its second head office in London and run its headquarters solely out of the Netherlands. Unilever aims to complete the changes by Christmas Eve. David Cumming, chief investment officer for equities at Aviva Investors, said: We will be voting against Unilevers proposal to relinquish its UK domicile in favour of Rotterdam. Unilevers decision appears to be a defensive response to recent governance challenges and consequently will not create any value for shareholders. Furthermore, a material number of long-standing supportive UK shareholders will become forced sellers due to the resultant removal of this high-quality company from the FT All Share and FTSE 100 indices. Unilever announced that it planned to simplify from two legal entities into a single one incorporated in Rotterdam in March. It dealt a major blow to the UK Government and its efforts to uphold Britains status as a centre for business after Brexit. But Unilever has insisted the move to Rotterdam has nothing to do with Brexit. It also said at the time its 7,300 workers the UK and 3,100 in the Netherlands will be unaffected by the changes. Unilever, which is also behind well-known household brands such as Ben & Jerrys ice cream and Lipton teas, employs around 169,000 people around the world. The changes simplification will be achieved through a UK scheme of arrangement and a Dutch legal merger, which will complete over the weekend of December 22 and 23. The new shares will begin trading in the Netherlands on December 24. However, Unilevers shares are unlikely to continue trading in the FTSE 100 in the wake of the move. Without a UK headquarters, Unilever is expected to fall short of requirements which would allow a listing on the FTSE 100, where its shares currently trade. Its shares will continue to trade on the London Stock Exchange, but will no longer be listed on a benchmark index. As part of the rejig, Unilever will also restructure into three divisions beauty and personal care, home care, and foods and refreshment which will each have different headquarters split between the UK and the Netherlands. The beauty and personal care and home care divisions will be headquartered in London, while the foods and refreshment arm will have its HQ in Rotterdam. Unilever shares were down 0.4% in morning trading. Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United all turn their attentions to the start of the 2018/19 Champions League campaign this week. Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at some of the main talking points ahead of the ties for Englands top-flight clubs. Home comforts for Reds? Liverpools perfect start to the new campaign will face the acid test when Paris St Germain come to Anfield on Tuesday night. With Napoli and Red Star Belgrade also in Group C, Jurgen Klopps men certainly have not been given a clear passage through to the knockout stages, so can ill afford to be playing catch-up after the first round of matches. However, the Reds can take heart from last seasons home performances in Europe, where they were unbeaten in their seven matches and outscored opponents 24-6 en route to the final. Can City prove themselves Euro stars? Manchester City saw their Champions League hopes ended by Liverpool last season (Tim Goode/PA) Despite their dominance of the English top flight last season, Pep Guardiolas men came up short in Europe once again, failing to get the better of Liverpool in the quarter-finals following a nightmare opening half-hour at Anfield in the first leg. French side Lyon, who have not reached the last 16 since 2011/12, head to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, and are not expected to offer much resistance. Guardiola knows tougher challenges lie ahead if his well-oiled side are to make it all the way to Estadio Metropolitano on June 1 especially while aiming to maintain a successful domestic title defence. Joses United front There's two reasons to have that #MondayMotivation: 1 A vital @PremierLeague win is in the bag 2 The @ChampionsLeague is back this week pic.twitter.com/vfoHPijxsd Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 17, 2018 After finding himself under the spotlight during a testing first few weeks of the new Premier League season, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho would probably be glad to be opening their Champions League campaign against group minnows Young Boys rather than a high-profile European encounter. That, of course, is yet to come against Juventus and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. United produced a solid display to end Watfords 100 per cent start on Saturday, which was a second straight win as the Red Devils aim to move on from disappointing defeats by Brighton and Tottenham. Expect more of the same on Wednesday night as Mourinho looks to build up another head of steam. Will Spurs survive their group of death? Disappointing result. We all need to stick together and bounce back quickly. #COYS pic.twitter.com/CxRkpqb0lk Toby Alderweireld (@AlderweireldTob) September 15, 2018 After a lack of transfer activity during the summer, there were plenty of questions ahead for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. However, after three straight Premier League wins, including turning United over 3-0 at Old Trafford, everyone was left wondering what all the fuss had been about. Come full-time at Wembley on Saturday, though, and a jaded Spurs were staring at back-to-back defeats. The challenges ahead in Europe offer little respite, with a visit to Inter Milan first up on Tuesday night. Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven are also in the Group B mix, which means there are few margins for error if Pochettino is to safely guide his side through to the knockout stages. A campaign is calling for support to turn a neoclassical building in Edinburgh into a music school. The Note is battling an appeal by developers to turn the Old Royal High on Calton Hill into a hotel. Instead, the Royal High School Preservation Trust and St Marys Music School want to move Scotlands national music school to the A-listed building. Pupils Alexander Kwon, Rory Kemp, Oceane Taneus-Miller and Ellie Shek (St Marys Music School/PA) Revised proposals to develop the property into a hotel were rejected by city councillors in August last year, while the trusts plans had previously been unanimously accepted. Duddingston House Properties and Urbanist Hotels, co-investors and developers behind the revised Rosewood Hotel scheme, lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government which has stalled progress with the building. Dr Kenneth Taylor, headteacher of St Marys Music School, said: The aim of the Note campaign is to send a simple message using a simple, polite but witty visual reminder, that the future of the Old Royal High School is still undecided and that its particularly important that the Scottish Government is aware of the strength of feeling about the future of the Old Royal High. We have been greatly heartened by the size and strength of the wonderful support we have already received from so many people in Edinburgh, as well as prominent figures in the arts and music community Nicola Benedetti, Sir James MacMillan, Alexander Armstrong and Steven Osborne, to name just a few. Moving to the Old Royal High School would give the school increased capacity, allowing us to offer a specialist music education to more young people of outstanding music ability. The appeal process is due to begin on Tuesday. Built by Thomas Hamilton in 1829 and owned by the local authority, the building has been largely unused since the school moved out in 1968. The father of Madeleine McCann is due to speak about his battle with depression in an interview with BBC Radio 4. Gerry McCann granted the interview in order to raise awareness of mental health issues and help men in similar positions. The programme is set to feature Pearl, by Simon Armitage, a modern translation of a medieval poem about a fathers grief after losing his daughter, which will be intercut with the interview. Gerry McCann granted the interview in order to raise awareness of mental health issues (John Stillwell/PA) Gerry and his wife Kate McCann vowed never to stop looking for their missing daughter, who vanished aged three while the family were on holiday in Portugal. Mr McCann said: As a family wed worked with Simon Armitage before, and know what a sensitive, thoughtful writer he is. When I read the Pearl poem, I could see echoes in it with Madeleines situation and our loss. I decided it was a good opportunity to say something about the special bond between fathers and daughters, thinking that speaking openly might help other men in similar positions. It feels like the right time. Simon Armitage said: Pearl is one of the most moving poems in the language, written by a man grieving over the loss of his young daughter. While translating it into modern English I kept thinking of the McCann family and their daughter Madeleine. Id written a poem for the family to mark the one thousandth day of her disappearance, spending some time with Kate and talking to her about life without Madeleine and the campaign to find her. He added: Gerrys voice hasnt been heard as much, and after reading the poem he agreed to give an extended interview, to tell his side of the story in terms of how men deal with loss and grief in a world where theyre usually expected to stay strong and silent. I knew that religion plays an important part in the McCanns family life, as it does for the author of Pearl, who seeks consolation through his faith. Mr McCann will appear on the BBC Radio 4 programme Pearl: Two Fathers, Two Daughters on September 29. MP Tobias Ellwood held back tears in court as he told how he ignored fears of a second terror attack while he battled to save the life of a stabbed police officer in the wake of the Westminster Bridge atrocity. The former soldier told the inquests into the victims deaths that despite the risk that attacker Khalid Masood may have had a bomb in his abandoned car, his main concern was giving help to stricken Pc Keith Palmer. Mr Ellwood told the Old Bailey: My brother was killed in a secondary attack in Bali (a 2002 terrorist bombing in Indonesia) so I was very aware of that. Keith Palmer was stabbed to death in the attack (Met Police/PA) I was concerned about what would happen if things were to ratchet up, but my immediate concern was that we had somebody who was clearly badly bleeding and needed assistance. During his rampage, Masood, 52, killed Kurt Cochran, 54, Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Andreea Cristea, 31, when he ploughed an SUV into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing Pc Palmer to death at the gates to the Palace of Westminster. Mr Ellwood said he first became aware that something was wrong when he heard a significant crash followed by screams. These were not screams of pain, they were screams of shock, which is slightly different, he said. The Tory MP for Bournemouth East then saw two waves of people with panic in their eyes as he made his way to Parliament through the underground passageway. Westminster attacker Khalid Masood (Met Police/PA) They were shouting, go, go, go, go and, go back, go back, he said, before his attention was drawn to the area where Pc Palmer was attacked. My first observation was the number of armed officers that were pointing their weapons towards Carriage Gates, he said. I have never seen so many armed officers with their weapons out in the Houses of Parliament. Some, I think, were crouching in positions of protection, but all were aiming there weapons towards Carriage Gates. I could see there were two bodies lying in the ground and activity around both of them. The nearest one was clearly a police officer with other officers attempting to give him support. Tobias Ellwood became emotional as he gave evidence (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Ellwood said he stepped forward, making clear who he was to the armed officers, ignoring the risk to his own safety to help administer first aid. He told how he assessed the officers wounds before commencing CPR, which he continued after paramedics and doctors from the helicopter ambulance team arrived. Becoming emotional as he recalled the dramatic events when doctors opened Pc Palmers chest, he said: Forgive me, its sometimes easier to do the helping rather than to talk about it afterwards. When it became clear that Pc Palmer would not survive, Mr Ellwood told a doctor present: Youre going to have to order me to stop. The medic said: Sir, youve done your best but you do need to stop. He described the eerie silence at the Palace of Westminster as it stayed in lockdown in the aftermath of the carnage. Mr Ellwood and one other person were left with the officers body. He said: We both covered the body as best we could, closed the eyes and I said: Im sorry. It was very, very silent, it was a very strange end to a very traumatic four or five minutes, to suddenly be left completely alone with just one other person. Almost a fifth of prosecutors and four out of ten criminal defence lawyers have been the victim of violence as a result of their job, a new survey has found. Research by the Law Society of Scotland revealed overall about one in eight solicitors (12%) had suffered an attack linked to their work while a third (33%) had been threatened in some way. More than 1,100 solicitors across the country were questioned for the survey, the first of its kind to be carried out in Scotland. It revealed 40% of criminal defence solicitors, 25% of family lawyers and 19% of prosecutors had been victims of violence. But only a fifth (20%) of such attacks had been reported to the police, according to the research. Nine out of 10 (90%) of violent incidents took place either within lawyers offices, or a court or tribunal setting, with clients and former clients responsible for more than 60% of such assaults. More than a quarter (27%) of solicitors had received threatening communications with 70% of defence lawyers, 54% of family lawyers and 61% of prosecutors having suffered some kind of threatening behaviour. Alison Atack, the president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: I am extremely alarmed by the survey findings. People often turn to their solicitor for help and advice when they are going through very stressful and difficult times in their lives. Its vital that solicitors, who have chosen a career in law because they want to help others, can feel safe and secure while carrying out their professional duties. Ms Atack was clear there should be no tolerance of any threat of violence towards legal professionals, adding that new Justice Secretary Humza Yousa intends to introduce measures to strengthen the rights of victims and witnesses of crime. She also said the Law Society was taking forward a number of measures as a matter of urgency to try to minimise the risk of violence against people working in the legal sector. It wants more attacks on solicitors to be reported to the police, and is also recommending legal professionals use safety apps on smartphones or personal alarms. Solicitors need specialist training on risk awareness, and should also receive more support if they have been the victim of violence, it added. Labour MSP Daniel Johnson (right) (Andrew Milligan/PA) Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson said: The levels of violence and threats in the legal profession are a surprising reminder of the dangers that people can experience when at work. Perhaps most shocking is that lawyers seem to be accepting that violence and abuse are just part of the job with just a fifth going on to report the crime. That clearly shows the need to strengthen the law and send a clear signal that violence, threats and abuse are unacceptable. I am bringing a bill through the Scottish Parliament to do just that, and the Law Societys findings help bolster the case for stronger protections for workers. Downing Street has slapped down Boris Johnson after he warned that Britain was heading for a spectacular political car-crash if the Government stuck to Theresa Mays plans for Brexit. The former foreign secretarys warning came as Mrs May gave one of her most positive forecasts yet for Britains future after Brexit, telling the BBC: I believe that our best days are ahead of us. Asked in an interview for Panorama, asked why she thought Brexit would be good for Britain, she replied: It gives the United Kingdom opportunities as an independent and sovereign state to build a better future for all our people. But Mr Johnson warned that, unless Mrs Mays Chequers plan was dropped, Britain was heading full throttle for the ditch with a total write-off of Brexit. Requirements for a backstop arrangement at the Irish border, contained in Decembers agreement between Mrs May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, would leave the UK a vassal state of the EU, the former foreign secretary warned. In his regular column for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson claimed that he and others had been taken in over the EUs fallback option, having been privately assured at the time that it would never be invoked. But Number 10 pointed out that Mr Johnson had himself signed up to the joint report agreed by Mrs May and Mr Juncker, including the backstop provision, and had remained in government for a further seven months afterwards. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Boris Johnson was a member of the cabinet which agreed to the December joint report, including the backstop. Theresa May with Boris Johnson (Leon Neal/PA) At the time, he congratulated the Prime Minister for her determination in securing the deal. He remained in Government for a full seven months after the joint report was agreed. He was also a member of the cabinet sub-committee which agreed the UKs proposed customs backstop. Although she is signed up to the principle of a backstop if no better arrangement can be agreed, Mrs May has robustly rejected the version put forward by Brussels, which would see Northern Ireland remain within the EU customs area and effectively draw a customs border down the Irish Sea. However, Mr Johnson denounced alternative plans set out by the PM as a constitutional abomination which would leave Britain as a humiliated rules-taker. Mr Johnson has backed proposals by the pro-Brexit European Research Group that physical checks can be done away from the border, without keeping the UK or Northern Ireland tied to EU customs rules. And it has been reported that the EU is preparing to accept use of technology to avoid the need for new border infrastructure. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said: If the Brexit negotiations continue on this path they will end, I am afraid, in a spectacular political car crash. If we are to get out of this mess, and get the great British motor back on track, then we need to understand the Irish backstop, and how it is being used to coerce the UK into becoming a vassal state of Brussels, he added. The EUs backstop would leave a border down the Irish sea while the UKs proposal left it volunteering to remain effectively in the customs union and large parts of the single market until Brussels says otherwise, Mr Johnson said. Mrs May said there are only two possible solutions - the Chequers plan, or no deal (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Both versions of the backstop are disastrous, he wrote. One threatens the union; the other version, and its close cousin, Chequers, keep us effectively in the EU, as humiliated rules takers. We need to challenge the assumptions of both these Irish backstops, or we are heading full throttle for the ditch with a total write-off of Brexit. We are straining at the gnat of the Irish border problem, in fact we havent even tried to chew the gnat, and we are swallowing the camel of EU membership in all but name. Speaking to Panorama, Mrs May said there needs to be friction-free movement of goods across the Irish border, without customs or regulatory checks between the UK and EU, after Brexit. Michel Barnier is seeking to harness new technology to minimise potential border checks (Niall Carson/PA) The only proposal thats been put forward that delivers on them not having a hard border and ensures that we dont carve up the United Kingdom, is the Chequers plan, she said. Mrs May also said she believes Parliament will vote for a deal to maintain a good trading relationship with the EU and co-operation on other matters. But she cast doubt on whether the EU would offer a better deal if MPs rejected it, adding: I believe well get a good deal, well bring that back from the EU negotiations, put that to Parliament. I think the alternative to that will be not having a deal because a) I dont think the negotiations will have that deal, and b) were leaving on March 29 2019. Mrs May stepped up efforts to win backing for the Chequers plan ahead of a gathering of EU leaders in Salzburg on Wednesday and Thursday. She welcomed Maltas prime minister Joseph Muscat to Downing Street for talks ahead of the summit. And Number 10 posted a video lasting almost seven minutes on social media in which the Prime Minister set out her plan. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is drafting a new protocol text that includes the use of technology to minimise checks at the Irish border, according to The Times. Diplomatic notes seen by the paper state: The biggest unsolved problem is Northern Ireland. There is a political mobilisation in the UK in this regard. Therefore, we are trying to clarify the EU position. A 999 operator has described a harrowing, 40-minute phone call with a Grenfell Tower victim, who gradually succumbed to smoke on the top floor. Aisha Jabin, a control room operator for the Warrington-based North West Fire Control, started taking calls from the block when the fire brigades London base was overwhelmed by demand. She took a phone call from a woman called Debbie, believed to be victim Deborah Lamprell, who had sought shelter in a 23rd floor flat with several panicked residents. Her body was recovered along with six others from Flat 201. (PA Graphics) In a written statement to the Grenfell Tower inquiry, Ms Jabin recalled in distressing detail her phone call with Ms Lamprell. The resident of the 16th floor was immediately screaming down the phone that she could not get out and said she was one of 11 people barricaded into the 23rd floor flat. By this point, 40 fire engines had been called to tackle the escalating inferno but residents were still being told to remain inside. She told me that they had barricaded themselves in as much as they could but she was completely distraught, the statement said. She told me that there was not much smoke in the flat but that it was starting to get hot. I told her the usual guidance get down low and as they had already barricaded themselves in I just tried to reassure her as much as I could. A commotion was audible in the background and Ms Lamprell said she was struggling to convince people to remain close to the ground. Aisha Jabin's witness statements have been added to today's hearing. https://t.co/wM7DFPtOa7 Grenfell Tower Inquiry (@grenfellinquiry) September 17, 2018 It became clear to Ms Jabin that the residents were in peril when she heard a loud crack as the flats windows shattered. Her heart sank as she realised firefighters were currently carrying out rescues on the third floor 20 levels below where Ms Lamprell was awaiting help. Ms Jabin told the resident to try to get everyone to flee, but the group now could not get past the barricade. Then the operator heard the sound of a baby crying and realised two children were also trapped. For a moment I froze, I was not sure what to do, the statement said. I am a mother and the thought of children being trapped and not able to breathe really affected me. I carried on talking to her, continued to try to reassure her, but Debbie said that the mother of the children had not been telling the children to keep low and therefore the children were suffering from smoke inhalation. Ms Lamprell too started to exhibit signs of smoke inhalation, coughing and telling the operator: I cant do this any more. She managed to say, Its too hot, its too smoky, the statement said. I kept calling her by her name and tried to reassure her. The call went from being really manic at the start and throughout most of it and then really, really quiet. Eventually all I could hear was heavy breathing and what sounded like moaning. Eventually Debbie stopped responding completely and I had lost her. Ms Jabin was advised to disconnect the line because there nothing more she could do. They had been on the phone for 40 minutes, according to a London Fire Brigade log. After hanging up, the operator saw images of the burning on TV and realised how severely the fire had spread. On reflection I am glad I had not seen it before because I am not sure I could have functioned properly. It would have been very difficult to detach myself from what was happening, she wrote. Ms Jabin left at 7am, having taken three calls relating to Grenfell Tower. As I drove home I could hear Debbies voice in my head and I cried a lot, her statement said. The radio in my car kept talking about it so I turned it off. I did not want to hear about it all. At that point I do not think the enormity of what had happened had sunk in. I still hoped she was OK. Her voice just kept repeating in my head, going round and round. As the conditions for her got worse she became more and more distressed. Thinking about that and hearing the baby in the background made it very, very tough and upsetting. British Home Secretary Sajid Javid has begun his visit to Pakistan, and said the eradication of corruption is a priority for both countries. He announced a new partnership between the two nations that would strive for justice and accountability. A warm welcome to Pakistan to British Home Secretary @sajidjavid. Thank you to PM @ImranKhanPTI and his team for their hospitality. pic.twitter.com/49WxOh5pBS Thomas Drew (@TomDrewUK) September 17, 2018 Mr Javid, a son of Pakistani immigrants, met Prime Minister Imran Khan and other Pakistani officials in Islamabad. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, meets Home Secretary Sajid Javid in Islamabad (Press Information Department/AP) Mr Javid told reporters later that no one can escape justice or act with impunity and called for a more concerted action to combat terror groups. He said after meeting law minister Farogh Nasim that they discussed security issues and mechanisms for bilateral prisoner transfers, as well as money laundering, trade and education. Mr Khans government has pledged corruption-free governance and has promised to return to Pakistan allegedly stolen public money that was spirited abroad. MP Tobias Ellwood had to be ordered to stop first aid efforts to save stabbed Pc Keith Palmer in the wake of the Westminster terror attack. The former soldier held back tears as he relived the desperate attempts to save the 48-year-olds life. Giving evidence to the inquests into the victims deaths at the Old Bailey on Monday, the ex-green jacket recalled using his military medical training to lead the first aid given to stricken Pc Palmer. Keith Palmer was stabbed to death in the attack (Met Police/PA) When an emergency doctor at the scene decided that the officer could not be saved, Mr Ellwood told him he would have to be ordered to stop giving help. I looked at him and said, youre going to have to tell me to stop. You must order me to stop. Youre going to have to make that decision. He said, sir, you have done your best. We do need to stop. The Tory MP for Bournemouth East told how he ignored fears of a second terror attack as he went to help. Mr Ellwood told the court: My brother was killed in a secondary attack in Bali (a 2002 terrorist bombing in Indonesia) so I was very aware of that. I was concerned about what would happen if things were to ratchet up, but my immediate concern was that we had somebody who was clearly badly bleeding and needed assistance. Westminster attacker Khalid Masood (Met Police/PA) During his rampage, attacker Khalid Masood, 52, killed Kurt Cochran, 54, Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Andreea Cristea, 31, when he ploughed an SUV into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing Pc Palmer to death at the gates to the Palace of Westminster. Scotland Yards deputy commissioner Sir Craig Mackey, who was then acting head of the force, was a passenger in a car yards away as Pc Palmer collapsed to the ground and Masood was shot three times by a plainclothes officer, the inquest heard. Mr Ellwood said he first became aware that something was wrong when he heard a significant crash followed by screams when the carnage unfolded on March 22 last year. These were not screams of pain, they were screams of shock, which is slightly different, he said. Mr Ellwood said he would have been behind Masood as he launched the attack if he had taken his usual route to Parliament. I know I would have stepped forward and I regret not having the opportunity to do so, he said. The defence minister then saw two waves of people with panic in their eyes as he made his way to Parliament through the underground passageway. They were shouting, go, go, go, go and, go back, go back, he said, before his attention was drawn to the area where Pc Palmer was attacked. My first observation was the number of armed officers that were pointing their weapons towards Carriage Gates, he said. I have never seen so many armed officers with their weapons out in the Houses of Parliament. Some, I think, were crouching in positions of protection, but all were aiming their weapons towards Carriage Gates. I could see there were two bodies lying in the ground and activity around both of them. The nearest one was clearly a police officer, with other officers attempting to give him support. Mr Ellwood said he stepped forward, making clear who he was to the armed officers, ignoring the risk to his own safety to help administer first aid. With no disrespect to those who were trying to give support to their fellow officer, I could see they could perhaps do with some assistance, he said. Tobias Ellwood became emotional as he gave evidence (Stefan Rousseau/PA) I said, Im medically trained, can I help? I recall one of them saying, tell us what to do. Immediately I started going through the drills to provide the necessary first aid support to the officer. The MP said Pc Palmer had lost a lot of blood and appeared pale, but had a pulse, although his wounds, particularly one underneath his left arm, were significant. He had lost a huge amount of blood and consequently that was going to be a significant feature, he said. Unfortunately, as is the case in these situations, eventually his heart stopped as did his breathing, and thats when I commenced CPR. Mr Ellwood said there was a sense of relief when paramedics in green uniforms got to the scene, while he felt the cavalry have arrived when he saw doctors from the helicopter ambulance. But he was told to continue performing CPR. Pausing and appearing to fight back tears, he recalled the dramatic events when doctors opened Pc Palmers chest as they desperately tried to save his life. He said: Forgive me, its sometimes easier to do the helping rather than to talk about it afterwards. He described the eerie silence at the Palace of Westminster as it stayed in lockdown in the aftermath of the carnage. Mr Ellwood and one other person were left with the officers body after he was declared dead at 3.15pm. He said: We both covered the body as best we could, closed the eyes and I said, Im sorry. It was very, very silent, it was a very strange end to a very traumatic four or five minutes, to suddenly be left completely alone with just one other person. A new search for a teenager murdered and secretly buried by the IRA has begun. Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore, Co Tyrone disappeared in November 1975. Excavators started digging in bogland across the Irish border in Co Monaghan on Monday morning. Four previous searches in the Bragan bog near Emyvale have not uncovered his remains. Columba McVeigh, a teenager who was murdered and secretly buried by the Provisional IRA over 40 years ago (Family/PA) He is one of three of the Disappeared victims of the Troubles whose bodies have still to be found. The teenagers brother Oliver McVeigh said the new search was hard for the family, given the number of unsuccessful digs. But he said they were cautiously optimistic. It is hard to get your hopes up, you just hope that something is found this time, he said. Jon Hill, senior investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (Rebecca Black/PA) We have been in this position four times before, we have learned not to expect too much too soon. But you never know, we are positive enough. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) is undertaking the new search. Four searches have been carried out since 1999 by the Garda and the ICLVR. The new search will focus on an area around one acre in size. ICLVR lead investigator Geoff Knupfer said they remain convinced that Mr McVeigh was buried at Bragan Bog. Over the last five years since the last unsuccessful search we have been working to refine the search area, he said. The search for the remains of Columba McVeigh (Rebecca Black/PA) That is what often has to be done when we are searching for a body that has been buried somewhere in a vast expanse of bog over 40 years ago. Thats what happened in the search for Brendan Megraw whose remains we found in October 2014 in Oristown Bog, Co Meath some 15 years after searching commenced. And we were close to the burial place of Seamus Ruddy in an earlier search before we recovered his remains in France in May last year. It is very sad that another year has passed and Vera McVeighs dying wish for her son Columba to be buried between her and his Dad has still not been achieved. Someone out there can assist. Please contact ICLVR on 0080055585500 or at PO Box 10827, Dublin 2 #ICLVR #WAVETrauma pic.twitter.com/mlCCE4zdFm WAVE Trauma Centre (@WAVETrauma) May 9, 2018 But close is not good enough. The fact that we are back on Bragan Bog for a fresh search does not mean that anyone who has information about where Columba is buried should assume that it is no longer relevant. Jon Hill, a senior investigator with the ICLVR who will take charge of the initial phase of the search, said they will do all in their power to find Mr McVeigh. We carried out a scoping exercise earlier in the year and are now concentrating on an area of around one acre in size, he said. Columba McVeigh is one of three of the 16 `Disappeared whose remains are yet to be recovered (Family/PA) While that is relatively small compared to some of the searches weve carried out in the past, each one presents its own challenges and so I dont want to put a definitive time frame on it. Obviously we hope that we have an early success but if thats not the case then well press on for as long as it takes. We have a dedicated and vastly experienced team of contractors and forensic archaeologists working on the search. We all know what this means to the McVeigh family and we will do everything in our power to bring this search to a successful conclusion. The remains of Columba McVeigh (left), Joe Lynskey (centre) and Robert Nairac (right) are yet to be recovered (Brian Lawless/PA) Three of the 16 classified as the Disappeared remain missing. They are Mr McVeigh as well as former monk Joe Lynskey and soldier Robert Nairac. Mr Knupfer has issued a fresh call for information which could lead to their remains being found. The ICLVR can be contacted by telephone: 00800-55585500 International: +353 1 602 8655. The cousin of a seven-year-old boy killed in a deliberate house fire has appealed for information, as the lead investigator described it as one of the most horrific crimes she has worked on. Joel Urhie died in his home on Adolphus Street in Deptford, south-east London, shortly before 3.30am on August 7, while his mother Iroroefe, 49, and 19-year-old sister Sarah escaped by jumping out of a first-floor window. Joels cousin, 18-year-old Tega Majoroh, paid tribute to the boy she saw as a little brother. Ms Majoroh called on anyone who has a heart and has any information about what happened to contact the police. Mrs Urhie is still in hospital (Family handout/PA) He was always happy, always smiling, she said of Joel. It was heartbreaking. You dont expect these things to happen to you. You read it in the paper, or you see it online somewhere and you just think oh its happened, but you dont think you would get a call, that someones going to tell you that its happening to someone you know, that close to you, she said. Ms Majoroh said Joels mother Iroroefe Urhie, who is still in hospital after being badly injured in her escape, is improving, but added: Physically and emotionally were all trying to just take it a day at a time. Asked what she would say to those responsible, Ms Majoroh said: Youve broken a family, you havent just taken a life youve taken something from a family and that person, he can never be replaced by anything. It just feels like a hole, a big hole. His absence is definitely felt all the time by everyone. School started and he wasnt there. Theyve hurt us. Theyve hurt us in a way that you wouldnt think imaginable. Joels cousin said the family now wanted answers (Family handout/PA) Ms Majoroh added: As someone whos lost a brother and for the sake of his mother and sister, we are appealing to anyone who has a heart and has any knowledge of what happened to call the police and give any information they have. She hopes the release of photos of Joel may help in encouraging someone to come forward. Just seeing him as a boy he was an innocent boy. He hasnt done anything to anybody to deserve what he got, she said. Detectives from the Metropolitan Polices Homicide and Major Crime Command have been working to establish the circumstances of the fire. Detective Inspector Alison Cole said: This is one of the most horrific crimes that Ive dealt with in 26 years. And a vulnerable seven-year-old has died in the most horrific circumstances. The family and the local community are devastated, and I personally dont know how a family can deal with this, let alone get over this. She added: I think when an innocent young victim such as Joel dies in such circumstances I think its just heartfelt, not only for me and the rest of the investigation team, but for the community and the wider community. Police and forensics officers at the scene of the fire (PA) It has such a devastating impact on everybody, whether they knew Joel or not. Asked about lines of inquiry, Ms Cole said: Were keeping a very open mind on the motive. We dont know or cant say what the motive is for this, so we are keeping an open mind and following all lines of inquiry. All we know is that that fire was started deliberately neat to the front of the house, and Joel very sadly lost his life. Ms Cole added: Im sure there are people that do know something about whats happened, and Im sure there has been some speculation since. We need any little pieces of information we can. There is a fear of people talking to police but Id ask then to dig very deep in their conscious to come forward and speak to us about any information they have. Sources have said one line of inquiry was the attack was gang-related amid reports Joels older brother Sam may have been the target. The ground floor of Joel Urhies family home (Metropolitan Police/PA) Joels mother Iroroefe said: Joel was the sweetest most caring little boy you could ever meet. He was so intelligent and always curious to learn new things. He never complained about anything. Joel always wanted people around him, that was why we used to go to the park a lot so that he could make new friends. His smile and laugh would light up a room and he was so full of life and energy. A spokesman from Joels school, Tidemill Academy, where he was due to start Year Three this September, said: The pain and suffering that his family are going through now is unimaginable, and I would urge anyone in the community who knows anything at all about what happened, to get in touch with the investigation team. On August 11, Scotland Yard said two men, aged 21 and 29, were arrested at residential addresses in south London on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. They have been released under investigation. Police said a post-mortem found the cause of Joels death was consistent with fire and smoke inhalation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the dedicated incident room on 020 8345 3715 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The woman accusing Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trumps pick for the Supreme Court, of sexually assaulting her is willing to tell her story in public to a Senate panel, her lawyer said. Mr Kavanaugh had been on a smooth confirmation track, but the new allegations have distracted from that process. Republican senators have expressed concern over a womans private-turned-public allegation that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers. Brett Kavanaugh denies the claims published in the Washington Post (Alex Brandon/AP) Kavanaugh accuser willing to testify, her lawyer says; White Houses Kellyanne Conway says, She should be heard https://t.co/AsHZFiujfd John Wagner (@WPJohnWagner) September 17, 2018 Debra S Katz, the lawyer for the woman, Christine Blasey Ford, said her client considered the incident to be an attempted rape. She believes that if were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped, Ms Katz told NBC. Mr Kavanaugh has categorically and unequivocally denied the allegations, a statement the White House repeated on Monday. This has not changed, said White House spokesman Kerri Kupec. Judge Kavanaugh and the White House both stand by that statement. In morning television interviews, Ms Katz said her client was willing to tell her story in public to the Senate Judiciary Committee, although no politicians or their aides had yet contacted her. Ms Katz also denied that Ms Ford, a Democrat, is politically motivated. No one in their right mind regardless of their motives would want to inject themselves into this process and face the kind of violation that she will be subjected to by those who want this nominee to go though. She was quite reluctant to come forward. Initially the sexual misconduct allegation was conveyed in a private letter, without revealing Ms Fords name. With a name and disturbing details, the accusation raised the prospect of congressional Republicans defending President Donald Trumps nominee ahead of midterm elections featuring an unprecedented number of female candidates and informed in part by the #MeToo movement. The GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee appeared committed to a vote later this week, despite Ms Fords account in The Washington Post. Mr Kavanaugh, she told the Post, pinned her to a bed at a Maryland party in the early 1980s, clumsily tried to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Mr Kavanaugh attended a private school for boys in Maryland while Ms Ford attended a nearby school. Through the White House, Mr Kavanaugh, 53, a federal appeals judge in Washington, said: I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time. Russian President Vladimir Putin says a demilitarised zone to separate Syrian forces and rebels in the Idlib region will be established by October 15. Mr Putin made the announcement after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said the zone will be patrolled both by Turkish forces and Russian military police. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) Idlib is the last bastion of Syrias rebels and concern has been high that a government assault on the city and its surroundings would be catastrophic for civilians. Turkey has opposed such an assault. Mr Putin said that the zone would be between nine and 12 miles wide between the two factions. The missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia, officials in Moscow say. The passenger jet was shot down by a Soviet-made missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board. The Netherlands and Australia announced in May that they believe the missile was transported to Ukraine from a military unit in the Russian city of Kursk. Lt Gen Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defence Ministry (Kirill Zykov/Moscow News Agency/AP) Russia has vehemently denied involvement and has over the years come up with various theories as to the cause of the crash. Lt Gen Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defence Ministry, told reporters on Monday that the military had studied and declassified archives at the research centre outside Moscow that produced the Buk missiles after the Dutch investigators displayed parts of the missile and their serial numbers. Lt Gen Parshin said the Russian archives show that the missile that was made of these parts was transported to a military unit in western Ukraine in 1986, and to Russias knowledge never left Ukraine. Asked about the possibility that the separatists may have seized the missile system during fighting in 2014, Defence Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov conceded that Russia does not have any documents proving otherwise, but pointed to the statements of Ukrainian officials who have denied that separatists seized any of their Buks. The body that represents Scotlands most senior police officers has hit out at watchdogs over the lengthy and damaging investigations into allegations of misconduct. The Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association (SCPOSA) which represents Police Scotlands chief constable, as well as assistant and deputy chief constables has questioned the time it takes the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) to conclude inquiries. In a submission to MSPs on Holyroods Justice Committee SCPOSA complained that disproportionate, lengthy and damaging enquiries appear to be undertaken with no route of challenge existing. The process for investigating allegations against senior officers was set out in the legislation which created Police Scotland as a national force, replacing eight regional bodies. But SCPOSA claimed the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 has inherent flaws which have not been addressed, despite concerns being raised with both the Scottish Government and the SPA. And with the committee now examining the impact of the legislation, it has called for a review of the accountability of both the SPA and the Pirc. Former Police Scotland chief constable Phil Gormley. (Jane Barlow/PA) It comes after former chief constable Phil Gormley quit the post in February some five months after he had been placed on special leave amid investigations into claims of gross misconduct. SCPOSA said Mr Gormley had resigned before the resolution of the allegations against him despite enquiries having been ongoing for many months. SCPOSA stressed it unequivocally recognises the need for a fair, proportionate, transparent and robust system to deal with matters of complaint, misconduct and allegations of criminality in relation to senior officers. But the organisation, which is chaired by Assistance Chief Constable Bernard Higgins also said it strongly defends the rights of senior officers to be dealt with timeously, sensitively and with a recognition of the high profile and relatively vulnerable position which they hold in the policing of Scotland. Mr Higgins had been suspended in November 2017 after allegations of misconduct were made against him which he denies. He returned to work in March, as investigations continued. SCPOSA said in the five years since the Act had come into force it had become increasingly concerned regarding the length of time taken by both the SPA and PIRC to complete what have been seen as relatively straightforward enquiries or assessments. It stated: In many of these cases months have passed with no apparent progress and indeed no explanation of why no progress has been made. It insisted the Scottish Government could not have intended such delays when it drew up the legislation, and could not have envisaged the damage these lengthy enquiries would cause to the reputations of Police Scotland and officers being investigated. The submission continued: Whilst it is accepted that enquiries into allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the most senior police officers in Scotland will always cause a significant amount of public and press interest the level of intrusion currently being encountered could not have been anticipated at the inception of the new arrangements. In a number of instances the Association and indeed individual officers have only become aware of investigations into their conduct when articles have appeared in the media. Whilst it is unclear where such information has originated it is clear that it does significant damage to the officers reputations and also to any concept of fairness of enquiries into the matters. It added: The Scottish Government and indeed the people of Scotland rightly expect the highest standards from senior police officers who carry significant responsibilities and pressure. In return, the senior officers should surely be entitled to expect that when complaints are received, they are dealt with in a manner which protects their personal and professional reputations for the future. In a number of instances this has not been the case. A spokesperson for the Pirc said: During a concentrated six month period between July 2017 and January 2018, we received numerous allegations of varying degrees of complexity, about senior officers. Some of those allegations related to potential criminality but most were allegations of misconduct. All were investigated timeously and the evidence thoroughly explored impartially. This required PIRC investigators to obtain 201 witness statements and seize several boxes of evidence. At the conclusion of that process, we submitted reports to the Scottish Police Authority, which holds responsibility for determining the outcome of senior officer misconduct matters, and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), for consideration of any criminality. During this period we were dealing with a number of other competing priorities, some of which involved deaths following police contact and other criminal investigations about police officers. This clearly stretched our limited resources and the resulting pressure was recognised by the Scottish Government earlier this year, when it provided a budgetary uplift, enabling us to increase our pool of investigators. An SPA spokeswoman said: The Authoritys own submission to the Justice Committee raised the need for a wider review and improvement of the system of complaints and conduct relating to senior police officers. An independent review is now underway and SPA looks forward to contributing further to both that and the Justice Committee work in the coming weeks. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has again denied a womans allegation that he sexually assaulted her at a party three decades ago. The White House released a new statement from the nominee in which he calls the claim completely false. Mr Kavanaugh says he never did what the accuser describes to her or anyone. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (Alex Brandon/AP) The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, came forward on Sunday in an interview with The Washington Post to say a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers. Mr Kavanaugh says in the statement he had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself. Mr Kavanaugh had been on a smooth confirmation track, but the new allegations have disturbed that process. Later, all 10 Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats said they want the panels Republican chairman to postpone this weeks planned committee vote on Mr Kavanaughs nomination. The Democrats have written to Iowa Sen Charles Grassley saying delaying Thursdays hearing would give the FBI time to investigate. The letter says there are serious questions about Mr Kavanaughs record, truthfulness and character. The White House and Mr Kavanaugh deny any assault took place. Mr Grassley has not indicated he would delay the committee vote. President Trumps eldest son appeared to mock the sexual assault allegations. Donald Trump Jr posted an image on Instagram, with the caption Judge Kavanaugh sexual assault letter found by Dems The photo attached shows a crumpled-up piece of notebook paper with a scribbled message: Hi Cindy will you be my girlfriend, Love Bret. The note has boxes to check for yes or no and seems to compares Mr Kavanaughs accuser to a school yard crush. Mr Trump Jr also liked a tweet from conservative actor James Woods that compared the accusation to a #MeToo lynching. Jaguar Land Rover has announced a cut in production due to continuing headwinds affecting the car industry, hours after its chief executive was accused of fabricating warnings about potential hard Brexit job losses. The automotive giant said it was making temporary adjustments at its Castle Bromwich site in Birmingham, with the areas MP saying staff had been placed on a three-day week until Christmas. The move came hours after former shadow minister Sir Bernard Jenkin accused Professor Dr Ralf Speth of scaremongering over a prediction that crashing out of the EU would have a horrifying effect on the leading automotive firms business. Prof Speth had told the UKs first Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham last week attended by the Prime Minister that a hard Brexit could result in the worst of times for the UK while the cost to Jaguar Land Rover would be more than 1.2 billion a year. What? The man, Ralf Speth who has transformed @JLR_News into a world-class success story, doubling the company in size to over 40,000, is making it up, according to @bernardjenkin on #Brexit? The irrational zeal of the #Brexiteers is breathtaking! @BBCr4today https://t.co/KE9HGWehis Jack Dromey MP (@JackDromeyMP) September 17, 2018 Asked his view on the German businessmans warning on Monday, Sir Bernard, a member of the Eurosceptic European Research Group, told BBC Radio 4s Today: Im afraid I think hes making it up. Weve had figures made up all the time by the scaremongers in this debate and Im afraid nobody believes them. The comments sparked criticism from Labour and from within the Harwich and North Essex MPs own party. In a tweet, Labours Jack Dromey said that Castle Bromwich, which is in his Birmingham Erdington constituency, was moving onto a three-day week until Christmas due to a combination of Brexit chaos and the mishandling by ministers of the transition from diesel. He described Prof Speth as the man who has transformed (Jaguar Land Rover) into a world-class success story, doubling the company in size to over 40,000, adding: The irrational zeal of the #Brexiteers is breathtaking! Embarrassing. The Conservative Party is the party of business. Im backing Raif Speth & all the other business leaders & trade unions who are being honest about the disaster of a #NoDeal hard #Brexit & are increasingly backing @peoplesvote_uk https://t.co/N67nF34whf Anna Soubry (@Anna_Soubry) September 17, 2018 The warning by Prof Speth who has worked in the car industry for more than 30 years followed similar warnings from other industry bosses, including Airbus and BMW, about the potentially damaging consequences of Britains decision to leave the EU. Sir Bernards comments were described as embarrassing by pro-Remain Tory MP Anna Soubry. She said on Twitter: The Conservative Party is the party of business. Im backing Raif (sic) Speth & all the other business leaders & trade unions who are being honest about the disaster of a #NoDeal hard #Brexit & are increasingly backing @peoplesvote_uk. Ralf Speth, chief executive officer of Jaguar Land Rover, had warned about the impact of a hard Brexit (Chris Ratcliffe/PA) Jaguar Land Rover declined to comment on sir Bernards comments. In a statement regarding Castle Bromwich, it said: As is standard business practice, Jaguar Land Rover regularly reviews its production schedules to ensure market demand is balanced globally. In light of the continuing headwinds impacting the car industry, we are making some temporary adjustments to our production schedules at Castle Bromwich. We are, however, continuing to over-proportionally invest in new products and technologies, and are committed to our UK plants, in which we have invested more than 4 billion since 2010 to future proof manufacturing technologies to deliver new models. Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: This is the continuing effect of the chaotic mismanagement of the Brexit negotiations by the Government which has created uncertainty across the UKs automotive industry and the manufacturing sector generally. It is also the result of the mishandling of how the UK makes a just transition from diesel and combustion engines to electric vehicles. Both issues have damaged the jewel in the crown of UK manufacturing our automotive industry. The situation is not helped when you have arch-Brexiteer MP Sir Bernard Jenkin accusing Ralf Speth of making it up when it comes to Brexit and the car industry. Jenkins comments are highly irresponsible and misinformed when future employment is at stake and are entering into the world of fantasy economics. The Government has rejected a watchdogs call for an urgent inquiry to establish how one of Britains largest jails slipped into crisis. Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said there could be little hope of improvement until there has been an independent assessment of the failings at HMP Birmingham last month. However, the step was ruled out on Monday by Justice Secretary David Gauke as he published details of his departments plans to improve standards at the prison. In a letter to Mr Clarke, Mr Gauke wrote: I strongly believe that we already understand what happened at HMP Birmingham. Through your assessment of the prison and that of the Independent Monitoring Board, as well as our own investigation following the serious disturbance in December 2016, we have gained significant insight. The prison system in England and Wales came under intense scrutiny a month ago when the Chief Inspector raised the alarm over appalling squalor and violence at HMP Birmingham. His report warned staff were fearful and unsafe while violent prisoners could act with near impunity and blatant use of illegal substances went largely unchallenged amid a looming lack of control. Mr Clarke triggered the urgent notification scheme, which requires the Government to respond after an inspection identifies serious concerns at a prison. As his findings were revealed, the MoJ confirmed it had taken over running of the jail from G4S for at least six months. HMP Birmingham was the scene of serious disorder two years ago (Joe Giddens/PA) As part of the unprecedented step in, a public-sector governor was placed in charge of the prison. Publishing an action plan drawn up in response to Mr Clarkes urgent notification, the MoJ said a 300-person reduction in HMP Birminghams population is two-thirds complete and expected to be finished by the end of this month. In other measures, 32 additional officers have been drafted in, safety teams are working to reduce self-harm and violence and cell refurbishments are ongoing. Mr Gauke said: We acted decisively at HMP Birmingham by taking it over from G4S, just as we are addressing issues in the wider estate by investing heavily in more staff and measures to improve safety and security. This plan sets out in more detail exactly what we are doing to establish an effective regime, restore safety and decent living conditions, and allow staff to focus on rehabilitating offenders. Built in 1849, HMP Birmingham is a category B facility for adult male inmates. It was the scene of a major riot in 2016. With Boris Johnson warning that the Government is heading for a car crash Brexit unless it ditches Theresa Mays Chequers plans, what are the possible outcomes from the EU withdrawal process? THE CHEQUERS OPTION Agreed by the Cabinet then including Mr Johnson in June, Theresa Mays blueprint would see the UK remain in a free trade area with the EU for goods but not services. Prime Minister Theresa May and Boris Johnson have quite different Brexit views (Leon Neal/PA) UK customs officers would charge different tariffs at the borders for goods bound for the domestic or European markets. An independent arbitration panel would rule on disputes between the two sides and would be able to refer matters of interpretation of EU law to the European Court of Justice. After the formal date of Brexit on March 29 2019, the UK would have a 21-month implementation period to prepare for new arrangements coming into place at the end of December 2020. During this time, it would be able to negotiate new free trade agreements with non-EU states. Who supports it? Theresa May and a majority of Conservative MPs. Who opposes it? EU negotiator Michel Barnier has said provisions on goods are unworkable, but may be ready to consider further compromise. Conservative hard Brexiteers denounce it as unacceptable, arguing that a common rulebook on goods would make Britain a vassal state. THE FREE TRADE OPTION Britain would leave the EU single market and customs union and sign up to a free trade agreement similar to that enjoyed by Canada, which covers much trade in goods and some services. New technology and trusted trader schemes would be used to keep the border open between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Who supports it? The eurosceptic European Research Group, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg and claiming the support of 60 or more Tory backbenchers, has given backing to this option often referred to as Canada-plus which is also Mr Johnsons preferred outcome. Who opposes it? The Government argues that a simple free trade deal could disrupt existing trade links with the EU. Business groups have voiced fears about maintaining complex supply chains stretching across the continent. THE NO-DEAL OPTION Britain would leave the EU on March 29 2019 without a withdrawal deal covering expats rights, the Irish border and the divorce bill and without agreement on future trade links. The UK would trade on World Trade Organisation terms, which could involve the introduction of tariffs on many goods. Some Brexiteers believe that Britain would no longer be obliged to pay its 40 billion financial settlement, though the EU could take legal action to enforce it. Who supports it? Many committed Brexiteers, ranging from Mr Rees-Mogg and Mr Johnson to Ukip leader Gerard Batten, believe Britain has nothing to fear from a no-deal scenario. Theresa May has always insisted that no deal is better than a bad deal but is not thought to relish the option. Who opposes it? Chancellor Philip Hammond warns no-deal could set back progress on repairing the nations finances by 10 years, while the IMF says it would inflict substantial costs on the UK economy. THE LABOUR OPTION Labour wants Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit, to ensure tariff-free access and frictionless trade with the remaining 27 members and to seek full access to the EU internal market an objective in Brexit negotiations. Who supports it? Labours leadership, including Mr Corbyn and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, along with most of the partys MPs. THE PEOPLES VOTE OPTION Offering voters a second referendum on whatever deal Mrs May reaches or on the possibility of no deal with the option to remain in the EU. Campaigners insist that this would not be a straight re-run of the 2016 referendum, but a peoples vote in which voters would have the chance to pass their judgment in the light of all the new information which has emerged. Who supports it? This is the official policy of the Liberal Democrats and Jeremy Corbyn is coming under increasing pressure to give Labours blessing to a vote. Prominent figures in the Labour movement, including London mayor Sadiq Khan and the GMBs general secretary Tim Roache, have voiced their support. TUC general secretary Frances OGrady says she will throw her weight behind a new vote if the proposed deal is bad for workers. Who opposes it? Mrs May insists there will be no second vote, and the idea of a new referendum is dismissed by the vast majority on the Leave side, who insist that David Cameron made clear the 2016 ballot was a once-in-a-lifetime event. The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she felt shock and sympathy for Grenfell residents as she launched her first solo project, a charity cookbook by the towers community chefs. Meghan has written the foreword to Together, a collection of global dishes by women from the Grenfell community and others, which aims to raise funds to expand their culinary work at the Al-Manaar mosque. The idea for the book came from the duchess in January, during the first of a number of private visits to the Hubb Community Kitchen where, in the aftermath of the devastating blaze, women came to prepare food for friends and families or socialise. During that initial visit Meghan was given an apron and prepared food with the other women who have a range of backgrounds from Russia and Tanzania to Syria and Bangladesh. In her foreword the duchess writes: In 2017, I had watched the Grenfell Tower tragedy unfold on the news; I was in Canada at the time, sharing the global sentiment of shock and sympathy for what this community was enduring, while also deeply wanting to help. Fast-forward seven months, and I was set to meet some of the women affected by the fire, at a community kitchen in Al-Manaar. Meghan added: An apron was quickly wrapped around me, I pushed up my sleeves, and I found myself washing the rice for lunch. The duchess is pictured on the front and back covers of the book, on sale on Thursday, dishing out meals or helping to carry food at the kitchen based in North Kensington. Meghan at work in the kitchen (Kensington Palace/PA) In her foreword Meghan writes about the importance of food in her life, from the classic American soul food staples of collard greens, black-eyed peas and cornbread, a favourite on New Years Day, to her mothers gumbo, and how the Southern Californian girl in me always craved fish tacos. First opened in September last year the Hubb, which means love in Arabic, welcomes cooks on Tuesdays and Thursdays but organisers hope it will become a seven-day operation if the cookbook raises 250,000 from sales of 50,000. Zahira Ghaswala, the kitchens coordinator who hosted Meghans first visit to the centre, said about that trip: She just got stuck in straight away, next minute I realised there was an apron put on her and she was washing rice. Meghan serves up food (Kensington Palace/PA) It was just all natural. She added: During the duchess first visit she questioned me and said how many days do you offer this service? and I said two days a week, due to funding. The Duchess of Sussex is supporting a new charity cookbook, 'Together: Our Community Cookbook', which celebrates the power of cooking to bring communities together. #CookTogether pic.twitter.com/XEclxgQjR4 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) September 17, 2018 Then it led to her trying some food, we had a meal together and after she was very fascinated with all the flavours and cultures and the dishes, and she said we can do a cookbook. We didnt think it would move this fast, next minute we were swapping, sharing, tasting recipes. Meghan helped put the community cooks in touch with a publisher and her Royal Foundation provided assistance with legal and administrative issues. Dinner is served (Kensington Palace/PA) Even the images of the dishes in the cookbook were shot at Kensington Palace, after professional cooks prepared the meals like spiced potato kibbeh popular in Iraq, Russian semolina cake and Algerian sweet lamb in an apartment kitchen. On Thursday when the book goes on sale in shops Meghan will stage a launch event at the palace, attended by husband Harry and some of the all-women cooks who provided family recipes for the project. Together: Our Community Cookbook is published by Ebury Press, priced 9.99. Theresa May is showing scant regard for Ireland in Brexit plans, Sinn Fein has claimed. Party vice-president Michelle ONeill said the backstop should be enhanced to include rights protections. Meanwhile, DUP MEP Diane Dodds said the EU should clarify its plans. Sinn Fein deputy vice-president Michelle ONeill said Theresa May had "scant regard" for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations. Stefan Rousseau/PA. Mrs ONeill said: Theresa Mays focus remains on the civil war in her own party instead of focusing on negotiations with the EU. More than 18 months into these negotiations and with time running out, Theresa May still shows scant regard for Ireland, for rights, our economy or our agreements. The Taoiseach said a few months ago that citizens in the North would never be left behind again. The Irish Government, as an EU member state which is party to this negotiation, has to stand firm on the backstop agreed between the British Government and the EU last December as this is the only insurance policy the people of the North can reply upon. Mrs Dodds said it was unclear whether the proposals represented a serious departure from the EUs dogmatic stance or whether they were simply intended to dress up existing elements of its plan. She added: It is imperative that Brussels negotiators move to clarify their position as soon as possible. The DUP remains firmly opposed to the core tenet of the original plan published by Michel Barnier which would see Northern Ireland remain tied to EU rules and cut adrift from the rest of the United Kingdom post-Brexit. We will not countenance anything which affects the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the Union, creates barriers to and within the UK internal market or erects barriers in customs or regulation. She said at every stage the DUP had made this clear to the Prime Minister and Mr Barnier. The job of finding a workable, practical and mutual solution remains incomplete. She said suggestions the EU was considering technology-based solutions were a positive, if belated, development. However, this will become null and void if based only on the EU goal of ensuring Northern Ireland remains in a common regulatory and customs areas inside the EU. Equally, we are unconvinced by political and economic arguments which suggest that a technological border in the Irish Sea is more deliverable than on the land border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. A memorial to the role of the Polish Air Force during the Second World War is due to be unveiled in Northern Ireland in November. Campaigners want to raise the remaining 2,700 to ensure the project goes ahead in Newtownards in Co Down. Experienced and battle-hardened Polish airmen fought in the pivotal Battle of Britain, including No. 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron which was later stationed at Ballyhalbert RAF base, a short distance from Newtownards. A wreath at the graves of seven Polish airmen, killed during the Second World War, at Milltown Cemetery, West Belfast, as campaigners announce a bid to create a new memorial. Brian Lawless/PA. A message on crowdfunding website Just Giving said: We are campaigning to raise funding that would allow us to finalise the Polish Air Force Memorial project & support the replacement of Warrant Officer Stanislaw Grondowskis crash memorial on Plantation Road in Lisburn. Our hope is that the Polish Air Force memorial can be unveiled on November 17 2018. To celebrate the 100 years of Polish Independence and the Royal Air Force and the Polish Air Force Centenaries, For Your Freedom & Ours reached out to a number of organisations and partners with an idea of unveiling the Polish Air Force Memorial. Please support a good cause and help us to raise funding for Polish Air Force Memorial project & replacement of Warrant Officer Stanislaw Grondowski's crash memorial on Plantation Road in Lisburn. https://t.co/xVWwJgfTqD #BattleofBritain #RAF100 #PL100 #PolesInUK #BoBPoles #FYFO pic.twitter.com/VYa3loEG24 WWIIPolesNI (@WWIIPolesNI) September 16, 2018 The monument is dedicated to the memory of the Polish airmen who lost their lives in the Battle of Britain and other theatres of the Second World War. It is also in remembrance of the No 303 and No 315 Polish Fighter Squadrons that were stationed at RAF Ballyhalbert and all the members of the Polish Forces buried in Northern Ireland. Ards and North Down Borough Council have agreed to help a planning application and cover the planning fee. The extra funding will be used to support the costs of the stonemasonry and the replacement of officer Grondowskis crash memorial. The airman flew a Spitfire and was based in Ballyhalbert. He crashed in Lisburn during a training flight in September 1943. A small memorial on Plantation Road in Lisburn has been there for over 30 years and needs to be replaced. Two of the Polish squadrons were stationed at RAF Ballyhalbert airfield, in a fighter defence role, from July until November 1943 and from November 1943 until the end of April 1944, tasked with patrolling the coastline searching for German U-Boats. Polish airmen also served in conventional RAF squadrons that were based in Northern Ireland. Fifteen Polish airmen stationed in Northern Ireland were killed during active service. A convicted former UBS trader has launched a last-ditch legal attempt to halt his deportation to Ghana. Lawyers for Kweku Adoboli who was jailed for seven years in 2012 for two counts of fraud that resulted in 1.4 billion in losses have lodged a judicial review and injunction against deportation amid fears that his removal is hours away. It is being argued on the grounds of public interest. His lawyers say Mr Adoboli, 38, has been teaching at several universities and working with an initiative promoting responsible leadership since his release from prison in June 2015, and also that he left Ghana at the age of four, has lived in the UK since the age of 12 and it is where his family is based. Caroline Nokes said the UK public `expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality (Victoria Jones/PA) Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said in a letter that all foreign nationals sentenced to more than four years are subject to automatic deportation unless there are compelling reasons for them to remain. It is believed that Mr Adoboli, who was released after serving half his sentence, is due to be deported on Tuesday evening. A group of 132 MPs and MSPs have written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to intervene. The decision to deport Mr Adoboli has been upheld at several stages by the courts but his lawyers say they will make an application to review on an oral basis on Tuesday if the judicial review or the injunction are refused. Kweku Adoboli has lived in Britain since the age of 12 (Lewis Whyld/PA) His legal team said in a statement: The new judicial review and the injunction to halt Kwekus deportation were lodged shortly after 2pm today. Both focus on the key issue of public interest, in that Kweku Adoboli has done much to contribute to UK society since leaving custody in June 2015, and it is very much in the publics interest that he continue with his work, be it inspiring students, or working to effect systemic change in the financial services industry. Given that his white collar offence was demonstrably non-violent, he is unable to reoffend without a banking licence and obviously represents no threat to the public of any kind. The logical conclusion is that it cannot be in the public interest to deport him. Even if Kweku is a foreign national on paper, sending a 38-year-old man to a country where he has not lived since the age of four is absurd, given that he has lived in Britain since the age of 12 and the UK is where his friends and partner live and where his family life is based. It is unquestionably his home. Kweku Adoboli may have been born elsewhere, but he was forged in Britain. A Home Office spokesman said: All foreign nationals who are given a custodial sentence will be considered for removal. Foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them and we have removed more than 44,500 foreign offenders since 2010. Mr Adoboli was detained during a fortnightly check-in at Livingston Police Station, West Lothian, on September 3 and taken to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in South Lanarkshire. In her letter Ms Nokes wrote: Financial crime, like all crime, has an impact on the society that we live in and the public expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crime. Police are set to ramp up stop and search activity as part of a nationwide blitz on knife crime. All forces in England and Wales are taking part in the week-long crackdown codenamed Operation Sceptre. From Tuesday, officers will increase their use of stop-and-search powers, carry out weapons sweeps and target habitual blade carriers. Knife crime has been under the spotlight after a spate of fatal stabbings in 2018. The crackdown comes after a series of stabbings (Peter Byrne/PA) Official statistics released in July showed police in England and Wales recorded 40,147 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year ending March 2018, a 16% increase compared with the previous 12 months. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Duncan Ball, National Police Chiefs Council lead for knife crime, said: We are deeply concerned about continuing rises in knife crime and the number of young lives that have been lost to stabbings. Policing has a pivotal role in galvanising communities and local agencies to come together to prevent knife crime. Police forces are targeting hotspots and using their powers of stop and search to tackle knife crime. Over 4,000 weapons were seized in the last Operation Sceptre and we expect to get many more off the streets in the coming week. He added: The causes and drivers are complex. Early intervention to steer young people away from crime and putting in place measures to tackle the root causes is absolutely crucial. Police are launching a crackdown on knife crime (Joe Giddens/PA) Concern over serious violence has prompted scrutiny of a reduction in stop and search activity. In the year to March 2017, police in England and Wales carried out 303,845 stops and searches, the lowest number since current data records started in 2001/02. The tactics have attracted controversy amid criticism they have unfairly focused on black and minority ethnic individuals. Reforms were introduced in 2014 by then home secretary Theresa May to ensure the powers are used in a more targeted way. Current Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who backed a boost in the use of stop and search weeks after his appointment, said: Knife crime has devastating consequences for victims, families and communities and I am determined to do everything I can to break this deadly cycle. I fully support Operation Sceptre which is a key element of our efforts to tackle knife crime. The remote Bragan Bog is not typically a hive of activity. The lonely spot just a couple of miles across the border in Co Monaghan is usually the preserve of farmers but on Monday it witnessed a steady stream of activity, from diggers pulling up peat, to journalists from across Ireland navigating the tricky terrain. This desolate landscape is believed to have witnessed the final moments of Co Tyrone teenager Columba McVeighs life after he was abducted from Dublin by the IRA. Senior investigator Jon Hill at the site of the dig (Rebecca Black/PA) The 19-year-old had just three weeks previously started a new life in the Irish capital. On November 1, 1975 he was transported back up north, but instead of arriving to the warmth of his mothers house in Donaghmore and embrace of his family, he was taken by terrorists to the cold, brutal landscape of Bragan bog where it is believed he was murdered and secretly buried. Only his killers will know whether the teenager was aware he had been travelling north and latterly on a cross-border road before ending up on a narrow country road, and then a long bumpy lane way up a steep hill to the bog. Some 43 years have passed, there have been multiple pleas for information about where he is buried. Since 1999, there have been four attempts to find him but both his parents died without finding their son. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (INLVR) is now trying again, having narrowed down the area to section of around an acre of bogland to try and find the teenagers remains. Senior investigator Jon Hill is a veteran of this type of search, having been involved with previous searches for the 16 men and women who were disappeared during Northern Irelands Troubles. All but three of them have now been found. Some by chance and a number by the commission. Mr Hill has the expertise of archaeologists on site but said this type of search is much more challenging than looking for antiquities. You either find them or you dont, he explained, rather than the usual archaeological practise of being able to narrow down which level of earth what they are looking for will be in. He said an item of clothing is the first thing they find, and then a great deal of checking is carried out before they can have any certainty over what they have found. We are met here with very challenging ground surface and the searches that have taken place mean that a lot of material has been moved around, so everything is stacked against it, but we have been in this position before and we have had success in this position before, Mr Hill said. We will search for as long as we need to search. It may well be that the weather will stop us from concluding this year and we may have to come back next year, but it is still worthy of searching and that is what we will do. A fleet of classic E-type Jaguar cars have set off on a 4,000-mile drive to raise funds for a cancer charity. They left from Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, for the 19-day 2018 Round Britain Coastal Drive in support of Prostate Cancer UK. Organisers hope this years tour around the British mainland will add 70,000 to the 150,000 raised in the events first two years. Don Wales (right) and Jaguar driver Philip Porter hold a scarf in support of Prostate Cancer UK charity over the E-Type Jaguar that was used in the film The Italian Job (Ben Birchall/PA) The Pendine Sands starting point is where Don Wales set the UK speed record for an electric car in 2000 at 137mph and the world speed record for a ride-on lawnmower in 2010 at 87.8mph. Mr Wales, who is grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell and nephew of Donald Campbell, two of Britains greatest land and water speed record-holders, said: I am delighted to be part of this fabulous event and honoured to be flagging-off the entrants from Pendine Sands, where my grandfather set his first world land speed record. Classic E-Type Jaguars are waved off the beach at Pendine Sands by Don Wales (Ben Birchall/PA) A driver checks his car as dozens of E-Types line up for the off (Ben Birchall/PA) I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and have now been successfully treated. We need to get more men talking about this horrible disease. Events like this are vital as they help to raise awareness and valuable funds to stop prostate cancer being a killer. From Pendine, the charity drive will go as far north as John OGroats and as far south as Lands End, before finishing in the town of Tenby, on the opposite side of Carmarthen Bay to Pendine on October 5. Government steps to hand more powers to civil servants in Northern Ireland must not undermine their impartiality, the head of the civil service has warned. David Sterling, who has been running the regions public services since powersharing imploded more than 600 days ago, said he welcomed moves to clarify decision-making powers. Civil servants have been hamstrung in their efforts to keep departments running by their inability to take significant policy decisions. A recent High Court judgment quashing a planning decision by a senior civil certain further reinforced their precarious position in the absence of elected ministers. With Northern Ireland in a limbo between devolved governance and direct Westminster rule, Secretary of State Karen Bradley has pledged to bring forward legislation that will enhance civil servants ability to take decisions. Mr Sterling welcomed Mrs Bradleys initiative but he made clear it could not be viewed as a substitute for elected ministers. Addressing a Brexit-themed event in Brussels, Mr Sterling said: As civil servants we have been doing what we can over the past 18 months to manage the most pressing issues. But we are relatively powerless to deal with the most difficult problems. Only ministers can decide what are the best strategies and policies to make a difference, only ministers can set priorities for action, and only ministers can choose how best to allocate the scarce resources, especially financial resources, available to us. So, we need our executive back quickly to give us the direction we need to make Northern Ireland a better place to live and work for all our citizens. This is even more pressing following a Court of Appeal judgment at the start of July which has further reduced the scope for decision-making by civil servants. David Sterling said it was vital that civil servants impartiality was protected (Nick Ansell/PA) Mr Sterling added: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, recently announced her intention to take forward legislation through Westminster to give greater clarity and certainty to decisions takes by the Northern Ireland Civil Service. We welcome greater clarity about our role, but I want to be very clear on this we can never be a substitute for democratically elected and accountable ministers. Great care will need to be taken so that any new arrangements which may be put in place, no matter how temporary, do not compromise the impartiality of the civil service. We cannot afford to have our integrity called into question when we are called to serve a new executive. Irelands Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, met the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, in Dublin on Monday to discuss the lack of a functioning executive in Stormont. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Coveney said: I was glad to meet with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP, as both Governments continue to work together as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, to address the ongoing absence of the powersharing Executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland. I reiterated to Secretary of State Bradley the Governments deep concern at the continuing impasse with the devolved institutions, which she shares. We reaffirmed the strong determination of both Governments to get the devolved institutions up and running again and we discussed how that can now be most effectively advanced. I am hopeful that in the period ahead it will be possible to commence a political process to get beyond the current impasse and seek an agreement between the parties on operating the devolved institutions again, consistent with the full and effective implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. I do not underestimate the way to go in achieving that, but I firmly believe that a resolution is possible and that the calls from across all sections of the community in Northern Ireland for the devolved institutions to operate will be heeded. The final engagement of the day for Secretary of State was meeting Tanaiste @simoncoveney at Iveagh House, Dublin. @dfatirl @NIOgov pic.twitter.com/K3PolFd37Q Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) September 17, 2018 Likewise, Ms Bradley praised her meeting at Iveagh House in Dublin. Today the Tanaiste and I discussed the shared priority of the United Kingdom and Irelands Governments to see the rapid restoration of a fully functioning Executive in Northern Ireland. To work towards that we intend to work more intensively to establish a basis for moving into more formal political dialogue, in accordance with the three stranded approach. Ms Bradley added she was considering external facilitation to help move powersharing talks to the next stage. Russia and Turkey have announced a deep demilitarised zone will be established in Syrias Idlib region, the last bastion of anti-government rebels where fears had been high of a devastating offensive by government forces. The zone will be established by October 15 and will be nine to 12 miles deep, President Vladimir Putin said after a meeting with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I believe that with this agreement we prevented a humanitarian crisis in Idlib, Mr Erdogan said at a joint briefing with Mr Putin in Sochi. Fighters with the Free Syrian Army patrol northern Idlib province (Ugur Can/DHA/AP) The province of Idlib in north-west Syria is the last rebel stronghold, and Turkey has been eager to prevent a government assault. Moscow has called Idlib a hotbed of terrorism and had said the Syrian government had the right to retake control of it. Turkey appealed to Russia and Iran, its uneasy negotiating partners, for a diplomatic resolution. At the same time, it has sent reinforcements to its troops ringing Idlib, a move designed to ward off a ground assault for now. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Sochi (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) Asked whether Syrian President Bashar Assads government agreed with the Putin-Erdogan plan, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu told reporters in Sochi: In the coming hours, we will agree with them on all the positions put forth in this document. Mr Putin said the demilitarised zone would be enforced by patrols of Turkish forces and Russian military police. It was quiet in Idlib and surrounding areas on Monday, a continuation of the calm that started less than a week ago amid Russia-Turkey talks. Idlib and surrounding areas are home to more than three million Syrians, and an estimated 60,000 rebel fighters. Access has been restored into the city of Wilmington, which had previously been cut off by floods from former Hurricane Florence, North Carolinas top transportation official said. Department of Transportation secretary James Trogdon said there is one major accessible route into the city of nearly 120,000 people. Emergency workers were delivering truckloads of food and water to Wilmington as helicopters and boats pulled people from homes swamped by swollen rivers. A car drives through floodwaters in Wilmington (Chuck Burton/AP) The deadly storm still had abundant rain and top winds around 25mph, and forecasters said it was expected to gradually pick up forward speed and complete a big turn towards the north east, which is in for as much as 6in of rain. Flooding worries increased in West Virginia and Virginia, where roads were closed and power outages were on the rise. About 500,000 homes and businesses were in the dark. In some places, the rain stopped after Florence moved on, and the sun peeked through, but North Carolina governor Roy Cooper urged residents evacuated from the hardest-hit areas to stay away because of closed roads and flooding. Theres too much going on, he told a news conference. .@NC_Governor Cooper: This is an epic storm that is still continuing; the rivers are still rising; some have not seen the worst flooding. This is a monumental disaster for NC that affects many of our people; already 17 have died, hope there is not another life lost #FlorenceNC NC Emergency Management (@NCEmergency) September 17, 2018 The death toll climbed to at least 21 as authorities found the body of a one-year-old boy who was swept away after his mother drove into floodwaters and lost her grip on him while trying to get back to dry land, and an 88-year-old mans car was swept off a road by floodwaters. Florence was still massive, despite being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone from a once-fearsome Category 4 hurricane. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bullseye. We continue to emphasize this danger. The rains may have ended across most of North Carolina, but rivers will continue to rise. https://t.co/uG70rN2Uuy National Weather Service (@NWS) September 17, 2018 North Carolina emergency response officials tweeted that 23 truckloads of military meals and bottled water were delivered overnight to Wilmington, the states eighth-largest city. One route into the city was reopened by midday on Monday, officials said. Residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants for water and other basic necessities. County commission chairman Woody White said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city, located on a peninsula with the rising Cape Fear River to the west and more water to the east. There is a Moderate Risk for excessive rainfall and flash flooding from Virginia to New York today due to the remnants of Florence. https://t.co/VyWINDk3xP pic.twitter.com/rJGS3hbaBn National Weather Service (@NWS) September 17, 2018 Fears of what could be the worst flooding in the states history led officials to order tens of thousands to evacuate, although it was not clear how many had fled or even could. North Carolina environmental regulators said several open-air manure pits at pig farms had failed and were spilling pollution. The Department of Environmental Quality said the earthen dam at one lagoon in Duplin County had been breached. There were also seven reports of lagoon levels going over their tops or being inundated in Jones and Pender counties. State investigators will visit the sites when conditions allow. The industrial-scale farms contain vast pits of animal faeces and urine that can pose a significant pollution threat if they are breached or inundated by floodwaters. A convicted former UBS trader has been temporarily saved from deportation to Ghana. Lawyers for Kweku Adoboli, 38, who was jailed for seven years in 2012 for two counts of fraud that resulted in 1.4 billion in losses, have been told they have won a temporary stay on his deportation amid fears that his removal is hours away. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said in a letter that all foreign nationals sentenced to more than four years are subject to automatic deportation unless there are compelling reasons for them to remain. Mr Adobolis lawyers had lodged a judicial review and injunction against deportation on the grounds of public interest on Tuesday at 2pm and by 5.20pm they were told that both applications were successful until such time as the outcome of the review is determined, according to friend and campaigner Nick Hopewell-Smith. The full review process is likely to take several months and attempts are being made to get bail for Mr Adoboli, who is currently being held at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre at West Drayton. Caroline Nokes said the UK public `expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality (Victoria Jones/PA) Mr Hopewell-Smith said: Common sense has broken out. Sending a 38-year-old man to a country where he has not lived since the age of four was always madness, given that he has lived in Britain since the age of 12 and the UK is where his friends and partner live and where his family life is based. It is unquestionably his home. Kweku Adoboli may have been born elsewhere, but he is more British, with more loyalty to Britain than many people with a passport even though that loyalty has been severely tested by the Home Office and its hostile environment. It was feared that Mr Adoboli, who was released after serving half his sentence, had been due to be deported on Tuesday evening. Now it is hoped he will be allowed home to his Scottish family and partner Alice within the next five to 10 days. His lawyers had argued that Mr Adoboli had been teaching at several universities and working with an initiative promoting responsible leadership since his release from prison in June 2015. They also noted he left Ghana at the age of four, has lived in the UK since the age of 12 and it is where his family is based. A group of 132 MPs and MSPs have written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to intervene. Kweku Adoboli has lived in Britain since the age of 12 (Lewis Whyld/PA) The decision to deport Mr Adoboli had been upheld at several stages by the courts. Mr Adoboli was detained during a fortnightly check-in at Livingston Police Station, West Lothian, on September 3 and taken to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in South Lanarkshire. In her letter Ms Nokes wrote: Financial crime, like all crime, has an impact on the society that we live in and the public expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crime. Hardline Brexiteers are ignoring the massive costs of EU withdrawal for the erotic spasm of breaking with Brussels, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable will say. The Lib Dem leader is expected to use his key note address to the party conference on Tuesday to call on Prime Minister Theresa May to shock us all and admit Brexits time has passed and call a fresh referendum on EU membership. Sir Vince will say: For the true believers the fundamentalists the costs of Brexit have always been irrelevant. Sir Vince Cable will urge the PM to declare support for a Peoples Vote (Gareth Fuller/PA) Years of economic pain justified by the erotic spasm of leaving the European Union. Economic pain felt of course, not by them by those least able to afford it. And the latest piece of nastiness from Jacob Rees-Mogg calling into question the right of Europeans to stay in Britain, and of Britons to stay in Europe creating unnecessary worry and insecurity for millions. The public dont mind what these people dream about behind closed doors so long as their dreams dont become nightmares for the rest of us. It really beggars belief that the army and the police are now being asked to prepare for riots in the chaotic aftermath of a botched Brexit. And billions billions of taxpayers money spent preparing for disaster. Sir Vince will say that EU leaders now feel pity for Mrs May. I would go so far as to say that some of us are starting to feel sorry for the Prime Minister. It seems that even the European leaders are moved to pity. It is obvious why. She is dutifully delivering a policy she doesnt really believe in; failing in negotiations; losing public support; and all to appease a dwindling group of angry people in her party who will denounce her as a traitor, whatever she comes up with. But, when we feel sorry for the countrys Prime Minister, something is seriously wrong. Our sympathy can only extend so far, while she puts the interests of the country second to the whims of the extremists in her party. Deep down, the Prime Minister knows Brexit is a bad idea. A bad idea whose time has gone. Even now, Theresa May could shock us all by displaying true leadership. She could admit that the Brexit project has gone badly wrong by conceding that the deal any deal, or no deal that she will bring back from Brussels is not going to be better for Britain than remaining in the European Union. Instead of kow-towing to her enemies in the Conservative Party, she could lead her party and the country by opening her mind to a peoples vote on the final deal. Brussels chief Brexit negotiator will brief ministers from European Union governments on the state of talks with the UK ahead of a major summit this week. Michel Barnier will update representatives of the EU27 on the remaining issues that need to be resolved in the divorce talks including how to resolve the Irish border question and the framework for the UKs future relationship with the EU. The ministerial-level meeting in Brussels comes as a major review of EU migration to the UK is published on Tuesday. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report is expected to pave the way for the Government to finally unveil proposals for post-Brexit immigration rules. The EUs leaders are convening in Salzburg on Wednesday where Theresa May will urge her counterparts to get behind the Chequers plan for a Brexit deal. Theresa May discussed the Chequers plan with Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Ahead of that summit the Prime Minister hosted her Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat for talks which included her plan. Downing Street said the two prime ministers discussed the Chequers proposal and the importance of achieving a mutually beneficial economic and security partnership. Mr Barnier has also been meeting European leaders in the run-up to the Salzburg summit. In Madrid for talks with prime minister Pedro Sanchez he offered full support for Spains position on negotiations relating to Gibraltar which need to conclude ASAP. Ahead of the latest round of EU meetings, The Times reported that Mr Barnier was preparing to insist that any political declaration agreed with Mrs May on the future relationship cannot easily be unpicked by her successor. In Madrid today, cordial meeting with @sanchezcastejon to prepare for #Brexit #Salzburgsummit18. A deal with #UK is possible if integrity of Single Market is preserved. Full support for Spain in its negotiations w/ UK on #Gibraltar, which need to conclude asap. pic.twitter.com/lEhR65DSdK Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) September 17, 2018 Environment Secretary Michael Gove has described the PMs divisive Chequers plan as the right one for now and suggested it could be altered by a future leader. But The Times reported that Mr Barniers deputy Sabine Weyand told ambassadors from EU states last week that Brussels needed credible political promises from the UK, according to a diplomatic note of the meeting. Meanwhile there was a further indication of the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to commit Labour to backing the Peoples Vote campaign for a fresh referendum on the outcome of the Brexit talks. Labour MP David Lammy, MEP Clare Moody and GMB union general secretary Tim Roache will join party members, campaigners and activists in a march and rally as Labours conference begins in Liverpool on Sunday. Labours conference begins this weekend in Liverpool (Jane Barlow/PA) The partys stance on Brexit is expected to be debated at the gathering and Mr Lammy said: A Peoples Vote is not only the right thing to do for jobs, public services and the future of our young people its the best way to get a radical Labour government. If we secure a Peoples Vote on the Governments final deal, Theresa May would be forced to resign. A pro-EU Labour government could then rebuild this country using the revitalised economy to introduce high investment, and restore our public services including schools and the NHS. Over a hundred local Labour groups have submitted motions to Labours conference to change Labours policy so that they can back a Peoples Vote on Brexit. US officials are about to begin distributing food, water and other supplies to the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, which remains mostly cut off by floodwaters from Hurricane Florence. County officials said workers will begin handing out the supplies to stranded residents in the city of 120,000 people on Tuesday morning. The Cape Fear River flows at a near record height in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina (AP) One road was opened into Wilmington at least briefly, and items have been brought into the city by military trucks and helicopters. The death toll from Florence has risen to at least 32 people in three states, with 25 fatalities in North Carolina. What remains of the once-powerful Category 4 hurricane is now a rainy, windy mass of low pressure. The system is accelerating on a path towards the heavily populated north-east. The head of Opec has said the oil cartel must stick together for the good of the global economy as Iran faces renewed US sanctions. Opec secretary-general Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo said: Iran is not only a founding member of Opec, its a very important member of this organisation. He added: We have no choice but to continue to work with all parties. Opec secretary-general Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo (AP) Mr Barkindo did not, however, address how the global oil industry immediately can replace Iranian crude supplies in an already-tight market. Benchmark Brent crude is already nearing 80 US dollars a barrel and some believe this figure may go even higher. US president Donald Trump, who is facing a mid-term election in the autumn, has called for more production. Mr Barkindo spoke at the Gulf Intelligence Energy Markets Forum in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Russias defence ministry said one of its reconnaissance aircraft has been brought down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile over the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers are searching for wreckage but do not expect survivors among the 15 people who were on board. The Russian military said the plane was hit by accident by one of the missiles, which were aimed at four Israeli fighter jets that were attacking targets in the coastal province of Lattakia late on Monday. Russian officials said they would respond to Israel later (AP) Russian Defence Ministry: Russian Ilyushin Il-20 plane was downed by Syrian Air Defence missile after Israeli F-16 pilots used it as cover thus setting it up to be targeted by AA defence. Such actions can only be classified as a deliberate provocation https://t.co/qBcqPz2en6 pic.twitter.com/21mTTNXmpd Russia in RSA (@EmbassyofRussia) September 18, 2018 Russia said the Israeli aircraft pushed the Russian plane into the line of fire. The ministry accused the Israeli army of intentional provocation and said Israel did not warn Russia of its operation in the area until one minute before the strike. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian president Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. The Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was struck 22 miles off the coast as it was returning to its home base nearby. Russia said it would make an appropriate response to Israel later. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. The Israeli military said earlier that it has no reaction, saying it does not comment on foreign reports. Later, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu later said Israel is responsible for the incident in a phone call to his counterpart in Israel, according to Russian television. Russian TV quoted a Defence Ministry statement as saying Mr Shoigu told Avigdor Lieberman that Israel is fully to blame for the deaths of the 15 people on board. Mr Shoigu said Russia had not been notified of Israels operation in the area despite the hotline between the two countries that should be preventing such accidents. He added that Russia reserves the right to respond to Israels actions. Midwives are being forced to rely on American guidelines when informing women about the amount of weight they should gain in pregnancy, it has emerged. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said that midwives had to use their own initiative and refer to American guidance. The comments come after a new study, published in the journal Diabetologia found that women who put on excessive weight during pregnancy are more likely to have children who are overweight, suffer high blood pressure and insulin resistance a precursor to type 2 diabetes. The RCM is calling for guidance on weight gain during pregnancy (PA) New study shows both excessive and inadequate gestational weight gain have independent and significant impacts on childhood adiposity, hypertension and insulin resistance. #gestationalweightgain https://t.co/Xk9EAkbuzm @EASDnews Diabetologia (@DiabetologiaJnl) September 18, 2018 Earlier this year the College called for UK guidelines on what constitutes a safe weight gain in pregnancy. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence is in the process of updating 2010 guidelines. As part of the update, officials are considering whether evidence supports the use of Americas Institutes of Medicines guidance on weight gain in pregnancy for the British population. The guidance states that overweight women should gain between 1525lb in pregnancy and normal weight women should gain 2535lb. Commenting on the research Mandy Forrester, head of quality and standards at the RCM, said: During pregnancy women are very receptive to messages and advice about weight management issues and midwives can have a real impact on improving womens health and wellbeing. This research highlights the need for guidelines on weight gain in pregnancy in the UK. The RCM and Slimming World issued a call in July for UK guidelines on what constitutes a safe weight gain. Without this midwives have to use their own initiative and refer to American guidance. There is a clear need for midwives to have the tools, guidance and training they need so that they can offer women the best possible support and care. This is especially pressing because of the potentially serious complications that can arise in pregnancy as a result of women being overweight or obese. It is a real concern that some midwives do not have access to that most basic piece of equipment, scales. We are calling for clear guidance on healthy weight management in pregnancy and will be looking at how we can take this forward so that women and midwives have the information, support and resources needed. Constant unconsiderate sex with a partner can be worse than rape by a stranger, feminist writer Germaine Greer has suggested. While rape by a stranger is bloody bad luck, it does not necessarily force a woman to reassess her whole life in the way that abuse by loved ones can, said Ms Greer. The Australian writer was speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme as part of a round of publicity for her essay On Rape, which has sparked controversy around the world. She told Today: I think it is important we dont diminish the effects of constant unconsiderate use of a womans body by the man she loves. In some ways, it is worse to be abused and treated without consideration by the people who are at the centre of your life. Stranger rape is bloody bad luck, for sure, but it is like being run down by a bus. You dont have to internalise it and look at the structure of your whole life from that point of view. It is way out there on left field. Ms Greer said she would like to see the law changed so that women are a formal party in any court case relating to their rape or sexual assault. Germaine Greer also called for a change in the law (Ian West/PA) Current laws mean that when women make complaints, their assaults are treated as alleged offences against the state, with the victim playing the role a witness or a piece of evidence, she said. The woman who complains of rape is herself not party to the action, said Ms Greer. She is a piece of evidence and she will be examined to find out if the claims she is making that the offence has occurred is true. She added: The better way would be to begin again to look at it from a womans point of view, rather than the point of view of the patriarchate. When you go to the police, you are asking the state to clean up an offence against itself, whereas if we were in Belgium you would be a party to the action as the victim and you would have a voice in court. As it is now, you have no voice in court, you dont have anyone representing you and you cant be helped to deal with the cross-examination. You are being treated almost like a child. Organisations supporting families facing issues like domestic abuse, a relative in prison and childhood cancer are among those sharing 3.9 million of lottery funding. The 20 groups receiving an award include Families Outside, which supports 600 families affected by imprisonment in Glasgow and North Strathclyde, providing them with emotional and practical support. The 299,667 award will enable the organisation to expand its Regional Family Support Service and provide new peer to peer led support sessions for families. Groups supporting families across Scotland will benefit (Yui Mok/PA) Nancy Loucks, Families Outside chief executive, said: Families Outside is absolutely delighted to receive this National Lottery award. The grant not only sustains the essential support we can provide to the most vulnerable families in Glasgow and North Strathclyde but also supports the development of new work promoting peer support for children and young people with a family member in prison. Such work creates an essential safe space for families to talk about their experiences, helping them to process and address traumas they feel they cannot speak about with anyone else. Shakti Womens Aid, which provides specialist support to BME women, their children and young people experiencing and/or fleeing domestic abuse, forced marriage or honour based violence, receives 386,132. The group will use the funding to expand their outreach service in Tayside, Perthshire, Forth Valley and the Lothians. Girijamba Polubothu, the groups manager, said: Shakti is ever so grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for this funding to continue and expand our Outreach Services. Without this funding, the black minority ethnic (BME) women and their children would have lost the only specialist BME domestic abuse support service available to them which caters for their complex needs. Ultimately, the funding will help BME women and their children to be safe. Team Jak, which provides practical and emotional support to children and young people with cancer and related illnesses receives 262,222 towards their new family base, Jaks Den mark 2, in Livingston. Other organisations receiving funding include 233,938 for Circle in East Lothian, which will use the funding to support family members affected by both parental drug or alcohol use, and poverty; and 392,006 for the Workers Educational Association which will deliver a programme of health and wellbeing activities for vulnerable and socially isolated people living in Aberdeen. Maureen McGinn, Big Lottery Fund Scotland chairwoman, added: Many of todays funded projects will strengthen families ability to cope with a wide range of challenges. Whether dealing with the aftermath of someone going to prison, living with the emotional and psychological effects of domestic abuse or coming to terms with a childs life limiting illness, these projects will make a real difference to hundreds of families, children and young people across Scotland. These National Lottery funds really are life changing and will have a positive impact for people who need our help the most. The owner of one of Britains biggest oil refineries could be forced to sell the plant as a legal spat over unpaid debts intensifies. The Press Association understands that Midtown Acquisitions is seeking a forced sale of the Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire as it looks to recoup over 400 million US dollars (304 million) lent to Essar, the owner of the site. Essar is ultimately controlled by Indias wealthy Ruia family, while Midtown is controlled by US hedge fund giant Davidson Kempner. Petrol Tankers leave Stanlow Oil refinery, Ellesmere port Cheshire (PA) A legal dispute over the 400 million US dollars lent against Essars Minnesota steel mine in the US has been playing out in the UKs High Court. Essar has defaulted on the loan and lawyers for Midtown expect to have a New York judgment enforcing the debt obligation to be recognised in the UK within weeks. The process of applying for a forced sale order of the Ellesmere Port refinery through the High Court is already under way. The refinery employs more than 900 workers and an additional 500 on-site contractors, and supplies 16% of all UK road transport fuels. Matthew Getz, of Boies, Schiller & Flexner and acting for Midtown, said: Midtown takes this case very seriously. On behalf of its investors, we will pursue all available legal remedies worldwide to recover on its debt from Essar. Midtown is one of a number of parties that lent on the Minnesota project, which is now bankrupt. If the forced sale of Stanlow goes ahead, the operation would be unaffected and no jobs would be at risk, people close to the situation told PA. Stanlow is one of Britains biggest oil refineries and Essar acquired it from Royal Dutch Shell in 2011. Last month a major fire broke out at the plant, and it later transpired that the blaze started inside a manufacturing building. Davidson Kempner declined to comment and Essar did not respond to request for comment. A declining number of children in England are being vaccinated against potentially deadly diseases, figures show. Data from NHS Digital shows that vaccination coverage declined last year for a number of immunisations which protect youngsters from a horde of different illnesses, from meningitis to measles. Coverage for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for children reaching their second birthday fell to 91.2% the fourth consecutive year that MMR coverage has decreased. (PA Graphics) It is also the lowest rate recorded since 2011/12. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that coverage is at least 95%. But England-wide MMR coverage for children reaching their fifth birthday fell from 95% in 2016/17 to 94.9% in 2017/18. The WHO declared that the UK had eliminated measles last year which is achieved once a country has sustained interruption of endemic transmission for at least 36 months. Figures published today show that coverage for 9 of the 12 routine #vaccinations measured at age 12 months, 24 months or five years declined in 2017-18, in #England compared to the previous year. Read the full report to find out more.https://t.co/JVEpAqU3Mh NHS Digital (@NHSDigital) September 18, 2018 But so far this year there have been hundreds of cases of measles figures from Public Health England show that between January 1 2018 and September 10 2018 there have been 876 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. The increase in measles has been linked to travel and outbreaks in Europe. Officials have warned that young people and adults aged 15 and over who missed out on MMR vaccine when they were younger and some under-vaccinated communities have been particularly affected. Uptake of the MMR vaccine fell heavily in the late 1990s following the publication of research by Andrew Wakefield which suggested a possible link between the inoculation and autism. Coverage levels dipped to a low of 80% in 2003. Experts have widely discredited his study and he was struck off the medical register in 2010. MMR is a safe and effective combined vaccine that protects against 3 separate illnesses measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) in a single injection. Speak to your GP if you're not sure whether you're up to date with your vaccination https://t.co/YLbkV5gaSo pic.twitter.com/2eLwJNOojO NHS Mid Essex CCG (@MidEssexCCG) September 14, 2018 Commenting on the latest figures, leading nurses warned that Britain is turning back the clock and leaving thousands of children unprotected. Meanwhile the new data shows that the percentage of two-year-olds who had received the Hib and MenC vaccine, which protects against meningitis caused by meningococcal group C bacteria and haemophilus influenzae type b, also declined between 2016/17 and 2017/18 to 91.2%. And the percentage of one-year-olds who had received the so called five-in-one vaccine a single injection which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) declined for the fifth year in a row, reaching its lowest level since 2008/09. In 2017/18, 93.1% of one-year-olds had been vaccinated, according to the NHS Digital report, Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics. But the number who had received the jab by the age of two was above the target of 95%. Children are now offered the six-in-one vaccine which also protects against hepatitis B. Uptake of the vaccines which protect against pneumococcal disease also fell between 2016/17 and 2017/18. The rotavirus vaccine was the only one that had an increase in coverage, from 89.6% 2016/17 to 90.1% in 2017/18. Helen Donovan, professional lead for public health at the Royal College of Nursing, said: For the first time last year, Britain was declared free of endemic measles, but these figures show we are turning the clock back and leaving thousands of children unprotected. Coverage declined in nine out of 12 of the routine vaccination measures compared to last year. This means immunity against deadly or life-changing diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and polio is dropping. These were diseases of the past they should not be part of our future. Dr Michael Edelstein, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health England, said: We are seeing small reductions in uptake for most of the childhood vaccines which is why we continue to encourage all parents to get the best protection for their children by ensuring they are fully immunised. We are working closely with the NHS, and with staff in general practice where most vaccinations are delivered, to improve uptake. Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology, said: Vaccination saves lives. It is one of the safest and most cost-effective methods we have to prevent the spread of disease. (The) publication of the annual vaccination statistics for England paints a concerning picture with decreases observed in the uptake of nine of the 12 routine vaccinations. Worryingly, this decline follows an ongoing trend from previous years and we are not reaching the World Health Organisation target of 95% coverage nationally with any of the vaccines at the correct time point. Lower levels of vaccination mean that these harmful diseases can spread within our communities, infecting people who have not been vaccinated, including vulnerable individuals who are unable to have vaccinations such as young babies, people with compromised immune systems or people with cancer. Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, said: It is really important to try to understand why people are not getting their children vaccinated so that measures can be put in place to overcome these barriers. If uptake continues to decline then we will see increasing numbers of outbreaks and with them, inevitably serious illness and possible death. Information on the childhood vaccination schedule including which immunisations youngsters should be receiving at different ages can be found at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/childhood-vaccines-timeline/ The first press conference for the WBC heavyweight fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will take place on Monday, promoter Frank Warren has said. Press Association Sport understands that a United States venue will this week be revealed for December 1 or 8, having been under negotiation since Wilder travelled to Belfast to watch Fury outpoint Francesco Pianeta last month. Las Vegas remains the likeliest destination, and Warren told IFL TV: Its been about deciding what venue it will go to. Its not an issue because its a nice problem, its who is going to put up the most money. Tyson Fury and Deontay are set to fight each other this year (Niall Carson/PA) Weve got a press conference next Monday, Wilder will be in town, and that will be the start of the (promotional) tour. We do London, then we go to New York, then on to Los Angeles. You get the usual things with judges, depending on where it is going to take place. If you go to Las Vegas they want to appoint all the officials; we dont particularly want that. We want the officials agreed between the two parties, and they should be as neutral as possible. That is one of the things we have been working on. Confirmation of the Fury-Wilder fight details appear likely to come when Warrens rivals Matchroom are concluding the promotion of Saturdays bout between WBA, WBO and IBF champion Anthony Joshua and Russian Alexander Povetkin. Responding to suggestions he is accepting the Wilder fight to cash out on his reputation, the 30-year-old Fury said on social media: I wouldnt lose a fight for 100million, let alone the few million Im going to get for fighting Wilder. Its not about money for me. The Duchess of Sussex is to carry out her first solo royal engagement when she attends the opening of a major art exhibition next week. The event will be a milestone in Meghans life as a member of the monarchy, as she will be venturing out without the support of Harry or other royals. On Monday she launched her first charity project, a fundraising cookbook created by women from the Grenfell Tower community. Meghan cooking with women in the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London (Jenny Zarins/PA) The 37-year-old former actress will join guests on September 25 at the opening of an exhibition of works from the Oceania region, at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London. The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first solo engagement standing in for the Prince of Wales at a private fundraising dinner in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day. Meghan, who married on May 19, will take part in her first royal event by herself four months after becoming a member of the monarchy. The exhibition will celebrate the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, encompassing the vast Pacific region including New Guinea, Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand. Were excited to announce that The Duchess of Sussex will be joining us at the Opening Reception of #RAOceania on 25 September. The exhibition opens to the public on 29 September! https://t.co/v5RkqGKsD5 https://t.co/T7EVVgHLGQ Royal Academy (@royalacademy) September 18, 2018 On display will be around 200 works from public collections worldwide, spanning more than 500 years. The exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy, which was founded in 1768 the year Captain James Cook set out on his first Endeavour expedition. Meghan and Harry are due to tour part of the region next month, visiting Australia, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. The duchess will be shown art from the four countries during her exhibition viewing. She will meet the exhibitions curators, artists and descendants linked to the works on display, and view a short performance by Ngati Ranana, a Maori cultural group. The exhibition will be organised around three main themes: Voyaging will look at life on the water as revealed through the stories of indigenous navigation; Place-making will explore the settlement of communities; and Encounter will focus on trade and exchange in Pacific cultures. Oceania at the Royal Academy of Arts will open to the public from September 29 to December 10. A no-deal Brexit would cost car manufacturer Honda tens of millions of pounds, the companys European boss has warned. But Ian Howells, the senior vice-president of Honda Europe, said the company remains right behind its production facility in Swindon and is not considering moving the plant out of the UK after Brexit. The Japanese company employs about 3,500 people at its plant in Wiltshire, building around 160,000 Honda Civics last year, more than 90% of which were exported to Europe and the US. Just-in-time manufacturing processes depend on supply chains stretching around Europe, and any delays at ports could disrupt the flow of lorries arriving with components for the plant. Ian Howells says Honda is `right behind its Swindon factory (Jeff Spicer/PA) Mr Howells said that falling back on World Trade Organisation terms would cost Honda tens of millions, while the company would also face additional red tape if Britain leaves the EU without a trade deal. From an administrative point of view wed probably be looking at 60-odd thousand additional bits of documentation we would have to provide to get product to and from Europe, he told BBC Radio 5 Lives Wake Up To Money. If we end up with WTO tariffs, wed have something like 10% of costs in addition of our shipped product back into Europe and that would certainly run into tens of millions. And likewise, when were looking at componentry coming the other way, again tens of millions in terms of tariffs potentially coming into the UK. That impacts our productivity, certainly in terms of the flow of product, but also it does hit potentially our competitiveness. Of course if we are shipping and competing against a European manufacturer in Europe, theyre not incurring those tariffs. Mr Howells said the extra cost of moving components would create an additional burden we would have to carry for UK customers, which could hit the companys competitiveness in the domestic market. He said Honda had made adjustments to its procedures to allow it to store more components on-site, and is considering changes to production schedules if no deal is reached. But he played down the prospect of a move away from Swindon, where the firm has operated since 1985. Hondas plant at Swindon produced around 160,000 cars last year (Andrew Matthews/PA) The UK forms part of our global network of manufacturing plants, its not just for the European market, said Mr Howells. The only place we produce the vehicle we produce at Swindon is in Swindon itself. So from that point of view its a very big decision to take a different approach. Certainly we are right behind our Swindon approach, and really it hasnt come up that we would have to look at putting Swindon somewhere else. The logistics of moving a factory the size of Swindon would be huge, and as far as were concerned from a European (perspective), and as far as our Japanese head office is concerned, were right behind supporting continued production at Swindon and indeed our whole European operation to continue there. In terms of the impact of Brexit, I think we are looking at hopefully relatively short-term disruption as we get used to the new rules and new ways of doing business. Mr Howells said Honda backed proposals in Prime Minister Theresa Mays Chequers plan for a common rule book with the EU for trade in goods. If its easier for us to do that into Europe because theres a common rule book and common way of building and approving our vehicles, thats positive for us, he said. If those rules are the same as they are in the UK then of course, from a volume and productivity perspective, thats much more favourable for a company like Honda. Labour MP Gareth Thomas, a supporter of the Best for Britain campaign for a second EU referendum, said: Another day, another unnecessary blow to the countrys struggling car industry by Brexiteers who just dont seem to care. Big players in the industry have been warning of this for a very long time. When you have huge employers like Jaguar Land Rover and Honda warning of an existential threat to their ability to carry on trading, its time to stop and think about whether Brexit is really worth it. India's attempts at equipment acquisition for modernisation of the armed forces have faced charges of graft since the days of the Bofors scam three decades back. During the tenure of the previous ministry, the then defence minister had cancelled one contract after another and was yet unable to get to the bottom of any one of it and book the culprits. One of his favourite methods was blacklisting of companies. At one stage almost every reputed manufacturer of guns, globally, had been booked leaving no leeway for the army to induct guns for 30 years. Embargoed: AK Antony's tenure as defence minister was more famous for blacklisting firms over tiniest suspicions. (Credit: PTI photo) A similar fate had been the narrative for the Air Force. The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft contract has its moorings dating back to 2007. The bids received then were opened in 2011. When the Rafale deal was finally signed between India and France in 2016, the armed forces and the strategic community had heaved a sigh of relief. The Indian Air Force is down to 31 squadrons against an authorisation of 42. However, the no-holds barred methodologies of Indian politics have its tendrils around the contract, strangulating it hard enough to perhaps stall the expected deliveries in 2019. The first fact that needs to be assimilated is the fact that Rafale was not a normal commercial deal entered with its manufacturer Dassault Aviation of France. It was an inter government arrangement between the French and the Indian governments. Somewhat similar deals have also been executed under the Foreign Military Sales programme of the Americans; a case in point being the 155mm M777 Howitzers of BAE Systems. With the levels of interaction being finally at the levels of two sovereign governments, such deals are considered as the safest methodology possible to avoid grafts in military equipment procurement. Rafale Deal: The overall costs per unit would have reduced had India opted for more numbers. (Credit: reuters photo) The basic allegations being hurled are focused on the price that we are paying for each of the aircraft bare bone, that is, without its complement of weapons, India specific requirements and additional costs for the maintenance and repair that the French will undertake as part of the deal. As per the press statements of Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Rafale deal for 126 aircrafts in 2007 was at a cost of euro 79.3 million per aircraft. A built in escalation factor was part of the deal. Applying the escalation factor, the cost in 2011 when the bids were opened, amounted to euro 100.85 million per aircraft. The price at which the Rafales were finally contracted is euro 91.75 million per aircraft. It amounts to an approximate savings of 9 per cent. The India specific requirements that includes helmet-mounted display, electronic jammers, operating from airfields at high altitudes; a total of 13 requirements amounts Rs 9855 crore. This expenditure is, however, non-recurring and would have remained a constant had we gone in for 126 aircrafts also. Thus, the overall costs per unit would have reduced had India opted for more numbers. We have also gone in for Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and SCALP air-to-ground missiles, which are the best in the class. These missiles were not a part of the old contract. A maintenance contract is also inbuilt in the contract and includes supply of spares and a commitment to maintain serviceability rates at 75 per cent for the next five years. It would be prudent to recall that the serviceability state of our Sukhois has been a cause for consternation in the past. No objections: French President Emmanuel Macron had earlier said Modi government can share Rafale deal details with Opposition. (Credit: PTI photo) Higher serviceability state provides a higher capability to the squadrons in their ability to average more sorties per aircraft, per day. There is also a 50 per cent offset clause that exceeds the norm of 30 per cent for such contracts. Offsets involve expending a laid down percentage of the contract for various stipulated activities in the Indian market. As part of offsets, Dassault has made arrangements with 72 entities for manufacture of various parts that it would source in India. One of these entities is Reliance. As of now there is no evidence to point a finger at the joint venture between Dassault and Reliance Group. However, our handling of offsets in the past has been below par with billions of dollars worth offsets not executed in time. As and when its time for Dassault to start claiming offset credits by actual discharge of offsets, the process will require due diligence. We have the example of offset discharge in the M777 Ultra Light Howitzer deal to go by, and it should be possible to ensure that offset discharge does not get messy. With a huge 50 per cent offset liability, the process of discharge of offsets will also call for close scrutiny. The maintenance of the Rafale fleet will be the responsibility of Dassault for five years. Provisions for the same have been made in the contract. The contract calls for 75 per cent serviceability, which is as good as can be expected in such contracts. Welcome aboard: IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa has come out in favour of the government on the controversial deal. (Credit: Twitter/ANI) The allegations against the deal have been inconsistent. The prices of the aircraft quoted in the allegations have fluctuated hugely. In fact, a state was reached when the Air Force Chief and Vice Chief both came on record regarding the allegations. The Indian Air Force conducted a seminar to defend the deal. It was a welcome step in a country where politicians dont realise that senior officers in uniform come into disrepute because of unsubstantiated statements. As far as the disclosure of the price breakdown is concerned the inter-governmental arrangement lays down certain protocols. As per the statement of the Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the agreement was entered into during the regime of the previous government. Such restrictions have been applicable in other defence contracts during the regimes of other ministries too. Notwithstanding the Rafale deal as such, the tendency of our current day political leadership to take every issue that could garner public attention to the streets has repeatedly proven detrimental for our defence preparedness. The requirement of addressing the depleting strength of the Indian Air Force is an issue beyond debate. The fact also remains that the two squadrons of Rafales address a critical capability gap that Indians have. In fact, only two squadrons are hardly adequate to redress the dearth in numbers of fighter aircrafts. Should we want the Air Force to be a deterrent factor, early conclusion of the MMRCA contract for 110 aircraft, recently approved by the government, should be our next focus. Hopefully, the current government will not baulk in the face of all the din that is part and parcel of the Indian tradition nowadays. Also read: Rafale row in Parliament revealed one thing. Government, Opposition, media lack defence knowledge Despite Opposition protests about voters list tweaks, the acting Chief Minister has the more cogent campaign The acknowledgement of a formidable force usually comes from the pesky antics of the Opposition and its relentless litany of complaints and petitions of injustice. In this respect, both the Congress and the BJPs reactive behaviour over the last few days is enough to testify that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrashekhar Rao is not just holding out on strong ground but building a national relevance for himself by sheer dint of determination and some shrewd strategy. So if he had foxed everybody by dissolving the Assembly thereby necessitating an early election and ensuring the popular wave of a national election didnt wash over his personality cult the Opposition is clutching for issues with the Election Commission considering the possibility of clubbing polls in Telangana with that of other States by the end of the year. For all the BJP chief Amit Shahs aggressive posturing and firebrand bristle, even calling out KCR for ignoring Hyderabads merger to the Indian Union, fact is the party still doesnt have the requisite base to challenge KCR at the grassroot level or question his credibility in a State election. The rains have been good, saving him from drought debts, he seems to have delivered on most populist promises and has ensured that his State has the highest economic growth at 17 per cent in competitive stakes. Perhaps that led to the arrogance of him announcing that the State elections could be held in November, with no less than the Election Commission, which is yet to complete logistical assessment, taking exception to his over-confidence. However, the wily KCR perhaps did it mischievously to kick off a political storm and sharpen the apprehensions of the Opposition while allowing it no time to build cogent poll planks. Any semblance of opposition in Telangana, by virtue of the vestige of an undivided State, is the Congress. The grand old party has alleged that there are around 70 lakh discrepancies in the voter list of Telangana, implying that KCR was trying to manipulate the verdict by deleting Congress voters under the guise of avoiding overlap with voter rolls of Andhra Pradesh. But the same was not added on the roll of Andhra Pradesh, it claims. The revised roll was published only on September 10 leaving not much time for both political parties or people to identify these discrepancies. In fact, it completely obfuscated the electoral priorities of the Congress. Number-crunching the voter list, the Congress has yet to mount an agenda-driven campaign here. As it fumbled and the Opposition scrambled to get its act together, KCR even announced 105 of the 119 candidates. He is positing this as his sincere move to carry on his goal-oriented growth while exposing the Congress as hungry for political power and bereft of fresh ideas, not to be trusted, therefore, at the reins. Meanwhile, the ECs training of administrative officials is well under way. While the EC goes about doing its job according to the rulebook, it is KCRs smart posturing which has helped him seize the narrative. Remember, he initiated the concept of an anti-Delhi, non-Congress federal front with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the pitch clearly being to be the kingmaker with a sizeable booty for any ruling dispensation at the Centre, one that he can extract for his own gains and one that cleverly keeps all doors open. He would rather strengthen his regional satrap status if it means keeping the national parties on alert with a thriller-like suspense and ensures he is a key player in the national narrative without shifting an inch. India has handed over its third consignment of relief supplies to Bangladesh, including over 1 million litres of kerosene oil and 20,000 stoves, for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees in the country, who fled an armys ethnic cleansing in neighbouring Myanmar. Bangladesh, which faced a big influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar, has called on the international community to intervene and put pressure on Myanmar to address the issue. Over 7,00,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmars violence-hit Rakhine State to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year when the military intensified crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims. Indias High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday handed over 1.1 million litres of super kerosene oil and 20,000 kerosene multi wick stoves to Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Mofazzel Hussain Chowdhury at Coxs Bazar. The kerosene oil and stoves will address the energy needs of the displaced persons and contribute to environmental conservation in Bangladesh by reducing demand for locally sourced firewood. This is as per the requirement of assistance expressed by Bangladesh, the High Commission of India said in a statement. The relief supplies were then distributed to displaced persons at Kutupalong camp in Coxs Bazar. Vikram Doraiswami, Joint Secretary (Bangladesh, Myanmar) of the Ministry of External Affairs was also present on the occasion. This is the third phase of humanitarian assistance by India to Bangladesh to assist in its efforts to meet the requirements of displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. Sitharaman claims Rafale deal 9% cheaper, UPA Govt framed rules for pvt players role Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has blamed the previous UPA Government for ignoring the interests of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Indian Air Force (IAF) and claimed that the NDA Government is getting 36 Rafale fighter jets at a rate nine per cent cheaper than what was agreed upon by the then UPA Government. Speaking at the Indian Womens Press Corps, Sitharaman reacted to former Defence Minister AK Antonys allegations, saying, The deal didnt happen during the UPA. What also didnt happen during the UPA was that the HAL and the Dassault couldnt agree on production terms. So the HAL and Rafale couldnt go together. Doesnt that very clearly say who didnt go with the HAL? Under which Government did that happen? So saying that the NDA Government did not take care of HAL is absolutely misplaced. Neither the HAL nor Air Forces interests was taken care of by the UPA. Refuting the Congress charge that the Government preferred Reliance Defence to collaborate with Dassault overlooking the HAL, Sitharaman said the rules framed by the previous Congress-led coalition Government had allowed the foreign companies to enter into deal with private companies. Sitharaman also accused the UPA Government of not finalising the Rafale deal for years. Why didnt the agreement happen?, she asked. The Defence Minister said, The UPA Government could have strengthened the HAL. Every question should actually go to them. They didnt take care of the HAL. She said Antony is a very senior leader, and having been in the Ministry before her, he understands the negotiations. Sitharaman added the Rafale negotiations were not over the counter purchases. This assertion came after Antony questioned why the Centre did not buy 126 aircraft. Sitharaman said 126 jets will also have to be bought on order and, therefore, will have a timeline and follow all related conditions like escalation costs. Responding to questions on the Congresss allegations against the Government over the Rafale deal, the Minister said, We have responded saying your basic price and the basic price that I am getting at, when compared with all the escalation and other things, is 9 per cent cheaper. In a move to pare its debt, Air India has asked the National Building Construction Company (NBCC) to prepare a detailed project report (DPRs) on monetisation of its prime properties located at Baba Khadak Singh Marg in Connaught Place and Vasant Vihar in the national Capital. The property at Vasant Vihar is spread on 30 acres and it houses Air Indias staff colony. The property at Baba Khadak Singh Marg is spread across 16,000 square metres. Air India is expected to raise Rs 3,000-4,000 crores through this monetisation process. These two properties were surrendered by Air India to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs last year. The Government wants to expedite monetisation of Air Indias immovable assets to reduce its debt burden in a bid to make the airline attractive for privatisation. Top sources said Air India has come up with a fresh roadmap on asset monetisation to tackle its fiscal woes. At a high-level meeting held last week, Air India asked the NBCC to make separate roadmap for each properties, sources added. As per the plan, the NBCC will make residential projects in the Vasant Vihar property, while it will raise commercial projects on the Baba Khadak Singh Marg property. These properties were on perpetual lease of 99 years and cant be monetised directly by Air India due to land title issues. The Government will monetise the properties and the proceeds will be transferred to the Consolidated Fund of India. From there, the Government will transfer the money to the airline for reducing debt, said officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had given in-principle approval for disinvestment of the Governments stake in Air India and five of its subsidiaries, based on the recommendations of the NITI Aayog. Air India has a total debt of around Rs 52,000 crore which comprises Rs 22,000 crore as aircraft loan and the rest as working capital loan and other liabilities. The property at Baba Khadak Singh Marg is just a plot with no construction. It was meant to house the national carriers city terminal office. Both these properties were allotted to Indian Airlines Ltd, which was merged with Air India. Both the NBCC and Air India have agreed on some common terms regarding asset monetisation over the national carriers properties in Vasant Vihar and at Baba Khadak Singh Marg. Sources added the NBCC has already started planning for these projects. In the second phase, Air India will reportedly monetise three other assets. Earlier, in a reply to Parliament, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had stated that Air India has mopped up Rs 543.03 crore so far from monetisation of its assets in prime locations such as Mumbai and Chennai. The monetisation included the sale of six flats at Sterling apartment, Mumbai to the State Bank of India with each of these flats fetching Rs 22 crore. The national carrier also collected Rs 291 crore as lease rental from its prized Air India building at Nariman Point, Mumbai between 2012-13 and January 2018.a Ex-Defence Minister seeks JPC probe into grave compromise on national security, rues HAL image assassination Former Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday accused incumbent Nirmala Sitharaman of suppressing facts regarding the Rafale deal and asked why the Government is not setting up a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe it. Antony also held the Government guilty of gravely compromising national security in the Rafale deal. The Congress leader demanded that the Modi Government should publish the price of the UPA Governments deal for 126 aircraft and the current price of the NDA Governments 36 Rafale deal, including per aircraft price, to clear the doubts and let the nation decide who is correct. Since, there is a growing perception that the Modi Governments Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be a joint parliamentary probe to bring out the truth, Antony said at a Press conference. He also accused the PM of violating the Defence procurement procedure (DPP), as according to it only the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the Defence Minister and comprising the three service chiefs, can decide the number of aircraft and weapons to be purchased. Prime Minister Modis decision is a clear violation of the DPP, he said. In the JPC, the present Government has got the majority. Why are they afraid? Let the JPC go through all the files. The JPC can call files. A JPC consisting of a majority of persons from the Government can look through all the files and come out with the truth, the Congress leader said. Rejecting the charges levelled by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 had put the final nail in the coffin of the aircraft deal when the cost negotiation committee was giving final touches to the deal, Antony said, Her allegations are completely false and she is deliberately suppressing the facts. The former Minister went on to allege that contract negotiations were almost over and when the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry, it felt that the life cycle cost concept was a new concept and they cannot support it. Antony also claimed that the then Congress-led UPA Government had received objections and reservations in written from several leaders, including a senior BJP MP, about the life cycle cost calculation and the Indian Air Force (IAF) was insisting to finalise the deal. Then I directed that the negotiations should continue, but take it to the Cabinet Committee on Security only after disputes are settled, Antony said. The former Defence Minister accused Sitharaman of trying to tarnish the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) both nationally and globally. He also asked if the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA Government, and why the Government bought only 36 aircraft instead of 126 from the French company. While Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had claimed that in the new agreement, the price is nine per cent cheaper than it was in the UPA deal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it is 20 per cent cheaper and an IAF officer said it is 40 per cent cheaper, then why they didnt buy more than 126 if it was cheaper? Antony asked. He claimed that before the UPA demitted office, the negotiations were almost over, and after the NDA came to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a unilateral decision on April 10, 2015 to purchase 36 aircraft. When the IAF demanded 126 aircraft, who authorised the PM to reduce the number to 36? he asked. The requirement for 126 aircraft was made by the IAF in 2000. In 2018, the threat perception from our border nations has increased than what it was in 2000, Antony claimed. The Congress leader claimed that if the UPA deal was not cancelled, the HAL would have acquired state-of-the-art technology through transfer-of-technology and would have gained experience to manufacture fighter aircraft. India lost this opportunity, he said. Instead of seriously trying to resolve those teething issues, Prime Minister Modi went to Paris and announced the unilateral purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft under the inter-governmental agreement on April 10, 2015, he said. Antony said Sitharaman claimed that HAL does not have the capability to manufacture these aircraft, but it is the only aerospace company in India having the capacity and has been awarded the Navaratna status. He said HAL has manufactured 4,660 aircraft of 31 types, including the Sukhois and the MiG. During the UPA rule, HAL was a profit-making company, but under the Modi Government, HAL, for the first time in its history, has taken approximately Rs 1,000 crore loan from various banks, Antony claimed. In a shocking incident, a 7-year-old female child was raped by a 21-year-old man who allegedly also inserted a water pipe in her private parts. The reprehensible incident was reported from Seemapuri area of Shahdara district. The incident occurred on Monday and the accused has been arrested by police. The victim was critically injured and had to undergo an operation. The victims mother filed a complaint at Seemapuri police station on Monday after the victim returned home bleeding. She narrated the ordeal to her mother. The victims mother told the police that her daughter was raped by a neighbour. The accused allegedly took her to the bushes near DLF Chowk and raped her. An FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered and the accused was arrested, police revealed on Tuesday. Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson in a tweet revealed that she met with the minor girl who was raped on Monday. She stated that the child was brutally raped. The accused allegedly inserted a water pipe inside her private parts. Maliwal revealed that the child is from a single parent family with her mother being the only parent. She also revealed that they were struggling financially. She wrote, Cannot describe the pain the little girl was experiencing. Already malnourished, she has a long struggle ahead. We are going to support her in her legal fight to ensure death penalty to her culprits. Will file compensation and make efforts to rehabilitate her. This comes just days after a 10-year-old minor girl was brutally raped in New Ashok Nagar and an 8-year-old was tied and raped in her home by an elderly neighbour in Shahdara District. Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which will be implemented to provide free treatment facilities to poor families up to Rs five lakh, will come into effect from September 23. The scheme will be launched nationwide by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ranchi and on that same day, state level function would be organised in Karnal, said Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, RR Jowel, in a video conferencing with the Deputy Commissioners at Chandigarh. He said that the Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Health Minister Anil Vij will be present in the state-level function. In other districts, the Ministers, MLAs and officers will remain present. Jowel said that on September 23, the national launch programme of Ayushman Bharat Scheme will be relayed in all the districts of the state through web link. The address of the Prime Minister will be relayed through the web link. He told that the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Scheme have been identified and they are now being given a golden card to avail the benefits of the scheme. The beneficiary will have to go to a nearby government hospital with his aadhar card, ration card copy and mobile number to get themselves registered, he said. Jowel also said that all civil hospitals located at the district level have been registered under this scheme. Apart from these, the hospitals located at sub-division level have also been registered. He said that private hospitals are also being registered. The incident of alleged rape of a class X student of GRD World School, one of the prominent boarding schools based in Dehradun, has once again revealed the dark underbelly of such schools. Things look particularly grim when viewed against the high esteem such schools are held by the people from across India and even abroad. Things look frightfully gloomy when we think of the confidence the parents repose in such schools while they leave their children in the hostels, hoping that they would be perfectly looked after. The incident of rape of the class X student by the boys of the same school within the school campus is bound to shatter their confidence and the image of Dehradun must take a severe beating, said an observer. Notably, in a similar incident which happened earlier this year, a student of a reputed girls school located in Mussoorie had allegedly been sexually exploited by other girls in the name of ragging. The police team deployed to inquire the incident had found many objectionable things in the school. These nearly back-to- back incidents have now made it clear that all is not well within the high, gaudy walls of these famed boarding schools. The team sent by the education department which inspected the GRD World School on Tuesday has found that the school has no CCTV cameras installed in the hostel and other areas. This is despite the fact that these highly esteemed schools charge hefty amounts from the parents. On Tuesday, an emergency meeting of the All Uttarakhand Parents Association (AUPA) was convened during which serious concern was expressed on the unfortunate incident in GRD World School. The president of the association, Neeraj Singhal demanded the administration to immediately cancel the recognition of the school. He, further, said that the Government should ensure that these schools are regularly checked. The parents would be forced to launch an agitation if the Government fails to take stern action against such schools which are defying the security norms with impunity, leaving the students vulnerable to heinous crimes, he added. Students of the rural areas, especially those who belong to the economically weaker sections of the society will soon to be able to study Cost and Management Accountancy here at Chandrapura in Bokaro district. On the initiative of the Finance Department of Chandrapura Thermal Power Station (CTPS) and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) management, a study centre for Cost and Management Accountancy will soon to be opened here, informed Akshay Kumar Public Relation Officer CTPS. DVCs Senior Manager (Finance) Rakesh Ranjan and Deputy Manager (Distribution) Abhijit Gorai said, We are struggling since past two years to open a Center at Chandrapura. Our positive efforts realised and the Executive Secretary of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, Kamal Gurumurthy has given permission on 23 August this year to open a Center here. Besides other states of the country, the Institute of Cost Accountants of India is located in Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro and Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Now the poor students of Chandrapura would be able to study the cost and management accountant, said Akshay. The students who completed their Intermediate education or +2 educations will only be able to enroll for the course, he informed. The office bearers of the financial department, LP Gupta, Deputy Manager Abhijeet Gorai, Manoj Singh, Sunil Sinha, senior manager Suman Kumar including others were played a vital role in making the work success, he added. Lauding the initiatives of CTPSs finance department staffs the DVC management has given assurance to provide all sorts of support in establishing this institution earliest, said Akshay. A Congress leader from Haryana was detained by Gandhi Nagar police after 13 live cartridges were recovered from his possession at Raja Bhoj International Airport of the State capital in the early morning hours on Tuesday. After cartridges were recovered Congressmen from Haryana Jagbir Singh was banned from boarding the flight he was scheduled to take for Delhi. The CISF personnel informed Gandhi Nagar police and Singh was arrested for possession of arms illegal. However, Singh provided documents of permission which he obtained over Whatsapp send by his family members but it was found that the permission of carrying firearms was limited in his district only and he could not carry firearms outside his district. Deputy Commandant (CISF) Virendra Singh said that a passenger was found carrying 13 live cartridges who was scheduled to board Delhi flight was detained and police were informed for further investigation. SHO of Gandhi Nagar police Praveen Chouhan failed to provide any valid document of cartridges. The accused is a resident of Jind in Haryana and came to the state capital to attend the procession of Congress President Rahul Gandhi and while on his way back to Delhi he was nabbed with live cartridges. After the preliminary investigation police registered a case of Arms Act against Jagbir and later he was produced in the court where he was granted bail and later released. It was found that Jagbir is active party member in Haryana and has been appointed as Congress observer of Sheopur district. With the festive season inching closer, the Kolhan administration is not willing to take any chances whatsoever with regard to the Maoist activities. Deputy inspector general, Kolhan, Kuldeep Dwivedi presided over a high-level meeting of senior cops from Odisha and West Bengal along with superintendents of police of different districts to review the law and order situation. East Singhbhum Senior SP Anoop Birtharay Superintendent of police Seraikela-Kharsawan, Chandan Kumar Sinha respectively, and senior police officers from Purulia and Mayurbhanj district. Talking to the newsmen, the DIG, Dwivedi, said the meeting was aimed at working in co-ordinated way against the CPI-Maoist rebels in Kolhan and also in the bordering districts. "During the meeting the officials of police and paramilitary forces exchanged of information regarding the naxals movement in areas of concern like Ghatshila, Patamda, Nimdih, Chandil, Saranda, and Kiriburu in Kolhan areas with Purulia, Burdwan and West Midnapore districts in Bengal and also with Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts in Odisha," said the DIG. He said they decided to ensure that the police or para-military force of any of these three states should not wait for a nod from higher ups for chasing any rebel or squad of rebels who tend to sneak into other state during a special operation. He said such border district co-ordination meeting should be held every month from now on until the rebels are not wiped out. The meeting started at the conference hall of the senior SP, Jamshedpur from 11 am and continued till 4.30 pm. During the meeting the police establishments of the three States decided to set up additional check post in bordering areas. The officials said that additional check posts would be set in bordering areas to put a check on movement of ultras. Adequate security arrangements would be made during elections to curb any untoward incidents. Two persons were found dead under mysterious circumstances, while one was found critically injured in Raj Nagar extension area. The police said it received a call on control room informing them that two persons are lying dead near Raj Nagar extension on Nation Highway (NH) 58 under Sihani Gate police station area of the city. According to the police when it reached the spot, two persons who were identified to be a father son duo by the locals were found dead on the spot while the third one was critically injured and profusely bleeding. The injured person has been identified as the third son of the deceased person. The police took the bodies for postmortem examination and admitted injured at MMG Hospital for treatment. The deceased were identified as Nathhu Singh (55) and his 35 year old his son. The injured person is identified as the third son of Nathhu by the local residents. Police suspect a family conflict behind the incident. Since the third member of the family is critically injured it is not possible to question him at this time, said the Circle Office (CO)-II Atish Kumar of Ghaziabad police. For quite some time now, speculations are rife that firebrand tribal leader and Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey will join the Congress on September 19 in New Delhi leaving his maiden party, JMM. Tirkey is not only known as a prominent tribal leader, but also a revolutionary and anti-eviction campaigner among the tribals. He has a special image among the tribal people here. Though due to his popularity, he has managed to get elected as MLA from Biramitrapur Assembly constituency consecutively for last two terms on his own strength, but since last couple of months, speculations are rife over his future political affiliation. It may be mentioned here that in the year 1995, leaving the job of SBI, Tirkey had contested for the first time on JMM ticket from Birmitrapur constituency, while the demand for a separate Jharkhand State was at its peak. S ince then, he has never looked back to raise his voices for the cause of tribals. In 2000 election, he also was elected on JMM ticket for the second time. Even in the first Zilla Parishad election in 1997, his party got overwhelming victory and formed ZP with the support of Congress. And later on, his party candidates won in all 11 wards of the Birmitrapur Municipality. But his political career got a twist after formation of separate Jharkhand State in 2000 consisting 18 districts of Bihar where no area from Odisha was included and in course of time, due to his aggressive stand, he was arrested and put behind the bars for more than a month. Finally, before 2004 election, he left the JMM and joined the BJD. There were talks in the political circle then that for avoiding further arrest and legal problem, he joined the BJD. But Tirkey had said that as there was no relevance of Jharkhand movement after the formation of a separate Jharkhand State, he left the JMM and joined the BJD to work for the tribals in a better manner. After joining the BJD, he became its district president and succeeded to rehabilitate his close aides in various positions. But while in 2004 election, he was denied party ticket, he contested from the Birmitrapur Assembly seat and the Sundargarh lok Sabha seat independently and lost both. Despite this, the BJD had not taken any disciplinary action against him. But his relationship with the BJD turned sour when he openly criticised the State Government on the Kalinga Nagar issue on January 2, 2006 where 14 agitating tribals were gunned down by the police and subsequently, he joined with the tribal agitators who disrupted the railway services for 36 hours on Howrah-Mumbai line due to economic blockade. Finally, he was suspended from the BJD and Tirkey formed his own George Sena. In 2009, he won as MlA, Birmitrapur, as an Independent candidate. Besides expanding his activities to other parts of the State, Tirkey joined hands with activist Prafulla Samantra and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy and was involved in a campaign against anti-displacement. He fought for protecting the interest of farmers and implementing the PESA in scheduled areas. In 2013, Tirkey and Tripathy formed the Samata Kranti Party and he became its president. But in 2014 election, only he was elected from his party and a sole party MLA in the Assembly. Tirkey has been involved in several campaigns for the tribals under the banner of Sundargarh Mulabasi Adivasi Surakshya Manch. Yet, he is facing more than two dozens of cases lodged in different police stations and many of his aides were also arrested. Despite this he never scared to raise his voices for the cause of tribals vehemently. He rejoined JMM with his hundreds of supporters in December, 2017 in Ranchi in presence of Sibu Soren. Reacting to this decision Tirkey had said, In the last 25 years of his political career, he did not find any of the political parties which could protect jal, jangal and zameen of the tribal people, except Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) due to which he made up his mind to rejoin. Mohey-Manyavar, the exclusive retail brand from Vedant Fashions Pvt Ltd, Indias leading manufacturers of ethnic wear, launched their 3rd store in Ranchi on Tuesday. The company opened their 12th celebration wear store in the State of Jharkhand. Aiming to up the consumer experience quotient, the new store will provide a personalized experience to the consumers. The Mohey-Manyavar store promises to be the one stop destination presenting an exquisite range of ethnic designs catering to both men and women for various occasions. Kumar Saurabh, Chief Business Officer, Vedant Fashions, said, Our brand has a unique mix of modernity and tradition, suited for every occasion and special moment for the new age consumers. Our aim is to reach out to as many consumers we can in the coming years offering them our unique brand experience. - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." Ahead of Assembly polls, farmers from across the State under banner of National Farmers Council gathered at Idgahbhata ground here on Tuesday to stage a demonstration to press for their charter of demands. Some of the farmers hailed from southern Chhattisgarhs Bastar region. The charter of demands of the farmers include loan waiver, enforcement of Swaminathan Commission recommendations with immediate effect, providing back the tractors seized by financial institutions, declaring Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2500 per quintal, providing 150% of the production cost for all the crops. Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad president, Praveen Togadia especially arrived in the city to extend support to the farmers. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Tuesday said a 'Hindu Rashtra' does not mean it has no place for Muslims as this concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions. "The Sangh works towards universal brotherhood and the cardinal principle of this brotherhood is unity in diversity. This thought comes from our culture, which the world calls Hindutva. That's why we call it a Hindu Rashtra," he said. Asserting that the RSS' philosophy is to take everyone along, he said, "Hindu Rashtra doesn't mean there's no place for Muslims. The day it is said so, it won't be Hindutva any more. Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam." Hindutva is the essence of Indian cultural values and is aimed at fostering brotherhood among people of different faiths and views, Bhawat said on the second day of his three-day lecture series here. The RSS chief said that in one of his speeches in the constituent assembly, B R Ambedkar talked about universal brotherhood and emphasised on promoting fraternity among countrymen. Ambedkar also talked about ensuring the dignity of individuals and the integrity of the nation, he said. Bhagwat said Hindutva is synonymous with the concept of Bhartiya, which is used to define all Indians and is reflective of unity in diversity. The Sangh also believes in the same universal brotherhood and it is based on the idea of unity in diversity. This idea comes from an ideology which world describes as of Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said, drawing a parallel between the RSS's ideology and Ambedkar's suggestion. Describing Hindu Rashtra, the saffron organisation's head said the concept is inclusive of all faiths and religions as it is based on Hindutva. The Sangh believes in Sarvepi Sukhinah Santu, which goes beyond the concept of 'maximum good of maximum people', he said, adding that no single language or God bind us together. "We (people of India) are divided in various states, languages and castes. In spite of this, we claim to be the progeny of Bharat Mata and the followers of universal human values," he said. Bhagwat spoke at length about Hindus and Hindutva. He said Dr Ambedkar suggested that religion is not a code but a set of values and Hindutva is based on that set of values. Citing the example of a Muslim player who was facilitated by Hindus in 1881, Bhagwat said even believers of Islam had said that there methodology of worship might be different, but they were sons of 'Bharat Mata' only. Representatives of the foreign missions of the US, Singapore, Germany, Japan and Serbia among others attended the RSS chief's lecture Tuesday. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Giriraj Singh and Vijay Sampla, KC Tyagi of the JD(U), retired judges and former army commanders were also in attendance. 5 hours ago Storied General Electric to split into 3 public companies General Electric, the storied American manufacturer that struggled under its own weight after growing to become a sprawling conglomerate, will divide itself into three public companies focused on aviation, healthcare and energy. It is the culmination of an arduous, years-long reshaping of a symbol of American manufacturing might that could signal the end of conglomerates as a whole. Read Article Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions Read More Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at A13.7bn (British Land share: A10.3bn) as at 30 September 2020 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles - Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 65% of our portfolio. Our Retail portfolio is focused on retail parks and shopping centres, and accounts for 31% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 53 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. In April 2016 British Land received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK's highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years. Read More According to analysts' consensus price target of $22.00, NavSight has a forecasted downside of 11.8% from its current price of $24.95. NavSight has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 3.00, and is based on 1 buy rating, no hold ratings, and no sell ratings. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes NavSight has received 282 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes NavSight has received 176 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment NavSight has received 61.57% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about NavSight and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe NSH will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe NSH will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Speaking September on 14 in Lithuania, German Chancellor Angela Merkel accused Moscow of destabilizing situation in the post-Soviet space. "We see that almost all former Soviet republics that are not part of the EU and NATO are affected by the conflicts provoked by Russia," Merkel said. All these countries, according to head of German government, have problems restoring their territorial integrity, since Russia "separated parts of these territories" by "provoking conflicts." "I recently visited Georgia, and it simply lost parts of its territory - South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Moldova has problem with Transnistria, there's also issue of Eastern Ukraine. Armenia and Azerbaijan are dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. So all these countries are trying to restor their territorial integrity, "Angela Merkel said. Chancellor's rhetoric when it comes Moscow is nothing new, it's similar to overall western approach to secession conflicts in the post-Soviet space. However, there's interesting shift in Germany's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The thing is that Merkel's statement is somewhat strange due to the fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is usually viewed differently compared to conflicts in Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine. Even in recent past, Western politicians preferred to view Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Donbass/Crimea in the same way, so there was similar position on all these conflicts - unquestionable necessity of restoration of integrity of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. When it comes to Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, West's position wasn't as clear - politicians always said that the OSCE Minsk Group is responsible for the conflict settlement, that dialogue is needed, all kinds of other statements were made, but all these statements were very ambigous. In general, the West had similar attitude towards both occupying (Armenia) and occupied (Azerbaijan) sides. There were several reasons for that: the West wants to keep the door open for Christian Armenia, hoping that anti-Russian sentiments will grow at all levels of society and government. In order to take Yerevan out of Russia's orbit of influence, the European Union and the US are ready to turn a blind eye to Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani territories - especially since Baku itself doesn't want to take pro-Western or anti-Russian stance, unlike Tbilisi, Kiev or Chisinau. However, in her recent statement, Angela Merkel mentioned the Nagorno-Karabakh problem along with other territorial conflicts. Perhaps during her visit to Baku Merkel was informed about Azerbaijan's position that it's unacceptable to apply double standards when it comes to the Karabakh issue. Moreover, as a demonstration of its position on this matter, Azerbaijanis didn't allow deputy of the Bundestag and Armenian lobbyist Albert Weiler to enter the country. He visited South Caucasus as part of parliamentary delegation, accompanying Merkel. He was denied entry for repeatedly visiting Nagorno-Karabakh without previous agreements with Azerbaijani authorities. And yet Baku should have no illusions and expect any serious changes in Western policy. After all, even now Merkel didn't blame Armenia for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but Russia. How else can you understan the phrase "...Armenia and Azerbaijan are dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, so all these countries are working on restoration of their territorial integrity"? This statement is essentially nothing more than an awkward attempt to not offend Armenian side. After all, when it comes to Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, only one country restores its territorial integrity - Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, not Armenian, it's recognized that it's under occupation, and famous resolutions of the UN Security Council say that it's occupied territory that belongs to Azerbaijan. So what did she mead by "all these countries"? Merkel definetely understands everything, but she tries to shift responsibility for Armenia's occupation policy to Russia. Of course, there are various assessments of Moscow's role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - including extremely negative for the Russian Federation, which maintains allied relations with Armenia. However, Armenian forces are in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was confirmed by German government in response to parliamentary request of the Left faction. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sends his son to serve in Nagorno-Karabakh, trying to present it as a "peace gesture". Saying that Moscow is responsible for such situation, but not say that Armenia is a direct occupant is nonsense. As long as Germany and other EU countries will adjust their approaches to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for the sake of their own foreign policy interests, and not international law, their criticism of Moscow seems simply unfair. And if they support territorial integrity of Azerbaijan solely in the context of confrontation betweeb the West and Russia, then it would be unreasonable to rely on them. In the end, it's necessary to understand that neither Russia, nor the European Union, nor the United States will return occupied territories to Azerbaijan. This goal can be achieved only by Azerbaijan itself, by strengthening its economic, diplomatic and military potential. There is not enough analysis data for Enel Generacion Chile. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes Enel Generacion Chile has received 205 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Enel Generacion Chile has received 122 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Enel Generacion Chile has received 62.69% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Enel Generacion Chile and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe EOCC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe EOCC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next There is not enough analysis data for Greencore Group. 4.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Greencore Group has received 105 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Greencore Group has received 68 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Greencore Group has received 60.69% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Greencore Group and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe GNCGY will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe GNCGY will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next There is not enough analysis data for Hudson's Bay. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 521 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 295 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Hudson's Bay has received 63.85% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Hudson's Bay and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HBC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HBC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next A half a year ago, the deputies of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved a bill on providing commercial rail transit of special cargo through Kazakhstan in connection with the US participation in the efforts to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. This has provoked rumors that the US Navy is using the Kazakh ports on the Caspian Sea. However, yesterday, the head of the Ministry of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev said that Kazakhstan would not allow the presence of foreign military bases in the region, calling rumors a fake. As Mainstream Weekly writes in the article Caspian Sea: Long-awaited Agreement Reached, on August 12, 2018 a meeting was held in the Central Asias port city of Aqtau in Kazakhstan when all the five states of the Caspian signed a new convention on its (Cospians) legal status. There are multiple factors which makes this event of global significance. Firstly, this is an important geopolitical development considering the fact that the Caspian is surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. The Caspian has also geographical significance being located in the Eurasian region and not linked to any ocean. Secondly, equally important is the fact that there have been ongoing disputes among these states on the water-sharing of the Caspian, which is very rich in energy resources. After the signing of the convention this issue was resolved. Thirdly, while it was known that the Caspian has energy resources, explorations, including by global oil giants, made during the last two decades, have enhanced and proved the availability of immense hydrocarbon resources in it. This has increased the status and role of the Caspian Sea in the international energy sector and at the same time intensified differences among the countries for acquiring and controlling the energy resources. As per latest reports, the Caspian has resources worth trillions of dollars of hydrocarbons in the seabed, which holds about 50 billion barrels of oil and nearly nine trillion cubic meters of natural gas in proven or probable reserves. Fourthly, during the last two decades the Caspian has become a scene of Great Game between Russia and the West. Being its southern underbelly, Russia wanted to retain and sustain its geo-economic and geo-political interests in the Caspian. But for the West the breakup of the former Soviet Union gave it an opportunity to enter the Caspian region. Azerbaijan being sovereign and independent, has taken advantage of promoting its own national interest with close relations with the West and exporting oil from the Caspian to the West and particularly European countries. Hence this agreement might give additional advantage for Azerbaijan. Turkmenistan has succeeded in increasing exports of oil and gas to many countries including China and earn much-needed petro-dollars. Fifthly, the consensus about the Caspian Sea might enhance economic activities of the littoral states. Apart from exploitation and export of oil, trade and shipping will increase. This was specifically mentioned by the Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbaev, and Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, since both stressed the trade links that would surely expand with greater shipping across the Caspian. More importantly, both Nazarbaev and Aliev spoke of a new trade bridge between Asia and Europe. This is understandable since both these countries have close political and economic ties with the West. But the Iranian President, Rohani, stressed the potential of railway connections from the eastern and western side of the Caspian to Iran and on to the Persian Gulf and trade among the neighboring countries. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has been supportive of trade with the Eastern countries. Thus there are differences in perspective since both Iran and Russia have strained relations with some Western countries. Russia has been a victim of economic sanctions by the USA and some West European countries for its alleged annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the US President, Donald Trump, has been vehement on economic sanctions on Iran on issues relating to nuclear testing. For India the Caspian issue has relevance as well. India has been importing oil from Iran and Russia on a large scale. The Caspian issue assumes great significance for India since the project proposal of North-South Corridor of linking Indian Ocean with the Caspian Sea will immensely boost Indias trade and economic ties with Russia and the Central Asian countries by reducing the time and cost of shipping to a great extent. There is not enough analysis data for Paragon Shipping. 4.4 Community Rank Outperform Votes Paragon Shipping has received 207 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Paragon Shipping has received 102 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Paragon Shipping has received 66.99% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Paragon Shipping and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe PRGNF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe PRGNF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next The following companies are subsidiares of Pentair: Aplex Industries Inc., Aqua Membranes Inc. , Aquion, Aquion (Xi'an) Water Treatment Equipment Co. Ltd., Aquion Hong Kong Limited, Aquion Inc., Be the Change Labs Inc., Bylin Engineered Systems Inc, Century Mfg. Co., Chansuba Pumps Private Limited , Clean Process Technologies, ClearWater Tech L.L.C., ETE Coliban Pty Limited, Enviro Water Solutions LLC, Epps Ltd., Erico Global, Everpure Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, FARADYNE Motors (Suzhou) Co. Ltd , Faradyne Motors LLC , FilterSoft LLC, Fleck Controls Inc., Goyen Controls Co. Pty. Limited, Goyen Valve LLC, Greenspan Environmental Technology Pty Ltd, Haffmans B.V., Haffmans North America Inc., Hawley Group Canada Limited, Holding Nijhuis Pompen B.V., Hypro EU Limited, Infinite Water Solutions Private Limited, Jung Pumpen GmbH, Ken's Beverage, Lincoln Automotive Company, MECAIR S.r.L., McNeil (Ohio) Corporation, Milperra Developments Pty Limited, Mobile Pool Builder Inc., Moraine Properties LLC, Nano Terra Inc., Nijhuis Pompen B.V., Nuheat, PES Pty Ltd, PFAM Inc., PTG Accessories Corp., Panthro Acquisition Co., Pelican Holding Corporation, Pentair (NZ) Limited, Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems Inc., Pentair Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pentair Canada Inc., Pentair Clean Process Technologies India Private Limited, Pentair Denmark Holding ApS, Pentair Environmental Systems Limited, Pentair Epsilon Limited, Pentair Federal Pump LLC, Pentair Filtration Sales & Service Company LLC, Pentair Filtration Solutions LLC, Pentair Finance Group GmbH, Pentair Finance Holding GmbH, Pentair Finance S.a.r.l., Pentair Flow Control International Pty Limited, Pentair Flow Services AG, Pentair Flow Technologies LLC, Pentair Flow Technologies Pacific Pty Ltd, Pentair Flow Technologies de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Pentair France SARL, Pentair Germany GmbH, Pentair Global Holdings B.V., Pentair Global S.a.r.l., Pentair Group (Thailand) Limited , Pentair Holdings Inc., Pentair Holdings S.a.r.l., Pentair Housing Inc., Pentair Housing LP, Pentair Inc., Pentair International (UK) Ltd, Pentair International Holding S.a.r.l., Pentair International Sarl, Pentair Investments Switzerland GmbH, Pentair Ireland Limited, Pentair Janus Holding LLC, Pentair Janus Holdings, Pentair Kenya Limited, Pentair Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Pentair Management Company, Pentair Manufacturing Belgium BV, Pentair Manufacturing Italy S.r.L., Pentair Middle East FZE, Pentair Nanosoft US Holdings LLC, Pentair Netherlands Euro Finance B.V., Pentair Netherlands Finance B.V., Pentair Netherlands Holding B.V., Pentair Pacific Rim (Water) Limited, Pentair Pacific Rim Limited, Pentair Philippines Inc., Pentair Residential Filtration LLC, Pentair Sales LLC, Pentair Services France S.A.S., Pentair Sudmo GmbH, Pentair Tamimi LLC, Pentair Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Pentair Transport Inc., Pentair Tubing Limited, Pentair UK Group Limited, Pentair UK Holdings Limited, Pentair US LLC 1, Pentair US LLC 2, Pentair US LP, Pentair Valves & Controls del Uruguay S.A., Pentair Water (Suzhou) Company Ltd., Pentair Water Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pentair Water Australia Pty Ltd, Pentair Water Belgium BV, Pentair Water Brazil LLC, Pentair Water France SAS, Pentair Water Group Inc., Pentair Water Holdings LLC, Pentair Water India Private Limited, Pentair Water Italy S.r.l., Pentair Water LLC, Pentair Water Latinamerica S.A., Pentair Water Operations Australia Pty Ltd, Pentair Water Polska Sp.zoo, Pentair Water Pool and Spa Inc., Pentair Water Proces Technologie Holding B.V., Pentair Water Process Technology B.V., Pentair Water Purification Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Pentair Water Spain S.L., Pentair Water Treatment (OH) Company, Pentair Water Treatment Company, Pentair Water Treatment Private Limited, Pentair Water do Brasil Ltda., Pentair Water-Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Penwald Insurance Company, Pigeon Point Systems Inc., Plymouth Products Inc., Porous Media Corp., Procam Controls Inc., Rocean, Seneca Enterprises Co., Sta-Rite Industries LLC, Sta-Rite de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Sta-Rite de Puerto Rico Inc., Surface Logix LLC, Tupelo Real Estate LLC, Tyco Flow Control, Union Engineering (NingBo) Co. Ltd., Union Engineering A/S, Union Engineering Holding II A/S, Union Engineering Holding LLC, Union Engineering Latam Ltda, Union Engineering North America LLC, Urban Organics Pentair Group LLC, Urban Organics Schmidt Real Estate Group LLC, Urban Organics St. Paul LLC, Voltea Ltd., Water Ingenuity Holdings Corp., Webster Electric Company LLC, Wicor Industries (Australia) Pty. Ltd., and X-Flow B.V.. Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE:TLRD) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March, 18th. The company reported ($0.46) EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks' consensus estimate of ($0.54) by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $690.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $708.46 million. Tailored Brands had a negative net margin of 14.39% and a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 138.49%. The firm's revenue was down 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.28) EPS. View Tailored Brands' earnings history. There is not enough analysis data for Dividend 15 Split Corp. II. 5.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Dividend 15 Split Corp. II has received 4 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Dividend 15 Split Corp. II has received 1 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Dividend 15 Split Corp. II has received 80.00% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Dividend 15 Split Corp. II and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe DF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe DF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Today, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu signed with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar a Memorandum of Understanding on Stabilization of the Situation in the Idlibs De-escalation Zone. The head of the Russian military department assured that there would be no new military operation in the Syrian province. The Sochi negotiations were preceded by the tense meetings on the inter-Syrian settlement in Astana, Istanbul, and Tehran. As Al-Jazeera writes in the article Erdogan, Putin to hold talks in Sochi over Idlib situation, Syrian government has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive on Idlib province, long controlled by various armed opposition groups and their last bastion in the war-torn country. Russia and Iran, who back the Syrian government, want to eliminate what they call "terrorist groups" in the province, which neighbours Turkey. Ankara wants a stable ceasefire in the region to disarm these groups while keeping the peace in Idlib. The UN warns that a full offensive on Idlib would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century". On Sunday, Erdogan said that he expected his meeting with Putin to have positive outcomes in order to prevent a humanitarian tragedy in Idlib. "The outcome of our meeting with Putin will be important. I also have visits to the United Nations General Assembly and Germany towards the end of the month. It is my wish that, with positive decisions made at these meetings, we will carry out the situation [in Idlib] to a new level. If the situation in Idlib continues as is, the results will be heavy,'' said Erdogan. On Friday, a meeting of the assistants to the leaders of Russia, Germany, Turkey and France dedicated to Syria was held in Istanbul. Yury Ushakov, the presidential aide, Ibrahim Kalin, the official representative of the Turkish president, Philippe Etienne, the adviser to the French president, and Jan Hecker, the foreign policy adviser to the German Chancellor, participated in the negotiations. They agreed that any attack on Syria's rebel-held Idlib would have severe results and a political solution must be reached. Meanwhile, the head of the Duma International Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, called Idlib "a black hole. We understand the baselessness of accusations of using chemical weapons by Bashar Assads regime. The Assad regime does not have chemical weapons, especially in Idlib. the most complex zone of de-escalation in the history of the Syrian conflict and the last stronghold of the large-scale terrorist forces. But this does not stop Americans. There was Vietnam in1968. In 2003, Colin Powell shook some sort of a test tube, after which the US invasion began in Iraq. They made Iraq a country without a state and shamefacedly confessed to the world that they did not find any chemical weapons, but the regime was destroyed and the Iraqi leader was executed. The same thing is happening now in Syria. The provocations over chemical weapons are used by Washington for 50 years. Slutsky promised to inform about this at all possible international venues: "If we go to Syria in this parliamentary semester, then, like a year ago, we will invite representatives of parliaments of different countries and interparliamentary structures to see what the ceasefire regime is , what is the reconciliation of the warring parties and what are its mechanisms. In all that concerns Idlib, possible provocations with chemical weapons can not be ruled out. But the main thing (coordinated, including between Moscow and Ankara) is the action of the anti-terror armed forces in order to oust the international terrorist groups from the provinces. I dare to assume from our previous experience in Syria that this will happen in the remaining months of this year." The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! 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Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH. There is not enough analysis data for Hertz Global. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Hertz Global has received 516 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Hertz Global has received 279 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Hertz Global has received 64.91% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Hertz Global and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HTZ will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HTZ will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Invesco S&P International Developed Low Volatility ETF's stock was trading at $29.20 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IDLV stock has increased by 9.9% and is now trading at $32.08. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Manisha Singh recently announced Washington is working on a second round of very severe sanctions on Russia, since Moscow has not allowed on-site chemical weapons inspections. The Russian government recalled that the Russian Federation completed destruction of its chemical arsenals under strict international control as far back as September 2017 and called on the US to destroy its own arsenal of chemical weapons. For several years Washington and Brussels have accused Moscow of interference with Ukraine's internal affairs, introducing restrictive measures. Today there is another wave of Washington's sanctions against Russia over the Skripal case. Moscow considers holding dialogue using the language of sanctions as counterproductive. "The defectness, artificiality and unreasonableness of any sanctions, including those currently being imposed on Russia, are obvious. They are used in order to deform the image of the Russian Federation in the world information and political space. The problem is fostered on the eve of the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly, which I will attend as a member of the delegation approved by the Russian president," the chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, said. In his opinion, only the lazy in the U.S. did not blame Russia for interfering in the presidential elections: "We have already been sanctioned. Today, once again, such a bill was signed to create a legal framework in order to pick up glasses and plug mouths to those who try to play the card of Trump as friend of Russia. Thus, the legislative base was created for those wrong things that are happening to us, over absolutely false accusations. An extra sanction package wouldn't actually make a difference. But confidence in the United States will begin to decline. If such sanctions as the closure of accounts in U.S. banks are widespread, people will stop accumulate savings in the countries which face a potential, theoretical danger of imposing any sanctions." Slutsky believes that "the flywheel, untwisted against Russia by the Obama administration, rotates to the same destructive direction during Trump's presidency, and at a far greater rate." The chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs promised: "We will continue to work with the congressmen, we will gnaw out common sense bit by bit. The Congress is scared, hunching shoulders, but somehow they understand the archaism, defectness and unreasonableness of these sanctions. It gives us hope for the development of interparliamentary cooperation with the Congress, no matter how difficult and utopian it may sound today." Meanwhile, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Alexis Rodzianko, told RIA Novosti that in the case of Washington's new sanctions and Moscow's retaliation steps, U.S. companies may completely withdraw from Russia. In his opinion, restrictive measures in the banking sector, rail transportation and the purchase of gas may de facto render fabrication unviable on the territory of Russia. The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. 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Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. There is not enough analysis data for BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust has received 123 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust has received 59 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust has received 67.58% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BGT will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BGT will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read More The 27th International Food Exhibition WorldFood Moscow, which is called the largest food business platform in Russia, is being held in Moscow. The organizers say that this is a unique opportunity in presenting products to a wide audience of specialists, finding new partners and customers, as well as getting acquainted with new products on the Russian market. More than 1500 companies from Russia and other countries of the world are taking part in the exhibition. "The exhibition is developing, it has its own face. We used to come here to see foreign products, to think about how to make all this happen in Russia. Now a lot of products are produced in Russia. It does not mean that Russia is closed to other goods. But like any other country which produces a lot of things, it should also buy a lot," head of Rosselkhoznadzor Sergey Dankvert believes. Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee for Agrarian and Food Policy Sergei Lisovsky noted that despite growing political tension in the world, the number of foreign exhibitors is increasing. "We will improve our legislation in terms of improving the work of investors in Russia. Come here, we are ready to provide you with every opportunity to produce food products in Russia and create comfortable conditions for our producers to export our products," Sergey Lisovsky promises. For the second year in a row Azerbaijan is the partner country here. "Probably, this is natural, because we are neighbors and friends. We believe that it is a unique opportunity to bring together salespeople and marketeers from many countries of the world in our geographical space," Azerbaijani ambassador to Moscow Polad Bulbul oglu is convinced. 65 countries are taking part in the exhibition. The largest expositions this year were presented by China, Italy, South Africa, but Azerbaijan's stand is one of the most notable. It presents fruits and vegetables, confectionery, dried fruit, tea, water, alcoholic beverages. "The stand is very good. You can feel the embodiment of Eastern culture in it, and Azerbaijan has a very rich culture. The country is rapidly developing in the European direction. The stand represents the culture and essence of Azerbaijan," Sam Mousavi, a representative of the Safran Foods company from Ecuador told Vestnik Kavkaza. "More than 30 Azerbaijani exporters and manufacturers are represented at our stand. The visitors are showing great interest in our stand. We will be glad to support this exhibition, because it gives very good practical results," acting president of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) Yusif Abdullayev said. WorldFood Moscow 2018 is open for visitors at the Expocentre exhibition complex until September 20. There is not enough analysis data for Hansteen. 2.9 Community Rank Outperform Votes Hansteen has received 208 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Hansteen has received 263 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Hansteen has received 55.84% underperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Hansteen and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HSTN will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HSTN will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America; Canada; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia Pacific; and Corporate and Other. The U.S. and Latin America segment markets individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The Canada segment offers individual life reinsurance, and to a lesser extent creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment serves individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Asia Pacific segment comprises individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability, and superannuation thr Read More iShares S&P 500 ETF's stock was trading at $275.41 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IVV stock has increased by 70.2% and is now trading at $468.70. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The following companies are subsidiares of Marsh & McLennan Companies: 8WORKS INC., 8WORKS LTD, A. Constantinidi & CIA. S.C., A.C.N. 000 951 146 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 001 572 961 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 076 935 683 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 102 322 574 Pty Limited, ACE Insurance Agents Limited, ACE Insurance Consultants Limited, ACE Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Limited, AD Corretora de Seguros, AFCO Premium Acceptance Inc., AFCO Premium Credit LLC, Access Equity Enhanced Fund GP LLC, Admiral Holdings Limited, Agnew Higgins Pickering & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH. Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th Read More Tate & Lyle PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides ingredients and solutions to the food, beverage, and other industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, other European countries, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Food & Beverage Solutions, Sucralose, and Primary Products. The company offers texturants; nutritive sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup and dextrose; health and wellness ingredients; and stabilizers. It also provides industrial starches for paper, packaging, and industrial adhesives; acidulants, such as citric acid; and commodities comprising corn gluten feed and meal for animal nutrition, as well as corn oil and ethanol. In addition, the company engages in the treasury and insurance businesses; and provision of research and development services. Tate & Lyle PLC was incorporated in 1903 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Azerbaijans defense minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the ministry visited units stationed in the front line zone and checked the state of combat readiness of military personnel, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message published on its website. Zakir Hasanov visited units located near the settlements that underwent fire by Armenia on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border for several days. He heard reports on the current situation and observed the foremost positions of the enemy. The defense minister got acquainted with the situation in the foremost units and gave specific instructions to the units located along these directions connected with urgent retaliatory actions and the adoption of tougher measures against the shelling of civilians by Armenian troops. Hasanov, meeting with servicemen, inquired about their concerns, social and living conditions, and talked to them at the tea table. ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. The following companies are subsidiares of Banco Santander: 2 & 3 Triton Limited, A & L CF (Guernsey) Limited (f), A & L CF June (2) Limited, A & L CF June (3) Limited, A & L CF March (5) Limited, A & L CF September (4) Limited, AFB SAM Holdings S.L., ALIL Services Limited (b), AN (123) Limited, ANITCO Limited, Abbey Business Services (India) Private Limited, Abbey Covered Bonds (LM) Limited, Abbey National, Abbey National Beta Investments Limited, Abbey National Business Office Equipment Leasing Limited, Abbey National International Limited, Abbey National Nominees Limited, Abbey National PLP (UK) Limited, Abbey National Property Investments, Abbey National Treasury Services Investments Limited, Abbey National Treasury Services Overseas Holdings, Abbey National UK Investments, Abbey Stockbrokers (Nominees) Limited, Abbey Stockbrokers Limited, Ablasa Participaciones S.L., Administracion de Bancos Latinoamericanos Santander S.L., Aduro S.A., Aevis Europa S.L., Afisa S.A., Albert., Aljardi SGPS Lda., Alliance & Leicester, Alliance & Leicester Cash Solutions Limited, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (Derivatives) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (No.2) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments Limited, Alliance & Leicester Limited, Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance Limited, Altamira Santander Real Estate S.A., Alternative Leasing FIL, Amazonia Trade Limited, Amherst Pierpont, Andaluza de Inversiones S.A., Aquanima Brasil Ltda., Aquanima Chile S.A., Aquanima Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aquanima S.A., Arcaz - Sociedade Imobiliaria Portuguesa Lda., Argenline S.A. (b), Asto Digital Limited, Athena Corporation Limited, Atual - Fundo de Invest Multimercado Credito Privado Investimento no Exterior, Atual Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos e Meios Digitais S.A., Autodescuento S.L., Autohaus24 GmbH, Auttar HUT Processamento de Dados Ltda., Aviacion Antares A.I.E., Aviacion Britanica A.I.E., Aviacion Centaurus A.I.E., Aviacion Comillas S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Intercontinental A.I.E., Aviacion Laredo S.L., Aviacion Oyambre S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Real A.I.E., Aviacion Santillana S.L., Aviacion Suances S.L., Aviacion Triton A.I.E., Aymore Credito Financiamento e Investimento S.A., BEN Beneficios e Servicos S.A., BRS Investments S.A., BZW Bank, Banca PSA Italia S.p.A., Banco Bandepe S.A., Banco Madesant - Sociedade Unipessoal S.A., Banco PSA Finance Brasil S.A., Banco Popular, Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A., Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 100740, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 2002114, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso GFSSLPT, Banco Santander - Chile, Banco Santander Consumer Portugal S.A., Banco Santander International, Banco Santander International SA, Banco Santander Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Banco Santander Peru S.A., Banco Santander Rio S.A., Banco Santander S.A., Banco Santander Totta S.A., Banco Santander de Negocios Colombia S.A., Banco de Albacete S.A., Bansa Santander S.A., CCAP Auto Lease Ltd., Canyon Multifamily Impact Fund IV LLC, Capital Street Delaware LP, Capital Street Holdings LLC, Capital Street REIT Holdings LLC, Capital Street S.A., Carfax (Guernsey) Limited (f), Carfinco Financial Group, Carfinco Financial Group Inc., Carfinco Inc., Casa de Bolsa Santander S.A. de C.V. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Cater Allen Holdings Limited, Cater Allen International Limited, Cater Allen Limited, Cater Allen Lloyd's Holdings Limited, Cater Allen Syndicate Management Limited, Centro de Capacitacion Santander A.C., Certidesa S.L., Chrysler Capital Auto Funding I LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Funding II LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Receivables LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 2 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 4 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding LLC, Cobranza Amigable S.A.P.I. de C.V., Community Development and Affordable Housing Fund LLC (g), Compagnie Generale de Credit Aux Particuliers - Credipar S.A., Compagnie Pour la Location de Vehicules - CLV, Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Argentina S.A., Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Iberica S.L. Unipersonal en liquidacion (b), Consulteam Consultores de Gestao Lda., Consumer Lending Receivables LLC, Crawfall S.A. (b), Cantabra de Inversiones S.A., Cantabro Catalana de Inversiones S.A., Darep Designated Activity Company, Decarome S.A.P.I. de C.V., Deva Capital Advisory Company S.L., Deva Capital Holding Company S.L., Deva Capital Investment Company S.L., Deva Capital Management Company S.L., Deva Capital Servicer Company S.L., Digital Procurement Holdings N.V., Diners Club Spain S.A., Direccion Estratega S.C., Dirgenfin S.L. en liquidacion (b), Ebury, El Corte Ingles, Elavon Mexico, Electrolyser S.A. de C.V., Entidad de Desarrollo a la Pequena y Micro Empresa Santander Consumo Peru S.A., Erestone S.A.S., Esfera Fidelidade S.A., Evidence Previdencia S.A., Financeira El Corte Ingles Portugal S.F.C. S.A., Financiera El Corte Ingles E.F.C. S.A., Finsantusa S.L. Unipersonal, First National Motor Business Limited, First National Motor Contracts Limited, First National Motor Facilities Limited, First National Motor Finance Limited, First National Motor Leasing Limited, First National Motor plc, First National Tricity Finance Limited, Fondos Santander S.A. Administradora de Fondos de Inversion (en liquidacion) (b), Fortensky Trading Ltd., Fosse Funding (No.1) Limited, Fosse Master Issuer plc, Fosse Trustee (UK) Limited, GTS El Centro Equity Holdings LLC, GTS El Centro Project Holdings LLC, Gamma Sociedade Financeira de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Gesban Mexico Servicios Administrativos Globales S.A. de C.V., Gesban Santander Servicios Profesionales Contables Limitada, Gesban Servicios Administrativos Globales S.L., Gesban UK Limited, Gestion de Instalaciones Fotovoltaicas S.L. Unipersonal, Gestion de Inversiones JILT S.A., Gestora de Procesos S.A. en liquidacion (b), Getnet Adquirencia e Servicos para Meios de Pagamento S.A., Global Vosgos S.L. Unipersonal, Grupo Empresarial Santander S.L., Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander SAB de CV, Guaranty Car S.A. Unipersonal, HQ Mobile Limited, Hispamer Renting S.A. Unipersonal, Holbah II Limited, Holbah Santander S.L. Unipersonal, Holmes Funding Limited, Holmes Master Issuer plc, Holmes Trustees Limited, Hyundai Capital Bank Europe GmbH, Iberica de Compras Corporativas S.L., Independence Community Bank Corp., Insurance Funding Solutions Limited, Interfinance Holanda B.V., Inversiones Capital Global S.A. Unipersonal, Inversiones Maritimas del Mediterraneo S.A., Isla de los Buques S.A., Klare Corredora de Seguros S.A., Landcompany 2020 S.L., Langton Funding (No.1) Limited, Langton Mortgages Trustee (UK) Limited, Langton Securities (2008-1) plc, Langton Securities (2010-1) PLC, Langton Securities (2010-2) PLC, Laparanza S.A., Liquidity Limited, Luri 1 S.A. en liquidacion (b) (e), Luri 6 S.A. Unipersonal, Master Red Europa S.L., Mata Alta S.L., Merciver S.L., Mercury TFS, Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.A. de C.V., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.L., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.p.A., Moneybit S.L., Mortgage Engine Limited, Motor 2016-1 PLC, Motor 2017-1 PLC, Mouro Capital I LP, Multiplica SpA, NW Services CO., Naviera Mirambel S.L., Naviera Trans Gas A.I.E., Naviera Trans Iron S.L., Naviera Trans Ore A.I.E., Naviera Trans Wind S.L. (b), Naviera Transcantabrica S.L., Naviera Transchem S.L. Unipersonal, NeoAuto S.A.C., Norbest AS, Novimovest Fundo de Investimento Imobiliario, Open Bank Argentina S.A., Open Bank S.A., Open Digital Market S.L., Open Digital Services S.L., Operadora de Carteras Gamma S.A.P.I. de C.V., Optimal Investment Services SA, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland Euro Fund, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland US Dollar Fund, PBE Companies LLC, PECOH Limited, PI Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., PSA Bank Deutschland GmbH, PSA Banque France, PSA Finance UK Limited, PSA Financial Services Nederland B.V., PSA Financial Services Spain E.F.C. S.A., PSA Renting Italia S.p.A., PagoFX Europe S.A., PagoFX HoldCo S.L., PagoFX UK Ltd, PagoNxt Merchant Solutions S.L., PagoNxt S.L., Parasant SA, Patagon.com, Pereda Gestion S.A., Pingham International S.A., Popular Spain Holding de Inversiones S.L.U., Portal Universia Argentina S.A., Portal Universia Portugal Prestacao de Servicos de Informatica S.A., Prime 16 Fundo de Investimentos Imobiliario, Punta Lima LLC, Punta Lima Wind Farm LLC, Retop S.A., Return Capital Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos S.A., Return Gestao de Recursos S.A., Riobank International (Uruguay) SAIFE (b), Rojo Entretenimento S.A., SAM Asset Management S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, SAM Investment Holdings S.L., SAM UK Investment Holdings Limited (b), SANB Promotora de Vendas e Cobranca Ltda., SCF Eastside Locks GP Limited, SDMX Superdigital S.A. de C.V., SMPS Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A de C.V, Sancap Investimentos e Participacoes S.A., Santander (CF Trustee Property Nominee) Limited, Santander (UK) Group Pension Schemes Trustees Limited, Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 1 S.A., Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 2 S.A., Santander Alternatives SICAV RAIF, Santander Asesorias Financieras Limitada, Santander Asset Finance (December) Limited, Santander Asset Finance plc, Santander Asset Management - S.G.O.I.C. S.A., Santander Asset Management Chile S.A., Santander Asset Management LLC, Santander Asset Management Luxembourg S.A., Santander Asset Management S.A. Administradora General de Fondos, Santander Asset Management S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Asset Management UK Holdings Limited, Santander Asset Management UK Limited, Santander Back-Offices Globales Mayoristas S.A., Santander Banca de Inversion Colombia S.A.S., Santander Bank & Trust Ltd., Santander Bank National Association, Santander Bank Polska S.A., Santander Brasil Administradora de Consorcio Ltda., Santander Brasil Gestao de Recursos Ltda., Santander Brasil Tecnologia S.A., Santander Capital Desarrollo SGEIC S.A. Unipersonal, Santander Capital Structuring S.A. de C.V., Santander Capitalizacao S.A., Santander Cards Ireland Limited, Santander Cards Limited, Santander Cards UK Limited, Santander Chile Holding S.A., Santander Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L4 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L5 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Bank, Santander Consumer Bank AG, Santander Consumer Bank GmbH, Santander Consumer Bank S.A., Santander Consumer Bank S.p.A., Santander Consumer Banque S.A., Santander Consumer Credit Services Limited, Santander Consumer Finance Benelux B.V., Santander Consumer Finance Global Services S.L., Santander Consumer Finance Oy, Santander Consumer Finance S.A., Santander Consumer Finance Schweiz AG, Santander Consumer Financial Solutions Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Finanse Sp. z o.o. (b), Santander Consumer Holding Austria GmbH, Santander Consumer Holding GmbH, Santander Consumer International Puerto Rico LLC, Santander Consumer Leasing GmbH, Santander Consumer Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.L., Santander Consumer Multirent Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Operations Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Receivables 10 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 11 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 3 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 7 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables Funding LLC, Santander Consumer Renting S.L., Santander Consumer S.A., Santander Consumer S.A.S., Santander Consumer Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Services S.A., Santander Consumer Technology Services GmbH, Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc., Santander Consumer USA Inc., Santander Consumo S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Corredora de Seguros Limitada, Santander Corredores de Bolsa Limitada, Santander Corretora de Cambio e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., Santander Corretora de Seguros Investimentos e Servicos S.A., Santander Customer Voice S.A., Santander Digital Assets S.L., Santander Drive Auto Receivables LLC, Santander Equity Investments Limited, Santander Espana Merchant Services Entidad de Pago S.L. Unipersonal, Santander Espana Servicios Legales y de Cumplimiento S.L., Santander Estates Limited, Santander F24 S.A., Santander Facility Management Espana S.L., Santander Factoring S.A., Santander Factoring Sp. z o.o., Santander Factoring y Confirming S.A. E.F.C., Santander Finance 2012-1 LLC, Santander Financial Exchanges Limited, Santander Financial Services Inc., Santander Financial Services plc, Santander Finanse Sp. z o.o., Santander Fintech Holdings S.L., Santander Fintech Limited, Santander Fundo de Investimento SBAC Referenciado di Credito Privado, Santander Gestion de Recaudacion y Cobranzas Ltda., Santander Global Consumer Finance Limited, Santander Global Facilities S.A. de C.V., Santander Global Facilities S.L., Santander Global Operations S.A., Santander Global Services S.A. (b), Santander Global Sport S.A., Santander Global Technology Brasil Ltda., Santander Global Technology Chile Limitada, Santander Global Technology S.L., Santander Global Trade Platform Solutions S.L., Santander Guarantee Company, Santander Holding Imobiliaria S.A., Santander Holding Internacional S.A., Santander Holdings USA Inc., Santander ISA Managers Limited, Santander Inclusion Financiera S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Insurance Agency U.S. LLC, Santander Insurance Services UK Limited, Santander Intermediacion Correduria de Seguros S.A., Santander International Products Plc. (d), Santander Inversiones S.A., Santander Investment Bank Limited, Santander Investment Chile Limitada, Santander Investment I S.A., Santander Investment S.A., Santander Investment Securities Inc., Santander Investments GP 1 S.a.r.l., Santander Inwestycje Sp. z o.o., Santander Lease S.A. E.F.C., Santander Leasing LLC, Santander Leasing S.A., Santander Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil, Santander Lending Limited, Santander Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Operations S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Services S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Uruguay S.A., Santander Merchant Platform SolucoesTecnologicas Brasil Ltda., Santander Merchant S.A., Santander Mortgage Holdings Limited, Santander Paraty Qif PLC, Santander Pensiones S.A. E.G.F.P., Santander Pensoes - Sociedade Gestora de Fundos de Pensoes S.A., Santander Private Banking Gestion S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Private Banking UK Limited, Santander Private Banking s.p.a. in Liquidazione (b), Santander Private Real Estate Advisory & Management S.A., Santander Private Real Estate Advisory S.A., Santander Real Estate S.A., Santander Retail Auto Lease Funding LLC, Santander Rio Asset Management Gerente de Fondos Comunes de Inversion S.A., Santander Rio Trust S.A., Santander Rio Valores S.A., Santander S.A. Sociedad Securitizadora, Santander Secretariat Services Limited, Santander Securities LLC, Santander Seguros y Reaseguros Compania Aseguradora S.A., Santander Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., Santander Servicios Especializados S.A. de C.V., Santander Technology USA LLC, Santander Tecnologia e Inovacao Ltda., Santander Tecnologia Argentina S.A., Santander Tecnologia Espana S.L.U., Santander Tecnologia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Totta SGPS S.A., Santander Totta Seguros Companhia de Seguros de Vida S.A., Santander Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A., Santander Trade Services Limited, Santander UK Group Holdings plc, Santander UK Investments, Santander UK Operations Limited, Santander UK Plc, Santander UK Technology Limited, Santander Wealth Management International SA, Santander de Titulizacion S.G.F.T. S.A., Santusa Holding S.L., Services and Promotions Delaware Corp., Services and Promotions Miami LLC, Servicio de Alarmas Controladas por Ordenador S.A., Servicios de Cobranza Recuperacion y Seguimiento S.A. De C.V., Sheppards Moneybrokers Limited, Shiloh III Wind Project LLC, Sociedad Integral de Valoraciones Automatizadas S.A., Sociedad Operadora de Tarjetas de Pago Santander Getnet Chile S.A., Socur S.A., Sol Orchard Imperial 1 LLC, Solarlaser Limited, Sovereign Community Development Company, Sovereign Delaware Investment Corporation, Sovereign Lease Holdings LLC, Sovereign REIT Holdings Inc., Sovereign Spirit Limited (f), Sterrebeeck B.V., Suleyado 2003 S.L. Unipersonal, Summer Empreendimentos Ltda., Super Pagamentos e Administracao de Meios Eletronicos S.A., Superdigital Argentina S.A.U., Superdigital Colombia S.A.S., Superdigital Holding Company S.L., Superdigital Peru S.A.C., Suzuki Servicios Financieros S.L., Swesant SA, TIMFin S.p.A., TOPSAM S.A de C.V., Taxagest Sociedade Gestora de Participacoes Sociais S.A., Teatinos Siglo XXI Inversiones S.A., The Alliance & Leicester Corporation Limited, The Best Specialty Coffee S.L. Unipersonal, Time Retail Finance Limited (b), Tonopah Solar I LLC, Toque Fale Servicos de Telemarketing Ltda., Tornquist Asesores de Seguros S.A. (b), Totta (Ireland) PLC, Totta Urbe - Empresa de Administracao e Construcoes S.A., Trabajando.com Mexico S.A. de C.V. en liquidacion (b), Trabajando.com Peru S.A.C., Trans Rotor Limited (b), Transolver Finance EFC S.A., Tresmares Growth Fund Santander SCR S.A., Tresmares Santander Direct Lending SICC S.A., Tuttle and Son Limited, Universia Brasil S.A., Universia Chile S.A., Universia Colombia S.A.S., Universia Espana Red de Universidades S.A., Universia Holding S.L., Universia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Universia Peru S.A., Universia Uruguay S.A., Uro Property Holdings SOCIMI S.A., WIM Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., WTW Shipping Designated Activity Company, Wallcesa S.A., Wave Holdco S.L., Waypoint Insurance Group Inc., and Wirecard (Technological Assets). SociAtA GAnArale SociAtA anonyme provides financial services in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and France. The company offers retail banking services, including deposits and loans, vehicles and asset management, corporate finance, insurance, payments, investment, and online brokerage and financial information services; Internet, mobile, telephone, and service platforms; and online banking to individual and professional customers, businesses, non-profit associations and local authorities under the Societe Generale, CrAdit du Nord, and Boursorama Banque brands. It also provides international retail banking and financial services, comprising of deposit and loan products; consumer finance and car finance; mortgage facilities; corporate and investment banking; infrastructure, renewable energies, and agribusiness financing; life, retirement savings, and personal protection insurance products; vehicle leasing and fleet management services; and vendor and equipment finance services to corporate and individual customers. In addition, the company offers capital market services, such as fixed income and currencies, equities, and securities services; mergers and acquisitions, advisory and other corporate finance advisory services, and corporate banking and investment banking, as well as capital raising solutions for debt or equity, financial engineering, and hedging for issuers; transaction and payment services, comprising of cash management, trade finance, cash clearing and correspondent banking, supply chain finance, and foreign exchange services; and export finance, aircraft finance, shipping finance, real estate finance, and structured solutions and leasing. Further, it provides financial engineering and wealth management solutions; structured products, hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity funds and real estate investment solutions; and asset management solutions. SociAtA GAnArale SociAtA anonyme was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Read More Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. is an international offshore energy company. It focuses on subsea construction, maintenance and salvage services to the offshore natural gas and oil industry. The firm also provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. The company operates through three segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities. The Well Intervention segment offers vessels and related equipment that are used to perform well intervention services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea regions. The Robotics segment involves four chartered vessels and also includes ROVs, trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services. The Production Facilities segment includes its investment in the Helix Producer I and Kommandor LLC. Helix Energy Solutions Group was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More Israel's Ambassador to Moscow has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry over the incident with the Russia's Il-20 military aircraft off the coast of Syria, the ministry said in a statement. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Il-20 aircraft had been accidentally downed by Syrian air defenses as the Israeli F-16 jets had been using it as a cover. The ministry added that it considered such actions by Israel to be hostile and reserved the right to take retaliatory steps. Fifteen Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack. iShares S&P SmallCap 600 ETF's stock was trading at $62.31 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IJR shares have increased by 92.9% and is now trading at $120.22. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev appointed his aide Alikhan Smailov as the country's finance minister, continuing a broader government reshuffle. Smailov, 45, had earlier worked as the country's deputy finance minister, deputy foreign minister and head of the state statistics committee. He replaced Bakhyt Sultanov, who this month became mayor of Astana, the capital city, after running the Finance Ministry for almost five years. Nazarbayev also replaced his veteran chief of staff this month, Reuters recalls. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF's stock was trading at $73.25 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EFG shares have increased by 54.7% and is now trading at $113.32. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. At least 21 people were killed in a collision between a passenger bus and a trailer carrying flammable materials in the central Iranian province of Isfahan. The passenger bus was heading from Tehran to Kerman city in the southern part of the country, when the accident took place at 11:30 PM local time on Monday, Javad Dorostkar from Isfahan police office said. According to him, 19 passengers of the bus were killed on the spot, and two others died later in the hospital, ISNA news agency reported. The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited. Tallgrass Energy Partners, LP acquires, owns, develops, and operates midstream energy assets in North America. It operates through Natural Gas Transportation; Crude Oil Transportation; and Gathering, Processing & Terminalling segments. The Natural Gas Transportation segment engages in the ownership and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines and integrated natural gas storage facilities with approximately 4,641 miles of transportation pipelines in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. This segment provides its services to on-system customers, including third-party local distribution companies, industrial users, and other shippers. The Crude Oil Transportation segment engages in the ownership and operation of the Pony Express System, a crude oil pipeline serving the Bakken Shale, Denver-Julesburg, and Powder River Basins, as well as other nearby oil producing basins. The Gathering, Processing & Terminalling segment owns and operates natural gas gathering and processing facilities that produce natural gas liquids (NGLs) and residue gas for sale in local wholesale markets or delivers into pipelines for transportation to additional end markets; and crude oil gathering, storage, and terminalling facilities, as well as engages in the transportation of NGLs, and marketing of crude oil and NGLs. This segment also provides water business services primarily to the oil and gas exploration and production industry. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Leawood, Kansas. Tallgrass Energy Partners, LP operates as a subsidiary of Tallgrass Energy GP, LP. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of MetLife: 1001 PROPERTIES LLC, 10700 WILSHIRE LLC, 1201 TAB MANAGER LLC, 150 NORTH RIVERSIDE PE MEMBER LLC, 1925 WJC OWNER LLC, 23RD STREET INVESTMENTS INC., 500 GRANT STREET ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 500 GRANT STREET GP LLC, 60 11TH STREET LLC, 6104 HOLLYWOOD LLC, AFP GENESIS ADMINISTRADORA DE FONDOS Y FIDECOMISOS S.A., AFP PROVIDA S.A., AGENVITA S.R.L., ALICO EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LIMITED, ALICO HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, ALICO OPERATIONS LLC, ALICO PROPERTIES INC., AMMETLIFE INSURANCE BERHAD, AMMETLIFE TAKAFUL BERHAD, American Life Insurance Company, BEST MARKET S.A., BIDV METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, BLOCK VISION HOLDINGS CORPORATION, BLOCK VISION OF TEXAS INC., BORDERLAND INVESTMENTS LIMITED, BOULEVARD RESIDENTIAL LLC, BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER LLC, CC HOLDCO MANAGER LLC, CHESTNUT FLATS WIND LLC, CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY MASTER D, COMPANIA INVERSORA METLIFE S.A., CORPORATE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC, COVA LIFE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DAVIS VISION INC., DAVISVISION IPA INC., DELAWARE AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, DES MOINES CREEK BUSINESS PARK PHASE II LLC, ECONOMY FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY, ECONOMY PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, ECONOMY PREMIER ASSURANCE COMPANY, EURO CL INVESTMENTS LLC, EXCELENCIA OPERATIVA Y TECNOLOGICA S.A de C.V., FEDERAL FLOOD CERTIFICATION LLC, FORTISSIMO CO. LTD, FUNDACION METLIFE MEXICO A.C., GLOBAL PROPERTIES INC., General American Life Insurance Company, Grand Bank N.A., HASKELL EAST VILLAGE LLC, HIGH STREET SEVENTH AND OSBORN APARTMENTS LLC, HOUSING FUND MANAGER LLC, INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES LIMITED, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO DOS LIMITADA, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO TRES LIMITADA, JOINT-STOCK COMPANY METLIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, LHC HOLDINGS, LHCW HOLDINGS, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING LLC, LHCW HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY, LONG ISLAND SOLAR FARM LLC, LUMENLAB MALAYSIA SDN. BHD., Logan Circle Partners, MARKETPLACE RESIDENCES LLC, MAXIS GBN S.A.S., MC PORTFOLIO JV MEMBER LLC, MCJV LLC, MCMIF HOLDCO I LLC, MCMIF HOLDCO II LLC, MCP - WELLINGTON LLC, MCP 100 CONGRESS MEMBER LLC, MCP 1500 MICHAEL LLC, MCP 1900 MCKINNEY LLC, MCP 2 AMES LLC, MCP 2 AMES ONE LLC, MCP 2 AMES OWNER LLC, MCP 2 AMES TWO LLC, MCP 220 YORK LLC, MCP 22745 & 22755 RELOCATION DRIVE LLC, MCP 249 INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK MEMBER LLC, MCP 3040 POST OAK LLC, MCP 350 ROHLWING LLC, MCP 4600 SOUTH SYRACUSE LLC, MCP 550 WEST WASHINGTON LLC, MCP 60 11TH STREET MEMBER LLC, MCP 7 RIVERWAY LLC, MCP 9020 MURPHY ROAD LLC, MCP 93 RED RIVER MEMBER LLC, MCP ALLEY 24 EAST LLC, MCP ASHTON SOUTH END LLC, MCP BLOCK 23 MEMBER LLC, MCP BRADFORD LLC, MCP BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER 2 MEMBER LLC, MCP BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER BLDG B LLC, MCP BURNSIDE MEMBER LLC, MCP CENTER AVENUE INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, MCP CLAWITER INNOVATION MEMBER LLC, MCP COMMON DESK TRS LLC, MCP DENVER PAVILIONS MEMBER LLC, MCP DILLON LLC, MCP DILLON RESIDENTIAL LLC, MCP ENV CHICAGO LLC, MCP FIFE ENTERPRISE CENTER LLC, MCP FRISCO OFFICE LLC, MCP GRAPEVINE LLC, MCP HIGHLAND PARK LENDER LLC, MCP HUB I LLC, MCP HUB I PROPERTY LLC, MCP LODGE AT LAKECREST LLC, MCP MA PROPERTY REIT LLC, MCP MAGNOLIA PARK MEMBER LLC, MCP MAIN STREET VILLAGE LLC, MCP MOUNTAIN TECHNOLOGY CENTER MEMBER TRS LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS HOLDCO LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS MASTER LESSEE LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS OWNER LLC, MCP ONE WESTSIDE LLC, MCP ONYX LLC, MCP PARAGON POINT LLC, MCP PLAZA AT LEGACY LLC, MCP PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MCP SEATTLE GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL I LLC, MCP SEATTLE GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL II LLC, MCP SEVENTH AND OSBORNE MF MEMBER LLC, MCP SEVENTH AND OSBORNE RETAIL MEMBER LLC, MCP SHAKOPEE LLC, MCP SLEEPY HOLLOW MEMBER LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL ANAHEIM LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL BERNARDO LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL CANYON LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL CONCOURSE LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL FULLERTON LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL KELLWO00OD LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL LAX LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL LOKER LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL REDONDO LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL SPRINGDALE LLC, MCP STATELINE LLC, MCP THE PALMS AT DORAL LLC, MCP TRIMBLE CAMPUS LLC, MCP UNION ROW LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE ONE LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE OWNER LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE TWO LLC, MCP VANCE JACKSON LLC, MCP VINEYARD AVENUE MEMBER LLC, MCP VOA HOLDINGS LLC, MCP VOA I & III LLC, MCP VOA II LLC, MCP WATERFORD ATRIUM LLC, MCP WEST BROAD MARKETPLACE LLC, MCP ENGLISH VILLAGE LLC, MCPF ACQUISITION LLC, MCPF FOXBOROUGH LLC, MCPF NEEDHAM LLC, MCPP OWNERS LLC, MCRE BLOCK 40 LP, MEC HEALTH CARE INC., MET 1065 HOTEL LLC, MET CANADA SOLAR ULC, METLIFE 1007 STEWART LLC, METLIFE 1201 TAB MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MANAGER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 555 12TH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 8280 MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ACOMA OWNER LLC, METLIFE ADMINISTRADORA DE FUNDOS MULTIPATROCINADOS LTDA., METLIFE ALTERNATIVES GP LLC, METLIFE ASHTON AUSTIN OWNER LLC, METLIFE ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., METLIFE ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE ASIA SERVICES SDN. BHD, METLIFE ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., METLIFE ASSIGNMENT COMPANY INC., METLIFE AUTO & HOME INSURANCE AGENCY INC., METLIFE BL FEEDER, METLIFE BL FEEDER LP, METLIFE BORO STATION MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CABO HILTON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAMINO RAMON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAPITAL CREDIT L.P., METLIFE CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST IV, METLIFE CB W/A LLC, METLIFE CC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CHILE ADMINISTRADORA DE MUTUOS HIPOTECARIOS S.A., METLIFE CHILE INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS DE VIDA S.A., METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS GENERALES S.A., METLIFE CHINO MEMBER LLC, METLIFE COLOMBIA SEGUROS de VIDA S.A., METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND GP LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND LP, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE REIT LLC, METLIFE CONSQUARE MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CONSUMER SERVICES INC., METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND LP, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY REIT LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY TRS. LLC, METLIFE CREDIT CORP., METLIFE DIGITAL VENTURES INC., METLIFE EMEKLILIK VE HAYAT A.S., METLIFE EMERGING MARKET DEBT BLEND FUND, METLIFE EU HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE INSURANCE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LLC., METLIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES CO. LTD, METLIFE FM HOTEL MEMBER LLC, METLIFE FUNDING INC., METLIFE GENERAL INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE GLOBAL BENEFITS LTD., METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY I GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY II GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION S.A. De C.V., METLIFE GLOBAL INC., METLIFE GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE GROUP INC., METLIFE HCMJV 1 GP LLC, METLIFE HCMJV 1 LP LLC, METLIFE HEALTH PLANS INC., METLIFE HOLDINGS INC., METLIFE HOME LOANS LLC, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE LIMITED, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE PTE. LTD., METLIFE INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT TRUST, METLIFE INSURANCE BROKERAGE INC., METLIFE INSURANCE K.K., METLIFE INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HF PARTNERS LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND I LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND II LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND III LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND IV LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND V LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VI LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VII LP, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENTS ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS PTY LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS SECURITIES LLC, METLIFE INVESTORS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, METLIFE INVESTORS GROUP LLC, METLIFE IRELAND TREASURY D.A.C., METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND LP, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS LLC, METLIFE LATIN AMERICA ASESORIAS E INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE LEGAL PLANS INC., METLIFE LEGAL PLANS OF FLORIDA INC., METLIFE LHH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE S.A., METLIFE LOAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE MAS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MEMBER SOLAIRE LLC, METLIFE MEXICO HOLDINGS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO S.A., METLIFE MEXICO SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT GP LLC, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL GP LLC, METLIFE MULTI-FAMILY PARTNERS III LLC, METLIFE MUTUAL FUND COMPANY, METLIFE OBS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE OFC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ONTARIO STREET MEMBR LLC, METLIFE PARK TOWER MEMBER LLC, METLIFE PENSION TRUSTEES LIMITED, METLIFE PENSIONES MEXICO S.A., METLIFE PET INSURANCE SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE PLANOS ODONTOLOGICOS LTDA., METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARTZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A., METLIFE PRIVATE EQUITY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE PROPERTIES VENTURES LLC, METLIFE RC SF MEMBER LLC, METLIFE REAL ESTATE LENDING LLC, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF BERMUDA LTD., METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF CHARLESTON, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF VERMONT, METLIFE RETIREMENT SERVICES LLC, METLIFE SAENGMYOUNG INSURANCE COMPANY LTD., METLIFE SECURITIZATION DEPOSITOR LLC, METLIFE SEGUROS S.A., METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FINCO LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FUND LP, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING GP LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING HOLDINGS LP, METLIFE SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE SERVICES CYPRUS LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EAST PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EEIG, METLIFE SERVICES EOOD, METLIFE SERVICES SOCIEDAD LIMITADA, METLIFE SERVICES SP Z.O.O, METLIFE SERVICIOS S.A., METLIFE SLOVAKIA S.R.O. V LIKVIDACII, METLIFE SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD., METLIFE SOLUTIONS S.A.S., METLIFE SP HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN FUND SCSP, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN LUX GP S.A.R.L., METLIFE THR INVESTOR LLC, METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO FUNDUSZY INWESTYCYJNYCH S.A., METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEN NA ZYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A., METLIFE TOWER RESOURCES GROUP INC., METLIFE TREAT TOWERS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, METROPOLITAN CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN DIRECT PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC., METROPOLITAN GROUP PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE SEGUROS E PREVIDENCIA PRIVADA S.A., METROPOLITAN LIFE SOCIETATE de ADMINISTRARE a UNUI FOND de PENSII ADMINISTRAT PRIVAT S.A., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INC., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INSURANCE COMPANY OF TEXAS, METROPOLITAN PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER REALTY COMPANY INC., MEX DF PROPERTIES LLC, MFA FINANCING VEHICLE CTR1 LLC, MIDTOWN HEIGHTS LLC, MIM CLAL GENERAL PARTNER LLC, MIM EMD GP LLC, MIM I LLC, MIM METWEST INTERNATIONAL MANAGER LLC, MIM ML-AI VENTURE 5 MANAGER LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF GEORGIA 1 LLC, MIM THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MANAGER LLC, MISSOURI REINSURANCE INC., ML - URS PORT CHESTER SC MANAGER LLC, ML 300 THIRD MEMBER LLC, ML ARMATURE MEMBER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MANAGER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MEMBER LLC, ML BRIDGESIDE APARTMENTS LLC, ML CAPACITACION COMERCIAL S.A. DE C.V., ML CERRITOS TC MEMBER LLC, ML CLAL MEMBER LLC, ML DOLPHIN GP LLC, ML DOLPHIN MEZZ LLC, ML MATSON MILLS MEMBER LLC, ML MILILANI MEMBER LLC, ML ONE BEDMINSTER LLC, ML PORT CHESTER SC MEMBER LLC, ML SENTINEL SQUARE MEMBER LLC, ML SLOANS LAKE MEMEBR LLC, ML SOUTHLANDS MEMBER LLC, ML SOUTHMORE LLC, ML SWAN GP LLC, ML SWAN MEZZ LLC, ML TERRACES LLC, ML THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, ML VENTURE 1 MANAGER S. DE R. L. DE C.V., ML VENTURE 1 SERVICER LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 1 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 2 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 3 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 4 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 5 LLC, MLIA MANAGER I LLC, MLIA PARK TOWER MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF COLONY MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF MANAGER LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS II LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS LLC, MLIC CB HOLDINGS LLC, MLJ US FEEDER LLC, MM GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER S.A. DE C.V., MMP CEDAR STREET OWNER LLC, MMP CEDAR STREET REIT LLC, MMP HOLDINGS III LLC, MMP OLIVIAN OWNER LLC, MMP OLIVIAN REIT LLC, MMP OWNERS III LLC, MMP OWNERS LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK OWNER LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK REIT LLC, MREF 425 MKT LLC, MSV IRVINE PROPERTY LLC, MTC FUND I LLC, MTC FUND II LLC, MTC FUND III LLC, MTL LEASING LLC, MTU HOTEL OWNER LLC, NATILOPORTEM HOLDINGS LLC, NEWBURY INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, OCONEE GOLF COMPANY LLC, OCONEE HOTEL COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC, OCONEE MARINA COMPANY LLC, OMI MLIC INVESTMENTS LIMITED, PACIFIC LOGISTICS INDUSTRIAL SOUTH LLC, PARK TOWER JV MEMBER LLC, PARK TOWER REIT INC., PJSC METLIFE, PLAZA DRIVE PROPERTIES LLC, PNB METLIFE INDIA INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PREFCO FOURTEEN LLC, PREFCO XIV HOLDINGS LLC, PROVIDA INTERNACIONAL S.A., SAFEGUARD HEALTH ENTERPRISES INC., SAFEGUARD HEALTH PLANS INC., SAFEHEALTH LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, SEVENTH AND OSBORN MF VENTURE LLC, SINO-US UNITED METLIFE INSURANCE CO. LTD., SOUTHCREEK INDUSTRIAL HOLDINGS LLC, ST. JAMES FLEET INVESTMENTS TWO LIMITED, SUPERIOR PROCUREMENT INC, SUPERIOR VISION BENEFIT MANAGEMENT INC., SUPERIOR VISION HOLDINGS INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE PLAN OF WISCONSIN INC., SUPERIOR VISION OF NEW JERSEY INC., SUPERIOR VISION SERVICES INC., Safeguard Health Enterprises, Security First Group Inc., THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH AVENUE MEZZANINE LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL HOLDING LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL OWNER, THE DIRECT CALL CENTRE PTY LIMITED, TRANSMOUNTAIN LAND & LIVESTOCK COMPANY, UVC INDEPENDENT PRACTICE ASSOCIATION INC., VERSANT HEALTH CONSOLIDATIONS CORP., VERSANT HEALTH HOLDCO INC., VERSANT HEALTH LAB LLC, VIRIDIAN MIRACLE MILE LLC, VISION 21 MANAGED EYE CARE OF TAMPA BAY, VISION 21 PHYSICIAN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, VISION TWENTY-ONE MANAGED EYE CARE IPA INC., Versant Health, WDV ACQUISITION CORP., WFP 1000 HOLDING COMPANY GP LLC, WHITE OAK ROYALTY COMPANY, and WHITE TRACT II LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Quaker Chemical: AC Products Inc., Applied Surface Concepts Holdings Ltd. , Binol AB, Binol Biosafe OY, Commonwealth Oil Corporation, DA Stuart India Private Limited, DA Stuart Shanghai Co, ECLI Products LLC, EFHCO LLC, Engineered Custom Lubricants, Engineered Custom Lubricants GmbH, Epmar Corporation, G.W. Smith and Sons, GH Holdings Inc., GHG Lubricants Holdings Limited, GHGL London Ltd., GHI Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Global Houghton Ltd., Houghton (Shanghai) Specialty Industrial Fluids Co. Ltd, Houghton Argentina S.A., Houghton Asia Pacific Co. Limited, Houghton Australia Pty. Ltd., Houghton Benelux BV, Houghton CZ s.r.o, Houghton Canada Inc., Houghton Denmark AS, Houghton Deutschland GmbH, Houghton Europe BV, Houghton Holdings Limited, Houghton Iberica S.A. , Houghton International, Houghton International Inc., Houghton Italia S.p.A., Houghton Japan Co. Ltd., Houghton Kimya Sanayi AS, Houghton Magyarorszag Kft, Houghton Mexico S.A. de C.V., Houghton Oil (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., Houghton Polska Sp. Zo.o., Houghton Romania S.R.L., Houghton S.A.S., Houghton Sverige AB, Houghton Taiwan Co. Limited, Houghton Technical Corp., Houghton Ukraine ToV, Houghton do Brazil Ltda., Houghton plc, Internationale Metall Impragnier GmbH, Lubricor Inc, Lubricor Inc., Lubricor Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Lubricor USA Inc., MIH Acquisition Company LLC, MX Systems International Ltd, Maldaner GmbH, NP Coil Dexter Industries, New Houghton Brazil Inc., Norman Hay Engineering Ltd., QH Chemical Limited, QH Europe BV, QH Holdings Limited, QH International Limited, Quaker (Thailand) Ltd., Quaker Australia Holdings Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (Australasia) Pty. Limited, Quaker Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical B.V., Quaker Chemical CV, Quaker Chemical Canada Holdings Inc., Quaker Chemical Canada Limited, Quaker Chemical Europe B.V., Quaker Chemical Holdings South Africa (Pty) Limited, Quaker Chemical India Private Limited, Quaker Chemical Industria e Comercio Ltda., Quaker Chemical Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Quaker Chemical Limited, Quaker Chemical MEA FZE, Quaker Chemical Operacoes Ltda., Quaker Chemical Participacoes Ltda., Quaker Chemical S.A., Quaker Chemical S.r.l., Quaker Chemical Services EURL, Quaker Chemical South Africa (Pty.) Limited, Quaker China Holdings B.V., Quaker Denmark ApS, Quaker Houghton (Finco) Ltd., Quaker Houghton Holdings Limited, Quaker Houghton Holdings Ltd., Quaker Houghton International LP, Quaker Houghton Ltd., Quaker International Holdings LLC, Quaker Italia S.r.l., Quaker Russia B.V., Quaker Sales Europe BV, Quaker Shanghai Trading Company Limited, Quaker Spain Holding SLU, Quaker Specialty Chemicals (UK) Limited, SB Decking Inc., SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (UK) Ltd, SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts LLC, SIFCO Concepts Sarl, SIFCO Concepts Sweden, Sterr & Eder Industrieservice GmbH, Summit Lubricants Inc, Summit Lubricants Inc., Surface Technology (Coventry) Ltd, Surface Technology (Dalian) Co Ltd, Surface Technology (East Kilbride) Ltd., Surface Technology (Leeds) Ltd, Surface Technology Aberdeen Ltd, Surface Technology Australia, Surface Technology Holdings Ltd., TecniQuimia Mexicana, Tecniquimia Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Thai Houghton 1993 Co. Ltd., Ultraseal Asia Limited, Ultraseal Chongqing Limited, Ultraseal Germany GmbH, Ultraseal International Group Ltd, Ultraseal Machinery Dongguan Ltd, Ultraseal Shanghai Limited, Ultraseal USA Inc., Unitek Servicios De Asesoria Especializad S.A de C.V., Verkol S.A.U., Verkol SAU, Wallover Enterprises Inc., Wallover Oil Company Incorporated, Wallover Oil Hamilton Inc., and Wuhan Quaker Technology Co. Ltd. The following companies are subsidiares of Roche: 454 Life Sciences, Adheron Therapeutics, Adheron Therapeutics Inc., Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ariosa Diagnostics, Ariosa Diagnostics Inc., Arius Research, Ascur Versicherungsvermittlungs GmbH, BINA Technology, Bina Technologies Inc., BioImagene, BioVeris, BioVeris Corporation, Biopharm AG, Boehringer Mannheim, Borean Pharma, Chemical Manufacturing and Trading Company Limited, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Disetronic Holding AG, Dutalys GmbH, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd / Jordan P.S.C., FLLC "Roche Products Limited", FMI Germany GmbH, Flatiron Health, Flatiron Health Inc., ForSight Labs, ForSight VISION4 Inc., Foundation Medicine, Foundation Medicine Inc., Foundation Medicine Securities Corporation, Galenus Mannheim Pharma GmbH, GeneWEAVE, GeneWEAVE Biosciences Inc., Genentech, Genentech Inc., Genentech P.R. Inc., Genentech USA Inc., Genia Technologies, Hoffmann - La Roche Ltd, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Hoffmann-La Roche Limited, Hoffmann-La Roche Products Limited, I5 Surviving Corp., IGEN International Inc., IGEN LS LLC, IQuum, IQuum Inc., Ignyta, Ignyta Inc., Inflazome, Infogenetik Molekuler Bilgi Hizmetleri Anonim Sirketi, Institut Roche SAS, InterMune, InterMune Holdings Limited, InterMune Inc., InterMune International AG, Jecure Therapeutics Inc., Kapa Biosystems, Kapa Biosystems (Pty) Ltd, Kapa Biosystems Inc., Limited Liability Company Roche Diabetes Care Rus, Limited Liability Company Roche Diagnostics Rus, MTM Laboratories, Marcadia Biotech, Medingo Ltd., Medingo Medical Solutions, Memory Pharmaceuticals, Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp., Mirus, Museum Tinguely AG, N.V. Roche S.A., P.T. Roche Indonesia, PVT Probenverteiltechnik GmbH, Phaor AG, Piramed, Productos Roche (El Salvador) S.A. de C.V., Productos Roche (Honduras) S.A., Productos Roche (Nicaragua) S.A., Productos Roche (Panama) S.A., Productos Roche Dominicana S.R.L., Productos Roche Guatemala (Sociedad Anonima), Productos Roche Interamericana S.A. (PRISA), Productos Roche Quimica Farmaceutica S.A., Productos Roche S.A., Productos Roche S.A. Quimica e Industrial, Productos Roche S.A. de C.V., Produtos Roche Quimicos e Farmaceuticos S.A., Promedior, Rabbit-Air Ltd, RoDiagnostics Egypt for Trading S.A.E, Roche (China) Holding Ltd., Roche (Hellas) S.A., Roche (Hungary) Ltd, Roche (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Roche (Philippines) Inc., Roche (Shanghai) Pharmaceuticals Consulting Co. Ltd, Roche (Shanghai) Pharmaceuticals Trading Co. Ltd., Roche - Moscow Ltd., Roche AB, Roche Algerie SPA, Roche Austria GmbH, Roche Bangladesh Limited, Roche Beteiligungs GmbH, Roche Biomedical Laboratories Inc., Roche Bolivia SRL., Roche Bulgaria EOOD, Roche Cameroun SARL, Roche Capital Market Ltd, Roche Capital Services Ltd., Roche Catalyst Investments Ltd., Roche Chemische Unternehmungen AG, Roche Chile Limitada, Roche Cote dIvoire SARL, Roche DC Japan K. K., Roche DC Mexico S.A. de C.V., Roche Deutschland Holding GmbH, Roche Diabetes Care (Switzerland) Ltd, Roche Diabetes Care Argentina S.A., Roche Diabetes Care Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Roche Diabetes Care Australia Pty Limited, Roche Diabetes Care Austria GmbH, Roche Diabetes Care Brasil Ltda., Roche Diabetes Care Deutschland GmbH, Roche Diabetes Care France SAS, Roche Diabetes Care GmbH, Roche Diabetes Care Inc., Roche Diabetes Care India Private Limited, Roche Diabetes Care Italy S.p.A., Roche Diabetes Care Limited, Roche Diabetes Care Middle East FZCO, Roche Diabetes Care Nederland B.V., Roche Diabetes Care Polska sp. z o.o., Roche Diabetes Care South Africa Proprietary Limited, Roche Diabetes Care Spain S.L., Roche Diagnostica Brasil Ltda., Roche Diagnostics (Hellas) S.A., Roche Diagnostics (Hong Kong) Limited, Roche Diagnostics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Roche Diagnostics (Shanghai) Ltd., Roche Diagnostics (Suzhou) Limited, Roche Diagnostics (Switzerland) Ltd, Roche Diagnostics (Thailand) Limited, Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Roche Diagnostics Australia Pty. Limited, Roche Diagnostics Belgium NV, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, Roche Diagnostics Deutschland GmbH, Roche Diagnostics France SAS, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Roche Diagnostics Hematology Inc., Roche Diagnostics India Private Limited, Roche Diagnostics International Ltd, Roche Diagnostics K.K., Roche Diagnostics Korea Co. Ltd., Roche Diagnostics Limited, Roche Diagnostics Ltd., Roche Diagnostics Middle East FZCO, Roche Diagnostics NZ Limited, Roche Diagnostics Nederland B.V., Roche Diagnostics Norge A/S, Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc., Roche Diagnostics Oy, Roche Diagnostics Polska Sp. z o.o., Roche Diagnostics Proprietary Limited, Roche Diagnostics S.L., Roche Diagnostics S.p.A., Roche Diagnostics Scandinavia AB, Roche Diagnostics Turkey Anonim Sirketi, Roche Diagnostics a/s, Roche Ecuador S.A., Roche Eesti OU, Roche Egypt LLC, Roche Egypt for Manufacturing and Trading SAE, Roche Farma (Peru) S.A., Roche Farma S.A., Roche Farmaceutica Quimica Lda., Roche Finance Europe B.V., Roche Finance Ltd, Roche Financial Investments Ltd., Roche Financial Management Ltd., Roche Financial Services Ltd., Roche Forum Buonas Ltd, Roche Georgia LLC, Roche Glycart, Roche Glycart Ltd, Roche Health Solutions Inc., Roche Holding (UK) Limited, Roche Holdings Inc., Roche Hong Kong Limited, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen A/S, Roche Innovatis, Roche International Ltd., Roche International Ltd. (Montevideo Branch), Roche Intertrade Limited, Roche Ireland Limited, Roche Kazakhstan LLP, Roche Kenya Limited, Roche Korea Company Ltd., Roche Laboratories Inc., Roche Latvija SIA, Roche Lebanon S.A.R.L., Roche Long Term Foundation, Roche Makedonija DOOEL, Roche Molecular Systems Inc., Roche Myanmar Company Limited, Roche Mustahzarlari Sanayi Anonim Sirketi, Roche Nederland B.V., Roche NimbleGen, Roche Norge A/S, Roche Operations Ltd., Roche Oy, Roche PVT GmbH, Roche Pakistan Limited, Roche Palo Alto LLC, Roche Pars Co. (Ltd.), Roche Pharma (Switzerland) Ltd, Roche Pharma AG, Roche Pharmaceuticals (Israel) Ltd., Roche Pharmaceuticals Middle East FZCO, Roche Pharmholding B.V., Roche Polska Sp. z o.o., Roche Privacy GmbH, Roche Products (India) Private Limited, Roche Products (Ireland) Limited, Roche Products (Mauritius) Ltd, Roche Products (New Zealand) Limited, Roche Products (Proprietary) Limited, Roche Products Ghana Limited, Roche Products Inc., Roche Products Limited, Roche Products Ltd., Roche Products Pty. Limited, Roche Products Saudi Arabia LLC, Roche R&D Center (China) Ltd., Roche Real Estate Services Mannheim GmbH, Roche Registration GmbH, Roche Registration Limited, Roche Romania S.R.L., Roche S.A., Roche S.p.A., Roche SAS, Roche Sequencing Solutions Inc., Roche Services (Asia Pacific) Sdn. Bhd., Roche Services (Europe) Ltd, Roche Services Americas Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Roche Services Holdings Ltd., Roche Servicios S.A., Roche Servicios de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Roche Singapore Pte. Ltd., Roche Singapore Technical Operations Pte. Ltd., Roche Sistemas de Diagnosticos Sociedade Unipessoal Lda., Roche Slovensko S.R.O., Roche TCRC Inc., Roche Thailand Limited, Roche Tunisie SA, Roche Ukraine LLC, Roche Vietnam Company Limited, Roche a/s Medicinalvarer og Kemikalier, Roche d.o.o., Roche d.o.o. farmaceutsko drustvo Roche Ltd. Pharmaceutical Company, Roche farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Roche mtm laboratories AG, Roche s.r.o., Santaris Pharma, Sapac Corporation Ltd., Seragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals Limited, Signature Diagnostics GmbH, Spark Therapeutics, Spring Bioscience Corp., Stratos Genomics, Syntex Corporation, Syntex Pharm AG, Syntex Pharmaceuticals International Limited, Syntex Puerto Rico Inc., Tanox Inc., Tavero AG, Tensha Therapeutics, Tensha Therapeutics Inc., Therapeutic Human Polyclonals, Therapeutic Human Polyclonals Inc., Trophos, Trophos SA, Tusk Therapeutics, Tusk Therapeutics Limited, UAB Roche Lietuva, Ventana Medical Systems, Ventana Medical Systems Inc., Verum Diagnostica GmbH, Viewics, Viewics Inc., Viewics India Private Limited, mySugr, mySugr GmbH, and mySugr Inc.. Welcome to this Canadian Studies blog. Its an on-line, on-going open letter on subjects that interest me or seem important to Canada. I welcome comments and criticism, but not flames. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to hold a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the next few hours following the destruction of a Russian aircraft near Syria, Haaretz reported citing an Israeli official. The source said that inn the near future, there will be a conversation between the two leaders. HDFC Bank Ltd. engages in the provision of banking and financial services, including commercial banking and treasury operations. The firm also provides financial services to upper and middle income individuals and corporations in India. It operates through the following segments: Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking and Other Banking Operations. The Treasury segment consists of bank's investment portfolio, money market borrowing and lending, investment operations and trading in foreign exchange and derivative contracts. The Retail Banking segment provides loans and other services to customers through a branch network and other delivery channels. The Wholesale Banking segment provides loans, non-fund facilities and transaction services to large corporates, emerging corporates, public sector units, government bodies, financial institutions, and medium scale enterprises. The Other Banking Business segment includes income from para banking activities such as credit cards, debit cards, third party product distribution, primary dealership business, and the associated costs. The company was founded by Aditya Tapishwar Puri in August 1994 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Teledyne Technologies: Alia Corporation Inc, Bolt Technology Corp, Bowtech Products, CARIS, CDL do Brasil Equipamentos e Servicos Submarinos Sociedade Empresaria Ltda., CETAC Technologies, DALSA, Demo Systems, Detcon Holdco Inc., Ensambles de Precision S.A. de C.V., Falcon Analytical, Frontline Test Equipment, GMI Group Holdings Limited, Hafmynd ehf, Hanson Research Corp, IST Oldham Instruments India Private Limited, Industrial Control Machines, Intelek, Intelek Limited, Intelek Pension Trustees Limited, Intelek Properties Limited, LeCroy (Beijing) Trading Co. Ltd., LeCroy Corporation, Lidar Aviation Services Inc., Maple Imaging LLC, Micralyne Inc, Ocean Design Ltda., Oldham Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Oldham Simtronics SAS, Oldham-Winter GmbH, PDM Neptec, Reynolds Industries Limited, Rhombi Canada LP, Rhombi Holdings Limited, Rhombi Netherlands B.V., Rockwell Scientific Company, Simtronics AS, TDY Jersey Limited, Teledyne Advanced Pollution Instrumentation, Teledyne Australia Pty Ltd, Teledyne BlueView, Teledyne Bogatin Enterprises LLC, Teledyne Bowtech Limited, Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., Teledyne C.M.L. Group Limited, Teledyne CARIS B.V., Teledyne CARIS Inc., Teledyne CARIS UK Ltd., Teledyne CARIS USA Inc., Teledyne CDL Inc., Teledyne CDL Limited, Teledyne Catalyst Enterprises Inc., Teledyne Computer Access Technology Corporation, Teledyne Controls LLC, Teledyne Cougar, Teledyne Czech s.r.o., Teledyne DALSA (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Teledyne DALSA Asia-Pacific Ltd., Teledyne DALSA B.V., Teledyne DALSA GmbH, Teledyne DALSA Inc., Teledyne DALSA Industrial Products Inc., Teledyne DALSA K.K., Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor Inc., Teledyne Dalsa, Teledyne Defense Electronics LLC, Teledyne Denmark A/S, Teledyne Detcon Inc., Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc., Teledyne Digital Imaging US Inc., Teledyne Energy Systems Inc., Teledyne Europe Holdings C.V., Teledyne France, Teledyne France SAS, Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments Limited, Teledyne Gavia ehf., Teledyne Germany GmbH, Teledyne Hanson Research Inc., Teledyne ICM SA, Teledyne ICM SPRL, Teledyne Innovaciones Microelectronics S.L.U., Teledyne Instruments Inc., Teledyne Instruments Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Teledyne Japan Corporation, Teledyne Korea Ltd., Teledyne Labtech Limited, Teledyne LeCroy AB, Teledyne LeCroy Delaware LLC, Teledyne LeCroy GmbH, Teledyne LeCroy Inc., Teledyne LeCroy India Trading Private Ltd., Teledyne LeCroy Japan Corporation, Teledyne LeCroy Korea Ltd., Teledyne LeCroy OakGate Inc., Teledyne LeCroy S.A.R.L., Teledyne LeCroy S.R.L., Teledyne LeCroy SA, Teledyne LeCroy Singapore Pte. Ltd., Teledyne Limited, Teledyne Micralyne Inc., Teledyne Monitor Labs, Teledyne Monitor Labs P.R. Inc., Teledyne Netherlands B.V., Teledyne ODI, Teledyne Optech Inc., Teledyne Paradise Datacom Limited, Teledyne RD Instruments, Teledyne RD Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Teledyne RESON, Teledyne RESON A/S, Teledyne RESON B.V., Teledyne RESON GmbH, Teledyne RESON Holding B.V., Teledyne RESON Inc., Teledyne RESON Pte. Ltd., Teledyne RESON UK Limited, Teledyne RISI Inc., Teledyne Rad-icon Imaging Corp., Teledyne Redlake MASD LLC, Teledyne Reynolds Inc., Teledyne SG Brown Limited, Teledyne Scientific & Imaging LLC, Teledyne Scientific Imaging GmbH, Teledyne Scientific Imaging Limited, Teledyne Signal Processing Devices Sweden AB, Teledyne Singapore Private Limited, Teledyne TSS Limited, Teledyne Taiwan Company, Teledyne Technologies (Bermuda) Limited, Teledyne Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Teledyne Technologies International Corp., Teledyne Technologies Israel Ltd., Teledyne Tekmar Company, Teledyne UK Limited, Teledyne VariSystems, Teledyne VariSystems Inc., Teledyne Wireless LLC, Teledyne e2v, Teledyne e2v (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Teledyne e2v (Overseas) Holdings Limited, Teledyne e2v Asia Pacific Limited, Teledyne e2v Limited, Teledyne e2v Semiconductors SAS, and The Oceanscience Group Ltd.. The following companies are subsidiares of The Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc.. S&P Global Ratings revised its oil prices forecast for the coming years, director of corporate ratings for S&P Global Ratings Alexander Gryaznov said. "We revised our short-term forecast, and you are the first to know that we expect the price of $65 per barrel in 2019, and $60 per barrel in 2020," he said at the annual S&P Global-2018 conference in Almaty. "Our long-term forecast was maintained at $55 per barrel," Gryaznov told Interfax. For the remainder of this year, S&P forecasts a price of $70 per barrel. The high price of oil is determined by OPEC actions, which reduced production, the Venezuela and Mexico problems, as well as the growth of annual world oil consumption by 1.3-1.6 million barrels per day, the director of corporate ratings for S&P Global Ratings noted. The expert named other factors affecting prices, such as increased oil production in the US and a low increase in investment by the largest mining companies, which increase their dividend payout to shareholders. Today, oil prices declined after US President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs on China. A senior analyst of 'Uralsib', Alexei Kokin, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that S&P's forecast is based on expecting when the factors that are currently holding back global oil production will come to naught. "In particular, we are talking about a temporary problem existing in the US oil sector, because of transport restrictions. It is expected to end by late 2019, which will result in further growth of the supply from the US. Perhaps, they are waiting for the world economy to slow down and, as a consequence, the increasing demand for oil," he said. "In terms of the evolution of global oil demand, two years is quite a long period, during which there was an increase in demand of almost 3 million barrels per day, which required new production. It was superimposed on the problem that the market without sufficient investment eventually becomes more scarce. Therefore, one needs to keep in mind that in order to reduce prices, you cannot just pretend that we have the level of world consumption the same as it was at the time of the OPEC+ agreement at the end of 2016," Alexei Kokin stressed. "It is also important how the Iranian crisis will be resolved, which is likely to emerge in the fourth quarter of this year because of new sanctions, as well as when U.S. producers will be able to extract to the maximum," a senior analyst of 'UralSib' said. A leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Igor Yushkov, in turn, the main reason for the decline in oil prices in the two-year perspective was the increase in U.S. production. "In terms of daily production, the Americans came out on top in the world due to continued growth in shale oil production, and in the future it will push prices down. There is a superimposition of two factors in the U.S.: first, the more expensive oil is, the more they oil extract, second, investments in offshore projects made before 2014 are entering the market, which further increases production in the U.S. This is the main factor on which S&P forecasts are based: an overabundance of oil will cause lower prices," he said. The second factor is the slowdown of the Chinese economy. "It will mean a decline in demand for oil. But in fact, there can be some" black swans." First of all, conflicts in the Middle East," Igor Yushkov pointed out, adding that the S&P scenario is pessimistic, while we should expect prices to remain at a comfortable level of $75 per barrel. The Kremlin is extremely concerned over the destruction of Russia's Il-20 military aircraft near the Syrian coast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "The Kremlin is extremely worried in connection with this incident. The full evaluation of the incident is available in the Defense Ministrys statement," he noted. The spokesman stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his sincerest condolences to the colleagues, families, and friends of the crew of the aircraft. At the same time, Peskov noted that even if the Kremlin is extremely concerned about the events that led to the plane's destruction, the incident with the aircraft will not affect implementation of the Russia-Turkey memorandum on Syria, adopted by the countries' leaders on September 17, Sputnik reported. "This is an important, breakthrough agreement. It is crucial for the future of Syria; it has once again confirmed the ability of both Moscow and Ankara to reach a compromise and effective decisions in the interests of the ultimate goal: settlement of the Syrian conflict, by political and diplomatic means," Peskov said. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Il-20 aircraft had been accidentally downed by Syrian air defenses as the Israeli F-16 jets had been using it as a cover. The ministry added that it considered such actions by Israel to be hostile and reserved the right to take retaliatory steps. Fifteen Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the downing of the Russian aircraft Il-20 was a chain of tragic circumstances, as well as offered condolences to the relatives of those killed in the crash. "When people die, especially in such tragic circumstances, this is always a tragedy, a tragedy for us all, for the whole country and for the families of our dead friends," he stressed. "In this connection, I certainly offer my condolences to the relatives of those who got killed in the crash," Putin noted. According to him, the Il-20 tragedy can't be compared with the Russian plane downed by Turkish military, because it wasn't made deliberately. "As for comparison with the well-known events (the attack on a Russian plane), when a Turkish fighter jet shot down our plane, it was a different situation. This time it looks like a string of tragic circumstances," he said. The Russian president stressed that the Russian side is set to thoroughly investigate the case. "Most certainly, we have to sort the case out most seriously. And our attitude to the tragedy is outlined in the Russian Defense Ministry's statement," Putin noted, adding he approved it. A passenger bus has overturned in Turkeys Afyonkarahisar province, local media reported. As a result of the accident, eight people were killed and 28 people were injured. It was reported that the accident took place because the driver lost control of the vehicle. The injured were transferred to hospital, their condition is assessed as fair. An investigation is under way, RIA Novosti reported. Russias Il-20 military aircraft with 14 servicemen on board vanished from radar over the Mediterranean Sea late Monday, Russias Defense Ministry said. The official added that the plane went off the radar while F-16 fighters of the Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the Syrian province of Latakia, the fate of the Russian military is unknown. "On September 17, at about 11:00 pm Moscow time, the connection with the crew of the Russian Il-20 aircraft was lost over the Mediterranean Sea when the plane was returning to the airbase of Khmeimim, 35 kilometers from the coast of Syria," the official said. The command of Russias air base at Khmeymim launched a search and rescue operation. The ministry specified that "the mark of Il-20 went off the radars disappeared during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia." An Israeli military spokeswoman when asked about both the reported Israeli strike and the Russian plane said: "We don't comment on foreign reports." RIA Novosti news agency, citing a security source, said that Syrian anti-defence systems had countered a rocket attack. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. The Russian defence ministry also said that rockets had been launched from the French Navy's frigate, The Auvergne, which was in the area at the time. "The French army denies any involvement in this attack," a French army spokesman said, according to France Soir. This morning Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that Russias military plane Il-20 was shot down by the Syrian air defense over the Mediterranean Sea, because Israels F-16 fighters used it as a cover. According to the spokesman, the Israeli jets deliberately created a dangerous situation in Latakia. Konashenkov stated that Israel's aviation control systems could not but notice the Russian aircraft as it was landing. "Israel did not warn the command of the Russian troops in Syria about the planned operation. We received a notification via a hotline less than a minute before the strike, which did not allow the Russian aircraft to be directed to a safe zone," he said. "We see these provocative actions of Israel as hostile. 15 Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the irresponsible actions of Israel's Defense Forces. It violated the spirit of the Israeli-Russian partnership," the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman stressed. "We reserve the right to an adequate response," Konashenkov warned. CNN earlier reported, citing a US official with knowledge of the incident, that the Il-20 aircraft was inadvertently shot down by Syrian regime anti-aircraft artillery after the Syrians came under attack by Israeli missiles. The US official said the regime was actually trying to stop a barrage of Israeli missiles. A second official confirmed that Israel was responsible for the missile strikes on the Syrian regime. A Pentagon spokesman, in turn, said the United States was not involved and declined to provide further details. "The missiles were not fired by the US military and we have nothing further at this time," he said. Russias military plane Il-20 was shot down by the Syrian air defense over the Mediterranean Sea, because Israels F-16 fighters used it as a cover, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. "By using the Russian plane as a cover the Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire," he said. "As a result, the Ilyushin-20, its reflective surface being far greater than that of F-16, was downed by a missile launched with the S-200 system," Interfax cited Konashenkov as saying. According to the spokesman, the Israeli jets deliberately created a dangerous situation in Latakia. He stressed that Israel's aviation control systems could not but notice the Russian aircraft as it was landing. "The bombing raid was not far from Frances frigate The Auvergne and in close proximity to the IL-20 plane of Russias Aerospace Force that was about to land," Konashenkov said. The spokesman added that the search-and-rescue operation near the Russian aircraft's crash site off the coast of Syria continues. "We see these provocative actions of Israel as hostile," he said, adding that 15 Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the "irresponsible actions" of Israel's Defense Forces, which violated "the spirit of the Israeli-Russian partnership." According to Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry reserves the right to an "adequate response" following the Israeli attack. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shougu told his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman that Moscow will not leave actions of Israeli Air Forces, which caused the downing of Russia's Il-20 aircraft, unanswered. "Today, we notified our Israeli colleagues, in particular, I notified the Israeli defense minister, that we will not leave such actions, such steps, unanswered," Shoigu said at a meeting with senior military commanders in Moscow. The Russian Hmeymim airbase had lost contact with the crew of the Russian Il-20 military aircraft late on Monday during the attack of four Israeli F-16 aircraft on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia. The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier today that the Israeli military deliberately created a dangerous situation by using the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems. The ministry added that it considered such actions by Israel to be hostile and reserved the right to take retaliatory steps. Fifteen Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack. Volkswagen India has announced its Volkfest 2018 campaign which offers its customers lucrat. With the festive season setting in, Volkswagen India has announced its Volkfest 2018 campaign which offers its customers lucrative finance options, insurance and exchange bonuses. There are assured gifts to be had on test drives, bookings and after-sales services as well. This scheme is valid from 15 September to the end of October 2018 at all the 121 authorised VW dealerships in 104 cities in the country. With the Volkfest 2018 campaign, the German carmaker is celebrating 90 years of Disneys iconic cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. All the VW dealerships will be offering a host of engagement activities to keep your kids engaged while you get on with the test drives and booking of the car. The activities include a photo op corner, coloring activity for kids and gifts with Disney as well as Volkswagen branding. Please read the official press release for more details: Press Release: Volkswagen Celebrates 90 Years of Mickey Mouses Magic with Volksfest 2018 Volksfest 2018 will begin from 15th September 2018 and continue till end October 2018 across all 121 Volkswagen dealerships in 104 cities Customers can avail attractive finance, insurance, exchange bonus along with assured gifts on test drives, bookings and after-sales services Mumbai: Volkswagen, Europes largest carmaker today announced the annual festive bonanza Volksfest 2018 beginning from 15th September till end October 2018. The festival will offer customers an exciting range of benefits across all its 121 dealerships in 104 cities in India. This year, Volkswagen is celebrating 90 years of Mickey Mouses magic through the Happy Days Are Here Again campaign. During the campaign, Volkswagen dealerships will host activities including Mickey photo-op corner, coloring activity for kids, and assured co-branded give aways on test drives, bookings and after-sales services. 2018 marks 90 years since Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in Steamboat Willie, which released on 18th November 1928. Mickey has emerged into a global icon with his optimistic outlook and endearing personality, and he continues to delight fans around the world every day. Commenting on the beginning of Volksfest 2018 and this exciting partnership, Mr. Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, With the diverse cultures prevailing in India, every day is a celebration, taking it a notch higher each time. This year has been an extra special as we associate with Disney India to celebrate Mickey Mouse, a timeless character who represents fun and adventure. With the Volksfests Happy Days Are Here Again campaign, Volkswagen would like to give its existing and prospective customers another reason to rejoice and be part of this family. For 90 years, Mickey Mouse has brought laughter, optimism and hope to fans around the world. This year, globally we are celebrating the magic of our beloved icon. We are thrilled that the collaboration with Volkswagen will give kids and families an opportunity to experience the spirit of their favourite Disney character in a fun manner, says Devika Prabhu, Executive Director Content & Communications, Media Networks - Disney India. Volksfest 2018 allows existing and prospective customers to avail attractive finance, insurance, exchange bonus along with assured gifts on test drives, bookings and after-sales services. Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho. Shareholders at the annual general meeting of the PNB held here gave permission to offer, issue and allot up to 10 crore of equity shares. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Shareholders of Punjab National Bank (PNB) Tuesday cleared proposal for selling 10 crore equity shares to the employees of the bank and Rs 2,816 crore capital infusion by the government. The shareholders at the annual general meeting of the PNB held here gave permission to offer, issue and allot up to 10 crore of equity shares of face value of Rs 2 to employees under Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS). The scheme involves issuing 10 crore shares to the current employees of PNB, the bank's managing director Sunil Mehta said at the AGM. The exact contours for the ESPS scheme will be decided by the remuneration committee of the PNB but the shareholder approval paves the way for implementing the ESPS scheme, he said. The Shareholders also voted to clear the issuance of over 31 crore shares to the government as part of recapitalisation of PNB by the Union government. Welcoming the infusion of capital in the bank, PNB non-executive Chairman Sunil Mehta said: "The government's recapitalisation plan for the public sector banks will further strengthen their balance sheets in addition to expected stronger performance in 2018-19". The bank informed shareholders that PNB has been working steadily to get back into shape after being hit by the Nirav Modi fraud earlier this year. "The incident at Brady House branch, Mumbai, was an unfortunate, one-off incident caused by few employees in a single branch. As soon as the incident came to light, the Bank acted swiftly, reported the same to the regulatory authorities & law enforcement agencies, apprised fellow bankers of the developments and put in place internal checks and controls to thwart such happenings in future," Mehta said. The board of PNB assured shareholders that with business back on track, increased recovery of NPA's and provisioning for liability arising out of Nirav Modi fraud done, the bank is back on the path of profitability and this will soon reflect in the balance sheet as well. Under Mission Parivartan, he said, the bank is transforming itself and implementing change through People, processes and products, which includes tighter audit controls as well as checks and balances in the lending process. Mumbai: Billionaire Anil Ambani on Tuesday announced that the cash-strapped Reliance Communications will be completely exiting the telecom business to concentrate on real estate in future. The first priority for RCom, which is credited for democratising telecom services through cheaper offers in early 2000s, is to resolve its over Rs 40,000 crore debt, he told shareholders at the company's 14th annual general meeting here. "We have decided that we will not proceed in this sector. And many other companies have taken a similar call. This is very much a writing on the wall, the future... "As we have moved out of the mobile sector, we will monetise at an appropriate stage our enterprise business. Reliance Realty will be the engine of growth for the future of this company," Ambani said. Pointing out to the 133-acre Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) on the outskirts of the financial capital, he said there is huge realty play opportunity that RCom's erstwhile corporate headquarters possesses, and pegged the potential value creation at the site at Rs 25,000 crore. RCom owes over Rs 40,000 crore to a group of 38 lenders, including Chinese banks, and was resolving the debt through a strategic debt restructuring (SDR) process. Ambani said he is confident of getting a resolution in the next few months, and added that other monetisation measures, including sale of telecom infrastructure and fibre to Reliance Jio, are at an advanced stage of closure. He said the company is awaiting final approvals for spectrum sharing and trading from the Department of Telecom. Anil Ambani also thanked his elder brother Mukesh Ambani, who is credited with conceptualising the undivided group's telecom foray and also bought the assets as part of the beleaguered RCom's monetisation efforts. "It would be most appropriate for me to thank and acknowledge the support (and) guidance extended to RCom and me personally by my brother Mukesh bhai Ambani," the younger sibling told shareholders. It can be noted that Mukesh Ambani re-entered the telecom sector by buying out a company which had successfully bid for 4G spectrum, along with which he also announced the end of a no-compete pact. His company Reliance Jio's aggressive play is widely blamed for wrecking the telecom sector, which has seen an erosion of profits, asset sales, bankruptcies and consolidation following the entry of the deep-pocketed new entrant. Anil Ambani on Tuesday said there has been a "creative destruction" of the telecom sector that has resulted in creation of oligopoly which is going towards a duopoly and may be even a monopoly in the future. Banks are saddled with over Rs 7.7 lakh crore in debt and the financial troubles of operators have resulted in over 20 lakh job losses, he said. He said the residual company will serve 35,000 businesses through the enterprise, data centres, undersea cables and international voice calling verticals and will get half of its revenues from abroad. RCom is "committed" to exit these verticals as well to pay-off banks and will take a call on the same at an appropriate time, Ambani said. Reliance Realty is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RCom, which will develop the DAKC in Navi Mumbai, he said, adding that it is an already registered IT and fintech park. The company already has three million sq ft of built up space, which will be leased out to multi-nationals, Ambani said, adding that he expects revenue accruals through it this year itself. Some of the shareholders appreciated efforts taken by the company, while wading through choppy waters, but there were a few critical ones as well. When one such shareholder persisted, a company official patted him on the back, probably pointing to the time constraints. When he complained, Anil Ambani said from the stage this is a pat and not a stab, and asked him to continue with the question. The mention of the Rafale controversy prompted Anil Ambani to stop him from speaking further. "Shailesh bhai, who is a very educated person and comes with non-facts, half-baked facts, untruth, lies, is in my father's words, a true well-wisher of all of you. I do respect, in a democratic world, his comments. But none of them have any relevance to what is in front of us today as a company and for all of you shareholders," Ambani said. The RCom scrip was trading 6.10 per cent down at Rs 16.15 apiece on the BSE at 1242 hrs as against a marginal correction in the benchmark. Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2,00,000 on National Sahkari Bank Ltd, Gorakhpur. Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India Tuesday said it has imposed Rs 2 lakh penalty on National Sahkari Bank, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh for violation of Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. Besides, a penalty of Rs 2 lakh too has been slapped on National Urban Co-operative Bank, Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) for non-filing of a return on asset and liabilities. "The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2,00,000 on National Sahkari Bank Ltd, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh...for violation of RBI Instructions/Guidelines on Know Your Customer Norms," the central bank said in a statement. Earlier, the RBI had issued a show cause notice to the bank, in response to which the bank had submitted a written reply. After considering the facts of the case, the RBI came to the conclusion that the violations were substantiated and warranted imposition of penalty. National Urban Co-operative Bank has been penalised for "continuous non-submission" of returns as prescribed under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. In this case also, a show cause notice was issued, "in response to which the bank had not submitted its reply". After considering the facts of the case, the Reserve Bank said it came to the conclusion that the violation was substantiated and warranted imposition of penalty. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his Israeli opposite number, Avigdor Lieberman, over the shooting down of a Russian military plane Il-20 near Syrian coast, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The Russian Defense Ministry's head said that the ministry has repeatedly called on the Israeli side to refrain from attacks on Syrian territory, which threaten the security of Russian servicemen. Shoigu told Lieberman that Israel is fully responsible for the crash of the Russian Il-20 military aircraft off the coast of Syria and the death of its crew, RIA Novosti reported. He stressed that 15 Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the irresponsible actions of Israel's Defense Forces. According to Shoigu, the ministry received a notification via a hotline less than a minute before the strike, which did not allow the Russian aircraft to be directed to a safe zone. Israel's government has not commented. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Il-20 aircraft had been accidentally downed by Syrian air defenses as the Israeli F-16 jets had been using it as a cover. The ministry added that it considered such actions by Israel to be hostile and reserved the right to take retaliatory steps. Fifteen Russian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack. As a market leader in the AC category, Voltas has always placed customer centricity at the core of all its offerings. Hyderabad: In an equal JV with Voltas, Turkeys home appliances firm Arcelik forayed into the Indian market recently with the launch of their brand Voltas Beko. The new firm, Voltbek Home Appliances, plans to launch over 100 SKUs over the next 3 months including 44 SKUs of refrigerators, 40 SKUs of washing machines, 12 SKUs of microwave ovens and 7 SKUs of dishwashers. In a statement, Voltas MD and CEO Pradeep Bakshi said, We are delighted to announce the launch of the Voltas Beko Home Appliances range for all our valued customers. As a market leader in the AC category, Voltas has always placed customer centricity at the core of all its offerings. Voltas Beko has been built on the same principle aiming to provide best in class products. In the same statement, Arcelik CEO Hakan Bulgurlu said, We strongly believe that Voltas trusted brand equity coupled with Bekos innovative approach is a recipe for success. In the letter, PETA India pointed out that the crime is an apparent punishable offence under Section 429 of The Indian Penal Code. Thane: After receiving word that four children allegedly killed three approximately one month old puppies by pulling out their eyes, cutting off their paws, breaking their bones and finally striking them with a huge stone, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India fired off a letter to Thane's Commissioner of Police calling for an investigation and for the children to be handled by a juvenile corrections facility. They further demanded that the children be required to undergo psychiatric evaluation and counselling. In the letter, PETA India pointed out that the crime is an apparent punishable offence under Section 429 of The Indian Penal Code as well as sections 11(1)(a) and (l) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and stated it will send its humane education kit, Compassionate Citizen, to the school where the children study to help raise awareness about compassion for animals. The matter came to light after PETA Indias emergency response team received a call from Priyanka Dabholkar, Founder & President of Animal Welfare Trust, a Thane NGO working for the protection of stray animals. PETA India worked with Ms Dabholkar to get the police to at least summon the parents of the kids to the police station, but the group warns that the children need professional help before a human victim is next. "Today these poor puppies had their eyes gouged and their bones broken before they were killed, and tomorrow, if this cruel behaviour is not addressed, human victims may be next," says PETA Emergency Response Coordinator Meet Ashar. "It is imperative for the children, if found guilty, to be suitably corrected for the entire community's safety." Thajuddin has been arrested and the seized bag of 8 kg gold has been handed over to airport customs. (Representational Images) Chennai: A bag of gold travelled across the country to four cities in an aircraft's toilet for over 12 hours when the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials recovered it and nabbed the smuggler at the Chennai International Airport on Tuesday. The bag, containing 8kg of gold, worth around Rs 2.5 crores was hidden in the aircraft flying from Dubai when the smuggler, identified as Thajuddin, 38, was alerted by his associates about DRI officials at the airport in Chennai mid-flight. To escape being caught, Thajuddin hid the gold in a black plastic bag in the tank of a toilet, the police said. The DRI who even though were present at the airport before sunrise on Monday morning after receiving a tip-off were not able to make any arrests. However, DRI officials in other airports were alerted. The aircraft then went to Delhi as a domestic flight and then returned to Chennai later at around 12:40 pm. When it was to be flown to Coimbatore, Thajuddin immediately booked for the flight, police sources said. However, he was still unable to smuggle away the bag as his associates had informed him of DRI officials at the Coimbatore airport as well. After coming to know that the aircraft would then be flown to Delhi via Chennai from Coimbatore, Thajuddin decided to buy a ticket to Delhi where he, along with his associates, would smuggle the bag out some way or the other. The DRI officials, by then, had concluded that gold was on board the flight. They were prepared to seize it when the flight landed at the Chennai domestic airport at 4:15 pm on Monday, including special permission from the aircraft for conducting a search. Only 17 people were flying to Delhi on the connecting flight. Their seats and baggage were checked before the bag was found in the toilet tank. All 17 passengers were questioned and Thajuddin was removed from the aircraft for further questioning, airport police sources said. Thajuddin also confessed to having associates in Kovai and in Delhi. He also told them that the associates from Kovai would be flying into Chennai on Tuesday. Four men were arrested after Thajuddin identified them, police sources said. Thajuddin has been arrested and the seized bag of 8 kg gold has been handed over to airport customs. The four associates have been taken into custody by the DRI for further questioning. On Tuesday morning, his family members found the car at the roadside. They opened the car to see his decomposed body on the rear seat. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: Decomposed bodies of two cab drivers were found in their vehicles at Shamshabad and Jeedimetla on Tuesday morning. In both the instances, the Cyberabad police did not find any external injuries on the bodies of the deceased but registered two separate cases of suspicious death for the probe. At Jeedimetla, the body of N. Vijay Kumar, 40, a cabbie residing in the same area was found. His family members had lodged a missing complaint on Monday as Vijay was not answering phone calls. At 8 am on Tuesday, walkers at HMT ground sensed foul smell coming from a car and peeped inside to see the body of Vijay. They alerted the police. In a similar incident at Shamshabad under RGI Airport police station limits, another cabbie was found dead in his car near Annapurna crossroads area. The RGIA police said the deceased, identified as Mallesh, 40, was a resident of Jawaharnagar in Secunderabad. He used to ply from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Three days ago Mallesh left home and did not return. As he was not in possession of a mobile phone, his family members could not contact him. On Tuesday morning, his family members found the car at the roadside. They opened the car to see his decomposed body on the rear seat. Bengaluru: Tension prevailed at the Doddaballapur Road Junction in Yelahanka on Saturday after local residents found the granite stone plaque, put up in remembrance of late Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was martyred during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, destroyed and broken into pieces. While some speculated that it might be the handiwork of miscreants, the police clarified that the damage was because of an accident. A mini-truck from Mother Dairy went out of control and crashed into the structure on Saturday evening. The granite stone slab carrying Major Sandeep Unnikrishnans name broke into pieces. BBMP workers detained the driver and later traced the owner of the truck, said a traffic police inspector from Yelahanka New Town. The damage was noticed on Sunday morning and soon after, the BBMP Joint Commissioner of Yelahanka division visited the spot. The traffic police, who too were alerted, spoke to BBMP officials. An official told Deccan Chronicle, The restructuring work has already begun, and almost 90 percent of the pedestal work has been completed. The area MLA and the truck owner, Girigowda, are looking after the works. The truck owner showed interest and offered to rebuild the structure and the plaque. Mayor Sampath Raj said, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who put up a brave fight against the terrorists of 26/11 Mumbai attack, was the pride of Bengaluru. It is sad that the plaque named after him was damaged. The BBMP joint commissioner has already inspected the spot. We have directed the engineers to prepare an estimate to repair the damage. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was a commando in the elite Special Action Group of the National Security Guards, was martyred during the 26/11 anti-terror operations. He was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peace time gallantry award, on January 26, 2009. Leading the first protest after assuming the post of DMK President, Stalin launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues, levelling corruption charges against them. (Photo: File) Chennai: Opposition DMK Tuesday staged state-wide protests against the "corrupt" AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, with party chief MK Stalin leading the charge in Salem. Besides Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi, sister Kanimozhi and senior DMK leaders including Durai Murugan and Dayanidhi Maran participated in demonstrations held across the state. Leading the first protest after assuming the post of DMK President, Stalin launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues, levelling corruption charges against them. At Salem, Palaniswami's native district, the DMK chief trained his guns against the Chief Minister. He recalled that the DMK had earlier submitted a memorandum to state Governor Banwarilal Purohit detailing the alleged irregularities in the Highways Department in the wake of IT raids against a contractor. Palaniswami holds, among others, the Highways portfolio. Stalin also pointed out at the recent CBI raids at the residence of Health Minsiter C Vijayabaskar in connection with the probe into the alleged gutka scam. The Central Bureau of Investigation had on September 5 carried out searches at around 40 locations in Tamil Nadu, including at the residences of state's health minister and the director general of police, in connection with the scam. "People of Tamil Nadu have not seen such a corrupt government in the history of the state. It is a corrupt, slave government (to the Centre). It was the people who voted for this government. But today they are on the verge of frustration as they are facing many difficulties," he said. Levelling a series of corruption charges against the ruling AIADMK, Stalin claimed that he had proof to back it up. The state was facing issues like unemployment and law and order problems, he said, adding even women police personnel "are not safe." The DMK leader was apparently referring to a sexual harassment case filed by a woman police officer against her senior, an IG level official, recently. "The DMK has the big responsibility of saving Tamil Nadu from AIADMK. This protest is the first step towards that," Stalin said. The DMK will "soon come to power" and act against these corruption charges, he said, adding his party was ready to "put an end" to the Palaniswami government. Kanimozhi participated at a protest demo at Tindivanam in Villupuram district while Udhayanidhi Stalin, Managing Director of DMK mouthpice 'Murasoli,' took part in the demonstration here. In Coimbatore, over 3,000 activists of various political parties led by DMK staged a demonstration seeking the resignation of 'tainted' state ministers facing corruption charges. The speakers, led by party Deputy General Secretary, V P Duraisamy, also demanded the resignation of AIADMK Government, as majority of the ministers were allegedly involved in corruption. There were charges against ministers like Vijayabaskar and S P Velumani, the workers, some of whom sported masks of the chief minister and ministers, said. After the successful jump, Mahajan (35) uploaded a video of her unique birthday greeting on social networking site Facebook. (Photo: Facebook: Shital Mahajan) Mumbai: Indian parajumper Shital Mahajan jumped off a plane from a height of 13,000 feet holding a birthday message for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chicago, USA on Monday. After the successful jump, Mahajan (35) uploaded a video of her unique birthday greeting on social networking site Facebook. Mahajan, a Padma Shri award winner, said she was trying to meet Modi for the last four years, but in vain. "I have been trying to meet the Prime Minister for the last four years but received no response from his office. I am hopeful of getting some response after this jump," Mahajan said in a message on the internet. The procurement will include two regiments of Akash missile systems. (Photo: File | PTI) New Delhi: The Defence Ministry has given its approval for the procurement of military equipment and weapons worth Rs 9,100 crore, officials said on Tuesday. The procurement will include two regiments of Akash missile systems, they added. The acquisition proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the Defence Ministry's highest decision making body on procurement. The Defence Acquisition Council also approved the design and development of test equipment for guided weapons systems for T90 tanks. Police said due to the morning peak hour, the state transport bus was over-crowded, carrying about 90 passengers at the time of the gruesome mishap. ERODE: At least one person was killed on the spot and 73 others including several children were seriously injured when a state transport bus plying in the Kadambur hill sector turned turtle near Karalayam in Erode district on Monday. Police said due to the morning peak hour, the state transport bus was over-crowded, carrying about 90 passengers at the time of the gruesome mishap. The bus driver Prabhakaran, while negotiating a curve near Pasuvannapuram, apparently lost control of the vehicle and the bus flipped to its side on the hill road. One of the passengers 32-year-old Soundararajan, was crushed to death under the bus at the spot, even as 73 others who were critically injured were rushed to the Sathyamangalam government hospital, police said. Of them, 11 passengers including a 70-year-old lady, Kirisithammal and Kuppusamy, 45, were shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital for intensive treatment. With few government buses plying on the hill route, morning trips are invariably over-crowded including children who have to get to their schools, sources said. Luckily a tree at the spot where the bus turned turtle had helped to contain the damage. Or else, the bus would have plunged down the steep hill and the human tragedy would have been unimaginably greater, an eyewitness said. Local villagers were shocked and dazed as they tried to help in pulling out the passengers from the ill-fated bus. The Kadambur police have registered a case and investigations are on. Thiruvananthapuram: Day before he is to appear before the Kottayam police for questioning in the Kerala nun rape case, Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese, on Tuesday has approached the Kerala High Court to seek protection from arrest. The matter will be heard by the high court later in the day. Franco Mulakkal had also written to the Pope seeking permission to temporarily step down from the responsibilities as the bishop or head of the diocese of Jalandhar, saying he needs to spend more time to fight his case. In a letter dated September 16, he said he may have to travel to Kerala several times and so he wants to hand over the responsibilities of the diocese temporarily. The nun in her late 40s has alleged that she was sexually abused by Franco Mulakkal repeatedly between 2014 and 2016 during his visits to a convent in Kottayam district. Amid mounting pressure to initiate action against the bishop, the Kerala police last week issued summon to the priest for questioning. In Kochi, a group of nuns and activists continued their hunger strike protesting the delay in action against Franco Mulakkal. The nun sought immediate intervention of the Vatican and demanded removal of Bishop Mulakkal. She alleged that the bishop is using "political and money power" to bury the case. A representative from the Vatican is already in India to discuss the issue with Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto. The Archbishop is yet to take a decision on the matter. The Israel Defense Forces commented on the incident with the downed Russian Il-20 plane. The press service said that Israel expresses sorrow for the death of the crew members of the Russian IIl-20 plane that was downed in Syria. The Israeli government stated that it is in constant touch with the Russian government and armed forces and will share all the relevant information with the Russian Government to review the incident and to confirm the facts in this inquiry. At the same time, Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. "Overnight, IDF fighter jets targeted a facility of the Syrian Armed Forces from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon," the statement says. The Defense Forces stressed that that they warned the Russian side about the strike. "The IDF and the Russian army have a deconfliction system, which was agreed upon by the states' leaders, and has proven itself many times over recent years. This system was in use tonight as well," the press service added. Gunmen barged into the house of Mukhtar Ahmad Malik in Shurat village of Kulgam and shot him dead from a close range. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Srinagar: Suspected militants on Monday shot dead a jawan of Territorial Army who was on a visit to his home in Jammu and Kashmir's southern district of Kulgam to mourn the death of his son in a road mishap. The police said that gunmen barged into the house of Mukhtar Ahmad Malik in Shurat village of Kulgam and shot him dead from a close range. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for killing the soldier. The police said that Malik was on a visit to his home to mourn the death of one of his two sons in a road accident on Friday. Meanwhile, Kashmir valley and parts of Muslim-majority Chenab valley of Jammu region were shut on Monday to mourn and protest the killing of 13 militants and a civilian in the security forces actions cross Jammu and Kashmir last week. Shops and other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in the Valley and in the highway town of Banihal and its neighbourhood in Jammus Ramban district. Only skeletal public transport services besides private cars could be seen plying on select routes of the Valley. The authorities had earlier suspended train services between Baramulla in Kashmir Valley and Banihal as a precautionary measure. The call for the strike had been issued by Joint Resistance Leadership, an alliance of key separatist leaders. Goa Congress, along with its 14 MLAs, staked claim to form govt in the state on Monday. (Photo: ANI | twitter) Panaji: Goa Congress legislators will meet Governor Mridula Sinha Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm with a demand for dismissal of the Manohar Parrikar-led government and allowing the opposition party to stake claim for forming an alternate government. The move comes at a time when 62-year-old Parrikar is admitted in the AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment. Goa is being ruled by the BJP-led Alliance headed by Parrikar. The Congress, which has 16 members in the 40-member state Assembly, on Monday, submitted a memorandum to the Governor in her absence, urging her not to dissolve the Assembly and instead invite the party to form the alternate government. All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by their leader Chandrakant Kavlekar, had submitted the memorandum to Governor office. Speaking to PTI, Kavlekar said the Governor, who was away from the state, arrived in Goa at 3 pm on Tuesday and her office called him for the meeting of the Congress legislators with her at 6.30 pm. "We all 16 MLAs will be meeting the Governor and will request her to dismiss the present government. We will also ask her to invite us to form the new government," he said. He said the Congress has support of legislators from other parties and can form the government, if given a chance by the governor. He, however, refused to spell out who all are supporting the Congress. "We will prove our majority on the floor of the House, Kavlekar said. The Leader of the Opposition said the BJP has a habit of forcing Governors Rule in a state where they fail to rule and the Congress will not allow to happen it. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and MGP have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from Nationalist Congress Party also support the BJP. BJP leader Ram Lal had said yesterday that the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership. He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members. He said the BJP's alliance partners - the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Independents - conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party. Earlier too, the Congress had staked claim on May 18, 2018 to form the government in Goa, citing the example of Karnataka where the largest party BJP was invited to form the government after the Assembly polls threw up a fractured verdict. The Congress had said that it had not been invited to form the government in Goa after the Assembly polls in March last year despite it emerging as the largest single party. The party had also met Governor on September 7, 2018 urging her to intervene as State Administration was suffering due to sickness of the Chief Minister. Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday afforded some relief to transgenders when it directed the Telangana state government not to register cases against them and not to make any arrests or investigate cases under the Telangana Eunuchs Act 1329 till further orders. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice V. Ramasubramanian, while dealing with a petition by V. Vasanta Mogli and two other transgenders seeking to declare the Telangana Eunuchs Act 1329 as wholly unconstitutional and invalid, felt that there were certain atrocious provisions under the Act. Questioning the Telangana police why they are branding the transgenders under the Act, the bench said that goods can be branded not human beings and what is the hitch in deleting the word eunuch by the government from the Act. The bench also questioned the police why they are invoking the Act against transgenders when there are other stringent Acts in force to deal with persons committing the crimes. Recalling the recent Supreme Court order on Section 377 which included transgenders, the bench felt that Section 4 and 5 of the Act hurt the self respect of transgenders. Sai Sandeep Parikshit, counsel for the petitioner said that the use of the word eunuch itself stigmatised the community. He said Section 5 of the Act provides for punishment of a eunuch with imprisonment if it is found that he has with him or in his house under his control a boy who is less than 16 years old. Sharath Kumar, counsel for the Telangana government submitted that after formation of Telangana State, they had adapted the Nizam era law. He urged the court to grant time to submit details of the case registered under the Act to the government. While granting four weeks time, the bench directed the police not to register any cases against transgenders under the Act. Hyderabad: IAS officer Musharraf Faruqi was praised and trolled simultaneously for offering puja at the Khairatabad Ganesh pandal during the ongoing festival. The GHMC Additional and Central Zone Commissioner kept his temper and settled the troll by saying Let tolerance prevail. The officer posted a picture of himself performing aarti at the citys tallest Ganesh idol at Khairatabad. Besides, when it rains, there is a huge traffic congestion. Interestingly, there is a patrolling vehicle designated for the area. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: A bottleneck at Sri Ram Nagar, in Kondapur, is being created by hawkers and shop owners on the already narrow road. While the shop owners place hoardings on the main road, new hawkers are appearing each day, reducing the length of the four-lane road to two-lane. Residents allege that the badly placed U-turns are adding to the traffic woes. In just about 10 minutes, there are 10 violations of wrong side driving in the area. People even try to jump over the barricades putting themselves at risk. While there are medians which help in handling two-side traffic to an extent, the side lanes are chaotic. Besides, when it rains, there is a huge traffic congestion. Interestingly, there is a patrolling vehicle designated for the area. However it appears to be totally futile as violations continue. Mr Aditya Agarwal who has been residing in the area for about five years now, said, Despite the presence of police, people are violating rules and it is getting crazier by the day leaving hardly any room for cars to drive through. There are two U-turns which are very badly placed because of which people take the wrong route thereby worsening the situation. People jump over the barricade throughout the day to cross the road which in itself is risky. Hyderabad: The upcoming Assembly elections will be a battle between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Maha Ghatiya Bandhan (alliance of dirty parties), IT and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao said in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle at his camp office in Begumpet on Tuesday. The tech-savvy minister and son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the man calling the shots now. He is confident the TRS will hit a century by winning 100 of the 119 Assembly seats. A feat that will be remembered in Telanganas electoral history as a one-sided war, he asserted. The elections will be a golden opportunity for all Telangana people to deal a deadly blow with a single vote to two anti-Telangana parties, the Congress and TD, which he alleges joined hands to keep the self respect and pride of Telangana at the feet of Delhi and Amaravati rulers. Referring to criticism from the Opposition that dissolving the Assembly and calling for early elections was aimed at ensuring his father stayed on as Chief Minister, Mr Rama Rao said this thinking gives a clear indication that the opposition has already conceded defeat by admitting that the TRS is going to win. Scotching rumours that he may be the next Chief Minister if the party returns to power, he said there is no vacancy for the CMs post in the TRS and the people of Telangana, including himself, want Mr Chandrasekhar Rao to continue as CM at least for another 15 years. He ruled out having any truck with the BJP, MIM or any other party. In a no-holds barred exclusive interview to the Deccan Chronicle, IT and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, on Tuesday, said the upcoming Assembly elections will be a battle between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Maha Ghatiya Bandhan (alliance of dirty parties) Excerpts from the interview: Q How do you see the prospects of the TRS in the Assembly elections? A: There is not an iota of doubt that the TRS will hit a century by winning 100 seats. We missed a century by a run in the 2016 GHMC elections, when we won 99 seats, which itself is historical. This time, we will hit a ton comfortably. Q Are you satisfied with the performance of the TRS government in the first term? A: Though the government is formed for a five-year tenure, our net period in power was for only three years. This is because in the first year of our tenure, we could not do much due to pending state-bifurcation issues. We dissolved the Assembly almost a year in advance, leaving us with only three years of tenure. Despite this, the TRS government took up revolutionary measures in putting the newly formed state at No1 position in various spheres. We implemented over 450 types of welfare and other schemes for all sections of people and the all round development of the state, which is unprecedented for any government. People endorsed this by ensuring a thumping victory for TRS in different elections held on different occasions. Q If the going was so good for the TRS government, why call for dissolution of the Assembly and early polls? A: When we formed the first government in Telangana in June 2014, we strongly believed that the first five years were very crucial to lay solid foundation for the new state, like the initial years in case of a toddler, and all our plans and programmes were planned and executed in that direction. But unfortunately, the opposition parties, especially principal opposition, the Congress, could not come to terms with the fact that the TRS won the elections. They started stalling each and every scheme or programme taken up by the TRS government. Over 186 cases have been filed in courts against irrigation projects. They started abusing even my young children. We believe that this bitterness, these vitriolic attacks, will only increase as elections approach. They stooped so low. The TPCC chief Uttam Kumar calls me a dishwasher in the US. This bitterness and nonsense had to be stopped somewhere and will become even uglier as elections near. Then we decided, instead of name calling and indulging in tu kitna, mai kitna, lets go to the people and let them decide who should rule. Thats why we dissolved the Assembly and gave up power before nine months to shut them up and teach a fitting lesson once and for all. I request Telangana people to compare and contrast the 67-year misrule of the Congress and TD governments and the four-year rule of the TRS. I am glad that the Congress and TD have come together because people now have a clear choice to select between them and the TRS. Q Why did the TRS make a U-turn on the issue of simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls? KCR himself gave a letter to the Law Commission supporting joint polls. A: I see nothing wrong in going for early Assembly polls. Its true that the TRS supported joint polls. But the CEC and other legal experts stated that joint polls are not possible unless the Constitution is amended. Since joint polls were ruled out in the near future, we took the decision to dissolve the House. Moreover, early dissolution of Houses is nothing new. Narendra Modi as Gujarat CM dissolved the House in 2002, about nine months in advance. Q What will be your main poll plank? A: Obviously, KCR will be our main poll plank. We urge voters to bring KCR back to power to take forward the welfare and development programmes he has initiated in these four years for another 10 to 15 years to achieve the dream of Bangaru Telangana. Q The TRS is said to be interested more in welfare or populist schemes, which fetch votes but has neglected creation of infrastructure such as roads and flyovers. The pathetic condition of roads is seen everywhere in the city. A: I strongly disagree with this criticism. In fact, the TRS is accused of spending more on irrigation, roads, flyovers, drinking water etc. More roads and highways were laid. I admit bad roads in Hyderabad. But I am looking at long-term solutions rather than short cut methods. In the city, the extent of roads is around 9,000-km. We have dug up half of these roads for laying Mission Bhagiratha pipeline, underground drainage, sewage system, cabling works etc. The restoration of these roads is challenging, but its going on. Unless the sewage and drainage system is improved, the condition of roads will not improve. If water stagnates, the roads will again get damaged. In our second term, we want to spend Rs 50,000 crore in three years for infrastructure development in the city. Q The TRS is accused of neglecting its major poll promises of 2BHK houses for poor, jobs for youth, land for dalits and increased quotas for Muslims and STs. A: We have promised to construct 2.60 lakh houses for the poor, which are under various stages of construction, and we will certainly reach the target by June 2019. On jobs, we filled over 40,000 vacancies in four years, while the Congress could fill not even 10,000 posts in ten years from 2004 to 2014. Land for dalits is a continuous process and 15,000 acres has already been distributed. We passed an Act enhancing quotas for Muslims and STs but the Centre blocked it. How can we be blamed for this? Q Every party criticises the TRS for bringing family rule to Telangana. How will the TRS counter this? A: KCR, myself, Kavitha and Harish are elected by the people. We have not got here through the back door. If opposition parties do not want us to rule, they are free to file candidates against us and campaign in Gajwel, Siddipet, Nizamabad and Siricilla. When people have voted for us and elected us, why this grudge against KCR and his family? We all have participated in the Telangana agitation, faced police lathi-charge, police cases, court cases etc. Do they mean that KCR and his family members are suitable only for taking up agitation programmes and not fit to rule? Q Surveys point out that a large number of sitting MLAs are facing the anti-incumbency factor. Yet the TRS has opted for all sitting MLAs for the coming elections. Also, there are reports of severe dissidence and rebellion in several constituencies after the list of 105 candidates was released. A: We strongly believe that people vote for the TRS to make KCR the Chief Minister. They dont look at candidates. The dissidence and rebels issue is quite common in any party. Time will sort out all these issues. In our victory, KCRs charisma and hard work will contribute 80 per cent, while candidates contribution will be only 20 per cent, including myself. Q The TRS is accused of setting dubious standards in Telangana by encouraging defections from all parties. A: Earlier, we were a Telan-gana movement party. After Telangana state was achieved, we are now a pucca political party. Its common for any political party to weaken rivals and become stronger. If leaders from other parties want to join us on their own, how could we stop them? There is no pressure on anyone to join the TRS. Q Is there a power struggle between family members in the TRS? A: I am fed up of answering these questions for the past four years. Myself, Harish, Kavitha and others in the family enjoy cordial relations. None of us has any personal ambitions. We all work as per the directions of KCR. We are all ready to work under anyone as directed by KCR. The Opposition which have no issues to take on the TRS are raising these issues to bring a rift in the family But their dreams will never come true. Rahul not fit for elected office Minister for IT and Industries K.T. Rama Rao says, But for the surname, I dont think Rahul Gandhi is qualified to hold any ceremonial position or elected office. He lashed out at Congress and BJP leaders, who have been levelling accusations of nepotism and prolonging family rule in Telangana State. I think Congressmen know better than me. When I have conversations with them they tell me the same (about Rahul Gandhi, the AICC president). If they accuse (us) of family rule, see whose talking about it. If Congress party talks about it that has to be one of the biggest jokes on them because Rahul Gandhi, of all people, should think twice before talking about family rule, he remarked. On Rahul Gandhi saying that no one in his family became PM after Rajiv Gandhi, Mr Rao said its the people who decide. He is not an Emperor to rule over his subjects. I think thats his ignorance. India is the worlds largest democracy. People are choosing and choosing wisely. Rahuls family is kept out and thats Indias choice. There could be 50 odd families in the State legislature in Telangana but only KCRs family is a problem. KCR and his family members have been voted by the people of Telangana. Why should anybody have a problem with that? He said the Congress had made Telangana martyrs its agenda. But, he asked, Who made them martyrs? Mara kisne? Jo aadmi marta hai woh hi martyr ka agenda leke ghumta hai. Jo murder karta hai woh hi khud ake solidarity dikhata hai unke saath. Yeh kahan ki neeti hai. (A party which killed martyrs carries their agenda. A person who murders, himself expresses solidarity with the victim. What kind of policy is this?) Telangana Congress talking about martyrs is akin to murderer paying homage. Therefore the Congress should think twice about what it states and what it stands for, he said. No vacancy for CMs post Putting all speculation to rest, Minister for IT, Industries, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, and NRI affairs, K T Rama Rao, on Tuesday asserted that there is no vacancy for the Chief Ministers post in Telangana State. Our Chief Minister is Sri K Chandrasekhar Rao. I would want him to continue as Chief Minister definitely and people of Telangana want him to continue as Chief Minister for the next 15 years. So I definitely believe the seat is not vacant for anybody, not for me or somebody else. The seat is not vacant and will not be vacant as long as people of Telangana want, he told Deccan Chronicle. He was replying to a question asked by top leaders like BJP president Amit Shah who alleged that the early election was called in order that K.T. Rama Rao would be made CM and K. Chandrashekar Rao would shift to national politics. That means they are conceding already that TRS is going to win and win emphatically. They are saying TRS is going to win and somebody is going to become Chief Minister irrespective of who they name. They are admitting to the fact that they are losing, he remarked. Chennai: Odisha Bhawan, the official guesthouse of Odisha government in Chennai, is likely to be inaugurated next week. The foundation stone for the bhawan was laid in May 2012 by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the presence of then TN chief minister J. Jayalalithaa. Students landing in Tamil Nadu from Odisha to pursue higher education and patients coming to the city for healthcare have been increasing over the years. The guesthouse with dormitories and over 20 rooms on Velachery-Tambaram Main Road in Pallikaranai will help them and tourists, said sources. At the stone-laying function in 2012, Naveen had thanked Jayalalithaa for giving the Odisha government land for construction of the bhawan. Assam Bhawan ready for inauguration. Image: DC He also recalled his father late Biju Patnaiks visit to Chennai and his words of praise for Jayalalithaa. The CM had also pointed out that Odisha and Tamil Nadu share a rich and glorious tradition. Besides, Kalinga and Chola navigators who took trade and culture to far off lands, the two states have dance forms which leave a distinct mark in the minds of people throughout the world, he said. Assam Bhawan, built adjacent to Odisha Bhawan, is also ready for inauguration. OOTY: A farmer hailing from a village here, was on Tuesday sentenced to three years imprisonment for poisoning a tiger to death in 2014. Forest sources that an adult female tiger was found dead near the carcass of a buffalo inside the jungles at Thengumarahada village in the foothills of the Nilgiris on 20 June, 2014. Strange as it may sound, forest officials also suspected foul play in the tigers death. Investigations revealed that the tiger was said to be visiting human settlements along the forest fringes, and tried to prey on cattle reared by villagers there. Subsequently, it came to light that one K. Thimmaiyan (60), a farmer Chithrampatti hamlet in Thengumarahada village, whose buffalo was killed by the big cat when it went inside the jungles for grazing, poured poison on the buffalos carcass expecting the predator which had killed it, to return and finish the leftovers. The plan worked out well as the tiger ate the leftovers and died. Laboratory analysis of visceral samples collected from the tiger carcass confirmed that the animal was poisoned. Thimmaiyan was arrested, and a case filed at the Judicial Magistrate court in Kotagiri, forest sources added.The judgment sentencing Thimmaiyan to three years imprisonment, was pronounced on Tuesday. On first day of conclave, 'Bhavishya Ka Bharat -- An RSS Perspective', Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said the event was being organised so that people could understand the organisation. (Photo: Twitter screengrab | @RSSorg) New Delhi: In his second days discourse on the lecture series Future of Bharat: An RSS perspective, Mohan Bhagwat spoke on the Hindu and Hindutva and its real meaning and also countered allegations that the RSS interferes in governance or the functioning of the BJP. He also countered allegations that the Sangh is trying to distort the Constitution by asserting that it is the duty of every citizen of the country to respect and follow the Constitution. Mr Bhagwat even quoted from its preamble ...and to promote among them all fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation to assert that one of the main tasks of the Sangh is to preserve and promote this very bandhubhaav (fraternity). At the very beginning of his discourse, Mr Bhagwat clarified that it has no interest in rajniti (politics) but rastraniti (national policy) and the Sangh steer clear of votes and elections. Without naming the BJP or the Modi government, Mr Bhagwat countered allegations that the Sangh has nothing to do with their functioning. Sangh volunteers only work towards nation building...Sangh affiliates are independent, sovereign and self-reliant..Sangh do not take decisions for its affiliates...we support each through consultation if it is required....other and help each other...we do not ask our volunteers to work for any one political party...whoever is working towards nation building we stand behind them...no outfit has any authority on the nations interest, said Mr Bhagwat. The RSS often has to face flak for interfering in the functioning of the Modi-led government and also decision making of the ruling party and Sangh parivar affiliate, the BJP. Admitting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind were associated with the Sangh, Mr Bhagwat said that the RSS has no influence on the governments policy decisions or the politics. People think that calls come from Nagpur (RSS headquarters) but it has never happened. We have nothing to do with their political or policy decisions...the Constitution of the country has envisaged guidelines how the government will function and what will be the power centre and there cannot be anything other power centre, said the RSS chief. Mr Bhagwat said it is often asked why so many of the Sangh swayamsewaks are in one party but it is not the Sanghs concern as why they do not wish to be associated with other parties is for them to consideras the Sangh never asks its swayamsewak to work for a particular political party. Mr Bhagwat said in one of his speeches in the constituent assembly, B.R. Ambedkar had talked about universal brotherhood and emphasised on promoting fraternity among countrymen. While speaking in Parliament about the Hindu Code Bill, Dr Ambedkar had asked what is a religion? A value or a code? He then said that if you consider a code as a religion then a code may change but not values. Our perspective towards religion is that it is based on values, said Mr Bhagwat. Representatives of foreign missions, including USA, Surinam, Argentina, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Sebia attended the event today. Former Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag also attended the event. The J&K state election commission has announced the dates for the polls in municipalities and rural panchayats in Kashmir, but there is no enthusiasm for the exercise in the J&K Valley. The polling stretches over a two-month period, from early October to early December, at a time when there is political turbulence in the air. The immediate cause of the current troubles is the challenge to the validity of Article 35A of the Constitution by a RSS-linked NGO on grounds that call into question fundamental issues regarding the accession of J&K to India, such as not permitting those outside the state to own property in J&K. This bewilders Kashmiris. The Supreme Court was to hear the case last month but the state government, now under Central rule, and the Centre urged it to postpone the hearing till January due to fears of violence if the court ruling pointed in a direction that might cause injury to Article 35A. The most significant regional party, National Conference, immediately announced its boycott of the polls until the Centre spelt out its own reading of the constitutional provision. The PDP, until recently the BJPs ally in the state, followed suit. On Monday, the CPI(M) too pointedly decided to keep away for the same reasons. The Congress has taken no decision yet but its state leaders have repeatedly noted the difficulties ahead. The NC has warned it may also boycott the next parliamentary and Assembly elections. If the major state parties skip the municipal and panchayat polls, its not clear if independents will come forward. The fear of likely violence during the election has increased due to the discord over Article 35A. The mainstream parties and the separatists have made common cause on this issue. It is just possible the BJP alone will be in the fray, mainly in the Jammu region. That will make a mockery of the exercise. On Monday, home minister Rajnath Singh urged the mainstream parties to reconsider their boycott, but gave no reasons for his appeal. That appears odd. Local bodies elections were last held in 2005. Since then, for a variety of reasons, the circumstances havent been judged conducive for these elections. Its far from clear why the Government of India insists that the municipal and panchayat polls be held this year when the state is under Governors Rule. An immediate release to the gripping tension can probably occur if the Centre disavows the RSS challenge to Article 35A, or if the Supreme Court throws it out. Twice before Constitution Benches appointed by the court have upheld the validity of the provision in question, yet the Supreme Court has once again permitted the questioning of its existence. * The 4th International Competition of Cartoons Aleksandar Klas 2017, Serbia: All cartoonists whose cartoons are selected in the catalog and the exhibition will receive a free copy of the catalog ( Regulation ). * International Cartoon Contest in Memory of Cartoonist Prof. Atila Ozer 2016, Turkey: The selected cartoons will be published in a catalog. These will be sent at no cost to the participants whose works are : The selected cartoons will be published in a catalog. These will be sent at no cost to the participants whose works are exhibited and published ( Regulation ). U.S. President Donald Trump ordered to declassify the documents of the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding Russias alleged interference into the U.S. presidential election in 2016, a White House press release says. According to the press release, the President has directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to provide for the immediate declassification of the following materials: (1) pages 10-12 and 17-34 of the June 2017 application to the FISA court in the matter of Carter W. Page; (2) all FBI reports of interviews with Bruce G. Ohr prepared in connection with the Russia investigation." The President also ordered "to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr". On September 7, 12 Republican congressmen appealed to President Trump to declassify documents related to the FBI investigation of Russia's alleged interference in the U.S. elections in 2016, TASS recalls. They believe that the top secret documents, which became the basis for the investigation of allegations of collusion between Trump's campaign headquarters and the Russian authorities, should be made public. These documents in particular include the FBI surveillance application dated October 2016, which concerns Carter Page, who was at the time an adviser to the campaign headquarters, as part of the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act). As the FBI claimed, Page established relations with Russian officials, including Russian intelligence officers." However, it turned out later that the FBI had received permission to track down Page on the basis of an unsubstantiated "dossier" compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. Earlier, Trump repeatedly accused the FBI and the Department of Justice of unreasonable actions during the investigation of Russias alleged interference in the election campaign in the U.S. in 2016. He also repeatedly rejected suspicions of any unlawful contacts with Russian officials. The head of the White House calls this an example of "political witch hunts". Moscow, in turn,more than once refuted the accusations of trying to influence the course of elections in the U.S. Shah Bano Begum, married to Mohammed Ahmed Khan, a lawyer by profession in the year 1932, a mother of five children, was thrown out of the marital home by her husband in 1975. Being a destitute, she moved a magistrates court under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for maintenance from her husband; that, like any other provision of a criminal law, is a secular one applicable to all citizens irrespective of the religion of victims - neglected parents, wives or children - legitimate or otherwise. Its purpose is to save society from deprived persons turning lawbreakers, and its duration is temporary. The magistrate ordered the payment of in the words of late Chief Justice Y.V. Chandrachud a princely sum of Rs 25 a month. On Shah Banos appeal, the high court enhanced the amount to Rs 130 or so per month. The husband appealed to the Supreme Court contending among others that the the law permitting maintenance to the neglected wife was against Islam. A five-judge Supreme Court bench rejected the contention in the famous Shah Bano case of 1985. Muslims as a class were reportedly dissatisfied with the decision, or so it was perceived. The Central government, then headed by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, readily accepted the advice to nullify the courts judgment through legislation and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act was enacted. In that law, the word protection could have been substituted by deprivation to bring out the true effect that it had. The Opposition parties, and the BJP in particular, shouted against the appeasement of Muslims by disrespecting the verdict of the highest court of the land. The Shah Bano case has not died down it has haunted India time and again whenever the issue of neutralising a court verdict to pacify a religious group arose. Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully flattered Rajiv Gandhi to perfection by imitating him and creating his own version of Shah Bano through the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018. At this stage, it is necessary to go back in history to 1989, when a general election was not too far away and a new politically-targeted law with the title SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was passed by Parliament. The expression atrocities was defined to include as many as 19 activities and many more derivatives all carrying a minimum sentence of imprisonment of six months, extendable up to five years. The burden was on the accused to prove his innocence. Anticipatory bail was ruled out and the offence made cognisable the police could arrest the accused on the receipt of information or complaint. This law has several other stringent provisions against the accused; and a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe could not be an accused under it. An insult to the national flag or national anthem is of lesser consequence. The defined atrocities include several truly atrocious acts, like forcibly making one eat dirt, as reportedly prevalent in some parts of India, and also included in it is abusing a member of SC and ST by his caste name and virtually any other action, like making an adverse report in the annual confidential report by a senior officer against his subordinates, who happen to be members of the protected class. The constitutional validity of this law was upheld by the Supreme Court. The case of Dr Kashinath Mahajan, decided by the Supreme Court on March 20, 2018, is of immediate relevance. An employee of a government-run pharmacy college in Karad belonging to the SC/ST community, on receiving adverse remarks in his annual confidential report, decided to prosecute the author of the ACR, who was not a SC/ST, and lodged an FIR in January 2006. The complainant sought sanction to prosecute his boss under Section 197 0f the CrPC from Dr Mahajan, the acting head of the department, who refused sanction. So a criminal complaint was filed against Dr Mahajan too, alleging that by his action refusing sanction he had committed an offence under the Atrocities Act. Dr Mahajan moved the Bombay High Court to quash the proceedings on the ground, among others, that an act done in his official capacity cannot amount to an offence. The High Court rejected the petition for quashing of proceedings; but on appeal to the Supreme Court Dr Mahajan finally succeeded. In the course of the judgment, a two-member bench headed by Justice A.K. Goel directed reading into the law some safety measures like a time-bound review of the complaint by a superior police officer before directing arrest of the accused and allowing anticipatory bail in cases of apparent false complaints. The immediate pleasure of seeing a targeted accused being arrested was thus denied or delayed to a complainant. Justice Goel soon afterwards retired, and the government appointed him chairman of the National Green Tribunal, which post was lying vacant for a few months, and a retired judge of the Supreme Court is eminently qualified to fill it. Ram Vilas Paswan, a coalition partner of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and a minister in the Narendra Modi government, and more pertinently a once powerful SC/ST leader, protested against the judgment and also against the new appointment of Justice Goel. Recalling Justice Goel from the Green Tribunal is not easy, and may be for that reason Mr Paswan has kept the issue in reserve for the next time. To the demand to neutralise the ruling, the Narendra Modi government has yielded the law as amended post-haste has come into force on August 17. This could well be called Mr Modis Shah Bano moment! Mr Paswans importance in his community has surely received a boost equally guaranteed is Mr Modis slip among the rest of India. The Shah Bano law helped only the Muslim ego, but didnt harm others. On the other hand, the atrocities law has armed a section of the population to selectively attack the rest with impunity. The recorded facts noted in Dr Mahajans case show that year after year thousands of false complaints are filed under this law, exposing many innocent families to unjustified arrests and inconvenience and thus helping to polarise society even further. Mr Modis projected numerical gain due to the surrender to Mr Paswan is bound to be less even if BSP supremo Mayawati is added to the placated lot. The attenuation introduced by the Supreme Court would have helped that law to last with no loss to the SC/ST. The writer is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and a former additional solicitor-general of India. He can be reached at knbhat1@gmail.com With accessing online information and interacting with data becoming a necessity rather than a habit, it has become very easy for thieves to steal your identity and personal information and use it for nefarious purposes. Your digital identity can be misused in a plethora of ways from opening a shady bank account, siphoning off your savings and making chargeable transactions to funding criminal networks. It, therefore, stands to reason that protecting the information that you share on public platforms is of paramount importance. How your personal information is tracked by websites Most sites that let you access public information or put goods and services up for sale use bits of code, called cookies, to store your web browsing habits. They would typically capture details such as the time you spend on a site, a particular piece of content or product, how much time you spend looking at an advertisement, the sequence of clicks you make before buying an item, site preferences, return visits and so on. More intrusive sites will gather information that you share with social media platforms such as your age, gender, geographical location, the list of sites that you have bookmarked on your internet browser, the list of sites you have already visited in a single session and so on. Significantly, some sites will also save information such as your debit or credit card number, ostensibly for the purposes of saving you the effort of typing this data repeatedly every time you make a purchase. Other sites will attempt to bait you towards products that their sponsors are trying to sell by identifying patterns of online behaviour with known psychological profiles. The perils of online activity Marketing on the net has become considerably more subtle, with few organisations now directly engaging you on calls or flooding your message inbox with spam. Sellers do not make random target lists anymore. With the advent of internet mobility and smart devices measuring everything from your heart rate and blood pressure to your movements and bank balance, privacy would seem to have become obsolete. There is one more way in which organisations are tracking and evaluating your behaviour. More and more employers are profiling your digital footprint with predictive models that tell them whether you will be a safe investment or not. Governments can trace your social media activity to decide whether you are for or against certain policy initiatives. More sinister is the fact that you can be manipulated based on tried and tested techniques to feed your hidden biases and engage your personal time with debates and activities that put a shadow on real issues that affect you. There are frightening possibilities and parallels, here, with fiction from the 1930s and 1940s on the lines of Orwells 1984 or Huxleys Brave New World. Statistically speaking, a large number of individuals can be controlled unconsciously by overarching systems to bring about an all-pervading perverse form of social engineering that upholds the position of those in authority and discourages or even punishes forms of behaviour it sees as disruptive to the status quo. Pervasive and intrusive Social Media Facebook is a well known social media platform that is known to be excessively intrusive. Its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was recently asked to present himself for questioning before the US Congress and the European Parliament. Zuckerberg inadvertently admitted that Facebook gathers extensive information about its users and also those who visit their platform without becoming subscribers themselves. Democracy and the internet While radio and TV have been subject to heavy regulation, the internet is still a minefield of unregulated activity. Even mobile apps entice you to give up personal information with the threat of you not being able to use its functionalities unless you share. The former may be an arena of debate with many users observing that the freedom of expression found on the internet is what makes it the last vestige of democratic articulation. But the more vivid your statements, the more notice you attract from the powers that be. Then there is the question of internet trolls backed by the latter who fully comprehend the power of anonymity and are yet another manifestation of the violence associated with anarchy. How to minimise your digital footprint An increasing number of young people are taking to the internet as a dint of habit. They rely on it to help them with their studies, news and random trivia and even to make friends. The ubiquity of cloud servers has meant that people upload their videos, images and personal documents without thinking about who or which entities can access this information. So, digital footprints left by them can be very wide. Fortunately, there are tools available that help you manage the quantity and type of information you share online. Digital information is often highly moldable. This means that the information that you share online can be tweaked. Most users forget to use Privacy setting on their browser. It may be convenient but not practical to not delete cookies and browsing history after every session. You can use Ad blockers to bar intrusive scripts. It will take some effort and engagement to check your Google privacy settings, Linkedin, Yahoo, Facebook and other email and social data settings to uncheck the options that legally permit these portals to save your browsing habits. Take no heed of how much they dress up these activities with attractive words. Google will typically track every search and keywords you type in or speak at your microphone, especially if youre logged in. Googling yourself by name will tell you part of the results that are public information against your name. Use secondary emails to subscribe to intrusive platforms or apps. Never save passwords on your computer or smartphone. These are paltry measures compared to the number of ways in which your digital footprint is traced. But its a step in the right direction to ensuring a safe, healthy and private future. By: Pradipto Chakrabarty, Regional Director, CompTIA India Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella has tried to assuage users worries that GitHub might favour Microsoft products over competitors after the deal. EU antitrust regulators will decide by Oct. 19 whether to clear US software giant Microsofts $7.5 billion acquisition of privately held coding website GitHub. Microsoft, which wants to acquire the firm to reinforce its cloud computing business against rival Amazon, requested European Union approval for the deal last Friday, a filing on the European Commission website showed on Monday. The EU competition enforcer can either give the green light with or without demanding concessions, or it can open a full-scale investigation if it has serious concerns. GitHub, the worlds largest code host with more than 28 million developers using its platform, is Microsofts largest takeover since the company bought LinkedIn for $26 billion in 2016. Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella has tried to assuage users worries that GitHub might favour Microsoft products over competitors after the deal, saying GitHub would continue to be an open platform that works with all public clouds. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Skyworth has been working successfully in this field with growing reliability and innovations. Skyworth Digital, the worlds largest ODM for set-top-boxes, has been selected by Tata Sky, Indias leading pay TV and over-the-top (OTT) provider, to supply its newest DVB-S2 set-top box. Skyworth Digital continues to develop its network of strategic technology partners throughout the pay-tv ecosystem, to enable operators to not only reduce the time-to-market to launch leading-edge solutions, but to simplify their delivery too, with pre-integrated and pre-certified products. Yigs Riza, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Sky said, We believe in working with the best in the industry as we owe that to our subscribers. Skyworth has been working successfully in this field with growing reliability and innovations. We look forward to this partnership, to continue bringing high-quality devices to our subscribers, making consuming content a delightful experience. Stephen Hau, SVP International of Skyworth Digital said: Thanks to Tata Sky's trust, we are honoured to be their partner. Skyworth has been delivering set-top box and broadband products to India for over ten years, and have established significant sales and service presences in the region. Skyworth hopes to grow together with Tata Sky in India, a dynamic and rapidly-growing market, to provide high-quality and cost-effective products for the region. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Rating: The smartphone industry is seeing a decline in innovation in the recent times. Unique products with industry-first features are only available from elite brands at eye-watering prices. The midrange segment hardly gets to see anything new and keeps on borrowing year-old features with compromised performance. However, Chinese behemoth BKK Electronics has been actively pushing newer trends to the affordable segments in the recent times through its prominent OPPO and Vivo brands. In the Q3 2018, they have come up another trendy feature that will be adopted widely by the industry in the coming months a tiny display notch. OPPO introduced it with the F9 Pro and Vivo has refined it further with its latest V11 Pro midranger. With a close-to-true fullscreen display, an in-display fingerprint sensor and premium aesthetics, it comes across as a highly tempting smartphone, especially when you consider the price of Rs 25,990. Does this mean Vivo has a winner on its hands to decimate the competition? Aesthetics, Design: Manufacturers rapidly adopted the notch design trend in 2018, which made most phones end up with sizeable intrusions on displays. On the NEX and FindX, Vivo and OPPO achieved a true fullscreen display through a mechanical pop-up camera. However, the mechanical setup was expensive to implement on a mass market product and it brought along with itself concerns regarding reliability. Therefore, the only other cheaper and robust solution was going for a display with a smaller notch. Hence, OPPO/Vivo (probably) scratched their heads and came out with the water drop style notch, which liberated more space for the screen. Vivo terms it as a Halo notch. The V11 Pros display has extremely thin bezels to the sides and a slim chin. With the Halo notch, the top bezels also appear to be pretty slim. However, if you look closely, you will see that the face has been packaged in a way that hides most of the bezels very cleverly. With the smaller notch only accommodating the front camera, the earpiece sits between the top bezel and the display, with other sensors including the IR sensors for Face Unlock being stuffed cleverly along the edges. The curved frame also accommodates most of the bulk, thereby giving the sense of a true bezel-less display. Overall, Vivo has made use of the space on the front very efficiently, which makes for a very futuristic-looking smartphone. Well done Vivo! Move over to the rear and you will find a very familiar design from the X21 and the NEX. Like the NEX, the V11 Pro goes for a very subtle gradient finish. The Starry Night variant has a gradient that goes from dark blue to a lighter shade of blue that shimmers when held at an angle. However, unlike the NEX, the rear panel isnt made of glass its a plastic panel that emulates a glossy glass-like finish. In fact, the V11 Pro has a plastic frame that emulates a metal surface. A positive side to this is a lightweight body thats easier on the hands as compared to a glass-metal sandwich. The glossy finish is still prone to scratches, which is why Vivo bundles a protective case in the box. Vivo has retained the 3.5mm audio jack, but hasnt moved to a USB-C port. The V11 Pro still relies on the old and pesky micro USB port thats harder to use while plugging in the charger. With rivals offering USB-C as standard in this segment, Vivo should have made the switch to the newer standard. Display: The major reason you will really consider the V11 Pro is for its display a massive 6.4-inch full HD+ AMOLED panel with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and an 85.2 per cent screen-to-body ratio. With a small notch only housing the front camera, the V11 Pros display liberates a lot of space for the content. The tiny notch aids for an immersive viewing experience, never disturbing the field of view. Even when you are playing games, the notch barely creates a hindrance, thereby fitting most elements easily on the screen. However, the extremely curved corners do eat into the content, which requires developers to optimise their games for the new displays. AMOLED panels are known for deep blacks and eye-popping colours, and the V11 Pros doesnt budge from these characteristics. The dynamic range is good, and contrasts are high, resulting in a satisfying experience. The viewing angles are wide as well and sunlight legibility is decent for an AMOLED panel. However, the AMOLED panel is only there because of the in-display fingerprint sensor. In its fourth generation, the optical sensor has massively improved from the previous versions in terms of speed and accuracy. The display lights up the patch over the sensor in the lock screen and once you tap on it, it throws a bright neon light for the sensor to see your fingertip and authenticate. The new sensor is really fast, with speeds on par with capacitive sensors. In short, you can now comfortable rely on the in-display fingerprint sensor throughout a busy day to unlock your phone. However, Vivo could have linked haptic feedback with the authentication process, which could have made for a more satisfying experience. Performance: Unlike the NEX, the V11 Pro is a midrange smartphone. Therefore, Vivo had to compromise on the internals. Theres a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chip crunching data, aided by 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is expandable up to 256GB. The SD660 was a derivative of the SD835 from last year, with eight custom Kryo 260 cores. Qualcomm has already unveiled the SD670 SoC and it would have appealed more if Vivo went for the newer chip on the V11 Pro. Nonetheless, the SD660 is a reasonably powerful chip known to be capable of handling daily tasks without breaking a sweat. Vivos extremely customisable FunTouch OS is present as always this time its based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The OS has been optimised well, which results in a mostly stutter free user experience in daily usage scenarios. Apps respond quickly and multitasking between a bunch of apps is a no-brainer. However, memory management isnt impressive, considering the phone can only hold up to four apps at most times this is an issue that has been ever-present on FunTouch OS. The SD660 can also hold up well when it comes to graphics-intensive titles, provided you tweak the graphical settings to medium/low. However, FunTouch OS is polarising, i.e. it can be extremely appealing to those who love customising their phone to the hearts content or revolting to those who prefer functionality over aesthetics. FunTouch OS reminds heavily of older iOS versions theres a Control Centre, an iOS-style Notification Centre, an iOS-inspired homescreen, several iOS-inspired apps such as iMusic and iManager, and more. If you have an affinity for iOS aesthetics, then FunTouch will be appealing. However, the aesthetics arent refined enough the icons are ungainly, and text often flows out of boxes. And weirdly, despite sensible upgrades to the hardware side, we havent seen a search bar in the Settings menu yet it becomes a struggle to search for an option, especially if you are used to Androids default layout in most other smartphones. Vivos Jovi AI makes an appearance, with a sole job to learn which apps you use the most and make usual weather suggestions we found it pointless, given that Googles more intelligent and proven Assistant is already present. But what impresses highly is the Infrared Face Unlock system, which works like a charm. The moment you pick up the phone, the system does its work and brings the home screen to you before you can glance at the lock screen. Theres no problem with the dark as well the IR sensor makes sure the phone can capture your face in the pitch dark. Camera: This is where the V11 Pro makes itself appealing. Up front, theres a 25MP selfie camera while a 12MP+ 5MP dual camera setup takes care of all the point-and-shoot requirements. Selfies have been Vivos focus for a while and with V11 Pro, they have taken their game further. The front cameras image quality is impressive it snaps with adequate details and a substantial amount of colours in well-lit scenarios. It starts struggling once the lighting deteriorates, throwing up noise and losing details. However, the Backlight HDR feature helps a lot it uses smart AI algorithms to identify the face and enhance the exposure in that section of the canvas, which eventually makes the subject look brighter. We found this particularly helpful when taking selfies against a light source. The bokeh mode also woks well and beauty mode is suitable for the female consumer (it makes males look unnaturally fair). The AI filters are fun and one can download additional stickers from the menu. In Portrait mode with Smart HDR enabled In low light with Smart HDR enabled Without Backlight HDR. Notice the overexposed sky in the background. With Backlight HDR enabled. The background retains the details in the sky and gives more natural colours. The rear cameras performance is almost on par, if not better at times, with what the competition offers. In daylight, the photos turn up with a wide dynamic range and high contrasts. Details are present in a reasonable amount. The AI takes things in its hands during low light scenarios by cleverly bumping up the ISO and tweaking other parameters, which makes the photos look good. However, in a situation when the AI fails, noise shows up and theres nothing you can do to fix the images. The portrait mode works well in most situations, separating the foreground and background through clear edge detection. The camera can also shoot up to 4K videos at 30fps. The footage quality is just above average and the lack of OIS does pose a challenge to shoots stable videos. Whats interesting is the AI beautification in video, which enhances human faces while shooting. Battery: No matter how innovative a phone is, a strong power backup is necessary to make it useable. With a 3400mAh tank, the V11 Pro can stretch it up to an entire day, with some juice left. Incessant texting, lots of calls (including video), short gaming sessions, selfie shootouts, binging on YouTube, streaming music while commuting and social media browsing if your daily usage is similar to this list, this Vivo wont need the charger throughout the day. And in case if it does, the bundles 18W adapter will do a quick top-up you can get it back to 50 per cent from 10 per cent under half an hour. Conclusion: As we stated, the midrange segment usually doesnt see innovative features and Vivos V11 Pro is the only one right now that offers novel features. The fullscreen display with narrow bezels and the Halo notch impresses highly and the in-display fingerprints sensor works as intended you can rely on it for authentication purposes. The camera performance is appreciable as well and so is the performance. An unpleasant point here is the FunTouch UI, which requires a longer learning curve and Vivo seems to be in no mood to fix it. However, the biggest challenge the V11 Pro faces is from Xiaomis POCO F1, which offers a flagship Snapdragon 845-class performance and better battery life. So is the V11 Pro pointless? Absolutely not. If you are looking for a smartphone thats a breath of fresh air with new features and stylish design while catering to everyday smartphone jobs without hiccups, the V11 Pro fits the description. If raw performance isnt your concern, then the V11 Pro is a highly recommendable one to opt for in the midrange category. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and his wife Kim Jung-sook, second from left, walk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju upon their arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea on September 18. (Photo: AP) Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday for his third summit this year with Kim Jong Un as he seeks to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States. Kim welcomed his visitor at Pyongyangs international airport -- where he supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted -- the two men embracing after Moon walked down the steps of his aircraft. Accompanied by their wives, they exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes ahead of a military welcome ceremony as hundreds of people lining the tarmac cheered, waving North Korean flags and unification ones showing an undivided peninsula. But the Souths own emblem was only visible on Moons Boeing 747 aircraft. Lets open an era of peace and prosperity with the solidarity of one people, read a hoarding displayed outside the terminal. The nuclear-armed North invaded its neighbour in 1950, starting the Korean War, although it now regularly stresses the importance of reunifying with the now far wealthier South. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the three-year conflict -- is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The Norths Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history. The first visit by a South Korean leader to Pyongyang in a decade is also the mens third meeting this year after two previous summits in April and May in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. Moon has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the Norths final, fully verified denuclearisation, while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned gangster-like demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. Only rosy headlines? The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the Norths leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament. If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself, he was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea, Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North, it added. Progressives inside and outside Moons government will have strong incentives to inflate the summits accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables. Moon was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. Moon -- whose poll ratings have been falling in the face of a struggling economy in the South -- has been pushing inter-Korean cooperation but South Korean media have urged caution, calling for such schemes to await substantial progress towards denuclearisation. The presidents office has said the inclusion of the businessmen was not special, given the heads of major conglomerates had been in Pyongyang for the previous inter-Korean summits in the city. Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders, the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation. Other issues on Moons agenda include improving inter-Korean ties and easing military tensions on the peninsula. Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip. The proposed Chutka atomic power station in Madhya Pradesh faced opposition on Monday from local villagers, who feared displacement. The locals who experienced displacement in the 1990s because of the construction of the Bargi dam on Narmada river apprehend a similar fate when the construction of the two 700 MW units of nuclear power station would commence. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited acquired 708.19 hectares of land for the plant and township to be set up at Chutka in Mandla district. Out of the total land acquired 640.53 ha is for the plant site and 67.66 ha for the township. The land acquired for the project can be further broken down to 287.21 ha of private land, 119.46 ha of forest land, 260.03 ha NVDA (Narmada Valley Development Authority) land and 41.49 ha of government land. The land was acquired from three villages Chutka, Tatighat and Kundla but activists claimed people from 54 villages would be affected by the plant. The Gram Sabhas were not consulted by the district administration. We organised an Adivasi Sammelan (Conference of the tribes) against the project, said Navratan Dubey, an office-bearer of Chutka Parmanu Virodh Sangharsh Samiti an NGO set to fight against the nuclear power station. Mandla district enjoys a special status for the protection of cultural distinctiveness of the tribes because of which the Gram Sabha (village general assembly) has certain legal powers. According to the Indian Constitution and complimentary law, with Mandla district being in Schedule 5 and under the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, the opposition and rejection by three Gram Sabhas should mean the project must be withdrawn. But the government is violating its own legal provisions, says a report on Chutka protest. Prepared by the Women's Regional Network, the report was released here on Tuesday. We faced displacement once due to Bargi dam, will we face the same once against because of the Chutka project, wondered Meera Bai, one of the villagers from the area. We were taken to Tarapur where people told us not to have a nuclear project in our vicinity. We went to Rawatbhatta where we found empty colony. We are worried but no one talks to the villagers, said Dadu Lal Kudape, another office-bearer of the NGO opposing the project. NPCIL sources said the work on the resettlement colony was in progress and 92% of the private landowners received the compensation. The project has received forest land stage-one and environment clearance, and a review by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is in process. India will early next month allot a new site in Andhra Pradesh to Russia to build yet another atomic power project, as preliminary works for the last two units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu already commenced. New Delhi and Moscow have agreed that at least 50% of the components required for the new atomic power plant in Andhra Pradesh will be manufactured in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi early next month for the 19th India-Russia annual summit. A review of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector is likely to be high on agenda and the two sides are expected to agree upon an action plan for prioritising and implementing the areas of bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. The action plan is going to be a follow-up to the Strategic Vision for Strengthening Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, which was released when Modi and Putin met in December 2014 for the 15th India-Russia summit, sources told DH in New Delhi. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the JSC Atomstroyexport of Russia already signed the general framework agreement and credit protocol as well as contracts for the priority design works, working design and supply of the main equipment for the last two of the six units of the KNPP in Tamil Nadu. The forthcoming summit between Modi and Putin may see New Delhi formally allotting a new site at Kavali in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh for Russia to build the second nuclear power plant in India, sources said on Tuesday. The NPCIL is also holding talks with nuclear power giant Westinghouse Electric Company of the United States for construction of an atomic power plant at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal site India had earlier planned to allot a site at Haripur in West Bengal for the second nuclear power plant, but the state government strongly objected to the plan, prompting New Delhi and Moscow to explore other sites. Both sides have been holding discussions on the proposed site at Kavali in Andhra Pradesh, and New Delhi is now ready to formally offer it to the nuclear companies of Russia. The atomic power plant at Kavali in Andhra Pradesh will have six Russian VVER-1200 reactors with each having a generation capacity of 1200 MWe. The KNPP is proposed to have altogether six VVER-1,000 reactors with an installed capacity of 1,000 MWe each. The first four units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant had 20% locally manufactured components. The localisation will go up to 50% for the fifth and sixth units of the plant in Kudankulam as well as for all the six units in Kavali. The Modi-Putin summit early next month will also see the two sides reviewing implementation of 'Programme of Action' agreed upon by the Department of Atomic Energy of Government of India and Rosatom of Russia in December 2015 for localisation of manufacturing of components of nuclear power units, sources in New Delhi said. The firmness of the Jarkiholi brothers has forced the Congress high command to step in to resolve the political uncertainty that stares at the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah is expected to rush to New Delhi later on Tuesday amid the threat posed by Municipalities Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and his MLA brother Satish Jarkiholi. On Tuesday morning, Ramesh went into a huddle with some of his MLA friends at a private hotel in Bengaluru, giving rise to speculation about what the outcome of this meeting could be. Desperate to save the coalition, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, too, rushed to the hotel in an attempt to reach out to the disgruntled MLAs. Satish is slated to meet the party high command in New Delhi on Wednesday along with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao. The Jarkiholi family holds considerable sway in Belagavi district, which has been their fiefdom for the past two decades. Ramesh and Satish have given the Congress sleepless nights for the past two weeks due to their feud with Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar. The brothers have placed at least five demands before the party: Keep Shivakumar away from Belagavi affairs, make Satish the state party president or deputy chief minister, Cabinet berths and board/corporation appointments for their loyalists, rejig the Belagavi district party unit and effect transfers of officials of their choice in the district. The brothers have not only threatened to quit the Congress if their demands are not met, but they have also claimed to have the support of other legislators. In the event that the Jarkiholi brothers take the drastic decision of leaving the Congress and manage to get their legislator friends to resign, the strength of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will come down, paving way for the 104-member BJP to stake a claim for forming the new government. Siddaramaiah, who was tasked with the responsibility of resolving the impasse, held talks with Ramesh on Monday. However, there was no change in the brothers stand. The trigger for the Jarkiholis disgruntlement was an election to a local cooperative bank in Belagavi earlier this month, where candidates backed by them went up against those backed by archrival Laxmi Hebbalkar. In the polls, Hebbalkars group gained the upper hand. NORRISTOWN A Chester County man is headed to state prison on charges he used the Internet to attempt to meet a minor for sex acts, however, in reality he was communicating with an undercover detective. Bradley David Vertigan, 23, of the first block of Gloucester Drive, Downingtown, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to three to six years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful contact with a minor, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor, possessing child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with a November 2017 incident. Judge Todd D. Eisenberg also ordered Vertigan to complete five years probation following parole, meaning he will be under court supervision for 11 years. Vertigan also faces a lifetime requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act. The judge prohibited Vertigan from possessing any electronic devices capable of accessing the Internet that are not monitored by probation officials during his parole and probationary period. An investigation of Vertigan began in November 2017 when undercover agents with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney Generals Child Predator Section were conducting undercover online investigations of those who sexually exploit children on the Internet. Vertigan had an online conversation, during which he solicited sex, with the undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old child, according to the arrest affidavit. Vertigan arranged to meet who he believed was the 14-year-old child at a prearranged location in Lower Providence on Nov. 17, according to court documents. When state agents spotted Vertigan at the prearranged meeting place they took him into custody and they found him in possession of condoms, lubricant and breakfast, items he allegedly intended to give to who he believed was the minor. At the time of his arrest, Vertigan told detectives this needed to happen, and stated he intended to have sexual contact with a minor child, according to the criminal complaint. The actor stated that he has been attracted to 13-14 year old boys for the last nine years. The actor stated that as of recently, the urges to meet a minor for sex, have been strong, detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit. Vertigan also told investigators that he viewed child pornography online and also befriended minors on social media platforms and obtained explicit nude photos form them and that he sent nude photos in return. The actor stated he knows this behavior is both morally and legally wrong, detectives alleged. When detectives searched the contents of Vertigans cellphone and laptop computer they uncovered hundreds of photos and videos depicting children in various stages of undress or involved in various sexual acts. At least 11 of the videos depicted young males under the age of 13 engaged in various sex acts, according to the criminal complaint. RIDLEY TOWNSHIP A preliminary hearing for a former Farmers Insurance agent facing more than 240 criminal counts for allegedly pocketing or mishandling thousands of dollars worth of client funds was continued Monday until Oct. 15, according to online court records. Nicholas J. Palladino, 38, of the 300 block of Harding Avenue in Milmont Park, is charged with 27 counts each of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, theft by deception, fraudulent destruction of recordable instruments, forgery, deceptive or fraudulent business practices, misapplication of entrusted property to financial institutions, securing execution documents by deception and insurance fraud. Nearly all of the charges are felonies. Palladino remains free on 10 percent of $10,000 bail, a reduced amount from the original bail set at 10 percent of $25,000. Palladino was confined at the county prison from Aug 9, when he was preliminarily arraigned, until Sept. 11, when a professional bondsman posted the reduced bail, online records show. According to information received by Magisterial District Judge Vincent D. Gallagher Jr.s court from a family member and later verified by the court clerk on Monday, Palladino is currently in a rehabilitation facility. He has not yet retained an attorney. Palladino joined Farmers in 2012, according to the probable cause affidavit filed by Detective Lt. Charles Palo Jr. of the Ridley Township Police Department. The insurance company initiated an investigation into Palladinos questionable handling (of) insurance premium practices in July 2017, the affidavit states. Palladino was interviewed by Farmers Senior Investigator Marletta Wilmarth in August 2017, but was unable to account for $8,533 in premium collections, according to the affidavit. The affidavit states that Palladino did pay back those funds between August and September of 2017, but provided falsified bank statements when he was asked to provide copies of his personal bank statements to validate the amounts of premiums going through his personal checking account, according to the affidavit. Palladinos agent appointment agreement was terminated by Farmers March 2 due to embezzlement, the affidavit states. Following his termination, 27 insureds provided proof of premium payments totaling $19,327 that were made to Palladino and handled improperly, according to the affidavit. Palo notes that agents are authorized to collect premiums on behalf of Farmers and are required to input the payment information into an online accounting system, which produces a receipt to be given to the insured. All payments put into the system are applied to the indicated policies and the agent is required to deposit the premium into a company-owned bank account. The internal audit team is notified if the premium is not deposited or if an agent submits their own check that is returned for insufficient funds. The affidavit lays out four methods of fraud Palladino allegedly engaged in: For 13 payments totaling $9,731, he allegedly applied the checks to the policies but deposited the funds into his own personal checking account rather than the company account. For eight payments totaling $5,912, Palladino did not receipt the payments so the insureds did not receive the appropriate credits to their policies, according to the affidavit. Those funds were also allegedly deposited into his personal account. Palladino also allegedly receipted six check premium payments for amounts that were less than the payments given to him, so the insureds did not receive full policy credits. The funds, totaling $2,754, were not deposited into a company-owned account, but into Palladinos personal checking account, according to the affidavit. The affidavit indicates Palladino also received and then voided one check for $929 so the insured did not receive credit on the policy. He then deposited that check into his personal account, according to the affidavit. That gush of wind you just heard is not the remnants of Hurricane Florence rolling across Delco. No, that would be thousands of loyal customers of the Chester Water Authority heaving a sigh of relief. It now appears the iconic Delco company that has provided sparkling clean water for decades is not going to be sold. That appears to be the latest word from the city of Chester, where city officials continue their efforts to prepare to pull the struggling city out of its longtime status as a distressed city under the states Act 47. The city has been under Act 47 since 1995 and is facing a deadline to at least show the state that it is making progress toward putting the city back on an even fiscal keel. Of course, in order to do that the city needs revenue. That led many people to look in the direction of the Chester Water Authority, which traces its roots back 1866. The company brings water through 656 miles of pipelines from the Susquehanna River and the Octoraro Reservoir on the border of Chester and Lancaster counties to Delaware County. Chester Water Authority provides water for 19 municipalities in Delaware County, as well as several in southern Chester County. It was also seen by some as providing a way out of the financial abyss where the city of Chester has wallowed for years. That certainly seemed to be the impression left by Econsult. Theyre the company hired by the state to oversee Chesters finances. They looked at Chester Water Authority and saw dollar signs. Those fears jumped considerably when it was learned that the giant water utility Aqua America had made an unsolicited bid of $250 million to purchase the local water company. Employees, residents and customers were not thrilled. They feared a huge rate hike should Aqua take over. They showed up en masse at a public hearing to oppose any sale of the company. The company quickly rejected the offer. That settled the troubled waters a bit. But the problem did not go away. With Aqua continuing to lurk, and indicating negotiations were ongoing, the next step in the process seemed to be a new move by Econsult and the city, looking at the possibility of splitting off a portion of the company that serves city residents and selling that. Now it appears the city might not need revenue from a sale of the water company at all in its efforts to escape Act 47. Chester has until Oct. 25 to adopt an exit plan. City officials stress that they have methodically been chipping away at Chesters deficit, which once stood at more than $8 million. The city is pointing to several steps that have allowed it to improve its bottom line, including a consolidation of the fire department, interactive gaming revenues and new parking revenue. The city is banking on a new parking agreement with a third-party operator to handle parking in Chester, a move they say could bring in an additional $700,000 in revenue by next year. What they are not banking on right now is a sale of Chester Water Authority, despite the recommendation from Econsult last spring. Thats not something city officials are looking to do, said Cleveland Aigner, press spokesperson for Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland. That no doubt comes as a huge relief for the 42,000 loyal, longtime customers of Chester Water Authority in 34 Delaware and Chester county municipalities and well as the city of Chester. They feared a sale could hit them dead square in the spigot as well as their pocketbooks. They pointed out that Aqua customers in general pay more for water, in some cases nearly double the Chester Water Authority rate. Aqua Pa. tried to offer assurances they would not hike rates immediately, but the companys recent request for a rate hike to address longstanding infrastructure problems did nothing to calm the waters of Chester Water Authority customers. There are a lot of different hands in this high-stakes game of poker. There is the city of Chester. The Econsult folks representing the state. Aqua Pa. Chester Water Company and its customers. And dozens of local towns and government entities. They havent all always been on the same page in this discussion. Chester Water Authority officials have openly questioned the motives of Econsult in recommending a sale. With assets of $4 billion and a sparkling credit rating that matches its water, its no surprise that Chester Water Authority is being targeted. For now, the company and its loyal customers seem to have dodged another bullete. Well drink to that. To the Times: As the editor of the Delco Times, editor Phil Heron holds an important position in our democracy, and when writing on important issues he should exhibit a certain degree of knowledge, objectivity, and truthfulness. But after reading a few articles of his in the past few weeks one would see a very ignorant, bias and very confused editor. For example, when President Trump made his faux pas in Helsinki Mr. Heron saw this as a positive while most American and rational people saw this as a negative. He also thought that because of this, even his own party was about to abandon him. Mr. Heron does not even know that the Republican Party, the presidents own party, had abandoned Mr. Trump before, during and after his election. Everyone knows that! So now the next big issue that he has written on is the Pernnsylvania grand jury report on sexual abuse by priests. Mr. Heron feels that he is qualified to write on this issue because he has been a lifetime Catholic, a former altar boy, has plenty of faith, a devotee of the Baltimore Catechism, and has read the 900-page grand jury report. However, after reading what he has written I find it impossible to trust him on this issue also. I find him to be a very confused and devious person who doesnt even have the courage to state what he really means to say. He has written two opinion pieces on this report and his opening few paragraphs are the exact words. First, he states, I have only one regret but then he says that he has two regrets. The second regret is that he did not use the phrase, Let Us Prey, for the front-page headline. Ostensibly he says that he did not use this phrase out of respect since that phrase is an actual part of the Mass and much of the liturgy. Actually, the phrase for the Mass is, Let Us Pray. His deviousness, spinelessness, and his hypocrisy are quite transparent. If he were sincere, he would have never mentioned the offensive phrase in the first place and he does so two weeks in a row. But it is obvious that he wanted so desperately to bash the church and not suffer any imagined repercussions for his irreverent words. He tells us that he has plenty of faith but then says, It [the grand jury report] has once again shaken my faith, something that as a member of St. Josephs Parish in Downingtown seems to be happening with some regularity these days. He also tells us that he has not been to Mass in the past two weeks. Again, Mr. Heron is confused and does not see the obvious or just figures that he can lie to us and hope that we are as confused and clueless as he is. Finally, he tells us that he has read the grand jury report and that we should, too. Now he may have read the report, but I know that he does not understand what he has read. It is obvious that Mr. Heron thinks that the report is gospel and he seems to have plenty of faith in it. I dont and I have no faith in Mr. Herons interpretation. He doesnt realize that this is really a witch-hunt against the Catholic Church using the abused as a shield. The purpose of the grand jury was to form charges for criminal prosecution, but it was already known before the grand jury had convened that none of the accused could be charged due to the statute of limitations. That should have ended right there. Instead, patrician bureaucrats want to have the media do what the grand jury cannot do, this is, try the accused in the court of the media. This is not justice! There will be no cross-examinations, no witnesses for the defense, and no due process for the accused. Most people dont realize that the 300 are accused and not tried and convicted. Mr. Heron in his confused state hasnt caught on to that Doesnt Mr. Heron find it strange that only the Catholic Church comes under scrutiny? What about public schools, Boy Scouts, rabbis, imams, and Protestant churches? Public schools, according to Dr. Carol Shakeshaft of Hofstra University, an expert in the field of sexual abuse in schools and who has done work for the U.S. Dept. of Education, found that there has been more than 100 times the abuse in public schools than by Catholic priests. I wrote this not to defend the church or priest but to defend the truth. We need to look at the church right now and see what it has done so far to ensure the safety of the children. An audit from July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015, of 52,238 clergy shows that there were seven substantiated allegations against clergy for sexual abuse. That represents 0.01 percent of the 52,238. And an audit from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, of 52,000 clergy shows that there were two substantiated cases of sexual abuse. The church needs to be monitored but it has also demonstrated great progress. We also need to scrutinize other organizations and put them under the same scrutiny and punishment as the church. Not to do so is not only an affront to the church but a complete abandonment of all those children under the supervision of other institutions. We need a press that tells us the truth so as citizens we can see what is really going on. What we dont need are confused and clueless editors venting their personal frustrations with the church. We thought that we would share these lovely photographs from our good friend George Land showing Battle of Britain veteran Hawker Hurricane Mk.I V7497 arriving at her new home with the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford Aerodrome a couple of days ago. The magnificent fighter has only just emerged from Hawker Restorations Ltds workshop at Elmsett Airfield in Suffolk, England. She flew again following restoration on August 30th, 2018. This was the former RAF 501 Squadron Hurricanes first flight since Pilot Officer Everett Bryan Rogers bailed out of her stricken airframe over Sutton, Kent following a skirmish with Bf 109s on September 28th, 1940. We reported on this project earlier in the year HERE, which includes more details on her history. Now that the restoration is complete, V7497 will operate under the auspices of the Aircraft Restoration Company on behalf of her owners. There is a fascinating website dedicated to V7497 HERE if readers are interested in learning more about her owners and the restoration. We hope V7497 has a long and successful tenure at Duxford, where she is bound to find an appreciative audience! Many thanks again to George Land for providing the images and details. SALT LAKE CITY Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints want the Utah Legislature to legalize medical marijuana in a special session by the end of 2018. "We'd like to see it done this year, in a special session this year," said Marty Stephens, the church's director of community and governmental relations. "We'd like to see these people that have needs truly medical needs we'd like to see them be able to get access to these medications in an appropriate, safe manner." But the church does not believe the medical marijuana initiative on November's ballot is the right way to make medical marijuana legal. The church has joined a broad coalition of medical, law enforcement, educational, religious and other leaders who are urging Utahns to go to the ballot on Nov. 6 to reject Proposition 2. That medical marijuana initiative doesn't protect children, they say. They also say it doesn't resolve unintended consequences that have afflicted medical marijuana programs in other states like Washington and Colorado. "Proposition 2 is not the right answer," said Elder Jack N. Gerard, executive director of the church's public affairs department. "We're hopeful that as people better understand what is in Proposition 2, that they will join with us to find an appropriate answer in a timely way." But Latter-day Saint leaders also don't want pain-ridden patients to wait any longer for the relief that medical marijuana can provide. "There is urgency," said Elder Gerard, 60, who became a General Authority Seventy in March. "This isn't 'let's wait till next year to have a conversation.' It needs to be dealt with soon. There's an urgency to accomplish this. With this coalition, we're calling on public officials to act and act promptly." Gov. Gary Herbert's spokesman, Paul Edwards, said the governor would consider a special session under the right circumstances, but believes it is too early to consider one. "The governor only calls a special session when we have near-consensus on legislative action and language," Edwards said Sunday. "It would be premature to say anything about a special session at this point because there's no such bill that people are looking at right now." Herbert announced his opposition to Proposition 2 back in March and said he would welcome an alternative. Edwards and others said several different proposals are at the conceptual stage. "If we see something where we coalesce around what looks like good policy for the state, the governor is more than happy to take a look at that opportunity," Edwards said. "His primary concern is getting to good policy about medical marijuana that allows patients access to compounds that may help them while also protecting public health and public safety." House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, agreed with the governor that he would have to wait to see a serious proposal before he could support a special session. King opposes Proposition 2 but said he plans to vote for it and work in the Legislature to fix it afterward. "Proposition 2 is flawed, in some ways very flawed," he said, "but I'm voting for it because if we vote it down, I think the likelihood that the state Legislature will come back and put in place meaningful medical marijuana is slim and none." King questioned whether a largely conservative Republican Legislature would pass a meaningful medical marijuana law immediately after voters rejected one in an initiative. He would need to see a specific, concrete proposal before mail-in ballots are sent to voters in a month. A special session of the Legislature would have to take place in November or the first week or two of December. While King suggested the coalition take the law from one of the 30 states that has legalized medical marijuana and use it as a template, pointing out what it liked and didn't like, Elder Gerard said the church would like to see Utah set a national example with a bill that could be used to pass medical marijuana in any state. Multiple supporters of the initiative have said they don't have much faith in the Utah Legislature. One of the main reasons they pushed for a ballot initiative is because they say the Legislature has failed to act meaningfully on medical marijuana issues. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often known as the Mormon church, has aligned itself with a broad coalition against Proposition 2 that includes the Utah Medical Association and other doctors, the Utah PTA and other parents and teachers, multiple law enforcement groups, the Utah Episcopal Diocese and the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake. Elder Gerard said the church wants all parties to come together swiftly to craft a specific, serious, landmark proposal. He said it wants a solution like the landmark Utah Compact on immigration reform and the church's Fairness for All approach that was at the core of a 2015 Utah nondiscrimination law that extended protection to LGBT people in housing and employment while also protecting religious rights. He expressed surprise that headlines have focused on the church's opposition to Proposition 2 and not the first-ever public statement that it accepts medicinal marijuana as a matter of church policy. In fact, the church's urgent public support of medical marijuana has cheered Enedina Stanger Ramos, an active church member who suffers from chronic, excruciating pain due to multiple medical conditions. "I don't understand why every (church) member isn't jumping up and shouting for joy and screaming, 'Hallelujah,'" she said. "This is exactly what we've been praying for and hoping for for so many years. This has been the plea that we've had for so long. It has been an answer to prayers." Elder Gerard said the church's public support of medical marijuana use is a reflection of the leadership of President Russell M. Nelson, a renowned heart surgeon who became the faith's 17th president and prophet in January. "It's really remarkable the Lord's chosen prophet at this time has great empathy and understanding," Elder Gerard said, adding that President Nelson understands human pain and suffering "not only as a loving, compassionate leader of the church, but he also understands it more from the medical perspective. "That's why I think it really is quite significant that we've come out to support a broader coalition to work for appropriate, medicinal marijuana use with appropriate safeguards," he said. The only time the church has publicly supported medical marijuana before now was in February 2016, when leaders said only that they had no objection to a Utah bill that would have legalized cannabidiol, or CBD oil. That bill failed. While church leaders now support legalized medical marijuana, they say Proposition 2 is a serious threat to health and public safety, especially to Utah teens and children, because they believe it would make marijuana generally available for recreational use with few controls. SPANISH FORK A panel of judges is scheduled to meet on Thursday, Oct. 11, to hear testimony to determine whether reasonable cause exists to call a grand jury. The meeting will take place at the Spanish Fork Courthouse, 775 W. Center. Those wanting to testify before the panel of judges should contact Jacey Skinner, deputy state court administrator, at 801-578-3807 by Thursday, Sept. 27, to schedule an appointment. If no appointments are scheduled, the meeting will be canceled without further notice. Individuals testifying must be prepared to give evidence to support claims that justify calling a grand jury. Controversies between individual parties will not be considered. Individuals who need special accommodations during the hearing must notify the court at least three business days prior to the hearing. Utahs grand jury statute requires a panel of judges selected from throughout the state to hold hearings in each judicial district every three years. The panel is comprised of Supervising Judge W. Brent West, 2nd District Court; Judge Lynn W. Davis, 4th District Court; Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills, 3rd District Court; Judge Eric A. Ludlow, 5th District Court; and Judge Kara Pettit, 3rd District Court. The Utah attorney general, a county attorney, district attorney or special prosecutor may also present evidence of criminal activity. As required by statute, the panel will hear, in secret, all persons claiming information that justifies calling a grand jury. All individuals appearing before the panel of judges will be placed under oath. If a grand jury is summoned, the jurors will be called from the state at-large. SALT LAKE CITY New poll numbers from Utah Policy show 43 percent of the state's likely voters are less likely to support the medical marijuana ballot initiative as a result of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' opposition to it. The news site reported that 25 percent of likely voters were "much less likely" to support Proposition 2 as a result of the church's position, while 18 percent were somewhat less likely. Yet nearly as many said they were more likely to support the initiative because of the church's stance. The Utah Policy poll asked the following: "Leaders of the LDS Church have come out against the medical marijuana ballot initiative. Does their opposition make you more or less likely to vote for the initiative?" Forty-one percent of respondents said they were more likely to support Proposition 2 as a result of the church's opposition. That included 26 percent who said they were much more likely to support it and 15 percent who said they were somewhat more likely to favor it. Seventeen percent of respondents said they didn't know whether the church's opposition made them more or less likely to support Proposition 2. An option saying the church's position would have no effect on their support was not included in the poll. Among respondents who identified themselves as "very active" Latter-day Saints, 65 percent said their church's position would make them less likely to support Proposition 2, 18 percent said it would make them more likely to support the initiative, and 17 percent said they didn't know. Still, the same poll asked whether respondents "support or oppose legalizing doctor-recommended use of marijuana for certain diseases and pain relief," to which 64 percent of all respondents and 45 percent of "very active" Latter-day Saints said they were in favor. Results from that question were released by Utah Policy last week. Seventy six percent of Catholic respondents said Latter-day Saint leaders' opposition to Proposition 2 made them more likely to support the initiative, as did 69 percent of Protestants and 80 percent of respondents who said they hold no religious beliefs. Of Latter-day Saint respondents who identified as "somewhat active," 48 percent said their church's stance made them more likely to support Proposition 2, compared to 36 percent who said they were less likely to support it, and those numbers were 66 percent to 15 percent, respectively, for former members of the church. DJ Schanz, director of the ballot initiative campaign called the Utah Patients Coalition, said the findings about the church's influence on people's support shows that "when churches dive into the realm of politics, it tends to be fairly divisive." "Look, the church definitely has an influence on people, but we maintain that its best influence is in the spiritual realm and religious realm of things, and to leave the politics for the people to vote on." The poll also found 55 percent of those surveyed said they had not "read the language of the medical marijuana initiative," while 43 percent said they had. Two percent said they didn't know. The poll was conducted among 809 likely Utah voters from Aug. 22 to Aug. 31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent. Schanz also responded to a recent Deseret News report in which Latter-day Saint leaders said they want to see Utah lawmakers call a special session by the end of this year to legalize medical marijuana, and reiterated their disagreements with the contents of Proposition 2. "The idea that the church, and this coalition of prohibition was pushing to undermine the ballot initiative by doing a special session, is nothing new," Schanz said, adding that he believes the initiative will be passed by voters regardless of the prospect of a special legislative session. "We've known from the beginning that legislative elected officials have the ability to change and modify the initiative once it passes," he said. The initiative campaign would in that case make sure "that the voters' will is followed through," he said, even if lawmakers do address "a few minor issues with the ballot initiative." New analysis Also Monday, Salt Lake City law firm Kirton McConkie released a report rebutting criticisms of a legal analysis it conducted into Proposition 2 earlier this year on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church said in May that Kirton McConkie's 31-point analysis "raises grave concerns about this initiative and the serious adverse consequences that could follow if it were adopted." Kirton McConkie's original analysis raised concerns about the difficulty to diagnose some medical conditions that would qualify a person for a medical cannabis card under Proposition 2 and permission the initiative would grant allowing people to grow their own marijuana plants if they live 100 miles or more from a dispensary. That analysis also concluded that the initiative would make it more difficult for police to enforce laws prohibiting recreational marijuana use, and would leave the state prone to exploitative or negligent recommendations of medical cannabis cards by doctors. Responding to Kirton McConkie's report, Libertas Institute in May called it "a poor attempt to provide biased assertions and misleading talking points." Libertas Institute at the time also included a point-by-point response to the analysis, saying provisions allowing the growing of plants for personal use was designed to encourage more dispensaries throughout Utah, that there is "ample evidence that the list of conditions included in the initiative can be alleviated or helped" with marijuana, and that Proposition 2 retains "the ability of law enforcement to adequately police the issue." Addressing Libertas Institute's criticisms in a memorandum sent to the Church of Jesus Christ and released Monday, Kirton McConkie said "Libertas' response is not really a legal rebuttal but rather an assertion of its own libertarian policy preferences." "Libertas appears to favor full legalization of marijuana, and the marijuana initiative is a big step in that direction," the law firm's memo to the church says. "The primary purpose of our analysis, by contrast, was to identify some of the legal problems and risks the marijuana initiative would create. "Whether those problems and risks are worth it or whether the marijuana initiative is a slippery slope to full legalization is a policy question for voters to decide." The memo added that "in almost every respect, Libertas actually agrees with our analysis" and that "where Libertas disagrees on the law, it is simply wrong." Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute, said Monday it was "misleading" for Kirton McConkie to say Libertas' own analysis of the initiative was in agreement with the original critique. "In fact we stated that what was being complained about was either intentional or important. That doesn't mean there's agreement as to their original concern, it means that rather it's out of context, or irrelevant, or mischaracterizing the truth," Boyack told the Deseret News. He added that "at the end of the day, no one's going to care about a rebuttal to a rebuttal." "The polling still shows a strong majority of support, so at this point we think voters get the issue," Boyack said. WASHINGTON Two Utah airports will receive $13.4 million for three infrastructure projects from the Federal Aviation Administrations Airport Improvement Program. The latest grants, which were announced Monday, will be used to improve drainage and reconstruct the runway at St. George Regional Airport. The runway at Roosevelt Municipal Airport will also be rehabilitated. In total, the FAA announced $586 million in airport infrastructure grants nationwide, the fifth allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Airport Improvement Program funding. Airports receive a certain amount of entitlement funding each year based on activity levels and project needs. If their capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, the FAA can supplement their entitlements with discretionary funding. SALT LAKE CITY As a boy at Sandy's Eastmont Middle School in the 1990s, Tony Award-nominee Robert Fairchild didn't tell a lot of his peers that he was a dancer. Dancing just wasnt the cool thing to do in Utah at the time, Fairchild said. Not anymore. These days, it seems just about every dancing show on television features someone from the Beehive State. Now Fairchild, 30, is ecstatic to tell his old classmates at Eastmont Middle and Jordan High School to head to the movies to watch him dance on the big screen. Fairchild is co-starring in American in Paris, a recording of the West End production of the Tony Award-winning musical playing one night only on Sept. 20 at select movie theaters in Utah. Now Im in movie theaters dancing, and Im proud of it, Fairchild said. We live in a different time when dancing is a little cooler for guys to do. Despite his reluctance to talk about it as a youth, dancing has always been Fairchilds dream. As a kid, he worshipped Gene Kelly and dreamed of being a song and dance man just like him. In the fourth grade, he even wrote an essay saying he wanted to be like Kelly and dance on Broadway someday. It took a few detours to get there like working as a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet. The company prepared Fairchild for his ideal Broadway role, in renowned ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon revamp of the classic film An American in Paris for the stage. The production won four Tony Awards in 2015, including best choreographer, and then transferred to Londons West End, where it closed in January 2018. Fairchild stars as Jerry Mulligan, an American GI striving to make it as a painter in a city suddenly bursting with hope and possibility in the post-World War II years the same character that Fairchilds hero, Gene Kelly, played in the 1951 film. Following a chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer named Lise, played by Leanne Cope, the streets of Paris become the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship and love in the aftermath of war. The first time I watched Gene Kelly in American in Paris, I was in awe by his elegance and charm on screen and tried to mimic every dance move, Fairchild said. Hes a big part of my love for dancing and I was honored and privileged to play one of my beloved icons in the new An American in Paris. An American in Paris features a classic George and Ira Gershwin score, including such hits as "'S Wonderful" and "I Got Rhythm." I could never get tired of hearing this music, said Cope, who, like Fairchild, came to Broadway via ballet, for her through the Royal Ballet in London. There was not one evening where I got fed up with hearing that music. With Wheeldon at the helm, dance takes front and center in this gorgeous production. I think that what Chris Wheeldon wanted to do was make dancing equal parts storytelling as scene work and songs, Fairchild said. Dance has the ability to communicate things you cant put into words. Cope said the recording of the West End production brings out surprises even for the most die-hard "An American in Paris" fans. "Even me, whos been in the show a very long time, (I) saw things Ive never seen before," Cope said. "I would encourage anyone who has a love for musicals or ballet or Gershwin to take a trip to the movies (to see it)." The production "has literally change my life, and I am so grateful," Fairchild said. "Its been the last five years of my career involved in this show in one way or another, and the fact that it was documented and gets to be shared to the rest of the nation is just so exciting to me. I cant believe its going to be in movie theaters on big screens." For more information, and to find out where the production is playing at a local movie theater, visit anamericaninpariscinema.com. SARATOGA SPRINGS Saratoga Springs officials say they were able to thwart a social media threat related to Westlake High School that was discovered by the FBI. Principal Gary Twitchell said in a letter sent to parents on Saturday afternoon that the Saratoga Springs Police Department was alerted to the threat by the FBI. The Daily Herald reports the letter stated that law enforcement identified and located the individual and appropriate action was taken. Twitchell said in the letter that the posting did not specify how or where the threat would take place, just made general intentions of hurting classmates. The school increased security for a homecoming dance it hosted Saturday evening. No further details were released. PROVO The Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires merged Monday to form one large wildfire, growing to about 86,000 acres. But during a community meeting following a day of firefighting, officials shared their optimism that crews will vanquish the flames. "I have full faith that they will do what they need to. Resources are in place to fight the fire. Hopefully tonight, this was just a good chance to say 'hi' to all our neighbors," Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith said Monday evening to a crowd of residents at Springville High School. More than 2,000 homes and 6,000 people have been evacuated. The Pole Creek Fire was 23 percent contained late Monday, while the Bald Mountain Fire was at 0 percent containment. Diamond Fork, Sheep Creek and Right Fork Hobble Creek Canyon were added to the mandatory evacuation list on Monday. Left Fork Hobble Creek was put under pre-evacuation status, according to the sheriff's office. All residents of Woodland Hills, Elk Ridge and the Covered Bridge community near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon have been out of their homes since they were ordered to evacuate last Thursday. During Monday night's meeting, one resident asked if more crews and equipment are en route to help fight the flames. Incident commander Marty Adell, of the Type 1 team managing the fire, said when the blaze jumped U.S. 6 Sunday night, more crews were ordered and will arrive in the next one to three days, along with more engines. "We're looking at approximately another 400 people," the incident commander said. One woman asked why it can take days for additional resources to arrive and how many crews were currently there. Adell said that more than 1,200 firefighters were battling the two fires Monday and that additional crews are traveling from other states. Engines are "slow-moving" and "made to drive up mountain roads," he explained. "I've got to tip my hat to the community at large," Adell said. When the fire jumped U.S. 6, "one thing that stuck out to me was firefighters already had a dozer line built," he said. One resident asked whether they will be able to make more than one trip to collect their belongings when evacuating, or if they will be "rushed out." An official answered that if conditions are safe, people will be able to make multiple trips to their homes while they prepare to evacuate. Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon urged people to follow evacuation orders. "If a person or family or whomever becomes impacted by an evacuation, heed that. There are a couple of people who have said, 'I'm not going anywhere,'" Cannon said. "If fire behavior continues as it has you need to be ready to go," he said. The fires joined Monday in the Covered Bridge area, where firefighters are "doing a tremendous amount of work for structure protection," Adell said earlier Monday afternoon during an upate at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds. "We've got several crews of task forces of engines in there setting up hose lays and reducing some of the fuels around that small community," Adell said. In addition to the new evacuation orders, several other areas remained closed or evacuated as of Monday. Santaquin Canyon, Payson Canyon and Nebo Loop Road at state Route 132 in Nephi Canyon are closed. U.S. 89 in Spanish Fork Canyon is also closed at Thistle Junction to the line between Utah and Sanpete counties. A mandatory evacuation remained in effect for all residents along U.S. 89 from Nebo Creek to Thistle Junction, as well as Right Fork Hobble Creek Canyon, which is also closed. Evacuated residents who need to get to their home for medications or to remove pets or livestock can meet at 11200 South Woodland Hills Drive and 11200 South Elk Ridge Drive (1600 West), where a deputy will escort them to their residence. On the north end of the blaze, fire crews have been able to build a dozer line around communities including Payson Canyon and Elk Ridge, according to Dan Dallas, operations section chief for Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team. "So that gives us a really good control feature that we feel good about," Dallas said. He said the line will help firefighters control the blaze if it becomes "more active" and starts moving closer to communities. Incident commander Todd Pechota said less wind and better air Monday helped firefighters' efforts. "Our team, the firefighters on the ground, truly understand what those evacuations do to the public and they are working so hard to try to get those areas so secure so we can get people back in as soon as possible," Pechota said. Gov. Gary Herbert took to Twitter Monday afternoon to recognize the firefighters for their work on the flames. "Was very impressed by the coordination and hard work on the #PoleCreek and #BaldMountain fires today. We have an amazing team of firefighters, and astoundingly well-prepared communities. It will be a long haul, but I trust our teams," he wrote. "So good to see a slight change in the weather today. Better wind conditions enabled fire teams to make more direct aerial attacks on the fires," he later tweeted. Residents can sign up to receive alerts about the fires at alerts.utahcounty.gov. SALT LAKE CITY The average toddler learns eight words every day in an explosive period of development that some researchers have described as a "word spurt." Yet it's not just exposure to words, but the frequency of conversation with adults that predicts language skills and IQ a decade later, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. And a conversation does not necessarily have to involve words; even babies benefit when parents respond to their coos and grunts in a back-and-forth exchange that mimics conversation. Jill Gilkerson, senior director of research and evaluation at the Boulder, Colorado, nonprofit that conducted the study, said the findings have implications not only for parents, but for child care providers, given that some young children spend more than half of their waking hours in day care. Child care is not about just feeding and diapering. This is a crucial period for development. And that has to be a focus for these kids and their brains, Gilkerson said. Important time window In the study, which spanned 10 years, parents of newborns in the Denver area were given recorders about the size of a credit card, which were inserted into pockets on the childrens clothing. The devices monitored conversation between the child and adults once a month for 12 hours a day, for a period of six months between birth to 36 months. Software developed by Gilkersons employer, the LENAResearch Foundation, later analyzed the recording to determine the number and length of conversations in which both an adult and the child took turns communicating. The researchers later examined results of language and cognitive tests given to 143 of the children when they were between 9 and 13 years old. They discovered that early results were predictive of outcomes 10 years later, most significantly for the period between 18 and 24 months. The strength of the association at that age was surprising to Gilkerson and her co-investigators, who had expected to see a correlation between frequency of conversation between parent and child and later outcomes. Previous research has produced similar findings, and even adults absorb more information when engaging in a conversation than if theyre just listening to a lecture, she said. The same way with babies. If theyre involved in the conversation, theyre more likely to be paying attention, Gilkerson said. On the other hand, to me, its astonishing that you can predict anything with just a recording of an 18-month-old, automatically analyzed. Thats kind of remarkable, she said. And I am surprised that this window of time seems to be more important. I dont know whats going on with that. But there may be this window of time where the brain is maybe primed for the positive effects of early interaction. More research is really needed to figure that out." 'Exciting evidence' The study is the latest to show the impact of early exposure to language in childrens development. From the age of 18 months to about age 6, children learn about eight new words a day, according to Lila Gleitman, professor emerita of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and editor of The Acquisition of the Lexicon. Previous research has shown that the amount of exposure to words between ages 18 and 36 months is predictive of a childs IQ at age 3. And in a study published Sept. 5 in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that children who had more back-and-forth exchanges (called conversational turns) with adults had greater activation of the area of the brain that handles speech production and comprehension, and "stronger, more coherent white matter connectivity" in the brain. The association was present "independent of socioeconomic status and the sheer volume of adult speech," the researchers said. The lead author of that study, Rachel Romeo, a postdoctoral fellow in translational neurodevelopment at Boston Childrens Hospital and MIT, said its increasingly clear that the quality of interaction between young children and adults provides a crucial foundation for later academic success. This is exciting evidence to support early childhood intervention programs to capitalize on this sensitive time window, she said. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, director of the Infant Language Laboratory at Temple University in Philadelphia, said the new study is yet another demonstration of the power of conversation. Language is the single best predictor of how well youre going to do in preschool, at the doorstep of language, and all the way through formal schooling, she said, adding that research has shown that strong language skills impact not just reading, but also a childs math ability and social skills. But just getting awash in language because you turned on the television isnt going to do it, she said. It has to be back-and-forth what I call the conversational duet, because you cant do it alone. Advice for parents The LENA Foundation and its technology grew out of foundational research that found a stark disparity in the vocabulary of children by their familys economic status. The work of Betty Hart and Todd Risley, made famous by the phrase the 30,000 word gap, resulted in the book Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children. Their work has been challenged recently by other researchers whose work suggests the gap is not as vast as Hart and Risley believed, and that they failed to take into account low-income childrens exposure to bystanders and caregivers. In the new study, however, conversation between young children and adults was found to be significant despite the socioeconomic status of the household, Gilkerson said, and the implications for parents are clear: Don't just talk to your child, but talk with your child, no matter the child's age. Before your child can talk, that means paying attention to what your child is paying attention to and responding quickly to the child's non-verbal cues. Follow your childs leads. Talk about what theyre looking at, because that means theyre more likely to absorb the language, Gilkerson said. Repeat and expand. Expand on whatever the topic is. Hirsh-Pasek at Temple University said shes been able to have a conversation with her 10-week-old granddaughter just by responding to the babys vocalizations, and in doing so, shes teaching her granddaughter the fundamentals of conversation. With older children, parents should be careful to ask open-ended questions that expand conversation instead of shutting it off, Hirsh-Pasek said. She recommends that parents and caregivers take at least two minutes a day to pay attention to what the child is looking at, and comment on it, thus beginning a conversation. And keep in mind a specific numeral: 5. No more than five seconds should pass between a response in a "turn-taking" conversation between an adult and child to count as a beneficial exchange, Gilkerson said. And Hirsh-Pasek said a conversation between and adult and child should consist of at least five exchanges. Strive for five, she said. If you can get five back-and-forth turns, youll be doing a conversational duet. WEST VALLEY CITY Charges have been filed in a February shooting that left one man dead and a 17-year-old boy paralyzed from the waist down. Carlo Joseph Ayvacian Toledo, 39, of West Valley City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; and six counts of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. Prosecutors set his bail at $1 million. On Feb. 13, Charles Baker, 49, of California, was shot and killed. In addition, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the back and is now paralyzed as a result, according to charging documents. Police also found Toledo with gunshot wounds to his leg and chest, the charges state. The incident began when Toledo and a woman went to the apartment that Baker and the teen were in, the charges state. The teen told police that "he heard a gunshot as soon as Mr. Baker exited the apartment" to speak with the others, according to court documents. The 17-year-old went outside and saw Baker and Toledo "struggling over a gun," the charges state. The teen was able to grab the gun away from Toledo. But he was "immediately struck in the back of his head and then shot in the back," the charges state. The teen fell to the ground "and was unable to move his legs," according to court documents. Toledo then ran down the stairs and more shots were fired and "Baker exclaimed that he had been hit," the charges state. Shell casings from two guns were recovered at the scene and at least four weapons found under Toledo's mattress in his apartment, according to the charges. After he was arrested, Toledo told police that his stepson had had an "interaction" with their neighbors, the charges state. Toledo said he and a woman were going to "discuss what happened" with Baker, according to the charges. Each of them went to the apartment armed, the charges state. When a police investigator tried to summarize Toledo's statement to him, that he went to Baker's apartment because he felt disrespected, Toledo interjected, "And it got took care of," the charges state. When asked why he drew his gun, Toledo said, "To take action before it gets taken on me." Police determined that Toledo shot himself in the leg as he was getting his gun out of his pocket, then was shot in the chest during a struggle for the weapon, according to the charges. At the time of the shooting, a 15-year-old boy was taken into custody and booked into juvenile detention. It was unknown Monday if anyone else was charged in connection with the shooting. SALT LAKE CITY State and federal regulators will brainstorm this week on ways to protect consumers from becoming victims of fraud perpetrated by scammers. The Federal Trade Commission and Utah's Department of Commerce will host the Utah Consumer Fraud and Business Symposium on Thursday. During the one-day conference, participants will share experiences and challenges, while determining how to better collaborate, share information and use resources to prevent fraud against consumers and businesses. "It's an opportunity for us to get more fully into the public awareness current scams, fraud, what to do to avoid them, red flags to watch for and how to protect yourself," explained Daniel O'Bannon, director of the Utah Office of Consumer Protection. "It's also an opportunity for a lot of agencies that overlap sometimes in these areas or work in conjunction with one another to come together and have a better understanding of who does what, what the pressing issues are and how we can work together." O'Bannon said creating a cooperative environment for state and federal entities to collaborate for the benefit of individuals and businesses is a top priority. He noted that scams have resurfaced over the years with small variations that may make it less obvious to consumers or businesses that are on the lookout for potential fraud. In recent years, one of the top complaints received by Consumer Protection has been offers or sales on the internet, O'Bannon said. Much of it is likely driven by complaints about the online sales of nutraceuticals, he said. "We advise consumers to be sure to read the terms and conditions of sales on the internet," he said. "For example, consumers often sign up for products to be sent every month without realizing it." Terms and conditions such as this must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed, he said. "We encourage consumers to read the terms, and to file complaints if the terms of an online purchase are not clearly and conspicuously disclosed," he said. Federal Trade Commission data from 2017 showed that impostor scams, identity theft, debt collection, telephone and mobile service fraud, along with prize sweepstakes and lottery scams were the top five reported scams for the Beehive State. Because some schemes are difficult to track down due to clever criminals who use technology to disguise their locations, O'Bannon said consumers have to be especially vigilant in protecting themselves from scammers. "In an age when technology makes it so easy to make phone calls over the internet using routers that are difficult or impossible to chase, that technology makes it so the scourge of the (robo- and impostor scam) calls continues," he said. And despite the best efforts of agencies working to protect consumer and businesses, there are still cases of individuals being defrauded every year, he said. "It keeps happening because people keep falling for it," O'Bannon said. While fraud activity is a constant problem in Utah, it's also a nationwide concern, said Tom Dahdouh, Western Region director for the Federal Trade Commission. He said working with state agency partners to combat consumer and business fraud requires training people what to look for. "We do a lot of educating and this conference is one of those vehicles used for educating (individuals and businesses) about the dangers of falling into scams, particularly when someone may appear to be someone from your same background (where) you let your guard down and don't ask the tough questions," he said. "That's part of what we're doing this conference for." He noted that a goal of this event is bolstering the relationships between state agencies and the FTC to develop strategies that will help fight fraud in the years to come. "We really need state and local law enforcement working with us," Dahdouh said. "The issue with fraud and scams is that it's a bit of 'whack-a-mole' and we need everybody working together to enforce the laws." The symposium, taking place at the Sheraton hotel in Salt Lake City, will include presenters from the Utah Department of Commerce, FTC, FBI, Utah Attorney General's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, Utah Division of Consumer Protection, Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, Utah Division of Securities, Institute for Justice and AARP. Speakers will include Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart; state Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross; state Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville; and KSL TV anchor Mike Headrick. This event is free and open to the public. To register, visit the Federal Trade Commission's event calendar page online. Allegations of sexual assault must be taken seriously. If the #MeToo movement has demonstrated anything, it is that some men, for far too long, have been given a pass when it comes to frightening, horrific and criminal behavior, often leveraging power to obtain what they want. So it is not only good, but necessary, that Judge Brett Kavanaugh is willing to testify to a Senate panel concerning accusations of assault, leveled by Christine Blasey Ford, while both of them were at a party during high school years. She says she was able to escape only because another young man jumped on them. Both Kavanaugh and the other man, Mark Judge, deny the accusations and say the incident never happened. Unfortunately, this is an age where, despite the #MeToo movement, infidelities and sexual crimes are too often given a pass in favor of political advantage. But as this accusation begins to unfold so late in Kavanaughs confirmation process as a potential Supreme Court justice, it is important for senators, and all Americans, to consider a few factors: Senate confirmation hearings are inherently political, and they have become brutally so in recent decades. This is because Congress has slowly allowed much of its power to shift to the court, where de facto laws are decreed, taking the place of deliberation and debate by the peoples representatives. A partisan circus is no place to consider the merits of serious criminal allegations. Neither Kavanaugh nor his accuser likely will get the type of evidence-based hearing and verdict typical in a court of law. Politics, opinion polls and timing are overriding factors here. Both sides know that postponing a confirmation until after midterm elections in November might change things considerably. In this context, Ford may find both sides treating her more as a weapon than a victim, and she deserves better than that. Unless other evidence or more witnesses come forward, it seems impossible to determine the truth of this matter. Kavanaugh and Judge say it didnt happen. Ford says it did. Meanwhile, the alleged incident happened 36 years ago, when both were juveniles. Memories tend to be unreliable at such distances. Independent evidence may no longer exist. The timing of these allegations must be taken into account. Sen. Diane Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, apparently knew of the accusations a month or two ago. We certainly understand why Ford would be reluctant to go public (her treatment on social media in recent days bears out those fears), but why didnt Feinstein pass the accusations on to the FBI, which conducted investigations into Kavanaughs background? Why not give enough time to properly investigate the claims? In the end, senators will have to evaluate this incident based on testimony and its relative importance. The judicial system includes juvenile courts precisely because juveniles have underdeveloped brains and sometimes do things they wouldnt dream of doing as adults. But this by no means excuses sexual assaults by juveniles. Such crimes are serious matters, regardless of age, and they cause lasting damage. It is worth considering, however, that Kavanaughs background check did not reveal any sort of pattern of similar behavior. No other women have come forward with similar claims. Unfortunately, this is an age where, despite the #MeToo movement, infidelities and sexual crimes are too often given a pass in favor of political advantage. Senators will need to weigh all these factors to determine whether Kavanaugh deserves a place on the nations highest court. If they decide based solely on politics, it will do neither Ford, the #MeToo movement, Kavanaugh nor the concept of justice much good. FRUIT HEIGHTS A man who police say is the lone person of interest in the shooting of a UTA bus and a semitrailer on U.S. 89, once asked if he could hunt on his property, according to court records. Four search warrant affidavits unsealed over the weekend in 2nd District Court reveal new details about the investigation into Michael Richard Hinckley, 58, of Fruit Heights. According to the Davis County Sheriff's Office, Hinckley is still the only person of interest in the shooting investigation. On Aug. 27, a Utah Transit Authority bus with nine passengers and a driver, and a semitrailer hauling cement powder, were shot by an unknown gunman while driving by the Fruit Heights area. Police believe a total of five to 10 shots were fired. The bus was hit once, and the semitrailer twice, according to the sheriff's office. "The seat (on the bus) where the round struck was occupied, along with the adjacent seat across," according to the warrants. Investigators determined the shots came from a nearby orchard. They also began investigating a home at 107 Mountain Road. Hinckley lives in the basement of that house. Investigators said they learned that Hinckley has been known to shoot guns on the property in the past. "Hinckley has been confronted by neighbors who lease portions of the property where Hinckley has access. Hinckley has told them that he can shoot on the property because its his property," one of the warrants state. "Hinckley also has been contacting the city manager with requests to hunt on the property. Only archery hunting is permitted on the property with a permit." While investigating the shooting, Hinckley approached officers. "On contact with him I observed a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him, his speech was slurred and he made excited utterances about drinking that day and the night before. He became agitated with police when he was asked to come to the office for an interview. He stated that we are 'looking for a suspect,'" a warrant states. Another deputy noted in one of the affidavits: "Hinckley admitted to drinking multiple shots of alcohol this morning and alcoholic beverages last night. He also states he drinks on a daily basis. Before his admission I could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person. He was also acting disorderly and unsafe as he stepped into traffic in our presence during questioning and had to be physically pulled back for his own safety." Hinckley then suggested that the shots came from police officers at a nearby shooting range, but investigators noted that no one is allowed at the range at that time of day, according to a warrant. Hinckley was arrested for investigation of drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, intoxication and disorderly conduct. The sheriff's office had previously said that based on the lack of visibility from the orchard to the road, the shots that hit the vehicles were likely filed at random and were not specifically aimed at the bus or semitrailer. Sheriff's investigators said Monday that the case into the bus shooting remains active. SALT LAKE CITY A little known factoid about President Abraham Lincoln, and his ability to put the good of the country above both personal and partisan prejudices, was at the heart of a tale shared by Utah's top jurist Monday in celebration of Constitution Day. Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant told a group of fifth-graders from Nibley Park School, gathered at downtown's Matheson Courthouse, about a court case involving Lincoln, who was practicing law in Illinois, well before he would become the first anti-slavery president. Hired as a local to assist some much more famous attorneys from the East Coast in a patent lawsuit brought by industrial giant McCormick Machine Co. (which would later became International Harvester) Lincoln was belittled and shunned by the big-city lawyers for his appearance and attire. Durrant told the 50 or so elementary students that the attorneys compared Lincoln's looks to a "gorilla," and not only wouldn't let Lincoln sit with them during the trial, they refused to let him join them for meals. Durrant said soon after this case Lincoln become much more well-known, and these lawyers continued to publicly ridicule him. But then, when he ascended to the office of president of the United States, the tables turned and the once-discourteous trio of attorneys feared the worst. But Lincoln did something surprising. "These three lawyers who had been so rude to him couldn't believe it," Durrant said. "(Lincoln) was president and they were scared. Then he did the craziest thing. He gave them jobs in the government important jobs, because they were smart. "And he did it because he cared more about his country than he did about getting back at them." One of those attorneys, Edwin Stanton, would become Lincoln's secretary of War and was, in addition to being a onetime detractor, also a Democrat. And while Stanton would assist Lincoln in navigating a time of constitutional crisis, where debate and disagreement about secession, slavery and civil liberties nearly tore the country in two, another speaker Monday reached even further back to remind the Nibley students of the constitution's pedigree. Utah State Bar President H. Dickson Burton said the tyrannical King John from Robin Hood fame was an actual person, and that during his time ruling England, a document called the Magna Carta was created to help settle long-running disputes between the king and wealthy landowners. The "great charter" also established the principle that laws applied to everyone, even kings, and created some protections and rights for individuals, like due process, rights to a speedy trial and the right for a trial by jury. "The Magna Carta was a contract between the king and the people he ruled," Dickson said. "In that contract, the king had to give up some rights, give people some rights, so they wouldn't be treated unfairly." Later, some of the people who lived under the charter would come to America, Dickson said, and use the document as a jumping off point to draft the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Earlier in the day, the Nibley fifth-graders had a chance to experience some of the rights enumerated under amendments to the Constitution in mock trials. Students played the roles of lawyers, witnesses, jury members and even judges, under the direction of actual 3rd District Court judges. In the case before them, a panel of jurors found in favor of the defendant, a Nibley teacher who had opted for canceling a "constitutionally" guaranteed right to recess to ensure students could complete an assignment. The trial included the examination and cross-examination of four witnesses, including topic experts, as well as opening and closing arguments. Nibley teacher Samantha Hansen said her class will be studying the Constitution and courts system later in the school year and noted the opportunity to participate in a mock trial in a real setting, with experts on hand to guide and inform the process, would be an invaluable addition when the topic comes up in the curriculum. "From a teaching standpoint, anytime you can do something hands-on where the student really gets to experience things, it's going to stick much better in their brains," Hansen said. "It's so much more applicable than just talking about it." Constitution Day was designated by federal legislation in 2004 and adopted by the U.S. Department of Education in 2005. The designation of Sept. 17 marks the day when most of the Founding Fathers signed the original document in 1787. SALT LAKE CITY A Cedar City man is facing a long list of charges after police say he bit and punched members of his family, including two children, and then attacked a neighbor. Jason Tyler Wardle, 29, was charged in 5th District Court Monday with child abuse, a second-degree felony; three counts of aggravated assault and five counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, third-degree felonies; interfering with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor; intoxication, a class C misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, an infraction. On Friday, Wardle had been drinking and got into a fight with his wife, according to an Iron County Jail report. Wardle hit and head-butted his wife, then when his 11-year-old stepson tried to help, he bit the boy on the face, put him in a chokehold and threw him to the ground, causing him to hit his head, the report states. Wardle's 7-year-old son then tried to help his mom. Wardle punched the young boy in the face, according to the report. A child called 911 and the family ran out of the house to get away, police said. Neighbors who heard the commotion tried to get the children into their homes for safety. Wardle then attacked a neighbor, "biting him several times," according to the report. "Jason severely injured two of the kids, the wife and the neighbor. The wife, the oldest son, and the neighbor were covered in blood," police wrote. Wardle was convicted of a similar crime in 2015 when he was accused of a domestic violence-related attack that involved a sword and biting, according to state court records. He was found guilty of aggravated assault, assault on a police officer and intoxication. Free and confidential help and support for victims and survivors of domestic violence is available 24/7 at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) or visiting udvc.org. OREM In 1983, a young Astrid Tuminez stepped foot on Brigham Young University, looking for a fresh start to her college studies. As a 15-year-old, she went to college at the University of the Philippines, taking what she calls a tour of majors, first chemical engineering then pre-med. Her medical studies went well until she was told "I was to find a cat, put the cat to sleep and dissect the cat. I told the professor, 'I don't really want to do this,'" she said. So she cast about for alternatives. At the time, two of her sisters were living in Utah, another in California. While living in the Philippines, her family met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was also also how she heard of Utah. She applied to and was accepted by BYU, where she discovered a knack for languages, double majoring in Russian literature and international relations. Next came graduate school at Harvard University on scholarship followed by a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She's held leadership positions in corporations, universities and helped broker peace negotiations, working internationally and in the United States. Thirty-five years after starting her college studies at BYU, she's back in Utah, this time as the new president of Utah Valley University. Tuminez assumes the presidency after serving as regional director for corporate, external and legal affairs in Southeast Asia for Microsoft. Accepting the job meant moving 8,750 miles across the globe from Singapore with her husband, Jeffrey Tolk, and their sons, ages 16 and 8. Their daughter, 22, lives and works in North Carolina. "We are still awaiting our containers, but overall (it's been) really positive. I joke about how good it feels to have a Costco card, but that's true. People have been very welcoming, kind and friendly. It makes the transition easier when you know you're coming into a community that welcomes you and supports the reason why I've come here," she said. The couple's sons are "well-settled" in their respective schools, the older son attending Timpview High School and their youngest in a French dual-immersion program at Edgemont Elementary School. While she sometimes wishes her family had a little more time to acclimate, "I think multitasking is just a reality of life. Every day I look at these mountains and it just takes my breath away. I can't believe that I live here," she said. Given her credentials and the breadth of her professional experiences, becoming the president of a public university in small Western state might seem an unexpected next step in her career. "As exciting and varied and fairy tale-like my career has been, I've really been blessed and lucky with all sorts of opportunities around the world. But when I looked at what I want to do next, what I wanted to do with my time, I thought there was no better place than a university where I could bring the totality of my interests, passions, skills, competencies and life experiences. It seem to me the university was the best place for it," she said. A friend in Utah encouraged her to consider applying for the opening at UVU and "the more I looked, the more excited I felt. The mission really resonated with me, working with all sorts of students, traditional and nontraditional, and looking toward their success in life, student success in learning and in life, to tell students 'Come as you, whatever phase you're in in your education journey,' " she said. Tuminez, who was raised in the slums of the Philippines, was 5 years old when Catholic nuns offered her and her siblings a chance to go to school, which changed the trajectory of her life, she said in a previous interview. "That's what makes it so exciting for me to be in a university like UVU," she said when she was named UVU's seventh president in April. She was also attracted by UVU's model of engaged learning, she said. "It is an unpretentious approach to education. Yes, we value very much the academic and theoretical, but when we teach here at UVU, we teach with a view to bring students to a realization how things pan out in real life. It's sort of a pragmatic approach. It's engaged learning, and that is what it really is. It engages the student, but by the time they leave, our ambition is that they are prepared. These things appealed to me very much," she said Tuminez said she "loves university settings" and remains very attached to each of her alma maters. She counts BYU professor Gary Browning, who taught Russian, as a lifetime mentor. She has family in Utah, Nevada and California. Friends from college and graduate school live here, too, so she feels very much at home here, she said. Tuminez said she had no initiative to roll out on Day 1, although given her background in tech, she has an eye on using technology "to do more cheaper and faster, not to be haphazard but to do more better and faster." For now, she is intent on listening and learning as much as she can about UVU. "I would love to visit every single campus, college and department, learn as many names as possible, talk to as many people as possible because I think an institution as large as this requires that the president feel the pulse and is able to empathize with dreams and aspirations as well as the challenges, and understand what our resources are and where we want to take the university collectively," Tuminez said. There are other, more practical things to get used to, such as driving a car. There was no need in Singapore or many of the large cities where she's lived and worked throughout her professional career, she said. "One of the very biggest surprises is how nice people are. I've worked in big cities and in New York City, you don't say hello to your neighbor. You avoid eye contact. I know the second week at president's house, someone dropped off brownies and I just thought 'They really do this here?'" Friday evening, someone dropped off hamburgers and French fries "because I think they heard my in-laws were staying with me because of the fire. So that's a very pleasant surprise. My husband referred to it as 'being in the community of kindness.'" Tuminez's improbable journey from poverty to the presidency of Utah's largest public university started with a dream, she said. She learned of a place called New York City from a book she read when she was 10 and set a goal of living there, according to UVU Magazine. She got there. She's also lived and worked in Hong Kong and Moscow, putting to use her diverse language skills. She speaks English, Filipino/Tagalog, Ilongo, Russian and French fluently and has a working knowledge of Spanish. On the hallway outside her office, where portraits of the respective presidents of the institutions hang, there is small brass plaque beneath her photograph that speaks to the power of those dreams and her aspirations for Utah Valley University: "Nobody can stop you from dreaming. To believe in what is possible, whatever the hurdles and challenges are that's the culture I'd like UVU to have." Editor's note: A version of this was previously published on the author's website. The first time I read "Walden" all the way through, I thought Henry David Thoreau was stretching a comparison beyond its breaking point. In the chapter "Spring," he writes, with quotations chosen from two separated paragraphs: "Few phenomena gave me more delight than to observe the forms which thawing sand and clay assume in flowing down the sides of a deep cut on the railroad through which I passed on my way to the village. Innumerable little streams overlap and interlace with one another, exhibiting a sort of hybrid product, which obeys half way the law of currents, and half way that of vegetation." But the more I learn about the underlying structures of the universe, the more I agree with Thoreau. To start with geometry alone, we find spirals, spheres, ovals and other geometric patterns, even straight lines, underpinning much of the cosmos. For the least obvious of these, straight lines, consider the path covered by light from a supernova blast, assuming it's not bent by a vastly massive object like a black hole or a galaxy cluster. From the instant of that blinding, searing explosion, light travels outward in a sphere that expands by 186,000 miles every second. The bright point that an astronomer sees is made evident by light that has traveled, by wave and particle, in a straight line for possibly many millions of years. Blind happenstance isn't responsible for these phenomena. Photons from the explosion don't just waft around every which way willy-nilly, eventually winding up in your telescope. An underlying law directs them to head in a straight line to where you'll happen to be millions of years later while its kin go forth in their straight lines, out in every direction, the energy scorching a nearby planet here, lighting up a dusty nebula there, astonishing alien civilizations over yonder. Spirals dominate hurricane systems. For a good example of a spiral, watch your kitchen sink drain water. Sunflower seeds form spirals in the flower's centers; pine cones scales make spiral patterns. NASA asserts that more than two-thirds of all galaxies, the Milky Way included, are spirals. Others may have been deformed by collisions, becoming gigantic elliptical galaxies or assuming other odd shapes like rings. The earliest galaxies were clumps of stars, which merged with other clumps and formed large galaxies. "In particular, the formation of spiral galaxies is thought to be a complex process in which the stellar halo, bulge and disks are formed at different times and through different mechanisms," according to Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. "Typical spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are usually made up of three principal visible components," say experts with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. These are "the disk where the spiral arms and most of the gas and dust is concentrated; the halo, a rough and sparse sphere around the disk that contains little gas, dust or star formation; and the central bulge at the heart of the disk, which is formed by a large concentration of ancient stars surrounding the Galactic Center." The Milky Way's central bulge is dominated by old stars that more than 7 billion years, but some younger examples are present too, believed to have evolved within the bulge. As the Australian site says, the most striking feature of spiral galaxies are the two or more arms that sweep out, either from the center or from the ends of a bar formation across the middle. The Swinburne astronomers believe the arms must not be ancient and permanent or they would have wound tighter and tighter until they merged. "It is now thought that spiral arms arise due to the passage of a density wave around a spiral galaxy." Alternatively, Swinburne's astronomers add, maybe spiral arms are stretched into existence when star-forming areas are pulled out by the effects of the galaxy's "differential rotation" (parts of the galaxy rotating at different speeds). In 1609, the German scientist Johannes Kepler published the first two of his three laws of planetary motion. The first was that planetary orbits are ellipses, not circular. The second holds that an imaginary line between a planet and the sun will sweep out equal areas in equal times. Not to intrude into other physical laws that are expressed by mathematics like those governing gravity, magnetic attraction, acceleration, electricity and others these are a few examples of geometry in nature. The laws aren't accidents. They are part of the fabric of the universe. Writing of the leaf-shapes taken by thawing sand and clay in the railroad cut, Thoreau adds, "No wonder that the earth expresses itself outwardly in leaves, it so labors with the idea inwardly. The atoms have already learned this law, and are pregnant with it." ST. GEORGE Democrat Shireen Ghorbani suggested that the "person in our White House" is the biggest threat to the nation's security during a rowdy 2nd Congressional District debate Monday filled with a host of cheers and jeers. Though she didn't mention President Donald Trump by name, Ghorbani said she is concerned about "our overall ability to lead this nation with a level-headed and stable president" in a way that makes all Americans proud. Republican Rep. Chris Stewart countered, "First I'd like to say, I can assure you, President Trump is not the greatest threat to our national security," causing a stir among the more vocal Ghorbani crowd. Stewart called China the biggest threat to the United States. More than 480 people crammed into the Eccles Fine Arts Center at Dixie State University for the hourlong televised debate, which was marred by a man grabbing Stewart's microphone during his closing statement. "Vaccines cause autism. Autism is caused by vaccines," the man said before two police officers escorted him out of the auditorium. The Utah Debate Commission, which sponsored the event, issue a statement afterward, saying safety is its No. 1 priority at its venues. "Unfortunately, one person crossed the line, was escorted out and arrested by law enforcement authorities that were present," according to the statement. Blair Barfuss, chief of campus police at Dixie State University, confirmed that Curtis McMillen of Citrus Heights, California, was booked for investigation of disrupting an official meeting and disorderly conduct. The commission said it would review and enhance security at future debates while continuing to encourage participation in the electoral process. Earlier this month, a man did the same thing while U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney was speaking at the Washington County Republican Women's fundraising dinner in St. George. Stewart said after the debate he thought the man came to the stage to adjust his mic. "I didn't know what to think," the congressman said of the interruption. A first-time candidate, Ghorbani held her own against the three-term congressman in her first political debate. "This is a wild experience," she said. Although each candidate was alloted the same number of tickets, the Ghorbani supporters reacted loudly to some of Stewart's answers, prompting moderator Doug Wilks, editor of the Deseret News, to ask them to keep it down. Stewart at one point thanked his supporters for "obeying the rules" and not cheering or booing. In addition to national security, exchanges between the two candidates on health care, the national debt, the Lake Powell Pipeline and Utah's medical marijuana initiative brought out their differences. Ghorbani said she's worried that Trump "ripped up" the Iran deal, that the Taliban is "stronger than ever before," and that diplomacy is not a priority. "I'm concerned that we're living in a current climate where our president is not welcome in London," she said. Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said that he and National Security Adviser John Bolton agree that despite aggression on several fronts, the greatest threat to the country is "absolutely China." "In the long term, it is the thing that our children are going to have to deal with," he said, adding China is aiming to be "the dominant force in the world." Asked by the moderator if she supports Trump as president, Ghorbani said "kind of tough, right?" She said she supports whoever is in the office and wants them to do their best work, but that she's "troubled" by Trump's conduct, his tweets and the way he treats women. "I want him to do well. I want him to wake up everyday and work to fight for you," Ghorbani said. Stewart complimented Ghorbani on her answer, saying "I think she said it just right." He said he wants the president to succeed, but some of the things he tweets are "indefensible." "Ms. Ghorbani, would you like to rebut the compliment?" Wilks asked, drawing laughter from the crowd. Ghorbani replied that she believes Trump exposes small things that people disagree on and tries to exacerbate division. Ghorbani said the Republican tax cuts are part of the reason for the nation's escalating federal deficit, now at $21.5 trillion. She said everything needs to be on the table to get the debt under control, though not entitlements. She said she is concerned about spending billions of dollars on wars "I see no end to." Stewart, who said he decided to run in 2012 because of the deficit, said he would continue to vote against bills that don't adequately address the issue. He said job growth would cover the deficit increase from the tax cuts. "We both care about the debt. That's good news. The problem is that many of your Democratic colleagues don't because they won't work with us in serious ways to attack the debt. You can't fix this without looking at Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare," he said. Ghorbani said entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid are earned benefits that people paid into their entire working lives. "To say that we're going to cut those, or force people to work into their 70s, I mean, what's the limit on this? It is an unacceptable vision of the future for me when there are many other places where we could be looking to address our spending," she said. A University of Utah communications professional, Ghorbani said she got into the race after watching her mother die from pancreatic cancer two years ago. Access to affordable health care has come up frequently as she campaigns in the district, she said. "I'm standing here because I don't see any viable solutions from you or your party," she told the congressman. Stewart said the Affordable Care Act was built on deceit. The Republican plan doesn't deny anyone coverage, provides more funding for women's health, keeps children on their parents' policy until age 26, controls cost and allows coverage to bought across state lines to create competition. "That sounds like Obamacare," Ghorbani replied, eliciting applause from her supporters. The Lake Powell Pipeline is a big issue in rapidly growing Washington County. Ghorbani said she concerned about the cost to residents and that it's not clear how much they would have to pay. Other options should be explored before moving forward, she said. Stewart said he "absolutely" supports the project, largely because the community "overwhelmingly" favors it. He said the federal government or "people in Salt Lake" shouldn't tell residents in other areas what they should do about the project. "If we don't do this, this community will die," he said. "If we don't claim that water in Lake Powell, California will." On Utah's ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana, Proposition 2, Stewart said it's a state issue so what he thinks shouldn't matter. He said he supports medicinal marijuana, but the proposition isn't "thorough or well-thought through." Ghorbani said she Utahns deserve to vote on the issue because the Legislature did not come to the table with solutions. She said there are problems with the way the initiative is written, but that she supports it. SALT LAKE CITY Adding to the list of communities where school officials have warned of norovirus, three teens in Salt Lake were confirmed Monday to have the highly contagious illness, officials said. Two students at Highland High School and one at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education have the virus, according to a Facebook post Monday from Salt Lake City School District. "Our custodians have worked over the weekend to perform an extended cleaning and sanitization at both of the affected schools," officials said. District officials say they are "constantly monitoring the situation." They ask parents to keep students who are feeling ill home from school for 48 hours after symptoms end. Earlier this month, about 600 students stayed home from school in the Alpine School District after word of a possible outbreak spread. Other school districts in northern Utah also began warning of the virus. According to the Utah County Health Department, norovirus commonly causes diarrhea and vomiting and can affect anyone. The department said it has recently received dozens of reports of illness that could be norovirus. Symptoms of norovirus also include nausea, headache, low fever and stomach cramps, officials said. Ways to prevent the illness include washing hands regularly, disinfecting areas where someone has been sick and avoiding preparing food for others when sick, officials said. There is no specific treatment for the virus but health officials recommend that those with norovirus drink plenty of fluids. The illness usually goes away with one to three days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SPANISH FORK As crews continue to battle the combined fires burning in Utah County, officials said the growing bill has surpassed $6 million. The cost of fighting the Pole Creek Fire has reached $4.7 million. Meanwhile, the Bald Mountain Fire has cost $1.5 million at last report, but "we know it's (now) more than that," said incident commander Todd Pechota. But last week, Gov. Gary Herbert said if the fires reached homes, it could potentially result in "the biggest loss monetarily" in the state's history. Fire officials said Tuesday afternoon that crews have been successful so far keeping structures out of reach of the flames. "Structure protection in the Covered Bridge area is our primary mission right now. We have a tremendous force up there to protect those structures and infrastructure," said Marty Adell, an incident commander on the Pole Creek Fire. He said only a small metal shed has been claimed by the fire. The Bald Mountain Fire was 12 percent contained by Tuesday night and has so far burned more than 15,600 acres, while the adjacent Pole Creek Fire has burned more than 74,500 acres and was 25 percent contained. About 6,000 people remain evacuated due to the flames. But the weather has cooperated the past two days, according to fire managers, allowing both air crews and Hotshot crews on the ground to make good progress. "We're breathing a sigh of relief," said Dan Dallas, operations section chief for the fire. Crews working the Pole Mountain Fire on Tuesday focused on reducing fuels in the blaze's path, preparing the area with hose lays, or "sprinklers," and building a dozer line to create a "larger defensive barrier," Adell said. Adell said if the fire travels uphill at Spanish Fork Peak, the wind should help push the fire "upon itself a little bit" and different types of vegetation will slow it down. Meanwhile, on the Bald Mountain Fire, crews Tuesday were building a "control feature" around the perimeter. A control feature is a fire line created by bulldozers and hand crews, which creates a "natural barrier" against the fire's advance, Pechota said. Aside from a firefighter receiving a minor injury while at base camp on Monday, Pechota said there have been no injuries and no major structures lost. "The No. 1 objective is the safety of incident responders and the public. That is a sacred objective. We continue to meet that objective," he said. As for when evacuated residents will be allowed back into their homes, Pechota hesitated to give an estimate. "We're doing everything in our power to try and get them into their homes," he said. The fire Tuesday began to move "to more favorable ground" and has not reached the dozer line, Pechota said at a community meeting Tuesday evening at Salem Hills High School. The fear of fire officials, however, is allowing residents back to their homes, only to have to evacuate them again the next day because of a sudden shift in wind. Officials said the community has rallied together, with many evacuees staying with friends and family. "The amount of support that the community is giving us the people in this area, not only amongst themselves, taking in their fellow neighbors but the outpouring of support is quite amazing, to say the least," Adell said. Homeshare company Airbnb has also activated a program that allows people to offer free stays in their homes to evacuees. More information can be found on Airbnb's website, airbnb.com/welcome/evacuees/utahwildfires. No new evacuations were ordered Tuesday. Diamond Fork, Sheep Creek and Right Fork Hobble Creek Canyon remained under mandatory evacuation. Left Fork Hobble Creek was put under pre-evacuation status, according to the sheriff's office. All residents of Woodland Hills, Elk Ridge and the Covered Bridge community near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon have been out of their homes since last Thursday. The Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team took over command of the fire on Sunday. Lightning started the Bald Mountain Fire on Aug. 24. Lightning also sparked the Pole Creek Fire on Sept. 6, which grew rapidly due to dry conditions and high winds. The Pole Creek Fire has now burned up to the scar left by the Coal Hollow Fire earlier this year. With fire crews gaining ground, Gov. Gary Herbert was headed to Taiwan Tuesday night to join up with Utahns on a long-planned trade mission to the region. Herbert was originally scheduled to travel with the group to South Korea earlier in the week, but stayed behind because of the wildfires. Herbert's deputy chief of staff, Paul Edwards, said the governor feels he can leave the state after five days monitoring the blazes in Utah County because he is confident in the firefighting plan and impressed with how it is being executed. "He has had really productive conversations with the leadership down there. The governor has walked the neighborhoods that are most closely impacted by the fire" and spent time with the incident command, Edwards said. A Facebook page has been created to keep residents up to date on the Bald Mountain Fire. Residents can sign up to receive updates on both fires at alerts.utahcounty.gov. Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. SALT LAKE CITY The Unified Fire Authority board met in a closed session Tuesday to review the Utah attorney general's investigative report regarding the authority's former bosses' spending, but it delayed any decision to pursue litigation until at least next month. After the 45-minute closed session, the agency's board chairman, Holladay Mayor Rob Dahle, said he and other board members are "disappointed" in prosecutors' decision not to pursue criminal charges against the agency's former chief, Salt Lake County Councilman Michael Jensen, and his former deputy, Gaylord Scott. "I think it's appropriate to say that our board's disappointed that (prosecutors) didn't feel like it reached that far," Dahle said. State investigators last week released a 196-page report that details the attorney general's findings of the investigation into the two former chiefs. The report includes interviews with dozens of witnesses who described not only concerns about misuse of public funds, but also allegations of a pattern of abuse of power for personal gain and that the men created a "culture of fear" at the fire department by being "vindictive" and "intimidating," one employee told investigators. But prosecutors determined it would be "unlikely" that criminal charges against Jensen and Scott could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, citing a "loose" agency governance structure that ultimately approved "exorbitant bonuses, reimbursement for personal vacations attached to official travel, and purchase of electronic equipment for personal use," among other issues. The investigation into Jensen and Scott, who both resigned as the controversy began unfolding more than two years ago, came after State Auditor John Dougall's office concluded an audit of the agency and recommended a criminal investigation. Citing thousands of dollars in concerning purposes from expensive meals to extended conference trips, to thousands spent on iPads, Apple watches, Nikon cameras, and iMacs along with thousands more in questionable "incentive" pay, auditors also recommend that the agency pursue litigation to recoup at least $370,000 Jensen and Scott allegedly received or spent improperly. Dahle said the board has been waiting for the attorney general's findings before deciding whether to pursue litigation, and Tuesday the mayor said the board still needs time to go through the nearly 200-page report to determine its next steps. "There's enough there that we're really not prepared to make a definitive statement on how we intend to proceed," Dahle said. The board plans to refer the report to a finance committee, which will work with attorneys and the agency's new chief, Dan Petersen, to decide "what we feel is appropriate to pursue, if anything, civilly," Dahle said. Next steps are expected to be discussed in the board's next meeting in October. Jensen did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday. The former chief, who is currently a sitting county councilman and a board member of the powerful Utah Inland Port Authority, has faced calls for his resignation since the release of the investigative report. Scott's attorney, Richard Van Wagoner, when reached Tuesday said he was not aware of the meeting or any possible litigation, so he declined comment until he could get more information. SALT LAKE CITY A solar observatory in New Mexico reopened Monday after a 10-day closure for reasons that havent been thoroughly explained, according to CNN. Aliens, though, werent involved. What happened: On Sept. 6, the Sunspot Solar Observatory in New Mexico was shut down by its operator, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, according to NPR. No reason was given for the closure. Later, it was reported that a security threat led to the closure. The security threat remains unclear. Those who work at the observatory and who live on the campus were randomly asked to leave. The locations post office also shut down for the 10 days. Local newspapers reported suspicious activity at the facility involving government agents and military vehicles. Confusion: Local officials and residents were bewildered by the sudden closure. Nothing really happens here very much. And since nobody knows, it could be almost anything, one resident told KRQE. The Otero County sheriff told The Alamogordo Daily News he was made aware of the closure. But he didnt receive any official reason. "The FBI is refusing to tell us what's going on," Sheriff Benny House told The Alamogordo Daily News shortly after the closure. "We've got people up there (at Sunspot) that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was nobody will say." "But for the FBI to get involved that quick and be so secretive about it, there was a lot of stuff going on up there," House added. "There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a bunch of people around antennas and work crews on towers but nobody would tell us anything." John Varsik, a data scientist and telescope operator at California's Big Bear Solar Observatory, told BuzzFeed News that, "nothing like this has ever happened before at an observatory. Its all very fishy," he said. Reason for closure: AURA, the consortium and the National Science Foundation, released a statement that said a security threat led to the closure. "AURA has been cooperating with an ongoing law enforcement investigation of criminal activity that occurred at Sacramento Peak. During this time, we became concerned that a suspect in the investigation potentially posed a threat to the safety of local staff and residents. For this reason, AURA temporarily evacuated the facility and ceased science activities at this location. "The decision to vacate was based on the logistical challenges associated with protecting personnel at such a remote location, and the need for expeditious response to the potential threat. AURA determined that moving the small number of on-site staff and residents off the mountain was the most prudent and effective action to ensure their safety." Back to normal: The observatory returned to normal operations on Monday. Sunspot Solar Observatory is transitioning back to regular operations as of September 17th Read AURA's full statement here: https://t.co/tiGiwEL8Nn @NSF @SunspotSolarObs pic.twitter.com/cPpaGrTNtU AURA (@AURADC) September 16, 2018 SALT LAKE CITY A broad coalition of groups say a judge should tank a mitigation and monitoring plan associated with Nevada's efforts to pump groundwater in the arid desert next to Utah. A petition, led by Nevada's White Pine County and the Great Basin Water Network, was filed Monday in Nevada's 7th District Court objecting to the "3M" plan approved in State Engineer Jason King's August ruling. "Earlier iterations of the 3M plan were struck down by Nevada courts, and the small changes made this time leave it no less deficient," said attorney Simeon Herskovits, of Advocates for Community and Environment. "Allowing approval of the 3M plan to go unchallenged could have dangerous implications for Nevada, and facilitate a future iteration of (the Southern Nevada Water Authority's) pipeline." The Southern Nevada Water Authority for nearly 30 years has sought water rights to tap groundwater in eastern Nevada and deliver it to the Las Vegas area in a $3 billion, 285-mile pipeline. Last month, King denied water right applications in parts of Lincoln and White Pine counties. The Southern Nevada Water Authority is appealing that decision, as is the state engineer himself, who argues he was "boxed in" on the denial based on previous court rulings, and should have been allowed to grant the water rights. "He littered his ruling with statements about how he didn't think the law was right," Herskovits said. In this latest petition filed in the water war, coalition members say they agree with the denial of the water right applications, but say approval of the 3M plan is wrong. "It doesn't go far enough, it is not specific enough. There is no guarantee they will actually be able to do anything about the impacts of pumping until it is too late," said Howard Watts, spokesman for the Great Basin Water Network. The coalition is made up of groups that include the Utah Audubon Council, Utah Rivers Council, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, multiple irrigation companies and the Nevada Farm Bureau. The water authority initially wanted to tap groundwater in Snake Valley, which straddles the Nevada-Utah border. While Snake Valley is no longer at risk of groundwater pumping by the Nevada water district, neighboring hyrdologic basins in eastern Nevada are targeted as a source of water to meet growing demand in southern Nevada. Multiple petitions for review are flowing into the Nevada district court, including requests by three Native American tribes, Millard and Juab counties and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church owns Cleveland Ranch in Spring Valley in White Pine County, where it argued the groundwater pumping would put its spring and irrigated land at risk. The water district first applied for water rights in 1989, seeking to pump 84,000 acre-feet of water from a trio of valleys in eastern Nevada. About 90 percent of the Las Vegas area's supply of water comes from Lake Mead, which is half full and under continuing pressure from a yearslong drought in the Southwest. What started out as a good-natured, rivalry-fueled wager and then turned into a reneged bet has resulted in a heartwarming and humorous story. Lets start with the happy ending. Because of the aforementioned bet which involved an overly confident Ute fan betting a hopeful BYU fan $500 that the Cougars wouldnt be ranked again before the program was dissolved (his assumption) the Hayestough Foundation has received more than $6,000 in donations in less than 24 hours. This is a charity that former Utah standout Steve Tate and his wife created while their late son battled cancer. The Hayestough foundation is extremely grateful to be a part of an amazing community of both Utah and BYU fans, Tate tweeted on Tuesday morning. Through an unpaid bet you raised $6,065 in less than 24 hours. Most importantly, 100% of it goes to helping kids/families fight cancer. #hayestough The Hayestough foundation is extremely grateful to be a part of an amazing community of both Utah and BYU fans. Through an unpaid bet you raised $6,065 in less than 24 hours. Most importantly, 100% of it goes to helping kids/families fight cancer. #hayestough Steve Tate (@tate28) September 18, 2018 This charitable jackpot and warm-fuzzy event began when BYU fan Geoff Johnston and an anonymous University of Utah fan who goes by the moniker @DenverUte put $500 (real or fake money was apparently up for debate) leading up to this past Saturdays game at Camp Randall. (DenverUte had bet as much as $25,000 at one point.) After BYU shocked sixth-ranked Wisconsin and entered the Top 25 this past weekend, @geoffjBYU reminded his Ute Twitter rival about the bet. Well, well, well. Look who cracked the AP top 25, @DenverUte, he wrote. So now the moment of truth you still good for that $500? Johnston said hed donate it to charity if it helped his Ute peer fork over the funds. (This would be a good time to remind kids reading at home that betting is not legal in Utah.) DenverUte made it clear he was not going to pay up, and admitted, I got owned, didnt think there was a chance that BYU would beat WISCONSIN, let alone be ranked. He also said he wasnt going to save face and give the (not nice word) BYU fan Jeff with a G any money. DenverUte jokingly offered to allow former BYU linebacker and Twitter/U-Y rivalry rabble-rouser Derik Stevenson to come beat me up instead of paying $500. If I actually had a relationship with any of you, it might be a different scenario, DenverUte added. But most people on Twitter are idiots and I couldnt care less about you. Twitter is great. Turns out, some of the Twitter idiots and non-idiots are also great. The charitable efforts and bet recompensation plan began in earnest when Utah fan Chris Enger chimed in with an idea. He wanted to help atone for the welching Ute fan and show that he's not representative of the fan base. "We should all put a little in to pay to a charity of Geoffs choice to cover it," Enger wrote. When @Jonnyj20 asked which charity Johnston preferred to support, he decided to heed someone else's advice and pay it forward to "that Steve Tate charity in honor of his boy. I liked that one." "Well," Enger added, "let's see if we can all come together as fans and cover it." "Ha. That would be quite the plot twist here," Johnston replied. "Just let me know I can chip in too if this really becomes a thing." To Tate's great surprise and to the benefit of some heartbroken families with children fighting cancer it really became a thing. Within hours, BYU and Utah fans and perhaps some who don't associate with either school united for a good cause and far surpassed the $500 total. Tate playfully kept a running tally on his Twitter account. BYU and Utah fans making it rain for the Hayestough foundation. Can we get to $3,000? pic.twitter.com/E7K3kSkWUo Steve Tate (@tate28) September 18, 2018 Finally, heres one last laugh from DenverUte, who had some fun at his own expense (perhaps $500 worth of fun) on his Twitter bio: "If you make a bet with me on Twitter and win, I wont pay you. But donate to #hayestough to make up for it." SALT LAKE CITY A former Utah State University student filed a civil lawsuit late Monday against current piano department faculty member Dennis Hirst, seeking more than $300,000 in damages for alleged sexual assault, sexual battery and other claims. The former student, Jaime Aikele Caliendo, alleges Hirst sexually assaulted her while she was a 17-year-old freshman in 1994, according to the lawsuit filed in 1st District Court in Logan. The Deseret News usually does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Caliendo, now 41, agreed to be identified and is named as the plaintiff in the lawsuit. USU spokesman Tim Vitale confirmed Tuesday that the school launched a Title IX investigation involving Hirst several weeks ago. Title IX is a federal law that charges universities with ensuring students receive education without sex-based discrimination. We received information that we felt we needed to look into to see if there was any safety issue at hand for students. We hired an outside attorney to look into the issue, said Vitale, who didn't disclose details about what prompted the university's investigation. Messages left seeking response from Hirst were not returned Tuesday. In an April Deseret News story that mentioned a 1994 police report Caliendo filed, Hirst denied allegations of sexual assault. The lawsuit and investigation follow another investigation earlier this year that resulted in the resignation of the head of USUs piano program and the removal of the Title IX office coordinator. Warning: This document contains graphic content Vitale said the university was not aware that a lawsuit against Hirst had been filed, but that the school has hired outside counsel, Mary Ann May from Parr Brown Gee & Loveless in Salt Lake City, to conduct the Title IX investigation involving Hirst, who is currently employed. The purpose of a Title IX investigation is to stop any kind of behavior that could be a safety concern and to prevent concerns from happening in the future, said Vitale. According to the civil lawsuit, Caliendo was 17-years-old when Hirst, then 23, was employed as a music teacher with the USU Youth Conservatory. The two became acquainted through mutual friends, the complaint says. Hirst invited Caliendo over to his apartment, where he lived alone, on three occasions. On the first visit, Hirst helped Caliendo with her music theory homework while he carved bassoon reeds, the complaint states. The sexual assault and sexual battery claims in the lawsuit deal with the second and third visits to Hirst's home. On the second visit, Hirst allegedly partly removed Caliendos clothes, groped her and continued to do so despite her verbal objections, the lawsuit states. On the third visit, the lawsuit alleges that Hirst assaulted and sexually battered Caliendo. Caliendo seeks a jury trial and more than $300,000 in damages in her complaint that details six causes of action: two for sexual battery claims, one for sexual assault, one for assault, one for intentional infliction of emotional distress and one for negligent infliction of emotional distress. Caliendo filed a report with Logan police on July 1, 1994, alleging sexual assault by Hirst, but no charges were filed, the Deseret News reported in April. "Shortly after speaking with the police, Jaime began having constant, violent nightmares that have continued off and on through today," the lawsuit states. From the fall of 2007 through the spring of 2009, Caliendos emotional distress was aggravated by Hirst, who repeatedly walked the sidewalk in front of Jaimes home, stopping and staring at Jaime and her children, according to the lawsuit. Caliendo identified herself to the Deseret News as former student number 10 in an April USU report that evaluated allegations of sexual harassment in the music department, after several women claimed in Facebook posts that they had been mistreated by department employees. The report reflected interviews with 60 witnesses and hundreds of pages of documents. The report stated that between 1994 and 2012, students or parents complained of a series of incidents involving sexual harassment by four members of the faculty. Former student 10 reported allegedly threatening conduct to the university Title IX office some time after she left the piano program, according to the report. According to former student 10, the Title IX Office declined to do anything about this complaint, the report reads. The report also recommended Hirst be removed as interim coordinator of the piano program, but did not recommend any other specific sanctions. USU Interim Provost Laurens H. Smith, followed up with a letter of reprimand addressed to Hirst dated July 3, 2018. The letter made no mention of Caliendos claims, but referenced the reports findings that Hirst enabled or ignored piano department head Gary Amanos discriminatory acts against female students for a period of years. The letter also outlines expectations for Hirst, which include participation in a training program on sensitivity behavior and anti-discriminatory conduct. In a letter of response, Hirst said, As far as I know, I did not contribute to a psychologically abusive environment, although I was employed as a faculty member in the piano program directed and defined by Gary Amano. In April, USU President Noelle Cockett announced the resignation of Amano and sweeping changes to the school's Title IX office. Later that month, Cockett said Stacy Sturgeon had been removed from her position as Title IX coordinator. Earlier this year, new of Google's plans to build a hardware-based game streaming service called Yeti started doing the rounds. After that small tidbit that Google might be prepping to take on Nvidia GeForce Now and PlayStation Now, no new information about came up. However, folks over at 9to5Google have now found a reference to Yeti in an unlikely place, in the Chromium code commits. The service is mentioned in a Chromecast related section and the commit seems to be made as there is some audio video (A/V) syncing issue with Chromecast. Its indeed irritating if A/V is not in proper sync and this not only affects a user while watching a video but is also a hindrance while gaming. So, where does Yeti come in? Seems like the Yeti team has set an A/V sync threshold of 50ms beyond which the sync issue becomes quite noticeable. While the information might not be exciting at all, its the first proof that something called Yeti exists at Google and is in the companys pipeline. The commit also suggests that it could work within Chromium and might finally enable Google to enter the gaming industry, which is a $109 billion market. Previous reports have also suggested that the Yeti gaming service could work with Googles Chromecast dongle, however, Google could also be considering its own hardware with a controller for the service. A previous report suggested that the Yeti project is being led by two Google hardware executives-- Mario Queiroz, VP of product management, and Majd Bakar, VP of engineering. The company is said to have also hired Phil Harrison, who spent 15 years with Sony's PlayStation division and three years working with Microsoft's Xbox division. Game streaming services seem to be the future as the concept takes away the need to purchase any expensive hardware. One will only need a super fast and stable internet connection as all processing will be taken care on the server side of whichever game streaming service a user subscribes to. Lenovo Yoga 730 (13IKB) detailed review The Lenovo Yoga 720 is essentially the convertible version of the IdeaPad 720s, wrote Hardik Singh, my predecessor, in his review of the Yoga 720 earlier this year. If thats what he thought about the Yoga 720 and the IdeaPad 720S, I wonder what hell feel about the Yoga 730 because visually, it is almost exactly the same as the the Yoga 720. So, whats new in the current model then? Has Lenovo managed to shave some weight off its popular convertible? Are the changes all under the keyboard? Or are there any changes at all? Lets find out. Build and Design Though it might seem as if all Lenovo did was shove the Yoga 720 into a photocopiers flatbed and hit copy, the Yoga 730 differs in one hard-to-notice aesthetic detail: the lid of the laptop is now a little shorter in height. So it sits flush with the front side of the base but doesnt meet the rear side all the way. This makes the hinge look more slant and the laptop slightly easier to hold by that end. The aluminium cover on the outside and the Yoga logo on it seem to be the same. The lid has a matte finish and feels solid enough for that accidental scratch or graze. Dont go throwing it around though. The base of the laptop is almost bare save for some grilles meant for heat dissipation. Weight is now down from 1.3 kilogrammes to 1.12 kilogrammes on the Yoga 730. Despite the weight loss, the laptop feels a little heavy in the hands, especially if you see how slim and compact it otherwise is. That said, its still a lot easier to carry than say, the hard drive-powered HP Pavilion x360. The lid is too tight to be opened with a single finger, but thats not always a bad thing because it stands erect when its lifted and shaken about. Playing around with only one side of the lid doesnt reveal any signs of flex, making the laptop pretty solid on the build front. The area around the keyboard and touchpad seems to be made of the same aluminium material and feels strong. Punching the keys on the keyboard does not show any signs of flex; good boy. Like its IdeaPad cousins, the Yoga 730 has a thin chrome-lined border around the touchpad for an added touch of class. The 5.9mm-slim bezels around the display seem to remain unchanged from the Yoga 720. All in all, the Yoga 730 seems to be built quite solidly for life at the desk and on the go. Display, Pen, Audio, and IO The Lenovo Yoga 730 comes with a 13.3-inch IPS LCD touchscreen with two display resolution options: UHD and Full HD. The review unit came with the latter. I found colours appearing accurately on it, rich even. Our tests showed that the display produced 95 percent of the colours on the sRGB colour scale and 73 percent of the colours on the Adobe RGB colour scale. The screenwhich Lenovo claims can deliver up to 300 nitsappeared comfortably bright for indoor and outdoor areas. The brightness varied automatically with ambient light at a graceful pace, unlike the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga, whose brightness rose and dipped too frequently for comfort. The screen responded to touches with precision and palm rejection worked accurately when I felt the display palm-first. I was able to view content with sufficient comfort even when the display was folded flat and turned around in odd horizontal angles. Though colours continued to appear more or less the same, a reflection of the light around (including the keyboard light) formed easily on the display. It goes to show you cant have it all. Along with the convertible laptop you get a Lenovo Active Pen 2 for Yoga. It eats a single AAAA before getting to work without drivers or setting up. In my experience, pen inputs happened naturally with no noticeable latency. Drawing and writing was an easy affair on Microsoft Paint and OneNote. How good is it though? Now, Ive seen thus far the best writing and drawing experience on the Microsoft Surface Pro, but this Yoga comes very close to that in terms of accuracy and latency. You can comfortably write on it as if it were a notebook. Despite the subtly etched JBL badge at the bottom, there was nothing special about the sound that emanated from the Yoga 730s two tiny down-firing speakers. Maximum volume was just about enough for movie dialogues in a quiet bedroom of 24 x 24 feet. Bass output felt weak but vocals were heard clearly. As far as audio is concerned, youre better off carrying a portable Bluetooth speaker if you want clear and loud audio on the go. The 720p camera on top of the display managed to produce images of reasonable quality. Colours werent particularly rich but the images didnt look pixelated or grainy, as is the case with many laptop-camera images. If your laptop bag is loaded with dongles and peripherals, I have some bad news for you. Lenovo has not added any more ports to the Yoga 730. If its any consolation, Lenovo hasnt removed any either. On the left side you get two Thunderbolt 3-capable USB Type-C ports and a 3.5mm jack for headsets. Mind you: on the Yoga 720, only one of the two USB Type-C ports had support for Thunderbolt 3. On the right side you see only one lonely USB 3.1 port. Lenovo has continued to place the power button on the right side so you can power the device on (or off) in tablet mode. The button is a little too soft and doesnt provide enough feedback to tell if youve pressed it or not, but its nothing you cant get used to. Keyboard and Touchpad The keyboard is probably the most surprising element of the Lenovo Yoga 730. What with the device measuring only 14 millimetres in thickness, I imagined the two-stage-backlit keys to be shallow and lack feel, but I was happy to be proven wrong when I discovered they travelled deep and offered adequate amount of resistance. In fact, they were ideal for typing emails and documents all day long. In terms of travel alone, these keys offered more than the less-flexible, non-touch Lenovo IdeaPad 530S. I would have loved to see dedicated keys for Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down functions though. Touchpad experience on the Lenovo Yoga 730 was just as satisfying as the keyboard experience. The large matte-finished precision touchpad was easy to tap and swipe. Clicks were easy too even though the left- and right-click buttons lay beneath the touchpad surface. It being a precision touchpad meant that I could customise it completely in Windows Settings. Multi-finger gestures worked like a charm without missing a beat. All in all, the Yoga 730 scores high for its overall usability. Performance The Lenovo Yoga 730 knocks only sixers in the performance department. Not only did the review unit perform admirably in our benchmark tests, but it also proved itself worthy for everyday use. The review unit was equipped with an Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU. Storage was taken care of by a Hynix 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. Going through the BIOS screens revealed that the machine had two RAM slots available inside. This is good news for those looking to upgrade beyond 8GB in the future. In PCMark 8s Accelerated Creative test, the Yoga 730 scored 159 points more than the third-generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga and 303 points more than the HP Pavilion x360. It was a similar case with graphics benchmark tests like 3DMarks Fire Strike and Ice Storm Extreme. The sophisticated Core i7 CPU and the slick Hynix SSD ensured the Yoga 730 got a chart-topping score of 5053 in PCMark 8s Conventional Storage test. In real-world-usage scenarios, the Yoga 730 performed just as admirably. The convertible laptop showed no signs of slowing down or freezing when I had over twelve applications open at the same time. I was able to keep over thirty Chrome tabs (with one tab constantly blaring music on YouTube), multiple Word documents, WhatsApp for PC, iTunes, WordWeb, multiple instances of File Explorer, and a few other light applications like Sticky Notes open simultaneously. I switched between these applications across three virtual desktops with a great deal of ease and the Yoga 730 showed no signs of sweat at all. There was that occasional moment when the animation while toggling windows slowed down by a few milliseconds, but I chalked that up to the fact that the Yoga 730 employed no dedicated GPU. Heat, for the most part, is in check on the Yoga 730. However, there are occasions when the quad-core Core i7 runs hotapp installations and intense browsing with over twenty Chrome tabs, for example. On these occasions, the base of the laptop gets quite warm. But thats alright because you cant really feel it. Whats not all right is the keyboard area, which transmits enough heat through the area between the keycaps to make typing and resting your fingers bothersome. If compared with the HP Pavilion x360 and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the Lenovo Yoga 730 sits somewhere in between but performs more like the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, thanks to its capable processor and slick solid-state drive. All things considered, performance is right up there on the Yoga 730. Battery The Lenovo Yoga 730 trades in battery life for quick CPU times. With the brightness turned all the way up, twenty odd tabs open in Chrome, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, and music playing through wired headphones, the battery dipped from 100 to 57 percent in 1 hour, 45 minutes. With the music off and the brightness lowered, the battery dipped from 100 to 75 percent in one hour. On our benchmark test, the battery lasted 2 hours, 37 minutes. Charging from near zero to full charge took about one and a half hours when the laptop was turned off. Through all the tests, the Yoga 730s battery did not last over 5 hours on a full charge. This sort of battery life is pitifully short for a device thats meant for a life on the go. The devices touchscreen no doubt is a contributor to the drain. Your best bet to get over 5 hours from this device is to lower brightness and turn radios off. Bottom line One things for sure: the Lenovo Yoga 730 is definitely worth its salt. It achieves a fine balance between power and portability. It comes with a comfortable keyboard and touchpad setup. The display too is colourful and bright. This makes the Yoga 730 an ideal device for somebody who is into frequent note-taking, browsing, and writing, but doesnt care too much for ports and heavy graphics. What Im not sure about is its short battery life and steep price tag. The Yoga 730 manages five hours (and occasionally a little over it) and starts at nearly a lakh rupees, which is at least 25,000 rupees costlier than the HP Pavilion x360. The extra money is worth it if you want a Microsoft Surface Pro with the keyboard and stylus, only newer and more substantial in terms of hardware and performance. Infosys told to pay ex-CFO Rs12.17 cr severance package dues Infosys Ltd, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today an arbitration tribunal ruled in favour of former chief financial officer Rajiv Bansal over his disputed severance package and ordered the company to pay the Rs12.17 crore held back by the company. Infosys had withheld payment due to Bansal after its co-founder Narayana Murthy raised objections to the large payout to Rajiv Bansal. Murthy, in a public spat last year, had questioned the heavy package approved to Bansal by the then management led by Vishal Sikka, who was at the time the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director. According to the arbitral tribunal's order, the IT company is now required to pay Bansal the outstanding severance amount of Rs12.17 crore along with interest. "While the award acknowledges that Infosys had bona fide disputes, its' counter claim for refund of previously paid severance amount of Rs5.2 crore and damages, has been rejected," Infosys said in a regulatory filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The arbitral award, however, is confidential, said Infosys, adding that it would take legal advice for necessary actions to be undertaken in respect of the award, it said. Out of the total Rs17.38 crore that was due to Bansal, Infosys paid Rs5 crore and suspended subsequent payments after Murthy and others objected to the severance package, terming it as excessive and that that it could be seen as "hush money". Bansal then dragged Infosys to arbitration to claim the remaining Rs12 crore. The company had said at the time that the payment includes non-compete obligation, including other rights and obligations. Murthy had repeatedly raised issues of corporate governance at the company that he co-founded while it was being headed for the first time by an outsider - Sikka. This ultimately led to an abrupt exit of Sikka after a prolonged standoff with Infosys' promoters. Co-founder Nandan Nilekani then assumed charge as the non-executive chairman of Infosys in August 2017. Salil Parekh, a former Capgemini executive, succeeded Sikka as the managing director and CEO of Infosys in January this year. India, US near deal to remove trade irritants: report Instead of tit-for-tat tariff measures against US impost of countervailing duties on Indian steel and some agricultural products, India is reported to have negotiated a trade deal with the United States that would benefit Indian farmers and US manufacturers of medical devices the most. Washington and New Delhi started trade negotiations in June after the US announced its decision to impose tariffs on Indian exports that US said were subsidised and harmful to US manufacturers. The two countries are reported to be looking beyond the steel tariffs to remove long-standing irritants to ties, a Reuters report quoting sources familiar with the talks said. Under the deal, Washington is likely to grant concessions making it easier for exporters of products like rice, mangoes, table grapes and lychees to sell in the US market, which was almost closed for Indian farmers on quality issues. The United States imports just a small fraction of the $5.5 billion of rice shipped annually from India, the worlds top rice exporter. New Delhi wants to sell basmati rice but US agencies have been flagging concerns over the presence of chemical residues in the rice. New Delhi is also discussing ways to meet stringent US standards to sell bovine meat. India, the worlds biggest buffalo meat exporter, has failed to make any dent in the US market because of Washingtons concerns over foot-and-mouth disease that affects cattle in India. The two sides are exploring ways to open the US market for certain grades of bovine meat from India, according to the Indian government negotiator and the other sources familiar with the talks. For its part, the United States wants to sell more almonds to India, the worlds top buyer, cherries and eventually dairy products. The United States has also been urging India to lower the input costs of components for IT to facilitate local manufacture by companies like Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc as part of Prime Minister Modis Make-in-India campaign. Also, Indias decision last year to impose price curbs on medical implants had provoked a storm of protest from US companies, such as Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Boston Scientific, which said such controls hurt innovation and future investment plans. In June, the centres policy think tank Niti Aayog invited industry views on a new policy which would cap trade margins, and not prices, to help patients while allowing the industry reasonable profits. Reports quoting sources said Niti Aayog had recommended allowing a maximum 65 per cent trade margin. President Trump has been complaining about Indias high tariffs that cover a range of IT equipment, including circuit boards, screens and memory chips, besides automobiles. Reports said the two countries are closely negotiating a discrete package of trade issues, which could amount to a substantive agreement, covering most products that are traded bilaterally. It may be noted that President Trump had earlier this month said that India had approached the United States to start doing a trade deal. While the President did not give any details, he might have been hinting at a possible negotiated trade deal with India. The current negotiations, however, are aimed at removing sources of friction, and are not aimed at a free trade agreement. Bilateral trade between India and the US stood at $126 billion last year, less than a fourth of US trade with China. However, unlike some of Americas close allies, India failed to get a waiver after the Trump administration imposed new import tariffs on steel and aluminium in March. New Delhi said it would retaliate by raising tariffs on a number of US products, but has held back from implementing them while it negotiates a package to soothe ties. Commerce ministry delays tit-for-tat tariffs against US The commerce ministry is yet to decide on the tariff measures against US goods announced earlier this year after the United States slapped higher tariffs on steel and aluminium imported from India and some other countries. India had earlier announced plans to slap retaliatory tariffs on 29 products exported from the US to India worth around $241 million after the Trump administrations wrongful application of discriminatory duties on steel and aluminium exports from India. The commerce ministry is now reported to be planning to ask the revenue department to come up with a notification delaying the duties for some time. This is the second time India is postponing application of retaliatory tariffs against discriminatory duties announced by the US on 20 June, to be implemented from 4 August. On 3 August, the revenue department had issued a notification delaying the duties by 45 days. Government officials explain the proposed delay was to give trade officials from both sides more time to sort out the issue of higher tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium imposed by the US on exports from India. New Delhi wants to avoid getting into a tariff war with Washington to whatever extent possible. New Delhi has taken up the matter with the WTO, arguing that the higher duties imposed are unfair as Indias exports of these items were much lower than others such as China and South Korea, and it doesnt pose a security threat to the US. The higher tariffs on steel and aluminium imports were applied by the US earlier this year on a handful of countries including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, the EU, Turkey and Russia citing security concerns. A number of countries, including China, the EU, Turkey and Canada, have already imposed retaliatory tariffs against goods imported from the US. The talks between the commerce ministry officials and the US Trade Representatives office, however, are nowhere near sorting out the issue of penal tariffs on aluminium and steel. Greenstar Fertilisers in pact with DAE unit for supply of utilities and chemicals Greenstar Fertilisers Limited, a private sector fertiliser manufacturer, has signed an agreement with Heavy Water Board (HWB), a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), for routing of phosphoric acid through HWBs solvent extraction plant in Tuticorin and supply of utilities and chemicals. Heavy Water Board, a constituent unit of DAE, has diversified its activities and is pursuing bulk production of various special materials required for DAE. This includes nuclear grade solvents, enriched boron compounds, nuclear grade sodium and D-labeled compounds. Greenstar Fertilisers Limited is a leading manufacturer and marketer of fertilisers in India. Greenstar manufactures phosphatic fertilisers at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. The company is also a brand launch platform for organic and inorganic fertilisers that stand up to its tough quality certification process. Greenstar also imports fertilizers for sale in India. A listed company since July 2011, Greenstar has acquired the phosphatics manufacturing assets of SPIC, an enduring fertiliser brand in India, bringing it a significant strength in phosphatics. The agreement will enable recovery and extraction of rare material from phosphoric acid using solvent extraction process developed by HWB based on the in-house solvents produced by HWB. The rare material extracted from phosphoric acid will be further processed by units of DAE and will be useful for India's nuclear programme. After 150 years, a Breakthrough in Understanding the Conversion of CO2 to Electrofuels Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Columbia Engineers are the first to observe how CO2 is activated at the electrode-electrolyte interface; their finding shifts the catalyst design from trial-and-error paradigm to a rational approach and could lead to alternative, cheaper, and safer renewable energy storage Scientists have long sought ways to convert abundant CO2 to useful products such as chemicals and fuel. As early as in 1869, they were able to electrocatalytically convert CO2 to formic acid. Over the past two decades, the rise of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere has significantly accelerated research in CO2 conversion using renewable energy resources, including solar, wind, and tidal. Because these resources are intermittent--the sun doesn't shine every day, nor does the wind constantly blow--how to store renewable energy safely and cost-effectively is a major challenge. Recent research in electrocatalytic CO2 conversion points the way to using CO2 as a feedstock and renewable electricity as an energy supply for the synthesis of different types of fuel and value-added chemicals such as ethylene, ethanol, and propane. But scientists still do not understand even the first step of these reactions -- CO2 activation, or the transformation of the linear CO2 molecule at the catalyst surface upon accepting the first electron. Knowing the exact structure of the activated CO2 is essential because its structure dictates both the end product of the reaction and its energy cost. This reaction can start from many initial steps and go through many pathways, giving typically a mixture of products. If scientists figure out how the process works, they will be better able to selectively promote or inhibit certain pathways, which will lead to the development of a commercially viable catalyst for this technology. Columbia Engineering researchers announced today that they solved the first piece of the puzzle?they have proved that CO2 electroreduction begins with one common intermediate, not two as was commonly thought. They applied a comprehensive suite of experimental and theoretical methods to identify the structure of the first intermediate of CO2 electroreduction: carboxylate CO2? that is attached to the surface with C and O atoms. Their breakthrough, published online today in PNAS, came by applying surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) instead of the more frequently used surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy (SEIRAS). The spectroscopic results were corroborated by quantum chemical modeling. "Our findings about CO2 activation will open the door to an incredibly broad range of possibilities: if we can fully understand CO2 electroreduction, we'll be able to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, contributing to the mitigation of climate change," says the paper's lead author Irina Chernyshova, associate research scientist, department of earth and environmental engineering. "In addition, our insight into CO2 activation at the solid-water interface will enable researchers to better model the prebiotic scenarios from CO2 to complex organic molecules that may have led to the origin of life on our planet." They decided to use SERS rather than SEIRAS for their observations because they found that SERS has several significant advantages that enable more accurate identification of the structure of the reaction intermediate. Most importantly, the researchers were able to measure the vibrational spectra of species formed at the electrode-electrolyte interface along the entire spectral range and on an operating electrode (in operandi). Using both quantum chemical simulations and conventional electrochemical methods, the researchers were able to get the first detailed look at how CO2 is activated at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Understanding the nature of the first reaction intermediate is a critical step toward commercialization of the electrocatalytic CO2 conversion to useful chemicals. It creates a solid foundation for moving away from the trial-and-error paradigm to rational catalyst design. "With this knowledge and computational power," says the paper's co-author Sathish Ponnurangam, a former graduate student and postdoc in Somasundaran's lab who is now an assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary, Canada, "researchers will be able to predict more accurately the reaction on different catalysts and specify the most promising ones, which can further be synthesized and tested." "The Columbia Engineering experiments provide such detail that we should be able to obtain very definitive validation of the computational models," says William Goddard, Charles and Mary Ferkel Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science, and Applied Physics at CalTech, who was not involved with the study. "I expect that together with our theory, the Columbia Engineering experiments will provide precise mechanisms to be established and that examining how the mechanisms change for different alloys, surface structures, electrolytes, additives, should enable optimization of the electrocatalysts for water spitting (solar fuels), CO2 reduction to fuels and organic feedstocks, N2 reduction to NH3 to obtain much less expensive fertilizers, all the key problems facing society to obtain the energy and food to accommodate our exploding population." Electrocatalysis and photocatalysis (the so-called artificial photosynthesis) are among the most promising ways to achieve effective storage for renewable energy. CO2 electroreduction has been capturing the imagination of researchers for more than 150 years because of its similarity to photosynthesis. Just as a plant converts sunlight into chemical energy, a catalyst converts electrons supplied by renewable energy into chemical energy that is stored in reduced products of CO2. In addition to its application for renewable energy, electrocatalysis technology may also enable manned Mars missions and colonies by providing fuel for the return trip and carbonaceous chemicals from the CO2 that makes up 95 percent of that planet's atmosphere. "We expect our findings and methodology will spur work on how to make go faster and at a lower energy cost not only electrocatalytic but also photocatalytic CO2 reduction," says Ponisseril Somasundaran, LaVon Duddleson Krumb Professor of Mineral Engineering, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering. "In the latter case, a catalyst reduces CO2 using direct sun light. Even though these two approaches are experimentally different they are microscopically similar?both start with activation of CO2 upon electron transfer from a catalyst surface. At this point, I believe that both these approaches will dominate the future." The team is now working to uncover the subsequent reaction steps?to see how CO2 is further transformed?and to develop superior catalysts based on earth-abundant elements such as Cu (copper) and Sn (tin). Donegal TD and Minister for the Irish language, Gaeltacht and the Islands Joe McHugh has urged management and workers at RAP to open talks in a bid to avoid a strike. Siptu members of the 225 employees were balloted for strike action in August and voted to take part in a 16-hour work stoppage on September 24 at the Gweedore facility which produces food packaging for major retailers in the UK, Europe and the USA. The trade union says the action is over a refusal by management to respect a Labour Court recommendation in relation to union representation for workers. I understand that trade union Siptu has notified the management of R.A. Pacaisti in Gaoth Dobhair of strike action which is planned for next week, Mr McHugh said. I would urge all sides involved in this dispute, the company management, the workers and their union representatives, to engage with one another to see if there is room for mediation or grounds for a potential resolution to the dispute. I have had discussions with some officials in Udaras na Gaeltachta about the issues which have arisen at RAP and I am also aware of the positions being taken by both the company management and the workforce. I again appeal to both sides to sit down with one another to see if there is room to work through the grievances and avoid a strike. 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 subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Irish Water has released a map which reveals the traffic flow management system which will be in place in Bay Estate for the next 16 weeks. The map will be of particular interest to parents of children attending Bay Estate N.S., which is in the centre of the roadworks. Hazelwood Avenue is due to close from tomorrow morning so that Coras Pipelines can update sewerage systems in Bay Estate on behalf of Irish Water. Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat last Thursday Bay Estate N.S. Principal Martina Rafferty said: "We have 750 pupils here. Our school is in the centre of Bay Estate and there is very heavy traffic here at times. "My main concern is for the safety of the children. We want to have the road traffic management plan in place ahead of time so that we can reduce any mishaps and minimise disruption for local residents in the estate." Ms. Rafferty has also contacted members of Dundalk Gardai to police road traffic safety during the road closure. A spokesperson for Irish Water said: "Irish Water, working in partnership with Louth County Council, intends to carry out important upgrade works to the sewer network in the Hazelwood Avenue, Bay Estate, Dundalk. Coras Pipeline Services Limited is working on behalf of Irish Water to deliver this project." "Irish Water expects these works to last for approximately 16 weeks. During the works, a road closure traffic management system will be in place with a dedicated diversion route. "Local access will be maintained and we will be in direct contact with each affected residence along the route. Our intention is to carry out the engineering works while minimising customer disruption, however, there will inevitably be some impact on your access and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding. For further information regarding the works please contact the project team or Coras Pipeline Services Limited on 01 697 8155, 087 693 1002 or info@coras.ie." UPDATE at 4:30: A spokesperson at the Garda press office in Dublin told the Dundalk Democrat: "Gardai are investigating a stabbing include which occurred in the Linen Hall Apartment Block at around 2:45pm this afternoon. "A female in her twenties was seriously injured and has been taken to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda. "A male in his fifties was arrested in connection with the incident and has been taken to Dundalk Garda station for questioning." An image taken on social media Linen Hall Street has been closed off this afternoon due to what Gardai are calling a "major incident" which occurred around 3pm. One witness reported seeing 8 garda cars and 3 ambulances. A spokesperson at Dundalk garda station said that there had been an "incident" but that Dundalk Gardai could not comment any further at present. The spokesperson added that it would be "a matter for the Garda press office" in Dublin. Linen Hall St remains closed and motorists and pedestrians are being asked to use alternative routes. #LOUTH Linenhall St in Dundalk closed due to incident. More here: https://t.co/ipFDM8svNY AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) September 18, 2018 More as we have it. The woman in her 30s who was seriously injured in an attack on Linen Hall St this afternoon has died. A man in his 40s was arrested by Dundalk Gardai in relation to the incident. He is currently being questioned at Dundalk Garda Station. Linen Hall Street remains closed. The woman was rushed to Hospital in Drogheda following the incident but has since passed away. The Irish Daily Mirror is reporting that the woman was originally from Lithuania. UPDATE AT 5:25pm: A Garda spokesperson said: "Gardai at Dundalk Co Louth are investigating a stabbing incident which occurred at Linen Hall Street, Dundalk Co Louth (Apartment Block) at approximately 2.45pm this afternoon, Tuesday September 18th. "A female in her 30s was seriously injured, she was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and was subsequently pronounced dead a short time later. "A Post Mortem examination will now take place at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The scene is preserved for a technical and forensic examination and an incident room has been established at Dundalk Garda Station. "The office of the State Pathologist and Coroner have been notified. A male in his 40s has been arrested in connection with this investigation and is currently detained at Dundalk Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984." READ MORE: https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/home/336615/multiple-garda-cars-and-ambulance-at-scene-of-linen-hall-st-dundalk-incident.html There is a new generation taking over the workforce and keeping them in the same job for a long period of time can be challenging. Being able to retain talent is important not only financially but also for the general culture of your business. Being able to keep talent requires an excellent employment process from the beginning. Dynamic Business asked experts what strategy helped them retain talent in their business? Rafael Moyano, CEO, The Adecco Group: The key to staff retention is ensuring employees remain challenged and motivated, The opportunity to embark on a variety of projects and formal training can go a long way to instilling a sense of progress. Having open discussions with employees will help to build their purpose at work and identify ways to progress career development. Regular catch ups should be in place across the board, and line managers must be capable of setting goals that foster career development. These sessions can also be used to identify opportunities that lie outside of the day-to-day and align to individual interests. Other benefits, such as flexible working arrangements and mentorship programs should be prioritised to help combat staff burnout. Happy employees are much less likely to to look for jobs elsewhere. Adam Noall, APAC Channel Director, BlueJeans: Gone are the days of starting a career and spending decades in the same occupation. According to The Foundation for Young Australians, a fifteen-year-old today will experience a portfolio career, potentially having seventeen different jobs over five careers in their lifetime. So how do employers ensure their workplace is engaged and passionate? One of the strategies Ive found to be really successful is embracing flexible working. New generations are juggling many priorities between work and home life, so having a flexible work policy where employees can work when and where they want, is a huge a drawcard for employees, and drives employee satisfaction. In fact, many studies have found flexible working practices maximises productivity and innovation. Although it may seem obvious, its important to ensure employees are motivated through opportunity, meaning and benefits. Explain to your employees the career path and opportunities at hand with the company, celebrate the wins and invest time in explaining to team members the role theyre playing for the business. Too often we get caught up in our daily to-do list, that we forget to take a step back and thank our employees for their ongoing contribution. Ive found employees who feel valued, are the ones that stick around. Jake Colvin, Co-Founder and Director of International Operations, Owlet: At Owlet, weve found that being extremely mission-focused and living out our values has helped us attract and retain fantastic talent. Were all about empowering families through our infant technologies, and the people who join us do so largely because they align with the mission of what the brand is trying to achieve. We also focus heavily on office culture. Weve worked hard to build a really positive atmosphere that is reflective of the qualities we promote as a business. Weve done this by implementing initiatives that support our family first approach and encouraging team members to maintain positive work-life balance. A lot of this requires flexibility as a business, and confidence in your team to complete their work within their dedicated office /work hours. Some of the initiatives include a limitless time off policy, and ongoing encouragement for our team to maximise their use of this. As a company of mostly new and young families, we also pay for our team members to go on a date night a month with their partner and assist with paying for babysitters. Furthermore, team building activities are essential for retaining talent. We hold an Owlet-wide company lunch every Friday. All of our departments come together to talk about how things are going. For team members its an opportunity to be honest and talk about whats working well or what could be improved upon. On the last Friday of the month we go one step further and do a half day where our families join the lunch and everyone heads home early. Our quarterly and half yearly initiatives often involve more outdoorsy activities, particularly with our team members based at HQ in Utah. Well rent a house together and go hiking or well rent a boat and go out on a lake. We find that celebrating this balance resonates with our team and propels them to do their best, both in the office and at home. Mike Russell, Chief Operating Officer, Central Innovation: With both AEC and Manufacturing industries going through unprecedented technological change and constant software upgrades, talent retention has become utmost importance to businesses. Training and upskilling are two key strategies that would help organisations retain talent. Its more important than ever for companies to consider investing into training and upskilling programs for new recruits and pre-existing talent within the organisation. This will benefit both parties, whilst companies will have well-equipped staff, employees will feel valued as their professional development is evidently prioritised. In todays digital-first world, businesses need to ensure that the chosen training programs and certified courses focusing on latest software and technologies such as Project Management courses, AgilePM certification, CAD design courses for SOLIDWORKS or ARCHICAD, which aims at enhancing business functions. Ultimately, a holistic approach towards the growth of employees by investing in training will essentially contribute to the health of the business and eventually retain the best talent. Sabri Suby, Founder, King Kong: Our industry, digital marketing, has a skills shortage, but we have managed to retain amazing talent by focusing on culture, development and, of course, compensation. The most important thing is to live and breathe your company goals and values, and embed them in the culture of your business so that your team belong to something impressive and are collectively working toward the same big picture. Next, team members should be able to see how they will grow with your company so that they know they can stay for the long-run, so offering continued learning will give any business an edge. Finally, compensation because they dont just do it for the love. It goes without saying that you need to pay your team fairly based on market rate and the skills they have to offer, and you should also reward them regularly as they develop in your company. Senior Talent Manager, Employsure, Jess Van Der Walt: We have found the best strategy to retain talent is ensuring employees have three fundamental connections in the workplace: company, manager, and job. This is based on Gallups research findings of what is means to have engaged employees. Identifying that people desire connection to ones company and peers (company), the provision of opportunities to learn (manager) and the ability to contribute from ones role (job). Our regular feedback touch points enable people to have organic conversations with their managers. Using this framework, we are able to drive initiatives that close the gaps on weak connections. Taking a balanced approach from talent acquisition and onboarding, through to team engagement and developing future leaders for the business. We are incredibly focused on protecting and enhancing the investment we make in our people through forward thinking and innovative programs. David Hickey, Director of Strategy APAC, Meltwater: Meltwaters culture is based on a fundamental belief in people and the potential they possess. We have numerous strategies in place that help us retain talent and support our values, including mentorship and management workshops, culture clubs, monthly team events, awards nights and the Gold Star program, which recognises new team members first sale at Meltwater. We always look to promote from within one of Meltwaters strengths is our ability to foster young, bright, talented individuals. I started at Meltwater straight out of university and ten years on, Im leading APAC strategy. We help people enjoy the work they do by creating genuine connections between their day-to-day jobs and the companys overall mission and objectives. With an average employee age of 26, we aim to keep our entrepreneurial spirit alive constantly, delighting in hard work and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it. Meltwater was ranked 14th in the Great Places to Work award this year, and has placed in the top 20 list for the fifth year in a row. Our high employee satisfaction rate is attributed to the companys focus on having fun and ensuring all employees have a sense of purpose within the business. Enterprise IT Lead Generation Services Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more. An empty chair reserved for Google became the focal point for harsh criticism Wednesday at the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's hearing on Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. After thanking Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for agreeing to testify at the forum, Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., added, "I'm disappointed Google decided against sending the right senior level executive to participate in what I truly expect to be a productive discussion." Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner, D-Va., also expressed displeasure. "I'm deeply disappointed that Google, one of the most influential digital platforms in the world, chose not to send its own top corporate leadership to engage this committee." Google needs to answer questions about conspiracy theories surfacing on Google Search, divisive videos posted to YouTube by Russian agents, and Gmail hacks by state-sponsored operatives, Warner maintained. "Google has an immense responsibility in this space," he observed. "Given its size and influence, I would have thought the leadership of Google would have wanted to demonstrate how seriously it takes these challenges and actually take a leadership role in this important discussion." U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign influence operations' use of social media platforms, Sept 5, 2018. Arrogance or Dodging Questions? Google dodged the hearing either because it was "arrogant" or because it did not want answer questions about a Google Transparency Project report that revealed how easy it is for Russian troll farms to buy advertising on the service, suggested Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. "Perhaps Google didn't send a senior executive today because they've recently taken actions -- such as terminating cooperation they've had with the American military on programs like artificial intelligence -- that are designed not just to protect our troops and help them fight and win our country's wars, but to protect civilians as well," said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. "This is at the very same time that they continue to cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party on matters like artificial intelligence or partner with Huawei and other Chinese telecom companies that are effectively arms of the Chinese Communist Party," he continued. "Credible reports" suggest that Google has been working to develop a new search engine to satisfy the Chinese Communist Party's censorship standards, after having disclaimed any intent to do so eight years ago, Cotton said. "Perhaps they didn't send a witness to answer these questions because there is no answer to those questions," he said. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg testifies before The Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing on foreign influence operations and their use of social media platforms on Sept. 5, 2018. Communication Breakdown Despite committee members' suggestions to the contrary, Google said it has been cooperating with the Senate panel for months. "Over the last 18 months we've met with dozens of committee members and briefed major congressional committees numerous times on our work to prevent foreign interference in U.S. elections," Google spokesperson Riva B. Sciuto said. "Our senior vice president of global affairs and chief legal officer, who reports directly to our CEO and is responsible for our work in this area, will be in Washington, D.C., today (Wednesday), where he will deliver written testimony, brief members of Congress on our work, and answer any questions they have," she continued. "We had informed the Senate Intelligence Committee of this in late July and had understood that he would be an appropriate witness for this hearing," Sciuto added. If Google were dodging the hearing, it could be a bad miscalculation for the company. "Google hiding out will backfire, since this isn't going away," said James A. Lewis, senior vice president and the director of the technology and public policy program for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization in Washington, D.C. Social Animal of Different Color Although Google appears to have been ready to take its place in the empty chair beside Sandberg and Dorsey, it may have less in common with Facebook and Twitter than the miffed members of the Intelligence committee would like to believe. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies before The Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing on foreign influence operations and their use of social media platforms on Sept. 5, 2018. "Google has a very different story to tell than Twitter or Facebook," said Karen North, director of USC Annenberg's Digital Social Media program. "They provide people with searches for products and services," she told TechNewsWorld. "What they're not doing is providing social interaction like Facebook and Twitter." Google may have some things in common with social networks, but it "doesn't want to be lumped together with Twitter and Facebook," he told TechNewsWorld. "Google has issues with privacy, with monopoly, but search is different from social media." Changes Coming The Intelligence Committee's Wednesday hearing was the fourth in a series of forums on Russian election meddling. Where the lawmakers will take the information they've gathered from the sessions remains to be seen. One target for legislation may be advertising. "It's likely these hearings will result in the laws on advertising imposed on traditional media being extended to social media," USC's North said, "but for the daily users of social media, there won't be much change, except the reduction of misleading ads that look like news stories." Regulating social media will be hard because of free speech issues, the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Lewis told TechNewsWorld. That doesn't mean, however, that the companies won't change their ways. "People are tired of the companies disclaiming responsibility by saying they are only the platform," he said. "In response, the companies will change how they do business." Problem Without a Solution Still, the social media companies may be unable to address their problems without legislative intervention, Lewis suggested. "It will be hard to craft regulation in the U.S., but the Europeans will be less constrained and are very unhappy with the U.S. giants," he said. "The best solution might be holding the companies accountable, through regulation, on being transparent to their users about other users and news sources." The Senate hearings are primarily an exercise in public relations, noted John Carroll, assistant professor of mass communication at Boston University. "The lawmakers want to seem like they're addressing these problems, and the tech companies want to seem like they're addressing the problems," he told TechNewsWorld. "Many of these problems are essentially unsolvable. The digital space is just too vast for them to control it in the way that some lawmakers want it to be controlled." John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. Enterprise IT Lead Generation Services Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more. Facebook on Tuesday announced it has removed more than 650 Facebook and Instagram pages, groups and accounts originating in Iran and Russia for "coordinated inauthentic behavior." The goal is to improve the trustworthiness of Facebook connections. Although it has been making progress in its efforts, the people responsible for the inauthentic activity are determined and well funded, Facebook said. "We identified an influence operation, not just on Facebook, but across several social media platforms," said Sandra Joyce, vice president for global intelligence at FireEye, a cybersecurity company in Milpitas, California. "We have moderate confidence it's Iranian-based," she told TechNewsWorld. Classic Influence Campaign Iran's efforts represented a classic campaign to influence audiences in the United States, United Kingdom, Latin America and the Middle East, Joyce said. The campaign promoted content laced with pro-Iranian, anti-Israel, anti-Saudi Arabia, anti-sanctions and pro-nuclear-deal sentiments, she pointed out. It praised candidates running for office in the United States who supported the Iran nuclear treaty scrapped by the Trump administration. Iran seems "to be taking a page out of Russia's playbook when it comes to influencing the populace," Joyce said. "What's unique is that we're watching what we believe to be Iranian-based actors pushing this agenda across the world and leveraging social media to do so," she remarked. The campaign's focus on Latin America is a bit of a new wrinkle, observed Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate for Comparitech.com, a reviews, advice and information website for consumer security products. "It seems less like a change in tactics and more like adapting proven methods to other countries," he told TechNewsWorld. "With all the trouble brewing in Nicaragua right now, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a target," Bischoff said. "The U.S. has been pushing democracy in Nicaragua for decades, and that effort is now under threat." Muddy Conversation Influence campaigns are similar to astroturfing in that the sponsor of a campaign is hidden to make it look like a grassroots movement, Bischoff noted. "With the help of analytics built into Facebook and most websites, these campaigns not only spread their message, they also gather information about the people who receive it," he said. "They can use this information to target the same people and people like them in the future with more effective messaging." These campaigns don't want to change public opinion as much as shift it in a way that will benefit the campaign's authors, suggested Vincent Raynauld, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Emerson College in Boston. That shift can include sowing doubt through misinformation. "If you can inject a lot of fake news into an online conversation, you can muddy the waters," Raynauld told TechNewsWorld. "You might get people to question their beliefs. You might get them to change their behavior." Iran-Russia Connection The fact that the inauthentic pages, groups and accounts purged from Facebook originated in Iran and Russia is probably not a coincidence. "The Iranians have really close ties to the Russians," said James A. Lewis, director of the technology and public policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization in Washington, D.C. "That's why they've improved so much on the cyber side," he told TechNewsWorld. "Iran has also been worried about controlling social media since the Green Revolution about a decade ago," Lewis said. "Iran is only the second country to use social media influence operations in any meaningful way. The Chinese do it, but they do it against their own people and Taiwan, not in other countries." Uphill Battle It's difficult to determine the effectiveness of Facebook's efforts to weed out inauthentic behavior, Bischoff observed. "We have little context regarding how big this problem really is, likely because Facebook doesn't know how big the problem is," he said. "Anybody can make a Facebook page or group with practically zero oversight, and the company probably relies on users flagging content to generate leads. When you consider that -- and the fact that Facebook must also try to balance enforcement and censorship -- it's really fighting an uphill battle," Bischoff explained. "I don't have too much sympathy, though," he added. "Facebook built the hill." More Anticipation Needed Because it is so easy to create pages, groups and accounts on Facebook, policing inauthentic content can be challenging. "It's pretty much a political whack-a-mole play. When a page pops up, you hit it and another one pops up," Raynauld said. "Facebook is fighting fires," noted Mark Graff, CEO of Tellagraff, an incidence response planning company in New York City. "It puts one out and waits until another fire breaks out somewhere else," he told TechNewsWorld. "It's good to do that. It's necessary to do it -- but it's better to anticipate where a fire is going to break out and take away its fuel." Facebook maintained that what's needed to root out inauthentic behavior on its network is building better technology, hiring more people, and working more closely with law enforcement, security experts and other companies. There's a fourth need, according to Raynauld. "The public needs to be involved. It has to be able to identify fake news and ignore it," he said. "I've seen little to no attempt to educate the public on what fake news is." Technology Will Solve Problem While taking down inauthentic pages, groups and accounts is a good start, Facebook could go further to combat them, Graff maintained. For example, it could make an effort to verify who is creating those pages, groups and accounts. "It's never been much of a concern for them because it doesn't affect their income," Graff pointed out. Facebook also could look more closely at who's buying ads on its network. "U.S. sanctions Facebook from buying ads from Iran so it's using cutouts to buy ads," Graff explained. "Facebook should validate who's purchasing ads to see if they're trying to evade sanctions." Technology eventually will solve the problem of inauthentic pages, groups and accounts on Facebook, CSIS' Lewis predicted. "If you can come up with programs to identify pornography and extremism, you can come up with programs to identify fake news," he said. "It wouldn't surprise me if we were better off a year from now because people built the tools to find this kind of stuff." John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. As the U.S. Supreme Court was deciding the Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31 opinion this year, a district of over 13,000 students in Illinois ratified and approved a collectively bargained teacher contract months ahead of schedule. The contract fell within district budget projections, eliminated the traditional salary schedule, and rewarded teacher performance. In a post-Janus era, this type of collaboration could be increasingly valuable. WeJon Eckert (the facilitator), Bryce Cann (the local union association president and teacher), Bob Rammer (an assistant superintendent), and Jeff Schuler (the district superintendent)met monthly with 15 other district teachers and administrators for two years to develop a recommendation for this viable model. We ended up with a contract that was ratified by nearly 70 percent of our educators association with nearly unanimous school board support. So, how did we do it? Collective leadership. Collective leadership involves working toward shared goals, which means that leadership is not defined by positions. Communication is not a one-way process to increase buy-in." Before we began this process, the district and union agreed upon a contract with the caveat that the single salary schedule for teachers would end. The administration and union jointly selected the facilitator to lead the compensation study team. The result was a contract that rewarded learning and leadership. Educators in our district can now earn additional compensation for taking on leadership roles, as well as for extending their learning through degrees and micro-credentials (professional learning designed around demonstrated competencies). Because every district is different, the contract is not necessarily a template for other districts, but perhaps the process can offer some direction. There were many factors that contributed to our success, but there were seven essential steps that can now serve as guideposts for other districts interested in thinking about compensation differently. 1) Take time to work together. Our district and union leadership agreed upon a facilitator to mediate the discussions and set the agendas for monthly meetings. This maintained a sense of neutrality and allowed the facilitator the opportunity to reflect back to the team what he was observing about the process. Establishing monthly meetings for 18 busy educators who are being compensated for their time with nothing more than a few chocolates and good will is challenging. The superintendent and association president each selected team members based on their desire to work together. The team came together each month because they valued the process even when they disagreed. 2) Dont bargain, recommend. We approached the process with the mindset that we were putting together a recommendation, not bargaining a contract, which reduced defensiveness. Administrators and teachers were always seated around the room strategically, in mixed teams to encourage cooperation and shared expertise. Simply listening to each other increased trust. One major breakthrough came when we stopped talking about details and numbers and instead started discussing the broader model on which to build our recommendation. 3) Look internally to identify strengths and face reality. We identified a list of 34 district strengthsstrengths that we did not want to compromise with an ill-advised recommendation. We faced the reality of the districts financial situation together. The district spends approximately the same per pupil as the national average. Because state funding is scarce, approximately 87 percent of district funds come from the local level, which is nearly double the national average for local contribution. With a static student population, uncertain and limited state funding, there were not significant additional resources for compensation. 4) Look externally for improvement, not silver bullets. We studied what others have done. We read research on compensation and how districts improve. We collaborated both face-to-face and asynchronously through a shared Google doc in order to identify opportunities and obstacles. Based on this research, teachers and administrators brought ideas from other districts that could inform our recommendation. We knew we could not directly replicate others plans, but we needed to be informed so our compensation plan could be improved. 5) Establish shared values. After looking externally and internally, our research led the team to develop a shared set of district values and non-negotiables within the first five meetings. We decided we would prioritize professional learning and leadership, and that we would not tie those to evaluation ratings or student test scores. From there, the process became clear, even if the outcome was not. 6) Communicate with others. Five months into the process, we released a memo to teachers, administrators, and the school board outlining, in general terms, our committees progress. We eventually released two additional memos and a list of frequently asked questions. We did this for two reasons: First, we wanted to provide as much information as possible after agreeing on the appropriate level of detail. We also wanted to get feedback from others that could illuminate our blind spots and improve our process. Communication is not a one-way process to increase buy-in. Communication should be about increasing the understanding of all involved. 7) Trust the process and each other. From the beginning, transparency was vital to the process and the development of trust. The facilitator took notes through every meeting and all asynchronous discussions and chronicled them in the shared Google doc that ended up reaching nearly 100 pages. This documented the progress over time and showed how the concepts and solutions evolved. The recommendation that emerged from this process gave the district a running start to navigate the collective bargaining at the table, the school board, and the full union membership. Certainly, there were challenges to overcome, but by starting with a recommendation process rather than a formal negotiation, we laid the groundwork for a successful negotiationone grounded in shared values and expectations. Such negotiations are never done, and the contract four years from now will certainly change. With collective leadership, however, those changes will be improvements for everyone involved. A government watchdog group called Floridas growing system of privately-run public charter schools wasteful and said it sometimes gives rise to self-dealing and profiteering. Integrity Florida, a group which seeks to uncover public corruption, recommended more widespread disclosure of charter school finances, especially greater oversight of ways tax dollars end up in private companies profits. The study also showed how some of Floridas elected officials are influenced by the money in charter school development and operation. Some public officials who decide education policy and their families are profiting personally from ownership and employment with the charter school industry, creating the appearance of a conflict of interest, the study says. Lax regulation of charter schools has created opportunities for financial mismanagement and criminal corruption. ... Inasmuch as charter schools can be an inefficient and wasteful option for school choice, the legislature should evaluate the appropriate amount of funding the state can afford to offer in educational choices to parents and students. Charter schools are public schools . But unlike traditional public schools they operate independently of publicly-elected school boards. Although all charter schools are nonprofits controlled by their own privately selected boards, about half of Floridas charter schools are run by for-profit companies. In general all charter schools face fewer state restrictions and less oversight than regular public schools. School districts are, on paper, authorizers of each charter school. However, over the years, state legislators have whittled down school districts oversight of charter schools. Recently the Florida Supreme Court struck down a proposed state constitutional amendment which would have let the state or some other entity authorize charter schools without school districts consent, using local, state, and federal tax dollars. The court removed that amendment from the ballot, saying in a 4-3 ruling that the amendments language and intent were unclear. Meanwhile, large urban districts like Duval County Schools, continue to lose students and funding to charter schools, because in Florida most school funding follows the student. In Duval County, 16,160 of the 131,397 public school students this year (or 12 percent) attend charter schools rather than district schools. Charter schools in Duval County received $106.2 million in total funding. Statewide about 10 percent, or about 296,000 students of Floridas 2.8 million children, attend 650 charter schools. Florida charter schools received $346 million in capital outlay funds alone in 2016-17, surpassing what traditional schools received some years, the study said. That doesnt include the hundreds of millions more charter schools receive for operations and management. Yet charter schools success has been mixed, most studies agree. Although many charter schools do academically outperform their district counterparts, many others do not. Charter schools are more likely to receive an A than all schools and also more likely to receive an F grade, the study said. Three percent of charter schools (16 schools) received an F grade, compared to one percent (43 schools) of all schools, in the 2016-17 school year. Since 1998, at least 373 charter schools have closed in Florida. When for-profit charters close, the public money spent on lease payments and building improvements is lost, because the school district doesnt own their buildings, the study said. Even so, charter schools political influence is growing. Since its start in 1998, the charter school industry has spent more than $13 million to influence state education policy in Florida through contributions to political campaigns, the study said. Since 2007, the industry spent another $8 million on legislative lobbying. The result has been laws encouraging the spread of charter schools and relaxation of state rules for charter schools, the report said. Integrity Florida made several recommendations designed to eliminate and improve charter schools: Require for-profit companies associated with charter schools to report their expenditures and profits for each school they operate. Companies managing charter schools in more than one school district should have annual audits ensuring local tax revenue is being spent locally. Require charter schools to post on their website their original application and charter contract along with their annual report, audit and school grade. Charter school websites should include lease agreements, including terms and conditions and who profits from the lease payments. Limit the amount of public funds that can be used for charter school facility leases to a certain percentage of the schools operating budget. Prohibit charter schools from using public education funds for advertising to attract new students. Require charter schools to report annually the number of dropouts, the number of withdrawals and the number of expulsions. Despite repeated requests from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, legislative leaders have officially refused to steer $58 million to school districts to help them hire more campus police officers. Scott in late August asked that legislators shift unused money from the states guardian program to pay for more officers. Under the guardian program, districts are eligible to receive money to train school staff to act as armed guardians on school campuses. But most districts have opted instead to hire officers despite the expense. After a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida became the first state to require all public schools to have armed security on site. Among the districts that say they cant afford to hire officers is Broward County, where Stoneman Douglas is located. Tens of thousands of babies are born each year to mothers who abused opioids when they were pregnant. Now, a new study offers a snapshot of the educational impact of that early traumaand a hint of what schools are already facing and may have to grapple with for years to come. Researchers examined the educational status of a group of Medicaid-eligible children in Tennessee ages 3 to 8. Some of those children were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, meaning that they spent their earliest days coping with the health effects of opioid withdrawal. The other children were not diagnosed with the syndrome. The children who faced opioid withdrawal as babies were more likely to be evaluated for special education services and, once evaluated, were more likely to be found eligible, according to the report, published in August in the journal Pediatrics. Most of the childrens disabilities were in five categories: autism, developmental delay, other health impairment, specific learning disability, and speech and language impairments. Educators will not be surprised by these findings where there have been high rates of [neonatal abstinence syndrome], but I think its always important for teachers to be aware and on the lookout, said Mary-Margaret Fill, a medical epidemiologist for the Tennessee health department and one of the reports authors. Theyre a really important safety net for this population. Melissa Massie, the executive director for student-support services for the Knox County, Tenn., district, said her system also has anecdotal evidence of young children affected directly by opioids. She noted that not every child with neonatal abstinence syndrome needs special education services, which was borne out by the Pediatrics study. But some can have pretty significant behavioral and emotional issues, Massie said. All the schools in the 61,000-student district have implemented multi-tiered support programs that are intended to provide help to all students, with extra efforts steered toward those with the most needs. Schools have also implemented what are known as restorative practicesalternatives to the traditional school discipline practices of suspension and expulsion that focus instead on such processes as group conflict resolution and peer mediation. One of the important lessons for these children is learning how to deal with sensory overload, Massie said. We can teach them, rather than act out, heres how you take a break. What Is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome? Increasing numbers of babies nationwide are being born with the effects of exposure to opioids in the womb. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the number of children with a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome increased fivefold between 2000 and 2013. Nearly 22,000 babies were born with opioid exposure in 2013, according to the CDC. The syndrome produces a range of effects for infants. They generally show up two to three days after birth, and may include tremors, high-pitched crying, vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty in maintaining a stable temperature. At the mild end, those symptoms can be treated by soothing babies, swaddling them, and keeping them in quiet, dark rooms until the drug leaves their systems. Babies with very severe cases can be treated with methodone or morphine and then slowly weaned off those drugs. Linda Palenchar, the director of special education in Fayette County, W. Va., said that shes also seeing preschool children identified with the syndrome who are hard to soothe and who kick, bite, and lash out, sometimes without any obvious trigger. Were seeing things in preschool classrooms that weve never seen before, said Palenchar, who is also the director of preschool services for the 6,300-student district. Palenchar added that the school system is working on training teachers on trauma-informed strategies, because even children who have not been exposed to drugs in utero could be dealing with the chaos of living in a home where a parent or other family member is abusing drugs. Its very eye-opening to see how these little babies are living, said Palenchar, who has visited Capitol Hill to advocate in favor of more special education funding. Growing Concern The plight of children born to opioid-using mothers has been a growing concern among medical researchers, but relatively little is known about these children and their later needs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says that the number of children with this syndrome increased fivefold between 2000 and 2013. In 2012, the center estimated that a child was born every 25 minutes showing the effects of opioid exposure in the womb, for a total of nearly 22,000 babies that year. Those births are concentrated in particular areas, however. In West Virginia, for example, 33 out of every 1,000 infants was born with the opioid-withdrawal syndrome in 2013. That was among the highest rates in the 28 states tracked by the CDC that year, which did not include Tennessee. Other states with particularly high rates were Maine and Vermont, both of which reported more than 30 out of 1,000 children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Tracking Cases Tennessee is among four states that require cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome to be reported to the state health department, which is how the researchers were able to track these cases and the childrens later educational needs. Fill, the author, noted that the study is not meant to show how fast the special education population might grow in the future. Another study, however, has shown that the effects of neonatal exposure to opioids last beyond the early years. A 2017 study of youths in Australia showed that those born with neonatal abstinence syndrome had poor scores on standardized tests that progressed over time: Children with the syndrome had lower scores in grade 7 than children without the syndrome had in grade 5. That said, federally-funded research on people born during the 1980s epidemic of cocaine useso-called crack babies"has shown that the long-term effects of exposure to that drug are relatively small. Cocaine, however, is not an opioid. Fill said that its important for all the organizations that work with young childrenspecial education, early-intervention services, Head Start, and othersto come together to support these children. And both Massie in Tennessee and Palenchar in West Virginia noted that this is not a problem that can be tackled by schools alone. We have a really committed community-wide effort, Massie said. A lot of various stakeholders are at the table, including community groups, legislators, law enforcement partners, and others. Palenchar also sounded a cautionary note. I hope that were moving toward some solutions, she said. I feel like were not at the solutions yet. "I am forever in awe of the land and the abundance and all that it offers us. These are not just plants, they are sacred living beings." Control and display technology for industrial data glasses are available. The Fraunhofer FEP is developing specific applications for the Industry 4.0 environment with Siemens and Ubimax, among others. In the manufacturing industry, human-machine interactions are to become more efficient. Augmented and virtual reality are regarded as suitable means for this. Technology and specific applications are currently being developed at Fraunhofer FEP. The industry is looking for ways to link production and logistics more efficiently. Data glasses can help here, says Dr. Uwe Vogel, Head of Microdisplays and Sensors at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (FEP). They provide the worker with all the necessary information such as the removal station or part number. The available display technology is largely sufficient for industrial applications. Frequently mentioned aspects such as insufficient display brightness, resolution and luminous efficacy affect the consumer market to a greater extent. For industrial applications, the battery life and thus the power consumption of the display and control electronics is more relevant. The problem was addressed with the development of an ultra low power OLED microdisplay that no longer requires 200 mW but only 2 to 3 mW of power. For this, it is necessary to dispense with full colors, high resolution, and sophisticated graphics, which is quite possible in industrial environments. Following development at the Fraunhofer FEP, the OLED microdisplay is now being integrated into end applications and prepared for mass production by the French partner Microoled. The project was rewarded with the Franco-German Business Award at the end of last year. Relevante Anbieter Practical Applications In the joint project Glass@Service, representatives from research and industry are identifying specific applications for data glasses in the context of Industry 4.0. In addition to the Fraunhofer FEP, Siemens, the manufacturer of occupational safety equipment Uvex and the AR and VR provider Ubimax are also involved. According to FEP, logistics is one of the major fields of application. The warehouse clerk can be guided through individual work steps via data goggles, leaving both hands free for his activities. For the industrial environment, the project partners want to significantly simplify setup with the aid of data glasses: The AR application shows the machine operator the machine in the set-up state. The machine parts to be installed are displayed directly in the field of vision, together with deviations between machine parts already installed and those to be replaced. Results can be expected soon. The project has been running since January 2016 and expires at the end of 2018. MHK says Island should reconsider homing Syrian refugees Daphne Caine MHK An MHK has called on the Council of Ministers to reconsider its stance on offering Syrian refugees a home on the Island. In 2017 the Chief Minister turned down a request by four local charities, who were backed by a thousand-signature petition, to accept 25 displaced Syrians on to Manx soil. Instead, Howard Quayle announced a donation was made of just under a million pounds to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). At the time Mr Quayle argued housing the refugees here wouldnt be possible with the level of support and specialist assistance needed to help them. Since its commitment in 2014 to resettle Syrian asylum seekers, the UK government has found homes for 11,000 refugees, and plans to meet its 20,000 target by 2020. The scheme is focused on re-settling vulnerable persons, which includes the survivors of torture, those with medical needs, children etc. Within the project, Northern Ireland has found homes for 1,096 refugees, Scotland 2,000, and Wales 397. Revisiting the issue on the Island, Garff member Daphne Caine has tabled two written questions for Howard Quayle, asking whether the Council of Ministers would reconsider the decision. Shes also asking how much support has been given to charities who aid the plight of Syrian refugees over the last two years. Mrs Caine told Local Democracy Reporter Ewan Gawne the Island needs to step up on the world stage and do its part: Media Daphne Caine MHK IOM Students attended Houston Space School Gemma Tipper, Marc Podmore & Caitlin Gelder Three Isle of Man students who won scholarships to attend United Space School in Houston this summer have received certificates to celebrate their achievement. Gemma Tipper, Caitlin Gelder and Marc Podmore attended the Department of Education, Sport and Culture headquarters in Peel Road, Douglas on Monday, where they were presented with the certificates by Minister Graham Cregeen MHK. The students were chosen as the recipients of scholarships sponsored by Manx satellite firm, the ManSat Group, and spent two weeks in Houston, where they worked alongside peers from more than 20 countries on planning a simulated crewed mission to Mars, supported by NASA astronauts, engineers and scientists. ManSat has awarded the scholarships since 2000, in cooperation with the DESC, with 35 Isle of Man students having now attended the Space School. Caitlin and Marc both attend Castle Rushen High School. Caitlin, who is studying maths, physics and biology at A-level, said: United Space School was one of the most exciting and eye-opening experiences of my life. It allowed me to meet like-minded people from all over the world. A moment which stands out was visiting the Apollo Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. This was the room in which all the missions to the Moon were controlled from. This was breathtaking as it put everything we learned into perspective. Another special moment was meeting astronaut Sunita Williams, who shared some of her stories with us of her time in space. She has such a positive outlook on life, and the challenges that she has faced, and has inspired me to push to achieve my goals and dreams in life. I was in the Gold team for the mission project, faced with the challenges of coordinating the finance, communication to Mars, designing treaties and ensuring that the mission agreed with space laws. I worked mostly on satellite communication but dipped into a bit of space law, which was a new aspect of the space industry I hadn't really considered as a career properly before. I can't thank ManSat enough for giving me this life-changing opportunity. I would also like to thank the teachers and staff of the FISE for making the experience so special. Lastly, Id like to thank the Giangrosso family for opening not only the doors to their home, but their hearts. Marc is studying maths, physics and chemistry and is aiming for a career in astrophysics after university. He said: This was by far the best two weeks of my life. The best aspect was the amazing friends I have made all over the world. The big events and trips were unforgettable such as visiting the Johnson Space Center. However, all the small, personal moments with friends are what made this trip really special. I was on the Maroon Team. Our job was to get the crew from orbit to surface and back to orbit for both Earth and Mars. We also had to deliver all the cargo to Mars too. On graduation day, Marc and four other students were awarded Texas Flags, which were flown in their honour over the capitol building. These flags are awarded to students who show exemplary teamwork, dedication, and leadership throughout their USS term. I was completely blown away and honoured to receive a flag, said Marc. Id like to thank everyone involved in USS 2018 for making it such an unforgettable experience, including the headteachers and mentors, all my fellow students and my host family, the Penrods, also my two housemates, David from Germany, and Sebastian from Costa Rica. King Williams College student Gemma is studying for the International Baccalaureate, for which she is taking three higher level subjects maths, physics and economics and three standard level subjects Spanish, English literature & language, and visual arts. She said: My time at USS 2018 was the most incredible two weeks of my life. My favourite part was without a doubt the people I met, in particular my two housemates, Sofi from Argentina and Tara from Croatia. I already know that they and others will be good friends of mine for a very long time. My favourite moment would have to be when we visited the observatory at Brazos Bend park and the sun set, so that it was completely dark save for the dim red lighting around the railings. Looking up and seeing all the stars and planets so clearly took my breath away. Planning the mission to Mars was an incredibly complex task. I was part of the Blue Team, which oversaw exploration on the Martian surface, and while its certainly a big task to design a Mars space suit, it was surprisingly tricky to work out the best place for the toilet in the rover! I would like to thank all at FISE, and the students, for ensuring Space School was an experience I could never possibly forget, and my host family and housemates for giving me a home-away-from-home in Houston. Mr Cregeen said: Each year I listen in awe to the experiences of our Isle of Man scholars on their return from the United Space School and this year was no exception. Its a wonderful opportunity that ManSat provides for our students, a chance to gain so much knowledge and insight into what is a fascinating industry one in which, through the work of ManSat and others, the Isle of Man plays a leading role. Dr Jennifer Stone, ManSats Senior Manager for Regulatory Affairs, said: Caitlin, Gemma and Marc were excellent ambassadors for the Isle of Man, and we are very proud of their achievements at the space school. We are sure this is just the beginning of great things for them in their future studies and careers. ManSat is very grateful to the DESC, the Island secondary schools, and King Williams College for their continued support of the scholarships. State Senator Mike Bell (R-Riceville) and Rep. Jay Reedy (R-Erin) will join millions of hunters and anglers across the nation on Saturday in celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day. The lawmakers are co-chairman of the General Assemblys Sportsmens Caucus which works to protect Tennessees long-held tradition of hunting and fishing. Hunting and fishing are foundational to Tennessees outdoor lifestyle, said Senator Bell. Anglers and hunters were some of the earliest conservation leaders, and they remain a key factor in safeguarding the important recreational opportunities provided by Tennessees unparalleled natural spaces. Sportsmen and women have willingly supported fish and wildlife like no other group. They have contributed billions of dollars to support fish and wildlife management through their purchase of hunting and fishing licenses as well as through excise taxes on firearms, fishing equipment, ammunition, and archery equipment. I am very pleased that this day has been set aside to recognize its importance and encourage outdoor enthusiasts to join our efforts to preserve it for future generations to enjoy. He said last year alone, hunters and anglers contributed nearly $63 million to fund state conservation efforts through the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). All Tennesseans benefit from these funds through improved access to public lands, public shooting ranges, improved soil and water quality, habitat restoration, fish and wildlife research, private and public habitat management, hunter education, boat access area construction and many other TWRA projects funded through Tennessees licensing and fee system. Tennessee hunters and anglers are the primary source of conservation funding for the Volunteer State, added Rep. Reedy. Their strong support over the past several decades has ensured the fish and wildlife successes we have experienced, so it is fitting that we pause in celebration of their role in preserving our states strong outdoor heritage. Its a healthy part of our economy as well. Tennessee sportsmen and women spend nearly $2 billion per year on their outdoor pursuits, supporting over 26,000 jobs in the state and contributing over $167 million in state and local taxes. Senator Bell and Rep. Reedy are also supporting efforts to increase hunter participation in Tennessee called recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3). This movement works to engage new or lapsed hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists through a variety of outdoor activities and programs. There are over 450 individual R3 programs nationwide. They said, We hope many hunters and fishermen will join our efforts to educate and involve outdoor enthusiasts in preserving the important cultural heritage surrounding hunting and fishing. This will help us preserve our states remarkable outdoor spaces for generations to come. The Equifax data breach that exposed the sensitive personal information of more than 145 million consumers was one of the worst data breaches of recent years, both for the amount of information exposed and the ease with which hackers moved about the companys systems. The breach was publicly disclosed on Sept. 7, 2017, and details on the breach slowly trickled out for months afterwards. Now a year later, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a 40-page report outlining what happened. The retrospective look at the breach provides insights into how the breach occurred and what types of controls and technologies might have helped prevent it. How the Equifax breach occurred While public disclosure of the Equifax data breach did not occur until September 2017, Equifax system administrators had in fact discovered the unauthorized access in July 2017 months after the attackers first gained entry to the companys servers in March 2017. The length of time it took before Equifax discovered the breach enabled the attackers to move around within the companys systems for months, relatively unimpeded. The attack began as many do, with the attackers first conducting reconnaissance by scanning Equifaxs publicly accessible systems to look for any known vulnerabilities. The attackers were able to identify that Equifax was at risk from an Apache Struts vulnerability that was only publicly disclosed two days before the attackers began scanning. The simple initial vulnerability was not the point at which the attackers began to siphon off the data of 145 million consumers, which didnt actually start to happen until May 13, 2017, roughly two months after the initial breach. When the hackers began to exfiltrate data, they used encrypted data channels to avoid detection. The use of encryption allowed the attackers to blend in their malicious actions with regular activity on the Equifax network and, thus, secretly maintain a presence on that network as they launched further attacks without being detected by Equifaxs scanning software, the GAO report stated. Even with the vulnerable system and the encrypted data channel, it still took a lot of effort from the hackers to find and get the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data they were after. The GAO report noted that the attackers attackers ran approximately 9,000 queries to find PII data sources on the Equifax network. After successfully extracting PII from Equifax databases, the attackers removed the data in small increments, using standard encrypted web protocols to disguise the exchanges as normal network traffic. The attack lasted for about 76 days before it was discovered. Key lessons from the Equifax breach Much has been made of the fact that Equifax had left one of its servers unpatched to a known vulnerability, but what is clear is that while the lack of patching was a problem, it was only one of many. Collaboration and reporting Equifax was, in fact, notified of the Apache Struts vulnerability in March 2017. However, when Equifax sent out a notice to its system administrators to patch the issue, the individual responsible for the online dispute portal, which was the attackers initial point of entry, didnt get the notice. Equifax officials stated that they circulated the notice among their systems administrators, the GAO report stated. However, the recipient list for the notice was out-of-date and, as a result, the notice was not received by the individuals who would have been responsible for installing the necessary patch. Lesson: Patch management systems need to be integrated with security notices and threat feeds. Patching via email notices isnt good enough. IT Asset Management Equifax did have scanning technologies in place to identify unpatched systems. However, the scans did not detect the vulnerability on the online dispute portal. Lesson: Organizations should consider the use of an IT Asset Management solution that accurately tracks version numbers of deployed technologies. Scanning encryption properly Once the attackers were in the Equifax network, they remained hidden for nearly three months, even though Equifax had scanning technology in place for suspicious activity. While Equifax had installed a device to inspect network traffic for evidence of malicious activity, a misconfiguration allowed encrypted traffic to pass through the network without being inspected, the GAO stated. According to Equifax officials, the misconfiguration was due to an expired digital certificate. Once the digital certificate was updated, Equifax did in fact detect the malicious activity. Lesson: Make sure that the systems in place to scan encrypted data are actually doing their job. Network segmentation The attackers were also able to move around the Equifax network, aided in part by the fact that the network was relatively flat, with different databases all accessible on the same network. A common best practice for organizations today is to implement a network segmentation approach, where different areas of a company are isolated from each other. Lesson: Segment and protect PII and other sensitive data to reduce risk. Data governance Another key area that Equifax was deficient in was having proper data governance policies. Data governance includes setting limits on access to sensitive information, including credentials such as usernames and passwords, the GAO report states. With proper data governance processes in place, the attackers would not have been able to run the 9,000 queries looking for PII. Lesson: Implement a data governance policy to tightly control access to PII and sensitive information. Endpoint protection In addition to improving patching, monitoring, IT asset management, network segmentation and data governance, having proper endpoint security can also potentially help reduce the risk for a breach. Equifax stated that they implemented a new endpoint security tool to detect misconfigurations, evaluate potential indications of compromise, and automatically notify system administrators of identified vulnerabilities, the GAO stated. Lesson: Even if you have network-wide security policies and technologies, dont forget about your endpoints. While the initial blame in the Equifax data breach revolved around a lack of patching, in the final analysis, its clear that patching wasnt the only problem that made the massive data breach possible. For organizations of all sizes, the Equifax breach serves as a cautionary tale that in order to properly defend an organization, multiple tools and processes are needed. Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eSecurityPlanet and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist. 1. Drug prices increased twice as quickly than expected during shortage Manufacturers suspected of exploiting shortage to charge more for drugs in demand Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-1137 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Prices for drugs under shortage between 2015 and 2016 increased more than twice as quickly as they were expected to in the absence of a shortage. While researchers could not assess reasons for the increases, manufacturers were suspected of exploiting shortages to charge more for drugs in high demand. A brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Prescription drug shortages cause an estimated $230 million in additional costs each year because of the rising prices of drugs under shortage and the higher costs of substitution drugs. This public health crisis may require attention from policymakers. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, UPMC Health Plan and Harvard Medical School used the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug shortages database to identify an active shortage of 917 drugs between December 2015 and December 2016. They then used pricing data from AnalySource to extract monthly wholesale acquisition costs for each drug in the month of the shortage began and the 12 months before and after. In the 11 months after the shortage began, the expected price increase for all drugs was 20 percent compared with 9 percent in the absence of a shortage. The researchers speculate that price increases reflect manufacturers' opportunistic behavior during shortages, when the imbalance between supply and demand increases willingness to pay. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, Inmaculada Hernandez PharmD, PhD, please contact Ned Schano at schanoe@upmc.edu. 2. Evidence lacking to compare safety and efficacy of common skin cancer treatments More high-quality studies are needed to inform both clinical decision-making and health care policy Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0678 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2286 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in the U.S., with millions of patients treated every year. Despite its prevalence, most commonly-used treatment interventions have not been rigorously studied. Evidence is lacking to compare the safety and efficacy of the common skin cancer interventions used to treat BCC. Sparse available evidence suggests that excisional surgery, including Mohs micrographic surgery, works well. However, it is less clear how other treatments work as there are so few studies examining them. Findings from a systematic review and network meta-analysis of these treatments are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers from Women's College Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Brown University in Providence, RI reviewed 40 randomized controlled trials and five nonrandomized comparative studies of common BCC treatments to evaluate a variety of outcomes including tumor recurrence, cosmetic appearance, quality of life, mortality and costs. The results supported the known effectiveness of commonly-used treatment options including surgery, external beam radiation, and topical creams, but found a lack of evidence to support choices between the interventions. According to the authors, these results confirmed recent guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology, which called out the scarcity of evidence and randomized controlled trials conducted on these treatments. The researchers conclude that future studies will need to investigate the comparative effectiveness of BCC treatments through randomized controlled trials. In addition, future research should address the cost to the health care system of treating BCC. Currently, a large amount of money is spent treating BCC without concrete knowledge about the value of choosing one treatment over another. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, Aaron Drucker, MD, ScM, FRCPC, please contact Sarah Warr at Sarah.Warr@wchospital.ca. 3. Tailoring FIT positivity thresholds by age and sex may help to optimize colorectal cancer screening programs Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0244 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2257 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Tailoring fecal immunochemical test (FIT) positivity thresholds by age and sex may help to optimize population-based colorectal cancer screening programs. Findings from a community-based cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Quantitative FITs directly measure human hemoglobin concentrations in the stool and are commonly used for colorectal cancer screening. Despite demographic variations in stool hemoglobin concentrations, few data exist regarding optimal positivity thresholds by age and sex. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. studied health records for more than 640,000 adults aged 50 to 75 years to quantify the sensitivity of FIT over several rounds of testing, as well as the potential effect of various positivity thresholds on a screening program, in a cohort representing a community-based, diverse population. They found that programmatic sensitivity for colorectal cancer detection increased modestly with decreasing positivity thresholds, from 74.3 percent at 20 u/g, to 76 percent at 15 u/g, and 79 percent at 10 u/g. The number of positive test results per cancer case detected over 2 years increased with decreasing positivity thresholds, especially those below the conventional 20 g/g. The performance of FIT varied by age and sex, with lower programmatic sensitivity and specificity with increasing age and higher programmatic sensitivity and lower specificity in men than women. According to the researchers, screening programs wishing to increase cancer detection by lowering their positivity threshold will require substantial additional colonoscopy and financial resources. Additional research is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of this type of change and its practicality across settings with different resources. Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, Kevin Selby, MD, MAS, please contact Janet Byron at Janet.L.Byron@kp.org. 4. Quarterly canakinumab administration associated with significantly reduced risk for gout attacks Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-1167 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Quarterly administration of canakinumab, an interleukin-1 blocker, was found to be associated with significantly reduced risk for gout attacks without any change in serum uric acid (SUA) levels. However the authors note that the high cost of the drugs could be an issue. Findings from a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adults, and its prevalence has increased substantially over the past several decades. Effective therapies exist for acute gout attacks, and long-term prevention has focused on decreasing concentrations of SUA. No trial data support the long-term prevention of gout attacks with agents that do not target SUA lowering. Studies have shown that interleukin-1B inhibitors can shorten gout attacks, but whether they can prevent gout attacks from occurring is unclear. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass. conducted a post hoc analysis of data from CANTOS (Canakinumab Antiinflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study) to examine the relationship among canakinumab, SUA, and the incidence of gout attacks. Rates of gout attacks were compared across patients with different baseline concentrations of SUA and in different intervention groups in the randomized controlled study. The researchers found that canakinumab was associated with a reduced risk for the incidence of gout attacks by approximately 50 percent at three different doses administered quarterly, without altering SUA concentrations. Canakinumab also had the added benefit of reducing the risk for cardiovascular events, a common comorbid condition in patients with gout. According to the researchers, these findings suggest that in the future, canakinumab, if it were available at a lower price, or other inhibitors of interleukin-1, may be considered a viable therapeutic option for patients with refractory gout who are also at risk for cardiovascular events Media contact: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To interview the lead author, Daniel H. Solomon, MD, please contact Haley Bridger at hbridger@bwh.harvard.edu. ### Inpatient Notes: Managing Acute Pain in the Hospital in the Face of the Opioid Crisis Shoshana J. Herzig, MD, MPH Hospitalist Inpatient Notes Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-2295 Murky Water Cathryn J. Lapedis, MD, MPH On Being A Doctor Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-1398 Washington, DC - September 18, 2018 - An international team of researchers has successfully deployed a Zika virus vaccine to target and kill human glioblastoma brain cancer stem cells, which had been transplanted into mice. In a study published this week in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, the team shows that a live, attenuated version of the Zika virus could form the basis of a new treatment option for this fatal brain cancer. Glioblastoma kills about 15,000 adults in the US each year and is currently incurable because patients experience a high recurrence rate of their cancer even after the standard treatments of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Scientists suspect this recurrence is due to cancer stem cells, called glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), which hide out in nearby brain tissue even after the combination of therapies. "During the Zika epidemic, we learned that the virus preferentially infects neural progenitor cells in the fetus, and causes the devastating microcephaly seen in babies born to infected mothers," says Pei-Yong Shi, a virologist at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He co-led the current study with tumor biologist Jianghong Man of the National Center of Biomedical Analysis in Beijing and virologist Cheng-Feng Qin of the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing. "We made the connection that perhaps Zika virus could also specifically infect the GSCs," because these cells have similar properties to neural stem cells, says Man. In previous work, Shi and his collaborators at Washington University in St. Louis showed that Zika virus did indeed attack and kill GSCs grown in the lab dish and in a mouse model of glioblastoma. In addition, the Zika virus was much less efficient at attacking the differentiated, healthy brain cells. (image: transmission electron micrograph of Zika virus, NIAID) "If we could find a way to specifically target those GSCs that are the source of recurrence, then that might provide an option to prevent recurrence or even a cure," says Qin. The team's first objective was to determine if there was a safe way to use Zika virus in patients to attack the cancer cells. Shi's lab has developed a promising live-attenuated Zika vaccine candidate called ZIKV-LAV that had been shown to be safe, non-virulent, and effective in protecting against infection in mice and non-human primates. The ZIKV-LAV has a small deletion from the viral genome that prevents it from replicating itself efficiently. When the team injected this ZIKV-LAV into the brains of mice, they saw no health effects on the mice, no weight loss, and no behavioral abnormalities such as loss of appetite, depression, lethargy, or self-injury. The mice also functioned normally in tests for anxiety and motor function. Next, the team wanted to show whether the ZIKA-LAV could work to infect and kill human patient-derived GSCs in a mouse model. So they mixed GSCs from two different human patient donors with the ZIKA-LAV and injected the mixture into the brains of mice. Mice that got the injection of the GSCs only rapidly developed tumors. Mice that got the ZIKV-LAV injected as well saw a significant delay in tumor development. Co-implanting the virus along with the GSCs also prolonged the median survival time of the treated mice to around 50 days, compared to around 30 days for the untreated mice who received GSCs alone. Qin says that perhaps in the future patients would be given the Zika vaccine at the same time as surgery to "let the viruses hunt down the GSCs and eliminate them." Finally, the team investigated the cellular mechanisms that the modified Zika virus used to kill the GSCs. They took GSCs treated with the ZIKV-LAV and those GSCs not treated and sequenced all the RNA messages being expressed in these two cell populations. Comparing those profiles, the team found that in the treated cells, the virus triggered a strong antiviral response in the cells, which induced inflammation and eventually cell death. Next, the team will work with clinicians to develop safety tests of the ZIKV-LAV in glioblastoma patients. They may also modify the Zika virus further to make it an even more potent cancer cell killing machine. For example, Man explains, the researchers could add an immune modulator as a 'cargo' in the viral genome. Then, once such a virus infects a cancer cell and kills it, the immune modulator would be released to alert and activate the patient's systemic immune system against the remaining cancer cells. "As a virologist, I see that we should take advantage of the 'bad' side of viruses," says Shi. "They should have a role to play in cancer treatment." ### The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of more than 30,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences. Species that have survived agricultural intensification are well equipped to resist environmental changes, says study Insect pollinators that have survived the impacts of agricultural intensification may have a greater ability to resist future environmental changes than previously thought, a new study has found. Pollination by insects, particularly bees, is vital to food production and humans because it affects the yield or quality of 75% of globally important crop types, but in recent years there has been increasing concern about the long-term stability of this service due to widespread declines in some species. Despite the negative impacts of agricultural intensification on plants and insect pollinators, researchers at Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Reading found the species that remain in parts of the UK with a higher proportion of farmed land are more likely to survive a variety of potential environmental changes. However, the research, published in the Ecology Letters journal, suggested that was because these landscapes have already lost their most vulnerable species, retaining those insect and plant species that are more able to take whatever is thrown at them. The study drew on six million records from more than 30 years of citizen science data from thousands of volunteer naturalists, relating to sightings of species and visits to plants by pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and butterflies. The latter records enabled researchers to identify 16,000 unique interactions between plants and pollinators across Great Britain and, for the first time, the extent of how these 'ecological networks' vary with different types of landscapes across the country. John Redhead of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the lead researcher of the new study, said: "We think that that the plants and pollinators that remain in these landscapes represent the toughest species that can handle the stresses of intensive agriculture - the vulnerable ones are already long gone. "This means that they're also able to cope with many future changes, so although we hear about reported declines our wildlife, this may buy conservationists some time before we start to see the remaining plants and pollinators in agricultural areas really suffer." The plants that have survived intensive agriculture include common weed species like brambles and thistles, which can cope with increased soil fertilization and reduced water availability. Meanwhile, the insects that have fared better are 'generalist' pollinators that can feed on a wide variety of plant species, including crops and weeds, plus can cope with fewer and more scattered floral and nesting sites. The study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Professor Tom Oliver of the University of Reading, one of the co-authors of the paper, says: "It is good news that the catastrophic loss of all species is less likely, but we still need to work hard to restore biodiversity to give these ecosystems the best chance under growing threats of climate change and pollution." Here are some examples of species who have either declined or survived under agricultural intensification: Losers: Shrill carder and brown banded carder bees Arable plant species such as corn marigold, corn buttercup and cornflower Traditional meadow species such as horseshoe vetch, common rockrose and harebell. Winners: Common bumblebees Classic weed species such as bramble, cow parsley, spear thistle Non-native species like buddleia. ### Contact information For interviews and images, please contact Simon Williams, Media Relations Officer at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK. Tel. +44 (0) 7920 295384, 01491 69227. Email. simwil@ceh.ac.uk Lead author John Redhead, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK. Email johdhe@ceh.ac.uk Paper information Potential landscape-scale pollinator networks across Great Britain: structure, stability and influence of agricultural land cover. John W. Redhead, Ben A. Woodcock, Michael J.O. Pocock, Richard F. Pywell, Adam J. Vanbergen, Tom H. Oliver. Ecology Letters. 2018. DOI: 10.1111/ele.13157 Funder The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. Our work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator. We co-ordinate some of the world's most exciting research projects, tackling major issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health, the genetic make-up of life on Earth, and much more. NERC is part of UK Research & Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. Research institution information Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) is the UK's Centre of Excellence for integrated research in the land and freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with the atmosphere. CEH is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), employs more than 450 people at four major sites in England, Scotland and Wales, hosts more than 150 PhD students and has an overall budget of about 35m. CEH tackles complex environmental challenges to deliver practicable solutions so that future generations can benefit from a rich and healthy environment. http://www.ceh.ac.uk Twitter @CEHScienceNews University of Reading The University of Reading is rated as one of the top 200 universities in the world (THE-QS World Rankings 2009) and is one of the UK's top research-intensive universities. The University is estimated to contribute 600m to the local economy annually. It is a member of the 1994 Group of 19 leading research-intensive universities which was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. https://www.reading.ac.uk Twitter @UniofReading Noticing that songbirds, such as finches, never seem to get fat despite overeating at bird feeders, London environmental biologist Lewis Halsey wondered whether the amount of energy birds put into singing, fidgeting, or exercising could be adjusted in ways that regulate weight. In a literature review published September 18 in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, he explores whether songbirds don't need to worry about their calorie counts because they can control the way their bodies use energy. "The passerine birds at the bird feeders near my home never seem to get fat despite having this buffet constantly available to them, but there are people who get heavy when exposed to that kind of all-you-can-eat environment," says Halsey (@lewis_halsey), of the University of Roehampton. "I wanted to investigate possible behavioral and physiological mechanisms, aside from just food consumed and exercise completed, that help animals control their energy budgets and body weights; there's more going on than just how many calories you've put into your face." Now, it could be that we never see fat songbirds because the ones that gain too much weight are picked off by a range of predators. However, that predation pressure would eventually cause evolution to weed out such a tendency, and recent studies indirectly suggest that birds are capable of balancing energy intake by increasing their daily metabolic rate or decreasing the efficiency with which they are able to extract energy from ingested food. "For a given amount of food, an animal can unconsciously adjust how efficiently it uses the energy from it either behaviorally, for example by changing wingbeat frequency or singing patterns to use more or less energy, or physiologically, in terms of digestive or cellular metabolic efficiency," Halsey says. Based on the emerging evidence, he wants to reframe the way we think about the standard equation subtracting energy consumed from energy burned. "We need to remember that 'energy in' isn't what's shoved down the beak but what's taken up through the gut and then what's extracted by the cells; looking at it as just the amount of food consumed is too simplistic," he says. "And this goes for humans and other animals, not just songbirds." Halsey has flagged some areas for further research. One such experiment might present birds that normally stay slim in the face of a bird feeder full of seeds with a more attractive, easier-to-digest option instead. "I want to give birds the equivalent of ice cream and see if that breaks their resolve and fine body mass control as it does for many humans, or if, even in the face of the ice cream equivalent, whatever that might be, the birds resolutely maintain their weight," he says. "This could be done in the lab preliminarily and later in the field to help us understand how these underlying mechanisms regulate body weight." ### Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Halsey: "Keeping Slim When Food Is Abundant: What Energy Mechanisms Could Be at Play?" https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(18)30185-X Trends in Ecology & Evolution (@Trends_Ecol_Evo), published by Cell Press, is a monthly review journal that contains polished, concise and readable reviews, opinions, and letters in all areas of ecology and evolutionary science. It aims to keep scientists informed of new developments and ideas across the full range of ecology and evolutionary biology--from the pure to the applied, and from molecular to global. Visit http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution. To receive Cell Press media alerts, please contact press@cell.com. NOTE: The following news release on the first particle tracks observed in a new prototype neutrino detector was issued jointly by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory made major contributions to the design and construction of the ProtoDUNE detector and the ongoing tests of its performance. In particular, "cold electronics" designed and built at Brookhaven Lab were essential to seeing these first tracks and will help to make possible the future neutrino research described in this news release. Brookhaven Lab scientists also contributed significantly to the online data quality monitoring computing system, including live streaming of 2D and 3D visualizations for the first tracks. Read this article for more information about Brookhaven Lab's contributions, or contact Karen McNulty Walsh, 631-344-8350, kmcnulty@bnl.gov, to speak with a Brookhaven Lab scientist. The largest liquid-argon neutrino detector in the world has just recorded its first particle tracks, signaling the start of a new chapter in the story of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). DUNE's scientific mission is dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of neutrinos, the most abundant (and most mysterious) matter particles in the universe. Neutrinos are all around us, but we know very little about them. Scientists on the DUNE collaboration think that neutrinos may help answer one of the most pressing questions in physics: why we live in a universe dominated by matter. In other words, why we are here at all. The enormous ProtoDUNE detector - the size of a three-story house and the shape of a gigantic cube - was built at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, as the first of two prototypes for what will be a much, much larger detector for the DUNE project, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. When the first DUNE detector modules record data in 2026, they will each be 20 times larger than these prototypes. It is the first time CERN is investing in infrastructure and detector development for a particle physics project in the United States. The first ProtoDUNE detector took two years to build and eight weeks to fill with 800 tons of liquid argon, which needs to be kept at temperatures below -184 degrees Celsius (-300 degrees Fahrenheit). The detector records traces of particles in that argon, from both cosmic rays and a beam created at CERN's accelerator complex. Now that the first tracks have been seen, scientists will operate the detector over the next several months to test the technology in depth. "Only two years ago we completed the new building at CERN to house two large-scale prototype detectors that form the building blocks for DUNE," said Marzio Nessi, head of the Neutrino Platform at CERN. "Now we have the first detector taking beautiful data, and the second detector, which uses a different approach to liquid-argon technology, will be online in a few months." The technology of the first ProtoDUNE detector will be the same to be used for the first of the DUNE detector modules in the United States, which will be built a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. More than 1,000 scientists and engineers from 32 countries spanning five continents - Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America - are working on the development, design and construction of the DUNE detectors. The groundbreaking ceremony for the caverns that will house the experiment was held in July of 2017. "Seeing the first particle tracks is a major success for the entire DUNE collaboration," said DUNE co-spokesperson Stefan Soldner-Rembold of the University of Manchester, UK. "DUNE is the largest collaboration of scientists working on neutrino research in the world, with the intention of creating a cutting-edge experiment that could change the way we see the universe." When neutrinos enter the detectors and smash into the argon nuclei, they produce charged particles. Those particles leave ionization traces in the liquid, which can be seen by sophisticated tracking systems able to create three-dimensional pictures of otherwise invisible subatomic processes. (An animation of how the DUNE and ProtoDUNE detectors work, along with other videos about DUNE, is available here.) "CERN is proud of the success of the Neutrino Platform and enthusiastic about being a partner in DUNE, together with Institutions and Universities from its Member States and beyond" said Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General of CERN. "These first results from ProtoDUNE are a nice example of what can be achieved when laboratories across the world collaborate. Research with DUNE is complementary to research carried out by the LHC and other experiments at CERN; together they hold great potential to answer some of the outstanding questions in particle physics today." DUNE will not only study neutrinos, but their antimatter counterparts as well. Scientists will look for differences in behavior between neutrinos and antineutrinos, which could give us clues as to why the visible universe is dominated by matter. DUNE will also watch for neutrinos produced when a star explodes, which could reveal the formation of neutron stars and black holes, and will investigate whether protons live forever or eventually decay. Observing proton decay would bring us closer to fulfilling Einstein's dream of a grand unified theory. "DUNE is the future of neutrino research," said Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer. "Fermilab is excited to host an international experiment with such vast potential for new discoveries, and to continue our long partnership with CERN, both on the DUNE project and on the Large Hadron Collider." ### To learn more about the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility that will house the experiment, and the PIP-II particle accelerator project at Fermilab that will power the neutrino beam for the experiment, visit http://www.fnal.gov/dune. DUNE comprises 175 institutions from 32 countries: Armenia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States. The DUNE interim design report provides a detailed description of the technologies that will be used for the DUNE detectors. More information is at dunescience.org. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world's leading laboratories for particle physics. The Organization is located on the French-Swiss border, with its headquarters in Geneva. Its Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Cyprus, Serbia and Slovenia are Associate Member States in the pre-stage to Membership. India, Lithuania, Pakistan, Turkey and Ukraine are Associate Member States. The European Union, Japan, JINR, the Russian Federation, UNESCO and the United States of America currently have Observer status. Fermilab is America's premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, Fermilab is located near Chicago, Illinois, and operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance LLC, a joint partnership between the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association, Inc. Visit Fermilab's website at http://www.fnal.gov and follow us on Twitter at @Fermilab. Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. 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. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter or find us on Facebook/. One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization. Related Links Brookhaven Lab Physicists Deliver Key Components for ProtoDUNE Detector More about Brookhaven Lab and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment Media contacts: Arnaud Marsollier, CERN Press Office, +41 22 767 41 01, arnaud.marsollier@cern.ch Andre Salles, Fermilab Office of Communication, 630-840-3351, media@fnal.gov Karen McNulty Walsh, Brookhaven Lab Media & Communications Office, 631-344-8350, kmcnulty@bnl.gov Peter Genzer, Brookhaven Lab Media & Communications Office, 631-344-3174, genzer@bnl.gov Group Eleven Thinks Zinc with Big Think in Ireland Bob Moriarty Archives Sep 18, 2018 Earlier this year I was calling for a rally in gold after a low in the June/July timeframe. I missed the timing by a couple of weeks, the low in gold was in mid-August and silver actually went another $.50 lower into September. Like everyone else in the industry I have been scratching my head. We usually have a late summer rally but if that was it, it was pretty tepid. However, the good news is that the deeper the decline, the steeper the advance. Ive just posted an excellent piece by Adam Hamilton where he said that he believes the gold resource market is in the process of capitulating. If so, and I think he is right; the market is about to get very interesting. I think its all part of a September/October surprise based on third world currencies in a massive state of collapse. In other words, its a rush to liquidity and in a similar vein to 2008, investors are dumping everything. The general stock market trading now shows 50% of the trading is in the five FAANG stocks. When the market gets that narrow its like 1969-1974 where the only shares that traded were the Nifty Fifty. Only this time its the Nifty Five. In any case, resource shares have been hammered and they are as cheaply priced as they were in late 2015 early 2016 and I think a wonderful opportunity is being set up. Someone contacted me a couple of months ago about a new zinc stock based in Ireland. Its actually a company that has been around for three years but only went public last December. Its selling today, some nine months later at a 65% discount from the price they went public. Thats nuts. The management team at Group Eleven Resources (ZNG-V) spent three years picking up zinc projects in Ireland when majors were more concerned with cleaning up their balance sheets. They did deals on five major projects with a total of 3,200 square km or 1235 square miles. I didnt realize it but Ireland is prime zinc territory with some of the largest deposits in the world. One of those deposits they picked up was the Ballinalack project with a historic, non-43-101 resource of 7.7 million tons with a combined zinc-lead of 7.3%. At todays prices, that project holds a theoretical value of about $1.27 billion in the ground. Group Eleven is in a joint venture with one of the largest producers in China. Group Eleven holds 60% of the property, their partner controls 40%. Historic records indicate over $30 million has been spent drilling the project with a total of over 93,350 meters completed. Group Eleven recently released results from scout drilling at Ballinalack showing a grade of 8.9% zinc and 1.7% lead over 10.33 meters. Thats $240 rock and well worth mining. (Click on images to enlarge) In the companys Stonepark deposit the company reports a 43-101 resource of 5.3 million tons at 11.15% zinc-lead having a value of $250 a ton in the ground in theory using todays prices. That is a total theoretical value of $1.325 billion in the ground. Stonepark is a joint venture between Group Eleven and Connemara Mining. Group Eleven owns 76.56% and Connemara Mining owns 23.44%. If Stonepark has a value of $1.325 billion in the ground and Group Eleven owns 76.56%, that makes their rock worth $1.01 billion in theory. Added to the historic resource at Ballinalack, that makes Group Elevens in the ground resources worth a total of right at $2.28 billion. Stonepark is immediately next to Glencores 44.2 MT grading 8.4% combined zinc-lead Pallas Green zinc-lead deposit. Glencore has drilled some 407,000 meters of diamond core drilling as of 2017 to define the resource. The Stonepark project of Group Eleven is both higher grade and closer to the surface than Glencores Pallas Green project. It simply would not make sense for Glencore to put Pallas Green into production before trying to buy Stonepark. The numbers on Group Eleven get really interesting. At todays price, the company has a market cap of $8 million CAD. They have about $3.5 million CAD in cash and receivables for an enterprise value of $4.5 million. You have to convert that to USD if you want to use the charts I show above because they are USD prices. That works out to an enterprise value of $3.5 million USD in a company controlling $2.8 billion dollars worth of rocks in the ground in a prime zinc mining country. Anytime you try to evaluate what a company is worth, you need to come up with some kind of metric that makes it simple to understand. Its pretty easy to see that a company with an enterprise value of $3.5 million is cheap when they control $2.8 billion in zinc and lead. But even simpler, one share at $.135 has $46 in zinc and lead behind it. That seems absurdly cheap to me. If you contacted the US Patent office and asked them what invention they have the most applications for, it would be for mousetraps. That goes back to a misquote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that is commonly stated as Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door, with 4400 patents granted and an untold number of applications for mousetraps rejected. Mining companies like to believe that if they are professional and go out and pick up a lot of prime ground for minerals, drill it until it looks like Swiss cheese and define a wonderful resource, the world will beat a path to their door. Alas, the world works that way not. A better quote and more accurate from Mr. Emerson would have stated, Late to bed, early to rise. Work like hell and advertise. Group Eleven has done everything right except tell the story. Now they are starting to tell the story. Its simple. The company has assembled one of the largest land positions in Ireland since the modern mining era began in the 1950s. The projects cover the majority of several known zinc basins. For many years it was impossible for a junior to get a toehold in Ireland since the majors had all the interesting ground staked. When the commodities markets tumbled to an all time low at the end of 2015 the majors needed to clean up their balance sheets and began to let go of key ground. Group Eleven has no issues. (Other than the name that I am not a giant fan of) The company has strategic partners to share both the risk and the cost with. They have about $3.5 million cash in the bank and are starting to show drill results. Pallas Green is a major project for Glencore yet Stonepark has both higher grade and isnt as deep. That paints a bulls eye on them. Group Eleven is absurdly cheap when they have $46 in metal in the ground per share. Id guess base metals projects should be worth 2-3% of their metal value. At 1% of metal value, Group Eleven would be worth $.46 a share. And that would be beyond absurdly cheap. Group Eleven is an advertiser. I have bought shares in the open market. Their presentation is excellent and anyone interested in the company should read it. Please do your own due diligence. Group Eleven Resources Corp ZNG-V $.14 (Sep 17, 2018) GRLVF-OTCQB 59.8 million shares Group Eleven website ### Bob Moriarty President: 321gold Archives 321gold Ltd WASHINGTON (Sept. 18, 2018) - A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Biology reveals certain nonlethal methods are effective for managing predators in agricultural landscapes. Twenty-one authors from 10 nations reviewed 114 peer-reviewed scientific studies measuring the effectiveness of lethal and non-lethal methods for reducing carnivore predation on livestock, one of the main causes of conflict between predators and people. Livestock guardian dogs, livestock enclosures and fladry all were scientifically shown to be effective conflict deterrents. Many more methods - lethal and nonlethal alike - show promise but have not yet been studied in a scientifically defensible manner to determine if they are effective. In addition to determining the effectiveness of three nonlethal tools, the authors of the study concluded that robust scientific research on carnivore management methods is urgently needed. Immense resources are spent globally each year to protect livestock from carnivores, but too often without science-based evidence that the methods work. Evidence of the effectiveness of a deterrent should be a mandatory prerequisite to large-scale funding, policy-making and implementation, according to their results. Their call included the need for a new coalition of scientists and managers to establish consistent standards for future research on method effectiveness. Defenders of Wildlife is actively addressing the need for more scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of non-lethal methods. In 2017, Defenders published a scientific evaluation of the Wood River Wolf Project in Idaho that reported proactive, nonlethal methods resulted in a 90 percent decline in domestic sheep losses on public grazing allotments in Idaho's national forests, which are also home to wolves and other native predators. These methods included livestock guardian dogs, fladry, light and sound devices, livestock carcass disposal and human presence used across large-scale, open-range livestock grazing operations. They were then compared with adjacent sheep grazing allotments that relied on lethal instead of nonlethal management to control wolves and other predators. Jennie Miller, a lead author of the study and senior scientist at Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement: "Just as we rigorously and repeatedly test medicines, vehicles and other devices for their effectiveness, we should test carnivore management methods before deeming how and when they can be used effectively. Our study found that livestock guardian dogs, livestock enclosures and fladry are scientifically-sound management tools, and these methods can be used and promoted as reliable methods for deterring predators and protecting livestock. However, many other interventions, including predator lethal control and translocation but also newer methods like range riders and light-sound devices, need to be further tested to ensure they are effective before being recommended for widespread use. Ultimately, we want to avoid agencies and livestock owners investing substantial money and time in so-called solutions that might not be resolving carnivore conflicts. "We call on the scientific and agricultural communities to hold carnivore management to the highest standards of scientific integrity. When scientists, policymakers and livestock producers come together to make wise regulations, we'll save money, time, livestock and carnivores alike." Lily van Eeden, a lead author of the study and Ph.D. candidate at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, issued the following statement: "Too often our current practices are based on habit and history, not evidence. Continuing with ineffective management has social and financial costs for the rural communities who bear the impacts of predator attacks on their livelihoods." Ann Eklund, a lead author of the study and Ph.D. candidate at Grimso Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, issued the following statement: "Quantifications of the effectiveness of carnivore management interventions are necessary to make their use efficient. As rigorous scientific evaluations are currently scarce we encourage animal owners, carnivore managers and researchers to collaborate to apply interventions in ways that allow for scientific evaluations. The field may then be able to move toward an evidence-based practice that can save time, money and the lives of both domestic animals and wild carnivores in the future." Adrian Treves, a lead author of the study and professor at Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, issued the following statement: "Nature is the legacy we leave to future generations so it's our moral duty -- and legal duty in most countries -- to preserve wild predators unimpaired for futurity. Our review is an effort to share global lessons with the broadest public and make progress in government policy and farmers' livelihoods." ### Background The study was included four equal lead authors (in alphabetical order): Lily van Eeden, The University of Sydney; Ann Eklund, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Dr. Jennie Miller, Defenders of Wildlife; and Dr. Adrian Treves, University of Wisconsin, Madison. The study is available for open access review here. A video by the lead authors about the study can be found here. Paris, France: Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an invaluable aid to help lung doctors interpret respiratory symptoms accurately and make a correct diagnosis, according to new research presented today (Wednesday) at the European Respiratory Society International Congress [1]. Dr Marko Topalovic (PhD), a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases, Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium, told the meeting that after training an AI computer algorithm using good quality data, it proved to be more consistent and accurate in interpreting respiratory test results and suggesting diagnoses than lung specialists. "Pulmonary function tests provide an extensive series of numerical outputs and their patterns can be hard for the human eye to perceive and recognise; however, it is easy for computers to manage large quantities of data like these and so we thought AI could be useful for pulmonologists. We explored if this was true with 120 pulmonologists from 16 hospitals. We found that diagnosis by AI was more accurate in twice as many cases as diagnosis by pulmonologists. These results show how AI can serve as a second opinion for pulmonologists when they are assessing and diagnosing their patients," he said. Pulmonary function tests (PFT) include: spirometry, which involves the patient breathing through a mouthpiece to measure the amount of air inhaled and exhaled; a body box or plethysmography test, which enables doctors to assess lung volume by measuring the pressure in a booth in which the patient is sitting and breathing through a mouthpiece; and a diffusion capacity test, which tests how well a patient's lungs are able to transfer oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the bloodstream by testing the efficiency of the alveoli (small air sacks in the lungs). Results from these tests give doctors important information about the functioning of the lungs, but do not tell them what is wrong with the patient. This requires interpretation of the results in order to reach a diagnosis. In this study, the researchers used historical data from 1430 patients from 33 Belgian hospitals. The data were assessed by an expert panel of pulmonologists and interpretations were measured against gold standard guidelines from the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society. The expert panel considered patients' medical histories, results of all PFTs and any additional tests, before agreeing on the correct interpretation and diagnosis for each patient. "When training the AI algorithm, the use of good quality data is of utmost importance," explained Dr Topalovic. "An expert panel examined all the results from the pulmonary function tests, and the other tests and medical information as well. They used these to reach agreement on final diagnoses that the experts were confident were correct. These were then used to develop an algorithm to train the AI, before validating it by incorporating it into real clinical practice at the University Hospital Leuven. The challenging part was making sure the algorithm recognised patterns of up to nine different diseases." Then, 120 pulmonologists from 16 European hospitals (from Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg) made 6000 interpretations of PFT data from 50 randomly selected patients. The AI also examined the same data. The results from both were measured against the gold standard guidelines in the same way as during development of the algorithm. The researchers found that the interpretation of the PFTs by the pulmonologists matched the guidelines in 74% of cases (with a range of 56-88%), but the AI-based software interpretations perfectly matched the guidelines (100%). The doctors were able to correctly diagnose the primary disease in 45% of cases (with a range of 24-62%), while the AI gave a correct diagnosis in 82% of cases. Dr Topalovic said: "We found that the interpretation of pulmonary function tests and the diagnosis of respiratory disease by pulmonologists is not an easy task. It takes more information and further tests to reach a satisfactory level of accuracy. On the other hand, the AI-based software has superior performance and therefore can provide a powerful decision support tool to improve current clinical practice. Feedback from doctors is very positive, particularly as it helps them to identify difficult patterns of rare diseases." Two large Belgian hospitals are already using the AI-based software to improve interpretations and diagnoses. "We firmly believe that we can empower doctors to make their interpretations and diagnoses easier, faster and better. AI will not replace doctors, that is certain, because doctors are able to see a broader perspective than that presented by pulmonary function tests alone. This enables them to make decisions based on a combination of many different factors. However, it is evident that AI will augment our abilities to accomplish more and decrease chances for errors and redundant work. The AI-based software has superior performance and therefore may provide a powerful decision support tool to improve current clinical practice. "Nowadays, we trust computers to fly our planes, to drive our cars and to survey our security. We can also have confidence in computers to label medical conditions based on specific data. The beauty is that, independent of location or medical coverage, AI can provide the highest standards of PFT interpretation and patients can have the best and affordable diagnostic experience. Whether it will be widely used in future clinical applications is just a matter of time, but will be driven by the acceptance of the medical community," said Dr Topalovic. He said the next step would be to get more hospitals to use this technology and investigate transferring the AI technology to primary care, where the data would be captured by general practitioners (GPs) to help them make correct diagnoses and referrals. Professor Mina Gaga is President of the European Respiratory Society, and Medical Director and Head of the Respiratory Department of Athens Chest Hospital, Greece, and was not involved in the study. She said: "This work shows the exciting possibilities that artificial intelligence offers to doctors to help them provide a better, quicker service to their patients. Over the past 20 to 30 years, the evolution in technology has led to better diagnosis and treatments: a revolution in imaging techniques, in molecular testing and in targeted treatments have make medicine easier and more effective. AI is the new addition! I think it will be invaluable in helping doctors and patients and will be an important aid to their decision-making." ### ### According to the AMS labelling system, this research is not peer-reviewed, is observational and conducted in people ### [1] Abstract no: PA5290, "Artificial intelligence improves experts in reading pulmonary function tests", by M. Topalovic et al; Poster Discussion "The importance of the pulmonary function test in different clinical settings", 08.30-10.30 hrs CEST, Wednesday 19 September, Room 7.2D. The remains of a buried pine forest at the foot of Mont Saint Genis in Southern France yield insightful information on a drastic climate change event. The pine tree stand initiated around 12,900 years ago during the relatively warm "Allerd" period, and continued growing into the cold snap of the "Younger Dryas" period. Researchers at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, together with international colleagues, have for the first time combined classic tree-ring width measurements with chemical (stable isotope) analyses of carbon and oxygen in tree-rings to reconstruct climate variables. Thus, they were able to calculate local soil water composition (precipitation) and relative humidity at annual time resolution. This resulted in novel insights into the hydrological variability and atmospheric circulation changes during an abrupt climate change event. The team reports about its findings in the journal Scientific Reports. The sudden cold snap in the northern hemisphere between 12,700 and 11,600 years ago has been found in climate records from Greenland ice cores and Central European lake sediments. It was named after the mountain avens (Latin: Dryas octopetala) - an Arctic plant species that predominantly spreads during cold conditions. The discovery of fossil pines in a French river valley near Avignon now close an important knowledge gap, as they shows how the climate in the Mediterranean changed in this period. With accurate radiocarbon dating, the scientists were able to prove that the buried pines had started their growth in the warm days of the Allerd just before the Younger Dryas and had survived the sudden cold snap for several decades. They were thus witnesses of this extreme climate change. In their analyzes, the researchers found signs of increased air mass transport from the North Atlantic. "We were surprised that about sixty years before the actual climate change, a significant alteration in the precipitation source was recognized," says first author Maren Pauly of the GFZ. According to the results, humid air masses arriving from the Atlantic side enhanced, while rainfall originating from the Mediterranean side diminished, evidenced by a steadily increasing variability of the oxygen isotopes of the soil water. Isotopes are atoms with a different number of neutrons in the nucleus. From the ratios of light and heavy isotopes conclusions can be drawn on the origin of air masses and thus of precipitation. "Especially striking is the increase of extreme polar air surges, winter precipitation and winter storms at the beginning of the Younger Dryas," adds Achim Brauer, Head of GFZ's section Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution and Director of Department 5 at GFZ. Maren Pauly works as a PhD student in his group. With this study, the scientists proved that it was not a change in mean temperatures that was problematic, but rather the environmental stress presumably leading to the tree die off. This stress was caused by the accumulation of extreme weather conditions in single years or even decades. In general, this study shows that periods of massive climate change can be associated with more instability in atmospheric circulation patterns, leading to greater variability on annual or decadal scales. "Here, paleoclimate research shows how it can close knowledge gaps with information from natural climate archives," says Achim Brauer. This is also important because "we lack experience on what exactly happens during a sudden climate change, how quickly the climate can change, and what regional differences occur." ### The study was funded by the DFG project (HE 3089 / 9-1) and supported by the Helmholtz REKLIM initiative. WASHINGTON (Sept. 18, 2018) -- What is creativity, and can it be enhanced -- safely -- in a person who needs a boost of imagination? Georgetown experts debate the growing use of electrical devices that stimulate brain tissue, and conclude there is potential value in the technique. However, use of these machines also raises neuro-ethical, legal, and social issues that must now be addressed. In an article published today in Creativity Research Journal, Georgetown researchers say that the clearest problematic issues with using transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) to improve various forms of creative cognition relate to the use of the procedure in a child's brain. This scenario is increasingly likely because tES devices are not just in clinical use for some neurological disorders but are widely being sold direct to consumer (DTC), and are being made in a do-it-yourself (DIY) fashion, researchers say. That suggests that the tES field (those who use the devices clinically, study its myriad implications, and build and market the devices) must consider - as soon as possible - how tES use should be regarded and regulated, they say. "There are multiple potential concerns with DIY-ers self-administering electric current to their brains, but this use of tES may be inevitable. And, certainly, anytime there is risk of harm with a technology, the scariest risks are those associated with kids and the developing brain," says co-author Adam Green, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychology & Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown. The pragmatic approach may be to educate and make the safest tools available, Green and the study's senior author, James Giordano, PhD, say. "DIY applications can pose certain challenges in that constraints may not be appreciated or adhered to, and in some cases, not regarded," says Giordano, who is professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, and chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program in the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University Medical Center. "The DIY community is certainly not cavalier or a proverbial 'wild west' environment. Many DIY individuals and groups employ independent institutional review boards, or establish self-regulating oversight committees to guide the scope and tenor of their work," he says. "However, what is important to note is that the nature of DIY engagement can also provide an environment of avant garde iterations of science, technology, methods and applications. This is not necessarily a bad thing, per se, as it may, in fact 'push the envelope' to some extent," adds Giordano. "But there is what I feel to be justified concern that such attempts could incur safety issues. In that light, we have called for an ongoing dialog with the DIY community to enable improved communication of techniques and effects so as to remain aware of what's being done, how, and the outcomes of such work that may be important to advancing the field and clinical care of any adverse manifestations." The authors also say another concern is that increasing use of tES could precipitate the advent of a new and medically accepted "disorder" that would then require tES treatment. Simply shifting a threshold of what qualities and capabilities are considered to be "normal" establishes a basis for any intervention to be regarded as a treatment, they say. Some people may confuse tES with "shock" therapy (electro-convulsive therapy or ECT), but tES and ECT are very different, Giordano says. "The current used in even research and clinical tES devices is several orders of magnitude less than that which is used in ECT, and the current that is delivered in direct-to-consumer machines is even less." Giordano, whose work addresses mechanisms and actions of various forms of neuromodulation, adds that the effect of tES on neurons depends both on the method of tES being used than on the region being stimulated. There is now growing interest in the use of tES for treatment of a number of neuro-psychiatric conditions, such as using different forms (direct and alternating current transcranial stimulation) to reduce particular signs and symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders, to affect memory in neurodegenerative disorders, to reduce certain cognitive features of Parkinson's disease, and some forms of chronic pain, as well as to potentially help patients who have had a stroke-induced speech disorder communicate. Green's work focuses on testing whether tES can, indeed, bolster creativity. In one study, he looked at whether tES to the frontal pole of the brain, to facilitate neural activity in this brain region, would support creative verbal thinking and reasoning. He used tests of creative analogical reasoning and word association to measure creativity. For both tasks, the ability to make less obvious connections between words is considered to require more abstract creative thinking. The result of the study, published in 2017 in Cerebral Cortex, did indeed suggest that creativity may be enhanced with the meticulous and controlled application of this sophisticated "thinking cap" provided by tES. "Our work in the lab involves careful computer modeling of tissues in the head," he says. "It's important to understand where the electric current is going and how it is behaving." But even the concept of creativity is up for discussion, adds Green, who is President-elect of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity. "The stock definition of creativity is something like, generating or finding ideas/solutions that are both novel and useful," he says. "But I can tell you that there is much discussion, even among creativity researchers about the best operational definition(s) to use. My strong sense is that it is more important to study activities that are clearly creative than it is to try to identify a single activity that is creativity." ### Other authors of the study are Adam Weinberger, a graduate student in the Georgetown Department of Psychology & Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience and Georgetown undergraduate student Robert Cortes. The study was supported by Grants from the National Science Foundation (DRL-1420481, DRL-1661065), The John Templeton Foundation (ID 51971), and in part by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant 720270), the National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001409), by the AEHS Foundation and Project Neuro-HOPE, an unrestricted grant from Halo Neurosciences, and by the Austin and Ann O'Malley Distinguished Visiting Chair in Bioethics of Loyola Marymount University, California. The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. About Georgetown University Medical Center? Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. Connect with GUMC on Facebook (Facebook.com/GUMCUpdate), Twitter (@gumedcenter). Connect with Georgetown University School of Medicine on Facebook (Facebook.com/somgeorgetown), Twitter (@gumedicine) and Instagram (@georgetownmedicine). When light pulses from an extremely powerful laser system are fired onto material samples, the electric field of the light rips the electrons off the atomic nuclei. For fractions of a second, a plasma is created. The electrons couple with the laser light in the process, thereby almost reaching the speed of light. When flying out of the material sample, they pull the atomic cores (ions) behind them. In order to experimentally investigate this complex acceleration process, researchers from the German research center Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have developed a novel type of diagnostics for innovative laser-based particle accelerators. Their results are now published in the journal Physical Review X. "Our goal is an ultra-compact accelerator for ion therapy, i.e. cancer irradiation with charged particles," says physicist Dr. Thomas Kluge from the HZDR. Besides clinics, the new accelerator technology could also benefit universities and research institutions. However, much research and development work is needed before the technology is ready for use. The DRACO laser at the Helmholtz Center in Dresden currently achieves energies of around 50 megaelectronvolts. However, 200 to 250 megaelectronvolts are required to irradiate a tumor with protons. Thanks to its ultrashort pulses in the range of a few femtoseconds - a time during which a light beam crosses just a fraction of a human hair - the DRACO laser achieves a power of almost one petawatt. This corresponds to one hundred times the average electrical power generated worldwide. "We need to understand the individual processes involved in accelerating electrons and ions much better," stresses Kluge. Together with colleagues from Dresden, Hamburg, Jena, Siegen and the USA, the HZDR researchers have now succeeded for the first time in observing these extremely fast processes virtually in real time at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory of Stanford University in the USA. To achieve this feat, the scientists need two special lasers at the same time: The high-intensity laser at SLAC has a power of around 40 terawatts - that is, about 25 times weaker than DRACO. When striking the material sample (target), it ignites the plasma. The second laser is an X-ray laser, which is used to precisely record the individual processes: from the ionization of the particles in the target and the expansion of the plasma, to the plasma oscillations and instabilities that occur when the electrons are heated to several million degrees Celsius, up to the efficient acceleration of the electrons and ions. "Using the small-angle scattering method, we have realized measurements in the femtosecond range and on scales ranging from a few nanometers to several hundred nanometers," says HZDR doctoral student Melanie Rodel, who played a leading role in the experiment. Several years of work were necessary to access these areas and obtain clean signals on the scattering images of the X-ray laser. "The new diagnostics for laser-based accelerators has excellently confirmed our expectations regarding its spatial and temporal resolution. We have thus paved the way for the direct observation of plasma-physical processes in real time," says Dr. Josefine Metzkes-Ng, head of one of the participating junior research groups at the HZDR's Institute of Radiation Physics. Starting in 2019, the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields (HIBEF), which the HZDR is currently setting up as part of an international collaboration at the world's strongest X-ray laser, the European XFEL near Hamburg in Germany, will provide a next-generation experimental setup with a significantly more powerful short-pulse laser. High electron density thanks to finger structure For the physicists involved in the experiments, a specific detail from their calculations made for a particular eye-opener. "Our targets were specially developed at the HZDR Ion Beam Center to have a kind of tiny finger structure on their surface. The laser beam scatters on this structure, resulting in a particularly large number of electrons from the corners being accelerated and crossing each other," explains Thomas Kluge. The fact that this detail predicted by the calculations could be discovered in the experiment, which after all lasts only ten femtoseconds, raises hopes - for instance, to be able to observe further spontaneous pattern formations (instabilities). These can be caused, for example, by the oscillation of the electrons in the electromagnetic field of the laser. The researchers are interested in identifying instabilities that disrupt the acceleration of the electrons and ions - with the aim of avoiding them by selecting suitable targets, for example. "However, we also know from our simulations that instabilities can even increase the efficiency of the acceleration process," explains the physicist. "In our simulations, we have identified the Raleigh-Taylor instability, among others." This causes the optical laser to transfer more energy into the plasma it generates. Such 'positive' instabilities could thus be an important adjusting screw to optimize the process of ion acceleration mediated by the electrons. The laser scientists expect the new HIBEF facility to provide many more insights into plasma acceleration. This 'extreme laboratory' of the HZDR will provide the High Energy Density Science (HED) instrument at the European XFEL with high-power lasers. "The X-ray pulse from the European XFEL, with which we will be measuring the processes in the plasma, is very short. We are also planning to use additional diagnostic tools so that we can optimally study the plasma oscillations, for example, see further instabilities in the experiment, and also generate them in a targeted manner," predicts Thomas Kluge. In this way, the HZDR researchers aim to move gradually closer to their goal of developing an ultra-compact laser accelerator for the proton therapy of cancer. The most important in brief Scientists from the German research center Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), together with colleagues from the European XFEL as well as from Siegen, Jena and the USA, have taken a decisive step towards the use of next-generation laser-based particle accelerators. With the aid of the powerful X-ray free-electron laser at SLAC in California, they were able to investigate the plasma processes for the first time on the small scales of a few nanometers and femtoseconds on which the turbulent laser interaction with the particles to be accelerated takes place. In the future, the processes could thus be optimized and the compact laser-based particle accelerators could be used, for example, for tumor irradiation using protons. ### DETROIT- Henry Ford Health System's Department of Neurosurgery was awarded a $600,000 grant by the Department of Defense to study the genetic makeup of gliomas, a type of brain cancer, in hope of identifying new therapies. Houtan Noushmehr, Ph.D., the study's principal investigator, says researchers will explore the molecular features of DNA from patients with aggressive and non-aggressive forms of glioma. Researchers then will apply next generation sequencing to analyze potential changes at the DNA level, hoping to identify a cause that is driving the more aggressive cancer type. "We are very excited to receive this important grant from the Department of Defense," Dr. Noushmehr says. "This disease not only affects military personnel and veterans, but also civilians as well. We hope to unravel new insights and understanding of this most debilitating disease affecting adults, with the ultimate goal of treating and hopefully expanding new drug targets." U.S. Sen. John McCain from Arizona died recently after a year-long battle with a glioma brain tumor. In previous research, Dr. Noushmehr and colleagues discovered that when DNA methylation occurred, patients had a good clinical outcome; when the DNA methylation was lost, patients had a poor outcome. Methylation is a biochemical process that alters the expression of a gene (turns it on or off like a light switch). Researchers also identified a set of molecular signatures or biomarkers that can predict a patient's initial diagnosis. Additionally, they determined which tumors are likely to recur with a more aggressive tumor type by analyzing the patient's initial tumor sample. Dr. Noushmehr says the emerging field of molecular therapies has the potential to improve patient outcomes. It would also allow neuro-oncologists to predict which patients are at higher risk of recurrence and require more aggressive therapies, he says. "As a neurosurgeon who has treated glioma patients for many years, I'm excited about this research in this era of precision medicine because the data helps open the door to new treatments and improved clinical outcomes for patients suffering from this type of brain cancer," says Steven Kalkanis, M.D., chair of the Henry Ford Department of Neurosurgery and medical director of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute. ### Fontainebleau (France), Singapore, Abu Dhabi, 18 September, 2018 - Busyness is often thought of as a modern day affliction, but it can also help you delay gratification and make decisions that benefit you in the longer-term, according to new research from the global business school INSEAD. "Every day, we make many decisions that involve choosing between our immediate and future well-being. For instance, do we go to the gym after work, or do we just go home to relax in front of the television? Do we save money for retirement, or do we splurge on a trip? Do we eat fruit or cake for dessert? When we perceive ourselves to be busy, it boosts our self-esteem, tipping the balance in favour of the more virtuous choice," said Amitava Chattopadhyay, Professor of Marketing at INSEAD. In a new paper, Chattopadhyay and his co-authors, Monica Wadhwa, Associate Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Mangement, Fox School of Business at Temple University and Jeehye Christine Kim, Assistant Professor of Marketing at HKUST, show that the mere perception of self as a busy person, or what they call a busy mindset, is a "badge of honor" that can be leveraged to promote better self-control. Their paper, titled "When Busy Is Less Indulging: Impact of a Busy Mindset on Self-Control Behaviors", is forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Research. This paper shows there can be a flip side to being busy. While people who feel under significant time pressure tend to get anxious and make hedonic decisions, those who simply think of themselves as busy tend to make virtuous choices as a result of their perceived self-importance. Busyness as a way to boost self-esteem Across a series of studies, the researchers activated the busy mindset of participants through various means. Sometimes they exposed them to messaging that subtly suggested that they were busy individuals. In other experiments, they asked participants to write what had been keeping them busy recently. Participants were then asked to make decisions in different self-control domains related to food, exercise or retirement savings, for example. Participants who had been reminded of their busy lifestyle were consistently more inclined than control participants to make virtuous decisions. Importantly, the studies proved that a heightened sense of self-importance was the key reason behind the increase in self-control. "When we temporarily dampened the sense of self-importance of participants who otherwise felt busy, the self-control effect vanished," said Chattopadhyay. Implications for marketing and policymaking It is common for marketers to use busyness as a campaign concept, as many consumers can relate to it. However, if the advertised product is an indulgent one - such as fast food - the campaign could backfire. "Busyness appeals should be more effective for products that require people to assert self-control, as would be the case for a gym chain, for example," said Chattopadhyay. In addition, these findings could find societal applications in the spheres of health promotion or food waste reduction. Policymakers may want to consider ways to activate a busy mindset as a nudge to increase relevant self-control behaviors in the population. ### MANHATTAN, KANSAS -- Kansas State University researchers are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The three-year project is funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, or KDHE, and involves university scientists; NASA scientists; unmanned aircraft systems pilots from the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus; meteorologists; ranchers; and environmentalists. The research team members have varied backgrounds, but they all share a common goal: improve the environment and human health while balancing the livelihood of ranchers and farmers. "We want to have our data be useful for keeping fire as a practice that is both ecologically acceptable and socially acceptable in the Great Plains," said Carol Baldwin, the project leader and a K-State Research and Extension associate in the College of Agriculture. The team is collaborating with a Flint Hills rancher to gather data during typical tallgrass prescribed burns. The researchers have attached sensors on unmanned aircraft to gather air quality information during a burn. The information they gather is helping NASA verify satellite data products and is facilitating collaboration between KDHE and the Environmental Protection Agency to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The plan was implemented in 2011 and helps ranchers make decisions about the best days to burn without negatively affecting human health, particularly in metropolitan areas. In the past, when the weather conditions were right, Flint Hills spring burning affected air quality in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City and metropolitan areas in Nebraska and Oklahoma. The poor air quality is bad for people with asthma and other health problems. The challenge is that fire is needed to maintaining the integrity of the tallgrass prairie landscape, Baldwin said. "We need fire," said Baldwin, who is an expert in grassland range management. "If we take fire and grazing out of the ecosystem, we will not have prairies as we know them. We will end up with a scrubby woodland." Current smoke management models, such as the Flint Hills plan, use data from fires in other parts of the U.S., not in the Great Plains, Baldwin said, and that's a problem. The university-led project wants to get more accurate fire data from the Great Plains region by working with real ranchers during a typical burn. "It is our hope that ranchers in the Flint Hills will use these tools to plan their burns so they do not impact air quality downwind from the fire," said Doug Watson, air monitoring and planning chief with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "At the same time, we want to educate the metropolitan areas about the importance of the Flint Hills ecosystem and the reasons why the ranchers burn to maintain that ecosystem." Using unmanned aircraft To test a prescribed burn, the researchers are working with Jane Koger, a Matfield Green rancher. Koger has allowed the researchers to collect data before, during and after the annual burns on her ranchland. UAS pilots gather smoke emissions from a controlled burn by flying three unmanned aircraft into the smoke above the fires. The unmanned aircraft use continuous sensors and sample sensors to measure particles and ozone-causing chemicals, and they use thermal imaging to measure fire temperature. The continuous sensors use lasers to take measurements and send data, including particle concentration, ozone levels, temperature and humidity. The sample sensors have a small bag to gather and bring back air particulate samples that are analyzed for particulate matter, or PM, as well as nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic carbon, or VOC, levels. Travis Balthazor, UAS flight operations manager, is leading the team of 12 trained UAS pilots, which includes researchers and students with the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. The students are getting real-world experience through the project, Balthazor said. "This is outside the realm of our normal box, so this is an effort that benefits us in the long run," Balthazor said. "As far as operating aircraft and looking to the future of unmanned aircraft, everybody wants to fly beyond line of sight and they want to fly higher. We are getting a taste of that with this project." After the burn After each burn, the researchers have a record of grass biomass that was burned, the fire's heat levels and the emission levels from the fire. This data is helping NASA verify satellite imagery and remotely driven emissions estimates. NASA uses imaging from satellite data to determine a fire's intensity and smoke emission rates. To complete validation, researchers combine direct measurements of black carbon production with data from a thermal camera that measures the full range of a fire's internal temperatures. The research also is helping NASA improve satellite data models. Other project collaborators -- including Deon Van Der Merwe, adjunct faculty member in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine -- are using the unmanned aircraft to estimate fire size by flying aircraft above grassland before a prescribed burn to determine how much grass, trees or shrubs are in the area. For rancher Koger, the research project can help ranchers like her learn how to maintain the tallgrass prairie without damaging their livelihoods. "I think it's important to get a better understanding of what we are doing and what we are putting into the air," Koger said. "We have kids and grandkids, and some of them have asthma. It does affect all of us. When we have concrete science -- and when K-State shares that -- ranchers listen. Getting some numbers and knowing what we are really doing and getting that back out to the public will speak to people." ### Collaborators The full list of Kansas State University collaborators: Carol Baldwin, K-State Research and Extension range management associate in the College of Agriculture; Travis Balthazor, UAS flight operations manager, David Burchfield, teaching assistant professor of unmanned aircraft systems, and Kurt Carraway, UAS research executive director, all with Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus; Zifei Liu, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering in the College of Engineering; Randall Mai, research technologist in agronomy and weather station technician with Kansas Mesonet; Christopher Redmond, assistant scientist in agronomy and network manager with Kansas Mesonet; and Deon Van Der Merwe, adjunct faculty member in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Utrecht University faculty member. Other collaborators: Jane Koger, a commercial rancher from Matfield Green; Jayson Prentice, technical resources and projects unit supervisor, Kathleen Waters, environmental program administrative supervisor, and Doug Watson, air monitoring and planning chief, all with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Charles Ichoku, research physical scientist with the Climate and Radiation Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Luke Ellison, scientist with Science Systems and Applications Inc. at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; and David Bush, senior scientist with Technical and Business Systems Inc., a California-based company that developed the unmanned aircraft sensors. ROCHESTER, Minn. - Resident physician burnout in the U.S. is widespread, with the highest rates concentrated in certain specialties, according to research from Mayo Clinic, OHSU and collaborators. The findings appear on Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Physician burnout is a dangerous mix of exhaustion and depersonalization that contributes to physicians making mistakes while administering health care. The study found 45 percent of respondents experienced at least one major symptom of burnout, with those in urology, neurology, emergency medicine and general surgery at the highest risk. Regardless of specialty, high levels of anxiety and low levels of empathy reported during medical school were associated with burnout symptoms during residency. "Our data show wide variability in the prevalence of burnout by clinical specialty, and that anxiety, social support and empathy during medical school relate to the risk of burnout during residency," says Liselotte Dyrbye, M.D., a Mayo Clinic researcher and first author of the article. Residents with burnout had more than a threefold increase in odds of regretting their decision to become a physician. When asked, "If you could revisit your career choice, would you choose to become a physician again?" those in pathology and anesthesiology were also most likely to respond "definitely not" or "probably not." Similarly, the higher the level of anxiety reported during medical school, the greater the chance of regretting becoming a physician. Previous research has shown physician burnout has some relation to gender and ethnicity. Residents who identified as female had a higher risk of burnout symptoms, matching studies of later-career physicians. Although the problems facing female physicians have been reported, the study illustrated the less-studied plight of residents who self-identified as Latino or Hispanic. These individuals were more likely to regret their specialty choice. While the study did not examine the cause directly, the authors speculate that minority physicians often are pressed into participating in various institutional diversity initiatives that overtax their schedules compared to nonminority physicians. Not all of the study's findings were negative. The majority of residents are satisfied with their career choice and specialty. In particular, participants who reported high empathy scores during medical school appeared to be more resilient to burnout during residency. This is counter to the common narrative that physicians need "thick skin" or an emotional aloofness to perform. Similarly, high empathy scores during medical school were associated with a willingness to choose the same specialty again. In addition, participants who reported higher emotional social support during medical school were generally happier with their specialty choice. Other burnout studies have focused on physicians-in-practice. This was the first national study to longitudinally follow medical trainees from the beginning of medical school into residency to explore predictors of burnout. The study included nearly 3,600 participants who were surveyed in the fourth year of medical school with follow-up in second year of residency. It was derived from a larger study of medical students called the Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation Study that has tracked a group of students from their first year of medical school through the last year of residency. About 50 medical schools were included in the research. Residents were asked to provide information about their specialty, ethnicity, educational debt and other demographic characteristics. They then completed surveys that have previously been developed to measure anxiety, emotional social support, empathy and burnout. ### The study was supported by a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine Program on Physician Well-Being. Researchers from Mayo Clinic, Syracuse University, University of Minnesota, Yale University, Stanford School of Medicine, and OHSU distributed, collected and analyzed the surveys. Michelle van Ryn, Ph.D., OHSU School of Nursing was the principal investigator. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. Computer simulations of neutron stars could help better understand the possible sources of gravitational waves A team of scientists has calculated the strength of the material deep inside the crust of neutron stars and found it to be the strongest known material in the universe. Matthew Caplan, a postdoctoral research fellow at McGill University, and his colleagues from Indiana University and the California Institute of Technology, successfully ran the largest computer simulations ever conducted of neutron star crusts, becoming the first to describe how these break. "The strength of the neutron star crust, especially the bottom of the crust, is relevant to a large number of astrophysics problems, but isn't well understood," says Caplan. Neutron stars are born after supernovas, an implosion that compresses an object the size of the sun to about the size of Montreal, making them "a hundred trillion times denser than anything on earth." Their immense gravity makes their outer layers freeze solid, making them similar to earth with a thin crust enveloping a liquid core. This high density causes the material that makes up a neutron star, known as nuclear pasta, to have a unique structure. Below the crust, competing forces between the protons and neutrons cause them to assemble into shapes such as long cylinders or flat planes, which are known in the literature as 'lasagna' and 'spaghetti,' hence the name 'nuclear pasta.' Together, the enormous densities and strange shapes make nuclear pasta incredibly stiff. Thanks to their computer simulations, which required 2 million hours worth of processor time or the equivalent of 250 years on a laptop with a single good GPU, Caplan and his colleagues were able to stretch and deform the material deep in the crust of neutron stars. "Our results are valuable for astronomers who study neutron stars. Their outer layer is the part we actually observe, so we need to understand that in order to interpret astronomical observations of these stars," Caplan adds. The findings, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters, could help astrophysicists better understand gravitational waves like those detected last year when two neutron stars collided. Their new results even suggest that lone neutron stars might generate small gravitational waves. "A lot of interesting physics is going on here under extreme conditions and so understanding the physical properties of a neutron star is a way for scientists to test their theories and models, Caplan adds. With this result, many problems need to be revisited. How large a mountain can you build on a neutron star before the crust breaks and it collapses? What will it look like? And most importantly, how can astronomers observe it?" ### Funding for the research was provided by Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and McGill Space Institute, the National Science Foundation, and the US Department of Energy. Supercomputer time provided by Indiana University. "The Elasticity of Nuclear Pasta" by M. E. Caplan, A. S. Schneider and C. J. Horowitz, was published in Physical Review Letters Dr. Frank Richards in Nigeria, center. David Oguttu holds blood samples collected from children to determine if they were ever exposed to onchocerciasis. Thomas Unnasch chairs USF's Department of Global Health. David Oguttu, Program Manager for Uganda's National Onchocerciasis Elimination Program. In life, some people are faced with heartbreaking problems theyre powerless to solve. Other times, that tragedy turns into triumph when there is an opportunity for positive change.Thomas Unnasch embraced that opportunity for positive change 26 years ago.While on a trip to Africa, he witnessed blind adults with walking sticks being led around by little children. The adults were victims of river blindness, a tropical disease which -- if left untreated -- can progress from skin problems to blindness.That trip I made to the Ivory Coast in 92 literally changed my life, he recalls. I stepped into a niche a lot of other people didnt want.Today Unnasch, who chairs the University of South Floridas Department of Global Health at the College of Public Health , plays a vital role in the battle against river blindness.His efforts have been financed by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Task Force for Global Health and the World Health Organization Now USFs Department of Global Health has been designated a collaborating center for river blindness diagnoses by the Geneva-based WHO, says Dr. Paul Cantey, a Medical Officer at WHO.Although there are more than 800 institutions supporting WHO programs, this center is the only one of its kind worldwide. It will be assisting with the development of labs that verify the elimination of river blindness as well as quality control.Institutions that are selected as Collaborating Centres have to have a history of working collaboratively with WHO in the past, [Dr. Unnasch has collaborated with the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control], Dr. Cantey says, and agree to develop a work plan of activities that will support ongoing or new activities.Dr. Frank Richards, an Atlanta physician and director of the river blindness project for The Carter Center , says: This WHO designation for Toms labor is a way to help other countries walk that walk to the final victory ... such that future generations will not suffer from this terrible condition.Unnasch, who holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he was invited to apply for the designation as WHO made plans to expand its lab network.River blindness is caused by a parasitic worm and spread, usually in rainy season, by black flies, which live and breed in fast-flowing waters. The flies dont exist in the United States.If you dont have the right kind of flies, you dont have transmission, Unnasch says.Also known as Onchocerciasis, the illness is categorized as a neglected tropical disease. It is transmitted when people are bitten repeatedly by the blackfly, potentially causing skin nodules where the worms locate, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The skin may develop the look of 'leopard skin','' it says.The worms can live up to 15 years inside the body; the larvae can survive up to two.Though not everyone experiences symptoms, many develop nodules, itching and blindness as the body reacts to dead or dying larvae, the CDC indicates. Blindness occurs because of lesions on the cornea that, if not treated, can result in permanent clouding of vision. Inflammation to the optic nerve also can reduce vision, particularly peripheral vision, eventually causing blindness.Stopping the disease before it gains a foothold is critical: once someone has gone blind, there is no known cure.The vectors have been controlled since around the early 1980s. But since then significant gains have been made to eliminate the disease through the use of an oral drug donated by the Kenilworth, N.J.-based pharmaceutical company, Merck and Co. Inc. A dose of Mectizan costs approximately 25 cents, but administration and transportation costs inflate treatment expenses to 75 cents per dose. The countries, and partners like The Carter Center, disseminate the treatments.If they havent gone blind and theyre just in the early stages of the disease, it [the medicine] reverses that, says Unnasch, who was a post-doctoral fellow in Tropical Public Health for the Harvard School of Public Health.Our treatment programs have grown from 6 million treatments a year to55 million last year, Dr. Richards says. Were somewhere around 20 percent of the whole effort.The drug is given to 90 percent of the population in affected areas. It isnt approved for children under 5 or pregnant women.In the end, if youre giving this drug, you're driving this toward extinction, Unnasch says.Unnasch, who serves on Mercks advisory board to help ensure the drugs are used effectively, also has been sitting on a number of other boards and helping scientists with quality control.William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the Avermectin class of drugs, which includes Mectizan. The joint award also went to Youyou Tu for her discovery of Artemisinin to reduce mortality in malaria patients.Sensitive, molecular diagnostic techniques are required to determine if the disease is eliminated.Proving a zero is not an easy thing to do, Dr. Richards explains. It was Toms help that allowed us to have the test with the degree of sensitivity to really tell when we reached a point where it was safe to stop treatment.What the testers do is gather lots of vector flies and check them for human parasites.If theres no parasites, theres no transmission, Unnasch says. If there are none for five or six years, probably were good.They retest again in three years just to be sure.Dr. Richards, who started collaborating with Unnasch more than two decades ago, says Unnaschs efforts have led to the establishment of eight labs needed to prove when parasites are no longer transferring the disease.You can control the disease by giving this medicine Mectizan so that people are not blind, he explains. If you dont break the transmission of the parasite, you have to treat the population indefinitely.Unnasch has built a reputation as an expert in setting up the labs.He has gained well-deserved recognition as the man to go to, Dr. Richards continues. Hes done it in the Americas and hes done it in Africa.Dr. Richards describes Unnasch as an energetic researcher who knows what needs to be done.My passion is delivery, service delivery, deployment of the best available tools, he says. Having Tom available to help with that is good as gold.Unnaschs research on river blindness dates back to 1985, when he accepted a job at the Cleveland-based Case Western Reserve University. There, his work involved identifying the river blindness parasite.His research continued when he moved on in 1989 to the University of Alabama in Birmingham. There he trained his first scientist, Dr. Laurent Toe, the DNA Lab Director for the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa.When WHO wanted to replicate his lab on the Ivory Coast, Unnasch went to Africa to help set it up. On a weekend off, he traveled to the village of Asubende in Ghana, where about 50 of the 150 residents were blind because of Onchocerciasis.It was horrible, he recalls.He became involved with a river blindness program in West Africa with WHO, plus with the Carter Center through supporting labs in Latin America and Africa.Part of that job involved training lab technicians. Among them was David Oguttu, a parasitologist/laboratory scientist who now manages the National Onchocerciasis Elimination Program in Uganda. Unnasch selected Oguttu for more intensive training in Birmingham in 2007.Tom trained me to cherish quality results, build a good team to run the lab and produce quality data, which the Ministry of Health has to rely on to make decisions on Onchocerciasis elimination, he says. The Uganda lab still gets technical support from the Unnasch Florida lab.That Uganda lab, located in the countrys Ministry of Health, has in turn trained technicians from Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.Oguttu says the techniques he learned from Unnasch are vital to their work. Without such a lab it is hard to determine whether disease elimination has been achieved, he says.Uganda has eliminated river blindness in seven of the countrys 17 endemic zones, and interrupted transmission of the disease in eight more, Oguttu says.The only two zones with transmission are located at the border with Congo and South Sudan. Cross-border collaborations have been established to eliminate cross-border transmission of Onchocerciasis, he adds.Unnasch says elimination efforts in Africa are expected to target Togo, Tanzania and Ghana in the next three years. Later on, the effort is expected to expand to Cameroon and Nigeria, where there already is a Carter Center Lab, and eventually reach the Congo.Thats the heart of the Central African environment. Were going to have to get in there and deal with that, says Unnasch, who has worked at USF for more than a decade.In Latin America, the disease has been defeated in all but a very remote area of Brazil and Venezuela, where 20,000 remain at risk.Theyre really hard to get to, which is why we havent managed to actually solve that problem, Unnasch explains. Its a difficult place to work.The WHO designation itself doesnt come with funding, so Unnasch is seeking $150,000 in funding for direct costs in the initial year.I try to do this cheaply, he says.He expects to hire at least one additional staff member for the new center.So far the results of efforts to defeat river blindness have been dramatic. So much so, that its no longer common to see people with river blindness walking around with sticks as Unnasch saw three decades ago.They dont really know anything about this disease anymore, he says.For Unnasch, thats been very rewarding. Its probably the most rewarding thing that Ive done, he says. Ive been part of making a real difference. Cost of attending medical school for veterans much higher than other graduate programs Just 45 percent of medical school tuition covered by aid compared to 85 percent for law and 100 percent for MBA programs Shortfall adds up to an extra $110,000 for veterans in MD programs, despite receiving GI Bill benefits "MD programs benchmark their support levels to other MD programs and don't look at other professional degree programs" CHICAGO --- Tuition aid supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for military veterans enrolling in medical school covers a smaller proportion of tuition compared to aid for other graduate programs, according to a Northwestern Medicine study. The study will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Sept. 18. Medical schools had a median shortfall of nearly $27,500 per year, which would add up to $110,000 that veterans would have to pay out of pocket despite receiving the GI bill, the study found. While part of this shortfall may be due to medical school's higher tuition, medical schools also provided less absolute support with a median of about $22,000 per year compared to about $33,000 for law programs and $26,000 for business programs. When factoring in tuition, this means that just 45 percent of medical school tuition is covered by aid compared to 85 percent for law and 100 percent for MBA programs. "This means veterans who deployed to combat zones or served on active duty since 9/11 will incur significant debt despite receiving the GI bill," said lead author Stephen Graves, a fourth-year student in the dual MD/MBA program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and 10-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). "Medical schools could be using their scholarship dollars much more effectively." The disparity is likely due to medical schools' unfamiliarity with Veterans Affairs (VA) tuition aid programs, said Graves, who remains a captain in the USMC Reserve. VA tuition aid for veterans largely comes from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a scholarship program available to all honorably discharged veterans that can be used for most undergraduate and graduate education. Supplementing that aid is the Yellow Ribbon (YR) program, an opt-in program that matches an aid contribution from an academic graduate program. For example, if a medical school offered a scholarship to veterans worth $8,000, the YR program would match that sum. However, when entering medical school, Graves noticed program participation was low when compared to the business and law school at Northwestern and at other schools across the country. "They all followed the same trends," Graves said. He analyzed national tuition and financial aid data from medical, law and business school programs at more than 100 schools. Over four years, this shortfall adds up to a median tuition cost of more than $120,000 for veterans in MD programs, despite receiving GI Bill benefits. In comparison, Graves found most veterans in MBA programs had no out-of-pocket costs. "We think this is due to MD programs benchmarking their support levels to other MD programs and not looking at other professional degree programs," Graves said. This is compounded by the relative lack of veterans in medical school when compared to other graduate programs, according to Graves. "Other graduate programs are more experienced with providing scholarship support to veterans," Graves said. These factors lead to low participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, leaving federal aid dollars on the table. Simply shifting scholarships for veterans to the Yellow Ribbon program would cover more of their tuition costs, Graves said. "While the Post-9/11 GI bill is mandatory, there are no requirements for participation in the YR program, so it's not as consistent and contributes to the discrepancies in aid we found," Graves said. "All professional programs should re-examine their participation levels and determine if they are adequate." However, boosting the YR program is not enough. There's no concrete information about the number of veterans enrolled in or graduating from medical school, complicating research in this area. Graves hopes to remedy this in a future study, using medical school application, tuition and scholarship data to analyze how aid affects if and where veterans attend medical school. "Veterans bring a distinct perspective to professions and occupations," Graves said. "Research has shown 10 percent of the U.S. populace are veterans, and around half receive their care at the VA. With recent shortfalls within the VA health care system, all avenues to improve care should be explored, such as increasing the number of veteran physicians in practice and prompting policymakers to consider how health care education can enhance care for veterans." Other Northwestern Medicine authors include Dr. Brandon-Luke Seagle, a fellow in gynecologic oncology; Dr. Masha Kocherginsky, associate professor of preventive medicine; Dr. Shohreh Shahabi, chief of gynecologic oncology and the John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research; Shahabi lab members Junhua Yang, statistical analyst, and Anne Grace, senior clinical research associate. ### The research reported in this publication was supported by grant 4P30CA060553-22 from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. More news at Northwestern Now Find experts on our Faculty Experts Hub Follow @NUSources for expert perspectives A new study in SLEEP indicates that people who have slept for fewer than seven of the past 24 hours have higher odds of being involved in and responsible for car crashes. The risk is greatest for drivers who have slept fewer than four hours. Experts recommend that adults should sleep for seven to nine hours a night, yet government surveys indicate that one in five U.S. adults sleeps for fewer than seven hours on any given night, and one in three report usually sleeping for fewer than seven hours. An estimated seven percent of all motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. and 16 percent of fatal crashes involve driver drowsiness. While the dangers of driving drowsy were already well known, this is the first peer-reviewed study to quantify the relationship between how much a driver has slept and his or her risk of being responsible for a crash. For this new study, researchers analyzed data from a previous study by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which involved in-depth investigations of a sample of 5,470 crashes, including interviews with the drivers involved. The researchers here found that drivers who reported fewer than four hours of sleep had 15.1 times the odds of responsibility for car crashes, compared with drivers who slept for the recommended seven to nine hours in the preceding 24-hour period, comparable to U.S. Department of Transportation estimates of the crash risk of a driver with a blood alcohol concentration roughly 1.5 times the legal limit. Researchers involved in the study also discovered that drivers who reported six, five, and four hours of sleep in the past 24 hours had 1.3, 1.9 and 2.9 times the odds of responsibility for a crash, respectively, compared with a driver who slept for seven to nine hours. Drivers who reported less than four hours of sleep had particularly elevated risk of single-vehicle crashes, which are more likely to result in injury or death. Drivers who had changed their sleep or work schedule in the past week and drivers who had been driving for 3 hours or longer without a break were also found to be at increased risk. "Being awake isn't the same as being alert. Falling asleep isn't the only risk," said study author Brian Tefft. "Even if they manage to stay awake, sleep-deprived drivers are still at increased risk of making mistakes -- like failing to notice something important, or misjudging a gap in traffic -- which can have tragic consequences," he added. ### The paper: "Acute Sleep Deprivation and Culpable Motor Vehicle Crash Involvement," will be available to the public at https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsy144 on Sep 18 at midnight EST. Direct questions about the study to: Brian C. Tefft AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety 607 14th Street NW, Suite 201 Washington, District of Columbia 20005 United States btefft@aaafoundation.org To request a copy of the study, please contact: Daniel Luzer daniel.luzer@oup.com Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournals A team from RUDN and the Italian Euromediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC) found out how climate changes may affect wheat harvest in high latitudes of the Earth (on the example of Russia). Agricultural conditions are expected to undergo the biggest changes in the northern part of the Eastern hemisphere. Scientists believe that in the upcoming decades the most yielding areas in the south of the country will be hit by droughts. The optimal territory for wheat and other grain crops cultivation would move north-east and also to the Far East. The study was published in the Land Use Policy journal. In the recent years Russia has become a world leader in grain export: in 2016 it held the first place in the market after producing over 30 million of tons for sale. Wheat remains the most valuable crop for middle-latitude countries, and its harvests play an important role in the world's food safety. However, no full-scale climatic forecast covering wheat cultivation in Russian has ever been done before. This task was fulfilled by RUDN and CMCC scientists. The researchers used the data of six climatic models: ERA-Interim (Europe, 1979-2016) and five climate change forecasts up to 2099 (GFDL-ESM3M, HadGEM2-ES, IPSL-CM5A-MR, MIROC-ESM and NorESM1-M). It turned out that global warming influenced the "well-being" of grain crops in two ways: made it easier to grow them in high latitudes (previously too cold) and at the same time increased the frequency of droughts in southern areas - currently, the main grain crop yielding territories. The authors of the research found out that the area of lands that can be used for wheat cultivation has been increasing by about 10 million ha a decade since 1980. However, these conditions are mainly beneficial for winter varieties. In 2005-2015 their harvesting area increased by approximately 4 million ha, and in case of spring varieties it decreased by 2 million ha. "The main, most yielding wheat areas in modern Russia are its southern territories that will become risky for agriculture in time as the frequency of droughts and extreme weather conditions is going to increase there," warns Professor Riccardo Valentini, director of Climate Change and Smart Technologies Laboratory at RUDN and the holder of Nobel peace prize of 2007 as a member of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). According to the scientists, Russian agriculture has two paths to choose from. It can re-cultivate abandoned lands, especially in Central Russia (no less than 27 million ha in total). This strategy meets climatic requirements, but would hardly work from the economic point of view: low soil quality and scarce water resources would require considerable investments in grain crops cultivation which is unlikely given current low wheat prices. RUDN scientists suggest shifting attention to north-western regions of the country and the Far East. If new varieties of wheat are developed in view of local climatic conditions, spring varieties are used, and experiments with other grain crops (millet, barley) are carried out, these regions may become the main agricultural territories of Russia. ### An online initiative offering low-cost genetic testing to relatives of people with genetic mutations that increase their risk of cancer encourages the "cascade" testing that can help to identify healthy people at risk of the disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Color Genomics, a genetic testing company. The study of more than 700 people bearing one of 30 cancer-associated mutations found that nearly half of a patient's first-degree relatives (think mother, father, siblings and children) chose to undergo testing when contacted by a genetic testing laboratory and offered a chance to have their own genes sequenced for about $50 -- about one-tenth the standard cost. Furthermore, about 12 percent of those found to have the same mutation as the original patient then went on to invite additional relatives to be tested. Although not everyone with a cancer-associated mutation will go on to develop the disease, the knowledge that one is a carrier can help people and their doctors make informed health care decisions while they are still healthy. For example, women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who have a vastly increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancers may choose to undergo prophylactic mastectomies or have their ovaries removed. Other types of mutations, such as those that increase one's risk of colon cancer, may indicate the need for increased or more frequent screening. "We've found that this approach has been remarkably successful in overcoming traditional barriers to reaching and testing a patient's relatives," said Allison Kurian, MD, associate professor of medicine and of health research and policy at Stanford. "The results have been very striking, as traditional approaches to cascade testing result in only about 30 percent of relatives undergoing testing." Kurian shares senior authorship of the research, which will be published Sept. 18 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, with Alicia Zhou, PhD, who is head of research at Color Genomics, based in Burlingame, California. Jennifer Caswell-Jin, MD, instructor of medicine at Stanford, and Anjali Zimmer, PhD, a technical writer from Color Genomics, are the lead authors of the study. Growing interest in genetic tests Increasingly, newly diagnosed cancer patients are turning to genetic testing in a quest to understand why they've developed the disease. The discovery of a disease-associated mutation can help drive treatment decisions and provide clues as to the cancer's origin. But there's another important, often overlooked, benefit: The test results can help a patient's healthy first-degree relatives assess their own genetic risk for cancer. About 50 percent of these relatives could be expected to harbor the same mutation as the patient, even if they haven't developed cancers themselves. However, this kind of cascade testing, in which a positive result in a cancer patient triggers waves of genetic testing among the patient's relatives, remains relatively rare -- in part because physicians are often prohibited from directly contacting a patient's relatives, and people reeling from their own recent diagnosis may not immediately consider the health implications for their loved ones. Testing can also be expensive and is not always covered by insurance. Kurian and her colleagues wondered if there was an easier way to reach potential carriers. They evaluated the first year of a family testing program in which people found to harbor one of 30 cancer-associated genes were encouraged to provide the testing laboratory with email addresses for their first-degree relatives. The laboratory then contacted the relatives to provide more information via a web portal and invite them to be tested for an out-of-pocket cost of $50. "One unique thing about this study is that it isn't focused on any single gene," Caswell-Jin said. "These participants were carriers of mutations in any of 30 different genes, some of which are very strongly associated with the development of specific cancers. Because about half of a patient's first-degree relatives are also likely carriers of the same mutation, cascade testing has significant public health implications for early cancer detection and even prevention." To conduct the study, the researchers invited carriers of one of 30 cancer-associated mutations, identified by any one of several certified genetic testing laboratories, and their relatives to participate in the family testing program. They reached possible participants through the use of online advertising, notices in physicians' clinics or at group meetings for families with hereditary cancers. From September 2016 to September 2017, 1,101 people -- 741 people who carried the mutation themselves, and 360 relatives of the carriers -- opted to participate in the program. Together, the original participants then invited 2,280 of their relatives to also be tested. Nearly half of those invited underwent testing themselves within the study's follow-up period. As expected, about one-half of the tested relatives were also carriers. About 12 percent of these people then used the family testing program to invite additional first-degree relatives to be tested. "Although this was potentially lower than we might have expected, in many cases it was due to the fact that there were no more first-degree relatives in the family to test," Caswell-Jin said. Different mutations identified Surprisingly, the researchers found that about 5 percent of relatives tested carried cancer-associated mutations that differed from those of their patient relatives. "These pathogenic mutations were totally unexpected and suggest that this may reflect the prevalence in the general population of known cancer-associated mutations," Kurian said. "It addresses a long-standing question in the field about what we might find if we routinely tested everyone." The researchers emphasize that, regardless of how people are contacted to be tested, it is important to involve a genetic counselor to interpret test results and direct mutation carriers to appropriate health care services. "This is such an exciting era," Caswell-Jin said. "We expect the proportion of people undergoing genetic testing for disease-associated mutations will continue to increase. We need to make sure they get the support they need to understand their results, and to encourage additional support and follow-up." "We are very engaged in learning how to most effectively implement genetic testing, particularly in a broad population," Kurian said. "We are eager to pursue this finding further and to understand how we can improve on this new model of cascade testing." ### Another Stanford author of the study is senior genetic counselor Kerry Kingham. Kurian is a member of the Stanford Cancer Institute. The research was supported by the BRCA Foundation, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and Color Genomics. Kurian has received research funding from Myriad Genetics for an unrelated project. Stanford's departments of Medicine and of Health Research and Policy also supported the work. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. Print media contact: Krista Conger 650-725-5371 kristac@stanford.edu Broadcast media contact: Margarita Gallardo 650-723-7897 mjgallardo@stanford.edu Phase I/II clinical trial will be first of its kind to explore cannabis as a potential treatment option for essential tremor Researchers at University of California School of Medicine are preparing to launch a novel clinical trial to examine the safety, efficacy and pharmacological properties of cannabis as a potential treatment for adults with essential tremor (ET). Currently, ET is treated using repurposed medications originally developed for high blood pressure or seizures. Surgery is another option. Scheduled for early 2019, the phase I/II trial will assess efficacy and tolerability of an oral cannabis formulation comprised of cannabidiol (CBD) and low-dose tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Researchers say it will be the first time this combination has been studied for treatment of ET. "This study will provide key insights," said Fatta Nahab, MD, neurologist at UC San Diego Health and associate professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "If found to be safe and effective, cannabis would not only serve as an exciting new addition to the limited treatment options currently available for patients with ET, but it might also provide scientists with new insights on essential tremor." CBD is a major chemical compound found in cannabis. It does not produce the effects of feeling "high," which are caused by THC. Both CBD and THC are two of more than 100 cannabinoids in cannabis and both interact with the body's endocannabinoid system, a network of neurotransmitters that regulate diverse physiological and cognitive processes and response to stress. In collaboration with UC San Diego School of Medicine's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR), the study will involve a team of researchers evaluating the compound's various properties, including its pharmacology in the body. "CMCR is excited to collaborate with Dr. Nahab on a study for a difficult-to-treat condition for which cannabinoids may provide a new therapeutic avenue," said Igor Grant, MD, CMCR director and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "This work expands CMCR's commitment to develop an evidence-based approach in the area of cannabinoid therapeutics. The oral combination of CBD and THC is the first-of-its-kind to be studied and is especially interesting to CMCR." The double-blind, placebo-control, cross-over clinical trial will enroll 16 adult participants who have been diagnosed with ET by a movement disorder neurologist. All study participants will be gradually administered an oral cannabis formulation with a 20:1 ratio of CBD to THC. After completing a two-week period at the maximum target dose, participants will taper off, followed by a washout period before crossing over to the alternate study arm. Nahab estimated the trial will take approximately one year to complete. Essential tremor is a nervous system disorder characterized by involuntary, rhythmic shaking of any part of the body, most notably the hands. It affects an estimated 10 million American adults, and is often confused with Parkinson's disease. The condition can make routine tasks, such as drinking water or tying shoelaces, difficult. ET usually worsens over time and often becomes a common cause of embarrassment, social withdrawal, disability and loss of occupation for those with the disorder. Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug, as defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and availability for research purposes is strictly limited. The capsule cannabinoid formulation for this study will be provided by Tilray, a Canada-based cannabis company specializing in the research, cultivation, production and global distribution of cannabis and cannabinoids. Tilray received approval from the DEA to import this medical cannabis-derived study drug into the United States from Canada. Tilray currently serves tens of thousands of patients in eleven countries spanning five continents. To learn more about essential tremor, visit the International Essential Tremor Foundation at https://www.essentialtremor.org/ For more information about the cannabis/ET study and to register for additional updates, visit the CMCR clinical trial page at https://tremor.cmcr.ucsd.edu ### About the Center of Medicinal Cannabis Research Established in 2000 by California Senate Bill 847, the UC San Diego Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) has been at the forefront of advancing science and policy relating to the potential clinical benefits and limitations of cannabis and cannabinoids as medicine. With support from the California State Legislature, CMCR initiated the first therapeutic studies using smoked cannabis in over 20 years, completed seven key studies regarding the short-term benefits of cannabis for the treatment of neuropathic pain and spasticity, and has numerous active research projects, funded by both the State and National Institutes of Health. Since its inception, CMCR has strived to collaborate and maintain productive relationships with key Federal and State agencies. LAWRENCE -- People who feel anxious surrounding mass shootings tend to abandon their political ideology on typically divided issues, according to a study by two University of Kansas professors. Yet policymakers -- especially those seeking gun law reforms trying to stem the number of mass shootings -- in recent years have largely failed to capitalize on attitudes surrounding this type of anxiety. "The immediate aftermath of a well-publicized mass shooting therefore represents a policy-window of sorts," said Mark Joslyn, KU professor of political science. "The anxious public appears open and supportive to policy change. We are not certain how long this moderated ideological state may last, but clearly the public opinion context changes substantially after mass shootings - and it is the emotion of anxiety that inhibits people's dependence on ideological thinking." Joslyn and Don Haider-Markel, professor and chair of the KU Department of Political Science, examined the effects of individual anxiety in wake of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 58 others. The journal Research and Politics recently published their findings. Joslyn and Haider-Markel have published several studies on trends in gun politics during recent years. This study is the first research to examine the public's emotional responses to mass shootings. During the shooting, the gunman Omar Mateen called 911 and made a pledge of allegiance to leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. Police later killed him, and the shooting was the deadliest in U.S. history until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. For the study the researchers conducted a national survey of U.S. adults that began less than a week after the Orlando tragedy. Respondents were asked questions designed to measure their anxiety about the shooting. About 25 percent of people responded a significant level of anxiousness while 40 percent reported being very anxious. Joslyn said a key finding was the anxiety about a mass shooting produced a marked decline in ideological division among people. Support increased for new restrictive gun laws among these anxious people as well as an increase in confidence and support for government, especially among conservatives. "An anxious public weighs information it may have otherwise ignored. Strong ideological difference recede and often we found liberals and anxious conservatives appeared to agree on such contentious issues as guns, causes of mass shootings, and support for government," Joslyn said. "The emotional response of anxiety changes how people typically think about politics. Anxious citizens do not employ ideological patterns of thought but rather moderate and move away from left-right cognition." This moderated ideological state does not last, however, and the researchers are not sure how long it does. "If elites acted decisively at this point, genuine policy changes would result," Joslyn said. "The anxious public is ready - and this represents a significant proportion of the public after mass shootings." The researchers said more research is needed on anxiety and its effects. "Given the increased frequency and magnitude of mass shootings," Joslyn said, "such events merit greater attention from social scientists." ### Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) in wild parrot populations has been detected in eight new countries, raising concerns for threatened species. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) in wild parrot populations has been detected in eight new countries, raising concerns for threatened species. The new countries where BFDV was found are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, Nigeria, Seychelles, Vietnam, Senegal and The Gambia and were identified in a study led by Deborah Fogell in the University of Kent's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) in collaboration with The World Parrot Trust, Zoological Society of London, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Seychelles Island Foundation and Vinh University. The study highlights the need for greater awareness of the risks of the spread of infectious disease associated with the international trade in live parrots. Parrots are among the most threatened bird groups and are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases. They are also among the most frequently traded birds listed by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the illegal trade has already driven the cross-border movement of over 19 million parrots since 1975. This movement has aided the establishment of numerous parrot populations outside of their native distributions, most notably the highly invasive Rose-ringed parakeet which is now known to have breeding populations in over 35 countries across five continents. BFDV, believed to have originated in Australasia, is a well-known cause of infectious disease in captive parrots. Affected birds can develop feather abnormalities, claw and beak deformities and the disease may lead to eventual death, particularly in juveniles. The first detection of BFDV in wild parrots native to southern and Southeast Asia and western Africa in this study highlights the need for further research in these regions and may have implications for the conservation of vulnerable species that also exist there. This study indicates that there are very close relationships between genetic sequences from wild populations across globally distinct regions and that there have been multiple introduction events to western Africa. Deborah Fogell said: 'The successful establishment of invasive species like Rose-ringed parakeets can be devastating to small island populations or threatened species. Not only through competition for resources, but by exposing them to a virus like BFDV which may pose an important additional threat to species that are already suffering the pressures of low genetic diversity and habitat loss'. ### The study - Trade and conservation implications of new Beak and feather disease virus detection in native and introduced parrots - by Deborah J. Fogell, Rowan O. Martin, Nancy Bunbury, Becki Lawson, James Sells, Alison M McKeand, Vikash Tatayah, Cao Tien Trung and Jim J Groombridge is published in Conservation Biology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.13214 DOI 10.1111/cobi.13214 For further information or interview requests contact Sandy Fleming at the University of Kent Press Office. Tel: 01227 823581 Email: S.Fleming@kent.ac.uk News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent Notes for editors The study screened samples obtained from native and introduced populations of parrots from Africa, Asia, and Europe, including vulnerable Seychelles Black Parrots (Coracopsis barklyi), endangered Mauritius Parakeets (Psittacula eques), Grey-headed Parakeets (Psittacula finschii), Rose-ringed Parakeets, and endangered Timneh Parrots (Psittacus timneh). Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome. It has been ranked 22nd in the Guardian University Guide 2018 and in June 2017 was awarded a gold rating, the highest, in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, it is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its 'Table of Tables' 2016. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. In the National Student Survey 2016, Kent achieved the fourth highest score for overall student satisfaction, out of all publicly funded, multi-faculty universities. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html). The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. Kent has received two Queen's Anniversary prizes for Higher and Further Education. Firms increasingly are investing their marketing dollars in social media -- market research firms predict spending will reach $37 billion by 2020. However, increasing traffic and advertising revenue through strategic content scheduling is no easy task. A social media manager charged with posting 10 stories in one day with a budget to promote four of them can position the posts in more than 7 trillion ways. Most opt for a "spray and pray" approach, where they simply guess when a post will get the most attention. So what is the answer for news outlets, music- and video-sharing websites and other ad-supported digital platforms that need a less expensive and time-consuming option but also rely on visitor engagement? New research from the University of Notre Dame shows digital content platforms can increase traffic to their websites from social media and boost digital ad profits by at least 8 percent, simply by aligning their posting schedules with target audiences' sleep-wake cycles, or circadian rhythms. "Scheduling Content on Social Media: Theory, Evidence and Application" is forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing from lead author Vamsi Kanuri, assistant professor of marketing in the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. It shows that consumers' engagement with content varies across the day and by content characteristics. "More specifically," Kanuri says, "consumers engage more with posts containing high-arousal negative information, including anger, stress, anxiety or fear, in the morning than in the afternoon or evening. They engage more with 'boosted' (paid to advertise) posts and those requiring higher cognitive processing, such as op-eds or scientific material, in the afternoon." These results can be explained by the variations in working memory availability and efficiency throughout the day. Simply aligning post schedules with target audiences' sleep-wake cycles can increase engagement significantly, allowing firms to avoid spending more money on their dedicated social media pages. "Even if the firms were to spend money on boosting, it is useful to know that the effectiveness of boosting increases only at a diminishing rate," Kanuri says. "There is an optimum point beyond which spending more money on boosting will only result in a marginal increase in gross profits. Also, posting content too frequently or infrequently can hurt engagement rates. The optimal inter-post duration in our dataset seems to be between 30 and 90 minutes." The team interviewed social media managers from several major content platforms to learn how they make posting decisions and examined a year's worth of Facebook posting and boosting data (5,700 posts) from a major newspaper on the West Coast. Overwhelmingly, they found managers relied on gut feelings in making posting decisions but paid zero attention to what emotions posts might elicit from readers. "It turns out managers' intuition on when audiences consume content was generally accurate, but the engagement rates for specific content categories (sports, local) and content types (high-arousal content and content requiring higher cognitive processing) and temporal variation in the effectiveness of boosting came as surprise to managers," Kanuri says. "The fact that firms can increase their engagement without spending an additional dime is jaw-dropping for most managers we interviewed." Kanuri says the availability of human working memory, which stores and manipulates information used in daily tasks, is the reason negative morning posts and boosted afternoon posts prove most profitable for content platforms. The capacity of working memory varies throughout the day and is highest when we wake in the morning, lowest in mid-afternoon and moderate in the evening. "Higher working memory makes us feel alert and curious, meaning consumers are more likely to devour content in the morning," he says. "When working memory is resource-deprived, the brain prioritizes information to remain efficient and will better respond to boosted content, which legally must look different to consumers. The different look signals to the brain the information is important, thus, boosted content is most effective in the afternoon as working memory lowers." Pulling from their research results, Kanuri and his team developed an algorithm and packaged it as a decision support tool to help social media managers figure out the optimal timing of content as well as which posts to boost and how many to boost per day to adhere to a budget. "Our decision support tool can help firms identify a strategy that works for their target market. Firms need not rely on the general rules-of-thumb posted on various blogs all over the internet anymore. Instead, by using precise science, our tool can help firms make profit maximizing content scheduling decisions." ### Co-authors of the study include Yixing Chen and Shrihari Sridhar, Texas A&M University. The body's immune system is a valiant weapon against disease, and harnessing its power through a technique called immunotherapy is at the forefront of current research to treat cancer and other diseases. That's why an unexpected finding by University of Notre Dame researchers and their collaborators, related to the way two distinctively different peptide antigens react with one T-cell receptor (TCR), tosses a new wrench into the process of building better molecules to develop immunotherapies. The surprising research showing peptide adaptability was published Monday (Sept. 17) in Nature Chemical Biology. Brian Baker, the John A. Zahm, C.S.C., Professor of Structural Biology and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was principal investigator on the study and worked with co-authors from Notre Dame as well as Stanford University, Loyola University and the University of Kentucky. "Essentially, we discovered that T-cell receptors can be much more cross-reactive than we previously envisioned, which is somewhat concerning for the entire field," said lead author Timothy Riley, Baker's former graduate research assistant and now co-founder and chief scientific officer of startup Structured Immunity, a company incubated through Notre Dame's IDEA Center that aims to de-risk early stage immunotherapeutics. T cells are a subtype of a white blood cell responsible for sensing whether you're healthy or have an infection, but they often ignore cancer cells as a potential threat. In T-cell immunotherapy, some of the cells are altered to contain receptors that allow the T cells to seek and destroy specific, undesirable cells when the receptor reacts with specific peptide antigens, an action required to induce an immune response. While the treatment is effective in some cases, in others, it can destroy healthy cells. Therefore, researchers seek to predict reactivity and assure the reaction is specific only to the cells they want to target. Scientists knew there were many millions more peptides, or antigen targets, than TCRs. They expected that the receptors recognized and adjusted to many different peptides that have similar properties. In the case of the TCR studied in the current research, DMF5, researchers knew it recognized hydrophobic peptide antigens, which are water-insoluble. But K. Christopher Garcia, the Younger Family Professor and Professor of Structural Biology at Stanford University, alerted Baker to an anomaly uncovered in his own research. Garcia noticed that DMF5 also appeared to bind with a different class of peptides -- one that was highly charged and easily dissolvable. Baker's lab, which has experience in analyzing that TCR, decided to delve deeper. "We thought the TCR was ignoring small differences (in the highly charged target) a little bit, and simply found things similar to recognize," said Baker, who is also affiliated with the Harper Cancer Research Institute. "But that was wrong. We discovered that this peptide moved and adapted in order for the receptor to bind, in a way that no one had seen before." The two different peptide antigens worked equally well at binding with DMF5, stimulating the receptor and inducing an immune response. "It doesn't really matter how it works, as long as binding occurs," Riley said. Though the discovery is notable for increasing the understanding of how to develop immunotherapies, it's an unexpected challenge to overcome, Baker explained. Though the current research was completed on just one TCR and that only two peptides were evaluated, he noted, it's likely that others may function in a similar way. "What's significant is that people try to make predictions for developing these models for therapy, and about the kinds of ways you can recognize targets," he said. "And this is a new, unanticipated complication." Researchers have dealt with the knowledge that some TCRs can attack healthy cells as well as the life-threatening ones they've been engineered to tackle, and have built that concern into their studies. "But for those people who are trying to take advantage of that biology to develop immunotherapies, you have to be worried about this new issue and build it into whatever design platform that you have," Baker said. Armed with this new discovery, however, Riley is up for the challenge. "Now that we have great examples of a T-cell receptor recognizing multiple peptide antigens that are structurally different, we can use them to build hypotheses and test predictions," he said. ### Co-authors in addition to Riley and Garcia include Lance M. Hellman at Notre Dame; Marvin H. Gee, Juan L. Mendoza and Jesus A. Alonso at Stanford; Kendra C. Foley and Michael I. Nishimura at Loyola; and Craig W. Vander Kooi at Kentucky. The study at Notre Dame was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society and fellowships from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. The research was also supported at Stanford by the NIH, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Made of carbon and hydrogen, the team's biocompatible nanohoops emit colors that vary by just their size EUGENE, Ore. - Sept. 18, 2018 - University of Oregon chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen. The six-member team reported the discovery, which is now being explored for its potential use in biological imaging, in an open-access paper published online Aug. 30, ahead of print in the journal ACS Central Science. The paper details how the synthesized organic molecules called nanohoops, which initially were not water soluble, were manipulated with a chemical side chain to allow them to pass through cell membranes and maintain their colors within live cells. For years, scientists involved in biological research and medical diagnostics have relied on chemical compounds called fluorophores, which have flat structures and emit different colors upon light excitation, to label specific biological molecules. The potential for circular structures to provide new fluorescent properties is far less explored. Nanohoops, which are short circular slices of carbon nanotubes, could allow for the use of multiple fluorescent colors, triggered by a single excitation, to simultaneously track multiple activities in live cells, said study co-author Ramesh Jasti, a professor in the UO's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and member of the Materials Science Institute. "The fluorescence of the nanohoops is modulated differently than most common fluorophores, which suggests that there are unique opportunities for using these nanohoop dyes in sensing applications," said co-author Michael Pluth, also a professor in the UO's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "These dyes retain their fluorescence at a broad range of pH values, making them functional and stable fluorophores across a wide range of acidic and basic conditions." Researchers in the Jasti and Pluth labs collaborated on the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Sloan Foundation and Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The nanohoops have a precise atomic composition, Jasti said. Once a chemical sidechain was designed by the study's lead author Brittany M. White, a doctoral student in Jasti's lab, the nanohoops became soluble and passed freely through cellular membranes but didn't go to particular sites. "Circular structures like these nanohoops dissolve in aqueous media better than flat structures," Jasti said. "We figured this out by just doing it. It wasn't part of the plan. We just wanted to make carbon nanostructures in an ultrapure way. The bright emissions from the different sizes they produced just happened. It is a nanoscale phenomenon." In a next step, co-author Yu Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in Pluth's lab, explored where the nanohoops were going inside cells and whether they can be guided to particular sites inside of cells. An added sidechain containing folic acid led the nanohoops to cancer cells. "That success told us that these nanohoops can be trafficked to different types of cells or even to intracellular compartments," Jasti said. "This also suggested their possible use in medical diagnostics or even drug delivery, because our nanohoops can easily carry little compartments that will go to specific locations." Toxicity levels of the nanohoops, he added, are no different than in traditionally used fluorescent dyes. In a newly funded effort, Jasti is working with Xiaolin Nan of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland to pursue the use of the nanohoops in biological imaging. The project is among 10 funded under the 2018 OHSU-UO Collaborative Seed Grant program. Pluth is a recipient of a separate seed grant in the program. "We have seen nothing like these nanohoops in the world of dye chemistry before," said study co-author Bruce P. Branchaud, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry at the UO and distinguished scientist in the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center of OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute. "All other dyes have been flat, whereas these nanohoops are non-planar circles," he said. "Their unique structures provide unique properties that we intend to develop and exploit for significant new contributions to chemical biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences and medicine." ### Taryn E. Kawashima, winner of a 2016 undergraduate fellowship award by the UO Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, also was a co-author on the study. Sources: Ramesh Jasti, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, 541-346-2508, rjasti@uoregon.edu; Michael Pluth, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, 541-346-7477, pluth@uoregon.edu; and Bruce Branchaud, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry, bbranch@uoregon.edu. Note: The UO is equipped with an on-campus television studio with a point-of-origin Vyvx connection, which provides broadcast-quality video to networks worldwide via fiber optic network. There also is video access to satellite uplink and audio access to an ISDN codec for broadcast-quality radio interviews. Links: About Ramesh Jasti: https://chemistry.uoregon.edu/profile/rjasti/ Jasti lab: https://jastilab.uoregon.edu/ About Mike Pluth: https://chemistry.uoregon.edu/profile/pluth/ Pluth lab: https://pluth.uoregon.edu/ About Bruce Branchaud: https://chemistry.uoregon.edu/profile/bbranch/ OHSU-UO seed grants: https://around.uoregon.edu/content/first-recipients-new-uo-ohsu-seed-funding-announced UO Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: https://chemistry.uoregon.edu/ They show pattern is misfolded in Fragile X Syndrome, a member of the class of disorders that also includes ALS and Huntington's Disease In a class of roughly 30 neurological disorders that includes ALS, Huntington's Disease and Fragile X Syndrome, the relevant mutant gene features sections of repeating base pair sequences known as short tandem repeats, or STRs. Healthy people have STRs of normal lengths distributed across their DNA. For people with trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion diseases, however, the STRs in the mutant genes are unstable: the number of repetitions expand into ultra-long lengths that are related to the disease's pathology. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found another common thread linking nearly all of the TNR expansion diseases: the complicated 3D patterns that the DNA is folded into in order to fit in the nucleus of the cell. They found that nearly all of the STRs known to grow unstable in disease are located at the boundaries that separate neighboring folded domains. The researchers also created high-resolution genome folding maps around the FMR1 gene in patients with Fragile X Syndrome and in healthy individuals. They found that the 3D genome was misfolded in disease; the boundary was destroyed around FMR1 in all Fragile X patients who also had pathologic STR expansion and FMR1 silencing. The findings establish a strong correlation between 3D genome misfolding, short tandem repeat instability, and pathologic gene disruption in these deadly and debilitating diseases, suggesting new research questions whose answers could improve diagnosis or treatment. The research was led by Jennifer E. Phillips-Cremins, assistant professor in Penn Engineering's Department of Bioengineering and in the Perelman School of Medicine's Department of Genetics, along with James Sun and Linda Zhou, members of her lab. Their study was published in the journal Cell. At the core of the mystery behind TNR diseases is what causes their repeating sequences to pathologically expand. The same exact repeating patterns appear in hundreds of thousands of other locations along the linear genome, in genes and non-coding regions alike, but are not known to become unstable. "I wanted to work on this project because I was fascinated by the idea that 3D genome folding?--?something I had barely even heard of before joining the Cremins lab?--?could be the missing piece to understanding why certain parts of the genome behave the way they do," Zhou says. "In this case, why can repetitive DNA in certain genes become unstable while others do not?" Mapping the DNA's 3D folding patterns has only recently become possible, so the genes related to TNR diseases have predominantly been studied via their linear sequences. The researchers' findings were enabled by the Cremins Lab's technique for producing genome folding maps. By fixing the DNA such that its 3D folding patterns are preserved prior to sequencing, two distant parts of the linear sequence will end up in the same string of hybrid DNA and will thus be detected together when the DNA is sequenced. Statistically mapping these associations provides a high-definition picture of which disparate parts of a linear sequence are in physical contact?--?and thus can affect one another's gene expression?--?when the genome is in its folded state. Zoomed out, this map looks like a line of densely packed cities, set off from one another by stretches of highway. Each of these "cities" is a topologically associated domain, or TAD, and contains sequences that are in physical contact with one another. The highways between the cities are known as boundaries; they contain linker sequences that physically prevent neighboring TADs from interacting with one another. In trying to determine what makes the unstable repeats associated with TNR diseases different from their stable counterparts, the researchers considered whether their location with respect to genome folding patterns played a role. "Every human individual has hundreds of thousands of short tandem repeat tracts distributed throughout their genome. The repeats exhibit wide variation in sequence, location in the gene body, normal and mutation length ranges, the cell types they affect and the phenotypes they produce," Phillips-Cremins says. "But, for the handful of short tandem repeat tracts known to grow unstable in disease, nearly all are localized specifically to genome folding boundaries." The strength of this correlation immediately raised questions of causality for the researchers: do boundaries provide a local environment where the genome is susceptible to repeats, or do the repeats determine the location of a boundary in some way? "Recent studies have provided strong evidence that the 3D genome can be misfolded in specific cancers and disorders of limb development," Phillips-Cremins says. "As we initiated our studies to understand the cause-and-effect relationship between boundary placement and repeat expansion, we also began to wonder if we would observe topological changes in TNR diseases or if the boundaries remained intact at the locations of repeat instability." Collaborating with Beverly Davidson of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Flora Tassone of UC Davis, Phillips-Cremins and her co-authors studied brain tissue and B cells donated from patients with Fragile X syndrome and compared them to cells donated by their healthy siblings. "We discovered that in Fragile X Syndrome, the leading cause of intellectual disability in the United States, the DNA is misfolded at precisely the same location where the genetic defect and pathogenic gene silencing occurs," Sun says. "This finding raises the profile of many important questions about the relationship between genome folding, repeat expansion, and gene silencing, which we hope will one day lead to insights that might inspire therapeutic options for children affected with the disease." That the boundary home to the Fragile X gene is destroyed is highly suggestive that this change is related to the disease's gene silencing. Questions of causality will need to be addressed before researchers fully understand folding's role. The recently developed gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 will enable Phillips-Cremins and her colleagues to conduct experiments that explore the potential causal role of the 3D genome in repeat expansion. "We're tremendously excited to examine whether and how the 3D genome misfolding in Fragile X syndrome is causally linked to the silencing of gene expression in this disease. In our ongoing studies, we want to determine if gene silencing disrupts the boundary, or if boundary disruption silences the gene," Phillips-Cremins says. "Mechanistic studies have predominantly focused on the linear DNA thus far, but we can now add a new third dimension to understanding the genetic underpinnings of TNR diseases." ### Cremins Lab members Daniel Emerson, Sai Phyo, Katelyn Titus, Wanfeng Gong, Thomas Gilgengast and Jonathan Beagan also contributed to this study. This research was funded by The New York Stem Cell Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Institutes of Health through a NIH Director's New Innovator Award (1DP2MH11024701), a 4D Nucleome Common Fund grant (1U01HL12999801), a research project grant (R01 GM113929), and a joint National Science Foundation?--?National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant to support research at the interface of the biological and mathematical sciences (1562665). Phillips-Cremins is a New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Robertson Investigator and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. (9/17/2018) - 27-year-old Matthew Warady, of Flint, will spend the next ten years in prison. He was charged in February 2017 with assault with intent to murder, felony firearms, possession of a firearm and carrying concealed. The Genesee County Parks Rangers arrested Warady just days after he allegedly tried to kill a 37-year-old woman in the parking lot at Stepping Stone Falls in Genesee Township. Per a plea agreement, two of Warady's charges were dropped. The Flint man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison. A sentence the woman he tried to kill agreed with. Genesee County Assistant Prosecutor Sara Coaster explained, "She is perfectly fine with us moving forward with this deal today. Ten years is what she had asked for. Ten years is what we got her. And, ten years is what this defendant deserves." The Genesee County Parks Rangers say they were called to the parking lot at Stepping Stone Falls after midnight. The woman called 911 around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. in the morning, when the park was closed. She told them Warady wouldn't let her out of his car. Just minutes after she hung up, she called again. She had been shot. Police say Warady ran, leaving her for dead; but they were able to get to the woman in time and rush her to the hospital. She survived, but was expected to be paralyzed for the rest of her life. Once again, the woman defied the odds, something she told to the court through the assistant prosecutor Monday. "She wished that we reiterate to the court, first of all, how devastating of an impact that this did have on her life. And, how grateful she is to even be learning to walk again," Coaster said. "She knows that basically that is all on her and her strength and the fact that she is able to do that is truly a miracle; and, that's what she expressed to the court, that's what she wished the court to consider again." Warady will spend the next ten years behind bars on charges of assault with intent to murder and felony firearms. The woman told us over the phone that she is in now living in another state and doing much better. From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Tuesday, September 18, 2018 Asma Ali, of AA & Associates, and Grisel Robles-Schrader, of Northwestern University, from Chicago. Along with many colleagues, we are core members of the Latinx Responsive Evaluation Discourse (LaRED) Topical Interest Group. As members of LaRED, we are often asked whether the group is only for Latinx evaluators. By design, LaRED is inclusive of both Latinx evaluators and those who are interested in being allies for Latinx communities. We have been thinking about what this means as our TIG has evolved. defines an ally as a person who supports, empowers, or stands up for another person or a group. Although we each bring different perspectives and experiences to our work as a 1st generation Latina and a first generation Indian-American women, our evaluation work has called us to be allies alongside diverse communities through our AEA efforts. AEA TIGs offer unique opportunities for evaluators to develop alliances across various intersectional dimensions, such as communities of shared characteristics or evaluation approaches. Many people feel that the word ally has lost its meaning because it is overused. For us, being an evaluation ally is entwined with our everyday professional and personal roles. Being an ally requires careful consideration of our own role(s) in relationship to the goals and advancement of diverse community groups. As we reflect on our ally role, we have compiled some tips for active engagement as an evaluation ally: Hot Tips: Approaches & Reflections in Your Allyship Journey Seek Out Opportunities to Learn. Take time to learn about different cultures, communities and histories. Evaluators often have the opportunity to connect with people that have different experiences from their own. Embracing learning from others, examining our own biases, and reflecting on the privileges we bring to different spaces is often part of an evaluators role. Engage Diverse Perspectives. Engage diverse stakeholders in all phases of evaluation. Stakeholders provide valuable insights that can inform the process and results. They can champion evaluation efforts and provide feedback on the feasibility and relevance of evaluation recommendations. Use Your Expertise. As an ally, you may be called to actively advocate for issues that are important to the community. This may done through your evaluation work or other roles with stakeholders. Handle Missteps. Inevitably when working with diverse groups, missteps and misunderstandings are likely to occur. Staying engaged, being open to feedback, asking questions, and learning together are critical in evaluation ally work. For more resources Are there evaluation experiences where you have served as an ally to another group? What was your role? What did you learn? The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Latina/o Responsive Evaluation Discourse TIG Week. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from LA RED Topical Interest Group members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. This is, of AA & Associates, andrader, of Northwestern University, from Chicago. Along with many colleagues, we are core members of the Latinx Responsive Evaluation Discourse (LaRED) Topical Interest Group. As members of LaRED, we are often asked whether the group is only for Latinx evaluators. By design, LaRED is inclusive ofLatinx evaluatorsthose who are interested in being allies for Latinx communities. We have been thinking about what this means as our TIG has evolved. The Community Toolbox defines an ally as a person who supports, empowers, or stands up for another person or a group.Although we each bring different perspectives and experiences to our work as a 1st generation Latina and a first generation Indian-American women, our evaluation work has called us to be allies alongside diverse communities through our AEA efforts.AEA TIGs offer unique opportunities for evaluators to develop alliances across various intersectional dimensions, such as communities of shared characteristics or evaluation approaches. Many people feel that the word ally has lost its meaning because it is overused. For us, being an evaluation ally is entwined with our everyday professional and personal roles. Being an ally requires careful consideration of our own role(s) in relationship to the goals and advancement of diverse community groups. As we reflect on our ally role, we have compiled some tips for active engagement as an evaluation ally:Take time to learn about different cultures, communities and histories. Evaluators often have the opportunity to connect with people that have different experiences from their own. Embracing learning from others, examining our own biases, and reflecting on the privileges we bring to different spaces is often part of an evaluators role. Learn more here Engage diverse stakeholders in all phases of evaluation. Stakeholders provide valuable insights that can inform the process and results. They can champion evaluation efforts and provide feedback on the feasibility and relevance of evaluation recommendations. Learn more here. As an ally, you may be called to actively advocate for issues that are important to the community. This may done through your evaluation work or other roles with stakeholders. Learn more here. Inevitably when working with diverse groups, missteps and misunderstandings are likely to occur. Staying engaged, being open to feedback, asking questions, and learning together are critical in evaluation ally work. For more resources click here. Are there evaluation experiences where you have served as an ally to another group? What was your role? What did you learn?The American Evaluation Association is celebrating. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from LA RED Topical Interest Group members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. Yom Kippur is the second of the two High Holidays in Judaism. It is celebrated 10 days after Rosh Hashanah. Have a Mindful Yom Kippur Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the most significant time in the Jewish year. This time of year is set aside for repentance, forgiveness, and renewal. This High Holiday period calls for purifying souls and beginning a new life with a fresh start. This is a holy time of year. All people are called to show reverence to all people and reflect on these magnificent tenants of this ancient religion; repentance, forgiveness, and renewal. A bleak rural American landscape, a family marked by tragedy, a pair of estranged brothers effecting a tentative rapprochement we're talking about a play by the late Sam Shepard, right? Actually, it's a debut novel by Randy Kennedy, former arts journalist for the New York Times. In Presidio, Kennedy emphasizes mood over plot, but his characters are strangely beguiling, with their trundling through "the featureless geography of West Texas" serving to magnify the hollowed-out nature of their inner selves. "Did you ever think to check behind the backseat? Of course you didn't. Neither did I because you don't think about a thing like that, looking behind the seat of a car for a child asleep when you're stealing a car." These words are spoken (more likely barked) by Troy Falconer, addressing his brother Harlan as they stomp around on the edge of a cow pasture somewhere in the Texas Panhandle and try to come to grips with their parlous situation. You might think a New Yorker (these days, the author serves as special projects director for an art gallery in the Big Apple) is hardly well suited to pen a Texas-set tale of emptiness and existentialism. But Kennedy isn't just any New Yorker; he was born in San Antonio and raised in the small Llano Estacado town of Plains. Presidio By Randy Kennedy Touchstone, $26 See More Collapse "Presidio" brims with detailed descriptions of the landscape, roadways and automobiles of the Panhandle - including the Llano - in 1972, during which time the story takes place. The author also memorably captures region-specific minutiae. Take Harlan's teeth, which are "permanently discolored with brownish yellow striations caused by the heavy natural fluoridation of the plains groundwater." Or a man's eyeglasses, "the brown half-tinted kind that are supposed to go clear indoors but that remain obscured much longer in West Texas because of the ferocity of the sunshine they have been defying." Itinerant, 30-something Troy, whose life is spent in and between Panhandle motels, and who makes off with the car and personal possessions of a carefully selected guest at each one, sets out to reconnect with his younger brother Harlan - also in his 30s - in their (fictional) hometown of New Cona, near Lubbock. Harlan, who's fallen on hard times, wants to locate his wife, who's run off with his money. As the story progresses, the reader learns that Troy was in cahoots with her before she double-crossed him; he, too, doesn't know her whereabouts, though the border town of Presidio is a possibility. Meanwhile, in Mexico, farmer Aron Zacharias falls out with his old-school Mennonite peers and leaves the conservative Christian community - but not before taking one of his children, 9-year-old Martha, with him. When he is eventually arrested by the Mexican authorities for kidnapping, Martha is sent to live with an aunt in Tahoka, Texas - only to be kidnapped again, this time by the unwitting (or is it witless?) Troy and Harlan. Upon being discovered, Martha insists that the brothers take her to El Paso, where she believes she will reunite with her father. What proves more significant than this plot development is the interiority of Troy, Martha, Harlan, and Aron, to which an omniscient narrator periodically grants the reader access. Simultaneously, Troy's diary-like notes charting events leading up to the unfolding story provide added depth as well as a faint element of foreboding. There's no question that, had Kennedy chosen to have his protagonists embark on a quest for unattainable redemption, as opposed to a road trip geared toward achieving tangible goals, he would have imbued his tale with a sense of metaphysical hopelessness. Nevertheless, "Presidio's" characters maintain an appropriately world-weary aura throughout, and sometimes seem resigned to the inevitability of failure. Moreover, the author demonstrates a keen understanding that his tale of wayward souls in stolen cars requires an ending that's more than a little downbeat. This takes the form of a violent encounter born of a terrible misunderstanding in - where else? - Presidio. Rayyan Al-Shawaf is a Lebanon-based book critic. His debut novel, When All Else Fails, will be published by Interlink Books in March 2019. As a licensed professional counselor in Monte Vista, Ceasar Garza recognized the need for a cafe to meet the breakfast and lunch needs of busy professionals in the neighborhood. So he opened one of his own. Luz Mia Restaurante opened its doors last week, a modest 30-seat cafe serving breakfast tacos, chilaquiles plates, carne guisada, fajitas, enchiladas and daily American-style lunch specials from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Garza plans to add dinner hours four or five months down the road. Garza said the cafe, adjacent to his McCullough Center for Mental Health, is a tribute to his mother, Maria Espinoza Cuellar, affectionately known as Maria de la Luz. RELATED: Review: Grace, grease and greatness at Garcias Mexican Food On the menu: A trio of breakfast tacos proved that Luz Mia has the soul and price points of a neighborhood taqueria, with well-executed combinations of potato and egg ($1.85), bean and cheese ($1.60) and wiener and egg ($1.75). The key? Thick, handmade flour tortillas with fresh bakery fluff, bounce and sunspot toasting. A plate of chilaquiles brought together eggs, pico de gallo and fried tortilla pieces broiled until a layer of cheese melted and began to form a crust. Served with fried potatoes, refried beans and two fresh tortillas, it was a solid value at $6.50. For $2.95, add big, tender chunks of carne guisada in lightly salted brown gravy. Thoughts of lunch led to a carne asada a la mexicana taco ($3.25) packed so full of seared steak and sauteed pico de gallo that it needed a plate of its own, served on a sturdy, pliable handmade corn tortilla. Fans of the classic Ro-Tel/Velveeta model of chile con queso will appreciate Luz Mias version ($5.99), and the cafe makes its own spicy jalapeno verde and mild tomato red salsas. RELATED: Review: Boudros on the River Walk is showing its age And for a shop less than 10 days old, Luz Mia turned out a properly old-school Mexican Plate ($8.25) with rice, beans, fresh tortillas, a beef taco in a freshly fried shell and two enchiladas with good cheddar in a tomato-chile gravy. The restaurant will rotate American-style specials to see what works best, from hamburger steak with mushroom gravy to chicken-fried steak to burgers, Garza said. A guacamole burger ($8.99 with thin-cut homefries) made a strong case to join the main menu, with a tall patty of fresh seasoned beef on a broad sesame bun with creamy guacamole as radiantly green as the potted tropicals on the sidewalk. Location: 138 E. Mistletoe Ave., 210-612-5626, Facebook: Luz Mia Restaurante Hours: 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Breakfast served until 10:30. Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic. Read more of his stories on mysanantonio.com and ExpressNews.com, our subscriber site. | msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking The University of Texas at San Antonio is planning a major downtown expansion on city and county land fueled by millions of dollars in state funding - some already committed, some dependent on future action by the Legislature. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff announced Tuesday their commitment to transfer to the university more than 5 acres bounded by South Santa Rosa Avenue and Dolorosa, South Flores and West Nueva streets. This represents a partnership that you rarely ever find in public higher education, where governmental entities like this are behaving in a bold way to do something big and audacious in concert with the university to help realize the opportunity that is before us, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy told the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board in a briefing Monday. The parcels belonging to the city will become the locations of the universitys $33 million National Security Collaboration Center and $57 million School of Data Science. The UT System Board of Regents committed $70 million from the states Permanent University Fund at its Sept. 6 meeting for both projects. Now Playing: This animation illustrates the major downtown expansion at The University of Texas at San Antonio is fueled by millions of dollars in state funds and gifts. Video: San Antonio Express-News Businessman Graham Weston, meanwhile, has pledged $15 million toward the School of Data Science, his largest one-time personal donation to a single project and the universitys largest-ever cash gift, Eighmy said. Eighmy said details are still being finalized, but Sculley said the university will purchase the city land for $7.3 million with the expectation that the city will donate other property on Frio Street in the future as part of a proposed second phase of UTSA development. Such an acquisition will need approval from City Council, she said. The county land, valued at about $5.7 million, would be the site of a new College of Business the university wants to build, with officials saying they were optimistic the Legislature would approve $126 million in tuition revenue bonds for that purpose. If legislators do not, however, Eighmy said the university would turn to philanthropy. Asked how the county would be compensated for its land, Wolff said officials were looking at collaborative arrangements in its agreement with the university but provided no specifics. Companies have been forced to leave San Antonio because they couldnt recruit qualified local employees, said Weston, who has been devoted to building a technology hub in San Antonio and rehabilitating downtown. Programs like UTSAs are crucial for that development because they strengthen the pipeline from college to the workforce, he said. This is the biggest announcement in downtown in 50 years, Weston said Tuesday. This is a city emerging into the world stage right now. His real estate development firm, Weston Urban, is working with Frost Bank to build its new headquarters downtown, about two blocks north of the proposed UTSA expansion. Weston Urban has accumulated several more acres along San Pedro Creek. The county land is the site of a privately run detention center housing federal detainees. The county already had plans in the works to move them to an annex currently being built at Bexar County Jail. The city and university also plan to create private housing, not dorms, for faculty and students under a future public-private partnership at the site of the old Continental Hotel on Commerce Street. The university expects all of this first phase of expansion to be finished by 2023. A second growth phase is expected to roll out between 2023 and 2028 involving major construction west of its existing downtown campus, more than doubling it in size. Leaders anticipate the expansion will aid UTSA in its pursuit of an elite designation called Tier One status. In 2009, legislators designated UTSA and several other Texas colleges as emerging research universities and established a pot of funds for the universities to unlock as they meet certain benchmarks. Nirenberg said the hope for lawmakers cooperation in authorizing the tuition revenue bonds to build the College of Business was bolstered by a visit with Gov. Greg Abbott in June, when the first thing he mentioned was his agreement with the vision Taylors brought to expanding and achieving Tier One status at UTSA. The city, county and university leaders also pointed to a downtown transformation in Phoenix after Arizona State University created a new campus downtown. It drew more than 10,000 students, reinvigorated a sleepy downtown and contributed to sales tax revenue growth. For UTSA to be downtown San Antonio is a game changer, Sculley said. Thousands of students now in the downtown has totally transformed Phoenix and this has the same potential to be transformative. The universitys growth will add to efforts by San Antonio and Bexar County to spur development along San Pedro Creek, which they are in the process of turning into a landscaped leisure trail at a cost of $175 million. The hope is that the rehabilitated creek will bring new life to the western edge of downtown, now dotted with parking lots and empty storefronts. A new federal courthouse is set to be built across the street from UTSA's proposed addition there. The city also plans to spend $9.2 million for the redevelopment of the Alameda Theater on the creek to serve as headquarters for Texas Public Radio. UTSA has been working to make the downtown campus more optimal for students to complete their coursework without having to go to the main campus about 20 miles northwest, just inside Loop 1604. This years incoming students in the universitys colleges of public policy and architecture, construction and planning can fulfill degree requirements entirely downtown, university officials have said. The university also has announced partnerships with the Tobin Lofts and Doubletree by Hilton San Antonio to offer housing to downtown campus students. The idea is to make life very amendable for folks who want to live downtown. A lot of our students are very interested in this, Eighmy said. A lot of our younger faculty are very interested in this. They like the idea of being in a vibrant downtown corridor. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva The Sandra Kay, a clunky-looking dredge made of metal beams and cables, moves slowly over the surface of a murky pond in southeastern Montgomery County. Its odd appearance notwithstanding, this floating contraption is a vital tool in a flourishing industry that fuels the construction of roads, bridges and buildings around the world. The Sandra Kay is owned and operated by Hallett Materials, which runs one of the largest sand mining operations on the San Jacinto River. Workers extract about 1.2 million tons of sand per year from Halletts 1,100-acre property near Porter one of about 30 similar operations on the east and west forks of the San Jacinto upstream from Lake Houston, according to state data. Sand is a key ingredient in concrete and asphalt, the basic building materials of a growing metropolitan region. Demand for the product is insatiable. Except for some weekend breaks, the Hallett facility operates 24/7. Theres a lot of concrete being poured in the Houston area, said Tim Mallicoat, the chief operating officer for the Rasmussen Group, Halletts parent company. Over the past year, though, concern that sand mines may have worsened floods triggered by Hurricane Harvey has brought renewed scrutiny to the industry, which now faces pressure to embrace practices used elsewhere to protect the environmentally sensitive areas where the mines operate. Legislators representing affected communities say they will push for stricter regulation when the Legislature reconvenes in January. The current fines are not robust enough to discourage illegal dumping and poor business practices, said state Rep. Dan Huberty, a Kingswood Republican who sponsored a 2011 law that imposed the first state licensing requirements on sand and gravel mines. Huberty said he and Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, intend to push for more regulation in the coming session. Read more: As sand shrinks river capacity, Kingwood residents feel like sitting ducks for floods The sand and gravel industry, backed by some experts, has consistently maintained that its operations were not responsible for the sedimentation of the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston, which reduced the capacity of those waterways to hold floodwaters during Harvey. Nevertheless, industry leaders have met with Huberty and Creighton and are prepared to work with lawmakers on a common-sense approach to regulation, said David Perkins, the executive director of the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association, or TACA. Continuing that dialogue as we lead into the session is critical, Perkins said. Concern about sand mines on the San Jacinto River, however, didnt start with Harvey. Years earlier, environmental groups were sounding alarms about the impact of the growing industry. In 2006, American Rivers, a nonprofit focused on keeping the nations streams healthy, included the San Jacinto River on its annual list of the nations 10 most endangered waterways. Its report said nothing about the best-known environmental problem on the river: the San Jacinto waste pits, a carcinogen-laden Superfund site near Baytown, miles downstream from the Lake Houston dam. Instead, the report focused on sand mines. Sand mining threatens to permanently damage the San Jacinto watershed, the report stated. Sedimentation caused by the sand mines, it said, increased turbidity, or cloudiness, in the river and downstream in Galveston Bay, harming fish, freshwater mussels and other aquatic life while reducing the supply of drinking water available from Lake Houston. Editorial: Texas needs a sand plan for preventing floods Ten years after the American Rivers report, another national conservation group called the sand and gravel industry a major threat to water quality in the west fork of the San Jacinto River. The rivers east and west forks originate in Walker County, flow through Montgomery County and merge near Lake Houston; from there, the river flows southeast to Galveston Bay. The 2016 report by the Trust for Public Land noted that mining operations use open pits that remove topsoil and completely eliminate vegetation. It said the portion of the west forks floodplain affected by sand mining had grown from 7 percent in 1995 to 25 percent in 2014. Similar concerns are emerging around the world as development gobbles up a resource once seen as virtually inexhaustible. Humans consume nearly 50 billion tons of sand and gravel every year, most of it used to make concrete, journalist Vince Beiser writes in a new book, The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How it Transformed Civilization. Beiser notes the ubiquity of a substance that few people consider except when they go to the beach: Take a glance out the window, he writes. All those other buildings you see are also made from sand. So is the glass in that window. So are the miles of asphalt roads that connect all those buildings. So are the silicon chips that are the brains of your computer and smartphone. Mining the sand needed to make these products, Beiser writes, has exacted a cost: All around the world, sand mining is slaughtering river-dwelling fish and birds, damaging coral reefs, undermining bridges and causing riverbanks to collapse. The potential for effects like these on the San Jacinto River troubled Jennifer Lorenz when she was the executive director of the Houston-based Bayou Land Conservancy, which works to conserve land adjacent to the areas waterways. The 2006 American Rivers report was based in part on Lorenzs research. Around the time the report came out, Lorenz said, she and others urged state legislators to regulate the industry. Those efforts led to passage of a 2011 bill requiring so-called aggregate processing operations sand and gravel mines to register with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Lorenz, now a nonprofit consultant, said the 2011 law was a first step toward effective regulation. But additional requirements and stronger enforcement, including stiffer fines, are badly needed, she said. The law was basically a hand slap, Lorenz said. We didnt get a hammer; we got a teeny-tiny nail. The TCEQ conducted 251 surveys of sand and gravel mines in 2017, issued 143 notices of violations and assessed $291,201 in penalties, according to its annual enforcement report. Most of the violations involved discharges that occurred when dikes separating mines from rivers were breached. Most penalties were in the range of $4,000 to $6,000 per violation, agency records show. Huberty, the Kingwood state legislator, pointed to best practices for sand and gravel mining in Louisiana as a possible model for Texas. These practices, developed jointly by the state and industry leaders, include planting vegetation on stream banks to reduce erosion and maintaining a minimum 100-foot buffer zone between mines and streams. Bob Rehak, a Kingwood retiree who has spent much of the year since Harvey researching sand mining and its effects on the San Jacinto River, has developed his own list of recommended practices. He posted them on his website, reduceflooding.com, which has become a go-to resource about Harvey and flooding issues for Lake Houston-area residents. Rehak said the mines should be moved out of floodways, where most of those on the San Jacinto are located. (Floodways are the areas of swiftly flowing water at the center of floodplains.) He also called for requiring performance bonds to reduce cleanup costs, increasing the width of dikes separating mines from rivers, and decreasing the slope of the dikes. In addition to potential new regulations, Huberty sees potential for collaborative efforts that would benefit the sand mining industry and the surrounding communities. The industry, he said, could use its equipment and expertise to dredge silted-up rivers such as the San Jacinto, then process and sell the dredged sand. Such an arrangement could save taxpayers a lot of money. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently began a $69.8 million, federally funded dredging project on a 2-mile stretch of the San Jacinto River near Lake Houston. The $2.5 billion flood bond package passed by Harris County voters on Aug. 25 includes $50 million for potential additional dredging of the San Jacinto. Rehak estimated that dredging the entire affected area could cost $270 million or more. Experts agree that siltation upstream from the Lake Houston dam will continue when the dredging project is finished. Perkins, the industry spokesman, said the companies he represents are eager to assist with dredging projects. The public would benefit through a cleaner river with greater capacity, while the companies involved could process and sell the removed material. Pushback: Sand mining industry answers critics as cause of Harvey flooding TACA has pushed back against allegations that its members operations were a key factor in the sedimentation of the San Jacinto River during and after Harvey. The organization argues that the water that flows into its excavations during floods doesnt move fast enough to carry sand back into the river. Two experts a private hydrologist and an Army Corps hydraulic engineer have publicly supported the industrys position, saying most of the sand clogging the San Jacinto came from Cypress Creek, which joins the San Jacinto just upstream of Lake Houston. Rehak said these arguments are based on faulty assumptions, and a number of elected officials representing the area remain unconvinced. Whatever the source of the sedimentation in the river, its effects on water quality have not been studied extensively. Justin Bower, a senior planner for the Houston-Galveston Area Council, serves as the project manager for an ongoing study of the rivers west fork. But the study focuses mostly on fecal bacteria from development in the watershed rather than sediment, Bower said. However, Bower said, its clear that sediment deposits can harm aquatic life by decreasing the amount of light that penetrates to the river bottom. The absence of light can also allow harmful bacteria to flourish, he said. When you have an excess of sediment, Bower said, thats usually a negative thing. Sedimentation also creates challenges for Houstons water treatment plant on Lake Houston, which supplies 10 percent to 15 percent of the citys drinking water. Drew Molly, an assistant director in the city water department, said water with high turbidity levels must be treated with additional chemicals that enable the suspended solids to drop out. This issue is much more extreme on Lake Houston than at the citys two other water treatment plants, he said. mike.snyder@chron.com Stacey Feldman and her 3-year-old daughter sat on a playground Monday near Brackenridge Park, determined to stay as far away as they could from the swarms of mosquitoes that appear to have infested the entire city. They avoided going any closer to the park, of which Feldman described the mosquito population as horrible. While they seemed to be safe from the insects, she warily eyed a puddle some yards away where they could emerge. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and health officials called on the public to look for such breeding grounds and report them to 311, the citys assistance number. They also urged people to empty anything outside that has collected water. With San Antonio enduring the second-wettest September on record, conditions are optimal for mosquito breeding. On Monday, during a respite from rains that soaked the region again, city officials had their first opportunity to start combating the proliferation of mosquitoes. With record rains come record mosquitoes, said Colleen Bridger, director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. We have been waiting for it to stop raining so we can get our folks out there and start to address this growing mosquito population. Related: UT Health San Antonio researchers link 'zombie cells' to Alzheimer's Bridger said the city is sending out crews to treat areas known for standing water. Their most effective method is targeting puddles with mosquito dunks, doughnut-shaped pods that kill larvae before they can become carriers of disease. Insecticide spraying is also being used in some areas. Supplies of the dunks have been distributed to City Council district offices, she said. Health officials have been on the lookout for potential cases of two mosquito-borne diseases: the West Nile and Zika viruses. No human cases have been reported here this year, Bridger said. Last year, Bexar County reported four people infected with Zika, all of whom contracted it while traveling abroad. The disease is a threat particularly to pregnant women because it has been linked to microcephaly the development of an abnormally small head and other birth defects in newborns. West Nile, far more common than Zika in the U.S., can cause mild flu-like symptoms. Most healthy people who contract it can recover without medical help. Bridger said West Nile is more of a danger to the elderly, children and those with compromised immune systems. People can cut down on mosquitoes around their homes by dumping all sources, no matter how small, of standing water, such as birdbaths, watering cans and saucers under flowerpots, Bridger said. She also suggested drying the empty containers with a towel, a step that should be repeated with every bout of rain. It just takes a couple of drops of water, Bridger said. She also encouraged people to protect themselves by wearing insect repellent and long sleeves and pants while outdoors. With more rain expected this weekend, Feldman said she has dug out her bug spray and disposed of standing water, doing what she can to stop the pests, which are abundant near her Mahncke Park home. We try to keep up with the water, but theres been so much rain lately, Feldman said. 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 The mother of a young woman found dead after a catastrophic apartment fire in San Marcos has sued the property owner and managers. Marisela Rodriguez, the mother of Belinda Moats, is seeking more than $1 million in damages. Moats, 21, a former Texas State University student from Big Wells, was one of five victims found dead in the rubble of Iconic Village Apartments. Authorities havent yet determined what caused the inferno, which ripped through the apartments two hours before dawn July 20. Lab tests likely wont be complete until late October, they said. Moats father, Thomas Moats of Big Wells, isnt named as a plaintiff in Rodriguezs lawsuit. Belinda Moats was the last to be identified among the five victims who perished. She was officially identified when her remains were matched with her mothers DNA, the lawsuit said. Moats mother has intervened in a lawsuit that another victims father filed against San Marcos Green Investors LLC, Elevate Multifamily LLC, Deborah Jones of Austin and Thomas Steubing Jr. of New Braunfels. That lawsuit was lodged July 30 by Arkansas resident Phillip Miranda. His son, James Phillip Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant, also was found dead after the blaze. San Marcos Green owns the apartment property, while Elevate Multifamily is the property manager. Jones and Steubing work as managers at the apartments leasing office. Houston attorney Jennifer Akre, who represents all the defendants, has declined to comment. In court papers, the defendants have denied any wrongdoing and said the fire was caused by acts, omissions or negligence of others over whom they have no control or legal responsibility. Eight survivors who escaped the blaze have joined Mirandas lawsuit. They include Benjamin Munoz, Abril Cardenas, Christina Martinez, Pablo Torres, Michelle Trevino and Beth Conboy all of whom fled from Building 500, where the fire erupted and where the five victims bodies were later found. Also joining the case are Sean Kinder and Ashley Gutierrez, who escaped from another building at Vintage Pads Apartments next door, where the flames later spread. Rodriguezs lawsuit, filed Sept. 11, claims Moats was trapped and killed in the fire. The lawsuit said the apartments fire alarms failed to activate and warn all residents, including Moats, of the emergency. It also said the apartments lacked a functioning and adequate fire suppression system. San Marcos city code didnt require the apartments to be retrofitted with sprinklers unless they underwent significant renovations. The complex was built in 1970. Separate lawsuits were filed last month against the apartments owner and managers by Deona Jo and Karl Sutterfield, whose son, Zachary Sutterfield, 20, of San Angelo, suffered severe burns in the fire, and by Zachary Rosenfeld and Steven Mroski, two tenants hurt while fleeing the blaze. All of the lawsuits have been filed in Travis County. Autopsy results showing how Moats, Miranda and three others died are still pending. The other victims were Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio, Haley Michele Frizzell, 19, of San Angelo, and David Angel Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena. Peggy OHare is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare Workers this week are installing sprinklers inside a 1960s-era condominium tower in San Antonio, making it the first older high-rise to comply with a city ordinance aimed at preventing fatalities during fires. The City Council passed the law in 2015 in response to a fire a year earlier that killed five residents of the Wedgwood Senior Apartments. That 11-story building had sprinklers only in the basement. The Wedgwood is in Castle Hills, but fire officials in San Antonio saw the tragedy as a wake-up call and started to push for sprinklers in older buildings. They identified about 30 high-rises, residential and commercial, that were built before 1982, the year San Antonio first mandated sprinkler protection in new high-rises. Of those 30, eight are residential: Four condo buildings; three rent-subsidized apartment buildings owned by the San Antonio Housing Authority, and one privately owned apartment building, the Aurora Apartments, where rents for some of the 105 units are also government-subsidized. The remainder are commercial buildings. Under the citys ordinance, a building is classified as a high-rise if it is 75 feet, or about seven or eight floors, or taller. That height is beyond where fire equipment usually can reach from the ground level. More Information Residential high-rises that lack sprinklers: Aurora Apartments, 509 Howard Street Fair Avenue Apartments (SAHA), 1215 Fair Avenue Four Thousand One Condos, 4001 N. New Braunfels Northview Tower Condos, 7039 San Pedro Avenue Olmos Tower Condominiums, 700 E. Hildebrand Victoria Plaza (SAHA), 411 Barrera Villa Tranchese Apartments (SAHA) 307 Marshall Wurzbach Tower Condos, 7701 Wurzbach Road See More Collapse Studies show the risk of dying in a residential fire drops by 80 percent when sprinklers are present, according to the National Fire Protection Association. San Antonio does not require older apartment complexes with fewer than seven floors to retrofit with sprinklers unless they undergo a major renovation, change the type of occupancy or the number of units, officials said. In recent months, such buildings have been the scene of fatal fires. All the high-rises have until 2027 to be retrofitted with sprinklers. The owners of the 15-story Olmos Tower Condomiums decided not to wait that long. They are having the sprinklers installed now in tandem with the remodeling of the lobby. The ceiling was opened, so we thought it would be smart and to go ahead and do it, said Bill Kanyusik, condo owner and a member of the five-person board of Olmos Tower. Built in 1966 on Hildebrand Avenue at Stadium Drive, it has 54 units and affords stunning views of the city. The owners are not, however, required to install sprinklers in individual units. Since the condos themselves are privately owned unlike apartments the building has to install sprinklers only in common areas, such as the hallways, lobby and clubhouse. Christopher Monestier, assistant chief of the San Antonio Fire Department, said such an arrangement is not as safe as having sprinklers in individual units. Granted, hallway sprinklers do protect those fleeing a fire and can stop a fire from spreading in common areas. But, obviously, unit sprinklers are safer, so we encourage and we recommend them, he said, estimating the cost to be about $3.50 to $7.50 a square foot. We were surprised there werent any takers (at Olmos). A compromise ordinance When the sprinkler ordinance was being drafted three years ago, various stakeholders met with city officials, Monestier said. At these meetings, condo owners argued they shouldnt have to install sprinklers at all. They felt their buildings were safe enough, he said. They worried about property damage from water leaking, damage to their expensive artwork. They even fought having sprinklers in the common areas. The condo owners finally agreed to a compromise that exempted them from having individual sprinklers, which mimics a similar ordinance in Houston, Monestier said. Kanyusik said none of the condos 47 owners, who together share management of the building, opted to get sprinklers inside their units, even those living on uppermost floors. The tower is concrete after concrete, he said of the building. Its a ton of cement, so we dont have a lot of structures that can burn. He said maintenance workers check the fire doors every day, and hallways are relatively short, making escape easier in the event of a fire. Every single unit is probably, at most, five to seven steps from the stairwell, said Kanyusik, who lives on the 15th floor and said he could escape to his concrete balcony to await firefighters, if need be. Theres a feeling our building is safe, so people thought it wasnt worth the expense. Kanyusik noted that Olmos Towers owners could change their minds at any time about adding sprinklers in their own units. The common-area sprinkler installation will cost $200,000, Kanyusik said, an expense split among the owners. They hired an engineering contractor and sprinkler installation company to do the job. Kanyusik said condo owners can rent out their units, if they want. However, no more than six units can be rented at any one time, so the building doesnt become like an investor-type property. Monestier said the fact private condo owners can rent their units sounds like a bit of a loophole that may have slipped past the ordinances authors. In the next year, the San Antonio Housing Authority will begin to add sprinklers in its three high-rise buildings, including every apartment, which total more 600, a SAHA spokeswoman said. Victoria Plaza, built in 1959, will be the first to be retrofitted, undertaken as part of a $16.5 million renovation. She said final approval for the project, which will also update the electrical system, air conditioning, flooring and windows, should come in October, with construction starting a month later. The two other properties will be renovated and retrofitted early next year. Deadly fires at shorter buildings Since 2003, all new apartment buildings, multifamily dwellings and hotels in San Antonio must be equipped with sprinklers, regardless of how many stories they are. That still leaves older apartment complexes that are shorter than high-rises without any requirement to retrofit with sprinklers. Monestier said such a mandate would be so costly it would destroy the affordable housing industry in San Antonio. The need for sprinklers even in shorter buildings was recently underscored by a deadly fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos, a two-story complex near Texas State University. Five people died on the second floor and several others were injured when they had to leap out of windows to escape. The cause is still under investigation. It didnt have sprinklers, which were not required when it was built in 1970. As in San Antonio, older apartment buildings in San Marcos dont have to be retrofitted with sprinklers, unless they undergo substantial renovation. A little over a month after the San Marcos fire, a fatal fire at a two-story apartment complex in San Antonio claimed the life of a 68-year-old woman. Two other renters were injured in a fire at Ashler Oaks Apartment, built in 1968, on the Northwest Side in the 4100 block of Parkdale Street. Officials said the cause was a cooking fire. At the Wedgwood, the scene of the tragedy that prompted the stronger sprinkler ordinance, the new owner is spending millions of dollars to renovate the 1965 building and will reopen it to seniors, probably in December 2019, five years after the fire. Owner Pat Biernacki said it will have a comprehensive fire protection system, with new fire alarms and sprinklers in all the units and common areas. The towers elevators will also be replaced. And hes creating a fire command center, a designated area on the property where fire crews can go. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | mstoeltje@express-news.net | Twitter: @mstoeltje Former Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau was sworn in Monday as U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas. As a crowd of deputy marshals, judges, dignitaries and court staff looked on at the federal courthouse in San Antonio, Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia administered the oath of office to Pamerleau, who was nominted to the post by President Donald Trump in April. The Senate confirmed her on Aug. 28, 2018. Three months after convicted felon Carlos Uresti vacated his state Senate seat, voters will choose his successor Tuesday in a race that could have important consequences for next years legislative session. Republican Pete Flores, a retired game warden, and Democrat Pete Gallego, a former U.S. and state representative, emerged from Julys special election in first and second place, respectively, from a field of 11, resulting in Tuesdays runoff. About 18,955 voters in Senate District 19 cast ballots during early voting last week, according to election officials in several counties. At least 6,391 more voted by mail. Some officials reported seeing a higher early voting turnout for the runoff than the special election. No one came out for the special election, said DAnn Green, clerk for Real County. Apparently they got the news that it is important. Related: County Court Judge Fleming submits his resignation again Early voting by county Atascosa: 1,390 Bexar: 8,430 Brewster: 1,149 Crockett: 188 Dimmit: 288 Edwards: 128 Frio: 217 Kinney: 166 Maverick: 786 Medina: 2,659 Pecos: 408 Real: 292 Reeves: 278 Terrell: 45 Uvalde: 887 Val Verde: 1,447 Zavala: 197 Source: County election officials See More Collapse Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The sprawling district encompasses all or parts of 17 counties, including a portion of San Antonio, large swaths of West Texas and 400 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. The winner of the runoff will serve the rest of Urestis term, which runs through 2020. The longtime lawmaker was sentenced in June to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme. The 31-seat Texas Senate currently has 20 Republicans and 10 Democrats. A win for Flores would further pad Republicans three-fifths supermajority in the chamber, which allows them to debate bills without Democratic support. I think everybody across the state is watching this race closely, and they should be, said Christian Archer, Gallegos campaign manager. Its an important election and its a weird, off-cycle election that has a lot of important consequences. Sixteen more state Senate seats are up for grabs in November. Of those, 13 are currently held by Republicans. Flores, who ran for the seat in 2016 and lost to Uresti, said he wants to prioritize property tax reform and transportation if he wins the seat. Gallego, who served a large portion of the district in Congress before losing to Rep. Will Hurd in 2014, said he would focus on public education, health care for seniors and veterans, and emphasizing small businesses in economic policy. Related: Bexar commissioners unanimously approve $1.7B spending plan Henry Flores, a professor emeritus of political science at St. Marys University, said Urestis absence makes the race a toss-up. Uresti first won the seat in 2006, and it has been held by a Democrat for more than two decades. The reason Uresti held it for so long is that Uresti has had a very good machine that operated there, said Flores, who ran Urestis first political campaign in 1997. So now with him gone you might even consider it an open seat. It could go either way. Pete Flores first-place finish in the special election has buoyed Republicans hopes. He received 34 percent of the votes to Gallegos 29 percent. Flores performed even better on voting day in the first round, overcoming an early voting deficit by collecting more votes than Gallego and third-place Democrat Roland Gutierrez combined. We feel good about where we are, Matt Mackowiak, a campaign consultant for Flores, said in a statement. If Republicans turn out on Tuesday, we will win and elect a conservative from SD-19 to the Texas Senate. Archer said Gallegos campaign remains confident theyll win. Weve looked at the numbers, were confident that we should have a lead after early voting, Archer said. The more people voting, the better it is for Pete Gallego. In August, Gallego fended off a bid by the Texas Republican Party to oust him from the ballot over his residency in the district. Gallego has said that he lives in Alpine, but his challengers cited his wifes residency in Austin. A state district judge dismissed that suit. Dylan McGuinness covers county government and local politics for the Express-News. Reach him at dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net and follow him on Twitter @DylMcGuinness. AUSTIN The spokesman for the state agency pushing greater awareness of sex trafficking trivialized allegations of high school-era sexual assault brought against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Marc Rylander, communications director for Attorney General Ken Paxton, retweeted, Judge Kavanaugh now being accused of kicking his mother several times while in the womb. In another retweet, he shared, Breaking: Democrats have a witness who says Kavanaugh cheated at Pin the Tail On the Donkey in Kindergarten class. The tweets were originally shared by Mark Simone, a conservative New York radio host. Now Playing: Brett Kavanaugh issued a statement after his accuser comes forward. Video: GeoBeats Rylander did not respond to requests for comment, although the tweet about Kavanaugh kicking his mother several times was deleted from his account Monday afternoon. The comments come after the sexual assault allegations surfaced from Christine Blasey Ford. She said Kavanaugh and another male classmate, both two years older than her, locked her in a bedroom during a high school party in suburban Maryland. She said Kavanaugh tried to pull off her clothes and covered her mouth. She said she escaped the room when the second boy jumped on the bed, causing them to tumble to the floor. Kavanaugh has said the alleged sexual assault never happened. MORE: Official Washington scrambles over Kavanaugh allegations Rylanders Twitter activity comes just weeks after Paxton released an ad that spoke to rape culture. The agency unveiled a commercial with actor Matthew McConaughey speaking to the gravity of the agencys concern over human and sex trafficking, an issue the agency says is a priority to prosecute. Nearly 79,000 Texas minors and youth are victims of sex trafficking, an activity that forces women into the sex trade and subjects them to commercialized sexual assault and rape. Paxton, a Republican, is up for re-election in November. He is running against Justin Nelson, a Democrat and Austin lawyer. Sexual assault is a crime of violence and abuse of power never a laughing matter. Another disgrace surrounding indicted Ken Paxton, Margaret Justus, a spokeswoman for Nelsons campaign, said in a written statement. Paxton was indicted in 2015 and is awaiting trial on a pair of first-degree felony securities fraud charges and a third charge of failing to register as an investment adviser. He is unlikely to face trial until after the November election. It has been almost a year since Hurricane Maria ravaged my beautiful island of Puerto Rico and her sister islands of Vieques and Culebra. In the midst of all the devastation, the suffering, the deaths, our people have not lost their hospitality, hope or sense of community. The islands are still in need of help and will be for many years, but Puerto Ricans are resilient, neighbors helping neighbors, all for one and one for all. And let me tell you, if you go anywhere to bring relief supplies, set up water filtration systems or help with rebuilding roofs and structures, you will be welcomed with a big smile, a hug and a loud, Hola! You will be offered a chair and a cafecito. People who are in dire need of help, who lack commodities you and I take for granted, are not only grateful but offer the little they have. And this is why I must address the comments made by President Donald Trump regarding Maria and its aftermath. They have hurt me deeply. Telling the governor of Puerto Rico in October that he should feel proud that only 16 people had died was cruel; comparing Maria to Katrina, which he said was a real catastrophe where thousands died, was the epitome of insensitivity. Saying, I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but youve thrown our budget a little out of whack. Thats fine, weve saved a lot of lives was heartless. As we now know, according to a reputable study, almost 3,000 Puerto Ricans have died after Maria. This is 40 percent more deaths than with Katrina. Is this a real catastrophe now? Last week, after being asked about Puerto Rico specifically, the president said, Puerto Rico was an incredible unsung success and one of the best jobs thats ever been done. So, almost 3,000 dead, people with blue tarps instead of roofs a year after Maria, water filtration systems still needed in many areas this is an unsung success? He attributed the increased estimate of dead to a Democratic conspiracy and also said: I think the hardest one that weve had to face so far is Puerto Rico, because of the island nature. Yes, we all know Puerto Rico is an island, and so is Haiti, where relief efforts after the devastating earthquake of 2010 were mobilized the next morning. Maria and that earthquake cannot be compared as far as disasters go, but the mission to Haiti is an example of how quickly relief efforts can be mobilized. And it is not just Puerto Rico and Vieques and Culebra. Lets not forget that Hurricane Irma first decimated the U.S. Virgin Islands. As for preparedness for Hurricane Florence, President Trump said: Were as ready as anybody has ever been and that unlike Puerto Rico, the states in the path of Florence have very strong power companies. Lets kick the victims while theyre down. This was offensive. We can discuss when, how and why one organization or federal agency did or did not do this or that. We can discuss Puerto Ricos poor infrastructure and problems with the electric grid. We can discuss logistics all we want. We can discuss the perceptions of aid from people inside and outside the island. We can discuss the timing and the results of the aid received. We can discuss the involvement of local government versus federal government. What is not up to discussion is that what happened in Puerto Rico is a real catastrophe, and empathy for fellow American citizens that have been impacted in such a horrendous manner will go a long way. I am not blaming President Trump for the damage caused by Maria, but I am incensed, outraged, offended and saddened by the presidents words. Sad that my island paradise, the pearl of the Caribbean, and her inhabitants have been disrespected, that the suffering that is still going on is touted as a success as a win. It is not too much to ask our president that when fellow Americans have suffered and continue to suffer, he stand up and listen. Words do matter. Admitting things could have been better would not have made him look weak; on the contrary, it would have made him look like a leader who can show compassion and who really cares about his fellow Americans. Ada Montalvo of San Antonio is a member of the Puerto Rican Heritage Society. The Serbian government has intensified talks over the launch of nonstop flights between New Delhi and Belgrade, with the matter discussed over the weekend during a visit by India's Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu, to the Serbian capital. The two sides formalised their new Open Sky Air Service Agreement, revising a previous deal adopted in 2003. The Open Sky agreement provides unlimited operations between India and Serbia. The Serbian Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlovic, noted there were no longer any bureaucratic obstacles for the resumption of flights between the two countries. "Serbia and India have traditionally good political ties, with a rich history, however, it is important to continue improving economic relations. This modern and updated agreement is a step in that direction because better connectivity will benefit economic ties", Ms Mihajlovic said, adding that the bilateral was a precondition for the launch of flights between the two countries. The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, noted, "We liberated the visa regime for Indian citizens, and we hope to establish direct flights very soon ... so that connections and contacts can be established between our peoples and businessmen". Addressing the Serbian Parliament, Vice President Naidu added, "The Air Service Agreement will boost trade and tourism by the launch of direct air connectivity between India to Serbia in the near future. India and Serbia have been developing plans to advance partnership in many areas. Indian tourists are now visiting foreign countries in large numbers. Serbia, with its fascinating history and landscape, has the potential to attract these Indian tourists". Last September, Serbia become the only European country to abolish visa requirements for Indian citizens. The National Tourism Organisation of Serbia has announced it will have its own representative in India from 2019. "Serbia is aggressively looking at tapping the Indian outbound market. Abolishing visas for Indians travelling to Serbia has proved quite helpful and is becoming a unique selling point for Serbia as a destination. The next few years are very important in terms of marketing and promoting Serbia effectively in India", the Serbian Ambassador to India, Vladimir Maric, said. Up until December 2017, Serbia did not record Indian arrivals separately as the numbers where miniscule. However, during the January - July period, Serbia welcomed 4.210 Indian visitors. "We are looking to end 2018 with nearly 10.000 Indian arrivals. From India, Serbia is targeting young professionals and backpackers who like to explore a country and are open to new experiences", Mr Maric said. Earlier this year, India's largest and busiest carrier, IndiGo, said it saw potential in serving the Serbian market in the near future after announcing its European expansion plans. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, an airline spokesperson said that IndiGo has already held talks with the Serbian government through a third party. "We have been involved in fruitful discussions with the Serbian government and the local tourism board through an intermediary concerning potential operations to Serbia. We plan to continue these talks and explore opportunities to serve the market sometime in the future, in order to offer affordable and unmatched travel experience to passengers between India and Serbia". IndiGo's parent company, InterGlobe Enterprises, has expressed interest in linking the two counties to cater for Indian tourists visiting the entire region. Belgrade Airport recently said it hopes to soon make announcements concerning the launch of new flights to several markets, one of which is India. Its deep, rich orange color encourages a dip, a splash or a liberal dousing. It is as beautiful as it is delicious, a condiment that is unique to the place that serves it up. They will ask for it to go, says Chef Rui Correia, of his condiment invention a nod to a mainstay in Portuguese cuisine, but altered to make it his own. When I became a chef, one of the first things I did was start to work on my own souped-up piri piri. I wanted it to be more than the heat. I wanted it to be a flavor agent, he says, as he sits at a table in his Greenwich restaurant Douro. I use it on my shrimp. I use it on my pasta. I use it on almost everything. People come in here and say, You have to try his piri piri, so it has become the condiment of the restaurant. It is the most versatile Portuguese flavoring that I have. Nothing cuts across so many boundaries as piri piri. For the uninitiated, which includes those who have not grown up in Portugal, appreciated its cuisine or dined in Douro, piri piri is a condiment typically made by infusing birds eye chilis and other ingredients into oil. Its spicy a taste with which Correia is familiar, having grown up in Porto, Portugal. His version is more of a hot sauce, an emulsified version of the traditional oil. This transformation is at the heart of his culinary approach. Correia, who moved to the United States when he was 8, has taken the traditional cuisine of his homeland and created savvy and savory dishes for an American palate. Being an old-world cuisine, Portuguese can be a little heavy at times, as are some of the more traditional French and Italian dishes, Correia says. I bring a fresh, livelier and healthier version of the Portuguese cuisine to the plate. Correia has the restaurant business in his blood, so to speak, given his grandparents ran one in Portugal when he was a child. After his family arrived in the United States, the dishes at home continued to be Portuguese fare, but he sampled flavors of different ethnicities in his Yonkers, N.Y., neighborhood when visiting friends homes. By the time he was in college, he was working in restaurants, including Palmers in Bronxville, N.Y., where a chef was influential in Correias career path. Correia was encouraged to switch to culinary school. He said, you have the bug, and the rest is history, Correia says That was 1990. After studies at New York Restaurant School, Correia moved on to top New York City restaurants such as Gramercy Tavern, Mesa Grill, Gotham Bar & Grill and Danny Meyers Union Square Cafe. In 2009, he opened Douro. In the years that followed, the cuisine of Portugal has gained in popularity. Not as high-profile, perhaps, as the gastronomic traditions of France or Italy, it is increasingly escaping its borders as more tourists flock to Portugal and more chefs stateside reinvigorate the cuisines rustic origins. Correia is one, as is George Mendes, who grew up in Danbury and runs the Michelin-starred restaurant Aldea in New York City, which also opened in 2009. The hearty, peasant meals of his grandparents restaurant are given new life in Douros menu. Salted cod keeps its texture under Correias watch, but not all the salt. Teamed with vegetables and vegetable-based sauces and condiments, Correias cod is lighter than a traditional stew. He sometimes marries personal taste with cultural history. Chickpeas are a staple ingredient, but not in the way Correia delivers them. His homemade hummus appetizer is one of his best-selling dishes. He may be partial, but Correia believes the Portuguese cuisine is one of the richest, most diverse in the world having benefited from centuries of trade and travel that brought international flavors to the countrys proverbial door. Part of his mission is to create a menu that brings in diners, but he also has a big picture look at his influence. When I got old enough to go off on my own, I felt a calling to represent my cuisine and culture, he says. But, I didnt want to do it the way everybody else has which is very traditional, typical and hardcore Portuguese. I wanted to see how I could integrate the Portuguese influence and marry it with other nationalities and their cuisines. If I liked meatballs, I thought how can I make them Portuguese; if I like flatbreads, how can I make a Portuguese flatbread? I sort of try to find ways to represent the Portuguese influence, whether it is a spice, a sauce, a technique or a pairing. Correia is confident this centuries-old cuisine is picking up converts, so much so that he is planning to open a second restaurant on Greenwich Avenue before years end. He also is among the chefs participating in the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival Sept. 21-22. And, he has been invited to offer gourmet hors doeuvres in October for a fund raiser for the Greenwich Arts Council. I could get more detailed and technical, but at the end of the day, Portuguese cuisine is Mediterranean fare, he says. Its the olive oils, the tomatoes, the garlic, the lemon, the parsley, the fish. Its just a culinary tradition that is now being discovered. Douro is at 363 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich; 203-869-7622. chennessy@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessy iShares MSCI Austria ETF's stock was trading at $15.26 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWO stock has increased by 74.2% and is now trading at $26.58. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. There is not enough analysis data for DP Poland. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes DP Poland has received 147 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes DP Poland has received 72 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment DP Poland has received 67.12% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about DP Poland and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe DPP will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe DPP will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next CLEVELAND The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is now accepting applications for its annual Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out essay writing contest. The contest, focused on students speaking out in support of diversity and inclusion, has engaged an estimated 30,000 student participants across 12 Northeast Ohio counties and awarded $1 million to students and schools in scholarships and anti-bias education grants over the last ten years. This milestone year kicks off the second decade of the Stop the Hate, and it is as timely as ever. Last years $40,000 grand prize winner was Hannah Shuffer of Orange High School, who wrote of her brother Nathan who has cerebral palsy, saying: It is inexpressibly hard to watch people treat my brother like he has no feelings, like he is lesser than, like he is not human. I soon began to realize that like most forms of discrimination, peoples preconceived notions had blinded them from truth. Hannahs full essay reading is available on the Maltz Museums YouTube channel, along with the other remarkable top ten finalists. About Stop the Hate Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out celebrates the voices of young people in Northeast Ohio standing up and speaking out against hate. By reflecting on real-life situations and sharing ways to create a more inclusive community, students can win big for themselves and their schools. Each year, through the generosity of a donor, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage gives out $100,000 in scholarships, awards and anti-bias education in recognition of 6-12th grade upstanders in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties. About this years theme Each year, a new theme is selected for students to consider. This year, the Museum honors the memory and influence of one of the most widely known young writers in history, Anne Frank. As a Jewish teenager living in hiding during the Holocaust, Anne Frank wrote: How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straight away! The application asks students to consider, Over 75 years later, what can be learned from Annes perspective on human nature? Can everyday, average people change the world? Think about your own life. Have you witnessed or experienced acts of injustice, racism, bigotry, or discrimination? How were you impacted by what you experienced, saw, or heard? What did you do, or what will you do, in response to these circumstances in order to create justice and positive change in your community? In 500 words or less, students are encouraged to share their experiences and submit their essay by the deadline based on grade category. Grades 6-10 ESSAYS DUE: Wednesday, January 9, 2019; 11:59 p.m. Grades 11 & 12 ESSAYS DUE: Wednesday, January 16, 2019; 11:59 p.m. For more information on participation, please contact Manger of Public Programs, Stop the Hate, Ben Becker at 216-593-0577, bbecker@mmjh.org, or visit the Maltz Museum online at www.maltzmusuem.org/stop-the-hate. LONDON, Ohio With farm profitability, trade and conservation at the height of farmers minds, this years Farm Science Review opened with a discussion about where farm policy is headed, including efforts to write the 2018 farm bill. A panel of ag economists within Ohio State Universitys College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences tackled the biggest policy issues facing farmers, moderated by Ohio Farm Bureau Communications Director Joe Cornely. Trade has been the hot-button word this year, followed closely by tariffs. In fact, the same day the panel spoke, they were learning about $200 billion in new tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Chinese goods, and a $60 billion retaliatory response by China all which happened today, Sept. 18. These are interesting times, said OSU economist Ian Sheldon, who is also the Andersons Chair in ag marketing. The total effect of the tariffs could cost a typical grain farmer 59 percent of his income by the year 2024, according a study Sheldon put together with his colleague, OSU ag economist Ben Brown. Price differences The greatest danger is if tariffs continue beyond the current growing season, which could further widen the price difference other countries get for their soybeans and other farm commodities, and the price received by U.S. farmers. It (the tariffs) drives up internal Chinese prices and it drives down world prices, Sheldon said, adding that the tariffs basically act as a tax on consumers. Current soybean prices in Farm and Dairys readership area are hovering around, and below, the $8 mark, challenging farm profitability in a year which record yields are expected. Conservation also continues to be a major issue on farmers minds with increased regulatory pressure to improve water quality, and the added challenge of a changing climate and heavier rain events. Brent Sohngen, OSU environmental policy economist, said its good to see some climate-related policy in the farm bill, even though the farm sector is incredibly resilient to the changing climate, even without policy. Severe weather He said Ohio farmers are definitely facing changes in their weather patterns, with an increase in heavy rain events that exceed 1 inch of precipitation. He questioned whether the current conservation practices being used on Ohios farms are producing the results theyre supposed to, instead suggesting the farm bill focus on block grants for local communities, or a system of nutrient credit trading. We spend a lot of money on it (water quality) but we dont get the results out of it we want, he said. Part of the reason the Chesapeake Bay was able to clean up its own watershed was because of the shift away from agriculture, to more urbanization and the planting of more trees, Sohngen said, adding that the same move is probably not the right fit for the Maumee Basin, but is still an example of something that worked. Be heard Cornely said if farmers want to affect farm policy, they need to work together and work with their lawmakers. As the farm bill discussions continue, farmers are paying close attention to what happens with crop insurance, and specific conservation programs, like the Conservation Reserve Program and the CSP. Lawmakers are considering whether to increase CRP acreage and by how much, what to do with crop insurance and programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The Senate and House are divided over how much these programs should be expanded or retracted, and there is uncertainty whether the 2018 farm bill will get done this year. Brown said the low commodity prices does add some urgency, because farmers are hurting, but its unclear how fast Congress will move. The farm bill conference committee will also need to reach an agreement on food and nutrition spending, and whether to change work and applicability rules for those who receive government benefits. The Government has been urged to address the implications of an EU judicial ruling that classes gene-edited crops as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). An open letter, signed by leading research institutions, farming organisations and universities, was delivered to Defra Secretary of State, Michael Gove. The group of 33 signatories, which includes the NFU, requests a round-table meeting involving all stakeholders and Defra to agree a way forward on research and future use of new plant-breeding technologies. It states: We feel there are significant questions that must be addressed urgently by government if the UK is to retain its strength in plant genetics, to use innovation to boost productivity and competitiveness, and to meet the challenges of nutritional health and environmental protection. The move follows the shock ruling in July by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that concluded organisms obtained by newer forms of mutagenesis, such as gene-editing, are GMOs. Unlike traditional genetic modification which may involve insertion of foreign DNA into an organism, gene-editing is a group of technologies involving the precise replacement of one DNA sequence with another. This ruling went against the recommendation to exempt new techniques, made by the EU Advocate General in January. It also differs from the position taken by other global authorities, such as those in the US and China, that they should be treated as bred by conventional techniques. 'Greatly concerned' Defra has since reiterated its view that gene-edited organisms should not be regulated as GMOs if the changes to their DNA could have occurred naturally or through traditional breeding methods. The views expressed in the letter were drawn together by Oxfordshire farmer and editor of Crop Production Magazine Tom Allen-Stevens, working with the NFU. As a farmer myself, Im greatly concerned that as a result of this ruling, the fruits of this valuable research may never reach my farm, and that research into gene-edited crops in the UK may cease altogether, he said. The CJEU ruling in July drew widespread concern from many research organisations at the cutting edge of plant science. Professor Wendy Harwood, of the department of Crop Genetics at the John Innes Centre said: The CJEU decision could have major negative impacts on our ability to respond rapidly to the challenges of providing sufficient, nutritious food, under increasingly challenging conditions. Professor Nick Talbot, director of The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, described the ruling as: a retrograde step that is not based on any scientific evidence. Precise modern gene editing technologies allow accurate, predictable changes to be made in a genome. To classify gene edited crops as GMOs and equivalent to transgenic crops is completely incorrect by any scientific definition. Signatories of the letter John Innes Centre Rothamsted Research NIAB James Hutton Institute Aberystwyth University The Sainsbury Laboratory (Norwich) Quadram Institute Earlham Institute Professor Denis Murphy Professor Ian Crute National Farmers Union Tenant Farmers Association Country Land & Business Association Linking Environment And Farming RASE and Innovation for Agriculture British Society of Plant Breeders DSV-UK Germinal Limagrain UK RAGT UK KWS UK Elsoms Seeds HL Hutchinson Agrovista Frontier Agriculture Agrii ProCam Syngenta UK Bayer BASF Agricultural Solutions Corteva Agriscience Agricultural Biotechnology Council Agricultural Industries Confederation Arming teachers with guns in the classroom, as Bill Lee proposes, would be the single most dangerous thing to happen to students in Tennessee history. Students and teachers in close proximity to loaded firearms daily? Across this state, in middle schools alone, there are probably hundreds of student/teacher conflicts a day. What if a student got hold of gun in a struggle with a teacher? What if a teacher, in frustration, brandished a firearm at a student. What if a teacher,"stood their ground" and shot a student? What if a student tragically killed another student accidentally or on purpose with an unattended firearm? All of these things, multiplied by 994,000 students and 66,400 teachers statewide, are very likely to happen eventually if teachers are armed as Bill Lee proposes to do if he becomes governor of Tennessee. Arming teachers as a solution to school security is simply not well thought out. This is a sign that Bill Lee is simply too inexperienced and uninformed on key issues to be our next governor. Karl Dean would do what he did in Nashville. Provide funding for more school resource officers to protect our students, a common sense solution for a serious public concern. Mayor Dean is the best choice to be Tennessee's next governor. Scott Lindsey * * * What if? What if? That's right, arm the teachers with rocks, safe rooms, furniture in front of doors, etc. I know this is a delicate subject, I'm all for having four or five or more resource officers in each school. I also know that's not going to happen. What if a deranged psycho is on the school grounds and the resource officer is on the other side of the school? This is a classic case of turkeys at a shooting gallery for the shooter which we have seen many times before. Time is of the essence. Some people will always consider firearms bad, they just can't grasp the idea of firearms in the right hands can save lives as well as take life when necessary. If and when school personnel are allowed to carry firearms, extreme vetting will be conducted and safety procedures with firearm protocols will be in effect. Not all teachers, staff, custodians, etc. need to be armed. The key idea is to let the shooter guess who can shoot back and ruin his day. I know if I had children in public schools I would feel much better knowing my kids at least had a chance to survive. Think about it. Do you want your children to be helpless victims of mass slaughter, which has already happened many times in the past because of feel-good no gun zone intentions, or do you want someone looking out for them to fight back and save the lives of our children? Mr. Lindsey, if Karl Dean can provide more funding for resource officers, I'm all for it 100 percent. In the meantime, I'm a realist, and I'll go with Bill Lee. Jim Rosenbloom * * * The NRA and politicians aligned with that organization seem to think that more guns will be okay for society. After all, if I have a gun at breakfast and so does the cute girl at the cash register, what could go wrong. Ditto for the idea of teachers being armed. I, tongue firmly in cheek, once advocated for Smith and Wesson to design a gun specifically to fit the hand of a child. After all the argument suggests that they, too, should be armed and push the absurdity of more guns to an insanity. I was trained by the NRA in high school about proper gun safety. The rural part of the world I am from offered hunting for fun and for food. Deer, pheasant, rabbit, squirrel and even woodchuck. I think the NRA has moved away from the good to the policy of the consumer, selling guns. I was trained further with all types of weapons in the U.S. Army and I have a gun in the house but let me share how absurd having guns and when needed the complexity of conflict when someone else has a gun and your gun is in your desk, your purse or locker. If a burglar is already in my home and he has a gun what do I say to him... "excuse me for a moment" (let me get my gun, put the clip in, pull the slide back) All the boys in my neighborhood had Daisy BB guns. We used to play "war" with the bb guns. Not to be undone with the mind of a young kid shooting bb's at one another. Oh boy, the story gets real conflicted. This is what happened. Mike was in the old chicken coop. The hole in the roof was perfect for popping up and shooting a bb at someone usually far away. That bb from my Daisy got mike between the eyes. Every Daisy was collected by dad or mom never to be seen again. Maybe we should all share our real beliefs that guns are not the answer to the schools or to society. Robert Brooks * * * I think there is a difference between what Mr. Lindsey is accusing Bill Lee of saying and what he actually said. Bill Lee's website has a stance on "Arming Teachers" that states, "We should absolutely allow a qualified and vetted teacher to make the choice to be a part of the solution." Now, Bill Lee's own words are a far cry from an issued firearm for each teacher. I'm thinking that Bill Lee had teachers like Greg Kinman near Nashville in mind when he said that they should have the choice to be a part of the solution. If you have any doubt, watch the mild mannered English teacher hit the gong with laser accuracy on his youtube channel: Hickok45. Highly qualified people are out there teaching our kids and if people like Mr. Lindsey would have it, they should never be allowed to be anything other than a sitting duck in a gun free zone. Oh, and for the record, I'm still a firm believer that if we wanted to keep guns out of schools, we would put up the same precautions that keep guns out of every other government building. Tim Giordano * * * The idea of placing yet another responsibility on teachers seems wrong somehow. Their duty is to teach and evaluate students. They are currently being ask to basically parent children in character, emotional and family problems, etc. In addition, they are expected to meet the individual learning needs of each student regardless of disabilities. Has anyone thought if the most basic liabilities of arming teachers? Any one discharging a firearm is responsible for the bullet(s) fired. In the extreme high tension of trying to shoot an attacker, the teacher could accidentally shoot a child or another teacher or staff member. They could actually shoot the attacker and a bullet could pass through and hit an innocent person. Yes, I know part of the rationale of using a 9mm round is that it is less likely to exit the body. But suppose the attacker was grazed and the bullet deflected? What if the round hit another object and then struck an innocent person? Now suppose that you have several teachers who are armed and actively trying to approach the attacker. The police /SWAT arrive and have to determine instantly who is the bad shooter and who is an armed teacher. Suppose the teacher sees a SWAT officer dressed in tactical gear and advancing with a long gun. Is the SWAT officer the good guy or the bad guy? Suppose the police and the teacher turn a corner and come face to face with weapons pointed at each other? What if a panicked student approaches the armed teacher from behind and startles the teacher? The negative possibilities are endless. The armed teacher is totally responsible for each round they fire. There are no do overs or remediations. The primary problem that I see on top of the hypotheticals above is the question of how much training and by who? Are you going to train the teachers to the level of SWAT officers? How will the teacher maintain that level of readiness? Who will pay for that training and when will the teacher take that training. Firing a weapon at a shooting range is just step one. Its like giving someone a piece of paper and a pencil and telling them to be an artist. The difference? Art usually doesnt kill people. Im not a security expert, but there are plenty of people who are. Why has no one bothered to put together a coalition of professionals to address the issue? My idea would be to limit access to the school by creating a point of entry that is staffed constantly. In that same area a central room of video feeds that is monitored full time. No gaps in surveillance. Finally, a staff of trained individuals who are in body gear and armed. Police, retired vets who qualify, etc. The barrier is money. That is the only barrier. Thats it, money and who will provide it. Schools will have to be modified, surveillance systems installed, and personnel hired. It is all about money. How much are children, teachers, and staff worth? How much? Obviously not as much as the people in federal buildings, or people going into concerts and sports events, or even the people at the bar where bouncers guard the door. The problem will be resolved when enough people die. If that seems harsh, consider the following: Traffic engineers (professionals) are responsible for creating safe roads and intersections. We all know that there have been and are areas in Chattanooga where too many traffic accidents and deaths have occurred. It may take decades for re-design, lights to be put in place, or other drastic changes to be made. The hold up? Money, its money. It may be a matter of lawsuits brought by victims families. The money will be spent when the liability from litigation reaches a certain point. Now you know how the problem of school shootings will be resolved. There is another aspect of the dilemma. As a nation we must accept the fact that if we want security, we have to surrender certain freedoms. Each and every time criminals make headway into theft of any kind, it results in an inconvenience to the innocent public. Who eventually pays for theft? You do. Who suffers because of airplane hijacking? You do. How many locks and keys and security systems, and security questions and legal loopholes do you have to deal with because of criminal behavior? If we want to divert the deranged individuals who commit mass shootings and attacks, we will have to commit to exposure of mental problems, histories of certain hospitalizations, use of certain classes of drugs, and give reports of atypical behaviors to a central organization. Heaven forbid we bow to that process! You will. Eventually you will. How far in the future is that inevitably? Probably decades, maybe generations? Ted Ladd A 1956 Ferguson TEF tractor which holds great sentimental value for a farming family has been stolen from Rutland. John Fisher has used social media to ask the public for help in finding his grandfather's "second love". The stolen tractor is a 1956 Ferguson TEF Tractor, with the registration number OFU 931, chassis number TEF479186. Mr Fisher's post has already received over 100,000 shares on Facebook, with people from across the world helping. He said: "After losing my grandmother 3 months ago, they were married for 68 years, some low life scum has broken into my grandfathers storage yard and stolen his tractor and transport trailer. "Lets make this tractor too hot to handle and hopefully reunite my granddad with the second love of his life". The tractor was taken from the Uppingham area in Rutland between Saturday evening and Sunday morning (15-16 September). A land-based college which specialises in offering agriculture courses to its students has officially been granted university status. Hartpury University has been granted university status by the government in a landmark year for the institution, it was announced today (17 September). Hartpury formerly University Centre Hartpury will operate alongside Hartpury College on its 360-hectare campus just outside Gloucester and Cheltenham. It follows the Privy Councils decision to approve Hartpurys application for university title after a rigorous assessment process. In a statement, the university said it will continue to be a specialist institution for the needs of the land-based and agricultural sectors. Hartpury University Vice-Chancellor, Russell Marchant said: Achieving university status has been a strategic ambition for us, for the last six years. It has been an incredible journey and were excited to have finally reached our destination, especially as this year Hartpury College celebrates its 70th anniversary. University title recognises the quality of the teaching at Hartpury, which is also evidenced by our recent TEF Gold, and the wide range of research projects in our specialist areas of Agriculture, Animal, and Equine and Sport. Importantly, it also highlights the significant impact we can have on our industries by training the next generation of people who will work in agriculture, sport, equine and animal in the UK and across the globe. Mr Marchant added: University title allows our graduates to go out into the world of work with a badge that enables employers to recognise the quality of the academic provision is as it should be against other universities. Hartpury University is home to more than 1,650 students completing degrees as well as higher education diplomas and postgraduate research in Equine, Animal, Agriculture and Veterinary Nursing. Proposed changes to the way the Government captures the increase in the value of land when it receives planning permission would fail to deliver additional homes in order help solve the housing crisis, according to the CLA. A report by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has proposed wide-ranging reforms to land value capture. The report looks at increasing the financial contribution development makes to local communities and removing hope value, an important part of valuing land being compulsorily acquired that considers the future potential of land to receive planning permission. But the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said the reforms would remove the incentive for landowners and farmers to bring land forward for development. The rural organisation argues that landowners and the development sector already contribute significant sums of money to local communities which pay for affordable housing and social infrastructure. 'Stalls development' CLA Director of Policy and Advice, Christopher Price said the current system of capturing the increase in land values already provides a range of benefits. "In 2016/17 6 billion was raised via planning obligations like the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106," Mr Price said. "This money was raised by capturing the change in the value of land when planning permission is granted. History shows us that increasing these obligations too far stops landowners bringing land forward and stalls development. Mr Price said the CLA is "frustrated" that the committee has recommended the removal of hope value. The principles of fair compensation are that any price should reflect the value of the land if it was to be sold on the open market, he said. It is iniquitous to ignore the fact that the price paid for land with development potential should be higher than land with no development value whatsoever. The risk of the African swine fever virus entering the UK remains at 'medium' following confirmation of the virus in wild boar in Belgium. The deadly pig virus was confirmed in four wild boar in the Belgian region of Luxembourg, just a few miles from the French border, last week. Three were adult wild boar found dead and a state of decomposition, while other was a young weakened animal which was shot dead. It is understood a further three cases in wild boar have now been confirmed. The risk level of the virus entering the country was recently increased to medium on a temporary basis, following a surge of cases in central and eastern Europe, particularly Romania. This will remain in place in light of the events in Belgium, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has now confirmed. ASF in Western Europe The risk of exposure to the pig population in the UK is still considered to be low, dependent on the level of biosecurity on pig premises, although the situation is being kept under review, the agency added. This marks the first identification of ASF in wild boar or domestic pigs in Western Europe in several years Belgiums last case was in 1985 when twelve farms tested positive as a result of contact with contaminated pig meat from Spain. The source of the current outbreak has not been confirmed, and investigations are continuing. But given the distance between other confirmed cases of ASF in wild boar, it is most likely that infection has again been introduced by infected meat products or fomites (virus carried on clothes or vehicles, for example) from ASF infected areas, in other words, human spread, APHA said. The agency added: These cases reported in wild boar are concerning as there are large numbers of wild boar in this area, crossing EU borders, which is forested. Eradication will be a challenge to be met through close collaboration and information sharing between those Member States at risk. Pigmeat ban Interim protective measures are in place, delineated by the border with Luxembourg and France, but further measures will be discussed at the Standing Committee on Plant, Animals, Food and Feed meeting next week. The outbreaks are already affecting the market. Singapore has issued a temporary ban of Belgian pigmeat and it is expected that China, currently struggling to contain its own outbreak, will follow. Imports of pig meat from Belgium accounted for around 4% of the UK total (23,000 tonnes), mainly primary fresh/frozen pork, from January to July, according to HMRC data. Most of this is primary fresh/frozen pork, around half of which is in the form of fresh pork cuts. Belgium is a significant supplier of loins to bacon manufacturers. 'High risk commodity' The agency reiterated its advice to pig keepers to take all steps possible to keep the virus away from their pigs. It is important to highlight that all products of porcine origin (including wild boar), unless processed in a certain way, is a high risk commodity from affected areas. These products include fresh or frozen pig meat, salamis and hams, skins and bristles, germinal products, live animals, hunting trophies and any equipment which has had contact with an affected animal or the environment where they are found. Pig keepers and veterinarians should remind themselves of the clinical signs for ASF and images and descriptions of clinical signs and pathology of ASF are provided on this link. The UK's National Pig Association (NPA) has issued guidance to its members on measures to prevent ASF infection in UK pigs. The association is working closely with Defra and others to raise awareness amongst pig keepers and the general public about the threat of ASF and the importance of upholding the swill feeding ban. Scotland's chief veterinary officer has slammed the BBC for "misunderstanding" farming issues following the broadcaster's airing of a documentary looking into dairy calves. The BBC documentary 'Disclosure: The Dark Side of Dairy' aired on 10 September. It highlighted how 5,000 male dairy calves were shipped to Europe last year from Scotland, with the vast majority ending up in Spain for slaughter. Animal rights campaigners on the programme claimed the long journey is harmful, but the industry said the alternative was shooting them at birth. However, the BBC has had to replace segments from the online edition of the documentary following sustained criticism from the farming industry and Scotland's own chief veterinary officer. Farming union NFU Scotland has lodged an official complaint after discovering the BBC used scenes of Hungarian cattle shipped onto Romanian boats. And now Sheila Voas, Scotlands chief veterinary officer told The Times that the BBC is "misrepresenting facts". Although there were several points in a recent documentary which I thought were a misunderstanding, exaggeration or even misrepresentation of the facts, I appreciate that some might have a different interpretation to others, Ms Voas said. Scottish cattle can be easily identified by their ear tags and, where identification was possible, none of those animals in the film appeared to have come from Scottish farms. She added: In reference to some very disturbing abattoir scenes from North Africa, which were said to have been filmed in Egypt, I would point out that for a number of years now, that country has not accepted calves of Scottish or indeed UK origin. 'Fraud' Gary Mitchell, NFU Scotlands vice-president and a dairy farmer who used to ship calves to Spain before this weeks ban, accused the BBC of fraud. He told the BBCs Good Morning Scotland programme: We have baby calves stranded in Dumfries and Galloway with no home, so whats going to happen next? The airing of the documentary led P&O Ferries to confirm that it will no longer be transporting live calves from Scotland that are destined for continental Europe. The move by P&O raised eyebrows at Holyrood, with Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon calling it "concerning". "I emphasise that there was nothing in it that suggested any harm or breach of any welfare standards by anyone transporting calves from Scotland to Northern Ireland, Ireland or continental Europe. Therefore, I am concerned at the decision that P&O Ferries has reached," she said. A BBC Scotland spokesman admitted that the documentary showed wrong footage of cattle being transported to North Africa. "As soon as the mistake was identified, that ten seconds of footage was replaced with the correct film of cattle boarding a boat in Spain bound for Egypt, for iPlayer and any future rebroadcast of The Dark Side of Dairy," the spokesman said. "No-one has disputed what we revealed in the programme - that 5000 calves were exported from Scotland last year, primarily to Spain. "The programme did not claim any of the animals shown in the disputed sequence were Scottish. As was stated clearly in the programme, while we cannot be 100% sure Scottish cattle are among those exported in this way, equally it cannot be ruled out as they have entered the general market. The spokesman added: "It was entirely legitimate to explore the question of what could happen to live animal exports that originated in Scotland if they leave the EU. We stand by our journalism and the public interest issues it has raised." A simple blood test could be used in the future to predict the health and productivity of dairy cows, research shows. Testing female calves for molecules in the blood called microRNAs could help predict their likelihood of developing disease, scientists say in research published in Scientific Reports. Scientists have found that the blood levels of certain microRNAs change dramatically during the early life of cows. Some of these blood molecules are associated with diseases such as lameness and mastitis inflammation of the udders as well as with milk production. Researchers at the Roslin Institute and Scotlands Rural College (SRUC), who carried out the study, say a procedure to identify calves that are likely to have problems later in life would benefit the dairy industry and improve animal welfare. Levels of microRNA can be easily analysed in lab tests, and used to assess changes in tissue function. This approach is already being applied to disease diagnosis in humans. 'Topic of priority' In UK dairy herds, up to one-third of cows are affected by disease or reproductive failure, which incurs huge costs to farmers. Dr Xavier Donadeu, of the University of Edinburghs Roslin Institute, said: As shown in previous studies, these results demonstrate that blood testing for microRNAs may be very useful as diagnostic tools in dairy cows and potentially other livestock species. They could allow for early selection of the healthiest animals in a herd in order to aid productivity and animal wellbeing. Professor Georgios Banos, of the SRUC added: This work was funded by SRUC as a strategic topic of priority. We are investing in scientific research on the development of practical solutions for the improvement of livestock and farm practices. We are already designing collaborative follow-up projects and we look forward to exciting new outcomes. A man has been sentenced to just 80 hours of community service after his dogs attacked sheep, leading the industry to call for harsher penalties. Nicholas Rowley, 56, has been sentenced to community service for a sheep attack which cost farmer Brian Walker 4,100. Mr Rowley, from Rothesay in Argyll, allowed four dogs he had responsibility for to seriously injure and kill a total of 17 sheep on farmland near Inveraray. The injuries inflicted on the sheep during this attack were so severe that photographs taken afterwards were deemed unsuitable for publication. Mr Rowley previously pled guilty to this offence at Lochgilphead Sheriff Court under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, Section 1(1) and (6). On Tuesday 11 September, Sheriff Thomas Ward sentenced Mr Rowley to an 80-hour community pay back order to be completed within three months. During the court hearing, Sheriff Thomas Ward told the court he acknowledged that Mr Rowley was in no position to pay either a fine and/or any compensation to the affected farmer. He expressed frustration that under the current legislation he was unable to impose a prison sentence, nor could he disqualify Mr Rowley from keeping dogs. He took the extent of the crime very seriously but recognised that he was limited to what sentence he could make. Lenient punishment The lenient sentencing has led NFU Scotland to call for harsher penalties for those who let their dogs attack livestock. The victim, Mr Walker of Carloonan Farm, said that the outcome of the case has been disappointing, but that he is not surprised. He commented: This incident was particularly stressful. Although we took a heavy financial loss, this has not been my focus. The cost of the damage is so high as these ewe hoggs would have been used on the farm for breeding for years to come. We have done everything by the book since this happened to ensure if was fairly, and properly put through the justice system. However, even with doing this we have been let down by antiquated legislation. It is now evident that the farming community in Scotland doesnt have any protection from instances of livestock worrying as the sanctions dog owners face are far too lenient to deter them from doing this again," Mr Walker said. Dog Control Notice He said for those farmers suffering problems with dogs to contact their local dog warden to seek a Dog Control Notice (DCN) to be put in place. This is the only means available of being able to control dogs causing persistent problems with livestock at the present time. Mr Walker added: Unfortunately, once these dogs have a taste for it, they are likely to attack again, and I fear the next time it may not be an animal, but someones child. Andrew McCornick, NFU Scotland President commented: This case is a prime example of the importance of full and proportionate compensation for those impacted by livestock worrying, a key ask of NFU Scotland in any future framework. Livestock worrying continues to be a blight on Scottish agriculture, and greater sanctions and further public awareness are needed so dog owners are fully aware of their responsibilities to keep their animals under control. Despite the dogs in this case being subject to a DCN, the individual remains with four of his dogs in his care this is a real worry for local farmers," he said. Police Scotland said it will continue to work with farmers to to both educate the public and investigate any incidents with enforcement action. Farmers have been told to remain vigilant for signs of lungworm disease in cattle following this summer's dry weather and recent heavy rain. Recent weather conditions are likely to lead to late outbreaks of lungworm disease in grazing cattle, caused by the Dictyocaulus viviparus parasite. The disease, often referred to as Husk, can cause significant production losses and increased costs for farmers. Animal health company Boehringer Ingelheim is now urging cattle farmers to remain vigilant for signs of the disease. Lungworm larvae excreted onto the pasture early in the grazing season are likely to have remained locked within dungpats while temperatures were very high, according to Sioned Timothy, Ruminant Technical Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim. While larvae on pasture will die in prolonged hot, dry weather, the residual moisture within dungpats means that larvae excreted recently are likely to have survived, she explained. Now that we have had widespread rainfall across the country, we expect to see larvae complete their development and disperse onto the pasture to infect grazing animals. 'Difficult to diagnose' Heavy rain is very effective at distributing infective larvae from pats, but the pilobolus fungus that grows on dung also plays an important role in this; propelling larvae up to three metres as it expels its own spores. While July, August and early September are usually the peak months for lungworm infections and cases of clinical disease, this year infections may crop up later into autumn and, depending on the weather, as late as November. The problem for farmers, and vets, is that lungworm can be difficult to diagnose at an early stage and may not be spotted until a full-blown outbreak occurs, according to Ms Timothy. Clinical signs from late-season infections may not be observed until cattle are housed, and complicating matters further, coughing can be confused with other respiratory diseases, which can occur shortly after housing. 'Severe' Sudden outbreaks of lungworm disease can be severe and, if the early signs of infection are not identified quickly, significant production losses of up to 145 per animal - could occur, including death in the worst cases. Lungworm should always be considered as a potential cause of coughing in cattle. Farmers should not wait until the whole herd is unwell, but seek advice from their vet early in the course of disease to minimise long-term impact. Other signs that can indicate lungworm infection include rapid loss of condition and sudden milk drop in lactating animals. Dairy cows will often spend less time grazing, and more time resting. Their water intake is also likely to be reduced. Severely affected cattle will typically stand with head and neck extended in an air hunger position. There is an increasing trend for adult cattle, as well as youngstock, to be affected by lungworm disease. Lungworm Immunity to lungworm is short-lived, and if natural boosting through low-level exposure to larvae does not occur, animals may be rendered susceptible to disease when the number of larvae present on the pasture increases, as may be the case this season. However, even immune animals can succumb to disease in the face of high larval challenge. If lungworm is diagnosed, cattle should be treated immediately with a wormer that quickly removes lungworm and prevents re-infection, to allow lungs to recover, according to Boehringer Ingelheim. The company said it is vital that the whole herd is treated as some infected animals will not show obvious clinical signs at the same time but will still suffer performance losses. A vet should assess severely affected individuals, as they may need additional treatment to treat pain, inflammation and any secondary infection. Use of antibiotics in UK livestock falls again, report shows The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Look At Her Swag! Who thought back then that this girl would grow up to become one of the most versatile actresses in Indian cinema! A Proud Winner This picture dates back to the time when Shabana received a gold metal for 'Best Student In Acting' at FTII, Pune. Time Flies & How! A candid picture of Shabana Azmi with her hubby Javed Akhtar during their younger days. "It was a discovery, and rediscovery, of my roots. That's where the attraction came from. Javed was married and we tried to break off several times. Finally, he got a divorce and we were married on December 9, 1984," the actress was quoted as saying in one of her earlier interviews. Caught In The Act Shabana Azmi clicked on the sets of one of her films. On The Sets Of Mandi Touted to be one of Shabana Azmi's best performances, the picture features her and her co-star Smita Patil caught unawares. This Is Such An Adorable Click! That's Rekha planting a quick peck on Shabana Azmi's cheek after the latter bagged a Filmfare Award. Just 'Wow! So many acting stalwarts in one frame! Can you guess their names? The Magnificent Trio Three beauties in one frame- Shabana Azmi, Simi Garewal and Zeenat Aman! This picture from one of the photoshoots is giving us major nostalgia bytes. This year on his birthday, Arjun Kapoor had shared his granny Nirmal Kapoor's wish for his birthday. The message on the envelope read, "To Arjun Kapoor with love dadi. Jaldi shaadi karo. From Mrs Nirmal Kapoor." Arjun captioned the picture as, "When ur Dadi's gift is a threat & request along with a bribe & command all rolled into one !!! @nirmalkapoorbombay #bossgrandma". Well now, it looks like Arjun's daadi's wait for a perfect bride for him has come to an end. After watching the Namaste England trailer, Arjun's grandmother has found a perfect bride for her grandson and its none other than his Namaste England co-star Parineeti Chopra. Arjun's grandmom has liked her the actor's on-screen chemistry with Parineeti so much, she thinks that they should get hitched in real life, too. Abhishek Bachchan Doesn't Like Aaradhya Getting Papped; Says, 'Let Her Grow Up & Decide'! While talking about the same, Arjun shares, "After watching Namaste England's trailer, dadi said that out of all my co-stars, I look best on screen with Parineeti. She thinks that Parineeti is the perfect bride for me in real life as well." The recently released trailer of Namaste England has garnered immense love and appreciation from across the quarters. The trailer has not just hooked the audience but has also captivated Arjun's grandmother. Arjun's character in the film is of course not someone who will let go of his love so easily and hence sets off for a voyage to London to bring his wife home. What follows is a roller coaster of emotions as the husband tries to convince his wife to come back to India so that they can rebuild their lives again. Happy Birthday Shabana Azmi: Rare Photos Of The Actress That Are Pure Gem! Vipul Amrutlal Shah's 'Namaste England' is a young and refreshing story that traces the journey of two individuals Jasmeet and Param. It tracks their love story across the landscapes of India and Europe, starting from Punjab and moving to Ludhiana, Amritsar, Dhaka and all the way to Paris followed by Brussels and finally to London. It's a fun quintessential Bollywood film. Presented by Jayantilal Gada (pen) & Reliance Entertainment presents in association with BlockBuster Movie Entertainers, Namaste England is slated to release on 19th October, 2018. After ringing in his 26th birthday with his fiancee Priyanka Chopra and family in California, Nick Jonas took off for a getaway to Texas with the Bollywood actress and close friends. Like always, the celebrity couple dropped plenty of relationship goals and shared some droolworthy clicks from their vacation. Nick's brother Joe Jonas minus his fiancee actress Sophie Turner too joined the duo on the trip. Like always, Priyanka took to her Instagram page to make sure that her Insta fam got a glimpse of her 'Texas diaries'. One look at these pictures and we bet you will crave for a vacation right away- Priyanka & Nick Make A Cute Couple! In the said picture, PeeCee gives a glimpse of her 'Ranch life' and has her cutely perched on Nick's bent knee. The couple are surrounded by their friends. Swag Alert The second picture has Priyanka channeling her 'inner cowgirl' with would-be-hubby Nick and brother-in-law Joe Jonas. Selfies Are A Must! Priyanka posed for a selfie and captioned the picture as, "Quick pit stop against the wall!" When PeeCee Turned Photographer! Priyanka Chopra posted this picture as her Insta story and wrote, 'Anything for the shot'. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas made their engagement official with a roka ceremony on 18th August. Later, the newly-engaged couple hosted an intimate dinner party for their close friends. While rumors related to their impending wedding date has already started doing the rounds, Priyanka's mother Madhu Chopra recently clarified that the couple is yet to zero in the date and venue. Kalki Tovino Thomas is all set to team up with yet another debut film-maker with an upcoming film titled as Kalki. The film, which will be directed by newcomer Praveen Prabharam. The first look poster of the film was also released and the poster had hinted that Tovino Thomas will be seen essaying the role of a police officer in the movie. Tovino Thomas's Previous Cop Role At the same time, Tovino Thomas had previously played the role of a police officer in the movie Ezra, which released in the year 2017. The actor had essayed a special role in the movie, which features Prithviraj in the lead role. The Actor's Role In Kalki Meanwhile, a few updates have come out regarding Tovino Thoma's cop role in Kalki. In an interview given to Times Of India, Prasobh Krishna who is one of the producers of the movie opened up that the role is in the lines of Inspector Balram, portrayed by Mammootty. "His role is similar to Mammootty's Inspector Balram that has a cult following. He will be seen throughout the movie as a cop. However, it doesn't deal with investigations or anything but about a few incidents that happen in a place", he was quoted as saying to Times Of India Inspector Balram Inspector Balram is one of the police characters in Malayalam cinema, which has a huge fan following even now. Mammootty's portrayal of the firebrand police officer was loved by one an all. With Kalki, Tovino Thomas is all set to get into the shoes of a fiery onscreen cop. 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. Passenger traffic up 6.6% YoY in Argentina and 18.5% in Armenia, further supported by growth across most geographies Corporacion America Airports S.A. (NYSE: CAAP), ("CAAP" or the "Company") the largest private sector airport operator in the world by number of airports, reported today preliminary year-over-year passenger traffic growth of 5.8% in August 2018. Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Highlights Statistics Ago'18 Ago'17 % Var. YTD'18 YTD'17 % Var Domestic Passengers (thousands) 4,103 3,687 11.3% 29,362 26,953 8.9% International Passengers (thousands) 2,526 2,521 0.2% 18,714 18,046 3.7% Transit Passengers (thousands) 766 779 -1.6% 5,920 5,320 11.3% Total Passengers (thousands) 7,395 6,987 5.8% 53,996 50,319 7.3% Cargo Volume (thousand tons) 31.2 31.1 0.3% 259.1 237.0 9.4% Total Aircraft Movements (thousands) 79.9 76.8 4.1% 587.6 562.1 4.6% Passenger Traffic Overview Total passenger traffic in August 2018 increased by 5.8% YoY, primarily reflecting growths of 6.6% in Argentina, 18.5% in Armenia, 4.3% in Italy and 2.3% in Brazil. In Argentina, passenger traffic increased 6.6% YoY, mainly driven by a 15.1% growth in domestic traffic, partially offset by declines of 7.1% and 10.9% in international and transit passengers, respectively, reflecting more challenging macro conditions. Domestic traffic benefited from the incorporation of several new frequencies to existing routes, both domestic and international, that were added over the past 12 months. Several new airlines have announced they will start operating during the next months: Norwegian airlines plans to open seven domestic routes, Chilean low-cost company JetSmart expects to open international routes from Santiago de Chile and La Serena to three provinces in Argentina and LASA Airlines anticipates it will inaugurate domestic and international routes, operating from Neuquen Airport. In Armenia, passenger traffic at Zvartnots Airport increased during this month mainly due to the increase in international passengers coming from the US during summer season. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in passengers coming from Russia and other European destinations. In Shirak Airport, passenger traffic benefited from the opening of new routes to new destinations in Russia. In Italy, passenger traffic increased 4.3% YoY. Pisa Airport continued to reflect a considerable increase in passengers travelling to Russia, and at Florence Airport, the new route to Lisbon, Portugal, opened last June, continued to perform very well. In Brazil, passenger traffic at Brasilia Airport increased 3.1% YoY, driven by the addition of new frequencies to existing routes in several domestic destinations by Gol, Latam and Azul. Moreover, Gol announced the opening of a new international route, that is expected to open in December, with six weekly flights between Brasilia, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina. In Uruguay, passenger traffic declined 6.0% mainly due to currency depreciation in neighboring countries Brazil and Argentina, which resulted in a decrease in passengers. Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Cargo volume remained relatively flat in August 2018. Brazil posted a 19.0% YoY increase, followed by an 11.0% increase in Ecuador. On the contrary, cargo volume declined by 9.3% in Armenia, due to reduced export activity to countries with political instability. In Argentina, cargo volume declined 4.9% YoY due to macro conditions. Aircraft movements increased by 4.1% in August 2018 mainly driven by Peru and Armenia, which increased 19.3% and 10.9%, respectively, followed by Argentina, with an increase of 6.7%. Summary Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Ago'18 Ago'17 % Var. YTD'18 YTD'17 % Var. Passenger Traffic (thousands) Argentina 3,507 3,290 6.6% 26,263 24,191 8.6% Italy 917 880 4.3% 5,599 5,436 3.0% Brazil 1,693 1,655 2.3% 13,468 12,720 5.9% Uruguay 171 182 -6.0% 1,552 1,530 1.4% Ecuador 417 383 8.9% 2,939 2,786 5.5% Armenia 347 293 18.5% 1,873 1,664 12.6% Peru 344 305 12.6% 2,301 1,992 15.5% TOTAL 7,395 6,987 5.8% 53,996 50,319 7.3% Cargo Volume (tons) Argentina 17,386 18,290 -4.9% 151,881 135,865 11.8% Italy 695 546 27.3% 7,469 6,961 7.3% Brazil 5,439 4,571 19.0% 40,787 35,151 16.0% Uruguay 2,044 2,145 -4.7% 17,532 17,847 -1.8% Ecuador 3,168 2,855 11.0% 26,951 23,009 17.1% Armenia 2,039 2,248 -9.3% 11,336 14,881 -23.8% Peru 428 462 -7.2% 3,193 3,259 -2.0% TOTAL 31,199 31,116 0.3% 259,148 236,974 9.4% Aircraft Movements Argentina 40,494 37,941 6.7% 298,659 277,892 7.5% Italy 8,467 8,247 2.7% 53,049 53,513 -0.9% Brazil 15,809 16,367 -3.4% 123,376 122,007 1.1% Uruguay 2,362 2,393 -1.3% 22,871 22,218 2.9% Ecuador 7,147 6,941 3.0% 52,141 53,802 -3.1% Armenia 2,504 2,258 10.9% 15,886 14,317 11.0% Peru 3,141 2,632 19.3% 21,666 18,309 18.3% TOTAL 79,924 76,779 4.1% 587,648 562,058 4.6% To obtain the full text of this press release, please click on the following link: http://investors.corporacionamericaairports.com About Corporacion America Airports Corporacion America Airports acquires, develops and operates airport concessions. The Company is the largest private airport operator in the world by the number of airports and the tenth largest based on passenger traffic. Currently, the Company operates 52 airports in 7 countries across Latin America and Europe (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, Armenia and Italy). In 2017, Corporacion America Airports served 76.6 million passengers. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange where it trades under the ticker "CAAP". For more information, visit http://investors.corporacionamericaairports.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180917005848/en/ Contacts: Corporacion America Airports S.A. Gimena Albanesi, +5411 4852-6411 gimena.albanesi@caairports.com BEIJING, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2018 / Each year, the Global Chaoren Innovation Economic Summit is held in Shantou, China as a powerful platform for innovators and entrepreneurs, it has become an annual event. In recent years, industries like e-commerce, AI, new retail, new media, blockchain and many other fields have developed rapidly. These developments have added values for the new economy. New retail, AI, blockchain and other industries have already begun to show up. In response to the national strategic concept of 'Made in China 2025' plan, Mass entrepreneurship and innovation, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, support the Internet revolution and business innovation of traditional industry and to explore new economic growth points. This year, the theme of the summit is 'NEW TRENDS, NEW STRATUM, NEW TYPES, NEW OPPORTUNITIES'. The Global Chaoren Innovation Economic Summit invited experts, innovators and corporate executives to gather together to discuss how to promote the development of new economy and how the smart technology can penetrate into each industry. We also sincerely welcome elites from all around the world to join us, to gather together and enjoy the annual event. CONTACT: The Global Chaoren Innovation Economic Promotion Association tell +86 13828353509 SOURCE: The Global Chaoren Innovation Economic Promotion Association View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/512077/Upcoming-Event-The-4th-Global-Chaoren-Innovation-Economic-Summit Regulatory News: NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO THE NEW BONDS WERE OFFERED ONLY BY WAY OF A PRIVATE PLACEMENT TO INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS. THE NEW BONDS MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO RETAIL INVESTORS (AS DEFINED HEREAFTER). NO KEY INFORMATION DOCUMENT UNDER PRIIPS REGULATION HAS BEEN AND WILL BE PREPARED. Korian (the "Company") (Paris:KORI), the European leader in care and support services for the elderly, announced today the successful placement of a tap issue of undated unsubordinated unsecured bonds convertible into new shares and/or exchangeable for existing shares (Obligations a Duree Indeterminee option de Remboursement en Numeraire et/ou en Actions Nouvelles et/ou Existantes ODIRNANE) (the "New Bonds"), without preferential subscription rights, for a nominal amount of approximately 60 million. The issue of the New Bonds aims at refinancing the non-listed hybrid bonds issued in June 2017 for an amount of 60 million. The New Bonds are to be issued on the same terms (save for the issue price) as the approximately 240 million undated unsubordinated unsecured bonds convertible into new shares and/or exchangeable for existing shares (ODIRNANE) issued by Korian on July 3rd, 2017 (the "Existing Bonds") and, as soon as the settlement date of the New Bonds, shall be fully assimilated to the Existing Bonds and fungible (together, the "Bonds The New Bonds shall be issued at a price of 40.90 (including accrued interests which are equal to 0.22 per Bond for the period from July 1st, 2018 to September 21st, 2018). The settlement and delivery date of the New Bonds is expected to take place on September 21st, 2018. Conversion/Exchange rights The holders of the Bonds (the "Bondholders") are granted a conversion/exchange right of the Bonds into new and/or existing Korian's shares with an initial conversion/exchange ratio of one share per Bond, subject to future potential adjustments (current ratio of 1.021 share per Bond since June 21st, 2018). The Bondholders may exercise their conversion/exchange right at any time from the issue date (inclusive) until the 18th trading day (exclusive) preceding the first of the two following dates: January 1st, 2023, or, as the case may be, the date set for any early redemption. Upon exercise of their conversion/exchange right, the Bondholders will receive, at the option of the Company, either an amount in cash, or a combination of cash and new and/or existing Korian shares, or only new and/or existing shares. The number of new and/or existing shares to be delivered to the Bondholders, as the case may be, will depend on the conversion/exchange ratio of the Bonds, which will be adjusted in certain customary cases for this type of securities, including in case of any dividend payment by the Company. For illustrative purpose, considering a total nominal amount of the tap issue of approximately 60 million represented by 1,492,167 New Bonds and a nominal value of 40.21 per Bond, maximum dilution resulting from the tap issue would represent 1.9% of the outstanding share capital, should the Company decide to exclusively deliver new shares upon conversion of the New Bonds. Placement and offer The New Bonds have been offered via an accelerated bookbuilding process through a private placement in France and/or outside France (excluding the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan). This placement has been conducted in accordance with Article L.411-2 II of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code monetaire et financier), as per the authorization granted by the Company's extraordinary general meeting held on June 14th, 2018 (17th resolution). An application will be made for admission of the New Bonds to trading on the open market ("Euronext Access") of Euronext in Paris with effect as from the settlement date. In connection with the offering, the Company has agreed to a lock-up undertaking ending 90 calendar days following the issue date of the New Bonds, subject to certain exceptions. Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank acted as Sole Global Coordinator, Joint Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner. Societe Generale acted as Joint Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner. Public information The offering of the New Bonds is not subject to a prospectus approved by the French Financial Market Authority (Autorite des marches financiers) (the "AMF"). Detailed information about Korian, including its business, results, perspectives and related risk factors are described in the Company's reference document filed with the AMF on April 26th, 2018 under number D.18-0411, which is available together with all the press releases and other regulated information about the Company, on the Company's website (www.korian.com). Korian draws the public's attention to the risk factors presented on pages 46 to 54 of the French version of the Company's reference document. This press release does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for or to sell securities and the offering of the New Bonds is not a public offering in any jurisdiction including France. ABOUT KORIAN Korian, the expert in providing care and support services for seniors, with 740 facilities, operates Europe's largest network of long-term care nursing homes, specialised clinics, assisted-living facilities, home care and hospital home care services. The Korian group has the capacity to accommodate around 75,000 beds in four countries (France, Germany, Belgium and Italy) and employs around 49,000 people. For more information, please visit our website at www.korian.com. Korian has been listed on Euronext Paris Compartment A since November 2006 and is a component of the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Health Care, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid Small and MSCI Global Small Cap Euronext Ticker: KORI ISIN: FR0010386334 - Reuters: KORI.PA Bloomberg: KORI FP Bonds ticker: KORAE ISIN: FR0013266087 Bloomberg: AO1537189 Corp DISCLAIMER This press release and the information contains herein do not, and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute an offer to the public, an offer to subscribe or designed to solicit interest for purposes of an offer to the public in any jurisdiction, including France. The distribution of this press release in certain countries may constitute a breach of applicable law. Accordingly, persons physically located in those countries, in which this press release is distributed or published, must inform themselves about and comply with such laws or regulations. No communication or information relating to the issuance by Korian of the New Bonds may be transmitted to the public in a country where there is a registration obligation or where an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country in which such registration or approval would be required. The issuance or the subscription of the New Bonds may be subject to specific legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; none of Korian and Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank or Societe Generale assumes any liability in connection with the breach by any person of such restrictions. This press release is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 4 November 2003 as amended, as implemented in each member state of the European Economic Area (the "Prospectus Directive The New Bonds will be offered only by way of a private placement in France and outside France (excluding the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan) to persons referred to in Article L.411-2-II of the French monetary and financial code (Code Monetaire et Financier), without an offer to the public in any country (including France). This press release does not constitute a recommendation on the issuance of the New Bonds. The value of the New Bonds is subject to fluctuation. Potential investors are advised to seek their own financial advisors to evaluate if buying the New Bonds is adequate with their needs. Prohibition of sales to European Economic Area Retail Investors No action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make available any New Bonds to any Retail Investor in the European Economic Area (EEA For these purposes: (a) the expression "Retail Investor" means a person who belongs to one (or several) of the following categories: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC (as amended, the "Insurance Mediation Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) a person other than a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive (as amended). (b) the expression "offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Bonds to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the New Bonds. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Bonds or otherwise making them available to Retail Investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the New Bonds or otherwise making them available to any Retail Investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPS Regulation. France The New Bonds have not been and will not be offered or sold or cause to be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Any offer or sale of the New Bonds and distribution of any offering material relating to the New Bonds have been and will be made in France only to (a) persons providing investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers), and/or (b) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) or a limited circle of investors provided that such investors act for their own account, as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L. 411-2 and D.411-1 of the French monetary and financial code (Code Monetaire et Financier United Kingdom This press release is addressed only (i) to persons located outside the United Kingdom, (ii) to investment professionals as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), (iii) to people designated by Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order or (iv) to any other person to whom this press release could be addressed pursuant to applicable law (the persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) all deemed relevant persons ("Relevant Persons"). The New Bonds and, if applicable, the Korian's shares to be delivered upon exercise of the conversion/exchange right (the "Securities") are intended only for Relevant Persons and any invitation, offer of contract related to the subscription, tender, or acquisition of the Securities may be addressed and/or concluded only with Relevant Persons. All persons other than Relevant Persons must abstain from using or relying on this document and all information contained therein. This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Order. United States of America This press release may not be published, distributed or transmitted in the United States of America (including its territories and dependencies, any State of the United States of America and the district of Columbia). This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase the New Bonds or any other financial securities in the United States of America. The New Bonds and, if applicable, the Korian's shares to be delivered upon exercise of the conversion/exchange right, have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), the law of any state of the United States of America and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America, except in accordance with an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act or the law of the above states. The New Bonds will be offered or sold only outside of the United States of America in offshore transactions, in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act. Korian does not intend to register all or any portion of the proposed offering in the United States of America or to conduct a public offering in the United States of America. Canada, Australia and Japan The New Bonds have not been offered or sold and may not be offered, sold or purchased in Canada, Australia or Japan. The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in Canada, Australia or Japan. Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and Societe Generale are acting on behalf of Korian exclusively in connection with the issuance of the New Bonds and will not regard any other person as their client nor will they be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to any of their clients or for providing advice in connection with any other share of bond offering or regarding the content of this press release or any transaction, arrangement or other matters referred to herein. Target market of ODIRNANE for the purposes of MIFID II: professional clients, eligible counterparties ("ECPs") and Retail Investors are targeted (all channels for distribution included). However, the New Bonds were not offered or sold to Retail Investors for the purposes of this offering. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180917005892/en/ Contacts: Korian Nadine COULM VP Investor Relations Financing nadine.coulm@korian.com t: +33 (0)1 55 37 53 55 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / September 18, 2018 / Dialog Semiconductor plc (XETRA:DLG) (OTC PINK: DLGNF) , a provider of highly integrated and configurable power management, AC/DC power conversion, charging, and connectivity will be the first in the industry to demonstrate Stereo High Fidelity (HiFi) quality audio streaming over Bluetooth low energy at this year's Bluetooth World event in Santa Clara, California. The technology, which enables true wireless stereo audio streaming over Bluetooth low energy, will be showcased in a proof of concept implementation to Bluetooth SIG Associate members at the event. As demand for wireless audio has increased, True Wireless Stereo (TWS) systems, featuring no wires between earbuds, have emerged as the pinnacle of the technology for consumer and professional use alike. These systems have proven challenging to develop: existing implementations make use of a combination of classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy technology for sound distribution between left and right channels, often resulting in imbalanced battery usage and limited battery life for the products. To solve this, Dialog has developed an audio over Bluetooth low energy proof of concept running on its widely adopted SmartBond SoC's, the first implementation to make use of Bluetooth low energy only. The implementation allows for best-in-class audio synchronization between left and right channels, together with the low power consumption afforded by Bluetooth low energy technology. "There is a clear demand from end-users for True Wireless Stereo audio, particularly in environments where even a single wire between earbuds can prove cumbersome and frustrating," said Sean McGrath, Senior VP & GM of Dialog Semiconductor's Connectivity Business Group. "This proof of concept demonstrates Bluetooth low energy's potential to deliver the solution developers need, while overcoming the limitations of existing technology that have traditionally held devices back from their true potential." "By solving the issues of power consumption and synchronization, we are showing how Bluetooth low energy could address two of the biggest complaints from True Wireless audio users. Manufacturers would have the ability to deliver True Wireless Stereo audio products that can simultaneously stream HiFi quality audio while delivering long lasting battery life for their products in the consumer and professional wireless audio market," added McGrath. Dialog Semiconductor will be showcasing its True Wireless Stereo Audio over Bluetooth low energy proof of concept at Bluetooth World 2018 in Santa Clara, California, from September 18-19, 2018. Dialog, the Dialog logo and SmartBond are trademarks of Dialog Semiconductor plc or its subsidiaries. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. (c) Copyright 2018 Dialog Semiconductor. All rights reserved. Media Contact: Mark Tyndall SVP Corporate Development & Strategy Dialog Semiconductor Phone: +1 (408) 845 8520 mark.tyndall@diasemi.com Web: www.dialog-semiconductor.com Twitter: @DialogSemi About Dialog Semiconductor Dialog Semiconductor is a leading provider of integrated circuits (ICs) that power mobile devices and the Internet of Things. Dialog solutions are integral to some of today's leading mobile devices and the enabling element for increasing performance and productivity on the go. From making smartphones more power efficient and shortening charging times, enabling home appliances to be controlled from anywhere, to connecting the next generation of wearable devices, Dialog's decades of experience and world-class innovation help manufacturers get to what's next. Dialog operates a fabless business model and is a socially responsible employer pursuing many programs to benefit the employees, community, other stakeholders and the environment it operates in. Dialog Semiconductor plc is headquartered in London with a global sales, R&D and marketing organization. In 2017, it had approximately $1.35 billion in revenue and was one of the fastest growing European public semiconductor companies. It currently has approximately 2,050 employees worldwide. The company is listed on the Frankfurt (FWB: DLG) stock exchange (Regulated Market, Prime Standard, ISIN GB0059822006) and is a member of the German TecDax index. For more information, visit www.dialog-semiconductor.com. Contact: Jose Cano Director, Investor Relations jose.cano@diasemi.com +44(0)1793756961 Contact:Jose CanoDirector, Investor Relationsjose.cano@diasemi.com+44(0)1793756961 SOURCE: Dialog Semiconductor Plc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/512107/Dialog-Semiconductor-First-to-Demonstrate-Stereo-HiFi-Quality-Audio-Over-BluetoothR-Low-Energy-BLE-at-Bluetooth-World-2018-Technology-allows-developers-to-overcome-challenges-of-battery-life-and-synchronization-for-True-Wireless-Stereo-systems MUNICH and FRANKFURT, Germany, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering project will enable start-ups to accelerate time to market for innovative health-related products and services aescuvest and EIT Health announce the launch of the first pan-European equity crowdfunding platform for European healthcare companies today: aescuvest.eu will be the number one such platform dedicated to foster and fund innovations from European start-ups and SMEs in an end-to-end digital process, and allow companies to promote campaigns and EU citizens to invest across borders. The platform will give both, retail and institutional investors access to best-in-class companies in the core health sectors biotechnology, medical technology and digital health. As prospectus-based security offerings, investment opportunities went through a thorough approval process. The start of the first campaign is expected in Q4 2018. "We are very proud to have been chosen by EIT Health as the partner for this trailblazing project, that is in itself innovative in the financing and crowdfunding sector," commented Dr Patrick Pfeffer, CEO & Founder of aescuvest. "EIT Health activities are needs-driven and feature the engagement of future users and patients in the development, testing and scaling of solutions in co-creation environments. It is the goal of aescuvest.eu to build a bridge between European citizens, healthcare professionals and healthcare innovators." Jan-Philipp Beck, CEO of EIT Health, added: "Crowdfunding stops at country borders these days. The cooperation with aescuvest.eu enables EIT Health to provide a unique service that will attract lots of start-ups and clearly differentiate us against any other accelerator. aescuvest.eu gives strong visibility, helps creating a bigger customer base, higher funding volume and therefore increased chances to succeed and to create impact. aescuvest's specialisation, expert due diligence and excellent digital reach of professionals within the sector, combined with EIT Health's incomparable access to hundreds of innovative companies, offers investors an exciting investment opportunity." One unique tool that addresses financing, marketing and sales EIT Health is a network of best-in-class health innovators backed by the EU. By collaborating across borders, EIT Health delivers solutions to enable European citizens to live longer, healthier lives. To achieve these goals, EIT Health connects all relevant healthcare players across European borders - making sure to include all sides of the "knowledge triangle," so that innovation can happen at the intersection of research, education, and business. EIT Health brings together healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and citizens, offering them new opportunities and resources. The crowdfunding platform aescuvest.eu gives the offering further breadth with a unique tool that addresses financing, marketing and sales in order to help the most promising health start-ups to scale up their businesses across Europe. Dr Pfeffer added: "Crowdfunding gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to attract the attention of investors and customers and to benefit from their willingness to provide funds, knowledge, and widespread contacts. On aescuvest.eu, all of this is offered in equity over a fixed contract period. Companies will be able to raise EUR 1 million to 10 million with a standardised prospectus, both allowing for cross-border financing under the European passporting regime. It is possible to raise between EUR 500,000 and 1 million in capital, without issuing a prospectus." aescuvest.eu will enable investors to participate in handpicked projects that have been reviewed by an independent investment committee. It provides the possibility to take advantage of early stage investments in the largest economic sector of Europe that offers stable and sustained growth, not at least due to an ageing society. The co-owner model is structured to enable retail investments alongside business angel and venture capital funding. Open to companies from across the EU, the initial funding focus will be on Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. About aescuvest aescuvest is Europe's first crowdfunding platform exclusively dedicated to the health sector, a dynamic market that is large in size, shows sustained growth rates and is driven by innovation. The platform offers retail investors, business angels and venture capitalists opportunities to make entrepreneurial investments in a promising market with above average returns. For start-up companies it serves as an independent launch pad to finance and market smart ideas, with the potential to directly target up to 550,000 healthcare professionals as well as general public all over Europe. Based in the financial hub of Frankfurt, www.aescuvest.de was started as a platform for crowdfunding campaigns for Germany in 2015, bringing innovations in medtech, biotech, health service, digital health and health rentals to life. In 2018, the start of www.aescuvest.eu marked the premier of the first platform to offer cross-border equity crowdfunding for healthcare companies and investors all over Europe: www.aescuvest.eu About EIT Health EIT Health is one of the largest healthcare initiatives worldwide. Its goal is to sustainably advance the fundamentals of healthcare and thus promote suitable future conditions for healthy living, active ageing and improved wellbeing of people across Europe. EIT Health leverages the expertise of around 150 member organisations from the pharma, diagnostics and med tech fields, payers, insurers, research institutions and universities. As one of the EIT's Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), the initiative benefits from some of the world's best-in-class academic and research organisations and offers both higher education and business expertise. By investing in Europe's best entrepreneurial talents and ideas, EIT Health fosters the development and commercialization of smart product and service solutions in the health sector, addressing the challenges posed by demographic change and ageing societies. Headquartered in Munich (Germany), EIT Health has six co-location centres in London (UK/Ireland), Stockholm (Scandinavia), Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France), Mannheim and Heidelberg (Germany/Switzerland) and Rotterdam (Belgium/Netherlands), as well as regional "EIT Health InnoStars" clusters consisting of industry partners, academia, and health providers linked to seven regions in six countries - Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Italy and Wales. www.eithealth.eu Media Contact: aescuvest International GmbH Frank Schwarz E-Mail: f.schwarz@aescuvest.de The Board of directors of Schibsted ASA has today resolved to initiate a process to reorganize the company into two growth-oriented companies. The international online classifieds operations (preliminarily named "MPI") will be spun off and established as an independent, listed company. Schibsted, meanwhile, will comprise all activities in Norway, Sweden and Finland - including Finn.no, Blocket.se and Tori.fi. Schibsted will retain a majority ownership in MPI at the time of the listing. Schibsted intends to remain an active, significant long-term owner in MPI, and the size and time horizon of Schibsted's ownership will be tailored to support and develop shareholder value for both companies. MPI will be one of the global leaders in online classifieds, fully equipped to achieve long term growth with high profit margins. Schibsted will continue to invest, building on its footprints in the Nordics. Schibsted's strong track record, competence and market positions constitute a solid platform for innovation. In this connection, the Board has concluded the strategic review of Lendo and decided that the company will continue as a fully-owned entity, constituting a driving force in our cluster of personal finance-related operations. The Board has appointed Rolv Erik Ryssdal as the new CEO of the MPI. As the new CEO of Schibsted ASA, the board has appointed Kristin Skogen Lund. The spin-off of MPI will be done primarily as a demerger. The shares are expected to start trading in 2019. Strategic background The proposed transaction represents an important strategic step forward for Schibsted, as it allows the two new entities to set out their best strategic courses individually. Schibsted will optimize its value creation for shareholders, society, customers and employees by continuing to invest in digital consumer services on the one hand and active participation in the development of the international online classifieds industry on the other. Schibsted has a history of utilizing new technology, creating new services, developing new markets with potential for significant value creation and adapting to rapidly changing markets. These values will remain at the core of both Schibsted and MPI. Although Schibsted plans to retain a significant ownership position in MPI, the new, separately listed company will have a simplified governance structure with no ownership or voting limitations. Initially MPI will inherit Schibsted ASA's structure with A- and B-shares carrying different voting. However, Schibsted as a majority owner will support an amalgamation into only one share class in due course. The new company will be well equipped to play an active role in any structural development of the online classifieds industry. Schibsted ASA - Digital growth company with a Nordic base and global ambitions Schibsted is deeply embedded in the daily lives of consumers in the Nordic region. Every week Schibsted reaches 79 percent of consumers in Norway[1] and 82 percent in Sweden[2], contributing to the everyday lives of millions of users in these markets. Over the past two decades, Schibsted has transformed from a newspaper holding company into a large online media company. Schibsted has a proven track record of leveraging its consumer relations and forward-looking mindset to incubate and develop new business models with international potential to the benefit of shareholders, society, customers and employees. Finn, Blocket, Leboncoin, OLX in Brazil and - recently - Lendo are great examples of this. Positioned in one of the world's most dynamic regions in terms of digital services, the company will continue to be on the forefront of innovation and structural growth. Schibsted will continue to deepen its customer relationships through its leading consumer brands and leverage its ability to collect and process data to develop its consumer and advertising offerings. We will build on the combined forces of Finn/Blocket/Tori, personal finance-assets like Lendo, and the publishing activities, and believe developing these assets closely coordinated is the best way to maximize the potential of each one of them. As an integral part of this move, the company's special dedication to developing, independent and trusted editorial content will prevail. In the last 10 months, Schibsted has conducted a strategic review of Lendo which has provided further evidence of Lendo's potential as a company. We firmly think that continued full ownership is in our shareholders' best interest, despite significant interest from potential partners. We are excited to see the potential for targeted international expansion in small- and medium-sized markets. Lendo plans to launch activities in Poland, Denmark and Austria i 2018 and 2019. On this basis, Lendo will continue as a fully-owned entity, constituting a driving force in Schibsted's cluster of personal finance-related operations. After the transaction, Schibsted ASA will consist of the following clusters of assets: Publishing - VG, Aftenposten, Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet and other regional and local news organizations in Norway: Leading, agenda-setting news organizations with well developed digital products and revenue models - VG, Aftenposten, Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet and other regional and local news organizations in Norway: Leading, agenda-setting news organizations with well developed digital products and revenue models Classifieds - Finn.no, Blocket.se and Tori.fi - the clear leaders in digital marketplaces in the Nordics with deeply entrenched market positions in verticals, generalist marketplaces and adjacent business areas. - Finn.no, Blocket.se and Tori.fi - the clear leaders in digital marketplaces in the Nordics with deeply entrenched market positions in verticals, generalist marketplaces and adjacent business areas. Personal Finance - Lendo, Bynk, Hypoteket and other operations within personal finance and fintech, with international potential - Lendo, Bynk, Hypoteket and other operations within personal finance and fintech, with international potential New growth initiatives - Prisjakt, Let's Deal and other existing and new digital services aiming to disrupt existing markets. - Prisjakt, Let's Deal and other existing and new digital services aiming to disrupt existing markets. A significant active ownership stake in MPI. Finn and Blocket will maintain a close relationship with MPI in order to exchange best practice and share product development in relevant areas. "I am very happy to welcome Kristin Skogen Lund as Schibsted's new CEO. I am convinced that she is just the right leader for the next phase of Schibsted's journey," Chair of the Schibsted Board Ole Jacob Sunde says. Kristin Skogen Lund has worked for Schibsted for twelve years until 2010 when she became EVP at Telenor with the responsibility for Telenor Nordic, a business with a turnover of EUR 6 billion. She was an important contributor to Telenor's digital transformation, initiating and leading Telenor Digital Services. For the last six years, she has been a skillful and prominent leader of the Norwegian Business Confederation of Enterprise. During this period, she served on the Board of Ericsson, the Swedish technology company. "Schibsted is an impressive company with an important role in society. A company that has tackled demanding transformations, and that truly has innovation as a key pillar in its DNA. I am proud and humble to have the opportunity to help Schibsted build on its already strong positions, and equip the two companies for the future," says Kristin Skogen Lund. Rolv Erik Ryssdal will continue as CEO until Kristin Skogen Lund joins Schibsted, most likely by the end of 2018. MPI As one of the global market leaders in online classifieds, MPI (preliminary name) is dedicated to providing perfect matches on the world's most trusted marketplaces and to creating value for buyers and sellers. "The company will continue to strengthen its roots in verticals like cars, real estate and jobs in order to further monetize its market-leading positions. The company will remain focused on top line growth as well as margin and cash flow improvement," CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal says. MPI is in an excellent position to develop new models that will define the future of online marketplaces. The simplified governance in MPI will make it possible for the company to actively take part in any attractive M&A transactions or structural changes in the industry. MPI will consist of a strong portfolio of market leading online classifieds sites in 20 countries. Key assets are: Leboncoin.fr - the leading online classifieds site in France with leading positions in real estate and cars. Reaches 28 million [3] consumers every month. consumers every month. Schibsted Spain - the leading online classifieds player in Spain. 50% ownership of the joint venture OLX Brazil - the leading online classifieds site in Brazil. Strong positions in Italy, Austria, Ireland and Hungary. Shpock - native mobile marketplace downloaded more than 50 million times with presence in 6 countries. Leading marketplaces in investment phase in Mexico, Chile, Belarus, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Morocco and Tunisia. Rolv Erik Ryssdal has held various executive positions in Schibsted, including head of Schibsted Classified Media, before he became CEO of the Group in 2009. "I am very glad that Rolv Erik has accepted the position as CEO of the new international marketplaces company. He has done an outstanding job in the nine years he has served at the helm of Schibsted," Ole Jacob Sunde says. "An important part of my work during this period has been to build up our international online classifieds business. Leading a separate listing and further expansion of this part of Schibsted will be a great new challenge for me," Rolv Erik Ryssdal says. The role of the Tinius Trust The Tinius Trust fully supports the Board's proposal. The Trust owns 25.6 percent of votes and 23.8 percent of the total shares in Schibsted ASA though the fully controlled Blommenholm Industrier AS. "The Tinius Trust is supporting the long term, healthy financial development of Schibsted. The demerger is a wise move to enable MPI to optimize its value creation within a new structure," says Ole Jacob Sunde, Board Chair of the Tinius Trust, and adds: "The Trust is committed to maintaining our current shareholdings in Schibsted. The Trust's direct ownership in MPI will be seen as a long-term financial holding." Preliminary timetable The following events are expected to take place during first half 2019: Publication of Announcement of Extraordinary General Meeting in Schibsted ASA Publication of Information brochure Extraordinary General Meeting in Schibsted ASA Publication of MPI listing prospectus Distribution of MPI Shares First day of trading of MPI Key facts Schibsted Group Schibsted ASA (ex. consolidation of MPI) MPI Revenue (mNOK) 16,943 12,697 4,811 EBITDA (mNOK) 2,606 2,425 1,060 Number of countries with operations 22 6 17 Number of employees 8,070 5,238 2,832 Note: Revenue and EBITDA of MPI is calculated by reducing the reported amounts of the current Marketplaces operating segment by revenues and EBITDA of marketplaces operations in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Revenue and EBITDA of Schibsted ex MPI is calculated by increasing the total of reported amounts of the current Publishing and Growth operating segments by the same amounts. No adjustments related to Other/Headquarters are reflected, and the difference between the sum of the two entities and Schibsted Group is related to Other/Headquarters. No adjustments are made to reflect potential effects on reported revenues from changes to intragroup sales being eliminated within or between operating segments. Press conference/conference call Schibsted will host an investor and analyst conference today, 18 September 2018, at 14:00 CET. Participants: Chair of the Board Ole Jacob Sunde, CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal and CFO Trond Berger Venue: Hotel Sign, 2nd floor, room C9 The conference will be transmitted as a webcast on www.schibsted.com/ir (http://www.schibsted.com/ir). You may send in questions on the website You may also call in and listen to the presentation over the phone. This service allows you to ask questions during the Q&A session at the end of the presentation. To participate in the conference call, please register before the conference starts. NOTE: To avoid waiting time when connecting to the call, please use the below link 5-10 minutes prior to 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 place you into the event. Please note that the link will become active 15 minutes prior to the event: Link to join the call: https://bit.ly/2xe3TsH (https://bit.ly/2xe3TsH) For manual dial-in, use the following number (note that this connection might take more time): +47 2100 2613. Passcode: 611415. A recording of the conference call will be made available at https://www.schibsted.com/en/ir/ (https://www.schibsted.com/en/ir/). Contact information: For investors/analysts: Jo Christian Steigedal, VP Head of IR. Tel: +47 415 08 733, email: jcs@schibsted.com (mailto:jcs@schibsted.com) For the media: Nathalie Kavin, Director of Communications. Schibsted Media Group, Tel: +47 934 01 363, e-mail: nathalie.kavin@schibsted.com (mailto:nathalie.kavin@schibsted.com) Camilla Kim Kielland, Director of Communications, Schibsted Media, Tel: +47 917 36 971, e-mail: camilla.kim.kielland@schibsted.com (mailto:camilla.kim.kielland@schibsted.com), Oslo, 18 September 2018 Schibsted ASA Jo Christian Steigedal VP Head of IR [1] Source: Forbruker & Media 18/1. Includes Adresseavisen, owned throughSchibsted's associated company Polaris Media. [2] Source: SIFO (Kantar) Orvesto [3] Source: Mediametrie This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Schibsted via Globenewswire HONG KONG, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The seventh annual JNA Awards, one of the most prestigious award programmes in the international jewellery and gemstone industry, has been declared a spectacular success. The event was held during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair Hong Kong on 17 September. At this grand evening of celebration, 44 Honourees or finalists across 12 award categories made exceptional contributions to the industry were acknowledged. Out of the 44 finalists, 15 Recipients were announced in a star-studded ceremony witnessed by prominent industry leaders and influencers. Organised by UBM Asia, the JNA Awards is dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of excellence, leadership, innovation and best business practices in the jewellery and gemstone community. Prida Tiasuwan, Chairman of Pranda Jewelry Public Co Ltd -- PRANDA Group, has been feted with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest accolade conferred by the JNA Awards. Prida is well-known for his tireless effort in bringing Thailand-made jewellery to the forefront of the global market. His bold vision and revolutionary ideas not only contributed to the success of PRANDA Group, but also benefited the jewellery industry as a whole. View the 15 Award Recipients across 12 categories here. Letitia Chow, Chairperson of the JNA Awards, Founder of JNA, and Director of Business Development -- Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, said, "Our industry is facing some challenging times, but we should not be discouraged. Instead, this is the time to be innovative. This is the time to seek business opportunities with a different light and angle, and form alliances and collaborations to create win-win situations. Our Honouree companies and individuals embrace this mindset to drive their businesses forward. Once again, I would like to express my deep appreciation and sincere congratulations to all companies and individuals who took part in this year's Awards." Kent Wong, Managing Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd, remarked, "Having been a JNA Awards Headline Partner for seven consecutive years, we are thrilled to witness the continuous pursuit of breakthroughs and accomplishments by our peers. Through our concerted efforts, I believe we can drive the development of the jewellery industry and let it shine for generations to come." Lin Qiang, President & Managing Director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE), added, "The Honourees for Industry Innovation of the Year were extremely impressive this year and nicely represented the entrepreneurial spirit of the jewellery industry. All the companies are blazing trails in their respective sectors, but it is only through innovation that one can truly stand out. I love reading about success stories stemming from innovation -- be it in the context of technology, business models and product development. What those inspiring stories tell us is that change can be a positive thing, and that taking risks can lead to tremendous growth." Kenneth Scarratt, CEO of the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT), shared, "The JNA Awards in exemplifying excellence provides a vital avenue for talented professionals to show the world that the gem and jewellery industry is truly innovative, diverse and transparent. The Recipients this year, as in previous years, are great global trade ambassadors and we should all be grateful for their contributions and support in setting the standards to which we should all aspire." In addition to Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook, SDE and DANAT, the JNA Awards is supported by Honoured Partners KGK Group, Guangdong Gems & Jade Exchange, and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (GDLAND). For more information, visit www.JNAawards.com or contact: JNA Awards Marketing UBM Asia (Hong Kong) +852 2516-2184 marketing@jnaawards.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/745856/The_seventh_annual_JNA_Awards.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/714462/JNA_Awards_logo_2018_CMYK_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/714461/UBM_CMYK_Logo.jpg NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Infortrend Technology, Inc. (TWSE: 2495), once again, has been recognized as one of the top 10 most promising storage solution providers in 2018 by CIO Review Magazine. This is the second consecutive year that Infortrend received this prestigious recognition. In 2017, Infortrend was chosen as one of the top 20 most promising storage solution providers along with the leaders in enterprise data storage industry such as Dell EMC, HPE, IBM, and NetApp. CIO Review Magazine acknowledges Infortrend's position as one of the top data storage solution providers in the industry, as well as its relentless drive to excel in terms of quality, reliability, choice, and value. For more than 25 years, Infortrend has provided high-performance and quality-assured redundant rack-mounted storage systems with a worldwide installed base of more than 600,000 units. Our customers are ranging from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to large-scale enterprise storage demands such as government, multinational corporations, and financial institutions. Since 2010, Infortrend's market position was recognized by Gartner Magic Quadrant in General-Purpose Disk Array category. In addition, Infortrend's product price-performance were ranked among the top in both SPC-1 and SPC-2 benchmarks by Storage Performance Council (SPC), a vendor-neutral, industry standards body focused on the storage industry. Infortrend is accelerating its innovation pace with the latest product introduction of Hybrid Cloud Storage Appliance and AI-enabled Storage. "For Infortrend, this recognition validates our efforts in providing world-class product in the competitive Enterprise Data Storage market space", said Thomas Kao, Senior Director of Product Planning. Click here to read CIO Review Magazine's full review. About Infortrend Infortrend (TWSE: 2495) has been developing and manufacturing storage solutions since 1993. With a strong emphasis on in-house design, testing, and manufacturing, Infortrend storage delivers performance and scalability with the latest standards, user friendly data services, personal after-sales support, and unrivaled value. For more Information, please visit www.infortrend.com Infortrend and EonStor are trademarks or registered trademarks of Infortrend Technology, Inc., other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ALBANY, New York, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dental implants are considered as one of the most preferred options for the treatment of people, who have lost their tooth or teeth due to injury, periodontal disease, or any other conditions that require replacement of natural tooth. This is anticipated to encourage the growth of the global dental implants market in the next few years and offer potential growth opportunities for the market players. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ) According to the market research study by Transparency Market Research, in 2016, the global market for dental implants was worth US$ 3.60 bn and is projected to reach a value of US$ 6.54 bn by the end of 2025. The market is predicted to register a healthy 6.90% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. Get PDF Brochure for Research Insights at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=224 Key Benefits Encouraging Growth of Global Dental Implants Market The rising incidence of dental diseases and the increasing awareness among consumers regarding the importance of dental implants are some of the key factors that are estimated to accelerate the growth of the global market in the next few years. The rising demand for cosmetic dentistry and the increasing disposable income of consumers are some of the other factors that are other factors that are expected to encourage the growth of the overall market in the near future. In addition to this, the rising popularity of dental tourism, especially in developing economies is another major factor accelerating the growth of the dental implants market across the globe. Furthermore, the rising investments in Cam/Cad technologies and a low penetration rate of dental implants in emerging economies are estimated to offer potential growth opportunities for market players in the near future. Request a Sample of Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=224 Europe to Lead Global Dental Implants Market in Coming Years From a regional perspective, the global market for dental implants has been categorized into the Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Among these, Europe is predicted to account for a large share of the overall market and register a strong growth rate in the next few years. The high growth of this region can be attributed to the rapid development of the implant dentistry. In addition to this, the rising focus on the development of the healthcare segment and advancements in this field are some of the other factors that are projected to enhance the growth of the Europe market in the coming few years. Request for Discount on This Report:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=224 Furthermore, North America is expected to hold the second position in the global dental implants market. The rising contribution from the U.S. and the rising awareness among consumers regarding the benefits and importance of dental implants are some of the major factors that are estimated to encourage the growth of the North America dental implants market in the coming few years. Browse Press Release:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/dental-implants-market.htm Rising Research and Development Activities to Encourage Market Growth The global market for dental implants is growing at a healthy pace and is expected to witness a high level of competition in the next few years. The high level of consolidation and the rising level of competition are predicted to enhance the overall growth of the market in the coming few years. Some of the leading players operating in the dental implants market across the globe are Henry Schein Inc., AVINENT Implant System S.L., Straumann Holding AG, Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc., Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Danaher Corporation, 3M, Health Care, and Dentsply Sirona Inc. These players are focusing on the research and development activities, which is projected to enhance the overall growth of the market in the near future. Popular Research Reports by TMR: Dental Cements Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-cement-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-cement-market.html Dental Restorative Market:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-restorative-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com SAN MATEO, California, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Company releases new validation study - the largest-ever with more than 1 million x-rays - that finds its deep learning algorithms can differentiate between normal and abnormal x-rays with unprecedented accuracy Qure.ai (http://www.qure.ai), an AI-driven healthcare startup, today released the results of its unprecedented clinical validation study confirming its qXR algorithms' accuracy - which is akin to diagnostic imaging performance - on 1.2 million x-rays. Chest x-rays are the most commonly performed, cost-effective diagnostic imaging tests ordered by physicians. A clinically-validated, automated AI that can reliably separate normal from abnormal chest x-rays would be invaluable in addressing the problem of reporting backlogs and the lack of radiologists in low-resource settings. The aim of Qure.ai's latest study was to validate and tune its deep learning system to detect chest x-ray abnormalities. "The chest x-ray is a valuable health screening tool and a vital component of public health programs worldwide. The enormous volume produced each year creates an ever-increasing demand for radiologists," said Dr Shalini Govil, Quality Controller and Senior Advisor of the Columbia Asia Radiology Group. "Unfortunately, numerous chest x-rays displaying significant pathology are left neglected in piles of backlogs due to a lack of available radiologists to report them. Through semi-automation of the reporting process, AI can significantly reduce a radiologist's workload, improve report accuracy, reduce turnaround time and save lives." For the study, Qure.ai's deep learning chest x-ray algorithms were trained on 1.2 million x-rays and their corresponding radiology reports to identify abnormal x-rays and other abnormalities such as blunted costophrenic angle, calcification, cardiomegaly, cavity, consolidation, fibrosis, hilar enlargement, opacity and pleural effusion. The system was tested against a 3-radiologist panel and set of 2,000 independent, de-identified and anonymized x-rays. "We used a triple blinded validation protocol to test the system on a set of 2,000 de-identified chest x-rays from the Columbia Asia Hospital archives. The study measured the performance of the algorithm against three independent opinions of practicing radiologists," said Dr. Sundeep Reddivari, General Manager- Telemedicine, Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. "The study found that a deep learning algorithm trained on a large quantity of labelled x-rays can independently, and most importantly, accurately detect abnormalities on chest x-rays." The results have been published today in a research paper on Cornell University's online distribution system for research, arXiv.org. The paper is titled 'Can Artificial Intelligence Reliably Report Chest X-Rays?: Radiologist Validation of an Algorithm trained on 1.2 Million X-Rays'. "This study is a series of exciting firsts," said Prashant Warier, CEO & Co-founder Qure.ai. "This is the largest training dataset ever for a chest x-ray AI. It's also the largest validation study to date, measured against 2,000 x-rays - each read by three radiologists. And, finally, it's also the first paper to detect an 'abnormal' x-ray, consequently our qXR algorithm is trained to differentiate between normal and abnormal x-rays." Qure.ai's qXR detects 15 chest x-ray abnormalities at near-radiologist levels, with more than 90% accuracy. It also screens for tuberculosis and is used in public health screening programs around the world. qXR was trained with over one million curated X-rays and radiology reports, making it the most comprehensive and accurate chest X-ray detection algorithm available today. "This is an exciting time for deep learning technologies in medicine," said Warier. "As these systems increase in accuracy, so will the viability of using deep learning to extend the reach of chest x-ray interpretation, improve reporting efficiency and save lives." Qure.ai recently launched qER, a deep learning algorithm that can identify bleeds, fractures and other critical trauma in head CT scans with more than 95% accuracy. An unprecedented clinical validation study confirmed the qER algorithms' extraordinary accuracy on 21,000 patients. Founded in 2016, Qure.ai is incubated by Fractal Analytics, a global leader in artificial intelligence and analytics that powers decision-making in Fortune 500 companies. For more information about Qure.ai, please visit, http://www.qure.ai. About Qure.ai Qure.ai's mission is to make healthcare affordable and accessible using the power of artificial intelligence. Qure.ai's deep neural networks can understand and interpret medical images with unprecedented accuracy and enable machines to perform routine diagnostics, thus improving healthcare outcomes and costs. About Columbia Asia Hospitals Columbia Asia, an international private healthcare company, is owned by a U.S.-based investment fund: International Columbia USA LLC (ICU). Columbia Asia started operations in 1996 and has 30 medical facilities across Asia. The company believes in setting up mid-size hospitals built in residential areas for accessibility and efficiency, and to better serve the respective communities. Columbia Asia aims to be the preferred choice of healthcare services for families and businesses. At Columbia Asia, comprehensive medical programs demand ethics, excellence and strict clinical governance. All of its operations follow international quality assurance guidelines that meet the highest standard of patient care possible. Allied Wallet, a globally leading provider of mainstream online payment processing, multi-currency merchant services, and a PCI Level 1 secured payment gateway, recently partnered with CashDash to offer their eWallet app customers the option to withdraw their money at ATMs without a debit card. After leading the payment industry in innovation for over a decade, Allied Wallet is still finding new ways to bridge gaps for consumers and business owners. They recently partnered with CashDash to enhance their popular eWallet solution that acts as a digital wallet for consumers to shop online and even in stores. Allied Wallet's eWallet allows users a safe, secure means for shopping on the internet. Users can load money onto their eWallet and shop as they please. Additionally, Allied Wallet has tied in features like their prepaid card solution which allows eWallet users to use a linked Allied Wallet-branded card to shop with their eWallet money. Allied Wallet even has a mobile point-of-sale SWIPE solution that allows people to accept payments with their phone. All this ties into one solution the Allied Wallet solution that is now integrated with CashDash. "It's amazing," says Allied Wallet CEO Andy Khawaja, " people will have access to their funds all over the world without needing to carry their debit card. All they need is their phone, which everyone always carries. It's so convenient, and we love that." With a simple mobile app, people can locate a CashDash-equipped ATM machine and have access to their linked account. This is especially useful for those who travel internationally often, as there is an automatic currency conversion when CashDash is used. Dr. Andy Khawaja added, "CashDash is already serviced in a countless number of ATMs globally and growing very popular in the United Kingdom. We're very happy to be partnered with them to innovate ATM withdrawals and offer this service to our users." About Allied Wallet: Allied Wallet continues to revolutionize the e-commerce industry by introducing new and innovative payment processing solutions for merchants, enabling them to accept global payments. With PCI compliant merchant services for nearly any business size, Allied Wallet provides a state-of-the-art payment gateway to optimize transactions for businesses like restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and car rental companies. For more information, please visit www.alliedwallet.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005236/en/ Contacts: Allied Wallet A.J. Almeda E-mail: aalmeda@alliedwallet.com United States: (310) 424-5495 SAN FRANCISCO, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The global continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices market size is expected to reach USD 1.01 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is estimated to register a CAGR of 13.7% over the forecast period. Growing cases of diabetes and introduction of novel and advanced diabetes care devices are the major factors driving the market growth. Continuous glucose monitoring devices provide an efficient method to measure body glucose levels in real time. Data recorded by these devices is transmitted through a wireless network to receivers; this helps keep a track of glucose levels over a designated period. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg ) These devices also help manage diabetes while reducing individual insulin dosages. Integrated software within these devices provides users with insights about food consumption, medication, physical activity, and illnesses. Thus, an increasing number of diabetic patients are using these devices to manage and treat diabetes, which, in turn, is accelerating market growth. With the advent of digital therapeutics, a rising number of CGM devices are being incorporated with apps and software to help patients with diabetes mellitus. Rise in the number of diabetes mellitus has been contributing toward market growth. Browse full research report with TOC on "Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Systems/Devices Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Transmitters, Sensors, Insulin Pumps), By End Use (Hospitals, Homecare), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2024" at:https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/continuous-glucose-monitoring-market Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest: Growing cases of diabetes is anticipated to propel market growth, with increasing number of patients opting for simplified CGM devices CGM devices provide analysis of blood glucose levels from the tissue fluid at regular intervals of time, which is also driving their demand Transmitters and receivers was the largest component type segment and is anticipated to maintain its dominance owing to their integral nature in these devices Insulin pumps are anticipated to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to their ability to maintain optimal blood glucose levels Asia Pacific is the leading regional market, with Japan , China , and India on the forefront is the leading regional market, with , , and on the forefront North America led the global market in the past owing to wide usage of CGM devices as a result of higher number of target patients in the region led the global market in the past owing to wide usage of CGM devices as a result of higher number of target patients in the region The European region followed the North American closely in terms of market revenue due to rise in the adoption of these devices in key countries such as U.K., Germany , France , Italy , and Spain , , , and Some of the key companies present in the market are Pfizer Inc.; Baxter International, Inc.; Abbott Laboratories; Medtronic PLC; Animas Corporation; and Novo Nordisk A/S. Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Infection Control Market - The global infection control market size was estimated at USD 150.4 billion in 2016 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% throughout the forecast period. Pressure Monitoring Market - The global pressure monitoring market size was valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2016 and is projected to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period. Orthopedic Bone Cement Market - The global orthopedic bone cement market size was estimated at USD 692.8 million in 2016. Non-PVC IV Bags Market - The global non-PVC IV bags market size was estimated at USD 1.11 billion in 2016. Grand View Research has segmented the global continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices market on the basis of component, end use, and region: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024 Transmitters & Receivers Sensors Insulin Pumps Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Hospitals Homecare Settings Others Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. Asia Pacific China India Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia Explore the BI enabled intuitive market research database,Grand View Compass, by Grand View Research, Inc. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: +1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Testimony 2.0 accelerates regression testing of SAP applications with unprecedented levels of insight Basis Technologies, innovators of the most complete automation platform for DevOps and testing engineered specifically for SAP systems, today announced they will showcase their next generation technology at a series of major events in October 2018, including SAP TechEd 2018 Las Vegas; the DSAG-Jahreskongress 2018 in Leipzig, Germany; and SAP TechEd 2018 Barcelona. Many of the world's largest companies already use Basis Technologies' automation to drive innovation through continuous delivery of change. These events offer the first live public demonstration of Testimony 2.0, the latest version of Basis Technologies' ground-breaking test automation software. The launch of Testimony in 2017 marked the introduction of Robotic Test Automation (RTA), a revolutionary technology that transforms the way firms think about regression testing of SAP software. Now, Testimony 2.0 gives users a deeper level of insight that further accelerates defect remediation for even greater time savings, cost reduction and risk mitigation. Testimony's server-side RTA engine uses bots to deliver a comprehensive level of SAP regression test coverage at high speed without the need for script creation or maintenance, offering an unprecedented level of visibility into the impact of change. Testimony 2.0 includes new features, developed in response to user feedback, that aid in quick and efficient interpretation of this extensive data set. Test teams now have more ways to rapidly analyze the causes of failure and are better equipped than ever to make informed assessments of the true business risk when delivering change in SAP systems. "Robotic Test Automation is already revolutionizing testing in the world of SAP by eliminating costly traditional methods of regression testing," said Basis Technologies CEO, Martin Metcalf. "Testimony 2.0 represents a significant enhancement to our automation platform for DevOps and testing that allows our customers to be more competitive in a dynamic global market." Testimony 2.0 will be shown alongside ActiveControl, Basis Technologies' market-leading change automation solution already adopted by hundreds of global companies. ActiveControl provides the flexibility needed to deliver high quality SAP change on demand, without risk of business disruption. It also enables integration of SAP application delivery into wider non-SAP agile and CI/CD processes. Together, ActiveControl and Testimony form the most comprehensive automation platform for SAP change, enabling firms to 'shift left' and perform full regression testing for every release. The ability to continuously test and deploy high quality changes with fewer resources gives companies the business agility they need to stay competitive and grow. Basis Technologies will demonstrate both Testimony 2.0 and ActiveControl at SAP TechEd 2018 Las Vegas, October 2-5, at booth number 435; at the DSAG-Jahreskongress 2018 in Leipzig, Germany, October 16-18, at booth number L9; and at SAP TechEd Barcelona 2018, October 23-25, at booth number P22. Alternatively, SAP users can request a free demonstration of the products via the Basis Technologies website. About Basis Technologies Basis Technologies provides the only complete automated DevOps and testing platform engineered for SAP solutions. Our customers maintain better competitive agility by responding more quickly to market opportunities, while reducing costs and lowering risk. We develop automation technology that massively reduces the time and effort needed to execute change and testing. Many of the world's largest brands use Basis Technologies' automation to accelerate innovation and ensure continuous quality and agile delivery across SAP software landscapes. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005130/en/ Contacts: Basis Technologies Christie Lindstrom Chief Marketing Officer christie.lindstrom@basistechnologies.com It could create problems for existing and future import pipelines to the EU The settlement between Gazprom and European Commission will foster greater market liberalization and EU gas market functioning, without requiring further legislation Arthur D. Little (ADL) today published two reports analyzing the EU Commission's proposals to extend the regulations of the Third Gas Directive to pipelines from third countries supplying gas to the EU. They find that the recent European Commission-Gazprom settlement makes the amendment unnecessary, and that the proposed legislation will fail in its objective of enhancing market competition, potentially even decreasing supply. The proposed directive suggests expanding EU regulation to import pipelines from non-EU countries, risking potential legal challenges and future international investment in gas-export infrastructure. Existing agreements between Spain and Italy and third countries, such as Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, would need to be renegotiated, creating scope for counter demands. The economic conditions for future pipeline projects such as East Med would become less predictable, creating the risk that gas would go to non-EU markets. Proposed derogations or exemptions cannot be guaranteed, and their outcome is uncertain. This could have a detrimental impact on supply, and therefore prices the exact opposite of its stated aims. The Spring 2018 settlement between the European Commission and Gazprom set out binding legal obligations, with mandatory actions agreed to prevent alleged anti-competitive behavior by Gazprom. This significantly changes the EU gas supply landscape, rendering the amendment unnecessary, according to ADL's analysis. Additionally, greater liberalization means the market is now beginning to function very well, without requiring further legislation. Michael Kruse, Partner and Head of Energy Utilities in Central Europe, explains: "The Gazprom settlement has significantly shifted the market context compared to when the Gas Directive amendment was first proposed. It creates a relevant, important change which needs to be recognized in the ongoing discussions around the amendment, and our analysis recommends carrying out a detailed impact assessment to check it is still necessary. At the very least, the European Commission should wait for the impact of the settlement to bed in, before introducing further changes." The proposed Gas Directive and the EC-Gazprom settlement www.adl.com/EC_GazpromSettlement The Gas Directive amendment and relations with third countries www.adl.com/ThirdCountryRelations View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005491/en/ Contacts: For Arthur D. Little Sue Glanville +44-7715-817589 sue@catalystcomms.co.uk BERLIN and HANNOVER, Germany, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement delivered by Bernhard Mattes, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), at the IAA opening press conference in the Maritim Hotel, Hannover, at 10:30 hrs on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 The 67th IAA Commercial Vehicles is ready to start. More exhibitors, more space, more world premieres - Focus on digitization, connectivity, automation and electric mobility - Commercial vehicle markets support the IAA - Criticism of unrealistic CO 2 reduction targets for heavy trucks The international commercial vehicle markets (over 6 t) are in good form for this IAA. They have pushed up their year-to-date figures (January to July). That applies to Western Europe (+2 percent), China (+8 percent) and in particular to the US (+18 percent). Even Brazil, a cause for concern over recent years, is once again generating optimism. Sales up to July rose by more than 50 percent - however, we are still a long way from previous record levels. The Indian commercial vehicle market has also grown strongly (+45 percent). Yet we cannot ignore the political risks around the world which also affect commercial vehicles. In the close-knit international transport and supply chains in particular, trends toward more protectionism, import duties and trade barriers ultimately do not benefit anyone. We are therefore taking action worldwide to support free and fair trade. Transport and logistics need accessible markets. Please read more here Media Contact: Eckehart Rotter VDA - Press Department Tel.: +49-30-897842-120 E-mail: rotter@vda.de SAN FRANCISCO, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The global on-highway vehicle lighting market size is expected to reach USD 42.03 billion by 2025, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc., exhibiting a 5.4% CAGR during the forecast period. Government regulations for improved visibility and increasing penetration of energy-efficient light sources have bolstered the market growth. Increasing adoption of LED lamps and growing emphasis on technological innovations are estimated drive the market further. Automobile manufacturers are increasingly adoption energy-efficient and more advanced lighting technologies, such as LASER and Light-Emitting Diode (LED). (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg ) LED lamps are more energy-efficient, durable, and have the higher operational life span (over 50,000 hours) than other sources, such as incandescent, xenon, and halogen bulbs. Thus, longer lifespan and low energy consumption would drive the demand for LED lights in the coming years. Companies such as Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Stanley Electric, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., and Magneti Marelli S.p.A provide LED lights in different shapes for a number of automotive applications. Asia Pacific is expected to be the dominant regional market over the forecast period owing to the rapidly growing automotive sector. Moreover, stringent regulations by local governments regarding the use of energy-efficient lighting sources are also likely to open up new growth opportunities for the companies. For instance, in 2017 the Indian government has mandated the use of Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) and Automatic Headlamp On (AHO) for two-wheelers, which in turn shall accelerate the Asia Pacific on-highway vehicle lighting market growth. Browse full research report with TOC on "On-highway Vehicle Lighting Market Analysis Report By Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Buses), By Application (Headlights, Interior Lights), By Product Type (LED, Laser), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025" at:https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/on-highway-vehicle-lighting-market Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest: LED is expected to emerge as the dominant product type segment due to declining prices of LED lights as a result of extensive R&D to introduce advanced products The headlight segment is expected to be the leading application segment owing to the increasing use of light sources across front headlamps, DRLs, side lamps, and fog lamps Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest and fastest-growing region over the forecast period. This growth is mainly due to expanding automotive sector in the emerging economies such as China and India is expected to be the largest and fastest-growing region over the forecast period. This growth is mainly due to expanding automotive sector in the emerging economies such as and Prominent industry participants include Koito Manufacturing, Ltd., Valeo S.A., Koninklijke Philips N.V., and Magneti Marelli S.p.A. Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Secure Logistics Market - The global secure logistics market size was valued at USD 48.19 billion in 2015 owing to the increasing money circulation across the globe.. The global secure logistics market size was valued at in 2015 owing to the increasing money circulation across the globe.. Bearings Market - The global bearings market was estimated at USD 81.6 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow, significantly, owing to the increasing heavy machinery manufacturing. The global bearings market was estimated at in 2015 and is expected to grow, significantly, owing to the increasing heavy machinery manufacturing. Internet of Things (IoT) in Warehouse Management Market - The global Internet of Things (IoT) in warehouse management market was valued at USD 2.27 billion in 2015. The global Internet of Things (IoT) in warehouse management market was valued at in 2015. Rear Axle Market - The global rear axle market size was valued at USD 40.87 billion in 2015. Grand View Research has segmented the global on-highway vehicle lighting market on the basis of product type, application, vehicle type and region: On-Highway Vehicle Lighting Product Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Halogen High Intensity Discharge (HID) LED Incandescent LASER On-Highway Vehicle Lighting Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Headlights Other External Lights Interior Lights On-Highway Vehicle Lighting Vehicle Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Motorcycle Passenger Car Buses Light Truck (Class 1-3) Medium Truck (Class 4-6) Heavy Truck (Class 7&8) On-Highway Vehicle Lighting Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany Asia Pacific China Japan India Latin America Brazil Mexico MEA Explore the BI enabled intuitive market research database,Grand View Compass, by Grand View Research, Inc. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: +1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - StrikePoint Gold Inc. (TSXV: SKP) (OTCQB: STKXF) is pleased to announce the first round of surface sample results from the Porter Project near Stewart, British Columbia. These initial assays are encouraging and represent new discoveries of veins and other mineralized features from outside of the historic resource area and support targeting of the two diamond drill rigs currently operating on the project. This is the first round of 192 sample assays returned from the 2018 exploration campaign. Samples ranged from trace to 44,546 grams per tonne silver, trace to 16.9 grams per tonne gold and trace to 3.57% copper. This includes samples collected for general geochemical profiling as well as mineralized samples as StrikePoint continues to build its understanding of this deposit and the geology. All samples in this release were collected from the Porter, Silverado and Handsome Jack targets. At the date of this release, a total of 413 surface samples have been collected across the entire property, and field sampling remains ongoing while good ground conditions prevail. Further results are pending. Figure 1: Surface Sample Highlights To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5044/38698_20180916_SKP_PI_GrabsNRImage_AR.jpg Sample X958002 - 44,546 grams per tonne silver (Silverado) This sample was found in one of the gullies above the historic Silverado mine portals and is assumed to have come from an area where ice has retreated in recent years. Although this was a float sample (i.e. not from outcrop), this galena-rich quartz-vein specimen was collected where the topography consists of narrow, steep-sided gullies and so is assumed to have originated from a local vein on the escarpments. Along with silver-bearing galena, this sample also hosted chalcopyrite which resulted in a copper value of 3.57%. This is consistent with field observations where the presence of copper minerals associate with higher-grade silver. In addition, this sample also returned 3.25 grams per tonne gold. Sample X957727 - 25,981 grams per tonne silver (Porter) Sample X957727 was retrieved from a new vein discovered 200-meters west of the historic Porter mines, in a possible extension of the 'Honest John' vein. The sample is from a galena-rich quartz vein up to 40 centimeters thick and would have been until relatively recently obscured by late-lying snow cover. An additional seven samples were collected along a 100-meter strike length of this vein returning assays ranging from 203 grams per tonne to 1,390 grams per tonne silver. Other assays from a systematic sampling program are pending. Sample X956011 - 1,330 grams per tonne silver and 16.9 grams per tonne gold (Silver Key) This sample represents a significant step out from the historical Porter mine workings, occurring 800-meters west of the nearest portal. The "Silver Key" vein (named after the underlying Crown Grant Claim) is a new discovery and would have previously been obscured by the glacier. It appears that it could be a westerly continuation of the vein sample X957727 was collected from, and field investigation is ongoing. The presence of gold in the sample is in line with a general trend whereby the galena-rich silver veins seem to be passing into more arsenopyrite-rich gold veins to the west of the historical workings. Sample X958358 - 9,500 grams per tonne silver (Big Rig Vein) Sample X958358 was collected in a gossanous zone to the south of the present camp location and returned 9,500 grams per tonne silver as well as 2.6 grams per tonne gold. This new zone lies to the south of the "Big Rig Fault", a structure that in previous reports was assumed to cut off the silver mineralization and so formed the southerly extent of the historic workings and resource. The discovery of this sample shows that there is potential for the veins to have been offset by the fault and continue further south into the valley. Quartz veins up to 20 centimeters across are found within a gossanous zone up to 5 meters wide. Anastomizing veinlets or arsenopyrite up to 0.5cm across are found within the quartz and are thought to host the gold. Sample X956556 - 8,900 grams per tonne silver (Handsome Jack) This sample was from a newly discovered group of parallel veins on the Handsome Jack property, which was acquired from Trifecta Gold by StrikePoint Gold on 24th August 2018. These veins are to the east of the Angelo Vein, the outermost veins included in the historic resource. They are comprised of swarms of smaller veins up to twenty centimeters wide within a five-meter zone and would have been overlooked by the original miners working the Porter Mines. These veins represent a new style of mineralization that could add bulk to a new resource, but also help to strengthen the idea that veins are not restricted to the original Porter project and continue to propagate to the east (and west). The "Lithological Cap" and other Geology Previous explanations of the geology of the Porter and Silverado mines are being found to be oversimplified and the geological team has spent significant time mapping and sampling across the entire project area. One feature is an apparent silicified cap that forms the peak of Mount Rainey. This cap rests on top of a 'scoop shaped' fault like those seen at Ascots "Premier Mine", located seventeen kilometers to the north west. The emplacement of this lithological unit appears to prevent veins from reaching the surface which helps explain the lack of mineralization at the peak. Instead, the mineralizing fluids have the potential to track parallel to these faults forming 'flat veins' noted in the historical resource. This strengthens the idea that mineralized veins could be continuous between Porter and Silverado and are just masked by this geological phenomenon. Other significant structures have also been observed and are being studied for their potential as mineral hosts, including veins hosted in fold hinge fractures, 'reefs' of fluids pooling against impervious layers and extensional vein sets. About the Golden Triangle The Golden Triangle is an area of northwestern British Columbia that has seen extensive historic mining and prospecting activity, and has recently been the site of modern discoveries, including the Premier Gold, Snip and Eskay Creek Mines. The area has seen a resurgence in infrastructure investment which supports exploration activities, including upgraded transmission lines supplying clean, affordable and reliable hydroelectric power. Other recent improvements include highway upgrades, new ocean port infrastructure at the ice-free port of Stewart and the commissioning of three hydroelectric facilities. StrikePoint Gold is a well-financed gold exploration and development company. The company controls a portfolio of gold properties in the Yukon and throughout Canada. QA/QC The Company maintains a rigorous QA/QC program with respect to the preparation, shipping, analysis and checking of all samples and data from the properties. Quality control for field sampling and drill samples at the Company's projects covers the complete chain of custody of samples, including sample handling procedures and analytical-related work, plus the insertion of standard and blank materials. The QA/QC program also includes data verification procedures. ALS Laboratories in Vancouver, Canada (ISO 17025:2005 accreditation) assayed all grab samples from the current field program using fire assay and ICP Mass Spectroscopy methods. Drill samples were processed by Bureau Veritas Labs in Vancouver, Canada (ISO9001:2008 accreditation). The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Andy Randell, P. Geo., Vice President, Exploration of StrikePoint Gold. Mr. Randell is a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101. For further information please visit our website: www.strikepointgold.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF STRIKEPOINT GOLD INC. Shawn Khunkhun CEO and Director For more information, contact: Shawn Khunkhun 604-602-1440 sk@strikepointgold.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. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Lupaka Gold Corp. (TSXV: LPK) (FSE: LQP) ("Lupaka Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the ongoing systematic underground channel sampling program from the new development headings on the 3400 Level and 3430 sublevel, at the Company's 100% owned Invicta Gold Development Project ("Invicta"). Highlights: 3430 sublevel - Development and channel sampling of the Atenea vein has been extended by 105 metres ("m") along strike to the west and northeast; Average channel sample grade of 9.06 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold equivalent* ("Au-Eq.") over a strike length of 235 m, with an average sample width of 3.87 m Low-grade mineralized zone on the 3430 sublevel, designed as a pillar in the mine plan, is only 35 m in length versus an estimate of 44 m in the block model, followed by a new interval to the northeast of 10.69 g/t Au-Eq. along a strike length of 65 m, with an average width of 3.50 m 3400 Level - Development and channel sampling of the Atenea vein has been extended by 70 m along strike to the west and northeast; Average channel sample grade of 9.04 g/t Au-Eq over a strike length of 200 m, with an average sample width of 4.88 m The average grades returned from the Atenea vein channel sampling program, on both development levels, continue to be higher than the estimated grade of 8.58 g/t Au-Eq.** included in the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") mine plan, and confirm the high-grade continuity of the Atenea vein * Au-Eq. calculations are based on US$1250 for gold ("Au"), US$17.00 for silver ("Ag"), US$3.00 for copper ("Cu"), US$1.25 for zinc ("Zn"), and US$1.05 for lead ("Pb"), with assumed metallurgical recoveries of 85% for Au, 80% for Ag, 82 % for Cu and Pb, and 77% for Zn. **Individual estimated grades were 5.54 g/t Au, 44.34 g/t Ag, 0.87% Cu, 0.76% Pb, and 1.02% Zn "Our underground development program, and associated channel sampling assay results, continue to demonstrate continuity of the high-grade mineralization at Invicta. Since initiating the underground program only a few months ago, we have been able to extend the on-strike development by 105 m on the 3430 sublevel to over 235 m, and 70 m on the 3400 Level to over 200 m, while exceeding the grades estimated from the Mineral Resource block model. We are highly encouraged by these results and plan on incorporating this data into our geological model while attempting to expand the mineral resources at Invicta." Will Ansley, CEO and President of Lupaka Gold Underground Development and Channel Sample Results The Invicta underground exploration & development channel sampling program continues along the 3430 sublevel and 3400 Level (see plans - Appendix A & B) with the purpose of further defining the grade and horizontal limits of the Atenea vein. Drifts, 3.5 m wide by 3.5 m high, are being driven along the vein to the west and northeast, and channel samples are being systematically cut every 5 m along strike. On the 3430 sublevel, an additional 105 m of on-vein development has been completed to the west and northeast on the Atenea vein.The total development on-strike has been extended by 80% and now averages 9.06 grams per tonne g/t Au-Eq. over a strike length of 235 m, with an average sample width of 3.87 m. As anticipated, a low-grade mineralized zone was intersected, which is designed as a pillar in the mine plan, however the length of the low-grade section is only 35 m compared to an estimate of 44 m. Northeast of the planned low-grade pillar, the vein was extended a further 65 m along strike with channel sampling returning 10.69 g/t Au-Eq. over an average width of 3.50 m. While the vein extension was expected, the grades encountered were higher than estimated in the Mineral Resource Model. Drifting along the vein on the 3430 sublevel continues in both directions to the west and northeast, with additional cross-cuts being planned in order to confirm the true width of the mineralization. On the 3400 Level, development drifting has extended the footwall vein approximately 57 m to the west, while to the northeast an additional 33 m of development has been completed along the Atenea vein, ending in the low-grade pillar zone which extends upwards to the 3430 sublevel. Additional drift advancement is continuing in order to confirm continuity of the mineralization between the 3400 Level and the 3430 sublevel. The width of the Atenea vein has not been fully exposed and sampled on the development levels due to the constrained width of the development headings (3.5 m wide). Future development, including cross-cuts, slashing, and bazooka drilling, will be used to fully expose the true width of the vein on each development level. The polymetallic mineralization within the Atenea vein is hosted by structures which were mapped and sampled. Assay channel sample results for the 3430 sublevel are summarized in Table 1, and a detailed sampling map is provided in Appendix A. Table 1: Average Sampling Results from 3430 sublevel Atenea Vein Atenea Vein Length m Width m Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % Au-Eq. g/t SW Major interval 170.0 4.24 3.97 56.86 1.55 1.16 1.07 8.44 NE Interval 65.0 3.50 5.35 59.50 1.55 1.83 1.82 10.69 TOTAL 235.0 3.87 4.35 57.59 1.55 1.34 1.28 9.06 Summarized channel sample assay results for the 3400 Level are presented in Table 2, and a detailed sampling map is provided in Appendix B. Table 2: Average Sampling Results from 3400 Level Atenea Vein Atenea Vein Length m Width m Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % Au-Eq. g/t Footwall Vein 200.0 4.88 4.77 62.16 1.43 1.13 0.94 9.04 Hanging Wall Split 70.0 5.98 2.74 62.18 1.33 1.52 0.86 7.00 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this news release. Quality Control and Assurance The analyses for the channel sampling campaign were carried out by ALS, an accredited laboratory, in Lima, Peru, exercising a thorough Quality Assurance and Control program (QA/QC). As part of QA/QC protocol, duplicates, standards and blanks were inserted into the sample processing stream. The sample locations were mapped, surveyed and photographed for reference. Individual sample channels vary between 0.2 to 2.5 meters wide. Samples were bagged, sealed and delivered to the ALS sample preparation facility in Lima, Peru. Gold was assayed by a 50-gram fire assay and re-assayed for the overlimits, with an AAS finish. All ALS labs are ISO 9000 registered. About Lupaka Gold Corp. Lupaka Gold is an active Canadian-based company focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of its assets in some of the most prolific mining regions of Peru. Invicta Gold Development Project - Lupaka Gold's 100% owned flagship project is an advanced stage gold-copper dominated, polymetallic underground project located approximately 120 kilometres north of Lima. Over $15 million of capital was spent by the previous owners on development and infrastructure at Invicta. Lupaka Gold's management expects to commence production in the second half of 2018 using third-party mining contractors and utilizing the previous and ongoing vein development. The Invicta project is awaiting inspection for the final exploitation permit and has community agreements in place. The underground operation of the Atenea vein will be focused initially on the extraction of about 80,000 tonnes ("t") of Indicated Mineral Resources exposed on the 3400 Level and 3430 sublevel as well as the mining relief slot between the two levels, and the Inferred Mineral Resources within close proximity of the existing 3400 Level adit (up to 130 metres above the 3400 Level). Invicta's approved EIA allows for mine production of up to 1,000 tpd, although the current conceptual mining plan is scheduling to commence at 350 tpd. Cautionary Note Regarding the Invicta Production Decision The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The quantity and grade of reported inferred resources referred to in the PEA are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource category. It is important to note while a mine production decision has been made by the Company, that the information provided in this news release is preliminary in nature. There is no certainty that a potential mine will be realized. The PEA is not a preliminary feasibility study or feasibility study. A mine production decision that is not based on a feasibility study demonstrating economic and technical viability does not provide adequate disclosure of the increased uncertainty and specific economic and technical risks of failure associated with such a production decision. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Will Ansley, President & C.E.O. wansley@lupakagold.com Tel: (416) 862-5257 or visit the Company's profile at www.sedar.com or its website at www.lupakagold.com Qualified Person The technical information in this document has been reviewed and approved by Julio Castaneda Mondragon, MAIG, the President of Lupaka Gold Peru S.A.C., a Peruvian subsidiary of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Castaneda has verified the scientific and technical information, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in this news release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including all statements, trend analysis and other information relative to anticipated future events or results. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to: the continued development of the 3400 Level and 3430 Sublevel, additional sampling and the anticipated timing and results thereof; and an updated resource estimate for the Invicta Gold Development Project and the timing and results thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made and which the Company believes are reasonable. Such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: that the repayment of the PLI Financing is consummated on the anticipated terms; that the Company will not experience any material accident, labour dispute, shortage of skilled and professional staff, changes in project plans, equipment availability and failures, process failures, the ability of third party service providers to deliver services on reasonable terms and in a timely manner; future exploration activities planned at the Invicta Gold Project, and the timing and results thereof; market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social conditions and with respect to the planned mining operations at Invicta; that pre-production mine development can be completed in the time and for the cost projected; that the Company will be able to obtain funding for planned production expenses; that mineralization at Invicta will be of the grades and in the locations expected; that the Company will be able to extract and transport mineralized rock efficiently and sell the mineralized rock at the prices and in the manner recoveries and quantities expected; that permits will be received on the terms and timeline expected and that other regulatory or permitting issues will not arise; that mining methods and reclamation can be employed in the manner and at the costs expected and that such methods yield the results the Company expects them to. Forward-looking information involves 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 the forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: all of the risks described in this news release; that the Company will not be able to comply with the delivery or other obligations in the PLI Financing Agreement and the risk that PLI will enforce its security over the Company's assets, including its mineral properties; changes in commodity prices; currency exchange rates (such as the Canadian dollar versus the United States dollar); risks associated with dilution; labour and employment matters; risks in the event of a potential conflict of interest; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and compliance with extensive government regulation; and other risks generally associated with mineral exploration. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the regular course of business and due to market conditions. Additional risks are described in the Company's annual information form, which is available on SEDAR 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 to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Lupaka Gold does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Appendix A Appendix A.1 To view an enhanced version of Appendix A.1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2640/38719_a1537229065466_24.jpg Appendix A.2 To view an enhanced version of Appendix A.2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2640/38719_a1537229066013_27.jpg Appendix B Appendix B.1 To view an enhanced version of Appendix B.1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2640/38719_a1537229067122_70.jpg Appendix B.2 To view an enhanced version of Appendix B.2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2640/38719_a1537229068044_41.jpg MOSCOW, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has awarded leading young scientists from all over the world with Green Chemistry for Life grants under a joint programme with PhosAgro and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) at the 8th IUPAC International Conference on Green Chemistry. Participants in the 5th annual awards ceremony included Prof. Pietro Tundo, UNESCO Chair on Green Chemistry, Chair of the IUPAC Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development, Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Christopher Brett, the president elect of IUPAC; Prof. John Corish, Chair of International Scientific Jury for Green Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin; Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, Independent Director of PJSC PhosAgro; Prof. Supavan Tantayanon, Chairperson of the Organizational Committee of the 8th IUPAC International Conference on Green Chemistry; Nicole Moreau, Scientific Board of UNESCO's International Basic Sciences Programme; Siroj Loikov, PhosAgro Deputy CEO as well as other representatives of the world's scientific elite. The decision to implement Green Chemistry for Life was taken on 29 March 2013 at UNESCO Headquarters (Paris, France), when PhosAgro initiated a fund to provide financial and academic support to promising chemists doing research in environmental protection, healthcare, food production, energy efficiency and sustainable use of natural resources. The expert jury, which consists of 13 scientists from 11 countries, is responsible for reviewing applications. A winning project must meet several criteria, including academic novelty, global and local relevance, commitment to the green chemistry principles, sufficient qualifications of the researcher and their team, and the technical capacity of the research institute or laboratory to host the project. A ceremony celebrating the results of the five years of the Green Chemistry for Life programme is scheduled to take place this November. The event will take place at UNESCO? headquarters in Paris, bringing together the leadership of PhosAgro, UNESCO and ?IUPAC, as well as the programme's grant recipients, members of the international scientific jury and experts. Since the launch of Green Chemistry for Life PhosAgro has provided financial prizes to 34 young scientists from 26 countries, including Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Italy, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine and Uruguay. The overall number of applications reviewed by the jury since the programme's launch is well above 600. During the five years that Green Chemistry for Life has operated, PhosAgro has awarded grants worth some USD 2 million (including the phosphogypsum grant, established in 2016). This is the first ever project under the auspices of UNESCO and the UN to be funded by a Russian company. In 2018 the following nine scientists were rewarded grants at the ceremony: Dr Elisa Souza Orth (Brazil), Dr Gift Mehlana (Zimbabwe), Dr Nadav Amdursky (Israel), Dr Muhammad Shahid (Pakistan), Dr Joaquin Garcia-Alvarez (Spain), Dr Roya Sedghi (Iran), Dr Yasmin Adam Ali Aburigal (Sudan), Dr Suhair Ziad Abed Alhameed Sunoqrot (Jordan) and Dr Paltu Kumar Dhal (India). The winners may use the grant funding to carry out further fundamental and applied research in order to prepare innovative, ready solutions in the areas of efficient use of natural and recycled resources. For example, Dr Suhair Ziad Abed Alhameed Sunoqrot's (Jordan) project is about green synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles from plant polyphenols for anti-cancer drug delivery to affected tissues, while Dr Paltu Kumar Dhal (India) uses an indigenous microorganisms (IMO's)- based technology for bioremediation of phosphogypsum. Initially, his project was developed for India only, however, it can be implemented at phosphoric acid plants in any other country in the world. Andrey Guryev, member of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and PhosAgro CEO: "When we launched Green Chemistry for Life five years ago one could only dream that it would generate widespread discussion in the scientific community and would attract young scientists from all over the world. I am proud to say that we have achieved all of this. We managed to turn this project into a way to identify solutions for more effective natural resources management, development of renewable energy as well as reduction of the impact of industry on the environment. But these are the tactical objectives. The strategic objective of green chemistry research is global, and it is to support the well-being of future generations." Christopher Brett, president-elect of IUPAC: "One of the main current objectives of IUPAC, in my opinion, has to do with the application of achievements in the fields of chemistry, and green chemistry in particular, towards promoting and advancing sustainable development. Next year will constitute two anniversaries at the same time: it will mark the 100th anniversary of IUPAC and its role in promoting a common language and global consensus in chemistry, and the 150th anniversary of Mendeleev's Periodic Table of the Elements, the International Year of the Periodic Table. We thank Phosagro very much for their sponsorship of International Year events." Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, Independent Director on theBoardof Directors of PhosAgro: "We came up with his wonderful programme during the International Year of Chemistry 2011. This is a unique project as UNESCO and the UN, both of which engage in meaningful cooperation in the areas of education, science and culture, have for the first time established cooperation with a Russian company in the field of science, protection of the environment and innovations." Prof. Natalia P. Tarasova, former IUPAC president, jury member: "This competition enables the development of new scientific thinking among youth. Such thinking implies that a scientist who is focussed on building new technological structures or organic synthesis processes does not think about short-term success and would rather assess the impact on the environment. A full 80% of the projects are top-quality scientific projects. The participants present the list of their publications in highly-ranked journals. It is encouraging to see that some scientists have been published dozens of times in such journals. This means that Green Chemistry for Life is dealing with serious scientists, even though they are young." Prof. John Corish, Chair of International Scientific Jury for Green Chemistry for Life, Trinity College, University of Dublin: "The main global challenge faced by all nations is climate change and minimising its effects. Green Chemistry for Life is focused on helping new and promising scientists whose ideas can assist in achieving this. The initiative is particularly important as it establishes the scientists as independent, enables them to put their scientific ideas into practice, make new discoveries and contribute to worthwhile scientific development." Prof. Pietro Tundo, UNESCO Chair on Green Chemistry, Ca' Foscari University of Venice: "I have participated in nearly every IUPAC conference dedicated to green chemistry. Now this event is taking place in this region for the first time and we can clearly see how the notion of protection of the environment is spreading across the world through green technologies. I want to highlight the collaboration between IUPAC and PhosAgro on green chemistry summer schools. This year such a school was set up in Venice (Italy) and the next year the lessons will be held in Tanzania (Africa)." Prof. Pietro Tundo, UNESCO Chair on Green Chemistry, Chair of the IUPAC Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development, Ca' Foscari University of Venice: "I have participated in every IUPAC conference on green chemistry. Now this event is taking place in this region for the first time and we can clearly see how the protection of the environment is spreading across the world through green technologies. I want to highlight as well the collaboration between IUPAC Committee and PhosAgro on the green chemistry summer school held in Venice (Italy) last July. The next year the School will be held for the first time in Africa, May 14-18, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania" Dr Elisa Souza Orth, a young scientist from Brazil: "Chemistry can be widely applied in many spheres of life, but we chemists have to primarily work on safe reagents and products in simple and mild conditions. The successful implementation of this project will enable us to contribute to Brazil's development, ensuring sustainable agriculture practices and safe food production." Dr Muhammad Shahid, a young scientist from Pakistan: "Green chemistry for Life is a splendid programme. It is well organised and has buy-in from all of its stakeholders, which enhances the quality of people's lives. We are going to produce green chemical compounds which eventually will help stop the use of chemical substances that pose a risk to the environment." About PhosAgro PhosAgro (www.phosagro.ru) is one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of not less than 39% (according to IFA, Fertecon and CRU). The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe, the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock worldwide, and one of the top-three MAP/DAP producers in the world (by production volumes, according to IFA). PhosAgro is also one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia (according to CRU and RAFP). PhosAgro is Russia's only producer of nepheline concentrate (according to RAFP). PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, 39 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are used by customers in 100 countries spanning all of the world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets outside of Russia and the CIS are Latin America, Europe and Asia. PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and global depositary receipts ("GDRs") for shares trade on the London Stock Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes. WALL, New Jersey, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NJFX, the first and only carrier-neutral Cable Landing Station Campus in the U.S to offer Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities, announces that the HAVFRUE transatlantic subsea cable system will land at its colocation campus, in Wall, New Jersey. The HAVFRUE subsea cable will be constructed between New Jersey and Denmark, with branch connection to Ireland and Norway, by a consortium that includes Aqua Comms, Bulk Infrastructure, Google and Facebook. The consortium members selected to land the HAVFRUE system in New Jersey at the NJFX Tier 3 by the Subsea Colocation campus. "NJFX welcomes the HAVFRUE cable system to New Jersey as it represents one of the most significant cable systems to ever cross the Atlantic," comments Gil Santaliz, CEO for NJFX. "We are proud to be a part of this new subsea cable system as it furthers our goal to make New Jersey a strategic landing point for the world's subsea deployments and serve as a major interconnection for global communications." New Jersey is already rich with subsea capacity, and as the other transatlantic systems start reaching their 20-year life cycle, the HAVFRUE design will start to make the economics of the other cables unviable. In just two decades, advances in subsea cable construction have resulted in HAVFRUE's ability to deliver superior speed and lower latency design. NJFX has also collaborated with carriers to install diverse fiber to its campus supporting carrier diversity across North America with carriers such as Altice, Crown Castle Fiber, Epsilon, Windstream, Zayo and Zenfi. With the HAVFRUE system, NJFX now has four cable systems landing at its campus facility, including TGN1, TGN2, Seabras and the only subsea cable to directly connect New Jersey to New York, WALL-LI. The new HAVFRUE system joins other subsea cables on the NJFX campus that interconnect Brazil, the UK and Caribbean in a single building, making NJFX the only one of its kind in North America. The NJFX campus is dedicated for interconnections to global networks with actual physical subsea cables. For more information about NJFX, please visit www.njfx.net. About NJFX NJFX operates "Tier 3 by the Subsea," the world's first colocation campus that strategically intersects a carrier neutral subsea cable landing station meet-me room with a Tier 3, carrier neutral data center. The 64,800-square foot purpose-built data center offers direct access to multiple independent subsea cable systems that interconnect North America, Europe, and South America. High and low-density colocation solutions are available with 24/7 support as well as unique US fiber back-haul solutions that avoid traditional legacy network points of failure. NJFX's offerings provide the flexibility, reliability and security that global carriers, content providers, enterprise and government entities require to drive revenue, reduce expenses and improve service quality. For NJFX media inquiries, please contact: JSA +1.866.695.3629 ext. 13 jsa_njfx@JSA.net Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/516810/NJFX_Logo.jpg The 2nd edition ofChangeNOW,the international summit for Positive Impact will take place the 28 and 29 September in Paris, at Station F, world's largest startup campus. More than 500 startups and speakers from around the world will present their innovative solutions addressing ocean pollution, sustainable fashion, refugees, resilient cities, renewable energy and many more topics linked to society's most pressing social and environmental issues. There is an urgent need for a space in which innovators, companies and citizens with a desire to change the world can meet and collaborate. Santiago Lefebvre, co-founder of ChangeNOW For its second edition, the ChangeNOW summit will showcase 500 innovations for the planet by way of keynotes, pitch sessions, round tables and live exhibitions. Among others: TIPA (Israel), packaging made from organic materials that looks like plastic and can be used like plastic but is 100% compostable. (Israel), packaging made from organic materials that looks like plastic and can be used like plastic but is 100% compostable. The Infinite Fiber Company (Finland), an innovative technology that creates a cotton fiber that can be recycled indefinitely. (Finland), an innovative technology that creates a cotton fiber that can be recycled indefinitely. Nereo (France), an innovative process to extract drinking water from the ocean in a low-cost, natural and sustainable manner. (France), an innovative process to extract drinking water from the ocean in a low-cost, natural and sustainable manner. Bayes Impact (France), the startup that leverages big data to provide services and support to underserved populations. (France), the startup that leverages big data to provide services and support to underserved populations. Greeneum Network (Israel), the startup using blockchain to incentivize and support green energy production on a local scale. Numerous internationally renowned speakers will be present, including: Roberta Annan, founder of the African Fashion Fund Alexandre Mars, founder of Epic Foundation Gunter Pauli, concept creator and designer of Blue Economy models Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer at Kering Willem van Hasselt, Investors relation manager at Solar Impulse foundation Daniella Russo, founder CEO of Think Beyond Plastic Jean-Laurent Bonnafe, CEO of BNP Paribas A delegation of 20+ mayors and representatives of international cities is also joining the summit, to meet the changemakers and establish new collaborations. Among them: the cities of Amsterdam, Dubai, Milan, Paris, Seville, Singapour and Los Angeles. ChangeNOW 2018 is organized in partnership with 100+ partners, such as Solar Impulse Foundation, Cleantech Open, Think Beyond Plastic, Ashoka, European Covenant of Mayors, INSEAD, Startup Boot Camp, and with the support of Kering, BNP Paris, Accenture, Clarins and CITEO. http://www.changenow-summit.com/ Media Accreditation http://www.changenow-summit.com/media-accreditation/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005466/en/ Contacts: ChangeNOW PRESS Apolline Sabate +33.(0)1.44.90.02.36 / +33.(0)7.86.03.34.41 asabate@kalima-rp.fr or Valerie Nguyen, +33.(0)1.44.90.02.36 vnguyen@kalima-rp.fr LONDON and NEW YORK, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China-based Wanhua Chemical has been named the ICIS Company of the Year, based on 2017 financial metrics. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/619935/ICIS_Logo.jpg ) The ICIS Company of the Year analysis is based on year-on-year growth in sales, profits and margins for the leading global chemical producers, also taking into account the absolute level of returns at the operating and at the net level relative to sales and total assets. "We congratulate Wanhua Chemical, the first China-based company to receive this accolade. With strong profitability in polyurethanes intermediates, the company has been able to buck the negative trend in the overall Chinese equity market," said Joseph Chang, Global Editor of ICIS Chemical Business. "The company has been growing fast and has ambitious plans to increase production in China and the US. In 2017, Wanhua produced sales growth of 73% to $8.01bn while operating profits of 2.61bn were up by 200%. Net profits rose significantly and the company's returns on sales and assets were much higher," said Nigel Davis, ICIS Insight Editor. The ICIS Company of the Year is the 3rd part in the ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies series, which comprises the Top 100 listing as Part 1 published in the August 31 issue, and the Regional Leaders as Part 2 published in the September 7 issue of ICIS Chemical Business magazine. Click here to download the ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies listing, along with the ICIS Company of the Year article, and the Regional Leaders. About ICIS ICIS Chemical Business is part of ICIS. ICIS is the world's largest petrochemical market information provider, with divisions spanning energy and fertilizers. Our aim is to give companies in global commodities markets a competitive advantage by delivering valuable information and analytics tools which enable our customers to identify and react to opportunities in markets which are constantly evolving. We have more than 30 years' of experience in providing pricing intelligence and news, forecast data, market analytics and independent consulting to buyers, sellers and analysts. With a global staff of more than 600, ICIS has employees based in London, Houston, New York, Singapore, Dubai, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Mumbai, Tokyo, Karlsruhe, and Milan. ICIS' team of journalists is engaged in reporting market prices and news, and ICIS is fully committed to upholding the highest journalistic principles of verification, corroboration and authentication. ICIS has a compliance framework that along with its methodologies and business processes adheres to the requirements of the IOSCO PRA Principles. ICIS is a division of Reed Business Information, part of RELX Group. About Reed Business Information Reed Business Information provides information, analytics and data to business professionals worldwide. Our strong global products and services hold market-leading positions across a wide range of industry sectors including banking, petrochemicals and aviation, where we help customers make key strategic decisions every day. RBI is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional customers across industries. http://www.reedbusiness.com About RELX Group RELX Group is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs about 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX http://www.relx.com Media Contact: For editorial enquiries, contact: Joseph Chang Global Editor ICIS Chemical Business T: +1-212-791-4224 joseph.chang@icis.com PALM BEACH, Florida, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketNewsUpdates.com News Commentary A constant in the North American economies has been the increasing presence of cannabis as the industry continues to mature and produce strong revenue outputs. In 2017, the United States alone generated over $9 billion in revenues. Canada has seen astronomical levels as well as the nation have embraced country-wide legalization. The industry continues to be poised for growth and consumers should not expect a decline anytime soon as investment in the space continues to rise as investors become increasingly confident in the political climate surrounding the market, as well as the overall consumer sentiment towards the various forms of cannabis use. This has created natural momentum that is allowing leaders in Cannabis to reinvest in operations in order to meet the rising levels of demand, as well as strengthen already impressive revenue streams. Active companies in the industry making moves to ready that include: Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTC:CHOOF), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB) (OTC:ACBFF), Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX:WEED) (NYSE:CGC), HEXO Corp. (TSX:HEXO) (OTC:HYYDF), The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX:TGOD) (OTC:TGODF). ChoomHoldings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) BREAKING NEWS: Choom, an emerging, fully-integrated cannabis company, is pleased to announce that it has applied for a master retail license (the "License") in Manitoba's Request for Proposal ("RFP") to sell recreational cannabis coming October 17th. The License would give Choom the capability to operate retail cannabis stores within the province, as well as, an e-commerce platform. Choom currently has secured the rights of up to 52 retail opportunities across western Canada. Choom's rapidly expanding provincial presence now stands at 29 leases in highly strategic and secure locations in Alberta with 28 applications submitted, in combination with 17 retail opportunities in B.C., and 6 retail opportunities in Saskatchewan. Choom also has received Development Permits in 11 municipalities and is in the process of its retail store buildouts. Choom is executing an aggressive expansion plan to create a significant retail brand in the Canadian adult use market and is committed to developing and acquiring retail stores as a top priority. In all cases, the retail opportunities are subject to all necessary governmental and municipal approvals being granted. This number is expected to grow over the coming months as the Company is currently negotiating additional leases with the intention of submitting applications for retail licenses in multiple jurisdictions. "Manitoba represents another step in our strategy to build one of the largest private retail networks across Canada and establishing ChoomTM as a dominant Canadian cannabis brand. The RFP process is highly competitive, and receiving one of the master licenses will give us the ability to sell directly to consumers- either in store or online," states Chris Bogart, President and CEO of Choom. "Consumers in Manitoba can expect style and sophistication when they walk into a Choom store. The Choom brand was created exclusively to service the recreational market, ensuring curious customers and cannabis connoisseurs alike can 'cultivate good times'. We remain committed to pursuing more retail opportunities across Canada, and Manitoba is an important part of our national strategy." Read this and more news for Choom at:http://www.marketnewsupdates.com/news/choo.html Additional industry related developments from around the markets: Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB.TO) (OTCQX:ACBFF) and Australis Capital Inc. ("Australis") recently acquired Europe's largest producer, processor and supplier of certified organic hemp and hemp products, Agropro UAB, as well as hemp processor and distributor Borela UAB. Agropro, a hemp seed contracting and processing company, and its sister company Borela UAB, a processor and distributor of organic hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein, hemp flour and hemp seed oil, currently have 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) under contract, potentially yielding more than one million kilograms of organic hemp with additional contracts available to expand to more than 3,000 hectares across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland. Previously, the companies were focused exclusively on the production and sale of hemp-seed-based products to markets across Europe, North America and Asia. Each year, very substantial quantities of CBD (cannabidiol) containing hemp biomass were left on the field unutilized. Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX:WEED.TO) (NYSE:CGC) recently announced that its Tweed Farms Inc. ("Tweed Farms") site has received license amendments approving all remaining greenhouse space, bringing the Company's total licensed footprint to approximately 3.2 million sq. ft. The Company's Canadian platform is now 57% licensed with the balance under aggressive development towards the previously announced 5.6 million sq. ft. target production footprint. This target excludes significant production capacity projects underway at Canopy Rivers' partners and supply available to Canopy Growth through third-party agreements. "We are a house of cannabis brands and that means we need production infrastructure that can grow a wide range of genetics at scale simultaneously," said Mark Zekulin , co-CEO and President, Canopy Growth. "I'm proud of this most recent licence and credit our team as we continue our track record of expansion and execution." With licensed production sites in seven provinces, Canopy Growth has quickly established itself as a national producer. High efficiency hybrid greenhouses, including those at Tweed Farms represent approximately 80% of the Company's production platform. HEXO Corp. (TSX:HEXO.TO) (OTCPK:HYYDF) recently announced the acquisition of an interest in a 2,004,000 sq. ft. facility in Belleville, Ontario. This is the first facility of the Company to be established outside of Quebec, further delivering on its national expansion strategy and providing capacity for the manufacturing of advanced cannabis products, including cosmetics, vapes, non-alcoholic beverages and other edibles. The centralized location, conveniently located along primary shipping routes in Ontario, presents the opportunity to process and distribute products and to fulfil commitments across Canada. The space also supports the Company's hub and spoke model. Its scalability, flexibility and location are ideal to deliver on anticipated future joint ventures with Fortune 500 companies for cosmetics, edibles, vapes, and more, positioning it to become a centre of excellence for all of HEXO's joint ventures. HEXO's expansion will also lead to the creation of jobs and a rejuvenated employment sector for the area. The building, previously used as a Sears distribution centre, will be owned in a joint venture with Olegna Holdings Inc. Initially, HEXO plans to lease up to 500,000 sq. ft. of the space from the joint venture. The proposed use of the building is conditional on the city approving the rezoning application. The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX:TGOD.TO) (OTCQX:TGODF) recently announced the launch of its premium, certified organic cannabis brand. This preeminent launch coincides with Canadian Organic Week, the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country. This is a pivotal step for the Company in becoming the largest, organic cannabis brand in the world. TGOD cannabis adheres to the highest production standards for organic cultivation - the product is grown naturally in Canadian soil, without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. According to a 2018 Hill & Knowlton research study, 57% of Canadian medical cannabis consumers and 43% of recreational cannabis consumers prefer organic cannabis. Of 116 licensed producers in Canada, TGOD is one of only two that are certified organic. DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued above by Choom Holdings Inc. by a non affiliated third party. MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Contact Information: Media Contact email: info@marketnewsupdates.com +1(561)325-8757 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - MediaValet Inc. (TSXV: MVP), a leading provider of cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) software, is happy to announce that Cambridge Network, a leading service provider to international students, has selected MediaValet to improve content distribution across its world-wide network of institutions, partners and staff. Figure 1: Cambridge Network Selects MediaValet to Improve Content Distribution Across Global Network To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3817/38713_a1537217731719_68.jpg Founded in 2009, Cambridge Network connects more than 2,600 international students each year with the tools they required to select, enroll and integrate into American secondary schools. With over 600 staff across six countries, Cambridge Network is tasked with making their extensive library of educational material - in a variety of languages - available at all times of the day from all over the world. Prior to MediaValet, Cambridge Network depended on a collection of disparate systems to make their library of assets accessible. The ad hoc solution made managing Cambridge Network's library difficult and time intensive for administrators and left staff, institutions and partners unclear where to find the assets and versions they need. "Building and maintaining a centralized marketing resource platform to support global marketing operations is not an easy task. It's especially challenging when it needs to be user-friendly enough for an entire marketing and sales team to leverage day-to-day, while they're on the move," commented Daisy Shao, Director, Corporate Marketing at Cambridge Network. "We're delighted to work with MediaValet and believe that their technology will fully support our ever-changing global needs and positively impact marketing ROI". Today, Cambridge Network's staff and partners can quickly, securely, and confidently access the latest versions of the assets they need, from anywhere in the world, at any time. "In addition to finding a central, easily accessible and user-friendly solution to host our quickly expanding library of brochures, videos, photos and documents, we needed a partner that would work hand-in-hand with us to improve our content workflows and productivity across our various teams and global stakeholders," stated Tyler Foote, Manager, US Marketing & Communications at Cambridge Network. "MediaValet worked with us to build a strong, comprehensive taxonomy that's easily navigated by our stakeholders and prepares us for future growth. The onboarding process was fast, well thought out and executed seamlessly. We definitely chose the right partner and product to ensure our future success." "When organizations are working with distributed teams, vendors and affiliates, it's often a challenge to keep everyone empowered with current and approved marketing material, documentation and corporate assets," commented David MacLaren, Founder & CEO of MediaValet. "Working with organizations, like Cambridge Network, to improve the integrity and speed of their distribution processes and content workflows is always rewarding for our team. We look forward to helping Cambridge Network tackle future content challenges as their business continues to grow and expand geographically." About MediaValet Inc. MediaValet stands at the forefront of the enterprise cloud-based digital asset management industry. Built exclusively on Microsoft Azure and available in 140 countries, 54 Microsoft data center regions, around the world, MediaValet delivers unparalleled enterprise class security, reliability, redundancy and scalability while offering the largest global footprint of any DAM solution. In addition to providing all core DAM capabilities and local desktop-to-cloud support for creative teams, MediaValet offers industry leading integrations into Slack, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Oracle Marketing Cloud (Eloqua), Drupal 8, WordPress, Hootsuite and many other best-in-class 3rd party applications. Follow MediaValet: Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn Surf: www.mediavalet.com For further information, please contact: David MacLaren Tel: (604) 688-2321 david.maclaren@mediavalet.com Babak Pedram Tel: (416) 644-5081 babak.pedram@mediavalet.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." VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Carbon Steel Tubing in Oil and Gas Lift Applications Market: Overview In a recently published analysis, Future Market Insights (FMI) has studied various market dynamics including key drivers, trends, and growth scenario of the global carbon steel tubing market, with a focus on the key lift applications of carbon steel tubes in the Oil and Gas industry over the forecast period of 2018-2028. Market projections reveal revenue from the sales of carbon steel tubes for lift application in Oil and Gas industry to reach a valuation of US$ 7,029.8 Mn by the end of 2028, up from an estimated US$ 4,799.5 Mn by 2018 end, expanding at a moderate CAGR of 3.9% through 2028. FMI predicts that increasing drilling activities to compliment recovering crude oil prices will boost the sales of carbon steel tubing for a wide range of applications in Oil and Gas industry. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/677274/Future_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg ) Increasing number of horizontal wells in U.S coupled with flourishing oil and gas production in Gulf Of Mexico, Alaska, and the other states, will further spur the growth of carbon steel tubing market through 2028. With 1.6% Year-on-Year growth over the period of 2015-2030, natural gas consumption is projected to increased, further driving the shale gas production resulting in growing demand for carbon steel pipes. This growth is projected to present potential opportunities to oil and gas companies looking to expand their onshore activities. Also, high cost and complexities associated with offshore activities would result in service providers switching to onshore activities. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7389 Geographically, North America is projected to dominate the carbon steel tubing landscape considering ongoing developments in hydraulic fracturing market for the production of shall gas. Increased Oil and Gas Upstream Operations to Boost Carbon Steel Tubing in Lift Applications FMI envisages increasing number of horizontal wells to significantly contribute towards deployment of carbon steel tubing in Oil and Gas upstream operations, further presenting potential market opportunities to manufacturers and suppliers of carbon steel tubing. Moreover, oil and gas companies replacing the aged and damaged cast and wrought iron pipes with carbon steel tubing, will drive up the adoption. Another key factor driving the demand for carbon steel tubing is the recovering Oil and Gas industry and efforts to facilitate this recovery process. Increasing shale drilling activities in U.S and Canada will also boost the demand for carbon steel pipes during the forecast period. Moreover, technological advancements in coating products to fight pipe corrosion has also supported the deployment of carbon steel tubing in oil and gas lift applications. Preview Analysis Global Carbon Steel Tubing in Oil and Gas Lift Applications Market Segmentation - By Outer Diameter (60-120 mm, 121-250 mm); By Coating (Internally Coated, Externally Coated); By End Use (Onshore, Offshore) : https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/carbon-steel-tubing-in-oil-and-gas-lift-applications-market Material Alternatives & Over Production of Chinese Steel Could Negatively Impact Carbon Steel Tubing Market However, availability of material alternatives such as steel, alloy steel, chromium steel, fiber glass, fiber reinforced plastic, and corrosion resistant alloys could restrict the adoption of carbon steel tubing in oil and gas lift applications. Oil and gas companies change their tubing requirements as per the required application in onshore and offshore coupled with varying temperature conditions. Another key factor anticipated to negatively impact the manufacturing of carbon steel tubing is the skewed supply demand ratio of steel attributable to excessive production and oversupply of Chinese steel. This situation lead to cheap exports and subsequent shutting down of many steel plants, which further resulted in price crash of carbon steel. NPD & Tie-Ups to Remain Key Forward Market Strategies in the Moderately Concentrated Carbon Steel Tubing Market FMI forecasts moderate concentration and high competition in global market for carbon steel tubing in oil and gas lift applications, considering the presence of dominant Chinese and other Asian players. Moreover, high initial setup costs acts as a barrier to the entry of new players in the market. In terms of overall market strategies, development of robust, innovative tubes coupled with strategic partnerships and tie-ups with end-use companies and distributors will fit the grand scheme of things. Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customised insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-7389 More from FMI's Energy, Mining, Oil, And Gas Market Intelligence: Asia Pacific Upstream Oil & Gas Services Market Segmentation by Services Type - Inspection, Repair and Maintenance, Sampling, Decommissioning, ROV Drill Support, SURF Support, Seismic and Geophysical Services: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/asia-pacific-upstream-oil-and-gas-services-market Segmentation by Services Type - Inspection, Repair and Maintenance, Sampling, Decommissioning, ROV Drill Support, SURF Support, Seismic and Geophysical Services: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/asia-pacific-upstream-oil-and-gas-services-market Flare Gas Recovery System Market : Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-flare-gas-recovery-system-market : Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-flare-gas-recovery-system-market Polymer Solar Cells Market Segmentation By Junction Type - Single Layer, Bilayer, Bulk Heterojunction, Multi-junction, Others; By Application - BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic), Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Defence and Emergency, Others; By Technique - Printing Technique, Coating Technique: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/polymer-solar-cells-market About Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends. Browse MoreEnergy, Mining, Oil, And Gas Market Insights Contact Us 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 T (UK): +44(0)20-7692-8790 Sales:sales@futuremarketinsights.com Press Office: Press@futuremarketinsights.com FMI Blog: http://www.fmiblog.com/ Website: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com MaxLinear Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected home and wired and wireless infrastructure markets, today announced that Inspur Group has selected its MxL213C Full-Spectrum Capture cable front-end receiver for its next generation of smart cable gateway set-top boxes (STB). Inspur's cable gateway platform offers important consumer features based on Full-Spectrum Capture (FSC) technology including fast channel change, multi-screen share and remote network monitoring. FSC technology digitizes the entire cable spectrum and performs the digital tuning and demodulation of multiple cable channels, reducing power consumption, complexity and cost. The MxL213C can perform simultaneous demodulation of two or three cable channels, providing a perfect entry-level product for customers such as Inspur that want to develop innovative, feature-rich and cost-effective smart cable gateway STBs. Inspur will be selling the STBs to large cable multiple-system operators (MSOs) in China. "Inspur has leveraged its market leadership in digital STBs to really move the industry in China toward all-digital video delivery and advanced consumer services," said Will Torgerson, Vice President General Manager, MaxLinear Broadband Group. "This market leadership makes the company an excellent customer for the MxL213C, which delivers FSC-based advanced features with a low-power and cost-effective design." About Inspur Group Inspur Group is China's leading cloud computing, big data service provider with four listed companies: Inspur Information, Inspur Software, Inspur International and Inspur Huaguang. These companies cover four large industry groups: cloud data center, cloud services big data, smart city and smart enterprises. Through these companies, Inspur provides comprehensive IaaS, PaaS and SaaS solutions. As one of China's senior IT brands for over 70 years, Inspur is committed to being an advanced IT product manufacturer and a leading IT solution supplier. More information is at http://en.inspur.com/en/2402164/index.html. About MaxLinear, Inc. MaxLinear, Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for the connected home and wired and wireless infrastructure markets. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For more information, please visit www.maxlinear.com. MxL and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of MaxLinear, Inc. Other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners. Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning or implying future financial performance or trends and growth opportunities affecting MaxLinear, in particular statements relating to Inspur's use of MaxLinear MxL213C Full-Spectrum Capture cable front-end receiver. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot predict whether or to what extent we will realize revenues from our relationship with Inspur. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current, preliminary expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as "will be," "will," "expected," "anticipate," "continue," or similar expressions and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: intense competition in our industry, particularly in our broadband markets; the ability of our customers, including Inspur, to cancel or reduce orders; uncertainties concerning how end user markets for our products will develop; our lack of long-term supply contracts and dependence on limited sources of supply; potential decreases in average selling prices for our products; and the potential for intellectual property litigation, which is prevalent in our industry. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, investors should review the risks and uncertainties contained in MaxLinear's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including risks and uncertainties identified in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. MaxLinear is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005097/en/ Contacts: MaxLinear Inc. Press Contact: David Rodewald The David James Agency LLC Tel: +1 805-494-9508 david@davidjamesagency.com or MaxLinear Inc. Corporate Contact: Will Torgerson Vice President General Manager of the Broadband Group Tel: +1 760-692-0711 wtorgerson@maxlinear.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Northern Sphere Mining Corp. (CSE: NSM) (OTCQB: NSMCF) ("Northern Sphere" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its Lone Mountain Nevada Property ("Lone Mountain"). Located 24 kilometers west of the mining town of Tonapah, Nevada (Figure 1), Lone Mountain displays encouraging early polymetallic assay results. Following a review of historical reports, including a 2011 report by the Nevada Bureau of Mining and Geology, Northern Sphere has determined that the property holds significant exploration targets. Three possible ore deposit models are being scrutinized. The geologic models tabled for evaluation are: Polymetallic replacement Porphyry molybdenum, also possible copper or copper-molybdenum Tertiary epithermal silver-gold (north of area) Estimates contained in Figure 1 use categories other than CIM definitions for mineral reserves and resources. Mineralization hosted on the deposits in Figure 1 is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization that may be hosted on the Company's property. Northern Sphere has contracted Goldeni Investment Intelligence to complete a NI 43-101 technical report on Lone Mountain. The 2011 report by the Nevada Bureau of Mining and Geology includes geochemical assay results (from both grab samples and over a 1 metre-wide mineralized quartz vein as disclosed under the Comments heading) (Table 1) that highlight the potential for a significant porphyry style deposit. Figure 1. The Lone Mountain Nevada Property, 24km west of Tonopah, Nevada and 8 km south of U.S. Highways 95 & 6 in the Lone Mountain mining district. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: [http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2104/38709_a1537215581902_54.jpg] Table 1. Geochemical anomalies of lead-zinc-silver mineralization present as replacement bodies along fracture zones in carbonate rocks of the Reed Dolomite and Deep Spring Formation in the area. To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2104/38709_a1537215582324_b47.jpg Source: Nevada Bureau of Mining and Geology Assay number T251g (outlined in Table 1, taken by Bonham & Garside The Nevada Bureau of Mining and Geology) included 35 % zinc, 363 g/t silver, and 4,200 ppm copper on a 1-meter wide vein at surface. Other assays show continuity over a significant area. The amount of cobalt, platinum, and palladium are currently unknown without further exploration, but all elements are expected to be present in some amount. The Company intends to complete an exploration program that will include a review of all historic data, surface reconnaissance, mapping and sampling to confirm historic findings and direct future programs to help define the potential of these mineralized prospects and the best way to advance the property. Given its location relative to major companies, such as Newmont and Kennecott, the Company believes that it can obtain the necessary data to complete a NI 43-101 technical report quickly. "This is an exciting new development for the Company that compliments its other high potential properties in Sudbury and Arizona," states A. John Carter, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Sphere. "The Lone Mountain Nevada Property is located in a prolific mining jurisdiction with all the infrastructure required to explore, develop, and produce at reasonable cost and within a short timeframe." Qualified Persons Ron Wortel P.Eng. an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release on behalf of the Company. Given that the 2011 report bythe Nevada Bureau of Mining and Geology was authored by a U.S. government agency, the 2011 report has not been independently verified. However, Mr. Wortel will be providing consulting services to the Company for the preparation of the NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Company's Nevada Properties through his personal consulting company Goldeni Investment Intelligence . About Northern Sphere Mining Corp. Northern Sphere is dedicated to growth through the acquisition and development of mining assets with an emphasis on gold, silver and copper. In efforts to expedite and optimize mineral targeting on its assets, the Company is employing cutting-edge exploration technologies to generate robust mining projects. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Northern Sphere has a strong project pipeline of properties with a focus on gold, silver and other metal production in pro-mining jurisdictions. Cautionary Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements which reflect Northern Sphere's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those projected herein. Northern Sphere disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable securities laws. For further information, please contact: A. John Carter Chief Executive Officer Northern Sphere Mining Corp. Tel: 905-302-3843 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a hybrid prospect generator focused in British Columbia, is pleased to provide an update on its 2018 exploration activities. Recent highlights are as follows: Reverse circulation drilling ("RC drilling") at 100% owned Copper King Property was recently completed. Visual copper mineralization encountered, laboratory assays are pending. Partner-funded diamond drilling at Stars Project ongoing, recent drill results included 405.38 m grading 0.26% Copper equivalent . . Reverse circulation drilling at 100% owned Kitimat Property completed, assays received. Copper King Property An RC drilling program was recently completed by PEMC at the Copper King Property, located approximately 35 km southeast of Centerra Gold's Kemess Underground and Kemess East Projects. Drilling was focused on the "North Valley Target Area" at the northern portion of the property where anomalous IP chargeability is coincident with rock, soil, talus and sediment samples that are anomalous in copper gold silver. Four RC holes totaling 459 metres were drilled with PEMC's in-house track-mounted RC drill, depths of the holes ranged from 82.3 to 147.8 metres. Two of the four holes drilled encountered visible chalcocite mineralization associated with strong epidote-clay alteration over variable widths and laboratory results are pending from these two holes. Given the geological context and the widespread nature of copper mineralization at surface, that closely resembles that encountered in drilling, the Company believes there is significant potential for a buried porphyry system on the Copper King Property. Rory Ritchie, Vice-President of Exploration comments, "Copper mineralization encountered to date on the Copper King Property is predominantly hosted within a bladed feldspar porphyry unit of the Takla Group volcanics, similar to the geological unit that hosts the majority of copper mineralization at the Kemess East deposit. The presence of scattered porphyry intrusions, a regional scale unconformity or paraconformity and widespread, relatively low temperature copper mineralization at surface lends credence to an exploration strategy analogous to that employed at the Kemess Underground and Kemess East Projects. As such, the Company will be pursuing a like-minded partner to advance the Copper King beyond that which RC drilling has done thus far." Figure 1. 2017 airborne magnetics showing 2018 RC drill hole locations - North Valley Target Area. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/38717_a1537225303998_26.jpg Stars Property (Partner-Funded) Diamond Drilling Ongoing partner-funded drilling at the Stars Project in west-central British Columbia continues to build upon previous exploration successes, with recent drill results including an intercept of 405.38 metres of 0.26% copper equivalent in diamond drill hole DD18SS010 (see ML Gold Corp. News Release dated August 28, 2018). Of notable significance, with regard to drill hole DD18SS010, is the fact that copper mineralization is hosted in a previously undiscovered feldspar porphyry intrusion, which will now serve as a useful guide towards further and potentially higher-grade copper mineralization. The partner recently announced that they have continued the drilling campaign targeting the newly identified porphyry and the related fluid conduit responsible for copper mineralization on the Stars project. Previous drilling at the Stars project by PEMC's partner ML Gold Corp. ("ML Gold") focused on two areas, the Central Zone and Zone 4. Hole 10, which was drilled to the south and perpendicular to Zone 4 was successful in intersecting a feldspar porphyry intrusion with consistent, disseminated copper and molybdenum mineralization. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m)1 Cu% Mo% Ag (g/t) Au (ppb) CuEq %2 DD18-SS010 29.57 434.95 405.38 0.20 0.0082 0.754 24 0.26 incl. 178.92 367.89 188.97 0.25 0.0119 0.824 35 0.33 incl. 392.28 416.66 24.38 0.25 0.0092 1.224 24 0.32 incl. 203.30 282.55 79.25 0.30 0.0144 0.945 43 0.40 incl. 337.41 367.89 30.48 0.40 0.0126 1.343 46 0.50 Table 1. Assay results from DD18SS010 (refer to ML Gold Corp. News Release dated August 28, 2018). (1) The intervals reported in these tables represent drill intercepts and insufficient data is available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized zone. (2) CuEq (Copper Equivalent) values were calculated using metal spot prices at market close on August 20th, 2018 of: USD $2.70 / lb Cu, $11,80 / lb Mo, $14.75 / oz Ag, $1,195 / oz Au. "The identification of a mineralized porphyritic intrusion for the first time represents an important step when exploring for porphyry style deposits" commented Brad Peters, Pacific Empire's President and CEO, "We are very encouraged by these results and look forward to additional results as they become available." Kitimat Property Analytical results from the July 2018 Kitimat Property RC drilling program have been received by the Company. The program consisted of 5 holes totaling 326.1 metres, with holes ranging from 27.4 to 120.4 metres in depth. The purpose of the program was to confirm and potentially build upon historical drill results from the Jeannette Zone, as well as to test additional exploration targets away from the Jeannette Zone. 2018 RC drilling results did not replicate historical drill results in the Jeannette Zone. Hole ID Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Depth Remarks (UTM NAD 83 zone 9) (degrees) (m) RC18KIT001 517661 6001831 10 -60 71.6 Test historical Jeannette Cu-Au zone RC18KIT002 517658 6001862 70 -50 120.4 Test historical Jeannette Cu-Au zone RC18KIT003 517479 6001755 0 -80 56.4 Test Cu soil anomaly west of Jeannette zone RC18KIT004 518108 6001653 0 -90 50.3 Failed to reach bedrock RC18KIT005 518779 6000787 0 -90 27.4 Test "southwest" magnetic anomaly Table 2. Drill hole information from 2018 Kitimat RC drilling. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Copper (%) Gold (g/t) RC18KIT001 15.2 18.3 3.1 0.53 0.19 RC18KIT002 56.4 62.5 6.1 0.19 0.27 and 105.2 120.4 15.2 0.1 0.03 RC18KIT003 No significant values RC18KIT004 No significant values RC18KIT005 No significant values Table 3. Significant intercepts from 2018 Kitimat RC drilling. Plateau Property PEMC acquired the Plateau Property by staking 1,980 hectares located approximately 20 km to the east of Highway 97 at 70 Mile House. The property covers an area with widespread chalcopyrite-bornite mineralization that is associated with an early syenite phase of the Thuya batholith. The property has seen numerous exploration programs over the last 40 years with approximately $2 million in total work expenditures to date. During this time a total of 29 core holes have been drilled totaling 6,062.2 metres in addition to 31 percussion holes totaling 1,748 metres. The Company is currently compiling exploration and drill data to determine the best way to cost-effectively add value and advance the Plateau Property. Nub East Property The planned 2018 RC drilling program on PEMC's Nub East Property was not completed due to the proximity of the Gower Lake Wildfire to the proposed area of exploration on the Property. The Chief Gold Commissioner of British Columbia recognized the proximity of the wildfire threat and has granted the Company a one-year extension of time to complete exploration and development activities on the Property. PEMC looks forward to continuing with further exploration on the property during the 2019 exploration season. Remaining 2018 Exploration Objectives Field crews are currently conducting reconnaissance exploration of the Company's Bulkley Initiative properties consisting of the Bull's Eye, Bulkley and Wasp properties in preparation for the 2019 exploration season. Following this, crews will mobilize with the RC drill to test remaining priority targets at the Wildcat and Red properties to test remaining targets. PEMC has now received its exploration permit for a fall RC drilling program on its recently acquired Moffat Property, situated approximately 20 km southeast of the Woodjam Cu-Au-Mo developed prospect in south-central British Columbia. The program will be expanding upon historical drilling results while testing targets outlined from an airborne magnetic survey flown over the Property by PEMC in May of 2018. Brad Peters, Pacific Empire's President and CEO, states, "During the 2018 exploration season PEMC has now completed reverse circulation drilling programs on four of its properties and continues to have ongoing partner-funded diamond drilling at the Stars Project. We are pleased that positive results have been achieved on the Stars Project and now the Copper King Property. We emphasize that we will remain active with continued drilling programs and progressing our portfolio of projects throughout 2018." Qualified Person Rory Ritchie, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for the Company, serves as a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein. About Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. PEMC is an exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that employs a "hybrid prospect generator" business model and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company's strong portfolio of projects is a result of continuous generative work conducted since the Company's inception in 2012. By integrating the project generator business model with low-cost RC drilling, the company intends to leverage its portfolio by identifying, and focusing on, the highest quality projects for partnerships and advancement. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, "Brad Peters" President and Chief Executive Officer Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Tel: +1-604-356-6246 brad@pemcorp.ca www.pemcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address 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. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, are forward-looking statements. 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: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. The agency, which is independent once more, brings function in-house NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- INVNT, a global live brand storytelling agency, announces the continued expansion of its team with the appointment of Brea Carter to the newly created role of Director of PR and Marketing. Based out of INVNT's Sydney office, which was launched in April this year, Carter will be responsible for leading the company's PR and marketing efforts on an international scale. Working in close collaboration with INVNT's CEO, Scott Cullather and the agency's growing number of offices in North America, EMEA and APAC, she will be responsible for driving awareness of the agency's unique service offering and approach, its award-winning client work, and tribe of talented INVNTrs. A passionate marketer with a firm understanding of the live space, Carter has worked as a journalist in London, where she reported on the event and experiential marketing sectors, and also brings agency-side experience gained within the industry to the role. It is this unique background that makes her perfectly placed to identify and devise compelling story angles, liaise with media, and manage the execution of INVNT's marketing efforts globally. Commenting on the agency's latest appointment, Scott Cullather, CEO, INVNT said: "We're incredibly excited to have Brea join our tribe, and to be bringing this role in-house. More and more of our clients are looking to us to strategize and deliver unexpected and unforgettable experiences for them around the world, and this new global role represents another step forward in INVNT becoming the best live brand storytelling agency in the world. "At INVNT our mantra is 'challenge everything' and I have no doubt that Brea will do just that as she collaborates with our tribe and our valued partners to share INVNT's stories, and those of our clients." About INVNT Founded in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT was created to be the best live brand storytelling agency in the world. The company's "challenge everything" positioning statement helps clients including PepsiCo, Samsung, Merck, General Motors, Subway and ESPN to share brand stories that are on brand and on message, yet disruptive and therefore stick and spread. "The tribe" is INVNT's diverse, talented and creative team behind the stories and brand experiences that people just can't stop talking about. INVNT's offices are strategically located in New York, London, Sydney, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Stockholm. For more information visit http://invnt.com/ Media contact: Brea Carter INVNT +61-423-330-082 bcarter@invnt.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/745920/Brea_Carter_Headshot.jpg Market Research Future The report titled Multiplex Assays Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 is a direct appreciation by Market Research Future of the market potential of the Multiplex Assays Market. The report intends to provide accurate and meaningful insights, both quantitative as well as qualitative. Market Overview: The Global Multiplex Assays Market is expected to reach an approximate CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The increase in high-throughput screening tests in research and development for detection of biomolecules of various diseases drives the market growth. Multiplex assays are used for diagnosing various autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. According to the National Institutes of Health (2012), autoimmune diseases are most prevalent as compared to other diseases and 23.5 million people in America suffer from autoimmune diseases, whereas 9 million people have cancer. Thus, growing prevalence of such diseases and rise in government funding for the R&D sector influence the growth in this market. The growing demand for rapid and precise measurement of analyses, operational and labor cost reduction, rising use of multiplex assays for diagnostic uses, and technological advancements are also the key factors for the market to grow. However, factors such as expensive multiplex assays, heavy capital investments, shortage of skilled labor, and others are expected to restrict the market growth during the forecast period. Get Premium Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6135 Global Multiplex Assays Market Key Players: Luminex, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Qiagen, Abcam, Becton Dickinson and Company, Merck, Agilent Technologies, Meso Scale Diagnostics, Randox Laboratories, Quanterix, Bio-Techne, Olink, Seegene, and others. Segmentation: The global multiplex assays market is segmented on the basis of product and service, type, technology, application, and end-user. The multiplex assays market, by product and service, is sub-segmented into consumables, instruments, software and services, and others. On the basis of type, the market is categorized into protein multiplex assays, nucleic acid multiplex assays, cell-based multiplex assays, and others. Protein multiplex assays are further sub-segmented into planar protein assays, bead-based protein assays, and others. Nucleic acid multiplex assays are further sub-segmented into planar nucleic acid assays, bead-based nucleic acid assays, and others. The technology segment includes flow cytometry, fluorescence detection, luminescence, real-time multiplex PCR, and others. On the basis of application, the market is categorized into research and development and clinical diagnostics. The research & development segment includes drug discovery and development and biomarker discovery and validation. The clinical diagnostics segment includes infectious diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, nervous system disorders, metabolism and endocrinology disorders, and others. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hospitals and research institutes, reference laboratories, and others. On the basis of region, the global multiplex assays market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas is sub-segmented into North America and South America. The North American region is further segmented into the U.S. and Canada. The European region is divided into two, namely, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified into Germany, Italy, France, the U.K., Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The Asia Pacific region is sub-segmented into Japan, China, India, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of Asia Pacific. The Middle Eastern and African region is sub-segmented into the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa. Apply for Attractive Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/6135 Regional Market Analysis: The multiplex assays market is dominated by North America owing to strong R&D activities in this region. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the United States is the leading country in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D) activities and conducts around half the worlds Research and Development (R&D) in pharmaceuticals. Increased adoption of technologically advanced devices and the high amount of healthcare expenditure drive the market in this region. It is estimated that Europe stood second in the global multiplex assays market. Increasing healthcare expenditure and health care activities and increase in the use of diagnostics and unmet needs for health care are driving the growth of this market in Europe. The use of multiplex assays for diagnostics influences the market growth in this region. According to the European Heart Network (2017), 45% of deaths in Europe are due to cardiovascular diseases. Thus, increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Europe drives the market growth. Furthermore, growing biotechnology sector in Europe is expected to boost the market in this region. Asia Pacific was projected to be the fastest growing region for the global multiplex assays market. Key factors such as rising number of patient population, increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, and growing research and development activities in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of diseases, such as cancer and other infectious diseases influence the market in this region. The Middle East and Africa holds the least share in the global multiplex assays market due to the presence of stringent government policies and poor economies. However, increasing investment by private market players in this region can boost the market growth. TABLE OF CONTENT: Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope of the Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restraints 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Continued! Enquiry about Reports @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/6135 Media Contact Company Name: Market Research Future Contact Person: Abhishek Sawant Email: Send Email Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Address:Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar City: Pune State: Maharashtra Country: India Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com A 'first of its kind' partnership that will make Liverpool one of the safest cities in the UK for renters. LIVERPOOL, England, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Liverpool City Council has agreed a ground-breaking initiative to provide life-saving technology that will tackle the dangers of illegal gas fitters and keep tenants safe. The announcement comes at the start of national Gas Safety Week (17-23 September) which sees organisations from across the UK working together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. In a first of its kind agreement, Liverpool City Council is working with pioneering tech company - Gas Tag - to issue gas safety technology to the city's 7,500 landlords who manage 30,000 private rented homes. Liverpool City Council has worked with Gas Tag to provide access to the technology for free to registered private landlords in the City. The City Council is also calling upon government to make this type of technology mandatory for all landlords. Illegal gas fitters Every year there are an estimated 1.1million rogue jobs completed by illegal gas fitters in the UK, putting households at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions. From the rogue jobs that the Gas Safe Register investigated, 3 in 5 are left in unsafe condition and 1 in 5 appliances were deemed so dangerous they had to be disconnected immediately. Carbon Monoxide affects all ages, the most vulnerable being the elderly and the young which accounts for 50 deaths per year, and as many as 4,000 medical visits, according to the Department of Health. Alarmingly, it is reported that CO poisoning is on the rise this year with over 500 cases identified in under 18s. So now, more than ever, it's vitally important to get your appliances checked by a correctly qualified, competent Gas Safe Registered Engineer. Now, for the first time we are seeing emerging technologies providing us with new ways to help stamp out rogue gas fitters, such as the Gas Tag system that checks engineers Gas Safe credentials in real-time. This partnership also comes as a review of the private rented sector argues that a "property MOT" should be imposed on landlords to make sure homes are up to scratch. The Evolving Private Rented Sector report suggests the MOT could bring together current requirements such as electrical and gas safety certificates and help drive up standards in rented homes. How does the technology work? The concept is simple. The Gas Tag is installed on the gas outlet in a property which tracks all the property's gas appliances, services and installations - and can only be used by a qualified Gas Safe Registered engineer. It's the same technology as Oyster Cards on the London Underground so that when an engineer arrives at a property, they touch their mobile phone against the tag. That engineer is then geo-tagged and a live link to the Gas Safe Register checks their qualifications in real-time. It stops rogue gas engineers in their tracks and provides landlords - and more importantly - tenants with peace of mind that the correct work has been carried out by a qualified engineer. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: "We're pleased that Liverpool is the first council in the UK to spearhead this innovative partnership. Thanks to pioneering technology, we can help landlords improve the levels of safety within their property." Paul Durose, CEO of Gas Tag said: "I'm delighted that Liverpool City Council has the vision and foresight to embrace this ground-breaking technology, making it the safest city in the UK - if not the world - for renters. "Our mission is to drive rogue gas fitters out of business before they can put more lives at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning - or worse. "By working together, we will make it as difficult as possible for illegal gas fitters to operate." Notes to editors: Liverpool City Council was the first to introduce a landlord licensing scheme in April 2015 aimed at improving private rented housing. Licensed landlords' properties must meet fire, electric and gas safety standards and be in a good state of repair. Further information can be found here. About Gas Tag Gas Tag has been developed to ensure that the correct work is carried out on gas appliances at the appropriate time, by the right engineers. www.gastag.co.uk Kevin Perry, portfolio manager on the senior loan team to retire in March 2019 Portfolios will be jointly managed by portfolio managers John Bell and Michael Klawitter Loomis, Sayles Company, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, announced today that Kevin Perry, portfolio manager on the senior loan team, will retire in March 2019 after 17 years with the company and 37 years in the industry. All senior loan portfolios will continue to be co-managed by portfolio managers John Bell and Michael Klawitter, who have been members of the team for 17 and 16 years, respectively. The team oversees approximately $10.7 billion1 in institutional and retail assets for global clients. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005187/en/ "Kevin has embodied Loomis Sayles' values of collaboration, humility and prudent risk-taking every day since he and John joined us in 2001," said Kevin Charleston, chief executive officer. "Kevin and John are considered pioneers in the bank loan market and their efforts have led to clients entrusting us with the management of more than $10 billion in bank loan assets. We are grateful for Kevin's contributions to our firm, and to bank loan investing, and wish him the best in retirement." Until his retirement date, Kevin will continue in his leadership and portfolio management roles to ensure a seamless transition and provide continuity for clients. There will be no changes to the team's style or investment philosophy. "A hallmark of our senior loan team is that it is comprised of tenured investment professionals with deep expertise in the bank loan market, and we are confident in the team's experience and ability to carry this legacy forward," said Jae Park, chief investment officer. "Under John's continued leadership, we believe the team is well-resourced and positioned for additional success." John joined Loomis Sayles in 2001, with Kevin Perry, to build the firm's bank loan capabilities. John and Kevin were among the first non-bank buyers of bank loans and their work pre-dates the first bank loan index, which began in 1992. The team began managing bank loans in a conservative style, and later expanded to include several more flexible and structured products. Michael joined the team in 2002, became portfolio manager on a variety of strategies in 2016 and was named portfolio manager on the remaining products earlier this year. The team will continue to receive considerable support from Cheryl Stober, who, as product manager, has extensive knowledge of the team's portfolios and the bank loan market, and takes a very active role in client service, prospecting and marketing. Cheryl joined Loomis Sayles in 2005, and moved to the senior loan team as a portfolio analyst in 2007. She was promoted to product manager in 2013. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: JOHN R. BELL John Bell is a vice president of Loomis, Sayles Company and portfolio manager for the Loomis Sayles fixed income group. Previously, John was a vice president and portfolio manager at Back Bay Advisors, and was head of credit at Jurika Voyles, where he helped manage fixed income assets, including high yield. He was also president and principal for Sextant Investments, a merchant bank, and director of research at Dabney/ Resnick, Inc., a brokerage specializing in distressed securities. John was one of the original non-bank buyers of bank loans starting in 1988, when he was in charge of developing the bank loan effort at First Capital Holdings/First Capital Life Insurance. He later became director of research at First Capital, which managed nearly $10 billion in assets, including over $4 billion of high yield bonds and over $300 million of bank loans. John earned a BBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. John joined Loomis Sayles in 2001, with Kevin Perry, to build the firm's bank loan capabilities. John and Kevin were among the first non-bank buyers of bank loans and their work pre-dates the first bank loan index, which began in 1992. The team began managing bank loans in a conservative style, and later expanded to include several more flexible and structured products. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: MICHAEL L. KLAWITTER, CFA Michael Klawitter is a vice president and portfolio manager for the senior loan team at Loomis, Sayles Company. Michael began his investment career in 1997 in fund operations at First Data where he managed a group of fund specialists before joining Loomis Sayles in 2000 as a senior specialist in the mutual fund group. After moving to the quantitative research and risk analysis (QRRA) group for two years, providing support to portfolio managers, traders and marketing professionals, Michael joined the senior loan team, where he analyzed credits and worked on special projects. He became a strategist in 2013 and was promoted to portfolio manager in 2016. Michael earned a BA from the University at Buffalo and an MSF from Boston College. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: CHERYL STOBER Cheryl Stober is a vice president of Loomis, Sayles Company and product manager for the senior loan team. She is responsible for communicating the benefits of the firm's bank loan strategies to clients as well as internal and external partners. Cheryl researches various aspects of the bank loan market, from the effects of covenant lite to the dynamics of market participants. She also develops and curates content for marketing materials, and educates prospects and clients on the benefits of the asset class. Cheryl's expertise lies in all things bank loan, including the firm's products and the market in general. Cheryl joined Loomis Sayles in 2005 as a senior operations analyst. In 2007, she joined the bank loan team as a portfolio analyst and was promoted to product analyst and product manager, respectively. Previously, Cheryl worked in bank loan operations at Bain Capital. Cheryl earned a BA in economics from Brandeis University and an MBA from Boston University. ABOUT LOOMIS SAYLES Since 1926, Loomis, Sayles Company has helped fulfill the investment needs of institutional and mutual fund clients worldwide. The firm's performance-driven investors integrate deep proprietary research and integrated risk analysis to make informed, judicious decisions. Teams of portfolio managers, strategists, research analysts and traders collaborate to assess market sectors and identify investment opportunities wherever they may lie, within traditional asset classes or among a range of alternative investments. Loomis Sayles has the resources, foresight and the flexibility to look far and wide for value in broad and narrow markets in its commitment to deliver attractive sustainable returns for clients. This rich tradition has earned Loomis Sayles the trust and respect of clients worldwide, for whom it manages $264.4 billion** in assets (as of June 30, 2018). **Includes the assets of Loomis, Sayles Co., LP, and Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC. Loomis Sayles Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Loomis, Sayles Company, LP. ABOUT NATIXIS INVESTMENT MANAGERS Natixis Investment Managers serves financial professionals with more insightful ways to construct portfolios. Powered by the expertise of 26 specialized investment managers globally, we apply Active Thinking? to deliver proactive solutions that help clients pursue better outcomes in all markets. Natixis ranks among the world's largest asset management firms ($988.4 billion 846.5 billion AUM). Natixis Investment Managers includes all of the investment management and distribution entities affiliated with Natixis Distribution, L.P. and Natixis Investment Managers S.A. Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2018 ranked Natixis Investment Managers as the 16th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management as of December 31, 2017. Net asset value as of June 30, 2018. Assets under management ("AUM"), as reported, may include notional assets, assets serviced, gross assets and other types of non-regulatory AUM. MALR022411 Natixis Distribution, L.P. (fund distributor, member FINRA SIPC) and Loomis, Sayles Company, L.P. are affiliated. 1 As of July 31, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005187/en/ Contacts: Loomis, Sayles Company Orla O'Brien, 617-478-7480 oobrien@loomissayles.com PALM BEACH, Florida, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketNewsUpdates.com News Commentary The Cannabis Markets and the Technology Industry continue to come closer together as legal cannabis prohibition and its sub products lessens around North America. In recent years, technological advancements have begun to pick up around the industry. When Canada and U.S. states such as Colorado, Washington amongst others ushered in different levels of legalization, these tech advancements took off that much more. Many believe the cannabis industry will continue to benefit from an injection of next generation tech innovation as well as creative, ingenious services and solutions while tech companies race to develop and introduce the latest technologies, service platforms and advanced products to enhance operations and overall performance for cannabis leaders. Active companies in the cannabis markets this week include ParcelPal Technology Inc. (CSE:PKG) (OTC:PTNYF), FSD Pharma Inc. (CSE:HUGE) (OTC:FSDDF), OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (TSX-V:OGI) (OTC:OGRMF), International Cannabrands Inc. (CSE:JUJU) (OTC:GEATF), Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V:EMH) (OTC:EMHTF). ParcelPal Technology Inc. (CSE:PKG) (OTCPK:PTNYF) BREAKING NEWS: ParcelPal Technology is pleased to announce they have commenced their national roll out plan starting with the much-anticipated expansion into Calgary, Alberta. ParcelPal is looking to exponentially grow its business and make mobile on-demand deliveries a widespread service throughout cities across Canada. The Company has been operating successfully in Vancouver for over a year and is now expanding to Calgary as part of their on-going strategy for Canada wide distribution. ParcelPal will be launching with all verticals offered (Food, alcohol, grocery, and soon 'Get Anything') on their platform, on both Android and iOS. The Company is in late stage planning for implementation of marijuana delivery in the province of Alberta. Comparable to Vancouver, Calgary offers a diverse population of over 1.5 million residents within the initial operational zone. With similar demographics to Vancouver, the Company expects rapid adoption of the service. The Company has secured an office in Calgary and is currently onboarding all key personnel to fill all necessary roles for the launch. The Company is actively looking to expand with new and existing partnerships within this region. This should enable the Company to achieve a greater run rate in the coming months. President and CEO Kelly Abbott states, "We are very pleased to finally offer ParcelPal services residents of Calgary. We are excited by the opportunity that Calgary presents. We feel this expansion to Calgary will bring great shareholder value and this launch will be the cornerstone for all expansions moving forward. Our increased investments in technology, brand and delivery are on track to make our service even easier to use, whilst expanding our customer's choices. I'm pleased with the strong results of the year and excited by our opportunity for accelerated growth across Canada." ParcelPal's City Manager Alain Duperes states, "We are excited to be a part of the vibrancy and energy of Calgary and it's residents and to welcome a whole new dynamic of on demand delivery. This will now allow residents to get what they want or need, delivered within an hour or less which is greatly needed." Read this and more news for ParcelPal Technology athttp://www.marketnewsupdates.com/news/pkg.html Other recent developments in the industry include: FSD Pharma Inc. (CSE:HUGE.CN) (OTCPK:FSDDF) this week announced that it has joined the Cannabis Marketing Resource Center ("CMRC") provided by Snipp Interactive Inc. ("Snipp") (OTCQB: SNIPF; TSX-V: SPN), a global provider of digital marketing promotions, rebates and loyalty solutions. FSD has now joined some of the largest licensed producers in Canada that currently use the CMRC and the technology solutions provided by Snipp. "As the Cannabis industry begins to scale, it becomes important to invest in best of breed software and technology solutions to enable companies like ours to sell our products across the ecosystem from seed to sale. We look forward to working with Snipp, a leader in supplier/customer activation and retention programs, to develop such programs and learn from their expertise in similar regulated industries like Pharmaceuticals, Alcohol & Tobacco", said Anthony Durkacz, Director of FSD Pharma. OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (TSX-V:OGI.V) (OTCQX:OGRMF) recently announced that the Company has signed a supply agreement with the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) in anticipation of the launch of a legal, adult use recreational cannabis market in the province. "We are pleased to have been accepted as a supplier to NLC," says Greg Engel , Organigram's Chief Executive Officer. "At Organigram, we are very proud of our Atlantic Canadian roots and the opportunities we have to offer our neighbours a broad choice of high-quality cannabis products."According to the terms of the agreement, Newfoundland and Labrador cannabis retailers will have access to almost 100% of Organigram's entire product portfolio. Organigram will also play a role in the province's e-commerce plans, allowing for consumers to order directly on-line. International Cannabrands Inc. (CSE:JUJU) (OTC:GEATF) recently announced that JuJu Royal cannabis infused olive oils won 1st place in the 4th Annual Best of Edibles List Awards in two categories: Best Colorado Edible and Best Olive Oil. The awards will be featured in the upcoming issue of Edibles List Magazine, including a product review in a future issue. JuJu Royal cannabis olive oils are produced by Elevare' LLC and are made with a unique combination of premium quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh crushed herbs. The product line has been expanded to include full spectrum CBD olive oils that are now available worldwide. "I am truly excited that the JuJu team has won this award. JuJu Royal stands for innovative products that fit with our consumers' lifestyle and this award recognizes the hard work and artistry that went into this effort." - Travis Belcher, President. Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V:EMH.V) (OTCQX:EMHTF) last week announced it has been selected as an authorized cannabis supplier by the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation ("NLC") to supply cannabis products to the NLC and serve the adult-use market throughout the province of Newfoundland Labrador starting October 17. "We're proud to work with the NLC as a preferred Licensed Producer to serve Newfoundland and Labrador in the upcoming legal cannabis market," said Chris Wagner, CEO at Emerald. "This represents the third provincial agreement for our team and we expect to share additional supply updates in the future." With its previously announced supply agreements with the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, as well as its commercial production facilities quickly ramping up in British Columbia and Quebec, Emerald is prepared for the adult-use market. The company is focused on product innovation that will command high-profit margins; differentiating its marketing strategy; and securing significant supplies of safe, quality, low-cost cannabis. DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. 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Contact Information: info@marketnewsupdates.com +1(561)325-8757 News release from Vestas Wind Systems A/S Aarhus, 18 September 2018 Leveraging Vestas' performance improving PowerPlus products, Vestas will upgrade long-time customer IKEA Group's global portfolio of Vestas turbines, equalling 316 MW, to maximise the value of their wind energy assets. The upgrades span across six different Vestas turbine types and are expected to generate on average 1.5 percent in additional energy production, estimated at a total of 13.5 GWh a year. With the PowerPlus programme, Vestas can increase a wind power plant's energy production and efficiency through site-specific optimisation of operational parameters, implementation of intelligent software algorithms or enhanced aerodynamic performance. IKEA Group has ambitious sustainability targets in place, including an ambition to produce as much renewable energy as they consume by 2020. "It is great that we can extended the cooperation with Vestas and optimise the performance of the wind farms. We value long term relationships with our partners as we want to work together to improve and develop quality of operation and maintenance services," says Krister Mattsson, responsible for Financial Asset Management, IKEA Group. "We are thrilled to upgrade IKEA Group's existing energy assets and support them in reaching their target of powering their production and consumption with renewable energy. We continue to innovate and develop solutions that can increase energy production, which also means that already operating turbines can be upgraded to yield even more energy. In this case, we have improved the existing business case through a global deal, where we upgrade six different turbine types, once again emphasising the flexibility of our offerings," says Mariel Alexandra Garrido Urena, Head of Fleet Optimisation IKEA Group's global portfolio of Vestas turbines in the U.S., Sweden, France, and Poland will be upgraded, and this includes V80-2.0 MW, V90-2.0 MW, V90-3.0 MW, V100-2.0 MW, V112-3.0 MW and V112-3.3 MW turbines. For more information, please contact Anders Riis Group Communications Phone: +45 4181 3922 Email: anprr@vestas.com About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 94 GW of wind turbines in 79 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled 79 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,300 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images . We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) www.linkedin.com/company/vestas (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) www.facebook.com/vestas (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) www.instagram.com/vestas (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) www.youtube.com/vestas (http://www.youtube.com/vestas) Attachment Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Appia Energy Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQB: APAAF) (FSE: A0I.F) (FSE: A0I.MU) (FSE: A0I.BE) (the "Company" or "Appia) is pleased to provide geochemical assay results from surface channel samples collected from the Charles zone as part of the on-going exploration program (the "Program") being carried out on the Alces Lake Property (the "Property") in northern Saskatchewan. Surface channel sample geochemical assay results for the Charles zone are provided in Table 1. The highest results were obtained along line 14 (see Figure 1) which returned 14.90 wt% total rare earth oxides ("TREO") over 5.1 m. Other notable results include 9.859 wt% TREO over 3.1 m from line 17, and 7.568 wt% TREO over 4.0 m from line 13. Eleven of the 18 lines (or 61%) with REO mineralization had grades considered to be "high-grade" REOs (see Table 1). A total of 22 lines were sampled, with 221 samples collected from the lines. Lines were spaced approximately 2.0 m apart. Mr. James Sykes, Vice President of Exploration and Development for Appia comments: "The results from the Charles zone continue to highlight the high-grade rare earth element ("REE") potential of the Property. The surface work of the Program has provided valuable geological insights that could help Appia identify areas of potential, additional subsurface rare earth oxide mineralization." Overburden stripping and the collection of systematic channel samples were taken from all seven exposed zones and have been hand delivered to the Saskatchewan Research Council's ("SRC") Geoanalytical Laboratory, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (CAN-P-4E) certified laboratory in Saskatoon, SK for multi-element and REE analysis using the Whole-Rock and Rare Earth Element Lab Packages. The Rare Earth Element analysis uses a lithium metaborate fusion to dissolve refractory minerals such as monazite. Diamond drilling into the zones is currently underway and will continue through the current month of September. The results from the analyses of all the samples collected from these zones will be reported as they become available. The Alces Lake Property encompasses some of the highest-grade total and critical REE mineralization in the world, hosted within seven surface showings that remain open in all directions (see *Note below). Critical rare earth elements are defined here as those that are in short-supply and high-demand for use in permanent magnets and modern electronic applications (i.e: Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr) and Dysprosium (Dy)). The Alces Lake project area is 14,334 hectares (35,420 acres) in size. All geochemical results reported herein have passed rigorous internal QAQC review and compilation.The technical content in this news release was reviewed and approved by Thomas Skimming, P.Eng, a Director of Appia, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. *Note: The Alces Lake REE grades were compared with global REE deposit grades. The global REE deposit information was derived from publicly available information as of January 31, 2018, from individual company websites, SEDAR technical report filings, and the Technology Metals Research Advanced Rare Earth Projects Index (http://www.techmetalsresearch.com/metrics-indices/tmr-advanced-rare-earth-projects-index/). About Appia Appia is a Canadian publicly-traded company in the uranium and rare earth element sectors. The Company is currently focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements ("REE") and uranium on the Alces Lake property, as well as prospecting for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Loranger, North Wollaston and Eastside, properties. The Company holds 100% of the surface rights to exploration over 63,980 hectares (158,098 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has NI 43-101 compliant resources of 8.0 M lbs U 3 O 8 and 47.7 M lbs Total REE Indicated and 20.1 M lbs U 3 O 8 and 133.2 M lbs Total REE Inferred in the Teasdale Zone plus 27.6 M lbs U 3 O 8 Inferred in the Banana Lake Zone in the historic mining camp of Elliot Lake in Ontario (previously reported in the Company's news release dated August 14, 2013). The resources are largely unconstrained along strike and down dip. Appia's technical team is directed by James Sykes, who has had direct and indirect involvement with over 450 M lbs. U 3 O 8 being discovered in five deposits in the Athabasca Basin. Appia currently has 58.4 million common shares outstanding, 76.6 million shares fully diluted. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward- looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please contact: Tom Drivas, President, CEO and Director: (tel) 416-546-2707, (fax) 416-218-9772 or (email) appia@appiaenergy.ca James Sykes, VP Exploration & Development, (tel) 306-221-8717, (fax) 416-218-9772 or (email) jsykes@uraniumgeologist.com Frank van de Water, Chief Financial Officer and Director, (tel) 416-546-2707, (fax) 416-218-9772 or (email) fvandewater@rogers.com Figure 1: REE surface mineralization exposed at Charles zone. Mineralization is displayed as >0.1 wt% TREO To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/38727_figure_1_enhance.jpg *Note: >1.897 wt% TREO represents >75th percentile for global REO deposit grades of advanced stage-projects (excluding Gakara, Steenkampskraal and Mount Weld CLD deposits). The global REO deposit information was derived from publicly available information as of January 31, 2018,from individual company websites, SEDAR technical report filings, and the Technology Metals Research Advanced Rare Earth Projects Index (http://www.techmetalsresearch.com/metrics-indices/tmr-advanced-rare-earth-projects-index/) Table 1: Results for the Charles zone To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/38727_appia_chart.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Edison Cobalt Corp (TSXV: EDDY) ("Edison Cobalt" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P.Geo. to the position of President and CEO replacing Jeffrey Cocks. Edison Cobalt thanks Mr. Cocks for his service as President and CEO. Mr. Cocks will continue to serve as a director of the Company. Mr. Pettigrew brings over 15 years of experience in the mineral exploration Industry including significant experience exploring for battery metals, having worked in lithium, cobalt and nickel exploration. He has a long history in northeast Ontario's Cobalt camp having first worked there in 2004. He received his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Environmental Geochemistry from the University of New Brunswick in 1999 and his M.Sc. in Earth Sciences from the University of Ottawa in 2004. He is a professional geoscientist in good standing registered in Ontario. He has also worked for the Ontario Geological Survey as a Senior Precambrian Geoscientist. Notable companies Mr. Pettigrew has worked with include Rainy River Resources Ltd., PC Gold Inc., Temex Resources Corp., Placer Dome CLA Inc. and Goldcorp Inc. He has held both officer and director positions at several TSX and TSX-V listed junior companies. Mr. Pettigrew is also a founding partner of Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corporation of Thunder Bay, Ontario, a full-service mineral exploration consulting firm providing geological services to both publicly traded and privately-held companies. Mr. Pettigrew originally joined the Company as a director in April 2017 and then as Vice President of Exploration in December 2017. Neil Pettigrew, President and CEO said: "I look forward to further advancing our Kittson-Cobalt project and would like to thank Mr. Cocks for all that he has done to advance the company to this point." About the Kittson-Cobalt Project The Project is located near the town of Cobalt in northeast Ontario, Canada. The Project hosts the historic Thomas Edison, Shakt-Davis and Kittson mines, as well as numerous historic workings, the deepest extending down to 628 feet, and over 2,500 feet of lateral workings. Cobalt mineralization occurs in Proterozoic-aged quartz-carbonate veins hosted in brittle shears in Nipissing diabase. This style of mineralization is similar to that of the famous Cobalt Silver Camp located ~15 km east of the Property, which produced 420 million ounces of silver with cobalt as a significant by-product. Veins hosting the mineralization at the Kittson-Cobalt Project differ from the typical Cobalt Silver Camp veins in that they are lower in silver but richer in cobalt and are associated with significant gold. Historic reports from the Shakt-Davis mine indicate values of 1.5% Co over 1.37 metres and select grab samples returning up to 4% Co and 93.3 g/t Au. Locally significant nickel, copper and to a lesser extend lead, zinc and bismuth also occur within the quartz-carbonate veins. About Edison Cobalt Corp. Edison Cobalt Corp. is a Canadian-based junior mining exploration company focused on the procurement, exploration and development of cobalt, lithium and other energy metals in North and South America. Edison Cobalt' acquisition strategy focuses on acquiring affordable, cost-effective and highly regarded mineral properties in areas with proven geological potential. The Company's shares are listed and posted for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "EDDY", the OTC Pinks under the symbol "PWMRF", and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol "VV0". The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P.Geo., President & CEO and a director of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. On behalf of the Board of Directors: "Neil Pettigrew" Neil Pettigrew President & CEO For more information please contact: Howard Milne V.P. Business Development Tel: (604) 377-8994Email:hdmcap@shaw.ca Website: www.edisoncobalt.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - FluroTech Ltd. (TSXV: TEST), ("FluroTech" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Trevor MacMillan as Director of Scientific Research and Business Development. With prior industry experience at Aurora Cannabis Inc., Dr. MacMillan brings with him an impressive background in plant breeding, biotechnology regulatory environments and quality control. He will be an integral part of FluroTech's scientific and business development teams. "Dr. MacMillan brings a unique perspective of the Licensed Producers' needs in the realm of quality control, testing and analytics in the cannabis industry. With his depth of knowledge, we can better serve our customers as we bring our flagship product, CompleTestTM, to market this fall and biomarking technology in 2019," commented Danny Dalla-Longa CEO of FluroTech. "FluroTech has developed an elegant solution to simplify cannabis quality control testing. I'm excited about helping the cannabis industry produce safer, higher quality products with FluroTech's technology. It's a game changer," stated Trevor. "Additionally, their biomarking technology represents a low cost and unique way to perform seed to sale product tracking that will solve the issues that exist with current solutions." Dr. MacMillan graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor of science in biochemistry in 2001. In 2014, he completed his PhD in agricultural plant biotechnology at the University of Lethbridge. His postgraduate career began with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Health Canada in waterborne photogene isolation and characterization. Following this period, Dr. MacMillan was previously employed by the Department of National Defence at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) where he was instrumental in developing molecular detection assays for bacterial bio-threat agents. Additionally, he worked as the good laboratory practices (GLP) implementation co-ordinator for DRDC for a GLP-compliant facility performing regulatory drug studies. Later, he was employed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as a senior molecular research technologist. His most recent role at Aurora Cannabis Inc. as the Director of Research and Quality Control honed his knowledge of quality testing of cannabis. About FluroTech (TSXV: TEST) FluroTech is a technology and marketing company whose core business is focused on the commercialization of new technologies in the cannabis industry. FluroTech's proprietary spectroscopy-based technology allows for the testing and identification of organic and inorganic compounds contained within biological samples. Using the technology that was developed at the University of Calgary in conjunction with the University of Alberta, FluroTech has developed a two-part solution comprising an instrument called the CompleTest and consumable testing kits. To learn more, visit www.FluroTech.com and watch our video. Contact Information FluroTech Ltd. Alistair Ross Technology Centre Suite 111, 3553-31 Street NW Calgary, AB T2L 2K7 info@flurotech.com Danny Dalla-Longa Chief Executive Officer 403.680.0644 danny@flurotech.com Prit Singh IR - Thesis Capital Inc. 905.510.7636 psingh@thesiscapital.ca FluroTech Logo Cannot view this image? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5928/38720_fllogo.jpg Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuer's business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuer's prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosure about the future performance of the Company. The Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. 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. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, adverse market conditions and regulatory and other risks associated with the medical cannabis industry in general. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation. 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. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ 046890), a market leader in LED (light emitting diode) design and manufacturing, supplied the innovative LEDs "SunLike" to Lumitronix, the LED specialist located in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005626/en/ The Modules with SunLike LEDs. (Photo: Business Wire) In cooperation with Seoul Semiconductor, Lumitronix has also developed three optimal SunLike modules to provide customers with a standardized solution and expand its adoption in the lighting market. Two of the LED modules comply with the standard of Zhaga, a global association of lighting companies, for Book 7 L56W2 and Book 7 L28W2 and enable easy replacement in various industrial applications. The modules named LinearZ are available in one feet and two feet length. The model LinearZ 280-26 measures 280 mm and is equipped with 26 SunLike LEDs and has a light output of up to 700 lm. The module LinearZ 560-52, which contains 52 SunLike LEDs, is twice as long, namely 560 mm and features a light output of up to 1400 lm. Both modules can be connected without soldering and do not require any additional cooling. The LinearZ SunLike modules can be purchased in all available colour temperatures. The third product is called LumiFlex 700 Professional SunLike. It provides infinite flexibility to luminaire manufacturers with adaptable material. The flexible strip measures 5 m in length and is equipped with 700 SunLike LEDs and has a light output of up to 1798 lm per m. In addition, the LED module can be split every 50 mm. The built-in linear control ensures constant brightness over the entire length. Double-sided, heat-conducting adhesive tape makes installation very easy and additional cooling is not necessary. The high-quality Seoul binning also ensures a uniform white light. The LumiFlex Professional Sunlike LED strip is available in all colour temperatures. SunLike is an advanced light source that combines the latest optical and compound semiconductor technology of Seoul Semiconductor and TRI-R technology. TRI-R, supported by Toshiba Materials, finds in the definition "The light closest to the sun for human well-being" as its original concept. The sun light spectrum is developed by the same company and can be reproduced by a white LED light source technology. It is a registered trademark by the Toshiba Materials Co., Ltd. It lowers blue light peak similar to sunlight spectrum and helps ease eye strain, maintain stable human circadian rhythms, and enhance the color clarity of objects. Seoul Semiconductor's SunLike Series LEDs have been adopted by global lighting brands in Korea, US, China and Japan as well as Europe that manufacture home lightings, smart desk stands and lamps, high-end lightings for museums, hotels, offices and the cosmetic sector. About Seoul Semiconductor Seoul Semiconductor develops and commercializes light emitting diodes (LEDs) for automotive, general illumination, specialty lighting, and backlighting markets. As the fourth-largest LED manufacturer globally, Seoul Semiconductor holds more than 12,000 patents, offers a wide range of technologies, and mass produces innovative LED products such as SunLike delivering the world's best light quality in a next-generation LED enabling human-centric lighting optimized for circadian rhythms; WICOP a simpler structured package-free LED which provides market leading color uniformity and cost savings at the fixture level, providing high lumen density and design flexibility; NanoDriver Series the world's smallest 24W DC LED drivers; Acrich, the world's first high-voltage AC-driven LED technology developed in 2005, including all AC LED-related technologies from chip to module and circuit fabrication, as well as multi-junction technology (MJT); and nPola, a new LED product based on GaN-substrate technology that achieves more than ten times the output of conventional LEDs. UCD constitutes a high color gamut display which delivers more than 90% NTSC. To learn more, visit www.seoulsemicon.com. About Lumitronix Lumitronix has been one of the leading specialists for LEDs and LED products for many years. As a competent partner for the industry, Lumitronix has a broad range of application knowledge from numerous industries. The Swabian company based in Hechingen is also ISO 9001 certified and is the official distributor of many market-leading electronic manufacturers. Lumitronix is not only engaged in the distribution of LED products, but also develops and manufactures in-house according to customer-specific requirements. Quality Made in Germany. To learn more, visit www.lumitronix.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005626/en/ Contacts: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Asia and Europe Jeonghee Kim +82-70-4391-8311 +82-10-4843-6303 jeonghee.kim@seoulsemicon.com The following is a statement from Sygenta: Syngenta is deeply concerned and saddened at the unfortunate death and hospitalization of farm workers in the Yavatmal region in the state of Maharashtra as a result of exposure to alleged pesticide products in late 2017. These incidents have been the subject of media reporting in Switzerland this week. We strongly condemn the various salacious and incorrect reports alleging that our crop protection product Polo was responsible for the unfortunate incidents. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Syngenta's product Polo, was at all responsible for the incidents that have occurred. Furthermore, the government appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) report specifically acknowledged the efforts of Syngenta during and immediately following the incident. Syngenta was the first company to respond to the incident and worked closely with the district administration in ensuring the availability of protective equipment, providing safe handling training and medical treatment to the affected people. Syngenta's Polo has been successfully and safely used by Indian Farmers across the country for last 14 years without any reported incidents of fatality or casualties. Syngenta's Polo is neither banned nor suspended from sale in India or in the state of Maharashtra. The product is registered by Central Insecticide Board Registration Committee (CIB RC) in India, meeting all stipulated registration guidelines and after stringent scrutiny about its efficacy and safety aspects to humans, animals and environment. It is classified as BLUE Triangle meaning it is non-irritant to skin and the mucous membrane. Across the world in the more than 90 countries in which we operate, Syngenta places the utmost importance on the safe use of our chemicals and products. We undertake extensive stewardship activities including doctors training, safe handling training and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We conduct safe handling of pesticide training program including the "Five Golden Rules" of handling pesticides before every farmer meeting. In the last four years Syngenta has trained more than 25 million farmers around the world in the safe use and handling of our products. In 2017 in South Asia alone, we trained some 5.56 million farmers in the safe use and handling of our products. Since the unfortunate incident in Yavatmal, our teams have conducted stewardship programs in the district and adjoining regions, conducted doctor training programs and established mobile health clinics to support treatment of farmers who may have been affected. Our mobile health clinics have reached more than 25,000 farmer families since the program began in response to the incidents. We have also distributed more than 10,000 PPE kits for spray men in collaboration with the Panchayats. All of this has been done despite the clear evidence that none of the unfortunate incidents that occurred were the result of the use of Syngenta's Polo insecticide. The actions we have undertaken have been because of our strong commitment to the communities in which we operate and because we care deeply about the health and safety of all farmers who use our products. Recent media reports have also failed to recognize that there are more than 30 technical indigenous (generic) manufacturers and more than 200 "Me Too" formulation registrants of the same combination in India which are also sold in the market. These products have often been "marketed" as Polo but without the support and commitment to safe use and stewardship that Syngenta requires. Various formulations of Diafenthiuron, the active ingredient in Polo, have been registered in more than 25 countries around the world. Polo is not banned in Switzerland it is not registered nor sold in the country. Around the world, Syngenta's Polo is only sold by Syngenta authorized distributors and retailers who are trained in the safe use of the product. About Syngenta Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as 'expect', 'would', 'will', 'potential', 'plans', 'prospects', 'estimated', 'aiming', 'on track' and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005631/en/ Contacts: Syngenta Media Relations Central Line +41 61 323 23 23 media.relations@syngenta.com or Andrew McConville (Switzerland) Head of External Affairs +41 61 323 06 18 or Carolin Strunz Global Media Relations Manager +41 79 810 79 53 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Canntab Therapeutics Limited (CSE: PILL) (the "Company" or "Canntab") is pleased to announce that it has signed a definitive collaboration and profit sharing agreement (the "Agreement) (OTC Pink: FSDDF) (FRA: 0K9) ("FSD Pharma"), which, through its wholly-owned subsidiary FV Pharma Inc., is a licensed producer pursuant to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, effective September 17, 2018. Under the terms of the Agreement, FSD Pharma will assist Canntab to obtain a license to process and sell cannabis products pursuant to the Cannabis Act (the "License"), and will provide Canntab with space at its facility (the "FSD Facility"), which is located just one hour east of Toronto in Cobourg, Ontario (the "Transaction"). FSD Pharma will provide Canntab with up to 10,000 square feet of space at the FSD Facility (the "Canntab Premises"). Canntab will build and install, at its expense, its own manufacturing facility within the larger FSD Facility that will operate in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices, at which it will produce a suite of novel cannabis oral dose delivery platforms, including gel capsules and tablets, and other types of cannabis-based products, including sleep aids and pain relievers (the "Canntab Products"). Canntab and FSD Pharma see tremendous opportunity in offering pharmaceutical quality cannabis based tablets, as many doctors are adverse to prescribing smoked cannabis as a solution to patients' health concerns. The Canntab Premises are intended to be used to supply Canadian and International markets such as Australia and Germany, which legally allow cannabis. FSD Pharma will work with Canntab to prepare the necessary items to submit an application from Canntab to Health Canada to obtain the License, which will be attached to the Canntab Premises. In particular, FSD Pharma will assist with the following aspects of the application: Drafting, or coordinating the drafting of, all application materials; Sourcing all necessary third-party consultants required to prepare the application; and Communicating with Health Canada throughout the application process In consideration of FSD Pharma's services, Canntab will grant FSD Pharma certain royalty and profit sharing rights in connection with the sale of the Canntab Products. Canntab will provide FSD Pharma with 50% of the profits that Canntab receives on any retail sales of Canntab Products through channels that are established by FSD Pharma and FSD Pharma will be entitled to retain 50% of the profits on FSD Pharma's sales of the Canntab Products. In addition, Canntab will pay FSD Pharma a royalty of 3.5% of Canntab's sale price for all Canntab Products that are manufactured and sold from the Canntab Premises. Canntab may also purchase the oil that it requires for the Canntab Products from FSD Pharma. Mr. Jeffrey Renwick, Chief Executive Officer of Canntab, stated, "We are excited to begin work on our manufacturing space at the Cobourg facility and to collaborate with FSD Pharma to bring our expertise in the production of our suite of novel cannabis oral dose delivery platforms, including gel capsules and tablets to the cannabis medicinal market. Now that our definitive agreement is signed with FSD Pharma, we intend to work with the Company to move our application through the Health Canada process as swiftly and smoothly as possible". Thomas Fairfull, Chief Executive Officer of FSD Pharma, added, "The Company is pleased to welcome Canntab to our premises and to begin the process of offering through our agreement with Canntab a cannabis delivery platform consisting of pills and tablets that is the accepted norm among patients and doctors. We have complete faith in Jeff and his experienced team to deliver the best that the medicinal market demands. I look forward to an ongoing partnership with everyone involved as we continue to expand our offerings at our Cobourg facility". About Canntab Canntab Therapeutics Limited is a Canadian cannabis oral dosage formulation company based in Markham Ontario, engaged in the research and development of advanced pharmaceutical grade formulations of cannabinoids. Canntab has developed in-house technology to deliver standardized medical cannabis extract from selective strains in a variety of extended/sustained release pharmaceutical dosages for therapeutic use. Simply put, Canntab's mission is to put the "Medical" into medicinal cannabis! About FSD Pharma FSD Pharma, owns, through its wholly-owned subsidiary FV Pharma Inc., a license to produce marijuana under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) which was originally granted on October 13, 2017. Headquartered at the former Kraft plant in Cobourg, Ontario, approximately an hour's drive from Toronto, FSD Pharma's management's mission is to transform the facility into the largest hydroponic indoor cannabis facility in the world. FSD Pharma intends to target all legal aspects of the cannabis industry, including cultivation, processing, manufacturing, extracts and research and development. Please visit www.fsdpharma.com for more information. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Canntab Therapeutics Limited Richard Goldstein, CFO Office: 416 957-6303 Email: info@canntab.ca FSD Pharma Inc. Thomas Fairfull, CEO Email: thomas.fairfull@fvpharma.com Forward Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including those identified by the expressions "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "should" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. This press release contains forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. 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 anticipated, estimated, or intended. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S. Pressure Pumping Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2027. Pressure Pumping Market Information Report by Well Type , by Services And by Region | Global Industry is Expected to grow at Significant CAGR by Forecast to 2027 Pressure Pumping Market Competitive Analysis The market is highly competitive yet consolidated. Mergers & acquisitions, Innovation, brand reinforcement and partnership remain the key trends for leading players. They strive to develop HPP that can reduce the downtime and maintenance with longer life lowering the total costs. Due to the expected extensions in product, service, and product innovations, the Pressure Pumping Market is soon expected to witness a fierce competition. Leading Key Players: China Oilfield Services Ltd., Weatherford International, Halliburton Company, Schlumberger Limited, Saipem S.p.A., Superior Energy Services, and Baker Hughes are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Pressure Pumping Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Get Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1354 Global Market Highlights:- New oil reserve discoveries increase the drilling and exploration activities in coming years which upsurge the demand for the market. For example, in Liberia, Exxon Mobile Corporation is planning to start oil drilling in its recently found oil reserves by 2018. Moreover, global increasing demand for energy cross the globe has resulted in rapid increase in the offshore drilling activities to meet the increasing demand, which ultimately has provided significant boost to the Pressure Pumping market. However, stringent government regulation as well as high installation cost of pressure pumping systems are the factors may hinder the market growth of the market. The demand in the O&G industry, over the past decade, has increased significantly due to the augmenting demand for the energy and fuelled by the ever-increasing population, urbanization, and industrialization worldwide. On the other hand, depleting matured oil fields are encouraging the oil companies to shift their focus towards drilling activities, therefore increasing the drilling activities of the unconventional onshore fields which are substantiating the market growth of pressure pumping, generating a huge demand for these services. Industry News:- The business combination brings a next-generation pressure pumping company, with a special Clean Fleet technology, with a customer-centric culture and commitment to drive safety and efficiency. The company looks forward to its expansion while anticipating robust customer demand in the years to come. In January 2016, Trican Well Service Ltd announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Keane Group, a privately-held, U.S. based well completion services company for the sale of Tricans United States pressure pumping business. The agreed purchase price for the disposition is USD 200 million, or CDN 285 million. In March 2017, Trican and Canyon to combine to create premier canadian pressure pumping company Global Wired Drill Pipe Market Segmentation:- The Pressure pumping market has been segmented on the basis of Well Type as Land and Offshore. On the basis of Services the market has been segmented as cementing, hydraulics and fracturing. Access Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/pressure-pumping-market-1354 Global Pressure Pumping Market Regional Analysis Asia Pacific and Europe are the other major market for the Pressure Pumping. Increasing demand for energy due to urbanization & industrialization from the countries such as India, China, and Indonesia among others driving the demand of the market in Asia Pacific region. The Europe Pressure Pumping market is expected to be dominated by countries such as U.K, Norway and Russia. New discovery of oil has been found in the Laptev Sea offshore Northern Russia and several drilling projects have been approved in the Russian Arctic sea region closer to the North Pole are the factors driving the market in the region. It is expected to contribute significantly during the forecast period. Media Contact Company Name: Market Research Future Contact Person: Abhishek Sawant Email: Send Email Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Address:Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar City: Pune State: Maharashtra Country: India Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/pressure-pumping-market-1354 ASCHHEIM, Germany and SINGAPORE, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirecard issues Singapore ' s first multi-currency card , launched by RHB Bank which is present in ten Asian countries The payment solution provides an easy-to-use platform that offers customers competitive foreign exchange (FX) rates to eleven currencies in the RHB TravelFX app Wirecard, the global innovation leader for digital financial technology, and RHB Singapore, part of the RHB Banking Group and recognized as one of the region's leading multinational financial services groups with an annual revenue of 145 bn., are introducing today the digital multi-currency card RHB TravelFX and the accompanying mobile app. The RHB Group's regional presence spans ten countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Hong Kong (with a representative office in China), Vietnam and Lao PDR. RHB TravelFX is the first prepaid multi-currency Visa card introduced by a bank in Singapore. The payment solution provides an easy-to-use platform that offers customers very competitive foreign exchange rates, real-time currency exchange and the freedom to use local currency overseas. Using multi-currency cards is a safe and smart way to carry travel money. The product issued by Wirecard and provided by RHB Bank has an enormous potential to alter the way foreigners pay abroad in the long run. In 2016, global international tourism revenue reached approximately 1.36 trillion U.S. dollars, having almost doubled since 2005. Travelers from the Asia-Pacific region have the largest international tourism expenditure worldwide. Singaporean customers of RHB will have access to payment in eleven different currencies via the RHB TravelFX app, thus being able to enjoy traveling without bringing cash or having to deal with leftover currencies. Wirecard issues the multi-currency Visa credit card that is distributed by RHB Singapore. The unique arrangement and partnership between Wirecard and RHB provides card users with security features to use the card wallet without accessing their bank accounts. Apart from enabling customers to make purchases in national currencies when overseas, the RHB TravelFX allows them to withdraw local currency from the widespread Visa/Plus ATM network, to make online purchases in any of those currencies of choice and to exchange foreign currencies within the card wallet. Customers can fully manage the card wallet via the app and enjoy 24-hour access to competitive FX rates. There is also added security, allowing customers to lock the card when it is not in use or lost. Ms Wong Chung Yee, Head of Personal Financial Services and Wealth Management, RHB Singapore, says: "In our effort to move into the cashless and eWallet space, we are pleased to launch the RHB TravelFX app, a multi-currency mobile wallet open to customers with bank accounts in Singapore. Customers will benefit from the convenience and competitive FX rates offered by this solution. The app gives customers total control over the FX rates that they want to buy at, by setting an alert on the app at their preferred rates, and exchange for foreign currencies anywhere, anytime - enhancing one's traveling experience." "Travel is a popular activity amongst Singaporeans. Based on the Global Travel Intentions study commissioned by Visa, Singaporeans have taken approximately seven international trips in the last two years. Our data also shows that 20 per cent of total spend for Singapore Visa cardholders is on cross-border purchases. Even though Singaporeans are extremely familiar with digital payments, 95 per cent of them will still visit a money changer to exchange for foreign cash before they travel. With a travel product like RHB TravelFX offered to consumers today, we believe more Singaporeans will embrace the benefits and convenience of using electronic payments, especially when they travel," adds Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei. Grigoriy Kuznetsov, Executive Vice President, Global Financial Services at Wirecard, says: "Digitalization has brought about huge changes in all areas and especially in financial services. This means that as a bank, it is crucial to offer your customers smart, digital products that provide real added value. We are very pleased that we are able to contribute our expertise as a global innovation leader in digital financial technology and to realise this great project together with RHB. This enables RHB Singapore to offer their customers a fully digital state-of-the-art solution that makes traveling much easier and more fun. This further reinforces our position as a leading global prepaid issuer and Bank Identification Number sponsor." The RHB TravelFX app can be downloaded via Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Thereafter, consumers can easily apply for the RHB multi-currency card through the app and charge their RHB TravelFX card wallet with Singapore Dollars from any bank account in Singapore. Customers do not need to maintain a bank account with RHB, there is no annual fee and no minimum balance fall-below fee. About Wirecard: Wirecard (GER:WDI) is one of the world's fastest growing digital platforms in the area of financial commerce. We provide both business customers and consumers with a constantly expanding ecosystem of real-time value-added services built around innovative digital payments by using an integrated B2B2C approach. This ecosystem concentrates on the areas payment & risk, retail & transaction banking, loyalty & couponing, data analytics & conversion rate enhancement in all sales channels (online, mobile, ePOS). Wirecard operates regulated financial institutions in several key markets, holds issuing and acquiring licenses from all major payment and card networks. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060). Visit us on http://www.wirecard.com , follow us on Twitter @wirecard and on Facebook @wirecardgroup. About RHB Singapore: RHB Singapore was first established in 1961 through a series of rapid expansion and strategic mergers. For more than half a century, RHB has garnered invaluable financial experience and transferred those insights of service excellence on to clients, helping both individuals as well as corporations fulfil their business opportunities. Throughout these years of dedication in Singapore, RHB has built formidable ties with clients and is established as one of the Republic's most trusted financial institutions. RHB Singapore's core businesses are streamlined into eight pillars, namely Personal Financial Services and Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking, Treasury, Structured Finance as well as Investment Banking, Brokerage and Asset Management businesses. All the eight business pillars are offered through RHB Bank Berhad (a fully-licensed bank), RHB Securities Singapore Pte Ltd and RHB Asset Management Pte Ltd. RHB Singapore is the local business operations of the RHB Banking Group, the fourth largest fully integrated financial services group in Malaysia. The Group's regional presence spans ten countries in ASEAN including Hong Kong. It is RHB Banking Group's aspiration to continue to deliver superior customer experience and shareholder value; and to be recognised as a Leading Multinational Financial Services Group. For more information, please visit http://www.rhbgroup.com.sg. Wirecard media contact: Wirecard AG Jana Tilz Tel.: +49 (0) 89 4424 1363 Email: jana.tilz@wirecard.com RHB media contact: RHB Singapore Brand Marketing and Communications department Tel.: +65-6320 6192/+65-6320 0637 Email: bmc@rhbgroup.com MCLEAN, Virginia, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon LLC, developer of the world's first space-based global air traffic surveillance service has announced that Denise Olmsted recently joined Aireon as General Counsel. Olmsted will lead corporate governance, regulatory and compliance matters and international contracts for Aireon. "Denise is going to contribute immensely to Aireon as we transition into an operational service and beyond. With her international contracts expertise and familiarity with the aerospace industry, she will be a major asset to Aireon, expediting the customer onboarding and acquisition process." said Don Thoma, CEO, Aireon. "We look forward to her leadership in helping us shape the future of Aireon and the delivery of this groundbreaking service." Olmsted joins Aireon with over 15 years of experience working in the satellite industry within the realm of legal matters, contracts and regulations. She most recently served as Vice President of Commercial Legal Affairs for Intelsat Corporation, where she managed legal and contractual matters and oversaw all regulatory, trade compliance, market access, intellectual property and antitrust matters. Prior to Intelsat, Olmsted worked for G2 Satellite Solutions Inc. and New Skies Networks N.V., where she served as Assistant General Counsel and Senior Legal Counsel, respectively. "I'm in awe of Aireon's dedication to enhancing safety for the entire aviation industry. The team is an incredible group of people all working towards a common goal," said Olmsted. "With my background in the satellite industry coupled with international contracts knowledge, I'm excited to apply my experiences at Aireon, to assist the company in ushering in a new chapter of their service. It's going to be a very exciting time." Aireon announced on July 25th, 2018 that the seventh launch of the Iridium NEXT satellites was successful. Each Iridium NEXT satellite hosts an AireonSM Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payload. There is a total of 65 Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit, 60 of which are operational. This leaves just a single launch of 10 more Iridium NEXT satellites and their Aireon payloads before the launch campaign concludes later this year. Aireon is set to go live with its air traffic surveillance service at the end of 2018. About Aireon LLC Aireon is deploying a space-based air traffic surveillance system for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft throughout the entire globe. Aireon will harness next-generation aviation surveillance technologies that are currently ground-based and, for the first time ever, extend their reach globally to significantly improve efficiency, enhance safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings benefits to all stakeholders. Real-time ADS-B surveillance will cover oceanic, polar and remote regions, as well as augment existing ground-based systems that are limited to terrestrial airspace. In partnership with leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) from around the world, like NAV CANADA, ENAV, NATS, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon will have an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system in 2018. For more information, please visit www.aireon.com Press Contact: Jessie Hillenbrand Aireon +1 (703) 287-7452 Jessie.Hillenbrand@Aireon.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/745381/Denise_Olmsted_Aireon.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/390350/Aireon_LLC_Logo.jpg LEATHERHEAD, England , Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 250 key professionals from across the global elastomers industry will gather in Milan, Italy from 27 - 28 November to attend this year's renowned Silicone Elastomers and Thermoplastic Elastomers World Summits. Over the years there have been a number of new developments in elastomers, driven by increasing performance requirements across various sectors; from automotive and healthcare to consumer and industrial applications. With so many important developments, it's vital for all areas of the supply chain to stay up-to-date with what's happening in the industry. This is why so many industry experts come together to attend this yearly gathering. The organisers, Smithers Rapra have put together a comprehensive programme for each summit this year, covering the full scope of the global elastomers industry and providing valuable information on these developments and initiatives, as well as delivering an insightful forecast into the future. Sessions include: material innovation, regulatory updates, use of TPE in medical devices, new trends and technologies, updates in LSR and much more. Plus, new for this year, the event will bring both audiences together for a joint session dedicated to the automotive industry. As an industry experiencing a high-level of change and development, it is the perfect time to bring this discussion together and accelerate innovation. The session will assess the latest material trends, requirements for suppliers, the future for autonomous vehicles and the electric car revolution. Both summits offer delegates the opportunity to gain the knowledge to boost their business, increase profit, meet new industry contacts and develop an understanding of customers' needs. Not only that, by purchasing one ticket to their preferred event, delegates will gain full access to the other event as desired, providing double the content and double the ROI. Presentations include: Modern high-tech elastomers: requirements for suppliers, Dr Marc Kreye , Materials Technology Polymers, Group Powertrain and Chassis, Deputy Lead, Volkswagen AG Practical three-dimensional (3D) printing of LSR, Rick Ziebell , VP of Technology, R.D. Abbott Company The impact of changing regulations in silicone production and use, Dr Pierre Germain , Secretary General, CES - Silicones Europe Enhanced electromechanical properties of thermoplastic elastomer actuators, Dr Chaoying Wan , Associate Professor, University of Warwick Emerging trends and innovation needs in TPE markets, Suresh Swaminathan , Executive Vice President, Teknor Apex Just a few of the organisations attending include: BASF, Saint Gobain, KRAIBURG, Dow Silicones, Arburg, Engel, Aptiv, UNIpace, Sigma Engineering, Wittmann Battenfeld, Wacker, Dynasol, Bridgestone, Interface Performance Materials, HEXPOL, Nexant, PolyOne, University of Applied Sciences Schmalkalden, Silent Sensors, Ashahi Kasei Corporation, Bollhoff Elasmo Systems GmbH, Rea Electronik, MOGoil, Multibase, Vibracoustic, Rea Jet, Emde, XLANCE and more. For more information on the Silicone Elastomers and Thermoplastic Elastomers World Summits visit http://www.elastomer-forum.com/press. About Smithers Rapra Smithers Rapra is a global leader in rubber, plastics and polymer testing, consulting services, and conferences, training, publications and market reports, focused mainly on the tire, industrial, automotive, consumer and medical industries. For further information please contact: Joanna Gibson jgibson@smithers.com +44(0)1372-802037 LONDON, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mexico's energy revolution is centred on the development of its gas industry, with the Aztec nation displaying potential to become an energy hub for Central America and the Caribbean. Five years ago Mexico received over 3.9 billion USD investments for natural gas pipelines and gas infrastructure. Mexico has the most significant opportunity for energy investment in the entire region and thanks to the National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH), has developed a public bidding program that presents 35 exploration and extraction areas. As the only Latin American member of the International Energy Agency Mexico has the status of first level oil and gas producer, so we're delighted to be hosting the Latin America & Caribbean Gas Conference next month in Mexico City in partnership with IGU, Arpel and CNH agencies from across the continent. However, with this status comes challenges; gas storage infrastructure is critical for Mexico as it tries to develop its unviable wells to store natural gas; projects costing approximately 250 million USD. The construction of oil and natural gas storage methods, improvements to the gas transport system and optimisation of the electrical distribution network to integrate renewable energy are some of the fundamental challenges that must be resolved. From 9-11 October the Latin American and Caribbean Gas Conference & Exhibition (LGC) will debate the future of Mexico's gas sector and potential to become an energy hub. The meeting is in partnership with the International Gas Union - a non-profit organisation advocating gas as an integral part of sustainable energy systems. "Production, incorporation of reserves and gas consumption in South America and Central America have remained relatively stable in the last five years. This conference is an opportunity to discuss how to increase demand and take advantage of the gas potential in order to improve the competitiveness of our economies and the air quality of our cities by using natural gas in transportation." Orlando Cabrales Segovia, Regional Manager, International Gas Union In one of the most ambitious agendas for the natural gas sector, decision-makers from ENGIE, AES, MAN Diesel, MODEC, Shell, TOTAL, Petrobras and others will share knowledge with the industrial sector and seek business opportunities at the highest level. Jean-Marc Leroy, Senior Executive Vice President, External Relations at ENGIE commented, "This conference is an outstanding opportunity to gather and mobilize all stakeholders to network and develop business in this region." For more information about this meeting: Contact:LATAM@energynet.co.uk , +44(0)20-7384-8068 Dates:9-11 October 2018 Location: Hyatt Regency, Mexico City Organisers: EnergyNet Visit: http://www.lgc-expo.com West Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Further to its news release of July 17, 2018, LKP Solutions Inc. ("LKP" or the "Company") wishes to announce that, following the completion of a continuous disclosure review by the B.C. Securities Commission, it has posted and mailed shareholder meeting materials for an annual special meeting of shareholders to be held on October 25, 2018 for shareholders as of record on September 10, 2018. The Company will be using the provisions of Notice-and-Access under National Instrument 54-101 to distribute proxies. Copies of the meeting materials may be found on www.sedar.com or Capital Transfer Agency's website at http://www.capitaltransferagency.com/meetingmaterials.html. The meeting has been called to approve, amongst other things, the acquisition of Osoyoos Cannabis Inc. LKP SOLUTIONS INC. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Robin Dow" For further information contact: Robin Dow, Chairman and CEO E. robin@dowgroup.ca C. 604-355-9986 DISCLAIMER & READER ADVISORY Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the intention of the parties to complete the Transaction. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the parties. The material factors and assumptions include the parties being able to obtain the necessary corporate, regulatory and other third parties approvals; licensing and other risks associated with regulated ACMPR entities; and completion of satisfactory due diligence. The forward looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. 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. TIMISOARA, Romania, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Varroc Lighting Systems today announced the signing of a joint venture agreement with ELBA, a privately-held lighting and electronics company based in Romania. The joint venture will focus on electronics manufacturing, and - given the constantly increasing electronic content of lighting products - will significantly support Varroc Lighting's successful growth in Europe. The joint venture will be located in Timisoara, Romania. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "Varroc already designs and develops all of its own electronics hardware and software, the addition of vertically integrating the manufacturing will further support our profitable growth," said Varroc Lighting Systems President and CEO Stephane Vedie. "ELBA is recognized as a lighting specialist in the European market, and we are looking forward to a successful partnership with them." "The global lighting market is facing major changes, where electronics integration is key to address the actual and future needs of the final customer," said Bogdan Cocian, CEO of ELBA. "We are eager to start this new JV, in partnership with Varroc, to vertically integrate and optimize our supply of electronic components." The partnership with ELBA is Varroc Lighting's second electronics-focused initiative in recent months. In July, the company acquired Sa-ba Automotive, a Turkish-based manufacturer of small lighting and electronics products. A photo of Vedie and Cocian can be found at: http://bit.ly/VarrocELBAVenture About Varroc Lighting Systems Varroc Lighting Systems is a leading global supplier of innovative automobile and two-wheeler lighting solutions. Focused on safety, mobility and style, Varroc Lighting Systems brings leading-edge technology to the mainstream automotive market with high-quality and cost-competitive solutions. Headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, U.S., the company has more than 7,200 employees worldwide with operations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Varroc Lighting Systems is a key member of the Varroc Group family of automotive-components businesses. Visit www.varroclighting.com for more information. About ELBA Located in Timisoara, with almost 100 years of tradition ELBA, is a leading manufacturer in Eastern Europe, specialized on the mainstream market for automotive and technical lighting. Supported by two clusters with a focus on digital and medical activities and backed by industry groups and over 45 innovative companies, the Hu-PreciMED project will gear the French precision medicine industry towards discovering new diagnostic approaches and novel therapeutic treatments more rapidly Regulatory News: Medicen Paris Region and Cap Digital, two competitiveness clusters from the Greater Paris region, today announce that they are rallying their members to support the Hu-PreciMED project (Human Precision MEDicine) in order to structure the precision medicine industry in France. The project was jointly launched by Oncodesign (Paris:ALONC), Servier and Intersystems. With more than 45 innovative digital and medical companies already participating, Hu-PreciMED aims to bring together all public and private players working in the field of precision medicine and connect them efficiently to medical data from patients. This is important in order to improve available therapeutic and diagnostic tools, as well as to develop new predictive and preventive medical approaches; all the while building on the latest progress in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. Precision medicine relies on the analysis of molecular and genetic characteristics to allow individualized or personalized treatment and monitoring of patients. It is a booming global market, expected to reach $96 billion by 20241. This area of research is seen as key for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new therapeutic solutions and for patient care. Other criteria for organizations involved in this flourishing market include anticipating scientific, technological, regulatory, economic, ethical and digital developments. The precision medicine industry also requires support for patient data generation and easy access to this data. The project consists of three main areas, each led by one of the three coordinators. Intersystems will focus on "target resolution", using patient data to identify subgroups in order to adapt treatments or discover new therapeutic targets. Servier will take care of "investigating new molecules", new therapeutic targets making it possible to identify biomarkers and to create and produce new compounds. Oncodesign will lead the third area with preclinical and clinical development of new drugs associated with biomarkers. To accomplish this project, two digital platforms will be set up, one for the integration of multi-source data and the other for data analysis. The 45 public and private organizations already working on the project include the Paris Hospitals (AP-HP), the Transimmunom and Inflamex Laboratories of Excellence (LabEx), the Lille University Hospital and the Frederic-Joliot Institute for Life Sciences CEA. While all therapeutic areas will be addressed, the pilot phase will focus on immuno-inflammatory diseases, which affect 5-7 per cent of the Western population and for which cohorts of referenced patients already exist or can be generated. The goal will be to identify the most relevant targets and to provide guidance for new drug development. The project has a total of four phases and will run until 2023. The first phase runs until January 2019 and will focus on the design and development of the project. Between 2019 and 2020, the coordinators plan to develop and organize the industrial sector, before moving to a consolidation phase between 2020 and 2023, with more emphasis on business development. The final phase will run in 2022 and 2023, aimed at widening the range of addressed pathologies as well as geographical reach through international partnerships. The project was initially funded by the three industrial coordinators. Plans for further funding will aim primarily at the European level. "The Hu-PreciMED project has taken shape thanks to the Medicen and Cap Digital clusters, which are deeply rooted in the French technology ecosystem, and have served as neutral and trustworthy third parties. They will continue to have a pivotal role in coordinating the collaborations and giving the project members access to their networks and their work methodology," said Philippe Genne, CEO of Oncodesign and vice president of the Medicen SME body, speaking on behalf of the three companies driving the project. "The call for interest was initiated last July, following the preview of the "Health Data Hub" project launched by French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn in June 2018. It showed that French organizations from this sector are very interested in this approach. By joining forces, we will be able to reach a critical mass and rely on French scientific excellence to shine internationally." About Cap Digital Cap Digital is a competitiveness cluster for digital transformation and ecological transition established in 2006. Its 1000+ members include over 850 SMEs, more than 70 corporations, medium-sized companies and state-controlled entities of an industrial or commercial nature, along with more than 70 major universities, higher education establishments and research labs, and 12 capital investors. Cap Digital is working to make the Paris region a digital world leader, both in industrial and strategic terms. Its roles include R&D, corporate growth, the networking of its members and their international promotion, with a view to boosting the creativity and competitiveness of this major industrial sector. With 2,650 R&D projects submitted since 2006, of which 1,350are accredited and 750 funded, Cap Digital has supported more than 1.6 billion of investment in research and development since its creation, including more than 670 million in public grants. In 2017, the cluster's businesses raised 890 million including 244 million through Fast Track services. Cap Digital organizes the Futur.e.s festival, an annual global event for movers and shakers in the fields of design, innovation and the digital economy wishing to meet and present, discuss, express and share their vision of the future with the general public. Cap Digital created EdFab, an innovation space for training, education and occupational transformatio. In May 2018, the members of Cap Digital, meeting in general assembly, formalized the integration of Advancity's activities, thus creating the first European pole for sustainable cities and ecological transition. www.capdigital.com - www.futur-en-seine.paris - www.edfab.fr About Medicen Paris Region Medicen Paris Region is a competitiveness cluster for innovative health technologies, with national and international scope. With more than 400 companies, research centers, universities, hospitals and local authorities as members, it aims to position the Paris region as Europe's leading healthcare cluster. It focuses on five strategic areas: biological diagnostics, diagnostic and interventional imaging, regenerative medicine and biomaterials, digital health and translational medicine. In close collaboration with local, regional and national healthcare innovation players, Medicen Paris Region aims to: Foster the emergence, development and funding of certified collaborative projects in the healthcare sector, in order to create economic value and jobs Increase the international development of innovative startups and SMEs Strengthen the attractiveness of the Paris region, which represents more than 50% of life sciences activity in France Since the creation of the cluster in 2005, 68 innovative products have been launched in the imaging, medical devices and biological tools sectors. The cluster has certified 302 projects. They received funding from the French government (French Inter-Ministry Fund FUI, Structuring Projects fund), the public investment bank Bpifrance, the National Research Agency, the European Regional Development Fund, the Investments for the Future program and/or local authorities, and the Paris region. Total investment is close to 1.9 billion ($2.3bn) and 533 million ($635M) of public aid. www.medicen.org About Oncodesign Founded over 20 years ago by Dr Philippe Genne, the company's CEO and chairman, Oncodesign is a biopharma company dedicated to precision medicine. With its unique experience acquired by working with more than 600 clients, including the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, along with its comprehensive technological platform combining state-of-the-art medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, regulated bioanalysis and medical imaging, Oncodesign is able to predict and identify, at a very early stage, each molecule's therapeutic usefulness and potential to become an effective drug. Applied to kinase inhibitors, which represent a market estimated at over $46 billion in 2016 and accounting for almost 25% of the pharmaceutical industry's R&D expenditure, Oncodesign's technology has already enabled the targeting of several promising molecules with substantial therapeutic potential, in oncology and elsewhere, along with partnerships with pharmaceutical groups such as Bristol-Myers Squibb and UCB. Oncodesign is based in Dijon, France, in the heart of the town's university and hospital hub, and within the Paris-Saclay cluster, Oncodesign has 227 employees and subsidiaries in Canada and the USA. www.oncodesign.com About Servier Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 149 countries and a turnover of 4.152 billion euros in 2017, Servier employs 21,700 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group reinvests 25% of its turnover (excluding generic drugs) in research and development and uses all its profits for development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier's constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory and neuropsychiatric diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development. More information: www.servier.com 1 https://hitconsultant.net/2018/08/23/precision-medicine-market/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005884/en/ Contacts: Press: Cap digital Antoine ALLARD antoine.allard@capdigital.com Aelya Noiret, 06 52 03 13 47 a.noiret@etycom.fr or Medicen Paris-Region jfboussard@medicen.org or Oncodesign Philippe Genne, Tel.: +33 (0)3 80 78 82 60 Chairman and CEO investisseurs@oncodesign.com or NewCap Investor & Media Relations Mathilde Bohin Arthur Rouille, Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 98 52 oncodesign@newcap.eu or Press: Servier Sonia MARQUES, Tel. +33 (0)1 55 72 40 21 + 33 (0) 7 84 28 76 13 media@servier.com Karine BOUSSEAU, Tel. +33 (0)1 55 72 60 37 + 33 (0) 6 49 92 16 05 media@servier.com or Andrew Lloyd Associates Agnes Stephens Kubra Somuncu, Tel: +44 1273 675 100 agnes@ala.com kubra@ala.com @ALA_Group Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that its Division of Trading and Markets will host a roundtable on Sept. 26 on combating retail investor fraud. The Commission staff is interested in views from a broad range of market participants, regulators and industry experts concerning potential steps that might be taken to enhance the ability of regulators, broker-dealers and others to combat retail investor fraud. The roundtable will be held at the SEC's headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. and will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET. The roundtable will be open to the public and webcast live on the Commission's website. Information on the agenda and participants will be issued shortly. Members of the public who wish to provide their views on the topic may submit comments electronically or on paper. Please submit comments using one method only. Information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the roundtable and posted on the Commission's website. All comments received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying information from comment submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make publicly available. Electronic Comments: Use the Commission's Internet comment form or send an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include File Number 265-31 on the subject line. Paper Comments: Send paper comments to Brent J. Fields, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1090. All submissions should refer to File Number 265-31, and the file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. Karti has been facing criminal cases being investigated by the ED and the CBI. The Supreme Court has allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of P Chidambaram, to travel abroad between 20-30 September. The Enforcement Directorate on Monday had informed the Supreme Court that Karti was has been "blatantly misusing" the liberty granted to him by the court for travel abroad, using it to protract investigations. #SupremeCourt allows #KartiChidambaram to go abroad between Sep 20 and 30 despite strong objections by #EnforcementDirectorate. #ED has accused #Karti of taking refuge under the travel orders to delay probe in #Aircel-Maxis. @News18Courtroom Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) September 18, 2018 A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud fixed for Tuesday Karti's plea seeking its nod to travel to the United Kingdom. Karti has been facing criminal cases being investigated by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). One of the cases relates to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 crore when his father was the finance minister. The ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, has filed its response alleging that Karti, who is also facing proceedings in cases like Aircel-Maxis and money laundering matters, has been "blatantly misusing" the liberty granted by court in allowing him to travel abroad and has been using the same to protract the investigation in the case. The ED said the liberty granted to him by the apex court is "blatantly and brazenly hampering, subverting, jeopardising and protracting" the investigation pending against him in the Aircel Maxis Case, which the agency has to complete in six months. The agency also said: "The Petitioner/applicant (Karti) during this period of 6 months has remained unavailable for investigation for a total number of 51 days due to his foreign visits." The reply filed by Rajeev Sharma, Deputy Director of ED, said: "Whenever he was confronted with the documents, he showed his irritation, sometimes anger and then conveniently avoided to answer the questions on one pretext or the other." Karti has also failed to provide the documents required during investigations as per schedule and in the circumstances, an effective investigation can take place only during his custodial integration, the agency said. The apex court had on 23 July allowed Karti to visit the United Kingdom, France and the United States of America from 23 to 31 July, making it clear that he has to abide by the conditions imposed by it in an earlier similar order. The bench had said that Karti will have to surrender his passport with the ED when he returns from his visit. The court had allowed Karti to travel abroad with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close any bank account abroad. The CBI is probing how P Chidambaram, who was the finance minister in 2006, granted a FIPB approval to a foreign firm when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it. The senior Congress leader's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore. --With PTI inputs the AAI said it has signed an agreement with External Affairs Ministry for 'preparation of a Detailed Project Report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka'. New Delhi: State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) will prepare a detailed project report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka. This would be the first project for the AAI in the island nation and "we are trying to get engaged with our neighbours", an AAI official said. In a release issued on Monday, the AAI said it has signed an agreement with External Affairs Ministry for "preparation of a Detailed Project Report for development of Palaly airport in Sri Lanka". Palaly airport is in northern Sri Lanka. The official said all the technical and design aspects would be covered in the DPR, which is expected to be completed in three months time. "The AAI has developed more than 60 airports in metro and non-metro cities in India and now the AAI wants to leverage its expertise to other countries on a bigger scale," the release said. The AAI manages more than 120 airports in different parts of the country. The Narendra Modi government's decision to merge three State-run banks Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank isn't an unexpected one, given that this consolidation is an idea that has been discussed for a long time The Narendra Modi government's decision to merge three State-run banks Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank isn't an unexpected one, given that this consolidation is an idea that has been discussed for a long time. It is also a step carrying far lesser risk for a political leadership than going for outright privatisation that will irk trade unions. Beyond the initial excitement of the merger announcement which will create India's third largest bank by assets, a closer look will show that the three-way merger is actually an unofficial bailout package for bad loan-ridden Dena Bank, which is one of the most struggling lenders in the sector. The other two Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank have relatively healthier balance sheets. Dena Bank is already under Prompt Corrective Action (PAC) of the Reserve Bank of India on account of high bad loans and negative return on assets. Its NPA levels are among the highest for Indian banks. As on 30 June, Dena Bank's Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPAs) stood at 22.69 percent, which makes it the fifth highest NPA-ridden bank among State-run lenders. Being under PAC, the bank has restrictions on lending and fresh recruitment. Due to high provisions, Dena Bank's first quarter marked a loss of Rs 722 crore as compared with a loss of Rs 133 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Following the merger, Dena Banks chances of survival are better, since it will be part of the bigger entity that has more bargaining power to grab a bigger share of government capital. In one step, the bank is escaping the spotlight. Compared to Dena, Bank of Baroda is a turnaround bank that has been improving its performance rapidly. Its gross NPA levels are in lower double digits and the bank posted a profit, which more than doubled, in the latest quarter on higher net interest income. In 2015, the government had effected certain top-level management changes in Bank of Baroda by bringing in private sector candidates and this appears to have helped its fortunes. Similarly, Vijaya Bank too is a relatively better performing bank in the PSU lot; it showed a decline in the first quarter profit figures on account of higher provisions, but if one looks at interest income growth and asset quality, the bank is much better than its peers. Gross NPAs, at end of first quarter, stood lower at 6.19 percent in the first quarter against 6.34 percent in the previous quarter. Its net NPAs too declined to 4.1 percent from 4.32 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis. Dena Bank has a capital adequacy ratio of 10.6 percent not far from the minimum required level while Vijaya and Bank of Baroda have 13.9 and 12.1 percent respectively. To sum up, this is a merger of two healthy banks with one weak, capital-starved, NPA-ridden candidate and it is easy to see who stands to gain the most. The healthier duo will have to absorb the NPA shocks and capital needs of the target entity. Having said that, from a reform-perspective, consolidation among State-run banks gives the industry certain benefits. It helps to create large-sized banks that can then work to build enough muscle mass to compete in a global banking industry presently dominated by large-sized lenders. With a Rs 10 lakh crore asset size, the post-merger Bank of Baroda-Vijaya Bank-Dena Bank entity will still not be a match for the top global banks (even SBI is not big enough to be among the top banks on the global list), but India is slowly creating large-sized banks. Through a series of mergers, perhaps the country will have five or six large banks that can be groomed to compete in the global market. This makes sense now also because RBI has now started giving permits to a number of small banks that can focus on expanding small-scale banking activities in rural areas. In any case, it did not make sense to control the ownership of so many banks in an ambitious economy. There has been no progress on the privatisation of State-run banks which would have been the ideal case to bring in private talent and money. The IDBI Bank-LIC deal can be hardly called a privatisation move, since LIC is technically a government-run entity. Thus, with not enough political will and scope for privatisation of these banks, consolidation seems to be the only way to keep the momentum going for banking sector reforms. But there is an important question the government will need to answer when it goes ahead with the PSB consolidation drive: Does the merger solve the NPA problem of State-run banks and the insatiable capital hunger of these banks, especially the weaker ones? Take the Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank merger for example. The combined entity will have a total gross NPAs of Rs 79,320 crore, which as a percentage of total advances stand at around 13 percent. How will the merger help in addressing this problem? What is happening here is only the process of bundling of a few small problems into a bigger one. The work culture and management inefficiencies that led these banks to the present situation, and the onus on the government to feed capital to these banks all remain the same. Had it been a sell-off instead of a merger among PSBs, fresh private money would have come in and more efficient management which would have been accountable for efficient use of that money. This is something former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had pointed out in 2015 . Rajan's main points were that the merger of two (or more) unhealthy banks in the financial system will create an unhealthy entity that would lead to the creation of a bigger problem in the economy. Secondly, even in the case of the merger of an unhealthy bank with a large healthy bank, the merger would bring problems to the acquiring bank. Thirdly, in the event of a merger of a weak bank with a strong bank, the acquirer will have to deal with the cultural problems that arise out of the merger, besides dealing with the primary challenge the bad loan pile in the weak bank, thereby creating difficulties for the strong bank. The point is that if consolidation is the way ahead for the government, it will have to invest equally in a management revamp and out-of the-box solutions to address the NPA problem, beyond the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code resolution. If the fundamental problems are not addressed, consolidation will end up as unannounced bailout packages for zombie banks. Data support by Kishor Kadam Till 1967, the Centre, as well as state policy, was to give priority to the cooperative sector but in the later years, barring some institutions, the cooperative sector did not flourish. Pune: The patron of Sahakar Bharati and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Director Satish Marathe said on Monday co-operative banks in India need a new "vision document". He said it is unfortunate that in the last 15 years, not a single urban cooperative bank came up in the country. At the same time, small finance banks, payment banks and other private financial institutions have flourished. "Till 1967, the Centre, as well as state policy, was to give priority to the cooperative sector but in the later years, barring some institutions, the cooperative sector did not flourish. "After the division in the Congress in the late 60s, the perspective to look at the cooperative sector as a developmental movement changed and the cooperative sector became a stepping stone to enter politics," said Marathe. He was speaking to reporters here. "There is a need to put the cooperative sector into right and balanced perspective as the existing cooperative policy was formulated 15 years ago and now a review of that policy is needed. Thus, cooperative banks in the country need a new vision document," he asserted. Marathe said he is engaging with the RBI on the issues related to co-operative banks. Marathe was appointed a part-time director on the RBI board last month along with S Gurumurthy, co-convenor of RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch. Sahakar Bharati is a non-political and non-government organisation that works for strengthening the co-operative movement in the country. Daiichi Sankyo, which has filed an intervention application in the insolvency plea filed by HDFC Bank, said they have a decree to recover money against RHC Holding. New Delhi: Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo has moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to stay the insolvency proceedings against RHC Holding initiated by HDFC Bank. A two-member bench NCLT has asked both - RHC Holding and its lender HDFC Bank to file reply over the move within a week. The tribunal has directed to list the matter on 4 October for next hearing. Daiichi Sankyo, which has filed an intervention application in the insolvency plea filed by HDFC Bank, said they have a decree to recover money against RHC Holding. The Delhi High Court has already granted a status quo over sale of assets by RHC Holdings. A tribunal in Singapore had passed the award in favour of Daiichi holding that the Singh brothers (Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh) had concealed information that the Indian company was facing probe by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Justice, while selling its shares. The high court on 31 January had upheld the international arbitral award passed in the favour of Daiichi and paved the way for enforcement of the 2016 tribunal award against the brothers who had sold their shares in Ranbaxy to Daiichi in 2008 for Rs 9,576.1 crore. Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd had later acquired Ranbaxy from Daiichi. It had, however, said that the award was not enforceable against five minors, who were also shareholders in Ranbaxy, saying they cannot be held guilty of having perpetuated a fraud either themselves or through any agent. Daiichi had moved the high court seeking direction to the brothers to take steps towards paying its Rs 3,500 crore arbitration award, including depositing the amount. It had also urged the court to attach their assets, which may be used to recover the award. India harvested a record 284.83 MT of foodgrain in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June). New Delhi: The government has set a target of record 285.2 million tonne (MT) foodgrain production in the 2018-19 crop year despite deficit rains so far this monsoon. India harvested a record 284.83 MT of foodgrain in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June). The target for 2018-19 crop year was set at a conference called on Tuesday for preparing strategies for Rabi (winter-sown) crop. "Despite patchy monsoon rains, we are expecting higher production in Kharif season," Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala said at the conference here. Harvesting of Kharif (summer-sown) crops will begin from end of this month and sowing of Rabi crops will start thereafter. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rain deficit in the current monsoon season beginning June is 9 percent below the normal. According to a senior agriculture ministry official, the target for rice has been set at 113 MT in 2018-19 crop year as against record 112.91 MT last year. Wheat output target has been set at 100 MT from record 99.7 MT in 2017-18. The Centre has set a target of 46.7 MT of coarse cereals production as against 46.99 MT last crop year. Pulses production target has been kept at 25 MT from an all-time high output of 25.23 MT in 2017-18. Among non-foodgrain crops, the target of oilseeds has been fixed at 36 MT from 31.31 MT in the 2017-18 crop year. Cotton production target has been fixed at 35.5 million bales (170 kg each) while that of sugarcane at 355 MT. In the last crop year, cotton production stood at 34.89 million bales (of 170 kg each) and sugarcane at 376.91 MT. At the conference, Agriculture Secretary S K Pattanayak said the government has set a target of doubling farmers' income by 2022. He highlighted the steps taken by the government in the last four years to achieve this target. Talking about the new procurement policy announced by the government last week, the secretary said states and private players have an important role to play in the new scheme while the FCI and cooperative NAFED would continue to procure foodgrain. Ahead of the 2019 polls, the government last week announced a Rs 15,053-crore procurement policy allowing states to choose a compensation scheme and rope in private agencies for procurement to ensure a profitable price to farmers. Bansal's severance payout has been one of the issues that Infosys founders had raised to allege governance lapses at the Bengaluru-based firm. New Delhi: IT major Infosys Ltd has lost an arbitration case over severance package to its former CFO Rajiv Bansal. The software major has been asked to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 12.17 crore, with interest, the firm said on Tuesday. "The arbitral tribunal has communicated its decision in the arbitration proceedings in relation to the severance agreement between the company and its former CFO, Mr Rajiv Bansal," Infosys said in a BSE filing. As per the award, Infosys is required to pay Bansal the outstanding severance amount of Rs 12.17 crore, with interest, it added. "While the award acknowledges that Infosys had bona fide disputes, its counterclaim for a refund of previously paid severance amount of Rs 5.2 crore and damages, has been rejected," the filing said, adding that the arbitral award is confidential. Infosys said it will take legal advice for further action on the issue. Infosys had earlier agreed to pay Bansal a severance amount of Rs 17.38 crore or 24 months of salary, but the company suspended payments after disbursing Rs 5 crore as co-founder NR Narayana Murthy and others objected to the package, saying it was excessive. Infosys had claimed it suffered losses post-deletion of some company data by Bansal, who erased data from his laptop, according to an ET report. However, Bansal's (lawyers) defended his action saying it is normal for senior executives who leave an organisation to delete data in their official systems and the company should have stored such sensitive data on its servers, sources said. Bansal's severance payout has been one of the issues that Infosys founders had raised to allege governance lapses at the Bengaluru-based firm. --With PTI inputs MSEGCL chairman and managing director alleged that while MSEDCL makes prompt payments to other private players as well as NTPC, it has delayed the payments over so many years Mumbai: State-run power utilities Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company (MSEGCL) and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) are at loggerheads over delayed payment charges to the tune of over Rs 10,000 crore by the latter. MSEGCL chairman and managing director Bipin Shrimali while talking to reporters Monday alleged that while MSEDCL makes prompt payments to other private players as well as the NTPC, it has delayed the payments over so many years. "MSEDCL owes us over Rs 10,000 crore accumulated over the past 7-8 years. MSEDCL makes payments to other players but gives differential treatment us," he said. He further said in the last three years, the cost of generation of MSEGCL has not increased, but on the contrary, reduced to Rs 3.70 per unit. "There are several constraints while recovering from a state company and still continue to keep the generation cost lower. We have to make prompt payments for buying coal and also to railways for transporting the fuel, but we are not getting our due," said Shrimali. Refuting the allegations, state discom MSEDCL's chairman and managing director, Sanjeev Kumar, said, "We have no intention of not making payments to them. It's a matter of delayed payment charges which is pending with the state government and MSEB Holding Company." He further explained that as per the directives of the state government, MSEDCL has to keep aside the delayed payment charges and the interest while recovering arrears from the consumers. "Though the charges show on MSEGCL's books of account as pending by us, we are not able to make the payment because of the government's directive. Recently a resolution was passed that we should ask the government to come up with a solution over this," added Kumar. When asked why MSEGCL was not considering selling off its thermal plants which are either temporarily shut or not running at desired plant load factor (PLF) due to lack of coal or water, among others, Shrimali said, "Thermal is a moving economy. Plants like those in Bhusawal, Nashik or Parali are decentralised power generating units and we cannot shut or sell them." He further said that some of these plants are necessary for the sustainability of the local economy and therefore, it is necessary to continue with decentralised power generation. When asked whether the company was planning to sell its excess power to other states or utilities, he said, "We have been asking the MERC as well as the state government to allow us to sell power outside. As per the PPA provisions, we can sell 15 percent of power, but MSEDCL is not allowing us to do it. We have already received trading license and we have also floated expression of interest for this." Shrimali further added that MSEGCL sells power to MSEDCL at Rs 3.70 per unit and the state discom then charges around Rs 6 per unit to consumers. "However, if we get the permission to sell, we will be able to give it at a cheaper rate than MSEDCL, may be at Rs 5-5.50 per unit. We will be in a better position to manage our working capital requirements well if we are able to make money through this route," he added. SEBI's observations are necessary for any company to launch IPO, follow-on public offer and rights issue. New Delhi: Online marketplace IndiaMART InterMESH Ltd and logistics company Avana Logistek have received markets regulator SEBI's go-ahead to float initial share sale offers. With this, the number of companies getting SEBI's approval to float an initial public offer (IPO) has reached 50 this year so far. These two companies, which had filed draft their respective draft offer documents with SEBI in June, obtained the regulator's "observations" on 14 September, according to the latest update with the markets watchdog. SEBI's observations are necessary for any company to launch IPO, follow-on public offer and rights issue. Through IndiaMART's public issue, a total of 42,88,801 equity shares will be divested by the promoters and private equity firms Intel Capital (Mauritius) Ltd, Amadeus Capital Partners and Accion Frontier Inclusion Mauritius. The initial share-sale offer is expected to garner Rs 600 crore, merchant banking sources said. The public issue is being managed by ICICI Securities, Edelweiss Financial Services and Jefferies India. Avana Logistek's initial share sale consists of fresh issue of shares worth up to Rs 300 crore, besides, an offer for sale of up to 43 lakh scrips by the existing shareholders. The Mumbai-based company plans to utilise the net proceeds towards funding capital expenditure for setting up of new dry warehouses and cold storages and repayment of certain borrowings. Besides, the IPO proceeds will be used for acquisition of containers for coastal and liner services, expenditure towards software development, implementation and maintenance and general corporate purposes. ICICI Securities and Axis Capital are the lead managers to the issue. The bank informed shareholders that PNB has been working steadily to get back into shape after being hit by the Nirav Modi fraud earlier this year. New Delhi: Shareholders of Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Tuesday cleared proposal for selling 10 crore equity shares to the employees of the bank and Rs 2,816 crore capital infusion by the government. The shareholders at the annual general meeting of the PNB held here gave permission to offer, issue and allot up to 10 crore of equity shares of face value of Rs 2 to employees under Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS). The scheme involves issuing 10 crore shares to the current employees of PNB, the bank's managing director Sunil Mehta said at the AGM. The exact contours for the ESPS scheme will be decided by the remuneration committee of the PNB but the shareholder approval paves the way for implementing the ESPS scheme, he said. The Shareholders also voted to clear the issuance of over 31 crore shares to the government as part of recapitalisation of PNB by the Union government. Welcoming the infusion of capital in the bank, PNB non-executive Chairman Sunil Mehta said: "The government's recapitalisation plan for the public sector banks will further strengthen their balance sheets in addition to expected stronger performance in 2018-19". The bank informed shareholders that PNB has been working steadily to get back into shape after being hit by the Nirav Modi fraud earlier this year. "The incident at Brady House branch, Mumbai, was an unfortunate, one-off incident caused by few employees in a single branch. As soon as the incident came to light, the Bank acted swiftly, reported the same to the regulatory authorities & law enforcement agencies, apprised fellow bankers of the developments and put in place internal checks and controls to thwart such happenings in future," Mehta said. The board of PNB assured shareholders that with business back on track, increased recovery of NPAs and provisioning for liability arising out of Nirav Modi fraud done, the bank is back on the path of profitability and this will soon reflect in the balance sheet as well. Under Mission Parivartan, he said, the bank is transforming itself and implementing change through People, processes and products, which includes tighter audit controls as well as checks and balances in the lending process. DroneShield to Participate in Night Hawk 2018 Sydney, Sep 18, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - DroneShield Ltd ( ASX:DRO ) ( OTCMKTS:DRSHF ) ("DroneShield" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the Danish Special Operations Command to participate in the Night Hawk 2018 exercise held at the Aalborg Airbase in Denmark, with DroneShield deploying its system there on 19-21 September.- DroneShield selected by Danish Special Operations Command to Participate in Night Hawk 2018 Exercise held at the Aalborg Airbase in Denmark.- Collaboration with Special Operations Command End Users.Night Hawk 2018 is a major NATO annual military training exercise, with approximately 1,800 personnel from 10 NATO countries taking part.DroneShield will be deploying its DroneSentryTM integrated detect and defeat counterdrone system at the event, and is the only company invited to deploy such system at the exercise.Oleg Vornik, DroneShield's CEO, commented "As the DroneShield systems are gathering momentum with the European end users, we are very pleased to have this opportunity to demonstrate our system to the Danish Special Forces, one of most sophisticated Special Operations Command end users globally, at this high profile military exercise."To view pictures, please visit:About DroneShield Ltd DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (OTCMKTS:DRSHF) is an Australian publicly listed company with its head office in Sydney and teams in the US and UK. We specialise in RF sensing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Sensor Fusion, Electronic Warfare, Rapid Prototyping and MIL-SPEC manufacturing. Our capabilities are used to protect Military, Government, Law Enforcement, Critical Infrastructure, Commercial and VIPs throughout the world. Through our team of primarily Australian based engineers - we offer customers bespoke solutions and off-the-shelf products designed to suit a variety of terrestrial, maritime or airborne platforms. DroneShield is proudly exporting Australian capability to customers throughout the world and supporting Australia's defence, national security and other organisations protect people, critical infrastructure and vital assets. . Bank of Maharashtrahad reported a net loss of Rs 1,119 crore in the first quarter ended June of the current fiscal. New Delhi: The Reserve Bank has rejected Bank of Maharashtra request to set off over Rs 2,543-crore losses against the balance in its share premium account. The Reserve Bank of India vide its letter dated 11 September 2018 has intimated about its inability to accede to the request made by the bank for setting off the accumulated losses against the balance lying in share premium account of the bank, Bank of Maharashtra said in a regulatory filing Monday. The Pune-headquartered state sector lender had got approval of board and shareholders to set off the accumulated loss of the bank as on 31 March 2018 in its annual general meeting held on 21 June, subject to regulatory approvals. The bank had Rs 5,293.72 crore in its share premium account by the end of fiscal ended March 2018. A share premium account reflects amount in a company's balance sheet accrued from additional amount paid by shareholders that is in excess of the par value of shares issued to them. The bank had wanted to utilise the available funds in the share premium account and had sought permission to set off the accumulated losses to the tune of Rs 2,543.66 crore by end-March 2018 to present a true and fair view of the financial position of the bank. The lender wanted to take the set off to be reflected during the current financial year (2018-19) having received the necessary approvals and permissions. The bank had reported a net loss of Rs 1,119 crore in the first quarter ended June of the current fiscal. There was a net loss of Rs 412.20 crore in the same period of preceding fiscal. In the entire 2017-18, the bank had reported a net loss of Rs 1,145.65 crore. The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) hit 21.18 percent of gross advances by end of June 2018 at Rs 17,800.30 crore. Ola has raised $50 million from Hong Kong-based Sailing Capital and the China-Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund (CEECF) Sachin Bansal, co-founder and former chief executive of e-commerce platform Flipkart, could pick a stake in ride-hailing platform Ola through secondary transactions, a media report said. According to The Economic Times, Bansal is reportedly thinking of raising a fund with a corpus of $700 million-$1 billion. The 36-year-old Bansal offloaded his 5.5 percent stake in Flipkart after US retail giant's Walmart acquired the homegrown firm. Bansal pocketed anywhere around Rs 5,717 crore from his stake sale, media reports said. Ola has raised $50 million from Hong Kong-based Sailing Capital and the China-Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund (CEECF), as the SoftBank-backed cab-hailing major bolsters its war chest for its battle against Uber in markets like India, the UK and others. Sailing and CEECF (state-backed investment fund of China) will together hold more than one percent stake in Ola (run by ANI Technologies), it added. The latest fund infusion is believed to peg the valuation of the company between $3.7 billion and $4 billion. The home-grown ride-hailing platform on Tuesday said it plans to launch operations in New Zealand and expand its overseas rivalry with US-based peer Uber Technologies Inc. The Indian start-up founded in 2011, backed by Japans SoftBank Group, first expanded its international operations with a foray into Australia and the United Kingdom earlier this year. Brian Dewil has been appointed as country manager for New Zealand operations, Ola said. The company, which is competing with Uber in Indias $12 billion taxi market, did not provide further details about its expansion plans. In October last year, the Bengaluru-based company had raised $1.1 billion in funding from Chinese firm Tencent Holdings and existing investor, SoftBank. There were also indications that the company could raise an additional $1 billion in funding. Earlier this month, founders of Ola, Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, have sought Competition Commission of India's (CCI) approval for increasing stake in ANI Technologies, which owns the cab aggregator. The acquisition would be made through Lazarus Holdings, which is incorporated in Singapore and is a special purpose vehicle which will be used as an investment holding company. --With inputs from agencies By Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Patricia Aruo JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Naspers unveiled plans on Monday to spin off and list separately its pay-TV unit, its first major move aimed at narrowing a discount between its market value and the value of its stake in Chinese technology giant Tencent. Founded more than 100 years ago in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Naspers has transformed itself from a newspaper publisher into a $94 billion behemoth but it owes all of that valuation to its one-third stake in Tencent. The Tencent stake is worth around $155 billion, or 65 percent more than Naspers despite the company owning other assets such as the pay-TV unit MultiChoice, which is a de facto monopoly in Africa By Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Patricia Aruo JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Naspers unveiled plans on Monday to spin off and list separately its pay-TV unit, its first major move aimed at narrowing a discount between its market value and the value of its stake in Chinese technology giant Tencent. Founded more than 100 years ago in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Naspers has transformed itself from a newspaper publisher into a $94 billion behemoth but it owes all of that valuation to its one-third stake in Tencent. The Tencent stake is worth around $155 billion, or 65 percent more than Naspers despite the company owning other assets such as the pay-TV unit MultiChoice, which is a de facto monopoly in Africa. The discount has prompted some investors to urge Chief Executive Bob van Dyk to find ways to narrow it. MultiChoice is expected to list in Johannesburg in the first half of 2019, Naspers said, adding that the business would be hived off with limited debt to enable it to pursue growth opportunities in Africa. "Will this address the discount? We mentioned earlier that there are several structural options that we're considering. This is one of them. We think it will crystallise value for shareholders," van Dyk told a conference call. The Multichoice business will be spun off to existing shareholders and Naspers will not raise new cash through the move. MultiChoice, which also owns a streaming service called Showmax, contributes around 18 percent of Naspers' total sales of $20.1 billion. It has a presence in around 13.5 million households in Africa and generates around 6 billion rand ($403 million) in annual trading profit. Van Dyk told a conference call that Naspers was also considering other options aimed at closing the discount, including ensuring that its e-commerce ventures swing into profit. "We are also looking at other primary listings of parts of our business," he said. Alongside MultiChoice and its stake in Tencent, Naspers runs an e-commerce unit, which houses assets such as OLX, the biggest classified ads site in India and Brazil, and mobile classifieds platform Letgo, which vies with Craiglist in the United States. Shares in Naspers inched up 0.7 percent to 3,206 rand as traders weighed whether the move to spin off the business to shareholders would be sufficient to address the discount. "It's not necessarily a game changer for them. I'm not sure that it is going to change the valuation much now," said Ryan Woods of Independent Securities in Johannesburg. Naspers' problems mirror the dilemma faced by Yahoo, where its core business ended up being worth 10 times less than its stake in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan. Yahoo fixed that by selling its core operating business to Verizon in 2016 and re-branding what was left as Altaba, a conflation of 'alternative' and 'Alibaba'. ($1 = 14.8803 rand) (Editing by James Macharia and Adrian Croft) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. the UPA may be blamed for a combination of political interference and infrastructure adventurism. But NDA also deserves a share of the blame for the NPAs, although an arguably smaller one. Editor's note: A political blame game is on after the recent revelations of former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan to a Parliamentary panel about the origin of the bank NPA (non-performing assets) mess. About 90 percent of NPAs in India's banking sector is on the books of state-run banks. Beginning today, Firstpost will publish a series of articles to analyse the problem. The ordinary Indian citizen may be forgiven for being confused about early this month's exchange of charges between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress on the pile-up of bad loans in the Indian banking system following former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan's statement for a Parliamentary committee examination into loans that were either not returned or stopped yielding interest payments. While there is definitely a strong case to suggest that it was during the Congress-led UPA 1 and 2 administration between 2004 and 2014 that there was politically blessed imprudent lending by public sector banks that led to non-performing assets (NPAs) growing out of control, a patient look would tell us that there is more to this. The fact that Rajan also explained that NPAs need not necessarily come from big business and that even small business loans (such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet MUDRA loan scheme) can go bad is a wake-up call for all about the culture of lending in the country. The nationalisation of banks in 1969 and 1978 definitely ushered in an era of easier lending for farmers, small businesses and housing but the flip side is that there has been a lack of prudence in lending compounded by direct or indirect political interference --- be it in the "loan melas" for farmers championed by the Congress in the 1980s or tales about bankers waving cheque books with loan offers during the UPA era. It must be remembered that all blame need not rest with the public sector. Given that even leading private banks such as ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have faced NPA problems, we may put a fair share of the criticism on what writer Salman Rushdie in a different context referred to as India's 'optimism disease'. Former State Bank of India chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya, a highly respected figure, points out to how the prolonged world financial crisis that squeezed economies worldwide following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 also played a role in NPAs growing. You cannot blame UPA for that, but you can certainly blame the overall culture of lending in which gambles became gambits in the pursuit of high growth. Ms Bhattacharya says Indian bankers were smug in the face of safe deposits in India after the world financial crisis and then goes on to observe that the "government launched a massive drive to build infrastructure and India started its experiment with public-private partnerships (PPP) at a large scale. There was also a sense of euphoria at having avoided the worst of the crisis. Both led to rising business confidence and tremendous capacity expansion." Some of the irrational exuberance stretches back to even before the 2008 global crisis. All told, gross NPAs from infrastructure shot up from a manageable 4.66 percent of advances to the sector at the end of March 2009 to 17.4 percent by the end of March 2013, when the amount was Rs 1.36 lakh crore. The UPA can certainly blamed for throwing bank money at private infrastructure projects the kind of which were earlier executed in the public sector. The fact that in both 2G telecom spectrum and in coal linkages to power projects there were questionable allocations of public resources to private parties only compounded the issue. Both policy-makers and bankers need to be held accountable for linking lending easily to questionable cash flows. Keen to grab headlines, Congress points to Rajan's bringing a fraud alert to Modi-led PMO in 2016 on which nothing was done. That is certainly a smart political trick but outright frauds are only a small fraction of the overall NPAs. However, the Modi government can certainly be questioned on the manner in which it dealt with the NPAs it inherited after taking charge in 2014. The Congress says the current NPA levels of Rs 12 lakh crore are a multiple of the Rs 2.83 lakh crore it inherited and blames it on 'Modinomics." There are three counts on which the NDA government may be questioned or criticised on letting the problem grow. First, its romantic experiment with the demonetisation of high-value currency notes on 8 November 2016, has not only failed by most counts in recovering stashed black money, it also hurt economic growth and the investment climate in the country. Secondly, while the Modi government likes to pat itself on the back for bringing in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code(IBC) to deal with NPAs, it may not have been the wisest measure because the new framework basically passes the buck to a bureaucratic-cum-judicial mechanism that makes the whole process of fixing bad loan problems excruciatingly slow -- although there is a time-bound framework. As Rajan points out, promoters have been filing frivolous court appeals under the mechanism and the judicial system may not be best equipped to deal with every bad loan. The fact that bad loans can go through three cumbersome layers -- insolvency professionals, the National Company Law Tribunal and courts --- makes it all complicated. Thirdly, there has been no significant reform within the banking system during the NPA rule, which can be counted as another error of omission. Recent guidelines help an early red-flagging of difficult loans but that is more preventive in nature than an overhaul. Once-bitten, twice-shy bankers may lend carefully and also look for capital shore up their balance sheets but the overall culture of banking in the public sector remains the same. Rajan's statement makes it abundantly clear that the government could have done much, much more by way of restructuring. For a government that claims to undo the sins of the Nehru-Gandhi era, there certainly has been a missed opportunity during NDA's rule. All told, the UPA may be blamed for a combination of political interference and infrastructure adventurism. But NDA also deserves a share of the blame for the NPAs, although an arguably smaller one. (The author is an independent journalist. He tweets as @madversity) By Steve Holland and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would announce his latest plan for China tariffs after the markets close, with expectations he would levy about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Trump offered few details about his tariff announcement, which has been anticipated for several days after he directed aides to proceed with the next round of tariffs on Chinese products amid deep disagreements with Beijing over trade and intellectual property policies. By Steve Holland and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would announce his latest plan for China tariffs after the markets close, with expectations he would levy about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Trump offered few details about his tariff announcement, which has been anticipated for several days after he directed aides to proceed with the next round of tariffs on Chinese products amid deep disagreements with Beijing over trade and intellectual property policies. "It will be a lot of money coming into the coffers of the United States of America. A lot of money coming in," Trump told reporters at the White House. "But you'll be seeing what we're doing right after close of business today - the markets' closing." Trump added that he had great respect for Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the U.S. goods trade deficit with China was too large and "we can't do that any more." The U.S. Trade Representative's office had proposed tariffs of 10 percent to 25 percent on more than 6,000 Chinese products, including a wide variety of electronics products, including printed circuit boards, internet-connected devices such as routers and voice, data and image reception and transmission devices. The $200 billion list would impose tariffs directly on consumer products for the first time, from furniture to handbags, vacuum cleaners, building products and seafood. The U.S. Treasury last week invited Chinese officials, including Vice Premier Liu He, the top economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, for more talks to try to resolve trade differences between the world's two largest economies. But no talks have so far been announced. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Monday that the United States was ready to negotiate a trade deal with China if Beijing was ready for serious discussions. "We are ready to negotiate and talk with China any time that they are ready for serious and substantive negotiations towards free trade, to reduce tariffs and nontariff barriers, to open markets and allow the most competitive economy in the world -- ours -- to export more and more goods and services to China," Kudlow said. (Reporting by Steve Holland and David Lawder; Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Alleging a series of attacks on its members, the RSS student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) accused Left activists of curtailing their 'freedom of expression' New Delhi: Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit Tuesday alleged that they are being attacked by Left-affiliated groups in the varsity and refused to go back to the campus till the university administration assured them of security. Alleging a series of attacks on its members, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) student wing accused Left activists of curtailing their "freedom of expression". "They are always going gaga over their demands for freedom of expression but are they the only one who deserve this freedom. Why is our freedom of expression being curtailed?" ABVP member Niharika Jha said at a press conferencein Delhi. Jha alleged that she was attacked by Left activists Saturday night when she was returning from a police station on a motorcycle. "We are so scared. They are simply taking out their frustration on us despite winning the elections. Who will take the responsibility for our security? We will not go back to our hostel rooms till the university administration assures us of safety," another ABVP member Satvik, who claimed he received injuries on his head during the violence, said. Sushil, a specially-abled student, attended the press conference on a stretcher and narrated the story of the alleged attack on him. Violence erupted on the JNU campus after a united front of Left student groups Sunday won all four central panel posts in the union defeating the ABVP by considerable margins. While the Meanwhile, the All India Students Association (AISA) alleged that ABVP members randomly attacked students, with a former student being almost "lynched" and the new Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president being beaten up. This is the second incident of the two groups clashing on the campus, the last being on Saturday ahead of the counting, which was suspended after election authorities cited "forcible entry" and "attempts to snatch away ballot boxes". Five FIRs have been registered on the basis of cross complaints in connection with the alleged incidents of violence on the JNU campus. A court in Dubai ordered the extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper scam, to India. A Dubai court has ordered for the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, official sources said on late Tuesday. They said the court pronounced the judgment on Tuesday after India had officially made the request to the gulf nation sometime back, based on the criminal investigations conducted in this case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The full contents of the order against Christian Michel James (54) are expected to be known by Wednesday as the legal pronouncement is in Arabic and is being translated in English at the behest of Indian authorities, they said. The order is being seen as a major shot in the arm to the agencies CBI and ED probing the case. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Michel has been extensively interviewed by the Indian media in Dubai in the past and both the agencies want him to join the probe to take the case forward. On 1 January, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal. The ED alleged that money was laundered through multiple foreign companies which were used as fronts to park alleged kickbacks. In July, CBI refuted the allegation made by Michel's lawyer that Michel was being put under pressure by Indian and UAE authorities to give a confession and name Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in his statement. "Christian Michel was arrested in February 2017 by the UAE authorities. He was not arrested this year as claimed by his defence lawyer. CBI team has neither examined the fugitive in the UAE nor influenced him to extract confession. The extradition proceedings against the fugitive is going on in the UAE and request for extradition is being followed up," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal told PTI on the allegations. CBI alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on 8 February, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million. On 11 September, when Air India's AI-101 was flying from Delhi to New York, it was suddenly caught in the worst flying conditions any pilot would want to imagine. About 370 passengers onboard an Air India flight from New Delhi to New York had a narrow escape on 11 September after the flight experienced multiple system failure. The flight, which was to land at the John F Kennedy airport in New York, managed to land at an alternate designated airport in Newark. On 11 September, when Air India's AI-101 was flying from Delhi to New York, it was suddenly caught in the worst flying conditions any pilot would want to imagine. The pilot reported to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) that the flight experienced multiple system failure and was low on fuel, which also restricted its time of flying when the system failed. "We're really, you know, stuck and there's no fuel," Captain Rustom Palia, who was commanding the aircraft, told the ATC, according to NDTV. Moreover, the flight also witnessed a malfunctioning of all three of its Instrument Landing System (ILS) receivers on board the jet. "This Instrument Landing System is unpredictable", the pilot told ATC "because every time we turn towards the localiser, it is just gone," NDTV reported. The ILS becomes more crucial in bad weather conditions such as the ones faced by the pilots of AI-101, when they could not visually estimate an approach because of heavy cloud cover. This meant that the pilots of the aircraft, which was a nine-year-old Boeing 777-300, had to manually land it. An Air India spokesperson told Hindustan Times, "The weather was bad at New York airport and due to the snag, radar was not visible in the cockpit. The pilot had to carry out landing without the help of radar and since weather was bad in New York, the aircraft was diverted to Newark. An emergency crew had already been put on stand-by at the Newark airport. According to the latest information, Air India has set up an inquiry to investigate how did the aircraft developed a snag. It also constituted an internal inquiry under the monitoring of airlines flight safety department. Confirming the news, Air India spokesperson Praveen Bhatnagar told ANI, "For New York diversion, the flight safety department is investigating the matter. The Air India pilots have successfully handled the situation." "The pilot did a good job by diverting the flight and landing safely," an official of the Director General of Civil Aviation, told Hindustan Times. He confirmed that the aviation regulator had begun an investigation. "Our probe will revolve on technical glitches". With inputs from ANI Congress leader AK Antony on Tuesday accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of suppressing facts on the Rafale deal. In a press conference held in Delhi, Antony alleged that the BJP has compromised national security and they deserve no sympathy. Even before the first of the 36 Rafale jets land in India to become part of the Indian Air Force's fighter squad, the politics surrounding the deal is getting murkier by the day. On Tuesday, it was the turn of the former defence minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony to accuse Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of suppressing facts on the Rafale deal. In a press conference held in Delhi, Antony alleged that the BJP has compromised national security and they deserve no sympathy. Antony asked as to why the government was shying away from setting up a joint parliamentary committee to probe the case. He also accused the government of being "guilty" of "gravely compromising" national security in the fighter jet deal. He rejected as "completely false" the charges of Sitharaman that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 put the "final nail in the coffin" when the cost negotiation committee was giving final touches to the deal. The former defence minister accused Sitharaman of trying to tarnish the image of public-sector firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) both nationally and internationally by questioning its credibility. He also asked if the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA and why it did not buy 126 aircraft instead of 36 from the French manufacturer. "The Congress party demands that the Modi government publish the price of the Congress-UPA's deal of 126 aircraft and the price of its 36 Rafale deals, including per aircraft price of the same to clear the doubts of the people of India. Let the nation decide who is correct. "Since there is a growing perception that the Modi government's Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) to bring the truth out in the open," he told reporters. "Recently, the law minister claimed that in the new agreement, aircraft is 9 percent cheaper than the UPA deal. The finance minister told it is 20 percent cheaper, then an IAF officer told that it is 40 percent cheaper. Why did they not buy more than 126 if it was cheaper?" Antony asked. "In 2000, the Indian Air Force (IAF) told the then NDA government that they require at least 126 fighter aircraft. When Modi made the announcement in 2015, the DAC's approved proposal for acquiring 126 Rafale jets was still alive. We would like to know when the DAC cleared the proposal for 126 aircraft, and who authorised Modi to reduce the number to 36," the senior Congress leader asked. "In the present context, the threat perception has increased substantially and the IAF needs more than 126 fighters at the earliest. However, instead of catering to the need, the Modi government seriously jeopardised national security and air combat preparedness by unilaterally ordering only 36 Rafale jets," Antony told the media. Only the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) can decide on the number of aircraft and weaponry required, Antony said and added that Modi's announcement in 2015 to procure only 36 jets was a "grave violation" of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). "After signing the purchase agreement of 36 Rafale aircraft in April 2015, Modi government cancelled the 126 Rafale aircraft contract only on 24 June 2015. Isnt this again, a violation of the DPP?" Antony asked. He then reiterated his party's demand for disclosing the price of the jets negotiated by the previous UPA government and the present NDA regime. "During UPA rule, HAL was a profit-making company but under the Modi government, for the first time in history, HAL has taken approximately Rs 1,000 crore loan from various banks," the former defence minister alleged. "If the UPA deal wasn't cancelled, HAL would've acquired state-of-the-art technology through a transfer of technology. They would've gained experience to manufacture fighter aircraft. India lost this opportunity," Antony said. With inputs from agencies The body of Lance Naik Sukleswar Kathar was recovered from the barrack, at Kharghuli in Assam's Guwahati, on Sunday evening. Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident of recovery of a bullet-riddled body of an Assam Police jawan from the security barrack attached to the CM's official residence. The body of Lance Naik Sukleswar Kathar was recovered from the barrack, at Kharghuli in Guwahati, on Sunday evening. The police said six bullets hit Kathar's body. The bullets were fired from his service weapon, an AK 47 rifle. "The incident took place around 7.45 p.m. He was alone in the barrack then. Other guards on duty rushed him to the MMC Hospital but the doctors declared him dead," said Guwahati Police Commissioner PC Saloi. "It is difficult to say at this moment whether it is a suicide or some others are involved in his killing," the police officer said. "There was a sound of firing and guards from other parts rushed to the barrack. They saw Kathar lying in a pool of blood. His service weapon was also near him. There was no one else in the barrack then," said Saloi. The body was handed over to the family members after conducting the post-mortem examination on Monday. High Grade Mineralisation Confirmed at Commonwealth Perth, Sep 18, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - High grade assay results from the first six diamond drill holes completed at Impact Minerals Limited's ( ASX:IPT )( OTCMKTS:IPPTF ) 100% owned Commonwealth Project located 100 km north of Orange in New South Wales, have confirmed significant extensions to the mineralisation at both the Main Shaft and Silica Hill Prospects and importantly have identified a second massive sulphide body below Main Shaft.- Assays from the first four diamond drill holes at Main Shaft confirm significant extensions to near the surface, high grade massive sulphide unit both along trend and at depth:Hole 084 has returned: 5.7 metres at 3.8 g/t gold, 347 g/t silver, 10.8% zinc and 3.7% lead from 52.1 metres down hole; including 0.7 metres at 15.6 g/t gold, 245 g/t silver, 8.6% zinc and 1.9% lead; and 0.5 metres at 4.9 g/t gold, 917 g/t silver, 10.2% zinc and 4.6% lead from 56.9 metres.Hole 082 has returned: 4 metres at 3.3 g/t gold 129 g/t silver, 7% zinc and 1.9% lead from 96.4 metres down hole; including 2.1 metres at 5.1 g/t gold, 239 g/t silver, 12.8% zinc and 3.5% lead.Hole 083 has returned: 2.6 metres at 7.9 g/t gold, 164 g/t silver, 5.3% zinc and 3.1% lead from 96.9 metres down hole.Hole 085 has returned 1.7 metres at 1.8 g/t gold 72 g/t silver 1.5% zinc 0.5% lead from 49.3 metres down hole in a historically poorly drilled area within 30 metres of surface.- In addition Hole 083 intersected a narrow high grade massive sulphide unit about 30 metres below the Main Shaft unit and confirms the discovery of a second massive sulphide unit that is at least 100 metres by 150 metres in dimension and is untested at depth.The second massive sulphide unit returned: 1 metre at 3.1 g/t gold, 57 g/t silver, 9.4% zinc and 4.3% lead from 143 metres down hole; including 0.3 metres at 0.8 g/t gold, 150 g/t silver, 30.2% zinc and 13.6% lead.- Assays from two diamond drill holes at Silica Hill confirm extensions to gold and silver mineralisation for 200 metres to the east. Mineralisation open down plunge.- Assays from two diamond holes at Commonwealth South still to be received.- All data will be incorporated into a resource upgrade in Quarter 1 2019 with further drilling planned.- Sale of Pilbara gold project to Pacton Gold Inc completed with receipt of remaining CAD$325,000 cash and issue of 2,125,000 shares (current value $750,000).The mineralisation at both Prospects is still open along trend and at depth and further drilling is required. In addition an update to the resource model will be completed by Q1 2019.Main Shaft Massive Sulphide UnitAt Main Shaft four diamond drill holes were completed to test for extensions at depth and along trend from the previously identified gold and silver-rich massive sulphide lens1.All four holes intersected varying widths of massive and/or semi-massive sulphide mineralisation at the upper eastern contact of the Commonwealth porphyry. The second massive sulphide unit, which was intersected in one hole in this programme, lies immediately below the lower western contact of the Commonwealth porphyry (Figures 1 and 2 in link below). The other 3 holes did not penetrate to the lower contact.Drill hole locations are shown in Figure 1 (see link) and other details are given in the tables at the end of this report.Hole CMIPT084 was drilled 15 metres north of the massive sulphide lens2,3 and intersected 5.7 metres true width of massive sulphide from 52.1 metres down hole at the hanging wall contact of the Commonwealth porphyry unit (Figures 1 and 2). Figure 3 shows the pyrite-rich and sphalerite-rich styles of mineralisation for comparison.Hole 84 has returned: 5.7 metres at 3.8 g/t gold, 347 g/t silver, 10.8% zinc and 3.7% lead from 52.1 metres down hole; including 0.7 metres at 15.6 g/t gold, 245 g/t silver, 8.6% zinc and 1.9% lead from 52.5 metres; and 0.5 metres at 4.9 g/t gold 917 g/t silver 10.2% zinc and 4.6% lead from 56.9 metres down hole.This has extended the massive sulphide lens at Main Shaft for 15 to 20 metres along trend to the north and importantly for any future mining operation, the mineralisation is within 30 metres of surface.Hole CMIPT082 was drilled 20 metres down dip from previous high grade drill intercepts3 and intersected two metres true width of semi-massive sulphide with surrounding disseminated sulphide (Figure 2).Hole 082 has returned: 4 metres at 3.3 g/t gold, 129 g/t silver, 7% zinc and 1.9% lead from 96.4 metres down hole; including 2.1 metres at 5.1 g/t gold, 239 g/t silver, 12.8% zinc and 3.5% lead from 98 m down hole.Hole CMIPT083 was drilled 20 metres along trend from Hole 082 and intersected 2.6 metres true width of semi-massive sulphide.Hole 083 has returned: 2.6 metres at 7.9 g/t gold, 164 g/t silver, 5.3% zinc and 3.1% lead from 96.9 metres down hole.Importantly, these intercepts all indicate the upper massive sulphide unit at Main Shaft extends from surface to a depth of about 100 metres and is still open below and to the south (Figures 1 and 2).Hole CMIPT085 was drilled in an area of little drilling about 70 metres along trend to the south of the massive sulphide lens at Main Shaft (Figure 1). This hole intersected 1.5 metres true width of brecciated massive sulphide and is the first indication of massive sulphide in this area. This is encouraging as it suggests there is potential here for further near surface mineralisation.Hole 085 has returned 1.7 metres at 1.8 g/t gold, 72 g/t silver, 1.5% zinc and 0.5% lead from 49.3 metres down hole.Second Massive Sulphide UnitIn addition to the intercept of the massive sulphide unit at Main Shaft, Hole CMIPT083 also intersected a 20 metre thick zone of alteration and patchy sulphide mineralisation from 130 metres down hole below the Commonwealth porphyry (Figure 2).Within the zone is a one metre thick zone of brecciated massive sulphide comprised mostly of sphalerite with patches of chalcopyrite (Figure 4).In this zone Hole 083 returned: 1 metre at 3.1 g/t gold, 57 g/t silver, 9.4% zinc, 4.3% lead and 0.3% copper from 143 metres down hole. This includes a narrow zone of massive high grade sphalerite which returned 0.3 metres at 0.8 g/t gold, 150 g/t silver, 30.2% zinc and 13.6% lead.The massive sulphide unit is the first confirmed presence of a high grade gold-rich massive sulphide unit below the Commonwealth porphyry. It occurs within a copper-rich mineralised horizon that is up to 50 metres thick and has been intersected in 12 previous drill holes.The previous drill holes contain higher grade intercepts in places which are interpreted to be along-trend continuations of Hole 083.For example Hole CMIPT006 returned 31 metres at 0.13% copper and 5 g/t silver including 1 metre at 1% copper, 1.1% zinc, 0.4% lead, 34 g/t silver and 0.4 g/t gold; and Hole CMIPT050 returned 49 metres at 0.1% copper including 0.8 metres at 2.5% copper, 4% zinc, 0.5% lead, 39 g/t silver and 0.2 g/t gold.2,3,4The results suggest the massive sulphide unit is increasing in grade, gold content and potentially thickness with depth (Figure 2).All of this indicates significant exploration potential for another thicker massive sulphide unit down plunge and below the level of current drilling (Figures 1 and 2).Silica HillAt Silica Hill two diamond drill holes were completed to test down dip and along-trend extensions to the previously discovered high grade gold and silver mineralisation4,5.Hole CMIPT081 was drilled 65 metres along trend from previous high grade drill intercepts4,5 and intersected an eight metre thick true width zone of disseminated and wispy bands of up to 20% pyrite in places from 202 metres down hole. A stronger mineralised zone about five metres thick was intersected from 212 metres down hole.Hole 081 has returned: 5.5 metres at 1.3 g/t gold and 170 g/t silver from 212 metres down hole including 0.5 metres at 2.5 g/t gold and 773 g/t silver.Hole CMIPT080 was drilled 125 metres along trend from Hole 081 and intersected a 24 metre thick true width zone of patchy to pervasive silica-sericite-sulphide alteration with disseminated and narrow veins of pyrite with trace pathfinder metals arsenic, zinc and lead from 317 metres down hole. This includes a 0.5 metre thick quartz sulphide vein with visible silver minerals at 317.5 metres down hole.Hole 080 returned a broad alteration zone of 93 metres at 0.04 g/t gold and 3 g/t silver with a narrow zone of 0.6 metres at 0.6 g/t gold and 48 g/t silver.Both of these holes demonstrate a continuation of the Silica Hill mineralised system for at least 200 metres along trend. However the zone is narrower than previous drill holes to the west (Figure 1).The mineralisation is open at depth, in particular to the west, and this is a key target for follow up drilling. The mineralisation at Silica Hill is still open in all directions and further deeper drilling is required.DISCUSSION AND NEXT STEPSAll of these results indicate the potential to increase the Inferred Resources at Commonwealth both for the overall resource, which extends from Main Shaft to Commonweath South, and for the higher grade massive sulphide resource within it, at Main Shaft (Figure 1).The Inferred Resource was prepared in accordance with the JORC 2012 Code by independent resource consultants Optiro2. At a 0.5 g/t gold cut off the entire Inferred Resource is:720,000 tonnes at 2.8 g/t gold, 48 g/t silver, 1.5% zinc, 0.6% lead and 0.1% copper.The resource extends from surface to an average depth of 90 metres, has a strike length of 400 metres and is up to 25 metres thick.A separate Inferred Resource (included within the overall resource) was also calculated for the massive sulphide lens at Main Shaft alone to demonstrate the high grade nature of such deposits that are the principal target for Impact's exploration programme. The Main Shaft Inferred Resource is:145,000 tonnes at 4.3 g/t gold, 142 g/t silver, 4.8% zinc, 1.7% lead and 0.2% copper.Assays from two further drill holes completed at the Commonwealth South prospect, located 400 metres south of Main Shaft where previous drilling returned an intercept of 7 metres at 25.5 g/t gold, 62 g/t silver, 3.8% zinc and 1.6% lead in Hole CMIPT0176, are expected within two weeks.Upon receipt of the final assays a detailed synthesis and interpretation of all data collected will be commenced with a view to a resource upgrade by Q1 2019. This will include a maiden resource estimate for Silica Hill.In addition further drilling is required at all prospects. Impact will look to drill these areas early in 2019.COMPLETION OF SALE OF PILBARA GOLD PROJECT TO PACTON GOLD INCThe Share Sale Agreement for sale of Impact's Pilbara gold project to Pacton Gold Incorporated as announced to the ASX on May 29th 2018 has now been Completed.Under the terms of the Share Sale Agreement, Pacton has purchased a 100% ownership interest in Impact's wholly owned subsidiary Drummond East Pty Limited which holds seven 100% owned granted Exploration Licences in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (E45/4971-72-73; E46/1171-72; and E46/1188-89).The total consideration paid by Pacton to Impact for the purchase was CAD$350,000 and 2,125,000 common shares of Pacton. All funds have been received and the shares have now been issued to Impact with Drummond East Pty Limited now a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacton.Impact is focusing its exploration for conglomerate-hosted gold at the Blackridge Project located 30 km north of Clermont in central Queensland where Impact has an option to acquire 95% of an advanced project with previous production of about 185,000 ounces of gold from small shafts and related underground workings.In addition Impact has an adjacent 100% owned application for an Exploration Licence and together the project area covers 23 kilometres of strike and 37 square kilometres of prospective basal conglomerate of Permian age.Further details on the production and previous exploration at Blackridge were reported to the ASX on May 29th 2018 and a review and synthesis of previous exploration data at Blackridge is on-going. Once complete, areas will be selected for detailed mapping and bulk sampling.To view tables and figures, please visit:About Impact Minerals Limited Impact Minerals Limited (ASX:IPT) is an exploration company listed on the ASX in November 2006. The Company manages extensive tenement holdings (>2,000 km2) within Australia featuring significant potential for high-grade mineral deposits of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, nickel and PGM's. The Directors of the Company have extensive experience in mineral exploration and a strong history of exploration success, business development and corporate management. Impact Minerals intends to build wealth for its shareholders through a vigorous campaign of project generation and evaluation with a view towards profitable mining operations. The massive fire at Kolkata's Bagree Market gutted at least 1,000 business establishments, causing huge losses to traders ahead of Durga Puja. Kolkata: The massive fire at Bagree Market in the Burrabazar area of the business hub of Kolkata has been brought under control after two days, a senior officer of the fire department said on Tuesday. Mayor of Kolkata and Fire Services Minister Sovan Chatterjee said an FIR has been filed against the directors and CEO of the multi-storey building. "An FIR was registered today (Tuesday) against the owners of the building at the Burrabazar Police Station. They have been booked under relevant sections of the West Bengal Fire Services Act and the Indian Penal Code," Chatterjee said. West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Director General Jag Mohan said the process of "cooling down" was underway at the market, and 15 fire tenders have been pressed into service for it. "The blaze has been brought under control. But there are still some pockets of fire in parts of the building, and our officers are trying to douse them. We will continue our fight as the cooling process is still on," Jag Mohan said. Another fire department officer said cracks have appeared on the walls of the building, and precautionary measures were being taken to prevent another untoward incident. "Shopkeepers and a few residents of adjacent buildings have been evacuated after a few cracks were seen on the walls of the Bagree Market building. We are not taking any chances," the officer said. He also acknowledged the problem of water scarcity in the area. "The firefighters are sourcing water from nearby reservoirs for the operation," he added. The massive fire at Bagree Market gutted at least 1,000 business establishments inside the G+5 building, causing huge losses to traders ahead of Durga Puja. The state government has directed the police and the fire department to ascertain the cause of the fire and initiate strict legal action against those found guilty in this connection. The police have also been directed to summon owners of the building. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said business establishments should build firefighting infrastructure on their own or let the government do it. "I told the mayor that they should do it or let the government do it. Proper planning is always necessary," Mamata, currently in Germany for a business summit, told a Bengali TV channel. The chief minister also said that inflammable articles stored in the market had made the firefighting operations even more difficult. "Let them (traders) do their business. But they should submit plans for fire safety to the government. We will approve it," she asserted. Meanwhile, senior Left Front leader Biman Bose on Tuesday joined the chorus of Opposition parties to criticise the Trinamool Congress-led government over the Bagree Market fire. "Every state government has a committee comprising police and fire department officials to inspect the infrastructure of markets and issue fire safety clearances. In this case, the fire broke out within a few days of receiving clearance," Bose said, adding that there has to be accountability in such cases, and those found guilty should be punished. When asked about similar incidents during the 34-year-old Left regime, Bose said action was taken against the guilty in each and every case. "During the Left regime, we made sure that an inquiry committee was formed in all such cases and action initiated against those found guilty," he added. The BJP and Congress had on Sunday blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for its failure to avert the incident. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said there should be an independent inquiry to ascertain if there was any conspiracy or sabotage behind the massive blaze. West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Chowdhury, too, blamed the Trinamool government over the incident. Mamata wants to turn Kolkata into London, but everything has turned topsy turvy under her government, he had said. At least 488 people have died in Kerala due to the rains and flooding this monsoon. Bengaluru: The Centre on Tuesday assured the southern states of providing all help in recovering from the damage caused by rains and floods during the monsoon season. This was conveyed at the Southern Zonal Council meeting, chaired by home minister Rajnath Singh in Bengaluru, according to a home ministry statement. The day-long meeting, attended by chief ministers of Karnataka and Puducherry, deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Lieutenant Governor of the Anadaman and Nicober Islands and one minister each from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and property in the flooding caused by monsoon fury in the southern states. The council was informed that the central government would not lag behind in providing the requisite assistance to the states concerned, the statement said. At least 488 people have died in Kerala due to the rains and floods this monsoon, which hit 14 districts of the state. The Kerala government has sought Rs 4,700 crore as compensation from the central government for the damage caused by the recent floods, termed as the worst in a century. Monsoon rains and floods also caused damage in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The council reviewed the progress in implementation of the recommendations made at the last meeting relating to security to fishermen, introduction of peninsular tourism trains, uniformity in allocation of funds in proportion to population of SC/ST for scholarship for all courses, optimum harnessing of renewable energy available in the southern states without endangering grid security and development of Puducherry airport. It also discussed issues relating to Pulicat lake dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu fishermen over fishing rights, menace of red sander smuggling in the holy Seshachalam hills, supply of Krishna water to augment the drinking water supply to Chennai, issues relating to fishing in coastal states in Southern Zone besides other matters. The states have been divided into five zones and each zone has its council comprising the chief minister, two ministers and the chief secretary of each state. The zonal councils are headed by the Union home minister and each zone nominates one chief minister as its vice-chairman on rotation basis. The zonal councils provide a forum where irritants between the Centre and states and amongst the states themselves can be resolved through free and frank discussion and consultations. Being advisory bodies, there is full scope for free exchange of views at these meetings. The incident happened last month, but it came to light on Sunday after the girl, studying in a boarding school in Dehradun, confided in her sister. A 16-year-old girl studying at a boarding school in Dehradun was allegedly gang-raped by four other students of the same school, according to reports. The four boys and five school officials, including the principal, have been arrested in connection with the case. The incident happened last month, but it came to light on Sunday after the girl confided in her sister, according to NDTV. The sisters stayed together in the boarding school and had rare visits from their parents. She also told her sister that she was one-month pregnant. Following this, the school allegedly tried to suppress the matter, according to The Times of India. However on Sunday, a team of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (USCPCR) led by chairperson Usha Negi met the girl and an FIR was registered on its direction. Negi told The Times of India that medicated drinks were given to the girl by the administrator and his wife to terminate the pregnancy. She added that the "girl was also taken to a nursing home for abortion by school officials". Station House officer Naresh Rathod told Hindustan Times that the arrested boys will be presented before a juvenile court on Tuesday while the school officials will also be presented before a court on the same day. The Delhi Police on Monday suspended an assistant sub-inspector, whose son was seen brutally thrashing a woman in a video which went viral on social media. New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday suspended an assistant sub-inspector, whose son was seen brutally thrashing a woman in a video which went viral on social media. Ashok Kumar Tomar, who was posted in the central district, was suspended for allegedly threatening the family of the victim, police said. Rohit Tomar, the 21-year-old son of the policeman, Ali Hasan, the owner of the call center where the incident happened, and Rajesh, a peon who worked there and shot the video, have been taken into police custody for questioning in connection with the case filed at the Uttam Nagar police station. Rohit Tomar was arrested on Friday after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh directed Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take necessary action in the matter. The Delhi Commission for Women has issued a notice to the city police in this regard. Two cases were registered against the main accused one of criminal intimidation and molestation and the other of rape based on complaints of two women, police said. The first case was registered Thursday at the Tilak Nagar police station in West Delhi following a complaint by Tomar's woman friend alleging that he showed her a video in which he could be seen thrashing a woman, police said. Tomar allegedly threatened her with the same kind of treatment if she did not follow his instructions. The second case was registered at the Uttam Nagar police station after another woman, who was seen in the video, approached police on Friday alleging that on 2 September, Tomar had called her to his friend's office in Uttam Nagar and raped her. In the video, Tomar is seen thrashing the woman when she threatened to file a police complaint against him. Advocate Anand Yagnik, who represents five petitioners who have challenged land acquisition for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project before Gujarat High Court, said the petitioners and 1,000 other affected farmers have written to the Japan government Ahmedabad: Farmers in Gujarat whose lands will be acquired for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train have written to the Japan government, alleging violation of the guidelines of the Japanese agency which is funding the project. "The letter sent by the farmers asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is providing a soft loan for the Rs 1.10 lakh crore project, to withhold disbursal of funds to the Indian government until the agency's guidelines are complied with," said a lawyer. Advocate Anand Yagnik, who represents five petitioners who have challenged land acquisition for the project before the Gujarat High Court, said the petitioners and 1,000 other affected farmers, led by the Gujarat Khedut Samaj, have written to the Japan government. "They have also sought an appointment with Japan's Ambassador to India, Yagnik said adding, the letter invited the Japanese Ambassador to Gujarat for understanding the farmers' plight." "The letter alleged that JICA's guidelines for such financial assistance are being flagrantly violated, so it should 'withhold any installment to be given to the government of India' till the guidelines are complied with," he said. Among other things it alleged that while JICA guidelines seek setting up of an advisory committee for environmental and social considerations, no such committee has been formed. "The environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment reports for the project date back to 2010, and in the meantime other projects such as Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Express Highways were planned," the letter said. Hence, the cumulative impact of all these projects in the region must be considered, it said. For the project, around 1,400 hectares of land will be acquired in Gujarat and Maharashtra, 1,120 hectares of which is privately owned. The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September 2017. Anil slipped while climbing down a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) sewer in Dwarka's Dabri, when the rope around his waist broke, following which he fell in the 20-feet deep sewer. The twitterati on Monday extended a helping hand to the family of a sanitation worker who died after falling in the sewer of a building which he was going to clean in Delhi's Dwarka area. According to the latest count, at least Rs 50 lakh had been collected from almost 2,500 donors. There are still 14 days to go for the fundraiser to end. Anil slipped while climbing down a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) sewer in Dwarka's Dabri, when the rope around his waist broke, following which he fell in the 20-feet deep sewer. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Over Rs 18 lakh had already been received by late on Monday night on the crowdfunding platform Ketto, after an initiative by NGO Uday Foundation, whose founder Rahul Verma had shared journalist Shiv Sunny's photo of Anil's body with his child, Gaurav. The boy walked up to his father's body at a crematorium, moved the sheet from the face, held the cheeks with both hands, just said 'papa' & began sobbing. The man was yet another poor labourer who died in a Delhi sewer on Friday. Family did not have money even for cremating him. pic.twitter.com/4nOWD9Aial Shiv Sunny (@shivsunny) September 17, 2018 As the news was widely shared on social media, several people extended help to the family of the deceased as he was the only earning member of the family. Ketto had set a target of Rs 24 lakh and within few hours after the news was shared on various social media platforms, over Rs 10 lakh was already collected. The Print quoted Priyanka Arisham, Ketto's public relations manager, as saying, "We got a word about this situation in the morning and we quickly created the campaign on our website." Anil had died of suffocation on Sunday, just six days after his four-month-old son died due to pneumonia. He had been hired by a resident of the area, Satbir Kala, to clean the sewer line as water was stagnant in his building. During the investigation, it was learned that Anil was not given any protective gear and even the rope was not strong enough to bear the tension, according to the police. A case was registered the police said, adding that Satbir was arrested. The incident comes just a week after five persons died due to asphyxiation when they entered a sewage treatment plant in Moti Nagar area in the city. With inputs from agencies The students of Saraswati Shishu Mandir school in Kulpahad in Mahoba have launched a fundraising campaign across the district for the flood victims of Kerala. With assistance from their teachers as well as the other school staff, they organised themselves into groups and marched across the district raising the slogan, Madad karo! Madad karo! They are urging the adults to not only contribute money but also join the children in their efforts in helping those in need. For a while now, the general mood in the Bundelkhand region has been one of the two discontent grumbling at the increasing unemployment or impassioned calls for a new government or, even, bifurcation. Long ignored by the various governments that have come and gone both in the state and at the centre, this is an area marked by rampant illegal mining and acute corruption, leading to a debilitating economy and an impoverished population desperate for some respite. However, this time, it was not the disgruntled Bundelkhand citizens that had stirred up a storm in UPs Mahoba district. Instead, it was a group of school children who had come together to do their bit in helping those whose lives have been turned upside down by the floods in Kerala. The students of Saraswati Shishu Mandir school in Kulpahad in Mahoba have launched a fundraising campaign across the district for the flood victims of Kerala. With assistance from their teachers as well as the other school staff, they organised themselves into groups and marched across the district raising the slogan, Madad karo! Madad karo! They are urging the adults to not only contribute money but also join the children in their efforts in helping those in need. Declared the worst floods to have ever hit the country with red alerts declared in twelve out of fourteen districts in the state the Kerala floods last month have left the state in utter devastation and despair. More than 300 people have been reported dead and lakhs injured and displaced as the situation fast reaches calamatic proportions. By mid-August itself, governments estimates showed ten lakh people to have registered at the 5000 relief camps established in and around the state, while economic losses were estimated at 20,000 crore rupees. In this hour of need, no kind of assistance, financial or otherwise, is too little or too small. Innumerable donation drives and fundraising campaigns have been taken up across the country. One of the outstanding stories of compassion and heroism is that of the fishermen community of Kerala. Even before any help could reach the state from the government or any other relief organisations, they had set off into the flood-ravaged state with their boats in hand rescuing people and helping out wherever they could. Moreover, in addition to relentless efforts by the government of Kerala as well as the 600 crore rupees assistance granted by the Centre, other state governments have also joined hands to help rebuild the states infrastructure and give assistance to the victims in relief camps. Whats more, the UAE government had also offered financial assistance of USD 600 million considering the large number of expatriates who move to the UAE from Kerala in hopes of better employment opportunities. The children of Mahoba seem to be answering the call of duty of a good Samaritan. It is extremely heartening to see children as young as eight years old showing such concern and compassion for a people and a cause far removed from their everyday reality. The sight of them dressed smartly in their uniforms, lined up and passionately calling for help can bring tears to ones eyes. We asked Rohit seemingly the eldest in the group and thus the leader as well, The people stuck in Kerala are having to face extreme hardships daily, they are not even getting food or water for 5-6 days at a stretch. This is why we have come together to help them in whatever way we can. Our campaign has been going on for two days. The girls did it yesterday and we boys are doing it today. Once the money is collected, we shall transfer it to the victims with the help of the bank. The adults of Mahoba are both impressed and awed by the thoughtfulness of the children. Jamuna Prasad, tells us how moved he was to see such young children come out so strongly for a noble cause like this. There about 100-150 of them, small kids less than ten years of age. They urged us to contribute they wanted to do their little bit to help. And we happily agreed, we all helped them in this thoughtful initiative of theirs. We helped them in collecting funds, and even met journalists and government employees to take their help as well. Vinod Kumar Sharma, another Kulpahad resident, rightly observed that the children of Mahoba have set an example for the adults and everyone else to follow. What we adults could not even think of doing, these children have done it! Khabar Lahariya is a women-only network of rural reporters from Bundelkhand. Chinmay Tumbes book India Moving is a thorough look at the many migratory movements the country has witnessed both across its borders, and most crucially within them. Chinmay Tumbes book India Moving is a thorough look at the many migratory movements the country has witnessed both across its borders, and most crucially within them. Tumbe spoke to Firstpost about the different natures of migration, displacement, the at-times unintended consequences of movement and how it is both a study of, and a reason behind Indias diversity. Migration, movement are words that can be interpreted liberally. How difficult and cumbersome does it then become to find authentic proof of it? What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while researching your book? Has documentation etc improved in modern times also the interpretation? There are several typologies of migration and this book focuses on three of them: internal vs international, voluntary vs involuntary and short-term or circular vs permanent. Several people have studied migration over the years but there is less written on the history and much less on the history before the 19th century. The major challenge of the book was to weave in different strands of migration in one place and the six chapters of the book attest to that. Documentation has improved but with insane time lags; the Census 2011 migration data has still not been released in 2018 making it very difficult to assess current trends, for urban planning, for instance. You mention in the book that migration also has types. Can events like the Partition, though draining for one regions socio-economic fabric, end up benefiting another perhaps Delhi? And do we often miss this other side of movement? Can you cite an example where this has been the case? Partition was a traumatic experience that should never happen again but like any major event, it also had unintended consequences. The industrial hubs of Punjab and Delhi, or for that matter jute cultivation in West Bengal, developed because of the 'refugee entrepreneurs'. But it also led to a relative closure of the North-eastern economy which has had a detrimental effect on that region. What amount of Patnas decline (the nucleus of two dynasties) can be studied from its patterns of migration? Does it tell us anything about modern cities? It does in that urban decline is closely related with a fall in living standards. In America, many cities have lost more than half their population in the last fifty years due to economic decline. So Patna's decline in ancient history is one aspect but it is imperative for Patna to grow today, in terms of economic and demographic size to have positive spillover effects on its immediate neighbourhood. How would you differentiate between early migration patterns to those in modern times? Has the nature and motive of movement evolved, or has it simply been a function of evolving transportation (trains, air travel etc)? Technology is, of course, important but then so are social norms on mobility, and in India, closely bound by caste and gender. Even today, not all castes and women can move as freely as one would imagine, even though there are no restrictions on it in the Constitution. The one thing that has definitely changed is that there is no longer the fear of the Kaalapaani whose idea was based on 'loss of caste upon return'. How often has landscape, climate and natural habitat influenced movement? A lot of Indian families moved to the hills to open businesses while the British gentry was there, but rarely perhaps was climate the prerequisite then. But surely, agriculture, land etc mattered before? I mention in the book how cyclones have led to a psychology of migration in coastal Odisha; similarly floods in eastern Uttar Pradesh and west Bihar. Geographic and climatic factors also shape population density and thus out-migration. Climate can also be an important factor for a location choice as those who live in Bengaluru will attest to! The Marwaris in the south, the Gujaratis in Mumbai etc there are many popular and readily accessible narratives of migration. How have these waves altered our country, its culture and most crucially trade and economy? You cannot understand the history of Indian business without understanding these migrations. Over 50 percent of the richest hundred Indian business leaders continue to be Marwari or Gujarati. The book describes the migrations of business communities over the past four centuries that led to their dominance in the world of Indian business. Culture has also been affected, best exemplified in debates over vegetarianism, which were traditionally backed by the business elite because of their social backgrounds. You mention in the book how migration has not affected all 'sub-groups' evenly. Are these groups restricted to caste, or are there others? Why haven't they managed to ride this wave of migration? Why in your view as you also say in the book is movement also a crucial ingredient in the making of our pluralism? The two principal groups have been women and the low-ranking castes, due to social norms, often codified, governing rules of mobility. Non-coerced migration requires some amount of money and freedom and those possessing both these attributes have been able to migrate more easily. Migration is critical for fostering pluralism because you are exposed to new people and new ideas. One underappreciated way that this happens is through women's migration for marriage in a way it is the invisible thread that weaves the villages and towns of the county into one fabric. Before the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration banned protests and rallies in campus on Monday, the varsity's teachers' association took out a peace march against the incidents of violence. New Delhi: Before the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration banned protests and rallies in campus on Monday, the varsity's teachers' association took out a peace march against the incidents of violence. The march, which was also attended by students and university staffers, started from Ganga Dhaba and culminated at Chandrabhaga Hostel. The teachers and students are also carrying out a night vigil against the attack and the ban imposed by the administration on protests and gatherings. The JNUTA (Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association) expressed its serious concern at the situation in the varsity "where several students, including many women, have been targets of mob violence within the university". "The administration seems to have been standing by as a mute spectator. An air of insecurity is prevailing in the campus as there are several reports of incidents and there is a palpable lack of response on the part of the administration," the JNUTA said. The JNUTA accused the administration of having an "uneven approach" and blamed it for the emboldening of "the perpetrators of such violence who are hell bent on undermining JNU's great democratic traditions". "While disciplinary powers have been used very harshly and excessively to penalise students and students' union activists protesting peacefully against the administration's policies, and even teachers have been similarly targeted, others indulging in violence (particularly against fellow students) have been favoured with kid glove treatment," they said. The JNU administration appears to be complicit in this process and failing in its duty to defend its own university and its democratic culture, the JNUTA said. "The JNUTA demands an immediate end to this administrative ineptitude it demands that more security personnel be deployed at all hostels and other locations," they said. Students wishing to register complaints have been attacked in the vicinity of the police station and the JNUTA alleged its members and students were even threatened inside the police station. "Several teachers who went to the Vasant Kunj Police Station only because they heard that the newly elected JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president was being threatened there were witness to this sordid event. "The JNUTA hopes the Delhi Police will do the needful to ensure the safety and security of JNU students and all other members of the JNU community," they said. Members of the RSS-affiliated ABVP and the Left-backed AISA clashed early on Monday, hours after the JNUSU poll results were announced, with both groups accusing each other of attacking their supporters. Violence erupted on the JNU campus after a united front of Left student groups on Sunday won all four central panel posts in the union defeating the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) by considerable margins. While the AISA alleged that ABVP members randomly attacked students with a former student being almost "lynched" and the new JNUSU president being beaten up, the RSS-affiliate claimed its activists were attacked by Left supporters and three were injured. This is the second incident of the two groups clashing on campus, the last being on Saturday ahead of the counting, which was suspended after election authorities cited "forcible entry" and "attempts to snatch away ballot boxes. The senior Catholic priest Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of raping a nun in Kerala, has approached the Kerala High Court to seek protection from arrest. Franco Mulakkal's move comes a day before he has to appear before the police for questioning. The senior Catholic priest Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of raping a nun in Kerala, has approached the Kerala High Court to seek protection from arrest. Franco Mulakkal's move comes a day before he has to appear before the police for questioning. However, Mulakkal's anticipatory bail plea hearing has been deferred to 25 September. Franco Mulakkal had written to Pope Francis requesting for permission to step down temporarily as the bishop or head of the Diocese of Jalandhar, saying he needs to spend more time to fight his case. Mulakkal's lawyer, P Vijaya Bhanu told Mathrubhumi that the Bishop may move the high court seeking quashing of the FIR against him and an anticipatory bail to evade arrest. According to the Bishops petition, the allegations levelled by the nun were "wholly concocted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance for the action taken against the nun on the basis of various complaints against her. She was removed from the post of Mother Superior and Kerala in-charge on a complaint from her cousin and another nun. Therefore, she was inimical towards him as she was under the firm belief that he was the one who had taken action against her." Read the anticipatory bail petition here The bishop claimed in the plea that the was falsely implicated in the case. The complaint of the nun was "nothing but a fictional story and part of a vicious programme to bring down the Applicant who is holding a very high post in the congregation", the bail plea further said. According to News18, in his defence, the main point raised by Mulakkal's lawyer will be that he was targeted due to an internal rift in the congregation, and he did not commit the crime he is accused of. The Bishop is set to appear before the investigating team on Wednesday. The decision to summon the clergyman was taken after a meeting chaired by Sakhare, Inspector General (Ernakulam range), which was also attended by Kottayam district superintendent of police Harisankar and Vaikom deputy superintendent of police K Subhash amid mounting pressure on police to initiate action against Mulakkal. The Kerala-based nun had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her 13 times between 2014 and 2016 during his visits to the Jalandhar-diocese run convent at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district. On Saturday, Mulakkal stepped down from his position in the church amid growing outrage over lack of action against him. He wrote to the Pope offering to "step aside temporarily" as Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese. He also released a statement seeking prayers for himself, the nun and her supporters and said that perhaps only a divine intervention could bring out the truth now. He said that he was ready for a death sentence even if he was found one percent guilty. Meanwhile, the protest by various Catholic reformation organisations and a group of nuns seeking arrest of Mulakkal entered the 11th day on Tuesday with the sister of the rape survivor joining the agitation seeking justice. The sister of the victim nun started her hunger strike from Monday, the 10th day of the protest. Several Catholic priests have visited the protest venue in Kochi expressing their solidarity with their agitation. However, there are several religious groups have backed the Bishop. The Kerala Catholic Bishop Council (KCBC) had earlier slammed the nuns' protest, saying it has "crossed all limits". The nun had recently sought the urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the Bishop's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, questioning why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth" when she had mustered the courage to make public her suffering. She has alleged that Mulakkal was using "political and money power" to "bury" the case against him. The Bishop has claimed there were "several contradictions" in the evidence collected against him by the police probing the case. "I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the team probing the allegation," he had said in a circular last week. With inputs from PTI Three Blackhawk helicopters from the Tennessee National Guards 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion arrived in North Carolina late Monday to assist in the relief effort of Hurricane Florence. All three aircraft are equipped to conduct medical evacuation with rescue hoist capability, as well as transport medical patients, and supplies to those in remote areas. Our aircrews are some of the best Ive had the privilege to work with in my entire Army career, said Col. Joe Miller, State Aviation Officer for the Tennessee Army National Guard. They get a lot of practice with missions in the Smoky Mountains and Im confident theyll provide top-notch support to the citizens of North Carolina. Like Tennessees military police support to South Carolina, North Carolina was able to request this specific capability through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact process whereby states can ask for help in time of crisis, or other natural disasters. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is the mitigating agency for such requests and works regularly with other state emergency management agencies to facilitate these cooperative agreements. The 1-230th AHB is part of the 30th Troop Command based in Tullahoma. The 30th TC maintains four aircraft with hoist capability in East Tennessee for rescue missions, when called upon, in the Smoky Mountains. Last year alone various crews of the 1-230th AHB conducted 14 rescues in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In light of the deployment to North Carolina one aircraft will remain on station in Tennessee for any other potential missions. Potential for large scale copper lead zinc deposits at the new Bangemall Base Metal Project New Bangemall Base Metal Project Adelaide, Sep 18, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Mithril Resources Ltd ( ASX:MTH ) is pleased to advise that multiple targets have been prioritised for follow-up on its new 100% - owned Bangemall Base Metal Project ("Bangemall"). Bangemall is located west of Galena Mining Limited's Abra Deposit within a similar geological setting approximately 250 kms north west of Meekatharra, WA - Figure 1 in link below.- New 100% - owned project west of the Abra Lead Silver Deposit which covers interpreted western extension of the large regional scale structure that controls mineralisation at Abra- Prospectivity highlighted by airborne EM (GEOTEM) anomalies with overlapping anomalous surface geochemistry, and / or zones of copper and zinc in historic drill holes- Strengthens the Company's exploration portfolio which includes the Kurnalpi Nickel Project, Billy Hills Zinc Project, and the Limestone Well Vanadium Joint VentureThe Project (EL's 09/2315 and 52/3644 - 710km2) covers the interpreted western extension of the Lyons River Fault Zone, a large regional scale structure that controls mineralisation at Abra 100 kms to the east, within an area of similar Proterozoic sediments that host the Abra deposit (Figure 2).A 2012 JORC Code Compliant Indicated and Inferred Resource of 36.6Mt @ 7.3% lead, 18g/t silver has been recently estimated for the Abra Deposit (see ASX Announcement by Galena Mining Limited dated 14 March 2018).At Bangemall, Mithril is targeting large scale copper, lead and zinc deposits and has now identified multiple targets that are typically characterised by airborne EM (GEOTEM) anomalies with overlapping or adjacent anomalous surface geochemistry, and / or zones of copper and zinc mineralisation within historic drill holes.Of note is the Belang Bore target on EL52/3644 where a large (~5 kms x 5 kms) barium, manganese, cobalt and lead stream sediment anomaly overlies several late time GEOTEM anomalies. Belang Bore lies within an area of shallow cover and these targets have not been previously drill tested (Figures 3 to 4).The geochemical association seen at Belang Bore is consistent with that typically seen above large scale sedimentary exhalative ("SEDEX") base metal deposits globally.The potential of the Project to host a large base metal deposit is reinforced by historic surface rock chip sampling and wide spaced drilling undertaken on EL09/2315, some of which has returned strong indications of copper and zinc mineralisation, see Tables 2 - 3, and Figure 5 in link below;- Rock chip samples with individual assay values up to 17.5% copper, 2.4% lead, 3.70% zinc, and 120ppm silver- Drilling - 48m @ 0.27% zinc from 54 metres in ISBD1, 5m @ 0.59% zinc from 130 metres in ISBD2, 21m @ 0.35% zinc from 315 metres in ISBD3 and 10m @ 0.68% zinc from 34m in RC99MC06.Bangemall considerably strengthens Mithril's exploration portfolio which comprises the Kurnalpi Nickel Project (confirmed nickel sulphides and a new copper-cobalt target), the Billy Hills Zinc Project (priority targets identified adjacent the historic Pillara Zinc Mine), and the Limestone Well Vanadium Joint Venture (where Monax Mining Ltd can earn up to 80% by spending $2.5M over 5 years).Mithril will continue with target generation activities on the Project ahead of tenement grant which is expected early next year.To view tables and figures, please visit:About Mithril Resources Limited Mithril Resources Limited (ASX:MTH) is an Australian resources company whose objective is the creation of shareholder wealth through the discovery of mineral deposits. The Company and its exploration partners are actively exploring throughout the Kalgoorlie, West Kimberley and Murchison Districts of Western Australia for economic nickel, copper, zinc, and vanadium deposits. In the Kalgoorlie District, Mithril is exploring for nickel on the Kurnalpi, Lignum Dam and North Scotia Projects which lie along strike from, or adjacent to previously mined high-grade nickel at the Silver Swan and Scotia Nickel Deposits. In the West Kimberley, Mithril is exploring for zinc on the Billy Hills Project which lies adjacent to the previously mined Pillara Zinc Deposit. In the Murchison, Mithril is exploring for copper, nickel and zinc mineralisation on the Nanadie Well Project and for copper, silver, zinc and lead on the Bangemall Base Metal Project. Mithril's exploration partner Monax Mining Ltd is also exploring for vanadium on the Limestone Well tenements. Militants on Tuesday attacked the joint forces of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and SOG (The Special Operations Group) with grenades in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Tuesday. Militants attacked a Central Reserve Police Force camp (CRPF) with a grenade in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Tuesday. The grenade, however, didn't explode. A CRPF jawan was injured in the cross-firing between the militants and the security forces, according to ANI. The firing began in retaliation after terrorists hurled a grenade. The incident took place at about 1.30 am on Tuesday at the camp of 183 battalion of CRPF in the area. The injured has been identified as CRPF jawan Moyeen Khan, a police official told PTI. The area has been cordoned off as other security agencies, including the Army, have joined the operation to track down the militants, the official. In a similar incident, militants on Monday shot a Territorial Army soldier, who had gone home to grieve the death of his son in a road accident a few days ago, in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier in the month, terrorists had hurled grenade at the CRPF party at Sangrama crossing in Sopore area injuring three security force personnel and one civilian. With inputs from PTI The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a Patna High Court order asking the CBI special director to set up a fresh team to probe Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case. The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a Patna High Court order asking the CBI special director to set up a fresh team to probe the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case. The high court had on 29 August ordered that a fresh team of investigators be constituted by Special Director of CBI Rakesh Asthana in the case. However, on Tuesday an SC bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said changing the CBI team at this stage will be detrimental to the ongoing investigation. Instead, the apex court gave a go-ahead to the team under CBI director Alok Verma. #muzaffarpurshelterhome Supreme Court stays Patna High Court order directing probe to be monitored by CBI special director Rakesh Aasthana. Court gives go ahead to team constituted by CBI Director Alok Verma to probe the matter. The Leaflet (@TheLeaflet_in) September 18, 2018 Attorney-General KK Venugopal told the court that the existing probe team carrying out the investigation was set up by the CBI director on 30 July. "We don't see any reason why the existing CBI team, probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, should be changed at this stage," the apex court said. It asked the high court to adjourn the matters regarding the case pending before it until further orders. Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of a state-funded NGO. The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by TISS to the state's social welfare department. The top court also asked the probe agency to place before it the two status reports of the probe in the case which were filed earlier before the Patna High Court and listed the matter for further hearing on 20 September. An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Thakur, on 31 May. The probe was taken over by the CBI. The incidents of alleged rape and sexual assault of the female inmates had come to light after a social audit was conducted by the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The Patna high court, which has been monitoring the probe, had on 23 August expressed displeasure over the leak of details of the investigation and asked the media to refrain from publishing it as it could be harmful to the probe. A plea was filed against this on 5 September in the apex court seeking a stay on the high court order restraining the media from reporting the investigation. In the plea filed before the apex court, the petitioner, a journalist, has claimed that there was no material before the high court to come to a conclusion that media reporting may hamper the ongoing investigation in the case. In all, the sexual abuse of 34 of the 42 inmates was confirmed in their medical examination. The TISS audit report had said that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints. The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani. Women staff members of the shelter home and Thakur were among those who were arrested by the police in connection with the case. With inputs from agencies The 130-kilometre India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. Dhaka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described the cooperation between India and Bangladesh as an example for the world as he and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the construction of a friendship pipeline project through video conferencing. The 130-kilometre India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The Rs 346 crore project will be completed in 30 months and the capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum. Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's visit to Dhaka. Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister described the cooperation between the two countries as an example for the world, according to an official statement. He said that the two countries were neighbours, geographically and family, emotionally, it said. Modi said the proposed pipeline will further energise, not just Bangladesh's economy, but also the relationship between the two countries. He said the project will boost the friendship between India and Bangladesh and the pipeline will help fulfil energy needs of Bangladesh at cheaper rates. Besides the pipeline, the two leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual-gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi section and the dual-gauge rail line in Tongi-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway. Modi said Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Railway project will improve connectivity between the two countries and generate more revenue. He expressed confidence that the proposed railway project will contribute to the process of strengthening national and urban transport in Bangladesh, the statement said. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Navjot Singh Sidhu's embrace with Pakistan army chief was unfortunate and demanded a response from Rahul Gandhi on the issue The BJP on Tuesday accused Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu of demeaning India and speaking as an agent of Pakistan by attempting to "justify" hugging Pakistani Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and claiming that Pakistan is willing to allow Sikh pilgrims access to a gurudwara on its territory. At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also demanded a response from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the issue, saying Sidhu has been speaking on the matter with his permission as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already condemned him over his conduct in Pakistan during the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan recently. He also accused Sidhu of meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj deceptively as she had given appointment to former Union minister MS Gill with whom, Patra alleged Sidhu tagged along. The BJP spokesperson said Swaraj reprimand Sidhu in their meeting on Monday for his conduct in Pakistan. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday that Sidhu's gesture of hugging Pakistan's army chief impacted soldiers back home and asserted that the Punjab minister could have "avoided it". Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Bajwa during his visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in of Imran Khan as Prime Minister. He had claimed that he did so as Bajwa told him that the Pakistan government was working for opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from Indian state of Punjab. Sidhu Monday met Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Union minister and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, however, claimed that Swaraj "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently. When Navjot Singh Sidhu met Sushma Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor the MEA 'reprimanded' the Punjab Congress minister for 'messing up' the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue The controversy over Navjot Singh Sidhu's Pakistan visit drags on even almost a month on from the Punjab minister's cross-border visit to attend Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony. In the latest development, Sidhu and Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Union Minister for Food and Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal sparred over the former's visit and his claims relating to the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Sidhu, in a press conference, claimed that he had taken the first step towards peace and asked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue of Kartarpur Sahib corridor for Sikh pilgrims from the Indian state of Punjab. However, Badal, in an almost parallelly held media address, flayed Sidhu for 'lying' on issues related to the Sikh faith to further his political agenda. While Sidhu said that the Pakistan government was waiting for official request from India to open the route, Badal claimed that Sidhu deliberately made it to appear like Islamabad is all ready to let in Punjabi pilgrims and the delay is from New Delhi's side. "I had written in my letter to EAM that 'kindly send a formal request from MEA to Government of Pakistan requesting an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage after current monsoon season... A formal request should go from India's side. EAM said to me, 'the draft is being prepared and I will write a letter'," Sidhu told reporters. However, Badal in turn wrote to the external affairs ministry and was seen citing another letter in her presser. "I wrote to the externa affairs minister that it's being portrayed that Pakistan government gave a green signal over Kartarpur corridor but our government is doing nothing from its side. However, I was shocked when I received the minister's reply stating that there's nothing like that. There is no official communique from Pakistan on this," Badal said. "He (Sidhu) said he hugged General (Qamar Javed Bajwa) as he said the Kartarpur corridor will be opened. But the truth is that no Pakistani government has so far communicated anything on this... Weeks passed, but the Congress minister couldn't produce any document to support his claim," Badal said. Challenging Sidhu, Badal said, "He is such a close friend (of Pakistan prime minister) that out of the entire cricket team only Navjot Sidhu was invited. Let him produce a letter from Pakistan granting this. The moment that letter is produced, within 24 hrs, I'll have the corridor put up by Government of India." Badal said, "I think he is a new agent that Pakistan has found and they are using him as a puppet and he is dancing to their tune. Let him dance and deliver to our people." Badal also claimed that Sidhu did not have a proper appointment with Swaraj and went into her office along with another senior Congress leader MS Gill. The controversy around Sidhu's visit was rekindled Monday when Sidhu met Swaraj in New Delhi and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Badal, however, claimed that Swaraj "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue. Badal also said that Swaraj accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently to attend Imran Khan's swearing-in as prime minister. Sidhu had kicked up a row by hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and claimed that he did so as Bajwa told him that the Pakistan government was working out the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from the Indian state of Punjab. The Indian Express reported that even though the Kartarpur issue had been discussed by Swaraj and Sidhu, the Indian government was waiting for an official statement on the matter from Pakistan. The report also said that Swaraj had, in fact, reprimanded Sidhu and told him that his behaviour in Pakistan went beyond the purpose of the visit. Swaraj also said the Kartarpur corridor matter should not be politicised, as it was a sensitive one. Times Now quoted Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh saying that, "Nothing has come from the (Pakistan) government's side. This issue has been going on for a very long time. If anything comes about, we will let you know." Sources said Sidhu met Swaraj along with another senior Congress leader and a former Rajya Sabha MP to discuss the issue with her. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate talks with Pakistan to transfer the Kartarpur corridor to India in return for an alternate piece of land. In a letter to the prime minister, the Rajya Sabha MP of the Congress asked him to show commitment to Sikhs across the country and give a "worthy gift" to them on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev, that falls next year. "It is my request that you, Sir, initiate bilateral talks with Pakistan on this issue and propose to transfer the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib corridor to India, in return for an alternate piece of land," he told the prime minister in his letter. Pratap Singh Bajwa, a former president of the Punjab Congress, said such a deal has historical precedent as in 1962, India swapped land for the area around Hussainiwala in Punjab, which housed the cremation site of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru. With inputs from PTI Navjot Singh Sidhu said it is the responsibility of the Indian government to send a formal request for the opening of Kartarpur corridor keeping in mind the sentiments of over 10 crore Sikhs, Punjabi and Sindhi community Chandigarh: Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Tuesday claimed that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has assured him of writing to the Pakistan government on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. When asked about Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal's claim that he was reprimanded by Swaraj during the meeting in Delhi on Monday, Sidhu refused to comment on the matter. "I have nothing to say. It is not a personal matter. They can abuse me as much as they want. Politics and religion should be separate," he said. Describing the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara as Sikhs' "own Mecca", Sidhu said it is the responsibility of the Indian government to make a formal request for opening of the Kartarpur corridor. He also said that the Pakistan had already shown "positive intent" in this regard. "During the 15-minute meeting with the Union minister, I explained about the necessity of opening of the corridor," said Sidhu while talking to reporters in Chandigarh. "It is the responsibility of the Indian government to send a formal request for the opening of the corridor keeping in mind the sentiments of over 10 crore Sikhs, Punjabi and Sindhi community," he said. Sidhu claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had already held a meeting with all stakeholders on this issue and his minister Fawad Chaudhary had also stated that Pakistan was willing to open the corridor and was waiting for India's formal affirmation in this regard. "She (Swaraj) heard me and said that a draft is being prepared and she will write a letter to Pakistan government," claimed Sidhu. "The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located in Pakistan and we want to go there (to pay obeisance). So we need to initiate talks and a formal request (for opening of passage) should go from our side," said Sidhu. Significantly, Union minister VK Singh said on Monday that India has "not received any proposal" from Pakistan to open the Kartarpur route. He claimed that the Indian government spends Rs 1,200 crore on facilitating the visit of Muslim pilgrims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. However, the Centre has stopped subsidising Haj yatra from 2018. On 2017, the government had spent only about Rs 250 crore on the annual pilgrimage. "For the Muslim community, Mecca is the most holy place and the Indian government sends 1.25 lakh Muslim brothers with the cost of Rs 1,200 crore out of the budget. I appreciate it and it is a very good work," he said. "Muslims go to mosque, Christians go to church, Jews pray at wailing wall. We go to Kailash Mansarovar, Tirupati. But since 1947, Sikhs could not go to their own Mecca. We are forbidden... please allow us to go to Kartarpur Sahib," Sidhu said. 9 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have written to the EU to cancel all agreements with India till all the activists arrested in connection with Bhima Koregaon have been released Nine Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have written to the European Union's (EU) highest official on foreign affairs and security policy, Federica Mogherini, to cancel all agreements with India till all the activists arrested in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon have been released. The letter, scathingly denunciatory in tone and content, was written on 12 September. It points out that all the people held those earlier arrested now lodged in prison and undergoing trial and those held at dawn on 28 August now under house arrest have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The letter describes this piece of legislation as 'one of the most barbaric laws, copied from the colonial law book'. It also details the plight of Professor GN Saibaba, a man with severe disabilities, who has been convicted for doing 'nothing but defend the rights of the Adivasis and Dalit people with words' and suggests that the conditions attending his incarceration are not only discriminatory, but could well amount to ill-treatment, perhaps even torture. The letter goes on to pose the following question in light of responses provided by the EU executive in response to questions posed in the European Parliament: "How can the European Commission have contacts and agreements with a government that defends that there are first and second class humans, indiscriminately kills the Adivasis, Dalits and religious minorities' population and imprisons human rights activists?" It concludes: "We urge for the cancellation of all the agreements with the Indian government until the human rights activists are released and the hunt against the Adivasi peoples, Dalits, religious minorities population and Kashmiri, Manipuri people is stopped". This incident raises several important questions: Some about the right of countries to 'interfere' in the sovereign rights of elected governments to conduct their affairs; some about the international image of the current regime in the global community; and still others about the character of a government prepared to use all the resources at its command to stifle dissent and repress marginal sections of the population. In this piece, we shall be concerned with examining a related but separate political question, without attempting to judge the validity of the action taken by the nine MEPs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent considerable time and energy on trying to promote his image and that of his government among leaders of developed nations that still have liberal democratic institutions and values. He has been to the US five times; Germany four times; France thrice; Japan, South Africa and the United Kingdom twice each; and Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain and Sweden once each. This is not meant by way of criticism either for his frequent absences or for the expenses incurred on these visits. It is meant to point to the heavy itinerary that Modi has taken on. It would not be unfair to hypothesise that this anxiety to engage with the leaders of what we could roughly call the western world stems from a certain perception of him in precisely those quarters because of the unchecked post-Godhra violence against Muslim citizens, when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. We all know that during Modi's tenure as CM, he was repeatedly denied a visa to travel to the US. Modi, as we know, later successfully reinvented himself as a champion of development; it was on the basis of that reinvention to a significant extent that he became the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate. And, again, it was his new image, sedulously cultivated, that helped set forth the 'Modi wave' and helped his party win a single-party majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014. But then the responsibility to deliver the promised fruits of development rested on his shoulders alone, especially given his style of unilateral functioning which marginalises all other leaders, including 'senior' members of his Cabinet: He carries about him, as many observers have noted, whether in a critical or adulatory tone, a presidential aura. If in these circumstances, Modi was to deliver, it was absolutely critical for him to transform his image in the west, both among the political class and within the entrepreneurial class, which would deliver the investment that was needed to promote development. The problem, as soon became apparent, was that Modi, and his party and government decided to adopt a two-pronged strategy: On the one hand, they proclaimed to the public their commitment not just to development, but also to good, transparent governance (the much-hyped su-raj); on the other, to keep its core political constituency mobilised and to gain further political support, they decided to pursue their established ideological agenda Hindutva, with all the trappings of exclusivism, majoritarianism and the marginalisation of groups seen to be inimical to the basic values of Hindutva. Principal among them, obviously, was the Muslim 'community', but the Christians the other major denominational minority were not far behind. Thus, the draconian laws not just against cow slaughter, but also the possession and consumption of beef, followed by the vigilante actions that came to be known as cow/beef lynching, encouraged or winked at by the authorities in BJP-ruled states, with the nominally tacit backing of the Central government and the top leadership of the party. Thus also the spate of statements issued by responsible leaders, including ministers both in the Central government and in several state governments, that sought to denigrate the minorities (one only has to recall the Bihar Assembly election campaign), undermine their confidence in the system and create among them a palpable sense of fear. Unfortunately, all this has been noted in several western countries. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has, for instance, been severely critical of the Modi regime in successive annual reports (see, for instance). Several international bodies, including human rights organisations, have noted India's drift away from policies of inclusion and tolerance. One report has noted: "In 2016, a global index of human rights and social and religious freedoms by Pew Research Center placed India among the worst 10 of the worlds 198 countries when judged for 'social hostilities')." The knee-jerk reaction to such criticism would be to descry them as motivated; in fact, that is precisely what often happens. The point, however, is that it does not help Modi, or the present regime, achieve the objective of sanitising his image in western or other democratic capitals and countries. The MEP letter will surely not herald a change of policy on the part of the EU, but it is a slap on the face of the current regime, not just because it highlights the attacks on minorities and others, but also because it shines a light on the direction in which India seems to be headed. The crucial signposts on that road are the further breakdown of the rule of law in the country and the present regimes active involvement in bringing that about. The big lesson that Modi and his regime need to learn that you can either subvert the system or work on development. You dont need to have a degree in law and economics to figure out that broken machinery for the enforcement of the rule of law and sharpening social cleavages that lead to violent outbursts are not exactly what encourages investors, domestic or foreign, to put their money into 'making' in India. And, of course, that the world is always watching. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was admitted to the AIIMS here for a health checkup on Tuesday, a source at the hospital said. New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was admitted to the AIIMS here for a health checkup on Tuesday, a source at the hospital said. Kumar (67) was admitted to the private ward of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) around 8.30 am, the source said. The chief minister was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and problems in his eyes and knees. The exact diagnosis is yet to be known, the source said. The NSUI claimed that the DUSU president, ABVP's Ankiv Baisoya, had submitted a false marksheet from Thiruvalluvar University to get admission at the Delhi University. New Delhi: The Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has alleged that newly elected Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president of RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had submitted fake documents to gain admission to the varsity. The ABVP, however, said the university allowed Ankiv Baisoya's admission after due verification of the documents he submitted. The NSUI released a letter from Thiruvalluvar University, sent in response to a communication from the student body. It stated that the BA certificate Baisoya submitted from the university was fake. The NSUI said that Baisoya had presented a marksheet for admission to the MA (Buddhist Studies) course, but Thiruvalluvar University clearly refused they had enrolled a student of such name, and a marksheet of that serial number was not in their records. In a statement, the ABVP called the NSUI allegation propaganda. "DU gave admission to Ankiv Baisoya after due verification of its documents. It's the process of DU. Even today, DU has all the right to verify documents of any student enrolled in the university. But it's not the job of the NSUI to provide certificates to any person. DU has all the right to verify documents of not only Baisoya but all DUSU office-bearers to stop rumours in future," the ABVP said. RSS-affiliated student outfit bagged three posts, including that of the president, in the DUSU elections last week. Baisoya won the presidential post with a margin of 1,744 votes, while ABVP's Shakti Singh was declared the vice-president after he won by a margin of 7,673 votes. NSUI's Akash Choudhary won the secretary's post and ABVP's Jyoti emerged victorious as the joint-secretary. Annual Report to Shareholders Canberra, Sep 19, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alt Resources Ltd ( ASX:ARS ) provides the Company's Annual Report to shareholders.Letter from the ChairmanDear ShareholdersI would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of the Company and the exploration and development projects we hold.This time last year the Board and Executive undertook a review of operations and our portfolio of assets and as part of this process defined a strategy to transform the Company from an exploration operation to a near term emerging gold developer.Over the past 12 months we have implemented the strategy, firstly acquiring the Bottle Creek Gold Project located in the Mt Ida gold belt in the northern goldfields of WA via an Option to Purchase Agreement. The Bottle Creek mining leases were the key strategic asset in the Mt Ida area and upon securing these assets it enabled the successful negotiation to acquire the significant package of tenements surrounding Bottle Creek mining leases from ASX listed Latitude Consolidated Limited, creating the Mt Ida Gold Project covering an area of 360 square kilometres.Drilling at Bottle Creek commenced in March 2018 delivering consistent outstanding high grade gold and silver results across the project area which has been very evident in the company reporting of exploration results to the ASX confirming our view that Bottle Creek is an extremely robust high quality asset.Since the acquisition of Bottle Creek we have produced the first maiden resource from Bottle Creek of 110,000oz of Au and 650,000oz of Ag adding to the existing Mt Ida resources of 97,000oz Au. The staff have delivered this result in less than 5 months and at a cost of under $10.00 per resource ounce which is an outstanding effort. Additionally we have recently completed a second stage of RC drilling at Bottle Creek that in the near future will provide a resource upgrade which will be announced when completed.More importantly we have delivered approximately 75,000oz of 110,000oz in the indicated category which at optimization will then fall into the probable category as an ore reserve in a mining cycle, creating significant uplift in value as the project progresses.The Board and Executive of the Company remain aligned with our shareholders in that we are all shareholders in the Company. The Directors and Executive all accept shares in lieu of reduced cash payments for their service.Our focus over the next 12 months is to progress the Bottle Creek and Mt Ida Gold Project into a development project with particular emphasis on expanding the gold resources to a level that will sustain a 500,000 ton per annum processing plant for a minimum of 5 years. The Company will fast track and expand operations at the Bottle Creek and Mt Ida projects in WA and will continue to evaluate gold opportunities in this state. WA is recognised as one of the top 3 jurisdictions globally to operate mining and exploration and Australia is the second largest gold producer.The Company intends to undertake an independent valuation of the Paupong project in 2019 and may offer the project up for larger companies to vend into the project. The Board and geological staff consider that the Paupong IRG system is a large scale project with potential for significant mineral system discovery.The Company has a dedicated team of exploration staff who are integral in the success of our projects and their development. We are a small Company delivering some very good results with limited resources and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work over the past year.I take this opportunity to welcome Mr Andrew Sparke to the Board of the Company as Executive Director of Corporate Finance. The Board is confident that his knowledge and experience will be of great value to our company in our transition to an emerging gold developer.We look forward to an exciting future with our projects and recent acquisitions and to your continued support.To view the report, please visit:About Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd is an Australian based mineral exploration company that aims to become a gold producer by exploiting historical and new gold prospects across quality assets and to build value for shareholders. In his petition, ML Sharma has alleged discrepancies in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France and sought a stay on it. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a plea seeking a stay on the Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France. A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and KM Joseph adjourned the matter till 10 October after petitioner advocate ML Sharma told the bench that he wanted to file some additional documents in the case and sought adjournment in the matter. "You yourself circulated a letter seeking adjournment on the ground of ill health. Now you are saying that you want to file additional documents. We are simply adjourning the matter to 10 October," the bench said. In his petition, Sharma has alleged discrepancies in the fighter jet deal with France and sought a stay on it. Sharma has said in his plea that the inter-government agreement to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets must be quashed as it was an "outcome of corruption" and not ratified by Parliament under Article 253 (Parliament has power to make any law for implementing any inter-government agreement) of the Constitution. The petition has also sought lodging of an FIR and prosecution of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former defence Minister and present Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, business tycoon Anil Ambani and French armament firm Dassault, along with recovery of the amount. A similar plea was filed in the apex court in March this year seeking an independent probe into the Rafale deal and disclosure of the cost involved in it before Parliament. The plea, filed by Congress leader Tehseen S Poonawalla, had sought issuance of a direction against the Centre on why the Union Cabinet's approval was not sought as part of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) before signing the procurement deal with France on 23 September, 2016. Rafale deal is a defence agreement signed between the governments of India and France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircrafts in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. Indian Air Force had advanced a proposal to buy 126 fighter aircraft in August 2007 and floated a tender. Following this, an invitation was sent to various aviation companies to participate in the bidding process. Poonawalla had claimed in his plea that the MoD had withdrawn the 2007 tender for procurement of 126 fighter planes, while the deal announced for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft was altogether a fresh procurement. His plea said that in 2012, the deal for 126 fighter aircraft was proposed by the then UPA government, and out of the total of 126, 18 Rafale fighter jets were to be delivered by Dassault Aviation company in a fly-away condition, while the remaining 108 were to be manufactured in India at the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a transfer of technology agreement. Shambhulal Regar, the man arrested for burning and lynching a Muslim man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand, is all set to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Agra, according to media reports. Shambhulal Regar, the man arrested for burning and lynching a Muslim man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand will most likely contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Agra, according to media reports. He has been offered a ticket by the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, a lesser known political outfit in UP, and he has reportedly accepted the offer. "The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena has decided that for the Agra Lok Sabha seat, the party's candidate will be Shambhulal Regar. He will contest the election from inside Jodhpur jail, where he is currently lodged," Amit Jani, national president of the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, told News18. "We want only Hindutva faces to contest elections on our party's tickets and there can be nobody better than him. We will soon make a formal announcement," Jani said, according to the News18 report. In December 2017, Regar had hacked to death a Bengali migrant worker, Mohd Afrazul who was working in Rajsamand. Justifying the act, he had said in a video message, that he burnt the man to save a girl from love jihad. Jihadists, leave our country or you will meet the same fate, he was seen as saying in the video. In March 2018, the murder accused was honoured in Jodhpur on the occasion of Ram Navami and a tableau was taken out by some men in his honour, local media reported. And it is due the rise in his popularity among the Hindu community in the state, that he has been offered a political entry. The Agra seat is reserved for members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and is currently held by BJP's Ramshankar Katheria, the chairman of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC). According to the News18 report, Jani defended giving ticket to Regar saying that, "people like Atique Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari and Raja Bhaiyya have far more serious cases against their names" and even Shahabuddin contested elections, therefore Regar should be given a chance as "he is innocent until proven guilty - a murder accused, not a murderer." However, Jani himself has been arrested in the past for threats to JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar and in October 2017, a FIR was registered against him for asking people from various Hindu organisations to illegally gather at Taj Mahal. Speaking to the media over the matter, Peter's lawyer Sushmita Nair said, 'They (Indrani and Peter) were sent for counseling today. At the final day of the divorce, they might again be counseled on the orders of the court.' Mumbai: Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, imprisoned for their alleged role in their daughter Sheena Bora's murder, filed for divorce in Mumbai court on Tuesday. Speaking to the media over the matter, Peter's lawyer Sushmita Nair said, "They (Indrani and Peter) were sent for counseling today. At the final day of the divorce, they might again be counseled on the orders of the court." The lawyer further informed that all the immovable properties, financial settlement and personal belongings such as jewellery, furniture, paintings, watches, etc will be divided between the two after mutual consent. This was Indrani and Peter's second marriage. They got married in the year 2002. Indrani has been lodged at Mumbai's Byculla jail since her arrest in 2015 while Peter is jailed at Arthur Road Jail. In 2012, Indrani along with Peter and his former husband Sanjeev Khanna allegedly murdered Sheena over a financial dispute. The alleged crime was uncovered three years later in 2015. Indrani came under the police radar after her driver, Shyamvar Rai, who got arrested in another case in August 2015, revealed the murder plot. The police then arrested Indrani, Khanna and the driver for the alleged murder. Peter was put behind bars later for allegedly being involved in the murder. Their trial is underway at the special CBI court in Mumbai. Tamilisai Soundarajan defended the BJP party functionary who was seen on video shoving a man who had approached her to ask about rising fuel prices BJP Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday visited an autorickshaw driver, whose alleged manhandling after he posed a question to her on rising fuel prices triggered a controversy and enquired about his well-being. The BJP leader's visit to the residence of Kathir in the city came a day after a video clip purportedly showing the man being shoved aside went viral on the social media, drawing widespread criticism of her. After the visit, Tamilisai told reporters that she called on the driver as a "wrong depiction" was being made out regarding the incident. A Friendly visit to house of Auto driver kathir today who wanted to speak to me.he himself acknowledged that no one hurted him. Request media friends to ignore false propoganda. pic.twitter.com/vcHEZ27x76 Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (@DrTamilisaiBJP) September 18, 2018 Earlier on Tuesday Tamilisai had defended her co-worker who was criticised for shoving an auto driver who questioned the party president about rising fuel prices at an event in Saidapet. The video which captured the incident went viral on social media and many criticised Tamilisai's silence to the scene unfolding behind her. Jumping in to defend the behaviour of her co-worker and BJP leader V Kalidass before the media, Soundarajan claimed that the auto driver was pushed because he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The state BJP chief clarified that she was answering to a query by a reporter when the autorickshaw driver also asked his question. Soundarajan claimed that although it appeared that she was smiling, she was actually in conversation with the reporter. Soundarajan admitted that she had heard the question of the autorickshaw driver but did not notice the scenes happening behind her. She claimed that the driver was removed as her supporters were concerned about other people's safety as well. Media is projecting as if I was smiling when he was beaten up. I had heard his question, coincidently media's question was the same, so I was answering. I didn't notice what happened behind me: TN BJP Chief T Soundararajan on auto-driver pushed & hit by BJP leader V Kalidass pic.twitter.com/2UiGaWdGSh ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018 It was my co-worker who pushed him aside as he (auto driver) was under influence of alcohol. But it was projected as if I was smiling. If it happened it's wrong, but he was removed because people around me were concerned about others' safety too: TN BJP Chief T Soundararajan pic.twitter.com/C6lmsYARuy ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018 In the brief video clip, a man emerges from behind the gathering and moves towards Soundararajan fielding questions from reporters. He can be heard asking her about the rising fuel prices and immediately a party functionary shoves him aside. Soundararajan answers the question but does not turn around to see the man who posed the question. When contacted, the BJP state unit chief told PTI, "The man was not manhandled as is being claimed by some channels. I did not even see him, but I did answer his question." Since the identity of the man was not known and as it was about 12.30 am, party workers as part of security measures took him away, she said. Later, the auto driver told reporters that he was "misunderstood" by the BJP men. "I only tried to vent my grievance. The petrol price hike is hurting drivers like me more." He said he does not own an autorickshaw and only hires it for a daily fee. "We have to buy fuel at a high cost and try to make ends meet which is becoming impossible," he said. With inputs from PTI According to Telangana Police, Amrutha Varshini's father Maruti Rao, who was opposed to her marriage, conspired with other accused to eliminate her husband and also paid an advance of Rs 15 lakh to the assailants Hyderabad: Seven people, including two men acquitted in the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya, were arrested for the recent alleged honour killing of a Dalit Christian man in Telangana's Nalgonda district, police said Tuesday. The killing of the 23-year-old P Pranay Kumar, who had married an upper caste woman Amrutha Varshini, at Miryalguda in Nalgonda district on 14 September had sparked an outrage in the state. "Amrutha's father Maruti Rao, who she had accused of being behind her husband's murder along with her uncle Shravan, was among those arrested in what turned out to be a case of contract killing of Rs 1 crore," Nalgonda police chief AV Ranganath told reporters. "Rao, who was opposed to the marriage of his daughter, conspired with other accused to eliminate Kumar and also paid an advance of Rs 15 lakh,"Ranganath said. Shocking CCTV footage of the incident showed Kumar walking out of a hospital in Miryalguda with his pregnant wife when the assailant, who was later identified as Subhash Kumar Sharma, paced up and attacked him with a machete from behind, killing him instantaneously. "Amrutha, from 'vaishya' community, had claimed Monday her father and uncle were behind the attack as they strongly disapproved of her marrying a Dalit Christian. Sharma, who attacked Pranay, was apprehended from Samastipur in Bihar and is being brought to Nalgonda on a transit warrant," the SP said. Asghar Ali and Abdul Bari, who were acquitted in the the murder of Haren Pandya, hail from Nalgonda. "Ali was earlier arrested in Haren Pandya murder case. He was convicted by a lower court but acquitted by the high court. Ali is involved in several other cases also. Bari was also an accused in the murder case of Pandya," the officer said. Pranay and Amrutha, who were in love since their school days, got married in January 2018. "Since 9 August, the hired killers conducted recee of different places before executing their plan last Friday," police said. The incident had triggered protests by some Dalit groups in Nalgonda. Amrutha, who claimed her father insisted on her ending the marriage, said she will give birth to Pranay's child and ensure justice is done to him. She has also refused to return to her paternal home. The SP said Maruthi Rao pressured his daughter to get the foetus aborted but failed. "Rao had recently joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), while another accused Abdul Kareem, a transport operator, is a local Congress leader. Abdul Bari is an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) worker," the officer said. Militants, who were posing as reporters, shot dead a Territorial Army soldier, Mukhtar Ahmad Malik on Monday. Malik had gone home to grieve the death of his son in a road accident a few days ago, in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Militants, who were posing as reporters, shot dead a Territorial Army soldier, Mukhtar Ahmad Malik on Monday. Malik had gone home to grieve the death of his son in a road accident a few days ago, in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The militants barged into the house of Malik at Churat in Kulgam and shot at him from a close range, a police official said. The official said Malik died on the spot. Maliks relatives told The Indian Express that the suspected militants posed as reporters, and said they wanted to meet Malik. They (militants) went inside the room where mourners were sitting, said the relative. Once they spotted him, they fired at him and rushed out. An official said Malik was on leave to perform the last rites of his son, who died in a road accident a few days ago. "The Corps Commander and all ranks condole the death of Malik, who was killed in a dastardly act by the terrorists today at his native village," the official said. He said the Army "stands in solidarity with the martyr's family and assures full support at this hour of grief and in future". According to The Indian Express report, villagers alleged that Malik was notorious in Kulgam in the late nineties. They also claimed that he was responsible for many civilian killings and that was involved in the killing of former legislator Abdul Razaq Mir. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee dubbed the allegations by Opposition as baseless and said they should refrain from scoring political brownie points when Mamata Banerjee is out in a foreign country Kolkata: The Opposition Congress and BJP Tuesday mocked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her foreign visits seeking investments and said the state government should publish a white paper on the amount of investments that the state has received in last few years. Stating that she was invited by industrialists, businessmen and the governments of the two European countries, Banerjee on Sunday left for a 12-day trip to Germany and Italy to attract investments to the state. "Earlier also she has visited several foreign countries but not a single rupee has come to the state. Every year the state government organises Global Bengal Business Summit but we don't know its result," state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said. "The state government should publish a white paper on the amount of investment the state has received in the last seven years after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came to power," Chowdhury said. "We too want investments and industry for the state but we don't want to be fooled by the state government. The chief minister has turned those foreign trips into her annual European holiday programme," he said. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha also echoed the views of Chowdhury and said instead of undertaking foreign trips, she should concentrate on good governance. "When markets are burning and bridges are collapsing due to lack of maintenance, our chief minister is roaming around in a foreign nation enjoying holiday in the name of seeking investments. She should stop such theatrics. People of this state can no longer be fooled," he said. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee dubbed the allegations as baseless and said the Opposition should refrain from scoring political brownie points when the chief minister is out in a foreign country. "Such comments not only demean our chief minister but also demean our country's prestige at the international level," Chatterjee said. West Bengal government is formulating it and the final decision will be taken once chief minister returns from her foreign tour, said a minister. Kolkata: The West Bengal government is planning to formulate a new policy on fire safety for commercial buildings in the city in the wake of the massive fire that gutted Bagree Market in Kolkata. Commercial buildings would not be granted trade licenses if they fail to follow fire safety rules, a senior minister, who did not wish to be identified, said. "We are planning to come up with a policy soon. We are formulating it and the final decision will be taken once the chief minister returns from her foreign tour," he told PTI on Monday. "There are several commercial buildings in the city and we must have better fire safety measures for them," he said. Trade licenses would not be granted if such buildings fail to follow the fire safety norms specified by the government, the minister said. Many commercial buildings are quite old and there are no proper fire safety measures. They are functioning with the same infrastructure for all these years, without paying heed to the advise of the fire department and the city municipal corporation, he said. They take money from the business enterprises who have shops in those buildings, the minister said. As per the proposed policy, all commercial buildings should have separate water reservoirs for emergency purposes only, he said. The massive fire at Bagree Market on Sunday gutted at least 1,000 business establishments inside the G+5 building. The Supreme Court noted that in media reports, too many details of the Rewari gangrape survivor had been shared, which could help identify the 19-year-old. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday took strong note of media reporting in the Rewari gangrape case, asking why no action has been taken against media houses for flouting the law as "everything has been said" about the 19-year-old survivor. "Where should we draw the line... We are concerned about the identity of the victim," a bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. The apex court made the observations while dealing with a plea challenging a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting on the investigation into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, where several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused over time. The bench said: "There are certain problems. Recently, there was a case of a girl being raped in Rewari (in Haryana). They (the media) say she was a topper in a CBSE exam. A topper means one person, not 20 people. So identifying her is not a problem." "Secondly, I have seen on TV channels that they have talked to her father. The camera was placed behind the father. But there are 50 people from the village standing in front of him. So they know who she is. In a situation like this, where is the question of anonymity?" Justice Lokur asked senior lawyer Shekhar Naphade, who was appearing for the petitioner. Naphade said anything that discloses the identity of the survivor has to be stopped, and "the dignity of the person has to be protected". To this, the bench said "there are live instances of flouting of Section 228A (which deals with the disclosure of the identity of such victims) of the Indian Penal Code". When the counsel said that a news broadcasting authority already existed, the bench asked, "Have these TV channels been hauled up? We are giving you instances from yesterday. Tell us how to stop it." When the bench asked Attorney General KK Venugopal about media reporting in the Rewari gangrape case, the top law officer said that such channels could be prosecuted by the State. "For law and order, the State is responsible. Once this is brought to your notice, the court can also issue a notice and ask the state what action they have taken on this. TV channels can also be asked to respond to this. It will have a reformatory measure," the Attorney General of India said. During the hearing, Naphade said the court should pass directions in this regard, and any breach or violation would constitute contempt. "You will have to create such a structure where accountability has to be fixed. We have to identify the authority. In case of television, it has to be the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Some mechanism has to be there," he told the bench. To this, the bench asked "what action the Press Council of India has taken in the Rewari case". Naphade said it was "unfortunate" that no action has been taken yet in the matter against the media. Advocate Aparna Bhat, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, said the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act says that the State could initiate prosecution in such cases, but no action has been taken yet. When Naphade said that magistrates could take cognisance on their own in such matters, the bench said "the magistrates are already overloaded with work". The senior counsel then said that "social engineering" was needed to deal with the issue and he would give suggestions as to how to proceed in such matters. However, the amicus curiae said that the media has been playing a critical role in unearthing such cases and what was required to be cured was "sensationalism" by the media. "We are also concerned about the identity of the victim. In the Rewari case, apart from giving the name of the girl, everything has been said....where should we draw the line," the bench asked. The court posted the matter for further hearing on 20 September. It also made it clear that the high court's 23 August order restraining the media would not apply to the proceedings pending before the top court. The plea, challenging the high court order restraining the media, was filed by a Patna-based journalist through advocate Fauzia Shakil. The petition, which has sought a stay on the order, has alleged that the order was "patently erroneous" as it amounted to imposing a "blanket ban" on media reporting in the shelter home case. UPDATE 10:19 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 - One officer was killed and another was injured following a shootout in Rancho Cordova on Sept. 18. Deputies responded to a call of a dispute between a man and an employee at a Pep Boy's auto shop. When deputies arrived, a suspect opened fire, hitting and killing 27-year-old deputy Mark Stasyuk. The suspect also hit another deputy in the arm and wounded a nearby bystander. The gunman was also hit by returned gunfire. All three people injured are expected to survive. "It's an incredible hole that never quite gets filled in the hearts of our department but it's also the community that's suffered because the city of Rancho Cordova, and in fact, the entire county, has suffered a loss as well," said Scott Jones, sheriff for the Sacramento Police Department. This is the second time in a little over a year aSacramentoo county deputy has been killed in the line of duty. Stasyuk was a four-year veteran of the department. RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. - Two police officers were shot today in Sacramento County after responding to a call for service. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said that the incident occurred in the area of Folsom Boulevard and Olsen Drive at around 2 p.m. Four people were taken to the hospital according to the Sacramento Metro Fire. The conditions of those people, as well as the officers, are unknown. KCRA is reporting that there is a suspect in custody. Stay with KHSL Channel 12 and actionnewsnow.com for the latest updates as they become available. A two-term Lok Sabha member and three-term MLA, Ajay Maken's presence is of importance if the party needs to work towards gaining its lost ground in Delhi. Even if Ajay Maken doesn't resign as Delhi Congress chief, his ill-health which has been confirmed by the party is in all likelihood an indication that the senior leader will not be as active as expected in this crucial year ahead of the General Elections next year. Maken's reduced presence is likely to come as a blow to the already beleaguered Congress in Delhi. He is one of the most well-known faces of the party in the capital. Sheila Dikshit, the former Congress chief minister who ruled Delhi for 15 years has not been active ever since she lost the last Assembly election. Though Congress has denied the resignation of the Delhi Congress president, it has admitted that he has been on a leave due to health reasons and has gone for a checkup. Right from the morning on Tuesday, rumours were abuzz that Maken has tendered his resignation. But, later during the day, Delhi Congress in-charge PC Chacko clarified that Maken had gone for a medical check-up due to some health problem. He has temporarily stepped down for his checkup and informed Congress president and me. He would be back by 22 September, Chacko reportedly said. New Delhi district Congress president, Virendra Kasana, whos close to Maken, denied the rumour of Delhi Congress chiefs resignation. Ajay Makenji hasnt resigned. Due to some health issues, he has gone for a checkup. He had recently met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party in-charge of Delhi affairs PC Chacko, Kasana told Firstpost. Following the debacle in Delhi Assembly election in 2015, Maken stepped down as the Congress general secretary. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had put the blame of the drubbing Congress suffered on Maken. As a result, both had a face-off for quite some time but later reconciled. Importance of Ajay Maken Maken is not just another leader in Delhi Congress. A two-term Lok Sabha member and three-term MLA, Maken's presence is of importance if the party needs to work towards gaining its lost ground in Delhi. Having been a locally-groomed leader his political career began as a student leader when he became president of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) in 1985 he knows the National Capital Region better than most others and individually, enjoys faith of even those voters who are anti-Congress. Despite being Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president, Maken has been actively involved during DUSU election and has a strong presence at the campus. As PCC president, he has always been actively involved in DUSU elections, former NSUI leader Neeraj Mishra said. Besides being the Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly at the age of 39, Maken was the youngest Union Cabinet minister from Congress party, who held several portfolios. Maken is equally popular among trade union leaders and activists. The credit goes to his uncle, late Lalit Maken, who was a known trade union leader. After the assassination of Lalit and his wife, Ajay joined active politics. Ajay Maken follows his uncles legacy. Hes still popular among workers and actively takes up trade union issues. His impending health issue may prove detrimental for Delhi Congress. We all expect him to get back soon for the benefit of the party, an associate of Maken and also a member of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) said. His importance was not lost on the central leadership when in May last year, he had resigned as the Delhi Congress chief after the party suffered heavily at the civic polls. The then Congress vice-president Rahul had not accepted his resignation and had asked him to continue. He was strongly opposed to the Congress joining hands with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during 2019 election. On Tuesday, Chacko clarified that Congress wouldnt go for any tie-up with AAP. It is an open secret that there is a dearth of stellar leadership in the Delhi unit of the Congress party. Besides Maken, there's hardly any leader who enjoys mass, popular support, or even a name recall. That's a tough situation in a city that it ruled for 15 years and then lost ignominiously to the AAP the capital will go to the polls to elect its Assembly in a little over a year from now and the leadership deficit will place the party in a sticky situation. The bigger challenge is right next year 2019 Lok Sabha election. Soundararajan answered the question but did not turn around to see the man who posed the question, while the BJP cadres pushed him aside. Chennai: A video clip purportedly showing an autorickshaw driver being shoved aside, while questioning Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan over rising fuel prices, has gone viral Monday. In the brief clip a man emerges from behind the gathering and moves towards Soundararajan fielding questions from reporters. He can be heard asking her about the rising fuel prices and immediately a party functionary shoves him aside. Soundararajan answers the question but does not turn around to see the man who posed the question. She was speaking to reporters after the conclusion of a cultural event here involving folk artistes in the early hours to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. When contacted, the BJP state unit chief told PTI, "the man was not manhandled as is being claimed by some channels. I did not even see him, but I did answer his question." Since the identity of the man was not known and as it was about 12.30 am, party workers as part of security measures took him away, she said. Later, the auto driver told reporters that he was "misunderstood," by the BJP men. "I only tried to vent my grievance.The petrol price hike is hurting drivers like me more." He said he does not own an autorickshaw and only hires it for a daily fee. "We have to buy fuel at a high cost and try to make ends meet which is becoming impossible," he added. Congress legislators in Goa on Tuesday met Governor Mridula Sinha and demanded a floor test by the BJP-led government to prove its majority in the Assembly. Panaji: Congress legislators in Goa on Tuesday met Governor Mridula Sinha and demanded a floor test by the BJP-led government to prove its majority in the Assembly. The move by the Opposition Congress, which has staked claim to form an alternate government, came at a time when 62-year-old Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is admitted in the AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment. The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test. Kavlekar said the governor assured them that she would get back on the issue in the next three-four days. During the meeting with the governor, the Congress MLAs contended that the Parrikar-led coalition falls short of a majority in the 40-member Assembly and that the Congress has the required numbers to form the government. "Let the state government prove on the floor that they have majority or else we can show that we have more legislators than them," Kavlekar told reporters after meeting Sinha. The Congress has 16 seats in the Assembly. The state is being ruled by the BJP with the support of Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), NCP and Independents. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, GFP and MGP have three each and NCP has one. There are also three Independents. In Delhi, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said the Congress move reflected the level of desperation to grab power. "The chief minister is ill. He is not staying away from work otherwise. The Congress sees a chance as the CM is ill. It just shows what is the level of desperation (of Congress). Honestly, I feel sad for it," she said at a media interaction. The Congress legislators also urged the governor not to allow dissolution of the Assembly. Kavlekar said the BJP might force dissolution of the Assembly and another election in just one-and-a-half year. The Assembly polls in the state were held in February last year. "The BJP has a habit of recommending dissolution of the House when they dont have numbers with them. The governor should not allow such action in Goa as Congress is the single largest party in the House," Kavlekar said. "We dont want another election within one-and-a-half years," the Congress leader added. "If the (BJP-led) coalition can't run the government, then we are ready to take over," he said. Kavlekar said a "race has begun within the government for chief ministership" as Parrikar is hospitalised. "Some of the BJP leaders are in touch with us as they are upset because their own party is talking about hiring the leaders from outside for CM's post," he claimed. Kavlekar said the Congress will announce its chief ministerial candidate when the governor summons one-day session of the Assembly to conduct a floor test. "There is absolutely no dispute amongst us on who would be the chief minister. We will reveal the name when floor test is called," he said. Congress Legislature Party had on Monday submitted a memorandum to the governor's office on Monday but could not meet the governor as she was out of station. BJP leader Ram Lal, who along with two other leaders, had been deputed by the central leadership in Panaji to take stock of the political situation, had said on Monday that the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership. He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members. He said the BJP's alliance partners the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Independents conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party. Earlier too, the Congress had staked claim on 18 May, 2018 to form the government in Goa, citing the example of Karnataka where the largest party BJP was invited to form the government after the Assembly polls threw up a fractured verdict. The Congress had said that it had not been invited to form the government in Goa after the Assembly polls in March last year despite it emerging as the largest single party. The party had also met Governor on 7 September, 2018 urging her to intervene as State Administration was suffering due to sickness of the chief minister. Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said it was doubtful whether the Congress leader knows when rabi and kharif crops are grown. Jaipur: Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said it was doubtful whether the Congress leader knows when rabi and kharif crops are grown and alleged the Opposition party cannot protect farmers' interest. Addressing farmers at a function in Nagaur district of poll-bound Rajasthan, Shah also said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not give slogans merely for elections and they know how to make them a reality. He lauded Rajasthan for playing an important role in formation of the Modi government at the Centre with a huge majority. The BJP won all 25 Lok Sabha seats from the state in the 2014 general elections. Hailing the Rajasthan voters for giving a full majority to the BJP, Shah said there could have been a "dhulmul sarkar" (weak government) if Rajasthan had not given such a verdict. The BJP president alleged the Congress can neither protect the country nor its farmers as it has failed to implement the slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. Asking farmers to vote for the BJP, Shah said the BJP governments in the state and at the Centre have worked hard for the agriculture sector and were committed to meet the target of doubling farmers' income by 2022. He said the Modi government has worked for farmers ever since it came to power and has taken many decisions, including launch of soil health card, increase of minimum support price for rabi and kharif crops, lowering area covered for calculating compensation of damage to crops from 50 to 33 percent, and neem-coating of urea. "To stand with farmers is the nature of the BJP. The BJP government is dedicated to farmers and has worked for them. We want to double farmers' income by 2022 when the country completes 75 years of independence. Only BJP can do this," he said. Targeting Gandhi, he said that it was doubtful that the Congress leader knows when rabi crops or kharif crops are grown, referring to the two main crop seasons in the country based on the monsoon. Shah has been touring different places in Rajasthan where Assembly elections are scheduled to take place later this year. Referring to the forthcoming elections, Shah said the Congress would contest the state polls in Sachin Pilot's leadership and asked farmers whether the Congress leader or anyone else can do any good for them. The BJP president said the Modi government has spent more budget on agriculture sector as compared to the former UPA government and the growth rate in agriculture sector in BJP-ruled states was high than that of the Congress-rule states. Shah also targeted the Congress over the issue of national security, saying when soldiers were beheaded on borders, the then PM Manmohan Singh was mute but Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied with a 'surgical strike' when Uri attack in Jammu & Kashmir happened during his rule. In Udaipur, he said the BJP has always taken care of tribals and that it was the Atal Bihari-led BJP government which set up a separate tribal affairs ministry. He said that the Modi government also took several decisions for the welfare of tribal people. Shah also visited Narayana Seva Sansthan, an NGO working for differently abled people, in Udaipur. He inaugurated a free surgery camp for 501 polio-affected children in the Sansthan. The BJP chief, during his three-day visit which concluded Tuesday, focused on farmers, youths, OBCs and tribal people and their issues. Shah visited Pali, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bhilwara and Udaipur districts and party workers from three divisions of Jodhpur, Ajmer and Udaipur attended Shakti Sammelans and other programmes held during the party president's visit that began on Sunday. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was busy with her Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, she was in Jaipur. Goa Congress legislators will meet Governor Mridula Sinha Tuesday evening with a demand for dismissal of the Manohar Parrikar-led government. Panaji: Goa Congress legislators will meet Governor Mridula Sinha Tuesday evening with a demand for dismissal of the Manohar Parrikar-led government and allowing the Opposition party to stake claim for forming an alternate government. The move comes at a time when 62-year-old Parrikar is admitted in the AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment. Goa is being ruled by the BJP-led alliance headed by Parrikar. The Congress, which has 16 members in the 40-member state Assembly, on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Governor in her absence, urging her not to dissolve the Assembly and instead invite the party to form the alternate government. All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by their leader Chandrakant Kavlekar, had submitted the memorandum to Governor office. Speaking to PTI, Kavlekar said the governor, who was away from the state, arrived in Goa at 3 pm on Tuesday and her office called him for the meeting of the Congress legislators with her at 6.30 pm. "We all 16 MLAs will be meeting the governor and will request her to dismiss the present government. We will also ask her to invite us to form the new government," he said. He said the Congress has support of legislators from other parties and can form the government, if given a chance by the governor. He, however, refused to spell out who all are supporting the Congress. "We will prove our majority on the floor of the House," Kavlekar said. The Leader of the Opposition said the BJP has a habit of forcing governor's rule in a state where they fail to rule and the Congress will not allow to happen it. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and MGP have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from Nationalist Congress Party also support the BJP. BJP leader Ram Lal had said on Monday that the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership. He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members. He said the BJP's alliance partners the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Independents conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party. Earlier too, the Congress had staked claim on 18 May, 2018 to form the government in Goa, citing the example of Karnataka where the largest party BJP was invited to form the government after the Assembly polls threw up a fractured verdict. The Congress had said that it had not been invited to form the government in Goa after the Assembly polls in March last year despite it emerging as the largest single party. The party had also met Governor on 7 September, 2018 urging her to intervene as state administration was suffering due to sickness of the chief minister. As the Odisha Opposition members continued to remain away from the House, Speaker PK Amat adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes each Bhubaneswar: Protesting the manner in which the Odisha Assembly passed a resolution, Opposition Congress and BJP Tuesday boycotted the House and refused to return despite several requests by Speaker PK Amat. "We are boycotting the House to protest the manner which the House passed a resolution without paying scant respect towards Opposition," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress said before leaving the House. The BJP members also followed and refused to return to the House even as two senior ministers and the government chief whip on behalf of the Speaker requested them to participate in the proceeding. As the Opposition members continued to remain away from the House, Speaker Amat adjourned the House twice for 15 minutes each. When they did not return, Speaker moved to the next business and asked Water Resources minister Niranjan Pujari to move Amendment to the Odisha Ground Water (Regulation, Development and Management) Bill, 2011. The dispute began when the House was discussing the resolution titled: "This Assembly resolves to recommend the state government to move the Central government to include the 'Uniquely' Indian ideal of Ahimsa, of Non-Violence in the Preamble of India's Constitution." The leader of Opposition welcomed the state government's gesture in bringing such a resolution. Mishra said he suggested to change wordings in the resolution "I fail to understand what the resolution wordings mean. Let it be modified." Mishra said that the Odisha Assembly should not be in a hurry to pass the resolution as nothing is urgent. "We can discuss, deliberate and think on the implication of the resolution before passing it. Therefore, I request the government not to pass it in a haste," the Congress veteran said. He also suggested to bring the resolution in Odia language which will be understandable to all people in the state. Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) member Ranendra Pratap Swain also supported Mishra's views and said he too failed to understand the wordings in the resolution. Swain said the resolution also do not suggest where to insert the word "Ahimsa" in the Preamble of the Constitution. BJP member Pradip Purohit, also welcomed the resolution, but asked the government to think over the wordings before it get nod of the House. Keeping the sentiments of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister BK Arukha, who moved the resolution on behalf of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, accepted the Opposition suggestions. "Yes, we have decided to delete 'comma and of' after the word Ahimsa and put the word non-violence within bracket," Arukha said. The leader of the Opposition was not allowed to speak and Speaker hurriedly announced that the resolution is passed. Annoyed over the manner in which the Speaker announced the passing of the resolution, Mishra announced Opposition boycott action. Earlier, the House had unanimously passed another resolution titled: "That this Assembly resolves to recommend the state government to move the Central Government in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to name the newly constructed Jharsuguda Airport in the state of Odisha as Veer Surendra Sai Airport." Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new airport at Jharsuguda on 22 September. Seeking to step up its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, the Congress will raise the issue with the CAG on Wednesday and demand a thorough probe into the matter, party sources said. New Delhi: Seeking to step up its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, the Congress will raise the issue with the CAG on Wednesday and demand a thorough probe into the matter, party sources said. They said top Congress leaders will meet the Comptroller and Auditor General Wednesday morning on the issue. The Congress has alleged corruption in the deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation. It has alleged that the Modi government has caused a loss of over Rs 41,000 crore to the exchequer by paying a higher price for the aircraft than what was negotiated by the UPA. Earlier in the day, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the CAG and CVC are bounden by their constitutional duty to look at the entire deal and all its papers whether or not somebody moves them. "Congress Party at an appropriate time also intends to move an appropriate petition before CVC and CAG to expeditiously and quickly adhere to their constitutional duties," he said. The Congress has asked why the government was not setting up a joint parliamentary committee to probe the fighter jet deal. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, rejected the demand saying all the details on it have already been placed before Parliament. Bhagwat made it clear that the purpose was not to convince those attending the programme at Vigyan Bhawan or watching it outside on TV or various digital platforms, but to inform them what the Sangh stands for On Monday evening, Nawazuddin Siddiqui chose to skip the premiere of his movie Manto in Mumbai. Siddiqui instead flew to New Delhi to attend the inaugural three-day lecture series Bhavisya ka Bharat: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ka Drishtikon (India of the future: An RSS perspective) by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Siddiqui is playing lead role of Saadat Hasan Manto in the biopic, written and directed by Nandita Das, a known critic of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. After the event was over, Siddiqui along with some others, sat with the RSS for tea and an informal conversation. And Siddiqui wasn't the only one. A whole host of public figures from various walks of lifefilm, academia, diplomacy, internal and external security agencies, people living near the border, and the mediaall of whom who are uninitiated to the RSS philosophy were there to see and understand it firsthand: from the fountainhead of the Sangh Parivar. From the outset, Bhagwat made it clear that the purpose was not to convince those attending the programme at Vigyan Bhawan or watching it on TV or various digital platforms, but to inform them what the Sangh stands for. His idea was to portray before the world that the RSS is not a closed society and let the people understand it better so that they can reexamine their idea of it. Bhagwat put RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at the very center of his talk and systematically countered almost all the charges that have been made by its critics over the decades, and more recently by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. First, to the charge that the RSS did not participate in the freedom strugglealbeit without referring to it directlyBhagwat began by narrating the story of Hedgewar, who opposed British colonialism from his school days and even suffered on that account. He spoke of Hedgewar being a member of the militant nationalist organisation Anushilan Samiti, while he was studying medicine in Calcutta. Of Hedgewar's fiery defence in court and questioning the British rule and how Hedgewar even went to jail. Bhagwat said that when he was finally released from jail, in a meeting presided over by Motilal Nehru, Hedgewar said that one would go to jail, but staying out of jail was equally important to create awareness, and organise protests against British rule. When the Congress passed Purna Swaraj resolution in 1929, all RSS wings sent congratulatory messages to the Congress, Bhagwat added. Second, Bhagwat spoke about respecting the National Flag, and contended that the Sangh had the utmost respect for the Tricolour even when the Charka was in the centre instead of the wheel. Bhagwat cited an example: When the Tricolour was being unfurled in Maharashtra's Jalan for the first time, its cord stuck in the middle of the huge pole. A swayamsevak immediately climbed the pole and straightened it out, allowing the flag to unfurl with due honour. When Jawaharlal Nehru invited the young man to participate in the evening function, he was politely told that the swayamsevak could not come because he had to go to the RSS shakha. Third, Bhagwat countered the charge of the RSS being a dictatorial organisation where one mans command was supreme, and called it the most democratic organisation. Bhagwat said some discipline is important in the building of an individual (vyakti nirman) and there was a sarsanghchalak (chief of the organisation), but decision making was a collective process where the views of even a new recruit mattered. Bhagwat returned to the example of Hedgewar and spoke of the way decisions were made back then, and even gave his own example: Bhagwat said he was once questioned by a young swayamsevak why he did not attend the Nagpur shakha regularly. Fourth, to the charge that the RSS was excluding people and communities, he said Hum log to sarwalog-yukt Bharat waale log hain, mukt wale nahin (we are those who advocate for inclusion of all, exclusion of none). In some quarters, this was seen as a critique of BJPs slogan of a Congress-mukt Bharat, but at another level he was responding to the criticism that the RSS was for Hindus only, and ignored Muslims and Christians. Fifth, to the charge that the RSS wanted its philosophy to be the only philosophy in India, Bhagwat argued that they didn't want an all-pervasive domination by the Sangh. If that happened, the very purpose of the Sanghs existence would be defeated, Bhagwat added. There is so much diversity in India: linguistic, social, cultural and religious. The idea was to have festivity of diversity and the challenge for the RSS was to be the thread that ties varied pearls, Bhagwat explained. Sixth, to the charge that RSS remote-controlled its constituents (the BJP), Bhagwat said that the various components of the RSS were free to take their own decisions. Without naming the BJP, Bhagwat said swayamsevaks were in dominant positions in those organisations and were capable of taking decisions they deemed fit, though the Sangh is conscious that they may make mistakes. Since the swayamsevaks are part of the bigger umbrella organisation they keep on meeting 'sukh-dukh me khana, milna-julna chalta rahata hai, Bhagwat said. The coordination meetings between various organs are for exchanging ideas, but how an organisation takes its decisions are that organisations outlook, he added. Seventh, on the exclusion of women, Bhagwat said that the idea, from the beginning, was to have a separate womens wing (Rashtra Sevika Samiti), which has now grown by leaps and bounds. Women are contributing in a big way to the Sangh by staying within their familial bonds, Bhagwat said. If a decision to merge the two will be made, it will be a joint decision of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Rashtra Sevika Samiti, but no such proposal was on the table, Bhagwat clarified. Eighth, to the charge that the RSS was a resource-rich organisation, Bhagwat said it ran on the meagre resources generated from swayamsevaks and did not take donations from outsiders. Bhagwat said that it generally has a tough time monetarily from March to July. But he added that they were not worried and that it is the RSS' responsibility to run the Sangh. Sanjay Raut will continue to be the Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha party leader, while Anandrao Adsul heads the party's MPs in the Lok Sabha. Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has been appointed the chief of its parliamentary party, a party official said in Mumbai on Tuesday. A close confidante of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and executive editor of party mouthpiece Saamana, 56-year-old Raut will now exercise complete control over the entire Sena flock of 21 members in Parliament, the official said. The party, a member of the National Democratic Alliance, has 18 Lok Sabha members headed by Anandrao Adsul and three in the Rajya Sabha led by Raut. Raut's appointment, the first ever for the party, became effective after Thackeray wrote to Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan late last month, seeking the arrangement as a "facilitative measure". Thackeray's decision was prompted by a faux pas in July when Shiv Sena chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Chandrakant Khaire, had issued a whip to the party MPs to vote in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government during the Opposition's no-confidence motion. Later, Thackeray removed Khaire as the chief whip and said the Sena's decision was to abstain from voting, which was finally adhered to. The party has also been haunted by the spectre of alleged attempts to poach its MPs by the BJP, but Raut's aggressive image and plainspeak is expected to deter any such move. Raut, who will continue to lead as the Rajya Sabha party leader, is also expected to infuse toughness in dealing with the BJP on various issues on which the Sena has been seen to be going soft, besides curbing intra-party tussles among its MPs. Asked about how he came to such an idea, Jani said during a trip to Rajasthan, he met people who supported Regar and lauded his effort to 'save Hindutva' Lucknow: Self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist Amit Jani is in the news yet again: This time for offering a Lok Sabha ticket to Shambhulal Regar, the man accused of burning and killing a Muslim man in Rajasthan last December. A video of the alleged hate crime through which the police identified Regar went viral on social media. Jani, the chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, a local political outfit, claimed Regar has accepted his offer to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Agra. Jani said his party will contest on the issue of Hindutva in five constituencies across Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Aligarh, Noida, Mathura and Firozabad. Asked about how he came to such an idea, Jani said during a trip to Rajasthan, he met people who supported Regar and lauded his effort to save Hindutva. The people of Rajasthan want the BJP to offer Regar a ticket in the upcoming polls, but the Vasundhara Raje government likes people such as Yunus Khan, who hesitate to chant Bharat mata ki jai, said Jani. We approached Regar to fight the elections and he accepted our offer. The party offered Regar a ticket from Agra as they could not afford to contest elections from Rajasthan, Jani added. He further said that charges against Regar have not been proved in court, and Regar would not be given a ticket if they were proven. As per the constitutional amendments to the Representation of People (RP) Act, 2013, unless an individual is convicted of a crime, they are free to contest elections. Even convicts can contest elections six years after having served their jail term, according to the Act. Senior lawyer Ramanand Pandey, who practices in the Allahabad High Court, said contesting elections is an individual's constitutional right. Regar can contest the election because he has not been convicted by a court, Pandey said. Jani said he met Regar once in jail, and is regularly in touch with his family. Jani defended himself by saying that if persons such as Mukhtar Ansari (who was charged with murder and acquitted), and Atiq Ahmad (a murder accused) can become lawmakers, then why not someone like Regar? Since Regar is in jail, his brother and wife will campaign for him, Jani said, and added that the campaign would begin once Regar files his nomination. We are making arrangements for the family to stay and campaign for Regar and get as many votes as possible for him, said Jani. Regar's family remained unavailable for comment and their home in Rajasthan's Rajsamand is locked. The Navnirman Sena will reveal more at a press conference in Agra on 19 September. Jani claimed there is a threat to Regars life in jail. He released a video from jail where he said that his life was in danger and a man from a specific community was sent to his cell without his consent and that made him uncomfortable, Jani alleged. Offering Regar the Lok Sabha seat is also an attempt to save the life of someone who saved his own religion, Jani claimed. When an accused in the Akhlaq lynching case and a deputy chief medical officer can be killed inside jail, then who is Shambhulal Regar? Jani asked. Jani revealed that he is in talks with other nationalist and Hindutva outfits in Uttar Pradesh to form a front to deal with "anti-national" and "anti-Hindutva" forces with non-violence. A decision regarding the formation of this group will be taken soon as their first priority is to start campaigning for Regar, Jani said. A former close aide of Janifrom when he was with the Samajwadi Partyspeaking on the condition of anonymity, said Jani has only money and power in mind. He is not associated with any ideology or party, the ex-aide said. His stunts are always in favour of the ruling party, in a bid to catch the attention of the party chief or chief minister. He was earlier praising Akhilesh Yadav and with this he is now trying to get the attention of Yogi Adityanath. He added, Jani is a clever man. He knows how to stay in the headlines. BJP Uttar Pradesh spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, Regar is doing this to remain in the news. If someone is giving ticket to a person accused of murder, then it shows that the person offering the ticket has a criminal mindset as well. He is trying to gain the medias attention by commenting on people like Yogi Adityanath. Saurabh Sharma is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters (CNN) -- An Australian state is offering a reward for information after several people reported finding sewing needles or pins in strawberries. The government of Queensland has offered $100,000 Australian dollars (about $71,510) to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the strawberry contamination. "Whoever is behind this is not just putting families at risk across Queensland and the rest of Australia -- they are putting an entire industry at risk," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement. "I would urge anyone with information that may be relevant to this incident in any way to contact police as soon as possible," she said. On Wednesday, the Queensland Health Department issued a health alert in response to the contamination. The health department is advising consumers to cut up strawberries before eating them. Queensland Police have also launched an investigation. The health department said three brands of strawberries have been recalled. The affected brands are Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries. Reports of contaminated strawberries have also surfaced in the neighboring state of New South Wales, but police say they do not know if the same person or a copycat is responsible. New South Wales police said the Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries and Oasis brands may also have been contaminated. Tweets using the Digvijay4CM hashtagwhich claimed that Digvijaya was the best candidate for Madhya Pradesh chief ministerbegan on social media on Monday evening just hours after Congress president Rahul Gandhi held a rally in Bhopal Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh was quick to distance himself from the "Digvijay4CM" hashtag which was trending on social media on Monday evening. Digvijaya tweeted on Tuesday morning: Whoever has started Digvijay4CM is not my well wisher. I have been CM MP for a decade and there is no question of my going back on my statement that I AM NOT A CM CANDIDATE. I am not someone who would say something and do something else. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) September 18, 2018 Tweets using the Digvijay4CM hashtag which claimed that Digvijaya was the best candidate for Madhya Pradesh chief ministerbegan on social media just hours after Congress president Rahul Gandhi held a rally in Bhopal on Monday and signs of a rift in the partys state unit came to the fore ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, News18 reported. Rumours of a rift in the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit began after it was noted that Digvijaya's cut-out was missing from the venue where Rahul addressed party workers even as cut-outs of all the other first and second rung leaders of the Madhya Pradesh Congress were displayed, according to the report. Rahul, who held a 15-kilometre road show in Madhya Pradesh, was accompanied by senior party leaders, including state Congress president Kamal Nath and state party campaign panel chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia. Rahul held a four-hour-long roadshow after performing puja and taking blessings from 11 priests. The roadshow was the virtual launch of the Congress campaign for the Assembly polls slated later this year, in which his party has the tough task of dislodging the BJP which has been ruling the state for the last 15 years. With inputs from PTI Reuters German luxury car brand Audi on Monday staged the global launch of a new electric sport utility vehicle on the home turf of rival Tesla and highlighted a deal with Amazon.com to make recharging its forthcoming e-tron models easier. The Audi e-tron midsize SUV will be offered in the United States next year at a starting price of $75,795 before a $7,500 tax credit. It is one of a volley of electric vehicles coming from Volkswagen AG brands, as well as other European premium brands including Daimler-owned Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Cars and Jaguar Land Rover. All aim to expand the market for premium electric vehicles and also to grab share of that market from Palo Alto, California-based Tesla, which has had the niche largely to itself. I want Audi to be the number-one electric vehicle seller in America over the long term, Audi of America President Scott Keogh told Reuters in an interview on Monday. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is also head of rocket company SpaceX, planned to mark the e-tron launch occasion by staging a SpaceX event in Los Angeles at roughly the same time on Monday evening as Audis unveiling. Audi and parent Volkswagen are using the US launch of the e-tron SUV in mid-2019 to take aim at one obstacle to expanding electric vehicle sales - the lack of convenient ways to recharge their batteries. Audi will partner with online retailer Amazon to sell and install home electric vehicle charging systems to buyers of the e-tron, the companies said on Monday. Amazon will deliver the hardware and hire electricians to install them through its Amazon Home Services operation. Amazons partnership with Audi to provide home charging systems is the first time the online retailer has struck such a deal with an automaker, and signals a new front in Amazons drive to expand its reach into consumers homes beyond the presence of its Alexa smart speakers in living rooms and kitchens. We see charging installation as a very important business, Pat Bigatel, director of Amazon Home Services, told Reuters at Audis launch event in San Franciscos Bill Graham Civic Center. Audi executives said home charging stations would cost about $1,000, depending on the homes electrical system. Tesla offers wall connectors for home charging at a $500 list price, and will arrange for installation, according to the company. At the same time, Electrify America, a company funded by Volkswagen as part of its settlement of U.S. diesel emission cheating litigation, plans to launch next year the next round of installations of public charging stations, Electrify America executives told Reuters. Tesla has developed its own network of Supercharger charging stations with more than 11,000 chargers in North America. Electrify America plans to have 2,000 chargers installed by mid-June next year. Those will be open to any vehicle, and customers can swipe a credit card to recharge. We want to work with all automotive brands, said Giovanni Palazzo, Electrify Americas chief executive. Lifting the Curtain Audi has been heralding the launch of the e-tron SUV for some time, but until Monday it had not shared many details of the vehicle. The e-tron is electric, and has two electric motors - one in the front and one in the rear - driving all four wheels. The Hungarian factory building motors for the e-tron will start with a production pace equivalent to 200 vehicles a day, Audi officials said. In Europe, the vehicle will use cameras instead of conventional mirrors to give drivers a view to the rear. That feature is still not approved by US regulators. However, in many other respects the e-tron is a conventional, mainstream luxury SUV. It offers seating for five, and its length and wheelbase position it in the center of the market for midsize, five-passenger luxury SUVs such as the BMW X5. The e-tron is 5 inches (13 cm) shorter than the Tesla Model X, and it has conventional doors. The Model X uses vertically opening falcon wing doors. The e-tron will have an advanced cruise-control system that can keep the car within a lane and maintain a set distance behind another vehicle, but the system will be designed so that drivers must keep hands on the wheel. Audi officials said they do not have official range estimates for the e-tron SUV under U.S. testing procedures. The e-trons 95 kWh battery has less capacity than the 100 kWh battery used in the Tesla Model X 100D model, but more than the base Model X 75D. The Model X 100D is rated at 295 miles (475 km) of range by the US government. Indo-Asian News Service Chinese electronics company iVOOMi's sub-brand Innelo on 18 September launched "Innelo 1" in India for Rs 7,499. The smartphone with a notched display and 5.86-inch HD+ 19:9 screen, is available on Amazon India in "Persian Red", "Pacific Blue", "Platinum Gold" and "Midnight Black" colours. "Innelo 1 has been designed exquisitely with leading-edge technology that fits the expectations of the urban and young consumers," Ashwin Bhandari, CEO, Innelo India, said in a statement. The smartphone features facial recognition and is backed by a 3000mAh battery. The device runs "SmartMe OS 3.0" based on Android 8.1 Oreo OS and is powered by a 1.3 GHz MTK processor. The phone comes in 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage which is expandable up to 128 GB. tech2 News Staff Last year the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus went up on sale by the end of September, while the iPhone X sales were delayed till November. While everyone hoped that wouldnt be the case this year, however at the Gather Round event on 12 September, Apple announced that the iPhone XR will not be available for purchase till end of October. This discrepancy on dates is being attributed to the displays of these smartphones. While the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max sport an OLED display, the iPhone XR, which is the cheaper (as if) variant among the three, features an LCD screen. Consequently, while Apples manufacturing partners got things on timeline with the edgeless OLED displays, the iPhone XRs nearly edgeless LCD display posed a unique set of challenges. (Also Read: Apple iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR: Which iPhone should you buy?) Ryan Reith of IDC told The Verge that at the last minute, Apple faced some software issues, which impacted the quality of the displays, consequently also posing issues with the production of the panels. Everything weve been hearing, its been an issue on the software side. Theres a lot of software involved with the LCD screen, as its the first [LCD display] with a notch and full screen. Apple could not get enough of these displays. Its run into last-minute kinks with the contact manufacturer, he said. (Also read: Smartphone displays getting larger are making it harder for women to use them) So the blames basically on the display! The iPhone XR will be available for pre-orders starting October 19, while its shipments will begin from October 26 in over 50 countries and territories, including India. Reuters Brazil is ready to launch small commercial rockets from its space base near the equator as soon as it agrees to safeguard US technology that is dominant in the industry, the Brazilian Air Force officer managing the space program said on Friday, 14 September. Brig Major Luiz Fernando Aguiar said Brazil wants to get a piece of the $300 billion-a-year space launch business by drawing US companies interested in launching small satellites at a lower cost from the Alcantara base on its north coast. The microsatellite market is most attractive today and we are interested in the 50 to 500-kilo niche, Aguiar told Reuters at the bases main launch pad. We are developing a rocket for microsatellites. For that this tower is totally ready. Space cooperation between the United States and Brazil took a big step forward when they signed a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) agreement last month during a visit to Brasilia by US Defense Secretary James Mattis. The accord on sharing real-time tracking data on objects and debris in space is needed to develop a satellite launching business without the risk of collision. Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp in December visited the Alcantara space center, which is especially attractive to smaller firms, such as Tucson, Arizona-based rocket-maker Vector Launch Inc, because its equatorial location cuts fuel costs by a third allowing heavier payloads. But Brazils plan to become a new hub in the space industry will depend on concluding a technology safeguard agreement (TSA) with the United States to protect sensitive American space launch and satellite technology, Aguiar said. Without it, no US rocket can blast off from the South American country. A previous attempt at a US-Brazilian space partnership was scuttled in 2003 when the TSA ran into resistance from the leftist government of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and was thwarted by Brazilian lawmakers. Aguiar said that agreement floundered because it allowed the US unverified access to the Alcantara base that was not acceptable on sovereignty grounds. A new Brazilian proposal under consideration by the US government will be more palatable to the Brazilian Congress. The TSA is seen by Washington as opening opportunities for greater cooperation in aerospace and defense between the two countries. The market for small satellite launches is expected to grow fast in the next few years and the US space industry is keen to see new launch capacity in the world and a quick resolution to the negotiation of the TSA with Brazil. Demand for launch services has outstripped supply globally and another launch site is needed. Because of its location, Alcantara offers advantages no other site in the world provides, an industry source said. Aguiar said the government will set up a company called Alada to market the launch site. He said the Air Force has been in talks with Brazilian aerospace company Embraer SA on how to manage the business going forward. One possibility, Brazilian Air Force officials said, is a joint venture with Embraers satellite company Visiona, which is not part of the planned $4.75 billion tie-up between Boeing and Embraers commercial aviation arm. Ahead of midterm election season, Donald Trump preps latest Russia probe punch; will declassify a trove of documents Washington: President Donald Trump has opened a new front in his efforts to discredit the origins of the Justice Department's Russia probe, with the White House saying he will declassify a trove of documents and publicly release text messages of former FBI officials after calls from a small group of his Republican allies in Congress to do so. The declassification announcement came as part of Trump's continued efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's probe in the wake of the guilty plea of his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and amid the ongoing grand jury investigation into a longtime associate, Roger Stone. The president also made the decision as he dealt with a separate firestorm surrounding his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and a sexual assault allegation. It was unclear how soon the documents would be released. The White House on Monday evening announced that Trump would declassify a portion of a secret surveillance warrant application and also direct the Justice Department to release text messages and documents involving several top Justice Department and FBI officials whom he has attacked over the last year, including former FBI Director James Comey. "Really bad things were happening, but they are now being exposed. Big stuff!" Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. In comments later at the White House, the president said he wants "total transparency," returning to his usual refrain that the Russia investigation is a "witch hunt." "The things that have been found over the last couple of weeks about text messages back and forth are a disgrace to our nation," he said, adding: "I think it's a good thing because we should open it up for people to see." The move comes after a small group of Republicans in Congress, all staunch allies of Trump, held a news conference last week asking him to declassify the documents. Democrats criticized the effort, saying the GOP lawmakers were trying to discredit the Justice Department in an effort to protect Trump from Mueller's investigation. Trump made a similar move in February when the White House, over the objections of the FBI and intelligence community, cleared the way for the Republican-led House intelligence committee to release a partisan memo about the surveillance warrant on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Democrats weeks later released their own memo. The disclosures were unprecedented given that surveillance warrants obtained from the secret court are highly classified and are not meant to be publicly disclosed, including to defendants preparing for or awaiting trial. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Trump's latest decision in a written statement Monday evening, saying the president had directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department to declassify the documents. Those departments have since said they have begun a declassification review of the materials. According to the White House, Trump declassified 21 pages of the 101-page June 2017 application to renew a warrant obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, to monitor Page's communications in 2016. Those pages only make up a small part of the 412 pages of FISA applications and court orders related to Page released by the FBI earlier this year in heavily redacted format. The June 2017 application was the last of four filed by the Justice Department in support of FISA court orders allowing the monitoring of Page. His communications were monitored for nearly a year starting in October 2016. According to the redacted version, three of the declassified pages involve information included in a section titled "The Russian Government's Coordinated Efforts to Influence the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election." That section includes reference to potential coordination between people associated with Trump's campaign and the Russian election interference effort. The other 18 pages appear to relate to information the government submitted that came from former British spy Christopher Steele before the presidential election. Steele was a longtime FBI informant whose Democratic-funded research into Trump ties to Russia was compiled into a dossier that has become a partisan lightning rod since its publication in January 2017. Besides the FISA applications pages, the president is declassifying all FBI reports documenting interviews in connection with the Page surveillance warrant and those documenting interviews with senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, who was in contact with Steele. According to Sanders' statement, Trump also directed the Justice Department to publicly release in full the text messages of Comey, Ohr, former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page and former FBI special agent Peter Strzok that are related to the Russia investigation. The declassification decision and order for public release of the documents was quickly praised by Trump allies in Congress and attacked by Democrats. "Transparency wins. This is absolutely the right call from @POTUS," said Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, on Twitter. Meadows, who had pushed for the documents' release, said it will allow the American people to decide "what happened at the highest levels of their FBI and Justice Department." And the No. 3 Republican in the House, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, tweeted that Trump made the right call. "Americans deserve the truth about these egregious actions by government officials," Scalise said. But Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, called Trump's decision a "clear abuse of power" intended to advance a "false narrative" to help in his defense from Mueller's probe. Schiff said the FBI and the Justice Department had said releasing the documents would cross a "red line" because doing so would compromise sources and methods. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the ranking Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, said in a statement that Trump's actions were a "direct and frantic response" to Manafort's recent guilty plea and cooperation agreement with Mueller. China on Tuesday hit back at the US with tariffs on $60 billion worth of American goods, in a tit-for-tat move that came hours after President Donald Trump slapped duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Beijing: China on Tuesday hit back at the US with tariffs on $60 billion worth of American goods, in a tit-for-tat move that came hours after President Donald Trump slapped duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. President Trump slapped 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports and the duties will rise to whopping 25 percent at the end of the year, escalating the trade war with the world's second largest economy. He alleged that China had been unwilling to change its unfair trade practices and the new additional tariff structure would give fair and reciprocal treatment to American firms. China's finance ministry said in a statement: "If the United States insists on raising tariffs even more, China will respond accordingly". "In order to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests and the global free trade order, China will have to take countermeasures," the country's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement, adding that "We deeply regret this". China has decided to levy tariffs on about $60 billion worth of imports from the US if Washington carries out its planned tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, China's Customs Tariff Commission (CCTC) of the State Council or the central cabinet said on Tuesday night. China's retaliation only covered $60 billion as overall US exports to China were about $187.5 billion against China's exports to America of $522.9 billion last year. China has already slapped tariffs on American goods worth about $76 billion in retaliation to Trump's earlier tariff hike. With Tuesday's hike, it covers $136 billion worth of US goods when they take effect. Announcing new round of tariffs on US goods, the CCTC said China plans to slap additional tariffs on 5,207 categories of US products with two levels of tariff rates 10 percent and 5 percent. The tariffs will become effective on 24 September, if the US' renewed tariffs on $200 billion worth Chinese products take effect, the official media here quoted CCTC as saying. China had threatened to retaliate with "synchronised counter measures" against Trump's third round of tariffs, saying the US' move will add "new uncertainties" for future talks between the world's top two economies. Trump also warned China against any retaliation, saying if Beijing retaliated this time, the US would impose further tariffs on another $267 billion worth of products virtually covering almost all Chinese exports to the US totalling about $522.9 billion. According to official figures, US goods and services trade with China totalled an estimated $710.4 billion in 2017 of which US exports were $187.5 billion and imports were $522.9 billion. Trump has been pressuring China to reduce the trade deficit with the US, totalling to $335.4 billion in 2017. Last month, both sides resumed trade talks but at a lower level. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen held talks in Washington but without much results. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said "China has to respond to uphold our legitimate rights and interests, the order of free trade". "This measure by US side added more uncertainties to the talks between the two sides," he said. Asked how the two sides plan to end the trade war, Geng said, "We have been stressing that talks need to happen on the basis of equality and good faith so as to resolve the issues between the two sides. What the US has done shows no sincerity, no good faith at all." To another question on whether China viewed escalation of tariff war by the US as an attempt to contain Beijing's rise, Geng said, "regarding containment, I have never heard of that from any US official. "We have been repeating that sound and steady development of China-US ties serves the fundamental interest of the two sides and what the international community wishes to see". Geng said China would like to work with the US to achieve that, adding that "however the protectionist and unilateral measures taken by US were not acceptable to us". He also declined to go into specific measures on whether Beijing would contemplate non-trade measures like containing visas to US citizens. "In the light of the latest round of tariffs, China has to counter act but what kind of counter measures would the Chinese side take will be released in time. You made assumption (about not granting visas), I have no comment on that," Geng said. Hong Kong-based 'South China Morning Post' reported on Tuesday that China is likely to cancel its tentative plans to send President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser Liu He to Washington after Trump's new tariff announcement. According to the source, who declined to be identified , as the plans have not been made public, China is reviewing its earlier plans to send a delegation, headed by vice-premier Liu He to Washington next week, the report said. One precondition for the talks was that the Americans would show sufficient goodwill but Trump's latest decision to escalate the trade war by slapping new tariffs on almost half of all Chinese exports may have scuppered the talks, it quoted the sources as saying. "If the vice-premier does go to the US, we can reasonably suspect he has a reasonable offer, but at this point, I would think the likelihood is low," the representative said. China had earlier retaliated twice by imposing additional tariffs on imported products from the US. China could emerge as a neo-colonial power in the new world order if its landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), at some instances, appears to be guided by the colonial philosophy that was followed by the Europeans. Kathmandu: China could emerge as a neo-colonial power in the new world order if its landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), at some instances, appears to be guided by the colonial philosophy that was followed by the Europeans. According to an analytical piece titled - The BRI anxiety written by security and strategy scholar Umesh K Bhattarai for My Republica, China, an emerging global power, is the major rival to the Western countries. The reach of the BRI is now not only limited to Asia and Africa, but also to as far as Europe and the Americas However, the writer said that "new rivalry has begun not only between the Western and Eastern powers but also within the powers in Asia," as China could spring up to be a neo-colonial power in the new world order. The apprehensions of the Western countries over China's rising status and BRI are indicated in various reports published by the Western press and in media that backs the West, Bhattarai informed. According to a report in The Economist, headlined The perils of China's 'debt-trap diplomacy', Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad had challenged his predecessor's Najib Razak decision to allow Alibaba, a major Chinese e-commerce company, to construct a digital free trade zone near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Sensing Beijing's aim to bring his country under "debt-trap", Mahathir scrapped an east-coast rail link worth $20 billion under the BRI project. The Malaysian Prime Minister then apologised to China on the initiative, according to The Economist report. According to another report, which was published in The Asia Times, countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, who had joined the BRI earlier, expecting "huge returns", are now paying the heavy price. Mentioning the project as "new form of colonialism," the report says that the BRI is a master plan for the Chinese military to establish their presence at the initiative's project sites in the name of security. The Asia Times report opined that the BRI could become a trap for the host country as well. Also, lending over $57 billion for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, China recently gave Pakistan an additional $9.66 billion, in addition to $16.4 billion in May last year and over five billion dollars in this year. The timing of offering such loans has raised eyebrows as Pakistan recently witnessed a change in government. Some media reports claimed that the country's minister for commerce, industry and investment has suggested the suspension of all projects under the CPEC. Also, there are reports that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants the $63 billion project to be fully reviewed, Bhattarai wrote in My Republica. Moreover, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government is suspicious whether the then former prime minister Nawaz Sharif-led government had permitted favourable terms to Beijing by compromising Islamabad's interests. The writer added that Sri Lanka was recently forced to hand over its Hambantota Port to China, as the island nation was not able to repay Chinese loans. Bhattarai underlined that when countries ranging from Zambia to Sri Lanka and from Malaysia to Pakistan are talking about "BRI debt-trap", he is aghast on the Nepal government's decision to "blindly accept" Chinese loans for financing the projects under this initiative. "Nepal must discuss debt issues seriously. We need to make it a public discourse. Let us ensure that while we develop big infrastructures, we also do not become bankrupt," the writer concluded. By Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's worry over Poland's campaign to subject judges to political control has only deepened in the three months since the first hearing in an unprecedented probe into Warsaw's rule of law, the EU official leading the investigation said. The European Union held its second hearing on Tuesday into accusations that Poland has violated democratic norms with steps that include forcing Supreme Court judges to retire early By Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's worry over Poland's campaign to subject judges to political control has only deepened in the three months since the first hearing in an unprecedented probe into Warsaw's rule of law, the EU official leading the investigation said. The European Union held its second hearing on Tuesday into accusations that Poland has violated democratic norms with steps that include forcing Supreme Court judges to retire early. "I don't have much good news for you," Frans Timmermans, a deputy head of the EU's executive European Commission who leads the so-called Article 7 case against Warsaw, said after the meeting. "Between the first and the second hearing, the Commission's concerns have increased. The situation in Poland has not improved," he told a news conference. Tuesday's hearing was spurred by Warsaw's push to replace the head of the Supreme Court, which validates election results, following a range of other changes to the judiciary imposed by the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) since coming to power in late 2015. Ministers from EU countries attended the closed-door meeting to discuss the situation. Diplomats said about a dozen of them spoke to condemn Poland's behaviour. Germany's EU minister Michael Roth, delivering a joint message from Berlin and Paris, sounded alarm at Warsaw's push to use new retirement age laws to push out Supreme Court judges. "The situation has become more urgent than ever," Roth told the meeting, according to delegation sources. Poland's EU affairs minister, Konrad Szymanski, said after the session the PiS judicial overhaul was "in line with European standards." The investigation could potentially lead to measures as serious as stripping Poland of its voting rights in the EU, although in practice this is seen as virtually impossible since Poland's ally Hungary has pledged to veto any such punishment. Last week the European Parliament voted to initiate the same punitive procedure against Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban his put pressure on media, courts and non-governmental groups in his eight years in power. While the EU has often protested Orban's moves as undermining democratic checks and balances, it has mostly failed to stop him. Both cases highlight how the EU is struggling with nationalist and populist leaders on the rise in the bloc. Diplomats said the EU was likely to organise more hearings like Tuesday's to keep the pressure on Poland. Timmermans also suggested the Commission will now decide to file a separate legal case against Warsaw at the bloc's top court. Poland was also suspended this week from the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ), made up of national bodies that guarantee judicial independence. It decided the Polish National Council of the Judiciary was no longer independent as it is now appointed by politicians. The forced retirement of judges in Poland has been criticised by the EU, rights groups and the domestic political opposition. Poland's Supreme Court itself has asked the European Court of Justice, the EU's top court, to rule on whether the early retirement was legal. An ECJ ruling may take months. In the meantime, the Polish Supreme Court ruled that the proposed changes should be frozen. However, President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, has moved to appoint new Supreme Court judges anyway. (Writing by Gabriela Baczynska and Jan Strupczewski, Editing by Peter Graff) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has nearly doubled promotions of top American diplomats as he seeks to restore diplomatic ties with a workforce alienated by his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. Since taking over in April, Pompeo has lavished attention on diplomats demoralized by the former oil executive's distant management style, reluctance to consult in-house experts and inability to get personnel choices through President Donald Trump's White House. The charm offensive by the former Republican lawmaker and CIA director includes resuming the hiring of diplomats' family members when posted abroad, cheerleading emails to staff about his travels and a push to replenish the top ranks of U.S. diplomacy, officials said. The most tangible sign of Pompeo's effort may be the State Department promotion lists, disclosed internally since Aug. 31 and reviewed by Reuters, which show Pompeo has sharply increased the number of diplomats promoted to three of the top four ranks. According to a provisional agency document circulated internally on Friday, Pompeo recommended doubling the number of "career ministers" - the second-highest rank in the U.S. foreign service - to eight from four. (https://tmsnrt.rs/2xcHMTc) Pompeo also proposed nearly doubling those promoted to the third rank, "minister-counselor," to 68 from 35 the year before. For the critical level of 'officer counselor'- the entry point for the "senior" foreign service and the hurdle at which many careers in the up-or-out system founder - he increased the number by more than 50 percent to 97 from 63. The State Department had no immediate comment on the data. An official who declined to be identified said the final number of promotions for fiscal 2018, which ends on Sept. 30, could exceed those published over the past few weeks, in part because the lists do not include some people recommended for promotion who have yet to complete mandatory career management programs. Tillerson, who cut promotions in six out of the seven top ranks, said at the time he did so because of earlier hiring surges and because the agency's "position base" would "contract over the next couple of years." That decision, and Tillerson's embrace of roughly 30 percent budget cuts that Trump proposed but Congress largely rejected, angered many department employees, for whom protecting one's budget is an axiom of bureaucratic warfare in Washington. Tillerson, whom Trump fired via tweet on March 13, argued in a Nov. 28, 2017, speech that he had inherited an agency budget that was at a record high and was unsustainable. A Tillerson spokeswoman did not immediately reply to a request for comment. 'MORE RAPPROCHEMENT THAN DETENTE' Pompeo brought some assets to his new role, notably a good rapport with Trump, an insider's grasp of Congress and deeper understanding of the federal bureaucracy from his CIA service. "We will continue to see robust promotion opportunities in the future absent any significant shifts in our budget," Pompeo wrote in an internal memo on Aug. 31. "It's more rapprochement than detente," one senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity, alluding to U.S.-Soviet efforts to ease Cold War tensions. "He's doing more than just trying to end the hostility. He is reaching out." Beyond antagonizing employees by working to redesign and shrink the agency, Tillerson upset many by forcing out or under-using the department's "career ambassadors" - the top foreign service rank typically given to only a handful of diplomats, officials said. Four career ambassadors stepped down in 2017. Pompeo, in contrast, has gone out of his way to praise the four new career ambassadors whose elevation was just announced. "This is the highest and most prestigious rank at the Foreign Service. They should all be very proud. I know Im proud of them," Pompeo told reporters. "Theyre great leaders." While many State Department officials have said they appreciate the ways in which Pompeo has sought to build back morale, one of his signature efforts - rebranding the agency as the "Department of Swagger" - has drawn some ridicule and eye rolls, both inside and outside the State Department. Pompeo, who graduated first in his class at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said on his first day at the State Department that he would work on "getting back our swagger" and putting the U.S. diplomatic corps in "every corner," drawing loud applause from hundreds of staffers. U.S. diplomats are taught, however, to be understated rather than overbearing, given U.S. economic and military might. "I have not heard anyone say: 'This is awesome. Thumbs up. Fist bump,'" one agency official said of Pompeo's swagger campaign. "No." (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. UPDATE 1:11 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 - Cal Fire has confirmed that one structure has been destroyed in the fire located at 1949 Kusel Road, Oroville. The structure belongs to Cedar Products Apex Lumber. A vegetation fire east of the structure has burned two acres with no containment. There are no reports of injuries at this time. The cause is still under investigation. OROVILLE, Calif. - Cal Fire's Butte County Unit is responding to a commercial structure fire off of Kusel Road in Oroville. The fire started around 12:30 on Sept. 17. It is unknown at this time what type of structure is engulfed in flames. Cal Fire says that the 5,000 sq. foot structure is completely engulfed in flames. Stay with KHSL Channel 12 and actionnewsnow.com for the latest updates as they become available. On his first visit since assuming office, Imran Khan will visit UAE and Saudi Arabia accompanied by foreign minister, the finance minister and his commerce adviser. Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates from Tuesday at the invitation of the two countries leaderships, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday. It will be the prime minister's first foreign visit since he took office in August. Khan will be accompanied by the foreign minister, the finance minister and his commerce adviser, the Foreign Ministry said. Khan is expected to call on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and hold a bilateral meeting with crown prince on bilateral ties, the ministry said in a statement. The Pakistani delegation will also proceed to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE on Wednesday. The two sides will discuss issues of bilateral interests, according to the statement Syed Akbaruddin said that the agendas of terror organisations draw financial sustenance not only from extortion and forced levies and taxes, but also benefit from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistan's natural resources. United Nations: In a veiled reference to Pakistan, India has said safe havens in Afghanistan's neighbourhood have for years provided safety for the "dark agendas" of various terror outfits like the Taliban and the LeT. India also called for crippling the illicit drug trade which provides financial sustenance to these terror outfits. Time for the international community to cripple Talibans illicit drug trade - @IndiaUNNewYork https://t.co/6LVADIRedp pic.twitter.com/Q5Tplp4dbG Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) September 18, 2018 India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a Security Council debate on Afghanistan on Monday that the Taliban, aided by their supporters, continue to pursue military operations perpetrating violence and destruction, like the recent attack in Ghazni, over several parts of Afghanistan. "These offensives are planned and launched by those who are harboured in safe havens in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan. These sanctuaries have, for years, provided safety for the dark agendas of ideologically and operationally-fused terror networks like the Taliban, Haqqani network, Daesh, Al-Qaeda and its proscribed affiliates such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed," he said. Akbaruddin further said the agendas of these terror organisations draw financial sustenance not only from extortion and forced levies and taxes, but also benefit significantly from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistan's natural resources. Citing estimates, he said 60 percent of the Taliban's revenues are from the drug trade and poppy cultivation is said to be the largest cash crop in Taliban-controlled areas. He expressed concern that while a Security Council resolution adopted earlier this year to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) does focus on linkages between extremism, terrorism, drug production and illegal exploitation of natural resources of Afghanistan, it falls short of expectations in striving to cripple the Taliban's drug trade. The Secretary General's current report also fails to address this very key issue in an adequate matter, he said. He asserted that templates for curbing illicit trade by terrorist networks exist, saying that it is estimated that when targeted, the Islamic State's oil revenue fell over three years by nearly 90 per cent from a monthly high of $50 million to just $4 million. However by contrast, the opium produced in Taliban-controlled areas is estimated to account for 85 percent of global illicit production, valued between $1.5 billion to $3 billion. "We feel it is time for this Council to try and replicate the success of the international community against the Islamic State's illicit business in Syria and Iraq by similarly crippling the Taliban's illicit drug trade," Akbaruddin said, adding that hopefully this important subject will be addressed by the Secretary General in his next report as well as by the Council. He said that during the past few months, the international community has followed with hope and anticipation the various peace efforts and overtures by the Government and people of Afghanistan towards bringing peace to their war-torn country. "All of us know and believe that there is no military solution to the issue," he said. Akbaruddin, however, said that the Taliban have rejected the recent calls for a ceasefire by the Afghan Government and the civil society, including various religious leaders. "In fact, they have treated such overtures with growing disdain and have increased their offensive operations, as the country prepares for parliamentary elections, he said. He said India is willing to work with all countries in the region and beyond, keeping Afghan priorities at the forefront, so as to bring a lasting solution to the situation. "Afghans should lead these efforts, not only between governments, but with civil society and business as stakeholders. India stands ready to support Afghanistan in every way we can," he said adding that India's focus remains on the economic pillar of stability and reliable connectivity for the people of Afghanistan. "We strongly believe that the lack of connectivity directly impacts the economic, security and political situation in Afghanistan and we want to address this crucial issue for the benefit of the Afghan people," he said. With parliamentary elections one month away and a major ministerial conference planned for November in Geneva, United Nation's Special Representative for Afghanistan Tasamichi Yamamoto briefed the Security Council, noting that "preparations are on track" but that many challenges lie ahead, including increased security concerns. "It is a time for important decisions in Afghanistan," he said. The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the North's leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament. Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday for his third summit this year with Kim Jong Un as he seeks to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States. Kim welcomed his visitor at Pyongyang's international airport where he supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted the two men embracing after Moon walked down the steps of his aircraft. Accompanied by their wives, they exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes ahead of a military welcome ceremony as hundreds of people lining the tarmac cheered, waving North Korean flags and unification ones showing an undivided peninsula. But the South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. "Let's open an era of peace and prosperity with the solidarity of one people," read a hoarding displayed outside the terminal. The nuclear-armed North invaded its neighbour in 1950, starting the Korean War, although it now regularly stresses the importance of reunifying with the now far wealthier South. Moon whose own parents fled the North during the three-year conflict is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history." The first visit by a South Korean leader to Pyongyang in a decade is also the men's third meeting this year after two previous summits in April and May in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula. Moon has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim and US president Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. The dovish South Korean president will hold at least two meetings with the North's leader, where he will try to convince Pyongyang to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament. "If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself," he was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea", Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation "especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North", it added. "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." Moon was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. Moon whose poll ratings have been falling in the face of a struggling economy in the South has been pushing inter-Korean cooperation but South Korean media have urged caution, calling for such schemes to await substantial progress towards denuclearisation. The president's office has said the inclusion of the businessmen was "not special," given the heads of major conglomerates had been in Pyongyang for the previous inter-Korean summits in the city. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation." Other issues on Moon's agenda include improving inter-Korean ties and easing military tensions on the peninsula. Seoul said that could lay the groundwork for a formal declaration on the Korean War, when hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- implying that such an announcement was unlikely during the trip. Nigeria has declared a national disaster after severe flooding left about 100 people dead across 10 states, the country's main relief agency said on Tuesday. Lokoja: Nigeria has declared a national disaster after severe flooding left about 100 people dead across 10 states, the country's main relief agency said on Tuesday. Heavy seasonal rains have caused the Niger and Benue rivers to burst their banks, inundating communities, farms and trapping tens of thousands of people in their homes. Sani Datti, from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told AFP: "We have declared a national disaster in four states Kogi, Delta, Anambra and Niger. "Eight other states are on the watch list. All these states have been the worst hit by the flooding. About 100 people have lost their lives in 10 states." Kogi and Niger are in central Nigeria while Delta and Anambra are in the south. The Kogi state capital, Lokoja, lies at the confluence of both rivers and has been virtually submerged because of the rising waters. NEMA said water levels on Monday were continuing to rise in Lokoja and had reached 11.06 metres (36 feet) approaching those of similar devastating flooding in 2012. Then, hundreds of people died and about two million others were left homeless in 30 of Nigeria's 36 states. More rains are forecast on Tuesday, according to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday he had approved the release of three billion naira ($8.3 million) to buy medical and relief materials. Flooding along the rivers is a frequent occurrence during the annual rains, which fall from May to September. Datti said military personnel and equipment had been seconded to help the relief effort, as well as the evacuation of trapped residents from their homes. The Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected claims of rigging during general elections. Islamabad: Pakistan government and the Opposition on Tuesday unanimously agreed to form a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations of rigging in the 25 July general elections in which the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the single largest party. Major political parties like the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have alleged that the votes cast at various polling stations were changed behind closed doors after their polling agents were thrown out. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected the claims. The National Assembly (NA) or the lower house on Tuesday approved the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations of rigging in the 25 July general elections, Express News reported. Khan's PTI, said to have the tacit backing of the powerful military, emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats in 25 July elections. The party's number rose to 125 after nine independent members joined it and the final tally reached 158 after it was allotted 28 out of the 60 seats reserved for women and five out of 10 seats reserved for minorities in the 342-member NA. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi presented the motion and it was unanimously approved at the NA session called to approve amendments to the budget. "Government and Opposition will have equal representation in the committee," he assured. Qureshi said that the committee chairman will be announced by the government after consultation with Prime Minister Imran Khan. "The committee will comprise NA members and will not include any senator," he added. The committee will prepare terms of reference (TORs) for investigation and present recommendations for measures to ensure rigging is curbed during next polls, Geo News reported. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry said the committee will be independent and remove any doubts the Opposition may have. PPP leader Shazia Marri took to the floor and demanded that the government and Opposition should have equal representation in the committee. "The Leader of the Opposition in the NA should chair the committee to ensure the probe is transparent," she added. PML-N leader Khurram Dastgir echoed similar sentiments and demanded that Leader of the Opposition in the NA be made head of the committee. In response, Qureshi said, "We do not want to keep anything hidden. It is the Opposition's right to protest and their reservations have been registered. Transparent elections are essential for democracy," he said. He assured that the commission will be empowered. We have to move forward despite our differences," he asserted. Following the same demand from the PPP and the PML-N, the NA Speaker Asad Qaiser said, "Whichever committee I form, it will be in accordance with rules." In August, political parties held protests outside the ECP in Islamabad and in other parts of the country. Politicians have also raised the issue of rigging within the lower house earlier, with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto highlighting it in his first address to the NA and the PML-N staging walkouts in protest. With the fate of US president Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee suddenly uncertain, emboldened Democrats clashed with cautious Republicans on Monday as both parties grappled with an increasingly messy nomination fight weeks before the pivotal midterm elections. New York: With the fate of US president Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee suddenly uncertain, emboldened Democrats clashed with cautious Republicans on Monday as both parties grappled with an increasingly messy nomination fight weeks before the pivotal midterm elections. The political implications were still being sorted out. But with control of Congress at stake this fall, there were tremendous risks for both sides. The GOP risked further alienating female voters particularly in the nation's suburbs by embracing Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, after an allegation surfaced over the weekend of decades-old sexual misconduct. Democrats, who seized on the development as justification to delay the high-stakes nomination, could energize complacent Republican voters if they're viewed as playing politics with the sensitive allegation. Amid the chaos, a key question quietly emerged among some political operatives: Would Republicans force through the Kavanaugh nomination even if it jeopardizes their control of Congress? For some, the short-term political pain might be an acceptable tradeoff for a generation of conservative control on the nation's high court. The situation is fluid to say the least. "At this very moment, the issue is moving so fast that accurate predictions are difficult to make," said Steven Law, who leads the super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "I think it's likely this will inflame partisan energy on both sides." Christine Blasey Ford, now a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, told The Washington Post that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when both were teenagers at high schools in suburban Maryland. Ford's attorney said Monday her client was willing to testify publicly about the allegations on Capitol Hill, where a key Kavanaugh confirmation vote was scheduled this week. Kavanaugh, now 53, called the allegation "completely false" in a statement, adding that he "had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself" to the Post. "I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity," Kavanaugh said. The developing situation threatens to exacerbate the GOP's rocky Trump-era relationship with suburban women, who are poised to play an outsized role in the districts that will largely decide the House majority this fall. Election Day isn't until Nov. 6, but early voting begins Friday in Minnesota and in roughly three weeks across several more states. Vulnerable Republican House incumbents have largely avoided the issue, which flared Monday in northern Virginia's suburbs, where GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock is fighting for her political survival. In a written statement, Comstock said Kavanaugh and Ford "should both testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee." The reaction came as her Democratic challenger, Jennifer Wexton, tweeted: "This is bigger than our politics and will impact whether victims can trust Congress." In suburban Denver, vulnerable Republican Rep. Mike Coffman was more cautious. A spokesman said the five-term congressman "believes the committee and full Senate should thoroughly evaluate the claims and Judge Kavanaugh should address them." For now, it's unclear if the Republicans who control the Senate Judiciary Committee will allow Ford to testify publicly. While GOP support for an investigation grew on Monday, top Republicans seemed to prefer that Ford's testimony be limited to telephone interviews. Republicans were eager to avoid images of Ford facing tough questioning from the all-male Republican membership of the Senate panel. The situation would draw clear parallels with Justice Clarence Thomas' 1991 confirmation hearings when he faced allegations of sexual harassment from Anita Hill. The Senate ultimately confirmed Thomas, though public acceptance of sexual misconduct has shifted dramatically over the last three decades. Former Vice President Joe Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has been criticized for his handling of Hill's allegations. On Monday, his spokesman, Bill Russo, said Biden "believes Professor Ford deserves a fair and respectful hearing of her allegations, and that the Committee should undertake a thorough and non-partisan effort to get to the truth, wherever it leads." Some Democrats are using the development to go on offense. In Nevada, where Republican Sen. Dean Heller is in a difficult fight for re-election, his Democratic challenger, Rep. Jacky Rosen, used the allegation against Kavanaugh to stoke doubt about Heller's judgment. Heller said last week he had "no reservations" about voting to confirm Kavanaugh. Rosen was quick to suggest in July that Kavanaugh would pose a threat to abortion rights were he to be confirmed. "If Sen. Heller still has no reservations about confirming Judge Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment on the nation's highest court, then he isn't listening to Nevadans," Rosen said in a statement Monday. And in Tennessee, where Democrat Phil Bredesen is trying to knock off Republican incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Democrat insisted that Ford "should be heard." "If U.S senators are not going to give a careful and thorough consideration of Supreme Court nominees, then I don't know what they think their job is," Bredesen said on Twitter. Democrats and some Republicans have called for a delay in the nomination process until Ford's allegation could be investigated further. The development offered some respite to several vulnerable Democrats who are facing re-election in Republican-leaning states and who had avoided taking a firm position on Kavanaugh's nomination. At the same time, Democrats also worked to avoid the perception they were politicizing the situation. A cautious Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, one of the nation's most endangered Senate Democrats, said the allegations "merit further review." "Given the nature of these allegations, and the number of outstanding questions, I believe the Judiciary Committee should hold off on Thursday's scheduled vote," he said in a written statement. While his Republican challenger had little to say about the new allegations, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said both Ford and Kavanaugh should have an opportunity to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee "as quickly as possible." "Professor Christine Blasey Ford deserves to be heard and Judge Kavanaugh deserves a chance to clear his name," Manchin said. The jet was shot down by a Soviet-made missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border Moscow: The Russian military said on Monday that the missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board, came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia. The jet was shot down by a Soviet-made missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border, where fighting had been raging for months between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. Associated Press reporters sighted a Buk missile system not far from the site just hours before the plane crash. The Netherlands and Australia announced in May that they believe the missile was transported to Ukraine from a military unit in the Russian city of Kursk. Russia has vehemently denied involvement and has over the years come up with various theories as to the cause of the crash. Lt Gen Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters on Monday that the military had studied and declassified archives at the research center outside Moscow that produced the Buk missiles after the Dutch investigators displayed parts of the missile and their serial numbers. Parshin said the Russian archives show that the missile that was made of these parts was transported to a military unit in western Ukraine in 1986, and to Russia's knowledge never left Ukraine. Asked about the possibility that the separatists may have seized the missile system during fighting in 2014, Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov conceded that Russia does not have any documents proving otherwise but pointed to the statements of Ukrainian officials who have denied that separatists seized any of their Buks. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned Yves Rossier, Switzerland's ambassador to Moscow, for an explanation over Swiss accusations of alleged Russian spying. Switzerland this week demanded that Russia cease spying activities on its territory after two suspected espionage cases came to light MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned Yves Rossier, Switzerland's ambassador to Moscow, for an explanation over Swiss accusations of alleged Russian spying. Switzerland this week demanded that Russia cease spying activities on its territory after two suspected espionage cases came to light. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by John Stonestreet) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Donald Trump defended his Supreme Court pick and said Brett Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name. United States Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 1982 will be called to testify in the Senate next Monday, complicating what had appeared to be a smooth confirmation process. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley canceled a vote on Kavanaugh planned for Thursday and said that the nominee and his accuser, California university professor Christine Blasey Ford, will both appear in the US Senate next Monday to testify under oath about the alleged incident. "To provide ample transparency, we will hold a public hearing on Monday to give these recent allegations a full airing," Grassley said in a written statement, according to The Guardian. With Kavanaugh's once-safe nomination for a lifetime job in the top US court now appearing in jeopardy, the conservative federal appeals court judge nominated by President Donald Trump had meetings at the White House on Monday and called the allegation of sexual assault "completely false." Trump also defended his Supreme Court pick. He was quoted as saying by The Guardian that Kavanaugh "looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation". Characterising the matter as a "little delay", the US president dismissed any notion that Kavanaugh's nomination should be withdrawn, calling that a "ridiculous question". Trump also accused Democrats of playing politics by not zeroing in on the accusation against the judge until days before the Senate Judiciary Committee was poised to vote on his nomination. "He's an outstanding intellect. An outstanding judge. Respected by everybody. Never even had a little blemish on his record," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. The woman's accusation Ford had initially accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct anonymously. She revealed her identity later in an interview with The Washington Post. She said that as a high school student in suburban Maryland decades ago, a "stumbling drunk" Kavanaugh had pinned her to a bed, groped her and attempted to undress her. She said that when she tried to scream, Kavanaugh had covered her mouth with his hand. "I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford told The Washington Post. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." Kavanaugh denied the allegations on Friday, saying: "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time." He issued a fresh denial on Monday, saying that he is willing to "refute" Ford's "false allegation" before the Senate Judiciary Committee "in any way the committee deems appropriate", CBS News reported. In a statement on Monday night, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that last Wednesday, it had received a letter from July concerning the allegation and had forwarded it to the White House counsel. The FBI added that the alleged misconduct "does not involve any potential federal crime". Political implications of allegations Democrats clashed with cautious Republicans on Monday as both parties grappled with an increasingly messy nomination fight weeks before the pivotal midterm elections. The political implications are still being sorted out. But with the control of the Congress at stake this fall, there are tremendous risks for both sides. Republicans have risked further alienating female voters particularly in the nation's suburbs by embracing Kavanaugh after the allegation surfaced. Democrats, who seized on the development as justification to delay the high-stakes nomination, could energise complacent Republican voters if they are viewed as playing politics with the sensitive allegation. For now, it is unclear whether the Republicans, who control the Senate Judiciary Committee, will allow Ford to testify publicly. While party support for an investigation grew on Monday, top Republicans seemed to prefer that Ford's testimony be limited to telephone interviews. Republicans were eager to avoid images of Ford facing tough questioning from the all-male Republican membership of the Senate panel. With inputs from agencies UPDATE 11:32 a.m. Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 - The deadline to reach an agreement is Nov. 1. Enloe Medical Center is still in contract negotiations with the insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross. Customers insured by Anthem Blue Cross may lose their policies on Nov. 1 if an agreement is not reached. Anthem Blue Cross sent the medical center an email saying the company is working on a new proposal for the hospital. Stay with Action News Now for the latest updates as they become available. --- CHICO, Calif. - Enloe Medical Center has announced that it is cutting ties with Anthem Blue Cross, an agency that insures thousands of people across Chico. CEO of Enloe Medical Center, Mike Wiltermood, says that the move is a bargaining tool rather than a full termination notice. Additionally, to be fair, Enloe Medical Center also gave Anthem Blue Cross notice of intent to terminate back in May. Two weeks ago, the medical center received an email from Anthem Blue Cross that the agency was preparing a rate proposal. However, the center has been frustrated by the pace of the negotiations, he said. One of the main motivators behind the proposed change is the lack of compensation for physicians. He says that it's only fair and reasonable that if Anthem Blue Cross pays physicians in Sacramento that they should pay a certain amount here in the North State so that Enloe can recruit and retain physicians. "When there are physicians in a given specialty getting 150-200 percent of Medicare, while our physicians are getting medicare rates that are below, it's not fair and it's not sustainable for us," Wiltermood said. Enloe Medical Center is just looking for a fair agreement, he said, and they are highly motivated to reach a deal. There are currently 3,400 Enloe Medical Center employees and roughly 300 City of Chico employees that are insured by the agency, not to mention thousands of employees at Chico State as well. Stay with KHSL Channel 12 and actionnewsnow.com for the latest updates as they become available. By Sarah N. Lynch and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to immediately declassify additional information related to the investigation into possible election meddling by Russia, the White House said on Monday By Sarah N. Lynch and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to immediately declassify additional information related to the investigation into possible election meddling by Russia, the White House said on Monday. Among the documents Trump ordered the Justice Department and the director of national intelligence to make public are 20 additional pages of FBI surveillance warrant applications related to his former campaign adviser Carter Page. Trump also ordered the release of FBI interview reports with Justice Department official Bruce Ohr related to the Russia probe, and FBI interview reports related to the Page surveillance warrant applications, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Finally, Trump directed the Justice Department to release, without redactions, text messages relating to the Russia probe from former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and other officials, including recently fired FBI agent Peter Strzok. Strzok has come under fire for sending texts disparaging Trump as a presidential candidate. Trump fired Comey in May 2017, originally saying that he fired him over the Russia probe, and then this past May contradicting that and saying that the firing was not "because of the phony Russia investigation." McCabe was fired in March by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump's demands mark his latest effort to turn up the heat on the Justice Department, whom he and his Republican allies have accused of running a tainted probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Democrats say that Trump and his allies are politicizing a law enforcement investigation in order to protect the White House. A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment on Trump's directive. But one source familiar with the process, speaking on condition of anonymity, said neither the Justice Department nor the FBI had any idea how the declassification process was supposed to work in this case - suggesting Trump's order had taken them by surprise. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, sharply criticized Trump. "President Trump, in a clear abuse of power, has decided to intervene in a pending law enforcement investigation by ordering the selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defence team and thinks will advance a false narrative," Schiff said. "With respect to some of these materials, I have been previously informed by the FBI and Justice Department that they would consider their release a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods," Schiff said. Republican Representative Matt Gaetz praised the directive. "These documents will reveal to the American people some of the systemic corruption and bias that took place at the highest levels of the DOJ and FBI, including using the tools of our intelligence community for partisan political ends," he said. The material involving Page amounts to 412 pages of documents comprising an October 2016 bureau application to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a warrant to monitor Pages communications for three months, and applications to extend the monitoring for three subsequent 90-day periods. All four applications were approved. Parts of the material were first declassified and released by the FBI on July 21. In the original application, the FBI said it believed that "Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian Government." In a June hearing, some Republican House members shouted at Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, and accused him of withholding documents related to the investigation into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia. Trump has denied colluding and Russia has denied meddling, though all of U.S. intelligence agencies agree Russia interfered in the election. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Lawrence Hurley and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday his nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court remains 'on track' despite a woman's allegation that the judge sexually assaulted her in 1982, while the accuser and the nominee both offered to testify publicly. In careful remarks at the White House in which he did not offer his view on the actual allegation against his nominee, Trump called for the Senate to go through a 'full process' and accepted a small delay in the process, though warned that 'it shouldn't certainly be very much.' 'If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay,' said Trump, who dismissed as a 'ridiculous question' a reporter's query about whether Kavanaugh, who earlier in the day issued a fresh denial of the allegation against him, had offered to withdraw his name from consideration By Lawrence Hurley and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday his nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court remains "on track" despite a woman's allegation that the judge sexually assaulted her in 1982, while the accuser and the nominee both offered to testify publicly. In careful remarks at the White House in which he did not offer his view on the actual allegation against his nominee, Trump called for the Senate to go through a "full process" and accepted a small delay in the process, though warned that "it shouldn't certainly be very much." "If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay," said Trump, who dismissed as a "ridiculous question" a reporter's query about whether Kavanaugh, who earlier in the day issued a fresh denial of the allegation against him, had offered to withdraw his name from consideration. "I think he's very much on track," Trump said. While Democrats demanded a delay in a scheduled Thursday vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nomination to allow the FBI to investigate, Senate Republicans struggled with how to proceed. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee overseeing the high-stakes nomination, said Christine Blasey Ford, a university professor in California who made the allegation, "deserves to be heard." Grassley and some other senior Senate Republicans stopped short of calling for a public hearing or for delaying the panel's vote. Moderates in both parties including pivotal Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said Kavanaugh and Ford should be given the chance to testify before the committee, a move that could delay the confirmation process. Ford has accused Kavanaugh, a conservative appeals court judge chosen by Trump for a lifetime job on the top U.S. court, of trying to attack her and remove her clothing while drunk in 1982 in a Maryland suburb outside Washington when they were students in different high schools. In television interviews on Monday, Ford's Washington-based lawyer, Debra Katz, said her client would be willing to speak out publicly. Asked if that included sworn testimony at a public hearing before senators, Katz told CBS's "This Morning" programme: "She's willing to do what she needs to do." Trump's fellow Republicans control the Senate by only a narrow margin, meaning any defections could sink the nomination and deal a major setback to Trump, who has been engaged in a so-far successful effort since becoming president last year to move the Supreme Court and broader federal judiciary to the right. Trump picked Kavanaugh to replace the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative who sometimes sided with the court's liberal wing. Without Kennedy on the court, the justices are split 4-4 between liberals and conservatives. The confirmation fight comes just weeks before the Nov. 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are seeking to take control of Congress from Trump's fellow Republicans. Grassley said the standard procedure would be to conduct follow-up telephone calls with Kavanaugh and Ford, and that he intended to work with the senior Democrat on the committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein, to schedule the calls but that Democrats have refused to cooperate. Grassley said he will continue working on a way to hear from Ford "in an appropriate, precedented and respectful manner." Kavanaugh visited the White House on Monday morning. A senior official said Kavanaugh did not meet with Trump, who himself faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct that emerged during the 2016 presidential election. "He is somebody very special," Trump said of his nominee. "At the same time, we want to go through a process. We want to make sure everything is perfect, everything is just right." 'COMPLETELY FALSE' "This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes - to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said in a statement issued by the White House, his first comment since Ford's identity was revealed on Sunday. "Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday," added Kavanaugh, who said he is willing to talk to the Judiciary Committee in any way it deems appropriate "to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity. Kavanaugh has said he was not at the party where the incident was alleged to have occurred, according to a White House official. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said he spoke with Kavanaugh on Monday. "The judge, who I know very, very well, is an honest man, so this didn't happen," Hatch said. Republicans hold a slim 11-10 advantage on the Judiciary Committee and a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Under Senate rules, the committee could forward the nomination to the Senate floor without an affirmative vote. White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said sworn testimony from both Kavanaugh and Ford on the specific allegation should be considered as part of the record in the judge's hearings. "This woman should not be insulted and she should not be ignored," Conway said told Fox News. The comments by Ford's lawyer suggested any public hearing could be explosive. Ford believes Kavanaugh's alleged actions were "attempted rape" and "that if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would have been raped," Katz told NBC's "Today" programme. Katz told CBS that Ford had consumed a beer but was not drunk. Ford was 15 at the time of the alleged incident. Kavanaugh was 17. "Trying to rush this through on Thursday is an insult to the women of America and an insult to the majesty of the Supreme Court of the United States," Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer told ABC's "The View." The Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative group that backs Trump's judicial picks, plans to launch a $1.5 million ad campaign backing Kavanaugh, a spokeswoman said. Ford detailed her story in a letter sent to Feinstein in July. The letter's contents leaked last week and Ford identified herself in an interview with the Washington Post published on Sunday. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley, Steve Holland and Susan Heavey; Additional reporting by Amanda Becker, Doina Chiacu and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Will Dunham) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Ernest Scheyder and Patrick Rucker WILMINGTON/FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Reuters) - Residents of the Carolinas struggled to return to normalcy on Tuesday after taking a beating from Hurricane Florence, but their efforts were hindered by standing water and additional flooding expected from already swollen rivers. By Ernest Scheyder and Patrick Rucker WILMINGTON/FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Reuters) - Residents of the Carolinas struggled to return to normalcy on Tuesday after taking a beating from Hurricane Florence, but their efforts were hindered by standing water and additional flooding expected from already swollen rivers. Florence has killed at least 33 people since coming ashore as a hurricane on Friday, including 26 in North Carolina and six in South Carolina. One person was killed when Florence spawned at least 16 tornadoes on Monday in Virginia, the National Weather Service said. The White House said President Donald Trump would visit North Carolina on Wednesday. He has been criticized for his handling of Hurricane Maria, which devastate Puerto Rico last year, and more recently for disputing the official death toll of 3,000. Waterways were expected to keep rising on Tuesday in places like Fayetteville, North Carolina, a city of 200,000 in the southern part of the state, according to the weather service, hampering efforts to restore power, clear roads and allow residents to homes. More than 1,100 roads were still closed across North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said on Tuesday, including several portions of Interstates 40 and 95. Sixteen rivers in the state have reached major flood stages, with three more expected to peak in the next two days, he said. "Road conditions are starting to improve in some parts of our state but rising creeks, streams and rivers continue to make travel unsafe," Cooper said in a news conference. Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, appeared with Cooper and said his agency would help restore power and open roads. "I think the next 48 hours are going to be incredibly critical," he said. Officials said residents should not attempt to return to the counties along the state's coast around Wilmington yet due to continued risk of flooding. A portion of the roof collapsed at the Starlight Motel near the U.S. military base at Fort Bragg but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The storm dumped more than 8 trillion gallons (30 trillion litres) of rain on North Carolina, the weather service said. On Tuesday, the storm's remnants were continuing to soak the mid-Atlantic region and southern New England with heavy rain. Property damage from the storm is expected to come to $17 billion to $22 billion, the risk management firm Moody's Analytics said. Further flooding could push up that figure. The risk modelling agency Air Worldwide on Tuesday said insured losses from Florence's winds and storm surge will range from $1.7 billion to $4.6 billion. Those figures do not include losses from continuing flooding. ROAD CONDITIONS 'STILL CHANGING' Fire and rescue crews were waiting to go into many areas to assist with structural damage after Florence dumped up to 36 inches (91 cm) of rain on the state since Thursday. "Road conditions are still changing," the North Carolina Department of Transportation wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. "Whats open now may become impassable." Thousands of rescues have taken place in the Carolinas, and more than 650 people were taken to safety in and around Wilmington, North Carolina, said Barbi Baker, a spokeswoman for New Hanover County. The coastal city took a direct hit when Hurricane Florence came ashore and has been largely cut off since then due to storm surges and flooding from the Cape Fear River. More than 347,000 customers, mostly in the Carolinas, were without power on Tuesday morning, according to power companies, down from a peak of nearly 1 million outages. North Carolina's Emergency Management department has opened four mass feeding kitchens and has plans to open four more shortly. Gasoline shortages were a problem. In Wilmington, dozens of cars lined up for fuel at a Kangaroo Express service station. "It is ridiculous that we dont have enough fuel supplies back in this area," Stephanie Schauer, 39, a contractor, said as she waited her turn at the gas pump. "Its been days since the storm." (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder and Patrick Rucker; Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall in Miami; Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Jessica Resnick-Ault and Barbara Goldberg in New York; Anna Mehler Paperny in North Carolina; and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will host a meeting of the U.N WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will host a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on North Korea on Sept. 27, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday. "That meeting will give the secretary a chance to update the Security Council on our efforts toward the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea as well as underscore the need for all member states to enforce existing sanctions," Nauert told a media briefing. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Guy Faulconbridge and Andy Bruce LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May told rebels in her divided party that if they torpedoed her Brexit deal then the United Kingdom would leave the EU without any agreement, a scenario the IMF said would make the country much poorer. The United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29 and yet little is clear. So far, no full exit agreement has been reached and some right-wing rebels in May's Conservative Party have threatened to vote down a deal if she clinches one. By Guy Faulconbridge and Andy Bruce LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May told rebels in her divided party that if they torpedoed her Brexit deal then the United Kingdom would leave the EU without any agreement, a scenario the IMF said would make the country much poorer. The United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29 and yet little is clear. So far, no full exit agreement has been reached and some right-wing rebels in May's Conservative Party have threatened to vote down a deal if she clinches one. The fate of May's government and her Brexit plan is in doubt because it is unclear whether she can command the 320 votes she needs in the House of Commons, the lower house of the British parliament, to approve a deal. "I think that the alternative to that will be not having a deal," May told BBC TV, adding she was confident of getting a good agreement she thought parliament would ultimately approve. Recent signals from Brussels have buoyed hopes that the United Kingdom and the EU can agree and approve a proper divorce arrangement before it leaves, though the sides are still divided on about one fifth of the detail of a deal. But many business chiefs and investors fear politics could scupper a deal, thrusting both the EU and the United Kingdom into a "no-deal" Brexit that they say would weaken the West, panic financial markets and block the arteries of trade. London mayor Sadiq Khan said on Sunday that as Britain now faces a choice between a bad Brexit deal or a damaging "no-deal" Brexit, voters should be given another referendum. DISORDERLY BREXIT? Failure to reach a deal would imply some upheaval, May acknowledged. "Let's be clear about this, under 'no-deal' there would be some short-term disruption. It's our job as the government to make sure we make a success of no-deal, just as we make a success of getting a good deal," she said. With Brexit plans in doubt, many British ministers have outlined the damage that they say a disorderly "no-deal" would do to the world's fifth-largest economy and its reputation as a politically stable haven for investment. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said failure to get a deal would make the economy shrink. The economy will grow around 1.5 percent this year. "I very much hope and pray that there will be a deal between the European Union and the UK," she told reporters. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator on the issue, said in Madrid on Monday that talks between the EU and Britain on Brexit were being conducted in a spirit of "good cooperation". But the EU, in a note before Barnier briefs ministers from member states on Tuesday, said both sides still have work to do to settle a range of issues, including the Irish border. "Some parts of the draft withdrawal agreement have already been agreed in principle by the UK and the EU negotiators, although nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," the note, seen by Reuters, said. "There are still parts of the withdrawal agreement that require further negotiation. One of them is the issue of how to avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland." Supporters of Brexit, who admit there may be some short term instability, say some British ministers and business chiefs are spreading scare stories about the impact of a "no-deal" Brexit in an attempt to rally support behind May's plans. The boss of Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover warned last week about the impact of Brexit on manufacturing and the company said on Monday it would go down to a three-day week temporarily at its Castle Bromwich plant in central England. The rival tipped by bookmakers to succeed May, Boris Johnson, excoriated May's Brexit plans, known as Chequers after the country house where they were hashed out in July. "The whole thing is a constitutional abomination, and if Chequers were adopted it would mean that for the first time since 1066 our leaders were deliberately acquiescing in foreign rule," Johnson said, referring to the 11th-century invasion which established Norman rule over England. IRISH BORDER Johnson, May's former foreign minister, scolded the prime minister for her handling of negotiations on the future of the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, an EU member state. But he told reporters on Monday that a technical fix to the Irish border issue reported by The Times newspaper could allow for a proper Brexit deal to be clinched. EU officials and diplomats insist that nothing has fundamentally changed on the so called backstop plan for the Irish border to ensure it remains open for people and commerce after Brexit. What has changed is a shift away from discussion of checks on goods passing through Northern Ireland's border with Ireland to a discussion of the mechanisms for checking goods travelling between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. "This is part of the de-dramatising process. Barnier is being creative in offering concessions in the text that seem to go the British way but in fact dont change the reality," one EU diplomat said. No new border plan will materialise before the Conservative Party conference on Sept. 30-Oct 3, the diplomat said. (Additional reporting by Emily Roe, Elizabeth Piper and Kylie MacLellan in London and Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald in Brussels; Editing by Michael Holden and Angus MacSwan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. The UN's 444-page probe called for Myanmar military's top leadership to be replaced and for the institution locally known as the Tatmadaw to have no further influence over the country's governance. Yangon: Myanmar's powerful army should be removed from politics, UN investigators said Tuesday, as they released the final part of a damning report reiterating calls for top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya Muslim minority. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. The UN's 444-page probe called for the military's top leadership to be replaced and for the institution locally known as the Tatmadaw to have no further influence over the country's governance. Myanmar's military dominates the Buddhist-majority country, holding a quarter of seats in parliament and controlling three ministries. But the report said that the country's civilian leadership "should further pursue the removal of the Tatmadaw from Myanmar's political life", referring to the nation's armed forces. The UN's meticulously detailed analysis, based on 18 months' work and more than 850 in-depth interviews, calls on the international community to investigate military top brass for genocide, including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting the military campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. But the UN team said the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats". Investigators said the Tatmadaw should be restructured and that the process should begin by replacing the current leadership. Myanmar only emerged from military junta rule after 2011 and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government remains in a delicate power balance with the generals. Their presence in parliament means they have an effective veto on constitutional changes, making any transition to full civilian control extremely difficult. The three key ministries home affairs, border and defence are also in their hands, giving them carte blanche to conduct security operations with little oversight. The Trump Administration Monday decided to take only 30,000 refugees in the country in 2019, slashing the intake from 45,000 in 2018. The United States anticipates up to 310,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Fiscal 2019. Washington: The Trump Administration Monday decided to take only 30,000 refugees in the country in 2019, slashing the intake from 45,000 in 2018. The United States anticipates up to 310,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Fiscal 2019. We propose resettling up to 30,000 refugees under the new ceiling," the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State department. The US also anticipate processing applications of "more than 2,80,000 asylum seekers, he said. They will join over 8,00,000 asylum seekers who are already inside the US and are awaiting adjudication of their claims, he said, asserting that these figures testify to America's "longstanding record of the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance." Wary that the decision to cap refugees intake may face criticism, Pompeo said the ceiling on the refugees number should not be viewed in isolation from other expansive humanitarian programs. Some will characterise the refugee ceiling as the sole barometer of America's commitment to vulnerable people around the world. This would be wrong, he said. Other countries, when noting their humanitarian protection efforts, highlight their assistance to both refugees and asylees. The United States should do the same, he said. This year's refugee ceiling reflects the substantial increase in the number of individuals seeking asylum in US, leading to a massive backlog of outstanding asylum cases and greater public expense. The daunting operational reality of addressing over 8,00,000 individuals in pending asylum cases demands renewed focus and prioritisation. The magnitude of this challenge is unequaled in any other country, he explained. Pompeo said this year's refugee ceiling also reflects US's commitment to protect the most vulnerable around the world while prioritizing the safety and well-being of the American people, as President Donald Trump has directed. We must continue to responsibly vet applicants to prevent the entry of those who might do harm to our country, he said. Democrats and human rights bodies were quick in opposing the decision. Outrageous, said Senator Jeane Shaheen. The decision to reduce an already all-time low refugee admissions is the opposite of what we stand for as a nation. It harms vulnerable families who face near-certain dangers and weakens our hand on the world stage, she said. No wonder this decision was taken without the consultation with Congress that is required. Don't tell me this is for national security refugees are among the most securely vetted travellers to the US. Congress is supposed to be consulted, Shaheen said. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, co-chair of the Cong Refugee Caucus, said she was appalled by Trump Administration's decision to once again slash refugee intake. With crises in every region of the world, the US should be doing more, not less, to be a global leader in refugee protection, she said. The Trump administration is proposing to slash refugee admissions before the legally-mandated consultation with Congress. At every turn, we must resist this administration's efforts to isolate America and abandon the persecuted, Senator Ed Markey said. Slashing the number of refugees we take in during the worst refugee crisis in modern history won't make us safer, and shutting the door on the thousands of displaced people - many of them women and children fleeing war, famine, and violence - is cruel and simply un-American, Congresswoman Lois Frankel said. Against a record-high global refugee crisis, the Trump administration's record low refugee admissions cap is dangerous and un-American, said Congressman Gerry Connolly. He has introduced a bill in the Congress which will require Trump to admit at least 1,10,000 refugees annually so as to restore America's leadership role in refugee resettlement, the lawmaker said. Several news organizations have reported that Trump has become weary of Mattis, a retired Marine general who was one of his first Cabinet selections. He is seen by many as a steadying influence on Trump in the face of sometimes impulsive moves on national security issues. Washington: US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday dismissed recent news reports that tensions between him and President Donald Trump point to his exit soon. Asked by a reporter whether such reports should be taken seriously, he replied, "No. I wouldn't take it seriously at all. It's like most of those kind of things in this town" that he said are fanned by baseless rumor. "Somebody cooks up a headline. They then call to a normally chatty class of people, they find a couple of other things to put in, they add the rumor, somebody else on the other coast starts writing the same thing next thing you know you've got a story," he told a small group of reporters on the steps of the Pentagon as he awaited the arrival of his Philippine counterpart. Several news organizations have reported that Trump has become weary of Mattis, a retired Marine general who was one of his first Cabinet selections. He is seen by many as a steadying influence on Trump in the face of sometimes impulsive moves on national security issues. It's well known that Mattis has privately disagreed with Trump on numerous issues, including the president's decision to end U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal and move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. But Mattis is widely supported in Congress and the military and prevailed in an administration argument in 2017 over whether to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump has "soured" on Mattis, and that the president is considering whether he wants someone running the Pentagon who would be more vocally supportive. The newspaper also reported that Mattis is becoming weary of pushing back against various Trump proposals. In his comments Tuesday, Mattis did not refer to any specific story. He said he is not considering quitting and indicated he is not worried about the stories. "It'll die down," he said. "How many times have we been through this now, just since I've been here? It'll die down soon and the people who started the rumor will be allowed to write the next rumor, too." The Times report followed release of a book by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward about the Trump White House in which the author says Mattis told close associates after a National Security Council meeting this year that the president acted like and had the understanding of "a fifth- or sixth-grader." Mattis quickly disputed the Woodward account, saying in a written statement on Sept. 4, "The contemptuous words about the president attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence." Asked Tuesday whether he thinks about leaving, Mattis said, "I think about doing my job each day." Detractors at the department say Republican Donald Trump's arrival in the White House in early 2017 was a turning point. Washington: The US State Department is on the defensive after Democratic lawmakers said the agency was remaining silent over xenophobia and racism, and an ex-diplomat said white males were the overwhelming majority in senior official recruits. Detractors at the department say Republican Donald Trump's arrival in the White House in early 2017 was a turning point. "We are extremely alarmed by the Trump administration's policy of remaining silent in international fora about racism and xenophobia and declining to condemn hate speech and incitement," six Democratic representatives wrote in a scathing letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They pointed to an episode that saw a senior State official dispute "the idea that leaders have a 'duty to condemn hate speech or incitement' and tried to strike an entire section of a United Nations document that links fighting racism with building a diverse democratic society." "This is a dangerous policy," the signatories wrote, saying "this latest blunder amplifies the increasingly widespread perception that some officials in the Trump administration are racist and support an anti-foreigner, anti-Muslim discriminatory agenda." Uzra Zeya who worked at the State Department for nearly three decades, before resigning this year after she was "blocked" from several top jobs blasted her former employer in Politico, writing "Trump is making American diplomacy white again." In 2017, she said "the exclusion of minorities from top leadership positions in the State Department and embassies abroad," began trending. According to her analysis of public statistics, 64 percent of Trump ambassador appointees were white, non-Hispanic men seven points higher than under his predecessor Barack Obama. From September 2016 to June 2018, she said the share of African Americans in senior foreign service fell from 4.6 to 3.2 percent. In a similar vein, the steady upward trend of women ambassadors has reversed for the first time since the late 1990s. "The assertion that @StateDept is 'racist' is disgusting and false a brazen attempt to create division for domestic political gain," agency spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted on Sunday. "State is among the most diverse of government agencies." Apple has released iOS 12, its latest operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users as it had promised and also released watchOS 5.0 for Apple Watch users. Announced at the WWDC in June this year, iOS 12 is compatible with iPhone 5s and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation, iPad 6th generation, iPad mini 2 and later and iPod touch 6th generation. The iOS 12 update brings Improved Performance, Siri Shortcuts, Memoji, Screen Time, Shared AR Experiences and more. Apple was supposed to introduce Group FaceTime support in iOS 12, but it was removed during the beta. It will release later this fall in a future iOS 12 update. The watchOS 5 comes with an array of features like Walkie Talkie feature that lets you talk directly to family members using an Apple Watch. You can fire off a voice clip directly to another watch user with a tap of the wrist. The feature works over both WiFi and LTE. It has also released tvOS 12 for Apple TV that brings new Aerial Screensavers, Zero Sign-On, Dolby Atmos Support and more. Check out the complete changelog below. New features in iOS 12 Accounts Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: A local app may be able to read a persistent account identifier Description: This issue was addressed with improved entitlements. CVE-2018-4322 Bluetooth Available for: iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPad Mini 4, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad 5th generation, and iPod Touch 6th generation Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to intercept Bluetooth traffic Description: An input validation issue existed in Bluetooth. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-5383 Core Bluetooth Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system privileges Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. CVE-2018-4330 CoreMedia Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An app may be able to learn information about the current camera view before being granted camera access Description: A permissions issue existed. This issue was addressed with improved permission validation. CVE-2018-4356 IOMobileFrameBuffer Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory Description: A validation issue was addressed with improved input sanitization. CVE-2018-4335 iTunes Store Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to spoof password prompts in the iTunes Store Description: An input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-4305 Kernel Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory Description: An input validation issue existed in the kernel. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-4363 Messages Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: A local user may be able to discover a users deleted messages Description: A consistency issue existed in the handling of application snapshots. The issue was addressed with improved handling of message deletions. CVE-2018-4313 Safari Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: A local user may be able to discover websites a user has visited Description: A consistency issue existed in the handling of application snapshots. The issue was addressed with improved handling of application snapshots. CVE-2018-4313 Safari Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: A user may be unable to delete browsing history items Description: Clearing a history item may not clear visits with redirect chains. The issue was addressed with improved data deletion. CVE-2018-4329 Safari Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: A malicious website may be able to exfiltrate autofilled data in Safari Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. CVE-2018-4307 SafariViewController Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: Visiting a malicious website may lead to address bar spoofing Description: An inconsistent user interface issue was addressed with improved state management. CVE-2018-4362 Security Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An attacker may be able to exploit weaknesses in the RC4 cryptographic algorithm Description: This issue was addressed by removing RC4. CVE-2016-1777 Status Bar Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: A person with physical access to an iOS device may be able to determine the last used app from the lock screen Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions. CVE-2018-4325: Brian Adeloye Wi-Fi Available for: iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and iPod touch 6th generation Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory Description: A validation issue was addressed with improved input sanitization. CVE-2018-4338 New features in watchOS 5 iTunes Store Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to spoof password prompts in the iTunes Store Description: An input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-4305: Jerry Decime Kernel Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory Description: An input validation issue existed in the kernel. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-4363 Safari Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later Impact: A local user may be able to discover websites a user has visited Description: A consistency issue existed in the handling of application snapshots. The issue was addressed with improved handling of application snapshots. CVE-2018-4313: 11 anonymous researchers, David Scott, Enes Mert Ulu of Abdullah Murside Ozunenek Anadolu Lisesi Ankara/Turkiye, Mehmet Ferit Dastan of Van Yuzuncu Yl University, Metin Altug Karakaya of Kaliptus Medical Organization, Vinodh Swami of Western Governors University (WGU) Security Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later Impact: An attacker may be able to exploit weaknesses in the RC4 cryptographic algorithm Description: This issue was addressed by removing RC4. CVE-2016-1777 New features in tvOS 12 Bluetooth Available for: Apple TV (4th generation) Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to intercept Bluetooth traffic Description: An input validation issue existed in Bluetooth. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-5383 iTunes Store Available for: Apple TV 4K and Apple TV (4th generation) Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to spoof password prompts in the iTunes Store Description: An input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-4305 Kernel Available for: Apple TV 4K and Apple TV (4th generation) Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory Description: An input validation issue existed in the kernel. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. CVE-2018-4363 Safari Available for: Apple TV 4K and Apple TV (4th generation) Impact: A local user may be able to discover websites a user has visited Description: A consistency issue existed in the handling of application snapshots. The issue was addressed with improved handling of application snapshots. CVE-2018-4313 Security Available for: Apple TV 4K and Apple TV (4th generation) Impact: An attacker may be able to exploit weaknesses in the RC4 cryptographic algorithm Description: This issue was addressed by removing RC4. CVE-2016-1777 (CNN) -- Even as Florence leaves the Carolinas, the floodwaters and death toll keep rising. The storm once known as Hurricane Florence has killed 20 people, trapped hundreds more and cut off an entire city. But forecasters say the worst flooding is yet to come. "This is a monumental disaster for our state," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday. "This is an epic storm that is still continuing because the rivers are still rising." Residential streets have turned into rivers. Parts of freeways -- dotted with rescue boats -- have morphed into free-flowing waterways. And Florence, now a tropical depression, will probably dump another 2 to 5 inches of rain Monday on central and southeastern North Carolina, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said. But even when the rain lets up, don't be fooled. The big concern now is river water gushing downstream, further deluging flooded cities. "Catastrophic and historic river flooding will continue for days across portions of the Carolinas," the National Weather Service said. Now, there are fears that the death toll will keep climbing. Authorities reported two more deaths on Monday, both in North Carolina. The body of an elderly man was found by his submerged car Monday morning, the Union County Sheriff's Office said. And 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch, who was swept away by rushing waters Sunday, was found dead Monday, also in Union County. 'There will be flooding like we've never seen before' That was the message Monday from Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, whose city is so deeply submerged that no one could get in Sunday. By Monday, North Carolina authorities were able to open one road into the city of 117,000. But it's not for residents to use to return. "We do not want evacuees to go back. There's too much going on," Cooper said. The state's Department of Transportation said it's not clear how long that road will stay open, so authorities are trying to rush in supplies. "We are pushing supplies as hard as we possibly can with the plan that (the road) may not sustain us over the next week," agency Secretary James Trogdon said. And supplies such as fuel are in critical need. The Wilmington-based Cape Fear Public Utility Authority urged residents to fill bathtubs and containers with water in case it doesn't have enough fuel to keep its water treatment plants running. Pender County, just north of Wilmington, is also running out of fuel, Commissioner Jackie Newton said. Evacuee loses car trying to get a flood victim food Wilmington evacuee James Ammons can't get a break. He just moved to Wilmington a few weeks ago and already lost his car in the storm, he said. "The reason why I lost my car is because there was a girl who hadn't had food, and I wanted to get her some food," Ammons said. He tried to find safety at an emergency shelter, but it got flooded out. So he went to another emergency shelter -- but that, too, got deluged. "I've been to three shelters so far," Ammons told CNN on Monday. He said the stress is running high for evacuees who aren't sure how badly their homes are damaged. But he said perspective is important. "You have to be grateful for what you have right now." Houses turn into islands The flooding is so bad that North Carolina's transportation department warned people not to travel in or through the state. Some interstates, including sections of I-95 and I-40, are closed. Emergency workers have made at least 1,000 swift-water rescues in North Carolina by early Monday, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety said. But many more people need help. And those trapped in floodwater could also be without power for days. About 488,551 customers in North Carolina and 16,385 in South Carolina don't have electricity. But the number of actual people without power is far greater, since a single customer can represent an entire family. River threatens to swallow Lumberton ... again In Lumberton, North Carolina -- a city submerged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 -- residents are bracing for disaster as the Lumber River seeps through a patched-up gap in the levee system. The river is expected to crest around 25.7 feet. If it gets higher than 26 feet, "all bets are off," city public works Deputy Director Corey Walters said. Already, the floodwater in Lumberton has engulfed Bill Kozak's home. "I'm 5'9" and it got to the top of my chest in a lot of areas," Kozak said. He said he's frustrated after dealing with two hurricane-induced floods in two years. "It feels like there hasn't been much done to prevent this from happening," Kozak said. Once he's done repairing flood damage from Florence, Kozak said, he and his family are moving out of Lumberton. 'Bring your pets with you!' Some residents said they decided to stay because many emergency shelters don't accept pets. But those who left without their pets faced the wrath of passers-by and social media users. Freelance journalist Marcus DiPaola tweeted that he helped rescue six dogs in Leland, North Carolina, after they were left locked in an outdoor cage. "We got them out, but by the time we left, the water was so high that they would have drowned. BRING YOUR PETS WITH YOU!" he wrote. Causes of death include drowning and fallen trees Of the 20 deaths linked to Florence, 15 happened in North Carolina, and five were in South Carolina. They include: -- A 3-month-old who died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Dallas, North Carolina. -- A man who died when a his truck hit an overpass support beam on Interstate 20 in Kershaw County, South Carolina. -- A man who drowned in an overturned vehicle on a flooded road in Georgetown County, South Carolina. -- Three people who died in flash flooding or swift water on roads in Duplin County, North Carolina. -- A mother and a child who were killed when a tree fell on their house in Wilmington, North Carolina. -- A woman in South Carolina who died after striking a downed tree while she was driving. -- A woman went into cardiac arrest in Hampstead, in North Carolina's Pender County. When emergency responders tried to reach her, their path was blocked by fallen trees. -- An 81-year-old man who fell and struck his head while packing to evacuate in Wayne County, North Carolina. Where Florence's remnants will go next What's left of Florence is dragging itself north, dumping heavy rain Monday as it moves into the southern Appalachian Mountains. On Monday morning, Tropical Depression Florence was centered about 125 miles west southwest of Roanoke, Virginia, the National Weather Service said. It was moving north at 13 mph, whipping up 30-mph winds. Mountainous parts of southern Virginia are now at risk of flooding, mudslides and landslides due to Florence's heavy rains on Monday, said Guy, the meteorologist. The storm is expected to move north through the Charlottesville, Virginia, area before heading toward the Ohio Valley, hitting West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. By Tuesday, Guy said, "the remnants of Florence will be pushed towards the Northeast, where areas from northern Pennsylvania through central New York towards Boston could pick up some heavy rain." Many U.S. investors avoid investing internationally because it can be tricky to get access to the stocks you want. You can find some foreign stocks listed on U.S. stock exchanges, but if you rely solely on stocks you can buy on domestic exchanges, you'll miss out on a lot of key companies. That's a big part of the reason exchange-traded funds that focus on single countries have become so popular. By offering exposure to companies based in a certain nation, investors can tailor their exposure and take advantage of the opportunities one country can offer. Yet sometimes, those bets go awry when bad things happen in the local area. Below, I'll look at the three worst performers so far this year among single-country ETFs with more than $200 million in assets under management and try to explain what has happened to cause them to lose so much ground. ETF 2018 YTD Return iShares MSCI Turkey (NYSEMKT: TUR) (48%) Van Eck Vectors India Small-Cap (NYSEMKT:SCIF) (30%) iShares MSCI South Africa (NYSEMKT:EZA) (26%) Crisis in Turkey Emerging markets have struggled this year, and the biggest problem has been Turkey. This fast-growing economy straddles Europe and Asia, and market participants have gotten spooked by the policies of President Erdogan both economically and geopolitically. Turkey has been one of the first places refugees fleeing Syria have gone, and many other European countries have resisted allowing refugees to continue westward. Moreover, worsening relations between the U.S. and Turkey have raised new concerns among economists, leading to a dramatic decline in the value of the Turkish lira in August that further destabilized Turkey's economy. About half of the Turkey ETF consists of financial and industrial stocks, and both of those sectors could face further pressure if the crisis doesn't end soon. Financial stocks are vulnerable to continued volatility in the lira, while industrials could suffer if trade tensions escalate into even harsher tariffs than those currently in place. Barring a quick reversal, investors in the Turkey ETF should anticipate further choppiness in the fund's returns for the rest of the year. Why India is under pressure India has been extremely strong in recent years, with the rise of a pro-business government helping to spur greater economic development. Yet even the biggest bull markets have to take a pause, and the Van Eck Vectors ETF that focuses on small-cap Indian stocks has seen dramatic losses so far this year. That seems surprising, given that the large-cap Sensex index has hit all-time highs in the past month. But a falling rupee has reduced returns in U.S. dollar terms, and smaller stocks haven't kept up with their larger counterparts. When you look at the fund's holdings, they're fairly evenly balanced, with about 80% of assets split among consumer discretionary, materials, industrials, financials, and tech stocks. Yet despite some big gains in many of the smaller technology companies held by the ETF, losses in areas like the sugar industry and other commodities have taken their toll on returns. India's future prospects are the best of the three countries discussed here, but it's not surprising to see setbacks like this one happen. Less-than-golden performance South Africa is among the richest nations in the world in terms of natural resources, with a wealth of gold, platinum, and diamond mining assets that have brought enormous influxes of capital into the country. However, those valuable assets have to be mined, and recently, unrest among laborers who work under harsh conditions has caused turmoil across the South African economy, exacerbating already nervous investors who have watched prices of gold stagnate and platinum plunge in recent years. Interestingly, the iShares South Africa ETF doesn't have as much direct exposure to mining stocks as you might expect. Financial and consumer stocks make up almost 70% of the portfolio, with materials a distant third. Yet high unemployment has called into question the sustainability of economic growth without a firm backing from natural resources, and that's been a key issue in producing losses for the stock market in South Africa. Can these ETFs rebound? Many of the issues that have kept these ETFs down so far in 2018 are longer term in nature, and it's therefore unlikely that a quick turnaround will occur without more intervention than is likely. If the trade policies the U.S. has adopted over the past year continue, Turkey and South Africa are likely to remain under pressure. Of these three ETFs, the India small-cap fund has the best chance of regaining some of its lost ground if the Indian rupee can recover and the emerging nation's solid economic footing reasserts itself. In any nation, if a company has explicit support from the government, it's a big competitive advantage, and that's even more the case in countries like China and Russia. So shareholders of Chinese internet giant Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) have extra reason to be upbeat about the news that it's paying $2 billion for a 10% stake in Mail.ru, one of Russia's largest tech companies, and a 48% stake in their new e-commerce joint venture, AliExpress Russia. In this segment from MarketFoolery, host Mac Greer and analyst Aaron Bush consider what it all means for the state of e-commerce in Russia, for the businesses involved, and for their rivals. A full transcript follows the video. This video was recorded on Sept. 12, 2018. Mac Greer: Let's move overseas to Russia. Chinese internet giant Alibaba is entering into a $2 billion joint venture with the Russian internet services company Mail.Ru. Aaron, what strikes me, there are a lot of interesting things going on with this deal. But this deal is backed by the Kremlin through the Russian Direct Investment Fund. How should I feel about this? Aaron Bush: I think this deal is interesting for a couple of reasons. One is the geopolitical elements of it. This deal was actually announced when Putin and Xi Jinping were meeting in Russia. As the two countries have come closer together politically, coming closer together economically has sort of lagged. In some ways, this deal is symbolic of the current state of politics, and maybe is a hint of what else is to come in the future. That's interesting. I do think that the business angle itself is more interesting. Alibaba is taking a 10% stake in Mail.RU. That company is one of Russia's largest tech companies. They have a really strong presence in email, you can get a hint from that from the name, but also social and other online services. Something like 90% of Russians interface with that company every month. It's very penetrated in Russia. Alibaba is partnering with them to tackle Russia's nascent e-commerce market. On top of the 10% that they're investing in the parent company, they're also going to be taking a 48% stake and a new e-commerce joint venture with them. 52% will be owned by Mail.RU. The new venture will be called Aliexpress Russia. I think this is interesting because they have a pretty good chance of success here. On one hand, the e-commerce penetration rate in Russia is only 3% of total sales. In reference, in China, where Alibaba is coming from, it's 15% of sales. Greer: In the U.S., around 20%. Bush: Yeah, it's around there. The runway just from that angle is huge. But by combining Mail.RU's 100 million or so users with Alibaba's several hundred million online merchants, I could see how that could scale pretty fast. This is a big move. But they're also not alone. I think that's interesting, too. Greer: But when I see this phrase, that the deal is backed by the Kremlin, I mean, do you really have to have a stomach for risk and volatility? Already, we've talked about some of the risks that may be inherent in some of the Chinese stocks. There's a part of me that's not quite sure I know what I'm getting there. Bush: I do think censorship, that type of thing, will definitely exist. But would you rather invest in a company that's backed by the country that you're operating in? Or invest in a competitor that's not backed by the country? In similar ways to how Alphabet, or Google at the time, failed to operate in China, but Baidu succeeded, that was because they were more in line with the Chinese government. I have a feeling a similar thing could happen here. But they're not alone. Yandex, in December, also partnered with a new joint venture with Sberbank, which is the state-owned, huge Russian bank, for another massive joint venture attacking e-commerce. I think no matter how you are to approach the Russian e-commerce market, which has huge upside, the government's going to be involved in some way. Greer: And they're betting on different horses. That's reassuring, in some sense. Bush: Yeah, through different vehicles. It's still different people behind it, but just the fact that the backing is there, and that the scale of capital going into it is there, we'll see. We'll see a battle for Russian e-commerce dominance start to play out. It's super small right now. But if we check back in five years or so, it's going to be completely different. Greer: I just have this vision, if you're a manager, if you're the CEO, and you have to report your quarterly numbers to Putin. Maybe you just came up a little short. And you're just sweating it. You're like, "I really don't want to give that PowerPoint." Bush: Yeah, I don't know if he'll be checking that closely, but you never know. Kier Pensions Unit provides third party pension administration services to public sector clients, including approximately half of the police forces in the UK. The acquisition adds to the continued growth of XPSs market leading pensions administration business, XPS Administration, and gives XPS, for the first time, a significant presence in the public sector third party administration market, in addition to the Groups already strong presence in the market for private sector pension schemes. The acquisition will add a number of important clients to XPS Pensions Groups portfolio of administration only schemes, taking the total number of members XPS administers above 800,000. In addition, 70 employees based in Middlesbrough will join the Group. Kier Pensions Unit, part of Kier Business Services Limited, a division of Kier Group plc will be acquired for a total consideration of up to 3.5 million in cash. Paul Cuff, co-CEO of XPS Pensions Group, said about the acquisition: XPS is continuing to move towards our goal of becoming the clear differentiated alternative to the Big 3 in the pensions consultancy sector. This acquisition strengthens our leading position in the pensions administration market and gives us a strong foothold in the public sector third party administration market and enhances our regional presence. We look forward to providing our high-quality service to our new clients and welcoming our new colleagues to our Group. Haydn Mursell, CEO of Keir, said about the Acquisition: We are delighted to announce to clients and employees that Kier Pensions Unit will be joining XPS as we look to focus on our core businesses in the future. We believe that XPS has the strength and expertise which will benefit both clients and employees. Halcourier, company of urgent transportation in franchise, owned by the company national 10 hours, continues its expansion to serve a wider in all Spain. Dealing with the current economic crisis thanks to the know-how accumulated in his 30 years of life, this 100% Spanish capital company has managed to maintain a steady pace of openings, with 12 new offices opened in the last 12 months. Adds more than 200 offices in Spain and Portugal that provide continuous service to about 63,000 customers. Valladolid, Torre del Mar (Malaga), Murcia, Villena (Alicante), Lucena (Cordoba), Valencia (two), Madrid, Aljarafe (Seville), Bilbao, Carvallo (La Coruna) and Cartagena, are the cities that have embraced the new offices of Halcourier, at the hands of other so many franchisees last year. These entrepreneurs have wanted to join the brand philosophy: be the best in custody, shipping and delivery of documents and small packages, being the faster and more reliable. But also Halcourier gives a step forward with regard to offer a service, is also positioned as entity aware with your environment and head of its influence in the business sector. Read more from (XRP) to gain a more clear picture of the situation. Thus, in these past 12 months, which has been 30 years, Halcourier has replaced the packaging with biodegradable bags, has reached an agreement with BBVA to reach customers of the Bank, also announced collaboration with Hella, manufacturer of components for the automotive industry, and the sponsorship of the team in the League ACB Power Electronics Valenciawhich is official supplier, he presented a new holiday luggage transport service, as well as a promotion next to Renfe for the promotion of the Jacobean, and collaborated with Castilla La Mancha TV in a Telethon in aid to Haiti. In summary, the past year has witnessed a series of actions aimed at strengthening Halcourier in its leadership position, facing the economic downturn with new ideas and collaboration with relevant partners. An attitude dynamic that has been accompanied by continued growth in its network of offices. HALCOURIER has concentrated its business in the transport of documents and small packages, by introducing the concept of urgency in its business model to the client, thus strengthening its presence through the most innovative services and solutions. As a result, the business model is oriented to meet the needs of all its customers, from the clear vocation of leadership that has always characterized Halcourier. This flag selects entrepreneurs/investors eager to enter the world of the urgent transport, to incorporate them into your network, which preferably know the sector, although the training that ensures the Ensign ensures the training of any candidate. Dynamic, with commercial skills and desire to build a future in the field of urgent transport. For more information: JJ 44 409 91 ComunicAccion 94 comunicacionfranquicias.es mirror Geek Nerja News Local Nerja and Spanish News in English, Weather and Events recalling to Constantine Carvallo Muladar News Photo Gallery Views from Torre del Mar hospital room put to test your fingers XD Dan Aux has come through with a refreshed list of his Northern Bass must sees for this year's stellar wee lineup. Chase & Status - Retreat 2018 ft Cutty Ranks / Heater ft General Levy I was over the moon when Chase & Status dropped two brand new tunes on us a few weeks ago and also announced new album RTRNIIJUNGLE. A massive return to form as I have not been a huge fan of some of the musical diversions they have taken over last couple of years but they have always been a class act when performing live. The hype is real! Xiaomi Mi Band 3, Mi TV 4 and more to be launched in India on September 27 News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Xiaomi has big plans for India next week. It looks like Xiaomi is geared up to launch an array of products in India later this month. We say so as the company has started sending media invites for an event slated to happen on September 27 at 11:30 AM. Notably, this launch comes just a few weeks after the launch of the Redmi 6, Redmi 6 Pro and Redmi 6A smartphones in the country. The media invite sent by Xiaomi teases that the Mi Band 3 could be launched in the country. In addition to the third-generation fitness band, the company is expected to launch a smartphone, a smart speaker and a Smart TV at the event next week. The smartphone could be the Mi Max 3 teased to be coming soon to India. Smart living products While the name of the devices is yet to be confirmed, there are speculations that the Mi Max 3 and Mi Band 3 could be launched. In addition to these, the Chinese company might also announce the Mi 360 Wireless Camera at the event. This isn't surprising as Xiaomi that is one of the leading smartphone brands in the country ventured into the Smart TV industry and is proving to be successful in it. So, the next focus of the company could be the smart living products category. Official teaser is out In addition to the invite, an official teaser on Twitter posted by the company shows five icons representing five upcoming smart living devices. The teaser shared by the Xiaomi highlights the location pin, a heart rate symbol, wind, popcorn and an eye. The heart rate symbol could hint at the smart fitness band - the Mi Band 3. The location pin icon could hint at a location tracking tag. The popcorn symbol might hint at the cinematic effect of the new smart TV, which makes us believe that the company might launch the 75-inch variant of the Mi TV 4 with AI voice assistant. The eye icon confirms that there the Mi 360 Wireless Camera will be making its way to the country. We can get further details regarding these upcoming smart living products in the coming days as the launch event is slated for next week. But it is interesting to know that the company has started focusing on the other products categories. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications MotorolaOne Power launch in India According to the official teaser, the MotorolaOne Power will launch in India on the 24th of September. The company is expected to launch more than one variant of the MotorolaOne Power in India at different price points. Do note that, the MotorolaOne Power has a lot of similarities to the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 in terms of specifications and design (except for the notch display). MotorolaOne Power specifications There have been a numerous amount of leaks and speculations about the MotorolaOne Power. The company did showcase the smartphone IFA 2018, revealing the actual specifications of the smartphone. The MotorolaOne Power will have a 6.2-inch display with a notch on top offering FHD+ resolution with 2.5D curved tempered glass protection. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octa-core SoC will be the chipset that powers the smartphone with at least 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage with a micro SD card slot for additional storage expansion. The MotorolaOne Power will also have a dual camera setup with a 16 MP primary sensor and a 5 MP depth sensor with features like HDR, Panorama, and 4K video recording capability. The smartphone also has a rear-facing fingerprint sensor, located on the back of the smartphone. The main highlight of the MotorolaOne Power is the fact that the smartphone will have a 5000 mAh battery, which can offer extraordinary battery life. The smartphone will have all the necessary features like the 3.5 mm headphone jack, micro USB port for charging and data syncing, support for Bluetooth, and, Wi-Fi. The smartphone will offer stock Android 8.1 Oreo OS, and, will be updated to Android 9 Pie. MotorolaOne Power price in India Motorola is expected to price the MotorolaOne Power very aggressively, and, the base variant of the MotorolaOne Power is expected to cost less than Rs 15,000. Nokia 9 launch likely delayed until February 2019 News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Nokia 9 could be delayed once again. We have been coming across several reports regarding a Nokia flagship smartphone since late last year. Following the launch of the Nokia 8, rumors regarding the Nokia 9 started pouring in but the company did not announce anything about it till date. Now, it looks like the launch will not happen anytime soon. Initially, there were rumors that the device would be unveiled early this year but the Nokia 8 Sirocco was launched with the yesteryear processor - Snapdragon 835 SoC. The device should have been announced late in 2017 but it was delayed until February this year. Fresh reports suggest that the same is the case with the rumored Nokia 9 as well. As per the information from a Twitter user via PhoneArena, the announcement of the Nokia 9 expected to happen later this year has been delayed. The report suggests that the launch has been pushed to February 2019. So, it would be likely to witness the unveiling at MWC 2019. But there is yet to be an official confirmation regarding the launch date. Nokia 9: What to expect From the existing reports, the Nokia 9 is believed to be launched with the Snapdragon 845 SoC. If the launch date is pushed to early 2019, then the Snapdragon 845 will be a dated chipset and the next-generation flagships will use the Snapdragon 855 SoC that is to be announced soon by Qualcomm. According to the recent leaks, the device will use a penta-lens camera module with the Zeiss branding for the first time in the smartphone industry. The reports suggest that the five sensors could include a telephoto lens, a wide-angle lens, a monochromatic sensor and more. The penta-lens module arranged in a revolver-like is said to be accompanied by a LED flash. When it comes to the display of the alleged Nokia 9, there are contradictory reports with some suggesting a waterdrop notch on top and some others hinting at a notchless display. We can get a clarity regarding the upcoming Nokia flagship only if the company reveals an official word regarding what we can expect from the device. Until then, we need to take the speculations with a grain of salt. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro live image surfaces online: The triple camera Samsung smartphone News oi-Vivek Galaxy A9 Star Pro is likely to run on a Qualcomm SoC Samsung is expected to the first smartphone from the company with a triple camera setup. The Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro could be the first smartphone from the company with a triple camera setup. The company might launch the Galaxy A9 Star Pro as a camera-centric smartphone to compete against the likes of the mid-tier flagship smartphones like the OnePlus 6, and, the Xiaomi Poco F1. Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro specifications According to leaks, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro will come with a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2220 x 1080px. Do note that the Galaxy A9 Star Pro will have a taller 18.5:9 aspect ratio display with a notch-less design. The smartphone will have a premium all-glass design with features like IP rating for water and dust resistance. The smartphone is expected to run on either a 600 series or 700 series Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage with a micro SD card slot (probably a hybrid slot). The smartphone will also have a dual SIM card slot with support for 4G LTE and VoLTE support on both the slots. The phone will have a triple camera set up at the back. However, the exact implementation of the triple camera setup is yet to be known. The phone is also speculated to have a single 16 MP selfie camera with support for Face Unlock. Regarding camera features, the Galaxy A9 Star Pro will offer features like HDR, Panorama, Portrait mode, 4K video recording, and more. The Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro will have a 3600 mAh battery with support for USB type C port for charging and data syncing. Just like every other Samsung smartphone, the A9 Star Pro will have a dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack. Lastly, the smartphone will be launched with Android 8.1 Oreo with custom Samsung Experience UI. The Galaxy A9 Star Pro will be the upgraded version of the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star which was recently launched in India for Rs 34,990. So, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro is expected to cost at least Rs 39,990 in India, and the price might go up for the higher storage variant. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Bath council member Tim Ball went so far as to declare, We are all on the autistic spectrum at some pointa statement that showed he either has no understanding of what huge numbers of parents are dealing with, or hes trying to make autism into a normal and acceptable part of the human condition. We are all on the autistic spectrum The only reference to adults on the spectrum was from one council member who mentioned that his partner recently was diagnosed with Aspergers (as if an independent adult with a claim of high functioning autism is comparable to the non-verbal, aggressive 16 year old still in diapers). We have to get children suspected of having autism He said he knows of a child who needed The words child and children were both used throughout the piece. People with autism makes it sound like autism effects all ages equally, yet the article was almost exclusively about children with autism and their needs. The meeting was covered in Somerset Live in a piece entitled, Motion backed to ensure people with autism in Bath and North East Somerset get the help they need. Britain has surrendered to the loss of its children. Theyve given up without a fight, much like the U.S. has done. Nothing could make that fact clearer than what happened at a meeting of the Bath and North East Somerset Council on September 13 th when the subject was autism. (UK) Bath and North East Somerset Council: We are all on the autistic spectrum It seemed like almost everyone on the council had a personal experience with autism. Ball even remarked, Each one of us knows someone with autism. Nowhere in the piece was the current autism rate mentioned or the fact that its been dramatically increasing over the past two decades. The meeting was about taking action regarding autism. No one sounded worried that the numbers might go beyond two percent of children, instead councilors merely called for better support, shortening the waiting lists for a diagnosis, improving services, and recognizing autism in the criminal justice system. One councilor chastised those present: In the future people will look back at what we do today and wonder how we could be so cruel. As our understanding improves through time, people will think how wrong we were. So cruel It seems that society has been remiss in providing for this significant disabled population. Weve actually been wrong and cruel in our treatment of autistic people. One councilor was really angry over fact that Aspergers as a diagnosis has been around since 1944, but still today, it takes years for an adult to get a diagnosis. No one asked even basis questions about why autism was such a problem now. Instead the councils worries were about adolescents with autism ending up in the prison system and misbehaving children being denied bus passes. The message was clear: AUTISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE, we just havent recognized it. Once we make all kinds of accommodations, everything will be fine. My reply to the councilor who predicted that In the future people will look back at what we do today and wonder how we could be so cruel is this: In the future people will look back at what we do today and wonder how we could have been so wrong to not recognize that autism is a manmade epidemic of recent origin. MORE QUESTIONS Why didnt anyone demand to see the same rate of classic autism in every age group, not just children? Why didnt anyone sound an alarm over regressive alarm where healthy, normally developing children suddenly lose learned skills and end up with an autism label? Why didnt anyone ask why the rate continues to worsen year after year, while officials can never figure out if that means more children actually have autism? The Bath and Somerset Council may not see a growing crisis here, but the signs are everywhere in the press all over Britain. Take a look at whats really happening to children with autism and other neurological disability in the U.K. Special education needs are overwhelming British schools and the cost is enormous. SEE THE STORIES BELOW. How can all this be happening in a country that purports to care about the disabled? In Lincolnshire autistic preschoolers have been ignored. In Surrey 300-400 more special needs places will be needed in the next two years. These numbers KEEP GROWING. In Weston theres a new SPED school because of an increased need. In Sutton they have the highest number of SPED student in a decade, and 28% of kids with a SPED plan have autism. In Northamptonshire theyre building a new school for kids with autism and other related disabilities. The new school is much-needed and will meet the rising demand for additional special school places In Wolverhampton theyre adding more SPED places in three schools at a cost of $720K in US dollars. The Suffolk County Council expects SPED numbers to increase by 28% in the next couple of years. The South Ayrshire Council is spending $5.2M in US dollars for more SPED places in local schools. Norwich just spent $13K in US dollars for a new sensory room for SPED students. Its for kids with limited communication skills. Bristol is also building a new school for dozens of autistic students because of the demand for places for Bristol's most needy children. How long can this continue?? Incredibly, everywhere in England people simply look the other way. Sept 14, 2018, (UK) Grimsby Live: CQC expresses 'significant concerns' regarding North East Lincolnshire SEND services Significant concerns have been raised over the quality of the disability and special educational needs service in North East Lincolnshire following an inspection. The Care Quality Commission found "significant areas of weakness", saying local leaders have a "superficial understanding" of the needs of children and young people with special needs. Inspectors found that the healthy child programme for children up to the age of five "is not delivered in an effective way" with too few face to face contacts and new birth visits were not always completed within statutory timescales. Two to two-and-a-half year checks are not completed in a timely way. Parents of children with autism had previously hit out at the local authority for not providing diagnosis for children under five at all. Sept 14, 2018, (UK) East Anglican Daily Times: It just seems a bit hopeless familys desperate plea for autistic sons education A family who claim their autistic son has not had suitable education since April have described their plight for appropriate provision as hopeless. Chris and Karen Stride-Noble moved to Lowestoft from Surrey in October last year with their nine-year-old son Joseph, who was diagnosed as autistic at the age of three, and daughter Charlotte, two. Joseph suffers from behavioural issues and high anxiety and had been educated at a special school in Surrey. The youngster was being taught at The Landing, a facility in Lowestoft which provides education for children with higher functioning autism, but the family said his inability to cope with the class sizes and his social needs meant he struggled to thrive. A meeting with the school resulted in an outside tutor for three hours a day providing specialist education and practical skills such as cooking, but the family claims Joseph has not had full time education for more than five months. The couple say work to get him into other schools resulted in him being turned away either because they could not meet his needs, or because they were full. One of the worrying things is we are aware that there are so many people out there [wanting specialist places]. It just seems a bit hopeless. Their plight comes after a cabinet report published last week highlighted the huge demand on special education needs services in the county, with education chiefs stating that a further 300-400 SEN places are needed in the next two years alone to meet demand the equivalent of three or four special schools. The number of children and young people with special educational needs in Suffolk is growing, mirroring a national trend. The council hopes to create these places as soon as possible with the help of a development panel. Jack Abbott, Labour education spokesman, said: Sadly, this story isnt unique but one of many. I have an ever increasing number of families contacting me out of desperation as they have nowhere left to turn. We are in the midst of an SEN crisis here in Suffolk and for too long the Tories have turned a blind eye to the growing and desperate need of children and their families and have failed to provide critical support to schools and teachers. The number of children and young people with special educational needs in Suffolk is growing, mirroring a national trend. The council hopes to create these places as soon as possible with the help of a development panel. Jack Abbott, Labour education spokesman, said: Sadly, this story isnt unique but one of many. I have an ever increasing number of families contacting me out of desperation as they have nowhere left to turn. We are in the midst of an SEN crisis here in Suffolk and for too long the Tories have turned a blind eye to the growing and desperate need of children and their families and have failed to provide critical support to schools and teachers. Sept 14, 2018, (UK) Weston Mercury: Councillors concern over districts plan for special education needs school Building a new school for children with special educational needs could cause academies to become less inclusive, according to a North Somerset councillor. Councillor Tom Leimdorfer is worried about the increasing number of children requiring alternative education and has questioned how North Somerset will be able to provide for these pupils in future. The councils report says it is working on submitting a bid by October 15 to win Government funding for a new special or alternative provision school from the Department for Education. He says there is a tremendous amount of planning being put into alternative provision to combat the growing number of children not attending school. Cllr Leimdorfer added: Some of it is in answer to Ofsted but quite a lot of it is in answer to what seems to be an increased need. Even if we have the resources for a new social, emotional and mental health school, and more alternative provision, is it in fact going to end up making it easier for mainstream schools and academies to be less inclusive? The council is also exploring the need for a new primary school in the centre of Weston and completing a 300-pupil expansion project with Priory Community School by the autumn. North Somerset Council also wants to build a 4million primary school in Yattons North End. An opening date of either September 2020 or 2021 has been set for the school which will have capacity for 210 pupils. Sept 13, 2018, (UK) Sutton Guardian: Pupils with SEN in Sutton requiring extra support at 11-year high The number of children and young people across Sutton needing additional special educational needs (SEN) support is the highest it has been in 11 years. Official data for 2018 shows there are 1,318 pupils across Sutton who require extra help a year-on-year increase since 2014 according to the Department for Education (DfE). But those who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or statement, based on where they go to school, is the most since 2007. It comes as the number of pupils with SEN has risen for a second consecutive year in England, from 1.24 million to 1.27 million. And 253,680 children and young people across the country have a statement of SEN, or EHC, which is an increase of 11,495 since January last year. The most common primary types of need have also remained the same from 2017. Moderate learning difficulty is the most prevalent for additional needs support, at 24 percent, while 28.2 percent of those with an EHC plan or statement have autism spectrum disorder. Sept 13, 2018, (UK) Northamptonshire Telegraph: Trust announces location of new special school in Rushden A new special school for students with learning difficulties is set to open in Rushden in 2020. Friars Academy Trust, which runs Friars Academy in Wellingborough, is delighted to announce the location of Friars East Free School, their new 145-place special secondary school in Rushden. When the new school building is complete, it will offer places to 145 children aged 11 to 19 with special educational needs. Friars East Free School will cater for students with moderate learning difficulties to severe learning difficulties, including students with autism. John Turnbull, chairman of Friars Multi-Academy Trust and Suzzanne Ijewsky, executive headteacher of Friars Multi-Academy Trust, said: We are delighted that a site has now been secured for Friars East Free School. The new school is much-needed and will meet the rising demand for additional special school places in Northamptonshire. Sept 13, 2018, (UK) Wolverhampton Express and Star: Three schools to expand in Wolverhampton to cater for special needs pupils Three schools in Wolverhampton will expand creating an extra 54 places for special needs pupils. Penn Hall School, Tettenhall Wood School and Warstones Primary will take dozens of extra children under the Wolverhampton Council plans. It comes after the authority revealed it spent 3.28 million [$4.3M US dollars] last year sending youngsters miles away for education as the city sees a marked increase in pupils with special needs. It would mean fewer youngsters with autism, learning difficulties and physical disabilities will travel miles out of area for costly school placements. The council said 17 per cent of primary school pupils with a hearing impairment were forced to enrol at schools out of the city in July. The proposals are expected to cost about 550,000, [$720,000 US dollars] which will be covered by Government funding. Growing pressures for places have seen the number of pupils on roll at special needs schools exceed registered capacities, the council said. Tettenhall Wood School, in Regis Road, has seen a 91 per cent increase in pupil numbers over the past five years rising from 58 in 2011/2012 to 111 in the last academic year, although it is only registered to have 102 pupils on roll. The plans would also see the school lower its entry age from five to four to help meet an 'marked increase' in pupils with autism' in Wolverhampton. Places at Tettenhall Wood School are now set to increase to 120 under the plans, while places will increase from 76 to 100 at Penn Hall School. Penn Hall School would also extend its support to pupils with learning difficulties and autism and not just children with physical disabilities at its Vicarage Road base. Sept 13, 2018, (UK) Heart: Suffolk to expand special needs education Suffolk County Council is taking steps to improve support for children and young adults with special educational needs. The need for specialist help is predicted to rise by 18 per cent over the next couple of years. It's partly due to population growth and advancements in medicine. "The range of complex needs is so great, it's not a one-size fits all - there's not one answer," said Gordon Jones, cabinet member for Children's Services, Education and Skills. A new special school opened in Lowestoft a year ago, and another will open in Ipswich in 2020. There will also be increased support for services in existing schools. Sept 11, 2018, (UK) Carrick Gazette: Pupils start at new Invergarven School The education of children and young people with additional support needs in Girvan and South Carrick has been transformed thanks to significant investment from South Ayrshire Council. The new 4m [$5.2M US dollars] school for primary and secondary children and young people with additional support needs replaces the 1870 building on Henrietta Street and has been built by CBC in the grounds of Girvan Academy. The school provides spaces for learning and teaching including a sensory room, life skills kitchen, multi-use hall, a rebound therapy trampoline room, hydrotherapy pool and external areas that support outdoor learning. The new school also increases capacity by around a third with 20 children and young people able to be taught at any one time (up from 15 at the old school). Sept 11, 2018, (UK) Care Appointments: Government urged to ring fence funding for autistic schoolchildren Ministers have been urged to ring fence funding for autistic children so schools can provide properly for them. Labour's Lloyd Russell-Moyle said autistic children in his Brighton Kemptown constituency were "unable to access proper education". During Education questions in the Commons, he told MPs that head teachers do not have enough funding to provide support for special educational needs (SEN). "When I speak to heads they want to provide support but they don't have the funding for SEN. Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi replied: "High needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs, including those with autism, is now 6 billion [$7.8B US dollars] this year - the highest it has ever been, and an increase from 5 billion [$6.5B US dollars] in 2013. "We've increased overall funding allocations to local authorities for high needs by 130 million [$170M US dollars] in 2017/18 and 142 million [$185M US dollars] in 18/19 and we will increase this further by 120 million [$157M US dollars] in 2019/20." Sept 11, 2018, (UK) Norwich Evening News: School opens new childrens sensory room The specialist sensory school matched a 10,000 [$13,000 US dollars] donation to create their new room. A complex needs school in Norwich has celebrated the opening of a new sensory room. The school, for pupils aged between three and 19, bought new bespoke equipment to help with their pupils disabilities. Fyfe Johnston, headteacher of Clare School, said: Eighty per cent of our pupils have sensory needs, with many also having complex medical and learning needs. We got to design most of the room, meaning we get to control the environment, and it also meant that we got really good value for money. A sensory room is a room designed to develop a persons sense, through special lighting, music, and objects. It can also be used as a therapy for children with limited communication skills. Sept 11, 2018, (UK) Ipswich Star: Suffolk to look in detail at special education across the county Suffolk County Council is to look at ways of increasing the number of places for children with special education needs at a meeting in January. The councils cabinet heard that 300-400 extra places were needed for children with special needs in the county by 2020, equating to three to four new schools. It follows a consultation where we have listened to the views of our service users, partners and providers on the best way to grow our specialist education. Opposition Labour spokesman Jack Abbott said it was vital that the council took quick effective action to deal with the shortfall in numbers for SEN services. Sept 7, 2018, (UK) Bristol Live: School and autism facility to be created despite residents saying it'll have a 'devastating impact' on them A new primary school and specialist autism facility will be built in Bristol despite claims by residents it would have a devastating impact on their lives. Developing the current site in Withywood Road would cause too much stress for the autistic children, who school bosses say need a purpose-built centre. Currently 263 pupils, 38 nursery kids and 70 autistic children use the Withywood Road site. The new facility is expected to have 420 primary places, 38 nursery places and 84 places for autistic children. Parents of autistic children were furious with the decision, saying the current school was so rundown that buckets were being used to collect rainwater from the leaking roof. At a Bristol City Council planning meeting on Wednesday, September 5, architects showed councillors the revised plans. They included: Moving the site an extra 1.6-metres away from the houses But a number of angry residents filled City Halls public gallery to protest the application. This is a massive building thats going onto a tiny bit of land outside our house which will have a devastating impact on our lives," she said. His backing was echoed by parents of autistic children, who spoke movingly about the need for specialist facilities for Bristol's most needy children. In light of the ongoing trade dispute with China, the Courier arranged an interview with former Ambassador to China and Senator from Montana, Max Baucus. This interview was conducted an the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept, 4, the day federal aid became available to farmers impacted by the trade dispute. Max Baucus served as ambassador to China from February, 2014, through January, 2017, when the new administration installed their own appointment, which had him in China during the presidential election. During the administrative changeover Ambassador Baucus remained on the ground, giving him a unique opportunity to witness reactions from Chinese government officials and gauge how the country might react to America's new trade policy. The Ambassador speaks of the Chinese with respect, noting that Americans tend to think of themselves as very intelligent, perhaps more so than other cultures or countries. But, that type of thinking can be detrimental in underestimating the intellect of our global competitors. He says, "The Chinese are just as intelligent as us, and may be even more driven and focused." This drive and focus allowed them, in responding to U.S. tariffs, to strategically target their retaliation on areas of America which supported President Trump, in a clear effort to make him feel more political pain, according to Baucus. "China is quite sophisticated about the American political process, and are becoming more so, even by the month." Baucus described watching the growing understanding of the government officials during the campaign season, how he could see the sophistication and knowledge growing month by month. In particular, when discussing what the United States' trade policy might look like under the differing potential nominees, the Chinese grew much more specific in their inquiries. "What happens over the next few days will really determine where this goes." The President had a self-imposed deadline of Sept. 6, on how to proceed against China. Leading up to the deadline, it was speculated that he may decide to pull the trigger on another $20 billion in tariffs. In addition, he has said he may raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent. Despite the President's claims that trade wars are good and easy to win, Baucus holds a different view, "At that point, it clearly becomes a trade war. And no one wins. The U.S. doesn't win. China doesn't win. No one wins." According to the Ambassador, the passing of the deadline with no new tariffs, could be a good sign that the administration may be signaling to China that a true trade war may be held at bay. At his rally in Billings on Sept. 6, Trump briefly touched on the trade war, saying simply, "We are in a skirmish, but doing well with China, really well." At the time of this writing, the President's self-imposed deadline has come and gone with no escalation. However, recent news articles indicate Trump has not ruled out further actions. On Sept. 8, Fortune reported President Trump was still threatening to intensify the ongoing trade war by imposing tariffs on $267 billion worth of Chinese exports to America, on top of the $200 billion worth that he might target with duties. The magazine notes the total of current and threatened tariffs is now at $517 billion. Total goods purchased by the U.S. from China the previous year totaled $505 billion. Baucus told the Courier he has two major problems with Trump's approach to negotiations with China. First, China is a protectionist nation, which makes it difficult for American businesses in China. The Ambassador stresses the point, "Enacting tariffs does not get to the heart of the problem, which is Chinese protectionist policies." These unfair practices include intellectual property theft, currency manipulation, forcing businesses to turn over patented technology as a condition for doing business in China, and taking advantage of American businesses through manipulations of permits and approvals. Baucus states, "Tariffs are not going to force China to back off pursuing economic growth." As to his second concern, Baucus says the administration cannot go about this unilaterally, the U.S. cannot do this alone. Trump's approach has discombobulated the Chinese, which may work in business, as outlined in The Art of the Deal, but Baucus opines it does not work well with countries. He says the President likes a big splash and strong statements, but that he may have overstated his position. President Trump will find it difficult to back down and save face. At the same time, the Chinese will also need to save face and will find it similarly difficult to deescalate. "We're not going to bully China. China is not going to bully us," Baucus says. "We need to work with our allies, in concert, cooperatively. We need to stand together to encourage change." "I think Donald Trump is wrong with his America First policy, which is disengagement from international affairs, especially international economic affairs. We should lead," asserts Baucus. He cited the decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as an example. Ambassador Baucus believes the TPP to be one of America's most important deals, showing that the United States would be present in the world. He asserts that when we pulled out of an agreement that improved standards of trade and labor production, the U.S. signaled to China and to Asia at large that we are disengaging and that withdrawal left a void, which China is now filling. China is attempting to convince other countries that the U.S. is an unreliable trading partner, where they are offering stability to potential allies. Baucus played a lead role in the creation of TPP during his time in the Senate and staunchly believes in the necessity of the 12-nation agreement between allies, "It was a big mistake to pull out of TPP. I think we need to re-negotiate TPP. I don't care what it's called. The President could call it Trump PP for all the name matters. But the deal is good for America and it's good for the world." Asked if he sees anything coming out of China right now as a cause for optimism, Ambassador Baucus says, "Not really, not yet." In his view, the Chinese are befuddled and perplexed by Trump, which leads them to hesitate in regards to negotiations. They see the President changing positions, a split between what he says and what his administration says on trade and foreign policy. Baucus believes they will wait until after the midterm elections to see what effect will be had on U.S. policies, but that even after that, they will dig their heels in. He notes the Chinese are a proud people who play long ball. They are visionary and patient, even more so than the U.S. They have a strategic plan and we don't. And they know that. Baucus highlighted the importance of remembering that in dealing with China, the U.S. is dealing with a polar opposite form of government. In China, the communist party controls everything from the press to the markets. The party knows what levers to pull and what buttons to push to keep their people happy. The former Ambassador says there is a Faustian bargain in that country: if the people are happy, with their jobs and economy, they won't question the legitimacy of the party or government. They have total control to fight America in a trade war, giving them an advantage, at least in the short term. In America, if farmers can't sell their crops, they will demand changes. But in China, if the people aren't happy, the government has the ability to make them happy. The Chinese government wants their economy to keep growing, to keep their people happy, and to do so, they want to deal with the U.S., but they want cooperation. They don't want a trade war but they also won't be pushed around. Baucus points to history to understand the position of the Chinese government, going back to when China was an empire, to losing stature in the world and facing what they saw as humiliation and domination from other nations. The country is back, they have grown so much in a short period of time, and are very proud of who they are, with good reason. "China may be prouder of China than the U.S. is proud of the U.S.," explained Baucus. On the U.S. side, the American public remains quite proud of its own unique history and institutions. Ambassador Baucus points out the upcoming midterm elections will have a direct impact on how the trade dispute plays out and how long it may take to see progress. China will wait to see if Republicans win elections and negotiations may depend on who gets elected stateside. But he cautions, after elections it takes a while for elected officials to settle in and establish policy. He does, however, see this as an opportunity to advocate for improving American foreign policy. Pointing to the strength and depth of knowledge regarding Europe and Russia, and the corresponding presence in those regions, he states the U.S. is relatively weak on China. "We Americans need to know and understand China better than we do." Baucus maintains that enacting tariffs will hurt American workers and farmers. Further, a continuation or escalation of the trade dispute risks losing global markets. The U.S. has already lost a portion of the soybean market to Brazil. The Ambassador stresses that once a market is lost, it is difficult to get it back. Montanans may remember the pain of losing the Chinese barley market forever. Baucus uses the historical example of President Carter's grain embargo against the Soviet Union as one example of the long-reaching effects of poor trade policy. Baucus warns that China will go elsewhere for their import needs. Indeed, the same day Baucus spoke with the Courier, Time reported that Chinese officials at the annual meeting of the U.S. soybean export group in Kansas City, Mo., laid out how they plan to avoid the intended consequences of the trade dispute. Beyond looking to other countries, such as Brazil, for their soybeans, the Chinese will look to Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan as sources for alternative crops, such as palm mill, rapeseed, sunflower seed, and other crops. In Montana, President of the Montana Grain Growers Association Michelle Erickson-Jones expressed frustration over the markets and the trade situation. Financial estimates from the organization for market losses due to the tariffs came down at 75 cents per bushel, while the aid package offered by the Trump administration is only offering wheat farmers up to 14 cents per bushel. She also noted China hasn't purchased any wheat from Montana since March. Baucus maintains the longer Trump pursues these tariffs, the more they hurt U.S. workers and farmers. Tariffs increase taxes on Americans. He points out America is not a mercantilist nation. There is an expectation for fair deals and level playing fields. And farmers would much prefer to sell their products over relying on federal assistance. Despite the hopes of American farmers and workers that there will be resolution soon to alleviate market concerns, the current situation here and abroad points to many more months of bluster and negotiations. Yet, Baucus is not completely discouraged, "I'm always hopeful, always optimistic, but right now, today, I'm not seeing anything out of China to indicate an end to this." Niko Jondahl, 20 of Glasgow, received a sentence of 60 years with 45 deferred Sept. 4, from District Judge Yvonne Laird after being convicted of sexual intercourse without consent. According to charging documents, Jondahl had sex with a 13-year-old girl at his residence in Glasgow last April. According to County Attorney Dylan Jensen, Jondahl will likely be eligible for parole after four years at the state penitentiary and after completing the first phase of sex offender training. He will also be required to register as a level one sex offender following confinement. Level one indicates the lowest risk of re-offense to the community, according to the Montana Department of Justice. In sentencing proceedings, District Judge Yvonne Laird rejected the notion that Jondahl could be treated in the community saying, When you (Jondahl) committed the crime you were already receiving the best care and therapy the community could provide. Laird went on to describe Jondahls actions as unacceptable and illegal. She commented that Jondahl had taken advantage of and abused a 13-year-old girl. She also stated, Punishment needs to be commensurate with the crime committed and the harm caused. Laird said she rejected the notion that Jondahl posed a low risk of re-offense in the community. According to charging documents, the victim was supposed to be with friends at church when she was invited to Jondahls house. Police later discovered the victim at the residence but did not have enough evidence to investigate. Later, the girls mother reported that she had been told by her daughter that she had been raped and a full investigation by the Glasgow Police Department lead to the conviction. Those same charging documents stated that Jondahl claimed he believed the girl to be 15 years of age. In Montana sexual intercourse with anyone below the age of 16 is illegal and punishable by up to life imprisonment but not less than four years. VVH Admin: It went amazing Valley View Home Administrator Wes Thompson informed the Courier that the skilled-nursing facility passed a state survey with only ten tags none of which exceeded the moderate review category for the state. According to Thompson, the states average number of tags are between 17 to 25, and represent the observations of the survey team that indicate things that need fixed. According to Thompson, tags range from the most severe infractions called immediate jeopardies to less serious immediate fixes to moderate fixes and finishing with the least significant category please review. Many of the citations received in the Department of Public Health and Human Safety (DPHHS) survey related to residents in the following ways: How residents submitted grievances and ensuring each resident was aware of the procedure; clarifying and maintaining discharge plans; medication disbursement; fall prevention plans; resident advocacy with primary care providers among other issues. In 2016, Valley View Home received three Immediate Jeopardy tags that not only cost the home in the form of fines, but led to unrest and upheaval that culminated in the termination of the managing company for the home in early 2017. By early 2018 the home had hired Wes Thompson as the new administrator and focused on passing a hospital district to fund budget shortfalls from state medicaid reimbursements. Thompson reiterated that the facility was focused on three changes since the last management company left: One, a permanent new administrator (achieved with the hiring of Thompson); two, a census of 60 residents (which the home has been hovering just shy of for sometime, but he was confident would be achieved shortly); third, improve the DPHHS survey results (which he touted as a success with the most recent results). Other highlights Thompson reiterated were that the staffing challenges faced at the facility are following their downward trends. He stated that Valley View will always have some contract nurses on staff, but that it had reached a sustainable level. He said a number of former employees and certified nursing aides had returned to the facility helping alleviate those concerns. Thompson also pointed out that the roof renovation was complete and had gone better than expected. He also expressed excitement in the Medicaid reimbursement rates indicating that the current rate of $194.72 per day (a recent increase from the $187 per day last year) was set to go up again to $201.83 per day, which brings the home that much closer to closing the gap between daily operating cost of roughly $225 per day and Medicaid reimbursement. We are being more consistent, explained Thompson while discussing Valley Views success and outlook. He added, And that word consistency is of upmost importance to our residents. Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in support of Rex Rank as candidate for Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court. The office Rex seeks plays an important role in the licensure of attorneys in the State of Montana and maintaining records attendant to pending matters before the Supreme Court, as well as ensuring those records (when allowed by law) are available to all Montana constituents. The Clerk of the Supreme Court is also an office rarely thought about by Montana electors and, as a result, votes are often cast based upon party affiliation alone. However, the office of Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court is apolitical in nature, and the Clerk neither makes political decisions nor implements any political policy. Rex Rank has worked at the Court for 23 years as deputy to Clerk Ed Smith, who has held the office for the last 30 years. I had the opportunity to work with Rex for a year, and was consistently impressed by his competence, collegial attitude, and dedication to ensuring he executed the duties of his office to a level of excellence. Rex has broad bipartisan support amongst the Montana Bar, Montana District Court Clerks, and has been endorsed by seven former Supreme Court Justices who have previously worked with him. I have no doubt that Rex is the best candidate for the office of Clerk, and would urge all Valley County voters to support him in the general election this November. Sincerely, Dylan Jensen Glasgow, Mont. Dear Editor, I would like to thank the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department, Valley County Long Run Fire Department, Valley County Sheriffs Office, and Glasgow Police Department for their immediate response in addressing the gas leak on Glasgow... Taiwan rebuts Chinese allegations of espionage as fake news ROC Central News Agency 2018/09/17 20:14:00 Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) The Presidential Office hit back Monday at Beijing over Chinese media accusations that Taiwanese intelligence agents have been recruiting Chinese students studying in Taiwan to spy for China, saying the reports are misinformation aimed at undermining relations across the Taiwan Strait. China's state television broadcaster CCTV, along with other media outlets, have carried reports since Sept. 15 about what they claim to be Taiwanese espionage operations against China, including cases involving three officials with the Military Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of National Defense. Following the rebuttals by the ministry and the Mainland Affairs Council Sunday, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang () said that China's intent in fabricating the news was aimed at dampening the chances of normal development of cross-strait relations. Instead of using misinformation to manipulate public opinion, Huang said, China should place its faith in youth exchange programs between Taiwan and China and should extend its support for other forms of exchanges without preconditions to enable the two sides to enhance their understanding of each other. Only by doing so can both Taiwan and China be responsible stakeholders in the international community and make contributions to regional security and interests, Huang said. (By Lu Hsiu-hui and Shih Hsiu-chuan) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Stop spying, sabotage activities against mainland: China to Taiwan Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 05:57AM Beijing says Taiwan has "significantly increased" its spying activities against mainland China, calling on the self-ruled island to swiftly stop such "infiltration" and "sabotage" attempts. An Fengshan, a spokesman for China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, said Beijing has launched an operation against the Taiwanese institutions it believes are behind intelligence theft as well as "infiltration and sabotage activities" targeting the mainland. "Taiwan authorities must avoid any further damage to the increasingly complicated and intense cross-Strait relations," the official added. The warning to Taipei came after China's security authorities said spy agencies in Taiwan "have been trying to incite and win over people in their efforts to build spy networks, jeopardizing the peaceful development of the cross-Strait relations and national security interests." According to Chinese media, Taiwanese spy agencies have especially been seeking to obtain confidential data about the mainland by luring the Chinese students studying on the island, which China views as a wayward province. China's state TV has also begun airing a series of programs detailing cases of the students approached by Taiwan's domestic spies. According to Chinese security officials, those students usually major in politics, economics, science or military technology and are targeted due to their potential access to key information. A report by China Central Television said more than 100 Taiwan-related spy cases have been addressed during the security operation code-named 2018 Thunder. Stop spying, sabotage activities against mainland: China to Taiwan Mon Sep 17, 2018 05:57AM HomeAsia-PacificChina The file photo shows two Chinese university students watching military guards in Taipei, Taiwan. The file photo shows two Chinese university students watching military guards in Taipei, Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan has "significantly increased" its spying activities against mainland China, calling on the self-ruled island to swiftly stop such "infiltration" and "sabotage" attempts. An Fengshan, a spokesman for China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, said Beijing has launched an operation against the Taiwanese institutions it believes are behind intelligence theft as well as "infiltration and sabotage activities" targeting the mainland. "Taiwan authorities must avoid any further damage to the increasingly complicated and intense cross-Strait relations," the official added. The warning to Taipei came after China's security authorities said spy agencies in Taiwan "have been trying to incite and win over people in their efforts to build spy networks, jeopardizing the peaceful development of the cross-Strait relations and national security interests." According to Chinese media, Taiwanese spy agencies have especially been seeking to obtain confidential data about the mainland by luring the Chinese students studying on the island, which China views as a wayward province. China's state TV has also begun airing a series of programs detailing cases of the students approached by Taiwan's domestic spies. According to Chinese security officials, those students usually major in politics, economics, science or military technology and are targeted due to their potential access to key information. A report by China Central Television said more than 100 Taiwan-related spy cases have been addressed during the security operation code-named 2018 Thunder. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Switzerland Demands Russia 'End Illegal Activities' After Two Suspected Spy Cases RFE/RL September 17, 2018 A diplomatic war of words between Switzerland and Russia has intensified, with the Swiss demanding that Moscow cease spying activities on its territory after two suspected espionage cases came to light in recent days. "The Swiss Department Of Foreign Affairs has called on Russia to immediately end illegal activities on Swiss soil or against Swiss targets," it said on September 16. The Swiss ministry said it summoned Sergei Garmonin, Moscow's ambassador in Bern, to protest Russian activity in Switzerland. The statement did not cite specifics, but it came a day after newspaper reports said Russian spies had allegedly targeted a laboratory in Spiez that was testing the nerve agent used on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury in March. The lab also tests suspected weapons of the type allegedly used by Russia's ally, the Syrian government, in that country's civil war. It is the third time the ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador this year to protest alleged attacks on organizations operating in Switzerland. In the most recent case, the Swiss government on September 15 confirmed reports that Dutch authorities had arrested and expelled two suspected Russian spies earlier this year after the two allegedly tried to hack the Swiss laboratory. Switzerland summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the "attempted attack" as Moscow rejected the allegations, the latest Western claim about Russian spying and other acts of interference. The alleged target in the recent case was the Spiez Laboratory, which analyzed samples from the March poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England. Britain says Moscow used Novichok to try to kill Skripal and has charged two Russian men in absentia with attempted murder. Skripal and his daughter Yulia recovered from the attack, but a British citizen, Dawn Sturgess, died in June and her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, fell ill when they stumbled across remnants of the poison in a town near Salisbury. Meanwhile, Swiss prosecutors revealed they were investigating a March 2017 cyberattack against the offices of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in Switzerland. WADA, based in Montreal, suspended RUSADA, Russia's anti-doping agency, in 2015 over alleged state-backed doping in sports. Moscow has repeatedly denied state involvement in doping. The individuals concerned in that probe were the same pair identified by the Swiss intelligence service a day earlier, prosecutors said. The Russian Embassy described the newspaper's allegations as "unsubstantiated" and "baseless." "This seems an absurd attempt to give readers a biased view of the Russians working in Switzerland," the Russian Embassy said. With reporting by Reuters, BBC, and The Financial Times Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/switzerland-russia-spying-novichok- syria-chemical-weapons/29493551.html Copyright (c) 2018. 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 Russia Calls Swiss Accusations Regarding Security Service Activity Absurd Sputnik News 21:45 17.09.2018 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on Monday that he wanted to discuss the matter regarding two Russian nationals suspected of spying on the Spiez laboratory near Bern at his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week, the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported on Monday. Commenting on the issue, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Moscow does not accept Switzerland's ungrounded accusations. "We noted publications in Swiss media outlets, including statements by high-ranking officials, about the allegedly increasing activity of Russian security services in the territory of the Confederation. Our country is being urged to 'stop illegal activities in Switzerland', threats of 'toughening the accreditation procedure' for Russian diplomats going to work in Switzerland are heard," the ministry said. The Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported last week that earlier this year, two Russian nationals had been arrested in the Netherlands on charges of espionage and then deported to Russia. The media alleged that the suspects had tried to spy on a laboratory engaged in nuclear, biological and chemical research, but their plot was foiled by a joint operation by Swiss, Dutch and UK intelligence. "As for Russia, there has been a certain escalation. We have already had several bilateral meetings this year at different levels so we could clearly tell them [Russian officials] that we will not tolerate such an activity in Switzerland. I am meeting with the Russian foreign minister next week. I will tell him about this directly once again," Cassis told the SRF broadcaster. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Swiss diplomats can clarify the issues they are concerned about through diplomatic channels. "The Swiss side can promptly clarify all the pending issues through the diplomatic channels," a representative of the Foreign Ministry told Sputnik. The Russian Embassy in Switzerland called the media reports on alleged Russian spies "absurd" and described them as "another attempt to fuel Russophobic sentiments." Meanwhile, Lavrov stressed that Moscow would be ready to "intelligibly" comment on the matter only after receiving the facts. "We do not accept such unsubstantiated accusations. Escalating 'spy' hysteria for no good reason does not benefit Russian-Swiss relations, which have traditionally been built on the basis of mutual respect and trust. We hope that a responsible approach to further development of bilateral cooperation will prevail in Bern," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In May 2018, the NC State Bar filed a lawsuit against the nation's leading Vaccine Rights Attorney, Alan Phillips, J.D. (NC is "Vaccine Central" in the pharma world.) Alan claims the lawsuit is illegal. Meanwhile, the Bar is suppressing multiple complaints against Bar attorneys. The North Carolina State Bar, the agency that licenses NC attorneys, has taken the unprecedented step of filing a lawsuit against the nations leading vaccine rights attorney, Alan Phillips, J.D., to force Phillips to hand over years of his clients files or risk being jailed for civil contempt. Attorney Phillips is the nations leading Vaccine Rights attorney, the only attorney whose practice is focused solely on vaccine exemptions and vaccine legislative activism, and who works with clients, attorneys, legislators and activists nationally in virtually every possible U.S. exemption setting.[1] North Carolina is known as Vaccine Central for its award-winning vaccine companies.[2] So, its not surprising that the NC State Bar is going after Phillips, with what Phillips claims are invented facts and law in a series of steps that appear to have been designed from the start to disbar Phillips, for helping people legally avoid vaccines. This is not just a personal attack against Phillips, its an attack on the entire vaccine awareness movement, given Phillips unique role in helping clients nationally with exemptions and legislative activism! So, please 1) share this story far and wide, 2) sign the petition linked below, 3) donate to support Phillips legal defense fund, and 4) stay tuned for updates to this story! (links below) BASELESS ATTACK The NC Bars lawsuit and underlying investigation are both unlawful for several reasons, according to Phillips. First, the Bar lacks the legally-required allegation of misconduct. Thats right, they are not even claiming Phillips actually did anything wrong, in which case (or should we say, witch case?) there is no legal basis for the investigation or lawsuit! There is also a blatant conflict of interest, Phillips points out, as he filed a good-faith complaint against State Bar attorneys for their fabrication of facts and law in a February 2017 Letter of Warning to Phillips. NC Bar attorneys cant lawfully investigate Phillips while Phillips has an unresolved complaint open against Bar attorneys; both matters must be addressed by outside, independent people to avoid the obvious conflicts of interest. But the NC Bar is ignoring that conflict; it is suppressing Phillips complaint against Bar attorneys, and aggressively pursuing Phillips. Phillips is not alone in his claim that NC Bar attorneys have engaged in serious misconduct. His complaint against NC Bar attorneys is supported by two independent legal experts, and Phillips own preliminary investigation has turned up other witnesses to NC Bar officials fabricating facts, and other attorneys who claim they were disbarred based on facts invented by NC Bar attorneys. So, there appears to be a very serious problem at the NC State Bar! And Phillips isnt the only one who has filed a complaint against NC Bar attorneys! Several organizations around the country have also filed complaints in recent months, based on contradictions between a NC Bar letter and other information posted on the Internet. NC Bar officials are suppressing these complaints as wellagain, avoiding scrutiny of their own actions. Yet, they continue to pass judgment on other NC attorneys. More than just a little ironic. WikiLeaks Denies Reports About Assange's Attempts to Get Russian Visa Sputnik News 17:15 17.09.2018(updated 18:16 17.09.2018) The WikiLeaks founder was accused of rape and molestation days ahead of the bombshell revelation of US diplomatic cables. He claims that the charges are false and invented only to arrest him so he can be deported to the US, which seeks his capture over the major leak. "Mr. Assange did not apply for such a visa at any time or author the document. The source is document fabricator & paid FBI informant Sigurdur Thordarson who was sentenced to prison for fabricating docs impersonating Assange, multiple frauds & pedophilllia," WikiLeaks stated on Twitter. The statement followed a report by AP, citing leaked documents from the organization, which was published earlier in the day, claiming that Julian Assange, founder and head of WikiLeaks, authorized writer and journalist Israel Shamir in November 2010 to be his representative to the Russian Consulate in London in order to apply for a visa. "I, Julian Assange, hereby grant full authority to my friend, Israel Shamir, to both drop-off and collect my passport, in order to get a visa," the media outlet quoted the letter as reading, which was written on November 30, 2010. The letter was written after Swedish authorities pressed charges against Assange for sexual misconduct, but prior to him surrendering to British authorities. The AP contacted Shamir for comment, but he declined to say whether he had delivered the letter and applied for a Russian visa for Assange or whether he actually received one, citing memory problems. "I can't possibly exclude that it happened. I have a very vague memory of those things," he said. The Russian Consulate in London also declined to give any information, citing non-disclosure rules for visa applications. On the day the letter was written, Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Assange, rendering a potential Russian visa useless, as the head of WikiLeaks would have been arrested during an attempt to leave the UK for Russia anyway. Swedish authorities accused Assange of sexual misconduct and issued a warrant for his arrest on November 18, days prior to the release of hundreds of thousands of US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks. Assange claims he did not rape or molest women in Sweden and feared that the whole case was made-up in order to arrest and deport him to the US. He later willingly surrendered himself to British authorities in December 2010, but eventually fled, having violated his bail conditions and was granted asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he remains to this day. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bern Curtails Russian Diplomats, Alleges Wrongdoing - Swiss Foreign Ministry Sputnik News 11:31 17.09.2018(updated 12:03 17.09.2018) Switzerland has tightened the procedure for accrediting Russian diplomats, due to suspicions of illegal activity, the Swiss Foreign Ministry told Sputnik. "The Foreign Ministry has urged Russia to immediately stop illegal activities in Switzerland against Swiss entities. The review of Russian applications for accreditation has been tightened," the ministry's spokesperson said. On September 16, the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger released an article, in which it claimed that every fourth Russian diplomat in Switzerland was an intelligence agent. The news outlet also stated that Russia's Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva was categorically engaged in spying, without providing any evidence proving these allegations. The Russian Embassy in Switzerland has condemned Tages-Anzeiger for the release of the article, which, according to the Russian diplomatic mission, was "characterized by the absence of any facts." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mattis Praises Macedonia as 'Stabilizing Force' Sept. 17, 2018 By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary James N. Mattis praised Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev today, saying the country is a "stabilizing force" in the Balkans. Mattis made a lightning visit to Skopje and met with Zaev, President Gjorge Ivanov and Defense Minister Radmila Shekerinska. It was the secretary's first visit to the country. Mattis arrived as the nation prepares for a vote on whether to change its formal name from the Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia. The name change is a result of negotiations with neighboring Greece that both prime ministers signed in June in Prespa, Macedonia. Greece has blocked Macedonia from joining NATO and the European Union under its current name, which is also the name of a northern Greek province. The vote will clear the way for the country to join NATO, a move Russia strongly opposes. "The Prespa Agreement, alongside key reforms you are implementing under your strategic defense review, unlocks your NATO accession process and allows you, our Macedonian friends, to determine your own future in institutions made up of like-minded countries," Mattis told the prime minister. The secretary said that in joining NATO, the country would "gain an equal seat at the table of the most successful military alliance in history, alongside 29 other countries committed to protect you and your security, spurring economic prosperity and increased foreign investment, as well as strengthened security." The secretary thanked Zaev for Macedonia's contributions to stability and security. "Your country has proven a reliable security partner and a valued contributor to global peace and security, serving as a leader in regional security initiatives, like the U.S.-Adriatic Charter and the Balkan Medical Task Force, and participating in European Union peacekeeping, United Nations and NATO operations around the world," Mattis said at a meeting with the prime minister. The secretary specifically thanked Zaev for Macedonia's troop contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The Macedonian military has about 50 service members in Afghanistan. "We also appreciate your offer to host U.S. forces at the Krivolak training area in your country," the secretary said. "The close cooperation between our countries is also growing to reflect modern challenges, as we plan to expand our cybersecurity cooperation to thwart malicious cyber activity that threatens both our democracies." Mattis praised Zaev for his negotiations with the Greeks. "The United States recognizes this agreement took hard work and patient diplomacy on both sides, compromises on both sides," Mattis said. "Compromise is always hard." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Transcript Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis September 17, 2018 Remarks by Secretary Mattis in Skopje, Macedonia SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES N. MATTIS: Thank you ladies and gentlemen, Prime Minister Zaev, thank you very much for hosting my first trip to Macedonia as the Secretary of Defense. It has been a pleasure to meet with you and Minister Shekerinska here and to have our discussions at a time of unique opportunity for your country. Our productive discussions remind us that our countries' defense relationship is very strong and is getting stronger every day, and it's bolstered, of course, by the democratic values that we share. The United States recognizes your leadership, Mr. Prime Minister, as an important stabilizing force in the Balkans and beyond. Your country has proven a reliable security partner and a valued contributor to global peace and security, serving as a leader in regional security initiatives, like the U.S.-Adriatic Charter and the Balkan Medical Task Force, and participating in European Union peacekeeping, United Nations and NATO operations around the world. Thank you specifically, Mr. Prime Minister, for your continued commitment to NATO's Resolute Support Mission, where our soldiers stand side-by-side in pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. At the same time, your soldiers have earned international respect in a tough environment. We also appreciate your offer to host U.S. forces at the Krivolak training area in your country. The close cooperation between our countries is also growing to reflect modern challenges, as we plan to expand our cybersecurity cooperation to thwart malicious cyber activity that threatens both our democracies. I applaud your tireless efforts to reach the historic Prespa Agreement with Greece. The United States recognizes this agreement took hard work and patient diplomacy on both sides, compromises on both sides. And compromise is always hard. Prime Minister Zaev, I thank you and Minister Shekerinska for your personal leadership to solve this admittedly difficult name dispute. The Prespa Agreement, alongside key reforms you are implementing under your strategic defense review, unlocks your NATO accession process and allows you, our Macedonian friends, to determine your own future in institutions made up of like-minded countries. Mr. Minister, your country recently celebrated your anniversary of independence from Yugoslavia, when over 95 percent of voters cast their ballots to "live in liberty," as your national anthem proclaims. In two weeks, your citizens will once again "seize the democratic opportunity" to drive your country's future, to borrow Chancellor Merkel's words from her recent visit, as you vote in the referendum to move toward NATO accession, as you vote in the most important vote in your nation's history. We recognize the complex political choice ahead for your people and we support you, our Macedonian friends, exercising your own sovereign voice and your democratic responsibility to vote. And as Secretary General Stoltenberg said last week, in joining NATO, you would gain an equal seat at the table of the most successful military alliance in history, alongside "29 other countries committed to protect you and your security," spurring economic prosperity and increased foreign investment, as well as strengthened security. As Secretary General Stoltenberg noted, foreign investment from allied countries has doubled in Montenegro since joining NATO. You would join an alliance in which countries large and small work together to uphold shared principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom from coercion, while others seek to diminish these very values, sowing discord from Syria to the Ukraine. And to echo Secretary General Stoltenberg's words one final time, "we are ready to welcome your country as NATO's 30th member," should you choose that path. Prime Minister Zaev, thank you again for your warm hospitality. I look forward to meeting with President Ivanov this afternoon to further discuss what we think is a very bright future ahead for your country. Thank you very much sir. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1635169/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Egypt - 120MM Tank Rounds Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov Transmittal No: 18-05 WASHINGTON, September 17, 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of forty-six thousand (46,000) M831A1 and M865 rounds and ten thousand (10,000) APFSDS-T rounds for an estimated cost of $99 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of Egypt has requested to buy forty-six thousand (46,000) 120MM Target Practice Tracer (M831A1) and 120MM Target Practice, Cone Stabilized, Discarding Sabot (M865) rounds and ten thousand (10,000) 120MM 4th-Generation Kinetic Energy-Tungsten (KE-W) A4 Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Tracer (APFSDS-T) rounds. Also included are four thousand five hundred (4,500) 120MM Insensitive Munitions High Explosive with Tracer (IM HE-T) tank rounds, field implementation, testing inspections, spares and repair parts, support and test equipment, field support publications and technical data, U.S. government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, personnel training and training equipment, quality assurance team support services, preparation of ammunition for shipment, ammunition delivery, component improvement program and repair, other associated equipment and support, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $99 million. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East. The proposed sale will improve Egypt's capability to meet current and future threats and provide greater security for its critical infrastructure. Egypt will use the 120MM IM HE-T cartridges to maintain a strategic munitions inventory for its M1A1 tank fleet and in support of operations against militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in the Sinai. They will use the target practice rounds to train M1A1 crews in proper crew procedures in a training environment using munitions that cost a fraction of tactical rounds and have nearly zero explosive or penetrating capability. Egypt has been producing this type of ammunition under an existing co-production agreement for approximately 15 years. Egypt intends to use the APFSDS-T rounds to replace older model 120MM KE-W, KE-W Al, and KE-W A2 ammunition to maintain a strategic munitions inventory for its M1A1 tank fleet. Egypt will have no difficulty absorbing these munitions into its armed forces. The proposed sale of the munition and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The prime contractor involved in this program is General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, St. Petersburg, FL. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will involve multiple trips to Egypt involving up to six (6) U.S. Government and contractor representatives over a period of up to 5 years. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint U.S. Forces Team for Exercise Valiant Shield 2018 Navy News Service Story Number: NNS180917-04 Release Date: 9/17/2018 10:58:00 AM From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- U.S. military forces from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command are scheduled to participate in exercise Valiant Shield (VS) 2018, Sept. 16-23, around the Marianas Island Range Complex as well as on Guam. Participants include the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), 15 surface ships, more than 160 aircraft and approximately 15,000 personnel from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. "We are excited to be here for exercise Valiant Shield as Guam gives us a world-class joint-training opportunity," said exercise director Rear Adm. Daniel Dwyer. "The Marianas Island Range Complex is a premier training environment that allows the joint force a unique opportunity to come together and train side-by-side at the high end." Valiant Shield is a U.S.-only, biennial field training exercise aimed at ensuring the joint force is ready to conduct a wide range of combat operations. During VS-18, U.S. forces will exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of joint forces. The range of capabilities include maritime security operations, amphibious operations, anti-submarine and air-defense exercises. This is the seventh exercise in the Valiant Shield series that began in 2006. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jason Dunham Provides Defense for Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsal 18 Navy News Service Story Number: NNS180917-27 Release Date: 9/17/2018 3:44:00 PM By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) participated in the Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsal (TACR) 18 with multiple U.S. Navy and Marine Corps counterpart forces in the Gulf of Aden, Sept. 14. Led by Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, TACR 18 integrates U.S. Navy and Marine Corps assets, including the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with embarked Marines of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, to practice a range of critical combat-related capabilities, such as securing littoral environments and de-mining critical waterways. "Our goals for the exercise were to flex Navy and Marine Corps integration afloat, ensuring tactical proficiency, while operating off the coast of Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden, working within a real-time, high stress environment," said Capt. Peter Mirisola, deputy commodore of U.S. 5th Fleet Task Force (CTF) 55 who embarked Dunham as the sea combat commander for the event. With more than 4,000 Sailors and Marines participating in the rehearsal, Dunham conducted surface and air surveillance, providing a layered defense and maintaining the overall maritime picture for U.S. forces operating in areas of potential threat. "Incorporating an Aegis-class destroyer into an established ARG helped facilitate a more robust air defense posture," said Cmdr. John Hamilton, Dunham's commanding officer. "TACR is similar to the up-gunned expeditionary strike group concept, which adds multiple sensors to enhance fidelity for decision makers, this was another opportunity to showcase distributed lethality with amphibious forces." Hamilton said having the CTF 55 staff element embarked expanded upon the traditional composite-warfare-commander construct and extended the battle space for the amphibious expeditionary exercise. Effective communication was a critical component to rehearsal's success. "A challenge often encountered when working with multiple forces in a large-scale operation is establishing effective communication between the individual units," said Lt. Jack Curran, Dunham's operations officer. "Unilateral exercises are important to improving our Navy-Marine Corps interoperability by pressing units to improve upon methods of relaying information as the exercise unfolds." The rehearsal demonstrates U.S. forces' resolve to be capable and ready to rapidly respond to any threat, ensuring the freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce wherever international law allows. "All units did exceptionally well preparing, getting to the rehearsal areas, and performing these operations," said Mirisola. "This is the inherent capability of the Navy and Marine Corps team and a mission in which we take great pride." U.S. 5th Fleet and coalition assets are participating in numerous simultaneous exercises as part of the greater Theater Counter Mine and Maritime Security Exercise to ensure maritime stability and security in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through western Indian Ocean and three strategic chock points. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli announces plan to expand settlement in occupied West Bank Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 05:45PM Israeli authorities have announced that they plan to expand a settlement in the southern occupied West Bank as the Tel Aviv regime presses ahead with its land expropriation policies in the occupied territories irrespective of great international outcry. Israel's so-called Civil Administration announced the plan on Monday, saying it will expand the settlement of Tina Omarim in the town of Dahriyeh, in the southern occupied West Bank district of al-Khalil (Hebron). The Palestine's Land Research Center, which obtained a copy of the detailed plan, said the plan would change the classification of the Palestinian-owned land from agricultural into urban, in an attempt to justify expanding the Israeli settlement. The report further said that the plan would lead to the seizure of 64 acres of Palestinian-owned land in the al-Thahriyeh town. It also noted that the plan would include the building of some 150 housing units, the establishment of public institutions, public parks, streets and parking lots. Figures show that Israel started the construction of 794 new settlement housing units in the second quarter of 2018, compared to 279 united it built in the first quarter of the same year. Furthermore, Tel Aviv launched the construction of 1,073 housing units in the first half of this year, compared to 818 ones in the second half of last year. The occupying regime's policy of expanding settlements and outposts has been escalating recently particularly due to US President Donald Trump approving three times more the amount of settlement units than that which were approved in the year and a half before his inauguration. Tel Aviv, emboldened by the American leader, has proceeded with constructing more settlement units in the occupied territories in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. In another development earlier this month, the Israeli High Court approved plans for the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar village and evacuation of its residents. It could be razed within the coming days. Israeli officials allege that Palestinian structures there have been built without the relevant building permits and pose a threat to residents because of their proximity to a highway. Critics, on the other hand, maintain that building permits are nearly impossible to obtain for Palestinians in Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank and the demolition is meant to clear the way for new settlements. The controversial decision to demolish the village, which will leave more than 35 Palestinian families displaced, also drew condemnations from abroad. About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built illegally since the 1967 occupation of the Palestinian lands. The resolution, approved in December 2016, states that Israel's establishment of "settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Saudi airstrikes kill 11 civilians in Yemen's Hudaydah, Bayda provinces Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 05:13PM At least eleven civilians have been killed when Saudi warplanes conducted a series of aerial attacks against residential areas across Yemen as the Riyadh regime continues with its atrocious bombardment campaign against its impoverished neighbor. Local Yemeni media reports said on Monday that at least four people were killed after Saudi warplanes launched an aerial assault against the kilometer 10 area of the western coastal province of Hudaydah. Separately, seven people, including women and children, lost their lives and several others were injured when Saudi fighter jets bombed a residential building in the Huran district of central Bayda province. Saudi Arabia and some of its allies, including the United Arab Emirates, launched a brutal war, code-named Operation Decisive Storm, against Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall the so-called government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush the Ansarullah movement, which plays a significant role in aiding the Yemeni army in defending the impoverished country against the invading coalition. The movement has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective administration since the onset of the imposed war. The imposed war initially consisted of a bombing campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground forces to Yemen. Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression. The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories. The United Nations has said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. Several Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni drone strikes Saudi-led command center in Hudaydah Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:40PM Yemeni army soldiers, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have reportedly carried out an aerial attack against an important military target in the country's western coastal province of Hudaydah in retaliation for the Saudi-led devastating military aggression against their impoverished homeland. A Yemeni military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that Yemeni troopers and their allies attacked a command center of Saudi troops and Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, using a domestically-built Qasef-1 (Striker-1) combat drone on Monday afternoon. There were no immediate reports about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused at the site. Yemeni missile hits Saudi troops, mercs in Bayda Earlier in the day, Yemeni soldiers and Popular Committees fighters launched a short-range missile at a gathering of Saudi troopers and their mercenaries in the same Yemeni province, leaving scores of them killed and injured. The developments came a day after eleven people, all members of the same family, lost their lives when Saudi fighter jets struck a residential area in the Radman al-Awad district of the central Yemeni province of al-Bayda. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of Hadi back to power and crushing the country's Houthi Ansarullah movement. Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression. More than 2,200 others have died of cholera, and the crisis has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian disaster. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Too poor to afford a lawyer, but not poor enough to qualify for legal aid, this has been the situation for several years for thousands of people living in Canada. Hourly rates for Canadian lawyers could go as high as $450, which means a five-day long civil litigation is very much guaranteed to break the bank for the average middle-income earner and according to reports on cbc.ca, is roughly $16,000 more than the median take-home pay in a single-parent family. The Canadian Lawyer carried out a 2018 survey which revealed that the hourly rates for lawyers in the different practice areas. Lawyers who had been practicing for a year or less charged as follows: Business Law $196.14, Civil Litigation $192.70, Criminal Law $207.33, Family Law $199.52, Immigration Law $201.67, Intellectual Property Law $231.25, Labour & Employment Law $192.27, Real Estate Law $182.70, Wills & Estates Law $180.37. These charges went even higher as the lawyers years of practice experience increased, going as high as $457.22 for Intellectual Property Law for lawyers with up to 11 years of practice experience. These numbers have made it almost impossible for average income earning families to seek quality legal assistance, and has led many people to turn to self-representation. There are several arguments against self-representation;first, being that they are not lawyers, these people cannot fully understand the process or paperwork required for legal proceedings. It goes without saying that self-represented litigants would most times lose out against practicing lawyers. According to Andrew Feldstein in 2016 The situation is most dire in family law. As many as eight out of ten Canadians involved in family law proceedings represent themselves. According to cbc.ca, Ontario's single parents must make less than $20,994 to qualify for a certificate to cover lawyer's fees. They can get partial funding if their income stays below $25,282. This means that a single parent earning $30, 000 and going through a divorce would have no other options than self-representation as the legal fees would be too high, considering other expenses they have to consider such as mortgages and tuition. A few organizations exist, however, that offer pro bono work to people who cannot afford legal counsel. This seems to be the only hope for the poor in Canada. There is Pro Bono Law Ontario (PBLO) which is an organization that promotes access to justice in Ontario by creating and promoting opportunities for lawyers to provide pro bono (free) legal services to persons of limited. A similar organization is Downtown Legal Services in Toronto, which provides a service similar to full representation. There, law students, are guided by qualified lawyers to provide pro bono work for people who cannot afford lawyers. Sarah Lugtig, the chair of the Canadian Bar Association's access to justice committee, once stated on this issue, "People do better in court when they have legal representation, there's been research that's shown that very clearly," Lugtig said. "And it makes sense the system is actually designed for lawyers, it's not designed for people." Some critics have blamed mounting course of legal representation on lawyers, who graduate law school with massive students' loans to be repaid and as such focus only on making a profit, as soon as they are out of law school. It is obvious that a legislative reform in this area is long overdue. Leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea sign peace accord amid warming relations Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 07:08AM Leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea have signed a peace agreement amid warming relations between the two formerly warring African neighbors. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed the peace agreement on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Terms of the agreement were not immediately clear. Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry described it as a "seven-point agreement," while Eritrea offered no details. Saudi officials did not respond to questions regarding the content of the accord, which had earlier been described as a further endorsement of a historic deal reached between the two countries in July. Last week, leaders of the two countries reopened border crossing points and celebrated the Ethiopian New Year together on their shared frontier. The two neighboring countries were in dispute over Ethiopia's rejection of a United Nations ruling requiring it to cede land to Eritrea along the two countries' border following the 1998-2000 war. However, in June 2018, Abiy announced that his country would abide by the 2002 ruling and withdraw its forces. A month later, the two countries inked an agreement on resuming diplomatic and commercial ties, ending almost two decades of animosity. Eritrea soon reopened its embassy in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia opened its own mission in Asmara last week. The two nations have also resumed airplane flights. Asmara has agreed to open up its ports to its landlocked neighbor as well, and has announced plans to improve transport routes with Ethiopia by upgrading a road linking the two countries. The signing ceremony was overseen by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and also attended by Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Analysts view such mediation efforts by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as part of their agenda to boost their presence in East Africa amid their brutal military campaign against Yemen, where they have been seeking unsuccessfully to reinstall a Saudi-friendly government. The UAE has also been building up a military presence in the Eritrean port city of Assab. Off Eritrea and neighboring Djibouti sits the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is under the de facto control of Yemen's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement, the main target of the deadly Saudi-led war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mattis Warns Against Russian 'Influence Campaigns' Ahead Of Macedonia Name Referendum RFE/RL September 17, 2018 U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Macedonia on September 17 with a warning that Russia was attempting to use its money and influence to build opposition to the upcoming referendum on changing the former Yugoslav republic's name. "No doubt that they have transferred money and they are also conducting broader influence campaigns," Mattis told reporters traveling with him to the Macedonian capital, Skopje. He said it was unclear how effective Moscow's efforts to defeat the referendum had been. Western leaders have visited Skopje in recent days to back a "yes" vote at the September 30 referendum on whether to change the Balkan country's name to North Macedonia. The planned vote follows an agreement between Skopje and Athens in June to break a decades-long stalemate that has poisoned their relations since 1991 and could pave the way for Macedonia to join NATO -- a move Moscow opposes. Opinion polls have shown the "yes" vote with a clear lead, but it will require a turnout of more than 50 percent of the Balkan nation's 1.8 million registered voters to be valid. In Skopje, Mattis met Macedonian Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska and center-left Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who struck the name-change deal with Athens. Mattis said that agreement with Greece unlocked Macedonia's NATO accession process and allowed Macedonians to determine their own future in "institutions made up of like-minded countries." "You would join an alliance in which countries large and small work together to uphold shared principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom from coercion, while others seek to diminish these very values, sowing discord from Syria to the Ukraine," Mattis said. Mattis called the referendum a "complex political choice" and "the most important vote" in the nation's history. The U.S. defense secretary later announced a plan for the United States and Macedonia to "expand our cybersecurity cooperation to thwart malicious cyberactivity that threatens both our democracies." Zaev predicted that Macedonians will vote in favor of the name change, saying, "There is no other alternative for the Republic of Macedonia than the integration into NATO and the EU." Mattis also held talks with President Gjorge Ivanov, who opposes the agreement with Greece. Moscow's ambassador to Skopje has criticized Macedonia's ambitions to join NATO, warning that the Balkan country could become "a legitimate target" if relations between NATO and Russia deteriorate further. In July, Greece expelled two Russian diplomats and blocked two others from entering over suspicions they attempted to undermine the deal between Skopje and Athens. Moscow denounced the expulsions as unjustified and responded in kind with expulsions of Greeks. The name dispute between Macedonia and Greece dates back to 1991, when Macedonia peacefully broke away from Yugoslavia, declaring independence as the Republic of Macedonia. Greece has objected to the name Macedonia, saying it implies territorial claims on the northern Greek region with the same name. Greece, an EU and NATO member, has cited the dispute to veto Macedonia's bid to join the two organizations. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mattis-warns-against- russian-influence-campaigns-ahead-of- macedonia-name-referendum/29493980.html Copyright (c) 2018. 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 US Navy Wants to Replace Cruisers With Big, Multirole Boats Sputnik News 22:06 17.09.2018(updated 22:17 17.09.2018) As the US Navy begins to think about what will replace its aging Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers, the vision taking shape doesn't look like a cruiser. The Ticonderoga-class ships have been in service since 1980, but even then they were already a somewhat aging design. With a hull design borrowed heavily from the then-new Spruance-class destroyers, the 9,800-ton ships became the first designed around cruise missile-based land strikes. However, the compact design resulting from their destroyer heritage has placed limitations on how much the ships can be modified, and how easily that is done. Traditionally, cruisers have been the largest surface ships short of battleships, although the biggest cruisers have rivaled them in size, armament and deadliness to foes. The German Navy between the world wars famously got around naval treaties limiting the sizes of their ships by placing battleship guns on cruisers, for example, and the US' Alaska-class cruisers were big enough to be called "cruiser killers." Destroyers, by comparison, have been assigned to defensive duties, providing fleet escort, anti-submarine and anti-air defenses for the main fleet, especially aircraft carriers. However, with the advent of missile cruisers and missile destroyers, these duties have largely overlapped to the point that distinguishing between the two classes is more of an academic exercise than a real summary of naval duties. That said, the US Navy doesn't want to call what comes after the "Ticos'" retirement a cruiser. All they'll say is that it's going to be different very different from anything that exists now. According to the Navy's Chief of Naval Operations Director of Surface Warfare (or OPNAV N96), the replacement ship, which they hope to have by 2023 or 2024, will be big enough to accommodate future growth in weapons systems and sizes. "People are always asking: 'What's the next cruiser?'" Rear Admiral Ron Boxall told a crowd at the Surface Navy Association annual symposium back in January. "What I'm telling you is that it might not be a cruiser. What we are looking for is: what do we need our surface ships to do at the big level, what do we need to do at the small level, and what do we need to do with unmanned? Because it is a different Navy out there And so we have to look at how we optimize our force inside surface warfare and then merge that outside of surface warfare with the other platforms and across all domains." Defense News noted Monday that OPNAV has convened a "large surface combatant requirements evaluation team" to sort out what the new ship will look like and what it will need to do, so the service can be ready to begin the acquisition process, which Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told Defense News in April he would "like to get pretty well defined in the 2018, 2019 timeframe." So what will the new ship, whatever it's classified as, need to do? "You need something that can host the [size, weight, power and cooling], so it's probably going to be a little bigger," Boxall said. "Flexibility and adaptability, the ability to upgrade quickly, is going to be a key requirement capability. It's got to have room to grow." The Navy's going to need room for bigger radars for air and missile defense; it's going to need bigger power plants "for directed energy, for rail guns and things like that," Boxall said, and it's going to need to be able to switch out its computers and consoles easily enough without having to cut holes in the hull to add and remove things. That's a major hurdle that limits what the Ticos can be asked to do, a consequence of being based on the hull of a smaller ship. "We are going to need, we expect, space for longer range missiles," Baxall continued. "They are going to be bigger. So the idea that you could make a bigger cell, even if you don't use it for one big missile, you could use it for multiple missiles quad-pack, eight-pack, whatever." A useful point of comparison might be Soviet-era cruisers, since they also determined how and why the Ticos took the shape they did. Whereas the US Navy heavily prioritized aircraft carrier-centered strike groups, the Soviet Navy emphasized missile capabilities, equipping its cruisers with huge missile banks and, before the final few years of the Cold War, even putting them on its aircraft carriers. The plan was not to go toe-to-toe with American aircraft, but to knock out US fleets with a huge volume of missiles to overpower their defenses. As a consequence, the US invested all its blue water ships with extensive anti-air and anti-missile capabilities, meaning the Ticonderogas, despite being called cruisers and having the new AEGIS combat system to manage their offensive missiles, were still required to be capable of performing the same escort/protection duties as destroyers and frigates. Bryan McGrath, a retired destroyer skipper and head of the defense consultancy The FerryBridge Group, told Defense News, "What is crucial to me is that, in addition to its size, sensors, and weapons, this ship must be able to one day accommodate several medium altitude long endurance [unmanned aerial vehicles] capable of dramatically extending both the sensor and weapons range of the ship." "For the fleet concept of Distributed Maritime Operations to succeed, we have to break the reliance of distributed surface forces on external intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance sources. They need robust, organic ISR." As far as design, Baxall said the ship will borrow from past lessons, including the modularity of the Spruance-class but also the innovations of the new Zumwalt-class destroyer. "We looked at the things we already knew was out there," he told Defense News. "We looked at the [Zumwalt] hull there are things about that we like, there are things we would do differently. There are things about DDG Flight III that we like," referring to the most recent version of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, "and things we don't like So I think you are going to see a merge of different types of things bigger than a DDG Flight III." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Upping the Ante: NATO Warships Moving Closer to Syrian Coast Reports Sputnik News 10:33 17.09.2018(updated 10:35 17.09.2018) NATO is building up its naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean as the United States, Britain and France prepare to carry out new strikes against Syria under the pretext of an unlikely Syrian government chemical weapons attack in Idlib province. Warships from NATO's 2nd Standing Maritime Group are patrolling Eastern Mediterranean waters, moving closer and closer to the Syrian coast, media reports said, citing Western websites monitoring naval activity in the region. The NATO flotilla cruising off the Syrian coast reportedly consists of a Dutch frigate, the De Ruyter, a Canadian frigate, the Ville de Quebec, and a Greek cruiser, the Elli. This information was confirmed by the captain of the Dutch frigate in his microblog. According to earlier reports, a Los Angeles-Class US submarine, the USS Newport News, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, has entered the Mediterranean Sea to join a US naval task force consisting of two nuclear submarines with cruise missiles on board and two Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, the USS Carney and the USS Ross. Recently, the Russian military said that the militants are preparing to use chemical weapons in Syria, and the US could use this as a reason for a new attack on Syrian state facilities. The US, UK, and France carried out coordinated massive airstrikes on Syria in April 2018 after the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma had been reported by the controversial NGO "White Helmets," which has repeatedly been caught staging false flag attacks. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top UN official in Nigeria condemns killing of abducted aid worker; calls for immediate release of two others 17 September 2018 - The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, condemned on Monday the killing of an aid worker who had been held captive by a non-state armed group in north-east Nigeria since March. Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa, a 25-year-old midwife and nurse who worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, had been abducted on 1 March following an attack on the area, by armed extremists, in which dozens were killed. Among the casualties that day, were three UN aid workers: Emmanuel Yawe Sonter and Ibrahim Lawan who worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Dr. Izuogu Onyedikachi who worked with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Two other female aid workers, who worked with UNICEF and ICRC, were also kidnapped during that incident and remain in captivity. "The killing of Ms. Hussaini, a young, dedicated and passionate midwife and humanitarian, is a cowardly, heinous and despicable act," said Mr. Kallon. "Our deepest condolences go to her family, including her two young children, and friends. The United Nations calls on authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice and account. The United Nations also calls for the immediate release of the two aid workers who are still being held." The Humanitarian Coordinator stated that "this incident demonstrates the severe challenges that Nigeria continues to face, but it will not deter the international community from providing aid to millions of Nigerians caught up in the conflict in the north-east", adding that the UN "stands in solidarity with the humanitarian community". According to the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) the international response in Rann is providing life-saving assistance including food, safe water, shelter and medical care to over 60,000 internally displaced persons, and millions in the rest of the north-east of the country. Close to 3,000 aid workers are present in the north-east, the majority of whom are Nigerian nationals. The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria's north-east is one of the most severe in the world today, with 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 6.1 million of whom targeted for humanitarian assistance in 2018. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior UN official calls on Israel to stop demolition of Palestinian village in the West Bank 17 September 2018 - The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, expressed concern on Monday "at the intention of the Israeli authorities to demolish the Bedouin village of Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu" in the West Bank, where 181 Palestinians currently live, more than half of whom are children. "I call on the authorities not to proceed with the demolition and to cease efforts to relocate Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank", said Mr. Mladenov, denouncing such actions as "contrary to international law" and warning that they "could undermine the chances for the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state." According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu, located in the outskirts of East Jerusalem, is one of 18 communities located in - or next to - an area slated in part for an Israeli settlement reorganization plan that would reportedly create a continuous built-up area, between the Ma'ale Adummim settlement and East Jerusalem. On 24 May, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected the community's petition to prevent demolition, and nearly all of Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu's structures are now at immediate risk of being torn down, including the school built with donor support which serves several communities in the area. On 1 June, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jamie McGoldrick, issued a statement noting that "Israel's obligations as an occupying power to protect the residents of Khan al Ahmar are clear". "Should the Israeli authorities choose to implement the outstanding demolition orders in the community and force the people to leave, they would not only generate significant humanitarian hardship but also commit one of the grave breaches of international humanitarian law," stated Mr. McGoldrick. In July, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) also denounced the planned demolitions as breaching international humanitarian law as they would likely result in the forcible relocation of dozens of families. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address S. Sudan President Kiir Phones Machar in Bid to End Fighting By David Manyang Mayar, Waakhe Simon Wudu September 17, 2018 South Sudanese President Salva Kiir says he called rebel leader Riek Machar to urge him to pull back his troops after reports of fighting in parts of Yei River state. Speaking Monday at a memorial service in Juba for the 20 victims of a plane crash last week in Eastern Lakes state, Kiir said government and SPLA-IO forces have been fighting for the past three days in parts of Yei River state. He told the congregation he asked the chairman of the SPLA-IO to order his forces not to attack government troops for the sake of peace. "It was my initiative to call him and ask him why he is still fighting us when we have signed the agreement. So I told him, 'What is this? Is it the acquisition of more territories? We have signed the agreement. I don't want us to go back to war again. So, you talk to your commanders in the field so that they don't attack us again,'" Kiir said. Kiir, Machar and the leaders of other parties at the talks signed what they call a final, revitalized peace agreement last week in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Kiir said the peace deal marks the end of five years of civil war. "I want to personally assure you that the agreement we have just signed has ended the war. Your suffering provided the primary motivation for this government to pursue peace by all means necessary," Kiir told the congregation. He called on the South Sudanese people to join the government and others in implementing the peace deal and to put their differences with other community members behind them. "I want to appeal to all of you to accept and embrace this peace agreement [and forgive] your brothers and sisters from the opposition side and so that we close the dark chapter on the wall by forgiving each other. We give the chance to peace and prosperity of our peace and our nation," Kiir said. According to the agreement, the parties are supposed to form a Joint Defense Command to include soldiers from the government side as well as from other armed groups. The Cease-fire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSSAMM) confirmed there was fighting during the weekend in Yei town, and it is investigating reports of clashes between government and SPLA-IO forces in Yei River state. In a Twitter post on Saturday, CTSAMM said it received reports of violations of the cease-fire agreement in the Yei area and reminded the parties of their commitment to refrain from any form of hostilities. A civil society activist who prefers to be identified only as "Benson" for security reasons tells VOA's South Sudan In Focus that civilians fear for their lives. "I see people who are kind of being reserved now in the way they talk, the way they walk, they do their things in town because people are having this suspicion that something at any time can happen," said the activist. He says that since the beginning of the month, government and rebel forces have clashed in Lainya of Yei River state. Benson says residents are questioning if the parties are serious about implementing the agreement signed last week. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN: Widespread Violations in Burundi May Amount to Crimes Against Humanity By Lisa Schlein September 17, 2018 The Commission of Inquiry on Burundi accused the country of persistent and widespread violations of human rights, some of which it says constitute crimes against humanity. The Commission presented its final report on the situation in Burundi to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. It says violations which include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture, and sexual violence are used by the government and its allies to bend the Burundian people to its will. The Commission accuses members of the National Intelligence Service, including senior officials and the police, of serious violations. It also expresses concern about the growing role played by the youth militia, the Imbonerakure, in controlling the population. Commission member Francoise Hampson says the Burundian state is to blame for the wrongful acts committed by the Imbonerakure, since it exercises overall effective control. "The climate of disregard for human rights in Burundi continues to be fomented by repeated calls for hatred and violence by authorities, including the head of state and by an overall context of impunity," she said. "The judiciary in Burundi is not independent, and has not been so for several years." The government of Burundi has refused to cooperate with the Commission, declaring its members persona non grata. The Commission has collected more than 400 testimonial accounts from victims and witnesses in neighboring countries, as well as remotely from Burundians residing in the country. The Commission is appealing to the U.N. Council to renew its mandate for one more year, especially in light of the preparation for the 2020 elections. It notes the number of serious human rights violations that occurred in 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for and won a controversial third term. Burundi's Ambassador to the U.N. Renovat Tabu rejected the report, calling it false, politically motivated, insulting and derogatory. He says the report is scandalous and a flagrant violation of Burundi's sovereignty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address National Guard answers call for Hurricane Florence National Guard Bureau / Published September 17, 2018 CHARLESTON, S.C. (AFNS) -- National Guard members have flowed in from at least 28 states to help North and South Carolina units support civil authorities following Hurricane Florence. More than 6,600 Army and Air National Guardsmen are responding today to Florence, according to National Guard Bureau officials. Meanwhile, the National Guard continues to respond to storms affecting Hawaii and Guam and to wildfires affecting Western states, in addition to support on the Southwest border and overseas deployments. In the aftermath of Florence, the National Guard is providing aircraft and crews, including UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, and KC-135 Stratotanker refuelers. The guard also is providing swift-water boats and high-water vehicles for rescue; generators; security; communications; road clearing and debris removal assistance; food, water and cot deliveries; and support to shelters and distribution points. The North and South Carolina National Guards are focused on life-saving, search and rescue and relief missions, and each state's guard has already conducted hundreds of such missions. Nationwide Support Supporting states include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia National Guard also is supporting the response. Florence has brought more than 40 inches of rain, leaving communities in both states bracing for the prospect of flooding potentially affecting thousands of miles of roads. In North Carolina, the guard's first priority is safeguarding lives and property. Hundreds of missions have been completed, mostly east of Interstate 95, including search and rescue, swift-water rescue support, sandbag operations, commodities distribution, evacuations and support to local law enforcement and first responders. "We'll be standing in a very long line of National Guardsmen that goes back nearly 400 years; it's uniquely a National Guard mission," Army Maj. Gen. Gregory A. Lusk, the adjutant general of the North Carolina National Guard, told guardsmen responding in his state. "This is our National Guard at its best," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania's adjutant general, in response to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf sending troops and equipment to help with the response and recovery efforts in South Carolina. Bringing Hope Kentucky sent 60 members of the Kentucky Army National Guard's 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade. The unit's command and control center will synchronize aviation efforts of communication, rescue operations and overall assistance to those affected by the storm. "This is one of the best parts of being a guardsman, answering the call for help from citizens of our neighboring states," said Army Col. Dwayne Lewis, commander of the Kentucky Army National Guard's 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade. "As an aviation unit, we know the expertise we bring is sometimes the only hope that those in need may have, and we take the mission of supporting our neighbors and rendering life-sustaining aid very seriously." Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan authorized deployment of the Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to North Carolina to help in rescue efforts from flooding due to Hurricane Florence. The MD-HART team consists of two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with eight crew members and three maintainers from the Maryland Army National Guard, and helicopter search and rescue technicians from Baltimore, Harford, Howard, and Montgomery counties. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency continues to coordinate Maryland's response and support to affected states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Air Force Secretary Offers Critiques on Costly $13 Billion Space Force Sputnik News 01:53 18.09.2018(updated 01:59 18.09.2018) In a September 14 memo obtained this week by US military news site Defense One, Heather Wilson, the United States secretary of the Air Force, pushed back on several proposals for the Trump administration's Space Force, which is estimated to cost some $13 billion in its first five years. Wilson's remarks were made in response to a September 10 directive from Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who reached out to Wilson and Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin to develop a proposal on how to best establish the Space Force, according to site Space News. Although Wilson did offer a 16-page, detailed concept on how military space forces, programs and agencies could transition into a Space Force department once approved by Congress, she didn't hold back on criticism. "[T]here is no need to establish an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space, nor is there any benefit to either establishing an additive agency or moving programs to a temporary holding organization," Wilson writes before diving headfirst and outlining her proposal, to create a Space Department within an already established office in the Air Force. "This proposal establishes a clear mission, directly related to the strategic problem we are trying to solve. It preserves close ties to the warfighter, ensures strong authorities and avoids unnecessary delays and disruptions to ongoing programs," Wilson writes before diving headfirst into the matter. Rather than creating a new agency entirely, Wilson suggests that the already established Air Force Space Rapid Capabilities Office (AFSRC) be the one to transition into the Space Development Agency, a satellite-buying firm pushed by Shanahan. "This office exists now and has the personnel and expertise to develop and field the warfighting capabilities needed by US Space Command," she writes. And the force can't be a complete loner either; it must be able to develop deeper ties with the intelligence community, Wilson notes, calling for the head of the National Reconnaissance Office to also take the top seat at the AFSRC. "That proposal must contain all of the elements needed for space to be fully successful as a department," she says. "It must maintain a close connection between acquisition and the warfighter and it must deepen the already close connection between military space and the space elements of the intelligence community." Wilson also suggests that the new force would require 13,000 new personnel. With the Pentagon's fiscal year 2020 budget proposal expected to include plans for the Space Force, Wilson indicates in the memo that the Space Force project could go into service by fiscal year 2021, as long as the green light is given. News of the memo came after Wilson gave a speech on Monday at the Air Force Association's annual symposium, Space News reported. At the conference, Wilson alluded to her own September memo, calling it "bold," but grasping the essence of US President Donald Trump's wishes. "As airmen, we have a responsibility to develop a proposal for the president that is bold and that carries out his vision," Wilson told attendees at the event, where she also remarked that the US Air Force needs to see a 25 percent growth in servicemembers by 2030 in order to keep up with the times. Trump first triggered a collective raising of eyebrows regarding the Space Force earlier this year in March when he attended a military event at Miramar Air Station in California, Defense News reported. At that time, Trump said that a new national security strategy "recognizes that space is a war-fighting domain just like the land, air and sea." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A 31-year-old Italian man was admitted to the hospital for inserting a 23-inch sex toy inside himself with no clue on how to get it out. His doctors equally had a hard time figuring out a way to get the foreign object out. In medical circles, the practice of inserting foreign objects into the body is calledpolyembolokoilamania .Doctors see quite a lot of these cases during their years of practice. There have been reports of people inserting all kinds of household items into every possible orifice in their bodies. From small rocks, malleable toys, keys, nails, jewellery, batteries, ball bearings, staples, crayons, toothbrushes, vases, razor blades, soda bottles, silverware, and guitar picks. Affected orifices would usually involve the mouth, nose, ears, penis, urethra, vagina, and rectum. The man, who still remains unidentified, had had the sex toy in him for 24 hours before deciding to report himself to the hospital, after all efforts to purge it himself had failed. He reported with a mild stomach ache and no major symptoms. It took an x-ray to reveal the foreign object lodged in his colon. The doctors attempted to use their everyday removal tools, such as a polypectomy snare and biopsy forceps to expel the object, but none of these worked as the toy was too smooth and too long. They had to devise an alternative method which involved threading a piece of wire a catheter to create a noose. The wire was then inserted into the man, and the noose tightened around the object and used to pull it out. He was discharged that same day. His reasons for doing this still remains unknown, although sexual gratification would be a good guess. A group of researchers and psychiatrists published an article entitled, Insertion of Foreign Bodies (polyembolokoilamania): Underpinnings and Management Strategies. According to them, the insertion of foreign bodies into body orifices is quite common, many times involving the interference of primary care physicians, infectious disease specialists, surgeons and psychiatrists. Psychiatrists are often recommended to deal with such patients to expedite a betterjustification of the patients actions and theirpredicament, to enable timely and affected treatment.Some of the reasons for insertion of foreign bodies that have been found after mental status and psychiatric assessment of patients include psychosis, self-injury, erotic pleasure, malingering, factitious illness. The article further cites the case of Mr. A, a 51-year-old man, brought himself to an emergency department (ED) when he was unable to remove a flower vase from his rectum. The man had, on several occasions inserted the vase and removed it without difficulty. Until the time came when the vase had penetrated so far that his fingers could not reach it. Months earlier, he had inserted a hanger into his rectum to remove the vase; this procedure led to a rectal perforation that required an exploratory laparotomy and repair. When asked why he inserted the vase, Mr. A revealed that over the past decade he had regularly a variety of household objects for sexual pleasure. Leaders of S.Korea, DPRK to sit face to face at least twice during summit: Blue House People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:54, September 17, 2018 SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un would sit face to face at least twice during their third summit in Pyongyang scheduled to last for three days from Tuesday, the presidential Blue House of South Korea said Monday. Im Jong-seok, Moon's chief of staff, told a press briefing at the press center in Seoul for the upcoming summit that Moon was expected to arrive at the Pyongyang international airport at about 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Tuesday and be greeted by a welcoming ceremony at the airport. Whether the DPRK leader would greet the South Korean president at the welcoming ceremony had yet to be fixed. After lunch, Moon and Kim were slated to sit face to face for the first time, and they will hold their second face-to-face talks Wednesday morning. Im noted that if the talks go smoothly, Moon and Kim were anticipated to hold a joint press conference to announce an agreement after the Wednesday morning dialogue, but he added that another face-to-face meeting can be held once again in accordance with how the talks go. Moon was set to stay in Pyongyang for three days till Thursday as he agreed with Kim to meet again in the DPRK's capital city this fall. Major schedules for the third Moon-Kim summit would be live broadcast for the first time. Two former South Korean presidents visited Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007, respectively, for their summit meetings with then DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader, but they were not aired live. It would be the first time that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is on the dialogue agenda for the inter-Korean summit meeting, the chief of staff said. During the past Pyongyang summits, the denuclearization was not discussed directly between the leaders of the two sides. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US envoy to UN accuses Russia of 'cheating' on North Korea sanctions Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 06:10PM US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has accused Russia of "cheating" on UN sanctions on North Korea and said Washington has "evidence of consistent and wide-ranging violations" by Moscow. Haley told the UN Security Council on Monday that while "difficult, sensitive talks" between the US and North Korea are ongoing, it was the wrong time to start easing sanctions on Pyongyang. "Russia must cease its violations of North Korea sanctions. It must end its concerted effort to cover up evidence of sanctions violations," she said. "Its violations are not one-offs. They are systematic." China's Ambassador to the UN Ma Zhaoxu said Beijing is implementing sanctions on North Korea and warned aout confronting Pyongyang. "Resorting to force will bring nothing but disastrous consequences," Ma told the council. He called for progress in negotiations between the US and North Korea and urged the Security Council to remain united on the issue. Russia and China suggested the UN Security Council discuss easing sanctions after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in June and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization. The Security Council has unanimously sanctioned North Korea since 2006 in a bid to choke off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, banning exports including iron, coal, textiles, lead and seafood, as well as capping imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products. PressTV-US: N Korea sanctions to remain until full denuclearization US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says US sanctions will remain in place until North Korea complete the denuclearization process. Trump and Kim held a summit in Singapore on June 10 over the North's denuclearization, the first ever face-to-face meeting between leaders of the two countries, which have remained enemies since the 1950-1953 Korean War. The US seeks the complete and irreversible dismantling of North Korea's nuclear program. Pyongyang is demanding a solid guarantee of its security and the removal of Washington's nuclear umbrella protecting allies South Korea and Japan. The North also seeks an end to the US military presence in the South, where Washington has around 28,000 troops. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Denies US Accusations of Violating North Korea Sanctions - UN Ambassador Sputnik News 18:17 17.09.2018(updated 19:46 17.09.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia refutes the claims made by the United States that Moscow has breached the sanctions regime against North Korea, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday. Nebenzia commented on the US sanctions on two Russian companies and six vessels, including merchant vessel The Patriot, allegedly for conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers to North Korea. "On the Patriot oil tanker, the group of experts themselves said the ship was not in violation of the sanctions regime," he told the UN Security Council. The statement of the Russian official addressed the claims of the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who had urged Moscow to end the violations of sanctions against North Korea and not attempt to hide these breaches of the international rules. "Russia must cease its violations of North Korea sanctions. It must end its concerted effort to cover up evidence of sanctions violations," Haley stated. She accused Russia of seeking sanctions relief for North Korea, but said now is not the time to ease pressure on the country. The US envoy argued that sanctions could only be eased after North Korea completes denuclearization, not before. Haley also noted that Russia had blocked the US attempt to strengthen UN controls of Pyongyang's chemical and biological weapons technology in 2017, following the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who, according to Malaysian investigators, was killed with the VX nerve agent. "When North Korea assassinated Kim Jong Nam with VX, a deadly nerve agent, the United States moved to strengthen UN controls of the flow of chemical and biological weapons technology of North Korea," she told the UN Security Council. "Russia turned around and again blocked the sanctions committee from updating its 12-year-old sanctions list." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov has said that Russia will call on other Security Council countries to ease sanctions on North Korea as the country takes steps toward denuclearization. The United Nations has introduced multiple sanctions against North Korea in response to its repeated missile launches and nuclear tests. The organization, in particular, has restricted oil exports to Pyongyang, banned imports of textile products from North Korea as well as the country's access to gas liquids. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US: Russia 'Cheating' on North Korea Sanctions Implementation By Margaret Besheer September 17, 2018 U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia of "cheating" on international sanctions against North Korea, saying Moscow is undermining U.S. efforts to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. "Russian corruption is like a virus," Haley told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday. "It is impeding our ability to achieve complete denuclearization in North Korea." Haley said she was upset about a report from the independent experts who monitor U.N. sanctions implementation. The United States had provided evidence to the experts of Russian violations, but the report presented to council members omitted the Russian violations. "Apparently, Russia threatened to prevent release of the report unless its demand to hide the evidence of its violations was met," the U.S. ambassador said. "To our deep regret, the panel agreed." Haley said the United States had no choice but to prevent publication of "the tainted report." "The difficult, very sensitive talks with North Korea are ongoing," Haley told council members. "The Trump-Kim summit has set us on a path toward complete denuclearization, but we are not there yet. And until we get there, we must not ease the powerful worldwide sanctions that are in place." U.S. and North Korean leaders met on June 12 in Singapore and agreed to that the North would dismantle its nuclear program. Haley said Moscow has systematically violated U.N. sanctions, particularly on oil exports, allowing Russian flagged vessels to transfer petroleum products to North Korean tankers on the high seas. Since January, Haley said the U.S. has tracked at least 148 instances of such transfers. "We estimate that, at least, North Korea has obtained over 800,000 barrels of refined petroleum products in the first eight months of this year," the U.S. ambassador noted. "That's 160 percent of the 2018 annual cap of 500,000. In reality, we think they have obtained four times the annual quota in the first 8 months of this year." Russia's U.N. envoy dismissed the U.S. accusations, saying it was Washington that sought to interfere with the work of the panel, not Moscow. "The work of the panel of experts -- which because of decisions beyond our control became increasing politicized -- they became ultimately the hostages to the vision of Washington," Vassily Nebenzia said. The Russian ambassador said the panel's first version of the report did not meet the committee's standards of objectivity and impartiality and that Moscow, as well as some other council members, submitted comments to the panel that "were viewed correctly by the experts and then taken on board" when they sent their final report to the council. In fact, Nebenzia countered, it is not Moscow that is pressuring the experts, but Washington. "Aren't you the ones who are exerting direct pressure on the group demanding that they change their opinion in their report that they will convey to the Security Council?" Nebenzia asked. He said Washington is treating the sanctions committee as a "sledgehammer" to punish Pyongyang for its intransigence. While he offered simple explanations to refute each of the U.S. accusations, he did not explicitly state that Russia is enforcing the sanctions. And he recommended that the sanctions committee ease sanctions through special temporary exemptions for inter-Korean projects. Other council members reiterated the importance of Security Council unity and maintaining pressure through sanctions implementation. In the region, the leaders of South and North Korea are continuing their engagement and are to meet for a third time on Tuesday. "The summit is expected to add renewed energy to the current diplomatic process," South Korean's U.N. Ambassador Cho Tae-yul told the council. "We hope and expect that a significant breakthrough can be made during the summit meeting in Pyongyang, which in turn will help resume the stalled U.S.-DPRK negotiations." DPRK is the abbreviation for North Korea's full name. Also during Monday's meeting, the U.N.'s political chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, told the Security Council there continue to be signs that North Korea "is maintaining and developing" its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "The International Atomic Energy Agency remains unable to access the DPRK and verify the correctness and completeness of the DPRK's declarations under its safeguards agreement," DiCarlo said referring to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dead End for Spike-MR Deal: India Tests Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile Sputnik News 19:14 17.09.2018 The successful tests of the man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM), developed by state-run DRDO, come less than a year after the Indian government scrapped a $500 million deal for the Israeli Spike-MR. New Delhi (Sputnik) Indian defense scientists have successfully conducted back-to-back tests of the new indigenously designed and developed man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM). The tests were conducted at the Ahmednagar test range in the western state of Maharashtra. The MPATGM is a third-generation anti-tank guided missile which is fitted with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead. The MPATGM reportedly boasts a top attack capability and has a maximum engagement range of about 2.5 kilometers. Eight static tests of rocket motor were conducted to achieve consistent ballistic performance last year. Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, after calling off the planned purchase of Israeli Spike-MR in November last year, had directed the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to deliver countrymade man-portable fire and forget guided missile. "The two missions on 15 and 16 September 2018 have been successfully flight tested for different ranges including the maximum range capability," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement. India had decided to settle for an indigenous MPATGM platform after a committee headed by a major general examined various aspects related to the Spike MR-deal and recommended developing a homemade anti-tank guided missile. The decision was made despite the Indian army headquarters having highlighted "the operational urgency of the equipment," arguing that the Spike would give "a major capability impetus to troops deployed on the Line of Control (LC), especially in the current operational scenario." The deal included over 8,356 missiles, 321 plus launchers and requisite technology transfer to India's state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited initially. Spike-MR was chosen over the American Javelin, which had offered missiles having a range of four kilometers as a "Make-in-India" project. Indian government sources told Sputnik that the first MPATGM prototype is expected to be handed over to the Indian army by the end of 2018 for user trials. Mass production of the missile is expected to begin in 2021. Nevertheless, the Indian army is still pushing to acquire at least 2,500 Spike-MRs as a stopgap measure to quickly address the capability gap. The Indian army says it requires at least 40,000 anti-tank guided missiles in the next 20 years. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Al-Abadi orders troops deployment along border with Turkey IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Baghdad, Sept 17, IRNA -- The National Security Council of Iraq in a session presided over by Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi approved deployment of border guards along borders with Turkey. In its Sunday's session, the National Security Council underlined the need for implementing necessary plans to provide security and stability along Iraqi border lines and register violations of the country's land border and air space. The NSC also obliged the foreign ministry to take necessary measures to document violations of Iraqi air space by Turkey for presentation to the United Nations. As per the decision of NSC, border guards will deploy along Iraq-Turkey border with an aim of defending the border areas and prevent any breaches of the country's territorial integrity. The session also reviewed the tasks of Iraqi federal police, revision of its administrative organization and equipping it with necessary weapons and equipment in order to be able to play a better and complementary role alongside the army. The unprecedented order issued by NSC for deployment of border guards along borders with Turkey came at a time when with formation of a new parliament, the country would see a change of government in coming days or weeks while al-Abadi has announced that he would not nominate himself for the post of prime minister. 1396**1396 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japanese submarine conducts first naval exercises in South China Sea Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 09:18AM A Japanese submarine has for the first time joined a naval drill in the South China Sea, in a move likely to anger Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters. Japan's Defense Ministry said on Monday that submarine Kuroshio had joined three Japanese warships, including the Kaga helicopter carrier, as part of a naval drill in the South China Sea, last week. A spokesperson for the ministry said it was the first time a Japanese submarine had conducted drills in waters southwest of the China-administered Scarborough Shoal. The exercise, which involved the submarine trying to evade detection, was conducted away from island bases constructed by China in the contested sea. "A drill in the open sea is a justified act based on the 'freedom of navigation' stipulated in international law," a government official said. However, it could still anger Beijing because submarines represent a greater potential danger to shipping than surface vessels. Asked about Japan's drills, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Beijing "urges the relevant external country to respect the efforts made by regional countries to resolve the South China Sea issue through talks." "Act with caution and don't take any acts that could damage peace and stability in the region," Geng Shuang added. Japan's naval maneuvers came after a British Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, sailed close to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea late last month to exercise what it calls "freedom of navigation" rights. Experts say the move was a clear indication of Britain's support for the US, which has carried out similar missions in the past and asked its allies to follow its strategy. China claims sovereignty to most of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, despite competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing and Tokyo are engaged in a separate territorial dispute in the East China Sea. The US and its extra-regional allies side with China's rivals in both territorial rows. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japanese Submarine Taking Part in S China Drills for 1st Time - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 09:40 17.09.2018(updated 09:52 17.09.2018) TOKYO (Sputnik) - A submarine from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is engaged in the drills in the South China Sea for the first time, the Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement. According to the ministry, the JDS Kuroshio, with a full crew of 80, will arrive in the area where the exercise is being staged accompanied by three Izumo-class Japanese helicopter destroyers by September 21. In August, Japan said in its white book on defense that China had been undertaking extensive efforts to enhance its military capabilities and expanding the area of its aerial and maritime military operations, particularly in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in turn, called Japan's claims about China's military buildup groundless and irresponsible. Tokyo and Beijing have long been involved in a territorial dispute over the disputed Senkaku Islands, referred to by China as the Diaoyu Islands, which are located near important shipping routes and potentially large oil and gas fields. Japan claims it has possessed the islands since 1895, while Beijing recalls that Japanese maps made in 1783 and 1785 pictured the islands as belonging to China. After World War II, the islands were controlled by the United States until Washington returned them to Japan in 1972. Taiwan and mainland China still believe that Tokyo maintains control over the islands illegally. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Unprecedented Audacity': A 'Magic' Comeback For Kremlin's Candidate In Disputed Gubernatorial Ballot Carl Schreck September 17, 2018 Less than a week before the gubernatorial runoff in Russia's Far East Primorsky Krai, President Vladimir Putin met with the Kremlin-backed candidate, who had failed to secure the required majority to defeat his Communist Party runner-up outright in the first round. "I know you have a runoff coming up," Putin told Andrei Tarasenko -- the candidate with the ruling United Russia party whom he appointed acting governor last year -- during the September 11 meeting in Vladivostok. "I think everything will be alright." Things were not looking good for Tarasenko, who trailed Communist Party challenger Andrei Ishchenko for most of the day as votes were counted in the September 16 second-round ballot. But a funny thing happened on the way to Ishchenko's seemingly assured victory: A last-second surge of votes tallied for Tarasenko pushed the acting governor ahead toward what one election analyst called a "mathematically impossible" victory, thanks to what Ishchenko denounced as blatant fraud. "My friends, they are stealing our votes. We will defend our victory now!" Ishchenko wrote on his Facebook page. Supporters of Ishchenko, who declared a hunger strike in response to the results, rallied in protest outside the regional administration's headquarters in Vladivostok, holding banners denouncing election officials as "scam artists" and reading "Ishchenko is our governor." The Vladivostok headquarters of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny called on people to join the protests. Here's what you need to know about one of the strangest Russian elections in recent years. What Happened? With 95 percent of the voting precincts having reported on September 16, Ishchenko was leading with 51.61 percent of the votes, compared to 45.79 for Tarasenko, whose appointment by Putin in October 2017 came amid what the Kremlin has portrayed as an effort to inject fresh administrative blood into Russia's regions. But as more precincts began reporting, Tarasenko began closing in on Ishchenko, who represents the Communist Party in the regional parliament. With 98.77 percent of voting precincts reporting, Ishchenko had 49.91 percent of the votes compared to 47.61 for Tarasenko. By the time 99.1 percent of precincts had reported, official tallies showed the acting governor ahead of his challenger by a total of 7,644 votes. Aleksandr Kireyev, a Russian electoral geography expert, wrote on his blog that Tarasenko's comeback after trailing by nearly 6 percentage points with 95 percent of precincts reporting was "mathematically impossible." "I had a solid lead of 5 percent, but in the morning the magic of numbers spelled defeat for me," Ishchenko wrote on Facebook. His fellow regional Communist lawmaker, Artyom Samsonov, alleged that Ishchenko had been robbed of more than 20,000 votes in the city of Ussuriisk, where official results showed Tarasenko defeating Ishchenko 74.27 percent to 24.42 percent. Two precincts in Ussuriisk reported that Ishchenko received zero votes compared to 540 and 112, respectively, for the acting governor, according to results posted by the regional elections commission. The situation in the region is "very important for Russia," Boris Nadezhdin, a liberal former federal lawmaker, wrote on Facebook. "Falsifications have happened before, but for the first time falsifications truly changed the outcome of a gubernatorial election; [and] the scope and audacity of the falsifiers is unprecedented," Nadezhdin wrote. What Is United Russia Saying? Tarasenko's election headquarters, meanwhile, is accusing the Communists of illegally buying votes for Ishchenko, who finished in second place in first-round voting with 24.6 percent compared to 46.6 percent for Tarasenko. "Primorsky Krai has seen a direct falsification attempt through vote buying," Igor Khrushchyov, a top United Russia official in the region, told Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency. Khrushchyov alleged that Tarasenko's campaign has audio, photographic, and video evidence to support the allegations. The official website of United Russia had made no mention of the dispute surrounding the runoff vote as of midday on September 17. What Are Election Officials Saying? Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) chief Ella Pamfilova, a former human rights ombudswoman whom Kremlin opponents accuse of lending a veneer of legitimacy to an electoral system they call rigged, said on September 17 that her commission would "thoroughly deal with everything" before announcing the final results of the election. She said her commission would "eagerly await" any possible evidence that "voting reports were rewritten or there were some kind of violations in the final stage while tabulating the results." "Whether we'll recognize the results or not -- either overall or from particular precincts -- or punish someone or declare someone the winner, that is an open question until all facts are thoroughly studied by us," Pamfilova was quoted by the state-run TASS news agency as saying. What Is The Kremlin Saying? The Kremlin took a largely neutral stance on September 17 -- publicly at least. "Right now, one should look primarily to all of the announcements made by the CEC," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying. He claimed that while there were "statements, there is not yet a single official complaint." Peskov declined to comment on Ishchenko's allegation that he was robbed of victory in the election, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported. What Impact Could The Election Have? The September 16 ballot was one of four gubernatorial runoffs following nationwide elections in Russia earlier this month that were the first electoral test for Putin's government since it launched its unpopular plan to raise the retirement age. Aleksandr Kynev, a political scientist at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, told the Russian-language news outlet Meduza that Ishchenko's performance in the Primorsky Krai election would "undoubtedly" affect the September 23 gubernatorial runoffs in the Far Eastern Khabarovsk Krai, the Siberian region of Khakasia, and the central Vladimir region. Incumbents from United Russia are facing challengers in all three regions. "It's a very strong psychological effect -- that there are actual elections," Kynev said to Meduza when results still showed Ishchenko winning. "It will increase turnout. The effect of solidarity and, if you will, political fashion will have a very strong influence." After results showed Tarasenko moving ahead of his challenger, Meduza asked Kynev if he had ever seen anything like it in Russian politics. Kynev said that while there were analogous situations in mayoral ballots, "in gubernatorial elections, there's never been anything like this." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/a-magic-comeback- for-kremlin-s-candidate-in-disputed- gubernatorial-ballot/29494373.html Copyright (c) 2018. 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 Communists Cry Foul Over Opponent's Sudden Surge In Russian Runoff Vote RFE/RL's Russian Service September 17, 2018 Supporters of Russia's Communist Party are protesting after the ruling United Russia party's candidate suddenly surged ahead in the final stages of the vote count in a runoff election for governor of the Primorye region. With 95 percent of the ballots counted on September 17, acting Governor Andrei Tarasenko was nearly 6 percentage points behind Communist challenger Andrei Ishchenko, according to election officials. But the officials said that once the ballot count reached 99 percent, Tarasenko had 49.5 percent and Ishchenko 48 percent. Alleging fraud, dozens of Communist supporters protested outside the regional administration building in the Pacific coast port city of Vladivostok. Ishchenko told RFE/RL that he had cancelled a hunger strike that he had announced earlier. He also withdrew his earlier call for supporters to set up a tent camp on a central square. He said the change of tactics was adopted following consultations with Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov and in response to positive signals from Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova. Ishchenko said Zyuganov urged him to act exclusively "within the framework of the law." In Moscow, Zyuganov appealed to President Vladimir Putin to look into the situation. He also promised to hold a national protest action on September 22 if there was no progress by then. The Communist Party is preparing lawsuits challenging the declared results in several districts, Ishchenko said. Ishchenko said party members who monitored the vote count in several locations had copies of the vote-count protocols that differ from the results announced by local election officials. Jailed Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny, a vocal foe of Putin, issued a tweet urging residents of Primorye to hit the streets for protests "immediately" and for Russians nationwide to support them. United Russia also accused the Communists of falsifications, and the regional election commission chief, Natalya Kamayeva, said the commission would not announce the results on September 17. Out of 21 Russian regions in which gubernatorial elections were held on September 9, Primorye was one of four where candidates from Kremlin-controlled United Russia faced runoffs after failing to win 50 percent of the vote in the first round. Central Election Commission head Pamfilova said on September 17 that election authorities will consider all complaints before official results are announced later in the week. United Russia, which unequivocally supports President Vladimir Putin, dominates the executive and legislative branches of power on the national, regional, and local levels. The September 9 elections were a test of Putin's government as it seeks to raise the retirement age for men and women by five years, a highly unpopular move that has prompted protests across the country. Putin met with Tarasenko ahead of the September 16 runoff and told him that "everything is going to be fine," according to the transcript on the Kremlin website. The runoff vote came days after Putin hosted Asian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at an economic forum in Vladivostok last week. Navalny organized protests in dozens of cities and towns on the day the elections were held. Police detained more than 1,000 people during the demonstrations, conducting a crackdown that was condemned by human rights groups and Western governments. With reporting by AP, Interfax, RIA Novosti, and Ekho Moskvy Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/communists-cry-foul-over-opponent- s-sudden-surge-in-russian-runoff-vote/29493968.html Copyright (c) 2018. 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 Heavy losses inflicted on terrorists in Hama, Idleb IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Sept 17, IRNA -- Syrian army units targeted with artillery fires hideouts and positions of snipers of the terrorist groups in the village of Tal Othman and its surroundings in the northern countryside of Hama Province, killing or injuring many of the terrorists. SANA reporter said Monday that army units observed works of tunnel digging by bulldozers and building barricades by terrorists of the so-called al-Ezza battalions affiliated to Jabhat al-Nusra in al-Zaka village in northwestern Hama, where the units targeted them, killing many while the other terrorists fled away. In the southern countryside of Idleb, an army unit targeted positions of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in the surrounding of al-Khowyn village, inflicting heavy losses upon the terrorists. Army units liberated new areas in the area located between the administrative border of Homs and Deir Ezzor during the military operations against the remnants of Daesh(ISIS) terrorists in the Syrian al-Badiya (desert). SANA's reporter said that the army units, in cooperation with the allied forces, combed wide areas in the Syrian al-Badiya on several directions, in which the forces operating in Deir Ezzor began the sweeping operations, with the first axis starting from Hreibshah alongside the administrative border of Homs province until the surroundings of al-Tanf oil field in the south. The reporter added that the army units moved from al-Faidah village forces operating in al-Sikhneh Badiya pursued fleeing Daesh terrorists, liberating the areas of al-Rashwanieh, al-Taraym and al-Niyarbeh. The reporter indicated that the army units tightened the noose around Daesh's remnants and destroyed their vehicles and weapons along the administrative border between Deir Ezzor and Homs. 1396**1396 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria says its air defense shoots down missiles coming from sea, targeting Latakia Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 10:09PM Syria says its air defense system has shot down several missiles fired from the sea, targeting state technical industry institutions in Latakia on Monday night. "Air defenses have confronted enemy missiles coming from the sea in the direction of the Latakia city, and intercepted a number of them," the official SANA quoted a military source as saying late on Monday. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that huge explosions had been heard in the western city. Local media have reported the large explosion and a power outage in the surrounding area. It was not immediately known who fired the missiles, which appeared to be targeting "ammunition depots" of Syria's Organization for Technological Industries. The state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV said the attacks were from the Israeli military targeting the state company. The attacks came a couple of days after the Syrian missile defense system successfully intercepted and downed Israeli missiles fired at an airport in the capital Damascus. SANA said late Saturday that the military had thwarted an "Israeli aggression," adding that a number of "enemy missiles" fired at the Damascus International Airport had been dismantled. Israel has become increasingly involved in the war in Syria with attacks on the country's military and civilian infrastructures over the past few months. The Tel Aviv regime has launched the attacks as Syria has managed to recapture many areas across the country from the grip of militants. However, many of those attacks have failed as Syrian defense system has managed to shoot down missiles fired by the Israelis. Latakia is home to Russia's Hmeimim Air Base, from which Russian fighter jets conduct airstrikes against Daesh terrorists and foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Turkey agree to create buffer zone in Syria's Idlib Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 06:00PM The leaders of Turkey and Russia say they have agreed to create a demilitarized buffer zone to separate Syrian government troops from Takfiri militant groups in the northwestern province of Idlib, as Ankara seeks to prevent a full-scale operation by the Damascus government against thousands of terrorists in the militant-held region. "We have decided to create a demilitarized zone some 15 to 20 kilometers deep along the line of contact between the armed opposition and regime troops by October 15 of this year," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Monday. Putin made the announcement after lengthy talks with Erdogan in the Russian city of Sochi. Putin said the agreement was that all heavy weapons be withdrawn from the zone and that armed groups, including the al-Qaeda linked Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, would have to pull out of the zone. The demilitarized zone will enter into force by October 15, he added. Erdogan also said at the joint news briefing that the two nations would carry out coordinated military patrols on the borders of the demilitarized zone. Russia: No new military operation against Idlib Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said there will be no new military operation against Idlib by Syrian government forces and their allies. Shoigu was speaking after the Russian and Turkish presidents agreed on the creation of the zone in the troubled Syrian region. The development came as Syrian army troops were preparing to launch a full-scale military operation against different factions of militants that have practically held hostage the inhabitants of Idlib for a long time. Turkey tries to maintain a foothold in Idlib, which is home to an estimated three million Syrian people, in an alleged attempt to play a role in shaping Syria's post-war politics and rebuilding its shattered economy. The volatile region is also home to an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 members of armed groups that Russia, Turkey and the United States consider terrorists. However, Turkey supports tens of thousands of other militants, describing them as members of the so-called moderate armed factions fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Damascus and Moscow brand all of the armed factions in the region as terrorists. Syria and Russia, a close ally of the Arab country, have already submitted proof and evidence to the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) showing that terrorists in Idlib are preparing to set up another false-flag chemical attack to frame Damascus and pave the way for the US-led coalition to attack Syrian government troops. Washington has accused the Syrian government of attacking civilians with chemical weapons in previous operations, including in Douma near the capital Damascus and in Khan Shaykhun in Idlib. Syrian authorities have strongly denied any involvement in either case, saying the attacks had been carried out by militants to slow Syria's progress in the fight against terror. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO warships moving closer to Syria shores amid looming US airstrikes: Report Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 04:24PM The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is reportedly beefing up its naval presence in the eastern sector of the Mediterranean Sea amid indications that the United States and its allies would use a staged chemical attack in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib to launch airstrikes on government forces. Russia's Sputnik news agency, citing Western websites monitoring naval activity in the region, reported that military vessels from the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) are inching closer to the Syrian coast. The reported added that the flotilla just off Syrian shores include Dutch HNLMS De Ruyter frigate, Canadian Halifax-class HMCS Ville de Quebec frigate as well as Greek frigate Elli. Informed sources, seeking anonymity, also said Los Angeles-class submarine USS Newport News has cruised into the Mediterranean Sea to join a US naval task force there. The submarine is said to be armed with long-range and subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has censured the US threats to use military force against Syria as part of Washington's blackmail policy. "Unlike the United States, Britain and their allies, Russia provides particular facts on a daily basis through its Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry as well missions in New York, The Hague and Geneva. We particularly name geographical points, where preparations are underway for certain terrorist groups backed by the US and its allies to carry out provocations," Ryabkov said on September 11. The top Russian official noted, "Our military has been assessing the military situation on a round-the-clock basis, without any breaks. Constant information exchange is going on with our colleagues in Turkey and Damascus. We have also established secure channels with the US military in order to prevent the repletion of such incidents. We cannot let Idlib remain a terrorist stronghold." Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network reported on August 30 that terrorists had kidnapped 20 children over the past few weeks in a bid to use them in the expected chemical farce. The sources noted that the attack would be carried out in Jisr al-Shughur, emphasizing that toxic materials have recently been transferred to the designated site through the al-Hassaniyah border crossing, which links the city to Turkey. The crossing is controlled by the Western-backed White Helmets aid group, which has been repeatedly accused of cooperating with Takfiri terrorists and staging false flag gas attacks. The US has warned it would respond to a chemical weapons attack by Syrian government forces with retaliatory strikes, stressing that the attacks would be stronger than those conducted by American, British and French forces back in April. On April 14, the US, Britain and France carried out a string of airstrikes against Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack against the city of Douma, located about 10 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus. Washington and its allies blamed Damascus for the Douma attack, an allegation rejected by the Syrian government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Turkey Agree To Create Buffer Zone In Syria's Idlib RFE/RL September 17, 2018 The presidents of Russia and Turkey have agreed to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's Idlib region to separate government and rebel forces. President Vladimir Putin said that the buffer zone would be 15 to 25 kilometers wide and come into force by October 15. This would entail a "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib including the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, Putin said after more than four hours of talks with his Turkish counterpart in the Russian city of Sochi on September 17. The two leaders also agreed on the withdrawal of "heavy weaponry from this zone," including tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems, and rocket launchers belonging to all armed groups, Putin added. Speaking at a joint news conference, Erdogan said the two countries would carry out coordinated military patrols on the borders of the buffer zone. "The opposition will continue to remain in the areas where they are. In return, we will ensure that the radical groups, which we will determine with Russia, will not operate in the area under discussion," Erdogan said. The meeting in the Russian Black sea resort city of Sochi comes 10 days after a summit between Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and their Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rohani, failed to produce a compromise in a bid to avert an expected Syrian government offensive in Idlib Province, which the Turkish president has warned would ignite a "bloodbath." Moscow and Tehran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial support throughout the war, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011. The three allies have been pressing ahead with the Idlib offensive, saying they want to put an end to what they call the last main "terrorist" stronghold in Syria. However, Turkey is backing rebel groups and it fears that a large-scale assault on Idlib, which lies on its southern border, could trigger a massive flow of refugees onto its soil. The country is already home to more than 3 million Syrians who have fled the war. Idlib Province is the Syrian opposition's last major stronghold and it is held by an array of rebels. The most powerful is Tahrir al-Sham, a merger of Islamist groups dominated by the former Al-Nusra Front -- an Al-Qaeda affiliate until 2016. Other Islamists, and groups fighting as the Free Syrian Army banner, are now gathered with Turkish backing under the banner of the National Front for Liberation. Neither Putin not Erdogan explained how they planned to differentiate "radical" rebels from other anti-Assad groups. It was also not immediately clear how much of the city of Idlib fell within the buffer zone. Earlier, Turkey's Hurriyet daily quoted Erdogan as saying Ankara's calls for a cease-fire in Idlib were bearing fruit after days of relative calm. "It looks like we obtained a result with the efforts which were made," he told reporters on a flight back from Azerbaijan. "But we are still not satisfied." Turkey has established military observation posts around Idlib, which Ankara has reportedly reinforced with troops and equipment in recent weeks. Erdogan said these posts are aimed at protecting the "innocent people" there, according to Hurriyet. "But currently everybody can see the regime's mercilessness and the terror that they are spreading there. There is a terror state," he added. While backing separate sides, Turkey, Russia, and Iran launched a negotiations process last year in the Kazakh capital, Astana, mainly dealing with battlefield issues, such as cease-fires and deescalation zones. A separate UN-led round of talks addressing political issues has taken place in Geneva. The United Nations expects up to 900,000 people to flee if Syrian government forces launch a large-scale offensive on Idlib, home to some 3 million people. The 7 1/2-year war has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions. With reporting by AFP, TASS, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-erdogan-to-meet-in-sochi -to-discuss-syria-s-idlib/29493691.html Copyright (c) 2018. 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 Missiles Fired on Syrian Army Infrastructure in Latakia - Syrian TV Sputnik News 22:16 17.09.2018(updated 02:14 18.09.2018) A technical manufacturing facility of the Syrian Army was one of the targets of a missile attack on the coastal city of Latakia Monday evening. One Syrian security source told Sputnik News many of the missiles were repelled by the country's air defense system. "Syria's air defense systems have responded to an air attack in Latakia. Most likely there were drones and missiles involved," Sputnik News' source said. Syrian state media and Arabic TV channel Al Mayadeen reported that the attack came from the sea. Syria journalist Leith Abou Fadel reports that some missiles hit parts of the city, and power outages were reported resulting from the blasts were reported by social media users. One of Fadel's sources in the Syrian Army says that the missiles were shot by armed drones and were not airstrikes. A Syrian human rights group later told Sputnik that seven people had been injured in the attack. Blasts have also been reported in the city of Baniyas, which is to the south of Latakia on the coast. Even further to the south, in the city of Tartus, another explosion was reported overhead. According to the Within Syria blog, two military bases near Latakia were hit. Some reports say that the attacks were launched by Israel while others point the finger at Islamist rebels. Israel has been accused of attacking Latakia in the past. The attack follows a deal struck between Russia and Turkey over a partial demilitarization of the Idlib province, the last remaining stronghold of anti-government extremists and al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry hours later reported that four Israeli F-16 aircraft had been part of the attack on Latakia, and that a Russian plane had lost radar contact during the attack. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey to Cooperate With Russia on Eliminating Terrorists in Idlib - Erdogan Sputnik News 11:06 17.09.2018(updated 11:07 17.09.2018) ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on the fight against terrorist groups in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If the situation in Idlib continues as is, the results will be heavy. We have to find a solution with Russia and the coalition forces without letting this happen. As you know, the US has a different position, however, we have previously held meetings with Germany and France. We are already in it together with Russia," Erdogan said on Sunday, as quoted by Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper. Erdogan stated that he had noticed Putin's positive approach toward the resolution of the conflict during the trilateral summit held between the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey in the Iranian capital of Tehran on September 7. "I hope he [Putin] will continue the positive stance also going forward," Erdogan stressed, adding that he considered it necessary to eliminate terrorists, but not the moderate opposition, which is also operating in Idlib. The Turkish leader added that the results of Monday's talks would be essential for the problem to be resolved politically. "The outcome of our meeting with Mr. Putin will be important. I also have visits to the United Nations General Assembly and Germany toward the end of the month. It is my wish that, with positive decisions made at these meetings, we will carry out the situation [in Idlib] to a new level," Erdogan noted. The president went on to say that although the situation in Idlib had recently stabilized, it was still far from being satisfactory, and this is why Turkey was going to reinforce its troops there. "It is true we have been strengthening our soldiers' (presence) there. We cannot afford to have a weakness there, we will continue to strengthen them. If we do not enforce our monitoring posts, some others can take initiatives and as results of their actions civilians may be harmed," he said, adding that the 12 observation points that Turkey had in Idlib were intended to protect "innocent civilians." Talks are set to be held in the Russian resort city of Sochi later on Monday. They will focus on the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone, which is one of the remaining strongholds of insurgency in the country. While the Syrian government has eliminated terrorists in vast territories of the country, Idlib is still occupied by militants . Since late August, tensions have escalated in the region, with Russia claiming that terrorists were preparing a false-flag chemical attack there, set to provoke a Western intervention in the country. The US, according to the Wall Street Journal, contends that Damascus plans to carry out an attack against civilians. Turkey, along with Russia and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria, and the administrations of the three countries are constantly seeking solutions to the Syrian problem, with the Tehran summit being just the most recent example. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan, Putin Strike Deal on Idlib Demilitarized Zone By Dorian Jones September 17, 2018 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin say they have reached an agreement that averts a looming military offensive on the Syrian rebel-held Idlib enclave. "We will prevent a humanitarian tragedy which could happen as a result of military action," Erdogan said after Monday's talks at the Russian Black Sea Sochi resort. The two leaders agreed to create a 15 to 20 kilometer demilitarized zone in the Syrian enclave. Putin claimed the agreement would remove the threat to the Russian Hmeimim military airbase, which has been targeted by rebels, including using drones. Putin said Russian and Turkish forces would enforce the demilitarized zone, which would see the removal of the rebels' heavy weapons as well as the "withdrawal of all radical fighters" from Idlib, including the Al-Nusra Front. Syrian forces, backed by Russian airpower, were threatening to overrun Idlib the last rebel stronghold. Erdogan has warned of a looming "bloodbath." On Monday, he said the "world was looking at Sochi" to avert a humanitarian crisis. A top U.S. official Wednesday called the talks between Russia and Turkey "encouraging." "The discussions that they're having lead us down a path the potential that you're going to get something that's less kinetic [based on military action]," Defense Intelligence Agency Director, Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, told an audience in Washington. A military campaign "does no good for the long term of Syria because all it does is continue to add to the human suffering," he said. "We want to see the factions and the different parties come together to be able to start to look at a way we can start setting peace and start working to a sense of normalcy." Up to 3 million civilians are believed to be trapped in the enclave, along with tens of thousands of rebel fighters, including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State. Erdogan said Monday's agreement underscored the importance of the two countries' deepening ties. Turkish media reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said a deal would soon be reached by Russian and Syrian forces to end airstrikes on Idlib. The Sochi meeting is being viewed as a diplomatic success for Erdogan. "We can say this is a success, as there is a new timeline of the 15th of October, when the heavy weapons have to be evacuated [from the demilitarized zone]," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served across the region. "The mere fact that this meeting in Sochi could have happened the two leaders being of the same mind as much as possible this tells me this Russian-Turkish relationship is still very much alive," he added." Securing more time for Idlib was a key priority for Ankara. "It's asking for more time to find a nonmilitary solution to the Idlib conundrum," said Sinan Ulgen, head of the Edam think tank. Ankara fears any attack on Idlib would see hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing across the border. With over 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Erdogan said the country could not take any more. Damascus, supported by Moscow, claims the Idlib region is a center of terrorism, which threatens the whole country. At a summit in Tehran earlier this month with Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Erdogan proposed that Turkish forces help to differentiate rebels from designated terrorist organizations in Idlib. Putin dismissed the proposal. Despite backing opposite sides, Ankara and Moscow have been cooperating with Tehran to end the Syrian civil war. The process was initiated in the Kazakh capital of Astana, focusing mainly on resolving battlefield issues. Turkish-Russian cooperation on Syria is the springboard for broader deepening ties, causing concern among Turkey's NATO allies. "If we witnessed such an operation against Idlib, it would undermine Turkey's trust in Russia," Ulgen said. Analysts suggest Putin's apparent accommodation of Erdogan is likely motivated by his broader strategic goal of continuing to foment tensions in NATO by courting Erdogan. "Right after this meeting in Sochi, President Erdogan will be traveling to New York," Selcen noted. "And so, maybe Putin felt he had to sweeten this relationship enough, so not to push Turkey towards the American side once again." U.S.-Turkish relations remain deeply strained over a myriad of differences. However, the two sides share common ground opposing Damascus's threatened Idlib operation. Ankara has also been reinforcing its armed presence in the rebel enclave. Under an agreement with Moscow and Tehran, Turkey has established 12 military observation posts in Idlib. In the last few days, the observation posts have been beefed up with tanks and heavy artillery. "We will fulfill our responsibilities in Syria," Erdogan said Monday before his meeting with Putin. "The protection of civilians, as well as dealing with terrorists, are a crucial matter." Turkish armed forces are also deployed on the Idlib border, including long-range artillery. "Moscow was determined to avoid the danger of a confrontation between Turkey and Damascus," Selcen said. The Sochi agreement appears to have at least bought time for further diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation in Idlib. However, analysts warn there are good reasons for caution. "We have to wait and see what happens in the next month or so in Idlib," said Selcen. "How will Turkey stop groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [an al Qaida-linked group] [from] fighting and give up their heavy weapons? That task will fall heaviest on Turkey. It remains to be seen how they will achieve this. That is why I am cautious." Jeff Seldin contributed from Washington. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Government Vows to 'Liberate' Idlib from 'Terrorists' By Lisa Schlein September 17, 2018 Syria appears to be rejecting urgent calls to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in its northern Idlib enclave, the country's last rebel-held area. Despite appeals by the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the government says it is determined to do whatever it takes to root out "terrorists." Military attacks by Syria and its Russian ally against Idlib have been increasing in frequency and intensity during the past weeks. The United Nations reports dozens of people, including women and children, have been killed and wounded, and several hospitals and schools have been attacked and taken out of service. The United Nations warns an offensive to retake Idlib, where nearly three million civilians reside, would trigger the biggest massacre of this century. In a presentation to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Commission of Inquiry on Syria Chairman Paulo Pinheiro notes unlike previous battles in Dara'a or eastern Ghouta civilians in Idlib have nowhere left to flee. War in Idlib, he says, would generate a humanitarian catastrophe. "We call on all parties to urge restraint, to prioritize meaningful political dialogue, and to refrain from embarking on such a tragic repetition," Pinheiro said. "To spare the civilian population in Idlib, parties must come to the table and engage in genuine and constructive political dialogue." In response, Syria's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Hussam Edin Aala, said his government respects all rules of international humanitarian law and has taken all necessary measures to protect civilians during operations to liberate areas from terrorist groups. "Regarding Idlib province, the Syrian state is determined to liberate Idlib from terrorist entities and organizations, namely the al-Nusra front, classified by the Security Council as a terrorist entity," Aala said. "We are also determined to recover the state's sovereignty." The United Nations estimates about 10,000 rebels are intertwined among the civilians. The commission says risking the lives of so many innocent people in a battle to defeat a relative handful of armed fighters is too high a price to pay. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's fresh 'proof' shows Kiev missile downed MH17 flight Iran Press TV Mon Sep 17, 2018 03:22PM Russia's Defense Ministry has released fresh information showing that the missile which shot down a Malaysia Airlines flight over the conflict-ridden eastern Ukraine in 2014 was fired by Kiev forces, refuting evidence by an investigation group that pointed the finger of blame at the Kremlin. During a news conference in Moscow on Monday, Chief of the Russian Defense Ministry's Missile and Artillery Department Lieutenant General Nikolai Parshin told reporters that the missile, which downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, was manufactured in the town of Dolgoprudny outside Moscow in 1986, but was delivered to a military unit in Ukraine and was never brought back to Russia. Parshin said the BUK missile was sent at the time to Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic military unit 20152, which is currently the 223rd anti-aircraft defense regiment of Ukraine's armed forces. "The missile with the serial number 886847379 intended for the BUK missile system on December 29, 1986 was sent by rail transport to military unit number 20152," Russia's RIA Novosti news agency quoted Parshin as saying. The senior official said the military unit referred to was based in Ukraine, then a Soviet republic, adding that this information was classified "top secret." "After the breakup of the Soviet Union, it (the missile) was not brought onto Russian soil and was incorporated into the Ukrainian armed forces," Parshin noted. Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, who hosted the presser, also presented an audio recording that was "proof" for Ukraine's complicity in the MH17 disaster. Konashenkov said the audio recording of a conversation between Ukrainian military servicemen was made back in 2016 in the Odessa Region during the Rubezh-2016 exercise and published in the Ukrainian mass media. Flight MH17 on a Boeing 777 was blown out of the sky over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014 while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Moscow has time and again denied any involvement in the disaster, putting the blame instead on Kiev. The crash took the lives of all 298 people on board. Two thirds of the victims were Dutch. During the Monday briefing, Parshin also said that video footage used by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) showing the BUK missile being transported into areas held by pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine was "manipulated." The team claimed on May 24 that "the Buk-TELAR that was used to down MH17, originates from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile brigade ... a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation." Russia's Defense Ministry rejected all the allegations and said that none of the missile systems belonging to the Russian Armed Forces had ever been taken abroad. The Russian military further expressed concern over "the determination of the Dutch-led investigation to justify its conclusions by solely using images from social networks that have been expertly altered with computer graphic editing tools." The JIT, which has been looking into the MH17 crash, includes Netherlands, Australia and Ukraine, but not Russia. Moscow has long accused the investigation of being biased and failing to obtain all necessary evidence from Ukraine and relying on questionable sources while ignoring evidence provided by Russia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Invitation to Sign Letter Opposing Persecution Contact: ChinaAid Media Office, 432-553-1080, media@chinaaid.org Standing in firm agreement with these sentiments, overseas Chinese Christians wrote the letter below to vocalize their support of those persecuted by the Chinese state, and now they extend the invitation to sign to church leaders worldwide. If you work with a church or Christian organization, please take a quick moment to read over and MIDLAND, Texas, Sept. 18, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Recently, an unprecedented letter, signed by nearly 400 Chinese church leaders who risked everything, including their freedoms, their churches, and their lives, was released. Called A Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith , it openly condemns the Chinese government's persecution of Christians and reiterates an obligation to continue teaching the Bible regardless of government oppression. Later, Wheaton College's Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, Ed Stetzer, wrote an article in Christianity Today , emphasizing the need of international Christians not to neglect the sufferings of Chinese believers.Standing in firm agreement with these sentiments, overseas Chinese Christians wrote the letter below to vocalize their support of those persecuted by the Chinese state, and now they extend the invitation to sign to church leaders worldwide. If you work with a church or Christian organization, please take a quick moment to read over and sign this statement Standing in solidarity with you in Christ Greetings to churches in China persecuted for the sake of righteousness Dear church pastors and co-laborers in Christ in China, We are a group of Christian leaders who share your call from God but serve Him overseas, proclaiming the Gospel and shepherding churches. Please accept our greatest respect for you for standing up straight and speaking up courageously for the truth you have put your faith in amid the persecutions and sufferings you are facing, and please send our warm regards to our numerous brothers and sisters in Christ, whom you are shepherding. May grace and peace from our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Dear chief shepherds of God's people, we read A Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith [Editor's note: Hereafter referred to as "Declaration"], which you jointly signed, and were moved to tears by the Holy Spirit. Although we are overseas and in a relatively easy environment, we belong with you to the body of Christ, and we dare not forget the Bible's teaching that "body parts should have equal concern for each other" [1 Corinthians 12:25]. "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it" [1 Corinthians 12:26]. In order to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, whom you believe is the Lord of the whole earth and the only and supreme head of the Church, you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. What a great honor and blessing! "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" [1 Peter 2:21]. If we are oblivious to and detached from your sufferings for the sake of Christ, we are no longer a part of His body, and we will be held accountable when we see Him on that day. Therefore, we have no other choice and are obliged to stand in solidarity with you in Christ, praying and interceding in tears for the persecutions against you, and giving our thanks and praise to God for your strength, endurance, and hope in the midst of sufferings. If we truly share in your sufferings for the Gospel, we will be able to share in your blessings from God, for the Bible says, " ... if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" [Romans 8:17b]. Dear chief shepherds of God's people, ever since China's top authorities reinforced the idolatrous worship of a certain leader and a certain ideology in recent years [Editor's note: This refers to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his administration, who are attempting to consolidate ideological power to the Communist Party and persecuting those who do not adhere to their beliefs], the Gospel message about Christ's cross, which you have preached, became more and more repulsive to them, and thus, they intensified persecutions against you. This is because the Gospel of Christ opposes any form of idol worship by mankind and holds fast that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23]. All of mankind, including those in power, are saved from perishing through their faith in the redemption of Christ Jesus on the cross. As long as we refuse to back down from this claim of truth, the world won't stop persecuting us. As our Lord Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" [John 15:18-19]. Therefore, no matter what excuses or criminal charges the authorities use to interrogate, raid, demolish, fine, outlaw, confiscate, shut down, or even detain you, it is not because you are not cunning enough in your responses, or you're growing too fast as a church, or you're connected with "overseas forces." It is only because you have been chosen out of the world by Christ. As the root cause of all persecutions suffered by Christian churches, this is also the secret to our partaking in the Lord's glory in the future. Dear chief shepherds, we thank and praise God for your faithfulness and goodness in Christ. As "stewards of the mysteries God" [1 Corinthians 4:1], you always put what he entrusted to you, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season" [2 Timothy 4:2a], above everything else, even in the midst of persecutions. Your Declaration begins with the Gospel message, calling on the world to repent and reconcile with God through Christ, because this is the highest call you have received from God. For this you were called, and for this you will also live or die. The four claims in your Declaration also flow out of this. For the sake of the Gospel, you must lead the church, "obey God rather than human beings" [Acts 5:29] and therefore resist everything coming from men. Again, for the sake of the Gospel, teach the church to follow the biblical principle of separating the church from the state; "Christians are obligated to respect the authorities, to pray fervently for their benefit, and to pray earnestly for Chinese society" [Declaration, Item 3] Even more so, you are "For the sake of the gospel, we are willing to suffer all external losses brought about by unfair law enforcement. Out of a love for our fellow citizens, we are willing to give up all of our earthly rights" [Declaration, Item 3]. All these have manifested that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" [Philippians 2:13]. Dear chief shepherds, it is our belief that, were it not for God's Spirit moving among you and his mighty arms sustaining you, you would not be able to stay faithful to the commission God entrusted to you, following in the footsteps of Christ, and being the good shepherds who lay down their lives for their sheep. As of today, we have seen God's power to preserve you and be present with you in your sufferings. He made you join hands and walk in front of your flock, bravely speaking up for truth. He meant for you to guide and protect his sheep, and inspire brothers and sisters in churches with your own example to not lose heart and fall captive to the world. Undaunted by the intimidation from the authorities, you boldly proclaim Christ as the only and supreme head of the Church, and make the world and God's churches all over the world hear your solemn promise: "... under no circumstances will we lead our churches to join a religious organization controlled by the government, to register with the religious administration department, or to accept any kind of affiliation. We also will not accept any 'ban' or 'fine' imposed on our churches due to our faith. For the sake of the gospel, we are prepared to bear all losseseven the loss of our freedom and our lives" [Declaration, Item 4]. We believe your resounding voices, filled with God's graceful and powerful proclamations, will spread with the content of your Declaration to inspire more Gospel workers to become fearless of persecutions, to preach the same Gospel, to be led by the same Spirit, to unite with you in one body, and to share the same resolve in front of God, under the leadership of Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign. This will bring a greater revival and unity to churches in China and make the Gospel spread faster and farther in the land of China. Dear chief shepherds, when you lag in the midst of a hundred different ways to be refined by fire, your faith, evidenced by your practice of self-denial and endurance, is being reported all over the world, and is showing to us, in particular, people in overseas churches, how to follow Jesus's example. Gracious God, may your mercy be with overseas Chinese churches, and may you not abandon us. Don't let us indulge in our comfort. Don't let us become the church in Laodicea"neither hot nor cold" and be spit out of your mouth [Revelation 3:16]. May God remember that we pray in tears day and night for you in your persecution. May God fulfill in us his promise that you have received because of our willingness to share in your sufferings in Christ and to fight the good fight with you for the Gospel: "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown" [Revelation 2:10]. Amen! Signed, Zhang Boli Lead Pastor of Washington Harvest Chinese Christian Church *Note: If you are a Christian leader and would like to add your signature, please click here* Contact ChinaAid: Office phone: (432) 689-6985 Media phone: (432) 553-1080 General inquiries: info@chinaaid.org Media inquiries: media@chinaaid.org Share Tweet In New Claim, Moscow Says MH17 Missile Came From Ukraine; Kyiv Cries 'Fake' RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time TV September 17, 2018 The Russian military has made a new claim about the downing of a passenger jet over the war zone in eastern Ukraine in 2014, asserting that the missile that brought Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 down was sent to Soviet Ukraine after it was made in 1986 and never returned to Russia. Defense Ministry officials made the claim at a news conference in Moscow on September 17, in an apparent attempt to discredit the findings of an international investigation that determined the system that fired the missile was brought into Ukraine from Russia before the Boeing 777 was shot down on July 17, 2014, and smuggled back into Russia afterward. Kyiv swiftly disputed the Russian assertion, which a senior Ukrainian official called an "awkward fake," while the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said that it was still waiting for Russia to send documents it requested long ago and that Russia had made "factually inaccurate" claims in the past. In a statement to RFE/RL, the Dutch government said it had "taken notice of the publications in relation to the press conference by the Russian Ministry of Defense." "The Netherlands has the utmost confidence in the findings and conclusions of the JIT," the statement added. "The JIT investigation has broad support by the international community. The government is committed to full cooperation with the criminal investigation by all countries concerned as reflected in [UN Security Council] Resolution 2166." Speaking to RFE/RL's Russian Service in an interview, the founder of cybersleuthing outfit Bellingcat accused Russia of "lying about the content" of videos it used as evidence, and said there was "absolutely no way to know" whether the records it cited are genuine. All 298 passengers and crew were killed when the jet, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed in an area held by Russia-backed separatists in the Donetsk region. The tragedy caused an international outcry and deepened tensions between Moscow and the West following Russia's seizure of Crimea and support for the militants in their fight against Kyiv's forces after pro-European protests pushed Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from power. The JIT also found that the Buk missile came from Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade and was fired from territory held by the Russia-backed separatists. Many of the JIT's findings have been corroborated or supported by evidence gathered by journalists and independent investigators, such as the British-based Bellingcat. The Russian Defense Ministry officials claimed that some of the evidence used by the JIT, including videos investigators used to track the path of the missile from Russia to Ukraine and back, was falsified. They cited alleged evidence whose authenticity and accuracy could not immediately be independently assessed. Citing what they said were newly declassified documents, the Defense Ministry officials asserted that the missile was manufactured in Dolgoprudny, outside Moscow, in 1986 -- five years before the Soviet Union fell apart -- and was sent by railway to a missile brigade in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine in December of that year. "The missile belongs to the Ukrainian armed forces and never returned to Russian territory," said Lieutenant General Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Defense Ministry's missile and artillery department. In Ukraine, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said Russia's "statement alleging that the missile that downed MH17 had a Ukrainian footprint was yet another awkward fake [issued] by the Kremlin in order to conceal its crime, which has been proven by both the official investigation and by independent expert groups." Earlier, Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins cast doubt on the allegation that video footage was doctored by investigators, writing on Twitter that the Russian Defense Ministry "should probably know we have the original version of the video they're talking about at the moment." "And we've never published it. And the JIT has it," Higgins added in successive tweets. In a statement on September 17, the JIT said it would "meticulously study the materials presented as soon as the Russian Federation makes the relevant documents available to the JIT as requested in May 2018" and required under a UN Security Council resolution." The JIT said that it asked Russia to provide "all relevant information" about the incident back in 2014, and in May 2018 "specifically requested information concerning numbers found on several recovered missile parts." The investigative body said that it had "always carefully analyzed" information provided by Russia, and in doing so "has found that information from the Russian Ministry of Defense previously presented to the public and provided to the JIT was factually inaccurate on several points." Bellingcat's Higgins echoed that statement, telling RFE/RL's Russian Service that "the Russian Ministry of Defense has a long and well-established track record of lying and faking evidence." "So, really, there is absolutely no way to know that this information is genuine," Higgins said. He also disputed the claim that videos were doctored, accusing the Defense Ministry of making "purposely misleading" statements about video evidence and "just lying about the content." The new Russian assertions follow several other attempts by Russia to lay blame for the downing of MH-17 on Ukraine, including initial suggestions -- now discredited -- that the jet was shot down by a Ukrainian warplane. The 298 victims of the crash are among more than 10,300 people killed since April 2014 in the war in eastern Ukraine, where fighting persists and the Moscow-backed militants continue to hold parts of the Donestk and Luhansk provinces despite internationally-backed cease-fire and political-settlement deals known as the Minsk Accords. With reporting by Meduza, AP, and Interfax Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/in-new-claim- moscow-denies-missile-that-brought-down-mh17-came- from-russia/29494209.html Copyright (c) 2018. 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 Russian Military Reveals Evidence Proving Ukraine's Involvement in MH17 Crash Sputnik News 17:51 17.09.2018(updated 19:09 17.09.2018) New details have emerged about the tragic fate of the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 that crashed in eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The Russian Defense Ministry has provided documented proof that the missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board, came from the arsenals of the Ukrainian army, not from Russia. Serial Number At a news briefing on Monday, Lt. Gen. Nikolai Parshin, the Defense Ministry's chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate, said that, judging from the fragments of the 9M38 missile, military experts were able to establish the missile's unique serial number 8868720, where 86 stands for the missile's production year and 8720 is its serial number. According to the documents, which Parshin said had been declassified ahead of the news conference, the missile in question was manufactured at a military plant in Dolgoprudny, outside Moscow, in 1986, assigned combat number 886847379 and on December 29 of that same year was shipped by rail to the 20152 223 anti-aircraft missile brigade stationed in Ukraine. In 1986, the unit was part of the Carpathian Military District and was deployed in Terebovlya, Ternopil region. After the Soviet breakup, the brigade became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and is currently stationed in the city of Stryi. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the missile brigade took part in Kiev's military operation in Donbass. Fake The Defense Ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, who also took part in the news conference, dismissed as fabricated videos that a Dutch-led international investigation used as evidence that the BUK missile system allegedly used to shoot down the Malaysian Airlines jet had been transported from Russia to the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. This conclusion was made by Russian experts who studied video footage of the BUK system and determined that the images of the prime mover, trailer and the BUK system itself had been superimposed on a section of the street. "We'll Shoot Down Another Malaysian Boeing" Also presented at the news conference was an intercepted audio recording of an exchange between Ukrainian servicemen during a 2017 drill in near Odessa. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, one of the voices on the recording belongs to Ukrainian Army Colonel Ruslan Hrynchak, who in 2015 commanded the 164 radio-engineering brigade in charge of controlling the airspace over Donbass. The recording contains, among other things, the following phrase: "If so, we'll shoot down another Malaysian Boeing." On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed near the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine killing all 298 passengers and crew on board; Kiev immediately blamed local militias for shooting down the plane. Representatives of the local militia denied the charge, arguing that they simply had no weapons capable of downing such an aircraft. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Regrets Ukraine's Termination Treaty of Friendship With Russia Sputnik News 12:28 17.09.2018(updated 17:05 17.09.2018) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has executed a decision endorsed by his National Security and Defense Council to scrap the RussianUkrainian friendship treaty, his administration's press service said in a statement. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website Monday that it expressed deep regret over the Ukrainian leadership's decision to terminate the Russian-Ukrainian Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership. "The destructive steps taken by the current leadership of Ukraine cause deep regret," the Russian ministry said. It said the Russia-Ukraine crisis will be overcome, adding that relations will obviously have to be restored with more responsible Ukrainian politicians. The ministry stated that by denouncing the Friendship Treaty with Russia, Ukraine shows it is ready to easily destroy all that has been built in bilateral relations in the past decades. Ukraine Preparing to Revise All Treaties With Russia Foreign Minister "The legal basis of our relationship with Russia will be gradually revised for sure. Each treaty with the Russian Federation has a clause on the procedure for its termination, and we have an internal plan on how and when we will do it," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told reporters, as quoted by the media outlet Yevropeyska Pravda. The cabinet minister also announced that Ukraine was planning to terminate the bilateral treaty on the status of the Sea of Azov, but provided no specific timeline. Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had drafted plans for the termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia which was signed on May 31, 1997, at Poroshenko's behest. The country's National Security and Defense Council endorsed the move, which was put into effect by a presidential decree. The Russian government has yet to comment on the statement. According to the document, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is obliged to notify the Russian government of the desire to terminate the treaty. The deadline for submitting a notification is not specified. In addition, the National Security and Defense Council, together with the Foreign Ministry, should inform the UN, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as other international organizations about Ukraine's desire to terminate the treaty with Russia. On August 28, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a package of documents to begin severing the treaty, which he called an anachronism, in the near future. He promised to notify Russia of the relevant decision before the end of September. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thunder Bay, September 18, 2018 - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that during recent prospecting the Company has made a new discovery on the Panama Lake Gold project. A total of 24 samples were collected across the project area, six of which show promising results in a previously underexplored area. Five samples collected from an altered and silicified sedimentary iron formation containing quartz veining, pyrite, pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite, graded between 0.17g/t Au and 6.17g/t Au. The sampling was completed in a poorly-exposed area over 20m long and located approximately 275m northwest of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) till sample, 92-SBB-142, which contained 107 gold grains, the highest count in the regional-scale survey. Another sample containing 0.68g/t Au was collected 100m southwest of the GSC till sample. The new showings are associated with a distinct magnetic high (Ontario Geological Survey, 2003, Uchi-Bruce Lakes Area Airborne Survey), which extends for over 120km. Maps can be viewed on the Company website, which show the Panama Project with relation to Great Bear Resources Ltd.'s ("Great Bear") discovery at their Dixie project in the Red Lake district (see Great Bear's press release dated August 22, 2018). Benton has now mobilized a crew to continue exploration on the Panama project, which lies 60km east of Great Bear's Dixie Project. Benton has also staked a number of new cell claims enlarging the Panama project to 4250 hectares. The Panama Lake gold project is hosted in the Red Lake mining district, 55km northeast of the town of Ear Falls and is accessible by road. Historical work is minimal and the last diamond drill campaign on the property was completed by Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. in 1988 where 8 widely-spaced diamond drill holes over a 1.4km strike-length yielded results of up to 2.8g/t Au over 4.5m within a 20-30m wide mineralized shear zone. About Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) Benton Resources Inc. is a well-funded Canadian-based project generator with a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements. Benton holds multiple high-grade projects available for option, which can be viewed on the company's web site. Most projects have an up-to-date NI 43-101 report available. Interested parties can contact Stephen Stares using the contact information below. Nathan Sims (P.Geo.), Senior Exploration manager for Benton Resources Inc., is the qualified person responsible for this release and has prepared or supervised the preparation of or reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc., "Stephen Stares" Stephen Stares, President THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections For further information contact Stephen Stares @: 684 Squier Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A8 Phone (807)475-7474 Cell (807)474-9020 Fax (807)475-7200 www.bentonresources.ca sstares@bentonresources.ca Charles Leclerc has branded his race last Sunday as "almost perfect". He finished inside the points and claims his car set up felt very good despite a crash in FP1. Leclerc's racing profile received a huge upgrade in the weeks' build-up to the Singapore Grand Prix, but the man from Monaco collected his emotions come race day. Once again, he out-qualified and out-raced his team-mate, Marcus Ericsson, as he looks to find a launch pad into his Ferrari car. "What a race - it was quite close to being perfect," Leclerc told the media. "We had strong lap times, and the balance of the car felt good from the beginning to the end. "We made a great recovery this weekend, after having a weaker race pace on Friday. With our strategy, we were able to fight our way to the front of the midfield and finish in the points again." Leclerc has now picked up 15 points in F1. GREEENWICH Appointments to town boards and commissions usually pass without much comment or controversy. This week saw an exception as Jeffrey Medina sought approval for a new term on the Board of Human Services. Medina, who currently serves as the boards secretary, had come under heavy criticism for sharply worded posts on Facebook and other sites that blasted Democrats and the left. The Representative Town Meeting on Monday heard from town officials from both sides of the political aisle, most of whom supported Medina, and approved his nomination by a vote of 135 to 47 with nine abstentions. There is a greater community that can be served by this moment and it is my distinct hope and my sincere, deepest desire that Mr. Medina from this moment on will think about what comes out of his mouth, whether its in a private conversation or on a public forum like Facebook, said RTM District 1 member Anthony Lopez. I think he deserves a chance and we need to hold him accountable. Appearing before the body on Monday night, Medina, who has been on the Human Services board since 2016, apologized for the posts and said he would use the criticism as a learning experience and try to be more diplomatic and cognizant of the words he uses in the future. I take responsibility for the comments on social media, Medina said. Im very passionate about the things that I believe in but I understand the words I used in this instance were insensitive and offended some people. For that I apologize. At issue were several posts online in which Medina criticized the recent decision by Greenwich Green and Clean to no longer fund holiday lights on Greenwich Avenue. He wrote on Facebook that liberals were responsible for the lights not being funded and were responsible for everything bad happening in the state. God dn liberals (are) destroying tradition, Medina wrote. Screenshots of posts also show him writing about his disdain for liberals and saying theyre destroying this state and this country. The online comments were brought to the RTMs attention by District 8 member Laura Kostin, a Democrat who is running for state representative in the 151st District. Kostin did not call for the RTM to vote down the nomination, but did ask for better vetting in the future. Obviously we are all entitled to free speech. There is no doubt, Kostin said. But we should expect to be held accountable for our words. If youre going to be serving the neediest in our community, you should strive to create an atmosphere of tolerance and inclusion, regardless of political affiliation. If youre going to represent our town, you would do well to avoid alienating the public and refrain from needlessly divisive commentary on public forums. Under the current vetting process, a candidate is interviewed by the Board of Selectmen and, if approved by the board, is then interviewed by relevant RTM committees before the full RTM votes on the nomination. RTM member Dawn Fortunato, from District 3, told the membership she saw posts from Medina last year in which he tried to determine who among a large new crop of candidates running for the RTM, which is a non-partisan body, were Democrats. He told his online followers not to vote for any of them, she said. In an interview Saturday, Board of Human Services Chair Barbara Nolan called Medinas posts bigoted. She said she believes the charge applies in this situation given the language Medina used and because he was striking out against a whole segment of people that dont agree with him. If youre so prejudiced against a group of people, what does that make you? Nolan asked. On Tuesday, Nolan said she felt all involved, including herself, would be able to work with Medina. We have to go forward, Nolan said. At Mondays meeting, Medina said he was committed to continuing his work on the board. My comments, while insensitive, are not an accurate representation of who I am as a person, Medina said. Nor do they prevent me from making decisions that will better the lives of all people, regardless of their political persuasion. Several speakers spoke on behalf of Medina including First Selectman Peter Tesei, a Republican, and Selectman Sandy Litvack, a Democrat. The Board of Selectmen had nominated Medina to a new term and said they stood by it. We all agree this is something that is a teachable moment, Tesei said. We recognize that people make mistakes but it doesnt take away from the overall body of work of who that person is and what theyve done. We want to create a culture in Greenwich thats different from the rest of America and the rest of the state. We should set our own standards on how we want to go about conducting our business. Litvack said he and Medina, 34, had engaged in a long phone conversation prior to the meeting. The tone and substance of Medinas comments were difficult for him to take, Litvack said, but he felt he should remain on the board. I think everyone is entitled to a second chance, Litvack said. Hes a young man. Hes done a lot of good and hes made what I consider to be one mistake. Medinas time on the board has not come under criticism. Nolan praised him over the weekend for his work as board secretary, where he is responsible for the minutes, and said hed never shown any indication of his online behavior before. In votes that were taken before the social media posts were brought to their attention, the RTMs Appointments and Health and Human Services committees had unanimously supported a new term for Mdina. Health and Human Services Chair Alexis Voulgaris said his summary of the boards work was probably the most comprehensive and detailed we had received in years except for only the departments commissioner. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com BEIRUT -- Conflicting interpretations of a new Russian-Turkish deal on Syria emerged Tuesday, casting into doubt whether it will work long term in preventing a potentially devastating war for control of the Syrian province of Idlib. The deal announced Monday has been broadly welcomed as an opportunity to forestall the full-scale Syrian government offensive against Idlib that has been widely feared, thereby averting the humanitarian catastrophe it was expected to trigger. Under the broad terms of the agreement outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia and Turkey will jointly oversee the creation of a 15-kilometer (9-mile) demilitarized zone between rebel and Syrian government lines intended to keep the two sides apart. But in the absence of specifics, it remains unclear whether it will be enough to prevent an eventual conflict in the area, said Lina Khatib of London's Chatham House think tank. "We definitely should not think that the Idlib deal is the ultimate deal. What we are seeing is only a measure for the time being. It is not the endgame for Idlib," she said. "At best, this deal postpones a potential confrontation in Idlib rather than completely eliminates the possibility of an offensive." Unusually for Syria, however, the deal was welcomed by all sides as an opportunity to avert, at least for now, the immense suffering that a battle would inflict on the northwestern province's more than 3 million civilians. It would also avoid the heavy losses that would be incurred by government forces in launching the biggest battle yet of the Syrian war. The Syrian government said in a statement carried by the official Syrian Arab New Agency that it "welcomed any initiative that stops bloodshed and contributes to security and stability in each inch that was struck by terrorism." Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran, Syria's close ally, played a role in negotiating the agreement, which he hailed as evidence that "diplomacy works." Idlib residents took to the streets to demonstrate against Syrian President Bashar Assad and celebrate their relief that the feared offensive had at least been deferred. But it also appeared that the government and the Syrian opposition have different understandings of where the deal will eventually lead, calling into question its chances for success. All that is known for now, according to the statements issued by Putin and Erdogan, is that the demilitarized zone is to be established by Oct. 15 along a horseshoe-shaped line roughly corresponding to the borders of Idlib province. Extremist-linked groups are expected to retreat from the 15-kilometer buffer zone to areas farther north. The Turkish-backed rebels in the area are allowed to remain but are expected to relocate their heavy weapons out of the zone. But no further details were spelled out, leaving many questions unanswered, including the eventual fate of the province. According to Russian diplomats quoted by the pro-regime Syrian daily al-Watan, the plan envisages a second deadline in November by which all rebel and extremist groups are to surrender all their heavy weapons throughout Idlib province. The Syrian government would then restore its authority across the whole province by the end of the year, al-Watan said. A Syrian rebel spokesman, Capt. Naji Mustafa, said the opposition has not been informed of any such arrangements and would not agree to the return of Assad regime authority in any part of Idlib. Though the rebels welcome the halt to plans for an imminent offensive, they are going to refrain from committing to the deal, including the surrender of heavy weapons, until the details have been made available, he said. "Until now, we only have the highlights," he said. "We need details." One concern, Mustafa said, is that the rebels would surrender their artillery, tanks and armored vehicles only to find themselves subjected to a government offensive after all. "The Russians are known to be deceitful and untrustworthy, and we are going to keep up our vigilance against being double-crossed," he said. "They have not abided by agreements in the past, and we don't trust the Russians." It is also unclear whether the al-Qaida-linked groups present in the area would agree to leave, given the understanding repeatedly stated by both Russia and Turkey that the goal is to eliminate extremist groups entirely from Idlib, said Sam Heller of the International Crisis Group. Those groups include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was formerly known as Syria's al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, and Hurras al-Deen, a smaller al-Qaida-allied group. It will presumably fall to Turkey to persuade the jihadist groups to leave, but how is not spelled out, Heller said. "What has been disclosed publicly as part of this new deal seems as if it would be intolerable to Tahrir al-Sham," he said. Russia and Turkey themselves may not have figured out all the fine print yet, said Khatib, and the agreement at least buys time for them to continue negotiations and secure buy-in from their respective allies. Working to the deal's advantage are the geopolitical alignments that favor a continued alliance between Turkey and Russia in Syria, she said. Russia has an interest in keeping Turkey onside to secure Moscow's broader ambition of establishing itself as an important regional player, beyond Syria's borders. Turkey has a stake in upholding its Russia alliance as a lever against U.S. support for the Kurdish militia in northeastern Syria, which Erdogan described as the "biggest threat" to Syria's future. "The deal will succeed if both sides are committed, and they seem to be," said Mohammed Karkas, a Syrian opposition supporter in the Idlib town of Maarat al-Numaan. "I think this deal will work because it's a deal between nations, between governments." --- The Washington Post's Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul and Susan Haidamous in Beirut contributed to this report. Your worst nightmare might not be launched from an Eastern European boiler room full of cybergeniuses wielding stolen NSA exploits. It could come from the desk of a teenager in middle America -- and she might cause more damage to your company than you imagined possible. Attacks can come from anywhere, at any time. How can you know if youre deploying the right defenses? The most important question to ask may also be the simplest: Who poses the greatest real risk to my business? Think beyond traditional threats. Conversations about cybersecurity tend to focus narrowly on technical attacks, such as zero-days or high-end exploit kits. But these represent only small portion of the spectrum of risk. What about the damage to reputation, intellectual property and revenue that can result from cyberbullying, doxxing, trolling and other activities? They may not fit the classic profile, but the threat they pose can be just as real. As Facebook CSO Alex Stamos points out, the line between online harassment and hacking is blurring rapidly. Related: How Vulnerable Are You to Cybercrime? Employees can be doxxed or harassed outside of work, on their personal email, on social-media accounts or during face-to-face situations. These interactions seek to pressure them into activities that compromise your security or expose sensitive information. Even without such coercion, employees can leak intellectual property out of spite or to win friends on the dark web and private forums. Maybe they want to embarrass a boss or coworker. Other team members might disable security tools out of frustration with a poor user experience or inadvertently undermine safeguards, not realizing they've accidentally left the the company open to risk. IP and financial data arent the only assets prized by hackers. Enterprising cyberthieves also can sell and resell corporate employees personal information. According to Keith Collins of financial-news site Quartz, the cost of an individuals entire digital identity as of 2015 is approximately $21.35. Are you safeguarding your human-resources databases -- and controlling their access -- as diligently as you protect other areas of the business? Related: Don't Let a Data Debacle Like Facebook's Happen at Your Company Don't downplay antisocial media. Social media can do more than degrade productivity. Hackers feed on excessive posts of personal or corporate information on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Online criminals can use unsecured private information to unlock access to a target's accounts. People who post their pets' names, first concert attended or link to several family members' accounts make it easier to answer password-recovery options ("mother's maiden name," anyone?). And vacation pictures posted on Instagram can yield convincing anecdotal details for hackers who are working on spear-fishing emails to a user's corporate network. Overly friendly or naive social-media fans also invite threats by accepting Facebook friend requests from people they don't know. Even the most scrupulous user can accept friend requests from spoofing accounts that imitate real contacts. Often, the people behind these accounts are bad actors trying to gain unauthorized access to accounts. Additionally, fake social personas are becoming an increasingly popular mechanism to collect information on peoples personal and business relationships. Facebook took down tens of thousands of fake accounts before the German election. Advertisements leveraging social-media information also have been used in efforts to influence voters. Related: Why Annual Social Media Policy Reviews Are Necessary Anticipate the attacker first -- then the weapon. Your reflexive reaction to this expanded spectrum of threats might be to try to be everywhere at once. Dont sound the alarm just yet. In all likelihood, the actual risks you face will be more selective. Instead of being distracted by the most prevalent, sensational or novel threat in the environment, focus your efforts where theyll do the most good: Identify and isolate the types of threats that pose the greatest practical risk to your business. This risk profile is different for different kinds of businesses: Media companies lose sleep over the possibility of stolen pre-release assets that can be held for ransom or leaked to (or by) fans. A social-media network can lose its appeal if members are subjected to an organized campaign of cyberbullying or if its platform is exploited by users that mainstream consumers find repugnant. A law firm can be flagged by hacktivists when it takes on a controversial client or matter, and so can its software vendors and other solution providers. Major corporations can offer ripe targets for everyone from industrial rivals to the radical fringe. Traditional security measures remain essential for every business, of course. But as you develop your security program, ask yourself who is most likely to target your business -- and why. Will it be the stereotypical Eastern European criminal seeking financial data or an overzealous fan who cant wait for the next episode to drop? Has your brand drawn the wrong kind of attention from activists? What about your business partners? Next, think about the types of tools available to these actors. A cybercrime ring might use very different methods than a disgruntled former (or current) employee, smear campaign or trafficker in stolen media. Narrowing down your list of realistic suspects will help you align your countermeasures appropriately. You'll want to define and document security technologies, employee and partner education campaigns, crisis communications plans and whatever else the situation may call for. Related: 3 Technologies That Could Win the Battle Against Cybercrime Aspiring to employ a uniform, comprehensive protection across every imaginable type of threat is an understandable instinct. Its also inevitably futile and counterproductive. Instead of spreading your finite resources thinly across the entire spectrum, start by identifying the greatest business risks you face Then implement security measures designed to prevent those attacks. Related: Your Cyber-Enemy May Not Be the Person You Suspect How to Protect Your Personal Brand's Website From a Cyber Attack Teenager Pleads Guilty to Hacking Apple Multiple Times Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Just last week, Googles Japanese site launched a Coming soon teaser page showing three possible color options for the Pixel 3. One white with mint accents, one mind-colored, and a black one with white accents. Well, according to a new discovery in the websites source code, a fourth color option could be plausible. Twitter user @CasVanDinter has found the code to contain another color scheme that isnt currently viewable. The scheme shows peach-colored text and a very pale pink background with black accents, suggesting that Google might have or might have had plans to release a pink or peach color scheme. Apparently, the code is also incomplete, which could just be Google messing with us, as usual. Perhaps a Coral color would be a great addition to the Pixel device lineup. We dont know if this color exists, and should it exist, it might only be available on certain Pixel 3 models since we dont know if the teaser is referring to the smaller or larger of the Pixel 3 devices that were expecting to be announced. Google announced the first and second Pixel devices in San Francisco but the search giant decided to hold the launch event in New York City this year. The Pixel 3 will be announced on October 9 and we also expect to hear about a Pixel Book refresh, and we hope to hear more about dual-boot support for future Chromebooks. Would you be interested in either a pink, red, or coral Pixel 3? Via Motorola announced the Motorola One and One Power last month while the P30 Note, which is the One Power for the Chinese market, came along a few days later. And finally next week, the One Power is officially going on sale, starting with India. Motorola India just posted a teaser video on its Twitter hyping up the One Power release on September 24, which is next Monday. We've got Snapdragon 636 behind the wheel driving a 6.2-inch notched display with 1080 x 2246 pixel resolution and a tall 18.7:9 aspect ratio. Memory configurations are 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB. The camera setup on the back is 16MP with f/1.8 aperture while the secondary one is 5MP. The sensor on the notch is 12MP with f/2.0. The key selling points are the stock Android and the Android One program that promises timely updates and the impressive 5,000 mAh battery that Motorola says is enough for two days on a single charge. Source Analyst: People are buying the iPhone XS Max but not the XS, will buy XR the most Apple's opening weekend pre-orders for the iPhone XS, XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 are now done and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has some insight as to what's hot and what's not. In a note to investors Kuo discloses that the reception for the iPhone XS Max was great, as expected, but the demand for the 5.8-inch iPhone XS is lower than previously projected. Kuo expects the iPhone XS Max to account for 25-30% of all new iPhone sales and has pushed back the iPhone XS to 10-15% share. Kuo expects the iPhone XR to grab 55-60% of the sales, once it gets to market in October. The iPhone XS Max is a favorite in China thanks to key factors appreciated by Chinese buyers - the larger display, the dual SIM capabilities and the new gold color option. The iPhone XS Max currently has shipping times of two to three weeks - shorter than what the iPhone X had at this point last year but Kuo credits this to an improvement in the supply chain rather than diminishing interest. Kuo expects the new iPhones to be slightly more successful than last year's models, projecting 75-80 million shipped units until the end of 2018. Finally, according to Kuo, the Apple Watch Series 4 has been in higher demand than previously expected. The new model has accounted to around 55% of pre-orders, more than the now-cheaper Series 3. Kuo projects that Apple will ship 18 million smartwatches this year. The increased interest in the new Apple Watch Series 4 is mainly due to the innovative ECG functionality. Kuo expects sales to increase further if Apple secures regulatory approval for the ECG functionality and expand its support outside of the US. Source Samsung to merge the J series into the A series, rename Galaxy On to Galaxy M Samsung is about to reorganize its entire lineup of entry level to upper-midrange smartphone lineup, according to a report citing industry sources. The main change is going to be the discontinuation of the lower-midrange Galaxy J series, which will be merged into the more premium Galaxy A series. The move to scrap the Galaxy J series and release future products under the Galaxy A line is reportedly Samsung's way to combat the emerging Chinese competition that eats into its bottom line, especially in the Chinese market. Samsung will also change its online-only Galaxy On brand to a new Galaxy M line. Samsung's Galaxy On devices were just rebranded Galaxy J devices anyway, which begs the question what the Galaxy M series will be? Perhaps Samsung will launch entry level to lower-midrangers under the Galaxy M brand and upper-midrangers under the Galaxy A line. We know that Samsung is working on a Galaxy J6 Prime so it will be interesting to see what brand it will be released under. This would leave Samsung with a lineup of the Galaxy M, the Galaxy A and the premium Galaxy S and Note devices. Source | Via The 4x fun event that Samsung has planned for October 11 will be held in Malaysia the first time a Samsung Unpacked event visits the country. The invites that Samsung sent out to the local press do not contain any hints as to what the company will announce. The Galaxy J6+ and J4+ remain the most likely options (perhaps a local version) while the foldable phone that Samsung has promised for later this year is the most exciting possibility. Either way, the new Samsung device (which may not be a phone at all) will come a day after the Razer 2 is unveiled and a couple of days after the new Google Pixels go official, plus the LG V40 from the week before (October 3). Its going to be a busy month. Source Haiti - PetroCaribe : The PM Ceant must allow the nation to see clearly what happened... dixit Jovenel Moise Yesterday Monday, at the National Palace, the President of the Republic Jovenel Moise delivered a speech on the occasion of the inauguration of the Prime Minister, Jean Henry Ceant, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25562-haiti-politic-inauguration-of-prime-minister-jean-henry-ceant.html in which he reminded the new PM that he must allow the nation to see clearly what happened in the use of Petro Caribe funds https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25561-icihaiti-corruption-where-is-petro-caribe-s-money-the-answer-is-in-the-hands-of-the-state.html "Ladies and gentlemen My dear compatriots, I have been able, in other circumstances, to thank the Government Jack Guy Lafontant for having put himself at the service of the Nation, in a context - we must not be afraid to say it - where serving the Republic becomes a dangerous exercise, punctuated by accusations of all kinds, coming from all over the world, thus discouraging many citizens from serving the Republic. I wish to express again, in the name of the Republic and the principles that have made it one of the least bad forms of government that a people can give themselves, all my gratitude to all those who have accepted to serve the Fatherland. It is undeniable that those who have led Haiti have not always been in a position to dispel suspicion about the public actions they undertake or have undertaken on behalf of all. Today the exemplarity of those who lead or aspire to direct the destinies of the Haitian nation is an absolute necessity. It is about our credibility, the confidence of citizens in the state and the sustainability of the Republic. Mr. Prime Minister, I chose you to lead the Government according to your human qualities, your love for Haiti, your ability to materialize my campaign commitments to meet the needs of the people. I chose you because you have faith in the future of the Fatherland. On behalf of the Haitian people, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the parliamentary assemblies, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, who have expressed their confidence in your general policy. The government that you have set up, wanting to be inclusive, is the result of a series of consultations that have been going on for more than two months with a very large number of political and socio-professional groups in the country. You could not meet all expectations. It is physically impossible to form a government with all the sectors that manifest themselves to take part, the permanent dialogue with all sectors of the national life will have to be your compass to facilitate the widest possible participation of the organized groups in the decisions which concern the life of the Nation. My dear compatriots, Several files are waiting for the new government. As I explained in my message of Prime Minister Jean Henry CEANT to the nation and included in the statement of the general policy statement presented to Parliament, Prime Minister CEANT must allow the nation to see clearly what has happened in the use of PETROCARIBE funds. Genyen twop chire pit sou dosye petrocaribe a. Fok nou depolitize dosye a. The people are asking for explanations on the use of this money. The competent services of the State, notably the Central Financial Intelligence Unit (UCREF), the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) will be mobilized on the PETROCARIBE file. Besides the work of the Court of Auditors and Administrative Litigation, it is up to these technical services of the State to provide answers to the request for explanation of the population. Institutionally, the State must provide answers to the PETROCARIBE file. I ask people to remain calm and wait for the results of the work of the relevant institutions. We must avoid making amalgams so that honest citizens are not victims or unjustly indexed in the PETROCARIBE file. The State is there to guarantee everyone the right to life and honor. This is why, at the institutional level, the State must treat the PETROCARIBE dossier with the necessary rigor and give explanations to the citizens. In search of a better-being, the Haitian people demand more justice. More social justice, more economic justice, more transparency and rigor in the management of public funds. The Haitian youth wants to recover faith, confidence in the future. Accountability must now be a principle that can not suffer from any derogation. There can be no excuses, no extenuating circumstances for those who have mismanaged state resources. No development is possible without justice. The greatness of a nation depends on the quality of justice. Justice must act independently. I ask your government to facilitate a fair and equitable distribution of justice. Ladies and gentlemen, If we do not say it, no one will say it for us. If we do not do it, no one will do it for us. Haiti has everything it needs to live up to the glorious history forged by the heroes of 1804. Haiti has the resources necessary for its development. Remember, we have capable men and women, we have fertile lands under a mild climate, we have water resources. Haiti, this sacred land that has been bequeathed to us is rich in all aspects, we have the responsibility to exploit the resources it has to improve the well-being of its citizens If we do not say it, no one will say it for us. If we do not do it, no one will do it for us. Haiti has everything it needs to live up to the glorious history forged by the heroes of 1804. Haiti has the resources necessary for its development. Remember, we have capable men and women, we have fertile lands under a mild climate, we have water resources. Haiti, this sacred land that has been bequeathed to us is rich in all aspects, we have the responsibility to exploit the resources it has to improve the well-being of its citizens and to ensure that they live in honor and dignity. The sites waiting for you are difficult but exciting. They have been listed in other circumstances. By taking the right steps, we can sustainably and positively change the living conditions of the population. You must succeed in : find and sign with the private business sector a pact for jobs and inclusive growth ; find a sustainable solution to the minimum wage issue ; enable the country to have universal and compulsory medical insurance ; accelerate ongoing work in the field of infrastructure (energy, agricultural, road, hydraulic, etc.) ; find the appropriate financial mechanism for the construction of the missing classrooms so that all school-aged children attend school in good conditions and remain there ; to supervise and continue the work undertaken in the framework of the reform of the State ; strictly apply the decree on the reduction of the lifestyle of the State ; take appropriate measures to resolve social crises in neighborhoods ; improve the working conditions of the security forces and ensure that the new army under construction is mobilized in the vast site of environmental rehabilitation ; strengthen social programs ; make the tabling in Parliament of the finance bill 2018-2019 as soon as possible. These are, among others, the files on which your Government is expected and which it must address with diligence. Mr. Prime Minister, I have noted that your general policy statement accurately reflects these orientations recalled above and is in line with my commitments to the Haitian population summarized in the seven (7) priorities of my five-year term. The latter must primarily serve as a compass for the work of the government. Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers and Secretaries of State,To all members of the Government, I wish you every success in the accomplishment of your respective missions which are exclusively in the interest of the people and the Republic. The exercise coincides with an election year of great importance for the future of the Nation. Each one of them must work for the organization of elections, transparent, honest and democratic. The time has come to consolidate the pillars of our Republic. The time has come to reconnect with the traditions and deep values of our country. The union is strength, it is necessary to gather Haitians around an ideal of progress and fraternity. We need national unity to address issues of social concern, peace to succeed economically, and security to triumph collectively. In this mobilization for national redemption, we must arm ourselves with the strength of the spirit to guide the people and mobilize their energy in projects and activities that give meaning to their lives. The government must create the conditions for decent investment and job creation to free us from chronic dependency, because it is through work that we can bring material comfort to our people. Uniting in diversity is a national imperative. At the crossroads where the country is today, every Haitian must make the effort to create the conditions for a lasting peace. I support all the initiatives advocating national unity and harmony because I want a united Haiti so that we all can work for the economic and social development of our country, write a new page in our history and turn our backs definitively on the led egoists that only darken the national destiny. The rule of law we want is the matter of all citizens. I wish you all good work. Long live the Haitian people! Long live the Republic ! Long live Haiti!" HL/ HaitiLibre By Vasia Orion | Published on 2018/09/17 Actors Kim Jae-won and Kim Ki-doo have finally joined hands with "God's Quiz: Reboot", and will be joining the old crew as new members. Kim Jae-won's character sounds too nice to be so, while Kim Ki-doo sounds like a major tsundere. We love a good tsundere. Advertisement Kim Jae-won will play Hyeon Sang-pil, an easy-going, free-spirited man. He's someone with impressive charisma, and he clashes with Han Jin-woo (Ryu Deok-hwan). I'm not sure what his position in the agency is, if any, but I'm sure that he sounds way too nice and secondary, which is odd for a big name such as Kim Jae-won. My villain alarms are blaring. Kim Ki-doo plays Nam Sang-bok, a member assigned to Kang Kyeong-hee's (Yoon Joo-hee) special investigations team, following his transfer from the crime lab. Despite his inferiority complex born of certain circumstances, he acknowledges Kyeong-hee's skills and righteousness, and will reportedly be someone who grows on viewers in time. I hope that they both get nice characters, and that the supporting cast will be meatier this time around. I love Ryu Deok-hwan and his Han Jin-woo, but the constant changing of main cast members, and the forgettable supporting characters are definitely weaknesses I wish they'd address. "God's Quiz: Reboot" will follow "The Guest - Drama" on OCN in November. Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings' Sources (1) (2) Editors note: This version corrects the spelling of Val Murris name. Havre City Council heard Monday that contrary to rumours flying on social media the company planning to build a Burger King in Havre is still bringing the restaurant to town. Its still in the works, Public Works Director Dave Peterson said. He added that the latest information from Meridian Restaurants, which is opening the Havre franchise, is that the company will put the project out for bids in November with a planned construction start date in April or May, depending on the weather. The issue came up at Mondays meeting during the public comment section at the end, when Havreite Val Murri asked whether Burger King was still coming to Havre. Council President Andrew Brekke said he has had many people asking him about Burger King coming, and he has been talking to Mayor Tim Solomon and Peterson about what is happening. There has been a lot of disinformation, I think, on social media about what the city has or has not done, Brekke, who chaired the meeting, said. Everything theyve requested of us weve provided or dealt with in some way that weve been able to meet in the middle, somewhere. I think that needs to be said to the community that its not the city of Havre thats the issue, he added. We welcome them to Havre, we want them to build here, we want their jobs, we want their economic activity. Peterson said the city will be connecting water to the site in October in preparation for the business coming in. Murri asked if the city is requiring the company to pave the streets around the site, located between First and Second streets west and Fifth and Sixth avenues west. Peterson said that is required of the avenues, parts of which already are paved, but not Second Street West. That is normal with any new business construction, he added, and Meridian Restaurants did not indicate that was any problem. Its up to the property owners to do the paving. The city doesnt pave unpaved streets, Peterson said. Theyre paved by the property owners either through (special improvement districts) or paying it outright out of their own pocket. Council member Lindsay Ratliff thanked Murri for bringing the question up for clarification. Brekke said coming to council meetings, or talking to appropriate department heads, is the proper venue for issues like the Burger King question. Its a lot better than making broad assumptions on social media, he said. I was out of state last week, and when I came back and started reading the comments it was, like, Wow, what has happened here, because there was hardly any truth to any of them. Havre Police Department Monday at 9:28 a.m. Lincoln-McKinley Primary School administration called for assistance. -- A First Street business caller reported Monday at 10:28 a.m. receiving counterfeit money. -- Monday at 11:06 a.m. a 12th Avenue caller reported a dog bite. -- Officers received a total of 12 reports of scam calls, many citing an IRS scam, starting with a 12:14 p.m. Monday caller. -- A First Avenue West caller Monday at 5:38 p.m. reported a stolen bike. -- Percephone Sharee Onco of Rocky Boy, 25, was arrested on a Justice or City warrant Monday at 11:13 p.m. after a 10th Street caller reported a family member broke into her apartment and requested that she be removed. Hill County Sheriff's Office Deputies investigated an assault reported at Hill County Detention Center Monday at 9:25 a.m. -- Tyson Keith Eagleman of Box Elder, 30, was arrested on a federal warrant Monday at 9:55 a.m. at the detention center. -- Deputies received a total of seven reports of scam calls Monday starting with an 11:46 a.m. report of a Social Security scam. -- Dallas Jordan Reevis of Cut Bank, 21, was arrested at the detention center on a Justice or City court warrant Monday at 9:49 p.m. -- Percephone Sharee Onco of Rocky Boy, 25, was arrested on charges of possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia at the detention center Monday at 11:48 p.m. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to five calls Monday. Havre Animal Shelter This morning the shelter held six medium-hair kittens with gender listed as unknown, one long-hair female cat and one medium-hair female cat. -- The shelter also held this morning a 1-year-7-month-old male German shepherd, a 2-year-2-month-old female pit bull terrier-German shepherd cross, a 2-year-1-month-old male Pekingese-dachshund cross, an 8-month-old female terrier, a male 21-week-old mix-breed puppy, a 7-month-old female mixed breed and a 1-year-11-month-old female Australian cattle dog-blue heeler-German shepherd cross. The shelter also listed five male and one female 4-week-old mix-breed puppies, one male and one female 15-week-old Rottweiler-shepherd cross puppies and one 9-week-old female terrier. Great news! Festival Days is coming up, Sept 21-23, which means the Friends of the Havre-Hill County Library Book Sale is coming up, too. Every year during Festivals Days the Friends of the Library host a book sale where you can find great, used books and other items for amazing prices. Fill a grocery bag with used books, movies, and cassette tapes and pay just $1 per bag. New books are available for $1 per book, and other items, such as a lace bedspread and curated bundles of books, will be available to make bids on in a silent auction. This year, to give everyone even more opportunities to shop, the Friends of the Library Book Sale will start Wednesday, at noon, and go until 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, the sale will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday the sale will go noon-5 p.m. This is not only a great time to support your local library, it is a chance to find books you will love and expand your own library at home. Are you interested in joining the Friends of the Library? We meet every third Thursday of the month at noon, October through June. The Friends of the Library supports the Havre-Hill County Library by providing funding for programs like the Summer Reading Program, the Winter Reading Series, concerts, movie screenings, lecturers and more throughout the year. In addition to the annual Festival Days Books Sale, the Friends of the Library host a Valentines Day Pie Social every year. The Pie Social is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones over a piece of pie. It comes with coffee or punch, can be made a la mode or topped with whipped cream, all for $4. Join us at the library for other Friends of the Library sponsored events, like our screening of the new documentary about Mr. Rogers, Wont You Be My Neighbor? coming up Thursday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., with free popcorn provided by Cottonwood Cinema 4. Monday, Oct 1, at 7 p.m. Hal Stearns will be at the Havre-Hill County Library describing the last great agricultural land rush of the American West and the drought and depression that followed, with his Humanities Montana program Homestead Dreams. These programs, as always, are free and open to the public, at your local Havre-Hill County Library. Rachel Rawn is director of Havre-Hill County Library This past week, I attended the last interim Education Committee meeting for this part of the session. It was time to lock in what bills the committee wanted to endorse or sponsor and who was to carry the bills. I am not able to sign on to carry any bills at this time as District 14 elections have not yet been completed. Current bills are as follows: HJ 1 is the funding bill. The draft bill the committee put together is LCFIXZ. It generally revises school funding laws, clarifies laws related to special education cooperatives and joint boards, and corrects errors in language. A bill that was discussed at some length was a draft bill LCFAID. This bill is to revise undergraduate financial aid laws; revising the Montana resident student financial aid program. In the past, there have been scholarships that were offered and not funded. One was the STEM Scholarship Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. We hope this bill fixes that problem, not only for the students, but also for the school counselors and parents. Bill draft LCQELA is a bill to help quality educators pay off their student loans by teaching in qualifying schools. We also heard testimony on the advantages of dual enrollment, CTE Career and Technical Education and work-based learning. I have always supported these types of programs. Now, if we can find ways to finance all the great ideas. As a legislator, in the Tax Committee, we worked on a bill that closely resembles what is now I-185. The bill did pass the Senate Tax Committee. I felt it was well-thought-out, but somehow got an adverse committee report in the House. There are issues with I-185 as written and I hope to see it not pass, so it can be cleaned up and worked on in the Legislature. If you would like to discuss this or anything else, be it politics, weather, or motorcycles, I am listed in the phonebook. I hope back-to-school and back-to-sports season is going well. State Sen. Russ Tempel, who is facing a re-election challenge from Havre Democrat Paul Tuss, can be emailed at [email protected] Dear Editor, I would like to clear up a misconception regarding the nonprofit Blessed to Bless NOW. As the name implies, Blessed to Bless NOW is about people who feel blessed, or grateful, who want to bless others and get a tax-deduction/write-off at the same time. Because of a matching fund offer of $2,500 from out-of-state, we will have a fundraiser dinner Saturday, Sept. 29, at the HRDC Fireside Room. The purpose of Blessed to Bless NOW is a way to express gratitude by giving to working neighbors who have been hit with a situation beyond their control. Grateful people give. We have received monetary donations from a variety of people, such as a retired rancher in Valley County and a working rancher in Blaine County. A trucker driver in North Dakota, a banker in Seattle, a photographer in Phillips County, a mechanic in Fargo, a military veteran in Billings, a business owner in Chinook, and a handicapped housewife in Boise have all donated to Blessed to Bless NOW. But we are still a long way from our $2,500 goal. Grateful people receive. We have gotten requests for grants for local working people in need that we plan to accommodate after the fundraiser. We are still accepting donations and gifts for the auctions. But only from people or businesses who feel blessed, grateful and who want to give. Several individuals and Havre businesses have already given generously. We will also have a raffle board for a Rugar American 308 rifle for those who cannot attend the dinner and still wish to help with the fundraiser. I will have a table at Havre Festival Days downtown near Flynn Realty Saturday, Sept. 23 with some of the auction items and the rifle raffle board on display. I will have dinner tickets for sale then as well. Businesses who partner with us also sell dinner tickets: Hank Tweeten Auto Body, Builders Firstchoice, Boyce & Berry Flowers, and Spuds Grub Hut. I am the only one who will have rifle raffle board tickets. We will happily, gratefully, come to you to pick up items donated for the auctions or for door prizes. Call me at 406-438-2416. To be clear: No more soliciting. Only grateful, blessed, people and businesses giving in order to bless others. Sincerely, BilliJo Doll Blessed to Bless NOW The deal is expected to close on 28th September 2018 and it remains subject to customary closing conditions. Once the acquisition is finalised, Ascenders CEO Andrew Wilson will continue to lead the joint entity. Wilson said the acquisition will enable Ascender to provide an end-to-end solution that unlocks the full potential of businesses workforce and increases the productivity of employees, through higher engagement and alignment to business goals. Ascender remains committed to finding the best technology that makes the lives of our customers employees better, said Wilson. This is the bedrock of the venture and we look forward to offering our customers bespoke integrated HR and payroll solutions, which use the right technology to fit their needs. By Peggy Reiff Miller, Heifer historian Heifer Internationals very first volunteers were the Midwestern farmers who raised animals to donate and the seagoing cowboys who delivered those animals from the United States to war-torn and poverty-ridden countries. The seagoing cowboys braved stomach-churning overseas voyages aboard ships packed with men, cows and horses. Historian and author Peggy Reiff Miller has been chronicling the lives and times of these early Heifer heroes since 2002. The following is a post from her blog, The Seagoing Cowboys. Floyd Schmoe caring for goats aboard the S. S. Contest on his way to Japan in July 1948. Photo courtesy of Judy Rudolph, granddaughter of Floyd Schmoe. Im always interested to see what seagoing cowboys went on to do in their lives after their livestock delivery journeys. For many of the younger cowboys the experience was a formative one, especially from 1945 to 1947 when the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration provided transportation for 360 livestock shipments. After UNRRA disbanded, however, and the Heifer Project (as it was then known) was on its own, the cowboys often used these trips as passage to Europe or elsewhere for further service work of some sort. One such cowboy was 52-year-old Floyd Schmoe. Raised in a Quaker home on the Kansas prairies, Schmoe became a lifelong peace activist. As a young man, he studied forestry, but his studies were interrupted by World War I during which he built prefab homes for war refugees in France through the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). After returning home, he married Ruth Pickering and resumed his forestry studies. He spent the next two decades focused on natural history education in Washington State, serving as the first park naturalist for Mount Rainier National Park and then the first director of the Puget Sound Academy of Science. With the outbreak of World War II, Floyds passion for peace and justice led him in new directions. Concerned for the welfare of Japanese Americans who were being forcibly interned, he tirelessly worked on their behalf through the American Friends Service Committee and his own efforts. After the war, appalled by the atomic bombings in Japan, Floyd set out to start building homes in Hiroshima for bomb survivors. In the meantime, the Heifer Project had begun shipments of bulls, and then goats, to Japan. So Floyd took the opportunity to travel to Japan on the S. S. Contest with 227 goats and three other seagoing cowboys in July 1948. Floyd stayed on in Japan to set up a volunteer home-building camp the next year. Over the next four years, Floyds project Houses for Hiroshima built dwellings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that served nearly 100 families. Floyd Schmoe died in 2001 at the age of 105, leaving a long legacy of service for a just and peaceful world. Japan Public Televisions NHK World recently honored Schmoe with a documentary about his work. Posted on: September 18, 2018 4:03 PM Officials in the Philippines said today (Tuesday) that the death toll from Typhoon Mangkhut has risen to 74 but they warn that the final figure could be much higher. While in the US, authorities say that 31 people have died as a result of Hurricane Florence. In addition to the deaths, some five million people are said to have been displaced in central Philippines; while in Hong Kong and South China, where four people were killed in Guangdong province, some 2.4 million people were evacuated. Rescuers are continuing to dig by hand to release some 40 people trapped by a landslide in Itogon in the Philippines. The local mayor, Victorio Palangdan, was quoted by the AFP news agency saying that there was a 99 per cent chance that all those trapped are dead; but he continued: there is still that one per cent chance. The rescue effort will continue until the president orders us to stop. All over Northern Luzon, communities have been severely damaged by the typhoon, Attorney Floyd Lalwet, the National Development Officer for the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP), said. Houses and other structures were destroyed and our communities are now doing communal actions to repair and / or rebuild the habitations. Farmlands have borne the brunt of the strong wind and rains and crops that are due for harvest at the last quarter are almost completely wiped out. Among the dead are four members of a family who were members of St Timothys Church in Bontoc, Mountain Province. They were killed in a landslide. Two children from the family survived and are being treated in hospital. The ECP has asked for prayers for the childrens recovery and for their family members who were lost. Please also pray for the communities in Hong Kong and Southern China as Typhoon Ompong [an alternate name for Mangkhut] makes landfall and brings further destruction there, the Anglican Alliance, which helps co-ordinate action and responses by Anglican agencies around the world, said. Please also continue to hold in prayer the many people of the United States in the path of Cyclone Florence and facing devastating flooding. The Anglican Alliance has been in close contact with the ECP and the Anglican Board of Mission (ABM), the aid agency of the Anglican Church of Australia, in the past few days; and will co-ordinate a global conference call with other agencies once the extent of the needs are known. In the meantime, the ABM has responded to an immediate request for assistance from the ECP and has launched an emergency appeal in Australia to raise $100,000 AUD (approximately 55,000 GBP). The ECP has a substantial presence in the region, with four out of its seven dioceses spread across the affected area. This includes 300 parishes and 100 other communities that the Church has engagement with, all of which have been damaged in varying degrees by the typhoon. Much of the area is rural with rice and corn crops almost ready to be harvested, but now destroyed, leaving thousands of people without livelihoods and homes. A rice shortage already experienced prior to the typhoon is now expected to severely affect many more people in the weeks to come. In Hong Kong, the countrys Anglican-run schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday, alongside all other schools in the Special Administrative Region, for two days of cleaning and maintenance. Schools in the Region are expected to re-open on Wednesday; with dispensation for pupils who cant reach their schools because of transport difficulties. In the US, dioceses, congregations and Episcopalians in the Carolinas on the east coast are still feeling the impact of Hurricane Florence as they deal with power outages, downed trees, flooded neighbourhoods and impassable roads. The bishops of the five Episcopal dioceses in North and South Carolina issued a joint statement on Saturday (15 September) pledging their support for those affected by the storm and asking for Episcopalians everywhere to help by giving to Episcopal Relief & Development. We are assessing the damage to our communities, which as you will know from news reports, varies widely, the bishops say. Conditions will continue to change for days due to rising rivers. We are blessed by your prayers and assurances of support and give thanks to God for you. As the Body of Christ, you give us tremendous strength and encouragement. Each Episcopal diocese has been in regular contact with Episcopal Relief & Development while coordinating pastoral response with clergy members. The storm forced many congregations to cancel Sunday services and lists of closures are being updated day to day. The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, which encompasses the coastal half of the state, reported that at least 15 of its congregations had cancelled services. Bishop Skip Adams postponed a visit to St Albans Episcopal Church in Kingstree due to the likelihood that the road near the church may not be passable on Sunday. A man arrested by gardai during a search of a house in west Dublin has been charged with having drugs worth nearly 7,000. Junior Adeymi (21), from Deerhaven View, Clonee, was charged at Blanchardstown District Court with possession of cocaine and cannabis, as well as possession for the purposes of sale or supply to others, under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Arrested Judge David McHugh heard that father-of-one Mr Adeymi was arrested last Friday at his home. The operation was carried out by the District Detective Unit and Community Action Team in Dublin 15. Cocaine in various deals, with an estimated street value of 6,800, was recovered in the search. Mr Adeymi applied for bail and this was not contested by gardai on the basis that certain conditions would be attached. He was ordered to sign on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Blanchardstown Garda Station, surrender his passport to gardai, provide gardai with a mobile telephone number he can be contacted on, and pay a cash bond of 100. He also has to reside at his address in Deerhaven View. Mr Adeymi will appear in court again on December 18. Presidential hopeful Peter Casey has received a major boost to his campaign after he secured the backing of two local authorities to contest the upcoming election. The former Dragons' Den star is halfway to getting enough council support for his name to be added to the ballot paper in the race to challenge President Michael D Higgins. Expand Close Kevin Sharkey. Photo: INM / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kevin Sharkey. Photo: INM It comes as artist Kevin Sharkey quit the contest, claiming it was a "circus". Mr Casey secured nominations from Kerry and Clare county councils. He also confirmed he was willing to spend up to the cap of 750,000 if he succeeds in getting into the race. Mr Casey said he was "thrilled" after he received his second nomination at Clare County Council, and he thanked councillors there and in Kerry. Originally from Derry, he is the founder of US recruitment firm Claddagh Resources. He recently stepped down from his role as chief executive and is moving to Ireland from his base in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr Casey said he was a "truly independent candidate" and has pledged that he would "put the same amount of energy and commitment into the role of president... as I have done in every job or business I have worked in". He needs the support of two more councils and will attend local authority meetings in Limerick and Tipperary today. Councils in Dublin City, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Kilkenny decided not to back a candidate. Energy Separately, Mr Sharkey announced his departure from the race with a Twitter post, saying he was going to focus on his art and a new single on iTunes. The artist, who has received no council nominations, said: "I am leaving the circus." He described the contest as a "farce" and said he was focusing on new paintings called The Presidential Collection 2018. He has an exhibition opening on Friday. Mr Sharkey rejected suggestion that his tilt at the presidency had been about gaining publicity for his art. "If you believe in something, you should stand up for it, and that's what I did when I ran for the presidency," he said. He also endorsed fellow Aras hopeful, journalist Gemma O'Doherty. Elsewhere, Mr Higgins' campaign website went online yesterday. It encourages visitors to "join the movement" to re-elect him. He also reactivated a personal Twitter profile as the official account for the campaign. Gangster John Gilligan, who is accused of money laundering offences in connection with his arrest while attempting to board a flight from Belfast to Spain, was refused bail yesterday. Gilligan (66), of Greenfort Crescent, west Dublin, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' Court yesterday via video-link from Maghaberry Prison, where he has been on remand in connection with one charge of attempting to remove criminal property from Northern Ireland. He was arrested at Belfast International Airport in August. At the time, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said officers recovered around 23,000 at the scene. In court yesterday, defence barrister Plunkett Nugent said he had noted the comment the previous week by District Judge Peter King that unless there was a "tectonic" change in circumstances, bail would be refused. Regarding a "risk of flight" mentioned by prosecutors, Mr Nugent said the defendant had previously signed bail daily for a period of three-and-a-half years in Dublin and had co-operated with police. Mr Nugent also told the court of a "very real, immediate, and ongoing threat to the life of the defendant". An NCA investigator told the court they were liaising with gardai about that. The investigator objected to bail, saying a suggested bail address was "tenuous". "This man has no ties to Northern Ireland," he said. "We are concerned that he is a flight risk. The address being put up for bail has a very tenuous link. "The householder was contacted by police on Friday and she would say she knows Mr Gilligan simply through her father. He is a friend of her father." Hospital Regarding claims previously made about the defendant's health, the NCA investigator said medical staff were available in jails and in the event of anything serious a person could be taken to hospital. The NCA officer said they were also investigating the background to the cash and said they would be contacting "13 or 14 people who are saying they provided money to Mr Gilligan". Refusing bail, the judge said the application had been "ill-judged" and added there was nothing to suggest that the situation had changed "one iota". The defendant was remanded in continuing custody, to appear again via video-link in mid-October. Posted on: September 18, 2018 10:35 AM The 150th anniversary of the first printed edition of Te Paipera Tapu the Bible in the Maori language is being celebrated in New Zealand. The work that led to the Maori language Bible began years before-hand, when Anglican priest Samuel Marsden, working as a Church Missionary Society worker in Sydney, was given permission to establish a mission in New Zealand. He preached at New Zealands first Church service on Christmas Day in 1814, introducing 300 Maori to the Gospel, using as his theme Luke 2:10 Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy. Edited versions of the scriptures the books of Genesis, Exodus, Matthew and John were printed in Sydney and shipped to New Zealand; before CMS arranged for a printing press and printer to be shipped to the islands from London. This resulted in the first ever book printed in New Zealand: a 16-page edition of Ephesians and Philippians in Maori, in 1835. Between 1836 and 1837, the press printed some 5,000 copies of the New Testament in Maori, before the first full Maori Bible was published in 1868. To mark the sesquicentennial anniversary, that first edition has been made available in digital form, and this digitised version will be one of the many tools used to help produce a new translation in more contemporary language for todays Te Reo Maori speakers, the Bible Society in New Zealand said. Since that original 1868 edition, three further versions were published in 1889, 1925 and 1952. In 2012 the 1952 edition was published in a reformatted version. Translation of any significance takes time, and anecdotal evidence suggests that contemporary Maori usage is already considerably different from the language of the current Maori Bible, the Bible Societys Translations Director, Dr Stephen Pattemore, said. So we need to be pro-active. The Bible Society is developing a Maori language Bible app, which will feature the 2012 Maori Bible text, alongside English Bible translations for people who want to compare the two languages. The new app will launch early next year. Ground broken on the Intermountain Saratoga Springs Campus The first step to the Intermountain Saratoga Springs Campus took place on Monday with an official groundbreaking ceremony. Jacobsen Construction company will begin construction on the facility next year, with significant completion expected by the end of 2022. The initial phase of the project will include implementing a freestanding emergency department and an ambulatory surgical center. New phases like obstetrics and outpatient services will likely be added to the medical center in the future, aligning with population growth in Saratoga Springs. Speakers at the groundbreaking included ... All gave some; some gave all. Here's how to honor veterans this year local And our politicians are dreaming about peace talks with Pakistan after election of new government ! Indian Govt should note that Pakistan should be given tit for tat answer for killing of our soldiers and citizens ! Editor, Hindujagruti Islamabad : Days after hugging Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in Islamabad during Imran Khans swearing-in ceremony, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has dared to provoke India by saying it will avenge blood of its soldiers being shed on border. In a ceremony to commemorate Pakistans 53rd Defence Day held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, countrys army chief Bajwa along with Prime Minister Imran Khan paid tribute to Pakistani soldiers. Speaking during Pakistans 53rd Defence Day, General Bajwa vowed to give a befitting reply to those casting an evil eye on his country. We will avenge the blood flowing on the border, Geo News quoted General Bajwa, as saying in the presence of PM Imran Khan. Our armed forces and the entire nation have learned much during their service to Pakistan. Fear and terrorism were thrust upon us. Our homes, schools, places of worship, recreational sites and national institutions were attacked, he said. Efforts were made to weaken and divide us from within. But I salute all the citizens of Pakistan and the ones safeguarding our nation who fought remarkably in these difficult times and stood against such elements, the Pakistan Army chief added. Pakistans present government is backed strongly by the army. However, ever since the new government had come to power it had been talking of building peaceful relation with India. Source : One India The intense heatwave that has struck South Asia in the last few months has proved to be particularly challenging for those living in cities. While global temperatures are rising, urban temperatures are climbing at even faster rates. The problem is only likely to get worse as South Asian cities grow more crowded, while heat waves are expected to become more extreme, last longer and happen more frequently. One study predicts that cities can expect the average high temperature to increase by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius and their lowest temperatures to increase by 3 to 7 degrees Celsius by 2050. Extreme heat, already the deadliest natural disaster in an average year, will become even deadlier. This dangerous mix of extreme heat trends was seen, for example, in Karachi, where 65 people died in the span of three days in May. It underscored the threat of extreme urban heat and the life-or-death risks it creates for poor, vulnerable populations. Chilling Prospects: Providing Sustainable Cooling for All, recently issued by the UN-affiliated Sustainable Energy for All and the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, illuminates the massive scale of the challenge facing South Asian cities but also offers solutions to address the problem. The report reveals that more than 630 million urban dwellers worldwide, most of them in South Asia, are at risk because of a lack of access to basic cooling services that they need to survive and thrive. Addressing urban heat is much more than avoiding a negative. It is an investment that would boost urban economies around the world from Phoenix and New York City to New Delhi, Karachi and Dhaka. A growing body of research finds that the broad benefits of cooling down cities such as improved energy efficiency, worker productivity, air quality, health and equity are potentially worth billions of dollars to a single city. This represents an economic benefit for vulnerable low-income urban populations. A 2017 study published in the journal Nature Climate Change estimates that the failure to act on urban heat will cost the average city nearly 6% of its GDP by 2100. On the other hand, the study found that investing in sensible heat mitigating measures, such as so-called cool roofs or painting roofs white or other light colours to reflect sunlight, would generate a 1,200% return! As the Cooling for All report highlights, capturing this cooling access dividend should be the focus of global efforts to address rising temperatures. One example to emulate is Almeria, Spain, which has a unique tradition of whitewashing its greenhouses. Remarkably, based on a 20-year study comparing weather station data, researchers found that Almeria cooled down by 0.4C compared to a 0.3C rise in temperatures in surrounding regions lacking whitewashed greenhouses. We also know that cool surfaces can make a meaningful difference in indoor air temperatures. Field studies of dwellings in Sanand in Gujarat indicate that a building without mechanical cooling can be 3-4C cooler with cool roofs and walls. An alternative strategy is the introduction of green roofs, which involves the planting of vegetation on roofs, which also reduces urban temperatures. Fortunately, some South Asian cities, including Ahmedabad and Dhaka, are recognising the importance of cool and green roofs to combat high urban temperatures and are implementing programmes to encourage their use. These programmes can also be coordinated with new urban development plans that offer opportunities to radically rethink the design of building to optimise cooling loads and technologies that can deal with them. In India, for example, 75% of the buildings required by 2030 have yet to be built and so there is a huge opportunity for designing for passive cooling or retrofitting buildings to promote natural cooling and ventilation. Adopting these strategies is important in another way. The growing middle class in South Asia is likely to buy more air conditioners to beat the heat. But many devices will be low-cost and inefficient models that will only consume more energy powered by the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. We face the prospect of a vicious cycle where a warming planet creates the need for more cooling that could result in more damaging emissions. South Asia already has at hand simple, affordable and efficient solutions at the local level to deal with the problems of rising urban heat. This provides a unique opportunity for the region to show the rest of the world the way to providing cooling access for all. Kurt Shickman is executive director of the Global Cool Cities Alliance, Washington, DC The views expressed are personal Ever since Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor started shooting Brahmastra, their first film together, in Bulgaria, Alia has been sharing non-stop photos of the two together and giving an insiders peek at their budding romance. On Sunday, the Raazi star shared an affectionate photo on Instagram, in which Ranbir and Brahmastra director Ayan Mukerji lovingly embraced her. The one with all the joy, Alia had captioned the photo. Alia posted a couple of new black-and-whites of herself and her boyfriend from their Bulgaria trip on Monday as well. There were also photos of the couple posing together with fans in Sofia, Bulgaria on Monday: But just a few hours later, Alia arrived solo at the Mumbai airport. Alia touched down in Mumbai on Tuesday, after wrapping up the Brahmastra shoot in Bulgaria. With her latest airport spotting, Alia once again proved she knows how to fly in style. Her airport look was the picture of jet-setting perfection. The perfect mix of comfort and style. Alia showcased her sartorial prowess in slim grey sweatpants and a white tank top, which she topped off with a long and breezy jacket, and accessorised with chic pink sneakers, a black fanny pack and oversize, incognito aviators. And while it may be a unique airport look, Alia definitely makes it work. Read more: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt are inseparable in new Brahmastra pic We can barely remember a time when Alia and Ranbir were not together, but in reality, its been just over four months since the couple made their relationship official. Ranbir first confirmed the relationship in an interview to GQ in May. Talking to Hindustan Times, Ranbir said about their budding romance, I have said this before: its very new right now, so it would be really presumptuous to say anything about it or judge it. Workwise, as I work with her in Brahmastra, I know that as a talent, she is at a superlative level. The kind of dedication and love she has for her work is very inspiring. Work comes first for her. After working for 10 years, I may have felt a little jaded or tired, but when you look at her commitment, it rejuvenates you and makes you want to do better. Follow @htshowbiz for more India has put off retaliatory tariff against 29 American products worth $ 235 million that were to come into force on Tuesday, according to a report in Mint. This is the third time that India has deferred the tit-for-tat tariff, seen as Indias response to the Trump administration raising import duties on Indian steel and aluminium products. According to this report, a decision had been taken to postpone the retaliatory hikes until 3 November since the two countries were attempting to find a solution. The US had imposed 25 percent duty on certain steel products and 10 percent on aluminium products, which would help the US government collect 241 million dollars in import duty. In response, India announced higher tariff on 29 US products, including almonds, apples and phosphoric acid worth $10.6 billion imports in retaliation to the steel and aluminium tariff hikes by the US. New Delhi, however, did not impose the new tariffs immediately but left a door open for bilateral negotiations to finalise a trade package to douse tensions. The duty hike was expected to come into force from 4 August, but India yet again deferred implementation by 45 days till 18 September. India and the United States have been moving rapidly to strengthen ties in bilateral defence and strategic relationship. But on trade, both continue to blow hot and cold. New Delhi, which has been in talks for a trade package with the US, has been demanding a waiver on tariff hikes similar to the ones granted to Argentina, Brazil and South Korea. Earlier this month, India had declined Washingtons offer to waive tariff hikes on steel and aluminium in exchange for India capping exports of these items at 70% of its total exports to the US last year. India has argued that the steps taken by the US are safeguard measures though they are in the name of national security. It has claimed that steel and aluminium exports worth $1.2 billion to the US have been hit post the tariff hike, with the US collecting additional tariffs of $241 million. India has also dragged the US to the World Trade Organisations (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism over the imposition of import duties on steel and aluminium. Four classmates of a 16-year-old student allegedly raped her at a Dehradun boarding school last month (on August 14), police said on Monday. The case came to light a month on Sunday after Dehraduns senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nivedita Kukreti was tipped-off about the alleged rape and ordered an investigation. The four, all aged 17, have been taken into custody for the alleged gang-rape. Police sources said the school authorities tried to hush up the matter. A police official on condition of anonymity said, The victim returned to hostel and informed the incident to the hostel caretaker. Rather taking any action against the four boys, she rather told her to remain silent on the issue and then informed the accused administrative officer (AO). The schools director, principal, administration officer, his wife and hostel caretaker were arrested for alleged destruction of evidence. A gang-rape and destruction of evidence case has been filed under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The incident happened on August 14 the girl was raped by the four boys studying in the same residential school. SSP, Dehradun, Nivedita Kukreti, got a tip-off about the incident and ordered us to investigate the matter the charges were found to be true, said station house officer Naresh Rathod. Rathod said the investigation found that the arrested school officials were aware of the incident. Rathod said further details would be known after the police receive the girls medical examination report. She is from outside the state. The arrested boys will be presented before a juvenile court on Tuesday while the school officials will also be presented before a court on the same day. The Ghaziabad Development Authority is in the final negotiations for setting up 3 megawatt (MW) solar power plant which will power nearly 700 LED lights installed on the 10.3km Hindon elevated road. The power plant will help the authority save nearly Rs 6 lakh a month on electricity bills, officials said. The engineering department officials of the authority said they received two bids for setting up the solar plant. The plant is also proposed to supply the electricity, which is left over after supplying 280 kilowatt required to illuminate the Hindon elevated road, to the grid. We received two financial bids. The negotiation with one of the two firms is presently on for revenue sharing (money generated by supplying power to the grid). The proposed plant is pegged at a cost of nearly 20 crore and the entire cost of installation will be borne by the private company, VN Singh, chief engineer, GDA, said. The authority, at present, spends nearly Rs 6 lakh on electricity bills a month for illuminating the Hindon elevated road. The authority has planned that the 3 megawatt solar power plant to meet this requirement as well as earn revenue and thus recover the cost of setting up the plant. The power supply to the elevated road and the roundabout at Karhera are being done from five locations at present. The company will be required to take up installation of solar panels on a 5km stretch (both sides) of the elevated road. Once the negotiations are complete, the project will be given a final shape, an official of the authoritys electrical department said. The officials said the companys officials will also be holding a meeting with the officials of the discom to decide the power purchase agreement which needs to be signed if the electricity is to be provided to the grid. If the present dry spell has given you an impression that monsoon is over, then you are mistaken. The India Meteorological Department has said monsoon is far from over and Delhi is likely to witness another wet spell over the weekend. We are expecting another spell of rain between October 21 and 25. A low pressure that has developed over the Bay of Bengal is likely to move westwards and reach northwest India during that period. It is likely to trigger some rain in Delhi and other parts of NCR, said BP Yadav, deputy director of IMD. Delhi had last received rain on October 9. The Safdarjung station, considered to be a representative of Delhis weather, registered 5.8 mm rain on that day. But since then, over the past eight days, the city hasnt received a single drop because of which the mercury level is rising. While the maximum temperature was recorded at 31.5 degrees Celsius on October 9, it has risen to 34 degrees on Monday. Meteorologists said the rising heat index is adding to the discomfort level and making the weather muggy. Heat index or humiture is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. The maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 34.1 degrees Celsius, which is normal. The maximum relative humidity was 89%. The combination of heat and humidity is making matters worse , said the official. But once the rain hits Delhi, the mercury level is expected to drop again , said an IMD official. Officials said the rain expected to hit Delhi over the next few days is a part of the monsoon, which usually starts retreating from Rajasthan by the third or last week of September. It withdraws from Delhi around the first week of October. We have not spotted any withdrawal symptoms of the monsoon yet, said Yadav. Over the past seven days, six people lost their lives in the national capital region while cleaning sewers after inhaling toxic gases, says the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament for the welfare of sanitation workers. Clearly, the law banning employment of human labour to clean sewage tanks is toothless. In theory, no person, local authority or agency can hire people for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. The Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, was amended in 2013 to include a ban on employing or engaging people to clean sewer and septic tanks. But according to a reply by the central Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Lok Sabha in December last year, more than 300 people died due to asphyxiation while working in septic tanks in 2017 alone. NCSK founder and Magsaysay award winner, Bezwada Wilson, says one big obstacle before evolving policies for the welfare of sewage and septic tank workers is the lack of credible data. There are no official numbers available on those employed in sewer and septic tank cleaning as opposed to those engaged in the relatively less hazardous cleaning of dry latrines, open drains and single pit toilets. Also, since most of those employed to do the cleaning of septic tanks are hired on a casual basis, contractors seldom bother to follow safety norms or provide gas masks, safety harness belts and helmets to them. The law enjoins upon the government to provide Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who die inside sewers. However, data presented by the Central Monitoring Committee in 2017 said only seven states had paid compensation for such deaths in the past 25 years. Experts say the biggest reason why the mechanised cleaning of septic tanks, the prescribed norm, remains only on paper, is lax implementation by enforcement agencies, whether it is the inspectors of civic bodies in the cities or magistrates and district collectors in rural India. If the law on manual cleaning of sewers is to be effective, the penalties less than 10 arrests have been made across the country according to Mr Wilson and the first information report rarely reaches the charge-sheet stage have to be stricter and even-handed. Casual workers who endanger their lives for as little as Rs 300 to clean septic tanks dont seem to be a priority either with the law enforcement agencies or politicians. This is a blot on the record of a country that boasts the largest public cleanliness programme in the world. At the Janata Dal (United) executive over the weekend, Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, told his party delegates that the JD(U) is close to finalising an honourable seat-sharing arrangement with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a reference to doubts about the future of the alliance and reports of differences between the two parties, Mr Kumar asked leaders not to go by media speculation, and be assured that the JD(U) would contest elections with pride and honour. Their aim, he said, must be to ensure that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) wins the maximum number of seats in Bihar. Mr Kumars categorical declaration will not necessarily put an end to speculation about the specifics of the seat-sharing pact, for it does require compromises on all sides. The BJP, which won 22 of the 40 seats in the state, will have to give up a few seats to accommodate the JD(U). And it is never easy to concede seats where a party already has sitting MPs. The JD(U), which used to be the senior partner when it last fought the Lok Sabha elections with the BJP in 2009 (they fought separately in 2014), will have to settle for fewer seats. There are also two other allies, Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha, who need to be accommodated. Till there is an agreement on numbers, uncertainty will persist. But the big takeaway is that despite difficult negotiations, the alliance will stay. And that is important for the NDA for three reasons. Bihar is a key state in the Lok Sabha elections. The NDA won 32 seats last time around, giving it a huge fillip. At a time when there is a wider alliance ranged against the BJP in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, it is important for the NDA to either retain or at least minimise its loss in Bihar. The arithmetic of the NDA alliance gives it an edge. Two, the BJP has suffered from the loss of a major ally the Telugu Desam Party and it is not clear if another old ally the Shiv Sena will fight elections together. To dispel the impression that it cannot work with smaller parties, it was important for the BJP to retain Nitish Kumar as a partner. Three, for Mr Kumar, who took a major leap at the cost of being accused of betraying the popular mandate it would come as a relief that JD(U) is getting a respectable deal. This is key to restoring both his credibility and strength. The contours of the Bihar battle for 2019 are becoming clearer. HP India on Monday introduced an affordable mini desktop to help students learn and collaborate in schools and educational institutions across the country. Starting at Rs 19,990, the HP 260 G3 desktop will enable schools and institutes to set up or upgrade computers in their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs at a minimal cost, the company said in a statement. As technology becomes integral to businesses and consumers daily lives, students need to learn digital skills that equip them well for the future, said Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP India. When paired with HP Integrated Work Center and HP EliteDisplay, teachers can read and present files effortlessly. With the wide range of input display connectors, documents can also be shared across multiple monitors. Driven by our goal to empower students, HP has launched the mini desktop solution to enable easy and affordable digital learning for students across India, Chandra added. The Pentium Dual Core with 18.5-inch monitor system is available at a starting price of Rs 19,990 while Intel Core i3 with 18.5-inch monitor is available at a starting price of Rs 25,990. We are hitting a new price band with the HP 260 G3 desktop mini. With this, HP will be able to address the markets need for cost-effective desktop PCs, said Vickram Bedi, Senior Director, Personal Systems, HP Inc. India. The company is reaching out to schools and educational institutions as well as in smaller cities, where affordable digital learning devices can be highly useful. The system runs Windows 10 Pro and houses memory up to 32GB of DDR4. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Telangana state level police recruitment board (TSLPRB) has declared the result of the examination to recruit Stipendiary Cadet Trainee (SCT) Sub Inspector (SI) of Police (civil) and some other equivalent posts. The preliminary written test (PWT) to fill 1,217 tentative vacancies was conducted on August 26 in which 1,77,992 candidates appeared. The preliminary answer keys were released on August 27 and candidates could raise objections until 5pm on August 29. OMR Sheets of the candidates who appeared in preliminary written test was evaluated and the list of qualified candidates drawn on that basis. TS Police SI result 2018: Here is the link to check the result TS Police SI result 2018 login (TSLPRB) Out of the 1,77,992 candidates who appeared in the exam, 1,10,635 qualified for the next stage of the examination (PMT/PET). The Schedule for filling-in the Part-II online application form will be informed in the due course. TSLPRB has also released a press note giving details about the result which can be viewed by clicking here. Telangana SCT SI result 2018: Steps to check 1) Visit the official website of Telangana state level police recruitment board 2) Click on the link for Download PWT Result 3) Key in your registered mobile number and password 4) Click on sign in 5) The result will displayed on the screen Angry parents and their wards took to streets at Shahpur town after a college in Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar, ordered tonsuring the heads of its students, officials said Sunday. Sub Divisional Magistrate Bhupender Kumar said Rashtriya Inter College, Shahpur authorities tonsured the heads of hundreds of its students recently. Agitated by the incident, many students and their parents blocked the Budhana-Muzaffarnagar road on Saturday, demanding action against the educational institute, he said. Meanwhile, disciplinary action has been initiated against college principal Virender Singh and manager Rahul Baiyan, college authorities said. Security has been tightened in the college premises. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken is unwell and has gone for a check up abroad, party incharge of Delhi PC Chacko told news agency ANI. He was responding to media reports that Maken has resigned. Ajay Maken has not resigned. He has some health issues and has gone for a check-up. He will be back soon. He had recently met party president Rahul Gandhi, Chacko said. Some TV channels have reported that Maken, 54, who has been heading the Delhi Congress since 2015, has resigned and left for treatment abroad. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking at reappointing a Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC) to sanction expenditure proposals on Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikars behalf, officials familiar with the proposed move said on Tuesday. The proposal has come as the opposition Congress has staked its claim to form a government in Goa. The party has demanded the BJP-led alliance governments dismissal in Goa, citing the illness of Parrikar, who is undergoing treatment at Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences. In a letter to Governor Mridula Sinha, the Congress on Monday said Parrikar was unable to function and the governance has come to a standstill. A final decision with CACs regard was likely to be taken as early as Tuesday night or the following morning, the officials said. The structure will be the same, only the dates of the notification will have to be changed, said an official, referring to the three-member CAC that was appointed when Parrikar was away from February to June for his pancreatic ailment treatment. Sinha had formed the panel on Parrikars recommendation. The panel had a member each from the BJP and its alliance partners, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP). The committee had powers to approve proposals for works costing up to ?10 crore. Each minister had been given powers to sanction expenditure worth ?2 crore, which they do not have when the is present. The BJP will have to find a replacement for Francis DSouza, who was earlier part of CAC but is now undergoing treatment at a US hospital. Officials said Parrikar had initially expressed his inability to discharge his duties and showed his willingness to distribute his portfolios among other ministers. But the move caused rumblings of displeasure within the coalition over who would be the interim chief minister. Several BJP lawmakers have pitched for this interim arrangement the appointment of the CAC to ensure that governance does not suffer on account of Parrikars absence. Officials said there was no consensus over who should be given additional responsibilities as the interim chief minister. Public works department minister and MGP leader Sudin Dhavlikar was tipped to take the charge as the senior most minister. But GFP and three independents, who have formed a separate group in the alliance, opposed it. Officials said the cracks within the alliance forced the BJP to stick with Parrikar for the time being. They said scanned copies of files are being sent to him for his approval. The Congress dismissed the proposed move to set up the CAC as illegal. Where is the provision in the constitution for a CAC? It is all useless, said Congress leader Ramakant Khalap. A Congress delegation separately met Sinha on Tuesday and demanded that a single-day assembly session be called for the government be prove its majority. The BJP questioned the Congress move to stake the claim. We have a majority. Not a single bill has failed in the assembly. Someone has to withdraw their support, BJP state president Vinay Tendulkar said. A BSF jawan has been reported missing from along the International Border in Jammu after he was believed to have been hit by unprovoked cross-border fire, officials said on Tuesday. They said the incident took place in the RS Pura sector of the IB after Pakistan opened fire at few locations on the Indian side including few Border Security Force (BSF) posts. They said the Indian side is retaliating to the small arms fire from the other side and a manhunt has been launched to find the jawan, who may be present near the fence area. The jawan may have been hit. Operation is on to find him and bring to safety, a senior officer said. With the opposition clearly unwilling to back down on the Rafale fighter deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit out at the Congress that has alleged the NDA government changed the contract to favour an industrialist at the cost of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, or HAL. Sitharaman dismissed this charge, pointing that the fact was that the rules framed by the previous Congress-led coalition had allowed the foreign companies to enter into a deal with a private companies as well to satisfy offset clauses, and not necessarily a public sector firm. Do you say that your rule was wrong... It is your rule, the minister said at a free-wheeling question-answer session at the Indian Womens Press Corps. Most of the questions at the interaction were on the political controversy around the Rafale fighter jet deal that opposition leaders such as Congress president Rahul Gandhi have called the the corruption of the century. The deal had become controversial on account of the fact that one of the offset deals signed by Dassault is with the Reliance Group of Anil Ambani, who has been particularly targeted by the Congress chief. Also, the Congress claims that the fourth generation fighter jets being bought by the NDA were overpriced, three times the Rs 526 crore that was going to be the price when the UPA was buying the aircraft. Sitharaman insisted this wasnt true and the government was getting the basic cost of the Rafale fighter jets at nine per cent cheaper than what the UPA dispensation had agreed upon Senior Congress leader AK Antony, who was also the countrys defence minister in the UPA government, however, has questioned the ruling BJPs contention that it had sealed the deal at a much cheaper price. If the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA, why did the NDA not buy 126 aircraft instead of just 36 , Antony had asked earlier in the day. He also reiterated the demand for a joint parliamentary committee to probe the deal since, according to him, there is a growing perception that the deal has more skeletons in its closet. Sitharaman accused the previous Congress-led UPA government of not finalising the deal for years. Why didnt the agreement happen, she said, recounting the processes that the discussions went through during the previous 10 years. You get the agreement done man, not just talk. The National Democratic Alliances decision to enter a $8.7 billion government-to-government deal with France to buy 36 Rafale warplanes made by Dassault was announced in April 2015, with an agreement signed a little over a year later. This replaced the previous United Progressive Alliance regimes decision to buy 126 Rafale aircraft, 108 of which were to be made in India by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. . Congress leaders and workers were cane-charged by police inside Congress Bhawan in Chhattisgarhs Bilaspur on Tuesday for allegedly throwing garbage inside a ministers house. Additional superintendent of police (ASP) Neeraj Chandrakar said Congress workers threw garbage inside minister Amar Agarwals house and manhandled a policewoman and some male constables, following which a case was registered against them. The party, however, said they were brutally cane-charged at the behest of the minister for protesting peacefully against him after he had allegedly referred to Congress as garbage. The state urban administration minister told HT that he had never called the Congress garbage. Maine kaha kee sheher mein jo Congress ne 60 saalon mein kachara failaya hai usey hum saaf karenge (I said that we will clean the dirt that the Congress had spread in 60 years of rule). I was speaking in a function on solid waste management programme. What can I do if Congress believes that they are garbage even though I had never said that? Agarwal said. Senior state Congress leaders reached Bilaspur on Tuesday night and called a meeting of local leaders and decided to hold a protest in all the districts and burn effigies of chief minister Raman Singh on Wednesday. State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel attacked the government and police, saying it was a barbaric act. Congress alleged that even women workers and journalists were beaten up. State Congress general secretary Atal Shrivastava sustained a serious head injury in the police action, he claimed, and demanded a judicial enquiry. Bilaspur police have registered a case against the Congress leaders for rioting, attacking public servant and other sections of the IPC. Congress workers tried to break the barricades and physically manhandled policemen who were trying to stop them. We registered a case and when we went to arrest them at the Congress Bhawan, they again tried to manhandle the policemen. Mild force was used to arrest the Congress workers as a case was registered against them, said Arif Sheikh, Bilaspur SP. (With agencies inputs) A special session of the state assembly should be convened and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told to take a floor test, the Goa Congress told Governor Mridula Sinha at their meeting on Tuesday evening. The Congresss move comes amidst concerns over the health of 62-year-old Parrikar, who had been flown to Delhis AIIMS on Saturday, for treatment. Emerging from Raj Bhavan at Dona Paula, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar told reporters that the Governor had sought four-five days to get back to them. The manner in which they (ruling coalition) are handling the leadership issue and the bickering she should call a special one-day session, Kavlekar said. Congress leaders think the party has a real chance to get the numbers to push its vote of no-confidence against the Parrikar government at such a session. The BJP, however, insisted that there was no risk to its government. How can the Congress stake a claim? We have a majority. Not a single bill has failed in the assembly. Someone has to withdraw their support, BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said. The BJP, which has 14 seats of the 40 seats in the assembly, had stitched an alliance with regional players Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which have three seats each, after assembly elections last year. The coalition also had the support of three independent members of the House, taking its strength to 23. The majority mark was 21. The Congress, the states single-largest party, has 16 seats. Plus, one seat is held by the Nationalist Congress Party, a Congress ally. Congress leaders say the absence of three BJP ministers including Parrikar, who had been hospitalised, could bring down the majority mark. Kavlekar hinted that the Congress could get the support from some in the treasury benches. He said some BJP legislators were reported to have been unhappy at speculation that regional parties supporting the coalition could merge with the BJP. But it is the absence of Manohar Parrikar from Goa, the glue that held the coalition together, that has raised hopes in the Congress camp. The Congress said the alliance partners in their letters of support to the BJP-led government had explicitly made it clear that they would support the BJP-led coalition only if Parrikar is made the Chief Minister. The current government is in majority only on paper. They cannot choose a leader today and they are talking of mergers with regional parties. If regional parties merge, then BJPs own MLAs are not willing to stay back in the party, Kavlekar said. Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar said the moment the ruling BJP takes any decision on a successor to chief minister Manohar Parrikar, the government will collapse. The moment a chief minister is announced it is certain that many MLAs from the BJP will resign. Therefore no permanent solution will be announced, Chodankar said calling on the BJP to win a vote of confidence. The coalition partners had supported only Parrikar and not the BJP, when this unholy alliance came to power against the will of the people of Goa. In fact, the open statements made by the MGP that they will support only Parrikar as CM is enough proof that the government collapses the minute Parrikar steps down as the CM, Chodankar said. The Goa Congress, which has demanded dismissal of the Manohar Parrikar government in the state, met Governor Mridula Sinha to present their case on Tuesday. The meeting began at 6.30pm The opposition Congress had on Monday requested for time to meet the governor to discuss their representation that accuses the state government was unable to function and governance has come to a standstill. The Congresss move came amidst concerns over the health of 62-year-old Parrikar, who has visited the United States thrice in seven months for treatment. He is suffering from a pancreatic ailment. If given an opportunity, we will prove the majority on the floor of the house, said former chief minister Digambar Kamat. Kamat, however, did not elaborate how his party hoped to get to the halfway mark in the states assembly. Also read | The Goa arithmetic: What is happening in Manohar Parikkars absence and why With 16 of the 40 seats in the assembly, the Congress is the states single-largest party. But the BJP, which has 14 seats, stitched an alliance with regional players Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which have three seats each, after the elections last year. The majority mark in the assembly 21. The coalition received the support of three independent members of the House, and formed the government. The other seat is held by the Nationalist Congress Party, a Congress ally. Apart from Parrikar, two other ministers in his team urban development minister Francis DSouza and power minister Pandurang Madkaikar are also undergoing treatment for other ailments. Such an impasse cannot be allowed to permeate. The government should be dismissed and we should be given an opportunity, Chandrakant Kavlekar, the Congress legislature party chief, had told the governor in one of the two letters submitted to Mridula Sinhas office. Authorities at a boarding school in Dehradun, where a 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by four classmates, tried to get her foetus aborted when they discovered she was pregnant after the rape, police said Investigating officer Naresh Rathod said the school authorities tried to take the girl to a clinic for abortion and thats when the superintendent of police was tipped off. The gang rape happened on August 14 on the school premises and came to light on September 16 after Dehraduns senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nivedita Kureti was tipped-off about the alleged rape and ordered an investigation. The schools director, principal, administration officer, his wife and hostel caretaker were arrested for alleged destruction of evidence. A gang-rape and destruction of evidence case has been filed under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. On August 14, two of the accused boys who used to study in her class, told her that one of the school teachers is calling her. Believing them, she went with them only to be later caught by two other accused boys who used to study in her senior class. The four then gangraped her threatened her of dire consequences against informing the incident to anyone. The victim then returned to hostel and informed the hostel caretaker. Rather than taking any action against the four boys, she told her to remain silent and informed the administrative officer (AO), said a police official on condition of anonymity. The AO and his wife asked her to keep mum and started giving her different home-made solutions to drink, thinking that they would abort her foetus in case she got pregnant. The director and principal of the school were also informed about the incident but they also didnt inform the girls parents and instead threatened to rusticate her from the school, if she informed them, said the official. When the girl realised she was pregnant, she told the hostel caretaker who then informed the school administration. The girl had by then also informed her elder sister, who also studies in the same school. The elder sister drew the attention of school authorities who tried to hush up the mater and tried to abort the pregnancy, said Ashok Kumar, additional director general of police (Law and Order), according to news agency PTI. The arrested school officials again threatened her to remain silent and took her for abortion to a clinic on Sunday. It was then that SSP came to know from sources about it, said investigating officer and station house officer, Sahaspur, Naresh Rathod. The police then called her parents to know if they were aware about the abortion. They said they were told by the school administration that she had a stomach ache for which they had taken her to the clinic. The parents then reached Dehradun on Monday morning and spoke to her, on which she narrated her ordeal, he said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and 11 lawmakers have been summoned as accused by a Delhi court in a case filed against them for assaulting the citys top bureaucrat Anshu Prakash nearly seven months ago. They have been ordered to appear in court on October 25. The Delhi governments top bureaucrat had alleged he was assaulted by some lawmakers at a meeting past midnight at the chief ministers residence on February 19. He had, however, underlined that the assault was part of a common conspiracy by all those present. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal said there were sufficient grounds to establish the charges of illegal confinement, criminal intimidation, assaulting a public servant and criminal conspiracy, The court, however, discharged the accused for intentional insult to cause breach of peace. The Delhi police had filed a 3,000-page charge-sheet against the Aam Aadmi Party leaders last month after investigating a complaint by chief secretary Anshu Prakash. Others who were named as accused in the charge sheet were 11 AAP lawmakers -- Amanatullah Khan, Prakash Jarwal, Nitin Tyagi, Rituraj Govind, Sanjeev Jha, Ajay Dutt, Rajesh Rishi, Rajesh Gupta, Madan Lal, Parveen Kumar and Dinesh Mohania. Arvind Kejriwal and his party have denied the accusations, insisting that they had sensational evidence to demonstrate the charges hurled at them were bogus and politically motivated. Two Chinese nationals, drunk and shirtless, were arrested in Meerut after their SUV hit several vehicles and injured eight people, police said. The two were granted bail on Monday by a magistrate who ordered police to seize their passports. Officials said the Chinese Embassy has been informed about the Sunday night incident involving Guoqing Xia and Wenxin Zu. They work for a Chinese firm that deals in furniture and meat. They have been visiting India for the past 15 years on business visa, staying two or three months each time, police said Tuesday. Their current visas will expire on September 26, officials added. The two men have rented flats in Mangal Pandey Nagar and Shastri Nagar in Meerut, and the house owners have been sent notices as well, they said. Superintendent of Police Ranvijay Singh said the two Chinese nationals were in the city to inspect a meat plant. Eight people, including businessman Rajib Aggarwal, his wife and daughter, were injured as the car hit about six vehicles around 9 pm on Sunday. Police chased down the SUV near Rangoli Mandap. Both men were drunk and bare-chested, police said. Xia was driving, they said. They were accompanied by their guide, Ashish, a resident of the Mangal Pandey Nagar area, police said. The widow of a 24-year-old Dalit Christian, who was hacked to death in Telanganas Miryalguda on September 14, said her father had asked her to undergo an abortion and wait for a couple of years for things to settle down. But we never expected that he had evil plans and would get my husband killed so brutally, said Amrutha Varshini, 20, a day after her husband, Perumalla Pranay Kumar, 24, was buried on Sunday. Varshinis father, Tirunagari Maruthi Rao, who was upset with her for marrying Kumar, allegedly hired contract killers to get his son-in-law killed. Kumar was hacked to death with a machete when the couple was coming out of a hospital in Telanganas Miryalguda town on September 14. Rao is a rich upper-caste Vysya realtor. Rao, his brother, Shravan and friend, Abdul Karim, who heads the local Congress unit, were detained for questioning on Monday. We have obtained some credible leads in the killing of Pranay and we are hopeful of cracking the case by Tuesday, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. Rao is believed to have hired killers for Rs 10 lakh with Karims help. We are suspecting that eight to 10 people were involved in the murder, directly or indirectly, the officer said. Kumars father, Perumalla Balaswamy, a Life Insurance Corporation of India employee, was terrified. He feared for the rest of his family if was Varshini stayed on with them. She was in a state of shock after the incident and got admitted to the same hospital. Varshini has vowed to stay with her in-laws. We asked her whether she would go to her parents house But she was firm that she would stay back with us and would never go to her father, who got my son killed, said Balaswamy. He said they would stand by her come what may. She is now our daughter and not daughter-in-law. She even tied rakhi to my younger son, Ajay, who is studying medicine in Ukraine. We will take care of her for the rest of her life. We shall prove to the world that caste would have to face defeat at the hands of humanity. Varshini said she was treated like a princess ever since she became pregnant five months ago. Neither Pranay nor his parents used to allow me to do any work. My husband used to treat me like a doll. He used to take me to the hospital regularly. Even on the day he was killed, he forced me to go to the doctor for a check-up as I was not feeling well. I just cannot forget the kind of affection and love he showered on me. She said religion was never an issue for them. On Ganesh Chaturthi day on Thursday, Pranay performed the Ganesh puja for me as I was not well. I do not need anybodys support now. Pranay is growing inside me. Whether it is a boy or girl, the baby will be his replica. I will lead rest of my life taking care of baby Pranay, Varshini told journalists at her in-laws residence in Miryalaguda on Monday. The couple has been close friends since their school days. More than my father, my uncle (Raos brother) Sravan would beat me for being friendly with Pranay. He used to tell me not to make friends with Dalits, she said. The couple grew closer when they moved to Hyderabad for higher studies. Kumar pursued his engineering in Information Technology while Varshini studied fashion technology. They thought of getting married after completing their education and were trying to go to the US to settle down there, a relative of Kumar, who did not wish to be named, said. The couple faced opposition when they informed their parents about their plans to marry last year. Though we had no objection to the marriage, we were afraid of Rao, who is an influential businessman with political links. He even called me and warned me against encouraging my sons love affair with his daughter, Balaswamy said. The couple married secretly at Hyderabads Arya Samaj Mandir on January 30 and continued to stay there. When they came to us four months ago, we had no choice but to accept their marriage. So, occasionally, they used to come to Miryalguda, Balaswamy said. Rao refused to reconcile with his daughters marriage. A wedding reception Balaswamy organised for the couple in Miryalguda angered him the most, the relative said. A suspected Islamist terrorist, his close aide, and a local Congress leader helped prominent realtor-turned-politician Tirunagari Maruthi Rao kill his son-in-law Perumalla Pranay, a Dalit Christian at Miryalguda town in Telanganas Nalgonda district, with the actual killing being done by a contract killer from Bihar. Four days after the murder that horrified the state, the Telangana police on Tuesday arrested seven persons. While contract killer Subhash Sharma was arrested from Samastipur in Bihar and is being brought to Nalgonda after securing a transit warrant from the local court, the police produced the remaining six accused before the media at Nalgonda. Nalgonda superintendent of police AV Ranganath told media that Maruthi Rao, who could not digest the fact that his daughter Amrutha Varshini (20) married a Dalit Christian, was the prime accused in the case and was the mastermind behind the killing of Pranay. The other accused are Congress leader Abdul Karim, Asghar Ali, Mohammad Bari, Raos brother Sravan and driver Shiva. The SP said Asghar Ali, a suspected terrorist having links with Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was an accused in the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya. His close aide Mohammad Bari was also an accused in the same case. Both were arrested in April, 2003, but acquitted first by sessions court in Ahmedabad and later by the high court. While Asghar Ali lives in Nalgonda, Bari has been staying at Malakpet in Hyderabad after their acquittal in 2013, he said. Ranganath said Maruthi Rao had been hatching the plan to eliminate Pranay since June. He first discussed his plan with his friend Abdul Karim and they got in touch with Bari, whom they have known since 2011. In the first week of July, Rao and Karim met Asghar Ali and Bari to work out a plan while sitting in a car at Miryalguda. Rao also showed them the residence of Pranay. The Ali-Bari duo first demanded Rs 2.5 crore, but finally struck the deal for Rs 1 crore. They demanded an advance of Rs 50 lakh, but Rao agreed to give them Rs 15 lakh and the remaining after the killing. On July 9, Karim took Rs 15 lakh from Rao and distributed Rs 14 lakh to Ali and Bari at an isolated place near Ramoji Film city on the outskirts of Hyderabad, while keeping the remaining Rs 1 lakh with him, the SP said. The accused spent part of the money on buying a two-wheeler, duplicate mobile SIM cards and other equipment, besides engaging the services of Subhash Sharma from Bihar. On August 9, they conducted a recce on the movements of Pranay and they made a first attempt to kill him on August 14, but they could not execute it as his brother Ajay was also there along with him, the SP said. On August 17, Pranay and Amrutha threw a party for friends and relatives and that angered Rao further. In the meantime, Rao came to know that Amrutha was pregnant and Rao thought if she delivered the baby, it would be all the more humiliating for him. So, he started bringing pressure on her to abort the foetus, Ranganath said. The accused made another attempt on the life of Pranay on September 1 as well, but it also did not succeed. Finally, they committed the murder on September 14, when the couple was coming out of the hospital after Amrutha underwent medical check-up, the SP said. He said the police had warned the young couple to be careful ever since they got the complaint from Pranays family about threats from Rao. We even arranged CC cameras at their house and asked them to inform the police if they encountered anything suspicious. The Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) leader in Haryana on Tuesday made a controversial statement about the gangrape of a 20-year-old college student while criticising the Rs 2 lakh compensation given to the woman by the states Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. I offer to pay Rs 20 lakh to BJP politicians if they allow kukarm (rape) on themselves by 10 people; are they valuing someones honour at Rs 2 lakh, Jaihind was quoted by news agency ANI as saying in Rohtak. Jaihind said Kauravas were ruling Haryana and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar acted like the blind king Dhritasrashtra, referring to characters in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Haryana Police on Sunday arrested one of the three people accused of raping the Rewari woman, who was once a CBSE school topper. The womans mother has said the family had decided to return a cheque for Rs 2 lakh handed given to them under the Haryana Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013. The alleged crime has triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties who have demanded the resignation of CM Khattar on moral grounds. An Indian citizen has pleaded guilty to operating a fraud scheme by falsely representing as an employee of the US immigration service in which he used social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to scam people seeking to obtain American visas. Kanwar Sarabjit Singh, 51, a lawful permanent resident, used Facebook and WhatsApp to falsely represent himself as an employee of the US department of homeland security (DHS) who worked in the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service and who could obtain genuine US visas in exchange for a fee of USD 3,000 to USD 4,000, US attorneys office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement. Singh pleaded guilty to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal officer and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 14. As part of his scheme, Singh created a fake photo identification document pretending to be from the DHS, which he mailed to others in an effort to show that he was capable to obtain US immigration documents. Singh instructed individuals seeking immigration documents to e-mail him passport photographs, copies of their passports and other personally identifying information and to send him money through overnight delivery service or by wire transfer. After receiving these documents and the requested fee up front, Singh created and mailed fake letters purporting to be from the US Embassy in New Delhi which falsely represented that there was an appointment to pick up the requested visa documents. Many of Singhs victims resided overseas and were impoverished. In addition to this visa fraud scheme, Singh also admitted to engaging in an investment fraud scheme in Tennessee in 2012 in which he defrauded approximately 22 investors of approximately USD 340,000. Singh gained the trust of a local pastor and his church, including elderly members, and falsely represented to them that he owned a small company in India that provided labour for services, including data entry, to two large, international companies and that for a small, up-front investment, they would see a large return on their money. Federal authorities said those defrauded by Singh should contact the FBIs Washington field office. In a setback to Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkals effort to get protection against arrest, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday deferred hearing his petition for anticipatory bail to September 25. Franco Mulakkal is to appear before the Kerala police officers probing allegations that he raped a nun tomorrow. In his bail plea, the Bishop had said he had been implicated for taking action against the nun. The Bishop had been summoned in connection with the probe into allegations of rape by a nun amid mounting pressure for action against him and continuing protests by Missionaries of Jesus nuns and officials of various churches for the past 10 days in Kochi. The day after he received the summons and following mounting pressure and growing protests, the Bishop handed over charge of the Diocese to a deputy. He also wrote to Pope Francis, the supreme pontiff of the Catholic church, offering to step aside temporarily. In June, a 43-year-old nun, also a mother superior, had complained to the police that Mulakkal, 54, had raped her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. The nun is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation based in Punjab which runs two convents in Kerala. Former BJD parliamentarian Baijayant Jay Pandas chopper was seized by the Odisha police on Monday over allegations that it flew over Chilika Lake, a No Flying Eco Sensitive Zone. An FIR was also lodged against Panda, who denied the charges and described the move as brazen attempt by the state government to stop him from moving around. Panda, who was suspended for anti-party activities in May this year, said: The FIR talks of people seeing the chopper at 1.30 pm. But I had landed at Bhubaneswar airport at 1.30 pm after flying the chopper from Kendrapara. It seems the government is picking up random reports and twisting it. The cops who had come to seize the chopper told my staff that they were under pressure, said Panda, who quit the BJD in May this year alleging that he was being targeted. THIS is whr i flew a helicopter on Sat to reach ppl in distress. & landed back at Bhubaneswar airport at the exact time the FIR alleges it "landed" in Chilika lake (chk ATC records)@odisha_police, yr illegal "seizure" of helicopter may slow me, but cant stop me from reaching ppl https://t.co/R4BzhcPweP Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) September 18, 2018 The police in Puri have also seized the hangar of the choppers owner IMFA, the company founded by Jay Pandas father. The FIR was lodged by assistant Conservator of Forests of the CDA, Binod Acharya at Marine Police Station in Arakhkuda. Though the FIR did not name Panda, Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said they had inquired from the Airport Authority of India that the former MP had indeed flown from the Bhubaneswar hangar to Kendrapara along with two other persons on September 15. As the AAI authorities did not give us the latitudinal and longitudinal positions of the chopper during Sept 15 flight without the approval of DGCA, we sealed the hangar. We would wait for details of the flight from DGCA before taking further action, Sarangi told HT. The FIR alleged that a white-coloured chopper was spotted at about 1.30 pm on September 15 flying over Chilika Lake area making huge sound and attempted to land in in Arakhkuda and nearby villages. The FIR came a day after an Odia daily reported about seaplane landing on Chilika water that created panic among the locals. The CDA official, however, in his FIR mentioned the aircraft as chopper. Earlier this month, the Airports Authority of India had dropped the proposal to introduce seaplane facility in the lake after officials in charge of conservation of Chilika advised it citing ecological concerns. Terming it legally infeasible and its costs outweighing its benefits, the AAI had announced plans of starting water aerodromes and amphibious aircraft operation in Chilika lake and Sabarmati river of Gujarat. Chilika Development Authority, the official agency in charge of the lake, had written to the State government stressing that the legal provisions under Wetland Conservation and Managent Rules, 2017 prohibited converting it for no-wetland uses. Chilila lake is a designated wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Nanda said the lake yields around 14,000 tonnes of fish every year providing livelihood to 2 lakh fishermen of 158 primary fishing cooperative societies. The sound and vibration during take-off and landing is likely to adversely affect the breeding of the prized M Cephalus prawn. The CDA officials said Irrawady Dolphins in the lake are highly sensitive to sound and their breeding may suffer due to high decibel sound due to the seaplanes. They also cautioned against the seaplane service citing the presence of one million birds congregating in the lake causing bird hazards for the operation of the sea planes. A day after Union home minister Rajnath Singh launched Indias smart fence along the international border with Pakistan, a BSF jawan was killed in sniper fire from across the border in Jammu regions Samba district. A BSF spokesman said unprovoked firing started from the Pakistan side at around 10.40 am in Samba districts Ramgarh Sector. A BSF party which was on domination patrolling ahead of the fence was fired upon, a BSF spokesperson said. The troops immediately retaliated. One BSF jawan, believed to have been hit in the firing, however, could not be located for nearly 9 hours. The area on Pak side has a protective bundh (embankment) close to the IB. Areas on our side is undulated, marshy and having thick sarkanda (wild grass) growth. It made the immediate locating of the felled jawan difficult, the BSF said in a late evening statement. The BSF hasnt disclosed the jawans identity, reportedly because his family needs to be informed about the news first. Through the day, senior officers in BSFs Jammu frontier didnt respond to calls triggering speculation that the jawan may have been abducted. A senior BSF officer, Inspector General Ram Awtar, had also rushed to the site to take stock of the situation. This morning Pakistan Rangers opened eight to ten rounds of small arms at a BSF party of four personnel, which had been engaged for clearing wild grass and some maintenance work near SP-1 Majra post in Ramgarh sub-sector, had said an intelligence official earlier during the day. It has been learnt that a flag meeting was also held between the local commanders on either side. Meanwhile, Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district on Tuesday. Pakistan army resorted to ceasefire violation by resorting to heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gulpur area of Poonch district. Pak army targeted forward defence locations and civilian locations, drawing retaliation from the Indian army. Police said, Pakistan army initiated indiscriminate heavy firing of both small and heavy arms from 1 AM in the wee hours, which lasted over couple of hours. The army posts retaliated strongly and effectively to shelling and firing from the Pakistan army. There were no reports of any casualties or damages on the Indian side. Defence sources said that the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions in Gulpur area at around 1am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described the cooperation between India and Bangladesh as an example for the world as he jointly inaugurated the construction of a 130-kilometre friendship pipeline project and two railway projects with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project, inaugurated through a video conferencing, will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The Rs 346-crore project will be completed in 30 months and the capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tonnes per annum. Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhales visit to Dhaka. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister Modi described the cooperation between the two countries as an example for the world, according to an official statement. He said the two countries were neighbours, geographically and family, emotionally. Geographically we are neighbours. But emotionally, we are a family. Being part of each others joys and sorrows, helping each other in development is part of our family. In the past few years, we have shown to the world that when neighbours decide then a lot can be achieved, Modi said at the event. Modi said the pipeline will add a new chapter in the friendship of the two countries. He said the proposed pipeline will further energise not just Bangladeshs economy, but also the relationship between the two countries. The Prime Minister said be it decades-old border dispute or development projects, the two countries have made unprecedented progress. He said the project will boost the friendship between India and Bangladesh and the pipeline will help fulfil energy needs at a cheaper rate to Bangladeshs northern part. Through the cross-border pipeline, India will supply fuel oil from its Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), located at Golaghat in the north-eastern state of Assam, while Bangladesh will receive the oil at Parbatipur Depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) in north-western district of Dinajpur. Modi said although the project was financed by India, after its completion the infrastructure would be handed over to the Bangladesh government. Officials said this pipeline will play an effective role in further strengthening the energy security of Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India signed an MoU on April 9 last to set up the pipeline aimed at pumping Indian oil to Bangladesh with a capacity of 1 million tonnes per year, the report said. India will supply 2.5 lakh tonnes of diesel for the first three years. The import of fuel through the pipeline will be raised further as per the requirements of Bangladesh. The NRL will distribute diesel for 15 years through the pipeline and the time could be expanded following the consent of both sides, local media reported. With the completion of construction of the pipeline, the deal on sale and purchase will be made effective, the report said, quoting BPC sources. The Parbatipur Depot formally received the first consignment of 2,268 tonnes of diesel from the NRL through rail wagons on March 19, 2016. Through the rail wagons, Bangladesh has imported 57,000 tonnes of diesel from India till July 2018 and it is expected that another 50,000 tonnes will be brought from India in August-December 2018 through the same way. Besides the pipeline, the two leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual-gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi section and the dual-gauge rail line in Tongi-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway. Modi said Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Railway project will improve connectivity between the two countries and generate more revenue. He expressed confidence that the proposed railway project will contribute to the process of strengthening national and urban transport in Bangladesh, the statement said. Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina sought Indias continued support and cooperation for Bangladeshs development. She said Bangladesh-India bilateral cooperation has reached to a new height in the past few years while prospects for economic development would substantially be enhanced through such bilateral projects as economic development is the biggest challenge for South Asian countries. Weve to work collectively for the development and prosperity for the people of both countries in the new areas, including energy, power, road and rail communications, she told the conference from her Ganobhaban official residence. Im quite sure that we will get many such happy events in the days ahead for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh and India, she added. Centre gets fixed tax on fuel: Sitharaman If you breakdown the price of petrol and diesel the tax that centre gets is a fixed price. State governments taxes on fuel is a certain percentage and changes. What we collect as taxes certain amount goes to the states too says Nirmala Sitharaman on fuel hike. No proposal yet to cut Army strength: Sitharaman No proposal yet to cut down army strength. But the army chief must have discussed it internally, says Nirmala Sitharaman Sidhus hug demoralised Indians: Sitharaman Navjot Sidhu has a lot of admirers, hes got his own following. Somebody of that stature going there and hugging the chief of the army; it certainly has an impact on the soldiers. It demoralises people. Direct all questions to UPA: Sitharaman UPA could have strenghtened HAL. Every question should actually go to them(UPA government), they didnt take care of HAL, didnt make agreement appealing enough. Negotiations with Russia on S400 have almost reached the final stage The Odisha police on Tuesday summoned former BJD parliamentarian Baijayant Panda and his two co-passengers to record their statement after filing a case against him on Monday for flying his chopper low over lake Chilika, Asias largest brackish water lake and a No-Fly Zone, police said. The Chilika Development Authority had lodged a case with the Marine police station Arakhkuda on Monday over allegations that a chopper reportedly piloted by Panda on September 15 flew very low over the lake, a No Fly Zone. A CDA official in his FIR had alleged that a white coloured chopper had attempted to land in Chilika and hovered over the lake for quite some time at 1.30 pm. The police also sealed the hangar of IMFA, the company founded by Pandas father. In a series of tweets later on Monday, Panda questioned how he flew over the lake at 1.30 pm when he was already back in Bhubaneswar by 1.26 pm. First it was a seaplane.. 48 hrs later it became a helicopter..it landed on no-fly zone lake at 1.30 pm. But wait, ATC records show it was parked at Bhubaneswar airport then, he tweeted. Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said Panda and two co-passengers senior fellow of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies Abhijit Iyer-Mitra and senior journalist Aarti Singh Tikoo have been asked to present themselves at the Puri Sadar police station on Wednesday noon for recording of statement under various sections of the CrPC, IPC and the Aircraft Act. On September 15, the only flight that flew close to Chilika lake was Pandas chopper. After an FIR was lodged by the CDA, we sealed the airport hangar where the chopper is parked and have asked the Airports Authority of India for the choppers Cockpit Data Recorder. The AAI said they would have to seek DGCAs permission before handing us the data that would make it clear at what height the chopper was over Chilika lake, said SP Sarangi. Pending that we have asked Panda and his co-passengers to record their statements for further investigation in the case, he added. Meanwhile the controversy over the chopper ride continued with BJD MLAs staging a dharna near the Gandhi statue of Odisha Assembly demanding arrest of Panda and Abhijit Iyer-Mitra. The MLAs said Mitra has made distasteful remarks on Konark Sun Temple in his Twitter thread. Abhijit responded saying it was sarcasm that was lost on the people. Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrived in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and is scheduled to address a public meeting in Kurnool district of the state that goes to polls early next year. I am in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh today to meet with Congress party workers and leaders. Also scheduled are meetings with youth and farmers from the region. At 3pm, I will address a public meeting at the STBC college ground. Apart from addressing a public meeting and interacting with students at Kurnool, Gandhi will unveil a statue of late Damodara Sanjivayya, the first Dalit chief minister of any state in the country. The Congress chief will also pay tributes at the memorial of former chief minister Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy. He is likely to formally induct Rayalaseem movement leader and former TDP MLA Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy into the Congress. The Congress recently forged an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party in Telangana and experts feel it could be a prelude to the two parties joining hands in Andhra Pradesh also. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on a visit to Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments inability to check rising crime against women and promised special category status to the state bifurcated in 2014 with the creation of Telangana as a separate state. At an interaction with woman students in Kurnool, the Congress leader said the Prime Minister was lacking both direction and conviction in ensuring womens safety. He repeated the same charge on Twitter with specific reference to the PMs silence on the gang rape of a board exam topper in Haryana , and said this was unacceptable. In Kurnool, Gandhi also cited one case of an alleged rape by an Uttr Pradesh legislator from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed that the PM had failed to even condemn the incident and express solidarity with the victim. A slew of high-profile rape cases and sexual abuse reported from all over the country have raised concerns over womens safety in the country ahead of state elections this year leading up to Lok Sabha polls in 2019. The Congress chief urged women to enter politics and the armed forces to change their own destiny. Rahuls attack on the PM drew sharp criticism from the BJP with the partys state vice-president, Turaga Nagabhushanam, stating that womens safety was a top priority for the NDA government. Our government has introduced as many as 14 special schemes for the uplift of women in the last four years, she said. During his visit, the Congress chief promised that if his party comes to power in 2019, its first action would be to provide special category status to Andhra Pradesh along with special economic support for backward regions like the states Rayalaseema region. Nagabhushanam, however, termed Gandhis promise as mere empty talk. The Rajasthan high court has refused to stay a state government-organised ceremony to mark the promotion of 6,000 constables on Wednesday, but directed the Vasundhara Raje-led government to keep an account of the expenditure. On Tuesday, a division bench headed by chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL)?filed by a city-based advocate, Pramod Singh, seeking to halt the alleged misuse of public funds and government machinery to gain political mileage. Constables will be promoted to the rank of head constable during the event at Rajasthan Police Academy in Jaipur. The high order will provide a major boost to the chief minister, ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year. In another PIL , the court, on September 5, asked the state government to not club any government events with the chief ministers Gaurav Yatra, a 40-day state-wide political roadshow. The government was represented by a team of lawyers led by advocate general RM Lodha and additional advocate general G S Gill. According to Gill, the court passed a judgment favourable to the government after taking note of delays in promotions. The petition, among other things, claimed that the Rajasthan government will make arrangements for boarding and lodging of relatives of the constables/head constables, who will come to attend the event. The government is also using public funds for organising the event, and this is misuse of public funds and government machinery. A special team of 10 senior police officials, under the chairmanship of director general police (DGP) OP Galhotra, was set up to organise the event. On Sunday, Galhotra said: Many candidates who join the department as constables retire without getting any promotion. Understanding the pain and mental condition of such constables, the state government and police headquarters have taken a decision to promote them. In her 2018-19 budget speech, Raje announced that constables who had served 18 years or more in the department would be promoted. She and state home minister Gulab Chand Kataria will attend the event. The next hearing is scheduled for September 24. A lesser known political outfit, Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, has decided to field Shambhulal Regar accused of hacking a Muslim man to death and burning his body in Rajasthans Rajsamand as its candidate from Agra Lok Sabha seat. Though Regar is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail, party leaders are confident that he would win the election. The Agra (reserved) Lok Sabha seat is presently represented by former union minister Ram Shankar Katheria who is the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). National president of UP Navnirman Sena Amit Jani said: If a person is accused in a murder case it does not mean he is a murderer... Regar has the constitutional right to contest election till his conviction... He said the party had offered Regar a ticket which he had accepted. There will be objections from parties which have otherwise given tickets to people like Atiq Ahmad, Mukhtar Ansari and Shahabuddin and got them elected in the name of secularism. These parties will oppose the candidature of Shambhulal Regar who comparatively faces lighter charges than many others contesting elections, Jani claimed. He said the BJP should have given ticket to Regar from some assembly seat in Rajasthan but it was in no mood to do so. Navnirman Sena will field candidates in UP for Lok Sabha elections...The seers will guide us and also campaign for our candidates, Jani added. Labourer Mohd Afrazul, who hailed from West Bengal, was allegedly hacked and burnt alive on December 6 last year by Regar. After killing Afrazul, Regar was seen in a video ranting that he did it to stop Love Jihad, a term publicised to refer to Muslim men marrying Hindu women. Jani was arrested in October 2017 in Agra along with his associate Updesh Rana for posting a controversial post depicting Taj Mahal as Tejomahalaya, a Shiv Temple, on social media. A court in United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ordered the extradition of an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper deal to India, according to officials familiar with the development. Michel, a British national, is wanted in India for allegedly organising bribes in exchange for a 2007 contract for VVIP helicopters for the purchase of 12 luxury helicopters for use by top leaders, including the President, Prime Minister and former prime ministers. He was detailed in UAE this June and granted bail the following month. The court order, which is in Arabic, is being translated at the moment. The exact reasons for the court agreeing to extradite Michel to India are not know yet, but the order is for his extradition, said a senior government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was not clear whether Michel could appeal against the extradition order. The Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were jointly involved in the bid to extradite Michel, who was one of the key accused in the case. The CBI investigators have long suspected that Michel was the conduit for routing bribe money to political contacts in India. There were two other middlemen in the deal who influenced the bureaucrats to swing the deal in favour AgustaWestland, they have said. A CBI spokesperson was not available for comments. India had entered into an agreement with AgustaWestland to supply 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to ferry VVIP passengers. The deal was cancelled by India in 2014 over bribery allegations. In September last year, the CBI had filed a charge sheeted against former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi and eight others Tyagis cousin Sanjeev alias Julie, Infotech legal advisor Gautam Khaitan, former Air Force vice-chief JS Gujral, former AgustaWestland chief executive officer Bruno Spagnolini, former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi and alleged middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke and Christian Michel in the case. Three companies Finmeccanica, its UK-based subsidiary AgustaWestland, and Mohali-based IDS Infotech were also charged. The ED is probing the money-laundering aspect of the case and charged 34 Indians, foreign nationals and companies this July. EDs investigation revealed that the kickbacks were paid by AgustaWestland for bagging the VVIP chopper deal in India through two different channels. One channel was handled by middleman Christian Michel James and the other channel was handled by Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, an ED official told Hindustan Times in July on the condition of anonymity. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries are often fond of saying that the organisation (sangathan) makes the leader. This is true, but sometimes the leader becomes so central to the organisation that his absence becomes a source of vulnerability. Manohar Parikkars (prolonged) illness in Goa has induced precisely this uncertainty in the state. The Congresss move on Monday to submit a representation to the Governor seeking both the governments dismissal and seeking an opportunity to form the government stems from a sense that timing is just right to open another front against the BJP and from a particular configuration in the house. Parikkar not only enabled the BJPs growth and success in an unlikely state (think of its cultural roots and plural religious mix) but was the reason the party could form the government at all in 2017 despite losing its majority and coming second. Smaller parties and independents were willing to back the nimble-footed and resourceful BJP, while the Congress was caught napping despite being the single largest party, but on one condition: Parikkars return to the state from Delhi. This suited the then defence minister, who was always itching to get back home. The problem began some months ago when Parikkar was first admitted to a Mumbai hospital and then flown to US. He did return but it was not the same and political circles both in the state and Delhi knew that Parikkar would have to invest time in taking care of his health. When there was a dip in health over the weekend, and he was flown to Delhi, speculation began that Parikkar had himself sought alternative arrangements in the state. There is no clarity on whether this meant he wanted to quit, or he wanted other interim mechanisms to be put in place. Either way, it kicked off a fresh round of political churn. The Congress has smelled an opportunity. After having been criticised for being slow after the results came out, it wants to ensure that it remains aggressive. There are two motivations here: Expose the fact that the government is non-functioning and see if BJPs allies and independents can be weaned away. Some in the Congress have also floated the idea of doing a Karnataka, by offering chief ministership to one of the smaller allies. The Congress believes that even if it is not able to effect an immediate change, the optics are rather negative for the BJP because it is coming across as a party obsessed with only power, even though it is not able to exercise it in the absence of its leader. For the BJP, Parikkars health has been a setback. In the run up to 2019, the loss of a state if the government collapses would not augur well for optics. But BJP leaders claim that a lot of the speculation about change is unwarranted. For one, the government continues to enjoy a majority, even if it a slim one. Two, the allies have reiterated that they will remain with National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Three, while admitting that there may be a governance deficit, BJP leaders say there is no governance or constitutional crisis and thus no compelling, immediate need to change the CM. Four, the Congress is over-reaching because the arithmetic has not changed. And finally, the fact that the ball is in the Governors court means that it is unlikely that she will take a decision which would actively go against the BJPs immediate interests. As Parikkars health remains fragile, Goa will continue to be politically turbulent. From the continuation of a government with a leader who is unwell to a change in power equations, from Presidents Rule to early elections, all options are on the cards. But the decision will finally boil down as much to the machinations in Panjim as to the state of a man in a room in Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Sometimes then, leaders do determine the fate of the organisation. Presenting his report card as parliamentarian from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted the development works carried out in Kashi by his government in the last four years. Addressing a rally at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Modi said: You may have given me responsibility of Prime Minister but it is my duty to give you an account of my work as your member of parliament. You are my high command, you are my master and I am your sevak (servant). So, I have to give you the account of every paisa and time spent on Varanasi. The PM launched and inaugurated projects worth Rs 557.39 crore for Varanasi. He inaugurated a number of projects including Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) worth 362 crores for Old Kashi and Atal Incubation Centre at BHU. He also laid the foundation stone of various projects including Regional Ophthalmology Centre and Centre for Vedic Sciences at BHU. Today, I gave you the glimpses of the work that I did as a parliamentarian in the last four-and-a-half years, the PM said, concluding his speech in Varanasi. He said while making Varanasi a smart city, care was being taken to not to disturb the culture and tradition of the temple town and to conserve its rich history and culture. Modern facilities are being developed in Kashi while preserving the tradition and eternal identity for which the city is known since time immemorial. There has been a positive change in the last four years. The difference is visible, Modi said. He said after underground cabling work in Old Kashi under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), the cobweb of overhead electricity wires had disappeared. The government has cleared 200 projects worth Rs 21,000 crore to clean up Ganga from Gangotri to Gangasagar. It is being ensured that sewage waste does not enter the river. In Varanasi alone, three sewage treatment plants are under construction. Two of these are on the verge of completion, Modi said. He said the Centre was making efforts to develop Varanasi as the gateway to East India. We are trying to equip the city with world-class transportation, education and medical facilities. Road projects worth thousands of crores of rupees are being constructed. The ring road project has been completed. Manduadeeh flyover has already been completed. Work to widen Andhara Pul, which was pending for many years, has also been completed. Railway stations have been modernised, he said. Alluding to the pictures of the railway stations posted on social media, Modi said people could see the changing face of the city soon after stepping down from trains. Kashi has started emerging as a health hub. The city already has a new cancer hospital. A super speciality hospital and a cancer hospital will come up providing modern facilities to patients. BHU has signed an MoU with AIIMS to develop a world-class health institute, the Prime Minister added. Modi said the Atal Incubation Centre would give fresh energy to startups and added he was informed that the centre had already received applications from 80 startups and 20 others were already connected with it. We are trying to uplift the status of people of every class. Kashi is among the selected cities where cooking gas is being supplied through pipeline. A line has been laid from Allahabad to Varanasi. Work is in progress to provide cooking gas supply through pipeline to 40,000 houses in Varanasi, he said. We are committed to bringing about a positive change. Please come forward and contribute in making new Kashi and New India, he said. I am the son of Kashi. The people of Varanasi gave me immense affection and blessings. I am beginning a new year to serve the country after seeking the blessings of Baba Vishvanath and Maa Ganga, he added. Facing a cash crunch, the Congress in Rajasthan has opted for crowd funding and is now running a 77-day campaign to finance assembly elections scheduled for later this year. The state Congress has collected a sum of Rs 2,47, 477 from 168 donors in last two days. The top five donors include Sushil Asopa (Rs 25,000) and Sachin Mathur (Rs 21,000), followed by Arvind Verma (Rs 12,000), Rukshmani Kumari (Rs 11,000) and Salman Aneez Soz (Rs 10,000) . The party is also using social media for the purpose the web page for contributions has tabs to share the initiative on WhatsApp messenger and Facebook. In 2015, it was the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had run the crowd funding campaign called Donate to AAP. State Congress president Sachin Pilot said, This is an initiative by AICC and the idea behind it is not just raising funds but to establish connect with people. He added, The election is for the public and by the public but their involvement has been going down slowly. Only casting your vote is not fully participating in democracy. Making politicians accountable during and after the elections, ensuring your participation and contributing to the elections, be it financially or politically or in principle, there should be a public stake and involvement. Pilot said at least the Congress party wants to ensure this. I feel the Congress has public support. We might lack resources, but we have peoples blessings. The public that is feeling cheated from the last four years understands that, if Congress comes to power we can create a better future for the youth and farmers. He added that in coming days, it will be a victory of the people. I am sure that the Congress will get peoples blessings. I appeal to the people of Rajasthan to support the crowd funding initiative of @INCIndia for upcoming Rajasthan Elections to usher in an era of clean and transparent funding. To contribute click on the link below:https://t.co/xGWbXlGNvF#CleanPolitics Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) September 15, 2018 About the fundraiser, the party stated that over the last few years, the Congress party has been growing with strength in Rajasthan. From the local municipal and panchayat polls to the by elections for the assembly and parliament constituencies, the Congress continues to win a growing number of seats. It is evident that the people are tired of the mis-governance, corruption and apathy of the BJP and opinion polls suggest a clear lead for the Congress in the state. Now, just months away from the crucial assembly elections in the state, the Congress party is reaching out to you, the citizens of India to participate by making a contribution, the party said. The Congress party went on to say that the equation is now well known - its the BJPs cash power versus peoples power. During Karnataka polls earlier this year, the BJP spent over Rs 300 crore on advertising alone and thousands of crores on the state election. On one hand, you have BJPs billionaire friends giving them thousands of crores of rupees to control the media and public opinion, while on the other hand you have distressed farmers, women, jobless youth and citizens struggling to make a living. If a few thousand citizens could join hands and support this campaign, Sachin Pilot and his team will have enough funds to take on the corrupt BJP regime in Rajasthan. They will use these funds to reach the last person and take their concerns on board, unlike the BJP that just believes in spending crores of rupees to manipulate public opinion and to make false promises, the party said. The Mumbai Congress on Monday demanded reservations in education and jobs for north Indians belonging to different backward classes living here, an official said. Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and submitted a three-point memorandum, seeking quotas for north Indian OBCs, SCs and STs, who are accorded reservations in northern parts of India but not in Maharashtra. People belonging to multiple castes have migrated from north India to Mumbai in search of employment. These include people from more than 30 different castes like Vishwakarma, Kurmi, Koiri, Pal, Kanojia, Gupta, Chaurasia, Maurya and Rajbhar who have made Maharashtra their homes for over two-three generations now, Nirupam said. Unfortunately, he said, they have not yet been recognised or granted the status of Backward Classes in Maharashtra, which is a denial of their fundamental rights and the country must have one uniform rule which can be implemented across all states. Nirupam further said that certain OBC names which are commonly used in the northern parts of India are not in vogue in Maharashtra although they belong to the same community and hence are entitled to quotas. The government should introduce a new system in place wherein only a domicile certificate shall be considered as the mandatory criteria for allotting a caste certificate as opposed to the present complicated system in which old records and proofs are demanded, Nirupam added. Giving them a hearing, Fadnavis said certain issues pertained to to the central government with legal ramifications which he would pursue and take appropriate action in the matter. On the question of why caste certificate were not issued expeditiously despite submission of all documents by the applicants, Fadnavis assured he would asked the concerned departments to probe and ensure the matter is resolved. The memorandum was signed by 25 prominent members of various North Indian OBC communities in the state backing the demands. Politics in our country never ceases to surprise or shock. The proposed alliance between the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) does both -- it surprises and shocks in equal measure. If it materialises, the tie-up would bear comparison with the pre-1999 electoral pact between M Karunanidhis Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Atal Bihari Vajpayees Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). In terms of their incompatibility, a parallel could also be drawn with the now dissipated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir. Those optimistic about the Congress-TDP convergence say the alliance would gain in Hyderabad-Secunderabad and Khamam. A sizeable number of Andhra people, including those from Chandrababu Naidus Kamma caste, are settled in these areas, which account for nearly three dozen seats in the 119-member Telangana assembly. The tie-ups other presumed positive is its impact on the 12% Muslim vote thats broadly perceived to be with K Chandrashekar Rao (referred to as KCR). The chief minister is fluent in Urdu, has a good equation with Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittihad al-Muslimin, and has managed to keep the community in good humour. Cited in that context are the 200-odd residential schools he has set up with a 79:21 ratio of Muslim to Hindu students. Besides the Communist Party of India, the new alliance also comprises M Kodandarams Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS). It is likely to split the Muslim vote by hyping KCRs proximity to the BJP, regardless of what BJP chief Amit Shah says by way of attacking the CM. That slogan was once used against Naidu the boot now is on the other foot, said Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, managing editor of the Hyderabad-based Urdu daily Siasat. The TDPs ambivalence on separate statehood for Telangana is another Achilles heel of the new coalition. Khan said the combine should have its campaign led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to tide over the contradiction. The former Congress chief is held in high esteem for the key role she had played in the formation of Telangana. Of as much help in removing misconceptions that the ruling TRS might create will be the TJS, which has an impeccable record on the statehood issue as an offshoot of the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC). Questions persist nevertheless about the potency of the anti-KCR alliance. For his part, the CM has started painting the Opposition tie-up as Andhras conspiracy to again enslave Telangana. Then theres the imponderable about whether the Congress and the TDP workers could be a team after having fought each other for decades. Whether or not it clicks, the Congress-TDP experiment will not be the first-of-its-kind. There are several other instances of such alignments in politics. An example of it was Bihar, where the Janata Dal (United) joined with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress to defeat the BJP. The BJPs 1999 alliance with the DMK was unprecedented, both socially and politically. The Dravidian partys rationalist, anti-Brahmin roots made it the most unlikely partner of the saffron standard bearers who openly courted sadhus and seers. The gulf didnt come in the way of Vajpayee again becoming PM for a fuller term. The DMK had replaced in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) its major rival in Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) after J Jayalalithaa plotted Vajpayees fall with the Congress but failed to set up an alternative regime. The TDPs Naidu was the early bird that arrived before Karunanidhi. He shifted allegiances after dumping the United Front, formed in 1996 to keep the BJP out of power. For Naidu, the wheel has come full circle since his father-in-law, the late NT Rama Rao, formed the party to oust the Congress on the Telugu Atmagouravam (Telugu Pride) plank. The tectonic shift in undivided Andhra happened when Rajiv Gandhi publicly admonished then chief minister T Anjiah at Begumpet airport. That was over three-and-a-half decades ago, in January of 1983. Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday claimed that external affairs minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj had assured him that a draft was being prepared on Kartarpur passage and she would write a letter to the Pakistan government for opening of the passage. Sidhu claimed that he had written a letter to Swaraj urging for a formal request to the Pakistan government for an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage. Swarajs assurance was in response to his letter, Sidhu further claimed. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Sidhu said, I had written in my letter to EAM that kindly send a formal request from ministry of external affairs (MEA) to government of Pakistan requesting an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage immediately after current monsoon season. We had a detailed discussion during the meeting, explained to her (EAM) about the necessity of opening of the Kartarpur corridor. A formal request should go from Indias side. EAM said to me, the draft is being prepared and I will write a letter, he added. However, Swaraj had earlier stated that the Pakistani government has so far neither agreed to include visits to Kartarpur Sahib by Indian pilgrims under bilateral protocol nor has sent any official communication for establishing the corridor. On September 15, Swaraj wrote to union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal saying, I received your letter of 13 September 2018 regarding facilitating visits of the Indian pilgrims, including through a corridor, to the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib located in Pakistan. The Government has been taking up the matter with Pakistan. However, Pakistan has so far neither agreed to include visits to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib by the Indian pilgrims under the bilateral Protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974 nor has it sent any official communication for establishing a corridor. Also read: Sidhu betrayed us, played with sentiments: Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Kartarpur Sahib row In the letter, Swaraj further informed that over past many years, Pakistani authorities have only allowed limited number of visits of the Indian pilgrims to the Gurudwara along with the visit to other shrines in Pakistan. The EAM also assured that government remains seized of the matter and will continue to take up the matter with Pakistan. Swarajs statement has punctured Sidhus claims, who on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak said that Pakistan will open the corridor of Kartarpur Sahib. The Congress leader had also hailed this move as a goodwill gesture. The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is barely 3 kilometres away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak died in 1539. Punjab minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has demeaned India and spoken like an agent of Pakistan in justifying his act of hugging Pakistan Army chief, the BJP said. BJP spokesman Sambit Patra also asked for a response from Congress president Rahul Gandhi and claimed that cricketer-politician has been speaking on the matter with his permission as Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has already condemned him over his conduct in Pakistan during the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan recently. He also accused Sidhu of meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj deceptively as she had given appointment to former Union minister MS Gill with whom, Patra alleged Sidhu tagged along. The BJP spokesperson said Swaraj reprimand Sidhu in their meeting on Monday for his conduct in Pakistan. On Monday afternoon, Kashmir Kaur (65) rushed from Marhana village to Harike Pattan town in Tarn Taran district to meet her daughter-in-law and grandchildren soon after she got to know that her son Hardeep Singh was injured in a firing incident at the Dharamshala military station. But by the time she reached there, neighbours told her that Hardeep (45), a havildar with the 18 Sikh Regiment, had succumbed to bullet injuries. Hardeep and Naik Harpal Singh were shot by their colleague Jasbir Singh (21), a sepoy, with his service rifle before shooting himself dead in their barracks in the wee hours of Monday. An inconsolable Kashmir Kaur was taken to a house in the neighbourhood as Hardeeps wife Paramjit Kaur (43), who suffers from high-blood pressure, was not informed about his death. Besides his mother and wife, Hardeep is survived by daughter Jashandeep Kaur (12), a Class 8 student, and son Anmoldeep (8), who studies in Class 4. His father, Chanchal Singh, a truck driver, died of heart attack just one-and-a-half-months back. Kashmir Kaur, mother of late Havildar Hardeep Singh, with his children at Harike Pattan in Tarn Taran. The familys ancestral house is at Marhana village where Kashmir Kaur lives. The neighbours called Paramjits parents who said they will tell her about the death on Tuesday when Hardeeps body is likely to reach home. Her throat choked with emotions, Kashmir Kaur recalled as how after completing his matriculation her son he started pursuing his only passion to join the security forces to serve the country. But it was in the 13th attempt that he made to the army in 1996, she said, talking of his grit and perseverance. Three years after joining the army, my son married Paramjit from Varpal village in the district. He was to get retired in 2021. I cannot believe that my son is no more, she said. She said, On Saturday night, Hardeep called me and enquired about my health. Then he said he would call me later as he had to wake up early in the morning. But he did not keep his promise. Hardeep was deployed in Chicago as part of a United Nations (UN) mission in Chicago, US, before he was deployed in Dharamshala around a year ago, his paternal uncle Kuldeep Singh said. Hardeeps younger brother Fateh Singh lives in Germany while his two sisters Kuldeep Kaur and Sandeep Kaur are married. Family gets no official information yet Kuldeep Singh said they did not get any official information from the army or the district administration about the incident. We came to know this from the media. Hardeeps mobile phone is switched off since. We have only informed his wife that he was hospitalised after receiving a bullet injury in the leg. She is in a state of shock, he added. Deputy commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabarwal said the administration had not received any communication about the development from the department of defence services welfare. Even as the Pakistan government is trying to generate revenue through means such as auctioning luxury cars, prime minister Imran Khan has been mocked for taking a helicopter into Islamabad most days, after declaring he would eschew luxury perks. Information Minister Chaudhry argued that the helicopter uses less fuel than a motorcade, saying at one point it cost only 50 rupees (40 cents) per kilometre. That calculation provoked ridicule. Why dont you stop metro bus service and instead let people enjoy the cheap helicopter rides? quipped a TV host. In fact, Khans helicopter costs about 200,000 rupees ($1,633) per hour factoring in fuel, crew, maintenance and inspections, Syed Naseem Ahmad, president of the Society of Air Safety Investigation Pakistan said. Khan has promised to cut costs, including trimming motorcades of government officials and selling public land. It is a change of mindset, he said in a speech on Friday. I will be counting every single rupee I have to spend on me. Khans campaign, however, has been somewhat undercut by his near-daily helicopter commute from his home in the hills surrounding Islamabad. Optics aside, analysts say Pakistan will have to take more painful policy cuts in government spending to truly reduce the deficit. The new government on Monday did raise gas prices by 10 to 20 percent. The luxury cars auction on Monday raised about 200 million rupees ($1.6 million), government official Mohammad Asif told local Geo TV. That is just one-tenth of the amount he had predicted, and only 61 of just over 100 vehicles were sold. The event had been billed as part of Khans drive to give the nations wealth to its rightful owners. Critics say most of the measures so far are more symbolism than significant savings. Critics say the cost-cutting so far has been mostly cosmetic. There is nothing new in the current austerity drive, said political commentator Raza Rumi. Auctions of ageing government vehicles, for example, have taken place for years, with less publicity. As tourism fuelled by domestic visitors booms in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), provincial authorities are looking to encourage sustainable high-quality tourism in a region known for its natural beauty and fragile eco-system. Making tourism a priority area in Tibet - and a way to alleviate poverty - was in focus at last weeks China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo in Lhasa. "In terms of policy, projects and funding, we will set up various supporting mechanisms so as to establish tourism as the leading priority industry of the TAR," the regions chairperson, Qi Zhala, said at beginning of the tourism summit on Saturday. The expo is a very good way to promote tourism in Tibet, Jigme Wangsto, director of the TAR governments information office told visiting journalists. The regional government actively promotes sustainable development of the tourism industry in Tibet and special efforts are made to seek harmony between development and protection, the TAR government said in a statement Its a careful balance that needs to be maintained as tourism numbers are going up. The region, according to official Xinhua news agency, received a record 25.6 million domestic and foreign tourists in 2017, up 10.6% compared to the previous year. Tourism revenue during the year reached 37.9 billion yuan ($5.9 billion), with a year-on-year increase of 14.7%, the report said. Statistics showed that in the first five months of 2018, Tibet received 5.6 million tourists, up 38% year-on-year. Total revenue rose 41.4% to 7.1 billion yuan (about $1.1 billion), Xinhua reported. The government also plans to build three new airports to promote tourism and economic growth, it was announced earlier this year. The airports will be in Shannan, Xigaze and Ali, according the regional government and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The aim is to attract more than 30 million tourists by 2020. Much more, however, needs to be done to attract foreign tourists. The region is not easily accessible for foreigners, who need visitor permits through registered Chinese travel agencies and are almost always part of supervised travel groups. Diplomats and journalists are not allowed to enter TAR without government permits. Wangtso said policies restricting foreign tourists coming into Tibet were not formulated by the TAR government but by central authorities. (Hindustan Times was in TAR at the invitation of the State Council Information Office of the Peoples Republic of China.) India has slammed the United Nations Security Council for failing to cripple the Talibans roaring drug trade, saying the terror outfit gets significant support from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistans natural resources. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, said at a Security Council debate on Afghanistan on Monday that the Secretary Generals current report also fails to address this very key issue in an adequate matter. He expressed concern that while a Security Council resolution adopted earlier this year to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) does focus on linkages between extremism, terrorism, drug production and illegal exploitation of natural resources of Afghanistan, it falls short of expectations in striving to cripple the Talibans drug trade. India called for crippling the illicit drug trade which provides financial sustenance to terror outfits like the Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Akbaruddin said the agendas of these terror organisations draw financial sustenance not only from extortion and forced levies and taxes, but also benefit significantly from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistans natural resources. Citing estimates, he said 60 per cent of the Talibans revenues are from the drug trade and poppy cultivation is said to be the largest cash crop in Taliban-controlled areas. He asserted that templates for curbing illicit trade by terrorist networks exist, saying that it is estimated that when targeted, the Islamic States oil revenue fell over three years by nearly 90 per cent from a monthly high of USD 50 million to just USD 4 million. However by contrast, the opium produced in Taliban-controlled areas is estimated to account for 85 per cent of global illicit production, valued between USD 1.5 billion to USD 3 billion. We feel it is time for this Council to try and replicate the success of the international community against the Islamic States illicit business in Syria and Iraq by similarly crippling the Talibans illicit drug trade, Akbaruddin said, adding that hopefully this important subject will be addressed by the Secretary General in his next report as well as by the Council. He said that during the past few months, the international community has followed with hope and anticipation the various peace efforts and overtures by the Government and people of Afghanistan towards bringing peace to their war-torn country. With parliamentary elections one month away and a major ministerial conference planned for November in Geneva, United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan Tasamichi Yamamoto briefed the Security Council, noting that preparations are on track but that many challenges lie ahead, including increased security concerns. It is a time for important decisions in Afghanistan, he said. Japanese billionaire businessman, online fashion tycoon and art collector Yusaku Maezawa was revealed Monday as the first tourist who will fly on a SpaceX rocket around the Moon. I choose to go to the Moon, the 42-year-old said to cheers and applause at SpaceX headquarters in California, after being introduced by the aerospace companys CEO Elon Musk. He added he will invite 6-8 artists for the trip. Maezawa is the 18th richest person in Japan with a fortune of $3 billion, according to Forbes magazine. In moves typical of his publicity-seeking style, SpaceX founder Elon Musk , who is also the billionaire chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc, had previously teased a few tantalizing details about the trip and the passengers identity, but left major questions unanswered. At the unveiling, Musk said Maezawa will fly to the moon aboard a new rocket called the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which is still in development. The reusable 118-meter (387-foot) rocket will have its own dedicated passenger ship. Maezawa made his fortune by founding the wildly popular shopping site Zozotown. His company Zozo, officially called Start Today Co Ltd, also offers a made-to-measure service using a polka dot bodysuit, the Zozosuit. The average distance from Earth to the moon is about 237,685 miles (382,500 kilometers). No one has been there since an Apollo mission in 1972. L ate September means one terrifying thing for arachnophobes: its spider season. We'll start to see more of these eight-legged creepy crawlies in our homes as the temperature drops. But how do you stop them coming in and what can you do to get rid of them? How to stop spiders coming in the house Firstly, turn off lights in empty rooms, because the insects that spiders feed on are attracted to them. Make sure to seal up any gaps you may have around windows and doors, as spiders use them to creep in. Spiders also like to hide in vegetation, like bushes, shrubs and plants. Keep these well trimmed and tidy up leaves and other debris directly around your home. How to get rid of spiders They hate smells such as mint and vinegar, so spray some around your home. Cats make great spider hunters. Felines can eat them without being harmed even venomous ones as the digestion process neutralises the poison. Spiders love to hide in clutter and dark places like piles of clothes, so keep your home tidy. Crumbs left on the floor can attract insects for the spiders to feed on, so sweep up after your kids have finished their dinner. Theres an old wives' tale that conkers deter spiders unfortunately there is no proof that this works. Do house spiders bite? If you should find yourself with an influx of creepy crawlies in your home, should you be worried about them biting? In a word, no. Prof Adam Hart, an entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire, recently told the BBC that "worrying about that in this country is like worrying about ghosts. It's not going to happen". What are giant house spiders? You may have recently heard talk of 'giant house spiders' 'invading' our homes. Although you will likely see more house spiders in the autumn as it is mating season, they are most active at night and prefer to stay in neglected corners of rooms. Appointment 18 September 2018 Tim Bathke has been appointed as the new area general manager of Warwick Fiji and its properties. Mr Bathke's appointment is part of four new appointments at Warwick Hotels and Resorts Fiji. The properties he will be in charge of include the Warwick Fiji, The Naviti Resort, Tambua Sands Beach Resort on the Coral Coast in Sigatoka and the Tokatoka Resort in Nadi. Mr Bathke will provide support to the management teams at each property and directly overlook operations at The Naviti Resort. He was previously general manager for six years at Warwick Seattle, where, under his leadership, the hotel grew to exceed both operational and commercial expectations. Gregory Montens was also recently appointed rooms division manager for Warwick Fiji with the aim to enhance guest experiences and front of house operations for the resort. Mr Montens has worked in similar roles in Belgium, Maldives and United States of America with brands like Hilton, The Hay Adams Hotel, Kuramathi Resorts and Warwick Hotels and Resorts Europe. Warwick Fiji also announced the appointment of executive chef, Khedr Al Issa and executive sous chef, Abbass Fawaz. The duo are eager to enhance existing food offerings with fresh concepts and international flair having worked in many destinations including Malaysia, Vietnam and most recently Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The resort expects the recent appointments to further enrich the resorts stellar reputation in destination dining. Three of the resorts five restaurants are ranked top five in Fiji by TripAdvisor among 408 Restaurants listed within the destination. Opinion Article 18 September 2018 Budapest is the capital of Hungary and the ninth-largest city in the EU, with close to 1.7 million inhabitants in 2018. Budapest traditionally had a strong industrial focus, but has since shifted to the service industries including banking, finance and real estate. The city is also a cultural and historic centre, with several renowned monuments including UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Buda Castle district and the banks of the Danube. The city is also filled with various museums, parks, squares and a variety of restaurants and bars, making it the perfect weekend destination. Advertisements Photo: HVS ECONOMIC INDICATORS - HUNGARY Photo: HVS Political and Economic Background Hungary has been a member of the European Union since 2004, and a democratic parliamentary republic since 1989. Economic recovery following the global economic crisis was relatively slow; however, the Hungarian economy has been growing steadily since 2013, with GDP growth reaching 4% in 2017, one of the highest in the EU and ahead of countries such as the UK, France and Germany. Unemployment is low (3.8% at the end of 2017), which, combined with a steady decrease in the debt-to-GDP ratio of the country, has resulted in increased interest from international investors over recent years. With the corporate tax rate lowered to 9% in 2017 (the third lowest in the EU after Malta and Monaco), this international interest is set to grow further. Photo: HVS Tourism Demand Visitation to Budapest has in the past been made up of international travellers primarily; this category accounted for more than 85% of the total number of visitors in 2017. 2009 marked an 8.8% drop in visitation due to the global financial crisis and decrease in tourism. Since then, total visitation has shown signs of continuous recovery. In the last three years, Budapest has seen a significant 12% growth in visitation, far surpassing pre-crisis levels. Tourmis Hotel Performance During the economic crisis (2008-10), hotels experienced drops in visitation. To remain competitive they reduced rates, resulting in price wars. However, the market has recovered strongly, with hotel performance continuously improving, making Budapest one of the fastest-growing hotel markets in Central Europe. The increased arrivals to the city provide a positive outlook for average rate and occupancy growth, already evident in 2016 and 2017, with above-average RevPAR growth in the market. HVS Research Hotel Supply Hungary has seen continued growth in hotel supply since 2010. As of December 2017, the country had 1,094 hotels providing some 151,000 beds, approximately 35% of which are in Budapest. Owing to the positive trend in visitor arrivals and the strong trading performance of hotels, there has been increased interest in the city from developers and operators. Several of the world's leading hotel brands, including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Kempinski, InterContinental, Hilton, Marriott and Sofitel, are already represented in Budapest. Within the next three years, Hyatt, as well as Marriott's W and Luxury Collection brands, are also due to open, which will further boost the draw of the Budapest market. Several other proposed new hotels are also in the pipeline; however, we would also note that construction costs have risen sharply and hence some of these projects might not materialise. HOTEL PIPELINE - CITY CENTRE HVS Research Investment Market Budapest's tourism boom and improved hotel market performance have drawn significant attention from investors, who now see the city as a good long-term investment opportunity. The number of hotel transactions and deals in recent years has increased, as illustrated in the adjacent table; however, in the past two years this has been dominated by Orbis acquiring seven ibis and Mercure hotels that they previously leased. The most recent hotel transaction, in May 2018, was Orbis's sale-and-manage-back of the Sofitel Chain Bridge, after Orbis had acquired the freehold interest in the same property a year earlier from UniCredit Austria. The new owner is Starwood Capital, which will reportedly now undertake a 16 million renovation of the hotel. For the latest value trends, please refer to our European Hotel Valuation Index. HOTEL TRANSACTIONS HVS Research Outlook The outlook for visitation to Budapest remains positive, with an expected continued increase in arrivals to the city. The recent boost in hotel performance is one of the main reasons behind the growing interest from investors, developers and operators in the market. Although RevPAR levels remain somewhat lower compared to other European cities, the development and increased offer of five-star properties is expected to help increase average rates in the market. The beloved "Grape" Air Jordan 5s are returning to retailers later this month with some subtle modifications as a nod to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. While the kicks will still feature the familiar white leather upper accompanied by hits of emerald green, purple and black, this time around they'll come without laces. Nike recently introduced official images of the upcoming grape "Fresh Prince" Air Jordan 5s, which feature eyelets that have been sealed shut so sneakerheads will have to rock them the way Will Smith did during the '90s. Additional details include "West Philadelphia" text debossed just below the puffy purple tongue, Fresh Prince-inspired insoles and emerald green "Nike Air" branding on the heel. Furthering the ties to the Fresh Prince, these Air Jordan 5s will be available at retailers on September 25 in celebration of Smith's 50th birthday. The kicks will retail for $190. Take a closer look at the details in the IG posts embedded below. https://www.instagram.com/p/BnzhPq0F3CP https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn1fRCMl7ea You'll recall a snippet of an upcoming French Montana song being shared early this month that features Drakethrowing some shade at Kanye West, uttering "I told her don't wear no 350's 'round me," in reference to Ye's sneakers. Shortly after the clip started making the rounds, Kanye apologized for pretty much everything that might have gone wrong in his relationship with Drizzy. Drake seemingly accepted the apology and noted that Kanye's request to attend one of the 6ix God's upcoming shows would be granted. Despite the dramatic context behind that single lyric, we'll finally get to hear the full song this Thursday as French Montana just announced that "No Stylist" is dropping this week. "My official single #NOSTYLIST coming out this Thursday, Sept 20 ft. My brother @champagnepapi," wrote Montana as he showed off the official cover art. Posing to the side of Slick Rick, who was also spotted at the music video shoot, French rocks about a hundred pounds in jewelry as he smiles in the "Fresh Prince" style shot. It's unclear if any changes were made to the song after Kanye's apology but we're not expecting the line in question to be removed. It's certain that ears will be paying close attention to Drake's verse to see if any other digs are made at Ye. The two previously collaborated on "No Shopping" and this could be a veritable sequel to their 2016 record. From the sounds of the preview, it will be an absolute slapper and we're excited to hear the whole thing. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4V64wjz79 Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith and his brother Chris have teamed up to write a children's book titled "HoopSmiths," which comes out today, September 18. "HoopSmiths" is inspired by J.R.'s journey on and off the court with his brother's own journey, and how they have to work together to make it to the league. The book description reads, "J.R. and Chris both have dreams of playing in the NBA, but they quickly realize they cant do it alone. Join these two brothers on their quest of commitment as they learn the value of teamwork and work toward achieving their ultimate goal!" Chris Smith, J.R.'s younger brother, was briefly a member of the New York Knicks during the 2013-14 season and has also played professionally in Canada and Israel. J.R. is still under contract with the Cavs until the summer of 2020. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, a portion of the book's proceeds will go to the JR Smith Youth Foundation, which is geared towards serving underprivileged youth. https://twitter.com/_/status/1042066367443296262 Over the weekend, Lil Uzi Vert performed at the Rolling Loud festival out in California, where he informed fans that he had a new song dropping this week. "You know, about one, two, three...three days I'm gonna drop some new shit, he told fans, and it turns out he wasn't lying. Exactly three days removed from his performance, the self-proclaimed Philly rockstar decides to return to the scene today and share a new song called New Patek, which hes been teasing on social media over the past few weeks. Over production from Dolan Beatz, Uzi delivers another flashy & melodic cut that finds him rapping about fashion, bad bitches, and his expensive wristwear, while name dropping Drake in the process. "I do not get it into Canada, but when I'm in Toronto they treat me like Drake," he spits. Presumably off his upcoming Eternal Atake album, which is dropping sometime this Fall, take a listen to the new single and let us know what you think. Record available on iTunes. New hit or nah? Quotable Lyrics: New Patek on my wrist (gang) White diamonds and them shits aint pink (gang, gang) Got go head had to go get a mink (gang) New finger ring sit like a sink (gang, gang) You a bad bitch, then we can link (what?) Hit the shower, you might stink Bitch bad, yeah, they on my grape And she said "Lil Uzi so great" How you deal with all that hate? Shut up, bitch, don't give me migraine Three red bars towered on the computer screen of Justin Segal, president of the Boxer Property, a Houston commercial real estate firm. Each bar represented an office tenant that an algorithm had predicted would default on its lease. So those three were (probably) going to lose them, said Boxer Property President Justin Segal. The predictions, based on the algorithms analysis of a variety of data, including trends in tenant companies industries, would help Segal plan for the future. A default might not come to pass, Segal said, but identifying the likelihood of one allowed Boxer to be prepared should it have more office space to lease. This is just one example of the applications for proprietary software developed by Boxer, which recently spun off a new company, Stemmons Enterprise, to sell its technology to businesses of all kinds. The software incorporates two of todays hottest technologies, artificial intelligence and blockchain, providing both predictive capabilities that can help companies react to situations before they happen and the ability to securely track and verify documents, financial transactions and other business activities. Boxer and Stemmons are among the still small number of companies that are not only talking about the potential of blockchain, but also putting the technology to use in day-to-day business applications, said Dan Nossa, a lawyer who specializes in blockchain projects at the firm Steptoe and Johnson in The Woodlands. Blockchain is best known for its role in cryptocurrency, but its applications can extend to almost any business. On HoustonChronicle.com: Mining for cryptocurrency in Houston You read all these articles about the potential of blockchain, said Dan Nossa, an attorney with expertise on blockchain projects who works at the law firm Steptoe and Johnson in The Woodlands. But companies that are actually doing things are harder to find. Stemmons Enterprises software use artificial intelligence to make sense of vast troves of data and blockchain to keep the data secure, charging about $25 per user per month with lower rates for larger organizations with many users. Two years after it was launched, Stemmons has a growing and diverse list of customers seeking answers to a wide range of questions, from the Houston developer Hines to New York University . How likely is a student to drop out or fail? Segal asked. Which oil rig is going to be down for maintenance? Or which customer segment is likely to increase their orders? Boxer Properties began developing the software in 2011 for its own use. The company manages 18 million square feet of office space, and Segal was looking for ways to better run the operation, from responding to a tenants maintenance requests to tracking leads for a new business. Artificial intelligence which can range from automating tasks to analyzing data to make predictions allows Boxer to do more than identify tenants that might not make the rent, helping to determine which buildings air conditioning crews should prioritize or which employees are making mistakes on leases. Blockchain secures all of the records created along the way. Many people describe blockchain as a distributed ledger. Imagine if every time a company made a transaction, a million people wrote it down in a million different books. The possibility to go back and cook those books would disappear because youd have to rewrite so many. Blockchains do the same thing, distributing records of transactions to countless computers, creating unique identifiers that are impossible to alter and protecting the ownership of all types of assets. Thats particularly important in a digital age in which documents, pixels and timestamps can so easily be be changed. This is real accountability because were able to keep track of and verify things. said Segal. Instead of Bitcoin, it could be the title to your house. It could be shares of a company. It could be your lease. By integrating blockchain into software that helps businesses communicate, manage work flows and analyze data, Stemmons Enterprise is introducing the technology to people who wouldnt normally seek it out. On HoustonChronicle.com: Is cryptocurrency the future or just a suckers bet? Jordan Jenks, the owner and managing partner of Houstons Gulf Coast Flooring, began removing, installing, resurfacing and polishing floors for Boxer Property about seven years ago and said he was immediately struck by Boxers ability to keep track of all of their projects without any breakdown in communications. As soon as he heard they were selling their business operations platform, he was interested. Jenks said he was spending 60 to 70 hours a week reacting to issues before using Stemmons Enterprises software. Now, Jenks is avoiding a lot of those problems as he is able to better track operations, revealing, among other things, employees who might have too much on their plate or need retraining. I dont have a clue how (blockchain) works or even what it does, said Jenks, who leaves the details to his systems manager. The week we went live with the software, the problems went from over my head to waist level. Blockchain is touted as having the potential to disrupt industries that depend on middlemen, such as stock, bond and commodity trading, and guarantee clear ownership of assets, such as real estate title insurance. But Nossa, The Woodlands lawyer, said such disruptions will come more as an evolution than revolution.. As more companies like Gulf Coast flooring integrate blockchain into their day-to-day operation, networks will grow until they achieve their disruptive potential. Thats how this whole infrastructure will be built out, he said. Over time, youll be able to put them together a build a more complex ecosystem. Segal, whose company headquarters is decorated with vestiges of businesses past a Rolodex in the lobby, a rotary dial phone in an office paused in front of a collection of framed, hand-painted price tags hung above a staircase leading down. For Segal, they are reminders that change is constant and businesses that hope to survive must continuously adapt and adjust. Technology moves on, Segal said. And if we dont get ahead of it, were going to be like a store trying to keep up with hand-painted price tags. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com twitter.com/raschuetz State regulators have forced utilities in Texas to pass along $333 million in federal tax savings by cutting their electric distribution rates, but consumers may never see a dime of that money. The reason is the states deregulated power markets. Under the market structure, electricity providers bill for both the cost of the electricity and utility charges for moving power from generators to homes and businesses. Under state law, retail companies can charge their customers whatever they want; they are under no obligation to pass along the savings when utilities lower distribution rates. About 85 percent of electricity customers are in deregulated markets, including Houston. CenterPoint, the regulated utility in the Houston area, is lowering its transmission and distribution costs by $62 million, according to the state Public Utility Commission records So far, the states two biggest retail sellers of electricity, NRG Energy and TXU have committed to pass along the tax savings to their customers. But the states third largest power retailer, Direct Energy, would not comment on its plans for passing along the tax windfall. Several other companies, including Gexa Energy, Infinite Energy and Our Energy did not respond to requests for comment. The federal tax cut was a huge gift to retail electric providers and utility companies in Texas, said Tim Morstad, who follows electricity markets for the AARP in Texas, the advocacy group for older consumers. We feel that ratepayers should share in that windfall. Related: Will CenterPoint use corporate tax savings to lower rates? State Sen. Kelly Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican who chairs the committee overseeing the Public Utility Commission, sent a letter to the commission earlier this year, urging power retailers to pass along the tax savings from the utilities to consumers, who are ultimately entitled to the money. If electricity providers ignore the request, Hancock threatened to file legislation that would give the commission authority to order retailers to pass along tax savings to consumers. For the time being, the Public Utility Commission is hoping that competitive pressure will encourage retail electric providers to pass along their savings, said spokesman Andrew Barlow. But its unclear how many retail electric providers will respond in a market that includes dozens of companies offering hundreds of electricity plans. The commission plans to track whether savings from tax cuts flowed to consumers through retail electricity providers as part on an examination of how power markets performed over the summer. Electricity bills have two parts to them: the energy charge, which is the cost of the electricity, and transmission distribution charges, which are passed along from the utility and can account for as much as half of a consumers electricity bill. These two costs are typically combined into the single electricity price that retailers advertise. Industrial and commercial buyers typically require any rate decrease in distribution rates to be passed through, but residential contracts may lack that protective language, said Thomas Brocato, an Austin lawyer who represents the Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities, which includes 36 Greater Houston communities that have banded together on electric utility matters. Many residential contracts, however, reserve the right for retail companies to boost prices in contracts if utilities raise distribution rates. Over the past 15 years, Brocato said, the Public Utility Commission has pressured retail electric providers to pass along refunds and rate decreases from utilities.They haul the retail electric providers up there, said Brocato. Related: Texas utility customers could save $1.2 billion from tax reform: report Some providers agree to pass along their savings because it creates good will. Others dont, keeping the money from lower transmission and distribution costs for themselves. One can make the argument, said University of Houston energy economist Ed Hirs, that the windfall belongs to shareholders, not consumers, much as other companies have used the tax windfalls to boost dividends and share prices through stock buybacks. In the end, the commission has no power to compel retailers to pass through the rate cuts. In fact, the commission has little regulatory authority over retail providers, except in narrow instances such as consumer fraud. NRG Energy, which provides electricity to more than 2 million homes and businesses in Texas through subsidiaries such as Reliant Energy, Green Mountain Energy, Cirro Energy and Pennywise Power, told the commission that it would pass along lower transmission and distribution rates to customers whose bills break out the separate the energy and distribution charges. So did TXU. For customers who pay a bundled fee which incorporates transmission, distribution and energy into one monthly charge NRG said it would work with customers to find an efficient solution to pass along utilities tax savings benefits. NRG is still working out the details, said spokeswoman Pat Hammond. TXU vowed to work with the commission to come up with a way to provide appropriate value to customers who pay bundled rates, according to a letter sent by TXU president Scott Hudson sent to the commission. The company has not yet determined what it considers appropriate value, said spokeswoman Meranda Cohn. AARP, the advocacy group for older consumers, believes the commission should identify which retail electric providers are passing along the tax savings and which are not on the states Power to Choose website. Its one more bit of information consumers can use to choose their providers that should help encourage retailers to do the right thing which is to pass along the savings, said Morstad, AARPs associate state director of advocacy. On HoustonChronicle.com: Rate hikes, new customers and tax savings boost CenterPoint L.M. Sixel twitter.com/lmsixel 2 1 of 2 William Luther / Staff file photo Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Jeff Wheeler /Minneapolis Star Tr /Jeff Wheeler /Minneapolis Star Tr Show More Show Less One of the largest West Texas oil and gas drillers has bought into a local sand mine in order to cut its costs. The Irving company Pioneer Natural Resources, which primarily focused on West Texas' Permian Basin oil field, said last week that it signed an agreement with U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. to buy a 15-year interest in U.S. Silica's Lamesa sand mine. With the introduction of smarter technology and a millennial workforce, traveling for work is becoming increasingly common. But that doesn't mean young professional jet-setters have to put their love lives on the back burner. According to a new survey by dating site Match and travel tips app Localeur, more than one-fourth of singles have gone on a date while on a business trip. The majority of them meet at bars and restaurants, and others use dating apps and work connections. FIRST LOOK: EggHaus Gourmet opens in Houston With our ever-expanding restaurant scene, it's not surprising that Houston is considered a hub for many work-travel daters. It's among the top cities for those looking to connect romantically while traveling for business. The collaborative report on "Frequent Flyer Dating" habits named three local spots as the best date-night destinations for those on the go. In the Heights, Lei Low Bar, 6412 North Main, claimed the title for best pre- or post-dinner drinks. The study called the bar's vibe "trendy" and recommended ordering "a rum-based tiki drink that looks as good as it tastes." Locals: See the gallery above for the most romantic Houston bars and restaurants. "Insider Tips: Stop by on a Tuesday and choose your favorite among three featured Mai Tais and dine on clams for six bucks," the survey reports. The expansive patio at downtown's Batanga, 908 Congress Ave., is called the best place for dinner, with its "casual, open-air" vibe. Batanga's Latin-inspired tapas are among dish recommendations, like the "chickpea puree, pao de quejo (Brazilian cheese rolls), and Catilian-style pork ribs." And for happy hour, according to Match and Localeur, Midtown's "industrial-chic" Mongoose vs. Cobra, 1011 McGowen, pours the best happy hour in town. An extensive selection of local beer and unique cocktails enhances the bar's "loud," energetic space. While the study's authors recommend an Old Fashioned and cheese plate, we suggest: the Roy Orbison and a giant pretzel. For Sam Young, the routine practice that takes place in the Mormon church is frightening. Young asks you to imagine going into a small room with an older man, a church elder, closing the door and then being asked about the most intimate, explicit details of your sexuality. "Now imagine what that would do to a child, behind a closed door," he said. Young explained that he does not have concerns with Mormonism itself or any of the church's teachings. In fact, he remains an active member of the church - and even served as bishop for five years. Young, 65, has fond memories of a youth spent in Utah, dedicated to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He attended missions in South America as a teen and in his early 20s, before heading to Brigham Young University to earn a degree in chemical engineering, the career that brought him to Houston. Young just has one specific complaint - centering on a certain practice, the act of interviewing children by their bishops and the fact that some of the questions raised involve masturbation and sexuality. Young, a resident of Sugar Land who owns a small business in the Galleria area, is collecting signatures for a petition to end the practice. "I've lost friends, I've lost business, and I've lost some standing," he said. "I'm not against the church. I'm against a policy. I'm standing up for the children." For Young, a mild-mannered man with a calm and gentle demeanor, even voicing his concerns is a challenge. In the church, he has held posts as a bishopric counselor, ward mission leader, ward young men president, stake young men president, stake public affairs director, high priest group leader and seminary teacher. He is well aware of the risks associated with being a whistleblower - especially when it comes to questioning the practices of the church. "They might excommunicate me for what I'm doing," he said. Still, he's willing to take the risk - if that means protecting the church's youngest congregants. Simply thinking about the practice makes Young well up with anger - as much today as it did when he first discovered that the interviews brought up sexuality, less than a year ago. Last March, Young was talking to a good friend who hadn't been to church in a while. He asked his friend to come back. "He shared a story with me about one of his sons in an interview," Young said. Young said the interviews are a common practice. When he was a child, he went through them twice a year and answered questions about prayer and morality. His friend waited outside during his son's interview - and was surprised when the child ran out of the room a few minutes later. "His son rushed out, very flustered, white as a sheet," Young said. "The bishop had asked him if he masturbated or had sex with other boys." Young was shocked by the story. "I was a bishop, and I never asked any of those questions," he said. "I had interviews with a bishop. I know I was never asked that." Young wanted to know if this was a common or isolated incident. He asked his friends on social media. "I received a flood of responses - and it got worse," he said. "Most people don't want to talk about this, but gradually, they opened up. A thousand stories have been shared with me." It took him a while to process the information. Last summer, he built up the courage to ask one of his daughters if she had ever been asked sexually explicit questions during an interview for the church. She admitted that she had, "all the time," from ages 12 to 17. After her first interview, she told her father that she had to look up "masturbation" online, since she had never heard the term before her bishop brought it up. "I heard so many stories like that," Young said. He decided to start a blog - and began writing letters to local church leaders. "Finally, I realized that it wasn't doing anything," he said. "I decided, 'I'm going to start a petition. I'm going to raise awareness.' " At the end of October, he started collecting signatures. He also was spreading the word. Many parents, like him, were not aware of the concepts discussed in the interviews, Young said. Others had experienced sexually explicit interviews as children - and didn't realize that such questions could be challenged. "It's been normalized," Young said. "Well, it's not a normal thing, not to the rest of the world." He said that Mormons may be the only church in the U.S. that allows a child to be taken into a closed room alone with an older man. After three weeks, Young obtained about 1,000 signatures. "But it was slowing down," he said. "I realized my reach is small." He decided to head to Salt Lake City. In early December, he and his mother, Bertie Young, 87, stood outside of the Salt Lake Temple holding signs reading "Sexual Shaming Our Children - Stop It Now." There, he collected an additional 1,000 signatures - and the media began covering his cause. The church, which has almost 16 million members worldwide, issued a statement in response: "Personal interviews are an important part of ministering to those in a congregation. They offer an opportunity for a leader to know an individual better and to help them live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Leaders are provided with instructions in leadership resources and are asked to review them regularly." The statement explained that interviews are held for a number of reasons, including calling individuals to serve, offering personal guidance and helping to repent from sin. The statement continues: "For youth, a bishop meets with a young person at least annually to teach, express confidence and support, and listen carefully. These interviews should be characterized by great love and the guidance of the Holy Ghost. They speak together about the testimony of the young woman or young man, their religious habits (such as prayer, church attendance and personal study of the scriptures) and their obedience to God's commandments. They may review together these teachings in the scriptures or other church resources." The statement explained that in the interviews, "church leaders are instructed to be sensitive to the character, circumstances and understanding of the young man or young woman. They are counseled to not be unnecessarily probing or invasive in their questions, but should allow a young person to share their experiences, struggles and feelings." The statement added that "a discussion of moral cleanliness is appropriate - particularly if a young man or young woman feels a need to repent." The church said the interviews are confidential. "When a young person is faced with serious sin or temptation, a bishop will likely encourage them to share (as appropriate) their struggles with their parents so they can pray for, teach and encourage the young man or young woman." If a leader becomes aware of abuse, they are asked to call the church's 24-hour help line and gain guidance from professional counselors. In addition, the church said parents are encouraged to be in a room adjoining the interview. Young, however, believes parents should be present at the time of the interview - and he wants bishops to completely stop asking questions of a sexual nature. He has now collected more than 10,000 signatures on his petition - and is hosting an online site where individuals may sign, as well as share their stories and read letters from others, protectldschildren.org. He has joined with Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and therapist Natasha Helfer Parker, a certified sex therapist who also is Mormon. Helfer Parker, who lives in Wichita, Kan., had her own experiences being asked about sexuality as a teen growing up in the church, but she had always considered the experience to be normal. Her thinking changed, however, when she started studying psychology and preparing for her career. Later, when Helfer Parker began to practice as a therapist, she felt called to take a stand. "The amount of adolescents coming through my office with self-abuse behaviors, like cutting, anxiety symptoms or depression, that all came back to this issue of sexual shame, made me, as a Mormon therapist, feel that it was unethical to stay silent," she said. Helfer Parker explained that the church's attitudes toward sexuality go against the American Pediatric Society and World Health Organization. She said that masturbation and sexual curiosity are normal parts of childhood development. "When you 'sin-ify' a normal human behavior, you have a whole group of people who are having an artificial conflict," she said. In addition, Helfer Parker said that the scenario of private discussions on the topic - and the power dynamic - are difficult for minors. "You're participating in an abusive structure," she said. "It's not the bishops' fault. It's the structure. The bishops are great people, but the system requires a breach of privacy and a breach of boundaries that's inappropriate and harmful." Sexual discussions should remain the territory of trained professionals, Helfer Parker added. Instead, children are making the connection that their sexuality can make them "unworthy" of the church, Helfer Parker said. She said she is currently treating adults who decades later are still dealing with the ramifications. "This has lifelong, lasting implications for people," she said. "It's really painful." Helfer Parker has been speaking out about the issue for years - and stands behind Young's efforts to get the Church of Latter-day Saints to stop the practice. She said ending the sexual questions in the interviews would help the church, which she holds in high regard. "I love being a Mormon and love being a member of the church," she said. "This is not against the church. If we're going to move away from harmful practices, it's going to take a directional response and an intentional response." Young is planning an event in March in Salt Lake City, where he hopes to get 1,000 individuals to march from City Hall to the Temple to present his petition. He believes that allowing parents to attend interviews and stopping sexual queries would be an easy change for the church. In fact, he's asking bishops to make the decision now. "The church may not make any changes for a while," he said. "If you're a bishop, stop right now interviewing children without parents. Stop talking about sex. That should be a family issue or a private issue. Don't wait for the church to solve the problem. You solve it right now." NPR recently ran a story on the growing prominence of the "cultural Mormon" - someone who is inactive or less active in the LDS Church but happy to keep the Mormon label. "I consider myself a cultural Mormon," says Christy Clegg, who grew up active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "I don't attend regular church services on Sunday, but I very much identify with my Mormonism." The group is called Feminist Home Evening. It's a play on words. Mormon families are encouraged to have Family Home Evening - a night at home - once a week. Like Clegg, these women represent a spectrum of belief, but it is their Mormon background that unites them. Automatic connection "The thing that's interesting is I can see another person that grew up Mormon and no longer attends or whatever their level of connection is, and there's that automatic connection," Clegg says. The women profiled in the story might drink coffee, or believe women should be ordained to the priesthood, or disagree with the Church's stance on LGBT issues. All of these positions put them at odds with traditional LDS belief and practice - but they're still not willing to shed the moniker "Mormon." For the book I'm working on, "The Next Mormons," I've been collecting oral history interviews. I have been talking to current and former Mormons of all persuasions. Among the former Mormons, one thing that has struck me is how blurry the lines actually are sometimes between "active" and "inactive."To hear the LDS Church - and, at the other extreme, ex-Mormons - frame this narrative, there is an on-off switch between activity and non-activity. Either people are active or they're not. Either they believe in the church or they don't. Either they are in or they are out. The realities are murkier. Some people attend faithfully and hold a calling while harboring serious religious doubts; others are true believers but stay home from church for a variety of reasons. Often, they still love spending time with other Mormons and former Mormons. This is not an identity you easily slough off like a piece of clothing. One young man in his 20s told me that while he doesn't believe in the Church anymore, he still goes to Institute regularly because he loves the scriptures and talking about them with other people. He's also not at all interested in joining a different church: "Probably never. That is one very Mormon thing that I have never been able to shake, is the condescending pride of Mormonism as the only one, and seeing other churches as kind of broken. That's a hard thing, I think," he said. "But I will say that having greatly reduced my activity in Mormonism, I do get excited when religion and spirituality come up in conversation, or when a song comes on with a biblical allusion." Nuanced believers I'd like to see the term "cultural Mormon" become more widely used to describe the large group of people who inhabit this in-between space. These are not ex-Mormons or anti-Mormons. Many of them are quite nuanced believers. What's interesting to me is that Mormonism used to have a term to describe exactly those who inhabited this same liminal space. They were called "Jack Mormons" - people who were on the margins of the LDS Church but still a recognized part of the Mormon community. The term "Jack Mormon" evolved over time but came to refer to people a little on the outskirts of the LDS Church but sympathetic to its beliefs and especially to its members. Of course, the "Jack Mormon" label doesn't allow for the fact that at least half of these folks are likely women, as the NPR story shows. It's also not a term that is immediately obvious to anyone who doesn't already know what it means. It assumes an insider status. So "cultural Mormon." It's descriptive; it's gender-inclusive; it's non-pejorative. I like it. The Primetime Emmy Awards red carpet is known for classic glamour. And the 70th annual edition Monday night did not disappoint in that arena; presenters even opted for a gold carpet in honor of the anniversary. But political statements were as much of an accessory as Tiffany & Co. or Harry Winston. Jenifer Lewis of ABCs Black-ish sported a red-and-black sweatshirt emblazoned with Nike in support of Colin Kaepernicks protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Then there was The Alienist actress Qorianka Kilcher in a red gown with a pin reading I am a voter. Padma Lakshmi, in a red J. Mendel dress recycled from her closet, wore a blue ribbon pinned at the waist to signify her support of the American Civil Liberties Unions efforts to reunite separated immigrant families. I was an immigrant. I was a little girl who was separated from my parents for two years, and I just feel if I have the good fortune to be here, then I should pay it forward, she told PeopleTV. I think we have to do that as immigrants, but we also have to do that as women. RuPaul wore a white suit covered by black outlines of the Statue of Liberty. Every time I bat my false eyelashes Im making a political statement, he said. Aside from politics, Emmy fashion was quite sophisticated with elegant gowns in traditional black or white. The pops of color came in red, pink and yellow. For starters, Sandra Oh, star of BBCs The Killing Eve, was the belle of the night in a ruby-red dress with a plunging neckline and jeweled accents at the waist and shoulder. Oh, the first woman of Asian descent to earn an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a drama series, brought her parents to the awards, which generated cheers on social media. Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan, who won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, looked effortlessly elegant in a red, one-shoulder Oscar de la Renta gown and Tiffany earrings. Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross brought the drama in a voluminous hot pink Valentino couture gown that looked like something from Mahogany, the iconic 1975 film starring her mother, Diana Ross. Thandie Newton kept it sleek and simple with a pink column gown by Texas native Brandon Maxwell. Leslie Jones wore an iridescent pantsuit by her go-to designer, Christian Siriano. Shes been wearing looks from the Project Runway winning designer since 2016 when she publicly voiced her frustration in finding a designer dress for her Ghostbusters premiere. Wearing white were Scarlett Johansson in a trendy Balmain gown, and Kristen Bell in a sleek long-sleeve white Solace London gown, which only cost $530. Jessica Biehl wore an strapless, structural wonder by Ralph & Russo couture. Angela Bassett also donned an amazing architectural white gown. Constance Wu of Fresh Off the Boat and the hit film Crazy Rich Asians took the edgy prize in a sequin Jason Wu cut-out gown. And This Is Us star Mandy Moore sparkled in a custom, all-sequin Rodarte with a deep-V neckline. Of course, there were a few misses, like Penelope Cruz in a fringy, frilly Chanel couture gown that seemed a bit dated. And Sarah Paulson in black, strapless Oscar de la Renta feathery gown that looked like it needed better bra support. Keri Russell took the feather route, but she met her swan goals in Zuhair Murad. The men were as dapper as ever with This Is Us stars Sterling K. Brown in a Valentino tux, sunglasses and a Chopard watch and Justin Hartley in Giorgio Armani olive-green tux. John Legend, one of few artists to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, wore Gucci. A Santa Fe Independent School District board of trustees meeting turned rancorous, with family members of the victims of a May school shooting berating the board for the district's poor academic performance and inadequate safety measures in the wake of a recent threat against Santa Fe High School students. The school board meeting this week was the latest in a series of contentious interactions between the school district and a group of family members of victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting on May 18, in which 10 people were killed and 13 wounded. The group has been frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of engagement with the Santa Fe ISD board of trustees on increasing safety measures throughout the district. The group claimed that the school district had continually denied them the opportunity to read the names of the victims and survivors of the shooting in a public forum, though school district officials said the group has continually addressed the board at previous meetings. The group, many of whom wore t-shirts emblazoned with the letter "F", was motivated to pay tribute to the shooting victims after the school district alerted parents on Sept. 6 to a text message threat sent by two Santa Fe High School students that led the Galveston County district attorney's office to investigate. FIREARMS GIFT: Santa Fe ISD trustees accept donation of weapons The threat comes less than a month after students returned to the campus to start the school year. The students will face disciplinary action, but the threat incident angered many Santa Fe parents, including the families of victims and survivors of the May shooting. "(The school district's) hands are tied to a certain extent and I completely get that, but when it comes to punishment (for the students that sent the threat), that's in their hands," said Rosie Y. Stone, whose son, Christopher, was killed in the May shooting. The public forum part of the meeting began with Flo Rice, a substitute teacher at Santa Fe High School wounded during the shooting, who calmly approached the lectern using a walker. Surrounded by her husband, Scot, and other parents of victims, Rice read a speech that left many in the audience in tears. "They knocked bombs off of tables and kicked guns out of the shooter's hand; they lay across other students to protect them from bullets; they pry open locked doors to gain an escape route and they ran like hell for help," Rice said. Addressing the board directly, Rice concluded: "These are the people who have my admiration and respect and deserve yours. These are not the victims of May 18, these are our heroes." After a standing ovation for Flo Rice, a family member read the name of each of the 10 victims, ringing a bell that was brought to the lectern after each name. STATE GRANT: Gov. Greg Abbott announces another $1.8 million in grants for Santa Fe Tension arose when Flo Rice's husband, Scot, began reading the names of the survivors of the shooting, drawing a rebuke from Rusty Norman, the board president, for exceeding the allotted speaking time. At one point, two Santa Fe ISD police officers approached Rice at the lectern, only to stand down when Norman allowed him to read the names of the survivors. "You interrupted us, and there's dead bodies between me and you, and you can't step over them," Scot Rice said. Other family members of Santa Fe victims admonished the school board for the district's poor academic performance on the Texas Education Agency's Accountability Rating System. Santa Fe ISD was not technically rated for the 2017-18 school year after applying for an exemption due to Hurricane Harvey, but if they had been rated they would have received an "F." "What this tells me is Santa Fe is not providing an environment conducive to education; it's providing just the opposite," said Steve Perkins, whose wife, Ann, a substitute teacher, was killed in the Santa Fe High School shooting. After the meeting, Norman said the poor ratings for Santa Fe ISD are partially a result of a new grading system the TEA imposed, which, combined with the damage the district suffered during Harvey, has them underperforming. At HoustonChronicle.com: School shooting spurs Santa Fe parents to activism "The grading system was changed this year and not a lot of explanation before that happened and now we're trying to work our way through that," Norman said. "It should disturb folks that even districts that were rated and received really high ratings are telling their people we can't explain how we got this because we don't understand the playing ground yet." As to the text message threat at Santa Fe High School that had many concerned, Norman said that the swift response from the school district's threat assessment team and immediate investigation by law enforcement was evidence that "the system that we have in place will work when we're made aware of things." Santa Fe ISD has implemented numerous safety measures since the May 18 shooting, including a threat assessment team, reduced access points to the high school, entrances staffed with officers and metal detectors, panic buttons installed in classrooms, five more full-time police officers for Santa Fe ISD, and a requirement that students and staff must wear identification badges at all times on campus. Norman added that the shooting victims' families were only barred from reading names of the shooting survivors and victims at the public forum to avoid a "dog and pony show." He said that he hoped the district would be able to have a dialogue with the families outside of the public forum of a board meeting. "We're out there trying to do what we think is right to make these kids feel safe and actually make them safe and we'll continue to do the best we can do," he said. Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately stated that family members of victims and survivors of the May 18 Santa Fe High School shooting had been barred from speaking at previous school board meetings. The family members had only been barred from reading the names of victims and survivors of the shooting during the public forum. Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com Rice University officials announced Tuesday they will provide full tuition scholarships to undergraduate domestic students from low- and middle-income backgrounds starting in the fall of 2019, the latest effort by a major university to respond to rising concerns about soaring higher-education costs and burdensome student debt. The new financial plan, The Rice Investment, will allow full-tuition scholarships and grants to be offered to undergraduate students whose family incomes fall between $65,000 and $130,000 a year and who qualify for need-based financial aid, according to a news release issued Tuesday by the university. Now Playing: MONEY evaluated hundreds of colleges on educational quality, affordability and alumni earnings. Here are the top 5 best colleges in the south. Video: Brandpoint Students who come from families with an income of $130,000 to $200,000 can also receive scholarships that cover at least half of their tuition. A student whose family makes below $65,000 will be able to receive grant aid that covers their full tuition and mandatory fees, room and board. The financial aid is open to both incoming and continuing students at Rice, the private research university that sits on 300 acres in Houston. BIG BILLS: Texas colleges that leave students with the most debt Its really important to us that all families feel that if their child is admitted to Rice that they can make this work, that they can afford it, said David Leebron, the university president, in a phone interview Monday. Its very clear that over the past decades, that the difference between what a middle-income family feels they can reasonably afford and what a college education costs has grown larger. The push to make college more affordable for all students coming to Rice is a part of a seven-point strategic plan announced earlier this year. Given the strategic plan and the national discussion about student debt and the affordability of higher education, Leebron said the university had been thinking of other options to help students. There is not a cap on the number of students who can apply for the full-tuition scholarships and grants, but they need to meet specified income brackets and have typical assets, according to university officials. The money for the financial plan will initially come from a special distribution from the universitys endowment, but university officials said that alumni have expressed interest in keeping tuition affordable for incoming students. LOCATION: Maps show the geography of student debt in the Houston area A $150 million fundraising program is also in place to help fund the new financial aid program. Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert and publisher and vice president of research for Savingforcollege.com LLC, said Rice University is a part of a growing number of universities that are working to make college more affordable. The prospect of borrowing to pay for your college education if youre a low-income student can have a chilling effect on whether you even apply, Kantrowitz said. Imagine being told that youre going to have to borrow more for your entire education than your parents earn in a year. There have been lots of efforts to try to encourage more college-capable, low-income students to pursue a college education. Last year, the University of Michigan announced a similar plan, to offer free tuition to in-state students with a family income up to $65,000 a year. The median income in Michigan is nearly $64,000 a year. Students who are scared away by the cost of college are more likely going to consider going to college if they hear free tuition than if they hear no loans, Kantrowitz said. Leya Mohsin, a senior at Rice University, applauded the financial plan. The policy studies and economics major said its not rare for student loans or the cost of college to come up in conversation with her friends. BOLD STEP: Gen Z says it plans to buy homes soon, despite college debt For a lot of my friends who are seniors, we also now have younger siblings who are studying to go to college, said Mohsin, whose brother attends Emory University in Atlanta. Something that none of us thought about is the burden of having to pay for not just us, but parents who have to deal with multiple children who are in expensive universities at the same time. Mohsin did not have to worry about taking out student loans because her parents were able to afford her Rice University tuition, currently $46,600 annually, but she knows that not all her classmates are as lucky. As part of the assistance plan, Rice will also allow students whose families have incomes up to $200,000 not to be required to take out student loans as part of their financial aid packages. When youre 18 and starting college, you dont realize the impact that student loans are going to have on your life as an adult after you graduate, said Mohsin. Being one of (the few in my group of friends) who doesnt have to worry about that extra layer of having to pay off some of my debt every month is really a benefit to me, but I know its not something that a lot of students experience at the moment. brooke.lewis@chron.com twitter\@brookelewisa A Tarrant County spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that nine protesters arrested in Arlington on Sunday have been released from jail. The group of demonstrators was arrested after impeding traffic during a Dallas Cowboys game to protest the fatal shooting of Botham Jean in his home by an off-duty, uniformed Dallas police officer. The release of the protesters comes after two days of mounting pressure from activists and critics that questioned why the group remained in custody while Amber Guyger, the officer charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting, was released a little more than an hour after she was jailed. Among the critics was Lee Merritt, the lawyer representing Mr. Jean's family, who on Monday said the group of protesters had already spent more time in jail than Guyger. Arlington Police said it took two days for the protesters to be set with a bond because they, as well as the Fort Worth Police, do not allow bonds for misdemeanor arrest charges, according to CBS 11. RELATED: Activists, critics slam Texas news station for reporting marijuana use of slain victim As a result, the protesters had to be transferred to Tarrant County jail where they were given bond and ultimately released. The so-called "Dallas nine," Stephanie Briant, 29, Darryl Burnham, 31, Miracle Freeman, 29, Arminta Jeffreys, 25, Michael Lowe, 38, Melissa Perry, 33, Davante Peters, 25, Lelani Russell, 25, and Dion Williams, 29, posted bail for the misdemeanor charges sometime around noon on Tuesday. Now Playing: Demonstrators, including some rolling empty coffins, marched outside the Dallas Cowboys' stadium Sunday to protest the fatal shooting of Jean Botham by an off-duty police officer. (Sept. 17) Video: Associated Press Each of their bail amounts was set at $100, with the exception of one protester, who was also charged with resisting arrested and given bail set at $200, according to the Dallas Morning News. Just 24 hours after Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O'Rourke agreed to a series of debates, Texas Sen. John Cornyn wanted to draw O'Rourke into a discussion about guns over social media. Cornyn, a Republican, on Saturday night started the exchange by Tweeting out an old clip of O'Rourke saying in February that he opposed selling AR-15s in America. "I just don't think we should be selling AR-15s in this country," O'Rourke says in the video clip Cornyn tweeted out to his 140,000 followers. Cornyn Tweeted out the question: "For self defense?" O'Rourke, a congressman from El Paso, did not respond. But Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo did. Now Playing: Ted Cruz is using doctored footage to make it look like Beto O'Rourke supports flag burning (he doesn't.) This video, "Ted Cruz Releases Doctored Footage Of Beto O'Rourke Supporting Flag Burning", first appeared on nowthisnews.com. Video: NowThis News "In 32 years policing I've yet [to] encounter a case of a community member using an AR-15 for self-defense," Acevedo tweeted. "I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but I'd bet the house they've been used many, many times to slaughter innocent Americans as opposed to self-defense." Cornyn responded quickly. "Chief, it isn't the gun it is the shooter. Let's focus on mental health, background checks and information sharing that can save lives." But Acevedo proposed more. "Let's get robust Universal background check with real teeth, red-flags for mental health; abusers, etc, close the private seller at gun-show loop-hole, & commission a study to det mine (sic) why we lead the industrialized World in gun-deaths." Acevedo said he jumped into the fray, not to defend O'Rourke, but for a bigger reason. "I'm weighing in as a practitioner on behalf of the people we are sworn to protect," Acevedo said, adding that he is part of a group of 69 police chiefs from major cities advocating for gun law reforms. Members of the Major Cities Chiefs Association have called for a new assault weapons ban and stiffer penalties for illegal guns. O'Rourke has walked a delicate line on AR-15s. Earlier this year at a pair of Houston town hall meetings, he made clear he did not want to take away people's AR-15s, but opposes the sale of the weapon. O'Rourke has said he believes the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution needs to be defended and talks frequently about growing up around guns and being taught about proper ownership of them. Acevedo has shown little hesitation in getting into social media fights over guns. After the Santa Fe High School shooting, he ended up in a Twitter fight with the NRA's Dana Loesch and Grant Stinchfield. Acevedo said he jumps into the social media battles because of how important the issue is. "You have to stand for something," Acevedo said. Jeremy.Wallace@Chron.com U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz wants to make Democrat Beto ORourke pay for a vote during his rookie years in Congress that brought a backlash from one of the most influential Israeli-American advocacy groups in the country. In speeches throughout Texas, Cruz is now consistently bringing up ORourkes 2014 vote against sending $225 million in additional funding to Israel for its missile defense system called Iron Dome. ORourke doesnt dispute voting against the missile defense system in 2014. He said he had previously voted for funding for the dome and was standing up against how the extra spending was brought up and presented with little debate. But that explanation matters little to Cruz, who is using the vote as a key foreign policy difference between himself and ORourke as their race for the U.S. Senate tightens. On Israel, he has the most anti-Israel record of any Democratic Senate nominee in the country, Cruz said at a rally in Katy earlier this month. In 2014, when Hamas was raining rockets down on Israel, Beto ORourke was one of eight members of the House of Representatives to vote against funding Israels Iron Dome missile defense system. He said the same earlier in Humble and has made the attack a consistent part of his closing appeal to voters at rallies throughout Texas. ORourke, first elected to Congress in 2012 to represent El Paso, says he has no regrets about voting against the bill Cruz is referencing. He said he supported the Iron Dome funding before and after that vote. When asked to add a supplemental quarter of a billion dollar appropriation to the Iron Dome without debate, without discussion, without any real information, I didnt feel that I could in good conscience vote to spend that money, ORourke said after a rally in Houston earlier this month. The U.S. has a long history of supporting the Iron Dome program, which tracks incoming rockets that could hit population centers and fires interceptors to knock them down. Israel says the system has a 90-percent success rate. Prior to the August 2014 vote, Congress had already put about $700 million into the missile system and had just voted on a budget that would send another $351 million in October of 2014, according to the Congressional Research Service. ORourke had supported the $351 million funding. When conflict broke out again between Hamas and Israel in July 2014, Congress proposed sending the additional $225 million to Israel even though, according to some members of Congress, Israel still had unspent money from previous appropriations. Thats the funding package that ORourke voted against. The House voted 395-8 for the spending, with ORourke among the opposition. That vote did not go over well with members of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Members of that group, including some from El Paso, began circulating emails saying ORourke was anti-Israel. ORourke was flooded with e-mails, texts, and calls at the time, according to the El Paso Times, and was blasted by some residents at a town hall meeting as he tried to explain his vote. Six months later, ORourke was among 58 representatives and senators who boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress. O'Rourke and other Democrats objected to the speech because they saw it as a slight to then-President Barack Obama. Less than two months later, ORourke was on a flight to Israel to meet with both Israelis and Palestinians during a seven-day trip paid for by the J Street. Education Fund, which describes itself as a pro-Israel, pro-peace organization. I strongly support the U.S.-Israel relationship, and that is reflected in the votes Ive taken, ORourke said. While Cruz calls ORourke one of the most anti-Israel Democrats running for the Senate, J Street has come to ORourkes support. On the groups website, it says: defeating Ted Cruz in 2018 would be a major victory for the two-state solution and diplomacy-first foreign policy. J Street PAC has been a big fundraising hub for ORourke, collecting more than $167,000 in donations for ORourkes campaign from its members. jeremy.wallace@chron.com Theres a scene in the movie I, Robot where police detective Del Spooner, played by Will Smith, shouts in frustration, What makes your robots so much (expletive) better than human beings? Theres no one answer to that question, but consider this: A San Francisco restaurant called Creator is employing a robot that can assemble and cook 360 hamburgers an hour. It is also developing an app that will let customers customize the exact ratios of ingredients and condiments they want their burger to have. No worries about paying a living wage, providing health insurance or having the robot call in sick. The future is now. Machines can do a number of things faster and better than humans. Just ask executives at McDonalds, who are rapidly replacing cashiers with self-service kiosks at some restaurants. Ask the bosses at Uber, who announced Thursday that they are investing $150 million in a Canadian company to produce driverless cars. McKinsey Global Institute, which studies employment trends, estimates that about half of all the activities people are paid to do in the world could potentially be automated. U.S. corporations could save $2.7 trillion in wages by automating jobs in manufacturing, accommodations, food service and retail trade. That wont happen overnight, but it will happen. The McKinsey report said that by 2030 the demand for office support workers, including secretaries and paralegals, will drop by 20 percent. It said the need for people doing predictable physical work welding, packaging, loading, food preparation will fall by 30 percent. That should concern Houston, where a quarter-million workers have manufacturing jobs. The fate of millions of American workers who one day will be replaced by automated devices is an approaching reality that this nation needs to address. Instead, President Donald Trump is trying to turn back the clock to save fossil fuel industry jobs that eventually will evaporate anyway. Few jobs will be safe as machines become more common, but especially vulnerable will be routine manual jobs, such as on assembly lines or filling out forms in an office. Paralegals at law firms may be replaced by artificial intelligence devices that can scan and predict what documents will be relevant to a case. A robot revolution is coming, but not the type depicted in Terminator films. No need to fear automation; we just need to prepare for it. Schools are good places to start. They shouldnt be training young people for jobs headed for an endangered species list. As someone who has studied use and misuse of prescription opioids and other drugs for much of my career, I know drug misuse can happen to anyone. I have had friends, relatives and neighbors pulled into misuse, which includes substance-use disorders and other dangerous behaviors, such as drug combining. And I am not alone. A recently released statewide poll found that 1 of 3 adults in Texas knows someone who has been addicted to prescription painkillers. As a Texas native, Im especially dismayed by a recent report showing the number of people in Texas who died from opioid overdoses climbed 4.1 percent nearly 3,000 deaths over just the last year. This tragic loss of lives is unacceptable. And preventable. Addressing the opioid drug problem in Texas and other states requires a comprehensive and aggressive approach. I applaud Texas on what it has done to date to address this problem. While strategies to increase medication-assisted treatment programs and limiting overprescribing of opioids for transient pain are worthwhile goals, too often these measures focus on the extremes of the problem, including individuals already grappling with substance-use disorders or those for whom an opioid prescription is given for transient pain. Based on what Ive seen, many of the individuals most at risk are those who do not yet have a substance-use disorder but could develop one. And there are those who practice other dangerous forms of drug misuse. These individuals are often victims of daily chronic pain for which long-term use of prescription opioids is the best source of relief. The problem is that physicians may believe that they can tell without definitive evidence if a patient will misuse a prescribed therapy. Misuse includes supplementing, substituting or abstaining from taking their prescriptions. However, these assumptions are often wrong. For example, insights from a 2018 analysis of more than 3.9 million de-identified aggregated drug monitoring tests reveal a startling truth: more than half of patients who take prescription opioids, amphetamines and other therapies show signs of misuse when tested. Forms of misuse include dangerous drug combinations with other drugs like fentanyl, a powerful opioid, and benzodiazepines, a widely used class of anti-anxiety medications. Use of illicit drugs, such as heroin, is also a growing national problem. Several organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the American Pain Society, already recognize the value of physicians working with their patients to monitor appropriate and safe use of prescription medications including opioids. But more is needed. Physicians who monitor prescription drug use can play an important role in identifying statewide misuse trends. Their efforts complement Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, which are state-based databases that track prescription data to help reveal possible concerns. These programs, such as the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program, are necessary and useful to help curtail prescription and illicit drug misuse. An objective, real-time snapshot of medication adherence helps patients and physicians discuss a treatment plan, prescriptions the patient may be taking, and the benefits and risks associated with pain medications. It takes guesswork out of clinical care and provides transparency between patients and physicians to ensure that patients are receiving the best and safest treatment possible. Texas state leaders can make it easier for physicians to keep patients safe by adopting regulations and policies, such as the CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, that support the use of drug testing before commencing opioid therapy and, at least annually thereafter, to assess for prescribed medications, other controlled prescription drugs and illicit substances. For many Texans, pain is a very real, daily challenge, and physicians must be allowed to consider opioids for relief when other measures wont do. For these patients, drug monitoring can aid the delivery of appropriate care while reducing risks. If physicians do not have access to all viable means to protect these patients, it is all but certain that prescription drug misuse and drug overdose deaths will continue. McClure is the director of medical affairs for Quest Diagnostics , the worlds leading provider of diagnostics information services, including in clinical drug monitoring. Port Louis - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the government of Mauritius to continue to focus on aviation as a strategic enabler of the countrys economic and social development. The leaders of Mauritius have always understood that air connectivity is vital. As we celebrate the first half-century of the countrys success, lets keep in mind the critical role that aviation plays as a pillar of the economy. And lets look to the next fifty years with a comprehensive strategic focus on maximizing the benefits of aviation for this island nation, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO in a keynote address to Aviation Day Mauritius which is marking the 50th year of Mauritian independence. The key elements of any aviation strategy are safety, global standards, competitiveness and cooperation. But Mauritius and other small island states have a critical competitive advantage in implementing an aviation strategyand that is size. The country is small enough to rally the aviation universethe airlines, the airport, the tourism infrastructureto agree a strategy and to get it implemented quickly and nimbly, said de Juniac. The goal of a comprehensive aviation strategy is to enable aviation to drive economic and social development. That will mean a successful future for Air Mauritiusthe home-town carrier that serves the market as a lifeline. And it will create opportunities for other carriers to augment the prosperity that aviation brings with robust competition, said de Juniac. Key elements of a comprehensive aviation strategy would include: Safety IATA encouraged Mauritius to take a leadership role in fulfilling its Abuja Declaration commitment to recognize the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in its safety oversight regulatory framework. IOSA is mandatory for all IATA member airlines and the 34 African carriers on the IOSA registry are delivering world-class safety levelsthree times better than African carriers not on the IOSA registry. We are already working with Zimbabwe and Rwanda on IOSA recognition. I encourage Mauritius to join them in taking a leadership role, said de Juniac. Alignment with global standards Global standards are the foundation of international civil aviation. This includes the industrys responsible approach to managing its climate change impact. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will stabilize emissions from 2020. As an island nation, the potential consequences of climate changeincluding rising sea levels and severe weatherare very real. So I encourage Mauritius to show solidarity and join the 70-plus states participating in CORSIA from the voluntary period, said de Juniac. Focus on competitiveness Mauritius ranks high in many categories of the World Economic Forums Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. This includes a fourth-place ranking (behind Malta, Singapore, and Iceland) for prioritization of travel and tourism in government policy. But it ranks 116th on price competitiveness largely driven by ticket taxes, airport charges and fuel costs. These are big pain points for airlines. Policies to improve competitiveness in these areas would boost aviations ability to deliver its economic benefits, said de Juniac. IATA urged dialogue with the airlines as Mauritius embarks on a project to more than double the capacity of Sir Seewoosugur Ramgoolam Airport to 9 million passengers annually. The airport is probably the most valuable few kilometres of concrete ever poured on this island. The return on the investment for the economy is immense. There must be an open dialogue with the airlines to ensure that development provides sufficient capacity, technical excellence aligned to airline needs and affordable costs, said de Juniac. IATA urged the establishment of an independent regulator to ensure that infrastructure costs are kept competitive. Cooperation Mauritius has impressive connectivity. But there are many markets that have still to discover Mauritian hospitality. And no single airline can provide the connectivity that is needed. Partnerships with other airlines are enhancing the nations connectivity, said de Juniac. De Juniac also noted the strategic location of Mauritius between Asia and Southern Africa. Mauritius is well-placed to grow its footprint in Africa. It is accessibleonly requiring visas from six African countries. Cooperation with South African Airways and Kenya Airways opened two gateways into the African continent. And the Single Africa Air Transport Market creates the potential for even broader connectivity. For sure Africas development will demand increased air connectivity with Asias important markets. Could Mauritius evolve as a one-stop hub, efficiently connecting Southern African markets to points in Asia-Pacific? said de Juniac. Business of Freedom We know that aviation brings in the tourists, that it connects us to family and friends, and that it is a catalyst for economic, social and educational ties. The post-independence success story that is Mauritius today would be very different without connectivity that can only be facilitated by air. Aviation is the business of freedomand that includes the freedom to develop, said de Juniac. Read Alexandre de Juniac's full speech For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Tel: +41 22 770 2967 Email: corpcomms@iata.org Notes for Editors: Imperial Valley News Center President Donald J. Trump Signs H.R. 2147 into Law Washington, DC - On Monday, September 17, 2018, the President signed into law: H.R. 2147, the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018, which increases the number of VA employees that can assist justice-involved veterans and foster VA affiliations with veteran-focused courts. West Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography Sacramento, California - Zaid Bader Jacob, 49, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty Tuesday to receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between January and April 2015, Jacob used a computer to receive files depicting child pornography. Jacob was identified by law enforcement after they identified an IP address at Jacobs residence that was making child pornography available over the internet via a peer-to-peer file sharing program. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriffs Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case. Jacob is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on November 29, 2018. Jacob faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the resources tab for information about internet safety education. Jay S. Tabb, Jr. Named FBI Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch Washington, DC - FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has named Jay S. Tabb, Jr. as the executive assistant director of the National Security Branch. In his new role, Mr. Tabb will oversee all national security investigative and intelligence operations, ranging from counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and weapons of mass destruction cases. Mr. Tabb was most recently the special agent in charge of the Seattle Division. He started his 21-year career in the Dallas Division and has served on the Hostage Rescue Team, the nations only full-time, domestic counterterrorism team. Mr. Tabb has held leadership positions at the Washington Field Office, in the Critical Incident Response Group, and in the Counterterrorism Division as deputy assistant director. Exemplifying the dedication of FBI employees who protect our nation every day, Mr. Tabb has received the FBI Medal of Valor, two FBI Stars, the Attorney Generals Award for Exceptional Service, and the Exceptional Service Medal from the Director of National Intelligence. Before he joined the FBI, Mr. Tabb was an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He will assume his new role at FBI Headquarters in early October White House PressSecretary Regarding Passage of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6 Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Washington, DC - We commend the Senate for passing its Amendment to H.R. 6, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018. This critical bipartisan legislation is a major step forward in the whole-of-government approach to combating drug demand and the opioid crisis. This bill would help reduce the amount of illicit fentanyl entering the United States, improve treatment for infants suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome, create job training programs for those in recovery, and reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy to continue overseeing Federal drug control efforts, including public awareness initiatives targeted to individuals of all age groups. The President and his Administration continue to work toward and implement effective policies to address the opioid crisis and save lives. The Administration looks forward to working with both chambers as the legislative process continues to get a bill to the Presidents desk to mitigate this crisis next door. More than half of all workplace tasks will be carried out by machines by 2025, organizers of the Davos economic forum said in a report released Monday that highlights the speed with which the labor market will change in coming years. The World Economic Forum estimates that machines will be responsible for 52 percent of the division of labor as share of hours within seven years, up from just 29 percent today. By 2022, the report says, roughly 75 million jobs worldwide will be lost, but that could be more than offset by the creation of 133 million new jobs. A major challenge, however, will be training and re-training employees for that new world of work. "By 2025, the majority of workplace tasks in existence today will be performed by machines or algorithms. At the same time a greater number of new jobs will be created," said Saadia Zahidi, a WEF board member. "Our research suggests that neither businesses nor governments have fully grasped the size of this key challenge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution." The "Future of Jobs 2018" report, the second of its kind, is based on a survey of executives representing 15 million employees in 20 economies. Its authors say the outlook for job creation has become more positive since the last report in 2016 because businesses have a better sense of the opportunities made possible by technology. The WEF said challenges for employers include enabling remote work, building safety nets to protect workers, and providing reskilling for employees. However, the report found that only one in three respondents planned to reskill at-risk workers. Despite net positive job growth, the WEF anticipates a "significant shift in the quality, location, format and permanency of new roles. Businesses are to expand use of contractors for task-specialized work, engage workers in more flexible arrangements, utilize remote staffing, and change up locations to get access to the right talent. The report said nearly half of all companies expect their full-time workforces to shrink by 2022, while nearly two in five expect to extend their workforce generally, and over one-quarter expect automation to create new roles in their enterprises. Germany's powerful DGB trade union association warned against too rapid change in the world of work. "People, whether they're workers or consumers, will only accept and tolerate the consequences if technology serves them -- and not they it," Reiner Hoffmann told daily Welt in reaction to the WEF report. ___ AP writer Frank Jordans contributed from Berlin. Bonobos has named co-president and chief marketing officer Micky Onvural as its new CEO, the company told Inc. Her first day in her new role was Monday. Onvural replaces Andy Dunn, who co-founded the online men's clothing retailer in 2007. Dunn will continue to serve as senior vice president of digital brands at Walmart, which acquired Bonobos in 2017 for $310 million. The decision to step down came after he decided he no longer had enough time to do both jobs. After the Walmart acquisition, he says he inherited different brands and businesses that took him away from his role at Bonobos. "You sell your business and you don't think you'll work as hard," Dunn said, "but I'm working harder--just without the stress of wondering if we will make payroll." Onvural joined Bonobos as co-president and CMO in 2016. She was previously the vice president of consumer marketing at real estate information website Trulia for three years. Prior to Trulia, she held similar positions at cloud computing company TokBox and eBay. At Bonobos, Onvural will report to Dunn and Marc Lore, the head of Walmart's e-commerce division. Her promotion to CEO makes her one of the few women to serve as chief executive of a menswear brand. "It's certainly not where I'd expected to be," Onvural said in an interview with Inc. She added that Bonobos does not have plans to expand into women's clothing. One of Onvural's goals for the company is to continue making its clothing more inclusive in terms of sizing. The company currently has 195 fit combinations. Dunn said the decision to name a woman as CEO of a menswear brand is illustrative of a sea change in corporate decision making. "It's proof that the world we are moving toward is not one where your gender defines you or the work you can do," he said. Bonobos has 55 stores across the U.S. and employs about 500 people. Prior to being acquired by Walmart, the company raised $128 million from investors including Accel Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Bonobos started out selling men's chino pants online before expanding to become a full menswear brand with physical showrooms where customers could try on clothes before ordering them. A spokesperson for the company declined to disclose revenue data or say whether Bonobos has reached profitability. Ever want to know what co-workers say about you when you aren't in the room? Entrepreneur Nathan Barry does, and he thinks it's important for his employees to know too. Twice a year, the staff of his fast-growing email-marketing company, ConvertKit, meets in small groups, and each person takes a turn in the hot seat while the group talks about them, unfiltered, as if they weren't there. After 10 minutes, they have five minutes to ask questions and respond. "Our goal is to set a culture of direct feedback," says Barry. Building relationships that foster a collaborative environment would otherwise be a challenge for his 35-person all-remote team. It's scattered across the U.S., Canada, India, and Europe, and apart from these biannual retreats, they interact mainly on Basecamp, Slack, and Zoom. The practice is just one example of Barry's zest for collaboration and transparency. It manifests throughout ConvertKit's business, extending to marketing, employee pay, and an open-book policy that shares company financials on a public website. The unconventional approach appears to be paying off. Last year, Boise, Idaho-based ConvertKit grew to more than $9.5 million in revenue--more than double its $4 million in 2016--and landed on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. private companies at No. 72. Barry, 28, was also named to Inc.'s 2018 30 Under 30 list. Barry is convinced that his dedication to openness and candid exchanges is key to his success. He says ConvertKit started the "unsolicited feedback" exercise, as it's known internally, because he experienced its benefits himself. It was part of the routine of his local "mastermind" group, which lends support and advice to entrepreneurs. The constructive criticism that some people may want to hold back is "probably the actual stuff that will lead to growth," says Barrett Brooks, ConvertKit's chief operating officer, who had been part of the mastermind group. A number of ConvertKit employees describe the practice as "terrifying," at least initially, and some still break into tears. "Immediately you think that everyone is going to tell you all the bad things about you and all the things you need to do better," says Nicole St. Germain, a customer success manager who has done it five times, starting at the first company retreat in 2016. The reality is much kinder, she adds. "We always try to talk about it like, 'What is one thing that I can share with this person that can make them better, and how am I helping them grow as a person?'" says St. Germain. "[Co-workers] trust that we see the good things, too, not just the bad stuff." According to staffers, the exercise has turned into something they look forward to, relishing the closeness it evokes afterward. The tactic, of course, isn't for every company. Kim Scott, author of the book Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, cautions that feedback should never be given to someone unprompted and should be offered only in a private setting. Likewise, if you solicit feedback yourself, you should be open to hearing it, she says. "You don't want to dish it out before you prove you can take it," Scott says. Effective feedback is done in person and carries as much praise as constructive criticism, she adds. Barry says his approach to business aligns with a "teach everything you know" philosophy that he adopted early in life as a homeschooler with five siblings in a cash-strapped household. Given no allowance, he earned money doing odd jobs for neighbors, pet-sitting, and, at age 12, learned woodworking. ConvertKit personifies his desire to help others like him--creators--earn a living. He says he learns the most from stories where fellow entrepreneurs share real metrics, revealing how much an ebook author can earn or the rate at which companies can grow sustainably. "Everyone telling their generic stories that didn't have numbers in them didn't help me in the same way," he adds. The company recently extended its open-books policy, in which any employee can look up any company expenditure, to an online spreadsheet that lists the salaries of every staff position and tier, although it doesn't reveal names. What's more, Barry shares his company's financials on a website updated in real time. When ConvertKit was founded in 2013, he blogged about them in detail."If it helps a handful of creators earn a better living through their own software ventures--or whatever they happen to start--that's worth it," he says. "Even if it happens to help our competitors along the way." Recently, Barry blogged about his reversal of a $500,000 rebranding effort more than two years in the making. His blog post even included an FAQ. In June, the company had settled on a new name--"Seva"--a Sanskrit word that means "selfless service." The word fit with the company's business practices, its stated mission to help creators earn a living, and its instruction to employees to "default to generosity," even if it means losing money, Barry says. When the rebrand was announced in June, reactions were mixed--and pain was among the negative responses. "I am used to anger being used as a reaction--you don't often hear grief. You don't often hear people say, 'I'm hurt by that,' " says Barry. The issue? In the Sikh religion, seva is a spiritual practice that promotes giving to others without any thought of personal gain--voluntary work--and a far cry from any for-profit venture. While it isn't clear whether the rebranding flop has hurt the company, its publicly posted metrics indicate that ConvertKit's rocket-fueled growth is slowing. Brooks says the decline is caused by an onboarding change. ConvertKit used to require a credit card upfront, but this year it decided to ask for one after users had a chance to test the software. Currently, Brooks says, they're running a test to determine which method works best, factoring in engagement, churn, and conversion rates. Barry seems only too glad to share the story of the company's checkered trajectory. "Too many entrepreneurs are looking for that overnight success," he says. "People really need to hear more about the stories that are 'I worked on this thing and it kinda did OK. I stuck with it for another two years, and then it took off.' " How to Deliver Radical Candor ConvertKit's "unsolicited feedback" approach may not work for every company, but you can still give constructive criticism to help your employees grow. Kim Scott, author of the book Radical Candor, offers this guidance. Solicit feedback. Adopt a culture that encourages your team to ask for feedback. When an employee starts by soliciting feedback, Scott says, she is choosing a time when she is open to receiving it, and will likely treat it as a gift. "If you only do one thing, think about what is your go-to question that you're going to use to ask for feedback," she adds. Praise performance. A common misconception about radical candor is that people think it gives them license to say horrible things to their peers or employees, Scott says. Instead, radical candor treats praise--voicing what you like about that person's work--as seriously as it does constructive criticism. "Praise shows people what success looks like," Scott says, "and helps people repeat those behaviors or the type of work that makes them successful." Do it in private. Once your employee has requested feedback, schedule a private session. Non-verbal cues play a significant role in how humans communicate with each other, Scott says, so you should meet face to face. Stop the telephone game. If an employee comes to you with a complaint about a co-worker, allow for a "clean escalation" process. You can listen to the complaint but you should encourage the person to address it directly with the offending party, Scott says. It will help deter water cooler gossip in the office. EXPLORE MORE Inc. 5000 COMPANIES The venture capital industry, which last year doled out $84 billion to startups, manages a neat trick. While relatively new--and devoted to seeking out what's next for business and the world--it's as old-fashioned as it gets, comprising overwhelmingly male, overwhelmingly white partnerships who overwhelmingly do business with those who remind them of their younger selves. As of last year, at the top 100 venture firms, only 8 percent of investing partners were women. Two percent of venture capitalists were Hispanic. Not even 1 percent were black. And almost a quarter of VCs with MBAs got those degrees from Harvard. But some of that is finally changing. In September 2017, General Catalyst hired its first female managing partner. Union Square Ventures, First Round Capital, and FirstMark Capital soon followed. This year, BoxGroup, Redpoint Ventures, and Bain Capital did the same. In June, Andreessen Horowitz hired Katie Haun as a general partner to run a new $300 million cryptocurrency fund; in July, it promoted Connie Chan, an expert on the intersection of Chinese and North American tech, to general partner. A handful of brand-name appointments won't change an industry overnight. Being the only woman on an all-male team is generally not fun, and research shows that one woman on an otherwise all-male public-company board won't make much difference. (For that, you need three; there's little reason to think venture capital is different.) And some women VCs admit they are reluctant to invest in women. They know that if that investment goes south, it'll be doubly difficult to get support for the next female team. Still, "three or four years ago, 75 percent of the venture funds in Silicon Valley did not have a woman partner," says Trish Costello, the founder of investing platform Portfolia. "Every one is now looking for one." All this didn't happen because new data showed that diverse teams perform better. Such teams have long been known to process facts more carefully and be more innovative than homogeneous teams. According to McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 21 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the bottom quartile. And companies whose leaders are at least 30 percent female have net margins 6 percent higher than companies with no women among the senior ranks. Venture capitalists pride themselves on being data-driven, but this data apparently didn't convince. What did? Rewind to June 2017, when six women said they had faced inappropriate advances from Justin Caldbeck, the co-founder and managing partner of Binary Capital, which had $300 million under management. Accusations quickly followed against Dave McClure, co-founder of 500 Startups, and, among others, Steve Jurvetson, the co-founder of DFJ. Five years after Ellen Pao sued Kleiner Perkins, six months after Susan Fowler left Uber, Silicon Valley women were squarely in the middle of #MeToo. A recent Harvard study by Paul Gompers and Silpa Kovvali showed that venture capital firms that increased female partner hires by 10 percent increased their profitable exits by 9.7 percent. Fewer than 30 percent of venture capital exits are profitable, so this leap is a big deal. As were Silicon Valley men. Binary Capital collapsed. McClure lost his job. So did Jurvetson. "This was one of the first times there were real consequences to bad behavior," says Jess Lee, a Sequoia Capital partner and Polyvore co-founder. "For the first time, you had firms fall apart." Venture capitalists insist that they didn't mean to build brotopias. It's just the pipeline, don't you see? The pipeline theory insists successful venture capitalists need to have been tech wizards or successful founder-CEOs--preferably of companies that made truckloads of money for other venture capitalists. Tragically, the argument contends, there just aren't many women who meet those qualifications. (Of course, with less than 3 percent of venture capital going to female CEOs, it's not entirely surprising that there are so few women with nine-figure exits.) But after Binary Capital imploded, those all-male partnerships started to look sinister. Why couldn't these well-connected men find a single worthy woman? More crucially, firms started worrying. If Binary hadn't been all-male, would Caldbeck have gotten away with such bad behavior? (His partner knew about his reputation.) What if a venture capitalist who thinks he's done nothing wrong loses his firm because the party-boy partner everyone loves to have around behaves abominably toward a woman who's sick of taking it? And suddenly, women were getting hired. Maybe you didn't have to have an engineering degree or a founder's pedigree to have the makings of a good VC after all. "I'm not technical," proclaimed Sarah Tavel, upon being hired as general partner by Benchmark, although she'd managed tech teams at Pinterest and spent six years at Bessemer Venture Partners. Catherine Ulrich had been chief product officer at Shutterstock and Weight Watchers before she became the first female partner at FirstMark. Sarah Smith, the first female partner at Bain Capital, had previously been an early-stage investor and a vice president at Quora. As it turns out, maybe the pipeline of those with impressive experience building products, leading teams, and producing serious results was always a lot broader than the old guard thought. Maybe those new female partners will knock it out of the park. And maybe--after many years of bad behavior and shortsighted investment theses, and after a very recent spasm of fear--one of the last redoubts of the old boys' network will finally become a bit more modern. Coca-Cola is in talks with a major Canadian cannabis company about creating a non-psychoactive cannabis-infused beverage. Multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions told BNN Bloomberg that the 132-year-old cola company is in "serious" talks with Aurora Cannabis, a large marijuana company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. According to these sources, Coke is not interested in creating a drink that would get people high, unlike some other big beverage companies. Instead, like Pepsi, the company is responding to the lessening popularity--and growing taxation--of traditional soft drinks by expanding its product lines into decidedly more healthy beverages. Some of these healthier beverages could someday contain cannabidiol, or CBD, a substance found in marijuana that does not make you high, but appears to reduce inflammation, nausea, and seizures. According to BNN Bloomberg, products containing CBD are expected to become a $2.1 billion industry by 2020. After the BNN Bloomberg report appeared, Coca-Cola issued the following statement: "We have no interest in marijuana or cannabis. Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world. The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time." Maybe not, but Coca-Cola appears to be pretty close to a decision in favor of CBD-infused beverages, sources told BNN Bloomberg. One who has direct knowledge of the talks said the cola maker was "pretty advanced down the path" to a deal. And the company is interested enough in selling CBD beverages that it also held talks with Aphria, another Canadian marijuana producer about two months ago, insiders told Bloomberg, although those negotiations apparently fell apart at some point. (It could be that Aphria drives too hard a bargain--the company also lost out to another cannabis company, Hydropothecary Corp., for a nonalcoholic beverage deal with Molson Coors.) Despite Coke's noncommittal statement, the stock markets are taking the possibility of a deal very seriously. Aurora shares were up more than 16 percent on the news at close of trading on Monday, and Coke's share price was slightly up as well. There are certainly good reasons why it would make sense for Coca-Cola to offer a drink containing CBD and to work with a Canadian company to produce it. The country became the second nation--after Uruguay--to legalize recreational marijuana, a law that goes into effect next month. Meantime, here in the United States, marijuana is in an odd legal limbo--legal in some states, illegal in others, legal for only certain medical uses in others. It's still illegal at the federal level, which means federal law enforcement could prosecute cannabis stores or users at any time, although so far they've mostly tolerated CBD products. To complicate matters further, CBD can also be derived from hemp, although experts say that version is less effective and in any case growing hemp is also illegal in the United States, at least for now. Also, Coca-Cola has already boldly stepped into the good-for-you nutraceuticals market. Among other things, its sells coconut water, prized by many as a recovery drink after a workout. A CBD-infused beverage with its anti-inflammatory properties would also make sense as a recovery drink, and one of the sources who talked to BNN Bloomberg said that's exactly what Coke is planning. It was 20 years ago today that Hong Kong Police Force Detective Inspector Lee stepped onto the tarmac at LAX, ready to deliver roundhouse kicks to the faces of oversized henchmen in oversized suits. Absurdly enjoyable, if a little offensive by todays standards, Rush Hour can in retrospect be accused of many things, but anachronism is not one of them. So many action movies have revolved around unlikely plots by antiquated villains usually Russians with severe Cold War grudges but Rush Hours premise was perfectly contemporary. Set in 1997 during the last day of the British rule of Hong Kong and released a year later, it sees this peaceful handover interrupted by the kidnap of the Chinese consuls daughter on US soil snatched from a car by masked men while she is singing along to Mariah Careys Fantasy. It's not obvious who's behind the abduction, except it is because theres an English cast member and this film was made in the 1990s. Tom Wilkinson is the evil Brit on this occasion, a commander who, it transpires, is secretly the mysterious crime lord known as Juntao. Yet he's motivated not by the usual megalomania or archaic national rivalry, but the loss of his collection of priceless Chinese artefacts thanks to the Hong Kong handover. We already have a little girl strapped with a bomb vest and a maniacal art dealer in play, then, and thats even before our protagonists arrive. (New Line) Jackie Chan plays the efficient Hong Kongese detective that the consul demands be put on the hostage case, much to the annoyance of the FBI who want to keep the case American goddamnit. Their solution? Stick it to the LAPD (who the FBI hate for some undisclosed reason) by having one of its officers essentially babysit him. Enter Chris Tucker as Carter, the maverick cop prone to theatricality whom the LAPD chief gives the job as a prank. This premise all bears recapping because it is a) brilliant b) ridiculous and c) really quite original. Rewatch Rush Hour and its impossible not to be charmed by Chan and Tuckers chemistry, just as the majority of critics were in 1998. Rush Hour is lightweight and made out of familiar elements, but theyre handled with humour and invention, Roger Ebert wrote in his original review a three-starrer but one with a lot of compliments for both Tucker and Chan. Its clear long before the films obligatory in-credits blooper reel that the pair are having a lot of fun on set. Typically ending scenes with non-sequitur Michael Jackson dance moves, Carter is a fountain of one-liners and sass all delivered in Tuckers signature semi-falsetto. Lee, meanwhile, is the perfect foil to his unlikely partner: more straight-laced and humble, but sharing Carters childish enthusiasm for life. This is best illustrated when Carter teaches Lee the correct lyrics to Edwin Starrs War, a carefree and jubilant scene that has more personality than any youll find in this years biggest and most critically-acclaimed action movie, Mission: Impossible Fallout. Rush Hours stunts might not be able to match the grandiosity of those being staged today in films like Fallout, but there is something just as satisfying about their cinematic simplicity. Choreographed by Chan and his team in the tradition of Hong Kong martial arts movies, the fight scenes eschew the fast cuts and dizzying number of camera angles usually found in Hollywood action films, instead inviting you to just marvel at Chans kung-fu prowess. They play out balletically and yet still have plenty of comedy. Lee pots balls while fighting around a pool table, weaponises a mans belt, and tries to stop Ming vases from toppling as he breezily dispatches henchmen at an auction. Chan uses a key prop or piece of furniture in every way possible; give the man an ironing board and hell find 17 different ways to stylishly whoop somebodys ass (to paraphrase Carter) with it. Ken Leung also gives a great, understated performance as Juntaos laconic arch-henchman Sang in Rush Hour. Following it, Leung would go on to move outside of the action genre and appear in dramas like Vanilla Sky and The Squid and the Whale. Its Tucker and Chan who are the beating heart of Rush Hour, though, their star power propelling it through two subsequent sequels, with a fourth now lined up for 2019. Ken Leung as laconic, menacing arch-henchman, Sang (New Line) Yes, there are some stupid racial slurs from Carter along the way, but, to my relief during the rewatch, the film doesnt once invite you to laugh at them. Instead, Carters stereotyping presents Lee with an opportunity to give him the slip. Lee takes advantage of Carters ignorance, letting him believe he doesnt speak English and then ultimately escaping his watch when Carter embarrasses his country by taking the Hong Kong detective to Chinatown. The joke is always on America. On its complacency or its undignified manners or its inability to think about any country other than itself. What is particularly striking and evokes a warmer, fuzzier feeling than ever when watching Rush Hour back is how Lee is able to overlook Carters ignorant worldview and see the good in him. Early on in the movie, even before the two men have established a friendship, Lee has the opportunity to bust Carter and have him sent back to the precinct. But he doesnt. Its an under-explained scene and the most subtle and poignant one so many years later. Lee, in that moment, chooses not to punish his new colleague but give him a chance to prove he can be a better man. The Duchess of Sussex has been making low-key visits to a communal kitchen where women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire have been making food for their community - and helped ensure the scheme's financial survival. At first, the women were only able to keep the doors to the kitchen open to the community for two days a week due to a lack of funding. However, thanks to the duchess involvement over the past few months, theyll now be able to keep the kitchen open seven days a week as they prepare to release a cookbook with a foreword written by Meghan herself. Recommended Meghan Markle and Prince Harry request donations instead of gifts Together: Our Community Cookbook contains an assortment of recipes, some of which are very personal to the womens families. The 50 recipes are inspired by dishes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. In her foreword, Meghan explains how the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London has provided the community affected by the Grenfell Tower fire with a safe space where they can share their happiness and their grief. Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy, she writes. The Duchess of Sussex poses with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in London (AP) In its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture, and commune through food, through crisis or joy - something we can all relate to. The money raised by the Together cookbook will be monitored by the Royal Foundation, of which the duchess is a patron alongside Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It will then be distributed to the Hubb Community Kitchen and other related projects. Meghans work with the Hubb Community Kitchen is her first solo project since becoming a member of the royal family. Serena Williams, a close friend of the duchess, has praised the project with a poignant message on Twitter. I used to call you Meghan (and I still do) but dear Duchess of Sussex your first project Together a cookbook bringing women of all cultures together, she wrote. I could not be more excited about it and proud of you. Its beautiful - diversity, inclusivity, coming together in grief or joy. Meghan has taken an interest in initiatives involving communities of women on multiple occasions in the past. When the duchess married Prince Harry in May this year, one of the charities that the couple asked people to donate towards instead of sending gifts was the Myna Mahila Foundation, a charity that provides women in Mumbais urban slums with support and access to sanitary products. Recommended Children from Grenfell Tower deliver alternative Christmas message Furthermore, in 2005 Meghan gave a powerful speech at the UN on International Womens Day on gender equality. A line from the speech is quoted on the duchess profile on the royal familys official website, which reads: I am proud to be a woman and a feminist. Together: Our Community Cookbook can be bought from Waterstones for 9.99. Some of the recipes featured in the cookbook include coconut chicken curry, aubergine masala and caramelised plum upside-down cake. Madeleine McCann: Amaral wants his money and a final appeal In MADDIE HUNT CRISIS Sun readers get the latest instalment in the tabloid saga that is the search for Madeleine McCann. After months of nothing, recent days have brought news that Operation Grange, the Metropolitan Police investigation into the disappearance of the three-year-old child in 2007, might need more funds, speculation about those funds and what it could all mean, and a chance to gawp at the childs father, Gerry McCann, who features on a BBC Radio 4 show about mental health, loss and poetry. Now readers are invited to wonder what itd mean if the McCanns were to lose a 850k case against [the] cop who claimed they were responsible for daughters death. The copper is Goncalo Amaral, 58, of course, who led the search for Madeleine McCann. He later claimed in a book, The Truth of the Lie, that Madeleine McCann died in Portugal and her parents Kate and Gerry McCann covered it up. Amaral is the disgraced cop who ludicrously claimed and shamefully claimed they were responsible for her death. Its hideous stuff. The single fact remains: child vanishes. There are no suspects. Everything is speculation. Innocence of any alleged crime must be presumed. The McCanns are innocent. The Sun notes: Kate and Gerry [McCann], both 50, won a 2015 libel case against him but it was later overturned and Amaral was awarded compo. The McCanns lawyers have now lodged final paperwork at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, with a hearing expected this year Amaral shamelessly repeated his allegations last week in a glossy magazine interview and even claimed: My family has suffered a lot. The issue is not about what he said, but his right to say it in Portugal. It was always a big risk to sue Amaral in a foreign country. Whoever took the risk assessment for the McCanns got it wrong. Amarals book might well be nasty and opportunistic, but he went in with his eyes open. He must have some nous to rise high in the ranks of the Portuguese police. And his publishers should know their field. The libel case against him was a costly misstep. An unnamed source close to the McCanns is quoted: It seems you can say anything you like about someone in Portugal, no matter how awful, and get away with it. Well, quite. They value free speech. If the European Court rules against them the trustees will decide on how best to make any payments. It would be a blow but Kate and Gerry would keep their heads up and carry on searching. And the money? The latest figures show 728,508, or around 819,400, is in Madeleines Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned mostly from public donations. That could all go if the decision to award Amaral 483,000 is upheld with the McCanns paying costs on top. Two more people are quoted: Retired Det Chief Insp Mick Neville, who last year investigated the case, said: It is tragic that funds to try to find her could be lost because of this legal action. There is every reason to believe she may be alive. The McCanns Portuguese lawyer Isabel Duarte said: This will be our final appeal. The basis is the violation of my clients fundamental rights. Meanwhile, an innocent child is missing. Anorak Posted: 18th, September 2018 | In: Madeleine McCann, News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink Elon Musks SpaceX has signed up its first private passenger to travel to the moon: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. Mr Maezawa, 42, who owns Japans leading online fashion brand, has paid a significant deposit to take part in the lunar loop orbiting Earths nearest neighbour in SpaceXs Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), due for launch in 2023. The businessman said he would take a team of artists from different disciplines as part of the crew to record their impressions of the spectacular journey a project known as #dearMoon. Recommended Elon Musk and Japanese billionaire to send eight artists to the Moon Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon. Its always there and continues to inspire humanity, he said at a news conference in Hawthorne, California. I would like to invite six to eight artists from around the world to join me on this mission to the moon. These artists will be asked to create something after they return to Earth and these masterpieces will inspire the dreamer within all of us. The BFR is a 35-storey ship capable of carrying a greater number of people on board than the Falcon 9, the craft originally slated for the mission. Its launch will mark the first stage in realising Mr Musks plan to establish a human presence on Mars. Assuming the BFR mission achieves its aim, it will be the first manned trip to the celestial body since the final Apollo mission in 1972, although the SpaceX vessel will not land on its surface. Mr Maezawa was born im Kamagaya on 22 November 1975 and attended Waseda Jitsugyo High School, where he started a band with his classmates, Switch Style, which released its debut EP in 1993 and signed to major label BMG Japan five years later. Briefly relocating to the US after graduation, he continued to pursue his love of music and accumulated a huge collection of albums. His hobby would provide the basis for his first business, Start Today, a mail order operation selling imported CDs. Branching out into clothing in 2000, Start Today moved online and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It opened the dedicated fashion site Zozotown in 2004, which has since gone from strength to strength and recently pioneered its own custom-fit label ZOZO and an innovative at-home measuring system, the ZOZOSUIT. Currently estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of $2.9bn (2.2bn), Mr Maezawa retains a 38 per cent stake in Start Today and has long held an interest in modern art, founding the Contemporary Art Foundation in 2012 to support young talent. In 2016, he twice broke the record at auction for purchasing work by the American street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and also bought pieces by Pablo Picasso, Jeff Koons, Bruce Nauman, Alexander Calder and Richard Prince. He has expressed interest in opening a museum in Chiba to house his collection. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region His decision to take a team of artists into space allows him to explore a lifelong curiosity with how creative minds like Basquiat might have responded to the final frontier, he said. What if Picasso had gone to the Moon? Or Andy Warhol or Michael Jackson or John Lennon? he asked in California. What about Coco Chanel? These are all artists that I adore. Move over GDP, happiness is angling to become the metric of the future. Nation states have begun to compete in global happiness rankings and plan policy according to statistics of wellbeing. Most recently, New Zealand announced that its 2019 budget will report on how national spending impacts on wellbeing. City authorities are developing smart approaches to measuring happiness, mobilising an ever increasing array of mobile apps and behavioural data that aim to sense, map and explain our daily happiness. The Smart Dubai Office, a technology initiative led by the UAE government, launched its Smart Happiness Index earlier in 2018, which promises to assess the performance of its citys managers based on happiness gain per funds spent. This emphasis comes off the back of the new academic field of happiness studies, which has emerged as a credible science with its own research centres and academic journals since the turn of the 21st century. A simple Google Scholar search for happiness scholarship published in 2018 will pull up an astonishing 23,000 hits. The fields leading scholars originally set out to bring together diverse insights from philosophy, psychology, sociology, health perspectives, economics, cultural studies and the arts, to rigorously investigate how satisfied people feel about their life and how they assess their own wellbeing. Psychologists in particular were fed up of focusing on distress and disorder, and launched the associated field of positive psychology at this time. Measuring a smile The idea that happiness can be measured and mapped, and that it varies geographically, is now established. Every three years since 2012, the UNs World Happiness Report releases eagerly awaited global rankings of happiness. These are based on a global survey that asks people to evaluate how they feel about their life on a scale from zero to 10. The rankings are usually dominated by Nordic countries, with Finland currently topping the list. While people might generally feel their happiness is something intangible which cannot be given a number, this new approach is increasingly popular among governments that want to move beyond economic growth as a measure of a nations value and progress. Meanwhile, a global movement for transforming current economic models to one based on wellbeing is gathering support. Its true that we now know a substantial amount about happiness, including who is happiest and where, social patterns in happiness according to age and gender, and what drives individual and national levels of happiness, such as income, education, social relationships, good national governance and health. Yet levels of global economic inequality and high rates of global depression and mental distress persist. In other words, while we know a lot more about happiness, happiness as a whole has not improved. This is a pressing issue, and should affect how national governments, cities, and local authorities go about their modern attempts to improve happiness levels. The problem is that as the field has taken off, a particular understanding of happiness has taken hold. And it is increasingly clear that this definition is limiting. The worst jobs for your health Show all 10 1 /10 The worst jobs for your health The worst jobs for your health 10. Surgical and medical assistants, technologists, and technicians Overall unhealthiness score: 57.3 What they do: Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel and perform medical laboratory tests. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 88 2. Exposure to contaminants: 80 3. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 69 The worst jobs for your health 9. Stationary engineers and boiler operators Overall unhealthiness score: 57.7 What they do: Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 99 2. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 89 3. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 84 The worst jobs for your health 8. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators Overall unhealthiness score: 58.2 What they do: Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 97 2. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 80 3. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 74 The worst jobs for your health 7. Histotechnologists and histologic technicians Overall unhealthiness score: 59.0 What they do: Prepare histologic slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 88 2. Exposure to contaminants: 76 3. Exposure to disease and infections: 75 The worst jobs for your health 6. Immigration and customs inspectors Overall unhealthiness score: 59.3 What they do: Investigate and inspect people, common carriers, goods, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the US or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 78 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 63 3. Exposure to radiation: 62 The worst jobs for your health 5. Podiatrists Overall unhealthiness score: 60.2 What they do: Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 87 2. Exposure to radiation: 69 3. Exposure to contaminants: 67 The worst jobs for your health 4. Veterinarians, veterinary assistants, and laboratory animal caretakers and veterinary technologists and technicians What they do: Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals and perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 81 2. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 75 3. Exposure to contaminants: 74 The worst jobs for your health 3. Anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants Overall unhealthiness score: 62.3 What they do: Administer anesthetics or sedatives during medical procedures, and help patients in recovering from anesthesia. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 94 2. Exposure to contaminants: 80 3. Exposure to radiation: 74 The worst jobs for your health 2. Flight attendants What they do: Provide personal services to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of airline passengers during flight. Greet passengers, verify tickets, explain use of safety equipment, and serve food or beverages. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 88 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 77 3. Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings: 69 The worst jobs for your health 1. Dentists, dental surgeons, and dental assistants Overall unhealthiness score: 65.4 What they do: Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 84 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 75 3. Time spent sitting: 67 Defining happiness Behavioural economists have been highly influential in bringing happiness studies to the public policy agenda on a world stage. But in order to measure happiness, it had to be redefined as an observable behaviour. As such, happiness as understood by those monitoring and measuring it is something internal, concerning the mental aspects of the individual yet as everyone knows, happiness generally relates to something outside of ourselves (we feel happy about something), and can be transformed by a change in our external circumstances. Economists working in happiness studies are also increasingly interested in using neuroscientific and genetic evidence in their efforts to eliminate bias and provide objective, comparable measures. Again this involves looking inwards this time at our biology rather than our behaviour to define what happiness actually means. There are serious limitations to behavioural economic and neuroscientific explanations. These approaches transform subjective wellbeing into an objectified measure, a target of national and global governance, by aggregating the wellbeing of anonymised individuals. This downplays the role of culture and context in shaping our very sense of self, our expectations, aspirations and perceptions. Alternative understandings that challenge the boundaries between inside and out, and that are central to understanding this important field, have been eclipsed. Culture, then, is a sticking point for behavioural definitions of happiness. Even the idea that subjective wellbeing can be measured by a survey is increasingly contested by some economists, who have, for example, identified that peoples assessments of their happiness can be affected by the way in which their countrys education system grades exams an unusual effect which challenges the validity of global happiness indexes. Paradoxes of happiness Further limitations are often highlighted by economists and psychologists. Namely, while we might commonly think of happiness as the opposite of depression, this does not always appear to be the case. People living with mental health problems can simultaneously report feeling happy. And some of the happiest nations, such as Finland and Denmark, also have high suicide rates, as reported in a new study, which set out to expose some of the contradictions in the Nordic dominance of global happiness league tables. Isabella Arendt, a researcher at the Danish Happiness Research Institute, told me recently how she sees happiness as a relative and dynamic term, which seems far more sensible. Even if we lived in a Utopia, there would still be unhappy people, she says. Another paradox haunts happiness studies: creating the conditions to promote wellbeing may in fact be driven by a sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness with the status quo. Less happy people, for example, are more likely to be politically active than happy ones. Little wonder, then, that increased scientific knowledge about happiness has not yet led to significant social change. These limitations and paradoxes need to shape the future of happiness studies and wellbeing policies. It seems improbable that the current smart happy cities movement, informed by predictive behavioural analytics, wearable emotion sensing and empathetic machine learning, will provide a 21st-century technical fix to the centuries old question of what happiness is and how we might collectively pursue it. Tracking happiness is all very well, but before we use such maps to determine how we are governed, we need to understand what happens to our happiness when it becomes an emotion to be mapped, measured and managed. Jessica Pykett is a senior lecturer in human geography at the University of Birmingham. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com) Carmaker BMW is bringing a planned shutdown of its Oxford plant forward to begin on the same day the UK leaves the EU, in a bid to minimise the potential disruption a no-deal Brexit would create, the company said on Tuesday. BMW said in a statement that it would move the shutdown, which will last several weeks, to coincide with Brexit in order to minimise any disruption risks in the event that no exit deal is agreed. The Oxford plant is the site where the Mini is produced. Planned annual maintenance periods at BMW Group production sites allow essential updating and equipment replacement to be completed over several weeks, while there is no production taking place, a BMW spokesperson said. As a responsible organisation, we have scheduled next years annual maintenance period at Mini Plant Oxford to start on 1 April, when the UK exits the EU, to minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit. While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it. The spokesperson added: We remain committed to our operations in Britain, which is the only country in the world where we manufacture for all three of our automotive brands. Unite the Unions assistant general secretary Tony Burke said BMWs decision underlines the uncertainty facing one of the UKs flagship industries, which he said was the result of chaotic management of Brexit negotiations by the government. Maintenance work and preparing the Cowley plant for the new electric mini would usually have taken place in the summer months, but faced with the UK governments shambolic approach to Brexit negotiations and the looming chaos of a no-deal, BMW has taken the sensible step to bring forward this essential work, Mr Burke added. Unite is working with businesses like BMW to mitigate the worst effects of the Tories Brexit chaos, but working people are losing out as the uncertainty bites and carmakers stall on investment plans. Theresa Mays Tory government needs to stop gambling with UK jobs and the future of one of the jewels in Britains manufacturing crown by getting a Brexit deal that secures frictionless trade and tariff-free access to the European Union. BMWs announcement comes amid several warnings from across the UK motor industry about the threat posed by a departure from the EU without an agreement in place. Honda said on Tuesday that a no-deal Brexit would cost it tens of millions of pounds. Meanwhile, on Monday, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it was moving workers at its Castle Bromwich plant to a three-day week because of continuing headwinds impacting the car industry. Ralf Speth, Jaguars boss, last week warned that tens of thousands of jobs in the UK motor industry are at risk if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead. He also said the current lack of clarity around Brexit means he does not know if his plants will be able to function after 29 March 2019, and added that interruptions to production could cost up to 60m a day. The heavy-handed targeting of predominantly young black men and boys listed on the Metropolitan Polices gangs matrix is having the counterproductive effect of driving up crime, a new report has warned. Research by campaign group StopWatch suggests the database, set up in the wake of the 2011 London riots in a bid to curb gang violence, is counterproductive because it increases disdain for the police, which can in turn lead to increased criminal offending. The matrix, which labels young people as gang nominals, holds the details of around 3,500 subjects as young as 12, and each is given a green, amber or red rating denoting their perceived risk of violence. The report finds that they are subjected to relentless stop and search encounters, sometimes multiple times a day, which are often without demonstrable legitimate purpose, impacting on the trust young people have in the police. Katrina Ffrench, chief executive of StopWatch, said to be on the matrix was to be literally black listed. It means that the young people on it are marked out for harassment and humiliation. Its a highly racialised stigma that follows someone through every aspect of their life, she said. Not only is the matrix completely ineffective at combating the crime it claims to want to tackle, our research suggests it makes crime more likely. The young people we work with describe being stopped and searched as a daily occurrence, like putting on clothes some people report being stopped and searched as many as three times a day. I think its hard for most people to imagine that level of invasion of personal space and the mental strain the young people experience. The findings add weight to a critical report from Amnesty International in May warning that the matrix was racially discriminatory and was causing people with no links to crime to be wrongly stigmatised while the perpetrators go free. The report found that three quarters of those listed on the matrix were black, despite the ethnic group making up just 13 per cent of Londons wider population and a quarter of those prosecuted for serious youth violence, while 15 per cent are children. StopWatch said the frequency with which young people reported being searched was alarming and was directly cited as a cause for increasing criminal offending by a number of the people interviewed. Recommended Black boys more likely to get maximum jail terms than white children One individual, known as Ricky, told researchers: Ive been stopped and searched, probably, I dont know, a couple of hundred times, probably, I dont know. Used to get it regular, Ive got a conviction because I was stopped and searched three times in one day. Now if youre stopped and searched three times in one day, how are you going to feel? I flipped, I got done for public disorder and I was thinking, I havent actually done nothing, you have stopped me three times in one day. The report also raises specific concerns about how the rights of children are being breached, stating that the stop and search encounters they experience indicate a deficit in knowledge and understanding by police officers about their statutory obligations to children in their care. This disturbing lack of awareness about the importance of ensuring and safeguarding the welfare of children adversely impacts on an officers ability to positively and effectively engage with children, it states. StopWatch said the matrix should be urgently reviewed by the mayor of London with a view to scrapping it. A spokesperson for the Met Police said the aim of the matrix was to reduce gang-related violence and prevent young lives being lost. They said the force constantly reviewed and updated the processes involved in maintaining the database. The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Show all 21 1 /21 The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Oluwadamilolda Odeyingbo Oluwadamilolda Odeyingbo, 18, was killed in a fight in Chislehurst on 10 January 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Hasan Ozcan Hasan Ozcan, 19, was stabbed to death on the Gascoigne Estate in Barking on 3 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Sabri Chibani Sabri Chibani, 19, was stabbed fatally in the chest in Streatham on 11 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Promise Nkenda Lord Promise Nkenda, 17, was stabbed to death in Canning Town on 14 February 2018 Facebook The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Lewis Blackman Lewis Blackman, a 19-year-old rapper from Kentish Town, was stabbed to death in Kensington on 18 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Abdikarim Hassan Abdikarim Hassan, 17, was stabbed to death near his home in Camden's Peckwater estate on 20 March - less tahan two hours before another man was stabbed to death nearby Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Kelvin Odunuyi Kelvin Odunuyi, a 19-year-old rapper known as DipDat and Lampz, was shot dead in Wood Green on 8 March Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Lyndon Davis Lyndon Davis, 18, was chased down and stabbed to death in Chadwell Heath on 14 March Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Tanesha Melbourne-Blake Tanesha Melbourne, 17, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Tottenham on 2 April PA The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Amaan Shakoor Amaan Shakoor, 16, was shot dead in Walthamstow on 2 April Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Israel Ogunsola Israel Ogunsola, 18, was stabbed to death in Hackney on 4 April Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, a 17-year-old rapper and aspiring architect, was shot dead in a Kennington Street on 5 May Handout The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Jordan Douherty Aspiring rapper Jordan Douherty died of his injuries outside a birthday party in Romford on 23 June Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Katrina Makunova Katrina Makunova, 17, was stabbed to death in Camberwell on 12 July 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Latwaan Griffiths 18-year-old Latwaan Griffiths was fatally stabbed on 25 July and died in hospital after being thrown off the back of a moped in Camberwell Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Guled Farah Guled Farah, 19, was shot in Walthamstow on 22 September Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Ethan Nedd-Bruce Ethan Nedd-Bruce, 18, died after he was shot outside a party at a flat in Greenwich, south-east London, on 22 October. He had also been stabbed, but the gunshot wound was the cause of death. Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Jay Hughes Jay Hughes, 15, died was fatally stabbed outside a chicken shop in Bellingham, south-east London, on 1 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Malcolm Mide-Madariola Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was found suffering from a stab wound outside Clapham South Tube station on 2 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 John Ogunjobi John Ogunjobi, 16, died in front of his parents after he was stabbed in Greenleaf Close, Tulse Hill, on 5 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Aron Warren Aron Warren, 18, was found stabbed in a flat block in Greenwich on 8 December and died at the scene Metropolitan Police In relation to suggestions of potential racial disproportionality of the matrix, they said it had actively engaged with Labour MP David Lammy, Amnesty International and the Information Commissioner's office to help understand the approach taken. With respect to concerns about stop and search, the spokesperson said: The primary purpose of stop and search is to enable officers to either allay or confirm their suspicions about an individual without having to arrest them. Effectiveness must therefore reflect where suspicion has been allayed and an unnecessary arrest, which is more intrusive, has been avoided; or where suspicion has been confirmed and the object is found or a relevant crime is detected. Housing associations will be handed 2bn in new funding to help them build low-cost homes, under plans announced by Theresa May. The prime minister told associations they will be allowed to apply for money for the next decade in a bid to give them greater financial security. Ms May also called for an end to the stigma around social housing that, she said, sees many politicians "look down on" people who live in low-cost homes. She told a conference of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, that "the most ambitious" providers will be able to bid for government money to last them until 2028-29. Recommended House prices rise at fastest rate this year as wages increase The money will come from housing budgets in the next spending review period - the details of which are not expected until next year. Ms May said: You said that if you were going to take a serious role in not just managing but building the homes this country needs, you had to have the stability provided by long-term funding deals. Well, eight housing associations have already been given such deals, worth almost 600m and paving the way for almost 15,000 new affordable homes. And today, I can announce that new longer-term partnerships will be opened up to the most ambitious housing associations through a ground-breaking 2bn initiative. Under the scheme, associations will be able to apply for funding stretching as far ahead as 2028-29 the first time any government has offered housing associations such long-term certainty. Doing so will give you the stability you need to get tens of thousands of affordable and social homes built where they are needed most, and make it easier for you to leverage the private finance you need to build many more. Ms May demanded associations "achieve things neither private developers nor local authorities are capable of doing and call on them "to take the lead in transforming the very way in which we think about and deliver housing in this country" by "taking on and leading major developments themselves", rather than simply buying properties built by developers. UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 UK Housing Crisis: in pictures UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Members of generation rent, as the younger generation is often known, are finding it far more difficult to get on the housing market than previous generations PA UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Then chancellor George Osborne visits a Help to Buy housing development in Lewisham in 2014. Osborne had announced the Help to Buy scheme in the 2013 budget as a means of helping first-time buyers on to the housing market PA Archive/PA Images UK Housing Crisis: in pictures In February 2017, then communities and local government secretary Sajid Javid issued a government white paper on housing. Introducing it in the Commons, he stated our housing market is broken and that the idea of owning or renting a safe, secure place of your own is, for many, a distant dream PA UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Residents of Fitzroy Road in Primrose Hill have demonstrated how urban areas might be built up without using extra land. 12 homeowners along the street all agreed to extend their house upwards by 1 floor. The government recently held a consultation on the revised National Planning Policy Framework, which, if approved, will support building above homes, shops and offices Google Earth UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Social Bite, a charity in Scotland, is creating a small housing community for the homeless. Up to 20 people will be housed for 12-18 months, with the charitys focus being on transitioning the residents into permanent housing and employment AFP/Getty UK Housing Crisis: in pictures A homeless man was found dead yards from Parliament in February. His death was taken by many, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, to be symbolic of the governments poor record on housing. PA UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Emergency homeless shelters in London had to be opened numerous times throughout the past winter to house those unable to find a room in an ordinary shelter or hostel Getty UK Housing Crisis: in pictures Carillion, the UKs second largest construction company, entered liquidation early this year. It held numerous government construction and maintenance contracts, for many of which the future is still uncertain AFP/Getty She will also ask associations to help end the "stigma" around social housing, admitting that too many people, including politicians, "look down on" people who live in low-cost homes. For many people, a certain stigma still clings to social housing. Some residents feel marginalised and overlooked, and are ashamed to share the fact that their home belongs to a housing association or local authority", she will say. And on the outside, many people in society including too many politicians continue to look down on social housing and, by extension, the people who call it their home. She added: "We should never see social housing as something that need simply be good enough, nor think that the people who live in it should be grateful for their safety net and expect no better. Whether it is owned and managed by local authorities, [tenant management organisations] or housing associations, I want to see social housing that is so good people are proud to call it their home Our friends and neighbours who live in social housing are not second-rate citizens. Budget 2017: Hammond commits 44bn to housing and commits to delivering 300,000 net additional homes per year by mid 2020's Ms May used her speech at last year's Conservative Party conference to announce 2bn of new investment in low-cost housing - enough to build 5,000 new homes per year - although this was criticised as being significantly less than is needed. No 10 said the new 2bn was in addition to the amount announced last year. However, Labour said the latest cash injection would not be enough to reverse the impact of previous cuts to housing budgets. John Healey, Labour's shadow housing secretary, said: "Theresa Mays promises fall far short of whats needed. Any pledge of new investment is welcome, but the reality is spending on new affordable homes has been slashed so the number of new social rented homes built last year fell to the lowest level since records began. If Conservative ministers are serious about fixing the housing crisis they should back Labours plans to build a million genuinely affordable homes, including the biggest council housebuilding programme for over 30 years. There have been reactions from all around the world to the shocking story of the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes to be administered in public, 50 lashes at a time, and a hefty fine, for having opinions unacceptable to the Saudi authorities but one person not talking about it is the Foreign Office minister, Tobias Ellwood. Stewart McDonald, MP for Glasgow South, arranged a Commons debate on civil rights in Saudi Arabia during which he raised the Badawi case. Replying for the Government, Mr Ellwood claimed the case is in the Supreme Court and is under review. We therefore cannot interfere with that process, in the same way that the Saudi authorities would not interfere with our process. When challenged, he insisted: The case has returned to the Supreme Court, which reflects the fact that the leadership has taken stock of international opinion. The punishment has stopped and is under review. Until that process moves forward, it would be incorrect to comment on another countrys judicial process. The last the world heard was that in June the Saudi Supreme Court had upheld Mr Badawis sentence, and it was reported then that his only remaining hope was a royal pardon. I asked the Foreign Office if they could throw light on Mr Ellwoods statement. More than seven hours after he spoke, I was told that their Saudi desk was working on a reply. When it comes, I will gladly pass it on. Huffington Post 1; PM 0 As lobby journalists were quaffing champagne at the Downing Street end-of-term party, someone mentioned to David Cameron that Andy Burnham had said he would carry on supporting Everton even if he won the Labour leadership. Cameron was asked if he ever managed to watch Aston Villa, whereupon Owen Bennett, of Huffington Post, interjected: Or West Ham? Cameron affected not to hear. EUs heart of darkness During the same evening, Cameron said his summer reading will include Dark Continent, by the historian Mark Mazower, who debunked the idea that it was always Europes destiny to be the home of freedom and democracy, arguing that extremism, particularly right-wing extremism, is every bit as much part of the continents heritage. We can no longer afford to simply think of it as a dead load that by itself time will bury in oblivion, he warned. That should provide the Prime Minister with a few arguments when it comes the EU referendum. The dwarfs revenge The Commons had been in session for only a few minutes when John Bercow threw a wobbly. The Chancellor, George Osborne, was replying to a question on the economy from the veteran Labour MP Barry Sheerman, and used the chance to express mock regret that the Labour Party is not listening to the sensible voices of the old intake. The Speaker was correct to rule him out of order, because Labours internal turmoil is not Treasury business, but did so with shocking vehemence. Sit down! he barked, and when Osborne appeared to be ignoring him, added: Chancellor, sit down, man! I told you to sit down, so sit down! Onlookers wondered why he was so angry. I think it was because of the exchange that preceded it. The first person to put a question to the Chancellor was the Tory backbencher, Sir Simon Burns. It was an exercise in sycophancy. What progress, he asked, had the Chancellor made with his long-term economic plan? This was answered with a few minutes of self-congratulatory blather, after which Sir Simon put a second question. Did the Chancellor agree that his Budget clearly demonstrated the Conservatives are the natural party for hard-working families? Sir Simon is not always so respectful. He once called Bercow a sanctimonious dwarf. Hearing him wasting time with toadying questions is I hear what drove Bercow into a fury. An extraordinary warning that a no-deal Brexit risks wiping out Britains 10-year recovery from the economic crash has sparked fresh tensions between Philip Hammond and Theresa May. The chancellor sided with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it warned of dire consequences from crashing out of the EU, saying the government must heed the advice to protect jobs and prosperity. Despite the contingency actions we are taking, leaving without a deal would put at risk the substantial progress the British people have made over the last 10 years, Mr Hammond said. Moments earlier, Christine Lagarde, the IMFs managing director, had made clear its view that Britain would be worse off under every possible post-Brexit option. On a no-deal departure, she said: If that happened there would be dire consequences. It would inevitably have consequences in terms of reduced growth, an increase in the [budget] deficit and a depreciation of the currency. Embarrassingly for the prime minister, the comments came after she claimed our best days are ahead of us even while insisting that the UK would leave without an agreement if her Chequers plan was rejected. Mr Hammonds intervention prompted a call from Labour for him to break ranks by making clear he would not accept a no-deal Brexit and the damage it would bring. In a further blow, Jaguar Land Rover which has publicly attacked the governments Brexit stance put its workers on a three-day week until Christmas, due to continuing headwinds. And Northern Irelands most senior civil servant warned that trade would be impossible for some of its firms if the bureaucracy from a no-deal departure became a reality. Today, the Commons Brexit committee warns the prime minister has failed to set out a solution to prevent a hard border in Ireland and that time is now running out. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS Mr Hammond issued his most outspoken broadside against crashing out of the EU, when he said a deal was essential to lock in the economic progress that we have made repairing the economy since the 2008 crash. As we leave the EU, we must secure a close and enduring partnership with our European neighbours and we must heed the clear warnings of the IMF and others of the significant costs not reaching a deal with the EU will have for British jobs and British prosperity, he said. John McDonnell, Labours shadow chancellor, seized on the comments, saying: I call on the chancellor to show some leadership and make it clear to his colleagues that he will not accept a no-deal Brexit and the damage it risks doing to jobs, wages and living standards in this country. Ms Mays spokesman gave a frosty response, saying: The prime minister said very clearly that our best days are ahead of us and we will have plans to succeed whatever the scenario. The chancellor was responding to an annual report by the IMF that warned Britain would be worse off under every possible post-Brexit option. Whatever the deal is will not be as good as it is at the moment, said Christine Lagarde, the IMFs managing director. Let me be clear: compared with todays smooth single market, all the likely Brexit scenarios will have costs for the economy and to a lesser extent as well for the EU. In its report, the Exiting the European Union Committee stamped on suggestions that an agreement with the EU on the Irish border is close, warning the UK has still not put forward a workable proposal. It also argued a plan B will be needed if the EU continues to reject the Chequers proposals urging the prime minister to keep single market and customs union membership on the table. Hilary Benn, the committees Labour chair, said: The government has not yet set out how it will maintain an open border without imposing customs and regulatory checks. It must now do so. Speaking in Brussels, David Sterling, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, told an event in Brussels that it had deep concerns about a chaotic exit from the EU. Costs for our businesses could significantly increase or create what might just [make it] impossible for many firms, particularly in our agri-food supply chains, to trade normally, he said. But Ms May, asked by the BBC if her policy was my deal or no deal, said: I believe we will get a good deal. We will bring that back from the EU negotiations and put that to parliament. I think that the alternative to that will be not having a deal. Theresa May has failed to set out a solution to prevent a hard border in Ireland after Brexit and time is now running out, a highly critical report by MPs warns today. The Exiting the European Union Committee stamps on suggestions that an agreement with the EU is close, stating the UK has still not put forward a workable proposal to avoid border posts and checks. It also argues a plan B will be needed if the EU continues to reject the Chequers proposals urging the prime minister to keep single market and customs union membership on the table. And the report dismisses the growing push by pro-Brexit Tories for a Canada type deal, pointing out that would not keep open the Irish border, or meet Ms Mays pledge to deliver friction-free trade. In recent weeks, the Brexit mood music has improved, with the odds shortening on a withdrawal agreement being reached at a special leaders summit in November. However, privately No 10 accepts the two sides are still a long way from a deal on the Irish border while drafting of a blueprint for a future trading relationship has barely begun. Now the Brexit committees report says the government must set out clearly how it intends to eliminate regulatory checks at the [Irish] border, if a deal is to be reached. In June, the prime minister accepted the need for a backstop to avoid a hard border, in the absence of other solutions but said it should be time-limited and apply across the UK as a whole. Michel Barnier, the EUs Brexit negotiator, has accepted this in principle, but demanded further clarity, particularly over regulatory checks to protect the integrity of the single market. Hilary Benn, the committees Labour chairman said: The EU has now said it has no objection to a UK-wide backstop in principle and this is to be welcomed. But the government has not yet set out how it will maintain an open border without imposing customs and regulatory checks. It must now do so. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Show all 14 1 /14 Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnsons disgusting criticism of Theresa May. Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having wrapped a suicide vest around Britain Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Sajid Javid, Home secretary Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences. He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use measured language BBC/PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnsons defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms Mays Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnsons career over the matter PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alan Duncan, Foreign minister Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team for two years, wrote on Twitter: For Boris to say the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide James Brokenshire, Housing secretary Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnsons comments wrong He said: I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isnt right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Zac Goldsmith But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan. He wrote: There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Jacob Rees-Mogg Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnsons suicide belt accusation was little more than a characteristically colourful catchphrase. He added: I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boriss wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boriss criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him. Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Nadine Dorries Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnsons opponents were terrified of his popular appeal, adding: Dont underestimate the vitriol thatll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him. If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a clean and prosperous Brexit, she said Rex Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Andrew Bridgen Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems. Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Steve Baker, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan. Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver. "If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid. But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Tom Tugendhat The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary. Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to grow up. He said: A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt happy. PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alistair Burt Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team, said: Im stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. If we dont stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide It comes amid that Ms Mays former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnsons sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects. The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended AP Mr Benn also raised the alarm over the long-term trading relationship with the EU, which is to be set out in a non-binding political declaration alongside the withdrawal agreement. The EU has rejected the Chequers proposal for the UK to collect customs tariffs on its behalf and to adopt the common rulebook in goods but not services. Mr Benn said: Time is also running out to agree the kind of detailed framework for the future relationship that parliament will need to see. If the Chequers plan is not acceptable as a basis for that, then the government will need to find a different approach urgently. Alternatives are either an EU-UK customs union and alignment on relevant EU rules, or EEA membership and a customs union, but neither are government policy. The Norway option, effectively staying in the single market through membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), has growing support on the Tory benches, but has been ruled out by Ms May. This week, the prime minister again insisted the only alternative to Chequers was leaving with no deal despite her own chancellor warning that it could set Britain back 10 years. The committee although not a minority of arch-Brexiteer members, including Jacob Rees-Mogg agreed with Philip Hammond, warning that crashing out of the EU would be chaotic and damaging. Police chiefs say it will be harder to protect the public if the UK crashes out of the EU, in the latest warning against a no-deal Brexit. The head of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said officers would have to fall back on slower, more bureaucratic systems if they lose access to EU-wide security co-operation. At stake are crucial law enforcement tools including membership of Europol and the European Arrest Warrant, and access to the Schengen Information System database of criminals and terror suspects. Sara Thornton, chairman of the NPCC, spoke out as plans were unveiled to explore the alternatives for British policing if no Brexit deal is reached. She warned: Existing EU tools allow us to respond quickly and intelligently to crime and terrorism in the UK and the EU they make us better at protecting the public. The alternatives we are planning to use, where they exist, are without exception slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective. And she added: It will make it harder for us to protect UK citizens and make it harder to protect EU citizens. If the UK crashes out of the EU without a security agreement, it could be forced to try to strike bilateral deals with individual law enforcement agencies across Europe. However, even with a deal, Brussels has warned that the UKs weak data protection rules mean it is set to reject Theresa Mays call for a deep and special partnership on security. It is offering only a slightly better security agreement than it has with other non-EU countries, a report highlighted last week. The NPCCs warning comes hard on the heels of Philip Hammond, the chancellor, cautioning that a no-deal Brexit risks setting back the British economy a full decade. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Show all 14 1 /14 Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnsons disgusting criticism of Theresa May. Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having wrapped a suicide vest around Britain Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Sajid Javid, Home secretary Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences. He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use measured language BBC/PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnsons defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms Mays Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnsons career over the matter PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alan Duncan, Foreign minister Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team for two years, wrote on Twitter: For Boris to say the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide James Brokenshire, Housing secretary Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnsons comments wrong He said: I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isnt right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Zac Goldsmith But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan. He wrote: There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Jacob Rees-Mogg Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnsons suicide belt accusation was little more than a characteristically colourful catchphrase. He added: I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boriss wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boriss criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him. Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Nadine Dorries Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnsons opponents were terrified of his popular appeal, adding: Dont underestimate the vitriol thatll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him. If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a clean and prosperous Brexit, she said Rex Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Andrew Bridgen Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems. Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Steve Baker, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan. Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver. "If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid. But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Tom Tugendhat The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary. Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to grow up. He said: A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt happy. PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alistair Burt Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team, said: Im stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. If we dont stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide It comes amid that Ms Mays former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnsons sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects. The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended AP Virendra Sharma, a Labour supporter of the anti-Brexit Best for Britain campaign, seized on the comments, saying: Brexit is putting our vital security co-operation at risk. Organised crime and criminals do not stop at the cliffs of Dover, and Britain gains from being part of the European Arrest Warrant and Europol. Working together to catch criminals shows starkly how dangerous a no-deal Brexit could be. The Conservatives seem to want to go back to the bad old days of the Costa del Crime. However, speaking on a visit to Japan, Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, again claimed Britain had nothing to fear from crashing out, while arguing it was not in anyones interest for that to happen. The UK will flourish and prosper as one of the strongest economies in the world whatever the outcome of these talks, Mr Hunt said, speaking in Tokyo. But Ms Thornton added that the loss of these tools and the limitations of the alternatives will be felt in European countries too. The UK is one of the biggest contributors of intelligence to Europol systems and leads half of its operational coordination meetings. For every one person arrested on a UK issued European Arrest Warrant, the UK arrests eight people on warrants issued by other member states. Taxes will have to rise if Brexit brings strict curbs on EU workers because they pay far more to the public purse than British-born residents, a study warns today. Migrants from the EU contribute 2,300 more to the exchequer each year in net terms than the average adult, the analysis for the government has found. And, over their lifetimes, they pay in 78,000 more than they take out in public services and benefits - while the average UK citizens net lifetime contribution is zero. Oxford Economics, which carried out the assessment, said this meant the value of EU citizens to the economy was the equivalent of slapping 5p on income tax rates. When it comes to the public finances, European migrants contribute substantially more than they cost, easing the tax burden on other taxpayers, said Ian Mulheirn, the lead researcher. The conclusions were published as the governments advisers called for the post-Brexit immigration system to make it easier for higher-skilled workers to come to the UK, while limiting access for those in lower-skilled jobs. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) also said EU nationals should be subject to the same rules as migrants from the rest of the world after free movement ceases to apply. However, it recommended that policy only if it was decided in isolation, because immigration was not part of the negotiations with the EU. On the huge value from EU workers, Mr Mulheirn added: Whats more, this strongly positive average contribution persists over a lifetime: most migrants arrive fully educated, and many leave before the costs of retirement start to weigh on the public finances. If the UKs new relationship with Europe involves reduced migration, this analysis suggests the tax burden on others will have to rise. Whats more, this strongly positive average contribution persists over a lifetime: most migrants arrive fully educated, and many leave before the costs of retirement start to weigh on the public finances. If the UKs new relationship with Europe involves reduced migration, this analysis suggests the tax burden on others will have to rise. The conclusions were published as ministers received the long-awaited MAC report, to help steer a decision on how to replace freedom of movement rules after Britain leaves the EU, including Oxford Economics analysis. There has been growing criticism of Theresa May for failing to put forward a new immigration policy in more than two years since the Brexit referendum. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS The policy remains a blank piece of paper despite being a crucial part of the Brussels negotiations, with the UK likely to have to agree to liberal rules to secure a preferential trade deal. In recent days, both the prime minister and Sajid Javid a more hardline Home Secretary than his predecessor, Amber Rudd have both suggested there will be no preference for EU workers. However, ministers have also conceded that compromises on migration will be necessary in all future trade deals including with the EU. Mr Mulheirn said the Oxford Economics study, requested by MAC, was the first measure of the total contribution of the class of 2016 migrants who arrived in the UK over the entirety of the expected stay. It calculated that non-European migrants will make a positive net contribution of 28,000 - 50,000 less than the 78,000 for EU arrivals when the budget is balanced. In total, the net benefit from the class of 2016 was expected to be 26.9bn, with 19.3bn coming from EU migrants and the remaining 7.5bn from migrants from the rest of the world. On an annual basis, while EU migrants contribute 2,300 more than the average, each non-European migrant contributed 800 less than the average and each UKborn adult 70 less. (ANSA) - Rome, September 18 - Italy's embassy in Niger has formally asked local authorities to give "absolute priority" to the rapid solution of an armed group's kidnapping of Italian priest Pierluigi Maccalli, the foreign ministry in Rome said Tuesday. The embassy has urged the authorities to "avoid initiatives that may put at risk Father Maccalli's safety", the ministry said. Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi is in constant contact with the foreign ministry's crisis unit which, with other State organs, has been following Father Maccalli's case since the beginning, the ministry said. MPs will have at least six opportunities to force a fresh Brexit referendum when any deal struck by Theresa May is put before parliament this winter, campaigners believe. A report has identified half-a-dozen openings for supporters of a peoples vote to use their muscle to give the public the final say on whether Britain leaves the EU. The prime minister has repeatedly insisted it is my deal or no deal arguing the only alternative to rejection of her agreement will mean the chaos of the UK crashing out next March. Recommended London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for second EU referendum But the report, written by Lord Kerr, the former diplomat who wrote the Article 50 exit notice, after discussions with constitutional and legal experts, dismisses that claim as false. Insisting recent polls showed that people want the right to decide, Lord Kerr said: The die is not irrevocably cast, there is still time. If there is a majority in parliament for a peoples vote, there are multiple routes to securing one and, as the process unfolds, more opportunities for the House of Commons to assert its will may emerge. Should the UK need more time for a peoples vote, there is little doubt that the other 27 member states would agree the necessary extension of the Article 50 timetable. The Independent has launched its Final Say campaign, to give British people the crucial decision on any Brexit deal, which is supported by more than 810,000 people who have signed our petition. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS The plausible scenarios for forcing a further referendum, identified in the report entitled The Roadmap to a Peoples Vote, are: * The motion to be put forward by the government shortly after any agreement has been reached with the EU, which could be amended * The statement promised if that motion is rejected, or if no agreement has been reached between the UK and EU by 21 January next year. The Commons speaker will determine whether this statement can be amended * The Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill the full legislation to implement the exit deal which will also be subject to amendments * The prime minister deciding that, with Labour and Tory rebels poised to vote down her deal, a peoples vote is the only way to secure a mandate * Ms May deciding having failed to strike a deal with the EU that she has no option but to ask the public whether the UK should leave the EU with no deal * Legislation after a snap general election forced by the Brexit crisis an outcome that today seems very unlikely, but it is not inconceivable, the report says It concludes: If a peoples vote is not granted by parliament, it will not be due to procedural impediments or a lack of time, but because MPs have chosen not to take these opportunities. Lord Kerr also repeated his insistence that the Article 50 notification could, if necessary, be revoked unilaterally to halt the Brexit process a cost free option. Downing Street has been accused of suppressing legal advice that Article 50 can be withdrawn, even without Brussels agreement. The report also suggests the preferable question on the ballot paper for a fresh referendum would be a simple the deal versus stay or, if there is no agreement, no deal versus stay. The prime minister has repeatedly ruled out another public vote on Brexit, describing the idea as a gross betrayal of our democracy. The aide to a senior German politician has been photographed leaving a Brexit meeting with Theresa May holding notes referring to a general election and a public vote. The assistant to Angela Merkel ally Manfred Weber was caught holding the notes, which also appear to attack the 2016 referendum result, outside Downing Street following the face-to-face. His meeting was one of several that the prime minister held with German politicians on Tuesday, as she prepares for a meeting of EU leaders in Salzburg later this week. Recommended Immigration myths that fuelled Brexit blown apart by major report The photograph shows notes setting out various possible scenarios, including a general election, a vote in parliament or a no-deal scenario. In a section in Spanish that appears to relate to the 2016 referendum, the notes appear to suggest that the public were deceived, that what was promised was not reality and the UK is proceeding without knowing what the future will be like. The notes also appear to cite declarations from cabinet minister Michael Gove, who gave an interview at the weekend suggesting a future prime minister could further alter relations with the EU after Brexit. However, sources in Brussels told The Independent that the notes related to a meeting Mr Weber had with London Mayor Sadiq Khan earlier in the day, with the Labour politician's name possibly appearing at the top of the page misspelt. Ms May will use Wednesday's gathering in Salzburg, Austria, to make a direct pitch to fellow leaders to back her divisive Chequers proposals. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said it was time for the "compromises" made by the UK to be "matched on the EU side". In a sign that Brexit talks could go to the wire, the European Union is preparing for a final deal to be struck at an emergency summit in November, rather than the scheduled October meeting previously targeted by both sides in the negotiations. The deal has to be finalised well in advance of the UK's March 29 2019 exit from the bloc so the parliaments in Westminster and Strasbourg can sign off on the agreement. A Chicago police officer who was partnered with Jason Van Dyke - who is on trial for the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014, has testified he believed Mr McDonald posed a "threat" while he was on the ground, Former officer Joseph Walsh was on the scene the night Mr Van Dyke, who is white, fatally shot the black teenager on a road in Chicago. Mr Walsh testified under a grant of immunity. He is among three officers indicted on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct for allegedly conspiring to cover up facts of the shooting for fellow officer Mr Van Dyke. Recommended Chicago on edge as Laquan McDonald murder trial begins Mr Walsh retired from the Chicago Police Department after the citys inspector general recommended his dismissal for his role in the investigation. Prosecutors called Mr Walsh to the stand Tuesday morning. According to the Sun-Times, Mr Walsh testified that he believed Mr McDonald posed a threat as he appeared to be walking towards fast food restaurants the night he was fatally shot. He confirmed that he drew his gun, but he said he did not fire even though he believed Mr McDonald posed a threat while he was on the ground. Prosecutor Joseph Cullen: Did you find Laquan McDonald to be a danger at any point? Joe Walsh: Yes. I assessed the entire incident when he was on the ground. He was a threat, still armed...with a knife in his hand..still moving." I was confident Officer Van Dyke took necessary action to save himself and myself, he said. Police dashcam video shows Mr McDonald carrying a small knife on 20 October but walking away as Mr Van Dyke can be seen firing at the 17-year-old. Mr McDonald was shot 16 times. Mr Van Dyke was charged on six counts of first-degree murder, one count of official misconduct and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. His attorneys allege he feared for his life when he shot Mr McDonald multiple times. I reasonably believed he was going to enter into that Burger King, Mr Walsh said.. He was armed with a knife. I did not want him to make entry into that Burger King that had people in there. Mr Walsh also noted that when Mr McDonald allegedly walked passed the Burger King, he reasonably believed then he was headed for Dunkin Donuts. Video of Laquan McDonald Shooting Causes Huge Protests in Chicago Mr Walsh testified that when he stopped the car as they approached Mr McDonald on the street,he told Mr Van Dyke to remain in the vehicle. I told him not to get out because Laquan McDonald was too close, he said according to the Chicago Tribune. During his testimony, Mr Walsh alleged that Mr McDonald raised his knife to shoulder height and swung it prior to the shooting. When pressed that the video does not show that action he insisted his angle was totally different than that of the position of the video, the Tribune reported. On the night of the shooting, Mr Van Dyke had continued to fire at Mr McDonald as he lay on the ground. Mr Walsh contended that Mr McDonald still posed a threat after he was shot and fell to the street. Mr Van Dyke was the only officer at the scene who fired his gun. When prosecutors asked Mr Walsh during the trial why did not shoot Mr McDonald he responded, I could have. Two patrol officers who had trailed Mr McDonald for more than half a mile prior to his shooting on Pulaski road testified on Monday. Officer Joseph McElligott told jurors that Mr McDonald did not make any "direct movements" at him and that he felt he and his partner were "protected for the most part". He added that they were trailing him and "trying to buy time to have a Taser". Prosecutors asked Chicago police officer Dora Fontaine if Mr McDonald had raised his arm "as if he was attempting to stab anyone" to which Ms Fontaine responded "no". Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Show all 15 1 /15 Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome, a Black Lives Matter activist, leads a protest outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, US. January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Carol Garza, a Black Lives Matter supporter, protests outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower A Black Lives Matter supporter protests in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter supporters protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter Kandy Freeman marches in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Xavier Torress, a witness to the shooting, also took the stand on Tuesday morning. He told jurors he saw Mr McDonald walking towards a nearby fence when he heard gunshots, and that the 17-year-old looked like he was trying to get away from the officers. Mr McDonalds shooting has further highlighted the racial tensions between the black community and the police in the US, and the disparities in the way police departments use force. And race continues to play a key role in the case; attorneys on both sides, for instance, have accused one another of excluding potential jurors on the basis of race. In the end, the 12 Chicago-area residents on the jury consists of five white non-Hispanics, one Asian-American, one African-American and three Hispanic people, the Associated Press reported. Officials have reported that at least one person was killed after tornadoes hit Virginia in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which was downgraded to a tropical depression. The fatality occurred in Chesterfield County just south of Richmond, the states capital, after a building collapsed on Monday afternoon. Chesterfield County Lieutenant Jason Elmore confirmed the reports of the death via Twitter. Recommended Tornadoes reported in North Carolina as Florence brings major rains We can confirm one fatality at the building collapse, he wrote. All other employees accounted for. We transported one other minor injury to hospital. He later added: Recovery effort is complete. The deceased male has been removed from the collapsed building. The Wakefield, Virginia National Weather Service had previously issued multiple tornado warnings to various areas in Virginia, warning residents to take cover. According to a local CBS report, more than 6,000 Virginia residents are reported to be without power in the Richmond area, where multiple tornadoes were reported. Richmond-area resident Thomas Livingston described what it was like to hear the tornado strike nearby in an interview with the Richmond Times-Patch. "I heard something coming, he said. You recognise that it wasnt normal, but it keeps coming, louder and louder, snapping and tearing, and you could hear every bit of it. Residents in North and South Carolina continue to cope with floodwaters as the death toll from the storm has risen to at least 32. Human rights activists have called on members of congress to fight Donald Trumps effort to reduce the number of refugees permitted to enter the US to a record low, even as the number of such individuals around the world continues to soar. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced this week that for the second year in succession, the number of refugees will be cut, from 45,000 to 30,000. It will be the lowest number permitted since the the refugee programme began in 1980. Mr Pompeo sought to see off criticism by saying the US would process more than 280,000 asylum claims in addition to more than 800,000 already inside the country who are awaiting a resolution of their claims. These expansive figures continue the United States long-standing record as the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance, he said, according to the Associated Press. But activists have condemned the administrations decision. Amnesty International said the Trump administration was abandoning this countrys promise to refugees. Todays announcement demonstrates another undeniable political attack against people who have been forced to flee their homes, said Ryan Mace, of Amnesty International USA. This is the lowest goal in the history of the programme, and compounded by this administrations history of creating roadblock after roadblock for refugees to arrive, this must be perceived as an all-out attack against our countrys ability to resettle refugees both now and in the future. IDF turns away Syrian refugees at border Pointing out that the USs historic average has been 95,000 per year, and it even averaged 70,000 in the years after the 9/11 attacks, he added: We urge Congress to make clear their opposition to this, especially as they finalise FY19 appropriations. Amnestys comments were echoed by leading Democrats. The Trump administration is not only abandoning Americas long bipartisan history of humanitarian leadership, but also threatening national and regional security, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Dick Durbin said in a joint statement. School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan Show all 12 1 /12 School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan EAHR School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan School for Refugees Zaatari, Jordan CNN said that around the world there were 25.4m refugees last year, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, with many more people internally displaced within their home countries. Most aid groups and governments advocate resettlement as a last resort, preferring to allow refugees to return to their homes if conditions improve, rather than permanently moving to another country. When internally displaced people were included, the number rises to above 68m. That is a record high, up from 65.6m in 2016. On Tuesday, the UN refugee agency UNHCR declined to criticise Mr Trump decision, saying it was up to the US to decide its own policy. Decisions on which refugees will be resettled and where they go are made solely by the governments of countries that, like the United States, admit refugees for resettlement, UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said in Geneva. Donald Trump has ordered the declassification of surveillance documents and FBI text messages relating to the Russia investigation in a move branded a clear abuse of power. The presidents decision to intervene in the ongoing probe into interference in the 2016 election campaign comes in the wake of the guilty plea deal by his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. A statement released by the White House said the president had directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Department of Justice to declassify the documents at the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency. The first part of the order relates to blacked-out sections of the surveillance application relating to Mr Trumps former campaign adviser, Carter Page, in June 2017. Mr Trump also directed the public release of all text messages relating to the Russia probe of former FBI director James Comey, deputy director Andrew McCabe, lawyer Lisa Page, special agent agent Peter Strzok and justice department official Bruce Ohr. The officials named in the order have all been repeatedly attacked by the president over the last year as he repeatedly claimed that the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller was a rigged witch hunt. Both the justice department and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said they are working to comply with the order. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Mr Trumps decision a clear abuse of power that would cross a red line. He said: President Trump has intervened again in a pending investigation by ordering the selective disclosure of classified materials he believes to be helpful to his defence. Congressmen Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York, both Democrats on the House Oversight Committee and House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that Mr Trumps actions were a direct and frantic response to Manaforts recent guilty plea and cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors. With the walls clearly closing in on him, President Trump is lashing out with this extraordinarily reckless and irresponsible release of classified information in a desperate attempt to distract from the seven guilty pleas and the mounting evidence of multiple criminal enterprises among his closest advisers, they said. David Kris, former assistant attorney general for national security issues, said the release of the classified pages of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court orders was off the charts. Noah Bookbinder, the director of a government ethics watchdog and a former federal corruption prosecutor, said the selective declassification of materials to undercut an investigation into him is dangerous and undemocratic. He added: But its not surprising in the wake of the investigations biggest success with Paul Manafort agreeing to cooperate. Mr Trumps move was welcomed by his Republican allies, with North Carolina representative Mark Meadows claiming that it was absolutely the right call that would allow the public to decide what happened at the highest levels of their FBI and justice department. The June 2017 FISA application was the last of four filed by the justice department in support of court orders allowing the monitoring of Carter Page for nearly a year from October 2016. Three of the previously redacted pages are in a section entitled: The Russian Governments Coordinated Efforts to Influence the 2016 US Presidential Election, which refers to potential coordination involving people associated with Trumps campaign. The other 18 pages appear to relate to information that came from former British spy Christopher Steele, whose dossier featured the allegation Mr Trump used prostitutes while visiting Moscow. Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Show all 16 1 /16 Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions New York Post Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions The Washington Post Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Newsday Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions St Louis Post Dispatch Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Chicago Sun Times Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions The Star Ledger Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Daily News Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions The New York Times Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions San Francisco Chronicle Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions The Boston Globe Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Houston Chronicle Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Miami Herald Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions Detroit Free Press Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions The Wall Street Journal Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions The Dallas Morning News Trump's presidency: US media reacts to Manafort and Cohen convictions USA Today Mr Trump has also ordered the declassification of all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with the FISA applications and FBI interviews with Bruce Ohr, who was in contact with Mr Steele, in relation to the Russia investigation. He is absolutely lawless, tweeted Democrat Eric Swalwell, a California representative on the House Intelligence Committee. He is the subject of an investigation. Using his power to selectively release classified information is an abuse of power. His days of unchecked abuse are numbered. Tick tock. Additional reporting by Associated Press. South Koreas Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang for an historic three-day summit on Tuesday, greeted by tens of thousands of North Koreans chanting unification and a display of goose-stepping soldiers. Mr Moon and North Koreas Kim Jong-un met each other with hugs and smiles for the cameras, before travelling together in an open-top limousine to hold around two hours of formal talks. The visit marks the first time a South Korean president has visited Pyongyang for more than a decade. It is the third set of talks between the two leaders since North Koreas dramatic turn towards rapprochement with the South and the US earlier this year - and observers say it is also the most important. Pressure is on Mr Moon, both at home and abroad, to produce a tangible commitment from Mr Kim to denuclearise. Talks have stalled and the US is desperate to see some progress on the vague promises made at Mr Kims Singapore summit with Donald Trump back in June, lest it become no more than a fruitless photo opportunity. Mr Moon also has his own agenda, seeing improved inter-Korean relations as an opportunity for business growth at a time when he is suffering all-time low approval ratings over South Koreas faltering economy. He has travelled to Pyongyang accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong. All major cross-border business projects are currently stalled because of US-led sanctions. Mr Moon stepped off the plane at Pyongyang International Airport to a huge welcome ceremony, featuring a large, high-kicking honour guard and a military band. Mr Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, were greeted by Mr Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The North Korean leader then led his guests to meet some of his senior officials, and they exchanged mutual greetings with Mr Moon's delegation. Footage recorded by South Korean journalists travelling with the delegation showed clean streets and high rise buildings on the route taken by the leaders motorcade to the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Mr Moon will stay during his visit. Sights on the way included Ryomgyong Street, a glistening new residential district launched last year under Mr Kim's initiative to modernise the capital city. On Wednesday, Mr Moon and Mr Kim plan to hold a second round of official talks after which they are expected to unveil a joint statement, and a separate military pact designed to defuse tensions and prevent armed clashes. Mr Moon will return home early Thursday. The outcomes of the joint statement will be watched closely by Washington and Mr Trump who, according to Mr Moons aides, has appointed the South Korean president as his chief negotiator in finding peace with the North. "If North Korea-US dialogue is restarted after this visit, it would have much significance in itself," Mr Moon said before his departure. North Korea says it has destroyed its main nuclear and missile engine test site, and has halted atomic and ballistic missile tests but US officials and analysts believe it is continuing to work on its weapons plans covertly. As Mr Moon arrived, the North's main newspaper said the US was totally to blame for the lack of progress in denuclearisation talks, accusing Washington of stubbornly insisting the North unilaterally begin dismantling its nuclear weapons first and blocking attempts to declare a permanent peace between the two Koreas. The Korean War ended in 1953 with a ceasefire but no formal peace treaty. US officials remain "unenthusiastic" about declaring an end to the war without any substantial action towards denuclearisation from the North, Seoul officials told the Associated Press. Mr Moon is said to be hoping the two issues can be addressed simultaneously in Wednesdays joint statement. Anything less, and observers fear the White Houses patience for rounds of international summits over Korea will start to wear thin. Imran Khan has outlined plans to grant citizenship to an estimated 1.5 million Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades. The Pakistani prime minister made the surprise announcement during his first visit to Karachi since his election last month. He indicated that passports would be given not only to children who were born and brought up in the country, but also to their parents. However, following a backlash, he later appeared to row back on the plans, saying he had raised the issue of refugee citizenship "just to initiate a debate" and that no decision had been made. Speaking at a fundraiser for dam construction on Sunday, Mr Khan said the lack of documentation and education had prevented the refugees from getting jobs or accessing the social security system, rendering them an "underclass". If you are born in America you get an American passport," he said. "It happens in all countries around the world so why not here? Those Afghans whose children are born here and have grown up in Pakistan we will also, God willing, get [passports] for them. Why are they treated without dignity? They are humans, how have we deprived them for 30, 40 years? Mr Khan also promised citizenship for the more than 250,000 Bengalis in Pakistan. The announcement was criticised by the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, with provincial minister Saeed Ghani claiming that Pakistan could not afford it. The party's leader Saeed Ghani said he was "strongly opposed" to granting citizenship to people he described as "illegal immigrants". "They should be registered and given work permits as well but giving them citizenship will create problems," he added. Addressing Pakistani parliament on Tuesday, Mr Khan reiterated his ambition to grant citizenship for refugees but promised a consultation on the issue. He said he would seek opinions from opposition politicians' before any decision was made. Pakistan has the largest refugee population in the world, according to the UN. Afghans began pouring into the country when their homeland was invaded in 1979 and by the end of 2001, following the US invasion, there were an estimated four million refugees living there. Imran Khan sworn in as Pakistan's prime minister Although many have since returned, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) says there are more than 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, with around 1 million of those being second or third generation. Other estimates put the total number of Afghans as high as 2.5 million, including between 600,000 and one million unregistered refugees. Around 60 per cent were born in Pakistan, suggesting around 1.5 million refugees would benefit from the citizenship proposal. The prime ministers announcement relieved concerns that Pakistan planned to deport refugees back to Afghanistan. Earlier this year the government extended Afghans' permission to stay for just 60 days instead of the recommended five months. Relations between the two countries had been deteriorating after the Taliban mounted a series of attacks across the border. Human rights activists welcomed the announcement. Pakistan has been host to one of the largest refugee populations in the world and granting citizenship to those eligible seems to be a logical next step both legally and morally, said Saroop Ijaz, a representative for Human Rights Watch. This move is an important first step in ending the discrimination faced by refugee and migrant communities. Mr Khan also said undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh would be given passports. It was estimated that there were two million living in Pakistan in 2012. Additional reporting by agencies A commercial container ship has for the first time successfully navigated the Northern Sea Route of the Arctic Ocean, a route made possible by melting sea ice caused by global warming. Maersk Line, the worlds biggest container shipping company, told The Independent its ship, Venta Maersk, was expected to reach its final destination of St Petersburg next week. The new ice-class 42,000 ton vessel, carrying Russian fish and South Korea electronics, left Vladivostok, in the far east of Russia, on the 23 August. With help from Russia's most powerful nuclear icebreaker, it followed the Northern Sea Route up through the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska, before travelling along Russias north coast and into the Norwegian Sea. The route has seen growing traffic during summer months already, with cargos of oil and gas regularly making the journey. Arctic sea ice hit a record low for January this year, and an extreme event was declared in March as the Bering Seas ice levels reached the lowest level in recorded history as temperatures soared to 30C above average. Scientists find pocket of warm water trapped under Arctic with potential to melt entire ice pack Data released by the National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado showed this winters sea ice cover was less than a third of what it was just five years ago. The Northern Sea Route can cut journey times between Asia and Europe by up to two weeks by allowing ships to avoid travelling through the Suez Canal or past the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The Arctic Ocean route does, however, remain more costly as icebreakers are still required to accompany ships. In an email to The Independent, Maersk confirmed the success of the one-off trial passage, with icebreaker ships providing assistance as required. The trial passage will enable us to explore the operational feasibility of container shipping through the Northern Sea Route and to collect data, a spokesperson said. Currently, we do not see the Northern Sea Route as a commercial alternative to our existing network. Journey to Antarctica Show all 8 1 /8 Journey to Antarctica Journey to Antarctica Penguins on Curverville Island Reuters Journey to Antarctica Seals on a beach in Half Moon Bay Reuters Journey to Antarctica Penguins in Neko Harbour Reuters Journey to Antarctica A Greenpeace boat sails in Andvord Bay Reuters Journey to Antarctica An iceberg floats in Selvick Cove Reuters Journey to Antarctica A krill fishing ship with unknown nationality in Half Moon Bay Reuters Journey to Antarctica Waves break on Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise at the Drake Passage Reuters Journey to Antarctica A whale swims in Selvick Cove Reuters Sune Scheller, project leader of Greenpeace Nordic, told The Independent any regular shipping route in the Arctic Ocean ultimately risked an "environmental catastrophe". "The most immediate threat comes from some of the problems with the fuel," he said. Maersk hasnt spoken about which kind of fuel this [ship] is using, but in general container ships are using heavy fuel oil, which is basically whats left in the barrel. Mr Scheller said the "dirty fuel" had "consequences" for the environment, including adding to particulate matter in the atmosphere. Also known as black carbon, particulate matter rests on white surfaces like ice and snow and absorbs heat instead of reflecting it, which contributes to climate change. According to The Economist, just 15 of the biggest ships emit more of the noxious oxides of nitrogen and sulphur than all the worlds cars put together. "Its also of a concern in case of an accident," Mr Scheller continued. "It is more toxic and it is more difficult to get out of the environment again, especially an Arctic environment where the water is cold." A combination of the use of heavy fuel oil, the shallow water of the Arctic Ocean, and the ice makes the Northern Sea Route one of "increased risk" of a catastrophe, he added. But as global warming increases ice loss, Mr Scheller said banning commercial shipping in the area was unlikely to be a realistic possibility. Whats important now is that you make sure that when this becomes available, you have the necessary regulation in place in the area," he said. "So that means you have vessels that are capable of charting this area, But its also about putting bans on the most dirty types of fuels that exist." Global estimates suggest ships are responsible for 15 per cent of nitrogen oxides and 8 per cent of sulphur gas worldwide. These gases have been linked with a range of health problems including asthma, heart disease and cancer. Businessman Peter Casey is the latest independent candidate to secure a nomination for the Irish presidential election taking place on 26 October. After winning the backing of four county councils, the former Dragons Den star will stand as independent in the election in which he will face two other investors from the popular Irish show. Casey has never held political office before, and only declared his candidacy in recent weeks. He is the sixth name to be confirmed for the election. Who is Peter Casey? Originally from Derry in Northern Ireland, Casey began his career in sales at Rank Xerox UK before moving to work in Sydney, Australia. It was here that he set up his first company, The Trinity Group a search and IT contracting firm. He moved to Atlanta in the US in the 1990s and set up recruitment firm Claddagh Resources. In 2000, he chose Donegal in Ireland as the companys European headquarters, and has also expanded to Dublin. Casey appeared as an investor on the Irish version of Dragons Den in series five and six. He lives with his wife and five children in Atlanta, and also spends time at home in Derry and Donegal in Ireland. What does he stand for? In the past, Casey has flirted with running for seats in both houses of the Irish parliament, but such a move never came to fruition. This is his first foray into politics. In an interview with The Sunday Business Post earlier this month, he advocated for Ireland ending its policy of neutrality and boosting defence spending. He also suggested the country should try to broker a better deal from the EU, and said he wasnt sure about presidential hopefuls declaring their business interests. He has criticised current President Michael D Higgins who is famously left wing for his warm obituaries to controversial Latin American leaders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Casey believes in voting rights for Irish emigrants, which is a topic likely to come up during this campaign. It is expected that a referendum on granting the diaspora votes in presidential elections will be held in Ireland as early as next year. What are his chances of winning? As he doesnt have the backing of a political party, Casey has made his way to the ballot by gaining the backing of four county councils Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Kerry. Casey will face off against Michael D Higgins, Sinn Feins Liadh Ni Riada, independent Senator Joan Freeman, as well as fellow businessmen Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy. It is largely expected that Higgins who is running with the support of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour will safely win a second term. Second place will likely be a toss up between Gallagher who came second in the 2011 election and Ni Riada, who will have the Sinn Fein party machinery behind her campaign. Casey, Freeman and Duffy are expected to poll only a few per cent each. (ANSA) - Monza, September 18 - A 23-year-old Pakistani woman has sent a letter to her old school in the northern Italian city of Monza to ask for help after she was forced to return to Pakistan by her father to marry a man chosen by her family, sources said Tuesday. The young woman said her father didn't reveal to her the real reason why he had taken her back to their country of origin until they had arrived. "Please help me, my future is in Italy", the young woman reportedly wrote. "They took all my documents and left me here. "My father forced me to leave before I could finish my fourth year" of high school and "I know one of the professors was asking where I was". Vladimir Putin has looked to downplay the potential of a serious diplomatic rift between the Kremlin and the Knesset following the downing of a Russian military plane late on Monday evening. Fifteen Russian servicemen died after an Il-20 reconnaissance plane was struck down in a friendly fire incident involving Syrian S-200 anti aircraft defences that had targeted Israeli jets. Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Putin said the incident was the result of a tragic chain of accidental events. His measured comments diverged from an earlier, furious response. In the early morning, the Russian Defence Ministry intimated the plane had been hit by Israeli or French fire. Later, spokesmen changed the story, accepting the plane had been shot down by the Syrians. But they ratcheted up the diplomatic fury. In quick succession, Moscow said Russians had died as a result of Israels irresponsible actions. It blamed the Israeli command for giving just a minutes advance warning of its air strikes. It accused their pilots of using the larger Il-20 plane as cover during missions. It summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Smolenskaya Square and it gave Israels defence minister a public dressing-down. The actions of the Israeli defence ministry do not reflect the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership, Sergei Shoigu, the Russian minister of defence told Israeli opposite number, Avigdor Lieberman. We reserve the right to take further steps. The fierce response suggested a difficult period ahead for Russian-Israeli relations. Until that point, cooperation between the two countries had been close. In May, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended Victory Day celebrations in Moscow in a symbolic gesture at the height of the Kremlins international isolation. Russia also seemed to accept Israels strategic interests in the region. There was a lot of trust between the two sides, said Yuri Barmin, an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council on Tuesday. It was seriously undermined today. The incident brought back memories of November 2015, when a Turkish fighter shot down a Russian Su-24 jet that had violated Turkish airspace. Russia retaliated with sanctions and seven months of hostile relations ensued. Moscow is trying to be friends with everyone with Assad, Israel, Turkey, the Kurds. That, of course, is the source of the problem Jonathan Spyer, research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute of Strategic Studies Some of Russias more excitable politicians suggested Moscow could respond by supplying Damascus with more advanced C-300 anti aircraft systems a kind that would prove more problematic for Israeli planners. Russia simply cant let this drop, said Franz Klintsevich, member of the Russian senates Defence Committee. But the likelihood of a serious military response from Russia was always low. Even if it wanted to, Russia does not have the capacity to close Syrian air space to Israeli jets. More fundamentally, it was never going to wade into the undeclared war between Israel and Iran. Russia will not stand in the way of Israeli operations to stop Iranian expansion, knowing how existential they are seen in Jerusalem, said Jonathan Spyer, research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute of Strategic Studies. Moscow is trying to be friends with everyone with Assad, Israel, Turkey, the Kurds. That, of course, is the source of the problem. In his afternoon comments, Mr Putin urged against a direct comparison to the Turkish Su-24 incident. That was an intentional strike he said; this was an accident. The presidents unexpectedly mild response brought into question how much of the initial show of anger against Israel was real and how much a tactic of deflection from a military that had made mistakes. Russia understood it has only itself to blame for not making sure the Syrians had the right friend-or-foe identification systems, said Vladimir Frolov, a security expert and former Kremlin advisor. There were other, more obvious questions to be asked. How was it that communication with Syrian allies broke down? How could an anti aircraft system mistake a large reconnaissance plane for a fighter jet? Part of the answer lay in the technology, suggested Justin Bronk, a research fellow at RUSI, an international defence and security think tank based in London. Designed in the Soviet Union in the 1950s, the Syrian S-200 surface to air missile unit is not a failproof system, he said. Without newer fire control and radar systems, it would have had difficulty differentiating between the two planes. If Syrian defences were attempting to lock onto Israeli jets in the same vicinity [as] the Il-20, especially in the face of jamming signals, it is entirely plausible that they inadvertently guided the S-200 onto the Russian aircraft, Mr Bronk. Kremlin admits that Syria shot down Russian military reconnaissance plane A lax approach to firing the missiles may also have played a role. During recent attacks, the Syrians have tried to give their public an impression of having effective defences, said Mr Bronk. So they have fired missiles blindly on simple ballistic trajectories, or at least with very weak firing solutions. That may have contributed. In a statement released on Twitter, the Israeli Defence Forces said the blame for the incident lay firmly with the Syrian regime, which had fired missiles indiscriminately in response to Israeli airstrikes. Russia understood it has only itself to blame for not making sure the Syrians had the right friend-or-foe identification systems Vladimir Frolov, a security expert and former Kremlin advisor But the statement also expressed sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane. That show of humility may have given Mr Putin enough to move on. The operational dynamic may change slightly, but the politics cant change, added Mr Barmin. Russian doesnt have so many allies that it can throw one of them under the bus. The European Court of Human Rights may become involved in a case that will have a profound impact on the freedom of the media in Ukraine and efforts to tackle endemic corruption four years after a revolution that was meant to usher in a new era of transparency and justice. Natalie Sedletska, a highly respected investigative journalist, sought in the Court of Appeal in Kiev on Tuesday to overturn a court order to hand over her mobile telephone data going back 17 months to the Office of the Prosecutor General. The move has been strongly condemned by US and European Union officials, but the Ukrainian government says it is determined to follow it through. The prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko, had also sought a similar order against a second journalist, Kristina Berdynskykh. Although the court stated that the original order of the District Court of Pechersk in Kiev was too wide in scope, it ruled that the prosecutor general would get access to Ms Sedletskas telephone records. She and her lawyers are now considering taking the matter to the European Court of Human Rights. Ms Sedletska, who works for the broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on an investigative programme, told The Independent: What the court decided is very worrying and sets a precedent. We are now looking at taking the case to the European court; this would obviously have a huge effect on journalists in Ukraine, on maintaining the confidentiality of contacts, especially on stories involving corruption and abuse of power by public officials. The aim of obtaining the data is to gather evidence against Artem Sytnyk, the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), who is accused of leaking information to journalists about high-ranking officials accused of political graft. The issue is of fundamental importance in Ukraine, a country dependent on large-scale international funding to keep afloat. The IMF charges that despite entrenched corruption deterring foreign investors and knocking 2 per cent off economic growth every year, the government of Petro Poroshenko is not doing enough to root out the problem. Ukraine remains 137th in Transparency Internationals latest annual global corruption index. The latest tranche of IMF money, $17.5bn, will be considered for release only after Kiev agrees to independent anti-corruption courts free of political interference, among other measures. Parliament had passed the legislation to set them up, but inserted an amendment stating that appeals on cases will be handled under the existing system. This led to intervention by the IMF with its director, Christine Lagarde, announcing that she had spoken to President Petro Poroshenko. We have agreed that it is now important for parliament to restore the requirement that the anti-corruption court will adjudicate all cases under its jurisdiction, she said. IMF director Christine Lagarde said that she and President Petro Poroshenko agreed that it is now important for Parliament to restore the requirement that the anti-corruption court will adjudicate all cases under its jurisdiction. (Reuters) (REUTERS) Meanwhile, extraordinary levels of embezzlement and fraud, involving tens of millions of dollars, have pitted ministers and officials, including those supposedly enforcing the law, against each other in a web of accusations and recriminations. Mr Sytnyk is accused of passing on information about a senior prosecutor, Kostyantyn Kulik, who allegedly misappropriated substantial sums of money. Mr Kulik, who remains in his post, strongly denies the allegation. The initial court order to hand over the telephone records was condemned by the US Embassy, which stated that it would have a chilling effect on press freedom and anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine. The European Union expressed serious concerns about the protection of sources of journalists, pointing out that the media contribute significantly to the fight against corruption in Ukraine. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stressed investigative journalists play the essential role of a watchdog in society. Mr Lutsenko faced prolonged questioning at the recent gathering of a leading international forum, Yalta European Strategy (YES), in Kiev about his legal actions against the journalists while the government fails to pursue powerful individuals through the courts. The prosecutor general insisted that the telephone records were needed to protect the privacy and dignity of Ukrainian citizens. He continued: We only want to see the locations [of the phones] and nothing else ... I do not have any other choice, I dont want to do it, but I have to do it. Ms Sedletska has rejected an offer of an off-the-record meeting with Mr Lutsenko, saying that the only realistic format would be an interview in which the prosecutor general would explain his course of action. She and her colleagues have had a series of scoops including an undercover documentary filmed in Britain, From Russia with Cash, which charted how money laundered from Eastern Europe had helped fuel Londons luxury property boom. Ms Berdynskykh of the Novoye Vremya magazine, said: It is plain that an attempt is made to pressurise journalists, to stop people from coming forward with information. How can I say to my contacts that I will not reveal their identities when this is being done? And while they are going after journalists, you have powerful people in authority who are getting away with corruption. That is a very bad situation for Ukraine. Ten journalists have been killed in Ukraine since the Maidan protests of four years ago overthrew the pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych. Others in the media have been targeted by the authorities. Just a few months ago, a bill was proposed in parliament granting prosecutors and the National Security and Defence Council powers to block websites deemed a threat to the state without a court order, although the proposal is now being reconsidered by MPs. Risks faced by whistleblowers would grow, say the journalists, if the Court of Appeal upholds the ruling on telephone records. The threat is already very much there as the horrifying experience of Kateryna Gandzuik illustrated. The IMF charges that Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has not done enough to root out corruption (Getty) Oksana Grytsenko and Oleg Sukhov from The Kyiv Post reported how the municipal official from Kherson was left with terrible injuries after an acid attack a month ago. Two anti-corruption activists had already been assaulted in the same city before battery acid was flung at Ms Gandzuik outside her home. She had been exposing organised crime and illegal trading in the area. Her friend Sergei Nikitenko, a journalist who was himself beaten up after looking into official malpractice, said a lack of any real police investigations has created an atmosphere where anyone not protected by vested interests was vulnerable. After repeated warnings that local police cannot be relied on to carry out a proper investigation, the prosecutor general handed over the case to the national security service, the SBU, and the inquiry resulted in the arrest of four men, including Sergiy Torbin, a former police officer. Some of the suspects were former fighters of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, which had links with the hard-right group, Pravy Sektor, a hard-right nationalist group that came to prominence in the conflict against Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country. All the defendants, except Mr Torbin, have admitted involvement in the attack on Ms Gandzuik. But investigations into politicians and senior officials are often stopped or run into the sand. One of the most high profile of these was the recent decision to close a case of alleged fraud against Gennady Kernes, the mayor of Kharkiv, who was facing claims of stealing $984m from a programme to allocate state land. Asked about that decision at the YES conference, Prosecutor General Lutsenko said it was illegal ... that judge retired the next day. I am requesting an investigation and will ask the appeal court Fto rule on it. Putin warns of 'consequences' if Nato develops closer ties with Georgia and Ukraine Opposition politicians claim that the charges were dropped because Mr Kernes, the boss of Ukraines second largest city, has secretly agreed to back President Poroshenko and his party in the coming parliamentary and presidential elections. This is denied by the prosecutors office. Mr Kernes is no stranger to the violent intrigue of Ukrainian politics. In April 2014 he was shot in the back. At the time he had been backing President Yanukovych and banning opposition rallies. There were various theories as to who may have been responsible for the assassination attempt. Mr Kernes blamed Arsen Avakov, who had become interior minister in the post-Yanukovych government. Mr Kernes and two of his bodyguards were charged with kidnapping and torturing two activists in January that year. The charges were dropped and he again blamed Mr Avakov, claiming the minister had fabricated evidence against him. Mr Avakov strongly denies the claims. But he too has faced corruption allegations, fleeing the country when facing charges during the Yanukovych era. He claimed that the prosecution was politically motivated and has consistently denied subsequent allegations of malpractice. In October last year, Mr Avakovs son, Oleksandr, was detained, along with former deputy interior minister Serhyi Chebotar, by NABU investigators over an embezzlement case regarding backpacks purchased for the Ukrainian armed forces. His fathers Ministry of Interior described NABUs actions as political and not legally grounded. Two months ago the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) which operates separately and at times in rival with NABU, closed the case against Oleksandr Avakov and Mr Chebotar. NABU has asked the head of SAPO, Nazar Kholodnystski, to reopen the case, so far without success. In October 1991, a 35-year-old African American lawyer sat before a panel of all white senators and told them the man set to become the next Supreme Court justice had sexually harassed her. Anita Hill claimed that Clarence Thomas had told her about his love of pornography, even that involving animals and rape scenes, and bragged of his own sexual prowess. She said he had done so 10 years earlier when he was her boss at the US Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It is only after a great deal of agonising consideration and a sleepless number a great number of sleepless nights that I am able to talk of these unpleasant matters to anyone but my close friends, she said, dressed in a turquoise blouse, her eyes fixed on her written statement. Recommended Culture of debauchery revealed at prep school Kavanaugh attended Thomas adamantly denied the accusations, and many in the country believed him. A number of senators certainly did; he was eventually confirmed in a narrow vote 52 to 48 and remains a justice on the court, still denying the accusations made of him. He is now aged 70. Next week, 27 years later, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold a rerun of sorts. Christine Blasey Ford, 51, a professor from California, is set to tell the committee about an incident at a high school party in Maryland three decades ago, when the latest nominee for the court, Brett Kavanaugh, allegedly pinned her to a bed and tried to take off her clothes. Kavanaugh has denied the alleged 1982 incident took place, and will do so again on Monday. This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone, he said. The questioning of Hill has come to be recognised as one of the ugliest moments in a city where politics frequently turns sordid and distasteful. Many senators appeared to fawn before Thomas and act in a dismissive manner when speaking to Hill. Republican Arlen Specter asked her why she would have been upset if Thomas had spoken to her about womens large breasts. That is a word we use all the time, he insisted. That was the most embarrassing aspect of what Judge Thomas had said to you? Joe Biden, the former vice president, chaired the committee and is generally considered to have failed to protect Hill or permit testimony from witnesses who could have supported her. He has frequently voiced regret, though never apologised. Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh snubs handshake from father of slain Parkland student It would be tempting to think some things have changed and, superficially perhaps, they have. Race will be less of a factor. Ford is white, though three decades on, the committee questioning will contain only three people of colour. The White House appears to know that in the #MeToo era, it needs to tread carefully. Desperate not to have Kavanaugh lose the support of two pro-choice female Republicans, senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, they need to ensure an orderly process. White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway said Ford should not be insulted and she should not be ignored. But even before Conway had given this reasonable-sounding comment to Fox News, the knives were already out. Donald Trump Jr posted on Twitter remarks that appeared to mock a confidential letter Ford had passed to her local congresswomen and Senator Dianne Feinstein. Oh boy, the Dems and their usual nonsense games really have him on the ropes now, wrote the presidents eldest son. Elsewhere on the internet, conservatives were posting Fords personal details including her address and suggesting she had been motivated by a case in which Kavanaughs mother had ruled against her family on a foreclosure case in Maryland. The Daily Beast pointed out Sebastian Gorka, a right-wing nationalist and former Bretibart editor and Trump administration official, had tweeted: Why has Blasey Fords social media profile been scrubbed? It said, elsewhere in the bowels of the internet, QAnon 8chan conspiracy theorists found a Facebook pornbot named Christine Ford and attacked it as though it were Kavanaughs accuser herself. Donald Trumps words were reasonably measured, though he made clear he believed his nominees denial. This is something that shouldve been brought up long before this Thats a long time ago and nobody mentioned it until the other day Its very unfortunate that they didnt mention it sooner. Two Republican members of the 1991 committee who questioned Hill are still members and will be present on Monday chairman Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch. In 1991, Hatch said he believed Hill was working in tandem with slick lawyers and interest groups bent on destroying Thomass chances to join the court. This week, he told CNN he had spoken to Kavanaugh, that he believed his denials and assumed Ford must be mistaken. Some worry that Ford who has said she did not talk about the alleged 1982 incident for years and did not want to speak publicly as she feared the backlash already under way is going to be similarly badly treated. In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Show all 21 1 /21 In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images I am stunned that this is happening again, Barbara Boxer, a former Democratic senator from California who, as a representative in 1991, marched across Capitol Hill to demand their own party give Hill a fair hearing, told the New York Times. But it is not surprising because our culture has not completely dealt with inequality between men and women. One person with insights about how things might be different is Hill herself, who continued to be attacked years after her testimony and was even the subject of a 1993 book, The Real Anita Hill, by Republican-turned Democrat David Brock, who claimed to reveal her true motives for testifying. He has subsequently admitted the book was a piece of character assassination and apologised. Writing in the Times on Tuesday, Hill, now aged 62 and a professor of social policy, law, gender and sexuality studies at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, said there was no way to redo 1991, but there are ways to do better. With the current heightened awareness of sexual violence comes heightened accountability for our representatives. To do better, the 2018 senate judiciary committee must demonstrate a clear understanding that sexual violence is a social reality to which elected representatives must respond. A fair, neutral and well thought out course is the only way to approach Dr Blasey and Judge Kavanaughs upcoming testimony, she wrote. Clarence Thomas continues to deny the accusations against him (Getty) She added: Finally, refer to Christine Blasey Ford by her name. She was once anonymous, but no longer is. Dr Blasey is not simply Judge Kavanaughs accuser. Dr Blasey is a human being with a life of her own. She deserves the respect of being addressed and treated as a whole person. Trump is desperate for his nominee to succeed and be confirmed before Novembers midterms, so he can deliver another gift to evangelical Christians and conservatives who may not otherwise support him. He apparently believes the 11th-hour testimony from Ford is a Democratic-hatched plot to derail his man. His candidate spent nine hours at the White House on Monday, meeting with lawyers and strategists to plan their approach. One key element will be testimony from women who worked for him; already a letter signed by 65 women who said they had worked with the judge and supported his candidacy, has been circulated by his supporters. Two other things are worth pointing out. Clarence Thomas was a hugely popular candidate. A poll taken after his 1991 nomination by George HW Bush suggested 52 per cent of Americans supported his confirmation, with 17 against. Kavanaugh, by contrast, is an unpopular choice; a poll taken in July by Fox News suggested only 38 per cent of voters supported him. And as the website FiveThirtyEight pointed out, three decades later, and after revelations of sexual abuse about everyone from Harvey Weinstein (which he denies) to celebrity chefs, peoples attitudes about sexual harassment have markedly shifted. One 1986 Time poll found only 17 per cent of Americans believed sexual harassment was a big problem for women in the workplace. A 2018 poll by ABC News/Washington Post, suggested 72 per cent of Americans said sexual harassment was a serious problem for women in the workplace. While Hills story was not believed and Thomas was confirmed, the following year saw a backlash against what transpired and the way she was treated. In 1992 the so-called Year of Women more women were elected to Congress than ever before. Analysts believe 2018 is going to break the record again, with as many as 100 congresswomen entering the House of Representatives. The midterm elections are just 50 days away. If Republicans fail to listen to Christine Blasey Fords claims with dignity and sensitivity, they could find themselves being punished very badly at the polls in November. Brexit could push at-risk Irish farms closer to the point of collapse, the Central Bank has warned. In economic analysis issued as the Ploughing Championships begin in Tullamore today, they said that risks such as Brexit could expose the existing viability challenges facing some Irish farmers. The analysis highlighted the reliance on the UK market, with just over 40pc of the agri-food exports going there. It added that the beef sector appears particularly vulnerable to a Brexit shock. The Deputy governor of the Central Bank, Sharon Donnery, said that there are specific challenges facing farmers. The fact remains that a hard Brexit which reduces market access for Irish exports would have a material negative effect on Irish agriculture and adjusting to this in the short-term would prove a considerable challenge. The research pointed out that the percentage of EU funding allocated Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) payments had plummeted by more than 30pc in just over 30 years. In 1985, the CAP expenditure equated to some 73pc of the EUs overall budget. However, this dropped to 41pc in 2016, with the EU Commission proposing a further decrease of 5pc. The Central Bank said that it is likely the EU Budget will be further affected by the UK's exit, with the loss of their annual net contribution. As part of its conclusions they say that this, along with the uncertainty of Brexit, will be a considerable challenge to farmers. Since 2005, CAP payments have accounted for just under 75pc of total farm income. Ms Donnery said that agriculture still makes a significant contribution to the Irish economy. "However, Brexit continues to pose huge uncertainty to the Irish economy overall, and today's research spells out the specific challenges faced by those working in the agri-food sector across the country," she said. The letter, written by Central Bank economist Thomas Conefrey, pointed to three Brexit factors that could negatively affect Irish farmers: * The degree of reliance of specific sectors/products on the UK market; * The reduction in UK market access for Irish exporters due to tariff and non-tariff barriers; * The degree of resilience of different sectors based on their profitability and dependence on direct payments. Mr Conefrey indicated a reliance on the UK market across a number of different sectors. Sub-sectors such as cereal and fruit and vegetables accounted for 90pc and 84pc of respective exports. These would be placed in the heavy reliance sectors. Dairy exports to the UK account for 35pc of the total. The letter said that the beef sector would be particularly vulnerable by border delays associated with a hard Brexit. About 50pc of Irish beef exports go to the UK. The Central Bank says that in a hard-Brexit scenario, "agriculture products would attract some of the highest tariffs". "Estimates from Teagasc show that the tariff on fresh boneless beef, which accounts for two-thirds of the value of beef exports to the UK, would be 69pc." Potential delays as a result off non-tariff barriers could result in an estimated drop of 9.6pc in overall trade - exports and imports - between Ireland and the UK once the UK exit the EU. Payments worth over 185.6 million under the 2018 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme and Areas of Specific Constraint (Islands) Scheme, have commenced issuing this week to almost 77,000 farmers. The 185.6m issuing in the first tranche of payments in 2018 is significantly increased on the equivalent 2017 figure of 160m. In addition, the number of farmers being paid in this first tranche has increased from 75,000 in 2017 to almost 77,000 this year. Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said he is conscious of the many challenges faced by farmers in the past year due to adverse weather conditions and other external factors. "These payments represent a timely and significant financial boost for farmers and for the wider rural economy. My Department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria. The Minister also noted that, further to his securing an additional 25 million for the 2018 ANC budget, farmers will receive increased payments under the Scheme this year. These increased figures underscore my determination to maximise payments to farmers at the earliest possible time. "The figures also highlight the benefits for farmers in terms of the more efficient processing of payments following the move to 100% online applications in 2018 under the ANC and BPS schemes. Concluding, the Minister also confirmed that arrangements are on target to facilitate payment of the advance of 70pc under the Basic Payment Scheme with effect from 16 October 2018. The farm accident support network, Embrace FARM completed their 32-county Drive to Remember trip at the ploughing championships today. Travelling all over Ireland, the Drive to Remember tractor began its journey in August to honour farmers that lost their lives or were seriously injured in farming accidents. The tractor was donated by WR Shaw of Tullamore and driven by volunteers from Macra na Feirme and the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster (YFCU). Along the way, Embrace FARM asked friends or relatives to place wellies in memory of their loved ones in the trailer attached to the tractor, putting them on display for ploughing attendees to see. Norma Rohan, one of the founders of the network, said one of the aims of the Drive to Remember journey was to raise awareness for the charity and the support they offer to farmers in need. Since the 12th of August It's gone around the country from county to county and each of the Machra people has come up with their own ideas of where they take the tractor. Its gone into villages and towns and cities. Its been in Dublin, Newgrange, down as far as West Cork- it's been everywhere, Ms Rohan told Farm Ireland. The first message was remembering the people who have died and honouring them. The second would be to raise awareness of our own charity, to let people know that were there to help as best we can. Our charity supports people and connects people together to try and help each other that way. The group also want to ensure that farmers arent forgotten when they pass away following the work they've done for the farms they worked on throughout their lives. As Michael D said one time, to be forgotten about is like dying twice. Its important. Farmers are very resilient people. They get up every day, they work the land, they produce a product, they care for animals- no matter whoever is out there, no matter what forces are coming against them. And when they die trying to do that, they deserve to be honoured and they deserve to be remembered. Because theyre a dad, theyre a husband, theyre a son. Farmers are very much part of their communities so their neighbours and friends like to honour them as well, and thats very important to people. Im often asked What does it take to become a CEO? There are multiple answers to that question. Sometimes its luck. Other times its being in the right place at the right time. Politics can also play a part. Sometimes youre brilliant and recognised for it. Often youll find its the result of your own planning and long hours of sacrifice combined with hard work. The easiest way to instantly become a CEO is to start up your own business tomorrow. However as with anything that doesnt necessarily mean youll be any good. Ideally if you do become a CEO, youd like to think that its because youre the best candidate for the job. But that doesnt guarantee success particularly in todays world which is experiencing unprecedented disruption and change across all industries. I think a more appropriate question is What does it take to become a great CEO or a great leader? The answers to that question are very different to what they would have been five or even ten years ago. For the past 18 years Ive worked with high performing leaders across fifty industries, many of whom are CEOs already or who were transitioning into the CEO role. One aspect they all have in common is change. A time of VUCA The rate of change and disruption happening in every industry is presenting major challenges for all leaders. We are now living in a time of VUCA which stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. As a result many leaders are experiencing extreme fatigue, high levels of stress and as a result, a lack of clarity on where best to put their focus. The role of the CEO is changing because the kind of leadership required for success has changed. The old model was one of 'command and control', a model from the industrial age. The new digital era is calling for something very different; a more adaptable, self-aware and dare I say human model. People are seeking more meaning, connection and engagement so the hierarchical and traditional approach to being a CEO and leader no longer works. Yet that approach is still the model that many of todays leaders use. As part of a recent survey in Fortune magazine featuring 402 chief executives from 11 countries CEOs whose companies together make up an estimated $2.6 trilllion in revenues were asked about leadership. 74pc said they were very comfortable with the practical parts of their job such as the doing. However when it came to the less tangible parts of being an effective leader, the being part of their role shared frustration emerges as a pattern. Achieving the personal transformation required for leadership success is proving difficult for most. The survey also demonstrated nearly 48pc of people said that finding time for self-reflection is very challenging and most of the CEOs find the human aspect of the role more difficult than expected. In addition to this almost half (47pc) said that developing their senior leadership team was harder than anticipated with 50pc saying the same about driving real and lasting culture change. From my own experience of working with CEOs in Ireland, the UK and the US I would have expected those figures to be even higher. Read More Dual Transformation Challenge In the same survey, when asked if they needed the capacity to transform themselves in tandem with their organisation, an overwhelming 79pc agreed. Most CEOs, regardless of company size, are busy and usually comfortable with the doing part of the job, but the VUCA age is demanding much more from the intangible areas of leadership - the being side is where the real value is in the future. I call this the area of The Inner CEO and central to it are three essential skills for digital age CEOs: self-awareness, adaptability to change and actively managing their state around four key fitness areas: physical, emotional, mental and spirit/purpose. Today, you could be a CEO rock-star at the cognitive level (mental fitness) but if youre not developed at an emotional level its likely you will be lacking in some of the key leaderships skills needed for this time, and they could become serious blind-spots. For example, good CEOs are typically strong on skills like strategic and tactical thinking but often they are lacking in the skills of really listening (to themselves and others), knowing when to speak and when to shut up and managing their emotional states. And its essential for the leaders of the future to develop The Inner CEO skill of inner clarity, especially when the path forwards may be less obvious. So its critical that leaders take on the challenge of continuously developing themselves as leaders while at the same time developing their organisation. And this is something great leaders embrace and commit to. Talent doesnt usually leave companies. It leaves poor leaders. And I have seen this happen more often than I believe is necessary. So a key strategic focus for any board should be on the continuous development of the CEO. This is key because if a CEO is not well versed in the human side of the role, they will fail in todays world and the implications of that failure will affect not just their own success, but that of all stakeholders shareholders, employees, and customers alike. Changing Times I recently spoke to a group of about 50 successful Irish CEOs and entrepreneurs about elements of the inner game of leadership. What was interesting was the level of curiosity and interest around the subject. Not just for themselves but for the people working with them. Five years ago, when I spoke about this approach to a similar group there was very little openness and even less vulnerability in being willing to admit that it was relevant to them. But things are changing. People and leaders are more open to a new approach, primarily because the old approach isnt working to the level they need. "To be a CEO is a calling. You should not do it because it is a job. It is a calling, and you have got to be involved in it with your head, heart and hands. Your heart has got to be in the job; you have got to love what you do; it consumes you. And if you are not willing to get into the CEO job that way, there is no point getting into it." - Indra Nooyi, CEO and Chairwoman of PepsiCo As Indra Nooyi says, your heart has to be in the job as well. And that isnt just about passion. Its also about caring for the people as well as the organisation, in a way thats genuine. And thats challenging. But the mark of a great CEO. Shane Cradock is an experienced leadership coach and advisor. His event - An Evening of Inspiration and Clarity takes place on the 3rd of October at the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. (ANSA) - Vatican City, September 18 - An Italian priest working in Niger has been kidnapped in Niger, probably by Islamist extremists, a fellow clergyman told the Fides agency on Tuesday. "On the night between Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 September, Father Pierluigi Maccalli of the Society of African Missions (SMA) was kidnapped by suspected jihadists active in the area," Father Mauro Armanino, a missionary in Niamey, Niger, told Fides. "The area has been in a state of emergency for several months die to the presence of terrorists from Mali and Burkina Faso". Maccalli, who was originally from the diocesis of the northern Italian town of Crema and had previous worked as a missionary in Ivory Coast, was in the parish of Bomoanga, in the Niamey diocesis. Italy's embassy in Niger has formally asked local authorities to give "absolute priority" to the rapid solution of the case, the foreign ministry in Rome said Tuesday. The embassy has urged the authorities to "avoid initiatives that may put at risk Father Maccalli's safety", the ministry said. Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi is in constant contact with the foreign ministry's crisis unit which, with other State organs, has been following Father Maccalli's case since the beginning, the ministry said. A meeting between representatives from Goodman family firm Ternary and the Kilkenny Group has failed to allay concerns by the retailer over the 108 jobs at its flagship store at Nassau Street in Dublin. Earlier this year, Ternary lodged plans for a 100m office block. However, the plan to redevelop the Setanta Centre has met with strong opposition from the Kilkenny Group which operates the Kilkenny Group flagship store there. Expand Close Larry Goodman. Picture: Caroline Quinn / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Larry Goodman. Picture: Caroline Quinn A letter enclosed with the application confirms Setanta Centre Unlimited as owners of the site and lists businessman Larry Goodman and his eldest son, Laurence, as directors. Now, the Goodman firm has lodged revised plans after Dublin City Council expressed concerns over the plan. In its new objection, consultants for the Kilkenny Group state that the large number of unaddressed issues associated with the development is unacceptable and fundamentally lacks consideration for the operation of the Kilkenny Shop. The submission states that it will not be possible for the Kilkenny shop to continue trading during the construction period. The objection states this will have consequences for the 88 full-time and 20 seasonal employees at the store and the one million shoppers who visit the Kilkenny shop every year. The objection states: The proposed development includes a design that is both inappropriate for the area and unacceptable for the shop ... this will have serious implications for the future viability of the shop and its ongoing operation. Workers on every level of earnings are paying more income tax now than 10 years ago. Huge costs imposed on consumers for bailing out the State and the banks have been laid bare in new research. It shows a two-income family on relatively modest incomes of 35,000 each a year is paying almost 2,000 more in tax than before the crash. Families on middle incomes are effectively working three months or longer each year just to service their tax bill. A pre-Budget report from the Irish Tax Institute highlights how the economic crash and the austerity policies put in place to save the economy have resulted in all earners, from single-income workers and one-income families to families with two incomes, being hit hard. The system has become almost "aggressively" progressive, meaning that the burden gets much higher the more you earn. The Universal Social Charge and changes to how income tax works account for much of the extra tax burden. The USC was introduced in 2011. Taxpayers are still ponying up extra tax despite reductions in a number of budgets in the personal-income tax burden over the past seven years. But so severe were the austerity budgets early in the crisis, that taxpayers across all salary levels are still paying much more. Someone on 120,000 is down almost 6,700 a year in the past 10 years. The net pay of single-income earners on 35,000 is down almost 1,000 a year compared to 2008. Families with two incomes of 35,000 each are down 1,928. The new figures come as the Central Bank said that citizens had borne a bigger burden of the cost of bailing out banks during the financial crisis than in any other EU country. The Government put 64bn into the banks to recapitalise them at the height of the crisis. This prompted a temporary loss of economic sovereignty and forced the country into an EU-IMF bailout. The crash has left consumers with huge debts. Central Bank Deputy Governor Sharon Donnery said we have the fourth-highest household debt in the EU. The heightened tax burden means people are spending longer working for the Government each year before they start earning for themselves. The so-called Tax Freedom Day, which is a mechanical exercise as ordinary workers are not required to pay income tax upfront, shows how those who earn more take longer to pay the State. Those workers on 18,000 meet their personal tax obligations to the State by the end of the first week in January. Those on 35,000 work for the State for three months before they earn for themselves. It takes workers on 55,000 a quarter of the year before their earnings are their own. The Government is under pressure to ease the income tax burden in the Budget next month, and is looking at changing the tax bands. Meanwhile, lobby group Social Justice Ireland said there should be no net reduction in tax in next month's Budget. Its director, Dr Sean Healy, said there was a need to make the income tax system fairer. This could be achieved by increasing the personal tax credit, effectively allowing people to earn more before they pay tax. Alternatively, the USC 0.5pc and 2pc rates could be reduced. Relations have soured between US President Donald Trumps administration and that of Chinese President Xi Jinping since they met in Beijing last year, sparking fears of an all-out trade war. Photo: Bloomberg China has announced tariff hikes on $60bn (51bn) of US products in response to President Trump's duty increase in technology dispute. China said that it had no choice but to retaliate against new US trade tariffs, raising the risk that USPresident Donald Trump could soon impose duties on virtually all of the Chinese goods that America buys. The Chinese commerce ministry's statement came hours after Trump said he was imposing 10pc tariffs on about $200bn worth of imports from China, and threatened duties on about $267bn more if China retaliated against the US action. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing later that the US steps have brought "new uncertainty" to talks between the two countries. "China has always emphasised that the only correct way to resolve the China-US trade issue is via talks and consultations held on an equal, sincere and mutually respectful basis. But at this time, everything the United States does does not give the impression of sincerity or goodwill," he added. Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook, whose products were spared from new US tariffs on Chinese goods imposed on Monday, said he is optimistic that the United States and China will eventually work through their trade differences. "I'm optimistic because trade is one of those things where it's not a zero-sum game," Cook told ABC News' "Good Morning America" program on Tuesday. "I'm optimistic that the two countries will sort this out and life will go on." Trump warned on Monday that if China takes retaliatory action against U.S. farmers or industries, "we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267bn of additional imports." The latest US duties spared smart watches from Apple and Fitbit and other consumer products such as baby car seats. But if the administration enacts the additional tariffs it would engulf all remaining US imports from China and Apple products like the iPhone and its competitors would not likely be spared. Last month, China unveiled a proposed list of tariffs on $60bn of U.S. goods ranging from liquefied natural gas to certain types of aircraft - should Washington activate the tariffs on its $200bn list. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan sparked concern by supporting proposals to criminalise people who take pictures of on-duty gardai. He has backed the draconian step in the wake of a criminal investigation into threats made on social media against an officer over the weekend. The garda worked at the eviction of housing protesters at North Frederick Street, Dublin, last Tuesday. He subsequently had his name and picture posted to Facebook. Users of the site threatened the officer with "a bullet" and cable ties. Mr Flanagan confirmed he was "favourably disposed" to a proposal from Garda representative associations to introduce legislation to make it an offence to photograph gardai while undertaking their duties. "I am. I acknowledge the fact that, of course, gardai need to show identification," he told RTE Radio One yesterday. "I think that it's something that can be favourably looked at." The National Union of Journalists strongly opposed any attempt to introduce such legislation. "I was surprised and disappointed by the support of such a proposal by the minister," said the union's Irish secretary, Seamus Dooley. "Mr Flanagan appears to be in favour of blindfolding the watchdog. It is vital all organs of the State operate in an open and transparent fashion." The union condemned online abuse of any individual or group of workers - and Mr Dooley said more needs to be done by social media companies to monitor and tackle this scourge. "I would support the call by John Jacob, general secretary, AGSI (Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors), for greater vigilance by multinational companies in monitoring and tackling online abuse," he added. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties also said it was seriously concerned about the minister's comments. "While the criminal harassment or intimidation of gardai is unacceptable, the general outlawing of photographing gardai while on duty would be a grossly disproportionate response to the incidents that arise where technology is misused," it said. A blanket restriction on freedom of expression, which would "criminalise ordinary members of the public for sharing information about public events", was not the answer. In follow-up comments, the minister said he believed transparency is vitally important and insisted he made no reference to "specific plans" about photography. "I also greatly value the role of the media in providing objective reporting," he said. He was concerned about "multiple mobile phones" in the faces of gardai as they go about their policing duties. "The uploading of images of gardai undertaking their duties on social media and consequent threats and intimidation is totally unacceptable to me and that is why I am concerned." Facebook said it works closely with gardai and has a dedicated channel of communication with them. It said it removed content found to be in violation of bullying and credible threats policies. A burglar and an "associate" flagged down a taxi after a house break-in, then were held at the scene by the cabbie and victims, it is alleged. According to gardai, the two men were "apprehended" after they returned in the taxi to the house where the associate retrieved a bag of stolen goods that had been left in a hedge. Bernard Kelly (38), of Cashel Road, Crumlin, Dublin, was granted bail when he appeared in court charged with burglary at Templeville Road, Terenure, Dublin, in the early hours of Sunday. Objecting to bail, Garda Ciaran O'Brien told Dublin District Court it was alleged a burglar entered the house while most of the occupants were home and sleeping. It was alleged that Mr Kelly and another man flagged down a taxi nearby and asked the driver to bring them to the address on Templeville Road en route to Crumlin. The "associate" took a bag from a hedge and the alleged victims and taxi driver apprehended the two men, Gda O'Brien said. The value of the property stolen, including a television, was 1,800. "There is no way I had any involvement in that crime," Mr Kelly said. "I'm an innocent man." Another accused man, Shane McDonnell (28), also from Cashel Road, Crumlin, was refused bail by Judge Grainne Malone when he appeared in court charged in connection with the burglary. Another garda said Mr McDonnell replied "I didn't enter the building", when charged. The garda said Mr McDonnell made admissions to "keeping watch" while the house was broken into, but Mr McDonnell disputed that. The property is the third North inner city premises that has been the subject of High Court proceedings after they were occupied by the protesters. Picture: Tony Gavin The High Court has granted orders requiring protesters to end their occupation of a premises in central Dublin. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys granted the owners of 41 Belvedere Place, Dublin 1 MJH Property Management an injunction compelling the protesters to immediately vacate and cease the unlawful trespass on the property. The injunctions are to remain in place until the case has been finalised. The court heard the occupation of what had been a vacant premises commenced on September 8 last when several persons seeking to highlight the current housing crisis forcibly entered the property. The property is the third North inner city premises, after properties in Summerhill and North Frederick Street, that has been the subject of High Court proceedings after they were occupied by the protesters. In its action, MJH says the property, which it hopes to develop into apartments, is currently unsuitable and not safe for what it says is an illegal occupation. It says that unless the occupation ends its insurance for the building will be rescinded. Last week the UK based owner obtained permission from the High Court to bring proceedings against the persons unknown who it claimed had broken in and occupied the premises. At Tuesday's sitting of the High Court MJH Property Management, represented by Padraig D Lyons BL instructed by solicitor Kieran Curran, said notice of the proceedings had been served on the occupiers of the premises. There were no representations made to the court on or behalf of any of the occupants when the case was called by the court registrar. The owners claim the occupation is part of an organised campaign called "Take Back the City". The occupation the owners add has featured on a website of a group called the Workers Solidarity Movement, which describes itself as an anarchist organisation. Counsel told the court that his client is a UK based property letting and management business, with an office in Dungarvan Co Waterford that acquired 41 Belvedere Place in 2016. It plans to develop the four-storey over basement Georgian building, which is a protected structure into apartments for either sale or letting. It has secured planning permission for four apartments from Dublin City Council. It has applied to build five apartments, but DCC refused to grant permission to build a fifth apartment at the rear of the site. An appeal against that refusal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanala. To prepare for these works it needs access to the building, which it says it is prevented from doing due to the occupation. In a sworn statement Mr Michael Horgan, who is a director of MJH, said that it appeared that there were three persons on the premises. A system was in place where different persons were on the property at different times, and there had been appeals on social media for volunteers to join their group and help with the occupation. Mr Horgan said the building is unsuitable for occupation, and at present is not safe. He said that in anticipation of works plaster on the ceilings and internal walls had been removed. These works affect the overall stability of the building to the effect that without support structures the upper floors might give way. In its current state, he added that the building could not be compliant with fire safety regulations. After granting the orders the Judge adjourned the matter to a date in early October. The survivor of a Christmas tragedy that claimed the lives of two of his friends has told of his desperate escape from a four-wheel-drive car submerged in a swollen river. A verdict of accidental deaths was returned at the inquests into the deaths of Martin Needham (27) and Declan Davitt (26). The young farmers died after the Ford Ranger they were travelling in was swept away by raging waters on Christmas morning last year after they tried to cross the Carrowniskey River, near Louisburgh, Co Mayo. Tom McGreal survived the tragedy by pulling himself through the back window of the vehicle, which was owned and driven by Mr Davitt. Yesterday's inquest in Castlebar, presided over by the Coroner for Mayo Patrick O'Connor, heard that the river which the young men tried to cross is regularly traversed by larger SUV-type vehicles. However, last Christmas the waterway was a raging torrent following weeks of incessant rain. It was also revealed that the front passenger window of the stricken vehicle wasn't operational due to the fact that the teeth on the regulator that operates the window were worn. In a lengthy deposition which was read at the hearing, Mr McGreal explained how he managed to escape from the submerged vehicle. He said: "The jeep was starting to fill with water inside. I knew I had to get out. I got out a window. I don't know was it down or did I break it. "The lads were starting to panic when more water began to fill the jeep. "I thought I had to get out of the jeep now. "I had to pull myself out of the jeep to get out of it. I got out of the jeep and swam over to the bank. "I could hear screaming coming from the jeep which lasted only a few seconds. Then there was complete silence. "I then went to try and get back into the water but it was too strong." Mr McGreal (20) explained that he crossed fields to the main road before getting to the Gibbons family home where the alarm was raised by ringing 999 at around 2.25am. In the course of evidence, Mr O'Connor and a jury were told that the three young men had called to the Gibbons family home at Roonith, Carrowniskey, earlier and were advised by members of the family not to drive as they had too much to drink. Mary Gibbons said in a statement which was read to the inquest that the three had vodka with them and were drunk when they arrived at the house. Submerged Mr McGreal explained that after they left the Gibbons house they travelled towards the Carrowniskey River picking up speed before the vehicle reached the water. His statement read: "Declan then went to drive into the river which was high and in full flow. "When he went into the river he tried to reverse and the vehicle began to skid. He then got the jeep out of the water and went for it again. The front part of the jeep went face down." Dr Fadel Bennani, consultant pathologist at Mayo University Hospital, said the cause of death in both cases was asphyxia due to drowning. Blood alcohol level recorded in both men was 'high', the coroner noted. In the case of Mr Davitt, it was 260mgspc (high) while in Mr Needham's case it was 334mgspc, "very high", After the jury returned verdicts of accidental death in both cases, the coroner said sudden death at Christmas was heartbreaking. A County Donegal Specsavers has been ordered to pay 12,000 in compensation to a female Muslim who was sacked one day after the Manchester terror attack last year. At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Adjudication Officer, Emer OShea has found that Letterkenny Specsavers Ltd discriminated against Amina Ferrah on the grounds of religion when sacking the Optical Assistant on May 23 2017. In her findings, Ms OShea said that she satisfied on the basis of the evidence presented that Ms Ferrah's dismissal in advance of the standard three month review constituted less favourable treatment on the grounds of religion and that Ms Ferrahs non Muslim colleagues were not the subject to such treatment. The night before Ms Ferrah was sacked, 22 year old Islamic terrorist, Salman Ramadan Abedi murdered 22 concert goers in a suicide bombing attack at an Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena. In her case at the WRC, Ms Ferrah claimed that she was sacked on discriminatory grounds as a knee jerk reaction to the fact that she was clearly identifiable as a Muslim - a contention strongly disputed by her former employer. Ms Ferrah always wore her headscarf to work and her uniform and name badge had been ordered for her by her employer the day before the Manchester attack. Ms Ferrah submitted to the WRC that her employer may have been overly concerned about public sentiment following the attack and the impact it might have on their business. In her case, Ms Ferrah stated that when she turned up for work on May 23, the shop roster showed that she was scheduled to work the following week. Ms Ferrah commenced work at the outlet on April 3 having previously worked for a Specsavers in the UK for two years. On the evening of May 23, Ms Ferrah said that she was asked to attend a meeting with the company directors where she was told its not working out, you are not what we expected and you are not interactive enough on the shop floor. Ms Farrah said that she was told that her skills lie more in pre-testing and they dont need anyone in that area and we will have to let you go. Ms Ferrah asked for a chance to prove herself but was told no and that she would be paid up until the end of the month. Ms Ferrah said that she was very surprised as the feedback she had been receiving up until that meeting was very positive and she was fitting in and working well. Ms Ferrah said that in the days after her dismissal, she met with one of the shop managers who hugged her and told her that she had no idea why she was being let go. The store firm strongly denied the claim of discrimination and told the WRC that Ms Ferrah was employed less than two weeks after the earlier terror attack at Londons Westminster Bridge. However, Mr Ferrah told the hearing that the London attack had to be distinguished from the Manchester attack in terms of the media coverage. The Specsavers firm told the WRC that the decision to dismiss Ms Ferrah was purely down to performance. The company alleged that Ms Ferrah lacked crucial skills which were necessary to carry out her role. The company claimed that Ms Ferrahs contention that she was dismissed because of its concerns over the Manchester terror attack is an entirely subjective viewpoint of the worker, not supported by evidence and which in no way satisfies the requirement for a prima facie case of discrimination. The firm also stated that the mere coincidence that Ms Ferrah was dismissed the day after a terrorist attack in Manchester is not sufficient to shift this burden of proof from the claimant to the respondent. The firm alleged that Ms Ferrah simply lacked the tools, skill and knowledge to fulfil the role she had been appointed into. The firm took grave issue over the claim that Ms Ferrah was ever treated less favourably because of her religion. In finding that the firm did discriminate against Ms Ferrah, Ms OShea stated that it was accepted by the company that reviews of new employees would take place at the end of the first three months. Ms OShea found that no records of any reviews have been presented to support the companys contention of ongoing reviews and no records of any performance deficits on the part of Ms Ferrah were presented. Ms OShea found that Ms Ferrahs evidence that she was never advised of any shortcomings in her performance was credible and consistent throughout the hearing. Ms OShea said that taking all of the matters into account, she found that Ms Ferrah has established a prima facie case of discrimination on the grounds of religion and found that the employer has failed to rebut it. Gaza: medical sources, two Palestinians killed at the border Suspicious object placed at the fence, Israel says (ANSAmed) - GAZA/TEL AVIV, SEPTEMBER 18 - Two Palestinians were killed by a military vehicle in the southern sector of the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, the health ministry in Gaza has said. The victims were identified as Ibrahim al-Najjar and Mohammed Khader, both from the city of Khan Yunes. An Israeli military spokesman previously said that some Palestinians last night were discovered as they were placing a suspicious object at the border fence. The military vehicle subsequently fired at them, he added. Over the past few days, Israeli border patrols have discovered and detonated several bombs near the border. The army has blamed Hamas for the attacks. (ANSAmed). Gardai are investigating after a woman died following a stabbing incident this evening Photo: Ciara Wilkinson A woman has died following a stabbing incident this afternoon, gardai have confirmed. The woman, aged 31, is understood to originally be from Lithuania. It is understood she was found with multiple stab wounds after an incident at an apartment building on Linen Hall Street in Dundalk, Co Louth at around 2.45pm. She was taken by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda but she was confirmed dead a short time later. A Post Mortem examination will now take place at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The scene is preserved for a technical and forensic examination and an incident room has been established at Dundalk Garda Station. The office of the State Pathologist and Coroner have been notified. Gardai are expected to launched a murder investigation. A man, aged 48, has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently detained at Dundalk Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984. Investigating Gardai are appealing to any person who may have witnessed the assault or who may have information or to any drivers who may have dash cam footage to contact the incident room at Dundalk Garda Station on 042-9388400, the Garda Confidential Line 1 800 666 111 or any Garda Station. The twin pressures of funding cuts and growing student numbers sees Ireland's university system classed as being in the "danger" zone, according to an analysis by the European Universities Association (EUA). Ireland is rated with Iceland and Croatia as in the most perilous position in terms of public funding, in a review of 34 European countries and regions in the EUA Public Funding Observatory 2017 report. Ireland's "system in danger" finding compares with "frontrunners" like Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, where funding increases are outpacing student growth, while other countries and regions fall somewhere in between. Funding per student in Ireland is half what it was in 2008 and, while the Government has started to reverse the decline, the report highlights differences between Ireland and elsewhere. The EUA analysis was cited as the seven universities launched their first joint charter, in which they commit to transforming capability and performance across the sector, but say their ambition requires a new dynamic. The Irish Universities Association (IUA) six-point plan, 'Ireland's Future Talent - A Charter for Irish Universities', includes a call for more State funding as well as greater control over managing day-to-day affairs. On funding, IUA director Jim Miley said there was a need to "get real", claiming too many politicians were "hiding behind the fig leaf of the option they don't like". The universities are also seeking greater independence, in areas such as staffing levels and pay, a flexibility they say is essential if they are to compete with the best in Europe. Mr Miley said a "transformation of how university education is controlled, including freeing universities from the grinding levers of State to allow them innovate and grow", was needed. The report shows Ireland lags behind other countries in terms of the level of autonomy given to universities. "While they wanted flexible operating structures and removal of restrictive employment measures, that would be matched on the universities' side by strong governance and accountability," he said. Mr Miley said universities worldwide were transforming and the IUA Charter was designed to move Irish universities to the forefront of that change by jointly committing to a range of measures that better support students, staff and research. "The political community now needs to step up to the challenge and match the ambition and commitment demonstrated by the universities," he said. University College Cork president Professor Patrick O'Shea, who is chair of the IUA, said Ireland had long extolled the virtue of its indigenous talent, nurtured by the education system, but "a decade of under-investment by the State, the demographic bulge and a dynamic, competitive international education environment forces us all to confront stark realities". He said it was incumbent on "the State, on universities and on society to implement initiatives to develop and fully realise our national talent". Prof O'Shea said the importance of the charter was that it underpinned a commitment to substantial change. "It calls out the challenges. It identifies solutions." Detectives are investigating if associates of an up-and-coming convicted drug dealer were behind the violent attack Specialist gardai are probing if a vicious assault that was recorded and posted online was carried out on the orders of a high-profile criminal over an alleged 140,000 debt. Detectives are investigating if associates of an up-and-coming convicted drug dealer were behind the violent attack, which happened in the back seat of a car driving along a rural roadway. The footage, circulated on social media, shows one man repeatedly punching and kicking the victim in the head and body, while threatening him over the alleged debt. As the attack is carried out, the man taking the video can be seen smirking while sitting in the passenger seat of the car. This individual is considered by gardai to be a close associate of a north west-based drug dealer, originally from west Dublin, who has now come to the attention of gardai nationally. The driver of the vehicle is not visible throughout the video footage. Expand Close The footage shows one man repeatedly punching and kicking the victim in the head and body / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The footage shows one man repeatedly punching and kicking the victim in the head and body During the clip, which lasts just under one minute, the victim is asked, "where's the money? Get the f**king sorted man", before being struck in the head repeatedly. "One hundred and forty grand. One hundred and forty f**king grand. How did you lose that?" he added. The thug then asks the victim what happened to the money belonging to "Barry". The man being attacked then pleads for mercy, repeatedly telling the attacker that he will get him the money and to stop hitting him. Expand Close The footage was circulated on social media / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The footage was circulated on social media "I'll get the money, I'll get the money. F**king hell, man, Jesus Christ," he adds, after being struck in the face a number of times again. During the minute-long recording, the man is struck a total of 25 times in the head and body, including being kneed in the face. A senior source last night told the Herald that no complaint had yet been made in relation to the incident, but that gardai were carrying out inquiries into the footage. "Gardai attached to organised crime units are analysing the footage, for intelligence purposes and to identify those involved, as well as who the victim is in this incident," the source said. "No formal complaint has yet been received, and given the nature of what has happened and the fact that serious organised criminals may be involved, there m ore than likely won't be. "Early examinations of the footage point to it having been taken in a rural village as opposed to Dublin, but nothing has been confirmed at this stage." As the video of the assault continues, the man handing out the punishment beating then says: "Listen to me, you are coming with us. "I'm telling you now, you are coming with us." He then orders the man being attacked to "start ringing people for me now", before the video ends. The thug carrying out the attack is understood to be an associate of the north-west gang boss who has previously served a lengthy jail term after being caught with cannabis. He has been a long-term target for gardai in that region, but is now on the radar of Dublin and national garda units after expanding his criminal enterprise. It has also not yet been established exactly when the incident happened. Detectives are also attempting to determine if the 140,000 debt was linked to a recent drug seizure that was made in the west Dublin area. On that occasion, a teenager was arrested after the local drugs unit carried out a planned search. A large amount of drugs were seized, but the victim in the video was not the individual arrested in that operation. A Dublin-born UK charity chief is to be the next chairman of the HSE. Sir Ciaran Devane, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, is to take over the 80,000 part-time post as HSE chairman with a new revived board. The last HSE board was abolished under former Health Minister James Reilly but it is now seeing a comeback and will have greater powers. Mr Devane, who is in his mid fifties, is based in the UK and is currently chief of the British Council. An Irish speaker he grew up in Coolock in Dublin and went to Colaiste Mhuire on Parnell Square. Both his parents are from Dingle and his uncle is former RTE GAA legend Micheal O Muircheartaigh. The British Council is the UKs international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It is on the ground in six continents and over 100 countries bringing international opportunity to life, every day. Mr Devane has also been a member of the Board of NHS England. One of his first tasks will be to take part in selecting a new HSE chief following the departure of Tony O Brien earlier this summer. Mr Devane served as chief executive of the UK health charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. He was knighted for his services to cancer patients. Legislation setting out the powers , remit and responsibilities of the new HSE board is currently being drafted. Priority issues for the new HSE Board will include: delivering effective and safe services within the resources allocated developing and implementing an effective performance management and accountability system in the HSE developing a plan for building public trust and confidence in the HSE and the wider health service ensuring the HSEs full support for and implementation of the Governments programme of health reform as will be set out in the Slaintecare Implementation Plan Have-a-go hero: Denis OConnor and shop manager Tim Murphy at the Bar One betting shop in Hazelwood Shopping Centre, Glanmire, Co Cork. Photo: John Delea A great-grandfather who helped foil an armed robbery at his favourite bookmakers shop admitted he cannot understand all the tributes over his actions. Denis O'Connor (84) modestly insisted he wasn't a hero over his courageous actions last Saturday evening and refused all media interviews yesterday, including requests to appear on both RTE and Virgin Media. He now just wants to be able to return to the bookmakers shop for "a flutter" without any fuss. Mr O'Connor, who turns 85 in November, was instrumental in helping foil an armed raid by three masked robbers, two armed with hammers and one armed with a suspected imitation shotgun, on the Bar One bookmakers branch in Glanmire, Co Cork. The raiders ran into the branch at 6.30pm on Saturday and demanded cash - with two of the raiders threatening the sole staff member on duty, Tim Murphy. Mr O'Connor reacted to being threatened by one of the raiders and his action in shoving the man triggered panic, which resulted in all three robbers fleeing the scene. Mr Murphy said the actions of Mr O'Connor were incredibly brave. "It was unbelievable what Denis did - there is no doubt about it, he is a genuine hero," said the shop manager. But the great-grandfather was modest about his actions. "I thought it was all a joke at the start," he said. But when he saw two of the raiders aggressively confronting Mr Murphy, he immediately realised a full-blown robbery was in progress. "I didn't really think about it - I just went for it. You can either sit down and do nothing or take a stand. I decided to stand up to these people," he said. Mr O'Connor's bravery immediately panicked one raider and distracted a second. The third was then confronted by Mr Murphy. All three fled the premises and made their escape in a waiting black car. CCTV security camera footage of the raid went viral on social media when people realised a great-grandfather was successfully taking on raiders more than 60 years younger than him. A key segment of the CCTV footage showed one of the raiders stumbling in panic as he fled - and Denis directing a firm kick at the departing robber's backside. "I keep fit. I go to the gym and a do a bit of swimming. I suppose you could say I am fit," he said. Gardai have vowed to hunt down the three raiders. A nightclub has come under fire for a student night drinks promotion offering bottles, spirits, mixers and shots for as little as 60p (67c) each. Aiming to cash in as university students return to the city after the summer break, Fourteen in Tomb Street, Belfast launched the '666' promotion last night - a day after drunken students wreaked havoc around the Holylands at the start of Freshers Week. It is understood a complaint was sent to Belfast councillors, though the city council said it has no powers concerning the pricing of drinks, as it is essentially a liquor licensing issue. Belfast DUP councillor Graham Craig, though, condemned the promotion as "irresponsible". Mr Craig said: "I am deeply concerned about the health and wellbeing of those coming to university for the first time, who are now being targeted by such irresponsible promotions and marketing activity that has long since ceased among the vast majority of publicans. "This promotion was brought to my attention by a constituent whose daughter will be starting at Ulster University this month. "She was appalled that such an alcohol promotion is allowed to happen in this city. "University is a time when young adults are finding their way in the world without the guidance of parents. Developing a healthy and responsible attitude to alcohol is a part of this growing up process. "Thankfully, most publicans now refrain from cheap alcohol promotions. It is disappointing to see that this responsible attitude is not universally adhered to. "On request from myself and a number of other councillors the issue will also be discussed at the meeting of the Belfast City Council Licensing Committee on Wednesday." Nightclub owner Patrick Fegan defended the student night, saying that the club is offering nothing different to any other student city in across the UK: "I would urge anyone who has a complaint to take this into perspective," he said. "What we're offering is a good night out in Belfast for students in a controlled environment. All our staff have gone through drink awareness training and there are many other drinks promotions going on at clubs and pubs around the city at various times of the year without much of a fuss. Perhaps, instead of looking at the individual entrepreneur, our politicians should look at the pricing policy of some of the big supermarkets, where anyone can get their alcohol for a lot cheaper and take it wherever they want, away from a controlled environment. "We don't let anyone through the door who turns up drunk and we have a priority bookings policy with a local taxi firm to make sure everyone gets home safely. "Sometimes I think this country is run by dinosaurs who are quick to pick out an easy individual target and not stand up to some of the major companies who are destroying the licensing trade and selling drink at ridiculously low prices." The Public Health Authority has previously warned over the dangers of drinks promotions. "Promotions like these encourage people to drink more alcohol in a shorter amount of time, which increases the risk to their health," it said. "It also means they are more likely to have accidents, more likely to be a victim (or perpetrator) of assault, and more likely to have unsafe sex. "How much people drink is related to the price of alcohol, and it is no surprise when we see how much more affordable alcohol has become in recent years, that 4/5 of adults who drink alcohol drink above sensible drinking guidelines." Mary Lou McDonald said she does not know if the man accused of sexually abusing Mairia Cahill was a Sinn Fein member as the partys record keeping was not as it is now 20 years ago. In a bizarre response to RUC intelligence claims that Martin Morris was suspended from Sinn Fein because he was suspected of abusing children, Ms McDonald said she could not discuss the claims because she was not a spook or a spy. However, Ms McDonald said there was no cover up in Sinn Fein in relation to allegations that Ms Cahill was sexually abused by Mr Morris in the late nineties. A Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland report was extremely critical of the PSNIs handling of the case against Mr Martin which ultimately collapsed. Mr Morris has denied the allegation that he abused Ms Cahill. In a letter to Ms Cahill, the Ombudsman said RUC intelligence files show police in Northern Ireland received information in 2000 which suggested Martin Morris was suspended from Sinn Fein because he was suspected of abusing certain children. Asked about the RUC intelligence on Mr Morris, Ms McDonald first said: I am advised there is no evidence or record of him being a member of Sinn Fein. However, she added: He was, of course, a former prisoner, he was a person who was very active on the ground so I cant discount that he may have been a member. Our record keeping was not as it is now 20 years ago and there is no record of any suspension of him. Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein does not keep any records of members who may be involved in criminality. It would not be appropriate for any political organisation or any GAA or sporting organisation. It would not be appropriate to hold records like that, she said. When asked to respond to the suggestion in the RUC intelligence that Mr Morris was suspended from Sinn Fein over child sex abuse concerns, the Sinn Fein leader said: Of course Im not in a position to answer to answer that. Im not a spook, Im not a spy, Im not a police officer, Im the leader of a political party and I have responsibility of course to ensure that our processes and procedures are as they must be, she added. Ms McDonald said she has never been disrespectful to Ms Cahill and said any one who was aggressive or dismissive towards the Belfast woman should reflect on their own actions. I dont support anybody behaving in a disrespectful manner to Mairia Cahill or for that matter anybody else, she added. The Sinn Fein leader said she had upmost sympathy and compassion for Ms Cahill I do regret that when Mairia spoke to people in confidence, and I have no doubt in good faith, that at the time we didnt have the kind of rigorous procedures that we have now that would have left no margin of judgement, error or anything else in terms of reporting. Thats the great beauty of mandatory reporting. Its very very clear to people that they have to do, she added. A parental leave scheme worth almost 1,000 to new parents has been broadly welcomed - with calls for the scheme to be expanded as quickly as possible. The Irish Independent revealed yesterday that Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty plans to include a new scheme which would give both parents an extra two weeks' leave each in the first year of a child's life. The move is worth an extra 235 per person each week, or some 940 per year, to couples who opt to take up their full allowance. The new scheme is separate from parents' existing entitlement of 26 weeks' maternity leave entitlement and two weeks' paternity leave. It is the first move towards a scenario where parents will be able to avail of enough State-sponsored leave to stay at home for the first year of their baby's life. Ms Doherty said she was working hard to ensure that the move was included in her budget for next year in order to bring the scheme online. The particulars around the scheme, including the conditions attached to it, are still being teased out. She dismissed a suggestion the leave should be transferable between parents. "Parents in the main want to be with their children and what we are working to do is to make sure they can afford to spend that time with them," she said. Orla O'Connor, Director of National Women's Council of Ireland, said the fact that the leave was not transferable between parents was "an important recognition of the role that fathers have to play in ensuring a more equal distribution of care between parents". The leave "will bring Ireland closer in line with the rest of Europe, but this is just the first step," she said. She called on the Government to incrementally introduce paid parental leave up to 26 weeks, "so that parents, mothers and fathers, will have a real option of taking care of their child during the first year". Meanwhile, the scheme has been described by the Social Democrats as a "baby step in the right direction". The party has tabled a bill to extend unpaid leave. Councillor Jennifer Whitmore questioned why the Government was so slow to introduce paid parental leave. "The Government needs to take much bigger strides in addressing the major childcare costs that parents face. Parents are struggling and need support now," she said. Businessman Peter Casey has become the third panellist from the Dragons' Den TV show to make it onto the ballot paper for next month's presidential election. Mr Casey secured his place in the poll when he was endorsed by Tipperary County Council on Tuesday evening. He had already won the endorsement of Limerick City and County Council earlier in the afternoon, to add to the two votes he won on Monday. He joins President Higgins, Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada, Pieta House founder Senator Joan Freeman, and fellow Dragons' Den panellists Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy on the ballot paper for next month's election. Peter Casey won 13 votes at the Tipperary County Council meeting in Nenagh, with journalist Gemma O'Doherty taking eight votes. Mr Casey's votes came from a mix of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and independents, with Ms O'Doherty's votes from Sinn Fein and independents. Labour's Fiona Bonfield abstained. Afterwards, he said it was an "amazing" two days during which he secured the necessary four council endorsements. "I'm so excited to get, now, into the race proper," he said. "I thought it would work out this way, I was the last person into the race and I knew I would be the last one to get over the line. It's a big relief. I can go to the ploughing competition tomorrow and relax." Gemma O'Doherty was asked if she intends pursuing council nominations and said "of course". Peter Casey spoke during his pitch to the council about the importance of reaching out to the diaspora, pointing out there are over 70 million people worldwide who call themselves Irish. His "birthright programme" would see the children of the Irish diaspora being invited to spend a month in Ireland: two weeks in a Gaeltacht area, a week in Belfast and Derry "to understand the troubles and our history" and a week in Dublin to "understand how the State was created and about the Civil War". They would return to their home country with "a better sense of what it's like to be Irish" and tell their friends about their experiences. He also emphasised the importance of education and referred to Ireland's past reputation as "the island of saints and scholars," adding: "I want to relight that educational fire". The Derry-born businessman reiterated his view that the president's expenses should be made public, that a president shouldn't be allowed to nominate himself or herself for re-election, an that the presidency should have a five-year term with elections taking place at the same time as local authority elections. He said he would not take the salary himself but give it to the county councils to pass on to charity, "maybe invite the county councillors up to the Aras once a month". In her presentation, Gemma O'Doherty said she "would worry about the fact now that we have three businessmen going forward into this race, with pretty much the same track record". Asked by Sinn Fein councillor David Dunne what salary she would take as president, she said she wouldn't want to earn "any more than E80,000, the [president's] salary at the moment is outrageous... I'd quite happily drive my own car, I'd quite happily stay in my own home. I don't want to disrespect the office of the president". She also told councillors that her concerns include free speech, a free press, homelessness, healthcare, truth and justice. "We do not have a free press in Ireland and this is deeply damaging to democracy. There are influences now within Irish society which threaten free speech and threaten press freedom." Performing artist Sarah Louise Mulligan said she was a pro-life advocate and, if elected president, "I'd happily divert some of my salary to opening new pregnancy crisis centres for women who are considering abortion. With the help of good counsellors, they may just decide to keep their unborn babies." A supporter of President Trump, she described him as "the greatest Irish ally we have". President Michael D Higgins has reactivated his Twitter account and opened a new website as he kick-started his campaign to be returned to the Aras. The sitting President, whose account last tweeted on the day of his inauguration on November 11, 2011, has posted a link to www.michaeld higgins.ie which calls on voters to "join the movement to re-elect Michael D Higgins". Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Peter Casey got a major boost to his campaign after he secured the backing of two local authorities - Kerry and Clare - to contest the upcoming election. The former 'Dragons' Den' star is now half-way to getting enough council support for his name to be added to the ballot paper in the race. Elsewhere, artist Kevin Sharkey announced he has quit the contest, claiming it was a "circus". Mr Higgins's website went live yesterday and those who sign up are thanked and told: "It's you - and thousands of like-minded people across the country - who will power this campaign, and help to re-elect Michael D as President of Ireland." The message also urges supporters to share on social media that they've signed up to Mr Higgins's campaign. Elsewhere, Mr Casey confirmed he was willing to spend up to the cap of 750,000 if he succeeded in getting into the race. Mr Casey, the founder of US recruitment firm Claddagh Resources, said he was "thrilled" after he got his second nomination at Clare County Council. Originally from Derry, Mr Casey is moving to Ireland from his base in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr Casey said he was a "truly independent candidate" and had pledged that he would "put the same amount of energy and commitment into the role of president ... as I have done in every job or business I have worked in". He needs the support of two more councils and will be attending local authority meetings in Limerick and Tipperary today. Councils in Dublin City, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Kilkenny decided not to back a candidate. Separately, Mr Sharkey announced his departure from the race with a Twitter post, saying he is going to focus on his art and a new music single. Mr Sharkey, who has received no council nominations, said: "I am leaving the circus", describing the contest as a "farce". He said he was focusing on new paintings called "The Presidential Collection 2018" and that he had an exhibition opening on Friday. He rejected any suggestion that his tilt at the presidency had been about gaining publicity for his work as an artist. "If you believe in something, you should stand up for it and that's what I did when I ran for the presidency," Mr Sharkey said. He also endorsed fellow Aras hopeful, journalist Gemma O'Doherty. Mr Casey's fellow Dragons Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy already have sufficient local authority support to take on Mr Higgins, who has the power to nominate himself. Pieta House founder Senator Joan Freeman has also succeeded in getting on the ballot paper through the council route. Sinn Fein's Liadh Ni Riada, meanwhile, was selected as the party's candidate at the weekend. Accord for Brexit to have special protocol on Gibraltar Madrid confirms after Sanchez meeting with negotiator Barnier (ANSAmed) - MADRID, SEPTEMBER 18 - The agreement between the European Union and Great Britain for Brexit will include a specific protocol on Gibraltar, Spanish government sources confirmed in a statement after a meeting last night at the Moncloa palace between Premier Pedro Sanchez and EU chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier. During the meeting, participants talked about issues concerning Britain's exit from the Union that affect Gibraltar, the border with northern Ireland and British bases in Cyprus on the eve of the informal summit of heads of State and government of the EU tomorrow and Thursday in Salzburg. Sanchez and Barnier, according to the sources, agree in keeping the current agenda that provides for the end of negotiations on Brexit before the European Council in October by which they hope a specific preliminary agreement on Gibraltar will be wrapped up. Under talks between the 27 and the UK, all aspects concerning Gibraltar will be at the center of direct negotiations between London and Madrid who has a veto right on the former colony. After the meeting with Sanchez, Barnier expressed ''total support'' for Spain in talks with the United Kingdom in a message via Twitter. (ANSAmed). THE Revenue Commissioners is to mount a crackdown on homeowners renting their properties on AirBnB. Tax authorities are writing to 12,000 homeowners to "remind" them that rental income must be included on their tax returns, and will follow-up with compliance checks. The move comes after AirBnB provided details of payments made to its customers in 2014, 2015 and 2016. It comes amid mounting concern about the impact that short-term lettings are having on the rental market. Hundreds of properties in high-demand areas of Dublin and other cities have been removed from rental stock, as the returns from short-term lettings are far more lucrative. "A key element of Revenues role is proactively assisting taxpayers in meeting their tax obligations and we continually achieve this through a number of initiatives," the Revenue Commissioners said in a statement. "As required under the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, Airbnb has provided details of payments made to its customers in 2014, 2015 and 2016 for the provision of short-term accommodation. "To assist taxpayers in meeting their obligations, Revenue is writing to in the region of 12,000 people, as reminder to include this income on their tax returns. The letters will also provide guidance on the correct tax treatment of this income and give details on how to correct returns already made, where necessary." Information has been published on its website to help homeowners comply with their tax obligations, and Revenue said it would mount compliance checks. "It is standard Revenue practice to constantly monitor new and emerging risk," it said. "Revenue is alert to the risks posed by online business in all its forms, including the provision of short-term accommodation. To maximise compliance among recipients of income from the provision of short-term accommodation, Revenue will also carry out a range of follow-up compliance checks to ensure that returns are filed and are correct." Revenue from short-term lettings does not qualify for tax relief under the Rent a Room scheme. Revenue said there were significant advantages for customers filing correct returns, as they could avail of reduced penalties, and avoid possible prosecution or having their name published on the list of tax defaulters. When Roisin Fortune was a teenager, she suffered from headaches and blurred vision as well as facial pain. She initially thought there was a problem with her sinuses, but a scan revealed that she had a low-grade brain tumour. For several years its progress was monitored and in 2012, the young woman was told that she would have to have surgery to remove it. But although she survived the operation, it left her with an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) which caused paralysis. "When I found out I had to have surgery, I didn't really take it in," says the 26-year- old. "I went in laughing to the anaesthetic room - oblivious about what was ahead of me. But when I woke up my left side was paralysed. I thought initially that it was just the anaesthetic wearing off and that I'd be fine the following week. But it was a surreal feeling where if someone stabbed me in the left leg I wouldn't have felt it at all because of the motor damage in my brain [post surgery]." Roisin, who has two younger brothers, completed several courses of intense physiotherapy before finally being able to walk with a splint. Then after three months of treatment at the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), she was back on her feet, albeit without the same mobility she enjoyed before. And leaving the security of the hospital was hard as her life had been altered drastically and she would now have to try and deal with the other side effects of her ABI. "I didn't want to leave the NRH as I didn't have many people on the 'outside' who understood what I'd been through," she says. "I felt very alone; I didn't fully realise the extent of what had happened to me so how could friends understand? "Then in 2014 I was diagnosed with epilepsy due to scar tissue on the brain. The following year I developed chronic pain and while doing work experience in a Montessori school as part of a childcare course, I realised that I had trouble doing jigsaws with the children and had a problem with my balance - this was when I finally had to face the fact that I had a brain injury. My concentration was poor, sensory overload was a big thing for me and I was very fatigued. And the chronic pain was and is awful; every morning my whole body aches and it feels like a very bad hangover or flu - as the day goes on it improves, but I have to force myself to get up or otherwise I would stay in bed all day - it can be very hard." Six years on from her surgery, Roisin still suffers with epilepsy, pain, sensory overload (even seeing a striped shirt can cause a reaction), anxiety, flashbacks, poor balance, poor cognitive skills and memory problems. Her injuries are not visible but it is estimated that there are around 35,000 people in Ireland suffering with similar problems. Tom Hayden is another sufferer as after being involved in a minor car accident 12 years ago, he was left with an ABI. At first he had no idea that the shunting incident had caused damage, but after waking up with a persistent headache the following day, made an appointment with his doctor who sent him for tests. It was revealed that the sudden motion had caused permanent damage. "A few days after the incident, I was sent to hospital where I had an MRI and lumbar puncture done," says the 68-year-old. "[It was discovered that] a brain injury affected the front and back lobe which impacted my long and short-term memory. I was also very fatigued and due to the injury I was out of work for eight years as my memory was so bad - I didn't have a notion how to get to the shop in the town where I lived for over 20 years. "But despite this, I was content in myself. The person who crashed into me didn't mean it and when I met him, I shook his hand - that's the sort of person I am." The Wexford man, who has five children, says his recovery was long and hard but thanks to rehabilitation, he is now able to function very well. "I was lucky I had help as Acquired Brain Injury Ireland sent a rehabilitation assistant - David Scanlon - who was a gift from God to people like myself," says Tom. "I had to learn to read and write again and could only go at it for 15 minutes before being too fatigued to continue. He helped me twice a week for about six years. "During my recovery I had a lot of memory problems - I was getting my daughters' names mixed up with my sisters' even though I knew who they were. I was a day patient with the NRH for about a year and did everything I was asked to do. So now I'm much better and am well enough to look after myself, keep my house tidy and drive my car. "I think if you are not a good patient, you've no hope of getting better - I kept a positive outlook and feel that it worked. I'll probably never be the same as I was but mostly I feel back to myself. But I'd hate to think where I'd be without ABII." Various types of rehabilitation and support are necessary to help people like Roisin and Tom deal with the effects of an ABI. And while physical recovery and treatment is the main focus in the aftermath of the injury, a multidisciplinary long term plan will usually follow. Brain injuries can be mild, moderate or severe and they vary from person to person explains Dr Liz Ryan, senior clinical psychologist at Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. "The issues a person experiences depend on the areas of the brain affected and the extent of the injury," she says. "Each individual will exhibit different symptoms to varying degrees, with some symptoms being relatively minor and some being lasting and requiring lifelong specialist support. Some of the difficulties a person can experience are motor difficulties, problems with memory, language, organising, attention, concentration and fatigue. The person's behaviour may be more impulsive or disinhibited and they may frequently struggle with anxiety and depression in the aftermath of a brain injury. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is often very helpful in these cases." Although there is no 'cure' as such for brain injury, research is ongoing and supports have seen patients make great strides. But Dr Ryan says more funding is necessary to help people deal with this life altering situation. "The Steinberg Lab in Stanford University School of Medicine, California is currently carrying out research on the impact of stem cell transplantation for stroke recovery," says the expert. "Their preclinical data indicates that stem cell injections may enhance stroke recovery in a number of areas of a person's functioning. "Many of our service users have continued to make significant progress in their functioning for many years with the aid of specialist rehab supports. But there certainly is not enough State funding to support living with a brain injury in the community. "Acquired Brain Injury Ireland is the leading provider of community rehabilitation for adults of working age (18-65) living with and recovering from an acquired brain injury. But the resources available vary from county to county and are extremely stretched. People with brain injuries are often unable to access 'mainstream' mental health or counselling supports due to such services feeling ill-equipped to meet their complex needs." The facts: What is ABI and what do you need to know? - Acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain acquired in the course of one's life and can be traumatic or non-traumatic as the result of a traffic accident, a fall or assault, aneurysm or haemorrhage/ stroke, concussion, tumour or damage as a result of brain surgery, seizures, a lack of oxygen to the brain (perhaps from a suicide attempt or near drowning). - In Ireland approximately 11,000 people are admitted to hospital with a head injury, with a further 10,000 people suffering from stroke each year. - Up to 35,000 people in Ireland between the ages of 16-65 have an ongoing disability as a result of a brain injury. - Rehabilitation following brain injury typically involves a multidisciplinary approach including speech and language therapy, neuropsychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, rehabilitation assistant support working and social work. - Brain injury is the foremost cause of death and disability in young people. To access the services offered by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, a referral form must be completed by a healthcare professional. For more information see abiireland.ie or call 01-280 4164. There's a haunted house in the Dublin Mountains... and you can reach it on a family-friendly looped walk. Set on Montpelier Hill, overlooking the city and coast from a height of 1,275 feet, the Hell Fire Club is deeply ensconced in Dublin folklore. First built as a hunting lodge by in 1725, the stone building later became notorious due to the behaviour of a wild young group of aristocrats who met there. Drinking and gambling were just the beginning. Strange stories also suggest satanic rituals, murder, and even a card game joined by the devil himself. Expand Close Hell Fire Club, Dublin Mountains. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hell Fire Club, Dublin Mountains. Photo: Pol O Conghaile The Hell Fire Club was built on the site of an ancient passage tomb - another story suggests its stone was taken from a cairn on the grave, cursing the building. Today, walkers can access the lodge via a looped walk through the Dublin Mountains - the main forest entrance is about 6.5km south of Rathfarnham on the R115. The Hell Fire Club hit the headlines recently, with the unveiling of a proposed 19 million tourism development by South Dublin County Council and Coillte. Expand Close Inside the Hell Fire Club, Dublin Mountains. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Inside the Hell Fire Club, Dublin Mountains. Photo: Pol O Conghaile The proposal includes a visitor centre, restaurant and treetop canopy walk, but a 'Save the Hellfire' campaign has been protesting the developments. It believes tree-felling, environmental damage and traffic congestion would adversely impact the area around Massey's Wood and Montpelier. For more info and parking directions, see dublinmountains.ie. Actor James Van Der Beek has praised director Ryan Murphy for encouraging diversity in the TV industry. (Ian West/PA) Actor James Van Der Beek has praised award-winning director and screenwriter Ryan Murphy for his work in promoting diversity in the US television industry. Murphy was recognised with an Emmy Award for his work as a director on The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Monday. Van Der Beek, 41, starred in Murphys LGBTQ drama series Pose as a business associate of Donald Trump during the 1980s. The Dawsons Creek starred shared a picture of Murphy with his Emmy on social media. Next to the picture Van Der Beek wrote: This is a man who was once made fun of for the way he talked, for being too gay, too weird. He could have gotten bitter. Instead he got better and better, built an empire, and now he uses his power to give people who have been marginalised a voice, an opportunity, a job, half of the people he hires are women, minorities, or people of colour. Thats been his policy. Van Der Beek also thanked Murphy for allowing him to have a flexible shooting schedule during their work together while the actors wife was pregnant. Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberley Brook welcomed their daughter Gwendolyn in June, the couples fifth child. Video of the Day Van Der Beek wrote: When I informed him (Murphy) that I had a baby due in the last month of shooting, which would require him to reconfigure a monstrous production, blow up the best-laid plans of hundreds of professionals, even possibly reconceive his creative, he didnt hesitate. Well shoot you out, he said. And he did. He created space for me to be home with my wife leading up to the birth, and for it to happen naturally, with me there. A lot of inexcusable behaviour in our business has been rightfully called out this last year. I just wanted to call out some of the good I happened to witness. Congrats. The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, which tells the true story of the murder of the fashion designer, picked up seven Emmy awards. Murphy, who is gay, used his acceptance speech to dedicate his award to the LGBTQ victims of hate crimes. The boss of the worlds biggest mining group, BHP, saw his annual pay package swell to 4.7 million US dollars (3.6 million) despite a year marred by two worker fatalities and lower-than-expected production (PA) The boss of the worlds biggest mining group, BHP, saw his annual pay package swell to 4.7 million US dollars (3.6 million) despite a year marred by two worker fatalities and lower-than-expected production. In its annual report, London-listed Australian giant BHP revealed that chief executive Andrew Mackenzie was paid a bonus of 2.4 million US dollars (1.83 million), up from 2.3 million US dollars (1.75 million) in 20176-17. This came on top of his annual salary of 1.7 million US dollars (1.3 million) which remained flat on the previous year as well as pension and benefits. The group said the bonus was not the maximum payable after taking account of two employee deaths one at the Goonyella Riverside coking coal mine in the Australian state of Queensland in August last year and at the Permian Basin Shale operations in West Texas in November. BHP which rebranded last year from BHP Billiton said the deaths were tragic and unacceptable and added it was continuing to focus on safety and fatality prevention. It also said the bonus took account of the groups production volumes of coal, iron ore and copper falling short of its targets. The group is also still paying out hefty sums for the Samarco catastrophe in 2015 after a dam collapsed, killing 19 people and sparking Brazils worst environmental disaster. BHP announced in its recent full-year results that it would take a 650 million US dollar (495 million) charge for the failure at the dam, which it jointly owns with Brazilian rival Vale. It is also reportedly facing the threat of a class action lawsuit in Australia over the tragedy and warned in its annual report that liabilities from legal action over the incident were uncertain could have a material averse impact on our business. The financial hit contributed to send profits 37% lower to 3.7 billion US dollars (2.8 billion) for the year to June 30. On an underlying basis and with one-off charges stripped out, profits rose 33% rise to 8.93 billion US dollars (6.8 billion). BHPs remuneration committee added it considered the CEOs strong performance against individual objectives when setting Mr Mackenzies bonus payout. His annual salary will remain the same over the coming financial year, having been frozen at 1.7 million US dollars (1.3 million) since he took on the top job since 2013. He also received no long-term incentive payout, as was the case in 2017. The annual report also revealed that had there been significant outperformance of all targets for the year, Mr Mackenzie could have picked up a total potential pay deal of 13.1 million US dollars (10 million). It added that annual salaries and total target remuneration packages for other key managers will also remain frozen in the current financial year. A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defence ministry said. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in north-western Syria. The Russian military said that the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 22 miles off the coast late on Monday as it was returning to its home base nearby. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defence," Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu called his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, later on Tuesday to say that Israel is "fully to blame" for the deaths, the ministry said. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. Israel responded by expressing sorrow for the deaths of the Russian aircrew, blaming Hezbollah and Iran for the incident. The Russian Defence Ministry said a recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is under way and that it has already located the wreckage in the sea and has retrieved some bodies and some fragments of the plane. The Kremlin sounded cautious in the aftermath of the attack, refusing to comment on a potential row with Israel. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that the Kremlin is "analysing the situation" and does not want to speak further at this point. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Russia's dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of the Syrian government, after a year of airstrikes by the US and its coalition partners against the Islamic State group, increased the threat of dangerous confrontations in the skies over Syria. Turkey's troops are also on the ground in northern Syria and are patrolling the skies over the region as Ankara seeks to increase its influence there and curb the expansion of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. Throughout the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained continuous contact with Russia. Mr Netanyahu frequently travels to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Syria issue. Boeing possible for Alitalia, not Lufthansa -Toninelli Solution by year's end says transport min (ANSAmed) - BERLIN, SEPTEMBER 18 - Boeing is a possible partner for troubled Italian airline Alitalia while Lufthansa is "not among the more strategic partners," Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said Tuesday. Boeing, he said "can certainly be considered a partner, considering the fact that it builds plane and we need a lot of them," he said. Asked about Lufthansa, the minister said: "Today I would not talk of airlines in particular, even though I think Lufthansa is not among the more strategic partners". Toninelli said "I think that October may be a month in which some issues can be solved, but certainly by the end of the year we will have a solution".(ANSAmed). The International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor has announced she is launching a preliminary investigation into the deportations of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Burma into Bangladesh. Fatou Bensouda said in a written statement and video message that she has begun a probe formally known as a preliminary examination to establish if there is enough evidence to merit a full-blown investigation. Ms Bensouda said she will look at reports of a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting. Expand Close A Rohingya Muslim woman with children (Dar Yasin/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Rohingya Muslim woman with children (Dar Yasin/AP) Burmas military has been accused of widespread rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya villages, leading about 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year. Ms Bensoudas announcement came less than two weeks after judges at the court gave her authorisation to investigate the deportations despite Burma not being a member state of the court. Judges said in their landmark ruling that because part of the alleged crime of deportation happened on the territory of Bangladesh, which is a member of the court, Ms Bensouda has jurisdiction. Judges urged her to conclude her preliminary examination within a reasonable time. Expand Close A man carries building materials across a bamboo bridge in the Balukhali refugee camp (Jemma Crew/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man carries building materials across a bamboo bridge in the Balukhali refugee camp (Jemma Crew/PA) The ICC is a court of last resort, which steps in only when national authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute alleged crimes. Ms Bensouda said prosecutors will be engaging with the national authorities concerned with a view to discussing and assessing any relevant investigation and prosecution at the national level. Ms Bensoudas announcement came on the day that UN-backed investigators presented a report that painted a grim picture of crimes against Rohingya. Such reports will likely be closely studied in Ms Bensoudas probe. The fact-finding team presented the report to the UN-supported Human Rights Council in Geneva. It reiterated earlier findings that some top Burma military leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya during a deadly crackdown that erupted in August 2017 following militant attacks on security posts in Rakhine state. Burmas new ambassador in Geneva lashed out at what he called a one-sided report. A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defence ministry said. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in north-western Syria. The Russian military said that the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 22 miles off the coast late on Monday as it was returning to its home base nearby. Russian Defence Ministry: Russian Ilyushin Il-20 plane was downed by Syrian Air Defence missile after Israeli F-16 pilots used it as cover thus setting it up to be targeted by AA defence. Such actions can only be classified as a deliberate provocation https://t.co/qBcqPz2en6 pic.twitter.com/21mTTNXmpd Russia in RSA (@EmbassyofRussia) September 18, 2018 The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defence, Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu called his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, later on Tuesday to say that Israel is fully to blame for the deaths, the ministry said. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. Both the Israeli military and Israels Foreign Ministry declined comment on the Russian claim. The Russian Defence Ministry said a recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is under way and that it has already located the wreckage in the sea and has retrieved some bodies and some fragments of the plane. The Kremlin sounded cautious in the aftermath of the attack, refusing to comment on a potential row with Israel. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that the Kremlin is analysing the situation and does not want to speak further at this point. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Russias dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of the Syrian government, after a year of airstrikes by the US and its coalition partners against the Islamic State group, increased the threat of dangerous confrontations in the skies over Syria. Turkeys troops are also on the ground in northern Syria and are patrolling the skies over the region as Ankara seeks to increase its influence there and curb the expansion of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. Throughout the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained continuous contact with Russia. Mr Netanyahu frequently travels to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Syria issue. Later, the Israeli military expressed sorrow for the deaths of the Russian aircrew, while also blaming the militant Hezbollah group and Iran for the incident. The military issued a statement saying that Syrias government is fully responsible for the shooting down of the Russian military aircraft and that Iran and Hezbollah are also accountable for this unfortunate incident. It said Israeli jets had targeted a Syrian weapons facility and were already back within Israeli airspace when the incident happened. Former US secretary of state John Kerry is being criticised for comparing President Donald Trump to a teenage girl during an appearance on HBO's 'Real Time with Bill Maher'. Kerry went on the late-night talk show to promote his new memoir, 'Every Day is Extra'. Shortly after Kerry sat down, however, host Maher brought up a Trump tweet from the day before, in which the president had accused the former secretary of state of having "illegal meetings" with the Iranian government. "BAD!" Trump wrote at the end of the tweet. "What did you do, John F Kerry, that was 'BAD'?" Maher asked Kerry. "I think I told the truth," Kerry replied. "He's the first president that I know of who spends more time reading his Twitter 'likes' than the constitution of the United States." The crowd cheered. Kerry continued to lament what he thought was the deleterious effect of Trump's lies on American democracy. "Unfortunately, we have a president, literally, for whom 'the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth' is three different things. And you don't even know what they are," Kerry said. "I don't want to get into a real riff on this, but I gotta tell you." "Do it!" someone in the audience shouted. Kerry acknowledged the interjection, then continued: "He really is the rare combination of an eight-year-old boy - I mean, he's got the maturity of an eight-year-old boy with the insecurity of a teenage girl. It's just who he is." "A mean girl!" Maher said. "Mean girls," Kerry replied, nodding. Kerry shrugged. Maher laughed. The audience applauded. The two men moved on to discuss a variety of other subjects covered in the forthcoming memoir, including Kerry's friendship with the late Senator John McCain. Online, though, Kerry's comments were not as well received. Though some lauded the comparison as "absolutely priceless", many expressed disappointment in Kerry, even if they agreed with his assessment of Trump. Others cited young women like Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and Parkland shooting survivor-turned-anti-gun violence activist Emma Gonzalez as examples of teenage girls who were far from insecure. Kerry's name has often come up in predictions about which Democrats might run for president in 2020. The long-time senator from Massachusetts narrowly lost the 2004 presidential election to Republican George W Bush. For his part, Mr Kerry has said he doubts he will run for president again, but he has not explicitly ruled it out in numerous interviews. "I'm really not thinking about it," Kerry said in an interview with CBS News this month. "Talking about 2020 right now is a total distraction and waste of time. What we need to do is focus on 2018." ( Washington Post) Republicans have laid plans for a Senate committee hearing at which US Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh and the woman alleging he sexually assaulted her decades ago will testify publicly. Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said his panel would hold a hearing next Monday with both Mr Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. "To provide ample transparency, we will hold a public hearing on Monday to give these recent allegations a full airing," Mr Grassley said in a statement. Just hours earlier, Mr Grassley had said he would seek telephone interviews with Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ford, winning plaudits from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for planning to handle the episode "by the book". Democrats rejected that plan, saying the seriousness of the charges merited a full FBI investigation. Republicans had also displayed no willingness to delay a Judiciary panel vote that Mr Grassley had planned for this Thursday to advance the nomination, setting the stage for full Senate confirmation of Mr Kavanaugh by the end of the month, in time for the new Supreme Court session. Thursday's vote will not occur. President Donald Trump telegraphed earlier on Monday that that schedule might slip. He told reporters at the White House: "If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay." If the Judiciary committee's timetable slips, it would become increasingly difficult for Republicans to schedule a vote before the November 6 elections. With fragile Republican majorities of just 12-11 on the Judiciary committee and 51-49 in the full Senate, Republican leaders had little room for defectors without risking a humiliating defeat of Mr Trump's nominee to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Among the Republican defectors was Senator Jeff Flake, a Judiciary Committee member who has clashed bitterly with Mr Trump and is retiring from the Senate. Mr Flake said he told number two Senate Republican leader John Cornyn on Sunday that "if we didn't give her a chance to be heard, then I would vote no". There was enormous pressure on Republican Sensators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, two moderates who have yet to announce their positions on Mr Kavanaugh and are not on the Judiciary Committee. Ms Collins said both Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ford should testify under oath to the committee. Neither she nor Ms Murkowski face re-election this autumn. Senator Bob Corker, another retiring Trump critic who is not on the committee, also said he favoured delaying Thursday's panel meeting. Some Democrats raised questions about whether Mr Grassley's plan was sufficient. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel, told reporters that "there needs to be some investigation first, and I'm not that sure this allows for that". Another Democrat on the panel, Senator Richard Blumenthal said staging the hearing without the FBI investigation would make it a "sham". Underscoring the raw political divisions prompted by the Kavanaugh fight, Ms Feinstein said she had only learned of the hearing on Twitter. Earlier, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said it would be "a deep insult to the women of America" if Mr Grassley did not postpone Thursday's meeting. Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ford had each indicated earlier on Monday a willingness to testify to the Judiciary committee. Debra S Katz, Ms Ford's lawyer, said on NBC's Today show that Ms Ford was ready to testify publicly to the Judiciary panel, but she did not respond on Monday evening to efforts to learn whether she would appear. Mr Kavanaugh, 53, whose confirmation had seemed to be on a smooth trajectory, went to the White House on Monday. Mr Trump said he did not meet with his nominee and declined to say whether Mr Kavanaugh had offered to withdraw, dismissing the question as "ridiculous". Ms Ford, now a psychology professor at California's Palo Alto University, told The Washington Post that an intoxicated Mr Kavanaugh corralled her into a bedroom at a Maryland party when she was around 15 and Mr Kavanaugh was about 17, held her down on a bed, tried to undress her and held his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. She said she got away when a companion of Mr Kavanaugh's jumped on him. Mr Kavanaugh said in a statement distributed by the White House on Monday that he wanted to "refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity". The head of Opec has said the oil cartel must stick together for the good of the global economy as Iran faces renewed US sanctions. Opec secretary-general Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo said: Iran is not only a founding member of Opec, its a very important member of this organisation. He added: We have no choice but to continue to work with all parties. Mr Barkindo did not, however, address how the global oil industry immediately can replace Iranian crude supplies in an already-tight market. Benchmark Brent crude is already nearing 80 US dollars a barrel and some believe this figure may go even higher. US president Donald Trump, who is facing a mid-term election in the autumn, has called for more production. Mr Barkindo spoke at the Gulf Intelligence Energy Markets Forum in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. German doctors treating Pyotr Verzilov, a member of Russian protest group Pussy Riot, say claims that he was poisoned are highly plausible based on his symptoms. Dr Kai-Uwe Eckardt of Berlins Charite hospital told reporters that Mr Verzilov has been receiving intensive care since arriving in Berlin from Moscow on Saturday, but his condition is not life threatening. Dr Eckardt said his current symptoms and information received from relatives and the Moscow hospital he was admitted to last week indeed make it highly plausible that a poisoning took place. speech at riot fest today peter plz get better pic.twitter.com/Z23jG9Dinu pussyverse (@pussyrrriot) September 14, 2018 By contrast, he said, Charite doctors have found no evidence whatsoever that there would be another explanation for his condition. Dr Eckardt said Mr Verzilov was treated well in Moscow before being flown to Germany by private medevac. He says the symptoms indicate Mr Verzilov is suffering from an anticholinergic syndrome that can result from the disruption of the nervous system that regulates the inner organs. While doctors in Berlin have not yet determined what was responsible for the poisoning, they said it could have resulted from various substances including high doses of some pharmaceuticals and plants that contain particular toxins. Expand Close Kai-Uwe Eckhardt, medical director of the Charite clinic (Michael Sohn/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kai-Uwe Eckhardt, medical director of the Charite clinic (Michael Sohn/AP) Dr Karl Max Einhaeupl, the Charite hospitals chairman, said doctors wanted to refrain completely from all speculation about what made these problems happen. While he would not rule out that recreational drugs were responsible for the poisoning, he said such drug use is very rare. We have no evidence that there is a drug problem and it would be very unusual for someone to take a drug in the dose that it was taken, he said. That would be done with suicidal intent, but we have no indications of this. Mr Verzilov and other members of the Pussy Riot group served 15-day jail sentences for disrupting Julys World Cup final to protest over excessive Russian police powers. The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on 200 billion dollars (150 billion) more in Chinese goods, starting next week. The move escalates a trade war between the worlds two biggest economies and raises prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tyres. The tariffs will start at 10% and rise to 25% starting on January 1. President Donald Trump made the announcement ON Monday evening in a move that is sure to ratchet up hostilities between Washington and Beijing. Mr Trump has already imposed 25%tariffs on 50 billion dollars (38 billion) in Chinese goods. USTR Finalizes Tariffs on $200 Billion of Chinese Imports in Response to Chinas Unfair Trade Practices https://t.co/qja1EL8iXb pic.twitter.com/a07fpjZ4vS USTR (@USTradeRep45) September 17, 2018 China has retaliated in kind, hitting American soybeans, among other goods, in a shot at the presidents supporters in the US farm belt. Beijing has warned that it would hit an additional 60 billion dollars (45 billion) in American products if Mr Trump ordered more tariffs. Mr Trump on Monday threatened to raise the stakes again if Beijing should retaliate, adding a further 267 billion dollars in Chinese imports to the target list. That would raise the total to 517 billion dollars (393 billion) covering nearly everything China sells the United States. After taking in public comments, the administration said on Monday that it had withdrawn several items from an earlier list of 200 billion dollars in Chinese imports, including child-safety products such as bicycle helmets. Expand Close Asian shares were mostly lower on Monday on reports that Donald Trump would place tariffs on 200 billion dollars more of Chinese goods (Andy Wong/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Asian shares were mostly lower on Monday on reports that Donald Trump would place tariffs on 200 billion dollars more of Chinese goods (Andy Wong/AP) In a victory for Apple Inc and its American customers, the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products from the list of goods imported from China. At the same time, the administration said it is still open to negotiations with China. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns, Mr Trump said in a statement. Once again, I urge Chinas leaders to take swift action to end their countrys unfair trade practices. The two countries are fighting over Beijings ambitions to supplant American technological supremacy. The Office of the US Trade Representative charged in a March report that China is using predatory tactics to obtain foreign technology, including hacking US companies to steal their trade secrets and forcing them to turn over their know-how in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Mr Trump has also complained about Americas massive trade deficit 336 billion dollars last year with China, its biggest trading partner. In May, in fact, it looked briefly as if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese vice premier Liu He had brokered a truce built around Chinese promises to buy enough American farm products and liquefied natural gas to put a dent in the trade deficit. But Mr Trump quickly backed away from the truce. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concernsDonald Trump In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration was careful to try to spare consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The levies focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at shopping centres or via Amazon. By expanding the list to 200 billion dollars-worth of Chinese imports, Mr Trump risks spreading the pain to ordinary Americans. The administration is targeting a bewildering variety of products from sockeye salmon to bamboo mats forcing US companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the burden to their customers. In a filing with the government, for instance, Giant Bicycles Inc of Newbury Park, California, noting that 94% of imported bicycles came from China last year, complained that there is no way our business can shift its supply chain to a new market to avoid the tariffs and warned a tariff increase of this magnitude will inevitably be paid for by the American consumer. Mr Trump has reversed decades of US policy in favour of ever-freer trade. He campaigned on a promise to tax imports and rewrite or tear up trade agreements that he said put US companies and workers at a disadvantage. The presidents negotiating tactics do not work well with Chinas way of thinking, said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics in Los Angeles. I think things will get worse. I fully expect the tariff rate will go up to 25%. NAPLES - The Italian-Arab Business Forum, a one-day event scheduled to take place in Rome on October 17 in the auditorium of Italian industrial employers' federation Confindustria, will showcase the most significant business opportunities in markets throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The second edition of the event, which also promotes Italy's investment potential to Arab investors, will be attended by businesses, government representatives, MPs, members of the finance community and the largest economic institutions, both Italian and Arab. This year, the United Arab Emirates will participate as Guest Country. Bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Italy has notably increased in recent years, with trade between the two countries reaching more than six billion euros in 2017. The UAE will be represented at the highest levels with the presence of a delegation led by Economy Minister Sultan Al Mansoori. One session will be entirely dedicated to presenting the most important business and investment opportunities for Italian companies in the United Arab Emirates, with particular attention on Expo 2020, which will take place in Dubai. Among the Forum's sponsors are Intesa Sanpaolo bank, making MENA markets a strategic area for the financial institution. It also supports the activities of the Joint Italian Arab Chamber of Commerce (JIACC), one of the event's organisers. The programme will tackle topical areas as well as development trends in sectors that could play a central role in future economic and business relations between Italy and Arab countries, such as innovation and digital transformation, logistics and infrastructure, and food industry and agribusiness. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Stanford University plans to remove most references to Junipero Serra from its campus in northern California, located on the homelands of the Ohlone people Serra was the founder of the brutal Indian mission system , during which tribal citizens were forced to move away from their homelands as part of religious conversion efforts in the 1700s and 1800s. Though he lacked a connection to Stanford, a student dormitory, a research institute and the university's mailing address and mall -- essentially the institution's front door -- bear his name. The committee called for renaming several features on campus that recognize someone who had no direct role in Stanfords history and lived a century before the university was even founded, yet whose role as the recognized leader of the mission system provides an acute reminder to our Native American community of the profound impact of the mission system on indigenous peoples, Jeff Raikes, the chair of the Stanford Board of Trustees, said in a September 13 announcement about the names. Stanford's decision will not affect Serra Street, which extends beyond campus boundaries. But the university plans to "pursue new educational displays and other efforts to more fully address the multidimensional legacy of Serra and the mission system in California," according to the announcement. It was important for us to understand the perspectives of groups within and beyond our university community, Paul Brest, a former law school dean who chaired two committees that looked into the issue, said in the announcement. We met with students, staff and alumni including Native Americans, Roman Catholics, members of the Latinx community, alumni of the Serra dormitory and attendees of an open campus meeting we convened, along with leaders of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe, on whose historic lands Stanford sits. Serra was made a saint by the Catholic Church by Pope Francis , during his first visit to the United States in 2015. Though some tribal citizens took part in the ceremony in Washington, D.C., others said the church has not done enough to address the genocidal legacy of the mission system. "At the beginning of the mission period, there were 30,000 Ohlone Indians," Chairman Valentin Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Band said on the Democracy Now! program at the time of the canonization ceremony. "At the end of the mission period, there were less than 100." Read More on the Story Join the Conversation Related Stories Divyenndu Sharmaa gained fame with his very first film Pyaar Ka Punchnama. His character Liquid become lovable overnight. However, the audience was deeply disappointed to not see Divyenndu in the second part. But the actor has no regrets of rejecting the sequel as he wanted to explore himself and not play safe. Twitter His next film is Batti Gul Meter Chalu which deals with the electricity scarcity issue in small towns. Divyenndu plays a prominent character in the film along with Shahid and Shraddha Kapoor. Indiatimes had an exclusive conversation with the talented actor where he spoke his heart out with us. Divyenndu On Rejecting Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 "The makers wanted me to become a part of Pyaar Ka Punchama 2 because Liquid was such a hit character, but I wanted to play different characters, my whole aim is to be different whenever I come on stage or screen. I didnt want to particularly be a part of one genre, I wanted to explore and stand somewhere as an actor. My director, Luv really understood my reason for saying no to the film. Twitter Dont Want To Play Safe He further added, I always knew Pyaar Ka Punchama 2 will be a super hit and it will become a very big franchise but even after knowing all this I said no to it which shows that I have some guts as an artist. But as an actor, I have no regrets about not being a part of it because I am not here to play safe, do stuff which is more commercial. Twitter No Big Star Can Guarantee A Hit Today Divyenndu, who was seen as a second lead in Toilet Ek Prem Katha and now Batti Gul meter Chalu, feels audience comes to watch good content driven films and not actors, In todays time audience dont come to watch a film because it has a particular actor, they come because they like the story of it, audiences resonate with story and characters and Stree is a very big example of it. Today no big actors can guarantee that their film will be a super hit because they are a part of it. My first film Pyaar Ka Punchama was an underdog and see where it is today. Indiatimes Nepotism Exists But There Is No Guarantee You Will Survive "I dont have an opinion about the whole nepotism thing, its there and you cant really do much about it. But yes our industry is very result oriented if people like you they like you and if they dont, they wont. Just because you come from some big family its not necessary they will accept you. But yes having a strong family background it gives you an edge and the kind of big launch you want however there is no guarantee that you will survive. Its really unfortunate there are many people who are not getting the opportunity due to star kids. I want that everyone should get chances on their merit. The best thing is that today the audiences are aware of nepotism and they will not just accept you because you are so and so son and daughter." Twitter Struggle Is A Part Of An Artists Life "I had my share of struggle, when I came to Bombay I struggled for 3 years, but yes I feel fortunate that I got a role like Liquid in Pyaar Ka Punchama. But the struggle is still there, earlier there was a struggle to get films and today the struggle is to get better films and better characters, thats the life of an artist." Twitter Not Insecure Or Jealous of Kartik Aryans Success We quizzed Divyenndu if he feels jealous about his co-star Kartik Aryan as he has achieved a huge success compared to him and he had the best reply, I chose this path very consciously, even I would have been a part of Pyaar Ka Punchama 2, I would have reached places, but I want to be brave with my choices, I dont want to play safe, I want to take risks in my career an when you take risks you cannot expect the result will always be good, I am taking a less known road and I am very happy about it. Twitter Divyenndu definitely is one of the finest actors we have in our industry and we can't wait for his upcoming film. Taking tough measures to ensure justice to the gangrape survivor, a mahapanchayat or congregation of panchayats of 25 villages has decided that no practising lawyer would help any of the accused in the alleged gangrape case of a 19-year-old girl in Haryana. The members of the panchayat will also meet the Bar Association in Chandigarh to appeal to lawyers not to help the accused. A letter has also been sent to Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya for stringent action to be taken sans further lapses. On September 12, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped after being drugged. In the police complaint registered at Kanina, police have identified three accused- Pankaj, Manish, and Nishu. Pankaj is a defence personnel stationed in Rajasthan. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed the police to take stringent action against the accused in the case. A 55-year-old man was hacked to death by seven people in Maharashtras Nashik after he refused to withdraw a molestation case lodged by his daughter against one of them. Four of the attackers have been arrested by the Police. The search is still on for the other accused. The woman was allegedly molested by Sayeed at Golden Nagar in Malegaon town of Nashik in 2015. She had registered a complaint against him at Pawardi police station and the case is pending in a local court. Sayeed was pressurising the woman's father, Fazal Mohammed Nawab Ali, to withdraw the case, but the latter refused, the police official said. Representational Image On Saturday night, Sayeed and some of his accomplices stopped Ali while he was returning home on his motorcycle in Malegaon and allegedly beat him up severely with wooden sticks, he said. Ali suffered serious injuries in the attack and died on way to the hospital, Navale said. Based on a complaint filed by the man's son, the Pawardi police arrested four accused, including Sayeed, on Monday, while a search was on four the three others, he said. The accused have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 147, 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), Navale added. Terrorists on Monday shot dead a Territorial Army soldier in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The ultras barged into the house of Mukhtar Ahmad Malik at Churat in Kulgam and shot at him from a close range, a police official said. Read More Here are the top news of the day: India Shows Major Decline In Child Deaths, Gender Gap In Surviving Girl Child Lowest In 5 Years In 2017, India reported about 8,02,000 infant deaths, the lowest in five years, according to the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME). A new UNIGME report said 6,05,000 neonatal deaths were reported in India in 2017, while the number of deaths among children aged 5-14 was 1,52,000. Read More Supreme Court Revokes Ban On Popular Painkiller Saridon And 3 Other Drugs The Health Ministry last week had announced that it had banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of 328 fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of drugs and restricted another six. This marks an end of the legal battle between the ministry and the manufacturers of these drugs. The ministry has been working since 2016 to ban these irrational and unsafe drugs. Read More Here's How This Anaaj Bank Is Helping Poor Villagers In UP To Get Food For many residents of the villages of Koraon and Shankargarh in Uttar Pradeshs Allahabad district, going to sleep on a hungry stomach was a recurrent torment for which there was little help. The vexing problem of hunger for the mostly landless locals belonging to tribal communities needed an out-of-the-box solution, and that came in the form of an anaaj bank launched by a self-help group (SHG). Read More MLAs Earn Rs 89.88 Lakh Per Annum While An Average Indian Earns Only Around Rs 8 Lakh A student with a Bachelor degree in Information Technology or Software engineering from a fairly decent university is expected to land a salary package of around Rs 10 lakh per annum. While somebody who is starting out as a marketing manager, consultant, editor, PR specialist might get close to Rs 6 lakh as their annual package. Read More All-Woman Crew Of INSV Tarini, Who Circumnavigated The Globe, Receives Tenzing Norgay Award An all-woman crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and sailing across the world for eight long months. Read More Medical negligence cases are increasing not just in India but all around the globe. In a shocking incident in Kenyas capital, Nairobi, bodies of 12 infants were found wrapped up in plastic and paper bags, the IANS reported. Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko went to the Pumwani Maternity Hospital on Monday after he had received a tip-off of deteriorating medical conditions at the institution. He paid an impromptu visit to the hospital when he uncovered the 12 bodies of infants who died within mysterious circumstances which were hidden in boxes and paper bags inside a room, he was quoted as saying by CNN. The governor had stormed into the hospital and demanded to enquire how many children had died that day. A hospital employee informed him that only one child had died since Friday. Sonko then ordered the employee to open the several bags and boxes kept in the room and counted the number. Though, the reason behind the deaths of the babies or what happened to their mothers couldnt be ascertained immediately. Following the incident, several top hospital officials including the superintendent, the administrator and the ob-gyn physician on duty were suspended by Sonko. The situation unearthed at Pumwani is saddening, heartbreaking and underserving to any family. Spoken to DCI to investigate concerned parties on the deaths of the babies as well as allegations of child trafficking and baby swaps. May the Souls of the little Angels Rest In Peace Sakaja Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) September 17, 2018 The situation unearthed at Pumwani is saddening, heartbreaking and undeserving to any family, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja tweeted. Spoken to Director of Criminal Investigations to investigate concerned parties on the deaths of the babies as well as allegations of child trafficking and baby swaps, he further added. ROME - A Russian military aircraft which was flying last night over the Mediterranean from Syria with 15 military personnel on board was downed by mistake by Syrian anti-aircraft defense batteries, the Russian defense ministry confirmed, adding that Israeli F-16 jets used the Russian plane as a shield, thus causing the incident. Moscow described such conduct as ''hostile''. ''The actions of Israel's military caused the death of 15 Russian soldiers'', stressed the ministry. ''The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane for cover so it would be targeted by Syrian air defense forces. As a consequence, the Il-20, which leaves a much larger radar imprint than the F-16, was downed by a defense missile S-200'', according to the statement. The Russian ministry stressed that the Israelis needed to be aware of the fact that the Russian plane was in the area, which did not prevent the ''provocation''. Israel also didn't warn on time Russia about its planned operation. The warning arrived just one minute before the attack, according to the statement quoted by news agencies, which ''didn't leave time to move the Russian aircraft to a safe area''. CNN reported that the aircraft was taken down with an air defense system sold to the Syrians by Russia several years ago. ''We consider the actions undertaken by Israel as hostile: due to the irresponsible actions of the Israeli army, 15 Russian soldiers were killed and this is absolutely against the spirit of the Russian-Israeli cooperation'', said Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. ''We are reserving the right to adopt the adequate measures'', he was quoted as saying by Tass. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with fervour every year in various parts of the country, especially Maharashtra. AP After 10 days of celebrations, scores of Mumbaikars bid farewell to the Ganesh idols by immersing them in water bodies. While this has been a tradition for as long as we can remember, but what happens after the ritual is not something a lot of us think about. Water bodies get clogged and polluted after dozens of idols are immersed in them. A lot of people have actually remedied that by opting for eco-friendly idols, but there are still a lot of people who still buy idols made out of sand and artificial materials. In a bid to free Mumbai waters from getting more polluted, an NGO named Aarna Foundation run by social activist Chinu Kawatra has decided to collect broken Ganpati idols. According to a Midday report, the intact idols were then handed over to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) personnel, to dispose of properly. The daily quoted Kawatra as saying, "I am a huge devotee of Ganesh and it hurts to see his idols lying in pieces on beaches. The plaster of Paris idols are especially damaged. Their hands, legs, trunks are broken." "Like we do the visarjan of Ganesh, we picked up the idols and their parts with the utmost care and love and handed them over to BMC officials," he added. Every Ganesh idols immersion wreaks havoc on marine life. From the material that idols are made of, to paints heavy on lead and mercury - multiple things contribute to the damage caused to the flora and fauna in and around the water bodies. This noble initiative is not only helping us clean up our beaches, it's also an example of how faith can actually contribute to the greater good. Duchess of Sussex and American TV superstar Meghan Markle has been winning hearts of people worldwide. Recently, she has been in news for is her first solo project since becoming a member of the royal family, which is supporting a cookbook that brings several communities of the world together. As reported by CNN in January this year, Markle met a group of women who got together for cooking twice a week in a community kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in London, where she felt instantly connected to it. She said that it was a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together. She has been making continuous visits to the kitchen, and the women who gather there call it the Hubb Community Kitchen. 'Hubb' is the Arabic for 'love'. The Duchess of Sussex is supporting a new charity cookbook, 'Together: Our Community Cookbook', which celebrates the power of cooking to bring communities together. #CookTogether pic.twitter.com/XEclxgQjR4 Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 17, 2018 In the foreword, Meghan writes about how she wanted to connect with the organisations in the local community after moving to the UK and had watched the Grenfell tragedy unfold, "deeply wanting to help". Fab images by Jenny Zarins: #CookTogether pic.twitter.com/zhQnKHJMjX Emily Nash (@emynash) September 17, 2018 Nice one Meghan. This is a really lovely way to honour those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy. https://t.co/yg6XBJFyMw Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) September 17, 2018 I used to call you Meghan (and I still do) but dear Duchess of Sussex your first project Together a cookbook bringing women of all cultures together. I could not be more excited about it and proud of you. Its beautiful - diversity, inclusivity, coming together in grief or joy pic.twitter.com/RkB2O35qmG Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 17, 2018 Humans are supposed to be more sensitive and perceptive than the rest of the species on the planet. But, sometimes humans can be evil and this horrifying footage is proof. In an extremely distressing incident, animal campaigners say they captured footage inside the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands. VIEWERS DISCRETION ADVISED The Animal Shelter staff were seen tattooing a monkey and then sedating it before killing it. According to the MailOnline, campaigners say some were severely injured after their stressed cage-mates were ferocious because of being tortured day in and day out. The monkeys would suffer injuries from fighting with their counterparts and when they were of no more use to the facility, they are killed. Jane Goodall, the UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute said, "The way they are being treated in the video is shocking and inhumane," quoted the Daily Mail. "It is my considered opinion that those involved in this kind of research on primates should consider using alternative procedures that do not involve experimentation on intelligent, sentient beings. This research should be phased out as soon as possible." The facility has 1,600 primates, most of which are macaques kept in breeding groups of 20-40 individuals. The footage was recorded in March 2017 and released on 1 September this year, to mark international primate day. Freida Pinto in a still from Love Sonia. Pinto told India-West that she does not miss anything by being an Indian actress in Hollywood. There was a time when she was not comfortable in her skin but today, she does not give a damn. (photo provided) On May 6, the Kamau Bell-hosted CNN show, United Shades of America, aired an hour-long episode focusing on the Sikh Indian American story. That episode won an Emmy Award at the Creative Arts Emmys held in Los Angeles, Calif., Sept. 8. (Sikh Coalition/Twitter photo) Former Southern Illinois University student Pravin Varughese (above) was found dead in the woods near his college in February 2014. Gaege Bethune was found guilty of Varugheses murder by a jury last June, but Judge Mark Clarke ordered a new trial Sept. 17, the day Bethune was scheduled to be sentenced. (Twitter photo) Rajalakshmi Nandakumar was named among four 2018 Paul Baran Young Scholars by the Marconi Society. The Indian American researchers technology has been licensed by a leading provider to help patients detect sleep apnea from the comfort of their own bedrooms. (Twitter/Marconi Society photo) Turkey: 75 arrest warrants issued for 'Gulen ties' (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 18 - Prosecutors in Istanbul on Tuesday issued 60 arrest warrants while State attorneys in Ankara issued an additional 15 against suspected members of the alleged network of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for the failed coup two years ago. Istanbul prosecutors issued the arrest warrants on charges that the suspects participated in the financial management of the organization. The other 15 suspects are army NCOs still in service, including 14 who have already been arrested, Anadolu reports. (ANSAmed). The remains of a buried pine forest at the foot of Mont Saint Genis in Southern France yield insightful information on a drastic climate change event. The pine tree stand initiated around 12,900 years ago during the relatively warm Allerd period, and continued growing into the cold snap of the Younger Dryas period. Researchers at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, together with international colleagues, have for the first time combined classic tree-ring width measurements with chemical (stable isotope) analyses of carbon and oxygen in tree-rings to reconstruct climate variables. Thus, they were able to calculate local soil water composition (precipitation) and relative humidity at annual time resolution. This resulted in novel insights into the hydrological variability and atmospheric circulation changes during an abrupt climate change event. The team reports about its findings in the journal Scientific Reports. The sudden cold snap in the northern hemisphere between 12,700 and 11,600 years ago has been found in climate records from Greenland ice cores and Central European lake sediments. It was named after the mountain avens (Latin: Dryas octopetala) an Arctic plant species that predominantly spreads during cold conditions. The discovery of fossil pines in a French river valley near Avignon now close an important knowledge gap, as they shows how the climate in the Mediterranean changed in this period. With accurate radiocarbon dating, the scientists were able to prove that the buried pines had started their growth in the warm days of the Allerd just before the Younger Dryas and had survived the sudden cold snap for several decades. They were thus witnesses of this extreme climate change. In their analyzes, the researchers found signs of increased air mass transport from the North Atlantic. We were surprised that about sixty years before the actual climate change, a significant alteration in the precipitation source was recognized, says first author Maren Pauly of the GFZ. According to the results, humid air masses arriving from the Atlantic side enhanced, while rainfall originating from the Mediterranean side diminished, evidenced by a steadily increasing variability of the oxygen isotopes of the soil water. Isotopes are atoms with a different number of neutrons in the nucleus. From the ratios of light and heavy isotopes conclusions can be drawn on the origin of air masses and thus of precipitation. Especially striking is the increase of extreme polar air surges, winter precipitation and winter storms at the beginning of the Younger Dryas, adds Achim Brauer, Head of GFZs section Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution and Director of Department 5 at GFZ. Maren Pauly works as a PhD student in his group. With this study, the scientists proved that it was not a change in mean temperatures that was problematic, but rather the environmental stress presumably leading to the tree die off. This stress was caused by the accumulation of extreme weather conditions in single years or even decades. In general, this study shows that periods of massive climate change can be associated with more instability in atmospheric circulation patterns, leading to greater variability on annual or decadal scales. Here, paleoclimate research shows how it can close knowledge gaps with information from natural climate archives, says Achim Brauer. This is also important because we lack experience on what exactly happens during a sudden climate change, how quickly the climate can change, and what regional differences occur. The study was funded by the DFG project (HE 3089 / 9-1) and supported by the Helmholtz REKLIM initiative. Achim Brauer achim.brauer@gfz-potsdam.de Subfossil trees suggest enhanced Mediterranean hydroclimate variability at the onset of the Younger Dryas (SREP-18-03033-T) http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-32251-2 Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 18 - These are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area for today: GAZA - Visit of a EU Parliament delegation for relations with Palestine in the occupied territories to meet with authorities, civil society representatives, local leaders and human rights defenders (until 20). VALENZANO (BARI) - The second Mediterranean Forum on Research and Innovation continues, tools for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, with 175 graduate students and young researchers from 27 countries participating (until September 20). CASABLANCA - Boulevard Festival for emerging performing artists in Morocco will begin (until 23/9). ABU DHABI - The exhibition 'Japanese Connections: the Birth of Modern Decor', continues at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and includes a series of paintings and etchings from the XIX and XX centuries that highlight the dialogue between the East and the West (until November 24). ROME - 'Estate in Biblioteca, il Cinema Legge il Mondo', a festival of Italian and foreign films in Rome libraries, organized in collaboration with MedFilm Festival (until September 27). (ANSAmed). The study of 400 Australians showed that despite having access to relevant disclosure statements and fact sheets, 42% of participants who were asked to select from a shortlist of two insurance products chose the worst policy, and 35% opted for the worst policy for those picking from three policies, The New Daily reported. Allan Manning, managing director of loss and risk-management consultancy LMI Group, said there are certain important details that consumers need to consider to avoid getting stuck with bad policies. The first step, Manning said, is for clients to understand definitions to ensure they are actually covered for the things they think they are. Coverage limits and exclusions are two other challenges consumers may need help understanding. Manning said Australians also need to understand that insurance isnt about price, its about protection. Whats the point of being with an insurance company if theyre just going to screw you over at claims time? Manning said. A spokesman for the Insurance Council of Australia said the peak industry bodys October 2015 report, Too Long; Didnt Read (TL;DR), also found that consumers were more influenced about price rather than policy detail. The industry has long been concerned about the inadequacy of the product-disclosure regime set out in the Corporations Act, the spokesperson told The New Daily. The report found that most PDS are not engaging and therefore not effective in informing would-be customers of what they will be getting for their premiums and suggested the need for more strategic documents to prompt consumers to think about key issues when buying insurance. ICA said it will review the Monash University study and did not issue a comment on the new findings. The insurance body also it looks forward to an upcoming review of product disclosure effectiveness by the Treasury. Further research being undertaken by the ICA will put it in a good position to contribute strongly to the public policy debate on questions such as the usefulness of standard cover, standardised definitions, and the effectiveness of key fact sheets, ICA told The New Daily. Older drivers are often the safest, because they are more likely to wear a seatbelt and are less likely to speed, or drink and drive, RAA said. However, older drivers are also more likely to be killed in a crash due to fragility associated with ageing. Ageing can affect vision, flexibility, strength, and range of motion, as well as size and height. A CarFit session will feature trained technicians to teach participants about recommended vehicle adjustments to minimise blind spots and provide the best protection in a crash, as well as an occupational therapist to provide advice on mobility aids to improve driver comfort, or help drivers with getting in and out of their vehicle. The CarFit program is now in its eighth year and has made recommendations to over 840 South Australian drivers, said Belinda Maloney, RAA community education manager. Although CarFit has been developed for older drivers, drivers of any age are also welcome to attend. Come along to one of our scheduled events or contact us to organise an event at your lifestyle village or local community centre. While major claims have not presented a large-scale issue for a number of years, both cargo and hull present a number of issues; unprecedented nat-cat and outlier event losses, along with falling vessel values and other market conditions have all contributed to a riskier environment for insurers, even in light of an upwards turn in the market. Speaking at the organisations annual conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Vice-Chair of IUMIs Facts & Figures Committee, Astrid Seltmann noted that: In general, the IUMI statistics clearly illustrate the need for sustainable underwriting by understanding the simple - and sometimes not so simple mathematics of evaluating the risks and expected costs associated with a prudent marine portfolio. IUMI also announced that it hopes to create a large and consistent loss database across hull and cargo. Utilising data from member companies, the organisation hopes to provide detailed analysis across loss severity, frequency, location and cause. The database has entered its early stages over the last year, with the organisation hoping that its reach will begin to expand over the coming years across more participating organisations. Donald Harrell, chair of IUMIs Facts & Figures Committee, stated that he was: pleased to say that the initial phase of our project has been a success and we now look forward to widening our network of participants and strengthening our database. Besides creating a workplace culture where employees feel safe, companies should be concerned with the costs of harassment allegations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that in 2017 alone, companies paid $46.3 million to settle sexual harassment allegations. Meanwhile, Hiscox conducted a study last year involving all employee disputes in its SMB segment and found that from the 1,200 closed claims, about 24% of employment charges resulted in defense and settlements averaging about $160,000. Read more: Magic Kingdoms insurer filed suit against Harvey Weinstein The 2018 survey also pointed out that harassment doesnt always come from internal sources. Companies should be careful not to overlook some of the other potential incidents of harassment that they can face, said Mitchell. One in five respondents said that the harassment was from non-company employees, so customers or vendors scenarios that arent always highlighted by some of the coverage in the news. Hiscox has a three-pronged approach prevent, detect, and mitigate to address the problems identified by the survey that brokers and agents can pass along to their clients. When you talk about prevention of claims, of course education tops the list. Educate the employees on what it is, how to avoid it, [and] how to report it. Also, having a zero tolerance policy is a big part of the prevention process, explained Mitchell. When it comes to detection, its watching for patterns things like refusal to promote employees based on certain groups such as age or race and making sure employers address any allegations or rumors of harassment as soon as possible. Regular surveys among employees can help to identify the potential presence of harassment in the workplace before it grows into a serious issue, added Mitchell, as well as other mitigation methods. Making sure that they take every single complaint of harassment seriously investigating thoroughly, using outside counsel those are some of the things they can do, and of course, insurance is a part of that mix as well, he said. A woman has been killed and two men have been critically injured after being struck by a train in Delaware. Police in Georgetown say the three were hit by a Carload Express train early Sunday morning as they walked on railroad tracks. The woman was pronounced dead and the two men were taken to a hospital in critical condition. Detective Joseph Melvin said police were dispatched to the railroad tracks behind the 600 block of North Bedford Street after the train engineer reported the incident. The names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. No charges have been filed. Melvin said the two men were still in critical condition late Sunday afternoon. Carload Express did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. Information from: The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Numbers ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 18 - These are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area for tomorrow: LISBON - Seatrade Cruise Med 2018 (until the 20th). GAZA - Visit of a EU Parliament delegation for relations with Palestine in the occupied territories to meet with authorities, civil society representatives, local leaders and human rights defenders (until the 20). VALENZANO (BARI) - The second Mediterranean Forum on Research and Innovation continues, tools for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, with 175 graduate students and young researchers from 27 countries participating (until the 20). CASABLANCA - Boulevard Festival for emerging performing artists in Morocco will begin (until 23/9). ABU DHABI - The exhibition 'Japanese Connections: the Birth of Modern Decor', continues at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and includes a series of paintings and etchings from the XIX and XX centuries that highlight the dialogue between the East and the West (until November 24). ROME - 'Estate in Biblioteca, il Cinema Legge il Mondo', a festival of Italian and foreign films in Rome libraries, organized in collaboration with MedFilm Festival (until September 27). (ANSAmed). Insurer Zurich North America has tapped Karen Reutter to lead its Construction unit. Reutter, who recently led the construction practice of a major insurance broker, also worked in Zurichs construction business from 1999 to 2001. She is a recognized industry leader with extensive experience in all lines of construction insurance and a frequent speaker at construction industry conferences and events. She will be based in Schaumburg, Illinois, and report to Paul Horgan, head of Zurich North America Commercial Insurance. Reutter will be accountable for delivering underwriting results, sales execution and talent management strategies for Zurichs Construction business. Reutter replaces former Head of Construction Scott Rasor, who retired this year. Reutter most recently worked for Willis Towers Watson, where she served as head of Construction Broking for North America. She has also held executive roles with brokerage firms Marsh and Aon and St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company. In her previous stint with Zurich, Reutter was national director, Customer and Product Management, and vice president for Zurich American Insurance Companys construction business unit. Reutter holds Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designations. Source: Zurich Insurance Group Topics Construction Though the flooding from Hurricane Florence is predicted to be unprecedented, residents of the coastal North Carolina towns threatened by the storm surge know what its like to take on water. Some homes in these areas have been repeatedly flooded and repeatedly bailed out by federal flood insurance. ProPublica examined storm surge predictions by the National Hurricane Center, layering a map of areas expected to be affected by Florence over a map of the most flood-prone properties tracked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides most of the flood insurance for U.S. homeowners. Critics have long argued that the program subsidizes risky development, but efforts at reform inevitably stall because raising premiums would make flood insurance unaffordable for lower-income residents. The insurance is required for federally backed mortgages of homes in flood-prone areas. The program is more than $20 billion in debt. Looking at some of the towns, its easy to see why. High-risk areas include communities along the Pamlico River and North Topsail Beach, which is on a barrier island near Wilmington. Homes there have gotten multiple flood payouts from FEMAs National Flood Insurance Program going back as far as 1978. One property in North Topsail Beach has received nine separate payments, totaling $77,000, though the building is worth just $37,125. Another in nearby Topsail Beach has received 10 payments worth $467,000. That building is worth $300,000. FEMA places buildings like these including 1,132 across North Carolina on a special list called severe repetitive loss structures because theyve been flooded and rebuilt again and again with FEMA flood insurance. Properties that qualify for the list have made at least four claims of more than $5,000 each since 1978, or two claims with a combined value thats worth more than the building itself. There are more than 35,000 such properties nationwide. Collectively, the buildings in North Carolina are worth at least $280 million, and theyve received $164 million in payments, according to FEMA data provided by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. The list undoubtedly will grow after Hurricane Florence, placing additional strain on a debt-ridden program that experts say is in desperate need of reform. The areas facing the worst impact from Hurricane Florence are among the most vulnerable in the country when it comes to sea-level rise; parts of North Topsail Beach, for instance, are eroding at 5 feet per year. And a team of scientists concluded on Wednesday that climate change had supercharged the storm increasing its projected rainfall by roughly 50 percent and its size by 50 miles. Rob Moore, a senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said these homes are perfect examples of what well see as sea levels continue to rise. North Carolina has a rocky history of confronting sea-level rise. In 2012, after scientific advisers for the state predicted up to 39 inches of rising sea levels over the next century, state legislators passed a law saying North Carolina would only base policies on studies that exclusively used historical data, effectively outlawing climate science. The current governor has backtracked, and North Carolina has joined a multistate effort to tackle climate change. Moore said the government should fund more property buyouts to permanently remove homes from risky areas. Nationwide, a majority of the homes on the list belong to low-income and middle-class residents, he said, and since buyouts often take years to process, most homeowners cant afford to wait and are forced to use insurance claims to rebuild in the same place. The slow-moving hurricane lingered over the Carolinas through the weekend. ProPublica is interested in talking to homeowners on the severe repetitive loss list. If you think your house is on this FEMA list, and if youve been affected by Hurricane Florence, please contact lisa.song@propublica.org or al.shaw@propublica.org. Source: ProPublica. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Flood Hurricane Homeowners North Carolina FEMA A demand for documents by a key House Republican adds to the growing pressure on the Federal Emergency Management Agencys chief as he coordinates the government response to Hurricane Florence. On Monday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy sent Brock Long a letter demanding documents related to his use of government vehicles to commute to his North Carolina home. Gowdy asked for documents showing each time Brock used a government car and which staff joined him. The Department of Homeland Securitys Inspector General has been investigating Longs use of those vehicles. The investigation into Long has been referred to federal prosecutors for possible criminal charges, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Department of Homeland Security referred questions on the investigation to the Inspector General, which didnt return phone calls. FEMA didnt immediately respond to a request for comment; nor did the Department of Justice. Brock Long was confirmed in June 2017 to head FEMA, the nations chief agency for disaster response. The agency was criticized for its response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last year, which led to an estimated 3,000 deaths. On Sunday, Long defended himself against the latest travel allegations, saying that maybe some policies were not developed around these vehicles. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who oversees FEMA, has not asked him to resign, Long said during an interview on Meet the Press. Topics FEMA Marsh & McLennan Inc. (MMC) has been preparing for a major acquisition and admiring its competitor Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) for years. So right after the CEOs of the two firms met on Sept. 7 and he sensed an opening, MMC CEO Dan Glaser acted quickly and boldly. In a deal that was hammered out in about 11 days, Glaser and JLT Group CEO Dominic Burke agreed MMC would buy JLT for about 4.3 billion pounds ($5.6 billion). JLT hit every one of our boxes, Glaser said, citing his firms philosophy that acquisitions bring quality talent, strong organic growth, customer commitment, diversification, cost and revenue synergies and other qualities all of which it found in JLT. We needed to build a proper foundation so we could be prepared for a large transaction like this, Glaser said, addressing why it had not made such a major deal years ago. But for any transaction to happen, the time has to feel right. The stars and moon have to align for both companies, he told analysts about his meeting with Burke. Both sides needed to think the timing was right. The price has to feel right, too. MMC gave JLT shareholders, including Jardine Matheson Holdings that owns 40 percent, an offer they couldnt refuse. The 19.15 pounds-a-share ($25.11) offer is a 34 percent premium to JLTs closing price on Monday and 25 times JLTs estimated 2019 earnings. The purchase will strengthen MMCs specialty risk brokerage operations, expand its global reinsurance network and enhance its position in Asia and Latin America. The deal will boost MMCs revenues by about $17 billion. The company expects some cost savings (about $250 million over three years) and faster revenue growth from the smaller JLT. Glaser said JLT skews into higher growth areas thus it should provide a lift over time. Glaser also noted that JLT has outperformed its peers, averaging 5 percent organic growth since 2012. MMC has been averaging about 3-5 percent revenue growth a year. Glaser said while the acquisition makes his firm bigger, it mainly accelerates MMCs existing strategy and aspiration to be the preeminent global firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. It is no great departure from what it now does. Its keeping within our knitting, he said. Moving beyond the deal terms and potential, in his call with analysts after the deal was announced, Glaser could not stop talking about the people. The deal will add about 10,000 employees to the 55,000 MMC already has globally. Glaser said he has known Burke for 15 years and long respected him and the company he runs. Burke will join MMC as vice chairman and serve as a member of MMCs Executive Committee. Together MMC and JLT will have the broadest and deepest collection of talent in the industry, Glaser maintained. On any given day they could have beaten any broker on an account. They are highly skilled, highly motivated, highly specialized, he said. The accolades kept coming: JLT punches above its weight; the deal is a tremendous injection of talent; JLT is excellent in everything they do; and JLT people share MMCs culture of integrity and relentless focus on client service. Asked how he will unite the cultures and hang onto employees, the MMC CEO maintained that the cultures are very similar and that the resulting company will be the employer of choice in the sector. He expressed the same attitude toward keeping accounts: Were not giving up any accounts. We will fight to keep every account. While JLT has some traditional wholesale business in its mix, Glaser said the deal does not mean Marsh is getting back into the wholesale business it exited when it sold its wholesale broker Crump in 2005. He said the term wholesale is an archaic one for what he says has become specialty placement business rather than traditional third-party wholesale brokerage business. He said every business has some, but JLT does not have a dramatic amount of third-party wholesale business. Its not like we are entering a market we exited when we sold Crump, he commented. As for upping its stake in the UK at a time when Brexit has many people anxious, Glaser shrugged, so what. He said the UK is a great place for business, with resilient and remarkable people. Were happy to bet on Britain, he said. Topics Training Development Federal officials allege in a lawsuit that Happy Valley LLC d/b/a Happy Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation in Malvern, Ark., failed to address sexual harassment complaints made by female employees and terminated those employees for complaining of the harassment in violation of federal law. According to the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the company received reports of the harassment as early as May 2016 and as recent as May 2018. The EEOC alleges that it was common knowledge among Happy Valley employees that if one complained about sexual harassment, the company would terminate the employee. Rather than punishing the harasser, the company would punish those who complained. As a result, several employees decided not to report the harassment for fear of losing their jobs. Although the company informed the women who did report harassment that it would take action, the company failed to take any action against the harasser. The EEOC alleges in its complaint that Happy Valley allowed the employees harassment to go unchecked. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas Hot Springs Division, Civil Action No. 6:18-cv-06089, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The suit seeks monetary relief in the form of back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, compensation for lost benefits, and an injunction against future discrimination. Happy Valley operates a nursing care facility in Malvern, Arkansas. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits Senior Care Duke Energy Corp., the biggest utility in the Carolinas, has faced a three-front war as it battles back against the wet and dangerously wild effects of Hurricane Florence. The company restored power to almost 80 percent of customers who went dark in the storm, but said late Monday it will take a week to get everyone back on. And Duke is now able to provide supplies and staff to the Brunswick nuclear plant cut off by flooding on the weekend. But as of early Tuesday, the utility hadnt updated what was happening with a landfill breach that spilled as much as 2,000 cubic yards (1,529 cubic meters) of coal ash, potentially carrying arsenic, mercury, lead and selenium into the environment. While Duke has said the spill poses no imminent threat, environmentalists are concerned that the information supplied by the utility is incomplete. They havent provided either tons or a weight or a volume measurement because likely those impacts would be much larger, said Donna Lisenby, global advocacy manager at Waterkeeper Alliance. The impact assessment should include how much coal ash entered the rain water and washed off the site, she said. Theyre not telling us the water impacts. Duke spokeswoman Erin Culbert did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the spill. The target for getting almost all electricity restored is Sept. 26, the companys statement said, though that wont include those with damage that might prevent the return of service. About 216,280 customers were without power early Tuesday as the storm tracked northeast, heading across New York State and into New England. The first ones are the easiest ones, Kit Konolige, a New York-based analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, said Monday about the power recovery. You want to see over the next few days, does it continue to go down pretty quickly. The storm has already taken the lives of at least 31 people, according to the Associated Press, and flooding in the region is expected to last for at least two weeks following record rains. The Cape Fear River that stretches west from the North Carolina coast deep into the middle of the state was still rising, was set to crest Wednesday 9.2 feet (2.8 meters) above major flood stages in Burgaw, North Carolina. The Neuse River in Kinston wasnt set to crest until Saturday. Many still in the dark are in coastal areas that experienced road closures and structural damage, according to the Duke statement. The outages werent as widespread as Duke initially warned. As the storm loomed, the utility said as many as 3 million homes and businesses could lose power. This is like when you go to a restaurant and they say it could be an hour and then they seat you in 20 minutes, Konolige said. They want to keep expectations reasonably low. If theres still a lot of outages after a week, then it starts to look like a problem. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said it would try Monday to inspect the coal-ash landfill, spokeswoman Megan Thorpe said in an email. Frank Holleman, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said that after this storm, the state must ensure that Duke Energy makes the landfill able to withstand floods and hurricanes. Duke Energy certainly should not be allowed to continue to dispose of millions of tons of coal ash in unlined pits beside rivers in North Carolina, when it has not adequately designed or maintained a modern landfill, he said in an email Monday. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Flood North Carolina Dentists Benefits Insurance Co. and Northwest Dentists Insurance Co., acquired by Sacramento, Calif.-based The Dentists Insurance Co. in 2017, plan to merge with their parent company, TDIC. The change is effective Jan. 1, 2019, upon regulatory approval. DBIC and NORDIC will be combined into TDIC and the companies will operate as The Dentists Insurance Co. The name and logo will change following the merger. TDIC focuses on supporting the dental profession by offering a comprehensive suite of professional and business liability, commercial property, workers compensation, employment practices liability and cyber liability products to more than 19,000 dentists in 10 states. Topics California California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Tuesday filed an insurance-fraud complaint in Alameda County Superior Court on behalf of the state against AbbVie Inc. alleging the company gave illegal kickbacks to healthcare providers to prescribe HUMIRA, which Jones classified as an expensive and dangerous drug with potentially deadly side effects. The case was filed on behalf of the state under the Insurance Frauds Prevention Act. It alleges that private insurers have paid out $1.2 billion in HUMIRA-related pharmacy claims, making what Jones believes is the largest health insurance fraud case in CDI history. According to the complaint, AbbVie engaged in a scheme including both classic kickbacks such as cash, meals, drinks, gifts, trips, and patient referrals and more sophisticated ones. The more sophisticated schemes involved free and valuable professional goods and services to physicians to induce and reward HUMIRA prescriptions, according to the complaint. These professional goods and services allegedly included free insurance processing and prior authorizations, gifts of medical practice management hardware and software, and even marketing assistance, all of which save physicians valuable staff time and resources. AbbVie spokespersons provided the following comment in response to the charges: We believe the allegations are without merit. AbbVie operates in compliance with the many state and federal laws that govern interactions with healthcare providers and patients. AbbVie provides a number of support services for patients, once they are prescribed Humira, that both educate and assist patients with their therapy, including nursing support, and these resources are beneficial to patients dealing with a chronic condition. They in no way replace or interfere with interactions between patients and their healthcare providers. The complaint charges that AbbVie inserts its own personnel directly into the homes of patients, and that when doctors prescribe HUMIRA, AbbVie sends its registered nurses into patients homes, representing them to be an extension of the doctors office. AbbVie nurses provide pharmacy and insurance authorization assistance, open enrollment resources, paperwork help, advice on insurance products, and other services, all of which provide a substantial value and save physicians time, money, and resources, according to the complaint. The allegations of AbbVies reported misconduct were brought to the attention of the CDI by a whistleblower, a registered nurse and was employed as an AbbVie Nurse Ambassador in Florida, according to the complaint. AbbVie spent millions convincing patients and health care professionals that AbbVie Ambassadors were patient advocates-in fact, the Ambassadors were HUMIRA advocates hired to do one thing, keep patients on a dangerous drug at any cost, Jones said in a statement. Pharmaceutical companies know financial inducements are illegal, and patients depend on their health care professionals for straightforward honest information about their care and medication risks. In this case, patient care was traded for $1.2 billion in ill-gotten gains. Topics Lawsuits California Medical Professional Liability France: Collomb to leave government after European vote Interior minister, staunch Macron ally, to run for mayor in Lyon (ANSAmed) - PARIS, SEPTEMBER 18 - After Nicolas Hulot, another leading member of the French government has announced that he is leaving his post. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told L'Express that he will leave after European elections scheduled in June 2019. He announced that he is running for mayor in Lyon in 2020 and that he is leaving the cabinet to campaign for the election. ''The municipal vote is far away - said Collomb, 71 - if by that time I will not be seriously ill, I will run in Lyon''. Collomb, who has backed Macron since the start of his political career, was the Socialist mayor of Lyon from 2001 until 2017 before becoming a member of the government. (ANSAmed). Padraig Hoare and Dara Doyle Solidarity between the EU and the Government is rock-solid, insists Tanaiste Simon Coveney, amid fears some members may press Ireland to drop its opposition to wide-ranging corporate tax reform in return for EU backing on Brexit. The minister for foreign affairs said the Government expected agreements made between the EU and British government in December and March to be fulfilled. The Irish Government position is rock-solid. The solidarity we have across the EU is rock-solid, said Mr Coveney. We intend on ensuring the commitments that have already been made in these negotiations last December and last March are honoured. Now we have to find a wording that can fulfil that commitment, those efforts have intensified and I believe we can get the job done. While no explicit link has yet been made between Irelands resistance to a digital tax and the EUs efforts to avoid a hard border after Brexit, solidarity doesnt come for free, according to an anonymous European official. The officials comments are the first sign that at least some nations expect a price to be extracted for the EUs commitments to Ireland in the Brexit process. EU leaders have frequently pressed Ireland over reforms. In June, as European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker reassured Irish politicians of Europes determination to avoid the return of a hard border in Ireland after Brexit, he also urged them to drop opposition to the digital tax. Given the EUs unwavering support around Brexit, it will be politically unsustainable for Ireland to be the sole blocker of tax changes, said the EU official. Any tax proposal will need the unanimous approval of all EU members before becoming law, meaning a single country could block it. The Republic of Ireland is far from alone in its concerns around the digital tax and efforts to link it to Brexit may flounder. Earlier this month, Maltas finance chief poured cold water on European efforts to strike a deal on taxing digital companies by the end of the year, saying such a levy should be agreed at a global level. Fianna Fail Brexit spokeswoman Lisa Chambers said assurances had to be made that Brexit will not be used as an opportunity to force Ireland to change its corporate tax rate. Ireland stands to be affected by Brexit more than any other EU member state and resolving outstanding issues, and in particular the issue of the backstop, should be the sole focus of the negotiations. Bloomberg and Irish Examiner By Padraig Hoare Large swathes of Corks northside will be among the chosen areas to see the fastest broadband in the country before the end of the year. Blarney Street, Blackpool, Hollyhill and Shanakiel on the northside, Maryborough on the southside and chunks of Ballincollig will be the first out of the blocks as Siros 60m investment into the broadband network in Cork gets under way. The start date for the project would begin in the final quarter of the year. While it will take to the second quarter of 2020 before all 75,000 homes and businesses in Cork will be kitted out with the revolutionary speeds, the first customers to receive it will be this year. Using the existing ESB network, Siro delivers fibre optic cables all the way to the building, it said. Known as fibre-to-the-building, the technology has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network and delivers 1 gigabit speeds. Downloading a high definition movie that is 4 gigabytes in size with a standard 10 mbps connection currently takes about an hour. With Siros promised speeds of up to 1,000 mbps, it will take 30 seconds. Skibbereen was chosen as the guinea pig for Siros technology, after years of poor speeds and lack of coverage. The West Cork town is now seen as one of the best in the world for broadband connectivity. Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the new Siro service would be competitively priced. Siro, which pulled out of the long-mooted National Broadband Plan, has formed partnerships with 10 operators such as Vodafone, Sky and BT, is now live in 30 towns across the country, with 10 retailers offering connections to over 185,000 homes and businesses. Staff at Oxford Global Resources, Penrose Quay in Cork city have taken part in the ultimate spin-off for charity. Staff took to their bikes to spin the distance to their office in Zug, Switzerland and covered a total of 1,820km. The event was in aid of three different charities, Marymount Hospice, Cork Penny Dinners and The Rainbow Club for Children with Autism. Marymount Hospice offers respite, intermediate palliative and residential care services for elderly people as well as specialist palliative care services, at both inpatient and community level. Cork Penny Dinners is one of Cork's oldest charitable organisations, currently serving up to 2000 freshly made meals per week to the less fortunate city residents. The charity's aims are to help all who struggle and those in need. The volunteers at Cork Penny Dinners do a Super job helping those less fortunate throughout the year. We stopped by with the help of our ambassador @KevinDundon to show our appreciation for all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. #MakeChristmasSuper pic.twitter.com/OMcLyZCIc6 SuperValu Ireland (@SuperValuIRL) December 19, 2017 The Rainbow Club for Children with Autism is run entirely by volunteers and offers children with ASD a safe environment in which to develop their social skills using a wide range of activities. The Oxford Global Resources staff at the Zug office in Switzerland are to take part in a similar event where they will cover the distance to Cork. - Digital Desk By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent Up to 2m in goods and services were not procured in line with guidelines by Cork Education and Training Board last year. The non-compliance with procurement rules included more than 1.75m spent by individual schools or colleges on a range of services which could have been tendered for centrally by the board. But in its 2017 accounts just published, board chairman Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy says chief executive Ted Owens has reported that full compliance will remain a challenge, given the nature of the organisation and the extent of spending under various categories. A report by Mr Owens to Cork ETBs audit committee six months ago said it can not meet all its responsibilities in respect of procurement regulations, despite ongoing work to ensure compliance with directives from Government departments, codes of governance and legal requirements. Across more than 70 sites under CETB management, goods and services were procured locally in line with the boards own policy. But the aggregated value across all the sites exceeded the national threshold of 25,000, above which full public tendering is required. During 2017, 1.754m of spending was identified for which no aggregate tendering was undertaken, including amounts spent locally on school bus hire, school meals, fire equipment, printing, class and course materials, security, managed print services, and IT support services and equipment. CETB is to prioritise these areas for aggregated procurement this year and it said a framework is now in place from the Office of Government Procurement for the purchase of school books, for which 225,000 was spent last year while a tender process was awaited. The board spent 187m last year, almost two thirds of it to pay 3,829 employees, providing education and training to more than 46,000 people at 30 primary and second-level schools, and in further education, adult education and training courses. An internal control statement in the 2017 accounts also says that part of a further 150,000 of spending that did not comply with procurement guidelines related to urgent work to get two education facilities ready to open by last September, and agency staff who were needed longer than was initially expected. In an accompanying report, Comptroller & Auditor General Seamus McCarthy notes the concerns disclosed in the statement on internal control about the adequacy of internal audit resources available to CETB last year. These were to be addressed through extra staff in a centralised internal audit unit covering all 16 ETBs. Similar concerns were expressed in 2017 accounts also just published by Longford and Westmeath ETB. It reported that a review of procurement last year found nearly 1.2m was spent on 2017 on goods and services procured by obtaining quotes rather than in an aggregated manner. This included 366,000 for books, buses and legal services, which have since been procured by aggregated tendering, and over 600,000 on categories for which tendering was in progress when the accounts were signed off in July. Almost 40% of farmers believe Brexit will make a united Ireland more likely, with Sinn Fein responding to the finding by saying the logic of the all-Island economy is unassailable and a United Ireland is inevitable. The UKs departure from the EU has cast a shadow across Irelands agricultural sector, with it named as the area most likely to be hit economically once Brexit becomes a reality. In the Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll, 38% of respondents said they believe Brexit makes the prospect of a united Ireland more likely, while 41% disagree. Some 21% of those questioned said they neither agreed nor disagreed. Men are much more likely to believe that a united Ireland is a more likely prospect due to Brexit than women (40% vs 28%). Older farmers aged 65 and above are also less likely to view it as a likely prospect (32%) than their younger peers. Last weekend, Sinn Feins presidential candidate Liadh Ni Riada said a united Ireland should be on the agenda in light of Brexit and the partys Brexit spokesman David Cullinane said: It is very clear that the solution for Ireland is an all-island one. The North and South must remain in the EU. The North and South must remain in the customs union and single market. It is also vital for farmers North and South to continue to have full alignment of standards and rules as currently provided for in the EU single market. It is not in the interests of farmers on any part of the island to have different standards and rules applying either side of the border. Nor is it in the interests of farmers to have any added disruption to the movement of livestock and other goods and services across the border. Economist Prof John FitzGerald of Trinity College Dublin has calculated a united Ireland could reduce income and living standards by as much as 15%. By Liam Heylin The father of a three-year-old child appeared in court yesterday facing two assault charges arising out of the alleged slapping of his daughter at a supermarket in Cork. The 46-year-olds identity is not published as it would lead to the identification of the alleged victim in the case who is a child. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed trial at Cork District Court. It then became a matter for Judge Olann Kelleher to decide based on an outline of the allegations whether he would accept jurisdiction to deal with the case at district court level. Sgt John Kelleher said: On July 23 two independent witnesses observed (defendant) slap and chastise his daughter (aged three at the time) on two separate occasions at (a supermarket in Cork). When interviewed he was evasive and denied assaulting his daughter. Judge Olann Kelleher said that he would accept jurisdiction to hear the case at Cork District Court. The judge asked the accused if he had a solicitor. The defendant said he was working but could not afford to pay one. Judge Kelleher advised the man that if convicted the assault charges carried a possible jail term up to six months and that he should get a solicitor to represent him. When the outline of the allegations was given yesterday at Cork District Court the defendant complained, I have been accused with no evidence at all. The case was put back until October 1. BRUSSELS - European Council President Donald Tusk in a letter inviting leaders to the meeting in Salzburg wrote that ''after my visit to Cairo together with Chancellor Kurz, I have no doubt that we should support the initiative to organize a summit of the EU-Arab League at the start of 2019''. According to Tusk, it is also necessary to discuss the potential to ''intensify cooperation with Egypt also in the area of migration. It is worth to remember - he stated - that Egyptian authorities have made the fight against smuggling and trafficking their priority. As a consequence, there were no irregular departures from Egypt to Europe this year (compared to nearly 13,000 in 2016)''. By Sean ORiordan Cork County Council officials have been urged to approach credit unions and ask them to finance local authority-built housing projects. Fianna Fail councillor Ian Doyle told a meeting of the councils northern division there were several very viable credit unions in the North Cork area which should be asked to help ease the housing crisis. A lot of them have a good amount of surplus cash and they could come onboard with us to make credible plans, said Mr Doyle. He said credit unions could help the council develop local authority-owned land in the region and that the council should also get together with small builders to draw up plans for these sites. He said that many small builders were reliable, but simply did not have the money to afford bonds, which are insurance policies they are obliged to lodge with financial institutions. These are drawn down by local authorities to finish off work if the builder fails to complete it. This is a win-win situation. We would be providing people with work in smaller localities and this would help the local economy, said Mr Doyle, adding out that the Community Bank system in Germany financed such projects. We dont need to set up such a system, we have the credit unions who would be able to do it, said Mr Doyle. Fine Gael councillor Gerard Murphy agreed with him that speaking to credit unions was a good idea. He said in the first instance the credit unions could help finance bonds for small builders. All of the credit unions have surplus cash, said Mr Murphy. This is an obvious facility which could be utilised to build badly needed houses. The county council, the government and credit unions should get together to create a mechanism to make the surpluses available for housing development. Corks two local authorities have set aside the political friction over the contentious city boundary process to spearhead a new regional branding initiative. The city and county councils joined forces yesterday to unveil the We are Cork place-branding campaign which will be used to market the region nationally and internationally. Among the stakeholders backing the umbrella brand are Cork Airport, the Port of Cork, UCC, CIT, Cork Chamber, and Cork Business Association. Cork County mayor Patrick Gerard Murphy said he met with the citys Lord Mayor within days of their respective elections last summer and they decided it was time to put the divisions associated with the city boundary extension process behind them. We decided it was time for us to work together, to move forward together, for the betterment of the region, he said. Lord Mayor Mick Finn, said: We are now united behind a common message. Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who launched We are Cork, praised the mayors for finding common ground. We all want the same for our city and for the county. We want to fulfil their potential, he said. There were calls yesterday for businesses, organisations, and people in the region to adopt the branding message. Corks 96FM, which has been using the We are Cork branding for almost three years, welcomed the move. Its chief executive, Kieran McGeary, said they are very supportive of any campaign that promotes the region. We have been using We are Cork for a considerable amount of time and its a great compliment that the branding is being taken forward by the groups involved and we are happy to support it in any way, shape, or form, he said. The Governments Ireland 2040 plan envisages population growth in the Cork region of between 50% and 60% to bring its population close to 800,000. Mr Coveney said the plan sees Cork as the natural counterweight to development in the capital and its hinterland and he said the Government will back the ambition underlined in the marketing initiative. It is a strong collective brand with buy-in from everyone, he said. We now have all the big players, all the muscle, pushing in the right direction. It will lay the foundations for a dramatic expansion of the city to become a European city of scale. To mark the launch of the initiative, many of the citys landmark buildings including City Hall, County Hall, the Port of Corks headquarters, CITs City Centre Hub, UCC, The Capitol, and One Albert Quay will turn red this week. Cork is poised to become the fastest-growing region in Ireland in the next 20 years. Theres an estimated 510m in commercial development underway or recently completed in the city. Chairwoman of the We are Cork steering committee, city council chief executive, Ann Doherty, insisted the brand has unilateral support from all major players in Cork, with county council chief executive, Tim Lucey, describing the brand as something under which everyone could unite to showcase the region. The Government will consider the issue of Defence Forces pay with an open mind when the Public Service Pay Commission reports later this year, the Tanaiste has said. Former defence minister Simon Coveney was reacting to ex-Brigadier General Ger Ahernes description of pay rates in the army, naval service and Air Corps as disastrous. In an interview with the Irish Examiner ahead of tomorrows Parade for Respect and Loyalty march on the Dail to highlight the poor pay and conditions endured by serving members of the Defence Forces, Mr Aherne said: The bond between those who serve and the State has been broken. The former solider who commanded the 4th Western Brigade and whose last posting was as commander of the EU military force in Mogadishu in 2013/2014 said the bond had not been broken by the men and women of the Defence Forces, but by their political masters. And he said the only repayment for the loyalty of Defence Forces members is further abuse. Since the Defence Forces foundation in 1922 they have been continually unwavering in their loyalty to the State but this hasnt been reciprocated. There has been an expectation that the State respect those who serve, but this hasnt happened, he said. Around 30% of Defence Forces members are in receipt of FIS (family income supplement). Some captains who are married with children qualify for it as well. Speaking in Cork yesterday, Mr Coveney said thats not the kind of commentary he wants to hear. The partnership between the Defence Forces and the State that bond, that loyalty is hugely important. That is the oath that people sign up to when they join the Defence Forces, he said. As a former minister for defence, who put in place a white paper for expansion, and growth and increased investment in the Defence Forces, obviously thats not the kind of commentary that we like to hear. However, he said it is not easy for the Government to single out individual sectors for significant changes in pay without there being a huge knock-on effect across multiple other sectors. But as a Government, we have asked the Public Sector Pay Commission to have a look at pay in the Defence Forces, just like we did for nursing, because of the claims that have been made, he said. And when the Government gets that report, well certainly look at it with an open mind. A new study has revealed that the purchase of cars and automotive parts from the UK was the number one area of complaint by Irish consumers in 2017. Most complaints related to faulty second-hand cars, warranties and issues with deposits. Mary-Lou McDonald has failed to sway rural voters towards her party since becoming Sinn Fein president a new poll has revealed. Despite being rated more highly than Gerry Adams, the election of Ms McDonald as party leader is not an incentive to vote Sinn Fein for 62% of farmers. Just 7% of those surveyed as part of the Irish Examiners annual poll strongly agreed that they would be more likely to vote for Sinn Fein now that Ms McDonald is party leader. It had been expected that a change of leadership after almost 35 years would see a significant bounce in support for Sinn Fein, however, this does not appear to be the case in rural Ireland. But Ms McDonald, who became president in February, enters the fold in a stronger position than her predecessor with an average satisfaction rating of 3.4 out of 10. Last years Irish Examiner poll put former Sinn Fein president Mr Adams on 3.15 points. The annual survey of farmers shows support for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is now at 5.54 points. This is down from his rating of 6.27 last year, however Mr Varadar still has a higher satisfaction rating than his predecessor Enda Kenny who received a rating of 5.42 in the 2016 poll. With rumours of a general election mounting, Mr Varadar will no doubt be pleased with the satisfaction rating of key members of his Cabinet. Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has a satisfaction rating of 5.13 with those in core roles for farmers including Health, Agriculture, Education and Finance not far behind. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin also polls strongly scoring 5.03 out of 10, but like Mr Varadkar his satisfaction rating is marginally down on 2017 when those asked about the Cork South Central TD gave him an average mark of 5.85. Meanwhile, Brendan Howlin, who this week faced down calls to resign as leader from within his own party, has a satisfaction rating of 3.32. This is a drop for the Labour leader who scored an average of 4.46 among farmers last year. Speaking at the Labour Party think-in yesterday, Mr Howlin dismissed his partys poll ratings which have remained static since the 2016 general election and which remains at 1% in this papers survey. Its our job to talk to all those who believe and think like us and get us to give us number ones and then we wont have any worry about opinion poll numbers, said Mr Howlin. Interestingly it appears that Mr Coveney was viewed as doing a better job when he was in the Department of Agriculture than the current Minister Michael Creed. In 2013, 9% of the farmers asked said Mr Coveney was doing an excellent job as minister for agriculture, 44% described his performance as good, while 32% rated him as fair. This year just 1% of those polled gave Mr Creed over nine marks out of 10. But 55% of farmers marked Mr Creed between five and eight out of 10. It would therefore appear that Mr Coveney was regarded as doing a better job in Agriculture; however, those conducting the poll pointed out that the question was asked differently in 2013 and so a direct comparison cannot be made. By Jimmy Woulfe An eleventh-hour planning objection to a 1bn liquid natural gas (LNG) project in the Shannon Estuary is now due to come before the High Court for decision on October 4. The objection was lodged after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced on August 27 that new owners had come on board. The project has the full support of the Government. The project was first announced 13 years ago and in recent years, having gone through a long planning process, faced objections from the energy regulator. The Taoiseach announced that US equity fund, New Fortress Energy had bought out the project and it had the full support of the Government. The development proposes to ship liquid gas to a location off Tarbert and transfer it to a terminal through a 26km pipeline. A 500 MW power station is also planned. The Taoiseach said: The development will provide a significant boost to the Shannon region and provide a foundation for further investment in the region. Up to 400 people would be employed during construction and when the plant is operational 100 will be employed. Shortly after the Taoiseachs announcement, an environmental group lodged an objection to the extension of the original planning approval. The High Court adjourned the objection until after the holiday recess. It is now on the October 4 court list. Fianna Fail Senator Ned OSullivan, a long-time supporter of the project, said: I hope the court can deal with this matter as soon as possible. This project has been reviewed and objected to every step of the way over the past 13 years. There isnt a project in Ireland more open and transparent. The original backers walked away over objections, having spent millions on the project. We cant second guess the court, but I would hope this latest objection can be heard and decided on as soon as possible. For strategic, geographical purposes the US government strongly supports liquefied natural gas terminals in Europe. Shannon LNG managing director, Paddy Power, said the Shannon Estuary plant will connect Ireland to the global liquefied natural market and provide greater security of energy supply. Wes Edens, founder and chairman of New Fortress said the project is critical for Irelands energy security and would benefit the environment and the economy. Depending on the High Court ruling on October 4, the LNG facility could commence operations by the end of 2020. according to the backers. Oxfam has called for swifter action against tax avoidance by multinationals after its research showed pharmaceutical firms used Irish tax law to reduce the amount of corporation tax they paid to zero in one case. The aid agency says while there is nothing illegal about the companies management of their tax affairs, they are being allowed to profit shift to avoid high rates of corporation tax which in turn deprives countries where profits are generated of badly needed revenue. In a report, Prescription for Poverty, to be published today, Oxfam looks at the tax practices of four of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies, Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer, all four of which have operations in Ireland. The report shows Abbott paid no tax on profits of 1.2bn declared in Ireland in 2015, either through the infamous double Irish arrangement or other legitimate but criticised write-offs. If those profits had been subject to corporation tax at the 12.5% rate, they would have been worth 155m to the exchequer. Johnson & Johnson, meanwhile, declared profits of 4.31bn here in 2015 but paid 250m, which works out at a tax rate of 6%. Oxfam Ireland chief executive Jim Clarken said some of the profits tracked should have been more justly declared in developing countries where the firms had subsidiaries. Tax avoidance by the four pharma companies we investigated has deprived the cash-strapped governments of the seven developing countries in this report of more than 96.6m every year money that could be used to provide quality healthcare and tackle issues like poor sanitation, he said. Mr Clarken called on the Government to push for mandatory country-by-country reporting by all multinationals so that it was clear where they were making profits and where they were paying taxes. He said the Oxfam research could only scratch the surface. The report says Abbott had a 75% profit ratio in Ireland in 2013-15 but only 8% and 4% profits in Thailand and Chile where corporation tax rates are 20% and 21% respectively, and a 36% loss in India where the tax rate is 34%. Johnson & Johnson declared a 38% profit ratio in Ireland and 8% in Thailand. Increased transparency would give decision-makers, investors, journalists and civil society actors, especially in developing countries, the data to help review and, if necessary, reform corporate tax avoidance practices, Mr Clarken said. A Department of Finance spokesperson said the department did not comment on the tax affairs of individual taxpayers but said the 2015 data used by Oxfam pre-dated the OECD agreement on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). BEPS aims to clean up the way multinationals conduct their tax affairs. It is clearly totally inaccurate and misleading to use pre-BEPS data to infer that Ireland has not taken significant actions on international tax reform, the spokesperson said. The departments Corporation Tax Roadmap, published this month, outlined significant actions Ireland has taken and will take over the coming years on international tax reform, the spokesperson added. Mr Clarken said the roadmap did not go far enough. By Liam Heylin A hospital patient who videoed a nurse and threatened to follow her home was given a suspended eight-month jail term yesterday on serious assault charges after evidence that he had successfully attended for treatment for his problems. Liam McGowan, of 138 Meadowbrook, Craigavon, Co Armagh, was warned by Judge Olann Kelleher at Cork District Court that if he got into any further trouble anywhere in the Republic of Ireland in the next two years, he would end up getting the eight months in jail. It was a very serious assault but he did go and get treatment as required, the judge added. Donal Daly, defence solicitor, said McGowan had come down from the North on several occasions to attend court in Cork. Evidence was previously given of the 33-year-old man losing the plot, assaulting security staff by spraying a fire extinguisher at them and pulling a tube from his arm and threatening other nurses with blood. Mr Daly said the accused had completed an alcohol treatment programme. Inspector John Deasy previously stated, that apart from alcohol, one of the contributing factors for the accused man losing the plot on the night was alleged to have been the fact that he had been submerged upside down under water earlier that day as part of a training exercise for working on an oil rig. Mr Daly said it was a highly unusual case where the defendant had no previous convictions and was clearly not himself on the occasion. A fire extinguisher was sprayed at three security guards during a scene of violence and mayhem at Cork University Hospital. McGowan pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to charges of assault causing harm to three security men at the emergency department of CUH on November 5, 2017. They were responding to reports from nurses, including one where it was reported that McGowan had videoed and threatened her. The defendant admitted causing criminal damage at the emergency unit where he smashed a glass panel in a door and set off a fire extinguisher, which he then sprayed into the faces of three security officers who were trying to restore order and protect patients. Injuries sustained by the three security men included damage to their eyes as a result of being sprayed into the face with a fire extinguisher. They were also close to the scene when McGowan smashed the glass panel. By Cormac OKeeffe and Elaine OLoughlin Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has sparked a strong reaction after he appeared to indicate a level of support for proposals to ban the photographing of gardai performing their duties. The National Union of Journalists, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and Labour leader Brendan Howlin said they strongly opposed any suggestion. Mr Flanagan later tweeted to clarify his position and a statement from his department said that while he would be prepared to look at such a proposal, he did not mention any specific plans in relation to it. Mr Flanagan appeared to indicate earlier on the Today with Sean ORourke show on RTE he would be in favour of proposals from a Garda staff association making it an offence to photograph gardai on duty. Pressed on whether he would consider bringing such legislative proposals, he said: Yes, I think it is something that can be favourably looked at. He added he was about to be briefed by the Policing Commission head on its report, published today, which was examining Garda welfare, and he would prefer to adopt her recommendations. Mr Flanagan subsequently issued three tweets, saying he was concerned at gardai having multiple mobile phones in their faces as they try and do their job. 1/3 Today I was asked if it should be illegal to photograph Gardai carrying out their duties. To clarify: I believe transparency is vitally important; Im on record as favouring Garda body cameras. I also greatly value the role of the media in providing objective reporting. Charlie Flanagan (@CharlieFlanagan) September 17, 2018 3/3 This is regrettably not always the case where public order issues arise. The uploading of images of of Gardai undertaking their duties on social media and consequent threats and intimidation is totally unacceptable to me and that why I am concerned. Charlie Flanagan (@CharlieFlanagan) September 17, 2018 In my experience, press photographers are professional and do not impede Garda work, he said. This is regrettably not always the case where public order issues arise. The uploading of images of gardai undertaking their duties on social media and consequent threats and intimidation is totally unacceptable and thats why I am concerned. However, Mr Howlin said: In a free society people, have an entitlement to take pictures of any public servant. I think we have to protect public servants in their duty and prosecute people who threaten [them] but the notion normal civil liberties would be curtailed in that way would be something that the Labour party would not support. The ICCL said that while any criminal harassment or intimidation of gardai was unacceptable, such a ban would be wholly disproportionate. It said a blanket ban on freedom of expression would criminalise ordinary people. The NUJ expressed grave concern, saying a ban would be an infringement on the fundamental rights exercised by the media. A later statement from the Department of Justice said that, in his interview on RTE, the minister indicated he would be prepared to look at such a proposal in relation to banning photographing gardai on duty. However, the statement added: At no point did the minister make any reference to any specific plans with regard to photography. Tanaiste Simon Coveney will today inform Cabinet about a nationwide awareness campaign and plans to make businesses Brexit-ready. Four largescale meetings will be held in the weeks ahead, while radio, TV, and digital advertising will now be ramped up in preparations for Britains exit from the EU next March and how this will impact on communities here. One of the biggest awareness meetings will be held in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, on October 5, where businesses can avail of advise from Revenue, Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia among agencies about Brexit. Another three similar largescale awareness events are planned for Galway, Monaghan, and Dublin. Mr Coveney will relay the details as part of contingency planning for Brexit. Cabinet will also discuss an update on commitments to hire an extra 1,000 customs and veterinary officers, in line with pledges already given by the government at its Derrynane, Co Kerry, meeting in July. It is expected that Mr Coveney will seek approval on hiring 450 inspectors for ports and airports, as part of the first phase of hiring extra officers. Mr Coveney also said yesterday that Britain was not contemplating using technology on the island of Ireland to overcome border problems. Instead, he told RTE: Whether technology can help east-west trade is a different question to make the checks as simple and as de-dramatized as possible but that is a matter for the negotiating teams. The EUs chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said earlier this month that he was willing to consider new ways to solve the Irish border issue, including technical checks on vessels or in ports outside Ireland. Tensions over Brexit will likely increase in the weeks ahead. EU leaders will meet informally and discuss Brexit in Salzburg, Austria, this Thursday. There are doubts though whether conditions and agreement can be reached for Britains withdrawal deal next month, ahead of Brexit next March. British prime minister Theresa May has told the BBC that British parliamentarians will have a choice between her proposed deal with the EU or no deal at all. She was also critical of a plan by Brexiteers to overcome the Irish border concerns, saying it would create a hard border 20km inside Ireland. Ms May insisted that any system of checks, as advocated by Tory Brexiteers, was still a hard border. Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson had said attempts to resolve the issue so far were a constitutional abomination. Ms May said that if the British parliament did not ratify her so-called Chequers plan that she thought that the alternative to that will be having no deal. Elsewhere, the Tanaiste will fly to Brussels later today to meet Mr Barnier for further talks over Brexit. The issue of avoiding a hard border in Ireland is now the main stumbling block to agreeing a deal in October. Pressure is expected to mount on Irish officials to tweak or row back on the so-called backstop and the stance adopted by the government. However, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe yesterday reiterated that there was still unflinching support from the EU and Brussels over Brexit. Turkey to send new troops to defend Idlib ceasefire In accord with Moscow, will reopen commercial highways (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 18 - Turkey will send new troops to Idlib to guarantee, together with Russia, respect for the demilitarized zone on the front line between government loyalists and anti-Assad rebels in northwestern Syria, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The zone was agreed upon on Monday in Sochi between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan. He said "civilians and moderate opposition" will remain in the area, while "only radical groups" will be removed, in particular, those belonging to al-Qaeda. Cavusoglu said tanks and rocket launchers are included on the list of heavy weapons that will have to be removed from the demilitarized zone. "A ceasefire will be guaranteed," he said. "The M4 and M5 highways, which are important for commerce, will be opened by the end of the year," he said.(ANSAmed). Ailis Ni Rian hasnt let a hearing impairment stop her from composing music and writing plays, one of which will be performed at Dublin Fringe Fest, writes Colette Sheridan. Despite having a hearing impairment, Cork-born Ailis Ni Riain is a successful contemporary classical composer and is also a playwright. Reared in St Lukes, Ni Riain, 42, has a site-specific show that will be performed at the Dublin Fringe Festival in a hotel bedroom. The intense one-woman show, starring Alvean Jones is a mixture of movement, sign language, text and music. It was performed in the Maldron Hotel at the Cork Midsummer Festival last year. Ni Riains impairment is the result of having contracted encephalitis when she was five years of age. Its the nasty big brother of meningitis. The brain swells so its quite serious. "The mortality rate is quite high. If you dont die from it, you end up with some sort of brain damage. In Ni Riains case, there was brain swelling against her skull which damaged her hearing canal. She had to relearn everything, including how to speak. Youre basically a rag doll. I was sick from age five to seven. My mother fought for me to continue at school. She told the teachers she wanted me to keep going to normal school. I repeated a year or two to catch up. While attending St Angelas secondary school, Ni Riain knew she wanted to study music at third level and also became interested in theatre. She attended Cork Arts Theatres productions of new writing and avidly read plays at Cork City Library. Ni Riain did a degree in music at UCC, studied piano at the Cork School of Music and attended York University for a masters degree. It had a very high reputation at that time. I really struggled at York to make the grade. I was surrounded by people who had been in the system studying composition for quite a number of years. "I didnt want to admit to my hearing impairment while working with instrumentalists so I sort of bluffed it as best I could. Such is Ni Riains hearing issue that after a certain frequency, she cant hear anything at all. It terms of being a composer, it means that at the upper range of certain instruments, I just dont hear and have to rely on other people or some sort of physical representation. Its very difficult and embarrassing and it also means Im not fully in charge. The other thing I have is hyper acousis. Its essentially a hyper sensitivity to certain everyday sounds that can actually cause me pain. I wear ear plugs a lot in company to block out sounds (other than those of the voices she is listening to). I wear hearing aids as well. Its only in the last ten years that Ni RIain decided to become more public about her disability. As a composer, its not something you want to admit to. Have perceptions around disability changed? "I used to feel" by Ailis Ni Riain @dublinfringe combines theatre, live classical music, visual language and movement to bring to life the challenges of communication. Location: The Marker Hotel More info: https://t.co/asETbe7zWI Tickets: https://t.co/C8akXWjTBF #dublinfringe pic.twitter.com/qwI8BCdVZE The Marker Hotel Dublin (@themarkerhotel) September 17, 2018 Its a tricky one. Were living in a very noisy world. My impairment has got worse over a period of years to a point where I found it very difficult socially, and I still do. So if I meet someone, it has to be in a quiet place and it has to be one to one. West Yorkshire-based Ni Riains play, The Tallest Man in the World, was produced by Corcadorca for the Cork Midsummer Festival in 2013. It got two readings in the US and was shortlisted for the Eugene ONeill Playwright Award. As a result, it is going to be staged at the Tank Theatre in New York in March 2019. In all, Ni Riain has written six plays. Ni Riain says she couldnt afford to live in Ireland. She is happy to be based in her modest millers cottage in the north of England. From there, she travels the world, challenged but undaunted by her hearing problems. I used to Feel, supported by Arts & Disability Ireland, will be performed at the Marker Hotel in Grand Canal Square in Dublin from September 21-23. Manchan Magan tells Marjorie Brennan about the quirky free shows hes bringing to Cork Opera House to foster a new love of Irish. Our native language gets a bad rap. Utter the name Peig to a certain cohort and youll be sure to hear a chorus of groans. But there is much, much more to our native language than the manner in which it has been taught, something of which Manchan Magan is acutely aware. The writer and broadcaster has made it a mission to delve into our complex relationship with Irish, and open our minds to its wonderful possibilities and potential. Magan made an impact on the public consciousness more than a decade ago with his TV series No Bearla, in which he travelled around Ireland speaking only Irish. Now, he is attempting to bring home to people the richness and beauty of the language through two ingenious art projects, Gaeilge Tamagotchi and Aran agus Im. In the former, people are invited to wind their way through a labyrinth of linen, at the end of which Magan bestows on them an Irish word, which they can print or paint on stone, oak-wood or linen. Magan hopes that this opportunity to adopt an endangered Irish word will help people to appreciate the value of the language. I see something really potent and valuable about the language and I wanted to find a way of focusing on that, he says. When I am reading old books and manuscripts, I come across these words and they are so beautiful. I thought to myself how could I create a little device, or a little sort of ritual, that would help people focus on these. LINEN HALL Magan teamed up with the acclaimed architect Tom De Paor, who designed an installation fashioned from 30m of raw Irish linen. I just knew that I wanted to take people out of the norm, which is what theatre does. But I didnt want all the conventions and trappings of theatre, of a three-act play. We said lets create this little sanctuary, that people can just go inside; Ill stand in the middle of it and if anyone turns up, Ill give them a word. "We were wondering would it be a dark box or a blackened space. Then, somehow, we decided, no, let us try and make it out of Irishness, out of Irish linen, and it really works. Aran & Im is coming to @THTG Galway 14th & 15th Sept... then @CorkOperaHouse 21st & 22nd Sept... then to Fumbally Stables Dublin, 13th Oct https://t.co/xTpn21uW4d Come along to eat some sourdough, churn some butter and talk about the Irish language (in English, mostly) pic.twitter.com/wJfkZVrXNi Manchan Magan (@ManchanMagan) August 31, 2018 Their creative collaboration made its debut at the Project Arts Centre, as part of the 2015 Dublin Fringe Festival. Magan said they were overwhelmed by the response. Hordes came. My niece volunteered to help me, because Im inside the structure, so I dont get to see anything. People were taking buses from Sligo and Galway; it just seemed to get under peoples skin, the idea that we have all these gorgeous words that are part of our culture and heritage and, now, they no longer have a place in the world. Magan sees Gaeilge Tamagotchi as a ritualistic covenant, that sparks a folk memory, rather than an educational endeavour. Obviously, there is nothing practical about Gaeilge Tamagotchi. You are not going to revive a language by bestowing words. But what is lovely is that it is not just about the Irish language. When I did it in Dublin, there were Koreans coming in, and youd also see people from around Europe and realise that we all have words and languages that we are losing. The labyrinthine quality of the installation also reflects how we have somehow lost our way in our relationship with the Irish language, which often verges on the antagonistic. Yes, that [antagonism] is not logical. Its a wound. During the Famine, we had this massive trauma, which we still dont talk about. Irish was our block. It meant we couldnt escape and when we did get to another country, we had this huge hindrance. Irish was the language of poverty, despair, of starvation. It is only natural that, when we had the option to learn English, we embraced it. According to Magan, that mindset continued until the boom of the mid-1990s. At that time, the Irish pound was worth more than sterling. We were able to buy up property in London. That idea of us being a poor country, whose people had to emigrate, ended. Then in 1996 TG4 was established and suddenly you have Scooby Doo and Spongebob Squarepants in Irish. So, I do believe that next generation doesnt have that same mindset as us. They have inherited a lot of our anger at the language, but they probably dont have that psychological feeling that it is a language of poverty, despair, and starvation. "I think, at some stage, either we will destroy ourselves and destroy our language or we will become proud enough in our own food, culture, clothing and language. It takes generations. Manchan Magan uses sourdough bread as a metaphor in relaying the richness of Irish. FRESHEN UP Magan welcomes the fresh approach being taken by the likes of Darach O Seaghada, whose Twitter account, The Irish For, takes an irreverent look at the language, and also spawned the bestselling book, Motherfocloir. They are phenomenal and so much fun. These are people doing really positive, creative things and that is all we need, says Magan. This changing Ireland, and how it may prove to be the saviour of the language, is one of the themes of Magans theatrical performance, Aran agus Im, in which he bakes sourdough bread, while exploring the potency of our linguistic heritage with the audience. That younger generation are embracing our traditions, but they also speak Irish easily; they have no agenda. I wondered if I could take that kind of hipster world, and that love of going back to our natural bread, a grain grown and risen from the land, and combine it with the Irish language and just have it as a vehicle that we could discuss it. So, I bake my bread and people can share their ideas about the language, he says. Magan also delves into the otherworldly nature of Irish. There is this other, invisible realm of the Irish language... so many words are connected with the fairies for example, the word scim means a dusting of flour, but it also means succumbing to the other world in sleep or puicin, which is a word for blindfold, but is also a supernatural cloak that allows otherworldly beings appear invisible in our world. "Until we take account of this other dimension that is encoded in the Irish language, we cant really understand Irish. I get deep into that in Aran agus Im and sourdough is the perfect metaphor to discuss it all, because in one teaspoon of sourdough, there are five billion different bacteria and 50m different wild yeasts, all having this process on the flour, invisible to the naked eye. People get to hear these daft ideas and get to taste lovely fresh bread and churn their own butter. Magan says three years after he first did Gaeilge Tamagotchi, he still gets people approaching him about the show. I have been in New York and London and people have taken out their word from their wallet and shown me they are still minding it, Magan says. To complement the upcoming performances of Jimmys Hall at Cork Opera House, Manchan Magan will perform Gaeilge Tamagotchi and Aran agus Im at the venue on Friday and Saturday, at 1pm and 6pm. Admission is free, but booking is necessary, at Cork Opera House. When it comes to the benefits of probiotics, it depends on who you ask. However, Pat Fitzpatrick is convinced that kefir works for him. I gave up kefir over the summer, along with avoiding beer on a Tuesday night and worrying what people think about my white legs. Unfortunately, theres an R in the month now and its time to face facts. First of all, Im getting early-onset bingo wings, so midweek beer and chocolate is out until Christmas. The second is Im coming into my busiest time of the year, with a few TV projects coming up and a book I have to get to the publishers in January 2019. On top of that my two kids seem to have taken up every single sport in the Olympics except pigeon shooting, and I can already feel the uptick in my stress levels. So as of last week, Im back on the kefir, a fermented probiotic drink that can be made with milk, water or coconut water. Fans of kefir claim its good for your gut and whats good for your gut is good for mind. The purists like to use their own starter or mother culture, which is like little bits of cauliflower, that can be used again and again to make a fresh batch of the drink. These arent easy to get you nearly need someone on the inside, an uber-hippy wholl sort you out with the good stuff. My wife has just such a connection in West Cork (where else?), and arrived home one day with some in a bowl. Were not the best at looking after live cultures in our place and they died within a month, from lack of attention. Im told this happens to a lot of newbies. So now I cheat a bit, and use freeze-dried sachets of powder, derived from the original mother cultures. I mix these with milk and end up with something resembling natural yoghurt, which you can put in your porridge or smoothie or that fruit salad you post on Instagram to make your friends feel bad about themselves. I know it all sounds a bit Gwyneth Paltrow, but I believe it works, at least for me. Im not the only one. Kefir fans claim it contains good bacteria that boost your immune and digestive systems, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and can even reduce the risk of cancer. In fairness, none of this has been proven beyond doubt. Put it this way the UK website of the company that makes my kefir grains says they are prohibited by EU regulations from telling me the benefits of kefir. (Maybe theyll be able to take back control after Brexit and fill us in on the details.) Professor Ted Dinan of UCC (right) with student, Olivia Walsh at the launch of the Zenflore stress survey at UCC Picture: Michael O'Sullivan / OSM. Also, researchers at the Weizmann Institute in Israel recently published a study which claimed that probiotics dont work for 50% of the population, because they resist the good bacteria, which go straight through their system and out the other end. That said, a professor who researches genetic epidemiology at Kings College in London is quoted in the Daily Telegraph, saying this not a reason to shun probiotics, adding that its often prescribed by doctors in France for a patient who is complaining of a cold. So when it comes to the benefits of probiotics, it depends on who you ask. All I know is they work for me. Let me explain what I mean by works. When I started taking kefir a year ago, it didnt clear up some long-standing ailment or overhaul my digestive system. Kefir just made me feel good about myself. I enjoyed the process of making up a fresh batch, even though theres a bit of work and patience involved. (I think I just like all the stirring.) I like pouring it over our porridge every morning. I like the back story, that kefir comes from the Caucasus Mountain region, where people seem to live forever. I also like the way I slept better last winter, didnt catch any bad bugs and generally felt more alert. Ive felt more sluggish over the summer, since I gave it up, although that could be down to eating chocolate at night and beer-buzz Tuesdays. None of this is going to make its way into a medical journal, for or against kefir or other probiotics. Maybe this just the placebo effect, and I feel better because I expect to feel better. But for now, Im glad to be back on the kefir and already feel better about things than I did last week. I can see why kefir mightnt work for you. The taste is a bit Conor McGregor, it wouldnt be for everyone. You have to make a fresh batch about once a week and it takes over a day for that batch to be ready for consumption. If you want to do take something other than kefir to aid your gut, then a supplement like Zenflore might be the one for you. Sold in capsule form, the manufacturers worked with Professors Ted Dinan and John Cryan from UCC, whose work focuses on the gut-brain axis. Zenflore contains a natural culture, part of the family of bacteria passed from mother to baby during birth, and the manufacturers claim that along with vitamins in their supplement, it can combat stress-related fatigue. I wont be going for a supplement just yet. I like the ritual of making and tasting kefir, and I genuinely think its good for me. I guess you could call it a gut feeling. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GUT HEALTH, PROBIOTICS The gut is responsible for producing 90% of the serotonin in the body, which affects our mood. Professor Dinan and his team in UCC found that certain bacteria, known as psychobiotic, can have a positive mental health benefit. They established a direct connection between our brain and gut, where a two-way conversation occurs along the vagus nerve, and this has an effecton our stress responses. Zenflore contains the 1714-Serenitas culture, which is part of the family of bacteria passed from mother to child during birth. Tested This culture has been clinically tested and shown to help people with everyday stress levels. According to Britains National Health Service website, probiotics are classified as food and not subject to rigorous testing that applies to medicine. They add that probiotics appear to be safe for people with healthy immune systems and shouldnt cause any unpleasant side effects. The website also says there is evidence that probiotics can aid gut health in premature babies, shorten an episode of diarrhoea caused by a stomach bug, and may reduce bloating and flatulence for some people who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. On the other hand, they add there is a lack of conclusive evidence that probiotics boost your immune system. HOW TO TAKE KEFIR The annual three-day event where the nations attention turns to all matters faming, food production and rural-related begins today, writes ICMSA president Pat McCormack Outside of our own specialist and superb farm media, the next three days represent one of the few chances that farmers can bring their issues to the wider national media and expect to receive a sympathetic ear and some consideration. God knows that this year we have more than enough issues to place before them and have rarely needed their active consideration and sensible response more. I deliberately have not asked for governmental or anyone elses sympathy. Farmers dont want sympathy. What we want and have every right to expect is sensible timely policy that sees the bigger picture that can work down to and make a difference at individual farm level. The last year has seen more problems for our farming and food production sector join an already lengthy queue. ICMSA prides itself on being an organisation that actively seeks solutions. We are not, nor ever will be, an organisation that merely identifies what is wrong and stays at that stage. Our heritage is to identify whats wrong and investigate a response that deals with the issue and move the overall situation forward. We do not say that we have always been successful or that our suggestions have always been heeded, but we can say, by reference to our record, that we always and ever came forward with a solution and one, moreover, based on sound logic and in the interests of our family farm system which we believed and still believe to be the foundation of our farming and wider agri-food sector and the economic backbone of rural communities. That is what we are and that is who we represent. On fodder, we will obviously need a fodder scheme similar to the one introduced last spring, but well also need the minister to open up the low interest loan fund he announced last October, and which hasnt processed a single application yet. We know it was originally intended to address Brexit issues but needs must and its the obvious mechanism to tackle the kind of crippling cash-flow thats hitting farmers now on foot of surging feeds costs. We also need a really concerted drive on live exports in a situation where we dont have enough fodder then we have to get animals out of the yard and out of the country. On prices, ICMSA has commissioned and released a report that shows the systematic and massive losses farmers have suffered through the Beef Grid currently operated by the factories. There was a bias against farmers designed into the grid from the first day a fact that ICMSA was alone in objecting to and the grid will have to be reviewed, a fact conceded by the Beef Forum no less than three years ago and which has still not happened. Milk price has recovered slowly but co-ops are still lagging the Ornua Index in other words, not paying their farmer-suppliers the price that they themselves are receiving per litre. ICMSA has also called out the practice of dividing milk price into base and bonus elements with a sub-market base price topped-up by the bonus element on grounds of hardship or loyalty. I really dont know who they thought was being fooled by this rigamarole; farmers want the market price for their milk and if co-ops want to pay a bonus then that should be paid on top of the correct market price. On Cap 2020, our position is as simple as it can be: direct payments must be at least maintained at present levels and must be directed to active farmers. The declared opposition of Germany and France to the Commissions proposals have effectively made that disastrous plan redundant and the Commission will have to think again. Direct payments are critical and represent a payment for a guarantee of the highest standard food on the planet being made available to EU consumers at very cheap prices. On Brexit, we think its impossible to overstate how important this is to every part of Ireland from the Red Cow to Rosscarbery, areas where food production is not a component part of the economy but is rather THE economy itself. ICMSA has already stated that we think that perhaps too much Irish focus has been given the North-South political dimension at the expense of the West-East economic aspect. But theres a (very recent) historical context and we understand why the Government felt it had to concentrate on that. On Budget 2019, Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe to grasp the issues around boom-and-bust farm income cycles. Teagasc is predicting a 50% fall in farmer income this year. Could other sectors could even comprehend that? We have given the minister a farm management deposit scheme that would allow farmers deposit money in a good year and then draw it down in a bad year and pay the tax at that stage. Its completely transparent, regulated, and will give farmers some way of smoothing out their finances over a five-year period. It simply has to happen and has to happen on October 9. - Pat McCormack is president of the ICMSA Revival of the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill reveals the strength of public outrage following recent controversies concerning online platforms, write Bryan McCarthy and Sarah Slevin. Recent, high-profile controversies have thrown a pointed spotlight over social media/online multinationals and the extent to which their users should be protected from their ability to both monitor the behaviour of users and self-monitor content and access. It is the usual suspects that have featured in these controversies and that have re-ignited the debate around self-regulation versus legislative intervention. Earlier this summer, Channel 4s Dispatches programme highlighted severe failings in Facebooks content review policies and in the implementation of these policies. This month Google has received severe criticism following revelations about its continued tracking of users locations and movements through certain apps even after Location History had been switched off on the device. It had appeared, in Ireland at least, that decisions on the issue of regulation of online companies had reached a conclusion in the short to medium term, with the Governments Action Plan for Online Safety, published in July last, opting for self-regulation despite Minister for Communications Denis Naughtens earlier commitment to appoint a digital safety commissioner with powers in the areas of review and decision-making. This change in approach was the subject of criticism and dismay from childrens rights organisations and Opposition parties alike. It seems, however, that the recent misfortunes of Facebook and Google have re-opened this debate. The chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Hildegarde Naughton, wrote to the Office of the Data Protection Commission calling for an investigation into Googles location-tracking activities and has also promised to make contact with the Department of the Taoiseach regarding the need for regulation. Significantly, the committee has indicated that, rather than allow social media platforms continue to self-regulate, and despite the Governments row-back on its promise of a digital safety commissioner, it will prioritise a bill which looked to legislate for the creation of such a role. Originally introduced by Sinn Feins Donnchadh O Laoghaire, the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017 followed on from a Law Reform Commission (LRC) report on internet safety which suggested several reforms for the protection of persons in the digital environment, including the appointment of a digital safety commissioner. But what does the bill, stretching to a mere 12 sections, propose, and how does it compare to international equivalents? It is proposed that the digital safety commissioner would oversee and regulate a take-down procedure for the removal of harmful digital communications by digital service undertakings. It would also be tasked with ensuring that the take-down procedure is made available to all affected individual persons by digital service providers free of charge. The digital safety commissioner would develop a code of practice, in consultation with the public, Government departments, public bodies, and digital service undertakings, for the operation of this take-down procedure, including steps and timelines. The bill also proposes national digital safety standards with which digital service undertakings must comply, such as including mandatory provisions for the undertakings terms of use on harmful communications; making a complaints scheme available to users; appointing a digital safety officer. Provision is made for an optional compliance certificate with the above code of practice and national digital safety standards, as well as a facility for users to appeal to the digital safety commissioner in the event of a request under a take-down procedure not being granted. The bill gives the digital safety commissioner the power to apply to the Circuit Court for enforcement of a direction issued by him/her. Notably, it also grants any person who intends to bring civil proceedings regarding harmful communications the ability to apply for what is known as a Norwich Pharmacal Order, essentially a court order requiring the disclosure of the name and/or address of the person against whom the proceedings are to be brought. The intention behind this provision is likely to facilitate actions being brought against otherwise anonymous individuals who post harmful content online. Furthermore, the proposed soft functions of the digital safety commissioner include promoting measures to improve digital safety, including the preparation of guidance material; co-ordinating the activities of Government departments; analysing and sharing information and research, and publishing reports. It is envisaged that the Ombudsman for Children would have a role in working with the digital safety commissioner in preparing and publishing guidance material on digital safety and harmful digital communications for both children and parents. Clearly, the key element of the digital safety commissioners role lies in receipt of users appeals on non-action by digital service providers when such users make complaints or request take-down of material. This means that the bill does not merely contain a requirement for the establishment of a complaints and take-down facility by a digital service provider, it also gives the commissioner direct powers to ensure the system is effective in practice. The bill was intended to replicate functions held by similar offices in certain other jurisdictions. In Australia, for instance, the esafety commissioners remit was recently expanded beyond its initial, child-specific, functions. As well as content moderation, the Australian commissioner has investigative powers in respect of complaints of cyberbullying. It distinguishes between Tier 1 media services, which participate on a co-operative basis, and large Tier 2 services, which are subject to more formal, and stringent, procedures. In New Zealand, Netsafe, the countrys approved agency for investigating harmful digital communications may, following receipt of a complaint from a website user, attempt to resolve not only through a take-down procedure but also though mediation, negotiation, and persuasion. Courts in that jurisdiction are also empowered to make a wide variety of orders, including refraining from certain conduct, publication of a correction, and giving a right of reply to affected persons (note, however, that these civil functions have not yet been commenced). When compared with the (admittedly limited) number of international pre-cursors, Irelands current proposal appears less measured/specific, although the office, its functions, and its scope will hopefully become more refined as the bill progresses. Equally, enforcement is limited to the court actions set out above; the imposition of fines is not envisaged and the criminal offences considered by the LRC in its report do not feature. Of all the bills current provisions, the take-down procedure would have the greatest practical impact both the proposed digital safety standards and the optional compliance certificate are unlikely to either adversely affect or concern the digital multinationals to whom the bill is addressed. Nonetheless, and unsurprisingly, social media platforms have begun their pushback on the proposal. In a statement made directly before the Committee on Communications, head of policy at Facebook Ireland, Niamh Sweeney, said whilst it understood the reasoning for establishing a digital safety commissioner, the fact that there was no definition of harmful communication in the draft legislation risked uncertainty, unpredictability, and limiting freedom of expression. Of course, the bill remains in its infancy, and there are likely to be many changes to its provisions before it finds its way to the Presidents desk for signature, if, indeed, it becomes law at all. Nonetheless, the very fact of its revival demonstrates the strength of public outrage following high-profile online controversies, as well as the importance and power of committees, and the legislature more broadly, in the current Oireachtas. Facebook has already appeared before the Communications Committee, and Google is likely to follow. Bryan McCarthy is a partner with Ronan Daly Jermyn. Sarah Slevin is a solicitor with the same firm. Asia Japanese Submarine Conducts First Drills in South China Sea Sailors stand aboard the Kokuryu submarine of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force during its fleet review at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Oct. 15, 2015. / Reuters TOKYO A Japanese submarine joined a naval drill in the South China Sea for the first time, the Ministry of Defense said on Monday, in an escalation of Japanese activity in the disputed waterway claimed by China and others. The Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine Kuroshio conducted a naval exercise on Thursday with other Japanese warships in the South China Sea, including the Kaga helicopter carrier, which is on a two-month tour of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, a Ministry of Defense spokesman said. She said it was the first time a Japanese submarine had conducted drills there, confirming an earlier report in the Asahi newspaper. The exercise, which involved the submarine trying to evade detection, was conducted away from island bases constructed by China to push its claims in the strategic sea. However, it could still anger Beijing because submarines represent a greater potential menace to shipping than surface vessels. It came after a British Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, sailed close to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea late last month to exercise freedom of navigation rights. Britains first such operation prompted a strong protest from China, which sent aircraft and a naval vessel to meet the British ship. The US Navy has conducted similar operations in the South China Sea. Washington has said it would like to see more countries challenge Beijing in the South China Sea, through which some $3 trillion of shipborne trade passes each year. Foreign aircraft and vessels in the region are routinely challenged by Chinese naval ships and monitoring stations on the fortified islands, sources have said previously. Beijing insists its intentions in the South China Sea are peaceful. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have territorial claims in the area. In a separate announcement, the Defense Ministry said the Kuroshio, with a crew of 80, would make a five-day port visit to Vietnams strategic naval base at Cam Ranh Bay from Monday. Asia Leaders of Two Koreas Meet in Pyongyang for Talks on Ending War South Korean President Moon Jae-in is greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an official welcome ceremony at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sept. 18, 2018. / Reuters SEOUL North Koreans Kim Jong Un greeted Moon Jae-in with hugs and smiles on Tuesday as the South Korean president arrived in Pyongyang to discuss faltering talks on denuclearization and the prospect of officially ending the Korean War. Hundreds of North Koreans wearing suits and traditional dresses also greeted Moon, carrying flowers and waving Korean peninsula and North Korean flags. A sign behind them read: We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-ins visit to Pyongyang! The two leaders stepped out of the same black Mercedes vehicle with open-top rear seats to arrive at Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon will stay. The guesthouse was also used by two former South Korean presidents during their own summits with Kims father, Kim Jong Il, in 2000 and 2007. Kim and Moon will hold formal talks from 3:30 pm to 5 pm (0630 to 0800 GMT), Moons office said. The inter-Korean summit, the third between Moon and Kim, will be a litmus test for another meeting Kim has recently proposed to US President Donald Trump. Trump has asked Moon to be chief negotiator between himself and Kim, according to Moons aides, after Trump cancelled a trip to Pyongyang by his secretary of state last month. Washington wants to see concrete action toward denuclearization by North Korea before agreeing to a key goal of Pyongyang declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. If North Korea-US dialogue is restarted after this visit, it would have much significance in itself, Moon said before his departure. Underscoring the challenges ahead, North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun said on Tuesday the responsibility falls squarely on the United States for the stalled nuclear discussions. It is due to its nonsensical, irrational stubbornness that other issues can only be discussed after our country has completely verifiably, irreversibly dismantled our nuclear capabilities without showing the intention to build trust including declaring the end of war, the newspaper said in an editorial. Moon, himself the offspring of a family displaced by the war, has met Kim twice this year at the border village of Panmunjom. As he landed at Pyongyangs Sunan International Airport on Tuesday morning, Moon was greeted by Kim, his wife Ri Sol Ju and other top North Korean officials, as well as a large honor guard and a military band. Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the leader and a key propaganda official, was seen preparing officials for Moons arrival and accompanying Kim Jong Un and his wife. South Korean corporate executives, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group, will meet with North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam, who is in charge of economic affairs. On Wednesday, Moon and Kim plan to hold a second round of official talks after which they are expected to unveil a joint statement, and a separate military pact designed to defuse tensions and prevent armed clashes. Moon will return home early Thursday. Sanctions Pressure This weeks summit comes as the United States presses other countries to strictly observe UN sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic missile programs. North Korea says it has destroyed its main nuclear and missile engine test site, and has halted atomic and ballistic missile tests but US officials and analysts believe it is continuing to work on its weapons plans covertly. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Russia on Monday of cheating on UN sanctions on North Korea. Moon is hoping to engineer a proposal that combines a framework for the Norths denuclearization and a joint declaration ending the Korean War, Seoul officials said. The conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving US-led UN forces including South Korea technically still at war with the North. But US officials remain unenthusiastic about declaring an end to the war without any substantial action toward denuclearization from the North, Seoul officials said. South Korea is pinning high hopes on Kims remarks to Moons special envoys earlier this month that he wants to achieve denuclearization within Trumps first term in office ending in early 2021. Agreeing on a timetable is a core task for Moon, as it would induce U.S. action, said Lee Jung-chul, a professor at Soongsil University in Seoul. Given US skepticism that South Korea may have oversold Kims willingness to denuclearize, how President Moon delivers his sincerity toward denuclearization to Trump would be a key factor for the fate of their second summit, Lee told a forum on Monday in Seoul. Burma Analysis: Debt Trap Alert Rises in Myanmar as More Belt and Road Projects Scrapped Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China in May 2017. / Reuters YANGON Pakistan has recently halted agreements reached under Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, including the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor seeking to connect Asia and Europe along the same route as the ancient Silk Road, because it was found to unfairly benefit Chinese companies. Malaysia has also announced the cancellation of two major infrastructure projects, with a total value of $23 billion, which make up part of the Belt and Road Initiative in order to avoid falling into a debt trap. While several Asian countries have scrapped mega projects planned under Chinese president Xis ambitious Belt and Road Initiative in their countries, Naypyitaws recent agreement with Beijing for a multibillion-dollar economic project has raised eyebrows over its potential for creating a debt trap in a country with a low sovereign credit rating and a low capacity to service the debt. Last week, Myanmars planning and finance minister, U Soe Win and the chairman of Chinas top economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), He Lifeng signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the establishment of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). It will connect Kunming, the capital of Chinas Yunnan Province to the Bay of Bengal at a deep sea port in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature foreign One Belt, One Road (OBOR) policy, later known as the Belt and Road Initiative was unveiled in 2013 and aims to build a network of roads, railways and shipping lanes linking at least 70 countries from China to Europe passing through central Asia, the Middle East and Russia, fostering trade and investment. In 2017, Myanmars State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. An MOU of cooperation within the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative was signed during the visit. The CMEC project will be one of the biggest packages of foreign direct investment (FDI) yet under the National League for Democracys administration and it comes while Myanmar is struggling with declining of FDI year by year and the countrys image in tatters over the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State. The 1,700-kilometer-long corridor will pass through Myanmars major economic hubs including Mandalay in central Myanmar, then going south-east to Yangon before turning west to its end point at Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ). According to CMEC proposal, the initial stages of the project include an estimated 24 projects with a total budget of $2 billion which is exclusive of the other major infrastructure projects that will begin in a later stage. From this budget, Myanmars Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation will receive $400 million to develop the irrigation system along the corridor in Myanmar. In Yangon, as part of the CMEC, the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has already proposed the $100 billion New Yangon City, a development project that aims to construct a combination of new cities, industrial parks and urban development projects. The proposal also includes upgrades to three major roads through Mandalay, Muse on the Myanmar side of the border with China, and some roads in Shan State. The highway and a high-speed railway are expected to cross war-torn Shan and Kachin states. To bolster the success of the strategic plan, China has been making efforts in assisting peace negotiations between Naypyitaw and the ethnic armed groups. According to Myanmars Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), the economic corridor project will boost basic infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, finance, human resources development, telecommunications, and research and technology. The proposal claimed that the CMEC would allow a direct flow of Chinese goods into the southern and western regions of Myanmar and that Chinese industries could transfer here in order to abate the rising labor cost and overcapacity of Chinas industries. It said Myanmar would become a major trade hub between China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. However, experts are questioning how the infrastructure projects across Myanmar would be financed. Associate Professor at the Institute of Security and International Studies in the Faculty of Political Science at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University, Thitinan Pongsudhirak told The Irrawaddy, The CMEC can take the example of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in view of other infrastructure connectivity [projects in] Chinas Belt and Road. The conspicuous risk is the so-called debt trap whereby China lends substantial sums to construct corridor projects and leave recipient countries saddled with debt obligations they will have difficulties repaying. This gives China leverage and influence over recipient countries, he said. In March 2018, a report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development said, China is putting many countries under the Belt and Road Initiative at financial risk through a series of aid activities and huge amounts of lending. The report said countries which are at a particularly high risk are Laos, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the Maldives, Djibouti, and Montenegro. The head of the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation has echoed this concern, warning that Chinas Belt and Road Initiative was creating a debt trap for many poor nations. A deep-water port project of the Belt and Road Initiative in Sri Lanka was recently handed over to a Chinese state-owned company on a 99-year lease after Sri Lanka failed to make its loan repayments. Sri Lanka is one vivid example of Chinas ambitious use of loans and aid to gain influence long the Belt and Road route. A key strategic project under the Initiative, Kyaukphyus seaport is already a major doorway allowing Chinas oil imports to bypass the Strait of Malacca and gives China direct access to the Indian Ocean. The project will fulfill Chinas dream to boost development in land-locked Yunnan Province. A recent successful share renegotiation of Kyaukphyu SEZalso combined with MoU for Economic Corridor, Myanmar is stepping into Chinas strategic plan to achieve economic supremacy in the region. China is Myanmars unavoidable neighbor geographically and economically at a time when western investment is turning away from the country due to the internationally condemned human rights crisis in Rakhine State. Myanmar has no one else to rely on but China. The West is pushing Myanmar into Chinas hands, Yangon-based political analyst U Maung Maung Soe told The Irrawaddy. China wont give up on their strategic plan; they will try to find several ways to move it forward. We need to find a better way of working with them practically, said U Maung Maung Soe. Experts have said the Kyaukphyu port could be a key project in the Myanmar, Bangladesh and North East India Economic Corridors for its role as a transport center. Myanmar is already essential to Chinas access to fuel supplies as Chinese pipelines having been pumping oil and gas from the port at Kyaukphyu to Yunnan since 2017. Developing Asian countries like Myanmar, experts have pointed out, are undeniably in need of infrastructure upgrades in order to promote economic development and improve living standards but there are key questions surrounding the ownership, operation and terms of these projects. Myanmar will have to eke out favorable terms that are fair and not disadvantages. Laos is a good example of what not to do, of why not be too heavily indebted to China, Thitinan Pongsudhirak said. Myanmar also has to be careful about other strings attached, such as land use rights and other concessions and terms for these projects. Doing so will allow Myanmar to safeguard sovereignty and economic national interest, he added. According to a DICA official, the MOU includes 15 points of collaboration between the relative ministries from both sides, but the Myanmar government has not yet released it to the public. In August, at a seminar titled Myanmars Economy 2018: Progress, Problems, Possibilities special economic consultant to the Myanmar state counselor, Sean Turnell said that regarding Chinese mega investment, Myanmar needs to consider whether Chinas mega-projects are for Myanmars national and economic interest or not. Despite some countries having run into major financial difficulties after Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects began, in August vice chairman of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission, Ning Jizhe claimed the projects are not a debt trap. He said the countries with debt problems have long-standing high debt levels which shouldnt be blamed on the Initiative. For China, it has to be careful not to be seen as ripping off countries like Myanmar or Laos or Sri Lanka because this could lead to local resentment and pushback against Chinese interests, Thitinan Pongsudhirak said. Burma Analysis: Myanmar Still Living with Legacy of 1988 Military Coup Troops confront pro-democracy demonstrators on a street in Yangon in August 1988. YANGON Shortly before nightfall on Sept. 17, 1988, the fortified gate of Yangons War Office was flung open to allow an Army convoy to stream out. The city was wearily silent, as if exhausted from witnessing the pro-democracy demonstrations, occasionally bloody, that had been raging across the country since August. In an armored vehicle within the convoy sat the then Military Intelligence director, Colonel Khin Nyunt, and military Commander-in-Chief General Saw Maung. Their destination was a leafy neighborhood near Inya Lakethe residence of their former leader, General Ne Win, the freshly retired dictator of Socialist Myanmar who still wielded power over his subordinates. Their mission was to report directly to their former boss about the current situation in the country; as President Dr. Maung Maung put it at the time, Hazards to life and limb and property had risen beyond tolerable limits due to what he characterized as violence, anarchy and mass looting by hooligans and thugs. The government was unable to effectively maintain law and order in the wake of the nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations known as the 88 Uprising that had brought the country to a standstill. Upon their arrival, Col. Khin Nyunt and Gen. Saw Maung briefed the retired general, who replied, I hadnt realized the situation was that bad, according to the spy chiefs 2015 memoir, Lives I Have Been Through. According to Khin Nyunts account, the meeting was prompted by a discussion earlier that day between himself and then Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant-General Than Shwe; the Military Intelligence director was angered by the events unfolding in the streets. The two explained the situation to Gen. Saw Maung, who responded, We need to see Chairman U Ne Win. The following morning, Sept. 18, the dictator summoned six senior government officials, including President Dr. Maung Maung, the prime minister and foreign minister, to his office to ask them, Can you take care of the country? Col. Khin Nyunt and Gen. Saw Maung were also present. We cant, sir. We will follow your instructions, was the reply from the government ministers. Turning to Gen. Saw Maung, U Ne Win ordered him to protect the country in accordance with the laws, saying that no one else could handle the situation. Only the military can do this. It is obliged to do so, said the chairman, according to the memoir. When Gen. Saw Maung complained that he had no idea how to proceed, U Ne Win ordered Dr. Maung Maung, a former chief justice of the countrys Supreme Court, to help the general legalize the takeover. The president dictated four orders and notifications to Col. Khin Nyunt, who jotted them down in order to make a public announcement in the afternoon. At 4:00 pm, a male announcer proclaimed on the state-run Burma Broadcasting Service that In order to bring a timely halt to deteriorating conditions all over the country and in the interests of the people, the defense forces have assumed all power in the state, effective from today. The broadcasters regular programs were then interrupted by strident martial music before other announcements were heard, such as the formation of the 19-member military government, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Gen. Saw Maung was appointed chairman of the SLORC, whose members included Lt-Gen. Than Shwe and Khin Nyunt, who was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and occupied the position of Secretary (1) in the new regime. (U Khin Nyunt was later promoted to general and was one of the most powerful men in the junta until his arrest in 2004 for corruption.) Later that evening, the phone rang at the Bangkok home of Swedish journalist Bertil Lintner, who was then the Myanmar correspondent for the now-defunct Far Eastern Economic Review. Lintner picked up the receiver and recognized the voice of Denis Gray, The Associated Press Bangkok bureau chief. Gray said, Gen. Saw Maung has taken over. Theres been a coup in Rangoon. Having already received information about the militarys counteroffensive against the pro-democracy demonstratorssince Sept. 12, unusual troop movements had been reported, with soldiers coming into the then capital Rangoon (now Yangon) from various parts of the countryLintner had sensed that the Army was gearing up for a major showdown, one that he knew could lead to a bloodbath. He had written about the possibility in a cover story for the Review three days before the coup. So I wasnt surprised, but I was shocked by the brutality of the crackdown that followed on the 18th and immediately afterwards, he told The Irrawaddy, referring to the Armys indiscriminate shooting of nearly 1,000 unarmed people who turned out in Yangon to protest the coup on Sept. 19. It wasnt random shooting, as in August. More people were killed in August, possibly around 3,000, but the September massacre was carried out with military precision, said Lintner, who documented the carnage in his 1989 book Outrage, which recalls the 88 Uprising and its aftermath. The radio proclamations announcing the military takeover on the afternoon of Sept. 18, 1988 marked the beginning of 23 years of military dictatorship, an era in which the men in uniform were involved in running every sector of the country from banks to bus lines. The economy was shattered and job prospects were so poor that people would joke about living in a country where soldiers ran the nation while university graduates drove taxis. In 2011, the military ceded power to a quasi-civilian government led by former generals under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. The charter has been criticized as undemocratic by many, including the current government, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, which came to power after a landslide electoral victory in 2015. It reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats for military representatives and places control of three security-related ministries in the hands of the military. Thirty years on, Lintner identifies two main legacies of the 1988 coup. He points out that while the movement didnt cause the fall of the regime, it did force it to end the Burmese Way to Socialism. And although repression was harshit was not until 2011 that some fundamental freedoms and civil rights were introducedthe movement never died. It survived through underground groups, in the border areas, and in exile. It gave birth to a new generation of Burmese who are determined to defend their democratic rights, he said. On the other hand, he said, the coup established a culture of military power that has shown no signs of disappearing. People enjoy more freedoms than before, but Myanmar is not yet a democracy. Despite the fact that there is an elected Parliament and government in Naypyitaw, the military remains the countrys most powerful institution. The military was determined not to give up power in 1988, and that mindset hasnt changed, he said. Of course, the generals see things differently. Writing about the events of Sept. 18, 1988 in his autobiography 27 years later, Gen. Khin Nyunt insisted that there was no military coup. The military, he wrote, just intervened for the safety of the people, stability of the country, rule of law and resurrection of the governing mechanism. Burma India, Myanmar to Begin Using E-Visas Along Land Border The Tamu-Moreh border checkpoint along the India-Myanmar border seen from the Indian side in June. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy Burma Police Recapture 2 of 3 Escapees Who Cut Their Way Out of Cell in Bogale Bogale Township Police Station / Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region Police have recaptured two of three detainees who escaped from Myoma Police Station in Irrawaddy Regions Bogale Township early Tuesday. The three escaped at around 3:30 a.m. after using hacksaws to cut through the bars of their cell. After breaking out of the police station, the trio stole a motorbike from a driver and headed in the direction of Mawlamyinegyun Township. Two of the detainees were recaptured near Ye Lel village in Maubin Township at around 7:40 a.m. Tuesday during a joint search operation conducted by police from Pyapon District, Bogale Township and Maubin. The third escapee, identified as Hla Naing Oo, remains at large, according to Irrawaddy Region police. We have cordoned off the area to recapture the last escapee, Police Lieutenant-Colonel Tun Shwe told The Irrawaddy. One of the two recaptured escapees, former policeman Akar Jue, 23, was originally detained for theft. The other, Poe Phyu, 19, was originally detained on a charge of assault to commit theft. Hla Naing Oo, 33, was detained on a rape charge, police said. Irrawaddy Regional police commander Police Colonel Shwe Thaung was personally supervising the effort to find Hla Naing Oo. In August last year, 10 detainees escaped from a cell at the Myoma Police Station in Irrawaddy Regions Mawlamyinegyun Township, though all were later recaptured. On Sunday, 41 inmates managed to escape from Taung Kalay Prison in Karen States Hpa-an Township after stealing a truck that had come to collect garbage at the prison. Twenty-one of them were recaptured the following day, while the leader of the prison break was reportedly shot dead. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Burma Two Men Sentenced to Death for 2017 Rape, Murder Sai Shing (left) and Soe Lwin (right). / Myanmar Police Force Mon State A court in Shan State on Monday sentenced two men to death for the rape and murder of a 10th grade student last year, according to a local police officer. The two men, Soe Lwin, 40, and Sai Shing, 29, were each convicted on two counts murder and destroying evidence by the court in Kengtung Township. U Aung Moe Khaing, a police officer in Kengtung, told The Irrawaddy that the court sentenced them to death. They admitted they raped and murdered her, he said. Ma Aye Pi La, an ethnic Lahu, was raped and murdered in December. The body was burned so as to hide evidence of the crime and left near the highway in Kengtung. Her boyfriend recognized her remains by her ring and reported the case to police, who then arrested Soe Lwin and Sai Shing. The two men told the court that Ma Aye Pi La had borrowed money from them but refused to repay the debt, and that they kidnapped her while intoxicated. They [the men and the girl] knew each other. They had a money problem. They said they did not care what would happen to them, so they just decided to kidnap her when they were drunk, said U Aung Moe Khaing. Although the men were sentenced to death, Myanmar has not executed a convicted criminal since the 1980s, according to Amnesty International. They also have the option to ask the president to commute the sentence. News Mudslide in Mae Hong Son Refugee Camp Leaves 1 Dead, 7 Missing Mae La Oon refugee camp after the mudslide. / Federal Union Army YANGON One person died and seven were reported missing after a mudslide at a Myanmar refugee camp in Thailands Mae Hong Son Province on Sunday night, the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) confirmed to The Irrawaddy. The torrent of earth and rocks, caused by heavy rain, poured down the hill and into the refugee camp around 6:30 pm in Mae La Oon in Mae Sariang, near the Thailand-Myanmar border. It rained heavily yesterday. That creek usually dries up in summer. So, no one was aware [of the swollen creek] when it rained. Then the torrent came down and eight people were swept away. Weve only found one body, KRC chairman Saw Robert Htwe told The Irrawaddy on Monday. The Bangkok Post, citing a report by the provincial governor, said the fatality was a 2-year-old girl. The mudslide destroyed 13 houses in the refugee camp and also injured 16 people. Thirteen of them are still in treatment, Saw Robert Htwe said. Some were swept away along with their houses. Authorities and non-governmental organizations are carrying out rescue operations, Saw Pwe, who lives in Mae Sariang, told The Irrawaddy. The mudslide is the worst to hit Mae La Oon refugee camp, he said. The refugee camp, opened in 2004, currently houses some 10,000 displaced people from Myanmar, most of them ethnic Karen, displaced by the fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Karen National Union (KNU) in Karen State. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Commentary From the Armys Perspective, Now Is Not the Time to Stage a Coup Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (center) and Myanmar military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (right) arrive for the presidential handover ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw on March 30, 2016. / Reuters Amid increasing instability inside the country and threats of Western sanctions, some analysts are openly discussing the possibility that the Myanmar military will stage another coup. Not surprisingly, support for the idea has been voiced by former generals who are members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party. If a coup does take place, some senior USDP leaders warned last week, the ruling party will be to blame. Speaking in Singapore recently, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi deflected a question about the likelihood of a military takeover. She said it was a question best put to the Tatmadaw (Myanmars armed forces). They will be able to answer better, she replied, adding, But Im not worried about it. In politics anything can happen. Our relationship with the Tatmadaw is not that bad. Please dont forget that our cabinet includes three men who are in fact military men, generals, and theyre all rather sweet. We all know that relations between the government, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, and the generals are unstable, and that the military could come back at any time. But with the 2008 Constitution drafted in its favor it grants the Army a key role in national politics the generals will think twice before staging a coup. Why bother abolishing the 2008 Constitution, which gives them so much power? Under the present charter, the Army holds 25 percent of parliamentary seats and controls the key ministries of Defense, Border Affairs and Home Affairs. It is a hybrid power-sharing government structure that some former military leaders claim is designed to prevent a military coup like the ones the country experienced in 1962 and in 1988 exactly 30 years ago. If necessary, declaring a state of emergency would likely be the preferred option of the generals; a military coup is a last resort. The irony is that a coup could also make the ruling party and the government popular again. In November 2016, amid a flare-up in the military conflict in northern Shan State and threats from Muslim terrorists in northern Rakhine, Tatmadaw commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military is a stabilizing force in political and ethnic issues. He said at the time the military would not engage in party politics, but that the 2008 Constitution did enshrine provisions for a state of emergency. According to the Constitution, only the president can declare a state of emergency, after consulting and coordinating with the commander-in-chief of Defense Services and the Home Affairs Ministry. This declaration must be submitted to the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) for approval as soon as possible, according to the Constitution. Since the NLD party came to power, there has not been a regular NDSC meeting, but some irregular high-level security meetings have been held. The commander-in-chief would have executive power to head the government, but would have to seek NDSC approval to extend the emergency period to six months or more. He would also have to report to an emergency session of the Union Parliament. This scenario is likely if the country is seen to be facing a serious emergency situation or a genuine threat to its sovereignty. In June this year rumors of coup swirled when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing met for a high-level security meeting. According to one news report, the Army commander reacted angrily over the governments handling of the Rakhine issue and even threatened a coup. The government denied it, and senior officials who attended the meeting recalled that it was quite productive. Some analysts have gone even further, saying that the country will witness the same scenario as in 1958, when Prime Minister U Nu invited General Ne Win to form the military-led Caretaker Government. The political instability in the country at that time, and the serious split within the ruling party, the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League, forced U Nu to reach a compromise with Gen. Ne Win, then the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to hand over power with the promise of holding free and fair elections in the near future. Gen. Ne Win, a member of the legendary Thirty Comrades, was arguably already planning to seize state power. Gen. Ne Win became prime minister, but as promised, he held a free and fair election in 1960, which U Nu won. Two years later, however, the general staged a coup and threw U Nu and his cabinet ministers in prison. Will Daw Aung San Suu Kyi follow in U Nus footsteps? Do the generals expect her to surrender power to them when she thinks or feels she cant run the country, so they can play the role of national savior again? The generals have keenly observed Daw Aung San Suu Kyis failing health, her inability to unify and govern the country, or to work with stakeholders, ethnic leaders and armed groups, as well as her lack of progress in finding a successor in the near future. The generals have surely noted that so far the NLD seems to have produced no clear succession plan for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is 73 and will be 75 at the time of the 2020 general election. Additionally, there are external dynamics affecting domestic politics in Myanmar that fuel the talk of a military coup. Many believe that Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has political ambitions and has set his eyes on the 2020 general election. But now the top general himself faces serious challenges. In August, the UN issued a damning report on Myanmar, calling for the countrys top military commanders, including Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, to be investigated for what it claims are crimes against humanity under international law. The UN mission called for Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over the Tatmadaws crackdown on Muslims along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and crimes committed by security forces in other ethnic areas. It is unlikely he will face trial at the ICC. Myanmar is not a signatory to the 1998 Rome Statute, under which the ICC was established, and is under no obligation to hand Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing or other commanders over to the court. Last month, social media giant Facebook removed the accounts of the senior general and some other military leaders. But he is still the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. He will not leave the post because of international pressure. Since it came to power, the NLDs opponents have been waiting eagerly for the government to stumble on every front the peace process, the economy, political stability and the burning issue of Rakhine State and to fail to keep the promises it made to the public. And indeed, the NLD has failed to live up to expectations. Beyond Myanmar, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a fallen icon in the international arena, particularly in the West. The irony is that, despite their sharply differing views on the major issues facing the country, in terms of their international standing, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing now share a similar statuscondemned as outcasts. So far, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis political opponents should be fairly pleasedmany must feel they have witnessed the failure of this government in many areas, and watched it underperform in terms of its achievements over the last two-and-a-half years. But this doesnt mean the public wants the USDP to return to power. So the attention returns to the men in uniform, as guarantors of stability and protectors of the nations sovereignty. At a minimum, they dont want to see the NLD winning another landslide victory in 2020, controlling the Lower and Upper houses of Parliament. So, until 2020, we are likely to see endless rumors of a coup, and of the military taking steps to assume power. But the point is, the generals are well aware that the government has not lived up to expectations, and that people have begun to question the government and its poor performance. In their game against the NLD, the military and the former generals are already winning. As the countrys problems mount and it braces for more storms, the military can publicly bask in an attitude of, I told you so. Given the present situation, from the militarys perspective, it is better off not staging a coup. The Communications Alliance, which represents the entire telecommunications industry in Australia, has signalled that it intends to lead a charge to have the Government's proposed anti-encryption bill quashed. A number of organisations and companies are set to gather in Sydney on Thursday to make known the reasons why they oppose the legislation in its current form at a meeting titled the Encryption Forum. A statement from CA, the telecommunications industry lobby group and the organiser, said present at the Forum would be representatives from civil liberties protection, digital rights, academia, telecommunications and Internet intermediaries. The government released a draft of the bill on 14 August for public comment, with the period for reactions ending on 10 September. Opposition to the bill has already been voiced by the Greens while Labor has refused to take a stand either way, saying it would engage "in a constructive manner with the government on the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018". But other groups, making no secret of the fact that they think the bill is a big mistake. CA's statement said the following elements of the draft were of concern: "the Bill may undermine Australians cyber-security, including by forcing telcos to create vulnerabilities in their goods or services that can be exploited by criminals; "there are serious potential compromises for the privacy of all Australians; "the Bill lacks appropriate ministerial and judicial oversight of the actions of security agencies; "the scope of the Bill is extremely wide, seeking to capture the actions of telcos, internet players, IT companies, electronics manufacturers, installers, facility owners, component and software suppliers, among others; "the wide application to overseas organisations may cause those firms to withdraw service offerings from the Australian market while simultaneously placing Australian organisations at a competitive disadvantage; "the Bill risks placing industry players in an invidious position by requiring them to break the laws of foreign countries in which they operate; and "the Bill may contribute to the fragmentation of the global internet and risks seeing Australias inputs to global internet governance fora sidelined." Six speakers will address the Forum: Stephen Blanks, president, NSW Council for Civil Liberties; Lizzie OShea, board member, Digital Rights Watch; Patrick Fair, partner, Baker McKenzie and chair, Communications Security Reference Panel at Communications Alliance; Peter Leonard, privacy expert, Data Synergies; Chris Wiley, senior security analyst, AARNet; and John Stanton, chief executive, Communications Alliance. Stanton said the Forum would serve as an important means to underline to government the flaws in its current approach. This broad and spontaneously-formed coalition of stakeholders is sending a strong message to the Australian Parliament that players in all political parties need to act now to protect the interests, security and privacy of all Australians, he said. The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has said it will drop a case against Ireland, filed in the wake of its imposition of a back-taxes bill of 13.1 billion (US$17.6 billion) on Apple two years ago, after the Cupertino-based company paid its dues. EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager filed the case against Ireland for having failed to recover the outstanding amount, Reuters reported. Apple paid the first instalment in May, depositing 1.5 billion (US$1.76 billion) in an escrow account set up for this purpose. The fine was imposed on Apple in August 2016 with the EU claiming that a number of deals the company had struck in order to do business in Ireland were illegal. The EU said at the time that it had concluded that Ireland granted undue tax benefits to Apple. Both Apple and Ireland have appealed the verdict, a process that may take as long a five years. The first tranche of the fine was due in January 2017 and in October 2017, the European Commission said it was taking Ireland to the European Court of Justice over delaying the payment. Apple and Ireland reached agreement over what was deemed a suitable escrow arrangement in December 2017. In March, Ireland put Amundi, BlackRock Investment Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management in charge of the escrow account and gave them authorisation to make low-risk investments that would not put Irish taxpayers at risk. Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso told Reuters by email: "In light of the full payment by Apple of the illegal state aid it had received from Ireland, Commissioner Vestager will be proposing to the College of Commissioners the withdrawal of this court action." Graphic: courtesy the European Union This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. Ghadiri 10 Authors Law to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors Sept. 17, 2018 Commercial litigator and pro bono attorney Sara Ghadiri '10 BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Chicago attorney and Illinois Wesleyan University alum Sara Ghadiri 10 (Long Grove, Illinois) expanded protections for survivors of domestic abuse and stalking by revising current laws requiring that legal name changes be locally publicized. Senate Bill 2330 was signed into law on Aug. 10 and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. Ghadiri, a commercial litigator for Chapman and Cutler LLP and a pro bono attorney for domestic abuse survivors, petitioned for the bill after a client who legally changed her name to evade her abuser wanted to prevent local newspapers from publishing her new name in accordance with state law. When I proposed SB 2330, lots of people asked why it wasn't already the law, Ghadiri said. It seemed like such a common sense thing, especially in the age of the internet: if you are changing your name to hide from an abuser and get a fresh start, you should not have to advertise that name change to the world. Having SB 2330 signed into law makes me feel hopeful for the future of protecting survivors of domestic violence. With assistance from Illinois State Senator Toi Hutchinson, Ghadiri drafted a bill that would allow domestic abuse survivors to petition for a waiver to the current publication requirement. The new law applies to people who are or have been protected under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, the Stalking No Contact Order Act, and several other existing Illinois statutes. With public records available for free, or with a click and a credit card, we need to do more to make sure that people wanting to take this drastic step will be protected, Ghadiri explained. This is one way to make a change, and I look forward to continuing to work on this issue to help my pro bono clients and others throughout the state. Ghadiri has held a passion for activism since her days as a political science and philosophy double major at Illinois Wesleyan. As an undergraduate student, Ghadiri conducted research in Iran during the 2009 presidential election, where she witnessed an outpouring of citizen protest as over 70 percent of the eligible voting population made their way to the polls. Since graduating, Ghadiri has volunteered with the Legal Assistance Foundations Orders of Protection Litigation Project to assist survivors of domestic violence in getting no-contact and stay-away orders. She also serves as assistant director of LegalTrek, an initiative to encourage college students from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in law. Ghadiri hopes that everyone, regardless of experience with the legal system, will practice active citizenship and work to defend the rights of marginalized groups. If you see a problem in the law, see if you can change it, Ghadiri urges citizens. A lot of people don't have the ability to advocate for themselves or others like them because of barriers: in this situation, because raising your voice makes you into a target. But, if you are privileged enough to be able to speak up, talk to a legislator. They want ideas on how to make things better, and the best ideas come from the people that the laws actually affect: you. By Rachel McCarthy 21 Reddit Email 316 Shares (Informed Comment) Regardless of ones evaluation of his overall performance, Judge Brett Kavanaugh merits an A for his ability to sidestep or evade questions on any controversial issue. I get the impression that he spent hours practicing non-answer answers to a familiar battery of anticipated questions. Whether these evasions will continue to work in the face of new and pointed accusations remains to be seen. One moment, however, did break the usual pattern. Unfortunately this question has received less attention than it merits. Here is how Julia Conley, a staff writer for CommonDreams, describes the exchange: Kavanaugh refused to say whether he agreed with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs straightforward statement, made at her 1993 confirmation hearing, that a woman should be treated as a fully adult human responsible for her own choices, citing the need to observe judicial independence numerous times when Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) attempted to extract an answer. Seeing that the line of questioning was leading nowhere, Harris moved on to a simpler inquiry. Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body? Harris asked. Kavanaugh appeared stumped, eventually conceding, Im not thinking of any right now, Senator. Viewing the video I would agree that Kavanaugh did appear stumped, but I am tempted to say his was a pregnant pause in the proceedings. Men do not become pregnant, and in our society they are not asked to sacrifice their bodies. The very possibility is so far beyond the pale as to throw off even Kavanaughs well scripted performance. Inserting gender equality into the debate on reproductive rights might change that debate in fundamental ways. I dont believe human life begins at conception, but I have no iron-clad argument to convince an opponent. Nonetheless, if protection of innocent life is our motive, responsibility must be shared equally between men and women. In this society, denying women abortion imposes all the risks of sustaining innocent life on women. The late Village Voice columnist Ellen Willis once advocated re-centering the abortion debate on equality of sacrifice. (See her book No More Nice Girls, From Forced Pregnancy to Forced Surgery.) As far as I know that provocative piece did not spark much debate and comment. That is a shame. Pregnant women must sacrifice their careers, comfort, health, and sometimes even lives to have a. baby. The stresses are only increasing. If my child, or any child, becomes gravely ill and needed my body, e.g., for bone marrow, liver, or kidney I might feel a moral obligation to surrender all or part of an organ, but government cant compel me to accept the risks these procedures entail. If there is an absolute obligation to sustain innocent lives, men need to accept dramatically increased risks and responsibilities. A detailed portrayal of the medical demands that might reasonably be made of men, especially as the frontiers of transplant and genetic medicine expand, could shake up the abortion debate. Some citizens might demand a draft for male kidneys, livers, and bone marrow. Organ donations upon death might be made a requirement for men rather than merely an option. Other citizens within conventionally gendered families might still maintain the natural role of women as primarily responsible for the health of all life. Such an argument might be hard to sustain in a world where the possibility of motherhood and the process of having a baby are now so heavily medicalized. My suspicion, however, is that even some pro-life families would entertain the notion that if men will not sacrifice their health for sons or daughters, women should not be forced to bear such sacrifices alone. Nonetheless, children are our future. Society must move beyond expanding choice for women to a more complete appreciation of the sacrifice involved in parenting. Many women face unrelenting physical, emotional, and economic distress. It is hard even to acknowledge let alone address any inner doubts about a cause to which one devotes so much of ones life. It becomes all too easy to regard those who reject such roles as selfish or even evil. The sorry treatment of women as mothers does much to fuel the bitterness of the abortion debate. Society must do more to expand the cultural and economic space for women in all modes of lifebetter family planning resources and sex education, parental leave policies for mothers and fathers, more free time for families and family emergencies, more opportunities for a voice in their childrens education, jobs that pay men and women equal and sustaining incomes. There is some reason to hope such an agenda might change abortion politics. Even some Catholic organizations are coming to the belief that economic justice for women and families would do more to reduce abortions than the harsh legal barriers. The boundaries in the culture war are not fixed and impermeable. Progressives can expand opportunities for many families to live out their own values. Such a course may not convert all cultural conservatives to progressive causes and probably wont sway Operation Rescue. Nonetheless, the foundation and the hope of democratic politics is that over time subtle transformations in moral and political vision will allow more of us to live together even as we continue to disagree on some core principles. - Bonus video added by Informed Comment: CBS News from Sep 6: Kavanaugh refers to birth control as abortion-inducing drugs Reddit Email 641 Shares Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that the Trump administration would slash refugee admissions to 30,000 in 2019, down from 45,000 in 2018 and from 85,000 in fiscal 2016. Refugees come in numbers to the US when there is a crisis in their own country. At the same time, US policies toward refugees in the past have often been political and not just humanitarian, and there is a strong instrumental streak in the admissions patterns. In other words, Washington has often asked what we get out of letting refugees in, and not just what we can do for them. Nowadays, there is a special, separate program for bringing in Iraqis who helped US troops as translators or in other capacities, and the Pentagon is worried that Trump is not letting in enough of them. If the word gets out in Iraq that the US military will use you and then leave you and your family twisting in the wind when ISIL comes after you, then no one will be willing to serve as interpreter or fixer for the some 6,000 US troops still in that country. So you could argue that the US has a responsibility to Iraqi refugees, since Bush invaded their country on flimsy pretexts and turned the society upside down. The resultant war, occupation and guerrilla push-back were such that some 1.5 million refugees were created internally, and 2.5 million were pushed abroad. That is 4 million Iraqis who would never have had to leave their homes if the US had not invaded and occupied them and provoked the rise of al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia and then the Islamic State of Iraq. Likewise, the US bears some responsibility for all the civilians displaced in eastern Syria as a result of its war there on ISIL in alliance with Kurdish fighters of the YPG guerilla group. How cynical the US follow-up has been is illustrated by an experience I had. In summer of 2008 I went to Jordan and did some research on the condition of Iraqi refugees there. I was told by someone who should know that the Bush administration was afraid that the Iraqi refugees there might riot, putting GOP standard-bearer McCain in jeopardy, and therefore was finally going to let Iraqi refugees come to the US in large numbers (Bush let in 13,775 in 2008, compared to less than two thousand the previous year). But this was done in large part to keep from embarrassing McCain. The political character of US refugee admittances stretches back into the mists of time. In the 1970s, the US let in a lot of refugees from South Vietnam, in part to reward families that had supported the US war there and in part because the boat people crisis that developed when Vietnamese fled to southeast Asian countries that put them in camps. In 1980 the Mariel boatlift and other routes brought 125,000 Cubans to the United States, and letting Cubans into the US was an attempt to undermine the Communist Castro government that the Kennedy administration had tried and failed to overthrow. Through the 1980s, extra slots were awarded for Soviet refugees, as part of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. h/t Pewresearch.org. After President Bill Clinton intervened to save the Kosovars from ethnic cleansing or severe repression at the hands of Serb nationalists, the US let in refugees from Kosovo to show solidarity with them. So Pompeo in adopting this curtailed immigration program is hurting the US, not just the immigrants. Not letting immmigrants from Iraq signals that we wont reward interpreters and other helpers of the US war effort. It discourages Iraqis from proffering their help even now. The US in the old days deployed refugee policy to create allies. Trump doesnt have that prospect, of friendship and support. Bonus video: Wochit: U.S. Limits Refugee Flows For 2019 Reddit Email 43 Shares By Maria PANINA | Sochi (Russia) (AFP) Moscow said Monday there would be no assault on Syrias Idlib as the leaders of Russia and Turkey agreed to create a demilitarised zone around the Syrian rebel-held province. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who are on opposite sides in the deadly seven-year conflict in Syria met for over four hours in Russias Black Sea resort of Sochi to decide the fate of Idlib, home to three million people. AFP/File / Muhammad HAJ KADOUR. Fears have been raised of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. We will prevent a humanitarian tragedy which could happen as a result of military action, Erdogan said after the talks. Putin said the two leaders agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops by October 15. This would entail a withdrawal of all radical fighters from Idlib including the Al-Nusra Front, he added. Putin and Erdogan also agreed on the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from this zone, including tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, and rocket launchers belonging to all armed groups, the Russian leader added. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police, Putin said. By the end of the year, transportation routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the agreement between Putin and Erdogan meant that no military action would be taken against Idlib, Russian news agencies reported. Russia-backed forces of the Syrian regime have massed around Idlib province in recent weeks, sparking fears of an imminent air and ground attack to retake the last major opposition bastion. The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have repeatedly warned that such an offensive would unleash a bloodbath and humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib. Turkey has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to avert a possible attack. Erdogan and Putin met previously on September 7 in Tehran for a three-way summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. At that summit the Russian and Turkish leaders openly disagreed over how to deal with the rebel stronghold, which borders Turkey. Mass exodus fears Turkeys military has reportedly sent reinforcements to Idlib in recent weeks. Tanks and other hardware, with a convoy of 50 military vehicles, were sent over the border Sunday, according to the Hurriyet daily. Russia and Iran are key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime. Turkey however backs opposition fighters seeking the ouster of the Syrian leader. It has said a large-scale offensive against the rebels could trigger a mass exodus towards its border. Russian and Syrian air strikes, artillery fire and barrel bomb attacks have killed more than 30 civilians across the province in the past month, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The bombardment has slowed over the past week, however, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that the Syrian regime is not preparing a major offensive against Idlib, adding that Moscow will do everything to protect civilians. AFP/File / OMAR HAJ KADOUR. Turkey has said a large-scale offensive against the rebels could trigger a mass exodus towards its border. What is being presented at the moment as the beginning of a Russian-backed offensive by Syrian forces is not a faithful representation of the facts, Lavrov said. We are doing everything to ensure that the civilian population would not suffer, he said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday said Turkey was ready to cooperate with anyone in the fight against terror groups in Syria. But he criticised the Damascus regime for using the presence of jihadists to legitimise a possible operation in Idlib. The Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, when the Assad regime launched a crackdown on pro-democracy protests. The crackdown evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and world powers. It has killed an estimated 360,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. Featured Photo: TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/AFP/File / Handout. Putin and Erdogan met in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. Reddit Email 82 Shares (Informed Comment) When a psychology professor stepped forward to share her story of an alleged assault by the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, more than one commentator noted the academic credentials of Doctor Blasey. As a professor myself, I can appreciate the privilege of being taken more seriously than the average person. When another woman spoke out about an alleged sexual assault by Roy Moore in 2017, though, the situation was different. Like Blasey, she had been a teenager in the 1980s when the alleged attack occurred. However, she was a 3x divorced, 3x bankrupt, Payday Loan lowlife (who was accusing) a public servant with an impeccable personal and professional record according to one online comment of an article on a conservative website. This contrast between these two women shows that credibility is a precious social commodity that we can take for granted if we are believed because of our race, social class, and other privileges. During the surge of sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, the people denying the alleged victims credibility often stressed the motivations of money and attention. Now during the Kavanaugh controversy, critics are accusing Blasey of yet another motivationpolitical intrigue. Certainly, the likelihood of determining what actually had happened to these women three decades ago is slim indeed. Even for more recent allegations, though, the prevalence of rape myth acceptance can impede an investigation and trial. Rape myths include: most rape accusations are false, the victim was partly (or entirely) to blame, and males cannot be raped. The alleged victim of Kobe Bryant, for example, lacked credibility because she was only a hotel employee and he was a celebrity. Unfortunately, one research study claims that people who were educated about rape myths still held on their beliefs. As our society progresses with the #MeToo movement, how can we destroy the rape myth that most accusers are liars? First, we must recognize the underlying misogyny of the rape myth that undermines the credibility of the accuser. The males who are also victims of sexual assault are the collateral damage of the widespread violence against women. For decades, feminists have been claiming that sexual harassment and other misconduct were prevalent in this societyonly to be dismissed as man haters or even worse, somebody without a sense of humor. A recent tweet of Donald Trump, Jr. compared Blaseys allegation of a brutal attack to a childs love note, which demonstrates that some people still consider sexual assault to be nothing but a joke. The second action that we should take is to reconsider the alleged victims culpability. Situations do not cause rape; only rapists cause rape. I have never been raped. This is not a boast, since I am no smarter or more moral or more sensible than any rape victim. I am simply lucky that the men I have encountered were not rapists. In the Blasey allegation, the teenaged girl did nothing wrong. It is completely normal for a girl that age to go to a party. Millions of females go to parties and do not get raped because they did not encounter a rapist. Lastly, we should recognize that most rapists are not slobbering monsters who hide behind dark bushes. Instead, they are often good-looking and personable men who get along well with most women. The letter from the 65 female supporters of Kavanaugh, then, is completely meaningless. He could have been kind to 65 million females and still be a perpetrator. The reaction of hes a good man- he could not do that! is understandable but not helpful in determining the truth about allegations. Life would be simpler if men who mistreat women had signs on their foreheads about their true nature. Instead, we have to acknowledge that men like Senator Robert Packwood could be both a feminist advocate and a man who had harassed many women. He was no monster. His interactions with most women were probably positive and uplifting for them. However, many persons are complex creatures who can compartmentalize their behaviors and even hide a darker side. It will be hard work, then, to strengthen the credibility of the accusers to ensure a fair hearing. We can begin by fighting misogyny, refusing to blame those who were attacked, and realizing that rapists do not appear as monsters. Any alleged victim deserves our respect instead of being called an opportunist or other calumnies. Any alleged victim deserves a decent amount of credibility. Citation: Klement, K. R., Sagarin, B. J., & Skowronski, J. J. (2018). Accusers lie and other myths: Rape myth acceptance predicts judgments made about accusers and accused perpetrators in a rape case. Sex Roles, , 1-18. Bonus video added by Informed Comment: Democracy Now! As Blasey Ford Alleges Kavanaugh Assaulted Her, Will Senate Repeat Mistakes Made with Anita Hill? HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company"), is pleased to announce the Mineral Resource estimate for its 100%-owned Khundii Gold Project in southwest Mongolia, prepared by RPMGlobal in accordance with the definition standards of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). The Khundii Gold Project includes the Companys high-grade Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar deposits, located 16 kilometres apart. Todays announcement includes the Maiden Mineral Resource estimate for the Bayan Khundii deposit and incorporates the significant increase in the NI 43-101 Mineral Resource for the Altan Nar deposit reported by the Company in May 2018. These deposits are shallow and high-grade, outcropping and located within the newly discovered Khundii Gold District. Highlights (see attached figures for reference) Khundii Gold project total Mineral Resource: 751,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 2.3 g/t gold, Measured and Indicated; and, 291,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 1.8 g/t gold, Inferred. At a higher cut-off grade of 1.4 g/t gold, the Khundii Gold Project contains: 642,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 3.7 g/t gold, Measured and Indicated, including, 357,000 ounces gold at an average grade of 5.2 g/t gold at the Bayan Khundii deposit. Including precious and base metals, the Khundii Gold Project includes: 886,000 ounces gold equivalent (AuEq) at an average grade of 2.7 g/t AuEq, Measured and Indicated; and 382,000 ounces AuEq at an average grade of 2.3 g/t AuEq, Inferred. Work has commenced on the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Khundii Gold Project, expected to be announced in Q4-2018 With the results of the maiden Bayan Khundii resource estimate, we have met our initial resource target for the Khundii Gold Project at grades significantly higher than the global average of producing open pit gold mines, said Peter Akerley, Erdenes President and CEO. The Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar deposits provide synergies for our Company and represent a compelling development opportunity given their high-grades, proximity to surface and favorable metallurgy. We will incorporate these two resource estimates into a Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Khundii Gold Project by year-end and expect to submit mining license applications for both deposits in early 2019. At the same time, we continue our regional exploration program with drilling currently underway testing multiple targets, designed to expand current resources and discover new deposits in this newly discovered gold district. A supporting NI 43-101 Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com within 45 days of this release. Overview of Mineral Resource Estimate Bayan Khundii is located 16 kilometres southeast of Erdenes Altan Nar high-grade gold-polymetallic deposit, where the Company announced a significant increase to the mineral resource on May 10, 2018 (click to read news release). The two resource estimates are considered a single project (Khundii Gold Project) for future economic and technical development studies, and are discussed herein as the Khundii Gold Project Mineral Resource estimate (Table 1). The Bayan Khundii Maiden Mineral Resource estimate (Mineral Resource) was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 by RPMGlobal Asia Limited (RPM) and is dated effective September 12, 2018. The reported Mineral Resource (Table 2) is based on information provided to RPM by Erdene and verified where possible by RPM. All statistical analysis and mineral resource estimations were carried out by RPM. A final NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate and Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days. The Mineral Resource incorporates 255 diamond drill holes totaling 42,656 metres, completed between Q4-2015 and Q2-2018. The Mineral Resource is contained within a near-surface, shallow-dipping and strongly mineralized system (intercepts up to 2,200 g/t gold as previously reported) that extends over an area of 1.2 kilometres (NE-SW) and 200 to 400 metres (NW-SE). Grade capping for the purposes of the Bayan Khundii deposit resource estimate averaged 51 g/t gold for high-grade domains (range from 8 g/t to 250 g/t gold) and a maximum of 1.5 g/t gold for the low and medium grade domains. RPM estimated the Khundii Gold Project Mineral Resource at a number of gold cut-offs, however, RPM recommends reporting the Bayan Khundii Mineral Resource at a 0.6 g/t gold cut-off and the Altan Nar Mineral Resource a 0.7 g/t AuEq above a pit and 1.4 g/t AuEq below the same pit shell. A sensitivity analysis of the grade and tonnage relationships at cut-off grades is shown in the Tables below. Table 1. Khundii Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate, as at September 12, 2018 (Gold and Gold-Equivalent Mineral Resources, at Various Cut-Off Grades) Cut-off Grade(1) Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade Au g/t Gold Koz Grade AuEq g/t AuEq Koz 0.2 Measured 4.3 1.4 194 1.4 194 Indicated 19.3 1.1 710 1.4 852 Measured & Indicated 23.6 1.2 904 1.4 1,046 Inferred 16.8 0.8 416 1.0 511 0.4 Measured 2.4 2.3 177 2.3 177 Indicated 12.7 1.6 647 2.0 788 Measured & Indicated 15.1 1.7 824 2.0 965 Inferred 8.6 1.2 342 1.6 436 Recommended(2) Measured 1.4 3.6 161 3.6 161 Indicated 8.7 2.1 590 2.6 725 Measured & Indicated 10.1 2.3 751 2.7 886 Inferred 5.2 1.8 291 2.3 382 1.0 Measured 0.8 5.6 148 5.6 148 Indicated 6.0 2.8 530 3.4 655 Measured & Indicated 6.8 3.1 678 3.7 803 Inferred 3.9 2.1 261 2.9 349 1.4 Measured 0.8 5.9 145 5.9 145 Indicated 4.7 3.3 497 4.1 610 Measured & Indicated 5.5 3.7 642 4.3 755 Inferred 3.4 2.3 250 3.0 333 (1) Cut-off grades for Altan Nar are AuEq and for Bayan Khundii are gold only. (2) RPMGlobal recommended cut-off grade for Bayan Khundii is 0.6 g/t gold and Altan Nar is 0.7 g/t AuEq above a pit and 1.4 g/t AuEq below the same pit shell. * see Table 2 and Table 3 below for notes on individual deposit mineral resource estimates. Statement of Individual Deposit Mineral Resources Table 2 provides the Maiden Mineral Resource estimate for the Bayan Khundii deposit. The Maiden Mineral Resource was estimated at a range of cut-off grades, however, RPM recommends reporting at a 0.6 g/t gold cut-off grade. Table 2. Bayan Khundii Gold Deposit Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate Summary, September 12, 2018 Cut-off Grade (1) Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade Au g/t Gold Koz 0.2 Measured 4.3 1.4 195 Indicated 13.5 0.9 384 Measured & Indicated 17.8 1.0 579 Inferred 12.7 0.6 225 0.4 Measured 2.4 2.3 177 Indicated 7.1 1.4 324 Measured & Indicated 9.5 1.6 501 Inferred 4.9 1.0 153 0.6 Measured 1.4 3.6 161 Indicated 3.7 2.3 272 Measured & Indicated 5.1 2.6 433 Inferred 1.8 1.9 105 1.0 Measured 0.8 5.6 148 Indicated 1.8 4.0 224 Measured & Indicated 2.6 4.5 372 Inferred 0.7 3.8 79 1.4 Measured 0.8 5.9 145 Indicated 1.4 4.7 212 Measured & Indicated 2.2 5.2 357 Inferred 0.5 4.4 74 Notes: 1. The Statement of Estimates of Mineral Resources has been compiled under the supervision of Mr. Jeremy Clark who is a full-time employee of RPM and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Clark has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he has undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Standards of Disclosure. 2. All Mineral Resources figures reported in the table above represent estimates based on drilling completed up to June 27, 2018. Mineral Resource estimates are not precise calculations, being dependent on the interpretation of limited information on the location, shape and continuity of the occurrence and on the available sampling results. The totals contained in the above table have been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty of the estimate. Rounding may cause some computational discrepancies. 3. Mineral Resources are reported on a dry in-situ basis. 4. The Mineral Resources is reported at a 0.6 g/t Au cut-off. Cut-off parameters were selected based on an RPM internal cut-off calculator, which indicated that a break-even cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t Au, assuming an open cut mining method, a gold price of USD $1500 per ounce, an open mining cost of USD $6 per tonne and a processing cost of USD $20 per tonne milled and processing recovery of 95% Au. 5. Mineral Resources referred to above, have not been subject to detailed economic analysis and therefore, have not been demonstrated to have actual economic viability. A detailed Mineral Resource estimate for the Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project can be seen below in Table 3. For further details on the Mineral Resource estimate please see the Companys May 10, 2018 news release (click here). Table 3 - Altan Nar Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Summary, May 7, 2018 Cut-off AuEq g/t Resource Classification Quantity (Mt) Grade Contained Metal Au Ag Zn Pb AuEq Au Ag Zn Pb AuEq g/t g/t g/t g/t g/t Koz Koz Kt Kt Koz 0.4 Indicated 5.6 1.8 13.5 0.6 0.5 2.6 323 2,412 33.2 29.9 464 Inferred 3.7 1.6 7.5 0.7 0.6 2.3 189 901 24.5 22.8 283 0.7 Indicated 5.0 2.0 14.8 0.6 0.6 2.8 318 2,350 31.6 29.0 453 Inferred 3.4 1.7 7.9 0.7 0.7 2.5 186 866 23.7 22.3 277 1.0 Indicated 4.2 2.3 16.6 0.7 0.7 3.2 306 2,212 28.6 27.4 431 Inferred 3.2 1.8 8.2 0.7 0.7 2.7 182 837 22.8 21.5 270 1.4 Indicated 3.3 2.7 18.9 0.8 0.8 3.8 285 2,002 24.9 25.2 398 Inferred 2.9 1.9 8.6 0.8 0.7 2.8 176 795 21.5 20.4 259 Notes: 1. The Mineral Resources have been constrained by topography and a cut-off of 0.7 g/t AuEq above a pit and 1.4 g/t AuEq below the same pit shell. 2. The Mineral Resource Estimate Summary was compiled under the supervision of Mr. Jeremy Clark who is a full-time employee of RPM and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Clark has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he has undertaken to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Standards of Disclosure. 3. All Mineral Resource figures reported in the table above represent estimates as at May 7, 2018. Mineral Resource estimates are not precise calculations, being dependent on the interpretation of limited information on the location, shape and continuity of the occurrence and on the available sampling results. The totals contained in the above table have been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty of the estimate. Rounding may cause some computational discrepancies. 4. Mineral Resource grades are reported in accordance with the CIM Standards. 5. Mineral Resources reported on a dry in-situ basis. 6. No dilution or ore loss factors have been applied to the reported Resource Estimate. 7. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may occur should mining eventually result. 8. Gold Equivalent (AuEq) calculations assume metal prices of US $1,310 per ounce gold, US $18 per ounce silver, and US $2,400 per tonne lead and US $3,100 per tonne zinc and processing recoveries as per below. Background on the Khundii Gold Project Erdenes deposits are located in the Edren Terrane, within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, host to some of the worlds largest gold and copper-gold deposits. Although epithermal gold and porphyry copper-gold deposits are well documented across the border in China and along the Belts westward trend, exploration in Mongolia was limited until the mid-1990s, when the country returned to democracy and opened its doors to foreign exploration. Exploration since that time in southeast Mongolia led to the discovery of the world-class Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper deposit. Erdene has been the leader in exploration in Mongolias southwest over the past decade and is responsible for the discovery of the Khundii Gold District. The Khundii Gold District is comprised of multiple high-grade gold and base metal prospects, two of which are being considered for development: Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar. In addition, the company discovered and defined a large molybdenum-copper resource on the 100% owned, Zuun Mod project, 40 kilometres to the east. Over the past two years, drilling at the Altan Nar and Bayan Khundii projects has revealed very high gold grades, including intercepts up to 2,200 g/t gold over 1 metre within 14 metres of 158 g/t gold at Bayan Khundii, and intercepts up to 101 g/t gold over 1 metre within 20 metres of 10.3 g/t gold at Altan Nar. Outside of these two deposits, which will be the focus of a Preliminary Economic Assessment study in Q4-2018, the Company continues its regional, district-scale exploration program. The broader district, although still in its infancy, hosts the full spectrum of arc-related base and precious metal systems, including copper-gold porphyries, intermediate sulphidation / carbonate base metal gold deposits, and low sulphidation epithermal gold and gold-silver systems. Qualified Person and Sample Protocol The Mineral Resource estimate included in this press release was prepared under the supervision of Jeremy Clark, RPMGlobal Asia Limited. Mr. Clark is a Qualified Person within the meaning of such term under NI 43-101; Mr. Clark is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG) Membership No 3567. Mr. Clark has reviewed this press release and consents to the inclusion in this release of the matters disclosed based on Mineral Resource estimate documents provide to the Company by RPM. A NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate and Technical Report for the Bayan Khundii deposit will be filed on Erdenes SEDAR page within 45 days of this news release. Michael MacDonald, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Vice President Exploration for Erdene, is the Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the non-Mineral Resource estimate technical information contained in this news release on behalf of Erdene. All samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks. About Erdene Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in four exploration licenses and a mining license in Southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of the Khundii Gold District. Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and Mongolia stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene 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. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE Erdene Contact Information Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO, or Ken W. MacDonald, Vice President and CFO Phone: (902) 423-6419 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.erdene.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes Figure 1 - Erdene Regional District Figure 2 - Bayan Khundii Cross-Section Figure 3 - Altan Nar Plan Map Highlights: Total of 1.16Mozs of gold in the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource categories, with 0.24Mozs gold in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. 83% of Mineral Resource is Measured and Indicated (M&I) Total M&I Mill Mineral Resource of 733,000 ounces gold at avg. grade of 1.72 g/t gold in 13.2Mt & Inferred Mill Mineral Resource of 112,000 ounces gold at avg. grade of 1.6 g/t gold in 2.17Mt Total M&I, oxide, Run of Mine, Heap Leach Mineral Resource of 427,000 ounces gold at avg. grade of 0.33 g/t gold in 40Mt & Inferred Mineral Resource of 129,000 ounces gold at avg. grade of 0.29 g/t gold in 14.1Mt Pit constrained deposit has an overall strip ratio of 2.68-1 Ongoing exploration drilling continues to show potential to expand deposit to the west, north, east and at depth VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corvus Gold Inc. (TSX: KOR, OTCQX: CORVF) (Corvus or the Company) announces the maiden Mineral Resource estimations incorporating all drill results from the Phase I & II drill programs at its 100% owned Mother Lode Project (MLP). This initial Mineral Resource remains open in several directions and Corvus is currently engaged in its Phase III drill program that is targeting Mineral Resource growth beyond this initial estimate. The Mineral Resources estimations (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) were based on economic constraints using Whittle TM software and assuming open pit mining and USD $1,250 per ounce gold price (Table 1). Figure 1 & 2 shows a plan view and a north-south long-section through the resource block model. Table 2 illustrates the robustness of the current project at lower gold prices with a Mineral Resource estimate using a USD $1,000 per ounce gold price which still captures a measured and indicated Mineral Resource of over one million ounces. Jeff Pontius, the Companys President & CEO states, The Mother Lode Deposit has delivered a robust maiden Mineral Resource that exceeded our initial expectations and enlarges the overall Corvus Gold Nevada asset base. The grade and low strip ratio of this deposit makes it an excellent addition to the North Bullfrog project (NBP) and will add to the combined NBP & MLP initial PEA study expected next month. The Mother Lode deposit remains open and continues to grow with our ongoing Phase III drill campaign building toward the next multi-million-ounce Nevada discovery. Additionally, the critical mass provided by the Mother Lode deposit for a sulfide circuit opens the door for the large, high-grade sulfide potential at the North Bullfrog project which has yet to be explored." Table 1 Mother Lode, Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimations constrained by Whittle TM pit at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce Resource Category Mill-Sulfide @ 0.63 g/t COG ROM Heap Leach @ 0.06 g/t COG Total Kt Au g/t Kozs Kt Au g/t Kozs Kt Au g/t Kozs Measured 3,292 1.41 149 20,035 0.29 185 23,327 0.45 334 Indicated 9,934 1.83 583 20,123 0.37 242 30,057 0.85 825 Total M & I 13,226 1.72 733 40,158 0.33 427 53,383 0.68 1,159 Inferred 2,168 1.60 112 14,073 0.29 129 16,241 0.46 241 See Cautionary Note to US Investors below The Mineral Resources above are effective as of September 18, 2018 Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability Silver resources have not been included in the initial Mother Lode estimate There are no known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources Table 2 Sensitivity of Mother Lode, Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineralization Estimations constrained by Whittle TM pit at a gold price of USD $1,000 per ounce Resource Category Mill-Sulfide @ 0.78 g/t COG ROM Heap Leach @ 0.07 g/t COG Total Kt Au g/t Kozs Kt Au g/t Kozs Kt Au g/t Kozs Measured 2,133 1.79 123 17,441 0.31 174 19,574 0.47 297 Indicated 8,650 1.96 545 14,702 0.45 213 23,352 1.01 758 Total M & I 10,783 1.93 668 32,143 0.37 387 42,926 0.76 1,054 Inferred 941 1.82 55 5,966 0.34 65 6,907 0.54 120 The Mineral Resource estimation is based on 267 drill holes with 8,296 gold composites. Geologic volumes were defined by geologic interpretations and used to define the estimation. The resource was characterized by a high-grade core surrounded by lower grade mineralization. The high-grade core was estimated using Inverse Distance Squared. The surrounding mineralized portion of the deposit was estimated with Ordinary Kriging. To estimate the reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction, Resource Development Associates Inc. confined the resources to mining volumes defined by Whittle TM analysis using the input parameters defined in Table 3. There are no known legal, political or environmental risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources. Table 3 WhittleTM Input Parameters used for the MLP Mineral Resource Estimation (USD) Parameter Unit MLP-Mill MLP-Heap Leach Mining Cost total tonne $1.40 $1.40 Au Cut-Off g/t 0.63 0.06 ProcessingCost process tonne $19.50 $1.20 Au Recovery % 80.0 74.0 Ag Recovery % 0.0 0.0 Admin Cost process tonne $0.50 $0.50 Refining & Sales $/Au oz $5.00 $5.00 Au Selling Price oz $1,250 $1,250 Slope Angle Degrees 60 60 assumes heap leach processing of disseminated oxidized mineralization assumes Pressure Oxidation mill processing of MLP sulfide mineralization Au Cut-Off - break-even grade derived from Whittle input parameters at USD $1,250 per ounce gold price Figure 1 Plan View of Mother Lode resource block model at 970 m elevation (UTm NAD27 Z11) Figure 2 Long-section through Mother Lode resource block model at 531,055 m east, looking east (UTm NAD27 Z11) New Resource Calculation The Mineral Resource estimation is based on 189 validated historical drill holes combined with an additional 78 holes drilled by Corvus during the 2017 and 2018 drilling campaigns. Assays were composited to 8,296 5-meter composites. Gold assays were capped at 8 g/t Au prior to compositing. Mineralization is bimodal with a clear high-grade corridor. The high-grade corridor was constrained to control the impact of high grades on the Mineral Resource estimate. This Mineral Resource has been estimated in accordance with the disclosure standards of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) using a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce. Mineral Resources are pit constrained in order to demonstrate the reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction. Mineralization has been classified according to NI 43-101 as Measured Mineral Resources, Indicated Mineral Resources and Inferred Mineral Resources. A technical report with respect to the Mineral Resource estimate disclosed herein will be filed within 45 days in accordance with NI 43-101. About the Mother Lode Project, Nevada Corvus controls 100% of its Mother Lode Project, which covers approximately 35 km in southern Nevada. The property package is made up of 433 federal mining claims. The project has excellent infrastructure, being adjacent to a major highway, an electrical power corridor and water resources. In combination with the nearby North Bullfrog Project, the total Corvus Gold 100% land ownership now covers over 100 km2, hosting two major new Nevada gold discoveries. Qualified Person, Quality Control/Quality Assurance and Data Verification Jeffrey A. Pontius (CPG 11044), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that form the basis for this news release and has reviewed and approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Pontius is not independent of Corvus, as he is the CEO and holds common shares and incentive stock options. Carl E. Brechtel, (Nevada PE 008744 and Registered Member 353000 of SME), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has coordinated execution of the work outlined in this news release and has reviewed and approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Brechtel is not independent of Corvus, as he is the COO and holds common shares and incentive stock options. The work program at the MLP was designed and supervised by Mark Reischman, Corvus Nevada Exploration Manager, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the project log and track all samples prior to sealing and shipping. Quality control is monitored by the insertion of blind certified standard reference materials and blanks into each sample shipment. All resource sample shipments are sealed and shipped to American Assay in Reno, Nevada, for preparation and assaying. Assaying for the MLP holes has been performed American Assay Laboratories (AAL) in Sparks, Nevada. Corvus has no business relationship with AAL beyond being a customer for analytical services. The Sparks laboratory is Standards Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario Accredited Laboratory No. 536 and conforms with requirements of CAN-P-1579, CAN-P-4E (ISO/IEC 17025:2005). Check assaying has been performed by Bureau Veritas North America (BV, formerly Inspectorate America Corporation), in Sparks, Nevada and Vancouver, Canada, and ALS Minerals Laboratories (ALS Minerals), in Sparks, Nevada. Corvus has no business relationship with BV or ALS Minerals beyond being a customer for analytical services. The BV laboratory is Accredited Laboratory No. 720 and conforms to requirements of CAN-P-1579, CAN-P-4E (ISO 9001:2008) and ALS is Accredited Laboratory No. 660 and conforms to requirements of CAN-P-1579, CAN-P-4E (ISO/IEC 17025:2005). Mr. Scott E. Wilson, CPG (10965), Registered Member of SME (4025107) and President of Resource Development Associates Inc., is an independent consulting geologist specializing in Mineral Reserve and Resource calculation reporting, mining project analysis and due diligence evaluations. He is acting as the Qualified Person, as defined in NI 43-101, for the Mineral Resource estimate and has reviewed and approved the Mineral Resource estimate contained in this news release. Mr. Wilson has over 29 years of experience in surface mining, resource estimation and strategic mine planning. Mr. Wilson and Resource Development Associates Inc. are independent of the Company under NI 43-101. Mr. Wilson, a qualified person, has verified the data underlying the information disclosed herein, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information by reviewing the reports of AAL, methodologies, results and all procedures undertaken for quality assurance and quality control in a manner consistent with industry practice, and all matters were consistent and accurate according to his professional judgement. There were no limitations on the verification process. About Corvus Gold Inc. Corvus Gold Inc. is a North American gold exploration and development company, focused on its near-term gold-silver mining projects at the Mother Lode property and the North Bullfrog property in Nevada. Corvus is committed to building shareholder value through new discoveries and the expansion of those discoveries to maximize share price leverage in a recovering gold and silver market. On behalf of Corvus Gold Inc. (signed) Jeffrey A. Pontius Jeffrey A. Pontius, Chief Executive Officer Contact Information: Ryan Ko Investor Relations Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: 1-844-638-3246 (toll free) or (604) 638-3246 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding estimations of mineral resources, the expected timing of any preliminary economic assessment, the anticipated content, commencement and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the potential to expand the existing estimated mineral resource, the potential for the system to continue to grow and/or to develop into a major new higher-grade, bulk tonnage, Nevada gold discovery, the potential for any mining or production, the potential for the identification of multiple deposits, the potential for the existence or location of additional high-grade veins, the gold and silver prices used to constrain the Mineral Resource estimates, the potential development of the Mother Lode property, the potential for the Company to secure or receive any royalties in the future, business and financing plans and business trends, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements are discussed in this news release and the Companys annual and quarterly managements discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. In addition to, and subject to, such assumptions discussed in more detail elsewhere, the forward-looking statements in this news release are also subject to the following assumptions: (1) the price of gold and silver being consistent with the prices used herein; (2) the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and authorizations necessary to implement and carry on the Companys planned exploration and potential development programs; (3) the Companys ability to attract and retain key staff, (4) the timing of the ability to commence and complete the planned work at the Companys projects, and (5) the ongoing relations of the Company with its underlying property lessors and the applicable regulatory agencies. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, the Company's inability to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Companys 2018 Annual Information Form and latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Companys Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and the Companys United States public disclosure filings may be access via www.sec.gov and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Companys mineral properties. Cautionary Note to US Investors NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates contained in or incorporated by reference in this press release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the CIM) Standards on Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on November 14, 2004 (the CIM Standards) as they may be amended from time to time by the CIM. United States investors are cautioned that the requirements and terminology of NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards differ significantly from the requirements and terminology of the SEC set forth in the SECs Industry Guide 7 (SEC Industry Guide 7). Accordingly, the Companys disclosures regarding mineralization may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Without limiting the foregoing, while the terms mineral resources, inferred mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and measured mineral resources are recognized and required by NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards, they are not recognized by the SEC and are not permitted to be used in documents filed with the SEC by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, and US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource will ever be converted into reserves. Further, inferred resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of the inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher resource category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility study, except in rare cases. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit amounts. The term contained ounces is not permitted under the rules of SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, the NI 43-101 and CIM Standards definition of a reserve differs from the definition in SEC Industry Guide 7. In SEC Industry Guide 7, a mineral reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the mineral reserve determination is made, and a final or bankable feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis of designated reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. The mine economics presented herein and derived from the PEA are preliminary in nature and may not be realized. The PEA is not a feasibility study. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our latest reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. U.S. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any defined resource will ever be converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves. This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States. India had said the duty imposed by the United States has affected steel exports by $198.6 million and aluminium shipments by $42.4 million. New Delhi: At a time when the US and China are involved in trade war, India for the second time has extended the deadline for the imposition of higher customs duties on 29 products, including almond, walnut and pulses, imported from United States till November 2. India and the US are involved in trade negotiations since June to look at ways to resolve each others concerns. There is hope that a comprehensive deal may be worked out in coming days. In this context India wants to give some time to resolve disputes with United States. In June, India had hit back at Donald Trumps protectionist policies, hiking customs duty on 29 products. However, these duties had to come into effect from August but it was then postponed to September 18. US companies are keen to tap Indian market which is one of the fastest growing major economy in the world. US retail giant Walmart recently took a majority deal in Flipkart in a $ 16 billion deal. India has also proposed to buy petroleum products from the United States to help narrow the trade deficit. The US has also emerged as a top arms supplier to India and US firms are bidding for military aircraft deals worth billions of dollars. Trade differences have been rising since Donald Trump took office. Indias action was in response to US decision to raise tariff on steel and aluminium products earlier this year which had an tariff impact of $241 million on India. The duty hiked by India was supposed to have an equivalent tariff implications for the US. 10m of 1.03 g/t gold (including 4m of 1.86 g/t gold) and 31m of 0.81 g/t gold (including 8m of 1.32 g/t gold) VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashanti Gold Corp. (Ashanti or the Company) - (TSXV: AGZ) announces additional new results from Gourbassi West. These most recent drill hole results were part of a recently completed 105 hole Reverse Circulation (RC) and Diamond Drill (DD), 12,283 metre drill program that tested mineralization on the Kossanto East Project (the Property) in western Mali (Figure 1). Results presented here are from section 1485800 (Figures 2 and 3), south of sections previously described in the Companys August 14 and August 27 press releases. The mineralized zones in these sections demonstrate strike continuity of mineralization and coherence of interpreted thrust faults and their relationship to mineralization. These results also support and expand on previously interpreted mineralized zones dipping moderately to the west. Importantly, as we develop our understanding of the mineralization, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there are numerous zones of mineralization associated with stacked thrust faults. In this section alone, the combined width of mineralized zones is approximately 130m. If mineralized zones to the north continue to this section, there is potential for an additional 100m of mineralized width. Tim McCutcheon, CEO, said, These results continue to build upon the overall strike line of Gourbassi West. We are getting closer to completing our resource calculations, and it is exciting to see how the cross sections fall into place with our geological modelling and understanding of the Property. Gourbassi West Gourbassi West is the second of two principle areas of mineralization being investigated by the company at Kossanto East. The target consists of gold mineralization associated with silicified, brecciated felsic volcanic rocks along a northwest trending structural zone for over 1,200m of strike length. 2018 diamond drilling revealed that the silicified brecciated volcanic rocks that host most of the gold mineralization are associated with shallow to moderately west dipping thrust faults. Sedimentary rocks that are younger than the host volcanic rocks and occur to the east of mineralization (Figure 2) are in fault contact with, and are overlain by older volcanic rocks. This is a classic older over younger thrust fault structural relation. Repetition of this pattern reveals that mineralization is associated with cross-cutting and stacked thrust surfaces. Section Hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Grade (g/t) Comments 1485800 GWRC271 0 2 2 0.27 5 7 2 0.59 22 53 31 0.81 incl. 30 38 8 1.32 56 57 1 0.55 74 76 2 0.31 77 79 2 0.20 GWRC272 4 6 2 0.40 9 10 1 0.20 59 61 2 0.29 70 80 10 1.03 incl. 75 79 4 1.86 81 82 1 0.34 89 90 1 0.22 90 93 3 0.49 95 100 5 0.63 103 107 4 0.45 109 111 2 0.45 114 120 6 0.30 122 126 4 0.50 134 135 1 0.23 hole ends in mineralization GWRC273 13 33 20 0.60 38 39 1 5.31 41 42 1 0.22 45 55 10 0.59 incl. 47 48 1 2.58 65 66 1 0.32 68 69 1 0.25 69 78 9 0.40 97 98 1 0.39 101 103 2 0.31 110 111 1 0.28 122 125 3 0.44 hole ends in mineralization *Intervals indicated are not true widths as there is insufficient geologic information to calculate true widths. However, drill holes have been drilled to cross interpreted mineralized zones as close to perpendicular as possible. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. About Kossanto East Project The Kossanto East Project is a 66.41 km2 concession in the prolific Kedougou - Kenieba Inlier, the northwestern most exposure of Birimian rocks in West Africa and host to the Loulo and Sadiola group of world class gold deposits. The Property hosts two principle historically drill-tested targets, Gourbassi East and Gourbassi West and several surface anomalies identified in historic surface samples and Rotary Airblast (RAB) drill holes. Geochemical anomalies identified by previous explorers led to drill testing and successful intersection of gold mineralization. The results reported here are from Gourbassi West. Further results from Gourbassi West are anticipated in the coming weeks. ABOUT ASHANTI GOLD Ashanti is a gold-focused, exploration and development company that targets projects where it has a competitive advantage due to past work experience of the team and specific project know-how. The Company is driving forward its 100%-owned Kossanto East project in Mali on the prolific Kenieba Belt, which hosts such deposits as Loulo, Fekola and Sadiola. Ashanti is also working to advance, together with its earn-in partners, the Anumso project and the Ashanti Belt project in Ghana, which are near-adjacent to the Akyem deposit. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ASHANTI GOLD CORP. "Tim McCutcheon" Tim McCutcheon CEO For further information, please contact: Ashanti Gold Corp. 2300 1177 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC, V6E 2K3 Phone: 604-638-3847 Qualified Person and Quality Assurance / Quality Control Dr. Paul Klipfel, CPG (AIPG certification #10821), Ashantis COO and Chief Geologist is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian NI 43-101 and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Dr. Klipfel is responsible for all aspects of the work including the Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs. Dr. Klipfel is not an Independent Person, as he is a shareholder of Ashanti. Certified Reference Materials and Blanks are inserted into the sample stream at the rate of 1:20 samples. Field duplicates are collected at the rate of 1:50 samples. All samples have been analyzed by SGS Laboratories in Bamako with standard preparation methods and 50g fire assay with atomic absorption finish. SGS does their own introduction of QA/QC samples into the sample stream and reports them to Ashanti for double checking. Higher grade samples are reanalyzed from pulp or reject material or both. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information 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 press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 18, 2018) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a hybrid prospect generator focused in British Columbia, is pleased to provide an update on its 2018 exploration activities. Recent highlights are as follows: Reverse circulation drilling ("RC drilling") at 100% owned Copper King Property was recently completed. Visual copper mineralization encountered, laboratory assays are pending . . Partner-funded diamond drilling at Stars Project ongoing, recent drill results included 405.38 m grading 0.26% Copper equivalent . . Reverse circulation drilling at 100% owned Kitimat Property completed, assays received. Copper King Property An RC drilling program was recently completed by PEMC at the Copper King Property, located approximately 35 km southeast of Centerra Gold's Kemess Underground and Kemess East Projects. Drilling was focused on the "North Valley Target Area" at the northern portion of the property where anomalous IP chargeability is coincident with rock, soil, talus and sediment samples that are anomalous in copper gold silver. Four RC holes totaling 459 metres were drilled with PEMC's in-house track-mounted RC drill, depths of the holes ranged from 82.3 to 147.8 metres. Two of the four holes drilled encountered visible chalcocite mineralization associated with strong epidote-clay alteration over variable widths and laboratory results are pending from these two holes. Given the geological context and the widespread nature of copper mineralization at surface, that closely resembles that encountered in drilling, the Company believes there is significant potential for a buried porphyry system on the Copper King Property. Rory Ritchie, Vice-President of Exploration comments, "Copper mineralization encountered to date on the Copper King Property is predominantly hosted within a bladed feldspar porphyry unit of the Takla Group volcanics, similar to the geological unit that hosts the majority of copper mineralization at the Kemess East deposit. The presence of scattered porphyry intrusions, a regional scale unconformity or paraconformity and widespread, relatively low temperature copper mineralization at surface lends credence to an exploration strategy analogous to that employed at the Kemess Underground and Kemess East Projects. As such, the Company will be pursuing a like-minded partner to advance the Copper King beyond that which RC drilling has done thus far." Figure 1. 2017 airborne magnetics showing 2018 RC drill hole locations North Valley Target Area. Stars Property (Partner-Funded) Diamond Drilling Ongoing partner-funded drilling at the Stars Project in west-central British Columbia continues to build upon previous exploration successes, with recent drill results including an intercept of 405.38 metres of 0.26% copper equivalent in diamond drill hole DD18SS010 (see ML Gold Corp. News Release dated August 28, 2018). Of notable significance, with regard to drill hole DD18SS010, is the fact that copper mineralization is hosted in a previously undiscovered feldspar porphyry intrusion, which will now serve as a useful guide towards further and potentially higher-grade copper mineralization. The partner recently announced that they have continued the drilling campaign targeting the newly identified porphyry and the related fluid conduit responsible for copper mineralization on the Stars project. Previous drilling at the Stars project by PEMC's partner ML Gold Corp. ("ML Gold") focused on two areas, the Central Zone and Zone 4. Hole 10, which was drilled to the south and perpendicular to Zone 4 was successful in intersecting a feldspar porphyry intrusion with consistent, disseminated copper and molybdenum mineralization. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m)1 Cu% Mo% Ag (g/t) Au (ppb) CuEq %2 DD18-SS010 29.57 434.95 405.38 0.20 0.0082 0.754 24 0.26 incl. 178.92 367.89 188.97 0.25 0.0119 0.824 35 0.33 incl. 392.28 416.66 24.38 0.25 0.0092 1.224 24 0.32 incl. 203.30 282.55 79.25 0.30 0.0144 0.945 43 0.40 incl. 337.41 367.89 30.48 0.40 0.0126 1.343 46 0.50 Table 1. Assay results from DD18SS010 (refer to ML Gold Corp. News Release dated August 28, 2018). (1) The intervals reported in these tables represent drill intercepts and insufficient data is available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized zone. (2) CuEq (Copper Equivalent) values were calculated using metal spot prices at market close on August 20th, 2018 of: USD $2.70 / lb Cu, $11,80 / lb Mo, $14.75 / oz Ag, $1,195 / oz Au. "The identification of a mineralized porphyritic intrusion for the first time represents an important step when exploring for porphyry style deposits" commented Brad Peters, Pacific Empire's President and CEO, "We are very encouraged by these results and look forward to additional results as they become available." Kitimat Property Analytical results from the July 2018 Kitimat Property RC drilling program have been received by the Company. The program consisted of 5 holes totaling 326.1 metres, with holes ranging from 27.4 to 120.4 metres in depth. The purpose of the program was to confirm and potentially build upon historical drill results from the Jeannette Zone, as well as to test additional exploration targets away from the Jeannette Zone. 2018 RC drilling results did not replicate historical drill results in the Jeannette Zone. Hole ID Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Depth Remarks (UTM NAD 83 zone 9) (degrees) (m) RC18KIT001 517661 6001831 10 -60 71.6 Test historical Jeannette Cu-Au zone RC18KIT002 517658 6001862 70 -50 120.4 Test historical Jeannette Cu-Au zone RC18KIT003 517479 6001755 0 -80 56.4 Test Cu soil anomaly west of Jeannette zone RC18KIT004 518108 6001653 0 -90 50.3 Failed to reach bedrock RC18KIT005 518779 6000787 0 -90 27.4 Test "southwest" magnetic anomaly Table 2. Drill hole information from 2018 Kitimat RC drilling. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Copper (%) Gold (g/t) RC18KIT001 15.2 18.3 3.1 0.53 0.19 RC18KIT002 56.4 62.5 6.1 0.19 0.27 and 105.2 120.4 15.2 0.1 0.03 RC18KIT003 No significant values RC18KIT004 No significant values RC18KIT005 No significant values Table 3. Significant intercepts from 2018 Kitimat RC drilling. Plateau Property PEMC acquired the Plateau Property by staking 1,980 hectares located approximately 20 km to the east of Highway 97 at 70 Mile House. The property covers an area with widespread chalcopyrite-bornite mineralization that is associated with an early syenite phase of the Thuya batholith. The property has seen numerous exploration programs over the last 40 years with approximately $2 million in total work expenditures to date. During this time a total of 29 core holes have been drilled totaling 6,062.2 metres in addition to 31 percussion holes totaling 1,748 metres. The Company is currently compiling exploration and drill data to determine the best way to cost-effectively add value and advance the Plateau Property. Nub East Property The planned 2018 RC drilling program on PEMC's Nub East Property was not completed due to the proximity of the Gower Lake Wildfire to the proposed area of exploration on the Property. The Chief Gold Commissioner of British Columbia recognized the proximity of the wildfire threat and has granted the Company a one-year extension of time to complete exploration and development activities on the Property. PEMC looks forward to continuing with further exploration on the property during the 2019 exploration season. Remaining 2018 Exploration Objectives Field crews are currently conducting reconnaissance exploration of the Company's Bulkley Initiative properties consisting of the Bull's Eye, Bulkley and Wasp properties in preparation for the 2019 exploration season. Following this, crews will mobilize with the RC drill to test remaining priority targets at the Wildcat and Red properties to test remaining targets. PEMC has now received its exploration permit for a fall RC drilling program on its recently acquired Moffat Property, situated approximately 20 km southeast of the Woodjam Cu-Au-Mo developed prospect in south-central British Columbia. The program will be expanding upon historical drilling results while testing targets outlined from an airborne magnetic survey flown over the Property by PEMC in May of 2018. Brad Peters, Pacific Empire's President and CEO, states, "During the 2018 exploration season PEMC has now completed reverse circulation drilling programs on four of its properties and continues to have ongoing partner-funded diamond drilling at the Stars Project. We are pleased that positive results have been achieved on the Stars Project and now the Copper King Property. We emphasize that we will remain active with continued drilling programs and progressing our portfolio of projects throughout 2018." Qualified Person Rory Ritchie, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for the Company, serves as a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein. About Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. PEMC is an exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that employs a "hybrid prospect generator" business model and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company's strong portfolio of projects is a result of continuous generative work conducted since the Company's inception in 2012. By integrating the project generator business model with low-cost RC drilling, the company intends to leverage its portfolio by identifying, and focusing on, the highest quality projects for partnerships and advancement. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, "Brad Peters" President and Chief Executive Officer Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Tel: +1-604-356-6246 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.pemcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address 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. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, are forward-looking statements. 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: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Highlights: Near-surface intercept grading 3.2 g/t Au over 45.5 metres within a broader zone of 1.0 g/t over 209 metres, located 750 metres south of the Former Beliveau Mine. New Beliveau Deposit resource expansion drilling returned significant intercept grading 2.8 g/t Au over 47 metres at shallow depth. North Zone resource expansion drilling returned 5.7 g/t Au over 9.0 metres within a larger zone grading 1.6 g/t Au over 41.5 metres at shallow depth. Infill drilling results at New Beliveau and North Zone continue to confirm bulk tonnage potential . Six drills turning on the project. TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Probe Metals Inc. (TSX-V: PRB) (OTCQB: PROBF) (Probe or the Company) is pleased to provide new results from the ongoing 85,000 metres drill program at its 100% owned Val-dOr East project (the Project) located near Val-dOr, Quebec. Results from forty-eight (48) drill holes, totaling 18,013 metres, were received and show continued expansion of the gold resource within the Pascalis Gold Trend. In July and August, the Company added a fifth and a sixth drill to follow up on recent successes and to test new gold targets in the Courvan area. Significant drill results are presented below. David Palmer, President and CEO of Probe, states, Two key elements of any good project are consistency and continuity of mineralization and these most recent drill results continue to demonstrate this for our Val-dOr East project. The expansion drilling program is showing repeated success in increasing the footprint of our high-grade, near-surface mineralization while infill drilling is confirming the potential of the project to host a bulk tonnage gold system. With a strong balance sheet, the success of our exploration programs and a growing confidence in our mineralized system, we have added two drills to the fall drilling rotation. We are looking forward to accelerating our progress on the project and will keep Investors updated as we move the project forward. As of the most recent drilling, the New Beliveau gold deposit mineralization has been identified over an expanded area of approximately 850 metres by 1,200 metres (See Figure 1) and to a depth of over 900 metres. New drilling between the South Zone and New Beliveau deposit suggest that gold mineralization is continuous and that both zones could be connected with further drilling. In this area, holes PC-18-379 and PC-18-401 returned near-surface interesting results grading up to 3.2 g/t over 7 metres and 3.2 g/t over 45.5 metres respectively. Holes PC-18-386 and PC-18-391 to the East also returned interesting results, expanding the mineralization with near-surface intercepts grading up to 2.8 g/t over 7.6 metres and 2.8 g/t over 40 metres. At the western limit of our current resource estimate, a new higher-grade structure returning 5.1 g/t Au over 5.7 metres was intersected at 275 metres depth. This intercept is located 110 metres west of Hole PC-17-100, which previously returned 1,122 g/t Au over 0.7 metres. New drilling continues to expand our understanding of the mineralization at New Beliveau and further indicates strong potential for additional resource expansion. These latest results also include significant drill intercepts in resource expansion at the North Zone. To the east and southeast of the resource, seven holes intersected significant mineralization including hole PC-18-367 intersecting 5.7 g/t Au over 9.0 metres within a larger zone grading 1.6 g/t Au over 41.5 metres at 100 metres depth. Holes PC-18-392 and PC-18-395, which targeted the southwest limit of the North Zone, intersected 1.8 g/t Au over 25.6 metres and 14.2 g/t Au over 2 metres respectively at shallow depth. Infill drilling results at New Beliveau and North Zone continue to confirm bulk tonnage potential with intercepts grading up to 1.4 g/t Au over 99 metres, including 17.6 g/t Au over 4.3 metres, and 1.4 g/t Au over 73.3 metres, including 3.9 g/t Au over 5.2 metres, respectively. Along the Pascalis Gold Trend, four drills are testing the gold system in the area west and south of the current resource estimate at New Beliveau and surrounding the North and Highway Zones. Two drills are also testing historical gold showing and lateral extensions of the Former Bussieres gold mine in the Courvan area located 1 to 1.5 kilometres West of the Pascalis Gold Trend. Mineralization intersected in the Pascalis Gold Trend is characterized mainly by sulphide-bearing quartz-tourmaline veins associated with mineralized diorite dykes cross-cutting volcanic rocks. Assay results from selected drill holes are reported in the following table: Selected drill results from the Val-dOr East drilling program1,2 Hole Number From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Area/Host Rock PC-18-364 527.6 528.6 1.0 17.7 NZ Volcanics PC-18-367 132.0 173.5 41.5 1.6 NZ Volcanics including 132.0 133.0 1.0 12.6 NZ Volcanics including 142.5 151.5 9.0 5.7 NZ Volcanics including 150.0 151.5 1.5 32.7 NZ Volcanics PC-18-368 311.5 317.2 5.7 5.1 NB Dyke/Volcanics PC-18-370 27.0 31.4 4.4 3.4 NZ Volcanics including 28.2 29.3 1.1 12.2 NZ Volcanics 54.5 57.7 3.2 5.7 NZ Volcanics including 55.6 56.7 1.1 14.3 NZ Volcanics PC-18-376 146.5 156.2 9.7 1.3 NZ Dyke including 153.2 154.2 1.0 5.5 NZ Dyke PC-18-379 184.0 191.0 7.0 3.2 NB Dyke/Volcanics PC-18-386 61.9 69.5 7.6 2.8 NB Volcanics PC-18-391 154.0 201.0 47.0 2.8 NB Dyke including 154.0 160.7 6.7 8.6 NB Dyke including 188.3 189.3 1.0 17.1 NB Dyke including 193.5 194.7 1.2 22.0 NB Dyke PC-18-392 38.7 39.7 1.0 9.3 NZ Volcanics 46.9 47.9 1.0 7.8 NZ Volcanics 193.6 219.2 25.6 1.8 NZ Dyke including 202.6 206.6 4.0 3.9 NZ Dyke including 211.1 218.2 7.1 2.6 NZ Dyke PC-18-393 135.3 234.3 99.0 1.4 NB Dyke/Volcanics including 135.3 139.6 4.3 17.6 NB Volcanics including 180.7 182.9 2.2 12.7 NB Dyke 507.6 516.4 8.8 7.6 NB Dyke PC-18-394 198.2 199.6 1.4 16.7 NB Volcanics 345.5 347.5 2.0 5.7 NB Dyke PC-18-395 177.0 179.0 2.0 14.2 NZ Volcanics PC-18-396 115.9 121.1 5.2 2.6 NZ Volcanics including 120.1 121.1 1.0 10.4 NZ Volcanics PC-18-398 37.2 40.2 3.0 19.8 NB Dyke including 37.2 38.2 1.0 55.4 NB Dyke PC-18-399 103.5 176.8 73.3 1.4 NZ Dyke including 104.5 109.7 5.2 3.9 NZ Dyke including 122.3 125.3 3.0 4.2 NZ Dyke including 129.3 134.5 5.2 4.3 NZ Dyke PC-18-401 131.3 340.5 209.2 1.0 NB Dyke including 208.0 306.5 98.5 1.8 NB Dyke also including 261.0 306.5 45.5 3.2 NB Dyke/Volcanics also including 286.0 306.5 20.5 5.3 NB Dyke/Volcanics (1) All the new analytical results reported in this release and in this table, are presented in core length and uncut. Additional drilling is planned for the immediate area which will enable the true width determination. (2) Definitions: NB =New Beliveau, SZ = South Zone, NZ = North Zone, HW = Highway Zone Figure 1: Surface Map Pascalis Gold Trend Area Click Here 2018 Exploration Drilling Program The goal of the 85,000-metre exploration drill program focused on expanding the current gold resources and the discovery of new gold deposits within the Companys regional land holdings. There are presently six drills operating at the Project. The New Beliveau Gold Deposit The New Beliveau deposit consists predominantly of a series of parallel, east-west trending, moderately dipping, mineralized zones hosting gold-bearing quartz-pyrite-tourmaline veins. Gold mineralization occurs in the veins but also in their immediate wall rocks. The sulphide content is generally 1 to 5%, but may reach up to 10% in the higher-grade sections. The extent of the alteration zone, which consists of a mixture of quartz, tourmaline, dolomite, albite, and euhedral pyrite is commonly twice the thickness of the vein itself. The north-south trending diorite dykes also contain significant gold with gold grades typically increasing in areas where the dykes are intersected by the east-west quartz-tourmaline veins. Wall rocks for both systems consist of intermediate volcanics rock. Together with the Highway, North and South Zones, the New Beliveau Deposit hosts a NI 43-101 resource of 682,400 ounces Indicated at 2.35 g/t gold and 722,100 ounces Inferred at 2.41 g/t gold. Qualified Persons The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed, prepared and approved by Mr. Marco Gagnon, P.Geo, Executive Vice President, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Quality Control During the last drilling program, assay samples were taken from the NQ core and sawed in half, with one-half sent to a certified commercial laboratory and the other half retained for future reference. A strict QA/QC program was applied to all samples; which includes insertion of mineralized standards and blank samples for each batch of 20 samples. The gold analyses were completed by fire-assayed with an atomic absorption finish on 50 grams of materials. Repeats were carried out by fire-assay followed by gravimetric testing on each sample containing 3.0 g/t gold or more. Total gold analyses (Metallic Sieve) were carried out on the samples which presented a great variation of their gold contents or the presence of visible gold. About Probe Metals: Probe Metals Inc. is a leading Canadian gold exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company is committed to discovering and developing high-quality gold projects, including its key asset the Val-dOr East Gold Project, Quebec. The Company is well-funded and controls a strategic land package of approximately 1,000-square-kilometres of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Quebec. The Company was formed as a result of the sale of Probe Mines Limited to Goldcorp in March 2015. Goldcorp currently owns approximately 13.7% of the Company. On behalf of Probe Metals Inc., Dr. David Palmer, President & Chief Executive Officer For further information: Please visit our website at www.probemetals.com or contact: Seema Sindwani Director of Investor Relations This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +1.416.777.9467 Forward-Looking Statements Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Companys objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Companys public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company 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. 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, other than as required by law. A Ugandan warlord must be acquitted of war crimes because he himself was a brutalised former child victim of the Lords Resistance Army, defence lawyers told the International Criminal Court on Tuesday. Dominic Ongwen, 43, faces 70 charges arising from a reign of terror in northern Uganda in the early 2000s as part of the sinister rebel LRA, led by its fugitive chief Joseph Kony. Dominic Ongwen was a victim rather than a perpetrator. Once a victim, always a victim, his lawyer Krispus Ayena Odongo told the court in The Hague. Children abducted by the LRA, the accused included, are used in the war in northern Uganda, and grew up in one of the most brutal environments ever before known to humanity. A self-styled mystic and prophet, Kony launched a bloody rebellion more than three decades ago seeking to impose his own version of the Ten Commandments in northern Uganda. The United Nations says the LRA has slaughtered more than 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children since it was set up in the mid-1980s. Prosecutors say Ongwen was a ferocious and enthusiastic senior LRA commander in charge of Konys infamous Sinai brigade, which among many crimes abducted young girls and women to serve as domestic workers and sex slaves. At its opening in 2016 the trial saw a gruesome video depicting the aftermath of an LRA attack on a refugee camp, with images of disemboweled children and charred bodies of babies in shallow graves. However the defence have argued that Ongwen is the first accused before the ICC to face the very same charges war crimes and crimes against humanity of which he is also a victim. Ongwen himself was kidnapped at the age of nine and spent nearly 27 years in the grip of the LRA as a slave, his lawyer said. Once captured as a victim, the accused was indoctrinated and made to live by the strict edicts of the LRA based on spiritualism or die period, the lawyer said. He lost his true identity in the bush war and became an instrument of Joseph Kony forced to watch violent rituals of people being tortured and killed, he added. He pointed out that Ongwen had himself surrendered to US special forces hunting Kony in the Central African Republic. He was transferred to the ICC shortly afterwards. The lawyer added that the Ugandan government had not brought the case before the court in The Hague with clean hands. This being a political case, those who have testified for the prosecution case are well aware that they have to go back and live in a state that has every reason to hide their role in the atrocities on trial in this court. The International Criminal Courts prosecutor opened a preliminary probe on Tuesday into Myanmars crimes against Rohingya Muslims, including killings, sexual violence and forced deportations. The move is the first step towards a full investigation of Myanmars military crackdown which has seen some 700,000 of the stateless minority people flee the northern Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh. It comes nearly two weeks after judges ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based ICC, the court still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because Bangladesh is a member. I have decided to proceed to the next phase of the process and to carry out a full-fledged preliminary examination of the situation at hand, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement. A preliminary examination can lead to a formal investigation by the ICC which was set up in 2002 to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity and then possible indictments. Bensouda said the initial probe may take into account a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting. She would also consider whether other crimes would apply to the plight of the Rohingya such as the crimes of persecution and other inhumane acts. Before the fire: Large-scale study aims to improve burning management of Flint Hills Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 Kansas State University researchers are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The project's goal is to improve the environment and human health while balancing the livelihood of ranchers and farmers. View video. Download additional video footage. Photo gallery Download the following photos and photo cutlines. News release MANHATTAN Kansas State University researchers are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The three-year project is funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, or KDHE, and involves university scientists; NASA scientists; unmanned aircraft systems pilots from the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus; meteorologists; ranchers; and environmentalists. The research team members have varied backgrounds, but they all share a common goal: improve the environment and human health while balancing the livelihood of ranchers and farmers. "We want to have our data be useful for keeping fire as a practice that is both ecologically acceptable and socially acceptable in the Great Plains," said Carol Baldwin, the project leader and a K-State Research and Extension associate in the College of Agriculture. The team is collaborating with a Flint Hills rancher to gather data during typical tallgrass prescribed burns. The researchers have attached sensors on unmanned aircraft to gather air quality information during a burn. The information they gather is helping NASA verify satellite data products and is facilitating collaboration between KDHE and the Environmental Protection Agency to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. The plan was implemented in 2011 and helps ranchers make decisions about the best days to burn without negatively affecting human health, particularly in metropolitan areas. In the past, when the weather conditions were right, Flint Hills spring burning affected air quality in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City and metropolitan areas in Nebraska and Oklahoma. The poor air quality is bad for people with asthma and other health problems. The challenge is that fire is needed to maintaining the integrity of the tallgrass prairie landscape, Baldwin said. "We need fire," said Baldwin, who is an expert in grassland range management. "If we take fire and grazing out of the ecosystem, we will not have prairies as we know them. We will end up with a scrubby woodland." Current smoke management models, such as the Flint Hills plan, use data from fires in other parts of the U.S., not in the Great Plains, Baldwin said, and that's a problem. The university-led project wants to get more accurate fire data from the Great Plains region by working with real ranchers during a typical burn. "It is our hope that ranchers in the Flint Hills will use these tools to plan their burns so they do not impact air quality downwind from the fire," said Doug Watson, air monitoring and planning chief with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "At the same time, we want to educate the metropolitan areas about the importance of the Flint Hills ecosystem and the reasons why the ranchers burn to maintain that ecosystem." Using unmanned aircraft To test a prescribed burn, the researchers are working with Jane Koger, a Matfield Green rancher. Koger has allowed the researchers to collect data before, during and after the annual burns on her ranchland. UAS pilots gather smoke emissions from a controlled burn by flying three unmanned aircraft into the smoke above the fires. The unmanned aircraft use continuous sensors and sample sensors to measure particles and ozone-causing chemicals, and they use thermal imaging to measure fire temperature. The continuous sensors use lasers to take measurements and send data, including particle concentration, ozone levels, temperature and humidity. The sample sensors have a small bag to gather and bring back air particulate samples that are analyzed for particulate matter, or PM, as well as nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic carbon, or VOC, levels. Travis Balthazor, UAS flight operations manager, is leading the team of 12 trained UAS pilots, which includes researchers and students with the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. The students are getting real-world experience through the project, Balthazor said. "This is outside the realm of our normal box, so this is an effort that benefits us in the long run," Balthazor said. "As far as operating aircraft and looking to the future of unmanned aircraft, everybody wants to fly beyond line of sight and they want to fly higher. We are getting a taste of that with this project." After the burn After each burn, the researchers have a record of grass biomass that was burned, the fire's heat levels and the emission levels from the fire. This data is helping NASA verify satellite imagery and remotely driven emissions estimates. NASA uses imaging from satellite data to determine a fire's intensity and smoke emission rates. To complete validation, researchers combine direct measurements of black carbon production with data from a thermal camera that measures the full range of a fire's internal temperatures. The research also is helping NASA improve satellite data models. Other project collaborators including Deon Van Der Merwe, adjunct faculty member in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine are using the unmanned aircraft to estimate fire size by flying aircraft above grassland before a prescribed burn to determine how much grass, trees or shrubs are in the area. For rancher Koger, the research project can help ranchers like her learn how to maintain the tallgrass prairie without damaging their livelihoods. "I think it's important to get a better understanding of what we are doing and what we are putting into the air," Koger said. "We have kids and grandkids, and some of them have asthma. It does affect all of us. When we have concrete science and when K-State shares that ranchers listen. Getting some numbers and knowing what we are really doing and getting that back out to the public will speak to people." Collaborators The full list of Kansas State University collaborators: Carol Baldwin, K-State Research and Extension range management associate in the College of Agriculture; Travis Balthazor, UAS flight operations manager, David Burchfield, teaching assistant professor of unmanned aircraft systems, and Kurt Carraway, UAS research executive director, all with Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus; Zifei Liu, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering in the College of Engineering; Randall Mai, research technologist in agronomy and weather station technician with Kansas Mesonet; Christopher Redmond, assistant scientist in agronomy and network manager with Kansas Mesonet; and Deon Van Der Merwe, adjunct faculty member in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Utrecht University faculty member. Other collaborators: Jane Koger, a commercial rancher from Matfield Green; Jayson Prentice, technical resources and projects unit supervisor, Kathleen Waters, environmental program administrative supervisor, and Doug Watson, air monitoring and planning chief, all with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Charles Ichoku, research physical scientist with the Climate and Radiation Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Luke Ellison, scientist with Science Systems and Applications Inc. at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; and David Bush, senior scientist with Technical and Business Systems Inc., a California-based company that developed the unmanned aircraft sensors. Two Kansas State University pilots fly an unmanned aircraft over a tallgrass prairie prescribed burn to gather smoke emissions data. The pilots are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan and determine smoke constituents. |Photo credit: David Burchfield, Kansas State University Security sources said that Hizbul Mujahideen is suspected to have been roping in operatives from the state to recruit radicalized youths. Informing that Zaman visited Assam to recruit youths in August, security sources said that Zaman was on mission to rope in arms suppliers of the region. (Photo: AP) Guwahati: The Assam police on Monday decided to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the ongoing attempt of the Kashmir-based Hizbul M-ujahideen to rope in Muslim youths in the state. The decision came after the arrest of four Hizbul Mujahideen operatives three in Assam and one in Kanpur who hails from Central Assams Hojai district. Pointing out that trail started with the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen cadre Qamar-uz-Zaman in Kanpur by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, security sources said that interrogation of Zaman led to the arrest of three Hizbul operatives in Assam. Within 48 hours, Assam police has arrested three operatives of the group, Shahnawaz Alam, Sahi-dul Alam and Omar Faro-oq, all from Jamun-amukh in Hojai district. Zaman who was arrested from Kanpur is also from Jamunamukh. The SP of Hojai, Ankur Jain, who is leading the investigation, said that they have set up SIT to started a coordinated investigation into the matter. Zaman had left home in 2012 to work at a garment shop owned by a relative in Kashmir. In 2017, he went missing, his family lodged missing reports in Kashmir and here, a security source said. Referring Assams international boundary sharing with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan, security sources said that it facilitates a fertile ground for such radical organization for their clandestine activity. Informing that Zaman visited Assam to recruit youths in August, security sources said that Zaman was on mission to rope in arms suppliers of the region. Security sources said that Hizbul Mujahideen is suspected to have been roping in operatives from the state to recruit radicalized youths. The Prime Minister also gave small gifts to the children who had welcomed him enthusiastically saying Swagatam PM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with children from Kashi Vidyapith as part of his 68th birthday celebrations in Varanasi. (Photo: PTI) Lucknow: For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was a unique and memorable 68th birthday celebration in Varanasi on Monday as he spent time with 300 primary school students at Narur village and shared secrets of success with the little ones who gifted him handmade cards and flowers. The children addressed the Prime Minister as Kaka Modi who spoke to them about the importance of education, cleanliness and fitness during the interaction at the school supported by NGO Room to Read. Be fearless and dont hesitate in asking questions as it is a key aspect of learning, Mr Modi told the children who were excited to host the special guest. He explained the importance of Lord Vishwakarma to the children and linked it to skill development. Calling the children future of India, Mr Modi asked them to involve themselves in physical exercise so that they sweat at least four times a day. Jo khelta hai, wahi khilta hai (the one who plays is the one who blooms), he said, advising them to pro-gress by putting in hard work and never get disheartened by obstacles. The Prime Minister also gave small gifts to the children who had welcomed him enthusiastically saying Swagatam PM. One student asked the Prime Minister to visit her village and said that she had been waiting for him to come. Mr Modi explained to her about his busy schedule. Later in the evening, Mr Modi met about 200 Asha health volunteers and Aanganwadi workers and asked them about their problems. Aanganwadi workers thanked Mr Modi for increasing their honorarium. Mr Modi also met children engaged in rag-picking for a living and students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Kashi Vidyapeeth who teach these street children in their free time. A group of divyang children were also among those who met the Prime Minister and saw a short film Chalo Jeete Hain that is based on Mr Modis life. A constituency tour and a prayer session at Kashi Vishwanath temple were also lined up for Mr Modi, a party leader said. Meanwhile, the state government announced the release of 68 old and ailing prisoners to mark the 68th birthday of the Prime Minister. Senior BJP leader and local MLA Neelkanth Tewari said that as part of Mr Modis birthday celebrations 68 cakes weighing 68 kg each were cut at 68 locations in Varanasi. Mr Tewari, who is a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, said, Special prayers were offered in 68 temples to pray for the long life of the PM. About a thousand earthen lamps were lit at 90 locations. Medical camps were held at 72 places and a cleanliness drive was launched on the streets leading to various ghats in the city, including the Ganga ghat and the Vishwanath Temple. At Panini Kanya Vidyalaya, a yajna (special worship) was conducted for the Prime Ministers long life, he said. Earlier, on his arrival, the Prime Minister was received at the airport by Mr Adityanath and state BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey. On Tuesday, Mr Modi will inaugurate or lay the foundation stone of various development projects, cumulatively worth more than `500 crore, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). The event will be held at the amphitheatre of the BHU. Among the projects to be inaugurated by Mr Modi are integrated power development scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and an Atal incubation centre at the BHU. The court has summoned the Delhi CM, his deputy, and 11 AAP MLAs as accused in the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case. Prakash was allegedly assaulted during a meeting at Kejriwal's official residence on the night of February 19. (Photo: File) New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reacted sharply to the Delhi Police chargesheet against its leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday, terming it as part of a "larger design" to malign the party's government. Delhi Police, "controlled" by Modi government, has filed "many bogus cases" against the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs over the last three-and-a-half years, all of which have "miserably fallen flat" in courts during trials, party spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said. "The latest fake case will also meet the same fate as the previous ones. AAP assures the people that such conspiracies will not deter the party's resolve of working tirelessly for the residents of Delhi," he said. The court has summoned the Delhi chief minister, his deputy, Sisodia, and 11 AAP MLAs as accused in the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case. Read: Court summons Kejriwal, Sisodia, 11 AAP MLAs in chief secy assault case Prakash was allegedly assaulted during a meeting at Kejriwal's official residence on the night of February 19. "The fake FIR by Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and the subsequent bogus charge sheet by the Modi government-controlled Delhi Police are parts of a larger design to malign the Delhi government," Bhardwaj alleged. He further charged that the "pro people" agenda of the AAP government and schemes like doorstep delivery of services, that earned global appreciation, has made the central government "insecure". "During the last three-and-a-half years, the Modi government has left no stone unturned in troubling our government. The current chief secretary was posted in Delhi by the Centre with a clear brief of paralysing the Delhi government," he claimed. The court has directed all accused in the chief secretary assault case to appear before it on October 25, saying there were sufficient grounds to establish the charges against them in the case. Besides, Kejriwal and Sisodia, the chargesheet also names 11 legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as accused. They are Amanatullah Khan, Prakash Jarwal, Nitin Tyagi, Rituraj Govind, Sanjeev Jha, Ajay Dutt, Rajesh Rishi, Rajesh Gupta, Madan Lal, Parveen Kumar and Dinesh Mohania. According to Sachin, when the government wins with the help of money power, it always remains under the pressure of capitalists. Jaipur: Facing unprecedented financial crunch, the Congress wants people to support it not just with votes, but also note in the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan. The young state Congress president, Sachin Pilot, has gone online to generate funds for the partys poll campaign. His crowd funding campaign How you can oust BJP in Rajasthan has generated Rs 2.47 lakh from 168 supporters in three days. The top individual donation is Rs 25,000, while the lowest is Rs 100. There are 74 more days to go. We have taken a big step towards transparency in political funding. Please help us in Rajasthan Congress crowd funding campaign, Mr Pilot said in his appeal to citizens. According to him, when the government wins with the help of money power, it always remains under the pressure of capitalists. Only a government formed with the help of peoples support can maintain transparency and serve with honesty, he said. However, the move to seek money from supporters and general public is more of a necessity for the party whose taps from business sources have all but dried up. Having lost power at both the Center and in most of the states, the Grand Old Party faces an uphill task for it to build a war chest from traditional route of corporate funding to take on the financial might of the BJP. Though, Mr Pilot pitches it as the BJPs cash power versus peoples power. He said, What matters to us is not money but peoples association. Therefore, we appeal to people to participate to make our crowd funding campaign successful. Earlier, the party had experimented with crowd funding in a limited way during the Assembly elections in Karnataka a couple of months ago when it asked people to fund its candidate Molakalmuru against B. Sreeramulu and raised Rs 10 lakh. On the partys crowd funding platform, it says, During Karnataka polls earlier this year, the BJP spent over 300 crore rupees on advertising alone and thousands of crores on the state election. On one hand you have BJPs billionaire friends giving them thousands of crores of rupees to control the media and public opinion, while on the other hand you have distressed farmers, women, jobless youth and citizens struggling to make a living. Das claimed that to control the cyber crime in the country illegal Bangladeshis must be sent back to their country. Ranchi: Demanding a National Register of Citizens (NRC) in states such as Assam, to identify illegal Bangladeshis in the state, Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das said that it was due to these illegal residents that Jamtara, a small town in the state, has become a hub of cyber crimes in the country. Talking to this newspaper, he said that each and every Bangladeshi must be identified and sent back, as they were the mastermind of a majority of cyber crimes in the country which was in turn damaging the reputation of Jharkhand. Union government has identified Jamtara, a small town in the tribal region of Santhal Pargana, Jharkhand, as a new hub of cyber crime as more than 50 per cent of cyber crimes in India are traced back to this town. Mr Das claimed that to control the cyber crime in the country illegal Bangladeshis must be sent back to their country. According to Mr Das, the state government has told the Union home minister that a large number of Bangladeshis are illegally living in Jharkhand and they should be deported after updating the NRC in the Jharkhand. The BJP has a clear-cut opinion on this. So, I am of the opinion, so has been the BJP since the time of Jan Sangh, that we must sent back Bangladeshi residing illegally in the country. We have to identify each and every Bangladeshi and send them back, said Mr Das adding that illegal Bangladeshi residents will not be allowed to carry out illegal activities from the Jharkhand. The chief minister alleged that Bangladeshi have made local tribal jobless by taking away their jobs. A large number of Bangladeshis live in Pakur, Sahebganj and Godda districts of the state. They also reside in Ranchi and in my town Jamshedpur too. They have snatched the jobs of our tribals labourers, said Mr Das. Confirming the presence of a large number of illegal Bangladeshi in the state, the chief ministers principal secretary, Sunil Kumar Barnwal, said, In Pakur district, almost 50 per cent of the population are Bangladeshis residing there illegally. They are also present in large number in Sahebganj and Godda. Talking about political patronage to Banglades-his residing in India, Mr Das said, The Congress indulged in politics of vote bank and division for 60 years. Now, under Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, we are doing the politics of development and have been successful in ending the politics of divide in last four years. Bollywood personalities Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Madhuri Dixit also wished the Prime Minister on Twitter. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received birthday greetings from all quarters, including his political rivals, on Monday, who celebrated the day in his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. Mr Modi thanked them for their wishes in a series of tweets. He turned 68 on Monday. President Ramnath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chef Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah were among the first to greet Modi. Birthday greetings to our Prime Minister @narendramodi. Wish him a long life and many years of dedicated service to the people of the country, Mr Kovind tweeted. Former president Pranab Mukherjee hoped that the Prime Minister is blessed with a long, healthy and happy life and continue to serve the nation for many more years to come. Pranab Da, your wishes are always a source of strength for me. Thank you, Mr Modi responded. Bollywood personalities Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Madhuri Dixit also wished the Prime Minister on Twitter. Mr Naidu, who is in Malta, called up Mr Modi to greet him. DMK leader M.K. Stalin as well as Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, Bihar's Nitish Kumar and Odis-ha's Naveen Patnaik and Mr Modi's Cabinet colleagues, including Rajna-th Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, also extended their greetings. Mr Shah hailed Mr Modi's leadership, saying India under him had become synonymous with development and he had infused energy into every section of society like never before. Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted Happy Birthday to our PM, Narendra Modi ji! Wishing him good health and happiness always. Praying for a long and healthy life for the prime minister, Mr Shah described Modi as a leader who is loved by all and has provided a decisive and visionary leadership to country. India has a government under Mr Modi, which is committed to the development of the poor, farmers and every section of society, the BJP chief said in a tweet. Mr Modi was scheduled to be in Narur village during the day to interact with children of a primary school, which is aided by a non-profit organisation, Room to Read. Later, at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) campus, the prime minister was scheduled to interact with students of the Kashi Vidyapeeth and the children assisted by them, according to the Prime Minister's Office. 29 Shares Share Theres an ugly undercurrent that sometimes shows up in the emergency department: indeed all over the world of medicine. Ive seen it in doctors and nurses alike. Its a meanness, a smallness, a kind of moral judgment that can lead us to make poor medical decisions. Or it can simply make us poorer in spirit. I remember the day I had a young man who was in custody. He was 18, handcuffed and in a jail jump-suit. I dont remember what was wrong. I just remember that he looked young and scared. Someone had brought ice cream to the staff. My patient was hungry. Hey, give him a sundae, OK? I asked the nurses to share with our young prisoner. There was plenty of ice-cream. No way, hes a jail-bird. Why would I do that? I tried to explain, but there was no getting around the attitude. Criminal bad, no need for mercy or kindness. Nurse good, no reason to share. I used to see it in physicians who used NG tubes punitively after over-doses. (I havent seen it in a long time. I think most people figured out that a perforated esophagus wasnt worth it in the end.) Ive seen it when a patient was very difficult, loud, profane and made everyone angry. Then, to everyones chagrin, they actually had a very serious problem. They were kind and happy when the problem was treated. They behaved like normal people when they werent frightened and hurting. Case in point. Several young men from a car crash came to the ED. I was told by responders, This one is just acting up; hes probably anxious. I put my stethoscope on his chest. Hmm, no breath sounds. I guess we all act up when we have a tension pneumothorax, right? (Oxygen is good so good.) Proper instructors in medical school and residency will take some of the edge off of this tendency. So will a good mistake; well, you know what I mean. A good mistake is one we learn from, but which causes no serious harm. A bad mistake? You know what that means too. Time can soften this behavior. Love does it. When we have faith, when we have spouses and friends, when we have children, we learn the uncomfortable truth. Many people act badly for understandable reasons. They do it out of remorse, fear, pain, anger, anxiety, depression. They do it as a reaction to loss, to former abuse, to loneliness, to remorse. They do it because of drugs and alcohol. Some are dangerous, difficult people. Some are just wounded. And they take out their wounds on us. We hear a lot about cognitive errors. Sometimes we commit moral errors. And we have to learn to avoid both. My rule of thumb? Rule out the dangerous things first; you can always be angry or annoyed later. If you start with frustration, bitterness, resentment, annoyance then it will color your ability to make a good decision. Are people bad? Sure. But bad people are sometimes very sick. And those of us who treat them? The most important thing to remember is that were bad too. We just have to overcome our tendencies in the pursuit of our work. In the process, well rise higher and be better professionals. More important, well be transformed into better people for our effort. Besides, theres almost nobody who doesnt deserve a little ice cream. Edwin Leap is an emergency physician who blogs at edwinleap.com and is the author of the Practice Test and Life in Emergistan. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Dialogue with Pakistan can happen only if the environment is conducive for talks, the minister added on the sidelines of a conference. New Delhi: Union minister V.K. Singh said on Monday that the Pakistan army still rules the county despite the election of Imran Khan as the new prime minister, adding that it remains to be seen whether the person will be able to bring about change. India is adopting a wait and watch approach after the installation of a new government in Pakistan, the minister of state for external affairs told reporters. Responding to a question on incidents of infiltration at the border after the change of government in Pakistan, he said, Did you all expect a change? I dont know. After all, the person has been propped up by the (Pakistan) army. The army still rules. So, lets wait and watch how things go whether the person remains under army control or doesnt remain under its control. He did not refer to Mr Khan by name. Dialogue with Pakistan can happen only if the environment is conducive for talks, the minister added on the sidelines of a conference. Indias policy is very clear. Dialogue can happen only when the environment is conducive, Mr Singh said when asked whether there have been any attempts from Pakistan to initiate further dialogue with India. Referring to reports of proposals to open the Kartarpur border crossing for Sikh pilgrims, Mr Singh said India has not received any proposal from Pakistan to open the route. Nothing has come from the governments (Pakistan) side. This issue has been going on for a very long time. If anything comes about we will let you know, he said. Earlier, addressing the gathering, Mr Singh said Indias border is unique and therefore one solution cannot be devised to make it more secure. From plains to deserts and mountains and other terrains, one kind of solution cannot be applied to our border and the variety of the terrain has to be factored in while designing any solutions for making the border security more robust and smart, he said. The gathering included defence officials and experts, business leaders and a group of sarpanches from villages near the border. Rahul also came down heavily on the Centre for its failure to arrest growing incidents of violence and sexual harassment against women in the country. Congress President Rahul Gandhi C Congress leader and MP Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia L and State President Kamal Nath during a roadshow in Bhopl. (Photo|: PTI) Bhopal: AICC president Rahul Gandhi, who has been projected as Shiv Bhakt by his party in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, on Monday vowed to abolish Goods and Services Tax (GST) if the Congress returned to power at the Centre in the 2019 parliamentary elections. Mr Gandhi, while attacking demonetisation and GST, said the two radical measures undertaken by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre had caused immense hardships and miseries particularly for the small and medium level businessmen in the country. GST will be abolished if the Congress returns to power in the 2019 parliamentary elections, he said while addressing party men here. We will protect small and medium businesses, he added. Also, slamming the demonetisation move, Mr Gandhi said the move had caused great inconvenience to the people. He also came down heavily on the Centre for its failure to arrest growing incidents of violence and sexual harassment agai-nst women in the country. A BJP MLA in UP raped a woman. PM was silent. We will establish dedicated police stations for women. We will deal with the accused in crimes against women with strong hands, he said. He also attacked the Centre for its failure to check price rise of essential commodities as well as fuel. Mr Gandhi announced that farm loans would be waived if his party returned to power at the Centre. He made it clear that only the die-hard Congress men, not the party hoppers, would be given Congress tickets in the polls. He also took a jibe at MP CM Shivraj Singh Chou-han for going on announ-cement spree of sops, saying, Sachin Tendulkar is known as run machine. Similarly, Mr Chouhan has earned the sobriquet of Ghosana (announcement) machine. The chief minister has so far made more than 21,000 various announcements without bothering to solve the growing unemployment problem in MP, he said. Earlier, Mr Gandhi staged a roadshow here travelling 12 km in an open bus to reach from airport here to the BHEL ground, where he addressed partymen. Hoardings dotted the roadshow route hailing him as a Shiv Bhakt. Sidhu claimed he had written a letter to Swaraj urging for a formal request to Pakistan for agreement on opening of Kartarpur passage. Navjot SIngh Sidhu said, 'We had a detailed discussion during the meeting, explained to her (EAM) about the necessity of opening of the Kartarpur corridor.' (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Chandigarh: Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday claimed that External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj had assured him that a draft was being prepared on Kartarpur passage and she would write a letter to the Pakistan government for opening of the passage. Sidhu claimed that he had written a letter to Swaraj urging for a formal request to the Pakistan government for an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage. Swaraj's assurance was in response to his letter, Sidhu further claimed. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Sidhu said, "I had written in my letter to EAM that 'kindly send a formal request from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to government of Pakistan requesting an early agreement and opening of the Kartarpur passage immediately after current monsoon season'." "We had a detailed discussion during the meeting, explained to her (EAM) about the necessity of opening of the Kartarpur corridor. A formal request should go from India's side. EAM said to me, 'the draft is being prepared and I will write a letter'," he added. However, Swaraj had earlier stated that the Pakistani government has so far neither agreed to include visits to Kartarpur Sahib by Indian pilgrims under bilateral protocol nor has sent any official communication for establishing the corridor. On September 15, Swaraj wrote to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal saying, "I received your letter of 13 September 2018 regarding facilitating visits of the Indian pilgrims, including through a corridor, to the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib located in Pakistan. The Government has been taking up the matter with Pakistan. However, Pakistan has so far neither agreed to include visits to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib by the Indian pilgrims under the bilateral Protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974 nor has it sent any official communication for establishing a corridor." In the letter, Swaraj further informed that over past many years, Pakistani authorities have only allowed a limited number of visits of the Indian pilgrims to the Gurudwara along with the visit to other shrines in Pakistan. The EAM also assured that "government remains seized of the matter and will continue to take up the matter with Pakistan." Swaraj's statement has punctured Sidhu's claims, who on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak said that Pakistan will open the corridor of Kartarpur Sahib. The Congress leader had also hailed this move as a goodwill gesture. Earlier on Monday, Minister of State for External Affairs, General (Retd) VK Singh had also stated that India has not received any proposal from Pakistan to open the Kartarpur route between the two countries. The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is barely 3 kilometres away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak died in 1539. Two cats glance at each other in front of a protest sign in Cheongnyangni 588, a former red-light district in northeastern Seoul. According to a security guard, 40 cats lived here post-eviction. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun By Ron Bandun The major holidays are an ideal time to go urban exploring in Korea. Seoul clears out twice a year as everyone goes to their hometowns for Lunar New Year and Chuseok. These holidays are also when animal abandonment peaks, so I pledged to always have some cat food in my trespassing kit. I'm not sure feeding stray cats does any real good, only delaying the inevitable or growing the stray population, but it helps keep them still for a photo. Maybe I can tide a hungry runaway's appetite over until its owners can rescue it. I've also probably served a few abandoned cats their last meal. Discarded cats unable to fend for themselves haunt abandoned neighborhoods, and I'm unsure where they go after demolition; I probably don't want to know. Last Lunar New Year, I visited a few abandoned sites in northeastern Seoul with Isaiah, another explorer who runs his own column in the monthly Gwangju News. We left my last can of cat food for a heavily pregnant cat on the roof of an abandoned apartment, and then below we found a male cat lounging in a pile of smashed bricks, so close to death he didn't even bother running from us. After that, we headed for Cheongnyangni 588, one of Seoul's red-light districts, where we met another friend. Most of the area has been razed, but at that time a few blocks remained. There was one such space, hidden behind a green striped curtain strung across a roadway, leading into an alley lined with traditional hanok houses on both sides, all abandoned. I'd been here a few times before, passing through the shattered glass windows behind which prostitutes sat enticing johns, slipping into the darkened hallways behind leading to private rooms where the sex trade was consummated. I'd previously been chased out of the red-light district in front of Yongsan Station, so I was wary of being caught back here. Then a man, maybe in his late 50s, appeared at the striped curtain alley entrance yelling at us. He was blocking our only way out, so rather than try to run, we came over and cooperated. He demanded to know what we were doing there, and rather than explain my perversion for endangered architecture, I told him we were looking for a cat. Er, cats, to feed. He said he'd seen us on CCTV, pointing out a camera overlooking the alley entrance, and led us away angrily. We thought about bailing, but I was honestly curious to see what he had in store, confident we could talk our way out of any trouble. He led us on and out onto the main road and then into another restricted area. Just when we were wondering about his intentions, he led us into the courtyard of one beautiful hanok. He showed us where he'd left out a bowl of cat food. Then he brought us back to his guard shack, set up in one section that had been totally destroyed. A large building had been removed here, creating a three-level-deep pit flooded at the bottom. He pointed to all the little shelters made out of blankets and cardboard, and more cat food bowls. We suddenly discovered we were on a whirlwind tour of all the places in 588 the conventional pedestrian couldn't see. He told us there were 40 cats in the area, introducing us to one beautiful female black cat he said had been spayed by the city and released, and now had many boyfriends in the area. I reached out to pet her and she withdrew; he told me she only lets him touch her. Cats are fastidious judges of character. He had a storage space full of cat food, apparently supplied by the district office. I thanked him wholeheartedly and reached out a hand, and in an interestingly Korean move he took off his glove to shake my hand properly. I returned to the former red-light district on June 18, to find demolition complete and construction vehicles driving through. A black cat watched me but kept her distance. I wondered if this was the same cat the guard had introduced me to, and I wondered where that guard was now, if he had moved on to some other doomed area to give the cats there some respite. The writer is a self-described "anarchaeologist." Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused Sidhu of 'misusing' political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently. Sources said Navjot Singh Sidhu met Sushma Swaraj along with another senior Congress leader and a former Rajya Sabha MP to discuss the issue with her. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Monday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Union minister and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, however, claimed that Swaraj "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently to attend Imran Khan's swearing-in as prime minister there. "External Affairs Minister (Swaraj) reprimands Navjot Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance granted for private visit by hugging military Chief responsible for killing our soldiers," Badal said. Sources said Sidhu met Swaraj along with another senior Congress leader and a former Rajya Sabha MP to discuss the issue with her. Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and claimed that he did so as Bajwa told him that the Pakistan government was working out opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from Indian state of Punjab. However, the Congress launched a fresh attack over the Rafale deal on Tuesday, saying the defence minister was suppressing facts. New Delhi: Hitting back at the Congress, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed Tuesday that the NDA government had got the Rafale fighter jets at a nine per cent cheaper rate than what the UPA had done earlier. Responding to questions over the Congress allegations against the government over the Rafale deal, the minister said: We have responded saying your basic price and the basic price that I am getting... when compared with all the escalations and other things, is nine per cent cheaper. Ms Sitharaman also added that the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd was dropped from the Rafale deal by the UPA government itself. Ms Sitharaman said since HAL and Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of the Rafale, could not agree on the production terms, it was dropped from the deal by the Congress government. However, the Congress launched a fresh attack over the Rafale deal on Tuesday, saying the defence minister was suppressing facts. Former defence minister A.K. Antony accused Ms Sitharaman of trying to tarnish the image of the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd both nationally and globally. He also asked that if the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA, why had the government bought only 36 aircraft instead of 126 from the French company. Speaking to reporters, the former defence minister charged that the government was guilty of gravely compromising national security over the Rafale deal. Mr Antony again reiterated the Congress demand to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Rafale deal. Since there is a growing perception that the (Narendra) Modi governments Rafale purchase deal has more skeletons in its closet, let there be a joint parliamentary probe to bring out the truth, Mr Antony said. He added: In the JPC, the present government has got a majority. Why are they afraid? Let the JPC go through all the files. The JPC can call files, a JPC that has a majority of persons from the government... can look through all the files and come out with the truth. Rejecting the charge levelled by Ms Sitharaman that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 had put the final nail in the coffin when the cost negotiation committee was giving the final touches to the deal, he said this was completely false. Her allegations are completely false and she is deliberately suppressing the facts, Mr Antony said. Hindu rashtra doesnt mean no place for Muslims... If it becomes so, it wont be Hindutva New Delhi: Describing the word Hindu as a universal truth and a message that respects diversity and maintains a balance between divergent views, RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat asserted on Tuesady that a Hindu Rashtra doesnt mean there is no place for Muslims as if such a day comes, there will be no Hindutva. In his second-day discourse in the lecture series on the Future of Bharat: An RSS perspective, Mr Bhagwat spoke on Hindu and Hindutva and its real meaning, and also countered allegations that the RSS interferes in governance or in the functioning of the BJP. Mr Bhagwat declared the RSS never asks it volunteers to work for any particular political party and that it does not seek to influence or give advice, but gives suggestions if this was sought, without directly naming the ruling BJP or the Narendra Modi government. The RSS supremo also countered allegations that the Sangh was trying to distort the Constitution by asserting that it is the duty of every citizen to respect and follow the Constitution. Mr Bhagwat even quoted from its preamble ... and to promote among them all fraternity, assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation, to assert that one of the main tasks of the Sangh was to preserve and promote this very bandhubhaav (fraternity). Hindu Rashtra does not mean that there is no place for Muslims. The day it becomes so, it will not be Hindutva as Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutum-bakam, the RSS supremo asserted. The Sangh and its affiliates have often come under attack by the Opposition for being anti-minorities. Mr Bhagwat said the Sanghs work towards universal brotherhood and India promotes this by accepting unity in diversity, which is Hindutva. He said Hindutva alone gives the philosophical foundation for fraternity as it teaches sarveshamvirodhen, or enemity to none. At the beginning of his dicourse, Mr Bhagwat clarified that the RSS has no interest in rajniti (politics), but in rashtraniti (national policy), and the Sangh steers clear of votes and elections. Withouth directly naming the BJP or the Narendra Modi government, Mr Bhagwat, countering allegations, said that the Sangh had nothing to do with their functioning. Sangh volunteers only work towards nation building... Sangh affiliates are independent, sovereign and self-reliant... The Sangh do not take decisions for its affiliates ... we support each other through consultation if it is required and help each other ... we do not ask our volunteers to work for any one political party... whoever is working towards nation-building ... we stand behind them... no outfit has any authority over the nations interest, said Mr Bhagwat. The RSS has often faced flak for interfering in the functioning of the Narendra Modi government and also decision-making of the ruling party, the BJP, a Sangh Parivar affiliate. Admitting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind were associated with the Sangh, Mr Bhagwat said the RSS has no influence on the governments policy decisions or politics. People think that calls come from Nagpur (the RSS headquarters) but it has never happened. We (RSS) have nothing to do with their political or policy decisions. The Constitution of the country has envisaged guidelines on how the government will function, and what will be the power centre, and there cannot be any other power centre, the RSS chief declared. Mr Bhagwat said it was often asked why so many of the Sanghs swayamsewaks were in one party, but that was not the Sanghs concern. The question of why they do not wish to be associated with other parties is for them to consider, he said, as the Sangh never asks its swayamsewaks to work for a particular political party. Explaining the words Hindu and Hindutva, Mr Bhagwat said one should look at them not through the propaganda and perception created about them, in an apparent reference to the Opposition parties who often accuse the RSS and BJP of promoting their version of Hindutva. Mr Bhagwat said the word Hindu denotes respect for diversity and Hindutva cannot be defined by the way one eats or a particular language or region as there cannot be categories. No particular language or God bind us together. Our food habits, rituals and customs are not the same. We are divided in various states, languages and castes. In spite of this, we claim to be the progeny of Bharat Mata and the followers of universal human values, which is Hindutva, asserted the RSS chief. He also said that on the very basis of the set of values that have guided the nation since time immorial, and have been followed, dharma developed, not confined to any geography or any language but was universal. Mr Bhagwat said that Dr B.R. Ambedkar, in one of his speeches in the Constituent Assembly, had talked about universal brotherhood and emphasised on promoting fraternity among countrymen. He said Dr Ambedkar also talked about ensuring the dignity of individuals and the integrity of the nation and had suggested that religion was not a code but a set of values, and Hindutva was based on that set of values. While speaking in Parliament about the Hindu Code Bill, Dr Ambedkar had asked what is a religion? A value or a code? He then said that if you consider a code as a religion, then a code may change but not values. Our perspective towards religion is that it is based on values, said Mr Bhagwat. The representatives of foreign diplomatic missions, including those of the United States, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Argentina, Singapore, Serbia and Surinam, attended Tuesdays event. Also among those present was fomer Chief of Army Staff Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retd). With CM Manohar Parrikar admitted to AIIMS, Congress is seeking dismissal of the BJP-led government in Goa. 'Shah informed me about (scheduled) visit of BJP observers. He spoke about how important allies are in the government and their role in ensuring stability,' the GFP chief said. (Photo: File | AP) Panaji: Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai said Tuesday that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah had called him to discuss the political situation in Goa and to "ensure stability". With Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, opposition Congress has said it is going to seek dismissal of the BJP-led government. GFP, which has three MLAs, is an ally of the BJP. "Amit Shah had called me before BJP's national observers arrived here to take stock of the political situation. He had basically called to discuss the political situation and to ensure stability of the Manohar Parrikar government," Sardesai told PTI. "Shah informed me about (scheduled) visit of BJP observers. He spoke about how important allies are in the government and their role in ensuring stability," the GFP chief said. He claimed that Shah's call followed after Sardesai demanded that there has to be a permanent solution if the BJP was thinking about a leadership change in Goa in view of Parrikar's illness. "I had publicly expressed opposition to ad hoc arrangements," Sardesai added. The GFP leader said he conveyed the same to BJP observers B L Santhosh, Ram Lal and Vijay Puranik who visited the coastal state last weekend. His party is now waiting for the BJP's decision on the current political situation, he said. Parrikar, who has been ailing since mid-February, is undergoing treatment at AIIMS for a pancreatic ailment. The incident took place late Monday night at Mharal village in Kalyan taluka of Maharashtra. The body of the victim was later sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, the police said adding that no arrest has been made in this connection. (Representational image) Thane: A 20-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his two friends at Mharal village in Kalyan taluka of Maharashtra apparently over a financial dispute, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place late Monday night, police said. The victim, identified as Fiaz Shaikh, had gone with some of his friends to have food and liquor in the village late Monday night. On their way back, an argument broke out among the group members and the two accused stabbed Fiaz Shaikh to death and tried to attack some others, a police officer said. The body of the victim was later sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, the police said adding that no arrest has been made in this connection. Police have booked the accused under IPC 302 (murder) and a search has been launched to nab them. New Delhi, Sep 18: India made a veiled attack on Pakistan at the United Nations for its alleged role in terrorism in Afghanistan. In a veiled reference to Pakistan, India said terror attacks in Afghanistan are launched from safe havens in its neighbourhood. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said yesterday that India wants to bring a lasting solution to the situation in Afghanistan. "Taliban, aided by their supporters, continue to pursue military operations perpetrating violence and destruction, like the recent attack in Ghazni, over several parts of Afghanistan," Akbaruddin said during a debate at the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan. While not naming Pakistan, he said "dark agendas" of terror outfits are being supported by those provide safe havens to terrorists in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan. Imran Khan 'Puppet of Pakistan Army', No Change in Their India Policy: Union Minister VK Singh. "These offensives are planned and launched by those who are harboured in safe havens in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan. These sanctuaries have, for years, provided safety for the dark agendas of ideologically and operationally-fused terror networks like the Taliban, Haqqani network, Daesh, AlQaeda and its proscribed affiliates such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed," he said. Time for the international community to cripple Talibans illicit drug trade - @IndiaUNNewYork https://t.co/6LVADIRedp pic.twitter.com/Q5Tplp4dbG Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) September 18, 2018 India urged the international community to cripple Talibans illicit drug trade. it is time for this Council to try and replicate the success of the international community against the Islamic States illicit business in Syria and Iraq by similarly crippling the Talibans illicit drug trade," Akbaruddin said. He also stated that India will provide full support to Afghanistan to bring financial stability in the country. "India stands ready to support Afghanistan in every way we can. Our focus remains on the economic pillar of stability and reliable connectivity for the people of Afghanistan. We strongly believe that lack of connectivity directly impacts the economic, security and political situation in Afghanistan and we want to address this crucial issue for the benefit of the Afghan people," he said. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2018 10:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Odisha, September 18: Odisha police authorities on Monday seized a chopper owned by former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Jay Panda over allegations that it flew over Chilika lake, a 'No flying eco-sensitive zone'. The police have filed an FIR against the former MP for making an undeclared landing on Chilika lake. The action was taken by Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Chilika Development Authority (CDA), Binod Acharya at Marine police station in Arakhkuda, seeking an investigation into the matter and taking action against the pilot and passenger. The forest officials alleged that the chopper was flying at dangerously low height and created panic among villagers and local fisherfolks. It also stated that flying at this height could cause serious impact on marine life and ecology of Chilika lake. A team of police reached Bhubaneshwar airport on Monday evening and sealed the hangar where Baijayant Panda's chopper was kept. Panda denied all the allegations and asserted that he had flown a helicopter on Saturday but at a totally different time. The ATC records will show that, I flew from 8.45 AM over Rajhans-Puri-Konark & landed at Kendrapada at 10.28 am. I flew from Kendrapada at 12.50 pm, landing at Bhubaneswar 1.30 pm, Panda tweeted. "Today a State Govt official filed an FIR, citing media reports (saying a Seaplanelanded in Chilika at 1.30 pm) but changing description to "helicopter". FIR still says Chilika landing at 1.30 pm, when I'd landed in Bhubaneswar, Panda added in a series of tweets. The police have registered FIR under Sections 277, 278, 336, 431 of IPC and Section 11 of Aircraft act 1934. A team of police reached Biju Patnaik International Airport and sealed the hangar and chopper belonging to MP Jay Panda. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2018 12:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). As the catastrophic Hurricane Florence continue to spread across the Carolinas, another natural calamity has reached the Asian shores. On Saturday, Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in the Philippines and mainland China bringing torrential rains coupled with winds up to 205 kilometres an hour. The Philippines raised the highest alert level in its northern provinces which has more than 3.7 million people. The mighty winds broke glasses of commercial buildings, brought down materials from under-construction buildings, uprooted trees and blocked roads. The Atlantic hurricane could worsen the condition as torrential rains would result in landslides and flash floods. Hurricane Florence Makes Landfall in North Carolina, US: Here Are 8 Pictures That Show Effect of The Natural Calamity. Here are pictures showing the effect of Typhoon Mangkhut Firefighters remove fallen trees from a road in Hong Kong. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) The strong winds forced an evacuation of over 2.45 million people in Hong Kong and the Philippines. As per reports in the Chinese media, over 2.45 million people have been evacuated in Guangdong province. Mangkhut is a category 5 hurricane locally known as Ompong. Workers remove debris from the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) According to forecasters, it is the strongest typhoon of 2018 and has already left the people of Luzon island without electricity and many houses blown away. An area flooded due to downpour after Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in Hong Kong. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) At least 65 people have been killed in the natural disaster. As per Sunday government officials said that 42 people were missing and rescue operations to find missing persons will resume on Monday. Evacuated residents at an evacuation centre in the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) Police officers carry a girl out of a collapsed school in Hong Kong. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) According to the weather department, the storm is expected to bring more torrential downpour in Hong Kong. For low-lying areas in the city, flood warnings have been issued. Cities like Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai were also on high alert. People gather their usable items after typhoon Mangkhut destroyed properties in the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) In anticipation of the storm, flights were cancelled in Shenzhen and Hainan. Mangkhut is the 15th storm to hit the Philippines this year. Every year, the country is hit by an average of 20 typhoons. Commercial buildings damaged by Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) Police help clear debris on a road in the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Getty Images) As per reports of Chinese media, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was saddened by the "loss of life and extensive destruction" caused by the Typhoon Mangkhut. The statement issued by the UN Spokesperson extends the UN chief's condolences to the families of the victims. It further reads, "The United Nations system in-country is already working to support the government-led response efforts and stands ready to scale up assistance as requested." (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2018 06:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The video clip, which went viral on Tuesday, shows Mr Khan quite happy with the money being showered on him by two other persons. Mumbai: Mumbai Congress leader and former Cabinet minister Naseem Khan on Tuesday, found himself mired in a controversy over a video clip. In the clip, people are seen showering him with money. Mr Khan has been slammed by the opposition for the incident, even though he clarified that the workers of Ganesh mandals showered the money. The video clip, which went viral on Tuesday, shows Mr Khan quite happy with the money being showered on him by two other persons. The video clip was shown on many Marathi news channels and also shared on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The opposition slammed Mr Khan for the act. Mahatma Gandhiji had said that Congress need to be dissolved. These leaders are acting as per Gandhijis words, said Sudhir Mungantiwar, state finance minister. Mr Khan said that, It was the Ganesh mandal of the Bhanushali community. When they began to shower money I objected, but the workers insisted. I remained silent thinking that it might be a tradition of this community. Had I objected, it would have hurt more people. As they showered the money on me, how can I be blamed for it. Sep 18, 2018, 4:39pm ET Volvo kicks off US production for S60 Hurricane Florence briefly interrupted operations at the company's first US manufacturing facility, located not far from Charleston, South Carolina. Volvo has announced the official start of production at its first American manufacturing site in South Carolina. The facility occupies 2.3 million square feet of the 1,600-acre property, providing plenty of room for assembly alongside office space and soon Volvo Cars University. The plant is currently focused on producing the all-new S60 sedan, due to arrive in showrooms later this year. Some US automakers have been shifting sedan production away from their home market as the segment continues to shrink. Volvo has hedged its bet by preparing to build the next-generation X90 alongside the S60 in 2021. The company briefly halted operations at the Ridgeville factory as coastal residents evacuated ahead of Hurricane Florence's arrival. The plant is designed to produce up to 150,000 vehicles annually. An 82-year-old Stroudsburg man who was trying to get to the Regal Northampton Cinema to see the thriller "Operation Finale" starred in an action adventure of his own making early Tuesday afternoon, Washington Township police Chief Scott Miller said. Miller was returning to his Slate Belt police station from an active shooter drill at Easton Hospital in Wilson Borough and was approaching the Route 248 interchange at 12:37 p.m. on Route 33 North in Lower Nazareth Township, he said. Suddenly, a maroon pickup truck pulled onto the highway ahead of him, drove north for a bit and then pulled a U-turn across both lanes, Miller said. Two wheels on the highway berm and two wheels on the rain-softened grass median, the man drove toward traffic, Miller added. The chief was in the left lane so suddenly the truck was coming at him, he said. The pickup passed without hitting the police car and Miller activated his lights and siren and made a U-turn of his own in the median and headed south, he said. The pickup sped up and the chief tried to keep his distance as not to create an even greater hazard, Miller said. Eventually Miller lost sight of the truck and radioed the Northampton County emergency dispatch center to update his status. Miller didn't know if they man was fleeing a crime or having a medical issue, but the chief was going to discontinue the pursuit for safety reasons and asked about having the highway shut northbound, he said. There were two Pennsylvania Department of Transportation utility trucks inadvertently blocking the median near the Hecktown Road interchange -- the next one south of Route 248 -- in Lower Nazareth and the maroon pickup truck stopped as Miller drove up from behind, the chief said. Within a minute, there were several Pennsylvania State Police vehicles there as well, Miller said. A driver heading up the Route 33 North on-ramp off Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township drives just past the Regal Northampton Cinema 14 & RPX, but there is no place to enter the movie complex. (Google image) Miller asked the man what he was doing and the man explained he was trying to get to the theater in the nearby Northampton Crossings on the north side of Route 248. The shopping center runs along the highway. He said he thought if he got on what turned out to be the northbound entrance ramp to Route 33 that it would take him there, Miller said. The theater is just to the right of the ramp, but there is no entrance. The man wanted to see the film that IMDb explains is "director Chris Weitz's historical thriller ... based on the story of how a group of Israeli secret agents arrested notorious SS officer Adolf Eichmann." Once the man was on the highway, he turned around and headed south so he wouldn't get lost, Miller said. The median was very soggy and goes down a decline to a low point, so it is not clear the truck would have made it to the southbound lanes if that was the initial intention of the U-turn, Miller said. The elderly man was coherent and answered all the questions he was asked, Miller said. And it wasn't a matter of GPS taking the man along the wrong path, Miller said. The man wasn't using the navigational assistant. State police took over, because that stretch of highway is their jurisdiction, and called an EMS unit to take the man to a hospital to get checked out. State police at Belfast, who patrol the highway, didn't immediately have an update about any possible citations. "Just thank God nobody got hurt," Miller said. "Everybody's fine, including him." Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Trekking from South to North Jersey is no easy feat. But flying? Well, it's possible that a little parrot may have made the trip over the past month and a half. Jeannie and Michael Lupinacci lost their 18-year-old blue-crowned conure parrot, Paulie, in late July when his cage flew open while on a walk. Paulie took off, lured by the trees in Moorestown and fresh air. "He absolutely loves to fly," Jeannie Lupinacci said Tuesday in a phone call with NJ Advance Media. "He loves to fly around our apartment. He's always perching at high heights. It's really not surprising that he sees the opportunity to explore this wooded area, in the beautiful weather." Paulie, an 18-year-old parrot, may have flown from Moorestown to Blairstown, his owner says. (Photo provided) When Paulie didn't fly back home that night, they took to car, foot, and social media, searching for the lost little bird they rescued last year. Michael Lupinacci slept outside the first night, with Paulie's food dish nearby, hoping the parrot would make his way home, his wife said. They posted in community and bird watch groups on Facebook, and spent days walking around Moorestown, screaming "Old McDonald" (Paulie's favorite song) to the treetops. "We're at the point that we just don't care" what passersby think, she said. But sightings in Moorestown were scarce. Lupinacci said they thought they saw Paulie, who is between the size of a crow and sparrow, soaring over a lake as a hawk appeared to swoop down. They couldn't tell how the encounter ended, but hoped that Paulie's unclipped wings had allowed him to escape, she said. The trail mostly went cold. Their worry built. Paulie is native to South America, and Lupinacci is getting more anxious as the warm summer months wane. But over the weekend, the couple's hope for a safe return was revived. A sighting across the state led them to believe Paulie had not only avoided the hawk's talons, but also flown as far as 100 miles to Blairstown, Warren County, where witnesses saw a green parrot who looks an awful lot like Paulie near a bird sanctuary. "Our hope is renewed," Lupinacci said. They made the two-hour drive Monday after getting a tip, and talked to women at the bird sanctuary. "This to us really shows the power of social media." Even though Paulie wasn't there, Lupinacci said she and her husband are planning to make the trip again Wednesday, and hope they can finally bring their bird back home, where they have three other birds, all rescues. "We're emboldened by the fact that there's a bird rescue, the sites and sounds of which might attract Paulie and keep him there," she said. But, "it is possible that as we speak, he could be flying miles away." Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips UPDATE: Monsignor is cleared, returns to active duty, diocese says A monsignor who has served the last 30 years at a Catholic church in Bethlehem Township has been removed from active ministry due to a sexual misconduct allegation dating to the 1970s, the Diocese of Allentown said Tuesday in a news release. Monsignor Edward Sacks Once the diocese received the allegation against Edward Sacks from his time at the former Holy Name High School in Reading, it notified law enforcement and took action against Sacks, pending the outcome of the investigation, the news release said. Sacks denies the allegation. Sacks, 80, was not mentioned in the recent grand jury report that named 35 priests from the diocese as part of an investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office into sexual abuse by the clergy. The diocese took the action "in accordance with its policy to protect children," the news release said, adding its decisions do not indicate innocence or guilt. "Monsignor Sacks is presumed innocent unless an investigation determines otherwise," the diocese said. The diocese took the actions due to its "longstanding policy of zero toleration," the news release said. It contacted Child Line, Berks County Children and Youth and the Berks County District Attorney's Office, a spokesman said. But that doesn't mean there Sacks will ever have his day in court. District Attorney John Adams explained the statute of limitations is well passed on any possible charge and his office won't expend any resources on such a case, so it didn't open a criminal investigation. Sacks, in a statement to parishioners, said, "I have been falsely accused today of the sexual abuse of a minor going back to the days of my work at Holy Name High School in Reading. The charge comes from the mother of a former student. "I am absolutely convinced that I can prove my innocence. It is a case of mistaken identity." Adams said Sacks' only likely recourse is to make his case to the diocese. That is the difficulty with some of the grand jury's actions, Adams said, because many of the accused have no chance to present a public defense. But Sacks doesn't question the process. "The policy of the diocese has been put into place as it should be. I am removed from the parish immediately, pending the outcome of the investigation." Father Abraham Ha "will be in charge of things in my absence,' Sacks said before reminding members of the church that they are in his prayers and he asks them to pray for him. The Coplay native was ordained a priest in 1964 and has served Our Lady of Perpetual Help since 1988 in the township, records show. The monsignor as pastor chaired the building committee that led to a new church in Bethlehem Township, according to the parish's website. "Our Lady has seen significant growth and prosperity as a parish community during his tenure with us," the church says in Sacks' biography. "We have been truly blessed to have him as our Shepherd." Sacks served as principal at Holy Name in Reading and Marian High School in Hometown, Pennsylvania, the biography says. He was assistant superintendent of education for many years before being named pastor of St. Mary's Church in Catasauqua. He was also pastor of St. Margaret's Church in Reading and Our Lady of Help of Christians Church in Allentown, the biography says. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A 20-year-old Wind Gap man and brothers from East Stroudsburg were the people who died in a fiery crash Sunday night in Monroe County, Coroner Tom Yanac reports. Two southbound Ford Mustangs crossed into oncoming traffic about 9:30 p.m. on Route 209 near Shafer's Schoolhouse Road in Stroud Township, Stroud Area Regional police said Monday. The white Mustang struck a guardrail and the driver was seriously injured, police said. The black Mustang hit a Subaru Forrester head-on, leading to a fire and the deaths of three people, police said. Matthew Haller was behind the wheel of the black Mustang, Yanac said. Haller studied at Pen Argyl High School and Northampton Community College, according to his Facebook page. Ronald Bogart, 68, was driving the Subaru and his brother Chester, 74, was the passenger, Yanac said. Police have yet to identify the driver of the white Mustang or explain what led the men to lose control of the muscle cars, which ended up on opposite sides of the intersection. Autopsies were being done Tuesday morning in an effort to determine the cause and manner of the deaths, Yanac said. The bodies will be released afterward to funeral homes so services can be planned, he added. This post was updated to correct Ronald Bogart's first name. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Met Eireann has issued weather warnings ahead of the arrival of Storm Ali which is set to bring winds in excess of 120km/h and persistent rain to Ireland. The forecaster says the Atlantic depression will track across the country with the warning in place until 1pm on Wednesday. Storm Ali will track close to the west and northwest coast from the early hours of Wednesday morning until late afternoon. South to southwest winds veering westerly will increase to mean speeds between 65 and 80 km/h with gusts between 110 and 120 km/h for a time in some areas. Winds strongest along Atlantic Coasts at first and later in the morning extending further east. A Status Orange wind warning has been issued for for Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry. A Status Yellow wind warning is in place for all of Ireland with the strongest gusts set to hit 110 km/hr. The warning is valid from 5am to 1pm Wednesday, September 19. WEATHER FORECAST BELOW video from UK Met Office TODAY - TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER Outbreaks of showery rain will occur today but there will be some dry and bright intervals also. Becoming blustery this afternoon with fresh to strong and gusty southwest winds. Highest temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees. TONIGHT - TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER Tonight will start off dry mainly dry and blustery in Leinster and Munster. Outbreaks of rain will affect parts of Connacht and Ulster. Later in the night, persistent rain associated with Storm Ali will move in from the west and spread eastwards. Southerly winds will strengthen overnight reaching Gale force on Atlantic coasts and later increasing to strong Gale in places. Lowest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees. TOMORROW - WEDNESDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER Storm Ali will bring very windy conditions to all areas for a time tomorrow with strong to Gale force south to southwest winds later veering westerly. Winds will increase to strong Gale for a short time in some parts with severe and damaging gusts. Heavy rain during the morning will clear to blustery showers in the afternoon. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees. NATIONAL OUTLOOK Wednesday night will be dry with winds easing. Lowest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees. On Thursday, rain will move up from the south and will affect much of the country. There is some uncertainty regarding the amount of rain expected. The most recent forecast predicts somewhat less rainfall than previously. However, there is still a risk of very heavy rainfall in Leinster and Munster. Highest temperatures of 12 to 17 degrees. Rain will clear on Thursday night. Friday will be cool and breezy with sunny spells and scattered showers, these mainly in the west and north. Highest temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees with moderate to fresh westerly winds. Saturday will be mainly dry. However, some rain may develop in the south. Highest temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees with light winds. The forecast for Sunday is uncertain at this stage. The arrival of Storm Ali marks the start of the 2018 / 19 storm season and weather forecasters in Ireland and the UK have given names to the weather events to raises awareness of severe weather before it hits. First introduced in 2015, this is the fourth year Met Eireann and the UK Met Office have jointly run the Name our Storms scheme. Evelyn Cusack is Head of Forecasting at Met Eireann. The last 12 months have seen some extreme weather around the Globe as well as here at home. While it is too early to say whether the coming winter will be a stormy one or a quiet one we are prepared with a new set of 21 names for whatever nature may throw at us. Met Eireann is delighted to continue working with colleagues from the UK Met Office to warn of impending severe weather, she said. Derrick Ryall, Head of Public Weather Services at the UK Met Office. Naming storms has been proved to raise awareness of severe weather in the UK and Ireland, providing a consistent message to the public and crucially prompting people to take action to prevent harm to themselves or to their property, he said. This year the first storm will be male and named Ali, while the second storm will be female and named Bronagh, following the alternating male/female pattern established by the US National Hurricane Center in the 1970s. A storm is named for weather systems which are likely to give rise to Orange (Amber) or Red wind warnings by Met Eireann and/or the Met Office. This seasons names have once again been compiled from a list of suggestions submitted by the public, choosing some of the most popular names but also selecting names that reflect the culture and diversity of Ireland and Britain. As in previous years, Q, U, X, Y and Z will not be used, to comply with the international storm naming conventions. Heres a reminder of the named storms since last September. Aileen 12-13th Sept 2018/ Ophelia 16th Oct/ Brian 20th-21st Oct/ Caroline 7th-8th Dec/ Dylan 30th-31st Dec/ Eleanor 2nd-3rd Jan 2019/ Fionn 16th Jan/ Georgina 24th Jan/ Emma 1st-2nd March/ Hector 13th-14th June. Evelyn is chair of the European group for storm-naming which feeds into a worldwide system of naming storms, hurricanes, typhoons etc. She points out that the names of the two most serious events affecting our shores over the last year, Ophelia and Emma, actually did not come from our 2017-18 list. Ophelia is from the rotating list used by the National Hurricane Center in Miami and was the farthest-east major hurricane observed in the satellite era. Emma was named by the National Weather Service in Portugal (IPMA) and produced heavy snow as it clashed with the Arctic conditions over Ireland and Britain in early March this year. Further information on www.met.ie/warnings Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 17) One year since the death of hazing victim Horacio "Atio" Castillo III, his parents are taking the case to the next level. They plan to file criminal charges against Aegis Juris lawyers who allegedly conspired to cover up the killing. This will come on top of charges of homicide, robbery, and violation of the anti-hazing law against 10 initial suspects. Another fratman, John Paul Solano, faces charges for perjury and obstruction of justice. "We're preparing for another preliminary investigation including all those that were not included doon sa original complaint," Atio's mother Carminia Castillo told CNN Philippines. "There were a lot of names that the witness mentioned who were members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, who were present who were part of the planning, who were there. Included lahat iyon." "Yung mga lawyers na to, we'll charge them with obstruction [of justice]," she added, referring to those in the viral thread. "It's about time [we] teach these people a lesson." [Translation: Quit your mentality that you can arrange something with us, that you can pay us, that you can get away with it.] Atio Castillo, a 22-year-old freshman at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Civil Law, was killed in Aegis Juris hazing rites on September 17, 2017. TIMELINE: The case of Horacio Castillo III A major piece of evidence in the case was a revealing Facebook thread obtained by Manila police, where members and alumni of the fraternity seemed to conspire to cover up the crime. Ideas such as hiding the paddle and paying Atio's parents were floated in the conversation. The professional lawyers identified in the chat room were Marvi Abo, Alston Kevin Anarna, Cesar Ocampo Ona, Cecilio Jimeno, Gaile Dante Acuzar Caraan, Ferdinand Rogelio, Henry Pablo, Jr., Michael Vito, Edzel Bert Canlas, Cesar Dela Fuente, Manuel Angelo Ventura III, Nino Kjell Servanez, and Jet Dela Pena Villaroman. Caraan mentioned former Isabela Rep. Edwin Uy in the thread, saying Uy advised them to "form a crisis committee... to reach out to the family of the victim para hindi na mag-ingay [to not make noise]." Uy and the other lawyers are already facing a probe for disbarment at the Supreme Court, along with UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, Eric Fuentes, Gem Dimaculangan, Alfonso Verzosa, Arthur Capili, Irvin Joseph Fabella, and Allan Christopher Agati. "You do not deserve to be lawyers. Umpisa palang, ganito na pala ang mindset ninyo," said Mrs. Castillo. "All this time, ang lagi niyong iniisip is, 'Aregluhin niyo ang pamilya. Bayaran mo yung pamilya.'" [Translation: Right from the start, your mindset was like this. All this time, you were thinking, 'Just settle on something with the family. Pay the family.'] Also in the thread were Milfeen Alvarado, Ronald Cheng, Brian Bangui, Arvin Balag, and Jose Miguel Salamat. Balag and Salamat are among the primary suspects who are now detained in Manila City Jail. The latter confessed in the thread that he was holding Atio's cellphone, which Atio's parents say has not yet been returned. Divina resigns from frat, maintains innocence The Castillo family suspects Divina knew about the crime, as he was a member of Aegis Juris. Uy, who served as a congressman from 2001 to 2007, is also listed as a senior partner at Divina's law firm. However, the dean maintained he was not in on the cover-up. The Department of Justice dismissed criminal charges against Divina in March, but he is still facing the disbarment probe. "I would like to believe that I have always been safe because I am innocent," Divina told CNN Philippines. "My conscience is clear." He maintained he was inactive in Aegis Juris since he took up the post as dean. He also revealed that he resigned from the fraternity about six months ago "just so that there will be no allegation again of impropriety or influence on the decision not that I would influence it," he said. Divina also shared his thoughts on the Facebook conversation, saying it was proof that he was not conspiring against the Castillos. At the same time, he said he was disappointed with some of his former brothers. "I felt vindicated because my name was not at all mentioned in the exchange. I was not part of it... So that belies the allegation that I was part of the cover-up," he said. "At the same time I felt sadness and disappointment... because of [the members'] reaction to [the hazing]." The dean said that he still empathizes with the Castillos and hopes for justice for Atio's death. However, he also had an appeal to his parents. "I pray for more understanding and discernment... to see that there are people who are innocent, like me. I did not do anything wrong. I did not transgress any law. I was not part of any cover-up," said Divina. "Forgiveness is not inconsistent with justice. So the two can go hand in hand," he added. Apart from additional charges, the Castillos have forwarded a request for the Vatican to investigate how UST handled the case. The couple says they are prepared to see all the accused end up behind bars. "We are all prepared to win this case... I am prepared for a perfect conviction," said Mrs. Castillo. "A lot of people are saying, 'Saan aabot 'to?' Sinasabi ko: We will never settle. We are here to defend our son... I'll see to it all of you will be brought to justice." The party had called for a nationwide bandh over the issue of rising fuel prices, that was supported by 21 other parties. The developments of the past few weeks indicates that the Congress is on an offensive and the BJP seems to be pushed on the backfoot over the national political scenario. The party had called for a nationwide bandh over the issue of rising fuel prices, that was supported by 21 other parties. The Congress has been asking some difficult but relevant questions over the Rafale deal and the increasing prices of fuel. While the BJP is trying to offer some explanations, it is at the same time trying to evade some of these issues, mainly over Rafale. The Congress has also done well in various byelections in the recent past in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh either fighting alone or in alliance with regional parties. But all these wont make the path for the revival of the Congress easy. The road to 2019 remains extremely difficult for the Congress. The erosion of the partys support base is far deeper than what is visible from its extremely poor performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when it managed to win only 44 Lok Sabha seats and polled 19.3 per cent of the vote. It is important to note that not only has the Congress voteshare declined in the Lok Sabha elections, there is a corresponding decline in the partys support base even in the state Assembly elections. An analysis of the voteshare of the Congress in various Assembly elections suggest that from an overall voteshare of 45 per cent during all Assembly elections held in the first decade soon after Independence, in 1951-61 (26 Assembly elections), it has declined to 23 per cent during all Assembly elections (72) held over the last decade (2007-2018). It is important to note that the decline in the Congress support base for Assembly elections had begun soon after the first decade, as seen in the Lok Sabha elections. During the second decade (1961-71), its voteshare in Assembly elections declined to 41 per cent, in all the state Assembly elections held in the third and the fourth decades (1974-84 and 1985-95), it fell to 32 per cent, while in the 1996-2007 period, it declined further to 24 per cent. The overall voteshare of the Congress in state Assembly elections held in different decades might suggest that a marginal increase in the support base might change the fortunes of the party, as in the first-past-the-post electoral system and with multi-party contests in many states, it may be able to win elections as soon as its voteshare crosses the 30 per cent mark. But the Congress support base is much worse than it looks from these average voteshare figures. Of the 72 Assembly elections held in the past decade, it could get more than 40 per cent votes only in 11 Assembly polls; while its voteshare was less than 15 per cent in 15 Assembly elections. In another 17 Assembly elections, its voteshare remained between 15 to 29 per cent, while in 29 Assembly elections it polled between 30-40 per cent votes. In many big states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal, which account for a large number of Lok Sabha seats (226 Lok Sabha seats) its voteshare is dismal and the party has been pushed to the number four or five positions both in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. With such a dismal performance, it may be very difficult for the Congress to bounce back and at least be seen as a serious contender in the electoral race. It is true that there is growing dissatisfaction of the people with the BJP-led NDA government, mainly due to its failure on the economic front. The findings of the various surveys over the past few months suggest that this dissatisfaction is largely due to the governments failure to control the price rise and its failure to create jobs for the unemployed youth. In the past we have seen governments being voted out of power when the people have raised serious questions about economic development. The findings of the survey conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies during the 2004 and 2014 Lok Sabha polls clearly indicate the peoples dissatisfaction with the economic policies of the government of the day. Surveys suggest that just before the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, economic issues did became important for voters.The ruling BJP-led colations election campaign during the 2004 Lok Sabha polls focused on the slogan of India Shining. The members of the ruling coalition believed the government had done reasonably well on the economic front, but on the contrary surveys suggested that 31 per cent of people felt that its economic policies benefited only rich people, while only 15 per cent believed that it benefited all people, and others could not express their views on this. It is important to note that a large number of voters who questioned the economic policies of the then government voted against the NDA. There was a significant shift among middle-class voters from the BJP to the Congress, which among other factors contributed significantly to the BJPs defeat in 2004. The negative evaluation of the economic policies of the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the peoples unhappiness with rising prices resulted in the massive defeat of the Congress in 2014. The Congress has mounted an offensive against the BJP, targeting the government over its failures on the economic front. Parallels are being drawn between 2004 and 2019, and arguments are being put forward that if a leaderless Congress could defeat the NDA in 2004, why cant this be repeated 15 years later, in 2019? The task for the Congress may not be impossible, but remains extremely difficult, with the party having lost the ability to attract regional parties as allies. It is now the other way around it is the Congress that needs the regional parties much more than vice versa. The question, however, remains: is the Congress ready for this climbdown? The number of cohabiting couples in Laois has risen, in line with a rise across all of Ireland. Reasons may be the growing cost of housing along with saving for a wedding, couples feeling less obliged to marry for religious reasons, or couples who are not yet divorced from previous partners. There are now 2,622 cohabiting couples in Laois, and 1,565 of these couples have children. The Law Society has this week reminded the public that cohabiting couples do not have the same rights as married couples or civil partnerships Cohabiting couples can find free, accessible information on their rights on the Law Societys legal guides webpage. Of the 1.22 million families in Ireland (Census 2016), 152,302 couples are counted as cohabiting - an increase of six per cent since 2011. 'Cohabitants' are two adults living in a long-term, committed relationship, sharing expenses, possibly with children, but not in a legal union. It refers to same-sex as well as heterosexual relationships. Generally, to be considered a cohabiting couple, the couple must have lived together for five years, or two years if they have a child together. Nationwide, the number of cohabiting couples with children is also growing. Census 2016 shows 75,587 cohabiting couples in Ireland are living with children, an increase of nearly one quarter (24.4 per cent) since 2011. Cohabiting couples and the law Cohabiting couples do not have the same rights as married couples or civil partnerships. However, under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, some cohabitating couples do hold some legal rights in relation to their cohabitating partner. Keith Walsh is Chair of the Law Societys Family Law Committee and says Ireland has one of the most progressive laws for cohabitants in Europe and is way ahead of the UK. Many people mistakenly think there is something called common law husband or wife. This doesnt exist, says Keith Walsh. Solicitors have dealt with a lot of cohabitant cases since the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 came into force on 1st January 2011. Most cohabitants did not realise that they were cohabitants or that they had rights following the breakdown of the relationship or the death of their cohabitant. Legal Guides The Law Society of Ireland has developed a number of free, accessible legal guides to help members of the public with their legal queries. The guides, available on the Law Societys website (www.lawsociety.ie/Public/ Legal-guides), contain key information on 11 different areas of law including consumer rights, dispute resolution, employment law, getting a legal quote and more. The family law legal guide provides basic information on legal rights for cohabiting couples. These rights can include a right to seek maintenance from the other partner, or apply for financial provision from his or her estate. The Law Societys legal guides are a great way of finding out your rights; they are to the point and will help guide you to what you need to know. However, they are intended as a guide only and do no substitute for professional legal advice, says Keith Walsh. If you are a cohabitant who qualifies for rights then you could apply for maintenance for yourself, for part of your partners pension, for inheritance-type rights if your partner dies, for rights in relation to property whether jointly owned or not. There are time limits for these rights so it is important you talk to your solicitor straight away. Making a will Unlike a married couple or civil partnership, there is no automatic right of inheritance on the death of either partner in a cohabiting relationship. Making a will ensures that when you die your property and other possessions go to the people that you choose. Make sure you make a will whether you are a cohabitant, single or married, separated or divorced as a simple will can save a huge amount of heartache, says Keith Walsh. Talk to your solicitor for advice on making a will and information on this matter. Laois county councillors are set to vote on whether Gemma O'Doherty gets one of the local authority nominations she needs to be a candidate in the Irish presidential election. She has been nominated by Independent Cllr Ben Brennan following a special meeting last Monday, September 17 in County Hall Portlaoise where a number of prospective candidates made pitches. Cllr Brennan told the Leinster Express why he has nominated her. "She probably had the best presentation I've heard for a long time. I feel she would be a good leader. She is not afraid to speak out, and if she is that strong for her campaign, then she would make a good president, she is not afraid to take charge. We had two lady presidents before and they were excellent," he said. He confirmed that another councillor has seconded his proposal but would not disclose who that is. He believes she can secure enough votes from other Laois councillors. "I feel they will get her through. Fianna Fail has seven councillors in Laois and they are not blocking her," he said. Ms O'Doherty has not other nominations yet. She needs four from local authorities to run in the election. She was nominated in Kilkenny County Council but Fianna Fail voted against her. In her speech, the former journalist said she was deeply concerned at the breakdown between politicians and citizens. "People feel cynical towards politics because they feel their rights are not being upheld, to safe water and housing. "It is quite clear that my message of transparency, accountability and integrity in public life is terrifying some public representatives who will do anything to stop me getting on the ballot. I hope the people of Kilkenny will remember this in the local elections in May," she said on social media. "I believe the nomination by FF/FG of three television celebrities, whose public service record is questionable, is insulting to the Irish electorate and the office of President. I will continue to fight for a nomination on behalf of all Irish citizens who want to see change in our country and have a desire to fix our broken democracy," Ms O'Doherty said. Fianna Fail councillors in Laois had intended nominating Sean Gallagher but he already had the backing of four councils. The vote to decide whether Ms Doherty gets the support of Laois takes place on Monday, September 24 at County Hall in Portlaoise. Joe Duffy - Richardstown Duffy, Joe, Richardstown, Clane, Co. Kildare, September 16th 2018, peacefully at The Mater Hospital, deeply regretted by his loving wife Biddy, son David, daughter-in-law Sinead, grandchildren Shane & Ronan, sister Helen, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives & friends. Rest In Peace. Reposing at Reilly's Funeral Home, Woods House, Clane on Tuesday from 5-8pm, with prayers at 7pm. Removal on Wednesday from his residence to arrive at Clane Parish Church for 11am Funeral Mass, followed by burial in Mainham Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to The Mater Foundation. House private please. Fr Dominic Michael O'Connor, Newbridge O'Connor Fr. Dominic Michael, The Dominican Community, Newbridge College, Newbridge, Co. Kildare - 15th September 2018 (suddenly) in the wonderful care of the nurses and staff of Glengara Park Nursing Home. Predeceased by his parents Joe and Kitty and his sisters Lillie and Rosaleen. Deeply regretted by his sisters Imelda and Mary, his Dominican brothers in Ireland and Trinidad, nephews, nieces. cousins, relatives and friends. May He Rest in Peace Reposing at the Dominican Community Oratory, Newbridge on Tuesday from 3 o'clock with prayers at 7 o'clock. Requiem Mass in St. Mary's Priory, Tallaght at 11.30 o'clock on Wednesday with burial afterwards in the Community graveyard. Daniel Synott, Calverstown Daniel Synott, Calverstown, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare and formerly Lucan, Co. Dublin. September 14th, 2018. Beloved husband of Sandra and much loved Father of Paul, Yvonne, Stephen and Sinead, Grandad of Ines, Solene, Alva, Mia, Kate and Susie, loving Brother of Chris, Mary and Joe and the Late Nicholas. Dan will be sadly missed by his daughters-in-law Nathalie and Riette, sons-in-law Dominik and Conor, his extended family and his many friends. Reposing at home on Wednesday (House Private please). Farewell service at Newlands Cross Crematorium, Ballymount Road, Dublin 24 at 12.30pm Thursday 20th September. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Merchants Quay Ireland. Donation box at crematorium or donate online at www.mqi.ie The stalemate between builders at a social housing development in Kildare town and Kildare County Council continued over the weekend after the builders efforts to remove scaffolding from the site last Friday, September 14 were halted by the council. JRS Scaffolding was subcontracted to build 32 houses at Dunmurray Rise in Bishopsland, Kildare town, but have cited fears that they wont get paid for their work as the reason behind removing their equipment from the site. Owner Alan Sherlock told the Leader that KCC let them take down some of the 32 scaffolds last Friday morning but by the afternoon that had all changed. We are owed money, said Alan. They (KCC) let us take our equipment down this morning (Friday) and that changed in the afternoon. They havent given us a reason other than it is their site and they are not letting us take anything off their site. Kildare County Council and MDY Construction of Staplestown, Naas signed a contract for the construction of the new homes in Dunmurray on March 9 last and MDY subcontracted the work to JRS. Four trailers were sent by JRS to pick up their equipment on Monday morning (yesterday) but efforts were once more blocked by the council. We went down there this morning (Monday), said John Regan, company spokesperson. We left a bit hot headed on Friday and we were going to come down on Saturday morning but then we heard it would be open on Monday. We have about 100k worth of material on that site. When we arrived the three gates were locked and the security company called us off. There is no reason why KCC cant give us back our equipment. We reported our goods as stolen to the gardai and were told that is it is civil matter. The development is funded by the Government under the Rebuilding Ireland, Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness and it was anticipated that the units would be delivered early in 2019. Kildare County Council in response said: "As MDY Construction were not present on the site of the social housing development at Dunmurray Rise, Kildare on Friday 14 September 2018 Kildare County Council undertook to take control and secure the site. Kildare County Council will maintain security on the site until such time as matters related to the contract between Kildare County Council and MDY Construction have been clarified. All material and equipment on the site will need to remain there until such time as these matters have been clarified. Kildare County Council will contact subcontractors or suppliers identified as being affected by developments at the site in Dunmurray Rise once further information is available." Efforts were made to contact MDY Construction in Naas however no comment had been made at the time of going to press. The Norwegian Ambassador, Else Berit Eikeland, opened the Athy Heritage Centre Museum/Shackleton Museum latest exhibition On Thin Ice earlier today at 2 pm. The 6th class students of Scoil Phadraig Naofa were in attendance during the visit of the Ambassador to the exhibition, which runs until Thursday 27 September. The Ambassdor tackled the problem of climate change in the polar regions and explained all of the issues that goes along with it to the sixth class pupils. They heard all about polar bears and what not to do if you find yourself in the company of one. When you see a polar bear dont panic and dont walk up to one either,, she said. The polar bears are suffering too due to climate change because there are no seals for them to eat. As a result they have attacked kids and grown ups and in some cases even killing people. The polar bears dont look at you as a human he looks at you as a steak. On Thin Ice captures the dramatic climate changes today,with stunning images, and the story of the unique frozen expedition. Throughout the winter of 2015, the research vessel Lance was purposely frozen into the Arctic ice at 83 North, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The Norwegian Polar Institute completed numerous tests and research activities on the environmental changes in the Arctic, as climate changes are most visible in this region. By 2030 the predictions are that the ice will be thinner, more salty and less rigid in Norway. If climate change is not reversed we wont have polar bears in Norway, she added. By 2030 even the ice will be different. The children learned all about the expedition and enjoyed asking questions throughou the Ambassadors talk. The exhibition runs until the end of September. SEE MORE: New polar exhibition in Athy Sinn Fein TD for Sligo, Leitrim, North Roscommon, and South Donegal Martin Kenny has welcomed the nomination of Liadh Ni Riada as the Sinn Fein Presidential candidate. Deputy Kenny said, Liadh Ni Riada received the backing of the Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle as our candidate in the Presidential election on 26th of October. Liadh will bring energy and passion to the office of President of Ireland. She is the best-placed candidate to represent a modern, progressive, fair and caring Ireland. Liadh will be a President of whom we can all be proud. We need a new president for a new Ireland. This country has changed radically in the last number of years and we are now a global inspiration for others when it comes to progressive social change. We need to continue to build on this as we shape a new United Ireland for all and we need an energetic president that will encourage and support us on this journey. In my Agriculture and Rural Affairs brief, I have worked closely with Liadh on a range of issues such as costal fishing, Brexit, and rural issues and I have found her always to be passionate and committed to the cause of standing up for Ireland on the European and international stage. I believe she would bring the same passion and enthusiasm to the office of president. Deputy Kenny joined local Sinn Fein Councillors and activists to start canvassing for the Presidential Election in Drumshanbo on Monday night, September 17. The election will be held on October 26. Also read: Leitrim County Council backs Sean Gallagher for Presidency Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, has announced the launch of the second of this years General Service recruitment competitions for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF). The current recruitment competition is an opportunity for young people to serve their country in both the Army and Naval Service. New recruits will receive first class training in weapons handling, military tactics, team work and physical fitness. On completion of their induction training our personnel will have opportunities to serve Ireland both domestically and on overseas missions, undergo leadership training and choose from a broad spectrum of educational opportunities. Commenting on the recruitment campaign, the Chief of Staff stated that, "A career in the Defence Forces is an opportunity to serve Ireland, at home and internationally. It is a rewarding career that is an opportunity to serve Ireland and to receive world class training and education that will stand to you for the rest of your life. We hope to attract young men and women who want make a difference and to have an impact on the world." On completion of recruit and three star training, which takes an initial 17 weeks followed by a further 12 weeks training respectively, newly qualified 3 star Privates and their Naval Service equivalent, can expect minimum gross annual earnings of 27,000 (inclusive of military service allowance). The current competition is for General Service in the Army and Naval Service and is open from Monday 10th September 2018 to Sunday, 7th October, 2018 and applicants can apply via http://www.military.ie/en/ home/. The Defence Forces are seeking to induct approximately 700 people across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service this year through both of the General Service recruitment competitions, as well as Apprenticeships and Cadetships. LifeStyle The best Lifestyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel Lifestyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Shaynna Blaze and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand. TEARS instead of tea poured when a letter from President Michael D Higgins praised three girls for their role in Irelands longest coffee morning. Mike ODonoghue started the fundraiser - which runs from 7.30am to after midnight - four years ago in his Pallasgreen home. Saoirse Corbett, aged 19, Tara Campbell, 18, and Sarah Dillon, aged 13, have been involved since the beginning. All the monies go to the Irish Cancer Society. The girls are on hand from dawn til dusk pouring tea or coffee, serving apple tart and cake, and chatting with all the callers. Mike said the letter from President Michael D Higgins came in his door one morning. It reads: May I commend Saoirse Corbett, Tara Campbell and Sarah Dillon for their fundraising efforts for the Irish Cancer Society. Through their dedication and work, sustained over a number of years, they have demonstrated remarkable solidarity with and commitment to others, and have done so with energy and enthusiasm. They are a wonderful example to their community and so may I wish them the very best in their continuing efforts. It is signed by the President himself. That letter came in my door one day. I opened it and the tears flowed. Five minutes later Fr Pat Burns rang me about something else. I told him what had just come in the post and he said we will have to do something to honour these three girls, said Mike, who organised a special night in his house for their family and friends last week. Mike kept it a secret from Saoirse, Tara and Sarah. Before handing over the framed letters he said: I dont think we could give them to three better girls than these three. Weve had a coffee day for four years and without them it would never have happened or continued - I mean that from the bottom of my heart, said Mike. Saoirse, Tara and Sarah said Mike kept them in complete suspense. Saoirse said: I was not expecting this. I thought it was a letter from the Irish Cancer Society which would have been lovely. I was not expecting one from President Michael D Higgins at all. Tara said her framed letter will go up on the wall in the kitchen where everyone can see it. It is unreal. The school day today dragged because I was wondering what it was, said Tara. Sarah was also stunned. I had no clue. I said to Mike, Will you just tell us! laughed Sarah. Will they all be back for the longest coffee morning in Ireland next year? Definitely! they say in unison. Mike declares: Were going for the Guinness Book of World Records next year. The commendation from President Higgins started a great week for the parish as Pallasgreen GAA Club welcomed the Liam MacCarthy Cup on Tuesday night. Extreme economic inequality and insecurity for the have-nots have compounded the anger against the unaccountable democratic order. A profound crisis of free market capitalism, which has been channeled by angry rightist populists like US President Donald Trump, is hence central to the worsening image of democracy. (Photo: AP) This year, the International Day of Democracy came and went on Saturday, September 15, with barely a whimper. It was a sign of the times. The most enlightened form of government is endangered and losing appeal. Democracys moral and practical desirability are under question and scepticism about it is rising to unprecedented levels since the end of the Cold War. The mood was exactly the opposite during the 1990s. Then, the belief that multi-party democracy and free markets had no credible rivals and that democratic capitalist regimes would be the only game in town was commonplace. Flush with the victory over the Soviet Union and the freeing up of former Communist bloc countries, liberal scholars like Francis Fukuyama hailed the universalisation of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government. But nearly 30 years since Fukuyamas End of History thesis, the teleological liberal vision of a relentless global march to the golden endpoint of democracy and capitalism is facing a dead end. As per Freedom Houses latest ranking, just 39 per cent of the worlds total population (88 out of 195 countries) live in fully free polities. The year-on-year consecutive decline in global freedom since 2006, which Freedom House is lamenting, can be explained at both macro and micro levels. Among the big systemic shifts, disillusionment with capitalist globalisation and its iniquitous distribution of wealth, income and power is a major factor in loss of public faith in Western-style free market democracies. The decade-long global economic crisis which wreaked havoc in advanced capitalist democracies from 2008, and the manner in which elected governments in these countries bailed out fat cat bankers while transferring the burden of austerity and welfare state cuts to the middle and working classes, left a bad taste in ordinary peoples mouths. Extreme economic inequality and insecurity for the have-nots have compounded the anger against the unaccountable democratic order. The association of unjust globalisation with democracy is automatic because the theoretical and practical assumption of liberalism is that democracy is the necessary political counterpart of capitalism. Joseph Schumpeter wrote in 1942 that modern democracy rose along with capitalism, and in casual connection with it. Robert Dahl reaffirmed at the turn of this century that democracy cannot endure in a country with a predominantly non-market economy. A profound crisis of free market capitalism, which has been channeled by angry rightist populists like US President Donald Trump, is hence central to the worsening image of democracy. Another key factor causing backsliding, frozen transitions and reversals in democratisation is the relative decline of Western powers vis-a-vis non-Western ones. The triumphalism of liberals in the 1990s derived from supreme self-confidence about the unipolar world order lasting for long. American preponderance was the foundation for the liberal optimism about democracy. By its existence as a rapidly growing and unchallenged hegemon, the United States was in that period an exemplar of a robust democracy that others wished to follow. With democracy promotion a controversial and integral part of American foreign policy, there were all the more reasons for the liberal juggernaut to be seen as an unstoppable phenomenon. Fast forward to 2018. China is already the largest economy on the planet by one method of calculating national income. It is demonstrating an alternative pathway to power and prosperity via authoritarian state capitalism. American influence on the developing world, particularly in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where the bulk of dictatorial regimes persist resiliently, is on the wane. American retrenchment from global governance under the populist President Donald Trump, contrasted with the foreign policy alacrity and strategic acumen that undemocratic non-Western powers like China and Russia are demonstrating, add to perceptions that Western democracies are spent forces which cannot inspire or compel poor nations to democratise. As to prominent emerging powers like Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa, they are democratic but lack the will and capacity to transform other developing countries into their mirror images. Canada, France and Germany remain committed to liberal democracy, but they cannot individually do the heavy lifting when the US under President Trump has withdrawn from the democratisation arena. Apart from systemic factors like the passing of unipolarity and the souring of globalisation, there are local and region-specific trends hindering the expansion of democracy. The Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 promised to usher in a possible fourth wave of democratisation following Samuel Huntingtons thesis of three waves since the 19th century. But barring Tunisia, the democratic revolts in the Middle East have been crushed by a combination of war and terrorist violence unleashed by authoritarian regimes within the region and their foreign backers. Turkey, which was the one rare democracy among the Muslim-majority nations of that region, has regressed dramatically under the sultanistic despotism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is now a classic elected dictatorship that is a member of Nato but blatantly flouts the Western military alliances core tenet of liberal democratic governance. In Africa, strongmen and one-party states are being buttressed by dubious elections while the African Union is struggling to enforce democracy as an inviolable norm. In Latin America, the degeneration of Leftist democracies into corruption-plagued dysfunctional regimes and outright dictatorships like Venezuela and Nicaragua is occurring amid regional organisations which are paralysed and unable to act in unison to preserve democracy. In the sub-regions of Asia, military dictatorships, one-man rule and single-party autocracies are flourishing thanks to their mix of economic dynamism, repressive crackdowns on dissent and regional stasis in favour of the authoritarian status quo. Not even the European Union is succeeding in preventing rightist populists in Hungary, Poland and Italy from openly trampling upon liberal democratic values and institutions. Today, the reaffirmation of national sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs of states and antagonismtoward supranational and multilateral organisations that we are observing is directly connected to the failure of globalisation and it is playing out to the detriment of democracy. Given these headwinds, can democracy bounce back as a viable universal project? Winston Churchill had quipped that democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried. If illiberal anti-democratic populists enter the portals of power and exhaust themselves through misgovernment, they may also be rejected in electoral cycles to come. If a new balance is found between markets and society by better regulating transnational business conglomerates, democracies may win back their shrinking flock of adherents. And if leading developing nations like India, Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa turn into democratic norm entrepreneurs, the swagger of having democratic champion states may also return to motivate activists and human rights defenders in poor countries who feel abandoned and helpless against oppressive regimes. Ultimately, democracy can be attained and sustained only when there is a demand for it and it is seen to be delivering the goods for the people in whose name it functions. Almost three decades after the Cold War, the case for democracy has to be revisited and it needs reinvention to become fit for purpose in a world that is polarised, dissatisfied and restless for change. THERE have been calls for traffic calming measures to be installed in a Limerick city suburb, following a serious public order incident last week in which a car was driven across a green at speed. Gardai are currently investigating an incident that took place on Monday September 10, in which a car is understood to have travelled at a speed across a green, which is a popular play-area for children in the Cluain Dubh estate on Father Russell Road. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to contact them on 061-214340, on the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111 or any Garda Station. Residents on Father Russell Road feel intimidated following the incident, according to Mayor of Limerick City and County James Collins. Unfortunately, usually the people who are involved with this sort of thing count on that and they prey on it, he said. Residents in the area are also facing an increase in roadworks, he said, adding that the area now urgently needs a better traffic management plan, as well as the installation of traffic calming measures such as speed bumps or bollards within the estates. Residents need traffic calming measures within the estate and outside the estate they need traffic management, Mayor Collins said. At the moment, there is construction work happening nearby as well, so there is construction traffic coming in and out of the estates, even when they are not meant to. All the estates are full of young children and theres cars flying in and out and construction traffic and then suddenly you have this stuff on top of it. All four estates come to the same exit on the Father Russell Road and they cant get out in the morning and when they do get out, they cant get up by the South Court or the Dock Road, traffic is just all choked up. Last year, the council took forever to update the Quinns Cross roundabout so they were nearly all locked into their estates in the morning and now road works again have started again in front of St Nessans School. They were blocked into their estates last year, now theres more roadworks, theres cars flying around the estates and now theres this incident. LIMERICKs main thoroughfare will be closed to traffic for much of this Saturday, as the city celebrates European Car Free Day. Vans will face bans, alongside other forms of motorised vehicles, from 8am to 3pm in OConnell Street, from its junction with William Street to the intersection with Roches Street. Meanwhile, parking will be prohibited between 8am and 5pm along this stretch of the street. Its all for a day which highlights the necessity to leave your cars at home, and instead choose more environmentally friendly ways to commute. To celebrate European Car Free Day on Saturday 22nd September #Limerick's OConnell Street will be a pedestrian and bus only zone from 11am until 2pm (from its junction with Sarsfield Street to Roches Street) https://t.co/37McHoluGU #MobilityWeek pic.twitter.com/Dm9wXRUWN8 Limerick Council (@LimerickCouncil) September 18, 2018 Independent councillor Frankie Daly, who chairs the transport committee, has welcomed the initiative. I think its a good thing. It encourages people to get into the city centre, to shop, spend money and support business. Its good to incentivise this kind of thing once in a while, he said. Cllr Daly added: Cars can choke up the centre, particularly when people go away and dump them. There are people with disabilities. It goes against traffic. When people hog a thing for the day, its not good news. A Europe-wide initiative, Car Free Day has been taking place in Ireland since the year 2000 in various cities including Galway, Cork and Dublin alongside Limerick. The day itself marks exactly 100 days until the end of the year and is the autumn equinox. Its only the third time since 2001 that the event has fallen on a Saturday. LIMERICK City and County Council is calling on companies to develop solutions to fire safety and access at historic buildings within the city centre. The local authority has teamed up with Enterprise Ireland, Dublin City Council, the Local Enterprise Office (Leo) and Innovate Limerick for a Small Business Innovation Research competition. Some 80,000 is being made available in funding. Its looking for cost effective solutions to deal with fire safety and universal access in the ongoing use of the historic buildings to create a more sustainable development model for these historic structures. We are inviting companies to tender to develop innovative solutions to address two of the key issues relating to the reuse of historic buildings within #Limerick City Centre https://t.co/MeEIu8MLKv pic.twitter.com/iD7DhDM2SX Limerick Council (@LimerickCouncil) September 18, 2018 Rosie Webb, the senior architect with Limerick City and County Council said: This is an excellent opportunity for small and emerging companies to propose innovative solutions and technologies to address the dereliction and underuse of historic buildings in the city centre. Successful applicants will be selected by an open competition process run in two phases feasibility and prototyping. The contest is open to anyone with an idea or solution, including organisations of all sizes, tech developers, solution and service providers, universities and entrepreneurs. Eamon Ryan, the head of enterprise at Leo added: The competition gives a platform to small firms with innovative ideas to actively tackle societal needs and challenges through strategic collaborations with public bodies. This is done through competitive challenges and the challenge being launched today targets important issues. I look forward to seeing the solutions coming from this challenge which has the potential to make positive impacts both here in Ireland and around the globe. Full information and the invitations to tender will be available on September 14 on www.etenders.gov.ie and www.limerick.ie. A briefing event will be held in Limerick on October 3 for more information, telephone 061-556000. PEOPLE with a family history of colorectal cancer or abnormal gastrointestinal tissue growths (polyps) should be screened, according to breakthrough research co-led by University of Limerick academics. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Ireland, with 20 deaths and 60 diagnoses a week. On average, one in 25 people will develop the disease throughout their lifetime. The research, published in the world-renowned journal Gastroenterology, makes 19 recommendations which guide the choice of screening tests and the frequency of which for those who have close relatives with colon cancer or precancerous growths. Head of the graduate entry medical school (GEMS) at UL, Prof Des Leddin was the co-lead author on the paper, working alongside eight other universities in the United States and Canada. The guidelines will, we hope, reduce mortality from this common disease and ensure that screening resources are optimally used. The impact of this work, which was co-led by UL, will be global in reach and will affect screening for a large segment of the population. Prof Leddin said that between one in 10 and one in 20 people has a relative with colon cancer and one in two people may have a relative with pre-cancerous growths. However, Prof Leddin said that evidence-based guidelines have not previously been developed for this cohort of people. The purpose of this study was to correct this gap in cancer screening by carefully sifting through all of the evidence to draw up best practice guidelines for consumers and health care providers, he said. He said he expects ULs research will attract significant international interest in its findings. A team of experts from nine universities examined 35,000 papers over a three-year period at a cost of US$300,000. The takeaway from this for the general population is clear, says Professor Leddin. If you have a parent, a sibling or a child with colorectal cancer or certain types of precancerous tumours, you are at an increased risk of developing the disease. Talk to your family doctor about appropriate screening. Research Recommendations The takeaway from this for the general population is clear, says Professor Leddin. If you have a parent, a sibling or a child with colorectal cancer or certain types of precancerous tumours, you are at an increased risk of developing the disease. Talk to your family doctor about appropriate screening. The elevated risk associated with a family history of one or more close family members (parent, children, sibling) with bowel cancer or documented advanced polyps necessitates initiating screening at a younger age (e.g. 40-50 years or 10 years younger than age of the family member at diagnosis). In addition, the research recommends a shorter interval of every five years between screening tests for individuals with two or more close family members with colorectal cancer, and every five to 10 years for those with a family history of one close relative with bowel cancer or documented advanced adenoma compared to average risk individuals. The research also found that choosing screening parameters for an individual patient, should consider the age of the affected close relative, and local resources. The good news is that the risk of getting bowel cancer if the only affected family members are aunts, uncles or cousins is not much different than average and the people in this category can be screened according to average-risk guidelines. FIVE people hoping to get on the ballot paper in next months Presidential Election have made their case to Limerick City and County councillors. Marie Goretti Moylan, journalist Gemma ODoherty, Sarah Louise Mulligan, businessman Peter Casey and John OHare were all at County Hall this Tuesday in the hope of securing a nomination from the local authority. In order to run for the presidency, any candidate must have the nomination of at least four local authorities. Speaking first, Ms Mulligan pledged to become best friends with Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy in a bid to solve the housing crisis. Challenged by councillors, she insisted under her presidency, no family should ever be forced to sleep in garda stations. She also said she would open rooms in Aras an Uachtarain to homeless families. Mr Casey said: As a nation, we are punching well below our weight. We should be far more influential on the world stage then we are. Thats the essence of my platform. We now have the technology to connect the dots to the Irish around the world. The slogan for my campaign is Why be a small country when we are already a great nation?. He said he will give part of his presidential salary to charity each month in connection with each local authority if elected president. It would be up to that authority to decide where the funding goes. Athlone woman Ms Goretti Moylan, a former employee of the National History Museum, said if elected President, she hopes to use the position to decentralise parts of Ireland's history from boxes in Dublin museums, out to the entire country. Former Irish Independent journalist Ms ODoherty said: Limerick is suffering from a serious crime epidemic. I would love for this city to shed this reputation. She added: I am very concerned that citizens feel alienated from politics. There is a feeling democracy is broken. Last to speak was Co Down man John OHare, a late entry to the race. He called for a coalition of 'honesty and self-assessment' in the presidency. Every citizen of Ireland should be able to have their voice heard. We cannot continue to turn the other eye to the scandal of the homeless and the destitute on our streets and cities. We must engage the thought and continuations of all to capitalise on Ireland being the only English language speaking member of the EU to grow our economy, he said. Earlier this week, presidential candidate Kevin Sharkey pulled out of the race, while entrepreneurs Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy secured their four nominations. They will be joined on the ballot by Senator Joan Freeman and Sinn Fein Ireland South MEP Liadh Ni Riada, alongside sitting President Michael D Higgins. Peter Casey yesterday secured the nominations of Clare and Kerry County Councils and needs two more nominations to get on the ballot paper. One party conspicuous by their absence at County Hall this Tuesday was the Labour party, whose members are supporting the incumbent president Michael D Higgins, their candidate from the 2011 Aras election. At 2.30pm this afternoon, councillors will reveal who if anyone they will be nominating for the election, which takes place on October 26. Canada Post gives a tip of the hat to first responders Sep 18, 2018, 4 AM Pictured here is the first-day cover for the stamp honoring police officers. Canada Post is issuing five official FDCs, one per stamp. Each pictorial cancel shows an item related to the responder and is postmarked in the location of the stamp unveiling. The design for firefighters was unveiled Sept. 13 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the participation of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, Canadas oldest firefighting department. Stamp designers consulted with the Paramedic Association of Canada, which represents more than 20,000 practitioners, to ensure this image of paramedics tending to a woman in need of emergency medical care is an accurate depiction of this group. Canada Post offers gratitude for all civilian and sworn members of the country's police forces with this stamp design. This stamp for Canadian search and rescue experts was unveiled in Banff, Alberta, a town within Banff National Park located in the Rockies. By Molly Goad Five different groups of first responders are displayed on a new set of stamps issued Sept. 14 by Canada Post. The new Emergency Responders designs were unveiled the week of Sept. 10, one per day, at different locations throughout the country. The set includes five nondenominated permanent-rate stamps paying the basic domestic rate (85) produced in two formats: as self-adhesives in a booklet of 10 (two of each design), and in a souvenir sheet of five with moisture-activated gum. The stamp dedicated to the paramedics who provide lifesaving medical care was unveiled at the Ambulance New Brunswick headquarters in Fredericton on Sept. 10. Stamp designers consulted with the Paramedic Association of Canada, which represents more than 20,000 practitioners, to ensure the image of paramedics tending to a woman in need of emergency medical care is an accurate depiction of this group. In the press release announcing the stamp, Canada Post praised the medics for their courageous work in saving countless lives. They attend virtually any situation from heart attacks, drug overdoses, trauma events, and incidents involving multiple casualties. Once dispatched to an emergency, paramedics have some daunting expectations to meet, including arriving quickly, assessing and treating their patients with urgency, expertise and empathy, and co-ordinating with other emergency responders. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are celebrated on the second stamp, unveiled at 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, near Quebec City on Sept. 11. Members from this base have assisted in Operation LENTUS missions, including the spring 2017 floods in Quebec. A Canada Post press release listed CAF achievements so far this year: in August, almost 600 forest fires in British Columbia; May, the evacuation of 140 people threatened by fire in Manitoba, and flood relief in British Columbia and New Brunswick; and April, floods at Kashechewan First Nation in Ontario. Trained in engineering, health services, aviation, logistics and the use of specialized equipment, they conduct evacuations, deliver aid, provide transportation, execute search and rescue missions, among many other tasks, the release said. The third design was unveiled in Banff, Alberta, a town within Banff National Park located in the Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway. This stamp honoring search and rescue personnel shows a perilous helicopter rescue taking place in the mountains. Canada Post relayed the importance of the countrys search and rescue experts technicians trained extensively in survival, first aid, parachuting, diving and mountain climbing. Whether from the Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Armed Forces, Parks Canada or a provincial, territorial or volunteer organization, these elite experts do their best to find and save those who are lost, hurt or stranded. The design for firefighters was unveiled Sept. 13 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the participation of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, Canadas oldest firefighting department, established in 1754. The stamp depicting two responders heading toward a blaze is dedicated to all of the part-time, full-time and volunteer firefighters who rush into action at the drop of a hat. Canada Post and the stamp designers consulted with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, whose members represent roughly 3,500 fire departments, to ensure accuracy in the design. Canada Post also recognized the many other efforts firefighters assist with: rescue operations; motor vehicle accidents; hazardous-material emergencies; and educating the community in areas of fire prevention, escape planning and building and fire codes. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our Newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter The Ottawa Police Association in the nations capital of Ottawa, Ontario, was the location of the final unveiling stamp saluting police officers. Canada is one of the safest countries in the world due in large part to the civilian and sworn members of our police forces, who perform critical and often dangerous work with compassion, integrity and professionalism, Details magazine, Canada Posts publication for collectors, stated, Internationally respected for their expertise, our police officers are also deployed to countries around the world to assist in times of crisis. Canada Post and the stamp designers consulted with the Canadian Police Association, whose members represent roughly 60,000 police personnel from across Canada, to ensure the stamp represents policing accurately. William Lam Design designed the five stamps and souvenir sheet, and Shiro Nishiguchi illustrated them. Colour Innovations printed them by five-color lithography in quantities of 400,000 booklets of 10 (Canada Post ordering number 414091111), and 80,000 souvenir sheets (404091107). The stamps measure 48 millimeters by 26mm, and the souvenir sheet is 160mm by 180mm. The booklet cover and selvage of the souvenir sheet show images representing all five stamps. Canada Post is issuing five official first-day covers, one per stamp. Each pictorial cancel shows an item related to the responder and is postmarked in the location of the stamp unveiling. For example, the Fredericton cancel for the Paramedics stamp includes a stethoscope (414094131). Canada Post produced 11,000 of each FDC (set of five 4140941131). The stamp booklet, souvenir sheet and FDCs are available at the Canada Post website, and by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Dr., Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from the United States or Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550. Canadas stamps and stamp products also are available from many new-issue stamp dealers, and from Canada Posts agent in the United States: Interpost, Box 420, Hewlett, NY 11557. 'If the United States insists on raising tariffs even more, China will respond accordingly,' finance ministry said in a statement. Beijing: The US-China trade war escalated further Tuesday, with China announcing retaliatory tax increases on USD 60 billion worth of US imports, including coffee, honey and industrial chemicals. The increases are in response to the US announcing it will impose tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese-made goods starting next week. The tariffs will start at 10 per cent, then rise to 25 per cent on Jan. 1. Chinas Finance Ministry said its tariff increases are aimed at curbing trade friction and the unilateralism and protectionism of the United States. There was no word on whether China would back out of trade talks it said it was invited to by the US, but a Chinese Commerce Ministry statement said the US increase brings new uncertainty to the consultations. The two countries have already imposed import taxes on USD 50 billion worth of each others goods. President Donald Trump threatened to add an additional USD 267 billion in Chinese imports to the target list if China retaliated for the latest US taxes. That would raise the total affected by US penalties to USD 517 billion, covering nearly everything China sells to the United States. The American Chamber of Commerce in China warned Tuesday that Washington is underestimating Beijings determination to fight back. The downward spiral that we have previously warned about now seems certain to materialize, said William Zarit, the chambers chairman. At the root of the trade war are US complaints about Chinas plans to try to overtake US technological supremacy. Those plans include Made in China 2025, which calls for creating powerful Chinese entities to compete in robotics and other fields. The US says the plans are based on stolen technology, violate Chinas market-opening commitments and might erode American industrial leadership. American companies and trading partners including the European Union and Japan have longstanding complaints about Chinese market barriers and industrial policy. But they object to Trumps tactics and warn the dispute could chill global economic growth and undermine international trade regulation. Trump has strained relations with potential allies including the European Union, Canada and Mexico by raising tariffs on imported steel and aluminium. He demanded Canada and Mexico renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement to make it more favourable to the United States. Trump has also complained about Americas gaping trade deficit USD 336 billion last year with China, its biggest trading partner. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns, Trump said in a statement. I urge Chinas leaders to take swift action to end their countrys unfair trade practices. The trade gap means China will run out of US imports to tax while the US still has plenty of Chinese imports to target. But Beijing has other ways to retaliate. American companies say regulators are already starting to disrupt their operations. Last week, the American Chambers of Commerce in China and in Shanghai reported 52 per cent of more than 430 companies that responded to a survey said they have faced slower customs clearance and increased inspections and bureaucratic procedures. The US taxes are targeting Chinese goods that Washington says have benefited from improper industrial policies. Beijings tariffs have hit soybeans and other farm goods from states that voted for Trump in 2016. Contrary to views in Washington, China can and will dig its heels in and we are not optimistic about the prospect for a resolution in the short term, said Zarit of the American Chamber of Commerce. No one will emerge victorious from this counter-productive cycle. In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration took care to try to spare American consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The tariffs focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at the mall or via Amazon. By expanding the list to USD 200 billion of Chinese products, Trump may spread the pain to ordinary households. The administration is targeting a bewildering variety of goods from sockeye salmon to baseball gloves to bamboo mats forcing US companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the cost to their customers. The US government did withdraw some items from its preliminary list of imports to be taxed, including child-safety products such as bicycle helmets. And in a victory for Apple Inc., the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products. The incident, which happened late Monday, was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies. Syria accidentally downed a Russian military aircraft with a crew of 15 onboard when its air defences went into action against an alleged Israeli missile strike, the Russian army said Tuesday. (Photo: AFP | Representational) Beirut: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman Tuesday that Moscow may consider measures to respond to the downing of a Russian plane over Syria, as he lay "full" blame on Israel's air force. "The full blame for the shot-down Russian plane and death of the crew is on the Israeli side," Shoigu told Lieberman in a phone call, according to a ministry statement, adding that Russia "reserves the right to future response measures." Syria accidentally downed a Russian military aircraft with a crew of 15 onboard when its air defences went into action against an alleged Israeli missile strike, the Russian army said Tuesday. Read: Russian military jet vanishes off Syria during Israeli missile attack The incident, which happened late Monday, was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israeli pilots carrying out attacks on Syrian targets "used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences," the Russian military said. "15 Russian servicemen died," it said, adding Moscow reserved "the right to proper retaliatory actions" against Israel. It made no further mention of a French frigate the Russian defence ministry had earlier claimed also opened fire from the area on Monday. The French army had denied any involvement and Syria state media had reported late Monday that air defences had intercepted missiles targeting Latakia. "Our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," it said, quoting a military source. Israel Mum According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some missiles did get through and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel, which did not comment on Monday evening's strikes, has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transportation routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Idlib Reprieve Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy." Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels and jihadists. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus' military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. Observers and residents of the Idlib region were sceptical however of a deal that appeared to be little more than a temporary fix. "This could be a win for diplomacy and that's what Syria needs more of to solve this crisis," said Lorraine Bramwell, Syria country director for International Rescue Committee. "However, we have seen previously how de-escalation deals haven't lasted long term," she added. Hundreds of people gathered in Binnish, a town in the rebel-held province of Binnish, following Monday's announcement in Sochi. "The demand of the Syrian people, since the very first day, has remained unchanged: it's the fall of the regime," said Wassim Souweid, one of the demonstrators. "I reckon this decision will not stop bombardments on civilians, will not offer any alternative to the people," he added. Chaldean priests and bishops are currently attending the Patriarchal Synod in Ankawa. In his message, the Chaldean primate invites them to find new ways of working ahead of Youth Synod in Rome. Families must be at the centre of pastoral outreach. The liturgy must be accompanied by testimony through works. Erbil (AsiaNews) The Church and her pastors, who are entrusted with the task of communicating the message to the People of God, must find "a new approach" to "fulfill this important mission", starting with "social media, says the Chaldean primate, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, in a message to the clergy currently (17-19 September) meeting in Ankawa, a Christian area north of Erbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. In the letter, which was sent to AsiaNews, the cardinal calls for the use of a liturgy that is "expressive, understandable and destined to become an occasion of grace" and "fountain of life" for the faithful. Chaldean bishops and priests are attending the Patriarchal Synod, including the auxiliaries of Baghdad, Mgr Shlemon Warduni and Basilius Yaldo, as weel as the Archbishop of Erbil Mgr Bashar Warda and the Bishop Rabban al-Qas of Amadiya and Zakho. Before the meeting started, Mgr Warduni read the message of the Chaldean patriarch who set out guidelines and highlighted some points of discussion for priests and bishops to share views and proposals. One of Card Sakos priorities is the search for new ways to carry out pastoral outreach, especially for young people and families at a time of deep historical and social crisis. This work, he adds, must focus on the next Synod dedicated to Youth, faith and vocational discernment in Rome on 3-28 October, which Pope Francis pushed for. Today the Church should be more aware of its inclusive role, the prelate writes. She must do it by observing, listening, analysing, interacting and answering the increasingly pressing questions of her people." "Various pastoral activities must be added to this. They must be integrated to listening and reflection. Otherwise, there is a risk is that the institution will end up becoming rigid and inward-looking and no longer able to provide real help to her people. Bishops and priests must take care of people and contribute to achieving the objectives of "social justice, equality and peace". To this end, the Church, wherever she is, "must pay full attention to the reality of her people their worries, fears, and aspirations and fill life with "firm determination". The Chaldean patriarch invites the participants to make "serious and useful suggestions" that can answer the questions "of the current situation" and extol "the leadership that is asked from us as pastors, at a time of great difficulty". For Card Sako, it is important at the meeting to deepen "some topics that are central to our mission and our pastoral work, as bishops and as priests." Even the liturgy cannot be a "robotic repetition" of empty words or a cold teaching mechanism "of the principles of faith" if it is not accompanied by work of understanding and bearing witness through works. "The Gospel is a project of life, a message of hope and we, as guardians of the faith, must be prepared to guarantee the continuity of the Church's teachings" and adapt them to the evolving current social, economic, political and psychological context. It is the third meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas in a few months. It will last three days: the two will meet seven or eight times. The first official appointment is at 15.30. 200 people join Moon, including the magnates of Samsung, SK, LG, Hyunday and k-pop celebrities. Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in landed in Pyongyang at 9.50 in the morning. There was a smiling Kim Jong-un to welcome him with open arms, on the runway. The two Korean leaders embraced, amid the applause of hundreds of North Koreans (see photo 2). They were flanked by the first lady of Pyongyang, Ri Sol-jul, and Seoul, Kim Jung-sook, who shook hands. Thus began the third inter-Korean summit, whose first official talks will be held in the afternoon, between 15.30 and 17.00. The summit will last three days, in which Kim and Moon should meet seven or eight times. There are three main points on the agenda: improving inter-Korean relations; promoting denuclearization and dialogue between North Korea and the United States; putting an end to military tensions between the two Koreas. On the margins of the official summit, other realities of the two Koreas will have the opportunity to meet. Moon arrives in Pyongyang with a full-bodied entourage of about 200 people. Besides official figures, such as Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (it is the first time for the top South Korean diplomat in Pyongyang), other South Korean personalities have arrived in North Korea including the top management of Samsung, SK group, LG group and Hyundai (see photo 3) - and the show. The delegation accompanying Moon also includes three stars of Korean folk music (k-pop): Zico, Ailee and Ali (see photo 4). Members of South Korean civil society will today meet with Kim Yong-nam, head of the Northern State, whose role is purely representative. Instead, South Korean business magnates will be received by Ri Yong-nam, the North Korean vice-minister for economics. Seoul intends to deepen the cooperation between the two countries, within the limited margin left by economic sanctions, which for a year now have been weighing on the North Korean economy. Early-onset Alzheimer's disease presents unique challenges, when a patient is still working or parenting children. The personality changes involved can result in job loss or divorce before a diagnosis is made. Imagine you tell your 55-year-old mom you're going to get married and she's too disorganized to help you with the wedding preparations. Or you put your kids on the bus to elementary school and the 57-year-old driver forgets the route. These are real scenarios, drawn from my clinical work with patients who have young-onset Alzheimer's disease. This is the other face of dementia no white hair or wrinkles. And it is relatively common. Approximately 5 percent of Alzheimer's patients are younger than 65. While the underlying pathology of both young-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's is the same the abnormal accumulation of proteins called amyloid and tau in the brain there are significant differences in how the two diseases are experienced. Patients who are under 65, for example, often have difficulties with language, visual processing and organizing and planning. They have less of the classic memory complaints. There is also accumulating evidence that young-onset Alzheimer's progresses faster. Dementia confused with depression The path to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or other dementia is often long, meandering and riddled with misdiagnosis. A correct diagnosis is essential for every patient but especially important for younger people. They are often still working and at risk of losing their jobs. They may have young children. When they tell people that something isn't quite right, they are told they are depressed or must be going through a midlife crisis. Personality changes involved in Alzheimer's disease can be misinterpreted as indifference, or cause conflict in relationships. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Many times, younger patients will notice changes in their cognition at very early stages. They may notice increased difficulty in organization or planning. They may forget how to do complex tasks or forget appointments. Cognitive impairment is more obvious when completing highly demanding tasks at work or co-ordinating family logistics. When a young person goes to see their doctor and reports such changes in cognition, the "d" word brought up is usually depression and not dementia. Until the correct diagnosis is made, there can be many misinterpretations of their changes in thinking resulting in conflicts with family, friends and colleagues. Divorce before diagnosis Initially, a change in personality can be misinterpreted by the partner as indifference, as a midlife crisis or as something else. There can be a changing of roles within a couple and it is not uncommon for separation or divorce to occur before a diagnosis is even made. If young children are involved, it can be difficult for them to understand the change in their parent's personality. Getting services for young-onset Alzheiner's can be especially challenging. There are very few programs that cater to people with dementia under the age of 65. Support for caregivers and family members of these patients is also lacking. There is a dire need for specialized programs and long-term care facilities that can accommodate those under 65. 'Use it or lose it' Although we have no cure for any patients with Alzheimer's, there are clinical trials that are targeting the abnormal proteins that build up during the disease. There is symptomatic medication such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that can help memory. We also promote a healthy lifestyle that includes aerobic exercise because evidence shows this can slow neurodegeneration. We want people to remain cognitively active and go on learning to help their brain reserve. Although patients with young-onset Alzheiner's are impaired in some activities, there are many other activities that they can participate in. "Use it or lose it" is the motto we should live by when it comes to the brain and preserving its function. Young-onset Alzheimer's is not the only dementia that typically affects the young. Frontotemporal dementia also strikes young people. And although there are differences in presentation in these two illnesses, many of the challenges facing patients are the same. Ongoing research is required to better understand this disease. While we search for a cure, we need to appreciate the special needs of this population. We need to target research and services to better serve patients and their families. Carmela Tartaglia, Clinician-Scientist, University Health Network and Associate Professor, University of Toronto This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science. The Big Falcon Rocket would have three fins and a retractable forward wing, according to an illustration of the rockets design released by SpaceX's Elon Musk. Yusaku Maezawa, founder of clothing company ZoZo, will be the first space tourist to travel around the moon, private spaceflight company SpaceX announced tonight (Sept. 17). "Finally, I can tell you that, 'I choose to go to the moon,'" Maezawa said to cheers in the audience during the press briefing. Maezawa added, "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon; just staring at the moon filled my imagination; it is always there and has continued to inspire humanity. This is why I cannot pass up this opportunity." And he doesn't want to go alone either. Maezawa said he plans to "go to the moon with artists." He will bring six to eight artists with him, he said. If the trip goes as planned (and SpaceX has stepped back promises of tourist trips to the moon before), Maezawa will zoom toward the moon in 2023 in the newly designed Big Falcon Rocket. Yusaku Maezawa talks about his plans to travel to the moon during a SpaceX press briefing on Sept. 17, 2018. (Image credit: SpaceX) The trip would put the Japanese billionaire and entrepreneur in rarified company, as only 24 people have ever visited the moon, according to NASA. The last time humans made the journey was in 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission crewed by NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt and Ronald Evans. [The BFR in Images: SpaceX's Giant Spaceship for Mars & Beyond] The announcement of this trip, is one of many steps SpaceX has taken to realize the company and the Big Falcon Rocket's mission: "To help advance rocket technology to a point where we could potentially become a multi-planet species and a true spacefaring civilization," Elon Musk said during a press briefing tonight. Moon ambitions SpaceX CEO Musk first announced that the company would be sending tourists to the moon in February 2017, projecting a 2018 launch date. That mission, which would have used the company's Falcon Heavy rocket and Dragon capsule, never happened. The tourists slated to take that trip were never publically named. Maezawa founded Japan's largest online shopping mall, Zozotown, according to Forbes. He is also an art collector, shelling out $80 million in 2016 for paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Pablo Picasso, Forbes reported. Forbes named the 42-year-old as No. 18 on its Japan's 50 Richest 2018. The trip will be expensive. SpaceX did not reveal how much Maezawa paid, but just getting to low-Earth orbit costs a pretty penny. In June, MNN reported, private company Axiom Space announced that starting in 2020, it would be offering 10-day trips to the International Space Station, or ISS, for $55 million a pop.) Currently, there is no good way for the average Joe or Jane to get to space. According to the travel agency SpaceAdventures, seven space tourists have booked tickets aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS, but the last of those trips occurred in 2009. Russia halted its space-tourism program in 2010, after the U.S. retired its space shuttle program, leaving fewer seats available to get working astronauts into orbit. Musk and other private spaceflight CEOs have been striving to fill that gap with spacecraft that can get crews to the ISS and beyond. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft already shuttle cargo back and forth between Earth and the ISS; the company hopes to use its rockets to get humans into space, too. SpaceX announced last month that its first crewed Dragon mission aims to take two NASA astronauts to the ISS in April 2019. The BFR The ISS orbits 254 miles (408 km) above Earth. The moon's orbit is, on average, 238,855 miles (384,400 km) away. Maezawa will take about three days to reach the moon before orbiting its far side and slingshotting back toward Earth. To make the trip happen, SpaceX is designing a huge, three-finned Big Falcon Rocket, sometimes known as the "Big F****** Rocket." New renderings released by SpaceX this month show a seven-engine rocket with a separate booster 30 feet (9 meters) in width. It's meant to hold up to 100 passengers on trips as far away as Mars. And if you were wondering, "We'll do a bunch of test launches before having any people on board," Musk said. Original article on Live Science. As temperatures rise in the Arctic, permafrost permanently frozen ground is defrosting at an alarming rate. But the permafrost isn't the only thing in the Arctic that's melting. Exposed rock that was once covered in ice is dissolving, eaten away by acid. And the effects of this acid bath could have far-reaching impacts on global climate, according to a new study. Icy permafrost is rich in minerals, which are released when the ice melts. The minerals then become vulnerable to chemical weathering, or the breakdown of rock through chemical reactions, scientists recently reported. They investigated areas once covered by permafrost in the western Canadian Arctic, finding evidence of weathering caused by sulfuric acid, produced by sulfide minerals that were released when the permafrost melted. [See Stunning Photos of Earth's Vanishing Ice] Another type of naturally occurring chemical erosion is caused by carbonic acid, and it also dissolves Arctic rock. But although carbonic-acid weathering locks carbon dioxide (CO2) in place, sulfuric-acid erosion releases CO2 into the atmosphere, and it does so in quantities that were not previously accounted for, researchers wrote in the study. Dramatic changes are underway in the Arctic, which is warming twice as fast as any other location on Earth. Sea ice is rapidly dwindling, which reduces the ocean's heat-reflecting cover, accelerating the rise of ocean temperatures. And polar bears, which depend on sea-ice cover to hunt for seals, are losing their hunting grounds, and have a harder time finding enough to eat. On land, melting permafrost is shaping new landscapes, through a process called thermokarst a term for thawing-driven erosion that originated in Russia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Thermokarst creates land formations such as lakes, pits and sinkholes, and it was previously unknown how this process could affect weathering of exposed minerals, and how that might then impact CO2 release, according to the study. "These processes may influence the permafrost carbon-climate feedback, but have received little attention," the scientists reported. Over geologic timescales, weathering caused by carbonic acid can help to regulate climate, by trapping CO2 and restricting its transfer into the atmosphere. But the researchers found that thermokarst in regions that were rich in sulfides drove production of sulfuric acid, rather than carbonic acid, and thereby released quantities of CO2. An estimated 1,400 billion tons of carbon are stored in permafrost, Live Science previously reported, and as thawing continues and thermokarst activity intensifies, sulfide-rich regions will continue to transfer CO2 from its icy tomb. However, how that will balance out against the permafrost regions that still produce carbon-trapping carbonic acid is unknown, according to the study. The findings were published online Sept. 5 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Original article on Live Science. Each winter, an open ocean void in the deep sea of the mid-Pacific Ocean attracts large crowds of great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) that make the monthlong swim from the coasts of California and Mexico. Scientists followed the sharks to their mysterious ocean lair and discovered a few potential reasons why the fearsome predators might be attracted to the area, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute reported. The sharks, known as the northeastern Pacific whites, feed on elephant seals and other marine mammals along the coast of California from about August to December, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute. Then in December, the sharks swim to their meeting spot in the middle of the ocean, about halfway to Hawaii, where they spend their winter and spring before returning to California. Satellite images suggested the area was an oceanic desert, so scientists were stumped as to why these prolific predators would leave the food-rich waters off California. Barbara Block, a marine scientist at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, discovered the area more than a decade ago when she tracked tagged sharks to the area. She dubbed the spot the "White Shark Cafe," although she wasn't yet sure why the sharks were going there. [Image Gallery: Great White Sharks] When Block and her colleagues at Stanford University and the Monterey Bay Aquarium ventured out to the mysterious shark-gathering zone this spring aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor, they were met with a surprise: a playland of sorts for jellyfish, phytoplankton, squid and fish perfect ingredients for a great white shark buffet, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. This group of specialized open-ocean marine life migrate up and down the water column each day, through what's called the midwater range the zone just below where sunlight penetrates the ocean depths. During daylight hours, the creatures sink to the depths and then return to shallower waters at night. Electronic tag data retrieved from 10 sharks revealed the predators were following a similar pattern making several dives down to nearly 1,500 feet (450 meters) during the day and down to about 650 feet (200 m) at night. In April, the male sharks increased their dive activity, making up to 140 dives in a day, while the diving habits of female sharks remained unchanged, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. "The story of the white shark tells you that this area is vitally important in ways we never knew about," Salvador Jorgensen, a marine scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and one of the expedition leaders, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "They are telling us this incredible story about the mid-water, and there is this whole secret life that we need to know about." But the difference between male and female shark diving behavior in April is still a mystery. "Either they are eating something different or this is related in some way to their mating," Jorgensen told the San Francisco Chronicle. The team is continuing to analyze data from this year's cruise with hopes of answering more questions about the biological significance of the White Shark Cafe. They plan to publish their results in the coming months, Jorgensen told Live Science. Original article on Live Science. The United Wa State Army (UWSA) orders its members to find out what the [Christian] missionaries are doing and what are their intensions. It bans new church construction and allows only local priests to minister. Beijings shadow affects the local peace process. Naypyidaw (AsiaNews) Churches, priests and Christian missionaries working in Wa, a mountainous region in the eastern state of Shan, are victims of the repression of Myanmars largest rebel army, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the armed wing of the United Wa State Party (UWSP). The latter rules the self-proclaimed State of Wa and boasts historical ties with Beijing. On 6 September, UWSA released a six-point statement instructing all of its military officers and administrators to find out what the [Christian] missionaries are doing and what are their intensions. The Chinese language statement pledges to punish any local officials who support missionary activities. It bans the construction of new Christian churches and requires that priests and workers in existing churches must be local not foreign. The announcement also prohibits religious teaching in schools in the Wa area and UWSP officials are no longer allowed to be members of any religious organisations, the Asia Times reports. The decree uses the Chinese term jidujiao for Christianity, a term used for Protestants and evangelical Christians, and not tianzhujiao, which is used to denote Roman Catholics. Hardly coincidentally, the announcement comes after John Cao, an ethnic Chinese pastor and permanent US resident, was arrested in China in March for illegally crossing the Sino-Myanmar border. In June, he was sentenced to seven years in prison on immigration-related charges. Experts say both Beijing and the USWP see the emergence of faith-based organisations and movements as a threat to their authority. Around a century ago, mainly American evangelical missionaries converted some Wa to Christianity. At present, it is estimated that Christians make up 30 per cent of the 450,000 Wa. Originally from southern China, the Wa settled across the border. Consequently, there were churches in the area when it was taken over by the insurgent Beijing-backed Communist Party of Burma (CPB) in the early 1970s. The CPBs leaders, orthodox Maoists steeped in the tradition of Chinas Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, were forced into exile into China, where Chinese authorities provided them with housing and pensions. The CPBs army, once heavily supplied by China, subsequently split into four different ethnic militias, one of which, the UWSA, emerged as the strongest with 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers. The UWSA is also one of several ethnic armed groups that did not sign the Myanmar governments nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) in 2015. The group leads a political coalition called the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), set up with six other non-signatory groups in April 2017 to hold political negotiations and discuss peace-building with the Myanmar government. The Wa rebel army participated as an observer at a recent meeting (5 September) between the governments Peace Commission (PC) and representatives of three armed groups that belong to the Northern Alliance, in Kunming, Yunnan (southern China), mediated by Chinas Foreign Ministry. Analysts note Beijing's ambiguous behaviour in Myanmars ethnic conflicts. Activists accuse the Chinese of trying to influence the difficult peace process undertaken by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar has significant strategic relevance for Beijing. The success of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) depends on access to the Indian Ocean through Myanmar. Little is known about Juan David "J.D." Ortiz, a local Border Patrol agent who has purportedly confessed to killing four women, and kidnapping another, in Webb County over the past couple of weeks. Ortiz lived in north Laredo, in the San Isidro subdivision outside Loop 20, on secluded Bur Oak Drive. He has a wife and two young children, the New York Times reported. Ortiz enlisted in the Navy in July 2001 and served until May 2009, according to biographical data provided by the Navy. READ ALSO: 'I'm dumbfounded:' Border Patrol agent's alleged killings stun city leaders, officials Over the course of his military career, Ortiz was stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois; Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio; Camp Pendleton, California; Twenty-Nine Palms, California; and was stationed again at Fort Sam Houston from 2005 to 2009. Ortiz's rank was hospital corpsman, 2nd class. He was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal and Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon while in the Navy. A Navy spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the nature of Ortiz's discharge or whether he'd been disciplined. On Monday afternoon, no one answered the door at Ortiz's house, which appeared to be empty. County records show that Ortiz took out a $240,000 mortgage with his wife in December for their home in the upper-middle-class neighborhood. Officials have not released any information about his wife. Records online show the two got married in Cameron County in 2004. One of his neighbors described him and his wife as quiet, and that they kept to themselves. She said they built their house on Bur Oak recently, in the last couple of years. Two other neighbors said they did not know the Ortizes at all. A next-door neighbor asked to be left alone. LMT called a dozen of Ortiz and his wife's family members, but no one could be reached Monday. Border Patrol said there was nothing in Ortiz's background suggesting he was capable of such crimes. At a news conference, a representative of the agency said he had a minor incident in his background, but they gave no details on it. RELATED: WCSO: Border Patrol agent accused of killing four under suicide watch "We are trying to get into the mind of this killer, to figure out why he did this," Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said. "We know he carried out these crimes in a cold, calloused fashion," added the district attorney, who said Ortiz had apparently gained the confidence of his victims, all sex workers, from prior contacts. "There appears to have been a history between Ortiz and this community ... a community that is vulnerable, defenseless and has no voice," he said. The Associated Press and San Antonio Express-News contributed to this report. Edna Ortiz, mother of one of the four women who were allegedly killed by a Border Patrol agent, is traveling from Indiana today to attend her funeral. "I'm still in shock and depressed," she said. "That was my son, the fourth victim. Now I have to travel 1,200 miles to bury my sweet baby." Humberto Ortiz, a transgender woman known as Janelle, was a high-spirited person who would never get mad and was always smiling, her mother said. READ ALSO: WCSO: Border Patrol agent accused of killing four under suicide watch "If he needed help, he had a lot of friends," she said. "I can't keep up with the stories they write about my son. I can't stop crying because I don't want to see him this way." Ortiz, 28, and three other women were allegedly killed by Juan David Ortiz, 35, a 10-year Border Patrol agent, over a two-week period. Humberto Ortiz was identified Monday as one of the victims. She had three brothers and a sister who are sad and in disbelief that she is dead, Edna Ortiz said. "We were always close, my children and me," she said. "As they grew older, they had different lives and moved on." Ortiz said the alleged killer is a cold individual who has no feelings. All that her and her family have left is to cope with their loss, be strong and pray that there is a purpose for everything. "Everyone knew my son as Janelle," Ortiz said. "Yes, he was transgender, but he loved his life. He ... always loved to dress as beautiful as he was. He left us with his smile. To the people of Laredo that knew him, thank you from his mother, Mandito, Ezekiel, Israel and Rose Ortiz." RELATED: Relatives mourn the loss of victims slain in Laredo by what police call a serial killer Veronica Castillo, Humberto Ortiz's cousin, said she would frequently see her out on the town having fun. "My cousin was a nice person," Castillo said. "He was very outgoing. Always smiling. He was loved by the gay community. Of course, she had her ups and downs but he liked to party, meet new people. He had his brothers, his sister, his mom and dad that loved him very much." Castillo said Ortiz's father loved her very much. "(Ortiz's dad) would always call me asking me 'Prima, have you seen Humberto,'" Castillo said. "I would always tell him I would. He would tell me to talk to him and scold him saying 'Prima, I'm so worried about him.'" Nine Laredo cops have been placed on administrative reassignment after officers fatally shot an armed man Friday. LPD Chief Claudio Trevino Jr. said the officers will remain on desk duties pending the criminal and internal investigation into the shooting of Antonio Aguirre, 52. Police released his identity Monday. During the shooting, an officer was grazed by a ricochet fragment on his lower body. He was taken to the Laredo Medical Center, where he was treated and released for the minor injury. READ ALSO: LPD: Woman files false report after vehicle seized by Border Patrol The case unfolded Friday night when a woman waved down a Laredo police officer on patrol in the 1500 block of Sanchez Street. She told the officer that her ex-boyfriend, Aguirre, had threatened her with a gun and assaulted her, Trevino said. Police learned that Aguirre allegedly interfered with her attempt to call 911 for help as well. She also told officers that she heard gunshots before Aguirre drove away from the scene in a Ford pickup truck. Officers then noticed that Aguirre was driving by her home. When officers attempted to pull him over, Aguirre evaded the officers and a pursuit ensued, Trevino said. Police said the pursuit ended at Aguirre's residence in the 400 block of East Fremont Street. Officers surrounded Aguirre and the vehicle. They said they could see that he had a gun in his hands. They pleaded with him to drop the weapon, according to LPD. "Mr. Aguirre disregarded the officers' commands and made a sudden and threatening move that caused the officers to discharge their weapons, striking Mr. Aguirre. Regrettably, Mr. Aguirre did not survive," Trevino said. RELATED: LPD: Man fatally shot by officers had two knives, signs of intoxication He was pronounced dead at the scene. Trevino said officers confirmed that Aguirre was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun. It was recovered as evidence. An investigation is underway. Funeral services for Aguirre are under the direction of Fred Dickey Funeral & Cremation Services, 1320 Trey Drive. Visitation is set for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. A prayer service starts at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Periwinkle Foundation unveiled the 28th Making A Mark art exhibit consisting of art and creative writing by children touched by cancer and blood disorders at Texas Childrens Cancer and Hematology Centers. Excitement and joy filled the Mark A. Wallace Tower as more than 300 artists proudly displayed their original artwork for their parents, peers and visitors to see. Juan David Ortiz, fleeing police after a series of killings in Laredo, Texas, wanted to die, authorities said. He positioned himself in a hotel parking garage as a SWAT team closed in early Saturday morning. He had left a firearm behind earlier. But he had a cellphone, authorities said, that he wanted to look like a gun. It didn't work. Ortiz, 35, a Border Patrol agent, was arrested without incident in the slayings of four women in a two-week period, including two women who were killed after another woman escaped his truck Friday night and alerted police, authorities said. He wanted to commit "suicide by cop," Webb County Sheriff's Office Chief Fred Garza said in a Monday news conference, as the Texas town reckons with how a law enforcement officer tasked with securing the nation's borders allegedly preyed on four women. "We're certain we have the right individual," Garza said, describing Ortiz, who Garza said confessed to the four killings under questioning Saturday, and provided information about where investigators could find the last two victims. Ortiz killed Melissa Ramirez, 29, on Sept. 3, he told authorities, according to an arrest affidavit. Ramirez was a mother of two young children, the Laredo Morning Times reported. "I hurt a lot. All I want is justice. I want that guy to die in jail for taking the life of my daughter," her mother, Maria Cristina Benavides, told the paper. Ten days later, Ortiz said, he killed Claudine Ann Luera, 42, according to the affidavit. On Saturday, authorities released the name of a third victim - Humberto Ortiz, 28, whom authorities referred to as a transgender woman. Ortiz told authorities that he killed her late Friday or Saturday. Humberto Ortiz is not related to the Border Patrol agent. The last victim, killed in the same period, has not been publicly identified. Ortiz is charged with four counts of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint. He is being held on a $2.5 million bond. "It's difficult to get into the mind of a killer," Webb County-Zapata County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said Monday. "Ortiz carried out these murders in a cold and callous way." Alaniz previously told The Washington Post that Ortiz's actions fit some parameters of a "serial killer" - he shot all four execution-style in the head after forcing them out of his truck in rural parts of Webb County, outside the city limits of Laredo, authorities allege. The city is about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio. Garza said Ortiz has a "dislike" of the sex-worker community, and appears to have targeted his victims deliberately after gaining their trust. "He knew the victims, and the victims knew him, some of them," Garza said. Carla L. Provost, the chief of Border Patrol, called Ortiz a "rogue individual" and not representative of the thousands of agents who work in the region. Authorities said he had one minor allegation on his record but nothing else that indicated worrisome behavior. It is unclear whether Ortiz used his service weapon or government resources to track victims, Garza said. Police were already investigating the killing of Ramirez on Sept. 3 and Luera on Sept. 13 when a woman approached a state trooper about 9:14 p.m. Sept. 14. The Post is withholding her name. Ortiz had pulled a gun on her after she mentioned Ramirez, whom she knew, the woman told investigators. She escaped his truck and ran to the state trooper for help. An alert was issued to officers to be on the lookout for Ortiz, Garza said. But in the next few hours before his capture, Ortiz later told police, he killed two more women. But first, Ortiz returned home to load several firearms, he told authorities. "He was looking at a confrontation," Garza said. He then picked up a woman in Laredo, drove her outside of town and shot her in a remote area of the county, Garza said. He returned to Laredo to repeat the same process, but it is not clear whether Humberto Ortiz was the third or fourth victim. After the fourth slaying, Ortiz returned to Laredo, police said. Officers found Ortiz after 1 a.m. Saturday after he stopped at a gas station, Garza said. He left his gun in his truck and fled on foot. He was captured at 2:30 a.m., when police found him hiding in a hotel parking garage, where he unsuccessfully attempted to draw the gunfire of the arresting officers, Garza said. Ortiz was defiant and uncooperative under questioning, at least at the start, Alaniz said. Detectives asked him to do "the right thing," Alaniz told The Post. Ortiz asked for the handcuffs to come off, and the circumstances behind the killings began to trickle out, the district attorney said. Ortiz described a place along a highway where they could find Humberto Ortiz, behind some gravel pits soaked in rain. Ortiz told police he shot the woman once in the head. Humberto Ortiz's body was found there, along with a single spent shell casing. The anti-aircraft system went into action yesterday evening to intercept a series of "hostile" missiles. The target was the local Agency of technical industries, a power plant and an aluminum factory. A Russian vehicle with 14 soldiers on board was involved in the gun battle. Moscow and Ankara sign a pact to avoid the offensive on Idlib and a massacre of civilians. Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Syrian anti-aircraft defence system has intercepted a series of "hostile" missiles fired yesterday evening towards the coastal city of Latakia and other strategic areas of the country, controlled by the Syrian government. According to reports from local sources of the London based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights two people died in the gun battle and at least a dozen injured. The missiles were launched from the waters off the Syrian coast; the response of the defensive system - with S-200 and Pantsir S2 missiles - of Russian manufacture was immediate. Some sources also report the presence of four Israeli fighter jets, who would have participated in the attack. In the Latakia area there is an important Russian air base, along with Iran the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The raids - which began at 10 pm local time - hit the headquarters of the Technical Industries Agency, owned by the Syrian army. They also targeted a power plant and an aluminium factory. The state TV broadcast images of bright glares and explosions in the skies for several minutes. At the same time the official agency Sana issued bulletins of a "foreign aggression". Last night's attack comes just two days after an Israeli offensive that hit Damascus airport. "Israeli Aggression" [according to the term used by Assad's loyalists] had previously been registered in the province of Hama (in the center of the country) and in Tartous in the west on 4 September. Some sources say that the Syrian anti-aircraft system activated in response to yesterday's attack also hit a Russian transport aircraft in the area, with 14 soldiers on board. The aircraft, an Il-20, was about 35 km from the coast of Lattakia [a fiefdom of the Assad family] when it found itself in the middle of the battle. The news of the demolition of the Russian vehicle came just a few hours after the agreement signed by Moscow and Ankara, to avoid [at least for the moment] the government offensive on Idlib and a probable massacre of civilians. Yesterday in Sochi, Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a pact aimed at avoiding a "catastrophe" and a "humanitarian crisis" in every way possible. The two leaders agreed to establish a "demilitarized strip" along the borders of the province starting from 15 October. A buffer zone about 15-20 km deep that will be jointly patrolled by Turkish and Russian soldiers. In the area, the anti-Assad rebels and the Syrian army assured the withdrawal of all heavy weapons and, at least for the moment, the hypothesis of a final offensive seems to have been set aside. WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The death toll from Hurricane Florence rose Monday to 32, and the misery in the Carolinas might be many days from cresting. The historic storm has disrupted life for millions of people, and the surging floodwaters have spawned an environmental calamity across a vast region pocked with manure ponds and coal ash pits. Florence is gone, devolving into a wet atmospheric blob drifting toward the Northeast, and the sun has finally come out here. But life has not returned to normal. The Carolinas are rattled and anxious amid rising waters. Going anywhere in a vehicle is still perilous. Hundreds of thousands of people have no electricity, and many schools remain shuttered. The number of closed and impassable roads climbed to 1,500 in North Carolina, the U.S. Transportation Department said. Interstates 40 and 95, two of the state's main transportation arteries, are only partially open. Many communities are isolated, including this storm-battered city wedged between the coast and the Cape Fear River. Thousands of people remain in emergency shelters across the state. First responders have rescued 2,600 people and 300 animals, Gov. Roy Cooper, D, said at a news conference. "Catastrophic flooding and tornadoes are still claiming lives and property. For most parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate," Cooper said. Authorities in North Carolina said late Monday that 25 people in the state had died from storm-related causes, while officials in South Carolina said they had confirmed six deaths linked to the storm. Officials in Chesterfield County, Virginia, linked one fatality to the remnants of Florence after a building partially collapsed during an apparent tornado that spun off from the storm Monday afternoon. Among the dead was 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch, whose body was found Monday in Union County, North Carolina, the sheriff's office said. Officials said the child's mother drove past barricades Sunday night and hit rushing water. She managed to get the baby out of a car seat, but the violent flood carried the boy away. "I know people are eager to get back to work and get back to school," the governor said. "I urge you, if you don't have to drive, stay off the road." As the region's waters rise, numerous environmental hazards are materializing in the Carolinas. The North Carolina Pork Council reported a manure lagoon breach on a small farm in Duplin County but said the solids remained contained. "While there are more than 3,000 active lagoons in the state that have been unaffected by the storm, we remain concerned about the potential impact of these record-shattering floods," the council said on its website. Many hog ponds in eastern North Carolina were damaged during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, and the bacteria-laden liquid and solid waste flowed downstream to estuaries, inciting algae blooms and fish kills. Duke Energy's two Brunswick nuclear reactors remain stable, but the isolation of the facilities by floodwaters, and the difficulty workers faced going to and from the site, led the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the weekend to declare a "hazardous event." Duke Energy said no employees are stranded and there is no flooding at the site. In a number of locations in eastern North Carolina, the sewer- and drinking-water systems have been damaged or overwhelmed. "We do have observed releases of wastewater from manholes, from overtopped sewer areas in the impacted zone," Reggie Cheatham, the Environmental Protection Agency's director of emergency management, said in a teleconference with reporters. Cheatham said the wastewater treatment system in Jacksonville, North Carolina, which experienced storm surge during Florence's landfall on Friday morning, suffered a "catastrophic" failure. "They basically had to deal with the storm surge, loss of power, and obviously shut down pumps, and the system completely depressurized, and they haven't been able to bring that back up," he said. He said the wastewater system in Wilmington had released partially treated water into the Cape Fear River. Other sites experiencing releases of wastewater include the eastern North Carolina communities of Princeton and Kenansville, Cheatham said. Also in Wilmington, a second breach has occurred in a coal ash landfill at a Duke Energy facility. Flooding had damaged a containment wall this weekend and led to an estimated 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash flowing into a ditch not far from the Cape Fear River. Duke Energy employees and contractors worked with heavy machinery to create a new berm to contain the material. The company said the coal ash, which the EPA considers toxic, poses no hazard to the public or the environment. The details of the second breach remain unclear, Cheatham said. A CSX train hauling chemicals derailed late Sunday in Anson County, North Carolina, south of Charlotte and near the South Carolina border. Cheatham said eight cars derailed due to washed-out tracks. An unknown volume of diesel fuel spilled, but the fuel did not reach the nearby Pee Dee River, he said. Many people flooded out of their homes will not be able to return quickly. Some rivers in the Piedmont have hit their high-water mark and will begin to drop. But the story is different in the flat marshlands to the east, where the rivers will crest and then stay at elevated levels for many days, said Trent Ferguson, the South Atlantic Division water manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "You're probably going to see seven to 10 days at a flat, constant stage, and then it will slowly drain," Ferguson said. In Lumberton, North Carolina, a temporary berm hastily constructed to prevent the Lumber River from surging into the west side of town collapsed Sunday night, sending a blast of sand and mud across the road and unleashing torrents of water into neighborhoods. The sandbag barrier was built by volunteers late last week in hopes of preventing Florence's floodwaters from pouring through a spot where Hurricane Matthew caused damage just two years ago. Lee Hester, deputy commander of Lumberton Rescue and EMS, estimated there were as many as 800 homes in the flooded neighborhood. "Some people left after Matthew," he said. "But there are still a lot of people there." By Monday afternoon, the sky had cleared and Lumberton residents had their first glimpse of sunshine in almost a week. But Florence was not finished wreaking destruction. The surging Lumber River engulfed streets and homes and made many roads in the city impassable. Here in Wilmington, people wait nervously for the Cape Fear River to crest. The water level hit 17 feet on Monday and is expected to rise to 24 feet by next weekend, said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. The river flooding feels like a second natural disaster, coming in the wake of the hurricane strike. "Evacuees, do not return until you are notified to do so," said Woody White, chairman of the board of commissioners of New Hanover County, where Wilmington is located. "It is not now." Food is becoming an issue. It ran low at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center, according to Wayne Strauss, the hospital's food service director. With the usual supply routes cut off, the Army came to the rescue, sending a cargo plane from Fort Bragg, outside Fayetteville, North Carolina. It touched down on a Harris Teeter parking lot Monday afternoon. An assembly line of soldiers and hospital employees passed boxes of food, plates and plastic cups out of the back of the plane and into a waiting truck. "The supplies will help us survive," Strauss said. New Hanover County officials said they also have received 20 truckloads of food and water from Fort Bragg, enough to sustain up to 60,000 people for the next three days. The trucks arrived Monday along back roads, led by savvy state troopers who knew how to get through the flooded lowlands. That route was for professional drivers only: No "safe, stable and reliable route currently exists for the public to get to and from Wilmington," the state Department of Transportation said late Monday. About 800 people are staying in the county's newly consolidated shelter at Hoggard High School, and they are being fed by the county. One person died there Monday morning of natural causes, officials said. As a few more stores open, District Attorney Ben David warned that prosecutors will target any companies engaging in price-gouging. He also urged residents to get several estimates before hiring contractors to clean up and repair their homes. The storm could cost the region up to $22 billion, most of it in property losses, according to an analysis released Monday by Moody's Analytics. The company warned that "there is a high probability that Florence's costs will be revised significantly higher with added information or inland flooding." --- Berman and Achenbach reported from Washington. The Post's Kirk Ross in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sarah Kaplan in Lumberton, N.C., Kristine Phillips in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Steven Mufson in Washington contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: Tony Alsup, a trucker from Greenback, Tenn., drove to South Carolina in a school bus to evacuate 53 dogs and 11 cats from animal shelters in the path of Hurricane Florence.(Drea Cornejo/The Washington Post) Embed code: Video: Law enforcement, rescue volunteers and residents made last-minute preparations on Sept. 16 as Cape Fear River continued to rise in the wake of Hurricane Florence in Fayetteville, N.C.(Billy Tucker/The Washington Post) Embed code: Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Mackenzie A. Graham, 24, of 503 N. Cedar St., New Berlin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 10:43 a.m. Sunday on a theft charge. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Mike L. Hammers, 59, of 805 Hackett St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 5:16 p.m. Saturday on charges of theft and trespassing. Melissa S. Tarelo, 41, of Farmersville was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:12 p.m. Saturday on charges of driving under the influence, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured motor vehicle after police say she switched lanes and hit a stopped vehicle being driven by John W. McWhorter, 40, of Petersburg at 9:15 p.m. Saturday in the 500 block of East Morton Avenue. Shaun M. Stone, 38, of 432 S. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:41 a.m. Sunday on charges of operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving while license is revoked or suspended. Three 12-year-old girls were arrested at 9:02 a.m. Monday at Jacksonville Middle School on charges of disorderly conduct and aggravated battery. ACCIDENTS Jacob E. Bowen, 23, of Jacksonville was cited on charges of following too closely after police say the vehicle he was driving hit the rear of a vehicle being driven by Thatcher M. Floyd, 45, of Ashland at 7:28 p.m. Saturday at West Morton Avenue and South Church Street. Michael N. Kyle, 21, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of following too closely after police say the vehicle he was driving collided with the rear of a vehicle being driven by Drew W. Gallion, 30, of Ashland at 8:07 p.m. Saturday in the 800 block of South Diamond Street. Mark A. Bramlet, 60, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of following too closely after police say the vehicle he was driving hit the rear of a vehicle being driven by Angela K. Abbey, 37, of Jacksonville at 3:46 p.m. Sunday at East Douglas Avenue and North East Street. BURGLARIES, THEFTS About $1,200 and an iPhone were taken during a party at a Parnassus Place residence, according to a report filed at 10:24 a.m. Sunday. Cass County Virginia Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Bradley M. Carlock, 22, and Justin H. McDaniel, 22, both of Bath, were booked into the Morgan County jail about 11 p.m. Sunday. Both were charged with possession of methamphetamine. Carlock was also charged with possession of a narcotic instrument. McDaniel was also charged with driving a vehicle without valid registration and possession of license plates not authorized for use. Compiled by Nick Draper and Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree Russia called off a campaign against the last major rebel-held area in Syria, preventing for now an escalation in the seven-year war, after Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached a deal on Monday. The pact came just over a week after Putin rejected Erdogan's call for a cease-fire in the area and is the latest example of the Kremlin's tense balancing act among the rival factions in the Syrian conflict. A new test for Moscow came late Monday, as 15 Russian servicemen were killed when a reconnaissance aircraft was shot down off the Syrian coast. Russia's Defense Ministry said the plane was hit mistakenly by an air-defense missile fired by Syrian forces that were under attack from Israeli planes. Israel declined comment. Since sending forces to support the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2015, Russia has been a dominant player in the conflict. With the regime closing in on Idlib, the last major rebel-held region, tensions among the outside powers involved have spiked. President Donald Trump warned of a "human tragedy'' and his aides threatened military action. Erdogan said an attack by Syrian forces and their Iranian backers would cause "a lake of blood." That appears to have swayed Putin to back a compromise that at least puts off the offensive but shifts the burden to Erdogan to deal with the thousands of jihadists holed up in the region. The Turkish president has sent troops to Idlib, supports rebels there and is a fierce Assad opponent. That aligned him with the U.S. earlier in the war. But after Russian intervention in 2015 turned the tide in Assad's favor, Erdogan began to change course. In the past year he's worked closely with Putin and Iran, Assad's other main backer, on plans to end the war -- while relations with the U.S. deteriorated. "For Russia, the strategic relationship with Turkey is more important than indulging Assad,'' said Heiko Wimmen, director of the Syria, Iraq and Lebanon Project at the International Crisis Group. "Driving a wedge into NATO and pulling Turkey over to their side is a huge success,'' Wimmen said. "They want to convert their successes in Syria into a sustainable political solution. They need Turkey for that.'' Putin and Erdogan announced their accord after talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Only limited details were made public. The two agreed to deploy forces to patrol a new demilitarized zone separating Syrian forces from opposition groups dominated by jihadists. Assad's forces would call off their offensive, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. Putin said the buffer zone will extend for 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) between government and rebel forces by Oct. 15. All heavy weapons are supposed be removed by Oct. 10. Putin said the approach has the "overall'' support of Assad's government. Erdogan, who's expressed concern about a new wave of Syrian refugees fleeing to Turkey from Idlib, said the pact can prevent "a major humanitarian crisis.'' There are plenty of unanswered questions. The opposition fighters in Idlib include some 10,000 jihadists with links to al-Qaida, as well as a larger number of rebels said to be more moderate -- some of them Turkish allies. Erdogan said Turkey will keep radical groups out of the demilitarized area. He said non-jihadist rebels opposing Assad can stay where they are. "The thing to watch is, will this agreement hold?'' said Dennis Ross, who was America's chief Mideast peace negotiator and advised several presidents. Based on past truces, there's a risk that "the Syrians and the Iranians turn on the forces that Turkey's supporting'' once radical jihadists are dealt with, Ross said. Dmitri Trenin, an analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center, wrote in Twitter the deal means a major assault on Idlib is "at least postponed." "Putin acknowledged Erdogan's concerns and interests. In return, Turkey has to bring the province under control and eliminate radicals. Not the worst outcome for Moscow," Trenin wrote. Monday's was the second Erdogan-Putin meeting in less than two weeks. In Tehran on Sept. 7, Russia and Iran rejected the Turkish leader's call for an immediate Idlib cease-fire. Airstrikes against rebels continued, though Syrian troops held back from a full-scale offensive. A compromise between Putin and Erdogan was inevitable because "neither of them can claim the upper hand," said Elena Suponina, a Middle East expert in Moscow. "Both sides have powerful cards to play.'' The U.S. likely hasn't given up on its longtime ally. With Turkish and American interests aligned in Idlib, there's potential for deeper discussions, Ross said. But Erdogan and the U.S. remain divided on a raft of issues -- including Syria. America's main allies there are autonomy-seeking Kurds linked to a group that's been fighting Turkey for decades. They control about a quarter of Syria. Both Putin and Erdogan have called on the U.S. to pull its troops out. Turkey also enraged Trump by detaining an American pastor, prompting the U.S. president to impose sanctions. Further penalties are threatened if Erdogan goes ahead with his plan to buy new missile-defense systems -- from Russia. --Bloomberg's Selcan Hacaoglu, Olga Tanas and Lin Noueihed contributed. More products will be subject to 10 per cent tariffs starting 24 September, which will increase to 25 per cent by the end of the year. Apple products are excluded. Washington (AsiaNews/Agencies) US President Donald Trump yesterday announced fresh tariffs on US$ 200 billion of Chinese imports to the US, significantly widening the scope of his trade war with China. For its part, Beijing has vowed to continue retaliating against such measures. On 24 September, tariffs of 10 per cent will apply to a long list of Chinese imports, including chemicals used in agriculture, health and safety products such as helmets, as well as childcare products. The tariff rate on this batch of goods will rise to 25 per cent on January 1, 2019. Some product categories were left off the latest tariff list, including Apple smartwatches, which are made in China. Apple is opposed to the trade war between the two superpowers. Other trade-dependent companies are also opposed to Trumps punitive campaign. For the presidents critics, unilateral tariffs will not be as effective as a united front approach involving the EU, Japan and other strategic allies. Three of five oilfield workers accused of selling nearly $2 million in oil stolen from companies drilling in the Eagle Ford Shale have agreed to plead guilty. Ricardo Sanchez Jr. became the latest to enter a guilty plea Tuesday to theft and wire fraud. He admitted that he and his co-defendants used an entity called Andra Energy LLC, which purported to be in the business of reclaiming oil from wastewater used in fracking, to hide the thefts of oil that they sold for more than $1.7 million. Court records said between September 2013 and February 2016, the defendants stole from tank batteries of at least three energy companies that are identified only as Victims 1, 2 and 4. Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra was to take up a motion to sever the defendants case Tuesday morning, but it was withdrawn, as the judge was informed that Sanchez and Ricardo Guevara had agreed to plead guilty and that Romeo Garcia Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 20. Guevara is to formally enter his plea in the coming week. Luis Valencia, accused of being the ringleader, and his nephew Mauricio Valencia remain the lone defendants awaiting a trial tentatively set for Oct. 1. Both have pleaded not guilty. Sanchezs plea deal said the group of oilfield services workers formed Andra after Garcia met with Luis Valencia and others about the potential money to be made from stolen oil. The plea deal said the group stole primarily from oilfield tank batteries of Victim 1 but that Andra also received stolen oil from employees of Victim 4. Later, they stole from Victim 2, court records said. The defendants would attempt to hide the illegal nature of Andras business by creating and submitting false paperwork to the Railroad Commission of Texas, to give the appearance that the oil had been legally obtained, court records said. The records said Luis Valencia directed others to create false run tickets to reflect that the oil sold by Andra was purchased legitimately and that money was then wired to his co-defendants and to others who had helped steal oil. All the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland Voters elected political newcomer Pete Flores to the Texas Senate on Tuesday, flipping a Democratic district red for the first time in 139 years and bolstering Republicans supermajority in the chamber ahead of the November elections. A retired game warden, Flores defeated former state and U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego for the Senate District 19 seat after receiving backing from some of the states most prominent politicians, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and U.S. Sens John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. We conservatives are conservative in the way we make approaches. The gunfights not over until the last shots fired, Flores told the Express-News after Gallego conceded in a phone call just before 9 p.m. The last shots been fired. SUBSCRIBERS: How a retired game warden defied odds in Senate District 19 According the Secretary of States website, Flores won with 53 percent of the vote to Gallegos 47 percent with 44,487 ballots cast. Flores and Gallego competed in Tuesdays runoff after emerging from an eight-candidate field in first- and second-place, respectively, in Julys special election to replace former Sen. Carlos Uresti. The longtime lawmaker vacated his seat in June after being convicted of 11 felony charges. In his victory speech, Flores reflected about the historic significance of his win and the job ahead. This district has not been Republican since Reconstruction. And in September of 2018, its Republican once again, Flores told supporters. The work starts tomorrow. Christian Archer, Gallegos campaign strategist, said he was shocked by the results, adding that they werent able to generate as much excitement as the Republicans. I dont have any regrets, but I have a lot of disappointment, Archer said. Flores win marked an incredible upset in a district that political observers said shouldnt have been competitive for Republicans. Low turnout in special elections and high-level GOP interests in preserving a Senate supermajority helped push Flores across the line, they said. It will provide a completely unexpected gift for Republicans for the next legislative session, said Mark Jones, a professor of political science at Rice University. READ ALSO: Judge denies Texas GOP's request that could have kept Democrat off SD 19 ballot Jones said Flores victory all but assured a Republican supermajority next year, which would allow Senate Republicans to bring bills to the floor without any Democratic support Tonight, I doubt anyone other than Pete Flores is happier than Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Jones said. Indeed, Patrick was jubilant at Flores victory party at Don Pedros restaurant on San Antonios Southwest Side. Tonight, you all just made history, Patrick told supporters. For the first time in history, we have 21 Republican senators. For the first time in history, we have a Hispanic Republican senator. Patrick, who spent around $175,000 on Flores campaign, said the supermajority was secured Tuesday night. This guy gives us a two-thirds majority, he said. Late Tuesday, the Republican Party of Texas also touted Flores win. Congratulations to Peter Flores on his stunning victory in SD 19 tonight a thrilling win for Peter Flores, the citizens of SD 19 and Republicans across Texas, Chairman James Dickey said in a statement. More than 25,000 Texans voted in the early voting period and by mail before Tuesday. Some county election officials said theyve seen higher turnout in the runoff than the special election a few months ago. Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston and author of Inside Texas Politics, credited Gallegos loss to complacency. Earlier Tuesday, he said Flores candidacy energized state GOP leaders who saw the district as a potential steal. In Medina County, a line started to form at the polling location in Castroville around 4:30 p.m. Hilda Mendoza, the election judge there, said turnout was higher than expected, which she said was likely because the election pitted a Republican against a Democrat. It was an enormous ... increase from the special election across Devine, Hondo and Castroville, Mendoza said. Voters in the heavily-Republican district said they were confident Flores would win. Others said they did not want to elect Gallego, who previously represented the county. Weve had Pete Gallego and I wasnt happy with what he did before, Marie Rowe said. In Bexar County, Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said turnout was relatively low, but impressive for a special election. Theyre voting like crazy, Callanen said. At around 6:30 p.m., as pollsters were packing up Vote Here signs at Collier Elementary School in South San Antonio, Jose Duran cast his ballot for Gallego. The seat was empty. You have to fill it with somebody, Duran said. He preferred Gallego because of his experience in government, he said. Ruben Trejo, who also voted in the final hour, said the choice was simple: Hes a Democrat, so he also chose Gallego. The last Republican to hold the seat was Andrew Phelps McCormick. According to the Legislative Library of Texas, he left office in 1879. Three months after convicted felon Carlos Uresti vacated his state Senate seat, voters will choose his successor today. Republican Pete Flores, a retired game warden, and Democrat Pete Gallego, a former U.S. and state representative, emerged from Julys special election in first- and second-place, respectively, from a field of 11, resulting in the runoff. About 18,955 voters in Senate District 19 cast ballots during early voting last week, according to election officials in several counties. At least 6,391 more voted by mail. Some officials reported seeing a higher early voting turnout for the runoff than the special election. No one came out for the special election, said DAnn Green, clerk for Real County. Apparently they got the news that it is important. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The sprawling district encompasses all or parts of 17 counties, including a portion of San Antonio, large swaths of West Texas and 400 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. The winner of the runoff will serve the rest of Urestis term, which runs through 2020. The longtime lawmaker was sentenced in June to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme. Read more about the state Senate District 19 runoff on ExpressNews.com. Early voting by county Atascosa: 1,390 Bexar: 8,430 Brewster: 1,149 Crockett: 188 Dimmit: 288 Edwards: 128 Frio: 217 Kinney: 166 Maverick: 786 Medina: 2,659 Pecos: 408 Real: 292 Reeves: 278 Terrell: 45 Uvalde: 887 Val Verde: 1,447 Zavala: 197 Source: County election officials See More Collapse Dylan McGuinness covers county government and local politics for the Express-News. Reach him at dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net and follow him on Twitter @DylMcGuinness. Just 24 hours after Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O'Rourke agreed to a series of debates, Texas Sen. John Cornyn wanted to draw O'Rourke into a discussion about guns over social media. Cornyn, a Republican, on Saturday night started the exchange by Tweeting out an old clip of O'Rourke saying in February that he opposed selling AR-15s in America. "I just don't think we should be selling AR-15s in this country," O'Rourke says in the video clip Cornyn tweeted out to his 140,000 followers. Cornyn Tweeted out the question: "For self defense?" O'Rourke, a congressman from El Paso, did not respond. But Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo did. "In 32 years policing I've yet [to] encounter a case of a community member using an AR-15 for self-defense," Acevedo tweeted. "I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but I'd bet the house they've been used many, many times to slaughter innocent Americans as opposed to self-defense." Cornyn responded quickly. "Chief, it isn't the gun it is the shooter. Let's focus on mental health, background checks and information sharing that can save lives." But Acevedo proposed more. "Let's get robust Universal background check with real teeth, red-flags for mental health; abusers, etc, close the private seller at gun-show loop-hole, & commission a study to det mine (sic) why we lead the industrialized World in gun-deaths." Acevedo said he jumped into the fray, not to defend O'Rourke, but for a bigger reason. "I'm weighing in as a practitioner on behalf of the people we are sworn to protect," Acevedo said, adding that he is part of a group of 69 police chiefs from major cities advocating for gun law reforms. Members of the Major Cities Chiefs Association have called for a new assault weapons ban and stiffer penalties for illegal guns. O'Rourke has walked a delicate line on AR-15s. Earlier this year at a pair of Houston town hall meetings, he made clear he did not want to take away people's AR-15s, but opposes the sale of the weapon. O'Rourke has said he believes the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution needs to be defended and talks frequently about growing up around guns and being taught about proper ownership of them. Acevedo has shown little hesitation in getting into social media fights over guns. After the Santa Fe High School shooting, he ended up in a Twitter fight with the NRA's Dana Loesch and Grant Stinchfield. Acevedo said he jumps into the social media battles because of how important the issue is. "You have to stand for something," Acevedo said. Jeremy.Wallace@Chron.com Conversion clarity I would like to provide clarity and context regarding feedback in letters to the editor discussing conversion therapy (MM September 5). Conversion therapy can cause irreparable damage to those who experience it. However, I want to clarify that putting an end to conversion therapy would not restrict the availability of counselling services as support to those who seek it. There is no scientific or medical evidence to support the use of conversion therapy and the practice is widely condemned by the medical profession. It has been outlawed in a number of countries and is criticised by numerous organisations, including the United Nations Committee Against Torture, the Australian Medical Association and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, London. Closer to home, the NZ Association of Psychotherapists and the NZ Association of Counsellors believe that conversion therapy is in breach of every ethical requirement for practitioners. Trying to convert someone by making them believe that due to their sexuality or gender identity there is something wrong with them that requires changing is incredibly harmful. Good counselling helps people deal with the way they are and doesnt seek to change them. Good counselling provides acceptance, support and understanding. Claiming to be able to cure homosexuality as if it is a mental illness reinforces the false belief that being gay is a form of brokenness. Giving people false hope when they are struggling with who they are is damaging and can lead to serious mental illness, particularly among the LGBTQI community, who already suffer increased rates of mental illness and self-harm. An NZ-based counsellor said to me: One of the cornerstones of any psychotherapy, is the idea that it is only through acceptance of ourselves, the bits we like, and even more challenging, the bits we dont like, comes true health. Marja Lubeck, Labour MP, Tomarata Aversion to conversion When I was working as an occupational therapist at Kingseat Hospital in the early 1960s an experimental treatment was being trialled, it was called aversion therapy. Alcoholics were placed in a room that was decked out as a bar, with dimmed lights, appropriate music, and with rows of bottles of all the different drinks that such a person could desire. They could drink whatever and as much as they liked. The catch was that they had previously been given an injection that caused them to vomit whenever they imbibed alcohol. This was presumed to develop a conditioned reflex, such as that experienced by Pavlovs dogs, and cure their alcoholism. At the same time, two homosexual (queer in the language of the day) young fellows were admitted with the same aim of conditioning their reflexes the mind boggles when trying to figure out what form the treatment took! They were wonderful young men, and when in the O.T. Department kept us all in stitches. I dont know what happened to the alcoholics when they were discharged, I presume they went back to their old ways, and the boys, Im pleased to say, left the hospital as flamboyantly gay as when they came in. Maureen Young, Warkworth Short changed Now that we are paying a targeted rate for transport improvements and a regional fuel tax, the Mayor has announced $121 million for road sealing over the next decade. Great. It should mean $12 million per year and the start of some decent progress. Wrong! Look at the detail the in the Regional Land Transport Plan budget. Only $4.6 million for 2018/19 and $5 million 2019/20. Oops, looks like rural Rodney is continuing to miss out. Glen Ashton, Ahuroa Rodney Ward Cr Greg Sayers responds: Mr Ashton, and other concerned rural ratepayers, have been in regular and helpful contact with myself ever since Auckland Transports intended road sealing plans became visible when their budgets were published. Its only fair that Rodneys rural ratepayers should have an expectation of $12 million a year being spent on road sealing in order to catch up on the years of under-investment and fixing the existing safety issues. We will keep pushing Auckland Transport to do better. Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: September 18 2018 Nassau County on a bare bones, austerity budget that supports Assessment Fix. Mineola, NY - Sept. 18, 2018 - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran today released her 2019 no property tax hike budget. The $3.5 billion budget provides funding for a fully functioning Department of Assessment, public safety, special programs and NICE Bus. However, the outstanding tax certiorari debt, continues to hold Nassau County back from restoring true fiscal health. Nassau County is operating on a bare bones budget. I am holding each department to a tight fiscal discipline, said Curran. The balanced Fiscal Year 2019 County Budget submitted today does not include a property tax increase. It pays for the services we are delivering now with current revenue. The single most important investment in the budget is the revitalization of the Countys Department of Assessment, said Curran. While it is going to take some time and a lot of hard work to clean up the mess I inherited, I am ready to do what it takes to get Nassau County on the right track. With 100 new staff hires, we will keep the assessment roll current every year. Currans proposed 2019 budget addresses the corruption of the assessment roll from the prior administrations seven-year frozen tax roll. With the completion of a reassessment through the systematic review contracts, Nassau County will have an updated assessment roll. The budget funds public engagement to answer questions from property owners. Further, this bare-bones budget features carefully-targeted new investments that will improve and expand what the County will deliver to residents and businesses in the upcoming year. The budget also makes clear that the enormous financial burden of prior year tax cert debt must be bonded and the debt service for $300M in bonding is included in this budget. In June 2018, the Nassau County Legislature did not approve a home rule vote which would have allowed NIFA to issue tax cert debt. Now the funding needed to erase the prior years tax cert debt must be issued by the County. Some of the budgets key points include: Nassau County will be Customer-Friendly The budget addresses re-staffing the depleted Department of Assessment which will enter a completely new phase of outreach and interaction with property owners. This budget supports a program called Prognose, which will enable staff to be responsive to residents questions ang concerned about the property assessment system. The DOA must be prepared to respond to thousands of inquiries from property owners in a timely and transparent matter. Prognose has the features necessary to achieve the Countys goals of increasing the accuracy of the Countys assessments, improving the transparency of the assessment process, and enhancing the Department of Assessments capability to respond to property owners who have questions about the new tentative assessment rolls. Key among these features is the ability to display comparables on a case by case basis, access to historical modeling data used to establish current baselines, and the generation of understandable reports to educate property owners on the assessment of their specific property. In addition, Prognose will give DOA the ability to develop in-house models in the future that reflect changes in the Countys real estate environment to ensure that the most accurate assessment models continue to be used. Paying for the Past The budget must fund more than $175 million in payments on over $1.1 billion in bonds issued by the prior administration Funding tax debt service for past due cert payments in the amount of $300M. Currently Nassau County is facing almost $1 billion in cert debt. Infrastructure Investments for a 21st Century Nassau County New police academy New family court building Improvements on county-owned land Investments in Public Safety and Criminal Justice Staffing for the Raise the Age initiative. Under this program the criminal court system will no longer incarcerate juvenile offenders aged 16 and 17 in adult facilities. Improved efficiency of criminal justice administration with the use of technology to monitor non-violent defendants and probationers The opening of a new crime lab, which will eliminate the costs of using an outside testing company in drug cases Investments in Labor Supporting state legislation which assures newly-hired County employees can rely on scheduled increases in compensation to make certain that our employee compensation will remain competitive and attract well-qualified candidates We are developing new revenue sources for future collective bargaining increases for our employees Investments in Economic Development Redevelopment of the Nassau Hub site has been a priority economic development initiative for my administration since my inauguration. We are laser focused on finalizing our transformational plan to draw down over $85 million in State funding to support the development. Our open, consultative process, including engagement with elected officials, local businesses and community leaders has helped us to get to this point. We are very pleased that NEC has come forward with a partner, RXR, and a game-plan to transform the Hub into a mixed-use innovation district. The transformative project will help recruit and retain the workforce of tomorrow, cement the Countys role in the economy of tomorrow, create a coherent and unified neighborhood and activate retail and open space and increase activity at the site. We will focus on transit-oriented development and promote walkability and address transit connections. Investments in Criminal Justice We will soon Raise the Age by ending the practice of incarcerating juveniles aged 16 and 17 in adult facilities. The budget will make necessary investments in early intervention to divert 16 - 17-year-olds from entry into the criminal justice system and invest in educational and employment opportunities to help prevent recidivism and other issues such as housing support and mental health care. We will also expand discharge planning services and re-entry services in conjunction with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services including family reintegration, housing assistance, mental health and medical continuity of care, educational and employment support. These investments are expected to be fully reimbursed by the State and will be developed with Suffolk County where appropriate under a shared services plan. Investments in Shared Services to Maximize Efficiency The County is working on a partnership with the City of Long Beach to improve sewer connectivity, decrease excessive nitrogen discharge into the Western Bays and restore a way of life that has been all but eradicated. Saving the Western Bays can generate millions in both commerce and tourism and jump start a fishing industry that has been unable to use the area for decades. Investments to Improve Business Processes and Policies It is time Nassau County become business-friendly and we are making necessary investments to ensure that County residents and businesses are able to access the services they need in multiple languages. We will implement a new capital planning and management process and are investing in building the staffing infrastructure necessary to support an improved capital planning and management process. These details will be explained further when I submit multi-year capital plan later this year. We will eliminate registration fees and eradicate the barrier to entry by small businesses, particularly Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE). Elimination of the Annual Vendor Registration fee is consistent with the Countys on-going efforts to make the procurement process more transparent, competitive, and inclusive. At my direction of the the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) have begun the process of moving to multi-year awards for client services contracts solicited through the RFP and RFQ processes. These multi-year contracts will not only provide continuity to the not-for-profits, but also decrease the cost of processing contracts by reducing administrative requirements, improving vendor cashflow, and reduce the need for costly financing arrangements necessitated by delays in contract and payment approvals. We will create a new vendor portal to provide vendors access to a user-friendly multi-functional web portal to facilitate the processing of their contracts, claims, and permits. This Portal is being developed in stages. The first version, which is being released in September 2018, will allow vendors to submit their disclosure forms electronically, streamlining the submission and review process. Local News, Crime, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: September 18 2018 Six Members of the Yonkers Police Department Honored for Courage and Bravery. Albany, NY - Sept. 18, 2018 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that six members of the Yonkers Police Department are the recipients of the New York State Police Officer of the Year Award. Captain Andrew Lane, Detective Kayla Maher, Detective Dawn Lebzelter, Officer Brendan Moore, Officer Thomas Bennett and Officer Vincent Reda were honored for their actions on Sept. 25, 2017, when they apprehended a gunman who had shot Detective Maher in the face at point-blank range. "Amid chaotic gunfire, these officers diffused a potentially lethal situation and showed exemplary courage, pulling one of their injured colleagues to safety while apprehending the shooter without any loss of life," Governor Cuomo said. "Their actions during this shootout are representative of the bravery New Yorkers have come to depend on to keep our neighborhoods and communities safe, and I am proud to honor them with this well-deserved award." Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul presented the six officers with the award on the Governor's behalf during a ceremony at Yonkers City Hall this afternoon. Joining her to present the award were Michael C. Green, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and Chairman of the Police Officer of the Year Selection Committee; and Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner. The award ceremony attendees included family members, friends, and colleagues from the agency and law enforcement executives and officers throughout Westchester County. "This incident could have resulted in multiple deaths had it not been for the quick thinking and decision making these officers exhibited under intense pressure," Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said. "Their heroic actions not only saved the life of a fellow officer, but also lead to the safe apprehension of a gunman who was recklessly firing at them on a residential street. As New Yorkers, we are proud and fortunate to have dedicated officers like these brave six individuals who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect our safety." DCJS Executive Deputy Commissioner and Police Officer of the Year Selection Committee Chairman Michael C. Green said, "What started out as a routine call quickly changed into a life-and-death situation for these officers, including one who was seriously wounded. The officers' collective actions saved the life of an injured colleague. In addition, the officers apprehended a gunman, who is now being held responsible for his actions. Though all the nominations received by the Committee this year are worthy of recognition, the actions of these six officers are truly heroic and representative of the type of conduct this award has come to symbolize." The six officers are the first from the Yonkers Police Department to receive the award, which was established more than three decades ago. In nominating the officers for the honor, Yonkers Police provided the following account of the events that unfolded around 8 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2017. Detectives Maher and Lebzelter were police officers at the time of the incident: Officers Maher and Lebzelter were dispatched to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked at the intersection of Marshall Road and Ridge Drive. They approached the car and while speaking briefly with an individual in the vehicle's front seat, another individual in the back seat pulled a gun and fired at Officer Maher, who was struck in the chin by a .40-caliber bullet at pointblank range. Officer Lebzelter returned fire along with Officers Reda, Moore, and Bennett, who had arrived on the scene as backup. Officer Moore spotted one suspect fleeing the vehicle on foot and alerted Officer Bennett, who safely took the man into custody while bullets were being fired in their general direction. Officer Lebzelter, meanwhile, calmly apprised other law enforcement arriving on the scene of the gunman's location to avoid a cross-fire situation. Officer Moore devised a plan to reach Officer Maher, who had taken refuge underneath the suspect's vehicle. Officer Reda and Officer Bennett laid down suppression fire that enabled Officer Moore to reach Officer Maher and pull her to safety. Officer Reda, who also approached the vehicle, provided emergency medical treatment to slow Officer Maher's bleeding until she could be brought to the hospital. After nearly 10 minutes of sporadic gunfire, Captain Lane approached the vehicle and took the assailant into custody without further incident. Investigators later recovered a.40-caliber semi-automatic handgun on the ground near the driver's side rear door of the vehicle, in addition to an illegal, large-capacity ammunition-feeding device. Earlier this year, the individual was indicted and arraigned on numerous charges, including four counts of attempted aggravated murder. Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner said, "Words cannot adequately describe the extreme pressures our officers were under as this shootout unfolded. Their decisive actions and selfless valor in the face of grave danger saved a fallen officer and brought a lethal situation to an end without the loss of life. I am extraordinarily proud of these men and women. Their heroic acts and display of bravery were in the best traditions of our noble profession and serve as an example for law enforcement officers across the state of New York." The Police Officer of the Year Award was first presented in 1984 and recognizes a single police officer or team of officers for an exceptional act of valor symbolizing the service of police in New York State. Since the award's inception, 117 officers from 19 agencies across the state have received it. Of those police, 69 have been honored posthumously, including 23 officers from the New York City Police Department and 37 members of the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey Police Department killed during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Seven other agencies nominated officers for the award. These 14 officers each will receive a Certificate of Exceptional Valor from Governor Cuomo: Detective Miosotis Familia, New York City Police Department: On July 5, a man fired once through the passenger-side window of Detective Familia's police truck, striking and killing her. At the time of her shooting, she was filling out paper work during the first hour of her overnight shift. Lt. Anthony Filipski, Cheektowaga Police Department: On Nov. 14, Lt. Filipski responded to a call of an active shooter at a Dollar General Store and apprehended the fleeing suspect without firing a single shot. His actions were captured by the dashboard camera of a police cruiser responding to the scene. Officer Daniel McDade, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department: On March 16, Officer McDade apprehended a robbery suspect who stole a New York City Fire Department ambulance, using it to strike an emergency medical technician tending to the individual who had been mugged. Officer McDade assisted the injured EMT, who later died, and consoled her colleague, all while keeping the physically uncooperative suspect under his control. Trooper Joel R. Davis, New York State Police: On July 9, Trooper Davis was the first on the scene of a domestic incident involving an active-duty soldier from Fort Drum. Upon approaching the residence in the Jefferson County town of Theresa, he was struck in the chest and killed by a .223-caliber bullet fired from an assault rifle. The suspect, who killed his wife just before Trooper Davis' arrival, had been shooting into a shed where an adult woman and two children were hiding. The gunman subsequently surrendered to other law enforcement arriving on the scene. Officer David Capretto, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department: On March 15, Officer Capretto rescued a cold and lifeless three-month-old baby girl from a man who had crashed his vehicle into a road barrier during a blizzard and was acting erratically. Medical personnel later indicated that the naked infant likely would have died had it not been for Officer Capretto wrapping her in a towel and placing her inside his jacket for warmth after she was rescued. Lt. Miriam Rubio, Sgt. Hector Martinez, Sgt. Victor Talamini, Officer Jack Collins, Officer Anthony Manfredini, Officer Drew Preston, Officer Sean Gallagher, Officer Anthony Estevez, Port Authority of New York-New Jersey Police Department: On Dec. 11, the eight officers responded to a bombing in the New York City Subway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The bomb was detonated in a corridor filled with morning commuters and was intended to kill as many people as possible. The officers entered the smoke-filled corridor despite not knowing whether a secondary explosive device could be on scene. They helped clear commuters from the blast area and incapacitated the would-be suicide bomber after he appeared to be trying to detonate another bomb. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: September 18 2018 South Huntington Resident Lost His Battle with 9/11-Related Brain Cancer in May. South Huntington, NY - Sept. 18, 2018 - Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, Councilwoman Joan Cergol, Councilman Ed Smyth, Highway Superintendent Kevin S. Orelli and Tax Receiver Jillian Guthman were joined by Senator Carl L. Marcellino, Legislator William Spencer, Legislator Tom Donnelly, NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin B. Tucker, Commanding Officer Captain William E. Glynn of the NYPDs 94th Precinct, officers from the 94th Precinct, family, friends and former colleagues of retired NYPD Officer Mark J. Natale, for a street dedication ceremony taking place in Officer Natales honor on what would have been his 56th birthday, Friday, September 14. The ceremony opened with the presentation of the colors by the NYPD Honor Guard, followed by NYPD Police Officer Makiah Brown, who sang the National Anthem, and NYPD Chaplain Deputy Chief Monsignor David Cassato, who delivered the invocation. Not only are we gathered here to honor Officer Mark J. Natale on what would have been his 56th birthday, exactly one week ago was Mayra and Marks 27th wedding anniversary, said Supervisor Lupinacci, who went on to explain how Officer Natales colleagues and community came together to honor his memory: Friends and former colleagues contributed pieces of police uniform apparel so that retired Officer Natale would be buried in dress uniform; the South Huntington School District lowered their flags to half-staff district-wide, issued a service award posthumously and inducted Mark, a district employee during his retirement from the NYPD, into their Hall of Fame; while comments came pouring in on the Town's social media channels upon hearing news of this street dedication, with beautiful praise for Mark as a wonderful person, a gentleman, and words of comfort for the Natale family. We as a nation have not spent enough time honoring and remembering the people who in the aftermath of 9/11 went into harms way to do their job, and ultimately paid the same supreme sacrifice with their lives as those who perished that day. Today we proudly recognize Officer Mark Natale as a hero, stated Councilman Cuthbertson. 9-11, as we are reminded more and more each day, is the tragedy that keeps on taking. 23 NYPD Officers were killed that day, and in the 17 years since then, nearly eight times as many, 156, have died from 9-11 related illnesses. We share in the Natale familys grief and hope they will take comfort and pride each time they pass this street sign that is our way of making sure Marks service, heroism and sacrifice is held high for all to know and never be forgotten, stated Councilwoman Cergol. I was proud and honored to be part of the street dedication for New York City Police Officer Mark J. Natale, a Huntington native and 9/11 hero whose memory will always live on, said Councilman Smyth. NYPD Officer Mark J. Natale represents the best of humanity on a day we witnessed the worst. He is a hero, sacrificing his life protecting strangers. For the family, no words can ease their pain but we want them to know through this small gesture that they have the unending support of all of us, said Senator Marcellino. As we mark the 17th anniversary of the horrific events of September 11, 2001, it is important to continue to recall not only those who perished on that day, but also to remember the uniformed and non-uniformed responders who answered the call to help. These individuals assisted in rescue and recovery efforts in the days, weeks and months that followed and, sadly as a result, many suffered from 9/11 cancers and other illnesses and lost their lives, said Legislator Donnelly. With this street renaming, NYPD Officer Mark J. Natale will never be forgotten for his selfless dedication, hopefully providing some comfort for his family. It was a true privilege to join the late NYPD Officer Mark J. Natales family and the community for his street sign dedication. The words expressed by his wife Mayra, captured Marks service and heroism. His courageous battle serves as inspiration to those heroes who continue to struggle with 9/11 related illnesses every day. The awareness that Mark has brought to this issue will help ensure that our heroes receive the best possible care in the future, stated Legislator Spencer. It was my honor to join the Natale family, friends, elected officials, neighbors and members of the 94 Precinct for the dedication of Iceland Drive in the name of NYPD officer Mark J. Natale, as a permanent memorial of Marks bravery and sacrifice, said NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin B. Tucker. Mayra Natale, Officer Natales widow, delivered a moving speech to close the ceremony with their children Dominick, Catherine and Lauren standing behind her, along with Officer Natales sisters Denise Pileggi, Debra Diem, and extended family, thanking everyone involved in honoring her husbands memory, from the Town, and South Huntington School district officials to the NYPD and members of the Huntington community who came together to ease the burdens her husband and their family faced throughout his struggle with cancers related to his serving at Ground Zero. Following the ceremony, Officer Natales family hosted a gathering on Iceland Drive celebrating his life. NYPD Officer Mark J. Natale helped frightened and dust-covered people fleeing the devastation over bridges to Brooklyn and onto ferries to New Jersey following the terror attacks on the World Trade Center. He also stood guard at the gates around Ground Zero in the days that followed and worked in lower Manhattan for several months. Officer Natale tragically lost his long battle with 9/11-related brain cancer at his South Huntington home on May 4, 2018. Local News, Crime, Press Releases, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: September 18 2018 Discussion on efforts to combat MS-13 and other gang violence, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and human trafficking. Riverhead, NY - Sept. 18, 2018 - On Monday, September 17, 2018, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) was joined by House Committee on Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) and local, state and federal law enforcement officials, as well as the immigrant parents of Justin Llivicura who was murdered by MS-13, for a roundtable discussion on efforts to combat MS-13 and other gang violence, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and human trafficking. Congressman Zeldin also invited the Long Island Farm Bureau to attend to discuss reforms necessary to our nations guest worker program. Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary Bob Goodlatte said, The problem we have with gangs and drugs is probably the most significant challenge law enforcement has and, perhaps with the opioid crisis today, the most significant danger to our citizens. According to federal authorities, these gangs have advanced beyond their traditional role as local retail drug distributors and become more organized, adaptable, deliberate and influential in large scale drug trafficking. Gangs like MS-13 have gained greater control over drug distribution outside urban centers in suburban and rural areas. Suffolk County Chief of Detectives Gerard Gigante said, Since 2016, the departments multifaceted approach has resulted in approximately 400 arrests of MS-13 gang members. We have estimated that 600 MS-13 gang members and associates live in the county at this time and have been active over the last several years. MS-13 sustains themselves by constantly recruiting new members, particularly minors. MS-13 members recruit children in communities in Suffolk County through the UAC [Unaccompanied Alien Children] program. While the vast majority of these children live law-abiding lives, many of them are vulnerable to gang recruitment - theyre young, alone and adjusting to a new country, culture, language and seeking a sense of belonging. The current vetting and screening system of sponsors is in dire need of improvement. It is vital that the federal government place UACs in our communities after proper screening of sponsors, followed by measures ensuring proper guardian compliance; oversight is critical. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Angel Melendez said, This year, in 2018, weve been able to arrest 20 human traffickers and more importantly rescue approximately 48 victims, victims of these transnational criminal organizations. The most recent one was last month when we were able to rescue a 15-year-old girl who was being trafficked by MS-13 here in Suffolk County. She was raped multiple times and was being held captive and exploited sexually. Working with our office in Virginia we were able to locate the victim and rescue her. The mother of 16-year-old Justin Llivicura who was murdered by MS-13 said through a translator, Thank you for the cooperation of all of the authorities. I thank you all. I came to this country at 19 years old. I made my family here. My son was a humble boy and he never had a problem with anyone, and it hurts me a lot to have lost my son and thank you very much for remembering the name of my son. Hugely expensive green mandates will hit poor Californians the hardest. In April, civil-rights groups sued to stop some of Californias policies designed to address climate change. Then on Monday, California governor Jerry Brown signed into law SB 100, which requires the states utilities to obtain all their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045. Before signing the bill, Brown said the legislation was sending a message to California and to the world that were going to meet the Paris agreement. In fact, it will only increase the hardships that Californias climate policy imposes on the poor, as detailed in the lawsuit. High electricity prices should be a concern for California policymakers, since electric rates in the state are already 60 percent higher than those in the rest of the country. According to a recent study by the Berkeley-based think tank Environmental Progress, between 2011 and 2017 Californias electricity rates rose more than five times as fast as those in the rest of the U.S. SB 100 will mean even higher electricity prices for Californians. SB 100 requires the state to get 60 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2045, and the other 40 percent from zero-carbon sources. Proponents of the measure say those sources could include nuclear, or perhaps power plants that have carbon capture and sequestration systems. Neither approach seems very promising, given that California closed the San Onofre nuclear plant in 2013 and will close the Diablo Canyon plant by 2025. Carbon capture and sequestration has been tried at a handful of locations but has yet to be proven affordable on a large scale. The gist of the lawsuit is this: Californias high housing, transportation, and energy costs are discriminatory because they are a regressive tax on the poor. Furthermore, its clear that the more California relies on renewables, the more it will have to deploy large amounts of electricity storage. Those storage systems will have to be large enough to handle massive seasonal fluctuations in wind and solar output. (Wind-energy and solar-energy production in California is roughly three times as great during the summer months as it is in the winter.) The Clean Air Task Force, a Boston-based energy-policy think tank, was one of several environmental groups that supported the passage of SB 100 and the 60 percentrenewable mandate. If California attempts to push past the 60 percent threshold, the storage challenge becomes more daunting. For instance, Clean Air Task Force analysts have calculated that if California attempts to get 80 percent of its electricity from renewables, the state will require about 9.6 terawatt-hours of storage. This would require about 500 million Tesla Powerwalls, or roughly 15 Powerwalls for every resident. A full 100 percentrenewable electricity mandate would require some 36.3 terawatt-hours of storage, or about 60 Powerwalls for every resident of California. Increasing reliance on renewable energy also means increasing land-use conflicts. Since 2015, more than 200 government entities from Maine to California have voted to reject or restrict the encroachment of wind-energy projects. In 2015 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance banning large wind turbines in the countys unincorporated areas. Three other California counties San Diego, Solano, and Inyo have also passed restrictions on Big Wind. Last year, the head of the California Wind Energy Association lamented that were facing restrictions like that all around the state, adding that its pretty bleak in terms of the potential for new development. The result of the anti-wind restrictions can be seen in the numbers. Last year, California had about 5,600 megawatts of installed wind capacity. Thats roughly 150 megawatts less than what the state had back in 2013. The land-use problem facing Big Wind in California is the same throughout the rest of the U.S. and Europe: People in cities like the idea of wind turbines. People in rural areas increasingly dont want anything to do with them. Those rural landowners dont want to see the red blinking lights atop those massive turbines, all night, every night, for the rest of their lives. Nor do they want to be subjected to the harmful noise both audible and inaudible that they produce. Even before SB 100 passed, though, Californias leaders were already facing a legal backlash from minority leaders over the high cost of the states climate policies. On April 27, The Two Hundred, a coalition of civil-rights leaders, filed a lawsuit in state court against the California Air Resources Board, seeking an injunction against some of the states carbon dioxidereduction rules. The 102-page lawsuit declares that Californias reputation as a global climate leader is built on the states dual claims of substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously enjoying a thriving economy. Neither claim is true. The gist of the lawsuit is this: Californias high housing, transportation, and energy costs are discriminatory because they are a regressive tax on the poor. The suit claims that the states climate laws violate the Fair Employment and Housing Act because CARBs new greenhouse-gas-emissions rules on housing units in the state have a disparate negative impact on minority communities and are discriminatory against minority communities and their members. The suit also claims the states climate laws are illegal under the Federal Housing Act, again because their effect is felt predominantly by minority communities. It also makes a constitutional claim that minorities are being denied equal protection under the law because Californias climate regulations are making affordable housing unavailable to them. The lawsuit, which Michael Shellenberger of Environmental Progress spotlighted in his recent Forbes column, points out that since 2007, California has had the highest poverty rate in the country, over 8 million people living below the US Census Bureau poverty line when housing costs are taken into account. The lawsuit claims that CARB has ignored the states modest scale of greenhouse gas reductions, as well as the highly regressive costs imposed on current state residents by CARBs climate programs. On Thursday I spoke to John Gamboa, a member of The Two Hundred. He said SB 100 is merely the latest example of California politicians ignoring the poor and the middle class when making energy policy. Every time they pass new regulations, the burden falls on the people who can least afford it, he told me. Thats the history of the environmental movement: They care more about spotted owls than brown babies. The lawsuit focuses largely on the states housing and transportation policies, but it also says that Californias climate change policies increase the cost of transportation fuels and further increase electricity costs. Those high costs, it claims, have caused and will cause unconstitutional and unlawful disparate impacts to Californias minority populations, which now comprise a plurality of the states population. Theres simply no doubt that SB 100 will mean even higher electricity prices for Californians. A parallel can be seen in Germany, which has pledged to cut its carbon-dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and, like California, is closing its nuclear plants and pushing hard for more renewable energy. According to Agora Energiewende, a think tank that focuses on Germanys transition toward renewables, between 2007 and 2018, residential electricity prices in Germany jumped by 50 percent. German residential customers now have some of the highest-priced electricity in Europe, about $0.37 per kilowatt-hour. Ontario, Canada has had a similar experience. Over the past decade, Ontario closed its coal plants and implemented lucrative subsidies for renewables. The result: Between 2008 and 2016, residential electricity rates in Ontario rose 71 percent, which was more than double the average increase in the rest of Canada during that time. And rates in Ontario could rise another 40 percent by 2035. A report released by the Fraser Institute in April concluded that soaring electricity costs in Ontario have placed a significant financial burden on the manufacturing sector and hampered its competitiveness. Or consider Australia, where consumers are paying some of the worlds highest electricity prices after the government imposed renewable-energy mandates and emissions caps on the electric sector. Electricity costs became such a hot issue that they played a decisive role in last months sacking of the countrys prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull. Among the hardest-hit regions of Australia is South Australia, where electricity rates shot up after the closure of two large coal-fired power plants. The state now gets about 40 percent of its electricity from solar and wind and power costs are roughly three times that seen by the average American. The high cost of renewable-energy mandates was noted by a handful of Californias Democratic legislators during the debate over SB 100. The high cost of renewable-energy mandates was noted by a handful of Californias Democratic legislators during the debate over SB 100. This is yet another in a laundry list of bills that are discriminatory to the people I represent, said Adam Gray of Merced. According to the Los Angeles Times, Gray went on to say that the supporters of SB 100 were more motivated to impress national progressives rather than poor residents in rural communities who would face higher electric bills. SB 100s sponsor, state senator Kevin de Leon, is running for U.S. Senate in this falls election. When I asked Gamboa about de Leon, and more specifically why a Latino leader would be so supportive of a measure that could hurt low-income Latinos, he paused and let out a sigh. I know Kevin. He has a good heart, Gamboa said. He got excited about getting votes from the environmental community and this was a good way to do it. Last month, after SB 100 passed the state assembly, de Leon claimed that California has taken another great stride toward a 100 percent clean energy future. That may be true. But Californias ratepayers, especially the poor and working class, will be the ones paying the cost of that stride. This piece originally appeared on National Review Online Editors note: This article has been revised since its initial publication to correct a misstatement of the requirements that SB 100 will impose. ______________________ Robert Bryce is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter here. 100 years ago, the world was shaken by the October Revolution. We rightly celebrate this heroic act as the first instance of workers power in history. But how exactly did the Bolsheviks and the working class exercise a power never-before wielded by the proletariat? What problems did they face economic, administrative, political and military, from within and outside Russia and how did they meet them? Derek Gunby provides an analysis and balance sheet of 1918: the first year of the Russian Revolution. 1918 proved to be one of the most tumultuous and violent years the world had ever seen. Not only were vast armies from all countries and continents fighting a gruesome World War but also the victorious Russian Revolution of October 1917 was facing a huge wave of internationally financed armies, Russian and Foreign, dedicated to its overthrow. By the end of the year the World War was over. The Bolshevik-led workers and peasants government of Russia had withstood all possible trials to secure a vital foothold for the revolution and begin the long task of defeating all the elements of armed counter-revolution. Much remained to be done and it wasnt until 1921 that Soviet power had been fully consolidated in all of Russia. This article traces the key events and identifies the main challenges facing the revolution in 1918, the decisive role of the Bolshevik Party and its leaders and the lessons that remain for us today. The Bolshevik-led workers and peasants government of Russia withstood all possible trials to secure the revolution / Image: public domain A revolution involves a tremendous clash of class interests, as has happened at various junctures throughout human history, such as the English Revolution of 1642, the French Revolution of 1789, the Paris Commune of 1871 and then the Russian Revolutions of 1917. These are rare events that are important to understand for all those interested in human affairs, but especially Marxist revolutionaries who seek to change the world bourgeois order to a working class order that will pave the way for a classless society. Revolutions are the highest expression of historical change. They mark a qualitative change in the development of human society. During such revolutions the masses enter into direct political action. In the normal course of events politics is conducted by relatively small numbers of people representing class interests. But, in a major revolution, such as occurred in Russia in 1917, large numbers of ordinary people throw off such inhibitions and directly participate to achieve a transfer of power. However, it also requires a conscious and clear-headed political agency with a political programme to channel and direct this creative energy to transform society. As revolutionaries, our aim is to be a part of that critical political agency. We need to arm ourselves with past experiences to guide future action. We need to understand the processes that occur during a revolutionary period. These lessons cannot be applied mechanically but must be refracted through the prisms of subsequent history and our current experience. Nothing is ever repeated exactly. We take from the past and test its relevance and application today to see how this may offer some guidance as to how to adapt effectively to our own age. Russia at the end of 1917 The Russian Empire at the end of 1917 was a huge conglomeration of nationalities and ethnic groups covering millions of square miles from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Baltic and Black seas in the west. With a population of over 178 million people it was overwhelmingly a rural and agrarian society. Eighty percent of the population was composed of peasants living for the most part in scattered villages with poor communications between them. To the Russian peasants, the village and surrounding fields was, for all practical purposes, their world. Whilst in 1861 the peasants had been freed from serfdom, the legislation doing so had failed to modernise and develop agriculture and the conditions of the peasants still lagged way behind most other comparable European countries. Russia in 1918 was mostly a rural and agrarian society / Image: public domain Industry was concentrated in a few areas such as St. Petersburg and Moscow, with oil production in Baku in the south and coal mining in the Ukraines Donets Basin. A great proportion of the industrial capital was owned by foreign interests especially in St Petersburg, and the national capitalist class was both weak and divided, with much of it heavily dependent on the state. Some of its factories were very modern and even by world standards extremely large, especially in the capital St. Petersburg. This created a relatively compact and concentrated working class, much of it recruited relatively recently from the villages. Nationalities The Russian Empire consisted of a large number of different nations that had, over the years, been conquered and suppressed by the Russian Tsarist state. These comprised, among others, the Baltic States, Poland, Finland, the Ukraine, the various Caucasus States such as Georgia, Belorussia, Bessarabia, and a number of Asian States such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and others. Nationalism was, therefore, a potent force within Russia and something that required a response from all socialist parties. This issue had provoked considerable debate in Marxist circles. It demanded creating federated socialist states on the basis of of international socialism in addition to the more immediate question of throwing off the yoke of Russian imperialism. Lenins approach was practical. He recognised, unlike Rosa Luxemburg, that in order for the working class to achieve victory in an empire of oppressed nationalities, they had to win over those masses, often peasants and other petty-bourgeois classes, by adopting the principle of the right of all nations to self-determination. Without this approach the task of the Socialist Revolution in Russia would have been impossible. The Russian Orthodox Church The power and wealth of the Russian Orthodox Church was considerable. But it was strongly linked to the Tsar and the old Imperialist order. Whilst it had held tremendous sway over the peasant masses, the experience of the First World War and the growing disapproval of the Tsar caused a significant loss of its authority. During the counter-revolution and civil war the Church unreservedly backed the reactionary forces, leading to an even greater weakening of loyalty from the masses. Its power, wealth and influence were considerably reduced by new Bolshevik government decrees confiscating Church land and privileges and restricting its operations and influence. During the counter-revolution and civil war the Church unreservedly backed the reactionary forces, weakening the loyalty of the masses / Image: public domain Classes and conditions in Russia in late 1917 Russia in late 1917 was clearly in crisis. The country had been involved in a devastating World War for three years. The soldiers were weary and rebellious, prone to mutiny, with many deserting and returning to their peasant homes. The Provisional Government that followed the February Revolution failed to tackle any of the acute issues of war, food or land and was plainly ineffective. The economy and general morale of the country was in tatters. The motor for change in Russia was the relatively small but powerful working class. They had organised themselves in Soviets that became a parallel power to the Government. The old governing structures of the State and local Dumas became the last redoubts of the bourgeois class, allied with some of the remnants of the old aristocracy. The Provisional Government that followed the February Revolution failed to tackle any of the acute issues of war, food or land / Image: public domain The bourgeois class the bankers, capitalists, big business managers and senior civil servants was small, though relatively wealthy and with access to resources. However, it lacked the weight and history of similar classes in Western Europe and the USA. The Russian bourgeois had been denied a full place in government due to the backward nature of the Russian state. Whilst they gained leading positions in the first Provisional Government after the February Revolution, they proved weak and ineffective. The vast peasantry was not homogenous but, rather, split into rich, middle and poor peasants with the poorest, often landless, by far the larger proportion. Most peasants were poorly represented in governing structures. Local administration remained in the hands of the large landowners and their supporters, including rural merchants and businessmen and kulaks (rich peasants). The Red Guards Armed workers militias, known as the Red Guards, had emerged at the time of the February 1917 Revolution, often in spontaneous form. Various factories and political parties sought to encourage and develop such units. The Bolsheviks were the most successful and ardent in promoting the idea of armed workers militias. There was a suppression of the Red Guards after the events of July 1917 but this was reversed in September in the face of the threat to the Provisional Government by General Kornilov, and the forces under his command, who were then threatening Petrograd. The Bolsheviks were entreated to assist the resistance and rapidly mobilised and armed 25,000 Red Guards. After that, the Red Guards remained a key feature of future struggles in all the major cities and at the moment of the October Revolution, numbered 200,000. After the revolution, the Red Guards performed the functions of the police and army until such times as new police and Red Army units were constituted, sometimes quite late into 1918. After the revolution, the Red Guards performed the functions of the police and army until new police and Red Army units were constituted / Image: public domain Political Parties and Leaders By the autumn of 1917, the Bolsheviks had gained a majority following among the urban working class but had a minority position in the countryside. The Bolshevik Party had a number of strong distinguishing features that gave it a unique strength in the conditions of Russia in late 1917 and into the turmoil of 1918. They had a grounding in Marxist theory, especially dialectical thinking, which allowed them to analyse events from all angles and uncover the underlying forces that such events represented. There was no culture of rigid and uniform thinking in the Bolshevik Party. In the heat of the revolution there were initially several splits and occasionally resignations and later re-joining. Lenin, outstanding as the most sober, the most realistic, the chief dialectician, and Trotsky, also a great dialectician, proved to be head and shoulders above all other Bolshevik leaders in their capacity to analyse events and urge decisive action. Within the Party there was a strong tradition of internal democracy and debate. Leaders were acknowledged but opposed if they were thought to be wrong. Conversely, leaders accepted decisions that went against them, even if continuing to oppose them in debate. This pertained even in the darkest hours and throughout 1918 and up to 1924, when Lenin died and Stalin took the reins and changed this key Party principle. Once Lenin arrived back in Russia in April 1917, the Party developed great elan and confidence, which they transmitted to the working class and spurred heroic efforts to protect and advance the revolution. The Bolsheviks embodied the aspirations of the most advanced layers of the working class and utilised their skills and energy. This convinced ever-widening layers of workers, soldiers and poor peasants of the value and aims of the Bolsheviks. By the autumn of 1917, the Bolsheviks had gained a majority following among the urban working class but had a minority position in the countryside / Image: public domain The Social Revolutionary Party (SR) was founded in 1902 and was a member of the Second International. The Party was an amalgam of various influences, including some Marxism and some of the ideas of the old populist and terrorist group the Narodniks, but were primarily a reformist party with a focus on land reform. Unlike the Bolsheviks, the SRs placed an emphasis on individual, rather than collective outcomes for successful land reform. It was essentially a peasant-based party and thus tended to vacillate between the classes in its positions, since the peasantry is composed of scattered and heterogeneous elements, some much richer than others. In 1917 it was the majority party of the countryside with strong support among ordinary soldiers, who were in the main of peasant origin. They played a major role in the formation and leadership of the Soviets, albeit in most cases playing second fiddle to the Mensheviks. After the February 1917 revolution the SR Party became a major component of the new Provisional Government. As that Government moved to the right under the pressure of events and Kerensky took the reins of power, the left faction of the SRs, led by Maria Spiridonova, began to establish a separate position, more sympathetic to the Bolsheviks. At the Second Congress of Soviets in October 1917, when the Bolsheviks proclaimed the deposition of the Provisional government, the split within the SR Party became final. The Left SRs stayed at the Congress and were elected to the permanent Soviet Executive (initially refusing to join the Bolshevik government), while the Right SR Party and their Menshevik allies walked out. Later, the Left SR Party joined the Bolshevik government, obtaining three ministries. The Right SRs thereafter moved into opposition to the new Bolshevik-led government, eventually taking up arms and attempting uprisings and later linking with the reactionary White armies. The Mensheviks were a socialist and Marxist party, but their Marxism was of a rigid and mechanistic form. Along with the Bolsheviks they had originally been part of the Russian Social Democratic Party. They split with the Bolsheviks over the definition of membership of the Party. But, in fact, the deeper cause for the difference between the two factions lay in the Menshevik belief that socialism could not be achieved in Russia due to its backward economic conditions, and that Russia would first have to experience a bourgeois democratic revolution and go through a capitalist stage of development before socialism was technically possible and before the working class could develop the necessary consciousness for a socialist revolution. Thus, the Mensheviks were opposed to the Bolshevik idea of the party and the pursuit of socialist revolution in Russia. Their opposition to revolutionary Marxism led inexorably to a path of reformism and eventually, for most of them, opposition to the October Revolution. The Mensheviks gained a considerable following among the working class in the run up to the February Revolution and often held majorities in Soviets and a strong presence in local Dumas. But their support for the War and their participation in an increasingly unpopular Provisional Government saw their support melt away throughout 1917. Following the October Revolution they split between the majority right faction, led by Tsereteli, who favoured action against the Bolsheviks and the left faction, led by Martov, who tended to support the Reds in the civil war but refused to break completely with the right section. Many of the most militant Mensheviks joined the Bolsheviks. The Anarchists were relatively small and unpredictable. At times supporting the Bolsheviks, at times opposing / Image: public domain The Anarchists were relatively small and unpredictable. At times supporting the Bolsheviks, at times opposing. In the Spring of 1918 they were disarmed following attempts to stage an uprising within Russia. Initially the Anarchists were principally urban and drawn from the ranks of the intellectual and other petty-bourgeois elements, but in the Ukraine anarchist bands of guerrillas rested on the peasantry. There they eventually coalesced into a large force under Makhno, who fought all-comers, mainly the Germans, but later also the Whites and eventually the Reds. The Constitutional Democratic Party (Kadets), formed in 1905, was the main bourgeois party, representing capitalist interests. They were broadly liberal, favouring a constitutional monarchy and bourgeois democracy. Following the February Revolution they held five portfolios in the first Provisional Government, including that of Prime Minister (Prince Lvov) and Foreign Minister (Miliukov). Their position steadily eroded as opposition mounted to the Provisional Governments War Policy. Following the October Revolution they called for the overthrow of the Bolshevik regime and supported counter-revolution. As a consequence they were banned in December 1917. Consolidating gains, October to December 1917 It is not the task of this article to go into any detail of the seizure of power in October 1917. Leon Trotsky has brilliantly captured this event in his History of the Russian Revolution, John Reed in Ten Days that Shook the World and many other pieces, including recent articles from In Defence of Marxism. The fact of the matter is that the resounding slogan of the Bolshevik Party, "All Power to the Soviets! received an immediate and overwhelming endorsement from the soldiers and working class in virtually every town and city throughout the Russian Empire. In fact, in Tallin, Estonia the Soviet seized power two days before the revolution in Petrograd, and on the day of that insurrection, successful transfers of power were also achieved in Minsk, Novorod, Ivanovo-Voznesensk and Tartu. Within eight days of the declaration of a new workers state, a further 21 towns and cities had achieved Soviet-led power. Resistance from either the Provisional Government forces or from hostile class forces was, initially, universally weak. The exception to this was Moscow, where poor planning and preparation by the Bolsheviks and the local Soviet, coupled with a strong resistance from armed Kadets, meant that taking power involved some serious fighting over six days, leading to the loss of some 400 lives. But, by the end of 1917, most of the provincial areas of Russia had declared for Soviet power, usually under the leadership of the Bolsheviks. However, the separate nationalities in the Ukraine, the Baltic States and areas of southern Russia around the Don and in the Caucasus Region proved more resistant to socialist revolution and these were to be acute zones of struggle for years to come. The first steps of the counter-revolution While the taking of power proved relatively easy, the counter-revolution soon commenced and various attempts were made to turn back the tide of socialist revolution. In Petrograd, the first, ill-fated attempt to thwart the revolution was undertaken by military cadets, known as Junkers (sons of the bourgeois and middle class), who mounted an armed struggle against the Bolsheviks. After a short conflict, the Red Guards easily disarmed them. More problematic for the new state was the effort by Kerensky, the former head of the Provisional Government, to wrest back control of the capital by using elements of the Cossacks. Having fled Petrograd in disguise, Kerensky tried to galvanise the Imperial Army from the Northern Front headquarters at Psov. However, the Imperial Army was divided and only General Krasnov agreed to organise an expedition against Petrograd. He set off with 700 Cossacks, hoping others would join him on the way. These forces, lacking morale and any sizeable infantry support, were defeated by Red Guards, recruited from the Petrograd factories, on the Pulkovo Heights, just a few kilometres from Petrograd. These events occurred only five days after the successful revolution in Petrograd. This marked the end of Kerenskys direct role in Russian events and he fled to Paris. Krasnov was arrested but later released and went on to participate in the civil war on the side of White Russian counter-revolution. Laying the foundations for a new socialist order Following the defeat of these first attempted coups, the new Bolshevik Government was given some breathing space and proceeded to lay down the foundations for a new, socialist system. Lenin drove the pace of change relentlessly. Only a few months prior to the October Revolution, Lenin had completed one of his outstanding works, State and Revolution. This spelled out with great clarity the Marxist view of the state as an instrument of class domination and the need for a successful proletarian revolution to transform the machinery and practice of the state into a vehicle of working-class rule. Lenin knew that it was vital to establish the outlines of a new workers state immediately after taking power / Image: public domain Lenin knew that it was vital to establish the outlines of a new workers state immediately after taking power. Part of his thinking was that the revolution was unlikely to succeed unless and until revolution broke out in one of the advanced capitalist countries. It was therefore imperative to lay down all the markers of a new order so as to establish a guide for the future. Decree after decree was promulgated. By the end of 1917, just over nine weeks after the successful seizure of power, 25 major decrees had been passed, covering such issues as peace, land, the press, civic rights, abolition of estates and titles, right of recall of elected representatives, the judicial system, internal security, economic planning, workers control in industry, unemployment insurance, nationalisation of the banks, civil marriage and so on. Many more decrees followed in 1918. In December, the government established the Economic Planning Council to direct production and distribution. Resistance to revolutionary change: the old classes and the reformist parties Efforts to establish the new order were carried on amidst the mounting fury of the old order, frantically scrabbling to get a purchase on the situation. Unable, at this stage, to secure any military support against the new government, the old classes resorted to sabotage and non-compliance. Many of the higher-ranking civil servants refused to cooperate with the new powers unless forced at gunpoint. The first Council of Peoples Commissars, established in late October 1917, comprised solely Bolshevik Ministers. The Left-SR Party was invited to take some government posts but refused on the grounds that they wanted a government that included all parties represented in the Soviets. This demand was taken up by the Right-SR Party and the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks could not agree to this, as some parties were continuing to oppose the revolution and seek the overthrow of the government. The Mensheviks used their dominant position in the Railway Workers Union Executive Committee to pressure the Bolshevik government to accede to the demands for a broad Coalition Government. This was no idle threat, as the railways were key to transport and the movement of arms, goods and other vital necessities. Moreover, they used this muscle to sabotage and disrupt the Bolshevik governments operations as much as they could. For instance, they refused to allow trains to send troops to assist the revolution in Moscow. They also sought to mobilise other trade unions against the Bolshevik government, many of whom had backward, bureaucratic structures led by Mensheviks. 12 Bolshevik members of the cabinet, including Zinoviev (pictured), argued for an all-socialist government in "broad coalition" / Image: public domain While the majority of Bolshevik leaders rejected the idea of a broad coalition, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Rykov, Nogin and Milyutin all members of the Bolshevik Central Committee supported this demand, going so far as to resign from the committee when they lost the vote on 14 November. Shortly afterwards, five out of the 12 Bolshevik members of the cabinet, including three of the above, resigned their posts and published a manifesto calling for an all-socialist government. Lenin responded robustly. He pointed out that the Left-SRs had been offered places in the government and had declined, and that the purely Bolshevik government had been created and unanimously ratified by the Congress of Soviets. Lenin denounced Zinoviev and Kamenev as deserters and pointed out that they had behaved in a similar strike-breaking fashion before the uprising. In the end, the reformist parties had no support among the broad mass of workers, nor in the Soviets, and the idea of a broad coalition collapsed. While this set the scene for future battles with the Right-SRs and Mensheviks, the Left-SRs, under pressure from a Peasants Congress in late November, agreed to participate in the Bolshevik government and fuse with the Soviet Executive Committee. By the end of 1917, the Left-SRs received three places in the cabinet. The Constituent Assembly and the issue of democracy Holding elections for a Russian Constituent Assembly had long been a key demand of all socialists, including the Bolsheviks. It was seen as a popular demand to challenge the power of the aristocratic and upper-bourgeois classes entrenched in Dumas (the parliaments and city councils that operated prior to the establishment of the Soviets). The Provisional Government endorsed the demand after the February Revolution and eventually set the time for elections in late 1917. After the October Revolution, when power had passed to the Soviets, Lenin took the position that the elections should be postponed. He argued that an elected Constituent Assembly represented the highest level of democracy in a bourgeois republic, but once power had been won by the workers on the basis of all power to the soviets, this new proletarian democracy represented a higher level still. While socialists subscribe to democratic processes and indeed demand ever-improved ways of representing the mass of people, the precise form of democracy is not set in stone but must be chosen on the basis that the rights and needs of the exploited are fully and constantly represented. The new workers democracy that emerged in revolutionary Russia was not some formal, bureaucratic, once-every-five-years type of system, but a living, breathing, everyday democracy, where delegates were regularly changed in response to new events and new opinions. The right of recall meant that 50 percent plus one of the electorate could recall their delegate at any time. Lenin was also against holding Constituent Assembly elections on very practical grounds, arguing that to hold the elections on the basis of out-dated electoral rolls did not reflect the split in the SR Party that had led to effectively two parties Left-SRs-and Right SRs and therefore could not accurately reflect political reality at that time. Moreover, he argued there was a need to lower the voting age to 18 and to outlaw counter-revolutionaries who were determined to overthrow the soviet government by force. Without these changes, the election would favour the declining forces of Right-SRs and Kadets. But he was out-voted by the other Bolsheviks, the majority still clinging to a formal notion of democracy. As Lenin had predicted, the Constituent Assembly in the conditions of late 1917 was at best an irrelevance / Image: public domain In the event Lenin was absolutely correct. The elections were held before the revolution had been consolidated. The result was that the SRs were by far the largest party, with the Bolsheviks some way behind in second place. But the result also confirmed two further facts. The first was that the whole country was overwhelmingly left oriented. Moderate socialists, including the SRs, gained 62 percent of the vote; and the Bolsheviks, as revolutionary socialists, around 25 percent. The main bourgeois party, the Kadets, achieved less than 5 percent and the Mensheviks, once so powerful, were reduced to 3.3 percent; much of this vote concentrated in the Caucasus, and Georgia in particular. While these results seemed to show a powerful position for the SRs, it needs to be borne in mind that the Left-SRs were scarcely on the ballot, due, as Lenin said, to out-dated rolls and candidates. Had the Left-SRs been properly represented there is little doubt the result would have looked very different. In addition, the Bolsheviks won overwhelmingly in all the urban areas and their immediate periphery, and among many of the key soldier and navy units based in the north. Socialist Revolutionaries who dominated the Constituent Assembly represented the political confusion and indecision of the petty bourgeoisie in the towns and the millions of peasants who were relatively distant from the capital and industrial centres. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many peasants were fully behind Bolshevik policies without realising they were Bolshevik, and also thought Lenin and other Bolshevik leaders were German spies. This latter, insidious lie was widely spread by the bourgeois and Right-SR leaders and their press to confuse peasant voters. As Lenin had predicted, the Constituent Assembly in the conditions of late 1917 was at best an irrelevance and at worst provided another basis for seeking to overthrow the Bolshevik government. He set out his view with great clarity in an article in Pravda in December 1917. The Theses on the Constituent Assembly hammered home in 19 points the basic arguments Lenin had advanced to the Bolsheviks prior to the elections. He was to take up the issue of bourgeois and proletarian democracy again in a polemic he wrote to counter Kautskys revisionist pamphlet, The Dictatorship of the Proletariat, at the end of 1918. Delegates to the Constituent Assembly began to arrive in the capital in December. Tension was high as the counter-revolution was underway in the Ukarine under General Kaledin and steps were also afoot to start a White Army in the Don region. The Kadets support for an armed counter-revolution led by Kaledin led the government to ban the party and the arrest of some of its leaders. The Constituent Assembly met in January 1918. The Right-SRs were aware of the opposition they faced from the Soviets and the Bolsheviks and tried to prepare a defence, with a Military Organisation and a Committee for the Defence of the Constituent Assembly. They also had a paper (The Grey Overcoat) and the support of two regiments, plus other soldiers recalled from the front. They also had a strong terrorist group. Their main supporters, the peasants, did not seem very concerned about the outcome as they had primarily seen the SR Party and the Constituent Assembly as a means of getting land, which had already by then been promised by the Bolshevik Government through an important decree. A Right-SR terrorist group had infiltrated the headquarters of the Bolshevik Party and laid plans to kidnap or assassinate its key leaders, Lenin and Trotsky. The leadership called this off when it became apparent that the plan had been leaked. A right-wing demonstration was held on 5 January, attended by the ranks of the citys petty bourgeois: clerks, intellectuals and so on. They were easily dispersed. It was a sort of botched insurrection. The two regiments that originally supported the SR Party came over to the Bolsheviks. It was against this tense background that the first and only meeting of the Assembly took place. Sverdlov, on behalf of the Soviet Executive Committee, seized the presiding officers bell, declared the meeting open and proceeded to propose a long resolution endorsing all the actions and decrees taken by the Soviet government so far. This was ignored by the Right-SR majority, which proceeded to the election of a president. Chernov, of the Right-SR Party, achieved 244 votes, as against 153 for Marie Spiridonova, the Left-SR, whom the Bolsheviks supported. Speeches were then made to a background of boos and catcalls from the soldiers in the gallery. When the Assembly refused to discuss Sverdlovs motion, the Bolsheviks withdrew. The Assembly rambled on, passing three laws on land, a similar one to the Bolsheviks on peace (agreeing to the armistice) and finally proclaiming a democratic federative republic. At 5am, the Assembly was ordered to close, as the guards were tired. It dispersed, never to meet again, as the All-Russian Soviet Executive Committee dissolved the Assembly, saying that it served only as a cover for the overthrow of the Soviets. There was popular indifference to this move and the Assembly faded into history. By the end of 1917, the October Revolution had managed to survive and defeat all the initial forces ranged against it. Moreover, the spirit and mood of the workers and soldiers still coursed with energy. The flames of the revolution, far from sputtering into darkness were burning brightly. But major obstacles to a lasting victory remained. One of the most pressing in the new year of 1918 was the matter of how best to end the war with Germany and the Central Powers. Taking control of finance and the economy The Banks were the first important industries to be nationalised. The state bank refused to pay out money to the new government and the managers went on strike. Eventually, after threatening the officials, the government managed to retrieve 5m roubles. Private banks also refused to assist the new government, leading to their forcible seizure and opening of their vaults. At end of December 1917, all banks were nationalised and fused with the state bank. Withdrawals were limited to no more than 250 roubles per week. Large houses were taken into public ownership and industrial enterprises that refused to abide by workers management were generally taken over. All gold held privately was confiscated by the state. In January, all payments of dividends and dealings in shares were made illegal. In February, all foreign debts were repudiated. Big industry was not immediately nationalised but certain individual concerns of strategic interest were, such as the electricity industry, the Putilov munitions factories and the Belgian Metal Company. Wages and salaries became the main source of income for all. The government took steps to equalize these. To establish a precedent, the salary of the Peoples Commissars was made equal to the average of a skilled worker (500 roubles a month), with an additional 100 roubles per month for each dependant. Lenin, Trotsky and other leading Bolsheviks set a strong example of austere living. Proletarian organisation Victor Serge in his book, Year One of the Revolution, mentions that Lenin had urged that miracles of proletarian organisation must be achieved in order to overcome the many-headed resistance of the bourgeois class. Only in this way, especially in these early stages, could their resistance and opposition be overcome. Lenin urged that miracles of proletarian organisation must be achieved in order to overcome the many-headed resistance of the bourgeois class / Image: public domain In fact, in the months after the revolution, the policy of the Soviet government consisted principally in awakening, stimulating, sometimes guiding, but more usually simply endorsing the initiative of the masses. The Peoples Commissars were ordered, by decree, to work in close contact with the mass organisations of working men and women, the sailors and soldiers. Workers took initiatives in many diverse ways. Certain trade unions, for example, undertook to organise sections of industries. In many enterprises, offices as well as factories, employees found that they had to manage their places of work as their superiors had abandoned their positions. This was regularised in a decree legalising the intervention of workers in the management of industry and other workplaces. Workers control of industry and offices became widespread. Some degree of planning and coordination, however, was vital and in December the government established the Supreme Economic Council. This body had the task of coordinating all the activities of local and central organs, which managed and controlled production and distribution. This was the beginning of a centralised planning system that would supplant the rule of the capitalist market. The press The Bolsheviks, in common with many socialists, had called for the freedom of the press under the restricted and repressive conditions of the old order. Certainly, it was the early intention of the Soviet government to allow general press freedom. In an early decree on the press, reference was made to the fact that some suppression of the bourgeois press had been undertaken in the immediate period of the revolution. The slogan freedom of the press concealed the fact that it was freedom for the propertied class, as they had taken hold of the lions share of the press to poison, unhindered, the minds and obscure the consciousness of the masses. The decree went on to state: As soon as the new (socialist) order has been consolidated all administrative pressure on the press will be terminated and it will be granted complete freedom within the bounds of legal responsibility, in keeping with a law that will be broadest and most progressive in this respect. Meanwhile the Bolsheviks reserved the right to suppress publications that called for open resistance to the new Government, used slander or distorted facts. In fact, the bourgeois press was operating, relatively freely, as late as May 1918, despite the pressures on the regime. This press remained vicious and slanderous. As conditions deteriorated, press freedoms were curtailed for a number of bourgeois publications and some of the SR publications. This was extended as the civil war intensified and foreign armies intervened in the civil war. Later in July 1918, the new Constitution of the Soviet Union stated in article 14: In order to ensure genuine freedom of expression for the working people, the RSFSR abolishes the dependence of the press on capital, and places at the disposal of the working class and the poor peasantry all the technical and material requisites for the publication of newspaper, pamphlets, books and all other printed matter, and guarantees their unhindered circulation throughout the country. State security and the Cheka As Lenin had spelled out in State and Revolution, the state is at root an instrument of class rule that depends on force to ensure its survival. In the last analysis, this is achieved through having available armed bodies of men, such as the army, police and security forces, to ensure the will of the ruling class. The transfer of one class rule to another is a process of immense struggle that has always involved armed confrontation. The new workers state therefore had to have its own bodies of armed men. The Bolsheviks established the Extraordinary Commission for Struggle against Sabotage and Counter-Revolution, otherwise known as the Cheka, and placed in charge the Bolshevik leader Dzerzhinsky / Image: public domain These took time to establish. In the first instance, they took the form of workers militias, which became known as the Red Guards. They acted as both the shock troops of the revolution and the upholders of order within the towns. In terms of internal security, every state deploys its own specialist services. The Bolsheviks established the Extraordinary Commission for Struggle against Sabotage and Counter-Revolution, otherwise known as the Cheka, and placed in charge the Bolshevik leader Dzerzhinsky. In the early stages this organisation proved relatively mild and in the first few months of the revolution there were remarkably few executions or instances of draconian action. However, as the struggle with the reactionary and imperialist forces intensified, the Cheka accrued additional powers and met force with force, achieving a formidable reputation. Social and cultural changes Early soviet decrees highlighted the desire of the new order to radically transform social, cultural and religious norms. Central to this was the release of women from their position of legal subservience and oppression in law. In future, only civil weddings were to be recognised by the state and divorce was to be made freely available to either partner. Men and women were given full juridical equality. Children born out of wedlock were to be given the same rights as offspring of marriages. The criminal code that outlawed homosexual activity was abolished, making Russia among the first in the world to do so. Early in 1918, a law was passed that separated the church from the state. It declared the right of any citizen to profess any religion or none. Religious oaths were abolished, as were church schools. Churches were not allowed to own property and all such property was declared the property of the people, with local and state authorities having the right to hand over buildings of worship to religious societies for free use. Under Lunacharsky, radical artists were promoted and Russia's rich cultural heritage was made available to the masses / Image: public domain In further efforts to align Russia with the modern world, it was agreed to end the use of the Justinian Calendar and, from February 1918, to adopt the Gregorian and West European calendar. This added 13 days to the year and the Revolution of 25 October was subsequently celebrated on 7 November. The Cyrillic script used in printing materials was also simplified. The orator and somewhat maverick intellectual, the Bolshevik Lunacharsky, was appointed Commissar of Education. His brief also included protecting and advancing the cultural heritage of Russia. He proved a brilliant choice for this office. He was able to cajole and persuade reluctant teachers and academics to continue their teaching and research work under the new regime, despite many of them opposing the new direction. Under his leadership, a major programme to combat illiteracy was embarked upon and he proceeded to reform teaching procedures in a progressive libertarian spirit. New ideas, including Marxism, were introduced into curricula. His approach aroused considerable international interest. He sought to popularise the arts, taking music, drama, literature and the visual arts to the masses. He was not afraid of the avant-garde and promoted the likes of Chagall and Tatlin to key academies, alongside the work of Eisenstein, the radical filmmaker. Justice and administration Justice systems also reflect class rule and so there was an early wholesale change to the Russian justice system. All the general judicial institutions were abolished. Justices of the Peace (JPs) were replaced with local courts represented by a permanent local judge, elected on the basis of direct, democratic suffrage, and two alternate assessors selected by local Soviets. Former JPs and judges were not disbarred from standing for the new posts. Similar changes were made to district and higher courts. Other detailed changes were made to court procedure. Local government had been largely run by city and council dumas and these were effectively replaced by local and regional soviets. Other local committees and structures also became important, especially the various peasant committees and later the committees of the poor. Local co-operative structures also gained more power after the revolution, although these waned somewhat during the harsh exigencies of 1918 when increased central control was exerted in all aspects of administration. In July 1918, the All-Russian Soviet agreed a new constitution for The Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic. This was arranged into the following main articles: Declaration of rights of the labouring and exploited people. General provisions, which set down a number of key principles. Organisation of Soviet power. The right to vote. The budget. The coat of Arms and Flag. This is an important document as it marked the formal and encoded establishment of a new workers state with all its key principles and operating mechanisms. Although, given the acute crises facing Russia at this time, it was not possible to fully implement all its aspects, it nevertheless marked a highpoint of the struggle to overcome the old capitalist state. It was amended and enlarged in 1924 to take account of the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and other matters but its key principles remained, until amended by Stalin in 1936. Peace and war The Russian Revolution took place during World War One: war and peace were critical issues. The overthrow of the Tsar and the establishment of a democratic government in February 1917 were regarded by the Provisional Government, and by the SR and Menshevik majority in the Petrograd Soviet, as a justification for continuing the support of the war effort in the name of the defence of the revolution. In practice, this meant defence of the bourgeoisie, since they were the class most empowered by the first Revolution in 1917. The Bolshevik Party insisted that war must end and peace must be achieved on the basis of no annexations or indemnities. Most Bolsheviks supported this. However, there were some in the party, notably Kamenev, who openly espoused the need for continuing the war on the basis of defending the revolution. Lenin opposed this position in his April Theses, recognising that the masses were desperate to see an end to war. He further argued that the position of revolutionary defencism within a bourgeois state was a confidence trick upon the workers and pandering to patriotism and jingoism. From April to October, the Bolsheviks maintained that a Bolshevik revolution, the ending of the war with a democratic peace and proletarian revolution in Europe, were all parts of a single process and in practice inseparable. Internationalism and revolutionary war The Bolshevik Party tradition was unreservedly internationalist in outlook. It believed that nationalism was part and parcel of the capitalist system and that wars were an inevitable consequence of that nationalism. They also took seriously the original Marxist international slogan, workers of the worlds unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains. In addition, the Bolsheviks were also strongly of the view that a Russian socialist revolution could not be sustained without one or more advanced capitalist countries also becoming socialist and linking up with the Russian proletariat. Lenin opposed a 'revolutionary war', but was in a minority within the party leadership / Image: public domain Bolsheviks believed that the ending of capitalism and landlordism in Russia would raise the morale of workers and peasants and make them stronger than any opponent. This new class war would rouse the masses internationally. This position was crucial to understanding why the party adopted various positions over the peace negotiations and the issue of revolutionary war. After the establishment of a workers and peasants state Lenin was not, in principle, against waging a revolutionary war against the imperialist powers but, looking at concrete reality, he understood the masses did not want to fight, even for a workers state, at this stage. In any event, the fledgling state had insufficient resources to wage a war of any kind and by December 1917 was faced with civil war. Therefore, Lenin implacably opposed a revolutionary war at this stage. But a majority in the party leadership did not. This set the scene for a prolonged and, in the end, damaging struggle within the Bolshevik Party, which was only finally settled in March 1918. The peace decree and the armistice with Germany One of the very first decrees, issued a day after the October Revolution, by the new government was on peace. It called upon all belligerent countries to halt the war immediately on the basis of a just and democratic peace with no annexations or indemnities, and to allow all nations the right of self-determination on a free vote. At the same time, the decree abolished secret diplomacy, calling for open and transparent negotiations, and annulled all secret treaties agreed by the old regime, stating that such secret treaties would be published. Finally, the government called for an immediate armistice. A temporary armistice between Russia, Germany and her allies was agreed on 2 December 1917 / Image: public domain After initial negotiations between the Soviet delegation and those of Germany and her allies, an armistice was agreed on 2 December. It allowed 28 days before full peace negotiations took place. It was agreed to maintain current military positions, and further agreed that Germany would not send troops to the western front because of the armistice and would allow a degree of fraternisation between troops. Trotsky, after some resistance on his part, was appointed Commissar for Foreign Affairs and would eventually lead all negotiations, which were to take place in Brest-Litovsk: a small town on the Russian-Polish border, now in Belarus. Foreign policy, under Trotsky, comprised largely of appeals to workers and revolutionary groups throughout the world to organise a world revolution. He paid scant attention to the traditional role of a Foreign Secretary, saying, My job is to publish the treaties, issue some revolutionary proclamations and shut up shop. Former secret treaties were quickly published, ambassadors recalled and new ones sent out. Money was made available for international revolutionary organisations. Agitational newspapers were published, aimed at foreign workers and prisoners of war. For their part, foreign governments rebuffed Russian attempts to obtain friendly responses and all countries opposed any rapprochement with the Bolsheviks. However, there were contacts between Russia and foreign ambassadors and initially the allies hoped to persuade Russia to continue fighting Germany. When this failed, their opposition to Bolshevik Russia noticeably stepped up. Negotiations at Brest-Litovsk and Bolshevik splits Following the armistice agreement, negotiations re-started at Brest-Litovsk, with Joffe initially leading the Russian delegation. These discussions were inconclusive. The Soviet delegation put forward their positions on annexations and the rights of nationalities to enjoy political freedom and ending colonies. The Central Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria), led effectively by the German General Hoffman, played lip service to these demands as they had no intention of giving up Poland or those Baltic states under their control. Moreover, they now included in their delegation representatives of the Ukrainian Rada (a nationalist-led parliament), weakening the Soviet claim to represent all Russian territories. The Red offensive against the armed nationalists in Ukraine was only just underway. Trotsky took over as leader of the Soviet delegation to the peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk in 1918 / Image: public domain Trotsky took over as leader of the Soviet delegation in the New Year, and hoping that delaying tactics would work in their favour, used the negotiations as a platform for propaganda. There were definite signs of revolt among workers in Austria and Germany and among their soldiers and sailors. Strikes occurred in Austria in mid-January and later in the month there were serious strikes in Berlin, Hamburg, Danzig and Kiel. Eventually, the Central Powers sought to break the deadlock by stating their demands for the Soviets to cede all territory currently occupied by Germany in the North and to negotiate the southern boundaries with the Ukrainian Rada. Trotsky decided that he now needed to return to Petrograd to discuss with the leadership the best response. There then began a series of debates and votes. In the first meeting, 63 leading Bolsheviks debated the issue of peace. Lenin argued for taking peace at any price to secure the bridgehead of the revolution and wait for better times. Despite Lenins prestige, he got only 15 votes. 32 votes, mainly Moscow Bolsheviks led by Bukharin, were for a revolutionary war against Germany and her allies rather than accepting their terms. Trotsky took a third position of neither war nor peace but to continue to delay the proceedings as long as possible in the hope revolution would break out in Germany of Austria and if necessary declare peace unilaterally when pressed. He got 16 votes. A few days later the Central Committee of the party met and Lenin again called for immediate peace. Only Stalin was clear in his support so Lenin agreed to Trotskys delaying position and this passed 12-1. Only two, Bukharin and Dzerzhinsky, supported pursuing a revolutionary war. Trotsky returned to the negotiations later in January, but after spinning it out as long as possible he made a unilateral declaration to end the war. He then walked out of the talks. Seven days later the German High Command announced it was going to resume hostilities. The Bolshevik unilateral declaration of peace was intended as a signal to all workers and soldiers involved in the war to rise up and oppose their leaders and join the struggle. This did not occur and the Central Powers immediately renewed hostilities. Meeting little resistance, they quickly advanced on all fronts. Meanwhile, the Bolshevik Central Committee was in almost continuous session. Lenin again called for seeking terms with the Germans, but got only 4 votes against 6, with Trotsky voting against. Lenin then posed the question: what if the German army advanced and there was no revolution in Germany and Austria? By 6-1, with 4 abstentions (Trotsky went over to Lenin) it was agreed that, in that event, peace should be made. But the Germans were already advancing. The issue was debated the following day. Despite some movements, the vote for Trotskys hesitation again carried 6-5. But by evening it was clear the German advance was strong and Russia was threatened. At this point Trotsky went over to Lenin and the Central Committee agreed to ask for peace negotiations by 7-5. Other party and Soviet bodies rapidly ratified this decision, although not without division, and a telegram was sent off agreeing to a renewal of the peace negotiations. The final Brest-Litovsk Treaty and its ratification However, Germany was in no hurry to accept and took full advantage of its position, advancing deep into the Ukraine and other areas. Eventually, the Germans came up with new, much harsher terms than before: Soviet withdrawal from Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland and the ceding of territory to Turkey in the south. The treaty also demanded Soviet recognition of the Ukrainian Nationalist Government or Rada. The implications of the Treaty for the economy of Soviet Russia were immense. They lost some of the most productive areas of Russia, especially in the Ukraine with its large assets in coal, industry and agriculture. In all they lost 40 percent of industrial capacity, 45 percent of fuel, 90 percent of sugar, 70 percent of the metal industry and 55 percent of wheat potential. The demand to withdraw the Red Guards from Finland led to a German-backed counter-revolution of considerable ferocity. So harsh were these terms that many leading Bolsheviks, especially in the Moscow Region, again resisted acceptance and ratification. There followed another heated debate in the Bolshevik Central Committee. Lenin moved acceptance, this time saying he would resign if he didnt gain the vote. Trotsky opposed but, in the end, abstained, as did Dzerzhinsky, Joffe, and Krestinsky, giving Lenin a 7-4 majority. In early March, the Soviet Government signed the new terms of Brest-Litovsk. Full internal ratification had to go through various bodies and the debates raged on. At the Seventh Bolshevik Party Congress in March 1918, Trotsky again reiterated his opposition to accepting such harsh terms but declared he would not vote against Lenin. This was then carried by 28 votes to 9. At the all-Russian Central Executive Committee, after a speech by Lenin it was carried 116 votes to 84. On 16 March, the All Russian Congress of Soviets, after two days of stormy debate, ratified the governments decision by 784-262. The Germans demanded Soviet withdrawal from Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland, ceding of territory to Turkey in the south and recognition of the Ukrainian Nationalist Government or Rada / Image: public domain These details are recounted to illustrate the tradition of debate and internal democracy within the Bolshevik Party and Soviet Russia at this time. This tradition, although necessarily curbed in the acute conditions of Civil War later in 1918, nevertheless remained at the heart of the Bolshevik Party as long as Lenin and Trotsky remained at the helm. It is instructive, in view of the later cult of the personality around Stalin, that Lenin, despite his immense standing in the party and among the workers, was consistently opposed by many leading comrades throughout this process. When he was defeated he accepted it and fought on with unflinching argument in meetings and in writing. In fact, a notable feature of Lenin throughout is that at every stage and moment of the Revolution he was not only driving the process in practice, with attention to every detail, but also writing articles, resolutions and even longer works. It is true that, in the final stages of the debates on Brest-Litovsk, Lenin threatened to resign if his views were not accepted, but this was after months of exhaustive debate and at a critical moment for the survival of the revolution. Lenin always considered it vital, at this stage of world developments, to keep the core of the revolution secure. The left wing of the party, around Bukharin, openly stated that they were prepared for a split in the party and were willing to sacrifice the revolution on the altar of an international revolutionary war. Lenin considered this absurd posturing and wrote a biting critique in February 1918, called Strange and Monstrous. In this piece Lenin shows how the process of debate within the party was carried out. He vigorously defends the left-wings right to express its view: It is quite natural that comrades who sharply disagree with the Central Committee over the question of a separate peace should sharply condemn the Central Committee and express their conviction that a split is inevitable. All that is the most legitimate right of party members, which is quite understandable. But, he did not fail to condemn their reasoning as strange and monstrous, nor hesitate to call them out for revolutionary phrasemaking. Immediately after the conclusion of this drawn out process of Peace he wrote a substantial text on the broader issues it raised and called it, Left-Wing Childishness and Petty-Bourgeois Mentality. He was to return to this theme two years later in 1920 when he wrote Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder. Soviet foreign policy in 1918 Before returning to the immediate issues at home it is worth noting another issue that split the Bolsheviks at this stage and it again illustrates the division between the realists and what Lenin called a petty-bourgeois mentality. This occurred over the approach the Soviet Government should take in confronting the capitalist powers. The left wing around Bukharin, stated that they were prepared for a split in the party over the question of revolutionary war / Image: public domain The notion widely held at one time, that a workers government would have no truck with any capitalist power, proved untenable and unrealistic. The capitalist states were not a uniform bloc and divisions could be exploited. The leftists, led by Bukharin, refused to contemplate any deals with the capitalists. Lenin and Trotsky tended to operate on the pragmatic and realistic side, although, as we have seen, Trotsky sometimes took longer to reach the same conclusions as Lenin. Occasionally, it was the other way around, with Lenin acknowledging that Trotsky had been correct. In the Central Committee in February 1918, Trotsky argued in favour of accepting arms from any country, even capitalist ones, on the one condition that no political obligations were given to these countries in return. This was hotly debated and only carried 6-5 with Lenin not attending but supporting the proposal. In the end, this proposal was without effect because the vague offers of support from USA, Britain and France were predicated on keeping Russia in the war so as to keep Germany pinned down in the east. Once the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was finally signed the other imperialist powers declined Russia any assistance. In the wake of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty a dual, inter-meshed foreign policy emerged: to promote world socialist revolution and defend the national security of the Soviet Republic. This would last as a consistent and integrated approach throughout the civil war and until the fight against the aggression of the allied powers finally ended in early 1921. Stalin later tried to portray a split between Lenin and Trotsky over the issue of world revolution or socialism in one country. In fact, this is entirely false and distorts the real split, which was between Lenin and the left communists that included Bukharin, Radek and Uritsky. Lenin, like Trotsky, remained a powerful advocate of world revolution and indeed frequently said that it was the only hope for the long-term success of the Russian Revolution. Lenin said that if necessary he would be in favour of sacrificing the Russian Revolution for a German Revolution, if it occurred, which would be on a much higher level and would hasten world revolution. The difference between Lenin and Trotsky was essentially one of balance. Trotsky was slower than Lenin to realise that the German Revolution would take time to mature, over-estimating the prospects for revolution. Early struggles on the periphery The general headquarters of the Russian Army, a veritable citadel in a time of all-out war, was situated away from Moscow and Petrograd. Here the Bolsheviks were weak. The soldiers Committee of the Armies, which had been elected at the beginning of the February revolution, was controlled by the SRs and had a cosy relationship with the generals. Six days after the October Revolution, they decided to oppose the Bolsheviks and march on Petrograd. But the mood of the soldiers, who welcomed the revolution, prevented this. When Lenin then called on the soldiers to elect new delegates and organise for an armistice with Germany, the old army establishment was doomed. These elections were held on 18 November. Following these elections, General Dukhonin, the supreme army head, who had defied the Bolshevik Governments orders, was arrested and executed. From October to March, the strong tide in favour of the Bolshevik-led Soviet Government had swept most urban and working-class areas of Russia. Even in the strongly nationalist areas of the Ukraine, parts of the Caucasus and the Don region, Red forces had been triumphant. Local soviets had sprung up everywhere. Most of the troops were with the Bolsheviks and the peasantry were broadly supportive as they saw their land needs being addressed. But from that point on the situation for the government became more and more difficult. The ending of the First World War proved a key factor in the west, as German troops occupied so much of the land that was highly productive for all parts of the economy. The Germans and their allies were keen to weaken Russia as far as possible and also to undermine Bolshevism by arming and encouraging nationalists and elements of the old order in Russia, principally the old Tsarist generals and officers, so that they could mount an effective counter-revolution. This, in effect, was the start of three years of brutal civil war. Anti-Bolshevik, White forces in Russia, 1918 / Image: public domain A number of generals and officers of the Imperial Army fled south to the Ukraine, where the Government was nationalistic and anti-Bolshevik. An Army of Volunteers, as the first White force was called, led by General Kornilov, gathered in the south, with more officers than men. Ukrainian nationalism, infused with certain elements of socialism, attempted a form of self-government under the old parliament, called the Rada. Eventually, struggles broke out between Bolshevik supporters in Kiev and the nationalists; the Reds took Kiev in January. Ukraine fell largely under Bolshevik control by February 1918. After November there was a general strike in Finland. This was largely victorious but there was no revolutionary workers party prepared to take power. So, the workers took matters into their own hands and took power in Helsinki, driving out the bourgeois government. Still, the social democrat leaders failed to drive through a revolution and opted for radical but piecemeal change. The Russian Government passed a decree giving independence to Finland at the end of 1917. Momentum gathered in 1918 and by February a new constitution was established providing for an elected assembly every three years along with other highly advanced features. The Finnish social democracy attempted the highest ever form of bourgeois democracy. But, in the circumstances, it was utopian and met with fierce armed reaction. The bourgeois launched a White terror, using a battalion of Finns in the German army. Red Guards and soviet supporters flocked to support the working class. Soviet forces had to withdraw under the terms of the Brest Litovsk Treaty. Vicious fighting then led to extreme white terror and the defeat of the Red forces. Up to a quarter of the proletariat were subsequently killed and murdered (100,000). The Caucasus area was complex with many nationalities and conditions. This proved a difficult area for the pro-Bolshevik, revolutionary Red forces who were initially defeated by a combination of so-called socialist Georgians and reactionary Turks and Tartars. In the Don region, another complex war occurred, involving several old imperial generals, complicated by divisions within the Cossacks population. The Cossack cavalry had traditionally been used by the Tsarist regime as a force for reaction. When the October Revolution, occurred the Don Cossack Council declared independence. General Kaledin welcomed former officers and some soldiers from the old imperial army and thus began the formation of a White army that was to play a lasting role in the ensuing civil war. In December 1917, the Soviet government sent a Red Guard force to assert Soviet control. At this stage, the White forces were ill-equipped, poorly organised and unable to resist the Red forces. As a result, the Don Cossack Council agreed to yield to the Soviet forces, causing General Kaledin to commit suicide. The tide turned in May 1918 due to the German invasion in the west and the growth of the White forces under Generals Kornilov and Alekseev. The Cossack leadership rebelled against the Soviet administration and, with the improved White forces, armed and supplied by the French and British, were able to defeat most Red forces and resume control over large areas. In the process, there were many massacres and atrocities against Bolsheviks and the working class generally. In Siberia and in the Central Asia regions Bolsheviks also achieved early success in the main centres, only to suffer reversals at a later stage. The White Forces The White movement and its armies were so-called because the colour white was associated with the Tsar. They represented the old defeated classes of the monarchy and the bourgeoisie. The movement, as such, did not have a strong social base. It drew in various elements dissatisfied with the Bolshevik regime, usually reactionary nationalist elements. Few wanted to see the Tsar restored, except the leaders and especially the army leaders, who became, in effect, petty dictators. The Red Army, under Trotsky, achieved a strong, centralised leadership and had a clear purpose of defending the revolution / Image: public domain In general, the White leadership was against separate national states and desired a return to a united empire. There was also a strong current of antisemitism within the White armies. Western sponsors expressed dismay at this, especially as the Bolsheviks had prohibited antisemitism and appeared more progressive. Winston Churchill personally warned General Denikin, whose forces effected pogroms against the Jews, that my task in winning support in Parliament for the Russian Nationalist cause will be infinitely harder if well-authenticated complaints continue to be received from Jews in the zone of the Volunteer Armies. One of the abiding weaknesses of the White forces was their lack of unity. The leaders squabbled and there were many who joined the umbrella of the Whites simply because they opposed the Bolsheviks, rather than having a united vision of what they wanted. Ultimately, this played into the hands of the Red Army, which, under Trotsky's command, achieved a strong, centralised leadership, and, of course, always with the clear purpose of defending the revolution. Backs against the wall Whilst the broad mass of the working class continued to give their support to the Bolshevik Party, activists within the party were often split on crucial issues. The issue of whether or not to wage a revolutionary war against Germany and its forces of occupation proved one of the more divisive questions that very nearly led to a complete split in the party. The division started in February, when the Moscow Region Committee took a left position and called for non-acceptance of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and the heroic sacrifice of the Russian proletariat on the altar of internationalism. Lenin provided a powerful critique of this position, calling them Communists of misfortune and talking despair. By March this tendency had crystallised into an organised faction and were called Left Communists. They were led by Bukharin with the support of Radek and Uritsky, among others, and published a paper called the Kommunist. Several members of the faction were elected to the Central Committee but they refused to serve. The two tendencies faced off at the 7th Party Congress in March 1918. Lenins position on peace was supported by Zinoviev, Smilga and Sverdlov. Trotsky also sided with Lenin but urged war in Ukraine against the German occupiers. Lenin, whilst not against such a move, argued for space and time to build up forces. It was at this Congress that the name Communist Party (Bolshevik) was adopted and it was agreed to review the Programme of the Party. In April 1918 Lenin published The International Position of the Russian Soviet Republic and the Fundamental Tasks of the Socialist Revolution. In it, Lenin argued that at that time a brief respite existed when all efforts had to be made to tackle the issue of organising the new Soviet system in an administrative sense. This required honest accounting, no stealing and strict labour discipline. The most class-conscious workers must lead the drive to implement these slogans among the masses. The aim was to establish a productive and efficient system that began to address the accumulated chaos of the war years and restore some order and benefits for people weary and close to despair. In the conclusion Lenin stated the situation clearly: An extraordinarily difficult, complex and dangerous situation in international affairs; the necessity of manoeuvring and retreating; a period of waiting for new outbreaks of the revolution which is maturing in the west at a painfully slow pace; within the country a period of slow construction and ruthless tightening-up, of prolonged and persistent struggle waged by stern, proletarian discipline against the menacing element of petty-bourgeois laxity and anarchy: these in brief are the distinguishing features of the special stage of the socialist revolution in which we are now living. Trotsky struck the same note in March when he gave a speech to a Party Conference. He emphasised the need for labour, discipline and order and urged that specialists be given a role in managing industry. In the same vein, he justified abandoning the principle of the election of officers in the Red Army, arguing that it was now a proletarian army and the need to challenge the Imperial officers through elections no longer applied. They needed the best, most-skilled and experienced to fill officer roles. The Left Communists published a critical response in their paper, Kommunist, which opposed the army reforms and at the same time called for the faster expropriation of capital and the cooperative organisation of production and distribution based on full workers control and management. Lenin replied in a series of articles in Pravda in May 1918, called Left Infantilism and the Petty-Bourgeois Mentality. Lenin replied to the Left Communists in a series of articles in Pravda in May 1918 called 'Left Infantilism and the Petty-Bourgeois Mentality' / Image: public domain The major debates that ensued through the Spring and Summer within the Party are important and instructive but require a more detailed analysis than can be offered here. Suffice it to say that, having lost the vote at the March Congress the Left Communists then lost their positions on the Supreme Council of National Economy and shortly afterward lost their control of the Moscow and Urals regional organisations. When the Soviet government, under different conditions, nationalised all large industrial enterprises in late June, many Left Communists considered this to be a correct economic policy and shifted their support back to Lenin. By the end of the summer, the Left Communists no longer existed as a distinct opposition group. Political opposition outside Bolshevism Efforts to overthrow the Bolshevik Government at home had not disappeared. In fact, in the harsh conditions of spring and summer 1918, when famine stalked the land, their efforts grew. Although the bourgeois parties, such as the Cadets and the Octobrists, had little support, there was lots of intrigue and rumour with foreign powers seeking to find suitable organisations to back. Several right-wing organisations and conspiracies were attempted. The Right or Moscow Centre (businessmen, landowners and conservative and liberal politicians) had a military department but was weak and disorganised. The National Centre, which split off from the Right Centre in June 1918, was a rallying point for the Cadet Party. Overall there was no real drive or unity between any of them and they were easily and, relatively leniently, dealt with by the Cheka. The petty-bourgeois parties, which included the SRs of Left and Right, the Anarchists and the Mensheviks, did have a potential mass base given the weight of the peasantry in the country, and could have posed a serious problem for the Bolsheviks. But, as Lenin pointed out, the petty-bourgeois parties, like the class they represented, wavered and vacillated at every turn, becoming revolutionary one moment and, when things got difficult, siding with the bourgeoisie, or turning to terrorism. Not surprisingly the mass of peasants was largely uninterested. The Right SR Party, lacking their base in the Constituent Assembly, had nowhere to go except an alliance with the White forces. This they did in a more and more overt fashion. In the spring of 1918 Savinkov, a veteran SR conspirator, helped to establish the Union for the Defence of the Motherland and Freedom. It claimed to have 5,500 members, but they were scattered all over the country. Its objective was to overthrow Soviet power and establish a military dictatorship. They had financial support from several imperial powers, notably France. Several leading members were arrested in May 1918 and its planned actions were foiled. Savinkov and others remained at large and tried to organise armed uprisings in several towns in July 1918, but these were easily overcome and the organisation faded away. Savinkov and other Right SRs re-emerged in the short-lived Samara Government on the Volga (described in more detail below). The All-Russian Soviet Executive had representatives of all parties that participated in local and regional Soviets. Thus it had left Mensheviks, Left SRs and others. But in June, as the struggle for survival became paramount it was agreed to expel all those parties who were instigating civil war against the Soviets. This was both logical and necessary. This removed Right SRs and Mensheviks and left only Left SRs and Bolsheviks. The terrorist wing of the Right SR Party, the so-called Battle Organisation, had one last throw of the dice at the end of August 1918 when they sought to assassinate a number of leaders, including Lenin and Trotsky. Lenin was shot by Fanny Kaplan and was lucky not to have been killed. Although struck in his shoulder and neck he survived and recovered after the operation and a short convalescence. The plot to kill Trotsky failed when he altered his planned route to Kazan at the last moment. Uritsky, the President of the Petrograd Cheka, was less lucky and was killed. The Left SR Party ostensibly represented the poor peasantry but in practice tended to base themselves on the middle peasantry. They had a significant position in the Soviets. They left the government over the Brest-Litovsk Treaty in March 1918 but continued to offer critical support to the Bolsheviks for a period. At the Fifth All-Russian Congress of Soviets in early July 1918, the Left SRs had 353 delegates out of 1,164. Nothing illustrates the vacillating and intemperate nature of petty-bourgeois revolutionaries better than the debates at this Congress, where the Left SRs hysterically attacked the Bolsheviks for their determination to maintain discipline in the Red Army on the border with Ukraine. The Left SRs had been agitating amongst these units, inciting them to join guerrilla bands inside the Ukraine and attack the German occupiers. Calling for discipline, Trotsky asked for approval of an order to shoot those responsible for fomenting such division and adventurism. The Left SRs erupted with fury but were soundly defeated in the vote. When Dzerzhinsky, the Cheka leader, confronted the Left SR Committee in Moscow they arrested him and proceeded to use Cheka forces they controlled to occupy key parts of Moscow. With this act, they effectively 'committed suicide' / Image: public domain Later, one of their leaders, Maria Spiridonova, made wild accusations against the Bolsheviks and was calmly rebutted by Lenin. Then news arrived at the Congress that Left SR agents had infiltrated the German Ukraine headquarters and assassinated the German ambassador, Count Mirbach. When Dzerzhinsky, the Cheka leader, confronted the Left SR Committee in Moscow they arrested him and proceeded to use Cheka forces they controlled to occupy key parts of Moscow. In the event, they lacked any popular support and the rebellion was put down in a day. Arrests and some executions followed. As Victor Serge says in Year One of the Revolution, The Left SR Party had committed suicide. Anarchist groups were also present in most towns, but many were self-styled and close to banditry. They had gained some support, generally fighting with the Reds in November. They had their own Black General Staff, and were armed. In the period after March, they assumed a more anti-Bolshevik position and moved to violence. However, disarming them proved easy as they had little broad support. Hundreds were arrested but most of those who were genuine anarchists by conviction were released and allowed to operate more or less freely with their organisations, press and clubs. The anarchist movement in the Ukraine led by Makhno is a different story and is dealt with in a later installment. After the October Revolution, the Menshevik Party became a shadow of its former self and had split into left and right factions. The weakness of the Mensheviks is revealed in the elections for the Constituent Assembly, when they only managed 3 percent of the vote. However, they were relatively strong in the Caucusus region, where they had taken a strongly pro-nationalist line. They had a majority position in Georgia and from May 1918 led an independent government, under the general permission of the Germans, known as the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Nationally, most Mensheviks who had not joined the Bolsheviks increasingly sided with counter-revolutionaries. Martov and the left faction continued to operate in a more principled fashion but became increasingly hostile to the Bolsheviks. The end of the Romanovs A brief mention should be made of the denouement of the Tsar and his family, the Romanovs, which occurred in the summer of 1918. In July 1918, Ekaterinburg (where the Romanovs were being held) was virtually encircled by White forces and the Urals Soviet decided to execute the Tsar and his family / Image: public domain After February 1917, the Romanovs had been held in comparative ease at the imperial palace at Tsarskoe Syelo. But after the July 1917 days of upheaval, the Provisional Government decided to place the family deeper into Russia in the remote Siberian town of Tobolsk. After the October Revolution, the question of what to do with the Tsar and his family became a more burning topic, as they clearly provided a rallying call for the counter-revolutionary forces. After a White Army approached the Tobolsk in April 1918, the Bolsheviks moved the imperial family west to Ekaterinburg in the Urals. In July, Ekaterinburg was virtually encircled by White forces and the Urals Soviet decided to execute the family. The economic crisis and feeding the urban population Prior to Brest-Litovsk and the German occupation of Ukraine, the Russian economy was already in a poor state. The effects of years of war and then the upheaval of revolution meant that production and distribution were massively disrupted. Moreover, as in all belligerent countries, the economy had become heavily oriented to the needs of war and the millions of troops that were required. The loss of the valuable economic areas of Ukraine, Caucasus and later the Don region provoked a major crisis after March 1918. The primary and immediate problem was the need to obtain sufficient grain to feed the people, especially in the urban areas. The harvest was still to come. People were hungry and desperate. Riots and uprisings over lack of bread were not uncommon. Lenin said at this time, To get bread, that is the basis of socialism today. This called for desperate measures. The first of these was the creation of the Food Commissariat with sweeping powers (decree of 27 May) to supply the population with objects of primary necessity. The Food Commissar was Tsurupa, and among his powers was the ability to remove local commissars, override local soviets and in certain circumstances institute court proceedings against disobedient representatives of local soviets. What ensued was a battle between the consuming, needy provinces and the producing provinces that held surpluses of food, often hoarded. Special armed detachments, recruited predominantly from Bolshevik-supporting factories, were attached to local food committees in the producing districts. Wealthy peasants, known as kulaks, were those mainly responsible for hoarding grain and other food resources. On 11 June, the Soviet regime set up Committees of the Poor all over the country. These committees were empowered to distribute grain, products of prime necessity and agricultural machines and to cooperate with local food brigades in taking surplus grain away from kulaks and other richer peasants. Incentives were offered to the poorer peasants to participate in this process. There was provision to exclude from any expropriation the slightly better-off peasants who possessed just a few livestock and hired one or two labourers, as long as they were basically self-sufficient. This was reinforced in August 1918 when a letter was circulated to try to prevent the alienation of middle peasants. Certainly, there were many excesses and ferocious battles. 26 peasant uprisings were recorded in July, 47 in August, and 26 in September. In some cases, old scores were settled. In some instances, bandits and thieves joined the committees; and in some, genuine local communists were driven out of important and potentially lucrative posts such as the collection of local taxes. But, the tactic of splitting the villages on class lines was broadly successful. In regions where there was much poverty among the peasants the actions against kulaks and others were more severe. In areas closer to the big cities, there was greater control and order. At their height, the Committees of the Poor numbered tens of thousands and as a policy they prevented a complete breakdown of society. There was famine and great hunger but it would have been much worse without such drastic, organised intervention. By November 1918, the crisis was passing and the Committees of the Poor were dissolved and there were new elections for local soviets, which included the best representatives of the old Committees. The two bodies were in effect fused. On 8 November 1918 Lenin declared Soviet policy in the village would be: To reach an agreement with the middle-class peasantry, not relaxing for a moment the struggle against the kulak and relying firmly only on the poor. The impact of the continuing food shortages can be seen in the major loss of population suffered by the towns and cities where people moved to the countryside to find food. Petrograds population, for example, declined from 2.3m in November 1915 to 1.4m in July 1918. Meeting the military threat: Trotskys role as head of the army The first soldiers of the revolution were the Red Guards, largely recruited from the working-class and Bolshevik soldiers and sailors. But in order to bring order and unity, a stronger and larger force was necessary. In the first stages of the revolution, no conscription was possible. The Bolsheviks had pledged peace and the old army was disintegrating and going home. A decree on 28 January 1918 laid down the basis for recruiting a voluntary Red Army. There was an Initial sign-up for three months, and a salary of 150 rubles a month, along with some privileges and exemptions for the family. More than 100,000 recruits signed up in the next two and half months but efficiency and quality were often very low. The troops were liable to be ill-disciplined, to endlessly debate orders and make impossible demands. In addition, some criminal elements joined. This early Red Army was capable of defeating poorly organised, internal dissidents but no match for the German Army in Ukraine, nor the emerging White armies. The Supreme War Council was set up on 1 March 1918 and took over the organisation of the Red Army. On 5 March, Trotsky was appointed chair. In early April, Trotsky was also appointed Commissar of War. He got to work immediately, determined to create a disciplined armed forces, in sufficient numbers and led by competent officers, with good planning and organisation. In these aims, he met plenty of opposition both from within and outside the Bolshevik Party. In April, Trotsky was appointed Commissar of War. He was determined to create a disciplined armed forces, in sufficient numbers and led by competent officers / Image: public domain Trotskys immediate task as the new Commissar of War was to conjure a new army out of practically nothing. Of the Imperial Russian Army, only the division of Latvian Riflemen was useful and reliable, and thus retained. The remnants of Red forces opposing the Whites on the various fronts often acted as scattered bands of partisans with little control and discipline. Red forces generally were poorly trained, equipped and led. But Trotsky rapidly transformed the Red Army into a disciplined, effective fighting force comprising several Red armies fighting on multiple fronts. Trotskys first pronouncements on military policy in March 1918 were directed primarily at the party and the Soviets and called for Work, discipline and order. He noted that, in its first assault on power, the Bolsheviks had necessarily been anti-militaristic and had pressed for democracy in the army, electing commanders and challenging orders etc. But the new situation required a new approach that would enable the workers to defeat the enemy. This meant accepting former Tsarist officers who pledged to assist the Soviet government. Not only were they skilled in leadership but also often possessed technical and military knowledge lacking in the largely working-class layers that formed the Red Guards. However, many within the Bolshevik Party, especially the Left Communists, fiercely resisted Trotskys proposals. Stalin, and some of the established Red military leaders, also opposed these ideas. Lenin and a majority of party leaders understood the necessity of adopting Trotskys position. Indeed Lenin took Trotskys theme of discipline, order and utilising skills from the within the old classes and adopted it in a much wider social and economic context, supporting the use of managers, professional and technical experts in running factories and other vital parts of economic life. For Lenin, as with Trotsky, the politics of the moment dictated the course of action. Lenin laid his plans before the All-Russian Soviet Executive in April and they agreed on proposals for military training, new disciplinary codes and utilising the skills and expertise of former Tsarist officers. On 22 April, the government set out the policies in a Decree. Under this policy, all workers and peasants who did not hire labour would receive 12 hours of training over an 8-week period every year. The practice of electing officers was abolished and refusing to obey orders became a punishable offence and capital punishment was reintroduced for the most serious breaches of discipline. In seeking to improve army organisation, Trotsky created provincial, county and township war commissariats responsible, among other things, for the general military training of the adult population. Trotskys scheme for a new Red Army did not pass without serious opposition. In April 1918, when he laid his plans before the All-Russian Soviet Executive, he met with opposition from many quarters. His decision to recruit former army officers provoked much outrage from Mensheviks and Left SRs. Martov accused Trotsky of paving the way for a dictator. More seriously, there was opposition from within the Bolshevik Party. The Left Communists rejected the idea of a centralised standing army and saw the recruitment of former officers as a compromise with the old regime. Although the partys Central Committee backed Trotskys plan it was not without misgivings and much behind-the-scenes complaining. Trotskys position on the issue of hiring former officers and specialists touched on a wider issue of relations with the old order. Trotsky and Lenin recognised the reality that the new state lacked skilled professionals, technicians and managers from among the working class. The choice was to ignore the resources available and build from scratch, or to employ such resources on behalf of the revolution and use such people to help train new generations. However, utilising these elements, who were inevitably conservative in outlook and sceptical of the revolution, carried dangers. Some officers were White sympathisers and later defected. But, in the crisis situation of the summer of 1918, the young new state had little practical alternative. To help offset the bias or deviation of the officer corps, political commissars were attached to all the levels of command in a form of dual power. To prevent officers from sabotage or deserting to the Whites, a register was kept of the officers families to be held as possible hostages. The first to volunteer from the old Imperial Army was General Bonch-Bruevich, who was made head of General Staff. Trotsky discussed with other officers and they came over later in April. At the same time, Trotsky always sought to appoint communists and revolutionaries as officers if they had proven to be effective and disciplined leaders in military combat. Nevertheless, eventually the majority of officers were from the old army, and by the end of 1918, 30,000 former officers of the Tsarist Army were serving in the Red Army. Some proved to be traitors or unreliable and Trotsky used serious disciplinary measures if they stepped out of line, including the death penalty and using the officers family as hostages. As well as creating a strong and centralised army, Trotsky set about establishing improved administration, equipment and supplies. In the conditions of 1918, this was difficult but gradually began to have an impact. This was greatly aided by the fact that Trotskys Deputy at the Supreme War Council, directing its day to day activities, was the brilliant organiser Sklyansky, whom Trotsky described as the Carnot of the Russian Revolution (Lazare Carnot was dubbed the Organiser of the Victory in the French Revolutionary Wars following the French Revolution of 1793). By mid-1918, efforts to re-organise and invigorate the Red Army were still on-going and meeting resistance / Image: public domain Finally, Trotsky laid great store in developing intensive educational and propaganda programmes to instil into the new army conscripts a spirit of commitment and devotion to the cause of the revolution. Agitprop techniques in drama, poster art and other methods were an integral element in creating a determined mood in a fighting, disciplined Red Army. Forging an effective army was one matter but Trotsky also succeeded in reorganising the whole supply and administrative apparatus; again, not without struggle. Once the scale and urgency of the situation was realised, he was able to convince the government of the need to ensure the army was properly equipped and armed. This took time, but the process was started as soon as he took over as amy supremo. It was also quickly realised that a volunteer army was going to be insufficient to build the army rapidly to the level needed. This became apparent by the summer of 1918 and measures of conscription were introduced for working class and peasants only. Before conscription, Trotsky made appeals, especially to the Petrograd and Moscow workers, to volunteer, and many did so. These layers formed the heart of the new army, as they were committed and had self-discipline. In May 1918, the Soviet government resorted to partial mobilisation as a response to the crisis caused by the Czech Legion turning against the Bolsheviks. The country was still war-weary and most of the peasants could not be relied upon, so the order applied only to conscript workers in Moscow and Petrograd, plus some in the regions most affected, such as the Don and Kuban areas; 51 counties in Siberia; the Urals and in the Volga Provinces. In July, orders were made to force those from bourgeois backgrounds aged 18-45 to undertake hard and dirty, non-combative tasks on the home front. This was sometimes carried out harshly. The formerly well-to-do classes in towns and countryside were forbidden to bear arms. Eventually, the principle of mobilisation was extended to young workers and peasants throughout the country. In August 1918, the Red Army numbered 331,000. This increased to 550,000 by September and 800,000 by end of the year. In October Lenin, foreseeing the end of the First World War, called for an Army of 1 million. By mid-1918, efforts to re-organise and invigorate the Red Army were still on-going and meeting resistance. Luckily, the White forces were also ill-organised and fractious, whilst the imperial powers were still locked into the First World War. The initial foreign interventions were all peripheral at Murmansk, Archangel and Vladivostok. In central Russia, the Bolsheviks were able to consolidate their power in comparative safety. The Czech Legion and the deepening civil war By the end of March, Germany and her allies had occupied all the areas ceded under the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. There was no certainty they would stop at the agreed treaty line. Feeling that Petrograd was threatened, the Soviet government was moved to Moscow. One fall-out of the peace agreement was the position of a Czech nationalist force, augmented by 30,000 Czech prisoners of war, that had fought with the Russian army. They were now trapped in Russia. Masaryk, the Czech nationalist leader, wanted to deploy them in France, so as to gain allied support for an independent Czechoslovakia after the war. To that end, he ordered them to make their way across Russia by the Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostok for embarkation. Until this point, the relationship between Bolsheviks and the Czechs was reasonably good and there had been some collaboration against the advance of Germans into the Ukraine. But, despite an agreement on partial disarming and passage through Russia to the East, relations deteriorated. The more reactionary elements of the Czech leaders, urged on by Russian army officers who also served in the Czech army, led to resistance and a revolt by the Legion in May 1918. The British and French were only too eager to exploit Czech discontent to spark opposition to the Bolsheviks and thus establish new White fronts in the central and eastern areas of Russia. In this they succeeded. A plan by the Soviet Government to split the Czech forces as they made their way to the east led to tension, which boiled over in late May, and the Czech forces revolted, easily taking over several key towns along the Trans-Siberian railway. In many areas the Soviet power was weak and the Red forces lacked discipline and strong leadership. In May, the Czech forces revolted, taking towns along the Trans-Siberian railway / Image: public domain By June 1918, the French had moved from apparent neutrality to actively encouraging the Czech forces to stay and assist anti-Bolshevik elements. They saw the role of the Czechs to secure the Trans-Siberian railway in advance of a Japanese intervention from the East. By July, the Czech force had declared itself to be a new eastern front against Bolshevism. Resistance by Red forces in far eastern Siberia was stronger and the Czechs only managed to secure the areas around the railway near Vladivostok. Two quasi-governments emerged following the success of the Czechs. The Western Siberian Commissariat announced its existence on 1 June. It derived its claim to authority from SRs who had been members of the Constituent Assembly. They declared for democracy, goods exchange and the re-establishment of the Constituent Assembly; and the autonomy of Siberia with its own flag. The general assessment of Siberia is that the peasants and workers were largely passive, not having the main concerns of war, hunger and so on of their western counterparts. They were not especially hostile to the Bolsheviks, but Bolshevism was weak in these territories. The initial Western Siberian Government, which had a radical tinge, was soon replaced by more conservative and reactionary elements and by July a purge and oppression of soviets and left elements began in the areas under its control. The second quasi-government to emerge in the central/eastern region became known as the Samara Government, after a town in the Middle Volga where it was set up. Initially comprising SR Party activists it joined up with parts of the Czech Legion and rapidly MONTAGUE -- The town of Montague and the Turners Falls Fire District have won a court order against Southworth Paper, owners of a vacant, unsecured mill on the Connecticut River that firefighters say is at risk for a major blaze. But only time and the legal process will tell if the lawsuit filed by the town of Montague, which includes the unincorporated village of Turners Falls, will make the sprawling mill safer. "I just hope someone works with me," Turners Falls Fire Chief John Zellmann said this week. The 146,000-square-foot Southworth Paper Mill at 36 Canal St. in Turners Falls has no heat, no power, no working sprinklers and no fire alarms. The town and fire district sued last month to force what's left of Southworth Co. to fix the problem before winter. A preliminary injunction issued Friday at Franklin Superior Court in Greenfield orders Southworth to do just that, and to remove materials like paper, fiber and chemicals from the structure. "And no one is be allowed in the building without my permission," Zellmann said. He fears that with winter coming homeless people could enter the building seeking shelter, start a fire for warmth and set off a conflagration. Zellmann and his fellow Turners Falls firefighters share experience with mill fires. The old Strathmore Mill next door to Southworth's mill burned for 36 hours over Memorial Day weekend 2007. No one was injured, but it took 35 fire departments from three states to extinguish the blaze. And if Southworth, which quit operating in August 2017 on only a few hours notice, fails to comply? "Then they'll be in violation of a court order," Zellmann said. He said he's just hoping now for cooperation. In court papers filed earlier this year, Southworth said expenses at the mill, including payroll, utilities, insurance and other operating expenses, exceeded $100,000 a month. Southworth bought the Turners Falls mill in 2006. The building, long known as Esleeck Paper Co., was built as part of a planned industrial development taking advantage of the hydropower on this stretch of the Connecticut River. The business made onionskin paper for what was then a new technology, the typewriter. Southworth at one point had an auction scheduled for the Turners Falls property, and in late 2017 told the bankruptcy court it had a deal in place to sell it to a Maine-based paper manufacturer for $4 million. The proposed sale to SBD Greentech fell through. The auction was canceled and not rescheduled. Southworth sold its Agawam property to investors who are subdividing it for industrial and commercial tenants. Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart posted a touching message on social media Monday evening, announcing the death of his mother Camellia, who had been battling cancer. "I feel like I'm suffocating and the person who helps me get through things left me but I know your in a better place with no more worries, no more hurt, no more sadness or pain," Smart wrote. Smart added that he told his mother and father when he was nine he would make it so they could rest. "Never thought that rest would be in paradise," Smart wrote. Below is the full message. Smart lost his older brother Todd to cancer in 2004. It's been nearly 17 years since the old Bay State Hotel shut down, leaving the local Northampton music scene without a home. I spent many nights there in the 1990s, seeing some of the best shows (and, frankly, some of the worst) I've ever seen in my life. The room was crappy, the sound could range from great to horrendous (depending on the band and if they knew how to play the room), but the crowd was always great. There are plenty of other places now, like upstairs in the former Bay State Building in Bishop's Lounge, the 13th Floor Music Lounge in Florence, and most recently, Fitzwilly's hosting monthly shows, but nothing has really replace the Baystate scene. Of course, Sierra Grille, which sits on the first floor of the old Bay State building, keeps the overall spirit of the old scene alive each Thursday with its "Reanimate the Bay State" series. That series will celebrate the former scene in a big way on Oct. 4 with a special Bay State reunion show that will feature some of the stalwarts of the old scene. The show will be hosted by John Allen, front man for the Big Bad Bollocks, and the night will feature such local luminaries as Steve Westfield and the Slow Band, Frank Padellaro, and Mal Thursday, who will be returning from his current home in Texas to play with his quintet. I'm guessing there will be more to come, such as special guests popping in to make appearances. But either way, this is show you won't want to miss, especially if you were a denizen of the old Bay State scene. The cover for this special night is a bit higher than usual at $8, but it will be worth it. Sierra Grille is at 41 Strong Ave. in Northampton. Scouting Report Murali Coryell, the son of jazz-rock fusion guitar legend Larry Coryell, will play Theodores' in Springfield on Saturday, Sept. 22. Coryell is a contemporary soul blues artist who started out playing drums at age 8 and continued through junior high school, when started playing guitar after discovering the blues in his early teens. In additon to performing with his own group, Murali has toured as a featured artist with award winning blues artist Joe Louis Walker and his father. Theodores' is at 201 Worthington St. Immortal Jellyfish and No Lens will play The Rendezvous in the Turners Falls section of Montague on Saturday, Sept. 22. The Rendezvous is at 78 Third St. Do you have a cool event coming up at a local club? Send me a note about it at least two weeks in advance to geolenker@yahoo.com and I'll try to get it in this space. WESTFIELD - Thousands of families affected by autism will gather at Stanley Park Sept. 22 to raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders - as well as funds - through the Western New England Autism Speaks Walk. The walk is a tradition that spans nearly two decades that draws teams raising anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $10,000. "The money goes to fuel the mission of Autism Speaks through programs and services, advocacy and scientific research," said Autism Speaks Community Outreach Director Lauren Amendola. "Eighty-five cents of every dollar goes to funding these important mission pillars for the autism community." Today, one in 59 children in the United States has autism. Males are more likely to be diagnosed with autism: 1 in 37 vs 1 in 151 females. Autism Speaks works to help families find resources, particularly those newly diagnosed or transitioning teens. The group offers kits that address everything from how to find local resources to assisting children with sensory challenges with tasks such as brushing their teeth. "Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions," said Amendola. Much of the money raised at the Western New England walk makes its way back to local families. "Autism Speaks enhances lives today and is accelerating a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow," Amendola said. "Since 2006, Autism Speaks has granted back to the Massachusetts community $13.8 million in science, community and other grants. This includes almost 200 tablets and $30,000 in Autism Care Grants, direct giving to families in need." In Western Massachusetts specifically, $10,000 was awarded for swim safety programs in Springfield, 14 Autism Care Grants and 32 tablets. "We are proud of this and to give back to the community and partner with direct service providers in the area," said Amendola. About 1,000 people will fill Stanley Park for the walk, which is a self-paced walk around the perimeter of the playground and fields. "We will have sensory-friendly music and kid activities before the walk, stage ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. and we will walk around the park shortly after," said Amendola. "From 11-12 we have music, dancing, autism resource booths, snacks and more for families to enjoy. And as always, the playground is a great, fun place to play!" Amendola thanked the park for their support over the years. "Thank you to Stanley Park for their continuous support for this event, and to our sponsors, Beacon ABA Service, Autism Allies, The May Institute, The Springfield Thunderbirds and the Western Mass News Group," said Amendola. Teams and individuals can still make a difference by registering, donating and fundraising, even after the walk. Visit www.autismspeakswalk.org for information. Amendola said walk fundraising incentive levels and new prizes go until four weeks after walk day. Registration and donations will be accepted at the walk beginning at 9 a.m. For many families, the walk is a way to connect. "This event brings together the Western Mass autism community, to celebrate our differences and know that you are not alone," said Amendola. "It's a day people look forward to all year long, and to connect with old and new friends and help others through journey as well. " Participants in a landmark nationwide study of high school students that launched 58 years ago and included classes from two dozen Massachusetts schools were revisited this summer in the form of questionnaires for follow-up data on early predictors of dementia. Project Talent, developed by the American Institutes for Research and funded by the United States Office of Education, assessed the aptitudes, abilities and aspirations of students from 1,353 schools across the country over two days of testing in the spring of 1960. Several hundred thousand students - roughly five percent of American high school students - took part in the study. Students in grades nine through 12 were tested for their ability in subjects like math, and also given questionnaires about family background as well as personal interests and goals. Follow-up studies at one, five, and 11 years after expected high school graduation provided further material for researchers on life experiences and what shapes them. The collected 14-year data underwent an overall review in 2009, prompting the design of new studies. The ongoing project has been referred to as the only large-scale, nationally representative study that tracks participants from adolescence to retirement age. Susan J. Lapham, director of the D.C.-based American Institutes for Research's Center on Aging, vice president for research and evaluation and Project Talent's principal investigator and director, said some two-dozen public and private high schools in Massachusetts took part in the original study. This included West Springfield High's classes of 1960-63, the only classes of participants in Western Massachusetts. "There were approximately 400,000 high school students who participated in Project Talent in 1960 in every state. There were 25 high schools in Massachusetts that were selected into the sample in 1960, just over 14,000 students," Lapham said. "Today, we are asking about 10 percent of those original study participants to respond to our Project Talent Aging Study to help us learn more about early life predictors of dementia. The entire Project Talent Aging Study includes more than 22,500 individuals across the nation." Other schools in the commonwealth that took part in 1960 include Barnstable Trade School; Hyde Park High School and Mission Church High School - Girls, both in Boston; Burlington Jr.-Sr. High School; Beaver Country Day School, Chestnut Hill; Ursuline Academy, Dedham; Monsignor Ryan Memorial High School, Dorchester; Hudson Catholic High School; Sacred Heart Juniorate, Ipswich; Fontbonne Academy, Milton; Brooks School, North Andover; Quincy Trade School; Saugus High School; Somerville High School; Swampscott High School; Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsborough; Uxbridge High School; Weston High School and The Rivers Country Day School, both in Weston; Westwood High School; Weymouth High School and Weymouth Vocational; Winchendon High School; and St. John's Preparatory School, Worcester. The original study was developed by John C. Flanagan, a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and founder of the American Institutes for Research. Flanagan wrote a now out-of-print book in 1962 describing the study. "As a forward thinker, Flanagan designed Project Talent as a large longitudinal study that could encompass any research topic throughout the lives of the participants," Lapham said. "Although the primary focus in the early 1960s was on education and transition to careers in early adulthood, there were many other analyses from the 1960 data including gender wage gaps, post-traumatic stress disorder among those who experienced combat duty during Vietnam, personality, quality of life, health and welfare, and poverty to name a few." Lapham said the new study includes "questions about the participant, their family, their work and military service, their education, current health status, a memory assessment, activities in their everyday life, and memories of 1960 and how the world today compares with 1960." "We are asking everyone to return their questionnaires by the middle of October," Lapham said. Participants can call the project for further information at (1 866) 770-6077 or email projecttalentstudy@air.org. Some 5.7 million Americans of all ages are said to be currently living with Alzheimer's dementia. It is estimated that early diagnosis could save up to $7.9 trillion in medical and care costs, according to the Alzheimer's Associations website. A California man accused of threatening to shoot Boston Globe employees in the head over the newspaper's nationwide effort to condemn President Donald J. Trump's attack on the media was indicted by a federal grand jury. Robert D. Chain, 68, of Encino, Calif., was indicted on seven counts of use of interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat to injury another person. He was originally charged and arrested on Aug. 30. The U.S. Attorney's Office said he will appear in federal court in Boston on Sept. 24. On Aug. 10, the Globe announced it was requesting other newspaper publications around the country publish a coordinated editorial response to political attacks on the media. "Immediately following the announcement, Chain allegedly began making threatening calls to the Boston Globe's newsroom," authorities said. "In the calls, Chain referred to the Globe as 'the enemy of the people' and threatened to kill newspaper employees." On Aug. 16, the day the editorial was published in the Globe, Chain allegedly called the newsroom again. Authorities say Chain threatened to shoot Globe employees in the head at 4 p.m. "As a result of that call, law enforcement officers responded to the Globe's offices and maintained a presence outside the building to ensure the safety of the employees," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The charges relate to seven phones calls Chain allegedly made to the newspaper. After his arrest in California, Chain told reporters "there is no free press in America." He said America "was saved when Donald J. Trump was elected president." Chain was released on $50,000 bond after appearing in a Los Angeles federal court. The first lawsuit on behalf of the victims of the Merrimack Valley explosions has been filed against Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by Morgan & Morgan, a contingency firm with 50 offices across the nation, in Essex County Superior Court. Representing attorneys include environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Frank Petosa, head of Morgan & Morgan's complex environmental litigation. Francely Acosta of Lawrence is listed as the plaintiff in the class-action suit. "Columbia committed an act of extreme negligence," Kennedy said during a conference call with media Tuesday. Columbia Gas, Kennedy said, has "the worst record of pipelines in this country." He accused the company is rapidly building pipelines while not tending to their aging infrastructure, citing several explosions of pipelines operated by NiSource and its subsidiaries, including disasters in Western Massachusetts and West Virginia. The 2012 blast in Springfield leveled a strip club and a day care center and resulted in 18 injured. Columbia Gas reached an $850,000 settlement with the city the following year. Kennedy accused Columbia of making false promises to its customers, "promising that there's no chance" of such incidents again while not investing in improvements. The pipelines are some of the oldest in the nation, the attorneys said, and were determined to need millions in repairs last year. The lawsuit was filed as a class action on behalf of a resident whose home was evacuated following the series of explosions and fires. The suit does not represent those injured or the family of the teenager killed Thursday, who are expected to be represented separated. "The vast majority of residents in this town are going through the same thing," Petosa told reporters Tuesday. "Some of them couldn't even go back to their homes to get their pets." Explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover caused upwards of 70 fires, injured more than two dozen people and resulted in the death of an 18-year-old from Lawrence, who died after a chimney fell on his vehicle. Homes in each community were evacuated Thursday. Residents were allowed to return home over the weekend though are expected to remain without gas utilities for weeks. Preliminary investigative reports show over-pressurized gas lines as the believed cause of the disaster. Pressure in Columbia Gas pipes reached 12 times higher than the systems allow for prior to the explosions, according to safety regulators. "The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has reported that the pressure in the Columbia Gas system should have been around 0.5 pounds per square inch (PSI), but readings in the area reached at least 6 PSI - twelve times higher than the system was intended to hold," Massachusetts Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren stated in a letter to Columbia Gas President Stephen Bryant and Joseph Hamrock, the president of Columbia Gas' parent company NiSource. The lawsuit was filed less than a week after the explosions, a decision Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera called "shameful" on Tuesday. Attorneys involved in the class action said it was necessary for them to become involved as early as possible to conduct their own investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board announced last week that it will investigate the cause of the explosions, though federal officials warned it may take up to two years to determine the cause. "It's really important to have independent oversight by non-government entities when these types of disasters happen," Kennedy said. He called the disaster a failure by Columbia as well as failure of government regulators. "The pipelines were not inspected in some cases for 10-15 years," he said, of Columbia Gas. "Somebody was asleep at the wheel." Columbia joined with local and state officials Tuesday to announce they would provide $10 million to the newly-established "Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund." "Together, Lawrence, Andover and North Andover are slowly beginning to pick up the pieces," Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday in Lawrence. "There remains a long road ahead." Rivera, who was critical of Columbia Gas in hours following the explosions, thanked the company on Tuesday. "Ten million is a lot of money," he said, adding that it's one way he expects Columbia to showcase corporate responsibility. Columbia Gas of Massachusetts announced on Tuesday it would provide $10 million to the relief efforts in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover following the gas line disaster in those three communities. Columbia Gas President Steve Bryant announced in a press conference Tuesday morning that the gas company would provide $10 million to the newly-established "Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund." The charitable foundation, announced by Gov. Charlie Baker and other community leaders on Monday, will provide relief for those who have no gas or homes. "Together, Lawrence, Andover and North Andover are slowly beginning to pick up the pieces," Baker said Tuesday in Lawrence. But, he warned, "There remains a long road ahead." For many people, it will take several weeks before they can return to fully-operating homes. The nearly 8,600 gas meters impacted by last week's event must be inspected and assessed. Many will have to be repaired, as well. Preliminary investigative reports reveal over-pressurized gas lines may have been the cause of the disaster last Thursday, Sept. 13, which sparked three gas explosions and upwards of 70 structure fires. More than two dozen people were injured and an 18-year-old from Lawrence was killed. Nearly 8,600 gas meters were impacted, officials said. Money going into the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund will be managed by the Essex County Community Foundation, according to Baker. The Disaster Relief Fund will serve as an "umbrella" for the non-profit organizations and donors currently contributing to the relief effort for those impacted by the fires and gas line failures. Baker said the new relief fund will help provide displaced residents with "sustenance and shelter," as well as any other day-to-day needs. "This has been a human crisis," Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera said Tuesday during the press conference. "No one could be prepared for what happened to us on Thursday." Rivera, who was critical of Columbia Gas in hours following the explosions, thanked the company on Tuesday. "Ten million is a lot of money," he said, adding that it's one way he expects Columbia to showcase corporate responsibility. New information has come to light regarding the pressure in pipes serviced by Columbia Gas prior to explosions in three Massachusetts communities last week. Readings show pressure in Columbia Gas pipes reached at least 12 times higher than the systems allow for, according to federal safety regulators. The information was made public in a letter from Massachusetts Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren to Columbia Gas President Stephen Bryant and Joseph Hamrock, the president of Columbia Gas' parent company NiSource. "The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has reported that the pressure in the Columbia Gas system should have been around 0.5 pounds per square inch (PSI), but readings in the area reached at least 6 PSI - twelve times higher than the system was intended to hold," the letter states. Explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover caused upwards of 70 fires, injured more than two dozen people and resulted in the death of an 18-year-old from Lawrence, who died after a chimney fell on his vehicle. Preliminary investigative reports show over-pressurized gas lines as the believed cause of the disaster. In their letter to Columbia Gas officials about the explosions, Markey and Warren say a pressure spike was registered with the company's control room in Columbus, Ohio before the explosions, citing the National Transportation Safety Board. The senators ask Columbia officials to provide a timeline of what steps were taken following this event and question when the incident was reported to the National Response Center. The letter goes on to question Columbia's record in Massachusetts. "Columbia Gas does not have a spotless operating history in Massachusetts. In 2012, a Columbia Gas worker punctured a mislabeled steel service line, resulting in an explosion that injured 17 people and caused $1.3 million in property damage," it reads. "Columbia Gas leaks also occurred in Walpole in 2004 and 2007, Easton in 2007, West Barnstable in 2009, West Springfield in 2011, and Seekonk in 2012." Citing such incidents, Warren and Markey ask "what actions, if any has Columbia Gas taken to improve its operating and response procedures in order to avoid or minimize future accidents?" The senators have requested a congressional hearing on the disaster. The company was criticized by state and local leaders in hours following the Merrimack Valley explosions for a delayed response. "The least informed and the last to act have been Columbia Gas," Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera said during heated remarks the day after the explosions. "It just seems like there's no one in charge, they're in the weeds." The mayor of Lawrence said Columbia "promised hundreds of teams of technicians, none of which materialized." The day after the disaster, Rivera says neighbors who "watched houses blow up right next to them" are left afraid and without answers from their utility company. "My very family is displaced," he said. Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency on Friday, appointing Eversource project manager to take over recovery efforts. Columbia Gas issued a public statement five hours after the first explosions were reported in the Merrimack Valley. The president of Columbia Gas held a press conference Friday afternoon, and said the company is cooperating with local, state and federal officials who are investigating the cause of the explosions. NTSB officials will look into the design of the pipeline system, maintenance of the pipeline and the emergency response to the disaster. The explosion occurred six years after the company accepted responsibility for a gas leak that caused an explosion in downtown Springfield. The blast leveled a strip club and a day care center. The explosion resulted in 18 first responders injured. The company reached an $850,000 settlement with the city in 2013. SPRINGFIELD -- A group of 150 immigrants representing 59 countries became new citizens on Tuesday in a ceremony at Scibelli Hall at Springfield Technical Community College. The new citizens took an oath of allegiance, joining approximately 45,000 people across the country in becoming Americans during Constitution Week. "We here today truly welcome you, we want you here, we want you as new citizens. You belong here," said U.S. District Judge Katherine A. Robertson, who presided as Maurice Lindsay, clerk of the U.S. District Court, administered the oath. "This country would not be what it is without people like you, people who have chosen to live here, chosen to work here, chosen to raise their families here," Robertson added. "We value the contributions you've already made as residents, we value the contributions we know you're going to make as American citizens." Robertson noted that the new citizens were a very diverse group, many of whom have taken different roads to get here to the point of taking oaths as American citizens. "Some of those roads have been long, I suspect some of those roads have been difficult. Whatever led you to this moment, the memory of your homeland, its language, its culture, its traditions -- those remain with you; those are important memories and parts of who you are ...," she said. The 150 new citizens hail from Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cape Verde, Canada, People's Republic of China, Congo Kinshasa, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Liberia, Mexico, Moldova, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Somalia, South Korea, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Vietnam. "We need you and invite you to participate fully in the civic and cultural life of America," Robertson said. "As citizens, you have new rights and new obligations." The most important of those, she said, is the right to vote. She urged the new citizens to go out and register for the Nov. 6 elections. She said there is plenty of time to register, with the deadline being Oct. 17, according to the Secretary of State's website. "You have time; I urge you to do that and exercise that right, now that you've gained that right," Robertson said. Other speakers at the ceremony were Joseph S. Forte, supervisory immigration service officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Keith Farrar, acting superintendent, Springfield Armory National Historic Site; Zahi Haddad, professor in the Engineering Department at STCC; and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. "This is an event that is very special and always near and dear to my heart, and I'm always honored to be invited to it," Sarno said. He said that he is "first generation," noting that his parents were immigrants. They never forgot their roots and their traditions, he added, but "they were always proud to be American citizens." Sarno told the new citizens, "As you come to our country, and we value what you bring to our country ... it's important not only that you respect your American citizenship, but also to remember your country of origin, and the traditions and culture you bring here to the United States of America. "That's what continues to make the United States of America a beacon of hope, a beacon of democracy, a beacon of you can do it and you can make it in the United States of America," Sarno said. The ceremony was part of USCIS' annual celebration of Constitution Week, recognized this year from Sept. 14 to 23, and Citizenship Day, marked on Sept. 17. USCIS will welcome almost 45,000 new citizens at more than 260 naturalization ceremonies during this week-long observance. FREETOWN -- Construction is scheduled to begin Sept. 25 on a nearly 1-million-square-foot cannabis campus in this Bristol County town. "We know that there is a tidal wave of demand for cannabis in Massachusetts," CEO Tim Keogh of AmeriCann Inc. said in a phone interview Monday. The Denver, Colorado-based company handles consulting, design, construction and financing for marijuana businesses. The plan is for the 987,000-square-foot campus to cover 52 acres and have numerous tenants employing 300 to 400 people, Keogh said. A groundbreaking will be held to mark the onset of construction of the Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center's first, $6 million phase at 11 a.m. at 7 Campanelli Drive in the village of Assonet, officials said. The first phase is a 30,000 square foot building to be occupied by BASK Inc., a medical marijuana facility in Fairhaven, Keogh said. The BASK facility should be ready by May. Construction is scheduled to begin on the second building in January, he said. The campus will include facilities for research, training, laboratory testing, manufacturing, packaging and administration, officials said. "Think of it like a campus where we'll have up to seven or eight different businesses operating on the property," Keogh said. More construction will occur over the next two to three years, but the ultimate cost of the campus and timeline of additional tenants were uncertain, he said. AmeriCann has worked well with the town of Freetown, "a very business friendly community," he said. "They get it, and they really are excited about seeing the infrastructure and jobs," Keogh said. A press release referred to the campus as a "sustainable greenhouse facility." It will take advantage of growing plants under natural sunlight instead of indoors under artificial lights, with the goal of producing healthier plants, the press release said. AmeriCann's plan is to open similar cannabis campuses in states that have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use, the press release said. BOSTON - A former Boston police officer was convicted in federal court, Monday, of purchasing two firearms for acquaintances. Adarbaad Karani, 38, of West Roxbury, faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 after being convicted of two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of firearms and two counts of making a false statement in a record, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. The conviction came after a five-day trial in U.S. District Court. Karani is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel on Dec. 10, she said. Karani acted as the "straw purchaser' of a Glock model 27 .40 caliber pistol and a Glock model 30S, a .45 caliber pistol, for two acquaintances. He bought the guns, which cannot be purchased by civilians, using his police identification and falsely certified that the firearms were for his official police use, she said. The guns were purchased in November 2014 and September 2015 and in one purchase he said the firearm was not for resale, DiLorio-Sterling said. "Straw purchases interfere with firearm regulation and record keeping, and federal law prohibits making false statements to a firearms dealer in connection with the sale of a firearm," she said. Lelling, Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement of the conviction on Monday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling's Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case. SPRINGFIELD -- Prosecutors will seek a handwriting sample from the man accused in the 1992 slaying of Lisa Ziegert in Agawam. Gary Schara -- who has pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping and aggravated rape in Ziegert's death -- was in Hampden Superior Court Tuesday for a brief pretrial conference. Ziegert's parents and sister were among a group of about a dozen people who attended the hearing. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni told Judge Michael K. Callan he and defense lawyer Paul Rudof chose Nov. 15 for a hearing on the prosecution's request to take a buccal swab from Schara for DNA testing. The prosecution's motion to get a handwriting sample from Schara will also be heard that day. Schara was heavily guarded as he stood beside Rudof at the hearing. Another pretrial conference is set for April 17, 2019. Schara, 48, of West Springfield was arrested in September 2017. Ziegert, 24, was a teacher's assistant in Agawam Middle School when she was abducted from her second job at the Brittany's Card & Gift Shoppe on Walnut Street Extension on April 15, 1992. Her body was found four days later in a wooded area off Route 75 in Agawam. The Westfield State University graduate had been raped and stabbed, police said. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said last year that his office built on investigators' past efforts with new advances in DNA technology and more detective work that led local and state police to Schara's door on Sept. 14, 2017. Police told his roommate they were interested in speaking with Schara, who was on a short list of suspects from whom police were seeking DNA samples, investigators have said. Schara agreed to talk with police the following day, but instead attempted suicide, leaving a hand-written confession, according to Gulluni. Police took Schara into custody at a Connecticut hospital. WEST SPRINGFIELD -- It will be a little easier for Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito to carry firewood into her home this winter. Thanks to the new braided bag from Thorndike Mills that Polito purchased while touring the Massachusetts building at The Big E, Polito will be hauling her wood in style. Polito made a stop Monday afternoon at The Big E and toured the grounds accompanied by West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, Eastern States Exposition President and CEO Eugene Cassidy, state agriculture Commissioner John LeBeaux, and Andy Yee from the Bean Restaurant Group, which runs the Wurst Haus at the fair. She visited the Deep South Co., Wurst Haus, Massachusetts building and other places on the grounds, stopping to comment on the crowds and the economic impact of the fair and the new synergy that the MGM Springfield resort casino brings to the area. "There was some concern with competition like MGM just down the street. Would people come to the fair? Well I think that they work off each other. More people are coming to Western Mass because there is simply more to do and more to showcase. There's more economic activity in Western Mass than I've ever seen before," she said. Clearly enjoying the Massachusetts building, Polito was a magnet for the friendly vendors, many showering her with food. She even walked away with a foot-long "Pilgrim grinder" from Agawam's Main Street Deli. Owner Mike Locke wouldn't let her go without his signature item, a turkey feast on a roll. Nobody will be going hungry on the car ride back to Boston. Massachusetts pipeline safety regulators issued around $275,000 in Dig Safe fines last week, with 79 excavators facing civil penalties. At the top of the list was K. Daponte Construction Corp. of Fall River, with eight Dig Safe violations in Cambridge, Somerville, Marion, New Bedford, and Watertown from 2015 and 2016. With its penalties at $5,000 a pop, the firm was ordered to pay $40,000. Other repeat offenders were the Greener Group, LLC, of Lowell, with four admitted violations; FED Corporation of Dedham, with four; and Barletta Engineering of Canton, with three admitted violations. In Western Massachusetts, NPL Construction Co. "failed to employ reasonable precautions to avoid damage to underground facilities" when excavating near 134-138 Prospect St. in Springfield around July 6, 2016, and was fined $5,000 for the single violation. In Chicopee, F&J Construction of Ludlow admitted to causing damage to underground facilities on Grattan Street and Mary Street in 2015, and must pay $10,000. Other local firms must pay $1,000 fines for first-time or less-serious violations. In Massachusetts, Dig Safe rules are enforced by the state's Pipeline Engineering and Safety Division. The division did not return a call Monday seeking more information about its Western Massachusetts remedial orders. The Dig Safe law was enacted to ensure public safety and protect property when excavation is planned near underground utilities. It requires pre-marking the location with symbols and colors, providing 72 hours notice, and digging with "non-mechanical means" near pipelines, telecom cables, buried power lines, and the like. Contractors are told to "call 811" before starting a project. The Sept. 13 "comprehensive disposition" from the Department of Public Utilities bundled 100 cases. The violators had either received notices of probable violation, or received informal review decisions, and failed to respond as required. The failures constituted an admission to alleged facts, and authorized the DPU to issue its final remedial orders. The orders may be appealed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The documents may be viewed on the DPU website under docket number 18-70. Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com A New Hampshire man accused of kidnapping a 16-year-old boy and forcing him to ingest cocaine was caught in Methuen, authorities said Tuesday. The boy was reported missing in Manchester, New Hampshire, when police in Massachusetts found him during an alleged drug deal last week. Charles W. Anderson, 45, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested on kidnapping, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and drug charges, according to Methuen police. Investigators say Anderson forced to boy into his car and threatened to kill him if the boy ran. "After allegedly taking the boy and holding him against his will, Anderson allegedly drove to the Methuen area to purchase cocaine, and required the boy to ingest the drug," police said. On Sept. 12, around 1:45 p.m., Methuen Police detectives assigned to the Narcotics/Gangs and Intelligence Unit were conducting an investigation on the west side of the city. Police say the saw a drug transaction take place. They stopped one vehicle and found Anderson and the boy inside, police say. They were arrested after cocaine was discovered in the vehicle. Police then learned the boy had been reported missing. "Every parent's worst fear is that their child will be taken from them," Mayor James Jajuga said. "I'm so grateful for the work of our police department, which resulted in a young man being reunited with his family." Methuen police contacted the boy's parents, Manchester police and the New Hampshire Department of Children and Families. Anderson faces charges in Lawrence District Court. SPRINGFIELD - A fire in a three-story apartment building in the Forest Park neighborhood displaced 15 residents Tuesday afternoon. All families were able to escape safely from the fire, which was reported at about 3:30 p.m. on 51 Leete St., said Capt. Brian Tetreault, Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad Commander. There were no injuries in the fire, which was caused by a child who ignited a mattress while playing with matches, he said. "We heard the alarms and my grandma saw smoke and she told everyone to get out of the house," said Davian Escalera, 8. He, his twin brother and younger brother, 7, ran out while his grandfather and grandmother, Edwin Morales and Maria Ortiz grabbed the couple's African Grey bird named Bebe and escaped the house. The family lives on the first floor. "I heard the alarm and the guy from the second floor yelled fire, fire, I told everyone to get out and I took my bird and ran out," Ortiz said. Other families also gathered outside on the sidewalk and on the lawn of the neighboring house. Some cuddled cats and others held dogs on leashes. Firefighters arrived to find the fire in the third floor bedroom. They were able to extinguish it quickly, Tetreault said. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters concentrated their efforts on the third floor of the house, ventilating the third floor and ensuring no flames spread. Tetreault could not say how badly the home was damaged. Leete Street, a major cut-through for residents of Forest Park, Longmeadow and East Longmeadow, is closed between Coomes Street and Fort Pleasant Avenue while firefighters work. It is not known how long the road will be closed but it did create some traffic congestion. Utilities were also shut off at the home. The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting residents, Tetreault said. MONSON -- A movement is taking root in several Hampden and Worcester county communities to raise awareness of home foundations that are crumbling due to faulty concrete -- an issue that one legislator believes could impact 10,000 homeowners in the region. Several hundred people attended a forum Monday at Monson's Memorial Hall, with some who spoke out saying they've already been forced to make costly repairs. Longmeadow attorney Russell Dupere said he and his wife must pay $325,000 -- otherwise their home would have been wrecked. Dupere said insurance won't cover the costs, nor will the state or federal government chip in, so the repair money comes out of their own pockets. A number of state lawmakers and a bevy of aids for the Commonwealth's two Democratic senators, Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, attended the event. One of the aids told The Republican that Markey and Warren, along with Connecticut's two senators, have filed two bills in Washington that would direct either the department of Housing and Urban Development or the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide money for the repairs. One federal bill, the "Aid to Homeowners with Crumbling Foundations Act," would "establish a grant program to provide assistance to States to prevent and repair damage to structures due to pyrrhotite." Pyrrhotite is a mineral that, over time, can cause concrete to crack, crumble and fail. The mineral was present in the rock at a now-closed quarry in Willington, Connecticut, that was used to build more than 30,000 concrete foundations for homes in that state and about 10,000 in Massachusetts. A quartet of state legislators representing the region urged residents who think their homes may be impacted to testify at upcoming joint House and Senate hearings. Sen. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, told the attendees the committee would write a report sometime next year that "will not sit on the shelf." "We've got a long way to go," she said, adding: "We can't get the answers without everybody's help." Rep. Todd Smola, R-Warren said the committee will "need to get as much feedback as possible." "You did nothing wrong and are left holding the bag," said Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow. "It is important we change the underlying laws that got us into this situation." Rep. Brian M. Ashe, D-Longmeadow, said the legislators hope to find a solution "that will make people whole again." The legislators said the hearings have yet to be scheduled, but that they plan to convene at least one of them in Monson later this year. Monson residents Amelia Leonard, 32, and her husband Keith Leonard, 37, purchased their Moulton Hill Road home three years ago. The home was built in 2003. Amelia Leonard said she attended the public forum to learn about the issue, and because the front portion of their finished basement has been slowly sinking and they don't know why. She said her takeaway from the event was that "there are options for testing, don't be afraid to come forward and there is strength in numbers." Monson School Committee chairman Jeff Lord said that he lives in an old home with a stone foundation. The town official said he came to the meeting out of concern that many homes in the community could become damaged beyond repair if the homeowners do not have the means to fix their foundations. That could create a problem for municipal finance, Lord said. "My concern is, how are we going to pay for the schools, police, highway, fire, if our homes are worthless -- you can't assess a tax on something with no assessed value," he said. SPRINGFIELD - Police say a downed tree on Newberry Street is blocking traffic and will result in a detour until it can be removed, police said. Traffic is being diverted between Stockman Street and Hastings Street until Newberry Street is reopened, police said. The tree fell Tuesday afternoon during the heavy rain. Newberry Street is in the city's Liberty Street neighborhood. Bramble Hill, a 1901 mansion on Salisbury Street in Worcester and the former home of industrialist Milton P. Higgins, has been sold to a Dunstable-based developer for $820,000, land records show. Allerton Development Group of Boston sold the property on Aug. 29 to the Premier Property Group. The mansion, located at 757 Salisbury St., is known as Bramble Hill. The mansion has been vacant since 2007, according to Preservation Worcester, which recently placed the mansion on the group's annual Most Endangered properties list. Bramble Hill is an example of the Georgian Revival style, the preservation group said. "This grand mansion has monumental columns at the front door to greet you and give you a hint of its gracious interior," Preservation Worcester wrote. "Originally sited on 135 acres, it is unique for its secluded setting within Worcester's city limits." Land records show 25 acres of the Higgins estate was sold in 2001. An over-55 community, called Salisbury Hill, was built on 90 acres of the property, while the main house, a caretaker's cottage, two barns, a greenhouse and about 25 acres were separately purchased in 2001, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports. Seventeen acres remain undeveloped. Milton and Alice Higgins were well-known in Worcester. Milton was an industrialist and Alice was a philanthropist. "They were a prominent family in the educational and cultural life of Worcester," Preservation Worcester said. "Milton Higgins was Chairman of the Board and President of Norton Company and both Alice and Milton were associated with Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University." City records show the mansion is 8,159 square feet with nine bedrooms and five bathrooms. A 51-year-old Worcester man who used the stolen identity of a disabled Medicare beneficiary for 17 years and threatened to kill the man's family has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. Jose Agosto pleaded guilty in January to four counts of wire fraud, four counts of misusing a Social Security number, three counts of making false statements relating to health care services and five counts of aggravated identity theft. On Tuesday, Agosto was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to the 37 months in prison as well as three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $11,036 in restitution, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. Agosto admitted that he lived under the Medicare beneficiary's name in order to obtain replacement Social Security cards, driver's licenses and bank accounts, Lelling's office said in a statement. In an effort to intimidate the victim and his family, Agosto left them threatening voicemail messages, warning of a "massacre," the statement said. According to authorities, one of the messages was: "I'm going to start killing all of your family one-by-one. I'll start killing your mother, I'll kill your sister, and then the last one's going to be you." Agosto was charged on Aug. 9, 2017, and has been in custody since. In addition to the messages, Agosto executed promissory notes under the victim's name and then defaulted on them. He also sought medical treatment under the victim's name and in doing so caused medical providers to submit more than $148,000 in claims to Medicare. Agosto is not a Medicare beneficiary. By Keylin Portillo, The Master's University Felix Martin del Campo Jr. was a Hispanic kid born in East LA. After growing up in Californias central valley he became a dentist and has since used his training to have an impact for Christ around the globe. While he says hes as surprised as anyone to see what the Lord has done over the past four decades, he has simply responded to Gods calling by aiming to live a life of faith and obedience. Looking at my life backward its been very interesting, and I couldnt have planned it. Its been one step at a time and obedience through Gods grace stepping forward and doing it. He attended USC for his undergraduate work and then committed what some would consider the unpardonable sin: he switched from USC to UCLA. As a Bruin in 1976 he graduated from the UCLA School of Dentistry. While at USC in 1971, he attended a Bible study and it was there he met John MacArthur. The two have been friends ever since. Its a short list of those who have given the TMU president a filling and a root canal and Dr. Martin del Campo is on it. Dr. Martin del Campo joined the board for The Masters University in 1992 and has served faithfully for 26 years. In addition to MacArthur, Dr. Martin del Campo has treated Franklin Graham and his father as patients. It was through Graham that he began serving on the board with the international aid organization Samaritans Purse. An arm of that organization is World Medical Missions which sends out 800 doctors around the world in an effort to relieve long-term missionaries on furlough. In 1970, Dr. Martin del Campo went to El Salvador on his first short-term mission trip with Samaritans Purse. Over nearly 50 years he has gone on mission trips to Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia, China, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Liberia. Hes been to Moldova every year since 2005. Dentistry has been a tremendous way to get in the door all over the world, he said. Its been unbelievably interesting for me. I just want to do what we all should be doing, that is use my vocation to serve the Lord. I never thought that it would be an entrance into ministry. His specialty is designing and setting up state-of-the-art mobile dental clinics. North Korea and Siberia, among other countries, have benefited from such ministries. Most recently, in 2016, Dr. Martin del Campo set up a clinic in Papua New Guinea. We brought in three chairs and built a complete dental suite as modern as anything in California complete with digital X-rays. He still holds his dental practice in Visalia, Calif., but shuts down for two weeks at a time to go all over the world to serve the Lord. Over 42 years I havent let any life event be an excuse to prevent me from the ministry, he said. You need to just go out in faith and do it or youll end up 42 years later and have never gone. God has been faithful. Practicing dentistry around the world has provided Dr. Martin del Campo a captive audience to hear testimonies of Gods work in his life. For the glory of God I want to tell people how He has been faithful and how Hes done more than I could ever expect. Its by living a life of faith. When hes not asking someone to open wide, he enjoys dabbling with photography. Over the past few years hes learned how to shoot landscapes and says he enjoys that very much. He said he appreciates TMUs commitment to Scripture, as one of the few faithful schools left that still teaches a literal six-day creation. If you mess it up at the beginning, you mess it up at the end, he said. In working with students over the past 30 years Ive gotten to meet many students and Ive been so impressed with the level of education here and have been blessed by hearing their testimonies, he said. Ive seen the influence of The Masters University around the world. He has been married to his wife, Janet, for 46 years and has three children, all of whom graduated from TMU. His daughter, Christina, is an English teacher in Camarillo, his daughter, Beth, teaches Pilates in Santa Clarita and his son, Michael, is a clothing developer for the clothing brand Stussy. The thing I love personally about the University is that all three of my kids have benefited greatly from their education at Masters, he said. Ive seen firsthand the impact that the school has had on their spiritual lives. The Masters University exists to train students with the same missional mindset that is a hallmark of Dr. Martin del Campos life. I made a pledge to the Lord that if I make it to my 60s and Im still not living on the street then Im happy to tell anybody about my testimony about living a life by faith and how God has been faithful to provide, he said. My plan was not to make money. My plan was to be obedient to God. Even though money wasnt the main goal, God has blessed me with opportunities I could never have imagined. And Im still here. In looking back over his life and career Dr. Martin del Campos humble nature shines through. A guy from east LA, raised in a small town in central California led this incredible life. How does this happen? God is faithful. In addition to fatigue, high blood pressure, and weight gain experienced by individuals with chronically poor sleep, productivity and performance in the workplace are also known to suffer. Sleep deprivation, for example, can cost employers up to six lost working days and $2,762 in financial impact annually per employee. Today, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that 50-70 million adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic sleep issues or wakefulness disorder. Medgadget has previously covered sleep management solutions seeking to help individuals achieve better sleep. An upcoming player in the market is startup dayzz, a subsidiary of Maarbarot Products, an Israeli developer, manufacturer, and marketer of advanced nutrition and health products. Since July 2017, dayzz has been developing an evidence-based, personalized sleep training app for enterprise workforces to improve sleep quality while reducing healthcare and employer costs. According to dayzz Chief Science Officer Dr. Mairav Cohen-Zion, Effectively treating sleep conditions necessitates a thorough understanding and attention to individual elements. Dayzz achieves just that by offering a one stop source of known high-quality, effective sleep solutions integrated into an individualized tailored sleep management program. While dayzz is not slated for release until next month, in the meantime, Medgadget had a chance to learn more about dayzzs business, technology, and plan from CEO Amir Inditzky. Amir represents 15 years of experience leading innovative, complex online products, and was formerly head of e-commerce and technology innovation at Israel Discount Bank. Check back later this year for Medgadgets review of the dayzz system once it becomes available. Medgadget, Michael Batista: Thank you for taking the time to tell us more about dayzzs training technology. To start, where did the idea for dayzz come from and what market needs does dayzz solve? Amir Inditzky: Dayzz is an innovative corporate sleep solution in the shape of a mobile app. It provides personalized sleep training plans based on big-data analysis, customized to the needs and progress of each user. Using smart monitoring devices, mobile behavior technology, and a unique sleep assessment developed by world-leading sleep experts, dayzz matches users with a training plan tailored to their specific sleep issues, lifestyle, and individual sleep goals. Dayzz offers its product to self-insured employers in the US to support their employees and reduce costs by enhancing performance through increased productivity, fewer accidents and days off work, and decreased healthcare utilization. An employers program includes a sleep assessment to evaluate the prevalence of sleep disorders in the organization and their economic impact, a mobile app, a sleep monitoring device, and ongoing guidance by a sleep trainer. The idea for dayzz was born from the market need. Currently, if you are suffering from sleep difficulties, chances are that they are undiagnosed or untreated. In the case that you do decide to seek help via the traditional healthcare system, your journey will likely be long, difficult, and at times costly. In order to properly treat a sleep disorder you need a wide variety of solutions (mainly behavioral and environmental) and the ability to combine them in a smart, personalized manner. The traditional healthcare system is not able to offer a variety of solutions, let alone accompany someone making choices and adjustments throughout his or her journey. Currently, most digital solutions are comprised of a one size fits all method, and focus on one element, where a combination of various elements is required in order to properly treat a sleep disorder. This lack of sufficient, appropriate solutions is costing US employers billions of dollar a year. Insufficient sleep leads to absenteeism and presenteeism, decreased productivity, higher accident risk, and increased healthcare utilization which all translate into a huge economic impact in the workplace. This is the gap that dayzz wishes to address we want to establish a one stop shop for sleep improvement where people can find everything they need whenever they need it, wherever they need it in a digital, personalized solution. Medgadget: Dayzz promises to help users improve their sleep. What does dayzz define as an improvement and how is it tracked? Inditzky: Sleep measurement can be split into two major categories: subjective and objective. Dayzz focuses on tracking sleep changes within these two realms. We communicate with the user to get self-reported (subjective) data on sleep improvement, while passively measuring (objective) changes using technology, such as sleep/wake tracking, which is integrated into the app. We look at change in sleep quality, duration, and continuity (sleep initiation and maintenance abilities). Dayzz also measures improvement in sleep as a function of waking behavior and performance. For example, daytime arousal, sleepiness, concentration, and mood functions which are all greatly affected by our sleep. Medgadget: As a business strategy, is dayzz completely focused on employers? Do you currently or do you plan to in the future also cater to individual consumers and providers? As an individual, will I be able to download and use the dayzz app free of charge? Inditzky: We are currently focused on employers as our target customers. Our business model is subscription-based per employee per month. We plan to sell our solution either directly to employers, or via existing corporate wellness digital platforms. Down the road, we have plans to collaborate with providers using dayzz as a clinical decision support tool, as well as with payers in order to reduce healthcare costs. Having said that, as of October 2018, we definitely plan to offer our product to individual consumers free of charge in order to fulfil our core mission to provide everyone who is suffering from insufficient sleep with an accessible, easy to use sleep solution. We are constantly listening to users and learning about their needs, improving our product, and gathering more data for improving performance and personalization capabilities. Medgadget: After the dayzz system learns a bit about the user, it generates a sleep training plan. What does the training plan include? Inditzky: The basis of our entire system is data collection and analysis; we are constantly learning about our users and adapt their plans accordingly. The app provides a personal sleep improvement guide, combining training modules categorized into four outcome domains: Days, Nights, Environment, and Mind. The Days category has suggestions regarding waking behaviors that may affect sleep, including natural and artificial light exposure, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol use, nutrition, napping, and use of an alarm. Nights focuses on recommendations related to behaviors during nighttime hours which may affect sleep ability and continuity or lead to nighttime arousal, sleep loss, or sleep fragmentation. This includes sleep schedules, day/night preference, and sleep postures. The Environment modules include all tangible elements in the natural sleep environment that are known to affect sleep or internal sleep/wake rhythms, such as ambient room temperature, light/dark exposure, and noise levels. The last category, the Mind, encompasses elements which may positively affect preparedness for sleep or the transition into sleep, such as reduction of mental hyperarousal, sleep-related anxieties, and worry. The modules in this category use cognitive and behavioral means to reduce hyperarousal and increase calmness, such as thought-challenging for sleep-related anxieties, meditation sessions, breathing and relaxation exercises, and physical exercise recommendations. The above categories are disclosed to the user who track their own advancement through these sleep-related arenas, thereby actively incorporating the users in their own understanding of their sleep issues. This helps to increase sleep awareness and motivation to continue the sleep training journey successfully. The active ingredient, or the most crucial element of our plan and what makes dayzz so unique, is the constantly adaptive plan which creates a dialogue with the users and allows us to integrate the treatment into the users life in the most optimal manner. Medgadget: What kind of feedback do users receive? The dayzz website mentions sleep trainers. How do these support resources play a role? Inditzky: We offer a complete sleep improvement solution based on two assumptions: A person may have more than one sleep issue therefore, we address each of the indicators. Sleep is not only affected by our nights therefore, we cover all 24 hours of the day and offer four training domains. We believe that sleep can always be improved, and the key to success is training our sleep habits with lifestyle changes and adjustments over time, similar to trying to lose weight or practicing sports. We challenge the user with quick tasks for a whole week, track the users progress, and adjust the plan with new tasks based on performance and ranking. The training plan is reflected on a dashboard, where the user earns trophies for each completed flow, which is a combination of tasks dealing with a certain topic, such as caffeine consumption, exposure to daylight, or adjusting to a new bedtime. We engage our users through timed reminders and motivation boosts based on their location, motion, and activity. For example, we might send the user a reminder to drink his/her last cup of coffee when recognizing a restaurant presence, calculating his/her total daylight exposure time based on time spent outdoors, ot tracking sleep data based on the mobile usage and activity. Currently, we are performing a closed pilot with approximately 100 users. The sleep trainer function is designed to support the emotional and motivational aspects of each user. Sleep improvement is a process and can take a while to create long lasting change. And, as we all know, adhering to a plan is one of the biggest challenges in digital health. The sleep trainer provides our users with what we call TLC: tender, love and care. The trainer motivates users to stick to their plan, in addition to an engaging user experience, and provides a human touch, which is sometimes missing for people who suffer from these sleep issues. We are currently developing a sleep support group, which will be guided by a sleep trainer and will be composed of users with shared experiences who can support each other throughout the process. Medgadget: What is the science behind dayzzs sleep training plans [and supporting feedback, if applicable]? Inditzky: In recent years, a significant amount of scientific research has focused on validating a range of behavioral treatments for specific sleep disorders, from insomnia to sleep apnea. As a result, several evidence-based protocols have been designed to target specific sleep disorders such as Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia (CBT-I). The dayzz sleep training plans are soundly based on the scientific knowledge in the sleep field. All our treatments are derived from working with leading sleep experts and well-established, validated protocols which have been modified to fit the digital platform and to be accessible and engaging to a wide-range of users dealing with sleep disorders or wishing to improve their sleep habits. All this theoretical knowledge is integrated with the data the application collects about users behavior to produce our smart algorithm. This serves as the core element of our system. We are currently running a large clinical trial at a leading medical research institution in the US, with the main goal of validating the dayzz proprietary sleep assessment (which was developed with world leading sleep experts) in the population-at-large. Moreover, we are about to embark on clinical trials, testing our sleep training programs. The fact that dayzz is science based is a key success factor and a differentiator of our solution. Many of the apps in the app store today are not evidence-based and thus their efficacy and value are unknown. Medgadget: Ive had a chance to demo a number of sleep technologies over the last few years. With a range of wearable, bedside, and app-based sleep technologies available, what differentiates dayzz? Inditzky: You are right, the sleep tech arena is on the rise, and there are a lot of solutions out there. The problem with the existing solutions, though, is that most of them are generic and not personalized. Most of the existing technologies will provide only monitoring, or give superficial insights, but will not provide you with an actionable, effective plan. If they do offer concrete treatment, its usually composed of one single solution and is not fit to the users specific sleep habits or lifestyle. In order to treat the problem, it takes a smart mix of solutions orchestrated into a coherent personalized plan, which is exactly what dayzz offers. The main factor that differentiates dayzz from current sleep training apps on the market is the assessment function. The app also easily puts your personal sleep stats into context that is easy to understand. For example, if you sync your tracking device, it shows you exactly how much REM sleep, or deep or light sleep you are getting, and provides you with the insight to understand what each data point means, what is normative and what needs to change. Additionally, because dayzz understands that one single approach is not likely solve your sleep issue(s), we are able to personalize solutions in a consciousness way that adapt to your needs as you progress. Medgadget: While dayzz is nearing launch, has there been any initial feedback or highlights from early adopters? What do users like most about dayzz? Inditzky: The feedback we have received so far is amazing. Many of our users are people who have tried everything to help themselves sleep. Most of them report that dayzz is the first solution theyve successfully been able to adhere to and has provided them with a wide variety of tools to improve their sleep in a sustainable manner. Most of the users report not only better sleep, but also that they feel more supported, vital, productive, and happier. Medgadget: Thank you again for your time. To close, when will dayzz be hitting the market and what comes next for dayzz once the product goes live? Inditzky: Android and iOS alpha versions of the Dayzz app will be soft-launched in October to help the company gather enough user data for quality-assurance testing and optimization. After the soft launch, we will continue to add additional features and treatment modules such as support groups and CPAP adherence support. The subsequent goal is a hard launch in early 2019 for employers looking to reduce costs and improve their employees well being. Link: dayzz To Get Sample Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/867 The Global Dental Bone Graft Market is expected to reach an approximate CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. Globally the market for dental bone graft is increasing rapidly the main reason for this is the growth is the increase in the aging population. The factors that influence the growth of Dental Bone Graft are the increasing development in technology and the different types of bone graft options such as Autograft, Xenograft, Alloplast/synthetic bone grafts and allograft. According to the British editorial society of bone and joint surgery, bone was the second most common transplanted tissue after blood with an estimated 2.2 million grafting procedures annually worldwide in 2015. However, risk and complications from bone grafting procedures and the high cost of the procedure may hamper the market growth during the forecast period. Global Dental Bone Graft Market, by Key Players Straumann AG Dentsply Sirona Zimmer Biomet Geistlich Medtronic BioHorizons IPH, Inc ACE Surgical Supply Company, Inc. RTI Surgical, Inc LifeNet Health Kerr Dental Dentium Segments for Global Dental Bone Graft Market The global dental bone graft market is segmented on the basis of type, product, material form, application, and end-user. The global dental bone graft market by type is segmented into synthetic bone graft, xenograft, allograft, and demineralized allograft. Synthetic bone graft is further segmented into ceramics, tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, and others. Demineralized allograft is further segmented bio-reabsorbable and non-bio-reabsorbable. Based on the product segment the market is segmented into bio-oss, osteograf, grafton, and others. On the basis material form, the market is segmented of injectable, granules, and putty. Based on the application the market is segmented into socket preservation, ridge augmentation, periodontal defect regeneration, implant bone regeneration, and sinus lift. On the basis of end-user, the market is categorized into dental clinics, research and dental laboratories, and others. On the basis of region, the global dental bone graft market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas is sub-segmented into North America and South America. The North American region is further segmented into the US and Canada. The European region is divided into two, namely, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified into Germany, Italy, France, the U.K., Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The Asia-Pacific region is sub-segmented into Japan, China, India, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. The Middle Eastern and African region is sub-segmented into the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa. Regional Analysis for Global Dental Bone Graft Market The dental bone graft market is dominated by Europe owing to the rising healthcare expenditure that contributes to enhancing the market growth in this region. As there is a transition happening in the use of the types of bone grafts for the various restorative & reconstructive dental procedures, the world is adopting the new technologies leading to the massive growth in the market. It is estimated that North America stood second in the global dental bone graft market. As a result of advancement in the dentistry and development of the dental industry in Europe, the dental bone grafts market has grown significantly in the region. Asia-Pacific is likely to witness growth in the dental bone graft market during the forecast period owing to the increasing number of healthcare organizations, growing advantages of the dental bone graft. The rapidly changing technology and growing awareness in the region influence the market growth. China, India, and Japan are the key market players in this region and Asia-Pacific is expected to be the largest market for the dental bone graft. The Middle East and Africa holds the least share in the global dental bone graft market due to the presence of stringent government policies and poor economies. To Get an Exclusive Discount on Report Visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/867 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), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Global Stairlift Market 2018 Forecast 2022 report provides 360 view on Industry by shading light on all major factors like Key Players, Demand for Products, End User & Applications, Future Growth & Forecast. The competitive landscape of the global stairlift market is highly fragmented owing to the presence of several local players. Typically, majority of the players cater to their local market with little presence overseas. Companies such as Platinum Stairlifts, Harmar Mobility, LLC, Bruno Independent Living Aids, Inc., ThyssenKrupp Accessibility BV and Stannah Lifts Holdings Ltd. among others have a broader presence within the global market. The global stairlift market size is anticipated to witness a 7.0% CAGR over the forecast period due to increasing consumer awareness for medical devices offering mobility access. Installation of stairlifts has recently entered several untapped regions such as Australia with more and more players entering the market to address the potentially growing demand. Request sample copy of Global Stairlift Market @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/10 Rigorous marketing strategies by key players play a major role to increase stairlift demand because of unawareness among consumers especially in developing economies. Since, there are countries lacking in technological infrastructural growth, awareness for stairlifts is a crucial factor to increase the overall sales. Stairlift manufacturers focus on continuous improvisation to enhance their product portfolio in order to meet the requirements of customers. Furthermore, incorporation of adaptive mechanisms such as powered and manual swivel technology with a safety switch is a major trend in the global market. Also, use of rechargeable batteries leading to high efficiency and simplified operations are some other major trends pertaining in the global stairlifts market. Although, concerns associated with potential risk of injury due to inappropriate installation and faulty mechanism are major factors expected to pose challenges in the global market. Read details of the report Global Stairlift Market @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/industry-reports/stairlift-market In 2017, straight stairlifts accounted for more than half share of the global stairlift market. Straight stairlifts have been gaining tremendous popularity among consumers especially in North America and Europe. High customized requirements at residences and easy & low cost installation has resulted in the direct selling of straight stairlifts. Though the popularity of straight stairlifts is high, their penetration is low among consumers who are opting for curved stairlifts owing to their complex design structure suitable for multistoried residences. North America was the largest market for stairlifts in 2016 and is expected to witness the fastest growth over the next few years. Europe is expected to be the second fastest growing market after North America on account of rising consumer demand, increasing consumer disposable income, rising health awareness, and changing lifestyles of consumers. The Chinese stairlift market is projected to witness a significant growth due to growing geriatric population, rapid inclination towards technology innovations as well as demand for cost effective & multi-functional medical devices. Enquire more details of the Global Stairlift Market report @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/10 Key segments of the global stairlift marketProduct Overview, 2014-2022 (USD Million) Straight Stairlifts Curved Stairlifts Application Overview, 2014-2022 (USD Million) Residential Medicare Areas Public Places Regional Overview, 2014-2022 (USD Million) North America US Canada Europe Germany United Kingdom France Italy Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India Australia Korea South East Asia Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Find the graphical representations of Global Stairlift Market here @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/infographics/global-stairlift-market Keratoconus KC is a condition of the eye which results in liberal thinning of the cornea. This may result in blurry vision, double vision, near sightedness, astigmatism, and light sensitivity. Usually both eyes are affected. In more severe cases a scarring or a circle may be seen within the cornea. While the cause is unknown, it is thought to occur due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. Further about seven percent of those affected have a family history of the condition, proposed environmental factors comprise of rubbing eyes and allergies. The fundamental mechanism involves changes of the cornea to a cone shape. Diagnosis is by examination with a slit lamp. Get Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3861 Moreover initially the condition can typically be corrected with glasses or soft contact lenses. As the disease worsens special contact lenses may be required. In most people the disease stabilizes after a few years without severe vision problems. In a small number of Keratoconus KC is a condition of the eye which results in liberal thinning of the cornea. This may result in blurry vision, double vision, near sightedness, astigmatism, and light sensitivity. Usually both eyes are affected. In more severe cases a scarring or a circle may be seen within the cornea. While the cause is unknown, it is thought to occur due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. Further about seven percent of those affected have a family history of the condition, proposed environmental factors comprise of rubbing eyes and allergies. The fundamental mechanism involves changes of the cornea to a cone shape. Diagnosis is by examination with a slit lamp. The global keratoconus treatment market has been evaluated as a rapidly growing market and it is expected to continue growing in the near future. Approximately 3 million people are affected by this disease across the globe. Advanced diagnostic and treatment options are key drivers for this market. Increasing awareness of the disease, increasing funding for R&D and growing demand from emerging regions such as Asia are major driving forces of the market. Major players of this market are investing in R&D to develop effective solution for keratoconus. Introduction of wide range of lenses is important factor for market growth. people scarring of the cornea occurs and a corneal transplantation is required The global keratoconus treatment market has been evaluated as a rapidly growing market and it is expected to continue growing in the near future. Approximately 3 million people are affected by this disease across the globe. Advanced diagnostic and treatment options are key drivers for this market. Increasing awareness of the disease, increasing funding for R&D and growing demand from emerging regions such as Asia are major driving forces of the market. Major players of this market are investing in R&D to develop effective solution for keratoconus. Introduction of wide range of lenses is important factor for market growth. Key players Some of the key players in this market are: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (US), CIBA VISION (US), CooperVision (US), HOYA Vision Care (Singapore), Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (US), Menicon Co., Ltd. (Japan), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Optik Seis (Indonesia), and SAFILENS S.R.L. (Italy), and others. Segments: Global keratoconus treatment market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises of forme fruste keratoconus, corneal hydrops, keratoglobus, pellucid marginal degeneration, posterior keratoconus, and others. On the basis of diagnosis, the market is segmented into computerized corneal mapping, keratometry, slit-lamp examination, refraction test, and others. Slit-lamp examination includes tonometry, vision testing, and others. On the basis of treatments, the market has been segmented into lenses, surgery, collagen cross-linking, and others. Lenses is sub-segmented into eyeglasses or soft contact lenses, hard contact lenses, piggyback lenses, hybrid lenses, scleral lenses, and others. Surgery is sub-segmented into corneal inserts, cornea transplant, and others. Collagen cross-linking is still in research process and more study is required to implement this treatment option. On the basis of end user, it is segmented into eye hospitals & clinics, medical research centers, academic institutes, and others. Regional Considering the global scenario of the market, America is the highest revenue generator with North American region contributing the most. North America mainly includes US and Canada. US is one of the dominant markets not only in America but also in the global market. European market is the second largest and UK is believed to be the fastest growing market for keratoconus treatment in this region. Increasing awareness, growing purchasing power, and rapidly improving healthcare sector are driving the growth for Asia Pacific keratoconus market. Asia Pacific is one of the high potential market for keratoconus treatment. Due to slow adoption of new treatments and prosucts, Middle East and Africa is expected to grow at steady pace. Apply for Exclusive Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/3861 Detailed Table of Contents: 1. Report Prologue 2. Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations 2.3 Market Structure 2.4. Market Segmentation 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Research Process 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation 3.5 Forecast Model Continued Send An Enquiry @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/3861 About US: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Global M Health Device Market Key Players Some of the key players in this market are: Allscripts Apple Inc. GE Healthcare Athena health Cerner Koninklijke Medtronic Global M Health Device Market Overview The report also focuses on different applications in which mHealth devices are being used. Further, all of the above-mentioned report coverage parameters are discussed across different regions like North Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). There is a growing acceptance of wearable devices pertaining to medical applications is further propelling the demand of mHealth devices across the ecosystem. These devices enable various e-health data content and services to users, by using wireless technologies. The global mHealth device market has been identified as one of the fastest growing industries, owing to the changing dynamics of the legal and regulatory framework and the intense competitive rivalry among a plethora of public companies. The devices include Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) (sensors, semiconductors & smartphones, and Personal Digital Asstaints manufacturers) along with manufacturers of medical devices, health and fitness devices, and other devices. However, this report focuses specifically on the end product providers (medical devices, Health & fitness devices, and others). These devices are deployed for monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment applications that augment the chances of better healthcare and fitness systems. These devices work as a guiding framework to record the data by the patient and send it to the healthcare providers for feedback. Get Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2866 Global M Health Device Market Segments Global M-Health Device Market has been segmented on the basis of Type (Medical Devices, Health and Fitness Devices and Other Devices), by Application (Monitoring application, Treatment and Diagnostics, Education and Awareness, Healthcare Management, Wellness and Prevention and Others) Global M Health Device Market Regional Analysis The Global M-Health Devices Market is growing rapidly. The market for M-Health Devices growing with the CAGR of 35.03% during the forecast period from 2017-2023. This growth is due to the cost effectiveness of these devices and easy storage and transfer of patient data. North America accounts for largest market share in 2016 and is expected to reach US$ 16,443.4 million in 2023 due to establishment of healthcare system and technological advancement. In North America, US accounts for the highest market share followed by Canada. Europe is second largest market. In Europe has largest market followed by France and Italy. This is due to increase in efficiency of healthcare workers and healthcare system. Asia-Pacific region is the fastest growing market for m-health devices, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35.71% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2023 is due to the emergence of high-quality and better healthcare infrastructure and institutions in this region. To Know More Enquire @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2866 Major Table of Content Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope of the Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics Continued. 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. 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: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 17, 2018 Amazon has launched an internal investigation partially based on a report in The Wall Street Journal that claimed employees allegedly sold data and accepted bribes from independent merchants. Reviews -- good or bad -- can determine the sequence in which a company appears on a webpage in search query results. Google and other search engines have long relied on reviews to determine rank on a page. Amazon's probe, intended to plug data leaks and bribes of employees, focuses on deleting negative reviews and other scams from appearing on its website -- as well as gaining access to internal sales information. The WSJ quoted a price of about $300 to delete a bad review. advertisement advertisement Most of this occurred in China, per the report. In exchange for payments ranging from about $80 to more than $2,000, brokers for Amazon employees in Shenzhen are offering internal sales metrics and reviewers email addresses, as well as a service to delete negative reviews and restore banned Amazon accounts, the people said, the WSJ reports. Employees and merchants could face criminal and/or legal penalties, per the report. There are policies and systems in place to detect and prevent this type of action, but it is not always easy to do. Fake reviews have always been a major issue for brands, marketplaces and websites, but recently companies are taking legal action against possible perpetrators. Imposed by a court in Lecce, Italy, the owner of a small company that offered wrote fake reviews on TripAdvisor could get jail time. The buying or selling of fake reviews known as paid review fraud is not only dishonest, but also illegal in many countries, wrote TripAdvisor in a blog post that details the action taken by the company to stop review fraud. The investigation began in 2015, when TripAdvisors fraud detection team identified the small business called PromoSalento, which offered to write fake reviews for hospitality businesses to boost their profile on TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor's investigation applied advanced digital forensics to identify and analyze links between PromoSalento and attempted submissions to its site. The analysis identified and then either blocked or removed more than 1,000 attempts by PromoSalento to submit reviews to the TripAdvisor site on hundreds of different properties. by Larissa Faw , September 18, 2018 Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) is reorganizing its leadership team with the return of former managing director Tom Blessington. Now, Colleen DeCourcy and Blessington will lead the independent agency as co-presidents, and Dave Luhr and Susan Hoffman will move into chair roles alongside W+K co-founder Dan Wieden. Blessington returns to W+K after a year at YouTube, where he held the position of vice president of brand, media, and experiences. Previously, he was managing director of W+K Portland for 11 years, where he helped the agency expand its client roster and double its staff. He also helped open and establish W+K Amsterdam and later W+K New York, serving as its first managing director. Blessington was also a member of the agencys partner/stakeholder group, a position he will resume. advertisement advertisement DeCourcy has been at W+K since 2013, when she was hired as global executive creative director. She became partner/stakeholder in 2014 and chief creative officer in 2016. Luhr, who has been president of W+K since 2013, joined the agency in 1986 to run the Nike business. At the time the start-up shop had a staff of 30 and a single office in Portland. He later became managing director of the Portland office and one of the agencys first partners/stakeholders. Hoffman came to W+K as employee number eight. During her tenure she has helped open W+K offices around the world and has served as executive creative director in Portland, Amsterdam, London, New York City, and Delhi, and for the past year has been in the chief creative officer role on the global management team. Concurrently, Neil Christie -- who has served as W+Ks chief operating officer since March of 2017 -- will assume a new role in the W+K London office as chief executive. Helen Andrews remains W+K Londons managing director alongside executive creative directors Iain Tait and Tony Davidson. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 18, 2018 Maine Governor Paul LePage is seeking to appeal a ruling that allowed two Facebook users who were blocked by him to proceed with a free speech lawsuit. "This case raises issues of significant (and rapidly increasing) importance," LePage argues in papers filed late last week with U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock, Jr. in Maine. "This case is one of many recently filed actions that seek to constitutionalize government officials use of social media -- an issue of profound importance to any candidate or official who seeks to communicate with voters or constituents through this new medium." Last month, Woodcock refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed against LePage by the ACLU on behalf of Karin Leuthy and Kelli Whitlock Burton, who allege they were banned from LePage's Facebook after posting critical comments. LePage is now seeking permission to immediately appeal that ruling to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. He also is asking Woodcock to stay the case pending appeal. advertisement advertisement LePage had argued to Woodcock that the lawsuit should be dismissed for several reasons, including that the page was personal, as opposed to official. The governor contended that the page reflected his "private speech," and that he has a First Amendment right to decide what material to allow on the page. Leuthy and Burton countered that the page was run by the government. They noted that the page was labeled as "official," and that LePage uses his Facebook page to discuss government business. Woodcock said in his ruling that dismissal at an early stage would be premature. "The plaintiffs pleaded facts that lead to a reasonable inference the governor acted under color of state law when he deleted their posts and banned them from his Facebook page," Woodcock wrote. LePage argues in his new court papers that the rules that prohibit censorship in physical public forums -- like parks -- should not necessarily apply online. "Social media networks are so revolutionary precisely because they enable any citizen to spread his or her message to millions of others with just a few keystrokes," he writes. "Nobody needs access to LePages Facebook page to communicate their message; Plaintiffs can easily create their own page or post comments on some of the many other Facebook pages that are highly critical of LePage." The ACLU opposes LePage's request, arguing that there is no justification for an immediate appeal. LePage isn't the only public official to be sued for blocking critics on social media. Other politicians, including President Trump, were hit with similar lawsuits. Trump lost a round in court several months ago, when a federal judge in New York ruled that the president violates the First Amendment by blocking critics on Twitter. The Department of Justice recently asked the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse that ruling. Schizophrenia is a complex mental condition that is still not fully understood in terms of how brain circuitry links up to behavioral symptoms. Now, however, scientists seem to have found a way to make some of the symptoms disappear. Share on Pinterest Researchers recently probed the brain circuits involved in schizophrenia. Recent studies have suggested that some of the symptoms of schizophrenia such as memory problems, hallucinations, and hyperactivity may be due to desynchronized brain cells. As yet, however, there has been no biological explanation for this at the cell level. The investigators, from the University of Geneva in Switzerland, say that the desynchronization is due to deficiency in a type of cell that acts like an orchestra conductor. When they restored this cells function in adult mice bred to develop some behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia, the symptoms disappeared. There is a scientific report on their new findings in a paper that now features in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Dysfunctional inhibitory neurons The mouse model consisted of adult mice that were engineered to carry a schizophrenia risk gene and that developed some behavioral symptoms of the disorder. A comparison of a brain circuit in these mice with those of control, unmodified mice, revealed that in the latter, the thousands of cells in the circuit behaved in a coordinated, synchronized fashion, following a precise time sequence. The cells in the same circuit of the schizophrenia model mice were just as active but the activity was uncoordinated. This was due to dysfunction in a group of cells known as inhibitory neurons. The organization and synchronization of neural networks, says senior study author Alan Carleton, of the Department of Basic Neuroscience, is achieved through the intervention of subpopulations of inhibitory neurons, including parvalbumin neurons. In their schizophrenia mouse model, however, the inhibitory neurons were much less active, he explains, adding that when there is insufficient inhibition to control and structure the electrical activity of other neurons in the network, anarchy rules. Genetic and environmental origins Schizophrenia is a serious condition that can affect thinking , feeling, behavior, and interaction with others. While symptoms can vary widely from person to person, the disease is long-lasting and often disabling. A person with schizophrenia experiences psychotic symptoms and can come across as if they are not in touch with reality. They may hear voices, experience hallucinations and delusions, not express emotions, have disordered thoughts, and believe that others intend to harm them. Researchers believe that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the cause and development of schizophrenia. Many genes have been linked to the disorder, and it is also thought that exposure to certain viruses and problems during birth may also be involved. Even though treatment and support might help, everyday life can pose a huge challenge for people with schizophrenia, making it hard to lead an independent life, gain qualifications, make and maintain relationships, and secure productive employment. It is not easy to estimate the prevalence of schizophrenia because of the complexity of the disease and the many ways of diagnosing it. Also, its symptoms often overlap with those of other illnesses, such as bipolar disorder. For this reason, the estimates are often combined with those of other disorders. These estimates range from 0.25 percent to 0.75 percent of the population. A mouse model of schizophrenia To better explore the neural underpinnings of schizophrenia, Carleton and colleagues engineered mice with a gene mutation that is equivalent to one that causes DiGeorge or 22q11 deletion syndrome in humans. People with this syndrome are missing dozens of genes in chromosome 22. Although many gene mutations have been linked to schizophrenia, the researchers chose 22q11 deletion because it represents the highest genetic risk of developing schizophrenia. They focused on a neural network in the hippocampus known as the CA1 area, noting that several features of this area are different in the schizophrenia model mice to those of control mice. These features include the structural and electrophysiological properties and functional connectivity with distant brain areas. They studied the differences in network dynamics and behavior of the mouse model and how they responded to attempts to manipulate it by stimulating the parvalbumin inhibitory neurons. The causes behind multiple sclerosis, a progressive neurological condition, are unknown. However, a new study has uncovered a key starting point: a strange signal sent by the brain to the lymph nodes. Share on Pinterest A new study shows how the brain signals the immune system to trigger an MS mechanism. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health say that multiple sclerosis (MS) affects around 400,000 people in the United States and about 2.5 million people globally. In MS, the immune system treats myelin the substance that coats axons, the stems that connect brain cells to one another as a pathogen, attacking and destroying it. This leads to impaired signaling between neurons, causing impaired balance and coordination, weakened muscles, and blurred vision, to name but a few of the common symptoms of MS. The actual reasons behind why the immune system mistakenly strikes against healthy structures in the brain remain unclear. However, new research by the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville suggests that it may be down to an unexpected signal transmitted by the brain to the lymph nodes. A signal from the brain may trigger MS Last year, some of the researchers involved in the recent study made a groundbreaking discovery namely, that the brain is equipped with lymphatic vessels that contribute to the removal of waste in the brain. Now, these researchers explain that this same system may be involved in the development of MS, as they carry signals from the brain to the immune system that instruct the latter to trigger some of the mechanisms that create this condition. These findings which now appear in the journal Nature Neuroscience also suggest a potential treatment for MS, based on blocking the signals transmitted by the brain to the lymph nodes using the lymphatic vessels. Our data suggests that there is a signal coming from the brain to the lymph nodes that tells immune cells to get back into the brain, causing the [MS] pathology. This is an important proof of principle that exploring the role of these vessels in different neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, is worth it. Study co-author Antoine Louveau In the new study, led by Jonathan Kipnis, the team managed to deter the development of MS in a mouse model by blocking or destroying the lymphatic vessels in the rodents brains. All of these strategies led to lower levels of the immune cells that cause paralysis in MS. The idea was to prevent more widespread damage to the nervous system, explains co-author Jasmin Herz. If communication of brain inflammation through lymphatic vessels is the root cause of multiple sclerosis, therapies targeting these vessels could be clinically important, she adds. Puzzling interaction requires further research While they were able to learn how the brain sends the troubling signal to the immune system, the researchers still do not understand the signals specifics. I think the next step in this specific research is to identify what that signal is, notes Louveau. Is it a cellular signal, is it a molecular signal? Once that becomes clear, Louveau says, the researchers should then to try to target that signal specifically, to prevent the development of MS without actually harming any elements of the lymphatic system. Moreover, the researchers explain that, while acting on the lymphatic vessels in the brain was an effective strategy, they did not block the development of MS altogether. This, they explain, suggests that there are probably other factors that contribute to triggering this condition. However, the study also allowed the scientists to confirm how the lymphatic vessels in the brain actually work. Meningeal lymphatic vessels are quite small compared to other lymphatics in the body, and we and others wondered if this might limit the amount and size of cargo they can pass through, explains Herz. During inflammation, she goes on, they did not change in size or complexity much, but what was really exciting to discover [was that] they allowed whole immune cells to traffic through them, and we found the molecular cues for that. Advertisement Study - Melbourne Atopy Cohort Study Children with one variant of the GSTP1 gene, the GSTP1 Ile/Ile variant (in which the amino acid Isoleucine (Ile) is inherited from both parents) but not the other types of GSTP1 had a higher risk (1.8 times) of developing asthma by the age of 18 years each time the number of days of paracetamol exposure was doubled when compared to children who were less exposed Increasing use of paracetamol in children who had a variant of GSTM1 was associated with a small but significant reduction in lung function, though this difference might not be clinically important Also, regardless of the variants of the GST genes the kids possess, the authors found a weak association between the use of paracetamol in the first two years of life and reduced lung function in adolescence All these results show that paracetamol use in infants with particular genetic profiles may have an adverse effect on their respiratory health and could be a possible cause of asthma Eexpert reaction to conference abstract on paracetamol in infants and asthma in teenagers - (http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-conference-abstract-on-paracetamol-in-infants-and-asthma-in-teenagers/) An intermediate formed in one of the breakdown pathways is toxic but is then quickly, irreversibly conjugated with the sulfhydryl groups of glutathione, an antioxidant to make it an inactive, non-toxic conjugate that will eventually be excreted by the kidneys.Thus, glutathione This occurs only when paracetamol is taken at the therapeutic or correct doses as prescribed.In case of a paracetamol overdose, the levels of the toxic intermediate formed increases and outweigh the amount of available glutathione; this can lead to liver failure and kidney and is also detrimental to other organs like the lungs.The metabolic isozymes involved in the conjugation of glutathione to the drugs are the glutathione S-transferases (GST).Studies have shown earlier that mice lacking two of the GST genes, namely glutathione S-transferase Pi or GSTPi and glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 or GSTM1 genes show increased resistance to paracetamol-induced liver toxicity indicating the role of these two genes in the process. GST genes contain the instructions for making the GST enzymes.Ms. Xin (Daisy) Dai, a nurse and PhD candidate at the Allergy and Lung Health Unit at the University of Melbourne, Australia explains the reason to conduct the following study. She says, "Paracetamol consumes glutathione, reducing the body's capacity to deal with toxic exposure. We hypothesized that people who did not have full GST enzyme activity because of common genetic variations or deletions may be more susceptible to adverse effects on the lungs from paracetamol use."Ms. Dai and her colleagues recruited 620 children to the study even before they were born. The children were chosen based on the fact of being potentially at high risk of developing an allergy-related disease - the children had a mother, father, or sibling with a self-reported allergic disease like asthma, eczema , hay fever or a severe food allergy. The team followed the children from birth to 18 years.Once the children were born, a research nurse called the family at select intervals - every four weeks for the first 15 months, and then at 18 months and at two years old, every time to ask how many days in the previous weeks the child had taken paracetamol.Once the children reached 18 years of age, the team took afrom them, to test for variants of the GST genes: GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1 and for asthma. In addition, awas taken where the amount of air inhaled and exhaled when breathing through a mouthpiece is measured.This study adds to the body of evidence that the GST superfamily of genes, including three major classes - GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 are associated with various diseases, including cancers, asthma, atherosclerosis , allergies, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.However, the association could be due to confounding factors - infants could have had lower respiratory tract infections caused by viruses, which were at the time treated with paracetamol and this could have caused asthma.Hence, these findings would need to be confirmed by other studies, and the degree of adverse effect should be better understood before guidelines on paracetamol use are altered.Source: Medindia Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) Malacanang on Tuesday promised to provide assistance to over 10,000 miners who lost their jobs as the government ordered the closure of all small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera region. "Right now, we're committed to assist everyone na nawalan ng trabaho (who lost their jobs)," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing. He discussed steps the miners can take for alternative sources of livelihood. First, they can undergo training at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to learn a new skill, Roque said. The Social Welfare Department will also offer a cash for work program where miners will plant vegetables and trees, while the Labor Department's "Tupad" or emergency employment program will hire the miners for 10 to 30 days. Roque said the closure of the Cordillera Mountains to mining operations was akin to the closure of Boracay Island for rehabilitation. The Palace, however, has yet to provide details on plans to rehabilitate the Cordillera. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Monday ordered a stop to all small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera Administrative Region for an indefinite period of time. He has also ordered a "stricter" review of all applications for mining sites throughout the country. The Environment Department in a press release Tuesday said Cimatu made the decision upon learning that 10 associations of small-scale miners had been granted temporary mining contracts in Itogon town in Benguet, pending the declaration of a Minahang Bayan, or an area where small-scale mining activities are allowed. President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his intention to "close all mining in the Philippines" following the deadly landslides in Itogon, where rescuers retrieved at least 35 bodies after Typhoon Ompong. Meanwhile, authorities hope to rescue at least 60 trapped people from an abandoned mining site there. President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his intention to "close all mining in the Philippines" following the deadly landslide in Itogon, where rescuers retrieved at least 18 bodies after Typhoon Ompong. In a situation briefing in Isabela Tuesday afternoon, Duterte mentioned he had long wanted to stop mining as it has "created a monster in this country." "Noon pa gusto ko na talagang pigilin [I have been wanting to stop it ever since] but were it not for the fact that it's allowed by law. And if it's allowed by law, little could I do anything about it," Duterte said. "I do not hate mining, but I would say that the time has come where our motherland has been used and abused and this cannot go on," he added. Meanwhile, authorities hope to rescue at least 60 people trapped in a landslide in an abandoned mining site there. Roque said the President is now more eager to put an end to mining in the country, although his own economic managers are against it. "Never mind about the 70 billion. Well, of course the finance people are the ones who would object first and I can understand because they are the guys who are tasked to look for the money," Duterte said on Monday. CNN Philippines' Ina Andolong and Eimor Santos contributed to this report. Forty members from a Stratford-based Army National Guard unit will depart Wednesday for a mission in Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, the Adjutant General and commanding officer of the Connecticut National Guard, said 40 members of the Connecticut Army National Guard's 192nd Engineer Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company will leave from Bradley International Airport on Wednesday morning. The company will provide support for Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan. Based at the Stratford Armory and commanded by Lt. Col. Charles Jaworski, the unit will serve as a battalion headquarters supervising subordinate units specializing in route clearance. Day-to-day tasks will include the command and control of the route clearance efforts in its assigned area of operations. Elements of the 192nd Engineer Battalion have not deployed since 2012, when the 248th Engineer Company mobilized to Bahrain to conduct security forces and base defense missions. On Monday, there was a send-off ceremony at the William A. ONeill State Armory in Hartford. Make no mistake, these men and women are experienced, tested leaders who are experts in their field and many of them have deployed previously, Evon said in a release. Time and time again, your Connecticut Engineers have provided relief efforts right here at home in the wake of weather events affecting roads and power, and they have exceeded my expectations each and every time. Most recently, elements of the 192nd Engineers supported route-clearing efforts in the wake of powerful winds from a tornado and microburst that damaged communities in the state on May 15. MIDDLETOWN Rebecca Lemanski wants those who suffer from traumatic childhood experiences to know they are not alone. In fact, its the vision of the founder of the Community Resilience Collaborative of Middlesex County and psychiatrist Susie Wiet, who pioneered the project in Utah, to build a network of professionals in the field intent on changing the culture surrounding traumatic experiences. Wiet, who practices in Salt Lake City, is founder of Utahs Trauma-Resilience Collaborative. National and local leaders and professionals, including those representing the Middlesex United Way, Community Health Center, Clifford Beers Clinic, Middletown Board of Education and Middlesex Hospital, recently gathered at Middlesex Community College for a six-hour leadership roundtable on trauma and resilience. You all are the leaders, Lemanski told those in the audience, there to network and share their expertise on the subject. The collaboratives mission is to inspire a paradigm shift in how people view behavior. Instead of viewing behavior as a problem, we can begin to see behavior as communication. Instead of asking whats wrong with you, were going to ask what happened to you. The collaborative works to help people who live with adverse childhood experiences some of which may not realize their distress has been negatively affecting them their entire lives. An individuals ACES score, determined by a 10-question worksheet, is based on the instances of abuse, neglect, loss of a parent due to divorce or incarceration, witnessing parental violence, substance abuse or mental illness, according to the collaborative. Toxic stress can lead to greater risk for health problems throughout ones life, including diabetes, obesity, liver disease, cancer, stroke, heart disease, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, smoking and addiction, Wiet said during her PowerPoint presentation. This distress can alter ones heart rate and blood pressure (which can cause hypertension and arterial plaque) the immune system (infections, cancer and inflammation), bone and connective tissue (fatigue, arthritis, weak joins and bones), muscle mass, fat and protein metabolism, and cognition and brain function, (insomnia, anxiety, depression and inattention). The ACES pyramid is based on a 1998 study by physician and researcher Dr. Vincent J. Felitti. It found ACES scores are strongly related to the development risk factors for disease, as well as well-being throughout life, Wiet said. Her keynote was followed by a screening of the documentary, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope and a question-and-answer session and discussion facilitated by Alice Forrester, CEO of Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven. The documentary reveals toxic stress can trigger hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at a greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time and early death, according to the collaborative. It explores a central theme: The child may not remember, but the body does. Wiet spoke about the neurobiology of trauma and resilience, and shared her challenges and successes in making Utah a trauma-resiliency focused state. The more she researched ACES, Wiet realized not only she wanted to spread the word on this revolutionary way of looking at human behavior, but employ it in her work. Wiet knows trauma first hand, as the mother of a child recovering from cancer. Even with her extensive experience, Wiet had more than a few reservations. Who was I to talk about trauma? I felt like this little peon Im just a psychiatrist. I see kids. She became passionate about the findings and how they could potentially help thousands of people. Soon after, Wiet put together a program for the community. We had no venue, we had no money, we had no speakers, we had nothing at all planned, and we were this fledgling group of people who had this idea, she said. After shed put together a survival panel comprised mostly of 30-year-olds, she asked them, how did we miss your trauma? No one had ever asked this question. This shift in thinking was meant to convey a new perspective on childhood traumas. They had very serious, train-wreck lives that could have been prevented, Wiet said. While she was soliciting feedback from community stakeholders representing a broad spectrum of services, one physician, in his late 60s or early 70s, director of a health department, said what he had learned. That was so powerful she recalled him saying of the session. He started tearing up. He said, I wish I had known this for my entire career, and for the rest of my life, I will practice completely differently because I see people so differently. As Wiet and Lemanski tell it, ACES seems to have that effect on many who learn about the repercussions of stressful events. In 2014, armed with a bachelor of arts in elementary education and a year of graduate social work education, Lemanski took part in an ACES presentation something she had never heard about. With this new knowledge and perspective in mind, my world view changed, and the way I view behavior was changed forever. That realization prompted her subsequent intensive review of research on the topic, she said. The CRCs next event, A Call to Action, a Regional Academy on Resilience, is tentatively scheduled for March. It will be an in-depth exchange of information on violence, abuse and trauma prevention and intervention. The collaborative meets one to two times a month at the Middlesex United Way in Middletown. For information, contact Lemanski at rebeccalemanski@yahoo.com or visit acesconnection.com. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that Dr. Susie Wiet is a psychiatrist, not a psychologist; and the ACES pyramid is based on a 1998 study by physician and researcher Dr. Vincent J. Felitti. Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day @hearstmediact.com or Twitter @cassandrasdis. Anyone who has attended an immigration rally has heard these words: El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido. The slogan migrated north from workers' movements in Latin America and has taken root at protests in the United States. It means, "The people united will never be defeated," a refrain repeated in recent days in front of the White House, inside the Hart Senate Office Building, outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters and along Constitution Avenue as days of protests swept Washington in response to the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on migrants crossing the border illegally. But the Spanish version proved challenging for thousands of protesters new to the immigration fight. "The people united will never be divided," dozens of demonstrators chanted outside the ICE building. "It's defeated," said organizer Alejandra Cruz, 30, waving her arms to draw their attention. "It rhymes in Spanish - not English." Non-Hispanic allies who for years have opted out of immigrants' protests, rallies and slogans have started to show up en masse. They're carrying "abolish ICE" signs and are lining up to be arrested. They're shutting down operations at ICE office buildings around the country. They're chanting, "We love you, we see you," as migrant women share their stories of being separated from their children at the southern border. Immigrant rights advocates have noticed the shift but are uncertain of the widening movement's staying power. Some say the mainstreaming of issues such as the dissolution of ICE and immigration reform is a welcome change, an answer to years of pleas for help. Others worry that wave of support is tied more closely to progressives' dislike of Trump's agenda than to a newfound embrace of immigration issues and may be temporary. "On the one hand, I'm really happy we have more allies and we have more people getting fired up about this," said Abel Nunez, executive director of the Central American Resource Center. "On the other, I'm concerned that immigration has become the flavor of the month, and it's already losing some steam. If it's not your community, you can walk away from it. We can't." Linda Sarsour, a Women's March organizer and former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, said her group sought out white women to participate in a June 28 sit-in at the Hart building that ended with 575 arrests. "It's time for women with less at stake, less to lose, to put their bodies on the line for families who have everything to lose," she said. "If more white folks did that when Japanese Americans were being rounded up and put in camps, we wouldn't have had one of the worst chapters in American history." Moments before police cleared the Hart building of protesters, several women noted that this would be their first arrest, saying they were outraged by images of children being taken from their parents. The arrested protesters, including the actress Susan Sarandon and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., were escorted from the Hart building and charged with unlawfully demonstrating, a misdemeanor. Immigrant advocates credit photographs and audio recordings that depicted crying children wailing for their parents in separate holding facilities with sparking a new willingness by people to take to the streets. Non-Hispanic activists in cities including Detroit, New York and Philadelphia have blocked doors and intercepted workers entering ICE facilities. Those disruptions are part of an effort dubbed "Occupy ICE." In Portland, protesters camped outside an ICE facility for days. On Wednesday, three protesters began a hunger strike, vowing to consume nothing but Gatorade until city officials expelled ICE from the city. The vigor with which protesters have rallied to the cause of reuniting more than 2,500 children separated from their parents and ending family detentions has left some advocates thinking this could be more than passing activism. "I've been in this movement for 13 years, and we've been trying to engage allies for years. We've been saying, 'Look, we need folks to come out. We need you to come out for us.' But we really didn't see it," said Lucia Allain, an organizer with the grass-roots nonprofit group Cosecha, which advocates for undocumented immigrants. "Now we're seeing allies come out with their children, allies come out and put their bodies in front of ours, putting themselves at risk for arrest, and that's huge. I've never seen that before." Trent Leon-Lierman, a regional organizer with CASA de Maryland, said that it is natural for the intensity of such movements to wane but that the past month was "a real turning point." "It may not continue to be people camping out in front of ICE detention centers, but the commitment and the sacrifices that so many people are making to be in this fight is building a consciousness around these issues that is not going to go away," he said. Others are less sure. Nunez said that while protesting is good for communicating public outrage, Americans interested in helping immigrant communities should do more than make clever signs and march on government buildings. "If they're really interested in sticking with this fight for the long term, they need to partner with organizations that have been doing this work. Only then can you understand the contextual history of what we're going through today," he said. "But when I start talking about this in this way - about policy changes and the history and all that wonky stuff, it's not about kids at the border. It's not about this emotional scene. And people start to disengage. But that's what we need: a long-term plan." The recent wave of children and families arriving from Central America began in 2014, when hundreds of thousands began fleeing to the United States to escape violence, instability and gangs ravaging communities in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Migrants can seek asylum, but the Trump administration has said smugglers, gang members and other bad actors have exploited the country's humanitarian laws to dishonestly enter the United States. Deportations of undocumented immigrants were slightly higher under the Obama administration, although the Obama administration prioritized gang members, violent felons and those considered to pose a national security risk. Under Trump, undocumented immigrants targeted for removal included anyone with any "criminal offenses," meaning even misdemeanors such as traffic violations. The recently declared "zero tolerance" policy has broadened that framework to include anyone who illegally crosses the border into the United States. Since late last month, families with children have been detained together, rather than being separated, although hundreds of previously separated families remain apart. The Trump administration on Friday requested more time from a federal judge who had set a deadline for the government to reunite families. Federal officials wrote in court filings that they were struggling to match children with their parents. "This is not a new problem, but I feel like now people think, 'Oh, Trump's a bad guy, so of course he's mistreating immigrants,' but this happened when Obama was in office. This happened [under] George W. Bush. . . . We can go back and back," Allain said. "The struggle is making sure these allies, who can go home and not worry about it in the way immigrant communities have to, don't forget that." FARMINGTON More local American Red Cross volunteers are headed to help along the East Coast in response to Hurricane Florence, including two area residents. Richard Hanratty, an Old Saybrook first responder, is deploying to Durham, N.C., as a shelter service associate. Michelle Reynolds, a Durham first responder, is deploying to Columbia, S.C., as a disaster mental health service associate. More for you IRS warns against hurricane-relief scammers These responders are 49 of nearly 3,000 volunteers from the Connecticut and Rhode Island region of the Red Cross. The organization anticipates more responders being requested over the coming days, according to a news release. The American Red Cross continues to work around the clock to do all it can to provide shelter, food, comfort and other emergency support to victims of Hurricane Florence. As such, it is providing safe shelter and comfort for evacuees across six states. More than 15,000 people sought refuge in more than 150 Red Cross and community shelters Sunday night across the impacted region. This includes at least 14,200 people in 137 shelters in North Carolina and 819 people in nine shelters in South Carolina, according to the Red Cross. About 3,000 disaster workers from all over the country have been mobilized to help shelter, feed and support people affected by Florence. The Red Cross is mobilizing nearly 130 emergency response vehicles and more than 70 trailers of equipment and supplies, including ready-to-eat meals and enough cots and blankets for more than 100,000 people. Working with partners, the Red Cross has served 150,700 meals and snacks, the release said. Volunteer mental health and health services professionals have provided some 5,500 contacts to provide support and care to evacuees. NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The U.S. Air Force could reach roughly 725,000 airmen and civilians across the active-duty, Guard and Reserve components with its proposal to increase to 386 operational squadrons, the head of the service's personnel center said Monday. "When you go from 312 operational squadrons to 386 operational squadrons, what does that mean in terms of manning and where we're at?" Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, commander of the Air Force Personnel Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, said here during the annual Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber conference. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson earlier on Monday announced that the service intends to add 74 squadrons, with the bulk conducting command and control; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and tanker refueling operations. "We aren't naive about how long it will take us to build the support and budget required for the force we need. It is a choice," she said at the conference outside Washington, D.C. "To face the world as it is, with a rapidly innovating adversary, the Air Force we need should have about 25 percent more operational squadrons in the 2025 to 2030 timeframe than the Air Force we have." Related content: If the service maintains its projected growth, it expects to reach roughly 685,000 total force airmen, including civilians, over the next five years, Kelly said. With 74 additional squadrons -- which would require 40,000 personnel, according to initial estimates -- there could be between 725,000 and 740,000 personnel by 2030. The Air Force drastically downsized in past years due to the budget cuts known as sequestration. It first signaled its intentions to grow the active-duty force to 350,000 airmen by 2024 in 2016. "I'm convinced that the Air Force we need is going to be about 350,000 airmen," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said in a statement that first appeared in USA Today in 2016. "We got too small, too fast. We're too big an Air Force with too many programs for the budget that we have, and way too small an Air Force for what the nation is asking its Air Force to do." The squadron announcement -- dubbed "The Air Force We Need" by Wilson -- redefines how airmen will be distributed. It remains unclear, however, how resources such as aircraft and infrastructure will accumulate over the next 12 years with the projected 25 percent growth. Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said achieving the 25 percent increase will be a large feat and will depend heavily on what types of aircraft are needed to sustain the Air Force's new goals. "Right now, the Air Force spends about $53 [billion] per year on aircraft operations, training, and recruiting," he tweeted during Wilson's speech. "Increasing the number of squadrons by [roughly] 24 [percent] would probably add another $13 [billion] per year in these operating costs." He added, "The acquisition costs of adding more squadrons depends heavily on what type of aircraft are procured. [I] can't begin to hazard a guess at this without knowing the mix of aircraft." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. In his final year in Congress, 87-year-old Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, a legendary Air Force fighter pilot in Korea and Vietnam and a former prisoner of war, is backing a bill to give enlisted Medal of Honor recipients and POWs the same honors as officers in burials at Arlington National Cemetery. "My fellow POWs who served honorably demonstrated the utmost patriotism, but not all of them were eligible for full military honors at their burial, simply due to their rank. I believe this is wrong," Johnson said in a statement. Current rules restrict full honors at in-ground burials at Arlington, including a military escort and a horse-drawn caisson, to officers, warrant officers, senior non-commissioned officers and service members killed in action. Eligibility rules for in-ground burial at Arlington, which is running out of space, are the strictest of all the national cemeteries. They may in future be limited to those killed in action and recipients of the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, according to a current proposal under consideration. Prisoners of war who were discharged honorably and died after Nov. 30, 1993, are also eligible, according to the Code of Federal Regulations. There were no immediate figures available on how many enlisted MoH recipients or POWs may have been denied full honors at Arlington due to current rules. Most honorably discharged veterans can request Arlington as their final resting place, but the eligibility rules are lengthy. (The list of rules can be found here.) Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Michigan, is the main sponsor of the Full Military Honors Act, which was introduced in the House earlier this month. He said he came to the issue at the behest of the family of a deceased constituent, Army Pfc. Robert Fletcher, a Korean War POW who was buried without full honors at Arlington in June. "America's POWs and Medal of Honor recipients have sacrificed immeasurably in service to the United States, regardless of their rank," Bishop said in a statement. "So I was shocked to find out that earlier this year a former POW from Michigan was denied a full honors burial at Arlington National Cemetery based solely on his enlisted rank. This has been an issue for too long, and my legislation will ensure those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty are provided the full military honors they have earned for their end-of-life ceremonies." Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress, co-sponsored the bill. "I'm proud to join in introducing the Full Military Honors Act," said Walz, who retired from the Army National Guard as a command sergeant major after 24 years. "To help ensure we honor the sacrifices these heroes and their families have made for our country, we must pass it without delay." The bill has been endorsed by the American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Military Officers Association of America, the National League of POW/MIA Families, the Special Operations Association, the Special Forces Association and the American Fallen Warriors Memorial Foundation. At a hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel in March, officials warned that space for in-ground burials at Arlington would eventually run out because surrounding communities restrict its expansion. "We are filling up every single day" at the 154-year-old historic site across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., where an average of 150 burials take place each week, said Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of Army National Military Cemeteries. Estimates on when Arlington will run out of space vary, but some put the date for closing the cemetery to new burials in the 2030s or 2040s. As of August 2017, there were 5,071 living former POWs in the U.S., according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are currently 72 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, 45 of whom were in the enlisted ranks when they received the award, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The full honors issue has resonated over the years with Johnson, a retired Air Force colonel and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. During the Korean War, he flew 62 combat missions in a F-86 Sabre and was credited with shooting down one MiG-15. In Vietnam, he flew the F-4 Phantom II. On his 25th combat mission in Vietnam on April 16, 1966, Johnson's aircraft was shot down over North Vietnam. He was a POW for nearly seven years, including 42 months in solitary confinement. A battered tin cup he used to tap on the walls to communicate in code with other prisoners is now in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. In the prison camps, Johnson was part of a group dubbed the "Alcatraz 11" for their resistance to the guards. "Any veteran who served honorably as a prisoner of war or whose actions earned them the Medal of Honor has already demonstrated extraordinary dedication to defending freedom," Johnson said in his statement. "In return, they deserve to have the country they fought for bestow full military honors if they are eligible to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery." Since the death of Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, last month, Johnson is the only former POW serving in Congress. Earlier this year, he announced that he would retire at the end of the term after serving in the House since 1991. In his statement upon McCain's death, Johnson, who was often at odds with the late senator on issues, paid tribute to the former Navy pilot who was with him in the prison camps. "We have lost a genuine American hero today. John and I were fellow POWs at the 'Hanoi Hilton,' and I can testify to the fact that he did everything he could to defend freedom and honor our great nation -- not just in that hell on Earth, but beyond those bleak years," Johnson said. "John's strength of spirit, commitment to democracy, and love of God and country all shape the inspiring legacy of service he leaves behind. God bless you, partner, and I salute you." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has sent some 13,000 servicemembers to areas impacted by Hurricane Florence in North and South Carolina where they are charged with search and rescue and other operations as flooding worsened throughout the region Monday. National Guard members from both states have conducted more than 60 operations, including about 35 search, rescue and safety missions, since the deadly storm made landfall as a category 1 hurricane on Friday, according to officials with U.S. Northern Command. In addition, Coast Guard crews -- some 3,000 members are aiding in relief efforts -- were also busy throughout the weekend, rescuing 193 people in North Carolina, according to the service. Federal officials said Monday that the storm was responsible for at least 23 deaths as it dumped as much as 30 inches of rain in some areas of North Carolina leading to widespread flooding that has shut down large portions of roads, including interstate highways. Some 523,000 homes remained without power Monday, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Meanwhile, servicemembers from installations across the eastern United States arrived over the weekend at staging locations including the Army's Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia as well as at the North Air Force Auxiliary Field in South Carolina. Just off the East Coast, the Navy's USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Arlington, an amphibious transport dock, were prepared to respond if needed, according to NORTHCOM. The warships were carrying hundreds of Marines and sailors as well as Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and helicopters. As of Monday afternoon, their assistance had not been requested, according to a Navy spokesman. The Army has deployed more than 90 helicopters, 3,000 high-water vehicles and 30 watercraft from Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Drum in New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky to assist with recovery and rescue efforts, a service spokesman said Monday. Soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg were also assisting in rescue operations. Paratroopers with the post's 82nd Airborne Division were aiding first responders as they rescued nearly 30 people over the weekend, according to the Army. Meanwhile, Fort Bragg officials warned the installation could receive another one to two inches of rain as the remnants of Florence moved north Monday. Servicemembers at Fort Bragg were instructed to contact their chain of command for guidance on reporting for duty in the coming days, in a post on the installation's Facebook page. Most of the installation's services remained closed Monday, though the commissary and the Post Exchange on North Post were scheduled to be open through 6 p.m. At Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, officials were working to restore power Monday. Installations officials announced the base would not require non-essential personnel to return to work until Sept. 24. Naval Station Norfolk returned back to business as usual Monday. Nearly 30 ships and 128 aircraft began the journey back to the Hampton Roads area over the weekend, and will continue to return to homeport over the next several days, according to a Saturday news release from U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The aircraft began returning Saturday and the ships Sunday. "I am very proud of the hard work and dedication of our total force -- sailors, civilians and families -- who worked so hard to prepare for a major hurricane in our area," said the commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, Rear Adm. Charles Rock. "We were so fortunate Hurricane Florence did not impact us, but are thinking of those who felt the brunt of the storm in North Carolina." On Saturday, the commander of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Brig. Gen. James F. Glynn, posted a video to Facebook updating the community on operations. In the background, new Marines can be seen training. The base is set to receive new recruits Tuesday night and a graduation for Friday is on schedule, according to the recruit depot. Stars and Stripes reporter Rose Thayer contributed to this report. Editors note: This story was updated to reflect Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalkers current job position. NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- As the military fights to keep cyber warriors from ditching their uniforms for high-paying private-sector gigs, allowing enlisted airmen to become warrant officers could be a boost for that community, U.S. Cyber Command's top enlisted leader said Monday. Too many cyber experts are leaving the military, and manpower officials need to get creative about getting them to stay, Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker said at the annual Air Force Association Conference. Stalker was previously the first Marine to serve as the Defense Intelligence Agency's command senior enlisted leader. "We have got to fix the attrition, the retention," he said. "If you look at this from a business perspective, hundreds of thousands of dollars and years you put into these individuals. And what happens? They go on to become members of corporate America." For the Air Force, the only service that doesn't currently have warrant officers -- technical experts who advise and lead others in their field -- creating that opportunity could prove beneficial, he said. There's no shortage of talented enlisted cyber airmen, he said, but giving them the chance to go warrant could entice them to stay, to the benefit of U.S. Cyber Command. "There is a need for technical expertise," he said. "... This may be in the lane of retention, and that's certainly not in my lane. But it may be something that we can look at and study if we keep losing talent." The idea of bringing back the warrant officer ranks in the Air Force isn't a new one. Congress asked service leaders to examine whether it could help address the pilot shortage, and the service teamed with Rand Corp. to study the issue. Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, commander of the Air Force Personnel Center, said warrant officers probably won't answer the service's pilot retention problem, but the idea could work long term for other technical fields. For now, though, it's unlikely that Air Force warrants will be making a comeback. "Right now, we believe we have excellent, excellent technical capability in our enlisted force and we have opportunities to do technical things in our officer force. And we don't think we need warrant officers," Kelly said during a Monday panel at the AFA conference. "And that's what we're going to go back and tell Congress." Cyber troops are on the front lines daily, going up against countries such as Russia, North Korea and China, Stalker said. There's a serious need for the services to hang onto the best and brightest in the cyber field, he added. The Navy and Marine Corps recently created cyber warrant officer billets. One 35-year-old Marine warrant officer with 17 years of experience told The Associated Press in June that he applied for one of the positions in the Marine Corps' new realm of operations. "This is going to change the Marine Corps and the way it fights," he said. Stalker said that, if successful, the sea services' cyber warrant officer programs could serve as a model for the Air Force in the future. "Maybe you just wait a couple years, see how it goes and take the good, delete the bad and see what works for you," he said. -- Military.com's Oriana Pawlyk contributed to this report. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins. The original Tun Tavern in Philadelphia was the birthplace of the Marine Corps and was almost as old as the city itself. A T-6 Texan trainer from Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph crashed roughly 30 miles from the base near Rolling Oaks Mall, Air Education and Training Command officials said Tuesday. "The crew ejected and is safe with minor injuries reported at the site," AETC said in a Facebook post. "There were no civilian casualties, and the extent of damage to property has not been assessed," officials said. Members from the base's fire and safety units from the 12th Flying Training Wing responded to the incident alongside and local responders, the announcement said. Two parachutes were seen deploying from the aircraft, indicating the airmen ejected prior to the crash, Col. Dedra Witham, AETC spokeswoman, told reporters during the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber conference. The Air Force is investigating the incident, Witham said. The crash follows that of another trainer in Texas just last week. A T-38C Talon from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, crashed right after takeoff Sept. 11, officials said. Two pilots from 80th Flying Training Wing ejected safely in that incident and were taken for evaluation, officials from Sheppard said in a statement. Both pilots were deemed stable. The crash remains under investigation. Including the two recent trainer crashes, the Air Force has lost nine aircraft in non-combat training accidents this year, including an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, two other T-38 Talon trainers, a WC-130 Hurricane Hunter, two F-16 Fighting Falcons -- one from the Thunderbirds demonstration team -- and a Kadena-based F-15 Eagle. Related content: Additionally, an A-29 Super Tucano crashed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in June as part of the Air Force's Light Attack Experiment. Several of the accidents involved fatalities. Others incidents include flightline mishaps, paused operations at bases, emergency landings and even stand-downs of entire fleets. For example, Air Force Global Strike Command grounded the entire B-1B Lancer fleet for nearly two weeks in June over safety concerns related to the aircraft's ejection seats. More recently, an F-35A Joint Strike Fighter at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, suffered a ground mishap that caused its nose gear to collapse following an in-flight emergency. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. U.S. President Donald Trump and his Polish counterpart said Tuesday they are exploring setting up a permanent U.S. military base in Poland, which could be named "Fort Trump." Poland has long sought to have the U.S. bolster its presence in Eastern Europe as a counter to Russia, and Polish President Andrzej Duda said at the White House that the base could be called "Fort Trump" if that would speed the process. At a joint news conference with Duda, Trump said he is open to the idea if Poland comes up with the money to offset the cost. "Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland. If they're willing to do that, it's something we will certainly talk about." In his remarks, Duda said, "I would very much like to ask to set up a permanent American base in Poland, which we would call 'Fort Trump.' I firmly believe this is possible. I am convinced that such a decision lies in the Polish interest and in the interest of the United States." Duda's praise of Trump is in line with Warsaw's stance on mutual defense, which has stood apart from other NATO member states in their sometimes contentious dealings with the U.S. administration. France and Germany have at times responded in kind to Trump's harsh criticism of alliance members for failing to spend more on defense, but Polish officials, for the most part, have been consistent in their praise of Trump in an effort to get more U.S. support. They are also well aware of Trump's proclivity for naming projects after himself. Duda said that a "Fort Trump" and an increase in U.S. military presence in the region "is absolutely justified" as a deterrent to Russia, whose troops have been increasingly active on NATO's borders. "I am convinced there is no more effective method of preventing a war than a decisive stance illustrating that we are ready at any moment to repel possible attack," Duda said. Trump seemed to be particularly intrigued by the possibility of getting upwards of $2 billion in Polish funding for the proposal. "Poland would be paying billions of dollars for a base," Trump said. "The [Polish] president offered us much more than $2 billion, so we're looking at it." Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and followed that up with military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, Poland has welcomed rotational U.S. and NATO deployments to Poland and the Baltic states, and pressed for more. In the most recent deployment, the U.S. Air Force last month sent five F-22 Raptors and 40 airmen to Poland to take part in joint exercises aimed at deterring Russian air incursions. At the White House, Trump and Duda did not go into what types of troops and assets might be deployed to a "Fort Trump" in Poland. While Poland has been advocating for a permanent U.S. base on its territory, Moscow has been warning that it would respond aggressively to such a presence. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges was an advocate for boosting the U.S. military presence while he served as commander of U.S. Army Europe, but he also cautioned that a permanent U.S. base in Poland had a downside. "It would give Moscow an easy opportunity to claim that NATO is an aggressor and to somehow respond to protect Russian sovereignty," Hodges told Politico in June. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com. The U.S. military had no involvement in the planning or execution of Israeli airstrikes that led to the mistaken shootdown of a Russian surveillance aircraft by Syrian regime anti-air batteries, resulting in the deaths of all 15 aboard, a U.S. coalition spokesman said Tuesday. U.S. intelligence and the military also had no oversight of the Israeli attacks or forewarning from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of the intention to hit targets in northwestern Syria, said U.S. Army Col. Sean Ryan, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria. "At the coalition level, we had no warning," he said in a video conference to the Pentagon from Baghdad. "[The Israelis] operate independently; they don't operate within our coalition system." Russia initially blamed Israeli actions for the shootdown by a Syrian missile of the Ilyushin four-prop IL-20 aircraft, which was flying about 22 miles off the Syrian coast. The plane had been on a mission in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The incident occurred at about 11 p.m. Monday local time as the Il-20 reportedly was returning to Hmeimim, the main Russian air base in Syria, near Latakia. Russia's Tass news agency said the Il-20 "disappeared during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets on Syrian facilities in Latakia province." A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Israel had given a warning, but it came less than a minute before the airstrikes -- not enough time for the IL-20 to take evasive action. The spokesman accused Israeli pilots of "using the Russian airplane as a cover," and putting it "in the line of fire coming from Syrian air defense systems." However, Russian President Vladimir Putin later appeared to soften Moscow's stance on Israeli culpability. The IL-20 was shot down due to "a chain of tragic accidental circumstances," he told reporters in Moscow. "An Israeli jet did not shoot down our plane." In Tel Aviv, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, an IDF spokesman, said, "Israel expresses its regret over the death of the crew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire," according to a Jerusalem Post report. "Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident," Manelis said. He said the IDF had struck a Syrian military facility housing weapons that were to be transferred to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, which has been fighting alongside Syrian regime forces. "Syrian anti-aircraft batteries fired indiscriminately and, from what we understand, did not bother to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air," Manelis said, according to the Post report. "The extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft missile fire caused the Russian plane to be hit." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later called Putin to express sorrow over the downing of the aircraft and the loss of life, Netanyahu's office said in a statement. "The prime minister, in the name of the state of Israel, conveyed sorrow over the deaths of the Russian soldiers and said that the responsibility for downing the plane falls on Syria," Netanyahu's office said. Israel's extensive remarks on the incident are a break with its usual practice of not commenting on strikes against Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon. In May, Netanyahu met with Putin in Moscow to seek the Russian president's help in getting Iran to stop backing Assad and supplying Hezbollah with weapons. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Thousands of active-duty and National Guard troops are using amphibious vehicles and search-and-rescue aircraft to move people and equipment after Hurricane Florence battered the East Coast last week, even as some of their own bases were damaged by the storm. Rainfall and rising water levels continue to threaten areas of North and South Carolina four days after Florence made landfall as a Category 1 storm. Air Force Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, head of U.S. Northern Command, said the military has been able to work seamlessly with state and federal authorities leading relief efforts; 13,000 service members are responding to some of those agencies' requests, including 6,000 active-duty forces and about 7,000 National Guard members, he said Tuesday from Raleigh, North Carolina. Troops from Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina; Fort Jackson in South Carolina; and Moody Air Force Base in Georgia have pitched in. In coordination with local, state and federal authorities, the Defense Department not only pre-staged meals and water, but also vehicles that could operate in floodwaters and helicopters for search-and-rescue and transport missions. "As it turns out, that's exactly what we needed to have," O'Shaughnessy said. Army personnel in high-water vehicles have helped evacuate about 300 people. And Marines from Camp Lejeune used amphibious vehicles to assist people stranded by floodwaters. In one mission, they were able to rescue 20 people at once, O'Shaughnessy said. Cherry Point was also turned into a makeshift shelter after another nearby began to flood. "A local state center was flooding so we took them to Cherry Point where we could house them overnight and feed them," he added. The storm didn't bring the damaging winds initially feared, but it hovered over land for days, moving at just 2 mph and dumping about 3 feet of rain in some of the hardest-hit areas. That has caused rivers and streams to swell and spill over. In some areas where waterways haven't crested yet, the threat still exists. "The concern has turned to flooding, and that's still the concern over the next 48 hours," O'Shaughnessy said. That threat even led the Defense Department to move some of its own supplies and equipment out of the danger zone, he added, since some of the trucks and food were stored at Fort Bragg, which was affected by the storm. The Coast Guard continues to lead search-and-rescue missions in coordination with state agencies. The Navy's amphibious assault ship Kearsarge and amphibious transport dock ship Arlington, which headed out to sea in advance of Florence, are also now about 10 miles off the coast of the North and South Carolina border, where they can assist. There are MV-22B Ospreys aboard the Kearsarge, O'Shaughnessy said, which can help move people and materials in hard-to-reach areas. Overall, the coordination between the states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Defense Department has been "executed exactly as designed," he said. "My hat is off to the first responders, the local counties. The collaboration between the state and FEMA and FEMA and the Department of Defense has been phenomenal. "That's what has allowed us ... to have such a strong response," he added. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins. Sick and disabled veterans who had been evacuated from the Hampton, Virginia VA Medical Center amid hurricane conditions were allowed to begin returning to the center on Monday. But the immense rainfall from Hurricane Florence and its aftermath left clinics closed and hospitals isolated in flood-ravaged North Carolina. The advisory from the Fayetteville, North Carolina VA Medical Center was typical of others across the state where rivers were still on the rise and damaged roads and washed-out bridges made rescue and relief efforts risky. "Patients and staff alike, please exercise caution and place safety first," officials at the Fayetteville VAMC, near Fort Bragg, said. The main hospital at the Fayetteville center remained "isolated" by the floods. Officials at the center said that its outlying clinics were tentatively scheduled to re-open on Wednesday, but added that actual re-openings were "to be determined based on factors like weather, road and facility condition as well as water and utility availability." Ahead of the storm that hit Sept. 14, the VA closed five hospitals and 18 community-based outpatient clinics in the southeast coastal regions of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. About 1.5 million veterans, including more than 741,000 enrolled in VA health care, and more than 28,600 VA employees live in the region, the VA said. Prior to the storm, the VA said that all facilities in the region had "topped off their energy and oxygen supplies, and have enough food until September 29." Also ahead of Hurricane Florence, about 217 sick and disabled patients were moved from the Hampton, Virginia center and transported to other facilities in Martinsburg, West Virginia; Salem, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; and Salisbury, North Carolina, VA officials said. Those evacuated patients were being returned to the Hampton center Monday. The VA had readied mobile units to go to the region once the storm passed to provide services to stranded veterans, but it was unclear when they would actually start working in North Carolina. At least 23 deaths have been recorded in the hurricane and its aftermath. The entire city of Wilmington, North Carolina, has been described as "isolated" from the rest of the state. "This storm is slowly and painfully grinding across our state," said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. "Our main worry is water and flooding. With every inch of rain, our rivers rise and we'll see significant flooding on into next week ... it could be of historic proportions." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. The Pentagon's top spy said Monday that he hopes advances in artificial intelligence can prevent defense analysts from being surprised when global conflicts ignite overnight. "My core mission is to make sure that the secretary of defense is never surprised," Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley Jr., director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ashley, who has held the post for a year, was not on the job when Russian troops pushed into the Ukraine in 2014 -- a major destabilizing event in the region that the U.S. intelligence community has been criticized for not predicting. "AI and machine learning will be a huge enhancement" to tradecraft and other skills defense analysts use to avoid blind spots in "the cacophony of all the information that is out there," he said. Using algorithms to sort through massive amounts of information can take some of the burden off defense analysts, but it doesn't come without challenges, Ashley said. "When an analyst sits in front of a senior leader, they always say, 'Based on reporting, based on sources, based on what I have seen I have a moderate [degree of confidence]' or if you see a national assessment that says 'I have a high-degree of confidence,' it goes back to sourcing and analytic tradecraft," he said. "You never want to be in a position where you say, 'Well, the computer told me so,'" he continued. "Part of the challenge we have now, and I think really the opportunity is, as we look at algorithms, as we look at machine learning and AI, is developing a degree of confidence within the AI, a degree of confidence within the algorithm." DIA will have to test these algorithms "to be able to prove that it can in fact come back with a high-degree of confidence that the analysis that it's doing is correct," Ashley added. One of his goals is to ensure that the Machine-assisted Analytic Rapid-repository System, or MARS, is at initial operating capability before he leaves office in two years. "To get that data environment set will probably be one of the biggest things we do for the Department of Defense," he said. "Over the course of the next two years, we are going to have an IOC beneficial to ... the [defense secretary, to the chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff], to policy makers, to every warfighter. It gives them decision advantage and lets them move faster and understand what is happening in an operational environment. Our goal always is to make sure that we don't get surprised as a nation." AI is just one of the tools that help analysts determine the difference between a Russian "snap" exercise or whether "they are coming over the border," Ashley said. "It's not the AI on a thing to itself; it's to be able to sample more information and reduce the burden on the analyst," he said. "But at the end of the day, there is a human in the loop that -- based on training, understanding tradecraft, studying the problem -- makes a judgment ... to let a key leader know that 'I see the following and there is a couple of courses of action.' " -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. For many of you leaving military service, the idea of starting your own company and becoming an entrepreneur is attractive. Whether you have an idea you need to explore, a product youre dying to build, or a mission youre passionate about pursuing, entrepreneurship can be a fascinating and empowering journey. I recently sat down with Greg Adams, CEO of Stabilitas, who shared insights into his transition from military to entrepreneur. Here are some highlights from our conversation: 1. What is your background? After graduating West Point in 2001, I served as an Infantry officer in Mosul, Iraq before being selected to undergo special forces training. As a Special Forces Captain and later as a Major, I deployed throughout Asia and eventually to Afghanistan. Afterward, I attended grad school at Harvard, earning a dual master's degrees in Business Administration and International Development. My experiences both as a Green Beret and a graduate student led me to found an A.I. startup, Stabilitas. Our mission is to help organizations keep their people and assets safe by harnessing the information that is out there, under our noses but may be hard to find, all over the world. 2. What made you interested in starting a tech company? When I was in uniform, everything was about having a meaningful mission, an important problem to solve, and the freedom to develop creative solutions for that problem. After my time in Iraq and Afghanistan, I had a hard time seeing myself in the traditional corporate world. The idea of creating a new mission and being wholly accountable for its success intrigued me. 3. How did your military career prepare you for entrepreneurship? More and more I find that my experiences in the military are pivotal to Stabilitas successes so far, and need to be a bigger part of our success going forward. When I was stationed in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010 during the Afghanistan Surge, we were tasked with a pilot mission that I dont think many people wanted to do. It was a tough, loosely defined mission and the idea was to win over the locals by moving in next to them and building local security forces to give space for better governance and economic development so we could eventually reduce our footprint. To get everyone on the team - and in the village - aligned with our mission, we needed to really understand our goals, first, and then try to concretely understand what problem stood in the way of those goals. As a startup founder, just as a military leader, the first step in solving a problem is trying to understand and constrain it. The big problem we are solving at Stabilitas is breaking down barriers in intelligence-sharing so that we can better understand the world around us, especially as it pertains to safety-related information about the physical world. Our process led us to the conclusion that making significant progress required more than people. It required a technology that facilitated the collection, analysis and targeted dissemination of useful threat intelligence. Essentially, we had to build a machine that did the work of hundreds of analysts and shared relevant intel with the folks who needed it most. 4. What do you wish investors knew about working with veteran entrepreneurs? I wish they understood our skill sets. Investors have to conduct due diligence prior to meetings. And, as an entrepreneur, you have to do your research on them too. Oftentimes, if the investors arent veterans, their knowledge of military matters and experience tends to be limited. They might not be versed in our resiliency, problem-solving skills, adaptability, technical acumen, leadership skills, service mentality, etc. These are great assets for investors to consider when evaluating companies to support. 5. What advice do you have for veterans interested in starting a venture Hire great people that know their domains and let them do their jobs. Then you can delegate as you did in the military. If youre hiring people that you need to micromanage, youre making the wrong hires. Also, find some mentors that you can go to with challenges and whom you can seek counsel with. This was a concept that was new to me after the military, where the person that counseled me was my superior in the chain of command. If you can find 2-3 people that have some experience and are a little farther along career-wise then youll have a reliable sounding board for ideas and make the road a little less lonely. If this person is a successful entrepreneur with military experience, even better. You need some people in your corner! And lastly, keep at the PT - youll need all the energy you can get. The Next Step: Find the Right Veteran Job Whether you want to polish up your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area, or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Sign up for a free Military.com membership to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox. The U.S. Army recently awarded AM General LLC a contract worth up to $800 million to build thousands of Humvee ambulances to supplement the service's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle fleet, according to the Indiana-based company. Both the Army and the Marine Corps plan to replace a large portion of the Defense Department's outdated Humvee fleet with the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a joint program that could be worth up to $30 billion if they end up buying close to 60,000 of the new tactical vehicles. The Pentagon announced Sept. 14 that the contract was worth $562.5 million. But the contract to build 2,800 new M997A3 Humvee ambulances could be worth $800 million if the Army decides to commit to two optional years on top of the three-year base contract, Deborah Reyes, a spokesman for AM General, told Military.com on Monday. Both services will continue to use the Humvee, especially the ambulance variant since there is no ambulance version of the JLTV, program officials say. The new M997A3 is based on AM General's M1152 up-armored Humvee chassis and body, Reyes said. The M1152 is enhanced with "integrated armor protection," AM General's website states. "AM General continues to support the warfighter's needs by delivering high-quality M997A3 ambulances based off our modernized, proven, rugged, all-terrain HMMWV's," Chris Vanslager, AM General executive vice president for U.S. Defense, said in a news release. "We understand the importance of being able to reliably and safely transport the wounded within operational areas on the battlefield to medical aid stations and are proud that the M997A3 can fulfill this critical mission." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Changes Coming for Special Needs Family Benefits? Military families with special needs members may benefit from a proposed policy update that would give them access to respite care. Currently, to receive such care through the Pentagon's Extended Health Care Option (ECHO) program, families must also qualify for and receive other ECHO program benefits, such as nursing, therapies or medical supplies. For more details on the proposed changes, see this Military Advantage post. Brian VanDeMark's "Road to Disaster: A New History of America's Descent into Vietnam" is a startling read, a book that puts America's leaders on the couch and analyzes the psychology behind the decisions that led us into an unwinnable war in Southeast Asia. VanDeMark comes to the subject with authority. He has taught the history of the Vietnam War to Naval Academy students for 25 years. He co-authored Robert McNamara's "In Retrospect" and was the research assistant for Clark Clifford's memoir "Counsel." This is a guy who's thought about the subject as much as anyone and "Road to Disaster" brings a lot of new perspective to the era. In an excerpt that might just be on point here in 2018, VanDeMark discusses McNamara's unwavering loyalty to LBJ, even when the Secretary of Defense realized the truth about the war was something different than what the president wanted to hear. McNamara believed he had a greater obligation to the president than he did to the nation or the truth, a decision that ended in tragedy for a generation of young Americans. Excerpt from Chapter 6: The Jeopardy of Conflicting Loyalties (May 1967February 1968) We live our lives in a set of intersecting circles of attachment. The complexity of loyalty is characteristically human, and in making difficult choices, people can act counter to some loyal- ties in order to further others. How does one make the right choice under such circumstances, especially when the stakes are immense and the trade-offs of vast consequence? In Robert McNamara's case, by 1967 personal allegiance to Lyndon Johnson and institutional loyalty to the presidency had begun to conflict with his loyalty to the truth about the war as he saw it and the national interest of the United States as he understood it. McNamara had always been a team player who believed overt conflict between himself and the president undercut the morale of American soldiers and the American people. "He thought . . . it was sinful not to present a united front," recalled a former assistant. "I don't believe the government . . . can operate effectively if those in charge of the departments of the government express disagreement with decisions of the established head of the government," McNamara said in an interview that he authorized for direct quotation. "I never discuss any recommendations I might have made to the President before the policy decision was made. To do so might strengthen my position but would weaken the President's . . . Our responsibility as Cabinet Officers is to the nation through the President [emphasis added]." He had to support the president or keep quiet. To do otherwise was sabotage if not treason. "My constituency was one manthe elected representative of the peopleand I was to do what he believed the Defense Department should do to carry out his objectives for the nation . . . The contract was that I would be totally loyal, but as part of that, I would tell him what I believed and, finally, I would ultimately do what he decided and support what he decided, or I would leave." So McNamara remained publicly silent about his deepening pessimism, convinced that openly challenging the president would be disloyal and would elicit a more defensive and hostile reaction than would privately expressing his dissentthe logic of one who plays the classic insider's game. McNamara's excuse was less that he was following orders as he was attending to order. Yet in waiting for Johnson to set the alarm, McNamara continued to help wind the clock. By the spring of 1967, McNamara saw Johnson persisting in a failing policy costing more and more American and Vietnamese lives with no successful resolution in sight. Johnson, in turn, sensed McNamara's deepening disenchantment and felt stung by itafter all, McNamara had pressured him to hold the line in Vietnam in 19641965. "McNamara's gone dovish on me," Johnson complained bitterly to a visiting Senator, on another occasion muttering, "Bob's got a crew over there at the Defense Department, and they're under- cutting us on Vietnam." But the truth was far more complex than the stereotype of a petty, intemperate, and callous chauvinist in the Oval Office. LBJ sometimes indulged spasms of anger toward those around him who voiced unwelcome news, but those he trusted could continue to speak their minds knowing he was ingesting their opinion. In this way, McNamara's insights slowly affected and changed Johnson's thinking on the war. However much he fought the painful truth, Johnson gradually realized with bitterness and fatalism that he had fundamentally miscalculated and had steered himself and the country into a dead end in Vietnam. But that realization came slowly in the latter months of 1967, and Johnson began acting on it only after he engineered McNamara's departure. From "ROAD TO DISASTER: A New History of Americas Descent into Vietnam." Copyright 2018 by Brian VanDeMark. Reprinted with permission of Custom House, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The Rangers have agreed to a four-year player development contract with the Nashville Sounds, per a club announcement. Their top affiliate had been with Round Rock for the past eight years. This news also comes with implications for the Nationals, who were among the teams looking for new affiliate agreements. All thats left for the Nats, in terms of established Triple-A outfits, is Fresno a location sited about as far away from D.C. as possible. Its been apparent for awhile that the Rangers would be in for an affiliate change, as their previous affiliate, has long been said to be a target of the cross-state Houston Astros. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Rangers new affiliate could land in San Antonio, though Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram indicated yesterday that Nashville was actually the Rangers top preference among the remaining available affiliates. Google and the world's largest automaker alliance, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, have announced a partnership that will bring the Android operating system to vehicles sold by the group by 2021. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance sold more than 10 million vehicles in 2017, and has already sold more than 5.5 million this year. With the addition of the Android system, that means vehicles from the alliance will have Google Maps, Google Assistant and other apps through the Play Store. While Android will be available, Apple's CarPlay will still be compatible in some of the alliance's models in the future. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi says each of its brands "will have flexibility to create a unique customer interface and specific features on top of the common Android platform." The Wall Street Journal reports that this represents a breakthrough for Google, who has been trying to get its operating system in cars for more than a decade. WSJ notes that other automakers and companies have been fearful of putting Google into its dashboards due to fears of data-mining and competition. "With the integration of the Android platform into our infotainment systems, we are adding a new level of intelligence to our connected vehicles," Karl Mos, global vice president of connected vehicles for the alliance, said in a news release. "In the future, the Google Assistant, which employs Google's leading AI technology, can become the main way customers interact with their vehicles, hands-free. "With Google Maps and the Google Assistant embedded in Alliance infotainment systems, our customers will have some of the most advanced AI based applications at their fingertips." -- Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and @Google join forces on next-neneration infotainment. For more information Nissan Motor and @Alliance2022, visit our newsroom : https://t.co/OjKzVhByZu pic.twitter.com/p8iIelJRzm Nissan Motor (@NissanMotor) September 18, 2018 Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi say they sold vehicles in 200 countries under ten brands last year, which includes Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine, Lada, Infiniti, Venucia and Datsun. WSJ reports financials of the deal were not released, and that Google will have access to data generated using the in-car apps but must receive driver permission first. "The infotainment partnership forms part of Alliance moves to equip more vehicles with connectivity and cloud-based services as part of its Alliance 2022 mid-term plan," the alliance says in the release. "Today's announcement, coinciding with the first anniversary of the mid-term plan, symbolizes the Alliance's focus on next-generation technology. Under the plan, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is targeting increased sales of more than 14 million units a year by the end of 2022." ANN ARBOR, MI - The Ann Arbor City Council has approved two more agreements as part a deal to sell the city-owned Library Lot to Chicago developer Core Spaces for $10 million. Continuing to try to make way for a 17-story high-rise on the Fifth Avenue property, the council voted Monday night, Sept. 17, to approve a workforce housing covenant and a parking agreement for the development known as The Collective on 5th. Those agreements confirm details previously negotiated between the city and the developer, including the use of hundreds of parking spaces in city-owned public parking facilities downtown and provisions for dozens of workforce housing apartments. Both votes were 6-4 with Anne Bannister, Jack Eaton, Sumi Kailasapathy and Jane Lumm opposed. Mayor Christopher Taylor and his allies were in favor of approving the agreements. Graydon Krapohl was absent. The Library Lot is the parking lot atop the city's Library Lane underground parking garage next to the downtown library, along the east side of Fifth Avenue between William and Liberty. As tentatively planned, the development includes retail space on the ground floor, along with a hotel lobby, residential lobby and common area, office space on the second floor, 131 hotel rooms on floors three through six, 360 apartments on floors seven through 17, and a 12,000-square-foot plaza and event space open to the public. Before voting on more agreements with Core Spaces, Eaton, D-4th Ward, argued the city should wait to see how things go with pending litigation over the $10 million deal and with a citizen-initiated November ballot proposal that asks voters whether the city should keep the Library Lot and transform it into a downtown central park. Eaton also argued the workforce housing that's proposed isn't truly affordable. He said it's still going to be rather expensive and, because it will be set at 150 percent of fair market rent, he expects it to be even more unaffordable if rents rise faster than incomes. Council Member Zachary Ackerman, D-3rd Ward, argued in favor of the workforce housing deal and expressed enthusiasm for adding more density in the downtown. Despite the city's efforts to combat sprawl outside the city through the greenbelt program, which preserves farmland and open space, he said, there still are tens of thousands of commuters clogging up city streets and polluting the city's air every day, so getting more people to live downtown makes sense. Mayor Christopher Taylor said the reason for bringing forward the additional Core Spaces agreements now is to meet certain milestones for selling the property. The council approved the sale last year and city officials executed a purchase agreement earlier this year. Taylor said there's still another document that needs to be approved by council at an upcoming special meeting. The May 31 sale agreement contemplated closing would take place within 360 days, with two 90-day extension options. The city's staff is still working with the developer on finalizing condominium documents, which also must be considered by council by Sept. 28. In addition to roughly $5 million for affordable housing that's expected to come from the sale if it goes through, there would be some dedicated workforce housing included in the mixed-income high-rise. The covenant approved Monday night stipulates 12 percent of the apartments (but no fewer than 35) must be leased at 150 percent of fair market rent. The city has the option of getting another 2.5 percent of the apartments (or at least nine more) set at 150 percent of fair market rent if the city or another entity such as the Downtown Development Authority pays the developer $1.475 million. In both cases, the covenant states those designated workforce housing apartments would be rented to qualifying tenants with incomes in the range of 60-100 percent of the area median income. The parking agreement approved Monday night dedicates 361 public parking spaces to the Core Spaces development, including 196 regular monthly permits allowing 24/7 use of the Library Lane underground garage directly underneath, 85 regular monthly parking permits in the nearby Fourth and William garage, plus another 80 limited-access permits at the Fourth and William garage. Limited-access permits restrict usage to 3:30 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, and all day on Saturday and Sunday. The developer will pay premium rates -- 120 percent of the normal rates -- for the 361 parking permits. "We're executing on an agreement we voted on well over a year ago. This is, you know, dotting I's and crossing T's," Ackerman said. According to a city staff memo, there's a long wait list for downtown parking permits right now, with about 4,100 requests for regular monthly permits in city-owned parking structures. The DDA says that number should not be interpreted as commitments to take permits when they become available, or as representative of unmet demand. "For instance, it is not uncommon for quantities of permits to be requested in excess of what is needed immediately but instead are used by businesses and property owners as placeholders in case staffing may increase in the future or in hopes of making a property lease more attractive," the staff memo states. "Moreover, some current permit holders have asked to be on the wait list so they can move to a different/more convenient structure, plus people can ask to be on multiple wait lists to increase their chances of getting permits more quickly. And finally, an unknown number of people pay for parking by the hour while they await a monthly permit." Ackerman said the plan is to keep just as many spots available for hourly public parking in the two garages as there are today, so most downtown visitors won't notice a change with the 361 spaces dedicated for the development. As for monthly permit holders, he said, there will be years of lead time to help them figure out where they can get a new permit to park downtown. And by collecting premium rates from Core Spaces, he said, that means more money to pay down debt and reinvest in the parking system, including investing in more downtown parking. The DDA already is making plans to expand the Ann/Ashley garage. The makeup of the City Council will change in November, with three council members who have supported the Core Spaces deal recently ousted by newcomers. It remains to be seen how the new council will vote on matters related to the Core Spaces deal, including the eventual site plan, which will require future council approval. ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor officials have decided they aren't willing to approve a major housing development known as the Cottages at Barton Green off Pontiac Trail on the city's north side. After a half-hour meeting behind closed doors with the city's legal counsel Monday night, Sept. 17, the City Council voted 10-0 to reject the development plans from Trinitas Ventures. That decision drew applause from many residents seated inside the council chambers at city hall, as the development has been controversial and was opposed by neighbors. Not satisfied with earlier plans for a 710-bed housing project geared toward University of Michigan students, the City Council sent the Indiana-based developer back to the drawing board in July, asking Trinitas to work with neighbors and make significant changes. Mayor Christopher Taylor had suggested in July he wanted to see a greener project with a greater diversity of housing types, and fewer dorm-style apartments with four, five and six bedrooms. Still not satisfied with proposed modifications Monday night, which included elimination of some units and changes in the housing mix, neighbors again spoke out against the project, and council members shared their own concerns before voting it down. Offering legal justification, council members noted the city code allows them to reject developments that would cause area traffic ratings to diminish to service levels of D, E or F. They said a traffic study showed that would be the case for several intersections in the area, including Pontiac Trail and Barton Drive, Barton Drive and Traver Road, Barton Drive and Plymouth Road, and Broadway/Plymouth/Moore/Maiden Lane. "This is a demonstration that there's going to be a very negative impact on traffic in the very manner that the (city code) describes as being the basis for denying a site plan," said Council Member Jack Eaton, D-4th Ward. "And for that reason, I'll be voting against this site plan." Council members said there are no traffic improvements scheduled at this time that would alleviate those concerns. "Work needs to be scheduled to provide for improvements of intersections before the site plan can be approved under our zoning code," said Council Member Zackary Ackerman, D-3rd Ward. Taylor and Council Member Jane Lumm both argued the project would negatively impact public health, safety and welfare. Taylor said he was disappointed with where things ended up, as he was hoping for a better compromise. Lumm, an independent from the 2nd Ward, said it's somewhat rare for plans to come to council with a recommendation by the Planning Commission to deny approval, but that's what happened in this case, and she thinks the commission made the right call. Neighbors have argued it's essentially dorm-style housing for UM students in a location where it doesn't belong, too far from campus, and they don't want it in their neighborhood. Some have argued there was too much parking proposed and it did not meet the city's requirement for new developments to limit the disturbance of natural features to the minimum necessary to allow a reasonable use of the land. The developer has disagreed on that. Trinitas had been proposing 221 apartments with 710 beds in 92 buildings on 32 acres next to M-14, north of Skydale Drive at 2601 Pontiac Trail. The plan presented in July included more than 550 surface parking spaces, a clubhouse, pool and other amenities. Timothy Stoepker, an attorney for the developer, has argued that what was proposed met city code requirements. In a Sept. 12 letter to city officials, he outlined potential changes Trinitas was willing to make following a Sept. 4 meeting between the developer, city staff and community members. That included elimination of 10 housing units, including all of the six-bedroom units, eliminating a total of 28 beds, as well as eliminating 28 car parking spaces and deferring 26 other car parking spaces. To increase the mix of housing types, the developer proposed adding eight single-family homes, though some questioned whether that really would be single-family housing, as the units could just be rented out by the bed, which the developer indicated was a possibility. As some city officials have said they wanted to see a greener project that helps meet the city's sustainability goals, Stoepker's letter also included an attached list of many "green/sustainable initiatives" for the development, including energy-efficient building features and construction methods, installing electric vehicle equipment for 2 percent of parking spaces, providing long-term bicycle storage for more than 30 percent of apartments, incorporating permeable paving for part of the site, and prohibiting smoking in the clubhouse. Stoepker also said the developer was willing to replace 40 Class-C bicycle parking spaces with 40 Class-B covered spaces to address concerns about lack of covered bicycle parking. To try to address concerns about cars parking on nearby neighborhood streets, Trinitas also proposed including in tenant leases a provision for fines of $25 per violation or $100 per month for anyone caught parking on public streets outside of the property. Council Member Sumi Kailasapathy, D-1st Ward, questioned the enforceability of that. To reduce individual vehicle trips, Trinitas also said it would provide two private shuttle buses for use by tenants, transporting them to and from UM campus areas. Trinitas also offered to provide five ride-share/carpool parking spaces near the clubhouse on its property. Council Member Chip Smith, D-5th Ward, said what Trinitas was willing to offer fell far short of expectations. "It fails to meet the goals and aspirations of so many parts of our master plan," he said. "Very specifically, looking at our sustainability framework, as we look at energy use, as we look at sustainable systems, this just falls short in so many other ways." He suggested it paled in comparison to another apartment development that came before council Monday night, one that includes rooftop solar panels and other green building features. "When I'm given a memo that tells me that, you know, this is going to be a green project because there's no smoking in the clubhouse building, and then I have another project that discusses, you know, having the entire roof covered in solar panels, I see a huge ... failure to understand what the goals and objectives of our master plan documents are," Smith said. "So, I can't support this." Council Member Graydon Krapohl, D-4th Ward, was absent. ANN ARBOR, MI - A former University of Michigan pediatric doctor who was fired and stripped of his medical license amid child sex and pornography allegations accepted a plea deal in federal court last week. Mark F. Hoeltzel, 46, pleaded guilty Thursday, Sept. 13, to one felony count of enticement of a minor, according to court records. Hoeltzel admitted that in 2017 he created a fake Facebook account under the name "Ryan Gardner" to contact minor girls while pretending to be a teenage boy, records show. He engaged in romantic and often sexual conversations with a 14-year-old girl in Colorado using the Gardner persona on Facebook Messenger, writing in one conversation "just never thought an eighth grader could be so sexy," records show. Using the persona, he asked for and obtained explicit photos of the girl before sending her explicit photos of himself, records show. He was originally facing seven felonies, charged with one count each of receiving child pornography, possession of child pornography, enticement of a minor, production of child pornography and three counts of transfer of obscene materials to a minor. The six other charges were dismissed as part of his plea agreement, records show. Enticement of a minor is punishable by 10 years to life in prison, though his presentence report calls for him to serve 14 to 17 years. He will have to federally register as a sex offender. Hoeltzel currently is free on $10,000 bond. He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 13 before U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow. The original charges stem from a federal investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct with patients while he worked in the UM's Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic in Ann Arbor, as well as a doctor at a camp for children with arthritis. Michigan Medicine took steps to protect its patients by removing Hoeltzel from patient care duties the day it was alerted of the investigation, UM Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs Marschall Runge previously said. The investigation into Hoeltzel began in 2017 after a former patient filed a complaint with the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Hoeltzel lost his medical license and his job as the state investigated claims he was intimate with the patient while at work. In December 2017, police executed a search warrant on Hoeltzel's Ann Arbor home and seized several items, including a flash drive that was later found to contain more than 100 images of child pornography. The explicit images primarily consisted of minor girls, authorities alleged. Federal prosecutors said Hoeltzel was investigated by UM police in Ann Arbor in 2006 after the mother of an 11-year-old girl reported him upon reading "inappropriate and flirtatious" Yahoo messages shared between the girl and doctor spanning back to 2004. Hoeltzel at that time was asked to take a "boundaries class," but he didn't lose his medical license, job or face criminal charges. ANN ARBOR, MI - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is advising residents to avoid swallowing foam on the Huron River. It may contain high amounts of PFAS, health officials said. The advisory was issued Tuesday, Sept. 18 as a precaution because of high amounts of PFAS found in Huron River surface water and fish, and based on foam test results from other Michigan water bodies. The state recommends visitors avoid swallowing foam on the water during recreational activities, though an accidental swallow of water is not considered a health concern. Health officials are also encouraging anyone who comes in contact with foam on the river to wash their hands as a precaution against swallowing PFAS. Skin contact with the foam or water is not considered a health concern, because current science indicates that PFAS do not move easily through the skin. Additionally, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development recommends that people not allow their pets - especially dogs - to come into contact with or swallow the foam. Dogs can potentially swallow foam collected in their fur when grooming themselves. Dogs should be thoroughly rinsed off with fresh water after contact with foamy water. State health officials previously issued a Do Not Eat advisory for fish from the Huron River Oakland County to Lake Erie. The state moves fish into the "do not eat" category when it tests at a level of 300 ppb of PFOS or higher. In comparison, fish at 9 ppb are considered safe to eat for 16 meals per month, the lowest advisory level in state guidelines for PFOS. PFOS is a type of PFAS, a term that represents a group of water-repellent chemicals known as per- and poly-flourinated compounds, which have links to cancer, liver damage, birth defects and autoimmune diseases. PFAS contamination has become a statewide concern. The state has been testing for the contamination all year, targeting municipal water systems, wastewater treatment plants, schools and landfills. In July, the city of Parchment had to shut down its water system after high levels were discovered; other areas with ongoing issues of high contamination include northern Kent County, Grayling and Oscoda. PFAS has been found in Ann Arbor's drinking water since 2014, with tests showing it consistently under the lifetime health advisory of 70 ppt. However, concerns with the city's PFAS coming from the Huron River prompted a wave of testing that started this summer as the state attempted to identify source contamination. Test results from June pointed to an auto supplier in Wixom as the possible source. More information about test results from the Huron River can be found online. For more information about the Eat Safe Fish guidelines, visit the state's website. MLive reporter Paula Gardner contributed to this story. ANN ARBOR, MI - University of Michigan alum Darren Criss has never been shy about showing love for his alma mater. So when Criss captured his first Emmy for best actor in a limited series during Monday's 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, there was no better time to express his love for UM than during his acceptance speech. "You guys are witnessing the most extraordinary moment of my life, thus far," Criss said. Criss, a San Francisco native, earned his Emmy for his role as Andrew Cunanan in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story." After continuing by thanking several people who worked on the project, as well as family members and his fiance, Mia Swier, Criss closed his speech with a line familiar to many in Ann Arbor. "Go Blue!" said Criss, a 2009 graduate of UM's School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Criss gained popularity on TV on Fox's "Glee" in 2010. His other TV credits include "American Horror Story: Hotel" and "The Flash." He also starred in Broadway revivals, including "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in 2015. "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," is a follow-up to producer Ryan Murphy's fictionalized retelling of O.J. Simpson's murder trial. Criss was not alone in representing Southeast Michigan during the Sept. 17 Emmy Awards. Chelsea native Jeff Daniels took home an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Frank Griffin in "Godless." Daniels also was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his work on "The Looming Tower," but was coincidentally edged out for the Emmy by Criss. Daniels played counter terrorism agent John O'Neill who works to convince intelligence agencies about a pending attack by Al-Qaeda on the U.S. prior to 9/11. Daniels previously won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2013 for his portrayal of Will McAvoy on "The Newsroom." Amor Ftouhi FLINT, MI -- The attorney for accused Bishop Airport stabber Amor Ftouhi plans to have her client's mental capacity evaluated ahead of a potential trial in November. Ftouhi's attorney Joan E. Morgan told U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker on Tuesday, Sept. 18, she plans to submit a notice to have Ftouhi evaluated in the event that she plans to pursue a mental health defense. Ftouhi is accused of violence at an international airport, interference with airport security and committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries in the stabbing of Bishop Airport Lt. Jeff Neville June 21, 2017, inside the terminal. U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker said if Morgan plans to pursue a mental health defense it could affect the date that jurors are called in and potentially push back the Nov. 5 jury trial. Morgan declined to comment following the hearing on the particulars of the potential defense. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office also declined to comment following the short hearing. Jurors for Ftouhi's trial will be picked from approximately 750,000 residents in Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston and Shiawassee counties, according to federal court files. Ftouhi -- a dual citizen of Canada and Tunisia -- faces the potential of a life sentence in prison. A judge previously denied Ftouhi's request to move his trial to Detriot. Ftouhi stabbed Neville with a large knife while shouting "Allahu Akbar" and referenced killings in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq just four days after entering the United States from Canada, federal prosecutors allege. Neville survived the attack. Ftouhi said he was a "soldier of Allah" and subscribed to the ideology of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, according to his indictment. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. FLINT, MI - The first fake cop who patrolled with a group of other wanna-be imposters who held people at gunpoint and detained others in handcuffs was sentenced on Monday. Jeffrey L. Jones, 29, of Flint, was sentenced to five years of probation on Sept. 17 by Genesee Circuit Judge Celeste Bell. Jones' sentence was a part of a plea deal with Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton that included no upfront jail time and ordered Jones turn over all the equipment he used while acting as a fake cop. "I'd just like to apologize," Jones told the court. "I know I made bad choices and I'd just like to ask for a second chance. I promise this will not happen again. I let my family down when I got involved in this. I let a lot of people down." Jones and four others who were part of the Genesee County Fire and EMS Media-Genesee County Task Force Blight Agency were acting as police at locations that include county parks, house fires, vehicle crashes and crime scenes. The five charged with acting as fake cops for years, dressed like real officers, had badges, handcuffs and guns, drove vehicles with emergency lights and would tell people they were the police, investigators previously said. Jones pleaded guilty to a charge of impersonating a police officer, which Bell said was a four-year felony. "I find the charges extremely disturbing," Bell said. "Taking the law into your own hands the way these charges have read - taking people in custody, armed in Genesee County parks -- I'm extremely offended by that behavior. However, out of respect for the prosecutor's office and if they wish to resolve the cases in this fashion, I'm going to adopt that recommendation." Jones was given credit for 119 days in jail. An investigation into the group was launched after Genesee County Parks police Chief Kevin Shanlian received a complaint of rude rangers at Stepping Stone Falls and Picnic Area in Genesee on Sept. 21, 2017. He investigated the incident because the victims thought they were being mistreated by park rangers, but Shanlian soon learned the victims were actually dealing with fake cops. Jones, along with Emily Burrison and Auston Rose, also were charged in connection to the incident at the park. The three individuals who are charged dressed like police officers and approached two people at Stepping Stone Falls and Picnic Area. The group of fake cops said the people were trespassing, the park was closed and they were under arrest despite the fact the park was actually open. Both victims were handcuffed and the fake police demanded their driver's licenses. Information from the licenses was entered into a laptop inside the suspects' vehicle, which Leyton said had a police light bar on top of it. The victims were told they were being placed on a criminal watch list database, before getting the handcuffs taken off and receiving their licenses back. Willie Strong, Rose and Burrison also are charged with holding a group of teens at gunpoint and then handcuffing the kids after they broke into Flint Central High School on July 2. Rose and Austin Erwin also were charged in connection to another incident that took place on Court Street in front of Mott Community College on Sept. 29. A man and his girlfriend got into an argument. When the woman got out of her boyfriend's vehicle, she said she was pushed. An unmarked vehicle pulled up and Rose and Erwin are accused of placing the pair in handcuffs. Both men got out of what appeared to be an unmarked police cruiser dressed like SWAT team members, investigators said last month. Leyton previously said the deals with the five impersonators was in the best interest of justice. "I don't think these folks are public enemy number one," Leyton previously said. "I think that they were very misguided. I believe they felt they were trying to help the community." GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Community members will have an opportunity to meet Grand Rapids' new city manager next month following his official swearing-in ceremony. Mark Washington, 45, will be sworn in at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the ninth-floor commission chambers at City Hall, 300 Monroe Ave. NW. He will have time to speak with community members in attendance afterward before the start of the 7 p.m. city commission meeting. Washington was appointed manager in late July. He was one of three finalists for the position, which was vacated on Dec. 31 by eight-year City Manager Greg Sundstrom. "I am eager to be a Grand Rapidian," Washington said in a statement. "I look forward to spending time with the city commission, city staff, partners and community stakeholders to listen to their ideas and concerns and dig deeper into the issues that are important to our city." Washington is coming in after working three years as one of five assistant city managers in Austin, Texas. He has 22 years of experience in local government. The new city manager starts in Grand Rapids on Oct. 1. He has already signed his three-year contract, and will make a starting salary of $250,000. "We hope residents and others in the community join us for this special event," said Mayor Rosalynn Bliss in a statement. "This is the start of an exciting chapter in our city's history." Validated parking is available in the Government Center Ramp on Monroe and Ottawa avenues. Contact the city clerk's office at 616-456-3010 to request special services due to a disability. UPDATE: The city commission voted 5-1 to approve the six-month moratorium, with Commissioner Senita Lenear as the lone "no" vote. Commissioner Jon O'Connor was absent. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids will no longer be accepting applications for medical marijuana facilities beginning Nov. 1. In making the decision Tuesday, city officials determined that the original timeline was unrealistic. Based on the new timeline, applications to open medical marijuana facilities in the city wouldn't happen until 2019. The city commission is expected to vote Tuesday night, Sept. 18, to place a moratorium on accepting applications for six months, or until the city can hold additional public meetings and finalize amendments to the medical marijuana ordinance. "What I've heard loud and clear is meeting that deadline of Nov. 1 is not realistic," said Mayor Rosalynn Bliss. "We won't be accepting applications as of Nov. 1." But at least one local cannabis expert disagrees. Matt Hoffman, chair of The National Cannabis Industry Association and Michigan speaker for The Marijuana Policy Project, said the businesses pursuing licenses in Grand Rapids are "acting with incredible speed." Asked if small, local perspective business owners were the ones the commission was looking out for by delaying the process, Hoffman said those who are upset about the Nov. 1 application opening date never had a chance to get into the industry anyway due to the city's ordinance, which he called restrictive. "That's a problem created by the commission," Hoffman said. "When the planning (commission) had their map, it was robust with ample opportunities for even the little guys. When the city commission cut it down, they created a climate of hyper-inflated real estate prices because of the scarceness of availability. "Little guys having any chance of participating was kiboshed by the city commission itself." Grand Rapids adopted its medical marijuana ordinance on July 24 by a 6-0 vote. The ordinance will allow medical marijuana facilities within city limits with special land use approval, but will limit the potential locations based on established separation distances. A Nov. 1 application acceptance date was set. City staff anticipated a rush of applicants, so they decided to use a lottery process for the first day of applications, with later applications to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. On Tuesday morning, the commission agreed during a meeting to push back the acceptance date to allow more time for city staff, as well as time for the commission, to consider amendments and perspective business owners time to work through the licensing and application processes. The commission was supposed to spend more than two hours in a work session Tuesday to discuss amendments and a timeline related to the marijuana ordinance, but delayed it until Oct. 9 to allow the new city manager, Mark Washington who will officially start next month, and City Commissioner Jon O'Connor, who was absent Tuesday, to be involved. O'Connor was out of town for work on Tuesday. He has been the most vocal commissioner in terms of supporting a regulated medical marijuana industry in Grand Rapids. "While I am eager to get the process started for accepting applications, I know there is additional work needed to be prepared for formulating rules and implementation," O'Connor told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. "I would have been supportive of a moratorium until after the election in November to work on rules, however six months is far too long to keep patients from legally accessing their medication here in Grand Rapids." Some of the issues to be hashed out during the work session include whether or not to keep the pre-qualification requirement of the ordinance, and how the commission wants to incorporate voluntary equitable development agreements (VETA) into the process. Multiple commissioners said Tuesday they've heard community members who are interested in getting into the industry say they wanted more time to understand and work through the process. "We've talked to several individuals and groups who are making every effort to apply for licenses and to engage in this business and they've made it perfectly clear it's moving pretty fast," said Second Ward Commissioner Joe Jones. "There's a lot of complexity to it and there are probably others in our community who are much more experienced who could have everything done by November but in an effort to give best possible opportunities for local ownership, that's why I'm in favor of pushing it back and having this moratorium." Hoffman said the individuals who weren't going to be ready by November didn't have a seat at the table anyway due to the competitiveness of the industry and limited opportunities in Grand Rapids. As an example, Hoffman said he knows of a business that made a $1.7 million offer for a 2,500-square-foot property in the city for the purpose of opening a marijuana facility, and it was denied because there was a bigger offer on the table. "That's astronomical in price per square feet, it's Manhattan prices in Grand Rapids," Hoffman said. "What I've found during planning sessions is there are people grossly under-realizing what's required financially and in terms of business resources to get into this industry. "This is a business. There will be winners and losers. Welcome to the jungle." Additionally, he said the delay will hurt those who have already purchased properties and now have to hold onto them for as long as six months before moving forward with their applications. Commissioners varied in their interest in a three-month, six-month or indefinite moratorium Tuesday, but they agreed upon six months with an expectation that they could lift the moratorium if they amended the ordinance before six months was up. They'll officially vote on the moratorium Tuesday at their 7 p.m. meeting at the Dominican Center at Marywood, 2025 Fulton St. SE. Mike Tuffelmire, former director of Decriminalize GR and a board member for Michigan Legalize and the Michigan Cannabis Caucus, said he's worried that a delay will cause Grand Rapids to miss out on "the great economic wave" associated with the cannabis industry. Additionally, Tuffelmire said the moratorium would have negative consequences on patients who could have to wait as long as another six months to have easy access to their medication. "That means another six months for an elderly woman suffering from cancer who has to drive an hour to get her medicine and not commit a crime," Tuffelmire said. Hoffman anticipates public backlash in response to the ordinance's delayed start. He said it was a mistake for the group behind the Smart & Safe GR ballot initiative to back away from its proposal and trust that the city would move forward with its ordinance. "This pushes progress back," Hoffman said. "What we're seeing here seems to be preemptive and calculated. This was a calculated move in seeing what would happen in November (with the statewide recreational marijuana ballot proposal) and how it would change the landscape." GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A man who allegedly threatened to shoot a student at East Grand Rapids High School has been charged with making a false report of terrorism, a 20-year felony, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. Windell Sallie, 28, is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, Sept. 18, in Grand Rapids District Court, court records show. He allegedly threatened to shoot the student at school, which led to a partial lockdown on Monday, Sept. 17, at the middle and high schools, police said. The lockdown was lifted later that day after Grand Rapids police tracked down the suspect and arrested him. East Grand Rapids Police Chief Mark Herald said police believed the threat to be credible. The targeted student notified a school official after showing up for school. The school notified police. Police did not think the suspect was near the school but locked schools down and brought officers to the schools. Sallie, who is jailed pending his initial court hearing, is also facing a misdemeanor charge of illegal entry. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - The West Ottawa High student who allegedly brought a gun to school took to social media to threaten a classmate who turned him in, police say. Davian Joseph Weston, 17, was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 18, on alleged bond violations, Ottawa County sheriff's Capt. Mark Bennett said. He said that Weston appeared to have threatened a student who told school officials about Weston having a gun. Staff told sheriff's deputies - working as school resource officers - who arrested Weston on Thursday, Sept. 13, as he walked between the south and north campuses. Police recovered a stolen .38-caliber pistol from his backpack, police said. Weston was released on $5,000 bond the next day after he was arraigned in Holland District Court on felony charges of receiving and concealing a stolen firearm and carrying a concealed weapon. He also was charged with a misdemeanor charge of violating a weapons-free school zone. In a probable cause affidavit filed in court, Ottawa County sheriff's Detective. David Bytwerk said he talked to a student who "gave statements to me, that this (.38-caliber) gun had been located after trading it for a gun which Davian had stolen, a different gun and then had traded this gun for the .38-caliber in this case." Bytwerk obtained a student's cellphone video that "clearly shows the defendant in possession of the .38-caliber on this video, and he's handling it." Weston's mother contended her son found a broken gun near railroad tracks and forgot he put it in his backpack before he went to school. Weston is expected to go before Holland District Judge Susan Jonas on Tuesday afternoon for the alleged bond violations. Among the bond conditions for his release: he was prohibited from verbal or physical abusive behavior. Bennett said Weston posted threats on social media, including statements that appeared to threaten the student who turned him in. Police contacted the student and said the student does not appear to be in danger. Weston has been ordered to stay off school grounds and obey a curfew. In a Facebook post Friday after he was released from jail he appeared to worry about his "potential with my music n now it might just get flushed down the drain just cuz a dumb broken gun, to any kid reading this its not cool to have a gun, guns are not cool they're stupid like look at this, this is where guns get you." GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The day Janna Kelly failed to show for work, her daughter, Dana Isola, and others were desperate to find her. She wouldn't just disappear. Her daughter kept calling her cell phone but got no answer. She tried calling hospitals, family and friends. A neighbor with a key searched Kelly's home. "What those people didn't know at the time was it was already too late," Assistant Ottawa County Prosecutor Lee Fisher told a jury. Kelly, 60, was killed in early December 2007. Her body was found three months later in a Grand Haven Township field. Fisher told a Kent County Circuit Court jury that Robin Root, a former tenant who owed Kelly $2,900, killed her in the victim's home, put her body in the trunk of her own car then set her body on fire in a wooded area surrounded by blueberry fields in northwest Ottawa County. Root, 55, has already been convicted of first-degree murder but the conviction was overturned by the state Court of Appeals over statements she provided investigators without having been informed of her Miranda rights to protect against self-incrimination. A second trial in Kent County Circuit Court began Monday, Sept. 17. The killing went unsolved until 2015 when an Ottawa County sheriff's cold-case team noticed that Root's DNA sample taken soon after the killing had not been submitted for analysis. Her DNA matched blood found on the door of Kelly's car and her jacket. Root had consistently denied any involvement in the killing until she was confronted with the DNA findings and cell phone records that showed her phone and Kelly's phone "followed the same path" from Grand Rapids to Ottawa County, the prosecutor said. A Grand Rapids police detective is expected to testify Tuesday about Root's initial denials and show jurors a video recording of those interviews. Defense attorney David Dodge, who was successful in showing that some of his client's statements to police should be suppressed, asked jurors to make the prosecution prove all elements of first-degree, premeditated murder. "What was Robin Root's intent? What was her state of mind? That's the real issue. What was Robin Root's statement of mind, before or at the time of Jana Kelly's death. That's why we're all here," Dodge said in his opening statement. Root contends she pushed Kelly down during a dispute and panicked. Fisher, an Ottawa County prosecutor, is trying the case because he oversaw the cold-case investigation. He said Root intentionally killed Kelly, and took numerous steps to cover up the crime. The trial is expected to last a week. COLUMBIA TWP., MI - Three people are being treated after a pickup crashed into a garbage truck Tuesday morning in Columbia Township, police said. Officers were dispatched at 7:49 a.m. Sept. 18 to the crash at Riverside Road, east of McKinney Road, said Columbia Township Police Sgt. Jay Niles. A man and a woman in the pickup and one of two men in the Modern Waste garbage truck were taken to Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson, Niles said. Their conditions are unknown at this time, he said. The crash is still under investigation. This story will be updated as more details become available. Michigan State Police, Somerset Township Fire Department, Columbia Township Fire Department, Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Napoleon Township Fire Department and Jackson Community Ambulance assisted at the scene. COLUMBIA TWP., MI - A worker on a garbage truck was critically injured in a crash Tuesday morning in Columbia Township, according to police. Police were called to the crash at Riverside Road east of McKinney Road at 7:48 a.m. Sept. 18. The Modern Waste garbage truck was traveling east on Riverside Road as employees emptied trash cans into the truck, Columbia Township Police Chief David Elwell said. A 1997 Ford F-150 pickup came up behind the garbage truck and rear-ended it, striking the employee who was standing on the driver's side corner, Elwell said. The injured worker may have been temporarily pinned between the pickup and garbage truck, Elwell said. He was taken to Henry Ford Allegiance Health. Two people in the Ford F-150 also were transported by ambulance to Henry Ford Allegiance Health with what Elwell said he believed were non-life-threatening injuries. KALAMAZOO, MI -- People camping in Bronson Park for the last month are being asked by the city of Kalamazoo to leave by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18 under threat of arrest. The Bronson Park encampment had just under 100 tents as of Monday evening. Kalamazoo City Manager Jim Ritsema said the demonstration violates local ordinances, but allowed it to remain until a surprise announcement at Monday's City Commission meeting. People who do not leave are subject to possible arrest, Ritsema said. Since the protest began on Aug. 19, Ritsema consistently said the demonstration is illegal and would be ended eventually. He was hired to enforce city ordinances, which prohibits sleeping overnight and camping in parks punishable by a misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. The demonstration started as a reaction to proposed ordinance revisions that would have decriminalized penalties for violating parks codes and included other, less popular language changes. It later grew into larger movement criticizing the city and social service providers for doing little to provide affordable housing in the last decade. At a Sept. 10 meeting, the City Commission unanimously voted to work on demands presented by protesters. Commissioners agreed to work on providing mental, emotional and physical health supports to the encampment, a structurally sound, vacant building that protesters can coordinate volunteer contractor services, investigate crimes against the homeless and use the expertise of people experienced homelessness to address the issue. Ritsema said work to address the demands will continue. "The city remains committed to an ongoing process to convene the community to seek solutions to these larger problems, however the growing encampment in Bronson Park is not a solution ... it is a violation of city ordinances and must end," Ritsema said. The protest became too large to continue, Ritsema said. He made the decision Monday afternoon. "It ballooned, almost doubled (in size) in the last week," Ritsema said. "We continue to get complaints about the conditions there." Carl Wiseman, who was chosen to speak on behalf of the protesters, said he has no intention of leaving. "If they try to force us out we'll stand our ground," he said. "I think a lot of the group are going to feel that way." Chief Karianne Thomas offered few details about how police will vacate Bronson Park Tuesday evening. She did not say if other jurisdictions will be called or how many officers will be dispatched. "At this point we will have to see how many people comply with the request to vacate the park," she said. People will also be removed from another campsite outside a vacant former public safety training facility on Cedar Street. The location was provided by the city until the end of September through an agreement signed by both parties at the end of August. The decision was made without a vote of the commission, but Commissioner Shannon Sykes Nehring expressed disagreement. She said people have nowhere else to go. "We have just made the decision to displace between 150 to 200 people," Sykes Nehring said. Attorney Denise Heberle pledged to represent demonstrators in a lawsuit against the city of Kalamazoo if they are removed from Bronson Park. She cited a Sept. 4 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling against camping laws in the city of Boise, Idaho. The court ruled that the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment bars a city from criminally prosecuting people for sleeping outside on public property when no alternative shelter is available to them. Protesters said they were blindsided by Ritsema's decision after a seemingly positive negotiation Friday. Michael Rizor, one of the more outspoken members of the protest, said the decision is a "cheap shot." He said the protest will not die if it leaves Bronson Park. "You can tell us to your face and tell us you're not going to stab us in the back, but guess what just happened," Rizor said. "You may try to arrest us, but we don't care. We will not go back into the shadows." Commissioner Eric Cunningham said the encampment is illegal, but protesters need to keep talks with the city going. "There are times where a protest is needed," Cunningham said. "Regardless of tomorrow's circumstance, I want this protest to continue from the standpoint of open dialogue. Do not go back into the shadows, do not disappear." Commissioner Don Cooney said he's not sure if it is a good idea to remove people from Bronson Park. It's the community's responsibility to find a place for them to go. "Maybe in this community we needed this to wake people up to the suffering people have here," Cooney said. "I think you have woken us up." Colby Haggard said Kalamazoo residents have been waiting for the city to finally decide to enforce its ordinances. "The park belongs to the people and not just one group of people," Haggard said. "If I can't use the park because they are using the park then I am being deprived because you are giving them more rights than me, and I am a taxpayer." Sykes Nehring's 12-year-old daughter criticized the commission for failing to during a portion of the meeting established for citizens to comment. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Jerome Oday II and another man got into a fistfight with a man in a Kalamazoo liquor store before Oday shot him, police say. Police responded to J & B Discount Liquor at 110 W. Stockbridge Ave., at around 1:20 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15. There, they found 23-year-old Tykarri Shaheed Lucas of Benton Harbor shot twice in the torso. Police tried to save his life, but he died at the scene. In probable cause testimony Monday in Kalamazoo County District Court, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Detective Cory Ghiringhelli said surveillance video from inside and outside the store caught the fatal shooting on tape. Detectives saw Oday and another man, who has not been charged with murder, fight Lucas, Ghiringhelli said. Oday punched Lucas and the three men started fighting, then Oday pulled a handgun out of his hoodie pocket and shot Lucas, Ghiringhelli said. Lucas stumbled down an aisle and Oday shot him a second time in the torso. Oday and the other man are shown on the camera fleeing the store, Ghiringhelli said. Police found two spent 0.40-caliber shell casings in the liquor store. An autopsy conducted at the Western Michigan Unversity Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine confirmed Lucas died of gunshot wounds and the manner of his death was ruled a homicide, the detective said. Detectives tracked Oday to a house in the 2900 block of West Avenue SW in Wyoming, where he was arrested later Saturday. Oday faces a charge of open murder, two charges of felony firearm, one charge of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of carrying a concealed weapon. If convicted of murder, Oday faces up to life in prison. Oday appeared via video for an arraignment Monday from the Kalamazoo County Jail. He told Kalamazoo County District Court Judge Christopher T. Haenicke he planned to hire a lawyer. Haenicke denied bond. Oday is due back in court for a preliminary examination Oct. 3. KALAMAZOO, MI -- People camping in Bronson Park and on Cedar Street are deciding whether to pack up their tents or face arrest. Carl Wiseman said he and around 30-40 people have chosen the latter, despite a warning from City Manager Jim Ristema that those camping after 7 p.m. Tuesday are considered trespassers. Other members of the two encampments began breaking down their equipment and moving personal belongings, though most said they have no place to go. Ladowrence Gogins, a member of the Cedar Street camp, said he isn't taking any chances. He is trying to regain custody of a 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, and can't risk being arrested. "I have other obligations in the world," Gogins said. When asked where he would spend Tuesday night, Gogins just silently shook his head. The protest began on Aug. 19 in response to proposed city ordinance changes, which would lessen penalties for sleeping and camping in parks but were seen as a way to punish people for being homeless. A series of demands sought more emergency shelter space and resources to address the physical, emotional and mental health of people on the streets. A work group of local governmental officials and social service providers was assembled to achieve these goals, but the encampment continued to gather members. Ritsema told protesters several times during the last month that they are violating city ordinances by camping in Bronson Park. Protesters were allowed to stay indefinitely, but Ritsema decided to clear the park after the camp grew during the weekend. Just under 100 tents were visible at the start of the week, containing between 150-200 people, according to the city. Tents were originally set up on the steps of City Hall before being moved to Bronson Park, then a Cedar Street property with city permission. A dozen people remained at Cedar Street, but most of the group moved back to Bronson Park after Labor Day. Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain said the city remains committed to taking action. "All of our options are open tonight," he said. "If they are arrested, we will be checking for warrants. At that point it is up to those individuals if they will remain in the park." Bronson Park and Cedar Street An agreement signed by the city and leaders of the protest on Aug. 31 guaranteed the use of the Cedar Street property until Sept. 31. Heather Saddler said there was a schism between people who remained on Cedar Street and those who returned to Bronson Park. She felt the city reneged on its promise to let them stay while it finds solutions. "None of us are going to leave until they offer us an alternative agreement," Saddler said. "(Ritsema) is just going to have to deal with it." Wiseman plans to move his belongings to First Congregational Church, where the Rev. Nathan Dannison agreed to hold the demonstrators' property. Those who plan to stay in the park were told to remain peaceful, Wiseman said, and comply with police. "That way, nobody looks bad and we'll take care of it the legal way," Wiseman said. Michael Rizor, another outspoken member of the encampment, hasn't decided whether he will risk arrest. He is trying to earn an undergraduate degree and find a new job after being fired, but remains committed to the protest. "We are a protest, the city lost sight of that," Rizor said. "It's deplorable that the city doesn't recognize it doesn't have enough shelter ... arresting people for trying to have a way of life doesn't solve the problem." Several groups began packing up their belongings a few hours before the 7 p.m. deadline. By 5 p.m., almost a quarter of the Bronson Park encampment was gone. Bronson Park is not equipped as a campground, Ritsema said. Public health and welfare concerns and pressure from residents caused the city manager to shut down the camp after seeing it grow during the weekend. People familiar with the Bronson Park protest said it became too large to control. Rhonda Steward has been helping organize donations and meals at the encampment, though she is not homeless. She said she cried after hearing the news that people would no longer be permitted to stay, but felt demonstrators did it to themselves by allowing unruly behavior. Police arrested one man Tuesday afternoon after a confrontation broke out near the center of the park. "I told them wherever you go, just keep the love of God in your heart," Steward said. "It's going to be difficult for most of them." Members of the community arrived an hour before the deadline set by Ritsema for a potluck in support of the protest. Activists and members of downtown churches pledged their support on social media and planned to arrive in Bronson Park in solidarity with the homeless group. Adequate shelter space Protesters have argued that the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment bars a city from criminally prosecuting people for sleeping outside on public property when no alternative shelter is available to them. Commissioner Shannon Sykes Nehring said the city does not have adequate emergency shelter space to accommodate demonstrators. "We do not have, even if we were to fill up the homeless shelter and a few other places, enough space for folks," Sykes Nehring said during a Monday City Commission meeting. "So where are you suggesting folks relocate to?" Ritsema said it's not clear if there enough beds available. "That's an analysis that needs to be done," he said. Each year, social service providers in the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care network submit data about the homeless population and available beds to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. There were more than 4,636 people who experienced homelessness at some point last year, including those living on the streets or in emergency shelters and people forced to live with friends or family due to a housing crisis. A point-in-time count shows 567 people experienced homelessness during a single night in January this year, including 53 people not staying in a shelter and 149 children. These numbers are expected to be higher in warmer months, local officials said. There were 530 emergency shelter beds last year, according to a housing inventory count report submitted to HUD. Three-quarters of the available emergency shelter beds are owned by the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. Protesters have consistently raised complaints about cleanliness, abusive staff conduct other issues that have left many unwilling to go to the Gospel Mission. The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission housed 198 people Monday night, and has a current capacity of 244, said Pastor Michael Brown. Additionally, the mission can accommodate another 30 people if they use sleeping pads on the ground of classrooms, he said. At a Sept. 10 meeting, the City Commission unanimously voted to work on demands presented by protesters. This included searching for a structurally sound, vacant building that protesters might be able to occupy. Ritsema said the city does not have any vacant buildings fit for housing. "Most of our properties are contaminated," Ritsema said. "We don't feel like as a city we can provide a facility to this group." Seventy emergency beds are available at the YWCA's domestic assault program. The 65 remaining emergency shelter beds are owned by Catholic Family Services, Housing resources Inc., the Oakland House and Open Door Shelter. Almost three-quarters of the county's 2,274 total available beds were dedicated to permanent supportive housing in 2017. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Homeowners looking to learn more about the function, maintenance, and regulation of Kalamazoo County's water supply and sewage treatment system can attend an informational seminar tomorrow. The Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department is hosting Well and Septic 101 as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's annual Septic Smart Week campaign. The free seminar starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in Conference Room A of the Kalamazoo County Expo Center. Registration for the seminar starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Those who attend will learn where their drinking water comes from, how often it should be tested, where gray water and black water goes, how often a septic system should be pumped and the function of an alternator valve. "The Well and Septic 101 seminar will be a great learning opportunity for homeowners, realtors, builders and those that have any involvement in onsite water wells and sewage treatment systems," said Lucus Pols, Kalamazoo County health and community services environmental health unit supervisor, in a press release. Many Kalamazoo County homeowners have faced growing concern over the quality of their well water as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality continues to test wells surrounding the city of Parchment, Cooper Township and Richland Township for elevated levels of contaminants known collectively as PFAS. A drinking water advisory for those on Parchment's municipal water system was issued on July 26 after toxic per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, were found entering the city's water supply at levels above state and federal health standards. One month later, on Aug. 27, the Kalamazoo Department of Health and Community Services lifted that advisory after connecting to the city of Kalamazoo water supply and retesting for the compounds. Some residential wells close to the former Production Plated Plastics facility on East D Avenue in Richland Township also showed elevated levels of PFAS. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry states PFAS is linked to an increased risk of thyroid disease, developmental effects in infants and children, reproductive effects, hypertension in pregnant women, increased cholesterol levels and other effects. MUSKEGON, MI - Citizens concerned about Muskegon Heights Public School Academy dominated the public comment session during the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District board meeting on Monday, Sept. 17. About 20 minutes of public comment revolved around the academy's superintendent, finances, transparency, oversight and accountability. Some people also spoke at the past two Muskegon Heights Public Schools Board of Education meetings. During a meeting on Monday, Sept. 10, Muskegon Heights school board President Trinell Scott suggested that constituents take their complaints to the MAISD. Joe Warren, president of the Muskegon Heights Alumni Assocation spoke to the MAISD board about whether students are receiving adequate education, the PSA's $954,399 deficit in 2017-18 and concerns regarding Superintendent Rane Garcia's leadership. "What role do you play to oversee Muskegon Heights school district?" Warren asked the board. "Our public board told us to ask the ISD why nothing was done with the deficit in 17-18. Why wasn't it red flagged? Or maybe you did red flag it." The MAISD board did not respond to public comment during the meeting. MAISD Superintendent John Severson declined to comment after the meeting. One PSA expense from the 2017-18 school year that has come under question is $25,000 on gift cards for contracted employees. The Michigan Department of Education is "considering next steps" after being notified by the Michigan Department of Treasury in August, according to a spokesperson. At its Aug. 27 meeting, the Muskegon Heights Public Schools Board of Education adopted a resolution condemning the PSA board for not suspending Garcia in light of the $25,000 gift card expenditure. The resolution earned a sharp public reply two days later from PSA Board President Rufus "Garland" Kilgore who expressed confidence in Garcia's ability to lead the district. At the time, Kilgore had been on the PSA board for two weeks. During the Sept. 10 meeting, the Muskegon Heights board of education and constituents talked about the possibility of closing the charter academy. The charter academy is authorized by the public district. "We're part of a group of concerned parents and citizens," said James Burton, vice president of the Muskegon Heights Alumni Association, during the MAISD meeting on Monday. "Our concern is not for closing the school. What we're asking for is transparency and accountability." Muskegon Heights Public Schools was under emergency management from 2012-2016 after it accumulated nearly $12 million of debt. Its first emergency manager established the charter school system to run the schools while the public district focused on paying off the debt. A Receivership Transition Advisory Board (RTAB) was appointed in 2016 by the Michigan Department of Treasury to oversee the financials of Muskegon Heights Public Schools and the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System. It succeeded several emergency managers. The PSA's $955,000 deficit in 2017-18 was covered by drawing from the fund balance, which now has a balance of $270,848, or less than 3 percent of expenditures. Garcia is a first-time superintendent. She was promoted to the job on July 1, 2017, after serving as assistant superintendent for the academy system. Her contract was renewed by the PSA board on May 31. In 2016-17, her salary was $115,000, according to transparency reporting. MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - An investigation into the spending of $25,000 in public funds on gift cards at Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System found that the purchase was a "technical infraction" that wasn't "egregious." The Michigan Department of Education will request that the academy submit an action plan to address the investigation's findings, according to a news release from the MDE. "MDE is asking the academy to develop and implement policies and procedures to help avoid and reduce the chance of incidents like this occurring again," said David Head, communications representative for MDE, in an email response to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. At the request of the MDE, the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District commissioned Thrun Law Firm to investigate reports that Superintendent Rane Garcia distributed gift cards to contracted employees on two occasions during the 2017-18 school year. The charter academy pays the MAISD for financial services. The MDE news release states that in a letter to the MAISD, the law firm reported that "it does not appear that Superintendent Garcia intended to violate any policies, contracts, or laws through the issuance of the gift cards. A preponderance of the evidence available indicates that she issued the gift cards to retain Academy teachers and staff." The gift cards were purchased with public funds, which is considered a "technical infraction" of the Revised School Code, according to the release. "According to the report, this infraction was not egregious," the release states. In addition, the law firm concluded that the gift card purchase was for an educational purpose and did not violate school policy or any employment or other contracts, according to the release. The MAISD reviewed the firm's report in closed session during its regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 17. The board unanimously passed a resolution accepting the report following the open session. The resolution did not contain any opinion of the report. MAISD Superintendent John Severson declined to comment on the report after the meeting on Monday. On Monday, MLive/Muskegon Chronicle submitted a FOIA request to the MAISD to receive the investigative report. The request has not yet been filled. Severson could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday, Sept. 18, after the MDE's news release was sent out. The release notes that the department accepts the report's findings. "I understand the incident was unintentional," said Interim State Superintendent Sheila Alles. "I am assured that Superintendent Garcia's actions were in the best interest of the district to recognize the commitment of Muskegon Heights staff, and provide continuity for the students in their classrooms." Garcia did not immediately return a call for comment. "If we've done something in error, we're going to make it right," Garcia said during a phone interview with MLive in August. The gift cards were part of a strategy to reduce staff turnover, she said in August. Garcia initially admitted to spending $25,000 in public funds on gift cards for contracted employees in a letter to the Receivership Transition Advisory Board (RTAB), which was appointed in 2016 by the Michigan Department of Treasury to oversee the financials of Muskegon Heights Public Schools and the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System. It succeeded several emergency managers. The RTAB delayed returning the district to local control in August because of the gift card spending and a projected 2017-18 budget deficit of more than $900,000. Muskegon Heights Public Schools was under emergency management from 2012-2016 after it accumulated nearly $12 million of debt. Its first emergency manager established the charter school system to run the schools while the public district focused on paying off the debt. BLUMFIELD TWP, MI -- A 32-year-old Caro man died at the scene of a crash after striking a semitrailer on Vassar Road (M-15) on Monday, Sept. 17, according to Michigan State Police. The crash occurred about 3:50 p.m. about a half mile south of M-81. According to witness statements and a preliminary investigation, the man crossed over the center line into northbound traffic, striking a semitrailer driven by a 33-year-old Beaverton man. The impact of the crash sent the Caro man's vehicle back into the southbound lanes where it was struck by another southbound vehicle driven by a 55-year-old Reese woman, according to police. The semitrailer traveled about 100 yards before coming to a rest in a bean field, according to police. The semi driver was taken by ambulance to St. Mary's of Michigan for non-life-threatening injuries. The Reese woman was going to seek medical treatment on her own, police said. The names of those involved in the crash have not been released. The crew aboard the International Space Station snapped a stunning shot of Hurricane Florence as the Category 1 storm was making landfall Friday, Sept. 14 near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. This photo is just one of many examples of NASA's in-depth coverage and tracking of the hurricane using its bird's eye view as the storm made its way toward the Carolinas. To view the photo on the U.S. space agency's website, click here. The Associated Press reports Florence is blamed for at least 32 deaths in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Around 34 inches of rain fell between Thursday and Sunday, and more than 400,000 lost power. Moody's Analytics estimates the storm is responsible for between $17 and $22 billion in economic and property damages. As of Monday, there are at least 1,200 roads closed in North Carolina which includes more than 350 primary roads. See below for additional coverage of Hurricane Florence from MLive: An Ohio-based brewery has crafted a beer that looks like something out of a 1950s scary movie to raise awareness for environmental regulations and toxic algae in Lake Erie. Maumee Bay Brewing Co. out of Toledo relies on Lake Erie for water, and came up with the idea for the algae-inspired beer after a large chunk of the toxic plant started to call the creek near its brewhouse home. The main goal of the "Alegae Bloom" beer (correct spelling), is to "remind everyone about the importance of water in brewing." "We're going to keep doing this until the algae bloom isn't there anymore," Maumee Bay manager Craig Kerr told the Associated Press. "The goal is to never make this beer again." "Alegae Bloom" is a joint project of the Maumee Bay Brewing Co. and the Ohio Environmental Council. It is described as a kettle soured double IPA that is brewed with mosaic, azacca, Amarillo and citra hops before being aged with matcha powder and kiwi. A news release from August of this year announced the return of the algae-inspired beer on the fourth anniversary of the Toledo water crisis that left about 400,000 people without water. The beer has been canned and shipped across Ohio, and a portion of the profits have been earmarked for the Ohio Environmental Council. This beer, and others from across the United States, come as craft brewers push for stronger environmental regulations to help preserve rivers, lakes and streams. A.P. reports more are joining the fight as President Donald Trump looks to remove a law that many believe protects water sources from pollution. -- NASA'S EARTH OBSERVATORY PHOTO SHOWS THE ALGAE BLOOM NEAR TOLEDO IN 2014. (CREDIT: NASA/EO) -- Becky Hammer, of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Brewers for Clean Water campaign, tells the organization that pushes like the "Alegae Bloom" show they are looking to reach people "where they drink." A.P. notes that New Belgium Brewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado has donated about $16 million to nonprofit groups honed in on protecting water sources. Three years ago, the brewery endured a boycott of its beer when people found out they donated to a group that was involved in a court case that threatened to shut down a coal mine in its home state. "We didn't ask politics to get involved in beer," Katie Wallace, New Belgium's assistant director of sustainability, told A.P. "But they did when our No. 1 ingredient is being threatened." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) The transport department is set to meet with San Miguel Corporation on Monday to discuss details of the company's unsolicited proposal to build an international airport in Bulacan, a senior official said Tuesday. The government hopes to subject the proposal to a Swiss challenge and award the contract by the end of the year or early next year, Transport Undersecretary Ruben Reinoso Jr. said in a press conference. "The San Miguel Holdings Corporation submitted the revised concession agreement yesterday. It is now under review and we have scheduled another negotiation on Monday, September 24," Reinoso said. SMC's unsolicited proposal was approved by the NEDA board on April 25. It is now set for the next step, the approval of the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), which will forward the agreement to the President. The ICC is chaired by the Finance Secretary and co-chaired by the Socioeconomic Secretary. Its members include the Secretaries of the trade, agriculture and budget departments, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor and the Executive Secretary. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is also simultaneously working on coming up with the terms for the bidding of the Bulacan airport, so that it will be ready once the concession agreement is approved, "Simultaneously, we are now preparing for the Swiss challenge-- we are drafting the terms of reference with the minimum performance standards and specifications, the bid parameters as well as the the risk allocation matrix-- which form the core part of the tender documents for the Swiss challenge," Reinoso said. When both documents are set, Reinoso said that he hopes that the contract to build the Bulacan international airport could be granted as early as the end of the year. "Hopefully, if everything is agreed upon, the proponent can be granted final approval and award of contract by early next year or hopefully towards the end of this year. READ: Government to prioritize SMC's Bulacan and Cavite's Sangley airport proposals Reinoso said that they had also met with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) board Monday on the unsolicited proposals for the maintenance of existing airports, and had favorably recommended them for approval. Cookie Policy Network18 Media and Investments Ltd. ("we", "us", "Moneycontrol") understands that privacy is important to the data subject ("you", "your", "user", "subscriber") and we are committed to being transparent about the technologies we use. This Cookie Policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit the Our Websites or Applications that post a link to this Policy (collectively, "the Sites"). 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The path ahead Network Retail majors have been expanding their store count to bolster sales, offset slowdowns in same-store sales growth and tapping new geographies. In some cases, the focus is on cluster-based expansion, wherein new outlets will be opened in proximity to the existing ones. Online Since a blend of online and offline retail is the need of the hour today, brick-and-mortar outlets are working on either developing their own omnichannel or tying up with marketplaces (ie. Amazon, Flipkart etc) to widen the customer base. Product The share of private label brands (owned brands) to total revenues of retailing companies is slated to increase in due course since they are margin-accretive vis-a-vis third-party brands. Since retailers deal in a wide range of products, adopting the right mix is equally crucial. Overheads To rationalise rent costs, retailers are increasingly focusing on small-sized stores, renegotiation of lease agreement clauses, closure of unprofitable outlets and reduction of gestation periods through faster operationalisation. Channel mix In the case of apparel retailers, a multi-channel sales strategy is essential. Product presence across multi-brand outlets, exclusive brand outlets, large format stores, franchise-run stores and e-commerce portals can be a key differentiator. Marketing In H2FY19, retail companies are likely to increase their promotional spends to capitalise on the upcoming wedding and festive season demand. However, it remains to be seen as to how these expenses normalise (as a percentage of sales) over a period of time without disrupting margins. Outlook Retail remains a promising industry in the Indian context, given the large consumer base throughout the country. Nonetheless, a few roadblocks that characterise the sector are worth taking note of. These include extended end-of-season-sale periods, steep fixed overheads at regular intervals, unavailability of the requisite real estate, high competitive intensity and inefficiencies on the working capital front. Which stocks should you choose ? More often than not, most retail stocks, prima facie, capture most of the company-specific moats and are unlikely to be available at reasonable valuations. Aditya Birla Fashion & Retails Madura segment consists of a strong brand portfolio, whereas its Pantaloons division is becoming operationally efficient and profitable too. A noticeable uptick in revenues from lifestyle brands, coupled with a consistent reduction of losses in the fast fashion category, can cause the stock to re-rate. For D-Mart, supply chain efficiency, debt repayments and expansion of D-Mart Ready will be the factors to watch out for. The stock, despite its pricey valuations, should be able to withstand the ongoing market volatility. In our view, the upside is limited. Future Retail is consolidating its strengths and has a wide network to capitalise on. Despite the stock's undemanding valuation, it may take a while before the slew of complex initiatives undertaken by Kishore Biyani reflect in the earnings. Therefore, it may be considered for the long haul. Full debt repayment by FY19-end and a change in product mix (towards non-apparel products) should boost Shoppers Stops margins. The stocks steep rally in the past one month leaves little room for re-rating in the near term. Buying on downsides is suggested. Growth consistency in its apparel arm and gradual reduction of losses in the hypermarket division should boost Trents operating leverage. The stock, despite being expensive, has been range-bound for quite some time. The time correction provides a good entry opportunity. Aggressive store expansion in the smaller regions of India and a strong balance sheet make V2 Retail a stock worth considering. The stock trades at a discount to its peers and hasnt rallied too much from its 52-week low either. Healthy fundamentals and a strong margin profile will work in favour of V-Mart. The stock has been among the top performers in the sector in terms of price return. At current levels, we advise accumulation on dips. Follow @krishnakarwa152 The software services industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) on September 18 introduced the second phase of its 10,000 Startups initiative, Accelerate 10X. The Accelerate 10X programme, that aims to catapult the nation's deep tech startup ecosystem onto the next level, will focus on emerging technologies that will catalyse business and economic growth in the future. The artificial intelligence (AI) startup sector saw an increase in funding of over 70 percent in 2017 with natural language processing being one of the major focus areas for investors. Estimates suggest 50 percent of firms in India are implementing AI in their products, Nasscom said. Artificial intelligence has the potential to add $957 billion, or 15 percent of current gross value added to Indias economy in 2035 and deep tech startups will drive this transformation and the broad structural transformation of the economy, it said. In the last five years since its inception, 10,000 Startups has worked with early-stage startups by incubating them in startup warehouses in ten cities with the support of the State Governments and sponsors. These technologies, including advanced deep tech and AI-related technologies, have seen enormous growth, creating an opportunity for startups and tech players to provide innovative products and services. "Over the years while India has emerged as the third largest start-up ecosystem, our readiness to ride the next wave of deep tech and AI revolution will determine whether India will be able to unlock the trillion-dollar opportunity," said Rishad Premji, Chairman, Nasscom. He added that policymakers and business leaders must prepare for, and work towards the AI revolution as we are endowed with one of most vibrant markets when it comes to innovation and we have all the entrepreneurial foundation to build these deep tech startups and achieve quality and scale. The programme will focus on key startup sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure and development of AI across sectors. Providing a platform for promising Deep Tech startups to explore, innovate, scale and solve for challenges of the future, the programme will form strategic partnerships with global leader in startup acceleration and mentoring, TechStars, technology majors such as Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in setting up engineering and deep tech labs and set up innovation centres across the country. As the AI revolution sets in, the ecosystem needs to adapt, and more so in our role as an enabler. The Accelerate 10X program further reaffirms 10,000 start-ups efforts in evangelizing and mentoring Indias latent, untapped talent in emerging technologies. We will continue its drive towards catalysing deep tech start-ups, build category leaders and support start-ups to create not only for India but also scale up and solve for the world, said Debjani Ghosh, President, Nasscom. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More After raising its bid for Essar Steel, ArcelorMittal is eyeing the Ruias' EPC Constructions India that is under ongoing insolvency proceedings. According to an Economic Times report, the Luxembourg-headquartered steel giant has expressed interest in acquiring the Indian conglomerate's engineering, procurement and constructions (EPC) arms. ArcelorMittal is believed to have picked up expression-of-interest documents for the EPC Construction bid last week. "ArcelorMittal is keen to expand Essar Steels capacity to 20 million tonnes. EPC Constructions has been involved in building the Hazira facility along with other associated infrastructure, so it can offer additional synergies," an official told the paper. Other potential bidders for EPC Constructions are New Delhi-based Alchemist ARC and Mauritius-based Royale Partners Investment Fund (RPIF). The resolution professional of EPC Constructions, Abhijit Guha Thakurta, is expected to invite proposals by September-end, following which financial bids would be submitted, the paper reported. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in May had directed the initiation of insolvency proceedings against EPC Constructions based on a petition by IDBI Bank, which was looking to recover Rs 969 crore from the company. The company has outstanding debt of Rs 6,000 crore, of which Rs 4,000 crore is the principal amount. It clocked revenues of Rs 2,000 crore in FY17, while its FY18 order book stood at almost Rs 8,000 crore. EPC Construction has performed work for Essar Steel and has built all steelworks, refineries and ports for the group. ArcelorMittal's move is in line with its long-term aspiration to grow Essars steel-making capacity. Other lenders of EPC Constructions including ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Dena Bank and Central Bank of India have reportedly asked for a detailed plan from the resolution professional to settle their dues. In an attempt to clean up the NPA mess in the banking sector, the Modi government on September 17 announced a proposal to merge three public sector lenders - Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. The combined lending entity will be India's third largest globally competitive bank, Rajeev Kumar, Secretary - Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, told reporters in a press conference. Also read Banks merger a progressive step: Ficci The merged entity will have a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore and a market share of about 6.8 percent by loans, according to data as of March 2018, making it the third largest bank in the system, according to a Moody's report. According to the government's estimates, net non-performing assets (NNPA) ratio of the combined entity will be at 5.71 percent, which will be significantly better than public sector banks (PSBs) average of 12.13 percent. Also, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) will be at 12.25 percent, which will be "significantly" above the regulatory norm of 10.875 percent. Also read PSU banks correct sharply after govt announces merger of Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and BoB In terms of deposits, the new entity will have deposits worth Rs 8.54 lakh crore if we look at the annual deposits with the three lenders as of March 2018. If we combine the assets of these three banks, the asset worth of the new entity will be Rs 10.18 lakh crore. In terms of penetration, the newly merged entity will have the second highest number of branches with a total of 9,475 branches across the country. State Bank of India (SBI) has the highest number of branches at 22,414. Also read Govt proposes merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank The employee strength of the new entity would jump to over 84,000 after the merger if the three lenders retain their existing employees as of March 2018. The merged entity will, however, require capital support from the government to improve their capitalisation profile, Moody's Investors Service VP (Financial Institutions Group) Alka Anbarasu said. Also read Opinion | You can't wish away deep-rooted systemic problems by merging PSU banks Moody's said Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank have relatively better credit metrics than Dena Bank in terms of asset quality, capitalisation and profitability. While the potential merger is a bold move by the government ahead of the general elections next year, it comes with its own set of challenges. The merged entity may face challenges on business integration, technology, culture and people management and a possible opposition by trade unions. Also read Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank merger: NPAs, integration, union protests to pose challenges Brokerage firms believe that the first key challenge will be the management of employees where Bank of Baroda has been hiring professionals from outside the organisation. But there are some key positives for the merged entity including likely steady asset quality ratios post-merger, unlikely compromise on capital position for the merged entity, expected improvement in market share among others. The move follows top lender State Bank of India last year merging with itself five of its subsidiary banks and taking over Bharatiya Mahila Bank, a niche state-run lender for women. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More India's third largest drugmaker by sales Lupin on September 18 named Alok Sonig as CEO of the crucial US generics business that contributes about 38 percent of company's revenues. Lupin had revenues of around Rs 15,804.1 crore in FY18. The company is the fourth largest drug maker in the US by the number of prescriptions. The company said Sonig will lead and have overall responsibility for the US generics business including Research & Development in India and the US and the Commercial side of the business in the US. He will also be responsible for Lupins global biosimilars business. "With over 23 years of experience in the industry, Alok (Sonig) brings an established track record of success in the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare sectors to Lupin," the company said in a statement. Most recently, Sonig was CEO of developed markets of the US, Canada, Europe and Japan at Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL). He joined DRL in 2012 and ran their India business till 2015 before moving back to the US to handle their North America business. Prior to DRL, Sonig spent nearly 15 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he held several positions of increasing responsibilities in general management, country leadership roles, global strategy and marketing. Sonig holds a Bachelors of Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in India, and an MBA from American University, Washington D.C. We are delighted to welcome Alok to Lupin. His global experience, strategic perspective, and operational focus will help accelerate our teams efforts to strengthen and evolve our US generics business as we execute on near-term growth opportunities and navigate new platforms in complex generics and biosimilars, said Vinita Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, and Nilesh Gupta, Managing Director of Lupin in a joint statement. Sonig will be based out of Somerset, New Jersey and will split his time between Lupins Somerset, Baltimore and India offices. He will report to both Vinita and Nilesh Gupta. Challenges ahead Sonig will have a challenging task at hand at Lupin, as the company's US business is going through a difficult phase, with lack of significant approvals and competition to its key product Methergine used in the treatment of postpartum haemorrhage and metformin franchise Glumetza and Fortamet. The warning letter on two of its facilities in Goa and Indore is not helping matters in terms of new product approvals. For the full year ended March, the net profit dropped 90.2 percent to Rs 251.3 crore compared to previous year's Rs 2557.5 crore. Revenues dropped 9.7 percent to Rs 15,804.1 crore in FY18. US sales that constitute 38 percent declined 27 percent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. Sonig will also have to turn around Gavis and ensure the investments of the company on complex generics and biosimilars to beat pricing pressure in generics, pays off handsomely. Lupin acquired US-based Gavis in July 2015 for $880 million to expand US portfolio, especially pain management drugs (controlled substances) and get a manufacturing base in the US. Gavis was largest ever overseas acquisition ever made by the company but its contribution from it has been below expectations so far. The pace of approvals has been slow and the US crackdown on the use of opioids has worsened the matter. Sales of the company have not even been close to the expectation of the much-tampered target of USD 200 million in FY18. To be sure - the current phase that Lupin is going through isn't very different from what Sonig has seen it at DRL. At Dr Reddy's Sonig led the purchase of a select portfolio of Teva abbreviated new drug applications (ANDA's) which the company is poised to reap the benefit, in addition to acquisitions and ramp-up of speciality business. He also led the acquisition of UCB brands in India that helped the Hyderabad-based drug maker to strengthen presence in domestic formulation business. Shares of Lupin dropped 2.01 percent to close at Rs 929.70 on BSE, the benchmark Sensex declined 0.78 percent to 37,290.67 points. Cognizant's net profit declined 29 percent to $361 million in the June quarter due to COVID-19 pandemic (Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons) Cognizant announced on September 18 that it had acquired Advanced Technology Group (ATG), a privately-held customer and revenue management consulting and implementation services provider that focuses on the Salesforce platform. The deal is expected to close in Q418, subject to customary reviews, the New Jersey-based IT services firm said in a statement. Kansas-based ATG helps companies effectively plan, implement, and optimise automated cloud-based quote-to-cash (Q2C) business processes and technologies. "Managing quote-to-cash effectively is a key part of a successful digital business model, providing a solid foundation for accelerating revenue growth, to rapidly introduce new products, and implement dynamic digital marketing strategies," said Rajesh Balaji, Global Delivery Head, Enterprise Application Services, Cognizant. A streamlined and automated Q2C enables greater efficiency, more accuracy, and better business visibility from initial customer contact to final payment. Founded in 2000, ATG has delivery centers in Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and Montana, and its clients include major financial services, healthcare, communications and technology organizations ranging from well-funded startups to fast growing mid-market and large global enterprises. "ATGs advisory led approach coupled with our methodology, tools and best practices have been carefully refined to generate positive outcomes for hundreds of clients over the past 18 years," said Michael Walsh, CEO, ATG. "By joining forces with Cognizant, we are better able to expand our capabilities to help global clients be more responsive to market changes and succeed with digital monetization ecosystems encompassing people, processes and technology." ATG will become part of Cognizants Enterprise Application Services business, which has one of the largest number of Salesforce-trained experts in the world. The key questions in the governments proposal to merge Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank are: 1) Whats the purpose behind consolidating these banks; and 2) Will it solve the problems of state-owned banks in particular and the Indian banking system in general? The answer to the first is not clear. To the second, it is an unequivocal no. 2019 will mark the golden jubilee of bank nationalisation. Nearly 50 years later, its clear that India does not need so many universal banks to achieve financial inclusion. Even the M Narasimham Committee of 1991 had recommended moving to a structure which would have four lenders as global banks, about 10 nationwide universal banks besides local banks. With half of public sector banks (PSBs) in the sick room, it would seem that the time is ripe for a merger among PSBs. The government is also ratcheting up the probability of success by merging two relatively strong banks with a weak one. On the flip side, it means fewer eligible partners for other weak banks. But a merger is a mere band-aid that will try to patch up the big cracks in the banking system when deep surgery is required. The moot question is whether this is the right time for a merger. Such a merger would have a greater chance of success when the banking system is much healthier. The current consensus is that all bad loans have been recognised, but there is no visibility on the recognition of these assets. The power sector itself has the potential to add a further Rs 1.75 lakh crore of bad loans. With RBI strongly coming down on forbearance and increasing pressure on banks to resolve even loans with a single day default, stress on the banking system will continue for some time. It is anybodys guess how much banks would gain from the much touted synergy: the most abused word in any merger and acquisition. Using the same core banking software will probably save some pennies in merger costs. But would the amalgamated bank take tough decisions such as closing down branches? Would bank unions allow staff to be laid off? Would it even be possible for the government in an election year to retrench PSB employees? If the intent is to clean up the banking system and prevent recurrence of the bad loan problem with alarming regularity, a merger is a non-solution. It will just end up creating a larger bank with the same problems that have been plaguing state-owned lenders for a long time. The government needs to change its piecemeal approach and enact structural changes in the way PSBs are run. If there is one thing, the three credit crises in India over the last three decades has taught us that it is the lack of a strong credit culture in PSBs. Look no further than former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajans note to a Parliament committee last week. Banks seldom did due diligence of project loans, often trusting the reports of the investment bank of the project promoter, he wrote, adding there was little follow-up on project health monitoring. The Centre has claimed it no longer promotes phone banking a term mocking previous governments interference in commercial decisions of banks. Leave alone the fact that the Life Insurance Corporation-IDBI Bank deal sounds suspiciously like phone banking as do reports of a move by LIC to bail out IL&FS, necessitating reform of PSB boards. The government should distance itself from PSB boards and allow the regulator to treat these entities on par with private banks. A professional board will go a long way in fixing the problems of the Indian banking system. This applies to some private banks as well. There is a need to incentivise PSB staff. Human resource management should be improved so that bankers are rewarded (and penalised) for taking commercial decisions. Banks also need to beef up project assessment capabilities by being allowed to hire specialists and having flexible compensation policies. Moreover, there is a need to persist with recapitalisation. Ideas like diluting the prompt corrective action framework and watering down Basel-III norms should not be encouraged. PSBs need to be capitalised fast, concomitantly with some of the reforms outlined above. As it is, Indias banking system has one of the poorest capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 13.3 percent, according to data from the International Monetary Fund. Without proper governance reform and incentive systems, creating one more too-big-to-fail lender with the same culture is no solution to the problems of the banking system. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The potential merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank is a bold move by the government ahead of the general elections next year, but it comes with its own challenges on business integration, technology, culture and people management including a possible opposition by trade unions. Alka Anbarasu, Vice President, Financial Institutions Group, Moodys Investors Service, said the plan will be credit positive "as it will provide efficiencies of scale and help improve the quality of corporate governance for the banks." Bank of Baroda is strong in western and northern India while Dena Bank has a larger base in Gujarat and Maharashtra and Mangalore-based Vijaya Bank has a presence in south India. The merged entity will have a market share of about 6.8 percent by loans (Rs 6.40 lakh crore) according to data as of March 2018 -- making it the third largest bank after State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Bank. However, Ashvin Parekh, Managing Partner at Ashvin Parekh Advisory Services believes, "The synergies are only on paper. Good amount of efforts will be required by the banks to make the synergies work." Both Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank have relatively better credit metrics than Dena in terms of asset quality, capitalisation and profitability, Moody's pointed out. Chiefs of the two banks have maintained that their banks are well capitalised and would require capital just for driving growth. But post-merger, the non-performing assets (NPAs) will be a problem for all the three banks with cumulative gross NPAs around Rs 80,000 crore. This will also require an increased focus on the clean-up process. The two banks, other than Vijaya Bank, witnessed a dip in asset quality. Vijaya Bank saw improvement in April to June quarter with gross NPAs at 6.19 percent vs 6.34 percent in the January to March quarter. On the one hand, Bank of Baroda's gross NPAs grew to 12.46 percent in Q1FY19 compared to 12.26 percent in Q4FY18, on the other, its net profit more than doubled to Rs 528 crore. Dena Bank, which is also under prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, saw its loss widen to Rs 722 crore and its asset quality deteriorated further to 22.69 percent from 22.04 percent. "We expect the merged entity will require capital support from the government, otherwise such a merger would not improve their capitalisation profile," Anbarasu said. Unions and job loss fears The merger proposal has unsettled the trade unions that have expressed their displeasure. "There is no evidence the merger of banks would strengthen or make them more efficient. We have seen the example of 5 Associate Banks merging with SBI. No miracle has happened. On the other hand, it has resulted in a closure of branches, an increase in bad loans, reduction of staff, reduction in business, " said CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA). While SBI merger did not see any specific job losses, around 3,500 employees took up a sweetened voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and the bank has not been filling seats post retirements that took place over the last year. However, the lender continues to recruit probationary officers through the government-organised entrance test. If the proposed merger of the three banks fructifies, total employee strength will be 85,675, with 56,361 employees of BoB, 15,874 of Vijaya Bank and 13,440 employees of Dena Bank. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however, assured there will be no job losses stating employees of relatively small banks will get an opportunity to improve their working conditions and the amalgamated entity will increase the banking operations. "The healthy ratios of amalgamated banks is reflected in a larger business base, strong deposits, large global network, significant outreach," Jaitley added. Vishwas Utagi, General Secretary Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation and Vice President All India Bank Employees Association, said, "bank mergers at this juncture have not come as a surprise, but it's a very unfortunate knee-jerk reaction. This is BJPs political response to Congress and other opposition parties who believe in objectives of Bank Nationalisation." The three banks boards are expected to meet within 10 days to discuss the proposal. However, the merger is almost certain given that the majority ownership is with the government. After the announcement on September 17, Bank of Baroda MD and CEO PS Jayakumar said the merger would take four-six months and the share-swap ratio would be decided soon. But Parekh underlines the merger process will take at least 3-4 quarters to complete and given the quality of loan book and NPA being an issue for all banks, the merger will be a challenging task The newly-launched India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has tied up with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to sell the latter's insurance products through their network. Under this arrangement, IPPB will be the corporate agent for the life insurance company. According to insurance regulations, banks can sell products of three life, non-life and standalone health insurers each. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) on September 1, in a bid to push Indias rural population into the formal financial system. IPPB will have 650 branches and 3,250 access points across the country. IPPB customers will get access to all the insurance products and services offered by Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance. These will include a comprehensive life insurance cover with accidental permanent total and partial disability benefit and accelerated critical illness. IPPB offers a range of products such as savings and current accounts, money transfer, direct benefit transfers, bill and utility payments, and enterprise and merchant payments. These products, and related services are offered across multiple channels (post office counters, doorstep services and self-service channels) using the banks technology platform. These products will first be available across IPPBs network of 3,250 access points, gradually expanding to 155,000 post offices across every village, town and district in India. Suresh Sethi, MD & CEO, IPPB said this strategic partnership will enhance customers understanding on how life insurance secures them against life risks and also provides them access to the products to mitigate such risks. A long-time aspirant, Department of Posts was among the 11 entities that got the final licence in 2015 with an objective to increase financial inclusion by providing small savings accounts and payments/remittance services to migrant labourers, low-income households, small businesses and other unorganised sector entities. Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance said, We are confident that the strength of their network coupled with our expertise will work to increase awareness about life insurance, and help many more Indians leverage the benefits of life insurance to achieve their life goals through affordable solutions." live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Homegrown FMCG firm Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) is looking to garner revenue worth Rs 100 crore from the male grooming segment over the next two to three years, a top company official said. The company would be focusing on tier I, II and III markets for male grooming products and is also looking at e-commerce to drive sales. "In the next two to three years, we aim to garner at least Rs 100 crore revenues from the male grooming segment," Godrej Consumer Products India and SAARC chief executive officer Sunil Kataria said. The company Tuesday rolled out an entire range of male grooming products in the estimated Rs 5,500-crore market under its Cinthol brand. Cinthol, a Rs 750-crore brand, has also entered the hairstyling segment for the first time, he added. According to Kataria, social media and e-commerce are becoming the preferred channels of consumption. "I clearly see e-commerce being a very critical channel for male grooming for us and that is where we are investing a lot," he added. The company had last month said it is looking at 25-40 percent of this year's growth coming through new product development. Battered and bruised, but not down and out. After the deluge, Kerala is readying to welcome a flood of tourists. Gods own country is now laying down the red carpet to regain its status as one of Indias most favoured holiday destinations. The state has recently conducted a Tourism Readiness Survey with a detailed district-wise and destination-wise analysis of places, roads and other modes of connectivity. The survey revealed that only a handful of resorts needed to become operational. Based on this readiness, Kerala Tourism has drawn up time-bound action plans. 65 out of the 70 tourist destinations we have in Kerala are operational and the rest too is being worked on. Tourists will not have to compromise on any destination while drawing up an itinerary for Kerala, said P Bala Kiran, director of Kerala Tourism. According to Bala Kiran, while the loss to business worth Rs 1,500 crore approximately were incurred by the state, loss to property in terms of tourism was to the tune of Rs 500 crore. However, the tourism department is still upbeat about the upcoming season. Fortunately April to September is a lean period for tourism in Kerala and October to March is when tourists arrive here. We are ready to receive guests and give them services like we do any other year, Bala Kiran added. As it turns out, in the last fiscal, Kerala recorded foreign tourist arrival of 1.1 million and a domestic arrival of 14.6 million. FY 17-18 also recorded the highest ever year on year growth of 10.94 per cent. In the present fiscal the state saw a growth of 18 per cent in the first quarter and 15 per cent in the following quarter against the same period last fiscal. The third quarter numbers are expected to be much lower. Third quarter is anyway not the best time to measure tourism growth in Kerala because it falls in the lean period but we are hoping with our initiatives we will maintain the annual growth we touched last year, Bala Kiran said. According to him a significant portion of the Rs 83 crore fund allocated for marketing and promotion will be spent during this period. The state is prepping to launch a campaign called Kerala is back. The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), the biennial Tourism Trade Fair that showcases the entire spectrum of Keralas tourism industry to the world, will be organised in Kochi between September 27 and September 30. Till date, 545 international tourism buyers from 66 countries and 1,090 domestic tourism buyers have registered for KTM. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KBM) will be held between December 12 and March 29, 2019. This biggest contemporary art event in South Asia will be used as a platform to showcase the resilience of Kerala, and it will have artists from all over the world taking part, he added. Malabar region in North Kerala is also to be promoted in a big way after the opening of the Kannur airport soon. The Kerala government is also considering organizing the Champions Boat League this year as planned earlier sending out a message that Keralas waters are also safe for adventurous activities as well. Additionally, the trade body of the state Kerala Travel Mart has submitted a proposal to the state government with a four-point agenda to revive business in Kerala. We have proposed the year to be declared as moratorium period for hotels and operators who have taken loans because they have already suffered huge losses and hence it is difficult to gather funds for repayment. We have also requested banks to give out fresh loans to those who need to reconstruct properties," said Abraham George, member, National Tourism Advisory Council. "The government of India allows employees to convert their hometown leave travel concession (LTC) to visit Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. We have suggested that Kerala could be included for a limited time to boost immediate domestic demand. Lastly, we have requested the Ministry of Tourism to highlight Kerala in their Incredible India campaigns, he said. CNBC-TV18 The worlds largest professional network, LinkedIn, on Tuesday announced the 2018 LinkedIn Top Startups List for India, revealing the 25 most-wanted startups by professionals. It's fuelled by proprietary LinkedIn data including employment growth, engagement, job interest, and attraction of top talent. Topping the first edition of this list is five-year-old hospitality startup OYO followed by health startup Cure.Fit, and on-demand delivery service dunzo.in. From consumer tech to health tech, and logistics to hospitality, these 25 companies represent the thriving startup landscape in India, the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. The debut list sees B2B companies make up 50 percent of the list whereas 20 percent of the companies, Nineleaps, Zapr Media Labs, BrowsterStack, SigTuple and Exadatum, are deep technology companies. Professionals turn to LinkedIn for news, views, and insights to stay informed, to hire, or to get hired. LinkedIns data helps us identify the top trends that drive Indias young economy why these are the most preferred places to work for professionals today and how their innovative business ideas are changing the way we live," said Adith Charlie, India Editor, LinkedIn. 1. OYO With a global headcount of 4,700, OYO is on an expansion spree. Headquartered in Gurugram, the 5-year-old hospitality startup is already Indias largest hotel network with more than 100,000 rooms in 230 cities (compared to Marriotts 23,000 and Taj Hotels 17,000). Over the last nine months, the budget hotel brand has ventured into Malaysia, China and the UK. 2. Cure.Fit Bengaluru-based wellness startup, Cure.Fit has four offerings: no-equipment gyms, health food, yoga and meditation centres, and primary care. With a global headcount of 120, the company just raised $120 million from existing investors and acquired premium gym chain Fitness First in a deal worth $30-35 million. 3. dunzo.in Bengaluru-based Dunzo has the distinction of being Google's first direct startup investment in India and is fast becoming a verb in Bengaluru. With a global headcount of 160, users of the concierge services venture are dunzoing everything from buying groceries to picking up laundry and arranging last-minute gifts. 4. Rivigo Gurugram-based Rivigo attained near-unicorn status recently when it raised $50 million at a valuation of $945 million. Why are investors betting on the logistics services firm? With a global headcount of 3,700, the company is a unique driver relay model that reduces turnaround time, marquee clients such as Maruti Suzuki, ITC and Marks & Spencer, and a freight e-marketplace that's already India's biggest. 5. Digit Insurance The Bengaluru-based online general insurer says that 87 percent of its claims are approved in 24 hours. With a global headcount of 630, Digit believes in simplifying processes: every insurance product is explained to customers in a 2-page document. Billionaire Prem Watsa's Fairfax Holdings recently put $44 million more in the two-year-old startup. 6. LBB - Little Black Book The Delhi-based Little Black Book (or LBB) started as a Tumblr blog with an initial investment of Rs 80,000 before it morphed into an online platform for cultural goings-on. With a global headcount of 80, its recommendations span everything from food and fashion to theatre and shopping across eight cities. Presently, the company is busy scaling up its curated marketplace for local products and events. 7. Republic World With a global headcount of 400, Arnab Goswami's Republic TV has ruled viewership ratings in the English news genre since its launch in May 2017, but bigger rival Times Now seems to be clawing its way back. The Mumbai-based Republic was successful in monetising eyeballs and went on to clock Rs 155 crore in revenue for FY18. But the channel is often accused of having a pro-establishment stance and being over-dependent on Goswami. 8. The Minimalist A bootstrapped design agency, The Minimalist started as a Facebook page for witty content. With a global headcount of 60, Mumbai-based startup works with clients such as Saint-Gobain, Bharti Airtel, Berkshire Hathaway, Coca-Cola and Abbott. The last fiscal year was a watershed moment for The Minimalist, one in which its revenue and headcount doubled. 9. Razorpay Bengaluru-based online payment solutions provider, Razorpay, now services more than 100,000 businesses, including names such as Bharti Airtel, IRCTC and Goibibo. With a global headcount of 230, the company is clocking a monthly growth of 35% and it bagged $20 million in a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global and Y Combinator earlier this year. 10. Nineleaps Bengaluru-based Nineleaps accelerates product development for other startups by providing web and mobile application services. With a global headcount of 200, it's expanding into new markets such as Singapore and Indonesia and diversifying into data science, blockchain and other emerging fields. 11. Innov8 Coworking New Delhi-based Innov8 says its in the business of building entrepreneurs. With a global headcount of 75, the Y-Combinator-backed coworking venture has 13 centres across the country. This year, Innov8 aspires to add 100 employees and treble its seat count to 12,000. 12. Schbang Mumbai-based Schbang is a digital solution agency that also dabbles in original content. With a global headcount of 240, it counts marquee names Ashok Leyland, Hot Wheels, Amazon Fashion, and RAW Pressery as clients. Schbang wants to be Indias first agency export and plans to open an international office next year. 13. Acko General Insurance Mumbai-based Acko raised $30 million even before its launch and went on to bag $12 million from Amazon exactly a year later. With a global headcount of 115, the digital insurance firm solves everyday pain points with solutions such as in-trip covers for Ola users and screen protection for devices. Its biggest draw is personalised policies based on user behaviour. 14. Treebo Hotels With a global headcount of 795, Bengaluru-based Treebo scorched its way to 9,000 rooms in three years. The budget hotel chains headcount grew by 18% over the past year but it laid off a tenth of the workforce in July, shortly after the data window for this list closed. Bigger rival OYOs strong investor backing, rapid growth and its rekindled partnership with travel site MakeMyTrip are hurting Treebo, media reports suggest. Treebo did not respond to a LinkedIn survey. 15. InCred Mumbai-based InCred offers personal, education and home loans as well as credit to small and medium-sized businesses. With a global headcount of 1,000, the firm counts former Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain as a backer and has secured the banking regulators nod for launching wholesale lending operations. 16. Jumbotail Bengaluru-based Jumbotail is a B2B e-marketplace that connects neighbourhood stores with their suppliers. With a global headcount of 125, the Nexus Venture Partners-backed startup also provides shopfront delivery of groceries and arranges working capital credit for store owners through its lending partners. 17. Zapr Media Labs With a global headcount of 110, Bengaluru-based Zapr Media analyses TV viewership data to provide actionable insights to broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies. To date, the media-tech startup has raised $13 million from Star India, Flipkart, Saavn and Micromax, among others. 18. BrowserStack After being bootstrapped for 7 years, Mumbai-based BrowserStack hit the headlines for the largest ever Series A funding round of $50 million, led by Accel Partners. With a global headcount of 165, as many as 2 million developers and more than 25,000 paying customers including Disney, Tesco, and Facebook use its mobile app and web-testing platform. 19. Udaan.com Founded by three former Flipkart executives, Bengaluru-based Udaan.com is an online B2B marketplace for food, clothing and electronics. With a global headcount of 401, the company became the fastest Indian startup to bag unicorn status and expanded its reach to more than 500 cities. 20. SigTuple With a global headcount of 120, Bengaluru-based SigTuple applies robotics and AI to make medical screening tests more accurate. Its offerings include smart hematology analyser Shonit and AI100, a low-cost device that digitises pathology slides. The team has applied for 19 patents in the US and India. 21. UpGrad.com With a global headcount of 390, Mumbai-based online educator UpGrad.com offers industry-relevant courses in subjects such as digital marketing, data science and product management. Co-founded by media magnate Ronnie Screwvala, the startup claims to have empowered more than 300 career transitions in the last year and has earmarked 200 crore for expansion in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 22. InterviewBit With a global headcount of 45, InterviewBit is a preparation site for tech jobs. The Pune-based self-funded startup also sources pre-screened technical talent for coveted employers such as Facebook, Amazon, Uber and Flipkart. 23. Shuttl With a global headcount of 300, Gurugram-based bus aggregation startup Shuttl recently raised $11 million from Amazon, Dentsu Ventures and existing investors including Sequoia Capital. The company clocks 45,000 daily rides in five cities. It aims to expand to two new cities by the end of the year, even as experts feel achieving healthy unit economics remains a challenge. 24. Meesho With a global headcount of 225, Bengaluru-based reseller marketplace Meesho uses social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook to connect sellers directly with suppliers. In June, the Y Combinator-backed firm raised $11.5 million in Series B funding from Sequoia India and a bunch of existing investors. 25. Exadatum Software Services With a global headcount of 70, Exadatum positions itself as a one-stop shop for everything Big Data. Pune-based company offerings make Big Data implementation faster, cheaper and standardised for Fortune 500 clients, the two-year-old venture says. Exadatums next target developing products and rendering services in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Read the story here Bearish momentum continued on D-Street for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as a sharp selloff in the last hour dragged the market. The Nifty breached 11,300-mark and ended below it, while the Sensex closed around 300 points lower. Investors turned wary of multiple factors such as US imposing tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese goods and services late on Monday. Back home, banking names were he big laggards after the government proposed a merger between Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank. As a result, PSU banks took a hit as traders placed mixed bets in names in this space. Crude prices weighed on the market as well as traders reacted to statements from Saudi Arabia. Multiple news agencies reported that Saudi is comfortable with Brent crude prices hovering above USD 80 per barrel. Adding to the pain was a weakening rupee, which fell to 72.75 per US dollar when the market came to a close. The day began on a negative note, with investors reacting to tepid global cues as well as banking developments in India. Indices remained rangebound through the day, but it was the selloff in the last hour that impacted D-Street. At the close of market hours, the Sensex ended lower by 294.84 points or 0.78% at 37290.67, while the Nifty fell 98.90 points or 0.87% at 11278.90. The market breadth is negative as 879 shares advanced, against a decline of 1,775 shares, while 178 shares were unchanged. Shares of Hindustan Unilever and Yes Bank were the top gainers, while State Bank of India, Tata Motors, and Indiabulls Housing lost the most. Stocks in News Shares of Bank of Baroda (BoB) dropped more 16 percent, Vijaya Bank fell 6 percent, while Dene Bank was locked in 20 percent upper circuit. The stocks reacted to government announcements of proposing to merge the three public-sector banks (PSBs). Indian Hume Pipe Company rose 3 percent after it bagged Rs 221-crore order from Madhya Pradesh government. Meanwhile, Gujarat Gas fell 2 percent as possible profit booking dragged the stock. The company accepted authorisation from PNGRB for local natural gas distribution. Hindustan Unilever gained 4 percent after broking house CLSA has maintained outperform rating with a target of Rs 1,950 per share. The management also guided for better performance in the quarters ahead. OFS Technologies gained 13 percent after company approved a bonus share issue. Lastly, shares of Tata Motors slipped 3 percent as JLR reportedly cut the production schedule at UK plant, according to PTI reports. JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) confirmed a cut in its production schedule at the Castle Bromwich plant manufacturing Jaguar cars in the West Midlands region of England due to "continuing headwinds" impacting the British car industry. Global Markets European markets were flat even as US decided to impose 10 percent tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports. Stoxx 600 index was trading 0.06 percent higher in the morning. Meanwhile, Asian markets were positive too as investors looked to shrug off escalation in trade tensions between the United States and China. Nikkei 225 rose 1.41 percent to close at 23,420.54. Going forward, experts continue to remain cautious on the back of global cues along with rupees weakness. In the near term, we continue to maintain a cautious stance on the markets as volatility and choppiness is likely to remain high led by uncertain global cues, crude oil price movement, depreciating rupee (vs dollar) and muted domestic sentiments. However any further correction at this juncture should be considered as a healthy buying opportunity for investors in quality companies with strong financials and bright outlook. Meanwhile traders should keep their over-leveraged position hedged, Jayant Manglik, President, Religare Broking said in a statement. Moneycontrol News Shares of Bank of Baroda (BoB) dropped more than 10 percent, while Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank gained 10-20 percent after the government announced its proposal to merge the three public-sector banks (PSBs). Net non-performing asset (NNPA) ratio of the combined entity will be at 5.71 percent, significantly lower than the PSB average (12.13 percent) The boards of the three banks will need to approve the merger. Dena Bank, which is currently under the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, will likely operate as a regular bank after the merger. Shares of BoB has touched an intraday low of Rs 116.50, falling as much as 13.7 percent. Two brokerages have downgraded BoB. IDFC has downgraded the stock to neutral, and Deutsche Bank has cut the stock's rating to Hold from Buy. Shares of Dena Bank hit an intraday high of Rs 19.10, jumping as much as 19.7 percent. Vijaya Bank's shares hit an intraday high of Rs 66, rising as much as 10.4 percent. The Nifty50 is likely to open flat on Tuesday following muted trend seen in other Asian markets. The index closed 137 points lower at 11,377 on Monday. Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a flat to negative opening for the broader index in India, a fall of 8 points or 0.07 percent. Nifty futures were trading around 11,381-level on the Singaporean Exchange. US stock index futures extended losses in post-market trading late Monday after President Trump announced a new round of tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, said a Reuters report. US stock index futures extended losses in post-market trading late Monday after President Trump announced a new round of tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, it said. Stocks in news: Bank of Baroda: Merger process with Dena Bank & Vijaya Bank likely to take 4-6 months, to boost Bank's presence OFS Technologies approved issue of bonus shares of 6 for 10 held Axis Bank: The bank has allotted 1,97,950 equity shares of Rs. 2/- each on 17.09.2018, pursuant to exercise of options under its ESOP Scheme. Avenue Supermarts: The company has issued commercial paper worth Rs 70 crore. GNFC - Gov of Gujarat directed to participate in equity of Bhavnagar Energy Co Mcleod Russel informed about the execution of Memorandum of Understandings for disposal of estates and bearer plants and other assets of Bargang and Harchurah Tea Estates of the company Technical Recommendations: We spoke to HDFC Securities and heres what they have to recommend: Jindal Steel and Power Ltd: Buy| LTP: Rs 238 | Target: Rs. 257| Stop-loss Rs 225 | Return 8% Tinplate Company of India Ltd: Buy| LTP: Rs 196.20 | Target Rs. 225| Stop-loss Rs 182 | Return 15% OFSS: Buy| LTP: Rs 4503| Target Rs. 4950 | Stop-loss Rs 4250 | Return 10% Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Sanctum Wealth Management For third consecutive Monday, the market witnessed a negative start to the week on trade wars tension and weakness in rupee. Government measures announced over the weekend arrested the currency decline but failed to enthuse the markets. The Nifty closed the day at 11,378 level down by 1.2 percent. Broader market indices performed better than benchmark with BSE Midcap and Smallcap losing 0.76 percent and 0.05 percent respectively. Market breadth was negative with four advancing shares for every five declines on NSE. The index formed bearish belt hold on candlestick chart i.e. open and high price were at same level indicating selling pressure in the market. Nifty has filled Fridays opening gap and was trading below 11,366. The next support for the index is seen at 11,160 level. For market to show strength sequence of lower highs and lower lows needs to be broken. Hence, 11,523 needs to be taken out first for market to see level of 11,600. In Nifty options, maximum open interest for Puts is seen at 11,400 followed by 11,000 and 11,200; while for Calls it is at 11,800 followed by 11,500 and 11,600. Call writing was seen in 11,400, 11,500 and 11,600 and some Put unwinding was seen in same strike price suggesting upside is likely to be capped. India VIX after cooling off in last couple of days has taken support at breakout levels and increased by 5 percent to 14.5 level; indicating Nifty is likely to remain under pressure. Here are the top five stock trading ideas which can give good returns in the near term: Eicher Motors: Buy | CMP: Rs 29,664 | Stop loss: Rs 28,800 | Target: Rs 32,000-32,700 | Return: 10% The stock has strong support levels around Rs 26,500 level where multiple lows are seen over last one-year period. For the last eight weeks, the stock has witnessed consolidation above this support level in a range of Rs 29,200 and Rs 26,600. The lows of this consolidation are higher lows, leading to formation of ascending triangle pattern. The price has given breakout on the upside and seen follow through action in yesterdays session. The stock has given breakout from Bollinger band with the expansion of band and closed above upper band indicating start of a fresh trend in the direction of breakout on daily chart. It has crossed above 200-day moving average and moved higher. Thus, stock can be bought at current level and on dips to Rs 29,400 with stop loss below Rs 28,800 for target of Rs 32,000-32700. Torrent Pharmaceuticals: Buy | CMP: Rs 1,782 | Stop loss: Rs 1,700 | Target: Rs 1,950 | Return: 9% The stock has seen major consolidation between Rs 1,700 and Rs 1,200 levels over the last two years at its all-time high levels. Last month stock witnessed breakout from this pattern with strong momentum and high volumes. Since then, the price has been holding above breakout level which is now acting support for the stock. It is consolidating between Rs 1,700 and Rs 1,870 levels. The price is holding above 21-day exponential moving average and showing bounce back from average with bullish candlestick and above average volumes. Also, the stock has formed candlesticks with long lower shadow in last few sessions indicating buying coming in at lower levels. Stochastic has given positive crossover with its average on daily chart. Thus, the stock can be bought at current level and on dips to Rs 1,770 with stop loss below Rs 1,700 for target of Rs 1,950 levels. UPL: Buy | CMP: Rs 724 | Stop loss: Rs 690 | Target: Rs 810 | Return: 12% The stock touched an all-time high of Rs 902 in August last year and since then has been declining. It hit a low of Rs 537 in July, this year. The decline has retraced 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement of the major rally from Rs 367 to Rs 902 levels which comes at Rs 572 and seen strong bounce back. The rally from low has been on good volumes and long bullish candlestick indicating buying participation in the stock. UPL crossed falling resistance trend line connecting highs of Rs 902 and Rs 828 on weekly chart. The 200-day moving average which was acting as resistance for the stock has been crossed after consolidating around it for the last couple of weeks. Thus, stock can be bought at current level and on dips to Rs 715 with stop loss below Rs 690 for target of Rs 810. United Breweries: Buy | CMP: Rs 1,322 | Stop loss: Rs 1,260 | Target: Rs 1,550 | Return: 17% The stock has formed major bullish cup and handle bottoming out pattern on monthly chart over three-year period. In early August this year, it witnessed breakout from the pattern on strong momentum and high volumes indicating buying participation in the stock. The stock hit an all-time high of Rs 14,62 and seen correction down to Rs 1,273 level. The decline has been on below average volumes and price is holding above breakout levels. Stochastic has given positive crossover with its average on daily chart. Thus, the stock can be bought at current level and on dips to Rs 1,310 with stop loss below Rs 1,260 for target of Rs 1,550. PVR: Buy | CMP: Rs 1,396 | Stop loss: Rs 1,340 | Target: Rs 1,520 | Return: 9% The stock had witnessed sharp fall from Rs 1,400 levels to low of Rs 1,062 in the month of July this year. Since then stock has seen smart rally recovering its losses. The stock is now consolidating around breakout and sustaining at current levels indicating strength in the counter. The price has moved above 200-moving average and is now acting as support for the stock. MACD line on weekly chart has moved above equilibrium level of zero indicating correction is over for the stock. Thus, stock can be bought at current level and on dips to Rs 1,380 with stop loss below Rs 1,340 for target of Rs 1,520. : The author is Head Technical and Derivatives at Sanctum Wealth Management. The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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. Oil markets slipped on Tuesday as the latest escalation in the Sino-US trade war clouded the outlook for crude demand from the two countries, the world's top crude consumers. Brent crude futures had dropped 29 cents, or 0.37 percent, to $77.76 per barrel by 0632 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 15 cents, or 0.22 percent, at $68.76 per barrel. US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would impose 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. "The growing trade dispute has hurt trading sentiment. The impact on economic growth is slowly dripping in, which again hurts oil prices," Wang Xiao, head of crude research at Guotai Junan Futures, said on Tuesday. Refineries in the United States consumed about 17.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil last week, while China's refiners used about 11.8 million bpd in August, according to government data from the countries. The tariffs are likely to limit economic activity in both China and the United States, potentially hitting growth in demand for oil as less fuel is consumed to move goods for trade. The countries are the world's two largest economies. However, potential supply cuts caused by US sanctions on Iran, the third-largest producer among the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), are providing some support for oil prices. Sanctions affecting Iran's petroleum sector will come into force from Nov. 4. Meanwhile, oil output from seven major US shale formations is expected to rise by 79,000 bpd to 7.6 million bpd in October, the US Energy Information Administration said on Monday. Technical analysis from Reuters market analyst Wang Tao showed that U.S. oil prices have repeatedly failed to overcome a resistance level of $69.85 per barrel, signalling a dissipation of positive outlook. Brent may fall more than $1 to $76.37 a barrel, while WTI crude prices may revisit their Sept. 14 low of $67.94, he wrote. On Monday, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that OPEC and non-OPEC members would discuss all possible supply scenarios when they meet this month in Algeria. Russia, the world's largest oil producer, and other producers in OPEC have kept in place a supply agreement to maintain prices while at the same time providing enough oil to the market. OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said on Tuesday that OPEC and non-OPEC countries aim to agree a framework for long-term cooperation by December, when the oil producers plan to meet in Vienna. OPEC OPEC must stick together for the good of the global economy as founding member Iran faces renewed US sanctions, the head of the cartel said Tuesday though he did not address how an already-tight market will make up for the loss of Iranian supply. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo also said an agreement between OPEC and non-members that cut production and helped bring prices back up from lows of $30 a barrel in January 2016 was now "a permanent feature." Cementing that arrangement would be one of the topics of discussion as OPEC meets this Sunday in Algeria, he added. Still, OPEC will face rising anger from Iran, one of the cartel's top producers. Tehran feels increasingly under pressure after President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May. Crushing US oil sanctions on Iran will resume in early November and already, American allies in Asia are cutting back on their purchases of Iranian crude. The US moves have gotten furious reactions from Iran, especially amid talk of American officials asking Russia and Saudi Arabia to make up the difference. "Mr. Trump's attempt to prevent Iran from appearing on the global crude oil markets has allowed Russia and Saudi Arabia, which would not favor low prices, to pursue hostage-taking policies in the market," Iranian OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said on Saturday. Speaking Tuesday at the Gulf Intelligence Energy Markets Forum in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Barkindo offered no specifics on how the cartel will protect Iran while trying to simultaneously comfort Tehran. "Iran is not only a founding member of OPEC, it's a very important member of this organization. We have no choice but continue to work with all parties," Barkindo said. Benchmark Brent crude already is nearing $80 a barrel and analysts believe it may go even higher as production remains low. A loss of Iranian supply likely will further drive up prices. Trump, facing midterm elections in the United States, already has called for more oil production from Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down prices with limited effect. A gallon of regular gasoline costs on average $2.85 in the US, up from $2.62 a year ago, according to AAA. Barkindo praised the agreement between OPEC and non-members that cut production and said the cartel would work to make it permanent. "The declaration of cooperation has come to stay," he said. Selloff in the last couple of hours ensured that the rupee ended the session at a record low. The currency closed at 72.97 per US dollar on Tuesday, according to Reuters. It fell to 72.98 per US dollar mark on an intraday basis, data further revealed. The rupee had opened marginally lower at 72.55 per dollar versus Monday's close 72.51. Analysts believe that a combination of surge in crude prices and trade war tensions weighed on the rupee. The weakening started around mid-afternoon. Oil prices spiked based on reports that Saudi Arabia was comfortable with Brent trading above USD 80 per barrel. Additionally, China also spoke about retaliatory tariffs to US imposing import tariffs on USD 200 billion Chinese goods and services. These were the major factors that dragged the rupee today, Anindya Banerjee, Deputy Vice-President, Currency Derivatives, at Kotak Securities told Moneycontrol. US President Donald Trump Monday announced imposing new tariffs on an additional USD 200 billion worth of imports from China, escalating the trade war with the Asian giant. Alleging that China has been unwilling to change its unfair trade practices, Trump said the new additional tariff structure would be effective September 24 from when it would be at 10 percent until the year end, but would increase to 25 per cent level from January 1. Banerjee also added that heavy intervention from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) could not support the rupee as well. The demand from offshore was exceptionally heavy and that led to this kind of spike in the rupee, he added. JLR live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Tata Motors slipped nearly 2 percent intraday Tuesday as company owned JLR cut the production schedule at UK plant. JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) confirmed a cut in its production schedule at the Castle Bromwich plant manufacturing Jaguar cars in the West Midlands region of England due to "continuing headwinds" impacting the British car industry. The change in schedule, described as "standard business practice" by the Tata Group company, will see nearly 1,000 workers at the plant shifting from a five-day work schedule to a three-day one until Christmas this year. "As is standard business practice, Jaguar Land Rover regularly reviews its production schedules to ensure market demand is balanced globally," JLR said in a statement. "In light of the continuing headwinds impacting the car industry, we are making some temporary adjustments to our production schedules at Castle Bromwich," it noted. The company, however, reiterated that it continues to "over-proportionally invest" in new products and technologies, and is committed to its UK plants, in which it has invested more than 4 billion pounds since 2010 to "future-proof manufacturing technologies to deliver new models". While the company did not confirm the exact numbers to be affected by the change in production schedule, an estimated 1,000 of the 2,000 workers at the Castle Bromwich plant are expected to be moved to a three-day week. At 10:22 hrs Tata Motors was quoting at Rs 256.90, down Rs 3.30, or 1.27 percent. With inputs from PTI GSK Pharma | Company reported lower profit at Rs 76.5 crore in Q2FY21 compared to Rs 502.7 crore, revenue fell to Rs 879 crore from Rs 882 crore YoY. Nestle, Unilever and Coca-Cola are among bidders for GlaxoSmithKline's Indian Horlicks nutrition business, expected to fetch more than $4 billion, four people familiar with the matter said. Initial bids were due on September 17 and the three consumer goods giants are seen as frontrunners for a business that offers a significant footprint in a fast-growing emerging market. Even though Indian shoppers have lately been pressured by a currency devaluation and goods and service tax, the country's growing population and rising wealth make it attractive for companies trying to offset weak growth in Western markets. It was not clear which other companies were bidding, although Reckitt Benckiser, a company eager to build up its consumer health operation, did not make an offer, two sources said. GSK, Nestle, Reckitt and Unilever declined to comment. Officials at Coca-Cola were not immediately available. Horlicks is a malt-based drink dating back to 1873, when two British-born men, James and William Horlick, founded a company in Chicago to manufacture it. It was taken to India by soldiers who had fought with the British Army in the First World War. Sold as a bedtime drink in Britain, Horlicks has been developed into a much bigger brand by GSK in India. But the drugmaker started a review of that business and some smaller products, after buying Novartis out of their consumer healthcare joint venture for $13 billion in March. GSK Chief Executive Emma Walmsley, who took over last year, is looking to sharpen the focus of what is one of the world's more diversified pharmaceuticals companies. The main asset on the block is GSK's 72.5 percent stake in its Indian subsidiary GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, which is famous for Horlicks but also makes products including the chocolate-flavoured malt-based drink Boost. One source said Nestle was particularly well-suited to buy the business, as the world's biggest packaged food company already owns rival malt drink Milo and has a big presence in India, which bodes well for synergies. Nestle has told GSK privately of its interest in Horlicks on several occasions over the years, people familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this year. For Coke, buying the Horlicks business would mark another multibillion-dollar acquisition, following a deal to buy Costa Coffee for $5.1 billion last month. GSK is being advised by Morgan Stanley and Greenhill. The company sold its much smaller UK Horlicks business to Aimia Foods earlier this year for an undisclosed amount. September 18, 2018 / 07:59 PM IST China retaliates against the United States by levying tariffs on $60 billion of US imports, reports AFP September 18, 2018 / 06:36 PM IST JUST IN | The government is working on an incentive package for exports, and may expand the interest subvention scheme to include merchant exporters. It may expand export guarantee via the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC) for restricted countries like Syria, Libya. September 18, 2018 / 06:33 PM IST JUST IN | The government is considering a minimum import price, non-tariff barriers, import duty hike import curb mechanisms, as according to a CNBC TV 18 report. September 18, 2018 / 06:32 PM IST JUST IN | The final list of items to face import curbs will most likely be prepared by the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister's office by September 21, according to government official who was cited in a CNBC TV 18 report. September 18, 2018 / 05:48 PM IST JUST IN | With the ailing health of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Congress gets an appointment to meet Governor Dr. Mridula Sinha on September 18 at 6:30 pm, according to an ANI tweet. September 18, 2018 / 05:16 PM IST JUST IN | ICICI Bank and Chanda Kochhar have applied for Consent with respect to the Videocon case, according to news reports. Do you remember how in school, top-ranking kids were sometimes clubbed with the not-so-top-ranking kids in study groups? The rationale being that the TRKs would help the NSTRKs and average grade levels would be raised and empathy would be learnt and everyone would emerge a winner and we would all hold hands and sing Kumbaya, or well, Hum Honge Kaamyaab? But do you remember it working though? The government is now playing primary school teacher and thinks this sort of thing works with public sector banks with assets worth thousands of crores, and perhaps more importantly, thousands of crores of non-performing assets. The Indian government on September 17 announced the amalgamation of three public sector lenders Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank two TRKs and one NSTRK, in a move that it hopes will solve a few problems dogging the public sector banks. The announcement was made after a meeting of the Alternative Mechanism set up last year to consider consolidation in the banking sector. The Alternate Mechanism, comprising Jaitley, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and railways and coal minister Piyush Goyal, was set up as an approval framework for proposals to merge state-run banks. It has thus far already taken two steps the first was to merge the countrys top lender State Bank of India with five of its subsidiaries and Bharatiya Mahila Bank, thus making the combined entity one of the top fifty banks in the world; the second was the proposed takeover of IDBI Bank by LIC; this latest move is the third. The proposed merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank, and Vijaya Bank; what the merger does to the NPA problem; the wisdom (or the lack thereof) of a move like this; what immediate history has taught us about mergers like this; the reaction of industry-watchers; and the reactions of Dalal street to this threeway union these will be among the many things we will be talking about today, as the story of this three-headed Cerb(ank)erus which would become the third largest banking entity in the country is naturally our Story of the Day. My name is Rakesh, and you are listening to Moneycontrol. Making of a megabank We spoke about this a few days ago, but it bears repeating the banking sector in our large, fair land is a fairly large mess. Mr Modi may not have been entirely able to reduce the size of the mess, but he has certainly enabled the shrinking of the number of public sector banks. There used to be 26; now, post-merger of these three, there will be 19. (Is that a good thing? Yes and no, but more on that later.) But first, the basics. The central government has announced the proposal to merge three public sector lenders Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank, and Vijaya Bank. Rajeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance in a media address on September 17 said this combined lending entity, with a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore, 9,560 branches, and an employee strength of 85,675, would be India's third largest globally competitive bank. According to the government's estimates, Net Non-Performing Asset (NNPA) ratio of the combined entity will be at 5.71 percent, which will be significantly better than PSB average (12.13 percent). Also, Capital to Risk Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) will be at 12.25 percent, which will be "significantly" above the regulatory norm of 10.875 percent. "Stronger amalgamated bank will be better positioned to tap capital markets," said the statement. Dena Banks capital adequacy ratio stood at 10.6 percent on 30 June 2018, Vijaya Banks at 13.91 percent and Bank of Barodas at 12.13 percent. The combined entitys capital adequacy rating will be at 12.25 percent with Tier-1 capital at 9.32 percent and net NPAs, as stated, at 5.71 percent, which will be less than those of the Bank of India (8.45 percent) and Punjab National Bank (10.58 percent), which are the second and third largest public sector banks as of now. The largest PSB SBI has net NPAs of 5.29 percent. (For comparison, Indias second largest and biggest private sector lender HDFC Bank has a total business of 15.13 lakh crore rupees; CRAR of 14.6 percent; net NPAs of 0.4 percent!) During the April-June quarter, Bank of Baroda's gross non-performing asset (GNPA) was 12.46 percent and NNPA was 5.4 percent and Vijaya Bank's GNPA was at 6.19 percent and NNPA 4.10 percent both certainly healthier than Dena Bank, which it appears, has forgotten that the other end of the banking premise is Lena as well. Dena Bank, the proverbial runt of this litter, reported GNPA of 22.69 and net NPA of 11.04 percent. As financial editor of Firstpost, Dinesh Unnikrishnan put it, Dena Bank has just an unofficial bailout package. At the end of March 2018, total NPAs in the banking sector was approximately Rs 10 lakh crore, with a majority of them held by public sector banks. The proposal will now need to be passed by the boards of individual banks. The banks' boards will shortly meet and take up the decision, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after Kumar's statements. Jaitley added, "While making this suggestion we have borne in mind that we don't have the amalgamation of weak banks... the amalgamated entity's lending ability will be higher." The announcement to merge the three banks was made after the latest meeting on alternative mechanism. The meetings were initiated last year to consider consolidation in the banking sector. The Modi government had announced the consolidation of public sector banks in 2016 owing to mounting non-performing assets. The plan was to cut down the number of PSBs by half from 21 to about 10-12 banks. After the process, Dena Bank, which is under the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework, is expected to function as a regular bank. "Dena bank would no longer be covered under PCA after amalgamation," said Bank of Baroda Managing Director, PS Jayakumar. He said the process of amalgamation could take four to six months to complete. Currently, 11 of the 21 public sector banks are placed under the PCA framework. What happens if a bank is under PCA? Well, banks under PCA are prohibited from fresh lending, paying dividends, and distributing profits. They are also required to keep an eye on provisioning on bad loans. Now, Dena Bank, post-merger would no longer be covered under PCA. Reasoning the choice of the banks for the merger, Jaitley went on to add, One of the banks is under PCA. Therefore, we want to save all these banks. We want to ensure that the merged entity is stronger entity... We dont want a merger of weak banks... Subsequent to this merger, the sustainable lending ability will be far higher. This amalgamated entity will increase banking operations, Jaitley said. The merged bank will be "stronger, sustainable, greater banking operations and will have a better lending capacity," he added. Until the amalgamation process is complete, the three banks will continue to work as independent banks, Rajeev Kumar said. Why merge? Why these? One of the reasons, as Mr Jaitley reasoned, was that two relatively healthy banks (Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank) could merge with a third unhealthy bank (Dena Bank) to create a megabank. Mint reports that one of the [other] reasons behind the choice of these banks was perhaps the fact that all three use the same core banking systemFinacle from Infosysmaking the task of merging the technology platforms and back-ends relatively easier. The Times of India goes on to note that, Government owns a majority stake in 21 lenders, which account for more than two-thirds of banking assets. However, they also account for nearly 90 percent of non-performing loans in the banking sector -- Rs 8.9 lakh crore out of the total Rs 10 lakh crore. 11 of the 21 public sector banks are operating under an emergency programme, supervised by Reserve Bank of India, which restricts fresh lending. Mergers of weak banks also mean fewer, better-capitalised banks and improved regulatory oversight. With the benefits of scale... a reasonable assumption is that there is good opportunity to grow but that is something that will happen over a period of time, said PS Jayakumar, ex-CitiBanker and current CEO of Bank of Baroda. Unnikrishnan, writing for Firstpost, goes on to note that, from a reform-perspective, consolidation among State-run banks gives the industry certain benefits. It helps to create large-sized banks that can then work to build enough muscle mass to compete in a global banking industry presently dominated by large-sized lenders. Through a series of mergers, perhaps the country will have five or six large banks that can be groomed to compete in the global market. Unnikrishnan went on to note that the merger, in a way, made sense now because RBI has started giving permits to a number of small banks that can focus on expanding small-scale banking activities in rural areas. He said, With not enough political will and scope for privatisation of these banks, consolidation seems to be the only way to keep the momentum going for banking sector reforms. All those in favour of the Union Reacting to the announcement, Ashvin Parekh, Managing Partner at Ashvin Parekh Advisory Services said, I think this is a bold move. The synergies are only on paper. Good amount of efforts will be required by the banks to make the synergies work. Parekh said the merger process, if approved, will take at least 3-4 quarters to complete and given the quality of loan book and NPA being an issue for all banks, the merger will be a challenging task. Speaking to Bloomberg, Karthik Srinivasan, vice president at rating agency ICRA, said, As a country we have been talking of consolidation for quite some time. But we have had other challenges like asset quality and inadequate capital so it was put on the back burner. SBI with its associates was the last big merger. So this is the next step. A former Bank of Baroda chairman said, With the changing technology, clearly there is no need for more banks in the country given they are in the same business. I am happy with the selection of the banks as both Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank are relatively stronger banks. The weaker Dena Bank has a culture similar to Bank of Baroda, which can have some more business in the southern part of India. Saurabh Mukherjea of Marcellus, speaking to The Economic Times, said the merger was making the best of a bad situation. Not only do you have a paucity of capital amongst the PSU banks, but an even greater weakness for the PSU banks is also lack of management talent and bandwidth. Hundreds of highly capable managers are needed to turn around these 15 to 20 largest PSU banks and there simply is not that sort of talent available in the Indian markets, certainly not at the salaries that the PSU banks offer, he went on to add. All those not in favour of the Union The top executives of the banks proposed for the merger were, apparently, kept in the dark about the developments, contrary to custom, which demands that the executives be briefed beforehand so they could have questions before they face the minister. They were summoned to the Ministry and it was only then that the news was disclosed. (Vijaya Bank MD Sankara Narayanan told CNBC TV 18 that he learnt about the merger only after the Finance Minister's press conference.) "Left to us and our board we would have not favoured this combination of banks, said another banker who did not want to be identified, to ET. Now that it is dictated from the government, we have no choice but to accept it." ET went on to suggest that while the top management of the banks may get into the merger kicking and screaming, the biggest challenge for them is to convince the trade unions which are belligerent despite their poor performance. Even though Mr Jaitley assured there would be no job loss, ET said, [the] other big challenge would be to manage the unions who will certainly oppose the move on fear of job losses and the loss of brand identity. This merger is negative for Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank. The merger has to go through parliamentary approval, which will be a critical factor considering general elections are slated for next year, said Ashutosh Mishra, an analyst at Reliance Securities Ltd. CH Venkatachalam, the All India Bank Employees Association General Secretary, speaking to Business Standard, opposed the union, saying miracles do not happen by the merger of banks but that they result in higher bad loans. According to him, the bad loans of five associate banks of SBI as on March 31, 2017, were about Rs 65,000 crore and that of SBI Rs 112,000 crore -- that is a total of Rs 177,000 crore. Post-merger, SBI's bad loans in 2018 increased to Rs 225,000 crore. Stock market reaction Dena Bank, which has unexpectedly received a shot in the arm, performed like a star on Dalal Street today. The stock rose 19.81 percent on the NSE at the end of the trading day today. This was expected Dena being the unhealthy bank being merged into the other two healthy PSBs. Dena Bank shares were locked in the upper circuit at 19.9 percent in the first half hour of trading. Over 1.7 million shares changed hands, ahead of their 30-day average volume of 1.5 million shares. Expectedly also, Vijaya Bank shares tanked 7.26 percent on the NSE to close at 55.60 rupees. But the biggest of the three, Bank of Baroda also took the biggest hit of all the share price tanked 17.04 percent (or 23.05 rupees) to close at 112.20 rupees. Deutsche Bank analysts downgraded the stock to "hold" from "buy", cutting its price target to 145 rupees from 180 rupees. DB analysts see the bank's shareholders facing challenges such as likely dilution in focus of the bank's management towards the merger and away from growth. What next? Andy Mukherjee, writing for Mint, said, Minority shareholders have reasons to grumble. The combined entity will have soured loans of about 13 percent, worse than Bank of Barodas 12.4 percent in NPAs. Plus the acquirers current employee count of 56,000 will balloon by half. All jobs are deemed safe, so the only way to achieve cost efficiencies would be to prune surplus branches and wait for excess staff to retire. He went on to note that as the biggest of the three banks, Bank of Baroda has a way to make a success of the merger by reducing the emphasis on lending and embracing investing. PSU banks strength lies in their branch network, especially outside of metropolitan areas. About 62 percent of Indias savings deposits originate in smaller cities, towns and villages, according to Bernstein analysts Gautam Chhugani and Gaurav Jangale. This is the most lucrative source of funding because even as borrowing costs rise, banks can take their time to reprice the rates they pay on household savings, he went on to note, adding that the smarter strategy would be to drive growth via securitization. What about the three letters that the banking sector is terrified of? NPA? The combined entity will have a total gross NPAs of Rs 79,320 crore, which as a percentage of total advances stand at around 13 percent. Mergers of banks are not going to be a magic wand that will wave the NPA problem away. Unnikrishnan recalls the three points that Raghuram Rajan had made back in 2015 as Governor of RBI. The merger of two (or more) unhealthy banks in the financial system will create an unhealthy entity that would lead to the creation of a bigger problem in the economy. Secondly, even in the case of the merger of an unhealthy bank with a large healthy bank, the merger would bring problems to the acquiring bank. Thirdly, in the event of a merger of a weak bank with a strong bank, the acquirer will have to deal with the cultural problems that arise out of the merger, besides dealing with the primary challenge the bad loan pile in the weak bank, thereby creating difficulties for the strong bank. For now, Dena Bank a zombie bank, as Unnikrishnan calls it, has received an unofficial bailout package, but the walking debt that the combined entity carries is not going to go away 28 Days, or 28 Weeks later. Thank you for joining us. Stating that the government is committed to providing an enabling environment to street vendors, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri on Tuesday said a workshop will be held in the next three months wherein urban development ministers of all states will review the implementation of the Street Vendors Act. "In the next three months, we will hold a review workshop with UD ministers of all states in Delhi on the implementation of the Act," Puri said at a convention of National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) held in the Capital on Tuesday. All issues concerning the implementation of the Act will be discussed at the workshop, he said, adding. "if there is discrepancy in its implementation in any state, it will be addressed." The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014 seeks to regulate street vendors in public areas, provides for a certification of vending, protects vendors against unlawful eviction and lays down the their rights and obligations. It recognises that street vendors are an "integral part of our urban economy" The Act calls for constitution of a town vending committee in each local authority to ensure that provisions of the Act are being complied with. It is this committee that identifies the vending zones, prepares a street vending plan etc. As per the Act, respective states and union territories have to notify the rules and schemes for ensuring its implementation. So far 30 states and union territories have notified rules and 21 states have notified their schemes under the Act. Planned urbanisation undertaken by us takes into account the concerns of street vendors & will have designated zones where vendors can carry on their businesses with security & dignity. This sector also needs to shrug off the 'unorganised tag & become an 'organised activity. pic.twitter.com/oSekPJYhTO Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 18, 2018 Let us be realistic. With a chaat wallah here, a sabzi wallah there or a corner stall selling trinkets, street vending is an important component of urban life. It forms the support system which city dwellers need to carry on with their daily lives. pic.twitter.com/fqEm9AYOvP Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 18, 2018 Puri informed that his ministry is implementing the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM). The DAY-NULM aims to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households and enables them to access gainful self- employment and skilled wage employment opportunities. vandana.ramnani@nw18.com When the Centre passes a law, the states have to conform to it, there can be no ambiguity. said Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri on September 18. He stated the Centre has written to the West Bengal government to repeal its version of the real estate regulatory Act. We have sent a letter (to West Bengal government). There is no ambiguity (that) when the Centre passes a law, states have to conform to that, he told reporters. Commenting on the fact that over 50 real estate projects have already registered under the West Bengal Housing & Industrial Regulation Act 2017 (HIRA), Puri said, They can register but when you pass a faulty law and when it is found not to be legal, I dont want to go further than that We have done the legal vetting of the proposal that came to us and based on that we have written the letter. The Union Housing Secretary DS Mishra has written a letter to the West Bengal Chief Secretary after the law ministry informed the housing ministry that West Bengal had not taken the presidential assent for the WBHIRA. The letter asks the state government to repeal its version of the real estate act to avoid causing confusion to homebuyers and real estate developers. Besides the six northeastern states that have not notified RERA and its rules, West Bengal is the only state in the country to have enacted a state Act which almost mirrors RERA except for a few differences pertaining to definition of force majeure and garage. The state law in Maharashtra was earlier repealed despite a presidential assent and Kerala too did not implement its own Act. Real estate developers and realty agents in West Bengal say that they have no option but to register under WBHIRA to stay in business. There is confusion in West Bengal. Both developers and real agents are a confused lot. As many as 50 developer projects have been registered under the state Act and the same number of agents have applied for registration and paid the fees, an agent active in West Bengal told Moneycontrol requesting not to be named. Until we register ourselves we cannot work in West Bengal after September 1, we cannot book unregistered properties for our clients. Similarly, developers cannot sell units in a project that has not been registered under WBHIRA. We are scared that we do not register, we may have to pay penalty. So, we are compelled to register. Right now, we are working basis the applied for registration numbers, he says. As for the fees paid to the West Bengal government treasury as registration fees, both builders and agents say that whichever law prevails, the fees will continue to be paid to the state treasury. Only the name will change from WBHIRA to RERA in case the state decides to register projects under RERA. The buyer-builder agreements may also have to be revised but it does not seem that the state government is willing to relent anytime soon, says a builder not wanting to be named. Representatives of several homebuyers groups, including Fight For RERA, have also written to the union housing minister that they fear that RERA may become redundant if West Bengal is successful in implementing its own version of the Act. Members of the Central Advisory Council, constituted by the housing and urban affairs ministry under RERA on May 14, have asked the minister to notify the subcommittee at the earliest. The sub-committee was constituted with the objective of persuading the Bengal government to adopt RERA, besides overseeing its implementation in other states but was not notified. We are concerned about RERA being rendered redundant if the state of West Bengal is successful in implementing WBHIRA in place of RERA, since it may prompt other states to follow suit, said Forum for Peoples Collective Efforts, Gurugrams Federation of Apartment Owners Association, Namma Bengaluru Foundation (members of the CAC) in their letter to the minister. It is time to notify the subcommittee set up when the CAC met on May 14, 2018, to ensure that buyers in West Bengal enjoy the same rights as other buyers in the rest of the country, says Abhay Upadhyay, president of FPCE. How can a state not implement a law passed by parliament. This can lead to other states follow West Bengal and due course make RERA redundant. Three years ago, we initiated a movement Fight for RERA for the passage of RERA by the parliament. Now we are fighting to save RERA from being made redundant. We hope the central government and law makers would understand that seriousness of the issue and take necessary steps to save RERA, Upadhyay said. If the state of West Bengal is allowed to go ahead in its endeavor to implement WBHIRA, which is diluted to favour developers and not RERA, it will not only put a question mark on the supremacy of Parliament but also put in danger the entire federal fabric of our democratic set-up since it may open gates for other states to not follow laws enacted by Parliament. Moreover, this will show the way to other states to bypass RERA which is touted as a game changer for the real estate industry and which is currently suffering from credibility crisis, he said. Experts say that HIRA defeats the very purpose of Central RERA. The first is to do with the force majeure clause or unforeseen circumstances under which a builder may not fulfil conditions laid down under the contract signed with the homebuyers. RERA clearly lays down the circumstances of force majeure such as war, flood, drought, fire, cyclone, earthquake or any other natural calamity. HIRA has made an addition to this clause and talks about any other circumstances as may be prescribed. This is a major dilution. Sale of open space as a garage or parking area was an issue dealt under RERA. HIRA has interpreted it differently. RERA defines garage to mean a place within a project that has a roof and walls on three sides for parking any vehicle but it does not include unenclosed or uncovered parking area, especially open parking. HIRA, on the other hand, states that car parking area means such an area as may be prescribed and defined garage to mean garage and parking space as sanctioned by the competent authority. West Bengal is the only state in the country that has not accepted RERA. The Central Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) came into effect on May 1, 2017, exactly a year after it was passed by the Parliament. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is expected to push major reforms including cutting down the listing time of initial public offerings and interoperability of the capital market at its board meeting scheduled for September 18. Ahead of its meeting, there has been a lot of buzz around what the market regulator is planning to take up at its meeting. Here's are a few important issues that SEBI may take up today: The board is likely to deliberate on the fair market conduct committee report after further discussion. A fair market committee recommended that trading done by any entity in excess of verifiable financial sources should be deemed fraudulent if it leads to any manipulation in the price or volume of the security. This may give power to the regulator to intercept phone calls for better investigation, while strengthening regulations to act against perpetrators of financial fraud. SEBI is currently empowered to seek call data records (CDR) as part of an investigation. The markets regulator may refer recommendations made by the Viswanathan panel on intercepting phone records as a surveillance measure to the government. The SEBI-appointed committee had earlier submitted a report on enforcement and settlement process recommendations, which may also be tabled in the board meeting. The committee has recommended that proceedings relating to insider trading, front-running and misstatements in offer documents may be settled 'depending on the facts and circumstances of each case'. Experts believe it is rare to see the regulator rushing to take up 2 key committee reports in a single board meet and implement it immediately, reported Business Line. The urgency may be because it wants to take all key policy decisions in September or October and not take them closer to general elections early next year, sources told the paper. The committee recommended, "At this juncture, maintaining separate clearing corporations for each exchange would be prudent. However, SEBI may keep the interoperability option open and consider the proposal for implementation when ground conditions are met, which, inter alia, include the clear intent of the participants coming together and having a suitable framework in place to the satisfaction of SEBI." Relax foreign fund ownership rules SEBI may relax foreign fund ownership rules as the panel had recommended lifting all restrictions that were imposed in the April 10 circular. The Khan panel had proposed a set of relaxations to its earlier foreign fund ownership rules, which had barred non-resident Indian investors to become beneficial owners in such funds. It had also suggested that the beneficial ownership criteria be applicable for know-your-customer rules only and not for eligibility for foreign investors. The SEBI board is likely to approve interoperability of capital market . Introduction of interoperability would allow trading companies to clear trades through a firm of their choice, rather than the current arrangement of necessarily going through the clearing house owned by the exchange on which the trade was executed.The regulator had formed a committee for interoperability in 2013 under the chairmanship of KV Kamath. The latter had submitted its report in 2015. Status check in NSEL broker probe The regulator at its board meet may take up status report on its probe against brokers of National Spot Exchange, The regulator at its board meet may take up status report on its probe against brokers of National Spot Exchange, reports Bloomberg . More than 100 brokerage firms, including several big names, have come under SEBI's scanner for allegedly defrauding investors of over Rs 4,000 crore in the high-profile NSEL case. Proceedings are already underway against five brokers: Anand Rathi Commodities, Geofin Comtrade, Motilal Oswal Commodities, Phillip Commodities India Pvt and India Infoline Commodities. SEBI has also identified 111 other brokerage firms for further possible action for allegedly defaulting on payments on the erstwhile NSEL platform. Among other issues, the market regulator may also take up matters related to internal promotions of its officials, other human resource issues and concerns of the SEBI employee association for discussion. U.S. Citizens: Voting in the Midterms from Abroad Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - With the midterm elections rapidly approaching in November, many Americans are beginning to worry about their votes. A recent poll by Politico and Morning Consult found that 52% of registered voters believed Russia was likely to try to influence the 2018 midterm elections for Congress, while a Supreme Court decision in June upholding Ohio's aggressive voter-roll purging practices has renewed concerns about who gets stripped from state registration lists, especially among Democrats. Here are some steps you can take to protect your vote this November and beyond. Re-register whenever you move If you move, make sure you quickly re-register at your new address. If you still maintain a residence in the U.S. and have moved, re-register by going to VoteFromAbroad.org and do so. The site will guide you through the steps to qualify. If you no longer have a residence in the US and live abroad, register with your last known address in the United States. If you need help, watch for VotefromAbroad assistance provided by Democrats Abroad at various locations in Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay. Voter Registration Opportunities The Federal Voter Assistance Guide suggests that people register 90 days before the election. Right now we only have about 50 days before the November 6 General Election... So, if you want to vote, you need to register now! In Puerto Vallarta Ishop & Mail at Peninsula Plaza, Local C-1 Thursday, September 20, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm In Bucerias Casa Tranquila Jose Ma Morelos 7-A, Las Palmas Tuesday, September 18 and 25, 10:30 am - 12:30 am In La Cruz de Huanacaxtle Ana Banana Pub Tiburon #42, Centro Tuesday, September 18 and 25, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Registered voters should receive their ballots by SEPTEMBER 22. As soon as received, please complete and return them via email, fax, or mail. Or drop them off at the registration tables on the above dates. The way the ballots can be returned depends upon the state, each one different. If you have any questions, please go to VoteFromAbroad.org and fvap.gov. If your state allows, you may be able to register and then cast your ballot online. Request an Absentee Ballot be mailed to you electronically. For more information, go to one of the above websites or the registration sites. Check your mail If you still have a residence in the U.S., The National Voting Rights Act requires states to send a notice by mail asking voters to confirm their address before removing their name from voter registration lists, unless they have already asked to be removed. But, as was the case in Ohio, the notices can easily be mistaken for junk mail. Double-check your registration Before Election Day comes, check that you are still registered to vote and that your registration is up to date. These records are often available through your state Secretary of State's website. You can also use databases compiled by non profits, like Vote.org or VoteFromAbroad.org, and each site will walk you through registration and request for Absentee ballot. If you don't have regular access to the Internet, you can check in with those who are helping people in person through various locations for VotefromAbroad in Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay (see above schedule). Vote early If you have re-registered, you should have signed up for an electronic ballot. Those ballots should arrive September 22 or 23. You should vote as early as possible for your vote to count. Every state will mail absentee ballots to certain voters who request one, but up to 20 states require a reason that you need one, such as the fact that you'll be out of the state during the election. The last realistic day for votes to be delivered through the consular mail pouch is September 30. After that date, you are responsible for getting your ballot to the U.S. We recommend Ishop & Mail at 178 Mina, a short distance from the lighthouse on the Malecon, or in the Peninsula Plaza Local C-1 , as the most reliable mail-forwarding service. Check in with your friends and family Once you have voted, check in with your friends. Research shows that the most effective means of getting out the vote remains casual in-person contacts and many people are motivated to vote by a sense that their friends and neighbors are doing so as well. If you have young people in your family, give them a nudge to be sure to register and vote. Cast a Federal ballot If all else fails and county election officials cannot immediately indicate your registration status or you cannot receive a ballot abroad in time, you do have another option. Tables with volunteers from Vote From Abroad will be set up in front of Daiquiri Dick's at 314 Olas Altas on September 26 between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm to help you register and to vote with a Federal ballot. This ballot is good for voting only for federal office holders and will be available at the site. A second date for getting these ballots is October 3 in front of Daiquiri Dick's between 10:30 am and 2:30 am. But on or after this date, you will be responsible for mailing the ballots yourself. Double-check that your vote was counted In some states, you can check to see that your vote was counted on a database on your Secretary of State's website. While it won't say who you voted for or by what method you cast your vote, it will indicate a vote happened. If you find out that your vote wasn't counted, call your Secretary of State's office. Always Vote regularly When state officials do voter roll purges, they typically look for inactive voters. That means if you only vote during presidential elections or when there's a big issue on the ballot, you're more at risk of having your registration canceled. In addition, the National Voting Rights Act requires that states wait multiple election cycles where voters don't show up on Election Day before pruning them from the list. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, on the second day of his three-day conclave 'Bhavishya Ka Bharat An RSS Perspective', asserted that the government's policies are not influenced by his organisation. Bhagwat said swayamsevaks are independent and work of their own accord. He added that the RSS never asks its volunteers to work for any particular party but does advise them to back those working in national interest. Bhagwat's comments sought to distinguish between its functioning and the work of the BJP, which is seen to be ideologically affiliated to the organisation with many top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having an RSS background. Bhagwat elucidated on the origin of the term 'Hindutva', saying it stands for patriotism, respecting ancestral glory and culture. He said the ideology of Hindutva promotes unity in diversity and collective value education. Distancing Hindutva from religion, Bhagwat said the real religion is humanity and brotherhood. He invoked Dalit icon BR Ambedkar and read the Preamble of the Constitution of India, reminding the audience that the "Constitution is our conscience" and that the RSS abides by it. Explaining the etymology of the term Hindutva, Bhagwat said the 'Hindu' is derived from the word 'Indus' and that, in olden times, anything to the east of the river Indus was referred to as a 'Hindu rashtra'. "But this does not mean that Muslims and Buddhists are not a part of the Hindu rashtra", he added. Bhagwat completed his lecture by citing the seven social sins that are popularly said to be written by Mahatma Gandhi politics without principles; wealth without work; pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character; commerce without morality; science without humanity and worship without sacrifice. Vijay Mallya The Congress on Monday demanded a "comprehensive probe" into the alleged role of the Prime Minister's Office and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in helping embattled business tycoon Vijay Mallya flee the country. The trinity of Mallya, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party have cheated the country and now it is time to fix the responsibility, the Congress's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala told reporters. "'Operation Cover-Up' in 'MallyaGate' stands uncovered! Complicity, collusion, connivance and collaboration of the Modi government at the highest level has been unmasked. Nothing can absolve Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the 'Vijay Mallya Escape'," he alleged in a statement. He also gave a timeline of events in the Mallya case. Surjewala claimed that the CBI shifted its stance on the Mallya case thrice, and asked who in the PMO had nudged the investigation agency. "Why has CBI shifted its stance thrice 'Seeking Advance Information' to 'Inadvertent Error' to 'Error of Judgment'. Why are the two officers responsible, i.e. Joint Director A K Sharma and SP Harshita Attaluri, mum on the reason for changing 'LOC (Look Out Circular) to Detain' into 'inform'?" Surjewala said. He also accused the consortium of 17 banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) of collusion and asked who directed them not to act against Mallya. Surjewala said Mallya met Jaitley in Parliament and stated that he is "leaving for London". "Jaitley already knew that the 17 banks were seeking to recover their Rs 9,091 crore from a 'willful defaulter', Vijay Mallya. The Finance Minister chooses to remain mum. Jaitley doesn't inform the banks, the CBI, the ED (Enforcement Directorate), the SFIO (Serious Fraud Investigation Office), and Immigration Authorities to act against Mallya and detain him. "Jaitley in fact remains mum for 30 months thereafter, admitting to his meeting to Vijay Mallya for the first time on September 12, 2018 in a Facebook post," he said. The Congress demands that there should be a "comprehensive probe" in the role of the PMO, Finance Minister, Finance Ministry officials, the CBI, including the then director Anil Sinha, Joint Director A K Sharma, SP Harshita Attaluri, and the consortium of banks, particularly management of State Bank of India, in not acting against Mallya, Surjewala said. Jaitley has, however, denied the charges against him. The Congress and the BJP are locked in a fierce war of words over the Mallya case. The Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) hand is being seen behind the Centre pulling up Google on the apex bank's recent directive to shift user data of its digital payments platform, Google Pay, on local servers. Sources told Moneycontrol that the banking regulator felt the technology giant could use the information to its advantage and has approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to push the company to fall in line. Google Pay is an app built on the unified payments interface or UPI, a system that allows account holders of all banks to send or receive money from their smartphones without the need to enter their net-banking user ID or password. Last Sunday, a letter written by Google chief executive officer Sundar Pichai surfaced in the media in which he called for free flow of data across borders. Free flow of data across borders -- with a focus on user privacy and security -- will encourage startups to innovate and expand globally and encourage global companies to contribute to India's digital economy, Pichai said in the letter written to union minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad. Prasad had visited Google headquarters in Mountain View California last month. Also read: Free cross-border data flow to help startups, global companies to contribute to India's economy: Google CEO Sundar Pichai Pichai further added that Google will remain committed to Indias growth story and supported the vision of digital India. Sources, however, told Moneycontrol that the letter's appearance in public will pressurise the tech giant to comply with the RBI's directive to store payments data in local servers by mid-October. It was learnt that the central bank had prepared and submitted a note to the IT ministry about two months back stating why they think Google either has or has the scope to use the user data to its own advantage which the Bank feels is unfair. RBI feels that they (Google) should have done it already but as it was not done, the letter was leaked, sources added. A day after the letter surfaced, a government official was quoted as saying that Google had agreed to comply with the RBI directive but had sought time till December. Google did not respond to an email request for comment asking whether the RBI has tried to engage with it on the matter or if the Ministry of IT has engaged with it for the regulators directive on data localisation. The RBI did not respond to Moneycontrol's email seeking comments for this story. In Aprils bi-monthly monetary policy, RBI had asked all payment system operators to ensure that data related to payment systems operated by them are stored only inside the country within a period of six months in a bid to have unfettered access to all payment data for supervisory purposes. The deadline for this ends on October 15. According to sources, the banking regulator will decide on extension of the deadline only after October. The directive has received mixed response from payment operators across globe. While home-grown firms like Paytm and Flipkart-owned PhonePe have supported the move, international firms like Visa and MasterCard have expressed their reservations against it. According to a Reuters report, US trade groups representing companies such as Amazon, American Express and Microsoft have voiced their opinion against local data storage saying that Indias data on-shoring move could cost millions of dollars and set a precedent for other major governments to implement similar rules. Global industry associations and companies argue that data localisation, or setting up local servers in India, would be bad for the data economy, a sentiment also echoed by Pichai in his letter. As of August 28, Google claimed the app had 22 million people and businesses using Pay every month, who it claimed made over 750 million transactions that were worth over $30 billion or about Rs two lakh crore. According to this report in The Economic Times in July, Google Pay accounted for about 22 percent of the total volume on UPI. Clearly, Google has high stakes in the digital payments business in India, and now with Facebook-owned WhatsApp readying to enter the market, the war of digital payments can only get fiercer. The financial data aggregator, in any country, effectively has to be the central bank, a source with knowledge of the conversations between RBI and MeitY told Moneycontrol. RBI is the data aggregator as far as the financial transactions are concerned and they dont want the RBI data to become a Google data, the person added. New Delhi : CEO, CISCO, Chuck Robbins calling on the Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, in New Delhi on Thursday.PTI Photo/PIB(PTI4_26_2018_000144B) The government is keen to promote India as a big hub for data analysis but will not tolerate any attempt by companies to misuse data to influence the democratic process, IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Tuesday. The comments assume significance as the CBI has written to Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research in connection with the illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from the social networking platform. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought the details from these companies on data collection exercise followed by them. "We are keen to see that India becomes a big centre for data analysis but if any data company misuses data to influence democracy, we will act on it. We will not accept it," Prasad told reporters here. Speaking on the sidelines of a cleanliness drive as part of 'Swachhta Abhiyan', Prasad noted that Facebook has already apologised, promising corrective action in the aftermath of the alleged data breach episode, but Cambridge Analytica had not sent follow-up responses after its initial reply on the issue. "So we sent it to the CBI for enquiry. Now the CBI will do its work with fairness," the minister said. Earlier this year, US-based social networking giant Facebook and British firm Cambridge Analytica drew flak from users as well as governments across the globe after a data leak scandal hit about 87 million users. Cambridge Analytica was accused of harvesting personal information of millions of Facebook users illegally to help political campaigns and influence polls in several countries, prompting Indian government to shoot off notices to the companies. As it is, India is already in the process of tightening data safety rules and a high-level committee headed by Justice B N Srikrishna has framed and submitted a draft personal data protection Bill to the Government. The IT ministry is in the process of seeking suggestions and feedback from the general public on the draft Bill, and is learnt to be keen on introducing it in the ensuing winter session of Parliament. The draft of Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018, restricts and imposes conditions on the cross-border transfer of personal data, and suggests setting up of Data Protection Authority of India to prevent any misuse of personal information. It also provides for a penalty of Rs 15 crore or 4 percent of the total worldwide turnover of any data collection entity, including the state, for violation of personal data processing provisions. Failure to take prompt action on a data security breach can attract a penalty of up to Rs 5 crore or 2 percent of turnover, whichever is higher, as per the draft provisions. India and Malta signed three MoUs on September 17, including one on maritime cooperation, as Vice President Venkaiah Naidu held comprehensive discussions with the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on ways to enhance bilateral relations. Naidu is the first senior Indian leader to visit the Mediterranean nation in last 28 years. The vice president, who is also the chairman of Rajya Sabha, was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Coleiro Preca. "A relationship that is coming of age! Giving impetus to bilateral relationship through high level engagements, Vice President met with President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Naidu and Coleiro Preca led delegation-level talks between and discussed tourism, manufacturing, education and shipping, Kumar tweeted. During the visit, the two sides signed three MoUs for collaboration between the Foreign Services Institutes of the two nations and cooperation in maritime and tourism. India on Monday provided relief supplies including over 1 million litres of kerosene oil and 20,000 stoves to Bangladesh for Rohingya Muslims who live in makeshift camps in the country, the third phase of assistance to the Sheikh Hasina government to meet the humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled an army crackdown last year in Myanmar. Bangladesh, which faced a big influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar, has called on the international community to intervene and put pressure on Myanmar to address the issue. Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year when the military intensified crackdown against alleged militant outfits of Rohingya Muslims. India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla handed over 1.1 million litres of super kerosene oil and 20,000 kerosene multi wick stoves to Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Mofazzel Hussain Chowdhury at Cox's Bazar. The kerosene oil and stoves will address the energy needs of the displaced persons and contribute to environmental conservation in Bangladesh by reducing demand for locally sourced firewood. This is as per the requirement of assistance expressed by Bangladesh, the High Commission of India said in a statement. The relief supplies were then distributed to displaced persons at Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar. Vikram Doraiswami, Joint Secretary (Bangladesh, Myanmar) of the Ministry of External Affairs was also present on the occasion. This is the third phase of humanitarian assistance by India to Bangladesh to assist in its efforts to meet the requirements of displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. In September last year, India under the 'Operation Insaniyat', extended the first phase of humanitarian assistance comprising 981 metric tonnes of relief supplies. The relief material included rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among others to meet the immediate requirements of the approximately 3,00,000 displaced persons at that time. In May, 373 metric tonnes of relief material containing 104 metric tonnes of milk powder; 102 metric tonnes dried fish; 61 metric tonnes baby food; 50,000 raincoats; and 50,000 pairs of gum boots for the rainy season were handed over in Chattogram. India has always responded readily and swiftly to any crisis in Bangladesh in keeping with the close ties of friendship between the two countries, the statement said. India remains committed to continue assisting the government and people of Bangladesh in meeting the humanitarian needs of displaced persons from Myanmar, it added. India has signed a financing loan agreement with the World Bank for $74 million for Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP), a finance ministry statement said Tuesday. As per the statement, the project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labour-market-relevant workers through short term training in Uttrakhand. The project has three components improving the quality and relevance of ITI training; increasing the number of skilled workers certified under National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQE); and policy and institutional development and project management. "Twenty-five ITIs have been selected 13 located in District Centers and 12 ITIs that are well-linked to industries. Two out of four women's ITIs in the state will be included in the list," the ministry added. The project has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 17 years. The closing date for the project is June, 2023. Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot Rajasthan Congress The Congress in Rajasthan has sought to project the upcoming assembly elections in the state as a contest between BJP's "cash power" and "people's power" as it reaches out to the public to fund the party's campaign. The Congress claimed it has raised Rs 2.47 lakh in the past few days through public donations. Exuding confidence that it will oust the BJP from power in the state, the Congress invited the citizens for supporting the Congress financially and make contributions through the website of the Indian National Congress. The party website states that as many as 168 people have donated Rs 2,47,477 in the last couple of days. "The equation is now well known - it's the BJP's cash power versus people's power. During Karnataka polls earlier this year, the BJP spent over Rs 300 crore alone on advertising and thousands of crores on the state election," it states. Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said it was an initiative from the All India Congress Committee. "This is an initiative by the All India Congress Committee. More than 95 percent of all corporate donations are only going to one party- the BJP. We want to make people stakeholders wherein they not only contribute but also feel that they are the part of the growth of the party," Pilot told PTI. A former union minister, who took reins of the party in the state in January 2014 after it faced defeat in the 2013 assembly polls, said that big corporates after making donations use to put pressure on government with vested interests and therefore the atmosphere of control and subversion was rampant. "Congress party wants transparency therefore the initiative was taken for a transparent resource mobilisation," he said. Pilot on Saturday tweeted informing his followers that the party has taken a big initiative in the direction of transparency in political funding and invited people to support the crowdfunding. The party is boosting the campaign through social media. "The BJP has enough money, power and resources. They do not lack anything. The Congress believes in politics of principles and hence, we have got people's love and trust and that is our biggest strength...," Pilot said in a video message. "The election is for the public and by the public and their involvement is going down slowly. Making the politicians accountable during and post the elections, ensuring participation and contribution to the elections -- be it financially or politically or in principle. There should be a public stakeholdership and involvement and Congress party wants to ensure this," he said. The party on its website urged people to support their campaign. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat, in a lecture on September 17, spoke extensively about the Sangh's organisation, ideology and programmes. The lecture, which is a part of the three-day 'Future of India' event being held at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan, was attended by representatives from different sections of society, including academia, business and the film industry. Here are some of the key takeaways from Bhagwat's address: 'Want people to understand RSS' The RSS chief said that the conclave was intended to improve people's understanding of the Sangh and its functioning. "This event has been organised for people to understand the RSS. Because today, it has emerged as a power in the country which is felt by the world," Bhagwat said. 'RSS not dictatorial' In his nearly 80-minute long speech, Bhagwat asserted that the RSS is the "most democratic" organisation and is not dictatorial in its operation. Rejecting criticism that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is controlled by RSS, Bhagwat maintained that neither does the Sangh impose its ideology on anyone, nor does it remote-control its various affiliates. "Sangh is the most democratic organisation. We run by consensus. Here every worker can express his views. There are no restrictions... We have started our work to make a certain kind of people and society and we do not want anything else," the RSS chief said. "People often believe that the RSS is a dictatorial organisation and that one man decides everything... If you want to see the most open organisation, then you should come to Sangh. There is no restriction," he said. 'Work done by RSS is incomparable' The 68-year-old leader applauded the work done by the organisation members and called it "incomparable". "Its (RSS) work gets advertised automatically when its power increases. And when its work gets popular, then people try to learn more about it. And then few people target Sangh out of fear of its increasing power which is quite natural," Bhagwat said. "The work of Sangh is unique and beyond comparison. And thus from known to unknown, it is impossible to understand Sangh," he said. Rare praise for Congress The Sarsanghchalak (top-most post within RSS) also spoke about the freedom movement and expressed a rare praise for its ideological opponent the Indian National Congress. "In the form of the Congress, a huge freedom movement fledged in the nation. It too gave birth to a number of all-sacrificing great personalities who continue to inspire us today. That movement managed to inspire ordinary people to join the freedom struggle. It had a huge hand in us achieving Independence," Bhagwat said. "Congress played a big role in freedom movement and gave India many great personalities," he added. 'Not concerned with who will be in power' Bhagwat said that the organisation, considered as the ruling BJP's ideological mentor, is not concerned by who will be in power. "Who will be in power, what policy the country will accept is something to be decided by the society and people. There are mechanisms in place for that... We are not concerned about that, what we are concerned about is the conduct of the society," he said, adding that the Sangh does not believe in publicising an individual's work and wants to remain faceless. Prominent personalities present at the lecture included E Sreedharan, Manisha Koirala, Anu Malik, Anu Kapur, Manoj Tiwari, Chetan Chauhan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Amar Singh, Swapan Dasgupta and Madhur Bhandarkar. Union Ministers Dr Harshvardhan, Vijay Goel, Arjunram Meghwal and Alphons Kannanthanam, and several BJP leaders including Ram Madhav, Ram Lal and Subramanian Swamy were in attendance. Opposition leaders snubbed the event. Many political parties denied receiving an invitation for it. Reports from earlier had suggested that the leaders of opposition parties, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Communist Party of India (Marxist) Secretary General Sitaram Yechury, would be invited. According to a media report, the subject for September 18 will be 'Why the RSS is seen as an organisation that seems to court only Hindus.' (With PTI inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched development projects worth over Rs 550 crore in his Lok Sabha constituency, as he gave a detailed account of work done as an MP from this holy city, telling its people they are his "master" and "high command." Wrapping up his two-day visit to Varanasi, Modi said the work done in the city is clearly visible, noting its landscape has changed for good in the last four years while it was at the mercy of God under previous governments. Modi told a gathering after launching the projects he feels it his responsibility to present a detailed account of the work done by him in the capacity as an MP from Varanasi. "You may have given the responsibility of the prime minister's post, but as an MP (from Varanasi), I am equally responsible to give an account of work done by me in four years as a Lok Sabha member," he said. "You are my 'maalik' (master) and high command. And, hence it is my responsibility to give you a detailed account of every rupee spent." Modi said his endeavour is to bring a transformation in Kashi, while keeping intact its traditions and preserving its age-old heritage. "Otherwise you have been witness to the system, when our Kashi was at 'Bholey ke bharosey' (left to the mercy of Lord Shiva)." Four years ago the people of Kashi had resolved to transform the pilgrim town and today the difference is clearly visible, he said, taking a jibe at previous governments. In his 40-minute address, the prime minister said projects worth Rs 550 crore have either been dedicated to the public or foundation stones laid today. "This development work not only covers Varanasi but adjoining areas as well." The projects inaugurated include Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and Atal Incubation Centre at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Among the projects for which the foundation stone was laid was the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at the BHU. Striking an emotional chord with the audience, Modi began his speech in the local dialect and chanted "Har, Har, Mahadev", amid loud applause from the audience at the amphitheatre in the BHU. "It is indeed a matter of pride for me that I am starting another year dedicated to the country with the blessings of Baba Vishwanath and Maa Ganga. Your affection and blessings always motivate me and also strengthen my resolve to serve you and the countrymen," he said. "Before becoming an MP, when I used to visit here, I used to wonder when will this city be freed from the mesh of entangled electricity wires hanging overhead." "Today, a large portion of the city has been rid of such wires and at remaining places work of laying underground cables is going on at a fast pace," he said. Terming Varanasi as the gateway to East India, he said, "Utmost efforts are being made to develop Varanasi as a gateway to East India. The endeavour of the Government of India is to link Kashi with world-class infrastructure. Today Kashi is glowing in the LED lights. Our emphasis is to develop world-class infrastructure in Kashi." The prime minister also garlanded the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and planted a sapling. On the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, the prime minister said, "In the last four years, people of Kashi have welcomed heads of states of a number of foreign countries. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, French President Emmanuel Macron and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier have praised the hospitality of Kashi in the entire world. Japan has gifted a convention centre to Kashi. "The entire world would be eyeing the hospitality of Banaras at the start of next year, when in January the Kumbh of Indian Diaspora (Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas) will be held in Kashi. For this, the government is working at its own level, but your co-operation will also be necessary," he said. "From cleanliness to hospitality, we have to set an example, so that it leaves an indelible mark on our pravasi brothers and sisters. I want that they should have such an experience, so that they become tourism ambassador for Kashi forever." "Road projects worth thousands of crores are going on. Work on Maduadih flyover is complete. The bridge on Saamne Ghat over river Ganga has been built, which has made connectivity better with Ramnagar. The work of widening the Andhra bridge which was stuck has been completed," he said. The airport in Varanasi too has been witness to the developments going on here, with continuous increase in the number of air passengers and tourists. In the past four years, the passenger traffic at Babatpur airport has increased to 21 lakh from 8 lakh. Modernisation of transport system is going on, so that smart Banaras has smart transport, he said. Referring to the beautification works, Modi said, "Commuting to and from Kashi has been made easier, and the city has been beautified. Our ghats welcome the guests with glowing lights and not with garbage. Along with boats, cruise has also been possible in Ganga. The campaign of transformation through tourism is going on continuously." "As an MP, the development of villages for which I am responsible, a major project pertaining to water in Nageypur village has being unveiled," he said. The prime minister also went on to say that Kashi is emerging as a health hub of east India. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka June 6, 2015. Modi arrived in Dhaka for a two-day state visit to Bangladesh. REUTERS/Rafiqur Rahman Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the cooperation between India and Bangladesh as an example for the world as he and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the construction of a friendship pipeline project through video conferencing. The 130-kilometre India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The Rs 346-crore project will be completed in 30 months and the capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum. Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's visit to Dhaka. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi described the cooperation between the two countries as an example for the world, according to an official statement. He said that the two countries were neighbours, geographically and family, emotionally, it said. Modi said the proposed pipeline will further energise not just Bangladesh's economy, but also the relationship between the two countries. He said the project will boost the friendship between India and Bangladesh and the pipeline will help fulfil energy needs of Bangladesh at cheaper rates. Through the cross-border pipeline, India will supply fuel oil from its Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), located at Golaghat in the north-eastern state of Assam, while Bangladesh will receive the oil at Parbatipur Depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) in north-western district of Dinajpur, Bangladesh's state-run BSS news agency reported. Bangladesh and India signed a MoU on April 9 last to set up the pipeline aimed at pumping Indian oil to Bangladesh with a capacity of 1 million tonnes per year, the report said. Besides the pipeline, the two leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual-gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi section and the dual-gauge rail line in Tongi-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway. Modi said Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Railway project will improve connectivity between the two countries and generate more revenue. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government was getting the Rafale fighter jets at a rate nine per cent cheaper than what the UPA dispensation had agreed upon. Talking to reporters here, she also said that it would be a "good fight" in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and exuded confidence that the BJP would come back to power. Responding to questions on the Congress's allegations against the government over the Rafale aircraft deal, the minister said, "We have responded saying your basic price and the basic price that I am getting at, when compared with all the escalation and other things, is 9 per cent cheaper," she said. Earlier Tuesday, former defence minister and senior Congress leader A K Antony questioned the Modi government, saying if the fighter aircraft purchased by them was cheaper, whey didn't the government buy more than 126. Antony said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recently claimed that in the new agreement, the aircraft is nine per cent cheaper than the UPA deal, the finance minister said it is 20 per cent cheaper while an officer of IAF also said it is 40 per cent cheaper, then "Why did they not buy more than 126 if it was cheaper?" he told reporters. The previous UPA government started negotiating in 2012 with French firm Dassault Aviation to buy 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The plan was for Dassault Aviation to supply 18 Rafale jets in fly-away condition while 108 aircraft were to be manufactured in India by the company along with HAL. Representative image RN Bhaskar Last week, in a quiet move, the government of Maharashtra swiftly moved to modify some key rules relating to the acquisition of slum rehabilitation authority (SRA) flats. The government stated that a discount on SRA flats will henceforth be available for ineligible slum-dwellers as well. The move was horrifying for three reasons. First, it makes a mockery of SRA flats being only for registered slum-dwellers. Second, the flats are being built at the expense of taxpayers. So, in effect, the taxpayers are being asked to fund the construction and acquisition of flats even by those who are not registered slum-dwellers. Third, the flats being built by the SRA are far short in supply to the actual demand. India needs over 18.8 million affordable houses. In November 2017, the Maharashtra City and Industrial Development Cooperation (CIDCO) announced the construction of just 14,000 SRA flats in Navi Mumbai. In 2010, there were media reports about 4,702 being built around Mumbai, of which 1,063 flats would be given on auction. The total number of SRA flats built, and the registered numbers on the waiting, is not known. So why include non-registered slum dwellers now? It is in this context that there is a desperate need to recognise that the entire slum identification and slum creation exercise is nothing short of a mammoth scam. It borders on the unconstitutional because it has become similar to stuffing bogus ballots into ballot boxes, thus defeating the very concept of democracy. According to Census data, there were 1,743 slums in 2001. This number increased to 2,613 by the 2011 Census. Something has caused the number of registered slums to increase. The Census authorities give four probable reasons: urbanisation, industrialisation, higher productivity in the secondary/tertiary sector against primary sector makes cities and towns centres of economic growth and jobs; and, cities act as beacons for the rural population as they represent a higher standard of living and offer opportunities to people not available in rural areas. A fifth reason, which it has forgotten but is the most important, is most slums are politically-motivated for the creation of vote banks and frustrate the normal democratic process. The table above (slum and urban population) gives the growth of slum population as 22.4%. This is when the national population growth is just 1.2% each year, and the decadal growth was 17.64% according to Census 2011. In urban slum reported towns the growth was a breathtaking 30.8%. This table (slum households) makes it clear that even though slum population grew at 22.4%, the number of slum households grew at 37%. If one considers urban slum reported towns, the number of households grew even more sharply. As against decadal population growth of 30.8%, the number of households grew by 44.2%. The reason why the number of households grew faster is because almost all slum benefits are given to households and not on a per capita basis. Thus, each household gets, say, 200 units of subsidised electricity, or a certain amount of water, or even entitlement to an SRA flat. Obviously, what does a slum population do? It asks two siblings to register as two separate households, even though the wall between the houses may be just a fraying tattered cloth curtain. Obviously, the ration officer, the municipal and police authorities are aware of this. But someone has obviously told them to turn a blind eye to such developments. That is how the taxpayers money gets used up rapidly, requiring him to pay even more taxes. The above table (slum children) shows that even while the population of slums has been growing, and so have households, the number of children have not been growing at the same pace. The decadal growth for children was just 14.5%, almost one-third the rate for household growth. It is inconceivable to believe that slum-dwellers have been practising family planning and that too on such a large scale. The reason is simple. Many of the slum dwellers illegally settled on government lands are young people who have been instructed to go and squat on land where politicians want the demographic profile of a territory to be changed. Anecdotal evidence suggests that children are sent to their respective village homes. Thus, if a politician finds that he has little chance of being elected from a specific constituency, all he has to do is spend some money to rope in slum lords, who bring in people to squat on government land. Sometimes, installing a bust of a scheduled tribe/caste leader helps because any move to evacuate such squatters leads to charges of discrimination against SC/ST (helpless) slum-dwellers. Had the concern for regularising slums been genuine, slum-dwellers would have been given SRA flats on the outskirts of the city. By giving them flats in the same territory, politicians ensure that they remain voters loyal to their protectors. What is worse, there are now moves to exempt slum-dwellers from paying property tax as well. So, at a time when the central government talks about widening the tax net, politicians are keen on shrinking the tax base to win the loyalties of the slum voting populations. The only way to stop this mess is by denying voting rights to anyone who does not have a legal place of residence. Just this move will ensure that political support for slum formation and preservation disappears. Slum formation and protection is nothing short of demographic tinkering on the one hand, and buying votes on the other. It is also discriminatory and iniquitous because it imposes additional taxes on a (shrinking) law-abiding, tax-paying population. In a veiled reference to Pakistan, India has said safe havens in Afghanistan's neighbourhood have for years provided safety for the "dark agendas" of various terror outfits like the Taliban and the LeT. India also called for crippling the illicit drug trade which provides financial sustenance to these terror outfits. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a Security Council debate on Afghanistan Monday that the Taliban, aided by their supporters, continue to pursue military operations perpetrating violence and destruction, like the recent attack in Ghazni, over several parts of Afghanistan. "These offensives are planned and launched by those who are harboured in safe havens in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan. These sanctuaries have, for years, provided safety for the dark agendas of ideologically and operationally-fused terror networks like the Taliban, Haqqani network, Daesh, Al-Qaeda and its proscribed affiliates such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed," he said. Akbaruddin further said the agendas of these terror organisations draw financial sustenance not only from extortion and forced levies and taxes, but also benefit significantly from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistan's natural resources. Citing estimates, he said 60 per cent of the Taliban's revenues are from the drug trade and poppy cultivation is said to be the largest cash crop in Taliban-controlled areas. He expressed concern that while a Security Council resolution adopted earlier this year to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) does focus on linkages between extremism, terrorism, drug production and illegal exploitation of natural resources of Afghanistan, it falls short of expectations in striving to cripple the Taliban's drug trade. The Secretary General's current report also fails to address this very key issue in an adequate matter, he said. He asserted that templates for curbing illicit trade by terrorist networks exist, saying that it is estimated that when targeted, the Islamic State's oil revenue fell over three years by nearly 90 per cent from a monthly high of USD 50 million to just USD 4 million. However by contrast, the opium produced in Taliban-controlled areas is estimated to account for 85 per cent of global illicit production, valued between USD 1.5 billion to USD 3 billion. "We feel it is time for this Council to try and replicate the success of the international community against the Islamic State's illicit business in Syria and Iraq by similarly crippling the Taliban's illicit drug trade," Akbaruddin said, adding that hopefully this important subject will be addressed by the Secretary General in his next report as well as by the Council. He said that during the past few months, the international community has followed with hope and anticipation the various peace efforts and overtures by the Government and people of Afghanistan towards bringing peace to their war-torn country. "All of us know and believe that there is no military solution to the issue," he said. Akbaruddin, however, said that the Taliban have rejected the recent calls for a ceasefire by the Afghan Government and the civil society, including various religious leaders. "In fact, they have treated such overtures with growing disdain and have increased their offensive operations, as the country prepares for parliamentary elections, he said. He said India is willing to work with all countries in the region and beyond, keeping Afghan priorities at the forefront, so as to bring a lasting solution to the situation. "Afghans should lead these efforts, not only between governments, but with civil society and business as stakeholders. India stands ready to support Afghanistan in every way we can," he said adding that India's focus remains on the economic pillar of stability and reliable connectivity for the people of Afghanistan. "We strongly believe that the lack of connectivity directly impacts the economic, security and political situation in Afghanistan and we want to address this crucial issue for the benefit of the Afghan people," he said. With parliamentary elections one month away and a major ministerial conference planned for November in Geneva, United Nation's Special Representative for Afghanistan Tasamichi Yamamoto briefed the Security Council, noting that "preparations are on track" but that many challenges lie ahead, including increased security concerns. "It is a time for important decisions in Afghanistan," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Addressing a public meeting at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 18 highlighted development projects being carried out by the Centre and the state government in the district. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, which began on September 17, his 68th birthday. The prime minister said projects worth Rs 550 crore, which were launched, would not only help in development of the city but also the surrounding villages. The projects inaugurated include Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and Atal Incubation Centre at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Foundation stones were laid for multiple projects, including the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at BHU. PM Modi said the project highlights during the public meeting were a small glimpse of work done by him for Varanasi as a Member of Parliament (MP). Varanasi will soon be the gateway to the east. Be it Bengal, Bihar or Nepal, the road to Indias east will go through Varanasi. Varanasi will get the recognition it deserves. It will be known not only for its history, culture and heritage, but also for its infrastructure, PM Modi said. Efforts are being made to clean river Ganga from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar. Till now, schemes worth around Rs 21,000 crore have been approved towards cleaning of Ganga, he said. Hitting out at the opposition, PM Modi said, Kashi is so important to Indian culture and heritage but was constantly ignored by previous governments. We took it upon ourselves to improve the situation. Today, you all can see the good work and development work being done everywhere. The prime minister said the government was bringing change to Kashi alongside keeping its heritage and mythology intact. We are also attempting to bring about scientific growth, with priority being keeping the city's age-old identity safe, he added. On September 17, PM Modi spent his birthday in the city and interacted with school students, during which he told them never to feel afraid to ask questions, adding that it is a key aspect of learning. A day after the Congress staked claim to power in Goa, in the wake of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's hospitalisation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supremo Amit Shah stepped in to handle the crisis, according to reports. Reports state that Shah called BJP-ally Goa Forward Party's (GFP) Vijai Sardesai, who is a minister in the state government and said that the party is sending observers to the state. Appreciating the "prompt deputation" of observers to Goa, Sardesai said that the party is looking for a "permanent solution". Read Also: How CM Manohar Parrikar's illness has affected the political posturing in Goa The developments come after allies in the state rejected Parrikar's plan to install minister Sudhin Dhavalikar, who belongs to the Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP) as the deputy chief minister in his absence. Sardesai met BJP's central observers in Goa along with two other lawmakers from his party and three independents, NDTV has reported. "We are waiting to hear from Amit Shah who has said that they will get back to us with a proposal," Mr Sardesai said. Congress is the largest party in the Goa assembly with 16 of the 40 seats. The BJP has 14 seats in the state assembly. MK Stalin, DMK president Opposition DMK Tuesday staged state-wide protests against the "corrupt" AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, with party chief MK Stalin leading the charge in Salem. Besides Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi, sister Kanimozhi and senior DMK leaders including Durai Murugan and Dayanidhi Maran participated in demonstraions held across the state. Leading the first protest after assuming the post of DMK President, Stalin launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues, levelling corruption charges against them. At Salem, Palaniswami's native district, the DMK chief trained his guns against the Chief Minister. He recalled that the DMK had earlier submitted a memorandum to state Governor Banwarilal Purohit detailing the alleged irregularities in the Highways Department in the wake of IT raids against a contractor. Palaniswami holds, among others, the Highways portfolio. Stalin also pointed out at the recent CBI raids at the residence of Health Minsiter C Vijayabaskar in connection with the probe into the alleged gutka scam. The Central Bureau of Investigation had on September 5 carried out searches at around 40 locations in Tamil Nadu, including at the residences of state's health minister and the director general of police, in connection with the scam. "People of Tamil Nadu have not seen such a corrupt government in the history of the state. It is a corrupt, slave government (to the Centre). It was the people who voted for this government. But today they are on the verge of frustration as they are facing many difficulties," he said. Levelling a series of corruption charges against the ruling AIADMK, Stalin claimed that he had proof to back it up. The state was facing issues like unemployment and law and order problems, he said, adding even women police personnel "are not safe." The DMK leader was apparently referring to a sexual harassment case filed by a woman police officer against her senior, an IG level official, recently. "The DMK has the big responsibility of saving Tamil Nadu from AIADMK. This protest is the first step towards that," Stalin said. The DMK will "soon come to power" and act against these corruption charges, he said, adding his party was ready to "put an end" to the Palaniswami government. Kanimozhi participated at a protest demo at Tindivanam in Villupuram district while Udhayanidhi Stalin, Managing Director of DMK mouthpice 'Murasoli,' took part in the demonstration here. In Coimbatore, over 3,000 activists of various political parties led by DMK staged a demonstration seeking the resignation of 'tainted' state ministers facing corruption charges. The speakers, led by party Deputy General Secretary, V P Duraisamy, also demanded the resignation of AIADMK Government, as majority of the ministers were allegedly involved in corruption. There were charges against ministers like Vijayabaskar and S P Velumani, the workers, some of whom sported masks of the chief minister and ministers, said. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikars hospitalization has kicked off a fresh round of political churn in Goa. The chief minister has been undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment, for which he was admitted in a hospital in the United States for almost three months. Although he returned after his treatment in September this year, his condition hasn't been stable and he was again admitted to a Goa hospital last week. The BJP leader was then shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi over the weekend. As the ailing chief minister continues to be under observation, the state is wading into political drama. Heres a detailed look at the current political condition of Goa: The numbers The root of the current political situation can be traced back to the 2017 Goa assembly elections. Despite winning lesser seats than the Congress, the BJP formed the government after forming a coalition with smaller Goan parties the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP). Image credits: IndiaVotes (Image credits: IndiaVotes) The allies The twist in the plot was that the smaller regional parties agreed to ally with the BJP to form the government in Goa under only one condition that Manohar Parrikar resign from his post as the Defence Minister and become chief minister. With Parrikar not at the helm of affairs, it remains to be seen if these parties will continue to extend their support to the BJP in the assembly. MGP chief Deepak Dhavalikar told reporters that the parties are looking for a "common solution" which is line with "what the allies have been requesting", while GFP President Vijai Sardesai said his party was looking for a solution which is permanent rather than "ad hoc". The Opposition Smelling an opportunity, the Congress has submitted a memorandum to Governor Mridula Sinha on September 17, staking claim to form the government in the state. The Congress, which has at least 16 members in the 40-member state assembly, urged the Governor not to dissolve the assembly and instead invite them to form the government, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar confirmed. The Congress still awaits their appointment with the Governor. The future course of action BJP president Amit Shah sent three senior members of the party BL Santhosh, Ram Lal and Vinay Puranik to Goa on Monday to take stock of the situation in the coastal state in light of Parrikar's indisposition. They will submit their report to Shah. There have been speculations regarding the party high command chalking out an interim arrangement. However, a concrete decision is expected to be announced soon. Prashant Kishor (left) with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Election strategist Prashant Kishor was inducted into Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) on September 16 in Patna. The formal announcement came hours before the JD(U) executive meet in the state capital. Kishor had hinted at entering politics earlier. Interacting with students at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad last week, Kishor said he was done with campaigning for individuals and ready for "electoral politics". In 2019, you would not see Prashant Kishor campaigning for anyone in the manner and form in which I have been campaigning in the last four to five years, he had reportedly said. On September 16, before the announcement was made by the JD(U), Kishor had tweeted "excited to start my new journey from Bihar". The 41-year-old was given a seat next to the chief minister at the executive meet. However, it remains unclear what role he has been assigned in the party, having been inducted a few months ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The poll strategist is said to have good equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kishor was entrusted with the job of strategizing the campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2017, Kishor and his team helped Congress Amarinder Singh win the assembly election in Punjab. However, he was unable to guide the Congress-Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance to victory in Uttar Pradesh. Kishor had been meeting both the prime minister and BJP National President Amit Shah since October 2017. This had led to speculations that he might be given the role of strengthening the alliance between the saffron party and the JD(U). What this means for Kishor In an article in The Print, author Shivam Vij highlights that Kumar does not have a successor in the JD(U). Following the exit of the partys senior leader Sharad Yadav, there has been no clear number two in Bihars ruling party. Unlike its rival Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), where former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has taken over the partys leadership from his father and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Kumar's only child Nishant Kumar maintains a low profile and has declined entry into politics. The absence of a successor in the JD(U) could have made it an attractive option for Kishor. Kumar has been upbeat about Kishors induction into the party and has expressed optimism. Speaking to NDTV, Kumar asserted, "He is the future, I tell you." Since the election strategist and his team helped the Grand Alliance that included JD(U) and its then allies RJD and the Congress in defeating the BJP in the 2015 assembly election, Kishor has been called Kumars Chanakya. In the 2015 polls, JD(U) had emerged as the second largest party with 71 seats, behind RJDs 80. Congress had had won 27 seats in the 243-seat Assembly. The three parties, which were in a pre-poll alliance, had defeated the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which won 58 seats. The chief minister had rewarded Kishor by appointing him as his adviser and giving him a cabinet minister's rank. Despite joining the JD(U), Kishor and his team, called Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), will continue advising YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRC) in Andhra Pradesh because of prior commitments. EU Council President Donald Tusk warned Tuesday an extra European summit in November may be necessary to clinch a Brexit deal with the UK, adding that failure remains possible. "We will discuss how to organise the final phase of the Brexit talks, including the possibility of calling another European Council in November," Tusk said, in an official invitation to the EU's 28 leaders ahead of a summit on Wednesday in Salzburg, Austria. Tusk also stressed the need to find a solution on the thorny issue of Ireland's border with British Northern Ireland after Brexit, "so as to be sure that there will be no hard border in the future. South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Peace House. (Reuters) South Korea's president and the North's leader Kim Jong Un drove through the streets of Pyongyang together past thousands of cheering citizens Tuesday ahead of a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States. Kim welcomed his visitor at Pyongyang's international airport -- where he had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted -- the two leaders of the divided Korean Peninsula embracing after Moon walked down the steps of his aircraft. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people on the tarmac waved North Korean flags and unification ones depicting an undivided peninsula. The South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands more people, holding bouquets and chanting in unison "Reunification of the country!", lined the streets of the city as Kim and Moon rode through in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kim's predecessors -- his father and grandfather -- lie in state. The nuclear-armed North invaded its neighbour in 1950, starting the Korean War, and regularly stresses the importance of reunifying with the now far wealthier South. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the three-year conflict -- is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history." The first visit by a South Korean leader to Pyongyang in a decade is also the men's third meeting this year after two previous summits in April and May in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. Moon has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the description Tuesday, saying Washington was "totally to blame" for the deadlock and adding: "The US is stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first'." With Seoul and Washington moving at increasingly different speeds in their approaches to Pyongyang, Kim will look to secure more Southern-funded projects in the North. For his part the dovish South Korean president is looking to tie the two tracks closer together to reduce the threat of a devastating conflict on the peninsula. Moon will hold at least two rounds of talks with Kim and try to convince him to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump when he meets him later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself," Moon was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea", Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation "especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North", it added. "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." Moon was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. Moon -- whose poll ratings have been falling in the face of a struggling economy in the South -- has been pushing inter-Korean cooperation but South Korean media have urged caution, calling for such schemes to await substantial progress towards denuclearisation. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation." OPEC The head of OPEC said Tuesday that Iran remains "a very important member" of the oil cartel, as Tehran braces for a new round of US sanctions partially targeting its crude exports. "Iran is a very important member of OPEC and we have no choice but to continue working with all parties," Mohammad Barkindo said at the Gulf Intelligence Energy Forum in the emirate of Fujairah. Iran remains "a very important exporter of oil," said the chief of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He did not specify how crude producers would compensate for declining exports from Iran, with new US sanctions due to hit the Islamic republic's oil industry on November 4. Iran's OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said Saturday that OPEC had "not much credit left" and slammed Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for turning it into a "tool for the US". Output from Iran has now hit its lowest level since July 2016, according to the International Energy Agency, as top buyers India and China have distance themselves from Tehran. US President Donald Trump has called for OPEC members, primarily US ally Saudi Arabia, to raise their production, and warned importers to stop buying oil from Iran or face American sanctions. In 2016, major producers both within and outside OPEC agreed to slash production in an attempt to boost prices following the 2014 oil market crash. Barkindo said a "permanent" framework of cooperation between the 14 OPEC members and 11 non-OPEC oil states, including the world's top producer Russia, was expected in December. Saudi Arabia on Monday announced it has signed off on a $1 billion investment in US carmaker Lucid Motors with the aim of helping the Tesla rival roll out electric cars. The Public Investment Fund, which invests on behalf of the Saudi government, said the outlay was aimed at funding the commercial launch of the Lucid Air model in 2020, pending regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of oil and a crucial US ally in the Middle East, has pushed to diversify its economy since the 2014 crude market crash. The kingdom faces a budget deficit of more than $260 billion and has borrowed over $100 billion to help finance the shortfall. The PIF has committed to $95 billion in investments in the past two years from firms like British tycoon Richard Branson's space tourism company Virgin Galactic to high-risk tech firms such as Tesla. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk disclosed last month that he was in talks with Saudi Arabia's PIF and other investors to take the electric automaker private. Musk said in a blog post on August 13 he had "no question" that the Saudis would finance such a transaction following a July 31 meeting. He also revealed the PIF had bought almost five percent of Tesla stock through public markets. His comments sparked speculation over whether he would need to borrow massive amounts of money to take Tesla private, a move that could allow the company to operate without requirements for financial reports and other pressures of a publicly traded firm. They also raised questions about whether Musk ran afoul of securities laws by claiming backing without a firm financial commitment. We had mentioned in Mondays closing report that Nifty, Sensex were trying to find a bottom for a short-term bounce. The major indices of the Indian stock markets suffered a sharp correction on Tuesday and closed with losses over Mondays close. On the NSE, there were 472 advances, 1,267 declines and 328 unchanged. The trends of the major indices in the course of Tuesdays trading are given in the table below: The key Indian equity indices closed in the negative territory for the second successive day on Tuesday, with the S&P BSE Sensex losing close to 300 points. The NSE Nifty50 also dropped nearly 100 points to end below the 11,300 mark, after global markets fell on the announcement of fresh US tariffs on Chinese imports. Sector-wise, selling pressure was witnessed in banking, auto and capital goods counters. The State Bank of India (SBI) has put eight non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loan accounts, on sale to recover over Rs3,900 crore with the e-bidding auction process slated for later this month. In a notification last week, SBI asked interested asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) and financial institutions to conduct the due diligence of the listed accounts which cumulatively owe the bank over Rs3,900 crore. The NPA accounts up for sale include Rohit Ferro Tech with the highest outstanding loan of Rs1,320.37 crore, Indian Steel Corporation (Rs928.97 crore), Jai Balaji Industries (Rs 859.33 crore), Mahalaxmi TMT (Rs409.78 crore) and Impex Ferro Tech (Rs200.67 crore). The other defaulters' assets up for sale are Kohinoor Steel (Rs110.17 crore), Modern India Concast (Rs71.16 crore) and Ballarpur Industries (Rs47.17 crore). State Bank of India shares closed at Rs273.60, down 4.10% on the NSE. Following up on government announcement on Monday about the proposed amalgamation of Bank of Baroda (BoB), Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank into the country's third-largest bank, BoB Managing Director P.S. Jayakumar said it may happen in four to six months. "Going by past practices, the merger may take four to six months. It can be speeded up also...it depends," Jayakumar told reporters. The envisaged amalgamation will be the first-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with a combined business of Rs14.82 lakh crore. The combined entity will have a net NPA ratio at 5.71%, better than public sector banks (PSB)'s average of 12.13%. "With the benefit of scale working in, with greater distribution and more opportunities for products for costumers etc., a reasonable assumption is that there will be good opportunity to come but it is something that will happen in due course," he said. The boards of the three state-run banks are expected to meet shortly and consider the government's proposal and decide the merger ratio and other details of the scheme of amalgamation. The government's shareholding will be as per the merger ratio. Bank of Baroda shares closed at Rs112.20, down 17.04% on the NSE. Reliance Communications (RCOM) Chairman Anil Ambani on Tuesday said the company's subsidiary Reliance Realty would develop Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) to create 30 million square feet of commercial space. Reliance Realty owns and operates DAKC, a 133-acre registered IT park in Navi Mumbai. Reliance Communication shares closed at Rs16.10, down 6.12% on the NSE. Strides Shasuns formulations facility in Bangalore recently underwent pre-approval product inspection by the US FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) which ended on August 25, 2018. It has been issued a Form 483 with 3 observations. Strides Pharma Science Limited closed at Rs500.50, down 1.60% on the NSE. Indian Hume Pipe has received Letter of Acceptance worth Rs221.72 crore from Madhya Pradesh Jal Nigam Maryadit for an EPC and O&M project of Indwar-I Multi Village Rural Water Supply Scheme on 'Turn-key job basis' for a period of 10 years. Indian Hume Pipe Company closed at Rs276.95. up 2.40% on the NSE. Aurobindo Pharma has received approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for its Dolutegravir, Lamivudine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (DLT) tablets, the first-line preferred regimen for HIV patients as per latest WHO guidelines. Aurobindo Pharma shares closed at Rs779.00, down 1.32% on the NSE. The construction arm of Larsen & Toubro has won orders worth Rs2,048 crore across two business segments. The Power T&D business has secured Rs1,633 crore. The Water & Effluent business has won an order worth Rs415 crore from Tamil Nadu Water Supply & Drainage Board. Larsen & Toubro shares closed at Rs1,330.00, down 1.10% on the NSE. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) President Duterte cautioned donors from giving donations to what he called "prominent TV stations," and, instead, course these through the military and government. Duterte was in Isabela province Tuesday, as he continued to visit areas hit by Typhoon Ompong. The storm lashed Northen Luzon over the weekend, killing at least 70 people in Luzon according to the Philippine National Police. In Itogon, Benguet more than a dozen people died from a landslide, while rescuers are racing against time to save at least 40 others who remain buried. The President said he has seen first-hand how donations of clothes do not directly reach the intended beneficiaries. "I'm giving you a testimony. Personal... because I have a TV program, nakikita ko yung matatanda sa opisina, they're sorting out the things that were usable, or are usable for them. Sinasabi ko alam ba nito sa taas?" he said. [Translation: I'm giving you my testimony. Personal... because I have a TV program, I saw old people at the office, they're sorting out the things that were usable, or are usable for them. I asked if people upstairs knew about this.] He also spoke against giving cash donations via networks. "Ang sabi mag-donate kayo used clothes, ganon, sa kanila tapos [They say donate things like used clothes, to them and] they'll give you a bank account number where you can deposit your donation. You're better off giving it to government or to the military and let them distribute it. Direct," he added. "Pero maniwala kayo sa akin [But believe me] as your President, I'm giving you the... what I saw and what I have learned." Disaster officials earlier said New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, South Korea and United States have offered help for Ompong-affected communities. On Tuesday, the European Union said they mobilized a 2 million emergency aid package to help victims of the storm. In a statement released Tuesday, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said, "Our contribution will help provide crucial support to those most in need and help them face the challenges during this time of need." FUSE has a jam-packed, content-heavy agenda. It begins with a pre-conference presentation by Barry Habib, Founder and CEO of MBS Highway, and a kick-off cocktail reception of the AIME Women's Affinity Group on Friday, October 19th. On Saturday, October 20th, the agenda includes sessions on beating competition, engaging technology, the growth of homeownership in underserved communities, and a presentation by United Wholesale Mortgage president and CEO Mat Ishbia. It can be difficult to come up with truly unique conference agendas, but Summers said it really wasnt all that difficult since both he and Anthony Casa, AIME founder and chairman, are currently working as mortgage brokers. They thought about the things they want and the things that would make a difference in their respective businesses, as well as the things that would benefit all originators. Were not dictators in this; weve asked our members what theyre looking for, Summers said. Were not making it lender-specific. We want them to come in with something tangible, not a product, but something tangible where our members can go wow, I got something from this segment, I got something from that segment. Its going to be fast-paced, and the agenda itself just looks phenomenal. Im extremely excited about it. Perhaps the most exciting revelation, however, will be the game-changing technology product that Summers said will revolutionize the way mortgage brokers do business. That announcement is coming first thing on Saturday morning, presumably to give everyone a buzz and set the tone for the day ahead. AIME obviously wants to both retain its current membership as well as growing by gaining new members and more market share, building on the success of FUSE to look ahead and plan even more events for 2019. AIMEs expansion points to a clear need for an association dedicated to empowering independent mortgage experts with products, tools, knowledge and community support. Its very fulfilling, Summers said, and he hopes independent mortgage experts across the country will take time out of their busy schedules to connect with others at FUSE. To counter that, originators need to have more in-depth discussions of the process, creating the best profile and counsel for the mortgage that the clients choose. Crosby was given the one loan at a time advice by the broker manager on her very first day as a loan assistant, and its been a valuable piece of advice regardless of the mortgage market landscape over her 17-year career. Its advice I take every day. When Im working on one file or talking to one client, I give them 100% of my attention. If I have a client whos a new preapproval, and I start to work on it and then I start doing something else, and then a call comes in and Im interrupted, Im not going to be able to give my best work to any of those. So I have to slow down, she said. Its also more efficient. The more mistakes I make, the more I find that mistakes are really time consuming. Its so much faster to just do it right the first time. Crosby said that the period of time before the first offer gets written is where originators have the greatest opportunity to provide careful consultation. The best originators make sure that their approach leaves enough time up front to talk through the responsibilities of carrying a loan, the various loan products available, what the clients profile qualifies them to do and what that clients personal needs and preferences are to find the right fit in a loan product. But the industry, Crosby said, actually encourages defensive play. When a client calls due to a referral and asks about rate right off the bat, most originators go on the defensive and immediately start clicking buttons and having that conversation without actually knowing anything about the individual whos on the other end of the line. One way to shift to offensive play is by expanding into areas apart from origination. Crosby found that getting involved in her local Berkeley, CA, community in ways that werent directly related to mortgage lending allowed her to access new networking circles. She joined a local task force that was created in order to examine new legislation for accessory dwelling units, and it mushroomed. UPDATE: Missing Person Danielle Susan has been safely located. The Odessa Police Department would like to thank the public for their assistance with this investigation. --- The Odessa Police Department is asking for the publics assistance in locating a missing person. Danielle Elizabeth Susan, 44, was last heard from on Sept. 13. Susan is 5 foot,10 and weighs approximately 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a T-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. Susan could possibly be in the area of Grandfalls, according to OPD. Anyone with information in reference to the whereabouts of Susan is encouraged to contact the Odessa Police Department or Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS. As president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, I know that the hundreds of member companies and thousands of individuals who rely on the safe and responsible development of oil and gas resources expect that our support will extend to every facet of our complex industry in order to ensure the continued success of the Permian Basin. And perhaps one of the most important roles of our work has been to promote increased attention to the current and growing needs of vital infrastructure in our region, not simply for the benefit of the industry, but for everyone that lives in the Permian Basin. Road safety is not an accident, it will take all of the time and effort we can muster to plan and build safer roads. RELATED: County on pace to tie 2014 for number of traffic deaths This is one of the reasons we invite qualified individuals to our membership events who can educate our members not just about the current demands facing the industry, but also about solutions. On this note, we greatly look forward to a presentation this coming Thursday at our Membership Luncheon from Lonnie Gregorcyk with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). As the state agency tasked with delivering a safe, reliable, and integrated transportation system that enables the movement of people and goods, his perspective on this will be vital to understanding the challenges we have to solve. Whether you are dropping off or picking up your children at school or determining which route is needed for an overweight load, safe roads in the Permian Basin should be the norm, not a luxury. As state Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) said on a transportation panel recently, Its not a quality of life matter anymore, its a matter of life and death. Its important to note the additional benefits such safety brings. Safer roads dont just ensure we all get home safely, they provide us all with greater reliability in our travels and encourage greater investment in our communities. Since the Permian Basin has taken the lead in ensuring energy independence for the United States, we can only expect the demands we place on our infrastructure to grow. RELATED: Allstate: Midland makes list of best drivers in America More Information Lonnie Gregorcyk with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will address the Permian Basin Petroelum Association membership at its luncheon Thursday. See More Collapse We all know the Permian Basin is growing. If operations in the field continue to increase, its a given that road usage will also continue to grow. PBPA is a proud member of the Permian Basin Coalition, and jointly we have estimated that the 3 million truckloads we see every year will increase 125 percent by 2022. This means in short order our companies and communities must prepare for a potential 6.75 million truckloads impacting our roads on an annual basis in less than 4 years. The PBPA will continue to impress upon TXDOT and members of the Texas Legislature the need for increased attention to our public infrastructure. We are not alone in our efforts and ambitions to improve road safety. I am proud of the efforts our association and member companies have undertaken with different stakeholders. In Texas, we are working with various like-minded groups, including MOTRAN, the Permian Road Safety Coalition, the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Texas Association of Counties, the Conference of Urban Counties and of course TXDOT to develop short- and long-term plans that address the critical infrastructure needs of the region. In Texas, working with statewide leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and our local elected leaders like Sens. Kel Seliger and Charles Perry and Reps. Tom Craddick, Drew Darby and Landgraf, we will work in the next legislative session to ensure that the Permian Basin gains a greater share of transportation dollars that we desperately need. At the end of the day it is our clear mission to serve as the voice of the Permian Basin like we have since 1961 and we will continue to do so to help all those that live, work, and raise their family right here in the Permian Basin. --- Ben Shepperd is President of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, the primary voice promoting the safe and responsible development of natural resources in the Permian Basin. For more information regarding their meetings, advocacy, or membership, you may contact the association at (432) 684-6345. The Pew Research Center recently released its ninth annual study on global restrictions on religion. Most of the findings are grim, but one, in particular, stood out. Nigeria has the second highest level (out of 198 countries) of social hostility around religion. This helps one understand why more Nigerians crossed the Mediterranean than any other country last year. 21Wilberforce has documented this on our travels to Nigeria and in our extensive interactions with people on the ground. Some of the issues are well known. Others are not. Boko Haram, elements of which have now declared allegiance to ISIS, has declared jihad on the Nigerian government and the United States. But it is far from the only concern of violence from non-state actors. In 2017 Fulani extremists in the Middle-Belt committed a higher proportion of killings than did Boko Haram. Just a few days ago, as many as 86 were killed in Plateau State. And while no group has claimed responsibility, 466 similar attacks over the past six years in Nigeria and neighboring countries. Unlike in the past, when violence was occurring between Fulani herders and predominantly Christian farmers, attackers are using higher powered guns and more sophisticated tactics. A lack of government attention or an effective response to these changing dynamics is driving social hostilities. Sadly, we are seeing more and more Christian farming communities responding in the justice vacuum by attacking innocent Fulani people. While social hostilities are the largest concern, the Nigerian government has also contributed to violence on innocent victims. For example, Amnesty International recently reported that the government fired missiles into a village to try and stop an attack, indiscriminately harming both attackers and villagers. And it is not only Christians who face violence. The Nigerian army, responsible for most of the nations security, massacred 347 Shia Muslims in the town of Zaria. Despite Nigerian government report that assigned blame, no military official has been held to account for this atrocity. As advocates for justice for the vulnerable in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa, we know the danger of war induced violence and early warning signs of genocide which Nigeria is quickly sliding into. And the threats facing Nigeria, Africas largest economy, are now magnified. During an official visit to the White House this year, President Trump asked President Buhari to help bring an end to religious violence against all Nigerians. This was followed by Ambassador at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback visiting Nigeria where he met with government officials, religious leaders and civil society groups. The focus of his trip was to explore what can be done to reduce the level of violence and to open the way for religious freedom taking place in Nigeria. Religious freedom is an irreducible minimum for all Nigerians. The international community must call on the government of Nigeria to abide by this obligation and protect religious freedom for all. More Information Gov. Mike Huckabee will be the guest speaker at a 21Wilberforce dinner at the Horseshoe Arena a 6 p.m. on Oct. 8. The first Frank Wolf Speak Freedom Annual Award will be given to the city of Midland for its leadership in international religious freedom. For information about the dinner contact Elisabeth Doherty at elisabeth@21wilberforce.org. See More Collapse And you can play a role. The Midland community has a remarkable history of seizing an opportunity to advocate for human rights and those persecuted for their beliefs. Remember Rock the Desert, the Christian Music festival in 2001 that drew more than 30,000 youth to Midland and that promoted the Sudan Peace Act? Later that year, Midland hosted the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and 40 local congregations heard local and international speakers cry out for Sudan. And in 2002, a repeat of Rock the Desert tripled in size to 90,000 youth, again focused on Sudan. And then Sen. Brownback met with Midlanders for hours about Sudan. Gov. Mike Huckabee will be the guest speaker at a 21Wilberforce dinner at the Horseshoe Arena a 6 p.m. on Oct. 8. The first Frank Wolf Speak Freedom Annual Award will be given to the city of Midland for its leadership in international religious freedom. For information about the dinner contact Elisabeth Doherty at elisabeth@21wilberforce.org. Let our voices be heard once again. The current situation in Nigeria is dire and complex. Nigeria and the Lake Chad region need a special coordinator to bring a consistent and holistic approach to our policy on international support, counter-terrorism, food security, and economic trade. Now is the time for President Trump to appoint a well-respected person with the capacity to stand with Nigeria before it becomes too late. --- Randel Everett, former pastor of First Baptist Church in Midland, is founder and president of 21Wilberforce. He also is the former executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and pastored other churches in Florida, Virginia, Arkansas and Texas. The Jacksonville District 117 school board is scheduled to meet in a regular session at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Jacksonville High School, 1211 N. Diamond St. There will be a Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 p.m. Daniel E. Lemasters, 25, of the 16700 block of Reddish Ford Road, Jerseyville, was charged Sept. 4 with unlawful possession of controlled substance, a Class 4 felony, after he was found in possession of less than 15 grams of hydrocodone on Sept. 1. Bail was set at $5,000. John C. Perkinson, 37, of the 200 block of Lindenwood Drive, East Alton, was charged Sept. 7 with unlawful possession of controlled substances, and battery, both Class 4 felonies. The charges stem from a Sept. 6 incident, in which Perkinson was found to be in possession of less than 15 grams of hydrocodone. Bail was set at $75,000. Who runs the world? Come on, we all know that answer, especially in this midterm cycle. Women are leading from the front this election cycle and pulling the rest of politics with them. And thats not just women candidates, but also women voters. The midterms will see women candidates riding the wave into office in November, and there are plenty of historic firsts and achievements to be made. Firsts like Rashida Tlaib, a congressional candidate in Michigans 13th District and potentially the first Muslim woman in Congress. Like Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia, congressional candidates from Texas and potentially the first Latina congresswomen to represent the Lone Star State. Like Paulette Jordan, Idahos Democratic nominee for governor and the first Native American woman ever nominated for governor. And, of course, Georgias Stacey Abrams, potentially the first African-American woman governor in America, and Debra Haaland, a congressional candidate in New Mexicos 1st District and potentially the first Native American woman in Congress. This cycle alone, there are 18 women running for governor, 24 female Senate candidates, and 243 women running in House races, which is historic in and of itself. And whos going to carry them across the finish line and into office? Women voters. According to a recent CBS News poll, 46 percent of women voters are likely to support a Democratic candidate versus 34 percent who would support a Republican candidate, and among women independent voters, 38 percent are more likely to support Democratic candidates compared to 32 percent who are more likely to vote for Republicans. This same poll shows that 40 percent of white women plan to vote Republican, down from the 53 percent of white women who supported Donald Trump and congressional Republicans in 2016. In addition to the polling, women are leading the charge at home in their communities. Theyre spearheading get-out-the vote efforts with local resistance groups. Theyre powering the campaigns of women candidates as campaign managers and volunteers. And theyre fighting to get results in November. This puts women candidates, particularly Democratic women candidates, at a massive advantage as we head into the home-stretch of the midterms, and it allows for new types of candidates to emerge activist candidates, human candidates, tough candidates. Candidates like Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are challenging the old guard, which largely comprises older white men and making space for themselves as activist candidates. These women are pushing the party beyond its comfort zone and offering diverse approaches and solutions along the way. Candidates who are showcasing their humanity like Zephyr Teachout, a candidate for New York attorney general whose most recent ad features her receiving an ultrasound and emphasizes that being a parent and being in power shouldnt be in conflict for a woman any more than they are for a man. Candidates like M.J. Hager and Amy McGrath who take pride in their military service and toughness to act in difficult, dangerous situations and how that has led them to push for change and seek public office in the first place. These women have thrown the rule book about what women candidates have to be like, look like and sound like out the window and our political system should get ready for a jolt. Instead of waiting in line women, especially women of color, are stepping up, taking the reins, and forcing new debates about the problems facing all Americans. Big or small, there will be a wave of historic outcomes this election cycle and the energy from voters cant be ignored. Turnout in primaries has been off the charts (voter participation was up by more than 1 million in Floridas recent primary compared to the 2014 midterm cycle, for example), Democratic candidates outraised Republicans in contested Senate races and outraised them by $44 million in 56 House races during second quarter, and 65 Republican-held seats are now rated as competitive. No matter what, Congress is going to look a lot different come November. - Coming Wednesday: Columnist Karin Lips explores why the Democrats shouldnt bank on women voters. Juanita Tolliver is the campaign director for the Center for American Progress Action Fund. She wrote this for InsideSources.com Government does not seem to know ... The Plainview Area Retired School Personnel Association (PARSPA) held its first 2018-19 meeting at the Plainview Adult Activity Center. H. T. Sanchez, superintendent of Plainview ISD, was introduced as guest speaker. He announced that PISD had an enrollment of 5,200 students and that the District had earned in the past year a rating of 87.2--which is outstanding for this area. He added that this was higher than Lubbock Cooper. While his audience waited expectantly to hear what his plans were to build on this rating, Sanchez responded, "My first job priority is not to mess that up." Sanchez mentioned several roles he plays at PISD: "Not only am I the Superintendent but I come to you as a dad of a sixth-grade daughter and of a third-grade son. I'm also the husband of Mary, employed with our system as "Family and Community Engagement Specialist." Because Sanchez visits all schools in the District, he has earned a special title from the students he encounters at the front door: "Here comes " 'a man in a suit.' " Sanchez expressed his excitement in working with Wayland University's teacher-training program. As WBU teachers enter the workforce, PISD hopes to give them their first job. As graduates from Plainview, the area, state, and beyond, PISD will have teachers who will bring with them traditional values and excellent teacher training from the local University. "We will encourage our students at all levels to continue their education beyond high school, whether it's trade schools, the military, or to a university. Many times our local high school student is the first in his/her family to go to college," Sanchez continued. He hopes to increase that level of "choice beyond high school." Sanchez included another item in his "to do" list as Superintendent: To initiate a building program that matches PISD's excellent school rating. He hopes to initiate a study to determine physical needs on the campus, such as improved library facilities, improved classroom space and technology, and other needs coming from the study. "It's the school that identifies the city," Sanchez stressed. "The teachers are delivering. Now we must concentrate on the physical aspects of our campus." He added that when a family contemplates on moving to a new city, their primary interest usually is the school system--how will it serve their family?" Sanchez concluded his address by reminding his audience, "If you can read, thank a teacher!" Co-Presidents Linda Murphree and Terry Miller presided over the meeting. Larry May led the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags. Miller recognized Beth Finley who was responsible for the raffle benefiting the book and scholarship funds. Beth presented scented candle gifts from KanDel's to the winners. Janie Martin was thanked for providing frig-door-appropriate "reminder cards for the year's meetings." Pam Kendall, "Information and Protective Services" Committee Chair, provided a list of essential emergency items each family should have for the home and car. Miller reported that our Retired Personnel Unit donated 14 children's books ("The Soda Bottle School") to elementary libraries in Floydada, Lockney, Hale Center, Plainview, and to the Unger Memorial Library in Plainview. Murphree reported on our unit giving four $50 gift certificates to beginning teachers at area secondary campuses. This monetary gift helps with providing teaching material at the beginning of school, usually borne by the individual teacher. Murphree and Miller shared their enthusiasm in describing their experiences in hand-delivering the certificates rather than mailing. Tears of joy were exchanged from both giver and recipient as they met at the four campuses. Miller and Murphree also attended the Plainview High School Convocation where they handed out retired teachers' brochures, listing benefits available to retired teachers as well as benefits in belonging to the LOCAL retired teachers' organization. Perhaps their recruitment efforts were visible this month in the Unit's having its largest luncheon attendance of 48, with seven new members: Joyce McCormick, Brenda McDonough, Linda Watson, Linda Webb, Melody Miller, and Walter and Sharon Wright. Miller listed two major concerns facing our local Unit: Legislative Concerns (What's happening in Austin?) and Health Care Concerns (Rising Costs). One of today's speakers will address those issues. United Airlines is changing its boarding process, trying to solve an overcrowding problem in Group Two. This boarding group -- previously consisting of travelers with gold status, silver status and the MileagePlus credit card -- tends to be especially long. Passengers would stand in line well before boarding began to ensure overhead space for their luggage, causing congestion around the gate and lines zigzagging through airport concourses. A United boarding process introduced Tuesday, however, reduces the five boarding lanes to two lanes. And it moves MileagePlus Premier Gold travelers, representing 7 to 10 percent of United's global fliers, into Group One. RELATED: United Airlines to ditch plastic stirring straws and cocktail picks "Group Two will become smaller now, today, with these changes," said Maria Walter, United's managing director of global strategy innovations. The new boarding process first expanded to a few gates at Bush Intercontinental Airport in April. Starting Tuesday, it's being implemented at all gates in Houston and across the country. The two boarding lanes are now identified as the blue lane and the green lane. Boarding begins with Group One in the blue lane -- MileagePlus Premier 1K customers that previously boarded in Group One will now pre-board -- and Group Two in the green lane. When Group Two is almost completely boarded, Group Three will be asked to line up in the green lane. They will be followed by Groups Four and Five. The blue lane will be for people in earlier boarding groups who missed their boarding slot, giving them easier access to the plane. RELATED: Why is your plane delayed? United testing system that provides more details Testing in Los Angeles found that the new process doesn't take any additional time, Walter said. And it has reduced the time spent standing in line for Groups Three, Four and Five. "This project wasn't really about efficiency," she said. "It was more about the customer experience." United also unveiled a new notification system. Travelers will receive a boarding alert through the mobile app after the first passenger scans his or her ticket and steps onto the jet bridge. Marc Benioff, chief executive of the software company Salesforce, and his wife, Lynne, said Sunday that they had agreed to buy Time magazine from Meredith Corp. for $190 million in cash. Marc Benioff answered several questions about the deal by text message Sunday night. Lightly edited excerpts follow. Q: This would be faster over the phone. A: Hard to believe but I am in a massage. (Benioff texts a cartoon image of a man under a towel with cucumbers on his eyes.) Q: Where did you get the idea of buying Time? A: I have been speaking with the CEO of Meredith since he bought Time Inc. about all of his assets. Q: Why? A: I was interested in the potential. They are great assets. Q: You havent shown much interest in media before, right? A:They are aligned with the impact investing I do. I have a portfolio of almost 200 companies I have invested in. Q: You wanted to buy Twitter at one point. A: My investors turned against me. I loved (Twitter). Love (Twitter chief executive) Jack (Dorsey) too. Q: Why didnt you buy Fortune magazine? A: Time is the best fit for us. I really liked the Meredith team, and I definitely wanted to do something with them. It just wasnt clear what it was. When Time emerged as the candidate we all felt it was right. That took nine months to figure out. If Meredith didnt buy Time Inc. this never would have happened. Meredith is the key player. Q: Youre going to be 54 soon. Do you have any dreams left to fulfill? A:I live with a beginners mind. I didnt realize two weeks ago I was going to buy Time. (Benioff texts a screenshot of a quote from Zen master Suzuki: In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts mind there are few.) My power was that I didnt really want to do anything but I was open to all possibilities. Q: Will you move Time magazine to San Francisco? A:No, it will stay in New York. Im not going to get involved operationally. We dont get operationally involved in our investments. Im busy enough with my job. They have a great team. Its a very strong business. Very profitable. Meredith will continue to be a key partner going forward. Q: Will you be involved spiritually? A: I feel our values are aligned. Trust is my highest value and it is Times as well. Q: I thought journalism was Times highest value. Did you read Time as a kid? Or an adult?/strong> A: Yes, always loved it. Q: Would you hope interviews in Time magazine are more probing than this? A: Ive decided I can only be myself. Everyone else is taken. Oscar Wilde. Q: Thanks for your time. How is the massage? A: Paulene is amazing. Let me know if you want her number. The days of dragging suitcases to and through the airport may be numbered. Consider the experience of Manolo Almagro, a managing partner at Q Division, a retail technology consultancy based in Austin, Texas, on a flight last fall from London to Copenhagen. Almagro made a reservation a day before his flight with AirPortr, a remote baggage pickup service that began serving London and environs in 2016. About seven hours before his flight, a company representative arrived at his hotel with a hand-held scale and asked to see his passport. Almagro said measuring and securing the bag in the lobby took about 10 minutes. He was notified when the bag reached Heathrow Airport and again when it was loaded onto the plane. It was peace of mind not to lug it on public transportation, said Almagro, who paid the equivalent of about $38 for the service. As a frequent traveler, he paid no separate airline baggage fee. He was reunited with the bag at Copenhagen Airport. AirPortrs service is but one variation of remote baggage check-in, a service that attests to what air travel has become navigating a series of bottlenecks. To remove the bag from the journey is to change the journey, said Randel Darby, chief executive of AirPortr, who said that as a frequent flyer, he looked for ways to maximize his time. The customer experience starts on the doorstep, not at the airport. Remote check-in services in the United States remain small. Delta Air Lines works with Bags Inc. of Orlando, Florida, to offer remote check-in for at least eight airports domestically. The company works with United Airlines at five airports. The airport in Tampa, Florida, provides remote drop off at a centrally located rental car center, while Denver International Airport offers the service at a transit center located below the Westin Hotel at the airport. The Port of Seattle, meanwhile, works with Bags to offer cruise ship passengers the option of signing up for a service that picks up their luggage and delivers it to their airline. Denver airport officials estimate that passengers save about 20 minutes by using the service. The costs of both the Denver program, which began in November 2016, and the one in Tampa, which started in February, are covered by the airports. Passengers still need to pay the regular airline baggage handling fees. Top local Transportation Security Administration officials, called federal security directors, approve remote baggage check-in at each participating airport. Internationally, besides Airportr, Oacis (Off Airport Check In Solutions) began operating in Sydney, Australia, in December 2017. It serves cruise passengers arriving in Sydney Harbor who fly on Virgin Australia. Matthew Lee, the chief executive of Oacis, said several factors prompted the adaptation of remote baggage check-in. Perhaps the biggest driver is the lack of capacity at most large established airports, he wrote in an email. The cost, disruption and revenue impact of building new infrastructure is significant. Airports and airlines are recognizing that the more processing that can take place away from the airport, the less pressure on constrained infrastructure. There are other options for avoiding airport check-ins. Some travelers rely on pricey shipping services like DUFL and Luggage Free. In Hong Kong, for example, free in-town check-in service is available on selected airlines at Hong Kong and Kowloon train stations up to a full day ahead of scheduled flights. And after arriving on selected domestic flights, passengers can arrange for baggage delivery on JetBlue, American Airlines and United Airlines, for a fee. We touch the passenger at each point when they want to get rid of the bag, said Craig Mateer, chief executive of Bags, which offers the delivery service for the airlines. Mateer said he saw the need for remote check-in more than 25 years ago while providing valet parking and bellhop services in Orlando. Hotel guests not yet ready to leave the area would store their luggage at the hotel, only to retrieve it before traveling to the airport. He wanted to eliminate that step. Still, the checked bag fees are profitable for the carriers. Darby of AirPortr said airlines did not want to lose that revenue to freight or shipping carriers. In 2017, according to data from the United States Department of Transportation, the airlines earned $4.6 billion, up from $4.2 billion a year earlier, from those fees. If a bag goes astray, though, it is costly for the airlines. Peter Drummond, head of the baggage portfolio at SITA, an information technology company, estimated that it costs $100 to return a mishandled bag (the industry term) to its owner. It could be the best journey in the world, but if your bag is not there at the end of that journey, it ruins the experience for the passenger, he said. Industry estimates show that airlines have gotten better at handling bags. The number of mishandled bags fell to 5.6 bags per thousand passengers last year from 18.8 in 2007, according to a SITA report. Whether remote check-in catches on is still open for discussion. Last December, Tampa International Airport entered into a two-year contract with Bags Inc. with the option for three one-year renewals. The $1.3 million annual cost is paid with rental car fees. The airport said that through the end of August, more than 186,000 bags were remotely checked, about 5 percent of all bags checked. Passengers can print boarding passes and luggage tags at automated kiosks. Jeff Schiesler, a technology and compliance manager at a construction firm in Cincinnati, flies Delta round-trip to Tampa several times a year. He and his wife, Kim, tried the service on a recent return trip. We didnt have to carry the bags on trams and walk them through the airport to check, he said. Not all remote baggage check-in efforts endure. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport began offering remote check-in in 2012, around the time the PHX Sky Train opened. Passengers could check their bags and receive a boarding pass before taking the train. When they reached the terminal, they could bypass the ticket counter and go directly to security. The system reduced lines and congestion at ticket counters. A site at the rental car center was added so passengers didnt have to carry luggage on buses to the terminal. The initial pilot program contract was for one year, and the city of Phoenix paid 70 percent of the $1.1 million annual cost. About 2 percent of the bags going through the airport were handled by the service, called Early Bag Check, said Heather Lissner, an airport spokeswoman. Usage peaked at more than 280,000 bags in 2016 and started declining in 2017. The impact on the lines at the ticket counters was minimal. This was a pilot program to determine whether there was enough interest in the service to make it sustainable over the long term, Lissner wrote in an email. Because the cost to operate the service increased and the customer demand for the service decreased, the program was not sustainable. The airport discontinued the free service for American, Southwest and United Airlines customers last November. Southwest Airlines picked up the service for its passengers, but ended it in July. In order for the services to really catch on, Drummond said, they need to go directly to travelers. The key to mass adaptation is door-to-door, pick it up in London and drop it off in New Jersey. San Antonio-based Filestack has acquired TINT, a platform brands use to find and curate content. Filestack is a service developers use to upload, store, manipulate and push out files in other words, to manage content end-to-end. The startup is part of technology investment firm Scaleworks portfolio, and more than 50,000 app developers have used the service, according to Filestacks website. The acquisition price was not disclosed. TINT has been a customer for several years and has worked with more than 5,000 brands, including Nestle, Nike and Marriott, Filestack CEO Sameer Kamat said in a blog post. The platform handles roughly 60 million pieces of content every month. The growing need for an end-to-end platform that does all the heavy lifting is what makes this an exciting acquisition, Kamat said. As core features of Filestacks machine learning led content curation engine are applied to the TINT, the platform gets richer, he added. Features like advanced moderation and filtering capabilities for safe for work checks, copyright detection, content categorization and search will help marketers breath easy when it comes to curated content needs. Filestack is the latest startup in Scaleworks roster to make an acquisition. Last month, tech firm Assembla announced they were buying package manager MyGet and Earth Class Mail said they had acquired Shoeboxed, a receipt-scanning company. Chargify, Keen IO, Mailgun and Qualaroo are also part of Scaleworks portfolio. The firm is based at the Savoy building in downtown San Antonio. \miszler@express-news.net | @madisoniszler San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi is seeking to get a judge removed from a complex murder case against a tenant-rights attorney, arguing that the judge expresses bias against Latino persons and exhibited racial insensitivity. Judge Ethan Schulman is handling motions in the case against Carlos Argueta, who is accused of fatally stabbing 61-year-old James Thomas during a drunken confrontation three years ago outside a bar on a gritty stretch of Sixth Street in San Francisco. Another judge previously dismissed the case, prompting prosecutors to obtain a murder indictment through a grand jury. Earlier this month, Adachi filed a motion to have the indictment against Argueta, 34, dismissed, arguing the prosecutor in the case committed misconduct. The public defenders office had filed a similar motion in August 2017, which Schulman rejected. Adachi is now seeking to have Schulman removed before he can rule on the second effort to have the indictment tossed. In a filing Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, Adachi said Schulman made a racially insensitive statement toward a Latino defense lawyer, exclaiming, When is this telenovela going to end? Adachi said the judges statement, allegedly made during an unrelated 2011 case to Deputy Public Defender Elizabeth Camacho, was clearly made to ridicule and disparage Ms. Camacho based on her race and ethnicity. Adachi further accused Schulman of being biased against defense attorneys in general. In his motion, Adachi included statements from other public defenders who have appeared in Schulmans courtroom. Judge Schulmans demeanor towards criminal defendants and defense lawyers is not merely stern, it is disdainful, and thus he conveys actual bias, Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Young wrote. His perceptibly derisive tone and stare makes appearing in his courtroom unpleasant and unsettling for clients. Schulman has 10 days to respond and can contest the motion or recuse himself from the case, Adachi said Tuesday outside of court. San Francisco Superior Court officials would not comment on the motion. The judge is scheduled to rule later this month on Adachis earlier motion, which argues Assistant District Attorney Andrew Ganz committed misconduct during the grand jury proceeding against Argueta. Adachi claims testimony from witnesses dramatically changed between the preliminary hearing and the grand jury proceeding, and that Ganz committed misconduct by failing to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury. Judge Kay Tsenin had dismissed the case after the November 2016 preliminary hearing, ruling that the evidence was insufficient to prove murder, but Ganz presented the case to the grand jury six months later. Ganz is currently facing misconduct charges of his own in State Bar Court in a separate case when he worked in Solano County. Argueta, meanwhile, is out on bail. He has claimed self-defense in the 2015 killing. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky BRIDGEPORT The City Council has passed an ordinance encouraging developers who receive subsidies tax incentives, breaks on the purchase price of public property to prioritize local hiring. But one prominent businessman urged the city to do a better job expanding the skilled labor pool, while a brand-new councilman denounced language in the ordinance that would give ex-felons first dibs on construction job openings. You want to be forgiven, go to church, Councilman Michael DeFilippo, one of two no votes, said in a brief interview afterward. DeFilippo unsuccessfully tried Monday to table the vote and have the ordinance sent back to committee. Councilwoman AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia also voted no. The hiring proposal, spearheaded by Councilman Ernie Newton, asks developers partnering on projects with the city to try to give 20 percent of new construction jobs created to qualified city residents and another 5 percent to those with criminal records. In drafting the ordinance, staff from the Economic Development and law departments made sure it was voluntary, so as not to scare away potential investment in a high-taxed city that needs to retain and attract business. To do otherwise could also land the city in legal trouble, according to a 2013 study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program of so-called local-hire statutes. Crafting a message Downtown developer Phil Kuchma, a former council member, addressing that legislative body prior to Mondays vote, said he supported the ordinance, but that it must not be portrayed as a requirement. This ordinance could have a negative impact on economic development projects in this city. ... Lets do this well, Kuchma said. Lets not let the wrong message be sent out. And, Kuchma said, the ordinance should be backed up by efforts to ensure residents are ready to work. Its a great opportunity for the people of city and the city to create a pool, Kuchma said. People have to be prepared. The assumption behind the ordinance is that developers currently pass over skilled locals. These contractors claim they cant find anybody in Bridgeport to work on some of these jobs, said Councilwoman the Rev. Mary McBride-Lee. Newton said, Out of (a population of) 147,000 we have to have people qualified for jobs. In the past, Newton and others have faulted deals between Bridgeport and developers that include project labor agreements (PLAs) requiring the hiring of unionized workers and payment of prevailing wages and benefits. Critics argue PLAs can shut out locals and minorities something that has been strongly disputed by organized labor. And PLAs can establish local hiring goals. Aiding re-entry A year ago Mayor Joe Ganim and the council, despite opposition from organized labor, struck a controversial deal to redevelop the downtown Poli Palace and Majestic theaters with Exact Capital out of New York, in an arrangement that did not include a PLA. There are a lot of people your constituents that arent in a union that need jobs, Newton, who was not a council member at the time, said during a 2017 public hearing on the agreement with Exact. But the Ganim administration also helped establish a union apprenticeship training program as part of a deal allowing coal plant operator PSEG to build a new gas-fired power plant along the harbor. Bridgeport-based The WorkPlace, a workforce development nonprofit, manages PSEGs union apprenticeship initiative. Joe Carbone, The Workplaces president, said Tuesday said he believes there is already a substantial number of people in Bridgeport that are in fact ready and prepared when it comes to jobs in construction. Carbone said the councils hiring ordinance sounded like a good, modest initiative, especially for ex-felons. Carbone credited Ganim, who, along with Newton has a criminal record, for prioritizing making Bridgeport friendly for citizens returning from prison. Id like to see more developers and hopefully this (ordinance) is a guide offer to be accommodating and work with us on helping to ensure more folks (involved with) re-entry programs are hired. Asked by Hearst following Mondays vote to explain his opposition to hiring ex-felons, given he serves with Ganim and Newton, DeFilippo indicated he believes the hiring ordinance is a meaningless, feel-good piece of legislation. Nobodys opposed to hiring Bridgeport residents, DeFilippo emphasized. But, he said, You need resources; train these people. You just want to pass something through to pat yourself on the back. A 66-year-old Stamford man has been found guilty of guilty of numerous offenses stemming from an investment scheme that defrauded 50 people, including several women he met on a dating website, of more than $2 million. John H. Durham, United States Attorney for Connecticut, said a federal jury in Bridgeport Monday found Thomas J. Connerton, guilty of 12 counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and 16 counts of securities fraud, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. Connerton also was found guilty of four counts of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count, and one count of tax evasion, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The trial before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill began on Aug. 28. Durham said in a release that Connerton was the founder, president, and CEO of Safety Technologies, LLC (Safety Tech), a Connecticut company that had its principal place of business at various times in Simsbury, Madison, Westport and Stamford. Safety Tech was founded in 2006, purportedly for the purpose of developing and commercializing what was represented to be a highly durable puncture and cut resistant material that was to be used in the surgical glove market and other related markets. Safety Tech has not yet obtained any patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and Connerton did not register Safety Techs securities with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Beginning in approximately June 2009, Connerton induced victim-investors to provide him funds and to purchase Safety Tech securities by falsely representing that the valuation of Safety Tech was realistically in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, that a lucrative deal to sell or license his glove technology was imminent, and that he would use their funds for research and development, product testing, and to bring the product to market. Connerton offered his investors small amounts of equity in Safety Tech through Subscription Agreements or investments contracts through which he sold what he described as Units. Several of the victim-investors were women who were drawn into the scheme after Connerton met them on a popular dating website, according to the release. Connerton made numerous other false representations to victim-investors, including stating in September 2015, I will go on the record to state that there is not a single investor that will lose one dollar invested in Safety Technologies. Even though Connerton represented to victim-investors and potential victim-investors that the funds they invested would be used to fund research and development, for product testing, for business expenses and for legal fees, he used invested funds to pay personal expenses including, on two separate occasions, to purchase two diamond engagement rings from Tiffany & Co. Connerton also used funds to repay loans to an earlier investor. Through this scheme, Connerton defrauded more than 50 victim-investors of more than $2.2 million. The investigation also revealed that Connerton engaged in monetary transactions in an attempt to conceal from the FBI and the SEC the nature and source of funds received by Safety Tech from the sale of Safety Tech securities. Connerton negotiated checks and purchased bank checks in order to move the fraudulent proceeds from one account to another. The investigation further revealed that Connerton willfully failed to pay $293,033 in federal income taxes between 2004 and 2015. Along with a jail term, the government is seeking full restitution for the victim-investors and forfeiture of the two engagement rings that Connerton purchased with proceeds of the fraud scheme. Connerton also owes more than $490,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties. A sentencing date is not scheduled. Connerton has been behind bars since his arrest on March 9, 2017. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Durham also acknowledged the important assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Lauren C. Clark. WASHINGTON Nearly a dozen lawyers now assist President Trump in contending with two federal investigations, one in Washington and one in New York, that could pose serious threats to his presidency and his businesses. But the expanding legal team is struggling to understand where the investigations could be headed and the extent of Trumps legal exposure. The lawyers have only a limited sense of what many witnesses including senior administration officials and the presidents business associates have told investigators and what the Justice Department plans to do with any incriminating information it has about Trump, according to interviews with more than a dozen people close to the president. NORWALK Every time he moves, Phillip Roselle can feel the 9-mm bullet still lodged in the right side of his chest. The 30-year veteran of the Norwalk Police Department has been dealing with that bullet, along with a host of other medical issues, since another officer accidentally shot him during training session at a gun range in September 2017. More than a year later, Roselle is not only out of work, hes still fighting for his life. Complications from the shooting have led to blood clots, a partial blockage of his heart and permanent nerve damage in his right hand. Recently, doctors told Roselle that he will also need a kidney transplant to survive. My life did a 360 that day, Roselle said. I still try to do the best I can, but as a man, Im expected to be the bread winner, the father figure, the foundation of the family and all. Im used to protecting and helping people. To turn around and have everyone needing to help me, its something that will take some time getting used to. After the shooting, Roselle knew he would have to fight to recover. What he didnt see coming was a fight with the city he had sworn an oath to protect. Roselle, 51, has twice been denied workers compensation. The Connecticut Workers Compensation Commission reasoned that an underlying health problem, Type 1 diabetes, is keeping him out of work. The family argues he was healthy until the shooting began his downward slide. Friends and family blame Norwalk for the denial, saying it ultimately falls on the city to protect its first responders. For him to go to work one day and to have something like this happen, which you have no control over, its not only a financial setback, its also a mental setback, said his wife, Debbie Roselle. For Phillip to get better, he needs his mental state to be in a better place, and that feeling of abandonment, when you serve your city and you put your life on the line for 30 years, and they turn their back on you, it just hurts. City officials say the decision is in the hands of the commission. In June, the commission made its second determination that Roselle is being kept out of work by his underlying medical condition, not any shooting-related injuries, according to Ray Burney, the personnel director for the city. Both the commission and the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, a municipal insurance provider, declined to comment. Roselle, who was diagnosed with diabetes 32 years ago, said the commissions conclusion couldnt be farther from the truth. Ive always been diabetic, thats never impeded my ability to be a police officer, Roselle said. For 30 years, I did everything that a police officer is required to do, and I did it to the fullest. Despite the setbacks, Roselles attorney, Matthew Paradisi of the Hartford-based firm Cicchiello & Cicchiello, said they will continue to fight for compensation, calling the grounds for the denial untenable and unethical. From our perspective, legally, Norwalk should be coming to the table and compensating him for these injuries. And the fact that his benefits were cut off, in my mind, is unconscionable, Paradisi said. Mayor Harry Rilling, a former Norwalk police chief and police union president, said the city had no role in the decision, adding that he recently reached out to the family to figure out what options are available. We need to do everything we can to protect our first responders, Rilling said. They put their lives on the line day in and day out, and we need to make sure that were here for them when they need us. The Roselle family confirmed that Rilling had reached out to them last week, but said there had been no progress with the case since. Lt. Dave OConnor, the president of the police union, said it is the unions position that Roselle was injured at work, therefore he is entitled to workers compensation until he is able to return to work. We are concerned that he is not getting what he needs from workers comp, and we would like to see that resolved as quickly as possible, OConnor said. He doesnt have a paycheck coming in now, which is causing us great angst and its putting an enormous amount of strain on his family. In the line of duty The morning of Sept. 5, 2017, started the way most days had for Roselle. He woke up, put on his uniform and said goodbye to his family before setting off to work. It a training day for Roselle and a handful of other officers. The first half of the day was consumed by briefings on the latest in use-of-force training and new policies and laws around the state. After a few hours of written and visual work, the officers went to the departments gun range on the second floor of police headquarters for hands-on training. A few officers practiced shooting an AR-15, a lightweight semi-automatic rifle, while Roselle and others got acquainted with the departments newly issued Glock 17 pistols. The target shooting went off without incident. Then it was time to clean the weapons. I just remember I was cleaning my gun when I heard a bang and I felt a pain in my chest and in my arm, and I looked down and there was blood everywhere, Roselle said. A round tore through his right arm and into his ribcage. A police report said he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. One officer elevated Roselles head, placing it in his lap while another put a tourniquet on his arm. From there things grew foggy for Roselle, but he said he remembers officers the officers rushing to his aid and being dashed to the hospital. Police frantically closed intersections on the route between police headquarters and Norwalk Hospital. Roselle later learned that a superior officer was disassembling his department-issued pistol, a Glock 17, when the bullet was accidentally fired. According to police reports, the shooter thought he had cleared his guns chamber before pulling the trigger, which is required when disassembling a Glock. Police Chief Tom Kulhawik said he would not comment on personnel matters. Roselle declined to name the officer involved, saying he knew the officer was suffering his own trauma from the accident. The two are still friends. I know it was an accident, so theres no hard feelings there, he said. At the end of the day, were still brothers in blue. Roselle said has been dealing with post-traumatic stress and swings of depression. Hes been rushed to the emergency room several times since his initial hospitalization. Between the emergency room visits, dialysis three times a week for four hours, and various other doctor visits, his family said the bills are piling up. Roselle has had to discontinue the physical therapy required to strengthen his right hand. While Roselle said he has not felt the full support of City Hall, the same cannot be said of the Norwalk Police Department, where hes served since he was 19 years old. Roselle said his brothers and sisters at the Norwalk Police Department have been among the most supportive in his time of need. Officer Kelly Hollister, for instance, started a GoFundMe account in August. The fundraiser page, an effort to ensure that Roselle and his family didnt need to worry about money, had raised $16,308 of its $20,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon. My other family, the ones that I worked in the street with, have been great with helping me out. The moral support Ive received from them it means a lot, he said. Roselle, whose son is a cop in New Haven, said his fight against the city and their insurer is not only for his own benefit, but for any other officers who finds themselves in a similar situation. I want to make sure that this never happens again, and if it does, then I want to make sure that the procedures that the city takes in protecting police officers will be a lot better than it has been for me, Roselle said. We [officers] take this job to serve and protect the city, and all we ask back for it is a little respect back from the city. Republicans and Democrats face a week of uncertainty before the high-stakes Senate Judiciary Committee showdown between Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accuses him of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers. The GOP still may get Kavanaugh confirmed, but at a huge risk. The image of 11 male Republicans grilling a woman who says she's the victim of sexual assault may not be what the party wants shortly before a congressional election at the height of the "Me Too" movement. Democrats' last chance to derail a nominee who seemed to be nearing confirmation rests on a claim by California college professor Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh assaulted her 36 years ago. Four of the committee's 10 Democrats are women, and party members hope the drama will boost their bid to win control of the House and Senate on Nov. 6. Much will ride on how Kavanaugh and Ford perform in the witness chair on Sept. 24. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who is not on the committee but was among the Republicans who pushed for a public hearing, said Monday she doesn't yet know whom to believe. "That's why we need to have a public hearing so I can assess her credibility," Collins said. She said earlier said she wants to hear "testimony under oath with a lot of questions asked of both of them." "If Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying," Collins said. "These are serious charges," said Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a GOP Judiciary Committee member. "And if they're true, I think they're disqualifying." He said he told Republican leaders he would vote against confirmation unless the committee delayed its vote, originally planned for Thursday, to first hear from Kavanaugh and Ford. In the 51-49 Senate, two Republican defections would sink Kavanaugh if Democrats all vote no. The nominee spent about nine hours at the White House on Monday. Ford says that Kavanaugh was drunk at a Maryland house party in about 1982 and pinned her down on a bed, tried to remove her clothes and put his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. She said she was able to escape, but The Washington Post reported that she described the incident to a therapist in 2013 as a "rape attempt." Kavanaugh, 53, has repeatedly denied Ford's claim, and President Donald Trump defended his second high court choice Monday as one of "the finest people I've ever known." "If it takes a little delay, it'll take a little delay" to get him confirmed, the president said. Kavanaugh said in a statement issued Monday by the White House: "This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes -- to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday." Judiciary panel Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had hoped to avoid a public hearing, but ultimately bowed to pressure from Democrats and some Republicans to do more than have staff talk to Ford and Kavanaugh by phone. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said senators will have the opportunity to ask questions. So far the committee hasn't said whether it will call any additional witnesses, such as Kavanaugh classmate Mark Judge, who according to Ford was in the room during the alleged attack. He was quoted Friday by the Weekly Standard as saying no such incident ever occurred. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said a committee vote on Kavanaugh could come by the end of next week, depending on what information comes out of the hearing. "You have the man and the woman and then you go from there," Shelby said. Some Democrats said they want an FBI investigation of Ford's accusation before a hearing. "I'd like to hear from the FBI if they can conduct a credible investigation of these claims in less than a week. I'd be very surprised if they can," said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. But the White House hasn't asked the FBI for an investigation, a step that is required for the bureau to take further action, according to two people familiar with the matter. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic Judiciary panel member, said that putting Ford before the committee "without a full, fair investigation would be a disservice to her, to the American people and to Judge Kavanaugh." "As a prosecutor I would never put a witness on the stand, a crime survivor, without knowing in advance what other witnesses may say, what records and documents show," said Blumenthal, the former attorney general of Connecticut. The hearing will be a milestone in the "Me Too" movement that seeks to hold people responsible for sexual abuse and harassment. It comes 27 years after the bruising confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was accused of sexually harassing attorney Anita Hill when he was her supervisor at two federal agencies. Both testified publicly before the then all-male Judiciary Committee amid a public uproar, and Thomas was confirmed on a 52-48 vote. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the committee, referred to the Hill hearing, which began shortly after her allegations against Thomas became publicly known, in a statement on Monday night. "Republicans want to repeat past mistakes, rushing the process to hold a hearing," Feinstein said. In 1991, however, the committee was controlled by Democrats. Feinstein also called for the FBI to step in, saying in the statement, "We must not repeat the mistakes of the past and rush the process before we're able to gather more information." Trump already is under pressure from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and the prospect of Republicans losing control of the House or Senate, or both, in the election. The GOP has hoped to use Kavanaugh's confirmation as a major campaign selling point. The White House and GOP lawmakers accuse Democrats of waiting until late in the confirmation process to disclose the claim by Ford, who had sought anonymity for weeks before ultimately deciding to reveal her identity. Democrats have contended that the GOP is seeking to jam Kavanaugh's nomination through the Senate without releasing thousands of records on his work as a lawyer in President George W. Bush's White House. The sex assault allegation threatens to harm the GOP's already lackluster standing with women. Female voters preferred Democratic candidates over Republicans by 54 percent to 33 percent, while 62 percent of women disapproved of Trump's job performance, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll in July. --With assistance from Bloomberg's Shannon Pettypiece and Justin Sink. Personality tests are hugely popular, though if you ask working psychologists, they'll tell you the results are little better than astrological signs. But a new study, based on huge sets of personality data representing 1.5 million people, has persuaded one of the staunchest critics of personality tests to conclude that maybe distinct personality types exist, after all. In a report published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois identify four personality types: reserved, role models, average and self-centered. The new approach was nothing like the basis for widely used personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs, which spits out a personality type with acronyms like INTJ, for introversion-intuition-thinking-judgment, or ESFP (that's extrovert-sensing-feeling-perceiving). "The social psychology community is pretty in line with being anti Myers-Briggs Type personality assessments," said Alexander Swan, a psychologist at Eureka College in Illinois who is a critic of the test. That test, developed in the 1940s, is based on Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung's idea that people can be grouped into archetypes. (These archetypes weren't empirical findings, just Jung's assessment of literary motifs and his observations of the people he knew.) Myers-Briggs tests generate one of 16 archetypes for each user, but the questions are poorly written, Swan said. And several studies show that the personality types are inconsistent and cannot predict career success or other characteristics. People have been trying to stuff each other into categorical bins for thousands of years. "These ideas go back to the ancient Greeks like Hippocrates and so on," said Martin Gerlach, a postdoctoral researcher who studies complex systems at Northwestern University. Gerlach and his colleagues Luis A. Nunes Amaral and Beatrice Farb are trying to propel these old ideas into the realm of big data. They took a relatively new approach - not adhering to Jungian theories but analyzing four huge data sets. They also enlisted the aid of Northwestern psychologist William Revelle, who been an outspoken skeptic of the idea of personality types. He was, at first, a critic of the group's own study. "I'm going to be very blunt," he said. "My first reaction was this is nonsense." Social psychologists dispute whether personality types exist. Traits are another matter. Personality traits "can be measured consistently across ages, across cultures," said Amaral, co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems. The five best-established traits, or Big Five, are openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Swan agreed that the Big Five is "a well done model." Long questionnaires, typically of 100 questions or more, identify whether people score low or high on these traits. A typical item might ask how much you agree with a statement such as, "I see myself as someone who is full of energy" or "I tend to keep grudges." The results give a value for each of the five traits, indicating that a person is high on agreeableness, for instance, or low on neuroticism. The big flaw with the Big Five is its basis in self-reporting: Do we really know whether we're full of energy? Do we answer truthfully about our grudge-keeping? But proponents note its consistency; self evaluations often line up with peer assessment, too. Because each person who takes a Big Five test is assigned five values, the study authors had to work in five-dimensional space to search for patterns. "I've heard of people who can visualize five dimensions in their heads," Amaral said. "I'm definitely not one of them." So the scientists used a sophisticated machine learning algorithm to identify clusters of traits, or what Revelle called "lumps in the batter," in this 5-D population. On the first attempt, Amaral said he got it completely wrong. Imagine a watermelon sitting next to some grapes. If the only tool you've got is a melon baller, you can scoop up the grapes, but go after the watermelon, and you'll carve it into small balls that didn't exist before. The study authors' first model was like that melon baller. They carved up the 5-D space into a dozen artificial personality types. Revelle shot them down. " 'I don't believe in these personality types,' he tells us. 'No cigar,'" Amaral recalled. They double-checked the model, and the psychologist was correct. The scientists eventually developed a more robust model to pick out the smaller groupings (like "role model" and "self-centered") and keep the biggest one ("average") intact. Revelle asked them to apply the tool to two additional sets of personality trait data. They found four types here, too. That ultimately convinced Revelle - the four personality types appeared as anticipated wherever they looked. In total, this research represents personality traits for 1.5 million people from the United States and England. The new study "presents a very strong case for personality types defined by configurations of the Big-Five personality traits," said John A. Johnson, a Pennsylvania State University psychologist. Johnson has collected personality trait data from more than 500,000 people. He made these data sets available to the study authors but was not otherwise involved with this research. "What is unique about the current study is their choice of the Big Five trait domains as a starting point," Johnson said, "rather than some theoretical types that sprang from the imagination of the theorist." Amaral and his colleagues named the clusters only after the clusters were located. Role models were high in every trait but neuroticism. They also appeared with increasing frequency as people aged. "These people are not mean, not rude, but kind and polite and treat people with respect," Amaral said. The reserved type was not open and not particularly extroverted, but otherwise agreeable and conscientious. People who scored very high in extroversion but were below average in agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness were "self-centered." Amaral put it in a "nontechnical way": Some people are "jerks." Teenage males were more likely than average to be self-centered, but this proportion decreased with age. "These 18-year-olds are going to grow up," Revelle said. "Except some people don't grow up, and they become senior political statesmen." Johnson said he was not surprised by the connections between personality type, age and gender. "Personality changes, very slowly, over time in the direction of greater maturity: greater agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability," he said. Swan was not as convinced by the usefulness of these categories. "To have one of their clusters called average is weak," he said. He struggled to see why it would be helpful to describe someone that way. Labeling a category as self-centered, though, was a credit to the study authors. "You won't find that in Myers-Briggs Type tests," he said, because its results are always "very nice things." Revelle said he is confident these types exist, but he's not sure what to take away from that observation. "Myers-Briggs has done so well, because people like to say, 'Oh, I'm a this,' " Revelle added. "That is a complete mistake." He offered a metaphor of the population map of the United States. Lots of people live in New York City, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago, the most populous four cities. And it's helpful, sometimes, for a person to identify as a New Yorker. But you miss out on the majority of the country if you focus only on those metropolitan areas. What's more, the city closest to where you live is only one descriptor, even in the context of location. "Would you rather say the person lives in the North or the South, or lives in New York or Chicago?" It's the same with someone's identity. "What's the actual utility of these?" he said. "I don't think we've really addressed that." Not yet, anyway. Revelle is collecting personality trait data at the SAPA-Project.org. And Gerlich wants to investigate whether the people they called "role models" are more successful in their jobs. WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee finds itself in politically treacherous territory - a heated Supreme Court confirmation battle with an allegation of sexual assault, ahead of an election shaping up to be a reckoning for female candidates up and down the ballot. Not since the fall of 1991 has this committee faced such a quandary, when Clarence Thomas's confirmation turned into a political and societal Rorschach test for what constituted sexual harassment. So much has changed, yet so little has changed. Just three of the current 21 members of the committee were on hand for those hearings. Just one 24-hour cable news outlet existed to cover the hearings, unlike the handful or more that have been following Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination. Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, was 14 years old. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg was 7. These next few weeks could be perilous for members of the Judiciary Committee - the panel will hear from Kavanaugh again next Monday and has invited Christine Blasey Ford to appear. In an interview with The Washington Post, Ford alleged that, when they were both teenagers in the Bethesda area, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her. The allegation landed just a few days before the committee planned to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, which would have then been sent to the full Senate with the expectation of final confirmation by the end of the month. The timing could not be more eerie. Thomas was going through a tough confirmation process but seemed certain for confirmation. His nomination faced many racial overtones - he became just the second black Supreme Court justice but is a staunch conservative. He replaced a liberal icon, Thurgood Marshall, who made history by winning the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case and then becoming the first black justice. Then Nina Totenberg of NPR broke the story that the committee had reviewed and essentially dismissed allegations that Thomas had sexually harassed one of his employees, Anita Hill, when he ran the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Led by a future senator, Rep. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., House Democratic women marched to the Senate side to demand a full airing. The subsequent hearings blew back in the committee's face, turning the senators into a national embarrassment. Sen. Alan Dixon, D-Ill., a veteran incumbent, lost his primary the next year to Carol Moseley Braun, who became the first African-American woman elected to the Senate. Sen. Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania), then a Republican, barely survived what was supposed to be an easy reelection. And crystallizing the "Year of the Woman," Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, D, made history with their victories, making California the first state to elect two women to the Senate. One longtime Democratic adviser suggested Monday to skip the usual task of senators asking questions and instead let legal counsel question Ford at a public hearing, to avoid the type of grandstanding that was lampooned in an infamous 1991 "Saturday Night Live" skit of the Thomas hearings. "Here's some advice, based on the Thomas-Hill experience: Both Dems and GOP should want professional, outside counsel to question Kavanaugh and Ford at a public hearing -- not Senators. Make this a search for the truth, not a political platform," Ronald Klain, a senior aide for the Democrats in 1991, tweeted Monday. More than 25 years later, the committee's then-chairman, Joe Biden, D-Del., still grapples with questions about how he handled the matter. "I wish I had been able to do more for Anita Hill," he said in a December interview with Teen Vogue. "I owe her an apology." Now, in a twist of fate, Feinstein finds herself in Biden's position. Feinstein is the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and, as Feinstein received the letter from Ford, a Californian, months ago alleging the attempted sexual assault. Ford, both with Feinstein's staff and in her initial discussions with The Washington Post, requested to keep the matter private. So for weeks Feinstein sat on the allegation, unable to question Kavanaugh about the allegation or inform her colleagues about the case. Rumors swirled and last week she gave in to her junior Democratic colleagues and showed them the letter, then forwarded it to the FBI - but with Ford's name redacted, only to have The Washington Post report land Sunday. This has left Feinstein, 85, drawing fire from both sides. "Senator Feinstein . . . has had this information for many weeks and deprived her colleagues of the information necessary to do our jobs," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the committee, said Monday. "What we have here is a failure of leadership," Kevin de Leon, D-Calif., a state senator, said Friday. He is challenging Feinstein from the left in the general election, having finished a distant second in the June primary ahead of every Republican. She remains favored to win her race, but these next few days could become a defining moment of a long career for Feinstein - and for Grassley and others. Ask the wrong questions, with the wrong tone, they will look insensitive. Go too soft, they will look as if they are not taking the charges seriously enough. Each mistake will be amplified by nonstop coverage from TV stations and social media platforms that didn't exist in October 1991. That's when Biden recalled Thomas to testify on a Friday morning, followed by Hill, then a law professor. Specter, a former prosecutor, cross-examined Hill as if she were a hostile witness - and when he died in 2012, Specter's handling of Hill featured prominently in his obituaries. Thomas denounced the process as a "high-tech lynching." A few weeks later, after a 7-to-7 vote in the committee, Thomas won confirmation on a 52-to-48 vote. In a sign of the different political times, 11 Democrats supported him. Last fall, Hill and her supporters gathered at The Post for an oral history about the entire ordeal. She hoped her experience at least had one benefit. "Things have evolved," she said last year. "I've heard from thousands of women, and some of them tell me very good stories about what has changed." President Donald Trump set the world's two largest economies on course for an all-out trade war, unleashing a list of $200 billion of Chinese products set for tariffs just as the critical holiday shopping season begins. A 10 percent duty will be slapped on everyday items including handbags and furniture to fish and dried fruit starting next Monday and will increase to 25 percent in 2019. China quickly returned the blow, announcing hours later that it plans to retaliate with levies on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. That may open the door to deepen the standoff, with the U.S. president threatening levies on $267 billion more -- nearly everything else China exports to the U.S. -- if Beijing counterstrikes. Manufacturers, retailers and business groups have been lobbying for weeks to escape the final list of products set for duties. Here are some winners and losers: LOSERS: Consumers U.S. households, brace yourselves. Trump's new list of levies covers every corner of the home: soaps and shampoos, hand tools and furniture, leather goods and handbags, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners, and plates and cups, to name a few. Many of the products are staples found in nearly every American household, and are likely to become more expensive. Even the lights on the Christmas tree won't escape a price hike if they're made in China. Retailers from luggage maker Samsonite International SA to handbag seller Steven Madden Ltd. have said they will be forced to raise prices for American buyers. The National Retail Federation warned that tariffs will lead to higher prices and even product shortages. Cyclists Pretty much every part of a bicycle, from saddles and spokes to tubes and frames, features on this latest tariffs list, even after the industry went into overdrive to get relief. About 10 percent of the 6,100 comments the U.S. Trade Representative received during the public consultation period were about bikes. China accounted for nearly all of the 15.4 million bikes the U.S. imported last year, according to Giant Manufacturing Co. It told the USTR that a 25 percent tariff would cost more than $250 million, and Americans would "inevitably" foot the bill. Foodies While caviar might be associated with Russia, some of the world's best comes from China -- leaving lovers of the fish eggs to bemoan its inclusion. It's served in fancy restaurants across the U.S., including Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin. Fans of tilapia, mussels, catfish, cod and roe will likely have to fork out more, as well as those who snack on almonds and macadamia nuts. For those needing a fish fix, frozen cod fillets were left off the final list. Boaters, yachters The made-in-China inflatable rubber boats that get puffed up for summer vacations won't be so cheap anymore. If you prefer a yacht -- like Trump himself -- motorboat, sailboat, or just a canoe, the Chinese variants will probably become pricier, too. WINNERS: Apple Although the Trump administration has been careful not to tax consumer favorites like Chinese-made iPhones, some other Apple products were on the USTR's original $200 billion list proposed in July. The White House spared the category of products that includes the Apple Watch, according to the U.S. Trade Representative office. The tech giant's AirPods got a reprieve, too, as did fitness trackers from Fitbit Inc. Parents Trump's administration excluded big-ticket children's items including car seats, high chairs and playpens from the final list. Target Corp. and Graco Children's Products Inc., part of the baby division of Carl Icahn-backed Newell Brands Inc., were among the companies that lobbied against fresh tariffs. Annual revenue for the U.S. durable baby-goods industry is expected to reach $10.2 billion in 2022, according to IBISWorld. Anyone in pain Got a headache from those higher prices? Find relief knowing the U.S. has at least dropped the painkiller ibuprofen from proposed levies. China is a major supplier of the generic ingredient, which is in short supply for some manufacturers following a technical failure that forced the Texas plant shutdown of producer BASF SE. LNK International Inc., a Hauppauge, New York-based manufacturer of store brands for Walgreens, CVS and Walmart, has no option but to buy from Chinese producers, Chief Executive Officer Joseph Mollica said in a USTR letter. Hospital suppliers Medical gloves and bed sheets were scrubbed from Trump's duty list, a victory for groups such as the Health Industry Distributors Association. Because medical-surgical distributors typically operate on margins of 2 percent, a big new tariff on health-care products "could potentially cripple these businesses," according to a letter this month to the USTR from the group and other health-care associations. Antique collectors Hoarders of Chinese artifacts more than a century old won a reprieve from Trump's duties. The U.S. imported $1.81 billion of artwork, antiques, stamps and other memorabilia in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And ... men with mustaches Put the shaver down. Animal bristles from boars, hogs and badgers used by mustache and beard groomers were spared the chop. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) Malacanang on Tuesday dismissed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV's claims that "highly suspicious" vehicles are casing his house. "First, it's drama, now it appears to be paranoia," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing when asked about the alleged surveillance activity around Trillanes' residence. He also stressed that the government has nothing to do with it. "I think it's very clear the President has left the matter to the RTC (Regional Trial Court) of Makati and so has the Supreme Court," Roque said. The Supreme Court has left it to the discretion of the Makati RTC if it would issue an alias warrant against Trillanes after President Rodrigo Duterte voided his amnesty. The Palace earlier said there is no more reason for Trillanes to continue to hole up in the Senate as Duterte already said there will be no military arrest for Trillanes. Trillanes on Tuesday told Senate reporters he is unfazed by the supposed surveillance as CCTV footage show vehicles roaming around the vicinity of his house. "We can't give them even a small victory na parang nahaharass ako Kung sila'y nastress, edi nananalo ko I'm gaining ground," Trillanes said. He said his camp is checking on the vehicles' plate numbers. Last September 13, Trillanes told the media he is considering leaving the Senate that night. But he retracted his statement when his car was allegedly tailed by unidentified motorcycle-clad men. He said he was also cautioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) arresting units that he would be arrested and detained the moment he leaves Senate premises. Because of the warning, Trillanes maintained he will not leave the Senate premises until the AFP issues a "categorical statement" to not arrest him. He said it would be "an open defiance" of the Supreme Court ruling if authorities arrest him without a warrant from a civilian court. The two branches of the Makati RTC handling Trillanes' cases gave him time to comment on the petition filed by the Justice Department for a warrant and hold departure order against him. This comes after Duterte voided the 2011 amnesty granted to Trillanes by former President Benigno Aquino III. Duterte said Trillanes failed to comply with the requirements, a claim Trillanes' has repetedly denied. Trillanes, a former naval officer, was involved in the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003, the Marines stand-off in February 2006, and the Manila Peninsula incident in 2007 - which were all against then President Gloria Macaagal-Arroyo. Trillanes and fellow Magdalo soldiers were jailed but walked free as Aquino granted them amnesty in 2011. The University of Texas at San Antonio is planning a major downtown expansion on city and county land fueled by millions of dollars in state funding - some already committed, some dependent on future action by the Legislature. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff announced Tuesday their commitment to transfer to the university more than five acres bounded by South Santa Rosa Avenue and Dolorosa, South Flores and West Nueva streets. This represents a partnership that you rarely ever find in public higher education, where governmental entities like this are behaving in a bold way to do something big and audacious in concert with the university to help realize the opportunity that is before us, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy told the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board in a briefing Monday. The parcels belonging to the city will become the locations of the universitys $33 million National Security Collaboration Center and $57 million School of Data Science. The UT System Board of Regents committed $70 million from the states Permanent University Fund at its Sept. 6 meeting for both projects. Businessman Graham Weston, meanwhile, has pledged $15 million toward the School of Data Science, his largest one-time personal donation to a single project and the universitys largest-ever cash gift, Eighmy said. Eighmy said details are still being finalized, but Sculley said the university will purchase the city land for $7.3 million with the expectation that the city will donate other property on Frio Street in the future as part of a proposed second phase of UTSA development. Such an acquisition will need approval from City Council, she said. The county land, valued at about $5.7 million, would be the site of a new College of Business the university wants to build, with officials saying they were optimistic the Legislature would approve $126 million in tuition revenue bonds for that purpose. If legislators do not, however, Eighmy said the university would turn to philanthropy. Asked how the county would be compensated for its land, Wolff said officials were looking at collaborative arrangements in its agreement with the university but provided no specifics. Companies have been forced to leave San Antonio because they couldnt recruit qualified local employees, said Weston, who has been devoted to building a technology hub in San Antonio and rehabilitating downtown. Programs like UTSAs are crucial for that development because they strengthen the pipeline from college to the workforce, he said. This is the biggest announcement in downtown in 50 years, Weston said Tuesday. This is a city emerging into the world stage right now. His real estate development firm, Weston Urban, is working with Frost Bank to build its new headquarters downtown, about two blocks north of the proposed UTSA expansion. Weston Urban has accumulated several more acres along San Pedro Creek. The county land is the site of a privately run detention center housing federal detainees. The county already had plans in the works to move them to an annex currently being built at the Bexar County Jail. The city and university also plan to create private housing, not dorms, for faculty and students under a future public-private partnership at the site of the old Continental Hotel on Commerce Street. The university expects all of this first phase of expansion to be finished by 2023. A second growth phase is expected to roll out between 2023 and 2028 involving major construction west of its existing downtown campus, more than doubling it in size. Leaders anticipate the expansion will aid UTSA in its pursuit of an elite designation called Tier One status. In 2009, legislators designated UTSA and several other Texas colleges as emerging research universities and established a pot of funds for the universities to unlock as they meet certain benchmarks. Nirenberg said the hope for lawmakers cooperation in authorizing the tuition revenue bonds to build the College of Business was bolstered by a visit with Gov. Greg Abbott in June, when the first thing he mentioned was his agreement with the vision Taylors brought to expanding and achieving Tier One status at UTSA. The city, county and university leaders also pointed to a downtown transformation in Phoenix after Arizona State University created a new campus downtown. It drew more than 10,000 students, reinvigorated a sleepy downtown and contributed to sales tax revenue growth. For UTSA to be downtown San Antonio is a game changer, Sculley said. (Thousands of) students now in the downtown has totally transformed Phoenix and this has the same potential to be transformative. The universitys growth will add to efforts by San Antonio and Bexar County to spur development along San Pedro Creek, which they are in the process of turning into a landscaped leisure trail at a cost of $175 million. The hope is that the rehabilitated creek will bring new life to the western edge of downtown, now dotted with parking lots and empty storefronts. A new federal courthouse is set to be built across the street from UTSA's proposed addition there. The city also plans to spend $9.2 million for the redevelopment of the Alameda Theater on the creek to serve as headquarters for Texas Public Radio. UTSA has been working to make the downtown campus more optimal for students to complete their coursework without having to go to the main campus about 20 miles north, just inside Loop 1604. This years incoming students in the universitys colleges of public policy and architecture, construction and planning can fulfill degree requirements entirely downtown, university officials have said. The university also has announced partnerships with the Tobin Lofts and Doubletree by Hilton San Antonio to offer housing to downtown campus students. The idea is to make life very amendable for folks who want to live downtown. A lot of our students are very interested in this, Eighmy said. A lot of our younger faculty are very interested in this. They like the idea of being in a vibrant downtown corridor. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva Discussions of an Alamo Plaza overhaul have been in the works for decades, but for the first time a plan was approved by the Alamo Management Committee earlier this month. It was one of many hurdles the plan will have to clear before its city council vote in late November. If passed, the plan could take up to six years to become a reality. After nine months in Pearsalls South Texas Detention Facility as she sought asylum getting sick from stress and promising her young son they would be reunited Josefina Ortiz Corrales of Honduras lost her case on Tuesday. She has decided to appeal and will remain in detention until there is a final order, which could be months away. She has been detained and separated from her 4-year-old since December. Honduran gangs murdered one of Ortizs daughters, and her partner physically abused her regularly, which Ortiz and and her lawyer, Sara Ramey, argued were grounds for asylum. But under Attorney General Jeff Sessions recent decision narrowing the scope of asylum claims, Judge Stuart Acorn told them they could scrap any arguments related to domestic or gang violence. "Before Matter of A-B (Sessions decision) we had more of a chance of winning," said Ramey, executive director of the San Antonio-based Migrant Center for Human Rights. Within the nearly 20-page declaration given to the judge before the hearing are pictures of scars on Ortizs scalp, arms, and eye from her boyfriends beatings. Letters from friends and family recount his abusive behavior. In her statement, she noted that her partner harmed her adopted son, Erik. Ortiz, 51, was separated from her son at the U.S.-Mexico border in December, when the family separation practice was quietly taking place under the Trump administrations zero-tolerance policy. The administration reversed itself in June and began slowly reunifying more than 2,000 children with their parents. The latest numbers in the Ms. L court case, which ordered government deadlines for reunification earlier this summer, indicate there are still 437 children who were separated from their parents at the border and remain in government care. Evelyn Zepeda, 30, another daughter of Ortiz, moved to the United States a few years ago and was waiting for her mother and her little brother to follow suit, when they were separated at the border and their familys plans for refuge was thrown into chaos. Ortiz adopted Erik when he was born . And though she has no legal documents to prove it, she and Ramey have produced letters from relatives, photos of them when the boy was a baby and other proof of her care for little Eric. If Ortiz ultimately loses and is deported, it will be up to Zepeda, who works the night shift at an Austin tortilleria and is also raising a son of her own, to save up enough money to send Erik back to his mother. When her mother had called her to tell her the verdict, they both cried on the phone. Imagine being nine months in that place, just so they come and tell you that you cant leave. Its too much for her, Zepeda said. The Sessions decision this June narrowing the scope of asylum claims overturned Obama-era precedents and was largely regarded as an attempt to address Trumps concerns that criminals are using asylum as a loophole to gain entry into the United States. Asylum-seekers must prove that theyre part of a particular social group being persecuted based on a part of their identity, like race, religion or nationality. They must also prove that the harm in their home country is either caused by the government, or the government is "unable or unwilling" to protect them from violence. Immigration lawyers argue that domestic violence in Central America is pervasive enough to be considered systematic not just an individual incident of abuse in one household, but the product of a government that is actively choosing not to help women who are harmed by their husbands. In Honduras, the female murder rate has increased 37 percent between 2008 and 2015, according to an Amnesty International report. "The vast majority of crimes reported against women remains unpunished, with an estimated 95 percent impunity rate," it reads. A UN Human Right Council report in April 2017 on Honduras said "state security forces offer limited or no protection to these communities It should be emphasized that the state remains responsible for the protection of all citizens from threats to their lives and security and if it does not take reasonable measures in that regard, the state is in violation of the right to life." Rameys arguments contend that a culture of machismo, corruption and other cultural indicators in Central America have created an environment where women are a persecuted group, and should therefore qualify for refugee status. She also tried another tactic the Convention Against Torture, which, like seeking asylum, would allow Ortiz to stay in the Untied States. Refugees can qualify under this designation if the government of their home country directly caused them harm, if it sent someone else to cause them harm, or if it employed what lawyers call consent or acquiescence. sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF A San Antonio man was found safe after shortly after San Antonio police issued a silver alert and asked for the public's help. Joe Lee Tracy, 78, was located around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in good condition, officials said. Three months after convicted felon Carlos Uresti vacated his state Senate seat, voters will choose his successor today. Republican Pete Flores, a retired game warden, and Democrat Pete Gallego, a former U.S. and state representative, emerged from Julys special election in first- and second-place, respectively, from a field of 11, resulting in the runoff. About 18,955 voters in Senate District 19 cast ballots during early voting last week, according to election officials in several counties. At least 6,391 more voted by mail. Some officials reported seeing a higher early voting turnout for the runoff than the special election. No one came out for the special election, said DAnn Green, clerk for Real County. Apparently they got the news that it is important. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The sprawling district encompasses all or parts of 17 counties, including a portion of San Antonio, large swaths of West Texas and 400 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Early voting by county Atascosa: 1,390 Bexar: 8,430 Brewster: 1,149 Crockett: 188 Dimmit: 288 Edwards: 128 Frio: 217 Kinney: 166 Maverick: 786 Medina: 2,659 Pecos: 408 Real: 292 Reeves: 278 Terrell: 45 Uvalde: 887 Val Verde: 1,447 Zavala: 197 Source: County election officials See More Collapse The winner of the runoff will serve the rest of Urestis term, which runs through 2020. The longtime lawmaker was sentenced in June to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme. Read more about the state Senate District 19 runoff on ExpressNews.com. Dylan McGuinness covers county government and local politics for the Express-News. Reach him at dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net and follow him on Twitter @DylMcGuinness. For the first time in NASA's 60-year existence, the space agency has tapped a woman to lead the Mission Control flight directors at Houston's Johnson Space Center. Holly Ridings, a Texas native, has worked at NASA for 20 years. She was named chief flight director Thursday, the first woman to ever hold this position. "Holly has proven herself a leader among a group of highly talented flight directors," Brian Kelly, NASA's director of flight operations, said in a statement. "I know she will excel in this unique and critical leadership position providing direction for the safety and success of human spaceflight missions." PAVING THE WAY: NASA's Vanessa Wyche first African American named second in command at Johnson Space Center Ridings, 44, did not provide a comment Monday. In her new role, she will manage all 32 flight directors and flight directors-in-training. These individuals are in charge of keeping the astronauts and the International Space Station safe by leading teams of controllers, researchers, engineers and support personnel at the Houston center. If something goes wrong, flight directors have to be able to make split-second decisions while holding someone's life in their hands. For example, in 1970 during the Apollo 13 mission, Gene Kranz was in charge of an enormous team on the ground that helped bring the three astronauts home after an oxygen tank explosion forced them to abort their trip to the moon. FROM SPACE TO MISSION CONTROL: NASA's T.J. Creamer first astronaut to become Mission Control flight director Ridings who has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University became a flight director in 2005. Her predecessor, Norm Knight, became chief flight director in 2012. The Texas native steps into her leadership role at a time of transition for the space agency. LONG, LATE HOURS: NASA's Mission Control team shifts to younger recruits Since taking office last year, President Donald Trump has pushed for the U.S. to return to the moon as a stepping stone toward Mars. Trump's $19.9 billion proposed budget for the next fiscal year tasks NASA with launching Americans around the moon in 2023. It also would set aside $504.2 million in the coming year to begin working on the foundation of a $2.7 billion Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway basically a mini-space station orbiting the moon where astronauts could live and work. Officials have said the gateway should be fully functional by 2026, with human missions to the lunar surface expected soon after. Ridings "will lead the team during exciting times as they adapt to support future missions with commercial partners and beyond low-Earth orbit," Kelly said. Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey. For several years now, scholars have argued that the world is experiencing a democratic recession. They have noted that the movement of countries toward democracy has slowed or stopped and even, in some places, reversed. They also note a general hollowing out of democracy in the advanced, industrial world. When we think about this problem, inevitably and rightly we worry about Donald Trump, his attacks on judges, the free press and his own Justice Department. But there is also a worrying erosion of a core democratic norm taking place on the left. It has become commonplace to hear cries on the left to deny controversial figures on the right a platform to express their views. Colleges have disinvited speakers like Condoleezza Rice and Charles Murray. Other campuses were unwilling or unable to allow conservative guests to actually speak, with protests overwhelming the events. A similar controversy now involves Steve Bannon, who, in recent months, has been making the rounds on the airwaves and in print including an interview I did with him on CNN. Some have claimed that Bannon, since leaving the administration, is simply unimportant and irrelevant and thus shouldnt be given a microphone. But if that were the case, surely the media, which after all is a for-profit industry, would notice the lack of public interest and stop inviting him. The reality is that the people running the Economist, the Financial Times, 60 Minutes, the New Yorker and many others who have recently sought to feature Bannon know that he is an intelligent and influential ideologist, a man who built the largest media platform for the new right, ran Trumps successful campaign before serving in the White House, and continues to articulate and energize the populism thats been on the rise throughout the Western world. The real fear that many on the left have is not that Bannon is dull and uninteresting, but the opposite that his ideas will prove seductive and persuasive to too many people. Hence his detractors solution: Dont give him a platform, and hope that this will make his ideas go away. But they wont. In fact, by trying to suppress Bannon and others on the right, liberals are likely making their ideas seem more potent. Did the efforts of communist countries to muzzle capitalist ideas work? Liberals need to be reminded of the origins of their ideology. In 1859, when governments around the world were still deeply repressive banning books, censoring commentary and throwing people in jail for their beliefs John Stuart Mill explained in his seminal work, On Liberty, that protection against governments was not enough: There needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against the tendency of society to impose ... its own ideas and practices ... on those who dissent from them. This classic defense of free speech, which Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes later called the freedom for the thought that we hate, is under pressure in America and from the left. Weve been here before. Half a century ago, students were also shutting down speakers whose views they found deeply offensive. In 1974, William Shockley, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who in many ways was the father of the computer revolution, was invited by Yale students to defend his abhorrent view that blacks were a genetically inferior race who should be voluntarily sterilized. He was to debate Roy Innis, the African-American leader of the Congress of Racial Equality. (The debate was Innis idea.) A campus uproar ensued and the event was canceled. A later, rescheduled debate with another opponent was disrupted. The difference today is that Yale recognized it had failed in not ensuring that Shockley could speak. It commissioned a report on free speech that remains a landmark declaration of the duty of universities to encourage debate and dissent. The report flatly states that a college cannot make its primary and dominant value the fostering of friendship, solidarity, harmony, civility or mutual respect. ... It will never let these values ... override its central purpose. We value freedom of expression precisely because it provides a forum for the new, the provocative, the disturbing and the unorthodox. The report added: We take a chance, as the First Amendment takes a chance, when we commit ourselves to the idea that the results of free expression are to the general benefit in the long run, however unpleasant they may appear at the time. It is on this bet for the long run, a bet on freedom of thought, belief, expression and action that liberal democracy rests. fareed.zakaria.gps@turner.com At Spark Media's annual event, a top marketing scientist from the Australia-based Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Dr Virginia Beal got attendees thinking and rethinking the role of memory in reaching consumers. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach, you'll do well to factor in light media buyers and light media users. The theme of Dr Beal's presentation. A slide from Dr Beal's presentation. Marketing is the race car, media is the race track Theres often a misunderstanding between media and marketing, with digital punted as the future of consumer brands, to which Place says nonsense, marketing is the future of consumer brands thats just now taking place more prevalently on digital media. Marketing is the race car, media is the race track. Why you shouldnt ignore light buyers of your category and brand SOUTH AFRICA #CEMAfrica2018: Why customer loyalty is becoming a thing of the past and what to do about it SOUTH AFRICA #ShopperMarketing: Consumers consider brands for just 10 seconds in store Recency; Continuity; and Maximising reach over the run of the campaign. The role of recency and familiarity in resonating with consumers A slide from Dr Beal's presentation. What to do if a competitor is outspending your advertising budget If you have the chance to reach two people once or one person twice, rather reach two people once. SOUTH AFRICA Actual impact, not cost per thousand Factoring in the natural monopoly effect and double jeopardy of media Audience quality and rethinking retargeting Does the opportunity to see = exposure and memorable impact? Will the opportunity to see (OTS) convert to exposure? What impact will it have on the consumers memory? SOUTH AFRICA #BizTrends2018: Rewind from attention spam back to attention span Forecasting for ad budgets Externally focused market-based; Linking to profit and the internal performance of the brand; and An objective and task-based method that considers both internal and external factors. SOUTH AFRICA My generation failed to create loyalty Putting it all into place: Make fewer, better ads that reach the right consumers at the right frequency To recap: Who: Across the five dimensions, you need to speak to your entire buyer base and the light buyers When: Aim for a continuous presence to capitalise on the recency effect and the gap between exposure and purchase Where: This depends on the task at hand, but use media with the biggest audience and where the light brand buyers are likely to be How much: This is calibrated to what constitutes the category. A general rule of thumb is to set aside 10% of the brands gross profit, budgeted out for continuity with reach How: By building appropriate memory structures, refreshing consumers links to your brand to get them to buy. Novelty and familiarity both create attention. Read more SOUTH AFRICA SPARK Media once again hosts international marketing scientist! SOUTH AFRICA How to grow brands After industry networking and downing a full breakfast at the Protea Fire & Ice Hotel on 13 September 2018, Spark Medias joint-CEO Gill Randall welcomed attendees to the Cape Town leg of their countrywide roadshow event.Randall also explained their affiliation with the not-for-profit Ehrenberg-Bass Institute (EBI), which is focused on sharing marketing knowledge.The speaker this year was EBI senior marketing scientist Dr Virginia Beal. She discussed the essentials of media consumer behaviour, unpacking how marketers can optimise their media scheduling budgets, based on empirical evidence, in a presentation titled: Making media work for brand growth.Dr Beal said we know advertising works through memory, but we need to better explore the five dimensions of that.The first dimension iswith our media buy.To grow, we obviously we want to reach all category buyers but beyond reaching everybody, in the market, it needs to be appropriate to the category we operate in.Doug Place, chief marketing officer for Nandos SA, explained Dr Beals point well:So its not just a case of doing more on digital for automatic brand success, but about being strategic and running your campaign on the right channels to reach those customers.Dr Beal saidcan help with media buy as its fairly predictable, but we need to also look under the purchase frequency to see the pattern. The, often making irregular purchases, are interesting to note.For example, EBIs annual data on breakfast cereal purchases in the UK shows that the average for this is 25 times a year, but 61% of buyers purchase from this category less often than that.Its also interesting to note light buyers with specific brand purchasing. Based on reasonably new data from the EBI that looks at the results over time, they found that 35% of Head and Shoulders shampoo buyers in the UK only bought the product once in six years.Zooming in on why theyre such light buyers, Dr Beal explained that most are light buyers of the category overall, and they also buy from a repertoire of brands within the category. So your brand is really fighting for the consumers attention, as brand loyalty is not what it once was.Shifting focus to, Dr Beal said these are worth more to marketers in terms of media strategy as they are the more loyal buyers of your brand.We need to look at what marketers and advertisers can do to nudge further sales from the heavy buyer base. This tends to be smaller than the light buyer base yet they are already converts, predisposed to your brand over the others in the category.Dr Beal says when faced with competing brands, its our memories that direct what we notice. So purchase decisions are not hard-wired by biology but rather soft-wired by memory.The measure of total reach is important, with wastage often overstated as it has saved many brands.Moving from the who to when to speak to those consumers, Dr Beal said there are three principles to consider:When people are contacted closer in time, the more recent memory refresh means theres a greater propensity for them to buy your brand.So you need to create a continuous presence, both to capitalise on the recency effect, as well as to catch new purchasers as they enter the market.Doing so means you reach light media users more effectively and also helps your consumers build memories of your brand.Elaborating on the factors to consider here, Dr Beal pointed out that as consumers, we switch off a little cognitively and dont pay attention when we see an ad repeatedly. With the, we keep processing the ad and recognise that weve seen it before. But our level of memory is much higher when the message is spaced out over time.So the propensity to buy is nudged by advertising, and while there is a level of decay of advertising effects, theres no need to present the same message again and again over the same evening, as there is a lingering effect.That said, competitor advertising can lessen the impact of your brands messaging and being completely off the air is like saying, take advantage of my buyers memory structures. We need to be present.So while its best for your messaging to be spaced out, you should also aim forDr Beal explained that each spot in a campaign needs to ideally reach someone and move them from zero to one exposure, as the largest impact from advertising happens then.Dr Beal says that even if a competitor is outspending you and bursting in your space, youll get the best results if you stick with a spaced-out strategy that moves people from zero to one. This means smaller brands should be minimising frequency to get this right over a longer period of time.Your first ad will also deliver 100% pure reach, so you need to get that timing just right for most media types as you grow reach you also grow frequency. Dr Beal says to do so with due course to seasonality too, and where those budgets usually are throughout the year.Moving on to the aspect of, Dr Beal reminded us that marketers have a myriad of choices of where to place their media buy. The big media often do what the smaller ones cant in terms of overall reach, at a better pace.Theres also a, where the shows with better ratings are also better at reaching the light users youre after. Note that theres no one size fits all approach for this, as theres no complete data on cross-media consumption. That said, Dr Beal points out that the fundamentals of audience consumption of media do fit into best practice for this.Theres also, as small brands are penalised as a result of larger brands reach, as well as the fact that those smaller brands tend to have a smaller audience that they interact with less frequently.The same pattern exists within the various media types, including online media and social media platforms.Dr Beal says double jeopardy is useful in terms of knowing how niche media restricts reach. As a result, you should prioritise big media first, then complementary media that hits your light brand buyers as well as light media users, based on reach and audience quality. She acknowledges this is difficult in a fragmented media landscape.In thinking of your audience beyond size, its also about the audience quality and using Facebook not just to buy ad space, but also to see whats represented by the Facebook likers of a brand. This tends to be skewed towards the heavy brand buyers, as consumers wont like the brand on Facebook if theyre not already buying it or interested in buying it in future.Note that these arethe people you want to reach, as they are already your brand fans.Dr Beal also cautioned that retargeting is not necessarily the answer for digital marketing, as the consumer may have already been on that holiday or went in store and found they didnt like the fit of those clothes, so they dont necessarily want to see them again.There are two main questions to consider when selecting media:As part of that, you also need to note what constitutes that opportunity to see, as the baseline threshold for what was considered the opportunity to create the exposure. Dr Beal says we often compare apples not just to other apples or oranges, but to sushi in this regard.Also factor in how the messaging is competing with other ads from other brands, as well as which devices are used to see the brand messaging, and the effect of those device-specific distractions around the consumer.The main advertising avoidance behaviours per media type, like, often cant be measured behaviorally. Lastly, Dr Beal says to think of the memory enrichment aspect. Is the messaging just visual, just auditory or both? We take in 99% of information through our eyes, but this depends on the specific campaign.Next, we need to factor inis appropriated.Dr Beal says advertising budget is not typically thought of as forecasting, but this is a key factor in determining a likely response from the market based on levels of spend. The EBI uses leading climate forecasters principles to drive what is spoken about.Key among these is to. You dont necessarily need to go for the biggest budget, rather stick to the cumulative knowledge around different techniques for budgeting. Also, use multiple methods for a robust budgeting forecast. Dr Beal said the three main methods are:Keeping this all in mind and focusing on how to enhance the consumers memory of your brand, Dr Beal said that after considering reach, its about the visuals and ensuring your advertising is correctly attributed to your brand. This is Advertising 101 but often missed in the industry.You need to create creative ads that grab attention and creates an emotional response, while also leading to more processing of the brand so that theres a stronger link in the consumers memory. Its not necessarily even about creating an intense emotional reaction something they like and will be willing to pay attention to when they see it again.Dr Beal also says to put those light buyers and cognitive misers first, who get away with thinking less when given the opportunity we all do this when were tired, like watching TV after a long day in the office. This flows through to the concept ofand investing in getting the work out there, with the greatest impact possible.Remember that exposure effects fade over time, yet creating one winning ad can be effective for years.Thats why the simple messaging of the Cremora TV ads, first aired in the 1980s, have stood the test of time: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Almost 10 memorable years have passed since I began my position as a member of the CPS Energy board. In that time, I have worked to support the company not only in its day-to-day operations but also as it faced challenges from extreme weather temperatures, devastating storms or other complexities that affect electric and gas utilities. CPS Energy devotes hours of planning and preparation to maintaining adequate supplies of energy during the long, hot summer and the bitter, cold winter. Being prepared also helps ensure that employees, vehicles and equipment are in place before, during and after service-altering storms. Many additional employees work behind the scenes, such as call center staff and field support personnel, both day and night to assist customers in their time of need. Meeting the future energy needs of our community is critical and is evidenced by emerging research and exploration of new technologies. My dear reader, let me tell you something you probably already know: Practice does not always make perfect. Many journalists write for a living, but that doesnt mean all journalists are good writers. Some are good reporters. Some are good observers. Some have a good handle on people. Some are good thinkers. San Diego-based journalist Jean Guerrero is one heck of a good writer. Good enough, at 30, to have earned a masters of fine arts in creative nonfiction, and have written for The Wall Street Journal from Mexico City. Good enough to have her critically acclaimed first book Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir published by Penguin/Random House, and see that labor of love win the 2016 PEN/Fusion Emerging Writers Prize. And good enough to have started her books prologue with this grito: Im sorry, Papi. Perdoname. I know how much you hate to be pursued. Youve spent your whole life running. Now the footsteps chasing you are mine. I was hooked. What follows are pages and pages of smooth prose, painful introspection, smart analysis and deep self-awareness coupled with a brazen airing of familial laundry. As a reporter for public television, Guerreros day job has her covering the U.S.-Mexico border, and she has become an expert on timely yet thorny subjects like family separation and human trafficking. From what Ive seen, she knows how to find a story. But what makes her stand out, and makes the book worth the read, is her ability to tell that story. As I was reading, I got a surprise. The book isnt about what I thought it would be about. This cross-border memoir is not really about the border at all, as much as it is about a man who got crossways with those who loved him. The U.S.-Mexico border is merely the stage for this play. The plot revolves around family. The drama between Guerrero, her parents and her younger sister spreads everywhere including both sides of the border like the contents of a spilled purse. For Guerrero, the border is nothing more than a line scribbled in the dirt. Though she was born in San Diego, she sees herself as both American and Mexican a citizen of both countries. Yet, until she moved to Mexico at 22, she didnt speak Spanish, as she puts it, beyond a childs capacity. The lead role in this drama belongs to Marco Antonio Guerrero, Jeans Mexican-born father, a hard worker with big dreams that were beaten down by a flurry of punches bad choices, drug addiction, marital infidelity, mental illness. We all know someone like Marco stuck between wanting to be a good husband and father, and realizing that those things are not within our capacity. Jean has known her father all her life. Yet, writing this book allowed her to meet him for the first time. My father was always crossing borders, Guerrero told me. Between substance abuse and sobriety, between madness and sanity. The heroine of the story is undoubtedly Guerreros mother, and namesake, Puerto Rican-born Jeannette Del Valle, a physician who also maintained a home and raised two girls as a single mom without complaint. She loved Marco long after she reached the point where she couldnt live with him, and feared for her daughters safety enough to ask him to leave. We all know someone like Jeannette playing the rotten hand she was dealt while putting her children first. Guerrero admits that she has, for most of her life, had an unhealthy obsession with discovering what made her father tick even though he wasnt around. Heck, probably because he wasnt around. Yet, ironically, its her mother who had the greatest influence on her life. The truth is my relationship with my mother is even more complicated than my relationship with my father, and I dont think I could even begin to explore it through the page until I have children of my own, she said. I discovered my feminism and the amazing strength of the women in my family and myself through my journey in pursuit of my father. And what other treasure did she find? I discovered that all my father ever wanted was to be heard, she said. So now, in my work, I naturally gravitate to people who want to be heard. No doubt, Guerrero finds a lot to gravitate to on the U.S.-Mexico border. And those hungry for a hearing are fortunate to have the ear of such a gifted storyteller. ruben@rubennavarrette.com Re: Trump not the only one breaking norms, by Marc A. Thiessen, Other Views, Saturday: Thiessen seems to conveniently forget that George W. Bush left the presidency markedly unpopular. The Iraq War and the collapse of the economic bubble of 07 and 08 weighed heavily on him. Republicans had not called on him for more than a decade. If Barack Obama reversed Bushs policies, it was because, first, Democrats had to regulate predatory lending, subprime mortgages, derivative bundling and American credit card debt. Second, the health care industry was in crisis, with Americans paying a greater portion of their income for care than the rest of the industrialized world. Today, Bush and Obama are in agreement on the Trump-induced moral crisis. Thank you for listing Obamas achievements. His speech was so refreshing and reassuring. American class and dignity still exist somewhere. The author also forgets to mention that the Russians have helped install the Trump government and even today are menacing the November election. Many of Trumps cronies are flipping, eager to offer evidence. Michael L. Vogelsang Go ahead, compare Re: In cahoots with Cruz, Your Turn, Sept. 9: I wish the Express-News would publish a comparison of Rafael Ted Cruzs and Robert Beto ORourkes stands on immigration the wall and the separation of families and detention of children education and the poverty resulting without it. Also on health care, the war on womens ability to prevent unwanted pregnancies, lack of protection for the environment, the ignorant bathroom bill mentality, the ineffective and expensive war on drugs and all the other issues our dysfunctional Texas politicians and the Congress havent addressed appropriately. If young people and all those who display Beto signs show up at the polls for the November election, letter writers and other right-wingers may be in for a rude awakening! Ginger Burkholder, Grey Forest No ethnic conflict Re: Alamo battle against dictatorship, Another View by Allan Parker, Saturday: Thank you for printing this. It is a sensible, timely and informed message. I agree to never surrender and never forget. Bev Lemes, Bulverde A warrant of arrest has been issued against businessman Genius Kadungure after he failed to pitch for his fraud trial yesterday. Kadungure is jointly charged with Wicknell Chivayo on two counts of fraud dating back to 2012. The businessman was said to be out of the country. His estranged partner, Zodwa Mkandla, appeared at the trial reportedly as a witness. My client is currently out of the country and failed to make it back in Zimbabwe on time. Maybe an administrative warrant of arrest can be issued pending his appearance in court, Kadungures lawyer Jonathan Samukange told the court. The trial was subsequently postponed to October 9. The State is alleging that sometime in November 2012, Chivayo connived with Kadungure to create a fictitious company named Transco Civil Engineering, purportedly based in neighbouring South Africa. It is being alleged that they proceeded to open an ABSA bank account. The State claims they also opened an email account procurement@marangediamonds.com purporting to be doing business for Marange Diamonds, which is one of the companies that used to operate in Chiadzwa, in Marange. It is said they rented space at Hetzner (Private) Limited in South Africa. Chivayo and Kadungure then contacted the complainant, whose name was not revealed in court, pretending to be the chief buyers at Marange Resources, looking for mining pumps. They reportedly gave the complainant an order to supply 10 T-90 Transco-Flo Helical Rotor pumps and referred him to Transco knowing that it was a fictitious company. The complainant then sent his brother, Enock Gatawa and ZAR446 900 was deposited into Transcos ABSA account and a further ZAR300 000 later that day. After transferring the money, Gatawa contacted Transco and was told to go back to Zimbabwe and wait for delivery of the pumps from DHL in three days. To his surprise, Gatawa got a parcel that had cellphone chargers and realised they had been swindled. Kadungure used ZAR500 000 to buy gas and another ZAR500 000 was transferred into the account of Edward Teka. Chivayo and Kadungure converted ZAR1 046 890 to their own use. The complainant in the second case is Dexter Nduna, the member of Parliament for Chegutu West constituency. Using the same modus operandi, it is alleged Kadungure and Chivayo opened an ABSA bank account under the name Always on Pumps (Private) Limited. They then approached Nduna claiming they were looking for mining pumps. Nduna was given an order for 20 T-90 Transco-Flo Helical Rotor pumps before being referred to Always on Pumps, which was purported to be a reputable supplier. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News - The authors of a new book say PDP leaders adopted Obasanjo as their presidential candidate because they considered him the best person for the job - Supporters of presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, say the former vice president has all it takes to be president of Nigeria Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, reportedly saved ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo, from near bankruptcy before he emerged president in 1999, authors of a new book have claimed. Vanguard reports that the book written by a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, and Ayisha Osori, titled, Too Good to Die: Third Term and the Myth of the Indispensable Man in Africa, detailed how Obasanjo beat late Alex Ekwueme to the presidential ticket of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the 1999 election. READ ALSO: Senator defects again just few weeks after leaving APC for PDP According to the authors, Atiku said he made all his resources available for Obasanjos presidential campaign. The book stated that PDP leaders adopted Obasanjo as their presidential candidate because they considered him the best person for the job. Implicit in their position was their belief that they knew how to manipulate Obasanjo and the fact that Obasanjo did their bidding in 1979. They felt secure that he could be managed again, the authors wrote. When Atiku and Obasanjo discussed the call to serve as president, Obasanjo said he could not be president because he was a nearly bankrupt ex-convict. Atiku, through General (Aliyu) Gusau, paid money into Obasanjos account to begin his financial rehabilitation. "Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar helped out by granting him an unconditional pardon. Atiku put everything he had at his disposal to support Obasanjos emergence as the PDP presidential candidate and, when he joined the ticket as the vice-presidential nominee, continued to make his assets available to Obasanjo and the campaign. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app During a campaign stop in Atikus village, Jada, Adamawa State, Obasanjo spent a night in Atikus home. When he woke up the next day, he reportedly asked Atiku when he built the house and, to Atikus response, reportedly retorted: (I) will never be poor again." Meanwhile, supporters of presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, have pleaded with ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo, to end his rift with his former vice president in order to enhance Atikus chances in the 2019 presidential election. Atiku, who served as vice president during the Obasanjo administration, reportedly fell out with the ex-president after an alleged botched third term bid of his principal. The Tribune reports that the group under the umbrella of Reset Foundation, said they were practically pleading on their knees for Obasanjo to support Atikus presidential bid. Nigeria Latest News: Atiku Abubakar - Exclusive Comments About The Elections | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng It appears that the war between celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji and ex-governors daughter, Kemi Omololu Olunloyo, will not come to an end soon. It could be recalled that when the blogger revealed her pregnancy on social media, Olunloyo was the first to say it was a lie. Olunloyo claimed that Linda Ikeji is not capable of carrying her own child, adding that the only way she would ever become a mother is through surrogacy. Legit.ng earlier reported that on Monday, September 17, the billionaire blogger finally welcomed her baby boy in Atlanta Georgia. Not too long after the news took over the internet, Olunloyo in her usual self stylishly attacked the new mom. She congratulated her on the birth of baby J but maintained Linda Ikejis son was given birth to by a surrogate mom. READ ALSO: Igbo guys take care of women better than Yoruba men - Lady says (photos) Her Twitter post reads: WELCOME SURROGATE BABY J. YOUR MOM SHOWED YOU 0OFF SO MUCH IN A NAKED AIRBRUSHED MOONBUMP BUT COULDNT SNAPCHAT YOUR BIRTH LIKE ASHAD KHALED? ISSOKAY MADAMKOO. See post below: In another YouTube video, she said: Linda Ikeji was never pregnant, I dont believe that you all spend all your time on social media for somebody that is lying over something. Linda cannot have children because she does not have a womb says her own sister. Unfortunately Laura Ikeji is the town crier in that family and these guys says so many things that have proven them wrong. The surrogate had a problem with Linda, I have a lot of people working for Linda and they her betraying her. PAY ATTENTION: Best love tips and relationship advice on Africa Love Aid group! Watch full interview below: Wow! Is Wizkid a DeadBeat Dad? - Nigeria News Today | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit.ng The governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday, September 17, reportedly asked at an event if he was qualified to speak after the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, had addressed the audience. Actually, I didnt prepare to come and say anything here And who am I to speak after the Jagaban has spoken? Governor Ambode reportedly asked at the launch of a book authored by Jim Ovia, the founder of Zenith Bank Plc. READ ALSO: Senator defects again just few weeks after leaving APC for PDP The event had top Nigerian leaders including governors in attendance. Ambodes comment reportedly caused laughter as he spoke upon invitation just immediately after Tinubu who was a governor of Lagos between 1999 and 2007. Congratulations to Jim Ovia on the publication of his new book Africa; Rise and Shine. I am certain that the wealth of experience shared will serve as a compass for young entrepreneurs who dare to dream and redefine the African narrative, the governor later said in a tweet. Legit.ng earlier reported that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the embattled Lagos state governor, Akinwumi Ambode, has not approached the party for its governorship ticket. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app The speculation of the governors possible defection was said to have been fuelled by a newspaper interview granted by the national chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu. Nigeria Latest News: Primate Ayodeles Predictions About The Upcoming 2019 Elections | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Babachir David Lawal has said he has forgiven those who conspired against him - The former SGF claimed allegations against him were false - He said former vice president Atiku could not win the 2019 election The former secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir David Lawal, has spoken for the first time after his removal, claiming people close to him and benefitted from his goodwill were responsible for his downfall. The Nation reports that Lawal spoke in Abuja saying he did not try to defend himself against the allegations rained on him because his enemies were bent on seeing him removed. He said if President Muhammadu Buharis acceptance of his suggestions makes him a member of a cabal, he was glad to be associated with it. READ ALSO: Kogi governors convoy reportedly involved in serious crash He said: Let me tell you, nothing happened to me. It was just a fabrication and I know it. That is why it didnt bother me right from the beginning. That is why people dont like me because I am self-confident. It didnt bother me. Did I defend myself that time and I am not doing it because I know they were fabricated because they wanted the SGF position. I am still doing fine. If you want to make heaven as a Christian, never carry any grudge. Forgiveness is principle number one and I want to make heaven. Before I came into government, I was a very successful businessman, a world renowned IT consultant. I abandoned that and came into government and was earning N930, 000 every month. Now, I have been sacked. Before then, I had a farm, 1000 hectares of farm land which I could not pay attention to because I was doing government job. Now, I have gone back to my farm and deactivated it completely and I now have 4000 hectare under cultivation. Last year, I earned close to half a billion Naira from my farm. I have a cattle ranch that I am developing gradually and I am back to IT consultancy. I will say life is good. Was I like this before? Everybody that sees me now tells me, you are looking good. I did expect Nigerians to stand behind me. You know that I am a Pastor; people always forget that I am a pastor. The Bible says that God works in all things for the good of those who trust him. There is something that has happened to me which, if I had not gone through this experience, I would not have known. There are people that I have helped that are determined to say that I should not see the light of day. All along, they were carrying my children to school, but scheming that I die. I would not have known that. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app I would not have known that people I was paying school fees for their children and feeding them were actually people who were envious of me. I would not have known that. I wouldnt have known. That as a human being, you have no co two, over your destiny. God does it and I believe that the way the Bible puts it, everything that happen to you is for your own good. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Adamawa rejected the indirect primaries planned by the state government ahead of the primary elections. The stakeholders led by Babachir Lawal also complained about marginalisation and hijacking of the state congresses by the Adamawa government. They made the allegations at a press briefing held in Yola, the state capital on Saturday, September 15. Nigeria Latest News: Not Too Young to Run Pay a Visit to APC and PDP | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - A witness, Edwin Uduji, claimed that suspected kidnapper, Evans, collected ransom in dollars - Evans allegedly collected $1 million as ransom for the witness' elder brother, James Uduji - Uduji claimed that Evans threatened to collect a $10,000 fine for any fake dollar bill in the ransom A witness, Edwin Uduji, on Monday, September 17, told an Igbosere high court in Lagos how kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, threatened to collect a fine of 10,000 dollars for any fake 100 dollar bill in the ransom paid to him. Uduji, an elder brother to abduction victim, James Uduji, made the revelation while giving evidence at the trial of Evans, the Anambra-born high-profile kidnapper, known for kidnapping mainly billionaires. Evans is currently facing two separate charges, bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder, before Justice Adedayo Akintoye. READ ALSO: Buhari reacts as Boko Haram insurgents kill aid worker kidnapped in Borno The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the first charge, Evans is standing trial alongside one Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba. In the second charge, the big time kidnapper is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba. At the resumed trial, Uduji narrated to the court how he paid one million dollar ransom to the kidnappers of his brother. He said that he was contacted by phone by the kidnappers two days after his brother (James) was kidnapped, adding that he was made to speak with the kidnap victim. My brother told me that the kidnappers had agreed to collect one million dollars. My brother said I should do everything possible to gather the money to save his life because he sustained bullet wound from the kidnappers bullet, Edwin said. The victims brother said that the ransom was gathered from his brothers business associates. He said he had to change all the money into dollars through bureau de change, adding that the ransom was paid in two installments of 200,000 and 800,000 dollars, respectively. READ ALSO: Nobody can stop my governorship ambition - Senator Abe beats chest The instruction from the voice that usually called me was that when I get the naira, I must change it into cripsy 100 dollar bills and if there is any fake 100 dollar, I will pay a fine of 10,000 dollars. My brother (the victim) also pleaded with me not to make arrangements with security agents so that the kidnappers will not kill him. On the day I dropped the first ransom of 200,000 dollars, the kidnappers instructed me with phone where to drop the money. I was made to drive round Lagos before they finally instructed me to drop it along Cele expressway at about 2.20 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2015," Edwin said. He said the second ransom tranche of 800,000 dollars, was paid by his relative, Izuchukwu Ezeuko, adding that the 800,000 dollars was paid in the eastern part of the country. Edwin also told court that when the money was taking time to be gathered, the kidnappers asked that he be swapped with his brother (James) so that James could get home and source the money quickly. During cross-examination, counsel to Evans, E. C. Obiagwu, tried discrediting the witness statement, adding that the phone conversation he allegedly had with the kidnappers were not mentioned in his statement at the police station. Another witness, Donatus Nwoye, an assistant driver to the victim also narrated his side of the story to the court. Nwoye said he sustained bullet wound at his left shoulder when the kidnappers were shooting sporadically. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app I was taken to the hospital by some okada men after the incident, he said. During cross-examination, Nwoye who had said he was unconscious when the bullet hit him, said his understanding of unconsciousness was somebody who is not well. After listening to the argument, Akintoye adjourned the case until October 4 for continuation of hearing. Legit.ng earlier reported that two former gang-members of the notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans were on Monday, September 17, sent to 41 years in prison by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja high court. The convicts, Kelvin Emenike Ukoh, 32 and Emeka Obasi, 33 were jailed for the kidnap of Ugoje Jude, a shipping agent, and his staff, Piriye Gogo on August 3, 2012, at about 9 pm, a kidnap operation which Evans also reportedly participated in. Evans the Kidnapper Lands in Kirikiri Prison After First Appearance in Lagos Court | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is said to be weighing his options as he battles to stay in office beyond 2019 - The governor's godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has reportedly failed to give support for the governor's second term ambition - Sources close to the governor says the governor will soon make his plans public Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is said to be weighing his options as he battles to stay in office beyond 2019, following the withdrawal of support from his godfather and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu. A report by This Day indicates that despite the governor's appeals to Tinubu, the former governor of the state will not change his mind on his decision about Ambodes second term ambition. Although Tinubu has kept mute on Ambodes ambition, his political foot soldiers in the Mandate Movement, the group that facilitated the governors ride to power in 2015, have publicly declared their support for Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Sanwo-Olu is the current managing director of Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC) and a former commissioner in the state. READ ALSO: I will teach you how to win Lagos state in 2019 - Saraki tells Lagos PDP He formally launched his campaign on Sunday, September 16, at a huge gathering at the Lagos City Hall with majority of APC stakeholders in attendance, including local government and development councils chairmen and National Assembly members. Aides of the governor however, says, further discussions will continue in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, where the partys regional and national leaders have assembled to hold a final rally for APCs governorship candidate in next Saturdays election, Chief Gboyega Oyetola. According to the source, President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo, former Ogun state governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and the APC governors will attend the political gathering. The options, according to his close aides, are, step down because without Tinubus support, he has no other structure with which to fight; join another party as proposed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); and fight at the state nomination congress. In the event that Tinubu remains adamant and withholds support, the aides said, the most viable option for Ambode is to step down and go home. Ambode did not prepare for the prevailing circumstances, said an aide, therefore, he does not have alternative plan to respond to his dilemma." Brought in from political obscurity by Tinubu and helped into office through the massive political machine, called Mandate Movement, Ambode was not in a position to attempt creating his own structure. The initial attempts he made were stoutly resisted by the political establishment, his aides said. The few policy changes and appointments he made were seen as a move by him to stand alone and assert his authority. This is what has brought him to the current sorry state, said another aide. Without a structure of his own, his close associates, according to sources, are advising him to step down and let go. After all, he was in his quiet corner before he was asked to come and be governor. If they dont want him again, why would he fight them? How will he do it anyway? said a source. READ ALSO: Nobody can stop my governorship ambition - Senator Abe beats chest The thinking, said another source, is that a soft landing could be arranged for Ambode, whereby he would be allowed to serve out his term and go home in peace without any further molestation, which could include removal from office since his traducers have control of the House of Assembly. The other two options, said a close associate, could not be contemplated without serious complications and consequences. According to him, Yes, he could join another party, as being proposed by the PDP but that could be grievous as the APC dominated House of Assembly could move against him before the general election. However, some other associates argue that a removal from office move might be difficult to carry out since the chief judge of the state, who is expected to constitute the investigation panel might not cooperate being a wife of a traditional ruler in the state that is sympathetic to the embattled governor. The third option of going into the congress, knowing full well that he would be beaten, is also being advised against by his associates and aides who think that would undermine his political legacy and record and bring him in full conflict with the national leader and his political machine. Once he takes that route and he is defeated, and he sure would be, the political establishment would not spare him. If they cant remove him from office, he would spend the rest of his term fighting battles he is not likely to win. Is that what he wants? said an associate. But not a few of his associates still hope that a miracle could still happen even when the signs are clear that Tinubu risks internal revolt if he decides to back down and support Ambode. If all peace efforts eventually fail, the source claimed that Ambode would not fight the APC leader even though he had resources to prosecute such political battle. His Excellency is not thinking of fighting his political godfather because he wants to seek re-election. Contrary to some social media reports, the source noted that the governor might not defect to another political platform in pursuit of re-election. However, according to him, We are hopeful that the peace meetings will eventually yield meaningful outcome." PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng had previously reported that the Lagos Democracy Advancement Forces, a socio-political group, said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), should cease to dictate the political pace of the state. The groups convener, Mark Adebayo, opined that the political atmosphere in Lagos is unnecessarily overcharged due to the shenanigans of one individual desperate to maintain a political stranglehold on the state. Adebayo insisted that there is a need to stop the state from continuing to be a pawn on the chessboard of an individual. Can Ambode Get a Second Term Without Tinubus Approval? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Newspaper - Over $16m in cash and luxury watches have been seized from a delegation accompanying Equatorial Guineas vice president, Teodorin Nguema Obiang, by Brazilian police - $1.5m in cash was found in one bag, with watches worth an estimated $15m in another - A diplomatic source from Equatorial Guinea reportedly stated that the money was to pay for Obiangs medical treatment Brazilian federal police have seized over $16m (12m) in cash and luxury watches from a delegation accompanying the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodorin Nguema Obiang. The items were seized from the VPs private plane on Friday, September 15, as it arrived at the Viracopos Airport near Sao Paulo, UK Guardian reports. Legit.ng gathers that federal police found $1.5m in cash in one bag and watches worth an estimated $15m in another. READ ALSO: Buhari directs seaports to have rail complement The delegation was not on an official trip and Teodorin Nguema Obiang, who is also the son of Equatorial Guineas longtime president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, was the only member of the group who had diplomatic immunity. Under Brazilian law, people are prohibited from entering the country with more than 10,000 reais (1,800), in cash. The countrys foreign ministry stated that it was in permanent coordination with the federal police and the customs service over the case and to decide what measures should be taken. A diplomatic source from Equatorial Guinea, however, stated that the money was to pay for Obiangs medical treatment in Sao Paulo. As for the watches, they were reportedly for Obiangs personal use and were engraved with his initials. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that a court in France sentenced Equatorial Guinea's Vice President Teodorin Obiang to a three year suspended jail term after he was found guilty of corruption. Obiang, known for his lavish tastes, was absent from the trial as he was found guilty of embezzlement. How to be an African president - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng - Muhammadu Buhari promises that he will remain fair in his appointments from the 36 states of the federation - Buhari spoke when he received APC chieftains from Akwa Ibom - The president also approved the dualisation of a major road in the south south The president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, September 17, promised that he would continue to be fair and equitable in appointments into various offices in his administration. Channels Television reports that President Muhammadu Buhari made the promise during an interaction with a delegation of Akwa Ibom leaders and elders who visited him at the presidential villa in Abuja. READ ALSO: Court issues summons on Bukola Saraki over Offa bank robbery incident I have taken note of your appreciation of appointments into the federal service from your state. I assure you that I shall continue to be fair and equitable in federal appointments to all states of the country, the president said while further promising more infrastructure projects in Akwa Ibom state and the southern part of the country. The report quoted the president as noting that provision had been made for the dualisation of Ekot-Ekpene Aba axis in the 2019 budget. To complete the Cross River - Akwa Ibom- Abia State axis of the road, I have directed the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to provide in the 2019 budget the dualisation of Ekot-Ekpene Aba axis, he added. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Legit.ng earlier reported that Senator Godswill Akpabio representing Akwa Ibom North-West district, expressed optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari will record a massive victory in Akwa Ibom State in the 2019 presidential election. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akpabio, alongside Senator Ita Enang, an aide to the president on National Assembly matters (Senate), led delegation from Akwa Ibom state APC on a courtesy visit to Buhari at the presidential villa on Monday, September 17. Can Ambode Get a Second Term Without Tinubus Approval? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The IGP, Ibrahim Idris, urges politicians and their supporters to refrain from violent conduct during the Osun gubernatorial election - He says police officers to be deployed for the election have been lectured and educated on electoral conducts, behaviours, laws and offences - INEC bans video recording in polling booths during Osun poll The Nigeria police force has disclosed that 18,426 policemen would be deployed to Osun state for security purposes during the Saturday, September 22, governorship election. The Sun reports that according to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, the number includes men and officers from conventional and PMF units, intelligence as well as the technical teams of the force. READ ALSO: Court issues summons on Bukola Saraki over Offa bank robbery incident The police boss said each polling station on the election day will be guarded by four policemen. He urged politicians and their supporters to refrain from violent conduct during before, during and after the election. Arrangements have been concluded to deploy over 18, 426 police personnel, including conventional and PMF units, Intelligence and technical teams to provide security, Idris said. "This number excludes the support services to be provided by other security personnel from the Armed Forces, the Immigration Service, the Prisons, the Customs and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to complement the efforts of the police, he added. Our brothers, politicians and their supporters are advised to desist from actions that may precipitate violence before, during and after the election. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app The police officers deployed for this election have been lectured and educated on electoral conducts, behaviours, laws and offences, and are therefore expected to conduct themselves in a highly programs ethical manners. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that voters will be barred from going inside polling booths with their telephones, cameras and any other devices that can record images during the Osun gubernatorial election. The chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure on Monday, September 17, in Osogbo at the stakeholders forum organised ahead of Saturday, September 22 election, The Punch reports. He, however, stated that voters would not be prevented from using their devices at the polling units but would be barred from holding their cameras and telephones from the moment they are issued with ballot papers until they cast their marked ballots inside the ballot boxes. Nigeria News: Nigerians Buying form for Politicians; Loyalty or Political Propaganda? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News Emerging reports claimed that Justice Abdulwahab Mohammed of the grade 1 area court, Kubwa Abuja has ordered the police to arrest Senator Hope Uzodinma representing Orlu zone, Imo west and produce him before September 25, 2018. The Nation reports Mohammed gave the order on Tuesday, September 18, following Uzodinmas failure to attend court to respond to a direct criminal complaint pending against him. The judge said: Pursuant to Section 131 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, a bench warrant is hereby issued against Senator Hope Uzodinma in view of his failure to attend court to answer to the complaint pending against him. READ ALSO: Aspirants kick as PDP moves presidential primaries to Rivers state The complaint was issued against Uzodinma and his two companies by Chitex Ventures Ltd and Chima Akuzie, who claimed that the Senator issued them a N200 million UBA dud cheque (bounced cheque). Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that a faction of the APC in Imo state loyal to Governor Rochas Okorocha announced that it does not recognise Senator Hope Uzodinma, the senator representing Owerri west, as a member of its fold. The chairman of the party, Daniel Nwafor, told journalists that the senators purported defection to the party was not to the knowledge of either the local government chairman of Omuma in Orlu, Chief Jerry Madubueze, or the state executive council (SEC). PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The party said Senator Uzodinma had not formally informed the local government chapter of the party neither had he declared on the floor of the National Assembly that he had left his former party for APC. In a related development, emerging reports had it that two factions of the APC in Imo state disagreed on the method of the primary election the state will employ in the election of their candidates for next years poll. The faction led by the state chairman, Daniel Nwafor, was said to have earlier adopted the indirect mode of primaries for all elective positions in the party ahead of the 2019 elections. The coalition group disclosed that the adoption of direct primaries for all elective positions will be the most suitable, considering the litigations surrounding the ward, local and state congresses of the party in the state. Why Governors Steal? Rochas Okorocha of Imo State | Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit Nigerias former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Orji Uzor Kalu, are reportedly meeting behind closed doors at IBBs uphill mansion, in Minna, Niger state. Daily Sun reports that the meeting started at about 12:08 pm when Orji Kalu arrived the Minna home of Babangida in a convoy of three black Lexus SUVs and two Hillux vans occupied by security personnel. READ ALSO: Court issues summons on Bukola Saraki over Offa bank robbery incident Orji, a former governor of Abia state, had been campaigning for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari and was accompanied on the trip by some of his associates. The report said Kalu and his entourage were ushered into the visitors room of the former presidents mansion before the meeting commenced. The associates and APC chieftains who followed the former governor were later asked to excuse the two leaders as they went into the closed door meeting. Legit.ng earlier reported that Orji Uzor Kalu, the former governor of Abia state, has maintained that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has performed very well, particularly in the area of infrastructural development. The former governor made his comments on Sunday, February 18, at the opening Mass of the first 2018 plenary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). Can Ambode Get a Second Term Without Tinubus Approval? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng God works in miraculous ways which makes it difficult for human beings to understand him and follow his ways. It has just been reported that a young man identified as Akpos resurrected in Delta state. Reports has it that Akpos was pronounced dead for about seven hours and allegedly woke up minutes before his burial in Jeddo area of Warri, Delta state. The 25-year-old reportedly died around 2am but opened his eyes shortly after they had dug his grave. It was also reported that Akpos mom was convinced that her son was not dead as she requested for special prayers for him. The deceased allegedly wake up the minute the casket for his burial arrived. READ ALSO: I have once engaged in threesome free of charge - Nigerian lady brags (photos) Akpos was immediately rushed to the hospital for proper medical examination. People could not help but thank God for the gift of life. Legit.ng earlier reported that a young man named Luiz Fedelis has experienced the powerful hand of God in an unprecedented miracle. According to Fedelis who shared his testimony in the Faith Tabernacle, he was pronounced dead in four different hospitals in Lagos, but God's plan for him on earth wasn't finished yet. PAY ATTENTION: Join Africa Love Aid today for your daily relationship tips and advice Thank God! Nigeria Breaking News: 34-Year-Old Woman Gives Birth to a Set of Quintuplets in Awka | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit - Rwanda has signed several agreements on the construction a nuclear research centre and power plant - A high-powered delegation from the Republic of Rwanda, recently visited Russia to make it a possibility - South Africa is currently the only country in Africa with an operational nuclear power plant Rwanda is following Nigeria's steps in constructing a nuclear research centre and power plant and the East African country is taking bold steps by deepening efforts at actualising its goals. Recall that in October 2017, Nigeria and Russia signed several agreements on the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant as well as a nuclear research centre housing a multi-purpose research reactor. The Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission signed the agreement on behalf of the federal government, while Rosatom signed on behalf of the Russian federation. The deal was reached after a long period of negotiation, with both countries signing their first intergovernmental nuclear co-operation agreement in 2009. READ ALSO: Ekweremadu spends last 3 years fighting Buhari - Okechukwu, VoN DG African nations have been embracing prospects of adopting nuclear energy to bridge their energy deficit, as South Africa is currently the only country in Africa with an operational nuclear power plant, which coincidentally produces the cheapest power in the nation. Recently, Egypt made a deal with Rosatom for the construction of its maiden nuclear power plant in El Dabaa and plans to inaugurate the first unit of the NPP in 2026. As Nigeria works out modalities for the construction of a nuclear research centre and power plant with Russia, Rwanda, on the other hand, is deepening efforts at actualizing its nuclear energy goals with the European country. Last week, a delegation of the Republic of Rwanda, headed by Ambassador plenipotentiary and extraordinary in the Russian federation, Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya visited research facilities and power generating enterprises operated by the Russia's state Corporation, Rosatom. The visit was part of ongoing cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of areas, which includes development of the nuclear infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, development of awareness programs regarding nuclear technologies for the general population, and use of radioactive isotopes and radiation technologies in industry, agriculture and medicine. Earlier, on June 22, in Moscow, Rosatom and the ministry of infrastructure of Rwanda signed a memorandum of understanding in the area of cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The memorandum is the first document signed by the two countries in the sphere of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The delegation visited Leypunsky Institute of Physics and Energy, the Memorial Complex of the first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the world in Obninsk and the Novovoronezh NPP. The delegation also toured the exhibition at the museum of the first NPP in the world, and learnt about its unique history and they were told about the unique knowledge, experience and technology generated at the site that helped further development of the nuclear power industry of the country. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app After the visit, Mujawamariya shared her impressions of the visit: Rwanda has plans to develop the nuclear power industry. Construction of a nuclear power plant is our national project. I was very much impressed by the practices at the new power-generating unit of Novovoronezhskaya NPP; this is an excellent facility where all safety measures are being strictly observed." In a related development, Turkey has formally kick started construction of its maiden nuclear power plant the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. A ceremony marking the start of construction, took place in the Turkish province of Mersin, on Tuesday, April 3 with Russian President, Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Erdogan. Female aerospace engineer from the Tsaigumi UAV team on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Ekiti state governor has once again written the EFCC - The governor said if the EFCC could not wait for his tenure to end, its operatives are free to come and meet him in his office - Fayose's tenure ends on October 16 and he is being investigated for alleged abuse of office, money laundering, among others Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti has once again written the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) over the investigation about him. Fayose disclosed this on his Twitter feed on Tuesday, September 18. Recall that the governor had recently written the anti graft agency intimating them of his plans to come and submit himself for investigation immediately he leaves office. READ ALSO: What I'll do if I lose, win PDP's presidential primary - Tambuwal In a swift reply, the EFCC asked the governor to make himself available for questioning on Thursday, September 20 and not to wait to end of his tenure. The Ekiti state governor's tenure ends on October 16 and he is being investigated for alleged abuse of office, money laundering, among others. "Notwithstanding its demonstration of hate, prejudice, persecution and partiality, I again wrote the @officialEFCC today, that I will be available on October 16. But if their investigation cannot wait till October 16, investigators can meet me in my office in Ado Ekiti on Sept 20," Fayose said in the tweet. In response to the letter also, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) asked the Nigeria customs service to place him on its watch list. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet Legit.ng also reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti on Wednesday, September 12, described as suspicious and diversionary the offer by the outgoing governor, Ayodele Fayose, to voluntarily surrender himself to the EFCC on the day he would be vacating office. Governor Fayose Warns Nigerian Youths Ahead of 2019, Tells Them What to Do | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Italian deputy prime minister compared African migrants with slaves at a conference on migration and security - This drew the anger of Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's foreign and immigration minister - The African Union has also reacted asking the Italian leader to retract his derogatory statement - The AU also asked Italy to emulate other European countries supporting migration, saying Italy has also benefitted from migration in the past The Italian deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, reportedly likened African immigrants to slaves at a European conference on Thursday, September 13. Daily Mail reports that the deputy ministers words consequently drew an angry response from Luxembourg's foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, who cursed at him in frustration. Legit.ng gathered that Salvini has led a popular crackdown against immigration since Italy's coalition government took office in June. He was speaking at a closed-door session of a conference on migration and security hosted by Austria, which holds the rotating European Union presidency. READ ALSO: What I'll do if I lose, win PDP's presidential primary - Tambuwal I heard someone say we need immigration because the population is ageing. I see things completely differently, Salvini told the session in remarks filmed and posted on his Facebook profile. He said: I'm paid by citizens to help our young people start having children again the way they did a few years ago, and not to uproot the best of the African youth to replace Europeans who are not having children anymore... Maybe in Luxembourg, there's this need, in Italy there's the need to help our kids have kids, not to have new slaves to replace the children we're not having. Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's foreign and immigration minister, was sitting a few places down from Salvini and grew visibly angry as Salvini spoke. He finally interrupted the Italian in French with Allez, allez, allez, suggesting he had gone to, according to Daily Mail. In Luxembourg, we had tens of Italian immigrants. They came as migrants, who worked in Luxembourg so that you could in Italy had money to pay for your children, he said in French, concluding with the exclamation Merde alors!. Asselborns statement was reportedly in reference to the decades following World War II, when several European countries took in migrant workers to meet the demand for labour during a prolonged economic boom. The conference also had in attendance some European and African interior ministers as well as EU officials. Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) has reacted to the Italian deputy ministers statement. In a statement released on Tuesday, September 18, the AU expressed dismay at the comments made by the Italian leader. It stated that name-calling will not resolve the migration challenges facing Africa and Europe and asked the deputy minister to retract his derogatory statement about African migrants. Read the statement: It is common knowledge that emigration from Italy in the last two centuries has been the most important case of mass migration in modern European history. During the period from 1861 to 1976, more than 26 million people left the country, principally for other European countries and the Americas. Approximately, one Italian out of four emigrated, and it is on record that Italy has benefited greatly from its huge diaspora through remittances and trade. The history, geopolitics and future of Africa and Europe are so intertwined that the two continents cannot wish each other away. The current migration crisis in Europe provides an opportunity for Africa and Europe to engage in a dialogue that not only focuses on migration issues but also on the broader development cooperation between the two continents. Thus, the migration-and-development debate should increasingly take place within the context of the debate on the socio-economic development of the continent, and not as a separate issue that responds to the migration crisis in Europe. In the interests of constructive engagement on the migration debate between the two continents, the African Union requests the Italian deputy prime minister to retract his derogatory statement about African migrants and further urge Italy to emulate and support other European Union member states, like Spain, which have extended support and protection to migrants in distress, irrespective of their origin and legal status, before their admission status is determined. Further, the Commission wishes to express concern at the increasing number of migrants still finding their way to Europe through dangerous routes, despite the many efforts that the African Union, together with the United Nations and the European Union, has deployed to sensitize African citizens on the danger posed by these movements. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that President Buhari warned Nigerians travelling out of the country illegally in search of greener pasture, saying they are doing so at their own risk. The warning came on Friday, August 31, at a joint press briefing with the visiting German chancellor, Angela Merkel, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The president said his administration does not support anything illegal nor indiscipline. Which country would you leave Nigeria for? - On Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Vice president Yemi Osinbajo presided over a meeting on the proposed new national minimum wage - The meeting also had in attendance relevant ministers and other principal officers directly involved in the economy and revenue generation - The outcome of the meeting is yet to be made public Vice President Osinbajo in the evening of Tuesday, September 18, presided over the Economic Management Team ( EMT) meeting, specially dedicated to discuss the issue of minimum wage and how to raise the money. The meeting which was held at the Presidential Villa, Vice President conference hall, has those directly involved in the economy and revenue generation, Vanguard reports. Those in attendance are the ministers of finance, Zainab Ahmed, budget and national planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, industry, trade and investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, labour and employment, Chris Ngige and minister of state for petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu. READ ALSO: What I'll do if I lose, win PDP's presidential primary - Tambuwal Others are the executive chairman of National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Richard Egbule, director general budget office, Ben Akabueze, and Comptroller General (CG) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali. Ngige, had last week told State House correspondents that he and the chairman of the negotiation committee, Ms Amma Pepple, a former Head of Service of the federation, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the progress so far made by the committee and that the Special EMT meeting was to focus on minimum wage. Pepple had hinted the committee will submit its report before the month end, adding however that they need a definite figure from both the federal and state government to conclude the report. Ngige had recently accused the organised labour of blackmailing the government following a two-week ultimatum given by the latter for the conclusion of negotiation on the matter. According to him, the Labour leaders were unnecessarily blackmailing and intimidating government to pass a new minimum wage that it may end up reneging on. Ngige blamed certain factors such as inability of governors to provide their figures to be debated by the committee negotiating the new minimum wage as one of the reasons for the delay, just as he assured that government was still within the timeframe it promised to deliver on a new minimum wage and was not stalling the process as alleged by labour. According to Ngige, the organised private sector had initially proposed a figure of N42,000 but later brought it down to N25,000, taking into account the current economic situation, ability to pay and ability to enhance and create new jobs. The organised labour had in May 2016 demanded a pay rise on the current N18,000 national minimum wage to N56, 000 and later raised to N65,500. Buhari had in November 2017 inaugurated the National Minimum Wage Committee with a mandate of arriving at a new national minimum. The federal government had assured workers during the 40th anniversary celebration of the NLC earlier in February that workers should expect a new national minimum wage by September. But the organised labour had recently accused the federal government of not being sincere in coming up with the new minimum wage and warned that labour should not be pushed to the wall. The report of the new minimum wage was supposed to be ready by the end of August but the committee could not round off with its negotiation as a result of the Sallah holiday. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Bayelsa chapter, called on the three tiers of government to provide more affordable houses for workers across the country. Tari Dounana, TUCs chairman in the state, made the call in an interview in Yenagoa on Wednesday, September 5, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Dounana expressed concern on how workers suffer due to lack of accommodation, stressing that provision of more housing units would go a long way at improving their well-being. Who should get higher salary - doctors or teachers? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng Editor's note: Aaron Adamu, a public affairs analyst in Abuja, writes on the effect of flooding in various states in Nigeria. He also analyses the efforts and contribution of the National Emergency Management Agency in managing the ongoing natural disaster in Nigeria. These are indeed trying times. The floods are here again, and as usual, thousands are affected. Homes have been destroyed, farms have been washed away, and the list goes on. While it is succinct to state that just like in other climes where natural disasters such as hurricane, earthquakes, and floods have continued to wreak havoc, the responses of disaster management agencies come to bear in no small measure in cushioning effects and giving those affected a sense of belonging and a life afterward. And this brings us to the recent flooding experienced in some parts of Nigeria as a result of heavy rainfalls that causes rivers Niger and Benue to overflow. As at the last count, Niger Kogi, Anambra, and Delta states have been declared as National Disasters by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). It is also understood that Taraba Adamawa, Kebbi, Edo, Rivers, Benue, Bayelsa and Kwara states are being monitored carefully by NEMA. READ ALSO: What I'll do if I lose, win PDP's presidential primary - Tambuwal In this regard, I will start on a high note. The preparedness and responses by NEMA have been excellent in my opinion. I recall when the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency issued a warning that Rivers Benue and Niger had almost reached levels that resulted in flooding in 2012, NEMA issued a statement informing Nigerians on its preparedness for the flooding and it also consequently issued precautionary information to these communities. Now, this is why I decided to pen this article. Kogi state is among the worst hit states and as at the last time I checked, the director general of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja has somewhat relocated to Kogi state. This was aside from the fact that he had held series of meetings with stakeholders to assess the reports from the fact-finding committees that visited flood-prone states after the warning by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency. I was more than impressed, and in my opinion, this was indeed a proactive approach and a radical departure from that norm that placed so much emphasis on reactionary activities. I stand to be corrected, NEMA in the past two years had indeed shown how and what it meant to have a disaster management agency in a country. This is in line with the adoption of the preventive disaster management operations introduced into the agency by the director general, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja. READ ALSO: Obasanjo's farm reportedly sealed off over tax payment I also recall that sometime in 2017, while addressing the 2017 General Session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Cancun, Mexico, the DG was quoted as saying support from the political leadership in Nigeria has enabled a giant stride towards ensuring appropriate actions on reducing risks, disaster preparedness, mitigation and recovery in the country. He also said the Federal Government has empowered and equipped NEMA to comprehensively manage disasters in Nigeria, with a fully functional Department of Disaster Risk Reduction already created in the agency. Now, this was why I wasnt surprised and also impressed with the responses of NEMA in recent times in disaster management in Nigeria. Hear what the DG has to say: President Muhammadu Buhari approved N3 billion for the first stages of preparedness, response disaster mitigation and it was on that note that stakeholders under the coordination of NEMA had activated a National Contingency Plan, a policy document, which gives NEMA the power to establish operational structure. An operational structure has been put in place with a National Emergency Operational Centre domiciled at the NEMA headquarters and five Zonal Emergency Operational Centres (EOC). I am left in awe whenever I hear the DG of NEMA speak on issues concerning disaster management. His grasp and understanding thrill me, so much so that I have told all that cared to listen that one of the best decision of President Muhammdu Buhari was to have appointed a highly detailed and competent individual to head NEMA. And why they would always ask me. The reason is simple. Which category of people is mostly affected by disasters? The answer is obvious, and that is mainly why I am in praise of President Muhammdu Buhari because he has demonstrated that this is a government that is concerned about the ordinary Nigerians unlike in times past where our inefficiency in disaster management results in loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties. Back to the crux of the issue, NEMAs outings in disaster management in the past two years can best be described as impactful. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app It is instructive to state that DG has visited almost all parts of the country that has in one way or the other experienced any form of disaster, be it human-made or natural for on the spot assessment and also leading rescue and relief operations. For example, the DG of NEMA was on the ground during rescue operations when a building collapsed in Abuja recently. He was also in Benue during the September 2017 flood that affected scores of villages in the state. And the list goes on. In my opinion, what this signifies or indicates is that there is a government that cares and holds that critical constituency so dearly and the need for them to feel the impact of his administration. This is even aside from the efforts of NEMA in assisting the Nigeria military in the resettlement of thousands of Nigerians that were displaced as a result of the insurgency in North East Nigeria. It also suffices to state that under this arrangement, thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have successfully returned to their communities. This is also commendable. The list can go on without end. But what is instructive and a takeaway from the activities of NEMA is that once there is a will, there would always be a way. This much the DG of NEMA has demonstrated with the support he has received from the political authorities. And if most political office holders exhibit this much patriotism, Nigeria would indeed be better for it. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Nigeria Breaking News: Kogi Flood Sacks Residents from Their Homes on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News Yves here. I am loath to have to discuss Kavanaugh at all, but this seems to be the controversy of the week and so readers no doubt want to talk about it. Im not at all keen about Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice, but I am uncomfortable with him being tried in the press. The evidence presented by the alleged victim, Professor Christine Blasey Ford, would not pass muster in court. She not only didnt make any sort of official complaint at the time, but she has no contemporaneous witnesses. All she has is therapists notes, and those were made years after the incident. The other man who was depicted as being there with Kavanaugh says nothing of the kind happened. Unfortunately, passing a lie detector test is not dispositive even before you get to issues about the accuracy of the test (70% to 90% even expert claims re accuracy vary greatly). What it establishes at best is that the person believes their statements. By contrast, Bill Clintons sexual misconduct was far worse than the allegations made against Kavanaugh, and there was much vastly stronger corroborating evidence, ranging from multiple contemporaneous witnesses (and a lacerated lip) in the Juanita Brodderick rape accusations. And thats before getting to the fact that Kavanaugh was a juvenile when the misconduct occurred, and juveniles are generally cut more slack than adults because they are seein as not having a mature level of judgment. Now there is what I think is a better argument, from Current Affairs: .Kavanaugh has denied that he did it. That means that the truth or falsity of Fords allegation is not just important for assessing what Kavanaugh did in high school. Its important for assessing what he is doing right now. If Fords allegation is true, then Kavanaugh has lied to the public. He didnt just assault a woman in the 1980s, but he is gaslighting a woman in 2018 and trying to mislead the public and the United States Senate about a crime he committed. However, unless some new evidence either way surfaces, we still have the original problem: The evidence presented by Ford would not pass muster in court. How do you resolve the he said, she said problem?1 Having said all that, when you throw this into the mix, as UserFriendly says, Kavanaugh is probably toast: Damaging to Kavanaugh. His alleged accomplice and character witness, Mark Judge, wrote the following in a review. See for yourself how Judge describes the wonderful beauty, of uncontrollable male passion, how every man whos fit to live has his own stories about the time. pic.twitter.com/vEVqHs0iec Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 16, 2018 By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. GP article archive here. Originally published at DownWithTyranny Frat fun or rape culture in action? Signs on a frat-connected house near Old Dominion University in Virginia (source) This is Brett Kavanaughs #MeToo moment. An accusation of attempted rape (a crime) against Brett Kavanaugh has been lodged against him. Initially the accusation came via a letter given in July at separate times and under request of confidentiality to the Washington Post, to House Rep. Anna Eshoo, and to Senate Judiciary Committee member Dianne Feinstein. Senator Feinstein, as a member of the Judiciary Committee sitting in hearings on Kavanaugh, was the only person in position to act. Heres what she did (or failed to do): For two months, failed to reveal the existence (not the contents, just the existence) of the letter to fellow Democrats Then, when its existence was leaked to the public, refused to reveal its contents to fellow Democrats Finally, after coming under fire for withholding the letter, sent the letter only to the FBI, who will not investigate further End of matter, or so Ms. Feinstein thought. The woman who wrote the accusatory letter has now come forward to tell her story in her own voice and for attribution. Its quite an explosive tale, and the bomb it contains threatens not just Kavanaugh and committee Republicans, but Democrats as well. Parallels to Democrats handling of Anita Hill and her accusations against Clarence Thomas are obvious and striking. The Story First the accusation. Part of it is contained in a New Yorker piece by Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, which maintained the womans anonymity (at her request). The full story comes from this piece in the Washington Post (my emphasis throughout): Earlier this summer, Christine Blasey Ford wrote a confidential letter to a senior Democratic lawmaker alleging that Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago, when they were high school students in suburban Maryland. Since Wednesday, she has watched as that bare-bones version of her story became public without her name or her consent, drawing a blanket denial from Kavanaugh and roiling a nomination that just days ago seemed all but certain to succeed. Now, Ford has decided that if her story is going to be told, she wants to be the one to tell it. Speaking publicly for the first time, Ford said that one summer in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend both stumbling drunk, Ford alleges corralled her into a bedroom during a gathering of teenagers at a house in Montgomery County. While his friend watched, she said, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed on her back and groped her over her clothes, grinding his body against hers and clumsily attempting to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she wore over it. When she tried to scream, she said, he put his hand over her mouth. I thought he might inadvertently kill me, said Ford, now a 51-year-old research psychologist in northern California. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing. Ford said she was able to escape when Kavanaughs friend and classmate at Georgetown Preparatory School, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them, sending all three tumbling. She said she ran from the room, briefly locked herself in a bathroom and then fled the house. A timeline of events: Christine Ford is a professor at Palo Alto University who teaches in a consortium with Stanford University, training graduate students in clinical psychology. Her work has been widely published in academic journals. She contacted The Post through a tip line in early July, when it had become clear that Kavanaugh was on the shortlist of possible nominees to replace retiring justice Anthony M. Kennedy but before Trump announced his name publicly. A registered Democrat who has made small contributions to political organizations, she contacted her congresswoman, Democrat Anna G. Eshoo, around the same time. In late July, she sent a letter via Eshoos office to Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. In the letter, which was read to The Post, Ford described the incident and said she expected her story to be kept confidential. According to the Post, Ms. Blasey took and passed a polygraph test in August: The results, which Katz provided to The Post, concluded that Ford was being truthful when she [that] said a statement summarizing her allegations was accurate. Theres more in the Post account, which should be read in full. Questions This new information raises a number of questions. About Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and Christine Blasey Ford: 1. Did Brett Kavanaugh commit the crime of which hes accused while attending an elite academy, Georgetown Preparatory School, in the Washington D.C area? 2. If he did, does that disqualify him for a seat on the Supreme Court? 3. Will any further investigation, by anyone, take place? 4. Both Kavanaugh and Judge have denied the incident happened at all i.e, that this isnt a he-said, she-said story, but a complete fabrication. Will Kavanaugh and Judge stick to their denials if other corroboration emerges? 5. Mark Judge has written a book about his life as a teenage alcoholic (Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk). This plays into a narrative that something may have happened but we dont know what not a narrative of shes flat out lying. In addition, The Post says this about Kavanaugh: In his senior-class yearbook entry at Georgetown Prep, Kavanaugh made several references to drinking, claiming membership to the Beach Week Ralph Club and Keg City Club. He and Judge are pictured together at the beach in a photo in the yearbook. And later in the article, notes that: [In his book] Judge described his own blackout drinking and a culture of partying among students at his high school, renamed in the book Loyola Prep. Kavanaugh is not mentioned in the book, but a passage about partying at the beach one summer makes glancing reference to a Bart OKavanaugh, who puked in someones car the other night and passed out on his way back from a party. In Ms. Fords telling, both men were stumbling drunk. Will the optics of heavy drinking undermine all the denials? 6. Is there something we dont know about Kavanaughs current drinking? 7. Judge has since implied that this could have been an incident of rough-housing: I can recall a lot of rough-housing with guys. It was an all-boys school, we would rough-house with each other I dont remember any of that stuff going on with girls. Is his story starting to drift? 8. The accuser has taken and passed a lie detector test. Will Kavanaugh submit to a lie detector test? Will Mark Judge? How will the public respond if both refuse? 9. Will Christine Blasey Ford, the accuser, hold up under the pressure of a story this explosive, with the stakes this high? About the politics: 1. Republicans called this a late hit and a last ditch smear. (If you google Kavanaugh late hit youll find the phrase everywhere on the right, suggesting coordination.) How else will they respond? 2. Will Republicans attack Ms. Blasey Fords character as they did Anita Hills? Through an operative (David Brock) they accused Anita Hill of being a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty. How will they attack Ms. Blasey? 3. Will Democrats abandon Kavanaughs accuser as they did Anita Hill? After the Thomas hearings concluded, it emerged that Senator Joe Biden, who was the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the time, had failed to call three additional women to the witness stand who had been willing to offer testimony confirming Hills complaints about Thomass inappropriate behavior toward women. Last December, Biden, who may run for President in 2020, publicly apologized for failing Hill, saying, I wish I had been able to do more. Edit Bidens quote to read I wish I had decided to do more and the statement fits the facts. Democrats made a calculation that put Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court. Only their own cowardice, self-interest, or complicity prevented them from calling the corroborating witnesses they had available. 4. Will Democrats take maximum tactical advantage of this new information, or will they continue to go through the motions, treating this confirmation fight as hopeless while making strong speeches? 5. Will any Republican men stand up for Blasey Ford? About Dianne Feinstein: 1. What were Dianne Feinsteins motives in keeping other committee Democrats in the dark about this letter? Sources who worked for other members of the Judiciary Committee said that they respected the need to protect the womans privacy, but that they didnt understand why Feinstein had resisted answering legitimate questions about the allegation. We couldnt understand what their rationale is for not briefing members on this. This is all very weird, one of the congressional sources said. Another added, Shes had the letter since late July. And we all just found out about it. Feinstein had the letter since July, yet confirmed its existence only in September, when the story leaked. She was clearly trying to control the way the rest of the committee handled the nomination: Feinstein also acted out of a sense that Democrats would be better off focussing on legal, rather than personal, issues in their questioning of Kavanaugh. Was she trying to help Kavanaugh deliberately or just inadvertently? 2. Will Dianne Feinstein, up for re-election in 2018, pay a price with voters, especially with women voters, for her apparent sabotage of Democratic efforts to block Kavanaughs confirmation? 3. Will Dianne Feinstein pay a price with Senate women for her part in what looks like a #MeToo cover-up? Al Franken, lets not forget, was driven from the Senate by Kirstin Gillibrand and others based on a #MeToo accusation and prior to any investigation. 4. If not, why not? About Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski: 1. Will this revelation affect the Kavanaugh confirmation votes of senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski? 2. Or will Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Donnelly and Doug Jones make it easy for them both by voting yes to confirm, allowing Collins and Murkowski to vote no on principle? 3. Will Maine voters give Susan Collins another term in the Senate anyway? After all, shes been silent on Kavanaugh since the nomination was announced and the threat to Roe v. Wade became apparent. Finally, next steps and the future: 1. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh on Thursday, September 20. Will Republicans accelerate the schedule in order to fast-track the confirmation? 2. If Democrats are ineffective in handling this story if they look like theyre just going through the motions will it affect the anticipated blue wave of 2018? Will Democrats continue to be seen as heroes of the anti-Trump resistance, or will enough voters give up on them to reduce the wave to a large and interesting ripple? 3. Will Republicans pay a price in 2018 with Republican women if this story evolves badly for them? 4. At what point will the illegitimacy of the Supreme Court rend the fabric, the American social contract, beyond repair? Much to consider. Much to watch. And if this plays out as it looks like it might, much to respond to when the dust has settled and the bipartisan deed has been done. ____ 1 I have trouble with the current vogue for, The woman must be believed. I hardly get around all that much, yet I personally know of three cases where women made false sexual abuse/harassment claims against men. Absolutes on a topic this fraught are unwise. DIMITRI LASCARIS: This is Dimitri Lascaris, reporting for The Real News from Montreal, Canada. As the Real News has previously reported, in 2011, the courts of Ecuador rendered a nine point five-billion-dollar judgment against Chevron, one of the worlds largest fossil fuel companies. The Ecuadorian plaintiffs persuaded the Ecuadorian courts that from 1964 to 1992, Texaco, which was later purchased by Chevron, dumped polluted wastewater into open pits across vast swaths of Lago Agrio in the Ecuadorian jungle, contaminating the water used by locals. Locals call the area the Amazon Chernobyl. Indigenous tribes have seen their cultures decimated by the pollution. Ecuadors environmental judgment against Chevron is thought to be the highest ever to emerge from a court, but Chevron is doing everything it can possibly do to block collection. After Chevron sold off its assets in Ecuador during the trial there, the Ecuadorian plaintiffs sought to enforce the judgment and jurisdictions in which Chevron owns, directly or indirectly, substantial assets. Chevron has threatened the villagers with a lifetime of litigation and has vowed never to pay the judgment. So far, it has been true to its word. The plaintiffs attempts to enforce the judgement in The United States failed. Early this year, the Ontario Court of Appeal rejected the plaintiffs attempt to enforce their massive judgment in Canada, another country in which Chevron indirectly owns substantial assets. Then, on September 7, an international tribunal found that Ecuador violated a treaty with the United States by allowing its court system to issue a nine point five-billion-dollar judgment against Chevron in this case. Now here to discuss this with us is Steven Donziger, a human rights attorney based in New York who has been representing these indigenous and farmer communities in Ecuadors rainforest for more than two decades. He joins us today from New York. Thank you for coming back on The Real News, Steven. STEVEN DONZIGER: Sure, its good to be here. DIMITRI LASCARIS: So, Stephen, echoing earlier U.S. court rulings, this international tribunal, which rendered a five-hundred-page decision in this case on September 7, said the Ecuadorian case was tainted by fraud and corruption and that the nine point five-billion-dollar judgment cannot therefore be enforced lawfully. The tribunal detailed conduct by a judge they called grossly improper by any moral, professional and legal standards. How do you respond to those statements by the tribunal? STEVEN DONZIGER:Theyre just, in my opinion, completely off base. If theres improper court proceedings it was done by the tribunal itself. I think we need to take a step back and understand the big picture here. The communities in Ecuador won the case in their home country courts because Chevron insisted the trial take place there and accepted jurisdiction there and promised to pay any adverse judgment. As the evidence in that case mounted against the company- and Im talking about tens of thousands of chemical sampling results from water and soil samples that showed massive amounts of pollution that were and continue to cause a slow genocide in Ecuador to the indigenous groups. Thousands of people have been affected. Many have died or will die if nothing is done about this problem. In the face of that evidence, Chevron decided to spend massive sums of money. They hired sixty law firms, two thousand lawyers, spent at least two billion dollars. That money, instead of cleaning up the toxic dumping that it caused in Ecuador was used to attack the indigenous groups and their lawyers, including myself. So, what you now have is a valid judgment out of Ecuador in the jurisdiction where Chevron wanted the trial held. Its worth twelve billion dollars, which while is substantial, was actually a fraction of what would really be needed to clean up the damage given that its been going now for fifty years. And BP, by way of comparison, has paid about fifty billion dollars for the Deepwater Horizon spill. So, this is substantial, but its a modest judgment by standards of comparison, a judgment say in the United States. Knowing that it would have to pay this judgment, Chevron tried to spend a lot of money to attack the indigenous groups and their lawyers through other means, what we call in the law, collateral attacks. Big picture, though, is we have an enforcement case to seize Chevron assets in Canada that has not been rejected. Your intro was not accurate on that point. We have been backed by Canadas Supreme Court. When Chevron tried to block the effort by the Ecuadorians to bring the enforcement action, we got a unanimous decision from Canadas Supreme Court in 2015. Recently, Chevron has raised yet another technical defense consistent with this lifetime of litigation threat. That defense is that a subsidiary that Chevron owns in Canada, called Chevron Canada, cannot be used as a defendant in the enforcement action. All of Chevrons assets around the world are held by subsidiaries that are wholly owned by the company, and Chevron has made the preposterous argument in Canada that an asset that is one hundred percent owned by the parent cant be used to force the parent to pay a debt. And this narrow legal issue is now before the Canada Supreme Court. And its an important legal issue, but it doesnt take away from the broader point that in Canada, we are going to trial against Chevron parent and hopefully the subsidy or sometime in the coming months after the Canadas Supreme Court rules as to the contours of this proceeding. So, the Ecuadorians have made tremendous progress in Canada and the case is still very viable and very much alive. The arbitration decision is really irrelevant. DIMITRI LASCARIS:I just want to focus on Canada. I was going to deal with that later, but since you mentioned Canada. So, just for the benefit of our viewers, you I are lawyers, and I want to make sure that the non-lawyers who are listening to this can understand. Rendered by the Ontario Court of Appeal, in your view, what was the legal impact on the Ecuadorian plaintiffs of that particular decision, and have you in fact been granted leave by the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal that decision? STEVEN DONZIGER:Weve applied for leave and that application is pending. DIMITRI LASCARIS:Okay, so what is the legal effect, in your view, of the Ontario Court of Appeals decision on your clients? STEVEN DONZIGER:Well, it raises the issue in Canada as to once the judgment of Ecuador is enforced, if indeed it is enforced and we believe it will be, whether after that we can execute against assets owned by Chevron and Canada. So, Chevron is trying to raise a technical defense that even if we win the enforcement, we still cant get anything at the end of it. We strongly disagree with that, it would be totally unfair, another example of Chevrons forum shopping. And we expect to win the legal issue. However. If we do not win that legal issue, we will still go and enforce the judgment in Canada. And after that, we will see what we can do about getting Chevrons assets either in Canada or taking the Canadian judgment thats been validated by Canadian courts into to other jurisdictions where Chevron has assets, and enforcing the judgment there. DIMITRI LASCARIS:Okay, so lets go back- thank you for that clarification. Lets go back to the question I posed, what is your view about the legal effect of this arbitral decision? Is that something that is now going to pose a problem for you in countries like Canada in terms of enforcing this judgment? STEVEN DONZIGER:It shouldnt by law because its irrelevant. I mean, this is why its irrelevant. Reason number one, and the most important reason, is the Ecuadorians were not a party to that proceeding. That was a proceeding between Chevron and Ecuadors government. DIMITRI LASCARIS:Youre talking about the arbitral tribunal? STEVEN DONZIGER:The arbitration, the arbitration. DIMITRI LASCARIS:Right. STEVEN DONZIGER:You cannot take a decision- and this wasnt a court, this is a private arbitration under a treaty, its not a public court, its held in secret. Theres no judges, theres no transcripts. Its all a secret proceeding. Its really a real problem because its really a secret court for corporations, and Ill explain that problem in a second. But sort of that raises another key issue, really a couple of issues. Number one is all of these collateral attacks by Chevron on the valid Ecuador judgment in the court that came from the courts that it wanted the trial to be held in are a result of the fact that seventeen different appellate judges in Ecuador, including the entire constitutional court of the country, the highest court, have affirmed the trial court judgment which is based on sixty four thousand chemical sampling results and over one hundred technical evidentiary reports, as well as reams of witness testimony and third party scientific reports. This is probably the most litigated science toxic tort case in world history. Theres two hundred and twenty thousand pages of evidence that point to Chevrons guilt. They know theyre guilty. They dont even dispute the fact that they dumped this toxic waste. Their entire focus is on attacking Ecuador as a country, Ecuadors courts, me and my other colleagues, other lawyers who have litigated this case, as a way to distract attention from their overwhelming guilt that has been validated by seventeen different judges in Ecuador. The case in the arbitration completely mirrors a decision that we believe is totally bogus and based on fraudulent evidence presented by Chevron from a U.S. District Court Judge in New York, Lewis Kaplan, who found that I and others ran what he calls a RICO conspiracy to extort money from Chevron via this case, when theres overwhelming evidence, again, that Chevron is guilty. And this is a very dangerous attack. Its a SLAPP lawsuit, meaning its designed to silence our advocacy and intimidate us. Chevron has tried to demonize me personally. Theyve admitted this in e-mails, that their strategy was not to defend the case on the merits, but to demonize Steven Donziger. Ive probably been subjected to the most well-funded and vicious corporate retaliation attack on a lawyer in U.S. history. Theyve used dozens of law firms, six PR firms. Ive been followed all around New York by private corporate espionage agents. And it really is about intimidating the lawyers, funders and anyone who wants to help the Ecuadorian communities achieve justice. Why are they spending so much money and time and investing so much effort in these attack strategies, which to me are completely bogus? The reason is the liability in this one case, yes its high, but Chevron knows that they have these other significant environmental legacy liabilities all over the world. And they know that if the Ecuadorian indigenous groups and farmer communities are able to collect on this judgment at a substantial level, that they will be subject to other lawsuits by other impoverished communities represented by talented legal counsel. By the way, when I say talented, as a team we have thirty lawyers who work in different countries to hold them accountable for this judgment, its not just me. They are terrified of that prospect. So, what theyre trying to do is not only kill off the ability of the Ecuadorians after more than two decades of litigation, historic litigation, from collecting on their judgment. Theyre trying to kill off the very idea that you can bring a case like this. And theyre also really mad because we have attracted significant funding from supporters that have allowed us to pay litigation expenses to sustain the case all these years. Now, theyre outspending us one hundred to one. They have much more money than we do. However, we have been able to survive and even thrive and advance in Canada, despite the fact they spend two billion dollars trying to stop our team. And the people in Chevron, the general counsel, R. Hewitt Pate, the current CEO, a guy named Michael Wirth, and others have gotten that company so far out on a limb with their expenditures that they almost have no choice but to keep going after all these sunk costs. And in my opinion, they dont know how to pull back. Theyve infuriated their own shareholders. Just this year, thirty-six institutional shareholders wrote a letter to the CEO urging that he settle the case. And they have unsettled the financial markets to a great degree because they created a great deal of uncertainty in terms of their asset base in Canada as a result of their failure to deal with this judgment and comply with it. DIMITRI LASCARIS:Weve been speaking today to Steven Donziger, who has been acting for Ecuadorian plaintiffs for approximately twenty years in a piece of epic litigation against Chevron, one of the worlds largest fossil fuel companies. Thank you very much for joining us, Steven. STEVEN DONZIGER:Thank you. Have a great day. DIMITRI LASCARIS:And this is Dimitri Lascaris for The Real News. How much plastic does it take to kill a turtle? Typically just 14 pieces The Conversation (J-LS) Wild rice on Rainy Lake hurt by water levels, climate change, and invasive species Quetico Superior Foundation (Chuck L) Nuclear pasta could be strongest material in the universe RT (Chuck L) Tiny fossils reveal how shrinking was essential for successful evolution PhysOrg (Kevin W) Ajit Pai calls Californias net neutrality rules illegal ars technica Coca-Cola in talks over cannabis-infused drinks BBC (Kevin W) China? Reforming the EU fiscal framework Bruegel Brexit New Cold War Syraqistan Push to Execute Saudi Clerics Rattles Kingdoms Power Structure Wall Street Journal. UserFriendly: God, MBS is literally the mad King. Hes gone after every segment of society, at what point does it blow up? Big Brother is Watching You Watch Tariff Tantrum Trump Transition Kavanaugh What America could do with European levels of military spending Washington Post Fed Interest-Rate Debate Misses the Bigger Picture Bloomberg (UserFriendly) The Massachusetts Gas Disaster Could Spark An Energy Crisis OilPrice Only 25% of population trust economists compared to 71% who trust scientists. (But we are scientists say the economists dismissing poll.) Ann Pettifor (@AnnPettifor) September 17, 2018 New York sues U.S. to stop fintech bank charters Reuters How Millennials Are Shifting the Housing Market Wolf Richer (EM) The Global Economy Hasnt Recovered Since Lehman RealClearMarkets (UserFriendly) Class Warfare Antidote du jour. Tracie H: Cottontail bunny wondering if Im ever going to go away. And a bonus video: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here A Tipperary woman has taken a top award at the National Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Geraldine Jones of skincare specialists Mediskin took home the award for Best Small SME, sponsored by Alastair Purdy & Co. Solicitors. The annual awards celebrate the excellence, professionalism, vision and leadership of business women in Ireland. This year saw a record number of entries for the awards. Winners were selected at a regional level in the Buisnesswoman of the Year Awards before being put forward as finalists in the overall national awards in their respective categories. Over 200 women from the 15 branches attended the awards ceremony in Galway which was preceded by the Annual Conference earlier that day. Irene Twohig, owner of Educogym, Cork won the award for Large SME, sponsored by AIB. Laura Jayne Halton, Couture Designer, won the Arts Award sponsored by Blink Design while the Emerging New Business Award, sponsored by KPMG, went to Caroline Murphy of West Cork Eggs. Laura Maher of Reillys Supervalu Sallins was awarded Employee of the Year sponsored by Peter Mark and Best Use of Digital Award, sponsored by Facebook was presented to Caroline Dunlea, Core Optimisation Ltd. The award for Geraldine Jones of Mediskin in Nenagh was a major honour. The owner of Mediskin, Geraldine, graduated from Pembroke College of Beauty and Body Therapy in 2004. Over the course of her incredibly impressive career, Geraldine has worked in some of the best medi-spas in Ireland, gaining invaluable experience in advanced skincare systems. Medical Aesthetics are Geraldines main focus in the clinic but she has never lost her holistic touch from her earlier days in medi-spas. With this in mind she has introduced a whole body approach where clean eating, regular exercise and de-stress techniques play as much a part in promoting skin health as clinical skin treatments. Geraldine has huge passion for her business and the treatments she offers. Last year, Geraldine branched out and launched a distribution company, Geraldine Jones Ltd, so that she can provide Irish and International salons with exclusive and high-quality products that otherwise would not be avail Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller welcomed Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo to NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (18 September 2018). Ms. Gottemoeller and Mr. Trujillo welcomed the deepening ties between the Alliance and Bogota, and discussed the regional security context in Colombia. Looking to the future, they agreed that cyber defence, demining, and promoting the role of women in peace and security should be among the top priorities for cooperation. Deputy Secretary General Gottemoeller welcomed that NATO and Colombia share a mutually beneficial relationship, a true partnership. NATOs cooperation with Colombia has been developing steadily in recent years. In 2015, Colombian forces worked side-by-side with NATO off the Horn of Africa to suppress piracy and secure international shipping lanes. Colombian personnel have benefitted from courses at the NATO School in Germany and the NATO Defense College in Italy. NATOs Building Integrity programme has also helped to increase transparency and professionalism in Colombias defence institutions. Colombia officially became a partner country the Alliances newest, and its first in Latin America in May 2017. NATO works with 41 partner countries around the world to promote international peace and security. (Natural News) Once upon a time, Bob Woodward was a formidable journalist with credibility to spare, having exposed with partner Carl Bernstein the Nixon-era Watergate scandal, putting their paper, The Washington Post, on the map of greats. But that was more than 40 years ago. Since then, Woodward has degenerated into a rumor-mongering hack who relies primarily on anonymous sources that many believe are often just fabrications. His latest work, Fear: Inside the Trump White House, appears to be more of the same, as one person after another he mentions in the book disparaging POTUS Donald Trump in some manner are stepping forward to deny those claims, The Daily Caller reported. This book does not accurately portray my experience at the White House, former National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn said in a statement last week. I am proud of my service in the Trump Administration, and I continue to support the President and his economic agenda. According to Woodward, Cohn took important trade documents off the presidents desk to prevent him from moving forward on them. He was also accused of insulting Trumps intelligence on several occasions. Cohn wasnt the only one to deny the books allegations. Former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who was forced out earlier this year after reports surfaced that he physically abused his ex-wife, told Axios and other media outlets that having now read Bob Woodwards Fear, I am struck by the selective and often misleading portrait it paints of the president and his administration. He added: During my time at the White House, I sought to serve the presidents best interests and to help enable his many successes successes that Mr. Woodwards book ignores. (Related: CoS Kelly on NBC report that he called Trump an idiot Its total BS.) Porter and Cohn join Defense Secretary James Mattis and Chief of Staff John Kelly in denials of what Woodward claimed they said. In his book, Woodward claimed that Mattis said, according to Red State: After Trump left a meeting with Defense Secretary James Mattis on North Korea, Woodward recounts, Mattis was particularly exasperated and alarmed, telling close associates that the president acted like and had the understanding of a fifth- or sixth-grader. Respected officials have denied Mattis responded, The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodwards book were never uttered by me or in my presence. While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility. He continued, In serving in this administration, the idea that I would show contempt for the elected Commander-in-Chief, President Trump, or tolerate disrespect to the office of the President, or tolerate disrespect to the office of the President from our Department of Defense, is a product of someones rich imagination. Kelly, meanwhile, called Woodwards claim total BS that he called Trump an idiot. Donald Trump Jr., the presidents son, said that well-respected people within the administration have stepped up to deny the allegations attributed to them. People who are well respected in this administration have come out and denied it, he commented. If Gen. [James] Mattis had an issue with my father, he would say it to his face. Heres why none of this makes sense: Everyone in the White House knows what kind of journalist Woodward is. They know hes no friend of the president. They know he is a hack. Why would anyone willingly insult the POTUS when they knew their comments would wind up in his book? And for that matter, why was Woodward allowed in the White House in the first place? Donald Jr. made the most relevant comment yet when he said the respected members of the administration have stepped up to deny the comments attributed to them. But that doesnt mean no one disparaged POTUS Trump, it just means he remains under siege by the Deep State. Read more about hoaxes involving POTUS Trump at Hoax.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com WashingtonExaminer.com RedState.com DailyCaller.com (Natural News) This is a breaking news alert with huge implications for the future of our country. (See full analysis videos, below.) According to a White House statement: At the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency, the President has directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to provide for the immediate declassification of the following materials: (1) pages 10-12 and 17-34 of the June 2017 application to the FISA court in the matter of Carter W. Page; (2) all FBI reports of interviews with Bruce G. Ohr prepared in connection with the Russia investigation; and (3) all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all Carter Page FISA applications In covering the bombshell announcement, InfoWars is now reporting: The long-awaited declassification by the president is believed to reveal further damning evidence suggesting leadership within the FBI and DoJ conspired to concoct a Russian collusion narrative involving Trump in order to overthrow the duly-elected president. Breitbart News adds: Trump ordered the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to declassify select parts of the FISA court application to spy on his former campaign surrogate Carter Page during the 2016 election. Trump also ordered that FBI interviews with Bruce Ohr be released surrounding the ongoing Russia investigation as well as all text messages relating to the Russia investigation from former FBI Director James Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Last week, I was one of dozens of prominent voices who called for President Trump to release these documents. The release of these damning documents will expose the total fraud of the deep state, Robert Mueller and a complicit fake news media To fully understand the widespread implications of this strategic move by President Trump, watch my two analysis videos below. Each of them delves into the criminal fraud of the deep state that will now be exposed by the declassification of these critical documents. The first video is titled, Desperate Measures: Ploy to stop Kavanaugh is deep states last attempt to save itself from mass arrests. See it at Brighteon.com: Brighteon.com/5835665911001 The second video, which went viral last week, is titled, Emergency ALERT: Trump has only one path to save America from a deep state takeover. In this video, I call for Trump to take the precise action he has now taken today. Apparently, Trump is taking the path that can save America. Watch this full video for a full understanding of whats at stake and why todays decision really matters: Brighteon.com/5832795769001 The deep state traitors and criminals are now going to be exposed. Make sure you understand that the insane, deranged, criminal Left will now resort to the most extreme tactics to try to stop President Trump, including unleashing false flag operations that murder innocent Americans (to be blamed on Trump), or even attempting to assassinate the President. Prepare to join all patriots in calling for the mass arrest of all the deep state traitors and criminals who have taken part in this massive criminal coup attempt to overthrow a sitting President and destroy America. (Natural News) Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant source of suffering for the elderly. The common options for alleviating OA-related pain are either pharmaceuticals that can cause negative side effects or acupuncture that frightens people due to the involvement of needles and the possibility of infection. Therefore, a Chinese study suggested ear acupuncture as a non-invasive option for reducing the pain from knee OA. The technical term for ear acupuncture is auriculotherapy. It is a specialized form of acupuncture that targets the auricle, the part of the ear that extends out of the head. In auriculotherapy, the ear is considered to be a tiny version of the entire human body. Stimulating certain parts of the auricle will treat symptoms found in the rest of the body. Traditional means of ear acupuncture stimulate the acupoints with needles or plant seeds. The use of improperly-sterilized needles has the risk of transmitting infectious bacteria that can cause acupuncture mycobacteriosis and other diseases. Modern, non-invasive treatments use either a low-power laser or magnetic pellets. Laser ear acupuncture is the more popular technique; it has been used to alleviate musculoskeletal pain, insomnia, and other conditions. Its magnetic counterpart seems to bring about functional changes in the body by interacting with the biological magnetic field of living tissue. Whereas laser stimulation only lasts during the treatment process, magnetic ear acupuncture can provide constant stimulation of the acupoints as long as the pellets are kept in place. Both laser and magnetic pellet techniques cause no pain and do not run the risk of infection and cross infections. (Related: Acupuncture is an effective treatment option for babies that wont stop crying.) Testing two non-invasive ear acupuncture methods on knee OA Researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) tested a combination of laser and magnetic ear acupuncture on elder patients with knee OA. They wanted to investigate any synergy between the two different techniques. Furthermore, this trial was intended to be scaled up in the future. Thus, it also served as an indicator of the future study. The participants were randomly assigned to four different groups: Placebo laser and real magnetic acupuncture treatment, real laser and placebo magnetic treatment, laser, and magnetic treatment, and placebo. For the placebo laser treatment, the laser device was not turned on during the treatment. In the placebo magnetic treatment, the acupuncturists used plastic pellets instead of the magnetic ones. Each session treated just one ear. The treated ear alternated for each session, starting with the right ear during the first session. The treatment period took six weeks. The HKPU researchers evaluated the various treatment groups in terms of OA-induced pain experienced by the participant, the ability of the patient to rise up and walk, the active and passive range of movement of the knees during flexion and extension, and the patients satisfaction with the treatment. The synergy between laser and magnetic auriculotherapy Initial results showed that the overall scores of all four groups were not very different. However, participants who underwent both magnetic and laser ear acupuncture treatments reported greater relief from pain and better ambulatory ability during the timed-up-and-go tests than subjects in the other three groups. Also, a comparison of the scores of individual members in each group showed that patients who received either magnetic, laser, or both types of ear acupuncture methods showed improvements after getting the real treatment. The researchers concluded that not only did both forms of ear acupuncture treatment work well on their own, but their effects appeared to improve when taken together. Further research should cover bigger sample groups in order to uncover the causal relationship between treatment and effect. Curious to know what other ailments can be relieved by acupuncture? Visit ChineseMedicine.news for more articles. Sources include: Science.news NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov ScienceDirect.com BMCComplementAlternMed.BioMedCentral.com (Natural News) As more details begin to emerge about Christine Blasey Ford, a Palo Alto University professor who has accused POTUS Donald Trumps second Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, of attempted rape 36 years ago in high school, the more we discover shes an unhinged Leftist who may even have an ax to grind. But were also learning more about Kavanaugh as well. As in, hes not taking these allegations lying down. Hes standing up and loudly proclaiming them to be false, and hes got credibility on his side. Right after the allegations broke on Friday and before the public knew Fords identity she first wanted to remain anonymous, we were told Kavanaugh was clear and concise in his rebuttal. I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation, he said in a statement. I did not do this back in high school or at any time. Kavanaugh doubled down on that denial Monday, breaking his silence to issue a statement denouncing the charges as completely bogus. This is a completely false allegation, Kavanaugh said in a statement released by the White House. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone. Continuing, he said, Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity. POTUS Donald Trump stood by Kavanaugh, and while he agreed that the process of extra vetting now that the allegations are out there should be undertaken, he called Kavanaugh a fine intellect that the American people will be fortunate to have sitting on the nations highest court. Regarding his appointment, Trump told reporters, If it takes a little delay, itll take a little delay. Im sure it will work out very well. He also criticized Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., indirectly, for waiting months to bring up the allegations she claims were passed to her in July in the form of a letter written by Ford. This is something that should have been brought up long before this, he said. They had the information in July, as I understand it. Thats a long time ago, and nobody mentioned it until the other day. Smells like a hoax Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters that Ford should not be insulted, she should not be ignored, and that she should testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee on their schedule. (Related: Total DESPERATION by Dems as they create fictional smear against Kavanaugh same playbook used against Clarence Thomas.) But Conway also schooled the media on Democratic behavior during Judge Kavanaughs testimony before the Judiciary Committee last week. Lets not fool ourselves long before this happened, there were Democrats saying they would not vote for Judge Kavanaugh or anyone President Trump nominated for the Supreme Court, Conway said, according to Fox News. Lets make very clear that these Democratic senators were not interested in Judge Kavanaughs significant record, his character and integrity, as testified to by many women. She also noted that Kavanaughs been through a half-dozen FBI background checks as part of his prior legal work for the George W. Bush administration and as a member of the federal court system. Speaking of Ford being heard, the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, attempted to speak to Ford via telephone with Feinstein, but the California Democrat wasnt interested, which sparked a rebuke from Grassley. Grassley: The standard procedure for updates to any nominees background investigation file is to conduct separate follow-up calls..that would entail phone calls with..Kavanaugh &..Ford..I asked..Feinsteins office..to join me in scheduling these follow-ups..they have refused, Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram tweeted Monday. Grassley: The standard procedure for updates to any nominees background investigation file is to conduct separate follow-up calls..that would entail phone calls with..Kavanaugh &..Ford..I asked..Feinsteins office..to join me in scheduling these follow-ups..they have refused. Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 17, 2018 This whole smells like a disgusting Democrat hoax. Read more about Democrat attacks on the Trump administration at Trump.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com FoxNews.com (Natural News) The Catholic Church continues to rip itself apart from within following a series of sex scandals over the past several years involving pedophile priests and even now its leader, Pope Francis, seems incapable of admitting or dealing with. Breitbart News notes that following the latest allegations of sex abuse by priests, Francis doubled down on his previous criticism of accusers, insisting they are fruit of a diabolical spirit and that the only legitimate accusation is against oneself, the site reported. Whats even more shocking is the popes complicity in hiding sexual clergy sexual abuse before he was chosen to lead the Catholic faithful. In a separate report, Breitbart noted that in 2010, when he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, head of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aries in his home country of Argentina, the Pope commissioned a four-book study that essentially attacked victims of sexual abuse while defending a priest who had been convicted of molesting a teenage boy. Breitbart reported: Francisasked a lawyer and jurist by the name of Marcelo Sancinetti to carry out a more than 2,600-page study encompassing four volumes for the Argentinian Episcopal Conference to discredit the alleged victims of Father Julio Cesar Grassi. The volumes described the victims as false accusers and claimed their accusations were just ways of projecting their own sexual desires on Grassi, who was convicted of sexually abusing a boy at his Happy Children Foundation an organization dedicated to rescuing homeless children and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Why would the future pope do that? At the time Grassi was considered to be a national celebrity in Argentina who had struck up relationships with wealthy, powerful figures throughout the country though his victims were dirt poor and were living in his homeless shelters via the Happy Children Foundation, which generated millions of dollars in donations each year, Breitbart reported. Lawyer Juan Pablo Gallego, who represented Grassis victims, told local Argentine media that as archbishop of his archdiocese, Francis commissioned the four-book series which was called, Studies on the Grassi case in a bid to influence justices on Argentinas Supreme Court to proclaim him innocent. (Related: The Pope is a pedophilia denialist and an affront to God; allows DEMONS to rape little children.) The books arrived to the judges of the [Supreme] Court, presumably delivered by supposed emissaries of Francis, Gallego told Spanish language Infobae. What is certain is that we determined that they were received by every judge that had to decide on the Grassi case. They werent only delivered to the Supreme Court, where they are held, for example, by Ricardo Lorenzetti; they were also delivered to the judges of the provincial appeals court. He added: I am certain that the judges of the Supreme Court have these books and that they came to them in the name of the Church. Not even a letter Of course, the books were never released to the public why would transparency be in order with the faithful masses? but the last book in the series did contain information about who commissioned the study, according to El Pais. With this [volume], these Studies on the Grassi case are concluded, and the labor assigned by the Argentinean Episcopal Conference, in particular by Cardinal Bergoglio, then its president and today His Holiness Francis, the text reportedly said on page one. Francis has also been criticized this week for claiming that no abuse happened during his tenure. Several victims of abuse have now come forward and have written him letters providing details of the incidents they suffered while he was archbishop. Worse, they said he has not even offered to meet with them and has reportedly not answered their letters, either. He receives all the celebrities, like Leonardo DiCaprio, and opens his door to them. And for us, not even a quick letter to say he was sorry, one of the victims told a reporter with the French news program Cash Investigation in 2017. Read more about the evil permeating the Catholic Church at Evil.news. Sources include: Breitbart.com NewsTarget.com (Natural News) The story surrounding Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party in high school, is rapidly falling apart. Late last week Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., out of options to stop majority Republicans from voting to place Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court as POTUS Donald Trumps second pick, pulled one last dirty trick out of her bag. She claimed to have received a letter from an anonymous woman claiming that Kavanaugh, during a high school party and in a drunken stupor, attempted to rape her while another male friend looked on. As the weekend progressed, not only did we learn the womans identity, but suddenly the Washington Post was publishing in-depth details about the allegations as well as Fords statements that she wanted to come forward and tell her side of the story. The Post claimed that the paper had also received a copy of Fords letter over the summer. Collusion? You bet. For his part, Kavanaugh staunchly denied the allegations, and in no uncertain terms. I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation, he said in a statement. I did not do this back in high school or at any time. Is he believable, though? You bet, once you learn what else has transpired. Internet sleuths have turned up some interesting and mitigating information regarding Ford, her parents, and Kavanaughs mother, who was herself was a judge in Maryland. In that capacity,she foreclosed on the home of Fords parents 22 years ago, which was 13 years after the alleged sexual assault. #TheMoreYouKnow: Go to the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Criteria page: https://t.co/eI93fQNvqO In the Case Number search column, type 156006V and click Get Case. Then learn that the parents of Kavanaughs accuser were defendants in a court case his mother presided over. pic.twitter.com/8gd0jdSndv Richard Armande Mills (RAM) (@RAMRANTS) September 17, 2018 Journalist Richard Armande Mills turned up the evidence and case number, as seen in the above tweet. The parents of Brett Kavanaughs accuser were defendants in a court case Kavanaughs mother ruled on 22 years ago. Thats 13 years after the incident in question took place, he wrote in another tweet. Im no legal professional. But from what it looks like, Brett Kavanaughs mother did not rule in favor of Fords parents, Ralph and Paula Blasey. This is just the latest discrepancy. There are others. (Related: Dems pulling last minute FBI stunt to thwart Judge Kavanaughs nomination.) Never saw Brett act that way As independent journalist Mike Cernovich noted on Sunday, Ford is a far-Left activist who spent all weekend deleting her social media accounts. He said initially that he didnt name her because that wouldnt have been nice. But what she and Feinstein and the Democrats are engaging in is straight activism. https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/1041381270758973440 Whats the purpose of scrubbing her social media? To make it appear as though shes just a dispassionate observer and not at all politically active. Though she is. There are other reasons to doubt Ford. For one, the second male in the room, Mark Judge, who attended Marylands Georgetown Preparatory School with Kavanaugh, told The Daily Caller he never saw Brett act that way and that any allegations of sexual misconduct are just absolutely nuts. Whats more, dozens of women more than 60 who are personally familiar or who have interacted professionally with Kavanaugh have vouched for him in a letter released by the Senate Judiciary Committee. We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983. For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect, the letter read. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time. They added that they all knew Kavanaugh when he attended the all-male school via social events, sports, church, and various other activities. Finally, former students rated Ford, who has a Ph.D. and has taught social work at California State University, very poorly, with one even claiming she scared them, The Gateway Pundit reported. Democrats promised to do anything and everything to stop Kavanaughs nomination. This allegation smacks not of truth but of Democratic desperation. Read more about the coordinated smearing of innocent people at Smeared.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com DailyCaller.com TheGatewayPundit.com For the first time, evidence emerge of tiny air pollution particles in the placenta, adding to the potentially adverse effects of pollution on unborn babies. Scientists presented their research at the European Respiratory Society International Congress on Sunday, Sept. 16. According to Medical Xpress, the study suggests that when pregnant women breathe dirty air, small particles of the soot travels through the bloodstream and makes its way to the placenta. Dr. Lisa Miyashita, a post-doctoral researcher at the Queen Mary University of London, explains in a statement that scientists are aware that air pollution affects fetus development and continues to do so for the rest of their lives. "We were interested to see if these effects could be due to pollution particles moving from the mother's lungs to the placenta," she says. The Study Five pregnant women were involved in the research, all non-smokers from London who underwent uncomplicated pregnancies and planned caesarean section deliveries. The women also all gave birth to healthy babies. The placentas of the five women were collected and analyzed after the deliveries, particularly the placental macrophages that are known to be part of the immune system. Macrophage cells work throughout the body by absorbing bacteria and pollution particles, but in the placenta, they protect the infant. Using a high-powered microscope and an electron microscope, the researchers found 60 macrophage cells that contain a total of 72 small black spots that they believe were carbon particles. It is the first ever evidence that inhaled pollution particles can get transported from the lungs to the placenta. While further evidence may be necessary for final confirmation, Miyashita tells The Guardian that the research team can't think of anything else it could be as it's evident to them that the recovered elements are black sooty particles. Danger To The Unborn "We also know that the particles do not need to get into the baby's body to have an adverse effect, because if they have an effect on the placenta, this will have a direct impact on the foetus," Dr. Norrice Liu, a pediatrician and clinical research fellow, adds. Mounting evidence has shown that air pollution is harmful to humans, even unborn ones. Childhood asthma has been linked to dirty air, while a recent study even noted pollution's role in a drastic drop in intelligence. This recent study supports that toxic particles can make its way to the placenta, which is known for providing the fetus with nutrients. The findings not only encourage a better understanding in physicians, but also urge the enactment of better policies and initiatives worldwide that push for cleaner air. Nuclear pasta doesn't sound too intimidating, but the strange substance that's believed to come from dead stars is much stronger than one would think. Specifically, scientists suggest that the so-called nuclear pasta is the strongest known material in the entire universe. The Ultra-Strong 'Nuclear Pasta' In a study accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters, a team of researchers discussed the incredible strength of the cosmic substance. Nuclear pasta is reportedly 10 billion times stronger than steel. "This is a crazy-big figure, but the material is also very, very dense, so that helps make it stronger," Charles Horowitz, study coauthor and a physicist from the Indiana University Bloomington, explains in Science News. The mysterious substance is believed to be 100 trillion times denser than water, making it impossible to study in the laboratory. So, the scientists used computer simulations to stretch nuclear pasta into sheets and analyze the behavior of the material. They found that the force required to deform and break the nuclear pasta is much greater than the force needed to do the same to any other known material. While the outer crust of a neutron star has previously been shown to be stronger than steel, it's the first time that the inner crust has been observed in depth. How 'Nuclear Pasta' Forms Neutron stars form when a dying star explodes. Rich in neutrons as the name suggests, these stellar remnants are squeezed by extremely powerful gravitational forces. As one gets closer to the center of the neutron star, the atomic nuclei are squished tighter and tighter together until they create strange clumps of nuclear matter. The matter are thought to be deformed and shaped similarly to the different pasta types such as gnocchi, noodles, and the like. Proving The Existence Of The Pasta Nuclear pasta has not yet been observed in the real world, but this new study offers hope to scientists who are on the lookout. The only way to closely observe a neutron star is by the gravitational waves it emits, which only occurs when the star's crust has lumps called "mountains." The larger the mountain, the better chances there are of spotting more powerful waves. In the case of neutron stars, though, large mountains measure only a couple of centimeters high. The study simulations suggest that nuclear pasta are strong enough to support mountains that are tens of centimeters high, which is enough to produce waves that the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory or LIGO could spot. The Oakland City Council formally approved on Monday night an ordinance establishing regulations and requiring permits for shared dockless electric scooters, in light of frequent complaints of reckless riders and scooters left scattered on local sidewalks. The ordinance will provide "responsible guidelines for scooter companies as they do business in Oakland," said Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, along with Councilman Noel Gallo an author of the ordinance. "The requirements deal with a range of problems and potential problems that have occurred, including prohibiting threatening noises, requiring liability insurance and where (scooters) can be deployed," Kaplan said. The ordinance also requires dockless scooters to be distributed equitably throughout Oakland, and no less than 50 percent of scooters will have to be deployed in Oakland's "communities of concern," with high populations of minority and/or low-income residents. Several people told the council Monday night that the scooters have been causing problems. Renata Gray of Oakland said a scooter was recently dumped next to her car door; she not only had to get it out of the way to get into her car, but the scooter left both a dent and a scratch in that car door. "They're reckless, and they're all over the place," Gray told the council. The scooters are especially common in the downtown area. Councilman Larry Reid told Gray he concurred. "One of them almost hit me on the sidewalk," Reid said. Imagine being in your early retirement-age and being the primary caregiver and provider to an adult son or daughter with developmental disabilities. What happens to them when youre no longer there? Thats my fear, said Dena Ortega, mother and caregiver to her 35-year-old son, Jason Ortega, who has cerebral palsy. Its a tough subject to talk about. I dont know what would become of Jason if something were to happen to me. For Ortega and thousands of other parents in Santa Clara County, that is their biggest fear - not knowing who will care for their children when theyre gone. Currently, Ortega lives with her son in a small home in San Jose and works as a caregiver. When she's gone her son goes to a day program with Better Horizons for five hours a day. "I never thought I would have to be a mother, a caregiver and be a superhero mother," Ortega said. Nickee Butlangan, AP To prepare for the future, Ortega has been seeking alternative living arrangements for Jason and has applied to a number of affordable housing apartments across the county for months, but has found no such luck. According to Housing Choices, an organization dedicated to finding affordable housing for people with disabilities, there are over 10,000 people with developmental disabilities in the county alone. But so far, Santa Clara County only has 20 affordable housing locations specifically for people with disabilities. Its very hard to have anyone accept a disability income and our income as parents, Ortega said. His income is not enough and my income is too much. Although Jason will always require assistance, Ortega wants her son to have his own apartment and learn to be supported not just by her, but by others as well. I dont want him to not have somewhere to go if something were to happen to me, Ortega said. He needs to have something stable. But the lack of affordable housing units made available to those with disabilities has made it difficult not just for Ortega, but for thousands of others as well. In hopes of finding a solution to the issue, the Santa Clara County Supervisors considered carving out funds from Measure A to finance the growing housing needs for people with developmental disabilities last week. Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area Measure A, a $950 million housing bond meant to address the growing need for affordable housing in the region, was first approved by voters in 2016. At least 90 percent of the funding was intended to be used for projects to house the homeless and those with low-income. Within the measure, a portion of the money was also targeted to finance affordable rental housing for vulnerable populations such as people with developmental disabilities. The Board of Supervisors last week considered changing guidelines in Measure A that would allow five percent of the bond revenue - $40 million to be used for housing people with developmental disabilities. Although people with developmental disabilities already qualify for Measure A housing, new developments that reserve a specific number of units for vulnerable populations dont qualify for funding unless it targets the homeless. The meeting brought together a huge number of people in the developmentally disabled community and many took a moment to explain to the Board of Supervisors the importance of funding affordable housing projects for the developmentally disabled to prevent homelessness. The Board of Supervisors decided not to earmark any funds from Measure A and instead chose to consider funds from places like the Mental Health Act. This is something that we need to do as a society, said County Supervisor Cindy Chavez. When we look at the housing need in California, we are not going to be able to use traditional pots to really resolve the problem. Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area For now, all thats left for parents and caregivers like Ortega is to wait and hope their children will have an opportunity to affordable independent living. Hes human and hes entitled to have a beautiful apartment or beautiful home just like everybody else, Ortega said. UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland officials gave a family more time in keeping a 6-month-old boy on life support, and late Monday, the family confirmed he had been transferred to Stanford Hospital. The decision not to take Kingston Holmes off life support came after family and supporters rallied outside the Oakland hospital to keep him alive. The hospital initially planned to take the child off life support at 1 p.m. Monday. Kingston remained in a coma, and a debate raged on about when to declare someone dead. The boy was first brought to a Fairfield hospital with cardiac arrest and later transferred to Children's Hospital Oakland, where he has remained in a coma for the past month. "We have a lot of mixed emotions," said Cresha Batte, Kingston's mother. "This is one of the most devastating things that I've ever been through." Kingston's parents said the hospital told them they would have to remove him from life support Monday afternoon. Hospital officials late Monday said Kingston was transferred to another hospital at the family's request, and a fmialy spokesperson confirmed it was Stanford. In a statement, the Oakland hospital said it cannot comment on the case, citing privacy rules. "(We're) just waiting for Kingston to prove them wrong," said Peter Holmes, the boy's father. Kingston's family said the boy is not brain dead and deserves the chance to fight. "He is moving. He's wiggling his fingers, his toes," Batte said. "He's moving his feet, as well as his hands." Some said the case is reminscent of Jahi McMath. The same hospital attempted to remove Jahi from life support against her family's wishes. Jahi's family was ultimately allowed to move her to another facility, where she died several years later. It is unclear from the hospital's statement how long they plan to keep Kingston on life support. The family is hoping another facility will accept Kingston as he continues to fight for his life. Here's the full statement released by Children's Hospital Oakland: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland greatly empathizes with the family of Kingston Holmes. We are dedicated to saving and protecting the lives of the children for whom we care. The prospect of losing a child is one of the most difficult situations a family can face and is deeply upsetting to our clinical teams who work tirelessly to provide the best care for patients in dire situations. Due to patient privacy laws, we are not able to comment regarding the infants specific situation, other than to say that there will be no action today in removing life support. As in all situations in our hospital, the decision to limit or withdraw life support is not taken lightly. From the time a patient enters the hospital, our clinical teams work with families to discuss the patients care planning, prognosis, chance of survival, and opportunity for second opinions and transfer to another hospital. At the same time, every effort is made to allow the family time to grieve, while still recognizing that certain patients are, unfortunately, sent to us in such grave condition that they will not benefit from additional care. As part of this process, UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospitals seeks additional medical opinions on the patients situation and prognosis from outside physicians who are not involved in the patients care. Our clinical team also assists the family with names and contact information for qualified outside experts if the family would prefer to contact them independently. In situations in which the patient is able to be transferred, the clinical team contacts outside medical centers to identify hospitals that could accommodate the patients medical needs. While we are not able to provide further details, our hearts are with the family in this difficult time. Authorities are searching for a minimum-security inmate who walked away from a camp in Nevada County today, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Staff at the Washington Ridge Conservation Camp discovered Justin Tyquiengco was missing around 5:30 a.m. during an inmate count. He was last seen at the 3:30 a.m. count. Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said the prisoner is possibly in route to Alameda County. Tyquiengco is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 174 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair. He was first committed to the state prison system in September 2015 with a six-year sentence for second-degree robbery with the use of a firearm. He received an additional sentence in Alameda County to serve one year after his primary sentence from Contra Costa County. Anyone who sees Tyquiengco should contact 911 or law enforcement authorities immediately. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call a watch commander at (530) 257-2181, ext. 4173. There are currently 3,700 inmates around the state at conservation camps, also known as fire camps, according to state corrections officials. Extra officers are patrolling Livermore High School this week after students found a note that "alleged a direct threat" to the East Bay school, according to police. The threat at Livermore High School comes on the heels of similar incidents that occurred at at least two other East Bay high schools over the past few days, according to police. Over the weekend in Pittsburg, police were made aware about a social media message regarding a possible threat to Pittsburg High School, according to police. Police conducted an investigation and found that the message was not a credible threat nor was it designed to be any kind of threat at all. In nearby Concord, police on Monday investigated a possible threat of a shooting at Clayton Valley Charter High School, according to the city's police department. The possible threat was allegedly made on a social media post, and several students reported hearing about the rumored threat, but police were unable to find anyone who actually came across the post or could tell them about who may have created it. The Livermore High School threat came from a handwritten note that students found in a restroom, police learned Monday. Extra officers were assigned to patrol the school Monday and more will continue to patrol the area as needed throughout the week. Amid the threats and investigations, the FBI on Tuesday is set to announce a new public awareness campaign to stop people from making false threats against schools. The campaign will educate the public about the consequences of making hoax threats to schools and other public places. More than 200 alumnae of the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda are said to have signed a letter supporting a classmate who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were both in high school. The signatories rallied around Christine Blasey Ford after she went public in The Washington Post with allegations that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed at a house party in the early 1980s in Chevy Chase and wouldn't let her leave. "I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." Kavanaugh, then a student at Georgetown Preparatory School, denies the allegation. But many of Ford's fellow alumnae have rallied in support. "Dr. Blasey Ford's experience is all too consistent with stories we heard and lived while attending Holton," the letter reads in part. "Many of us are survivors ourselves." Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who graduated from Holton-Arms in 1979, tweeted that she signed on to the letter. I was class of 79 & signed this letter. https://t.co/5ssttu9uzT Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) September 17, 2018 The letter, obtained by NBC Washington, demands a thorough and independent investigation before the Senate votes on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. Republicans have already put off a planned committee vote scheduled for Thursday. Ford and Kavanaugh are now both set to publicly testify before Congress next week, News4 reported. Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a 1971 graduate of Holton-Arms, was among those who called for public testimony under oath from both Ford and Kavanaugh. Holton-Arms Head of School Susanna A. Jones said the school wasn't involved in organizing the letter but supports Ford speaking out. "It is imperative that all voices are heard. As a school that empowers women to use their voices, we are proud of this alumna for using hers," Jones said in a statement. Ford also won support from a group of women who stood outside the Supreme Court on a rainy Monday evening holding signs reading, "I believe her" and "Men who don't listen to women can't lead our nation." But Kavanaugh has his own vocal supporters: Sixty-five women who knew him in high school signed onto a letter released Friday saying he has "always treated women with decency and respect." What to Know Heavy rains caused flooding and forced rescues on Tuesday across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The National Weather Service surveyed damage in Saugus and determined that straight-line winds were the results of a microburst. In Derry, New Hampshire, seven people had to be rescued by boat after water rose 5 to 6 feet outside several businesses. The National Weather Service says a microburst, not a tornado, caused damage in a town near Boston as the remnants of Hurricane Florence brought strong winds and heavy rains to New England on Tuesday. NBC10 Boston's Chris Gloninger said the straight-lined damage path confirmed by the National Weather Service was a half mile wide in the town of Saugus, Massachusetts. Gloninger said it was still to be determined exactly how strong the winds were from the microburst. Storms that moved through the area on Tuesday as a result of the remnants of Florence, flooded several roads in Massachusetts. A tornado warning had been in effect for parts of Essex County earlier in the day. In Quincy, Massachusetts, a woman trapped in her car Tuesday on Standish Avenue was rescued by a member of the U.S. Army. The soldier was able to carry her to safety after she crawled out of her window. #CaughtOnCamera A dashcam caught Specialist Mathew Hernon assisting a motorist this afternoon. Specialist Hernon is with the 1058 transportation company out of Hingham. Currently on active orders for assisting recruiters #USArmy #flooding pic.twitter.com/4iy2qjnwb0 Quincy Police (@quincymapolice) September 18, 2018 Vehicles were also reported stranded in several communities due to flooded roads in North Reading, Somerville, and Medford. Massachusetts State Police had to shut down Route 1 north at Route 114 in Danvers due to three vehicles being stranded. Parts of Montvale Avenue in Stoneham were under two feet of water, flooding the nearby parking lots as well. The flooding also caused problems for businesses like the Lahey Clinic in Peabody, Massachusetts, where water flooded the lobby. Several inches of standing water were reported on Oakville Street in Lynn where resident Brigitte Anderson was waiting to get her son from school. "I can't get my son out of daycare," Anderson said. "We're trying to figure out a way to get him over here so I dont have to walk in the water because it's 6 to 8 inches." Nedzad Colic, of Lynn, said water was seeping into his basement. He's still recovering after torrential rain caused problems last month. "I have almost four foot now I have more," Colic said. He said he was in his basement fixing the foundation when Tuesday's downpours starting again. "Thats water from today fresh water from the street. Dirty water," Colic said. Karl McKinney In Derry, New Hampshire, Fire Chief Mike Gagnon said seven people were rescued by boat after water rose 5 to 6 feet outside several small businesses in an industrial area. He said eight others were assisted to higher ground, and about 15 cars were flooded. The death toll from the storm is at least 32 in three states, with 25 fatalities in North Carolina. The hurricane made landfall late last week in the Carolinas. A formal celebration at Holy Name Cathedral was held Monday as three new bishops Mark Bartosic, Robert Casey, and Ronald Hicks were installed. They are the first bishops chosen during Cardinal Blase Cupichs leadership. The papal nuncio, similar to a popes ambassador was at the ceremony. The former nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Viganos, letter on the sex abuse crisis rocked the church last month claiming the Vatican knew of the allegations surrounding Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick In his homily, Cupich called for justice and healing. As the new bishops take their assignments, there is a call for more accountability of how those in charge handle abuse allegations. Some Catholics in attendance told NBC 5 they were encouraged by that message. Over the weekend, Pope Francis appointed Cupich to a meeting in Rome next month for young adults. Some have called for the Vatican to postpone the meeting and instead meet on the abuse crisis. The Pope has however called for that world summit to take place in February. Incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner is running for a second term using many of the same rallying cries that sent him to Springfield the first time around. Rauner announced his re-election bid in October 2017, once again railing against powerful Democrat and longtime nemesis Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The Winnetka natives announcement included another call for lower property taxes and term limits two of the issues he focused on in his 2014 campaign, which was his first run for public office after a career in private equity. From the past four years, he counts education funding and criminal justice reform, as well as pro-business measures and his veto of an income tax hike (that eventually took effect), among his successes. But this time around may prove more difficult, as an August NBC News/Marist poll showed that his Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker leads him by 16 points in a race that several political forecasters have predicted "leans Democratic." Part of Rauners challenge will be winning back support from his conservative base after a bruising GOP primary. Entering office as a self-proclaimed moderate with no social agenda, Rauner signed two measures in particular over the past year that angered right-wing Republicans. The first was a bill to prevent law enforcement officials from detaining individuals based solely on their immigration status which some said effectively turned Illinois into a sanctuary state, while the second was a measure that allows the state to cover abortions for its employees and Medicaid recipients, and will also ensure that abortion remains legal in Illinois should the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision be overturned. In signing those bills, Rauner drew both the ire of conservative Republicans and an opponent in the GOP primary. State Rep. Jeanne Ives jumped into the race and though he had far more funding and name recognition, Rauner won by a razor-thin 3 point margin coming stunningly close to being ousted by members of his own party. Ives has yet to signal her support for Rauner in the general election, going so far as to say after the primary that she has no reason to believe or trust anything he says. Another challenge Rauner faces will be overcoming his role in Illinois historic budget impasse that began in 2015 and lasted more than two years, devastating schools and social service agencies statewide and ballooning Illinois bill backlog to more than $14 billion. The impasse began in July 2015 when Rauner made elements of his so-called Turnaround Agenda like lawmaker term limits and workers compensation reform, among others a condition for his signature on a state budget deal, while the Democrat-controlled legislature pushed for an increase to the state income tax to replace the previous increase that had expired at the beginning of 2015. The impasse ended in July 2017 when lawmakers overrode Rauners veto of their budget package, which included the tax increase. Another element of the negotiations which Rauner has since noted as a signature achievement in various campaign ads was moving Illinois to an evidence-based model of education funding, taking into account each K-12 districts individual needs, as well as its local revenue sources, when appropriating state aid prioritizing districts that are furthest from being fully-funded. A controversial element of the deal that Rauner championed was a tuition tax credit program that provides state aid to students who attend private schools. Another issue Rauner is highlighting this time around is criminal justice reform, touting that hes signed more than two-dozen bipartisan bills to rehabilitate offenders, plus bail and sentencing reforms, among others. Painting himself as a pro-business reformer in opposition to unions, Rauner racked up a victory in his crusade against collective bargaining when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public sector labor unions cannot force non-member employees to pay the union fees to represent them. Rauner has tied that decision into what is arguably his biggest talking point and what he hopes will resonate with voters which is his opposition to what he has called Illinois' broken political system controlled by machine corruption. While Rauner may have a tough re-election battle, hes got plenty of cash in his campaign coffers, most of which comes from his own wallet. Rauner dumped $50 million into his campaign fund in December 2016, which was the single largest political donation in Illinois history eclipsing the previous record Rauner himself set when he donated $10 million to his campaign in 2014. In all, Rauner has donated more than $95 million to his own efforts a seemingly necessary cost for whats shaping up to be the most expensive gubernatorial race in U.S. history against one of the wealthiest men in Illinois, Democrat J.B. Pritzker. What to Know Van Dyke is charged with murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old McDonald nearly four years ago The Chicago police officer was captured on dashcam video shooting McDonald 16 times the night of Oct. 20, 2014, on the city's Southwest Side Van Dyke entered a plea of not guilty As the trial for Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke entered its second day, jurors heard dramatic testimony from the officer's partner, who detailed the moments before the shooting unfolded. Joseph Walsh, who faces charges for falsifying his report, testified off camera and under immunity, that he believed Laquan McDonald to be a danger before the shoting. The testimony contradicts statements made by previous officers called in the case. "I assessed the entire incident when he was on the ground," Walsh said. "He was a threat, still armed... with a knife in his hand... still moving." Another witness called Tuesday, however, said he saw no "threatening movements" while McDonald was on the ground. Van Dyke has claimed he opened fire that night to protect himself and other officers. The Chicago police officer is charged with murder after he shot McDonald 16 times the night of Oct. 20, 2014, on the city's Southwest Side. Walsh said that he and other officers wanted to stop the knife-wielding McDonald from entering a Burger King or a Dunkin Donuts near the scene of the shooting. Opening statements had only just begun Monday when the widely circulated dashcam video showing the fatal shooting of McDonald was played in court. "From the time [Van Dyke] gets out [of the squad car], six seconds later, he starts to shoot," special prosecutor Joseph McMahon told the 12 jurors and five alternates. "For the next 12 and a half seconds, he continues to pull his trigger over and over until his whole clip is emptied on Laquan McDonald." Van Dyke's attorneys maintain the Chicago officer has been wrongly charged, saying he was acting within the law when he shot the teen, who at the time was an armed felon fleeing a crime scene. 3:45 p.m.: Day 2 of testimony is complete in Jason Van Dyke trial. Jurors heard from 9 witnesses today, including, Joe Walsh, Van Dykes partner on the night Laquan McDonald was killed. 3:22 p.m.: Judge Gaughan strikes ALL of the testimony from FBI forensic expert, Mark Messick, because hes not a ballistic expert and could not clarify if the green arrows on FBI video show the puffs of smoke came from bullets hitting the ground or bullets that struck Laquans body. 2:54 p.m.: The 12 jurors in Jason Van Dyke trial are now watching FBI enhanced dash cam video of the shooting. This is now the 5th witness today, in which the video has been played for them to see the shooting. 2:04 p.m.: Jurors are now getting a chance to see Jason Van Dykes duty weapon, a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic that holds 16 rounds. 2 p.m.: Jurors are now getting a chance to see Jason Van Dykes duty weapon, a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic that holds 16 rounds. 1:42 p.m.: A second evidence video viewed, was filmed at the hospital where Laquan McDonald was pronounced dead. The jury saw his blood stained clothes filled with bullet holes. 1:30 p.m.: The jury is now watching video taken of the crime scene, by a CPD evidence tech for crime scene investigation unit. It shows the 16 cartridge casings, blood on the pavement and the knife Laquan McDonald was holding 12:20 p.m.: Next witness, Cook County Police Officer Adam Murphy, tried to give aid to Laquan McDonald while he laid on the ground. He could hear him gasping for air and gurgling. Told him an ambulance was on the way, but the gasping and gurgling from Laquan "stopped shortly after." 12:10 p.m.: CPD Officer David Ivankovich and his partner, answered the dispatch call for a taser that night in 2014, but by the time they arrived on the scene at 42nd and Pulaski, Laquan was already shot and lying in the middle of the street. 11:40 a.m.: Next witness, Xavier Torres, was in a car on Pulaski and witnessed the Laquan McDonald shooting. Testifies he did not see Laquan making any threatening movements. That he didnt make movements towards officers on the scene looked like trying to get away from the officers. 11:22 a.m.: Joe Walsh, Van Dykes former partner, completes his testimony. He still faces trial for his own charges stemming from that night. Hes accused of filing a false report, exaggerating the threat Laquan McDonald posed. 11:12 a.m.: Walsh describes the moments before the shooting. "He was on that diagonal...swinging the knife. He turns and looks directly in our direction with a stare and a focus beyond us.Thats when I believed the first shot occurred...when he turned his right shoulder." 11 a.m.: Prosecutor Joseph Cullen: Did you find Laquan McDonald to be a danger at any point? Joe Walsh: Yes. I assessed the entire incident when he was on the ground. He was a threat, still armed...with a knife in his hand..still moving." 10:10 a.m.: Day two of testimony in the Jason Van Dyke trial begins with one of the most important witnesses, Joe Walsh, Van Dykes partner that night. Walsh has an immunity deal, so his testimony can not be seen or heard by anyone outside of the courtroom. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Macedonia on Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO, a move Moscow opposes. Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Skopje that there is "no doubt" that Moscow has been funding pro-Russian groups to defeat the referendum on a name change later this month. "They have transferred money, and they're also conducting broader influence campaigns," Mattis said. "We ought to leave the Macedonian people to make up their own minds." Macedonians will vote Sept. 30 on whether to approve the new name of North Macedonia in an effort to placate Greece, which has for years blocked Macedonia's path to NATO and the European Union. But any progress toward NATO membership by the Balkan nation is strongly opposed by Russia, which doesn't want the alliance to expand to areas formerly under Moscow's influence. Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Mattis made no mention of Russia but announced that the U.S. plans to expand its cybersecurity cooperation with Macedonia "to thwart malicious cyber activity that threatens our democracies." Zaev predicted that Macedonians will vote in favor of the name change and thus the move into NATO. "There is no other alternative for the Republic of Macedonia than the integration into NATO and the EU," he said. Macedonia's main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party repeated its position on Monday that "the agreement with Greece is the worst deal signed in the Macedonia's history." And a pro-Russian small oppositional party, Unique Macedonia, strongly criticized Mattis' remarks on Moscow's efforts to use money to influence the opposition to defeat the referendum. "For which Russian influence and which Russian money is speaking Jim Mattis when Macedonia is for 27 years a hostage to the pernicious influence of NATO and millions of euros from CIA payed to buy Macedonian authorities to serve them faithfully," the party press release issued on Monday said. Mattis is the latest in a string of international leaders visiting Macedonia to voice support for the referendum, and he's the most senior U.S. official to visit. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz have visited and made public endorsements of the name change, saying it's critical in order for the country to join NATO after years of waiting. Mattis said that he and other NATO allies "say right up front in open press what we think. We're not passing money to people behind the scenes, we're not putting together parties that we control or try to control." Russia has already been called out for trying to influence the vote. In July, Greece expelled two Russian diplomats accused of supplying funds to protest groups who were opposing the name change deal. Russia denounced the expulsions as unjustified. Greece, a member of NATO, has for years vetoed attempts by Macedonia to join NATO, complaining about the country's name since Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s. Greece argues that the name implies a territorial claim against the northern Greek region of Macedonia and its ancient heritage. NATO leaders in July formally invited Macedonia to begin membership talks on the condition that it wouldn't become effective until the name change was implemented. But there is widespread concern about Russian impact on the vote. "There is this influence campaign to try to buy off people and try to support pro-Russian organizations," said Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant defense secretary for Russia and the region. She said she couldn't give specifics about the payoffs but said the U.S. is aware of financial support that Moscow has given to pro-Russian people and groups that are working to undermine the referendum. Evelyn Farkas, an expert on the region who is a fellow with the Atlantic Council and a former Defense Department adviser, said Mattis' visit to the tiny nation could help sow support for the name change. "I think Mattis could make or break this thing by delivering a strong message to the opposition, which has been grudgingly quiet, that they need to come out in full-throated support, because they're not going to get another chance later," Farkas said. "He can tell them this is their last chance." According to Cooper, the U.S. has given Macedonia about $5 million in security assistance annually since 1991, and the total U.S. aid since then has been about $750 million. Mattis also met with Macedonia President Gjorge Ivanov and Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska. He said that he believes the Macedonian peoples' lives can be changed with added economic opportunities and security and that it's important to have those options available. The referendum vote is non-binding, and polls indicate Macedonians will likely back the deal. But even if the turnout is below the required 50 percent, if most of the people vote "yes" it will give parliament and the government a mandate to proceed. The agreement with Greece was signed in June and requires changes to the Macedonian Constitution. The final step for NATO admission is ratification by Greece's parliament, which would vote only after Macedonia completes all necessary procedures. Associated Press writer Konstantin Testorides contributed to this report. NBC Connecticut Investigates has found that nail salons across the state have been the subject of numerous complaints by customers who say they were injured during their manicures and pedicures. Katie McGowen is one of them. She was looking forward to a relaxing lunch-hour pedicure at a popular West Hartford nail salon before the routine beauty treatment took what she says is a painful turn. She said an intense burning sensation prompted her to pull her feet out of the foot bath leaving her with physical injuries. I had three to four big blisters and boils on the tops of my feet, and the skin on the bottoms of her feet was all cut up and bleeding, she said. Hours later, a doctor diagnosed her with chemical burns, she said. McGowen believes they were caused by chemical callous remover that was incorrectly applied by a nail technician at Silk Nails in the Bishops Corner neighborhood of West Hartford. Inspection reports obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates show some salons are repeatedly violating health and safety rules and many are not inspected at all. McGowens family complained about her injury to the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District and they conducted a follow-up inspection. Their report shows the salon did not have required Material Safety Data Sheets for chemicals and that their pedicure jets were cleaned once a week but needed to be cleaned once a night. When we asked the salon owners about the report and McGowens injury, they said they do not recall the incident and typically refer customer complaints directly to their lawyer and insurance company. Two years later, NBC Connecticut Investigates went to Silk Nails and recorded undercover video showing an employee quickly rinsing a foot bath between clients. We showed it to West Hartford-Bloomfield health director Steve Huleatt. The video certainly demonstrates that it would be inadequate cleaning, Huleatt said. Won Joo, the son of Silk Nails original owner and the salons new owner, reviewed the footage as well. They [sic] not supposed to do it that way, Joo said. Joo said the employee was retrained following our visit. The salon passed a follow-up inspection. In other cases, inspection reports obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates show some salons fail annual inspections year after year, often correcting violations in time to pass a re-inspection. For example, inspectors failed a Bristol salon for numerous violations, including the same hygiene rule for foot spas, at every annual inspection since 2014. After failing a Wallingford salon in January, an inspector wrote, this is the third time, that illegal razors called credo blades were found. They later passed this July. State law requires health districts to inspect nail salons every year, but does not specify what inspectors should be looking for. Individual towns and cities are left to fill the gap by passing local laws, but dozens have yet to do so, and there is no statewide training or license required for people working on nails. Connecticut requires licenses to cut hair, tattoo or massage, but it is the only state in the country that does not license nail technicians. That concerns some local health directors. The customer should be able to have the same expectation of each and every nail technician, Huleatt said. The standardized training that would come with a statewide licensing program is something several health directors said would help them do their job and improve safety. We would have a sense of their education, their experience, the fact that there was a process that perhaps had them demonstrate their skills, Huleatt said. A spokesperson for the state Department of Health told NBC Connecticut Investigates that the department has no intention of pushing for state regulation of nail salons or nail technicians. Since assuming ownership of his mothers salon, Joo said he implemented strict sanitary procedures including using disposable plastic liners in their pedicure tubs. The health district confirmed it is fully code compliant. McGowen said she ultimately received a payment from the salon. She still likes to get her nails done, but now brings her own tools and goes to salons in Massachusetts. Its definitely, definitely changed my perspective on walking into just any other walk-in salon, she said. A car that was driving erratically crashed into at least six vehicles, including three police cars on Monday night, according to police. New Haven Police contacted Connecticut State Police to report a black car with a temporary registration driving erratically around 5:12 p.m. According to witnesses, the vehicle was seen driving the wrong way and was traveling northbound on Interstate 91 southbound. When the vehicle traveled from the New Haven area to the Wallingford area, troopers surrounded the vicinity in an attempt to make contact with the driver, police said. Witnesses said the vehicle then corrected his direction of travel and began to travel southbound on I-91 southbound from the Wallingford area, in a suspected attempt to evade responding police officers. The operator of the car collided with at least three state police cruisers and at least three other vehicles during the pursuit, police said. There were minor injuries reported and one person was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. New Haven Police were able to apprehend the driver of the car and take him into custody, police said. Officers believe he was involved in several burglaries throughout the city. The man's name has not been released. The Connecticut National Guard rescued a person and the persons dog while providing assistance in North Carolina after Florence struck. This photo captured the moment Sgt. Michael Justo, of the Connecticut Army National Guard, reached his hand out of the helicopter during the rescue efforts in the area of Wallace, North Carolina. #CTNationalGuard #Soldiers hoisted a dog and its owner to safety today in North Carolina in support of #HurricanceFlorence relief operations. CT Guardsmen have been busy supporting search and rescue missions, as well as transporting relief personal and equipment. #NationalGuard pic.twitter.com/3SfDc3vNd4 CT National Guard (@CTNationalGuard) September 17, 2018 Members of the CT National Guard have been supporting search and rescue missions and transporting relief personnel and equipment. The cause of a fire at an oil treatment plant on Whiting Street in New Britain that sent two firefighters to the hospital on Monday afternoon is under investigation. The fire was at the New Britain Heat Treating Corporation. Since there was oil in the building, firefighters fought the flames defensively with fire suppression foam. Officials were also concerned that the roof of the building might collapse. #BREAKING - #NEWBRITAIN - Large fire on Whiting Street at New Britain Heat Treating Corp. Smoke can be seen from highway. Several surrounding streets closed. Fire chief says this began around 3:30. @NBCConnecticut #NBCCT pic.twitter.com/72l4Z6frTW LESLIE MAYES NBC (@LeslieMayesTV) September 17, 2018 According to fire officials, the fire started shortly before 4 p.m. and it was under control at 10 p.m. The firefighters who were injured had skin irritations from chemicals, officials said. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were notified. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Construction of New Havens new boathouse has been visible to drivers on Interstate 95 by Long Wharf. Local leaders and community members gathered Monday morning for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the Canal Dock Boathouse. It is just such a joy to see a vision come true, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-New Haven), who helped secure federal funding for the project. The boathouse is a two-story facility with storage bays and a new dock for boats to launch into the harbor, but theres also an event space upstairs and exhibits throughout on the history of New Havens waterfront. We celebrate this innovated facility which pays tribute to New Havens rich maritime history, Mayor Toni Harp said. The $40 million facility was funded with state and federal money, officials said. Nearly $14 million to make a platform here that was solid and could withstand tidal surges and flooding, said Karyn Gilvarg, New Havens former City Plan Director who worked on the project from its inception. It has a lot of interpretive displays like this photograph to help people understand the history of the harbor, she added. The Canal Dock Boathouse replaces the historic Adee Memorial Boathouse built by Yale in 1911. It had to be demolished a decade ago to make way for the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. Salvaged pieces of the old boathouse like the front entrance, a fire place and bulldog gargoyles have been incorporated into the new boathouse. The City of New Haven owns the boathouse, but non-profit Canal Dock Boathouse, Inc. is in charge of the activities, such as rowing, sailing and dragon boat racing. Weve been tasked with offering affordable access, CDBI president John Pescatore said. Now that the boathouse is open, Pescatore said the goal is to expand programs in New Haven Public Schools. If were lucky well have 15 to 20 kids here on Thursday taking their first paddle in the dragon boat launching from this dock, he said. Gilvarg told NBC Connecticut she may sign up for a rowing lesson. I did do the dragon races, she said. They come around every year in June and Id love to do more of that and maybe even learn how to row in a single shell. The University of New Haven plans to use space in the facility for its marine science program. There will be an open house and community day with lots of family activities at the Canal Dock Boathouse on Saturday September 22. Thirty-one officer candidates began their training at the New Haven Police Academy Monday as the department deals with a growing officer shortage. We need these officers in our communities as soon as possible, Chief Anthony Campbell said. After a wave of retirements and the loss of many recent academy graduates to our suburbs, Im happy this has gotten underway," he said. Mayor Toni Harp led the swearing-in at the police academy for the 31 members of the 23rd recruit class. Growing up in Connecticut and close to New Haven I always had a prestige for New Haven that its a great city and I wanted to be part of a bigger department that has a good reputation, Jennifer Giovanni said. Giovanni is one of 12 women in a recruit class that police say is the most diverse in a decade. Half of the aspiring officers are black or Hispanic and nine are New Haven residents. They can relate to the communitys needs a little bit better than those coming in from outside cities and areas, said Assistant Chief Racheal Cain, who is in charge of Professional Standards. Our academy teaches them not just about the law and tactics, they teach them the importance of community policing. The start of the academy class had been postponed three months because of a scandal at NHPD. Two officers stepped down after an investigation found they falsified documents while conducting applicant background checks. NBC Connecticut reported the union is pushing for better pay while the department could be down about 130 officers at the end of the year. Obviously, weve been down officers for a while now and these officers with substitute some of them, Chief Cain said. Recruit Jawan Haddock was born and raised in New Haven. He said he looks forward to wearing his uniform in the neighborhood where he grew up. The feeling that I made it, he said. And now its my turn to give back to the community, same thing they gave me. A section of the academy training is focused on narcotics and the issue of addiction, Cain said, adding they will use the police response to the spike in K2 overdoses on the New Haven Green as a teachable moment. The police academy runs 32 weeks before the officer candidates go through field training. Graduation is scheduled for April. Route 85 was closed at Camp Meeting Road in Bolton after a rollover, according to Connecticut State Police, but it has reopened. No injuries are reported. Police said the driver was cited. If you are in the job market now may be the perfect time to apply, considering the results of a recent statewide survey of hundreds of employers. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas sends out a monthly survey to employers, and in August 66.2 percent of respondents or two out of every three - answered Yes to the question, Are you having problems finding qualified workers when hiring? Then, of those respondents that answered Yes, the most common answer to the follow-up question, If you are having problems finding qualified workers, what are the main reasons? was Lack of available applicants/no applicants. 72.8 percent of the respondents stated that was the case. No other option garnered even a 50 percent Yes answer. The results of that survey are not surprising to the owners of Manda Machine Company, a third-generation, family owned job shop that has been in operation in Northwest Dallas since 1950. Manda manufactures custom parts for clients ranging from local school districts to SpaceX. Mandas co-owner Richard Ellard made his Help Wanted plea known to the man who is third in line to the Presidency last week. On Monday, September 10, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was in Dallas to help campaign for Republican Congressman Pete Sessions, who is up against Democrat Colin Allred, and made a stop at Manda to tout the benefit of the 2017 Republican-led tax reform. During a lull in the conversation, Richard Ellard announced to the crowd, if any of you guys are interested Ive got job applications, because were looking for more people. Ellards brother, Todd, who also is a co-owner of Manda, said during a follow-up conversation this week that their company is looking to add four new positions they currently employ 10 people but has not seen the influx of qualified applicants they would expect. The job pool is kind of few and far between, Todd Ellard said. There are a lot of manufacturers here in Dallas and we are all pulling from the same group. Manda does its job postings online and in The Dallas Morning News, according to Todd Ellard. But according to the owner of the oldest job placement firm in Texas, any failure to secure suitable applicants is the failure of the company and not the candidate. When they say, Well, we cant find very many good people, well they havent looked very hard, said Anthony Beshara, Owner and President of Babich & Associates. They dont know how to look and they, most of the time, dont necessarily know what they are looking for. Beshara has been placing salespeople in the Dallas area for the past 45 years, and his company has helped to place more than 100,000 people since 1952. Eventually companies will catch on that they have to interview faster. They have to find quality candidates in better ways than just running an ad on LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, ZipRecruiter or something like that, Beshara said. Demonstrators marched on the streets of Dallas Monday night to protest the Sept. 6 shooting death of Botham Jean by off-duty Dallas police officer Amber Guyger. The marchers walked by South Side Flats, the apartment complex that Jean and Guyger lived in and marched to the Dallas Police Association office, according to NBC 5's media partner The Dallas Morning News. A hearse drove alongside the marchers, while protestors rolled a casket behind it. There were 60-70 people in the group of demonstrators. One protestor said Dallas police blocked the entrances to major highways, so demonstrators could not block a freeway as they did Friday night. Former Balch Springs police Officer Roy Oliver has been transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to begin his 15-year prison sentence for murdering 15-year-old Jordan Edwards last year. Oliver, 38, who had remained in the Dallas County Jail since his trial ended in late August, was handed over to state authorities early Monday, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department said. Oliver was taken to the James "Jay" H. Bird Unit in Huntsville. When inmates arrive there, they are photographed, fingerprinted, interviewed and given a physical and mental health screening. All prisoners are evaluated based on their safety risks. Read more from our media partner The Dallas Morning News. What to Know Firefighters responded to multiple cars ablaze at a huge shopping center in Brooklyn; it's not clear what caused the seven-alarm inferno Twenty-one people, 18 of them firefighters, were hurt; all of the victims are expected to be OK Kings Plaza has more than 120 stores, including Macy's, Best Buy, Sears, H&M, Michael Kors, Express and Foot Locker UPDATE: Mystery Swirls Around Motive of Young Alleged NYC Arsonist Police have arrested a man in connection to a seven-alarm inferno that tore through a multi-level parking garage at Brooklyn's Kings Plaza Shopping Center Monday, enveloping the entire area in thick smoke, engulfing more than 100 vehicles and leaving nearly two dozen people hurt. Police say they've arrested Avon Stephens, 23, on an arson charge in the fire at a parking garage at the mall on Avenue U and Flatbush Avenue. A motive wasn't clear, and details on an attorney for Stephens weren't immediately available. The fire call came in shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, and the blaze quickly escalated from a two-alarm to a four-alarm fire, then became a six-alarm inferno within an hour. By 11:15 a.m., it was a seven-alarm blaze. It was under control by noon. Twenty-one people, 18 of them firefighters, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, mostly related to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. Four of the victims were taken to hospitals. Fire officials warned the patient total would likely rise. [[493480181, C]] A law enforcement source said 137 cars were damaged, and 70 of them were burned to their shells, many of them Mercedes. AP The garage holds about 4,000 spaces and fire officials said 120 cars are normally stored there by a car dealership. There were some explosions from car tires burning; officials said there is no risk of collapse. Citizen app video showed smoke spewing from the garage as bystanders crowded near emergency vehicles, seeking shelter from the shroud of smoke. More than a half-dozen MTA bus lines were running with delays in the area because of the FDNY activity. The department said more than 200 of its members responded. A mall spokesperson said to avoid the area until further notice. The plaza was closed, though officials said the fire did not extend to any stores. [NATL]Florence in Photos: Long Recovery Ahead for Carolinas From Record Flooding Kings Plaza has more than 120 stores, including Macy's, Best Buy, Sears, H&M, Michael Kors, Express and Foot Locker. In 2013, it became the subject of a controversial order that temporarily banned people younger than 18 without the presence of an adult after hundreds of teens attacked patrons and vandalized the shopping center, forcing it to shut down. No one was ultimately charged in that fray, nor was anyone hurt. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More Catholic Church sexual abuse survivors from the Bay Area will head to the state capital Monday, focused on calling California's attorney general to launch a statewide investigation into the alleged abuse. The victims want a statewide probe similar to the one recently concluded in Pennsylvania and are also clamoring for local law enforcement and prosecutors to be more aggressive when it comes to dealing with the cases. Members of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) claim the number of priests accused of harming children is far higher than currently reported. "We just want to protect kids," SNAP member Dan McNevin said. "And the way to do that is to actually open up these files and really sort out who did what to whom when. And to do that, you've got to publish the names, publish what they did so that parents and advocates can look out for these children." Last week, the bishop of the Diocese of San Jose announced he will release a list of the names and the status of every priest who has been found to be credibly accused of abusing minors within the diocese. With the fate of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee suddenly uncertain, emboldened Democrats clashed with cautious Republicans on Monday as both parties grappled with an increasingly messy nomination fight weeks before the pivotal midterm elections. The political implications were still being sorted out. But with control of Congress at stake this fall, there were tremendous risks for both sides. The GOP risked further alienating female voters particularly in the nation's suburbs by embracing Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, after an allegation surfaced over the weekend of decades-old sexual misconduct. Democrats, who seized on the development as justification to delay the high-stakes nomination, could energize complacent Republican voters if they're viewed as playing politics with the sensitive allegation. Amid the chaos, a key question quietly emerged among some political operatives: Would Republicans force through the Kavanaugh nomination even if it jeopardizes their control of Congress? For some, the short-term political pain might be an acceptable tradeoff for a generation of conservative control on the nation's high court. The situation is fluid to say the least. "At this very moment, the issue is moving so fast that accurate predictions are difficult to make," said Steven Law, who leads the super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "I think it's likely this will inflame partisan energy on both sides." Christine Blasey Ford, now a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, told The Washington Post that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when both were teenagers at high schools in suburban Maryland. Ford's attorney said Monday her client was willing to testify publicly about the allegations on Capitol Hill, where a key Kavanaugh confirmation vote was scheduled this week. Kavanaugh, now 53, called the allegation "completely false" in a statement, adding that he "had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself" to the Post. "I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity," Kavanaugh said. The developing situation threatens to exacerbate the GOP's rocky Trump-era relationship with suburban women, who are poised to play an outsized role in the districts that will largely decide the House majority this fall. Election Day isn't until Nov. 6, but early voting begins Friday in Minnesota and in roughly three weeks across several more states. Vulnerable Republican House incumbents have largely avoided the issue, which flared Monday in northern Virginia's suburbs, where GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock is fighting for her political survival. In a written statement, Comstock said Kavanaugh and Ford "should both testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee." The reaction came as her Democratic challenger, Jennifer Wexton, tweeted: "This is bigger than our politics and will impact whether victims can trust Congress." In suburban Denver, vulnerable Republican Rep. Mike Coffman was more cautious. A spokesman said the five-term congressman "believes the committee and full Senate should thoroughly evaluate the claims and Judge Kavanaugh should address them." Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said his panel will hold a hearing next Monday with Kavanaugh and Ford. Republicans were eager to avoid images of Ford facing tough questioning from the all-male Republican membership of the Senate panel. The situation could draw parallels with Justice Clarence Thomas' 1991 confirmation hearings when he faced allegations of sexual harassment from Anita Hill. The Senate ultimately confirmed Thomas, though public acceptance of sexual misconduct has shifted dramatically over the last three decades. Former Vice President Joe Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has been criticized for his handling of Hill's allegations. On Monday, his spokesman, Bill Russo, said Biden "believes Professor Ford deserves a fair and respectful hearing of her allegations, and that the Committee should undertake a thorough and non-partisan effort to get to the truth, wherever it leads." Some Democrats are using the development to go on offense. In Nevada, where Republican Sen. Dean Heller is in a difficult fight for re-election, his Democratic challenger, Rep. Jacky Rosen, used the allegation against Kavanaugh to stoke doubt about Heller's judgment. Heller said last week he had "no reservations" about voting to confirm Kavanaugh. Rosen was quick to suggest in July that Kavanaugh would pose a threat to abortion rights were he to be confirmed. "If Sen. Heller still has no reservations about confirming Judge Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment on the nation's highest court, then he isn't listening to Nevadans," Rosen said in a statement Monday. And in Tennessee, where Democrat Phil Bredesen is trying to knock off Republican incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Democrat insisted that Ford "should be heard." "If U.S senators are not going to give a careful and thorough consideration of Supreme Court nominees, then I don't know what they think their job is," Bredesen said on Twitter. Democrats and some Republicans have called for a delay in the nomination process until Ford's allegation could be investigated further. The development offered some respite to several vulnerable Democrats who are facing re-election in Republican-leaning states and who had avoided taking a firm position on Kavanaugh's nomination. At the same time, Democrats also worked to avoid the perception they were politicizing the situation. A cautious Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, one of the nation's most endangered Senate Democrats, said the allegations "merit further review." "Given the nature of these allegations, and the number of outstanding questions, I believe the Judiciary Committee should hold off on Thursday's scheduled vote," he said in a written statement. While his Republican challenger had little to say about the new allegations, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said both Ford and Kavanaugh should have an opportunity to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee "as quickly as possible." "Professor Christine Blasey Ford deserves to be heard and Judge Kavanaugh deserves a chance to clear his name," Manchin said. Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko, Juana Summers, Nicholas Riccardi and Bill Barrow contributed to this report. A veteran Florida prosecutor is facing misdemeanor theft charges after she allegedly hid $42 worth of beauty products in her purse while grocery shopping at a Publix in Aventura. Broward County Assistant State Attorney Stacey Beth Honowitz, 56, was arrested Saturday after she was caught on surveillance cameras concealing three beauty products worth $42.93 at the grocery store at 18995 Biscayne Boulevard, according to an Aventura police report. The report said Honowitz also purchased groceries totaling $124.16. A loss prevention officer stopped her when she exited the store, the report said. Honowitz has been a prosecutor for three decades and is a supervisor in her office's sex crimes and child abuse unit. She has also written books for children about abuse and frequently appears as a commentator on television. A spokesperson for the 17th Judicial Circuit said Monday that Honowitz has been suspended, using paid vacation time, while the case is investigated. Honowitz's attorney, Jayne Weintraub, says the incident was an honest mistake, and there was no intent to commit a crime. "She inadvertently did not pay for the cosmetics when she checked out and paid for her $130 groceries. She did not even leave the store after she paid. She then purchased lottery tickets and was chatting with another customer. There was no intent to commit a crime at all, said Weintraub said. Honowitz was given a notice to appear in court for the misdemeanor charge. Julian Assange had just pulled off one of the biggest scoops in journalistic history, splaying the innards of American diplomacy across the web. But technology firms were cutting ties to his website, WikiLeaks, cable news pundits were calling for his head and a Swedish sex crime case was threatening to put him behind bars. Caught in a vise, the silver-haired Australian wrote to the Russian Consulate in London. "I, Julian Assange, hereby grant full authority to my friend, Israel Shamir, to both drop off and collect my passport, in order to get a visa," said the letter, which was obtained exclusively by The Associated Press. The Nov. 30, 2010 missive is part of a much larger trove of WikiLeaks emails, chat logs, financial records, secretly recorded footage and other documents leaked to The Associated Press. The files provide both an intimate look at the radical transparency organization and an early hint of Assange's budding relationship with Moscow. The ex-hacker's links to the Kremlin would become increasingly salient before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when the FBI says Russia's military intelligence agency directly supplied WikiLeaks with stolen emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman and other Democratic figures. In a statement posted to Twitter, WikiLeaks said Assange never applied for the visa or authored the letter, identifying a former associate of his as the source of the document. WikiLeaks did not return a follow-up email seeking clarification on whether Shamir applied on his behalf, or whether a lawyer or someone else at WikiLeaks might have drafted the letter. The Russian Embassy in London said it didn't discuss the personal details of visa applicants. WikiLeaks has repeatedly been hit by unauthorized disclosures , but the tens of thousands of files obtained by the AP may be the biggest leak yet. The AP has confirmed the authenticity of many of the documents by running them by five former WikiLeaks associates or by verifying non-public details such as bank accounts, telephone numbers or airline tickets. One of the former associates, an ex-employee, identified two of the names that frequently appeared in the documents' metadata, "Jessica Longley" and "Jim Evans Mowing," as pseudonyms assigned to two WikiLeaks laptops. All five former associates spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, in some cases because they didn't want their past association with WikiLeaks to become public, and in others because they feared legal retaliation or harassment from the group's supporters. Among other things, the documents lay out Assange's campaign to avoid being arrested and extradited to Sweden over allegations that he sexually molested one woman and raped another during a trip to the Scandinavian country in August 2010. Assange has always denied wrongdoing in the case, which he cast as a prelude to extradition to the U.S. The Swedish prosecution jeopardized what at the time was WikiLeaks' biggest-ever disclosure: the publication of around 250,000 U.S. State Department cables. Swedish authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on Nov. 18, just 10 days before the cables exploded across the web, with bombshell revelations about drone strikes in Yemen, American spying at the U.N. and corruption across the Arab world. Italy's then-foreign minister, Franco Frattini, described the release as the "Sept. 11 of world diplomacy." Enraged American politicians demanded that Assange be treated like a terrorist. Metadata suggests that it was on Nov. 29, the day after the release of the first batch of U.S. State Department files, that the letter to the Russian Consulate was drafted on the Jessica Longley computer. The AP couldn't confirm whether or when the message was actually delivered, but the choice of Israel Shamir as a go-between was significant. Assange's involvement with Shamir, a fringe intellectual who once said it was the duty of every Christian and Muslim to deny the Holocaust, would draw indignation when it became public. Shamir told the AP he was plagued by memory problems and couldn't remember delivering Assange's letter or say whether he eventually got the visa on Assange's behalf. "I can't possibly exclude that it happened," Shamir said in a telephone interview. "I have a very vague memory of those things." Shamir's memory appeared sharper during a January, 20, 2011 interview with Russian News Service radio a Moscow-based station now known as Life Zvuk, or Life Sound. Shamir said he'd personally brokered a Russian visa for Assange, but that it had come too late to rescue him from the sex crimes investigation. Russia "would be one of those places where he and his organization would be comfortable operating," Shamir explained. Asked if Assange had friends in the Kremlin, Shamir smiled and said: "Let's hope that's the case." Shamir often makes eyebrow-raising claims (in the same interview he said that the U.S. offered Assange $100 million not to publish the cables), but it was true that any visa for Assange would have been moot. On Nov. 30, 2010 the date on the letter Interpol issued a Red Notice seeking Assange's arrest, making any relocation to Russia virtually impossible. With legal bills mounting, Assange turned himself in on Dec. 7 and his staff's focus turned to getting him out of jail. One WikiLeaks spreadsheet listed names of potential supporters arrayed by wealth and influence; a second one titled "Get Out of Jail Free" tracked proposed bail donations and pledges for surety. As they gathered money, Assange's allies also plotted what to do once the WikiLeaks founder was released. One document showed Guatemalan human rights lawyer Renata Avila floating the idea of jumping bail. "I will advise him to seek asylum abroad: we already contacted the Ministry of Justice in Brazil, there is a possibility to run out of the country in a Brazilian ship," Avila told fellow WikiLeaks supporters in a memo. The document said Assange should "plan to escape and pay the bail money back to his supporters." Avila didn't return repeated messages seeking comment. It's not clear whether her idea went anywhere; former Brazilian Justice Minister Eduardo Cardozo, who was serving on then-President-elect Dilma Rousseff's transition team at the time, told the AP that he'd never heard of an Assange asylum request. Assange would eventually skip bail after exhausting his British legal campaign to block the Swedish extradition effort, darting into the Ecuadorean Embassy on June 19, 2012. The move frustrated the sex crimes prosecution, which was dropped last year, but it sparked a standoff that continues to this day, with Assange refusing to leave the embassy unless he is shielded from extradition to the U.S. Assange's escape left many of his guarantors in the lurch. When a group of them went to court in late 2012 to reduce their bill, the escape plan went unmentioned. A lawyer for four of Assange's supporters, Henry Blaxland, told the judge that Assange's Ecuadorean asylum stunt caught everyone off guard. "Nobody could reasonably have foreseen that's what he would do," Blaxland said. Varya Kudryavtseva and Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report. President Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court was thrust into turmoil Sunday after the woman accusing him of high school-era sexual misconduct told her story publicly for the first time. Democrats immediately called for a delay in a key committee vote set for this later week and a Republican on the closely divided panel said he's "not comfortable" voting on the nomination without first hearing from the accuser. The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, told The Washington Post in her first interview that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed at a Maryland party they attended in the early 1980s, clumsily tried to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. "I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing." Ford, 51 and a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, says she was able to get away after a friend of Kavanaugh's who was in the room jumped on top of them and everyone tumbled. Kavanaugh, 53 and a federal appeals judge in Washington, on Sunday repeated an earlier denial of Ford's allegation. "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time," Kavanaugh said through the White House. "Judge Kavanaugh and the White House both stand by that statement," White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec said. The allegation first came to light late last week in the form of a letter that has been in the possession of Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, for some time. The committee recently concluded four days of public hearings on the nomination and the panel's Republican chairman, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, scheduled a Thursday vote on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm Kavanaugh for a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court. Democrats, led by New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, immediately called for it to be postponed, though Republicans gave no indication Sunday that they would accede to the calls by Democrats, most of whom already publicly oppose Kavanaugh. A spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee said late Sunday that Grassley is trying to arrange separate, follow-up calls with Kavanaugh and Ford, but just for aides to Grassley and Feinstein, before Thursday's scheduled vote. Feinstein late Sunday rejected Grassley's plan for phone interviews with Kavanaugh and Ford. "Staff calls aren't the appropriate way to handle this," Feinstein said. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a committee member, told The Washington Post and Politico in interviews Sunday that he's "not comfortable" voting for Kavanaugh until he learns more about the allegation. Flake is one of 11 Republicans on the committee, whose 10 Democrats all oppose Kavanaugh. A potential "no" vote from Flake would complicate Kavanaugh's prospects. Feinstein applauded Flake's call to slow things down. "I agree with Senator Flake that we should delay this week's vote," she said. "There's a lot of information we don't know and the FBI should have the time it needs to investigate this new material." Another Republican member, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said he's willing to hear from Ford provided that it's "done immediately" to keep the confirmation process on track. Critics have accused the GOP of fast-tracking the process to get Kavanaugh on the court by Oct. 1, the first day of the fall term. Senate Republicans, along with the White House, see no need to postpone voting over what they consider uncorroborated and unverifiable accusations, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. In considering their options Sunday, Republicans largely settled on the view that Ford's story alone was not enough to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation. Grassley could invite Ford to testify, likely in closed session before Thursday. Kavanaugh would also probably be asked to appear before senators. The panel would also likely seek testimony from Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's friend and classmate who Ford says jumped on top of her and Kavanaugh. Judge has denied that the incident happened. Republicans have not settled on the strategy, the person familiar with the situation said, but were weighing options, including doing nothing. Republicans say the allegations have already cast a shadow over Kavanaugh but that it does not appear to be enough to change the votes in the narrowly divided 51-49 Senate. Key will be the views of Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who did not immediately comment publicly Sunday. A spokesman for Grassley said Kavanaugh already went through several days of hearings and has been investigated by the FBI. The White House has accused Feinstein, who revealed the letter's existence late last week, of mounting an "11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation." The White House has also sought to cast doubt about Ford's allegation by noting that the FBI has repeatedly investigated Kavanaugh since the 1990s for highly sensitive positions he has held, including in the office of independent counsel Ken Starr, at the White House and his current post on the federal appeals court in Washington. Both Democratic and Republican senators questioned Feinstein's handling of the allegation. Feinstein on Sunday called on the FBI to investigate Ford's story "before the Senate moves forward on this nominee." Kavanaugh's nomination has sharply divided an already closely divided Senate, with most Democrats opposing him and most Republicans supporting him. But the allegations of sexual misconduct, particularly coming amid the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, coupled with Ford's emergence could complicate matters, especially as key Republican senators, including Collins and Murkowski, are under enormous pressure from outside groups who want them to oppose Kavanaugh on grounds that as a justice he could vote to undercut the Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion in the U.S. Ford told the Post that Kavanaugh and a friend both "stumbling drunk," she says corralled her into a bedroom during a house party in Maryland in the early 1980s when she was around 15 and Kavanaugh was around 17. She says Kavanaugh groped her over her clothes, grinded his body against hers and tried to take off her one-piece swimsuit and the outfit she wore over it. Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand when she tried to scream, she says, and escaped when Judge jumped on them. In the interview, Ford says she never revealed what had happened to her until 2012, when she and her husband sought couples therapy. Portions of her therapist's notes, which Ford provided to the Post, do not mention Kavanaugh by name but say Ford reported being attacked by students "from an elitist boys' school" who went on to become "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington." Kavanaugh attended a private school for boys, Georgetown Prep in Maryland while Ford attended a nearby school. Ford's husband, Russell Ford, also told the newspaper that his wife described during therapy being trapped in a room with two drunken boys and that one of them had pinned her to a bed, molested her and tried to prevent from screaming. He said he recalled his wife using Kavanaugh's last name and expressing concern that Kavanaugh then a federal judge might someday be nominated to the Supreme Court. The therapist's notes say four boys were involved, but Ford says that was an error by the therapist. Ford says four boys were at the party, but only two boys were in the room at the time. Ford had contacted the Post through a tip line in early July after it had become clear that Kavanaugh was on Trump's shortlist to fill a vacancy but before the Republican president nominated him, the newspaper said. A registered Democrat, Ford contacted her representative in Congress, Democrat Anna Eshoo, around the same time. In late July, Ford sent a letter through Eshoo's office to Feinstein. Feinstein said she notified federal investigators about the letter, and the FBI confirmed it has included the information in Kavanaugh's background file, which all senators can read. Sixty-five women who knew Kavanagh in high school defended him in a separate letter, circulated by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, as someone who "always treated women with decency and respect." The effort around the pro-Kavanaugh letter began to take shape after his confirmation hearings earlier this month when rumors began to circulate, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly. The signatures on the letter came together in about 24 hours, the person said. Ford told the Post she changed her mind about coming forward after watching portions of her story come out without her permission. She said if anyone was going to tell her story, she wanted to be the one to tell it. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report. What to Know A New Jersey woman was shocked to find a racial slur scribbled on her parking valet tag It happened at The Tides Estate wedding venue in North Haledon last Friday, souring what should have been a joyous celebration The venue has apologized, saying it outsources valet services; Paragon Valet Services CEO also apologized and says it's investigating A New Jersey woman says she's still in shock over a racial slur scribbled on her parking valet ticket at a banquet hall while she was attending her cousin' wedding over the weekend. Shanelle Stradford of Bloomfield says she was attending the wedding at The Tides Estate in North Haledon on Friday, and had handed her car and keys over to the valet services. When she was getting the keys back, she saw the tag attached to them. Scrawled on it were the words "blue Honda" along with the slur. Stradford was stunned. "It made me feel very uncomfortable, disgusted and hurt," she said. "Did you think I would be so ignorant or oblivious or not notice it?" She emailed the picture of the tag to management at the venue. The general manager apologized to her, and sent a statement to News 4 New York, explaining, "We outsource the valet to an outside independent company, which is Paragon Valet Services. The Tides Estate does not tolerate any racism, and will make sure that a full investigation will take place so this never happens again. "We are appalled by this situation and in the 37 years that we have been in business, this has never occurred," he said. Stradford says she wants answers from the valet company. Paragon Valet Services CEO James Myoulis confirmed to News 4 that two of his employees worked the wedding, and in a statement said, "This incident by no means reflects the views of our company or the venues we service. We do not tolerate racism and we apologize to the guest for any pain this may have caused." Myoulis added that the incident is under investigation, and "upon confirmation, the employee will be terminated." Stradford said she would let the employee know how cowardly the message was: "You couldn't say this to my face, that's why you wrote it." Level Airlines(NEW YORK) -- When Erin Levi booked a $179 one-way flight to Paris on Level airlines for a friend's wedding a few weeks ago, she joked that it was too good to be true. It was. When the travel writer arrived at Newark Airport on Sept. 9, she couldn't find her gate -- it was as if her flight didnt exist. Levi, 35, had entered her information into the airline's website to check in hours earlier. She had run into an error message while trying to choose a seat but otherwise hadn't noticed anything unusual. Unbeknownst to her, Level's launch of its Newark to Paris service had been delayed until Sept. 18, information that never appeared on the company's website. "My flight doesn't exist!" she texted her friends from the airport. "Airline hasn't started transatlantic operations apparently!" At the airport, Levi couldn't find a counter or an agent for Level, so she double-checked her ticket. It read "OpenSkies," a boutique airline operated by British Airways. So she headed to their counter. It was there, she said, she was told Level had delayed launching the Newark to Paris route and was given a number to call. By that point, though, it was past midnight, and no one was answering the airline's hotline. So Levi bought a new ticket on Wow airlines, hoping to be reimbursed for the $319.98 she paid for the last-minute seat. "I've traveled to over 40 countries -- even on a handwritten ticket to Uzbekistan -- and this has never happened before," Levi told ABC News. A 'prudent decision' to postpone flights But Levi is far from alone. Some Level customers said they never received emails saying that their flights had been canceled, or found out only upon arriving at the airport and being handed a sheet of paper. Others received emails that went to junk mail. Almost everyone ABC News spoke to said the company should have updated their website to reflect the change in business plans or cancellations. Level is owned by International Airlines Group, the European parent company of British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia Airlines. It is among the latest low-cost, long-haul carriers to begin offering transatlantic flights, joining a market served by companies including Wow, Primera Air, XL Airways, Norwegian and Air France subsidiary Joon. As these discount airlines have fought to compete amid widespread industry consolidation, corners have been cut -- and customers are often the ones who are most impacted. To its credit, Level has been forthright about its recent mistakes. "Indeed, on August 20th, we took the prudent decision to postpone by two weeks the launch of our operations between Paris and New York, planned for September 4th, for operational reasons," Hugo Trac, Levels communications and marketing manager, wrote in an email to ABC News. "Customers impacted by this launch delay have been alerted by email, sent to [the] address registered in their booking (or to the travel agency that did the booking)." "We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and delay to our passengers travel plans, Trac said, adding that the airline is offering a full refund for tickets and rebooking on an alternative flights for alternative dates. But sometimes, alternative dates aren't possible: Levi was heading to Europe for a wedding and needed to be there. She said that although she had received a confirmation email from the airline when she booked her flight, she never received an email about the cancellation. Other customers told ABC News they also showed up at the airport to find their flights were canceled. Some passengers said they did receive cancellation messages before setting off for their flights, but the notices were still so last minute they had to abruptly change vacation plans and spend much more than they'd budgeted. 'A stupid reason not to pay' Florian Duval received an email 15 days before his trip from Paris to New York that his flight had been canceled -- but the email went to junk mail, so he didnt see it right away. He bought a last-minute XL Airways round-trip flight for 345 Euros, about $403, roughly $134 more than his original ticket. Duval said he was struck by the confusion of his fellow passengers as they fought to get their tickets refunded. "Seeing that many people are affected by cancellations, and we are very poorly informed, I decided to create the Facebook group. And, above all, recommend everyone around me to never ever fly with Iberia-Level!" he said. The closed group Vols annules Septembre [Canceled flights September] 2018 [Iberia via Level via OpenSkies] had 50 members as of Monday who said they were trying to get refunds from the company for their botched flights. Duval recently got a refund for his flight. Other passengers have united on social media, too. Passengers from canceled flights on Level's Montreal to Paris route have been extremely active and formed two Facebook groups: LEVEL vol annule du 06/08 [Level canceled flights of June 8], which has more than a hundred members, and Level vol annule 16 juillet 2018 [Level canceled flights July 16], which has nearly 200 members. Neela Parsnani said her Level flight from Montreal to Paris was canceled after passengers boarded for an hour. The passengers were shuttled to a hotel and promised dinner, but the restaurant was out of food, and her children went to bed after eating peanuts from the bar. Parsnani said she wasted vacation days sorting out re-routed flights and was forced to fork out for last-minute tickets from Montreal, cabs, meals and other expenses. When she went to get her refund from Level, she said she was asked to send several rounds of documentation to the company and jump through other hoops. "There's always a stupid reason not to pay us. At one point, I had to send my children's birth certificates. The communication with them is awful. They're amateurs," Parsnani told ABC News. Parsnani is now on a WhatsApp chat group with about 100 members from her canceled flight who share tips on getting refunds, she said. Confusion over who to call Similarly, Level's inaugural Martinique-Paris service was also delayed. "For same reasons as Newark, our operations to Martinique have been postponed, too," Trac wrote in his email to ABC. "First flight to/from Martinique was originally planned on September 3rd. It will now starts on October 1st." Yet as of Tuesday, the website said flights to and from Martinique would launch in September. Part of the problem echoed throughout the Facebook groups and interviews with more than a dozen stranded passengers is that the different operating companies add to the confusion. Some people booked their tickets on the Iberia Airlines website, some booked through Level's site and some booked through third-party sites like Expedia. Others passengers' tickets were issued through OpenSkies. But Level maintains that it has notified customers. "We applied the same process in terms of passengers' option[s] for both Newark and Martinique. An email has been sent to [the] passenger's email address filed in the booking details (or email [for] travel agencies if booking [was] done by them, as they are in charge of advising their clients). In communications sent to clients, [it] was mentioned that customers who purchased through a travel agency should claim a refund through the agency directly; customers who purchased through Iberia.com should contact Iberia for a refund and customers who purchased on flylevel.com claim a refund from Level directly," Trac wrote. "Our customer service is dealing with each request and every client will get an answer from our service." When asked whether Level had been overly ambitious and launched transatlantic service before it was ready, Trac wrote: "We offer transatlantic service with Level from Paris to Montreal and Guadeloupe since July 2nd. We needed to ensure the robustness of our schedule before we launch these additional routes (Martinique and Newark), which is why we took the prudent decision to delay their start." 'Desperate to find a way home' Pablo Ferreiro-Mazon, an architect from Galicia, Spain, learned this the hard way. He was already on vacation with his wife and son in the Caribbean. The family planned to island hop, so he booked an Aug. 17 Level flight from Paris to Guadeloupe, a route launched by Level in July. They booked a return to Paris from Martinique, Levels new route, for Sept. 3. On Aug. 21, he received an email from the airline stating that their flights were canceled. With spotty cell phone service in Guadeloupe, he tried calling Iberia -- an airline he said he's flown his entire life and has some status with -- several times, which proved difficult and expensive. There was no direct number provided for a refund or alternate plans, he said, so he kept trying, with calls often costing 30 or 40 Euros each. After several days, Ferreiro-Mazon said, he got through to an agent who told them the Martinique service launch had been delayed and offered to rebook them for Sept. 23. "You cannot tell a family you have to stay there another 20 days," Ferreiro-Mazon, 53, said. Aside from the cost of the hotel, he and his wife, a doctor, had to go back to work and his son had to get back for medical school. "As you can imagine, we were quite desperate to find a way home." The family finally paid 401 Euros, about $466, to fly another airline back to Guadeloupe to catch the Level flight to Paris on Sept. 2. That meant cutting short their stay in the Caribbean, and sacrificing their pre-paid hotel and car rental. In addition, they flew back to Paris a day earlier and had to spend extra on a hotel room there before making their flight back to Spain, he said. But Ferreiro-Mazon said it's not about the money. "For a week, we were very worried about this situation," he said. "I don't know how to value that. You are on holiday, moving from one island to another. You are worried and you should not be worried about this on holiday." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) A former commissioner of the state's audit body did not take President Rodrigo Duterte's recent remarks agains the Commission on Audit (COA) sitting down. "Give us respect for we deserve it," former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza said in a Facebook post Monday. Duterte on Sunday criticized COA for its prohibitions on government spending, in a situation briefing with Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos over the effects of Typhoon Ompong which battered northern parts of the country. The typhoon has left at least 66 dead, according to police data. "Sinong taga-COA dito? Ihulog mo na sa hagdanan para hindi maka-report," Duterte joked. [Translation: Who's from COA here? Push him down the stairs so he cannot report.] Marcos, who sat beside Duterte, clapped and said, "Yes. Yes." Duterte then said officials should not be afraid to defy the audit body's "stupid" circulars. The comments came after Marcos raised her issues with COA, saying COA only allowed cash advances for food amounting to 15,000. READ: Duterte eyes establishment of procurement body to oversee government purchases But Mendoza, who served the state audit body from 2011 to 2015, said COA remains a long-standing, dignified institution. "We are a constitutional Commission and not one of the past Honorable Presidents of our land has called on another institution subject under our authority to defy our rules. Yes, some might be outdated, others might be impractical to some, but it is actually in balancing flexibility and accountability where the real challenge lies!" she said. The former COA executive added that despite no longer being part of the audit body, she still abides with their code of conduct in the same way that other government auditors do. "Some of our own even laid down their lives defending and protecting public coffers," she said. Malacanang has since clarified Duterte's remarks, saying the President only meant there should be no red tape in releasing assistance for calamity victims. By imposing tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, President Donald Trump has intensified his trade war with Beijing and triggered the likelihood of price increases for many American companies and consumers. Beijing has said it will swiftly retaliate against American exporters a move that stands to hurt U.S. farmers and other companies that sell their products to China. Beijing may also raise obstacles for U.S. companies to do business in China. Here's a look at what's happening and its likely impact. WHAT IS THE U.S. DOING? The Trump administration will begin taxing $200 billion in Chinese goods starting Monday. The tariffs will start at 10 percent and rise to 25 percent in 2019. The target list is huge, ranging from rattan mats to burglar alarms to bicycles. But the administration struck some items from the originally planned $200 billion tariff list, including bicycle helmets and other child safety products. And, in a victory for Apple Inc., smart watches and some other electronics products won't be subject to the new tariffs, either. The administration and Beijing have already imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other's products. Beijing's target list of U.S. goods to penalize was heavy on agriculture. That's hardly a coincidence. Its tariffs are meant to deliver pain to American farmers, who overwhelmingly backed Trump in the 2016 election and whose interests are represented by powerful lobbyists and members of Congress. Exports to China account for about 60 percent of the overseas sales of American soybean farmers, who stand to lose sales as a result of China's tariffs. WHAT'S BEHIND THE U.S.-CHINA RIFT? The Trump administration has accused China of using predatory tactics in a lawless drive to overtake America's technological supremacy. U.S. officials point to Beijing's long-range development plan, "Made in China 2025," which calls for creating powerful Chinese entities in such areas as information technology, robotics, aerospace equipment, electric vehicles and biopharmaceuticals. Foreign business groups argue that "Made in China 2025" is unfairly forcing them to the sidelines in those industries. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative concluded after an investigation that China's tactics range from requiring U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over technology in return for access to the vast Chinese market to outright cyber-theft. The U.S. also asserts that Beijing uses state money to buy American technology at prices unaffordable for private companies. The Trump administration said the new tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports was a response to Beijing's failure so far to end those tactics. WHAT'S THE LIKELY IMPACT FROM A U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR? It's not entirely clear. Economists at Bank of America Merrill Lynch have warned that a full-fledged trade war, especially one that lasts more than a year, would slow the U.S. economy. By disrupting supply chains, eroding business confidence and heightening uncertainty, a trade war, they say, could "push the economy toward full-blown recession" and jeopardize America's economic expansion the second-longest on record. Besides American soybean farmers, American manufacturers are also being squeezed. Machinery and components used in finished goods made in the United States have been affected. U.S. manufacturers are having to pay more for parts and equipment, thereby putting them at a competitive disadvantage to foreign rivals. ISN'T THE U.S. ALSO SPARRING WITH OTHER TRADING PARTNERS? Trump is battling in just about every direction. He has imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum action that has drawn retaliatory tariffs from U.S. allies like Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The president is also threatening to impose tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts on the grounds that they pose a threat to America's national security. Trump also wants to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes the United States, Mexico and Canada, with a new agreement that would shift more auto production to the U.S. The administration has already reached a deal with Mexico that excluded Canada. Talks to keep Canada in a North American trade bloc have been ongoing, with the two longtime allies divided over such issues as Canada's dairy market and U.S. efforts to shield drug companies from generic competition. By brawling with America's friends, critics say, Trump has squandered an opportunity to build a united front against China. After all, Europe, Japan and other rich countries have the same complaints about Chinese trade practices that America does. IS THERE ANY REASON TO EXPECT A RESOLUTION? There have been periodic reports that the Trump administration was on the verge of resuming talks with Beijing. Informal communications are still going on, administration officials have said, but no formal talks are scheduled. For a time, it looked as though peace might be at hand. In May, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declared the trade war "on hold." The Trump administration suspended its tariffs after Beijing agreed to increase its purchases of U.S. goods, especially in agriculture and energy. The idea was that China's additional purchases would shrink its trade surplus with the United States. Yet the cease-fire was short-lived. Critics dismissed Beijing's commitments as vague, and Trump decided to proceed with the tariffs after all. HAVE THERE BEEN TRADE WARS BEFORE? You'd have to go back to the 1930s to find anything close to the hostility between the U.S. and its top trading partners right now. During the Great Depression, many countries, including the United States, closed their markets to imports. A plunge in global trade likely worsened the Depression. Many less intense trade conflicts have followed. President Ronald Reagan slapped tariffs on $300 million worth of Japanese imports in a dispute over the semiconductor industry and strong-armed Tokyo into accepting limits on car shipments to the United States. In 2002, President George W. Bush imposed tariffs on Chinese steel. The move allowed U.S. steel producers to increase prices, raising costs for companies that buy steel and pressuring them to cut back elsewhere. But the tariffs are thought to have cost significant U.S. job losses. In 2009, the Obama administration imposed tariffs on Chinese tires, charging that a surge in imports was hurting the U.S. tire industry. Beijing counterpunched. It imposed a tax of up to 105 percent on U.S. chicken feet a throwaway item in the U.S. that's considered a delicacy in China. The Peterson Institute for International Economics calculated that the tariffs probably saved 1,200 American tire jobs. But consumers paid over $900,000 in higher tire prices for each job saved. What to Know A report into child sex abuse in 6 Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses says thousands of young victims were abused over many decades. A grand jury worked for two years to investigate more than 300 alleged predator priests. Some clergy opposed the release of the report. In the wake of the report, some Pennsylvania lawmakers are looking to change mandatory reporting laws. More than a month after releasing a grand jury report detailing some of the alleged sexual abuse of children by members of Pennsylvanias Catholic clergy, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro held a roundtable discussion with victims of clergy abuse and lawmakers looking to change the rules. Tuesday's event in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, examined a proposal by State Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery, which would strengthen mandatory reporting laws in Pennsylvania and the reform recommendations made by the grand jury, Shapiro's office said. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele and Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub also joined the discussion. In Norristown w/ officials & survivors of sexual assault, discussing the Grand Jury's 4 recommendations put forth after our findings. Now that we know the scope of the Church's crimes & cover up, it's time to act. pic.twitter.com/IXicYSqdUc AG Josh Shapiro (@PAAttorneyGen) September 18, 2018 The roundtable comes a day after parents of children in the Roman Catholic Church and survivors of alleged sexual abuse by clergy sued all eight of Pennsylvania dioceses and their bishops to compel them to release information about allegations in an unrelated action. The damning, years-long grand jury report released by Shapiro last month implicates hundreds of Catholic clergy members in six of Pennsylvanias dioceses of sexually abusing thousands of young victims over many decades. Lurid details released throughout more than 1,300 pages include rape, abortions, confessions and cover-ups. It took the grand jury more than two years to fully investigate the abuse allegations against more than 300 priests contained in the sometimes explicit report. After a protracted legal fight over the release of a comprehensive grand jury report, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro detailed sexual abuse allegations against 301 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania. Calling the men predators, Shapiro said the grand jury believes there may be thousands of victims. WARNING: This video includes content that some may find disturbing. Viewer discretion advised. The grand jury investigated dioceses in Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton, which together minister to more than 1.7 million Catholics. About 25 percent of people throughout the state identify as Catholic, according to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. The scathing grand jury report marks the most sweeping look into sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in the United States, Shapiro said last month. NBC10 and Telemundo 62 were among the news organizations that joined a court case pressing for the report's release. Read it here (warning: explicit and disturbing content). A kayaker drowned after being pulled by a swift current in the Brandywine River in Wilmington, Delaware, Tuesday afternoon. The unidentified man was kayaking in the river in the area of Superfine Lane and Race Street shortly before 12:30 p.m. when he was carried by a swift current, causing the kayak to capsize. The man was moving down the river toward the East 16th Street Bridge when rescuers arrived. Witnesses first tried to rescue the man but needed help themselves to get out by responding firefighters. The man was found along the river banks in the area of the East 16th Street Bridge and pulled out of the water by a police officer and paramedic. The rescuers performed CPR and the man was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Willie Patrick, the Wilmington Emergency Management Director, told NBC10 that Tuesday's river was at a higher volume than normal. "This is not the time to be adventurous and go out in the water and be out boating or swimming or anything like that," Patrick said. "Stay out of the water." President Donald Trump on Monday declassified a trove of documents related to the early days of the FBI's Russia investigation, including a portion of a secret surveillance warrant application and former FBI Director James Comey's text messages. Trump made the extraordinary move in response to calls from his allies in Congress who say they believe the Russia investigation was tainted by anti-Trump bias within the ranks of the FBI and Justice Department. It also came as Trump continued his efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's probe in the wake of the guilty plea of his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and amid the ongoing grand jury investigation into a longtime associate, Roger Stone. Trump's decision will result in the release of text messages and documents involving several top Justice Department and FBI officials who Trump has repeatedly attacked over the last year. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Trump's decision in a written statement, saying the president had directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department to declassify the documents "at the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency." It was unclear how soon the documents would be released. In statements Monday evening, the Justice Department and the office of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said they are working together to comply with Trump's order, which triggers a declassification review by various agencies "to seek to ensure the safety of America's national security interests." That review is now ongoing. According to the statement, Trump declassified 21 pages of the 101-page June 2017 application to renew a warrant obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, to monitor the communications of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in 2016. Those pages only make up a small part of the 412 pages of FISA applications and court orders related to Page released by the FBI earlier this year in heavily redacted format. The June 2017 application was the last of four filed by the Justice Department in support of FISA court orders allowing the monitoring of Page. His communications were monitored for nearly a year starting in October 2016. According to the redacted version, three of the declassified pages involve information included in a section titled "The Russian Government's Coordinated Efforts to Influence the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election." That section includes reference to potential coordination between people associated with Trump's campaign and the Russian election interference effort. The other 18 pages appear to relate to information the government submitted that came from ex-British spy Christopher Steele before the presidential election. Steele was a longtime FBI informant whose Democratic-funded research into Trump ties to Russia was compiled into a dossier that has become a partisan lightning rod since its publication in January 2017. In addition to the FISA applications pages, the president is declassifying all FBI reports documenting interviews in connection with the Page surveillance warrant as well as those documenting interviews with senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, who was in contact with Steele. According to Sanders' statement, Trump also directed the Justice Department to publicly release in full the text messages of Comey, Ohr, former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page and former FBI special agent Peter Strzok that are related to the Russia investigation. The move comes after a small group of Republicans in Congress, all staunch allies of Trump, held a news conference last week asking him to declassify the documents. Democrats criticized the effort, saying the GOP lawmakers are trying to discredit the Justice Department in an effort to protect Trump from Mueller's investigation. Trump made a similar move in February when the White House, over the objections of the FBI and intelligence community, cleared the way for the Republican-led House intelligence committee to release a partisan memo about the surveillance warrant on Page. Democrats weeks later released their own memo. The disclosures were unprecedented given that surveillance warrants obtained from the secret court are highly classified and are not meant to be publicly disclosed, including to defendants preparing for or awaiting trial. The declassification of the documents was quickly praised by Trump allies in Congress and attacked by Democrats. "Transparency wins. This is absolutely the right call from @POTUS," said Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, on Twitter. Meadows, who had pushed for the documents' release, said it will allow the American people to decide "what happened at the highest levels of their FBI and Justice Department." And the No. 3 Republican in the House, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, tweeted that Trump made the right call. "Americans deserve the truth about these egregious actions by government officials," Scalise said. But Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, called Trump's decision a "clear abuse of power" intended to advance a "false narrative" to help in his defense from Mueller's probe. Schiff said the FBI and Justice Department had said releasing the documents would cross a "red line" because doing so would compromise sources and methods. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the ranking Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, said in a statement that Trump's actions were a "direct and frantic response" to Manafort's recent guilty plea and cooperation agreement with Mueller. "With the walls clearly closing in on him, President Trump is lashing out with this extraordinarily reckless and irresponsible release of classified information in a desperate attempt to distract from the seven guilty pleas and the mounting evidence of multiple criminal enterprises among his closest advisors," they said. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Eric Tucker and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. Ahead of the elections, a group rallied in San Diego Tuesday in favor of Proposition 1. Proposition 1 would authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds for housing-related programs, loans, grants, and projects and housing loans for veterans. The measure would benefit programs like CalVet home loan and the Multifamily Housing Program. The San Diego Housing Federation hosted the 'Vote Yes on Prop. 1' rally in North Park. "Because of the cost of living, they are not able to pay their rent or rent is very high," said Councilmember Georgette Gomez of District 9, who is in favor of it. "So they're spending more money on rent and they can't afford everything else they need to have a good quality of life. We need more money to be able to build more affordable housing." The measure is being met with some criticism. According to the Republican Party of San Diego, they will be voting no on Prop. 1. Opponents of Prop. 1 suggest that this is not the way to address the housing problem and believe the issue lies with expensive construction costs. "This is another general obligation bond measure," wrote Gary Wesley as an official argument found in the state voter information guide. "It asks voters permission for the State of California to borrow more money by selling bonds that would need to be repaid with interest (potentially through higher property taxes) usually over many decades." Local comedian Vicki Barbolak thanked her hometown supporters ahead of her final performance on NBC's "America's Got Talent" Tuesday night. The self-proclaimed "trailer park trophy wife" from Oceanside got her start in comedy 20 years ago and says her comedy describes her life as a mom, her many marriages and her love of the trailer park lifestyle. Barbolak is vying to become the first comedian to win America's Got Talent as she takes the stage for AGT's finals round on Tuesday. In an interview with NBC 7 Barbolak thanked those in San Diego County for their support and shared her love for her hometown. "I just cant believe its all happening. I have been doing this for twenty years all over San Diego. Id be happy if I never got out of San Diego much," Barbolak said. She said what she loves about San Diego is Marine Corps Base Camp Pendelton, car washes, the beaches, the people and, of course, tacos. "I mean, San Diego is the only place for me. Thank you for all the love, all the support." Bar two.seven.eight on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest is hosting a viewing party for Barbolak fans. Watch Barbolak battle the other final acts starting at 8 p.m. PST on NBC 7. What to Know The man was killed when the Old Dominion Floor Company in Chesterfield collapsed. Another man was killed in a flash flood as the remnants of Hurricane Florence moved through the state. At least one weaker tornado also touched down in the state, according to preliminary information from the NWS. One person died in a building collapse near Richmond, Virginia, after a tornado touched down in the area, and another man was killed in a flash flood as the remnants of Hurricane Florence moved through the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) said Tuesday that tornadoes spawned by the remnants of Florence touched down in Virginia on Monday. One of those was responsible for the death of a man just outside Richmond. The NWS in Wakefield, Virginia, said the tornado was categorized as an EF2, with winds of up to 120 miles per hour, according to preliminary information. An EF2 is classified as a strong tornado on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which starts at EF0 (weak) and goes to EF5 (violent). The scale measures damage left by a tornado to estimate tornado wind speeds. The man who died after the tornado touchdown was killed when the Old Dominion Floor Company in Chesterfield collapsed, said emergency management coordinator Sherri Lafoon. Another person suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. Everyone else in the building was accounted for. A second man died in a flash flood. First responders found the victim's pickup truck upside down and submerged in water that had flooded Route 607 in Louisa early Tuesday morning, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Keeli Hill said. The area was drenched by thunderstorms and torrential rain overnight. Hill said it appeared that 59-year-old Richard Edward Kelih Jr. of Louisa was attempting to cross the road when his vehicle was overtaken by rushing water. Lots of damage in western Chesterfield. These are pics from business on Speeks Rd. pic.twitter.com/qGFBrWKft6 Lt. Jason Elmore (@CFEMSPIO) September 17, 2018 At least one weaker tornado also touched down in the state, according to preliminary information from the NWS. The victim who died in the building collapse was an employee at the flooring company there, Chesterfield Fire/EMS spokesman Lt. Jason Elmore told a news conference. The man's identity has not yet been released. Elmore said when fire crews arrived, the store's manager told them that all of the store's employees were accounted for, except for one man. "We were able to get close enough to be able to see the deceased individual to realize that they were already deceased and that we didn't have to go in and to try to do anything," Elmore said. He said the victim was found dead under a pile of debris. A second person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The flooring company was nearly leveled. The roof blew off and debris was sent hundreds of yards across parking lots in the small industrial park where the business is located. All that could be seen hours later was the front of the building and multiple stacks of flooring. There were at least four dump trucks and other construction vehicles lined up at the curb across the street from the flooring company that were moved a few yards from their parking places. Some hoods were blown open, and the engines on some of those vehicles appeared to be damaged. Virginia State Police said there were no other reported injuries in Richmond, but they were tracking reports that multiple tornadoes touched down in the area. Fallen trees and building damage were also reported. Pamela Wilson, 49, said she and her 12-year-old daughter, Jasmine, went into the bathroom of their home to take cover when they first heard alerts about the storm. "We heard a bang, so we got in the tub," Pamela Wilson said. The mother and daughter stayed in the bathroom for another 10 minutes and went out when the noise stopped. Pamela Wilson said that when she looked out her back window, she saw two trees lying across her lawn, and her side fence had been totally blown away. She saw sections of her fence on her neighbor's porch but couldn't find the rest of it. When she looked out the front windows, she said she saw that two large oak trees had fallen across the yard and her front porch right up to the front door, blocking it. She said several neighbors came over immediately to check on her family, and others came over with chain saws so she and her family could get out the front door. Jasmine Wilson boiled down the situation. "It was scary," she said. "I'm glad it's over." Dominion Energy reported 2,400 customers were still without power as of 1 p.m. Tuesday. Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Jeff Caldwell said his agency considers the storms part of the remains of Florence, which left flooding rains across much of North Carolina and parts of South Carolina over the weekend. Caldwell said Monday night the department was tracking at least seven potential tornadoes in the Richmond area. What to Know The final remnants of Florence are moving out of the D.C. area The Patapsco River overflowed its banks Tuesday, but flood warnings in Maryland have expired Mid-week sunshine is in the forecast The D.C. area can look forward to a few days of sunshine as the rain winds down and the remnants of Florence push out to sea. Two people were rescued Tuesday from a vehicle stranded in high water on Furnace Avenue near Ridge Road in Elkridge, Maryland. Chopper4 video shows Howard County rescuers maneuvering a raft through knee-deep water and two young men escaping from the back of the vehicle. No injuries were reported. The National Weather Service said the Patapsco River rose 1.8 feet above its flood stage after storms pounded parts of the D.C. area overnight and Tuesday morning. Flood warnings for Howard and Anne Arundel counties have expired. Rappahannock County Public Schools were closed Tuesday because of dangerous road conditions. Tornado watches blanketed the D.C. area for several hours Monday and then were canceled about 8 p.m. One person died in a building collapse after reports that multiple tornadoes touched down near Richmond, Virginia. The National Weather Service said that according to preliminary information, an EF2 tornado touched down in that area and a weaker tornado also touched down in the state. Once the storm is out of the area, we'll get what may be our final taste of summer. Wednesday is set to be sunny and warm, with temperatures in the mid-80s. Skies will be partly sunny Thursday and Friday, with highs again in the 80s. A Maryland man is charged with a scheme to use the deadly 2017 hurricanes to pocket taxpayer money. Tare Okirika stole identities of Hurricane Harvey and Irma victims and used the information to register for and personally collect federal disaster assistance payouts, according to an affidavit filed by a U.S. Secret Service agent. The scheme involved other conspirators and used the stolen identities of hurricane victims from Florida, Georgia and Texas, according to the affidavit. The conspirators are accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money through the scheme. Investigators found Okirika and other suspects in the scheme were in possession with stolen Social Security numbers and account information of the victims. Okirika is accused of using the identities of those victims to register and load pre-paid Green Dot gift cards with federal disaster assistance payouts. The cards were purchased at Dollar Tree stores in Capitol Heights and Bowie, Maryland, among other locations, according to court filings. The filings said Okirika withdrew cash from the cards at Walmart cash centers in Columbia, Pasadena and Severn, Maryland. An attorney for Okirika declined to comment. The scheme used the stolen identities to claim Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal disaster payouts in the days immediately after Hurricane Harvey and Irma in September 2017, according to the affidavit. According to court filings, "Okirika maintained a Bank of America account that appeared only to operate as a funnel account for the receipt of money orders written with funds from the [Green Dot] cards, or to cash out wire transfers received by Okirika." The Secret Service and FEMA did not immediately return requests for comment. FEMA makes federal financial aid available to disaster victims, including those impacted by hurricanes. FEMA's policy for aid says, Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses and medical, dental and funeral expenses caused by the disaster, along with other serious disaster-related expenses." The FEMA policy guidance, which is posted on the agencys website, says FEMA inspectors will make arrangements to survey damage for those who claim federal aid. The Secret Service affidavit in Okirikas case does not specify if or how damage inspections were averted in the alleged scheme. What to Know Koean leaders will hold talks Tuesday and Wednesday in Pyongyang South Korea's president is under intense pressure from Washington to advance the denuclearization process The North's main newspaper said the United States was responsible for the lack of progress in denuclearization talks South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for his third and possibly most challenging summit yet with leader Kim Jong Un in which he hopes to break an impasse in talks with the United States over the North's denuclearization and breathe energy into his own efforts to expand and improve relations between the Koreas. In what are by now familiar images of the two Korean leaders hugging and exchanging warm smiles, Kim greeted Moon at Pyongyang's airport. They have met twice this year at the border village of Panmunjom, but Moon's visit is the first by a South Korean leader to the North Korean capital in 11 years. Traveling with Moon are business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong, underscoring Moon's hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. Moon was expected to have talks with Kim on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Moon's chief of staff. Moon and Kim were also expected to jointly announce the results of their talks on Wednesday if things go smoothly. Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday. Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, were greeted by Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The North Korean leader then led his guests to meet some of his senior officials, and they exchanged mutual greetings with Moon's delegation. Thousands of North Koreans cheered and waved flower bouquets and national and unification flags. North Korean soldiers and naval troops quick-marched into position to welcome Moon, and the two leaders inspected the honor guard, according to South Korean media pool footage from the site. A signboard said, "We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-in." As Moon arrived, the North's main newspaper said the United States was responsible for the lack of progress in denuclearization talks. "The U.S. is totally to blame for the deadlocked DPRK-U.S. negotiations," the Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial. It said Washington is "stubbornly insisting" the North dismantle its nuclear weapons first, an approach "which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues," while failing to show its will for confidence-building "including the declaration of the end of war which it had already pledged." State-run media reported Moon was to begin a visit, but gave few details. Security was tight all morning. Requests by The Associated Press to go to the airport or to drive around the city were denied. Moon is under intense pressure from Washington to advance the denuclearization process. Before his departure he said he intends to push for "irreversible, permanent peace" and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. "This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks," Moon said Tuesday morning just before his departure. "It's very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want." But his chief of staff tried to lower expectations of major progress on the future of Kim's nuclear arsenal. Kim, meanwhile, is seemingly riding a wave of success. The North just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark North Korea's 70th anniversary. China, signaling its support for Kim's recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. That's important because China is the North's biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. While signaling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kim's strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. Talks between the United States and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kim's meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. To keep expectations from getting too high, Moon's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said it's "difficult to have any optimistic outlook" for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements that "fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war" between the two Koreas. South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the North's city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of progress could be on a formal agreement ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas' shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Korea's capital for summits. Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun went to Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 respectively to meet Kim's father, Kim Jong Il. Those trips produced a slew of inter-Korean rapprochement projects, which were suspended after conservatives took power in Seoul. AP journalists Kim Tong-hyung and Foster Klug contributed. A 60-year-old woman is under arrest, accused of unnecessarily medicating and restricting several North Texas children inside a home daycare in Mesquite, according to court documents obtained by NBC 5. Rebecca Anderson was arrested Saturday, a day after police executed a search warrant at her home/daycare on the 4300 block of Tamarix Court and found nine children inside, some bound and restricted. Police said after further investigation it was believed that Anderson not only mistreated the children, but evidence led investigators to believe she exposed them to unnecessary doses of over-the-counter medicine, extended periods of restricted movement and poor hygiene practices. According to the arrest warrant, the father of a 6-month-old boy reviewed video on Thursday taken from a small camera that was mounted on the child's car seat. The video, police said, showed Anderson yank the boy out of the car seat, pick him up off the ground using the bib tied around his neck and feed him an "unknown substance using a plastic liquid syringe." After the father showed the video to Mesquite police, detectives obtained a search warrant for Anderson's home. Inside the home, detectives found three children strapped to plastic car seats in a darkened master bedroom closet and one more in the master bathroom. Anderson initially told police that there were just five children in the home before the four others were discovered, the warrant said. Anderson also admitted "she had likely given Tylenol to all of the children," according to the warrant, and that she left the children in the car seats for as many as seven hours each day. The arrest warrant also said detectives found "shoelace-like ligatures" tied around the children's necks and that some of the ties had to be cut off. Anderson admitted she tied the ligatures onto the children to limit their movement. Anderson has been charged with nine counts of endangering a child and faces a $5,000 bond for each charge, according to online jail records. As of Tuesday morning, Anderson remains at the Dallas County Jail where she's being held on $45,000 bond. It is not clear if Anderson has obtained an attorney, however her daycare was licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The investigation into the allegations is ongoing and "is a collaborative effort between multiple agencies and care providers," police said. The Mesquite Police Department is working to identify other children cared for by Anderson. If you are a parent of a child that she cared for, please contact the Mesquite Police Department at 972-285-6336. NBC 5's Vanessa Brown and Chris Blake contributed to this report. Efforts to move a deceased whale from a New Hampshire beach did not go quite as planned on Monday when crews tried using a dumpster to haul it away. Officials with the Seacoast Science Center in Rye said the male juvenile minke whale was found floating Sunday around the Isles of Shoals. It washed ashore on Jenness Beach Monday morning. The 16-foot long whale, which weighed about two tons, had entanglement wounds, but officials with the Seacoast Science Center and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) needed to remove it for a necropsy. While removing it, crews initially used a backhoe and tried placing it in a dumpster but the dumpster proved to be too small and the deceased whale was seen on video falling out. Officials were working on finding something bigger in order to transport the animal off the beach. A number of dead minke whales have been spotted feeding off NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Jennifer Goebel told Seacoastonline.com that from South Carolina to Maine, 27 minke whales were found dead in 2017 and another 16 washed up dead this year. Just past a growing memorial for Saturday's shark attack victim, and despite "No Swimming" signs, nearly a dozen surfers were in ocean Monday near Wellfleet, Massachusetts. "A tragedy this past Saturday really has us looking for different answers," Orleans Fire Chief Tony Pike said Monday. Pike has long advocated for increased messaging amid fears beach goers have grown desensitized to increased shark sightings. "One thing that concerns me is the shark flags seem to not have the same significance that they had before," Pike said. Arthur Medici, 26, was killed Saturday after he was attacked by a shark near Wellfleet. It was the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936. "There is no expectation of safety, these are the two most dangerous months that you can swim," Pike stated. For Barnstable County Commissioner Ron Beaty, Saturday's attack has long been a worry. "I said it was going to happen," he said. Last summer, Beaty proposed developing a system of hooks and lines to capture sharks. His plan included shooting and killing the sharks that were caught. "Maybe I went about it the wrong way, I tried to jump-start by probably one of the most severe kind of ways, solutions," he said. "I got wicked, wicked hard pushback." Beaty says he intends to discuss a new plan Wednesday during the Barnstable County Commissioners meeting. Beaty has added an agenda item to form a working group to discuss shark issues, as he pleads for fellow lawmakers to do more. "They do have some responsibility in this because they have basically been sticking their heads in the water and avoiding the issue," he said. A Maine prison inmate who led officials on a days-long manhunt was captured Tuesday. Arnold Nash, 65, escaped from Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, Maine on Thursday. He was last seen at 8:20 p.m. near the prisons minimum security unit before his disappearance. The suspect was found by a Piscataquis County Deputy at 6:45 a.m. walking on the side of Bangor Road, near the prison facility. He was taken to the Piscataquis County Jail. Nash was arrested for robbery and murder. He began serving a 45-year sentence on May 29, 1992 and was set to be released in 2019. He escaped from prison two other times, according to officials. His first escape was when he was in his 20s and his second in 1981, when he led police on a 22-day manhunt. Prosecutors brought new allegations of voyeurism Tuesday against a Vermont educator, who is now accused of violating the privacy of at least one student and two colleagues inside a prominent Catholic high school in Chittenden County. This past spring, the music teacher at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, Brian Lynam, was accused of secretly taking photos up a female students skirt in the hallways of the school. He pled not guilty to that allegation in April, and is free on conditions pending trial. Lynam, 32, was immediately placed on administrative leave from Rice when the allegations surfaced. Tuesday, Lynam faced new accusations in court that he also took photos of two colleagues legs, buttocks, and undergarmentsup a skirt. The photos were snapped in the staff break room and in the schools photocopier room, according to detectives. According to court paperwork obtained by necn affiliate NBC 5 News, those school employees were very upset to learn they were photographedwith one of them brought to tearsafter police showed the women images seized from Lynams devices to confirm the photos were of them. necn does not identify victims or suspected victims of sexual crimes without their prior consent. Lynam pleaded not guilty to the new charges and was ordered by Judge David Fenster to not contact or harass the alleged victims or to go onto the premises of Rice Memorial High School. The Burlington Free Press reported Tuesday that Lynam is no longer an employee of Rice. The newspaper did not immediately hear back from Lynams defense attorney about the terms of his clients departure from the school, according to reporter Elizabeth Murray. In court paperwork, South Burlington police detectives wrote that there were images of even more women in the suspects possession, though investigators have noted its often very difficult to identify victims in cases like this. Cathleen Barkley heads HOPEWorks, a Burlington-based nonprofit that advocates for survivors of sexual crimes and works to end sexual violence. She spoke with necn about the case this spring. "I hope that they're able to find support in each other and in the broader community and in their families," Barkley said of any potential victims of alleged voyeurism by Lynam. "And that people are believing their stories and lending them support and really condemning these actions so they don't feel like they're alone or at fault in any way." Portland Head Light is said to be the worlds most photographed lighthouse. But soon, pictures taken at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, may come at a price. The town council is considering a proposal to charge for parking at the popular lighthouse. It would be a two hour minimum, starting at $2 an hour. The longer you stay, the lower the hourly rate becomes. Town Manager Matthew Sturgis says the parking fees would cover rising maintenance costs that have historically been paid for by Cape Elizabeth taxpayers. "This reflects a change in the volume of the use that's taken place at the fort," said Sturgis. He said in the last decade, visitation to the park has gone up around 40 percent, bringing in around 260,000 visitors last season. Maintenance can cost between $250,000 and $400,000 a year. Around 60 percent of visitors to the park are from out of state, and Sturgis said it may be time for a broader base of people to contribute to those costs. "The concept that the fort is free is a misnomer," he said. "The citizens of Cape Elizabeth have been supporting it for a long time." The proposal in front of the council would reserve more than 100 parking spots on the outer edge of the park for free. Around 270 parking spots would be "pay and display" spots. The proposal received mixed reaction among park visitors Tuesday. "I don't think you should have to pay to park. Lighthouses should be free," said Debbie Summers-Enix, a tourist from Maryland. "If we had to pay at each lighthouse, that would get expensive and I think it would keep tourism down." Other visitors think it's a small fee to pay for a priceless view. "Five more dollars, I wouldn't care," said Harrison Dell, who came to Maine from Arkansas. "I think [the lighthouse] is a big attraction to come up to the northeast," said Bobby Tran, who was in Maine for his honeymoon. "I think trying to preserve this for future generations is worthwhile." Sturgis said councilors can now decide if they should send the issue to an ordinance committee, or put the question on the ballot for Cape Elizabeth voters to decide. Two previous ballot questions on this issue have failed, but Sturgis thinks people are coming around to the idea. "We are trying to find a creative way ... to let things be self-supporting," he said. "I think the conversation has changed. It's a question of cost, and it's a question of use." A sex offender who is accused of kidnapping a New Hampshire teenager last week and allegedly forcing him to use cocaine appeared in court on Wednesday. Forty-six-year-old Charles Anderson of Manchester, New Hampshire, had a dangerousness hearing in Lawrence District Court. He was arraigned Thursday following his arrest last Wednesday. Methuen Police say detectives stopped a vehicle Wednesday afternoon after seeing what they believed to be a drug deal. They arrested Anderson and a 16-year-old boy who was in the car. Cocaine was found in the vehicle, according to police. Authorities determined that the teen had been reported missing in Manchester. Anderson allegedly forced him into the vehicle, threatening him with death if he tried to flee. Police say Anderson drove the boy to Methuen to buy cocaine, forcing him to ingest it. The boy's parents and the New Hampshire Department of Children and Families were notified, police said. "Every parent's worst fear is that their child will be taken from them," Methuen Mayor James Jajuga said in a statement. "I'm so grateful for the work of our police department, which resulted in a young man being reunited with his family." "He was a missing child out of New Hampshire, and I think this goes to show you what proactive, preventive policing does," said Methuen Police Capt. Jim Jajuga Jr. You need to be out there, you need to work with the community, you need to make the motor vehicle stops. This is what we do on a daily basis, and this is exactly why we're out there." The captain said Anderson is a Tier 3 sex offender in New Hampshire. "We're just happy and grateful that we were able to remove the child from a dangerous situation," he said. Charges against Anderson include kidnapping, possession of a Class B substance, distribution of a controlled substance to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. With two new restrictions on Vermont gun owners taking effect soon, some sportsmen are stocking up on gear and Vermont State Police are readying for an equipment take-back effort, statewide. For R&L Archery in Barre, and other gun dealers across Vermont, the clock is ticking. We all have something that will be illegal on Oct. 2, observed Jon Sanborn of R&L Archery. Sanborn said retailers want to sell the larger magazines in their inventories on or before Oct. 1. After that, for example, an AR-15s factory-standard 30-round magazine wont be legally available in the state, Sanborn explained. New sales for that firearm will be limited to magazines that hold 10 rounds. Magazines for handguns are limited to holding 15 rounds, according to state law. Old purchases will be grandfathered, though, so R&L said customers appear to be stocking up. People are coming in and picking up one or two extra, Sanborn told necn. The windows closing pretty quick. Sanborn said he expects sales of the soon-to-be barred magazines will continue to increase toward the end of the month. Vermonts change on magazine capacity is part of a package of reforms backers believe will boost public safety, after mass shootings elsewhere and what investigators called a teens thwarted plan to shoot up a school in Rutland County earlier this year. The responsibility to protect our citizens is enormous, Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont, said in April of his support for gun reforms he described as modest and reasonable. The Republicans stance, however, drew backlash from gun rights advocates who felt Scott had betrayed them. Vermont, historically, had very permissive attitudes toward guns. So-called bump-stocks that speed up certain guns firing rates are also banned starting Oct. 1, with fines in place for violators. Vermont State Police announced this week they are collecting the bump stocks, anonymously and voluntarily, at barracks statewide, during weekday business hours. From there, theyll be destroyed. We just ask that people come in with just the bump stock, not attached to any firearms, said Vermont State Police Capt. Tim Clouatre. We dont want people showing up to State Police barracks with firearms. The group Gun Owners of Vermont advised members on its Facebook page to not give up their bump stocks just yet. Lawsuits are pending that aim to roll back the new restrictions. However, Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan, a Democrat, has said he is convinced the state is well within its rights to have these new limits and said he supports the public safety goals of the new laws. The Vermont Department of Public Safety has published an online list of frequently-asked questions about the states new gun rules. Norwich Christian charity donates ex-prison survival kit Norwich Christian charity donates ex-prison survival kit This year a Norfolk-based Christian charity has issued urban survival packs to 65 ex-offenders being released from HMP Norwich with no fixed abode. As winter approaches they are appealing for donations of survival kit items. The Christian charity, Loving by Giving, works with HMP Norwich to provide urban survival kits to ex-offenders being released from prison with no fixed abode. The backpacks contain 15 essential items for life on the streets including a sleeping bag, water bottle and supermarket voucher. Alison Wernham, Project Co-ordinator for Loving by Giving, said: As the evenings draw in and the hot summer begins to fade, thoughts begin to turn to winter. At Loving by Giving we are keen to ensure the stock of items for the urban survival packs is maintained especially as the demand for them will increase over the winter. Backpacks have now been issued to 65 offenders being released from HMP Norwich with no fixed abode. Over the last six months the charity has been actively involved with developing links with the prison and Visitor Services run by Spurgeons Childrens Charity." Loving by Giving is a charity that works to relieve poverty and change peoples lives practically. As well as being a charity, there is also a Loving is Giving church which meets in West Costessey Hall on the Queens Hill Estate in Costessey. Loving By Giving is continuing to look for churches, organisations and individuals who are willing to donate items or would consider having a collection bin where items could be donated. Items that the charity are appealing for include: Toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, hand towel, shaving foam, safety razors Cereal bars, notepad and pen, refillable water bottle, 5 supermarket voucher Mens waterproof jacket, warm hat, socks and gloves Sleeping bags Financial donations. backpacks@lovingbygiving.com It was 50 years ago when the 1971 Derby winner was born IAN Balding pays tribute to the best horse he ever trained as he recalls the life and career of the great Mill Reef, one of the most popular racehorses of all time, who was born 50 years ago this year. Balding has given a special interview to mark the anniversary of the 1971 Derby, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner ahead of the G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (2.55pm), run at Newbury on Saturday, September 22. The Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes was established at Newbury in 1972, shortly after Mill Reef had to be retired following a career-ending injury on the gallops, to become a permanent tribute to the bay colt who raced with a distinctive white noseband and was trained just seven miles from the racecourse at Park House Stables in Kingsclere. At Newbury he won the 1971 Greenham Stakes, a victory which earned him favouritism for the 1971 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. But for racing in the same era as another turf legend, Mill Reef would have won the 2,000 Guineas as well as the Derby but proved no match for Brigadier Gerard, running over his specialist distance of a mile at Newmarket. In a two-part filmed interview shot at Kingsclere, Balding, 79, recalls that at the time he feared that defeat had robbed him of all chance of ever winning a Classic with Mill Reef, plus a shot at the Triple Crown of 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger clinched the previous year by Nijinsky. I thought he was the best two-year-old I'd ever seen and therefore if he didn't win the Guineas I would never win a Classic, he says. I just couldn't get over it when he was beaten in the Guineas - I couldn't believe it and it was such a shock. However, he got immediate reassurance from jockey Geoff Lewis, He said, 'dont worry that horse is going to stay. I am sure he will win the Derby'. As the well as the many highs on the racecourse with Mill Reef, Balding experienced his lowest point when his champion shattered his left foreleg on the gallops. It was the most awful moment of my whole life I think because I was standing watching him moving I thought beautifully and suddenly he sort of collapsed, says Balding. It was just disastrous. The injury put an end to Mill Reef's racing career and almost claimed his life which was saved by pioneering surgery performed in the Kingsclere colours room by Professor Jim Roberts. The horse was able to retire to the National Stud and go on to sire two Derby winners - Shirley Heights in 1978 and Reference Point in 1987. Balding is in no doubt of the status of Mill Reef, who, owned by American philanthropist and bred by Paul Mellon and ridden by Lewis, won 12 of his 14 starts, which included a unique series of victories in the Derby, Eclipse, King George and Arc. I don't know if we were all incredible people, but we were just lucky to have this incredible horse, he says. Mill Reef was born on February 23, 1968 in America and sent to England at the end of the following year. Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Dubai Duty Free, commented: "Dubai Duty Free is proud to have been associated the Mill Reef Stakes for the past 18 years. We have been delighted to celebrate some outstanding winners including several in the colours of UAE-based owners, most recently Godolphin's Ribchester in 2015. We look forward to renewing our friendship with Mill Reef's trainer, Ian Balding and his wife Emma at Newbury on Saturday and joining with them in marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of one of the equine greats. The Dubai Duty Free International Weekend gets underway on Friday, September 21, when the highlight is the 27,000 Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup (3.55pm), staged over seven furlongs for three-year-olds and upwards. Part 1 & 2 of the Mill Reef interview with Ian Balding can be viewed or embedded by clicking the following links: Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP-EzgTHyvg Part 2: https://youtu.be/QegQOhGG8hY For many years amyloid protein was considered to be a promising therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease but, for a long time, research results were very disappointing. The protein, which, together with tau protein, is regarded as a significant biomarker for Alzheimer's disease, has now made a comeback. Also, a recent Phase III study conducted at MedUni Vienna under the direction of Elisabeth Stogmann from MedUni Vienna's Department of Neurology is testing a monoclonal anti-amyloid- antibody. Preliminary studies have shown that monoclonal antibodies directed at amyloid deposits (plaques) in the brain, can dissolve them. It is now intended to investigate whether it is possible, by destroying the plaques, to at least slow down the deterioration of memory function in these patients. "After many years of failures with anti-amyloid therapies, there is hope that these can now, at the very least, effectively attack their targets - amyloid plaques - and clear them out of the brain. The improved results that we have now obtained with anti-amyloid antibodies are largely due to the fact that higher doses of these treatments are being used," explains Alzheimer's expert Elizabeth Stogmann. MedUni Vienna is conducting a Phase III study of the drug aducanumab, given intravenously once a month. It directly attacks the protein deposits that characterise Alzheimer's disease and helps to dissolve them in the brain. This significantly reduces the plaques that are so typical of the disease. "Now that this beneficial effect has been proven, we will investigate whether clearing of the plaques can also help to stop, or at least slow down, the deterioration of memory function in those affected. There is once again hope!" says Stogmann, speaking to mark World Alzheimer's Day this coming Friday. However, the neurologist believes that the first concrete results will only be obtained in around two to three years time. Unfortunately, dose adjustment and greater efficacy goes hand-in-hand with a larger number of side effects: ARIA (amyloid related imaging abnormalities) refers to the occurrence of porous blood vessels, which cause cerebral oedema. However, this side-effect is easily managed. This oedema primarily occurs in the initial phase of antibody treatment - if the dosage is cut back again, the oedema resolves itself and treatment can then continue as planned, in most cases without any recurrence. Says Stogmann: "In many cases, the patient does not notice any clinical symptoms of this, but I can see the oedema on the regular MRI scans and respond accordingly." Around one third of patients develop these changes. Early detection by blood test as a milestone? It is presumed that antibodies against the amyloid protein work better the earlier they are given to the Alzheimer's patient. Currently, early detection of the disease, which affects around 100,000 people in Austria (130,000 people in total have some form of dementia) relies on the first apparent cognitive symptoms noticed by the patients themselves or by those around them. And that is in spite the fact that amyloid plaques have already been depositing themselves in the human brain for 20 years without being noticed. So, in a few years time, there might also be a significant improvement in early detection: Stogmann reports that, at the world's largest conference on the subject of Alzheimer's, the AAIC in Chicago (www.alz.org/aaic), there was a presentation about a blood test that is being developed. This test is able to indicate the presence of amyloid deposits in the brain with hitherto unseen accuracy, even in 50 to 60-year-olds, and hence identify any elevated risk of subsequently developing Alzheimer's disease. Says Stogmann: "Within a few years, this test could radically alter the landscape of Alzheimer's research and treatment." The ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial of more than 19,000 participants in Australia and the US is the largest and most comprehensive study to look at whether the many millions of older people around the world who take (100mg) low dose aspirin to preserve good health are deriving any benefit by doing so. The study found an aspirin-a-day did not prolong life free of disability, or significantly reduce the risk of a first heart attack or stroke among participants - with little difference between the placebo and aspirin groups. According to principal investigator Professor John McNeil, head of Monash University's Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, the results of the trial will result in a rethinking of global guidelines relating to the use of aspirin to prevent common conditions associated with aging. "Despite the fact that aspirin has been around for more than 100 years, we have not known whether healthy older people should take it as a preventive measure to keep them healthy for longer. Aspirin is the most widely used of all preventive drugs and an answer to this question is long overdue. ASPREE has provided this answer, Professor McNeil said. "These findings will help inform prescribing doctors who have long been uncertain about whether to recommend aspirin to healthy patients who do not have a clear medical reason for doing so." ASPREE also showed an increase in the number of cases of serious bleeding among the aspirin-takers (3.8%) compared to the placebo group (2.8%). Bleeding is a well-known side effect of aspirin, and is more common in older people. "It means millions of healthy older people around the world who are taking low dose aspirin without a medical reason, may be doing so unnecessarily, because the study showed no overall benefit to offset the risk of bleeding." Professor McNeil said all patients should follow the advice of their doctor about their daily use of aspirin. He cautioned that the results do not apply to those with existing conditions such as a previous heart attack, angina or stroke, where aspirin is recommended as a valuable preventive drug. Professor McNeil added that a small increase in deaths observed in the aspirin group, primarily from cancer, required further investigation as researchers cannot rule out that it may be a chance finding. Other large aspirin studies have suggested that aspirin may prevent cancer over the longer term. Professor McNeil said aspirin remains a relatively safe medication but more research was needed to investigate the longer-term benefits and risks of its daily use. The researchers are continuing to follow the health of the participants to determine whether beneficial effects of aspirin, such as cancer prevention, emerge sometime after taking the drug. Researchers will also investigate other opportunities to improve the health of senior citizens. Researchers expect to release more findings from the ASPREE trial in the near future. Professor Christina Mitchell, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, said Monash University was at the forefront of healthcare improvement underpinned by the quality and scale of our research capabilities in this space. "Our unique expertise in large-scale community-based prevention trials, coupled with high-level expertise in clinical data-management and biostatistics, places Monash at the forefront of research such as ASPREE, that has the ability to improve the lives of many people," Professor Mitchell said, ASPREE has set a new paradigm for clinical trials in the elderly and its findings will influence health care guidelines around the world for years to come." Professor Margaret Gardner AO, President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash, said the University's role in ASPREE reinforces its impressive capability to lead world class research for the benefit of the international community. "Monash is committed to the conduct of exceptional research that addresses global health priorities," Professor Gardner said. Babies exposed to higher levels of organochlorine compounds in the womb go on to have worse lung function in childhood, according to new research presented today (Tuesday) at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. These compounds, which include the pesticide DDT, as well as electrical insulators and other industrial products, are now banned in most parts of the world. However, because they degrade very slowly, they are still present in the environment and in foods. Previous research has suggested links between exposure to these chemicals in the womb and parents reporting childhood respiratory diseases such as wheezing, asthma, and chest infections. The new study is the first to show a link with objective measures of lung strength and capacity in relation to low-level exposure to these chemicals. The researchers behind the study say this finding is important in terms of trying to improve the health of all children through monitoring and controlling harmful substances, but that the effect on individual children's lungs is small. The study was presented by Dr Maribel Casas, assistant research professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, Spain. She explained: "We already have evidence that exposure to environmental chemicals including organochlorine compounds can have an impact on children's health. Even though this group of chemicals were banned in the 1970s, low but detectable levels are still present in pregnant women and in children. That means current populations and future generations are still exposed to these compounds." Organochlorine compounds are thought to disrupt the hormone system and have been linked to a wide range of conditions including cardiovascular disorders, cancers and low birth weight babies. The main source of exposure is through the foods we eat but foetuses and newborns can be exposed via the placenta and breastfeeding. Dr Casas and her colleagues studied 1,308 babies who were born in the Valencia, Gipuzkoa, and Sabadell regions of Spain between 2004 and 2008. They measured the levels of seven different organochlorine compounds in the pregnant mother's blood or in blood taken from the umbilical cord. As the children grew older, they were asked to take part in tests to measure their lung function at the age of four years, and again at seven years. This was done by trained nurses or by paediatric pulmonologists using a spirometer to measure children's lung volume and check for any signs of obstruction in the airways. In particular, the researchers found that levels of DDE - a chemical formed when DDT breaks down - were linked with poorer lung function in children at both four and seven years old. For example, exposure to maternal concentrations of DDE between 0.23 and 0.50 nanograms per millilitre was associated with a 50-millilitre reduction in how much air children could blow out in one second (FEV1). Among those in the study the average (median) level of DDE was 0.28 nanograms per millilitre. Dr Casas said: "A reduction of this size in the amount of air a child can blow out would not be considered clinically relevant for a healthy child, but these smaller changes are highly relevant at population level and can be important in children with respiratory conditions. "To reduce exposure to these chemicals, women of reproductive age can try to moderate consumption of foods with high levels of organochlorine compounds, such as fatty meats and oily fish. "We know that this group of chemicals can interfere with the body's hormone system and we also know that hormone receptors play an important role in foetal development of the lungs, so this could be the mechanism for a link." The researchers hope to study the impact of exposure to organochlorine compounds in the womb on older children and teenagers to understand whether this effect persists in the longer term. Professor Mina Gaga is President of the European Respiratory Society, and Medical Director and Head of the Respiratory Department of Athens Chest Hospital, Greece, and was not involved in the study. She said: "We know organochlorine compounds are still in our environment so it's important that we continue to monitor their levels and try to learn more about their effects. Babies and children are the most susceptible population since their organs are still under development, and damage to the lungs at birth can have a huge impact in later life. A clear link has been demonstrated between low lung function in early adulthood and respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic issues in later life, and ultimately premature death. "There are other chemicals present in the environment, such as phthalates or phenols for example, that may also have the potential to interfere with children's developing lungs. Studies on these individual compounds, and assessing combination of chemicals, are needed to understand their effects on childhood respiratory and overall health." Source: https://www.ersnet.org/ Working together for better food: Chinese and German researchers want to cooperate more closely in the future. To close the past week, at a symposium at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, top scientists in the area of food biotechnology from both countries came to initial agreements on implementing a joint research agenda. Their goal: Developing and improving functional food using basic principles of biochemistry and modern biotechnological methods - in order to introduce healthy characteristics, counteract malnutrition, or optimize texture and taste, for example. Sugar that doesn't make you fat but is still sweet and, as icing on the cake, keeps intestinal microbiota healthy: These kinds of food with health-promoting substances can be produced using biotechnological methods. "With microorganisms and their enzymes, we can transform traditional sugar such that it is not turned into fat by the human metabolism," explained Prof. Dr. Lutz Fischer, biotechnologist at the University of Hohenheim. "In the intestines, this prebiotic sugar offers certain microorganisms selective nutrition, can balance out the intestinal microbiome, and can even be transformed into metabolites that regulate the feeling of hunger." These kinds of functional food have the potential to reduce nutritional and health problems, e.g. increasing obesity and related metabolic diseases. The possibilities research offers for solving these challenges and how the authenticity and safety of food can be ensured was the topic of discussion for around 50 Chinese and German scientists at the symposium "Functional and healthy food ingredients generated through state-of-the-art biotechnology" from 12-14 September at the University of Hohenheim. Research Network Aims to Close Knowledge Gaps At the symposium, participants identified gaps in knowledge both in the foundational principles and mechanisms as well as in the necessary technological implementation processes. Building on that, the top researchers from both countries agreed on the cornerstones of a joint research agenda. "The bilateral cooperation between our food science program and Jiangnan University in Wuxi, which has been growing continually since 2015, will not only be further intensified but also gain a broader basis due to the network's expansion to include new, renowned partners in China and Germany," reported Dr. Irene Huber, Managing Director of the Hohenheim Research Center for Health Sciences, which supported the symposium's organization. "These are exciting topics that are to be worked on together over the course of the next few years, e.g. the modification of bioactive substances for the targeted modulation of the intestinal microbiome, the development of techno-functional and biofunctional properties of food substances to reduce the allergenic potential, improve taste, introduce new health-promoting characteristics, or optimize storage properties. We are very pleased at the positive resonance of all participants and will be happy to support the research network's next steps." The foundation for cooperation has been laid. Next up will be to systematically close the research gaps identified, jointly look into new topics, and implement these in innovative technologies and products. Second Symposium 2019 in China The symposium participants have already agreed on bilateral and multilateral collaborative projects in smaller discussion rounds. What is also planned is cooperation involving an exchange of students and scientists at all career stages. The initial results of these German-Chinese cooperation projects are to be presented in around one year: the follow-up workshop planned for the fall of 2019 is to take place at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China - and the network's joint research agenda will also be finalized. As childhood obesity rates rise and physical education offerings dwindle, elementary schools keep searching for ways to incorporate the federally mandated half-hour of physical activity into the school day. A series of recent University of Michigan studies found that two-minute bursts of in-class exercise breaks increased the amount of daily exercise for elementary children without hurting math performance. More importantly, when incorporated into classrooms across southeast Michigan, teachers found the breaks were doable and didn't disrupt learning. "What we're showing is that we can give kids an additional 16 minutes of health-enhancing physical activity," said Rebecca Hasson, principal investigator and one of the lead authors. Hasson, U-M associate professor of kinesiology and nutritional sciences, is the director of the Childhood Disparities Research Laboratory, which collaborated on the five studies with the U-M schools of public health, education, and architecture and urban planning, and Project Healthy Schools, a statewide community-Michigan Medicine collaborative. While 16 minutes doesn't sound like much, it adds up, Hasson said. Kids are supposed to get an hour of exercise a day--30 minutes of that during school. Most don't. "Many kids don't have PE every day but they might have recess, and if they get 10 more minutes of activity there, it would meet that school requirement," Hasson said. "This doesn't replace PE, it's a supplement. We're trying to create a culture of health throughout the entire school day, not just in the gym." The Active Class Space lab studies examined the effect of activity breaks on mood, cognition, appetite and overall physical activity of 39 children in Hasson's lab. A study done in real classrooms tested the feasibility of implementing inPACT (Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity), the exercise program Hasson and her colleagues developed. In the lab studies, kids ages 7-11 completed four experiments: eight hours of sitting, interrupted with two-minute low-, moderate- or high-intensity activity breaks, and eight hours of sitting interrupted with two minutes of sedentary screen time. Findings show that when the sitting was interrupted with high-intensity activity breaks, children maintained their usual activity levels away from the laboratory, thereby burning an additional 150 calories a day without overeating. Unlike adults, children in the study didn't compensate for the increased exercise by sitting around after school or by eating more, Hasson said. While mood was higher immediately following the screen-time breaks compared to the activity breaks, children reported positive mood during both the sedentary and exercise conditions, and they subsequently rated the activity breaks as more fun. And, after high-intensity activity, overweight and obese children enjoyed improved moods all day, Hasson said. This suggests children reflected upon the exercise and took more satisfaction in it. All of the activity breaks elicited the same level of math performance, and when Hasson took the exercise breaks to real classrooms, teachers could do them. "We got a lot of pushback at first. The fear was that teachers would be overloaded," Hasson said. "Teachers get a lot of stuff thrown at them. Our experience was that teachers were all very positive about exercise. They know it's good for the kids. They were open to the idea but they needed more information on how to do it safely." U-M's College of Architecture and Urban Planning and School of Education, along with Project Healthy Schools staff, helped design classrooms to accommodate exercise and to safely get kids exercising and then back to class work quickly. "Teachers were worried it would make kids more rowdy, but 99 percent of kids were back on task within 30 seconds of doing activity breaks," Hasson said. "We even had one teacher who did an activity break in the middle of a math exam--she realized the benefit of getting them up and moving." Initially, researchers requested that teachers do 10 three-minute breaks, but most teachers averaged between five and six breaks--about 15-18 minutes of activity. Schools in disadvantaged districts didn't complete as many activity breaks as schools in wealthier districts. Hasson is currently working to eliminate this disparity by adding elements of game playing--point scoring, competition, reward system--to increase physical activity enjoyment in the children. Based on these studies, Hasson said next they'll try five, four-minute activity breaks totaling 20 minutes, and gauge the impact on mood, activity levels, calorie intake and cognition. UNIST and Ulsan will initiate a research collaboration to develop human organs-on-chips in hoping to reduce the time and cost for new drug discovery. The UNIST-WRIRM-UniBasel Organ Mimetic Research Center has announced that it has been selected as the 2018 Global Research and Development Center (GRDC) program by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). Jointly promoted by UNIST, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WRIFM) and the University of Basel (UniBasel) in Switzerland, the center aims to study the research field of organ-on-chip models. The center will receive about KRW 3.3 billion from the government over the next six years and develop organs-on-chips, which will further accelerate new drug development. Ulsan will also contribute KRW 600 million (100 million won per year) to help nurture the regional biomedical industry. In addition, the center will also receive $3.3 million (KRW 3.74 billion) and $2.97 million (KRW 3.36 billion) in funding WRIFM and UniBasel, respectively. Organs-on-chips are miniature devices that recreate the natural physiological microenvironment of human cells within specific tissues and organs. These devices can help study how drugs interact with specific human organs and have the potential to predict the activity and toxicity of drugs better than using animal models. Each organ-on-a-chip can then be linked to others to investigate systemic drug effects. "Existing preclinical drug screening, which relies on cultured cells or animal experiments, does not reflect the physiological environment in which human organs work," says Professor Cheol-Min Ghim in the School of Life Sciences at UNIST and Director of the UNIST-WRIRM-UniBasel Organ Mimetic Research Center. "Organs-on-chips show great promise in mimicking human tissues and organs and are a good candidate to overcome the problems of current organs-on-chips, such as time consumption and the ethical dilemma of animal testing. 3D bioprinting technology is also one of the biomimetic technologies that has received much attention, along with organs-on-chips. It uses a variety of cells and biomaterials to create complex 3D structures, similar to that of human tissues and organs. "By advancing the existing 3D bioprinting technology that can mimic biological systems of human tissues and organs, we may one day be able to realize the development of organs-on-chips with 3D-printed biomimetic blood vessel networks," says Director Ghim. "If we could use that for new drug screening, there will be a major paradigm shift in new drug discovery." Abu Dhabi : Afghanistan knocked Sri Lanka out of the Asia Cup after thrashing the Islanders by 91 runs in a Group B match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Tuesday. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Afghanistan showed great maturity by piling on 249 runs before skittling out the Sri Lankans for a mere 158 in 41.2 overs. With this win, Afghanistan will join Bangladesh from Group B in the Super Fours. For Afghanistan, this was their first win over the Sri Lankans in One-day Internationals, with the Islanders already facing a must-win situation having come into this game on the back of a 137-run loss to Bangladesh in their tournament opener on Saturday. Riding on a fine half century from Rahmat Shah (72), and valuable contributions from the opening duo of Mohammad Shahzad (34) and Ihsanullah Janat (45), the Afghans batted confidently to deny the Sri Lankans any early inroads in their innings. Afghanistan were off to a strong 57-run opening start between Shahzad and Janat, before Shah joined Janat for another 50 runs for the second wicket. The departure of the opening duo, however, did not deter the minnows from taking the attack to the opposition as Shah forged together a 80-run fourth wicket stand with Hashmatullah Shahidi (37) to take the side to a comfortable position. Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera (5/55) managed to break the partnership before triggering a mini collapse of sort but by then the Afghans had neared the 250-run mark towards the end of their innings. In reply, the Islanders once again faltered with their batting and lost their first wicket in the opening over itself with teenaged off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/32) packing back Kusal Mendis for a duck. Upul Tharanga (36) and Dhananjaya de Silva (23) put on a brave show to weather the storm with a 54-run second wicket stand before being separated, courtesy a silly run-out of the latter. Thereafter, wickets began to tumble one after the other as the Sri Lankans slipped from a comfortable 86/2A to lose half their side with just 108 runs from 27 overs. Skipper Angelo Matthews (22) and Thisara Perera (28) managed to get decent starts but the loss of partners at regular intervals dented their hopes, even as the Afghan spinners led by leggie Rashid Khan (2/26) kept dominating the proceedings Besides Rashid and Mujeeb, veteran offie Mohammed Nabi and seamer Gulbadin Naib also contributed with two wickets apiece. Brief Scores: Afghanistan 249 (Rahmat Shah 72, Ihsanullah Janat 45, Hashmatullah Shahidi 37; Thisara Perera 5/55) beat Sri Lanka 158 (Upul Tharanga 36, Thisara Perera 28; Rashid Khan 2/26, Gulbadin Naib 2/29) by 91 runs. Canberra : Australian authorities on Mondayordered an investigation into the discovery of sewing needles hidden in strawberries, amid growing alarm over scares across the country. Contaminated baskets of strawberries have now been reported in six states and territories, the BBC reported. One man has been hospitalised after eating a strawberry that held a needle. Several brands have been recalled, while a major New Zealand grocer said that it had stopped selling imported strawberries as a precaution. Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt ordered the Food Safety Authority of Australia and New Zealand to investigate the scare. "This is a very vicious crime and it's a general attack on the public," he told the media on Monday. Cases of fruit tampering were first reported in Queensland state last week, before spreading to New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Tasmania. The Queensland state government has offered a A$100,000 ($72,000) reward for information. Mexico City : The Mexican government is confident that a new North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) with Canada and the US will take place by December. The government of President Enrique Pena Nieto is hoping to sign an updated version of the 1994 trade accord before his six-year term ends on November 30, Xinhua news agency quoted presidential spokesman Eduardo Sanchez as saying on Sunday. "We're working on it. Hopefully this government will get to sign it," Sanchez said on the sidelines of Mexico's Independence Day parade. On August 27, Mexico and the US reached an agreement in principle on a revamped deal, but to preserve the three-way agreement, those changes also require Canada's approval. After US President Donald Trump took office, he insisted the deal be renegotiated to secure more favourable terms for American industry and workers, saying his administration could pursue bilateral agreements with its two regional trade partners if a trilateral deal is not successful. Sanchez denied rumours that Pena Nieto and Trump were to meet over the agreement next week in New York during the annual UN General Assembly sessions. Pena Nieto's successor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who takes office on December 1, has said he is in favour of Nafta and his advisers have been taking part in the negotiations. New Delhi : The North African nation of Morocco, bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, on Monday opened a full-fledged Moroccan National Tourism Office here in a bid to woo Indian tourists. "Morocco has a lot of potential in the tourism sector," Mohammed Sajid, the Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, said at an event to mark the office's inauguration. "We (Morocco and India) are open to each other's cultures," Sajid said, adding that "we can learn a lot from each other's tourism sectors and create jobs". According to Sajid, the new office in New Delhi will help Morocco in planning various strategic promotional and awareness programmes to tap the robust tourism sector in India. He said that his ministry and the Indian Tourism Ministry also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) earlier in the day. "We are going to sign an agreement on air transport between Air India and Royal Air Maroc," Sajid stated. Stating that Morocco has 17 tourism promotion offices in the world, Adel El Fakir, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, said that the newest office in New Delhi "is a very strategic office for us". "We had 1.3 billion tourists last year," El Fakir said. Tourism remains a vital pillar of the Moroccan economy and the country's second biggest employer after agriculture. Indian tourists are known to be among the world's highest-spending globetrotters. "Their spending power has been estimated to be four times that of the Chinese and Japanese which justifies the need for a planned strategic campaign for Morocco in India," the Moroccan Embassy here said in a statement. Madrid : Several travellers were treated for injuries and anxiety attacks after a laptop being carried by a passenger exploded and caught fire aboard a Madrid metro train on Monday, filling a carriage with smoke, authorities said. The fire generated a large amount of smoke, forced the evacuation of the train and interrupted traffic on line 9 between the stations of Sainz de Baranda and Avenida de America in both directions, the train operator was cited as saying by Efe news. "Around 10 police officers were deployed to the Principe de Vergara metro station after a portable computer caused a small explosion," Spain's National Police said in a statement. "All those injured were attended to and everything points to an accidental cause to the incident," it added. City of Madrid fire services attended the station and several ambulances were deployed, although most of those treated were suffering from anxiety attacks, officials said. Local media reported that around six people received treatment by emergency services at the scene. Jammu/New Delhi : Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hoped Pakistan's attitude towards India changes "for the better" while his ministerial colleague V.K. Singh said the new Pakistani Prime Minister has been propped up by the Army which still virtually rules the country. "I don't think that there will be any change in Pakistan's nature. I pray to God that there would be change. I hope the change will be better than before," he told reporters who asked him whether he expected a change with the formation of a new government under Imran Khan. He was talking to the media at the BSF headquarters in Paloura in Jammu and Kashmir after launching two "smart" border fencing pilot projects under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) programme. "Pakistan has its own nature and we cannot change it. What Pakistan can do (to change its nature), it will have to do itself. Pakistan has to understand how to behave with neighbours," the Minister said. He said India had taken maximum attempts to maintain relations with Pakistan as a neighbour. "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Pakistan by breaking protocol only to maintain better relation. If Pakistan is not trying to understand despite that approach, then what can be done." Launching the two pilot CIBMS projects, each covering a 5.5 km stretch along the International Border in Jammu, a first-of-a-kind high-tech surveillance system, he said the new fencing will be erected in vulnerable areas along the 2,026 km border after monitoring its proper functioning. He said technology will help in minimising the casualties of soldiers guarding the border. "It will also help in reducing the dependency on physical patrolling," said the Minister, adding technology will create an invisible electronic barrier on land, water and even in air and underground, helping the Border Security Force (BSF) to detect and foil infiltration bids in the most difficult terrains. Asked about the boycott of municipal and panchayat polls by the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said: "I appeal to these parties to take part in these elections because this is the only way to establish direct contact with the people." Meanwhile, speaking at the sidelines of an event in Delhi, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said dialogue with Pakistan can happen only if conditions were conducive. "After all, if a person (referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan) is propped up by the Army, the Army still rules. Let's wait and watch how things go, whether the person remains under the Army's control or doesn't," he said. "Dialogue will happen provided the environment is made conducive for it," he added. His remarks come amid widespread speculation about talks between India and Pakistan after Khan, who took office last month, said the two countries must hold a dialogue "and resolve their conflicts, including Kashmir". Riyadh : Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that foreign Umrah performers can visit any city in the country with their 30-day Umrah visa, Al Arabiya local news reported. However, 15 days must be spent in visiting the two grand mosques in Mecca and Medina during their 30-day Umrah stay, said Abdulaziz Wazzan, undersecretary of Hajj Ministry for Umrah Affairs, Xinhua news agency. He revealed that more than 1,000 pilgrims arrived in the kingdom last week, while over 25,000 Umrah visas were issued in the last four days. The move cames as Saudi Arabia is taking major steps including promoting tourism to diversify its economy, in order to get ready for the post-oil era. Islamabad : At least 36 people sustained severe injuries in a stampede at a shrine in Pakistan's Punjab province on Monday. According to local Urdu TV channel Abb Takk, tens of thousands of devotees from across the country gathered in the shrine for a religious celebration in Pakpattan, a district in Punjab province, when the stampede took place. The stampede occured when the police baton-charged devotees who tried to cross the protective gate of the shrine, the report said. All the injured were shifted to a hospital, where 16 of them were in a critical condition. Authorities said that a case was registered and investigations into the incident were underway. Harare : Zimbabwe's ongoing cholera outbreak has killed 30 people and has spread to the country's second-largest city Bulawayo, according to figures given by Health Minister Obadiah Moyo. Moyo said two people died over the weekend and that control measures were in place while water and medical supplies were being brought to affected areas, Efe news reported. Over 5,400 cases of cholera have been reported since the outbreak was first detected on September 6 in the suburbs of the capital. Zimbabwe's fourth cholera outbreak in the last 15 years was caused when community water wells in the capital were contaminated with raw sewage from a leaking sewer pipe, according to officials from Harare's municipal council. On September 11, the Zimbabwean government declared a health emergency in the capital after 20 people died and 2,000 became infected. The human rights organization Amnesty International's Executive Director in Zimbabwe, Jessica Pwiti, blamed the government for the most recent cholera crisis. "The current cholera epidemic is a terrible consequence of Zimbabwe's failure to invest in and manage both its basic water and sanitation infrastructure and its health care system," Pwiti said in a statement. The UN World Health Organization, which has sent experts and epidemiologists to Zimbabwe to organize a vaccination campaign, describes cholera as "an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae". The current crisis is the deadliest since Zimbabwe's worst cholera outbreak from 2008 to 2009, when over 4,000 people died and 90,000 people were infected. The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels. You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us! Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous. Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo. Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter for Borderland Beat? We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates from Tuesday at the invitation of the two countries leaderships, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday. It will be the prime minister's first foreign visit since he took office in August. Khan will be accompanied by the foreign minister, the finance minister and his commerce adviser, the Foreign Ministry said. Khan is expected to call on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and hold a bilateral meeting with crown prince on bilateral ties, the ministry said in a statement. The Pakistani delegation will also proceed to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE on Wednesday. The two sides will discuss issues of bilateral interests, according to the statement. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Dear Newsie Readers, Newsie has now permanently ceased it's services as of Friday 20th December 2019. Newsie has been an owner-funded operation since day one. Coming up to three years old, while we still firmly believe Newsie has a place in the New Zealand media landscape, the cost in both time and money has become too burdensome for the owners to continue alongside other ventures. With the current government looking to restructure public broadcasting, and seemingly supporting NZME buying a ring-fenced Stuff, the time seems right to call it a day. Should it happen, the combination of NZME and Stuff will ensure New Zealands national media will die a death by a thousand opinion-based articles. Newsie has always tried to stick to balanced news, to inform readers of the facts of a situation, amid being largely ignored by government. Hopefully, one day someone else will take up the challenge to fight the good fight. The good news, however, is that there were no job losses as a result of Newsie closing. Thanks to careful structuring, everyone involved in Newsie will retain their current positions. We hope you all have a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe, and stay out of the news. The team at Newsie Africas sustainable development goals wont be achieved if the continent does not do well in agriculture as the market growth depends on it. This was recently revealed at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2018, held in Kigali under the theme, Lead, measure, grow. Co-founder and Trustee of African Leadership Academy, Fred Swaniker said that the continent only has a short period of time to create jobs for its fast growing population. Africa has a short time to create jobs for its fast growing population. Governments on the continent must give commitment in terms of investments and provide mentorship for youth to scale up Agriculture, he said. It was also noted at the forum that 70 percent of people involved in Agriculture in Africa are small holder farmers and each year there is post harvest loss of four billion. President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame advised that strong links among policy makers and investors in Africa are required for a productive African Agriculture. He added that in order to meet the sustainable goals, there should be revitalisation of Agriculture. We have to do a better job at mobilising citizen farmers and treating them as clients as well as make Agriculture attractive to the youth, he said.Employment trends in Africa show similar problem as in the whole world. Thus, the continents labour force growth rate is three percent per annum while 60 percent of working youth equates to a per capital income of $3.10. On the other hand, Africas food security and a food import bill reaches $25 billion annually. In spite of this, researchers highlight that the continent has significantly failed to increase its average yields per hectare when compared to Asian counterparts. Africas capacity to avoid food crisis is therefore labelled to be in hesitation. Experts foresee danger in Africa if nothing is done to increase Agricultural output. CEO of SACAU, Ishmael Sunga also noted that African countries should put hard work on soil in order to have a better produce. Africa has to do better in soil management and improve on soil fertility to close the huge yield gap, he said. Africa has an average yield of 3MT per hectare while Asia has an average yield of 3.9 MT per hectare. Africa also produces over 54 percent of the worlds cassava with an average yield of 10MT per hectare whereas Asia has an average of 22 MT per hectare. This is according to data from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Trade is seen as a driver of growth for African Agriculture, and it was highlighted that the food market will remain the biggest producer in the world if Africa does well. DANBURY The citys police chief will be honored this weekend by the states NAACP chapter for being one of the most influential African American leaders in Connecticut. Chief Patrick Ridenhour will receive the honor during a reception Saturday at Foxwoods. We are thrilled to honor black men and women in Connecticut who are making a difference in our communities, state NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile said. This event will give us the opportunity to reflect on our important victories over the NAACP's past 109 years, strengthen old relationships and create new ones, as we prepare to continue to take on the constant challenges that face our people on a daily basis." Ridenhour said he is honored to receive both the award and the recognition of the departments efforts to make the community a safer place for everyone. Ridenhour was also awarded with the community policing award earlier this year by the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers. It really means a lot to be honored, but I know that there is still more work to do, Ridenhour said. I feel very blessed throughout my career to have opportunities for advancement and Im very proud to be serving as Danburys chief. Prior to taking the position in Danbury, Ridenhour served as the police chief in Stratford for more than five years. He previously worked in Waterbury for nearly 20 years where he left as assistant deputy chief. While the police department was in the spotlight earlier this year for not having enough black officers, Ridenhour said he would work with city officials to amend the citys civil service rules to make it easier for all youth to become police officers in the city. Lowering the minimum age requirement to apply to the department from 21 years old to 18 or 19 years old could help, Ridenhour said, as well as providing bonuses to those who were involved in the departments Explorers program. The program, which attracts a large number of minority students, serves youth in the city who are interested in a career in law enforcement. I thought that if people see we have minority leadership in Danbury it might encourage people to come here who might have reservations, Ridenhour said at the time. Its difficult to get more diversity when you dont have a lot in the first place. Other people from the region to make the list include Jahana Hayes, a Democrat running for the 5th Congressional District, New Haven Fire Chief John Alson Jr., Bridgeport school superintendent Aresta Johnson and New Haven Mayor Toni Harp. The honorees will be presented with their awards during the dinner on Saturday. The event is already sold out. dperrefort@newstimes.com Almost 40 years ago, a 15-year-old Marc Benioff sold his first piece of software, called How to Juggle, for $75. Now, hes a billionaire tech mogul and the co-founder of Salesforce, a leading enterprise cloud computing company. With an illustrious list of mentors -- including Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs -- Benioff set off to launch his company in 1999, working out of an apartment in San Francisco. Almost two decades later, Salesforces annual revenue surpassed $10 billion for fiscal year 2018. Here are 10 details from Benioffs life that begin to paint a picture of the billionaire tech mogul. 1. He cleaned cases at a jewelry store for his first official paying job. Benioff asked his parents for permission to work at the jewelry store after school so he could save enough money for his first computer, which he bought at Radio Shack. (He was later fired for using the wrong soap on the floors.) 2. He developed games for Atari as a teenager. Benioff founded his first company, Liberty Software, at age 15 -- the same age he sold his first piece of software (How to Juggle) for $75. Benioff then sold several 8-bit games for systems including the Atari 800, including Crypt of the Undead, King Arthurs Heir, The Nightmare and Escape From Vulcans Isle. 3. He was a millionaire by age 25. Benioff spent 13 years working at database software giant Oracle under then-CEO Larry Ellison. He was one of the companys youngest executives, and at age 25, his salary put him over the millionaire mark. 4. A sabbatical trip around the world inspired him to start Salesforce. After about a decade at Oracle, Benioff felt something was missing in his view of success and spoke with Ellison about taking a sabbatical. He spent a few months in Hawaii studying meditation, and had the fundamental idea for Salesforce while swimming with dolphins in the Pacific Ocean. Amazon and eBay had recently emerged, and he asked himself, Why are we still loading and upgrading software the way weve been doing all this time when we can now do it over the internet? The next leg of Benioffs trip was India, where a host of spiritual leaders inspired him to prioritize philanthropy. 5. He considered Steve Jobs a mentor. In 1984, Benioff, then a college student, interned at Apple. He went on to develop a friendship with founder Steve Jobs and often asked him for input in Salesforces early stages. There would be no Salesforce.com without Steve Jobs, Benioff said at a 2013 conference, crediting Jobs as the guide for many of his early decisions. Jobs, like Benioff, also spent time searching for inspiration in India. Related: The Steve Jobs Equation for Tough Leadership 6. He helped invent a $116 billion market. With Salesforce, Benioff launched a new form of cloud computing: software as a service (SaaS). Through SaaS, individuals and companies can rent software over the internet instead of installing it on physical computers -- and its estimated market size for 2018 is upwards of $116 billion. 7. He turned down a $55 billion offer from Microsoft. Microsoft and Salesforce have a famously volatile relationship -- theyve been both competitors and partners over the years, and a potential merger fell apart in 2015. Microsoft made a bid for Salesforce amounting to roughly $55 billion, but Benioffs asking price was reportedly $15 billion more. The deal fell through. 8. He developed a new 1-1-1 model for corporate philanthropy. Benioff dedicated Salesforce to philanthropy at its core: a 1-1-1 model stipulating that the company set aside 1 percent of equity, 1 percent of product and 1 percent of employees time for nonprofits and local communities. 9. His net worth is an estimated $6.51 billion. Benioffs wealth has increased by about 60 percent since June 2016, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Related: These Are the 19 Richest Tech Billionaires on the Planet 10. He and his wife Lynne paid $190 million in cash for Time magazine. Eight months after the end of TIME Inc., the brands namesake publication will change hands in a $190 million deal between the Benioffs and Meredith Corp. The Benioffs announced their acquisition of Time magazine on Sunday. The deal, which is already drawing comparisons to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezoss purchase of The Washington Post, is expected to close within 30 days. Benioff said he and his wife will have no journalistic input and will not be involved in the magazines day-to-day operations. "The power of Time has always been in its unique storytelling of the people and issues that affect us all and connect us all," said Benioff in a tweet. "[Time is a] treasure trove of our history and culture. We have deep respect for their organization and [are] honored to be stewards of this iconic brand." Related: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Entrepreneurship in India Guy Fieri Is Insanely Busy. Here's How He Gets It All Done. How to Multi-Task Like Tim Ferriss, Randi Zuckerberg and Other Very Busy People Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved It is noteworthy that Alan Stein, in his letter of Sep. 12, has not denied even a single statement made by me in my opinion piece on the blockade of Gaza (Sept. 6) to which his letter is supposed to be a response. As stated by me: The ship, Al Awda, bore a Norwegian flag. It was in international waters far from Gaza and Israel. The small crew of about 20 were of 16 or 17 nationalities. Its cargo consisted solely of humanitarian aid. Not a single weapon was found on the ship, (much less the larger, heavier, more lethal weapons that Stein mentions). Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) The House of Representatives on Tuesday constituted itself into a Committee of the Whole, and took over the deliberations on the proposed 3.575-trillion 2019 national budget. This, after a slated plenary debates on the budget proposal got cancelled Monday due to disagreements over a supposed over 50-billion insertions. House Majority Leader Rolando "Nonoy" Andaya, Jr., head of the Committee of the Whole, replaced Appropriations Committee Chairperson and Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles in leading the passage of the 2019 General Appropriations Bill. During the resumption of the budget proceedings, 52-billion worth of funds were re-aligned to different government programs such as the following: Construction of vocational-technical laboratories under the Department of Education (3 billion) National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council capital outlays (5 billion) Infrastructure initiatives under the Department of Public Works and Highways (31.5 billion) Construction of farm to market roads under the Department of Agriculture (5 billion) Human resource and health facilities development (6 billion) State universities and college capital outlays (1.2 billion) "Meron tinanggal worth 52 billion. At pinaglaanan ng 52 billion. Walang nabawas sa budget, nagkaroon lang ng paggalaw sa budget. Motion carried," Andaya said. [Translation: Worth 52 billion was removed and re-allocated. Nothing was deducted from the budget, but just realignment.] The House's slated plenary debate on Monday was suspended after Andaya and Nograles got into a shouting match. The latter, according to sources, who have knowledge on the developments, pointed out the supposed questionable insertions, which led to the heated exchange. The money was supposed to be for the congressional districts of about 40 congressmen favored by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who was in the leadership when the budget was prepared. Sources said some lawmakers questioned the fund because some projects cannot be carried out, and some small districts were given billions-worth of projects. Sources also said Andaya asked Nograles to re-align the funds equally to congressmen but the latter supposedly refused, saying Malacanang approved the budget. The Committee of the Whole approved Andaya's proposed re-alignment. The plenary is expected to finally start the budget debates on Wednesday morning, with Andaya now sponsoring the bill. Bank Gaborone has been a star performer in Capricorn Group this year, contributing 6 percent to the groups profit after tax, Groups Managing Director Thinus Prinsloo has revealed.Speaking during the official opening of Bank Gaborone head office, Prinsloo indicated that Bank Gaborone posted very solid results for the period ending 30 June 2018 and contributed 6 percent compared to a 4 percent contribution in 2017. He revealed that in a few months period, Bank Gaborone has expanded its footprint in Botswana with the opening of the Kasane branch and more expansions planned in the next year. During the past financial year, our Group increased its shareholding in Capricorn Investment Holdings Botswana, which is the holding company of Bank Gaborone, with 15.6 percent to 84.3 percent. We therefore have vested interest in the success and future growth of Bank Gaborone. With the backing and support of Capricorn Group, the Bank has been able to venture into bigger opportunities and tap into the Groups expertise and specialized resources, Prinsloo stated. Prinsloo pointed out that Capricorn Group is a diversified financial services group listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange with subsidiaries in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa. The groups operations are primarily focused on banking, wealth and asset management insurance, as well as microfinance, he said adding that from its head office in Windhoek, Capricorn Group provides strategic guidance, oversight and support to its subsidiaries including Bank Gaborone. According to Prinsloo in June this year the group celebrated 5 years on the Namibian Stock Exchange and the value that they created for their shareholders and other stakeholders as a result of the listing. Over this period, he said they recorded a 96.9 percent growth in their share price, a compounded annual growth rate in profit after tax of 13.6 percent, N$1.3 billion paid out in dividends and a 130 percent total return per share since the listing in 2013. In September 2017, we launched the refreshed brand of Bank Gaborone with a differentiated brand promise of being Connectors of Positive Change. With the understanding that change should come from the inside, we also launched The Capricorn Way in 2017. The Capricorn Way is shaping a new culture for the Bank and the whole Group that encourages exceptional performance and highlights the importance of balancing economic success with social responsibility and environmental accountability. The Capricorn Way sets out our shared beliefs, values, norms and behaviors and contributes to the culture change and sense of unity in the Group. Our employees are encouraged to keep the leadership, and each other, accountable for living The Capricorn Way, he said An Upstate New York woman was surprised to find a little something extra in her food delivery recently. WRGB reports Jeanine Mulholland, who lives in the Hudson Valley town of Tannersville, has a bi-monthly subscription to Graze, an online snacking company that delivers healthy food options to homes across the U.S. So when her 11-year-old son opened their latest package, he expected to find nutritional snacks like honey-drizzled cashews and honeycomb oat flapjacks. But Mulholland's son instead found bags of marijuana on top of their snacks in the box. "He said, 'Well, I don't think this is supposed to be in there,'" she told the Albany-Schenectady TV station. "We educated him about drugs and so does the school he attends. But this was scary." New York State Police told WRGB that Mulholland called on Sunday, and that an investigation is ongoing to how the drugs ended up in their package. Mulholland said she contacted Graze, which bases its U.S. operations in NYC, and their footage showed the box being packed and no evidence of tampering. She told WRGB that she first joined Graze six months ago, but has put future orders on hold; she doesn't blame the company but hopes packaging can be improved to prevent tampering. "I'm going to second guess a lot of things now, especially food services, when I order in the mail," she said. "Now, food services are so popular." China uses electricity instead of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to boost the growth of vegetables and fruits. Electricity boosted vegetable output by 20 to 30 percent. Pesticide use has decreased 70 to 100 percent. And fertilizer consumption has dropped more than 20 percent. One hectare of electrified greenhouse requires about 15 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, which is about half the power usage of an average American family. In just two years the electrified vegetables had brought in extra revenue of nearly 1.2 million yuan (US$175,000) for one company. Inside the greenhouse the air smells like the aftermath of a summer thunderstorm. Humidity is low and the plants rarely get sick. The biggest expense is the installation cost which can be costing tens of thousands of yuan (a few thousand dollars per hectare). China has been conducting the worlds largest experiment and the results are transforming agricultural production in the worlds most populous nation with a jolt. Across the country, from Xinjiangs remote Gobi Desert to the developed coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean, vegetable greenhouse farms with a combined area of more than 3,600 hectares (8,895 acres) have been taking part in an electro culture programme funded by the Chinese government. The vegetables grow under bare copper wires, set about three metres (10 feet) above ground level and stretching end to end under the greenhouse roof. The wires are capable of generating rapid, positive charges as high as 50,000 volts, or more than 400 times the standard residential voltage in the US. The high frequency electricity kills bacteria and virus-transmitting diseases in the air or soil. It also suppresses the surface tension of water on leaves, accelerating vaporization. Within the plants, the transport of naturally charged particles, such as bicarbonate and calcium ions, speed up and metabolic activities, like carbon dioxide absorption and photosynthesis, also increase. The electric current flowing through the wires is only a few millionths of an ampere by volume lower than a smartphone cables workload. It does absolutely no harm to the plants or to humans standing nearby, he said. Thanks to the positive findings of the study, the area devoted to electrified farms in China is now growing with unprecedented speed, according to Liu, from 1,000 to 1,300 hectares each year. 40% growth in electro culture farming could be achieved within the next 12 months. Singapore got independence from Britain in 1959 and was poor. Now it is among the top richest countries on per capita GDP basis. They also had a lot of poor slums. In 1960 they set up a Housing Board which made clean and safe apartments. They built 51,000 homes from 1960-1965 and housed 400,000 (25% of the population). Singapore had a GDP per capita of $516 in 1965 and the US had a GDP per capita of $3828 in 1965. Now Singapore and US GDP per capita are about equal. Singaporeans are required to contribute to the Central Provident Fund for pensions and for housing expenses. Houses are made by the government for 20-30% less than private housing. People are required to live in them for 5 years before selling them. 9% lived in public housing in 1960 and 82% live in public housing in 2016. Singapore under British control 18191826 Straits Settlements 18261942 Japanese occupation of Singapore 19421945 British Military Administration 19451946 Colony of Singapore 19461963 Singapore in Malaysia 19631965 also known as Malaya Republic of Singapore 1965present 91% of Singapores population owns there own home. Singapore only has an average of about 180 homeless people. Singapore has a population of 5.8 million. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Developments Annual Homeless Assessment Report, as of 2017 there were around 554,000 homeless people in the United States or 0.17% of the population. Singapore has 50 times less homeless people than the US. SpaceX and other commercial companies have talked about launching thousands of satellites for massive global internet networks. The US military will not be left behind in the shift from a few big satellites to thousands of more effective smaller satellites. SpaceXs president and CEO (Gwynn Shotwell) says SpaceX would consider launching weapons into orbit for the U.S. government, if asked. The US military (Undersecretary Michael Griffin) has talked about spending $20 billion for a network of a thousand hypersonic missile interceptors. $20 billion is just the low ball bait. Even if an initial system went up for that price or less, they will rapidly increase the scope and scale. DARPA is developing the basic technology for a lot more small space satellites. Currently military space spending is twice as much as NASA and military launch revenue is more than commercial launch revenue. There will be thousands of commercial satellites and launches and the military satellites and launches will keep pace. An analysis by Bloomberg Government found that the Defense Department spends about $4 billion a year on space vehicles, launches, services and associated support. Boeing and Lockheeds United Launch Alliance, Lockheed Martin individually and a California-based nonprofit research center called the Aerospace Corporation get the most money. SpaceX is currently the fourth-largest recipient of Defense space funding and spending. SpaceX should have the SpaceX BFR ready around 2023 SpaceX will have its fully reusable SpaceX BFR ready around 2023. They need $2 to 10 billion to develop it. There will be sufficient support from the US military to ensure that SpaceX BFR is developed. DARPA Blackjack low-earth orbit satellite network Mr. Paul Rusty Thomas, Program Manager, DARPA Tactical Technology Office presented at the Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Working Group Telecon. He described the DARPA Blackjack Demo Program Pivot to LEO & Tactical Space Architecture. This would be 90+ low-earth orbit spy satellites. DARPA plans a 20 satellite demo and then full deployment could start in 2022. Many low-earth orbit spy satellites would be tougher for Russia and China to take out. A constellation of low-earth orbit spy satellites could be less expensive and more powerful than a single larger geosynchronous satellite. Interceptors The Secretary of the US Air Force presented a plan to grow the Air Force from 312 squadrons today to 386 by 2030. This is 24% larger. The strategy is based on estimates of the expected threat by 2025 to 2030. At the end of the Cold War, the Air Force had 401 operational squadrons. The claim is that the Air Force is too small for what the USA wants to do. We have 312 operational squadrons today. The Air Force We Need has 386 operational squadrons by 2030. The Military industrial complex is saying that China and Russias forces justify going back to 96% of the Cold War level air force. This buildup, stepped up investment in hypersonic weapons work and deployment of weapons in space would be ramping up for a global arms race. Talk of $20 billion for one thousand space-based interceptors and sensor satellites Hypersonic weapons are weapons and vehicles that can move faster than 5 times the speed of sound. Russia and China have both deployed new rockets that are tipped with hypersonic warheads. The US has had hypersonic weapons development for decades but is now speeding offensive and defensive systems. Michael Griffin, the undersecretary of defense said a rough estimate for deploying space-based interceptors can be calculated on the $20,000 per kilogram is costs to send material into low earth orbit. Griffin talked about a force of 1,000 space-based interceptors each weighing 1,000 kilograms would cost $20 billion. In 2017, the congressional defense authorization bill directed the Pentagon to draw up proposals for space-based missile defenses. DARPA Blackjack project for 90+ Low earth spy satellites and then hundreds Mr. Paul Rusty Thomas, Program Manager, DARPA Tactical Technology Office presented at the Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Working Group Telecon. He described the DARPA Blackjack Demo Program Pivot to LEO & Tactical Space Architecture. This would be 90+ low-earth orbit spy satellites. DARPA plans a 20 satellite demo and then full deployment could start in 2022. Many low-earth orbit spy satellites would be tougher for Russia and China to take out. A constellation of low-earth orbit spy satellites could be less expensive and more powerful than a single larger geosynchronous satellite. CHESHIRE Unionized workers at United Technologies Aerospace Systems have gone on strike at the companys factory on Knotter Drive. Workers represented by Local 62A of the International Association of Machinists began picketing the plant Monday following a strike vote taken over the weekend. The Cheshire plant makes sensors used in aircraft. The union represents about 200 workers. Their contract with the company expired at midnight Sept. 15, according to a company spokeswoman. Following several weeks of negotiations, the company presented a fair and equitable contract that is competitive within the region and the industry including wage and retirement plan increases, and improvement in other working conditions, Jessica Napoli, a company spokeswoman, said in a statement. UTC Aerospace Systems will remain open and operate as normal throughout the work stoppage. We have robust contingency plans in place and do not expect the strike to affect our customers or suppliers, and are continuing to assess next steps. Union officials were not immediately available for comment Tuesday. The strikers got a show of support Monday from Jahana Hayes, who is the Democrat running to replace U.S Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5, who is not seeking re-election. Every worker deserves fair pay and benefits, Hayes said in a statement on Tuesday. I was proud to listen to the members of Local 62A yesterday and hear their concerns. I would urge both sides to get back to the table and work this out. This is the third time in the last 18 years that labor unions have gone on strike against a United Technologies subsidiary. IAM workers at UTCs Pratt & Whitney subsidiary went on strike for more than a week in 2001. And the Teamsters Union led a nearly six-week strike at helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft in 2006. Sikorsky became part of Lockheed Martin in 2015. The Aerospace System subsidiary was created in 2012 when UTC merged its Hamilton Sunstrand business unit with the North Carolina-based Goodrich Corp. And UTC is about to complete another acquisition that could impact Aerospace System workers here in Connecticut. The company announced in September 2017 that it was acquiring Rockwell Collins, also based in North Carolina. That deal is scheduled to close by the end of the month, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com DERBY-For 16 years Derby had a sister city connection with Italy. Now both are mourning a loss. Tonino Bartone,the 63-year-old longtime mayor of Puglianello in Italys Benevento province died recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Its sad, said Mayor Richard Dziekan. Marc (Garofalo) knew him very well and spoke highly of him. Derby sends it condolences to his family. A friendship developed in 2001 with then Derby Mayor and now Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo, who was visiting the homeland of his relatives. It led to the two small cities developing a sister city relationship that spring and several exchange visits followed. Garofalo visited Bartone at least 10 times since then. He was always so gracious and welcoming, said Garofalo, who served four terms as this citys mayor and now is in his second term as Town/City clerk. I enjoyed spending time with him. I know of many Derby residents who say the same thing about him during their visits there. Garofalo visited him for the last time over two days in August, just a few weeks after Bartone was re-elected. It was obvious he was not doing well. He had stopped treatment. But we talked about our cities, we joked and laughed,Garofalo said. Bartone served as Puglianellos mayor of at least a quarter of a century. In that area he was a bigger than life individual, Garofalo said. He was very influential particularly in helping them build their infrastructure. Puglianello is a town of 1,340 residents in the province of Benevento in Italys Campania region. It is about a half-hour from Naples and Caserta. Over the years it has been attempting to convert from an agricultural based economy to an industrial one. Garofalo and Alderwoman Barbara DeGennaro, a local lawyer, trace their roots to that Italian city. Bartone visited Derby in 2003 as part of the Sister City Initiative and hosted several delegations from Derby in Puglianello, Garofalo said. He was here around Columbus Day, Garofalo recalled. We took him to Jones Farm in Shelton and the Yale Museum of British Art. We gave him a boat ride on the Housatonic and bought him apizza at Roselands. But what was perplexing to Bartone was seeing porch after porch filled with pumpkins decorated for Halloween. We tried to explain why this was done but he thought it was wasteful-that they should be eaten, Garofalo said. The following year the Derby High School band was in Italy and Bartone hosted them during a visit in Puglianello. Bartone leaves his wife, Mirella and sons Giuseppe and Valentino. Please join Mayor Richard Dziekan and the entire City of Derby in expressing our deepest and sincere condolences to the Bartone Family and the entire Town of Puglianello on the loss of their Husband, Father, and Mayor. OXFORD Things are good in Oxford, according to Moodys Investor Service and the Yankee Institute for Public Policy. And First Selectman George R. Temple could not be happier. Despite the state of Connecticut economic situation, Oxford continues to grow, Temple said. Moodys Investor Service gave the town an Aa2 rating after analyzing its cash on hand, the amount of money it owes and its growing Grand List. Oxford benefits from a strong economic position due in part to sizeable payment in lieu of taxes, Moodys decided. The towns tax base is stable and the fixed cost and long-term liabilities are manageable. The Yankee Institute for Public Policy, in assessing municipal health in Connecticut, gave Oxford an 88 percent rating the highest in the area. Their analysis considers general fund balances, long-term obligation, pension contributions, property values and unemployment rates. A score of 70 or above is healthy, 50 to 70 is marginal and below 50 represents severe fiscal distress. The town ranks fifth of nine small-growth communities and is among the 500 best in the United States to start a small business, according to the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, said Andy McGeever, who is the economic development director. This economic news shows Oxford is pointed in the right direction and thriving, Temple said. Factional wars within the leadership of the union of choice- Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) - is intensifying ahead of December congress billed for Kasane, Botswana Guardian has established.As the union prepares for its elective National General Congress from 10th to 13th December 2018, it has now come in the open that it would be a battle for the leadership of the union between two warring factions which are fighting before courts. The rivalry between the two started off during a meeting in July this year in Gaborone where there were suspensions and counter suspensions. This resulted in a legal battle that pitted BOPEU as 1st Applicant followed by Ogaufi Masame, Zibani Philemon, Mosalagae Tlhako and Motswaledi Monaiwa against union President Masego Mogwera as 1st Respondent followed y Tlhabologo Galekhutle (Treasurer), Martin Gabobake (1st Deputy President), Topias Marenga (General Secretary) and Ketlhapelang Karabo (Deputy General Secretary). Philemon and team have since appointed him as acting president of the union assisted by Masame. Philemon and team approached the courts to force Mogwera and team out of office and pleaded with the courts to recognise them as legitimate BOPEU leadership. The matter has been taken up to the appeals court which has indicated that until there are court orders from High Court the appeal cannot be heard. This has left a stalemate between the two factions as there is no court order that has declared which faction is legitimate to lead the union. Information gathered by this publication is that a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting led by President Mogwera on Monday this week resolved to bring Philemon and team for disciplinary hearing. It is alleged that Philemon-led team refused to accept the letters calling them to appear before a commission to face the music. According to sources, Philemons team argued that there is no order of the court that confirms that suspension as has been pleaded by Mogwera and team before Lobatse High Court. Last week the two factions dispatched letters to the union structures regarding the congress, causing more confusion among union members. The two letters are identical save for whom the names of delegates and observers should be forwarded to. One letter has been signed by Mogwera while the other by Philemon. In an interview, Marenga representing Mogwera team, indicated that there should not be any confusion among BOPEU members. Marenga, who is the union General Secretary, stated that until there is an order of the court interdicting them to carry out the duties of the union then members should know that they are the legitimate National Office Bearers of BOPEU. We are currently dealing with some internal matters and in due cause we will deal with the matter regarding our comrades and their conduct. In a few weeks to come we would write letters to our structures on the matter and what is expected of them and outstanding matters would be dealt with, said Marenga. For his part, Philemon said without any court order issued against them, they are legitimate NOB as per the meeting of July this year. He indicated that before the congress everything would have been dealt with and members have nothing to worry about because we have everything under control. Philemon confirmed that they were summoned for disciplinary hearing but declined to discuss the matter further saying they would deal with the matter internally. He explained that the union structures would be updated on any matter arising and they are still awaiting court orders from Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa regarding their case before they could return to the appeals court. Justice Nthomiwa has dismissed the urgency application that was launched by Philemon and crew. According to sources there could be more court battles with the union before the December congress is held. Mogwera became BOPEU President after the then President Andrew Motsamai resigned to join Babereki Investment-BOPEU business arm as Executive Chairman. He was later relieved of his duties for allegations of misappropriation of funds. MILFORD-Forecasters warned Saturday would be hot and humid. But tossing water into a womans face to cool off during an argument? Thats a no-no as Matt Salomone found out. Police charged Salomone, 26, of Naugatuck Avenue with third-degree breach of peace just for that. Police said Salomone through a glass of water into a womans face during an argument outside the home shortly after 2 p.m.. He was released on a promise to appear in Superior Court. NEW HAVEN A judge described defendant Michael Torres as evil for sexually assaulting a child and sentenced him to serve 60 years in prison for his crime. Because Torres already had been sentenced to serve 28 years on convictions for assault, unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor for picking up the same little girl and burning her by holding her hand over the flame of a kitchen stove (as well as burning that girls sister), he faces a total of 88 years in prison. The girl, who was living with Torres and her mother in a New Haven apartment was 7 or 8 years old at the time of the repeated sexual assaults. Prosecutors said those crimes occurred in December 2013 and August 2015. The girl suffered a second-degree burn to her hand in the other assault. Her younger sister was burned much more severely by the stove flame because unlike the older girl, she could not break free from Torres. They were 4 and 8 at the time: Aug. 16, 2015. Torres, now 32, was convicted three months ago by a New Haven Superior Court jury on three counts of first-degree sexual assault and three counts of risk of injury to a minor. Torres sentence was imposed by Superior Court Judge Jon C. Blue, who presided over the trial. When he sentenced Torres, Blue said he had been convicted based on overwhelming evidence. Addressing Torres, Blue said: And you, sir, are evil. You will be evil until you take your last breath on this earth. Shortly before Blue spoke, Torres made a statement that thanked his supporters. He also quoted various Biblical passages. The girls biological father was not in the courtroom for the sentencing but provided a statement that was read by Senior Assistant States Attorney Maxine Wilensky. My daughter was hurt, she was a child, the father said. She was a sweet, innocent girl who now has to live with the scars that were left in her body, both physical and emotional. Michael robbed her of the opportunity to give herself in purity to the man she chooses, he added. He took her innocence and free will away. Please consider her family and the pain it has caused her father, stepmother and sisters, trying to help her move forward with her life, the father said. He concluded by saying to Blue: I trust you wont fail my daughter like Michael did. Torres supporters also came to court to offer statements on his behalf. One of them described Torres as a delicate soul. But Wilensky responded: A delicate soul does not do this to a child. Wilensky asked Blue to impose a sentence that will keep this defendant from harming any other child. Wilensky later said Blues sentence was appropriate. Defense attorney Wade Luckett could not be reached for comment. In her sentencing memorandum, Wilensky noted the victim of the sexual attacks had testified during the trial and identified Torres as the perpetrator. Wilensky recalled that Torres and his girlfriend, Natasha Figueroa, moved in together in September 2013. Figueroa had four daughters, including the victim of the sexual assaults and the second victim of the burnings. After they moved into the apartment, Torres and Figueroa conceived another child. Figueroa, 30, was sentenced two months ago to serve three years in prison for risk of injury to a minor. She avoided a longer sentence by cooperating with the state and testifying against Torres. Wilensky said Torres was head of the household and the children referred to him as their stepfather. If the defendant thought the children had misbehaved, Wilensky said, he administered corporal punishment by hitting them, not only with his hand but with a broken broom handle or cords for electrical equipment. Wilensky cited testimony that the girls were burned after Torres became angry that they had not cleaned their room and opened a window to tease a neighbor. The younger girl required multiple surgeries at the Burn Unit of Bridgeport Hospital. She had to have four of her fingers amputated. Authorities described the apartment as strewn with garbage, vomit and urine. As a result it was infested with bugs, crawling up to the ceiling. Wilensky noted that after the girls were removed from the apartment by members of the state Department of Children and Families, two of the children were placed with Aunt Jane. Several days later, this woman found a pair of underwear belonging to the girl who, it turned out, had been sexually assaulted. The underwear was soaked in blood. The girl told doctors who examined her that Torres had hurt her, Wilensky said. The girl reported she had suffered many sexual assaults committed by Torres. Wilensky said three of the children were victimized and all of them had to testify in court. The girl who was sexually assaulted was forced to relive the pain and fright and recount the disgusting, inhumane actions of the defendant to a room full of adult strangers, Wilensky said. In addition, Wilensky said, the three girls have had to undergo extensive counseling to cope with the issues brought about by having been subjected to seeing, hearing or experiencing the defendants violent and vicious attacks on their sisters or themselves. randall.beach@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN The Board of Education will consider a new $19,000 behavioral intervention program at James Hillhouse High School for about 10 girls at Hillhouse who are identified for behavioral issues. Principal Glen Worthy and Kyisha Velazquez, director of clinical services at Integrated Wellness Group and the proposed contractor, presented the plan to the school boards Finance Committee Monday evening. Theyre high-risk students. Theyre not your typical students with truancy issues, Velazquez said. Worthy said the girls in mind for the program cause problems at school, including filming fights. Theyre in Youth Stat, also, but whatever theyre in has not worked, he said, referring to the school-intervention program operated by the city. The contract says Integrated Wellness Group would run a program for two marking periods providing the girls in question conflict resolution skills and social-emotional supports, with a focus on restorative practices a disciplinary model used in schools that emphasizes harm reduction over punishment. Velazquez said the population in question needs special care, because they will close off to any adult they do not trust and 100 percent have experienced trauma. Board member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, a pediatrician, said she had reservations. I felt there are too few girls and they should touch on more and I would like to know if theyre such complex cases what it is they have, she said after the meeting. Is it enough? Committee chairman Jamell Cotto said the Finance Committee would recommend the contract to the full board, under the assurance that Worthy would identify which girls are best served by only Youth Stat so the district isnt double dipping on intervention programs. School board contracts with Integrated Wellness Group led to an internal argument among school board members earlier this year, as they argued over whether it was appropriate for board members to approve no-bid contracts for services that multiple contractors could provide. Member Ed Joyner argued the school district should put in place requirements that contractors can demonstrate the qualitative benefit their services provide before they receive contracts. No such benchmark has yet been established. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN City police released more details Tuesday about a wrong-way pursuit on Interstate 91 Monday during which the driver who allegedly caused six separate car crashes ended up in custody. New Haven police are still not releasing the name of the 30-year-old driver, who suffers from a medical condition and had allegedly stopped taking his medication, as the investigation is still ongoing, according to a release. The man is charged with first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, interfering with police, engaging police in pursuit and second-degree criminal mischief, the release said. A woman first contacted police from New York around 2:26 a.m. Monday about the man, her brother, saying he was out of control and needed hospitalization, police said in the release. Officers Thomas Blaisdell and Caitlin Zarella spoke with the mans roommates at their apartment in New Haven, police said. The roommates told police they had last seen the man days ago and didnt know where he was, but that he had appeared agitated the last time they saw him. The woman told police that her brother had shown up at her home unexpectedly Sunday and spoke about the devil and killing people. He admitted to her that he had stopped taking his medication and hadnt slept in days, according to police. Before the man took off with a woman in a black Honda Civic with Texas plates, he threw holy water on the car and smashed the windows, the sister told police. The sister then called New York State Police and said the man most likely was headed for New Haven, officials said in the release. New York authorities issued a wanted person broadcast for the man for the vandalism. On Monday afternoon, Officer Brendan Canning was dispatched to a robbery at Walgreens on Whalley Avenue, police said. A man there had approached a Northford woman in the refrigerated foods aisle, punched her and took her wallet, police were told. Witnesses told police the man had been yelling white devil over and over, according to the release. The man fled the store and left the scene in a black Honda Civic, police said. As detectives arrived on scene, a theft on Central Avenue was reported. A short time after that, a vandalism complaint came in from folks on Sherman Avenue, police said in the release. Here, police found some of the items belonging to the victim at Walgreens. All the descriptions of the suspects seemed to indicate it was the same man. The description also matched the person wanted for vandalism out of Harriman, New York, police said. Patrol Shift Commander Lt. Stephan Torquati put together an impromptu task force to find the suspect before he did any more harm, police said in the release. Police checked areas the man used to frequent, as well as any past known addresses. The mans sister then called police to let them know he was at a Dover Street home arguing with the residents and that it didnt sound good. As officers headed there, the man had left the home and was seen passing McDonalds on Foxon Boulevard, then getting on I-91 north as police had engaged their warning lights and sirens. Police pursued the man at about 45 mph until Exit 9, where he got off, and then came back on the highway again until Exit 12, according to the release. He looped around and headed back the way he came, toward New Haven, police said in the release. State Troopers and area towns cops were notified. The man then slammed on the brakes and made another U-turn this time heading against traffic, police said. The officers didnt follow him, but observed him as he drove the wrong way without regard for the safety of other motorists, according to the release. As the black Honda came down to Route 34 again, state troopers were covering the exits and had stop sticks laid out, but attempt to box in the driver were unsuccessful, according to the release. Eventually, the driver got stuck in traffic near I-91 souths Exit 2, and officers could surround him and take him into custody, police said. Police later learned that while on Middletown Avenue, the suspect had approached another car and asked for $15. When the woman in the car refused, the man had thrown a brick through the window, which struck her in the face. The woman was not seriously injured but went to the hospital to get checked out, police said. The suspect recorded parts of this incident on his phone, and police have taken possession of his phone, according to the release. Torquati expressed high praises for the officers and troopers involved. Safety, coupled with the apprehension of a dangerous man were of vital importance, he said in the release Tuesday. The efforts of Connecticut State Police Sergeant Aiken and Troopers Dorelus, Mansfield and Thomas were instrumental in the apprehension of this man. Police said because there are several incidents and several jurisdictions involved, the mans identity will not be released at this time. To identify him could jeopardize the case(s), police said in the release. Soon after Christine Blasey Ford was revealed as the author of a letter alleging that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her decades ago, the responses ran along predictable line. While some argued that she should be heard, others questioned how much of her memory can be trusted. Amid a spate of speculation, The Washington Post published an exclusive account of the assault, identifying Ford. Kavanaugh issued a statement Sunday denying the accusations, but after heated push back from both politicians and the public, Kavanaugh agreed to questioning by the Senate panel Monday. A second hearing, where Kavanaugh and Ford will both testify publicly, is scheduled for next week. The results threaten to thwart his successful confirmation. Critics of Ford have taken to calling into question whether it's even possible for a 30-year-old memory to be credible. Sex crimes prosecutors across the country forge forward on "he-said-she-said" cases regularly. "I stand to believe there's no such thing as a 'he-said-she-said' case," Linda Fairstein, former bureau chief of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Sex Crimes Bureau, told The Washington Post. "As a prosecutor, it's your job to break down every minute of the encounter, so that details on one side pushes the facts over the edge." Prosecutors do that regularly, in large part, by parsing what's reasonable and what's believable through corroboration, details that have the ring of truth, and inconvenient facts that are subtle signs of credibility. --- There's no criminal trial, but Kavanaugh still has the presumption of innocence, said Attorney Douglas Wigdor, a former prosecutor who now represent victims in sexual harassment and sexual assault cases against high-profile men. "The reason we have statutes of limitations is because its difficult to defend yourself when someone makes an accusation against you from years ago. It's difficult to have witnesses or forensics," he said. But, according to Fairstein, it was completely normal that Ford "didn't remember" several details. "If she testifies, I would expect her to say, 'I don't remember,' scores of times," Fairstein said, for two reasons: the passage of time and trauma. "She found this experience so upsetting that she felt her life was in danger. There might be 220 things she doesn't know and then a very specific sentence about what happened that was so traumatic." Ford has alleged that Kavanaugh pinned her down and clumsily groped her during a prep school party, when Ford, 15, was a sophomore, and Kavanaugh, 17, a junior. Now 51, Ford, a research psychologist told The Post, "I thought he might inadvertently kill me." According to psychologist Anne Meltzer, it may be challenging to recall peripheral details of an assault years later - like who spread word of the party, who was designated driver - but that should not detract from a victim's veracity ""if she can clearly and consistently articulate central details of what happened, such as the who, what and where," she told The Washington Post. Meltzer, who has not reviewed the details of this case, has testified as an expert witness hundreds of times in child sexual abuse cases, with victims up to 17 years old. --- Perhaps more striking are the details Ford did mention. Fairstein said that sexual assault rarely happens with witnesses present. Yet Ford puts two people in the room - Kavanaugh and his prep school classmate, Mark Judge, whom she called "an essential witness." "To me, it's compelling that [Ford] puts someone else there, and that the person who happens to be in the room has a blackout drinking problem," said Fairstein. Judge, now a filmmaker and author, described himself similarly in his book, "Wasted: Tales of a Gen-X Drunk." "That's sort of the intoxicated behavior she described that night," she added. "Ford mentioned details - like the pool party, the narrow staircase, that the house was in Montgomery County. There are enough facts for someone to remember it was their party and their house," said Fairstein. Wigdor echoed Fairstein, saying, "She put a third person in the room. If you were making something up, why would you do that?" Wigdor also mentioned that Ford voluntarily took and passed a lie detector test. "While not admissible in court, they're used by various governmental agencies and many people believe in their abilities," he said. --- The vast majority of sexual abuse victims delay disclosing what happened. "It's one of the most common features of child sex abuse," Meltzer said. Most victims of child sexual abuse fear retaliation, that they won't be believed or that their family may be angry. There's often a very intense feeling of shame, guilt and humiliation. Statistically, teenagers are less likely than younger children to tell authorities about an assault, she said. Particularly concerned with how others view them, teenagers often feel like "damaged goods." "Another reason children don't disclose is because they are sometimes threatened or pressured to keep it a secret," said Meltzer, adding that although it may not apply to Kavanaugh and Ford, it is, nonetheless, a common reason. --- Often, Meltzer said, victims disclose abuse so that they can begin to cope with, and heal from, the trauma. "Disclosure is a process. It's possible that at some point a victim is unable deal with the emotional burden of the abuse," which frequently has long-lasting effects into adulthood. Ford had long-debated whether to come forward, feeling a civic duty to share her story, according to The Post. In the end, her cost-benefit analysis weighed against speaking on the record. Instead, she wrote a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, expecting it to be kept confidential. Although Ford requested anonymity, Fairstein said that most sex abuse victims don't want anyone to know, let alone putting their private lives on display for the nation. Instead, Fairstein was more focused on the initial disclosure, calling it a "corroborating detail." Ford watched the anonymous letter morph, garnering indignation from the right and serving as political fodder for the left. Then, she agreed to go public, she told The Post. Ford disclosed the assault long before Kavanaugh was nominated to the high court by President Donald Trump, telling her husband and marriage counselor in 2012. The therapist's notes, which were reviewed by The Post, confirmed this. "I think it helps [Ford] that there was an outcry to the counselor long before this nomination occurred. We always look for that to support an accusation wasn't a newly formed complaint," said Fairstein. Ford didn't come forward to prosecute Kavanaugh, but with a piece of information that, she believed, was relevant to his character before this became a very public issue, Fairstein said. Here in Connecticut, our aviation industry supports nearly 90,000 jobs dedicated workers who help transport some of the 2.3 million passengers who fly every day across our country. Our state and our country are home to some of the most experienced pilots in the world, yet our aviation industry faces an existential threat: a new business scheme that allows airlines to skirt the high aviation standards weve come to expect. If these schemes known as flags of convenience are allowed to proliferate, they would deal a devastating blow to American aviation workers and jeopardize the safety of American passengers. Under flags of convenience, airlines can choose to register their operations in countries with lax regulatory environments in order to evade the strong labor regulations and safety rules that keep our industry strong and passengers safe. Under this approach, airlines can headquarter in virtually any country despite having no tangible connection to that nation. This scheme also enables airlines to hire contract pilots from all corners of the globe to fly their jets, even if those pilots lack the experience that weve come to expect in the U.S. Weve seen flags of convenience decimate American labor before in our shipping industry. In 1955, U.S. maritime vessels carried 25 percent of the worlds tonnage. Then, ship owners began to flag their vessels in countries that offered the least restrictive regulatory environment. The result? Wages plummeted and working conditions deteriorated as the U.S. maritime shipping industry all but collapsed. Today, the U.S. shipping industry accounts for just 2 percent of world tonnage. Theres too much at stake. If flags of convenience are allowed to take root, it will create a race to the bottom in the American airline industry. Thats why more than 160,000 of my fellow pilots, along with the flight attendants of major U.S. carriers, are urging the U.S. Senate to stop flags of convenience before this approach takes hold here in America. This spring, nearly 400 members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a funding bill that includes H.R. 2150, the Flags of Convenience Dont Fly Here Act, which would prevent airlines from cutting corners, ensure they play by the rules and preserve a level playing field across the airline industry. In Connecticut, our senators, Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn., have an opportunity to take a similar stand for American workers by ensuring that the Senates upcoming FAA Reauthorization Act prevents flags of convenience in the U.S. Connecticuts aviation workers depend on it. Mike Burr is a Thomaston resident and retired Navy commander and pilot. Authorities in South Jersey are searching for two teens who went missing last week and may be traveling together. Sandra Sanchez and Victor Skerrett (Camden County Prosecutor's Office) Sandra Sanchez, 13, and Victor Skerrett, 14, both of Pennsauken, were last seen early Friday at their respective homes, township police and the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday. They may be in Camden or around Love Park in Philadelphia. Sanchez is about 5-foot-5, 125 pounds while Skerrett is approximately 5-foot-7, 175 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call Pennsauken police Det. Matt Henkel at 609-929-1249 or Camden County Prosecutor's Office Det. Kevin Courtney at 856-397-6770. Tips may also be emailed. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Mia Randolph said she and her husband, Mark Randolph, have been separated for four years, but remained close. He was a big personality, a loving father, and still texted her every day. "Every morning he'd say 'Good morning' to everyone in his contact list," she said in a phone interview Tuesday, her voice full of tears. "That's how we knew something was wrong" when no text came Saturday. A relative found Mark Randolph, 50, dead on the floor of his Hilltop Court apartment in Gloucester Township that afternoon. On the bed next to him was a butterfly knife, a broken bracelet, and a broken silver necklace with a dumbbell charm on it, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. Authorities said the necklace belongs to his brother, Shawn Randolph, 45, of Blackwood, who works as a personal trainer. He was arrested in Philadelphia Monday and charged with murder, the prosecutor's office said Tuesday. Mark Randolph died from blunt trauma to his neck, the medical examiner determined. According to the criminal complaint, Shawn texted a friend Saturday that he blacked out during a fight instigated by his brother and later fled the house. "His blood is on my hands now," Shawn wrote. Brothers Mark Randolph, left, Dan Randolph, center, and Shawn Randolph, right. Shawn Randolph is charged with murder in the death of Mark Randolph. Mia Randolph said Shawn struggled with addiction. She said losing Mark is painful enough, but it is even sadder to know that her brother-in-law is charged with the crime. "They loved each other," she said. "[Mark] would do anything for this man." Mark and his two brothers grew up in South Philly. After their parents died when they were young, they ended up raising each other, Mia Randolph said. It made Mark and Shawn especially close, and Shawn would often live in Mark's apartment, she said. 'I can never forgive myself' In a probable cause statement, Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Chris Sarson indicated there were signs that Shawn Randolph took things from his brother's home when he visited early Saturday morning, but didn't say specifically that robbery was the motive for the killing. Sarson wrote that surveillance video footage showed Shawn entering the apartment at 6:28 a.m. with a red duffle bag. When he left at 7:47 a.m., he had changed clothes and was carrying the bag, which seemed much heavier than before. Police also noted that there was also a padlock on the bed, which had apparently been taken from the bedroom's closet door. A friend of Shawn's told police they texted Saturday afternoon about what had happened. In the messages, Shawn claims that his brother came at him with the butterfly knife and what happened was self-defense, though he also said he blacked out. "...you know I love my brother he was all f------ pissed off at me," the texts read. "I mean come on man I don't want to do that to my brother his blood is on my hands now I can never forgive myself for that but [what] was I supposed to do leaving was the wrong thing to do I was scared..." Sarson noted that no blood was found on the knife on the bed. Philadelphia Police Department arrested Shawn around noon Monday on the 800 block of Porter Street in South Philadelphia. He is awaiting extradition to the Camden County Correctional Facility, where prosecutor's will ask that he be held pending trial. 'The neighborhood's dad' Mark Randolph had an outgoing, larger-than-life personality and was loving to everyone in his life, his family said. "He would give a stranger the shirt off his back. He'd light up a room every time he walked into it, say 'hi' to everyone he knew and didn't," said his daughter, Attalia Randolph, 17. "He'd make everyone feel wanted and like they are something." Mark Randolph and his daughter, Attalia But family came first, she and Mia Randolph said. "My father would always say, 'family is everything, we are here forever' and he meant that deeply," Attalia Randolph said. Despite her parents' separation, she said, he loved his kids, stepkids, Mia Randolph and his girlfriend, and reminded them every day. "He was always there, everything negative he would make positive, always had a smile on his face..." she said. "He loved me. He was my best friend, my world." Mia Randolph, Attalia's mother, said her late husband had a loud voice and used it to greet anyone he saw, so he knew everyone at the Wawa or at other places he would frequent. "He's going to be missed by so many people," she said. They ran off to Las Vegas to get married six weeks after they met, she said, and were married 18 years. He worked as a cook in Philadelphia, but hadn't worked since he was disabled in a car accident more than 15 years ago. She said he was always "the neighborhood's dad," playing catch with all the kids and buying them and their parents ice cream when the truck came around. "He'd give you anything and everything. He was very selfless," she said. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with the funeral expenses. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Reported sexual assaults at New Jersey colleges have been steadily rising in recent years. Now, New Jersey is considering hitting colleges where it hurts the most if they mishandle those allegations. A new plan that would allow the state to fine colleges $10,000 for bungling reported sexual assaults was approved earlier this week by the Senate Higher Education Committee. "Victims are doubted before they are believed. Victims are blamed before they are helped," said Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, sponsor of the bill. "I want to ensure that New Jersey continues moving forward in creating a fair system that works for victims." There were 138 reported rapes at New Jersey's four-year colleges and universities in 2016, up 24 percent from the previous year, according to campus crime reports. Colleges have suggested the recent increase is tied to their efforts to promote awareness among students and provide better training to staff. The New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities supports the intent of the bill but worries the proposal is too vague, said Pam Hersh, spokeswoman for the group. The plan would allow the secretary of higher education to impose a fine if a college failed to appropriately investigate an allegation made by one student against another or if it failed to appropriately discipline the perpetrator if the allegation is substantiated. "Our foremost concern is that the language in the bill will make compliance difficult," Hersh said. "What is the definition of substantiated... what constitutes appropriate disciplinary action and who decides what is not appropriate?" Vitale said he thinks colleges have improved their responses to sexual assaults but need more accountability when they fail to respond as they should. Five New Jersey colleges are currently being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education after complaints they mishandled complaints of sexual violence. The bill will be considered next by the Senate Budget and Appropriate Committee. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A former political consultant in Essex County was sentenced to four years in federal prison Tuesday for her role in defrauding the now-defunct nonprofit in charge of treating water for parts of northern New Jersey. Dianthe Martinez-Brooks, 48, of West Orange, previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, admitting she submitted bloated invoices to the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corp. for work that was never performed, and gave the money as kickbacks to top officials at the agency. "This is probably one of the worst days of my life," Martinez-Brooks said before U.S. District Court Judge Jose Linares, as she wiped tears away with a tissue. "I've spent my life helping people stay out of trouble yet I find myself standing here ... I'm sorry that I find myself before you today," she said. Her sentencing Tuesday marks the latest in the corruption case against a roster of officials and consultants at the watershed corporation, who have been sentenced or charged in a million-dollar scheme that ultimately sunk the agency. Federal prosecutors said Martinez-Brooks was part of the inner circle at the watershed, serving as an advisor through her political consulting company, DMart127 LLC. Between May 2011 and March 2013, she recruited an unnamed relative of hers and West Orange businessman Kevin Gleaton to do work that was never performed. Altogether, she secured $226,666 in phony contracts -- including money she paid out to herself. Gleaton is serving an 18-month sentence. Martinez-Brooks' company received $131,000, of which only $43,000 was for work she did, prosecutors said. The rest was kicked back to the former director of the watershed, Linda Watkins Brashear, and Donald Bernard Sr., special projects manager for the watershed. Both are in prison. "This kind of corruption can't be allowed to exist and can't be allowed to permeate in the city of Newark," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacques Pierre said in court. He said Martinez-Brooks played a role in bringing the watershed "down to its knees." The watershed corporation dissolved in 2013 and filed for bankruptcy. Martinez-Brooks is the eighth person to be sentenced in the scheme; a former Newark police officer, Janell Robinson, of Newark, was indicted in March. Her case is still pending. Paulette Pitt, who represented Martinez-Brooks, asked the judge for probation, citing an Elizabeth organization and a person involved with transitioning homeless residents at the now-shuttered homeless shelter in Newark, that were willing to have her work for them. "She's a person who is a member of the community and has been doing volunteer work for her whole life," Pitt said. "She's conveyed her remorse and regret about this whole episode in her life." Pitt said Martinez-Brooks, who had a rough upbringing, also had a relative she needed to care for and was worried about what could happen to that person. About three dozen people -- including East Orange Mayor Ted Green -- were in the audience to support Martinez-Brooks and her work in the community. Judge Linares said he had received several letters from members of the community vouching for her work to help others and her involvement in her church, but said ultimately Martinez-Brooks let "greed get the best of her." "She was fully aware by virtue of her position as advisor of the malfeasance that was occurring," he said. "Corruption started at the top and made its way to the consultants." Linares said "everybody was taking money out" but Martinez-Brooks "was one more hand in the cookie jar." Newark resident Guy Sterling, of The Newark Water Group, which led efforts to expose corruption at the agency, said the group wanted officials to continue investigating what happened at the agency. "We are of the belief that there could well be others who shared in the illicit distribution of watershed funds," he said. "We also seek a more plausible explanation from former Mayor Cory Booker -- who served as ex-officio chairman of the watershed's board at the time of this corruption -- about what he knew and when he knew it." A federal judge in 2016 dismissed a lawsuit by the watershed's trustees against now U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, whom the trustees argued failed to properly oversee its administration while he served on the agency's board. Booker argued the watershed's lawyers and accountants never alerted him to the financial corruption, and that he moved to bring the organization under the city's control once he became aware of the wrongdoing. Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. Essex County officials plan to take back control of the public safety academy -- currently run by the county college -- more than two decades after the building was sold off to plug a budget hole. "We're going to totally take it over," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. told NJ Advance Media on Monday. "It was never the right thing for the college to do. Now, we're straightening it out." Essex County College's Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to discontinue operations at the Cedar Grove academy by January 2019 and lay off its director, Rocco Miscia. The county, meanwhile, plans to apply to for a certification from the New Jersey Police Training Commission, the agency that regulates officer training, so the county Department of Corrections can assume ownership next year. "It's a win-win," DiVincenzo said. He said the college was losing about a million dollars running the facility and county corrections officers often had to train elsewhere. "Sometimes, we couldn't get in," he said. "Now, we're going to be able to take care of our own in our county." Phil Alagia, the county's chief of staff, said the county plans to purchase the building back from the college but was still in negotiations. The county sold the facility to the college in 1997 to fill a $4 million budget gap. As the county's sole public safety academy, the facility graduates about 300 recruits every year, including corrections officers, school resource officers and police officers, among others. But this summer, the academy was forced to restrict its course offerings after the Police Training Commission raised concerns that the college, citing fiscal woes, had slashed the associate director position. The agency cited the college for not having a viable plan to transition those duties to someone else and temporarily banned the academy from offering additional certified courses. "There was no consultation, no heads up, no input from (Miscia) or anyone else that I know of and what the consequences and downside would be," Paul Costello, the academy's former associate director previously said about the staff changes. On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees eliminated the director's position. When reached by phone, Miscia said he was placed on administrative leave by the college on Wednesday but declined to comment further. After serving as the Academy Director for the past 14 years, I have been placed on "administrative leave" until the end... Posted by Essex County College Public Safety Academy on Thursday, September 13, 2018 Lori Apicelli, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura's daughter who works at the college, has been named interim director. "The closing, and expected sale of the academy, will result in an estimated operations financial savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year as well as millions in sale proceeds," the college said in a statement after the vote. "Municipalities that hire and send their recruits to the academy for training have historically paid well below the actual cost of the training. As a result, the training of recruits, who in most cases receive a salary from their municipalities, are subsidized by the students through their tuition and fees." Alagia said the county is working out an agreement with the college to place county personnel at the academy to help with the transition this year. "Let's get them get there early, so they hit the ground running," he said. Alagia said the current class of 70 police recruits will not be affected and graduate in December as planned. The city of Newark will also pay for an administrative position at the academy and is planning to build its own $49 million police and fire training complex in the South Ward. [Editor's note:The Board of Trustees approved ending operations at the public safety academy on Tuesday. The story has been updated to include a statement from the college and additional information.] Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook. HOBOKEN The state Local Finance Board and Mayor Ravi Bhalla have settled an ethics dispute that stretches back eight years, with the state saying it still contends Bhalla broke a state ethics law and Bhalla not admitting any violation. The two parties settled the case on Aug. 22, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Jersey Journal. The agreement says the Local Finance Board agreed to settle because this particular ethics allegation had never come up before and because of the passage of time since the initial complaint. The eight-year fight may cost taxpayers at least $17,223 in legal fees, according to a bill that went before the City Council for approval on Wednesday. In a statement, Bhalla called the matter "frivolous" and noted that it has been dismissed at least once before. Bhalla had been appealing the matter to an appellate judge, an appeal he agreed to end as part of the settlement. "I'm glad the local finance board acted similarly in dismissing these complaints," he said. The initial complaint stems from a vote Bhalla took in 2010 when he was a councilman. The council voted to renew a city contract with an attorney, Paul Condon, with whom Bhalla shared an office. Bhalla, who is also a lawyer, voted in favor of the contract renewal. In 2013, the LFB said Bhalla should have recused himself from that vote because his shared lease with Condon represented a conflict of interest. A judge overturned that decision, which was subsequently reversed by the LFB in December 2017. Bhalla was fined $100, which was waived. On Aug. 1, the council, dominated by Bhalla critics, voted 7-2 to approve a resolution that council members said would sever the city's contract with Buzak Law Group, the firm that has represented Bhalla in the ethics matter. At the time, Bhalla said the council had no power to end the contract and that Buzak would remain his representation. On Wednesday, the administration delivered bills for the council to approve, including a $17,223 bill from Buzak. When council members asked Corporation Counsel Brian Aloia whether Buzak billed the city for any work it did after the council passed the Aug. 1 resolution. Aloia said Buzak "stopped all work" on the LFB matter following that council action. Aloia agreed to pull the Buzak bill from council consideration for further review. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. When "Errol Flynn's Ghost: Hollywood in Havana" screens at SPU's Roy Irving Theatre as part of the Golden Door Film Festival, it will be a bit of a homecoming for director Gaspar Gonzalez. He was born 1968 in the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital (part of the original Jersey City Medical Center space that is now condos). His family had settled in West New York in the 1960s after they left Cuba. "For me personally, I was always fascinated by the fact that my parents and grandparents, who otherwise were not steeped in American pop culture, could rattle off the names of classical Hollywood stars and recount the plots of even obscure movies," says Gonzalez, "because they had seen them in Cuba." "Errol Flynn's Ghost" director Gaspar Gonzalez Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Hammer and Nail Productions documentary explores the phenomenon that Hollywood movies were in 1940s and 50s-era Cuba, with Havana, as their press release notes, "reportedly boasting more movie-theatre seats per capita than any city in the world." "Errol Flynn's Ghost" also explores the continued impact of classical Hollywood in modern Cuba, and parallels Flynn's popularity as an action star and subsequent twilight in that vein with the revolutionary going-ons in Cuba. It's easy to think that Cubans went to the movies for the most obvious reason anyone does escapism but why stories resonate with people is often more complicated. "What was most interesting to me about the cultural impact of Hollywood movies in mid-20th century Cuba was not that they were seen as escapist fare, but the degree to which they were seen as reflecting the realities of Cuban life," says Gonzalez. "I'll give you an example that's in the documentary. Historian Megan Feeney, author of the forthcoming book 'Hollywood in Havana,' describes how the 1939 Frank Capra classic 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' was seen by Cubans at the time as a kind of cautionary tale about the how American-style democracy despite all of its stated virtues could be corrupted by unscrupulous politicians. Cubans at the time, of course, were well acquainted with the limits of American democracy, knew that the American government was all too willing to prop up strong men in places like Cuba, if that suited its foreign policy goals. "So the point of 'Errol Flynn's Ghost' is that these Hollywood films really spoke to Cubans in a very fundamental way. Cuban audiences saw these films as relevant to their own lived experience." Cuba's Hollywood fandom also seems to have been bolstered by the way that so many relatively privileged Hollywood stars frequented the country which "Errol Flynn's Ghost" contains archival footage of. The most marked difference between American and Cuban fandom, according to Gonzalez, is that in the latter there was more of a hunger for "the cinematic 'man of action' (which) whether a pirate or gangster or cowboy really held sway in pre-revolutionary Cuba, because it was a type that was also popular in Cuban culture. It doesn't really take much imagination, for example, to see how the sword-wielding figure of Captain Blood or Robin Hood two classic Flynn roles evoked the machete-wielding insurrectionists who liberated Cuba from Spanish control in the late 19th century. "What makes Flynn a special case is that he actually turns up in the middle of the revolution in late 1958, working as a war correspondent for the Hearst newspaper chain," says Gonzalez. "It was the ultimate example of life imitating art as if Flynn had somehow leapt off the movie screen in Havana to take his place alongside this real-life Robin Hood, which is the way Fidel Castro was seen at the time by a majority of Cubans. "Both Flynn and Castro absolutely tried to capitalize on the association," says Gonzalez. "For Flynn, whose career and life had been in decline for the better part of a decade, it was a chance to be relevant again, to do for real what he had done only in the movies. And for Castro, it was a chance to bask in the glow of Flynn's star image. That's all part of the story we tell in 'Errol Flynn's Ghost.'" Gonzalez says one of the things he's particularly proud of about "Errol Flynn's Ghost" is that it's "a true collaboration between (Hammer and Nail Productions) and the Cuban state film agency Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC)." "I went to them with the idea because nothing in Cuba happens without government approval and they really embraced it," says Gonzalez. Post-revolution, "the Cuban government tried to wean Cubans off Hollywood movies, because they were seen as too bourgeois, too emblematic of imperialist values, and so forth," says Gonzalez. "They would do things like program Soviet and Eastern Bloc movies in Cuban theatres, but people wouldn't go. Even though Cuba developed a vibrant film industry in the years after the revolution, to this day classical Hollywood films like 'Casablanca,' 'The Killers,' '3:10 to Yuma,' etc. still air on Cuban state television. "And, if you drive around Havana, you'll see contemporary Hollywood films playing in certain theatres. They acquire them from distributors outside the U.S., so there's no violation of the embargo. But it goes to prove the point: Cubans never got over their love affair with American movies." Gonzalez says that even though his family moved to Miami soon after he was born, West New York and Jersey City still have a warm place in their hearts. "Both of my brothers graduated from Memorial High in West New York. The oldest, Nelson, was killed in Vietnam and today our family sponsors an annual award for graduating seniors in his name: the Nelson R. Ramirez Memorial Award, which is given to a Memorial High student who successfully balances schoolwork with significant outside employment. The reason for that is that my brother worked in a garment factory while he attended high school, so it's a way to honor his memory and give back to a place that meant a lot to him, and to us." "Errol Flynn's Ghost: Hollywood in Havana" screens Sunday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. at the Roy Irving Theatre, St. Peter's University, 850 Montgomery Street, Jersey City. Short documentaries "Harv" (2017; Dir. Stephen Tucker) and "John Hemmer & The Showgirls" (2017; Dir. Kirsten Larvick) are also on the program. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased in advance through www.goldendoorfilmfestival.org. Errol Flynn's Ghost: The Trailer from Hammer and Nail Productions on Vimeo. Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is continuing to bleed cash losses, as management and stakeholders fail to conclude ongoing restructuring of the parastatal that was expected by end of August.BMC management has been engaged in negotiations with Botswana Meat Industry Workers Union (BMIWU) regarding retrenchment of employees especially from the Francistown abattoir. The union is said to have expressed disappointment at the manner in which the BMC management want to fast track the restructuring without considering the extent at which this would impact workers.One of the outstanding issues has been that initially the restructuring was to affect the Francistown plant only but things have changed and all the BMC plants are now affected. Brian Dioka, BMC spokesperson has allayed fears that the delay is due to a stalemate on negotiations between management and union on the intended restructuring. We have not achieved much in getting to finality, we agree with the union that having a plant running in Francistown without production is a painful cost, said Dioka citing that the abattoir has been idle since October last year.Last month BMC told Botswana Guardian that the parastatal has hatched a plan to place its loss making Francistown plant under care and maintenance to save the parastatal a whopping P35 million every year. The decision came after government, the main shareholder, approved restructuring request and disbursed a budget in excess of P30 million. Sources within BMC have indicated that a stalemate has ensued over packages, but Dioka has dismissed the claims.We never differed but modalities of getting it (restructuring) completed have stalled the process, said Dioka. Currently BMC has kept a skeleton staff at the Francistown abattoir to ensure the premises are not vandalised and machines are running while most are earning salaries from home, a worrying situation to BMC.We just have to find ways to finalise. These are not cheap employees, they are paid industry standard salaries, said Dioka, adding that although the process is taking long conclusion will be reached. BMIWU Chairman Negro Thebe could not be reached for comment at press time even though he had agreed to the interview.Secretary General of Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) where BMIWU affiliates Thusang Butale told this publication that they are assisting BMIWU in the whole process. He explained that currently they are waiting for a report from the affiliate on progress. As things stand now we know the negotiation is still ongoing and our affiliate would accordingly give us the report. The delay, we understand, has been caused by the fact that the process which initially focused on the Francistown Plant has now been extended to other BMC office. What we have been given so far is that negotiations have not been exhausted and we would give BMIWU the chance and when theres need for us to join the fray we would do so, said Butale who added that they engage BMIWU from time to time. HOBOKEN Firefighters descended on the City Council meeting on Monday to demand action on a new contract, telling council members the city's administration has lied to the governing body about negotiations and saying they feel "disrespected" by city officials. The fire officers union, which includes about 40 captains and battalion chiefs, has been working under an expired contract since December 2013. The city wants a mediator to step in to resolve the dispute, according to the union's president, Bernie Grilletti, who called the mediation request "a joke" when speaking to council members on Monday. Grilletti and the union's state delegate, Joseph Grossi, told council members the city wants "exorbitant givebacks," cuts in longevity pay and vacation days and "very minimal" salary increases compared to raises given to other union workers in the city. They said the current administration met with them twice before asking for a mediator. "We ultimately feel that the city doesn't care about us," Grossi said. "We're the backbone of this city." The fire department's superiors aren't the only Hoboken employees working under an expired contract. The city's pact with its other fire union, which represents about 70 firefighters, ended in December 2017. Hoboken spokesperson Santiago Melli-Huber said fire officers' salaries are "one of the main negotiating hurdles" The base salary for top officials ranged from $128,000 to $155,000 last year and the city wants to adjust that to $134,000 to $162,000, which is lower than the union is seeking, Melli-Huber said. "The administration recognizes the hard work of the firefighter superior officers and is committed to negotiating a fair contract that both recognizes their loyalty and dedication to the city but is also fiscally prudent," he said. "The administration is optimistic that an acceptable agreement can be reached by the parties." The city budgeted $75.2 million for personnel costs in 2018, with $21.6 million set aside for firefighters. Total city spending in 2018 will be roughly $118.7 million. After the two union officials spoke on Monday, the council voted unanimously on a resolution urging the city to come to an agreement with the fire officers. The resolution says Mayor Ravi Bhalla has "not fulfilled his legal responsibility to negotiate a contract, leaving the hard-working members of the Hoboken Fire Department leadership without the job security they deserve." Corporation Counsel Brian Aloia told council members he could not speak much about negotiations because discussions are confidential. Aloia blamed a "little bit of a delay" in negotiations on the union's attorney being on vacation for two weeks. "It's been five years," Council President Ruben Ramos said in response. The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Sept. 25. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- The attorney for a West New York man charged with trying to kill police officers says his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the Navy in the Persian Gulf. "This isn't a case where a defendant is coming up with some excuse with no history and no background and claiming he didn't understand the nature and quality of their acts," said defense attorney Peter Willis who represents Emmanuel Hernandez, 28, whose trial starts Tuesday. Just after 2 a.m. on Feb. 5, 2017 police received a 911 call of a man with a gun inside a red Infiniti. North Bergen officers spotted the car in North Bergen and when they approached, Hernandez became "combative" and ran over an officer's foot as he fled, authorities said. Hernandez drove to his 57th Street home where police say he got out of the vehicle, pointed a gun at two officers and "fired several rounds with the intent to kill them," court documents state. One of the officers returned fire before Hernandez barricaded himself in the basement apartment, starting a nearly 12-hour standoff. Hernandez eventually surrendered and is now charged with two counts of attempted murder, weapons offenses, eluding, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault police officers. Willis said his client was having a flashback and was in a dissociative state during the incident. He will work to convince the jury that his client was legally insane at the time of the incident or was not able to form the intent necessary to be found guilty of the charges due to his mental state. He said the incident was years in the making. Willis said that in 2012 while a military police officer in the Navy, Hernandez was one of five sailors in a vehicle guarding a truck convey in Iraq when a vehicle with its lights off drove along side and trained guns on the sailors. There was a confrontation, but no shots were fired. The attorney said the incident triggered his client's "downward spiral." "As a result, he sought psychiatric help," Willis said, adding that Hernandez had bouts of uncontrollable crying, anxiety, fear, insomnia, night sweats and depression. "He received medication from a psychiatrist in the Navy on that occasion. The only thing he was prescribed was something to calm him and something to help him sleep." Defense attorney Peter Willis discusses the psychology issues of his client, Emmanuel Hernandez, 28, in his Jersey City office on Sept. 17, 2018. Hernandez is accused of attempting to murder two police officer in West New York on Feb. 5, 2017. But Willis said that shortly after the incident, Hernandez was among a group of sailors assigned to protect an Iraqi oil rig from attack by Iranians. After a day at the site, an Iranian war ship armed with missiles approached the rig, entering the 3-mile perimeter that was being guarded. "Everyone on the platform loaded up and were ready for a confrontation and (Hernandez) had what could be best described as a nervous breakdown," Willis said. "He saw the missiles and he thought he was going to die right there. No shots were fired." After that, Hernandez received additional psychological treatment from the Navy. He received an honorable discharge in 2013 but was declared by the Navy to be 50 percent emotionally disabled and receives a disability check every month. Hernandez was diagnosed by the Navy as suffering from PTSD and has been treated by a number of counselors, Willis said. On the night of the incident, Hernandez had a date, but it fell though. He went to a local bar around 1 a.m. and had no more than a couple of drinks. From there he drove to Quick Chek on Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen. It was about 2 a.m., Willis said. At the convenience story Hernandez was confronted by several teenagers, they began to argue and the incident spilled out of the store. Hernandez had an automatic rifle under his jacket, Willis said. "Within moments, several police officer are there with their guns pointed at his head," said Willis, adding that his client entered a dissociative mental state and slipped into a flashback," Willis said. "He's had this reaction before." With officers pounding on his car with batons and pointing guns at him, Hernandez drove home, running red lights as police chased him, Willis said. "It's pitch black," Willis said. Hernandez "fires two shots into the air. He does not point at the police officers. Then shots come back at him." Willis said during the recorded conversation, Hernandez told police 17 times that he did not want to hurt anyone and that he was not on his medication for PTSD. He surrendered after hours of negotiations, Willis said. The lawyer said he believes he can show jurors that Hernandez was either insane at the time of the incident and didn't know right from wrong or was in an associative state and could not formulate the necessary intent to commit the crimes. Jury selection for the trial begins Tuesday morning before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. Willis said he expects jury selection to last two to three days and the trial about three weeks. Willis said the state's plea offer was two consecutive 20-year prison terms, adding that Hernandez "has to go to trial." The state will be represented at the trial by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutors Kevin Roe and Bilinkas. JERSEY CITY -- After decades of studies, the plan to replace the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City with a new justice complex is finally taking shape. The Honorable Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex, named last week by a vote from the Hudson County Freeholders, will be built on the parcel of land across Newark Avenue from the Hudson County's current Administration Building, which houses most of the county's Superior Courts, including its criminal courts. The location of the new facility is bordered by Newark Avenue, Oakland Avenue, Hoboken Avenue and Cook Street, Hudson County Assignment Judge Peter Bariso said. As currently proposed, the project would eliminate Cook Street and connect Central Avenue from Newark Avenue to Hoboken Avenue on land just west of Cook Street where buildings have been demolished to make way for the new section roadway. Bariso said the county has retained Rafael Vinoly Architects of New York City to design a master plan for the justice complex. The judge said the county acquired most of the properties at the location through negotiations with the owners, while one building was condemned. Guarini, the former congressman and United Nations General Assembly representative, donated a portion of land along Newark Avenue. As far back as 1988, a study found that most functional areas of the Administration Building were unsatisfactory in terms of security control, control of light, sound, temperature and atmosphere. It found that it would be "enormously expensive" to remedy the building's security, electrical wiring and asbestos problems. A 1993 study found that the in order to upgrade the Administration Building to "the level of modern acceptability it would have to be entirely gutted and rebuilt from the existing structure." Bariso, who became the county's top judge in 2012, noted that there are no holding cells in any of the Administration Building's courtrooms and prisoners are marched down hallways used by the public, judges, victims of crimes, witnesses in trials and any undercover officers who happen to be there. Inmates transported to court from the Hudson County jail in Kearny enter the Administration Building through the underground parking lot where judges and prosecutors park. Although the building has central air conditioning, it is so inadequate that well over 100 window air conditioners have been installed, which often make proceedings hard to hear from within the courtrooms. Bariso added that the building has been plagued by leaks and asbestos removal projects. Once all buildings on the new site have been leveled, Central Avenue will be realigned. Details of the structure and cost of construction will be evaluated after the master plan being composed by the architectural firm is completed and decisions are made as to exactly what will be built. Hudson County Freeholder Bill O'Dea said the acquisition of the properties needed to build the facility was approximately $23 million, while the county will spend around $2 million on demolitions. The total cost of the project is estimated to be between $250 million and $270 million, although more accurate figures will be available in approximately nine months, O'Dea said. Construction is expected to begin in 2020 and take about two years. The county will foot the entire bill, Bariso said, adding that the project should include parking. Bariso, who has pushed for the project to get underway, said he anticipates that the Administration Building and the property on which it stands will be part of the master plan and be incorporated into the new complex. The historic Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse at Baldwin and Newark avenues houses civil courts and some offices and is expected to continue functioning as it does currently, Bariso said. Twenty-four men were arrested for allegedly chatting with and attempting to lure minors into sex during a week-long sting this month, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office announced Tuesday. Among the group was 47-year old Richard Conte, a police sergeant with the Howell Township Police Department, who thought he was chatting with a 15-year-old girl. He has since been suspended, authorities said. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said members of the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force maintained profiles as 14- and 15-year-old boys or girls and were approached by the suspects. Some men chatted with the undercover officers for a day or two before arranging a meeting, others talked for up to a week. The men started conversations on various apps and internet messengers, and over a one-week period earlier this month, they traveled to a house in Toms River where they expected to meet up with the teen -- alone. Instead, they were met by dozens of law enforcement officers and promptly arrested -- some by the undercover officers they had been chatting with, Grewal said at a press conference Tuesday morning. The men were arrested upon arrival to the residence or just outside of when they arrived for their scheduled meet-ups between Sept. 5 and Sept. 9, Grewal said. Authorities dubbed the week-long sting "Operation Open House." "Surprised would be a fair way to categorize (the suspects')" reactions, Grewal said of the arrests. Grewal told reporters that the men varied in age, occupation and location -- some traveled upwards of 90 miles to meet the fictitious teenager. All of the men are charged with second-degree luring, and many face additional charges like second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child. Five men face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child after they allegedly sent photos of their genitals to the undercover detectives. Grewal called on families to help monitor children who have online profiles, saying interactions with predators can start in messaging apps, social media platforms and even through video games with chat features. "We want child predators to know that we are on social media too - and the child they target may be the undercover officer who puts them in handcuffs," he said. Division of Criminal Justice Director Veronica Allende said that more than 30 law enforcement agencies worked on this undercover operation. "I commend our partners on the ICAC Task Force, particularly the State Police and Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, who coordinated this operation with the Division of Criminal Justice," Allende said. The list of suspects charged. All of the men were charged with second-degree luring, and additional charges are listed: Mina G. Beshay, 27, of Monroe Township Christopher Vargas, 29, of Toms River Joshua Rauter, 31, of Little Egg Harbor Township Joseph Martin, 35, of Seaside Heights Richard Hoffman, 23, of Mays Landing. Volvi Lowinger, 23, of Lakewood. Thomas Graciano, 28, of Brick. Thomas Blumensteel, 47, of Manchester. Richard Conte, 47, of Farmingdale. Thomas Fuller, 44, Toms River. Zachary Vincent, 24, of Forked River. William Singleton, 24, of Pemberton Township. Jonathan Vece, 22, of Turnersville. Lawrence Ivancic, 51, of Toms River. Robert Lisicki, 51, of Metuchen. Dylan Daffron, 28, of Lacey Township. Steven Portnoy, 27, of Egg Harbor Township. David Studnicky, 64, of Toms River. Anthony Perfidio, 24, of Barnegat. Brian Degnan, 33, of Toms River. Nabindranauth Nandalall, 24, of Bronx, N.Y. William D. Davis, 23, Bayville. Charles Schlottfeld, 26, of Bayville. Douglass Walton, 54, of Hillsborough. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross Mark D'Amico, the Burlington County man under investigation over more than $400,000 raised online for homeless good Samaritan Johnny Bobbitt Jr. said Tuesday answers are coming in the confusing case. He appeared in Burlington City municipal court on unrelated traffic charges and mostly declined to address the headline-grabbing GoFundMe case, but when a reporter asked if everything would become clear, D'Amico responded, "Crystal clear." His attorney, Ernest Badway, declined to comment further. It's the latest development in a one-time feel-good story that has turned into a clash over money -- and now involves a criminal probe into D'Amico and his girlfriend Katelyn McClure. The Burlington County prosecutor is investigating D'Amico and McClure over a GoFundMe page they set up for Bobbitt, the homeless man who helped McClure get gas with his last $20 when she became stranded on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia last year. To thank him, she set up the fundraising page, which brought in more than $400,000 and landed them on national TV. The relationship soured though and Bobbitt brought a suit against the couple, and prosecutors began investigating. It's not exactly clear what happened with the money, though Bobbitt's attorney has said it's all gone. Badway, the couple's attorney, said in court this month that Bobbitt got about $200,000, but his lawyer said it was only $75,000. Badway has said he thinks it's likely that the couple would be indicted. The couple earlier denied wrongdoing. Their rural New Jersey home about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia was raided by investigators executing a search warrant. Among other items, authorities hauled away a new BMW on a flatbed truck. Bobbitt's attorney said earlier that Bobbitt was about to enter a residential treatment program to address drug addiction. The civil case is on hold until December. The couple has not been criminally charged. Anthony Torres poses for a photograph at his brother's home in Atco, N.J., Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Torres says he was the rider caught shaving on a New Jersey Transit train in a video that went viral. Torres said he was just trying to clean up after days spent in a homeless shelter. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Victims of priest sexual abuse who signed confidentiality agreements with Catholic dioceses in New Jersey are free to ignore those deals and speak publicly about their experiences, church officials said in a statement Tuesday. The announcement means all victims who reached financial settlements with the Catholic Church in New Jersey can call a new hotline established by the state Attorney General's office earlier this month to speak to investigators gathering evidence of clergy sexual abuse in the church. "Cardinal Joseph Tobin and the other Catholic bishops of New Jersey have no issue if someone who had signed a settlement agreement prior to 2002 speaks publicly about his or her ordeal. In fact, we tell survivors who come forward that we will inform law enforcement of their allegations, and we encourage them to do the same," said Patrick Brannigan, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference. "Again, we do not object, and would not take any action, if a victim chose to speak out, even if there is a confidentiality provision in the settlement agreement," Brannigan added. Under a 2002 policy established by the U.S. Catholic bishops, American dioceses were forbidden from requiring victims to enter into confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements when they reached a financial settlement with the church, unless the victims requested confidentiality. However, the confidentiality agreements remain in an unknown number of settlements reached with victims before 2002. That has stopped some victims from publicly speaking about their abuse allegations or phoning the new hotline established by the attorney general. The announcement by the New Jersey dioceses came a few hours after Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, called for the Catholic Church to release victims from their legal agreements and allow them to call the attorney general's hotline. "As victims have been reaching out, several have asked if they are able to report their abuse if they have signed a non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement with the church and their abuser," Vitale said. "Technically the answer would be no." New Jersey's Catholic dioceses have paid out at least $50 million in financial settlements to alleged abuse victims, the dioceses said. It is unclear how many of those settlements had non-disclosure agreements. The state Attorney General's office established a toll-free number, (855) 363-6548, earlier this month to allow victims to speak with investigators. State officials plan to use the information gathered by the hotline to present evidence to a grand jury similar to the one in Pennsylvania that found more than 300 priests had been accused of sexual abuse in that state over several decades while some church officials covered up their crimes. The New Jersey hotline has been overwhelmed by the number of calls in its first few weeks and additional staff was assigned to speak to alleged victims, said Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the Division of Criminal Justice. Aseltine did not disclose how many calls the hotline has received, but some alleged victims said they initially had trouble getting through. When he announced the hotline, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal urged victims to call to report abuse so the state could investigate whether the abuse and cover-up in New Jersey was similar to what the grand jury uncovered in Pennsylvania. Former acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino was appointed to head a task force that which will have subpoena power through a grand jury to compel testimony and demand the production of documents. "We owe it to the people of New Jersey to find out whether the same thing happened here," Grewal said. "If it did, we will take action against those responsible." Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. A United Airlines flight bound for Newark had to make an unscheduled stop in Denver due to a mechanical issue, officials said. Flight 1640, a Boeing 757-200 that originated in Los Angeles, landed safely in Colorado at 11:43 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time and passengers exited normally, according to United. BREAKING: United Airlines 1640 from LAX to EWR diverted to DEN because of "fumes or peculiar smell" on plane ... flight landed without incident - per FAA #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/TLCIQq0pJ6 Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) September 18, 2018 It then departed Denver at 1 p.m. and is due to touch down at Newark Liberty International Airport at 6:43 p.m. local time. The flight, which took off from Los Angeles at 7:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, was originally scheduled to land in Newark at 4 p.m. local time. NBCNewYork,com reported that the plane had to be diverted to due "fumes" or a "peculiar smell." The Federal Aviation Administration didn't immediately return message from NJ Advance Media seeking information. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. By Joseph Hirsch In May of 1968 I was sent to Vietnam, where I translated intercepted communiques during the war. The horrors of war I witnessed changed me forever. Since I returned home, I have worked to end war and for social justice. In Vietnam, I, like millions of Vietnamese and many other American soldiers, was exposed to Agent Orange. Decades later, the VA linked that exposure to my diabetes. Right now there is a push to get vets out of the VA system and into the private sector medical industry. But the private sector is not prepared to care for vets. Private sector doctors do not understand the unique medical needs of vets, including war trauma, battle induced hearing loss or toxin exposure such as Agent Orange. A recent RAND study of New York doctors showed only 16 percent asked about occupational or military exposures such as Agent Orange. The same report found just 20 percent of doctors even asked their patients if they had spent time in the military. While I may suffer from chronic diabetes because of Agent Orange, I am one of the luckier ones. Many people exposed to Agent Orange ended with Parkinson's disease, devastating cancers or they saw their children born with birth defects. This year, I returned to Vietnam where my heart was broken when we visited a hospital where children with serious birth defects linked to Agent Orange live out their lives. It also saddens me to say that currently children of male American vets who were exposed to Agent Orange are exempt from receiving VA benefits. The VA knows just how common Agent Orange exposure is in vets and has a comprehensive health care program designed specifically for those exposed to or sickened by Agent Orange. The VA is the largest integrated health care system in the U.S. It is a system designed by vets and for vets. The majority of those who work for the VA are vets themselves. They understand the unique and complex needs of vets. Importantly, a recent study found that pushing veterans out of the VA may end up costing more taxpayer money and mean lower quality of care for vets as the private sector system isn't prepared to meet the needs of more patients. In addition, most VA workers are protected by unions. As a retired postal worker and a longtime labor activist I know how important it is to have union workers be able to push for changes to make things safer and better. Union nurses at the VA have been able to do just that. They have fought for safe patient handling protections and nurses' involvement in safety inspections. Importantly, they have made sure that a nurse can report unsafe conditions without facing retaliation. If something is not right where I am getting health care, you know I want to be sure that someone - like a nurse - feels backed up and safe enough to say something. Right now the VA is under attack. President Trump kicked out the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin. Shulkin opposes efforts to push vets out of the VA and into the private health care sector, a move he says will hurt vets. In a piece published in the New York Times Shulkin wrote, "I am convinced that privatization is a political issue aimed at rewarding select people and companies with profits, even if it undermines care for veterans." We must fight against this effort. Pushing vets out of the VA means leaving them to the wolves of the private sector, where sickness is seen as a way to make money and vets will no longer get care from those who understand their needs and how best to address their illnesses. I have worked hard since I came back from my deployment in Phu Bai, Vietnam to fight against the forces that seek to exploit people. I continue to stand up against the American war machine, and I stand up for my brothers and sisters in the labor movement, now I am standing up for myself and for all my fellow veterans. I know, I am standing up for what is right, when I say we must save the VA. Joseph Hirsch is a Vietnam veteran and a resident of Jersey City. Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com A 37-year-old man failed disclose he was a convicted sex offender before being hired by the Clifton parks and recreation department, authorities said. Nathaniel J. Lewis (Passaic County Prosecutor's Office) Nathaniel J. Lewis, of East Orange, was charged last week with failure to register as a sex offender and unlawfully obtaining employment in a youth serving organization, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Monday. Lewis was previously convicted in Virginia in 2009 of taking indecent liberties with children, according to the Virginia State Police sex offender registry. The registry lists Lewis as wanted and notes his last known place of employment was a church in East Orange. Lewis failed to disclose his sex offender status when he applied for work in Clifton, officials said. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on both third-degree charges. Lewis is due in Superior Court in Paterson on Tuesday morning. A spokeswoman for the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office declined to provide additional information ahead of Tuesday's hearing. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Gov. Phil Murphy appears at a news conference Tuesday at Columbus School in Carteret. (Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) UPDATE: Murphy defends hiring of ex-official jailed for taking bribes A former Passaic City councilman who served time in prison for taking bribes from undercover FBI agents landed a job in Gov. Phil Murphy's administration, a spokesman confirmed. The hiring of Marcellus Jackson for a position in the state Department of Education came to light Monday in a report by Politico New Jersey. Jackson, 48, was hired in July as a special assistant in the department's Office of Civic and Social Engagement, a spokesman for the agency, Michael Yaple, confirmed to NJ Advance Media. The job pays $70,000 a year. Jackson was one of 11 officials arrested in a 2007 corruption sweep called Operation Broken Boards, which was overseen by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. Christie, a Republican, would later go on to be governor, and Murphy succeeded him in January. Like Murphy, Jackson is a Democrat. Listen to NJ.com on Alexa or via a daily podcast Politico said it discovered Jackson's hiring after seeing him listed on an invitation from the NAACP's Passaic branch. Yaple, the education department spokesman, said Jackson "is remorseful for his actions, he has taken responsibility, and he has since paid his debt to society." "We want to give people a second chance and help them with a successful and productive re-entry into society," Yaple added. Yaple said Jackson's role involves working "with various stakeholders, faith-based groups and other community and civic organizations to advance public education in New Jersey." "Last week, he helped coordinate a meeting with more than 100 religious leaders to gather their insights and discuss statewide education initiatives," Yaple said. Jackson pleaded guilty to taking $26,000 from a fake company set up by the FBI in exchange for promising to help the company win insurance brokerage contracts in Passaic. He was sentenced in 2009 to 25 months in prison and fined $15,000. Jackson was released in July 2011, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons. The administration conducted a legal review and deemed Jackson eligible for this new job. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Democratic New Jersey lawmakers were already moving to have the state ban "ghost guns" that you can assembly with untraceable components at home. Now, they've amended their plan to propose banning controversial 3D-printable guns, as well. The updated bill began moving through the state Legislature on Monday, with the state Assembly Judiciary Committee voting to approve it, 4-1, with one abstention. State Sens. Joseph Cryan and Nick Scutari, both D-Union, introduced the original bill in April. It would prohibit the purchase and assembly of untraceable firearm components used to make homemade guns without serial numbers. Now, the legislation (S2465/A3129) would prohibit people from disseminating programming files used by 3D printers to make plastic guns. The sponsors say it would be the strongest such law in the U.S. if passed by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature and signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. "The dark side of new technologies is that people can make firearms at home that are undetectable and untraceable," said Cryan, D-Union, the former sheriff of Union County. "This allows people who are a danger to others or themselves to get their hands on firearms, including felons, people with mental illnesses or those who have been convicted of domestic violence. Our laws need to be updated to keep pace with new technologies and methods that allow the unchecked spread of these lethal weapons." Gun-rights advocates say the measure is redundant because it's already against state law to manufacture a firearms without a state manufacturer's license and that people prohibited from buying guns are also barred from assembling guns. 3D-printable guns became the subject of a national debate this summer when a Texas group said it planned to publish schematics for homemade guns online. In New Jersey, Murphy's administration got involved in nation-wide lawsuits to stop it. The "ghost gun" bill already passed the state Senate in June, 37-0. But the Senate would have to vote on the measure again now that it's been revised. It would also need to be approved by the full Assembly before Murphy can consider whether to sign it into law. Murphy has not weighed in on the legislation. But the Democrat has signed a number of measures to tighten the state's already strict gun laws and has vowed to make New Jersey a national leader on gun control. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. The Montgomery school district has parted ways with a bus driver who got lost with 37 students aboard on the first day of classes. The male driver, who has not been identified, was unfamiliar with the route and failed to go on a practice run before the start of school as required, Superintendent Nancy Gartenberg said. On the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 6, the bus driver departed the Orchard Hill Elementary School, which enrolls students from kindergarten through 2nd grade, and at some point became lost. Jennifer Lafaman, a parent, recounted her family's nightmarish ordeal to the Montgomery school board, according to a video of the Sept. 11 meeting posted on the K-12 district's website. Lafaman told the board that her son, a kindergartener, was scheduled to reach the bus stop at 4:15 p.m. She said that, at 4:43 p.m., she received an email from the district that buses were running 40 minutes late -- a not-uncommon occurrence on the first day of school. However, by 5:15 p.m., her son's bus hadn't arrived, and neither she nor her husband were able to get any information, according to a video of the meeting on the K-12 district's website. She said she got in her car and, at 6:15 p.m., located the bus "nowhere near our bus route." She honked to get the driver's attention, boarded the bus when he stopped, and left with her son and a neighbor's child. "There is failure on every level," she told the board. The Montgomery school district is no longer using the driver. He was a contracted driver, not a district employee, and had been assigned the prior school year to a different route. School officials said that, next year, drivers will be required to report to the transportation office as part of their preparation, in order to ensure that they practiced their routes. Moreover, additional staff will be assigned to handle phone calls and other matters pertaining to the buses. School officials addressed the incident and apologized at the board meeting. The board's president Richard Cavalli, said, "The hope is that we learn going from here." "We as a board fully sympathize with you all as parents, plus being parents ourselves. I know, as a dad, that if I couldn't locate my young person on a bus, I probably would not be very nice to be around," Cavalli said. Gartenberg said afterward that, while the problems were unacceptable, the students were "safe and supervised at all times." "On the first day of school, as you know, if each school route before was late by a few minutes, it adds up. We accept responsibility at the school level and at the Transportation Department for not immediately sending an email/text to parents that we were later than anticipated," Gartenberg said in an email. "It was extremely hot that day which added to the challenge for everyone, especially our parents," she said. Montgomery enrolls about 5,000 students. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. In preparation for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, members of Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains built a Sukkah, or, booth on Sunday, Sept. 16. The Sukkah was constructed by volunteers from the synagogue's Men's Club, along with seventh-graders in Congregation Beth Israel's Religious School and high school students in the synagogue's youth group, United Synagogue Youth. In keeping with tradition, the volunteers and students erected the Sukkah on the synagogue's outdoor patio to replicate the temporary huts that their ancestors dwelled in while wandering in the desert. Throughout the weeklong celebration of Sukkot, which begins September 23 at sundown, congregants and religious school students will be able to eat in the synagogue's Sukkah. Crews in Summit were cleaning up Tuesday after a microburst downed trees and knocked out power to hundreds of homes in the city. Intense straight-line winds hit late Monday afternoon in a largely residential area. Photos shared on social media showed uprooted trees and downed power lines. The powerful storm toppled a healthy 80-foot oak tree near a power company substation, taking down overhead lines, said city spokeswoman Amy Cairns. About 577 homes initially lost power. ALSO: Flash flood warning issued as Florence remnants dump torrential rain Utility crews were working to have service restored by Tuesday afternoon. "They are working diligently putting up poles," the spokeswoman said. Franklin Elementary School lost power and was closed Tuesday, according to the city's Twitter account. A microburst (an intense small-scale downdraft produced by a thunderstorm or rain shower) came through Summit about an... Posted by City of Summit on Monday, September 17, 2018 Cairns said there were no injuries from the weather and no reported major damage to homes or vehicles. Residents said the harsh weather was a sudden hit. Freak windstorm, possible precursor of Florences arrival in New Jersey, has toppled many trees around our property and many in Summit without power. Fortunately Im not aware of any injuries. Posted by David Dietze on Monday, September 17, 2018 Damage was reported near streets including Division avenue and Meadowbrook Court, according to city police. "Next thing I know I look out these giant trees are falling down," resident Laura Thieck told News12. Big cleanup in Summary early morning! Microburst took down trees and power lines and closed Franklin Elementary @ShirleenAllicot @Evansweather @KenRosatoABC7 @ABC7NY #abc7ny see you at NOON! pic.twitter.com/6JRsgRtXMb MichelleCharlesworth (@mcharlesworth7) September 18, 2018 A microburst can form in a thunderstorm and occurs over a localized-area, according to the National Weather Service. Flash flood watch now in effect for the five boroughs and more than a dozen other tri-state counties. This video from yesterdays storm in Summit, New Jersey: https://t.co/hxk98UcO5T @NBCNewYork @StormTeam4NY pic.twitter.com/uXW9Iu2O4h Wale Aliyu (@Wale4NY) September 18, 2018 Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Here are picks from NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune's food team for eating and drinking in New Orleans this week and beyond. THURSDAY (Sept. 20) Sippin' in the Sunset The annual event returns to the Aycock Barn in Old Arabi (409 Aycock St.) with wine, beer, food and music by Cypress Pop Trio. Free. 69 p.m. Spice Trade dinner Each month, Isaac Toups hosts a small, four-course themed dinner at the kitchen counter at Toups South (1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.). The "Spice Trade" dinner will include dishes like lamb neck vindaloo. $50, plus tax and tip. Seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Call 504.304.2147. FRIDAY (Sept. 21) Senegalese & Creole Fusion dinner Serigne Mbaye, raised in Senegal and a former sous chef at Cafe Adelaide, will cook a six-course dinner at Southern Food and Beverage Museum (1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.) that explores the connections between Africa and New Orleans. Price include wine and cocktails. $150. 710 p.m. See Eventbrite for tickets. Come Grow with Us Chef Showdown The fundraiser for Liberty's Kitchen brings together more than 20 chefs from top restaurants at the Ace Hotel (600 Carondelet St.). The chefs will work with students from the youth training program at Liberty's Kitchen. Guests will vote for their favorite dishes. $125. 7 p.m. See www.libertyskitchen.org. SATURDAY (Sept. 22) Fried Chicken Festival The wildly popular festival dedicated to deep-fried fowl returns to Woldenberg Park with music, food demos, games for kids and dozen of food vendors from New Orleans and beyond. Free. 11 a.m to 9 p.m. See friedchickenfestival.com. NOLA on Tap Billing itself as the largest beer festival in the region, the event features more than 400 local, national and home-brewed beers. The dog-friendly festival with food, music and games benefits the Louisiana SPCA. $5 admission; drinks coupons $1. Noon to 7 p.m. See nolaontap.org. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up SUNDAY (Sept. 23) Fried Chicken Festival The festival continues for a second day at Woldenberg Park. See above for details. Free. 11 a.m to 9 p.m. See friedchickenfestival.com. TUESDAY (Sept. 25) Bua Thai Kitchen pop-up The vegetarian Thai kitchen serves its food at the Crescent City Farmers Market (200 Broadway St.). 9 a.m.1 p.m. Dim Sum dinner Coquette (2800 Magazine St.) finishes its annual No Menu Tuesday summer dinner series with a meal cooked by 11 guest chefs. Guest bartenders, breweries and wine makers will also be part of the night. The dinner will be served "dim sum" style. For the dinners, only the themes are revealed in advance. Each No Menu Tuesday dinner is five courses and served all night. $45. Call 504.265.0421. MARK YOUR CALENDAR Oct. 20 The second annual NOLA Mac N Cheese Fest returns to Armstrong Park. Nov. 9 Boudin, Bourbon and Beer, the benefit for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, returns to Champions Square. Visit boudinbourbonandbeer.com. Nov. 17 Fete des Fromages, a new festival at the Old U.S. Mint, lets you sample and learn about cheeses from around the world. See www.fetedesfromages.com. Know of a great food event? Let us know at foodevents@nola.com. At first, Wendy Keller didn't believe what she was hearing. Her 14-year-old was asking for hygiene products she could bring to school for friends who were homeless. She recalled thinking: Are there really students in my child's school who don't have homes? No way, Keller said she thought at first. But a call to the office at St. Tammany Junior High in Slidell confirmed what she was hearing. Each day, hundreds of students classified as homeless head to classrooms in St. Tammany Parish public schools. "They might be kids in shelters, or kids sleeping in motels, or kids staying a someone else's house,'' said David Horchar, executive director of Family Promise, a Slidell help organization. So far this academic year, there are 316 students in the St. Tammany Parish public school district classified as homeless, a district spokeswoman said. The homeless designation can include a range of living conditions, including families living with grandparents or students who move in with friends' families, district spokeswoman Meredith Mendez said. Horchar said he expects that number to climb to 1,000 or more by the end of the school year. Many more aren't necessarily homeless but cannot afford the things other students might take for granted. The thought stuck with Keller. "It ate at me,'' she said. "Then, in church one Saturday the homily was 'If not me, then who? And if not now, then when?''' Keller called a long-time friend, Tina Billiot of Mandeville, and together they began gathering basic hygiene supplies for students. They were able to deliver the supplies to two schools, St. Tammany Junior High and Salmen High School, in January. That was just the beginning. Spreading the word through Facebook and social media, they started a group, "Our Friends Closet,'' which has continued to gather supplies for students in need. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Within a few months, supplies had been delivered to 20 junior high schools and high schools across the parish. Deliveries included everything from socks and toothbrushes to shampoo and deodorant -- even quarters to help cover the costs of laundromats. The group has since registered as a nonprofit, which the pair said has helped lend credibility. It has expanded to include deliveries for schools in St. Bernard, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes and Ocean Springs, Mississippi. "Wendy hits up the businesses and I hit up the people,'' Billiot said. "It works for us.'' The supplies fill a room at Billiot's house, where crews load them into bags for deliveries, which are coordinated with the schools. Keller said there is no direct contact with any students. The group works with the counselors at the schools. "Right now we're working on Christmas, so the kids can have something. Stocking stuffer things like socks or T-shirts or gift cards,'' Keller said. "After that we'll start on graduation.'' "These kids, despite so many things, they get up every day and go to school and do all the work -- we want to do something to recognize that,'' she added. Horchar said Family Promise, a nonprofit funded with government grants, church donations and corporate support, works to connect people in need with services to help them. The organization has a day center with a full-time crisis manager on staff, he said. While St. Tammany is often thought of as one of the state's most affluent parishes -- it had a median household income of $63,686 in 2017 and its 9.8 percent poverty rate is nearly 10 points lower than the Louisiana average -- Horchar said numerous residents find themselves a "hiccup'' away from financial crisis. "All it takes is one thing, a broken-down car or sickness, for them to lose a job and maybe a home,'' he said. Our Friends Closet can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OurFriendsCloset01/. The exercise is as old as the Republic, but the first thing you need to understand about redistricting is that hot-water cornbread is as ubiquitous in north Louisiana as etouffee is in the south, says Rick Gallot, the Ruston Democratic representat Sep 18, 2018 NR Hero Manchu Manoj has expressed his deep anguish on the brutal murder of Pranay who was killed in the name of honour. This is to all out there who think Caste and Religion is Bigger than Humanity. Caste feeling in any form, be it for caste based movie actors (Fanism), political parties, college unions, caste and religious organizations is brutal and messed up! Each single person who encourages caste is responsible for the horrible act that occurred with Pranay and many others like him. Its high time that you are taught the value of life before learning anything else. An unborn child lost his/her father before even holding his hand or feeling his touch. What worse could you do to anyone to break their lives apart? All in the name of caste??? Was it even worth it?? We all have a heart, body, breathe the same air, live in the same worldwhy discriminate and take lives merely differentiating with the name of caste?? When would the world realize that we all are one?? Shame on all those caste lovers and supporters Remember that you all are the ones responsible and to be blamed for this and not just the one accused of! Shut down casteism! It is a disease that needs to be prevented Open your god damn minds and behave like humans! Im begging you all from my heart. Lets give a better world for our children. My heart goes out to Pranays wife, Amrutha and entire family! Deepest condolences.. #RIPPranay We are soo sorry Thank you Manchu Manoj Sep 18, 2018 NR Young Tiger NTR's Aravindha Sametha is getting ready for Dussehra Release. The team will be heading to Europe for the shooting of the leftover songs from 21st of this month. Aravindha Sametha Pre-Release function which was earlier planned in Tirupati may be shifted to Hyderabad. The makers are very busy with the film shoot and event outside Hyderabad will mean taking two days off their schedule and so they are planning to have it in Hyderabad itself. Click the Movie button below for more info: Aravindha Sametha Viewed of 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. Season 4, Episode 7: Something Stupid Anyone wondering how Better Call Saul would handle the rest of Jimmy McGills yearlong suspension from the law a lengthy span that had the potential to delay the arrival of the shows title character now has an answer. Through the magic of montage at the opening of this weeks episode, we zip from May to January, watching Kim collect plastic trophies for each branch of Mesa Verde she helps open, while Jimmy sells pay-as-you-go phones out of a van. Also, the couple brush their teeth. The background music is an impeccable choice. Somethin Stupid is a song about trying, and failing, to woo an estranged lover, one who has developed some trust issues and is a bit aloof. There is nary a cuddle in this time lapse view of Kim and Jimmy, and the emotional distance only widens as the episode unfolds. Kim is living her dream of handling public defender cases while also managing to get paid mad stacks (as Jesse Pinkman would put it) at a corporate law firm. There is a success gap here that is starting to bug Jimmy. During an office party at Kims firm, he measures the size of her office, reads an appreciative letter from an indigent client, and then gets annoyed. He acts out by angering Kims boss, Richard Schweikart, urging him to underwrite an outrageously expensive companywide ski outing. Aspen is like Telluride on steroids! he says, as a crowd of lawyers gathers round. This episode is all about patience, and Kim shows a lot of it. She doesnt raise a stink about Jimmys passive-aggressive office party performance. She does little more than visibly wince when she learns that Jimmy has been selling burner phones on the street and further, that his assistant, Huell Babineaux, has been arrested for cold cocking a police officer with a bag of sandwiches. She largely hides her shock when a prosecutor, during a negotiation over Huells case, refers to Jimmy as a scumbag, disbarred lawyer. Disaster tolls in Asia, the U.S. and Africa. The damage from Typhoon Mangkhut is emerging, even as the storm weakens. Worst hit was the Philippines, where more than 100 people are believed to have been killed. Our reporter reached the Cordillera Mountains, above, where the bodies of more than 40 gold miners were pulled from a landslides muddied wreckage. In China, at least four people died; in Hong Kong, commutes and air travel were disrupted. See our Hong Kong storm photos here. Seasonal flooding in Nigeria has killed more than 100 people. In the U.S., Hurricane Florence killed at least 31, with the Carolinas struggling in the aftermath of record rainfall. Rivers are still rising. After a motorcyclist fatally shot a Rikers Island correctional officer on Friday, following a brief exchange of words, investigators used surveillance videos to track the man to his home in Queens, the police said. A witness later identified the motorcyclist from a photo array, the police said, leading to Sundays arrest of Gifford Hunter, who worked maintaining buses for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But on Monday, a lawyer for Mr. Hunter challenged the underlying story as implausible. Theyre saying he did all of this as a spur of the moment after a brief conversation, the lawyer, Kenneth Finkelman, said. The police claim of spontaneous road rage doesnt make any sense. Mr. Hunter, 30, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, and was ordered held without bail. Mr. Hunter, who lives in St. Albans, Queens, has no history of violence, Mr. Finkelman said. He has worked for the M.T.A. since July 2017. One of the officers fired three shots, fatally striking the woman in her torso, Chief Shea said. After the woman was struck, the officers tried to save her but she died at the scene, he said. The knife was recovered at the scene, Chief Shea said, and the shooting which happened less than a minute after the officers entered the home was recorded on an officers body camera. It appears at this time that the 911 caller and the female are one and the same, Chief Shea said. Her motivation is unknown. It was not the first time the police had visited the home. Neighbors said a police car and an ambulance had been there about a week ago, and Chief Shea added that there is a history of calls to this location for reasons varied in nature. Mr. Silver, a Democrat from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, had served for more than two decades as speaker of the Assembly and exercised vast influence over the states political decision-making. But in 2015, he was convicted in a trial that came to symbolize a culture of corruption, secrecy and influence-peddling in Albany. Prosecutors showed that he had obtained nearly $4 million in illicit payments in exchange for taking official actions on behalf of a Columbia University cancer researcher and two real estate developers. In one scheme, Mr. Silver arranged for the state health department to award $500,000 in grants to the researcher, Robert N. Taub; in return, Dr. Taub referred cancer patients with potentially valuable legal claims to a law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, which gave part of its fees to Mr. Silver. But last year, the federal appeals court for the Second Circuit overturned Mr. Silvers 2015 conviction, citing a decision by the United States Supreme Court, handed down in 2016, that had overturned the corruption conviction of Bob McDonnell, a former Republican governor of Virginia, and narrowed the kind of official acts that could constitute corruption. In continuing Mr. Silvers bail at the time, Judge Caproni said that, in light of the McDonnell decision, there was a substantial question whether the courts jury instructions, which defined official action, were in error, and if so whether that error was harmless. Mr. Silvers overturned conviction furthered his reputation as a politician whose resilience was matched only by his influence. Ira Sabin, a bebop drummer who in 1970 started what became JazzTimes magazine, one of the worlds leading jazz publications, as a four-page newspaper to promote new releases at his record store in Washington, died on Wednesday at an assisted living facility in Rockville, Md. He was 90. His son Glenn said the cause was colorectal cancer. For Mr. Sabin, JazzTimes reflected the passion he had had for the music since he was a teenager. It was stirred in the early 1940s on a trip to New York City with a neighbor, who dropped him off at the Onyx Club on 52nd Street promising to return soon. A man came over and asked me what a young kid was doing at a place like this, Mr. Sabin recalled in JazzTimes in 1995. We spoke for a few minutes before he walked over to the bandstand and picked up an alto. He turned out to be Charlie Parker. Parker soon joined the trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and the drummer Max Roach on the bandstand. I can still see the fireworks, hear the explosion of notes and feel the sheer joy and excitement as if it were yesterday, Mr. Sabin wrote. Every day, nearly 200 people across the country die from drug overdoses. Opioids have been the primary driver of this calamity: first as prescription painkillers, then heroin and, more recently, illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The death toll has risen steadily over the past two decades. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the agency that most directly oversees access to opioids, deserves much of the blame for these deaths. Because of its incompetence, the opioid crisis has gone from bad to worse. The solution: overhauling the agency, or even getting rid of it entirely. The problem begins with poor design. A brainchild of Richard Nixons war on drugs, the agency sought to cut off supplies of drugs on the black market, here and abroad. But in passing the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, Congress also gave the agency broad authority over how prescription opioids and other controlled substances were classified, produced and distributed. The agency was supposed to curb problematic drug use, but failed to do so because its tactics were never informed by public health or addiction science. Despite the investment of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and the earnest efforts of thousands of employees, the D.E.A.s track record is abysmal. The agency has been unable to balance legitimate access to and control of prescription drugs. The widespread over-reliance on opioids, along with benzodiazepines, amphetamines and other scheduled medications, has created a booming black market. What happened between two teenagers at a suburban Maryland house party on a night more than three decades ago? Since one of them has been identified by the other as Brett Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge who is now up for a seat on the United States Supreme Court, the Senate correctly decided to hear from Judge Kavanaugh and his accuser next week before proceeding with his confirmation. The accusations are detailed and appalling. Christine Blasey Ford, now a psychology professor at Palo Alto University, says she was 15 years old on the night in question when a highly inebriated Brett Kavanaugh, then 17, pushed her into a bedroom, locked the door and turned on loud music to mask her cries for help. She says he climbed on top of her, held a hand over her mouth and tried to take her clothes off. I feared he may inadvertently kill me, Dr. Blasey wrote in a July letter for her congresswoman to pass along to Senator Dianne Feinstein. Judge Kavanaugh has flatly denied any wrongdoing. I did not do this back in high school or at any time, he said in a statement. This is the sort of denial that an innocent man would offer. It is also increasingly the modus operandi in the age of Donald Trump, regardless of the accusations at hand: Dont engage with the specifics, just deny, deny, deny. The lawsuit adds that Mr. Finlay shared the images with a company benefactor, who wrote of wanting to get like half a kilo of cocaine and abuse female dancers like farm animals to which Mr. Finlay allegedly responded, or like the sluts they are. Notably, the lawsuit also sues City Ballet itself, a first in 70 years, for fostering a fraternity-like atmosphere. (Mr. Finlay resigned last month.) This descent into moral vacuity has been in the works for decades. One might mark its shocking onset as when Mr. Martins was arrested on charges of beating his new wife, the ballerina Darci Kistler, in 1992. Given that Ms. Kistler was the last ballerina appointed by Mr. Balanchine who said women are not equal to men, they are better this violence had a particularly pointed symbolism. Ms. Kistler did not press charges. Mr. Martins was picked up for driving drunk a few days later in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the company of a board member. (He also was convicted in early August of drunken driving in a three-car crash after several such arrests.) Despite this, the board kept Mr. Martins in his job for over 25 more years as the head of both the company and the School of American Ballet, both multimillion-dollar institutions filled with young girls and women. Mr. Martins, for the most part, refused to bring any of Mr. Balanchines lead dancers, his former peers, to teach at the company. Given that ballet is passed on physically, body to body, this amounted to a robbery from Mr. Martinss own dancers of the very tradition they inherited, hastening the erosion of Mr. Balanchines legacy. Unsurprisingly, social media has played its predictably insidious role at New York City Ballet. The sacred fourth wall, between audience and artist, was a necessity to our work, to making the magic. Now ballerinas tweet from the wings about their injuries and vegan muffins, amassing vast Twitter and Instagram followers, with endless selfies and self-promotion. The companys recent ad campaigns showing bare midriffs and legs, windblown hair, and suggestive poses by slim young dancers have used sex as a marketing tool, lowering the lure to the prurient. In that context, the Finlay scandal is no surprise. The current lawsuit with its allegations of appalling misogynistic behavior is on a continuum. Sacrificing comfort to vanity is something women know only too well. And, if it was clear that the men on the red carpet had sacrificed for the show by avoiding the cheese platter and hitting the gym in order to attain a standard sample size 38 regular, it was also sadly obvious that guys remained corseted by the constraints of good taste. This is where Cher comes in. Everyone knows awards show ratings have been tilting steadily downward for years. One reason might be the tyranny of stylists hanging onto their paychecks by safeguarding clients from their own exuberant and possibly worst impulses. There is nothing wrong with being a paragon of male elegance, of course, a Cary Grant figure framed by boxy graphic shapes. Yet the sense a viewer got watching the Emmys preshow was that there must be an actor out there with a freak flag hes ready to fly, someone hankering to dress in Jim Morrison leather and feathers, a vintage Hedi Slimane Saint Laurent tuxedo so tight it cuts off circulation, a Pharrell Williams Canadian Mounties hat. True, the talk show host Trevor Noah did make a point of tipping up his Louboutin pumps so everyone could clock their signature red soles. But that hardly qualified as a statement of personality, let alone of style. The doctrine of Cher will always have applications in a profession that somehow fell a little too hard for fashion along the way. Deep down what attracts us to these spectacles is not a chance to ogle more expensively polished versions of ourselves. No one tunes in for the tedious expressions of gratitude, the losers brave game faces or the designer label name checks. They call it show business for a reason. You come for a show. And the proliferation of social media that did not exist in 1991 has added its own heightened effect. Were seeing the same thing years later in a different modern era of communication, said Tom Korologos, a longtime Washington lobbyist who helped Republican presidents during Supreme Court nominations, although not the battle over Justice Thomas. A lot is going to depend on how it plays. This is too close to the election for anybody to do anything wrong and take a chance. Ron Klain, who was the chief counsel for the Judiciary Committee Democrats at the time of the Thomas hearings, said that to avoid repeating mistakes, the panel should enlist a professional outside lawyer to question both Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey at a public hearing rather than have senators grill them. There are a few players still involved from 1991. Senators Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, both Republicans, were on the Judiciary Committee then as now. Back then, Mr. Hatch said Ms. Hills account struck him as too contrived, too slick. On Monday, he said Dr. Blasey might be mixed up and confused Judge Kavanaugh with someone else. There are some significant differences between the two situations. Justice Thomas was accused of sexually harassing Ms. Hill in the workplace but not physically assaulting her. He was a senior official at two government agencies at the time of the alleged behavior, and she was his subordinate. Judge Kavanaugh is accused of pinning Dr. Blasey to a bed, groping her, trying to remove her clothes and covering her mouth with his hand to muffle her screams while drunk at a party during high school. He was about 17 at the time, and she was about 15. Neither Ms. Hill nor Dr. Blasey reported the episodes to the authorities at the time, but what has changed since 1991 is the default setting. Whether fairly or not, the burden of proof often seemed to lie with Ms. Hill in 1991, which outraged many who believed her account. Today, in the #MeToo moment, there is more of a presumption that women who come forward with accusations should be given the benefit of the doubt, which worries Judge Kavanaughs friends who say he may be smeared unfairly. Ms. Boxer said she thoroughly believes Dr. Blaseys account. The fact is that we know this woman is telling the truth in a case where the woman had everything to lose, tries to remain anonymous, didnt want the publicity attached to her, she said. Some may be skeptical of the divisions motives or the cases in which we have gotten involved, said John Gore, the acting head of the Justice Departments civil rights division. We in the civil rights division are proud to stand on the side of the First Amendment on behalf of students, faculty, staff, groups and anyone else whose speech has been stifled, stymied, sanctioned or suppressed by unconstitutional campus speech codes. But Sam Spital, the director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said the department was engaged in an ongoing attack on civil rights. Universities have anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies for good reasons, he said in a statement. Campuses that are predominately white can be very isolating for students of color, and having speakers on campus who champion ideas of white supremacy create hostile environments that pose a concrete and urgent threat to all students having an equal opportunity to learn on campus. The Justice Departments support for campus free-speech cases could help change what Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee and the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, described as increasing skepticism among conservatives that college is a worthy pursuit. Im as a big a defender of our system of higher education as exists, Mr. Alexander said, but trampling on free speech will undermine it. Mr. Alexander, an influential voice on education policy, said at the forum that colleges need to recruit not only underrepresented minorities but also underrepresented viewpoints. During the forum, Justice Department officials and several speakers also recast the fight for free speech, which has long been associated with progressives, as a fight against liberals who are interfering with conservatives First Amendment rights. In the lawsuit against the University of Michigan, students took on the schools effort to forbid harassment and bullying and other acts motivated by bias that could be interpreted as demeaning or hurtful. These rules, it seems, are enforced by a group of campus bureaucrats and campus police with the Orwellian name of the Bias Response Team, or B.R.T., Mr. Sessions said. WASHINGTON President Trump ordered law enforcement and intelligence officials to declassify documents related to the Russia investigation and other inquiries, White House officials said on Monday, the latest instance of the president siding with Republican allies on Capitol Hill over federal law enforcement. Mr. Trump decided to declassify text messages about the Russia inquiry from a handful of law enforcement officials, summaries of interviews in the case and documents related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide investigated for his links to Russia. For months, Mr. Trump and some of his most fervent congressional supporters have clamored for the materials release against the protests of the intelligence and law enforcement communities. The move is all but certain to further deteriorate Mr. Trumps relationship with law enforcement officials. As part of their monthslong attacks on the Russia investigation, the president and his allies have accused law enforcement officials of improperly obtaining a secret warrant to wiretap the campaign adviser, Carter Page. Little evidence has emerged to back the Republicans assertions, and Democrats have accused them in return of politicizing a legitimate inquiry with major national security implications. Justice Department officials originally received authorization to wiretap Mr. Page from the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in October 2016. Among the materials being prepared for release are nearly two dozen pages of the Justice Departments application. The wiretap was renewed three times, including once by Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, who supervises the special counsel investigation. GUATEMALA CITY The president of Guatemala pushed the nation toward a constitutional crisis on Monday, ignoring an explicit order by the countrys top court while testing the bounds of the nations fragile democracy. The court had ordered that the head of a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission be allowed back into Guatemala, reversing orders from President Jimmy Morales. But the government stood its ground on Monday, saying it would not allow the head of the commission, Ivan Velasquez, a Colombian citizen, to return. Instead the government said the United Nations, which appointed Mr. Velasquez to oversee the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, should pick someone else to head the mission. The announcement not only defied the constitutional courts unanimous ruling late Sunday, but it was also a challenge to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In a rebuke to the Guatemalan government, Mr. Guterres had said at the beginning of the month that Mr. Velasquez would remain at the head of the panel even though he was barred from the country. But the storm illustrated both the resilience of a country that is habitually devastated by natural disasters floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons and the dangers people are forced to face to survive. The allure of gold Mr. Feliciano started working the mines at 15. He faked his age, a common practice, he said. For two weeks at a time, he would work day and night, relieved only by five-hour breaks. One of his jobs was binding together up to 20 sticks of dynamite to shatter the hard rock. Then he would light the fuse. Its not difficult to do as long as you run, he said. His uncle never had that chance. Typhoon Mangkhut lashed the Philippines with intense rain and gusts up to 170 miles per hour. The soil that came loose from a mountain scarred by decades of mine-tunneling gathered intensity, pouring down on the shelters in which the miners and some of their family members were trying to ride out the storm. Among those trapped by the earth were Noel, Jocelyn, Jay-e and Baby Ann Sta. Ana, along with a cousin of Mr. Felicianos, Alkine Buocan. Also presumed dead was Edwin Banawol, the pastor of an evangelical Christian church located in the mining encampment. Mr. Banawol, who was living at the mine with his wife and two small children, was the leader of a group of small-scale prospectors who worked the mine. Even though there was nothing in the two-story house that had belonged to Bizet, Mr. Lemoine took it upon himself to honor the composer and his memory. Every year on June 3, the anniversary of Bizets death, he would play a recording of Carmen at full blast, after midnight, making sure that the death of Carmen (on the recording) coincided with the death of the composer. In 2003, when the house looked as if it might crumble as a result of a severe drought, Mr. Lemoine sold an apartment to pay for the necessary work. After Mr. Lemoines death in 2005, his daughter Ms. Pellistrandi and her husband, a French Army colonel, decided to take it over. In 2009, they moved themselves and their six children into the Bizet house. The couple kept the connection with Bizet as much alive as they could. They used an inventory drawn up at the composers death and the memories of his son Jacques to decorate the bedroom as faithfully as possible to what it might have looked like in Bizets day. And they purchased two books that belonged to Bizet: his complete works, in two volumes, and bearing the composers personal stamp; and a book that was given to him as an engagement present by his wifes uncle. The basement still has the sink and water reservoir used in Bizets day. In 2014, they saw an ad on the internet for a pianino that had belonged to Bizets father-in-law and that Bizet inherited. They bought the instrument and placed it in the room where the composer died, leaving that room unoccupied so the public could visit it occasionally. Those who were waiting for a #MeToo moment during Monday nights Emmy Awards just kept waiting. Unlike at previous awards shows this year, emblems of the movement werent pinned to lapels or sequined gowns. #MeToo was mostly absent from acceptance speeches and even from the monologue except for fleeting jokes by the hosts, Michael Che and Colin Jost. Mr. Che welcomed the many, many talented people in Hollywood who havent been caught yet. Mr. Jost joked that the scariest words a network executive could hear are: Sir, Ronan Farrow is on line one. Mr. Farrow, a journalist, has worked to expose powerful men accused of bad behavior in the #MeToo era. [Read about what happened at the Emmys and see the winners list.] The elephant in the room, Leslie Moonves, went unmentioned. Mr. Moonves, one of the most influential men in television, stepped down as the longtime chief executive of CBS this month after multiple allegations against him. Mr. Moonves has denied the accusations. Netflix will stream the BBCs six-part political thriller Bodyguard outside the U.K. starting on Oct. 24, the company announced Tuesday. The series has already been a hit in Britain: The first episode drew in 10.4 million television viewers over seven days the largest audience for any new U.K. show in a decade, according to the BBC. The deal was first reported by Deadline. According to a Netflix spokesman, the streaming service has been a quiet partner since the shows early stages, along with the production company World Productions, from ITV Studios. Netflix has previously done well with British television, particularly Channel 4s The Great British Baking Show, which was formerly shown on the BBC. In Bodyguard, the Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden plays David Budd, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan assigned to guard the icy Conservative home secretary Julia Montague, played by Keeley Hawes. Ms. Hawes previously appeared on the BBC police procedural Line of Duty, whose writer and creator, Jed Mercurio, is also behind Bodyguard. Did you hear the one about the Emmys being super diverse this year? The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, which ran Monday night on NBC, opened not with the hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost, but with a parade of beloved performers, including Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon and Ricky Martin, doing an awkwardly self-deprecating musical bit about Hollywoods commitment to inclusion called We Solved It. From that point, the word diversity (or diverse) lingered like a trending hashtag, hammered home by one person after another seemingly every few minutes. [Read about what happened at the Emmys and at the after-parties.] It was the running theme of the night, while curiously the discussion around #MeToo at the first Emmys ceremony since The New York Timess Harvey Weinstein story broke last year was noticeably muted. This was especially glaring in light of the recent downfall of the former CBS chief executive Les Moonves, long one of the most powerful men in television, who stepped down earlier this month after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. (Mr. Moonves has denied these accusations.) Here are some of the most memorable moments from the Emmy Awards. AISHA HARRIS The S.N.L.-ification of the Emmys WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Richard Plepler, the chairman and chief executive officer of HBO, stood at the center of an airy plaza at the Pacific Design Center, where the network has held its post-Emmys party for more than a decade. Another awards season had just drawn to a close, with HBO and Netflix winning 23 Emmys apiece. HBO has long taken pride in its dominance of the Emmys, an honor that came close to ending Monday night. But Mr. Plepler bristled at the notion that there was a rivalry between the network he runs and the well-funded digital upstart. This reductive idea that their success comes at our expense, or our success comes at their expense, is just not accurate, Mr. Plepler said. You know how you know its not accurate? Look at the last three, four years! Weve grown more in the last three, four years than at any time in history. Theyve grown more. Weve done great work. Theyve done great work. This is not a binary dynamic. Now Mr. Plepler looked to his left. Let me give the producer a hug, he said, moving into the arms of Lorne Michaels, the producer of Saturday Night Live and the producer of the Monday night Emmys broadcast. LA PIOVRA on MHz Choice. After the police inspector Corrado Cattani (Michele Placido) is transferred to Sicily with his family, his investigation into the murder of his predecessor draws the ire of the mafia. Despite mounting threats against him, Cattani is determined to uncover the truth and destroy the formidable group. This beloved Italian drama series, which translates to The Octopus, ran from 1984 to 2001 and found popularity in the Soviet Union. The first seven seasons chart Cattanis mission while the final three are prequels that take a historical look at the Mafia in the 1950s and 60s. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Netflix, Vudu and YouTube. In this zany adaptation of a graphic novel, Michael Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a musician who falls for an Amazon delivery girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But before they can go steady, he has to beat her ex-boyfriends in video-game-style fights. Watch for the fun comic book aesthetic and appearances by Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza and Jason Schwartzman. Whats on TV The White House press office did not respond to a request for comment. Full Disclosure is the latest damaging tell-all book in a succession of them, coming just after Omarosa Manigault Newmans Unhinged: An Insiders Account of the Trump White House and Bob Woodwards Fear: Trump in the White House, which sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week. Mr. Trumps presidency has proved to be an unexpected boon for the publishing industry, which has unleashed a barrage of juicy insider accounts. In a typical presidency, pundits and journalists have to wait years for administration insiders to spill the details. Out of either deference or self-preservation, government officials often hold off until a new administration is in place to offer their insider account. But the chaos and turmoil within the Trump administration has upended the usual Washington publishing cycle, as disgruntled ex-staff members and officials who have been pushed out or resigned churn out books at a breakneck pace, at least by the normally glacial standards of publishing. Many of these accounts have shot to the top of the best-seller lists, often after the White House disputes the revelations or threatens legal action, prompting a fresh round of news coverage. The ideal thing is to have a book that Trump attacks, because that all but guarantees you best-seller status, said Matt Latimer, a literary agent and co-partner at Javelin, which represents James Comey. In the heated competition for the next political blockbuster, Macmillan, which owns St. Martins, Henry Holt and Flatiron Books, among other imprints, has often prevailed. The company has published Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury, which has nearly three million copies in circulation, and the former F.B.I. director James Comeys A Higher Loyalty, which has sold more than a million copies. On Tuesday, St. Martins announced that it had acquired a book by the former F.B.I. deputy director Andrew McCabe, who has been a regular target of Mr. Trumps ire on Twitter. Mr. McCabes book, The Threat: How the F.B.I. Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, is due out this December, and covers his role in leading politically sensitive investigations into Mrs. Clintons use of a private email server and Russias efforts to sway the 2016 presidential election. Publishers have had to become more nimble to stay relevant at a chaotic and hyperpartisan moment. The challenge that it poses is that the news cycle changes every day; its like a Ping-Pong match trying to figure out where the countrys attention is going to be, said Jennifer Enderlin, executive vice president and publisher of St. Martins. No matter the volatility of the news cycle, there are some authors and books that will make the public stop and pay attention, and we think we have two of them, she added, referring to Ms. Cliffords and Mr. McCabes forthcoming books. It seems fair that they get to tell their story, since Trump has the biggest megaphone in the country and he gets to say all kinds of things about them. Sarah Weinman is a crime writer who has seriously researched the Nabokov connection. Her book provides extensive background for the Horner story: Among the many people she tracks down are one of Horners nieces and a neighbor who was instrumental in Sallys rescue. The achievement of her impressive literary sleuthing is to bring to life a girl whose story had been lost. And she provides documentation of Nabokovs use of the case, demonstrating that the writer, long fascinated with the essential paradigm of middle-aged men obsessed with young girls, was well into writing Lolita when he encountered the real-life story of Sally Horner and incorporated details of it into his novel, something he would later deny or downplay. Weinman takes pains to address the virtual lack of empathy with Sally in the critical coverage of Nabokovs fiction, noting that Vera Nabokov was concerned about this in the wake of the success of Lolita. One subject bothered her above all: the way that public reception, and critical assessments, seemed to forget that there was a little girl at the center of the novel, and that she deserved more attention and care: I wish someone would notice the tender description of the childs helplessness, her pathetic dependence upon the monstrous HH, and her heart-rending courage all along. But if Vera believed her husband understood the situation from Dollys point of view, the reader is not apt to agree. Humbert Humbert is racked by guilt and sorrow, by recollections of his passion for Lo, but he is also filled, one feels, with satisfaction at his own literary genius. There is very little about the novel that reveals Dollys thoughts and emotions. In Rust and Stardust, T. Greenwood sets herself the task of dramatizing Sallys experience, attempting to fill in those missing feelings and reactions, as well as those of her family and friends. I have taken many, many liberties with both character and plot, Greenwood admits. There was, for example, no such person as the nice nun, Mary Katherine, who when she cant persuade her superiors to share her concern about the dreamy, motherless girl in her class, vows to devote herself in the future to the welfare of abused children. Did the real Frank LaSalle give Sally a puppy? What was the actual social level of the Horners? Theirs was a world of trailer parks and cheap motels (as in Lolita) but while Greenwood has them talk like characters out of Steinbeck (I wanna see that picture, Sally said. I know I aint nearly as glamorous as that girl Lena, says someone else), Weinman and Nabokov employ a higher level of diction. What were these vanished people really like? Unlike Greenwood, Weinman restricts herself to what can be known and labels what is speculative as such. Some readers (myself included) are troubled by fictionalizations, although we find ourselves caught up by them all the same. Yet since Nabokovs day, as we come to understand more about the artistic process, the unconscious and the nature of inspiration, we have realized that no work of art is unrelated to the factual world. Even if Nabokov refined and dreamed the events of his novel, in the process turning it into art, our understanding of the convergence of fiction and life has changed. We know that Sally Horners experience was only too horrifyingly real. Fictional versions of actual events raise the salient question of our day: the role of truth. And, of course, whether we value it. (Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.) Good morning. Heres what you need to know: Kavanaugh and his accuser to testify Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, and the woman who has accused him of sexual assault are scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a public hearing on Monday. The committee had planned to vote on Judge Kavanaughs nomination this Thursday, but a confirmation that once seemed inevitable is now in limbo. Christine Blasey Ford has said he sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers in the 1980s. Judge Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Echoes of Anita Hill: The case has drawn comparisons to the 1991 testimony of Ms. Hill, who accused the future Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Our correspondents in Washington traced the similarities and differences. Good Tuesday. Want this in your inbox every morning? Sign up here. U.S. wades deeper into its trade war President Trump escalated his trade war with Beijing yesterday by imposing tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, many of them consumer products. The levies, scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 24, will start at 10 percent and climb to 25 percent on Jan. 1. The staggered increase will reduce the impact to American consumers over the holidays, though Apple has dodged the tariffs. A refresher on why this is happening: The tariffs aim to pressure China into changing longstanding trade practices that Mr. Trump says hurt the U.S. The administration says China could win relief by giving U.S. companies more access to its markets, among other things. Chinas stock market opened at a four-year low today, and its currency slipped on the news. (One upshot: The tensions appear to be making Chinese businesses more competitive.) A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that equal and respectful talks were the only way to settle the dispute, but added that the U.S. hadnt shown any kindness. So Beijing says it must retaliate at an appropriate time. Broadly, however, markets shrugged off the latest tariffs. Why? Suggestions from Bloomberg: Markets have already accounted for the levies; the economic impact is some ways off; and the staggered increases suggest room for negotiation. As President Trump again ratchets up trade tensions with China and Canada, he has the strong backing of Republican voters. But he risks putting his partys congressional candidates many of whom are more supportive of free trade in a bind. Top Republicans in Congress love Mr. Trumps tax cuts, but they do not love the tariffs that have become the centerpiece of his trade policy. This combination is a classic conservative position that favors low taxes, whether on income or on imports. Few Americans outside Washington share that view. Republican voters across the country approve of Mr. Trumps tariffs almost as much as they approve of his tax cuts, according to a survey conducted for The New York Times in early September by the online polling firm SurveyMonkey. Democrats disapprove of tariffs and tax cuts by an equally enthusiastic degree. Independents are more split, but they lean toward the Democratic position on both issues. Germanys biggest carmakers were already facing public criticism after an emissions cheating scandal at Volkswagen. Now, they are under formal investigation. The European Commission opened an inquiry on Tuesday into possible collusion among BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen to prevent the development of clean emissions technology. The investigation adds to a series of problems for the German auto industry, the countrys biggest employer and exporter, which is grappling with the consequences of Volkswagens diesel deception, as well as a long-term shift toward electric vehicles and the threat of auto tariffs from the United States. The announcement by the commission, the European Unions executive arm, comes nearly a year after officials searched the German automakers offices as part of an initial inquiry into possible price fixing. The commission said on Tuesday that it had information indicating that the companies had participated in meetings where they discussed technology to limit harmful emissions. The investigation will try to establish whether the automakers sought to limit the development or rollout of systems to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel cars or filters to reduce emissions from gasoline engine cars. These technologies aim at making passenger cars less damaging to the environment, Margrethe Vestager, the European Unions competition commissioner, said in a statement. If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less-polluting cars, despite the technology being available to the manufacturers. Mr. Kaiman has disputed the allegations and said that all acts we engaged in were mutually consensual. In an emailed statement, Mr. Kaiman said that the allegations have irrevocably destroyed my reputation, my professional network, my nine year career in journalism, and any hope for a rewarding career in the future; they have branded me with a scarlet letter for life, and driven me to the brink of suicide. The accusations by both women shook Beijings tightknit community of foreign correspondents and shined a light on the sometimes bad behavior of male reporters abroad. It also came amid a broader wave of accusations of sexual harassment, mainly made by women against high-profile media figures including Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer, and Bill OReilly, the former Fox News host. The phenomenon is not a problem unique to the press, but its one thats especially problematic for journalists, Joanna Chiu, a reporter based in Beijing at the time, wrote in an article soon after Ms. Sonmezs accusations against Mr. Kaiman were made public. Ms. Sonmez said on Tuesday that she was grateful to The Los Angeles Times for taking her allegations seriously but added that several questions remained unanswered about whether Mr. Kaiman was fired or resigned voluntarily. People always say summer is not a good time for sushi, Derek Wilcox said. I have no idea what theyre talking about. Early evening, the end of August, and the granite TriBeCa sidewalks outside Shoji at 69 Leonard Street were deserted. The restaurant was empty, too. I sat alone on one side of the counter, and on the other stood Mr. Wilcox, alone, as he usually is even when customers occupy all 12 chairs. Although assistants work in the wings, the restaurant is essentially a one-man show. In the broad view, having the place to myself was unjust. In the year since Mr. Wilcox took over the restaurant at first his work there was termed a residency or pop-up, but in June the owner, Idan Elkon, announced that hed put a ring on it and made the arrangement permanent he has firmly placed it in the top tier of the citys Japanese restaurants. On the basis of sushi alone, Shoji has few plausible rivals, and for sushi embedded within a longer, kaiseki-derived menu, it has no parallel. There should be no empty seats, no matter how many New Yorkers are off lolling at the beach. Taking a selfish view, though, I wasnt particularly unhappy to be the only customer. Mr. Wilcox, who grew up in Virginia, cooked at a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto called Kikunoi for seven years and then spent three more at a traditionalist sushi parlor in the Ginza district of Tokyo. You might think of this as the equivalent of earning a masters degree followed by a Ph.D. in Japanese cuisine, and one side benefit of a meal across the counter from Mr. Wilcox is the chance to hear what he learned studying abroad. Do your parents ever yell at you for example, when you do something wrong or when theyre frustrated? When you were younger, did they yell at you then? How do you respond when youre yelled at? How does it affect you emotionally? Do you tend to change your behavior in a positive way? Do you ever yell back? In Why You Should Stop Yelling at Your Kids, Stephen Marche writes: The use of spanking to discipline children has been in decline for 50 years. But yelling? Almost everybody still yells at their kids sometimes, even the parents who know it doesnt work. Yelling may be the most widespread parental stupidity around today. Households with regular shouting incidents tend to have children with lower self-esteem and higher rates of depression. A 2014 study in The Journal of Child Development demonstrated that yelling produces results similar to physical punishment in children: increased levels of anxiety, stress and depression along with an increase in behavioral problems. How many times in your parenting life have you thought to yourself, after yelling at your kids, Well, that was a good decision...? It doesnt make you look authoritative. It makes you look out of control to your kids. It makes you look weak. And youre yelling, lets be honest, because you are weak. Yelling, even more than spanking, is the response of a person who doesnt know what else to do. But most parents myself included find it hard to imagine how to get through the day without yelling. The new research on yelling presents parents with twin problems: What do I do instead? And how do I stop? Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Tell us what you think about how yelling affects children. Do you think yelling works in terms of changing behavior? Do you think it has negative emotional effects? How do you think kids should be disciplined? Why? What do you think about the ABC method of praise that Dr. Kazdin promotes? Here is a description from the article: Dr. Kazdin promotes a program called the ABCs, which stands for antecedents, behaviors and consequences. The antecedent is the setup, telling a child, specifically, what you want them to do before you want them to do it. Behaviors are where the behavior is defined and shaped, modeled by the parent. And the consequence involves an expression of approval when that behavior is performed, an over-the top Broadway-style belt-it-to-the-back-row expression of praise with an accompanying physical gesture of approval. So instead of yelling at your kid every night for the shoes strewn across the floor, ask him in the morning if he can put his shoes away when he comes home. Make sure when you come home that you put your own shoes away. And if your child puts his shoes away, or even puts them closer to where theyre supposed to be, tell him that he did a great job and then hug him. Does that sound like your parents parenting style? Do you think the ABC method would work better than yelling? Why? Asked if he used available light, Winogrand responded: What other kind is there? The same might be said of technology. In the middle and later decades of the 20th century, taking pictures got progressively easier, but processing the images still required long hours in the darkroom. Winogrand, as he moved from New York to Texas and then to California, always preferred to be outdoors, and as a result he left behind thousands of undeveloped rolls and contact sheets that hadnt been winnowed for prints. The sheer volume of his later (or posthumous) output is one of the problems Ms. Freyers subjects contemplate. There is also the supposed slippage in quality between his New York and California photographs, a notion advanced by John Szarkowski, the Museum of Modern Art curator who helped put Winogrand on the map in the 60s. Older debates about the status of documentary photography among the fine arts also resurface debates that Winogrand, along with Diane Arbus and Lee Friedlander, decisively settled along with newer concerns about gender and representation. In 1975, Winogrand published Women are Beautiful, a book that remains controversial (or as we prefer to say nowadays, problematic). Ms. Freyers handling of it is exemplary and revealing. A handful of critics and curators offer analyses of the books sexual politics that are thoughtful and respectful, but also pointed in their attention to power, objectification and sexual inequality in public space. In response, there is some sputtering about political correctness and thought police, which tends to be the reaction to even the most judicious and sympathetic acts of feminist criticism. Garry Winogrand deserves great credit for staging that argument, and for balancing candor and discretion in its glimpses of Winogrands sometimes disorderly personal life. It doesnt suppose that you could separate the art from the artist, not least because the artist was always insistently and physically present, looked at by many of his subjects even as he looked at them from beyond the frame. He was, to quote Philip Larkins summary of an imaginary biographers assessment of him, one of those old-type natural fouled-up guys, and one who could find endless and various beauty in a messed-up world. The record is clear that Lynch and Shannon had knowledge that for years Serrano often had several boys, including plaintiff, sleep over at his apartment, Justice Loren Baily-Schiffman of Kings County Supreme Court wrote in her 2017 order dismissing the churchs motion for summary judgment of the case. In fact, both Lynch and Shannon testified that they visited Serrano on numerous occasions when young boys were present. In a deposition, Father Lynch testified that he saw Mr. Serrano kiss an 8- or 9-year-old boy on the mouth and inappropriately embrace the boy. A church secretary, Beatrice Ponnelle, who shared an office with Mr. Serrano, also testified about questionable behavior. She said that although the church had a rule that children were not allowed to be left alone in the office with a staff member, boys as young as 7 or 8 would come into the office to do their homework while sitting on Mr. Serranos lap. When she left for the day, he would be the only adult in the office with the boys, Justice Baily-Schiffman wrote. Despite Mr. Serranos position as a religious educator with Mr. Serrano at the church nearly every day between 1997 and 2009, volunteering at the summer camp, and getting keys to the church and rectory no records were kept regarding him or his employment history at the church, the judge wrote. With the case set for trial, the Diocese of Brooklyn agreed to settle. But in a statement released on Tuesday, the diocese still seemed to minimize its role in allowing the abuse. The diocese and another defendant have settled these lawsuits brought by the four claimants who were sexually abused by Angelo Serrano at his private apartment many years ago, the statement said. Mr. Serrano was a volunteer worker at a local parish; he was not clergy or an employee of the diocese or parish. The statement added that for three of the claimants, another defendant would be contributing a significant portion of the settlement. A spokeswoman for the diocese said that the Dorothy Bennett Mercy Center, a local after-school program based next to the church in Clinton Hill, had agreed to pay about one-third of the total settlement. Excited would not have been the best word to describe the mayors demeanor as he took the stage after the governor, but pained would not be quite right either. Pragmatic, perhaps. Decently convincing. Ive known Andrew Cuomo almost a quarter century. And this may surprise you: From time to time, we have disagreements. I know it seems unlikely, Mr. de Blasio said, to laughs from the crowd of elected officials and union members. But, he continued, you can also understand theres a greater good. Mr. Cuomo, too, offered his share of uncharacteristic praise, introducing Mr. de Blasio as the great mayor of the City of New York. Of course, that did not mean that the two men were not going to swipe at each other in subtle ways. [Why do the governor and mayor persist in feuding with each other? We have reasons. Read more here.] Mr. Cuomo, as usual, dedicated most of his speech to attacking President Trump, but not before taking a moment to sneer again at the genius pundits who had predicted a low turnout, or the theoretical or abstract ideas about the definition of progressive government. It was the same tone he had adopted the day after the primary, when he dismissed the so-called progressive wave that Ms. Nixons allies had predicted would take him down; and it was the same attack he has repeatedly lobbed at Mr. de Blasio, an idealist compared to Mr. Cuomo and his more centrist pragmatism. In fact, United Nations gridlock is now worse than holiday gridlock for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the tree-lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center or the New Years Eve ball drop in Times Square. It took an average of 19 minutes to drive just one mile in Midtown Manhattan on a Monday during the United Nations session last year, up from an average of 10 minutes the rest of the year, according to city data. The only time it took longer 20 minutes was in a blizzard in March. By comparison, the mile-long drive took 14 minutes the day of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting. U.N. week is the most challenging traffic time in New York City and Im not even sure people know that, said Polly Trottenberg, the citys transportation commissioner. If you are in the traffic, you are the traffic. Beginning this week, the city will spend $500,000 on a new campaign to warn of gridlock days on the radio and in internet ads to try to get more drivers off the road on the six weekdays from Sept. 24 through Oct. 1, the busiest stretch of the United Nations session, and at the end-of-the-year holidays. The message to drivers? Your trip through Midtown will take three times as long. In the past, when gridlock days started in November on the Friday before Thanksgiving and ran to Christmas, the city publicized them with news releases, social media and articles that often appeared on the gridlock day itself. City transportation officials said that after surveying drivers online, they learned that some drivers did not have enough time to change their plans. So this year, the paid ads will begin a week in advance of the gridlock days. If these gridlock warnings are not scary enough, they will be accompanied by new incentives to try other ways of getting around: a half-priced, three-day pass for Citi Bike; discounts on shared car pool rides with Via; and $5 flat-rate parking at Citi Field before noon in lots that are adjacent to the No. 7 subway line. Annette Michelson, who was a founder of the arts journal October and whose essays on film helped establish cinema studies as its own discipline and influenced generations of students, critics and scholars, died on Monday at her home in Manhattan. She was 95. Stuart Liebman, a fellow film scholar and longtime friend, announced her death. She had dementia and had been in declining health for some time, he said. Ms. Michelson was a New Yorker who steeped herself in the intellectual ferment of Paris in the 1950s and early 60s before returning to teach at New York University and write erudite articles for Artforum and, beginning in 1976, for October, which she founded with Rosalind E. Krauss. (Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe was also instrumental but left after the third issue.) She wrote much-admired essays on the Soviet filmmakers Dziga Vertov and Sergei Eisenstein (the journal October was named in part for his late 1920s silent movie, October: Ten Days That Shook the World) and championed avant-garde and experimental films at a time when they were not receiving much critical attention. Iranica was the major undertaking of his life in every sense of the term, he added. Ehsan Ollah Yarshater (pronounced YAR-shah-ter) was born on April 3, 1920, in the northwest city of Hamadan, Iran, to Hashem, a merchant who was born Jewish and converted to the Bahai faith, and Rowhanieh (Misaghieh) Yarshater, a homemaker who was born to a prominent family of physicians in Kashan, also in the north. Professor Yarshater studied at the Alliance Israelite, a French-language school in the western city of Kermanshah, before moving with his family to Tehran, where he attended the elite Tarbiyat School, which was founded by Iranian Bahais in 1897. As a student at the University of Tehran, which was founded by the monarchy, Yarshater became disengaged from his deeply religious upbringing. He was inspired by Iranian thinkers of his generation who promoted a spirit of rational inquiry in the study of Persian history and literature following the Constitutional Revolution of 1905, whose leaders sought secular, political and educational reforms. He received a doctorate in 15th-century Persian poetry from the University of Tehran and then studied ancient Iranian languages under the German philologist Walter Bruno Henning at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, where Professor Yarshater completed a second doctorate. In a groundbreaking linguistics study, published in 1970, he documented disappearing dialects among the villages of Irans northeastern provinces. Professor Yarshater brought Western classics to his compatriots in the 1950s by establishing a translation and publishing institute, a reflection of his belief that embracing Western culture would not cause Iran to lose its authenticity, as some feared. In 1958 he became a visiting professor of Indo-Iranian languages and religions at Columbia University. Three years later he was named Columbias first chairman of Iranian Studies. With the appointment, he moved to New York City with his wife, Latifeh Alavieh, whom he had met in 1956 when she was cultural adviser to the United States Information Agency in Tehran. They married in 1960. She died in 1999. Mary Nooter Roberts, a scholar of African art who helped change the way non-Western art is presented in Western museums, died on Sept. 11 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 58. The cause was breast cancer, said her husband, Allen F. Roberts, a professor in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she also taught. Professor Roberts, known as Polly, came to her work at the beginning of the multiculturalist revolution of the 1980s, when a linear Western approach to art history with a capital H, as she put it was being replaced by a dynamic concept of varied and parallel stories. She was well prepared to embrace these ideas. Born in St. Louis on Oct. 26, 1959, Mary Nooter became a world traveler before she was 3. Her father, Robert, joined the Foreign Service and moved the family first to Uruguay and then to Liberia. He then worked for the World Bank in different parts of Africa, where he and his wife, the anthropologist Nancy Ingram Nooter, became collectors of African art. Select a neutral investigative body with experience in sexual misconduct cases that will investigate the incident in question and present its findings to the committee. Outcomes in such investigations are more reliable and less likely to be perceived as tainted by partisanship. Senators must then rely on the investigators conclusions, along with advice from experts, to frame the questions they ask Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey. Again, the senators fact-finding roles must guide their behavior. The investigators report should frame the hearing, not politics or myths about sexual assault. Do not rush these hearings. Doing so would not only signal that sexual assault accusations are not important hastily appraising this situation would very likely lead to facts being overlooked that are necessary for the Senate and the public to evaluate . That the committee plans to hold a hearing this coming Monday is discouraging. Simply put, a weeks preparation is not enough time for meaningful inquiry into very serious charges. Finally, refer to Christine Blasey Ford by her name. She was once anonymous, but no longer is. Dr. Blasey is not simply Judge Kavanaughs accuser. Dr. Blasey is a human being with a life of her own. She deserves the respect of being addressed and treated as a whole person. DULCE [sounds of girl crying, splashing] [sounds of woman reassuring her] EXT. RIVER AFTERNOON DULCE is in the water with BETTY and CHOMPI. DULCE swims several awkward strokes, then grabs BETTY. BETTY: If you hold onto me, you wont learn how to swim. BETTY: Do you want to learn how to swim? Yes or no? DULCE: Noooooo BETTY: Do you wanna drown? [jump cut] BETTY holds Dulce in her arms in the water. BETTY: Use your feet and hands. BETTY: Im letting you go. DULCE screams and splashes over to CHOMPI. BETTY: Dulce, please learn to swim. If you dont learn how to swim, you cant go shell harvesting. You cant go on the boat. You have to stay here. This month the sea gets angry, yes or no? [Pause] BETTY: And when it gets angry, the boat overturns. And if you dont learn to swim, you have to stay on shore. You want to stay here all alone? Well, thats your problem. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING BETTY sits alone in the bow of a boat, thinking. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING POV shots of the mangroves. EXT. MANGROVES - MORNING BETTY makes her way through the mud and roots, looking for shells. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING BETTY washes the shells in a mesh basket. EXT. VILLAGE LATE MORNING BETTY brings her basket of shells to the BUYER, who takes them out and puts the ones he can use in a bucket. BUYER: Fifty. BETTY: Yes, sir. BUYER: Seven thousand pesos. EXT. VILLAGE AFTERNOON Shot of Bettys house at low tide. Betty comes out onto her runway and washes up. INT. BETTYS HOUSE - AFTERNOON Betty hangs laundry with her younger daughter. EXT. DOCK AFTERNOON Boys jump into the water. DULCE sits on the dock with girlfriends, in a circle. DULCE: If you wanna swim with a life vest you have to do down with somebody older. And swimming, swimming, until you get to the other side, and from there you come back...I swim better with a life vest. From there you swim...and swim... GIRL: And its cold! DULCE: But Im learning, right? A little bit. GIRL (O.S.): And when your mom is not here and you want to eat black-shell ceviche, what are you going to do? You have to go harvesting. DULCE: I dont want to eat that! EXT. MANGROVES MORNING BETTY stands at the front of a boat with piangueras in it, approaching the mangrove shore. WOMAN 1 (O.S.): Where do we get out? WOMAN 2: Lets get out on the other side. BETTY: Over there. BETTY turns to the woman behind her, who is holding coconut-shell smudge. BETTY: Give me that before it goes out. BETTY waves smudge through the air. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING BETTY and the other women bend over the ground, digging for shells. WOMAN 1 (O.S.): There arent as many shells here. WOMAN 2 (O.S.): They have been collecting here. BETTY: Theyve been collecting too many of them. WOMAN 1: We have to talk to him. He harvests at low tide, high tide, every day of the week. He never takes a break. EXT. DOCK AFTERNOON DULCE watches as a group of kids, many of them girls this time, jumps off the dock into the water. EXT. VILLAGE AFTERNOON Shot of Bettys house at high tide. EXT. BETTYS HOUSE On the runway, BETTY braids DULCES hair. DULCE: Are you mad at me? BETTY: No, not mad. Because whether you can swim or not, youre my daughter. But Im sad. Cut to DULCE, thinking. BETTY: Because you dont swim. Cut to BETTY, braiding. BETTY: When children dont learn how to swim their mothers get sad. Dont you see that you can fall in and drown at any moment? Especially here... Cut to DULCE. BETTY: ...because we have to get on a boat to go anywhere. And even if we dont, the water is always rising. CUT to DULCE, walking on the tidal flats at sunset. BETTY (V.O.): Can you imagine what would happen if the tide came up so far that it knocked our house down? And were inside the house? Those who know how to swim will survive. And those who dont? DULCE (V.O): They drown. BETTY (V.O.): And who is going to drown? DULCE (V.O.): Me. BETTY (V.O.): So, do you want to drown? EXT. VILLAGE NIGHT Music plays on a stereo, people gather on a doorstep. EXT. RIVER AFTERNOON CHOMPI, in a life vest, holds DULCE in his arms. DULCE: Chompi, are you going deeper? BETTY: No. Hes moving because hes tired. CHOMPI: Come on, quickly. Lets go, Im getting a cramp. BETTY (O.S.): Come on, dont think about it, just do it. CHOMPI urges DULCE on. BETTY swims over. BETTY: Im coming over. We can do it together. DULCE: OK. Lets go. 1...2...and DULCE pushes off from CHOMPI and swims towards the shore. BETTY swims after her. BETTY: Youre almost there! Almost there! DULCE reaches shallow water, stands up. BETTY: How was it? DULCE wipes her face, climbs up on a bench. BETTY: How was it? DULCE shrugs. BETTY: How was it? How did you feel? Good? Yes or no? Yes or no? DULCE: Yes. BETTY: Then lets do it again. EXT. SEA MORNING DULCE sits near the front of a boat with BETTY and four others. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING The boat pulls into shore. The women walk into the forest, BETTY in the rear carrying smudge. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING DULCE squats in the mud with a bucket, digging for shells. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING DULCE brings a shirt full of shells to BETTY (O.S.), who picks through them. BETTY (O.S.): Eight. DULCE tosses the shells from her shirt into a bucket. WOMAN 3: You have four, but you can only keep one. DULCE: One? BETTY: Thats the male. We take care of the females if they are small, we put them back. EXT. MANGROVES MORNING Dulce heads deeper into the forest with another girl, to look for shells farther away from the women. BETTY (O.S.): Dulce, how are we doing? Dulce! EXT. MANGROVES MORNING BETTY leans on a log. The other women around her try to spot DULCE far off through the trees. BETTY: Dulce! Im looking at you, answer me please. DULCE (O.S.): Maam! CUT back to Dulce. BETTY (O.S): How are we doing? DULCE: Fine! BETTY (O.S.): How many do you have? CUT back to BETTY and the women. DULCE (O.S.): Five! BETTY and the other women hoot. BETTY: Oh, really? EXT. MANGROVES MORNING Long shot of DULCE and BETTY walking across the bank, water in the background. DULCE: [reciting a nursery rhyme] At the mangroves, in my boots / I found but trash among the roots. / Leave the small shells where they be / That they may grow, so we can help them. [END CARD] [CREDITS] Ross Douthat: Frank, its good to be back with you. The last time we conversed, we agreed that the Kavanaugh hearings would be a snooze, all grandstanding and no revelations, leading up to the all-but-foregone conclusion of his confirmation. We were mostly right about the hearings, but surely we should have anticipated that the Author of our crazy national melodrama had another narrative trick to play. And now we have it: Brett Kavanaugh, just a few days before what was to be his confirmation vote, stands accused of committing sexual assault as a drunken teenager. How are you processing this? Frank Bruni: Anxiously and with the heaviest of hearts, because its unlikely that this ends in a manner that a significant majority of people, including a mix of Democrats and Republicans, find just and satisfying. The Senate was absolutely right to delay a vote on Kavanaughs confirmation so that there could be consideration of Christine Blasey Fords allegation, because its a serious charge to which she has, at a definite cost, attached her name; because this is a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court that were talking about; and because it really is possible, in the course of sworn testimony from these two and (I hope) other investigation, that well get a clearer, fuller picture of what happened more than 35 years ago. Agree or disagree? Douthat: Agree about the investigation, sadly uncertain about whether well get that clearer picture. The story Blasey has told so far seems like something that very easily could have happened without there being a way of getting the evidence that you would need to feel confident about her veracity. So much will depend on whether its possible to get more detail on the when and where of the alleged incident but even then, we may go through a public airing and still be stuck choosing (through the inevitable partisan lens) between his word and hers. To the Editor: Re Bloomberg Weighs 2020 Run Cast as a Discordant Democrat (front page, Sept. 18): The two most important issues facing society today are climate change and guns. Michael Bloomberg is on the correct side of both of those. He has good experience running a large bureaucracy. He understands the importance of immigration. He respects the truth. He understands the significance of global trade. These issues are fundamental to our nation and the world moving forward. The rest of it, give him a pass. Its called compromise. Hes no flaming liberal, but that works to his advantage. Hes not anti-business, which also is an advantage. His biggest negative is his age, 76 . Mr. Bloomberg would gain the support of many rural Republicans, and most suburban ones. He would win in a landslide. After the chaos of President Trump, this world could use some serious stability. We need to reconnect with our allies. We need to rebuild our multilateral trade relations. We need to stop the flow of carbon dioxide into the air. I would support him. To the Editor: Re Court Pick and Accuser Set for Public Hearings on Sex Assault Claim (front page, Sept. 18): The attempt by the Senate Judiciary Committee to try Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the court of public opinion via televised hearings is a mistake. It invites grandstanding by some politicians and is unfair to all parties concerned. The Federal Bureau of Investigation should investigate these allegations and bring its findings to the committee, where a closed-door hearing should be held. Not only will there be no legal proof at a public hearing of this sort (more like he said/she said), but we have already seen how the senators who may be running for president in 2020 behave at televised hearings. Two peoples futures are at stake here, and I, for one, would not like to allow the Senate Judiciary Committee to be the arbiter of their lives. This situation should not be politicized any more than it already has been. Just another three-ring circus in the Senate. The senators have other things they should be doing. Jan McCarthy Keswick, Va. To the Editor: Attempted rape has long, destructive and painful consequences for many victims. Those who have described what Christine Blasey Ford accuses Brett Kavanaugh of doing as teenage misconduct forgot to ask: How would I have described this act had it been inflicted upon my own 15-year-old daughter? To the Editor: It Pays to Work at Harvard (Sunday Business, Sept. 9) properly recognizes the contribution of student activists who in 2001 took over Harvards administration building demanding more for campus workers . To its credit, the university studied the issue and adopted a new policy mandating that service-job subcontractors pay what Harvard pays employees in comparable jobs. The missing piece from this article is the role played by the Harvard service unions Unite Here Local 26 and the Service Employees Local 32BJ. Before 2001, Unite Here Local 26 had already negotiated wage parity between dining hall workers and employees of Harvards largest food service subcontractor. That was the case for Josue, who was robbed by local criminals as he hiked the 40-mile stretch of remote highway between a Guatemala border city, El Ceibo, and Tenosique, a southern Mexican city. The thieves slipped out of the nearby ranch land and stripped him of his possessions, even taking his sneakers and leaving him with one of the robbers decrepit, fungus-covered pair. According to prosecutors in the southernmost states of Chiapas and Tabasco, these robberies and assaults are fairly common. Women are also singled out for other forms of violence, with Doctors Without Borders reporting that one-third of female migrants suffer sexual abuse while in Mexico. To advance north, the poorest Central Americans climb aboard Mexicos train cars (nicknamed La Bestia, or the Beast) and ride exposed through rain, heat and frigid wind, and with the constant fear of slipping off the sides. They also travel on high alert for the gang members or train security guards who sometimes board the trains to extort or rob the riders. Given these extreme risks along with Mexican officials 2014 crackdown on migrants riding the train through the Southern Border Plan (Programa Frontera Sur) only 12 percent of Central American migrants in 2017 reported to Colegio de la Frontera Norte researchers that they had taken the trains at any point in their journey. Migrants with a little more money use private cars, buses or trailers and move along Mexicos major north-south highways; they pass through the Mexican migration checkpoints by passing as locals or paying off corrupt officials. Some avoid the checkpoints altogether and hike around them. Traveling in vehicles is generally safer for migrants, but there may still be hardships from the varying quality of food, abysmal sleeping arrangements or mistreatment from their guides or fellow migrants. At the United States border, patrol agents and a range of radars, sensors and other technology seek to block the migrants irregular crossing into the United States. In response, some Central Americans may attempt to cross in the remote areas in the vast California or Arizona deserts or near the border city of Ciudad Juarez. Others ask for asylum at ports of entry. But most travel up Mexicos Gulf Coast to reach Reynosa, Tamaulipas. This city shares a border with McAllen, Tex., within the southern Rio Grande Valley. In fiscal 2017, the United States Border Patrol reported that it apprehended two-thirds of all irregular Central American migrants (104,305 in total) in this 320-mile section of the border. On the Mexico side of the border near Reynosa, drug trafficking organizations, particularly the Gulf Cartel and the splinter groups of the Zetas, control the territory and the smuggling routes and act as unofficial tax agents. These groups offer the Central American migrants final security challenge and engage in their signature crime, kidnapping. Their presence gives this area the nefarious distinction of having the highest number of migrant kidnappings. Since 2011, data from Mexicos National Migration Institute has documented 1,034 kidnapping victims in Tamaulipas 75 percent of all migrant kidnapping victims in the country. Women and minors each account for more than a quarter of the victims. But official numbers barely scratch the surface of the crimes committed against migrants in Mexico. Central Americans rarely report the crimes to Mexican authorities because of a lack of trust, fear of repercussions or limited knowledge of the countrys justice system. Josue is a good example. He was able to escape his captors after the Federal Police intercepted a car that was taking him to a second safe house, but he decided not to report the kidnapping given concerns over his safety. When migrants do report these crimes, few are ever investigated or prosecuted. In July 2017, the Washington Office on Latin America reported that only 1 percent of crimes against migrants in Mexico ever reach a conviction. Like Socrates, Wittgenstein saw philosophy as at least as much an exercise in self-honesty as an intellectual endeavor. In a 1931 remark among the collection of notes posthumously published as Culture and Value (Vermischte Bemerkungen, 1977), Wittgenstein writes that philosophys difficulty lies with the will, rather than with the intellect. The same goes for confession. Wittgenstein didnt lack the insight to locate and define his own failings; rather, as Rhees says, Wittgenstein found it difficult to recognize that he had been behaving in a character that was not genuine because he hadnt the will. To escape self-deception Wittgenstein needed to do something that needed courage to confess. Admitting wrongdoing and seeking forgiveness werent Wittgensteins main concerns; his concerns were escaping self-deception and changing himself. Confession fulfills this role because it requires courage and askesis self-discipline. Wittgensteins demands on himself were high: during his confession Pascal asked, What is it? You want to be perfect? to which he proudly replied, Of course I want to be perfect. Wittgenstein saw philosophy in a similarly ascetic way: Working in philosophy, he wrote in 1931, is really more a working on oneself. Rhees writes that Wittgenstein expressed in various letters and personal notes that he wanted to be rid of self-deception regarding his own failings and in this way lead a different life. The aim was to be a different person. A confession, Wittgenstein also wrote in 1931, must be part of your new life. Wittgensteins confession is best understood as part of a spiritual means of self-development. Two thinkers he respected deeply probably influenced him: St. Augustine of Hippo and Tolstoy, both of whom conceive of confession similarly in their autobiographies. The ultimate purpose of Augustines and Tolstoys confessions, like Wittgensteins, was ascetic: self-improvement through the catharsis and penance confession elicits. Wittgensteins desire for self-development went back further than his teaching years. Rhees recalls that Wittgenstein sought to facilitate character change by engaging in activities that would change the way he looked on his life and on himself, including public displays of courage which might motivate self-development, such as being placed in situations where his life was constantly in danger. To this end, in 1916 Wittgenstein requested one of the most dangerous roles in the army, the forward observation post in No Mans Land. This involved the two criteria he saw as the means of escaping self-deception: courage and the askesis such an experience could precipitate. For these reasons, Wittgenstein relished knowing that on every night he stood a good chance of dying. In 1916 he wrote: Yesterday I was shot at. I was scared! I was afraid of death. I now have such a desire to live. For only death, he also wrote in his war diaries, gives life its meaning. Although a coward by his own exalted standards, he was a hero by more conventional ones, testament to which are the medals he received for bravery. Wittgensteins character is as difficult to get to grips with as his philosophy. G.E.M. Anscombe, considered by many to be the greatest philosopher of her generation, as well as another of Wittgensteins literary executors and perhaps his best student, felt deeply suspicious of anyones claim to have understood Wittgenstein. But one thing we can understand about Wittgenstein is that he longed to change himself; and he saw confession as a means to fulfilling this. Be Savvy About Filing Insurance Claims I lived in Seabrook, Tex., on the edge of Galveston Bay, during Hurricane Ike in 2008. Most folks do not know what their insurance policies cover, never read their policies or ask questions when they buy insurance. Most folks also do not realize that their insurance carriers want to pay what is owed and want to find ways to pay the claim. Some of the ways folks can ensure their claim is addressed and adjusted correctly are: taking photographs, separating damaged from undamaged property, mitigating the loss by making temporary repairs, making inventory lists that indicate the value and age of items and exhibiting the damage. Lelia Bentley, Wilkesboro, N.C. I lived through Hurricane Hazel flooding in Pennsylvania. Since Ive been in N.C., the list is long: Bertha, Fran, Bonnie, Floyd, Matthew, Tropical Storm Josephine, Irene, and a few other Category 1s. If your roof is damaged, mitigate the damage and call your insurance company. If you dont have flood insurance do not expect your homeowners policy to pay for flood damage. Clean up the debris in your yard. That is not advice from my past mistakes that is common sense. Take care of each other. Karlene C. Fryxell, Kure Beach, N.C. Line up three reliable contractors to give you an itemized cost estimate before flood adjusters arrive so that you know what you are talking about in terms of repairs and you do not have to take their initial cost estimates. cgafutbol, via Twitter Be Cautious, Dangers Lurk The nightmare starts after the storm has passed. Snakes, bees and other wildlife come out, its super hot, power is off and it goes on and on for days. Francesca Evans, Hampstead, N.C. $3 MILLION 1641 Broadway (between Eldert Street and Hudson Boulevard) Bushwick, Brooklyn This four-story, mixed-use 1931 building, with 25 feet of frontage, has six vacant apartments: three already gut renovated, with exposed brick and new wood floors, and three that the buyer would need to renovate. The 6,900-square-foot building is next to the elevated subway tracks for the J and Z lines. Moe Sports, a clothing shop, has occupied the retail space for about 10 years, and has five years remaining on its lease. Seller: 1641 Broadway Bh Brokers: Anand Melwani and David Rudden, ARM Real Estate Group RECENT SALE Mix It Up Most designers agree that you need more than one source of light in a room. Think layered illumination: Every room should have a mix of lighting, including overhead, accent and task lights. In the living room, for example, you might begin by hanging a decorative ceiling fixture near the center of the room, said Nathan Orsman, a lighting designer based in New York City and Southampton. Then we look toward the outer walls for downlighting that can gently wash the walls, curtains and art with warm, functional brightness, he said. This can be achieved with soffit or valance lighting, or even plug-in torchier floor lamps that bounce light off the ceiling. Depending on a rooms layout, he said, accent lights could be used to highlight art, and table lamps could be placed beside seating to add another layer of light. And for extra ambience, he added, a candle never hurt. The goal, he explained, is to create contrast between the light at the center of the room and around the perimeter, and the darker spaces in between: Without the darker, quieter moments, everything is flat and boring. Its the subtle interplay between light and dark that creates appeal. Later, he contacted SpaceX, which was getting closer to launching its Falcon Heavy rocket, capable of sending missions to the moon. Last year, SpaceX announced that it was in discussions with two people for an around-the-moon trip that would take place in late 2018. On Monday, Mr. Musk said that Mr. Maezawa was one of those people. However, SpaceX decided not to undertake the expense and effort needed to ensure that the Falcon Heavy was safe enough to carry humans, and the tourist trip was deferred. Discussions then moved to using the B.F.R. for the moon trip, even if that meant waiting five years. Mr. Maezawa said he was willing to wait longer, as long as he was still the first private person to get to the moon. Mr. Maezawa, 42, who may be best known in the United States for his purchase in 2017 of a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat for $110 million, said he did not like to be alone and so he would invite five to eight artists and performers to accompany him, part of a project he called Dear Moon. Mr. Maezawa also said that art contributed to his ultimate hope of world peace. Art makes people smile, brings people together. He added that he looked forward to seeing the works of art that would be inspired by the trip and wondered what masterpieces Basquiat, who died in 1988, might have created. When asked whether a trip around the moon was the most beneficial way to spend his fortune, Mr. Maezawa acknowledged the philanthropic efforts of other entrepreneurs, but said, through a translator, I want to contribute to society in a different way. You have a gene called PNMA6F. All people do, but no one knows the purpose of that gene or the protein it makes. And as it turns out, PNMA6F has a lot of company in that regard. In a study published Tuesday in PLOS Biology, researchers at Northwestern University reported that of our 20,000 protein-coding genes, about 5,400 have never been the subject of a single dedicated paper. Most of our other genes have been almost as badly neglected, the subjects of minor investigation at best. A tiny fraction 2,000 of them have hogged most of the attention, the focus of 90 percent of the scientific studies published in recent years. A number of factors are largely responsible for this wild imbalance, and they say a lot about how scientists approach science. The current trend in the United States coincides with the popularity of self-care and wellness products. Its weirdly very political, said Aminatou Sow, a tech entrepreneur and co-host of Call Your Girlfriend, a podcast. Ms. Sow was born in Guinea and grew up partly in Nigeria, where caftans are de rigueur. The glass ceiling isnt shattered, she said, so instead of performing this warrior femininity in a pantsuit women are saying, I can wear my housedress outside. The caftan dates back to ancient Mesopotamia and originates from the old Turkish word kap ton which means covering garment. Sultans in the Ottoman Empire favored these frocks that became the daily uniform in much of the Middle East, India and North Africa. The unisex robes, ideal for hot climates, started to influence Western dressing in the 1960s when hippies traveled to India seeking enlightenment and brought the fashions back with them. Diana Vreeland, Halston, Christian Dior and Balenciaga soon took notice, adorning designer caftans in supple silks and printed velvets. Ms. Taylor became a particular fan, wearing a flowing design by Gina Fratini in 1975 to her second wedding to Richard Burton. Los Angeles is on track to become the largest city in the United States to ban the sale of fur clothing and accessories. On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously for the ban, directing the Los Angeles City Attorney to formulate a policy that would render fur sales illegal. The council expects that the city attorney will return with the requisite language in about a month. The ban will take effect two years from the day it is signed into law. Council member Bob Blumenfield, who introduced the motion, said: This is L.A. taking a stand and saying we will no longer be complicit in the inhumane and vile fur trade thats been going on for years. The average temperature in Los Angeles hovers around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, so fur is maybe not as necessary as in, say, Alaska. But the City Council members hope that their vote could see a ripple effect. They are the new beautiful people and their pronouns are they, their and them. Fashion courts them. Publishers pursue them. Corporations see in them the future of consuming, as generations come of age for whom notions of gender as traditionally constituted seem clunkier than a rotary phone. Why settle for being a man or a woman when you can locate yourself more exactly along the arc of gender identity? And, on another axis , why limit your sexual expression to a single definition when you can glissade along the Kinsey scale? Its all about letting go of gender so you can be everything in between, said Terra Juano, a model with 100,000 Instagram followers who track the booming career and amatory antics of this androgynous Mexican-Filipino beauty with a shaved head, a mile-wide smile, an affection for cowboy hats and an uninhibited tendency to go top free. In the evolving language of gender expression, Terra Juano, though assigned female at birth, identifies as nonbinary. And in business as in life, TJ, a native of Stockton, Calif., has lighted out for a new territory. It is one in which the conventions of both homo- and heteronormative expression are called into question daily. I would tell her, You know what girl? Im going to let you finish because everything youre doing right now is going to create the person I am today, she said. I dont want you to change who you are, because I think the struggle is what makes me special. Its a feeling she hopes comes through in her music, which is as much about building yourself up as it is about accepting where you are. I had to really look myself in the mirror and say, this is it, she said. This is the person I am going to be for the rest of my life and it is not going to change, Lizzo said. I think when you face yourself it is really hard, because youre immediately facing the things you dont like. As she dressed for the show backstage, she considered wearing pants but decided to go for a bodysuit instead bright, regal, tulle on the shoulders. She looked queenly from every angle. Lizzos makeup artist drew a pink line in the beds of her eyelids while her hairdresser stacked scrunchies at the base of her pony and teased its tail. She showed off the Gucci boots she bought on Rodeo Drive. Self-care, she said. LONDON Atelier Wen, a British company set up by two Frenchmen, is scheduled to go live Oct. 12 on Kickstarter with a $500 watch that it says will be made entirely in China but using the same materials, machinery and skills as Swiss watch manufacturers. Robin Tallendier, who last year registered the company with his business partner, Wilfried Buiron, said the brand was designed to attract young Western millennials looking for authenticity and transparency in their purchases. Our customers will know what theyre buying: a 100 percent Chinese watch, he said. Mr. Tallendier, 23, said buyers were increasingly aware that the laws governing the use of the Swiss Made stamp that appeared on many luxury watches allowed brands to shop around for parts, and that the result was not fair to customers. His view has been shared by many in Switzerland. In 2016, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry successfully lobbied the Swiss Federal Council to toughen the Swiss Made ordinance, so now 60 percent of value of a completed watch, and of its movement, must have been added in Switzerland, and the technical development of a watch and its movement must have occurred in the country. SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland When Christoph Grainger-Herr, chief executive of the Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, was studying architecture in 2000 at Bournemouth University in Britain, he spent a week in Barcelona sketching the well-known pavilion designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the 1929 International Exposition. Its fascinating because its a version of modernism thats not breaking with the past, Mr. Grainger-Herr said. I thought it was very appropriate for what were trying to do here. He was referring to IWCs new watch factory on the outskirts of this Rhine River town, less than an hours drive north of Zurich. At a cost of 42 million Swiss francs, or $43.2 million, the 145,000-square-foot building, opened in late August, brings together for the first time IWCs case making, movement part making and assembly operations. When did age become an issue in the watch industry? It could have been 2015, when Apple introduced its watch and millennials began to have a significant impact on luxury sales from the United States to China. But it certainly was by 2016, when Johann Rupert, chairman of the Richemont luxury group, whose brands include IWC Schaffhausen and Vacheron Constantin, announced that he wanted to see less gray men in top management. Mr. Ruperts statement turned out to be a prelude to sweeping changes in the group. Last week, he appointed Jerome Lambert, 49, a former head of both Jaeger-LeCoultre and Montblanc, to the newly revived position of Richemont chief executive. And in May, along with the takeover of the online retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter, Richemont continued the corporate shakeout of its Specialist Watchmakers division with the appointment that same month of Catherine Renier, 43, as chief executive of Jaeger-LeCoultre and, in June, of Geoffroy Lefebvre, 41, as head of Baume & Mercier. Ms. Renier became the second female chief executive at Richemont, following Chabi Nouri, now 44, who was named head of Piaget in April 2017. That was about the same time that Christoph Grainger-Herr, now 40, took the helm at IWC, and Louis Ferla, now 43, became chief executive at Vacheron Constantin. A FEW DAYS AFTER Sept. 11, the artist Robert Longo noticed his youngest son, 6-year-old Joseph, standing in his bedroom in their Brooklyn apartment before a skyscraper made of Montessori blocks. Longo watched as the boy rammed it methodically with one of the three-inch cast-metal planes he collected, a Boeing 767-223ER, the exact model Mohamed Atta had just used to fly into the first tower of the World Trade Center. He just kept crashing it into the blocks, Longo, 65, recalls, over and over and over. I just cant get the image out of my head. Soon after, Longo began to translate the memory into a sculpture that he is still working on to this day. He began designing a life-size replica of a 159-foot-long 767-223ER, with an epoxy-resin charcoal-blackened exterior, which he planned to show someday at the Deichtorhallen museum in Hamburg, Germany, where its fuselage would command the entire central space, one wing jutting through the buildings arched windows like a charred limb. Viewers would maneuver around the piece, leaving footprints in the charcoal dust. Longo always imagined displaying the work in Hamburg because Atta had lived there; a friend of Longos had, some years before the attacks, been a passenger in Attas taxi and had forgotten in the back seat a gift for his young daughter, which Atta had demanded money to return. But the 17-year slog to realize the work the artist calls The First Plane is still ongoing. There have been endless prototypes, numerous engineering studies, countless rounds of fund-raising. Scheduling at the Deichtorhallen, where the work was originally to be shown in February, has been problematic thats what happens when deadlines sprawl and it occurred to Longo that he should contact the families of the victims who died in the flight to ensure the installation has their blessing. Where less dogged artists might consider each complication a deal breaker, Longo regards them as wrinkles. The image of his son and the first plane remains undimmed. Despite its elusiveness, the project has become in some ways as emotionally essential to him as the Men in the Cities charcoal drawing series that made his reputation in the 1980s. I have no idea how long this will ultimately take me, he says. You just keep going. You dont let it die. Margaret Howell, the designer and director of the timeless British brand of the same name, likes to celebrate her birthday with a swim in the sea. Its a tradition shes continued since she was a little girl in 1950s England; now a preternaturally youthful 72, her enthusiasm shows no sign of waning. Since buying her Modernist holiday home on the Suffolk coast, near the small town of Woodbridge, close to 20 years ago, these swims have become more and more frequent. Im outdoors here most of the time, says Howell, whose modest four-bedroom retreat, designed by the Swiss architect Rudy Mock, sits on a narrow lane that meanders for half a mile, all the way down to the beach. This starkly beautiful escape offers solace from the daily demands of the global brand that Howell established in 1970 with mens shirts that were quickly sold by Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren. Her precisely tailored, utilitarian clothes for both men and women have found fans in the actor Bill Nighy and the multihyphenate Alexa Chung and continue to make her as popular in Japan (where the brand has over 100 stores) as she is in England. A native of South London where she is currently in the throes of renovating a new home Howell instantly connected to the remoteness of Suffolks Deben Peninsula, with its arable farmland and unpopulated coast where whole swathes of shoreline have been eroded by the incessant push and pull of the North Sea. Its not particularly pretty, says Howell. But it felt like home. It is here, while drying off after a dip in her favored sheltered bay, or taking a brisk walk along the coastline checkered with Napoleonic-era Martello towers that Howell started spotting tiny treasures among the shingles and her collection of stones, bones, painted driftwood and seashore ephemera began. Its beachcombing really, she says of the practice, which has resulted in small, artful assemblages of seaside finds that quietly inhabit every corner of every room of her home. On one stretch of her living rooms concrete mantelpiece, beside a vase of foraged horseradish leaves, is the following: a stone resembling a miniscule torso, a tattered red silk childs shoe atop a hand-shaped wooden stand, a fossil, a flat piece of flint that mimics a fish and a driftwood plinth displaying a row of pebbles. Even the lumps of coal on the hearth found their way into her pockets on a recent coastal trek. DEL RIO, Tex. In this tiny town at the edge of South Texas brush country, a black steel fence runs along the Mexican border. About 15 feet high and topped by small metal spires that bend toward Mexico, it stretches west from a Border Patrol checkpoint for about a mile and a half. Then it stops. Where the fence ends, a creek snakes off the Rio Grande, up through a private ranch where cattle wander between the mesquite trees. There, beside the creek gully, a small black cylinder sits atop a metal pole, looming over the small trees. It is a lidar sensor, the same laser-based technology that gives sight to self-driving cars. From its perch, it captures a three-dimensional image of anyone who walks into the area. The sensor belongs to a Silicon Valley start-up called Quanergy, one of a number of companies trying to land business along the Mexican border. While President Trump still vows to build a physical border wall, these companies hope to help build a virtual wall that some policymakers believe would be more effective than miles of concrete and metal. A virtual wall would not offer a physical deterrence, but some people believe it would be cheaper to build and maintain. The only way to have operational control of the border is to look at all 2,000 miles of it at the same time, said Representative Will Hurd, a Republican who represents Val Verde County, west of San Antonio. And the only way to do that is through technology. And I hadnt even gotten to the mountains. Logistics made far more sense once I gave myself over to the best organized and most helpful tourism department I have encountered in all my many months of travel. The ladies behind the counter steered me to a three-day Tell-Pass, which for 210 Swiss francs (about $216), gave me unlimited transportation on boats, trains, buses and cable cars in Central Switzerland and helped with my general sense of sticker shock. Considering that most mountains cost $100 to get to, and get up and down and even beer in Switzerland can set you back $10 it was an unequivocal steal, even for someone moving at the quite reasonable pace of one mountain a day. I made it up four, for a saving of some $200. The friends you meet on mountaintops All Id heard coming to Lucerne was that I needed to go to the top of Mount Pilatus, the areas signature peak, that, according to legend, was once home to a dragon with healing powers, and may or may not contain the grave of Pontius Pilate. All Id been hearing from the tourism office during my first few, very rainy days, though, was that the summit would be shrouded in clouds and not worth my money and effort. Restless to get out of the city, I finally took my chances on the lower-elevation Mount Rigi, which was hardly a downgrade; it promised a glorious morning boat ride to Europes oldest mountain railway, and a hiking trail lined with wildflowers. On the way up, I had spotted an intergenerational trio of American women travelers who seemed to be having a ton of fun. I tried out my go-to pickup line for making friends on mountain summits: Hey, would you like me to take your picture for you? Within minutes we were bounding off to a lookout point, making plans to get a beer at a ski lodge cafe and debating whether or not we felt sorry for the cows grazing on the slopes with bells ding-donging on their necks, as if being followed by Will Ferrell in that Blue Oyster Cult Saturday Night Live sketch. One member of the group, Minnie Nguyen, who goes by Nhi, told me shed gone up to Mount Titlis the day before another mountain I had wanted to see but had vetoed because of bad weather. She couldnt see a thing, she said, but how incredibly glorious it was to walk out on a suspension bridge in a canyon in the middle of a cloud: It was like flying in an airplane without any windows! Communing with dragons It took me another two days to get to Mount Titlis, the areas only publicly accessible glacier, at an altitude of 9,900 feet. And while the views were as spectacular as promised, the experience felt like going through a tourism obstacle course. You step off a rotating cable car into a blue-lit ice cave, walk across the suspension bridge, go up and down the Ice Flyer (a ski lift) and go home more engineering than nature. As a snowboarder, the winter wonderland of mild sledding slopes didnt appeal. But for families, its perfect. I nearly cried watching two young boys from Goa touch snow for the very first time. Spurred on by Ms. Nguyens rain or no rain sunny attitude, I also headed to Mount Pilatus on an iffy weather day, ascending via the worlds steepest cogwheel railway (48 percent gradient). It really did look like the realm of dragons, with views of 73 neighboring peaks from barren cliffs at the top of the world. On a platform, a trio of musicians played wooden alphorn wind instruments, which stretched the length of two people, stacked one on the other, and echoed to the top of every lookout. WILMINGTON, N.C. J. Michael Hutson stood with his neighbors at the edge of the Northeast Cape Fear River on Tuesday morning, watching as its menacing brown waters advanced on their homes. This is the nastiest Ive ever seen it, Mr. Hutson, 66, said of the tributary of the famed 202-mile river, the biggest in North Carolina. On a sunny summer day, its unobstructed views of a wide blue sky draw people from all over the state, the fishing and boating on its glassy waters an adventure for countless families and friends. But the Cape Fear River in Wilmington can also be a beast, surging madly from its bed to overtake houses and send residents like Angela Baynes fleeing for higher ground. Ms. Baynes spent Tuesday morning running back and forth between a river gauge website on her computer and the river itself, watching anxiously as the murky waters swallowed up the boat ramp parking lot and officials urged people to evacuate before the flooding got worse. She and her family had their bags packed and their car gassed up in case they needed to leave. Well, the wait for our friends in Germany is now over - The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains opened to the public on Saturday, in a city that the Floyd played in a number of times, from the 1977 In The Flesh tour onwards. Dortmund is the city, and the Dortmunder U is the location. The venue is a former brewery building, which for the last eight years has been a centre for the arts and creativity. Situated close to the city's centrally located railway station, it's in an ideal position. You can find out more about the museum, and the exhibition, via dortmunder-u.de. With the Rome, Italy, staging of the exhibition, there were some adjustments to the items displayed, not least an inclusion of items specific to that country. We suspect the same changes have been made for Dortmund, with materials relating to German shows being included amongst the exhibits. If you are going, or have already visited, please let us know what you thought! This latest staging of the exhibition runs until February 10th 2019 and tickets are now available through this direct link at Eventim.de. As with the London and Rome stagings of the exhibition it is definitely recommended that you book your tickets in advance, to ensure entrance at a time that suits you. Tickets for popular times for the previous stagings (for example, late morning on Saturdays or Sundays) naturally sold strongly, with some time slots selling out completely, so please bear this in mind. There should also be some Dortmund specific merchandise on offer at the Dortmunder U, as well as online via the official Pink Floyd store. This will probably include posters, prints, t-shirts and suchlike. Finally, here's an official trailer for the exhibition: GARLAND, N.C. After Hurricane Matthew stomped into his trailer home and pulped his floors, walls and cabinets two years ago, Bobby Barnes Jr. spent $90,000 to rebuild and protect himself from another flood. He raised the house two feet onto brick pilings, bought $1,300 worth of flood fencing and said he complied with every federal recommendation. But on Tuesday morning, his family was underwater again. The Black River, 10 feet above flood stage and still rising, was now a lake that had swallowed farm fields around the Barness house. The water lapped at their front door and sloshed around the newly laid floors. Its back, Mr. Barnes said. Same nightmare. It was the kind of tragic, expensive, depressing rerun that played out across much of the Carolinas this week, not only on the coast, but in inland communities like this one in Sampson County, blessed with tobacco and turkeys, not sea and sand. Throughout the region, residents like Mr. Barnes were struggling to put soggy homes and soggy lives back together yet again, amid palpable anxiety that the Carolinas seem to be confronting a new normal of too many storms, with too much water coming much too often. When you looked at that horrible woman last night, you said President Trump has long favored a take-no-prisoners approach against women who accuse men of sexual misconduct and abuse. The stories are total fiction. That was Trump in 2016 after multiple women leveled allegations against him. Here was Trump back in 1998, applauding then- President Bill Clinton for standing tall in the face of allegations. This guy has got to be the toughest guy to take the kind of abuse that hes taking. Heres what he had to say about one of Clintons accusers, Paula Jones. Paula Jones is a loser. Now comes an accusation of sexual assault against Trumps Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh. We want to get to the bottom of everything. We want everybody to be able to speak up and to speak out. Trumps usual ferocity is missing. Look, if she shows up, and makes a credible showing, thatll be very interesting and well have to make a decision, but, I can only say this: he is such an outstanding man, very hard for me to imagine that anything happened. One theory is that this softer approach is designed to avoid inflaming the public. Is this all politics? I dont want to say that. Whatever the reason, it stands in stark contrast to his other defenses of allegedly abusive men. A look at his past statements shows a man whos quick to defend other men. The president vouched for Rob Porter, a former White House aide who was accused of physical and verbal abuse by two ex-wives. Porter denied the allegations. He says hes innocent, and I think you have to remember that. Trump also defended Roy Moore, the former Republican Alabama Senate candidate. Moore is accused of sexual misconduct against teenage girls. Well, he denies it. Look. He denies it. I mean, if you look at what is really going on and you look at all the things that have happened over the last 48 hours, he totally denies it. President Trump then campaigned for Moore, who eventually lost. So get out and vote for Roy Moore. Five women received settlements after making harassment claims against Fox News host Bill OReilly. He was later forced off the network. OReilly denied the allegations. Hes a person I know well. He is a good person, adding, I think he shouldnt have settled. I dont think Bill did anything wrong. In 2016, a reporter accused Trumps former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, of grabbing and bruising her arm at a campaign rally. A lot of people are looking and saying, How can anybody be charged? He was she was actually, if you look at her, in my book and according to a lot of people, shes grabbing at me, and hes acting as an intermediary and trying to block her from doing that. When Trump has come out against men accused of sexual misconduct, they tend to be political rivals. He slammed former Senator Al Franken, a Democrat, after a photo surfaced of him appearing to grope a woman. The Al Frankenstein picture is really bad. Speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures two, three, four, five and six? Trump also criticized Harvey Weinstein, a major Democratic Party donor, after allegations that he engaged in rampant sexual harassment and abuse. Ive known Harvey Weinstein for a long time. Im not at all surprised to see it. Meanwhile, even as he holds his fire against Kavanaughs accuser, Trump has another target for his attacks: the Democrats. Why didnt the Democrats bring it up then? Because they obstruct and because they resist. Thats the name of their campaign against me. They just resist and they just obstruct. Missouri. Gateway to the West. Barbecue, baseball and the blues. [Blues music] Home of Truman, Twain and the father of rock n roll. [Rock n roll music] Oh, and this thing. This former swing state packs political power. And while these days its leaning more red, its also home to one of the tightest Senate races in the nation. Its a contest between a straight-talking, but politically vulnerable, Democratic incumbent. Its dirty. Its unfair. But you know what? Its worth it. And an attorney general backed by President Trump. Our country is at a critical turning point. So whats at stake? Trump won Missouri. But his popularity there is teetering. I love you people. This race? It could be a referendum on his presidency. Its also one of the G.O.P.s best shots at adding a seat to their slim majority in the Senate. So who are the candidates? Claire McCaskill: the Democrat. When I think its the right thing for Missouri, I go after it. She was elected to the Statehouse in 1982 and became the first female prosecutor for a large county in Missouri. McCaskill is known as a moderate Democrat who says she isnt afraid to buck the party line. I could care less what the national party thinks, or what theyre doing. Shes also one of the wealthiest sitting senators in Congress, and its something shes taken some heat for. Claire spent big bucks chartering a private plane with public funds, a plane they co-owned. The Republican? Josh Hawley. Hes young and telegenic. Josh is a star. He went to an Ivy League school and clerked for a Supreme Court justice. Nine months after becoming Missouris attorney general, he announced his Senate candidacy. Im going to run for the United States Senate. That didnt really match up with his promise not to be a ladder-climbing politician. Using one office to get another. Also, his short time as attorney general has been characterized by chaotic management and high costs for taxpayers. Both candidates have tried to paint the other as out of touch with real Missourians. D.C. changed Claire McCaskill. Josh Hawley. Hes just part of the problem in Jefferson City. So what about the issues? Hawley is pretty happy with just about all of Trumps policies. Ill tell you what, hes delivering big for the state of Missouri and the United States of America, isnt he? Hes defended tariffs, and the practice of family separations for those who cross into the U.S. illegally. Hes also part of a lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act. It has proven to be outrageously expensive for federal taxpayers. McCaskill mostly likes Obamacare but thinks it needs a few fixes. Im not afraid to fight for folks health care. Shes supported more Trump administration moves in the Senate than most other Democrats. I voted for more than half of his cabinet members. I vote with him half the time. Including a law rolling back regulations on banks. But she voted against both of Trumps Supreme Court picks. And the polls? The margins are razor-thin. So the Show-Me State? Theyll be showing the nation just where they stand on Nov. 6. [Rapping] WASHINGTON Trump administration officials told a Senate panel on Tuesday that a decades-old court ruling that limits the length of time migrant children can be detained hampers the governments ability to stem illegal immigration, and needs to be amended by Congress. The officials, from the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, said the 1997 consent decree known as the Flores agreement had encouraged hundreds of thousands of migrants to illegally cross the southwestern border with their children, knowing that they will not be detained if they are traveling with minors. Under the court agreement, migrant children cannot be detained for more than 20 days. It creates a business model for smugglers, Robert E. Perez, the acting deputy commissioner for Customs and Border Protection, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Joseph Edlow, an acting deputy assistant attorney general, said modifying the court agreement would cut off one of the pull-factors for migrants coming to the United States from Central American countries. Good Tuesday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today. Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, and the woman who accused him of sexual assault are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week. [Read the story] President Trump plans to cap the number of refugees who can be resettled in the United States next year at 30,000, a record low. [Read the story] Mr. Trump said the United States would impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and was prepared to tax all imports. [Read the story] Mr. Trump ordered law enforcement and intelligence officials to declassify documents related to the Russia investigation and other inquiries. [Read the story] Not satisfied with just one tweet, Mr. Rubio followed up with four more on the topic on Monday and even more on Tuesday. In one of the tweets on Monday, he shared the phone number for the chefs steakhouse in Miami, one of two locations in the United States, in case anyone wanted to call, said Mr. Rubio, whose state has the largest Venezuelan-American population in the country. Before long, the videos had been deleted. In the clips preserved by The Herald, Mr. Gokce grips the meat and the knife while wearing black disposable gloves. Mr. Maduro, puffing on a cigar, smiles and laughs. Later, the president admires a shirt the chef presents him. And before Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, leave the restaurant, the chef and the president embrace in a hug. The rack of lamb, which Mr. Gokce cut into individual chops, costs $250 at his restaurant in Manhattan. Meanwhile in Venezuela, food prices have skyrocketed to the point where people go without meals and two-thirds of hospitals said in 2016 that they did not have any infant formula for babies. The virtual uproar seemed to encapsulate something about this bizarre eras intersection of politics and pop culture. An over-the-top celebrity chef made famous by Instagram had inadvertently exposed the high life of a leader regarded as a despot by his neighbors. Mr. Maduro already had a reputation as an infamous glutton indifferent to hunger in his country, having once been caught sneaking bits of an empanada while giving a live address on TV. And then there was the senator, a failed candidate for president of a country that once considered supporting a coup in Venezuela, adopting a tactic used by President Trump, the man who defeated him in the Republican primaries: using Twitter to put his target on blast. MEXICO CITY The morgue had a problem: It had run out of space for fresh corpses. Violence was soaring and new bodies were arriving every day, yet there was no place to store them. Authorities in the western Mexican state of Jalisco hit on a short-term solution: They rented a refrigerated truck and parked it at the morgue, the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences, near the state capital, Guadalajara. That was two years ago. The stopgap measure seemed to be working fine until the truck, with some 170 corpses on board, was driven off the lot on Sept. 7 and began a strange journey around the Guadalajara area, trailed by resident complaints of putrid smells and human rights denunciations of the inhumane treatment of the cadavers. Such events represent a lack of respect for the dignity of the deceased and violate their fundamental rights and those of their family members, the National Human Rights Commission said Tuesday in a statement. Mr. Xu had been interrogated many times before, like in 2005, when he was beat up in the city of Linyi for visiting the blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng. But this time, his interrogators tried a different tactic. As soon as I sat down in the interrogation room, a new face, a man in his thirties, unleashed a torrent of invective and abuse. Who do you think you are? Scum, bastard, degenerate he exhausted almost all of the insulting words there are in the Chinese language. He paced back and forth, waving his arms, stomping his feet, twisting out his cigarette butts, making threatening gestures and monstrously screaming. It seemed that he was about to tear me to pieces and gobble me up. Both my hands were shackled to the iron chair, and I sat quietly. This went on for about an hour. Then he stopped. The room became quiet. I raised my head, and looking into his eyes, asked him, Are you done performing? I was genuinely concerned for this person. Who is he? What did he just do? For whom? How could he utter those words if he had the slightest sense of right and wrong? Unless he is mentally ill he is not, he is putting on a show. It was like watching from high above as a little marionette shook and screamed loudly on the blue earth. He looked so pathetic that I had to show my concern. He suddenly fell apart. He said, in a succession of quick utterances, Alas, I am really sorry; I was indeed performing; oh dear, I really cant do this job! Why are they asking me to do this? He had completely forgotten about his colleagues around him, as well as the watching eyes supervising them in another room. Later, we chatted for a while. He was a graduate of Renmin University. He repeatedly apologized, saying that he shouldnt have cursed and insulted me, and that he had failed. If I had any fear, or felt humiliated, they would have won. Whatever worked on you, they would use it against you. For me, beating would only inspire me. In Linyi, Shandong Province, at the entrance of the black jail in the youth hostel, brutal violence did not make me submit. Nor did insults have any use. In a post-totalitarian society, ideology is dead. There is no more class hatred. Beating people is just a job, a role to play. Both militaries will also remove some of the heavily armed guard posts they have built within the Demilitarized Zone, the 2.5-mile-wide buffer zone along the border, the agreement said. South Korean analysts have warned that much is at stake in Mr. Moons efforts to mediate a breakthrough in the stalled dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. They said that if he failed to coax Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim to hold a second summit meeting, following up on their June talks in Singapore, the Korean Peninsula might revert to the roiling tensions of last year. When Mr. Moons special envoys visited Mr. Kim in Pyongyang earlier this month, he told them that he was willing to denuclearize within Mr. Trumps first term. But he said he would start taking phased actions toward that goal only if Washington reciprocated with simultaneous measures to prove that it was no longer hostile, the envoys said. At the same time, the North is continuing to expand its nuclear arsenal. As a first step, the North wants the United States to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. The war was halted in a truce, not formally with a peace treaty, 65 years ago, leaving the peninsula still technically at war. Next week, Mr. Moon is expected to brief Mr. Trump during a trip to the United Nations. Then, Mr. Trump is expected to decide whether he will meet with Mr. Kim again. White House officials said last week that Mr. Kim had recently proposed a second meeting. LOWER MAKEFIELD - The township said thank you to its veterans on Saturday with a flag-waving, patriotic parade down Edgewood Road and a ceremony at Veterans Square that included the unveiling of a new bronze plaque and commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. All along the parade route, applause filled the air as veterans proudly marched and... The panel has called on the United Nations Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or to set up an international tribunal to prosecute those, including the army chief, who have been identified as responsible for the violence. It also urged the Security Council to introduce an arms embargo on Myanmar and to impose targeted sanctions on individuals, including travel bans and asset freezing. Any engagement in any form with the Tatmadaw, its current leadership and its businesses is indefensible, the panel said, referring to the military. Unusually for a human rights investigation, the report called for an overhaul of the military and for constitutional changes to end the political dominance of generals. The panel said that Tatmadaw leaders should be replaced, the military placed under civilian oversight, and the generals grip on Parliament abolished. We see accountability as essential but not sufficient, Christopher Sidoti, a member of the panel, told the rights council, urging fundamental change to Myanmars Constitution. The transition from military rule to a civilian-led government, which allowed the Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to become the de facto head of state, ground to a halt and even regressed after she took office, he remarked later to reporters. Democracy cant be built on a foundation of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, he said. At least 750 villagers were killed in the attack on Min Gyi, the panel said. At least 10,000 people were killed in clearance operations lasting more than two months, it reported, drawing on 875 interviews with victims and witnesses from a range of ethnic groups and religious backgrounds. Satellite imagery showed that 40 percent of the villages in northern Rakhine had been totally or partly destroyed. GILGIT-BALTISTAN, Pakistan On a clear night last month, Shams al-Haq woke to the smell of smoke and the sight of the schoolhouse near his fruit farm going up in flames. Mr. Haq and his neighbors spent hours fighting the fire until dawn, when it became a lost cause. They soon learned that it was one of 14 schools, most of them for girls, set ablaze on the same night, over just an hour in Gilgit-Baltistan, a mountainous territory stretching across northern Pakistan. Once again, it seemed girls education in Pakistan was under assault by militants. The extremists have shown what frightens them most a girl with a book, tweeted Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel laureate and education advocate who as a young student was gravely wounded by Taliban gunmen six years ago in Swat, a nearby valley. But since then, the easy explanation has come to look like only part of the story to some who live here. And as dozens of Pakistani soldiers moved into the area after the fires, many residents began considering new theories about who and what might have been behind the arson spree. BERLIN Germanys chief of domestic intelligence was removed from his post on Tuesday after a public rift with Chancellor Angela Merkel raised questions about whether Germanys security apparatus was too sympathetic to the far right to monitor its links to neo-Nazi groups effectively. Following far-right protests in the eastern city of Chemnitz, Hans-Georg Maassen, the spy chief, questioned the authenticity of a video showing an immigrant being chased by far-right protesters, directly contradicting the chancellor. Since then, calls for his resignation had increased. But on far-right forums and rallies, Mr. Maassen has been celebrated as a hero and a defender of truth. The standoff had become the latest test for an ever-weaker and embattled chancellor, whose fragile government depends on support from both the left and the increasingly emboldened right wing of her own coalition. Unable to fire her rebellious chief spy without risking the collapse of her government, Ms. Merkel agreed to have him promoted into a senior position in the Interior Ministry, with a higher salary. Dr. Karl Max Einhaupl, the head of the Charite, said that the doctors who had cared for him in Moscow had done a good job and been very cooperative in sharing information with their colleagues in Berlin. Mr. Verzilovs mother, Elena Verzolova, and Ms. Nikulshina said they believed he might have been deliberately poisoned by the Russian security authorities. They decided to take him out of Russia, and accompanied him to Berlin. I think he will be more safe here, Ms. Verzolova said, adding that she felt reassured to have a second opinion on his condition. It would be really dangerous for him to go back, because probably it was assassination attempt if not it was intimidation because probably he knew something that he wasnt supposed to know, said Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of the original Pussy Riot activists, who used to be married to Mr. Verzilov and met the family in Berlin. Pussy Riot, widely known as a punk band unsparing in its criticism of President Vladimir V. Putin and the Russian government, gained notoriety in 2012 when three of its members were sentenced to two years in prison on charges of hooliganism, leading to worldwide protests. Mr. Verzilov and Ms. Nikulshina were two of the four activists who interrupted the soccer World Cup final on July 15 that was attended by Mr. Putin. They were sentenced to 15 days in jail each. Two weeks ago, Ms. Nikulshina was once again arrested at a traffic stop and was detained by the police for two nights, she said. On the day he fell ill, Mr. Verzilov and other friends had spent the afternoon in and around the courthouse, waiting for her release. JERUSALEM Syrian forces accidentally shot down a Russian military plane after an Israeli airstrike on Syrian territory, Kremlin officials said Tuesday, the worst case of friendly fire for Russia in the Syrian war. The accident on Monday night briefly caused a crisis in Russia-Israel relations as the Kremlin blamed the Israelis, underscoring the risks of escalation from unintended consequences among the different forces operating in Syria. All 15 Russian service members aboard were killed in the antiaircraft barrage that downed the plane, which had apparently been misidentified by Syrian gunners as Israeli. Russia intervened in Syria three years ago to help President Bashar al-Assad prevail in a brutal civil war. The Russians have shown extraordinary tolerance toward Israels military, which has carried out more than 200 airstrikes over two years in Syria aimed at Iran-backed Shiite militias that Israel regards as a threat. Our poll is a good result for Democrats. Its just one poll, though. Could concern over a trade war cost the Republican incumbent? We made 17716 calls, and 502 people spoke to us. This survey was conducted by The New York Times Upshot and Siena College. Hey, Im Alex Burns, a politics correspondent for The Times. Ill give you the latest reporting and intel on the midterms and take your questions from the campaign trail. Its generally best to look at a single poll in the context of other polls: Ms. Finkenauer, 29, who was elected to the Iowa Legislature in 2014, has focused on pro-labor policies and on protecting womens health and reproductive rights. She and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have a chance to be the first women under 30 elected to Congress. Iowa relies on global trade, and a trade war could be a problem for Mr. Blum . Im not on the ledge ready to jump out the window concerning trade, but I do have the window open a little bit, he said. Mr. Blum, a software entrepreneur from Dubuque, has emphasized his bootstrap origins: His mother cleaned houses for a living, and his father left school in 10th grade. He identifies as a Tea Party Republican, and is considered a member of the House Freedom Caucus . This district backed Barack Obama twice by double digits, then Donald J. Trump won it by four points. is the incumbent, first elected in 2014, and a former businessman. 35% favorable rating; 53% unfavorable; 12% dont know But sampling error is not the only type of error in a poll. One reason were doing these surveys live is so you can see the uncertainty for yourself. As we reach more people, our poll will become more stable and the margin of sampling error will shrink. The changes in the timeline below reflect that sampling error, not real changes in the race. Our turnout model Theres a big question on top of the standard margin of error in a poll: Who is going to vote? Its a particularly challenging question this year, since special elections have shown Democrats voting in large numbers. To estimate the likely electorate, we combine what people say about how likely they are to vote with information about how often they have voted in the past. In previous races, this approach has been more accurate than simply taking people at their word. But there are many other ways to do it. Our poll under different turnout scenarios Who will vote? Est. turnout Our poll result People who say they are almost certain to vote, and no one else 245k Finkenauer +25 The types of people who voted in 2014 286k Finkenauer +11 Our estimate 306k Finkenauer +14 People whose voting history suggests they will vote, regardless of what they say 314k Finkenauer +13 People who say they will vote, adjusted for past levels of truthfulness 318k Finkenauer +15 The types of people who voted in 2016 367k Finkenauer +12 Every active registered voter 472k Finkenauer +14 Just because one candidate leads in all of these different turnout scenarios doesnt mean much by itself. They dont represent the full range of possible turnout scenarios, let alone the full range of possible election results. The types of people we reached Even if we got turnout exactly right, the margin of error wouldnt capture all of the error in a poll. The simplest version assumes we have a perfect random sample of the voting population. We do not. People who respond to surveys are almost always too old, too white, too educated and too politically engaged to accurately represent everyone. How successful we were in reaching different kinds of voters Called Inter- viewed Success rate Our responses Goal 18 to 29 1 7 5 5 4 2 1 in 42 8% 9% 30 to 64 9 6 9 4 2 8 7 1 in 34 57% 57% 65 and older 3 7 9 2 1 7 3 1 in 22 34% 34% Male 6 7 0 6 2 0 0 1 in 34 40% 47% Female 8 5 3 6 3 0 2 1 in 28 60% 53% White 1 2 5 9 8 4 1 9 1 in 30 83% 83% Nonwhite 7 2 7 2 1 1 in 35 4% 5% Cell 9 9 7 2 2 8 6 1 in 35 57% Landline 5 2 7 0 2 1 6 1 in 24 43% Pollsters compensate by giving more weight to respondents from under-represented groups. Here, were weighting by age, party registration, gender, likelihood of voting, race, education and region, mainly using data from voting records files compiled by L2, a nonpartisan voter file vendor. But weighting works only if you weight by the right categories and you know what the composition of the electorate will be. In 2016, many pollsters didnt weight by education and overestimated Hillary Clintons standing as a result. Here are other common ways to weight a poll: Our poll under different weighting schemes Our poll result Weight using census data instead of voting records, like most public polls Finkenauer +19 Dont weight by party registration, like most public polls Finkenauer +18 Dont weight by education, like many polls in 2016 Finkenauer +15 Our estimate Finkenauer +14 Just because one candidate leads in all of these different weighting scenarios doesnt mean much by itself. They dont represent the full range of possible weighting scenarios, let alone the full range of possible election results. Australias strawberry industry has been brought to its knees after reports of sharp needles found in store-bought strawberries have been coming in from all the six of the countrys states. So far, no one knows who is behind this act of agroterrorism or what their motives are. What started as an isolated case in Queensland, earlier this month, has gradually turned into a nation-wide panic, as more needles were found all around the country. Things have reportedly gotten so bad that some growers have recalled much of their strawberries and turned to metal detectors to restore customer confidence. The only problem is that no one knows at one point from the growers to store shelves the needles are being inserted, and until more information about this aspect becomes available, theres no clear way to solve the problem. Photo: Couleur/Pixabay The first needle was discovered in a strawberry in Queensland, last week, but several other reports soon coming in from the state, as well as from South Australia, Western Australia and all the other states. While most of the people who found metallic needles in strawberry were reportedly ok, there was the case of a 21-year-old man from Queensland who bit into a metal needle and swallowed part of it. He was hospitalized after complaining of abdominal pain. Authorities have started a thorough investigation of what is being referred to as commercial terrorism, and have urged people to slice strawberries before eating them, to avoid injuries. The Queensland state government has offered a A$100,000 ($72,000) reward for any relevant information regarding this matter. The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association has suggested that the needles may have been placed inside the strawberries by a disgruntled employee, while other sources have claimed that some cases may be copycat incidents, but police said it is to early to speculate. One thing is for sure, these needles have brought the Australian strawberry to its knees. People have already stopped buying strawberries and New Zealand two largest food distributors have halted imports due to the scare. Im angry for all the associated people its the farmers, the people who supply them, the packaging people, the truckies with families to support, who suddenly lose their jobs, Adrian Schultz, vice president of the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association, told ABC. Its far reaching. Strawberry prices have plummeted all around Australia, with prices in some are now below production costs, which will affect next years crops as well,as some growers will probably be unable to break even this year. The act of sticking sharp needles in strawberries has been described as a vicious crime and a general attack on the public. How could any right-minded person want to put a baby or a child or anybodys health at risk by doing such a dreadful act? Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk asked on Saturday. Thats a fair question, but one that many Australians are still waiting to be answered. South Korean parents are increasingly turning to uncle service providers to make sure their children dont have to put up with bullying in schools. Such services are apparently a pricey but efficient alternative to having schools handle the matter. Earlier this month, Korean media reported on the growing business of leasing intimidating uncles to either protect children from bullies, gather evidence of bullying for filing an official complaint with the school, or even contacting the bullys parents at their workplace. Most companies offer different packages to meet clients needs, and business is reportedly booming. But while many South Koreans view this type of service in a positive light, there are those who see it as simply answering bullying with another type of bullying. Photo: rebeccadevitt0/Pixabay According to a recent report by South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, uncle services are becoming popular all over the Asian country. For example, a company in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul is offering concerned parents the Uncle Package, which basically consists of hiring intimidating-looking men in their 30s and 40s to accompany their children to and from school every day for two weeks, pose as their uncle and give a stern warning to bullies to stop picking on them. This service is priced at 500,000 KRW ($445) per day. Another company in the Guro-gu district of Seoul offers a different solution to school bullying. It offers an Evidence Package, where its employees will try their hardest to gather evidence of the bullys activities to be presented before the school board in a formal complaint. The idea is that this evidence will help the parents demand a quick and smooth solution to the problem, without having to wait for a long internal investigation. This package reportedly costs 400,000 KRW ($356). Perhaps the most impressive and most expensive anti-bullying service is offered by a company in Anseong city. Their package involves contacting the bullys parents at their workplace, showing them photos of their childs victim, and asking them to ensure that the bullying stops. If the parents choose not to cooperate, the hired uncles will stand in front of their workplace or in their companys lobby shouting The parent of a bully works here. Photo: Chosun Ilbo The Anseong-based company admits that the victims parents could confront the bullys parents themselves, but adds that such meeting often result in the parents fighting each other. To avoid this unnecessary violence, clients can just pay 2 million KRW (1,780 USD) for 4 visits by the anti-bullying companys employees. Parents reportedly argue that such anti-bullying services are better than waiting for schools to resolve bullying incidents. Because teachers, parents, lawyers and other outside experts must all coordinate in order to attend special school meetings in cases of alleged bullying, resolutions often take too long. At the same time, some experts claim that parents taking matters into their own hands isnt ideal either. Photo: Chosun Ilbo Private sanction is just another form of violence. School violence needs to be resolved by improving the system, said Kim Yoon Tae, a professor at Korea University. via All K-Pop Dan Glaser Brunswick Group handles PR for UK's Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, which has agreed to be acquired by Marsh & McClellan Cos. New York-based insurance broker/risk management giant, in a deal valued at $5.6B in cash considerations. MMC is paying $25.50 per-share for JLT, an outlay that represents a 33 percent jump over the Sept. 17 closing of its stock price, as part of its strategy to "be the preeminent global firm in the areas of risk strategy and people." Dan Glaser, MMC's CEO, called the transaction a "complementary fit between our companies that creates a platform to deliver exceptional service to clients and opportunities for our colleagues." JLT CEO Dominic Burke will become vice chairman of MMC following the completion of the transaction, which is expected to close in the spring of 2019. MMC, which bills itself as worlds leading professional services firm, has about 65K staffers and generates $14B in revenues. JLT is using Brunswick Group's Tim Burns and Dania Saidam as PR advisors in the MMC transaction. Tim Wise of Simon Robertson Assocs., is JLT's financial counselor. | BY Ricki Green | Taxi Films has welcomed director, Davros, onto its roster a director that the production company knows brings a distinctive set of skills to directing. Based predominantly in the Sydney office, Davros and Taxi have made it official after working together for the past six months on productions for Heineken, Harris Coffee and Flight Centre. Davros background is graphic design, film, motion graphics and post production. All of these ingredients come together in his commercial filmmaking his sense of design, his eye for detail and his flair for composition to create a unique visual style. Says Davros: I used to focus on pushing pixels, on making images that looked pretty with my background in motion graphics. Now, I concentrate on telling interesting stories in a highly visual way. I love how commercial directing uses emotion and visual cues to hit a psychological bulls-eye. Davros is also drawn to the collaborative nature of making commercials: That exposure to creative minds is a thrill. Its inspiring. And I love being part of the power of advertising to distill an idea to the core, then package and communicate it in a way that makes an impression on people. What excites him most about being signed to Taxi is its approach to the future of advertising, to be joining a genuinely lovely and amazing group of people doing really exciting and proactive work. Adds Davros: Im looking forward to becoming part of Taxis approach to engaging with the future of the industry and shaping what we need to do to build visual responses in a new and exciting way. To move beyond the accepted model of advertising and push the possibilities that are becoming visible, by putting creativity first and using all the skills I have to get the best response for every brief. Says Andrew Wareham, executive producer, Taxi Film Production: Were excited to welcome Davros to the Taxi family. Hes a highly diverse director with a strong visual style and has a huge breadth of skills bedded in post production and visual effects. Plus hes a genuinely great guy and is the right fit for our clients and culture. Michael Sinatra The Infatuation, restaurant discovery platform, has hired Michael Sinatra as its first-ever VP-communications. He will handle media relations, internal/external PR and reputation management at the 10-year-old company launched by music business executives Chris Stang and Andrew Steinthal that offers reviews, guides and special events. Most recently, Sinatra was global external communications director at consumer/commercial products marketer Newell Brands and communications, PR, PA and social market leader at Whole Foods, where he developed partnerships for the organic grocer with The Infatuation. Sinatra began his PR career at FleishmanHillard in New York. A key focus of Sinatra will be to re-introduce and expand the Zagat brand, which The Infatuation acquired from Google earlier this year. Sinatra reports to CEO Stang. Charlene MacDonald Charlene MacDonald, a Capitol Hill veteran who was senior policy advisor to House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, has joined FTI Consulting in DC as managing director in its strategic communications unit. Prior to joining the Maryland Congressman's office, MacDonald served on the Senate Budget Committeewhen it was chaired by Washington Democrat Patty Murrayas senior advisor for Medicare & Social Security. She also was deputy chief of staff to Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), handling policy matters including the launch of the Affordable Care Act. John Capodanno, America's head of the stratcomm unit's healthcare & life sciences unit, says clients will benefit from MacDonald's expertise as "drug pricing, regulatory reforms, outcomes-based healthcare systems and the digital revolution, the healthcare industry is going through a convulsive transformation." Offaly County Council has been informed that 15 families are living in emergency accommodation in the county. The housing section of the council delivered a presentation on the figures to the September meeting of Offaly County Council in Tullamore on Monday, September 17. The meeting learned that 15 family units are in emergency accommodation in the county, while a further 20 single people are also in temporary emergency accommodation. Councillors were told that almost 1,500 people are eligible for social housing with 675 of those currently on the social housing list, and 805 currently on the HAP scheme. Those on HAP are still eligible for social housing. The housing section said that their target handed down by government is to provide 468 social housing units between 2017 and 2021. It was revealed that just 86 of those are projected to be direct builds, with over 100 expected to come from council acquisitions. Leasing, voids and refurbishment projects were also included in a figure of 522 Offaly County Council expects to provide by 2021. In the short-term, the meeting heard that the housing department expects a number of direct builds to be completed before the end of 2019. Construction is due to commence on four units through housing agency Mid Offaly Housing in Mount Bolus, while work on 26 units at Killane Drive in Edenderry through Tuath and six at Scurragh with Cluid in Birr are set to begin before the end of the year. Close to 100 others are at various stages of approval and progress. Responding to the figures, particularly those outlining the number of families in emergency accommodation, Cllr Declan Harvey described it as "a terrible crisis." He went on to say, "Emergency accommodation is not suitable for small kids - some of it is actually inhumane." Cllr Peter Ormond added, "We have to get into the real world and increase supply somehow, and the Department needs to move things along faster." The Fianna Fail member went on to call for more incentives for private sector building projects to add to the affordable and social housing stock. Cllr John Leahy spoke on the issues and questioned the rhetoric of Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy who seemed to apply blame to councils in relation to action on housing. "If all county councils were working as efficiently as the housing section of Offaly County Council, there would be no need for such rhetoric out there." Cllr Leahy also went on to express concern over a number of people on HAP schemes who are in unsuitable or unsatisfactory accommodation but who may be locked into contracts. Having heard that the social houses commencing this year may not be delivered until late 2019 or early 2020, a number of councillors questioned the effectiveness of housing agencies in the building of social housing units. Cllr Declan Harvey asked, "Why can't council build houses directly like we used to? We always had a good record of delivering for people." "Cllr John Carroll described the providers as "quango agencies" and wondered why the system was ever moved away from direct council building. While saying "this housing crisis needs to be addressed seriously," Cllr Carroll eluded to "too many schemes" who "take too long" to get houses from start to finish through all the stages required. He also criticised the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loans established in February of this year to help those who have been denied a mortgage through traditional lenders. The meeting heard that 39 applications for the loan had been received by Offaly County Council but just six loans to the value of 716,000 had been approved as of September 1. Cllr Carroll criticised the level of deposit still required for the scheme, saying the main thing barring people from purchasing their own home is the process of renting as prices rise while also saving a 10% deposit. "You give it with one hand and take it away with the other, " Cllr Carroll said of the scheme. He went on to say that a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy "can't come quick enough," adding that, "it should be tabled for the whole government." Cathaoirleach Danny Owens concluded the lengthy discussion by agreeing with the view expressed about housing agencies and the protracted process of housing delivery they incur. He said he had expressed disagreement with such agencies "for a long time." Following the discussion, a separate motion tabled by Fine Gael councillor Tommy McKeigue to establish a hostel in Offaly to help those in housing crisis was passed unanimously. Offaly County Council management indicated that on foot of the support, they would further the possibility. It's understood the Simon community are interested in getting involved and a number of locations are being mooted around the county, notably in Tullamore and Clara. The Housing Section of Offaly County Council is set to present to councillors on an ongoing basis. Two Offaly towns are competing in Bank of Irelands national competition to find the countrys most enterprising town. In total there are nearly 100 entries from the City Council and County Council local authority areas vying to be crowned Bank of Irelands National Enterprise Town Winner 2018. The Awards recognise and reward towns where businesses and the community have come together to showcase the spirit of enterprise in their local area. In Offaly, Tullamore and Kilcormac are competing in various regional and national categories. With a total prize fund of 157,000, the overall winner will receive a cash prize of 33,000. This years Awards also feature a new Rising Star category with 20,000 cash being awarded to a town/urban area/village that has a specific project which fosters social/artistic/creative/ technological or enterprising interactions. Working with local authorities and their Local Enterprise Offices, business groups and communities nationwide will showcase the spirit of enterprise to a panel of judges from late August through to early October. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the end of November. Aine Malone, Bank of Ireland, Head of Offaly said, SMEs, Startups and community organisations are the backbone of the local economy and a significant driver of the countrys success and spirit. Local business owners and community groups want to see their town doing well, and there is nothing like a bit of healthy competition to motivate people to put their best foot forward. I am excited to see some really strong entries from Offaly and know they will do the entire county proud. As the countrys largest lender, with a presence in over 250 communities nationwide, Bank of Ireland is committed to supporting customers in achieving their business and community ambitions. Every day we are witnessing the incredible enterprising efforts being made by businesses and community groups working together with their local council and state agencies. We are delighted to be providing a platform to showcase some of the very best from around the country. | BY Ricki Green | Joshua Morris, son of ad legend David Morris, has won the $10,000 first prize in the 2018 Australian Life photographic competition, as part of the City of Sydneys Art and About. Morris, had his image Pepa Molina and some of the residents of the Parque Habitacional selected from nearly 2500 entries in the prestigious award. Sydneys Lord Mayor Clover Moore presented the prize to Morris at Hyde Park where the 22 finalists works will be displayed until Sunday October 7. The winning picture is a portrait of flamenco artist Pepa Molina, in the Parque Habitacional a Spanish speaking retirement village in Sydneys Rooty Hill. The image, commissioned by Blacktown Arts as part of their Creative Residency program, documents Molinas work Perceptions, which explores the intuitive understanding, cultural stereotypes and cliches through flamenco. Says Morris: The shoot was a really beautiful one a great juxtaposition of elements and energy. It was a real thrill to be selected as the winner, especially given the talent of my fellow finalists and the standing of the judges. Ken Done, celebrated artist and one of the judges, reflected on the image I think its a very sensitive, well-constructed picture its an unconscious piece of beautiful composition. Morris has specialised in portrait work for close to a decade, regularly shooting for the Good Weekend, Marie Claire, Blacktown Arts, Origin Energy and Frasers Property Group. His subjects have included Sarah Hanson-Young, Nigella Lawson, Neil Finn, Massimo Bottura, Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko and countless others. | BY Ricki Green | Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and SEEK have launched Be Seen with a SEEK Profile, highlighting how SEEK connects the employment marketplace by matching the right candidate with the right opportunity. The campaign is focused on the benefits of the SEEK Profile product for both candidates and employers. Using a visual metaphor of pink smoke, it demonstrates how the product makes candidates with a completed profile more visible to relevant employers, and how employers opportunities are more visible to the right candidates. Launching across TV, OOH, online video, social and radio, the campaign will communicate simultaneously to both sides of the marketplace to engage employers and candidates. Says Jenn ten Seldam, marketing director, SEEK: SEEK Profile is really at the heart of our marketplace, and central to our company purpose -helping Australians to have fulfilling careers, and employers to find the best people for their organisation. SEEK Profile gives us amazing insight into a candidates experience, skills and aspirations, which allows SEEK to deliver the most relevant opportunities into their inbox. On the employer side, the data and insight we get from SEEK Profile allows us to deliver their job opportunities to the most relevant candidates, to drive quality applications for their open role. Employers can also search profiles on SEEK, and get in touch with suitable candidates directly. Whether youre a candidate or an employer, you can Be Seen thanks to SEEK Profile. The campaign leverages SEEKs trademark positivity and authenticity, and really leans into its ownership of pink as a core brand identifier, in a competitive set thats largely a blur of blue. Says Carmela Soares, executive creative director, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne: This is one of those ideas that is so simple its perfect. Or so perfect its simple. Everything is right there message, product, brand shaped for a seamless world of horizontal and vertical screens. Lead agency: Clemenger BBDO Melbourne Media agency: Starcom MediaVest Group B2B creative agency: Six Black Pens Digital creative agency: Slik TV Production: FINCH TV Post-production, VFX/SFX: Blackbird Music: Elliott Wheeler Sound: Nylon Studio Director: Tomas Mankovsky Marketing Director: Jenn ten Seldam Head of Brand & Candidate Marketing: Babi Kahveci Head of Hirer: Suzanne Robertson 7th Pay Commission: Here is why basic monthly pay of CG employees will not increase 7th Pay Commission: When will the new DA hike be effective from 7th Pay Commission: Restlessness brewing, will All India Protest Day be a game changer India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 18: With no good news coming out of the 7th Pay Commission, the patience levels are running out. While in Rajasthan state government employees have intensified their protests, the same can be seen from the Central Government employees who will observe September 19 as 'All India Protest Day." 7th Pay Commission latest news: Why govt may change its mind after September 19 In Rajasthan nearly 4,500 buses stayed off the roads and the employees hit the streets over various demands including the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. Kishan Singh Rathore, the general secretary of the Rajasthan Roadways Workers' Union said that the unions have called for a one day strike, but it will be extended if the demands are not met. The Rajasthan government had earlier increased its employees' Dearness Allowance by 2 per cent taking it to 9 per cent at par with the CG employees from July 1 2018. September 19 would be a crucial day and it is to be seen if the Union Government would act on the demands of its employees who have sought a hike beyond what the 7th Pay Commission had recommended. The pay hike of Rs 18,000 that had been recommended has not helped the CG employees and they have been demanding at least Rs 26,000. 7th Pay Commission latest news and updates: Smiles in this troubled state If the government takes into account the protest that is set to start from September 19 onwards, then there is a chance that the salaries may be hiked to Rs 21,000. Sources tell OneIndia that they are not taking this issue lightly. There would be deliberations, but not immediately. The government is seized of the matter and would look into the grievances. We understand that the 7th Pay Commission has not brought about any good news and the demands of the CG employees will have to be met, the officer also said. All Air India employees to be retained for one year: Govt This is daylight highway robbery of national assets, Sitaram Yechury on Air India returning to Tatas Procurement of expensive aircraft parts to be done after approval of senior official: Air India Air India pilot saves 370 lives, lands in New York airport despite system failure, lack of fuel India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 18: Air India flight AI-101, flying from Delhi to New York, struggled to land at the John F Kennedy International airport in New York as it battled with bad weather and multiple systems failure on September 11. According to NDTV, which first reported the news, the flight involved was AI-101, and had 370 people on board. The pilot reported to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) that the flight experienced multiple system failure and was low on fuel, which also restricted its time of flying when the system failed. Apart from these, the flight also witnessed the malfunctioning of all three of its Instrument Landing System (ILS) receivers on board the jet. This meant that the pilot of the flagship aircraft of the airline needed to manually land the aircraft. In such desperate conditions and unable to land at the JFK International Airport, the pilot manning AI-101 somehow managed to land at the alternate designated airport in Newark. Meanwhile, Air India has reportedly initiated an inquiry over the incident and has also constituted an internal inquiry under the monitoring of airlines Flight safety department. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 11:52 [IST] Ajay Maken hasn't resigned, gone abroad for check-up, clarifies Congress India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 18: Amid reports claiming that Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken has resigned over health issues, the party on Tuesday issued a clarification stating that Maken has not resigned. Maken has some health issues and has gone abroad for a check-up, the Congress said. Ajay Maken has some health problem and has gone for medical checkup. He'll be back next week and probably he's little worried that he can't devote full time or travel the way he wants. On his return, we'll discuss working arrangements but the fact is he has not resigned, said Congress leader PC Chacko. Earlier, reports said that Maken resigned from his post on 13 September citing health issues. As per reports, the resignation that was sent to Congress President Rahul Gandhi's office has not been accepted yet. Maken is a senior politician from the Indian National Congress party and was twice elected as a Member of Parliament, and three times to the Delhi Legislative Assembly. He was appointed as the president of the Delhi Congress Committee in 2015. Maken, who replaced Arvinder Singh Lovely as Delhi Congress chief three years ago, had resigned earlier when the party did not perform well in civic polls. But the party leadership had asked him to continue. Anna University UG April-May 2018 revaluation results declared on these websites India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Chennai, Sep 18: The Anna University UG April-May 2018 revaluation results have been declared. The results are available on the official website. The exams were conducted between April and May 2018. The result of the main exam was released in July, after which students applied for revaluation. Since 2017, the Anna University has collected over Rs 75 crore from engineering students for re-evaluation of papers, suggests a recent TOI report. The University has said it has collected a total of Rs 28.82 crore for providing photocopies of answer sheets and Rs 46.65 crore for revaluation since 2011. In a notification, the varsity has informed that "no undergraduate and post graduate (full time and part time mode) student of university departments, affiliated colleges will be allowed to appear for their arrear examination who have already exceeded their maximum duration of the programme as per their resolution." The results are available on coe1.annauniv.edu and coe2.annauniv.edu. How to check Anna University UG April-May 2018 revaluation results Go to coe1.annauniv.edu or coe2.annauniv.edu or Enter registration number and date of birth and then login Submit View results Download your result Take a printout For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 12:26 [IST] Bharat Mata, Lotus and hard work at booth levels: Shahs advise to BJP workers India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Jaipur, Sep 18: An election cannot be won only through the achievements of the government. It is an election of the party workers than just of any minister or chief minister, BJP president Amit Shah said. He urged the party workers to work hard at the booth levels and also added while campaigning they should think of Bharat Mata and Lotus. Shah was addressing a BJP workers at an even in the industrial city of Bhilwara. Telangana IT Minister slams Amit Shah for questioning KCR move to opt for early polls The BJP chief also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are working as double engines to lead the country and the state, respectively, and every party worker should visit door-to-door to highlight the work done by the two leaders. He also highlighted several achievements of the Modi government at the Centre, listing surgical strike against Pakistan, increase in minimum support price for farm produce and vaccination scheme among others. Exuding confidence in party workers, Shah said that it was not an election of any minister or chief minister but it was an election of party workers and the BJP. Party workers should think only about the party symbol 'Lotus' and 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India) when they campaign, he said at the 'Shakti Kendra Sammelan' event. Reacting to his speech, Rajasthan Congress Chief Sachin Pilot said the saffron party head has lost faith in five-year tenure of Raje government in the state as he was seeking votes in the name of 'Bharat Mata' and the BJP. Shah also hit out at the Congress on issues of NRC (National Register of Citizens in Assam) and surgical strike. BJP will fight on all seats in Telangana, KCR govt failed at every front: Shah He said the 'Mahagathbandhan', or the grand alliance that the Opposition is talking about will not be able to defeat the BJP. At another event in Bhilwara, Shah celebrated Modi's birthday with differently-abled children and said the prime minister's life was dedicated people of the country, its pride and its development. Shah will address 'Shakti Kendra Sammelan' in Nagaur and Udaipur on Tuesday. The BJP president is interacting with party workers at various places through this event. Since July, this is Shah's third visit to the state where assembly elections are scheduled to take place later this year. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 5:57 [IST] Blow for India as UK says it could share extradition details with Nirav Modi India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 18: Indian agencies are miffed after British authorities informed them that their letter of request relating to the extradition of Nirav Modi could be shared with the fugitive diamantaire. Indian agencies who have painstakingly prepared the request are miffed with this move as the letters contain all the details of the probe and evidence related to it. The Indian agencies feel that these details could be used by Nirav Modi in court as a result of which the proceedings would be delayed. Several agencies have repeatedly requested the British authorities not to share these details. Also Read | Great escapes: Did Mallya, Nirav Modi, Choksi get away easily? This comes in the midst of the UK's Serious Fraud Office saying that Nirav Modi may have not transferred the proceeds of the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud to London. The agency said that the amount may have been transferred to either Dubai, Hong Kong or the UAE. In a written communication, the SFO asked India if there is any evidence to suggest that criminal proceedings were transferred to the UK. If so, please fulfil the particulars, the SFO had also said in the communication. India has always had trouble with the UK when it came to extradition related matters. Britain has been quick to give into the request of the fugitives who have always cited bad jail conditions to contest the extradition. India is currently fighting an extradition battle involving Vijay Mallya. The verdict in this case is expected to be out in December. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 11:03 [IST] CBI added Amit Shahs name to my statement on its own: Sohrabuddins brother tells court India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Sep 18: In an interesting twist of events, Shaikh Naymuddin, the youngest brother of Sohrabuddin Shaikh claimed that the CBI on its own added to his statement the names of Gujarat police officer Abhay Chudasama and BJP president, Amit Shah. Deposing as a prosecution witness, he said that the CBI had spoilt the case. While deposing, he said that there was more to his statement. He said that he faced no threat from the BJP and he had also never heard of Azam Khan's name. Sohrabuddin case: Bombay HC permits media to report trial proceedings He further said that a CBI officer, Dagar had gone to his village to inquire about the case. I never told him that Khan, an associate of Sohrabuddin met me and said that Abhay Chudasama offered Rs 50 lakh to withdraw the petition filed in the Supreme Court to inquire the death of my brother. He further said that he had given a handwritten affidavit to the Special Court in Ahmedabad, clarifying that he had never said things attributed to him in his 2010 statement. The CBI chargesheet said that Nayamuddin had given a statement in 2010, recorded by D S Dagar in which it was said that Chudasama had called Nayamuddin and threatened him. Chudasama it may be recalled was discharged from the case in 2015. CBI must record my statements: Amit Shah While citing his statement in the chargesheet, the CBI said, " when i told him that we will not withdraw the petition at any cost, he (Chudasama) threatened me with dire consequences and said that I will also face the same fate. You dont know, Amitbhai is very angry. I will speak to Amitbhai and he can get it done in Madhya Pradesh only. It his government only there and you will be killed for making him a party in the petition." However before the court, Nayamuddin said that this portion was added by the CBI. By Election Results 2021 Live: Congress wins all 3 seats in Himachal Pradesh, Trinamool wins big in Bengal The Congress sweep in Himachal: I take responsibility for defeat says Jai Ram Thakur By election: Results kindle hopes for Congress in string of Assembly polls next year UP polls: RLD chief rules out possibility of alliance with Congress Congress demands probe into role of PMO, FM in Mallya escape India oi-PTI New Delhi, Sep 18: The Congress on Monday demanded a comprehensive probe into the alleged involvement of the prime minister's office and the finance minister in helping embattled business tycoon Vijay Mallya flee the country. Chief spokesperson of the Congress Randeep Surjewala alleged that the "trinity of Mallya, CBI and BJP have cheated" the country and now it is time to fix the responsibility. Decision to change LOC against Vijay Mallya was not taken by any individual: CBI He claimed that the CBI shifted its stance in the Mallya case thrice and asked who in the prime minister's office (PMO) nudged the investigation agency to do so. A comprehensive probe should be carried out to unravel the truth, he said. The 62-year-old liquor and aviation baron is fighting in a London court a case regarding his extradition to India to face the trial on fraud and money laundering charges running into Rs 9,000 crore. Why CBI changed the nature of LOC against Vijay Mallya The Congress and the BJP are locked in a fierce war of words over the Mallya case. While Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has accused Finance Minister (FM) Arun Jaitley of lying and allowing the billionaire tycoon to flee the country, the BJP has claimed that the Gandhi family tried to help Mallya's floundering Kingfisher Airlines in 2011-12. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 20:06 [IST] Rahul has lunch at roadside eatery in Goa, rides pillion on two-wheeler taxi for few kms Goal is to serve country; time to focus on my journey in politics: Leander Paes Congress meet Goa Governor, demand floor test India oi-Vikas SV Panaji, Sep 18: The Congress party, which is the single largest party in Goa Assembly, met Governor Mridula Sinha on Tuesday. The Goa Congress demanded a floor test in the assembly even as BJP claimed that Manohar Parrikar, who is undergoing treatment at AIIMS in Delhi, is fine and would continue to lead. The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test. Kavlekar said the governor assured them that she would get back on the issue in the next three-four days. In the 40-member Goa assembly, the Congress is the largest party with 16 seats and the BJP has 14. The BJP is in power in Goa with the support of allies Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three independents. With Parrikar's health deteriorating, the Goa Forward and three Independent MLAs demanded a "permanent solution" to the leadership crisis. Parrikar has visited the United States thrice in seven months for treatment. He is suffering from a pancreatic ailment. [With Parrikar in AIIMS, Goa Congress stakes claim to form government] "If given an opportunity, we will prove the majority on the floor of the house", said former chief minister and Congress leader Digambar Kamat. Kamat, however, did not elaborate how his party hoped to get to the halfway mark in the state's assembly. The majority mark in the assembly 21. The Congress has the support of a lone NCP MLA, while all eyes would be on three independents who are as of now with BJP. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Court summons CM Kejriwal, Sisodia, 11 AAP leaders India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 18: A Delhi Court Tuesday issued summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as accused in connection with the alleged assault case of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. The court has also summoned the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia along with 11 other MLAs. In its around 1,300-page charge sheet, the police had alleged that Kejriwal, Sisodia and others had criminally conspired to threaten the chief secretary with death or grievous hurt, obstructed him in discharging his public function and caused hurt. It had also accused the AAP leaders of other offences punishable under sections of IPC, including wrongfully confining any person, assaulting or using criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty, insulting him to provoke breach of peace and abetment of the offence. If convicted, the accused may get a maximum of seven-year jail term. After the charge sheet was filed, Kejriwal and other persons named in the charge sheet had moved the court seeking to restrain police from sharing information with the media. The Delhi Police had on 18 May had questioned Kejriwal for over three hours in connection with the alleged assault on Prakash. Delhi's Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash had alleged that he was thrashed by Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal at Kejriwal's residence, where he had been called to discuss Aadhaar-related problems. Khan and Jarwal were arrested the next day and were sent to a 14-day judicial custody, which was further extended by 14 days. The two AAP leaders were later granted bail by the Delhi High Court. On August 13, the Delhi Police named Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 11 AAP MLAs in the 1300-page charge sheet that was filed under Sections 186, 323, 332, 342, 353, 504, 506(ii), 120B, 109, 114, 149, 34 and 36 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Monday, September 17, 2018 at 3:22PM By Sonya Davidson If you asked me anytime before this spring about all the pet gadgets and household items out in the market, I would have completely laughed and thought boy, these pet owners are suckers and will buy anything. I would question every product and ask really, is that even necessary? But then it happened. We caved. Our family decided to add a little furry friend into our home. Visions of snuggling up to a 10-week old corgi was going to be a reality. We fell in love with a litter of pups and tossed every logical notion aside. Corgis are not too common in our neighbourhood full of designer non-shedding, hypo-allergenic dogs. But we like to be a little different and we all agreed that it's just dog hair. How bad could it be? We could deal with it. Plus we chose one that had black with some white fur that, in my mind, wouldn't be so terrible given that I wear a lot of black. The blonde corgi hair would be more noticeable. I had convinced myself that we would be totally fine. Then little Harley settled into our family and yes, he's a shedder. I found myself vacuuming twice a day. Then I had the urge to wash the floors pretty much every day thanks to puppy teething/drooling and him just being a puppy and slobbering. It was also spring when he came which meant bringing in his wet puppy paws often. I was very aware of "that" wet puppy dog smell. I'm not even sure I'm completely use to that smell yet and he's now seven months old. I remembered being asked if I was interested in testing out the Bissell CrossWave PetPro Multi-Surface Cleaner. At that time, the puppy hadn't officially entered our home so I brushed it off. Pfft! again, thinking it's not necessary. Then the weeks starting rolling and his shedding increased. Checking in with my corgi Facebook groups I realized that this was the new reality. The amount of time I spent vacuuming and cleaning the floors was unreal. I officially became obsessed with cleaning up after this furball. I quickly got my hands on this hand-held cleaner in hopes that it will make my life easier and more efficient. As soon as the box arrived I spent no time in setting it up. Here's are my thoughts... What is it? The Bissell CrossWave PetPro Multi-Surface Cleaner will vacuum and wash floors (or area carpets) simultaneously. That two-in-one job helps make cleaning a lot more streamlined. The upright cleaner is pretty simple to assemble and get you started pretty quickly. This unit came with a couple bottles of cleaning formulas. My biggest concerns with any cleaning supplies is a) is it safe to use? and b) is it safe for the environment? Also, how strong is the scent? There are three concentrated cleaning formulas recommended to be used with this machine additional cleaning solutions can purchased through their siteMulti-Surface, Hardwood, and one specific for Area Rugs. As mentioned, the unit came with two solutions. Multi-Surface Formula is ideal for sealed tiles, stone, linoleum, laminate, as well as hardwood floors and area rugs. Our house is all hardwood and stone on the main floor so I've opted to use the Multi-Surface solution. It is recommended to test on a small area to make sure it agrees with the surface before just in case. The liquid formula is poured into a clear tank and mixed with hot tap water before being attached onto the machine. Two measurements are provided right on the tank for cleaning a smaller or larger areas. One full tank can clean up to 700 square feet. While the cleaning mixture automatically is released, you can control additional solutions with a press of a button on the handle for harder to clean areas. It's also easy to switch from surface to surface with a touch on the handle bar. Since the solution is diluted with water, the scent isn't strong at all. There is a light fresh scent that's not overpowering but enough to rid of everyday pet odors! Okay, so what about the solution itself? The label says "pet and family safe when used as directed." The ingredient list starts by saying it's greater than 30% water then leads into 5 ingredients listed. It also says "earth friendly formula" with no heavy metals, phosphates, or dyes and the ingredients are biodegradeable. This machine also includes a mulit-surface pet brush to help sweep up hair (up to 8 inches and tangle free) and debris but there are additional brushes to have a more targeted clean if you desire. I've found the multi-surface roller works well on the surfaces I'm having to clean. The two-in-one cleaning is a time and sanity saver. Simple to use and fast to tackle both jobs that most pet owners would be happy with. It dries fairly quickly thanks to the air flow from the machine and sucks up most the extra soiled liquid after washing pushing it through a filter. The two-part catch dirt tank, separate from the cleaning solution tank is located at the front. It will show you just how much dirt is picked up. The two parts separates hair/fur and dirty water. Not gonna lie, it's pretty gross. But in a strange way, it will give you some satisfaction knowing that it has done its duty. While most of the wet solution is sucked back into the machine there is a bit left over but dries fairly quickly so Harley can continue to roam around soon afterwards. But take note! Make sure you clean the water tank, dirty tank, brush and filter after each use. Otherwise all dirty water sits and stinks up pretty fast. I simply rinse every part out and leave it to air dry in after each use. What else? The machine also comes with a convenient storage tray that keeps things neat and tidy. Bonus, the company also supports various animal shelters and rescues across the country through their Bissell Pet Foundation. More info available at www.canada.bissell.com MSRP: $349.95 Cdn Did Sushma reprimand Sidhu? Here is what really transpired India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 18: Did Sushma Swaraj pull up Navjot Singh Sidhu over the Kartarpur corridor issue involving Pakistan? While there is no official confirmation from the Ministry for External Affairs, sources however confirm that Sidhu was reprimanded for the manner in which he handled the issue when he attended the swearing-in-ceremony of Imran Khan. The issue about Sidhu begin reprimanded was made public by Union Minister and Akali Dal leader, Harsimrat Kaur Badal. She claimed that Swaraj had pulled up Sidhu for messing up the issue. He was also accused of misusing the political clearance given to him to visit Pakistan. Badal said, " External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj reprimanded Sidhu for messing up the Kartrpur Sahib Corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance for private visit by hugging the military chief (Pakistan) responsible for the killing of our soldiers." Also Read | Sidhu urges Sushma Swaraj to initiate dialogue with Pakistan to open Kartarpur Sahib corridor When asked about the details of the meeting, a source said that Sushma told Sidhu that his visit was not in line with the purpose of his visit. Further the source added that the MEA is still awaiting an official proposal from Pakistan on the issue of Kartarpur. Further Sidhu was also told that the issue should not be politicised as it is a sensitive one. Sidhu it may be recalled had courted controversy, when he hugged the Pakistan army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa. Sidhu in his defence said that he did so because he was told by the army chief that Pakistan was working on opening the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims from Punjab. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 11:45 [IST] Dissent grows, resort politics returns to Karnataka, Cong awaits Jarkiholis next move India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Bengaluru, Sep 18: There appears to be no let up in dissent within the Karnataka Congress. Former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah who was roped in to play peace maker appears to have failed in his efforts. He will be leaving for New Delhi to discuss the crisis with the party high command. Stage set: Jarkiholi brothers want to quit Congress, but will 18 MLAs back them? The worry for the Congress however remains state minister and party leader, Ramesh Jarkiholi. He held talks with his supporters at the Taj West End Hotel in Bengaluru. Several other disgruntled MLAs of the Congress were part of the meeting. Sources tell OneIndia that they would be no let up unless their demands are met. Many even expressed support when it was decided that they would walk out of the Congress. The Jarkiholi brothers had claimed that they have the support of 18 Congress MLAs who were ready to walk out. However going by the numbers it appears as though there are 10 of them who are backing the Jarkiholi brothers. All parties in Karnataka up their guard as talk of coalition collapsing becomes stronger The brothers are likely to fly into Maharashtra later today and park themselves in a resort along with 10 MLAs. All efforts to pacify the brothers have failed so far. The talks with KPCC president, Dinesh Gundu Rao too has not yielded any results. In the midst of this shakeup, some within the BJP have alleged that the Congress and JD(S) are trying to poach their MLAs. The BJP too has upped its guard and has advised its leaders to remain at a safe distance from the Congress and JD(S). How right to vote given to 4 million Bangladeshis led to Islamisation of Assam India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 18: The arrest of several Hizbul Mujahideen operatives from Assam has led to the unearthing of a major recruitment drive in the state. While the Hizbul Mujahideen has trying to make inroads into Assam for sometime now, the fact remains that the state has been a happy hunting ground for Islamic terrorists. The rise of Islamic terror in the state is not a new phenomenon. The roots of Islamic terror began taking shape in Assam post 1983 and it was the Nellie massacre of 1983 that led to this problem, police officials say. Following the massacre of 1983, it was the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen which first made its landfall into Assam. This group was then followed by the Harkat-ul Jihadi Islami and then the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen. All these groups came in from Bangladesh and over the years have brainwashed lakhs of youth and formed a formidable Islamic terror group. The turning point: The turning point in Assam was however the Nellie massacre. The victims were the descendants of Muslims who came to Assam under the direct patronage of the Assam Government of British India in the first decade of the 20th century. Also Read | With terrorists recruiting on the dark net, here is what the agencies are doing The violence was seen as a fall out of the decision to hold the controversial state elections in 1983 amidst the Assam agitation. The agitation in a large scale was staged after Indira Gandhi decided to give 4 million immigrants from Bangladesh the right to vote. In 1978 a by-election was necessitated following the death of Lok Sabha member Hiralal Patwari. During the election process it was found that the electorate had grown considerably due to illegal immigration. The All India Assam Students Union demanded that the polls be postponed until the names of these immigrants was deleted from the rolls. In 1983, it was decided go ahead with the elections despite stiff opposition. The police said that there were 63 constituencies in which polls could be held without any problem. However there were 23 constituencies where it was impossible to conduct the elections. Nellie was cited as one of the most troubled spots. The massacre took place during a six hour period on February 18 1983. The massacre is said to have claimed nearly 2,191 lives. Recruitment drive: The Nellie massacre was one of the most cited recruitment points by all terror groups. Groups such as the Harkat, HuJI, Jamaat brought in its men from Bangladesh and undertook massive recruitment drives. Also Read | Islamisation of Assam and why Pakistan wants to make it a crowded terror market Along with the terrorists came in the illegal immigrants too in large numbers and over the years they even earned the right to vote. Intelligence Bureau officials say that the problem had multiple dimensions. The cry to root out the illegal immigrants never stopped, but successive governments were dragging their feet as it meant a large vote bank would be wiped out. From Assam, these terror groups gradually spread their tentacles into other northeastern states as well as West Bengal in a big manner. Over a period of time, they had recruited lakhs of youth into their fold. This then led to the other grand plan to establish the East Pakistan in this region. In this context the NRC exercise is an important one. Those whose names do not feature on the list will not be deported as there is no such treaty with Bangladesh. However they will lose voting rights and other privileges from the government. Also Read | Hizbul's pan India ambition and why it never lost sight of Uttar Pradesh The recent arrests of Hizbul operatives and the subsequent investigations not only suggest that they were setting up modules. They were planning on raking up issues such as the Rohingya Muslims, NRC and also the Nellie massacre to spruce up their modules, investigation officials say. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 16:42 [IST] In Bhima-Koregaon case, SC asks how activists presumed that law was violated India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 18: On Monday, during the arguments in the Bhima Koregaon case, the Centre justified the arrests of the activists. The court said that it was ready to examine the evidence against the activists, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferriera and Vernon Gonsalves. The activists were represented by a battery of lawyers, who argued that the case against them was a false one. They said that the arrested were part of the crackdown on dissent against the BJP led government. While they demanded a probe by a special investigation team, the government said that the case of the petitioners was rooted into the perception that the activists could do no wrong. Additional Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta asked, " if a politician is investigated and arrested, can five of his eminent party colleagues move the SC and argue that the arrested person is an honest politician?" Can they argue that the person is honest and was arrested because of his ideology, Mehta also asked. Also Read | Bhima Koregaon: Centre says arrests justified, SC to examine evidence The Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra told the petitioners that although it was in favour of protecting the liberty of every citizen, it could not stop the criminal law process, if there was cogent material collected against the arrested persons by police. The Bench also asked the petitioners how it presumed that the Code of Criminal Procedure is violated. Whenever the court has appointed an SIT, there has been a grave error in police investigation. As far as the liberty is concerned, we are sanguine about it. As far as issues such as quashing of FIRs are concerned, then you will need to seek remedy elsewhere the Bench noted. The court also said that the question of setting up an SIT would arise only if it found that the material was cooked up. The court also reminded the petitioners that just by citing Article 21 and 32, one cannot enter the test of constitutional morality. We need to first look at the material and without doing so, we cannot form a view, the Bench said. The Centre defended the action of the Pune police and said that five left leaning intellectuals have moved this court on their perception that the arrested activists could do no wrong. We have videographer the gathering of evidence from laptops, computers and hard disks of the arrested persons. Another ASG, Maninder Singh while citing the dangers of naxalism sought to the know the logic of approaching the Supreme Court directly. He asked if the petitioners felt that the magistrate or criminal court cannot independently verify the evidence. Do the petitioners feel that the high courts are powerless under Article 226. The SC can go into the case, but does it mean that the HCs and the lower courts are incapable of hearing the case, the ASG also asked. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 8:38 [IST] MHT CET Counselling registration begins: All you should know In Pics: India's first open-air rooftop, Jio drive-in theatre to open in Mumbai today 'Would have been Udta Maharashtra...': NCP leader Nawab Malik makes big claim on Aryan Khan drugs case Independent India's 1st Woman IAS officer Anna Malhotra passes away India oi-PTI Mumbai, Sep 18: India's first woman IAS officer post-Independence, Anna Rajam Malhotra, died at her residence in Mumbai's suburban Andheri on Monday, her family sources said. She was 91. The last rites were performed in the city, they said. She was born as Anna Rajam George in Kerala's Ernakulum district in July 1927. She shifted to Chennai after her schooling in Kozhikode to pursue higher education at the University of Madras. Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre. She then served in the Madras state under Chief Minister C Rajagopalachari. [Also Read: Can rules be framed for parties to curb illegal hoardings, HC asks Election Commission] She married R N Malhotra, who served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1985 to 1990. She is also known for her contribution in setting up the country's modern port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) near Mumbai. She was the chairperson of the JNPT during the execution. Malhotra was given the task of JNPT as a part of her deputation in the Central government. In 1989, she was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award. Malhotra had worked under seven chief ministers of Tamil Nadu. She had worked closely with Rajiv Gandhi when he was in charge of the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi. She had served in the personnel section of the Union Home Ministry during her central services, her family sources said. Post-retirement, Malhotra was serving as a director of Hotel Leela Venture Ltd, they added. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 16:57 [IST] ISRO case: Framed scientist passes away without hearing the judgement India oi-Pushyarag Shetty Bengaluru, Sep 18: Just hours before the Supreme court's verdict of the 1998 espionage case, one among the 8 convicted scientists of ISRO, K Chandrashekhar slipped into coma. When the judgement that he wanted to hear for the past two decades finally arrived, he was no longer present to cherish it. The story of scientist K Chandrashekhar, who for almost two decades had to live confined into the house with a fear of being called as a traitor is a mirror reflection of Indian judiciary system. All his life all he wanted was to prove to the world that he was innocent and when it finally happened on Friday (Sep 14), the 76- year old scientist slipped into coma and passed away on Sunday, without having any knowledge of the judgement where the Supreme court said that the arrest of the scientists was 'unnecessary'. K Chandrashekhar was the former India's representative to Russian space agency Glavkosmos . He was one among the seven accused in the 1994 Isro spy case. The espionage case, which hit the headlines in 1994, pertained to allegations of transfer of certain confidential documents on India's space programme to foreign countries by two scientists and four others, including two Maldivian women. The case was first investigated by the state police and later handed over to the CBI, which found no espionage as was alleged to have taken place. K Chandrashekhar had retired into his house in Bengaluru and was rarely seen in public platforms. He lived a silent jlife along with his wife. The scientist who once represented India as part of delegations to various countries, lived a lavish life until the ill fated spy case started hovering him. He was called a traitor and was shamed nationally. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 12:33 [IST] How the National Investigation Agency is getting the better of terrorists in J&K For more effective probes against terror State Investigation Agency formed in J&K The inside rot: How govt employees are abetting terror in Jammu and Kashmir Appeasement vs national security: Forests of South India are breeding grounds for terrorists, naxalites J&K: One injured as Terrorists hurl Grenade at CRPF camp in Newa India oi-Madhuri Adnal Srinagar, Sep 18: Terrorists hurled a grenade at the camp of 183 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Newa area on Tuesday morning. The grenade didn't explode, CRPF retailiated, reported ANI. One CRPF personnel sustained a bullet injury and has been admitted to hospital. A day before a group of terrorists lobbed a grenade towards the main gate of the district police office which missed the intended target and exploded by the road, a police official said. Four civilians were injured in the grenade blast, the official said, adding that one of the injured later succumbed to injuries at a hospital. The deceased was identified as 60-year-old Abdul Ahad Panchoo. The strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir has seen a spurt in terror activities in the recent months. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 10:41 [IST] 'May other cities also be inspired...': Modi congratulates winners of cleanliness survey results Swachh Survekshan 2021: Indore, India's cleanest city is now the country's first 'water plus' city Javadekar to confer Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2017 18 today India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Sep 18: The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar will confer the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2017 - 18 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, as a part of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign launched by Prime Minister on 15th September, 2018. Dr. Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State, HRD will also be present on the occasion. The Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar in 2016-17 to honour the schools that have done exemplary work in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene. These awards are given to ensure long term sustainability and behaviour change towards cleanliness. Also Read | Modi to launch projects worth Rs 500 crore in Varanasi It also provides a benchmark and roadmap for schools to make further improvements. This year, first time the awards have also been extended to private schools besides government and government aided schools. Salient Features of Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2017-18: The methodology for the awards was evolved in consultation with UNICEF and Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), which were the Implementation and Technical partners for the awards. The schools voluntarily applied online through a website and mobile App for the awards. Schools were rated through a transparent mechanism on five broad parameters of (i) Water (ii) Toilet (iii) Hand washing with Soap (iv) Operations and Maintenance (v) Behaviour Change and Capacity Building. Out of 52 Awardee schools, 37 schools are from rural areas and 15 from urban areas. 45 are government/government aided schools and 7 are private schools. Further, 24 are elementary and 28 are secondary/higher secondary schools. The awardee schools also include 5 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and 2 Navodaya Vidyalayas. 4 States (Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh) and 9 districts (Pondicherry, Srikakulam, Chandigarh, Hisar, Karaikal, Latur, Nellore, South Goa, Vadodara) will also be awarded with Certificate of Recognition for having maximum number of schools awarded with National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar. Awardee schools will be given an additional school grant of Rs. 50,000/- along with Certificate of Recognition. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 12:04 [IST] Hype? The strategist or A strategist, how long can Prashant Kishor hold the negative glue together Prashant Kishor in viral video: With or without Modi, BJP will be centre of Indian polity for decades JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor to continue mentoring I-PAC, to advise YSR Congress in Andhra India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 18: Political strategist Prashant Kishor, who joined the Janata Dal (United) of Bihar Nitish Kumar on Sunday will continue to mentor Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) which he had founded in April 2015. Kishor will also continue to prepare and execute strategies for Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh where polls are scheduled for next year, an Indian Express report said. According to the report, the I-PAC of Kishor had identified that people in remote areas of Andhra Pradesh want better drinking facility than industrialisation. It said that the 'Praja Sankalp Yatra' by Reddy that crossed 3,000 km on Monday, was an idea of Kishor to reach the masses. Election strategist Prashant Kishor joins JDU in presence of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Under the 'Navaratnalu' programme, the I-PAC has suggested that the YSR Congress make promises that draws public attention. Under this programme, the nine assurances that Reddy has promised to implement immediately after forming the government include better drainage facilities, piped drinking water, ban on sale and consumption of alcohol, among others. Kishor had made a commitment to the YSRCP in 2017 to assist it in preparing strategies to take on the ruling TDP, headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Kishor is expected to give inputs to YSRC on strengthening the party organisation besides preparing strategies to take on the ruling TDP headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Having failed to gain power in AP in the 2014 elections soon after the bifurcation of undivided AP, the YSR Congress is determined to wrest power in 2019. Kishor had hinted at entering politics earlier. Interacting with students at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad last week, Kishor said he was done with campaigning for individuals and ready for "electoral politics". "In 2019, you would not see Prashant Kishor campaigning for anyone in the manner and form in which I have been campaigning in the last four to five years," he had reportedly said. During the 2014 general elections, he had successfully prepared the campaign chart for Narendra Modi but parted ways with him soon after due to differences with the BJPleadership. Besides helping BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kishor was reportedly successful in offering a sound strategy to the 'Mahagathbandhan' in the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections. He was also reportedly the brain behind incumbent Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's strategy in Punjab assembly polls, though he faced flak from a section of Congress workers in Uttar Pradesh. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 21:13 [IST] J&K: Wave of Army men being killed by terrorists while on leave continues India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Sep 18: It was a tragic Monday in Jammu and Kashmir. A soldier was shot dead by terrorists in South Kashmir, when he had come home to perform the last rites of his son. Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, a former Ikhwan commander had joined the Territorial Army. His son passed away four days back and he had returned home after a long time. J&K civic polls: Kashmiri migrants can vote, says election office Terrorists who got wind of his presence entered his home posing as reporters and shot him in the head. The terrorists had entered the house and told the relatives that they were reporters. They later went into the room where Ahmad was seated along with the rest of the mourners. The terrorists then shot him at point blank range and fled. This is the fourth time that such an incident is taking place in Kashmir. In the past one and half years at least four Army personnel have been killed by terrorists while they had returned home on leave. This clearly shows that the terrorists are keeping close tabs on the Army personnel. There is a major leak which is taking place as a result of which the terrorists are getting precise information, an Intelligence Bureau official told OneIndia. J&K: Panchayat polls to be held in nine phases from Nov 17 to Dec 11 The recent act looks like the handiwork of the Hizbul Mujahideen, an officer noted. He said that the Hizbul has been targeting local Army personnel and policemen. The aim is to send a message to such persons that they would pay with their lives, if they joined the Indian forces. In June, terrorists had abducted soldier Aurangzeb at Pulwama while he was on his way home. In November 2017, terrorists abducted an Army man Irfan Ahmed Dar from Shopian and killed him. In March 2017, Lt Umar Fayaz was abducted from Shopian and killed while he was attending a wedding. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 5:45 [IST] Kerala Nun Rape Case: HC to consider Franco Mulakkal's anticipatory bail plea on Sept 25 India oi-Deepika S Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18: Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of allegedly raping a nun at a convent in Kerala moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail on Tuesday. The priest's petition will be heard by the court on September 25. On Monday, the Bishop had written to the Vatican seeking Pope Francis' permission to step aside from his duties, which he had done earlier in any case in another letter. Kerala nun rape case: Franco Mulakkal steps down as Jalandhar bishop In a circular dated September 13, Bishop Franco Mulakkal said: "I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and prayers for me at this time continued problems affecting my Episcopal ministry. As you have probably come to know from the media the investigation into the allegations raised against me there are several contradictions in the evidences collected against me as per the report of the police. It is reported am likely to be called for further clarifications by the investigating officer in Kerala." The Jalandhar police has served a notice to the Franco Mullakal to appear before the Kerala police on September 19. The Kerala nun rape case has also been brought to the notice of Vatican and a representative from the Vatican is already in India to discuss the issue with Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto. The Archbishop is yet to take a decision in the matter. Bishop repeatedly raped nun says police, summon him on Sep 19 The nun alleged that Bishop Mulakkal was using "political and money power" to "bury" the case against him. The nun has accused the clergyman of repeated sexual assault between 2014 and 2016. The bishop has, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled charges against the catholic order as it had rejected her demand for favours. Maken resigns, Congress denies but the climax of drama yet to unfold India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Sep 18: It seems all is not well in the Delhi Congress with the news of the resignation of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken that was later on denied by the grand old party. But it is most unlikely that he would continue as the state Congress chief. Meanwhile, the Congress has said that Maken has gone abroad for health check up. There are many reasons being sighted by the party leaders and experts for these developments but the most obvious reason that people are talking about for his resignation being his health issue but there are many other reasons for his resignation. The most significant reason for all these development being termed that he was opposed to the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alliance in Delhi for 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sources said that he had not only tweeted by also gave statement against alliance it but the central leadership wanted to go for the alliance in which the Congress was supposed to get three Lok Sabha seats while AAP would be contesting on four seats. Sources said that it was almost finalised by the party leadership that elections will be contested jointly but Maken was not in its favour. [Ajay Maken hasn't resigned, gone abroad for check-up, clarifies Congress] Recently Maken organised three big rallies against sealing in Delhi one in east Delhi, the other in central Delhi and one more in north Delhi and all of them so successful that they had made the AAP jittery in Delhi. So it was not going down well with the party leadership as well. More interestingly Maken has become very week in the organisation despite being close to the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, there are many opponent in the party. It was Maken actually promoted Randeep Singh Surejawala who is now very strong in the Congress organisation leaving Maken far behind. So many people were complaining about Maken to the central leadership but sources said that the turning point of this development has been the time when against the wishes of state party chief, Aam Aadmi Party was invited in the protest against Bharat Bandh in which Sanjay Singh participated. Sources said that former Union minister Sharad Yadav, Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPM) Sitaram Yechury, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and some other leaders were suggesting the Congress not to treat AAP as an untouchables. AAP was not sought any support for the election of President and vice president. They were for the first time invited to join Congress' Bharat Bandh call against the hike in petroleum prices. It was done by the central leadership supposedly ignoring Ajay Maken. It is also said that behavior and arrogance of Maken was also harming the party and it was he who was responsible Arvinder Singh Lovely to quit the party former chief minister Sheila Dikshit was also not happy with him so when lots of complained reached to him forcing him to go and meet Lovely and also Sheila Dikshit. But sources said that whatever the Congress say at the moment but the party will get a new chief in Delhi soon that is for sure. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 20:29 [IST] Development in Varanasi under Yogi govt has been on rise: PM in Varanasi India oi-Madhuri Adnal Varanasi, Sep 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for projects worth 500 crore rupees in his Parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Tuesday. Addressing a gathering from the BHU's amphitheatre, Modi thanked people of Varanasi in Bhojpuri language. He said,''Varanasi is shining in the bright lights of LEDs. We are striving to develop Kashi as gateway to Poorvanchal (East UP).'' ''Earlier I sued to think when Varanasi will get rid of the dangling wires. Today, they have vanished from most parts of the city. In the remaining areas, work to fix them under ground is being carried out at a fast pace,'' said PM. ''Highways connecting Varanasi with other states are being widened. International leaders and many nations have been impressed by Varanasi and its rate of development,'' said PM. ''There will be an International Kumbh Mela in Varanasi where Indians from all over the world will gather. We need to make this a huge success,'' PM Narendra Modisaid. ''Development in Varanasi under Yogi Adityanath government has been on the rise,'' the Prime Minister also said. PM Narendra Modi cites Vikas in Infrastructure, health sectors under BJP. ''Beautification process at Buddha Theme Park, Sarang Nath Pond, Gurudham Temple, Markendeya Mahadeva Temple and other tourist hotpots has been completed. Efforts are being made to clean river Ganga from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar. Till now, schemes worth Rs 21,000 crore approximately have been approved towards cleaning of river Ganga,'' said Modi. Modi also said,''Efforts are being made to uplift the living standard of people of Varanasi. Kashi is now one of the few cities in India where cooking gas being supplied to homes via pipeline. Efforts to provide cooking gas through pipeline to over 40,00 houses are underway.'' Among the projects inaugurated by Modi were Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and an Atal Incubation Centre at the BHU. The projects for which the foundation stone was laid include the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at the BHU. The event is being held at the amphitheatre of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). On his 68th birthday, the Prime Minister arrived in the temple city on a two-day visit to his Parliamentary constituency. Prime Minister first interacted with students of a primary school at Naraur on the outskirts of Varanasi. During his interaction with school children, Modi asked them not to be afraid of asking questions, saying it is a key aspect of learning. PM Modi assures Bangladesh Opposition party of 'doing best' on water-sharing deal PM's day-2 in Bangladesh: Temple visit, tribute to Mujibs mausoleum, talks with Sheikh Hasina PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina jointly launch new passenger train between India and Bangladesh Will hunt down those who vandalised Temples says Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Modi, Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurate India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Sep 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, via video conferencing. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were also present. PM Narendra Modi said, "In the past few years, we have shown that if two neighbouring nations join hands then they can overcome numerous obstacles." "Apart from aiding Bangladesh, this pipeline will also strengthen our relations," PM Modi said. The pipeline will play an effective role in further strengthening the energy security of Bangladesh. Both the leaders also inaugurated the construction of the third and fourth dual gauge rail lines in Dhaka-Tongi and Tongi-Joydevpur sections of Bangladesh Railway. Both countries had entered into an agreement for the pipeline construction in April this year during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's visit to Dhaka. The 130-kilometre pipeline will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The 346 crore rupees project will be completed in 30 months time. The capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum. The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering a distance of 510 kilometres. No girl murdered in Bihar shelter home, bones found were of some other adults: CBI tells SC Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case: SC stays Patna HC order for new CBI probe team India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 18: The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a Patna High Court order asking the CBI special director to set up a fresh team to probe Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case. Patna High Court had on August 29 ordered that a fresh team of investigators be constituted by the Special Director of CBI in the case in which incidents of alleged rape and sexual assault of women inmates over a period of time had come to light in an NGO-run shelter home at Muzaffarpur. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said changing the CBI team at this stage will be detrimental to the ongoing investigation. Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that the existing probe team carrying out investigation was set up by the CBI director on July 30. "We don't see any reason why the existing CBI team, probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, should be changed at this stage," the apex court said. Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of a state-funded NGO. The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by TISS to the state's social welfare department. The top court also asked the probe agency to place before it the two status reports of probe in the case which were filed earlier before the Patna High Court and listed the matter for further hearing on September 20. An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Thakur, on May 31. The probe has been taken over by the CBI. The incidents of alleged rape and sexual assault of the women inmates had come to light after a social audit was conducted by the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 14:11 [IST] Union minister accuses Navjot Sidhu of misleading people Badal on Tuesday accused Sidhu of misleading people about Pakistan's alleged assurance on allowing Sikh pilgrims direct access to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, along the India-Pakistan border, next year. The gurdwara is currently built on the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, died on September 22, 1539. "When he [Sidhu] returned he was shown black flags, everyone was angry that he went there and hugged someone who kills our people," Harsimrat Kaur Badal said. "Instead of apologising, he played with people's sentiments...He said he hugged general as he said Kartarpur corridor will be opened." The Union minister said a week had passed but neither the Pakistani government nor Sidhu have produced any document on the matter. Sidhu's rebuttal Sidhu, in a press conference, claimed that he had taken the first step towards peace and asked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue of Kartarpur Sahib corridor for Sikh pilgrims from the Indian state of Punjab. "We had a detailed discussion during the meeting, I explained to her (Sushma Swaraj) about the necessity of opening of the Kartarpur corridor. A formal request should go from India's side. (The minister) said to me, 'the draft is being prepared and I will write a letter," Mr Sidhu said. He claimed that he had written to the foreign minister once earlier during the parliament session, urging that New Delhi reciprocate after Pakistan's "gesture". Is Navjot Sidhu ji a Pakistan spokesperson? asks Vijay Sampla Speaking to ANI, union minister Vijay Sampla said, "Is Navjot Sidhu ji a Pakistan spokesperson? Is he a Pakistani Govt official? It is Pakistan which has to officially put out a statement or communication on this(Kartarpur corridor), not him. Unfortunately, he thinks politics is also a comedy show." Sidhu has gone mental, says Sukhbir Singh Badal He has gone mental. I think he has close relations with ISI and Pakistan, his call details should be probed, says Sukhbir Singh Badal on Navjot Singh Sidhu. PM Modi, Shah meet Advani at his residence to wish him on birthday Prime Minister, your silence is unacceptable: Rahul Gandhi India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Sep 8: Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of gang-rape of 19-year-old girl in Haryana. Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "India hangs its head in shame as another one of its daughters is brutally gang raped. Prime Minister, your silence is unacceptable. Shame on a government that leaves India's women unprotected and afraid and allows rapists to walk free." India hangs its head in shame as another one of its daughters is brutally gang raped. Prime Minister, your silence is unacceptable. Shame on a government that leaves Indias women unprotected and afraid and allows rapists to walk free. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2018 Also Read | Rahul to address a public rally in Kurnool in Andhra on September 18 The 19-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped after being drugged on Wednesday in one of the districts in Haryana. In the police complaint registered at Kanina, police have identified three accused- Pankaj, Manish, and Nishu. Pankaj is a defence personnel stationed in Rajasthan. Also Read | Kerala Nun Rape Case: HC to consider Franco Mulakkal's anticipatory bail plea on Sept 25 A week after this incident, another woman from the same district as her has alleged that she was raped by two men, who kidnapped and dragged her in the fields in Haryana's Jind. Kannur University: Controversial syllabus of VD Savarkar, MS Golwalkar will not be taught now RSS to propagate facts about NRC in West Bengal India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Kolkata, Sep 18: West Bengal Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary has called for National Register of Citizens of India (NRC) to save Bengali Hindus in the state. RSS West Bengal secretary, Jishnu Basu, said, "NRC is the only option to save Bengali Hindus from annihilation from West Bengal. Bangladeshi Hindus who have faced several atrocities are coming here and Citizenship Amendment Bill would be helpful for them." Islamisation of Assam and why Pakistan wants to make it a crowded terror market Jishnu Basu told ANI that the organisation is planning to make small groups to help propagate facts about NRC. "Bordering districts in West Bengal are most affected areas. We are trying to make small groups to help propagate facts about NRC and Citizenship Amendment Bill. We are a social organisation, we can only make people aware of facts," Basu said. "We are going to engage around 20,000 people across our 37 organisational districts in Bengal to campaign for the NRC in Bengal. This programme will begin from September 15 and end by October 7," BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu was quoted as saying by The Telegraph. 3 arrested in Assam for alleged links with Hizbul terrorist who was nabbed from Kanpur West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee It may be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in August said that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) will be wiped in 2019 before imposing National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal. She alleged that NRC is a conspiracy to divide the country. Mamata Banerjee said, "If BJP dares to touch Bengal, they will understand what Bengal is made of. We have raised our voice for Assam and will continue to do the same if NRC is imposed in Bengal." BJP president Amit Shah BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday slammed opposition parties for their resistance to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and also said the government had initiated a campaign across several cities to identify Rohingya migrants and they would be deported. Protest against Assam NRC Activists of AIMIM (All India Majlish-e-Ettehad ul Muslimin) raise slogans during a protest against Assam's controversial National Register Citizen(NRC) draft, in Kolkata on Friday, August 10, 2018. Asom Sankhayalghu Sangram Parishad Asom Sankhayalghu Sangram Parishad (ASAP) member protests against an alleged exclusion of Indian Citizen from NRC at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Aug 4, 2018. But it was your rule:Sitharaman counters Congress on Rafale deal India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 18: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government was getting the Rafale fighter jets at a rate nine per cent cheaper than what the UPA dispensation had agreed upon. Sitharaman said that the Congress party is levelling baseless allegations on the government. "Deal didn't happen during UPA. What also didn't happen during UPA was that b/w HAL and Dassault they couldn't agree on production terms. So HAL and Rafale couldn't go together. Doesn't that very clearly say who didn't go together with HAL, under which govt did that happen?, asked Sitharaman. She said that if the Congress was so sure that it had negotiated the best deal, why did it put it on the back burner. "Why did it not go ahead with the deal?" she asked. Responding to questions on the Congress's allegations against the government over the Rafale aircraft deal, the minister said, "We have responded saying your basic price and the basic price that I am getting at, when compared with all the escalation and other things, is 9 per cent cheaper," she said. A K Antony Tuesday accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of suppressing facts on the Rafale deal and asked why the government was shying away from setting up a joint parliamentary committee to probe it. He also accused the government of being "guilty" of "gravely compromising" national security in the Rafale fighter jet deal. Why Modi govt is shying away from JPC to probe into Rafale deal? asks AK Antony Addressing a press conference, Antony rejected as "completely false" the charges of Sitharaman that an unprecedented intervention by him in 2013 put the "final nail in the coffin" when the cost negotiation committee was giving final touches to the deal. The former defence minister accused Sitharaman of trying to tarnish the image of public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) both nationally and internationally. He also asked if the price of the Rafale fighter jets were cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA and why it did not buy 126 aircraft instead of 36 from the French manufacturer. Stage set: Jarkiholi brothers want to quit Congress, but will 18 MLAs back them? India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Bengaluru, Sep 18: The trouble in the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka does not seem to end. The recent banner of revolt raised by the Jarkiholi brothers of Belagavi has played out into a major issue and it appears as though even Siddaramaiah has failed to quell the rebellion. Congress minister, Ramesh Jarkiholi and his brothers who have been leading the revolt is likely to take a decision today on whether he would quit the party or not. He has claimed that he has the support of 18 MLAs in the party. If what he claims is indeed true, then there is big trouble for the coalition. If 18 MLAs pull out, then it is curtains for the government in Karnataka. The Jarkiholis are upset with the sudden rise of Laxmi Hebbalkar in the all important Belagavi region, which has 18 assembly constituencies. It is said that Hebbalkar has the backing of D K Shivakumar, who is trying to spread his reach over the state in the hope that he would become chief minister someday. Also Read | All parties in Karnataka up their guard as talk of coalition collapsing becomes stronger The JD(S) has constantly urged the Congress high command to take stock of the situation and sort out the problem. Siddaramaiah was handed the charge to speak to the sulking brothers, but sources say that during the talks held after Siddaramaiah returned from Europe there has not been much headway made. Sources in the Congress feel that Ramesh Jarkiholi may not quit the party as he has been saying. It is clearly a pressure tactic to keep Hebbalkar down. The control over Belagavi is what has led to this problem. There is also a tussle for the control over the cooperative banks in the region and this becomes important in the view of the farm loan waiver. Amidst the allegations that the BJP has been meddling in this issue, the party leaders say that they have nothing to do with it. In fact the party has summoned all its MLAs and is trying to safeguard them as the Congress and JD(S) has threatened to poach some of them. While the BJP would hope that the coalition would fall, it wants to have no direct hand in it. The top brass of the party is clear that the coalition should fall on its own and its state unit should engineer any downfall. Also Read | Karnataka: More than what meets the eye in the Jarkiholi-Laxmi Hebbalkar fight The BJP top brass wants its state unit to focus entirely on 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In its pursuit of South India, Karnataka is a very important state. The BJP's most realistic chance of winning big in South India is in Karnataka. It would not want to convey a negative message to the voter, but engineering a collapse of a government. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 8:31 [IST] Telangana elections: Will the promise made to Sonia Amma in 2014 be fulfilled in 2018? India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Hyderabad, Sep 18: The death of Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, one of the tallest leaders of the Congress in a united Andhra Pradesh was a major turning point. Struggling to fill in the vacuum caused by the death of Reddy who had won two consecutive elections in AP n 2004 and 2009 was a Herculean task for the Congress. As the party was reeling with the loss, there came a rebellion in the form of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, which plunged the party's prospects further. In all this, the Congress faced a further problem as the demand for a separate Telangana state rose higher. K Chandrashekar Rao intensified the demand and the Congress which was in power both in AP and Centre began discussing the issue seriously. The protests had touched dizzying heights and the Congress had no option, but to give into the demand and finally in February 2014, the nod for a separate state was given. Political gamble: For the Congress it was a major political gamble. On one hand, the popularity of KCR was soaring, while on the other Jagan Reddy was threatening to eat into the vote bank of the Congress. Telangana elections: TRS will win 95 out 119 says this survey In the run up to the big declaration, the Congress knew that it had to play it smart. It was well aware of the fact that Telangana was a highly sensitive issue and the people would back KCR as he was the only political leader in AP, who raised his voice for a separate state, without any let up. One of the pre-conditions of the Congress to declare a state was that the TRS would need to tie up with it ahead of the elections. While KCR agreed at first, he managed to outsmart the Congress and said that any tie up would be possible only once statehood was declared. KCR read the cards well and knew that the Congress was desperate. If the state was declared, it was doomed in the Seema-Andhra and Rayalseema regions as the people had vociferously opposed the division of AP. If the Congress did not declare a state, then it was curtains for it in Telangana. The Congress gave into KCR's demand as it felt that it could save at least one bastion. From AP, it was getting all mixed signals and almost all of the media had gone berserk on Jagan's popularity and the kind of crowds, he was drawing. However in the elections held in AP, the crowds did not translate into votes and it was Chandrababu Naidu who had the last laugh. The people who had seen how Naidu had transformed Hyderabad felt that he was the best man suited for the job, when it came to building a new state. KCR had his way: With the Congress giving in and declaring a new state, KCR did an about turn on the alliance. He refused to forge an alliance and said that he would fight the elections on his own. The 2014 Telangana elections were giving out mixed signals. On one hand the people wanted to reward KCR as he had fought for the cause. On the other they would say, " this state would not have been possible without Sonia Amma's efforts." The big question was who were the people going to reward? Several voters had said that they would give KCR the first chance and in the next elections they would reward the Congress. Does Sonia still matter: Fast forward 2018, the state is going in for elections and it is an early one thanks to KCR dissolving the assembly. The question that we asked the voter was whether they still remember the 2014 promise and how they had said that in the next elections, they would reward the Congress thanks to Sonia Gandhi. Telangana elections: Will there be a change of guard in the TRS? The response on the ground is a mixed one. Clearly the 2014 sentiment is not as high this time. They do remember what Sonia Gandhi had done, but when it comes to voting for the Congress, they are unsure. KCR, it appears had over the years clearly sensed this and would have thought of what the voter had said back in 2014. He has doled out one scheme after another cutting across caste lines. He has been mindful of the farmers, who form a large chunk of the electorate. Further, he has played the regional card very well and often reminded the voter that they should not become slaves of Delhi. This appears to have a large impact in several parts of the state. Moreover KCR also caught the Congress off guard, when he decided to dissolve the assembly paving the way for early elections. The Congress was banking on a resurgence and clearly needed time at least until May to put up a good fight. It had to stitch up an alliance with the TDP, a party which the people of Telangana say had tried to block the formation of a new state. KCR too is going to town with this issue and is reminding the people as to how the TDP had tried to stall the formation of Telangana. KCR made two major political gambles-one in 2014 and another in 2018. In 2014, the gamble to stay away from the Congress paid off. The one in 2018 where he decided to face the voters early has paid off, it appears at least as of now. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 14:08 [IST] AgustaWestland: SC to hear EDs plea against nod to Saxena to travel abroad tomorrow AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive AgustaWestland: ED wants to make approver Rajiv Saxena an accused now UAE to extradite AgustaWestland scam middleman Christian Michel to India India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Sep 18: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be extraditing the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland scam, Christian Michel, to India, said reports. Michel, a British national, is accused of handling and routing over 60 million dollars for kickbacks in the deal for AgustaWestland luxury helicopters. Christian Michel was arrested in February 2017 by the UAE authorities. The Indian investigative agencies had been pushing UAE for extradition eversince. Michel has been in detention in Dubai since June. He was placed under detention after India asked for his extradition through Dubai court. [Not questioned Christian Michel in AgustaWestland case says CBI] On January 1, 2014, India canceled the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF, over alleged breach of contractual obligations and on charges of paying kickbacks amounting to Rs 423 crore. CBI had in 2013 registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs including the President and Prime Minister. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 23:07 [IST] Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank, BoB to merge: What does it mean for customers? India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 18: With a view to clean up bad loans mess in the country's banking system, the Centre on Monday decided to merge three state-owned banks Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of Baroda, giving birth to India's third-largest lender. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a press conference said that the amalgamation will make the lenders stronger and sustainable as well as increase their lending ability. All three banks combined would have a total loan book of Rs 6.40 lakh crore and total deposits of Rs 8.41 lakh crore, making it the third-largest bank in India. Total branches will increase to 9,489. But many of these branches could be overlapping, which means they may have to cut branches that are near to each other. A government statement said the merger will lead to synergies of a shared network, low cost deposits and subsidiaries. The merged bank will have a current and saving account ratio of 34.06% and capital adequacy of 12.25%. Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda to be merged "No employee will face any service conditions which are adverse in nature. The best of the service conditions will apply to all of them," the govt further said. The government has assured that the brand equity of all three banks will be preserved and capital support to the new entity will be provided. The merger's rationale is increase in customer base, market reach, operational efficiency, and wider bouquet of products and services to cutomer. Customers of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank will get to be a part of a larger and a wider banking network. But the connect that customers have with a smaller bank is much stronger than that of a bigger bank. Furthermore, a bank merger means that one's bank accounts and their features may not remain as they were before the merger. Also, banks generally do not allow grandfathered accounts to be continued post the merger. When banks merge, so do their customer deposits. If one happens to have a large amount of money in the two banks that are merging together, they are likely to find the entire money in the same bank, which defeats the purpose of splitting the sum in the first place. Bank mergers can also lead to some customers switching to other banks. According to the study, 46 percent of respondents whose banks went through a merger within the previous 12 months reported they would definitely switch banks. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 11:09 [IST] Many more leaders are in contact with me: Tejashwi Yadav after former MLA rejoins RJD from JD(U) What prompted JD (U) in Bihar to bring Prashant Kishor to its fold? India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Sep 18: Lots of social engineering have taken place in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with Dalits and ati Dalit, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and then Most Backward Classes (MBCs) by every other political party in these two states. But this has alienated upper caste community across the country forcing them to regroup as one cohesive unit which was otherwise divided into several groups. The new development is forcing different political parties to devise their strategy afresh. Political party like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and even the Congress are looking at the upper caste to win them over. The RJD sent Manoj Jha a brahmin to the Rajya Sabha then JD (U) plans to field Prashant Kishor and Sanjay Jha in the Lok Sabha elections. Election strategist Prashant Kishor joins JDU in presence of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar The real story starts with Congress president Rahul Gandhi's paddling for soft Hindutva and his party underline him being a Shiv Bhakt will definitely attract upper caste votes which was once its core vote bank. Upper Caste's anger with the NDA may drive them to the probable RJD and the Congress alliance. A political analyst said that the present situation of Bihar is like that of Uttar Pradesh in 2007 when the community rallied behind Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati to give her a clear majority in the Assembly elections. So under the leadership of former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, the line of prominent caste OBC and upper caste divide seem to be blurred. So if the Congress and RJD come together, it is most likey that upper cast backing the alliance. He further said that this could be reason for the National Democratic Alliance leadership prompting Lok Janshakti Party chief pitching for 15 per cent reservation and JD (U) backing Prashant Kishor, Sanjay Jha both of them Brahmins and Rajiv Ranjan Singh a Bhumihar to field them as Lok Sabha candidates. Social engineering started by Nitish Kumar that succeeded in breaking the cohesive group of OBSs into MBCs and upper caste enmass voting for Nitish Kumar making a success story but the way upper caste are neglected by NDA, they may switch side. Bihar had the maximum of the recent Bandh called by upper caste communities against SC/ST Act. So they have started expressing their view. In 2019 Prashant Kishor won't campaign for anyone, here is what he will do Political pundits are also of the view that if the NDA leadership commits the same mistake that was committed by Congress that where will the Hindu vote go then no one can stop the rout as it happen with the Congress. However, NDA leaders have started realizing and they started wooing upper caste with different measure which will be improved with the election coming closure. Some such measures will reflect during the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh elections however there is not much scope in Chhattisgarh which has more tribal population. But Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will definitely have something positive for the upper caste is feedback is coming. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 10:42 [IST] Why Modi govt is shying away from JPC to probe into Rafale deal? asks AK Antony India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Sep 18: Former Defence Minister and Congress leader AK Antony on Tuesday accused Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of suppressing facts on Rafale deal. Antony asked why Modi government is shying away from ordering JPC to probe Rafale deal. Antony said, " 'State of the Art Technology' is the costliest thing to acquire, in today's times. Modi Govt's deal of 36 Rafales brazenly forgoes 'Transfer of Technology' clause. This means that the price of the aircraft must be substantially cheaper than the UPA deal, if it is without 'Transfer of Technology'. " Rafale deal to strengthen air force numbers, says IAF chief Birender Singh Dhanoa "Instead of HAL manufacturing the aircrafts, all the 36 are being produced in France, so the price must be again cheaper, he said. "Instead of getting a cheaper price per aircraft, Modi Govt is purchasing 36 aircrafts for Rs 60,145 Cr, as revealed by the Annual Report of Dassault Aviation & Reliance Press Release i.e Rs 1670.70 Cr per aircraft; while during UPA-Congress Govt, per aircraft prices comes to Rs 526.10 Cr i.e. Rs 18,940 Cr for 36 aircrafts. Even without 'Transfer of Technology' why is the Modi Govt paying Rs 41,205 Cr more for the deal?," asked AK Antony. Congress trains gun on govt over the offset clause in Rafale deal He alleged that it is unfortunate that defence minister is trying to tarnish HAL's image nationally and globally. " If HAL does not have the required capability, please let us know which company in India has the capability to manufacture fighter aircrafts?," he asked. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 15:56 [IST] Five baby squirrels in USA find their tails getting badly entangled with the others International oi-Shubham Ghosh Madison (USA), Sept 18: They yet carry their baggage unlike us and sometimes even pay dearly for it. Five baby squirrels were recently found in Wisconsin state of the USA who got their tails badly entangled with each other and further messed up with grass and plastic. The hapless creatures desperately tried to break free by running in different directions but they only got stuck more in the web. There was no way that the squirrels could solve their problem without an external help and only the human being could be that help. They were seen by a "caring finder" who carried them to an animal welfare NGO where they were anaesthetised and operated upon to free the entangled nest. All five animals were doing fine except some tissue damage in their tails. It is, however, not the first time that such a bizarre incident has happened. In May, the tails of six baby squirrels got entangled badly in the state of Nebraska, USA, and it took an hour to separate them. There, too, the squirrels suffered damage in their tail tissues but none were hurt seriously. Also Read | This cute squad is returning home from the doctor... OMG! They are so adorable Luckily, we humans don't carry the baggage of the tail any more. Had we still, one entanglement in this increasingly polarised world could lead to more unfortunate outcomes. Who knows? For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 11:12 [IST] OPEC has little idea about how to protect Iran against stern US sanctions International oi-Shubham Ghosh Vienna, Sept 18: The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) must keep together for the sake of the global economy as the body's founding member Iran faces renewed sanction from the United States, its secretary-general Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo said on Tuesday, September 18, the Associated Press reported. However, the report also added that Barkindo did not specify how the market, which is already tight, could make up for the loss of supply from a key producer like Iran. India to raise issue of crude pricing at OPEC meet: Pradhan Barkindo, 59, also said the pact made between the OPEC members and non-members that saw a slash in production and brought the prices back from lows of $30 per barrel in January 2016 was now "a permanent feature". The OPEC nations will meet in Algeria this Sunday, September 23, and talks on arrangement will feature in the discussion. The cartel is nevertheless likely to face anger from Iran as it has come under more and more pressure once US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 nuclear deal reached between Tehran and leading world powers in early May. US asks Russia, Saudi to make up difference American oil sanctions on Iran will resume in November and already, US allies in Asia are busy reducing their purchase of crude from Tehran. The US has also asked Russia and Saudi Arabia to make up for the difference, something which has allowed those to countries to take up "hostage taking policies in the market", according to Iran's OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, the AP report added. OPEC should go for responsible pricing: Dharmendra Pradhan However, the OPEC still doesn't have any idea on how it would protect Iran while comforting it at the same time. According to analysts, oil prices will shoot up further as production will receive a blow because of the loss of supply from Iran, a key member of the bloc. Blue Whale Challenge: Russian girl arrested for being the mastermind of game Russian researchers claim 'World's oldest woman' lied about her age when she died Russian jet with 14 servicemen aboard vanishes from radar off Syria International oi-Madhuri Adnal Damascus, Sep 18: A Russian Il-20 military aircraft with 14 servicemen on board has disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft went off the radar on its way back to Khmeimim Air Base in Syria, the ministry said in a statement. It said the aircraft disappeared from radar during an attack by four Israeli Air Force F-16 fighters on targets in Syrias Latakia province. A brief statement from the Russian Ministry of Defence says the missing aircraft, described as an IL-20 surveillance aircraft carrying 14 crew, 'disappeared from radar' during the attack on Syrian and Iranian regime forces in the port city of Latakia. US- China trade war escalates after Trump slaps tariff International pti-PTI Beijing, Sep 18: China on Tuesday (Sep 18) threatened to retaliate with "synchronised counter measures" against President Donald Trump's third round of tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports, saying the US' move will add "new uncertainties" for future talks between the world's top two economies. President Trump on Tuesday slapped 10 per cent tariffs on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports and the duties will rise to whopping 25 per cent at the end of the year, escalating the trade war with the world's second largest economy. He alleged that China had been unwilling to change its unfair trade practices and the new additional tariff structure would give fair and reciprocal treatment to American firms. China's Ministry of Commerce said it would be forced to take "synchronised counter measures" against the new tariffs. In a statement, the ministry also said that the tariffs announced by Trump had "added new uncertainties" to trade talks between the two sides. Trump also warned China against any retaliation, saying if Beijing retaliated this time, the US would impose further tariffs on another USD 267 billion worth of products virtually covering almost all Chinese exports to the US totalling about USD 522.9 billion. According to official figures, US goods and services trade with China totalled an estimated USD 710.4 billion in 2017 of which US exports were USD 187.5 billion and imports were USD 522.9 billion. Trump has been pressuring China to reduce the trade deficit with the US, totalling to USD 335.4 billion in 2017. Last month, both sides resumed trade talks but at a lower level. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen held talks in Washington but without much results. Trump, who has been demanding that China should reduce trade deficit immediately by USD 100 billion, recently called for talks to resolve the issue. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave no inkling about how China's plans to retaliate Trump's new round of tariffs and said it brought more uncertainties to future round of talks. "I want to say that China has to respond to uphold our legitimate rights and interests, the order of free trade," Geng told reporters. "This measure by US side added more uncertainties to the talks between the two sides," he said. Asked how the two sides plan to end the trade war, Geng said "We have been stressing that talks need to happen on the basis of equality and good faith so as to resolve the issues between the two sides. What the US has done shows no sincerity, no good faith at all," he said. To another question on whether China viewed escalation of tariff war by the US as an attempt to contain Beijing's rise, Geng said, "Regarding containment, I have never heard of that from any US official. We have been repeating that sound and steady development of China-US ties serves the fundamental interest of the two sides and what the international community wishes to see". Geng said China would like to work with the US to achieve that, adding that "however the protectionist and unilateral measures taken by US were not acceptable to us". He also declined to go into specific measures on whether Beijing would contemplate non-trade measures like containing visas to US citizens. "In the light of the latest round of tariffs, China has to counter act but what kind of counter measures would the Chinese side take will be released in time. You made assumption (about not granting visas), I have no comment on that," Geng said. Hong Kong-based 'South China Morning Post' reported on Tuesday that China is likely to cancel its tentative plans to send President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser Liu He to Washington after Trump's new tariff announcement. According to the source, who declined to be identified , as the plans have not been made public, China is reviewing its earlier plans to send a delegation, headed by vice-premier Liu He to Washington next week, the report said. China says tit-for-tat tariffs will 'destroy' US-China trade One precondition for the talks was that the Americans would show sufficient goodwill but Trump's latest decision to escalate the trade war by slapping new tariffs on almost half of all Chinese exports may have scuppered the talks, it quoted the sources as saying. "If the vice-premier does go to the US, we can reasonably suspect he has a reasonable offer, but at this point, I would think the likelihood is low," the representative said. China had earlier retaliated twice by imposing additional tariffs on imported products from the US. PTI NFA has barred John Marc Schwaebe from NFA membership for seven years and from acting as a principal of an NFA Member for nine years. Schwaebe was an associated person (AP) at the Carlsbad, Calif. branch office of an NFA Member introducing broker (IB). The Decision, issued by NFA's Business Conduct Committee (BCC), is based on a Complaint issued by the BCC and a settlement offer submitted by Schwaebe. The BCC found that Schwaebe assisted a former NFA Associate in perpetrating a trade allocation scheme. The BCC also found that Schwaebe failed to comply with the terms of a Member Responsibility Action (MRA) issued by NFA's Executive Committee, by assisting the former NFA Associate in circumventing the restrictions imposed by the MRA. NFA has ordered Chicago, Ill. introducing broker Global Asset Advisors LLC and its principal and associated person Glenn A. Swanson to jointly pay a $200,000 fine. NFA also ordered Global Asset Advisors' principal and associated person Kenneth S. Packard to pay a $35,000 fine. The Decision, issued by BCC, is based on a Complaint issued by the BCC, and a settlement offer submitted by Global Asset Advisors, Swanson and Packard. The BCC found that Global Asset Advisors, Swanson and Packard failed to adequately supervise the firm's operations and its employees to monitor for, and detect, unusual allocation activity and to prevent violations of a Member Responsibility Action issued by NFA. Juwi signs agreement with University of Queensland to deliver PV Hybrid Project on the Great Barrier Reef www.juwi.com On the 30th of August 2018 juwi Renewable Energy signed an agreement with the University of Queensland to deliver a high penetration solar, battery hybrid power solution at the Heron Island Research Station located in the Great Barrier Reef under an EPC contract. The project consists of a 500kW roof top installation combined with a 0.6MWh vanadium flow battery integrated with diesel generators using a microgrid control system. This project is expected to deliver over 80% of the research facilities annual electricity needs and be operational in mid-2019.The project builds on the success of the worlds largest solar, battery hybrid project delivered by juwi at the Degrussa mine in Western Australia which has been operating now for 3 years during which time it has reduced the diesel consumption at the mine by over 5 million liters per annum.Dave Manning, Global Head of Hybrid for juwi said: Hybrid power solutions offer the potential to significantly reduce the amount of diesel consumption in often pristine environments whilst maintaining reliability. On top of that hybrid power stations now generate electricity at a lower cost than traditional fossil fuel power stations. We are looking forward to working with the University of Queensland to deliver this landmark project on the Great Barrier Reef.About the juwi GroupThe juwi group is one of the worlds leading companies in the area of renewable energy. The renewable energy pioneer offers project development, EPC as well as O&M services. The company focuses projects with solar and wind energy, complemented by grid integration and storage solutions.The juwi group was established in 1996 in Germany. Since the end of 2014, Mannheim based utility MVV Energie AG has been partner and majority shareholder (63%) of the juwi Group. juwi has about 850 employees worldwide, branches on all continents and is actively engaged in various projects all over the globe.So far, juwi has realized more than 990 wind turbines with a total capacity of more than. 2,300 megawatts at more than 175 sites globally. In the solar segment, more than 1,700 projects with a total capacity of around 2,500 megawatts have been designed and constructed. Within the past 20 years, juwi has initiated an investment volume of around nine billion euros to realize these projects.Christian HinschDirector Corporate CommunicationsTel. +49. (0)6732. 96 57-1201 hinsch@juwi.dejuwi AG Energie-Allee 1 55286 Worrstadt Germany Small Cell Network Market Outlook With Expected 26.7% CAGR 2018-2023 | Worldwide Top Key Players - Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Nokia Networks, American Tower, Qualcomm, ZTE, Verizon Wireless, Mobilitie, Huawei Small Cell Network Market https://marketprognosis.com/sample-request/16582 https://marketprognosis.com/buyReport/16582 https://marketprognosis.com/enquiry/16582 https://www.marketprognosis.com Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On Global Small Cell Network Market 2018 - 2023 which contains global key players survey information and forecast to 2023.Overview of the Global Small Cell Network Market:The Global Small Cell Network Market has been valued at USD 1.66 Billion in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.7% over forecast period (2018 - 2023), to reach USD 6.82 Billion by 2023.The scope of the report covers the applications of different types of cells such as femtocell, picocell, microcell, metrocell across various industries such as BFSI, IT and Telecom, healthcare, retail, transportation and energy and utilities.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @Mobile network usage is increasing at an astounding rate as data rates rise driven by an insatiable customer appetite for social media, video, gaming, and live streaming. With the surging popularity of wearable and implantable devices and the growing penetration of smart devices, the number of global mobile broadband users is increasing. Also, the rising demand for 4K videos, HD VoLTE, and VR is expected to create a tenfold data volume consumption increase per user. Thus, with the omnipresence of smartphone and mobile broadband technology, advancement towards 5G, and rise in mobile data as the primary use cases, the demand for small cell networks is on a significant increase.The market Asia Pacific is currently experiencing rapid growth owing to the increasing requirement for high-speed data networks in most countries of this region. China and Japan are the primary revenue contributors in this region. The companies in the region are continuously investing in improving their broadband network performances. In November 2017, Nokia and China Unicom together offered Nokia Flexi Zone small cells and an AirScale low power radio head for deployment in 31 provinces in China. This gave China Unicom's subsidiaries new flexibility as they densified busy city 3G and 4G LTE networks and further enhanced performance in suburban and rural locations. Moreover, there is an increased penetration of smartphones and the rise in data traffic in the region that is contributing to market growth.Purchase this report online with 101 Pages, Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @Major Key Players:1 Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise2 Nokia Networks3 American Tower4 Qualcomm Technologies Inc.5 ZTE Corporation6 Verizon Wireless7 Mobilitie, LLC8 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and More.Any Query? Ask to our Expert @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Small Cell Network Market.Table of Contents:1 Introduction2 Research Approach and Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Market Dynamics5 Technology Snapshot6 Global Small Cell Network Market- Segmented by Type7 Global Small Cell Network Market- Segmented by Operating Environment8 Global Small Cell Network Market- Segmented by End-User Vertical9 Global Small Cell Network Market - Segmented by Geography10 Competitive Landscape - Key Vendor Profiles11 Future Outlook of the MarketAbout us:We at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt. Ltd.Thane 421501India.sales@marketprognosis.com+1 973 241 5193 Why Smart Agriculture(Farming) Market Has Demand in Global Area :Analysis by Deere & Company, Trimble, Agco, Agjunction, Raven Industries, Delavai, AG Leader Technology., Teejet Technology, Topcon Positioning System, Geosys https://www.researchreportsinc.com/sample-request?id=212444 https://researchreportsinc.com/checkout/?add-to-cart=212444&&attribute_pa_choose-license=single-user&&quantity=1 https://www.researchreportsinc.com/check-discount?id=212444 Global Smart Agriculture Market valued approximately USD 7 billion in 2017 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 12.50% over the forecast period 2017-2025.Get Sample Report HERE atORBuy Report Directly atThe demand for smart technologies such as Big Data, cloud-based services, GPS, and the IoT is gaining pace in the agriculture industry. Driven by the rising need for high precision crop analysis, automated farming techniques, and collection of data from the field, the world is likely to witness the agriculture industry get smarter with the implementation of technologies in the coming years.Data thus derived from implementing smart technologies can help farmers yield high quality and larger quantity of crops. Besides rising population, which triggers demand for food, the global smart agriculture market is expected to gain from favorable government initiatives.Ask Discount on Report HEREHowever, the journey is likely to be more difficult in underdeveloped economy where the agriculture sector is reeling under lack of knowledge among farmers. The high cost of smart devices is making the matter worse. Nevertheless, in the coming years the market is likely to gain from the rising penetration of high-speed internet even in remote areas.The regional analysis of Global Smart Agriculture Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. the dominance was with the smart agriculture market in North America, which held over 44.14% of the overall market in 2016.Extensive researches funded by governments across the region to minimize human involvement and boost crop yield has fueled the demand for smart agriculture technologies in North America. Europe emerged as the second-leading and is expected to continue exhibiting lucrative market opportunities. In the U.K. especially the market is forecast to witness accelerated pace of gains as the government make huge investments in the research and development of robust technologies. Besides this, rate of growth in Italy is predicted to remain high through the forecast period. During the same time, the Asia Pacific smart agriculture market is forecast to rise at an influential rate.Countries such as Japan, China, and Australia will strong agriculture sector are expected to emerge at the fore of the regional market. China held the leading share in the Asia Pacific smart agriculture market. However, in the forthcoming years Japan is expected to showcase more attractive opportunities for the market.The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market.Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players. The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:By Offering: Hardware Software ServicesBy Agriculture Type: Precision Monitoring Livestock Monitoring Smart Greenhouse Fish Farm MonitoringBy Application: Precision Farming Application Livestock Monitoring Application Fish Farming Application Smart Green House ApplicationBy Regions: North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germany Asia Pacifico Chinao Indiao Japan Latin Americao Brazilo Mexico Rest of the WorldFurthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year 2015, 2016Base year 2017Forecast period 2018 to 2025The industry is seeming to be fairly competitive. Some of the leading market players include Deere & Company, Trimble, Agco, Agjunction, Raven Industries, Delavai, AG Leader Technology., Teejet Technology, Topcon Positioning System, Geosys, Dairy Master and so on. Acquisitions and effective mergers are some of the strategies adopted by the key manufacturers. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.Target Audience of the Global Smart Agriculture Market in Market Study: Key Consulting Companies & Advisors Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises Venture capitalists Value-Added Resellers (VARs) Third-party knowledge providers Investment bankers InvestorsAt Research Reports Inc. we endeavor to settle on it easy for key chiefs to discover important data and industry bits of knowledge by finding the correct statistical surveying reports. We will probably enable you to require some serious energy basic choices speedier and all the more precisely with our reportsDavid(Deals Manager)Research Reports Inc.Contact:Toll Free: USA +18554192424 Reactive Alumina Market 2018 Global Analysis, Opportunities, Industry Applications, Key Developments And Forecast To 2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3392157-global-reactive-alumina-market-insights-forecast-to-2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3392157-global-reactive-alumina-market-insights-forecast-to-2025 Global Reactive Alumina MarketThis report researches the worldwide Reactive Alumina market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, Japan) and other regions.This study categorizes the global Reactive Alumina breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Request a Sample Report @Global Reactive Alumina market size will increase to Million US$ by 2025, from Million US$ in 2017, at a CAGR of during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Reactive Alumina.This report focuses on the top manufacturers' Reactive Alumina capacity, production, value, price and market share of Reactive Alumina in global market. The following manufacturers are covered in this report:AluChemAlmatis (OYAK Group)Rohini IndustriesReactive Alumina Breakdown Data by TypeUltrafine Low Soda AluminaLow Soda AluminaMiddle Soda AluminaReactive Alumina Breakdown Data by ApplicationRefractory ProductsFinely Milled ProductsOtherReactive Alumina Production Breakdown Data by RegionUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanOther RegionsReactive Alumina Consumption Breakdown Data by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandVietnamEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalyRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyEgyptSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaThe study objectives are:To analyze and research the global Reactive Alumina capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast;To focus on the key Reactive Alumina manufacturers and study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in next few years.To focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Reactive Alumina Market Research Report 2018-2025, by Manufacturers, Regions, Types and Applications1 Study Coverage1.1 Reactive Alumina Product1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Reactive Alumina Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Ultrafine Low Soda Alumina1.4.3 Low Soda Alumina1.4.4 Middle Soda Alumina1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Reactive Alumina Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Refractory Products1.5.3 Finely Milled Products1.5.4 Other1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Reactive Alumina Production2.1.1 Global Reactive Alumina Revenue 2013-20252.1.2 Global Reactive Alumina Production 2013-20252.1.3 Global Reactive Alumina Capacity 2013-20252.1.4 Global Reactive Alumina Marketing Pricing and Trends2.2 Reactive Alumina Growth Rate (CAGR) 2018-20252.3 Analysis of Competitive Landscape2.3.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)2.3.2 Key Reactive Alumina Manufacturers2.4 Market Drivers, Trends and Issues2.5 Macroscopic Indicator2.5.1 GDP for Major Regions2.5.2 Price of Raw Materials in Dollars: Evolution3 Market Size by Manufacturers3.1 Reactive Alumina Production by Manufacturers3.1.1 Reactive Alumina Production by Manufacturers3.1.2 Reactive Alumina Production Market Share by Manufacturers3.2 Reactive Alumina Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Reactive Alumina Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.2.2 Reactive Alumina Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.3 Reactive Alumina Price by Manufacturers3.4 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion PlansContinued.Complete Report Details @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Global Camp Furniture Market 2018 | Major Key Players : Browning, Coleman, GCI Outdoor, Grand Trunk, Helinox, Kijaro, Macho Mesh Analysis And Forecast: MI Reports Camp Furniture Market 2018 http://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2422743-camp-furniture-global-market-status-and-trend-report-2013-2023 http://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2422743-camp-furniture-global-market-status-and-trend-report-2013-2023 http://www.wiseguyreports.com Description :Camp Furniture-Global Market Status and Trend Report 2013-2023 offers a comprehensive analysis on Camp Furniture industry, standing on the readers perspective, delivering detailed market data and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, potential entrant or investor, the report will provides useful data and information. Key questions answered by this report include:Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Camp Furniture 2013-2017, and development forecast 2018-2023Main manufacturers/suppliers of Camp Furniture worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Camp Furniture marketMarket status and development trend of Camp Furniture by types and applicationsCost and profit status of Camp Furniture, and marketing statusMarket growth drivers and challengesFor Sample Report @The report segments the global Camp Furniture market as:Global Camp Furniture Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023):North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanRest APACLatin AmericaGlobal Camp Furniture Market: Type Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume, Average Price, Revenue, Market Share and Trend 2013-2023):ChairsCots & HammocksStoolsTablesGlobal Camp Furniture Market: Application Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume and Market Share 2013-2023; Downstream Customers and Market Analysis)PersonalCommercialGlobal Camp Furniture Market: Manufacturers Segment Analysis (Company and Product introduction, Camp Furniture Sales Volume, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin):BrowningColemanGCI OutdoorGrand TrunkHelinoxKijaroMacho MeshPro PerformanceTravelChairWestfieldComplete Report Details @Table Of ContentChapter 1 Overview of Camp Furniture1.1 Definition of Camp Furniture in This Report1.2 Commercial Types of Camp Furniture1.2.1 Chairs1.2.2 Cots & Hammocks1.2.3 Stools1.2.4 Tables1.3 Downstream Application of Camp Furniture1.3.1 Personal1.3.2 Commercial1.4 Development History of Camp Furniture1.5 Market Status and Trend of Camp Furniture 2013-20231.5.1 Global Camp Furniture Market Status and Trend 2013-20231.5.2 Regional Camp Furniture Market Status and Trend 2013-2023Chapter 2 Global Market Status and Forecast by Regions2.1 Market Development of Camp Furniture 2013-20172.2 Production Market of Camp Furniture by Regions2.2.1 Production Volume of Camp Furniture by Regions2.2.2 Production Value of Camp Furniture by Regions2.3 Demand Market of Camp Furniture by Regions2.4 Production and Demand Status of Camp Furniture by Regions2.4.1 Production and Demand Status of Camp Furniture by Regions 2013-20172.4.2 Import and Export Status of Camp Furniture by Regions 2013-2017Chapter 3 Global Market Status and Forecast by Types3.1 Production Volume of Camp Furniture by Types3.2 Production Value of Camp Furniture by Types3.3 Market Forecast of Camp Furniture by TypesChapter 4 Global Market Status and Forecast by Downstream Industry4.1 Demand Volume of Camp Furniture by Downstream Industry4.2 Market Forecast of Camp Furniture by Downstream IndustryChapter 5 Market Driving Factor Analysis of Camp Furniture5.1 Global Economy Situation and Trend Overview5.2 Camp Furniture Downstream Industry Situation and Trend OverviewChapter 6 Camp Furniture Market Competition Status by Major Manufacturers6.1 Production Volume of Camp Furniture by Major Manufacturers6.2 Production Value of Camp Furniture by Major Manufacturers6.3 Basic Information of Camp Furniture by Major Manufacturers6.3.1 Headquarters Location and Established Time of Camp Furniture Major Manufacturer6.3.2 Employees and Revenue Level of Camp Furniture Major Manufacturer6.4 Market Competition News and Trend6.4.1 Merger, Consolidation or Acquisition News6.4.2 Investment or Disinvestment News6.4.3 New Product Development and LaunchChapter 7 Camp Furniture Major Manufacturers Introduction and Market Data7.1 Browning7.1.1 Company profile7.1.2 Representative Camp Furniture Product7.1.3 Camp Furniture Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Browning7.2 Coleman7.2.1 Company profile7.2.2 Representative Camp Furniture Product7.2.3 Camp Furniture Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Coleman7.3 GCI Outdoor7.3.1 Company profile7.3.2 Representative Camp Furniture Product7.3.3 Camp Furniture Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of GCI Outdoor7.4 Grand Trunk7.4.1 Company profile7.4.2 Representative Camp Furniture Product7.4.3 Camp Furniture Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Grand Trunk7.5 Helinox7.5.1 Company profile7.5.2 Representative Camp Furniture Product7.5.3 Camp Furniture Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of HelinoxContinued.About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Lid & Bottom Box Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth During 2017-2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5919 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5919 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Lid & Bottom boxes are the primary packaging solution for most of the consumer goods and gifts. It is a very cost-effective and efficient packaging solution for the variety of products available in the market. The Lid and Bottom boxes contain a lid to cover the bottom box which contains product inside it. These boxes are available in hundreds of shapes and sizes to cater specific demands of the manufacturers. The box offers good handling and shipping protection to the product. Most of the companies pack their branded products in these attractive boxes to market their products. Almost 80% of the watches and shoes available in the market are packaged in the lid and bottom boxes packaging. The packaging solution is highly suitable for the packaging of these type of consumer goods. Lid & Bottom boxes are generally made of the paper and plastics material. The material offers high strength and resistance properties. The boxes are used in different industries such as automobile, personal care, food & beverages etc. for the wide range of applications. Packaging manufacturers are continuously focusing to innovate their existing products to stay competitive in the market.Lid & Bottom Box: Market DynamicsThe Lid & Bottom Boxes have noticed a noticeable growth in the past few years due to the rise in consumption levels of the consumer goods. This is primarily driven due to increase in disposable incomes of the middle-class households in the emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil, etc. The companies are also focusing to opt for the cost-friendly packaging solution and offer high strength and resistance characteristics. Also, due to high competition in the market, packaging manufacturers are providing these boxes at the competitive prices. The introduction of the alternative packaging solution may hamper the growth of the bottom & lid boxes in the coming years. Also, some brand owner often face some problems in the quality of the product to safeguard their products in transit. This is primarily due to the presence of hundreds and thousands of the manufacturers who do not meet quality standards. The latest trend observed in the lid & bottom boxes market is the innovation of the existing products and the material used for manufacturing of these boxes. There are lots of opportunities available in this market for the new entrants in the emerging economies to capture market share from other competitors by offering differentiated products.Request Report for Table of Contents @Lid & Bottom Box Market: Regional outlookGeographically, the global lid & bottom box market is segmented across following regions- North America, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. The penetration of the lid & bottom boxes is very high in the North America and European region due to the brand owners preferences towards more eco-friendly and cost-effective packaging solution. The consumer in these regions also get easily attracted by this type of packaging solution. The demand for lid & bottom boxes in the Asia Pacific region is increasing day by day due to increase in disposable incomes of the middle-class households. The per capita spending on these type of products has increased substantially in the last few years. The India and China region offer strong growth in the lid & bottom boxes during the forecast period. Also, the packaging solution is widely used in the Japan. The MEA and Latin America region also offer untapped growth potential in the lid & bottom boxes market.Lid & Bottom Box Market: Key playersSome of the key players in the global Lid & Bottom Box market are Pisacane srl, Essence Ecocrafts Ltd., Dongguan Fullbright Industry Co., Ltd., FABREGAS PACKAGING, S.L., Duke Packaging, China Doso Pak Co. Ltd., Tiny Box Company Ltd., Staples, Inc., HE Koch & Co.The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights : Detailed overview of parent market,Changing market dynamics in the industry,In-depth market segmentation,Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value,Recent industry trends and developments,Competitive landscape,Strategies of key players and products offered,Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth,A neutral perspective on market performance,Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.Request to Sample of Report @About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: Medical Marijuana Market to Touch US$ 39 Bn Valuation by End of 2026 Period https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13897 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/13897 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com The medical marijuana market is anticipated to record a year-over-year growth rate of 15.9% and reach a market value of US$ 39,891.2 Mn by 2026. Extract form segment is expected to have high revenue share, accounting for 63.9% share in 2018 of the overall medical marijuana market. In this report, the medical marijuana market is segmented based on product type, application type, distribution channel and region.The extract form is the dominant segment in the market for medical marijuana as maximum number of products are made out of extract form and they are conveniently used by majority of the population. The product listed include oil concentration, tinctures, sprays, edibles, tablets, and capsules based on prescription. In contrast, the companies conduct research activities to introduce novel products in the market. In terms of revenue, the extract segment is expected to account for large revenue share of 63.9% in 2018, is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The growth in the dried flower segment is expected to be primarily driven by traditional use and purpose of usage with options available to consume dry form medical marijuana without any interventions.Request For Report Sample@Pain management seems to be the preferred choice to use medical marijuana, as the segment includes pain associated with many diseases such as cancer, arthritis, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and nerve damage, among others. The common practice associated with the routine checks involve the dynamic use of medical marijuana. Others segment has a range of indications in which medical marijuana is used such as PTSD, anxiety, mental health conditions, and many more. However, the seizures segment which involves cases of multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, and convulsions is expected to witness high CAGR of 16.1% during the forecast period.The retail pharmacy distribution segment is expected to hold maximum share in the overall medical marijuana market due to the large number of companies forming dispensaries of their own to sell the products on a major scale. Retail pharmacy is the first choice of distribution among manufacturers and consumers. Retail pharmacy distribution segment is estimated to have a market share of 77.9% in 2018 and a steady growth the E-commerce is also expected in the medical marijuana market due to change in operational functions that offer a high growth rate during the forecast period.Medical marijuana is well known for its notorious qualities that are being projected in different communities around the world. It is not in use by majority of the global population for medical cases. In the U.S., marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance, which makes it illegal to consume or possess. Limited use of medical marijuana has latched on to claims that it is useful to treat various ailments such as Crohns disease, multiple sclerosis results into muscle spasm, epilepsy, glaucoma, and nausea, among others. Though the medical marijuana is being synthesized to be used for medical purposes, the legalization of recreational marijuana would have some serious effects on overall marijuana pricing. Recreational marijuana is not subjected to be in use for health reasons, but are often consumed for its soothing and psychotic nature. But with developments for medical marijuana usage for medical purpose are on a rise in both developing and developed countries, progress with medical marijuana consumption in severe health issues often makes it a noticeable choice for physicians to prescribe it to treat diseases. Besides, there must be solid evidence to make it rather official to be in use. Conventional medicines are becoming expensive with time, whereas the adult population is increasing, which fails to adapt to this dynamic shift.PMRs report has segmented the global medical marijuana market on the basis of region into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific Excluding China, China and Middle East & Africa. This report assesses trends driving each market segment and offers analysis and insights about the medical marijuana market in specific regions. North America is expected to account major share in the global medical marijuana market and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.2% being the most lucrative regional market for medical marijuana. Europe is expected to follow North America during the forecast period due to high prevalence of cases that require medical marijuana for the treatment.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The key players in the Medical marijuana market include GW Pharmaceuticals PLC, MedReleaf Corporation, Canopy Growth Corporation, Aphria Incorporation, Aurora Cannabis Inc, Medical Marijuana, Inc., Green Relief Inc., Cannabis Sativa, INC., Insys Therapeutics, Inc., and The Peace Naturals Project.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Global Stem Cell Therapy Market to See a Major Financial Boost in the Forecast Duration Of 2017 to 2025 Stem cell http://bit.ly/2D8IF4O http://bit.ly/2xwnrYq According to a report recently published by Progressive Markets, which titled, Global Stem Cell Therapy Market- Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast 2014-2025, the industry is estimated to rise with a CAGR of 12.2 % during the period, 2017-2025. The report is significant for the manufactures owing to the fact that it offers a comprehensive analysis of market dynamics.Get sample report:-The report offers a significant information about the global stem cell therapy market in terms of introduction, classification, and description. It includes the executive summary of the industry in the context of key results, market attractiveness, competition, and recent developments. It incorporates the Porters Five Forces Analysis (PFFA) to have a comprehensive know-how of competition scenario in the industry. It evaluates these landscapes based on the bargaining power of customers & buyers, threat of substitutes & new entrants, and industry rivalry. It classifies the market into regions, therapy mode, and application.Access Full report:-Based on therapy, the research splits the global stem cell therapy market into autologous stem cell therapy and allogeneic stem cell therapy. These therapies are further categorized, such as autologous stem cell therapy is divided into GIT Diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, CVS diseases, CNS diseases, wounds, and injuries. The allogeneic stem therapy is classified as wounds and injuries, CNS diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, metabolic diseases, GIT diseases, immune system diseases, CVS diseases, and eye diseases. Geographically, the industry is distributed into North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America Middle East & Africa (LAMEA). The geographies are studied in detail, such as in the North America region, countries explored are Canada, U.S., and Mexico. In Europe, nations discussed are France, U.K., Germany, Italy, and Spain. In the Asia-Pacific region, nations assessed are Japan, China, India, South Korea, and Australia. The LAMEA countries included are Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and South Africa.According to the report, the global stem cell therapy market finds its application into the subcategory of the allogeneic stem therapy and autologous stem cell therapy. In addition, it studies factors that fuel the growth of the industry, such as the rise in the need for stem cell therapy for the treatment of diseases such as cancer. It also discusses alternative aspects that drive the market which includes the rise in finances from several private and government organizations, rise in support of the stem cell therapy for the clinical trials, and increase in consciousness about its benefits. The study also discusses features that impede the growth of the industry, such as a dearth of infrastructure required for the research and development of the stem cell therapy. Another characteristic of the therapy that hinder the growth of the market is ethical issues related with the embryonic stem cells.The experts discuss the top market players of the global stem cell therapy which includes Aastrom Biosciences Inc., Celgene Corporation, International Stem Cell Corporation, Mesoblast Ltd., StemCells, Inc., Advanced Cell Technology Inc., Cellaris AB, Cellular Engineering Technologies Inc., Living Cell Technologies, and BioTime Inc. They assess each vendor based on different strategies adopted by them in order to keep themselves updated about evolvement in market trends. These strategies include collaboration, product development, acquisition, and product approval. Further, the business & finance segments and recent development. They also offer an overview of every top vendor.The report analyzes share of the global stem cell therapy market by therapy mode, region, an application for the period, 2014-2025. It assesses the market share of every therapy mode by region for the historic period and forecast period, 2014-2016 as well as 2017-2025. It evaluates the same parameters for each application for the aforementioned period. Moreover, it examines the market size of each geographical distribution for the historic period and forecast period. It includes all the aforementioned characteristics in form of tables and figures. For instance, some tables give a brief description of vendors under the title of company snapshot. The market value for each country, application, and therapy mode is represented in tables for the period, 2014-2025. The same parameters are represented by pictures. For instance, the revenue generated by every market landscape of the market is illustrated through figures for the history as well as the forecast period.The company makes use of primary corporate research and secondary inputs from trusted sources to build its own reference base. It maintains consistency in quality as it keeps itself updated with changes in market dynamics and gauging its net effect on global business trends.Reach UsMr. Shriram Dighe4th Floor, Unit 12, Marisoft III,West Wing, Marigold IT Park,Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014,India: +91 20 66346040Toll Free: + 1-888-906-9222help@progressivemarkets.com Technology In Social Intelligence Market Forecast to 2022 : By Key Players like Brandwatch (U.K.) , IBM Corporation (U.S.) , Synthesio (U.S.) , 4c (U.S.) , Frrole, Inc. (U.S.) , Salesforce.Com, Inc. (U.S.) , Sysomos Inc. (Canada) , Talkwalker (U.S.). Social Intelligence Market http://bit.ly/2QEWLNZ http://bit.ly/2xrn01D Social Intelligence MarketThe detailed report on global Social Intelligence Market offers in-depth visions into the competitive key players,latest technological advancements, key market trends and emerging opportunities in global and major regions that the market is expected to experience.The latest technology and developments taking place in the Social Intelligence market is also depicted in this research report. The report accesses the various inhibitors and motivators of the market, in both qualitative and quantitative respect, to provide verified and validated information to the readers.Request for Sample PDF @This study report on Social Intelligence market throws light on the crucial trends and dynamics impacting the development of the market, including the restraints, drivers, and opportunities. A number of analysis tools such as Porters five forces analysis and SWOT analysis have been employed to provide an accurate understanding of this market.The research study consists of various topics including the overall market size, share, growth factors, market drivers, potential opportunities, restraints, key players, etc. The study also includes the key market trends, the impact of government protocols and technological updates in the new start-ups entering the space of the market so as to gain an equivalent foothold with the major players who are experts in their arenas, who have end-to-end production capabilities, and skills, and familiarity in backing them.Any Query Or Specific Discount Requirement? Ask our Industry Expert @Social Intelligence Market can be segmented as follows:Topmost Leading Manufacturer Covered in this report:Brandwatch (U.K.) , IBM Corporation (U.S.) , Synthesio (U.S.) , 4c (U.S.) , Frrole, Inc. (U.S.) , Salesforce.Com, Inc. (U.S.) , Sysomos Inc. (Canada) , Talkwalker (U.S.) , ARBA Holdings (Hong Kong) , Germin8 (India) .Geographically it is divided Social Intelligence market into seven prime regions which are on the basis of sales, revenue, and market share and growth rate:North America, Europe, China, Japan, Middle East & Africa, India, South America, Others.Global Social Intelligence Market: Product Segment Analysis:Software , Services , Managed Services , Professional Services .Global Social Intelligence Market: Application Segment Analysis:Campaign Analysis , Sales & Marketing Management , Product Analysis & Product Development , Customer Service , Recruitment , Social Media Research .The report implements SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis to uncover the strengths, weaknesses, challenges, threats, and the potential growth opportunities. The report examines the growth opportunities to determine the threats posed by new entrants, the threats of counterfeit products or services, and the overall competitive landscape.The Social Intelligence Market consists of data accumulated from numerous primary and secondary sources. This information has been verified and validated by the industry analysts, thus providing significant insights to the researchers, analysts, managers, and other industry professionals.The Social Intelligence Market Report mainly covers following Content:Social Intelligence Market Overview.Social Intelligence Market Competition by Manufacturers.Social Intelligence capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region.Social Intelligence Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region.Social Intelligence Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis.Social Intelligence Manufacturing Cost Analysis.Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers.Social Intelligence Industry Effect Factors Analysis.Social Intelligence Market Forecast 2018-2022.The research report on the Social Intelligence Market provides a comprehensive view of the overall market by evaluating the impact of the product innovations, changes in investments, and product specification. Furthermore, the report accesses the various inhibitors and motivators of the market, in both qualitative and quantitative respect, to provide verified and validated information to the readers. Finally, the report proves to be a valuable source to understand the various aspects of the market that will eventually help in accelerating the growth of the business.About Us:ReportsMonitor.com is a market intelligence and consulting firm with extensive experience and knowledge of the Market Research industry.Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact Us:Mr Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911 (U.S.)+44 203 318 2846 (U.K.)Email: sales@reportsmonitor.com North America Microgrid Market Analysis By Top Key Players - Honeywell, Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Toshiba, Hitachi, Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Lockheed Martin & More Microgrid https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1230587/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1230587/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/north-america-microgrid-market https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-grid-energy-storage-market-2018-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2023/?utm_source=RR-PSR https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog MarketStudyReport.com Adds New North America Microgrid Market 2018 2024 research report providing information and data By Connectivity, By Grid Type, By Source, By Storage, By Application, Industry Analysis, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast spreading across 205 Pages with table and figures in it.North America Microgrid Market is predicted to reach over USD 7 billion by 2024. Aging grid infrastructure coupled with stringent government policies toward adoption of sustainable power technologies will stimulate North America microgrid market. Economic competitiveness, low power cost & transmission losses and reliability are key the parameters that will encourage the product penetration. In addition, ongoing funding toward the development of distributed generation technology will enhance the industry landscape.Request a sample of this premium report at:Increasing high-end power consumption across the industries on account of development of new HVAC systems and heavy load machineries will foster the microgrid market. Growing electricity demands across hospitals, retail outlets, automotive, manufacturing operations, offices and industries will encourage product penetration across commercial and industrial application. For instance, as per EIA, the commercial and industrial sector in 2017 accounted about 4.5% and 22.4 % of the primary energy consumption respectively.Canada microgrid market is predicted to reach deployment of over 400 MW capacity by 2024. Growing electricity demand across remote and off grid areas along with upsurge in investments toward the adoption of clean energy technology will complement the business growth. Furthermore, ongoing development of distributed energy sources to minimize the dependency on conventional grid will enhance the industry outlook. In 2016 Canada government made an investment of USD 2.4 billion for developing wind and solar energy sources.Ongoing adoption of captive power plants across the manufacturing and industrial sector for ensuring regulated power production will foster North America microgrid market. Increasing investment toward the expansion of decentralized grid coupled with rising investments for the expansion of infrastructure and power sector will accelerate the business growth. For instance, in 2016, the government of Canada, announced an investment of about USD 900 million were financed toward installation of numerous energy sources and R & D across the country.Natural gas microgrid market will grow on account of stringent government measures pertaining to the adoption of lower emission fuel as a replacement for conventional fuel sources. Ongoing investment toward exploration of unconventional fuel reserves owing to escalating gas demand will enhance the industry outlook. Amren Corporation in 2017, developed an advanced microgrid which utilizes, solar, natural gas and wind energy as a source along with an integrated battery storage and automation system.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Flow batteries accounted for over 5% of North America microgrid market in 2017. Ongoing investment pertaining to the integration of sustainable grid coupled with innovations toward the development of cost-effective and efficient storage technologies will propel the industry growth. key features including long life cycle and higher efficiency will further encourage the product adoption over available substitutes.Eminent participants in the North America microgrid market include GE, ABB, Schneider Electric, Alstom, Siemens, Honeywell, Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Toshiba, Hitachi, Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Exelon and Power Analytics Corporation.Table of content:Chapter 1. MethodologyChapter 2. Executive SummaryChapter 3. North America microgrid market Industry InsightsChapter 4. North America Microgrid Market, By ConnectivityChapter 5. North America Microgrid Market, By Grid TypeChapter 6. North America Microgrid Market, By Power SourceChapter 7. North America Microgrid Market, By Storage DevicesChapter 8. North America Microgrid Market, By ApplicationChapter 9. North America Microgrid Market, By CountryChapter 10. Company ProfilesMore Details on this Report At:Related Report:Global Grid Energy Storage Market 2018 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023This report focuses on the Grid Energy Storage in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Organic Tea & Coffee Market Business Growth Statistics and Key Players Insights: Starbucks Corporation, Hain Celestial Group Inc, Honest Tea Inc, The Kroger Co Organic Tea & Coffee Market https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/request-sample/1074072 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/check-discount/1074072 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/checkout/1074072 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com Organic tea & coffee are tea & coffee produced without the aid of artificial chemical substances, such as certain additives or some pesticides and herbicides.High growth of organic tea & coffee market is on account of increasing disposable income, growing instances of diseases related to pesticide and insecticides coupled with expanding youth population base and high awareness regarding the harmful impact of pesticides and GMOs on food products.Global Organic Tea & Coffee Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 presents an in-depth assessment of the Organic Tea & Coffee industry including enabling technologies, deployment models, market drivers, key trends, standardization, regulatory landscape, challenges, operator case studies, opportunities, future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. 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In addition, this report also delivers widespread analysis of root market trends, several governing elements and macro-economic indicators, coupled with market improvements as per every segment.The study objectives of this report are: To study and analyze the global Organic Tea & Coffee market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of Organic Tea & Coffee market by identifying its various subsegments. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). Focuses on the key global Organic Tea & Coffee manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years. To analyze the Organic Tea & Coffee with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To project the value and volume of Organic Tea & Coffee submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.BUY NOW @About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Email- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWeb- Nano Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials Market Forecast through 2018-2028 Including Size, Share, Trends Analysis and Upcoming Opportunities https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=771 https://www.factmr.com/report/771/nano-crystalline-soft-magnetic-materials-market https://www.factmr.com/checkout/771/S https://www.factmr.com/ In order to study the various trends and patterns prevailing in the concerned market, Fact.MR has included the latest Forecast report on Nano Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials Market to its vast database. 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The nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials are relatively new concept, with the paradigm of increased emphasis on energy conservation accelerating research efforts.Leading players in the market are expanding their production capacity to cater growing demand for soft magnetic materials with high-performance characteristics. Hitachi, the pioneer of nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials, in 2017, announced its plan of tripling its production capacity of Finemet nano-crystalline soft magnetic material. The company aims at completion of boosting its production capacity by 2018-end. A new Fact.MR study has envisaged the nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials market to reflect a splendid 10.1% value CAGR in the period of forecast, 2018 to 2028.Nano-Crystalline Soft Magnetic Materials Complement Development of Next-Gen Noise Suppression SolutionsInnovative soft magnetic materials have become the new normal in electrical engineering, thereby leading to advanced component developments. Toroidal tape-wound cores produced by using nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials such as Vitroperm have been deemed highly effective for interference suppression in common-mode chokes (CMC). Vitroperm has established itself as universal solution for various EMC problems via its incorporation of affordable alloy constituents and large-scale production lines.Leading industry stakeholders, such as SCHURTER, have expanded their range of existing compensated chokes with the high-current types for use in PCB mounting. The new DKIH series of SCHURTER incorporates a nano-crystalline core, which imparts higher inductance (8x) than the ferrite core versions when placed in similar compact dimension. Open designs are a key focus area among producers of chokes having nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials as their core, which in turn suppress electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise produced by power applications on PCB.Check Complete Report Here -Electrical systems have perceived increased penetration in automobiles for catering demands of enhanced vehicle reliability and energy efficiency. Compact electrical components are being used as a replacement for large components such as inductors. Inclining interest of automotive manufacturers toward compact dimensions to optimize the operational efficiency of vehicles will create huge opportunities for nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials in the upcoming years. One such fast-emerging application is electro-mobility, wherein these materials are used to counter EMI noise as well as in next-generation semiconductors that include GaN and SiC.Relatively lower energy loss at low frequency is a distinguishing property of nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials, which has extended their application scope into transformers. These materials tackle energy loss issues faced in transformers, while enabling downsizing of the system. High magnetic permeability, along with robust flux density, of nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials has propelled their employment in power transmission industry, witnessing increased used as transformer cores. Upward trend toward energy conservation has further attracted transformer manufacturers interest in using nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials for large transformers.Albeit nano-crystalline soft magnetic materials market is at its nascent phase, increased exploration efforts by researchers worldwide is likely to expand the application potential of these materials. Applications of these materials, currently based on singular property, are expected to perceive combination of various desirable properties in the foreseeable future.Order a copy of Global Market Research Report Here -About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized global market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact Us -FactMRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone @ +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.comWebsite: An Extensive Report On Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players Nanlong, Shinetime Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/7331 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/7331 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/buy/stainless-steel-vacuum-bottle-market www.upmarketresearch.com Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle Industry research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period.Get FREE Sample Report Before Buying @UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle Market Analysis and Forecast 2018-2023 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. 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Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market 2018-2025 Business Growth Analysis, Demand, Revenue, Statistics, Top Leading Player-( Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Glaxosmithkline PLC, Pfizer Inc., 3M) Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market 2018-2025 https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/634254 https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/634254 https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/634254 www.orianresearch.com/ Nasal Drug Delivery Technology market 2018 Industry report incorporates Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Industry Volume, piece of the overall industry showcase Trends, Size, Share, classifications, applications and Cost Structure, Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Growth angles, an extensive variety of user, Utilization proportion, supply and request investigation, fabricating limit, Nasal Drug Delivery Technology price amid the forecast time frame 2018 to 2025Get Sample Copy @Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study of Market size (value, production and consumption), splits the breakdown (data status 2013-2018 and forecast to 2025), by manufacturers, region, type and application. and forecast to 2025 on the current state of the industry. 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This helps gain better idea about the spread of this particular market in respective regions.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report focuses on global major leading Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information.Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the TOP PLAYERS including:- Merck & Co., Inc. Novartis AG Glaxosmithkline PLC Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Pfizer Inc. 3M .We Can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions: North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa.Order a Copy of Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market Report 2018 @With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Report on (2018-2025 Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market Report) mainly covers 12 sections acutely display the global market:Chapter 1: To describe Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force.Chapter 2: To analyze the top manufacturers of Nasal Drug Delivery Technology, with sales, revenue, and price of Nasal Drug Delivery Technology, in 2016 and 2017.Chapter 3: Nasal Drug Delivery Technology, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017.Chapter 4: To show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Nasal Drug Delivery Technology, for each region, from 2016 Nasal Drug Delivery Technology to 2018.Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 To analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions.Chapter 10 and 11 To show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2016 Nasal Drug Delivery Technology to 2018.Chapter 11 Nasal Drug Delivery Technology market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2025 Nasal Drug Delivery Technology.Chapter 12: To describe Nasal Drug Delivery Technology sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Us:Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. 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We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite: Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Size, Revenue, Growth, Trends, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 Market Research Hub https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1890250 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-community-care-facilities-for-the-elderly-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025-report.html https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1890250 Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently broadcasted a new study to its broad research portfolio, which is titled as Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 provides an in-depth analysis of the Community Care Facilities for the Elderly with the forecast of market size and growth. The analysis includes addressable market, market by volume, and market share by business type and by segment (external and in-house).The research study examines the Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market on the basis of a number of criteria, such as the product type, application, and its geographical presence.Request for free Sample @This report focuses on the global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Community Care Facilities for the Elderly development in United States, Europe and China.Community Care Facilities or Residential Care Facilities are services provided to geriatrics to assist their day-to-day routine of care, supervision and assistance with activities such as bathing and grooming and providing medicine as per regimen. In many cases high level of care and supervision is required when people are unable to ambulate by themselves but who do not need 24 hour nursing care. They are considered non-medical facilities and are not required to have nurses, certified nursing assistants or doctors on staff. These services are provided either home to home or at a private facility away from the patients home. Community care facilities are strictly regulated for quality of environment and expertise of the staff.The demand for community care has increased exponentially over the years particularly due to decreased focus and attention meted out to geriatrics by family.This is further fueled with low awareness and training in handling of serious medical situation for old people such as Alzheimers Parkinsons, heart attack, post-surgical care and palliative care. In many situations, end-of-life care is required to be provided which cannot be given in hospitals due to over occupation of hospital premises. Other services may include adult day health care, companionship, delivery of consumables and medical supplies, counseling, emergency alert response, home repair, home-delivered meals, home nursing, legal assistance, material aid, medical therapeutic services, personal care, transportation, and other community-based services.In 2017, the global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.The key players covered in this studyVisiting AngelsCare PathwaysHome RatherSenior HomesMaxim Home Care...Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoAdult Day Health CareCompanionshipDelivery Of Consumables And Medical SuppliesCounselingEmergency Alert ResponseMedical Therapeutic ServicesOthersMarket segment by Application, split intoCommunityNursing HomesOthersMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.To present the Community Care Facilities for the Elderly development in United States, Europe and China.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Community Care Facilities for the Elderly are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Browse Full Report with TOC@Table of Contents1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 Adult Day Health Care1.4.3 Companionship1.4.4 Delivery Of Consumables And Medical Supplies1.4.5 Counseling1.4.6 Emergency Alert Response1.4.7 Medical Therapeutic Services1.4.8 Others1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Community1.5.3 Nursing Homes1.5.4 Others1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Size2.2 Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion PlansContinue...@@$Enquire about this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients. Global Natural Gas Compressor Market Projected to Reach 990 Million US$ by 2025, at a CAGR of 2.3% https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/710789/global-natural-gas-compressor-industry-research-report-growth-trends-and-competitive-analysis https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/508e61d7809c75347844ed9bf406ced5,0,1,Global%20Natural%20Gas%20Compressor%20Industry%20Research%20Report%252C%20Growth%20Trends%20and%20Competitive%20Analysis%202018-2025 www.qyresearch.com www.qyresearch.com/expert/list This study focuses on the production side and consumption side of Natural Gas Compressor, presents the global Natural Gas Compressor market size by manufacturers, regions, type and application, history breakdown data from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.In terms of production side, this report researches the Natural Gas Compressor capacity, production, value, ex-factory price, growth rate, market share for major manufacturers, regions (or countries) and product type.In terms of consumption side, this report focuses on the consumption of Natural Gas Compressor by regions and application. The key regions like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Central & South America, Middle East and Africa etc.This report studies the Natural Gas Compressor market, Natural gas is a very important resource in the process industry. Its transport in gas pipe lines or tankers for liquid natural gas, also its storage underground requires special natural gas compressorsRequest Sample Copy of this Report @A natural gas compressor increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. The natural gas enters the cylinder through the intake valves, where it is compressed and forced out through discharge valves.The technical barriers of Natural Gas Compressor are relatively high, resulting in high level concentration degree. The key companies in Natural Gas Compressor market are Ariel Corporation, Ingersoll Rand, Atlas Copco, Siemens and General Electric, etc. The enterprises are concentrated in USA, Europe and China. China is the largest production area, occupied about 39.43% production in 2017.According to applications, Natural Gas Compressor is used in CNG Filling Station, Petroleum Refineries Factory, Processing/Chemical Plants and Other. In 2017, Natural Gas Compressor for CNG Filling Station occupied more than 58.61% of total amount.Company mergers and acquisitions, and inter-companys cooperation have occurred for development and growth. with more new entrants, the competition will be more intense.The Natural Gas Compressor market was valued at 820 Million US$ in 2017 and is projected to reach 990 Million US$ by 2025, at a CAGR of 2.3% during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Natural Gas Compressor.Request to Buy Full Report@This report includes the following manufacturers; we can also add the other companies as you want.Ariel CorporationIngersoll RandBauer CompressorsAtlas CopcoSiemensGeneral ElectricFornovo GasQuincyAerotecnica ColtriMan Diesel & TurboEbara CorporationTianyiKeruiJerehKaishan GroupShenyang BlowerXian Shaangu PowerSichuan JinxingMarket Segment by Product TypeCentrifugal TypeReciprocating TypeScrew TypeMarket Segment by ApplicationCNG Filling StationPetroleum Refineries FactoryProcessing/Chemical PlantsIndustrial ManufacturingOthersQY Research established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc.QY Research, INC.17890 Castleton, Suite 218,City of industry, CA 91748USA: +1 6262 952 442China: +86 1082 945 717Japan: +81 9038 009 273India: +91 9766 478 224Emails enquiry@qyresearch.comWeb Expert News: Big Data in the Insurance Market Analysis, Strategic Assessment, Trend Outlook and Bussiness Opportunities 2018-2030 Big Data in the Insurance Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3320201-big-data-in-the-insurance-industry-2018-2030 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3320201-big-data-in-the-insurance-industry-2018-2030 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Big Data in the Insurance Industry: 2018 2030 Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts.Description:-Big Data originally emerged as a term to describe datasets whose size is beyond the ability of traditional databases to capture, store, manage and analyze. However, the scope of the term has significantly expanded over the years. Big Data not only refers to the data itself but also a set of technologies that capture, store, manage and analyze large and variable collections of data, to solve complex problems.Amid the proliferation of real-time and historical data from sources such as connected devices, web, social media, sensors, log files and transactional applications, Big Data is rapidly gaining traction from a diverse range of vertical sectors. The insurance industry is no exception to this trend, where Big Data has found a host of applications ranging from targeted marketing and personalized products to usage-based insurance, efficient claims processing, proactive fraud detection and beyond.Researcher estimates that Big Data investments in the insurance industry will account for more than $2.4 Billion in 2018 alone. Led by a plethora of business opportunities for insurers, reinsurers, insurance brokers, InsurTech specialists and other stakeholders, these investments are further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 14% over the next three years.The Big Data in the Insurance Industry: 2018 2030 Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of Big Data in the insurance industry including key market drivers, challenges, investment potential, application areas, use cases, future roadmap, value chain, case studies, vendor profiles and strategies. The report also presents market size forecasts for Big Data hardware, software and professional services investments from 2018 through to 2030. The forecasts are segmented for 8 horizontal submarkets, 8 application areas, 9 use cases, 6 regions and 35 countries.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Topics CoveredThe report covers the following topics:- Big Data ecosystem- Market drivers and barriers- Enabling technologies, standardization and regulatory initiatives- Big Data analytics and implementation models- Business case, application areas and use cases in the insurance industry- 20 case studies of Big Data investments by insurers, reinsurers, InsurTech specialists and other stakeholders in the insurance industry- Future roadmap and value chain- Profiles and strategies of over 270 leading and emerging Big Data ecosystem players- Strategic recommendations for Big Data vendors and insurance industry stakeholders- Market analysis and forecasts from 2018 till 2030Forecast SegmentationMarket forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Hardware, Software & Professional Services- Hardware- Software- Professional ServicesHorizontal Submarkets- Storage & Compute Infrastructure- Networking Infrastructure- Hadoop & Infrastructure Software- SQL- NoSQL- Analytic Platforms & Applications- Cloud Platforms- Professional ServicesApplication Areas- Auto Insurance- Property & Casualty Insurance- Life Insurance- Health Insurance- Multi-Line Insurance- Other Forms of Insurance- Reinsurance- Insurance BrokingUse Cases- Personalized & Targeted Marketing- Customer Service & Experience- Product Innovation & Development- Risk Awareness & Control- Policy Administration, Pricing & Underwriting- Claims Processing & Management- Fraud Detection & Prevention- Usage & Analytics-Based Insurance- Other Use CasesRegional Markets- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Latin & Central America- Middle East & Africa- North America- Western Europe.Enquiry About Report @Table Of Contents Major Key PointsChapter 1: IntroductionExecutive SummaryTopics CoveredForecast SegmentationKey Questions AnsweredKey FindingsMethodologyTarget AudienceCompanies & Organizations MentionedChapter 2: An Overview of Big DataWhat is Big Data?Key Approaches to Big Data ProcessingHadoopNoSQLMPAD (Massively Parallel Analytic Databases)In-Memory ProcessingStream Processing TechnologiesSparkOther Databases & Analytic TechnologiesKey Characteristics of Big DataVolumeVelocityVarietyValueMarket Growth DriversAwareness of BenefitsMaturation of Big Data PlatformsContinued Investments by Web Giants, Governments & EnterprisesGrowth of Data Volume, Velocity & VarietyVendor Commitments & PartnershipsTechnology Trends Lowering Entry BarriersMarket BarriersLack of Analytic SpecialistsUncertain Big Data StrategiesOrganizational Resistance to Big Data AdoptionTechnical Challenges: Scalability & MaintenanceSecurity & Privacy ConcernsChapter 3: Big Data AnalyticsWhat are Big Data Analytics?The Importance of AnalyticsReactive vs. Proactive AnalyticsCustomer vs. Operational AnalyticsTechnology & Implementation ApproachesGrid ComputingIn-Database ProcessingIn-Memory AnalyticsMachine Learning & Data MiningPredictive AnalyticsNLP (Natural Language Processing)Text AnalyticsVisual AnalyticsGraph AnalyticsSocial Media, IT & Telco Network AnalyticsContinuedFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Coronary Angiography Devices Market Position and Mobilisation of Top 10 Company Terumo Medical, Boston Scientific, Canon Medical, Royal Philips Electronics and Others - Forecast by 2018-2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6151 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/6151 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/6151 Market Research Future has research report on Global Coronary Angiography Devices. The Global Coronary Angiography Devices Market is growing continuously and expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2018 to 2023. Coronary Angiography Devices Market Report include market Analysis, Scope, Size, Share, Stake, Progress, Trends and forecast till 2023. Report include unique information which is collected by interviews with top industry experts.Market Scenario:Coronary angiography is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a contrast material and x-rays to study and observe the blood flow through the arteries in the heart. The growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, increasing numbers of coronary angiography procedures, and growing geriatric population are major drivers propelling the market growth. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, over 17.7 million people died from cardiovascular diseases, representing 31% of all global deaths. Moreover, increasing research and development and consequent product launches by various prominent players are likely to fuel the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, in February 2017, Medtronic received FDA approval for its DxTerity diagnostic angiography catheter line. Furthermore, increasing number of patients suffering from diabetes and obesity, lead to the increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases which is likely to contribute to the growth of the market.Despite the drivers, the high cost of coronary angiography and poor reimbursement policies in some developing economies are likely to restrain the market growth.Get Exclusive PDF Sample Report @Key Players for Coronary Angiography Devices Market: Terumo Medical Corporation Boston Scientific Corporation Canon Medical Systems Cordis (A Cardinal Health Company) Braun Melsungen AG Angiodynamics Abbott Vascular (Abbott Laboratories) Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Royal Philips Electronics GE Healthcare Medtronic, Inc. Shimadzu Corporation Siemens HealthcareGlobal Coronary Angiography Devices Market: SegmentationThe global coronary angiography devices market is segmented on the basis of product, devices, procedures, technology, indication, application, and end-user. On the basis of product, the market is classified into angiography systems, angiography catheters, angiography contrast media, Vascular Closure Devices (VCDs), angiography balloons, angiography Guidewires, and angiography accessories.The global coronary angiography devices market on the basis of devices is segmented into Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA), Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA), conventional angiography, Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), Catheter angiography, coronary angiography, and others. On the basis of the procedure, the market is segmented as coronary angiography, endovascular angiography, peripheral vascular angiography, and other angiography procedures.On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into X-ray angiography, CT angiography, MR angiography, and other angiography technologies. On the basis of indication, the global coronary angiography devices market is segmented into coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, and other indications.The global coronary angiography devices market on the basis of application is segmented into diagnostics and therapeutics. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, diagnostic and imaging centers, and research institutes.Geographically, the market has been segmented into America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The Americas coronary angiography devices market is further segmented into North America, and South America. North America is further classified as the U.S. and Canada.The Europe coronary angiography devices market is segmented into Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified as Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, Spain, and the Rest of Western Europe.The Asia Pacific coronary angiography devices market is segmented into Japan, China, India, Republic of Korea, Australia, and the Rest of Asia Pacific.The Middle East & Africa coronary angiography devices market is segmented into the Middle East and Africa.Global Coronary Angiography Devices Market: Regional AnalysisThe Americas are likely to dominate the global coronary angiography devices market owing to the well-established healthcare sector, increasing the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and availability of advanced technology. According to the American Heart Association data, in 2017, about 92.1 million American population are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the after-effects of stroke. Moreover, increasing geriatric population, growing awareness about benefits of early diagnosis and treatment of heart disorder are has fueled the market growth in this region. For instance, according to the Population Reference Bureau, the number of Americans aged over 65 is projected to be more than double from 46 million in 2014 to over 98 million by 2060.Europe is likely to hold the second position in the global coronary angiography devices market. It is expected that the rising demand for medical diagnostic techniques and increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in this region are likely to drive the market. For instance, according to the European Cardiovascular Diseases Statistics, in 2015, an approximate of 85 million people were living with cardiovascular diseases in Europe and about 49 million people with the disease in the European Union.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the market owing to the huge patient population with heart diseases and rising geriatric population. For instance, according to the WHO, 2015, Asia's elderly population is projected to reach nearly 923 million by 2050. Moreover, government participation for improvement of the healthcare sector in India and Japan are likely to contribute to the market growth.The Middle East and Africa account for the lowest market share in the global coronary angiography devices market. The Middle East holds the major share in the market in this region owing to a well-developed economy, whereas, African region is expected to grow due to the rising awareness about coronary artery diseases.Get Amazing Discount on Report @Some Brief Table of Contents of ReportChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentTOC ContinuedNeed more Information Ask to Our Experts @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), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Market Research FutureHadapsar, Pune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Livestock Insurance Market will generate new growth opportunities by 2022 | Global Key players (AIG, Euler Hermes, Atradius, Coface ) Livestock Insurance Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/109179 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/buy-now/109179/single https://www.businessindustryreports.com/check-discount/109179 This report provides in depth study of Livestock Insurance Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Livestock Insurance Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market organization.Global Livestock Insurance Market Overview:According to Market Analyst, Global Livestock Insurance Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2018 to 2022.Request Report Sample@Livestock owner necessary to meet these conditions in respect meant to be insured: Provide housing lodging with byers with space for water troughs, manger and housing. Equilibrium and Provide good feed into the animal. Animals should be free of endo and ecto parasites and be treated for parasites. Animals must be protected against viral diseases and bacteria like foot and mouth disease quarter septicaemia and anthrax. Prerequisites for Livestock Insurance - Health Certificate: It is obligatory on the owner's part to produce a certificate from a vet which his animal is free and healthful. The owner is obliged to pay a fee for this certificate as per prevailing rates or as prescribed by government/insurance company.The animal's identification is of great significance and must be done reliably and via. Emphasis has to be given height, to the breed, age, gender form of horns, identification marks. A vet must does tagging. The animal owner must notice the animal's ear tag number. The ear tag falls or is lost because of tearing of ears while rubbing, the tag that is fallen should be preserved and this should be reported to the insurance or bank provider in writing. When an insured animal dies its ear tag is valuables proof and also should be reported on the bank or insurance provider in writing. The increase in government spending for enhancing parks, public places, and government premises is further predicted to drive the demand. Factors such as cost, quality, design, and aesthetic value are among the major buying criteria.Now a days insurance agencies have adopted the principle of no claim i.e no claims is paid if the specific ear isn't submitted. Therefore, timely retagging of the creature is very important whenever its tag is dropped or drops. Insurance Policy - Livestock might be via to type of policy: Proposal cum Policy and also Master policy agreement. Proposal cum policy: The owner is necessary to fill the proforma called proposal cum policy with recipient and veterinary Certification after obtaining the health Certification. This proforma can be filled by the authorized agent of insurance provider and by a qualified veterinarian.The proforma contain details about! Owner- his name, address and profession - Period of insurance - nuances of animal- species, breed, sex, color, age, identification marks, height, purposefor which used, total number of calving, date of last calving, present market value and also sum for which to be covered. Location of dairy farm. Premium amount. Cause of loss and number of creature lost during past 3 years. Special remarks if any. Once the accident occur the proprietor must report to the closest police station and also obtain receipt for the same. The receipt is an essential document into be included in the claim papers.Livestock Insurance Market Segmented into Product Type, Industry, And Region.On the Basis of Product Type, Livestock Insurance Market splits into P to P lending, Microfinance, Trade credit. Based on industry Livestock Insurance Market splits into Domestic Trade, Export Trade.Purchase this premium research report with 117 Pages and No. of Table of contents, List of table atThe Market is segmented and projected on the basis of major key players:1 AIG2 Euler Hermes3 Atradius4 Coface5 Zurich6 Credendo Group and MoreThe Market is segmented and projected on the basis of major Region Segmentation1 North America Country (United States, Canada)2 South America3 Asia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea)4 Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy)5 Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC)Grab Your Report at an Impressive @Key Questions Answered in this Report:1 What will the market size be in 2022?2 What are the key factors driving the Livestock Insurance Market?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in Livestock Insurance Market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Livestock Insurance Definition2 Global Livestock Insurance Market Major Player Share and Market Overview3 Major Player Livestock Insurance Business Introduction4 Global Livestock Insurance Market Segmentation (Region Level)5 Global Livestock Insurance Market Segmentation ( Type Level)6 Global Livestock Insurance Market Segmentation (Industry Level)7 Global Livestock Insurance Market Segmentation (Channel Level)8 Livestock Insurance Market Forecast 2018-20229 Livestock Insurance Segmentation Type10 Livestock Insurance Segmentation Industry11 Livestock Insurance Cost Analysis12 ConclusionAbout UsBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940 2018-2028 Report on Zika Virus Testing Market by Player (Chembio, Quest Diagnostics, ARUP Laboratories, Luminex Corporation, Simens, Abbott Molecular, Hologic...), Application and Sales Channel Zika Virus Testing Market, Zika Virus Testing Market Player, Zika Virus Testing Market Region, Zika Virus Testing Market Type https://www.marketresearchnest.com/report/enquirybuy/387981 https://www.marketresearchnest.com/2013-2028-Report-on-Global-Zika-Virus-Testing-Market-by-Player-Region-Type-Application-and-Sales-Channel.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/report/requestdiscount/387981 This report studies the Zika Virus Testing market with many aspects of the industry like the market size, market status, market trends and forecast, the report also provides brief information of the competitors and the specific growth opportunities with key market drivers. Find the complete Zika Virus Testing market analysis segmented by companies, region, type and applications in the report.The Zika is a mosquito borne virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito mostly found in tropical climates, such as Central and South America and Africa. The Zika outbreak is currently mainly in the Americas, with countries such as Brazil being most affected. The infection of zika virus goes un-noticed as it asymptomatic in 80 % cases and only 20% of the people get some flu like symptoms with muscle pain. There is no treatment for zika infection as it subsides in a week in its own, but its flagged as deadly because Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly and other severe brain defects. Testing can be offered to pregnant women who may have been exposed to Zika through travel or sexual transmission. A positive test for Zika virus in a pregnant woman does not mean that her baby is infected or harmed. There are 2 types of tests currently to detect zika virus.Detection of Zika virus genetic material (PCR testing): The PCR test can detect the genetic material of the virus in the blood within 7 days of infection and upto 14 days in the urine. The major limitation of this test is that genetic material can be detected for only a short time after the start of the illnessDetection of antibodies against Zika virus (serology): This blood test measures antibodies developed as part of the human body's reaction to zika infection. Antibodies begin to form approximately one week after the start of symptoms. Its main drawback is it can cross-react with other viruses related to Zika virus representing a previous exposure to another virus, such as dengue, or past vaccination (e.g. to yellow fever).Leading players of Zika Virus Testing including:Chembio, Quest Diagnostics, ARUP Laboratories, Luminex Corporation, Simens, Abbott Molecular, Hologic, ELITechGroup Molecular Diagnostics, EUROIMMUN US, Creative Diagnostics, Vela Diagnostics, InBios International, Primerdesign, Altona Diagnostics...Inquiry for buying a sample copy @Zika Virus Testing market continues to evolve and expand in terms of the number of companies, products, and applications that illustratesthe growth perspectives.The report also covers the list of Product range and Applications with SWOT analysis, CAGR value, further adding the essential business analytics. Zika Virus Testing market research analysis identifies the latest trends and primary factors responsible for market growth enabling the Organizations to flourish with much exposure to the markets.Market split by Type, can be divided into:Molecular Test, Serologic TestMarket split by Application, can be divided into:Diagnostic Centers, Hospitals, Pathology LabsBrowse full table of contents and data tables@The Zika Virus Testing market research report completely covers the vital statistics of the capacity, production, value, cost/profit, supply/demand import/export, further divided by company and country, and by application/type for best possible updated data representation in the figures, tables, pie chart, and graphs.These data representations provide predictive data regarding the future estimations for convincing market growth. The detailed and comprehensive knowledge about our publishers makes us out of the box in case of market analysis.Market split by Sales Channel, can be divided into:Direct Sales, Distribution SalesMarket segment by Region/Country including: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc.) Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.)If you have any special requirement, please let us know and we can provide you the report as your requirement.Key questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2028 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Inquiry for Discount on Report Copy @Points covered in TOC: Chapter 1 Zika Virus Testing Market Overview Chapter 2 Zika Virus Testing Market Segment Analysis by Player Chapter 3 Zika Virus Testing Market Segment Analysis by Type Chapter 4 Zika Virus Testing Market Segment Analysis by Application Chapter 5 Zika Virus Testing Market Segment Analysis by Sales Channel Chapter 6 Zika Virus Testing Market Segment Analysis by Region Chapter 7 Profile of Leading Zika Virus Testing Players Chapter 8 Upstream and Downstream Analysis of Zika Virus Testing Chapter 9 Development Trend of Zika Virus Testing (2018-2028) Chapter 10 AppendixAbout Us: - MarketResearchNest.com Market Research Nest (MRN) is an offering of GRN Research Pvt. Ltd. It is a one-stop-shop for market research products and services. At MRN, we offer reports from almost all top regional and global publishers and research firms who specialize in their domains. We ensure that you receive the most reliable and up to date research data. We update our collection daily to help our clients have an access to a most up-to-date database of expert insights on global industries, organizations, products, and trends. Our database covers research studies including periodic updates on a range of industries, companies, products, SWOT profiles, recent marketing, and other trends.Contact us: - Mr. Jeet Jain, Sales Manager, sales@marketresearchnest.com ;+1-240-284-8070, +44-20-3290-4151;Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Bio Implants Market to 2025 - Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson Services, Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, Smith & Nephew, Abbott, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, aap Implantate AG, Boston Scientific Corporation, C.R. Bard http://bit.ly/2QCURNP http://bit.ly/2xmgwSv http://bit.ly/2pjnLWI Bio-implants are bioengineered implants, which are used in organ transplantation and replacement of tissues. Implants are bioengineered products made from human cells or animal origin and is used in numerous fields which leads to strikingly high surgical outcomes. The bio-implants are widely used in the treatment of skin burns or sores caused by surgeries. Eye bio-implants are used in the treatment of cornea sores or chemical damages in the eye.Increasing number of geriatric population, changing lifestyle of population, rising incidence of chronic diseases, and advancements in implant technology. These factors are expected to drive the market of bio implants during the coming years. Improving healthcare systems in emerging markets are expected to provide opportunity for the growth of bio implants market during the forecast period.Request Sample Copy is Available at:-The "Global Bio Implants Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of the bio implants industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global bio implants market with detailed market segmentation by type, origin of material, and geography. The global bio implants market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The bio implants market is segmented based on type as, cardiovascular implants, spinal implants, orthopedics & trauma implants, dental implants, and other implants. Cardiovascular implants segment is further sub-segmented into pacing devices, stents & related implants and structural cardiac implants. Orthopedics & trauma implants segment is further sub-segmented into reconstructive joint replacements, orthobiologics and trauma implants. Other implants segment is further sub-segmented into gynecological devices, drug implants, otolaryngeal implants, cosmetic implants, and gastroenterological implants. Based on origin of material, the market is categorized as autograft, allograft, and xenograft.Inquire before Buying at:-The report provides a detailed overview on the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global bio implants market based by type, origin of material. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall bio implants market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South & Central America. The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 13 countries globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.North America is anticipated to hold the largest market share in the bio implants market in terms of revenue owing to the large number of players in bio-implants and strong healthcare infrastructure. Moreover, Asia Pacific is projected to register significant growth due to development in government initiatives, increasing spending in healthcare segment, new establishments of healthcare and diagnostic centers, and increased access to healthcare services.The report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South & Central America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Complete Report is Available at:The report also includes the profiles of key bio implants companies along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. In addition, the report focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Some of the key players influencing the market Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, Smith & Nephew, Abbott, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, aap Implantate AG, Boston Scientific Corporation, and C.R. Bard, Inc.Reason to Buy:- Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global Bio Implants Market- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Bio Implants Market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.About Us:The Insight Partners is a one top industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com Healthcare Security Systems Market 2018 Analysis By Key Players Allied Telesis, Inc., Tyco Security Products, Bosch Security Systems, Nedap, STANLEY Healthcare, Seico Security, Cisco Systems, Inc. https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3366617-global-healthcare-security-systems-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3366617-global-healthcare-security-systems-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025 This report focuses on the global Healthcare Security Systems status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Healthcare Security Systems development in United States, Europe and China.Healthcare security systems embrace the overall physical security solutions installed at numerous healthcare facilities such as the Open Publication Distribution System (OPDs), assisted living facilities, ambulatory care centers, and hospitals. Moreover, security systems such as perimeter protection, access control system, intercom & emergency communication, and video surveillance are certain types of healthcare security systems.Security systems play a vital role in improving the healthcare sector as privacy and protection of data and resources are valuable to the society. Patient protection for preserving their rights is another essential component to ethical healthcare. The key reason for protecting the patients is to give them a sense of confidence in the healthcare organization.In 2017, the global Healthcare Security Systems market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.The key players covered in this studyAvigilon CorporationSchneider Electric SEHoneywell International, Inc.ADT LLC dba ADT Security ServicesAllied Telesis, Inc.Tyco Security ProductsBosch Security SystemsNedapSTANLEY HealthcareSeico SecurityCisco Systems, Inc.Request a Sample Report @Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoOn-PremisesCloud-BasedMarket segment by Application, split intoHospitalClinicsDiagnostic CentersPharmacyLaboratoriesOthersMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze global Healthcare Security Systems status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.To present the Healthcare Security Systems development in United States, Europe and China.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.Table of Contents1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Healthcare Security Systems Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 On-Premises1.4.3 Cloud-Based1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Healthcare Security Systems Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Hospital1.5.3 Clinics1.5.4 Diagnostic Centers1.5.5 Pharmacy1.5.6 Laboratories1.5.7 Others1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Healthcare Security Systems Market Size2.2 Healthcare Security Systems Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Healthcare Security Systems Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Healthcare Security Systems Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Healthcare Security Systems Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Healthcare Security Systems Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global Healthcare Security Systems Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global Healthcare Security Systems Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Healthcare Security Systems Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Healthcare Security Systems Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Healthcare Security Systems Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans12 International Players Profiles12.1 Avigilon Corporation12.1.1 Avigilon Corporation Company Details12.1.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.1.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.1.4 Avigilon Corporation Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.1.5 Avigilon Corporation Recent Development12.2 Schneider Electric SE12.2.1 Schneider Electric SE Company Details12.2.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.2.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.2.4 Schneider Electric SE Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.2.5 Schneider Electric SE Recent Development12.3 Honeywell International, Inc.12.3.1 Honeywell International, Inc. Company Details12.3.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.3.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.3.4 Honeywell International, Inc. Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.3.5 Honeywell International, Inc. Recent Development12.4 ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services12.4.1 ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services Company Details12.4.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.4.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.4.4 ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.4.5 ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services Recent Development12.5 Allied Telesis, Inc.12.5.1 Allied Telesis, Inc. Company Details12.5.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.5.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.5.4 Allied Telesis, Inc. Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.5.5 Allied Telesis, Inc. Recent Development12.6 Tyco Security Products12.6.1 Tyco Security Products Company Details12.6.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.6.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.6.4 Tyco Security Products Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.6.5 Tyco Security Products Recent Development12.7 Bosch Security Systems12.7.1 Bosch Security Systems Company Details12.7.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.7.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.7.4 Bosch Security Systems Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.7.5 Bosch Security Systems Recent Development12.8 Nedap12.8.1 Nedap Company Details12.8.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.8.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.8.4 Nedap Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.8.5 Nedap Recent Development12.9 STANLEY Healthcare12.9.1 STANLEY Healthcare Company Details12.9.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.9.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.9.4 STANLEY Healthcare Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.9.5 STANLEY Healthcare Recent Development12.10 Seico Security12.10.1 Seico Security Company Details12.10.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.10.3 Healthcare Security Systems Introduction12.10.4 Seico Security Revenue in Healthcare Security Systems Business (2013-2018)12.10.5 Seico Security Recent Development12.11 Cisco Systems, Inc.13 Market Forecast 2018-202513.1 Market Size Forecast by Regions13.2 United States13.3 Europe13.4 China13.5 Japan13.6 Southeast Asia13.7 India13.8 Central & South America13.9 Market Size Forecast by Product (2018-2025)13.10 Market Size Forecast by Application (2018-2025)ContinuedAccess Complete Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India 2018-2026 Sachet Packaging Market Analysis by Key Players : Amcor Limited, Bemis Company, Inc., Constantia, Sonoco Products Company, Huhtamaki Group, Mondi. https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1045 Coherent Market Insights Published a Report "Sachet Packaging Market " with Detail Analysis of market Size, Market Share, and Revenue opportunities based on key Players New Advancement and StrategiesGlobal Forecast 2018-2026Download PDF Brochure of this Report @Increasing demand for packaging small quantities of products in various industries such as cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, is in turn, driving growth of the sachet packaging market. Sachets are commonly used for advertising or demonstration purposes such as free distribution of product samples among consumers, to create product awareness. The increasing inclination of companies towards product awareness, is in turn, boosting demand for sachet packaging.Among package sizes, the 1ml to 10ml segment is the largest segment attributing to the increasing demand for sachet packaging in single-dose application products, trial packs, and travel packs. Among applications, the cosmetics and personal care segment accounted for the largest segment due to its affordability and ease of use. Various cosmetics and personal care product manufacturers provide trial packs, as a marketing strategy to increase the market penetration of the product.North America is the second-largest market for sachet packaging due to increasing demand from end-use industries including food and beverages, cosmetics, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals and presence of large retail sector.. The total food stores sales in Canada was US$ 115,561 million in 2015, which increased to US$ 118,859 million in 2016, according to Ministry of Food Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ontario. Significant demand for sachet packaging in this region is attributed to the growing food sector.Sachet packaging market was valued at US$ 7,185.8 million in 2016 and is projected to register a CAGR of 6.27% in terms of revenue, over the forecast period.Various companies are developing new technologies that are contributing to growth of the sachet packaging market. For instances, in May 2017, Unilever introduced new technology called CreaSolv Process to recycle sachet waste, in which sachets would be converted to plastics and reused. This would decrease the waste generated by plastic sachets.Table of Contents1. Research Objective and Assumptionso Research Objectiveso Assumptionso Abbreviations2. Market Purviewo Report Description Market Definition and Scopeo Executive Summary Market Snippet, By Material Type Market Snippet, By Packaging Size Market Snippet, By Application Market Snippet, By Regiono Coherent Opportunity Map (COM)3. Market Dynamics, Regulations, and Trends Analysiso Market Dynamics Drivers Restraints Market Opportunities Regulatory Scenario Industry Trend Merger and Acquisitions New Product Approvals/Launch Promotion and Marketing Initiativeso Cost Tier Down Analysis4. Global Sachet Packaging Market, By Material Type, 2017- 2025, (US$ Million & KT)About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Cosmetic Implants Market Outlook and Forecasts 2018 to 2026 and Key Players:Aesthetic and Reconstructive Technologies (AART) Inc., GC Aesthetics, Dentsply International Inc., Sientra Inc. The microchip implants, https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/537 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/talk-to-analyst/537 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/537 Cosmetic Implants are substances placed under the skin or over the body to modify the beauty and physical appearance of an individual. Cosmetic implants are the specially designed medical devices which help individuals regain their appearance and aesthetically replace their damaged body parts after suffering from trauma or accidents. The implants can be placed subdermal or transdermal according to the type of surgical procedure. Cosmetic implants are prosthetics attempted to bring the desired portion of the body back to an acceptable aesthetic norm. Cosmetic implants have a wide applications in cosmetic industry providing higher psychological satisfaction to the people for decorative purposes. Tumor removal, laceration repair, maxillofacial surgery, scar revision and hand surgery are the common reconstruction procedures done by cosmetic implants. Breast augmentation continues to be the leading surgery technique while buttock augmentation, lower body lift and breast lift have shown rapid growth.Ask Sample Copy @The exponential surge for cosmetic surgeries is expected to fuel growth of the global cosmetic implants marketAccording to the International Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeons (ISAPS) 2013, around 23 million individuals underwent surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures globally. The key drivers are technological advancements such as injectable fillers and gummy bear breast implants, emerging minimally invasive reconstruction surgeries, rising number of tooth deformities, congenital face disorders and increasing awareness of aesthetic appearance. Biological cosmetic implant is a highly profitable segment owing to the health benefits of biological materials over synthetic materials. Also, the demand for polymer implant devices, demand for aesthetic procedures, emergence of innovative products like two form-stable silicone gel breast implants and hyaluronic acid facial filler are expected to boost the global cosmetic implants market in the forecast period. Rising awareness about safe inserts by empowering the female population to make wellness oriented decisions post breast cancer diagnosis will eventually impact the cosmetic implant market size.For More Enquiry Please Ask Our Experts At:Increasing awareness of aesthetic appearance with minimally invasive surgeries dominates North America in cosmetic implants marketRegional segmentation of the global cosmetic implants market by Coherent Market Insights comprises North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, an estimated 15.9 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures were performed in 2015 where breast augmentation is the most common surgical cosmetic procedure with 290,467 surgeries in 2016, thus dominating the demand for cosmetic implants in North America. Additionally, changing lifestyle, high economic development, larger disposable incomes and emphasis on aesthetic appeal are the key factors driving the demand for cosmetic implants in North America. Asia Pacific presents lucrative growth opportunities for players in the cosmetic implants market, with the rapid economic development, inexpensive devices and improving healthcare infrastructure.Technological innovations like 3D printed facial implants is projected to have a positive impact on cosmetic implants market growthRequest for Table of Contents @About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154#3200 Global Medical Imaging Devices Market Analysis 2018 | Growth by Top Companies: Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Siemens AG, Carestream Health, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1125 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1125 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/talk-to-analyst/1125 Advancement in technology in medical imaging such as mobile imaging devices and 3-D ultrasonic holography, which does not use harmful radiation has led to improvement in the diagnosis and treatment methods in patients. Pediatric patients are comparatively more radiosensitive than adults. Therefore, manufacturers are focusing on designing safer and effective X-ray imagining devices that have relatively low levels of harmful radiations, built specially for pediatric patients as encouraged by the U.S. FDA. Moreover, companies are developing software in order to improve diagnosis and treatment methods and for this they are collaborating with IT companies, which are expected to provide quantitative analysis tools and advanced visualization. The apps linked with medical imaging devices are some of these technologies, which are expected to provide manufacturers a competitive edge in the medical imaging devices market. For instance, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is the development partner for GE Health Cloud. The new cloud system enables in managing files produced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), computed tomography (CT) scanners, ultrasound machines, and other imaging devices.Ask Sample Copy @The competitive analysis for companies operating in the medical imaging devices market includes top 10 players based on their 2016 revenue - Siemens AG, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Hitachi Ltd, Shimadzu Corporation, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Hologic, Inc., Samsung Medison, and Carestream Health.Philips HealthcareCompany Description - Philips Healthcare is engaged in manufacturing and selling a wide range of products, which includes healthcare IT solutions, diagnostic imaging systems, patient monitoring, and cardiac devices. Philips Healthcare operates as a subsidiary of Koninklijke Philips.Philips Group 2016 revenue - US$ 29,083.3 millionDiagnostic Imaging revenue US$ 59.2 millionKey highlights - Company is focusing on increasing its share and profitability in the global medical imaging devices market. For this, it is offering products in oncology and radiology segments, which comprises smart devices, software, and services. Company is also focused on developing ultrasound products in general imaging and gynecology/obstetrics. In 2014, the company received U.S. FDA approval for spectral imaging system (IQon Spectral CT). The IQon Spectral CT is a leading, new, high standard for medical imaging. According to the Radiological Society of North America study in 2013, conducted on the Philips IQon Spectral CT and traditional imaging methods, the Philips IQon Spectral CT system exhibited enhanced diagnosis in up to 70% cases compared to traditional imaging methods.GE HealthcareCompany Description - GE Healthcare is engaged in manufacturing of cardiac devices, patient monitoring devices, and medical imaging systems. GE Healthcare is a subsidiary of GE Electrical. The company offers a wide range of products and services, which includes patient monitoring and diagnostics, software and IT, drug discovery biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, and performance improvement solutions.General Electric 2016 revenue US$ 123, 693 millionSegment revenue (Healthcare) US$ 18,291 millionKey highlights - The healthcare systems, which includes diagnostic imaging and clinical systems accounted for 70% of the GE Healthcare revenue in 2016. The U.S. and Europe accounted for 66% of the healthcare revenue. Company is focusing on building mobile- and cloud- based apps as a part of its product expansion strategy. For instance, in 2015, the GE Health Cloud and apps was launched in the U.S. The new cloud system is expected to aid in connecting over 500,000 GE imaging machines, which is expected to help clinicians to deliver better outcomes.Siemens AGCompany Description - Siemens Healthcare a subsidiary of Siemens is a medical technology and healthcare company that manufacturers clinical diagnostics and therapeutic systems. The companys Healthineers segments operate through six different business segments namely diagnostic imaging, laboratory diagnostics, advanced therapies, ultrasound, point-of-care diagnostics, and services.Siemens AG 2016 revenue - US$ 83,909.7 millionSegment revenue (Healthineers) - US$ 14,259.9 millionKey highlights - Company is focusing on research and development so as to integrate advanced medical technologies for in vitro diagnosis. Healthineers profit growth was mainly driven by diagnostic imaging business and accounted for the largest share in the Healthineers overall profit.Carestream HealthCompany Description: Carestream Health provides medical imaging and healthcare information technology solutions. Companys product portfolio includes analog X-ray, radiography systems, ultrasound, cone beam CT, and healthcare IT solutions.Key highlights - In 2016, Carestream Touch Prime Ultrasound Systems received Health Canada license. The system provides wireless connectivity and rapid transfer of images and data. It also enhances clinicians access to critical imaging information. Furthermore, the new system is useful for imaging of overweight and obese patients as the system provides deep penetration of the abdomen. Company is developing 3D and 4D technologies for better images in order to improve diagnostics in radiology. In 2016, Carestreams OnSight 3D Extremity System that uses cone beam CT (CBCT) technology received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance. The system reduces the dose as compared to traditional CT systems. It also provides high-resolution 3D images.Ask for customization:Fujifilm Holdings CorporationCompany Description: - Fujifilm and its subsidiaries are engaged in manufacturing and selling of a wide range of information solutions and medical imaging. Through its healthcare segment, the company offers medical imaging systems.Fujifilm Holdings Corporation 2016 revenue - US$ 22,344.2 millionHealthcare segment revenue US$ 3,800 millionKey highlights - The sales of the CALNEO series a DR cassette digital X-ray imaging diagnostic system and a digital mammography system contributed for growth of the healthcare segment. In January 2017, Fujifilm Medical Systems received pre-marketing U.S. FDA approval for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT). The digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is an optional software upgraded for its Aspire Cristalle digital mammography system. The radiologist using the Aspire Cristalle digital mammography system with DBT will be able to enhance the clinical efficiency and provide diagnostic accuracy when compared to use of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) alone.Medical Imaging Devices Market - Pipeline AnalysisSeveral players operating in the medical imaging devices market are focusing on improving the image quality, in order to cater to unmet medical imaging needs.For instance, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. is developing positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) agent, flurpiridaz F 18, which is in Phase 3 clinical studies. This agent has a potential to evaluate coronary artery disease (CAD).For More Enquiry Please Ask Our Experts At:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154#3200 Global Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Market expected to expand at a CAGR of 24.5% during the period 2016 2024. Key Companies : Abbott Roche Dexcom Bayer Medtronic Animas Nova Ypsomed GlySens Insulet and Sensionics Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Device https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/57 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/57 https://www.coherentwire.com North America and Europe were the largest markets for continuous glucose monitoring, collectively accounting for over 75% share of the global continuous glucose monitoring market in 2015. This was mainly owing to new product launches, rapid adoption of new technologies, and high product awareness in these developed regions. However, with increasing prevalence of diabetes in emerging economies such as India, China, Taiwan, Brazil, South Korea, and South Africa, demand for CGM devices is expected to witness a steep incline in these countries over the forecast period.Ask For A Sample Copy Of This Business Report :According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), around 75% of the diabetic population lives in low and middle income countries such as Mexico, India, China, Brazil, Colombia, Libya, Iran, and Turkey. Asia-Pacific accounted for over 50% of the global diabetic population in 2015, with prevalence rate being the highest in China and India. Market penetration in these countries is relatively low, mainly due to high prices of CGM devices. However, the scenario in Asia Pacific region is expected to change in the near future due to increasing patient awareness and decreasing prices of these systems., which would change the industry dynamics and impact the market growth positively, expanding at a CAGR of 15% during the forecast period.Demand for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices, and growing self-monitoring trends across the globe. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the global diabetic population in 2015 was 415 million and is expected to reach 642 million by 2040. Increasing awareness about CGM devices among the diabetic population is projected to be a major factor driving demand for the device in the near future. Moreover, patients are increasingly inclined towards real-time health monitoring, which is possible through CGM systems. Conversely, high prices of devices and calibration issues are key challenges that can inhibit market growth. Companies therefore, need to improve upon the accuracy of the device, which in turn would encourage healthcare practitioners to recommend the use of CGM devices among diabetic patients.Ask For Customization :Key companies covered as a part of this study include :Abbott Laboratories, Roche Diagnostics, Dexcom Inc., Bayer AG, Medtronic, Inc., Animas Corporation, Nova Biomedical Corporation, Ypsomed AG, GlySens Incorporated, Insulet Corporation, and Sensionics IncorporatedGlobal players need to explore the untapped geographies and simultaneously should focus on upgrading their CGM technologyMajor players in the global continuous glucose monitoring market include Abbott Laboratories, Roche Diagnostics, Dexcom Inc., Bayer AG, Medtronic, Inc., Animas Corporation, Nova Biomedical Corporation, Ypsomed AG, GlySens Incorporated, Insulet Corporation, and Sensionics Incorporated. Technology and price are the main differentiating factors of CGM systems for these companies. With the existing blood glucose monitors being the priority device for diagnosing diabetes and monitoring, CGM device manufacturers need to develop system with equivalent or higher accuracy for detecting diabetes in order to maintain their competitive edge in the market.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +12067016702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Our New Website : Autoimmune Disease Diagnostics Market and its growth prospects | Key Players: Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthcare, Roche Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter Inc, SQI Diagnostics Inc Autoimmune Disease Diagnostics Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/618 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/618 The Autoimmune Disease Diagnostics Market size is set to exceed USD 16 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Rising prevalence of autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimotos thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes and Graves disease will drive the global autoimmune disease diagnostics market. Growing patient awareness levels pertaining to autoimmune diseases due to the launch of national awareness campaigns will further fuel industry expansion.Presence of favorable government initiatives such as The Cooperative Study Group for Autoimmune Disease Prevention (CSGADP) and NIHs HLA Region Genetics in Immune-Mediated Diseases Consortium for autoimmune diseases diagnosis and treatment will augment industry growth.Request for a sample of this research report @Advancement in technology such as lab automation developed to cater the need of increasing diagnostic procedures is another growth rendering driver. Moreover, favorable research funding programs conducted by various organizations and NIH to reduce cost burden for these diseases will favor industry expansion.Lack of skilled healthcare professionals and experts coupled with long and complex diagnosis process for autoimmune disease will hamper business growth. Low lab automation rate leads to increasing diagnosis turnaround time which further impedes the market growth.Localized autoimmune disease diagnostics held higher market share in 2016 and should show a similar trend over the forecast years owing to the increasing prevalence of gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases such as Crohns disease, Graves disease and multiple sclerosis affecting the specific organ. Systemic disease diagnostics is poised to be the fastest growing segment with a CAGR of 3.9% owing to rising cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) across the globe.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @UK autoimmune disease diagnostics market should witness considerable growth over the coming years. Increasing prevalence of systemic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis coupled with improving public awareness levels through efforts of organizations such as National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) should augment regional growth.China autoimmune disease diagnostic market should grow at robust rate with growing prevalence of autoimmune pancreatitis, improving healthcare infrastructure coupled with increased R&D efforts and rising patient awareness levels.Key Players:Some of the key industry players operating in global autoimmune disease diagnostics market are Siemens Healthcare, Roche Diagnostics, Abbott Laboratories, BioMerieux, EUROIMMUN and Quest Diagnostics.The industry players attempt to enhance their market foothold by opting strategies such as agreements and partnerships. The companies are also developing cost-effective solutions and modules for ease in detection of autoimmune disorders. For instance, in July 2016, FDA cleared Inova diagnostics QUANTA Flash dsDNA, QUANTA Flash Scl-70 and QUANTA Flash Jo-1 which aids in the early diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.Global Market Insights Inc. is a global market research and management consulting company catering to leading corporations, non-profit organizations, universities and government institutions. Our main goal is to assist and partner organizations to make lasting strategic improvements and realize growth targets. Our industry research reports are designed to provide granular quantitative information, combined with key industry insights, aimed at assisting sustainable organizational development.Global Market Insights, Inc.4 North Main StreetSelbyville, Delaware 19975 USAPhone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email:sales@gminsights.com Aircraft Exterior Lighting Market to reach a valuation of around US$ 624 Mn by the end of 2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4702 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-4702 Future Market Insights (FMI) has recently published a report titledAircraft Exterior Lighting Market: Global Industry Analysis 20122016 and Opportunity Assessment 20172027. The report states that a progress in the aircraft industry and the growing aviation industry are the core factors impacting the growth of the global aircraft exterior lighting market. According to the analysis, the market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.7% over the course of the forecast period and reach a valuation of around US$ 624 Mn by the end of 2027.Manufacturers are concentrating on the introduction of new application-specific products in order to better address the requirements of specific aircraft. Furthermore, market players are found to be channelizing efforts towards consolidating their delivery channels while keeping focus centred on direct sales. Companies like Rockwell Collins cater to the demands of both domestic and international customers by maintaining a steady focus on R&D. However, backlog projects remain a threat for several companies. Some of the other leading companies operating in the market are United Technologies Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Zodiac Aerospace S.A., Diehl Aerospace Gmbh, Aveo Engineering Group, s.r.o., Whelen Engineering Co., Inc., Astronics Corporation, and Cobham plc.Request sample:Expanding Fleet Sizes to Boost Demand for Aircraft Exterior LightingThe number of air passengers has risen extensively in Asia Pacific owing to the liberalisation of markets and development in the wealth and size of the middle class. In current decades, Asia has emerged as a chief region in aviation traffic and is anticipated to remain resilient in the coming decade. The economic and monetary growth in large emerging markets such as China and India has been a primary driver for global GDP growth and further for the aviation industry as well. Over the years, China has contributed significantly to world traffic growth as its passenger growth has increased at a noteworthy rate. Indias emergence as a high-growth economy is expected to give rise to one of the largest commercial aviation markets in the coming decade. As a result, the fleet size of airline owners especially those following a low cost business model is expected to surge significantly leading to a rise in the demand for aircraft components worldwide. Consequently, the demand for aircraft exterior lighting is anticipated to intensify over the coming years.However, stringent regulations are likely to act as a roadblock in the growth of the market in the near future. Regulations concerning pollution produced by aeroplanes will become more stringent in the coming years as most of the countries have agreed to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases. The number of aeroplanes coming to the refurbishing point will significantly decline if aircraft owners choose to retire their aircraft and buy a new fleet instead of opting for refurbishing the old aircraft, to clear regulations listed by authorities. This may negatively impact the aircraft exterior lighting market.Original Equipment Manufacturers to Benefit from a Growing Demand from Single-aisle AircraftThe market penetration of low-cost carriers is expected to remain high in the coming years. There are new growth opportunities via the low-cost and long-haul business mode. Liberalisation in intra-regional traffic and open skies with China would also contribute to market growth. As a result, OEMs will find a plethora of opportunities arising from this sector.Request TOC:ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705 Steam Autoclaves Market to exceed USD 3 billion by 2024| Top Companies: STERISHRED, Astell Scientific, Belimed Deutschland GmbH, BMM Weston Ltd Steam Autoclaves Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/500 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/500 Global Steam Autoclaves Market size will exceed USD 3 billion by 2024; as per a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Rising incidences of nosocomial infections coupled with soaring number of surgical procedures will drive steam autoclaves market growth over the forecast timeframe. Enhanced efficiency of steam sterilization owing to improved penetration power, and higher temperature, leading to elimination of microorganisms will increase adoption rate.Growing Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) floor framework adoption by hospitals and other healthcare establishments for scrutinizing the increasing rate of hospital acquired infections will propel growth. The adoption of CSSD framework also ensures sterilization of all medical supplies and equipment used in hospitals, fueling steam autoclaves market growth.Request for a sample of this research report @Growing requirement for managing the increasing medical and bio-hazardous waste generated by pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceutical companies along with healthcare setting such as hospitals, life science facilities will accelerate market growth.However, high costs associated with large capacity and specialized autoclaves might hinder market growth. Dearth of appropriate implementation of sterilization guidelines established by regulatory authorities such as U.S. FDA, CE will restrain growth. Furthermore, scarcity of standard disinfection and sterilization guidelines in developing countries of Latin America and Asia Pacific such as China should obstruct industry expansion.Table top steam autoclaves market is prophesied to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. Less space requirement and higher convenience in operation will drive table top steam autoclaves market over the coming years.High pressure steam autoclaves market will witness significant growth owing to its ability of handling all type of bulk sterilization requirements coupled with robust construction. Increasing demand for bulk sterilization in medicine, agriculture, and pharmaceutical sectors will favor business growth.Increasing demand for portable autoclaves will stimulate growth of floor standing autoclaves market over the coming years. Big interior chamber allowing disinfection of high sterilization requiring goods along with low charging height will augment adoption rate.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Laboratory steam autoclaves market is foreseen to witness lucrative growth over the forecast timeframe. The increasing amount of waste emitted from pharmaceutical companies and healthcare facilities such as clinics resulting in rising demand for optimal waste management of biohazardous and medical waste will drive laboratory steam autoclave market over the coming years.Germany steam autoclaves market will witness significant growth over the coming years due to rapid technological advancements and rising funding in biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industry in the country. Well established healthcare infrastructure, rising healthcare spending will positively impact industry growth.Mexico steam autoclaves market will manifest robust growth attributed to the growing incidence of nosocomial infections. Healthcare infrastructure development along with geographical proximity to U.S. will propel industry growth.Key Players:Few notable industry players include, Priorclave, Nuve, Astell Scientific, Steris, Dental X, LTE Scientific, Medisafe International, Panasonic Healthcare, Zhermack, and Melag. The industry participants are consolidating their market position by focusing on development of low-cost, high capacity steam autoclave to satisfy consumer demand.Chapter 3. Steam Autoclaves Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry impact forces3.3.1. Growth drivers3.3.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.4. Growth potential analysis3.4.1. By configuration3.4.2. By application3.5. Porter's analysis3.6. Competitive landscape, 20163.6.1. Business overview3.6.2. Revenue analysis3.6.3. Product landscape3.6.4. Strategy dashboard3.7. PESTEL analysisGlobal Market Insights Inc. is a global market research and management consulting company catering to leading corporations, non-profit organizations, universities and government institutions. Our main goal is to assist and partner organizations to make lasting strategic improvements and realize growth targets. Our industry research reports are designed to provide granular quantitative information, combined with key industry insights, aimed at assisting sustainable organizational development.Global Market Insights, Inc.4 North Main StreetSelbyville, Delaware 19975 USAPhone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email:sales@gminsights.com Dog Snacks Market Report 2018: Segmentation by Type (Dental Snacks, Crunchy Snacks, Soft and Chewy Snacks, Jerky Snacks, Others) by Application (Senior, Adult, Puppy, Others) Dog Snacks Market http://marketreportscompany.com/contact.php http://marketreportscompany.com/contact.php http://marketreportscompany.com/contact.php Global Dog Snacks market research report provides company profile for Big Heart, Blue Buffalo, Diamond pet foods, Total Alimentos, Deuerer, Mars Petcare, Nestle Purina, Colgate and Others.This market study includes data about consumer perspective, comprehensive analysis, statistics, market share, company performances (Stocks), historical analysis 2012 to 2017, market forecast 2018 to 2025 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2018 to 2025, etc. The report also provides detailed segmentation on the basis of product type, application, end user and regional segmentation. The regional segment is further bifurcated on country level.Request for Free sample copy of ready Report @Report Coverage:Top Manufactures/vendors of Dog Snacks market:Mars PetcareNestle PurinaColgateBig HeartBlue BuffaloDiamond pet foodsTotal AlimentosDeuererOthers (Note: We can profile additional players without any additional charges)Dog Snacks Type:Dental SnacksCrunchy SnacksSoft and Chewy SnacksJerky SnacksOthersApplication of Dog Snacks:SeniorAdultPuppyOthersRegions covered in Dog Snacks Market Research Report:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)(Note: We can provide country or region specific report on request; please contact us for your specific requirement)The Global Dog Snacks Market analysis report covers detailed value chain analysis of Global Dog Snacks Market. The value chain analysis helps to analyze major upstream raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. The report also provides Porter analysis, PESTEL analysis and market attractiveness which helps to better understand the market scenario on macro and micro level. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities occurred in the market during current and past few years. The Global Dog Snacks Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors. The report also covers import/export data across all major regions covered in this report. Moreover, we can exclusively provide information about import/export data across any particular country as per requirement.How helpful this report will be? Dog Snacks Market share (regional, product, application, end-user) both in terms of volume and revenue along with CAGR from 2018 to 2025 Key parameters which are driving this market and restraining its growth What all challenges manufacturers will face as well as new opportunities and threats faced by themEnquire before Buying @......Table of Content:1 Study Coverage1.1 Dog Snacks Product1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type........................Continue (What does Report Include?Historic Data: What was the Dog Snacks Market data (Size, competition, company share, YoY growth rate, etc.) from 2013 to 2018.Current Market Status: A comprehensive analysis of current market Size, trends, growth drivers, industry pitfalls, challenges and opportunities for players.Market Forecast: Report will comment and provide details about market growth and forecast till year 2025.Customization: We can provide following things 1) On request more company profiles (competitors) 2) Data about particular country or region 3) We will incorporate the same with no additional cost (Post conducting feasibility).Contact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website: marketreportscompany.comEmail: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market Leading Key Players | AT&T, Inc, Phillips Healthcare, Airstrip Technologies, Inc., Athenahealth, Inc Digital Patient Monitoring Devices https://www.researchbeam.com/global-digital-patient-monitoring-devices-insights-forecast-to-2025-market/request-sample https://www.researchbeam.com/global-digital-patient-monitoring-devices-insights-forecast-to-2025-market/purchase-enquiry https://www.researchbeam.com/global-digital-patient-monitoring-devices-insights-forecast-to-2025-market/enquire-about-report The research report, titled Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market, is an analytical study of the global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market, aided by an in-depth analysis of the performance of the market, both historically and in recent times using efficient analytical tools such as market feasibility and investment return to find out market attractiveness and to make future projections about this industry. The results that these analyses provide assist in determining a complete picture of how the market has developed so far.This research report categorizes the global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels and distributors.Get Sample Copy of this Report @The global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market is valued at million US$ in 2017 and will reach million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of during 2018-2025. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market based on company, product type, end user and key regions.The Manufacturers Covered In This Study: AT&T, Inc, Phillips Healthcare, Airstrip Technologies, Inc., Athenahealth, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Welch Allyn, Medtronic Plc, GE Healthcare, Fitbit, Inc., Garmin, Jawbone, Vital Connect, ResMed, Zephyr Technology CorporationMarket size by ProductDiagnosticTherapeuticMarket size by End UserHospitalsClinicsOthersMarket size by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaOther RegionsGet a discount on this research report @The study objectives of this report are:To study and analyze the global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market size (value & volume) by company, key regions, products and end user, breakdown data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Digital Patient Monitoring Devices market by identifying its various subsegments.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).Focuses on the key global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices companies, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape and recent development.To project the value and sales volume of Digital Patient Monitoring Devices submarkets, with respect to key regions.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Digital Patient Monitoring Devices are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025Table of Content1 Study Coverage1.1 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Product1.2 Market Segments1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market Size Growth Rate by Product1.4.2 Diagnostic1.4.3 Therapeutic1.5 Market by End User1.5.1 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market Size Growth Rate by End User1.5.2 Hospitals1.5.3 Clinics1.5.4 Others1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market Size2.1.1 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Revenue 2013-20252.1.2 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Sales 2013-20252.2 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Growth Rate by Regions2.2.1 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Sales by Regions2.2.2 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Revenue by Regions3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers3.1 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Sales by Manufacturers3.1.1 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Sales by Manufacturers3.1.2 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Sales Market Share by Manufacturers3.1.3 Global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.2.2 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.3 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Price by Manufacturers3.4 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types3.4.1 Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters3.4.2 Manufacturers Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Product Type3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Digital Patient Monitoring Devices MarketEnquiry before Buy @About Us:Research Beam is a high end and wide online market for market research reports that contain detailed and rational market research. Research Beam is a one stop report destination that offers clients well drafted and accurately analyzed report with insightful data.We have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com Septic Tanks Market Analysis, Key Manufacturers(Simop Rewatec Saint Dizier Environnement Zehnder Pumpen GmbH WPL Ltd) Septic Tanks http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/contact/41787?ref=Sample-and-Brouchure&toccode=SDMRCH41787 http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/toc_publisher/41787?code=SDMRCH41787#BuyNow http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/ This industry study presents the global Septic Tanks market size, historical breakdown data (2013-2018) and forecast (2018-2025). The Septic Tanks production, revenue and market share by manufacturers, key regions and type;This study categorizes the global Septic Tanks breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Covered in this report:Septic Tanks Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 provides Market information about industry Top Key Players, Countries, Type and Application. This Septic Tanks Industry report also states Company Profile, Competitive analysis, Septic Tanks Market revenue and price, market share, market growth and gross margin by regionsRequest for the Sample Copy:The following manufacturers are covered in this report:SimopRewatecSaint Dizier EnvironnementZehnder Pumpen GmbHWPL LtdTechneauKlargester EnvironmentalOtto GrafAsioEurobetonResearch Methodology:We prepare our reports by collecting primary data through interviews of opinion leaders, industry experts, research institutions, distributors, dealer and traders, as well as the raw material suppliers and producers etc. This data is verified by secondary sources such as press releases, paid database sources, annual reports, industry associations, governmental agencies, customs data etc. in order to ensure the quality and provide most accurate dataBuy Full Report From here:Septic Tanks Breakdown Data by TypeUnder 10 Steres10-40 Steres40-100 SteresOtherSeptic Tanks Breakdown Data by ApplicationResident CommunityMunicipalOtherSeptic Tanks Production by RegionUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSouth KoreaOther RegionsGet Detail Analysis on Table of Content and List of Figure1 Study Coverage1.1 Septic Tanks Product1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Septic Tanks Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Under 10 Steres1.4.3 10-40 Steres1.4.4 40-100 Steres1.4.5 Other1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Septic Tanks Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Resident Community1.5.3 Municipal1.5.4 Other1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Septic Tanks Production2.1.1 Global Septic Tanks Revenue 2013-20252.1.2 Global Septic Tanks Production 2013-20252.1.3 Global Septic Tanks Capacity 2013-20252.1.4 Global Septic Tanks Marketing Pricing and Trends2.2 Septic Tanks Growth Rate (CAGR) 2018-20252.3 Analysis of Competitive Landscape2.3.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)2.3.2 Key Septic Tanks Manufacturers2.4 Market Drivers, Trends and Issues2.5 Macroscopic Indicator2.5.1 GDP for Major Regions2.5.2 Price of Raw Materials in Dollars: Evolution3 Market Size by Manufacturers3.1 Septic Tanks Production by Manufacturers3.1.1 Septic Tanks Production by Manufacturers3.1.2 Septic Tanks Production Market Share by Manufacturers3.2 Septic Tanks Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Septic Tanks Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.2.2 Septic Tanks Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.3 Septic Tanks Price by Manufacturers3.4 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion PlansToc Continued!About Us:We have a strong network of high powered and experienced global consultants who have about 10+ years of experience in the specific industry to deliver quality research and analysis.Having such an experienced network, our services not only cater to the client who wants the basic reference of market numbers and related high growth areas in the demand side, but also we provide detailed and granular information using which the client can definitely plan the strategies with respect to both supply and demand side.302-20 Misssisauga Valley, Missisauga,L5A 3S1, TorontoContact UsEmail- sales@supplydemandmarketresearch.comWebsite-Phone Number: +1-778-686-7521 Global Natural Cheese market research report provides company profile for Associated Milk Producers Inc. (U.S.), Almarai Company (U.S.), Arla Foods (Denmark), Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited (New Zealand), Koninklijke FrieslandCampina N.V (the Netherlands), The Kraft Heinz Co. (U.S.) and Others. This market study includes data about consumer perspective, comprehensive analysis, statistics, market share, company performances (Stocks), historical analysis 2012 to 2017, market forecast 2018 to 2025 in terms of volume, revenue, Global Dog Snacks market research report provides company profile for Big Heart, Blue Buffalo, Diamond pet foods, Total Alimentos, Deuerer, Mars Petcare, Nestle Purina, Colgate and Others. This market study includes data about consumer perspective, comprehensive analysis, statistics, market share, company performances (Stocks), historical analysis 2012 to 2017, market forecast 2018 to 2025 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2018 to 2025, etc. The Trump administration on Tuesday approved a tariff exemption on solar panels that could produce a major benefit for the SolarWorld factory in Hillsboro. The exemption was created for a specific line of solar panels imported by SunPower, the California company buying SolarWorld. "SunPower can now fully focus our resources to deliver the best solar solutions to our customers, develop the next wave of solar technology through American research and development and invest in American solar manufacturing," said Tom Werner, chief executive of SunPower. Tuesday's news sent SunPower shares up 15 percent to $7.55. Shares had been near a 52-week low. "This will support U.S. solar technology leadership and preserve American jobs," Werner said in a written statement. He said he expects to close the deal for SolarWorld by the end of the quarter. SolarWorld's future was in doubt last year after its German parent company declared itself insolvent amid growing pressure from Chinese rivals. Employment at the factory had dwindled from about 800 to 350. In April, though, SunPower stepped in to buy the Hillsboro plant. In the face of pending tariffs on solar panels it made in the Philippines and Malaysia, SunPower said it needed an option for domestic production. SunPower continued seeking an exemption to those tariffs, though, arguing that they added as much as $2 million a week to its costs money that it could otherwise spend upgrading its new Hillsboro factory. The Trump administration continues to dispute the scientific consensus around climate change and remains a skeptic of renewable energy. Twice, though, it has made decisions that rescued the Hillsboro solar factory from an uncertain fate first by imposing tariffs on imported solar panels, and again Tuesday by creating an exemption for SunPower's imports. "We appreciate the Administration's thorough review and consideration on this matter," Werner said Tuesday, "and believe this outcome supports common goals of technology innovation, economic prosperity, energy independence, and U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace." -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Keri Pilgrim Ricker Keri Pilgrim Ricker, a health occupations teacher at Eugene's Churchill High, was named Oregon's Teacher of the Year Tuesday in recognition of her teaching rooted in real-world lessons that hold students' interest and prepare them for health careers. Ricker, who has a background in biology, ecology, chemistry and animal science, teaches courses such as medical terminology, anatomy and trends in health care. As the head of Churchill High's health careers program, she networks with healthcare professionals, non-profit organizations, and colleges to keep courses aligned to what students most need to know in the field. As teacher of the year, Pilgrim Ricker will spend the next year serving as an ambassador on behalf of all Oregon teachers. "The relevance and rigor of content demonstrated in Keri's classroom is a model of excellence," sate schools chief Colt Gill said in a statement Tuesday. "I look forward to Keri spreading that message across the state." Pilgrim Ricker, who worked as a veterinary technician before becoming a teacher 10 years ago, is also an avid ballroom dancer and roots for The Timbers, according to her school biography. During college, she was a varsity equestrian. She wrote in her application that creating space in her classroom for students to speak out about what matters to them matters to her. "We must model civil discourse and provide students an opportunity for practice so they can navigate the workplace and the world responsibly and with empathy." -- Betsy Hammond A study by a pro-worker group found that Oregon public school teachers are paid so skimpily that, despite their generous health and pension benefits, their overall compensation is 9 percent lower than they would receive in the private sector. The Oregon Center for Public Policy's deep dive into results of the American Community Survey found that, for each week they work, Oregon teachers make 22 percent less in salary and 9 percent less in total compensation than a comparable Oregon worker who is not a public school teacher. Given that the average teacher earns $61,600, according to 2017 figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, and works 43 weeks per year, that suggests the similarly situated average full-time, year-round Oregon worker earns about $90,000, which seems unlikely. In 2017, for instance, median pay for Oregonians with a bachelor's degree was about $49,000, and for those with a master's or professional degree, it was about $64,000, the American Community Survey found. But the researcher behind the study, made public Tuesday, says there's more nuance and complexity to his findings. Daniel Hauser, policy analyst for the policy center, said the research method he used, known as a regression analysis, didn't generate one average wage or compensation level for teachers and another for all other full-time workers. Rather, he said, the study captured how much any teacher, given his or her age, gender, education level, race and marital status, would likely earn per week of work versus other full-time Oregon workers with the same characteristics. The 9 percent compensation gap he calculated took into account whether the workers held bachelors, masters or advanced degrees, Hauser said. But it did not take into account whether a degree was in science, math or engineering versus in art history, literature or education, he said. It also is possible that teachers overstated how many weeks they actually worked, as the American Community Survey instructs survey-takers to treat paid vacation as time worked, and some teachers may consider their summers off to be paid vacations. The Oregon Center for Public Policy receives some of its funding from employee unions, but is primarily funded by foundations and private individuals, said its communications director, Juan Carlos Ordonez. Paying teachers competitively is important, Hauser wrote in the study, because that helps attract and retain high-quality employees. National and international studies have found that excellent teachers produce superior results for students. The most recent federal figures, from 2016-17, showed Oregon's average teacher salary ranked No. 11 in the nation and was 5 percent higher than the national average of $59,000. The fact that teaching has historically been viewed as women's work, and that 70 percent of Oregon's teachers are women, may contribute to average pay lagging behind private sector rates, Hauser said. Sixty percent of Oregon's private sector workers are men, he wrote. -- Betsy Hammond By John Lamoreau I live in Oregon's Second Congressional District. I have served as an elected Republican County Commissioner and in the past, have raised thousands of dollars for U.S. Rep. Greg Walden. My oldest son interned for him in Washington D.C. I like Greg, but I can no longer vote for him. I doubt that the Greg Walden of 1998 would vote for the Walden of 2018, either, based on his recent voting record. Here's why: Six years ago, Walden wrote "It's time for government to tighten its belt and balance its budget just like families and small businesses do every month. We can't afford more of the same." When Walden took office, the national debt was $5.5 trillion. Today it is more than $20 trillion. He voted for a 2018 budget that has a projected $833 billion deficit. Our children and grandchildren will spend lifetimes paying off the bills that Walden has helped accumulate while endangering programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Walden also voted against senior citizens and families, and in favor of increasing medical costs. Since 2010, the cost of healthcare for a family of four has skyrocketed. Walden voted against giving seniors the option of buying less expensive medications from Canada. He wrote the legislation that would penalize Oregonians who had pre-existing conditions. No member of Congress received more political action committee money from the pharmaceutical/health products industry than Walden during the current election cycle. He has voted for those political action committees, not his constituents. The opioid crisis also happened under Walden's watch, while he was taking money from the companies that make the drugs. He chairs the House Committee that oversees the healthcare industry. That's why they have generously donated to him. And Walden has delivered. He watched drug companies get wealthy selling opioids as drug overdose deaths became the leading cause of death of Americans under the age of 50. And Walden is no longer accessible to the citizens in his district. The 1998 Walden was accessible. There were meetings and forums open to the public. The 2018 Walden no longer holds public forums. We now read about him appearing at private meetings the day after those meetings took place. The only recent meeting that was advertised in advance was a fundraiser held outside of his district. The cost to attend this fundraiser started at $2,500 a person. I now only see my congressman on billboards paid for by out of state political action committees. Oregon needs a change. Walden has had 20 years in office. The national debt has grown. America has the most expensive health care in the world. The opioid crisis has affected all of our communities. Open meetings with our congressman no longer happen. I just recently called Jamie McLeod-Skinner. She answered the phone. That is something Greg Walden doesn't do anymore. Jamie has my vote. -- John Lamoreau is a former Union County Commissioner who lives in La Grande. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. The website for Ryan Bundy's campaign for Nevada governor generated a Twitter storm Tuesday for advocating "eye-for-an-eye" punishments for heinous crimes, saying "if you rape 3 people, you will be raped 3 times as forced by the Nevada Government." Bundy, running as an independent for states' rights against federal control of public lands, quickly disavowed the explosive position and said he didn't write it and didn't know about it before it posted. "Those are not my words,'' Bundy told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Bundy's website developer was the author and didn't run the passage by him, both confirmed. The developer said he put up the treatise in anticipation of President Trump's visit to Las Vegas on Thursday for a "Make America Great Again'' rally in advance of the November midterm elections. "The problem is he's putting a few things in there that I haven't approved,'' Bundy said by phone from Nevada. "It should have never gone up, but it did.'' "A rape for a rape doesn't make sense,'' Bundy said. "That's ridiculously stupid as far as I'm concerned. ... I don't like it when people try to put words in my mouth.'' Ryan Bundy's #nvgov campaign platform includes an "eye-for-an-eye" retribution reform where "if you rape 3 people, you will be raped 3 times as forced by the Nevada Government and orchestrated by the victims (if they are still alive)."https://t.co/Mzda2DJjpY pic.twitter.com/QdQ6hkX9Vi Riley Snyder (@RileySnyder) September 18, 2018 The section ran under a heading on the website that read: "Eye-for-an-Eye Retribution Reform." "If you murder 10 people, you will be murdered 10 times before your freedom is returned to you (we can remove the final resuscitation if the prisoner so chooses),'' it read. "If you rape 3 people, you will be raped 3 times as forced by the Nevada Government and orchestrated by the victims (if they are still alive).'' The website developer, Cardiff Gerhardt, 26, also serves as Bundy's campaign manager. His voicemail identifies him by name, by his alias "aka Wildcard,'' and as the campaign manager for Ryan Bundy and a crypto entrepreneur. Bundy's dark horse campaign for governor began soon after a judge in February dismissed a federal conspiracy case against him, his father Cliven and brother Ammon in the 2014 standoff in Nevada with federal authorities. Bundy also was acquitted on all charges in the 2016 armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon. Asked if he supports "eye for an eye'' retribution, Bundy responded, "That's not me. That's biblical.'' Bundy said he believes someone who commits murder should face the death penalty. He's not sure what the appropriate punishment should be for rape, but doesn't support sexual assault as a punishment, he said. "Hell no, I don't agree with that,'' he said. Bundy, 45, spent nearly two years in jail as he awaited trial in the Oregon and Nevada prosecutions and said lengthy sentences for crimes "where no harm is done'' aren't warranted and don't help society. "If someone has a criminal mind and doesn't have a good moral compass, he needs education, moral and religious training to become a better man,'' Bundy said. The "Eye-for-an-Eye Retribution Reform" remained on the website as Bundy distanced himself from it during a Tuesday morning phone call, but it was removed by 11:15 a.m. Such reform, the website said, could be a "drastic improvement to the current - broken - system we have today.'' "We are capable of murder and resuscitation. We are capable of sinning and forgiving. We are capable of crime and retribution,'' it read. Gerhardt, a Utah native who lives in Henderson, Nevada, acknowledged that Bundy was unaware of what he had posted on the site this past weekend. He said he built the campaign website and has worked to expand the content in time for Trump's visit to the state. Gerhardt said he met Bundy about seven months ago for the first time. "All of that content was my words written at 2 o'clock in the morning,'' Gerhardt said. "I stand by every word I wrote and encouraged him to leave it , but it's his campaign.'' Gerhardt said the "eye for an eye'' platform is one he personally believes but that Bundy "never told me those words.'' He didn't consult with Bundy, he said, before posting it and Bundy never discussed punishments for rape with him. Gerhardt said he's been making decisions about the website without Bundy's approval. "It is my creative solution to refer to biblical retribution systems,'' he said. "Yes, I would like to see rapists be raped. I would like to see murderers be murdered. They are criminals and they deserve to encounter the golden rule ... treat others like you would like to be treated.'' Gerhardt, who remains campaign manager, said Bundy was a "little flustered'' once he learned about the post. "It caught him off-guard,'' he said. Ryan Bundy, Nevada's ultra right wing, public-lands-hating, militia-loving, gubernatorial candidate has released his prison reform platform. Instead of prison sentences, rapists will be raped by the state & murders murdered. "If you murder ten people, you'll be murdered 10 times" pic.twitter.com/mQUeAVPWOu Kieran Suckling (@KieranSuckling) September 18, 2018 Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, highlighted the passage on his Twitter feed. Suckling protested the Oregon refuge occupation and marched with signs outside the federal courthouse in Las Vegas when the Bundys were on trial. "Ryan Bundy, Nevada's ultra right wing, public-lands-hating, militia-loving gubernatorial candidate has released his prison reform platform,'' Suckling wrote. "Easy to dismiss as crazy. But reveals the extremist religious fundamentalism driving the Bundy family world.'' A Las Vegas resident Bob Morris wrote on Twitter, "I'm totally voting for someone who thinks people can be murdered multiple times. This seems completely sane, not mentally unbalanced at all. '' -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Oregon authorities say a missing California girl was found Monday night north of Newport and her biological mother was taken into custody. Kaia Fina,11, had been reported missing Sept. 6 from her San Clemente, California, home. A felony warrant had been issued for the arrest of Sear Fina, 42, on child abduction charges. Kaia's foster parent was the last to have seen the girl, and it was believed her biological mother had picked her up, police said. The girl was still believed to be with the mother, and authorities said they learned the two were possibly in the Lincoln County area. Authorities -- including the state police, Newport Police Department, Lincoln City Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office -- on Monday searched for a black 2007 BMW in which the two were reportedly traveling. An Oregon State Police trooper performed a welfare check at 7:40 p.m. Monday night on a 2006 Lincoln Navigator parked on U.S. 101 near Beverly Beach State Park. Based on photos from the Orange County Sheriff's Office, he identified the mother and daughter as the occupants. Sera Fina was arrested and held on $150,000 bail at the Lincoln County Jail on the child abduction warrant and fugitive complaint. Department of Human Services authorities took custody of the girl. Oregon police said the last hometown they know of for Sera Fina is Malibu, California. They are investigating whether she had any Oregon ties. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive SALEM Amanda La Bell, the Working Families Party candidate for the 54th House District backed by several prominent Democrats, claims incorrectly in the official state Voters Pamphlet that she earned a bachelor's degree from Valdosta State University in Georgia. Making false statements in part of the voter guide is a class C felony. "Regarding my college education, I attended Gulf Coast Community College for two years then transferred to Valdosta State University in the pursuit of my Bachelors of Arts in Music," La Bell told The Bulletin in an email. "However, after one semester at Valdosta State University, I had to withdraw and enter the workforce. Through the years I tried to re-enter college but, like many working families, I faced significant barriers to completing my degree." La Bell, 41, had listed the bachelor of arts on LinkedIn a business networking social media platform along with the dates 1997-1999. She has since removed the citation from her profile. She said including the claim in her official Voters Pamphlet statement was inadvertent. "Due to an oversight during the rapid launch of my campaign, this error was mistakenly repeated in the voter's guide," La Bell said in an email. "Unfortunately, I did not catch this until it was too late to correct. I have shared this error with my supporters and take complete responsibility for the mistake." ORS 260.715(1), dealing with "False Statements in Material Required by Election Law," says filing false information on the required portion of the Voters Pamphlet involving occupation and education is a class C felony. It specifically says "An example of a false statement under ORS 260.715(1) is stating the candidate has a college degree when the candidate does not." Deb Royal, chief of staff for Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, confirmed that a violation of the law is a felony but said the office does not normally get involved in alleged false statements unless it receives a complaint. Royal said that if a complaint is filed, the secretary of state could levy civil penalties of up to $1,000 and that all cases are referred to the Oregon attorney general for possible criminal action. According to Valdosta State University officials, they have no record of La Bell ever attending the school. They checked under La Bell's full legal name, Amanda Evelyn Vaughn-La Bell, as well as Amanda Vaughn and Amanda La Bell. "If she can provide us with a different name she may have had while attending, and a birthdate, we could check further," said Jessica Pope, communications and media relations director for Valdosta State University. The highest-profile state case involving false statements in an Oregon Voters Pamphlet was the 1997 conviction of former Republican U.S. Rep. Wes Cooley, for claiming in the 1994 Voters Pamphlet that he served in Korea during the Korean War. Cooley never left the continental United States during the conflict. Cooley was elected in 1994 to represent the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Deschutes County, but was indicted and did not run for re-election in 1996. He was placed on two years' probation and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He also paid $7,110 in fines and court costs. Cooley died in Bend in 2015. La Bell also faced a felony theft charge in Florida in 2009 and La Bell and her husband were sued by a health club owner in 2011 while living in Tennessee over an unpaid $8,000 debt, Willamette Week reported Tuesday morning. The car dealer involved in the first incident dropped charges against La Bell, the news organization reported. She told a reporter that the felony arrest was the fault of the man she lived with at the time and she did not recall the health club lawsuit in Tennessee. La Bell emerged out of the chaos of the 54th House District race as an alternative to embattled Democratic nominee Nathan Boddie. Boddie, a Bend city councilor, ran unopposed in the May 15 primary. But soon after, he faced allegations of sexual harassment that led many Democrats and their allies to withdraw support. As the deadline for finalizing the ballot approached, Boddie declined to step down and Democrats looked for an alternative in the House race that may be key to control of the Legislature in 2019. Democrats are one vote short of a supermajority in the House that would allow them to pass financial and tax bills without Republican help. The 54th House District was seen as a likely flip for Democrats. Though Republicans have held the seat for the past four terms, the district has a large and growing Democratic voter-registration edge. Boddie's refusal to withdraw appeared to increase the likelihood that Republican Cheri Helt, a Bend restaurateur and local school board member, would keep the seat in the Republican fold. La Bell stepped forward, first offering to run as a Democrat if Boddie would withdraw from the race and then earning the Working Families Party slot on the ballot. As the deadline loomed, Democrats fell in behind La Bell's candidacy. She has been endorsed by Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley. The Progressive Party backed her candidacy. She was also endorsed by former Gov. Barbara Roberts, former 54th district Democratic candidate Gena Goodman-Campbell and Bend City Councilor Barb Campbell. Several groups backed her candidacy, including Indivisible Bend, Planned Parenthood PAC and a variety of labor union groups. La Bell, who said she moved to Bend in 2017, is best known as the co-founder of the Rebecca Foundation, which provides disposable and cloth diapers to low-income families and free menstrual products to Bend-area middle and high schools. She's also the business and marketing manager at Clifton Law in Bend, which specializes in cannabis-industry matters. La Bell launched a campaign centering on affordable housing and health care, along with investing in the future of public schools. Supporters held a fundraiser at the Broken Top Bottle Shop & Ale Cafe earlier this month and on Saturday, La Bell led a voter canvassing effort in Bend. But questions about how much supporters knew of or about La Bell surfaced in recent weeks. Political leaders who have endorsed La Bell said they had either never met the candidate and endorsed her based on staff and local political activists' recommendations or had only cursory discussions before giving their backing. Gov. Brown said she had neither met nor spoken with La Bell, though she said that was not unusual given the circumstances. "My team has spoken with her, and given what has happened with the Democratic candidate, I felt there was a need for another choice in that race," Brown said. Asked if Merkley had either met with or talked to La Bell, his campaign issued a statement reiterating its endorsement. "Amanda stepped up to give Bend voters a real choice this November. Her campaign has been fueled by community-led energy because she's fighting to fix the real issues that everyday Oregonians are facing making health care and housing more affordable; improving our children's education; and making sure a hard day's work earns a fair living wage." Goodman-Campbell said La Bell approached her about an endorsement. The two talked and Goodman-Campbell said she believes La Bell is a strong choice for Bend voters. La Bell had her Tennessee Real Estate License revoked in 2014, though La Bell said she had simply moved out of the area where she was doing timeshare sales and didn't keep her license active. La Bell said she is an unconventional candidate with an unconventional background in what has turned into an unconventional race for the state House. But she says she believes she is what voters are looking for. "My background and the challenges I've faced mirror those of many working families in our community," La Bell said in an email to The Bulletin last week. "My commitment to fighting for a Bend that works for all of us is rooted in these experiences." By Gary Warner | Bend Bulletin The executive director of a Republican group has filed a complaint asking Oregon's Elections Division to investigate legislative candidate Amanda La Bell's admission that her voter's pamphlet statement included erroneous information. Preston Mann, the head of House Republicans' Promote Oregon Leadership political action committee, filed the complaint just hours after The Bulletin newspaper in Bend reported that La Bell falsely claimed she earned a bachelor's degree from Valdosta State University in Georgia. You can read the complaint here. Deb Royal, chief of staff for Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, told The Bulletin that making a false claim in the voter's pamphlet would be a felony but the secretary of state's office would not investigate unless it received a complaint. La Bell is running as a Working Families Party candidate but is a registered Democrat. She entered the race and quickly drew endorsements from high-level Democrats such as Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, after Democratic candidate Nathan Boddie refused to withdraw despite allegations he sexually harassed at least one woman and used a homophobic slur. In an interview with The Bulletin, La Bell blamed the error on her hastily set up campaign and said by the time she noticed the problem, it was too late to correct it. She provided additional details in a lengthy written statement Tuesday afternoon, explaining that she failed to graduate due to conflicting pressures of working and caring for her family while enrolled. La Bell said she felt tremendous shame that she did not graduate. "It is this sense of shame that led me, many years ago, to write on my LinkedIn profile that I had received a Bachelors of Arts from Valdosta State University," La Bell said. "This was then picked up and repeated on my online work profile. This was again repeated in my voter's pamphlet statement. Neither my campaign nor I knowingly made false claims in the voter's pamphlet statement." La Bell apologized "to all affected by this." You can read her full statement here. -- Hillary Borrud 503-294-4034; @hborrud The $652.8 million Metro housing bond would create 2,400 units of affordable housing in the Portland area: Brown supports it, saying it is the kind of effort the state needs A $40 million lawsuit claims that managers of a Southwest Portland apartment complex endangered employees by exposing them to asbestos even though construction crews had warned that the cancer-causing fibers were present. The suit was filed Monday by two former employees of Tandem Property Management. They claim they were fired in retaliation for knowing about the alleged asbestos cover-up at the Commons at Sylvan Highlands apartments. The company and its president, Thomas Clarey, didn't immediately return messages seeking comment. The complex is at 1380 S.W. 66th Ave., and spans multiple buildings. Its unclear how many people live there. A lawyer for the plaintiffs said he doesnt think residents have been notified that they also may have been exposed to asbestos. The lawsuit claims that after crews remodeling five vacant apartment units discovered what appeared to be asbestos in May, the companys president was furious. He visited the site, yelling that there was no asbestos and that they all needed to get back to work, the suit says. Three of the workers were removed from the job and within a few days were fired because management thought they were loose cannons that might call the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about the potential asbestos, the suit says. In June, the suit says, management directed a new crew to carry debris through the buildings halls and down its elevator. After the new crew discovered what appeared to be asbestos, someone on the crew had a sample tested and the results came back as containing the tiny, dangerous fibers, the lawsuit alleges. The crew notified management, but the next day, management told two employees to remove the asbestos-laden sheetrock without proper protective gear or training, the suit claims. Michael Fuller, a Portland attorney who filed the lawsuit, represents Khataun Thompson, an apartment groundskeeper who was asked to work on one of the renovation teams. The suit alleges that management removed him from the project and ultimately fired him in July because of his knowledge and because of his race. Thompson is black. Thompson filed an OSHA complaint about the asbestos, the suit states. An OSHA spokesman couldnt immediately be reached for more information. Fuller also is representing Thompsons fiancee, Alyssa DeWeese, a leasing agent who contends she was fired in July as retaliation after she found out about the asbestos. Asbestos has long been a known carcinogen believed to be so dangerous that even brief exposures can develop into life-threatening diseases decades later. Public pressure has mounted in recent years to tighten controls, and government regulations outline specific procedures for properly removing asbestos. The process can be time-consuming and expensive. Government officials take the proper handling of asbestos so seriously that in recent years, at least two Oregon businessmen have been convicted of crimes for their mishandling of asbestos removal projects. In 2012, developer Daniel Desler was convicted for negligently releasing asbestos into the air as he tried to redevelop an old sawmill in Sweet Home into a housing development. In 2015, real estate agent Bill Gaffney was convicted of recklessly endangering others after hiring untrained day laborers to remove asbestos-laden materials from a Southeast house he was remodeling. Read the lawsuit here. -- Aimee Green A civilian member of the Oregon National Guard who managed the repair of small-engine parts and generators for the military at Camp Withycombe is accused of seeking $6.4 million in reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Defense for work that was never done. Dominic Caputo made his first appearance Monday in federal court in Portland on a five-count indictment charging him with four counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement in a document. Caputo, 46, of Portland, entered not guilty pleas to the indictment. He's retained defense lawyers David Angeli and Tyler Francis to represent him and remains out of custody. A trial date was tentatively set for Nov. 20. The indictment alleges Caputo sought reimbursement for bogus repairs on 1,380 engines, generators and other parts by submitting false work orders to the U.S. Army-Communications-Electronics Command. The alleged fraud occurred from 2012 through November 2014, the indictment says. To cover up, Caputo is accused of directing employees of the Oregon military's maintenance site to use their government credit cards to buy engines, generators or other parts from other military bases for equipment that Caputo already had claimed to have repaired, the government alleges. The Oregon National Guard operated the maintenance site at Camp Withycombe to refurbish out-of-service electronic equipment owned by the Department of Defense. It repaired and rebuilt small and large engines, generators, tires and other parts. It was the only site in the country capable of repairing and building certain engines to maintain a war-ready posture, according to prosecutors. For example, Caputo is accused of billing the military in fiscal 2014 for more than 60 John Deere diesel engines that had already been repaired, rebuilt and billed for during fiscal 2012 and 2013, the indictment alleges. He allegedly ordered employees to remove the serial numbers on the engines so the scam wouldn't be detected, according to prosecutors. Caputo resigned from the Oregon National Guard in November 2014, according to Christopher L. Ingersoll, a spokesman for the Oregon Military Department. "We work closely with civil authorities and courts to ensure justice is served,'' Ingersoll said. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Two teens are being sought after police say they attacked a woman in a Southeast Portland park Monday while calling her slurs related to her sexual orientation. The woman told officers she was stabbed with an ice pick by one of the males and hit with a stick by another around 4:30 p.m. while in Powell Park along Southeast 26th Avenue, according to Portland police. The woman said the teens walked up to her and attacked her, police said. The woman walked to a nearby convenience store for help after and used a phone there to call 911, police said. The attackers were gone by the time officers arrived. The woman sustained apparent minor injuries, treated by paramedics at the scene and wasn't taken to a hospital. The two are described as appearing in their mid to late teens. One of them was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans and the other was wearing a red hoodie and blue jeans, according to police. Portland police ask anyone with more information or footage of the attack to contact Detective Paul Dolbey at 503-823-0451 or paul.dolbey@portlandoregon.gov. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey Renee James Semiconductor startup Ampere, launched in February by former Intel President Renee James, introduced its first product Tuesday - a microprocessor engineered for data centers. Ampere hopes to bring competition into the data center market, a fast-growing segment currently dominated by Intel. Ampere is targeting regional data centers and systems developers with its first product, which is based on designs from British chip specialist ARM Holdings. The startup's headquarters are in Silicon Valley, but it has a large office in Northwest Portland and at other sites around the world. The company now employs nearly 400, compared with about 300 at its launch last winter. Ampere is recruiting from Intel and other chip companies as it builds its business. James splits her time between the Bay Area and Portland, as she did when she was an Intel executive. "It's going to be really re-inventing semiconductors as a super fun place to work," said James, Ampere's chairwoman and chief executive. An informal survey of Ampere employees' LinkedIn profiles indicates a high percentage of the company's Portland staff, perhaps as much as 80 percent, came from Intel. James, who left Intel in 2015, has been discussed as a potential replacement for former CEO Brian Krzanich. Krzanich quit in June after Intel uncovered what it described as "a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee" in violation of company policy. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that James has told her staff at Ampere that she won't go back to Intel unless it buys her new company and brings along her team. James declined to confirm or deny Bloomberg's reporting, or to comment on Intel's recent upheaval. Chip startups were common in Oregon during the 1970s and '80s, many spun out of Tektronix or Intel. By the late '90s, though, the sector's center of gravity had shifted to Asia and few new semiconductor companies emerged. There are new signs of life among chip startups, though, as young companies innovate around customizable ARM designs and in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence. Ampere emerged from the computer chip division of MACOM Technology Solutions, purchased last year by the private equity firm Carlyle Group. Meanwhile, longtime Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices is making its own inroads in the data center market. It is introducing advanced new chips while Intel's forthcoming 10-nanometer processors are years behind schedule. While Intel continues to dominate the data center sector, James said inroads from AMD and upstarts like hers are good indicators for the industry. "It's always good to have multiple competitive products because it makes the market healthier," she said. -- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration will impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and potentially raising prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires. The tariffs will start at 10 percent, beginning Monday of next week, and then rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1. President Donald Trump made the announcement Monday evening in a move that is sure to ratchet up hostilities between Washington and Beijing. Trump has already imposed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods. And China has retaliated in kind, hitting American soybeans, among other goods, in a shot at the president's supporters in the U.S. farm belt. Beijing has warned that it would hit an additional $60 billion in American products if Trump ordered more tariffs. There it is. Tariffs on $200b of imports from China. Immediate escalation if China retaliates. 10% to start, 25% by end of year. pic.twitter.com/UTBsxhnFg5 Jim Tankersley (@jimtankersley) September 17, 2018 Trump on Monday threatened to raise the stakes again if Beijing should retaliate, adding a further $267 billion in Chinese imports to the target list. That would raise the total to $517 billion -- covering nearly everything China sells the United States. After taking in public comments, the administration said Monday that it had withdrawn several items from an earlier list of $200 billion in Chinese imports, including child-safety products like bicycle helmets. And in a victory for Apple Inc. and its American customers, the administration removed smart watches and some other consumer electronics products from the list of goods imported from China. At the same time, the administration said it is still open to negotiations with China. "China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns," Trump said in a statement. "Once again, I urge China's leaders to take swift action to end their country's unfair trade practices." The two countries are fighting over Beijing's ambitions to supplant American technological supremacy. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative charged in a March report that China is using predatory tactics to obtain foreign technology, including hacking U.S. companies to steal their trade secrets and forcing them to turn over their know-how in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Trump has also complained about America's massive trade deficit -- $336 billion last year -- with China, its biggest trading partner. In May, in fact, it looked briefly as if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had brokered a truce built around Chinese promises to buy enough American farm products and liquefied natural gas to put a dent in the trade deficit. But Trump quickly backed away from the truce. In the first two rounds of tariffs, the Trump administration was careful to try to spare consumers from the direct impact of the import taxes. The levies focused on industrial products, not on things Americans buy at the mall or via Amazon. By expanding the list to $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, Trump risks spreading the pain to ordinary Americans. The administration is targeting a bewildering variety of products -- from sockeye salmon to bamboo mats -- forcing U.S. companies to scramble for suppliers outside China, absorb the import taxes or pass along the burden to their customers. In a filing with the government, for instance, Giant Bicycles Inc. of Newbury Park, California, noting that 94 percent of imported bicycles came from China last year, complained that "there is no way our business can shift its supply chain to a new market" to avoid the tariffs and warned "a tariff increase of this magnitude will inevitably be paid for by the American consumer." Trump has reversed decades of U.S. policy in favor of ever-freer trade. He campaigned on a promise to tax imports and rewrite or tear up trade agreements that he said put U.S. companies and workers at a disadvantage. "The president's negotiating tactics do not work well with China's way of thinking," said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics in Los Angeles. "I think things will get worse. I fully expect the tariff rate will go up to 25 percent." Sohn said he believed China will retaliate against every U.S. tariff and the tit-for-tat exchanges will escalate until the U.S. is taxing all Chinese imports -- $524 billion last year. The U.S. economy appears strong enough to withstand damage from the tariff battle, he said. "In the short term, we will have higher prices and fewer jobs than we would have had otherwise," Sohn said. "Fortunately, the U.S. economy is humming so we don't have to worry as much about what this will do to our economy." Sohn said the Trump administration was pursuing a legitimate goal to get China to stop violating international trade rules. But he said the administration should have enlisted support from other major trading partner, such as the European Union, Canada and Mexico, and presented Beijing with a united front. Trump's tariffs raise costs and create uncertainty for companies that have built supply chains that span the Pacific Ocean. Some companies are looking to move out of China to dodge the tariffs, said Ted Murphy, a partner at the Baker McKenzie law firm. Some will likely move to other low-cost countries that aren't in the line of fire. Some will bring operations to the United States -- one of Trump's goals. For years, multinational businesses "went where the labor was cheapest," Murphy said. "Now the calculus is more complicated." By PAUL WISEMAN and MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writers: AP Writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report. There is indeed a land where ordering a latte in the afternoon is quite strange. And ordering your coffee over ice? Forget it. Notorious for its rituals and rules, Italian coffee culture remains sacred--until now. This September, the ultimate American coffee juggernaut lands in Milan, and the world's 'most beautiful' Starbucks will officially open its doors for business. Some worry the chain will taint centuries of tradition. What do you think? PERSPECTIVES Italian coffee culture actually served as the impetus for the Starbucks everyone knows today. According to ABC News, a 1983 visit to Milan inspired Starbucks founder, Howard Schultz, to recreate the notorious Italian cafe atmosphere around the world. In Starbucks' 2016 press release announcing its Milan location, Schultz points out: It seems clear the company reveres the coffee culture it is rooted in. But despite these origins, Starbucks veered away from traditional Italian coffee long ago. Eataly breaks down true Italian traditions, which may sound somewhat strange to Starbucks aficionados: Whether or not Italians will take to the new Starbucks remains to be seen, but the Twitter voices seem to be rising in its favor: Plus, Italian purist or not, apparently there's more than one reason to skip the Milan Starbucks location: When my daughter's heard that there were no Frappucino's on the #StarbucksItaly menu they said...I don't want to go there. LOL #starbucks Ebonye La'Soleil (@MsEbonye2u) September 6, 2018 The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. Authorities in Washington County are advising caution after two reported incidents of a driver pulling alongside middle school girls and asking if they needed rides. The Washington County Sheriff's Office says on Sept. 5 a male driving a white van near Southwest Butner Road and Spring Lane pulled next to a middle school girl and asked if she needed a ride to school. She told him no and continued walking but reported seeing the van several more times before arriving at school. She reported the incident. On Sept. 14, Beaverton Police say male driving a red Ford pickup driving near Cedar Hills Boulevard and Southwest Park Way yelled at a middle school girl and told her to get in his vehicle. The student refused and reported the incident to her parents and school authorities. Neither agency has identified suspects yet but are conducting enhanced patrols. Residents are asked to report suspicious vehicles to Washington County Dispatch at 503-629-0111. Officials are also providing information about safety and "stranger danger." -- The Oregonian/OregonLive A judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit filed by animal rights activists in the name of a once-neglected horse, finding that animals don't have a right to sue. In doing so, Washington County Pro Tem Judge John Knowles refused to become the first judge in the nation to grant a non-human legal standing to sue. But Knowles gave lawyers for Justice the horse credit for being "quite creative" in their attempt to convince him otherwise. During a hearing last week, lawyers from the Animal Legal Defense Fund urged Knowles to let the 8-year-old horse sue for the lifelong costs of his medical care. The horse -- discovered in March 2017 covered in lice, 300 pounds underweight and with frostbitten genitals -- was taken from its former owner, Gwendolyn Vercher of Cornelius. Vercher was convicted of first-degree animal neglect and paid close to $3,700 in restitution, but that didn't cover the horse's future medical costs. So lawyers for Justice filed a $100,000 lawsuit, listing the horse as the sole plaintiff. On Friday, Matthew Liebman, one of four lawyers for the horse, argued that animals are sentient beings. He also noted that animals can be listed as "victims" of neglect or abuse in criminal cases and indeed do have the right to file lawsuits seeking compensation when they're treated cruelly. But Geordie Duckler, an attorney for Vercher, argued that the horse's attorneys were "playing with words" and claiming that animals have legal standing when they don't. Knowles sided with Duckler, saying he was unwilling to take the "leap" necessary to let Justice's lawsuit go forward. Knowles wrote, in part: "There are profound implications of a judicial finding that a horse, or any non-human animal for that matter, is a legal entity that has the legal right to assert a claim in a court of law. Such a finding would likely lead to a flood of lawsuits whereby non-human animals could assert claims we now reserve just for humans and human creations such as business and other entities." Knowles noted last week in court that allowing Justice to sue would mean a cat, for instance, could sue its owner for being left out in the cold overnight. Read Knowles' opinion here. -- Aimee Green Those living on Sanford, Smallwood and Secord lakes will begin seeing a drawdown of water levels within the next few days and are encouraged to have boats off the water by Thursday. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Boyce Hydro Power LLCs request to draw the lakes down four feet for spillway inspection. The FERC approved Boyce Hydros request to lower the respective three lakes to inspect the spillways. According to FERC, the lowering of Sanford and Smallwood lakes is set to begin Thursday. FERC also approved lowering Secord Lake no earlier than Sept. 24. The drawdown will take about six to 10 days and another four to eight days for inspection and spillway gate testing. Inspection is expected to begin Oct. 1. The drawdown will lower about eight inches of water a day. That could be altered depending on rainfall. The lakes are expected to refill at nine inches a day, also depending on rainfall that may be more or less. It is also possible some lakes wont completely refill until the spring, according to FERC agents. Wixom Lake was originally on the list, but as of Sept. 25, FERC wont have jurisdiction over that lake because of revoking Boyces license to generate electricity at the lakes Edenville Dam. According to the license revocation by FERC Secretary Kimberly Bose, the Edenville Dam is only able to pass 50 percent of the Probable Maximum Flood, which FERC deems concerning. The situation could prove disastrous in certain meteorological instances. Bose said it is necessary for Boyce Hydro to lower the lake to examine its spillway. Boyce Hydro has until Oct. 10, to appeal the license revocation decision. If unsuccessful, the dam will be relinquished to the state. Wixom Lake Association Director Dave Rothman said earlier that the license revocation wont interfere with lake recreation. While Boyce Hydro is preparing for the drawdown, its also has until Sept. 25 to remove all of its electrical generating equipment from the Edenville Dam, which resides in both Gladwin and Midland counties. The federal agency cited Boyce Hydro in March, charging it with failing to acquire necessary property rights, failing to construct approved recreational facilities, performing unauthorized earth-moving activities and making unauthorized dam repairs. Among the complaints and drawing the most anger from residents was the companys lack of increasing the spillway capacity to address the probable maximum flood and not making needed dam improvements. Residents say they are beyond angry that it took Boyce Hydro so long to address the spillway and the improvements, nearly since taking ownership in 2004. Residents are also angered that it took FERC so long to address it. They left us as sitting ducks out here, said Brad Longstreth, whos parents live on Wixom Lake. They knew the problem and they just didnt feel it was important to fix it. Residents say FERC just kept giving Boyce Hydro extra chances, which led to years of nobody doing anything. An example was that on Nov. 20, Boyce Hydro had not completed a laundry list of issues demanded by FERC. Thus, FERC extended the deadline to February, then to March. In March, Donald Zakett and Rothman, both directors of the Wixom Lake Association, along with association president Larry Woodward encouraged people to file as interveners in FERCs case against the company. The trio also encouraged Gladwin County commissioners to sign on. The Wixom Lake Association corporation is the only organization that speaks on behalf of several thousand members of the public who either have waterfront property on or otherwise make use of Wixom Lake. Report a digital subscription issue If you are being blocked from reading Subscriber Exclusive content, first confirm you are logged in using the account with which you subscribed. If you are still experiencing issues, please describe the problem below and we will be happy to assist you. Submit A brewery and restaurant will open later this fall on the East Shore with a familiar chef at the helm. Former Troegs Independent Brewing chef Christian DeLutis will head his own restaurant, Koda. It will operate in a 12,000-square foot space at 8001 Union Station Blvd. in Lower Paxton Township and partner with Newfangled Brew Works. The restaurant and brewery are separate entities but will work in collaboration under the same roof. It's the first business to arrive at Yingst Homes' Union Station, a new village-style community near Nyes Road. Among the highlights will be a bar looking into Koda's kitchen with a six-foot Argentinian wood burning grill. Newfangled will brew four year-round beers and offer rotating seasonal beers. The brewery will house a permanent taco truck and Pennsylvania beers, wines and spirits will be served at both locations. "People can come to Newfangled Brew Works for a drink or go to Koda for an intimate dinner or do both," said Adam Cole, owner of Newfangled Brew Works, in a press statement. "It's all about choices in a relaxed, open atmosphere." On the restaurant side, DeLutis emphasized Koda will revive classic American dishes from the 1950s forward such as Swedish meatballs, Salisbury steaks and chicken Divan. He said the menu will be straightforward and easy to follow. "We'll be working with food that is seasonally appropriate and as local as possible,'' DeLutis said. "This is a place to get food that you understand. It's about using ingredients correctly and showcasing the freshness. It's going to look and feel like something new but have the nostalgia that people miss." As for the decor, the 100-seat restaurant will be bright and vibrant with a white wood and electric cobalt blue color scheme along with a few interesting pieces such as 1920s chairs mixed in, DeLutis said. "We are just trying to create a really happy, fun atmosphere," he said. RSR Realtors, who handled the deal, is working to lease a second 16,000-square foot building at the town center. It will be constructed in 2019 and encompass first-floor retail and second-floor office or condominium space with potential for a coffee shop, pizza shop or salon. If any there's a day to sink your teeth into a cheeseburger, it's today. It's National Cheeseburger Day, marked annually on Sept. 18. To celebrate, you can swing by one of these top recommended burger spots in central Pennsylvania. Or, you can score a deal at one of the many chains participating in the food holiday with special promotions and discounts. Here's a handful of deals: Wendy's - Free Dave's single burger with a purchase through month of September. Buy the fries and score a free burger. You must order through the Wendy's mobile app. IHOP - The chain loves pancakes and is pushing its burgers. So if you order the Ultimate Steakburger you'll get a free stack of pancakes and a side on Sept. 18. Ruby Tuesday - If you join the So Connected email club, they will give you a free burger in your account, up to $10 with the purchase of another entree. Good Sept. 18-19. Red Robin - Order a cheeseburger and bottomless order of steak fries for just $5 with the purchase of any beverage on Sept. 18. McDonald's - Via the mobile app, you can get a free cheeseburger with any purchase. Nathan Welby was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. On Monday night, the 6-year-old from Luzerne County was sworn in as a "junior police officer" the by Lehman Township Police Department, the Times Leader reports. Nathan was given a uniform, a badge, and patches from numerous police departments from throughout the county. Welby's parents, Jeff and Jennifer, told the news agency Nathan likes to play cops with his 8-year-old brother Brian. Nathan and his family have made several trips to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for chemotherapy, followed by radiation treatments, after he was diagnosed about a year ago. "He really doesn't understand the seriousness of it all," Jeff Welby told the Times Leader. "But as far as tonight, I'm sure he loves it. It really is overwhelming." Eight-year-old Ryan Lewis and his mother, Meghan, have had a rough go of it. Ryan's father, Rick Lewis, died suddenly from a stroke four years ago, and Ryan, who has cerebral palsy, relies on his custom-fit, electric wheelchair to get around. That wheelchair was stolen on Saturday, Action News 6 ABC of Philadelphia is reporting. Meghan Lewis told the station she was running errands with Ryan on Saturday, and when they returned to their home in the Mayfair neighborhood of Philadelphia, she carried him inside, leaving the chair outside for just a moment. "I went upstairs and my window was open, and so I looked out the window and his chair was gone. Just like that," she told 6 ABC. While the manufacturer of the wheelchair will replace Ryan's, free of charge, it will take six months to custom-fit it. In the meantime, friends have started a GoFundMe.com fundraiser to help raise enough money for the mother-son duo to rent an electric wheelchair until they receive their replacement, according to reports. "I need him and he needs me," Meghan Lewis told the station about the close mother-son bond. "There's days when I don't want to get up but Ryan says, 'Mom, I up. Now, you up.' Okay, we're up." Some residents in rural Cumberland County are worried about a liquid natural gas pipeline running through their backyards. While the Cumberland County commissioners last month sent a letter to Sunoco Pipeline, inviting officials to a meeting to address some of these concerns, commissioners said in another letter today they are disappointed in the lack of response from the company. Sunoco Pipeline is constructing the Mariner East 2, which cuts through Cumberland County as it traverses the state. During the course of its construction, the pipeline has been the subject of eminent domain court battles in Cumberland County and construction was halted at one point over multiple Department of Environmental Protection violations. In July, some residents were upset when Sunoco Pipeline officials, at the last minute, canceled an appearance at a meeting in Lower Frankford Township to field questions and safety concerns from residents, according to the letter from Cumberland County commissioners Vince DiFilippo, Jim Hertzler and Gary Eichelberger. "In light of that unfortunate occurrence, we hope you and Sunoco LP officials will now accept our invitation to attend a meeting hosted by the county to address citizen concerns," the commissioners wrote in a letter addressed to Matt Ramsey, chairman of the board of Sunoco Pipeline. That letter was dated Aug. 13. In an Aug. 24 reply, provided by the county today, Matthew Gordon, senior director of pipeline operations, wrote that over the last four years, the company has been communicating with the board of supervisors in Lower Frankford Township and has provided training for more than 2,000 first responders along the Mariner East corridor. He added there is a standing offer to the township and emergency preparedness organizations for training and meetings. But in a letter Sept. 13, the commissioners said Sunoco's response did not address the primary request of their initial letter, asking company officials to attend a county-hosted meeting to answer the questions and concerns of the citizens. "If their operations are as safe as safe can be, I don't know why they would turn a deaf ear to our requests," Hertzler said today. "It's about being a good corporate neighbor." Hertzler said he personally supports the effort to develop this natural resource, noting it provides good-paying jobs around the state. He also believes an underground pipeline is the safest way to transport liquid natural gas, as opposed to shipping it by rail or truck. "That's why I'm a little befuddled as to why Sunoco won't address the concerns of the citizens who live in close proximity to the pipeline," he said. Sunoco Pipeline officials could not immediately be reached for comment today. Hertzler said he hopes the company reconsiders and contacts the county to set up a meeting. The 20-inch pipeline will move natural gas liquid products from Marcellus Shale drilling fields in western Pennsylvania to a terminal in Philadelphia. A North Cornwall Township man is facing charges after a shooting that happened on Sunday. Jose Pena-Panel was apprehended at his residence without incident on Monday. Police said that at 3:11 a.m. Sunday, 46-year-old Luis Flores-Gonzalez was shot in his lower extremities in the 900 block of North 7th Street. Flores-Gonzalez has since been released from the hospital with two gunshot wounds. Pena-Panel, 35, faces charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Police continue to investigate the shooting, and anyone with information is asked to contact Lebanon City Police at 717 272 2054 or Crime Stoppers at 717 270 9800. A new study states Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of people who have been sentenced to life in prison without parole. And according to the report released today by the Abolitionist Law Center, the most sentences of life without parole are imposed on young people with what the authors call "alarming racial disparities." In the report, "A Way Out: Abolishing Death by Incarceration in Pennsylvania," the center notes that Philadelphia County has 2,694 people who are serving life sentences without parole, which is more than any other county in the U.S. and more than any other country in the world. The data analysis also shows that Pennsylvania has 5,346 people serving sentences of life without parole, making it a national leader in the use of this punishment, beat only by Florida, the report indicates. "This report presents a definitive portrait of a punishment that is archaic, cruel, unjustified, and indefensible," said Bret Grote, legal director of the Abolitionist Law Center and co-author of the report. "Death by incarceration sentences do not keep the public safer. The human and economic costs are staggering and growing by the year, as thousands of aging, rehabilitated men and women are locked away needlessly. Fortunately, there is also a rapidly growing movement determined to make parole eligibility for all lifers a reality." The report states: Most of those serving life without parole were convicted and sentenced when they were 25 or younger, a period of life when brain development and maturation remains ongoing. More than 70 percent of those inmates are 40 years old and nearly half are over 50, a time in life when the tendency towards criminal activity drops. Black Pennsylvanians are serving life without parole at a rate of 18 times higher than that of their white counterparts. Out of Philadelphia's 2,694 people serving life without parole, 84 percent are black. In Allegheny County, 13 percent of the county's residents are black, but constitute 76 percent of those serving life witout parole. The report calls "death by incarceration" a "failed policy predicated upon the fallacy that the trajectory of a person's life - including their capacity for rehabilitation, transformation, and redemption - can be accurately predicted at the time of sentencing." Pennsylvania state Rep. Jason Dawkins and Sen. Sharif Street have introduced legislation to allow parole eligibility for all lifers after 15 years, according to the organization. The center also said the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is considering reviewing certain cases to pursue lesser sentences when legally viable. The Abolitionist Law Center said it is a public interest law firm organized to abolish class and race-based mass incarceration in the United States. Almost to the day two years ago, Pennsylvania Sen. John Rafferty stood practically alone as he bucked the sentiment of his majority-rule party and stood behind a proposal to dramatically reform child sex crime laws. At the time, the state reeled in the wake of a grand jury report on clergy sex abuse in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The calls to reform civil statute of limitations and allow adult victims who had been abused long ago as children a chance to file civil claims against predators had reached a fever pitch. With momentum and public outcry propelling them, advocates and their allies in the Legislature seemed poised to see reform enacted. Rafferty, a Catholic, sided with advocates and largely Democratic lawmakers calling for the retroactive reform. Then, as now, the vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Rafferty, a Montgomery County Republican, broke with his party and voted against a Senate effort to eliminate the retroactive extension of the civil statute of limitations. At the 11th hour and following vigorous lobbying on the part of the Catholic Church, which argued that the proposed legislation was unconstitutional, the Senate defeated the bill. Fast forward two years, and an eerily similar scenario is about to play out. Amid the fallout and public outcry from yet another blistering grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse statewide, the Legislature is next week poised to take another stab at broadly expanding and reforming the statute of limitations. The proposals on the table - or on their way there - are near identical as those proposed in 2016. Notably: a proposal to eliminate the criminal statute of limitations and another to extend a retroactive two-year window to allow victims timed-out of the system a chance to file civil suits against predator. Once again, Rafferty is lending the voice of dissent from his party, bucking the overriding opinion among Republicans in the Senate that the retroactive proposal is unconstitutional. "I don't think I'm standing alone," Rafferty said on Tuesday at a press conference with Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is urging the Legislature to enact all four recommendations laid out by the grand jurors. A retroactive window for civil suits was among those recommendations. Moments earlier, in a somber roundtable with victims, Rafferty excoriated the leadership of his church. "Speaking as a Catholic - a practicing Catholic - I am appalled at the conduct of the Catholic Church and the dioceses with what they have done to allow this to happen," he said. The Senate reconvenes on Monday (as does the House). Rafferty said it was premature to comment on the proposals being pushed prior to the GOP caucusing after a three-month summer recess. "I will make my position clear," he said. "I will express my feelings on all four recommendations." Rafferty made it clear, however, that, once again, he is determined to push for broader reforms to the child sex crime laws, in particular, the two-year retroactive window. Two years ago, Rafferty eventually voted for the final version of the bill - the retroactive component having been gutted - after the original House bill failed to garner sufficient support in the Senate. This time around, he notes that the proposals target a narrowly defined parameter that applies only to childhood victims of child sex abuse. The remedies clause - which the GOP the last time around invoked time and again as the constitutional standard - was not intended to shield pedophiles, Rafferty said. "It's a good compromise," he said. "I know I'm on the side of right." Rafferty was joined by House colleague Rep. Todd Stephens, also a Montgomery County Republican, in calling for broader reforms to the law. Stephens is planning to next week introduce a proposal to broaden the penalty for failure of mandatory reporters to report abuse from a misdemeanor to a felony. His amendment would increase the penalties imposed on mandatory reporters who failed to report repeated child sex crimes by a predator. When it reconvenes on Monday the House will take up a statute of limitations bill unanimously passed last year by the Senate. Senate Bill 261 would eliminate any statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions for child sexual abuse and give child victims until age 50 to bring civil lawsuits against abusers or those employers who were allegedly negligent in failing to stop them. At present, the window to sue expires at age 30. Absent from the bill, however, is the retroactive window that Rafferty and a large sector of Democrats and victims advocates are behind. It would allow victims timed out of the legal system a set period of time to sue their predators. Then as in 2016, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, a Jefferson County Republican, has stressed that only a change to the state Constitution could compel a reform to the statute of limitations. His bill - SB 261- would eliminate criminal statute of limitations going forward. "While I fully appreciate their passion for this issue, it does not change the unconstitutionality of the reviver in light of Pennsylvania's Remedies Clause in our constitution, which prohibits a retroactive change to civil and criminal statute of limitations," he said last month. "The possibility of allowing a reviver by constitutional amendment has also been raised. I would support a constitutional change, however it is an extended process and has no absolute certainty." Scarnati has noted that the Senate bill strengthens child sex crime law, and that it has no known opposition. He is urging the House to act on the bill. Senate GOP spokeswoman Jennifer Kocher the chamber would wait to see what the House does with the Senate bill. "We'll consider anything the House sends us," she said. "We have no schedule or timetable. We have to see what the House sends over." In spite of Scarnati's directness, Rafferty suggested the leadership of his party could exercise some flexibility. Scarnati, he said, crafted his bill well before the grand jury report was released, and he likely pushed the bill "in good faith." Now, however, amid the outcry from the bombshell report, different temperaments likely prevail in the Senate, he said. "Every senator has a vote," Rafferty said. Among those 49 votes is that of Sen. John DiSanto, a Dauphin County Republican who like Rafferty is a practicing Catholic. DiSanto voted for Scarnati's bill and approved of its elimination of the criminal statute of limitations. The question of the constitutionality of the retroactive window, he has said, is worthy of serious consideration. "I don't know that anybody knows what's going to come over from them if anything," he said last month. Most others remain steadfast in support of the Senate bill as written - with no retroactivity. Prominent victims advocate Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat, is poised to attach an amendment to the Senate bill calling for the retroactivity component. Rozzi has engendered broad support from the House for his bill, and says he is confident it will pass the chamber. "Nothing should be standing in the way of a vote for the two-year window," Rozzi said. "It levels the playing field for victims. We've been shut down by arbitrary deadlines that favor big institutions and big money. We're done with the old, tired excuses from the church and from the politicians." Rafferty said he has not spoken with church officials; and that he's not likely to change his mind. "I was very clear two years ago and I'm a Catholic. What does that tell you?" He stressed that the GOP membership must be allowed to reassemble after the summer break to discuss all these matters. Up for re-election, Rafferty seems undaunted by any pushback poised to be aimed at him. He said he had "no idea" what the casualties would be if other Senate members voted against the retroactive window. "I just know where John Rafferty has stood two years ago and today," he said. Two years ago, when he refused to stand with the church and the GOP majority on the retroactive proposals, Rafferty was excoriated by not only members of his party but the church and even his own priest. He has let go of that. "I'm looking ahead and not behind," he said. "I want to get this bill across the finish line." By Philip Bump U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes' weeks-long push to get President Donald Trump to declassify additional documents related to the investigation into Russian interference paid off Monday evening. Philip Bump (Washington Post photo) White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that the president was calling for the release of text messages between a number of government officials and the declassification of parts of an application for a surveillance warrant that has already been released with heavy redaction. Trump's decision wasn't a surprise, in part because Nunes, R-Calif., has been at the forefront of driving Trump's defense against the Russia investigation. That defense has centered on a single issue: that the FBI and Department of Justice acted in an inappropriate or corrupt way to try to undermine Trump's presidential campaign. The text messages and new declassifications have a single obvious goal: bolster that case by any means possible. Shortly before the announcement from the White House, the Center for Security Policy published a speech in which Nunes made the case for why redacting material - and, more broadly, his defense of Trump - was important. Much of his speech, offered after having won the organization's Keeper of the Flame award, was centered on his work as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a committee that, he said, no one knew about because "nobody believes that there's any intelligence in Congress, so why would they have a committee." That committee has been central to defenses of Trump and to raising questions, valid or not, about the investigation that began during the 2016 election. "At the one time that really mattered, after Watergate, after the select committee was created, there were very archaic rules that were put in that nobody had ever used before, but somebody thought that maybe down the road there may be a time where the Congress was going to step in using the legislative branch of government, the powers vested in us by the Constitution, and have to use those powers because the executive branch and judicial branch go awry," Nunes said. "Without that rule and without the colleagues and the Republicans on the committee voting to exercise that rule, we would have never been able to declassify what you guys all know now was the dirt that was used, generated by the Clinton campaign, fake news stories created and used to spy on American citizen and a Trump campaign associate." That's Carter Page, the target of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant that was issued in October 2016. That warrant was partially declassified earlier this year; Trump's order Monday would declassify more of it. But Nunes's articulation of the result of that declassification is not the consensus view. Page - who by October had left the campaign - was a target of Russian intelligence efforts several years before the campaign. In July 2016 he traveled to Moscow, where he had at least one conversation with a senior official in the Putin regime. That trip was mentioned in the dossier of reports compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. That dossier is at the heart of Nunes's arguments. Containing unverified information, it has been presented as inherently false and biased by Trump defenders, in part because Steele's work was indirectly funded by the campaign of Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton. "Dossier" has become shorthand for the view of the investigation that Nunes promotes, and his push to declassify the Page warrant application is meant, in part, to show how important the dossier was to the application in the first place. That it was partially corroborated intelligence offered up by a trusted FBI source about someone who was already on the FBI's radar goes unmentioned. Nunes' claim that most of the warrant application depended on the dossier was not borne out by the declassified document, since much of the application was still redacted. (It's hard to evaluate the importance of one bit of evidence when there may be a great deal of additional evidence that's still obscured.) The release of the rest of the application, he said, was warranted because Americans "have a right to know and I think you're going to be frightened by what you see." "The media's going to ignore it," he continued, "but I think the people that are around this country that have been following this issue day by day, they don't. All the people involved, they know that there were major shenanigans involved in all of this. They're going to understand it. And I think it's really key to this election." Nunes recognizes that those who've been "following this issue day by day" - that is, those who already accept the presentation of the investigation as biased - will see more bias revealed in the declassification. This is sort of a giveaway: If you already agree with him, you'll agree with him on this, too. But then he goes one step further. "It's not just going to be about economic growth and running on the economy," he said of the midterms. "It's also going to be about what the other side did to play dirty, dirty up a campaign - but not do it through campaign tactics but do it by corrupting the FBI and the DOJ," a reference to the Department of Justice. In other words, Nunes sees this declassification and the effort to show bias at Justice and in the FBI as important to the Republican campaign effort. After the White House announced that it planned to release the material, Trump was criticized for appearing to again leverage his power to undercut an investigation in which his allies are targeted. Nunes adds another layer of complexity: It's also about pushing back on the Democrats' strong electoral position. "You have a Congress that's doing our job, getting to the bottom of things. We're standing tough, standing tall when it's not easy being attacked," Nunes said. "But this is what you get when you have a Republican Congress. You may get mad at us sometimes, but economic growth and doing real oversight, getting to the bottom of problems - that's what you should expect from us, and I think that's the message that we need to deliver to the American people this fall to win reelection." Besides, consider the alternative! "I will close with this, and you guys are going to think that I might be a little crazy, and maybe sometimes I am," he said. "This election is really about the future of this country," he continued, "and what we need the base - for all of you that are out there across the country - to understand is the reason they're putting up this fight, the reason that they have antifa, the reason that they're protesting, the reason that they're causing all of these riots, the reason that they're doing, you know, things that you normally wouldn't think you would see in this country - the reason that they're willing to actually corrupt the FBI and the DOJ? They're doing it because we're winning, folks." Never mind that the alleged "corruption" of the FBI and Department of Justice happened two years ago, when the Republicans did not appear to be winning. Never mind that "antifa," anti-fascists, make up a vanishingly small part of the political left, and never mind that there has been almost no significant political unrest - Nunes' us-vs.-them is Republicans who are justified in investigating government intelligence agencies vs. violent, dangerous leftists. And their leader. The election, Nunes said, is "Nancy Pelosi's last stand. It really is." Philip Bump is a correspondent for The Washington Post based in New York, where this piece first appeared. By Shan Wu, Julie Grohovsky, Norman Eisen The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday. But as former prosecutors and a defense lawyer who collectively have decades of experience working on cases involving allegations of sexual assault, we believe the committee must review - with witnesses testifying under oath - he allegations that Kavanaugh assaulted a woman when they were in high school. Christine Blasey Ford's specific, credible account more than meets the threshold under the Judiciary Committee's rules for such a review. And in our experience, Ford's delay in coming forward publicly with her allegations is consistent with a common pattern of survivors of sexual assault. Ford told The Washington Post in a story published Sunday that Kavanaugh and a friend of his, both "stumbling drunk," cornered her in a bedroom during a gathering when all of them were teenagers in su burban Washington, and that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to pull her bathing suit off. She escaped the room and fled the house, she said. Kavanaugh, in a statement issued last week, "categorically and unequivocally" denied the allegations. The incident allegedly happened in the early 1980s. But trauma often causes delayed reporting of sexual assaults, which is well recognized now. Moreover, this is not a "new," allegation, one made for the first time on the eve of Kavanaugh's confirmation. Rather, The Post reported that Ford made previous disclosures to her husband and to a therapist years ago. Those disclosures also took place long after the alleged assault, but they were made at a time when Ford would have had no reason to fabricate the details. Those prior disclosures also follow a common pattern with survivors in the gradual revelation of specificity and detail. Ford reportedly first told her husband that she had been the victim of a physical assault. Later, in therapy, she disclosed the sexual nature of the events. This step-by-step disclosure is common with survivors of sexual abuse, especially when the abuse occurred when the survivor was relatively young. Ford was 15 at the time of the alleged assault. Those examining Ford's account focused Sunday on possible gaps in her recollection. It is true that, for example, she recalls some specific details of the alleged assault itself - Kavanaugh's hand allegedly covering her mouth, the other boy in the room laughing - more clearly than she did other details, such as the address of the party and time and date. But assault survivors often focus on very particular details of what happened to them rather than facts such as location and time. For example, in a landmark rape case two of us prosecuted, the survivor gave compelling testimony about how she remembered the smell of the defendant but was not clear on the exact time of day the attack occurred. (Her attacker pleaded guilty after hearing the testimony of the survivor.) To the extent there are discrepancies in the record, they appear to be minor and not uncommon. Ford's therapist's notes state that there were four boys "involved" rather than the two that Ford told her husband about. Ford now says that was an error on her therapist's part while taking the notes, but either way, it's reconcilable with Ford's recollection that two boys - Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge - were in the room but a total of four boys were at the party. We often found that such minor errors were common even in the note-taking of trained law enforcement agents who know their work may be subject to review and cross-examination in criminal prosecutions. Indeed, in our collective experience, it is unusual for notes not to have such discrepancies. Particularly for a therapist - whose focus is on healing trauma, not stenography or pursuing criminal charges - this type of error while simultaneously listening, reacting and writing would not be uncommon. Ford also passed a lie-detector test administered earlier this summer by a former FBI polygrapher. While it is true that polygraph results are not admissible in court, investigators and attorneys consider the results relevant in evaluating a person's credibility. So does the federal government: Regular polygraphs are used as a part of security clearance arrangements in the intelligence community. Indeed, we have found that a person's very willingness to undergo a polygraph often helps indicate their credibility. When allegations of sexual harassment from years before came out against Justice Clarence Thomas during his confirmation hearing in 1991, they were addressed in a way that many do not consider sufficiently serious or respectful to the victim. That process has not aged well as the understanding of these issues has increased with time. It would be best not to rush into the same mistake now, at a time when we as a society should know better. In considering the veracity of the allegations, we must also apply some scrutiny to Kavanaugh's denial. His credibility must be assessed in light of whether he has been candid on other issues. That record is not irrelevant to the judgment that the Senate must now make about his credibility on Ford's allegations. Ford initially told Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, about the allegations earlier this summer. But until recent days, Ford wasn't willing to discuss her account more publicly. At any rate, the matter is out now, and any delay in pushing the committee to act on the allegations is overshadowed by larger considerations. Supreme Court confirmation hearings need to get done right the first time because it is the only time. No mechanisms exist for appeals or do-overs outside of the extraordinary one of impeachment - not used against a Supreme Court justice in our history in over 200 years, and only once, unsuccessfully, before that. Against the prospect of as long as 40 or even more years on the bench for the nominee, what is a short delay to have a fair process? Under the committee's rules, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has the power to convene hearings "as he may deem necessary." Reassuring the country the allegations were taken seriously - and taking them seriously, including hearing from witnesses under oath - is necessary to maintain public confidence in the confirmation process and the person confirmed. Surely ascertaining the truth is in the interest of the Senate as well. It is also in the interest of the victim, and that must not be ignored. Sexual assault survivors must cope with the trauma for the remainder of their lives. To all of them, to Ford in particular, and to our country, we owe a duty to take the time for full and careful investigation of these allegations before bestowing upon Kavanaugh a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. Shan Wu, a former federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., is a partner in the law firm of Wu, Grohovsky and Whipple, where his practice areas include white-collar defense & Title IX campus sexual assault cases. He is former counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno and a CNN legal analyst. Julie Grohovsky, a former sex offense prosecutor in Washington, D.C., is a partner in the law firm of Wu, Grohovsky & Whipple where her practice includes representing victims of crime. Norman Eisen is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic and author of "The Last Palace: Europe's Turbulent Century in Five Lives and One Legendary House." They wrote this piece for The Washington Post, where it first appeared. Fitzgerald memorial to be closed to the public and live-streamed The annual S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald memorial event, which takes take place every Nov. 10 at Whitefish Point, will be a closed event this year. African swine fever has been confirmed by the Belgian authorities, representing a hugely worrying leap of the virus into western Europe. The countrys food safety agency said it had identified wild boar carrying the disease around the southern village of Etalle, in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The official OIE report shows four wild boar were affected, three of which were dead, while the other was shot. The Belgian authorities said they were working across Government to prevent the possible spread of the disease among wild boar and onto pig farms, which it stressed were currently unscathed from the disease. The food agency said it held an emergency meeting today to identify the measures to be adopted following the confirmation of the virus. The fight against the disease is not a public health issue but an animal and economic health issue, it said. The source of the outbreak has not been confirmed but the agency said the recent increased levels of spread across much of Europe could be the consequence of introducing leftover food left behind by travellers from infected areas. African swine fever is a contagious viral disease affecting pigs and wild boars, and by no means humans. This virus can be transmitted easily from one animal to another either through close contacts between individuals, or by contaminated equipment (transport equipment, boots, etc.) or via food remains carrying the virus and abandoned by humans. There is currently no treatment or vaccination against the disease. Strict prevention and control measures are defined at European and national level. The agency said field monitoring measures were in place, enabling the authorities to detect the suspected cases in dead boars. Samples were taken directly and sent to Sciensano. He confirms today that wild boars carry the virus responsible for ASF. Wildlife control and prevention measures within pig farms are now being implemented at the regional and federal levels, respectively, in a high-performance collaborative framework. Biosecurity in pig farms is essential and the FASFC ensures that it is permanently properly insured, the agency said. The situation is taken very seriously by the various authorities and levels of power in Belgium and the measures are carefully put in place and monitored, given the potential impact for the livestock and hunting sectors. A national task force was set up in early 2018 in this context. The different levels of power will continue to work closely together to maximize the effectiveness of prevention and control measures. Get Our E-Newsletter - Pig World's best stories in your in-box twice a week See e-newsletter example Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy Albin Baptist Church 315 Cheyenne Ave, Albin; 246-3254; Sunday school 9:30 a.m., Sunday service 10:45 a.m .; Youth group, Sunday 5:30 p.m. Blessed Hope Baptist Church 327 S. Main St., Burns 307-547-2383 J. Nathaniel Ensley, pastor, Sunday Services: Sunday School 9:30 a.m .; Fellowship 10 a.m .; Worship 10:30 a.m .; Summer Studies (June-September) 5 p.m. Wednesday Services: Childrens AWANAs 6:45 p.m .; Teen Service 7 p.m .; Bible Study/Prayer 7 p.m. Burns Presbyterian Church 140 S. Wyoming Ave., Burns; 547-3734 Rev. Gwyn Downing, pastor Sunday worship 9 a.m .; Sunday school all ages 10:10 a.m. Carpenter United Methodist Church Rev. Gail Graves, pastor; Services are held each Sunday at 10 a.m. Crossroads Community Church 418 Pine St. 245-3534 Dan DeBruyn, pastor http://www.crossroadscommunitychurchwyo.org; Sunday school 9 a.m., Sunday service 10 a.m .; Jr./Sr. high ministry, Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Evangelical Wesleyan Church 321 W. 1st St., Burns 547-2276 Walter F. Hagemeier, pastor Sunday School 10 a.m., morning worship 11 a.m., evening service 7 p.m .; Wednesday prayer meeting 7:30 p.m. Grace English Lutheran Church Corner of 8th and Miller, Pine Bluffs 245-3390 Sunday service 10 a.m .; Bible study and Sunday School immediately following service; Bible study 10 a.m. Monday. Golden Prairie Church 4996 Road 226, Burns 307-246-3293 Sunday School 9:30 a.m., Sunday Service 10:45 a.m. Call for information on community-wide small bible study groups. Jeff Giles, Pastor. http://www.goldenprairiechurch.org Hereford Community Church Hereford, CO Rev. Carol Opdycke, pastor, Sunday service and Sunday School 11 a.m. Hillsdale United Methodist Church 4235 Hills St., Hillsdale, Sunday worship service 9 a.m. Immanuel Lutheran Church 201 Washington Ave, Burns; 1-308-235-2582 Kenneth Mars, pastor Sunday worship 8 a.m. Lighthouse Assembly of God 117 W. 5th St., Pine Bluffs 245-3822 http://www.lighthousepb.com; Norman and Rhonda Reed, pastors Sunday school 9:30 a.m .; worship service 10:30 a.m .; KITTS KLUB, Fusion Youth Ministries, and adult Bible study, Wednesday 6:30 p.m .; monthly mens and womens meetings. Pine Bluffs Heritage Center 607 Elm St., Pine Bluffs Contact Doug or Connie Merrick at 307-214-0002 or 307-631-5571 Bible study Tuesday nights 7:30 to 8:30 p.m .; non-denominational, open to all. Pine Bluffs United Methodist Church 600 Main St 307-245-3781 http://www.umcpinebluffs.org Pastor Lesley Matschke Sunday @ 8:45 a.m. - Adult Bible Study. Childrens Son-Day school 10 a.m. during Worship Service after the childrens message. Worship service @ 10 a.m. followed by coffee fellowship time @ 11 a.m. Youth group (6th grade through high school) meets the first, third and fifth Wednesday @ 6:30 p.m. Presbyterian Church of Kimball Seventh and Cedar Street 1-308-235-3044 Alan Foutz, PhD., pastor Bible study for all ages 9:30 a.m .; Worship service 10:30 a.m. St. Josephs Catholic Church Albin Father Kevin Koch Sunday Mass 8 a.m. St. Pauls Catholic Church 501 East 4th Street, Pine Bluffs 245-3761 Father Kevin Koch, pastor Daily Mass, Monday Wednesday, 8 a.m .; Friday, 10 a.m .; Saturday Vigil Mass 5 p.m .; Sunday Mass 9:30 a.m., Reconciliation Saturday 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. Faith Formation Classes 10:30 a.m., for grades Pre-K thru Grade 8 to include First Communion Preparation. St. Peters Catholic Church Carpenter Father Kevin Koch Sunday Mass 11:15 a.m. Shepherds Closet is eastern Laramie countys local communitys ongoing effort to donate, volunteer and receive. They distribute non-perishable food and clothing to anyone in need.It is located in the Burns-Plex Community Center. Hours are Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Questions, please call Betty 307-547-3335 or 307-630-7292. Veterans Outreach & Advocacy Program (Wyo. Dept. of Health/BHD). OEF/OIF veterans eligibility, (307) 630-3230. Zion Lutheran Church, on WCR 124, Grover Sunday service 8 a.m .; Sunday School immediately following service. GREEN RIVER, Wyo. (September 7, 2018) First Lady Carol Mead honored Ciner (pronounced 'jin-ner') and other corporate sponsors Thursday, September 6, 2018 for supporting the publication of her second children's book, Blazing Wyoming Bonnets. "Ciner believes childhood literacy and education are crucial to the future of Wyoming," said Ciner Wyoming Site Manager, Craig Rood. "We hope that putting this new book in the hands of Wyoming's children will encourage them to read at home and learn more about the trail-blazing women of our great state." Mrs. Mead wrote 'Blazing Wyoming Bonnets', co-authored and illustrated by Centennial artist, Melanie O'Hara, to celebrate some of the trailblazing women in Wyoming's history. The book features 25 women with ties to Wyoming, from its territory days to the present. Full-color illustrations, rhyming poetry and brief biographical sketches bring to life the contributions of these women to our state and its history. "I am grateful for the generosity of our corporate partners, which makes it possible to share this book with fourth graders in every Wyoming county," said Mrs. Mead. "Their commitment to education and childhood literacy is having a very real impact in our state." More than 7,500 copies of Blazing Wyoming Bonnets will be distributed to fourth graders through individual school districts this fall. 570 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for a full FBI investigation into the allegations being made against Brett Kavanaugh and dismissed the suggestion by some Republicans that Kavanaugh accuser Christine Ford isnt credible. In an interview with MSNBCs Rachel Maddow, Blumenthal said, I believe this survivor, Dr. Ford. Theres every reason to believe a woman who has come forward at great personal risk. The Connecticut Democrat also called for a full and fair FBI investigation that includes witness testimony so senators can have all the facts before questioning Kavanaughs accuser. Video: Blumenthal said: I believe this survivor, Dr. Ford. Theres every reason to believe a woman who has come forward at great personal risk, facing the anguish and terror, as she put it, of a nightmare of vicious and hostile scrutiny. And there are a lot of reasons to disbelieve Judge Kavanaugh after his evasive and seemingly misleading responses to our questions at the judiciary committee hearing just a week or so ago. I think we need to have a full and fair FBI investigation, learn from the history that you have so dramatically and graphically reminded us of. In the Trump era, smearing the accuser is a go-to strategy There is no question that in the Me Too era, more women have felt empowered to come forward and share their stories. Thats a positive development in a world where men are too often successful in silencing women. Still, too many men particularly those with the deny-deny-deny strategy of Donald Trump are quick to dismiss these survivors stories. Largely because of this president, sexual abuse allegations have now become just another political he-said-she-said. We have seen that play out over the past couple days as Christine Ford stepped forward to tell her story. What Sen. Blumenthal said on Monday night is true not just in the case of Brett Kavanaugh, but also in similar instances when a woman comes forward at great cost. Its time for Republicans to stop following their usual playbook of doubting women first and asking questions later. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. Breaking News: 86 per cent of teachers vote yes to accept the tentative deal from the province. In total 31,741 teachers voted Thursday, 27,275 voted yes, 4,392 voted no. Minister of Education Peter Fassbender said "On behalf of government, I want to thank and congratulate B.C. teachers for voting in favour of the agreement reached earlier this week between the BCTF and BCPSEA bargaining teams. "We have one of the best public education systems in the world, and that's in large part because we have such great teachers." The agreement gives teachers a 7.25 per cent raise, increases health benefits and on-call rates. It also establishes a $400 million fund to hire specialist teachers. Patti Bacchus, chair of the Vancouver School Board, tweeted that school boards still have to ratify the deal for it to be final. The Vancouver School Board ratified the deal tonight, "I think they're trying to get all districts done by tomorrow," she said on Twitter. Livestream from the BC Teachers' Federation. By Robert Chiarito and Suzannah Gonzales CHICAGO (Reuters) The white police officer who shot to death a black teen in 2014 fired 16 shots without justification, prosecutors told a Chicago jury on Monday, as the trial began in a decisive case for race relations and policing in the United States third-largest city. What he saw that night was a black boy with the audacity to ignore the police, special prosecutor Joseph McMahon said during his opening statement of the officer, Jason Van Dyke. Not a single shot was necessary. Van Dykes defense lawyer, Daniel Herbert, portrayed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald as a dangerous drug user who caused the officer to fear for his safety. McDonald was an out-of-control criminal running with a knife, Herbert told jurors. What happened to Laquan McDonald is a tragedy. Its a tragedy, not a murder. The deaths of mostly unarmed black men at the hands of police officers across the United States in recent years have led to protests and sometimes violence in major U.S. cities. The killings helped give rise to the Black Lives Matter movement and became an issue in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Eight witnesses for the prosecution, including a dispatcher, a Federal Bureau of Investigation forensic examiner and Chicago police officers took the stand on Monday. Officer Joseph McElligott, who responded to the incident before the shooting, said McDonald swiped a knife at his squad car and kept walking, ignoring at least 30 orders to drop his weapon. Asked by prosecutors why he did not shoot McDonald, McElligott, who had followed McDonald on foot with his gun drawn, said McDonald did not move directly toward him and he was trying to buy time for a Taser to arrive. Prosecutors were expected to continue to call witnesses on Tuesday. Prosecutors showed jurors a soundless dashboard camera video that showed Van Dyke gunning down McDonald as he appeared to move away from officers. The videos public release in 2015 spurred protests, fed a national debate over the use of excessive force by police against minorities and led to the ousting of local officials. The video, released by the city more than a year after the shooting in response to a Freedom Of Information Act lawsuit, sparked days of protests in Chicago. Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who has announced a mayoral run, was fired, and activists called for the resignation of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel said on Sept. 4 he would not seek a third term after facing widespread criticism over his handling of the citys gun violence. He did not specifically cite McDonald in his announcement. A U.S. Department of Justice investigation that began after the videos release found Chicago police routinely violated peoples civil rights, citing excessive force and racially discriminatory conduct. Van Dyke, now 40, opted for a jury trial on Friday following the selection of a 12-person jury and five alternate jurors. He was suspended without pay after he was first charged in 2015. The 12-person jury includes one black person. Van Dykes attorneys on Monday morning asked Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan to dismiss the jurors, saying the negative and inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the case had made it impossible for them to be impartial, but the judge rejected that argument. Gaughan also denied a defense motion to move the trial out of Chicago. Van Dyke faces first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct charges. He is the first Chicago police officer to face a murder charge for an on-duty incident in decades. Three Chicago Police Department officers were indicted in June 2017 for conspiring to cover up McDonalds shooting. They have not yet been tried. (Reporting by Robert Chiarito and Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler) 1.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard President Donald Trump just ordered James Comeys text messages to be released to the public without redaction. Along with Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr. Trump also just abused his power by interfering in the Russia probe. The presidentissuing orders to DOJ in the middle of an investigation into his own campaign and associates, CNNs Jim Acosta pointed out, as we all received a statement from the White House Press Secretary telling us that Trump has directed the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to declassify materials the House Republicans have wanted to make public. The presidentissuing orders to DOJ in the middle of an investigation into his own campaign and associates. https://t.co/ULBzaE2e4P Jim Acosta (@Acosta) September 17, 2018 Heres the statement from the Press Secretary sent to PoliticusUSA at 5:26 PM Monday afternoon: At the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency, the President has directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to provide for the immediate declassification of the following materials: (1) pages 10-12 and 17-34 of the June 2017 application to the FISA court in the matter of Carter W. Page; (2) all FBI reports of interviews with Bruce G. Ohr prepared in connection with the Russia investigation; and (3) all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all Carter Page FISA applications. In addition, President Donald J. Trump has directed the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr. This is not the move of a confident, powerful person who is in control of the narrative. The President should not be directing the DoJ on its own investigation into him and or his campaign. There is supposed to be a wall up between the White House and the DoJ. Recall, if you will, the Republican freak out when Bill Clinton was seen talking to former AG (2015 to 2017) Loretta Lynch on the tarmac in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump is trying desperately to change the subject to one his conservative warriors can win. If he has to break a few norms to get there, no biggie. The law, after all, doesnt apply to him. Or so he thinks. Trump is abusing his power and desperately trying to give his cult someone to chew on, somewhere to direct their relentless rage and growing impotency. Of course, they wont care that publicizing someones text messages for real no reason but to send a message of warning others about private conversations being used against them by their government is obscene. The larger story is how out of control this president is, and how much he needs to be checked by people who are willing to do their Constitutional duty. 782 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Jarrett Renshaw and Michael Hirtzer NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) Major U.S. ethanol producer Green Plains Inc is shutting down two ethanol plants in Iowa and cutting output at another in Minnesota due to low profit margins, three industry sources told Reuters. The production cuts come after the Trump administrations escalating trade disputes cut off U.S. access to ethanol markets in China, contributing to a domestic supply glut that has pushed biofuel prices to near their lowest in over a decade. Green Plains idled until further notice its facility in Superior, Iowa, and soon will shut down the plant in Lakota, Iowa, while the companys plant in Fairmont, Minnesota, was running at half of its capacity, said the sources, who asked not to be named. Company spokesman Jim Stark did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. Green Plains in an Aug. 30 regulatory filing said, Based on current market conditions, the company is re-assessing our production levels. Together, the plants represent about 20 percent of Green Plains annual ethanol production capacity of roughly 1.48 billion gallons. Green Plains is about tied with Valero Energy Corp as the No. 3 ethanol maker in the United States, behind POET LLC and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (Writing by Michael Hirtzer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) 1.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Former GOP chairman Michael Steele warned Republicans on Monday that the chaos surrounding Brett Kavanaughs nomination process could cost them the Senate in November. In an interview with MSNBCs Chris Matthews, Steele said he believes some Republicans are already talking about how they can pull this nomination before it becomes an even bigger liability for them. The former party chair added that, if Senators are forced to vote on Kavanaughs nomination, it could put the Senate in further play for the Democrats. Republicans are probably looking for ways to avoid this, Steele said. This is a no-win scenario for them. It becomes a matter of do you go through with this nomination and push a vote which I think then puts the Senate in play in a way that people arent calculating right now. The fight for which party controls the U.S. Senate has escalated in recent weeks as polling shows a neck-and-neck race in a handful of states. Video: Michael Steele says the Brett Kavanaugh nomination could have disastrous consequences for the GOP in the midterms. #ctl #p2 #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/CkGS8sHTkE PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) September 18, 2018 Kavanaughs nomination might be pulled before next Mondays hearing A week is practically a lifetime in politics. There is a growing likelihood that Republicans will pull Kavanaughs nomination before Mondays planned hearing even takes place. As former Hillary Clinton adviser Philippe Reines tweeted on Monday, theres a better than 50-50 chance that Kanavaugh will ultimately withdraw his nomination by next week. Kavanaugh & Ford testify on Monday. 55% chance he withdraws by then & says: I want to spare my family from false but painful testimony. 7 days is a long time to survive. A new revelation, hes done. Bad polling, hes done. 2 Rs signal No votes Done.https://t.co/doLgGbLXZh Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) September 17, 2018 At the end of the day, it shouldnt be about the politics of the moment. If Republicans want to do the right thing party affiliation aside they should revoke Kavanaughs nomination and delay any motion to fill the vacant spot on the Supreme Court until voters have a chance to weigh in this fall. And, when the time comes, if they are looking for a qualified judge with a sterling record, they should give somebody named Merrick Garland a call. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. By Lawrence Hurley and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of a 1982 sexual assault will be called to testify in the Senate next Monday, the chambers Judiciary Committee chairman said, pushing back a key vote in the judges confirmation process. With Kavanaughs once-safe nomination for a lifetime job on the top U.S. court now appearing in jeopardy, the conservative federal appeals court judge had meetings at the White House earlier on Monday and issued a fresh denial, calling the assault allegation completely false. Trumps fellow Republicans in the Senate, which must confirm Supreme Court appointments, looked for a way forward. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said the committee would hold a public hearing with Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, next Monday. As I said earlier, anyone who comes forward as Dr. Ford has done deserves to be heard. My staff has reached out to Dr. Ford to hear her account, and they held a follow-up call with Judge Kavanaugh this afternoon, Grassley said. Unfortunately, committee Democrats have refused to join us in this effort. However, to provide ample transparency, we will hold a public hearing Monday to give these recent allegations a full airing, Grassley said. The move would delay a planned vote in the Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Ford has accused Kavanaugh of trying to attack her and remove her clothing while drunk 36 years ago in a Maryland suburb outside Washington when they were students at different high schools. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants to hold a full Senate vote on Kavanaugh before the Oct. 1 start of the Supreme Courts new term. It was unclear whether that goal will have to be adjusted. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Susan Heavey, Amanda Becker, Doina Chiacu and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Will Dunham and Peter Cooney) 4.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Republicans have ramped up their whining in recent weeks, first after Democrats exposed documents related to Brett Kavanaughs past, and now after a woman has come forward claiming Trumps Supreme Court pick tried to rape her in high school. As PolitucusUSA noted a short time ago, both Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Ford, will testify publicly before a Senate panel next Monday, jeopardizing Thursdays scheduled committee vote and his confirmation altogether. But instead of being concerned about the disturbing and credible allegations against Kavanaugh, Republicans are angry about the timing. Theyre super bummed that they didnt sneak their Supreme Court nominee through Congress fast enough to avoid all this. And whos at fault, according to the GOP? Democrats and the woman who claims she was violated by Kavanaugh. Sen. Orrin Hatch said, I remain deeply disappointed by the way Senate Democrats have so grossly mishandled these accusations thus far. Note to the Utah Senator, who is spending his last few years in Congress being a shameless Trump hack: You should probably be more concerned about the allegations that your presidents SCOTUS pick allegedly tried to rape a woman, not about when that information came out. Still, Hatch doubled down on Monday by attacking Kavanaughs accuser, saying she is mixed up about her claims. Hatch says he believes Kavanaugh. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chimed in complain about the timing, too. Unfortunately, committee Republicans have only known this persons identity from news reports for less than 24 hours and known about her allegations for less than a week, Grassley said, according to NBC News. Senator Feinstein, on the other hand, has had this information for many weeks and deprived her colleagues of the information necessary to do our jobs. Republicans complaining about not providing the necessary information to thoroughly vet a Supreme Court nominee? Give us all a break. And of course, Mitch McConnell, the architect of the operation that hijacked the SCOTUS confirmation process when Obama was president, said this with a straight face, according to RollCall: Now an accusation of 36-year-old misconduct dating back to high school has been brought forward at the last minute in an irregular manner. Hearing the Kentucky senator lecture us on irregular Senate behavior is particularly rich. Republicans lost their right to complain about the SCOTUS nomination process In the case of Brett Kavanaugh, Democrats are fulfilling their responsibility of thoroughly vetting anyone who wants to sit on the United States Supreme Court for the rest of their life. Republicans may not like the fact that its exposing their nominee as, at best, a right-wing extremist and, at worst, an alleged sexual predator, but thats too bad. When they took it upon themselves to blow up the SCOTUS nomination process with nearly a year left in Barack Obamas term, they lost their right to whine. That goes without mentioning the fact that Obamas court pick, Merrick Garland, had a sterling record and Republicans still denied him a hearing. Now, when an alleged rapist is on the brink of being confirmed, theyre whining that Democrats arent fast-tracking the entire process and crowning him with a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. Forgive us all for not giving a damn. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 905 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trumps job-killing price waging trade war with China escalated further with the White House announcing $200 billion in new tariffs on China. The White House announced in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA that was definitely not written by Trump: Today, following seven weeks of public notice, hearings, and extensive opportunities for comment, I directed the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to proceed with placing additional tariffs on roughly $200 billion of imports from China. The tariffs will take effect on September 24, 2018, and be set at a level of 10 percent until the end of the year. On January 1, the tariffs will rise to 25 percent. Further, if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports. We are taking this action today as a result of the Section 301 process that the USTR has been leading for more than 12 months. After a thorough study, the USTR concluded that China is engaged in numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual property such as forcing United States companies to transfer technology to Chinese counterparts. These practices plainly constitute a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy. For months, we have urged China to change these unfair practices, and give fair and reciprocal treatment to American companies. We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly. But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices. To counter Chinas unfair practices, on June 15, I announced that the United States would impose tariffs of 25 percent on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports. China, however, still refuses to change its practices and indeed recently imposed new tariffs in an effort to hurt the United States economy. As President, it is my duty to protect the interests of working men and women, farmers, ranchers, businesses, and our country itself. My Administration will not remain idle when those interests are under attack. China has had many opportunities to fully address our concerns. Once again, I urge Chinas leaders to take swift action to end their countrys unfair trade practices. Hopefully, this trade situation will be resolved, in the end, by myself and President Xi of China, for whom I have great respect and affection. Trumps trade war is making hurricane recovery more expensive The Trump trade war has caused the price of building materials to jump by 30% in 6 months. This means that it is going to be more expensive to recover from Hurricane Florence. The trade war has been killing jobs across sectors of the economy. Soybean farmers are worried about bankruptcy, and the President Of The United States has no idea how trade works. Trump is killing this economy, and while we are all focused on Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump just made your economic life even more difficult. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 3.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Donald Trumps FEMA director Brock Long, who leads the agency meant to clean up after natural disasters, has created a mess for himself and the Trump administration by using his position to enrich himself. New reporting on Monday shows that an investigation into Longs use of government resources for personal travel has been handed over to federal prosecutors. According to the Wall Street Journal, An investigation targeting President Trumps top emergency-management official has been referred to federal prosecutors to determine whether criminal charges should be pursued, according to people familiar with the probe. The report notes that Long and two other government employees may be on the hook for committing as many as six crimes by using taxpayer money for personal trips. More from the Wall Street Journal: Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and two other federal employees may have broken as many as six laws as they commuted frequently between Washington and Mr. Longs home in Hickory, N.C., at taxpayers expense, said one of the people briefed on the investigation. Investigators told administration officials that Mr. Long was informed by DHS attorneys last year that his trips home violated the law, the people said. Mr. Long often left Washington on Thursdays for the 400-mile trip in a caravan of government-owned vehicles with federal employees, who stayed in nearby hotels for the long weekend, the people said. When the trips home continued, the inspector generals office put Mr. Long under surveillance and tailed him back to North Carolina, the people said. Mr. Long has spent about 150 days in North Carolina since he took over the job in June 2017, including weekends and time off, the people said. This has become a Trump administration staple This type of behavior using the federal government as a piggy bank isnt an outlier in the Trump administration. Its a staple. Whether its Tom Price, Scott Pruitt, Ryan Zinke, David Shulkin, Ben Carson or, now, Brock Long, there is no shortage of officials in this administration that see their roles as a means to enriching themselves, not serving the American people. In the case of Long, its particularly troubling to learn about the allegations as the Atlantic coast recovers from a powerful storm all while Trump raids money from FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard to fund ICE detention camps. The longer this administration is in power, the more apparent it is that everybody working in it sees the U.S. government as their own personal play toy. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 256 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A newspaper in Silicon Valley, California is reporting this morning that a close friend of Christine Blasey Ford claims she told her about her sexual assault in 2017 after her friend went public about her own rape in a Facebook post. Ford of course is the accuser of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, claiming he sexually assaulted her at a party when they both were in high school. According to the Mercury News, Rebecca White one of Blasey Fords neighbors and a close friend said that at the height of the #MeToo movement she went on Facebook and revealed her personal story of sexual assault when she was a teenager. She reached out to me afterward, supporting me and my story and that she had something happen to her when she was really young and that the guy was a federal judge, White recalled. She said she had been assaulted. She said hers had been violent as well, physically scary, fighting for her life. Another friend said that Blasey Ford lamented what would happen to her if she went public. Ive been trying to forget this all my life, and now Im supposed to remember every little detail, Jim Gensheimer said Blasey Ford told him as she watched her kids participate in a Junior Lifeguard program. Theyre going to be all over me. According to the report, Ford confidante Kirsten Leimroth was also there when she talked about going public with the news about Kavanaugh assaulting her. Leimroth said Ford brought up the attack at a July lunch, stating that she had been almost raped by a high school acquaintance. Theres absolutely no way its made up. She cant even go home, Leimroth said Monday night. She had to have her kids stay somewhere else. She had to shut down all social media. Why would she do that? Photo: Contributed Smile Cookie time is here again. Tim Hortons restaurants in the Central Okanagan will be holding their annual Smile Cookie campaign Sept. 17-23, with 100 per cent of proceeds donated to the YMCA Okanagans healthy snack program. The YMCA operates preschool and child-care programs at eight locations in Kelowna and West Kelowna, serving more than 100,000 healthy snacks a year. Currently, one in three families rely on financial assistance to participate in Y programs and struggle to afford nutritious food and after-school snacks. The cookies are just $1 each. Since Tim Hortons began supporting the program in 2013, $156,317 has been raised. 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard On Monday, President Donald Trumps White House released a statement demanding the Department of Justice release all documents relating to the Russia Investigation. In addition, President Donald J. Trump has directed the Department of Justice (including the FBI) to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr, the White House statement reads. BREAKING: President Trump directs DOJ to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr, as well as declassify other material related to the Russian investigation. BREAKING: President Trump directs DOJ to publicly release "all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr," as well as declassify other material related to the Russian investigation. pic.twitter.com/nOvLC5EgNw NBC News (@NBCNews) September 17, 2018 According to NBC News, the statement from the White House press office said Trump had directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Justice and the FBI to declassify about 20 pages of a highly sensitive application for surveillance against Carter Page, a one-time Trump foreign policy aide. The news agency said that this was an unprecedented move that stunned current and former intelligence officials. They said that the documents Trump is releasing reflect a specific request, down to the page numbers, made by the Republican members of the House judiciary and intelligence committees this summer. Justice and intelligence officials had previously refused to release the information on the grounds that it was too sensitive. CNN legal analyst Jeff Toobin called it insane that President Donald Trump is more concerned about releasing text messages than stopping Russia from hacking American elections. Its so egregious he called it the most appalling obstruction of justice. He could declassify how to make an atomic bomb, Toobin said of the power the president has to declassify documents. I mean hes got plenary authority to declassify anything he wants. Lets be clear about what is going on here: The president is doing nothing to reveal what went on when the Russian government tried to determine the outcome of our election. He has done nothing but obstruct that investigation. Toobin said that Trump is using his special selection of powers to pursue his political enemies and discredit the Russia investigation. And he has done nothing to try to stop the interference in our elections by the Russian government, the CNN legal analyst added. CNNs Gloria Borger called it total revenge for the people he hates. Some people would argue it is an abuse of his authority. Toobin chimed back in, Meanwhile the Russians continue to try to interfere in our elections. And continue to try to manipulate the outcomes, and we dont care about that. We just want to trash James Comey and Bruce Ohr, a lawyer nobody has ever heard of. I mean it is just insane whats going on here. 927 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are being blasted by Senate Democrats for holding a hearing on the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh that will be a sham. Here is Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) admitting that only two witnesses are going to be allowed to testify: Senate Democratic Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded on the Senate floor: This morning Chairman Grassley said there would be only two witnesses. Thats simply inadequate, unfair, wrong, and a desire not to get at the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The minority has always been able to request a number of witnesses to provide context and expert opinion to the committee. in this case, it certainly makes sense for one witness to be Mr. Mark Judge who was named in The Washington Post as present during the event in question. How could we want to get the truth and not have Mr. Judge come to the hearing and be asked questions? And if the majority wont call him as a witness as they should, if theyre really interested in getting the whole truth, the minority must be able to do so. The minority always has had a right to call witnesses. But the bigger issue is that the committee must be able to call more than two witnesses in total. We must not repeat the mistake of the Anita Hill hearings. They were rushed and were a debacle. do we want to repeat that mistake? The ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Chairman Grassley today said there would be only two witnesses invited to testify at the Kavanaugh hearing next week on sexual assault allegations. Compare that to the 22 witnesses at the 1991 Anita Hill hearing, and its impossible to take this process seriously. What about other witnesses like Kavanaughs friend Mark Judge? What about individuals who were previously told about this incident? What about experts who can speak to the effects of this kind of trauma on a victim? This is another attempt by Republicans to rush this nomination and not fully vet Judge Kavanaugh. Republicans are planning on holding a sham hearing Senate Republicans dont want to hear any evidence that will support Dr. Fords claim. They are intentionally setting up a he said/she said scenario and hoping the countrys partisan divide will give them enough cover to sneak the Kavanaugh nomination through. Without the introduction of supporting witnesses, there will be no clear conclusion drawn. Republicans are afraid to dig into the allegation because they dont want the truth. They want to get this Supreme Court justice confirmed, and they are doing everything they can, including minimizing a sexual assault allegation to get Kavanaugh on the highest court in the land. If the hearing moves forward with just two witnesses, it will be a joke and another sign that the corrupt Republican majority has abandoned its institutional duties. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. WASHINGTON (Reuters) Fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, warning that President Donald Trump is undermining U.S. security, has written a book on the Federal Bureau of Investigations efforts to safeguard the United States, his publisher said on Tuesday. The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, covers McCabes 22-year career with the FBI, including his role in investigating the 2001 al Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington and probing Russias alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the publisher, St. Martins Press, said in a statement. The book will be available on Dec. 4. I wrote this book because the presidents attacks on me symbolize his destructive effect on the country as a whole, McCabe, who also investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons use of a private email server, said in a statement. He is undermining Americas safety and security, and eroding public confidence in its institutions. His attacks on the most critical institutions of government, and on the professionals who serve within them, should make every American stand up and take notice, he said. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe in March after the Justice Departments internal watchdog found he leaked information to reporters and misled investigators about his actions. McCabe has denied the accusations against him and charged that he was facing retaliation from the Trump administration. He has said he believes he was politically targeted because he corroborated former FBI Director James Comeys claims that Trump tried to pressure Comey into killing the Russia probe. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russias role in the 2016 election and whether the campaign of Republican candidate Trump colluded with Moscow. Russia denies meddling in the elections, while Trump has denied any collusion. McCabe was sacked two days before his 50th birthday, when he would have been eligible to retire from the FBI with his full pension. Trump and other Republicans accused McCabe, a lifelong Republican, of political bias and conflicts in his oversight of the Clinton investigation. Some of the criticism stemmed from the fact that his wife, Jill McCabe, a Democrat, received donations for an unsuccessful 2015 Virginia state senate campaign from an ally of Clintons. (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Susan Thomas) 1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A new Marquette University Law School Poll released on Tuesday found that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Evers leads Gov. Scott Walker by 5 points in Wisconsin. The numbers: New Marquette Law School Poll finds support for Democrat Tony Evers at 49%, Republican Scott Walker at 44% among likely voters in WI governors race. #mulawpoll MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) September 18, 2018 Among all registered voters, in governors race, its Evers 47%, Walker 43%, Anderson 7%. #mulawpoll MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) September 18, 2018 Favorable/unfavorable opinions of candidates in new poll: For Evers, 40% and 29%. For Walker, 45% and 52%. #mulawpoll MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) September 18, 2018 Walker leads with Republicans and men who didnt graduate college. Evers leads with everyone else, including Independents. Two numbers suggest why Scott Walker is in trouble in Wisconsin Walkers job approval rating has gone underwater in a month: Walker job rating among registered voters: 44% approve, 50% disapprove of how he is doing. In August it was 48% approve, 45% disapprove. #mulawpoll MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) September 18, 2018 Wisconsin voters increasingly think that the state is on the wrong track: Fifty percent of registered voters see Wis headed in the right direction, 47% think state is off on the wrong track. #mulawpoll MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) September 18, 2018 In August, it was 53% saying right direction, 41% saying wrong track. #mulawpoll MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) September 18, 2018 Walker has been freaking out and warning of a blue wave in Wisconsin for months. Democrats have been trying to get Walker and his damaging policies out of the state for years, but it looks like the blue wave, along with Walker fatigue among the states voters have combined to create an environment where the governor is ripe to be taken down. Wisconsin voters are blaming him for a teacher shortage, rising health care costs, and declining infrastructure. Voters in Wisconsin want change, and Trumps 2016 win there is looking more and more like a fluke with each passing month. There isnt enough Republican and dark money to save every endangered incumbent, and one of the biggest losers to get swept out by the blue wave may be Scott Walker. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 760 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard CNN was read a redacted copy of the letter Dr. Christine Ford Blasey sent to Senator Feinstein and its chillingly worse than what is being reported in the media, especially as it suggests it was planned in advance with malice. Kavanaugh and his friend pushed her into a bedroom, played loud music so no one could hear her screams, laughed at her while jumping on top of her, the friend periodically jumped on top of Kavanaugh who was on top of Blasey Ford. They were highly inebriated. With Kavanaughs hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me. The letter starts out with the expectation of confidentiality and then says Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980s. He conducted these acts with the assistance of REDACTED. Both Kavanaugh and his friend were two years older than her. She was at a gathering in a Maryland home that including five total people, four others and herself. Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom as I was headed for a bathroom up a short stair well from the living room. They locked the door and played loud music precluding any successful attempt to yell for help. Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with REDACTED, who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly inebriated state. With Kavanaughs hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me. From across the room a very drunken REDACTED said mixed words to Kavanaugh ranging from go for it to stop. At one point when REDACTED jumped onto the bed the weight on me was substantial. The pile toppled, and the two scrapped with each other. After a few attempts to get away, I was able to take this opportune moment to get up and run across to a hallway bathroom. I locked the bathroom door behind me. Both loudly stumbled down the stair well at which point other persons at the house were talking with them. I exited the bathroom, ran outside of the house and went home. The two young men followed her and pushed her into the bedroom, where they both laughed while Kavanaugh assaulted her and the friend, who has a book out detailing their drunken state during school to the point of his own alcoholism, occasionally jumped on Kavanaugh on her and sometimes egged him on and sometimes told him to stop. Now why would this friend Mark Judge tell Kavanaugh to stop unless it was brutal to watch and he was aware that this human being with her mouth being covered to suffocate her screams was in agony. Premeditation and malice aforethought means that the crime was premeditated, and the perpetrator held malice for the victim. Malice means, in legal terms, according to the legal dictionary, The intentional commission of a wrongful act, absent justification, with the intent to cause harm to others; conscious violation of the law that injures another individual; a mental state indicating a disposition in disregard of social duty and a tendency toward malfeasance. Its usually used in murder cases. While this alleged crime might not fit that description legally, it fits to a t the way it was described by Dr. Blasey Ford. This kind of crime, planned out and perpetrated with such contempt for the victim, is a serious mark against the perpetrators alleged character, and clearly rules him out if credible and found to be true as a Judge anywhere. Locker room rape is not a thing. Assaults like this change a person forever, and destroy their confidence and faith in humanity and their sense of safety while doing normal things like walking down a hallway. Women are not objects to be abused and discarded while laughing. Republican Representative Billy Long of Missouri found Dr. Blasey Fords allegations laughable, apparently, retweeing this image with this headline Exhibit A. Democrat evidence against Brett Kavanaugh 1963, : Exhibit A. Democrat evidence against Brett Kavanaugh 1963 pic.twitter.com/Yom4Mvp7jn Clinton Michael (@CM6142) September 17, 2018 Funny thing, Republicans thought Senator Al Franken should step down for being accused of unwanted touching, including kissing. But now, with an accusation of premeditated attempted rape that involves violence and mockery on top of two against one, theyre laughing at the alleged victim. Brett Kavanaugh has already established that even under oath he will be misleading and even lie. Dr. Blasey Ford has a credible accusation, backed up by a former FBI agent administered lie detector test that she passed. These people are despicable. They have zero values. This story is evidence for why its not smart to rush a Supreme Court nominee through for a lifetime appointment. Republicans will not refer this matter to the FBI for a background investigation into Kavanaugh. Instead, they are putting on a one day for show hearing, which is not the same thing as an investigation at all. They are pretending they cant refer this to the FBI, but that is not true. They can. They just wont. And people should be asking why. 566 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Of course there is never any excuse to rape someone. But its possible to have two seemingly contradictory thoughts to be both equally true. Theres never any excuse to rape, a crime that I think is almost akin to murder because the rapist kills a part of the human soul. And yet what women wear and their body language also send signals about their sexuality, Daily Caller writer and Georgetown Preparatory School Kavanaugh classmate Mark Judge wrote in Acculturated. Judge is also pretty handy at moving the goal posts, as he claims that progressives send mixed messages and he resent being expected to read a turned shoulder or else its rape. He also resents being seen, apparently, as a shaming patriarchal frat boy jerk. His words, not mine. (I did, however, attend prep school and Im pretty sure I know the kind of young man he was accused of being.) Sexual progressives have to make up their minds. As it stands now, they hold that if a heterosexual man is going to approach a strange woman, he damn well better have his social and psychic antennae tuned in the right frequencies of her movements. No eye contact? A turned shoulder? Leave it alone, bro. To do otherwise is to violate the privacy, personal space, perhaps even very essence of the woman. And yet women assuming all kinds of degrading positions in pornography having been sold on the idea that its empowering or taking to the streets in their bras has no spiritual or psychological meaning whatsoever. And anyone who claims otherwise is a shaming patriarchal frat boy jerk. Which is it? Im just going to go out on a limb here and say pushing someone into a room, turning the music up so no one can hear her, putting your hands over her mouth while she screams and tearing her clothes off while the two of you pile on top of her is a bit more obvious than say a turned shoulder. This is the guy who has written extensively about the booze-filled partying at their elite all-boys Catholic prep school during the 1980s. Judge is also the witness to the alleged attempted rape described so chillingly by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. The attempted rape where this guy, Mark Judge, not only helped his buddy but sometimes jumped on him while he was on Ford and sometimes egged him on both of them laughing maniacally, while at other times Judge actually told Kavanaugh to stop. Judge has denied that Kavanaugh assaulted Dr. Blasey Ford and presumably that he helped Kavanaugh do so. Judge says he never saw Brett act this way. The Cut pointed to the above piece Judge wrote in 2017, noting, Women who dress like prostitutes are also sending out signals, he wrote. The signal is not that they should be raped. But if a posture while drinking coffee is indicative of the soul and personality within, than so is marching down the street in your underwear. Judge called Obama the first female president because his wife had power. Judge wrote in the Daily Caller , Listen to Your Data, The Engine for Machine Data, Splunk Cloud, Splunk Light and SPL are trademarks and registered trademarks of Splunk Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective owners. 2018 Splunk Inc. All rights reserved. About Resolve Systems Proven to scale and support the largest and most complex enterprise environments, Resolve Systems is the global leader in delivering incident response and resolution, fully focused on orchestration, automation and incident resolution to help customers address all aspects of the incident response lifecycle. Resolve Systems focus on human-guided, end-to-end automations makes it the only solution flexible enough to address the full spectrum of use cases whether it be for IT, network or security operations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, USA, with a global footprint, Resolve Systems is majority owned by funds affiliated with Insight Venture Partners, a leading global private equity and venture capital firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies. About Insight Venture Partners Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight has raised more than $23 billion and invested in excess of 300 companies worldwide. Our mission is to find, fund and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. For more information on Insight and all of its investments, visit http://www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter. Media Contact: Resolve Systems E: press@resolvesystems.com P: 480-292-4640 Our expansion marks a significant gain for patients who have come to rely on Shady Grove Fertility for our unique combination of high success rates, high insurance participation, affordable financial programs, and individualized, compassionate care. In response to a continued demand for highly specialized fertility care across the country, Shady Grove Fertility, a premier fertility center with 32 locations and counting across the Mid-Atlantic United States, expanded their services by adding 8 new locations, 4 physicians, and 1 embryology lab and IVF procedure center to date in 2018, with additional expansion projected before years end. When an individual or couple comes to the realization that its time to seek care from a specialist to help them conceive, convenient access to high quality, affordable care from a center that stays at the cutting edge of research and technology to improve outcomes is what matters. If accessing care is not convenient, many people will unfortunately forego the opportunity to seek help, says SGF Chief Executive Officer, Mark Segal. Our expansion marks a significant gain for patients who have come to rely on Shady Grove Fertility for our unique combination of high success rates, high insurance participation, affordable financial programs, and individualized, compassionate care, adds SGF Medical Director, Eric A. Widra, M.D. Our continued expansion has one singular goal, to help more people build their family, adds Widra. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, one in eight couples (or more than 12 percent of married couples) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Furthermore, nearly 25 percent of infertile couples will have more than one reason that contributes toward their inability to conceive, which brings to light the need for greater access to a reproductive endocrinologist who can help. The physician specialists of Shady Grove Fertility are recognized locally, nationally, and internationally as leaders in the subspecialties of fertility and reproductive medicine. Many have been named by their peers and patients as top doctors in this discipline. New to the practice to date in 2018: Board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Dr. Celso Silva has been caring for fertility patients in Florida for more than 12 years. Dr. Silva practices in the Womens Health Center in Tampa, through SGFs new affiliation with Womens Care Florida (WCF), a premier provider of womens health care throughout Central Florida. This is SGFs first location in the Sunshine State. Dr. Nancy Durso leads the medical team at SGFs new Fredericksburg, VA location alongside Rosalie Gunson, CRNP. Dr. Durso is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility and has been practicing in the D.C. area for the past 28 years. She has received several recognitions as a Washingtonian Top Doc, Northern Virginia Magazine Top Doc, and U.S. News and World Report Top Reproductive Endocrinologist. With the opening of their first full-service location in Richmond, VA, SGF welcomed the highly accomplished board certified reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Erika Johnston-MacAnanny, former Medical Director for Wake Forest Center for Reproductive Medicine. Center City, Philadelphia, the practices sixth full-service office in Pennsylvania, is led by board certified reproductive endocrinologist, Caleb Kallen, M.D., Ph.D., who joined Shady Grove Fertility in March 2017. In addition to Tampa Bay, Fredericksburg, Richmond, and Philadelphia, other new SGF locations include: Mechanicsburg, PA (a relocation of the SGF Camp Hill, PA office), located on the campus of UPMC PinnacleHealth Fredericksen Outpatient Center. SGFs Drs. Melissa Esposito, Lauren Roth, and Kara Nguyen see patients at the Mechanicsburg location. Lancaster, PA (a relocation of the SGF Reading, PA office), now conveniently located in the second largest city located in South Central PA provides easier access for patients with appointments available Monday through Friday, early morning monitoring hours, and free parking. SGFs Dr. Kara Nguyen sees patients at the Lancaster, PA location. Silver Spring, Maryland, the fourth most populous city in the state of Maryland, and the second largest city in Montgomery County opened in August 2018 with Dr. Roth accepting new patient appointments. The 19,000 square foot Virginia IVF Center, which opened its doors in Spring 2018, became home to the fifth embryology lab operated by SGF, joining the largest freestanding IVF laboratory in the United States in Rockville, Maryland as well as Towson, MD; Atlanta, GA; and Chesterbrook, PA. The opening of this embryology lab and procedure center was particularly advantageous, as 30% of Shady Grove Fertilitys patients from Virginia no longer need to travel to Rockville, MD for IVF procedures. Segal adds, This is an exciting time for our practice, as we expand to new regions and add new physicians to our medical team. With our growth, we continue to maintain the integrity of our practice with the patient comes first philosophy at our core. The practices continued growth is largely attributed to the remarkable advancements made in laboratory and treatment protocols, evidenced by 50,000 babies born, in addition to the compassionate, personalized care that patients receive, supported by 96 percent of SGF patients saying they would recommend the practice to a friend or family member. To schedule an appointment at one of SGFs locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Georgia, or Florida, please contact their New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755. About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 50,000 babies born and counting. With 32 locations throughout MD, PA, VA, D.C., GA, and FL, we offer patients individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including treatment guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com. "The Reputation Reporting and Marketing services are key components every practice needs." SocialClimb, the leader in Reputation Marketing tools and services for orthopedic practices, and the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE), the leading national association for orthopedic practice management professionals have announced SocialClimb as a collaborator providing Reputation Reporting to the AAOE Data Warehouse. Through this agreement, the AAOE Data Warehouse now provides its users access to detailed Social Reputation Reports that include physician ratings, practice location ratings, local competitive rankings and benchmarking vs. national data. Partnering with the AAOE to bring our Practice Reputation Reporting tools into the Data Warehouse is an exciting opportunity, said Ty Allen, CEO of SocialClimb. Orthopedic groups understand that Reputation Marketing is an aspect of their practice they can no longer ignore. This integration gives each AAOE Data Warehouse participant access to their social media Reputation Report, and the local trends data and analysis they need. SocialClimb provides two key services to the orthopedic community. Its Reputation Reporting service tracks more than 12,000 surgeons in more than 1,100 practices on Google, Facebook, Healthgrades, Vitals and many other platforms, and reports that data weekly. SocialClimbs Reputation Marketing service is used by more than 2,000 surgeons in the United States to proactively improve their reputations, dominate local search results and grow revenue. Its Reputation Marketing service is a proven system used by medical marketers in hundreds of markets to leverage their physician reputations and grow patient acquisition opportunities. The SocialClimb Reputation Marketing service is provided to Data Warehouse participants at significantly discounted pricing. The Reputation Reporting and Marketing services are key components every practice needs. As a marketer, you rarely find vendors or solutions that really deliver more than what they promise, but SocialClimb has done just that. With very little effort from our staff, they have truly helped us transform our social media reputation," said Blair Primus, CMO at OrthoCarolina. It is wonderful to have SocialClimbs Reputation Reporting service integrated into the AAOE Data Warehouse, said Vicki Sprague, Director of Data Solutions at the AAOE. Using the tools and infrastructure of the Data Warehouse, AAOE members are able to collect and analyze their performance data, informing operational and clinical improvement. With the addition of free social reputation reports from SocialClimb, our Data Warehouse participants will be able to better understand how they are viewed on social media, how they benchmark locally and nationally, and what they can do to improve. Each of our 850-member practices could potentially benefit from this actionable data. About SocialClimb SocialClimb helps physicians improve their reputations, dominate local search and increase revenue. Its industry-leading platform lets physicians easily collect reviews, increase search rankings, respond to issues instantly, manage their key listings, post marketing messages and strengthen practice and physician reputations. For more information about SocialClimb or for a free trial, go to http://www.socialclimb.com. About the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives The American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) is the educational arm of the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). Founded in 1969, AAOE is the premier practice management association serving the musculoskeletal industry. Membership includes more than 1,400 orthopedic practice executives, administrators, physicians, and their staff. AAOE provides education, community, and resources to set the standard of professional knowledge and industry insight. For more information on AAOE, the Data Warehouse, or to inquire about membership opportunities, visit [http://www.aaoe.net. Average Bodily Injury Claim Payment per Insured Vehicle, 1985-2017 The virtually unrestricted ability to file a third-party bad-faith lawsuit against an insurance company continues to pose a serious threat to Floridas auto insurance system, said Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, CPCU, senior vice president of the IRC A new report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) estimates that Floridas third-party bad-faith legal environment added an average of $106 in claim costs to every insured vehicle in the state in 2017, and resulted in a total of $7.6 billion in additional claim costs over the past 12 years. A majority of the additional claims costs can be attributed to rapid growth in the frequency of bodily injury (BI) liability clams, prompted by Floridas legal rules and standards for resolving allegations of bad-faith. The report, Third-Party Bad Faith in Floridas Automobile Insurance System, 2018 Update, compares key BI liability claim trends in Florida to trends in three other large no-fault statesNew York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The three comparison states rely primarily on administrative approaches to investigating and resolving allegations of bad-faith on the part of auto insurance companies, and experienced relatively stable BI claim trends over the study period. The estimate of the effect of Floridas third-party bad-faith environment on BI claim frequency and costs is based on the assumption that claim trends in Florida would have followed similar trends if Florida had also relied on an administrative approach to investigating and resolving allegations of bad faith. The virtually unrestricted ability to file a third-party bad-faith lawsuit against an insurance company continues to pose a serious threat to Floridas auto insurance system, said Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, CPCU, senior vice president of the IRC. The possibility of winning large bad-faith settlements and court judgments creates powerful incentives for potential claimants and their attorneys to file auto liability insurance claims that otherwise would not be filed. A contributing factor in Floridas growing problem with third-party bad-faith lawsuits is the apparent failure of the no-fault systems tort threshold to limit access to reimbursement under the liability portion of most auto insurance policies. In other no-fault states, bodily injury liability claim frequency is relatively low because the system is designed to limit the number of liability claims that are filed. In exchange for limited access to liability-based compensation, claimants are provided ready access to no-fault reimbursement for lost wages and medical costs. Floridas tort threshold, however, appears to have little or no effect on liability claim frequency. In 2017, Floridas bodily injury claim frequency rate (1.06 BI claims per 100 insured vehicles) was higher than the claim frequency rate in 24 tort system states (states without no-fault coverage) and was significantly higher than the liability claim frequency rate countrywide (0.81 claims per 100 insured vehicles). For more detailed information on the studys methodology and findings, call David Corum at 484-831-9046 or email IRC(at)TheInstitutes.org. For information about obtaining a copy of the study, please visit the IRCs website, http://www.Insurance-Research.org. About the Insurance Research Council The Insurance Research Council (IRC) is a division of The Institutes, the leading provider of knowledge solutions for the risk management and property-casualty insurance industry. The Institutes offers 28 professional and associate designations, including the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, along with introductory, foundation and leadership programs, online and continuing education courses, custom solutions and assessment tools. The IRC provides timely and reliable research to all parties involved in public policy issues affecting insurance companies and their customers. The IRC does not lobby or advocate legislative positions. It is supported by leading property-casualty insurance organizations. CPCU is a registered trademark of The Institutes. All rights reserved. Sparkly Soft Lame Short Crew Socks Japanese sock brand Tabio releases their brand new Autumn-Winter 2018 Collection, nothing shines brighter than the release of their Womens super rare Sparkly Soft Lame Short Crew Socks featuring the worlds finest lame. Tabio made it their mission to produce the finest, most comfortable lame product on the market. Fine lame material has a delicate and elegant shine. The lame used for general apparel is set at 0.23mm, but the lame used for Tabios Sparkly Soft Lame Short Crews is crafted at a shockingly thin 0.1mm. They collaborated with a Japan-based manufacturer who is the singular most proficient producer of lame in the world. In addition, Tabio ensures that the lame in each thread of each sock produced is consistently distributed for a balanced and elegant look. The sleek look of the thin fibers is complemented by softness only achievable with the worlds thinnest lame. The attention to detail and craftsmanship creates an inconceivable softness that outshines the vast majority of other lame products on the market. Once again, Tabios craft mastery sets this beautiful sock apart from the competition. Found in evening dress wear fit for movie stars, Tabio brings that Hollywood glamour of lame to your socks this fall. Sparkly Soft Lame Short Crew Socks Priced at: $20.00 Available colors: Silver, Black, Gold, Beige, Red, and Blue Made in Japan Tabios highly anticipated Autumn-Winter 2018 Collection is unveiling 15 new socks including several of their Tabio Japan best sellers. In an effort to outdo themselves, Tabios strict dedication to the focus of Japanese craftsmanship, quality and comfort, has raised the bar by employing some of the rarest machinery, techniques, materials, and fibers in the world. Tabio has been revolutionizing the sock and hosiery market for over 50 years, beginning in Japan in 1968. Currently, the brand has three distinct product lines Tabio Sports, Mens and Womens. In 2017, Tabio entered the U.S. market, launching a new website. The collection is now available on tabiousa.com. For imagery for this product, download from here. "Involving teachers in the process of delivering staff development is critical, as our teachers are exceptional and have valuable ideas and expertise to share," said McClay. Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) hosted its first full day of staff development on Friday, September 14, at the start of the 2018-19 school year. Under the direction of Deputy Superintendent Jodi McClay, the Educational Support Services (ESS) division assisted school principals and teachers in designing presentations that engage their teachers/colleagues in learning new ways to promote student achievement. In addition to principal presentations at each of the secondary sites, the ESS department facilitated sessions for teachers across the district in Grades TK-5 with 230 teachers presenting educational topics to their colleagues. "Involving teachers in the process of delivering staff development is critical, as our teachers are exceptional and have valuable ideas and expertise to share," said McClay. McClay went on to add, "We are proud of our sustained efforts to ensure that Temecula Valley teachers have the most up-to-date, research-based strategies and best practices at their fingertips. We believe student achievement, which remains the highest in Riverside County, reflects the outstanding teaching and learning that is occurring in our schools." Since June 2018, ESS has supported each site leadership team in developing plans that address school climate issues and the challenges of closing the achievement gap. These district-wide and site goals are supported in monthly leadership meetings, monthly horizontal meetings (where principals and assistant principals meet with their peers), and bi-weekly support meetings, where ESS staff observe instruction alongside site leaders on each campus to ensure staff development is producing better academic achievement among all students. American Society of Plastic Surgeons The Meeting is exclusively designed for plastic surgeons, residents and allied health professionals interested in expanding their knowledge to improve patient care, safety and outcomes. More than 3,000 plastic surgeons, trainees and other allied professionals will convene in Chicago Sept. 28 Oct. 1 for Plastic Surgery The Meeting 2018 the premier educational and networking event in plastic surgery. This year's meeting features more than 250 educational offerings to help aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgeons expand their knowledge and grow in their surgical practice. From continuing medical education and cutting-edge research to hot-topic panel discussions and hands-on cadaver lab programming, attendees can create a custom-tailored learning experience to suit their professional goals and individual needs. "We incorporated educational programming, social events, lectures with renowned speakers and family activities to give attendees an unforgettable and valuable experience," said Jeffrey Janis, MD, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "No other meeting better equips plastic surgeons with new knowledge, surgical techniques and strategies they can apply to their practice when they return home." The Meeting is exclusively designed for plastic surgeons, residents and allied health professionals interested in expanding their knowledge to improve patient care, safety and outcomes. Attendees have access to eight educational tracks presented by the best and brightest in the specialty, including aesthetic, practice management, research and technology, breast, reconstructive, craniomaxillofacial/head and neck, hand and upper extremity. Plastic Surgery The Meeting will also launch its first two-day Spanish educational program, as well as new practice management courses to help plastic surgeons manage their operations and attain continued success outside of the operating room. Plastic Surgery The Meeting has provided generations of aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgeons the continuing medical education and latest cutting-edge research to grow all aspects of their surgical careers and practices. All sessions, labs and courses help identify current and emerging issues and medical advances in plastic surgery that impact the diagnosis and delivery of treatment for a wide range of patients and help assess the potential applications of new techniques, medical devices and pharmaceuticals into clinical practice. To learn more about the educational activities and events, please visit PlasticSurgeryTheMeeting.com. About ASPS The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. This pond and herring run depend on this restoration project for survival. Because the project involves a cross section of property owners and community members, we are all working together for the restoration of our beautiful community. The Christian Camp Meeting Association (CCMA) of Centerville, MA, owners of the Craigville Retreat Center, has made a commitment to becoming a Net Zero Community by 2050. This means that the CCMA is taking steps, along with other participants, towards becoming a community that is 100% sustainable and supports the natural waters, wildlife and community. The CCMA is working with the suitably named nonprofit, Red Lily Pond Project, which is an independent nonprofit focused on the health and restoration of Red Lily Pond and Lake Elizabeth. The Red Lily Pond borders the village of Craigville and is the beautiful backdrop of the Craigville Retreat Center. The ponds waters, and the sustainability of its herring run, depend on this restoration project for survival. The project also supports the health and well being of ducks, osprey, heron, turtles, and even herring and other fish. The Red Lily Pond Projects focus is on healthy waters, while CCMA will be lending its focus on energy and waste reduction. United, Camps, Conferences & Retreats, the nonprofit that manages the Craigville Retreat Center, will also do their part by being a leader in modeling the best ways for saving energy, waste reduction, and environmentally sustainable business practices for the rest of the surrounding village. Because the project involves a cross section of property owners and community members, we are all working together for the restoration of our beautiful community says Bill McKinney, spokesperson for the CCMA. In doing so, the Craigville leadership will use best efforts to reduce energy use, focus on healthy waters, and approach waste in an environmentally sustainable way. The CCMA was founded in 1872 when members of the ecumenically-minded "Christian Connection" established a camp meeting ground now known as the Craigville Retreat Center, which is a series of buildings that host nearly 12,000 guests/year and is managed by United Camps, Conferences & Retreats. Other project members are The Red Lily Pond Project, The Craigville Beach Association and The Craigville Cottage Owners Association which represents the owners of the 90+ private homes that surround the Retreat Center. Work is currently underway to help the CCMA meet its goals so that future generations may enjoy Craigville. For more information or to make a reservation to stay at Craigville Retreat Center please contact: United Camps, Conferences & Retreats 800-678-5102 uccr.org/craigville Medically Assisted Alcohol and Opioid Detox Treatment We strongly believe that most acute alcohol detox should be managed in the hospital by experienced physicians so that appropriate medical resources are immediately available The Waismann Method Now Provides Medically Supervised Alcohol Detox The Waismann Method is proud to announce the opening of their medically supervised alcohol detoxification program. Alcohol-dependent patients can now enter the Waismann Method to safely detox from alcohol without co-morbid opioid addiction. The The Waismann Method Waismann Method has become Southern California's premier medically supervised opioid detox program, delivering care for thousands of patients over the last couple of decades. While the addiction specialists at the Waismann Method are widely known for their expertise in opioid detox, many of their patients also have comorbid alcohol abuse problems. Many of the same detoxification principles that are used to treat people dependent on opioids can be applied to people dependent on alcohol. [Alcohol detox] was a natural extension of our work with opioid-dependent patients, says Clare Waismann, Founder of the Waismann Method. Alcohol-dependent individuals often need substantial doses of benzodiazepines in the early stages of withdrawal, for example, to prevent alcohol-withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens (better known as DTs). Delirium tremens typically begins 48 to 96 hours after the patient's last drink and lasts for up to five days. The hallmarks of DTs are disorientation, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, elevated body temperature, extreme agitation, sweating, and hallucinations. A separate condition called alcoholic hallucinosis is separate from the hallucinations that occur during delirium tremens and can develop within 12 to 24 hours of the patient's last drink. We strongly believe that most acute alcohol detox should be managed in the hospital by experienced physicians so that appropriate medical resources are immediately available, says Waismann. Patients who enter the detoxification program are followed at a JCAHO-accredited hospital supervised by Waismann Method medical director, Michael H. Lowenstein, MD. Dr. Lowenstein is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pain Medicine and has over 20 years of experience in Addiction Medicine. The providers in our program have the knowledge and experience that comes from years of treating people with both opioid and alcohol addiction, states Dr. Lowenstein, patients do not need to have problems with opioids to tap into our expertise on alcohol dependence treatment. Patients who enter the Waismann Method program are first admitted to an accredited, full-service hospital so they can be closely followed during the riskier stages of alcohol detox. Once patients successfully detox from alcohol, they transition to the Domus Retreat aftercare program. This program offers one-on-one psychotherapy sessions, individualized treatment programs, recovery therapies and round the clock client care. The Domus Retreat offers the amenities of a luxury resort to ease the transition from alcohol addiction to sustained health. Patients first go through detox to halt the effects of alcohol abuse on the body, and then spend time at the retreat to rebuild their physical, mental, and emotional strength, says Waismann. About the Waismann Method Waismann Method offers medically assisted detoxification treatment in a Full-Service JCAHO Accredited Hospital in Southern California. Medically directed by Dr. Michael H. Lowenstein, the Waismann Method is the premier medical opiate detoxification and rapid detox center in the US. Dr. Lowenstein is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in opioid dependence and rapid detox treatment. He leads a team of healthcare professionals that consistently provide humane, dignified, and effective drug treatment. This commitment to providing excellent care for patients struggling with opioid addiction and superior results is as strong today as it was 20 years ago when we started. World Data Forum Jennifer Robinson, the human rights lawyer at the heart of the legal team representing Julian Assange and Wikileaks, will be the headline speaker at the World Ethical Data Forum in Barcelona this September. The World Ethical Data Forum is a world-leading platform for the discussion of the ethical and practical challenges arising from emergent technologies. Broadcast live on Russia Today, this year's forum will focus on the ethics of information and data control and the ever more rapid development of decentralized solutions. Held on September 20th in the city of Barcelona and including headline and keynote talks, presentations, workshops, networking lunches and drinks, the WDF brings together experts, enthusiasts and investors in technology from around the world. Talks and presentations will cover areas including mass data and data-analytic technologies, their use and safeguards, the importance of limits or lack of limits to access for security agencies and government, data rights, the commercial use of data by marketing, media organizations and big business, as well as recent innovations in artificial intelligence, the development of cryptocurrency and ICO regulation, and the benefits and pitfalls of blockchain technology and its future applications. Jennifer Robinson, the human rights lawyer at the heart of the legal team representing Julian Assange and Wikileaks, will be the headline speaker at the World Ethical Data Forum in Barcelona this September. After Julian Assange claimed asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012, and especially in the five months since Ecuador cut his internet and communication channels, effectively silencing him, Ms. Robinson has become increasingly prominent as a voice for Assange and WikiLeaks, winning profound admiration for her passionate, composed, eloquent and rigorous advocacy of civil liberties. Having represented many high-profile international clients, including journalists and media organisations such as the BBC, New York Times and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), and whistleblowers on all aspects of media law, free speech and human rights, Ms. Robinson has come rightly to be recognized as one of the most important human rights advocates of our time. Her speech at the World Ethical Data Forum will explore many issues, including data and information privacy, individual rights, and her experiences representing Julian Assange and WikiLeaks in the unambiguously hostile climate of the mainstream media and the adversarial relation to several states (including notoriously the US) they find themselves in. The WDF will feature additional headline speakers including Ralph Merkle, one of the leading inventors of public key cryptography, scientist and best-selling author, David Brin, and Annie Machon, an ex-Mi5 officer whose insights into the use and abuse of data and information by government agencies and deep state powers will introduce a remarkable insight into the threat to our freedom and values this may pose. The WDF is also proud to announce the addition of world leading Blockchain and ICO entrepreneurs who will provide insights into the opportunities and challenges behind today's most innovative funding mechanisms. The WDF is hosted by VN3T Technologies and sponsored by some of the most innovative names in technology and blockchain technologies including: Crunchbase, Blockdigital, Autoxchange, Bitdepositary, Vaultoro, Dusk Foundation, 7MARKETZ and many more. For a full list of speakers, sponsors and media partners please visit WorldDataForum.com One of the yet unannounced curiosities of the event is that the WDF also happens to be in possession of the last recording made by Julian Assange before his communication channels were cut off by the Ecuadorian embassy in March. An hour long, this never before seen video, covering subjects such as the conditions of his detainment, his reasons for beginning Wikileaks and his treatment at the hands of the press, the consequences for culture should Wikileaks disappear, the meaning and importance of cryptography, and the recent advances in AI hacking, cyber-warfare and surveillance technologies, is scheduled to be shown after Jennifer Robinsons headline appearance. About the World Ethical Data Forum 2018 The WDF will bring together experts and enthusiasts from around the world to discuss the complex ethical and practical questions that arise from the wealth of new decentralized technologies and distributed systems. Held at the SB Diagonal in the Catalan city of Barcelona and covering areas such as mass data and data-analytic technologies, their use and safeguards, the importance of limits or lack of limits to access for security agencies and government, data rights and the use of data by marketing, media organizations and big business, cryptocurrency and ICO regulation, the benefits, pitfalls and ethics of trustless distributed ledger technology, alternatives to peer arbitration, analytical AI, business applications of blockchain data and much more, the conference is an exploration of the ethics surrounding big data and its applications in the modern world. For more information on the event, for sponsorship or ticket purchases, please visit: WorldDataForum.com Jean-Philippe Beaudet Co-Founder & CEO @ VN3T Technologies Director @ World Data Forum John David Marshall Chief of Research and Innovation @ VN3T Technologies Director @ World Data Forum Sergio Stephano Managing Director @ Blockdigital Director @ World Data Forum United Way of Greater Los Angeles A KPCC article published last week reports that the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau rank California at No. 1 in national poverty when living expenses are factored in. This mornings report is consistent with the report put out by the United Ways of California this summerStruggling to Stay Afloat: The Real Cost Measure in California 2018. An interactive map from this report details a full cost-of-living analysis at the neighborhood level. The findings revealed that 46 percent of all households in Los Angeles County spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. And throughout California, one in three households (over 3.3 million families) struggle every month to meet basic needs. Breaking the cycle of poverty in L.A. County is the core mission of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. In our work to end poverty in our community, we have recently: Launched a new partner program with Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Co. called SHARE. This program allocates nearly $2 million to pay any unpaid utilities debts of low-income individuals and families who are applying for subsidized housing. Held a productive meeting last week with LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner in which Communities for Los Angeles Student Success (CLASS) continued the dialogue to Close the Gap in education opportunities and funding for underprivileged students throughout L.A. County. Initiated new collaborations with 12 local partners to increase employment opportunities for our community members who are currently or formerly experiencing homelessness. What this ranking from the Census Bureau teaches us is that the work we are doing to economically empower our community members is very urgent, said Elise Buik, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. It is crucial to understand the economic realities of our most vulnerable neighbors so that we can continue to support and advocate for them. United Way of Greater Los Angeles is breaking the cycle of poverty in Los Angeles County for our most vulnerable neighbors through housing solutions, education equality and economic mobility. No other organization brings together as many people with as many resources and expertisewe tackle the root causes and build long-term solutions to end poverty and homelessness. We wont rest until we bring Everyone In and all our neighbors have safe and stable homes. We mobilize organizations and create the awareness and advocacy needed to provide supportive housing, job training and health services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Though the overall census report places California at 16th on the list (with a 14.5 percent poverty rate), a more complete evaluation of the cost-of-living in California places it at the top. The Census Bureau's "Supplemental Poverty Measure complements the census report, considering the housing costs, taxes and healthcare that impact the overall economic health of individuals and families. Factoring in the supplementary data, California has a poverty rate of 20.4 percent, the highest rate in the U.S. According to the California Budget and Policy Center, California poverty rates are due to high rent costs. Following the general rule that rent payments should not exceed 30 percent of ones income, KPCC reports that full-time minimum wage workers should be paying approximately $546 in rent. Yet, a two-bedroom apartment in the most populated areas of California costs more than $1,500. About United Way of Greater Los Angeles United Way of Greater Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization fighting to end poverty by preparing students for high school graduation, college, and the workforce; housing our homeless neighbors; and guiding hard-working families towards economic mobility. United Way identifies the root causes of poverty and works strategically to solve them by building alliances across all sectors, funding targeted programs and advocating for change. For more information, visit UnitedWayLA.org and EveryoneInLA.org (end) MERLIN system at Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan 2009-2012 Edward Zakrajsek Manager of DeTect Global Ltd. in London said, We are honored to be supporting the USAF at RAF Lakenheath. The MERLIN radar will provide continuous detection, tracking and warning of hazardous bird activity in and around the airfield. DeTect, Inc. (http://www.detect-inc.com) today announced that it has received an order to supply the US Air Force Europe (USAFE) with a MERLIN Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar system for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath base in England. The MERLIN system, originally developed for the USAF, will provide 24-7 detection, monitoring and birdstrike risk alerting in support of the USAF 48th Fighter Wing. Edward Zakrajsek Manager of DeTect Global Ltd. in London said, We are honored to be supporting the USAF at RAF Lakenheath. The MERLIN radar will provide continuous detection, tracking and warning of hazardous bird activity in and around the airfield. DeTect's MERLIN Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar system is the most advanced and widely-used technology available for bird-aircraft strike hazard (BASH) management and for real-time detection, tracking and alerting of hazardous bird activity at commercial airports, military airfields, and military training and bombing ranges. Since 2003, MERLIN systems have been providing real-time birdstrike alerts to air traffic controllers, flight safety managers and pilots at US Air Force and Navy airfields and ranges and at commercial airports in Europe. NASA also used two MERLIN systems to support 22 space shuttle launches from 2006 through 2012. About DeTect DeTect is a fully integrated radar company with US radar engineering and manufacturing facilities in Florida, and offices in California, Washington DC, and England. The company is a leader in applied radar remote sensing technologies and systems for small radar-cross section targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and birds. Other DeTect products include the DroneWatcher drone detection and defense systems. Since 2003, DeTect has manufactured and commissioned over 400 advanced radar systems in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia. Acumatica Road Shows The Acumatica Certified Application (ACA) label insures an application has met the stringent requirements of the Acumatica framework, said Christian Lindberg, Vice President of Partner Solutions at Acumatica. Past News Releases RSS APS Payments Application Certified... Leading Integrated Payments... Brian Nunes Joins Leading... V-Technologies, developers of StarShip shipping software for Acumatica, announces exhibitor sponsorship at the 2018 R2 Acumatica Road Show in Atlanta and NY. V-Technologies will also be at Boston, Chicago and Orlando to answer any questions regarding StarShips Acumatica shipping software integration. The roadshows are a great opportunity for customers and consultants to network with solution providers to learn about the latest release and get the insight you need to fully utilize Acumatica R2. Stop by the V-Technologies, LLC booth to learn how StarShip shipping software for Acumatica combines parcel and freight carriers into one user interface. The bi-directional interface streamlines the entire workflow to gain immediate efficiencies in shipment processing, accounts receivable and customer service. We can create custom emails and labels to strengthen your brand and drive repeat business. See StarShip by V-Technologies, LLC at the following 2018 Acumatica Road Shows: Boston, MA (9/12/18) Chicago, IL (10/2/18) Atlanta, GA (10/11/18) New York, NY (10/16/18) Orlando, FL (10/18/18) StarShip's integration is an Acumatica-Certified Application (ACA). This title represents a select group of development partners whose applications have met the highest standards set for Acumatica integration and functionality. Acumatica is a comprehensive, browser-based Cloud ERP solution optimized for ease of use, adaptability, mobility, speed, and security. The Acumatica Certified Application (ACA) label insures an application has met the stringent requirements of the Acumatica framework, said Christian Lindberg, Vice President of Partner Solutions at Acumatica. This helps companies stay competitive and deliver on their customer requirements. Were proud to recognize StarShip as an Acumatica-Certified Application. Visit V-Technologies, LLC at the Acumatica Road Shows to learn how Acumatica customers streamline shipping operations with efficient shipping processing, integration to accounts receivable and customer service for improved productivity and cost savings. Caroline Rua About V-Technologies, LLC: Founded in 1987, we offer integrated multi-carrier shipping software that connects the warehouse to the front office. We partner with dozens of parcel and LTL carriers such as USPS, UPS, FedEx, R+L, Spee-Dee, YRC and more as well as regional carriers like OnTrac. Our software provides integration between those carriers and popular ERP, EDI, accounting and ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and WooCommerce to name a few. Contact us today for more information: 800-462-4016 email: sales@vtechnologies.com About Acumatica Acumatica provides cloud-based business management software that empowers small and mid-size businesses to accelerate their businesses and drive growth. Built on cloud and mobile technology and a unique customer-centric licensing model, Acumatica delivers a suite of fully integrated business management applications, such as Financials, Distribution, CRM and Project Accounting, on a robust and flexible platform. In an interconnected world, Acumatica enables customers to take full control of their businesses, play to their organizations unique strengths and support their clients by following them anywhere on any device. For more information, visit acumatica.com GMP Lab VetStem has been committed to quality since its founding and has worked directly with the FDA, both veterinary and human divisions, to assure our facilities and products adhere to the strictest guidelines for safety and efficacy. VetStem Biopharma has long been a leader in veterinary stem cell manufacturing with clinical, regulatory and manufacturing experience. In August 2018, VetStem signed its first contract manufacturing agreement to manufacture cells for human clinical trials. With one of the first GMP cell manufacturing facilities in California, VetStem is uniquely suited to assist biopharma companies with the regulatory and manufacturing of stem cells for use in preclinical studies and for Phase I and Phase II FDA human studies. In addition, VetStem is filing several human stem cell INDs using its veterinary data and experience to jumpstart its human stem cell development program. VetStem has clinical data on over 17,000 veterinary stem cell treatments spanning 31 different species and has GCP, GTP, GMP, and GLP experience. As announced in 2017, VetStem completed the GMP cell therapy manufacturing facility at its headquarters laboratory in Poway, California. Based upon 12 years of GTP laboratory operations, VetStem constructed and validated a state-of-the-art GMP stem cell manufacturing plant. This clean room facility has already produced engineering and full product registration batches of stem cell product and those batches have been officially released for use in pivotal FDA studies of safety and efficacy. Carolyn Wrightson, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, stated This facility is the culmination of six years of planning and research, supported by over 12 years of commercial stem cell laboratory operations by VetStems experienced cell therapy team. According to Bob Harman, DVM, MPVM, CEO of VetStem, Quality is the critical element necessary to bring stem cell therapy into mainstream medicine. VetStem has been committed to quality since its founding and has worked directly with the FDA, both veterinary and human divisions, to assure our facilities and products adhere to the strictest guidelines for safety and efficacy. We offer tours of the facility and are happy to provide proposals for contract manufacturing for stem cell products. VetStem has FDA master files that cover facilities and operations as well as key elements of IND submissions like stem cell vial validation and manufacturing methods for easy IND reference. FDA cGMP regulations apply equally to veterinary and human products, so it was a natural progression to offer VetStems facility and technical expertise to companies seeking to conduct their first human trials. VetStems patient registry large animal data is also potentially available to license for assistance with the human FDA requirement for animal safety data before companies can enter human clinical trials. Dr. Harman stated, We believe that we can really jumpstart cell manufacturing for new companies and potentially save years and millions of dollars of investment by utilizing our existing facilities and hundreds of standard operating procedures. Prior to VetStem, Dr. Harman founded and operated the largest west coast contract preclinical animal laboratory conducting FDA submission safety and efficacy studies for veterinary and human biotech products. VetStem also has direct access to human clinical trial and IND consultants to assist companies in their regulatory filings and protocol designs. Contact VetStem for more information or if you are interested in contract manufacturing for stem cell products. About VetStem Biopharma, Inc. VetStem Biopharma is a veterinarian-lead Company that was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the profession. This privately held biopharmaceutical enterprise, based near San Diego, California, currently offers veterinarians an autologous stem cell processing service (from patients own fat tissue) among other regenerative modalities. With a unique expertise acquired over the past 15 years and 17,000 treatments by veterinarians for joint, tendon or ligament issues, VetStem has made regenerative medicine applications a therapeutic reality. The VetStem team is focused on developing new clinically practical and affordable veterinary solutions that leverage the natural restorative abilities present in all living creatures. In addition to its own portfolio of patents, VetStem holds exclusive global veterinary licenses to a large portfolio of issued patents in the field of regenerative medicine. BEHR understands that the greatest gift we can give veterans after service is the ability to find a job. Financial contributions like these enable us to serve even more veterans in need and for that, we are extremely grateful. Working Wardrobes, a nonprofit that helps people overcoming difficult challenges find meaningful employment, is pleased to announce it has received a $15,000 sponsorship from BEHR Paint Company, a business unit of Masco Corporation. The sponsorship is part of Masco's Million Differences campaign, a 2018 initiative for all its business units to support organizations across the country that are working to break down barriers to diversity and inclusion in Americas corporate workforce through education or career resources. The funds will support the Working Wardrobes VetNet program. VetNet, established in 2012, is a social services safety net for veterans to meet their immediate and ongoing needs, including transition training, workforce readiness preparation, job training, and job placement and retention services. Since its inception, the program has served over 2,500 veterans. The BEHR Paint Company sponsorship contribution comes in the form of the presenting sponsorship of Working Wardrobes 2nd Annual Walk In Their Shoes 5K Walk, Fun Run, and Finish Line Festival. This years event will be held on November 3rd at Lakeview Park in Orange, California. Participants are invited to come support veterans by wearing combat boots, cowboy boots, or the footwear of their choice. They are also invited to walk in memory of a former service member, or in honor of a veteran or an active duty service member. The Walk will conclude with a Finish Line Festival complete with an obstacle course, youth activities, and food and beverages. We are honored to receive this generous contribution from BEHR Paint Company to support veterans on their journey to a job, said Jerri Rosen, Founder and CEO of Working Wardrobes. Transitioning to the civilian workforce is often difficult, which is why the career development services we offer address the unique challenges veterans face. However, providing these programs to thousands of veterans requires a tremendous amount of funding. BEHR understands that the greatest gift we can give veterans after service is the ability to find a job. Financial contributions like these enable us to serve even more veterans in need and for that, we are extremely grateful. For more information about Working Wardrobes 2nd Annual Walk In Their Shoes 5K Walk and Fun Run, please visit https://workingwardrobes.org/walk/. About BEHR Paint Company BEHR Paint Company is a business unit of Masco Corporation, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Mascos portfolio of industry-leading brands also includes Behr paint; Delta and Hansgrohe faucets, bath and shower fixtures; KraftMaid and Merillat cabinets; Milgard windows and doors; Kichler decorative and outdoor lighting; and HotSpring spas. About Working Wardrobes Working Wardrobes is an award-winning, entrepreneurial nonprofit helping men, women, young adults, and veterans overcome difficult challenges so they can achieve the dignity of work. The organization provides a broad range of career development services using a holistic approach directed specifically to individuals who are underemployed, or have overcome challenges such as homelessness, incarceration, substance abuse, catastrophic illness, domestic violence, long-term unemployment and military-to-civilian transition. Founded in 1990, Working Wardrobes serves the Southern California region and has provided job training, career placement, and wardrobe services to more than 95,000 clients and counting. For more information on Working Wardrobes, please visit http://www.workingwardrobes.org or call 714-210-2460. We are excited to be one of the anchor investors in the Locust Point Fund, stated Dan Hermann, President & CEO of Ziegler. Mr. Hermann... Ziegler, a privately held investment bank, capital markets, and proprietary investments firm, is pleased to announce its role as one of the anchor investors in the Locust Point Private Credit Fund, which has closed oversubscribed at $312 million. The Locust Point Private Credit Fund provides opportunistic senior debt, subordinated debt, and preferred equity financing for acquisitions, refinancing, new construction, renovations, and working capital, or any combination thereof to owner/operators in the senior housing and long-term care industries. We are excited to be one of the anchor investors in the Locust Point Fund, stated Dan Hermann, President & CEO of Ziegler. Mr. Hermann continued, The Funds strategic goal of providing custom capital solutions to owner/operators of senior housing and long-term care facilities aligns perfectly with Zieglers mission as one of the leading investments banks driving value to this growing industry. Don Husi, Managing Director and Co-head of Zieglers Proprietary Senior Living Practice, added The Ziegler Proprietary Senior Living group is thrilled to have invested with the Locust Point team. The Funds subordinate debt product means Ziegler can refer potential clients to Locust Point, making for a great, productive partnership. The Ziegler team now provides Agency Debt, Bank Placement, Retirement Housing Bonds, Bridge Financing, Equity and M&A services. The Subordinate Debt and other related products provided by our friends at Locust Point will allow Zieglers clients to have potential access to capital that allows for greater flexibility and creativity when structuring deals. Eric Smith, a founding partner at Locust Point Capital, further commented, We are delighted to have Ziegler as one of our anchor investors. Collaborating with the Ziegler team allows us to expand our existing customer base to provide tailored capital solutions to owner-operators that need short-term, non-dilutive capital. For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at http://www.ziegler.com. About Ziegler: Ziegler is a privately held investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm. Specializing in the healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as well as general municipal and structured finance, enables Ziegler to generate a positive impact on the clients and communities it serves. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the United States, Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory services, equity and fixed income sales & trading and research. To learn more, visit http://www.ziegler.com. About Locust Point Capital: Locust Point Capital is an alternative asset manager firm headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey, with an office in Washington D.C. Led by a management team with deep experience in investing in the seniors housing and care sector, the firm provides tailored capital solutions to owner-operators that need short-term, non-dilutive capital in order to execute their business plans. Locust Point Capital offers subordinate debt, preferred equity, and opportunistic senior mortgage loans for acquisitions, refinancing, recapitalizations, new construction, capital investment, or working capital. Additional information about Locust Point Capital is available at http://www.locustpointcapital.com. Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This clients experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees. QualDerms culture of quality and physician leadership was central to our decision to partner with them. QualDerm Partners, a company that creates market-leading dermatology practice partnerships through affiliations and de novo development, today announced Zitelli & Brodland, P.C. has joined the companys network of affiliated physician-owned practices. Zitelli & Brodland provides state-of-the-art skin cancer and surgical dermatology care, including Mohs surgery. The practice, which has locations in Pittsburgh and Clairton, serves as a Mohs surgery training center with one of the most prestigious fellowship programs in the country. The practices clinical staff includes 3 Fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons, John A. Zitelli, MD, David G. Brodland, MD, and Joy Kunishige, MD, as well as 1 certified physician assistant. Dr. Zitelli trained under the direction of Frederic Mohs, MD, and has authored over 100 articles and chapters on skin cancer surgery and reconstruction. He has been recognized with the Distinguished Service Award by the American College of Mohs Surgery and The Stegman Award of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Brodland served on the faculty at the Mayo Clinic where he was also the Co-director of Dermatologic Surgery and The Mayo Cutaneous Laser Center. He has earned The Skin Cancer Foundation Fellowship Award. Combined, Drs. Zitelli and Brodland have performed over 120,000 Mohs surgeries. QualDerms culture of quality and physician leadership was central to our decision to partner with them, says Dr. Zitelli. We look forward to working together with QualDerm and their other affiliated practice leaders to further advance the practice of dermatology. The Zitelli & Brodland partnership marks QualDerms first in the Pennsylvania market. Under this partnership agreement, QualDerm will provide the management support, guidance, and capital to expand the practices services and geographical reach. QualDerm currently has 32 affiliated practice locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia and Pennsylvania, with plans to expand further by year end. QualDerms dedication to patient-centric care perfectly aligns with our practices mission, says Dr. Brodland. Their leadership team is known for keeping their word and doing things the right way the characteristics that are paramount to a successful partnership. Since it was founded in 2015, QualDerms core focus has been to expand patient access to quality dermatological care. The company selectively partners with top-tier practices and relies on physician leadership through Regional Joint Operating Committees and a Quality Council to guide clinical policies and corporate growth strategies. Were honored that Zitelli & Brodland, P.C. has affiliated with QualDerm, says Bill Southwick, Chief Executive Officer of QualDerm. We pride ourselves on partnering with physicians who are known for providing the highest-quality patient care. Drs. Zitelli and Brodland are well regarded among their peers and just about any conversation about Mohs nationwide includes their names. Their expertise will be a valuable addition to our network of high-caliber dermatology practices. About QualDerm Partners QualDerm Partners helps top-tier dermatologists position their practices for sustainable growth and profitability. The company creates market-leading practice partnerships through affiliations and de novo development. QualDerm provides the management support, capital, and guidance for growth. Under QualDerms True Partnership(SM) model, physicians are partners, not employees, and retain their own practice brand. This doctor-driven model is designed to maintain physicians clinical autonomy and ensure the highest-quality patient care. QualDerm offers physicians tailored partnership structures to meet their needs, as well as the option to sell their practices. For more information, visit http://www.QualDerm.com. About Zitelli & Brodland, P.C. Zitelli & Brodland, P.C. provides highly-professional and experienced skin cancer and surgical dermatological care. The practice, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, is a Mohs training center with one of the nations most prestigious fellowship programs. The practice has locations in Pittsburgh and Clairton. For more information, visit http://www.mohs.md. Contact: Andy Mitzen QualDerm Partners Chief Development Officer andy.mitzen(at)qualderm(dot)com 615.250.6756 Media Contact: Nikki Cary 6 Columns Marketing Group nikki(at)6Columns(dot)com 615.500.2924 Daniel Jose Older first came to prominence with his adult urban fantasy series, the Bone Street Rumba, before switching gears with the YA-oriented Shadowshaper series, both of which feature diverse casts and settings inspired by the authors Cuban-American heritage. In Dactyl Hill Squad, Older kicks off a new middle grade series, which blends alternate history, fantasy, and dinosaurs in a fast-paced adventure set during the American Civil War in New York City, with a group of orphans facing off against slavers and other perils. PW caught up with Older to ask a few questions about how he came up with such a wild premise, and what comes next. What inspired this particular story? I was doing research on the Crow Hill neighborhood in Brooklyn for a different project that ended up being a rock opera. The Brooklyn Historical Society gave me a grant to basically go into their archives to see what I might find useful. At the time, I lived in Crown Heights, which was part of what used to be called Crow Hill. I thought it was kind of fascinating that theres this whole history of these autonomous, mostly black communities in early Brooklyn, of people escaping from the racial violence that included the Civil War draft riots. That moment in history spoke a lot to me about whats going on right now with things like gentrification and police violence. I started exploring that time period and the neighborhood. There was so much there, in terms of people really being heroes. And theres so little in popular media about people of color in American history. They tend to be erased or are victims or bad guys, and I wanted to change that narrative in a fun and fantastical way in a kids book. So, dinosaurs! The idea of kids riding on pterodactyl-back from rooftop to rooftop in 1863 Brooklyn is what really got me super excited about this project. I thought it would give me leeway to not worry too much about the historical accuracy, but instead I got completely obsessed with the details, and just wanted to read all the history books. This turned out to be much more grounded that I would have imagined. The great thing is this is a series. Everything that I didnt get a chance to put in here is pretty much going into one of the other books. Originally, I figured theyd end up going down south to the battle lines of the Civil War. But there is a rich history of resistance and resilience in the Brooklyn communities of color, such as organizations like the Vigilance Committee, which literally saved New Yorkers from being kidnapped. There was more than enough for a books worth, so the characters ended up spending the entire time here, and they got to interact with all these different unsung heroes, who dont show up in the history books nearly enough. One of the strengths of this book is the diversity in your cast, especially for the time and place. What can you tell us about that? I always approach the question of diversity more as a question of honesty. Its about leaning into the truth that we dont get to see enough of. It goes back to what I was saying about how few narratives we have in culture and in cinema and literature of characters of color being heroes in historical fiction. Part of the work of Dactyl Hill Squad is to explore the story that has been covered up because of white supremacist narratives, and the way that we tell history over and over. So thats a big part of it. Also, in the course of my research while I was working on the musical, I read this great book called In the Shadow of Slavery by Leslie Harris, which is an academic look at New York in that period and it talked about the Colored Orphan Asylum, which is where Magdalys and her friends live at the beginning, and there was this one little paragraph about a Cuban family, a trio of Cuban sisters who had been dropped off, stayed a couple of years, and then disappeared into history. Thats it. But as a Cuban, I was like, There I am! Youre always looking for yourself in history, and I think many of us have had to work the rest of the story out in our imaginations. But thats where Magdalys came from. Whats next for you in this series? As we move into book two, Freedom Fire, the characters actually do end up on the battle lines, down in Tennessee, and then further south. I got to game out how theyd use the various kinds of dinosaurs in battle, and its a great adventure. I also have an adult novel coming out from Imprint, called the Book of Lost Saints. Its about the Cuban diaspora, history, and memory, and its narrated by the spirit of a woman who disappeared during the Cuban revolution. So besides dinosaurs are awesome, what do you hope readers will take away from this book? I really hope it transforms peoples understanding of history, and that they realize just how many protagonists of color there have been throughout history. If they are readers of color, I hope they understand they can be heroes, too. Also, I want people to realize that history can be fun, and its not just about dry textbooks, that history is alive today, and were still interacting with it in significant ways, such as the current conversations about Confederate statues. Id like readers to have a more interactive relationship with history after they read this book. Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel Jose Older. Scholastic/Levine, $16.99 Sept. ISBN 978-1-338-26881-2 The session which took place at the Roots Apartment Hotel in Accra on Monday 17th September, 2018 was attended by the media, music analysts, musicians and dignitaries from the corporate world. Eight songs from the 10-track album were played to the audience. They were therefore given the opportunity to assess the songs and make suggestions for consideration before the album is finally released on 14th December, 2018. ece-auto-gen The album features Afriyie Wutah, Kurl Songs, Kwan Pa band, Wiyaala, Yaa Yaa, Atongo Simba and Fancy Gadam. Others are Wulomei, Kidi, Ebo Taylor, Feli Nuna and Kuami Eugene. The songs represent the 10 regions and their cultures, bringing rhythms together through music, videos and paraphernalia. According to Okyeame Kwame, the purpose of the Made In Ghana project is to imbue a sense of national pride, foster music tourism and expose indigenous music fusion. Broadcaster Abeiku Santana, venerated highlife artiste Rex Omar, astute music producer Mark Okraku Mante Kojo Akoto Boateng of Citi FM and General Manager of Gh One TV Astus Ahiable were among some of the stakeholders who graced the programme. ece-auto-gen READ MORE: Ghanaians think Supa should keep his broken teeth for branding Speaking at the session, Abeiku Santana who is also a tourism advocate highlighted the significance of the 'Made In Ghana' album to tourism in Ghana. "Let's commend Okyeame Kwame for celebrating the pride of Ghana by bringing cultures of the regions in one album," he said. The first single of the 'Made In Ghana' album will be released in October, 2018. Most importantly, one song will be launched every month at a location in the home region of the featured artiste. Reports say Charles Odhiambo had gone missing for about six months and the family resorted to a soothsayer to figure out his possible whereabouts, after they claimed to have received incessant death 'messages' through 'visions' directing them to local mortuaries to search for him. Unsurprisingly, the female soothsayer they consulted reportedly confirmed the acclaimed visions and asked the Odhiambo family to go to the mortuary where they reportedly picked a male body with a similar birth mark on the left ankle as that of Charles Odhiambo and buried in July. ece-auto-gen However, according Tuko.co.ke, a relative of the supposed deceased saw him about a month later hawking groundnuts in Kisumu on Thursday, September 14. READ MORE: Man returns home to meet wife and mechanic dead in his garage after having sex Charles Odhiambo is quoted as saying: I have been away for six months since I left home. When I heard I was buried, I returned home on the same day. A relative who spotted me in Kisumu told me I was buried one month ago. He held me, before he cried then said he would not leave again, we had to go home. Despite all his attempts to convince the family that he is indeed alive, they are still sceptical, saying they would have to first exhume the buried body and then perform some rituals before he is allowed entry into his own home. Per the courts ruling, South Africans are free to smoke weed and even grow it for private use. The only time one would be found in breach of the laws of South Africa is when they are seen smoking or holding the hard drug in public. The landmark ruling follows a suit filed by three South Africans against the hitherto ban on Indian hemp popularly known in the country as Dagga They argued that the continued ban on the weed "intrudes unjustifiably into their private spheres". Judges of the Supreme Court voted unanimously in favour of the legalisation of the controversial herb for private use only. ece-auto-gen Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo in pronouncing the courts ruling said: "It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption." The ruling has got Cannabis activists rejoicing and applauding the court for its decision. The Cannabis Development Council of South Africa did not only welcome the ruling, but also called on the government to immediately drop charges against everyone facing cannabis related prosecution. Reports say the court gave parliament 24 months to change the countrys law to reflect its ruling, and also determine what quantity of the Cannabis can South Africans grow or use in private. Meanwhile, the celebration is fiercer on social media as South Africans on twitter are making fun of how freely they will now smoke without fear of arrest. See some reactions below: She has adjourned the 2017 Miss Universe Ghana after she proved beyond reasonable doubt that she is the best among the rest to execute the roles assigned to the winner. After a year and some days, Ruth Quarshie handed over the crown to a new queen, Akpene Diata Hoggar from the Brong Ahafo Region on Saturday, September 15, 2018, at the Labadi Beach Hotel. Once a queen always a queen, the adorable Ruth Quarshie stepped on the red carpet in a floor-sweeping gown. The show-stopping sleeveless dress features a deep v-neck cut and a high slit to show off her high heels. One of Ghanas renowned fashion designer, Pistisgh who designed the beautiful dress won our hearts with the detailing of the dress. The beauty queen opted for stud earrings and she held her tresses to show off her flawless makeup. Check out the photos below: ece-auto-gen ece-auto-gen The suspects were arrested at their various hideouts in Kwahu Bepong and Mpreaso for their involvement in theft of the instruments. The Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh confirmed the arrest of the suspects in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM. He said the six suspects were apprehended by a team of Police officers after intelligence was gathered on their whereabouts. He explained that the suspects stole items including amplifiers, a standing lamb, laptops, colour printer, a roaster, a digital recorder, two computer CD, one keyboard and one guitar belonging to churches in the area. Today September 17th at around 5.50am DSP Mr. Daniel Azugu in charge of Police Operation team arrested 6 suspects including Ernest Ofosu Appiah age 35, Collins Kissi age 18, Kwasi Appiah age 23, Kennedy Boamah age 27, Anim Foster age 18, Yaw Darkwah age 36 and Esther Achiaa age 56 and reported that intelligence gathered indicated that the said suspects who were arrested at their various hideouts at Mpreaso and Bepong, and are behind the recent stealing cases within Kwahu enclave, DSP Tetteh disclosed. The following items were retrieved. 8 pieces of amplifiers, a standing lamb, an iPad, 6 laptops, colour printer, digital receiver, a spraying gun, a roaster, a digital recorder, two computer CD, one keyboard and one guitar, and we believe most belongs to churches who had earlier reported to the station on break-ins at their churches. They are currently in our custody as we make ready necessary documents to put them before the court for stiffer punishment. DSP Ebenezer Tetteh urged the general public to volunteer information to the police to carry out their mandate effectively. According to them, they will use all legitimate means to stop the processes that could lead to the area being added to a new region. Currently, the government is on course to create six new regions from the present Brong Ahafo, Western, Northern and the Volta regions. The decision to create the new regions follows a recommendation by the Justice Brobbey Commission of Enquiry, which was tasked with studying and investigating the processes. ece-auto-gen Chereponi has been cited as an area in the Northern region that could be ceded to the North East region when it is created. However, the move has not enthused some chiefs in the Northern region. They, therefore, want the government to halt its plans. They maintain that Chereponi is an integral and inseparable part of Dagbon and they will not allow for it to be added to any proposed new region. They (the chiefs) have told the presidency, the committee of enquiry, Regional Reorganisation minister but yet still the maps which are on social media though not official shows otherwise, registrar of the Dagbon Traditional Council, Adam Gariba, told Accra-based Joy FM. The Council has also sent a petition to President Akufo-Addo, calling on government not to cede any part of Dagbon area for the convenience of creating new regions. We pray that government will listen to our legitimate request and will not be seeking to meet the demands of a minority against the right of majority Dagbon. The Dagbon Traditional Council and the good people of Dagbon will continue to use civil and legitimate means to resist any attempt to cede Chereponi to any other region, sections of the petition read. This comes after a judge awarded a judicial review of the embattled bankers case. Adoboli was set to be deported to Ghana on September 18, having served four years of a seven-year sentence. He was convicted by the UK authorities in 2012 over his involvement in a 1.8 billion fraud at Swiss bank UBS. He was released in 2015, but was later taken into custody again and is currently being held by Scotland Yard authorities. ece-auto-gen But following news of his imminent deportation, 113 MPs and MSPs in the UK wrote to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to demand they intervene to stop the deportation. In a last-minute effort to prevent his deportation, Adobolis lawyers submitted an application for a judicial review of his case. And, fortunately for him, a judge has granted the appeal for judicial review and injunction against deportation. This means Adoboli will be freed from an immigration removal centre near Heathrow airport and subsequently released on bail until the outcome of the judicial review. Meanwhile, the judicial review is expected to take several months (currently unspecified) before its outcome is made public. Until a last-minute injunction on Monday, a cargo was to include Kweku Adoboli and deported. Adoboli was expected to be put on a charter flight late on Tuesday, but a judge has awarded a last-minute judicial review of his case. The reprieve will last "until such time as the outcome of the review is determined", the judge said. Adoboli served four years of a seven-year sentence for a 1.4bn fraud. He was released in 2015 and since spent time since in a mixture of paid and unpaid work which his lawyers had argued was aimed at sharing the lessons learned from his experience. ece-auto-gen He has delivered training to people in the banking industry and to civil servants, and was staying in Livingston, West Lothian, prior to his detention. The UK is the only country he knows; it is where he has built his life and formed his friendships and relationships, including with his partner, Alice. Kweku has already been punished, quite severely to my mind. It still seems odd to me that a relatively inexperienced young man was trading in such large sums. Mckinsey, in its report titled, "Outperformers: High Growth Emerging Economies and the Companies that Propel Them," stated that volatile growers GDP per capita regressed and/or exhibited a high coefficient of variation over at least one 10-year period from 19652016. The research published last week examined the long-term economic track record of 71 developing economies and identified China and India as the leading outperformers in the world. According to Mckinsey analysts, the two economies accounted for almost two-thirds of the worlds GDP growth and more than half of new consumption over the past 15 years. In the world, Sub-Saharan Africa is the second-lowest region average per capita GDP, at about $1,750. In the Sub-Saharan Africa countries examined, only Ethiopia made it on the recent outperformers list. Here are other details from the report: - Ghana, Mozambique, and Rwanda have outpaced the long-term outperformers in the past 10 years. - Tanzania and Uganda have been more consistent growers among middling economies. - Angola and Nigeria have had a more volatile past. - Six under-performing economies in Africa include Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. They have declined relative to the United States in the past decades, although Cote dIvoires economic performance has improved. Harry Kalaba, tendered his resignation on Tuesday citing unprecedented levels of corruptions in the government. Through a Facebook post which has since gone viral, Mr. Kalaba announced his resignation and outlined how he arrived at his designation. There comes a time in a persons life when it becomes necessary to die to self for the good of others and if not for that reason, at least to stand for ones cherished ideals and values.. ..We cannot proceed to manage national affairs with cold indifference when the levels of corruption are swelling and being perpetrated by those who are expected to be the solution. Part of his statement read. Experts believe Kalabas resignation is intended to apply pressure on President Edgar Lungu not to change the constitution and run for office in 2021. Kalaba is seen as a potential PF candidate in a 2021 presidential election, but analysts say his chances of winning the PF nomination may stall if Lungu wins a court battle allowing him to run for a third term. On November, Lungu warned Zambia's judges against blocking him from running in 2021 elections, saying a judicial intervention like that in Kenya could plunge the country into chaos. We need to go back to the original agenda of our Party the PF, where the poor and not the corporates must be at the centre of all our decisions. It would appear that the poor Zambians have ceased to be the reason we are holding power. Materialism and the propensity for money has taken over and is arrogantly at the centre of many decisions being made today. ...When people begin to feel overwhelmed by fear for speaking the truth, it is time to realize that critical fundamentals have shifted. We all have a role to play in making things right. This is my little contribution - Zambia is our Country, we need and must reclaim it Back." His statement read. His resignation was met with applause on Social Media with many people congratulating him for his bold move. What a man... one of the people Ive looked up to. No greater man is there then one who stands on principle. Such a rare breed and cut from a rare cloth... God bless you HK. Raymond Bwalya Sikanyika posted, Just when I thought there were no honourable men in politics, BOOM!!! Harry Kalaba pops up!! You have gained my respect sir. Posted Kaluba Sembulo You have left the stage while people are still clapping for you. Very wise and honourable decision. Indeed you have our interests as the youths at heart. All the best Honourable Mulenga Nchindika said. Bravo honourable... I know it has been hard to come up with such a decision for the PF you suffered to bring into power. But its good it will make your heart at peace and free conscious, you know longer have to defend the corruption in the government which even a 5 year old can see. May God bless you!! Chitalu Langson Chilufya posted Zambia is our own country..Thanks honourable for admitting that the country is corrupt. Your resignation speaks volume. Ngatwateka all the the theives will rot in jail. We are watching and keeping record. Posted Innocent Dunga Mumba The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said thousands of people have been displaced and placed 8 states on a watch list over increased flooding following heavy rainfall. The states are:The states with national disaster 1. Kogi 2. Niger 3. Anambra 4. Delta ece-auto-gen Other states placed on watch list include: 5. Kwara 6. Edo 7. Benue 8. Adamawa 9. Taraba 10. Rivers 11. Bayelsa 12. Kebbi Mustapha Maihaja, NEMA Director-General, said the peculiarity of the listed states placed them on the list of those that require close watch and other emergency management agencies. Nigeria's major rivers burst their banks sweeping away homes The alert is coming as thousands of residents living on the banks of River Niger in Asaba, Delta State, the central part of the country, fled their homes and evacuated their belongings due to rising tide from the Niger. The river overflowed its bank last week due to persistent rainfall in the eastern part of the country, Asaba. Weeks ago, the emergency authority raised an alarm that Confluence of River Niger and Benue at Lokoja, had risen to significant 10.98 meters which were one of the signals that heralded the 2012 devastating flood across Nigeria. Nigerian government plans Maihaja said all stakeholders have agreed that NEMA could activate its National Contingency Plan; which allows it to establish structures that will respond to emergencies. The agency said it will activate five Emergency Operational Centers (EOCs) across Nigeria to professionally handle the natural disaster. The emergency agency, however, said the flood situation might get worse in some states in a few days time as Lagdo dam in Cameroon will be discharged soon. The report titled, "The high cost of mobile data in Sub-Saharan Africa," revealed that 1 gigabyte (1GB), cost less than $4 in the cheapest regions while the same cost as much as $20 to $35 in others. The report also found that a higher number of mobile network operators (MNOs) in a country often meant that data was relatively cheaper than in countries with less number of MNOs. Heres how much its costs to buy 1GB (Countries with the cheapest mobile data) 1. Mozambique - $2.08 2. Guinea - $2.21 3. Rwanda - $2.33 4. Zambia - $2.76 5. Nigeria - $2.76 6. Kenya - $3.35 7. Niger - $3.52 8. Ghana - $3.63 9. Burundi - $3.87 10. Senegal - $3.99 Heres how much its costs to buy 1GB (Countries with expensive mobile data) 1. Equatorial Guinea - $35.47 2. Zimbabwe - $25 3. Swaziland - $21.86 4. Chad - $13.60 5. Congo Rep - $11.97 6. Namibia - $10.86 7. South Africa - $10.34 8. Mali - $10.27 9. DRC - $10 10. Angola - $9.94 ALSO READ: Nigeria approves framework that will see a new price for data By doing this, the pan-African bank suggested: 1. a reduction in fees charged for new mobile licences to have new entrants 2. introduction of reasonable taxes on data usage which will grow as their citizens become more connected 3. Competition should also be incentivised, especially in countries with only two or three MNOs and among others. The Telegraph newspaper reports that bishops of the Church of England want people to use more gender-inclusive language for God. Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, the Church of England's first female diocesan bishop, explains the need to stop this popular practice. In the Gloucester bishop's words, "I don't want young girls or young boys to hear us constantly refer to God as he. For me particularly in a bigger context, in all things, whether it's that you go to a website and you see pictures of all white people, or whether you go to a website and see the use of 'he' when we could use 'God,' all of those things are giving subconscious messages to people, so I am very hot about saying can we always look at what we are communicating." Revd Sally Hitchener, an Anglican chaplain at Brunel University, supports this call noting it is "heretical" to say that God is male. She added that the Church of England is working hard to "emphasize the feminine nature of God." The Rt Revd Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, bishop of Dorking, also said that she is not a fan of using the male language in reference to God. "When I lead prayers or preach, I try to get around the problem by using both male and female imagery, and also by avoiding the need to say 'his' or 'him' too often," she said. Is God a man or woman? This call by Church of England bishops follows a study that discovered that one in every 100 British Christians believe that God is a woman. According to statistics published by a UK-based research group known as YouGov, female believers are more likely (41-per-cent) to think God is male than male Christians (30-per-cent). The study also found that 41 percent say God has no human gender while nineteen percent are unsure about God's gender. ece-auto-gen Between Catholics and Protestants, the study discovered that 47-per-cent of Catholics think of God as a man compared to Protestants (33-per-cent). Breaking down the research, YouGov said: "This is perhaps ironic, as The Catechism of the Catholic Church #239, as laid down by Pope John Paul II in 1992, specifically states that 'God is neither man nor woman: he is God'. "The vast majority of British Protestants follow the Church of England, which seems to still consider God to be male, although a movement within the Church called for God to be referred to as female in 2015. In a statement signed by the scheme management and shared on its Facebook page, the NYSC urges the serving corps members to be unbiased and avoid political message. ece-auto-gen The statement reads: Corps members should please note that the NYSC will neither send text messages canvassing for political parties and candidates nor release corps data to such group. The scheme is apolitical and remains unbiased to all contestants during the election process and will continue to leverage on the tremendous achievements it has recorded in the democratic process of the country. The NYSC partners all stakeholder in order to ensure free, fair and credible election across the country. All corps members are hereby enjoined to disregard political messages, remain neutral and remember the Director-General's messages to beware of unscrupulous politicians as the scheme partners the Federal Government to contribute its quota to the success of the 2018/2019general elections. Gov Okowa advises corps members to resist pressure from politicians Similarly, Corps members serving in Delta state have been warned again to resist pressure by unscrupulous politicians that may want to engage them in sharp practices during elections. ece-auto-gen The state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, while speaking during the closing ceremony for the combined Batch B (Stream II) corps members deployed to Bayelsa, Edo and Delta state at the NYSCOrientation Camp in Issele-Uku advised the youths to avoid temptations that would compromise the outcome of the election. Aside the colourful outfits, shock victories and brilliant speeches, one movement that the audience waited endlessly to feature during the three hour event was #MeToo, but it somehow went unmentioned or even referenced by the celebrities who took to the stage Exactly a year ago, the 69th Emmy Awards were held just under a month before the wave of #MeToo hit disgraced movie executive, Harvey Weinstein. ece-auto-gen It was a feminist victory as female shows like Big Little Lies dominated and The Handmaiden's Tale won the best Outstanding drama from usually male-dominated fields, which women celebrated. Interestingly, asides 'the Weinstein wave' to hit just under a month later, three of the six nominees for Best Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series have been indicted in the court of public opinion under #MeToo and #TimesUp. The three nominees are Anthony Anderson, Aziz Ansari and Jeffrey Tambor. Accusations against Anderson were only dropped three weeks ago and Tambor has been fired from Amazon's Transparent. Kevin Spacey has also been fired from House of Cardsafter 15 accusations over the past 15 months, led by co-star, Anthony Rapp. Does it mean the movement is dying? ece-auto-gen Not necessarily. With the strong colour show-outs of celebrities wearing dark toned colours during the award season earlier in the year, it does mean it has taken a step back. The recent cases of Avital Ronell and Asia Argento also don't help these movements. Everything the movement stands for have been dragged through the same court of public opinion that aided them. It is safe to say that the movements hold lesser relevance than they did earlier this year. While actors like Tambor and Spacey have been cut from nominations and Colbert's live taping, Leslie Moonves was not so discussed. Who is Leslie Moonves? ece-auto-gen He is the recently fired Chairman of CBS who was a voice for #MeToo and called it a "watershed moment." He was a founding member of the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace, formed in late 2017 to "tackle the broad culture of abuse and power disparity." Over the past year, Moonves has been the subject of New Yorker exposes by Ronan Farrow. Although he denied the accusations, he has since been fired after the September 9, 2018 article containing accusations by 6 women, dating to the 80's written by Farrow. The first article also alleged abuse from six women. At the Emmys, he got no mention probably because CBS, the company he used to head has affiliations with the awards. Nonetheless, it offers no solace knowing the moment passed without a mention of his discrepancies. While we might want to believe Hollywood is now clean and the conversation needs to sleep, this is not the moment. The conversation should only be getting started covering a broader spectrum. The Nation News gathered that the couple had a confrontation with each other on Saturday, September 15, 2018. According to the report, her husband who is usually drunk, attacked her with a broken bottle and knife, hurting her by the neck and close to her eyes. In response, Ogunbodede stabs him and runs out of their home. ece-auto-gen ALSO READ: Man beheads cheating wife and surrenders her head at police station A source who is close to her family has come in her defense with a claim that makes her the victim in the incident. That report online was so unfair to the policewoman. It was a one-sided story. The truth is that her husband is also a policeman. Hes an Inspector, and attached to LASTMA. They have been married for long and they have three children. The man always beats her whenever hes drunk. He doesnt just beat her but uses any object closeby to hit her. There was a time he stabbed her on her breast and mouth. His drinking habit is one of the issues that usually caused problems between them. He was the one who broke a glass and stabbed her. He stabbed her near her eye and by the neck. He pinned her to the ground, and in order to safe herself, she picked a splinter of the broken glass and stabbed him. That was how she fled the house to the police to report herself. That is actually what happened, the source confirms to The Nation. ece-auto-gen ALSO READ: Woman plans to poison abusive husband if not separated on time Her comments appear to be a response to reports alleging that the police woman maliciously attacked her husband who has been hospitalized. The Masterclass which was held on Monday, August 27, 2018 comprised three 45-minute sessions where top-notch speakers engaged the students in lectures on various subjects. The students certainly had very rewarding experiences from the Interswitch Masterclass 1.0. Some of them were willing to share; I have decided to study Medicine to stop politicians from travelling abroad for medical treatment Rasheed Yekini, from Demonstration Standard College, Okene, Kogi State. The word medical tourism has become commonplace in Nigeria, no thanks to government officials and their likes travelling abroad for every little health challenge. This is the reason why Rasheed Yekini of Demonstration Standard College, Okene intends to study Medicine and Surgery. The other day, a former Minister fell sick and was flown abroad for treatment. Recently, the governor in my state had an accident and travelled abroad for medical attention. From the Masterclass, I learnt that I can achieve anything I want by putting my mind to it. I also learnt that people from poor homes have a better chance to see opportunities and find solutions to them, he said. The Masterclass has helped change my mind about running away from Nigeria Glory Okoli, from Ambassador School, Ota, Ogun State. Although she also dreamt of relocating abroad for greener pastures, Glory Okoli has had a shift in mindset, thanks to the inspiring sessions at the Masterclass 1.0. When I saw people like Mitchell Elegbe and Yinka Sanni who against all odds, schooled and made it here in Nigeria, I changed my mind about running away, she said. An aspiring pediatrician, Glory wishes to study at the John Hopkins University, USA, but promises she would return home as a qualified pediatrician to help save the lives of Nigerian children who are most susceptible to diseases. The Masterclass made me understand that by inventing new things, I can solve existing problems Uchenna Okoro, from Incubators Academy, Kaduna. Uchenna Okoro has always had the desire to create new things. He said: The Masterclass made me understand that by inventing new things, I can solve existing problems and make the world a better place to live. On why he entered for the InterswitchSPAK science competition, the aspiring Genetic Engineer sees the platform as one that will fully groom his potentials. It is more beneficial when one person grows a business to employ thousands of people; than many small businesses of two, three people - Kosiso Ugorji, from Lagoon Secondary School, Lekki, Lagos. The aspiring biomedical engineer has big dreams of inventing something that will revolutionize the entire medical system, beginning from her state (Imo State). However, she learnt the importance of not just starting small, but steadily growing a business to become large-scale. She said: I really gained a lot from the session by Ms. Eloho Omame where she talked about scaling I learnt that it is important and more beneficial to the society when one person grows a business to become an employer of hundreds and thousands of people; instead of many small businesses of two, three people. My takeaway from the sessions is the need to imbibe principles, values, skills, wisdom and knowledge for a successful life Asusu Cookey-Gam, from Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Rivers State. For Asusu Cookey-Gam of Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Rivers State, coming to the competition was scary but the Masterclass was interesting and impactful. He said: I learnt how to use technology to solve societal problems." I plan to create a software which will help Nigerians become more tech-savvy - Feyisayo Adeaga, from the Ambassador School, Ota, Ogun State. Feyisayo Adeaga, a student of The Ambassador School, Ota, was enlightened about the need to create a solution to a societal problem during the Masterclass. Speaking on his experience, Feyisayo stated that he was ready to accept Mr. Sannis challenge of helping the country solve real problems to improve the lives of fellow Nigerians. I plan to become a Software/ Computer Engineer because I realize that many people in Nigeria are technologically illiterate., he said. Life goes beyond Physics, Chemistry and Biology; a good attitude is important Oreofe Daniel, from Ambassador School, Ota, Ogun State. For Oreofe Daniel, the Masterclass was super fun and interesting. The 15-year-old, who incidentally scored the highest marks in the InterswitchSPAK national qualifying examinations, also learnt that beyond knowing and passing Physics, Chemistry and Biology, it was important to apply the knowledge acquired to real-life situations and to develop a good attitude to life in general. I want to impact my love of Maths on the younger generation Anuoluwa Aruleba, from Ambassador School, Ota, Ogun State. Worried about the dearth of trained teachers in Nigeria and the resultant brain drain of Nigerias best educators, Anuoluwa Aruleba of The Ambassador School, Ota, wants to become a Mathematics teacher. Mathematics is my favourite subject and I want to impart my love and knowledge of Maths on the younger generation, she said. Her key takeaway from Mitchell Elegbes session of the Masterclass was that people will have expectations and perceptions about you and things around. She said: Expectations cannot be controlled but can be managed, so try to change peoples perception instead of lowering their expectations. Creating a positive impact is more important than making money Gift Ukpoweh, from ECWA Model College, Oyo. Ukpoweh Gift is a 14-year-old student of ECWA Model College, Oyo State. Probably one of the youngest finalists, Gifts vision in life is to become a frontline architect due to her love for drawing and a desire to improve the field of architecture. Her participation in the Masterclass further enhanced this vision as she learnt that impact should be the major reason for any venture. She said: I learnt that in everything we want to do in life, we should have a vision. I also learnt that in any field we want to go into, we must not go there only because of profit. Creating a positive impact is more important and should be our number one goal in life. That is what I intend to do when I become an architect. Commendably, Interswitch has sparked off a huge ripple from this 135 minutes of mentoring at the InterswitchSPAK Masterclass. There is no doubt that the forum has changed the mindsets of the students that participated, rekindling their interest in STEM and helping them to refocus their purpose and career paths. Indeed, the InterswitchSPAK project has all the trappings of a revolution that will hopefully change the face of STEM education in Nigeria, leading into the future. Two policemen were shown in a video while dealing with the outnumbered traffic maintenance official who struggled to defend himself beside a parked official vehicle. ALSO READ: Driver goes to Ghana to hide after hitting LASTMA officer Some pedestrians went about their business without any distraction while others took a moment to observe. In the line above, Baba Dee attests to the power of the commercial motorcycle popularly known as okada. Okadas are a natural phenomenon on Nigerian roads. They are bikes imported from Asia for Nigerian roads. With what started as an anomaly to get people to their destinations fast, okadas have become important in Nigeria's transportation system, especially in urban areas. The name 'okada' has little to do with speed. Here is how the name okada came to be. ALSO READ: Here are 5 tips to living stress-free in Lagos Origin of Okadas While these bikes are also a primary means of transportation in countries like Cameroon, Togo, Benin Republic, they started gaining notoriety in Nigeria, circa 1988 in Benin City. Youths, who struggled with the troubling fate of being broke and a need to make money engaged in the mass importation and purchase of bikes for commercial transportation. Despite the dangers they occasion on people as a very unsafe means of transportation, they soared in usage to their flexibility to ply any inroad and being cheap as an alternative to the more expensive taxi. History says that we call it okada today because in Benin - where it first gained prominence, was situate the now defunct, Okada Air, representing the hometown of its founder, Okada, Edo State. It was established in 1983 and at the height of its operations it had 18 BAC One-Elevens planes in its fleet, and rights to fly international routes. In 1997 Okada Air was in ruins and was destablished. However, its legacy already had a tangible manifestation. It is said that the name 'Okada' began as a joke to stylize its usage as a playful form of air transportation due to its ability to be unhindered by holdups and maneuver through anything just like someone, somewhere will probably jokingly call his Volkswagen Beetle a Bentley for pure jokes. Interestingly, the creative name stuck and it is not beyond belief that the location of an abstract concept, needing a relatable description for the average mind found itself in something familiar and began as a joke. Everything that gets used often and with a popularly accepted name, began from something familiar. The rise of okadas In a concrete jungle like Lagos with poor road networks, traffic and bad roads, Okadas have become indispensable. To beat the everyday hustle, Lagosians rely on daredevil drivers on okadas to help them get from one point to another. On the transportation food chain, okadas rank last. They are dangerous - most riders do not have helmets for themselves and their passengers. They do not have licenses and have passed no driving tests. For many, okada is a hustle. Okada drivers is predominantly a male workforce made up of men who belong to Nigeria's lower class. It's a rugged job and one of the few ways to make money daily when you are stuck at the bottom of Nigeria's economic ladder. Since okadas became a major source of transport, state governments have tried to eradicate them. The Fashola administration was particularly tough on okadas with frequent crackdowns. However, during the election period in 2015, okadas were back on the streets of Lagos again. The popular theory is that politicians need okada riders for grassroots mobilization. Like cockroaches, okadas are very hard to kill. Lagos state government has tried to regulate it by ensuring helmets are worn at all times by both passengers and riders. It worked for a while but we are back to the status quo ante. The state government has however found success in establishing a curfew for okadas. After 8 pm, okada riders are expected to be off the streets. This is because okadas have been used to commit robberies (snatching of bags and purses) at nighttime. Any okada driver who operates after 8 pm is at the mercy of policemen who are eager to make anyone go through hell and pay large sums of money. In popular culture, okada men are depicted as rough, vulgar, and dirty. The best depiction of this is Terror Muda, a petty crime solving, badass, swashbuckling, okada rider. ALSO READ: Lagos traffic is messing with my mental health The name of okada has stuck and become a fixture of our everyday lives. The idea of okada might be short of validity, but considering Nigerias history with naming things, it does not seem far-fetched at all. Also called, Achaba by our Northern brothers, it is not just a source of cheaper transportation costs alongside the Tricycle, currently called, the Keke (Maruwa/Napep) to signify the eras which they represent, okada has also drastically reduced unemployment and is livelihood for a lot of people. While the statistics are largely speculative nigh unavailable, it is not beyond imagination that Lagos traffic and the overall stress phenomena, which demands a worrying way of life messes with mental health. If you ride commercial transportation, you can relate with how a lot of people who probably wake up as early as 4am doze off on your shoulder in the transportation while you're trying to cool off with music. It's crazy that sometimes, you're so unwilling to accommodate such nastiness, you shimmy your shoulder so hard, the dozer gets jolted back to life like someone screamed 'FIRE!' It is no coincidence that people in Lagos are constantly on edge, ready to fight, combat or argue things that can be sorted with simple dialogue. I lived in Abuja for a while and I grew up in Akure, Ondo State. I can tell you that nothing about Lagos is normal and it's not even about the high cost of living, but the imbibed culture. While it is like Lagos in most cosmopolitan global cities, it still doesn't normalize the madness on Lagos. There's a reason your bus conductor feels you're stressing him by asking for your own change. There's a reason the okrika (second-hand or fairly used clothes) seller in the market picks offence simply because you're standing harmlessly in front of his stall while you buy something totally unrelated from another shop or even try hail a bike. There's a reason why you feel the only answer to a reluctant conductor is offensive language while in suit and tie. There's a reason why you feel entitled to another person's spot in traffic when you're shunting. There's a reason why even eating feels stressful and it's simple; even the simple things are stressful in Lagos. You can't even down a plate of ewa agonyin without someone, somewhere doing some madness. ALSO READ: There's a culture of silence around the mental health of young Nigerian men September 17, 2018 The morning of September 17, the 2018 was a special kind of madness. I left my house at 5:35am in the morning, boarded a bus at 5:45am, but I didn't get to my office in Lekki till 9pm. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Lagos, where traffic is caused by nothing but impatience and excessive number of cars. While in that traffic, I was frustrated, anxious, depressed, hungry and sad all at the same time while having to deal with a passenger who felt my shoulder was a nice couch to doze on - he wasn't even a beautiful woman. While I was short on sleep and could have used the time to replenish, my eyes were wide as a possessed owl transformation of a scorned Nigerian woman, looking for soul of the Yoruba demon who broke her heart to devour. ALSO READ: How to protect yourself from getting robbed during rush hour These days, the fear of Lagos traffic makes waking up early imperative. My alarm is set at 4:00am, but I'm so focused on waking early, I panic-wake-up around 1:00am at times, fearing I'd overslept. You need to see me in the sufferhead sweatpants I sleep in, scrambling for my phone like it holds the secret to global peace only to get there and see that it's still 1:00am. It's madder when even in my sleep, I'm mulling over ideas. Ladies and gentlemen, my mind has become Wall Street that never sleeps. These days, it's like my mind has a hard drive to show off that it's working over time. I hope it's not my village people working over time. Overnight today, I could hear my mind discussing, creating and analysing 'gender diversity in the workplace' right after analysing random of equities which I slept thinking about - No, it wasn't a dream. I literally write articles in my dream these days while I see Slack messages from my Editor, telling me to retouch a story. My people, I raise my fist to tell you that Lagos is messing with my mental health. How can it not be? You wake up early and endure 3 hour traffic over what should be a 25-minute distance. On your way back, after a hard day's work, you also queue for buses before a struggle ensues for a space you're paying for, with your money, from you bank account. The bus driver will also not do you a favour by stopping right in front of you and by that alone, you already hate his guts like every other driver you meet. That one time out of 50 that ONE driver stops right in front of you, he's the maker of rainbows, even though you lost your wristwatch while trying to force your way in. You think that's all normal? It's not Your mental health is being trifled with. You don't have to be a psych ward patient, or one who feels a darkness deep inside or another who is depressed and tired of life to have mental health issues. ALSO READ: 5 ways to live a stress-free life What is mental health? It is simply the state of normalcy within your psyche where your emotions are at an expected level, like rich politicians in Abuja have. It is when you offer the right type of emotion to the right type of situation. It is when your emotions are are not too cold or too hot. It is when your reactions are pretty expected, given the gravity of any scenario. Hilariously, 'normal' in Lagos is an ingrained reality. It is almost laughable how iLagosians don't understand that we're all mostly not normal. Fam, what is normal in Lagos in reaction or culture is like an outrage in Akure, Ibadan or Abuja. Even extreme situations in those places is like Lagos at 1:00am. And therein lies the problem; most of us in Lagos are probably living with mental health issues and that is why we willingly jettison our previous definition of normal for our new 'Lagos-normal.' We even defend the life and enjoy it Abuja person: People in Lagos dey try o. U can't even deal Me: Ehn ehn ehn, hold pause on your mouth with the way its running like an out of control 9/11. Leave Lagos like that, nobody is begging you to come and stay. Where's that bottle make I break bottle for your over through Twitter. Abi, let me even break this phone so you know I'm being serious. Abuja person: Us Lagosians are so defensive about our city. It's like an in-tribe thing where Lagosians can only diss Lagos like only black people can say, 'nigga.' It only means that we do not fully grasp the reality that Lagos is messing with our individual mental health. It's like that woman with a philandering husband who lashes out at anyone that talks smack about that same husband until she can no longer take it - and even encourages other people to lash him, after he impregnates the maid. History is littered with successful entrepreneurs and negative figures like Richard Branson, Dale Canergie and drug dealer, Frank Lucas who cut out middlemen from their respective processes. What ensued was incredible success levels that defined logic and made these men bosses in their respective fields a simple maneuver that changed their respective courses. A 17-year old girl from the Makoko community of Lagos, known for its heavy dependence on fishing and located around the water in Lagos has shown similarities to repeat such feats. Makoko is the neighbourhood you would see on your right side while plying the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, on your way to the Island from the Mainland. It is a common occurrence to see fishermen at work during any of your journeys across the bridge. Her name is Leah and she is the 11th child of her family. She recognized the disadvantage of her family with middle-men and felt they were being underpaid. What she did was create a website named Makoko Fresh to bridge the gap between her familys product and willing consumers, utilizing the internet. ALSO READ: Lagos is messing with my mental health How did she do that? In an interview with CNN which opened with Sharon walking through her neighbourhood, her father talked about how he was born into the fishing business and never had the privilege of attending school. She also noted that most of the people in her neighbourhood are fishermen and the women, traders who sell the fish. Bent on following a different path to the one assured by her immediate surroundings, she grabbed the opportunity to learn to code from Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, the CNN hero who teaches disadvantaged girls from the lower rungs of society how to code. Her program is called GirlCoding and it has trained over 100 girls. Sharon says, "It was around 2015 when Ms. Abisoye came to Makoko community to train girls about computer. I said okay, I would go... I learned how to use computer very well, to build websites. That's why I'm creating an app with my team." One of them is Sharon. The programs slogan is called, When girls learn to code, the world will run without bugs. In an alternative reality, he would have no reason to do wrong by such woman. But things are different in this reality we exist in. Experience shows that men cheat regardless of genuine affection and a willingness on the part of the woman to ride or die with, and for them. In response to a Twitter user, s call, Nigerian men on the social media platform are giving reasons why this is so. Why will you have a lady who's willing to give you EVERYTHING and you still out there looking for side chicks? asks, and the seven responses below are a summation of the hundreds and hundreds of opinions shared in the comment section. 1. The need for better/more sex User, Chukwuma Adekunle Ciroma [@shuggahx] explains that a desire for more, better sex is why women, no matter how great they are may never be enough for some men. The idea that men dont attach emotion to sex makes it easy for them to always be on the lookout for new chicks, he tweets. The one who can give you everything might not be good in bed. Because she's naive, you want to keep her innocence and moral standards but the side chics are more experienced, adds Nneka [@Ada__Ugo], a female user who gatecrashed the man cave where the purge was being held. 2. The quest for perfection Have you heard about 80/20? No one is perfect. No one is a whole snack. The quest to make it 100 and not satisfied with your partner having 80% of the qualities you admire is the reason [why men leave women who have their backs to go search for something else, usually less.] says Onyeogadirinma1 [@Eldino] 3. Unreciprocated affection According to Fela Bosun Bamowo [@BosunBamowo1], if a woman loves a man so much that shes willing to give all her life and all she has to please him, it still wont mean much to him if he doesnt love her back. I don't think you'd ever want a side chick if you're in a relationship with a lady you love, and Ii you ever do you never really loved her fully otherwise there'll be no void to fill. Honestly Bro there's no excuse Another user, a woman this time around, tweets along the same line, expressing the belief that in any relationship where cheating creeps in, it is because one or both partners never loved the other enough. Now, I think men(and/or women) do this because theyre not truly in love. [For real] though, our generation has so much misused the word love, its starting to loose its original meaning. Because when youre truly in love, NOTHING ELSE would even look enticing outside her(or him). No one else would cut it. When youre at this point, you [for real] cannot even see anything else outside this person as enticing. Nothing moves you anymore because you dont care about anyone else but this person. Its never a decision to choose between her and someone else. Unpopular opinion, yes, but this is what I feel about love. This is what I think about it. This is how I love and no ounce less will ever do. Theres honestly no excuse anyone wants to give but that youre truly not in love with that person as you say, writes @initimayi. ALSO READ:Why married men cheat in 2018 4. Distance If you're not staying close [with] the one that can give you "Everything", then the closest one will become an option, Nneka [@Ada__Ugo] further comments. 5. For the adventure Guys cheat for sport. For kicks. For the thrill of the chase and the euphoria of the conquest, writes Alan Shore and Raymond Reddington [@Lawyerchap]. 6. Because they know they can get away with it Guys do this because they've been conditioned to think they can misbehave and get away with it... its been [drummed] continuously in their head that 'its a man's world, Adamma [@adammaonyii1] tweets. Dad. [@CloverDaddy] adds that guys cheat because cause they can. Nothing more. Not because of anything else but just because they can regardless [of] the excuse they'd give. 7. Just the way people are In the end, it all boils down to the character of each individual, advocates AJOKE [@Damzelroyal02] who tweets and says dont forget, some people will cheat no matter how good things are, and some will stay loyal no matter how bad things get. Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, Director, Army Public Relations, who disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri, said the insurgents were eliminated in Kote and Bula Dadobe communities in the LGA. Chukwu said joint operations, titled Operation RAINBOW 15 which was conducted between Saturday Sept. 15 and Sunday Sept. 16, came on the heels of the discovery of makeshift bases, established by the terrorists in Yabiri Kote and Bula Dadode from where they launched attacks on villages in Cameroon and Nigeria. He added that items recovered from the terrorists included 3 AK 47 rifles, two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Shells, one primed Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Belt, two motorcycles, eight bicycles, flag as well as IED vest. Lawal was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2017 based on the recommendation of a Presidential Investigation Panel headed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo. His dismissal came months after he was suspended by the president due to allegations of his complicity in the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE). He was indicted by an ad-hoc Senate committee who alleged that he had awarded a contract of over N200 million to dispose of 'invasive plant species' in IDP camps to a company where he had vested interest. While speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Septemberr 17, 2018, Lawal said his dismissal has been a blessing in disguise as he's now earning more money than he was before he was appointed SGF. He said, "Let me shock you, before I came into government, I have been in business, I was a very successful businessman. I am a world-renowned IT consultant and I have a very large farm, spanning over 1,000 hectares, which I abandoned to join governance. "I was earning N930, 000 monthly as the SGF, now that I have returned to my farm and reactivated it after my sack, I now have 4,000 hectares under cultivation. "Last year, I earned close to half a billion naira from my farm proceeds, I have a cattle ranch that I am developing gradually and I am back to IT consultancy, life is now good. "Everything that happened to a man is for his own good; my sack I would say is rather a blessing in disguise." I'm not guilty - Lawal Lawal has always maintained his innocence and insisted again on Monday that he has nothing to fear because the allegations against him are false. He said, "Let me tell you, nothing happened to me. Right from the beginning of the saga, I knew that the whole thing was fabricated and that was why I did not give any damn from the beginning. "The reason some people don't like me is that I am so confident of myself. Did you hear me defend myself at that time, I didn't do it and I will not do it because I know that they are fabricated." The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)briefly took Lawal in for questioning in January, but many have expressed displeasure with how the investigation has been conducted so far. Fayose said EFCCs request to the NCS is embarrassing and disappointing. According to him it shows that the anti-graft agency hates and is not impartial. According to Punch, he said This raises a serious question about the impartiality, independence or neutrality of the commission in the matter." He also said he feels harassed, intimidated and embarrassed by the imputation of crime and the innuendos of criminality underlining your correspondence which has been maliciously circulated widely. According to Premium Times, the EFCC asked the Customs Service to be at alert, adding that the Ekiti state Governor might want to abscond from the country through the borders. I will not answer you before October Governor Fayose also told the anti-graft agency that he will not honour EFCC's request to appear on Thursday, September 20, 2018. Fayose had earlier written a letter to the anti-graft agency saying that he'll turn himself in immediately his second term expires on October 16, 2018. In its response, the anti-graft asked the Ekiti state Governor to make himself available on September 20, 2018. ALSO READ: Fayose, in a letter which he circulated to newsmen, said I acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 13th September 2018 requesting me to appear on the 20th September. As a responsible citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who currently enjoys immunity under Section 308 of the Constitution, it would amount to a breach of the Constitution which I swore to uphold if I appeared in your office on any date earlier than 16th October 2018. If done otherwise, it will set a wrong precedent for the constitutional institution that I represent. While drafting my response to yours of 14th September 2018, my attention was drawn to your widely publicised letter of 12th September 2018 to the Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, and similar agencies, directing them to watch and arrest me on an imagination that I might leave Nigeria to escape investigation. This development, to say the least, is disappointing and betrays your commissions unprovoked personal hatred and malice against my person. The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Terna Tyopev, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos. According to Tyopev, the incident occurred on Monday night. On Monday at about 8.a.m, one Robert Zarachi, the Youth Leader from Kwall in Miango District of Bassa, reported at our Division in the locality that at about 10:45.p.m, some gunmen attacked the house of John Atu, a 62-year-old man As a result, Atu lost his life and three other members of his household sustained severe injuries from gunshots, he said. He said the deceased has since been buried in accordance with the Irigwe rites and that the injured members of his family were currently receiving treatment at Enos Hospital, Miango. The police spokesman said investigation had begun to arrest the perpetrators of the heinous crime. He also said that the Police had arrested seven persons who allegedly killed three persons in Gura-Riyom community of Jos South Local Government Area of the state. He said the arrest followed a complaint jointly lodged on Tuesday at the Bukuru Police Division by Musa Ahmadu and two others. On Monday at about 8.a.m, one Musa Ahmadu and two others jointly lodged a complaint at our Bukuru Division that some youths from Gura-Riyom in Sot Ward of Gyel in Jos South, on Monday at about 11.p.m. attacked and killed some of their family members who were on their way to Sabongida Kanang. Our detectives were immediately mobilised to the scene of the crime and with the assistance and cooperation from the youths of the community, seven suspects have been arrested and they are assisting us in our investigation, Tyopev said. Based on the data available, 100 people have so far died in 10 states, announced Sani Datti, spokesperson for NEMA. The water started coming this month and after a while it appeared behind our houses and continued without let-up until last week when the water surrounded our houses,Angulu Atodo, a retiree in Lokoja, told Reuters. I didnt have anywhere to go to. They carried us off to a place far away and we have been there without any food or anything. This is now a national disaster The floods in the States of Kogi, Niger, Anambra, Cross River, Benue and Delta have led the federal government to declare the situation a national disaster. Declaring the flood a national disaster essentially means that the federal government is now in charge of searching for, rescuing, rehabilitating victims and providing humanitarian support for victims. On September 16, President Buhari urged NEMA to declare the floods a national disaster just so that the federal government can intensify its support for affected States. The federal government is closely monitoring the situation along the banks of the Rivers Benue and Niger. I have authorized NEMA to declare a national disaster if necessary. The militarys Disaster Response Units will be activated, for search and rescue missions, Buhari said. Now that the floods have been so declared, affected states will be receiving N3billion from the federal government in relief support. Buhari says the money will be used for the procurement of medical and relief materials to meet the needs of victims of the flooding. NEMA is also providing me with regular updates on the situation. What should we expect in the days ahead? The governors of Kogi and Niger States have been wearing rather grim looks since the floods and have called for assistance from the federal government. We are overwhelmed, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, pleaded. This has been the worst flood in Nigeria since 2012. One of the presidents media aides, Tolu Ogunlesi shared on twitter that: the situation is serious, and approaching the flooding levels that devastated several States in 2012. Water level on Sept 8, 2018: 10.014m vs Water level Sept 8, 2012: 9.5m. Water level in Lokoja this evening: 11.05m Water level at WORST period in 2012 (Sept 29, 2012): 12.84m. Forecasts from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency make for some grim reading as well. Mr Sanusi Yahaya, the states Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, announced this at the official flag-off of the distribution on Tuesday in Lokoja. According to him, the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA) had also sent some relief items such as matresses, blankets, and mats, among others, to be distributed to the flood victims at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the state. Since NEMA has brought non food items, the state government decided to procure food items for victims to enable them feed themselves in the camps. This is just the first batch of the distribution, more items are underway because our governor has graciously approved the release of funds to get more of the food items, Sanusi said. The commissioner appealed to individuals, corporate organisations and professional bodies to assist the flood victims with foodstuffs and other relief materials, and that government alone may not meet the needs of the displaced persons. He, however, commended the Rotary Club and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), in the state for supporting the victims with medicare, foodstuffs and other items. The Kogi government really appreciate the gesture of those who supported the victims. It goes to show that you care and we see it as a big gesture which we call on others to emulate. We have put measures in place to ensure adequate supervision so that items donated get to the affected victims, the commissioner said. Mr Hassan Ayegba, the Executive Secretary of Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said the state government had established over 25 camps for flood victims across the state. According to Ayegba, over 200, 000 households have been affected by floods, adding that efforts were on, in collaboration with NEMA and the Nigerian Navy, to rescue those that were trapped by high water level in their communities. On his part, Mr. Yakubu Ocholi, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Yahaya Bello, on Emergency, said the state government would ensure the items donated got to the real victims. This regime under Gov Yahaya Bello, will ensure that the victims get these items directly without any third party, Ocholi said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Commissioner, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry, SEMA, NEMA, Red Cross, and the security agencies, also monitored the distribution of the food items directly to the victims. Pulse: Do you think there is press freedom in Nigeria? Ogundipe: The issue of press freedom is being forced down the throat of those in the position of authority through the constitution that guarantees that and the Freedom of Information (FIO) law which has already been passed. The resilience of Nigerians as regards to the knowledge about their rights. Its on the basis of these that we have a semblance of press freedom. But, you are still being chased and pursued because nobody wants to pick the paper in the morning and see an embarrassing story about them. We are here to do our work because this country is a mess. Truth is those in authority do not want press freedom. It is only being forced down their throats. Good thing is, press freedom has come to stay. Tell us a little about your experience. They (Police) thought that it would be difficult to get me. That is to tell you how watery the inner workings of the Police are. They were looking for me. They had an initial surveillance, tapped my phone calls, block my bank accounts Apparently, theyve been able to identify my colleague, Azeezat. All that wasnt necessary. All they would have done was to come to the office rather than going through the strenuous avenue to get me. When I was called and I got there I didnt anticipate being detained. I was so bold to be there because the call was about me talking to a suspect involved in a kidnap case or something. On getting there, they changed the story. They were shameless and brazen about tapping my phone, detaining me without any court order. I was interrogated by the Police Commissioner who wanted to know the source of my story. Its preposterous. Its repugnant. You have to question how he rose to that position because he should know that he would be putting the reporter at risk. They did not say anything about the accuracy of my story. They were only concerned about my source and how I got the documents. They also complained about some other stories that I had written. But, primarily, about this story. Every question had to be about me revealing my source, which I refused to do. When they saw that I wont bulge, they decided to detain me. Mind you, while we were there that they discussed procuring a court order to detain me. Interestingly, the next day, the commissioner came to ask me thinking that after what I may have seen overnight, I would reveal my source. I did not. He ordered me to be taken back to custody which they did. When they informed me that I would be arraigned in court, I thought it was a joke. I felt my lawyer from the office would come to inform me. There was none. The prosecutor said he would let me make a call while we got to the court. I wondered why not before we get to court? We got to court and I was summarily arraigned after spending about two hours outside while the prosecutor was inside with the Magistrate that was supposed to sit on my arraignment. I wonder what exactly they were discussing. It is ridiculous. We got in and the prosecutor read the charges and I pleaded not guilty for the charges of stealing documents and so on. I had to raise my voice that Im a journalist with Premium Times and I did not steal any document. The prosecutor did not disclose my identity to the Magistrate. The Magistrate asked that I should be allowed to leave the court. Shortly, the prosecutor gave me the phone to make a call. I called MusilikuMojeed, my editor-in-chief. Afterwards, I was taken back into detention. The Magistrate asked that I be detained for five more days. Meaning, I would be in detention till Monday. I was surprised on Friday when I was informed that I was going to court and would be granted bail. I was elated. Those nights in detention, what were some of the thoughts on your mind? To be honest, I was a bit afraid for my personal safety. In the sense that, I was in the custody of the IG who wants certain information from me which I refused to give. I was afraid that he might be too desperate to take some desperate measures. Which did not happen. I experienced no physical torture, whatsoever, rather than psychological, loss of freedom and the discomfort. The condition is really bad in there. Temperature should be around 40-41 degrees Celsius with 24 men in a small 12x12 room. It was really messy. But, the fact that I knew that in a democracy, there was no way they can take this matter to any court and win made me feel a little better. Are there attempts to gag you since your release? Prior to me arrest, there were attempts but I just try to report to my editors. Since my release, they have been quiet. Top officers were sympathetic to my course. As an investigative journalist, you should be cautious about what you do. Its not just in Nigeria. These things happen across the world. Journalists are killed, their laptops bugged and so on. We just need to be careful. Though they wont say it, we should know. What do you think journalists like you can do to protect themselves in this era? For what we do at Premium Times, just dont get your hands dirty. Just do your job and make sure you have the latest update on anti-virus on your computer and smartphones. Keep your conversations away from open lines. Pray and believe in your faith. Physically, it is difficult to hide if the State is after you. But, if you are a journalist who dont want to rock the boat, for the most part, they wont really chase you. What advice do you have for journalists who look up to you? I would advise them strongly to know that journalism is a profession of service. If you want to make money, you may focus on other aspect of journalism like PR. But for hard-hitting journalism. It could be really frustrating because not only would you not make money, everybody will still hate you. Know that you will be offending people and of course, they will get angry. As you come in, hold your head high and remain focused. Its about service and not something you do because you want to be loved or courted. Courting you is a way of compromising you. For the most part, try and be an independent person. Dont come in with the intention of making money. Although, it can be rewarding in the sense that journalism is evidence-based. Whatever you do is out there for everyone to see and you can be judged on the bases of what you do. Journalists write for the record; for history. Journalists should realize that they are playing a critical role in contemporary history. I will also advice that they try to make a name for themselves for the purpose of service and not personal aggrandizement because it is going to be very tough. For tapping your phone, detaining you, freezing your bank accounts and so on. Are you taking any legal action against the Police? Ahmed, who worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was one of the three humanitarian workers abducted in Rann, Kala Balge local government area of Borno State by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram, on March 1, 2018. According to TheCable, she was recently executed by the terrorists who claimed they had contacted the government over the captives but did not get any response. "We contacted the government through writing and also sent audio messages but the government have ignored us. So, here is a message of blood," a terrorist spokesman told TheCable. In a statement signed by Saraki on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, he condemned Ahmed's killing in the strongest possible terms. He said, "My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa - the young 25-year old female international aid worker who was abducted and killed by Boko Haram. "Such horrific actions have no place in Nigeria. I join all Nigerians and the international community in condemning this killing in the strongest possible terms. "The killing of aid workers, who choose to go into troubled spots, both in Nigeria and around the world, represents a new low by the insurgents, as humanitarian workers are some of the most courageous and selfless people on the planet." The Senate President and presidential aspirant also demanded the freedom of the other two hostages and Leah Sharibu who the terrorists have also threatened to kill. "The other nurse and midwife will be executed in similar manner in one month, including Leah Sharibu," the terrorist spokesman had said. In response, Saraki said, "Additionally, the continued abduction of the late Saifura's ICRC colleagues, Hauwa and Alice, by the militants, alongside the captivity of the young Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, must end. "I call on our brave servicemen and women on the frontlines to do all that they can to protect the aid workers on the ground and employ every God-given resource that is available to us to rescue Leah Sharibu and the ICRC humanitarian workers. "We will continue to support the government in every way possible, to ensure that peace and security are restored in the North-east and across the nation." How Leah Sharibu was abducted When terrorists raided Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe, on February 19, 2018, Leah was abducted alongside 112 other hostages. After weeks of negotiations with the government, the terrorists released 107 of the 113 originally abducted on March 21. While it was reported by some of the released hostages that five of them that were taken had died of heart attack and stress and buried in the bush, Leah Sharibu was kept in captivity by the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith. In an audio message published on August 27, 2018, Leah appealed to President Buhari to secure her freedom. "I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation. Tinubu is backing 53-year-old Managing Director of the Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC) Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, ahead of the Lagos APC governorship primary election. Tinubu has reportedly fallen out with Ambode who has since acquired the N22.5million APC governorship nomination form. APC chieftains and President Muhammadu Buhari will converge on Osogbo today, Tuesday, September 18, 2018 to campaign for governorship flagbearer in the Osun election, Mr.Gboyega Oyetola. Down on bended knees Ambode arrived Osogbo with his wife, full convoy and entourage which is unusual because hes never one to attend political rallies in the past. He doesnt really care about rallies and has conveniently missed the APCs many rallies, one APC chieftain told Pulse over the phone. Pulse has also learnt that Ambodes task on the sidelines in Osun will be to continue pleading with Tinubu and ask other APC chieftains, including President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to beg Tinubu on his behalf. One source told that after Tinubu and Ambode met at Jim Ovias book launch on Monday, Mrs. Ambode literally rolled on the floor to beg Tinubu on her husbands behalf. I really dont know whether she was trying to beg Tinubu to provide a soft landing for her husband in the event that he doesnt get a second term ticket or beg Tinubu to back her husband instead of Sanwoolu. But like you know, The Jagaban has always told Ambode that the situation is now beyond him, that he can no longer help him at this point, the source offered. Preferred APC governorship candidate for Lagos, Jide Sanwoolu, has also arrived Osogbo with his own foot soldiers and supporters to counter whatever plot Ambode intends to execute, Pulse was told. Mum is the word Ambode's representatives have opted to say little to the media. Repeated inquiries on the current intrigues in Lagos politics have elicited no response from Alausathe seat of government in Lagosor from the governors representatives. The Mandate Movement, the political structure which answers to Tinubu and which is headed by Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has openly declared its support for Sanwoolu. All 57 local council chairmen in Lagos have also thrown their weight behind Sanwoolu. While speaking at the party's Lagos secretariat on Monday, September 17, 2018, Saraki said he has the medicine to deliver the state to the party from the grips of someone who regards himself as a godfather. On his campaign trail as the PDP's presidential aspirant, Saraki said he'll ensure the party produces the next Lagos State governor. He said, "What you have been fighting for many years, you will have it during the coming election because you now have somebody that has intention and charisma to deal with those disturbing you. "I have a medicine of the man who regards himself as godfather terrorising Lagos State. We have their formula, come next year, PDP will take over Lagos." Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives' Congress (APC), was a two-term governor of Lagos State and has practically handpicked his successors, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, with his sweeping influence across the state. Saraki to battle Atiku, Tambuwal, others for PDP's ticket To clinch the PDP's ticket to contest in the 2019 presidential election, Saraki has to beat other aspirants including former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and former governors including Sule Lamido, Ahmed Makarfi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Jonah Jang and Rabiu Kwankwaso. Oshiomhole said that the business of governance should not be left to people who will turn the Government House into a disco place. The APC chairman said this at a rally in Osun state ahead of the governorship election that has been scheduled to hold on September 22, 2018. He said These are very trying times for our country; we need people who are competent not apprentice, we need people who can manage finances, we need people who know how to generate and that is where I believe Oyetola will have an advantage over any other person that is contesting the same office. He is a successful person in the private sector where the real resources are. I understand two days ago they had a debate and one of the aspirants was doing skelewu as the debate was going on and when they asked him, he say motor break down. May the government of Osogbo never break down, and it will not break down if it hadnt broken down under Aregbesola, it will not break down under Oyetola. God forbid a partying governor that will turn the government house to a disco house. Governance is serious business and not for dancers. In times like this, we need men with brain; Oyetola is the man with the brain, times like this we need men with passion for their state, Oyetolas passion for Osun state and for Nigeria is not in doubt. We need people of character, people of conviction and my brother, Oyetola, is an embodiment of all these. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israeli pilots carrying out attacks on Syrian targets "used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences," the Russian military said. "15 Russian servicemen died," it said, adding Moscow reserved "the right to proper retaliatory actions" against Israel. It made no further mention of a French frigate the Russian defence ministry had earlier claimed also opened fire from the area on Monday. The French army had denied any involvement and Syria state media had reported late Monday that air defences had intercepted missiles targeting Latakia. "Our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," it said, quoting a military source. Israel mum According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some missiles did get through and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel, which did not comment on Monday evening's strikes, has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combattants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. AFP The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transportation routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Idlib reprieve Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy." AFP Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels and jihadists. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus' military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. Observers and residents of the Idlib region were sceptical however of a deal that appeared to be little more than a temporary fix. "This could be a win for diplomacy and that's what Syria needs more of to solve this crisis," said Lorraine Bramwell, Syria country director for International Rescue Committee. "However, we have seen previously how de-escalation deals haven't lasted long term," she added. Hundreds of people gathered in Binnish, a town in the rebel-held province of Binnish, following Monday's announcement in Sochi. "The demand of the Syrian people, since the very first day, has remained unchanged: it's the fall of the regime," said Wassim Souweid, one of the demonstrators. ODON, Ind. Innovators from Indianas top research institutions will come together to present and exhibit their technologies Sept. 25 during the Indiana Technology Showcase. This first-ever showcase will feature 30 researchers from 1 to 4 p.m. from the University of Notre Dame; Purdue University; Indiana University; University of Southern Indiana; Ivy Tech; and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, at the WestGate Academy, 13598 East WestGate Dr., Odon, Indiana. Each innovator will have three minutes to present their technologies during the fast-paced event. The researchers will then be available at booths to talk about the innovations and licensing opportunities. The showcase will bring together Indianas talent from academia, industry and government for technologies in the areas of medical, agriculture, materials and other fields. The venue for the showcase is the WestGate Academy, which is a prime example of the unique culture of working together in Indiana. Under one roof, WestGate has Purdue, Indiana University and the University of Southern Indiana represented, with close working relationships with NSWC Crane, the Battery Innovation Center and industry partners. Sponsors for the Indiana Technology Showcase include the Indiana Innovation Institute and the Indiana Office of Defense Development. About Purdue@WestGate Purdue@WestGate is an economic development accelerator formed by the partnership between WestGate Authority, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane), Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation. The Indiana-based collaboration combines strengths to advance educational, research and development, and technology commercialization across Indiana and elsewhere. Purdue@WestGate offers tools for startups, entrepreneurial experts, programs, educational opportunities and workforce development to help southern Indiana businesses grow and thrive. For more information about the resources available to businesses, visit Purdue@WestGate. Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org Source: Jason Salstrom, jdsalstrom@prf.org WWE CROWN JEWEL TO AIR LIVE FROM SAUDI ARABIA ON WWE NETWORK, MAIN EVENT ANNOUNCED In the opening segment of Monday Night Raw, it was announced that WWE will broadcast their 11/2 event from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the capital of the country. WWE has run the The Green Halls Stadium in that city before for live events, but this will be the first televised event from that city. The show, titled WWE Crown Jewel, will be headlined by WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman. As I discussed earlier today in my PWInsider.com Elite audio update, WWE staffers will be traveling to Saudi Arabia next week to begin preparations for their second live event from Saudi Arabia, part of a ten year pact the company signed with the General Sport Authority (GSA) this past March. WWE last ran the country with the Greatest Royal Rumble event, a match won by Braun Strowman. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Taking a daily aspirin may not be the fountain of youth its been cracked up to be, according to new research. A series of research articles determined that older healthy adults taking aspirin could be more prone to a major haemorrhage or even mortality. As we get older our risk of bleeding increases. And thats the main side effect of aspirin, said Dr Robyn Woods, executive officer of the trial. The research, released in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at over 19,000 healthy adults over 70 in order to determine whether the benefits outweighed the consequences of long-term aspirin use. There was no overall benefit that was greater than the risk of taking aspirin, Dr Woods told RadioLIVE. The five-year study also found that a daily 100 mg dose did not significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Even more, participants who took a daily aspirin were found to have a slightly higher mortality rate than those taking the placebo. Deaths among those who took aspirin were attributed primarily to cancer. Despite this, Dr Woods emphasised that aspirin is still a very useful drug for those whove experienced a heart attack or stroke. While long-term aspirin users may be tempted to quit cold-turkey, Dr Woods advises speaking to a medical professional before ditching the habit once and for all. Although this is an outcome from a large population study, it has to be taken into account with the individuals other health issues. Participants in the study were all free of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and disability. Listen to the full interview with Robyn Woods above. The Long Lunch with Wendyl Nissen, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. A prominent Auckland businessman has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for sexually exploiting children. Martin Henry Lawes, 75, treated the children he sexually exploited like toys, Justice Edwin Wylie said. He gave Lawes discounts for it being his first offence, his age, his good character in the past, and contribution to the community. But there was no discount for remorse because his attitude after his arrest was of entitlement and self-justification, Justice Wylie said. Stop Demand founder Denise Ritchie says the judge did not accept there was genuine remorse. Ms Ritchie told RadioLIVE that Lawes was caught following a major operation, started by the FBI, between 2008 and 2017. During that time he sent about $100,000 to people in the Philippines via Paypal and Western Union. Lawes said he believed he was helping the children because they lived in poverty. The FBI got in touch with our authorities we had the police and customs involved here. Its an excellent example of huge cooperation and commitment by these agents towards protecting children no matter where they are in the world, she said. Since his arrest he donated $45,000 to two charities aimed at helping children who have been sexually exploited. Listen to the full interview with Denise Ritchie above. The Long Lunch with Wendyl Nissen, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has slammed the media for pointing to hypocrisy over the coalition Government's decision to extend the Iraq troop deployment to June 2019. New Zealand troops were initially deployed to Iraq in May 2015 by John Key's Government in a decision that did not go through Parliament, which Mr Peters' said at the time was undemocratic. He said the decision was made by "an arrogant Government making a minority decision". But the current Labour-led Government - of which Mr Peters' New Zealand First party is a coalition partner - did not put its decision to extend New Zealand troops in Iraq to Parliament, either. Mr Peters was asked by RadioLIVE's Mark Sainsbury if he was contradicting his previous stance. He has adamantly defended the Government's decision, telling RadioLIVEs Morning Talk on Tuesday the "kind of mindless consideration of present day events won't wash any longer," in response to the radio host's comment that the media only sees things from an outside perspective. "Don't tell me you guys are on the outside when you know full well that the circumstances in which National engaged was not a consultative matter... we have to maintain our country's honour as we consider where we go in the future," Mr Peters said. The Deputy Prime Minister said the former Government and the current Government's decisions are not comparable, because the current Government "consulted across Parliament... to try and show them what's happening there [Iraq] now." "That's what's dramatically changed and I'm glad I've had the chance to clear this up." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also defended the Government's decision, despite Labour promising in 2015 to pull the troops out of Iraq while in Opposition. She said there is even a chance the troops could stay in Iraq beyond June 2018. "We as a Cabinet will make that decision really early next year because this is an extension out till June, and I do want us to have the opportunity to look at the environment," she told The AM Show on Tuesday. There are around 143 New Zealand troops deployed at Taji Camp in Iraq which will be reduced to 121 in November. There are also around 11 New Zealand military personnel training army officers in Afghanistan, and their presence will also be reassessed early next year. Join Winston Peters with Mark Sainsbury, every Tuesday at 9:45am on RadioLIVE. Listen to the full interview with Winston Peters above. Morning Talk with Mark Sainsbury, 9am - 12pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone. Newshub. Every Tuesday night after the 10pm news, Mitch Harris is joined by Elevation Capital CEO and founder Christopher Swasbrook to talk on the latest business stories, both here in New Zealand and internationally. On the agenda tonight: - Elon Musk says Tesla's electric vehicles are only a couple of years away - but by that time, will other car manufacturers have caught up in the race to deliver EV's? - The trade war: US President Donald Trump has said he will impose new tariffs on $200billion in Chinese goods, and he's threatened to add hundreds of billions more. - Have Chinese workers been told not to 'bow down' to Trump? - BMW have announced they're developing a self-driving motorbike. Why? - Talk continues to grow about a possible economic downturn in the near future. - Former Prime Minister Dame Jenny Shipley and other former Mainzeal directors are currently in court following the 2013 collapse of Mainzeal. The liquidators allege the directors breached their director duties and recklessly allowed the company to trade while it was facing serious financial problems. - Multiple banks have announced they are cracking down on lending for building projects. How will this affect our current housing crisis and the KiwiBuild scheme? Night Talk with Mitch Harris, 8pm - 12am Monday to Thursday nights on RadioLIVE, and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. The 26 x 26 series, follows the story of Lena Grisky, a time-travelling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia trapped in modern day Paris, and the many dilemmas she faces finding her place between two worlds. Filled with world class ballet, modern dance, music, drama and comedy - all filmed on location in iconic places in Paris where its second season of currently being filmed such as the National Garnier Opera House. The series boasts an up-and-coming cast and creative team that ZDF feels is certain to attract large UK audiences. These include actors Jessica Lord, Hannah Dodd, Eubha Akilade, Rory Saper and Canadian star Castle Rock.Written and co-executive produced by Jill Girling and Lori Mather-Welch (creators of Nickelodeons RIDE), and executive producer Leila Smith, Find me in Paris is a co-production between Cottonwood Media (David Michel, Zoe Carrera Allaix, Cecile Lauritano), ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, and the National Opera of Paris. Distribution is handled by ZDF Enterprises (German speaking territories, UK, Benelux, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe) and Federations Kids & Family (ROW). It is helmed by director Matt Bloom, Duo Ronan and Robert Burke.Find me in Paris has now been sold in every major English-speaking market to channels such as Nick UK , Hulu and NBC Universal US, ABC Australia and every key European market (France TV, ZDF (Germany), Disney (Italy, France), VRT Belgium).Commenting on the acquisition, Louise Bucknole, VP Programming, VIMN Kids, UK & Ireland said: Find Me in Paris is the perfect fit for Nickelodeon UK with drama, mystery, dance and love triangles with plenty of comedy. It looks stunning! Were thrilled to work with ZDF and Cottonwood Media on such a brilliant series and look forward to bringing this to our viewers as a real highlight.We are pleased that Find me in Paris has found its UK home at Nickelodeon , where it will certainly wow their audience and build a big fan base quickly, added Peter Lang, VP ZDFE.junior, ZDF Enterprises . It is great to see how this wonderful series appeals to kids all over the world. We are very proud to be part of this incredible and continuing success story. In a passionate plea to leading members of the UK TV industry at RTS London, Hall said that the country had never had a proper debate about funding the discourse has to date been centred on making cuts to a BBC deemed as too large. He stressed that the corporation which has been under particularly severe financial pressure from successive government since 2010 has never had the space to say what is the right level of funding and then articulate to the public what it should expect from that.Hall painted a picture of a BBC under ever more pressure for the streaming giants who has created a new definition of market scale and who were spending mouth-watering amounts on content; sums that BBC nor any UK broadcaster could compete with in any way. Heres how much Netflix is spending this year on content: $8 billion, he revealed.Heres how much Amazon is spending: $5 billion. And heres how much Britains public service broadcasters are spending on new programmes: 2.5 billion pounds. All together. A knock-on effect of this was that audiences were changing, especially for the younger audiences that would be the lifeblood of the BBC in future. He noted that for younger British audiences, Netflix is now roughly the same size as Channel 4 and close to the size of BBC television and iPlayer together.While he believed the BBCs public mission was as important as ever, Moreover Hall told delegates that he did not believe that what the BBC currently does would be sustainable with the resources it has have.Hall said the net result was that for the BBC to do the most for Britain and the most good for the British public, Britain needed to support the BBC. He asserted that the BBC and the country at large could not afford to underestimate the changes that would be about to take place in the next ten years. Theres just too much at stake, he warned. We must remain true to our mission. We must have the funding that allows us to respond effectively. And we must be able to innovate as audiences change. For all the accolades on todays programmes or schedules, this is not what we will be judged on. It will be how we responded to this shift. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on September 13 upheld subsidies offered by Illinois to help struggling nuclear power plants. The court rejected arguments from power producers and some Illinois energy consumers that so-called zero-emission credits (ZEC) are preempted by the Federal Power Act. Opponents argued the program violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, saying it usurps the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and FERC's jurisdiction over wholesale electricity markets. The ruling was in the case Electric Power Supply Association et al. v. Star et al. The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), an advocacy group for the electric power industry, along with other independent generators and some Illinois energy consumers had said the state's ZEC program and the $235 million in yearly subsidies sent to a pair of Exelon Corp. nuclear plants as part of the state's Future Energy Jobs Act directly impacted wholesale markets. They say the mark of a good salesman is the ability to sell a customer something he doesn't need. So full marks for effort to US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell and his colleague in the US Department of Energy, Dan Brouillette. In their opinion piece, the pair offers up a shameless diplomatic sales pitch to convince Germany to import more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US. Germany can become more energy secure, they say, and support energy diversification efforts at the same time as strengthening the transatlantic alliance. But of course it isn't really about selling more US shale gas, energy security or the transatlantic alliance; it's a veiled warning that Germany should reject Russian gas. Donald Trump believes Germany is captive to Russian energy supplies and wants the country to wean itself off Siberian taps. There are many reasons why residents are choosing to flee California. But imagine leaving the state only to find that the socialists in Sacramento have successfully imposed their will nationwide. That is exactly what is happening with vehicle fuel economy standards. Thankfully, the Trump administration is slamming on the brakes. Californias air pollution standards are more rigorous than the rest of the country, thanks to special authority to grant the state via waiver under the Clean Air Act (CAA). You might ask yourself, what does air pollution in California have to do with the fuel economy of cars manufactured in places like Michigan and Ohio and sold across the country? Thanks to this special waiver and help from the Obama administration, California now exerts outsized influence on the entire American automobile market. In 2009 and again in 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency granted California CAA waivers allowing the state to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles at levels more stringent than those set by EPA. Its not an explicit regulation on vehicle fuel economy. But since the only practical way for automakers to achieve greater GHG reductions is by boosting fuel economy, the effect is the same. The root problem is a separate federal law that already regulates fuel economy. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) was created to reduce American dependence on foreign oil by enforcing policies such as the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Unlike Californias special power to impose requirements in excess of the CAA, California is explicitly preempted from regulating fuel economy under EPCA. Heres where the power grab comes in. The population of California is huge, almost 40 million, which means automakers cant afford to bypass the entire market. In addition, while no other states enjos the authority to craft their own CAA standards, they can choose to adopt those of California and some have. Thus, the American automarket is now subject to multiple sets of standards. To mitigate the obvious chaos of multiple fuel economy standards, the Obama administration brokered a three-way deal between EPA, California, and the automakers, effectively establishing Californias seat at the table as a national regulator. Through its CAA power grab, the progressives in Sacramento have, in effect, imposed stricter fuel economy standards on the rest of the country. Moreover, they have the power to hold the national market hostage to push for even more stringent regulations. Both the Supremacy Clause and the Commerce Clause outlined in the U.S. Constitution make it clear that the federal governments fuel economy standards should trump Californias special fuel economy standards. While Californias regulations are not explicit fuel economy standards, EPCA preempts any regulation related to fuel economy standards. Not only is greater fuel economy the only practical way for automakers to comply with higher GHG standards, the structure of GHG regulations is based on fleet average, which is unlike other CAA emission regulations yet identical to the existing CAFE standards. Californias misused CAA waiver is a classic example of the slippery slope that comes with picking winners and losers in the regulatory space. By granting California exclusive authority under one law to regulate one thing (air pollution), the federal government has given the state an opening to impose its political agenda on something else (fuel economy). Thankfully, the Trump administration has proposed more realistic national fuel economy standards and moved to revoke Californias waiver. This would disarm Sacramento, ending its bullying of the auto industry and drivers in other states. California was given special authority under the CAA to regulate emissions due to its unique geography, weather, and rapid growth and gridlock that produced localized smog. But GHG regulations are aimed at global climate change, not problems unique to California. Theres simply no reason for the state to have special powers above and beyond national GHG standards. One-time special privileges are not, it turns out, just a one-time thing. As in the childhood classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, if you give a regulator a cookie, hell ask for a glass of milk. And then a straw and so on. In addition to being bad policy, Californias CAA waiver sets an irresponsible precedent. It must be revoked to prevent future abuses of regulatory power. States should not be allowed to wield their consumer market as a weapon to impose a progressive political agenda on the rest of the country. Ken Cuccinelli is Director of the Regulatory Action Center at FreedomWorks Foundation. A number of U.S. diplomats have recently fallen ill at the U.S. embassy in Havana. The speculation that the illnesses were somehow the result of a targeted attack engineered by the Cuban regime has ignited a decades-old debate about the small island nation. Lawmakers like Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) say that this shows we need a tougher stance towards Cuba until their authoritarian rulers change their ways. Rubio's stance raises a basic question: How many more decades does the U.S.'s policy of economic isolation have to fail to produce results in Cuba until someone suggests something different? The embargo, which prohibits almost all Cuban-American exchange, has been in place for well over fifty years. Since that time, Cuba has not seen the error of its ways and adopted democracy, capitalism, or both. The Cuban people have not risen up against their government and demanded better living conditions. Sanctions on Cuba haven't much sapped the legitimacy of the communist government. Why not? One reason is that the U.S. has made itself a justifiable scapegoat. One theory behind the embargo has been that as economic conditions worsened, the regime would make concessions, both economically and democratically, to soften the economic blow of isolation from the U.S. Instead, Cuba's leaders can just point to the richest country in the world, just 90 miles away, and assign blame. That such finger-pointing is economically bankrupt (other people in other countries could easily trade with the Cubans if the people had any wealth to exchange) almost misses the point. The needless sanctions have gifted the Cuban leadership with a scapegoat that has been used to great effect over the years. False as the economics behind the blame-shifting are, Cuba's dictators have assigned fault to the U.S. when explaining the chronic shortages of food and supplies. The embargo has not weakened the regime, it has strengthened it. The stunning hypocrisy of those who advocate for a tougher stance on Cuba should not be lost in the conversation either. Since when do politicians like Rubio, who claim to stand for free market capitalism, believe wholesale restrictions on the movement of goods and services will lead anyone in any nation to prosperity? Free marketeers should be championing investment in the expansion of the Cuban private sector, and promoting the virtues of a market economy. Furthermore, what makes pro-democracy champions believe that a totalitarian regime would let any sanctions adversely impact them? As we have seen time and time again, across the world, dictators make living conditions worse for their people, so that they dont have to deal with the consequences that come from sanctions. This means the Cuban embargo is compounding the misery imposed on the Cuban people by their government, and yet U.S. lawmakers, over fifty years later, still think it will one day make them sympathetic to our way of life. All of this reveals a dark truth about the sanctions, and the practice of economic isolation as a political tool. Irish journalist Patrick Cockburn describes the approach to Cuba as a medieval siege but with a modern PR apparatus attached to justify what is being done. The key difference, Cockburn notes, is that these sieges are no longer targeted at single cities, but entire nations with dictatorial leaders who have no reason to be moved by the suffering of their citizens. We are intentionally making destitution more likely in hopes of making political change. Cuba is not the only victim of this draconian tactic. For Iraq in the 1990s, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright claimed that the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children were an acceptable price to pay to try and delegitimize the Hussein regime. It didnt, however, destabilize a regime that stayed in control for years, and until the U.S. government decided to overthrow it by force. We are also seeing the same in Syria. Our sanctions against the Assad regime are preventing the import of desperately-needed medical equipment to that country in the midst of its civil war. Free market advocates recognize that intervention in the economy worsens life for those at the receiving end. Why cant they recognize it when they are the perpetrators? Instead of using heavy-handed government tactics to create misery, and restricting the market, the so-called champions of limited government and the free market should practice what they preach. We should let the market be the engineer of social change, and end the embargo of goods and services going to nations like Cuba. While opening the U.S. up to Cuba won't alter the fact that Cuba's people presently don't have much to exchange with American producers, the possibility of trade with the world's most productive people would surely serve to reinforce their gradual adaptation of free markets. Take China, for example. Both China and Cuba could be described decades ago as brutal Communist dictatorships. With China, however, the U.S. opened trade relations, and that decades-long relationship has created economic gains in both countries. China can now lay claim to being the top trading partner of the U.S. Additionally, China has made market-based reforms and is slowly liberalizing its economy. It is a long way away from being a full-fledged capitalist democracy, but it is certainly in a better place than Cuba. Our lawmakers need to realize their own contradictions, and admit that the Cuba policy has failed. And they should learn from their mistakes in order to become better champions of the free market both at home and abroad. While a present lack of economic freedom in Cuba exists as a barrier to exchange between Americans and Cubans no matter what, it's crucial that the U.S. not in any way be seen as limiting the trade that always and everywhere improves those able to engage in it. Being pro-market means being pro-market in all facets. Extolling the virtues of tight government control over exports and imports, even in the name of democracy promotion, is the opposite of this. Free marketeers need to be more confident that their ideology can work in practice abroad, and be more willing to put their money where their mouth is. The alternative has already resulted in death, suffering, and skepticism about our market-based economy. This decades-long, counterproductive campaign needs to end sooner rather than later. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/18/2018 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! Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. 's first "mystery gentleman," Mike Crowe, has revealed he's single again.Mike, a police officer from Bakersfield, CA, got engaged to Monica Villalobos during 's debut episode back in June, but they have apparently split several months after the broadcast aired on ABC.Mike explained in a TMZ video that Monica broke things off with him last week while they were vacationing in Costa Rica for his surprise 30th birthday party."While we were there in Costa Rica, we were having a great time and about halfway through [the trip] is when she told me that she didn't have feelings for me anymore and wanted to break it off. It just sucks going through any type of breakup like that," Mike told TMZ.Mike said their split is more difficult than usual because they began dating in the public eye and many people are fans of their relationship."You kind of put all of your emotions out there and 15 or 20 million people watch your show and they start following you on social media, and so they start getting invested in your life. So, I just want to say thank you to all of our supporters," Mike said."It's something you want to work out because it's an amazing, amazing story... but it just didn't work out."Mike is clearly still hurting from the breakup, especially since he put himself out there on television to hopefully meet The One.As for whether Mike feels the premise of set him up to fail in his relationship given he had only known Monica for less than an hour before popping the question, he replied, "We just didn't really know or expect what was going to happen. So I don't know if there was an expectation."Mike continued, "For me, I didn't necessarily feel the outside pressure. I'm used to that because I'm an officer, you know, people judging you and talking about you. So, I'm kind of used to that. Maybe for her there was a little bit of an influence or a problem. But set up for failure? For me, no."Mike is now back on the market, and he admitted to TMZ he's intrigued by the idea of potentially competing on a future season of The Bachelorette."I guess I would say, 'Never say never.' I would probably say, 'Maybe.' I might do it. I get a little giddy just talking about that, but yeah, I wouldn't mind it for sure," Mike gushed.According to ABC executive Robert Mills, Mike and Monica filmed their episode of in April., hosted by Jesse Palmer and created by Mike Fleiss, debuted with 10 women -- selected by a panel of matchmakers -- attempting to win the heart of Mike by participating in four pageant-style rounds of competition, including swimwear and "dealbreaker questions."Mike's identity was initially concealed from the ladies. Music Midtown may be over and summer might be drawing to a close, but festival season in Athens is still going strong. In fact, some may say i A lot goes on around Athens and UGA campus and sometimes it can be hard to keep up. From Georgia Football releasing its 2019 schedule to "livi WINSTED Results of the latest round of standardized tests show Winchester Public Schools are ranked first in the state for the most improved math test scores, according to Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanley. The results of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, or SBAC, show that math scores improved significantly at the Isabelle M. Pearson School. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding performance goals grew from 29 percent in the 2016-17 school year to 48 percent in the 2017-18 school year. An increase of 19 percent in one year is nearly unheard of, Brady-Shanley noted. She told the Winsted Board of Selectmen at its Monday meeting that the improvement in scores was achieved through a change in curriculum and teacher training. The scores had been stagnant for three years, from 2014-15 to 2016-17, Brady-Shanley said. The results were a road map for improvement, Selectman Candace Bourchard noted. Brady-Shanley joined the school district in summer 2017. Since then, the scores on standardized tests have increased. More for you Smarter Balance test scores show some progress, but math results still lag They are now on an upswing. You can see from the trend line that they are increasing, she said. The results showed 47.7 percent of students at Pearson scored at or above goal in reading, up from 41 percent in 2016-17.. Forty-six percent of third-graders in 2014-15 scored at or above goal inlanguage arts. Those students, now in sixth grade, saw 51 percent scoring at or above goal in 2017-18. We gained five percent in the past year, Brady-Shanley said. Two percent growth, on average, is what we should see (in future results). These results are extremely impressive, said Town Manager Robert Geiger. These are awesome strides. Selectman Linda Groppo asked whether students performance is monitored throughout the year. Brady-Shanley said the next assessment test will be taken beginning in December. She told the board she would present the results in January. While were not there yet, we have certainly improved from where we were, Brady-Shanley said. Cambodias former opposition chief Sam Rainsy on Tuesday dismissed recent comments by Minister of Interior Sar Kheng who said the release of current opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) president Kem Sokha from pre-trial detention last week would create a power struggle between the two men. Over the weekend, Sar Kheng told ruling Cambodia Peoples Party (CPP) supporters in Prey Veng province that the government has no reason to harm or kill Kem Sokha, who was freed on bail on Sept. 10 and placed under virtual house arrest, a year after he was arrested on treason charges widely seen as politically motivated. However, we are very concerned that he might be harmed now that he is released, the minister said in a video of the speech posted to his Facebook account. His release poses some risk in creating a power struggle between him and Sam Rainsy, who wants to become the president of the party again. Sam Rainsy, who has been living in self-imposed exile for nearly three years to avoid a string of convictions by courts seen as beholden to Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen, stepped down as head of the CNRP in February last year to prevent the dissolution of the party. But the Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP anyway in November, saying the party had played a role in Kem Sokhas alleged plot to overthrow the government, and opposition candidates were banned from taking part in the countrys July 29 general election, which the CPP won handily. On Tuesday, Sam Rainsy told RFAs Khmer Service that he and Kem Sokha remain committed to the goals of the CNRP, and dismissed Sar Khengs comments as nothing short of an attempt to break up the CNRP leadership. They want Sam Rainsy to break with Kem Sokha, he said of the minister and other members of Hun Sens government. Last week, Sam Rainsy welcomed Kem Sokhas releasewhich carried the conditions that he must stay within a block radius of his home, cannot meet with CNRP officials or foreigners, and cannot or host any rallies or political activitiesbut wrote on his Facebook page that it was not enough. The groundless and ludicrous charges against him must be dropped. Once those charges are dropped, there will no longer be any grounds for maintaining the dissolution of the CNRP, which then will have to be reinstated, he wrote. Kem Sokha still faces up to 30 years if convicted of treason. House arrest Sar Khengs comments over the weekend also referred to the governments plan to keep Kem Sokha under house arrest after his release, and alluded to his frustration over the difficulty in justifying it through a legal system that does not allow for such a condition of release. There is no provision in our Criminal Code that relates to house arrest, he said. How were we supposed to deal with that? We had to find another way out. According to Sar Kheng, he ordered a letter be prepared for Kem Sokha to sign which said that the opposition chief was worried about his personal safety and security and requested the national police to provide him with protection. We asked him to write the letter by himself based on our idea, he said. First we asked him to write that he needed security protection at his house. But he asked that the term house be removed. We agreed. By means of that letter, we could not be accused of placing him under house arrest. Sar Kheng also suggested that the government had to let [Kem Sokhas case] flow according to the required court procedures so that it could avoid being accused of making a mistake in charging him with treason. The ministers remarks stood in stark contradiction to what Hun Sen has said about Kem Sokhas case, which is that his bail was granted at the discretion of the courts, and that his government had no say in it. The video of Sar Khengs comments was removed from his Facebook page a few hours after it was posted, with no explanation given for its retraction. Political analyst Bong Deth told RFA that Sar Khengs comments only confirmed what many believe to be trueHun Sens government enjoys near total influence over the countrys courts. The people know very well that Cambodian courts are under the control of the ruling party and the government, he said. Guarantee of protection The Phnom Penh Post on Tuesday reported that the minister had vowed to keep Kem Sokha safe, and said he cannot accuse us [if there is any incident] because he himself was the one who requested protection. Addressing Sar Khengs guarantee to provide protection for the opposition chief, Sam Rainsy told RFA that he was reminded of a similar assurance he gave me on March 29, 1997, on the eve of a deadly grenade attack on a peaceful demonstration I was going to lead in Phnom Penh. Like Kem Sokha now, I also asked for protection from Sar Kheng. In his same capacity as Interior Minister, Sar Kheng sent me a letter to give me the same assurance that he would provide protection to my group of peaceful demonstrators, but this did not prevent the grenade attack from happening. The attack on the rally left 16 people dead and more than 150 injured, and nearly killed Sam Rainsy. Therefore, we must be careful about the ruling CPP giving us an assurance of security while organizing state-sponsored acts of terrorism behind our backs, the former opposition chief said. Recent releases Hun Sen, who secured another five-year term to add to his 33 years in office after official election results were announced on Aug. 15, has made a practice of heavy-handed crackdowns on his critics, followed by a relaxation of restrictions after facing international condemnation. The U.S. recently announced an expansion of visa bans on individuals seen as limiting democracy in the country, as part of a series of concrete steps aimed at pressuring Cambodia to reverse course that included a decision to withdraw funding for last months elections. The European Union, which was the second biggest trade partner of Cambodia in 2017, also withdrew support ahead of the ballot and is currently reviewing a preferential trade scheme for Cambodian exports based on the countrys election environment. Last month, King Norodom Sihamoni granted a royal pardon at Hun Sens behest to 14 jailed CNRP activists who were serving long sentences for insurrection in connection with anti-government street protests in 2014 that turned into violent clashes with police and security forces. Their release followed the freeing by royal decree of Tep Vannya prominent land activistand three other campaigners convicted for their roles in a protest over a land grab, as well as the granting of bail to two former RFA reporters who are facing charges of espionage. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. A Cambodian political commentator and critic of Hun Sen has been hit with new criminal charges a month after completing a prison sentence for incitement to commit felony and defamation, and has gone into hiding, fearing arrest, sources say. Kim Sok, 38, was jailed on Feb. 17, 2017, after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen accused him of implying that the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) had orchestrated the 2016 murder of popular political pundit Kem Ley. Just days before he was gunned down on July 10, 2016, Kem Ley had discussed on an RFA Khmer Service call-in show a report by London-based Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of the family of Hun Sen. Speaking to RFAs Khmer Service after his release on Aug. 17, 2018, Kim Sok said that Hun Sens CPP had done nothing to earn a landslide victory in July 29 national elections widely dismissed as unfair following the banning of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party in November and arrest of its president, Kem Sokha, two months later. On Aug. 29, Hun Sen warned Kim Sok that he would be rearrested and thrown back into prison if he fails to pay hefty fines both to him and to the government as part of the sentence he was handed for defamation in August 2017, and demanded that the social commentator stop criticizing how he runs the country. The court had ordered him to pay 800 million riels (U.S. $200,000) to Hun Sen and 8 million riels (U.S. $2,000) to the state. On Sept. 14, Judge Leang Samnat of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a warrant ordering police to locate and arrest Kim Sok on accusations of incitement and defamation related to statements he had made last year that were not covered in the original charge. Kim Soks lawyer Choung Choungy could not be reached for comment, and Kim Sok has now gone into hiding to escape unfair handling in Cambodian courts described on Monday by rights group Human Rights Watch as controlled by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party. There is no independence of the judiciary in Cambodia, deputy Asia director for HRW Phil Robertson told RFAs Khmer Service by phone on Sept. 17. [Kim Sok] has been criminalized in a way that is completely against human rights, because he dared to say what many people are thinking, which was that Prime Minister Hun Sen and parts of the Cambodian Peoples Party might be behind the killing of Kem Ley. This is something that many people have suspected, Robertson said. And the Cambodian government can say whatever it wants about the rule of law, but the reality is that this is rule of power, he said. This is rule of intimidation. This is rule of the strength of a dictatorial government to pursue, convict, and imprison anybody it wants. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney. The ejection of three Chinese tourists from a guesthouse in the Swedish capital by police and Beijing's outraged response has whipped up a degree of nationalistic fervor on social media in recent days, although Chinese living in the country have expressed "embarrassment" over the behavior of the tourists and the government's subsequent protests. Video footage of a Chinese tourist surnamed Zeng and his elderly parents being carried out of Stockholm's Generator Hostel after they showed up one day early for their booking and refused to leave have gone viral on China's tightly controlled internet. According to state media, "Zeng's mother, 64, was taken in a police car with her hands behind her back, and police allegedly hit her in the vehicle when she 'was tired of the position and just moved her body a bit.'" His father, 67, fainted when he was carried inside another police car, the strongly nationalist Global Times reported, adding that the trio were then driven to an area "close to a graveyard" in Stockholm. Zeng and his parents had traveled from China to Europe in mid-August, and arrived at a hostel in Stockholm in early morning of Sept. 2, it said. Beijing has called for a thorough investigation by Sweden of the incident, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday. But he said Swedish police had yet to respond. Stockholm police and prosecutors have said there is no case to investigate, as police were simply carrying out their duties. 'Very ashamed' Meanwhile, a resident of Stockholm surnamed Liu said some Chinese living in Sweden were "very ashamed" of the tourists' behavior and their government's reaction. "Oh no, not that; that was so embarrassing," Liu said. "How can Chinese people behave that way? This sort of bad behavior makes life very hard for Chinese people living overseas." Liu denied reports that Stockholm police had "dumped" the three tourists in a graveyard dozens of kilometers away, saying they had been taken to a neighborhood where there was an overnight shelter for homeless refugees. "That place is intended for refugees with nowhere to stay, and they can spend the night there," he said. A Sweden-based tour guide for Chinese tour groups said she was shocked to see Beijing coming down on the side of what she implied were poorly behaved Chinese tourists. "This was a very cheap youth hostel that has many links with tour guides, so everyone heard about it soon after it happened," she said. "It was so embarrassing." "You should report that Chinese people living in Sweden have a problem [with the tourists' behavior]." An initial investigation into the incident concluded that the Stockholm police had done nothing wrong, AP reported on Monday. A Sweden-based translator surnamed Wang told RFA that privately owned establishments have the right to ask people to leave their premises. "It doesn't matter whether it's a youth hostel or a restaurant. If they have a good reason to ask you to leave, and you don't leave, then you are infringing on other people's rights and trespassing on their property," Wang said. "In that case, they will call the police and have them deal with it." Politically motivated Wang said she had never seen an instance of police brutality in 30 years of living in Sweden, and said the Chinese Communist Party's protests were likely politically motivated, following a visit to the country by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Sept. 12. A security advice notice on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm warned that Chinese tourists had been subjected to attacks and muggings on a number of occasions, resulting in the loss of their property and a threat to their personal safety. Chinese tourists had also been subjected to "rough treatment at the hands of public servants," it said. Political analysts have identified Chinese tourism as one of the channels through which the administration of President Xi Jinping seeks to extend its influence around the world. In March 2017, Seoul's deployment of a U.S. missile defense shield sparked anti-Korean protests and the closure of many stores in the South Korean convenience chain Lotte across the country. Chinese travel agencies, which fly Chinese tourists into South Korea on mass vacations arranged by state-owned enterprises, then began boycotting the country as a destination. Reported by Wong Siu-san and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Shi Shan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. North Korean authorities are blocking entry by outsiders to Pyongyang and tightening political controls in the city as talks begin between national leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, North Korean sources say. Moon, in his third summit with Kim this year, faces the tough task of reviving stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea amid a lag in disarmament discussions following Kims summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore. Moon also wants to push forward with his own plans to expand inter-Korean economic cooperation and find a way to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. According to news agency reports from Seoul, Kim thanked South Korea's President Moon Jae-in at the start of talks in Pyongyang for bringing about the Singapore meeting. "Thanks to that, the political situation in the region has stabilized, and I expect more advanced results," Kim told Moon. The first session of the talks was held at the headquarters of the North's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee. The two leaders were accompanied by Workers Party vice chairman Kim Yong Chol and Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong, as well as South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong and spy chief Suh Hoon, the reports said. Earlier, Kim greeted Moon with hugs and handshakes at the airport and the leaders paraded down the streets of Pyongyang in Kim's black Mercedes limousine to loud cheers from nearly 100,000 North Koreans who waved flowers and chanted "Motherland! Unification!" according to the Reuters news agency. Severe restrictions For ordinary North Koreans, however, restrictions are unusually severe amid official concerns that Pyongyang show itself at its best during the three-day visit, a source in North Pyongan province, bordering China, told RFAs Korean Service. People who need to go to Pyongyang on business or for personal reasons are now extremely inconvenienced, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. In the past, even if access to the capital was restricted, we could enter the city by bribing train security officers and soldiers at inspection points, but that wont work this time, the source said. Its impossible to get anywhere near the city, as the atmosphere there is very strict. Ive seen restrictions around events in Pyongyang over several decades, but this is the first time theyve tightened controls to this extent, he said, adding that military and judicial authorities have been strengthening security at military armories and ammunition dumps. Pyongyang citizens were kept extremely busy from the beginning of the year to prepare for [national founding day] celebrations on Sept. 9, and now their freedom is being suppressed again because of the North-South Summit, he said. On Wednesday, Moon and Kim plan to hold a second day of official talks and unveil a joint statement, together with a separate military pact designed to ease tensions and prevent armed clashes, the AP reported. 'Don't wander around' Also speaking to RFA, a source in Pyongyang said that military bases in the capital area have been told to reduce their activities and make sure that military officers and soldiers dont wander around Pyongyang while the summit talks are held. Authorities have also told soldiers to wear civilian clothes in situations where their presence in Pyongyang is unavoidable, the source said, also speaking on condition he not be named. City residents have also been told to stay alert at work and in public to prevent nonsocialist phenomena from tarnishing North Koreas image at a time when large numbers of South Koreans, including many business leaders, are visiting. Companies, organizations, peoples units, and schools have been ordered to hold lectures and other meetings to make sure that residents dont harm the nations dignity by engaging in unhealthy behaviors, the source said. Inspection stations are meanwhile carrying out security checks to prevent unnecessary people from coming into Pyongyang by train or by road while the summit meetings are held, he said. Reported by Myung Chul Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney. Radhika Coomaraswamy (L), Marzuki Darusman (C), and Christopher Sidoti (R), members of the Independent International Fact-finding Mission on Myanmar, attend a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 18, 2018. A United Nations fact-finding mission that investigated atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmars Rakhine state issued a report on Tuesday detailing violence by security forces and calling for the prosecution of top military commanders as well as the removal of the countrys powerful Tatmadaw (military) from politics. The 444-page report by the three-person panel established by a mandate of the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, presents extensive findings and fresh descriptions of serious human rights violations and abuses carried out against civilians primarily by the military, as well as violations of international humanitarian law in Rakhine, Kachin, and Shan states. As in the initial report issued on Aug. 27, the comprehensive report says Myanmar commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other top military leaders should be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya for a campaign that began in late August 2017 that killed thousands and drove some 700,000 of the Muslim ethnic minority into Bangladesh. Government soldiers also stand accused of indiscriminate killings, torture, and rape of Rohingya and torching their homes during the crackdown. The actions of the Tatmadaw in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states, in particular in the context of the clearance operations in northern Rakhine state in 2016 and 2017, have so seriously violated international law that any engagement in any form with the Tatmadaw, its current leadership, and its businesses, is indefensible, it said. The new report calls for security sector reform in Myanmar by abolishing the 25-percent quota for military seats in parliament and the militarys control of three key ministries. It also calls for parliamentary approval of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. That formula, engineered by the military amid the transition from decades of army junta rule to an elected government, means that the administration of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi does not have control over the troops whose actions have tarnished Myanmars image and her own international prestige. Under the terms set by the military, Aung San Suu Kyi herself cannot serve as president and instead rules as state counselor above a figurehead president. The government of Myanmar, including the civilian authorities and the Tatmadaw as relevant, should act without delay to restructure the Tatmadaw and transform its role. That should begin with replacing the current leadership of the Tatmadaw, the report recommended. Through a constitutional amendment process, the government should further pursue the removal of the Tatmadaw from Myanmars political life, it said. The report also reiterates the missions call that the situation should be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague or to an ad hoc international criminal tribunal. Many violations amount to the gravest crimes under international law, the report says, adding that because of a culture of impunity with the military in Myanmar, the push for accountability must come from the international community. Call for targeted sanctions Tuesdays report called on the U.N. Security Council to adopt targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on senior military officials responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, along with an arms embargo. The gross human rights violations and abuses committed in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states are shocking for their horrifying nature and ubiquity, the reports conclusion says. They are also shocking because they stem from deep fractures in society and structural problems that have been apparent and unaddressed for decades. Regarding the reports recommendation that the military should be placed under the control of the government, Nyan Win, a member of the central executive committee of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) government, said that is what the party of leader Aung San Suu Kyi has sought all along. Thats why we were fighting for democracy, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. The military is separate from the government, and it is not part of the NLDs mission. This is because of the 2008 constitution by a previous military government, he said referring to the document written by army leaders that enshrines the militarys power in Myanmar's politics. Should the military be placed under the control of the government, we would be pleased, Nyan Win said. Zaw Htay, director general of the state counselors office, could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmars permanent representative to the U.N., dismissed the commissions report as one-sided and said his government does not recognize its mandate. Not only is this report detrimental to social cohesion in Rakhine state, it also undermines the governments efforts to bring peace, national reconciliation and development to the entire nation, he said in Geneva. The government and military have denied committing most of the atrocities against the Rohingya in Rakhine state and have justified the clearance operations as a legitimate counterinsurgency against deadly attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Muslim militant group. The missions report also said that some acts by ethnic armed groups and ARSA could amount to war crimes. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called the report an indisputable indictment of the Tatmadaws inhuman brutality that should jolt the international community into action. The job before us now is to finally ensure accountability for Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the Tatmadaw commanders and soldiers who have grown so accustomed to impunity for their atrocities that they think they can just ignore this report, he said in an e-mailed statement. Starting next week at the U.N. Human Rights Council, they will see just how wrong they are, he said. Fatou Bensouda, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, waits for the start of a trial at the international tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, Jan. 28, 2016. Credit: Associated Press ICC begins preliminary probe Also on Tuesday, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary probe into whether Myanmars forced deportations of Rohingya to Bangladesh could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. The ICC decided earlier this month that it has jurisdiction over the alleged crime of deportation because Bangladesh is a member of the international tribunal though Myanmar is not. I have decided to proceed to the next phase of the preliminary examination process and to carry out a full-fledged preliminary examination of the situation at hand, Bensouda said in a statement. A preliminary examination is not a formal probe but a process of examining information available to reach an informed determination on whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation under criteria established by the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the international court. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Afghanistans main intelligence agency says its officers have arrested at least 26 suspected members of the extremist group Islamic State (IS), accusing them of plotting attacks on members of the Shi'ite minority. The militants, including an alleged IS leader, were detained in separate operations in Kabul, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said on September 18. A statement said they planned to target Shia during this weeks commemoration of Ashura, the holiest celebration in the Shi'ite religious calendar. The IS affiliate in Afghanistan has stepped up attacks on minority Shia across Afghanistan. The group claimed responsibility for a September 9 twin bomb attack at a wrestling club in a predominately Shiite neighborhood of Kabul that killed more than 20 people. IS militants assert that Shia are apostates who deserve death. Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban and IS since the United States and NATO formally ended their combat mission in the country in 2014. In the northern province of Balkh, a local official said on September 18 that nine members of the Afghan police force were killed when another officer shot them at a checkpoint. Mohammadudin Khanjer, a police official in the district of Char Boldak, said one officer was wounded and three others were missing after the shooting late on September 17. The attacker was a policeman from another checkpoint in the same district who fled the scene after seizing all weapons from the checkpoint, apparently to join the Taliban, Khanjer said. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the attack but the militants are active in the area. Insider attacks, in which members of Afghan security forces or assailants dressed in Afghan uniforms fire on coalition troops, have become less common in recent years but remain a persistent worry. The U.S. military said one of its servicemen was killed and another was wounded in eastern Afghanistan on September 3 in an attack carried out by a member of the Afghan National Police. It came nearly two months after a member of a U.S. Army training unit was shot dead by an Afghan soldier in the southern province of Oruzgan. With reporting by AP and Khaama Press Iran's currency has dropped sharply this year, and U.S. sanctions on the country are expected to further undermine its economy. The financial instability is taking a toll on the large numbers of Afghan migrants who live in Iran, forcing many to return home to their war-torn country. Tehran, Damascus, and Syrian opposition groups have welcomed an agreement between Russia and Turkey to avert an assault on Syria's last major rebel stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib. Intensive responsible diplomacy between Russia, Turkey, and Iran succeeded in avert[ing] war in Idlib, with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on September 18. Diplomacy works, he added. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official said the deal reached by the Russian and Turkish presidents on September 17 to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Idlib to separate government and rebel forces was the result of intense discussions" between Damascus and Moscow, according to Syrias state media. The SANA news agency quoted the official as also saying that the Syrian government will press on with its "war against terrorism" to "liberate" the entire country, by military operations or local reconciliation." The Syrian government and its allies Iran and Russia often refer to any armed opponent of the Syrian government as a "terrorist." Syria's opposition groups also hailed the deal between Russia and Turkey, with the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) saying that the deal safeguarded the lives of the population. SNC spokesman Yahya al-Aridi told the Reuters news agency that the agreement was also an indication that the "path of peace" must now be opened. Mustafa Sejari of the Free Syria Army (FSA) said the agreement preserves lives of civilians and their direct targeting by the regime. It buries [Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's] dreams of imposing his full control over Syria." Moscow and Tehran have given Assad crucial support throughout the Syrian war, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011. The three allies have been pressing ahead with an expected Syrian government offensive in Idlib Province, saying they want to put an end to what they call the last main terrorist stronghold in Syria. Turkey, which is backing rebel groups, has called for a cease-fire to prevent what he said would be a "bloodbath" and another major refugee crisis on Turkey's southern border. The country is already home to more than 3 million Syrians who have fled the war. After meeting in Russias Black sea resort city of Sochi on September 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said they agreed to create a buffer zone in Idlib. Speaking at a joint news conference, Putin said it will be 15 to 25 kilometers wide and come into force by October 15. Radical fighters, including the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, would have to leave the zone, he said. The Russian president also said that under the deal, rebel groups will have to pull out all heavy weaponry, including tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems, and mortar launchers from the area by October 10. Erdogan said Turkish and Russian troops will carry out coordinated military patrols on the borders of the buffer zone. "We will prevent a humanitarian tragedy that could happen as a result of military action," he said. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the deal meant there will be no offensive in Idlib. Idlib Province, home to some 3 million people, is the last major stronghold of rebel and jihadist groups that have been trying to overthrow Assad for the past 7 1/2 years, in a civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Iran's clapperboard crowd has spent the past two decades amassing international audiences and acclaim, as evidenced by prestigious filmmaking awards from Cannes to California. Directors like Jafar Panahi, Samira Makhmalbaf, and Asghar Farhadi have elevated an already proud cinematic culture and exposed millions of filmgoers around the world to the creativity and filmmaking prowess behind one of Iran's best-known exports. But despite unprecedented recent success at the Oscars and nominations at some of the world's most discerning film festivals, the industry's arbiters of success are under fire from conservatives for not injecting enough politics into the process. State media and a hard-line daily with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have suggested that the Farabi Cinema Foundation's selection of Vahid Jalilvand's award-winning drama No Date, No Signature to compete in the best foreign-language film category at the 2019 Academy Awards was a mistake, because its bleak portrayal of Iranian life risks playing into the hands of the clerically dominated leadership's biggest critics. In a commentary titled Iran's Oscar Choice With Trump's Signature, the daily Javan said Jalilvand's "bitter and dark" film "portraying Iranian society as ruins under decay" could compromise national interests at a time of intense U.S. pressure. A better choice, it suggested, would have been Damascus Time, a drama that puts a more positive spin on Iranian activities in Syria about an Iranian pilot and his son who are captured by Islamic State (IS) militants while trying to deliver humanitarian supplies. Iran has deployed IRGC commanders and sent thousands of troops and volunteers into neighboring Syria to fight IS and other "terrorists" and to help prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime regional ally derided by the West since his brutal campaign to stomp out street protests in 2011. More recently, President Donald Trump has unilaterally increased U.S. pressure on Tehran by abandoning a 2015 deal that eased international sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities, reimposing many sanctions, and pledging to punish anyone doing business with Iran. Iran's already struggling economy has been hit hard and its currency, the rial, has continued to plummet to record lows. Javan cited a Bloomberg story in May that quoted Trump suggesting that the effectiveness of his policies invited the "question of will they survive" with respect to Iran's political leadership, adding that "under such conditions" Jalilvand's film was an inappropriate entry for an Oscar. The film No Date, No Signature has been praised by critics as a "visual pleasure" with superb acting, and it won the best actor and best director awards at the 2017 Venice Film Festival. It explores feelings of guilt and culpability through the story of a forensic pathologist who is involved in an accident that he fears might have caused the death of an 8-year-old-child. The answer hints at economic and other divides in Iranian society. The Farabi Cinema Foundation, which traditionally selects Iran's Oscar entries, said 42-year-old director Jalilvand's film was deemed fit to represent Iran for having been well-received internationally and also due to the efforts of its distributor in the United States helping the movie receive attention and recognition. Damascus Time was reportedly produced with IRGC funding and has been praised by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and General Qassem Soleimani, who heads the IRGC's elite Quds Force, as highly valuable. "Can the goal of the U.S. and Trump's bragging against the Islamic establishment and the revolution be anything else than the content of this film?" the daily asked. Javan argued that by not selecting Damascus Time, the Farabi Cinema Foundation was missing a "golden opportunity" to explain the goals and strategy of Iran's 1979 revolution to an international audience. 'Too Dark' Iran has seen sporadic protests over the past 10 months, including antigovernment demonstrations that quickly spread to more than 80 cities and towns in December and January. Farabi Cinema Foundation dismissed calls for "the boycott of the Academy Awards" and described the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a nongovernmental organization that "belongs to American cineastes." "Iranian cinema as part of the country's cultural diplomacy can use the participation in the event as an opportunity for strengthening ties between nations, making an impact on the public opinion and pressuring the U.S. government," the foundation said in a statement released on September 14. State-controlled TV, which plays a major role in the Iranian leadership's censorship efforts, acknowledged the artistic merits of No Date, No Signature but criticized the cinema foundation's choice. "It's a good and powerful movie with ideal characters, yet it's a film that depicts a dark picture of the Iranian society for outsiders," a film critic told state TV before adding that Iran should instead introduce its many films inspired by the bloody 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War to the world. Steer Clear Of Politics -- Or Else Director Asghar Farhadi has won two Oscars for best foreign-language film -- for The Separation in 2011 and The Salesman in 2017. He did not attend the 2017 ceremony to protest a U.S. travel ban that targets Iran and several other mostly Muslim countries. The Salesman is the story of a young married couple that must cope with trauma resulting from an assault on the wife. The Separation examines a family's difficult choice between moving to another country in search of a better future or staying in Iran and taking care of a parent who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Filmmakers living in Iran must work under strict censorship guidelines that, for example, prevent them from criticizing Islamic rules or showing couples touching each other. Iranian authorities routinely ban award-winning movies from cinemas inside the country. Many filmmakers steer well clear of politics in favor of social issues. But artists who fall afoul of such guidelines have been persecuted, including in some cases being sentenced to prison terms. They include director Panahi, a Cannes laureate who was banned from making movies or leaving the country over his support for a 2009 protest movement in Iran. Panahi has made a few movies that have been screened outside the country despite the official ban, including a 2015 film, Taxi, that won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Panahi has also remained outspoken on social media. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have agreed to move ahead with a project to build two new reactors at Hungary's Paks nuclear-power plant. The two men made the announcement following talks in Moscow on September 18. "I consider [the Paks project] to be a flagship of cooperation, and we have to follow through on it," Orban said at a joint press conference following the meeting. Putin also called for "expanding nuclear cooperation" between the two countries. Orban noted, however, that the project faces hurdles concerning licensing, permits, and European Union regulations. Aleksei Likhachev, head of the Rosatom state nuclear agency, said a date for the start of construction would only be set after a license was issued. Earlier this year, Austria filed a lawsuit against the European Commission over its approval of the Paks expansion. Austria, which has no nuclear-power plants, opposes "the use of nuclear-power plants at all levels," Austrian Sustainability Minister Elisabeth Koestinger wrote on Twitter in January. The cost of the project is set at 12.5 billion euros ($14.6 billion), most of which will be provided by a 10-billion-euro ($11.2 billion) loan from Moscow. Putin and Orban also discussed bilateral trade, Russian gas supplies for Hungary, and the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and U.S. News and World Report Syrian air defenses inadvertently shot down a Russian surveillance plane over the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Moscow has said, blaming what it called reckless actions by Israel that led to the deaths of 15 Russian servicemen. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on September 18 that Israeli pilots conducting attacks on targets in Syria "used the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defenses." "The blame for the downed Russian plane and the death of the crew lies fully with the Israeli side," Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, in a phone call, the ministry said in a statement. "The Russian Defense Ministry, through various channels of coordination, has repeatedly called on the Israeli side to refrain from strikes on Syrian territory that create a threat to the safety of Russian servicemen," Shoigu added, according to the statement. The Israeli military rejected the accusation, saying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces were to blame. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, refrained from directly accusing Israel of responsibility for the incident while speaking alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban following their talks in Moscow. He said the plane was downed following a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances." Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said earlier in the day that Moscow could take "commensurate measures in response" to "the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military." Putin said Russia's response would be focused on the security of Russian personnel in Syria. "These will be steps that everyone notices," he said, calling the deaths of the servicemen "a tragedy for everyone, for the country, for the loved ones of our fallen comrades." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed sorrow for the death of the Russian soldiers, his office said in a statement on September 18. Netanyahu told Putin during a phone call that Syria bears responsibility for the downing of the jet. He also noted that Israel is determined to block Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria and transferring weapons to its proxy Hizballah militia for use against Israel, the statement said. State-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti said that the Israeli ambassador to Moscow had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on September 18. The accusation against Israel came hours after the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft went off radar 35 kilometers from the Syrian coast at about 11 p.m. local time the previous day. The Ilyushin disappeared from radar at around the same time that Israeli F-16 fighters attacked Syrian facilities in Latakia Province, the ministry said. It said the plane was returning to Hmeimim air base in the northwestern Syrian province of Latakia, where the bulk of Russia's armed forces in the country are stationed. Hmeimim is Russia's main base for air strikes on rebel groups in Syria. Fragments of the plane were found 27 kilometers west of the city of Banias, Russian authorities said, adding that some remains of the crew had been recovered as well. In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the Russian warplane was likely shot down by the Syrian regime. "It sounds to me and it seems to me based on a review of the facts that Syria shot down a Russian plane. And I understand about 14 people were killed and thats a very sad thing but thats what happens," Trump said at a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was an "unfortunate" incident and a reminder that a political resolution to the conflict was needed. "Yesterday's unfortunate incident reminds us of the need to find permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions to the many overlapping conflicts in the region and the danger of tragic miscalculation in Syria's crowded theater of operations," Pompeo said in a statement on September 18. Russia has given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial support throughout the Syrian conflict, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011. Several countries are conducting military operations in Syria, in some cases supporting opposite sides in the conflict. Communication lines have been set up between countries to mitigate the risk of unintended military confrontation in Syria. Russia and Israel have largely maintained friendly relations in recent years, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Putin in Moscow several times to discuss the Syria conflict. Israel is not backing a specific side in the Syria conflict, though it has admitted to conducting air strikes in the country targeting Iran and its allies, including Hizballah. "These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat against it," it said. Before announcing its plane was shot down by Syrian forces, Russia had said rocket launches were detected from the French frigate Auvergne nearby around that time, though the French military denied any involvement. Israel claimed that its jets were already inside Israeli air space when Syrian forces launched the missiles that struck the Russian aircraft. Konashenkov said the plane was downed by Syria using an S-200 air-defense system that Russia had provided. Earlier, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported that missiles were fired at several locations in Latakia Province late on September 17. State media said the explosions were suspected to have been caused by Israeli strikes. With reporting by Interfax, Reuters, AP, RIA Novosti, TASS, AFP, and the BBC The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered the Ukrainian government not to access any data from the cell phone of RFE/RL investigative reporter Natalia Sedletska. The September 18 order is in effect until October 18 to give Sedletska time to prepare a full complaint to the court. The ECHR pledged to consider her appeal "as a matter of priority." On August 27, Kyiv's Pechersk district court approved a request from the Prosecutor-General's Office to allow investigators to review all data from Sedletska's phone from July 1, 2016 through November 30, 2017. The ruling stems from a criminal investigation into the alleged disclosure of state secrets to journalists in 2017 by Artem Sytnyk, director of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty spokeswoman Joanna Levison said earlier this month that the court's ruling is "inconsistent with Ukraine's own commitments to promote and protect a free press." Sedletska is the host of Schemes, an award-winning anticorruption television program by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Ukrainian Public Television. The Schemes program reported on several investigations involving senior Ukrainian officials, including Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko, during the period in question. The United States, the European Union, and international media watchdogs have expressed concern over the Ukrainian court ruling. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine posted on Twitter on September 5 that it could have "a chilling effect on press freedom and anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine." Rival contenders for the governorship in a Russian Pacific region girded for court battles, and more protests, after an unusual last-minute vote count in a runoff election gave victory to the ruling party incumbent. Supporters of Russia's Communist Party have cried foul in the election to head the Primorye region, where Vladivostok, the home port to the Pacific naval fleet, is located. According to electoral officials, acting Governor Andrei Tarasenko was the victor in the runoff vote, after he surged ahead of challenger Andrei Ishchenko as final ballots were counted on September 17. However, Ishchenko had been ahead in the tally until nearly the end, and Communist supporters called the last-minute spike in ballots for Tarashenko suspicious. Hundreds of Communist supporters on September 17 protested outside the regional administration building in Vladivosto. Ishchenko said his party was preparing lawsuits challenging the declared results in several districts. He said party members who monitored the vote count in several locations have copies of the vote-count protocols that differ from the results announced by local officials. United Russia, which is the countrys dominant political party, accused the Communists of falsifications. Out of 21 Russian regions in which gubernatorial elections were held on September 9, Primorye was one of four where candidates from United Russia failed to win 50 percent of the vote in the first round and were forced into runoffs. The September 9 elections were a test of President Vladimir Putin's government as it seeks to raise the retirement age nationwide, a highly unpopular move that has prompted protests across the country. Putin met with Tarasenko ahead of the September 16 runoff and told him that "everything is going to be fine," according to a transcript on the Kremlin website. The runoff vote came days after Putin hosted Asian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at an economic forum in Vladivostok last week. With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, AP, Interfax, and Ekho Moskvy U.S. President Donald Trump has said his administration was considering a request for a permanent U.S. military presence in Poland. Trump made the comments in Washington on September 18 before a meeting at the White House with Polish President Andrzej Duda. "Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland, and certainly it's something we'll discuss," Trump said, adding that "we're looking at it very seriously." Poland has requested the deployment several times and has offered up to $2 billion in funding for a base. U.S. forces currently serve in Poland as part of NATO's back-to-back rotation program. Poland has said a permanent U.S. presence is needed to counter Russian military activity in the region. Russia has objected to the proposal, saying it views NATO expansion toward the east as a threat to stability in Europe. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP Carlos SerraoThey're friends, mutual fans and musical collaborators, and now John Mayer and Shawn Mendes will be award recipients together. John will receive the prestigious Legend of Live Award at this year's Billboard Live Music Summit and Awards, which will take place November 13 and 14 in Beverly Hills, CA. The award comes in honor of John's touring career, which includes his solo tours, his work with Dead & Company and his Controlled Danger comedy tour with Dave Chappelle. Shawn, meanwhile, will receive the first-ever Artist of the Year Award, in honor of the success of his Illuminate World Tour and his upcoming arena tour in support of his current self-titled album -- which John appears on, incidentally. As part of the honor, Shawn will be interviewed during the event about building connections to fans both online and in the real world. Other artists participating include American Idol winner Maddie Poppe and Andrew McMahon. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. President Donald Trump's administration has proposed sharply cutting the number of refugees allowed into the United States next year to 30,000. The announcement, made on September 17 by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, came despite calls from humanitarian groups that the 2018 cap of 45,000 was already too low. Trump's administration has consistently voiced opposition to accepting refugees and other immigrants, which has helped drive refugee admissions to their lowest level in a decade. The new figure will go into effect October 1. "The improved refugee policy of this administration serves the national interest of the United States and expands our ability to help those in need all around the world," Pompeo said in a statement. By comparison, the administration of Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, allowed in 85,000 refugees in its final year in office. Based on reporting by AP and AFP Young man stabbed to death in his Puerto Morelos home Puerto Morelos, Q.R. A young man was stabbed to death in his home in a residential subdivision of Puerto Morelos Sunday. Acquaintance arrested in stabbing Police report that 21-year-old Pablo Jesus G.L. was killed during the early morning hours Sunday by an acquaintance in his home on Calle Rana in the Villas la Playa subdivision. Preliminary reports say after the attack, friends called 911 and that the alleged attacker was held in a citizens arrest and handed over to authorities. The man was stabbed in the neck and armpit and died in the home from his injuries. Municipal patrol of Puerto Morelos arrived and arrested the subject who was placed at the disposal of the State Attorney General. The screening bus FREE screening for vulnerability to heart attacks will be offered at a supermarket. The Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Foundation Trust (RDaSH) health bus will visit Tesco Extra in Wath on Thursday, September 27. Inside, staff will perform scans for signs of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) expansion and weakening of the aorta. The condition shows no symptoms but, if it bursts, can cause death from internal bleeding. Men turning 65 are invited by post to attend a screening clinic like the one happening on the bus, which will stop in the supermarket car park. Members of the screening team will be on hand all day, talking about the condition and scanning men who booked appointments. Men aged over 65 who have not been screened can book by calling 01709 649100 or by emailing dbh-tr.dbhaaa@nhs.net. Babatunde Fakolade, screening co-ordinator said: I would like to say a massive thank you to Tesco for bringing AAA Screening to the Wath branch. We know how busy people are, and making time for your health can be difficult, but by working with the supermarket we can offer screening at a time that is convenient and easy to access. If you are, or a member of your family is male over the age of 65, please dont hesitate to give us a ring and we will make you an appointment to be screened. The screening itself consists of a five minute ultrasound scan of the abdomen, with results provided there and then, so, why not take up the opportunity to be screened in between carrying out your weekly shop. Conference to promote Angolas diamond sector The inaugural Angola International Diamond Conference (AIDC), which is scheduled for the end of this month will, among other things, seek to promote the countrys diamonds as a strategic mineral for the diversification of the economy. Phillips announced the highest ever sale total in watch auction history Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo achieved a total of CHF 68,263,230/ $74,488,836/ 64,563,363 in the Geneva Watch Auction: XIV on 5 and 7 November. Indigenous peoples of Taimyr announce their problems on the sidelines of COP26 Speaking at the International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change within the frames of the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow, Gennady Shchukin, Chairman of Dolgan family tribal community Amyaksin (Taimyr)... KP Plenary 2021: Time for action Speaking to the full assembly of delegates during the Opening Session of the 2021 Kimberley Process (KP) Plenary, World Diamond Council President Edward Asscher has reasserted the need for Kimberley Process members to agree to expand the conflict... The McKenzie County Heritage Association is joining with the American Legion ND Post 29, Watford City and ND Post 94, Alexander, to celebrate the WWI 100th Anniversary in conjunction with the annual McKenzie County Heritage Day on Sept. 15; 11 am - 5 pm at the McKenzie County Heritage Park. Heritage Park is located at 950 2nd Ave. SW, Watford City. Enjoy an all around patriotic day beginning at 11 am with a Flag Raising and Flag Folding Ceremony conducted by the American Legion. The ceremony will include recognition of veterans and family recognition of relatives that served in WWI. The ceremony will also include recognition of the county leaders and first responders. Special guest Glenn Wahus, American Legion Department Commander of North Dakota, will be speaking at noon with lunch provided by the Community Foundation. Also commemorating the American Legion Centennial will be a WWI exhibit in the train depot building all day and WWI period dress costume contest for all ages starting at 2 pm. Visitors are encouraged to explore the historic buildings and antique tractors in Heritage Park that have been donated from all around McKenzie County. Watch the sawmill & shingle mill in action and view the historic pioneer school starting at 1 pm. The old time threshing begins at 2 pm with a coin toss in straw to follow. At 3 pm there will be a stationary baler and horsepower demonstration. The Long X Arts Foundation will be displaying photography and artwork from local artists throughout the buildings. They will also have crafts for children to take part in throughout the day. Lane Sandstrom will be providing music for the day. There will be food vendors including snow cones available as well. Other events for young and old will be the cupcake walk at 1:30 pm, the pie eating contest at 2:30 pm and the sack race at 4 pm. Admission for the day is a free will donation. Volunteers will be needed to help with the event. Contact Sandy Rieker at 701-444-5804 for more information. Everyone is welcome to bring the family and enjoy a patriotic and historic day at the 20th annual McKenzie County Heritage Day! Richland County 4-H had such amazing response last year with the hay bale decorations at Shops at Fox Run, we are doing it again... but BIGGER AND BETTER!! Its a Community Event This Year! Sign up your club, organization, or business to decorate a hay bale display. We also have more locations throughout town to display them! Hay Bale Decorating Schedule Signup Deadline, Thursday, September 20 - Private Message Marci Sondeno to signup or if you have any questions. If messaging is not your thing, call Libby Berndt at Reynolds Market to signup, 406-433-2305. Set Up: No earlier than Sunday, September 23, deadline for FINAL SETUP is Thursday, September 27. Take Down: Displays MUST be taken down and area cleaned up by Wednesday, October 10. Location: Location placement will be made by Saturday, September 22 to each participating contact person. Prizes will be awarded! Lets have fun Richland County! Maps will be available for the hay bale trail! If your business would like a hay bale displayed in front of your business please let Marci or Libby know! Tru-D device to help keep patients and staff safe and germ-free Watford City, ND-McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc. is the first hospital in the region to invest in Tru-D SmartUVC to help keep patients and staff safe from germs and hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The grand opening of McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc.'s new medical facility took place on June 22, 2018. This state-of-the-art, $76.3 million facility features a brand-new hospital and clinic as well as updates to the connected Good Shepherd Home (long term care facility) and nearby Horizon Assisted Living. The facility is comprised of 24 inpatient rooms, nine emergency room bays and two operating rooms. "We are excited to have this innovative technology in our hospital, which will help maintain the cleanest, safest environment possible for our patients and staff," said Dan Kelly, CEO of McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc. "As a new facility in the region, we hope to offer best-in-class care and service for residents in the area, and Tru-D will help elevate the level of care that we provide." Tru-D is a UVC disinfection robot that is deployed after the environmental services staff cleans a room using traditional protocols. Operated from a remote control outside the room, Tru-D administers a single, lethal dose of UVC energy from one, central placement in the room, killing up to 99.9% of germs and pathogens that can be left behind. Once the cycle is complete, the operator is notified via audio and/or text message that Tru-D can be moved to the next room. "Tru-D is deployed in hundreds of hospitals throughout the U.S., and we are thrilled to expand our footprint into North Dakota," said Chuck Dunn CEO of Tru-D SmartUVC. "McKenzie County's investment in Tru-D demonstrates its commitment to innovative strategies to help reduce hospital-acquired infections." Tru-D's technology has been validated by more than 15 independent, third-party studies including the first and only randomized clinical trial on UVC disinfection. The Benefits of Enhanced Total Room- Disinfection (BETR-D) study proved that Tru-D can reduce the risk of acquisition and infection of four major superbugs not only from patient to patient, but throughout an entire hospital, facility-wide. Conducted throughout nine hospitals in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, the CDC-funded BETR-D study is the most comprehensive study on UVC disinfection to date. For more information on Tru-D's technology and/or to watch a video on the power of one placement and one cycle, visit tru-dpowerofone.com. Owner Chris Entzel is providing an outlet for all the talented people in eastern Montana to display their wares with the opening of Sidney Mercantile in the Yellowstone Marketplace, downtown Sidney. It's also a year round opportunity for shoppers to purchase all those wonderful items they usually had to wait for a craft show to find. With 27 vendors and more coming, the store is chock full of items, from the practical to whimsical, perfect for your own use or as gifts, and constantly changing. Check out the artwork, kitchen items, clothing for all ages, furniture, metal and wood signs, stuffed animals, candles, bath and body, plants, doll clothing, wreathes, photography, quilts, blankets, pillows, jewelry, agate items, paintings, horseshoe items, bags, skull art, soaps and essential oils and more. 96% of the vendors live within 60 miles of Sidney, with the remainder in central Montana offering items not available locally. Entzel also plans to host various classes in the common area of the Yellowstone Marketplace as well as other events. Entzel said she has always wanted to open a store featuring all the talent in Eastern Montana. "There's so much here!" she exclaimed. She believes it is important to shop locally, and Sidney Mercantile will make that shopping even easier. Entzel also believes in giving back to the community. She hosts two fundraisers a year at the Elks and gives the profits to local entities. "I really like this community and want to be a bigger part of it," she said. "I feel really grateful to live here." She extended a big thank you to Phil Johnson for his valuable advice, April Boehler and Elk River Printing for their help, Jake and Tara Carlsen for blowies and flooring work, Julie Lander for 'everything', her husband Judd for his support and all the vendors for believing in this dream. Upcoming events include a special sale on September 21 with 20% of all sales going to the Jason Cayko Memorial scholarship fund and a sidewalk sale September 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A grand opening is planned for September 28 from 1 to 8 p.m. West Main will be closed from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with fun family events including a bale maze and petting zoo. Door prizes and refreshments will also be available. Sidney Mercantile is open Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. with extended days and hours during the Christmas season. For more information, contact Entzel at 406-480-3319. The Williston Area Chamber of Commerce has announced Heather Voll as the organization's new President, effective September 10th. Voll has served as the Events & Convention Services Coordinator at the Williston Convention & Visitors Bureau since January 2018. "I am very much looking forward to the wonderful opportunity to work with the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce, their amazing staff and dedicated board," said Voll. "My passion is to serve Williston and its business community." Heather came to Williston from Naples, Italy where she specialized in Community Recreation for Morale Welfare Recreation which maintains a high level of morale for the military community, civilian government employees, and their families. While working with the Military, Voll served on the Naples Support Activity Command Assessment Task Force which advocates for Military members and their needs. She plans to use the same skillset here in Williston. Mitzi Bestall, Chairman of the Board for the Chamber shared, "Heather was selected from a strong slate of candidates and the Board is excited to have Heather take the reins and guide our organization in greater service to our business members. Our economy is strong and still we need to advocate for our businesses and help in every way to improve the business environment. The Board is anxious to assist Heather in fulfilling our commitment to the Community!" Voll follows Janna Lutz, President of the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce since 2015, who left earlier this year to serve as Foundation Director of CHI St. Alexius Health Williston Foundation. North Dakotas roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate total pheasant and Hungarian partridge numbers this fall are similar to last year, while sharp-tailed grouse numbers are down. R.J. Gross, upland game management biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the survey shows total pheasants observed per 100 miles are down 2 percent from last year. In addition, broods per 100 miles were unchanged, while the average brood size was up 27 percent. The final summary is based on 278 survey runs made along 101 brood routes across North Dakota. Even though survey data suggests pheasant production was certainly better than last year, hunters will still notice the lack of production from 2017 in the overall population, Gross said. Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicate total pheasants were down 32 percent and broods observed down 29 percent from 2017. For every 100 survey miles, observers counted an average of six broods and 45 pheasants. The average brood size was 5.2 chicks. Despite the population decline, Gross said the southwest still holds the most pheasants in the state. Results from the southeast show birds are up 63 percent from last year, and the number of broods up 77 percent. Observers counted five broods and 40 birds per 100 miles. The average brood size was 5.8. Gross said while some areas of the state show a large increase in percentages from last year, such as in the southeast, it is important to keep in mind this is based off a low population in those areas in 2017. Statistics from the northwest indicate pheasants are up 9 percent from last year, with broods up 4 percent. Observers recorded three broods and 26 pheasants per 100 miles. Average brood size was 6.5. The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state, showed two broods and 19 pheasants per 100 miles. Average brood size was 5.8. Sharptails observed per 100 miles are down 49 percent statewide from 2017, while partridge are up 7 percent. Hunting will be slower than last season in most of the state, and all indications are that hunters will see significantly lower numbers of grouse statewide, Gross said. There will be localized areas of good hunting opportunities, but in general hunting will be fair at best. Despite increases in sharptail lek counts this spring for eastern North Dakota, brood survey results show statewide declines in number of grouse and broods observed per 100 miles, and a slight decline in average brood size. Observers recorded 0.8 sharptail broods and 6.8 sharptails per 100 miles. Average brood size was 4.55. Although partridge numbers have shown a slight increase, Gross said the majority of the partridge harvest is incidental while hunters pursue grouse or pheasants. Partridge densities in general, he said, are too low to target. Observers recorded 0.4 partridge broods and 4.4 partridge per 100 miles. Average brood size was 7.03. The 2018 regular pheasant season opens Oct. 6 and continues through Jan. 6, 2019. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Sept. 29-30. The 2018 grouse and partridge seasons opened Sept. 8 and continue through Jan. 6, 2019. In both Sidney and Watford City, families are settling down and companies are settling in, making the real estate market strong in both areas. In Sidney, the housing market appears to be stabilizing following the most recent Bakken oil boom. According to Justin Jones, broker and owner of Nick Jones Real Estate, "we're seeing that people are again moving to the area and setting down roots." In the summer of 2017, there were over 100 homes for sale in the Sidney area, Jones explained. "I would say that the market is somewhat improving from the last couple of years. In general, asking prices are holding steady. The climb in housing prices we saw in 2010-2014 has definitely leveled off. We're roughly at 70 homes for sale," he said. The local economy plays a big role in the housing market. "We're seeing a lot of buyers coming back in to the market with people feeling more confident in their jobs, and jobs opening up. We're definitely seeing more people looking to become first time home buyers. They're looking to get out of a rental and into home ownership," Jones explained. Compared to the height of the oil boom several years ago, there are fewer families living apart, and more families establishing roots in the area by purchasing a home. Another change Jones noted was an increase in commercial real estate activity. "In 2015 and 2016 we had a handful of commercial inquiries to lease or buy," Jones said. "That appears to be changing. Our market is starting to see a few commercial properties selling. We're getting inquiries. Companies are again calling and scheduling showings and asking the right kind of questions," he said. The stabilization of housing prices is certainly a benefit for the buyer, and Jones advises sellers to take note. "There's a lot of competition for buyers. The good news is that there are qualified buyers in the market. It is important for sellers to price their homes competitively." Nick Jones Real Estate in Sidney has five experienced real estate professionals available, and sells agricultural, commercial and residential properties in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. The office can be contacted at 406-433-4445. Watford City Watford City has undoubtedly experienced expansive growth over the past decade, and the real estate market is no different. Over the past decade, Watford City had developed community plans focusing on telecommunications and recreational infrastructure, has made significant improvements in the retail arena and the look of downtown Watford City, and made quality of life an important focus. Coupled with heavy oil exploration and production activities, these recent improvements have attracted many energy companies, financial and service companies, and families to move into the area. According to Pam Suelzle, real estate agent for Watford City Real Estate Group, "There has been huge growth already, and it's presently growing. Our economy is quite strong. People are earning good wages and it's matching what our housing market is." Suelzle said there is a high demand for both residential and commercial and industrial properties. "There's a low supply for both housing and commercial and industrial, so there isn't a large selection to choose from," she said. Suelzle said many companies are opting to lease a property, or lease-to-own, "just to make sure the economy is going to stay stable." Associate Broker Rhonda DeHaan agreed, explaining that "companies were pretty excited about getting into a long-term lease. A lot of those are coming up on the second year, and they're still excited about the increased growth in Watford City." DeHaan is hopeful many of these will commit to purchasing. As far as residential purchases go, explosive growth saturated the housing market for a while, DeHaan said, though "quite a bit of that inventory has been purchased." "We have a low supply and a high demand," Suelzle said, though "higher wages in the area are matching what is needed to support a mortgage." Suelzle finds that many families are surprised they can pre-qualify for the homes they are interested in purchasing. "We've got a lot of qualified buyers who are looking to become homeowners," she said. A Nick Jones Real Estate listing in Sidney. Currently, the market is strong for sellers. "The market has amped up for the sellers within the last 6 months. It's a little stronger for a sell now than it was 6 months ago," Suezle said. In the near future, DeHaan is excited at the prospect of more new construction. "I'm hoping the increase in jobs and oil activity and gas production, we will see more permanent residents. We've seen more confidence in the builders. We're starting to see a little more activity in subdivision lot sales," she said. There is no doubt that Watford City will grow over the next several years, and local agents will be prepped to assist both buyers and sellers of commercial, residential and industrial properties in the area. The Watford City Real Estate Group can be reached at 701-842-4500. Karen and Walt McNutt's new home in northwest Sidney is spacious, warm and inviting. As an older couple, they worked with general contractor M&S Builders to design a home that would accommodate their lifestyle and plan for whatever the future may bring. There are no stairs except to the basement, and the entire main floor is handicap accessible. The craftsmanship of Mitch Shirk and his team of Sherman DeTienne and Kyle Williams is evident everywhere in the home, from the fabulous tile work in the bathrooms to the excellent drywall throughout. All the sub contractors and suppliers are also local including: Franz Construction, Corland Construction LLC, Creative Solutions, Prairie Electric, Skyline Plumbing, Frontier Heating, Lander Painting, Sidney Paint and Glass, Larry Hanzek, Top Gun Floorz, Big Sky Siding and Windows, CM Built Doors, Builders First Source, ElectricLand, Chads Furniture, PATH, The Rug Emporium, Johnson Hardware & Furniture and Custom Fencing & Welding. McNutt's truly appreciate the skill and professionalism of everyone who worked on their new home. The stunning front door opens on a fabulous foyer, then a large, homey living room featuring comfortable furniture and one of Walt's favorite features, a large screen TV which was downstairs in their old house. A large east facing window bathes the room in natural light while a gorgeous stained glass fixture decorates a ceiling fan. China cabinets filled with beautiful antique dishes and glassware complete the decor, and a warm area rug ties the room together. The open concept then leads into the kitchen and dining room. A spacious patio off the dining room provides a relaxing outdoor area with plenty of room for guests. The kitchen features a large L shaped island with seating for six, where the conversation can flow during cooking prep and casual dining. An undermount bar sink and beverage center, one of Karen's favorite features, provide for easy entertaining. The Dura Supreme cabinets in the kitchen, laundry and office glow a warm brown in a toast stain complimented beautifully by the Cambria quartz counter tops in Windemere. The Oxford door style features integral fingerpulls. Pull-out pantry and garbage, a super susan and rollouts in the base cabinets all contribute to ease and convenience in the kitchen. Stainless steel appliances complete the look. Everyone's favorite feature is the huge L shaped pantry. Shelving by Lifespan Closets provides the perfect spaces for food and small appliances. The laundry room, which is right off the garage, is designed for convenience with a sink, a laundry organizing area, a fold-down ironing board and a coat closet. A half bath provides for easy wash-ups. The guest en suite may make company want to extend their stay! The welcoming bedroom is joined by a spacious bathroom, featuring a large walk-in shower. The cabinetry is by Bertch with Cambria tops. Walt McNutt's haven is the garage with Case IH red cabinets. The master bedroom, with a large walk-in closet by Lifespan, is roomy and comfortable. The adjoining master bath features a heated floor and a huge walk-in shower with gorgeous tile work. The double vanity is by Bertch with a quartz top. The full basement with a heated floor, has endless possibilities. There is ample storage space and McNutts plan to turn one room into a combined bedroom/sitting room for guests. A full bath with tub adjoins that space. Karen and Walt share an office with a u-shaped desk, all custom made from Dura Supreme cabinets, each with their own ample space and Case IH chairs of course. Walt's haven is the three car garage which has lots of organization, including cabinets in the red Case IH colors. Landscaping and fencing are in progress with plans to have at least part of the yard sodded this fall. The beautiful McNutt home is truly a testament to the incredible local talent and resources available in Sidney. Court summons Lalu A Delhi court Monday summoned RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav as accused in connection with the IRCTC hotels allotment money laundering case. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Arun Bharadwaj took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and directed all the accused to appear before the court on October 6. The court also issued production warrant against Prasad considering the fact that he is currently lodged in a Ranchi jail. The court also summoned RJD member PC Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, a firm Lara Projects and 10 others, including IRCTC's the then MD PK Goyal, as accused in the case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court took note of the submissions made by ED's special public prosecutor Atul Tripathy that prima facie there was enough evidence against the accused in the matter. Advertisement Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav The agency said in its report that Prasad and IRCTC officials allegedly misused their position in granting sub-lease right of two railway hotels at Puri and Ranchi to Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd, owned by Vinay Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar. Kochhars also own Chanakya Hotel in Patna. In lieu of the hotels' sub-lease, a prime plot of land in Patna was transferred to Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd (owned by family of PC Gupta who is a close associate of Yadav and an MP from RJD) in February 2005 at a rate which was much less than the then prevailing circle rates, the agency claimed. According to the charge sheet, "The said company possessing valuable chunk of land gradually got transferred to Rabri Devi and her son Tejashwi by way of share purchase at nominal prices. "The funds used to acquire the land had dubious origin and had been laundered through 151 group of companies belonging to P C Gupta by using an NBFC named Abhishek Finance Company Limited." Subsequently, the shares of Delight Marketing Company Private Limited, it said, were acquired by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi at less than fair market value. Advertisement IRCTC hotels allotment money laundering case "It is noteworthy that the funds used for acquisition of shares by Rabri Devi are questionable and individuals from whom Tejashwi had purchased shares denied any knowledge of holding them," it said. The ED said it has attached assets worth over Rs 44 crore in this case till now. The CBI too has filed a charge sheet in this case in which the court has already summoned Yadav, his wife and their son as accused. The CBI FIR had alleged that Yadav, during his tenure as the railway minister in UPA-I government, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta. The ED registered the criminal case against his family members and others under the PMLA, based on this CBI FIR. Advertisement Funds used for acquisition of shares by Rabri Devi are questionable The ED is investigating the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, according to the officials. The CBI FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as "quid pro quo". Over the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries, rechargeable batteries that move lithium ions back and forth to charge and discharge, have enabled smaller devices that juice up faster and last longer. Now, X-ray experiments at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have revealed that the pathways lithium ions take through a common battery material are more complex than previously thought. The results correct more than two decades worth of assumptions about the material and will help improve battery design, potentially leading to a new generation of lithium-ion batteries. An international team of researchers, led by William Chueh, a faculty scientist at SLAC's Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Sciences and a Stanford materials science professor, published these findings today in Nature Materials. "Before, it was kind of like a black box," said Martin Bazant, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another leader of the study. "You could see that the material worked pretty well and certain additives seemed to help, but you couldn't tell exactly where the lithium ions go in every step of the process. You could only try to develop a theory and work backwards from measurements. With new instruments and measurement techniques, we're starting to have a more rigorous scientific understanding of how these things actually work." The 'popcorn effect' Anyone who has ridden in an electric bus, worked with a power tool or used a cordless vacuum has likely reaped the benefits of the battery material they studied, lithium iron phosphate. It can also be used for the start-stop feature in cars with internal combustion engines and storage for wind and solar power in electrical grids. Better understanding of this material and others like it could lead to faster-charging, longer-lasting and more durable batteries. But until recently, researchers could only guess at the mechanisms that allow it to work. advertisement When lithium-ion batteries charge and discharge, the lithium ions flow from a liquid solution into a solid reservoir. But once in the solid, the lithium can rearrange itself, sometimes causing the material to split into two distinct phases, much as oil and water separate when mixed together. This causes what Chueh refers to as a "popcorn effect." The ions clump together into hot spots that end up shortening the battery lifetime. In this study, researchers used two X-ray techniques to explore the inner workings of lithium-ion batteries. At SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) they bounced X-rays off a sample of lithium iron phosphate to reveal its atomic and electronic structure, giving them a sense of how the lithium ions were moving about in the material. At Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS), they used X-ray microscopy to magnify the process, allowing them to map how the concentration of lithium changes over time. Swimming upstream Previously, researchers thought that lithium iron phosphate was a one-dimensional conductor, meaning lithium ions are only able to travel in one direction through the bulk of the material, like salmon swimming upstream. But while sifting through their data, the researchers noticed that lithium was moving in a completely different direction on the surface of the material than one would expect based on previous models. It was as if someone had tossed a leaf onto the surface of the stream and discovered that the water was flowing in a completely different direction than the swimming salmon. advertisement They worked with Saiful Islam, a chemistry professor at the University of Bath, UK, to develop computer models and simulations of the system. Those revealed that lithium ions moved in two additional directions on the surface of the material, making lithium iron phosphate a three-dimensional conductor. "As it turns out, these extra pathways are problematic for the material, promoting the popcorn-like behavior that leads to its failure," Chueh said. "If lithium can be made to move more slowly on the surface, it will make the battery much more uniform. This is the key to developing higher performance and longer lasting batteries." A new frontier in battery engineering Even though lithium iron phosphate has been around for the past two decades, the ability to study it at the nanoscale and during battery operation wasn't possible until just a couple of years ago. "This explains how such a crucial property of the material has gone unnoticed for so long," said Yiyang Li, who led the experimental work as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford and SLAC. "With new technologies, there are always new and interesting properties to be discovered about materials that make you think about them a little differently." This work is one of the first papers to come out of a collaboration between Bazant, Chueh and several other scientists as part of a Toyota Research Institute-funded research center that utilizes theory and machine learning to design and interpret advanced experiments. These most recent findings, Bazant said, create a more complex story that theorists and engineers are going to have to consider in future work. "It further builds the argument that engineering the surfaces of lithium-ion batteries is really the new frontier," he said. "We have already discovered and developed some of the best bulk materials. And we've seen that lithium-ion batteries are still progressing at a pretty remarkable pace: They keep getting better and better. This research is enabling the steady advancement of a tried technology that actually works. We're building on an important bit of knowledge that can be added to the toolkit of battery engineers as they try to develop better materials." Spanning different scales To follow up on this study, the researchers will continue to combine modeling, simulation and experiments to try to understand fundamental questions about battery performance at many different length and time scales with facilities such as SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source, or LCLS, where researchers will be able to probe single ionic hops that happen at timescales as fast as one trillionth of a second. "One of the roadblocks to developing lithium-ion battery technologies is the huge span of length and time scales involved," Chueh said. "Key processes can happen in a split second or over many years. The path forward requires mapping these processes at lengths that go from meters all the way down to the motion of atoms. At SLAC, we're studying battery materials at all of these scales. Combining that with modeling and experiment is really what made this understanding possible." In addition to SLAC, Stanford, Berkeley Lab, MIT, and the University of Bath, the collaboration includes researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry and the University of Ljubljana, both in Slovenia. LCLS, SSRL, and ALS are DOE Office of Science user facilities. The theoretical aspect of the work was supported by Toyota Research Institute, among other funding agencies. The Gulf of St. Lawrence has warmed and lost oxygen faster than almost anywhere else in the global oceans. The broad, biologically rich waterway in Eastern Canada drains North America's Great Lakes and is popular with fishing boats, whales and tourists. A new study led by the University of Washington looks at the causes of this rapid deoxygenation and links it to two of the ocean's most powerful currents: the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current. The study, published Sept. 17 in Nature Climate Change, explains how large-scale climate change already is causing oxygen levels to drop in the deeper parts of this waterway. "The area south of Newfoundland is one of the best-sampled regions in the ocean," said first author Mariona Claret, a research associate at the UW's Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean. "It's also a very interesting area because it's at the crossroads where two big, larger-scale currents interact." Canada's fisheries agency has tracked rising salinity and temperature in the St. Lawrence region since 1920. Oxygen has only been monitored since 1960, and the declining trend is causing concern. "Observations in the very inner Gulf of St. Lawrence show a dramatic oxygen decline, which is reaching hypoxic conditions, meaning it can't fully support marine life," Claret said. Oxygen declines have been seen to affect Atlantic wolffish, Claret said, and threaten Atlantic cod, snow crabs and Greenland halibut that all live in the depths. advertisement "The oxygen decline in this region was already reported, but what was not explored before was the underlying cause," said Claret, who did the work while at Canada's McGill University. The research confirms a recent study showing that, as carbon dioxide levels rose over the past century due to human emissions, the Gulf Stream has shifted northward and the Labrador Current has weakened. The new paper finds that this causes more of the Gulf Stream's warm, salty and oxygen-poor water to enter the St. Lawrence Seaway. The new study uses output from NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory model, a high-resolution computer model that simulates the world's oceans with a data point every 8 kilometers (5 miles). This simulation took nine months to run using 10,000 computational nodes -- huge, even by the standards of global climate models. With this precision, eddies and details of the coastline that can influence ocean circulation begin to appear. Model output combined with the historical observations show that as the carbon dioxide levels go up, Gulf Stream water replaces Labrador Sea water in the deeper parts of the St. Lawrence gulf. The waters carried by the Labrador Current have been churned up by storms in the Labrador Sea, and so air absorbed at the surface is mixed far below the surface. The Gulf Stream, however, is more stratified in stable horizontal layers; the top layer contains oxygen from the air above, but lower layers' oxygen has been consumed by marine life. What's more, the warmer Gulf Stream is equally dense at a greater depth, so deeper, more oxygen-deprived layers from the Gulf Stream follow the same density pathway taken by oxygen-rich near-surface water from the Labrador Current. advertisement "We relate a change in oxygen on the coast to a change in large-scale currents in the open ocean," Claret said. In the model, the shift in the large-scale ocean circulation causing warming and deoxygenation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence also corresponds with a decline in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean circulation pattern known to strongly influence Northern Hemisphere climate. "Being able to potentially link the coastal changes with the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current is pretty exciting," Claret added. Analysis shows that half the drop in oxygen observed deep in the St. Lawrence River is just due to the warmer water, which can't hold as much oxygen. The other half is likely due to other factors, such as biological activity in the two currents and inside the channel. What will happen next is unknown, Claret said. The oxygen levels in the St. Lawrence will depend on much larger questions, she said, like how much carbon dioxide humans will emit into the atmosphere in the coming decades, and how large-scale ocean currents will respond. The research was funded by the European Research Council, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and NOAA. Co-authors are Eric Galbraith at the Autonomous University of Barcelona; Jaime Palter at the University of Rhode Island; Daniele Bianchi at the University of California, Los Angeles; Katja Fennel at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia; Denis Gilbert at Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and John Dunne at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Using cloud computing and data from 143 weather radar stations across the continental United States, Cornell Lab of Ornithology researchers can now estimate how many birds migrate through the U.S. and the toll that winter and these nocturnal journeys take. Their findings are published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. "We've discovered that each autumn, an average of 4 billion birds move south from Canada into the U.S. At the same time, another 4.7 billion birds leave the U.S. over the southern border, heading to the tropics," notes lead author Adriaan Dokter, an Edward W. Rose postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab. "In the spring, 3.5 billion birds cross back into the U.S. from points south, and 2.6 billion birds return to Canada across the northern U.S. border." In other words, fewer birds return to their breeding grounds after going through fall migration and spending months on their wintering grounds. But the researchers were surprised to find that the migrants arriving across the U.S. southern border had an average return rate of 76 percent during the 5 years of the study (2013 to 2017) and the birds wintering in the U.S. had only an average return rate of 64 percent. "Contrary to popular thought, birds wintering in the tropics survive the winter better than birds wintering in the U.S.," says Andrew Farnsworth, co-author of the study and leader of the Cornell Lab's aeroecology program. "That's despite the fact that tropical wintering birds migrate three to four times farther than the birds staying in the U.S." To reach these numbers, the researchers developed complicated algorithms to measure differences in biomass picked up by weather radar -- in this case, the total mass of organisms in a given area, minus insects and weather. Migrants crossing the northern border -- such as many sparrows, American Robins, and Dark-eyed Juncos -- have shorter migrations from breeding grounds in Canada to wintering grounds in the U.S. Measurements from the southern border captured data on migrants that breed in the U.S. and spend their winters in places such as Central or South America, such as most warblers, orioles, and tanagers. One explanation for the higher mortality among birds wintering in the U.S. may be the number of hazards they face. "All birds need suitable habitats with enough resources to get them through the winter," notes Ken Rosenberg, co-author and conservation scientist at the Cornell Lab. "Birds wintering in the U.S. may have more habitat disturbances and more buildings to crash into, and they might not be adapted for that." Another reason for the disparity in migration return rates between short and long-distance migrants may have to do with breeding strategy. Birds wintering in the U.S. have high reproduction rates to offset higher mortality. Tropical wintering species have fewer offspring, but more adults survive through the winter and reproduce the following spring, despite their longer migrations. But it's a strategy that may backfire without conservation efforts in the tropics. "Longer distance migrants seem to be gambling on having high survival in the tropics, and they're therefore more sensitive to what happens to their wintering grounds," says Dokter. "Even a small decrease in survival due to changes in their tropical habitats might cause a precipitous decline." Clinicians, scientists and public health professionals should proudly "declare victory" in their efforts to extend the human lifespan to its very limits, according to University of Illinois at Chicago epidemiologist S. Jay Olshansky. In an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Olshansky writes that the focus should shift to compressing the "red zone" -- the time at the end of life characterized by frailty and disease, and extending the "healthspan" -- the length of time when a person is alive and healthy. Olshansky, professor of epidemiology in the UIC School of Public Health, discusses how human longevity has reached into its upper limits and has little room for further gains. He notes that at the turn of the 20th century, life expectancy at birth in most developed nations ranged from 45 to 50 years. With the emergence of major public health initiatives in the late 19th century -- including sanitation and the public provision of clean water -- mortality rates dropped, and life expectancy increased rapidly. The rise in longevity has slowed considerably in recent decades, and maximum lifespan has never changed much throughout human history. Today, 96 percent of infants born in developed nations will live to age 50 and older, more than 84 percent will survive to age 65 or older, and 75 percent of all deaths will occur between the ages of 65 and 95 years old. He also addresses the controversy that has erupted in the media lately over whether the human lifespan can increase indefinitely. "There's been a lot of focus in the news lately about what is the maximum human lifespan, with some researchers claiming that it has the potential to be infinite, but there is a biologically based limit imposed largely by the way in which our bodies are designed, and it can be expressed mathematically," Olshansky said. advertisement Based on the science and medicine available today, he contends that the probability of any significant increase in maximum lifespan in this century is remote. "There is reason to be optimistic that future breakthroughs in aging biology, if pursued, could allow humanity to live healthier longer," Olshansky said. "Some experts suggest that if death rates plateau at older ages, lifespans may continue to increase. This latter view has been challenged by the fact that an unrealistically high number of people would have to survive to age 105 (estimated 262,200) just for one person to exceed the world record for longevity by one year to 123 years." The downside of extremely long lifespans is that disease and disability tend to pile up toward the end of life. "You don't want to live to be over 100 years old if the last 20 years of your life are spent in pain and sickness," Olshansky said. "Ideally, you want to compress the years of decay and disease -- what I call the 'red zone' -- into as few as possible at the very end of life. We should not continue to pursue life extension without considering the health consequences of living longer lives." Clinical trials that target aging have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and the American Federation for Aging Research is leading global efforts to secure funding for geroscience-related initiatives. "This will be the only way science can push through the biological barriers to life extension that exist today," he said. "Life extension should no longer be the primary goal of medicine when applied to people over age 65 -- the principal outcome and most important metric of success should be extension of the healthspan." Olshansky cautions that despite longevity-related progress, many disparities are largely unresolved. "Not everyone has access to health care, nutritious food, opportunities to get exercise and education that contribute to long lifespans," he said. Funding for elements of the Longevity Dividend concept was provided by the MacArthur Foundation, through its Research Network on an Aging Society, and a Glenn Award for Medical Research from the Glenn Foundation. Olshansky is co-founder and chief scientist at Lapetus Solutions, Inc. Women receiving silicone breast implants may be at increased risk of several rare adverse outcomes compared to the general population, reports a study in Annals of Surgery. "We are reporting an analysis of the largest prospective study to date on silicone breast implant safety," comments Mark W. Clemens, MD, and colleagues of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. "We are sharing critical information on complication rates and rare associations with systemic harms. This data gives women important safety information about silicone breast implants to have real expectations and to help them choose what is right for them." Based on an FDA-mandated "postapproval" database, the analysis is the largest study of breast implant outcomes to date. First Analysis of Data Collected after Re-Approval of Silicone Breast Implants In the early 1990s, the FDA prohibited the use of silicone breast implants in response to public concerns about health risks including cancer, connective tissue diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Subsequent research found no link between breast implants and these diseases. In 2006, the FDA approved silicone gel-filled implants from two manufacturers (Allergan and Mentor Corp), stipulating that the manufacturers conduct large postapproval studies (LPAS) to monitor long-term health and safety outcomes. "Despite abundant data collection, and open public access, the LPAS database had not yet been analyzed and reported," according to Dr. Clemens. The researchers analyzed data on nearly 100,000 patients enrolled in the LPAS between 2007 and 2009-10. More than 80,000 patients received silicone implants; the rest received implants filled with sterile saline solution. Seventy-two percent of the patients underwent primary breast augmentation, 15 percent had revision augmentation, 10 percent had primary breast reconstruction, and three percent had revision reconstruction procedures. The large size of the database enabled researchers to assess the risk of rare adverse outcomes. Women receiving silicone implants were at increased risk of several rare harms compared to the general population. The elevated risks included three conditions classified as autoimmune or rheumatologic disorders: Sjogren's syndrome, with a risk about eight times higher than in the general population; scleroderma, a seven-fold increase in risk; and rheumatoid arthritis, about a six-fold increase in risk. "These findings are associations compared to the general population and determining why these associations are observed or any causation requires further study," says Dr. Clemens. Silicone implants were also associated with a 4.5-fold increase in the risk of stillbirth, but no significant increase in the risk of miscarriage. Risk of melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer, was nearly four times higher in women with silicone implants. There was no significant association with the risk of suicide, which had been suggested by a previous study. The database included just one case of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma -- a rare but serious type of cancer previously linked to breast implants. Compared to saline-filled implants, silicone implants were also linked to a higher risk of some surgical complications. These included capsular contracture (scarring around the implant), which occurred at a rate of 5.0 percent with silicone implants versus 2.8 percent with saline-filled implants. Capsular contracture occurred in 7.2 percent of primary breast augmentation procedures, and was the most common reason for reoperation in this group. While certain rare harms appeared to be more common in women with silicone implants, absolute rates of these adverse outcomes were low. The researchers emphasize that their results are inconclusive, due to limitations inherent in the use of postapproval databases -- including the lack of complete patient information and individual follow-up data. "To resolve the remaining uncertainty in the evidence base, it is important that this data be analyzed in an unbiased manner," Dr. Clemens and coauthors write. "It remains the plastic surgery community's duty to provide definitive evidence for the risks associated with breast implants." UT Southwestern researchers today report the first use of CRISPR genome-wide screening to identify a gene that helps cells resist flavivirus infection. That nasty class of pathogens includes West Nile virus, dengue fever, Zika virus, and yellow fever. In a study published in Nature Microbiology, the team led by Dr. John Schoggins, Assistant Professor of Microbiology, used the cutting-edge CRISPR technology to identify the IFI6 gene as a potent antiviral gene targeting flaviviruses. The researchers then used traditional cell culture studies to confirm the gene's role in protecting against infection by Zika, West Nile, dengue, and yellow fever viruses. "Other studies have used CRISPR genetic screens to identify cellular genes that are required for flavivirus infection. Our study is the first to use this technology to identify cellular genes that inhibit infection," said Dr. Schoggins, a Nancy Cain and Jeffrey A. Marcus Scholar in Medical Research, in Honor of Dr. Bill S. Vowell, and a Clayton Foundation Investigator. "In mammals, cells naturally defend against viral infection through interferon, a molecule that sets off a warning system that a virus has been detected and that the cells need to engage their viral defense systems. The cells do this by activating hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes," he said. "Flaviviruses cause substantial human disease, and interferon is involved in the body's innate immune response to these viruses." Dr. Schoggins said the team used recently developed genome-wide CRISPR screening technology to identify which of the interferon-induced genes played a major role in suppressing flavivirus infection. He praised the work of graduate student and lead author Blake Richardson and of co-author Dr. Maikke Ohlson, a senior research scientist in his laboratory. "Blake performed all the phenotypic and mechanistic work on how IFI6 inhibits flaviviruses and Dr. Ohlson performed the CRISPR screen that allowed us to uncover IFI6 as a potent suppressor of flavivirus infection," he said. "In the CRISPR screen, we used human liver cells and knocked out every gene in the genome -- about 19,000 genes -- one at a time. We then stimulated the cells with interferon, knowing that this stimulation would normally allow the cells to resist viral infection. For the cells that did not resist infection -- because they were missing a gene due to the CRISPR knockout -- we used next-generation sequencing to figure out the identity of the relevant genes," he said. advertisement Dr. Schoggins explained that the CRISPR gene-editing technology made such a study extremely efficient, uncovering the prominent flavivirus-inhibiting role of IFI6. "The brilliance of the technology is that all of these CRISPR-targeted cells are pooled together in just a few big cell culture dishes. The cells are also bar-coded so you know which gene is missing from each cell when you observe how they respond to the addition of interferon," he said. "The technology is super cool," he added. In cell culture studies, the IFI6 gene -- apparently working via its protein product, also called IFI6 -- inhibited yellow fever, a flavivirus known to infect the liver. Cells with a working IFI6 gene also inhibited dengue, Zika, and West Nile viruses, he said. The researchers confirmed those results in liver cells by repeating the experiment in kidney and skin cell lines and in neurons. Future work will entail drilling down into the molecular mechanism of the IFI6 protein, with the hope that this knowledge may provide a foundation for developing therapies that could target flavivirus infection. Sporadic West Nile cases have been reported this summer in the United States, he said, adding, "Zika has waned, but I think people still remember it quite well; dengue is an ongoing problem in tropical climates, and there's currently an outbreak of yellow fever virus in Brazil." In earlier studies, Dr. Schoggins and other researchers identified other possible flavivirus resistance proteins using non-CRISPR screening techniques, but the CRISPR technology makes IFI6 appear to play a more prominent role, he said. Questions still to be answered include whether CRISPR screens in other cell types would give different results. This study focused on liver cells because it began as an investigation of yellow fever, which is known to attack the liver. Zika is known to affect cells in the brain but CRISPR genetic screening in neurons presents logistical challenges, he explained. University of Oregon chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen. The six-member team reported the discovery, which is now being explored for its potential use in biological imaging, in an open-access paper published online Aug. 30, ahead of print in the journal ACS Central Science. The paper details how the synthesized organic molecules called nanohoops, which initially were not water soluble, were manipulated with a chemical side chain to allow them to pass through cell membranes and maintain their colors within live cells. For years, scientists involved in biological research and medical diagnostics have relied on chemical compounds called fluorophores, which have flat structures and emit different colors upon light excitation, to label specific biological molecules. The potential for circular structures to provide new fluorescent properties is far less explored. Nanohoops, which are short circular slices of carbon nanotubes, could allow for the use of multiple fluorescent colors, triggered by a single excitation, to simultaneously track multiple activities in live cells, said study co-author Ramesh Jasti, a professor in the UO's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and member of the Materials Science Institute. "The fluorescence of the nanohoops is modulated differently than most common fluorophores, which suggests that there are unique opportunities for using these nanohoop dyes in sensing applications," said co-author Michael Pluth, also a professor in the UO's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "These dyes retain their fluorescence at a broad range of pH values, making them functional and stable fluorophores across a wide range of acidic and basic conditions." Researchers in the Jasti and Pluth labs collaborated on the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Sloan Foundation and Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. advertisement The nanohoops have a precise atomic composition, Jasti said. Once a chemical sidechain was designed by the study's lead author Brittany M. White, a doctoral student in Jasti's lab, the nanohoops became soluble and passed freely through cellular membranes but didn't go to particular sites. "Circular structures like these nanohoops dissolve in aqueous media better than flat structures," Jasti said. "We figured this out by just doing it. It wasn't part of the plan. We just wanted to make carbon nanostructures in an ultrapure way. The bright emissions from the different sizes they produced just happened. It is a nanoscale phenomenon." In a next step, co-author Yu Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in Pluth's lab, explored where the nanohoops were going inside cells and whether they can be guided to particular sites inside of cells. An added sidechain containing folic acid led the nanohoops to cancer cells. "That success told us that these nanohoops can be trafficked to different types of cells or even to intracellular compartments," Jasti said. "This also suggested their possible use in medical diagnostics or even drug delivery, because our nanohoops can easily carry little compartments that will go to specific locations." Toxicity levels of the nanohoops, he added, are no different than in traditionally used fluorescent dyes. advertisement In a newly funded effort, Jasti is working with Xiaolin Nan of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland to pursue the use of the nanohoops in biological imaging. The project is among 10 funded under the 2018 OHSU-UO Collaborative Seed Grant program. Pluth is a recipient of a separate seed grant in the program. "We have seen nothing like these nanohoops in the world of dye chemistry before," said study co-author Bruce P. Branchaud, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry at the UO and distinguished scientist in the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center of OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute. "All other dyes have been flat, whereas these nanohoops are non-planar circles," he said. "Their unique structures provide unique properties that we intend to develop and exploit for significant new contributions to chemical biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences and medicine." Taryn E. Kawashima, winner of a 2016 undergraduate fellowship award by the UO Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, also was a co-author on the study. In a class of roughly 30 neurological disorders that includes ALS, Huntington's Disease and Fragile X Syndrome, the relevant mutant gene features sections of repeating base pair sequences known as short tandem repeats, or STRs. Healthy people have STRs of normal lengths distributed across their DNA. For people with trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion diseases, however, the STRs in the mutant genes are unstable: the number of repetitions expand into ultra-long lengths that are related to the disease's pathology. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found another common thread linking nearly all of the TNR expansion diseases: the complicated 3D patterns that the DNA is folded into in order to fit in the nucleus of the cell. They found that nearly all of the STRs known to grow unstable in disease are located at the boundaries that separate neighboring folded domains. The researchers also created high-resolution genome folding maps around the FMR1 gene in patients with Fragile X Syndrome and in healthy individuals. They found that the 3D genome was misfolded in disease; the boundary was destroyed around FMR1 in all Fragile X patients who also had pathologic STR expansion and FMR1 silencing. The findings establish a strong correlation between 3D genome misfolding, short tandem repeat instability, and pathologic gene disruption in these deadly and debilitating diseases, suggesting new research questions whose answers could improve diagnosis or treatment. The research was led by Jennifer E. Phillips-Cremins, assistant professor in Penn Engineering's Department of Bioengineering and in the Perelman School of Medicine's Department of Genetics, along with James Sun and Linda Zhou, members of her lab. Their study was published in the journal Cell. advertisement At the core of the mystery behind TNR diseases is what causes their repeating sequences to pathologically expand. The same exact repeating patterns appear in hundreds of thousands of other locations along the linear genome, in genes and non-coding regions alike, but are not known to become unstable. "I wanted to work on this project because I was fascinated by the idea that 3D genome folding -- something I had barely even heard of before joining the Cremins lab -- could be the missing piece to understanding why certain parts of the genome behave the way they do," Zhou says. "In this case, why can repetitive DNA in certain genes become unstable while others do not?" Mapping the DNA's 3D folding patterns has only recently become possible, so the genes related to TNR diseases have predominantly been studied via their linear sequences. The researchers' findings were enabled by the Cremins Lab's technique for producing genome folding maps. By fixing the DNA such that its 3D folding patterns are preserved prior to sequencing, two distant parts of the linear sequence will end up in the same string of hybrid DNA and will thus be detected together when the DNA is sequenced. Statistically mapping these associations provides a high-definition picture of which disparate parts of a linear sequence are in physical contact -- and thus can affect one another's gene expression -- when the genome is in its folded state. Zoomed out, this map looks like a line of densely packed cities, set off from one another by stretches of highway. Each of these "cities" is a topologically associated domain, or TAD, and contains sequences that are in physical contact with one another. The highways between the cities are known as boundaries; they contain linker sequences that physically prevent neighboring TADs from interacting with one another. advertisement In trying to determine what makes the unstable repeats associated with TNR diseases different from their stable counterparts, the researchers considered whether their location with respect to genome folding patterns played a role. "Every human individual has hundreds of thousands of short tandem repeat tracts distributed throughout their genome. The repeats exhibit wide variation in sequence, location in the gene body, normal and mutation length ranges, the cell types they affect and the phenotypes they produce," Phillips-Cremins says. "But, for the handful of short tandem repeat tracts known to grow unstable in disease, nearly all are localized specifically to genome folding boundaries." The strength of this correlation immediately raised questions of causality for the researchers: do boundaries provide a local environment where the genome is susceptible to repeats, or do the repeats determine the location of a boundary in some way? "Recent studies have provided strong evidence that the 3D genome can be misfolded in specific cancers and disorders of limb development," Phillips-Cremins says. "As we initiated our studies to understand the cause-and-effect relationship between boundary placement and repeat expansion, we also began to wonder if we would observe topological changes in TNR diseases or if the boundaries remained intact at the locations of repeat instability." Collaborating with Beverly Davidson of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Flora Tassone of UC Davis, Phillips-Cremins and her co-authors studied brain tissue and B cells donated from patients with Fragile X syndrome and compared them to cells donated by their healthy siblings. "We discovered that in Fragile X Syndrome, the leading cause of intellectual disability in the United States, the DNA is misfolded at precisely the same location where the genetic defect and pathogenic gene silencing occurs," Sun says. "This finding raises the profile of many important questions about the relationship between genome folding, repeat expansion, and gene silencing, which we hope will one day lead to insights that might inspire therapeutic options for children affected with the disease." That the boundary home to the Fragile X gene is destroyed is highly suggestive that this change is related to the disease's gene silencing. Questions of causality will need to be addressed before researchers fully understand folding's role. The recently developed gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 will enable Phillips-Cremins and her colleagues to conduct experiments that explore the potential causal role of the 3D genome in repeat expansion. "We're tremendously excited to examine whether and how the 3D genome misfolding in Fragile X syndrome is causally linked to the silencing of gene expression in this disease. In our ongoing studies, we want to determine if gene silencing disrupts the boundary, or if boundary disruption silences the gene," Phillips-Cremins says. "Mechanistic studies have predominantly focused on the linear DNA thus far, but we can now add a new third dimension to understanding the genetic underpinnings of TNR diseases." A new analysis of thousands of very small earthquakes that have occurred in the San Bernardino basin near the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults suggests that the unusual deformation of some -- they move in a different way than expected -- may be due to "deep creep" 10 km below the Earth's surface, say geoscientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The new understanding should support more refined assessments of fault loading and earthquake rupture risk in the region, they add. Writing in the current online Geophysical Research Letters, doctoral student Jennifer Beyer and her advisor, geosciences professor Michele Cooke say the enigmatic behavior is seen in about one third of the hundreds of tiny quakes recorded during the lull between big damaging quakes, and their possible significance had not been appreciated until now. Cooke says, "These little earthquakes are a really rich data set to work with, and going forward if we pay more attention than we have in the past to the details they are telling us, we can learn more about active fault behavior that will help us better understand the loading that leads up to large damaging earthquakes." Over the past 36 years, the authors point out, seismic stations have recorded the style of deformation for thousands of small earthquakes in California's San Bernardino basin. They state, "Findings of this study demonstrate that small earthquakes that occur adjacent to and between faults can have very different style of deformation than the large ground rupturing earthquakes produced along active faults. This means that scientists should not use the information recorded by these small earthquakes in the San Bernardino basin to predict loading of the nearby San Andreas and San Jacinto faults." Cooke explains that the usual type of fault in the region is called a strike-slip fault, where the motion is one of blocks sliding past each other. The less common kind, with "anomalous slip-sense," is an extending fault, where the motion between blocks is like a wave pulling away from the beach, one block dropping at an angle away from the other, "extending" the fault. "These only occur in this one small area, and nobody knew why," she points out. "We did the modeling that helps to explain the enigmatic data." This is an area where Cooke, an expert in 3D fault modeling, has done research of her own and where she is familiar with the broader research field, so she decided to try to model what is happening. She began with a hypothesis based on her earlier 3D modeling in the area that had replicated long-term deformation over thousands of years. "I noticed that this basin was in extension in those models unlike the surrounding regions of strike-slip," she says. "The extension was limited to within the basin just like the pattern of the anomalous extensional earthquakes. That gave me a clue that maybe those faults weren't locked as they should be between big earthquakes, but that at depths below 10 km, they were creeping." "The typical way we look for creep is to use GPS stations set up on each side of the fault. Over time, you can note that there is movement; the faults are creeping slowly apart. The problem here is that the San Andreas and the San Jacinto faults are so close together that the GPS is unable to resolve if there is creep or not. That's why no one had seen this before. The traditional way to detect it was not able to do so." Cooke adds, "In this paper we've shown that there is a way to have these weird tiny earthquakes all the time next to the San Jacinto Fault below 10 km, which is where deep creep may be happening. We show that it's plausible and can account for nearby enigmatic earthquakes. The model may not be perfectly correct, but it's consistent with observations." As noted, this work has implications for assessing fault loading, Beyer and Cooke point out. Until now, seismologists have assumed that faults in the region are locked -- no creep is taking place -- and they use data from all the little earthquakes to infer loading on the primary faults. However, Cooke and Beyer write, "scientists should not use the information recorded by these small earthquakes in the San Bernardino basin to predict loading of the nearby San Andreas and San Jacinto faults." Cooke adds, "Our earthquake catalog is growing every year; we can see smaller and smaller ones every year, so we thought why not take advantage of the networks we've built and we can look at them in more detail. We don't want to wait around for the faults to move in a damaging earthquake, we want to take advantage of all the tinier earthquakes happening all the time in order to understand how the San Andreas and San Jacinto are loaded. If we can understand how they are being loaded maybe we can understand better when these faults will going to rupture." This research was supported by the Southern California Earthquake Center, which is funded by cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation and U.S. Geological Survey. Incumbents in San Francisco who dont face term limits tend to sail to re-election every four years, holding their position as long as they want. That wont be the case for District Attorney George Gascon, who more than a year before facing re-election in November 2019 has a very formidable opponent. Suzy Loftus, assistant chief legal counsel in the Sheriffs Department and the former president of the citys Police Commission, will file papers Tuesday to challenge Gascon. Shes running on the platform that San Franciscans are tired of car break-ins, home break-ins, blatant crime on their sidewalks and a criminal justice system that seems to merely point fingers in response. In yet one more example of San Francisco being like nowhere else, several moderate district attorneys in counties around California staved off June challenges from the left that were funded by deep pocketed liberals, including billionaire George Soros. But Gascon one of the most progressive district attorneys in San Francisco history and a chief backer of Proposition 47, which reduced some nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors now faces a somewhat more moderate challenger in Loftus. And yes, Soros will apparently hold two fundraisers for Gascon. Its a far different picture than in 2015, when Gascon ran unopposed. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Loftus will have some impressive company at 1 p.m. Tuesday when she is scheduled to formally enter the race at the Department of Elections in City Hall. Mayor London Breed, who was joined by Loftus daughters when she filed her own paperwork to run for mayor, will return the favor. Also endorsing Loftus are Supervisors Malia Cohen, Katy Tang, Catherine Stefani and Vallie Brown; Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf; state Sen. Scott Wiener; and BART board members Lateefah Simon and Bevan Dufty. Loftus, 44, has some credentials Gascon just cant beat. In the Year (or Years?) of the Woman, her gender and deep wellspring of female support could be a plus. Shes also a San Francisco native with deep connections throughout the city and particularly on the more moderate west side, where she lives in the Outer Sunset with her husband, Tom Loftus, who works for San Francisco Government TV, their three daughters and her mother. And most central to the question of who should be San Franciscos top prosecutor is the fact that Loftus has prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases throughout her career. Gascon, famously, had not prosecuted a single criminal case when then-Mayor Gavin Newsom in January 2011 moved him from chief of police to fill the seat of District Attorney Kamala Harris after she was elected Californias attorney general. Loftus worked as a prosecutor in the district attorneys office under Harris and worked for her in the attorney generals office, too. When Harris won a seat in the U.S. Senate and left for Washington, Loftus moved to the Sheriffs Department. She had to leave her seat on the Police Commission to take that job and said seeing the citys criminal justice system through the eyes of a regular resident was eye-opening. I was able to look around and see that what was happening on the street was not OK, and there are a lot of things we can do differently, she said. The current approach isnt working. San Franciscans may wonder what that approach is, since its not obvious to many everyday residents. Too often, police officers say they make arrests, but the district attorney wont prosecute. And the district attorney says he prosecutes, but the judges let repeat offenders off the hook. And the judges? Well, they dont say much of anything at all. Loftus said the phrase criminal justice system isnt even accurate in San Francisco. The word system presumes everybody is working together and working well and that theres collaboration, she said. Ive worked in enough of these different agencies to see we have a lot of work to do. Breed said she has worked with Loftus for about 15 years and has been impressed with her clear communication style, realistic point of view and compassion. She said she agrees 100 percent with Loftus assessment of a broken, noncommunicative criminal justice system. Shes completely right, the mayor said. Everyone points the finger about whose fault it is rather than getting to the bottom of the situation. 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. Loftus said that as district attorney, she would appoint neighborhood prosecutors to get to know small-business owners, residents and local police officers so they could build strong cases together and ensure there are consequences. That may also include organizing those parties to show up in court or write letters so the judge understands the significance of the crime. When you, as a prosecutor, feel like the voice of the community is not being heard, its your job to amplify it and make sure the judge knows whats at stake, Loftus said. I think if thats done consistently, well get results. Gascon declined to comment for this column. But sources close to him say Loftus accusations just arent accurate or dont paint the whole picture. For example, property crime is a big problem, but violent crime is down, partly because robberies to steal smartphones from people have dropped. Gascons supporters argue that can be attributed to his successful push for a state law requiring smartphone kill switches, which render a phone useless if its stolen. Also, the district attorneys backers say, the Police Departments dreadful arrest rate of 1.6 percent in car break-ins cant be blamed on Gascon but is part of the slowdown in arrests that occurred while Loftus was on the Police Commission. Gascons backers also say finger-pointing between the Police Department and district attorneys office was at its worst when Loftus was the head of the Police Commission and has improved dramatically in the past year. Reports of car break-ins are down, and Gascon prosecutes 85 percent of those cases that do make it to his office. The district attorney also has some impressive early endorsers, including Lt. Gov Gavin Newsom, former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, Assemblyman Phil Ting and Supervisors Ahsha Safai, Hillary Ronen, Norman Yee, Sandra Fewer and Aaron Peskin. Gascon and Loftus have two other competitors, as well: Joe Alioto Veronese, another former Police Commissioner, and Leif Dautch, a California deputy attorney general, are also running. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf China is tacking $60 billion in additional tariffs on U.S. goods a day after President Trump instituted additional sanctions on Chinese imports, intensifying the trade war between the worlds two largest economies. More than 5,000 U.S. goods will be subject to Chinese tariffs of from 5 to 10 percent starting Sept. 24, including meat, crops, industrial materials and wine. The 10 percent additional tariff on wine disproportionately hurts California, which accounts for 90 percent of U.S. wine production. Chinese tariffs on U.S. wine had already increased from 48.2 percent to 67.7 percent in April. China and the U.S. already imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of each others goods before Trump said Monday that another $200 billion in Chinese products would be subject to new tariffs. Trump threatened to add tariffs on an additional $267 billion in Chinese imports if China retailiated. That would mean the imposition of tariffs on nearly all products that China sells to the U.S. Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have criticized the tariffs as a barrier to free trade that will hurt consumers by raising prices. Contrary to views in Washington, China can and will dig its heels in, and we are not optimistic about the prospect for a resolution in the short term, said William Zarit, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. No one will emerge victorious from this counterproductive cycle. Now Playing: China on Tuesday announced its plans to retaliate after President Trump's tariff announcement. Video: GeoBeats Bay Area businesses also said they opposed the tariffs. There's nothing good that can come of these tariffs, said Michael Havens, an export broker at California American Terroirs in Sonoma, which works with 93 West Coast wineries. Havens personally doesnt do business in China, but said Californian wineries hes spoken to have all opposed the tariffs. I don't know anybody ... who supports these tariffs, he said. If this same policy were to be extended to other countries, it would definitely have an impact on my business and my wineries. Despite a steady escalation in tariffs, Chinese demand for wine has been strong over the first half of the year. U.S. wine exports to China jumped 14 percent in January through June compared with the prior year to $38.4 million in value, according to the Wine Institute. While increased tariffs are challenging, Chinese consumers are clearly attracted to California wines and appreciate the high quality and great diversity of wines from the Golden State, said Linsey Gallagher, Wine Institute vice president of international marketing, in a statement last week. The Wine Institute holds promotion events for California wine in China, including classes, and plans to have a strong presence at the wine trade shows in the cities of Shanghai and Chengdu in the next few months. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Last week, the American Chambers of Commerce in China and in Shanghai reported 52 percent of more than 430 companies that responded to a survey said they have faced slower customs clearance and increased inspections and bureaucratic procedures. In 2017, China was Californias third largest export market behind Mexico and Canada, with more than $16.4 billion in exports, according to the International Trade Administration. Tariffs on Chinese goods in the U.S. will raise prices for consumers. There are already signs of such an impact. Luggage maker Samsonite notified wholesale buyers in an Aug. 13 letter that there would be a 10 percent price increase if the U.S. added more tariffs on Chinese goods, Bloomberg reported. The tariffs will take effect Sept. 24 and affect more than $3 billion in luggage and travel bags imported from China. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf @SophiaKunthara Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle 2017 Longtime San Francisco philanthropists Dagmar and David Dolby, the wife and son of Dolby Laboratories founder Ray Dolby, have given $20 million to UCSF to create a center to study mood disorders, UCSF announced Tuesday. The UCSF Dolby Family Center for Mood Disorders will be part of UCSFs department of psychiatry and aims to advance research and patient care for mood disorders including major depression and anxiety, UCSF officials said. From a humble plastic bag to ultra-light airplane wings - polymers are everywhere. These molecules are long chains of atoms that are chemically joined to play many roles that we all love (organic photovoltaics) and hate (indestructible plastic pollution). Polymers are useful in liquid form as well: the difference between tomato puree and ketchup is merely 0.5% of xanthan gum, which is a polymer made from sugar. Ketchup is thick but not sticky, all thanks to the xanthan chains that are so long that they interpenetrate and form an entangled web that resists flow. The same principle also underpins high tech applications like ink jet printing. There is a possibility to decrease the amount of thickening additives, without compromising their effect on flow, which would save costs and minimize the environmental impact. If we connect the ends of three linear chains to a single point, the result is called a star polymer. Due to this branched architecture, webs of star polymers are dramatically more entangled, than their linear cousins of the same mass. To explain how this entanglement works, let us start with the concept of a random walk. Imagine you are on a hike and you play a game: toss a coin four times and take a step left for every heads, and a step right for every tails. You will most often end up two steps away from the starting point. In fact, if we multiply the final distance by itself, 2x2=4, it is equal to the number of random steps. This is the law of diffusion, and it governs the motion of small molecules like water. For polymers, we have to take the random walk to higher dimensions. Imagine you are on a hike again, but this time you bring a hundred friends and for safety, you all link up with a rope. Every member starts playing the random walk game, but the rope has some slack, so it takes a while for you to feel the pull of the entire team. This kind of motion is a random walk, embedded in another, slower random walk. Here you need to take 4x4=16 random steps to move a distance of two steps. Next, imagine hundreds of rope teams all mingled up so densely that you only have room to move up or down the line of your own team. The effect of the crowd brings us to 16x16=256 steps. Can you guess how many steps would you need if we add an extra branch to the middle of each rope team? Hint: it is not 256x256=65536. It takes a staggering 65536x65536=4.3 billion random attempts to get merely two steps away. This result has been shown in a recent study "5D Entanglement in Star Polymer Dynamics", by Airidas Korolkovas published in Advanced Theory and Simulations, a new journal focusing on breakthroughs in the science of modelling. A unique computer algorithm was invented to capture the billions of steps needed for entangled polymers. It runs on a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) and takes advantage of texture mapping, an often-overlooked functionality. Originally, this feature was designed for video games, but here it has been repurposed to calculate the molecular forces inside a little polymer droplet. Using a streamlined physics model, this simulation runs hundreds of times faster than traditional code. It opens new horizons on the time scales that can be addressed in scientific computing. This can further push the frontiers for the latest generation of supercomputers, like the recently opened Summit in Oak Ridge National Lab, USA, which has almost 30,000 GPUs. The effect of higher dimensional entanglement can be observed in real life, using an instrument called neutron spin-echo. This machine shoots tiny subatomic particles, called neutrons, and listens to the echo of their nuclear spin as they scatter, or bounce off the polymer sample. A prime example is the IN15 beamline at the Institut Laue-Langevin, France, where the entanglement of linear polymers was first discovered. Thanks to constant upgrades and to upcoming new facilities like the European Spallation Source, Sweden, an experimental proof of the simulation prediction for star polymers may soon be within reach. A combination of high performance computing and neutron scattering is a powerful tool of discovery for new materials that improve our quality of life and respect the environment. Women who work at startups earn significantly less than their male co-workers when payments in company shares are counted, according to a report released Tuesday. Startups typically offer job candidates lower salaries in exchange for stakes in the company paid out over time, typically as stock options or restricted stock units. In San Francisco and Silicon Valley, those payouts can dwarf regular paychecks, since the value of options or units grows along with the companys worth. But new data collected by Carta, a San Francisco firm that helps companies manage stock grants to employees, suggest women employees arent receiving a fair share. Now Playing: Art Peck says taking a strong stance on issues like equal pay is good for business. Video: Fortune Carta analyzed a subset of its customers, which included more than 180,000 employees at roughly 6,000 companies. Carta found that female employees receive 47 cents of stock-based pay for every dollar male employees received. That is a far wider gap than in regular pay: In 2017, women earned 82 percent of what men earned, according to a Pew Research analysis of median hourly earnings in the U.S. While women make up 35 percent of employees paid in shares at companies that use Cartas services, they hold only 20 percent of the employee-owned shares or options. The gender gap is significant among startup founders, even accounting for the fact that women start fewer companies than men do. Women make up 14 percent of founders examined in Cartas dataset, but receive less than 6 percent of the shares held by founders. Money is power, and women have less of it, said Jana Messerschmidt, an angel investor whose venture capital group co-authored the report with Carta. Messerschmidt belongs to an all-female group of investors called #Angels who met as executives at Twitter. Some of the women left the San Francisco social media company to pursue other business ventures, but they continued working together to put money into startups and promote women in the tech industry. When Twitter went public in 2013, its initial public offering created 1,600 new millionaires, mostly from rank-and-file employees who joined early and held shares of the venture-backed company. Some of those employees went on to fund their own startups with their new riches. Thats a privilege reserved mostly for male employees raking in equity, say the #Angels partners. Money gives you optionality. It allows you to choose what you do next in your career. It means that you dont have to take the next job that comes along, Messerschmidt said. Chloe Sladden, one of the #Angels partners who previously ran Twitters media unit, observed that fewer women who left Twitter after its IPO started businesses than did their male colleagues. We dont have specific data to track the Twitter alumni, but that was certainly our impression, Sladden said. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment. Sara Mauskopf, a startup founder in San Francisco, said she prioritized negotiating share-based compensation over salary during her career at Google, Twitter and Postmates. Thats always paid off for me, Mauskopf said. Her company, Winnie, whose app lets parents connect and share recommendations for kid-friendly places, set out to give female employees and investors more than half of the companys ownership. By hiring women in leadership roles and creating a family-friendly workplace that helps retain those recruits, Mauskopf said it was easy to reach her goal. From the very beginning of Winnie, we believed we were going to make people very rich as a result of the success of Winnie, Mauskopf said. So it was a priority for us to make sure women get a large share of that wealth we would be creating. Carta bills the pay gap report as the most comprehensive study of its kind about the effect of gender on the capitalization table, or cap table, a list of owners of a company. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes More than 10,000 companies in the U.S. use Cartas services to manage and issue stock option grants to shareholders, such as employees, founders, board members and investors. Those customers tend to be early-stage, venture-backed startups that often rely on stock rewards and their promise of big payouts in the event of a public offering or sale in order to attract the most talented employees. For this report, Carta calculated the value of each persons stock-options grant. The results were not flattering for Carta itself, said CEO Henry Ward. As the company crunched the numbers, executives knew it wasnt going to be great, Ward said. The question was how not-great is it going to be. Carta completed a review of salary compensation and equity for 400 of its own employees in San Francisco and its other offices. Now, it aims to make amends. Ward said Carta plans to issue $8.3 million in equity to fix gender bias and other inequities. It also examined employees pay, and will spend $2 million a year to increase pay for women and minorities at the company. Carta is not the first tech company to own up to the gender gap. Salesforce spent $8.7 million since 2015 to increase pay for women earning less than men for the same work. Ward said he plans to introduce a feature that will let tech companies run an analysis of company ownership by gender. He noted that its also important for early-stage companies to smooth out differences in stock compensation. People who join at earlier stages typically receive lower-priced options, meaning that they make more when the options are exercised and turned into shares. Those who join later pay higher prices for their shares, and make less. The whole cap table thesis is that a lot of equity goes to zero, Ward said, because so many startups fail to become the Facebook or Google of tomorrow. But when it doesnt go to zero, it goes to really big numbers. Melia Russell is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: melia.russell@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meliarobin The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods starting next week, spanning dozens of crops, meat products and industrial materials. The escalation of a trade war between the worlds two largest economies could lead to higher consumer prices and dampen trade. If China responds with more tariffs, the U.S. will impose tariffs on $267 billion in additional Chinese goods, President Trump said in a statement. The tariffs will start at 10 percent and rise to 25 percent starting Jan. 1, affecting around 40 percent of goods China sold the United States last year. Apple, Fitbit and other Bay Area device makers who manufacture in China were largely spared. Smart watches and Bluetooth devices were removed from an earlier list of targeted imports, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters Monday. Apple CEO Tim Cook had criticized tariffs as a tax on consumers. The Cupertino hardware maker unveiled a new model of its Apple Watch last week. The Port of Oakland, Northern Californias hub for Chinese trade, said its too early to predict the impact of the new tariffs. In June, the U.S. imposed tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods, and China retaliated with a similar level of trade sanctions. The ports imports rose 9.2 percent in August compared with the prior year, which officials attributed to the strong economy and demand for consumer goods. Exports have fallen in recent months and were down 3.7 percent in August. Mike Zampa, a Port of Oakland spokesman, said previous Chinese tariffs may have been a factor in the decline, but Chinas new restrictions on recycled paper and the strong U.S. dollar probably had a greater impact. There has been some gradual decline in exports since March, and that precedes tariffs, said Zampa. Exporters have, for some months, been expressing caution. Zampa doesnt expect major drops in export or import activity as a result of the tariffs, but said theres great uncertainty. California agriculture groups are bracing for more potential tariffs from China as demand for some products have already shown signs of weakness. President Trumps new list of tariffs includes a lot of agriculture goods. Now were just in a wait and see [on] what the Chinese will do in retaliation, said Sara Neagu-Reed, associate director of federal policy at the California Farm Bureau Federation, which has nearly 40,000 members. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes August marked the beginning of the peak harvest season for major California export crops, including walnuts, almonds and citrus fruits. Demand has already softened for walnuts as tariffs have escalated, said Pamela Graviet, senior marketing director at the California Walnut Commission, an agricultural trade group. Major export markets, including China, Turkey and India, are showing less enthusiasm for walnut purchases, she said. Buyers are more nervous, Graviet said. Theres not robust orders coming out of these markets. The full impact of tariffs on walnuts wont be felt for a few months as the harvest continues, but concern is growing, she said. Its destabilized world trade, Graviet said. The Associated Press and Bloomberg News contributed to this report. Roland Li is a Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf California Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation California prison officials are searching for a minimum-security inmate who walked away from a fire camp program in Nevada County early Tuesday morning and may be headed for Alameda County, officials said. Justin Tyquiengco is serving a six-year prison sentence for second-degree robbery with the use of a firearm out of Contra Costa County, according to state prison officials. The courtroom has erupted into chaos. Three armed assailants have shot multiple people, including a law enforcement officer. One of the gunmen has taken a hostage. Its now up to a trainee to not only survive but neutralize the threat. This is one of many scenarios that San Francisco police officers and cadets will begin encountering inside the departments new state-of-the-art use-of-force training simulator, unveiled to The Chronicle on Monday. The improved training offered by the simulator comes as law enforcement agencies across the country face increased scrutiny over police shootings and face pressure to reduce fatal encounters. Surrounded by five screens, trainees enter a 300-degree virtual world where they may run into anything from an aggressive panhandler to a team of shooters on a killing spree. Basically, its the whole gamut of the spectrum, said Sgt. Steven Pomatto, who trains cadets in use of force at the academy. I can run you through a scenario that will end with verbal persuasion, then I can run the same scenario where you have to use your baton, but then it has another branch that makes it a fatal-type exercise. Now Playing: SFPD unveiled its new state-of-the-art use-of-force training simulator on Monday. Video: San Francisco Chronicle The San Francisco Police Department is one of nearly 200 law enforcement agencies nationwide to purchase a simulator from VirTra, which also outfits branches of the military with 300-degree units. Inside the room-size set-up, trainees are provided with weapons like SIG Sauer semiautomatic pistols and AR-15-style assault rifles that operate on compressed air, mimicking real-fire and recoil as the guns emit invisible lasers rather than bullets. The lasers are tracked with pinpoint accuracy to see how well the trainee is firing. The San Francisco Police Departments unit includes computer software called V Author that allows users to take images from any location and upload them into the system to build a customizable world. You can take a picture of anywhere in the Bay Area, whether at Shoreline Amphitheater or the Palace of Fine Arts and you can drop that into a scenario and train for that place, said Susan Lehman, a VirTra spokeswoman. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle San Francisco secured the $467,000 needed to purchase and maintain the simulator and all of its add-ons more than a year ago. The department has been working to get an appropriate space to set it up and calibrate all of the projectors, sensors and cameras. Its not just a screen, and its not just what happens in front of you. Its all around, said San Francisco police Cmdr. Peter Walsh. Anything that gives you pause to say, Hey, what else is around me, I think is a very good step forward. The new system, which is set up at the departments gun range near Lake Merced, wont replace the current one-screen trainer at the academy in Diamond Heights at least for now. The state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which requires that all law enforcement agencies meet a certain training standard, still has to certify San Franciscos new simulator. So for now, officials will be using it to complement the training cadets and officers get on the existing equipment. The VirTra unit, though, does many things the old system cannot do. Beyond the immersive experience, users can be equipped with an electroshock device so when theyre theoretically shot, they get zapped with enough volts to drop them to their knees. The officer or cadet must then work through the pain as they try to maintain a situation. The computer also gives trainees real-time feedback, monitoring how many rounds they fire and where the rounds go in a given scenario. Trainers can pull up a report and discuss each scenario with the officer or cadet to see where they may need more work. This will significantly improve training, Pomatto said. The most valuable part of this tool is to be able to replicate critical and semi-critical incidents. 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. Department officials also stressed that the simulator will be used to show the most effective tool is often not a weapon. That emphasis on de-escalation comes as the department continues to adopt recommendations by the Department of Justice following several controversial fatal police shootings, including the 2015 killing in the Bayview of Mario Woods. Some scenarios simply require talking to a person in crisis and never require using force. In others, anything can happen. In one encounter, an apparent pimp is verbally abusing a woman along a cinder block wall. The situation can play out in a number of ways, depending on how the operator wants it to go. In one outcome, both comply with the officer. In another, the woman charges the officers with a syringe. And in a third outcome, the pimp pulls out a gun and starts blasting. We want to teach a recruit or a seasoned officer how quickly things can escalate from zero miles an hour to 100, Pomatto said. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi is seeking to get a judge removed from a complex murder case against a tenant-rights attorney, arguing that the judge expresses bias against Latino persons and exhibited racial insensitivity. Judge Ethan Schulman is handling motions in the case against Carlos Argueta, who is accused of fatally stabbing 61-year-old James Thomas during a drunken confrontation three years ago outside a bar on a gritty stretch of Sixth Street in San Francisco. Another judge previously dismissed the case, prompting prosecutors to obtain a murder indictment through a grand jury. Earlier this month, Adachi filed a motion to have the indictment against Argueta, 34, dismissed, arguing the prosecutor in the case committed misconduct. The public defenders office had filed a similar motion in August 2017, which Schulman rejected. Adachi is now seeking to have Schulman removed before he can rule on the second effort to have the indictment tossed. In a filing Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, Adachi said Schulman made a racially insensitive statement toward a Latino defense lawyer, exclaiming, When is this telenovela going to end? Adachi said the judges statement, allegedly made during an unrelated 2011 case to Deputy Public Defender Elizabeth Camacho, was clearly made to ridicule and disparage Ms. Camacho based on her race and ethnicity. Adachi further accused Schulman of being biased against defense attorneys in general. In his motion, Adachi included statements from other public defenders who have appeared in Schulmans courtroom. Judge Schulmans demeanor towards criminal defendants and defense lawyers is not merely stern, it is disdainful, and thus he conveys actual bias, Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Young wrote. His perceptibly derisive tone and stare makes appearing in his courtroom unpleasant and unsettling for clients. Schulman has 10 days to respond and can contest the motion or recuse himself from the case, Adachi said Tuesday outside of court. San Francisco Superior Court officials would not comment on the motion. 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 judge is scheduled to rule later this month on Adachis earlier motion, which argues Assistant District Attorney Andrew Ganz committed misconduct during the grand jury proceeding against Argueta. Adachi claims testimony from witnesses dramatically changed between the preliminary hearing and the grand jury proceeding, and that Ganz committed misconduct by failing to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury. Judge Kay Tsenin had dismissed the case after the November 2016 preliminary hearing, ruling that the evidence was insufficient to prove murder, but Ganz presented the case to the grand jury six months later. Ganz is currently facing misconduct charges of his own in State Bar Court in a separate case when he worked in Solano County. Argueta, meanwhile, is out on bail. He has claimed self-defense in the 2015 killing. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky Caffe Delucchi, a long-standing Italian restaurant in San Franciscos North Beach neighborhood, is under new ownership for the first time since opening at Stockton Street and Columbus Avenue nearly two decades ago. The 18-year-old business operating license is being transferred from the original owner, Richard Jones, to Captain Kona Inc., according to a filing with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The restaurant currently remains open. Jones, who also owned the 10,000-square-foot Delucchi Sheet Metal Works building at 1526 Powell St. in North Beach, said operating costs in the city have made it difficult for restaurants to survive. I think Healthy San Francisco and the rising minimum wage have done a number on restaurants of this size, he said, referencing the citys health access program and the current $15 minimum wage. Then to be honest, its difficult to get someone to come in to the restaurant and pay $26, $28 for pasta. Its a tough dynamic. Now Playing: These are the "most SF" places to eat and drink in the city. Video: Ted Andersen, SFGATE According to ABC documents, Captain Kona Inc. is run by Kenneth Martin Sale Jr. The company also controls Paradise Pizza and Pasta in West Portal and is in the process of taking over Joes Cafe on Redwood Highway in San Rafael. Caffe Delucchi is the latest change in the North Beach neighborhood, which has seen Pantarei, Rose Pistola and Caffe Roma close or find new owners. Jones said he isnt sure whether Caffe Delucchi will remain the same as it has been over the years, or even if the name will stay. Inside Scoop has reached out to Captain Kona Inc. for further details. Right now, this is a chance for me to step back and just not think about the industry, Jones said. Ive been doing this for 18, 19 years. Im 62 years old. It was time just to move on. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Located in a neighborhood rich in Italian restaurants, Caffe Delucchi has flown under the radar since opening in the early 2000s. Recently, former Chronicle critic Michael Bauer named the eatery one of his favorite in the North Beach neighborhood. Caffe Delucchi: 500 Columbus Ave. Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips Empire-builder Michael Mina is expanding to Marin County with a yet-to-be-named project in Tiburon. According to the Mina Group, the chef is taking over the former home of the Guaymas Mexican restaurant, which closed in September after 30 years on the citys shoreline. The project is scheduled to open in late summer 2019. The new venture is the latest in what has been a notable year for Mina and his team. A Supreme Court nominee is accused by a woman of sexual misconduct that allegedly happened years ago. Her charges are taken seriously, but the nominee flatly denies them. That happened 27 years ago, when Anita Hill accused high court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Now its happening again, with Palo Alto University Professor Christine Blasey Fords accusation that Judge Brett Kavanaugh drunkenly tried to rape her when they were both teenagers at a party in suburban Maryland. Kavanaugh called her accusations completely false. In many ways, little has changed politically since Hills story played out during televised testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. While the panel now has four women, the Republican majority is composed exclusively of men. Overall, the Senate is even more hyper-politicized and partisan than it was in 1991, when 11 Democrats joined with Republicans then in the minority to confirm Thomas by a vote of 52-48. But in other ways, the landscape has changed dramatically and that could reshape the way Fords accusations play out when the Judiciary Committee hears from both her and Kavanaugh. A public hearing has been scheduled for Monday. The accusations come less than two months before midterm elections in which a record number of women are running for congressional and state legislative seats, according to the Center for Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The #MeToo movement has given voice to women telling their stories not just about sexual harassment they have endured but sexual assault and other offenses. Their stories have taken down powerful men including Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, longtime broadcaster Charlie Rose, Democratic Sen. Al Franken, comedian Louis C.K. and several members of the California Legislature. The main difference now is that Christine Ford speaking her truth is not being questioned, said Amy Richards, co-editor of I Still Believe Anita Hill: Three Generations Discuss the Legacies of Speaking Truth to Power. Polls have shown that the nation is open to hearing those stories. After Hill testified, 54 percent of respondents to a CBS News/New York Times poll said her charges were false, compared with 27 percent who believed her. But a Pew Research survey taken in February found that two-thirds of respondents attributed sexual-harassment allegations to widespread problems in society. Theres so much more support now for anyone who comes out and says, This happened to me. Theres less skepticism, said Lori Cox Han, author of Women, Power, and Politics: The Fight for Gender Equality in the United States. Women are taken more seriously now than in the 1990s when they go public with this type of thing. Richards called the change a direct consequence of #MeToo. Even if your story wasnt about Weinstein, many women have had an experience like that, she said. The behavior may not be the exact same behavior, but more people can now say that, I can recognize that behavior because it happened to me. However, while the cultural landscape may have changed, Washington is another world. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a Judiciary Committee member who is one of the Senates most senior Republicans, indicated Monday that almost nothing that happens in the panels upcoming public hearing would be likely to change his mind about Kavanaugh. Even if Fords allegations were found to be true, Hatch said, I think it would be hard for senators to not consider who the judge is today. Thats the issue. Is this judge a really good man? And he is. And by any measure he is. Adama Iwu, a Sacramento lobbyist who started the We Said Enough campaign that led hundreds of women to call for an to end the state Capitols pervasive sexual harassment culture, disagreed with those who dismiss Fords allegations because Kavanaugh was 17 at the time. I dont know a lot of men who behaved that way, even when they were in high school, Iwu said. If thats our bar now, its really sunk a long way. I dont believe that kind of aggressive behavior is so common that we can overlook it. President Trump hadnt taken to Twitter by late Monday to comment on Fords allegation, but he told reporters at the White House that his nominee is one of the finest people that Ive ever known. However, the presidents son Donald Trump Jr. mocked Fords allegation of attempted rape in a post on his Instagram page. The younger Trump posted a crayon-drawn letter from Bret to a girl, writing that it was Judge Kavanaughs sexual assault letter found by Dems. Trump Jr.s post could be a sign of how nasty the confirmation fight will turn during the next few days. Or it may be an outlier, as the political backdrop is different now. Unlike when Anita Hill went before the Senate, Mondays hearing will happen in the middle of an election campaign. The larger environment could change the hearings in some way, said Kelly Dittmar, a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics and a political science professor at Rutgers. Well see if there is there more pressure on members of the committee to give these accusations more merit and believe them in a serious way. Iwu, however, wonders how far the political world has come since Hills era. Well see, she said, if (Ford) is treated any better than Ms. Hill was treated. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli With six weeks to go before the Nov. 6 election, the TV and digital battle for California House seats is heating up. But its not the congressional candidates who are doing most of the spending. With seven or more GOP-held seats in play in the state, and Democrats desperate to flip 23 nationally to take control of the House, California was always going to be a battleground. Thats one reason party groups, Democratic and Republican alike, are driving the early efforts with attack ads aimed at bloodying their opposition. On the GOP side, the Congressional Leadership Fund is channeling its inner President Trump with a series of ads tagging Democratic challengers with belittling descriptions. Its liberal Katie Hill, immature and out of touch, who is running against GOP Rep. Steve Knight of Lancaster in Los Angeles County. In the Central Valley, shady San Francisco venture capitalist Josh Harder is challenging Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock (Stanislaus County). And then theres shady Harley Rouda, who is going against GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in Orange County. Democrats are playing a similar game with their advertising, often adding an anti-Trump twist. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called out GOP Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine for voting with Trump 99 percent of the time. Red to Blue California has a parody ad that suggests Rohrabacher is being endorsed by Russia, an unstated nod to the presidents own Russia problems. Fight Back California, another pro-Democrat PAC, accuses Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, one of Trumps most visible backers, of being a fake farmer. California is going to see plenty of similar attacks in the coming weeks, especially in the Central Valley and Orange County, home to most of the targeted districts. Theres a lot of hyperactivity out there, especially among Democrats who want to take back the House, said Barbara OConnor, a retired professor of political speech at Sacramento State University. But with shotgun blasts of ads like this ... theres a question of how many people are actually paying attention. Many of the new ads are cookie-cutter efforts that would fit as well in Colorado or Virginia as they do in California contests, said Tony Quinn, a former GOP consultant. Theyre put together by people in D.C. who have no sense of what the California districts are really like, he said. So you end up with someone screaming at you from the television about one or another terrible thing a candidate has done or will do. A Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad aimed at Rohrabacher, for example, accuses the 30-year veteran of Congress of 21 votes to raise his own pay and of spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on travel. Those are charges that can and have been made against any long-serving member of Congress. Since the Constitution requires Congress to set its own pay, the members vote on pay raises. And senators and representatives routinely travel on official business, which are fact-finding missions if someones writing about members of their own party and junkets if theyre not. Then there are GOP ads like the one against Katie Porter, who is challenging Walters in Orange County. In it, Porter, an attorney and law school professor, is liberal Katie Porter. Higher taxes. Open borders, familiar charges against Democrats in virtually any year and in any state. The attack ads arent a surprise, especially with Republican groups eager to paint a negative picture of Democratic candidates who have never run for office before this year. The Democrats are still unknown and are being propped up by one thing, and thats Trump, Quinn said. If Hillary Clinton had been elected, none of these (Republican) seats would be in play. Its Trump whos president, though, and Democrats and their ads will keep reminding voters of that. In a state where Clinton beat Trump by 62 to 32 percent in 2016, and where polls show only 29 percent of California adults approve of the job the president is doing, its easier and probably more effective to run against Trump than individual candidates. Democrats believe that for many voters in November, nothing has any importance except the chance to vote against Trump, Quinn said. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth With six weeks to go before the Nov. 6 election, the TV and digital battle for California House seats is heating up. But its not the congressional candidates who are doing most of the spending. With seven or more GOP-held seats in play in the state and Democrats desperate to flip 23 nationally to take control of the House, California was always going to be a battleground. Thats one reason party groups, Democratic and Republican alike, are driving the early efforts with attack ads aimed at bloodying their opposition. On the GOP side, the Congressional Leadership Fund is channeling its inner President Trump with a series of ads tagging Democratic challengers with belittling descriptions. Its liberal Katie Hill, immature and out of touch, who is running against GOP Rep. Steve Knight of Lancaster in Los Angeles County. In the Central Valley, shady San Francisco venture capitalist Josh Harder is challenging Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock (Stanislaus County). And then theres shady Harley Rouda, who is going against GOP Rep. Dana Rohrbacher in Orange County. Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call 2018 Democrats are playing a similar game with their advertising, often adding an anti-Trump twist. Sign up for Political Punch Like what you're reading? Sign up for the Political Punch newsletter on our sign-up page. It's sent twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and provides an expert political perspective with a Golden State spin. See More Collapse The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called out GOP Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine (Orange County) for voting with Trump 99 percent of the time. Red to Blue California has a parody ad that suggests Rohrabacher is being endorsed by Russia, an unstated nod to the presidents own Russia problems. Fight Back California, another pro-Democrat PAC, accuses Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, one of Trumps most visible backers, of being a fake farmer. California is going to see plenty of similar attacks in the coming weeks, especially in the Central Valley and Orange County, home to most of the targeted districts. To read the rest of the story, click here. Deep dives and late takes Court politics: Will the Palo Alto professor who accuses Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct be treated any better than Anita Hill was? The take on Ford: People who know Brett Kavanaughs accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, describe her as an honest, forthright person. Feinsteins role: Sen. Dianne Feinstein still sees a place for collegiality in the Senate. She may be in the minority. Challenge for Gascon: San Franciscos district attorney will face a formidable opponent in his 2019 re-election bid. Outsourcing homelessness: San Francisco politicians are floating the idea of housing the citys homeless people in other cities. Worlds apart: Gavin Newsom and John Cox both drive Teslas. Thats about all the candidates for governor share when it comes to the environment. Old-school debate: It looks like there will be just one debate between Californias candidates for governor: On a Monday, in the morning, on the radio. Florida to S.F.: Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate for Florida governor comes to San Francisco with a message and a request. Political calendar: Candidates forums in the East Bay and an appearance by Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson highlight the Bay Area political events calendar. The Political Punch newsletter publishes Tuesdays and Thursdays between noon and 3 p.m. It is produced by the staff of The San Francisco Chronicle and edited by politics editor Trapper Byrne. Email: tbyrne@sfchronicle.com Tuesdays lunchtime crowd at the McDonalds in San Franciscos Mission District clustered outside the front door, but people werent dining al fresco or happily waiting in line for a meal. About 60 protesters, some of them McDonalds employees, gathered to chant, wave signs and deliver speeches as part of a national action campaign to protest what they consider the fast-food giants inadequate response to sexual harassment complaints from workers. Protests publicized in advance as strikes took place in 10 cities around the country, but nobody walked off the job at the Mission District restaurant, which organizers chose for its central location. A handful of protesters did wear McDonalds uniforms. Fight for $15, which organized Tuesdays protest and aims to unionize fast-food workers and raise the national minimum wage, took up the issue of sexual harassment mostly on behalf of female fast-food workers, organizers said. As the worlds largest fast-food chain, McDonalds has become a major target. Protest organizers said the chains employees have been subjected to explicit sexual remarks, groping and being rubbed up against, while others have been propositioned by co-workers on the job. Complaints, they said, are ignored or result in retaliation such as reassignment to undesirable shifts or having their hours reduced. In May, a group of female workers one just 15 years old filed sexual harassment complaints against McDonalds. Many of the strikes Tuesday took place in cities where workers filed complaints. In addition to San Francisco, protests took place in Chicago; Durham, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; New Orleans; Orlando, Fla.; and St. Louis. While there were no San Francisco strikers at the Mission McDonalds, a handful of protesters identified themselves as employees and wore the chains gray T-shirts with the familiar arch logo. Among them was Carole Brannock, 49, who works customer service at a Sacramento McDonalds where she said she was assaulted by a male customer in February while she was cleaning a restroom. Brannock fought off her attacker with a broom, she said, but she was discouraged from reporting the crime or from speaking about it with co-workers. She loves her job, she said, but she cant forget the attack and plans to find new employment. I look at life differently now, Brannock said. I cant be in a public restroom without flinching, wondering if its a man or a woman coming in and whats going on. Fight for $15 officials said the strikers are demanding McDonalds improve its process for responding to harassment complaints, require anti-harassment training for employees including managers and create a national committee that includes workers to address sexual harassment. McDonalds released a statement Tuesday in response to questions from The Chronicle about harassment: We have strong policies, procedures and training in place specifically designed to prevent sexual harassment. To ensure we are doing all that can be done, we have engaged experts in the areas of prevention and response including, RAINN, to evolve our policies so everyone who works at McDonalds does so in a secure environment every day. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan Courtesy photo / San Francisco Police Dept. Update: Police said Dennis Dixon, the missing boy, has been located and is well. San Francisco police are asking for the publics help in finding an 11-year-old boy who left his home on Sunday and hasnt been seen since. TOKYO Electric drones booked through smartphones pick people up from office rooftops, shortening travel time by hours, reducing the need for parking and clearing smog from the air. This vision of the future is driving the Japanese governments flying car project. Major carrier All Nippon Airways, electronics company NEC Corp. and more than a dozen other companies including San Franciscos Uber and academic experts hope to have a road map ready by the years end. This is such a totally new sector, Japan has a good chance for not falling behind, said Fumiaki Ebihara, the government official in charge of the project. Nobody believes people are going to be zipping around in flying cars anytime soon. Many hurdles remain, such as battery life, the need for regulations and, of course, safety concerns. But dozens of similar projects are popping up around the world. A flying car is defined as an aircraft thats electric, or hybrid electric, with driverless capabilities, that can land and takeoff vertically. They are often called EVtol, which stands for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. All the flying car concepts, which are like drones big enough to hold humans, promise to be better than helicopters, which are expensive to maintain, noisy to fly and require trained pilots, Ebihara and other proponents say. You may think of Back to the Future, Gundam or Doraemon, Ebihara said, referring to vehicles of flight in a Hollywood film and in Japanese cartoons featuring robots. Up to now, it was just a dream, but with innovations in motors and batteries, its time for it to become real. Google, drone company Ehang and car manufacturer Geely in China, and Volkswagen of Germany have invested in flying car technology. Nissan and Honda said they have nothing to say about flying cars, but Toyota recently invested $500 million in working with Uber on self-driving technology for the ride-hailing service. Toyota group companies have also invested $375,000 in a Japanese startup, Cartivator, that is working on a flying car. The hope is to fly up and light the torch at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but its unclear it will meet that goal: at a demonstration last year the device crashed after it rose to slightly higher than eye level. A video of a more recent demonstration suggests its now flying more stably, though its being tested indoors, unmanned and chained so it wont fly away. There are plenty of skeptics. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says even toy drones are noisy and blow a lot of air, which means anything that would be 1,000 times heavier isnt practical. If you want a flying car, just put wheels on a helicopter, he said in a recent interview with podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan on YouTube. Your neighbors are not going to be happy if you land a flying car in your backyard or on your rooftop. Though the Japanese government has resisted Ubers efforts to offer ride-hailing services in Japan, limiting it to partnerships with taxi companies, it has eagerly embraced the companys work on EVtol machines. Uber says it is considering Tokyo as its first launch city for affordable flights via its UberAir service. It says Los Angeles and Dallas, and locations in Australia, Brazil, France and India are other possible locations. Unlike regular airplanes, with their aerodynamic design and two wings, Ubers Elevate structures look like small jets with several propellers on top. The company says it plans flight demonstrations as soon as 2020 and a commercial service by 2023. Ubers vision calls for using heliports on rooftops, but new multifloor construction similar to parking lots for cars will be needed to accommodate so many more EVtol aircraft, if the service takes off. Unmanned drones are legal in the U.S., Japan and other countries, but there are restrictions on where they can be flown and requirements for getting approval in advance. In Japan, drone flyers can be licensed if they take classes. There is no requirement like drivers licenses for cars. Flying passengers over populated areas would take a quantum leap in technology, overhauling aviation regulations and air traffic safety controls, along with major efforts both to ensure safety and convince people its safe. Uber said at a recent presentation in Tokyo that it envisions a route between the citys two international airports, among others. This is not a rich persons toy. This is a mass market solution, said Adam Warmoth, product manager at Uber Elevate. Concepts for flying cars vary greatly. Some resemble vehicles with several propellers on top while others look more like a boat with a seat over the propellers. Ebihara, the flying-car chief at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, says Japan is on board for Blade Runner style travel despite its plentiful, efficient and well-developed public transportation. Japans auto and electronics industries have the technology and ability to produce super-light materials that could give the nation an edge in the flying car business, he said. Just as the automobile vanquished horse-drawn carriages, moving short-distance transport into the air could in theory bring a sea change in how people live, Ebihara said, pointing to the sky outside the ministry building to stress how empty it was compared to the streets below. Flying also has the allure of a birds eye view, the stuff of drone videos increasingly used in filmmaking, tourism promotion and journalism. Atsushi Taguchi, a drone grapher, as specialists in drone video are called, expects test flights can be carried out even if flying cars wont become a reality for years since the basic technology for stable flying already exists with recent advances in sensors, robotics and digital cameras. A growing labor shortage in deliveries in Japan is adding to the pressures to realize such technology, though there are risks, said Taguchi, who teaches at the Tokyo film school Digital Hollywood. The propellers on commercially sold drones today are dangerous, and some of his students have lost fingers with improper flying. The bigger propellers needed for vertical flight would increase the hazards and might need to be covered. The devices might need parachutes to soften crash landings, or might have to explode into small bits to ensure pieces hitting the ground would be smaller. I think one of the biggest hurdles is safety, said Taguchi. And anything that flies will, by definition, crash. Yuri Kageyama is an Associated Press writer. Earlier this year, the company moved one of its manufacturing facilities to Ohio from the Philippines. Now, parts brought to that plant from China are subject to the tariffs. It feels like a punishment for bringing manufacturing to the U.S., Cowger said. Still, he said layoffs at Cedar would be a last resort. United Airlines is shaking up the way it boards planes with a revised process that should look awfully familiar to those who have been flying with the carrier for a while. Starting Tuesday, Sept 18, United will pare back the number of boarding lanes at its gates from the current five to just two. Lane number one will be denoted with a blue sign and will be reserved for priority boarding while lane number two will be used primarily by economy travelers and will have a green sign. We wrote about these planned changes in June when United began testing the concept at select airports including its hubs in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. See that here United will finally roll out the revised procedure systemwide on Tuesday. At SFO, the new procedure has been in use at some gates for several months now. (Have you tried it? Tell us about it in the comments.) Passengers in groups one and two are still able to line-up and wait at the gate to board flights. These two groups are typically comprised of frequent fliers who hold elite status in the airline's frequent flier program MileagePlus, United co-branded credit card holders, and those traveling in first or business class. (And so-called "gate lice." Not you, right?) Passengers in groups three through five are now being asked to take a seat and wait for their groups to be called to line-up and board through lane two. Travelers in groups three and four are typically comprised of economy cabin passengers. Travelers in group five are those holding basic economy tickets and board last as one of the conditions of buying the bargain fare. Gate signage is also changing. Displays will show the group number that is boarding, the lane in which they are to board, and which group numbers are next to board. Upgrade lists will no longer be shown on the displays, as they do now, since most upgraded fliers will probably have been notified before arriving at the gate to board. (I'll personally miss that!) A new version of the United Airlines app will send push notifications to travelers letting them know when boarding has begun. United says that it will soon send text messages, too. That's a welcome feature for travelers who are running late and those who want to savor as much time in the airline lounge as possible. The carrier said the streamlined process should rectify some of the gate-crowding complaints many travelers have voiced about the current five-lane boarding process that was implemented in 2012. It's not uncommon to see hundreds of people lined up at airport gates as early as an hour before departure time. Along with the boarding process changes, the airline will also implement changes to boarding group assignments to let some elite frequent fliers board earlier than they do now. Fliers with MileagePlus Premier 1K status (the highest-tier of the frequent flier program that United fliers can earn) can now pre-board ahead of group one. The benefit is also offered to families, people who need more time to settle in, all active military (not just those in uniform as before) and the airline's invitation-only Global Services members. United Airlines fliers with Premier Gold status will be bumped up into group one from the current group two. The airline said the move would "balance out" the number of people in each boarding group. As United regulars will tell you, group two is typically the largest of the five. Gold status members have long grumbled about being lumped into the group two boarding zone, the same priority boarding offered to United MileagePlus credit cardholders who may not have flown the requisite miles annually to earn the recognition. The boarding priority for Premier Silver members, the lowest tier on the MileagePlus program, will remain as group two. Here's a video supplied by United to explain the new process: If all of this seems familiar to people who've flown United or Continental Airlines before the merger in 2010, it should be. Both airlines had a two-lane boarding regimen for years. Elite frequent fliers boarded first through a VIP lane, followed by economy passengers in the order of window, middle and then aisle seats. United famously had a red carpet laid out to welcome its elite fliers through the priority boarding lane. Continental's EliteAccess lane was marked with a blue carpet. The carpets disappeared post-merger, and it doesn't appear this new boarding process will bring them back anytime soon. What do you think of United's revamped procedure? Was it necessary? Can you think of a perfect way to board a plane? Please leave your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. California prison officials are searching for a minimum-security inmate who walked away from a fire camp program in Nevada County early Tuesday morning and may be headed for Alameda County, officials said. Justin Tyquiengco is serving a six-year prison sentence for second-degree robbery with the use of a firearm out of Contra Costa County, according to state prison officials. Some of the best moments from the 70th annual Emmy Awards happened when attendees swerved from the tightly scripted broadcast. Viewers were chatting even before the show began when "Black-ish" star Jenifer Lewis stepped onto the red carpet in a Nike sweatshirt in support of Colin Kaepernick. "I want to speak to the Millennials today to let them know they are not alone when they speak out," she said. "We are not living in dark times. We are living in awakening times, and I am proud to be one of the leaders in the movement." Diversity was a persistent theme through the night, with hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost kicking off the broadcast by sarcastically celebrating the Emmys having "solved diversity" in song. Their mocking prophecy came true when Regina King became the first person of color to win an award, following a string of white winners early in the broadcast. "I wasn't really expecting this, but I am so grateful Television Academy," she said during her acceptance speech. "This is amazing," she continued. "I wanna curse right now. This is good." The good vibes continued when Glenn Weiss, winner of the Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special award for "The Oscars," proposed to his girlfriend, Jan Svendsen, onstage. "This is the ring my dad put on my mom's finger 65 years ago," Weiss continued, after revealing earlier in his speech that his mother recently died. "I want to put this ring that my mom wore on your finger in front of all these people, and in front of my mom and your parents watching from above," he said. "Will you marry me?" Off-the-script moments such as this arguably stole the show. Quipped Jost: "There's so many guys who didn't win with engagement rings in their pockets right now." See more highlights from the night in the above slideshow. Here Technologies employs 9,000 people globally, about 1,200 of whom are in Chicago. It has about 80 positions open now in Chicago, and Mendez said the company expects to grow its presence in the city as a result of the headquarters designation and growth in autonomous vehicles and other industries. He declined to comment on specifics. Divers who volunteered to help clean up the waters in Monterey over the weekend found something surprising littering the ocean floor. Besides plastic, crayons were the most common item found underwater near McAbee Beach. The divers recovered more than 300 in just a few hours, according to KSBW. Divers suspect the crayons are coming from nearby restaurants that hand them out to children. Fish may be confusing the colorful crayons for food and ingesting them, which is bad for the animals' health. ALSO: Mysterious great white shark lair discovered in Pacific Ocean "I can imagine a couple accidentally roll over the edge or get tossed into the ocean, but to find so many it makes you wonder what's happening in the cleaning of the tables or people taking the crayons. How did they make it into the sea like that?" Melissa Boyd, the organizer of the cleanup, told KSBW in an interview. Divers also found clothing and computer parts among other trash underwater. Watch KSBW's full report in the video above. A larger-scale effort to clean up garbage in the ocean launched this month in San Francisco. A U-shaped, 2,000-foot-long, garbage-collecting tube was carried out into the San Francisco Bay, through the Golden Gate and into the Pacific Ocean. READ MORE: 2,000-foot-long garbage-catching tube heads to sea off San Francisco The system is designed to accumulate garbage as it's carried along by ocean currents, with a tapered skirt attached to the tube to stop debris from flowing out. Every six weeks a vessel will empty the unit and carry away the trash. The goal is to roll out a total of 60 systems that models and testing showed could reduce the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by 50 percent in 5 years. SFGATE staff writer Amy Graff contributed to this report. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. A stake of $118 million in investment funds wasn't enough for San Francisco-based drone startup, Airware, to stay in business. The drone-operating system firm, founded in 2011, crashed after it ran out of money earlier this week. The company's announcement was abrupt, according to TechCrunch, which acquired a series of internal Slack messages, in which employees expressed shock over the news. WASHINGTON The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, under mounting pressure from senators of his own party, will call President Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and the Bay Area woman who has accused him of sexual assault before the committee Monday for extraordinary public hearings only weeks before the midterm elections. In setting the hearing, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, backed down from a committee vote on Kavanaughs nomination, planned for this Thursday, and pushed a confirmation once seen as inevitable into limbo. The hearing with Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University, sets up a potentially explosive public showdown that carries unmistakable echoes of the 1991 testimony of Anita Hill, who accused the future Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in an episode that riveted the nation and ushered a slew of women into public office. It will play out against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, which has energized Democratic women across the nation, in an institution, the Senate, that is more than three-quarters male. Trump vigorously defended his nominee Monday, calling him an outstanding judge with an unblemished record, and dismissing as ridiculous the prospect that Kavanaugh might withdraw his nomination. The announcement of Mondays hearing capped a tumultuous day in Washington, as senators of both parties absorbed the allegations against Kavanaugh, who only last week seemed on a glide path toward confirmation. Blasey has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a social gathering in the 1980s when they were both teenagers. Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations, which Blasey detailed in a letter sent in July to Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, who kept its existence secret at Blaseys request until last week. By Monday, both the contents of the letter and Blaseys identity had been revealed, intensifying what had already been a nasty partisan battle over Kavanaughs confirmation. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, angrily assailed Democrats for raising the allegations at the last minute. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, demanded the FBI investigate, and raised questions about Kavanaughs veracity. It will be up to Kavanaugh to convince wavering senators of his innocence. Both Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said Monday that if true, Blaseys accusations would disqualify the nominee from the Supreme Court. Obviously if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying, Collins told reporters, adding, For my part, I believe that its very important that both Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh testify under oath about these allegations. I need to see them and listen to their answers to the questions in order to make an assessment. Flake told reporters that he is presupposing nothing with this hearing, but added, If you believe the charges are true, you vote no. Kavanaugh spent the day at the White House, huddling and strategizing with aides in the war room across from the West Wing from which they had meticulously planned his path to confirmation. On Monday, though, the discussions were about how to salvage his chances through a hearing that officials were resigned to becoming a dramatic public spectacle. Feinstein came in for particular criticism from Republicans who took shots at her for withholding the information about Blasey until last week. If they believe Judge Kavanaughs accuser, why didnt they surface this information earlier so that he could be questioned about it? McConnell asked. Blaseys lawyer, Debra Katz, said Feinstein withheld the letter because she was respecting Blaseys wishes to remain private. Ultimately, after rumors of the letter circulated on Capitol Hill, and she was confronted by Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, Feinstein referred the letter to the FBI. Asked why she had waited so long, the senator, 85, hesitated. I dont know; Ill have to look back and see, Feinstein said, before ducking into the Senate chamber. When she emerged, she said, The answer is that she asked that it be confidential. Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Julie Hirschfeld Davis are New York Times writers. WASHINGTON The U.S. will slash the number of refugees it will accept for a second straight year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, insisting amid criticism from human rights groups that the country is still committed to providing sanctuary to people fleeing the worlds danger zones. Up to 30,000 refugees will be allowed into the country next year, down from a cap of 45,000 this year. It will be the lowest ceiling on admissions since the program began in 1980. The announcement comes despite calls from global humanitarian groups that this years cap of 45,000 was too low. Pompeo sought to head off potential criticism of the reduction by noting that the U.S. would process more than 280,000 asylum claims in addition to more than 800,000 already inside the country who are awaiting a resolution of their claims. These expansive figures continue the United States long-standing record as the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance, he said. President Barack Obama raised the ceiling to 110,000 in 2017, but the pace slowed dramatically after President Trump took office and issued an executive order addressing refugees. In 2016, the last full year of the Obama administration, the U.S. welcomed nearly 85,000 refugees. Pompeo said the lower ceiling reflected commitment to aiding families forced to flee their homes by war, persecution or natural disasters while prioritizing the safety and well-being of the American people. Amnesty International accused the Trump administration of abandoning refugees with the lower cap. Trump has made limiting immigration a centerpiece of his policy agenda. The Trump administrations zero-tolerance policy that forcibly separated families at the U.S. southern border sparked outrage among Republicans and Democrats alike. Trump has linked increased immigration to increased crime in the United States. Yet, according to resettlement agencies in the United States, the U.S. vetting process is one of the worlds toughest. Of the 3 million refugees admitted to the U.S. since 1975, not one has been arrested for carrying out a lethal terror attack on U.S. soil, according to resettlement agencies. Most applicants to the U.S. refugee program spend at least three years being interviewed, undergoing biometric checks and medical exams, and filling out paperwork. Susannah George is an Associated Press writer. America's favorite same-sex puppet duo enjoyed one day out of the closet before the two were led right back in by Sesame Street producer, Sesame Workshop. The producer released a statement after Mark Saltzman, writer of Sesame Street, confirmed that Bert and Ernie were more than friends. "As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends," the producer insisted, revealing heretofore undisclosed insight into the puppet species: "Even though they ... possess many human traits and characteristics ... they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation." The statement comes a day after Queerty's interview with Saltzman, which is as much about his own past and sexuality as it is about his fictional characters. More for you Tic-Tac-Toe, Tickle Me Elmo among Toy Hall of Fame finalists "I remember one time that a column from The San Francisco Chronicle, a preschooler in the city turned to mom and asked, 'Are Bert and Ernie lovers?' And that, coming from a preschooler was fun. And I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert and Ernie, they were," Saltzman told Queerty. Saltzamn compared himself and his longterm partner Arnold Glassman to the two characters: "Arnie's OCD would create friction with how chaotic I was. And that's the Bert & Ernie dynamic." When talking about Glassman, who died in 2003, the interview became a heartbreaking exploration of being a semi-closeted gay man during the AIDS crisis. "You also have to remember, all our friends were dying," he told Queerty. Appropriately in light of the Sesame Workshop statement, much of Saltzman's reflections revolved around the difficulty of not feeling entirely comfortable being "out." Similarly, the interview allows us a deeper glimpse into the inner lives of the beloved puppet partners. It seems the two will continue to share their creator's difficult pathway out of the closet. Editor's note: A previous version of this article was published stating that PBS made the statement. It has since been corrected to indicate that Sesame Workshop made the statement. Emma Heath is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her with comments or questions at Emma.Heath@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @emmabheath. "People have always added on to their houses and put structures into their backyard," said Karen Chapple, a professor of city and regional planning at the University of California at Berkeley who has written and researched extensively about ADUs. She built one in her own backyard in 2011. "We're at the point in the U.S., with the economy growing and housing prices going though the roof, where many young adults and seniors aren't able to find a place to live. All across the country, we're going to have to densify our suburbs," she said. WASHINGTON The woman who has accused President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault has so far failed to respond to requests from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at an extraordinary public hearing on Monday, raising doubts about whether she plans to attend and whether the session would go on without her. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, who leads the Senate Judiciary Committee, told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday that he had sent several requests to lawyers for the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, to testify along with Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. But Grassley said that he had not gotten a reply, so it kind of raises the question: Do they want to come to the public hearing or not? Trump also weighed in. Judge Kavanaugh is anxious to do it, he told reporters at the White House. I dont know about the other party. The mysterious silence from Blasey and her lawyers was another turn in a drama that has gripped the Capitol since Thursday, when the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee revealed that she had referred the sexual assault allegations to federal investigators. Blasey, a research psychologist in Northern California, has accused the judge of sexually assaulting her more than 30 years ago, when both were teenagers, a charge that Kavanaugh has categorically denied. Blasey, thrust suddenly into a spotlight that she never sought, has been inundated with vulgar email and social media messages, and even death threats, according to a person close to her, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private matter. From what Ive heard you have 6 months to live, you disgusting slime, one message said. Blasey, who has two teenagers, has moved out of her house, is arranging for private security for herself and her family, and is effectively in hiding, the person said. But Blasey has also been buoyed by a flood of supportive messages from friends and strangers. Ninety percent of people think shes a hero and are extremely supportive of her, and 10 percent want her to die immediately, the person said, adding, Her worst fears are coming true. Lawyers for Blasey who uses that surname professionally, though news accounts have also referred to her by her married name, Ford did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the upcoming hearing. Both Blasey and Kavanaugh had said on Monday that they were willing to come before the committee. Democrats and Republicans, meanwhile, are clashing over the scope and shape of the hearings. Grassley said Kavanaugh and Blasey would be the only witnesses, prompting pushback from top Democrats, who are demanding an FBI investigation to search for additional witnesses or evidence, and to avoid the specter of a he said, she said debate that will not get at the truth. One possible witness is a friend of Kavanaughs, Mark Judge, who Blasey said was in the room with Kavanaugh when the assault occurred. Judge had told the Judiciary Committee that he does not remember the episode and has nothing more to say, seemingly foreclosing the possibility of an additional witness interview, at least for now. We have two diametrically opposed stories, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said on the Senate floor. My view: Professor Ford is telling the truth. But if you dont want the hearing to be just a he said, she said affair, an independent investigation, a background check by the FBI, is essential. Trump on Tuesday rejected FBI involvement because they dont want to be involved. Mondays hearing, which Grassley scheduled under pressure from fellow Republicans who said they wanted to hear from Blasey, promises to become a riveting public spectacle and one with potentially grave implications for Kavanaugh, who until last week was considered to be on a glide path to confirmation. Blaseys allegations, unfolding against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, are inevitably evoking comparisons to 1991 confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas, who was accused of sexual harassment by law professor Anita Hill. The sight of Hill being grilled on national television by an all-white, all-male Judiciary Committee enraged women across the nation, contributing to the Year of the Woman in 1992, which led scores of women to run for public office. Republicans are clearly mindful of this, and do not want a repeat of the Hill-Thomas scenario. Three male members of the Judiciary Committee in 1991 Grassley; Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah; and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt. remain on the panel today. And while there are four women now Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Kamala Harris of California all are Democrats. Hill, in an opinion piece published Tuesday in The New York Times, said the panel had not learned its lessons from 1991. That the Senate Judiciary Committee still lacks a protocol for vetting sexual harassment and assault claims that surface during a confirmation hearing suggests that the committee has learned little from the Thomas hearing, much less the more recent #MeToo movement, she wrote, adding that the committee needs to have a well thought out process for Kavanaughs and Blaseys testimony. The details of what that process would look like should be guided by experts who have devoted their careers to understanding sexual violence, she said. The job of the Senate Judiciary Committee is to serve as fact-finders, to better serve the American public, and the weight of the government should not be used to destroy the lives of witnesses who are called to testify. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer invoked the Hill-Thomas hearings as he accused Republicans of moving to paper over Blaseys allegations with a rushed, perfunctory session. We must not repeat the mistakes of the Anita Hill hearings, he said. They were rushed, and they were a debacle. Republicans acknowledge that they must handle Blaseys accusations delicately. A clearly frustrated Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, sought to project confidence from the floor of the Senate on Tuesday morning, saying that the accusation stands at odds with every other piece of the overwhelmingly positive testimony weve received about Judge Kavanaughs character. But Republicans are eager to avoid the spectacle of a bank of white male Republicans interrogating an educated woman who has said she is the victim of assault. That could mean allowing a single sexual violence expert to handle the questioning rather than the senators themselves. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a critical swing vote on the Kavanaugh nomination, offered her own proposal: She said lawyers for Blasey should question Kavanaugh, while lawyers for Kavanaugh should question Blasey. I believe that would elicit the most information, she told reporters. Rather than attack Blaseys credibility directly, top Senate Republicans continued on Tuesday to savage Judiciary Committee Democrats and, in particular, Feinstein, who knew of Blaseys allegations since July but kept them secret until last week at Blaseys request. Republicans insinuated the late revelation was a cynical and calculated leak to derail the nomination at the last minute. We should not have gotten to this point in this manner at this time, McConnell said. That this process has played out with so little order and so little sensitivity lies solely at the feet of Senate Democrats, who saw political advantage in leaking this to the press instead of vetting it through proper channels. This article originally appeared in The New York Times My wife, Meredith, and I have traveled several times to Chicago in the last few years to visit some of our closest friends, Engel said in a statement. We fell in love with the city and Midwestern values everyone seems to embody. We are enamored with the farmers markets, the architecture, and the sense of pride in the city itself. We are looking forward to moving our family to Chicago full-time this fall and calling the city home for good. The next time you come across a real supermarket find stacked crates of fabric softener with a hand-lettered "Clearance Sale" sign taped to the front don't feel so smug. You're being played. Despite its appearance the slightly amateurish-looking sign, its location sort of blocking an aisle that display wasn't hurriedly set up by some overworked stock boy. It is part of a plan. "Nothing in the store is by accident. Everything is by design," said Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of Envirosell, a retail-focused research and consulting firm in New York. Underhill is a pioneer in the field. His 2000 book "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping" was groundbreaking, and his new book, "What Women Want: The Global Market Turns Female Friendly," also touches on the subject. As the title of his first book implies, this is a science. Think about your favorite supermarket. It's probably laid out like this: When you walk in, there will be a display to greet you, maybe something from the floral shop (see 1 on the illustration). Off to the right is the produce department 2. Along the wall, the bakery 3. Way in the back is dairy 4. Sound familiar? That most stores follow this general layout isn't just coincidence. "There's a reason why produce and often the bakery are the first sections you hit," Underhill explained. "First of all, the produce section tends to be lit theatrically, so that everything looks better in the store than it ever will when you get it home. Almost every supermarket knows that if they can get your saliva glands working, you will tend to buy more. So there's a reason why the bakery is up front, or the flowers are up front." The dairy case is usually way in the back as a way to pull the shopper as deeply into the store as possible. "The dairy section has both the highest number of ... shoppers and historically has the highest conversion rate," Underhill said. "There are very few people that go look at milk and not buy it." So on your way to getting the milk, you walk through the middle of the store 5 historically where the tougher-to-sell items are displayed past jumbo olives and potato chips that you had no intention of buying. But seeing them on the shelves ... "One of the things that the Food Marketing Institute and the Point-of-Purchase Advertising Institute have told us is that roughly 60 percent or more of what we buy in the supermarket wasn't on our list," Underhill said. "If I stop somebody on their way into a store and have them review for me what their mental list or written list is, and then I look in their basket as they walk out the door, roughly 60 percent of what's in that basket they didn't tell me about walking in." The key to that is getting shoppers to stick around. That's one of the reasons stores have pharmacies ("Your prescription will be ready in 20 minutes") or chatty employees handing out samples. "The more time they spend in a store on average, the more things they're going to buy," said David Bell, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. "They're going to be stimulated by promotions and things in the environment." Another well-established strategy is to get shoppers to follow a path that's decided for them. "Certainly a retailer tries to direct you through a store in a way that's more advantageous to generating more sales," Bell said. One of Underhill's precepts is that shoppers tend to move in a counterclockwise motion 6. "You push the cart with your left hand, you pick stuff up to put in it with your right hand," he said. So if you're going to be drifting to the right after you enter, the most attractive, welcoming section of the store that colorful, well-lit produce section is right there. Once a shopper is headed in the preferred direction, the next goal is to get items off the shelf and into the cart. That's where the placement of a product comes in. Manufacturers pay slotting fees to get a premium location for their products. That is, at eye level 7. Bargain items, house brands or larger sizes usually better deals are displayed higher or lower. "What's at waist- to eye-level are those brands that have paid for the right to be there," Underhill said. "There's more effort to look up, to look up and down, to scan," Bell added. "When things are placed at eye level, two things happen. It's just easier to see them and these decisions are made rather quickly, and secondly, there might be an inference on the part of the shopper, rightly or wrongly, that the product at eye level is the better product." Another factor in getting people to buy something is signage. Again, it's a science. Hand-lettered signs grab people. Red and yellow signs signal sales 8. Bell mentioned anchoring, whereby people latch onto information even if it's irrelevant. "If you want to sell more soup, you put up a sign that says 'Limit 4 cans per customer.' You'll sell more soup than if there's no sign at all. "There's research that says that if people see a sign in front of a product that says 'On special,' even if the price hasn't gone down, just the presence of that sign will cue them. 'I must be getting a good deal, let me buy some of this.'" whageman@tribune.com 5 shopping tips Make a list and stick to it to avoid snap decisions. If you're shopping at a store you're familiar with, prepare the list aisle by aisle. You'll save time, which means less looking around and thus less impulse buying. Shop when the kids are in school; they slow you down, or worse, bug you till you lose your focus and end up buying a 10-pound bag of multi-colored marshmallows. Shop at off-peak hours. "When the store is congested it takes you longer to get around, and you might see things in other carts that might stimulate you to buy those things," said David Bell, professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Never shop hungry or tired. Get through the checkout area as quickly as possible to avoid the tempting items there. W.H. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)/Getty Images It only took a year, but the National is now ready to make up the dates it was forced to postpone at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley last year due to the hazardous air quality caused by the North Bay fires. The Greek is one of our favorite venues in the world and it was heartbreaking to have to postpone the shows, the bands guitarist-keyboardist, Aaron Dessner, said in a statement. Locals in Guadalajara complained after they noticed the trailers stench following wave of violence that overwhelmed morgues Mexicans have reacted with outrage after authorities in the western state of Jalisco left a trailer full of decomposing corpses on the outskirts of Mexicos second-largest city following a wave of violence which overwhelmed local morgues Locals in the Guadalajara suburb of Tlajomulco complained to police after they were alerted to the presence of the trailer by the stench. This affects our kids, it smells horrible and the longer it stays its going to stink even worse, Patricia Jimenez told Reuters. It soon emerged that the trailer had previously been parked by officials in the suburb of Tlaquepaque, but was moved on orders of the mayor. It has now been moved to an industrial area near the state attorney generals office, according to news reports. The Jalisco state attorney generals office has not commented, but an official in the office said the trailer was properly refrigerated and never abandoned. The office also disputed press reports the trailer contained 157 corpses, with sources telling local media the number was closer to 100. Jaliscos general secretary Roberto Lopez told local media that the states morgue had been overwhelmed by a surge in deaths, adding that a new morgue should be finished in a month and a half. When it is built, these bodies will be transferred, he said. The row over the trailer which erupted as the country celebrated its national day on Sunday was yet another reminder of the grim toll from the countrys decade-long drug war. Mexicos homicide rate hit a record high in 2017 with 29,168 murders registered. The country recorded 2,599 homicides in July 2018, its most murderous month since 1997, when Mexico started keeping such statistics. It was not the first time that the bloodletting has been so severe that local morgues have run out of space similar incidents have occurred in the opium heartlands of Guerrero. But the gruesome episode in Guadalajara has underlined how violence has spread to all corners of the country. The surrounding Jalisco state has deteriorated rapidly in recent months: 15 people were injured in May when a gun battle erupted in the city centre after a brazen assassination attempt on the states employment secretary. In March, three film students in the Guadalajara suburb of Tonala disappeared after unwittingly filming property associated with a drug trafficker when they were working on a college project. Much of the violence in the region is the work of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) which has disputed territories across the country especially those controlled by the rival Sinaloa Cartel, whose former leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was extradited to the United States last year. More recently, CJNG has itself splintered into rival factions. In July, US and Mexican officials announced that had raised the reward to $1.56m for information leading to the arrest of the CJNG boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. Gerrit Lewis and Beejay Oslon spent a long time talking about Pipeworks Brewing. Now, finally, they get to live it. Four years after first envisioning the brewery at an Indiana beer festival, the duo, who barely knew each other at the time of their idea, sent their first beer into the world last week. That double India pale ale, called Ninja vs. Unicorn, sold out in days. Their second beer, a milk stout brewed with cacao nibs, cinnamon and ancho chilies, hit shelves this week. They plan to continue releasing a new brew every week or so, forsaking always-available, year-round offerings the way virtually every other brewery does. It means drinking Pipeworks will be about drinking new. "It's kind of surreal," Lewis said. "It's been such a gradual process that it's hard to think we're really here and that we really did it." In what looks to be a year of marked growth for the Chicago area's craft brewing scene up to a half dozen breweries aim to open this year Pipeworks has sounded the first shot. It took long enough. Lewis, 27, and Oslon, 29, met in early 2008 while working at West Lakeview Liquors, one of the city's longest-tenured craft beer stores. That April, they traveled to Munster, Ind., for the annual release of Three Floyds Brewing's Dark Lord imperial stout. While standing in line, they decided that they, too, should start a brewery. Oslon, an experienced home brewer, soon scored an apprenticeship with De Struise Brouwers, a renowned brewery in western Belgium. He spent three months with De Struise brew master Urbain Coutteau (at the time Ratebeer.com's reigning world brewer of the year), learning the intricacies of large-scale brewing, bottling and self-distribution. Oslon and Coutteau also brewed a couple of collaborative beers, including a Belgian strong pale ale called Pipedream that both opened eyes at a Belgian beer festival and gave birth to the brewery's name. Lewis, meanwhile, stayed in Chicago to complete a marketing degree at Loyola University. As with any worthy long-distance relationship, they spent hours chatting by online video, discussing their budding brewery, what each was learning and sometimes to sip the same brews at the same time and compare thoughts. Lewis joined Oslon for a couple of weeks at the end of the Belgian excursion. "Before that we knew what good beer tasted like," Lewis said. "But we didn't know anything else about running a brewery." Back in the States, the duo ramped up fundraising. They posted a cheeky, 51/2-minute video on then-nascent fundraising website Kickstarter.com hoping to raise $30,000. They netted $40,000 (plus another $60,000 through Paypal.com). Just as important, the Kickstarter.com video helped brand Lewis, Oslon and their developing product. In the buzz-heavy world of craft beer where drinkers obsess over the newest and rarest, Pipeworks became something to anticipate. It also made Lewis and Oslon increasingly familiar characters as they showed up at the occasional beer festival with taps of home brew even though they were years from launching the brewery. Now that they have a five-year lease on a space in a former Bucktown awning shop, Lewis, Oslon and lone employee Scott Coffman, 28, who is buying a small ownership stake in the company, spend most of their days there: brewing, bottling, storing, developing artwork. The yellow floor has been replaced with red tile and a series of flags (Chicago, Colorado, Germany) hang from the rafters. Upstairs is the boys recreation room: a carpeted space with a flat-screen television (video game system included, naturally), dozens of spent beer bottles and Lewis' drum set, which he thought he might need to sell to finance the brewery (though he did end up selling two turntables and a vintage keyboard). Pipeworks has an unusually small system for a production brewery, which is why just seven barrels or 1,200 large format (22-ounce) bottles of each beer will be released, making the acquisition of each new Pipeworks beer an exercise in persistence and patience. For now, the bottles are largely available at about 15 stores, and they will occasionally show up on tap at bars like Hopleaf and Map Room. But by summer, Lewis and Oslon expect most of their sales to happen in a shop at the front of their building, including growler fills. The model of releasing a series of one-offs is based on what is known in the industry as "gypsy brewing" a brewer without a brewery making a series of beers on other peoples' equipment. Even with a brewery of its own, Pipeworks opted for that model. "You go to a brew pub you know they'll have their staples, but there's always a question of what will they do this week?" Lewis said. "We think that's exciting. It's about pushing the envelope and trying something new. When we find something we really like, you bet we'll do it again, but if everyone always brewed the same thing over and over, we'd all still be drinking Miller Lite." The first six Pipeworks beers Ninja vs. Unicorn (double IPA) End of Days (milk stout brewed with cacao nibs, cinnamon and ancho chilies) Jones Dog (milk stout with even more cacao nibs) Smoked Porter 20 percent (a smoked porter) Close Encounter (a well-hopped imperial stout) Barrel-aged Smoked Porter 20 percent (smoked porter aged in Koval rye whiskey barrels) Pipeworks (1675 N. Western Ave.) beers are available at West Lakeview Liquors, City Provisions, Maria's Packaged Goods and Community Bar, Printers Row Wine Shop, Before You Go Liquors and the Chicago Binny's locations, among others, and will be for sale at the brewery beginning this summer. jbnoel@tribune.com Twitter @traveljosh A 6-month-old Fairfield boy who's been on life support for more than a month has been moved from UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland to another hospital at his family's request, officials with the children's hospital said. Kingston Holmes had been at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland since Aug. 5, after he went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing at the family's home in Fairfield. Children's Hospital had threatened to remove Kingston, who's in a coma, from life support on Monday but it backed off from those plans after his family pleaded for more time to get a second opinion and look at other options. Children's Hospital declined to say to which hospital Kingston has been moved. In a statement, it said, "While we are not able to provide further details, our hearts are with the family." Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. FAIRFIELD (BCN) Matthew Muller, who was sentenced in federal court last year to 40 years in prison for the bizarre kidnapping of a Vallejo woman from Mare Island in 2015, pleaded not guilty Monday in Solano County Superior Court to six state felony charges in connection with the case. Muller, 40, pleaded guilty and was convicted of the federal kidnapping charge. The Solano County District Attorney's Office filed the state charges against him on Jan. 26. Muller pleaded not guilty Monday to kidnapping for ransom, two forcible rapes, first-degree robbery of an inhabited dwelling, first-degree residential burglary and false imprisonment by violence. Solano County Superior Court Commissioner Robert Q. Warshawsky granted Muller's intention to represent himself, but a further hearing on that issue is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Solano County Superior Court in Fairfield. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25 in Vallejo. Muller is being held under $2.25 million in Solano County Jail, according to the district attorney's office. The nationally publicized saga involving Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn included a defamation of character lawsuit they filed against the Vallejo Police Department after police said the kidnapping was a hoax. Police later apologized to the couple. Prosecutors said Muller drove Huskins in the trunk of his car on March 23, 2015, held her hostage for two days and made ransom demands totaling $15,000. Huskins was released near her family's home in Huntington Beach on March 25. Muller was arrested in South Lake Tahoe on June 8, 2015, after evidence, including a video of Muller and Huskins, was found at his mother's home. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN RAFAEL (BCN) A male construction worker was killed in San Rafael this morning when plywood fell on top of him at a construction site, a police sergeant said. The death happened around 9 a.m. in the first block of Fair Drive, which was closed between Coleman Drive and Lincoln Avenue for the investigation, police said. The worker was sitting nearby when the plywood fell, Sgt. Lisa Holten said. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The pair know whiskey. Bushala was the co-founder and CEO of Angels Share Brands until selling the brand to Bacardi Ltd., and Perry spent much of his career developing whiskeys at spirits giant Diageo. The genesis of Heavens Door was when Bushala discovered a trademark application for bootleg whiskey filed under Dylans name. Bushala and Perry spent weeks noodling over how they could leverage their extensive library of whiskeys to collaborate with Dylan on a whiskey line. They relentlessly attempted to contact Dylans representatives, and eventually, they managed to get Dylan on the phone. NAPA (BCN) Gov. Jerry Brown today signed a bill from a Napa state senator that's designed to help students navigate the web to discern legitimate sources of online information. Senate Bill 830, introduced by state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, requires the state Department of Education's website to list resources and instructional materials on media literacy, including professional development programs for teachers. The department has to comply by July 1, 2019. The bill was co-authored by a bipartisan group of legislators. It was inspired by a recent Stanford University study that found 82 percent of middle-school students found it challenging to distinguish advertisements from news stories, according to Paul Payne, spokesman for Dodd. The legislation passed both houses of the Legislature. "This bill is about empowering students to make informed decisions," Dodd said in a statement. "And frankly, it's about safeguarding the future of our democracy." Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Authorities are searching for a minimum-security inmate who walked away from a camp in Nevada County today, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Staff at the Washington Ridge Conservation Camp discovered Justin Tyquiengco was missing around 5:30 a.m. during an inmate count. He was last seen at the 3:30 a.m. count. Tyquiengco is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 174 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair. RELATED VIDEO: Bay Area suburbs with the highest crime rates More Bay Area News McDonald's workers in SF allege sexual harassment in national protest He was first committed to the state prison system in September 2015 with a six-year sentence for second-degree robbery with the use of a firearm. He received an additional sentence in Alameda County to serve one year after his primary sentence from Contra Costa County. Anyone who sees Tyquiengco should contact 911 or law enforcement authorities immediately. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call a watch commander at (530) 257-2181, ext. 4173. There are currently 3,700 inmates around the state at conservation camps, also known as fire camps, according to state corrections officials. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN RAFAEL (BCN) The California Department of Industrial Relations announced today that state Labor Commissioner Julie Su secured a $450,000 settlement for unpaid wages for 15 employees of a San Rafael-based residential care business. The agency said the settlement with L'Chaim House includes payments for unpaid overtime, minimum wage and wage statement violations and interest, plus $75,000 in penalties payable to the state's general fund. A potential additional $89,000 for meal period violations is still in dispute before an appellate court, according to the department. L'Chaim House provides assisted living services that honor Jewish traditions in two residential locations in San Rafael. A representative of the business was not immediately available for comment. The workers will each receive payments ranging from $49 to $77,800, averaging about $25,000. The Labor Commissioner's Office opened the investigation in December 2015 after workers at the two locations reported labor law violations. Investigators audited three years of payroll reports and found that employees frequently worked more than 12 hours without overtime pay, according to the agency. Citations amounting to $486,400 were issued in 2016 and upheld in an administrative hearing and in Sonoma County Superior Court. According to the department, shortly after the citations were issued, the owner of L'Chaim House sought to place the real estate property in a trust in an alleged bid to avoid financial liability. The labor commissioner then filed a civil lawsuit in Marin County Superior Court, alleging fraudulent transfer of the property. The settlement resolves the case, except for the still-disputed $89,000 in meal period violations. If the alleged violations are upheld, the workers would receive an additional $77,400 in back pay and the state would be given an additional penalty payment of $12,660. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. OAKLAND (BCN) A 23-year-old man has been charged with murder for the June fatal shooting of another man in Oakland, according to court documents. Eduardo Galindo-Garcia was charged on Friday for the shooting death on June 9 of Joseph Cox. At a brief court hearing today, the Alameda County Public Defender's Office agreed to represent him. Galindo-Garcia, who's being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail, is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 4 to enter a plea. Cox's death remained unsolved for more than three months but officers arrested Galindo-Garcia on a murder warrant at his home in the 2600 block of 38th Avenue in East Oakland at 9:42 p.m. Wednesday, Oakland police Officer Kristina Tikkanen wrote in a probable cause statement. Officers who searched Galindo-Garcia found two clear zip-lock bags containing a white crystal-like substance suspected of being methamphetamine, Tikkanen wrote. In addition to murder, prosecutors charged Galindo-Garcia with an enhancement alleging that the shooting was a drive-by killing, shooting at an occupied vehicle and possession of an assault weapon. Oakland police spokespeople never disclosed Cox's death and weren't immediately available for comment today on where the fatal shooting occurred or what Cox's age and city of residence were. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A mistrial has been declared in the federal trial in San Francisco of a Fremont man accused of attempting to provide aid to a terrorist group in Syria, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. U.S. District Judge William Orrick declared the mistrial Tuesday afternoon in the case of Adam Shafi, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Abraham Simmons said. Shafi, 25, went on trial in Orrick's court on Aug. 28 on a charge of attempting to provide material support in the form of personnel -- namely, himself -- to the al-Nusrah Front, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group that has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. He was arrested in July 2015 after federal agents stopped him from boarding a flight from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul. Prosecutors alleged that wiretaps indicated he was planning to go from Istanbul to Syria to join the al-Nusrah Front. Shafi came to the attention of investigators the previous year when his father reported him missing during a family trip to Egypt. Shafi said he had gone to Istanbul for a few days to try to aid Syrian refugees. Simmons said no decision has been made on whether prosecutors will retry Shafi. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Police in San Francisco are asking people to avoid an intersection in the city's South of Market neighborhood this morning. Officers are investigating a suspicious package in the 900 block of Bryant Street near Seventh Street, police said around 9:30 a.m. Drivers should expect delays in the area. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Matthew Muller, who was sentenced in federal court last year to 40 years in prison for the bizarre kidnapping of a Vallejo woman from Mare Island in 2015, pleaded not guilty Monday in Solano County Superior Court to six state felony charges in connection with the case. Muller, 40, pleaded guilty and was convicted of the federal kidnapping charge. The Solano County District Attorney's Office filed the state charges against him on Jan. 26. Muller pleaded not guilty Monday to kidnapping for ransom, two forcible rapes, first-degree robbery of an inhabited dwelling, first-degree residential burglary and false imprisonment by violence. Solano County Superior Court Commissioner Robert Q. Warshawsky granted Muller's intention to represent himself, but a further hearing on that issue is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Solano County Superior Court in Fairfield. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25 in Vallejo. Muller is being held under $2.25 million in Solano County Jail, according to the district attorney's office. The nationally publicized saga involving Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn included a defamation of character lawsuit they filed against the Vallejo Police Department after police said the kidnapping was a hoax. Police later apologized to the couple. The Contra Costa County coroner's office has identified two people who died in a crash Saturday night in Pittsburg as Rasmey and Kimberly Seng, a 63-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman from Pittsburg. Officers responded to a crash around 10 p.m. after a Toyota traveling south on Railroad Avenue attempted to make a lane change while a Lexus tried to pass the Toyota at a high speed, according to Pittsburg police Capt. Steve Albanese. The driver of the Lexus sideswiped the other car and then lost control, eventually crashing into a tree on the right shoulder of the road near Alturas Avenue, Albanese said. The passenger in the Lexus was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was taken to John Muir Medical Center, where he passed away early Sunday. The driver of the Toyota suffered minor injuries in the crash. The Oakland City Council formally approved on Monday night an ordinance establishing regulations and requiring permits for shared dockless electric scooters, in light of frequent complaints of reckless riders and scooters left scattered on local sidewalks. The ordinance will provide "responsible guidelines for scooter companies as they do business in Oakland," said Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, who along with Councilman Noel Gallo was an author of the ordinance. The ordinance also requires dockless scooters to be distributed equitably throughout Oakland, and no less than 50 percent of scooters will have to be deployed in Oakland's "communities of concern," with high populations of minority and/or low-income residents. Several people told the council Monday night that the scooters have been causing problems. Renata Gray of Oakland said a scooter was recently dumped next to her car door; she not only had to get it out of the way to get into her car, but the scooter left both a dent and a scratch in that car door. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said today that she's glad the City Council voted to fund social services at the city's third Tuff Shed temporary housing site, which is aimed at reducing the number of homeless people living in tents in the Lake Merritt area. The 20 new Tuff Shed mini-homes are going up in a spot adjacent to the parking lot of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center next to the lake. The first two Tuff Shed sites opened last December at Sixth and Castro streets in West Oakland and in May at 27th Street and Northgate Avenue. Schaaf said the sites are part of an ongoing pilot program and "are a compassionate and temporary intervention strategy designed to assist people on a path to housing." City Councilman Abel Guillen, whose district includes neighborhoods east of Lake Merritt and who voted to support the funding at the council's meeting on Monday night, said, "These cabins are designed to offer temporary shelter that will provide safer, healthier places while we help get people into permanent housing." A man was arrested early this morning after refusing commands to pull over and then leading Petaluma police officers on a chase, police said. At about 1:15 a.m., an officer saw 37-year-old Jason Remel, listed as a transient, go through a red light. Remel also was riding against traffic, and neither his bicycle nor his person contained the proper lighting for a ride in darkness, police said. Remel failed to stop despite the officer's activated flashing lights, and when other officers arrived, he wove around the police vehicles. Eventually he was cornered, pulled off his bike in the 900 block of Lakeville Street and was arrested on suspicion of evading police officers. Police found methamphetamine in his belongings, and Remel also was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into Sonoma County Jail. A 19-year-old East Palo Alto man was arrested Monday afternoon and booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of attempted rape, Menlo Park police said. A 33-year-old Menlo Park woman called police at about 4:40 p.m. Monday, saying a man had tried to rape her on Oak Court near Woodland Avenue. The woman fought back and broke free from her attacker, who she last saw running west on Oak toward Menalto Avenue. A few minutes later, police officers found a man matching the attacker's physical description, and he was identified by the victim. Rogelio Artiga was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of attempted rape, sexual battery, kidnapping and preventing use of a wireless device. A motorcyclist was injured after falling to the ground and then getting struck by a vehicle in San Francisco's Ingleside Heights neighborhood early Monday morning, police said today. The collision was reported at about 5:30 a.m. in the area of Brotherhood Way and Arch Street. A vehicle was traveling east on Brotherhood Way when it hit the 23-year-old man, who was on a motorcycle that was down in the roadway, according to police. Investigators do not know why the motorcyclist was on the ground prior to the collision. The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, which were not life-threatening, police said. No arrest was made in connection with the collision. Authorities are searching for a minimum-security inmate who walked away from a camp in Nevada County today, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Staff at the Washington Ridge Conservation Camp discovered Justin Tyquiengco was missing around 5:30 a.m. during an inmate count. He was last seen at the 3:30 a.m. count. Tyquiengco is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 174 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair. He was first committed to the state prison system in September 2015 with a six-year sentence for second-degree robbery with the use of a firearm. He received an additional sentence in Alameda County to serve one year after his primary sentence from Contra Costa County. Edith "Edy" Schwartz, whose support of her adopted hometown took many forms, was recently honored by the Moraga Town Council for her decades of community work. Schwartz, 75, died Sept. 8 in Moraga. She was a community activist in Moraga for almost 45 years, staring with her work for the town's incorporation drive in 1974. She is listed as a 2018 board member of the Moraga Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports a wide variety of groups both public and private that improve Moragans' quality of life. In-between those duties, Schwartz co-founded the Moraga Citizens Network in 2005, which promoted citizen involvement in local issues; served as president of the Moraga Chamber of Commerce from 2008 until 2012; and served as director of community marketing for the California Independent Film Festival from 2010 to 2014. She also worked on two separate campaigns to keep the classic art deco Rheem Theatre from closing. The theatre is the official home for the California Independent Film Festival, and in August Schwartz was awarded a star in the Classic Film Hall of Fame in the Rheem Theatre. A broken water main that carries untreated canal water for irrigation purposes to about 475 houses in the Poet's Corner neighborhood of Pleasant Hill is scheduled to be repaired on Wednesday. The leak was first reported Sunday in the vicinity of Masefield and Hawthorne drives, and it caused road closures in the area, police said. Those roadways have since reopened to local traffic, according to Phil Williamson, advisory board chairman for the Diablo Vista County Water System. Williamson estimated that the water main in question was a 10- to 12-inch line and that roughly 20 homes had been affected by the service interruption. The leak was discovered quickly, however, and water loss was minimal. Williamson said the district hopes to restore service to affected customers sometime Thursday. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and the city's cultural affairs manager Roberto Bedoya have released a new cultural plan that they say will lift up the role of culture in building a just and equitable city. The two officials released the plan on Monday. Speaking at a news conference at City Hall, Schaaf and Bedoya said the idea behind the plan, which was approved by the City Council after a lengthy community engagement process and is the city's first cultural plan in 30 years, is that every resident in every neighborhood has access to cultural amenities. Schaaf said the 114-page plan "gives voice to the idea that we all belong to each other as Oaklanders and affirms that our civic well-being is deeply rooted in Oakland's long-term artistic and cultural health." A jail inmate found dead at the Martinez Detention Facility has been identified by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office as Dwight Dunn, a 61-year-old transient in Concord. A sheriff's deputy conducting a room check at the jail at about 2:50 p.m. Saturday found Dunn unresponsive. Fire crews and an ambulance responded, but he was later pronounced dead. Dunn's death appears to be health-related, sheriff's officials said. An autopsy was conducted Monday morning and the official cause of death is pending toxicology tests. He had been booked into jail on Sept. 5 for a parole violation, according to the sheriff's office. Berkeley police said Monday that they've returned to placing undercover officers in a number of cafes citywide in response to an ongoing series of laptop thefts and robberies. Police offered a number of tips to people to avoid having their laptops stolen, such as being aware of one's surroundings, not leaving valuables, especially electronic devices, unattended and considering using a locking device to secure property to cafe tables. Other tips include backing up work to either an external hard drive that's not kept with the computer or to the cloud, buying tracking software so that one can be reunited with a device if it's stolen and safeguarding usernames and passwords. In addition, police advise making note of the serial numbers for electronic devices and calling 911 if something suspicious happens. Police in San Francisco have arrested two people in connection with three violent robberies, police said. The announcement was made Monday following robberies in July and August. The first alleged robbery happened on July 27 around 5 a.m. in the 3100 block of 22nd Street. There, officers located a 48-year-old man who said he had been robbed and stabbed in the torso near 22nd Street and South Van Ness Avenue, police said. A month later, on Aug. 27, officers responded to another alleged robbery involving a knife. Around 11:20 p.m., a 26-year-old woman was robbed at knifepoint near Church and Clipper streets, police said. Days later, on Aug. 31 around 2:15 a.m., near Broderick Street and Golden Gate Avenue, a 29-year-old woman was robbed and stabbed, according to police. A mother and daughter were mugged Saturday afternoon when a bandana-wearing robber knocked them to the ground in Palo Alto, police said. The two women were accosted when the man ran at them at about 1:40 p.m. while they were walking in the 400 block of Kingsley Avenue in the University South neighborhood, police said. The suspect pummeled them, knocking them down, and then jumped into a dark or red-colored sedan driven by a second male suspect, according to police. When the women stood up, the mother realized her purse had been stolen. The mother in her 50s and daughter in her 20s both suffered minor abrasions and declined medical treatment, police said. Three suspects are being sought for the theft of approximately $6,000 worth of cell phones, tablets and other devices Monday night from a T-Mobile store in Concord's Park 'N' Shop shopping center, police said. Concord police Lt. Kristen Thoms said the three men went into the store at 1701 Willow Pass Road about 7:40 p.m. Monday and soon started grabbing the devices from store shelves before running out of the store with them and getting into an early-2000s-model green Honda. Thoms said the Honda drove onto Willow Pass Road, but it isn't known if the car then headed east or west. No one was injured, and no weapons were seen, she said. Thoms couldn't say whether this robbery is related in any way to recent robberies of Apple stores around California this year. Apple stores in Corte Madera, Walnut Creek, Santa Rosa and Burlingame have since Aug. 22 have been victimized by groups of people going in the store, grabbing devices and running out. Fremont police seek the public's help in identifying a suspect in a gas pump skimming operation who was caught on video withdrawing money from a Fremont ATM using a stolen ATM number. The problems started in May and June, when several people told police their debit and/or credit cards had been compromised, and that their accounts had been tapped at ATMs in Fremont and other area cities, police said Monday. Police said the common denominator among the victims was their using cards at a gas station in Brentwood. It is believed a pump at that station was illegally fitted with a skimming device that recorded card numbers. That device had already been removed by the suspects, police said. Such skimmers are usually undetectable by gas station customers. The people who install them take the collected card data to make duplicate cards, used to withdraw cash from ATM machines or make online purchases, police said. One suspect appears on video using several ATMs in Fremont. That suspect is a white man in his mid- to late 20s, heavy set and with three prominent moles on his right cheek. He was seen driving a late-90s Mercedes Benz C280 four-door model with oxidized spots on its hood and, possible, paper license plates. Police said the suspect may be associated with transnational criminal organization, and may be from the Los Angeles area. Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill requiring inspections of apartment balconies, decks, outdoor stairs and elevated walkways to hopefully avoid deaths from collapses like the one in Berkeley in 2015. The governor signed the bill Monday. At a birthday party in June 2015, six young people died when a fifth-story balcony collapsed, according to the office of state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, who co-authored the bill, Senate Bill 721. An investigation revealed the balcony had been poorly sealed and became infested with dry rot and the builder had a history of lawsuits related to construction defects, Hill's office said. Now 15 percent of the load-bearing, exterior elements on apartment buildings and complexes with three or more units must be inspected every six years. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Yevtushenko published Babi Yar in the Soviet journal Literaturnaya Gazeta later that year, causing a contretemps, for he was unflinchingly breaking the silence regarding Soviet anti-Semitism, as in these lines from his poem: I feel now that I am a Jew. I feel that I am Anne Frank I am each old man who was shot here I am each child who was shot here There is no Jewish blood in my blood, but I feel the loathsome hatred/of all anti-Semites as though I were a Jew/and that is why I am a true Russian! The Emmys kicked off with a song, "We Solved It," a celebration to the diversity of nominees sung by stars including Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson. The tune included a mention that Oh could become the first woman of Asian descent to win an Emmy. "There were none, now there's one, so we're done," the comedians sang. As ever, the byplay between Galbraith's classic, Agatha Christie-inspired plotting and flighty characters on the one hand and such contemporary details as the rampant use of the F-word, text messages and Kanye West creates an enjoyable floating time feel. With its subtle treatment of politics, class warfare and displacement, this is a book that essentially could be set at any time during the past hundred years. But while the complicated plot is admirably well-constructed, "Lethal White" lacks the narrative juice of past installments in the series. For all its twists and turns, you never really get caught up in the mystery, which never seems to matter as much as the star-crossed feelings that Strike and Robin have for each other. If McDonald had not been stealing radios from trucks in that Southwest Side parking lot, he would still be alive. If he had taken his hands out of his pockets when police told him to, he would not have been shot. If his parents had taught him respect for others, he would not be dead. Since then, however, the spokeswoman, PR director Bree Witt, said school officials met with West at his request about exploring opportunities with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she said in an e-mail. And as an honorary alum, we welcomed a discussion about how our community can best benefit from his interdisciplinary experience and expertise. We discussed several options, including an artist talk and workshop, and while nothing has been confirmed at this time, we continue to remain open to opportunities that will deepen our students experience. Those on our construction sites are out there every day working to deliver safer roads for our commuters, and our commuters owe it to them to slow down and avoid distracted and impaired driving, said Illinois State Toll Highway Authority Chairman Robert Schillerstrom at a news conference near the crash site. Drivers have to take responsibility and do their part to put an end to these deadly and needless crashes. Emanuels office has said it is up to homeowners, not the city, to decide if it is worth replacing the lead pipes at their own expense, even though the city required the use of lead plumbing for most of the last century. He was outside a residence in the 12200 block of South Princeton Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood when someone walked up to him and fired shots around 6:25 p.m., police said. MOSCOW A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Syria forces responding to an Israeli air strike, killing all 15 people aboard, in what President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday was a chain of tragic accidental circumstances. The downing of the Il-20 highlighted the dangers posed by the conflicting interests of various powers in the crowded skies over Syria and threatened the close security ties between Russia and Israel. In an effort to maintain that relationship, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly called Putin to express sorrow over the death of the planes crew, blamed the planes loss squarely on Syria and offered to send Israels air force chief to Moscow to share information about the incident. The Russian military said the plane was hit 22 miles offshore late Monday night as it was returning to the Russian air base in Syria. The incident triggered testy exchanges of blame between Israel and Russia. The Israeli military said its fighter jets were targeting a Syrian military facility involved in providing weapons for Irans proxy Hezbollah militia, noting that it warned Russia of the coming raid in line with de-confliction agreements. It said the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the plane when the Israeli jets were already inside Israeli airspace. But the Russian Defense Ministry said the Israeli warning came less than a minute before the strike, leaving the Russian aircraft in the line of fire. It pointedly accused the Israeli military of deliberately using the Russian plane as a cover to dodge the Syrian defenses and threatened to retaliate. But Putin took a more cautious tone, describing the incident as a chain of tragic accidental circumstances. At the same time, he said Russia will respond by taking additional steps to protect our servicemen and assets in Syria. It will be the steps that everyone will notice, he said without elaboration. Netanyahu, who has maintained warm personal ties with Putin and frequently traveled to Russia for Syria-focused talks, noted the need for Russia and Israel to continue coordinating their action in Syria. At the same time, he emphasized Israel would not tolerate the Iranian military presence in Syria. Putin told Netanyahu that the Israeli raid violated Syrias sovereignty and breached the Russian-Israeli de-confliction agreement. He urged the Israeli side not to allow such situations to happen again, according to the Kremlin. Israel has acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times, and Israel and Russia have maintained a hotline to prevent clashes between their forces in Syria. Nataliya Vasilyeva is an Associated Press writer. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Reputed Bloods gang members allegedly sold heroin and fentanyl to Staten Island clients, one of whom fatally overdosed last year, authorities said. Keith Wyche, 34, Allen O'Neil, 27, and Kyron Graham, 27, were busted Tuesday morning and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl on Staten Island between February 2017 and September 2018, according to federal court documents. Wyche and O'Neil, both New Jersey residents, were additionally charged with distribution of narcotics that caused death and serious bodily injury. The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors are asking the defendants be held without bail, according to the detention memo. "Wyche and O'Neil have worked closely with each other during the conspiracy and took significant steps to avoid detection by law enforcement," said the memo. "When selling to a new customer, Wyche and O'Neil require the new buyer to consume the narcotic in their presence to confirm the person is not an undercover police officer." In April 2017, officials said a Staten Island resident -- who is not identified in court papers -- fatally overdosed a few hours after purchasing two bags of narcotics from Wyche. Authorities found glassine envelopes and a hypodermic syringe with the suspected drugs near the victim's body, said the complaint. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death was acute intoxication from the combined effects from cocaine, fentanyl, and alprazolam (Xanax). The feds allegedly traced text messages between the victim and Wyche the morning of the overdose in which the defendant told the victim, "Rise and shine. I'm around" and "Come out," said the filing. About six months later, in October 2017, the feds said another borough resident overdosed, but was revived with naloxone, the anti-overdose spray. District Attorney Michael E. McMahon's office opened investigations into the overdoses before referring the case to federal prosecutors, his spokesman said. The NYPD was also involved in the investigations. The court records said the second victim allegedly bought the drugs from Wyche hours before the episode, and about 10 minutes after ingesting the substances, the unidentified person overdosed and stopped breathing. "This was a tragic incident which caused the death of one individual and seriously injured another," said FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory Ehrie in a statement. The investigation found Wyche, who went by name "Marco" and O'Neil, using the name "James," were working together to distribute narcotics from their vehicle on Staten Island since at least last February 2017. Wyche allegedly sold glassine envelopes containing a mixture of heroin or fentanyl or just fentanyl. O'Neill hawked the combination of heroin and fentanyl, said the complaint. In July, officers tracked Wyche and O'Neil's vehicles coming and going from Graham's Bronx apartment building. Surveillance video showed Graham allegedly met with the suspects often, including one occasion where he was spotted with a "large bulge" in his clothing while carrying the narcotics to his co-defendants. The "bulge" was a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, the feds allege. The complaint said while the three were meeting up in the Bronx, Wyche and O'Neil continued to sell heroin and fentanyl on Staten Island, including on two occasions this summer. "As alleged, the defendants sold large amounts of dangerous narcotics, including pure fentanyl to unsuspecting buyers, for their own profit and without concern for the deadly consequences of their actions," stated United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue. The suspects could face 20 years' imprisonment. O'Neil's attorney, Mario F. Gallucci, said his client "vehemently denies" the allegations. "We look forward to aggressively hold the government to their burden," he said in a message to the Advance. O'Neil has three prior felony drug convictions, including an April 2017 conviction in Richmond County for possession of a narcotic with intent to distribute and a July 2010 conviction for attempted criminal possession with intent to sell. Wyche has a 2007 felony conviction from Richmond County for criminal sale of narcotics, as well as misdemeanor convictions for weapons possession and drug possession. Finally, Graham was convicted in 2011 of criminal possession of a loaded firearm related to charges that included burglary and attempted murder. Graham is presently on New York State parole as a result of that conviction. Though the proposal to fill an armada of supertankers with fresh water never came to pass, it shocked regional leaders who realized that arid, drought-ravaged nations and communities throughout the world might covet the Great Lakes as a potential solution to their water woes. With climate change already creating intense swings between wet and dry weather, drafters of the multistate agreement sought to discourage the use of Great Lakes water to fuel growth outside the basin. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hurricane Florence tore a path of flooding and carnage through the Carolinas over the weekend, . With the storm still raging through Monday evening and a Northeast turn expected, the damage is far from over. However, a New York and New Jersey-based animal rescue is planning to lend a hand. No More Pain Rescue, an organization dedicated to helping animals in need, has organized a fundraiser and supply drive for the victims of Hurricane Florence. With drop-off locations on Staten Island located at 187 New Dorp Lane, and in New Jersey at 1989 Englishtown Road, the organization plans to gather supplies to deliver to Scarborough, Craven, Pamlico and Carteret, N.C. "We're looking to bring relief," said Erica Mahnken, co-founder of No More Pain Rescue. "We're renting vans; we have donation lists for both animals and people," Mahnken said. "We're going to bring whatever people are requesting down there." In addition to bringing supplies, Mahnken said that "people have donated tons of money" to cover the cost of the travel expenses required for the trip. The current money donated totals at approximately $1,500 dollars. While the initial cost to rent the van totaled over $800, Mahnken said the van rental company generously "ended up knocking the price down by over half," giving the organization "more money to stock up on supplies." Bringing supplies isn't the organization's only goal, though. "We're going down there, not only to help, but also to pull dogs," she said. As Mahnken explains, some shelters are forced to euthanize animals that were in the shelter prior to the storm to make room for recently-undomiciled pets. "We go to visit the shelters most in need," Mahnken said. "We go down there and pull dogs that have been in the shelters and put them up for adoption," after they are properly vaccinated and stable. No More Pain Rescue also completed a similar effort in Texas last year following Hurricane Harvey. With four at-need shelters already on the organization's radar, Mahnken and other volunteers who dedicate time and effort to No More Pain Rescue are preparing for the difficult conditions left in the wake of Hurricane Florence. "We're headed down to North Carolina on Sunday," Mahnken said. The organization will be collecting supplies, including dog food, cat food, toilet paper, water and more, up to their departure date. To donate, visit the organization's GoFundMe page or the Amazon wishlist for items that can help victims of Hurricane Florence. Per a 2004 provision passed by Congress, all federally funded schools must teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, Constitution Day. Despite the pleasant tune of "I'm just a Bill" ringing through locker-lined hallways across the country, the 2004 law represents a rare demonstration of power by the federal government to mandate certain educational programs-which could in fact be viewed as a violation of the Constitution itself. Should the government require certain curricula? PERSPECTIVES Both federal and state governments play a role in education, but when it comes to determining the curriculum, typically states get the final word. The tenth amendment states: In other words, education is a function of the states. But in 2004, Congress passed a provision requiring federally-funded educational institutions to hold Constitution-related programs on Constitution Day. According to the Library of Congress, when Congress originally instituted Constitution and Citizenship Day on Sept. 17 in 1952, the goal was to urge: Meaning, teachers in federally-funded schools must dedicate at least a portion of their lessons on Sept. 17 to the Constitution. The federal government doesn't mandate the types of lessons on the Constitution (although it has plenty of suggestions); only that the subject be covered on this day specifically. The provision led to immediate strife among teachers. Some cited "federal micromanagement" as motivation for the new mandate. NBC reports that Becky Timmons, the senior director for government relations at the American Council on Education, maintains reservations despite good intentions behind the provision: Simply from a practicality standpoint, the provision interrupts the natural flow of the school year. Imagine learning about the Civil War one day, the Constitution the next, and then back to North versus South the day after that. It might seem like a small issue on the other end of a diploma, but for teachers, a mandatory interruption in lesson plans is more than just a collective thorn in their side; it risks the momentum of the academic year. As Don Gifford, an educational program consultant for history, government and social studies for the Kansas Department of Education, tells The Wichita Eagle: But keep in mind, the federal government isn't dictating the type of educational program schools provide on Constitution Day-only that a program exists. Teachers and schools are free to cover the Constitution in whatever way they see fit, from the basics to debating the value of new amendments. Even PBS is giving out suggestions. Regardless of where the mandate comes from, a conversation about the impact of the Constitution is worth having. Class activity via @NewsHour Extra: On #ConstitutionDay, ask your students: How important is the Constitution in our lives today? What aspects of the Constitution do these images share? Can you think of more examples where the #Constitution plays a key role? #sschat #hsgovchat pic.twitter.com/hBxSJpx0dE PBS NewsHour Extra (@NewsHourExtra) September 17, 2018 The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Look, I get it. President Donald Trump is the big bad wolf to Democrats. He enflames the base, particularly these days, when the party is slouching every more leftward. He's the easiest of easy targets. So I can see why Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other Dems running in New York primaries made Trump a centerpiece of their voter appeals. If elected or re-elected, they pledged that they would fight Trump's agenda. Cuomo got some TV ad help from former Vice President Joe Biden in making his anti-Trump pitch. Those running for state attorney general, including Letitia James, who won a four-way Democratic primary, also pledged to be Trump watchdogs. Candidates running against Independent Democratic Conference incumbents tarred those lawmakers as pro-Trump Democrats because they'd worked with Republicans in the state Senate. To pass a progressive agenda, by the way, but I digress Is it the governor's job to go after the president? The state attorney general's job? Is it what local lawmakers are hired to do? Give me a break. Waving the Trump red flag pleases their Democratic base voters, but also gives lawmakers an out when it comes to actually doing the work of the people. "I'd love to talk about your commute, but I've got to file this lawsuit against Trump." We've already got a check on the president. It's called the U.S. Congress. Beyond that, we've got the Supreme Court. We've also got special counsels and others looking to keep this particular White House in line. Not to mention CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and "Saturday Night Live." Trump's got plenty of scrutiny. Besides, if Cuomo and James and the rest are going to be busy watching Trump, who's going to be watching what goes in the state? Cuomo cruised to a primary win over actress Cynthia Nixon, despite the fact that Cuomo's had some rough sledding lately. Take the Mario Cuomo Bridge fiasco, for example. The new eastbound span was opened for a pre-primary photo op featuring Cuomo and Hillary Clinton, only to be quickly shut when engineers said that portions of the old Tappan Zee Bridge next to it could collapse onto the new crossing. Cuomo's office denied that the opening of the span honoring the gov's father had been accelerated for political purposes. And then came the imbroglio over an anti-Semitic mailer sent out against Nixon in the campaign's closing days. Cuomo said he had nothing to do with it, pointing the finger at the state Democratic Party. Which Cuomo controls. Not to mention the fact that longtime Cuomo friend Joe Percoco got rung up with others on corruption charges tied to the "Buffalo Billion" project championed by Cuomo. Or that Cuomo shut down the anti-corruption Moreland Commission when it started sniffing a little too close to the governor's office. The governor wasn't accused of any wrongdoing in the Percoco case. Or in any other, for that matter. But the various odors still hit pretty close to home. You're saying things like that aren't worth keeping an eye on? Going to be tough with everybody's eyes on Washington. Mayor Bill de Blasio is another proud anti-Trump warrior. If only he showed the same zest in getting the lead out of New York City's housing developments and public school drinking water. Or in getting a fast ferry for Staten Island. Or doing something about property tax inequity. And have we forgotten all the state lawmakers hauled off for corruption in recent years? Or the fact that one of the top anti-Trumpers in the state, former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, had to step down after being accused of physically abusing women? It's not for nothing has Albany been known as the most dysfunctional state capital in the country. Scrutiny isn't called for there? I don't mean to dredge up old news. I'm just wondering who's going to watch things in New York when every elected Democratic official here is busy watching Trump? Note: This is part three, of a three-part series. Links to the first two parts are available at the bottom of this post. News that 8-year-old Dean Nimer had confessed to having savagely stabbed both of his parents to death in their Staten Island home in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 1958, stunned the nation. It was especially shocking to me, a teenager at the time, since our family lived a mere two houses away from the Nimers and knew the family well, including Dean. The boy initially told police that the murders had been perpetrated by a masked intruder who had begun to choke him in his bed. Then, when his parents, responding to his screams, rushed to his assistance, the knife-wielding thug fatally stabbed both of them. The murders left Dean and his two younger siblings, Gregory, 2, and Jennifer, 5 months, orphans in New York, while their nearest family members were in Utah. Dean, alone and traumatized, was aggressively questioned by seasoned detectives for countless hours. Although the boy stood a mere 4-foot-4 tall and weighed just 60 pounds, they seemed fixated on the absence of any obvious way an intruder could have entered the house. Police discounted an open cellar window, a front door that was ajar when police arrived, and the possibility that the murderer was already in the house when the Nimers went to bed. After repeatedly insisting to Dean that his story made no sense, the interrogators told him his father had identified him as the killer, and warned that he would never go back to Utah unless he admitted to the killings. That induced Dean, intimidated and distraught, to theorize aloud that perhaps his spirit had left his body and committed the crimes. Calculated lie Staten Island District Attorney John Braisted told reporters that while he wasn't entirely satisfied with the boy's statement, there was no reason to doubt its veracity. In reality, however, there were several solid reasons to believe that the "confession" was the concoction of a pathetically vulnerable child desperate to escape an egregiously coercive interrogation. For not only had detectives lied when they told Dean that his father had implicated him, but, in fact, both his mother and father had told police they were stabbed by a masked intruder, and provided similar descriptions to the one supplied by Dean. When the boy finally escaped the clutches of the police interrogators, he immediately recanted his so-called confession to his uncle, Dr. Harold Nimer, who had flown to New York. Additional evidence began to emerge to support Dean's original story. If the slight 8-year-old had stabbed his parents while they were sleeping -- the only conceivable hypothesis -- there should have been knife tears in their sheets. There were none, however, even though that night was unseasonably cold and his parents almost certainly were under them. Nor was the knife used in the attack ever found in the house. Police technicians examined the plumbing and found no evidence that a bloody knife had been washed in any of the sinks. Additionally, two doctors examined Dean's neck shortly after the murders and found fingerprints, a thumb print, and pinpoint hemorrhages indicative of ruptured capillaries. Fatal wound Conclusive evidence of Dean's innocence was reported by a team of investigators from Nation Magazine, and it was located within the operative notes of Dr. Norman Tarr, deputy chief of surgery at the Marine Hospital, who had performed the desperate emergency surgery to try to save Lou Jean Nimer's life. Tarr identified the fatal wound as having been inflicted by a knife driven with terrific force to a depth of five inches between the sixth and seventh ribs, and not in the abdomen as the medical examiner, without the benefit of the operative notes, had erroneously concluded. The tip of the blade was then flicked on an arc inside Lou Jean's body, a maneuver suggestive of an experienced knife-wielder. Moreover, the knife entered Lou Jean's body at an angle, cutting toward the center of the body, not in a downward thrust as if she had been stabbed in bed. The Nation's comprehensive report, published under the headline "The Shame of New York," noted, too, that there was only a small blotch of blood on the parents' bed, and it was located precisely where Lou Jean Nimer had sat to call police. At the same time, there was a massive amount of blood in the hallway, where Dean had said the intruder had violently attacked his parents. Several people have contacted me to say that Thomas Sullivan, the late Supreme Court Justice, who was Braisted's chief assistant district attorney, had told them that Dean was guilty. Well, he told me the same thing. So did Braisted. Both were friends of whom I thought highly. But they were wrong. Dean Nimer's innocence is clear to a moral certainty. Nothing can change that, including lingering whispers that continue to defame him after all these years. More: >> Dean Nimer, Part 1 >> Dean Nimer, Part 2 Email Daniel D. Leddy at column@danielleddylaw.com. Follow him on Twitter @LegalHotShots. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- How does a one-story ranch turn into your dream French country home, inside and out? Well, it starts with love and a wish -- then it's lots of demo and build, build, build. But first, Lauren Talarico had to meet Sal Galati and fall in love. They weren't quite ready to buy a house yet, as they were only together for one year at this point. Even though they knew where this relationship was heading -- nothing was formally decided. So, they just put it out into the world of friends and family that they were "kind of looking for a house." Of course, in two days this great ranch came up. It was on their one-year anniversary they went to see this 1960s ranch house at 30 Liss St. in Eltingville. They put down an offer right then and there and bam, it was theirs. Lauren told me, "Originally we weren't going to raise the roof right away, but Sal said, 'Let's do it all now and be done with it.'" They closed in February 2017, knocked it down, built it up and moved in on Dec 2, 2017. Then even hosted Christmas dinner in the new house with all the family. "Sal is the most talented 27-year-old I ever met," says Lauren, referring to his construction and project managing skills, as well as his cooking and fishing and "you-name-it-Sal-can-do-it attitude." The things the couple liked most about this house: "It's close to a park, it's a quiet neighborhood, and the price was right because we knew we wanted to reconstruct it to be what we wanted it to be," Lauren says. Lauren's father, Andy Talarico, joined forces with Sal to do the construction themselves, as Sal owns Reliable Heating and Cooling and his father-in-law-to-be owns ATC Cooling and Heating. Between them they have lots of experience and skilled friends in the business. (Needless to say, all the floors have radiant heating and run with state of the art WiFi thermostats.) So up went the new house. Adding a second floor, reconfiguring the rooms on the first floor and putting in a backyard pool. The final home includes three bedrooms, a kitchen, coffee bistro, living room with a fireplace, a dining room, four bathrooms and a finished basement with an office and a bar, still in the process. Outdoors, there is an amazing patio, pool and barbecue kitchen. This house is the central family and friend gathering place. The country blue kitchen buffet was the inspiration Lauren for the French country theme of the interior of the house. Her mother and sister-in-law, owners of DaniellaBella's Boutique South, made decisions about furniture and accessories easier. However, Lauren and the gang also used their own sweat equity by purchasing the dining room table and chairs from Facebook for $300, stripping and painting, antiquing and reupholstering it all themselves. (The results are beautiful.) There also are sweet chandeliers everywhere. Just a few months before they moved in -- on Oct. 14, 2017, to be exact -- the empty living room space was decorated with romantic lights and candles, as Sal got on one knee to propose officially to the "woman he will never get bored of." She said yes. 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! Toward the end of the questioning, Walsh agreed with a suggestion by Van Dykes attorney, Randy Rueckert, that nothing would have happened to McDonald if he had dropped the knife when ordered to do so. If the teen had raised his arm above his head and surrendered, the gesture possibly would have been resolved peacefully, too, he said. 1. Van Dykes partner on the night of the shooting insisted Laquan McDonald raised a knife toward them just before Van Dyke opened fire, even though the police dashboard camera video shows that never happened. Performing his version of events leading up to the shooting, Officer Joseph Walsh demonstrated for the jury how McDonald allegedly swung the small knife behind his back and then up to about shoulder height. The teen, Walsh told the jury, turned his head toward the officers, looking at them with a stare and a focus beyond us. Walsh, who faces his own criminal trial on charges he conspired to cover up the shooting, was given immunity from prosecution so whatever he testified to Tuesday -- as long as it was truthful -- could not be used against him in his own case. He hit many of the key points of Van Dykes defense team, including that McDonald posed a genuine threat to public safety and his shooting was his own fault. What started with a husband and wife experimenting with blobs of bacteria and yeast in their back shed has grown into the newest arm of the Coca-Cola Company, with the global beverages giant buying the Adelaide makers of MOJO kombucha for an undisclosed sum. The two companies hope to use Coca-Cola's reach and expertise to "supercharge" MOJO's sales of the increasingly popular drink, while also diversifying Coca-Cola's portfolio as consumers turn away from its core range of high-sugar products. Coca-Cola Australia president Vamsi Mohan, right, and Anthony Crabb, co-founder of the Organic & Raw Trading Co. Credit:Peter Braig Anthony and Sarah Crabb started the Organic & Raw Trading Co in 2009 after several years of experimentation making the kombucha in their back shed in Adelaide, selling first at farmers' markets and health food shops. Their range of MOJO drinks are now stocked at retailers including Woolworths and IGA supermarkets, with annual turnover of between $5 million and $7 million a year. Margaret Leigh, a retired registered nurse and former resident of an Aveo retirement village, has seen a lot. Leigh was a resident in the same Victorian village where 93-year-old Iris Lees was found dead in horrific circumstances, hours after walking out of her unit into the garden during a heat wave. Margaret Leigh lived in a retirement village for six years. She has seen some horrific things go on and is standing up to get the federal government to include it in the royal commission. Credit:Eddie Jim Leigh says she had frequently found Iris Lees wandering on a busy main road and would return her to her unit. But the day Lees died in mid January 2014, Leigh wasnt around. "Iris was found deceased, sunburned, trying to climb a tree to escape the heat," she says. The shocking death haunts Leigh to this day. If you felt as though black puffer jackets were reaching plague proportions in some of Austrlaia's cooler cities this winter, you weren't imagining things. The outdoors and travel gear retailer Kathmandu has credited the growing number of Michelin Man-esque jackets being donned as winter protection for a huge jump in sales that has boosted its annual profit by more than a third. Kathmandu CEO Xavier Simonet said the company was preparing to reach into the North American market. Credit:Justin McManus The 165-store chain on Tuesday revealed its Australian sales grew 11.6 per cent in the second half of the 2018 financial year on a same-store basis (which removes the impact of opening or closing stores) - well ahead of most retailers in a market where clothing and apparel sales are growing at only 2.7 per cent annually. "If you live in Melbourne you would have noticed there were more black Kathmandu down jackets on the streets, so thats really been a key factor," Kathmandu chief financial officer Reuben Casey told Fairfax Media. A fish and chip shop with a dwelling above at 827 Glen Huntly Road sold prior to auction for $975,000. Fitzroys Jordan Ceppi and Chris Kombi, in conjunction with Tsimos Commercials John Black, said the Commercial 1 zoned, 170 sq m double-storey building fetched a yield of 4.9 per cent. The property offered strong value add prospects, with potential to upgrade and re-lease, Mr Ceppi said. East Hawthorn A top floor office suite in Cato Street has sold. Credit:Gorman Commercial Gorman Commercials David Minton and Alex Browne sold a top floor office suite at 12-14 Cato Street. The 263 sq m office with eight car parks sold for $1.45 million (reflecting a building rate of $5513 per sq m) with vacant possession to a local owner-occupier who will relocate from Collingwood. Recent strong growth in freehold office values in the area has led to an increase in strata title values, Mr Minton said. Melbourne Smaller office tenants continue to choose to owner occupy rather than lease. A 105 sq m suite at 434 St Kilda Road sold for $320,000 plus GST. Fitzroys Stephen Land said the majority of interest from small tenants was wanting to owner occupy. The on-title parking space was also an attraction, he said. East Malvern In another strata office deal, 2004 Malvern Road, sold to an owner occupier for $445,000 in a hotly contested Teska Carson auction. George Takis and Fergus Evans said the $5300 a sq m result reflected the strengthening market for strata property in the area. Richmond A strata, mezzanine level office at 3/6 Bromham Place sold in an off market transaction for $840,000 on a yield of 3.83 per cent and building rate of $6086 per sq m. The office transacted with a three year lease in place, Gross Waddells Andrew Thorburn said. Clayton Another office across town at 16/20 Duerdin Street sold through John Nockles of CVA for $890,000. The 305 sq m ground and first floor office had 7 partitioned offices, a reception area, boardroom and kitchenette on both levels. Croydon A corner showroom/office at 2 Croydon Road has sold for $1.51 million. The 492 sq m property fetched a net 4.1 per cent yield at an auction with five active bidders. The building is leased to Methven Professionals Real Estate on a new 5 year lease, JLLs Sam Baines and Tom Ryan said. Essendon West A Chinese developer snapped up a development site at 46 Buckley Street for $1.24 million, Savills Australias Benson Zhou, Julian Heatherich and Mark Stafford said. Richmond Prowse Burns Philip Prowse and Fred Bartlett sold 337 Swan Street at auction for $1.17 million on a yield of 2.45 per cent. The showroom was leased until May 2019 at a rental of $28,762. Dandenong After 285 bids, a medical centre at 122 David Street sold for $1,661,000 in front of a crowd of investors and owners occupiers. CBREs Sandro Peluso, Josh Twelftree and Jimmy Tat handled the sale. LEASING South Melbourne High-end Italian kitchen retailer Bertazzoni Australia has leased a high profile corner site at 325 Clarendon Street for its flagship store. Bertazzoni took the 76 sq m space on a three-year lease with a two-year option at $40,000 per annum net, Fitzroys James Spencer said. Bertazzoni Australia has recently formed a joint venture with local company Andi-Co. Melbourne Change consultancy Levant Consulting will relocate from Little Collins to Suite 311 at 546-566 Collins Street in the McPhersons building. Levant took a three year lease with a three year option over the 85 sq m suite at annual rental of $53,000 gross with fixed 4 per cent increases, Gray Johnsons Rory White said. Melbourne Kiss Kill are on the move. Credit:CBRE After launching their first store in South Yarra in 2013, luxury lingerie brand Kiss Kill will expand into the CBD at 241A Flinders Lane. Kiss Kill took a 24 sq m store on $66,000 per annum gross in a deal negotiated by CBREs Tan Thach, Samantha Hunt and Zelman Ainsworth. The lease term was for 3 years with a single 3 year option. Dandenong South Doublec furniture has taken a lease over a 1161 sq m showroom at 92 Frankston-Dandenong Road for $110,389 per annum on a 3 year lease. Camerons Ivo Redmond and Angus Clark said a 10 per cent rental increase was achieved and vacancy was avoided despite the number of empty showrooms in the area. Richmond Residential builder Maybach Property Group has extended its lease to take the whole floor in the heart of Church Street. Teska Carsons Luke Bisset and Fergus Evans brokered the lease for Office 1, 577-579 Church Street at $156,000 per annum net. Melbourne Lennox College has leased a whole floor office at 260 La Trobe Street on the corner of Elizabeth Street. Fitzroys Stephen Land negotiated the four-year lease over 406 sq m within the A-C Building at $152,250 per annum plus GST on behalf of Landream. Melbourne The former Redfern Post Office building in Sydney's inner west is being sold, valued at about $5 million. The rare vacant heritage building has recently undergone a refurbishment from its current owners, international architectural firm DKO. The old Redfern Post Office. Located on the corner of Redfern and George Street, the office, which was built in 1882 in Victorian Italianate style, consists of 330 square metres of commercial space across two levels and is zoned B2 local centre. Trent Gallagher, national director, property sales and leasing at Colliers International, said the space is ideal for immediate occupation and there is no vacancy in the immediate area ''allowing favourable lease terms for an investor''. Meanwhile, local developer, Level 33 has snared a site at Wolli Creek in Sydney's south for $29.5 million. The site is earmarked for apartments across two towers. Two thirds of adults believe today's generation of children will be 'worse off' financially than their parents. Just 28 per cent feel confident the next generation will be "better off", making Australians more gloomy than the typical response in advanced economies of 34 per cent. The results come from the latest annual global survey of economic attitudes released by the Pew Research Centre in Washington DC. The percentage of Australians who think children will be worse off has risen sharply, from 53 per cent in 2013 to 65 per cent in the latest survey. Australia has the fourth highest "experience-expectation" gap of the 27 countries surveyed that is, the gap between the percentage of people who rate the current economic situation as good (67 per cent) and the percentage who say children will be better off financially (28 per cent). Perhaps it's unusual for an artist to resist the urge to put something new into the world; it's like looking up at a glistening mountain and feeling no need to climb it. But in Bhutanese culture, there is not an obsession with conquering things. There's actually a law that prohibits anyone from climbing the highest mountains because that's where the deities live, after all. Tashi, 45, is determined to track down the last of the traditional shamans and spiritual hermits the custodians of Bhutanese legends and write their stories, not his, before they take them to the grave. On one mission, he hiked two weeks into the mountains where no roads reach; he finally found his target, an old hermit who had lived by himself for 70 years. We don't have military or economic power. Our culture is all we have. Gopilal Acharya, author "He was a remarkable man," Tashi said. "He never got bored." So many different Bhutanese writers are open about their sentimentality and their ache to deliver a strong sense of their place to everything they write. Gopilal Acharya, 40, is a poet with dark eyes, a natty beard, crisp plaid shirts and a slightly coiled vibe. He writes in English, like most Bhutanese writers, because that is what he studied in school. (Several indigenous languages are spoken in Bhutan but relatively few books are printed in them.) Raymond Carver is one of his favourite writers. "I love everything about the man, down to his drinking habits," Acharya said. Gopilal Acharya, a Bhutanese poet and author. Credit:Jeffrey Gettleman/The New York Times But at the same time, Acharya is passionate about Bhutanese folklore. He wrote a book of children's tales that celebrate a way of life rooted in isolated hamlets where even today, on windswept mountainsides, people till fields of buckwheat with yoked oxen and wooden plows. "These stories are how we are anchored as a society," he said. "We don't have military or economic power. Our culture is all we have." Bhutan may be one of the hardest places to earn a living as a writer. Acharya is considered one of his country's most talented (all the more impressive considering that he hails from a remote village and his mother can't read). But he still works as a consultant on sanitation issues. Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan Credit:Poras Chaudhary/The New York Times "I don't want to be doing fecal management," he said. "I live to write. But I need to make money." Just about all the writers here are self-published and they said they spend several thousand dollars on each book and end up doing everything: the editing, the graphic design, the layout, deliveries, distribution and sales. Bhutan's handful of publishing houses tend to stick to textbooks, which are far more profitable than novels or story collections. "Somebody told me that publishing a book is the easiest way to become bankrupt in Bhutan," joked Monu Tamang, a 20-something novelist. A customer buys a book at DSB Books in Thimphu, which claims to be the oldest bookstore in Bhutan Credit:Jeffrey Gettleman/The New York Times The bookshops tend to stock mass-market paperbacks like entire shelves for Nicholas Sparks. DSB Books, which claims to be Bhutan's oldest bookshop, offers many Asia-themed books everything from Japanese comics to Buddhist tomes on wisdom. And at the packed little Pe Khang bookstore, titles are arranged in no discernible order. The Life of Buddha sits next to Bob Dylan: The Lyrics 1961-2012. The Bhutanese novels run about $7 a piece, within range of what most can afford. The per capita gross domestic product is equivalent to $12,500, though the Bhutanese government doesn't get too worked up about these figures. Instead, it prides itself on maximising gross national happiness. Each year the Mountain Echoes festival opens up Bhutan's literary scene for a brief moment. Dozens of writers from the United States, Europe and other parts of Asia march into the handful of new luxury hotels and mingle with a select few of the Bhutanese intelligentsia at elegant dinners under crystalline skies. The festival is free and audiences tend to be filled with other invited authors, government employees, members of Bhutan's royal family and lots and lots of schoolchildren. Customers browse through books at DSB Books. Credit:Jeffrey Gettleman/The New York Times Last year, some of the events were inspired by local themes like one titled "The Karma of Writing". Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief and Padma Lakshmi, the celebrity chef and ex-wife of Salman Rushdie, attracted the biggest crowds. This year Sarah Kay, a successful American spoken-word poet, was one of the bigger draws. Brisbane residents will save thousands of dollars in tools, camping gear and sporting equipment by joining the first tool library in Queensland. The Brisbane Tool Library, partnered with the State Library of Queensland, will open the service on Thursday at The Edge, South Bank. People can rent hand and power tools at the Brisbane Tool Library. Credit:Glenn Hunt Second-hand items donated to the library, including lawn mowers, camping tents, jackhammers and power saws can be borrowed for one to three weeks if renewed. Users can create an online account or walk in to borrow up to four items per week with the option to renew the items. Queensland Police on Tuesday said a report that a schoolgirl had bitten into a strawberry containing a needle was "a false report" and that they are "confident no products have been contaminated in this instance". Superintendent Doherty urged the community to continue to report any incidences of fruit contamination to police. "They will be treated seriously. The consequences are dire. Its a hazardous action thats happening from whoever is perpetrating it," he said. "Really, end of the day its an act of treachery on the community of NSW and across the nation." So far there are no confirmed suspects or demands, he said, but that police are receiving information through Crime Stoppers and he encouraged anyone with information to come forward. 'Within three days we lost it all' Loading A $1 million fund to support strawberry farmers brought to their knees by the sabotage has been announced by the Queensland government. Announcing the fund in Parliament on Tuesday morning, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the past week had seen Queensland become the victim of an "ugly, calculated and despicable crime". It follows the $100,000 reward posted by Queensland Police for any information that led to the arrest of a person responsible for placing needles in strawberries. Six brands Berry Licious, Berry Obsession, Donnybrook, Oasis, Love Berry and Delightful Strawberries have been recalled nationally as fresh cases of needles found in strawberries were reported in Western Australia and South Australia over the weekend. Loading Stephanie Chheang, the daughter of the owner of Donnybrook Strawberries, posted a video on Facebook showing truckloads of strawberries being dumped. "This is no doubt the worst thing to ever happen to my family," she wrote. "This here is a video of our strawberries being dumped, this here is worth more than you could ever imagine and within three days we lost it all." The Department of Agriculture announced late Tuesday it is implementing interim control measures for the export of fresh strawberries from Wednesday morning in response to the crisis. Fruit will have to go through "an effective metal screening process" prior to export, the department said. Visual inspection alone is "not an acceptable measure". The WA Strawberry Growers' Association has called on the federal and state governments to provide financial assistance, including a reward for information leading to the culprits being found, much like the one offered in Queensland. Fruit shop installs metal detector A metal detector has been installed at a fruit wholesaler in Western Australia after strawberries contaminated with needles were reported four times over the past two days. On Tuesday, police said they had received reports of needles being discovered with strawberries in the Perth suburbs of Kelmscott, Spearwood and Bull Creek. Loading SA Police also confirmed on Monday two cases of suspected contamination in WA-grown strawberries, including a seven-year-old Adelaide girl who bit into a needle in a strawberry. AllStates Fruit and Vegetable Merchants at Perth's Canning Vale markets has put in the metal detector in response to the contamination scare. The pallets are being labelled "scanned for metal contaminants" in a bid to restore confidence in strawberries from the warehouse. But anything can happen at the store level, a spokesman said, so the company is considering introducing improved packaging. The cost of the machines ranged from $30,000 to $50,000, the spokesman said. The two major supermarket chains haven't quite gone to the same lengths. Empty shelves, normally stocked with strawberry punnets, are seen at a Coles supermarket in Brisbane. Credit:AAP When asked what additional measures Coles was taking to protect customers, a spokeswoman for the supermarket giant said it was working with suppliers "to implement additional control measures to ensure strawberries are inspected before they are sent to supermarkets." Woolworths has installed additional signage in its stores with the latest public health advice from Queensland Health. A spokesman for the company said it was "working hand in hand with the police and health authorities" on the matter. "While we've introduced additional safety measures we urge customers to continue following the advice of the health authorities and cut up all strawberries before eating them," the spokesman said. Needle pain isn't being felt by all While strawberries are off the shelves at many of the major supermarket chains' stores, the buyer at an independent fruit shop in Sydneys inner west said he and his customers were unfazed. Joe Galluzzo from Galluzzos Fruit Market in Glebe said hes even selling more strawberries than usual. "Were actually finding people walking in and saying theyre supporting the farmers," he said. "Ive sold 30-40 per cent more strawberries over the last four days than I had before." "Im hoping that it hasnt scared everyone off buying strawberries." Kate Felloes and her son Bennett at Galluzzo's. Credit:Cassandra Morgan Being independent helps, he added. "Because we deal with independent growers as well, rather than the bigger growers, the chances of having an issue are a lot less." A customer at Mr Galluzzo's shop on Tuesday afternoon said her family is still eating whole strawberries at home. Kate Felloes, said she also owns a nearby cafe, and Galluzzo's are her suppliers. "Im going about it as I normally would because I completely trust my supplier and this is the only place I buy strawberries," she said. "Im hoping that it hasnt scared everyone off buying strawberries," Ms Felloes added. "Its really unfortunate that somebody or a number of people are going around and doing what theyre doing to the fruit. Its certainly not a great time to be a farmer." Attorneys for the men, pipefitters William Ruiz and William Kissane, said the water district officials also failed to properly monitor the building for the presence of explosive gases and provide ventilation that could have prevented such a blast. The suit also names as a defendant Independent Mechanical Industries, which provides general contracting services to the district. The plaintiffs worked for a subcontractor working with that firm, said their attorney, James J. Morici Jr. The ACT government says it will have to resort to aerial shooting to kill brumbies that cross the border if the feral horse population in Namadgi National Park starts to significantly increase. At present, wild horses that enter the ACT are lured into trap yards with salt licks, then sedated and euthanased with firearms. Brumbies run free in Kosciuszko National Park, where they are protected from lethal culling. Credit:Karleen Minney However, Environment Minister Mick Gentleman fears NSW laws protecting brumbies from lethal culling in Kosciuszko National Park could result in increasing numbers of the animals moving into Namadgi. "If horse populations in Namadgi National Park were to significantly increase by animals dispersing from a growing population in Kosciuszko National Park, our current methods would quickly become impracticable," a spokesman for Mr Gentleman said. The Crown closed its case on Tuesday in the murder trial of David Harold Eastman. Mr Eastman is accused of the January 10, 1989 murder of Canberra police chief Colin Winchester, who was shot dead in his car in his neighbour's Deakin driveway about 9.15pm that night. The 72-year-old has pleaded not guilty. The jury attended a view on Tuesday morning, before it returned to the ACT Supreme Court to hear further evidence. Prosecutor Murugan Thangaraj SC announced the end of the Crown case about 3.30pm on Tuesday afternoon, after the jury had heard some three months worth of evidence. Our pick of what to do in Canberra this weekend. SPEEDWAY SEASON ACT Speedway is all set for its season opener this weekend. Credit:Jeffrey Chan Whether you were doing doughnuts in your P-plated Corolla just yesterday, or carving it up a lifetime ago, you'd know that the need for speed doesn't just trickle away. Feed your thirst for torque, revs and good times at ACT Speedway's night trial and season opener. Be sure to bring a bumbag crammed with cash as tickets are only available at the door and in some sort of throwback move there will be no EFTPOS. Pialligo Avenue, Fairbairn. Saturday 4-10pm. $5-10. facebook.com/actspeedway SPICE GIRLS SINGALONG But that doesnt breach the rules either. The rules cover spouses, children, parents, step-children, sons and daughters-in-law, and even partners of any siblings. But not nieces. The Treasurer, the milkshake and the roast Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, pictured here earlier this month, stopped in to Labor MP Michael Danby's farewell dinner at the Manuka Steakhouse on Monday. Credit:Eddie Jim Nothing comforts the soul after a late-night cabinet meeting like a chocolate milkshake. At least when youre the new Treasurer stepping out after a difficult day in Parliament. Josh Frydenberg found himself down at the Manuka Steakhouse (much better value than the Matt Canavan $37 steak special at the Kingston Hotel) on Monday night, escaping the fallout from the nuclear warhead detonated by Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis on her way out the door. But along at the steakhouse were half the Labor caucus, farewelling (or celebrating the departure of) Melbourne Ports MP Michael Danby. He leaves at the next election. Despite numerous attempts, CBD was unable to secure permission to print what was said during the lengthy roast of Danby, but suffice to say there was plenty of material about the internal machinations of the party during the Kevin Rudd era. Richard Marles emceed, with Frydenberg joining Labor leader Bill Shorten, Kimberley Kitching, Joel Fitzgibbon and Michelle Rowlands among those ruminating on Danbys long career. Any enterprising lobbyist should have wandered in at about 10pm and had the run of half the frontbench of what will likely be the next federal government. They could save the $2000 admission price to the next Labor Business Forum fundraiser scheduled for November 8 at the Archie Rose gin distillery in Rosebery, which the invite circulated among the big-money types promises will be an evening to enjoy the spirit of economic potential. Wed rather stay home with the milkshake. The business of the business council Richard Goyder, a former Wesfarmers chief executive, has been touted by some as a good replacement for outgoing BCA president Grant King. Credit:Ross Swanborough Things are afoot at the Business Council of Australia. Exhibit A. After CBD wrote a few heavy hitters on the lobby groups board were agitating for change, irritated their president Grant King had led his members into a Senate inquiry ambush, BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott moved to calm the pond. I want to assure you the Business Council is committed to its own stable leadership, she wrote in her internal weekly message last week. Board members have requested Grant Kings appointment be extended beyond his two-year term and he will continue as president into the new year. That was precisely how the handover occurred last time. After the annual dinner, in February. We mentioned Qantas boss Alan Joyce had been approached to replace King, but was said to have politely declined the offer. Former BCA president Tony Shepherd was also asked by some to consider another term. Now we can tell you a few members are urging incoming Qantas chairman Richard Goyder, the former chief executive of Wesfarmers, to seriously consider if he would do the job. With Westacott also on the Wesfarmers board, it may be a bit too much for some at the BCA. And between Qantas and being the chair of Woodside and the AFL Commission, its hard to see where Goyder could possibly find the time. But the next appointment will be one of the most important for the BCA, which is facing a difficult task wrangling Labor, should the party win government, no matter how much they talk up the spirit of economic potential while swilling the boutique gin. Another Upton birthday The Varroville Homestead near Campbelltown, pictured here with owner Jacqui Kirkby, who has waited a year for Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton to make a decision that should have taken 14 days. Credit:Wolter Peeters If female politicians are experiencing bullying, it is odds on that male politicians are too. It is only the females who misread it as a gender matter and whinge about it in public. - Ross Drynan, Lindfield It appears the Liberal Party's primary aim is to get Bill Shorten into the Lodge. They have spent five years ignoring the will of the people, inexplicably ousted a preferred PM and now seem determined to get rid of the remaining few females on the team. You have to admire their consistency and commitment. They deserve a nomination for best supporting role in the election of a Shorten Labor government - Graham Lum, North Rocks When would a pair of men's shoes ever be photographed ("Female MPs call code red amid brotherhood of blue", September 18)? My recollection of newsworthy men's shoes is of John Howard having one thrown at him on an episode of Q & A. Good reporting, but there was no need for Julie's red shoes. - Alison Stewart, Waitara Does the sea of women in red on the Coalition benches mean they are about to defect to the Opposition benches to join their sisters in the red-branded ALP? - Judy Hungerford, North Curl Curl Drugs death a chance to reshape outdated policy The tragic deaths of two partygoers at a weekend music festival should represent an opportunity for the NSW government to have a rethink on its hardline policies relating to drug-use ("Premier wavers over pledge to close down music festival", September 18). How many people have to die before governments in this country admit the truth, that the so-called "war on drugs" has been one of history's great failures. It's time to adopt policies that accept drug-use will always exist and the most realistic way to deal with this situation is to regulate all drugs, thereby removing organised crime from the mix. This would benefit the community much more than the criminalisation of an activity many in the community see as a normal part of their recreational activities. - Peter C Jones, Rathmines I have no quibble with the view that drugs policy needs to reflect a 21st-century reality and that prohibition has a poor record. Surely, though, every person who attends these events knows the risks of taking drugs. Is it not possible to fully enjoy music without altering one's consciousness? - Ron Sinclair, Bathurst In none of the correspondence about the drug deaths at Defqon.1 do I find any reference to personal responsibility. Perhaps, in addition to stricter control over drugs at these festivals, concertgoers should be more aware of the dangers of illicit drugs, and take responsibility for their own safety. - Greg Partington, Quakers Hill Like most parents, Peter FitzSimons knows that those who go to festivals to take drugs, the sons and daughters of the Boomers who did exactly the same thing, are healthy, well-adjusted young people ("My child goes to music festival but I don't want them shut down", September 18). But they don't have a "health problem," as he suggests drug usage is; they're just normal kids actively looking for excitement and illicit fun. That's the culture around these festivals. As a species, we have always courted danger and thrills, and young males in particular believe they are immortal. But sending our children off to willingly and happily give their money (and often ours) to drug dealers is just stupid. It's probably more sensible to buy them a motorbike. - Russell Edwards, Drummoyne If Premier Gladys Berejiklian truly believes there is no such thing as a safe drug then how can the government continue to accept duties from alcohol and tobacco, drugs which do untold harm but somehow escape sanction because they provide income and have a powerful voice? - Nick Hendel, Roseville I agree wholeheartedly that the overdose deaths were preventable. Just don't take drugs. - Anthony Healy, Willoughby East Seeking an anthem Maybe The Seekers' song with the lyrics "We'll live in a world of our own, that no one else can share" would be a more appropriate national anthem (Letters, September 18). - John Casey, North Ryde. I have a problem with the word "fair". - Peter Carroll, Noosa Heads (Qld) With or without lyrics, Waltzing Matilda beats Advance Australia Fair hands down every time. Let's ask one simple question at a referendum at the next federal election and have the people decide by majority. At no extra cost. - Howard Charles, Glebe It's not hard to change a couple of words of the national anthem. It was done in 1984 when we had to sing "Australian sons let us rejoice". Nobody fainted as I recall. - Vicky Marquis, Glebe A clarification on who wrote I am Australian: it was composed by Bruce Woodley from The Seekers and Dobe Newton from The Bushwackers. - Duncan Harman, Bundamba Getting at the PM Just reading that the Prime Minister "gets" Donald Trump, which makes it so much easier to "get" the PM ("Morrison's bromance with Trump", September 18). I join the call to bring on the election. - Tony Ilott, East Hills Marine park backflip falls short of voters' expectations Meaningful consultation prior to the implementation of any plan or law is undoubtedly a good thing indeed ("Fishing groups land marine park backflip", September, 18). However, abandoning a plan due to vested interests from pressure groups prior to the expiration of the consultation period robs the views of concerned voters and effectively silences them. The state government appears to have learnt some lessons regarding consultation but still falls short of the voting public's expectations. - Paul Townsend, Narara The backdown on sanctuary zones makes not only a mockery of the consultation but of the marine reserve itself. Targeted sanctuary zones are integral and as proposed were quite weak a small minority of the area sometimes incorporating previous reserves or closures and already reflecting fishing interests. Recreational fishers with blanket opposition to any other values if it impedes their minority private interest have got to a jittery government. Their sometimes rationale based on "science" is equivalent to a climate change denier arguing "science". As nature comes under ever more pressure, we are going backwards in protecting it. - Nick Wilson, Palm Beach Greyhounds, koalas, and now our marine life. The lack of vision and principle in the NSW government is so alarming, and I have to wonder what a barren state they will leave in their wake. Fancy ignoring the well-researched pleas of groups such as the NSW Conservation Council in favour of the loud voice of a shooter. Shame on this political game-playing. - Marie Healy, Hurlstone Park The LNP's statement that there will be no marine sanctuaries in Sydney is pathetic, anti-science and anti-environment. No-take zones have been shown to lift fish size and biomass, improving snapper fishing in the surrounding waters. - Cath Blakey, Wollongong When will this state government listen to those who want to protect not plunder the natural world? How about doing the right thing for future generations, instead of pandering to the craven demands of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party? So many of us are hoping for strong ethical leadership from politicians, not this shabby show of political pragmatism. - Josie McSkimming, Coogee A Marine Park does not "lock out" fishers: it just sets aside areas for multiple use to avoid conflict and to protect the marine ecosystem for all. Opposition may occur in the early stages of Marine Park development but after implementation, most fishers agree that fish stocks increase in adjacent areas so it is a win for the environment and the fishers. - Pam Melrose, Cronulla What an absolute disgrace our government is to ignore the science and ignore the overwhelming support for the marine park, and to make a decision before the public consultation period has even ended. - Sharnie Connell, Manly Aged-care cynics Pardon my cynicism, but I suspect that the Royal Commission into aged care is more about the next election and the current mess the Liberal party is in ("Questions a royal commission should ask, but may not", September 18). I worked in a nursing home that was at the bottom of the industry over 20 years ago. Things haven't changed much. The pay is low; they are understaffed; and it is a business. These combine to make aged care for many an unpleasant experience. The PM hopes, I think, that we will be distracted by the royal commission, which doesn't report until after the election. Whoever leads the Liberal party then can use it for what they want. - David Ashton, Katoomba I would like to see a royal commission into why we need royal commissions before our politicians pay attention to the issues and injustices we have been complaining about for years. Is it only real when a QC says it? - Neil Reckord, Armidale This morning it took me 10 minutes to get myself out of bed, showered and dried, then dressed to face the day and ready for breakfast. Clearly I'm going to have to get into training to cut this time down to 6 minutes if I ever have the misfortune to end up in one of our country's nursing homes. - Hazel Popp, Summer Hill Most people are at their most vulnerable in the first, and last, years of their lives. Our society demands that effective regulation and monitoring, including staff ratios and stringent care standards, apply to children's services. Despite the continuing lobbying of private sector child-care providers, most governments across Australia have stood firm in not watering down the key regulatory provisions. When it comes to aged care, the world is very different. No staff ratios, modest care standards at best, poor enforcement and little respect. Interestingly, the one obvious thing in common both sectors have is pathetically low wages. - Gary Moore, Leichhardt Students' smartphones It is wrong to suggest that smartphones are an educational tool not designed for educational purposes, but for communication purposes ("Educators resist calls for school phone ban", September 18). Of course, they have the potential to be used for educational purposes but this requires both teacher and student to plan accordingly. It is also incorrect to suggest students will fall further behind without the use of smartphones. Older generations never had such technological resources at their fingertips, and we turned out OK - Michael Blissenden, Dural Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan's "thought bubble" to ban smartphones in schools shows again that the current Government has little if any connection to the real world. The reality for many kids is that they will have played around 10,000 hours of online games by the time they turn 21 years old, which is about the same amount of time they'll spend in a classroom. Moreover, they are going outdoors 70 per cent less than two generations ago. Unlike Prime Ministers or women in the Liberal Party, games and phones are here to stay, so the challenge for educators is how to maximise their benefits. - Chris Andrew, Turramurra Kersi Meher-Homji of St Ives writes: "I wish 'Team Sheil' the best for the Wentworth by-election. I hope he stands and may it be fifth time lucky for him. Knowing Pat by correspondence, I realise that he has wisdom and a lively sense of humour. We desperately need wit and the balance of judgement from our politicians." "Come on Andrew Macintosh (C8). You started it with 'When I returned from a five-year stint in Africa'," points out David Dolphin of Summer Hill. "From the roof of my CBD-edge apartment block, I periodically count the construction site cranes in view," writes David James of Chippendale. "For 2-3 years, it has averaged 50 lowest 46, highest 55. Yesterday's count was 39. Is this an indication of a building downturn?" Possibly. It also reminds Granny of a remark a visiting Goon, Harry Secombe, once made about Sydney: "It'll be a nice place when it's finished." No rush making a selection for Kay Martinelli of Macquarie Park: "A JB Hi-Fi gift card issued on August 3 expires on August 3, 2117. I guess if I don't get around to using it my grandchildren will be able to." According to Gabi Duigu of Cammeray: "Mongolian yurts (C8) are called gers and take about an hour to erect." Police are searching for a young mother and her nine-week-old baby, who were last seen in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Sunday. Jaylei Woods, 15, and her son Jakiyah were last seen leaving a residential facility on Coogee Bay Road in Coogee about 2pm on Sunday. Jaylei Woods was last seen with her nine-week-old son Jakiyah leaving a residential facility on Coogee Bay Road in Coogee. Credit:NSW Police When she did not return as planned police were notified, and officers hold concerns for the welfare of both Jaylei and her son. She is described as being of Pacific Islander or Maori appearance with a medium to solid build and dark hair, and is about 157 centimetres tall. A Catholic Primary School teacher has been charged with indecently assaulting one of his Year 6 pupils in Sydney's south west. James Hayes, 28, has been charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a child under 16 after the girl, who cannot be named, reported the incident to the State Crime Command's Child Abuse Squad. James Hayes has been charged with indecently assaulting a child. It is understood that Mr Hayes allegedly rubbed himself up against the 13-year-old school girl when she was a student at St Justin's Catholic Primary School, and he was her Year 6 teacher. The girl finished at the Oran Park primary school last year, and reported the incident in May 2018. A report of a schoolgirl becoming the latest victim of the strawberry tampering saga is false. Earlier on Tuesday, Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said a girl had bitten into a strawberry that contained a needle but did she not require ongoing medical attention. Queensland Police said they had ruled out reports of the contamination incident at a school. "Urgent inquiries conducted into the allegation determined a false report had been made," police said in a statement. Two or Brisbanes longest-serving councillors are set to retire at the next Brisbane City Council election. It is understood Ian McKenzie for Coorparoo and Norm Wyndham for McDowall will retire from their positions before the 2020 election. Two or Brisbanes longest-serving councillors are set to retire ahead of the 2020 election. Credit:File photo Councillor Julian Simmonds will also not contest Walter-Taylor ward after he won preselection for the federal seat of Ryan in May. Cr Simmonds was elected in 2010. A date for the pre-selection has not been set. Raoul also defended his ads against Harold, which focus on an allegation that as a Miss Illinois contestant in 2000 at the age of 19, she said in a closed-door interview that she would favor placing a child with an abusive couple over a same-sex couple. Harold has said she doesnt recall giving that answer in an interview. NBC-5 first reported the allegation, using three anonymous sources. Two Mexican men will stand trial over allegations they used bags of cocoa as a "Trojan Horse" to smuggle cocaine with a street value of up to $234 million into Victoria. Eduardo Radamez Chavez Gonzalez, 34, and Gabriel Altamirano Galindo, 35, are charged with importing 300 kilograms of cocaine last November in a consignment of cocoa from their homeland. Police seized 300 kilograms of cocaine disguised as coffee and cocoa powder in Altona last year. Credit:AFP Both entered not guilty pleas as magistrate Susan Wakeling on Tuesday committed them to stand trial in the County Court. Mr Gonzalez also pleaded not guilty to attempting to possess the 300 kilograms of cocaine, while Mr Galindo pleaded not guilty to possessing 4 kilograms of cocaine. It was a shocking phone call secretly recorded by police the day after the teenager had mowed-down a man on a suburban street, dragging him under the car for 85 metres before the victim was engulfed in flames. The 17-year-old, close to being arrested, saw his crime on the news and phoned a friend in juvenile detention. He told his friend he had been out driving with the boys - he and three others were in a stolen BMW - when he approached a give-way sign in a Mitcham street just after 4pm on November 8 last year. Keith Stevens, pictured with his partner Amanda Wilson. The teenager thought he could beat a motorcycle coming across the intersection, a County Court heard on Tuesday. A man was rushed to hospital after being shot in an apparent drive-by shooting in Perth's southern suburbs on Tuesday evening. The shooting happened in Calista, south of Perth. Credit:Quentin Jones QCJ Police told radio 6PR a 52-year-old man was riding on a motorbike on Summerton Road in Calista when he was shot. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and is in a stable condition. The gang crime squad is investigating the shooting. Frequent back pain is linked to poor mental and physical health in teenagers, an Australian study has found. Data from more than 6400 Australian teenagers aged between 14 and 16 found those with back pain were more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and report anxiety and depression. Physical and mental health are interlinked, study suggests. Credit:File image. The research found those who experienced back pain more than once a week were 2.8 times more likely to have smoked or to have consumed alcohol in the past month than those who rarely or never experienced back pain. Teens who reported experiencing back pain more than once a week were twice as likely as those without pain to have missed school in the previous term. Have you ever dug out an old gift card you received for Christmas only to discover it expired months ago? The Morrison government feels your pain. The Coalition will shortly set national rules to ensure all gift cards are valid for at least three years, in response to bubbling consumer frustration about inconsistent expiry dates. The legislation was rubber-stamped by the party room on Tuesday, but is still subject to tweaks to allay the concerns of some Liberal MPs who fear it will add to red tape for small business. Gift cards will soon be valid for at least three years no matter where in Australia they are sold. Credit:Edwina Pickles Other MPs said shoppers were frustrated by the various offers from different supermarket chains and department stores, and the divergent rules that had now been put in place in some states. The woman who accused former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce of sexual harassment has refused to go into detail about the incident, saying she did not want to be defined by it. In her first interview about the allegations, Catherine Marriott said she did not want to be defined forever more by Google and as a victim of the alleged incident. "I really have no intention of talking about the incident," she told ABC's 7.30 on Tuesday night. "My reasons for that is that I don't want to be someone who's defined by that incident. I want to be able to have a career where the first thing that people think about when they meet me is not, 'Oh, that happened to her'. Jordon Steele-John was almost alone in the federal chamber on Tuesday night when he read out a list of dead Australians, more than one of them aged just seven. Few senators were there to witness his tears as he struggled to read the names of those he said had died as a result of violence, abuse or neglect in institutional and residential settings. "F---ing hell," the 23-year-old could be heard saying under his breath, as he tried to honour the dead through his tears. Using parliamentary privilege, which gives MPs special protection to raise allegations publicly and with impunity, Senator Steele-John listed the names of 34 Australians who died in recent years. All of them had a disability. As a child with albinism, Kiama MP Gareth Ward was a target of cruel playground taunts, picked on for his pale skin, snow white hair and poor eyesight that classed him as legally blind. "I was bullied as a kid and went to hell and back, so to be called a bully as an adult is not only hurtful but absolutely not true," the parliamentary secretary said on Tuesday. Gareth Ward says claims that he is a bully are "absolutely not true". Credit:Brook Mitchell Mr Ward's comments follow an extraordinary attack from his federal colleague, Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis, who accused him of "bullying, betrayal and backstabbing". Ms Sudmalis has announced she will quit Parliament, and said Mr Ward had "flexed his vengeance on strong Liberal women", undermining her with branch stacking and unethical conduct. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is right to take seriously the tragic deaths of a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man after taking apparently tainted recreational drugs at the Defqon.1 music festival in Penrith over the weekend. But the looming election campaign will make it hard to formulate a balanced policy. Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday announced a panel, staffed by senior public servants, will look at solutions from tougher sentencing and creating new drug-related offences to better anti-drug education to tighter controls on festival operators. The only option she specifically excluded, however, was offering a pill testing service to participants at festivals to check that the drugs they take are safe. It is positive that Ms Berejiklian is taking time to consider options. In the wake of the tragedy her immediate response was to promise to ban the Defqon.1 festival. That was understandable considering two other drug-related deaths have occurred at the same festival in the past five years. Zero tolerance: NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:AAP Yet summarily banning one festival operator was an illogical knee-jerk reaction. Although police made 70 drug-related arrests at the festival it is not clear that Defqon.1 is to blame. Similar incidents have occurred at many other festivals in Australia and around the world. Banning a single festival operator without any evidence of negligence could be tricky legally and, anyway, it would just encourage other operators to fill the space. Moscow: The Kremlin has accused Israel of deliberately creating a ''dangerous situation'' on the Syrian Mediterranean coast, after a Russian military surveillance plane was shot down. The aircraft, a Il-20 turbo-prop plane with 14 people on board, vanished from radar screens at the same time as Israeli and French forces were launching strikes on targets in Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday afternoon. A Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-20 plane. Credit:Kirill Naumenko/Commons It said the Syrian military had accidentally shot the plane down but said it blamed the incident on Israel. The plane was returning to a Russian base near the city of Latakia. A US official said Washington also believed the aircraft, used for electronic reconnaissance, was inadvertently shot down by anti-aircraft artillery operated by Moscow's ally, the Syrian government. Thats not the rich, Maisch said at the endorsement event at an Addison business. If youre living in this community and (making) around, sure, $255,000, we all aspire to get there and thats a great salary. It is not the rich. You do not build (wealth) if you are a family making $250,000. Ankara/Amman: Turkey will send more troops into Syria's Idlib province after striking a deal with Russia that has averted a government offensive and delighted rebels who say it keeps the area out of President Bashar al-Assad's hands. The deal unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad's most powerful ally, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will create a new demilitarised zone from which "radical" rebels must withdraw by the middle of next month. Protesters at a demonstration against the Syrian government last week in anticipation of an assault on Idlib. Credit:AP Damascus also welcomed the agreement but vowed to continue its efforts to recover "every inch" of Syria. Iran, Assad's other main ally, said "responsible diplomacy" had averted a war in Idlib "with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror". The agreement has put a halt to a threatened Syrian government offensive. The United Nations had warned such an attack would create a humanitarian catastrophe in the Idlib region, home to about 3 million people. Washington: A quote from playwright Noel Coward runs alongside the family photos on Mark Judge's page in his high school yearbook: "Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs." Judge's yearbook entry appears one page before the bio of his classmate at Georgetown Preparatory School - federal judge and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Both men graduated in 1983 - a year after they allegedly locked a girl inside a bedroom at a house party, where she says a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to strip her while a similarly drunken Judge watched and laughed. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh waits to testify. Credit:AP Both men have denied the accusation, with which Christine Blasey Ford went public this week in The Washington Post. Judge subsequently told The New York Times that not only did he never see a sexual assault, but that such behaviour would be wildly out of character for the Catholic-raised-and-educated boys who went to Georgetown Prep in the early '80s. Hawthorne, California: SpaceX, Elon Musk's space transportation company, on Monday named its first private passenger as Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and chief executive of online fashion retailer Zozo. Yusaku Maezawa Credit:Alamy A former drummer in a punk band, billionaire Maezawa will will take a trip around the moon aboard its forthcoming Big Falcon Rocket spaceship, taking the race to commercialise space travel to new heights. The first passenger to travel to the moon since the United States' Apollo missions ended in 1972, Maezawa's identity was revealed at an event Monday evening at the company's headquarters and rocket factory in the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. 17th September 2018 Leader of the Opposition Public Statement My fellow Anguillans, I need to speak to you on serious issues that are confronting our nation at this time. The recent announcement that CIBC First Caribbean International Bank will be closing its operations here in Anguilla is yet another symptom of our failing economy. The Chief Minister would have us believe that this is an isolated situation, a simple business decision. Are we to believe that this banking institution would have made a conscious decision to open a branch here in Anguilla only to maintain five per cent of the overall market share? Furthermore, are we to believe the Chief Minister when he says in the House of Assembly that the government was informed about this decision on September 12th - the same day it was announced to the public - despite the fact that he apparently told the Anguillian that on Tuesday September 11th he had "a scheduled visit from some principals of the FCIB's regional office in Barbados about the closure of the Bank, having before been briefed on that possibility by Eastern Caribbean Central Bank officials"? Whether or not the Chief Minister's statement in the House was misleading, does this not raise questions as to the ability of this government to maintain proper relations with such institutions? Surely, with employees on the brink of losing their main source of income, one can safely deduce that officials from the bank would have provided ample notice to all stakeholders, including the government. What is even more appalling is the apparent callous attitude towards the banks employees who by the Chief Ministers own statements, in the last sitting of the House of Assembly, are free to attend the next job fair. Perhaps he has in mind another of the job fairs where the unfortunate unemployed stand in line for hours on end, without shelter, some of them leaving before being interviewed to avoid getting sick and incurring medical bills they cannot afford. This from a leader who claims that Its all about you"? Ensuring that the bank complies with the labour laws of Anguilla in relation to the separation packages offered to employees is not only insufficient, but speaks to a complete disregard for the human suffering that will take place as a result of this situation. I call on the government to operate with humanity and decency by setting up a special committee to provide support to these employees and their families over a six month period as they seek to transition into alternative employment opportunities after January 2019. This should include income support, counselling, family services and possibly negotiating extended timelines for servicing their debts. As our people continue to struggle under these strenuous economic conditions, the government now lauds the Anguilla Residency by Investment Programme as our saving grace. As Leader of the Opposition, I call on all Anguillians to remember that all that glitters is not gold; indeed the devil is in the details. The Chief Minister and Minister of Finance would have us believe that this Residency by Investment programme, including its retroactive fast track application period and relaxed application process, caters to individuals who already own investments and real estate on the island. While that may be true and what the Chief Minister intends, this programme will also be marketed internationally to attract investors from different countries. As is the case in other OECS countries, programmes of this kind are marketed heavily in the Middle East and to countries in Asia such as China. It is disingenuous at best to suggest that this programme will not have serious implications to our local business owners and our people specifically as it relates to the availability of lands to build homes and start families. In fact, at the last sitting of the House of Assembly, I specifically asked if lands were being ear marked to accommodate the real estate investment route of the Anguilla Residency by Investment Programme, where these lands were located, and the size in acres. Such limitations have been entrenched in similar citizenship by investment programmes in other OECS countries since they recognize the importance of mitigating the impact to their respective societies. The Chief Minister insists that there will be no constraints or limitations on the lands to be included in the programme. Furthermore, when asked how many more public consultations will take place to discuss concerns raised by the people with a view to the possible modification of the proposals to allay those concerns, the Chief Minister stated one. Sadly, the voice of the people continues to fall on deaf ears to a group of persons who are out of touch and out of ideas. While the Anguilla Residency by Investment Programme would bring much needed revenue to our economy, we must be cautious in its planning and implementation. While the government moves rapidly to get this done, I am about getting it done right the future of our nation and our children is at stake. Anguilla is in desperate need of a new dawn and a new direction. We must end this vicious cycle of entrusting the future of our country and our children to career politicians who only care about self-preservation. This self-preservation is achieved when we allow them to divide us based on family and party affiliation. I make a clarion call today for unity and for our citizens to become active participants in the decisions that affect their lives. I will continue to share this vision for One Anguilla, a nation which is built on love, unity, and active citizenship. Despite the many attacks waged against me, I will continue to stand for the rights of all Anguillians and to ensure that your interests are represented at all costs. This is my solemn duty. We took notice of several expressions, declarations and publications that came out of the last meetings held in Bonaire and The Hague and that greatly alarmed us. On September 6, Mr. Knops visited Bonaire in remembrance of the discovery of our island on the same day in 1499 and behaved in a comparable way as his ancestors have done over the centuries since the colonization of our islands: he came to (over)see if the subservient local politicians and government comply with the instructions of the colonial master. The great news that the master, Mr. Knops, was satisfied was celebrated extensively by him and the submissive subordinated Bonerian government, humiliating the Bonerian people on their day. The irony of the celebrations theme, From Generation to Generation was not lost on the people who from generation to generation have suffered under colonial rule. Mr. Knops, true to the colonial tradition, made some promises to our beggar-politicians which could help them win the upcoming elections, and he shone, even scintillated, as the example of the next generation of Dutch colonizers. Back in The Hague last week, after the show in Bonaire, it was business as usual for Mr. Knops, this time assisted by Mrs. Van Ark. Without shame or regret it was maintained by both, that although all reports show that about half of the population is living way below the poverty line, that there is no need for alleviation, no need for swift action to establish a minimum to guarantee a humane existence. In line with the colonial tradition they both blatantly blamed the islanders for the poverty. It became clear the policies are not to eradicate poverty but to create, promote, and maintain poverty. Poverty is the business model; the aim is to keep and make our people poor by laws and policies as to collect international funds you need poverty. Mr. Knops statements are very clear: he cannot do magic or manipulate the dot on the horizon because it is impossible to keep our people in poverty and eradicate poverty at the same time. The hypocrisy of Mr. Knops reached its summit when he said that the actions in Bonaire, St. Maarten, and St. Eustatius should not be understood as recolonization but as aid, help, assistance to the islands. What help, Mr. Knops, is the illegal removal of the elected government in St. Eustatius and replacing it with appointees from The Hague; what assistance is it to topple the elected government in St. Maarten and force it to accept measures against its interest using the post-Irma chaos; what aid are the few dollars spent whereas measures to alleviate poverty are refused? To conclude, Mr. Knops admitted to me in our encounter last January on Bonaire during his inaugural visit as State Secretary, that he does not know and does not want to know our common history and colonial past, and that he is only looking forward in the future. Now I understand that by his actions, that he is right: he is innocent, from his perspective as he is acting in accordance with his laws. Because colonialism and racism are part and parcel of the Dutch mind, he is innocent, as were his predecessors, as were our ancestors which by his constitution and laws were de-humanized, declared non-human, and were legally traded as cattle and herring. Because he said he does not know the history, I would like to remind him, that through these inhumane, criminal actions, the Dutch rose from being an insignificant fishing village to one of the worlds richest nations; through the blood, sweat, and tears of our enslaved ancestors. The VOC / WIC are listed as biggest company ever in the worlds history, about 10 times bigger then Microsoft and Apple, and they were not selling software. We understand by now why he does not want to know his history. It is because it would confront him with his criminal origins and would expose his actions of today as crimes against humanity no matter that he has legalized them as a constitutional act, a method not very different from the way the Nazis legalized their actions against those whom they regarded as belonging to an inferior race. I hope that this letter is the dot on the horizon that will grow into the rising sun that will brighten the future and shed light on the past as darkness is not eradicated by darkness but by light. The Netherlands is signatory to the United Nations Charter and as such cannot continue to ignore their violations of the different resolutions to end colonial rule. Mr. Knops and Mrs. Van Ark, you are in the position to make that change on behalf of The Netherlands. Respectfully, James Finies The Fast-Paced Communication Needs Of The Rail Industry Require An Integrated Approach To Be Applied, Says ETELM Berlin, Germany, 18 September 2018 New LTE mission critical standards, established by 3GPP, are providing a major opportunity for the rail industry to benefit from the latest secure broadband voice and data services, says Nicolas Hauswald, Sales & Marketing Director for ETELM. Speaking on the first day of InnoTrans, the largest event in the world dedicated to the rail transport industry, Hauswald explained how LTE provides an exciting opportunity for railway operators to provide a single unified network for operational and maintenance services. This single solution would include passenger information applications, CCTV, traffic management, ticketing and other services. Hauswald described how this will help railway operators to optimize services, reduce infrastructure costs and provide new revenue streams. Hauswald said: \It is crucial that communications within the transport sector involve advanced mission critical voice and data services along with the integration of other applications including signalling, dispatching and passenger information. This is where mission critical LTE becomes so important in meeting these communication requirements, as it provides the perfect solution for transport communications as LTE offers higher speed mobile data services and mission critical voice services. \Whilst traditional narrowband services offer a secure network solution for voice and data, the capacity of the data is limited and the integration to high bandwidth services is a challenge for traditional narrowband LMR systems,\ he continued. The solution, explained Hauswald, is both broadband and narrowband connecting on a single LTE EPC core. \New LTE standards for mission critical voice, data and video have now been internationally approved, so the timing for mission critical LTE is perfect. LTE is great as it offers a single network solution, allowing integration with advanced broadband data services.\ Hauwald described how a single, secure communications backbone, for both trackside and station communications, is a suitable approach for railway systems. LTE allows all systems to be integrated into a single eco-system capable of supporting communications now and in the future, rather than having numerous systems that require individual maintenance and support methodologies. He added: \A new model for railway operators needs to be implemented, this could be a model to provide a private solution with additional consumer services or to outsource the mission critical operational services to a mobile network operator that will benefit from the additional consumer services onboard and in stations.\ ETELM developed their 4GLinked, the most advanced hybrid solution based on LTE and TETRA communications services, to meet the communications needs of the transport sector. The solution is based on international standards for transmission networks based on the LTE core. 4GLinked provides seamless communications between both technologies, allowing them to operate over a single, fully distributed network. ETELM is also following the definition of Future Railway Mission Critical Standards (FRMCS). FRMCS is based on LTE and will be an improved, next generation standard after GSM-R. Nicolaus Hauswald of ETELM will be available for interviews at Booth 418, Hall 4.1 at InnoTrans on 18 September 2018 in Berlin, Germany. For further information, please visit https://www.etelm.fr/en/. We want to become better known for access control - Q&A with Bosch Building Technologies Gregor Schlechtriem Gregor Schlechtriem has worked in the access control market for over 20 years and is now responsible for the Access & Intrusion Business Unit at Bosch Building Technologies. In this interview, the expert talks about key industry trends, the impact of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, technical innovations and his companys strategy. Mr. Schlechtriem, you have many years of experience in the security technology market. What is your background and what are your responsibilities as Senior Vice President at Bosch Building Technologies? Gregor Schlechtriem: I am a trained engineer and electrical technician, and have been involved with access control in the broadest sense, since I started my career in the late 1980s. I started in the field of parking garage technology and then switched to security technology in 2001, as Managing Director of micos GmbH, which specialised in traditional access control. micos GmbH was known for its highly available and highly secure access control systems, for critical infrastructure and government applications. Many systems from that time are still in use today and continue to be supported and upgraded. Bosch is continuing micos business here? Gregor Schlechtriem: Exactly, micos was taken over in 2004 by Bosch Security Systems, now known as Bosch Building Technologies. Since then, we have continuously been developing the access control business. Being part of the Bosch Building Technologies division, we benefit a lot from international cooperation with colleagues Being part of the Bosch Building Technologies division, we benefit a lot from international cooperation with colleagues and from overlap with other product lines, such as intrusion detection technology and video security. This gives us the opportunity to implement outstanding project solutions for demanding customers in an international environment. In developing this business, I rely on my experience from other interesting roles at Bosch that I took on, after micos was bought in 2004. For a time, I worked in the European System Integrator Business, which I also had the privilege of managing for several years, as well as being directly responsible for business units. In Fairport, USA, I had the overall responsibility for intrusion detection technology for many years, as I later did in Eindhoven for video systems. Since 2018, the global access control and intrusion detection business has once again been my direct responsibility. At Bosch Building Technologies, we have in the meantime assigned sales to the respective business units, so that we can develop our product and solution portfolio, in close cooperation with sales and our regular customers. Our main task now is to make our access control portfolio accessible to a broader market. We want to make Bosch much better known, as an access control provider, in the international market. After all, with our own access product portfolio, the power of the Bosch Group and over 40 years of experience in this sector, we have a lot to offer. As an expert in access control, how do you see the industry developing? In which direction is it currently evolving? Gregor Schlechtriem: First of all, I see that security requirements are constantly increasing. Whereas there are currently still simple key replacement systems that merely record card numbers, such an approach, to a large extent, no longer meets todays security and user experience requirements.The core task of access control has not changed over the years In the beginning, access control was more or less a kind of key replacement. Later, there was the possibility of increasing security via a pin code, i.e., via verification through simple data inputs. The next step in this direction was biometrics, which is another key step up, because it allows verification by means of unmistakable characteristics. However, the core task of access control has not changed over all the years and has basically always remained the same: access control means determining who has an access request and checking whether this request can be fulfilled. Whats next on this path to greater security? Gregor Schlechtriem: Biometrics-based access control is becoming increasingly powerful and user-friendly through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Here, data protection plays a major role, as wherever identities are established and movement data is recorded, it is necessary to reconcile the evolving technology with data protection.Biometrics-based access control is becoming increasingly powerful and user-friendly through the use of artificial intelligence The question of data protection is becoming even more significant, as systems increasingly migrate to the Cloud. Bosch puts particular emphasis on ensuring that, even in the cloud, the data generated in access control is always in line with data protection rules, regardless of where it is located. In my opinion, this trend towards the Cloud will continue, because companies are increasingly looking for complete service offerings, so that they can focus on their core business. Also, a system in the Cloud is easier to maintain and always up-to-date with the latest software, which makes cloud solutions even more attractive for providers and users. How can higher security be reconciled with a good user experience? Gregor Schlechtriem: Today, the card still plays a central role in the user experience, as the essential credential. Another current trend is one card for everything: with the increasing availability of secure multi-function smart cards, the possibility arises to use cards beyond the pure access function, for example, for payment in the canteen, at the catering and coffee machines, and in the parking garage, as well as simple access to other properties and so on.The security of cards has evolved significantly and kept pace with requirements The security of the cards, the reading and encryption processes, has evolved significantly and kept pace with requirements, although we are also facing an installed base that no longer meets these requirements, due to outdated systems. Today, it is standard for communications between reader and card to be encrypted. In some cases, the keys are also only held centrally to further increase security. The security systems industry was also affected by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. How do you think the industry has changed? What technical solutions have emerged during this time? Gregor Schlechtriem: First of all, there is a certain need for retrofitting in the industry due to changes in how buildings are used. For example, American retailers used to be open around the clock and always had staff on site. Now, due to COVID-19, stores are also closed, and this results in a whole new need for intrusion detection and access control systems to protect the buildings. For access control, an obvious task has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely to track contacts, as far as this is compatible with data protection. We actually expected more to happen here, but in our observation, many companies did quite little, despite clear and simple steps that could have been implemented relatively quickly. The installed access control systems clearly lag behind the technical possibilities. Another topic that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus is hygiene Another topic that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus is hygiene. Companies should actually have invested in contactless systems here and retrofitted speed gates or motorised doors. But in many cases this was not put into practice. The door opener is still often used, which has to be operated manually and therefore, is touched multiple times. But, if everyone presses the same button, that doesn't help hygiene. Surprisingly, this is different in North America. Here, request-to-exit proximity detectors are used almost everywhere, which avoids this problem completely and releases the door, when an authorised person approaches it. Mobile access and smartphone-based access control are also growing markets. What kind of developments do you see in these areas? Gregor Schlechtriem: I already mentioned that users increasingly want to be able to use one card for several applications. But, what we are seeing here is that even with the most modern cards, which have a lot of applications loaded on them, we are reaching performance limits and the user experience suffers. If you compare the card with the smartphone as a credential, you have a much more attractive integration platform there, which is significantly faster and delivers much better performance. For us, the mobile credential or the smartphone is the future, because it simply offers more possibilities that the card will not be able to provide in the long term. What is the specific direction Bosch is taking here? Gregor Schlechtriem: We are currently working on a broad implementation. A whole team is working on the user experience around the smartphone, because its understood that smartphone-based access has to work just as easily, as it currently does with a card.A whole team is working on the user experience around the smartphone In theory it does, but if you look at some of the actual implementations, this topic is still relatively complex. In terms of user experience and automation, we still have quite a way to go, and we are working hard on that at the moment. The user experience is one side of the coin, the other side concerns establishing security in the smartphone as a whole. In other words: How do I make the smartphone secure enough as a mobile credential, to meet my access control requirements? We are also working intensively on this. That's actually an IT task. Do you do this yourself at Bosch or do you work with external experts here? Gregor Schlechtriem: We have our own powerful Bosch IT, which also manages our company smartphones. If our company smartphones are lost, the data on them is automatically deleted. The devices use biometrics to identify users, before they can access the data. It is a sound security concept that a card cannot offer. Moreover, we are working with other partners in the IDunion project, to create the additional infrastructure around mobile credentials as well. What exactly is the IDunion and what role does Bosch play? Gregor Schlechtriem: Digital identities must be openly accessible, widely usable, interoperable, and secure. This applies not only to access control, but to the digitised economy in general. The IDunion project has set itself the task of creating the infrastructure for this, in the form of an independent wallet, i.e., secure identity storage on smart devices. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI), because digitisation is also a critical social issue. We are intensively involved in the Physical access to the building work package in this consortium. Through this involvement, we want to ensure that our access control systems benefit from this infrastructure and are open to future digital business models. Does digital identity management, which includes biometrics and mobile access, also play a role for Bosch? Yes, it plays an important role for us, and I wouldnt consider these topics separate Gregor Schlechtriem: Yes, it plays an important role for us, and I wouldnt consider these topics separate. For me, a mobile device has the advantage that it has already ensured and verified my identity from the moment of interaction. Thats the fascinating thing about it. If I only allow the device to communicate with the access control system, if I have identified myself first, I have implemented biometrics and access control together in a widely accepted process. From my point of view, this is a very interesting perspective, in terms of security and user experience, because the biometrics procedures in smartphones are, I think, the best currently available. In my view, the smartphone has the potential to take over central functions in access control in the future. What are your goals for the access control business of Bosch Building Technologies in the near future? Gregor Schlechtriem: We will continue to focus on specific solutions for large customers. That is the continuation of our current strategy. In these projects, we will introduce new topics as I have just described, i.e., primarily new technology elements. I believe that, precisely because of the longevity of access control, a long-term migration capability is also of particular importance. We want to reach out to the broader market and make more widely available, what we have developed in terms of technology and innovation. We are currently in the process of setting up and optimising our sales organisation, so that it becomes much more widely known that we at Bosch have our own powerful access control portfolio, which can be used for all kinds of applications. In addition, we want to differentiate ourselves in the market with our systems, in line with the motto of our founder, Robert Bosch: Technology for life. The user experience with Mobile Access should be simple, straightforward, and secure: You hold your smartphone in front of the reader and the door opens. From left: Town of Andrews Administrator Mauretta Dorsey; Town of Andrews Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Lee and Town Council members Brad Prince and Mackie Watts; Georgetown County Council Vice Chairman Austin Beard and Council Members Lillie Jean Johnson, Everett Carolina and John Thomas; Andrews Mayor Frank McClary and Town Council member Angela Anderson; Georgetown County Clerk of Court Alma White; and S.C. Rep. Carl Anderson. This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Tantalizing new evidence has suggested that there may be a salty lake below a glacier on Mars. While brine at freezing temperatures does not sound like the most hospitable of environments, it is difficult to resist pondering whether organic life could survive or even make some kind of living there. But what sort of life form could it be? As Mars was once a far more watery place, it may indeed be harbouring some ancient life form either fossilised or alive. It is also possible that microbes from Earth have accidentally contaminated the planet during past space exploration missions, and not implausible that they now reside in the lake. The south polar cap of Mars is hiding a subsurface lake, according to new research. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS) We are unlikely to find bigger animals in the lake though. There are some insects, fish and other organisms on Earth that are capable of life at subzero temperatures. Mars, however, lacks the food webs needed to sustain higher organisms. By contrast, many microorganisms are capable of inhabiting hostile environments even when no other organisms are present. We know from research on Earth that many microbes can survive in brine. One recent study revealed that communities of such "halophilic microbes," organisms adapted to live at high salt levels, are diverse and rich in biomass even when saturated with sodium chloride (table salt). Orange-coloured halophilic algae Dunaliella salina within sea salt. (Image credit: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA) Many terrestrial halophiles are tough highly tolerant of ultraviolet light and low temperatures. Some are capable of cellular breathing in the absence of oxygen. Certain halophilic microbes including the fungus Aspergillus penicillioides, the bacterium Halanaerobium and methane-producing organisms known as archaea may be able to survive in a martian brine. Low temperature The main barrier to life is likely to be the prohibitively low temperature (about -70 degrees Celsius). Yet the temperatures experienced on Mars are actually less cold than those used in freezers on Earth to preserve microbial cells or other biological material in a dormant yet viable condition (-70 degrees Celsius to -80 degrees Celsius). What's more, some salts can actually prevent brines from freezing even at temperatures as low as those expected in the martian lake. It is therefore beyond doubt that some microbial systems could be preserved (and probably survive) on Mars. Indeed, we know that microbes can survive long periods in a dormant condition even without liquid water. We are still not sure how long, but probably thousands of years and maybe much longer. Plants and animals such as roundworms which are more vulnerable to damage than some microbes have been revived from permafrost after remaining frozen for about 30,000 to 42,000 years on Earth. Microbes have also been recovered from fluids inside ancient salt crystals. And fossilised cells of some of the first life on Earth have been preserved in ancient rocks including those associated with salts. Types of salt What is more tricky to demonstrate is that cells can be active under Martian conditions. Liquid water is essential for microbial function, and bodies of water on Earth that support populations of cells can vary enormously in scale from oceans or lakes to thin films of water molecules invisible to the naked eye. Salt helps determine whether microbial activity can take place in the water. The proportion of water molecules within a solution is the called the relative molar fraction of water also referred to as "water activity." This parameter can dictate whether life is plausible at a specific location and time. All microorganisms have an optimum value for water activity, and a minimum value at which their metabolic activity stops (this varies greatly, depending on the microbe and environmental conditions). The types of salt and nutrients dissolved in water affect water activity. Some dissolved materials both dilute water molecules and hold on to them via chemical bonds, sometimes preventing cells being able to access them. The chemical nature of dissolved compounds can therefore determine whether proteins, membranes and other systems that life depends on retain sufficient stability and flexibility to remain intact and functional. Whereas brines dominated by sodium chloride are by far the most commonly occurring on Earth, sulfate salts were common on ancient Mars, and are still prevalent today. But we can't be sure whether it is this type of salt that is present in the lake on Mars. If it is, it may be bad news for microbes. One study has found that brines containing sulfate salts can actually have a higher ionic strength (a measure of electric charge of a salt solution) than those found on Earth, which can make them less habitable. The exact mechanism underlying this, however, remains unclear. Other types of salt, including magnesium chloride and perchlorates, enhance the flexibility of biological molecules at subzero temperatures and so boost cellular metabolism. Such salts, which are known as "chaotropic," can enable growth of microbes at much lower temperatures than usual. The presence of other organic substances that are chaotropic including glycerol, alcohols and fructose can also boost cellular metabolism under [hostile conditions], such as at low temperature or low water activity. The Red Planet welcomes ExoMars - south pole visible. (Image credit: ESA, CC BY-SA) So brines are complex and, while we do know much about the biophysical limits for life on Earth, little is known about the stress biology of the overwhelming majority of terrestrial microbes. If a subglacial salty lake on Mars is confirmed, we will first have to determine what salts are there in order to know more about implications for cellular life. Preservation chamber? So from what we know of life on Earth, low water activity, salts, chaotropic conditions and temperatures around -70 degrees Celsius can each act to preserve life. But being preserved is not exactly the same as being alive and kicking. The known limits for growth on Earth lie in the range -15 degrees Celsius to -20 degrees Celsius for the most-resilient microbial species. The limits for cellular metabolism lie somewhere in the range -20 degrees Celsius to -40 degrees Celsius. That means there is no terrestrial microbe thus far identified that could retain cellular function under the conditions that generally occur on Mars. If terrestrial microbes are indeed present in the martian environment, they may well be alive yet inactive, and are likely to have the potential to resume activity once the local temperature increases to a biologically permissive level. And once there is active life on Mars, it is logical to assume that there will also be evolution of that life taking place. A subglacial saline martian lake is, in reality, more likely to act as a preservation chamber than a cradle of life. Nevertheless, it is still extremely exciting news making the lake a perfect target for future space missions designed to search for the signs of ancient life. John E. Hallsworth, Lecturer of Environmental Microbiology, Queen's University Belfast This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com. A Japanese billionaire and a coterie of artists will visit the moon as early as 2023, becoming the first private citizens ever to fly beyond low Earth orbit, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced tonight. Yusaku Maezawa, the founder of Japanese e-commerce giant Zozo, has signed up to fly a round-the-moon mission aboard SpaceX's BFR spaceship-rocket combo, he and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced during a webcast tonight (Sept. 17) from the company's rocket factory in Hawthorne, California. The mission which will loop around, but not land on, the moon could be ready to launch in just five years, Musk said. [The BFR in Images: SpaceX's Giant Spaceship for Mars & Beyond] "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon," Maezawa said. "Just staring at the moon fueled my imagination; it's always there and has continued to inspire humanity. That is why I do not pass up this opportunity to see the moon up close." Maezawa won't go alone. He said he will choose six to eight artists, from painters and sculptors to fashion designers and architects, to share the experience with him and, ultimately, with all of us. The artwork that results from this weeklong "#dearMoon" mission "will inspire the dreamer inside all of us," said Maezawa, who is an avid art collector. He's launched a website (https://dearmoon.earth/) just for the project. An artist's illustration of SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket launching into space. SpaceX will launch Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa on the first private passenger flight around the moon, possibly in 2023. (Image credit: SpaceX) Maezawa has also invited Musk to come along, and the SpaceX chief didn't exactly shoot down the possibility: "Maybe we'll both be on it," Musk said. Neither Musk nor Maezawa would disclose how much the flight costs. But both said that Maezawa has already made a substantial down payment, and that he's buying the entire flight (meaning the artists will fly for free). Musk stressed that the mission, whose details still need to be worked out, will be dangerous. He commended Maezawa for his bravery. "This is no walk in the park," Musk said. "When you're pushing the frontier, it's not a sure thing." SpaceX will launch Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa on the first private passenger flight around the moon aboard a Big Falcon Rocket for an undisclosed sum. Maezawa will take up to 8 artists with him on the flight. (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX is developing the BFR which stands for Big Falcon Rocket, or Big F------ Rocket primarily to help humanity settle Mars and other worlds throughout the solar system. After all, Musk has long maintained that helping make humanity a multiplanet species is the main reason he established SpaceX back in 2002. (The BFR will also do a lot of other work. SpaceX foresees the vehicle eventually shouldering all of the company's loads, from launching satellites, to cleaning up space junk, to carrying passengers on superfast "point-to-point" trips here on Earth.) [How SpaceX's 1st Passenger Flight Around the Moon Will Work] Musk estimated that it'll ultimately cost about $5 billion to get the BFR up and running. And he thanked Maezawa for providing a key piece of funding toward that end. "This has done a lot to restore my faith in humanity that somebody's willing to do this," Musk said. "He is ultimately helping to pay for the average citizen to be able to travel to other planets. It's a great thing." The SpaceX CEO also provided an update about the BFR design during tonight's event. For example, the reusable rocket-spaceship duo will be taller than previously stated 387 feet (118 meters), compared with the 348 feet (106 m) that Musk cited during his September 2017 overview of the vehicle. And the new BFR spaceship will feature three rear fins that also serve as landing pads, as well as two fins near its nose. The previous spaceship iteration sported just two finlike "delta wings" in the back. (The new ship's two front fins, and two of the three rear ones, will "actuate," serving like small wings, Musk said. And the third rear one isn't really a fin at all; it's a landing leg dressed up as a fin for symmetry purposes.) This SpaceX graphic depicts the company's plan for the first private flight around the moon using its Big Falcon Rocket. The trip will take up to a week, SpaceX says. (Image credit: SpaceX) The BFR spaceship can fit about 100 people, but the "Dear Moon" trip will carry just a skeleton crew to accommodate extra fuel, food, water and spare parts, as a precaution in case something goes wrong, Musk said. The 2023 launch date is not set in stone, he stressed. SpaceX aims to perform short "hopper tests" next year and high-altitude, high-velocity flights in 2020. If those tests go well, the first flight to Earth orbit could occur two to three years from now, Musk said. And SpaceX will perform a number of uncrewed test flights before putting Maezawa and the artists on board. This is not Maezawa's first experience booking a moon flight with SpaceX. The Japanese entrepreneur was also the person who booked a circumlunar flight using SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Falcon Heavy rocket, Musk announced tonight. That mission, which SpaceX announced in February 2017, was to carry two people presumably Maezawa and one artist and launch by the end of 2018. While humanity has maintained a continuous presence aboard the International Space Station since November 2000, no person has ventured beyond Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 moon mission ended in December 1972. NASA also aims to launch astronauts around the moon at about the same time that SpaceX does. The space agency's Exploration Mission-2, the first crewed test flight of its Orion capsule and Space Launch System rocket, is currently scheduled to lift off on a three-week circumlunar mission in 2023. Editor's note: This story was updated on Sept. 20 to state that just two of the three rear BFR spaceship fins actuate. The original version incorrectly stated that all three rear fins are actuated. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. We feel like there is a public will that is around this project and a level of energy and excitement thats going to continue, Strautmanis said. So were not really caught up in the politics of this thing. We have a project to do, we have a groundbreaking thats coming up. Were bringing something that is historical and that is lasting beyond the politics of moment, of the day. Thats our focus. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa announced tonight (Sept. 17) that he has chosen to go to the moon in 2023 and bring six to eight artists along for the ride. During a news conference at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, company founder and CEO Elon Musk introduced Maezawa as the first passenger on the new BFR (sometimes short for "Big Falcon Rocket") rocket-spaceship duo currently under construction, and confirmed that Maezawa would ride in a loop around the moon. And then Maezawa announced that, although he'd bought out the whole BFR, he doesn't want to go alone. "I thought long and hard about how valuable it would be to become the first private passenger to go to the moon," Maezawa said. "At the same time, I thought about how I can give back to the world and how this can contribute to world peace this is my lifelong dream." [The BFR in Images: SpaceX's Giant Spaceship for Mars & Beyond] "I did not want to have such a fantastic experience by myself," he added. "That would be a little lonely. I don't like being alone, so I want to share these experiences and things with as many people as possible, so that is why I choose to go to the moon with artists!" Maezawa announced a name for his new project, #dearMoon, and a website, dearMoon.earth, and said that, before the BFR's launch in 2023, he would select six to eight artists to go with him to space. These people will hail from a variety of disciplines, potentially including painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, film directors, fashion designers, architects and more, he said. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, who has booked SpaceX's first private flight around the moon on a Big Falcon Rocket, meet the press during the mission's unveiling at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California on Sept. 17, 2018. (Image credit: SpaceX) Maezawa is the founder of the Japanese online retailer Zozotown, and he's a dedicated art collector; in 2016, he purchased $98 million worth of art in two New York auctions, according to a BBC report. One of those pieces was by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whom Maezawa discussed during the news conference: Basquiat died in 1988, but what could he have created had he seen Earth from space? While looking at one of Basquiat's paintings, Maezawa said, he came upon the idea to inspire other top artists to bring a space view down to Earth. [How SpaceX's 1st Passenger Flight Around the Moon Will Work] In the coming years, Maezawa will select the artists as SpaceX works to develop the BFR rocket and spaceship . Although Musk didn't reveal the amount of money Maezawa is paying, he did confirm the amount would have a "nontrivial impact" on the BFR's development. (Besides tourist trips around the moon, Musk hopes to use the BFR to someday carry settlers to the moon and Mars.) "Luckily, we still have some time before 2023, so I hope to work very closely with the SpaceX team and to reach out to each artist personally," Maezawa said. "By the way, if you should hear from me, please say 'yes' and accept my invitation please don't say 'no'!" Musk also revealed tonight that Maezawa is the person who previously booked a two-person, round-the-moon trip with SpaceX aboard the company's Dragon capsule. That flight, which SpaceX announced in February 2017, was to launch atop the company's Falcon Heavy rocket before the end of 2018. See more Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. The first trailer for Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" has landed, and it looks amazing. The new trailer premiered today (Sept. 18) on "Good Morning America." Take a look above! Marvel's "Captain Marvel" will mark the debut of the titular character (also known as Carol Danvers) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Brie Larson will star as Captain Marvel, a pilot-turned-superhero who fights alongside the Kree military organization Starforce. Brie Larson stars as "Captain Marvel," a space-traveling superhero who returns to Earth to fight off an invasion. The film hits theaters March 8, 2019. (Image credit: Chuck Zlotnick) The film will be set in the 1990s at a time when Captain Marvel returns to Earth to battle the alien Skrull warrier Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) when he invades the planet. The film is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. "Captain Marvel" is scheduled to open in theaters March 8, 2019. So, what do you think? Is this first "Captain Marvel" everything you hoped for in Marvel's first foray with the character. What are you looking forward to most? Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. A new uncertainty principle holds that quantum objects can be at two temperatures at once, which is similar to the famous Schrodinger's cat thought experiment, in which a cat in a box with a radioactive element can be both alive and dead. The famous thought experiment known as Schrodinger's cat implies that a cat in a box can be both dead and alive at the same time a bizarre phenomenon that is a consequence of quantum mechanics. Now, physicists at the University of Exeter in England have found that a similar state of limbo may exist for temperatures: Objects can be two temperatures at the same time at the quantum level. This weird quantum paradox is the first completely new quantum uncertainty relation to be formulated in decades. Heisenberg's other principle In 1927, German physicist Werner Heisenberg postulated that the more precisely you measure a quantum particle's position, the less precisely you can know its momentum, and vice versa a rule that would become the now-famous Heisenberg uncertainty principle. [Twisted Physics: 7 Mind-Blowing Findings] The new quantum uncertainty, which states that the more precisely you know temperature, the less you can say about energy, and vice versa, has big implications for nanoscience, which studies incredibly tiny objects smaller than a nanometer. This principle will change how scientists measure the temperature of extremely small things such as quantum dots, small semiconductors or single cells, the researchers said in the new study, which was published in June in the journal Nature Communications. In the 1930s, Heisenberg and Danish physicist Niels Bohr established an uncertainty relation between energy and temperature on the nonquantum scale. The idea was that, if you wanted to know the exact temperature of an object, the best and most precise scientific way to do that would be to immerse it in a "reservoir" say, a tub of water, or a fridge full of cold air with a known temperature, and allow the object to slowly become that temperature. This is called thermal equilibrium. However, that thermal equilibrium is maintained by the object and the reservoir constantly exchanging energy. The energy in your object therefore goes up and down by infinitesimal amounts, making it impossible to define precisely. On the flip side, if you wanted to know the precise energy in your object, you would have to isolate it so that it could not come into contact with, and exchange energy with, anything. But if you isolated it, you would not be able to precisely measure its temperature using a reservoir. This limitation makes the temperature uncertain. Things get weirder when you go to the quantum scale. A new uncertainty relation Even if a typical thermometer has an energy that goes up and down slightly, that energy can still be known to within a small range. This is not true at all on the quantum level, the new research showed, and its all due to Schrodinger's cat. That thought experiment proposed a theoretical cat in a box with a poison that could be activated by the decay of a radioactive particle. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, the particle could have decayed and not decayed at the same time, meaning that until the box was opened, the cat would be both dead and alive at the same time a phenomenon known as superposition. The researchers used math and theory to predict exactly how such superposition affects the measurement of the temperature of quantum objects. [Wacky Physics: The Coolest Little Particles in Nature] "In the quantum case, a quantum thermometer ... will be in a superposition of energy states simultaneously,"Harry Miller, one of the physicists at the University of Exeter who developed the new principle, told Live Science. "What we find is that because the thermometer no longer has a well-defined energy and is actually in a combination of different states at once, that this actually contributes to the uncertainty in the temperature that we can measure." In our world, a thermometer may tell us an object is between 31 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 0.5 and zero degrees Celsius). In the quantum world, a thermometer may tell us an object is both those temperatures at the same time. The new uncertainty principle accounts for that quantum weirdness. Interactions between objects at the quantum scale can create superpositions, and also create energy. The old uncertainty relation ignored these effects, because it doesn't matter for nonquantum objects. But it matters a lot when you're trying to measure the temperature of a quantum dot, and this new uncertainty relation makes up a theoretical framework to take these interactions into account. The new paper could help anyone who's designing an experiment to measure temperature changes in objects below the nanometer scale, Miller said. "Our result is going to tell them exactly how to accurately design their probes and tell them how to account for the additional quantum uncertainty that you get." Originally published on Live Science. Walker Innovation, a Stamford-based firm focused on commercializing the intellectual property of its prolific founder, is moving ahead with its dissolution, a process set to be completed next week. The company announced Friday it had filed a certificate of dissolution with the Delaware secretary of state that will go into effect Sept. 20. On that date, the firm plans to close its stock transfer books and stop recording transfers of its common stock. Shareholders approved the companys dissolution at a special meeting Sept. 5. As part of the decision, the board signed off on an initial liquidating distribution of 48 cents per share of the companys common stock and Series B convertible preferred stock. The distribution will be paid on or about Sept. 27 to those who were stockholders of record on the effective date of the certificate of dissolution. Walker could make additional liquidating payouts, as the companys contingency reserve could be released over time. In July, the firm reported the reserve totaled between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. No assurances can be made as to the ultimate amounts to be distributed, if any, or the timing of any such distributions, the company said in last weeks announcement. Walker officials announced the dissolution plan in early July. The company's Board of Directors undertook a strategic review of the acquisition opportunities available to the company in light of the companys current resources, and determined it to be in the best interests of the stockholders to dissolve the company, the July announcement said in part. A message left Tuesday for the company seeking further comment was not immediately returned. As of June 30, the company held cash and cash equivalents of approximately $22.8 million. Walker reported no revenues for the first quarter of 2018, the last period for which it disclosed financial results. The timing and results of patent prosecution and the companys enforcement of its intellectual-property rights can fluctuate, company officials have said. Although we have continued to reduce our operating expenses, our primary focus remains identifying and assessing acquisitions and other opportunities that can create shareholder value, CEO Jonathan Siegel said in a statement when the first-quarter earnings were reported in early May. Walker Innovations founder and executive chairman, Jay Walker, is best known for founding Priceline.com, which now operates as the Norwalk-based Booking Holdings. He has twice been named by Time magazine as one of the top 50 business leaders of the digital age, according to last weeks announcement. The announcement also described Walker as the worlds 14th-most patented living person, based on U.S. patent issuances. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott STAMFORD The citys Teacher of the Year has been named a semifinalist for a statewide competition. Cloonan Middle School seventh grade social studies teacher Camille Spaulding, whose love of teaching brought her out of retirement and back into the classroom, is one of 15 semifinalists across the state who are up for the Connecticut Teacher of the Year award. Spaulding, 60, has worked in education over 30 years in both public and private schools in Connecticut and Virginia. A native of Washington D.C., Spaulding became the first in her family to go to college at the urging of her own high school teacher. Over the course of three decades, shes worked as an art teacher, reading specialist, elementary school teacher and assistant head of middle school at Greenwich Academy where she was recruited after visiting the school as a parent for her own children. She spent six years as the education director for REACH Prep, a nonprofit dedicated to readying students for prep schools before retiring and returning to Cloonan where shes been for the past three years. More News Five Stamford students declared National Merit Scholarship semifinalists She has to be a great teacher to be considered for this honor, Board of Education chair David Mannis said of Spaulding. But she is also a very inspiring speaker. You can tell the drive to do something really good is within her. She is already doing Stamford proud and will continue to do so. Spaulding is also one of four semifinalists from Fairfield County and the second Stamford teacher in a row to make it to this stage of the competition. Vincent Urbanowski, a math teacher at the Academy of Information of Technology and Engineering, was a semifinalist in the 2018 statewide competition after being named the 2017-2018 Stamford Teacher of the Year. It makes us feel real good, Mannis said of the second statewide semifinalist from Stamford. It says something really good about our teachers. There are a lot of teachers in Stamford and elsewhere who work really hard and do good. In May, Spaulding told the Advocate her only classroom rule is mutual respect. Everything is about data and test scores, she said. The reality is that children show growth everyday in little, tiny ways. For me, even if its being able to take feedback that they cant take at the beginning of the year...to see them learn to trust you, that you can open the curriculum to them and be able to help them access content. Their social and emotional well-being is first. Spaulding will be moving onto the second round of the three-stage selection process, where she will be interviewed this week in Hartford and make a three-to-five minute presentation on an assigned topic. From there, finalists are selected to participate in a classroom observation in front of a committee who will then interview parents, teachers, support staff, student, administrators and Board members about the candidate. It is an honor to be included as a semi-finalist for the Connecticut Teacher of the Year process and to represent all of the SPS teachers who work each day to provide a quality education for our students, Spauling said in a statement. I am proud to be a member of the Stamford Public Schools and to represent our district at the state level. erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayata As government forces close in on Idlib province in northern Syria, a catastrophe looms for the roughly3 million Syrians living there. President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian backers are determined to assault the last remaining enclave of resistance to his regime. If the past is any guide, it will be horrible. Already, the regime has launched dozens of airstrikes, which have killed civilians. A Monday agreement between Russia and Turkeyappears to create a safe zone in Idlib - but only in the rather unlikely event that it holds, and even then only in a limited geographic space, for a modest fraction of the region's population. The United States must take a stand. We can't reverse the course of the war, but we can at least take action to ensure that the people of Idlib are spared the worst - even if this entails some unpalatable moral compromises. Assertive deterrence by the United States and its partners is essential. To be effective, however, deterrence should be linked to a diplomatic strategy that will require difficult trade-offs. Washington should start by vowing to retaliate in the event of any indiscriminate use of violence by Assad against his own people, in a manner of our choosing. This could be done without dramatically escalating U.S. involvement in the war. For example, a helicopter seen to be barrel- bombing an apartment building could later be destroyed by a long-range surface-to-air missile once back at its base. The Trump administration has rightly threatened to respond if Assad uses chemical weapons in his planned campaign. While commendable, this ignores that conventional weapons - artillery, airstrikes, barrel bombings - account for something like 99 percent of all casualties. International prohibitions against genocide, and the laws of war under Geneva Conventions, could be invoked to justify the response. Such a threat by the United States would have to be embedded within a broader political and military framework for how it could contribute to winding down the violence and ending the war. This strategy would prioritize removing former al-Qaida and Islamic State elements who have infiltrated the more moderate opposition forces and civilian populations in Idlib. They need to go. Working with Turkey, local moderate opposition forces and perhaps even Russia, we need to commit to this task - not with U.S. ground forces in any large numbers, but with the combination of intelligence, airpower, Special Operations raids and collaboration with partners that has worked against the Islamic State in the country's east. It will take time. But it must be done. Meanwhile, we need to offer Assad a hard-headed bargain. One part of the deal he won't like: Idlib province, as well as small pockets in the south and the large Kurdish-majority areas to the country's northeast,would remain autonomous from Damascus for the foreseeable future (and we would continue to threaten retaliation against any regime helicopters, other planes and large ground weapons used in these places). The international community would also help these regions rebuild and establish forms of self- governance. The end goal of this strategy is not partition but to lay the groundwork for decentralized governance in a unified Syria in the future. The other part of the deal will appeal far more to Assad, and to his Russian and Iranian sponsors. In areas of the country where the government is now in control, the United States and allies would tolerate Assad's rule for the foreseeable future and bring the U.N.-convened talks in Geneva designed to replace him to a long- overdue close. To be sure, this brutal mass murderer ultimately has to go for the country to have any hope of future stability. Any political transition in Syria will, however, have to be a managed one that allows Assad and regime loyalists some say in choosing his successor. Otherwise, he and supporters will fear retaliation by a future government bent on revenge. We should withhold reconstruction aid for the regions of Syria that Assad controls until he is gone. But the international community should otherwise make it clear that we will no longer pursue his ouster in favor of a majoritarian successor. As much as this approach may insult our democratic mores, it is the only realistic option for the foreseeable future, given Syrian realities today. This new approach gives Assad a choice. He can destroy much of Idlib, risk retaliation from Washington and key European Union member states that could ultimately jeopardize his military strength, further polarize the country, further delegitimize his own hold on power and guarantee that Syria will have little outside help in rebuilding itself. Or he can allow Turkey, backed by the United States and others, to take the lead in Idlib for the foreseeable future, while staying in power for the time being - and, more to the point, ultimately passing control to a chosen successor. From a U.S. perspective, one has to hold one's nose to contemplate making such an unpalatable deal with Assad. But the path we are on now is much worse. - O'Hanlon is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Heydemann is a professor at Smith College and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. First of all, what about sending good Republicans with spines to Washington? There are plenty of them on the ballot all across the country. Also, is the nation really in constant agony, or does that state of mind apply just to a particular swath of journalists? Further, it seems rather odd that I would vote for people who have explicitly promised me they will energetically oppose most of my policy preferences. I may not have voted for Donald Trump in 2016, but I sure as heck didnt vote for Hillary Clinton. A turquoise front door near Pittsburgh. Tangerine orange for a brick home in Charleston, SC. Cherry-red paint on a white Milwaukee-area Colonial. A petal-pink entrance to an Austin, TX, abode. When trying to unload a home, an owner will do just about anything when it comes to staging. Should your sales plan include layering coats of bright and cheery paint color to your front door? I had a listing in Beverly Hills that sold for $200,000 over asking, and Im sure the bright teal door had something to do with it, says Cassandra Corum, who's with ACME Real Estate. It was so special and really popped. The ranch-style home from 1955 sold earlier this year for $2 million. Teal door in Beverly Hills, CA realtor.com Daniel Gyomory, who's with Keller Williams Advantage in the Detroit area, thinks a bright yellow front door is what sealed the deal on one of his recent listings. When I went on the appointment, my clients ask if they should paint the door a more neutral color, says Gyomory, who advised against it. The bright yellow color was perfect as it tied in with the extensive landscaping and bright yellow flowers. The photos turned out great, and we had buyers commenting on how much they loved the front door. We sold the house within two days. With literally thousands of possibilitieswhats the best hue for a home's front door? It should have some harmony with the rest of the facade and trimming, says Nivara Xaykao, a color and design expert at Benjamin Moore. For example, is there a lot of greenery? Do you have flowers? Are you more in a desert climate? Is there a color in your landscaping that you can draw from and highlight on your front door? Or do you want to go completely against type for extra pop? Want to mask a doors scrapes and age? Darker or more saturated colors have the added benefit of hiding things a little better, says Xaykao. For further inspiration on your journey to a fabulous front door, we've swung the door wide open with eight solid examples of bright doors on current listings across the country. Come on in! Price: $669,900 Colorful language: Jazzing up an elegant white 1924 Colonialwith four bedrooms and three bathsin a Milwaukee suburb is a striking cherry-red front door. Its quite a contrast to the all-neutral interior, which includes a wood-paneled library with built-in shelves. 2424 E. Beverly Road, Shorewood, WI realtor.com Price: $895,000 Colorful language: The tangerine front door on this four-bedroom midcentury modern pad with a brick exterior is in perfect pitch with 1960s color palettes. Designed by Donald Wexler and the Alexander Co., this home includes a suspended Swedish-style fireplace. 5190 E. Lakeside Dr, Palm Springs, CA realtor.com Price: $1,995,000 Colorful language: Pairing a baby-blue exterior with an apple-red front door doesn't sound appealing at first blush, but it totally works on this Sonoma County Craftsman, drawing attention to the home's large porch. Built in 1923, the home features an updated interior with marble kitchen countertops and subway tile in all three walk-in showers. 322 North St., Healdsburg, CA realtor.com Price: $525,000 Colorful language: This late-'60s brick home might be glossed over if not for the orange front door, which provides a clue for whats inside. The interiors contemporary updates include brightly colored walls, a barn door in one bath, and a double vanity in the master bath. In the backyard? A treehouse. 1817 Huntington Dr., Charleston, SC realtor.com Price: $350,000 Colorful language: Painting the front door of this white stucco ranch petal pink adds desert chic potential. The home features midcentury furnishings as well as all-white walls, floating shelves, and built-in wine storage in the kitchen. Refinished hardwood flooring runs throughout the home, helping blend the old and new features of the homes three bedrooms and two baths. 2601 McGregor Dr., Austin, TX realtor.com Price: $165,000 Colorful language: This brick ranch could easily be like all the other homes on the block, but nothe turquoise door tells another tale. Inside this bright, modernized home flooded with natural light are vaulted, beamed ceilings, granite countertops in the kitchen, and a deck off the master suite. 4379 Colonial Park Dr., Brentwood, PA realtor.com Price: $210,000 Colorful language: For this adorable 1920s ranch in the Pittsburgh neighborhood, the yellow door is a cheery welcome. And why wouldnt you smile? All-new ductwork, electrical, floors, kitchen, and AC mean the three-bedroom home is move-in ready. 960 Hobson St. SW, Atlanta, GA realtor.com Price: $199,950 Colorful language: Were it not for this lime-green front door, this two-story homewith its white and gray exteriorwould hold little curb appeal. Fresh off a renovation, this charming three-bedroom has all the goodsfrom a chef's kitchen to a gorgeous master suite. 733 Arnold Ave., Richmond, VA realtor.com The post Don't Knock It! 8 Homes With Colorful and Inviting Front Doors appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. M any businesses are choosing to expand in Dublin rather than London ahead of Brexit, Irish property developer Green Reit said on Tuesday. The firm referred to the potential expansion opportunities from Britains vote to leave the EU in its results for the year to June where profits rose 11%. Chief executive Pat Gunne told the Standard: There has been a substantial increase in office take-up since the Brexit referendum. A number of companies see Dublin as a good alternative to London when they are expanding, given the access to EU passporting rights. Several UK businesses want to retain tariff-free access to the blocs states. Firms that have this year announced plans to move jobs to the Irish capital ahead of Brexit include Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Green Reits chairman Gary Kennedy said: While Brexit may potentially be a headwind for the wider Irish economy, we continue to see it as an opportunity for our particular area of business, which is heavily weighted towards Dublin offices. A London start-up whose computer code guides chocolate-cutting robots to supply Godiva has been valued at 2.2 million in a fundraising. Candy Mechanics, founded by 26-year-old entrepreneur Sam Part, clinched a 400,000 crowdfunding round through the Seedrs platform to fund expansion with major chocolate brands. The nine-person strong firm, based in Borough, won a deal with Godiva in July to supply edible chocolate birthday cards using robots from Swiss-Swedish engineers ABB. It also runs 3D modelling to carve customers faces into chocolate. Weve only had one person ever who hasnt invested having had their face made into chocolate, said Part. Candy is working with ABB to use its Computer Numerical Control mills, which translates computer code into instructions to etch onto the chocolate. S imon Read has looked at the latest deals for saving money in September 2018... 25 trip to Paris Fancy a trip to Paris for 25 this autumn? Youll need to travel with three friends to but you could also go to Brussels instead, or as well! Return tickets under Eurostars current promotion are the same price. Youll need to book for Paris or Brussels by September 24 for travel between October 2 and December 12 2018. But dont expect to get the offer at the most popular times Monday mornings, Fridays, Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Full details at bit.ly/2xCsWUD Get a cash boost for saving If youre on a low income, you can get up to 1200 from the Government added to your savings. The Help to Save scheme hands savers 50p for every 1 they save over four years with the maximum you can save being 2400. You need to be receiving working tax credits or child tax credit payments, or to be claiming universal credit and have a household or individual income of at least 542.88 at the last monthly assessment. 10% off students groceries Students can use an NUS extra card to get 10% off groceries at the Co-op. If they become members of the Co-op, theyll get a further 5% reward on Co-op-branded products and services. For details about NUS extra go to bit.ly/2MDJ0vR. W ORLD stock markets took Donald Trumps $200 billion trade attack in their stride today amid relief that the full force of the latest measures will not be felt for months. The escalation of the row had long been expected from the President, who slapped 10% tariffs on a fresh round of Chinese imports today. The tariffs will not be hiked to 25% until January although Trump has threatened further action on another $267 billion in imports if China retaliates. Asian markets pulled back earlier losses with Chinas Shanghai Composite Index up 2% while European shares made modest progress. In London gains for heavyweight mining stocks limited the FTSE 100s losses. CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said the market reaction was based on sell the rumour, buy the fact although he doubted the US was ready and willing to strike a deal, He said: It seems quite clear that President Trump is uninterested in arriving at a quick resolution to this dispute. If, as most suspect, this is a ploy to play to his base ahead of the US mid-terms, it doesnt leave much time between the timing of these elections, and the end of this year to arrive at a deal and prevent a move to 25% tariffs. Reports overnight suggested Beijing was reviewing its decision to send a trade delegation to Washington next week. H igh on a hill stands a lonely British PM. Theresa Mays visit this week to the Sound of Music territory of Salzburg represents her opportunity to advance Brexit negotiations since a ragged get-together in March. It is a stiff upward climb, with a thin supply of EU-approved oxygen, but it has better hopes of a decent outcome than her previous forays into EU talking shops. Belatedly, May realised one important thing. Selling a version of Chequers-Lite is her sole option. Her fragile premiership would not survive another bouleversement of stance on the most important issue facing the country. Having flipped from flirting unconvincingly with a harder, more reckless Brexit to the Chequers deal, which seeks to align the UK as closely to its major trade partner and geographically close allies as possible, she might as well embrace Jacob Rees-Moggs Dirty Harry jibe and take the crucial shot. The Chequers or no deal option put forward by the PM in her Panorama interview is a recognition of realities. There is some last-minute elasticity in the EUs negotiating stance, but it is minimal and has to be carefully calculated and, crucially, she needs to persuade the Commission (via France and Germany) to agree to a special summit in November to clinch the outlines of a deal. The message that Mays sherpas have taken to the EU is that failure to support her will lead to an outbreak of Boris Johnson-itis, with additional symptoms of Rees-Moggery and a general no-can-do outcome. This would be very bad for Britain. But it would also create technical headaches for EU exporters. So if May can persuade the other 27 member states to avoid a glacial welcome this week, and agree to a summit to fix the outline of a withdrawal deal, the Alpine outing will have been judged a success by No 10. The PM is negotiating two obstacle courses at once. Her recurring nightmare, says an aide, is that the timelines never coincide. The Government gained a valuable concession this week on the Ireland border plan to avoid a hard backstop unacceptable to the DUP and her backbenchers. This, however, raised the temperature in the parliamentary party and the stakes for the party conference at the end of the month. Theresa May warned as new poll shows teens who can now vote overwhelmingly back staying in EU It has become a commonplace that Chequers is dead but that is not quite the case. It will continue on life support as the only basis that the senior member states of the EU will accept as the basis for a deal. And while it is invidious to make predictions, I would judge the underlying mood, especially in Berlin, to be the avoidance of no deal. In the end, a close ally of Angela Merkel in the German Parliament tells me, Merkel wants this subject off the to-do list. She will scowl about freedom of movement, but she is a pragmatist. Ambitious Cabinet ministers scent that being an agile compromiser in the next six months gives them better chances of long-term rewards than choosing an ornery campaign for a fantasy Brexit on Britains terms (the Boris manifesto), or getting lost in the weeds of a push for a second vote. So note the careful language chosen by Michael Gove, the philosopher king of the moderate Leave court, in his BBC interview. Where Leavers once sold conviction as their political stock-in-trade, they now wish to showcase their readiness to reside in a halfway house. Goves solution is a lukewarm embrace of Chequers as a way-marker to the final form of Brexit. It gives him two years to figure out what that might look like. By which time the May era will be giving way to a new incarnation. Jeremy Hunt, who voted Remain and now identifies as Leave, gives Chequers and May personally warmer support. Sajid Javid is positioning himself as the chap who could lead the Tories best in the event of a no deal. He is aiming firmly for Philip Hammonds job by helpfully rewriting the Chancellors tax policy in an interview. But none of these players can be sure how the political futures market will play out. So, as one astute Cabinet spouse, puts it, the best plan is to stick to their knitting and nod along with May. Theresa May 'irritated' by leadership speculation If May has failed to sell Chequers with any verve at home, she is engaged in a charm offensive in continental Europe. Her earnestness in crafting Chequers earned her credit, even if the plan itself is too elaborate to work in its current form. A visit to the Salzburg Festival this summer was really a chance to show civility to Sebastian Kurz, the new Austrian leader, presently in the revolving chair of the EU presidency, Kurz earns headlines as an unscrupulous populist fairly enough given his rhetoric. But he also did a savvy deal with Merkel to face down a serious challenge to her authority from the neighbouring Bavarian Conservatives over immigration and border matters. Kurz understands Mays dilemma on freedom of movement and, while he has little heft as the Right-wing head of a small country with Michel Barnier and the EU Commission, his role as host and conduit to Berlin creates a layer of soft support for a UK deal. All of this weighs in the final balance. None of this means that success for May in Salzburg and beyond is guaranteed. Agitation at the Chequers plan in her own party and anger in the small but vociferous grassroots is real, and there is not yet an agreed EU plan to speed up a solution. But the PM has a good deal more credit in European capitals than she enjoyed in March. Youve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?, drawls Dirty Harry, that great theorist of transitional arrangements when unsure what remains in his Magnum. Its the shot she really cannot afford to miss. S teve McQueen is enlisting thousands of schoolchildren to help create perhaps the most ambitious artwork ever seen at Tate Britain. The artist has invited primary schools to join his project to create a unique portrait of every single Year Three pupil in London. Photographs of some 115,000 pupils will be taken by 30 Tate photographers over the next nine months. McQueen whose film 12 Years A Slave won three Oscars including Best Picture in 2013 said the pictures would offer an overview of an entire age group and to some extent our future. The pupils, aged seven and eight, would be at the point where you are getting to some extent to understand your surroundings, he added. McQueen with his Best Picture Oscar for 12 Years A Slave in 2014 / AFP/Getty Images At some point in ones life you tend to look backward and you ask where is so-and-so and whats happened to them. It was one of those things I wanted to reflect on, how I got to where I am. McQueen, 48, said he had recently started thinking about old classmates. Where are they, what happened? People have been lost, have died, people are doing well, people are not doing well. He said he felt an urgency to reflect on the city he was born in: We all think we know London and we dont. McQueen, who grew up in west London and went to Little Ealing primary school, first won acclaim for his video art, and was awarded the Turner Prize. His directorial debut in the movies, Hunger, came out in 2008. He said he had chosen not to take any of the pictures himself as he did not want to become a distraction for the children. Our future: Year 3 pupils with staff at Mayflower primary school in Tower Hamlets. / Tate Tate director Maria Balshaw said the project would put a collective portrait of Londons future at the heart of our national art collection. She added: This may well be the most ambitious artwork we have ever shown at Tate Britain. The project has echoes of the Seven-Up TV documentary series which began in 1964 and has followed a group of children from the age of seven, revisiting them at regular intervals. The class photos will be shown at Tate Britain from November next year until May 2020. Arts group Artangel will create an exhibition of class photos across London. More than 100 schools have already signed up and others can do so at tateyear3project.org.uk. OK, perhaps your childhood with Mia Farrow was as horrific as you recently told your friend Daphne Merkin in New York magazine it was although there is no evidence from any of your siblings that your mother ever abused you after she saved you as a little child from life on the streets in Seoul, South Korea. W arehouse Project 2018 is almost upon us. The 16-week long extravaganza, which sees some of the best loved names in electronic music descend on Manchester for a string of events, kicks into action this weekend. It will mark the end of an era, with organisers announcing it will be the last year based in Store Street, WHPs spiritual home. The railway arches underneath Manchester Piccadilly station were first used for WHP back in 2007, where it stayed until 2011, briefly locating elsewhere in Manchester before returning in 2014. With Manchester in constant evolution and the zone around Store Street undergoing incredible transformation, our time here is drawing to a natural conclusion, organisers said in a statement back in July. When WHP returned to Store Street in 2014 it was intended for one season only. Four years later we are calling time. There will be no return. As such, it seems only fitting that you get yourself down to at least one the events to bid Store Street a proper farewell. Here are all the details you need, including our pick of five unmissable WHP nights. When and where is it? Warehouse Project kicks off on Saturday September 22, and runs all the way until New Years Day 2019. The vast majority of events will take place at Store Street, but a number of other Manchester venues will get involved: Mayfield Depot, Albert Hall, Gorilla, O2 Apollo and Manchester Academy. Tickets Jody Hartley Many of the events have already sold out, but there are a still few big ones with tickets remaining. Click here for more information. Line-up: Five unmissable nights The WHP line-up is huge, with just under 40 events scheduled and hundreds of artists set to appear. The full programme can be found here, and below weve picked out five of the highlights from what is a uniformly strong calendar. Four Tet & Friends (All Day Long) There will be a number of all-day parties at WHP, and this is the first of them. Itll be curated by Four Tet, who will play a b2b set with Ben UFO. Both selectors have proved time and time again how fluently they can blend a multitude of sounds and inspirations, so this is bound to be a good one. Also, its well worth making sure you get there early to catch Space Afrika the Manchester duos dubby, ambient techno will be the perfect fuel to get the party started. Rush Hour Day & Night (Day and Night) Next week, Store Street will host another day-long rave, this time curated by the beloved Amsterdam label, Rush Hour, which comes through with an absolutely thumping line-up. Hunee is the headliner, which means plenty of disco goodness, but theres a lot to keep people dancing throughout the day: a set from the Detroit legend Moodymann, some psychedelic techno from DJ Nobu and, of course, an appearance from Japanese house master Soichi Terada, which is always a joy to behold. Curated by Daniel Avery Anything involving Daniel Avery deserves to be checked out, so a night curated by the man himself is most definitely a worthwhile venture. His spooky, hallacunitatory brand of techno is wholly distinctive, and will be in full force when he takes to the decks. One of Berlins finest, Marcel Dettmann, is the headliner, with Dr Rubinstein and Daphni among the other big attractions. Skeemask, whose album Compro is one of the most arresting electronic releases of the year so far, is an eye-catching addition to the line-up. AVA x WHP Belfasts AVA festival comes together with WHP to curate this ridiculously strong line-up, kicking off the December programming. Sven Vath is a genuine icon of the scene, with decades of experience under his belt, and he leads some of the most (deservedly) hyped acts of recent times, including Bicep, DJ Koze and Peggy Gou. Sound of the Near Future WHP isnt all about the dance music. This night explores hip-hop, grime and all its various offshoots, with American rapper Pusha T leading the way. AJ Tracey, who has proved he can be much more than just a grime MC with recent tracks spanning rnb to soca, is high up the bill, as is Slowthai, the hugely exciting Northampton rapper. S treet food favourites KERB will open their 10th lunchtime market on Wednesday September 26 and it's their first offering to be entirely meat-free. The vegetarian-friendly market will serve every Wednesday to Friday in Devonshire Square, around the corner from Liverpool Street Station. Club Mexicana, Greedy Khao, Little Leaf, Palm Greens, Biffs Jack Shack, Vegals and Elote are among those who'll be popping up at the new site for the first four weeks. The announcement comes after the news that KERB will end its tenancy with Camden Market at the end of the month. Sustainable dishes will be the focus of the markets edible offering and much like KERBs other markets it will also work as a platform for developing vegan and vegetarian vending talent. The new site will follow the inKERBbator programme, which the group say will encourage the start-up of street food traders by giving them a platform to grow and thrive. The new venture is in collaboration with office space specialists WeWork, who in July introduced their own meat-free policies which they hope will save an estimated 445.1 million of CO2 emissions by 2023. A 16-year-old boy has been stabbed in broad daylight outside a busy east London Tube station. The youngster was rushed to hospital following the incident, which happened at around 5.20pm on Tuesday outside Dagenham Heathway station. People near to the scene reported hearing loads of sirens and said traffic backed up as emergency services descended on the scene. One passerby, who witnessed the emergency response, said he felt "horrified" there had been another incident of knife crime. "I hope and pray the young lad recovers quickly," he told the Standard. A Met Police spokesman said: Police were called at 5.20pm to reports of a stabbing outside Dagenham Heathway Station. The victim, a 16-year-old male has been taken to hospital." In a later update, the force stated his injuries were not life-threatening or life-changing. Sections of road were closed and bus services diverted due to the incident. London's air ambulance helicopter attended the scene. Police said no arrests have been made at this stage. An update, shared shortly before 7pm by Barking and Dagenham Police said officers were dealing with a "serious assault" on the Heathway, Dagenham. A top lawyer today called for tougher action to tackle moped crime in London as she revealed how the theft of her smartphone has left her feeling violated and vulnerable. Elena Tsirlina, 42, who has represented Marina, the wife of murdered former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, revealed how she was hit on the head and her phone snatched as she travelled home from work. She said a moped mounted the pavement and she was knocked on the head before her iPhone 6 was snatched during the ordeal in north London. It feels very unsafe to be walking the streets, she said. I feel violated and very vulnerable. It turns your world upside down as you have a perception about your safety and that is turned on its head. Ms Tsirlina, who specialises in immigration, nationality, asylum and human rights, was attacked outside Finchley Road Underground station at about 10.30pm on September 5. I took out my phone to check bus times as the display at the stop was broken, and I think someone from the oncoming traffic must have seen the light from my phone, she said. The moped mounted the pavement, someone knocked me on the head, but I had no time to register anything before my phone was grabbed out of my hand and they took off at lightning speed. Im usually very aware of my surroundings but the speed at which it happened took me by surprise. She added: I had night terrors after it happened and I am still in a state of shock. The Metropolitan Police dealt with 18,332 crimes committed using mopeds in the 12 months to August 28, 2018 an average of around 352 each week. But figures show Scotland Yard solved only 2.6 per cent of moped crimes in the year to April, compared with 3.1 per cent the previous year. High-profile victims have included comedian Michael McIntyre, who was robbed by two men on a moped while he was parked outside his childrens school in Golders Green in June. Ms Tsirlina, who works for Charles Douglas, said: I would like to see police do more to prevent this, working in collaboration with charities to raise awareness and advise people on how to stay safe, or running a campaign at every underground station. Scotland Yard has launched a series of measures to tackle moped crime, including using tagging sprays and deploying officers on scrambler bikes. Other methods include throwing down stinger spikes to deflate tyres and posing as takeaway delivery drivers or using plain-clothes snatch squads to grab moped suspects. The moves have helped cut moped-related offending by as much as half in recent months. A car thief who was filmed deliberately driving at rush hour cyclists has pleaded guilty to a string of offences. Shane Seymour, of Southwark, confessed to the theft of a car and dangerous driving in Clapham on August 1 this year. Appearing by video link from prison at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday, Seymour also admitted driving while disqualified. The 25-year-old, who was first arrested on August 19, drove at the morning rush hour cyclists in Clapham Road. Footage on social media showed a black Audi with fake number plates repeatedly accelerating towards the cyclists. A man who was nearly struck by the car filmed the incident at around 8am. The video starts with Seymour yelling while stopped at traffic lights near Clapham North station. He then swerves into a bus lane, nearly striking the cyclist for the first time. Stopped at a further set of lights, Seymour repeatedly throws debris from his car at the cyclist while hurling obscenities. The Audi takes a left on to a side street where a witness said he nearly hit another cyclist, according to police. A number of cyclists stop and Seymour turns around, mounts the pavement and drives towards them. As they threaten to call the police, Seymour can be heard yelling: "It's a stolen car." When a police officer in an unmarked car turns up to cheers from the cyclists, Seymour reverses down a wide street at speed. At the court hearing on Tuesday morning, Seymour also pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary. He denied four further counts of dangerous driving, four counts of driving while disqualified, and two counts of theft, between June and August, none of them linked to the incident in Clapham. He will go on trial for those offences at Inner London Crown Court on February 4. B ritish police investigating Harvey Weinstein have received a further allegation of sexual assault after an 11th woman has come forward. Scotland Yard said the latest allegation was received on August 16 after a woman alleged she was assaulted at an "unknown location in the early 1990s". A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police added: "There has been no arrest at this stage or interviews under caution. "(We) can confirm that officers involved in this investigation travelled to the United States in June as part of their inquiries. We are not prepared to discuss further." Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex. Scotland Yard has not named Weinstein, but confirmed officers from the Met's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating allegations of sexual assault under Operation Kaguyak. The allegation means police are now probing 16 alleged assaults from 11 women. Police in the UK first confirmed they had opened an investigation into Weinstein in October last year after Merseyside Police received an allegation of sexual assault in the London area in the 1980s, and referred it to Scotland Yard. British actress Lysette Anthony said she had told the Metropolitan Police she was attacked by Weinstein in her London home in the late 1980s. On October 31 last year, an alleged eighth victim told UK police she had been assaulted by Weinstein in Ireland. The allegation has been passed on to Irish police. Weinstein has been charged in New York with sexually assaulting three women. On Monday, the New York County District Attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr, announced a New York Supreme Court hearing originally set to take place later this week has now been pushed back to November 8. Investigators in Los Angeles are also looking into allegations against the 66-year-old. R ussian forces have threatened to retaliate against Israel after a Russian aircraft was shot down by their Syrian allies - blaming western coalition bombers for provoking the friendly fire. The Kremlin's defence ministry admitted Syria inadvertently shot down a Russian reconnaissance plane last night - but attributed the defensive move to Israeli and French presence in the area, saying they forced the plane to fly over dangerous territory. And when quizzed on the inadvertent downing of the Russian spy plane, Vladamir Putin said in a press conference today "it looks like a chain of tragic and chance circumstances", and he would focus efforts to increase security for Russian troops stationed in Syria. Reports that a Russian Il-20 aircraft "disappeared" during a strike in Latakia emerged last night from US defence sources, apparently shot out of the sky by the Assad regime's anti-aircraft artillery - said to be a Russian-made S-200 surface to air missile, which have been in use since 1967. Reuters reports that Russian authorities have attributed the strike to Israeli and French forces, calling it a "deliberate provocation", but France has denied involvement. Images have emerged on social media claiming to show the missile defence system firing last night, but have not been verified. Russia's defence ministry confirmed this morning that one of its military aircraft with 15 people on board disappeared from radar screens over Syria, at the same time that Israeli and French forces mounted aerial attacks on targets in Latakia, a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. The reconnaissance aircraft was reportedly making a return journey to the Russian-run Hmeymim airbase in Latakia province when, at about 11 P.M. Moscow time (20:00 GMT), it disappeared from radar screens. A spokesman said Israel warned Russia about the planned operation only one minute beforehand, adding that it was not enough time to get the Russian military plane to safety. Syrian state media reported that around the time the plane disappeared, Latakia came under fire from "enemy missiles", and defence batteries responded. A Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-20 / CC-Kirill Naumenko Russia has now threatened retaliation, claiming it has the "right to take appropriate measures" after Israel's "hostile" actions, a spokesman added, branding the move "irresponsible". "As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished. This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership," Major General Igor Konashenkov reportedly told the Interfax news agency: "We reserve the right to take commensurate measures in response." The Russian Ilyushin Il-20 is a military passenger aircraft with electronic equipment an an array of external antennae used as flying command post. A video emerged on Youtube yesterday claiming to depict the destruction of the plane in Lattikia -as the Syrian opposition news site Nedaa-sy reported five rockets hit Assad regime sites in various locations, including the industrial area and and ammunition depots in Ain Al-Sharqiyah of Jabla, and the Khirbet al-Tin area in western Homs. Pentagon spokesman Sean Robertson unequivocally denied any involvement in the strikes last night, which reportedly hit an industrial facility in Lattakia. I can say clearly that this was not done by us, he told Voice of America news. After previously amicable diplomatic relations between Benjimin Netenhahu and Vladimir Putin, Tel Aviv warned the Kremlin in April that it would attack their S-300 air defence systems at the Tartus naval base, just south of Lattikia if the system was used against Israeli jets. According to Syrian media, there were three air strikes attributed to Israel last night, fired towards military targets close to three large cities in the north of Syria: Lattakia, Homs and Hama. Reportedly 10 people were injured, eight of whom were taken to hospital but later discharged. One report in RT claimed that four Israeli F-16 fighter jets "used the II-20 as cover" to attack coastal targets, and together with the French Navy frigate Auvergne, where creating "dangerous conditions" in the area. Syrian conflict rages into eight year The UN said civil war in Syria has resulted in 5.6 million refugees and 6.1 million people internally displaced. 6 million children need humanitarian assistance 19,000 babies have been born in the war zone A statement from the Russian defence ministry said: The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane as cover and set it up to be targeted by the Syrian air defence forces. As a consequence, the Il-20, which has radar cross-section much larger than the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 system missile." The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) made an unexpected response to the news, stating: "Israel expresses sorrow for the deaths of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire. Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident." Vladimir Putin and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu are said to be discussing the incident today according to an Israeli diplomatic source The Israeli military said in a previous statement that its fighter jets had "targeted" a Syrian facility that it said was about to transfer weapons to Hezbollah on behalf of Iran, but that when the Russian plane was downed the Israeli jets "were already within Israeli airspace." The news follows progress towards peace in northern Syria, after Russia and Turkey announced yesterday they had agreed to establish a demilitarised zone at Idlib, giving an ultimatum for rebel forces to leave the area within a month instead of going ahead with a planned offensive. Putin had been preparing an offensive on the rebel-controlled city but has climbed down from earlier plans at the request of the Erdogan, according to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Putin said at a shared press conference with Turkey's president, Tayyep Erdogan: "By Oct. 10, at the suggestion of the Turkish president, (we agreed) on the withdrawal from that zone of the heavy weapons, tanks, rockets systems and mortars of all opposition groups." Syrian rebels walk a trench in the village of al-Zakat, Hama province. Residents of Idlib province and surrounding areas have been bracing themselves for a Russian-backed government offensive - but they've now been told they have an ultimatum to leave the area within a month. / AFP/Getty/Omar Haj Kadour Neither Putin not Erdogan explained how they planned to differentiate "radically-minded" rebels from other anti-Assad groups. Idlib is held by an array of rebel groups, including Tahrir al-Sham, an amalgamation of Islamist groups dominated by the former Nusra Front - an al Qaeda affiliate until 2016. Turkey has given backing o a coalition of groups under the Free Syrian Army banner, now known as the National Front for Liberation. "With this agreement we have precluded experiencing a large humanitarian crisis in Idlib," Erdogan said at the news conference with Putin. The move to protect Idlib from an imminent humanitarian disaster followed the release of a UN inquiry on Wednesday, which blamed warring parties for "indiscriminate and deliberate attacks" that were displacing people by their millions., and said Syrian-backed militias had used banned chemical weapons in 30 separate attacks. A father accused of killing his eight-year-old daughter by stabbing a kitchen knife into her chest says he has no memory of the alleged incident, a jury heard. William Billingham, 55, attacked his child, Mylee, at his home after threatening her mother, Birmingham Crown Court was told on Tuesday. Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC, told jurors: "Moments before he stabbed his daughter to death, Tracey had arrived at the defendant's house to collect her daughter Mylee. "Whilst at the front door the defendant threatened to kill Tracey with the same knife and she had run off a short distance. "The defendant did provide an account in interview of the time leading up to these terrible events, but he claimed to have no memory of the events themselves. Mr Khalil continued that the Crowns position was that Mr Billingham committed the crime, in January, and his recollection was no indication of his responsibility for it. "We say that, whether he has genuinely blanked out the events from his memory, or whether he is choosing to refuse to say what he can remember, he is guilty of threatening to kill his former partner and guilty of murdering his daughter. "Whether or not he can remember the events does not affect his responsibility for them." He did state, though, that the jury would have to consider Mr Billinghams mental state when Mylee was fatally injured in Valley View, Brownhills, near Walsall. Receiving further background to the alleged incident, the court heard that Mr Billingham had been struggling with ex-partner, Tracey Taundry, having a relation with another woman. "We say his actions were plainly hostile to this new situation," Mr Khalil told the jury. There had been other issues in the relationship, the court was told, and at one point in 2010, Miss Taundry called police alleging that he had struck her and thrown things around their flat, but she chose not pursue charges. The prosecution's opening address is due to continue on Wednesday. A young man was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" after being hunted down and fatally stabbed in a busy shopping centre, a court heard today. Beniamin Picknyi, 21, was knifed as he and and Alexander Suciu, 25, attempted to escape from Stratford shopping centre. The pair had met up nearby and then went into the centre where Mr Suciu was hit in the head, the Old Bailey was told. Picknyi, originally from Romania, had travelled from Milton Keynes where he had been living. Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said the pair had been targeted without provocation and Picknyi had been pinned to a Subway restaurant window and stabbed. He said: "He (Picknyi) came to be in the wrong place at the wrong time because he had come into London to meet up with his friend." Kevin Duarte, 19, Alexis Varela, 19, Mario Zvavame, 18, and Moses Kasule, 20, today appeared charged with the manslaughter of the young man from Milton Keynes. The four accused, all from Newham in East London, are also charged with violent disorder. They deny manslaughter and violent disorder at Stratford shopping centre on March 20 this year. Vladyslav Yakymchuk pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing. Opening the case the prosecutor told the court today: "In Stratford were these defendants, the evidence shows their purpose in being there was to make trouble, to behave aggressively to those going about their lawful business and to intimidate. "They were hassling random members of the public. One such unfortunate person was Alexandru Suciu. "He was was first approached by Varela, who was pedalling a bicycle, with Duarte sitting on the handlebars. As they passed him Duarte hit him in the head. A few minutes later they passed Suciu again, as he waited outside Poundland where Picknyi was buying some water. Duarte and Varela shouted words to the effect 'this is our area' - a phrase in keeping with the proprietorial approach the group adopted at the shopping mall." The prosecutor told the court that the defendants rounded on the pair of friends and Picknyi tried to help Suciu who was being targeted. He added: "Yakymchuk grabbed Suciu's glasses and refused to give them back. Kasule thee punches at him. Other members of the group circled around the two men and kicked them." He said that Picknyi was shoved away as he tried to aid Suciu and he was knocked to the ground with a flying kick. A security guard intervened and tried to usher them to safety but the group led by Yakymchuk, who had a knife, followed as they left the Centre and cornered them. The prosecutor told the court: "Despite the fact that Yakymchuk was in the lead, the defendants continued to support him and to encourage further violence. The others joined in surrounding Picknyi and attacking him. All the defendants through their presence and their actions encouraged and supported each other, Yakymchuk steadied himself against the window and stabbed Picknyi to the left chest. It was this stab wound that very quickly killed him." D octors issued a major alert today after take-up of nine routine child vaccinations slumped. This included the fourth successive annual fall in the MMR vaccine for two-year-olds at a time the number of measles cases has soared. London has the lowest coverage in the country for all 12 routine vaccines, including MMR, where 85.1 per cent of children were vaccinated. The World Health Organisation says at least 95 per cent coverage is needed to protect the wider population. A total of 876 cases of measles have been confirmed in England this year, more than three times the number recorded in the whole of 2017. Uptake of the 5-in-1 vaccine at 12 months fell for the fifth successive year to 93.1 per cent and is now at its lowest level for a decade. The jab protects against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio and Hib disease. It has since been replaced by the 6-in-1 vaccine, adding protection against hepatitis B. The annual 2017-18 vaccination statistics, published today by NHS Digital, measured uptake of the vaccines offered by the NHS to all children up to the age of five. Uptake of the meningitis B vaccine was 92.5 per cent the first official measure since it was introduced three years ago. Other vaccines where coverage fell on the previous year included pneumococcal disease (PCV), the PCV booster, Hib/MenC, diphtheria, tetanus and polio boosters and the MMR second jab. Rotavirus was the only vaccine where coverage increased. The report does not speculate on what might have caused the drop in take-up. Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology, called for improved efforts to vaccinate against measles. He said: Lower levels of vaccination mean that these harmful diseases can spread within our communities, infecting people who have not been vaccinated, including vulnerable individuals who are unable to have vaccinations such as young babies, people with compromised immune systems or people with cancer. We have at our disposal a safe and effective vaccine that can stop the spread of measles in its tracks if enough people are immunised. There have been more than 250 measles cases in London. Public Health England suspects it has been caught and spread by unvaccinated people travelling to parts of the Continent where there have been outbreaks. About the same time, city leaders began to appreciate the value of alcohol as a revenue source. Sin taxes could plug budget hole, a Sun-Times headline read. Aware that Evanston residents were driving to nearby suburbs where they could toss a six-pack in the cart with their groceries, the City Council voted in 2001 to allow supermarkets to sell refrigerated beer and to display alcohol throughout the store cabernet next to the steaks, for example, or Budweiser next to the chips instead of ringing up sales in a separate section. The changes also greatly expanded the hours for alcohol sales. T he long-running row over the 1.2 billion redevelopment of the Mount Pleasant mail sorting office has burst back into life after flats went on sale with starting prices from 670,000 for a studio. The 681-apartment scheme in Clerkenwell, where fewer than a quarter of the homes are designated affordable, was given the go-ahead in 2014 by then mayor Boris Johnson, who overruled the objections of bourgeois nimby councillors. Campaigners against the development said they were dismayed but not surprised when the first wave of homes were released for off-plan sales last week. They ranged from 670,000 for a studio to 905,000 for a one-bedroom flat or 2.15 million for a three-bed apartment. The average asking price for a one-bed flat in Islington is 551,368. The 681-apartment scheme in Clerkenwell, where fewer than a quarter of the homes are designated affordable, was given the go-ahead in 2014 / Taylor Wimpey Nicholas Boys Smith of the campaign group Create Streets, which commissioned an alternative proposal from architect Francis Terry, said: Micro flats with mega price tags are very 2014. Its time to move on and create streets of beauty and gentle density for everyone to use, live in and enjoy. He dubbed the blocks of the new development Fortress Unpleasant. Royal Mail sold the land to house builder Taylor Wimpey for 193 million in August last year. The 129-year-old Royal Mail sorting office will continue to operate alongside the new Postmark development, with an original Art Deco building being retained. The 6.25-acre scheme is now known as Postmark and is made up of two districts, called West Central 1 and East Central 1, straddling the WC1 and EC1 postcodes. Darren McCormack, sales and marketing director at Taylor Wimpey Central London, said: As the largest residential development site acquired in central London in 2017, Postmark is a flagship scheme for Taylor Wimpey Central London. A London council has been criticised for spending thousands of pounds on a performance art festival featuring sex toys and someone going to the toilet. Croydon allocated 10,000 for the event, which included one artists effort to demystify the anus. Called the Biennial of International Performance Art and Noise, the event was produced by an organisation called Tempting Failure. Arts Council England contributed 38,000. It included the work of Joseph Ravens, whose performance was described as containing a series of modified butt plugs Always sculptural and gracefully schizophrenic, each sex toy will embrace a different mood, from poignant to playful. The actions and objects are designed to enrapture rather than repel, in an effort to demystify the anus. Also booked for the festival were body artists Arianna Ferrari. Describing one work, their website states: After ingesting a quantity of laxatives and diuretics microphones are attached to the performers belly, detecting the sounds of their intestines. Meanwhile, Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch is famed for his use of animal blood, body parts and crucifixion. The summer festival used Grade II-listed Braithwaite Halls, the David Lean Cinema and the town hall. In a letter to organisers, council chiefs told them it was important to Croydon for projects like yours to flourish and keep the tradition of great theatre in our town alive. But Tim Pollard, of the councils opposition Conservative group, said: This does not look like art to me. I have no objection to it going on, but do not think public money should be spent on it. A fire commander who oversaw the response within Grenfell Tower has told a public inquiry: We didnt let you down, the building let us all down." Richard Welch was tasked with marshalling dozens of firefighters up the block where 72 people died when it was consumed by flames last June. Mr Welch, a group manager from Lambeth with 22 years service, said in a written a statement that the situation was Armageddon. "I would just like to say to the families that we are very sorry for the amount of people we lost that night," he said, at the end of his evidence. "We couldn't have done any more, we did everything we could. "Every one of us that went into that building was willing to lose our own lives to save your loved ones. "We didn't let you down, the building let us all down and I'm sorry for your loss." Grenfell Tower, as seen in front of the London Skyline after the 24-storey high rise was destroyed by fire, killing 72 people in June 2017. / Getty/Dan Kitwood Mr Welch told a hearing, at Holborn Bars on Tuesday, he was forced to restrict how far firefighters were sent, for their own safety. He had briefly served as the incident commander before realising a more senior officer was present. At that point he took on the role of fire sector commander, overseeing the whole building. By around 4am on the night of the fire, flames had overwhelmed most of the building and rescue teams were struggling to make it past the 11th floor, the hearing was told. "I had (breathing apparatus) crews returning from trying to get passed that were in a physical condition which I felt they were very close to losing their own lives," he said. He said, although it was probably the hardest decision of his life, he had to stop them going higher for their safety. Dozens of residents trapped on the highest levels of Grenfell Tower, which had recently been refurbished with a highly flammable cladding system installed on its external face. It was judged that the 11th floor to the 15th floor were too dangerous to send crews beyond. Fire ripped through Grenfell Tower on June 14, 2017. / Getty/Gurbuz Binici Firefighters set about trying to extinguish the "heat barrier", hoping it would allow a separate team with breathing equipment to make their way up. This decision was in part influenced by the knowledge that calls to 999 from residents trapped in the tower were, one by one, falling silent. Despite having this information relayed to him, the inquiry heard Mr Welch failed to check vital information about rescue missions was passed to 999 operators. He reported closely monitoring information about stranded residents from the control room but did not ensure the hub was kept abreast of progress on scene. His "faith" that the officers beneath him were carrying out this task meant he did not investigate further, he said. Witnesses from the London Fire Brigade's east London control room, where hundreds of 999 calls were pouring in, have previously said they were kept in the dark for hours. T hugs caught carrying acid with intent to injure should be sent straight to jail, Tory London mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey demanded today. As part of a crackdown on crime, he wants judges and magistrates to impose automatic jail terms of at least six months the first time that an offender is caught with acid with intent to use it as a weapon. Ministers are currently proposing under the Offensive Weapons Bill that mandatory sentences apply for a second offence of possessing a corrosive substance in a public place with no good reason. But Mr Bailey wants a tougher approach following the spate of horrific acid attacks in London which has left many victims disfigured for life. He told The Standard: Acid is often the weapon of choice for criminals in the capital and too often it feels like a consequence-free crime. The number of acid-related offences is soaring and we need a zero tolerance approach to offenders. Its time to take control of our streets. Mr Bailey, who was a youth and crime adviser to David Cameron, is also demanding that all moped criminals caught with intent to commit a crime should face mandatory jail sentences on first offence. He believes it is not preventative enough for such offenders only to be imprisoned if a crime, such as robery or burglary, is actually committed. The mayoral hopeful wants the police and courts to do more to bring criminals to justice to tackle rising levels of violence against individuals, burglaries and thefts from people. Mr Bailey, a London Assembly member who previously sought to become MP for Hammersmith, also pledged to recruit 800 more detectives in the capitals battle against crime. He claimed 15.4 million could be saved at a bloated City Hall, which could be used to fund an extra 261 detectives, by cutting 2.8 from PR & marketing, 9 million from the culture budget, 1.8 from the Mayors own office and 1.8 million from promotional agency London & Partners. His team also say there are currently in circulation 40,000 free Travelcards for friends and families of Transport for London employees and calculates that axing them would mean an additional 31.9 million in fares revenue which could fund 541 detectives. Mr Bailey said: If Mr Khan focussed on cutting out the waste and non-jobs in City Hall he could fund more police on the street and protect communities across the capital. However, Mr Khan accused the Tory mayoral hopeful of a load of deliberately misleading nonsense. Shaun Bailey oversaw the implementation of the huge cuts to Londons police and youth services that caused this mess when he was a Downing Street adviser on youth and crime, said a spokesman for Mr Khan. City Hall also claimed Mr Bailey was hugely over-estimating the possible revenue from his Traverlcards restriction, saying Transport for London estimated it would be no more than 7 million. It also stressed that the culture budget was providing young Londoners with constructive activities and argued that 1.5 million of the claimed rise in the PR and marketing budget was a change in the way it is recorded, not an increase. Mr Bailey last month unveiled plans which he said would allow 1,000 more police officers to be put on the frontline by shifting resources from back offices. E U sources today poured cold water on British hopes of a big Brexit concession at a summit this week, saying there will be no new offer on the tricky Irish border issue. A top EU official told the Evening Standard they are ready to make minor changes for the sake of a deal, such as moving customs checks away from the border. But they were sticking to their original backstop proposal that would effectively keep Northern Ireland in the customs union and part of the single market. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the EU official said: We had an agreement with Mrs May. The backstop is an insurance, that if you dont achieve a new partnership that is so great and wonderful as we all want, then at least on Ireland this is the solution that will avoid a hard border. The official added: There is no new offer on this one coming. He said: Weve made the compromises and we showed the ambition and we do need to see that matched on the EU side. He talked up the importance of this weeks Salzburg meeting, calling it an important milestone where EU leaders would show they contours of agreement on principles. And Mr Raab branded the EU backstop proposals on the Irish border as unworkable. Michel Barnier wants border talks to be de-dramatised and to focus on practical solutions (file photo) / REUTERS The border issue remains one of the biggest hurdles to a Brexit deal. EU and Irish officials denied reports that the bloc is warming to the idea of using online pre-clearance to avoid checks at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. EU officials were prepared to remove language deemed inflammatory by Brexiteers and Unionists, like customs territory and regulatory area, but ruled that any backstop could only cover Northern Ireland and could have no end date. EU negotiator Michel Barnier wants border talks to be de-dramatised and to focus on practical solutions. European Council president Donald Tusk said a no-deal Brexit would be a catastrophe and said all EU nations have a shared interest in limiting the damage from UK withdrawal. Writing on Twitter, Mr Tusk said: Limiting damage caused by #Brexit is a shared interest. Unfortunately, a no deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe. Meanwhile, Swedens acting Europe minister has told the Evening Standard that the Norway-Sweden border is not a good example for Ireland. Sweden is in the EU but Norway is not - and is not part of the customs union. Some Brexiteers have suggested the border arrangements between the Scandinavian neighbours could be replicated on the Irish border. But Ann Linde said: When it comes to goods, there are a lot of challenges. It means that all goods have to go through customs formalities. She said the Commission would take a pragmatic view of the border issue. Ms Linde said that Theresa Mays Chequers proposals were not a non-starter, and that she would like the European Union to consider a broader and deeper post-Brexit trade deal than it has yet offered. However, Ms Linde, the countrys acting EU affairs and trade minister, made clear the British PM is likely to have to settle for an enhanced trade agreement. I think that we could see Chequers positively, but of course there are some problematic big areas, she said. I would say that its not a non-starter but some of the things give rise to difficulties because it goes against EU principles. EU leaders meet from tomorrow in Salzburg, Austria, where they will hear from Theresa May and hold their own talks on the way forward on Ireland and a future trade deal. EU leaders will show their strong support for Michel Barnier and strong support for the position of Ireland, the senior EU official said. Theresa May will make a direct pitch at dinner in Salzburg to the other 27 EU leaders to back her much-criticised Chequers proposals. But there was no slot for her to take part in a full discussion as the EU27 plan to discuss Brexit in her absence on Thursday. The Times reported that Mr Barnier was preparing to insist that any political declaration agreed with Mrs May on the future relationship cannot easily be unpicked by her successor. T he EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said he is ready to come forward with an "improved" proposal on the Irish border in an attempt break the deadlock in the Brexit talks. After briefing EU foreign ministers in Brussels, he insisted the EU offer would fully respect the "territorial integrity" of the UK. He said the next full summit of EU leaders on October 18, would be the "moment of truth" when it would become clear whether it was possible for the two sides to reach a deal. "It is then we shall see whether agreement we are hoping for is in our grasp," he told a news conference. The issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic has emerged as the main obstacle to an agreement ahead of the UK's withdrawal in March 2019. The EU is insisting on a "backstop" proposal which would see Northern Ireland remain in the customs union in the event of the two sides failing to reach an agreement in order to avoid the return of a "hard border". However Theresa May has rejected the plan as unacceptable arguing that it would effectively create a border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Mr Barnier said he was working on a plan to "de-dramatise" the controls that would be necessary in the event of the backstop coming into play. He said: "We are ready to improve this proposal. Work on the EU side is ongoing. "We are clarifying which goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK would need to be checked and where, when and by whom these checks could be performed," "We can also clarify that most checks can take place away from the border at the company premises or in the markets. We need to de-dramatise the checks that are needed." He reminded the British, however, that the checks were the result of their decision to leave not only the EU but also the single market and the customs union. "What we need in the withdrawal agreement is a legally operational backstop which fulls respects the territorial integrity of the UK. "It is a backstop that will only apply unless a better solution is found," he said. His comments came as EU leaders prepare to gather in Salzburg on Wednesday for an informal summit - the first time they have met together since Mrs May published her Chequers blueprint for Brexit in July. The Prime Minister is expected to brief the other 27 leaders on proposals over dinner and they will then have a separate discussion on Thursday after she has left. Ahead of the meeting, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said it was time for the "compromises" made by the UK to be "matched on the EU side". In an interview with European newspapers, he said that there had to be movement on the Irish border issue. "What I'm not going to do is to say that I would refuse to entertain any further proposals that the EU comes up with but they've got to be respecting the equities that we've set out," he said. While Mr Barnier highlighted the October summit as the "moment of truth", European Council president Donald Tusk confirmed that a further summit could be held in November to finalise an agreement. In a letter to EU leaders ahead of the Salzburg meeting, he said he wanted to avoid the "catastrophe" of a no-deal Brexit. He said the meeting should also reconfirm the need for a "legally operational backstop" on Ireland to avoid a hard border. Mr Tusk, who will chair the talks, also urged the leaders to work on "limiting the damage" caused by the UK's withdrawal. "Unfortunately, a no-deal scenario is still quite possible. But if we all act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe," he said. J eremy Hunt has been applauded for becoming the first UK minister to give an entire speech in Japanese in a bid to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. The foreign secretary, who lived in Japan for 18 months when he was in his 20s, praised the country for the politeness and determination of its citizens. Speaking fluently at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday, he promised a new era of friendship between the two nations and said the UK will always be a friend to the people of Japan. He said: Ive had a great love of Japan since I was a young man. I first came to Japan in 1990 and lived in Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagasaki. I have great admiration for Japanese politeness, perfectionism and determination. Im here in Japan today as Foreign Minister to deepen a new era of UKJapan friendly relations. Our two island nations have so much in common. Thanks to the rules-based international system we have enjoyed many years of peace and prosperity. I think both countries would like to further strengthen this peace and prosperity. To the people of Japan, the UK will always be your friend. Today I am here to take forward the new era of friendship between Britain and Japan. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt / Getty Images Reacting to his speech, one person on social media said: Anyone who says theyre not impressed with that better be able to recite colloquial Japanese poetry with a flawless accent. Others said it was very impressive indeed and another wrote: Whatever your thoughts about Jeremy Hunt youve got to admit this is pretty impressive. The successful speech on Tuesday came weeks after an embarrassing gaffe during the foreign secretarys visit to Beijing. Mr Hunt admitted making a terrible mistake after referring to his Chinese wife as Japanese during an official meeting with Chinese counterparts. During a meeting with top government figures, he said: My wife is Japanese my wife is Chinese. Thats a terrible mistake to make. A major report has warned the government to make it "easier" for higher-skilled workers to migrate to the UK after Brexit. But the Migration Advisory Committee added a "more restrictive" policy should be adopted towards lower-skilled migrants. The main recommendation of the report, published on Tuesday, said the "general principle behind migration policy changes should be to make it easier for higher-skilled workers to migrate to the UK than lower-skilled workers". Professor Alan Manning, author of the report, said: "We recommend that the government does what it can to reduce the bureaucratic burden of the system... to ensure it is fit for purpose." Meanwhile, no preference would be given to EU citizens in the UK's future immigration system post-Brexit. The wide-ranging report, commissioned by the government, also reviewed the "impacts" of migration. On the UK's short supply of social housing, it said: "Migrants are a small fraction of people in social housing but a rising fraction of new tenants. The share of new tenancies going to migrants from the New Member States in particular is rising. Given there is little building of new social housing this is inevitably at the expense of other potential tenants." However, the report also said migrant construction workers have helped negate the country's housing shortage. The report said migration has had no impact on parental choice of schools for UK-born children, while the average adult migrant from the European Economic Area contributed 2,300 more in tax than the average UK resident. Meanwhile, it said there is "no evidence to suggest that migrants are linked to any increases in crime", while there has been little impact on wages for UK-born workers. A Home Office spokesman said the department will "carefully consider" the report, while Labour MP Chuka Umanna said it "debunks many of the anti-immigration myths peddled by hard right Tory MPs, ministers & UKIP spokespeople". Responding to the report, Catherine McGuinness, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, said: "The Migration Advisory Committees report sets out the vital role that highly skilled EU nationals play in the UK labour market. Access to global talent is a critical issue for the financial and related professional services industry. More than one in four people working in banking and finance in London are non-UK citizens, with EU citizens helping to fill almost 17 per cent of jobs across the sector." S ir Vince Cable staunchly stood by his view that Britain is better off in the European Union and took aim at Brexiteers in a wide-ranging speech to the Liberal Democrats conference on Tuesday. He described Boris Johnson as a danger to Britain, before comparing him to President Donald Trump in an uncomplimentary fashion, and also spoke of his pity for Theresa May as she tries to navigate Brexit. In other slants at political rivals, he said that Labour members should wave goodbye to Jeremy Corbyn should he not back a peoples vote on Brexit or vow to fight it altogether. The Liberal Democrat party leader, addressing a crowd in Brighton, categorised those supporting Brexit as true believers, chancers and conscripts. Vince Cable said people are starting to "feel sorry" for the Prime Minister / EPA In addressing the true believers, who he also referred to as fundamentalists, he said their erotic spasm for leaving the European Union had led them to be cavalier in regards to Brexits potential pitfalls. Sir Cable, who was mocked for his pronunciation of the briefed erotic spasm phrase, said: For the true believers, the fundamentalists, the costs of Brexit have always been irrelevant. Years of economic pain justified by the exotic spasm of leaving the European Union. Economic pain felt, of course, not by them but by those least able to afford it." Vince Cable called Boris Johnson, who he described as a "true believer" in Brexit, a "danger to Britain" / Getty Images After this, he went on to criticise Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Moggs recent comments on the potential fate of European immigrants and also criticised Eurosceptic former foreign secretary Boris Johnson. On Mr Johnson and environment secretary Michael Gove, he claimed he felt the pair saw Brexit as an opportunity to take a quick route to the top of the Conservative Party. He described Mr Gove as a perfect penalty taker because, in his words, right until the last moment you never know which way he is going to go. On Mr Johnson, he said: Boris Johnson is a real danger to Britain. He said that as well as resembling Donald Trump physically he added that he becomes more like him every day, citing what he called his disregard of the truth and treatment of women as factors. After this, he went on to comment on Theresa May and said: Some of us are beginning to feel sorry for the Prime Minister. She is failing in negotiations, losing public support, and its all to appease a dwindling group of people in her own party who will denounced her as a failure whatever she comes up with. He said that she could show more leadership by taking Brexit negotiations in a different direction which he feels would benefit the public more than Conservative politicians. Then, he shared views on the Labour party leader, stating: If Jeremy Corbyn will not say, I will support a peoples vote and I will fight Brexit, Labour members should wave him goodbye. He said other issues surrounding the Labour party, such as the furore around anti-semitism and other contentions, should not distract from Mr Corbyns actions on Brexit. Vince cable said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should stand up to Brexit or his party members should "wave him goodbye" / PA After this, he went on to outlay how the public perception of the European Union required work to see it as positive, and expressed his views that he could understand why it was not. Addressing issues around immigration and racist accusations at Eurosceptic voters he said that to call all Brexit voters is simply wrong and completely counter-productive. He shared his visions on a liberal voice helping to reform the European Union, with his desire for the UK to stay in it, and also his desire for more fairness and opportunity to be created by government at home. Tax dodgers would be tackled by the Lib Dems, he said, outdated business rates would be scrapped and education would be a focus for the party. Ending his speech, he said: If you demand a better future, this is your chance. Our movement is your movement. Its an open movement with an open leadership. T heresa May suggested it could be either "her deal or no deal" in regards to Brexit negotiations in an interview on the BBCs Panorama. Television presenter Nick Robinson has followed the Prime Ministers actions over the last two weeks closely for the programme which aired at 8.30pm on Monday. Viewers were shown Mrs May and her continued work in the pursuit of a deal with the European Union, at a stage which she referred to as critical, alongside spliced with a sit-down interview. Towards the end of the 30-minute broadcast, Mr Robinson asked her about the meaningful vote which would be cast upon any agreement with the European Union. She said: Every Member of Parliament, when it comes to that vote, Im sure will recognise the significance of that vote. Do we really think that if the European Union, weve been through this negotiation, we get to the point where weve agreed a deal, that if parliament were to say, no, go back and get a better one, do you really think the European union is going to give a better deal at that point? The Prime Minister said negotiations might end if the Commons rejected a deal which the EU had accepted / EPA Mr Robinson then asked the Prime Minister was saying it was my deal or no deal. Mrs May, whose proposal thus far has been the so-called Chequer's deal, said: I think the alternative to that would be not having a deal. What happens in the event of a No Deal Brexit? As the programme began, Mr Robinson mentioned past references to Mrs May being able to be a difficult woman and asked where that difficult woman was. She stated she was still there. European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said a deal is possible within weeks (file photo) / REUTERS The Prime Minister described striking a deal that delivers on the vote that people took and her outlook that a positive deal can be reached. Although she said there had to be negotiations, she said she was steadfast on certain points. These were predominantly ending freedom of movement, ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and not sending vast sums of money to the EU, she said. Other notable interviewees in the 30 minutes were the former Brexit Secretary, David Davis, his successor Dominic Raab, environment secretary Michael Gove, Conservative MP and Jacob Rees-Mogg and Keir Starmer, the shadow secretary of state for exiting the European Union. Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said that no deal would be "catastrophic" / PA Mr Davis stated that he thought the government had blinked first in negotiations. Mr Raab, who has been dealing with Michel Barnier the chief negotiator on the EU's part in Brexit, said he was focussed on the negotiations. Brexit backing Mr Gove said the Governments deal was not going to be his perfect vision of Brexit, but that we should never make the perfect the enemy of the good. Towards the end of the programme, Mr Starmer said he thought no deal would be catastrophic. Mr Rees-Mogg said he did not think the Chequers deal would receive strong support in the Commons and also discussed his alternatives for the border with the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland stating he felt it could exist with checks conducted further from the physical split itself. City Hall and the mayor are on trial. Again not literally, but politically. Emanuels handling of the case and his management of CPD were set to become major issues in his re-election campaign, if he hadnt decided two weeks ago against seeking a third term. In the aftermath of the shooting, Emanuels preference would have been to quarantine that night, to treat McDonalds death as another isolated incident of alleged police misconduct. The video, when finally released, mooted that strategy. The case forced Emanuel and City Hall to accept Police Department reforms, including a new system of oversight, new training, new body cams for officers. This spirit of reform should get locked into a consent decree now under negotiation; it will give a federal judge a supervisory role. Van Dykes trial and those reforms will help determine Emanuels legacy. P olice have launched a 2 million unit to plan for a hard-Brexit amid warnings that it will be harder to protect the public after Britain leaves the EU. Senior officers say investigators will lose access to 40 crime fighting tools, including the European Arrest Warrant, which would hinder cross-border investigations such as the hunt for the Russian intelligence officers suspected of the Salisbury Novichok attack. The warning came from the National Police Chiefs Council chairwoman Sara Thornton, who said fall-back options would be slower and less effective. She said: It will make it harder to protect UK and EU citizens. We are determined to do everything we can to mitigate that but it I will be harder. Officers said one EU crime-fighting tool, the Schengen Information System database, was accessed by police 539million times last year. Ms Thornton added: Existing EU tools allows us to respond quickly and intelligently to crime and terrorism in the UK and the EU - they make us better at protecting the public. She said the alternatives were slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective. Deputy assistant commissioner Richard Martin, the national police lead for Brexit, said if police lost the EU tools they could no longer share real-time alerts for wanted persons, including serious criminals. Police would also be slower responding to missing people on either side of the Channel. The ability to track and map terrorist and criminal networks across Europe would also be reduced. DAC Martin said: Criminals dont respect borders - 70 per cent of transient organised crime groups operate in more than three countries. He added: If we lose all these tools it becomes much more challenging. Policing does not stop, but it will be slower and less effective. Chief constable Charlie Hall emphasised that there was no intelligence of widespread disorder but they were planning for every eventuality. Police said it would take longer to identify foreign criminals being held in custody in the UK. The 50-strong teams planning for a hard-Brexit will include police and civilian staff. It will focus on helping police forces with using fall back alternatives if the U.K. suddenly loses its access to the current EU data sharing and cooperation tools. Police will have to revert to bilateral agreements and Interpol. The EAW came into operation in 2004 and allows for the speedy extradition of suspects from one European country to another to face trial or serve a prison sentence. Since it came into force, the average time taken to extradite a suspect has fallen from around a year to 48 days. B MW has said it will temporarily halt production at its British Mini plant immediately after Brexit day as part of contingency plans for a no-deal divorce. The car giant is bringing forward the annual shutdown period at its Oxford plant amid rising fears the UK could crash out of the EU without securing a deal. Carmakers generally close their factories over the summer for a few weeks to allow for retooling and repair work as many staff take holidays and sales are at their lowest level. "We have scheduled next years annual maintenance period at MINI Plant Oxford to start on 1 April, when the UK exits the EU, to minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit," BMW said. "While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it." The production line at the BMW UK Mini plant in Oxford / PA Archive/PA Images Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 next year, but Theresa May faces a battle to agree a deal with Brussels before that date. BMWs announcement shows the firm is concerned about how disruptive a no-deal Brexit could be, and its lack of confidence that a deal will be reached. Jeremy Hunt: We're cautiously optimistic of striking Brexit deal Carmakers are worried that Brexit may impose customs checks on parts and finished models, adding costly delays to the manufacturing process. The automotive sector, which employs more than 850,000 people in Britain, has warned that extra costs risk the viability of production sites. Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said on Monday that it would go down to a three-day week at its Castle Bromwich plant from October until the beginning of December, after warning about the impact of Brexit and diesel policy. BMW said it was sticking by its British production sites, which also include a Rolls-Royce car facility, an engine facility and a fourth site which houses a press shop and sub assembly. T he Yorkshire Ripper has reportedly been taken to hospital after suffering from ill health. Serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, 72, is serving 20 life sentences for murdering 13 woman over six years. An inmate at HMP Frankland in County Durham, he was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital on Sunday evening, according to reports. His condition is not known. Who was Peter Sutcliffe and why was he called the Yorkshire Ripper? Born in Bingley, West Yorkshire, Sutcliffe is one of Britain's most notorious serial killers. He was given 20 life terms for the murder of 13 women and the attempted murder of others in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester between 1975 and 1981. The former lorry driver was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper because he mutilated his victims using a hammer, sharpened screwdriver and a knife. He was caught when police found him with a prostitute in his car and found he had a fake licence plate and weapons including a screwdriver and hammer in the boot. Sutcliffe was moved to Boradmoor in 1984 / PA He told psychiatrists that while working in a graveyard in 1967 he heard a voice that told him it was his mission to kill or eradicate prostitutes. Sutcliffe carried out his first attack on a woman on July 5, 1975 - but not all of his victims were sex workers. He was convicted at the Old Bailey in 1981. West Yorkshire Police said last year it was continuing to review historical unsolved cases linked to Sutcliffe in the 1982 Byford Report. Ill health Sutcliffe was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and moved to Broadmoor from Parkhurst jail in 1984. However last year he was moved to HMP Frankland after a ruling that he was sane enough to be transferred. He was registered blind, but is thought to have undergone laser eye surgery at some point last year to save his sight. According to reports, Sutcliffe had lost his sight in one of his eyes because of diabetes, which is believed to have developed around 2003. A killer who shot dead a planning officer on live TV over a row about an illegally-built bungalow has died. Albert Dryden was jailed for life after he murdered council worker Harry Collinson in front of camera crew and police in 1991. The 78-year-old was released from prison last October after he suffered a stroke and died in a County Durham care home on Saturday morning. Who was Albert Dryden? Albert Dryden moments before the shooting / BBC Albert Dryden was born on May 12, 1940 in Consett, County Durham and was one of eight children born to parents Albert and Nora Dryden. The bearded eccentric became embroiled in a bitter dispute with Derwentside District Council after building a bungalow on a smallholding without permission. The former steelworker had used redundancy money to develop a smallholding in Butsfield on which he intended to grow vegetables and keep livestock. He argued he did not need consent as the home was built in a hollow and only the roof was visible, but the council disagreed and ordered its demolition in June 1991. Who was Harry Collinson? Mr Collinson's murder shocked the nation / BBC Harry Collinson was the council's chief planning officer and had led the operation, along with council solicitor Michael Dunstan, to demolish the illegally built bungalow. But as journalists gathered to film the demolition, Mr Collinson was shot at point blank range in front of camera crew and police officers. The 46-year-old fell mortally wounded into a ditch when Dryden fired two more shots into his heart and brain. The scenes were broadcast live on the BBC's Look North news programme in a murder that shocked the nation. Footage from the shooting showed journalists and council workers fleeing for their lives, with many taking refuge in ditches to avoid the bullets. What happened next? The shooting was filmed on live TV Dryden opened fire at the crowd as they fled, intending to hit Mr Dunstan but instead wounding reporter Tony Belmont, who was shot in the arm, and police officer Stephen Campbell in the backside. Dryden denied murder but was convicted after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in 1992. He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Mr Dunstan and wounding PC Campbell and Mr Belmont with intent. He was denied parole in 2001 but released in October last year after serving 26 years of a life sentence because of ill health after suffering a stroke which had left him unable to talk. T here are girls showing fear of being kidnapped, killed, bombed, or wounded. Others were violated by the Islamic State. A lot have lost family members and their future is unclear, says Saff Tajaldeen Ali, a school counsellor in Mosul, in a distressing account of the horrific impact that three years of IS rule has had on pupils in the northern Iraqi city. Some girls missed two or three years of education living in camps and the attitude of many pupils has changed. They are more aggressive and have worse behaviour, and sometimes mental health problems. It all affects learning. Such accounts of the trauma still suffered by those forced either to flee or live under IS are common and illustrate the challenge that Iraq faces as it seeks to recover, not just from the recent war against the Islamists, but from many earlier years similarly blighted by conflict and sectarian violence. Nor is adequate help widely available in a country where the limited numbers of school counsellors employed are often lacking in training and overloaded with tasks ranging from advising on mental health to study skills and careers advice. In an attempt to improve the situation, Iraqs education ministry has asked the British Council to help it train more than 5,000 counsellors in a scheme covering the Iraqi provinces worst affected by IS, as well as Baghdad and Basra. Marie Delaney, a psychotherapist who has previously worked as an east London teacher, is one of those delivering the training. She warns, at a training session in Erbil, that a huge task lies ahead. Theres a lot of traumatised adults as well as children. One of the issues is that school counsellors themselves have been through the same trauma and so have the childrens families, she says. But they are very keen to learn. They are very child-centred and very focused on trying to help the children. One manifestation of trauma, she says, is when children become hyper-vigilant and cant settle and learn because they are in a constant state of agitation and change. She adds: They flick to getting aggressive or running around its a form of fight or flight and it can be very hard to get them to sit and teach them that its safe to be still. We teach the counsellors to use creative arts and play therapy. Young children often cant talk about, or dont know the words, but you can see it in their drawing or play through things like dolls being hit. As well as training the counsellors in methods for dealing with war trauma, the British Council scheme will also teach them how to create an effective system for carrying out their work. This will include how best to make initial assessments and how to follow up, prioritise and close cases. This is necessary because each counsellor can be responsible for up to 1,000 pupils at a time. Iraqs school system faces other challenges. There is a huge drop-out rate, particularly among girls, as well as frequent under-achievement. On top of this, there is the new problem of how to reintegrate children of parents who joined IS or are suspected of coming from extremist families. Solutions are all the more important in Iraq where educational failure and resulting poverty, coupled with religious division, has proved a fertile breeding ground for extremism. In response, the British Council is developing a new human rights curriculum which will teach children to tolerate those from different religious or ethnic minority backgrounds. It is also organising a national enrolment campaign, which will use billboard adverts, social media, radio and TV to emphasise to families the value of having their children educated. A British woman has been handed a jail sentence for assault in Dubai after a hotel lobby prank ended with a man receiving a broken nose. Expat Asa Hutchinson, 22, and a British friend, 26, were found guilty of assault by Dubai Criminal Court following an incident in May last year, after a group of her friends took prank selfies with a Swedish businessman and then slapped him to wake up him - resulting in a fight. But Ms Hutchinson originally from Chelmsford in Essex, claims she was just an onlooker, and has been a victim of Dubai's "unfair" legal system. She was part of a group of three men and two women accused of assaulting a 54-year-old Swedish IBM executive on May 27. The three other members of the group were not charged. Dubai International Financial Centre / AFP/Getty/Karim Sahib The court had previously heard that the man was asleep on a sofa at a restaurant in Al Fattan Currency House in DIFC after a brunch, reported Dubai's The National news. The man claimed that the group approached and took a picture of him as one of the women posed beside him, he was awoken by a slap to the face and found them surrounding him and laughing. He reportedly followed the group outside the building and threatened to call police and one of the men "tried to hit him" so he pushed him back. He said he was scratched by the two women and struck in the face before he fell down, and claimed he was then kicked while on the ground. Security guards at the hotel testified that they saw the picture being taken and watched as the fight ensued outside - and that one of the attackers tried to choke the Swedish victim, name as Bjorn Roden. He alerted the police and the entire group was arrested and taken to Bur Dubai police station. But the NGO, Detained in Dubai, has argued with police evidence and claims the trial has been unfair from the start. According to their interviews with Ms Hutchinson, when Mr Bjorn discovered she was a UAE resident the charges were transferred to her. CEO Radha Stirling, said: "In Dubai, if two parties are in dispute or arguing, the first person to speak to the police is usually the one who is believed. "Often it is a race to get to the police first. By making this complaint, the man may have been safeguarding himself from being charged himself." Ms Hutchinson maintains she was just a bystander and her friends, who fled to the UK after their passports returned to them, were the alleged culprits. She told the NGO: "The man woke up and began punching the boys. I heard the commotion and came back to see what was going on. Dubai's police force is notorious for its fleet of supercars ruling the roads. / AFP/Getty/Marwan Naamani "It is so unfair, I was not involved. I just happened to be there, but the police are not interested in anything I have to say. Once the man made his complaint it was taken as fact. I can't go to jail, I couldn't cope." The account manager for a global transportation company initially lost her job over the incident. Detained in Dubai has handled numerous cases of arbitrary arrests in Dubai as police have jailed a woman for drinking wine on a flight, locked a man in prison for touching another man's knee accidentally, and arrested an Australian security officer for swearing. Briton Lee Bradley Brown was also allegedly beaten to death in the Bur Dubai police station after being arrested over a row with a hotel main. Ms Stirling added: "Asa's experience echoes that of countless others. "A conspicuously high number of cases in the UAE are concluded as a result of suspects' "confessions" often in lieu of any other type of evidence collected through investigation. Suspects are put under extreme pressure to sign "confessions" in Arabic. "We have even seen cases where suspects were forced to sign blank documents upon which the police later wrote their confessions "Westerners need to bear in mind that the legal system in the UAE has a long way to go before it is as modern as the skyline." C oca-Cola is keeping a close eye on the growth of the marijuana-infused drinks market, the company said in a report on Monday. The worlds largest beverage maker was recently the focus of reports suggesting it was in discussions with Aurora Cannabis Inc, a licensed cannabis producer in Canada. According to BNN Bloomberg, talks about a possible product tie-up coincides with Coke working to overcome demand for sugary drinks by moving towards healthier products. The report released on Monday said there were no guarantee talks between Coca-Cola and Aurora, whose shares responded by rocketing by 22 per cent, would be successful. If a partnership does come to fruition, the collaboration would mark the first entry of a major non-alcoholic drinks brand into the market for marijuana-related products. As Canada and a handful of American states move towards legalising marijuana, a number of corporate giants have reportedly been showing their interest in the industry. While remaining cautious as the drug remains illegal in the US, both companies said they were interested in products infused with cannabidiol. U S President Donald Trump has imposed $200 billion tariffs on Chinese goods arriving in from the US, starting next week. Mr Trump announced the tariffs in a statement, saying: If China takes reliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267bon of additional imports. The move escalates a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and raises prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tyres. The tariffs will start at 10% and rise to 25% starting on January 1. President Trump made the announcement on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, Mr Trump had tweeted: Tariffs have put the US in a very strong bargaining position with billions of dollars, and jobs, flowing into our country and yet cost increases have tuhs far been almost unnoticeable. If countries will not make fair deals with us, they will be Tariffed! Mr Trump has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on 50 billion dollars (38 billion) in Chinese goods. China has retaliated in kind, hitting American soybeans, among other goods, in a shot at the president's supporters in the US farm belt. Beijing has warned that it would hit an additional 60 billion dollars (45 billion) in American products if Mr Trump ordered more tariffs. Mr Trump on Monday threatened to raise the stakes again if Beijing should retaliate, adding a further 267 billion dollars in Chinese imports to the target list. That would raise the total to 517 billion dollars (393 billion) - covering nearly everything China sells the United States. After taking in public comments, the administration said on Monday that it had withdrawn several items from an earlier list of 200 billion dollars in Chinese imports, including child-safety products such as bicycle helmets. T he British couple who died in an Egypt hotel noticed a musty smell had filled their room in the hours before they died, an inquest heard. At a brief hearing at Preston Coroners Court on Tuesday, senior coroner James Adeley revealed he would be requesting all relevant reports and documents from Thomas Cook and authorities in Egypt. But he warned that requests to foreign countries "can take months, even years". A post-mortem into John and Susan Cooper's deaths at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada this week proved "inconclusive". It comes after examinations carried out by authorities in Egypt reported the cause of deaths as being linked to E.coli bacteria. E-coli was a factor in the deaths of two British tourists in Egypt, prosecutor says Dr Adeley said neither of the couple were known to have any serious medical conditions before they left the UK for the holiday on August 13. They were staying in one room with their 12-year-old granddaughter, Molly, while their daughter Kelly Ormerod stayed in another room with her two other children. On the evening of August 20 the couple dined at the hotel buffet and it was thought they both ate liver before Mrs Cooper and Molly returned first to their room, 5107. The coroner continued: "They noticed an acetone type smell replaced by what is described by the granddaughter as a funny, musty smell. A different smell from earlier in the week. "It was established the next door room had been fumigated." The Coopers were staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Egypt / AP Around 1.15am Molly said the smell was making her feel unwell, Mrs Cooper called her daughter and Mr Cooper walked the girl to her mother's room before returning to his own room. Dr Adeley continued: "On the morning of Tuesday 21st August, Ms Ormerod become concerned because neither had appeared by 11am." Det Inspector Leah Rice, of Lancashire Police, told the hearing: "The normal routine was Susan Cooper would usually be up six, six thirty, down to the pool to reserve sun beds for the day, then breakfast. "However that morning she was not down for the sun beds." The court heard Ms Ormerod called for help when her father answered the door to their room and two doctors arrived. Dr Adeley said: "Shortly after this Mr Cooper collapsed in the room and could not be revived and verified to have died at noon. Mrs Cooper was variably lucid." The couple had been vomiting and feeling lethargic and Mrs Cooper had a heart attack in an ambulance on the way to hospital where her death was confirmed. Dr Adeley said he had only a single document from the authorities in Egypt stating E.coli as a cause of death for the couple and explaining the strange smell in the room as a leak of pesticides from the adjacent, fumigated room. He said he had no reports detailing toxicology, micro-biology, police or public health investigations. Ms Ormerod, 40, said she was preparing for the funerals on Wednesday of John and Susan Cooper, in their home town of Burnley. Outside court Ms Ormerod said: "All I would like to say is thank you very much for all the support I have received. "At the moment now I have got to go home and prepare for a funeral tomorrow. "If you would kindly leave me be, leave my family be, and let us grieve and get the grieving process on the way, and I am prepared to speak at a later date." The funerals will be held in Burnley on Wednesday morning. T he head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maassen is to be moved to a new position within the Interior Ministry. It comes after Mr Maaseen clashed with Chancellor Angela Merkel over anti-migrant violence in the country. Ms Merkel's office released a short statement saying the head of Germany's BfV spy agency will be moved to the new position. The decision, which follows three-way talks between Ms Merkel and the heads of two other parties in her governing coalition, is a defeat for conservatives in her Union bloc. The centre-left Social Democrats and some in Ms Merkel's party had been calling for Mr Maassen to be fired for playing down recent far-right violence in the eastern city of Chemnitz. Mr Maassen has also been criticised for alleged improper contacts with members of the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany, which he denies. Critics have long questioned whether Mr Maassen, who took charge of the BfV spy agency in 2012, was still suitable for the post over his handling of the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack and his contacts with the far-right Alternative for Germany party. Mr Maassen's decision to openly contradict Merkel in an interview with the mass-circulation daily Bild this month appears to have sealed his fate. Responding to violent right-wing protests following the killing of a German man, allegedly by migrants, in the eastern city of Chemnitz, Mr Maassen said his agency had no reliable evidence that foreigners were "hunted" down in the streets - a term Merkel had used. He added that "according to my cautious evaluation, there are good reasons for thinking that it is deliberate misinformation, possibly in order to distract the public from the murder in Chemnitz." Mr Maassen provided no evidence to back up his assertion, but his comments were seized upon by the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which called him "a very good top civil servant who had the courage to criticise Merkel's completely failed asylum policy" and now faces a "witch hunt." The Pilsen bar offers a wide variety of their namesake drink like the Space Juice for Jered, a blend of tequila, Luxardo bitter liqueur, sparkling wine and grapefruit juice garnished with sage ($59) and Banana Rain, which features rum, cachaca, banana liqueur, lemon, lime and coconut coriander tonic ($66). All of the punches are available as solo cocktails for $8-$10 if you want to try them before committing your group. You can also drink in some luxury with a champagne punch made with gin, curacao, rum, black tea, lemon and bitters for six served tableside ($225). A man who was ridiculed for shaving while travelling on a commuter train has said he was homeless and trying to clean up after spending time in a shelter. Anthony Torres was filmed shaving on a train in New Jersey on Thursday and was mocked on social media after the video went viral, with some people branding him a slob and an animal. The 56-year-old has since said that people insulting him online do not understand his struggles and that his life is all screwed up. Mr Torres can be seen shaving on the train and discarding the soap on the floor in footage he said was taken by another passenger after days in a homeless shelter. He claims he had taken refuge at a shelter in New York City and was travelling to his sibling in New Jersey after reaching out for help and borrowing money for a train ticket. Torres said he was just trying to clean up after days spent in a homeless shelter / AP After spending time at the shelter, Mr Torres said he did not have a chance to shower and clean up at the shelter and just wanted to look presentable. He added: I dont want to say that Im homeless, let everybody know. Thats why I was shaving. The 56-year-old was left upset by the viral tweet, which had more than 2.4 million views, and said he never thought people making fun of him would go viral, the Guardian reported. His brother Thomas Torres, 57 said his sibling has been through some struggles and has spent time living in motels and living in bus depots after moving to wherever he could get work. A man who is accused of threatening to shoot US president Donald Trump is being hunted for by police in Ohio, authorities said. Shawn Richard Christy is being sought by officers in connection to a series of Facebook posts that threatened to shoot the president and a district attorney in Pennsylvania. The US Marshals Service said Shawn Richard Christy stole a truck on Sunday, in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, and fled after abandoning it on Sunday afternoon in the Mansfield area of northern Ohio. Authorities said Christy should be considered armed and dangerous / AP A hunt is now on for the 27-year-old, after authorities issued a federal warrant to find him. Officials said he also threatened a police chief. Pennsylvania warrants issued for Christy allege burglary, probation violation and failure to appear for an aggravated assault case. P overty-stricken Venezuelans have reacted furiously after president Nicolas Maduro was filmed eating expensive steak served by celebrity chef Salt Bae. Salt Bae, real name Nusret Gokce, is known for his videos in which he flamboyantly slices meat before theatrically sprinkling salt over it. He has served A-list stars ranging from David Beckham to Drake at his restaurants, which charge several hundred pounds for some cuts of meat. But after he fed Venezuelan president Mr Maduro at his Istanbul restaurant and posted the moment on Instagram and Twitter, it drew a furore in the South American country where 87 per cent of people live in poverty and there are regular food shortages. Venezuela's political opposition jumped on the meal as evidence of the presidents disconnect from the country's food crisis, which has caused over two million people to emigrate. Opposition leader Julio Borges tweeted: "While Venezuelans suffer and die of hunger, Nicolas Maduro and Cilia [his wife] enjoy one of the priciest restaurants in the world, all with money stolen from the Venezuelan people. Salt Bae also faced a backlash, and later deleted the videos from his social media channels. Salt Bae pictured last year doing his trademark sprinkle pose as DJ Khaled watches on / Jerritt Clark/Getty Images In one, Maduro told his fellow diners "this is a once in a lifetime moment" as Salt Bae dramatically sliced his steak while swaying his hips. Venezuelans responded by sharing mocked-up images of Salt Bae doing his trademark salt sprinkle pose above a skeletal child. President Maduro had stopped at the restaurant on the way back from Beijing, where he had travelled in the hope of securing fresh funds for his cash-starved socialist government. F ive terrified baby squirrels nearly died after their tails became entangled with grass, plastic and each others fur. The juvenile Gray Squirrels were rescued by vets after they became hopelessly entangled when their tails, along with strips of long-stemmed grass and bits of plastic, worked themselves into a huge knot. Wildlife experts said the animals, found by a caring finder in Wisconsin, could have lost their tails and likely their lives if they had not been saved quickly. A spokesperson from the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at Wisconsin Humane Society said: You can imagine how wiggly and unruly this frightened, distressed ball of squirrelly energy was. Tails entangled with fur, plastic and grass / Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Wisconsin Humane Society Our first step was to anaesthetise all five of them at the same time. With that accomplished, we began working on unravelling the Gordian Knot of tightly tangled tails and nest material. It was impossible to tell whose tail was whose and we were increasingly concerned because all had suffered from varying degrees of tissue damage to their tails cause by circulatory impairment. The rodents were separated after 20 minutes of careful work / Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife centre staff cut away at the grass and plastic knot with scissors while being very careful to make sure we werent snipping anyones tails in the process. After about 20 minutes of delicate cutting, the young rodents were free and soon began recovering from the anaesthesia. One of the five rescued squirrels / Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Wisconsin Humane Society One day later they are all bright-eyed and three of the five are bushy-tailed, the spokesperson for the wildlife centre added on Friday. T esla has said it is cooperating with the US Department of Justice after its boss Elon Musk tweeted about taking the company private. The electric carmaker said it received a "voluntary request" for documents from the DoJ. Its statement followed a report by Bloomberg that the DoJ has opened a criminal fraud inquiry over Musk's tweets in early August about de-listing the company. Musk said he had secured funding for a buyout deal valued at $72 billion, before later dropping the plan. A spokesman for Tesla said: "Last month, following Elons announcement that he was considering taking the company private, Tesla received a voluntary request for documents from the DoJ and has been cooperative in responding to it. "We have not received a subpoena, a request for testimony, or any other formal process. "We respect the DoJs desire to get information about this and believe that the matter should be quickly resolved as they review the information they have received. The DoJ declined to comment. K eeley Hawes, who stars in the BBC's hit drama Bodyguard, has told of the moment she found out her son was caught up in last years Parsons Green terror attack. More than 50 passengers were injured after the bomb partially exploded on the floor of a Tube carriage in west London last September. As the incident occurred, Hawes said she received a text from 18-year-old son Myles McCallum. She said it "doesn't bear thinking" about what might have happened to him. She recalled the terrifying moment in an interview ahead of the Bodyguard finale on Sunday. The empty Tube train after the bomb was detonated at Parsons Green / Met Police/PA The 42-year-old told the Daily Mails Weekend magazine: I got a text from him written in capitals, so I knew immediately something was wrong." She added: They were in a tunnel and the lights were going on and off. "The 'what if' doesn't bear thinking about." Ahmed Hassan, 18, of Surrey, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 34 years in March after an Old Bailey jury found him guilty of attempted murder. Hassan left a home-made bomb full of shrapnel on the District line train, which partly detonated as it stopped at Parsons Green sending a fireball shooting through the train. There were 23 injured in the initial incident and a further 28 hurt as commuters fled the scene. The judge said Hassan was a "dangerous and devious individual" who quietly went about plotting his attack with "ruthless determination and almost military efficiency while pretending to be a model asylum seeker". Hawes, who grew up in London, also detailed other real life incidents, reminiscent of moments in Bodyguard, in the interview. She explained how she has had a few bodyguards herself and detailed an anecdote of how her feet did not touch the ground once when one rushed her away from a fight at a party. In the programme, her character, Home Secretary Julia Mantague, has been caught up in an explosion. Bodyguard will be available to global audiences on Netflix, it was announced today. The streaming service has acquired the series and will make it available to viewers globally outside of the UK and Ireland and China from October 24 this year. E xcitement clearly got the better of Thandie Newton who left viewers in hysterics after she dropped the f-bomb on accepting her Primetime Emmy Award. The Westworld star, 45, looked shocked as she was honoured with Best Supporting Actress for her role in HBOs sci-fi hit at Monday nights ceremony. I didnt even believe in God, but Im going to thank her tonight, she said as she took to the stage. I am so blessed, I am so blessed without this I am even so f****** blessed. Award winner: Thandie Newton on stage at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards (Kevin Winter/Getty ) / Kevin Winter/Getty Newton threw her hand over her mouth as the audience erupted into huge cheers. She continued: To work with the people I have gotten to work with, the cast and crew of Westworld I cant believe Im here I love you so much. Fans were living for Newtons expletive with one tweeting: Thandie swearing for winning gives me life! #Emmys. British stars among A-listers on Emmys red carpet Another posted: Thandie Newton swearing is the highlight of the emmys. A third wrote: Thandie Newton said f*** and Gods not real in her acceptance speech and I think I finally found my spirit animal #emmys. Newton picked up the only award for Westworld despite the drama bagging 21 nominations. Among the nights biggest winners was Game of Thrones which walked away with three gongs including the coveted Best Drama Series. Emmy Awards 2018: Winners 1 /17 Emmy Awards 2018: Winners Claire Foy accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for 'The Crown' Getty Images Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special winner Glenn Weiss (R) poses with Jan Svendsen in the press room during the 70th Emmy Awards Getty Images Writer-producer D.B. Weiss (C-L) and the cast of "Game of Thrones" accept the award Outstanding Drama series onstag AFP/Getty Images The cast of Game of Thrones pose with the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series AFP/Getty Images Supporting actor in a drama series winner Peter Dinklage poses with his Emmy AFP/Getty Images Joel Fields, left, and Joe Weisberg accept the award for outstanding writing for a drama series for "The Americans" Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Henry Winkler accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "Barry" Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Regina King accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie award for 'Seven Seconds' Getty Images Lead actress in a comedy series winner Rachel Brosnahan AFP/Getty Images Matthew Rhys accepts the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award for 'The Americans' Getty Images Ryan Murphy accepts the award for outstanding directing in a limited series, movie or dramatic special for "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Alex Borstein accepts the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Getty Images Thandie Newton accepts the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award for 'Westworld' Getty Images Merritt Wever poses backstage with her Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series and Movie award for "Godless." Reuters Lead actor in a comedy series winner Bill Hader AFP/Getty Images William Bridges and Charlie Brooker for USS Callister (Black Mirror) win the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited serie Reuters Merritt Wever poses backstage with her Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series and Movie award for "Godless." Getty Images Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister in HBOs fantasy epic, scooped Supporting Actor for the third time. It was a big year for British stars who dominated with two of the nights most revered awards, Lead actress and Lead actor handed out to Matthew Rhys for The Americans and Claire Foy for The Crown. Other big winners included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which took home the Best Comedy Series gong as well as Best Comedy Actress for lead Rachel Brosnahan and Best Supporting Actress for Alex Borstein while writer-director Amy Sherman-Palladino won two for the show. K endall Jenner appeared to be taking a leaf out of big sister Kim Kardashians book as she shared her latest snaps. The 22-year-old has clearly put last weeks nude photo leak in the past as she posted sultry images online. Model Jenner took to social media to share a photo of her bare torso taken in the bathroom mirror, exposing her underboob. She then posted a video of the same setting, zooming in to the reflection as she filmed. Jenner simply captioned the snap: Technically this is just my torso... Fans were left in awe of the young model, with many hailing her body goals. One user wrote: What a torso it is @kendalljenner. Kendall Jenner rides horse Another commented: Best torso i'ever seen wow (sic). A third added: Jesus. Not sure what's more beautiful, your body or you face! (sic) Meanwhile another said: Technically your slowly Killing me....(sic). The snap comes after Jenner fell victim to a nude photo leak after she stripped off for a photoshoot while riding a horse in Paris. Last week, she hit back at haters who were unimpressed by the photos. Days later she appeared to brush off the images and the critics who body-shamed her by jumping on a horse in an Instagram video. Jenner made her return to the catwalk for the Burberry show in London on Monday after she ditched New York fashion week. S usanna Reid gifted her Good Morning Britain co-host Piers Morgan a tie with her face printed on the front of it - minutes after he joked she is a "lard bucket". The 47-year-old presented Morgan with a hilarious selection of ties, all referencing comments he has previously made on the show. Gifting the one with her face on first, Morgan gushed over the present: This is great, a Susanna Reid tie. He continued: A Kevin Pietersen tie. What else have we got in here? Keeley Hawes! I'll wear that on Monday when she comes back from the dead. Incredible: Morgan adored the gift from Reid / ITV "Lord Sugar! He'll be watching. He watches every day with his long suffering wife, who is by far the better half of that couple. Thank you Susanna, how kind of you." The gift comes after Morgan teased that he should call Reid a lard bucket after an earlier segment in the show. Reading from a column reviewing his ITV show Serial Killer's with Piers Morgan, he was branded a "lard bucket". Turning to Reid, Morgan quipped: "I presume hes talking about you isnt he? No, its about me." 'Grumpy': Morgan stormed off Monday's show / ITV Morgan's jibe comes a day after he savagely told Reid she would have more luck with her love life if she wore a mask. Reid put on a surgeons mask in a bid to avoid catching a cold from Morgan, to which he said: You should wear that generally. Reid asked: What to keep me on mute? Taking a savage swipe, Morgan fired back: It might help you on the dating circuit because things havent been going well. With 12 games left, the Cubs magic number stands at 10. They have two more games in Phoenix before returning to Chicago for three games against the White Sox this weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field, and then play their last seven games are at Wrigley Field. GOP lawmakers approve redistricting maps over opposition SALT LAKE CITY Republican Utah lawmakers gave an early nod of approval Monday to redistricting maps that further carve up Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County, despite urging from a crowd of frustrated people to choose districts drawn by a voter-approved independent body. Many speakers argued the lawmaker-drawn maps were aimed at further diluting the political voice of those who live in and around the state capital, a process known broadly as gerrymandering. Lawmakers, though, said their districts are aimed at reflecting the state as a whole by including both urban and rural ... 536 N. Vine St., Hinsdale: $3,249,000 | Listed: Aug. 20, 2021 This five-bedroom home has a heated covered patio, a bluestone terrace with a built-in entertaining station and fire table, and Smart Home technologies for lighting, cameras and sound. The kitchen has a center island, a custom-crafted range hood, reverse osmosis water filters, a gallery workstation sink and a TopBrew coffee center. The dining room has an adjacent butlers pantry. The primary bedroom suite has a closet with an island, a bathroom, an office and a private balcony. The lower level of this home is equipped with a golf simulator, a home theater, a fitness room, a second kitchen, a wine room and a rec room. This home also has a heated three-car garage and a heated driveway. Agent: Megan McCleary, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, 312-848-9370 *Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options. To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com. Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe The 3rd Summit of the Three Seas Initiative mirrors the determination to have a fully integrated European Union, a stronger economic partner in the transatlantic relationship, President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic affirmed on the second day of this summit. "Thus, a stronger economic partner in the transatlantic relation, the energy corridors, the transport infrastructure, the modernization of our economy. By strengthening the transport connections, the full integration with the rest of the continent will be feasible, the artificial yet existing divisions will be wiped out, overall, they will absolutely contribute to a higher, level of prosperity of the EU. We therefore need a set of economic, energy veins, railways, telecommunications, roads to create a foundation for a stronger cohesion. We could unleash this region's potential through cooperation and thus we will have a more resilient, more prosperous Europe," Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic asserted. She stressed that by the launch on Monday of the first business forum on the sidelines of the Three Seas Initiative Summit, the commercial societies could have bigger access to the global markets, an involvement of the foreign community could be drawn in relation to investment, so that the interested companies can have the possibility to talk and kick off B2B direct relations.The President of Croatia emphasized that in 2016, in Dubrovnik, a catalogue containing more than 150 projects was presented, worth over 45 billion euro, and this year "we completed a short list of mutual interest priority projects" of interconnectivity, energy, transport and digitization."Substantial resources will be necessary to this end. We hail the initiative to create an investment fund of the 3Seas Initiative that will ensure additional resources," the Croatian top dignitary stressed.Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic reiterated that the final goal of this Initiative is to turn Central Europe into the backbone of the European Union, based on three major pillars: economic convergence between what unfortunately is further called Old Europe and the New Europe, or the East and the West of the continent; cohesion in our own area and with the rest of the EU; the transatlantic connection, and all these in the fields of transports, energy, the energy security in particular, and digitization, that is one of the pre-conditions for our region's evolution.She added that there are visible discrepancies among the various parts of Europe that must be wiped out, so as to bring more cohesion. Romania has demonstrated its economic, social and cultural viability in the century after its Greater Union, President Klaus Iohannis says in a message to the participants in the international conference "Romania and the Historic Events of 1914-1920. Achieving the Greater Union and the Enlightenment of Romania," that opened on Tuesday at the Romanian Athenaeum. "In the century that we have lived after the Greater Union, Romania has demonstrated its economic, social and cultural viability, its ability to be the homeland of all its citizens, regardless of ethnicity and religion, and has proved its role as a pillar of stability in international affairs," says Iohannis in the message delivered by presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor. He says the centennial of the union should be a catalyst for the launch of unfinished or postponed projects, and also to work towards fulfilling our future hopes."Today we are reminded of the ideals for which the generations have fought and sacrificed over the centuries. At the same time, we are engaged in the European debate on the future of the continent that has been shaken by the Great War. Between the understanding of the past and the commitments of the future, the celebration of the centennial must be a moment of taking up a positive project for a modern, educated European Romania, a strong Romania buttressed by social cohesion provided by its citizens' confidence in the country's ability to provide evidence for a prosperous future. I am glad to see that this is the commitment of the Romanian Academy as well, the fundamental body of our modernity, which has been in the service of the nation for more than 150 years."According to the head of the state, the conference "Romania and the Historic Events of 1914-1920. Achieving the Greater Union and the Enlightenment of Romania," adds to the contributions of the Romanian Academy to the international presentation of Romania as a valuable and relevant actor in science, culture and education.Attending the event, organised by the Romanian Academy, under the high patronage of the President of Romania, moderated by Vice President of the Romanian Academy Victor Voicu are world's illustrious historiographers specialising in the history of WWI and South East and Central Europe. Delivering speeches will be President of the Romanian Academy Ioan-Aurel Pop; Michael Metzeltin, a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and honourary member of the Romanian Academy; Jean-Paul Bled of the Sorbonne University of Paris; Francesco Guida of the Rome University; Hans-Christian Maner of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz; Dennis Deletant of the University of Georgetown, Washington; Paul E. Michelson, University of Huntington, Indiana; Josef Wolf of the Institute of History and Regional Geography of the Danube Swabians,Tubingen; Florian Kuhrer-Wielach of the Institute for German Culture and History in South-Eastern Europe, Munich. AGERPRES The representatives of the national Chambers of Commerce of 7 participating states to the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) - Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovenia, have met in Bucharest on September 17, 2018, on the occasion of the first edition of the Three Seas Business Forum, Presidency.ro informs. On this occasion, they acknowledged the following as regards the 3SI objectives: It is an informal Presidential platform which provides for strong and sustained political support to foster a more effective cooperation of governments, business entities and non-governmental organizations interested in boosting regional cooperation, encompassing 12 EU member states in the region between the Adriatic, Baltic and the Black Seas. It responds to the commonality of interests of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe for more rapid development, in particular as regards infrastructure on the North-South Axis, but not only, in order to achieve real convergence with the rest of the EU. It is focused on three main fields - transport, energy, digital - without excluding other areas of interest in which greater connectivity can foster more economic development. It seeks to propagate a virtuous circle of regional interconnectivity as part and concrete contribution to the process of deepening European integration and overall competitiveness, facilitate economic growth and multiply economic opportunities across the EU. It is a regional contribution to strengthening the transatlantic link. The US economic presence in the region provides a catalyst for strengthened cooperation, among the states of the region and as part of the Transatlantic Partnership in general. The active participation of the private sector role is critical to the 3SIs success and sustainability in the long-term. The Three-Seas Business Forum will facilitate the public-private engagement necessary to ensure the fulfilment of the 3SIs ambitious goals for lasting development across the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black Sea region. The Three-Seas Business Forum will be open to the participation of companies and Government representatives from other EU states, the US, non-EU states from South East Europe and Eastern Neighborhood, representatives of the European Commission and European/international financial institutions. Building on the Joint Statement signed in Dubrovnik by five chambers of commerce of the 3SI, on 26 August 2016, the 7 National Chambers of Commerce gathered in Bucharest on the occasion of the first 3SI Business Forum, have agreed the following: to formalise the creation of the 3SI Network of National Chambers of Commerce with the purpose supporting the activities of the Business Forum and connecting the business communities in the region. to promote the implementation of priority interconnectivity projects in the Three Seas area, in particular in the fields of transport, energy and digital, which can be existing common economic projects, but also new projects, by attracting new business opportunities, including investments; to cooperate with the host state in the annual organisation of the Three Seas Business Forum, in the margins of the 3SI Summit; to act in accordance with the general objectives of the 3SI as set above; to implement and promote the 3SI economic objectives in line with the EU policies, in cooperation with EUROCHAMBRES and other EU business support organizations; to devote special attention to high potential areas like SMEs, young entrepreneurship, start-ups and business incubators, inter alia, by facilitating the relevant exchange of know-how among participants; to act together for obtaining the EU and other international organizations financial support for common projects. Signed in Bucharest, Romania, on September 17 2018 The preparation of Romania's forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union was the main topic of Tuesday's discussion between Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, according to a press release sent by the Government's Press Office. "The two officials had a cordial discussion, the main topic being the preparations for Romania's forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU. The head of the Executive reaffirmed her commitment in ensuring a successful mandate, aimed at bringing the Union closer to the citizens and ensuring unity and cohesion between the member states," the press release informs. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila met on Tuesday, at Baneasa Airport, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, as he was leaving Romania, where he participated, on Monday afternoon, in the plenary session of the Three Seas Initiative Summit. Another person was also helping Ortiz assist the driver of the disabled vehicle. Both were hit by the truck which was traveling northbound. The second person was transported to a hospital with serious injuries but is expected to survive, police said. The list of priority interconnection projects presented within the Summit of the Three Seas Initiative is "a top level political signal", on Tuesday stated Klaus Iohannis, in a news conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. The President delivered a joint declaration alongside his Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the Prime Minister of the Polish Government, Mateusz Morawiecki, and the US Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry. "Romania's undertaking of the Bucharest Summit has had as its main argument the potential of this Initiative to address the real need of the 12 participating states for economic development and regional interconnection aiming to attain convergence with Western Europe," the President said.He added that the high officials attending the event Monday and Tuesday have endorsed "a joint declaration stipulating the fundamental principles that are at the grounds of the Three Seas Initiative and the concrete objectives pursued by this platform.""Now we have a joint understanding as regards the main goals of the Initiative, that are pro-economic development in the region, pro-EU and pro-transatlantic connections," emphasized the president. The fields of interest within the summit were the transport, energy and digital technology.The pro-European aspect, the president added, is stressed by the presence at the summit of the European Commission's head, Jean-Claude Juncker."I'm happy that Mr. Juncker, President of the European Commission, accepted to join us today," Iohannis stressed, adding that another goal of the summit is "to strengthen the transatlantic connections"."The US economic presence in the region is a catalyst for cooperation in the area," he added.Iohannis spoke about the Business Forum in connection with the summit."I'm glad the success of this event has determined the decision to have it organized on a regular basis, preferably every year," he said.According to the joint Declaration after the summit, "concrete steps in creating the investment fund of the Three Seas Initiative" would follow.The declaration has in view "the expression of the political support for a regional list of priority interconnection projects - energy, transport and digital technology," Iohannis asserted.The list of projects has been established, he added, "based on the contributions of the countries participating in the Initiative".The six Romanian projects that have been tabled, Iohannis went further, "were approved by Romania's Government in consultation with the Presidential Administration.""It is not a list of the participating countries' heads, but the contribution of our countries' governments," added the president.Likewise, he talked about the significance of this to-do list."Through this list we give a top level political signal to investors regarding the major interconnection projects that our countries consider to be a priority," Iohannis underlined.At the same time, following the summit, a decision was made to accept Germany as partner state in the Initiative, president Iohannis added. President Klaus Iohannis talked on Tuesday with the US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry about the importance of a transparent, predictable, fair and stable legislative process, aimed at attracting foreign investment in Romania, the Presidential Administration specifies in a press release sent to AGERPRES. "The meeting occasioned a deeper discussion about the dimension of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, with a focus on mutual interest projects, including at an economic and energy level, in keeping with the ones agreed upon by President Iohannis and President Donald Trump during the specially fruitful meeting of June 9, 2017 at the White House," the cited source shows. US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry voiced the US side's special appreciation for the results of the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Bucharest and brought to mind the high consideration President Trump has for the Romanian President, the Presidential Administration mentions.President Iohannis thanked US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry for the United States' strong support with regard to the Three Seas Initiative and for the commitment of the US Administration in upholding the Initiative's bold objectives, as they were established at the Summit in Bucharest, in relation to regional interconnectivity, the deepening of cohesion and convergence at the level of the EU and the strengthening of the transatlantic relation.Romania's President expressed appreciation toward the proposal announced by Secretary Perry during the Three Seas Initiative Summit regarding Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC), arguing that this platform has the potential to bring added value both to the transatlantic cooperation and to the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States.Bringing to mind the excellent stage of the bilateral political and security cooperation, President Iohannis has showed that P-TEC substantially completes the economic tier of the strategic partnership relation between Romania and the United States, and that this economic dimension must also reach its full potential and achieve at least the level of excellency of the political, military and security dimensions.According to the cited source, special attention has also been given to the topics of energy security at European level and in the Black Sea region, Romania being one of the least dependent states from this point of view, with the potential to become, through interconnection and strategic investment projects, a regional provider. In this context, Perry underlined the importance, regionally as well as for Romania, of the gas resources in the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea, the Presidential Administration further shows. President Klaus Iohannis is participating Wednesday through Thursday in the informal meeting of the European Council in Salzburg, topics regarding migration, the EU internal security, as well as the latest developments on the UK's withdrawal process from the Union featuring on the agenda. According to a press release of the Presidential Administration sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis will advocate for the continuation of discussions regarding the Dublin Regulation in view of obtaining a consensual solution capable of ensuring balance between the solidarity and the responsibility of the member states, while preserving the voluntary nature of any form of relocation of the persons in need of international protection. Moreover, in view of implementing the European council's conclusions in June, the head of state will underline that Romania is open to constructively contribute to debates regarding the two new concepts - "regional disembarkation platforms" and "controlled centres."Klaus Iohannis will show that Romania upholds the consolidation demarches of the coordination between the member states and the European institutions for an efficient management of the numerous security challenges the EU is facing. Moreover, the cited source specifies, President Iohannis will underscore that Romania gives special importance to cyber security, both from the perspective of its global nature, which needs the strengthening of cooperation within the Union and with international partners, but also from that of the need to create a reliable, safe and open European cyber ecosystem .In the Brexit context, President Iohannis will reiterate the importance of the European Union's maintaining a united, coherent voice in the negotiation process with the British side so as to obtain an withdrawal agreement fair to all parties. Klaus Iohannis will show that for Romania, the protection of the rights and interests of the citizens who live in the United Kingdom is paramount. At the same time, the head of state will plead for the closest possible post-Brexit relation between the EU and the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila met on Tuesday, at Victoria Palace, with the Prime Minister of the Polish Republic, Mateusz Morawiecki, on the sidelines of the Three Seas Initiative Summit, context in which they underlined the very good stage of the bilateral strategic relation. According to a press release sent by the Government, the two Prime Ministers especially acknowledged the significance of the first inter-governmental consultations in the history of the Romanian-Polish relations that took place on May 25, in Warsaw. "Furthermore, the importance of annually organizing meetings in this comprehensive format in boosting political, economic and social contacts was underlined. The mutual interest for further developing rapport between the two countries on all sectoral pillars was reiterated, the very good cooperation between Romania and Poland at a regional level being hailed, through the organisation in Bucharest of the current edition of the Three Seas Initiative Summit," reads the press release.Another topic on the agenda of the meeting was the cooperation between the two countries at European level."The Romanian-Polish interest for consolidating European unity thus ensued, as a common goal in the debate on the future of Europe, but also the desire to collaborate throughout Romania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, especially in key files such as the Multiannual Financial Framework and Brexit," it is said in the press release.The quoted source also specifies that the Romanian Prime Minister voiced her appreciation of the consolidated cooperation between the two states in the fields of security and defence. The energy sector should not be used as a coercion means or as a threat to national security, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry stated on Tuesday. He held a joint press conference alongside President Iohannis, Croatia's President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Prime Minister of the Polish gov't Mateusz Morawiecki on the occasion of the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Bucharest. We want countries in Central and Eastern Europe to know they can count on the United States of America as trustworthy partner in the energy sector. (...) Energy security is tied to national security. Transatlantic energy security is fundamental for any country's national security. The energy sector should not be used as a coercion means or as a threat to national security. It is all the more true for this region, in which nations in the centre and eastern part of Europe are facing challenges related to the existence of a sole supplier, Rick Perry said.Moreover, he mentioned Russia's influence in this domain.According to him, energy diversification also means security and this is the reason why the United States support the fundamental principle of the Three Seas Initiative, namely energy diversification.Just as President Trump said last year at the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Warsaw, the United States will never use energy as a coercion means on your nations and we cannot allow others to do this, Rick Perry underscored.In context, Rick Perry talked about the recent partnership project for energy transatlantic cooperation within which the United States will cooperate with European states, in close relation with the European Commission. As theyve worked to craft a new economic development strategy, village officials also have emphasized the need to improve the local economy by bolstering existing business and attracting new ones while, at the same time, maintaining the villages open green spaces that residents and visitors use for recreation. Caitlin JOHNSTONE Mueller isnt going to find anything in 2017 that these vast, sprawling networks wouldnt have found in 2016. Hes not going to find anything by following the money that couldnt be found infinitely more efficaciously via Orwellian espionage. The factions within the intelligence community that were working to sabotage the incoming administration last year would have leaked proof of collusion if theyd had it. They did not have it then, and they do not have it now. Mueller will continue finding evidence of corruption throughout his investigation, since corruption is to DC insiders as water is to fish, but he will not find evidence of collusion to win the 2016 election that will lead to Trumps impeachment. It will not happen. ~ Me, last year. I dont make predictions very often. Pretty much my entire worldview is premised upon the idea that we are in a wildly unprecedented point in history, that old patterns are breaking down and giving way to novelty, and that, more and more, the only thing we should expect is the unexpected. If I didnt believe that our species is capable of breaking out of our predictable patterns and pulling off something miraculous from way out of left field, I wouldnt be bothering with the fight against the omnicidal, ecocidal Orwellian oppression machine that is driving us toward extinction. Id just make art and hug my kids a lot and wait for the end to come. The above quote was an exception. It was as glaringly obvious then as it is now that if there were any evidence to be found of Trump conspiring with the Russian government to rig the 2016 election, it would have been picked up by the vast, sprawling surveillance networks of the US-centralized empire and leaked to the Washington Post while Obama was still in office. If it didnt happen then, it wont happen at all. So my prediction has been bearing out comfortably. Since last year Russiagaters have been insisting that various Trump insiders are going to flip any minute now, meaning theyve been put in a position of legal jeopardy which will cause them to finally spill the beans on this massive secret Russia conspiracy in order to save their own hides. They said Flynns about to flip. They said Papadopoulos is about to flip. They said Gates is about to flip. They said Cohen is about to flip. They said Manafort is about to flip. So far all Muellers investigative team has turned up on Trumps team is some corruption and process crimes, because DC insiders are corrupt liars. The only flipping thats been happening is Russiagaters flipping the fuck out as their hopes are dashed to pieces time and time and time again. Former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort was trending yesterday with the usual mainstream anti-Trump fanfare we see whenever Saint Mueller does literally anything, but it didnt trend for long and their hearts werent in it. Hopes that a flip was in the mail as news broke that Manafort had taken a plea deal were quickly dashed as people began actually reading the contents of the Mueller indictment for themselves. As noted by Real News Aaron Mate (who is in my opinion the most lucid voice on the matter of American Russia hysteria right now), the documents in the indictment disprove a longstanding key Russiagate claim that Manafort was supporting Kremlin interests in Ukraine; Muellers own documents prove that Manafort was actually advancing western interests. Additionally, there doesnt at this time appear to be any reason to believe Manaforts plea deal will involve the Trump campaign at all, and can involve any of Manaforts other corrupt shenanigans which stretch back years. In fact one of the names which keeps coming up in mainstream punditry as a likely target resulting from Manaforts arrangement is the Clinton-aligned Tony Podesta. This all fits in with a reliable and consistent pattern which Mate thoroughly documented recently, wherein criminal convictions are being made and plea deals accepted to much manic BOOM! Hes gonna flip! celebration among Russiagate conspiracy enthusiasts, but without any part of the actual facts showing any trace of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Russiagaters have been assuring me since the beginning of last year that collusion will be proven, that Trump is going to be impeached and removed from office any minute now and spend the rest of his life behind bars for attacking American democracy and helping a hostile state infiltrate the highest levels of the US government. We are fast approaching the halfway point of this presidents term, and we are not one iota closer to his being removed from office than we were on the day of his inauguration. The BOOMs never bear fruit. The flips never come. All we get is a lot of drama while dangerous escalations between two nuclear superpowers continue to steadily mount with full bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and the full consent of the public. The collusion narrative is like an old rusty Pinto on cinderblocks that racing enthusiasts keep placing bets on because the NASCAR commentators keep saying its going to win. The thing aint moving; the bets are fueled by nothing but cultish anti-Trumpism and hope. Without collusion between Trump and the Russian government, all youve got is a bunch of CNN liberals freaking out about an icy potato patch they seldom even thought about prior to 2016. That icy potato patch happens to be home to thousands of nuclear missiles and a military which could easily enter into a direct confrontation with the US and its allies in the fog of war as things heat up in Syria. You Russiagaters want your BOOM? Theres your fucking BOOM. How long are they going to keep this up? How long are they going to keep feeding into this psychotic narrative which never accomplishes anything other than advancing longstanding neoconservative agendas, despite never seeing any actual progress toward impeachment? How long can the propagandists keep the masses fixated on this fake nonsense, ensuring support for imperialist foreign policy while advancing internet censorship and shoring up control of the narrative from dissident alternative media? How many BOOMs and flips have to fizzle before the acolytes of the Cult of Mueller lose faith? I have nothing but disdain for Trump. But while Democrats are burning their Saint Mueller prayer candles and shrieking about Susan Sarandon, this president is showing zero signs of impending impeachment and spending every single day using the bully pulpit to advance the narrative that he is strengthening the economy and bringing in jobs and putting more money in the pockets of Americans. He is receiving very little pushback against that narrative because of how fixated Democrats are on their Russiagate Hail Mary, and if it remains unchallenged hes probably going to win in 2020. If the world isnt a nuclear wasteland by then, of course. medium.com Out from the ashes of the two mega projects of this expiring decade i.e. the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) attempted Mideast take-over, and, contrarily, the Gulf project to rupture the MB and to reconstitute hereditary, tribal absolutism (the Arab System) two different oppositional ventures are arising. They are gaining greater mass, and inevitably will vie with each other sooner or later. In fact, they already are. The question is how far will the vying go? One is the tying together of the northern tier of the Region through the diffusion of a common political ethos (based in resistance to the US insistence the region to accede to a revived American hegemony), and by the more mundane imperative to find the means to by-pass, and overstep, Americas financial war machine. This latter movement had a major victory in recent days. Elijah Magnier, the veteran Middle East journalist, sums it up succinctly: The US favourite candidate for the [Iraqi] prime ministership, Haidar Abadi, lost his last chance to renew his mandate for a second term when riots caused arson around the southern city of Basra and burned down the walls of the Iranian consulate in the city. While the inhabitants demonstrated for their justified demands (fresh water, electricity, job opportunities and infrastructure), sponsored groups with different agendas mixed with the crowds and managed to burn down offices, ambulances, a government building and school associated with al-Hashd al-Shaabi and other anti-US political groups. This mob behaviour forced Sayyed Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of 54 MPs, to drop his political partner Abadi and to put an end to [the latters] political carrier. Moqtada sought to distance himself from the events in Basra in order to let the blame fall on Abadi alone. He has joined the side of the winning horse, that of Iran This combination of events led Moqtada to take his 54 MPs to join the largest coalition. Overt sponsorship by the US, and the Basra events, have brought Abadis political carrier in Iraq to an end The largest coalition is now expected to include many more than 165 MPs, and thus become eligible to choose the Speaker and his two deputies, the president and the new prime minister The emergent large coalition will no longer need the support of the Kurds (42 MPs). The leader of this broad coalition of Shia and Sunni parties is likely to be Faleh al-Fayyadi, the head of Hashd al-Shaabi (the PMU). In political terms, therefore, Iraq now, is prone for inclusion in the Russian-Iranian-Syrian led, northern partnership (though divisions within the Iraqi Shia camp remain a source of potential conflict). And if, as is likely, Iraq is embargoed by the US for failing to abide by US sanctions on Iran, then Iraq will be pushed by exigency of circumstance into the evolving economic sphere that was the subject of major discussion at last Fridays Tehran summit. That is to say, into an evolving series of economic frameworks for de-dollarising and US sanctions busting. The import of this miscalculation (instigating the violent protests) in Basra (a Saudi hand is widely suspected) has wider implications for the US. Firstly, it is likely to lead to American forces being told to quit Iraq. Secondly, it will complicate the ability of the Pentagon to sustain its military presence in Syria. The logistics for American deployments in north-east Syria, which traverse through Iraq, may no longer be available and the US forces there, in Syria, inevitably will become isolated, and hence, more vulnerable. But a turnaround in Iraq also puts a spike into the balloon of President Trumps aspiration to reassert US energy dominance over the Mideast. Iran it was hoped would ultimately capitulate and fall to economic and political pressures, and as the Iranian domino capsized, it would take with it, crashing down into political acquiescence, the Iraqi domino. This scenario would leave the US with the main sources of low production cost Middle East energy in its hands (i.e. Gulf, Iran and Iraqi oil and gas). On the face of this weeks events however, it looks more likely that these resources or at least, the greater energy resources of Iran and Iraq will end up in the Russian sphere (together with Syrias unexplored Levant Basin prospects). And this Russian heartland, energy-producing sphere, may, in the end, prove to be a more than substantive rival to US (newly emerged as the worlds top oil producer) aspirations for restoring its Mideast energy dominance. The other oppositional dynamic gaining critical mass is the Kushner-Friedman-Grrenblatt objective to terminate the Palestinian peoples insistence that theirs, precisely, is a political project. The aim (from the details leaked so far), is to evacuate their claims political potency through progressive salami-slicing away of the main planks that that constitute the claim to theirs being a political project, in the first place. Firstly, by ending the two-state paradigm, to be replaced by a One State, Jewish nation-state of differentiated rights and differentiated political empowerment. Secondly, by taking Jerusalem off the table as capital of a Palestinian state; and thirdly, by attempting to dissolve Palestinian refugee status, by re-directing the onus of settlement onto existing host governments. In this way, Palestinians are to be pushed out from the political sphere, in return for the promise that they may become more prosperous and therefore happier through following the Kushner recipe. And, seemingly, drawing on their real-estate background for dealing with awkward tenant stand-outs to any major real-estate development, the Kushner-Friedman squeeze is on: de-funding of UNWRA, closing the PLO office in the US; cutting aid to East Jerusalem hospitals and demonising Palestinian leaders as corrupt and inattentive to claimed Palestinian desires (for a materially more prosperous life). Recently, the Kushner team have been floating an old idea (outlined in the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahoronot by Sima Kadmon, 7 Sept 2018) which Abu Mazen did not directly dismiss when approached). It originated with the Israeli General, Giora Eiland, in January 2010, in a paper that he wrote for the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. In it, Eiland wrote: The solution is to establish a federative Jordanian kingdom that has three states: the East Bank, the West Bank and Gaza. Those states, in the American sense [of the word], will be like Pennsylvania or New Jersey. They will have full independence on internal affairs, and they will have a budget, government institutions, unique laws, a police force and all other outward symbols of independence. But, similar to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, they will have no responsibility for two issues: foreign policy and military troops. Those two areas, just like in the United States, will remain under the purview of the federal government in Amman. Eiland opined that there were clear advantages to Israel in such a solution, instead of the two-state solution. First of all, theres a change in the story. Were no longer talking about the Palestinian people living under occupation, but a territorial conflict between two countries, Israel and Jordan.Secondly, Jordan can be more compromising on some of the issues, such as the territorial issue. Adding that, In the Middle East, the only way to ensure the survival of the regime is by means of effective security control therefore, the way to prevent unrest in Jordan that will be fed by a future Hamas regime in the West Bank, is Jordanian military control over that territory [plus a demilitarised West Bank on which Israel would insist]. Putting this all together, the Palestinians in Gaza (according to reports) will be settled in Gaza/Sinai (and policed by Egyptian Intelligence), whilst what Palestinian enclaves remained in West Bank would be policed by Jordanian officers, under overall Israeli security control. And a complaint Federal government in Jordan would be held responsible, by Israel, for the whole. Of course, this may be no more than a kite flying exercise by Kushner et al. We do not know what will be in Trumps Deal of the Century (it has repeatedly been delayed), but what seems clear is the intent to extinguish the notion of any Palestinian political potency per se, and to render the Palestinian people docile, through severing them from their leaders and offering them material gain. The Palestinians presently are weak. And no doubt, the US and Israel working in common cause, may succeed in eviscerating all opposition to the Deal. Jerusalem will be given to Israel. The Palestinians will be politically de-fenestrated. But at what cost? What will be then, for the Gulf kings? The Oxford scholar, Faisal Devji, in a NY Times opinion piece has observed Saudi Arabias conundrum: After World War I, the American Navy replaced the British, and oil turned the kingdom into a crucial resource for Western capitalism. But its religious and economic centrality was contradicted by Saudi Arabia's continuing political marginality, with Britain, the United States and even the Pakistani Army responsible for its internal stability and defense from external threats. Today, Saudi Arabia is ostensibly countering Iran, but its claims to dominance are also only made possible by the decline of Egypt and the decimation of Iraq and Syria. Turkey remains its only and as yet ambiguous rival, apart from Iran. Prince Mohammeds kingdom is looking more like a secular, than a theocratic, state in which sovereignty has finally been wrested from clan and cleric to be claimed directly by the monarchy. But Saudi Arabia can assume greater geopolitical power only by putting its religious status at risk [Emphasis added]. The project to make Saudi Arabia a politically, rather than religiously defined state, is likely to demolish the century-old vision of a [Sunni] Islamic geography, which has always been premised upon Arabia constituting its depoliticized center Mecca and Medina will still receive their pilgrims, but [Sunni] Islam may finally find itself at home in Asia, where by far the largest number of its followers live, and toward which global wealth and power are increasingly shifting. But this is directly not the case for Shii Islam, which has been succeeding in combining political power with a revived religious status as witnessed in the extraordinary flourishing of the Shia centre of pilgrimage at Kerbala and Irans success in countering Wahhabi jihadists in both Syria and Iraq. (For Saudi Arabia, by contrast, the conflict in Yemen has undermined both its political and religious credentials.) And yet and yet, despite the contrasting trajectories, this is where collision may occur: Israel has ineluctably allied itself with Saudi Arabia and Sunni Islam. So too, the US has taken Israels and Saudis partisan position against Iran. Both have their shoulders behind the Saudi kings back pushing him into leading a hybrid war against his powerful neighbour. Alon Ben David, an Israeli military correspondent, writing in the Hebrew language daily Maariv (7 Sept 2018) exemplifies the Promethean Israeli narrative celebrating its successes (thanks mainly to Trumps unqualified support): The IDF, which was several years late in spotting the potential threat from Iranian expansion, realized that it had to take action this week the IDF revealed that more than 200 air strikes have been carried out in Syria since early 2017. But if you look at the sum of the IDFs activities, mostly covert, in the context of this warin the past two years, the IDF has carried out hundreds of different types of cross-border operations. The war between the wars became the war of the IDF, and it has been waged day and night Thus far, Israel has come out stronger in the direct war with Iran . when we hit Iran, our power of deterrence grows stronger. Well that is a matter of (high risk) opinion. Guerreros smoldering body was discovered Aug. 14 in the firepit of a house in the 1300 block of Joliet Street in West Chicago, near Alvarados residence, according to authorities. Alvarado and Brewer are alleged to have lured Guerrero to the West Chicago Library during the prior evening. There, they allegedly stabbed him and drove him to the fire pit where they doused him with gasoline and set him afire, authorities said. US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry visited Moscow Sept. 11-13 to hold talks with Russias Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov and Energy Minister Alexander Novak. After discussing a wide range of problems, the parties agreed to restart the dormant US-Russia Energy Working Group to address issues of common interest and disagreements. It was emphasized that the two energy superpowers should maintain their points of contact in order to ensure the stability of the worlds energy markets. Thats good, but the visit also confirmed the fact that intimidation and accusations remain the main foreign policy tools all top US officials keep at the ready. The secretary reiterated the administration's opposition to the Nord Stream 2 undersea gas project. He confirmed during the press conference that Washington would impose sanctions against the Russian-German pipeline in order to minimize Europes dependence on Moscow. Rick Perry expressed his disappointment and concern about Russias continued attempts to infiltrate the American electric grid. He did not specify precisely what his accusations were based on. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint report in March, which said, Since at least March 2016, Russian government cyber actors targeted government entities and multiple US critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors. The report did not contain meaningful evidence. The conclusions were for the most part unsubstantiated. It offered the opinions of experts but was not convincing enough to be followed by a statement coming from the White House officially blaming Moscow. The paper used the term infiltration, not attack. Indeed, the accusations boiled down to allegations of evil intent, but not hostile acts, as nothing was destroyed and no one was killed. A report published a year ago from Symantec, an American cybersecurity firm, warned that Russia could potentially have the ability to cause widespread blackouts across the United States. In May, Ciscos Talos cyber-intelligence unit said it has high confidence that the Russian government is behind a campaign dubbed VPNFilter, because the hacking software uses the same code as the malware used in previous cyber attacks that the US government has attributed to Moscow. The malware could be used for espionage, interference with internet communications, or destructive attacks against any country. High confidence, could use, has the ability to do this was the phrasing used in the reports. Similar words they could have used: maybe, perhaps, and supposedly. Neither of them claims that there is irrefutable evidence inexorably leading to the final conclusion that Russia did it, which Rick Perry could use as a basis for his charges. In July, a group of senators sent a letter to the White House expressing concerns "about Russia's capabilities with respect to cyberattacks on our energy infrastructure." They said the administration was not doing enough to stand up to Russia. There have been other leaks and stories based on insider information that have circulated. Rick Perry was the first administration official to officially make an accusation against Russia in a public statement. And he did it during his visit to Moscow. In reality, due to its centralized system Russia is much more vulnerable to power-grid attacks than the US, with its networks that operate independently and are run by multiple administrators. Dozens of companies provide energy to any big American city or urban area. An attack against a few power stations cannot cause a blackout across a large area, much less across the whole country. Its impossible. To do that one would have to attack a large, widely dispersed infrastructure and all segments of it, consisting of hundreds of generating stations, substations, power companies, solar power plants, wind farms, etc. If the system of protection is spotty, which it quite often is, hackers may launch a limited attack without any support from government agencies. There is no one preventing any efforts to enhance the defense of the US power grids. Raising a hue and cry is much easier than doing some real work. What really matters is that Rick Perry made the accusatory statement claiming that the evidence was plentiful and solid. But neither he nor any other US official has ever produced it. He made his statement on Sept. 13, the same day Assistant Secretary of State Manisha Singh declared that the administration was ready to impose a new and "very severe" round of sanctions against Russia in November if Moscow did not take certain steps in the wake of the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Great Britain. Two statements on the same day! The pressure is mounting. One motivation is the administrations desire to impose its own sanctions before Congress does. Lawmakers intend to push through their own Russian sanctions bills ASAP. President Trump wants to be one step ahead, in order to demonstrate before the November midterm elections that he doesnt hold a soft spot for Russia. The US needs the plug pulled on the Nord Stream 2 project so it can promote its LNG exports to Europe. In July, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker promised the EU would buy more American gas. The US could get many more concessions from the bloc were it not for the lower prices offered by its Russian competitor. The methods being used are more than reprehensible. The sanctions that have been announced against the companies involved in the project are nothing short of outright intimidation. Washington is twisting the arms of its closest allies in broad daylight. This policy faces widespread opposition in Europe, so the US needs to make it look the other way by painting Moscow as the bad guy. Thats what the Salisbury poisoning, the ruckus about Russias alleged election meddling in the US and Europe, and the stories about the infiltration of Americas power grids are about. All these fabrications serve one purpose only to scare Europe into submission and into doing things Americas way. If the administration succeeds, it will look like a big winner in the eyes of the voters during the upcoming November midterm elections. Being tough on Moscow is one way to up the pressure on the EU, thus forcing it to take a step back and let those pursuing the America First policy reap the dividends. Photo: Radio Canada The inaugural meeting of the foreign and defence ministers of India and the United States in a new 2+2 format on September 6 in New Delhi assumed added significance as an attempt by the Trump administration to translate its Indo-Pacific vision outlined in the National Security Strategy (NSS) of last December. The NSS had explicitly singled out Russia and China as revisionist powers that challenge American power, influence and interests. Equally, it ascribed a pivotal role to India in the Indo-Pacific. The 2+2 deliberations fleshed out these two templates. For the first time in the post-Cold War era, the US has inserted itself into the time-tested relationship between India and Russia. Demolition of Indian-Russian partnership has been a hidden agenda of the US regional policy since the 1990s but it surged in an overt and abrasive form last week. This shift from an aspirational approach to intrusive approach can be seen in the backdrop of the deterioration of US-Russia relations and the probability that tensions are unlikely to dissipate in a foreseeable future. The US sanctions against Russian defence sectors have been enacted in the full knowledge that India would be an acutely affected party. The US sanctions laws against Russia are acting like the Damocles sword to wear down Indias resistance to rollback in ties with Russia. A similar US assault on India-Russia energy cooperation can be expected soon, which is another promising area for US exports to India. Besides, the US is also threatening to sanction Russias financial sector. Clearly, what the US is seeking goes far beyond a reset or atrophy in the Indian-Russian relationship. It aims at nothing less than draining the contents of the Special Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia and make it an empty shell. Yet, partnership with Russia has been historically an anchor sheet of Indias strategic autonomy. Indeed, it becomes a sad reflection of the huge inroads the US has made through the recent decade since the signing of the 2008 US-Indian nuclear deal to breach Indias strategic autonomy. Put differently, weakening of the India-Russia relations is an imperative need for Washington to hustle India on the path of becoming its key ally in the Indo-Pacific. Such a profound shift in the US approach can only be understood in terms of the strategic importance and the sense of urgency that the NSS attaches to the Indo-Pacific region. The NSS ranks the Indo-Pacific as a strategically more vital area than the Middle East (which has been the principal domain so far of the US strategic attention.) The NSS prioritizes the Quad (quadrilateral alliance of the US, Japan, Australia and India) more emphatically than even Washingtons transatlantic leadership as a platform of the US global strategies. Washington intends to checkmate China, which the NSS has portrayed as the US competitor who poses challenge to its world leadership and the international order. Washingtons Indo-Pacific strategy appeals to the Indian audience alongside the NSS grand designation of India as a leading global power. Delhi exulted over the NSS document: We appreciate the importance given to India-United States relationship the two responsible democraciesshare the same objectives. To be sure, the Trump administration has rekindled a decade-old Indian dream of being a counterweight to China. An influential section of Indias foreign-policy elite remains wedded to the notion that fundamentally, the US helped Chinas rise in the Cold War era and that India is similarly well positioned to garner American benevolence in the emergent New Cold War conditions. The 2+2 highlighted that the US has astutely tapped into the Indian elites unipolar predicament. In the recent period since the NSS was announced, the Trump administration has declared India as a Major Defence Partner, opening the door for the sale of more advanced and sensitive military technologies by American vendors at par with the US' closest allies and partners, and fostering convergence of interests with India on a range of issues like maritime security, domain awareness and so on. Without doubt, this has been a win-win strategy for Washington. The signing of a Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) at the 2+2 testifies to it. The COMCASA is modeled on agreements Washington has with its most important NATO and treaty allies. It is a big leap forward in developing inter-operability between the militaries of the US, its allies, and India, which in turn transforms India into a front-line state in the US military-strategic offensive against China in the Indo-Pacific. Another such foundational agreement, Logistics Exchange Memorandum Agreement (signed in 2016 and operationalized last year), has already opened Indias air bases and naval ports to routine use by US warplanes and battleships for refueling and resupply. The 2+2 joint statement announced that India and US will stage their first-ever joint exercise involving all three branches of Indias military next year, and that they are setting up hotlines between their respective foreign and defence ministries to help maintain regular high-level communication on emerging developments. It commits the two countries to increased bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral military-security cooperation. On the other hand, COMCASA is expected to pave the way for a major boost in Indian purchases of US weaponry, which is likely to begin with Indias procurement of armed naval drones for anti-submarine warfare. All this works splendidly for the US. In sum, by playing on Indias geopolitical apprehensions regarding Chinas rise as a global power and playing astutely on Indias own great-power ambitions, US is promoting on the one hand its business interests in the Indian market while on the other hand also locking India into its Indo-Pacific alliance system against China as well as progressively undermining the India-Russia time-tested relationship. Its a win-win strategy all the way. The Trump White House has drawn encouragement from the 2+2 to push the idea of concluding a free-trade agreement with India. Informal conversations have already begun. Trump appears bullish that when push comes to shove, the present Indian government will bend to Washingtons diktats. Indeed, the Trump administration can count on influential back channels, too. It is no secret that the upper caste Indian Diaspora in the US has close links with the Hindu nationalist groups that mentor Modi government. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Trump sees Prime Minister Modi as a unique partner for his America First project. Trump will skip the East Asia Summit in Singapore in November but is signaling interest in Modis invitation to him to be the guest of honor at Indias National Day celebrations in January. The books were from the Library of Congress surplus books program, where members of Congress are able to distribute excess books in their districts. She has, during her tenure, distributed about 3,000 books, according to a spokesman. She is scheduled on Wednesday to drop off 100 books at Prairie Hills Junior High School in Markham. Bay of Plenty Our client has plenty of work in the pipeline and as such they are in need of hammerhands for an immediate start.The successful... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz A coroner is recommending better recording of information provided by any family member or anyone else about a person suspected of being suicidal, following the death of a a Bay of lenty woman. Coroner Michael Robb has made recommendations that police could have better recorded information provided to them about a suicidal woman's mental state. The recommendations follow the death of Karen Day, a 59-year-old mother and grandmother, in October 2016. In his just-released report, coroner Michael Robb says the police who dealt with Ms Day before her death could have better recorded information her whanau had provided them about her mental state. Michael says that information should have been passed on, in full, to the nurse who came to carry out a mental health assessment. In late September 2016, Karen left her home in Taneatua during a family dinner and went to see her husband who she had recently separated from. The pair discussed their relationship civilly and Karen left in her car. A couple of hours later, Karen texted a number of family members, including her husband, telling them she had made the decision to end her life, despite their wishes that she not do so. Her husband reported this to the Whakatane Police Station and he showed the officers the messages. Karen had earlier called Lifeline in a distressed state, and police were also alerted to this. Family members and police officers headed out in search for her. The coroner says police officers tracked her down "driving at speed" through Edgecumbe, but she failed to stop for their flashing lights and sirens. Road spikes ended up being used to stop her car. Before she was taken to the police station, the coroner says in his report that Karen was asked a number of questions by officers and she told them she wanted to take her own life and "wished to be asleep forever". Officers arranged a mental health assessment for Karen and a registered nurse from the Bay of Plenty District Health Board came in. Following the assessment, Karen refused to be admitted to the Whakatane Hospital for mental health care. The nurse decided, based on the evidence she had gathered, that she didn't meet the criteria for compulsory treatment and Karen was taken home by family members. The next day, Karen was visited by a mental health nurse. Due to an oversight, a follow-up visit the day after that never happened. Later that afternoon, Karen was found unresponsive and taken to Whakatane Hospital. She was then transferred to Tauranga Hospital where she died 12 days later. Michael found that the nurse who did the mental health assessment at the police station wasn't provided with all the relevant information about her state of mind. Karen didn't reveal her level of determination to end her life to the nurse. Because Karen would not voluntarily be admitted to hospital, a compulsory care order would need to have been made. Michael says had the nurse had access to all of the police information and seen the text messages sent to family members, or interviewed those family members, a different decision may have been made. But even if Karen had been assessed as requiring compulsory care, Michael says it might not have been possible to save her life. Karen's son, Eddie Sykes, says the whanau is relieved it was not found to be at fault. "Having that recognised was probably the most reassuring and comforting part to know that we did all as a whanau we could to help her." Eddie says the coroner's inquest wasn't about finding personal blame, rather it was about helping to ensure that there are training, systems and procedures in place to reduce the chances of future deaths occurring in similar circumstances. Michael has made three recommendations to improve the way people are assessed for mental health care or other treatment at a police station: The police record in as much detail as possible all information provided by any family member or anyone else about a person suspected of being suicidal Where the police have called on the professional assistance of a service provider to undertake a mental health evaluation of an individual in their custody, that they provide as much detailed information as they have available to them about that individual and the circumstances that led them to be in custody In undertaking a mental health assessment, the information provided by the person being assessed be critically evaluated by reference to other sources of information, be it through the interview of family members, reviewing text messages, or seeking out information recorded by police officers directly involved with the individual. In a statement, police say they would take time to consider the coroner's report. The Bay of Plenty District Health Board says the findings have highlighted the importance of corroborating and sharing information to ensure the best interventions are provided to every person. It says the findings have been taken on board. Where to get help: Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason. Lifeline: 0800 543 354 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends. Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7) Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz What's Up: online chat (7pm-10pm) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 children's helpline (1pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-10pm weekends) Kidsline (ages 5-18): 0800 543 754 (24/7) Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254 Healthline: 0800 611 116 Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Most people recognize the phrase Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, but how many people know what Amendment addresses religion, freedom of speech and the press in one phrase, or where legislative powers are granted? In 2016, the tenth annual Constitution Day Survey from ConstitutionFacts.com found knowledge of the Bill of Rights as one of the highest scoring areas of the survey. The survey also found that while knowledge of the Bill of Rights remains high, other areas of the Constitution are less consistent. Questions answered correctly least often regarded powers of the federal government. Constitution Week is designated to recognize the US Constitution and to encourage education about the Constitution. In 1787, 39 delegates from the 13 American states came together and signed the Constitution. In simple terms, the Constitution defines the shape of the government, what it can and cannot do. It starts with the Preamble that describe the intent and focus of the Constitution. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. The United States Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties, freedoms and inalienable rights. It is the written testament supporting those inalienable rights claimed by the new country. Celebrating the Constitution was started by the Daughters of the American Revolution when the DAR petition Congress in 1955 to set aside Sept. 17-23 to be dedicated to the observance of Constitution Week. The enactment was signed into law on Aug. 2, 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The focus of the celebration is to preserve the Constitution Members of the Fort Sidney Chapter of the DAR have placed displays at the Sidney Public Library as well as in businesses in Sidney. Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document which is the safeguard of our American liberties, said DAR President General Lynn Forney Young. We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to reflect on our heritage of freedom and come together to celebrate America. The DAR has served the U.S. for 125 years. The Sidney City Council Tuesday approved a street improvement project for the north side of Sidney. Tuesdays city council meeting included discussion on projects in the North Sidney neighborhood following a community meeting. The meeting was held May 3 between North Side residents, City Manager Ed Sadler and Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard. At issue was if the residents wanted to invest some of their funds in community improvements or continue to save for a bigger project. The LB840 funds received by the City includes $50,000 allocated for North Side projects. The North Side currently has a balance of about $200,000, according to a memo from Norgard to the city council. Norgard said the discussion generated five priorities: 1) Paving Elm Street from 13th Avenue to 17th Avenue, 2) New sidewalk from Sky Manor to 16th Street, 3) Improve the walkway at the 13th Street underpass, 4) Build walkway over the Union Pacific railroad tracks at 19th Avenue or 5) Utilize funds to incentivize new businesses to locate on the North Side. She said after residents voted, a new sidewalk from Sky Manor to 16th Street was chosen as the top priority. A request for bids (RFP) was issued July 30. Wieser Construction submitted the only bid for the project. According to Norgards memo, the initial estimate for a four-foot wide sidewalk, curb and gutter was $95,000. Weisers bid came in at $85,000. She said because it is under $100,000, no engineering contract is necessary. She added the agreement includes the project being scheduled for next spring. In other business, Sadler reported the trash pickup changes are going better than expected. He said five receptacles have been removed from downtown alleys already. This is really an issue of shared dumpsters, Sadler said, and we share from about the Chamber (of Commerce location) to Safeway. It really got its intended results. He said 85 percent of downtown businesses are reducing the frequency of trash pickup. We may not be generating as much income, but we will make up for it with costs we save, he said. Andrew Sherm Sherman said the library completed cost reductions. The Sidney Public Library is reducing hours of operation by one hour per day, and reducing one part-time position. Sherman said that will allow the Library to retain the experienced staff. The city council also approved a request to close Highway 30/Illinois Street on Dec. 1 for the Citys Parade of Lights Christmas Parade. As a state highway, the request has to be forwarded to the State department of highways as well. The council also approved changes to Ordinance 1801 adopting changes to the 2018-2028 LB840 funds. Norgard said the changes do not result in more taxes for Sidney residents. Instead, it allows the City to receive funds from sources other than LB840, such as local, state or federal grants. Sadler also announced that Oktoberfest is scheduled for October 5-7. Flight paramedic and SIM-NE instructor Robby Rhembrandt explains how the female manikin is "treated" during a class for nurses. The SIM-NE (Simulation In Motion-Nebraska) is a 44-foot long truck with a simulated ambulance and a simulated emergency room to train medical staff on how to treat patients in various conditions. Rural life has its advantages, but those advantages seldom include top-level medical services. A mobile training lab is helping to address the issue. The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a 2016 custom truck that offers a training center capable of meeting medical staff at their location instead of depending on them traveling sometimes several hours for a workshop. The program, Simulation In Motion Nebraska (SIM-NE), includes 44-foot long dual-axle truck with two simulation labs; one stages an ambulance scene and the second an emergency room. The truck comes with an onboard generator and a mobile wifi hotspot. It has an 80-gallon fuel tank, an air compressor that assists with lifelike responses from the manikins and comes with a $500,000 price tag. The program is based in Scottsbluff and operates within the Mountain Time Zone of Nebraska. The SIM-NE program is capable of staging numerous scenarios, but primarily focuses on training needs of the local facility. The program conducts five to six training sessions per month. SIM-NE was in Sidney Tuesday to offer training for Sidney Regional Medical Center's nursing staff. Robbie Rhembrandt, an instructor for the SIM-NE program, said the program teaches medical professionals to know their assets and recognize how to use them for the patient's benefit. "What I really want the students to take away is you're not alone," Rhembrandt said Tuesday. He said success with an emergency situation is about knowing your staff resources and the facility's mechanical/technological resources. The vans are equipped with manikins that can mimic many human reactions. They are not limited to a rising chest in relation to conducting CPR, but varying blood pressure, pregnancy and delivery, mild strokes, and flu symptoms. "When they (students) do CPR on her (pregnant mother manikin), we can tell how effective it is on the computer," Rhembrandt said. The teaching labs in the truck are equipped with male and female, infant and child manikins. When a class is held, the students are instructed on how the patient arrived, for example 31-year-old male traffic accident victim with slurred speech and complaining of chest pains. The nursing students would be encouraged to use their resources to determine the best course of treatment for the patient, from arrival in the "ambulance" to procedures in the emergency room. Following the exercises, the teaching team debriefs the students on their performance, discussing what went well and how things could go better. Rhembrandt said they can design scenarios according to the need of the local facility. In addition to being part of the SIM-NE mobile staff and Western Region coordinator, he is also a flight paramedic. "I've been teaching EMS for about 10 years," he said. Working with Rhembrandt is Bob Kentner, Quality and Infection Control Manager at Sidney Regional Medical Center. The truck is funded by a grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The grant funds the program for three years; 100 percent in the first year, 66 percent in the second year and 33 percent in the third year. The training is offered at no cost to the hospital or medical staff. Rural emergency medical service agencies and critical access access hospitals can schedule trainings by emailing unmc.edu/SIM-NE or call 402-559-4863. Between the interstate traffic and the outdoor retail stands a bronze symbol of Sidneys past, a lone rider on a horse determined to make his next stop on the Pony Express. It is as much real as it is symbolic as the man and steed have seen their share of weather and need sprucing up now and again. Monday morning, the Cheyenne County Commissioners gave approval to a grant for the Sidney Jaycees to replace the flags at the National Pony Express Monument. Since the movement put that up, the Jaycees have taken care of it, put up the flags, said Cheyenne County Tourism Director Kevin Howard. Howard met with the commissioners, explaining that tourism has funded the new flags at the monument. This year, the Jaycees were asked to submit a grant request. The grant is for $1,400 for two flags, Howard said. He added the Jaycees are working on a transfer of ownership of the monument to the Pony Express Association. The commissioners also met with Darin Van Natter and Susan Hiett regarding renewal of a conditional use permit. The permit is for operation of a salvage business near Lorenzo. Van Natter and Hiett met with the commissioners as part of a requirement for a five-year review. Ive had this for 10 years, Van Natter said. He said the salvage yard wont change in size or appearance. He added there hasnt been any issues or written complaints. County attorney Paul Schaub said in 2013, the then-seated commissioners required a review of the conditional use permit every five years. Commissioner Randal Miller said he doesnt see why Van Natter needs to defend his business if there are no concerns. Schaub said the commissioners had the option of not requiring future five-year reviews. The commissioners approved the conditional use permit and deleted the required five-year review. The commissioners also discussed changes to the fair board. The commissioners met with fair board president Gerald Frerichs about adding an ex-officio commissioner to the fair board. Miller said as an ex-officio member, the commissioner could be part of discussions but would not be a voting member of the board. Miller was elected as the commissioner member of the fair board. The commissioners also discussed with Frerichs the need for documentation regarding fair board expenditures. The commissioners stressed the question is not about management of the funds, but documentation for better oversight. They also told Frerichs minutes need to be submitted to the county clerk. One of the concerns is how to manage the assets when payments are made from two different fiscal years, according to Miller. Our auditor doesnt have an answer for us, he said. Additionally, Frerichs and the commissioners discussed options for management of the fair and facilities. One of the considerations is an age society, a design where the fair and fair board collects property tax revenue but is independent of the county commissioners. The fair board collects $52,057 from taxes, has a carryover to the 20018-2019 fiscal year of $61,560 and has an approved budget of about $215,000. The commissioners also approved a subdivision request on behalf of Marva Holt to separate 2.01 acres from the Holt Farms subdivision, and an application by Stephen Wolff to vacate tracts 2, 3, and 5 of Lobo Estates Subdivision, changing zoning from residential estates to agriculture. Former South Platte NRD Director Among Honored GRAND ISLAND Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts (NRD) three Hall of Fame inductees were announced in a press conference at Husker Harvest Days last week. Individuals who have made significant contributions through Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts resulting in improvements to the state's natural resources are selected for this coveted honor once a year. The candidates are elected into the Hall of Fame by vote of current NRD Managers and Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Board of Directors. There are three Hall of Fame categories. They include: Natural Resources Districts Board member, Natural Resources Districts Employee and Natural Resources Districts Supporter. The NRD Supporter includes individuals outside the NRD system who have shown tremendous care and leadership in Nebraska's on-going conservation efforts. The Hall of Fame inductees are: Keith Rexroth Hall of Fame Natural Resources Districts Board member (Sidney) Ron Milner Hall of Fame Natural Resources Districts Employee (Imperial) Don McCabe Hall of Fame Natural Resources Districts Supporter (Lincoln) Hall of Fame inductee Keith Rexroth from Sidney, was nominated for the Hall of Fame Natural Resources Districts Board member award by the South Platte Natural Resources District. Rexroth spent 24 years as a member of the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) Board of Directors, 16 of those as Chairman. One of his major achievements during those years was his commitment and input into developing an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) which will help protect water resources into the future. He has received numerous awards including the 1983 Outstanding Young Farmer Nebraska award, 2005 NRD Director of the Year award and 2013 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center Outstanding Service to Panhandle Agriculture award. Rexroth received an appointment by the governor as an advisor for the Three-State Cooperative Agreement on the Platte River, has been a member of the High Plains Ag Lab Advisory board since 1973, was a board member for the USDA Agricultural Research Service station in Akron, Colorado and has spent countless hours volunteering his time to youth education as well. "With the amount of talent and commitment shown from past and current NRD directors, it's very humbling to have acknowledgement, let alone this type of recognition," said Hall of Fame Natural Resources Districts Board member inductee, Keith Rexroth. "Getting awards is not the reason I served on an NRD Board. The important mission is how we manage Nebraska's resources for future generations, regardless of who gets the credit. The input and ongoing hard work from the South Platte NRD operators and communities with their water management efforts is one of the things I'm most proud of." Hall of Fame inductee, Ron Milner was posthumously nominated for the Hall of Fame NRD Staff category by the Upper Republican Natural Resources District. His wife resides in Imperial. Milner served as the first general manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resources District (URNRD) from 1972 to 1997. He helped pass the Groundwater Management Act in 1976 and with Milner's guidance, the URNRD board adopted an order that required metering and reporting of groundwater use, making the NRD the first in the state to do so in 1978. Metering was done so that Milner and the NRD would be able to see how much water was being used and to make sure that irrigators were not going over their newly allotted allocation. There was great opposition to the metering, but Milner knew it was the right decision to make and it would be beneficial to the conservation of groundwater. He created the first Groundwater Management Area in the state and enacted well spacing rules as well. "Ron would be quite excited and grateful," said Monna Milner, wife of Hall of Fame Natural Resources Districts Employee inductee, Ron Milner. "I know he was very proud of the work he accomplished. I'm very honored and he would be too. It's really something." Hall of Fame inductee Don McCabe was nominated by the Central Platte Natural Resources District to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Natural Resources Districts Supporter. McCabe grew up on a farm near Newcastle. He currently resides in Lincoln. He worked for the Nebraska Farmer magazine for 37 years and was instrumental in helping farmers in Nebraska learn about how to implement conservation practices to protect Nebraska's soil and water. He earned a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska and served in the U.S. Navy for four years. McCabe covered natural resources issues that needed to be addressed through Groundwater Management Plans, to new techniques and technologies available to help farmers address production and natural resources issues. His support was key in helping lower nitrate levels in the Central Platte Natural Resources District due to his articles focusing on conservation efforts to achieve such a goal. "I was pleasantly surprised and honored to be named to the NRD Hall of Fame.," said McCabe. "Throughout my career, I enjoyed working with Nebraska NRDs and informing Nebraska Farmer magazine readers about the many types of NRD projects and the districts' wise management of the state's natural resources. Nebraska has unique natural resources, namely its complex and rich groundwater resource and, fortunately for Nebraskans, the state has a unique and effective local management system of NRDs to manage those resources. NRDs, staff members and directors alike, were always cooperative in sharing information and I am glad I was able to help them get the word out." All three Hall of Fame inductees will be presented their awards at the Nebraska Natural Resources Districts Annual Conference Banquet on Monday, September 24th, in Kearney at 6 p.m. Education isnt limited to the classroom. When education works, learning makes a connection between the classroom and work world. Whitney Hurt, special education coordinator for Sidney schools, recently reported to the school board on a program that helps students with their first successful job. Nebraska VR offers grant programs to equip students for their first employment experience. The summer program accepts a limited number of students. The students start their experience in a classroom where they learn how to conduct themselves in a work environment, what to do if they cant make it to work on a given day, who to ask when they need directions at work. The vision was to provide an opportunity for students of Sidney High School who either had never had a job or had a hard time keeping a job, Hurt said. Sidney High School applied for a grant in 2017 and again in 2018. Students were invited to apply for the program with a maximum of 10 students accepted for 2018. Hurt said nine applied and all nine were accepted. In 2017, the program had four students from Sidney and one from a neighboring community. Hurt said the first program was planned small to make sure it ran efficiently. The grant paid for the grant facilitator, and four site skills coordinators. The program was at no cost to the District or local businesses. The class time included what some people might call basic life skills, including a skills assessment to match students with the most suitable employment. Lessons included how to apply for a job and how a student should conduct himself or herself while on the job. Social skills were also addressed. Classwork also addressed why a student wanted a job, and once they have a job, how to keep it. Hurt said a lot of time was spent on keeping a job. The classroom portion also included addressing coping strategies and personal appearance. It was really a lot of training, she said. After the classroom training, students were paired with businesses offering job opportunities close to the students interests and skill levels. Hurt said the business environment offers education she cant provide in a classroom. I cant simulate a work environment that is really authentic, she said. She said several businesses stepped up and offered work experiences. Not only are we giving these kids an opportunity, it is something they can put on their resumes, she said. She said three students were offered employment by the businesses they worked for this summer. Im hoping this program continues, she said. Former Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie gets a $321,000 annual pension. Hes not the only one. Local fire and police chiefs might not be getting $321,000 but some are getting well in the six figures. They retire in their 50s because theyre so well-connected that they go to another police or fire district, get hired there and start drawing more money. Private-sector unions would never allow that double-dipping. Once you leave your chosen profession you take your pension and leave the job for a newcomer. In the public sector they double-dip, taking the job from a young person whos coming up. Its all about greed. The laws ought to be changed so that cant be done. Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy has been named in a lawsuit by his son's mother alleging he beat his son and is "a monster." (The Associated Press/Adrian Kraus) DEWITT, NY - Customers have been calling Chili's Grill & Bar restaurant in DeWitt asking when the business will reopen so they can dine there and show their support after two employees were killed Saturday in a robbery, according to restaurant managers. Many employees indicated they wanted to return to work, and at a meeting late Monday afternoon management decided to open quietly at 11 a.m. Tuesday, managers said. The restaurant wants to thank the community for its love and support, said Philip Scibilia, the restaurant's general manager. More than 200 family members, friends and co-workers as well as many strangers gathered at the restaurant Sunday for a vigil. Many have people left flowers, candles, cards and other items in memory of the two who were killed. The restaurant has been closed since early Saturday morning, when Stephen Gudknecht, 37, and Kristopher Hicks, 29, were killed at the restaurant near ShoppingTown Mall. Two other workers survived the robbery. William D. Wood, Jr., 32, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery, police said. He is an ex-employee of the restaurant, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. Authorities have said robbery was the motive and that Wood intended to kill all four employees, but police believe his gun jammed. The management and staff created a memorial to the victims Monday, which includes plantings with two new trees, flowers and a plaque. Many workers gathered at the restaurant Monday, hugging and supporting each other. Many shared stories of the two employees who were killed. Some Chili's employees who contacted Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard said they feel it's best to move forward, and stressed that they are a family. Employees from other Chili's restaurants are going to help staff the restaurant. DEWITT, NY - On Friday night, Kristopher Hicks - a server, cook and jack of all trades at Chili's Bar & Grill in DeWitt - was everywhere. "He was cooking, he was helping with food prep and he was serving,'' remembers manager Tanya Gomez, who worked with Hicks at Chili's for the past six years. "He just stepped up like he always did and helped out. "We call it 'full hands in, full hands out.' That was Kris,'' Gomez said. Hicks, 29, and co-worker Stephen Gudknecht , 37, were shot and killed during a robbery at the restaurant about 1 a.m. Saturday, according to DeWitt Police. Gudknecht was one of four managers at the restaurant, and Hicks was a cook and server, Gomez said. William D. Wood, Jr., 32, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery, police said. He is an ex-employee of the restaurant and knew the victims by name, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. Two other employees - a man and a woman - survived the robbery, police said. Wood intended to kill all four people in the restaurant but at some point police believe his gun jammed, the DA said. Chili's workers gathered Monday at the restaurant to meet with counselors and to grieve and console each other. Nearly all the employees showed up to talk with counselors and share stories and hugs, according to Anthony Stuto, area director of Brinker International, the company which owns Chili's. There was coffee and doughnuts, and the workers gathered to talk about how much they miss their colleagues. Some stayed for a few minutes, others remained in the restaurant to greet their colleagues. Employees from the Clay restaurant offered to help any way they could. Hicks worked at the Chili's for a couple years, then went back to a Chili's near his hometown somewhere in New Jersey for a bit and then returned to DeWitt six years ago, Gomez said. "He had a sense of humor, and was really funny,'' she said. Gomez remembers training Hicks and directing him to wear plastic gloves to prepare the food. To be funny, he picked up tongs and used those all day instead of the gloves. "He followed the rules without following the rules,'' Gomez said. "We all look back on that now and we laugh." Hicks had his regulars who would come into the restaurant. "When we saw his regulars, we knew they wanted him to serve them,'' said Alexis Rollins, a co-worker who tried to hold back tears as she talked about Hicks. "He was just a wonderful person, and he loved everyone and they loved him." Gomez said whatever needed to be done at the restaurant, Hicks was there. "He knew how to prepare everything we serve, and it was like having another manager here even though he wasn't one,'' she said. He loved his cat and his girlfriend, Elaine, but he also loved working at Chili's, Rollins said. "This was his home,'' she said. "He loved it here. He'd make us special food - like egg rolls." Bryan Stackiewicz, the restaurant's bar manager, said employees would sometimes leave apples at work. They'd return to find that Hicks had carved them into the shape of a swan, he said. A swan carved out of an apple by Chili's employee Kris Hicks, who was killed during a robbery at the restaurant early Saturday morning. Gomez said Hicks often stayed late or worked extra hours if he was needed. "He would always go above and beyond,'' she said. "Whatever needed to be done, he did it." He just celebrated his birthday a month ago by going to see his favorite team - the New York Mets, his colleagues said. On Friday night, Gomez said she left sometime around 9 p.m. She got the call from one of the surviving witnesses after the robbery/shooting took place. Numerous people went to the hospital for news about Kris' condition, Rollins said. Gudknecht was found dead at the restaurant, police and employees said. Hicks survived the shooting, but died at the hospital, police and employees said. HANNIBAL, N.Y. -- A former Granby animal control officer has been arrested for animal cruelty and falsely reporting an incident, according to New York State Police. Samantha Rizzo, 46, of 64 Country Lane in Fulton, lied to police about owning a dog whose jaw was broken and who suffered head fractures, police said. On June 8, state police responded to an animal abuse case in Hannibal, police said. A person brought a Pomeranian dog with a broken jaw and head fractures to a veterinary clinic, police said. An investigation found the dog belonged to Rizzo, who police arrested on July 30 for falsely reporting an incident after she denied knowing who owned the dog, police said. On Sept. 14, a veterinarian who reviewed the case determined there was "clear evidence of neglect along with abuse," police said. The dog is being treated at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, police said. Rizzo was issued an appearance ticket for animal cruelty and is set to appear in Town of Hannibal Court on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m., police said. DEWITT, N.Y. -- Stephen Gudknecht was always there for his children, his family and co-workers said. Steve Gudknecht liked to have fun and loved his kids, family members said. He loved to dress up in fun pajamas -- including a reindeer costume, complete with a red nose that lit up -- on The Polar Express train ride with his kids in the winter. Every summer, he took a week off from work to bring 9-year-old Nikolaus and 14-year-old Adrianna to Campbell's Point near Sacketts Harbor. There, they'd spend time with his extended family, said Angela Halbritter, the mother of his children. Last year, when his daughter was struggling with another move, Gudknecht stepped up and rented a home in Camillus so his children could live with him, Halbritter said. "He was an amazing father," she said. "He'd drop anything for those kids." Gudknecht, 37, the culinary manager at Chili's in DeWitt, and co-worker Kristopher Hicks, 29, were shot and killed during a robbery at the restaurant around 1 a.m. Saturday, DeWitt police said. Gudknecht, who would have turned 38 on Sept. 29, was one of four managers at the restaurant. Hicks was a cook and server. William D. Wood, Jr., 32, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery, police said. He is an ex-employee of the restaurant and knew the victims by name, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said at a news conference Monday. Two other employees -- a man and a woman -- survived the robbery, police said. Wood intended to kill all four people in the restaurant but at some point police believe his gun jammed, the DA said. "It's so hard," Gudknecht's mother, Nancy Chappell, said, crying. Chris Chappell said he lived with his brother and also used to work at Chili's with him. Their family had a reunion a few weeks ago before Chappell was deployed with the Army. Chappell said he was in Texas, on his way to Africa, when several Chili's workers sent him text messages this weekend saying how sorry they were. Unaware of what had happened, Chappell said he called his mother who told him that his brother was gone. "I just know my brother, he was my idol," Chappell said at a candlelight vigil Sunday night in the Chili's parking lot. "He was the role model for the father that I want to be. He rose up in a way that I didn't know (was) imaginable and became one of the best men I've ever met in my entire life." Gudknecht had a rough time in his early teens. In a 1998 Syracuse Herald-Journal article, Gudnecht described how he started smoking pot at 14. When he was 15, he stole CDs from his parents, sold them for drug money and was arrested for petit larceny. Later, he tried acid, fell into a deep funk and tried to commit suicide. Twice. By the time he was 16, Gudknecht had dropped out of West Genesee High School and had been admitted to three psychiatric hospitals. "I (was) a hell child," he said in the article. "I was somebody who wasn't going to amount to anything." Nancy Chappell and her son Stephen Gudknecht posed in this photo in December 1997 at their home in Camillus. But that was the past. Gudknecht was 17 and more focused on his future when he was featured in the article after completing a 22-week New York National Guard youth program. After completing the program, Gudknecht started working. After a few years, he landed a job at (the now closed) Cora D's restaurant on Milton Avenue in Camillus, Halbritter said. It was there that he learned many of his chef skills, including how to master a mashed potato recipe that Halbritter still raves about today. Gudknecht then went to work at Shifty's Bar & Grill in Syracuse, and later Uno Pizzeria & Grill on Route 31 in Clay. While working at Uno's, he also went to BOCES for training as a heating ventilation and air conditioning technician. But he never left the restaurant business, Halbritter said. "He was great at cooking and he loved it," she said. "That's where his passion was." He started working at Chili's on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt about seven years ago, his co-workers said. Ashley Gunn, who worked at Chili's with Gudknecht and Hicks, said she will always remember how much love Gudknecht had for his children and how he was always willing to help others. "He was always talking about his kids. He loved his kids," she said. "Whenever you needed help, he would stop what he was doing and help you. If you needed something, he was always there for you." Anne Gillis, a family friend, agreed. "Steve was just the greatest guy," she said. "He would do anything for his kids. He worked as many hours as he needed to support his kids." Stephen Gudknecht and his daughter Adrianna, now 14, in an undated photo. Gudknecht didn't hesitate to step up and help his children last year after Halbritter had moved for a third time. Their daughter missed the school she was forced to leave, Halbritter said. "I couldn't get her to go to school," said Halbritter, who moved from Mexico to Oswego last year. "She had anxiety." It was Gudknecht's idea, she said, to have the children live with him. "He really helped her," she said. When Gudknecht and Halbritter broke up eight years ago, he moved in with his mother and step-father, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. But when his daughter needed him, Halbritter said, Gudknecht was there. "All I had to do was call him and he'd be there," she said. Gudknecht rented a home in Camillus. He lived there with his children, his brother and his girlfriend Brittany Ptak. "His drive was his kids," Gudknecht's mom, Nancy Chappell, said. "He just got full custody of his kids last year," she said. "He's been trying to be a full-time dad and work here over 40 hours a week in management. His goal was to make a better life for these kids." Since his father's death, Nikolaus has been living with his mother in Oswego. He plans to return to his fourth grade class at East Hill Elementary in the West Genesee Central School District to say goodbye to his classmates when he's ready, his mom said. But for now, he's still grieving. Adrianna, a ninth grader at West Genesee High School, is now living with her grandmother, her mother said. She's on the honor roll and loving school, which Halbritter said is exactly what Gudknecht would want. "He wanted to do the best for them," Halbritter said. "He was always there." Staff writer Patrick Lohmann contributed to this report Two Gofundme pages have been created: Help Slain Chili's manager family: Created by Stephen Gudknecht's family. Chili's Dewitt tragedy: Created by the family of Angela Halbritter, the mother of Stephen Gudknecht's children. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A woman driving along Bellevue Avenue saw a man who had been stabbed and offered to give him a ride to the hospital Monday afternoon, Syracuse police said. The driver told police she saw the 24-year-old stabbing victim in the 400 block of Bellevue Avenue and drove him to Upstate University Hospital, police spokesman Sgt. Richard Helterline said. She could not provide any details about the man's injury, he said. When police arrived at the hospital shortly after 1 p.m., the injured man refused to provide any details about the stabbing, Helterline said. Police say the man was stabbed in the abdomen and his injury is not considered to be life threatening. "The victim was uncooperative with investigating officers and detectives and refused to provide any details regarding the incident," Helterline said. "At this time, there is no suspect information and the incident location is not known." Syracuse police ask anyone with information about the stabbing to call their Criminal Investigations Division at (315) 442-5222 or submit a tip using the "SPD Tips" app. Syracuse, N.Y. -- When Clarence Jordan was a little boy, his older sister protected him from their drunken father. She would push the little boy under the kitchen table so she could take the lashes from their father's belt. Jordan's father and mother both died of tuberculosis when he was 11. The children were scattered. Jordan was passed from one relative to the next. As a teen, he was at times homeless and lived in a YMCA. Jordan came to Syracuse where he became a legend and found the love he missed. He raised more than $100 million for Syracuse's poorest. He gave strangers what he didn't have: a safe home, a remedy for alcoholism, a place to turn. Instead of being crushed by the tragedy and poverty of his childhood, it became his secret superpower. He was fueled by a deep empathy and determination, friends and family said. He showed people how it felt to be without hope. Then he inspired those people to fill that hole. Jordan died Sept. 8 at the age of 88. He raised money in Syracuse for 50 years, changing the landscape of services for the poor and homeless in the city. His legacy is the Rescue Mission, which he built from a one-building shelter to an agency that serves more than 200,000 meals a year and provides beds for nearly 200 people each night. And there is Mercy Works, which helps poor Syracuse teens find practical paths out of poverty. Jordan's legacy is also an army of people built over the years. They were donors first. Then friends. Jordan showed them Syracuse's poverty and made them care in a way no one else had. *** The joke was that if you saw Jordan coming, you'd go to the other side of the street. If he got you, he got your wallet, said Janet Jordan, his wife of 47 years. "He'd say, 'I want you to come down and see what I'm talking about,' " she said. To see the problem through Jordan's eyes was to become a part of the solution. Kevin Duke, who owns Duke's Root Control, met Jordan the way many people did: giving him money. Duke got a postcard from Jordan asking for money to pay for the library project at Blodgett School in Syracuse. Duke sent off a small donation. Then he moved on. Or so he thought. After he sent the check, Duke got a call from Jordan. He wanted to have lunch. "Clarence was the best fundraiser in the history of fundraising," Duke said. He met you in person to make a big ask. And he always showed you what your money did. He wanted you to stand in front of the thing you helped make. He wanted you to feel the good you did. At that lunch meeting, Jordan wanted Duke to make yet another trip with him: They had to see the library he helped build. Duke was hooked. "We were friends even since," said Duke. Jordan made people love what he loved. That power allowed him to do the profound: He turned Duke, 27 years younger and a Yankee fan, into a Red Sox fan, too. "There was something about the Fenway Park and Clarence. That's where the kid in him came out," Duke said. They made the trip each season, except this spring, when Jordan was feeling too weak to go. *** The Rev. John Carter first knew Clarence Jordan as the youth pastor for Jordan's kids. Then, both men attended First Christian Assembly in Syracuse's Tipp Hill. Carter was in his 20s. Carter went on to start Abundant Life Christian Center, the megachurch in Syracuse's northern suburbs. Jordan and his family became members there. Jordan's message to Carter when he was a young man became one of the pillars of the church: Always take care of the least of us. Though it is out in the suburbs, the church serves the poor in Syracuse through multimillion-dollar projects. "What I captured was a church is really only as great as what it does for the neediest and most forgotten citizens of the community," Carter said. The children of Blodgett Elementary School had been forgotten. Carter was invited to read to them. There, he saw their library was just a few carts of books. "My heart broke," Carter said. The church decided to build the kids a real library. The best library money could buy. Carter enlisted Jordan to help raise the money. Through donations big and small, Jordan piled up $500,000 for a state-of-the-art library at the school. The project came a time when Jordan was struggling. He left the Rescue Mission in 1998. A few years earlier, the Rescue Mission was caught up in an investment scam that cost it $1.3 million. He was able to get the money returned in 1997. But Jordan left the place that he had built long before he was ready to retire. "It was a tough time for a season," Carter said. What got him through it was raising money for the library. And Jordan read to those kids every Monday for six years. Once the library was built, it was clear that the city's kids could use more help than a library. The church founded Mercy Works to do that. Jordan was its money man. He raised funds to buy and then renovate the organization's home on South Salina Street. The renovation seemed like a longshot: it needed $1 million. Don't worry, Jordan told Carter. You just get up and tell them your passion. I'll do the rest, he said. And he did. The two men had more than 50 lunch meetings, each one with 20 or 30 donors at a time. They would tell them how this new place would provide technology training and job training for city kids. It would be a chance to see their way out of poverty and violence. Jordan would follow up, personally, with each potential donor, Carter said. Then they brought those who gave back to Mercy Works when the new building was done and full of kids. You did this, Jordan told them. Synergy is a Mercy Works program. It gives college bound city kids summer jobs. Jordan lined up the companies and made this offer: We'll pay the kids if you hire them. The program employs 50 city kids every summer. There are always at least twice as many applications as spots. Addison Spears went through the program and now works in marketing for Carter's church. Jordan wasn't just raising money for Mercy Works, Spears said. He was there all the time, talking to the kids. He wanted to know their stories. He wanted to know what they needed. "He was always willing to give to the next generation," Spears said. He recalled when he was trying to figure out whether he should to go graduate school for design or for business. Jordan helped him decide. He pointed out that Spears was already good at art and design. Why not study something new? Spears took his advice and got an MBA. Now he serves on the board of Mercy Works, writing its next chapter. *** Jordan hated attention as much he loved raising money. He resisted a Mercy Works scheme to name a building after him. "I said, 'You know what, get over it. The Lord will understand,' " Janet Jordan said, sitting in her living room with one of her daughters and her stepson. She is Jordan's foil: 18 years younger, she is loud, funny and a little irreverent. Mercy Works has its Clarence Jordan Vision Center. The dining center at the Rescue Mission was also named for him. The couple shared a deep faith. Clarence Jordan's religion came from his grandmother. She made him go to church even though she did not. It stuck. He went to Bible school and intended to become a missionary in China, but doors shut there right as he was planning to leave. He worked in Connecticut for a time before coming to Syracuse. Clarence Jordan was in the process of getting a divorce when he met Janet in 1965. She had just gotten out of high school. She left there a few years later, but they stayed friends and married in 1971. She was 23 and he was 39. Jordan and his first wife adopted their son, Steven Jordan. Then Janet and Clarence adopted three more children. Kristin and Shannon came from Korea. Heather is from a little town outside of Fall River, where Clarence Jordan grew up. An agency there called Jordan. They had a baby who needed a home. This baby was meant for us, Jordan told his wife. Clarence Jordan delighted in being the dad he never had. The boy who once stuffed his pockets with peaches from an orchard because he was so hungry took his family out to dinner every Sunday. There were beach vacations every year. Jordan also took joy in woodworking. He'd start with raw pieces and make them into something beautiful. He made the bed that still sits in the bedroom of their house. Janet Jordan ran her hand over the spindle her husband smoothed, sanded and stained. He had a determination to work as hard as he could at what he loved, she said. He got bladder cancer a few years back, but only recently slowed. Over the past few months, Jordan had to trim his daily visits to the gym to just a few times a week. It became harder for him to get around. He canceled his annual Fenway Park trip with Duke. *** Bob Hood has known Jordan almost as long as he'd been in Syracuse. They met more than 40 years ago at a meeting of the Kiwanis Club. Hood was building his real estate business. Jordan was expanding the Rescue Mission. They both were men of faith with a desire to help others. Just a day after they met, Jordan put Hood to work. Hood found himself up a ladder, fixing a roof at a summer camp owned by the Rescue Mission. Just stop by, Jordan had told him. And wear old clothes. The two became fishing buddies and lifelong friends. After Hood built a successful real estate business in Cazenovia, he looked to Jordan's example. Instead of getting richer, Hood decided to sell his company. He'd use the money and his time to help others, he said. He was 52. People thought he was crazy. Or dying. But he wanted a life more like his friend's. "Clarence was revered," Hood said. "He had a tiny house and an old car... he lived the talk." Hood is a full-time philanthropist and proud grandfather of many. He has projects in Central New York and Haiti. He and Jordan two men talked all the time. They met every Wednesday for breakfast. After Jordan's burial, Hood and the other mourners talked about finding a way to fill the hole Jordan's death has left. How could they carry forward what he taught them? They decided to meet regularly for breakfast, like Jordan met with so many of them. Maybe they will just grieve his loss. Or maybe they will find a new project, to take on something Jordan would have fixed. "He touched so many of us," Hood said, "It's incumbent on us to share whatever gifts God gave us with Clarence's energy." Marnie Eisenstadt is an enterprise reporter who writes about people, life and culture in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2246 By Carolyn Davis, Senior Page at Central Library Words have power. When an author uses their skill and creativity to write a story, that power turns into something that can move people in a positive or negative way. Celebrate Banned Books Week (Sept. 23 - 29) and your freedom to read. Find these selections and more at your local Onondaga County Public Library or by visiting www.onlib.org. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson Banned for its encouraging themes of vandalism and destruction of public property. Little Red Riding Hood by Brothers Grimm California elementary schools banned many fairytales from the Brothers Grimm in 1989. This one was banned for the use of alcohol and the effects of it even though none are actually written in the story. The violence was ignored. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats The first color picture book to have a black main character and a lot of people were outraged. Some thought Keats represented black people in a negative way, others said that he couldn't write about a black character because he wasn't black. More controversy happened when the book won the Caldecott Medal because it was believed he created the story so he would get the award. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Banned for portraying child abuse as well as its dark theme and mystic aspects. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L' Engle This science fiction fantasy was banned for being overly religious and anti-Christian. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis This fantasy was banned for violence, gore and mysticism. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne Adorable bear Winnie-the-Pooh was banned because talking animals are supposed to be an "insult to God". Many organizations in the UK and Turkey banned it, believing that Piglet offends Muslims. Some organizations believed the book was speaking about Nazism. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum This classic story was believed to have no value for children and frown upon women in strong leadership roles. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume This book was seen as offensive, disrespectful and corrupt. It was said that the only themes are sex and anti-Christian conduct. Martinsburg, N.Y.-- A Millbrook man was killed and a 9-year-old passenger was seriously injured when the car the man was driving collided head-on with a tractor-trailer in the Lewis County town of Martinsburg. State Police said Terence B. Gamble, 44, of Millbrook in Dutchess County, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on State Route 12. His 9-year-old passenger was airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in critical condition, police said. The Watertown Daily Times identified the boy as Lukas E. Gamble, of Danbury, Connecticut. He was listed in critical condition at the hospital late Monday afternoon. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Robert L. Armstrong Jr., 47, of Florida, was not injured, police said. The crash occurred at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said Terence Gamble was driving a 2008 Honda Civic south on Route 12 when, for unknown reasons, his vehicle crossed into the northbound lane and collided with the tractor-trailer. Police said their investigation was continuing. Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 Jennifer Rubin writes reported opinion from a center-right perspective for The Washington Post. By Jennifer Rubin | The Washington Post The Washington Post reports that "in the case of federal judge Brett Kavanaugh -- whose Supreme Court nomination is suddenly endangered after a woman accused him of sexual assault in high school -- President Donald Trump on Monday was uncharacteristically muted." For once, Trump took the advice of White House aides. Why was he a model of discipline and self-restraint on this topic but on no others, including and especially the Russia investigation? For one thing, the result is out of his hands and uncertain. Kavanaugh's nomination is not a done deal, and smarter White House aides know it. As The Post noted, "The president's comments underscored the hesitation inside the White House to rush into war on Kavanaugh's behalf." While White House counsel Donald McGahn and Federalist Society guru Leonard Leo (who put Kavanaugh on the list and would be humiliated if his nomination failed) were gung-ho, some "urged a more restrained approach, at least at first, preferring to watch the process play out before Trump inextricably binds himself to a problematic nominee." In other words, Trump might need an out. It's not hard to see why Kavanaugh could be in deep trouble. It's not simply that Kavanaugh must be convincing -- most likely copping to apparent excessive drinking but emphatic that he didn't do anything criminal when intoxicated. Republicans' larger problem is that to save Kavanaugh's nomination, Christine Blasey Ford has to seem unconvincing. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., put it best. "As soon as this allegation was no longer anonymous and corroborated, then, you know, we were in this situation. So this is the best route forward," he said. "Obviously if you believe the charges are true, then you vote no, and all you can do is have the hearing." He didn't say that if they both seem credible, vote yes; he said if she is believable, vote no. Therefore, Republicans either must tear Ford down to destroy her credibility (making themselves look like ogres weeks before an election in which women are already hostile toward them) -- or they risk allowing her to show the American people how credible, sincere and certain she is in her memory. Making matters worse: Trump's usual strategy is to portray female accusers as desperate floozies, but Republicans are going to find it hard to paint an accomplished academic as a nut case trying to make a name for herself. Trump might be dismayed if Republicans are hesitant to take the scorched-earth approach, both because it might fail and because, they might recall, decades prior to the MeToo movement, Republicans' attempt to smear Anita Hill resulted in the "Year of the Woman," a raft of new Democratic women elected to Congress. It's not a good look to be in the pack of all male Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee accusing Ford of cooking up a fake story or operating under some kind of delusion. If Republican inquisitors don't know the answers -- and without preliminary inquiries, they won't -- they are bound to ask questions for which Ford has really good answers, such as on why she waited years to come forward. (Senator, since no one has attempted to rape you, you probably don't understand the shame and guilt one feels, especially as a teenager.) She might have a whole lot more detail to recall than they imagine. (Well, senator, now that you ask, I remember precisely which house it was.) In their frenzy to get this over with, Republicans might be going from the frying pan into the fire. If it looks as though Kavanaugh is going down, Republicans including Trump will be in deep trouble with their base. You had a respected appellate court judge and no filibuster, and you still couldn't deliver!? The longer Kavanaugh hangs in there, the closer to the election would be any disastrous conclusion to Kavanaugh's nomination. And, with only weeks before the midterms that look increasingly bleak for Republicans, GOP senators will have a hard time convincing their base that Trump will just name someone better and get him or her through after the midterms. Yes, for once, this White House seems to comprehend just how perilous the situation is. But do Republican senators? John W. Mannion, of Geddes, is a candidate for the 50th District New York State Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. John DeFrancisco. Mannion is running on the Democratic, Working Families and Women's Equality party lines. By John W. Mannion As a first-time candidate for office, meeting with voters on their porches and doorsteps these last few weeks have been rewarding but also brought home that Central New Yorkers no longer feel like Albany is working for them. I've lived here my whole life, growing up in Tipp Hill and moving back right after college to teach and start a family. I've advocated for years for the children in my classroom, against a broken test and punish system that is harming our kids and for other common sense solutions that would help Central New York families thrive. Too often though, whether it is the pay-to-play culture or just an entrenched system, I too have felt ignored by our elected officials. I'm running for state Senate because I want to be a part of the solution and put public service at the forefront. Even efforts to bring good-paying jobs back to Central New York get twisted by our broken system. Businesses compete with donations to politicians for the latest government handout. The best ideas for creating jobs and growing our economy lose out to the schemes well-connected political insiders. Lately, the stories of self-dealing by career politicians of both parties are seemingly endless. We must enact common-sense reforms immediately so that we can provide the public service that Central New York deserves, including: 1 . Term limits for all New York state elected officials, including a maximum of seven terms for state senators. Oftentimes politicians talk about term limits when running in vague terms, then nothing ever happens. I want to offer a specific term for state Senate. Fourteen years, the same a state Supreme Court justice, is plenty of time to make a difference without making it a career. 2. Get big money out of our politics. Specifically, close the LLC loophole, which allows corporations, often owned by the same people, to donate thousands each, going around the normal contribution limits. Furthermore we need to cap contributions to so-called "soft money" campaign committees, currently special interests can dump unlimited funds into these committees. There are common-sense ways to fix these holes in our campaign finance system that have for too long been stalled by career politicians. 3. Ban outside income for state legislators. Public service should be a calling, not a means of enriching yourself or friends and family. In recent years, politicians have been convicted of crimes including steering business to personal law firms or getting plush jobs for family members. You can't serve the public if you are more concerned about another career. 4. A truly independent redistricting commission to end gerrymandering. The constitutional amendment that passed in 2014 that allowed for a Legislature-appointed commission is a good first step, but we need to go further. Let independent experts determine communities of interest without influence of elected officials. Under the current system, if politicians don't like the lines as drawn in 2021, they can still appeal and fight it out in the courts. This leads to cities like Auburn and Syracuse in the 50th district being carved up, and towns like Clay and Cicero being in totally different districts. Voters should pick their elected officials, not the other way around. 5. Comptroller oversight of publicly funded projects. The Procurement Integrity Act, supported by both Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Sen. John DeFrancisco, that would restore independent oversight on these projects was passed, 60-2, with bipartisan support. This oversight was removed from certain projects seven years ago and many instances of self-dealing between elected officials, well-connected political insiders and their agents could have been prevented. We must restore integrity to these public projects; they are too important to fail. Central New Yorkers depend on the jobs that are promised at the beginning to materialize at the end. Bringing jobs, creating affordable and accessible healthcare options, expanding vocational and technical programs in our public schools - all of these things and more are desperately needed here in Central New York. It all starts, though, with ending the pay-to-play culture in Albany. I'm a teacher, a dad and a lifelong Central New Yorker, not a politician. We can't depend on career politicians to fix Albany, we have to do it ourselves and this is my plan to get it done on day one. WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's new tariffs on Chinese imports could fuel record growth at a Central New York factory that has become America's last maker of stainless steel flatware, the company's co-founder said Tuesday. "It could be a game changer," said Greg Owens, CEO of Sherrill Manufacturing in Oneida County. "Certainly, a 10 percent tariff will have everyone's attention." Trump on Monday night announced the U.S. would impose tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports, affecting consumer products from air conditioners to forks and knives. The 10 percent tariff, effective Sept. 24, will increase to 25 percent in the new year, Trump administration officials said. A 194-page list of items subject to the tariff includes sets of Chinese-made stainless-steel flatware and higher-grade stainless-steel forks that have some nickel content. More than 70 percent of flatware imports to the United States come from China, Owens said, increasing chances that some producers will look to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Sherill Manufacturing makes its own Liberty Tabletop brand of flatware in the former Oneida Ltd. plant in the city of Sherrill. The company has the capacity to quadruple or quintuple its production, Owens said. "I would imagine at some point in time the phone will be ringing at Sherrill Manufacturing from an importer trying to move some production back to the United States," Owens said. Indonesia, Vietnam and India also have factories that produce flatware exported to the United States, but those plants don't have the capacity to make up for China's share of the market, Owens said. Sherrill Manufacturing has already increased production this year by more than 30 percent as revenue topped $5 million. The company's workforce has grown from 42 to 54 in the past year. Owens and co-founder Matt Roberts are former Oneida Ltd. executives who bought the company's plant in Sherrill for $1 million on March 22, 2005 and reopened it the next day as Sherrill Manufacturing. Oneida Ltd. once employed 2,500 people, who produced 3.5 million forks, knives and spoons per week. The company transferred production overseas and no longer makes its products in the United States. Sherrill Manufacturing found a niche in the silverware market by selling its Liberty Tabletop brand directly to consumers through its website. Trump has celebrated the firm's success by inviting Owens and Roberts to the White House for two consecutive years to display their silverware in a "Made in America Product Showcase." Trump had previously imposed tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese products in July, but that first wave affected mainly industrial products. China retaliated to the latest tariffs on Tuesday by imposing import taxes on $60 billion in American goods. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Dave Valesky is a long shot to win the not-yet-settled Democratic primary for a state Senate seat he's held for 14 years. But even without the D-line, Valesky still poses a threat to Rachel May, the challenger who upended him in an election last week. May finished primary day with a 600 vote lead over Valesky in the race for the 53rd State Senate District. Valesky hasn't conceded, saying he's waiting on the results of more than 1,000 outstanding absentee ballots. He'd need to win more than 80 percent of those ballots to win the line, which seems unlikely. Valesky, however, will be on November's ballot no matter how those absentee ballots break (as would May). He's got money, the name recognition that comes with incumbency and a weak Republican opponent, which could be enough motivation for him to stay in the race. He's been endorsed by the Independence Party, earning him a spot on the ballot. That's one of the lines that Mayor Ben Walsh rode to victory in Syracuse last fall, campaigning as an independent. Per New York election law, there's no way for Valesky to give up that line, even if he wanted to. He could, however, choose to suspend his campaign and urge his supporters to back May. After election day results came in, Valesky wouldn't say whether he would continue campaigning if he loses the Democratic nomination, or endorse May. "That's a question that I'll have to certainly discuss with family and friends and see where we go from here," Valesky said Thursday night. If he stays in the race, he's likely to draw the ire of some local Democrats. The party has split with itself often in recent years, raising questions and concerns over loyalty to the party and its candidates. That reared its head last year when many Democratic leaders abandoned the party to back Walsh for mayor over the party's candidate. Thursday's close primary shows Valesky clearly has a base of support in the party. As a longtime member of the Independent Democratic Conference in Albany -- a rogue group of Democrats that allied with Republicans -- he could make an effort to attract the district's 42,000 unaffiliated voters in November and its 47,000 registered Republicans. Valesky has pitched himself as an independent for years, citing that independence as a reason for his involvement in the IDC. Last month he said his voting record makes him a strong general election candidate. "I do hear repeatedly that people are looking for an independent-minded legislator, and I think I've always done that regardless of the internal power structure in the Senate," Valesky said in an interview last month. "I've always put people over party." Valesky still has 10 times more money than May and the institutional support that comes from 14 years in state office. As of early September, Valesky had $396,582 compared to May's $40,678. In an interview Friday, May acknowledged that she'll need to attract some of the institutional support Valesky has traditionally carried. That work, she said, has already begun. Late Friday evening, May's campaign announced an endorsement from the New York State United Teachers, the state's largest education union. "We've already heard from a number of groups that want to endorse me and support my campaign," May said. "When you're running against a longtime incumbent, a lot of that isn't available. He had a lot of support from the unions and the Democratic establishment here. He earned that over the years, so I need to earn that now. We need to make sure we have the support of people who might not have supported me in the primary." Prior to Valesky, the 53rd District Senate seat was held by a Republican. Nancy Larraine Hoffman was elected to the state Senate as a Democrat in 1984 but switched to the Republican Party in 1998. Hoffman narrowly lost to Valesky in 2004. Her supporters blamed the loss, in part, on Tom Dadey, who ran on the Conservative Party line after losing to Hoffman in a Republican primary. Dadey's presence split the Republican vote, delivering a victory for Valesky. This year's Republican candidate, Janet Burman, has not shown much activity in her campaign so far. She's a frequent flyer in local elections, having unsuccessfully run for state Senate, Congress, Onondaga County Legislature and Syracuse Common Council. As of early September, Burman had raised about $2,500 from a small handful of donors, including a $1,500 donation from herself. She's spent just a few hundred dollars campaigning -- mostly contributions to fellow Republicans like John Katko or bookkeeping fees at her bank. Valesky could also appears on the Women's Equality Party line in November. He appeared on that line in a primary, but faced a write-in challenge from Burman. Valesky received one vote on that line and there were two write-in votes cast. The results of that race should be available this week. The absentee ballots in the Democratic primary will be counted Thursday and a winner will be named. Valesky will then have to decide whether or not to keep in the race. WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Joe Biden, who was scrutinized for his handling of sexual harassment allegations made in Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' 1991 Senate confirmation hearings, said Monday night that any woman's public claims of assault should be presumed to be true. Asked for his thoughts on the allegations of sexual assault made Sunday against federal judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, Biden said the episode "brings back all of the complicated issues that were there" nearly three decades ago. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden presided over the confirmation hearings for Thomas during which Anita Hill alleged the nominee had sexually harassed her while he was her boss. Biden allowed personal and probing of Hill from the all-male Senate panel, and though he voted not to confirm Thomas and later apologized for his handling of the hearings. Biden, a Syracuse University College of Law alumnus who is considered a possible 2020 presidential candidate, was asked by reporters Monday night whether he believed Hill's claims. "Oh, I thought she was telling the truth at the beginning," Biden said. "I really did." Speaking generally, Biden added, "For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you've got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she's talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not it's been made worse or better over time. But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron." Biden made his comments to a handful of reporters during a reception at the residence of Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall to celebrate the publication of the new Cambridge History of Ireland, where the former vice president gave lengthy remarks about Ireland and his family's roots there. Biden defended Sen. Dianne Feinstein's handling of allegations against Kavanaugh. The California senator, who is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, did make the claims public when she first learned of them. The accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, wished to remain anonymous, but eventually shared her story with The Washington Post in an article published Sunday. "Dianne's getting beat up now for why didn't she go forward," Biden said. "The one thing that's not said is, of all the progress we've made in the country, #metoo, you still have the fundamental question of, what is the individual's right to come forward or not to come forward?" Biden noted that Feinstein sits on the Judiciary Committee because he insisted when she got elected in 1992 that she, as well as newly elected Sen. Carol Mosley Braun, D-Ill., join what had been an all-male committee. "Neither one wanted to be on and I campaigned for them on the condition that if they won they had to come on the committee," Biden said. Reflecting on the Hill hearings, Biden said, "The one regret I have is I wish there had been a way I could've controlled the questions. But you can't in a committee. Remember, when they went after the last victim [Hill], I kept trying to gavel, but there was no way to say, 'You can't ask that question.' " Biden said he convened more than 1,000 hours of hearings on domestic violence and assault as he crafted the Violence Against Women Act, one of his signature achievements in the Senate. He reflected on the emotional trauma associated with women who come forward with allegations. "For all, it's damaging," Biden said. "For some, it's devastating." As the questions from reporters continued, Biden's staffers grew visibly uncomfortable with him holding forth on the topic. The former vice president ignored their nudges to move along and mingle with other guests - preferably non-journalists - who had packed into Mulhall's living room to see him. Then one question got him to cut off the impromptu gaggle. Asked whether it mattered that Ford's claims of assault by Kavanaugh occurred when the judge was 17 and in high school, Biden demurred. "What I'm going to do is I'm not going to answer any more questions," the former vice president said, with a laugh. "I'd be happy to talk about Ireland." A man who threatened President Donald Trump in June has eluded federal agents across six states and Canada, prompting school closures in an Ohio town after authorities said he sped off the road there in a stolen truck. Authorities say Shawn Richard Christy, 27, has made threats against numerous officials, including Trump, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and a Pennsylvania district attorney. A federal warrant for his arrest was issued June 19. "Keep it up Morganelli, I promise I'll put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump," Christy wrote that day on Facebook, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. He referred to John Morganelli, the Northhampton County district attorney east of Christy's hometown of McAdoo, Pennsylvania. Christy is a self-proclaimed survivalist familiar with dense wooded areas in eastern Pennsylvania, said Robert Clark, the U.S. marshal supervising deputy of the investigation. "He feels he can operate in the woods without human contact, and that has presented a challenge for us," Clark told The Washington Post on Tuesday. About a dozen agents are looking for Christy each day, which Clark said makes it a challenge to scour vast thickets of woods he has been known to frequent. Agents had hunted through a 55,000-acre area near his home, Clark said. Christy has also allegedly stolen numerous cars, pistols and a shotgun in his cross-border escape. Authorities believe that includes a pickup truck stolen in Pennsylvania on Sunday and recovered later in the afternoon in Mansfield, Ohio. That prompted school closures in the town Monday and Tuesday as authorities searched the area, Fox Cleveland reported. Clark said authorities involved in the search, including the FBI and Secret Service, think he is still in Ohio. Clark said Christy's parents reported a cryptic Facebook message he sent to them, saying he "was slowed down a bit" after injuring his knee in a "getaway" in Maryland. "Stay safe, I have a mission to complete," the message said. Clark believes Christy was referring to an incident in Cumberland, Maryland, in August, when a civilian found a man identified as Christy sleeping in a car. He fled the area, Clark said. "At this point, we don't know what that mission is," he said. Christy's path has also cut through northern New York, West Virginia and Kentucky. He has multiple arrest warrants in Pennsylvania and said he will use "full lethal force on any law enforcement officer that tries to detain me," marshals said. He pleaded guilty in 2011 to harassing Palin's attorneys with hundreds of threatening phone calls and was sentenced to probation, the Morning Call reported, then spent two years in federal prison after he left a halfway house in violation of his sentence. He speaks with a noticeable lisp, the marshals said. There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. As Americans in North and South Carolina make it out of the Florence floodwaters, they face another daunting task: figuring out whether they can afford to rebuild. Few have flood insurance in the areas with the worst destruction. Home insurance does not typically cover flooding, a fact many realize the hard way. People have to purchase a separate flood insurance policy at least a month in advance of a major storm to be eligible for reimbursement. Only about one in 10 homes have flood insurance in the counties hit by Florence, according to a Washington Post analysis comparing the number of policies in National Flood Insurance Program data with the number of housing units in counties hit by the storm. Milliman, an actuarial firm, found similar results. In Craven County, North Carolina, which is home to New Bern, a city that has dominated headlines for severe flooding and hundreds of rescues, 9.9 percent have flood insurance. In Wilmington, which is located in New Hanover County and has also seen devastating flooding, slightly more -- 14.2 percent -- have flood insurance, according to The Washington Post analysis. Florence has caused historic flooding around New Bern and Wilmington, two parts of the southeast coast with some of the lowest take-up rates for flood insurance. The federal government requires flood insurance in parts of the country that are designated as "special flood hazard areas," but many homeowners and renters still do not get it because it is too expensive or they do not believe they are truly at risk. The government does little to enforce the requirement, leaving it mainly up to banks to mandate flood insurance as a condition of getting a home mortgage. Some wrongly believe they do not need insurance because they can rely on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants, but those cover only up to $33,000 in damages. The typical payout is a few thousand dollars. Flood insurance, in contrast, covers up to $250,000 for the home and another $100,000 for possessions. Shawn Spencer in Wilmington, North Carolina, spent much of Saturday raking debris out of the ditches in front of his home, hoping that would keep his property from flooding. Like many, he was not sure whether he had flood insurance for his home and the bike shop he runs as a small business. "I'm not 100 percent certain if I've got it," said Spencer, 47, who has lived in Wilmington his entire life and cannot remember flooding this bad. "The government is forever moving the flood plain." A key issue with Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Harvey last year is that some of the worst flooding occurred inland, sometimes in areas that were not FEMA-designated flood hazard zones. In some coastal communities, such as the Outer Banks, flood insurance take up rates are upward of 60 percent, but the rate of people with flood insurance drops off sharply just a few miles in from the coastline. "When people hear they aren't in a FEMA flood zone, they often think there's no risk their area will flood," said John Rollins, an actuary at Milliman who specializes in insurance for catastrophe events. As catastrophic flooding continues to occur beyond the coastline, FEMA is trying to warn Americans that anywhere it rains can flood. "Just one inch of floodwater in a home can cause $25,000 worth of damage," David Maurstad, FEMA's deputy associate administrator for insurance and mitigation, said on CNBC on Monday. "People think their homeowner policy may cover them from flooding, and it doesn't." Low-income families are particularly at risk. They are even less likely to have flood insurance and the lack a financial cushion to pay for hotel rooms to ride out the storm, let alone funds to rebuild. Many low-income families will turn to FEMA for aid money, but the average FEMA grant last year in the wake of Hurricane Harvey was only $4,300. That is not enough to replace a trailer home, and it is far below the average flood insurance claim of $115,000. The federal government's other main program to help people who have severely damaged homes from flooding is a Small Business Administration loan, but low-income people often fail to qualify for the low-interest SBA loans because they do not have good credit, says Carolyn Kousky, director of policy research at the Wharton Risk Center. "FEMA grants are a few thousand dollars. They won't get your home back to pre-disaster conditions," Kousky said. "When people see headlines about Congress passing $15 billion in hurricane aid, they think it's going to households, but most of it is going to infrastructure and local governments." MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defense ministry said Tuesday. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. The Russian military said that the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers (22 miles) offshore late Monday as it was returning to its home base nearby. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, later on Tuesday to say that Israel is "fully to blame" for the deaths, the ministry said. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. Both the Israeli military and Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment on the Russian claim. The Russian Defense Ministry said a recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway and that it has already located the wreckage in the sea and has retrieved some bodies and some fragments of the plane. The Kremlin sounded cautious in the aftermath of the attack, refusing to comment on a potential row with Israel. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that the Kremlin is "analyzing the situation" and does not want to speak further at this point. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Russia's dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of the Syrian government, after a year of airstrikes by the U.S. and its coalition partners against the Islamic State group, increased the specter of dangerous confrontations in the skies over Syria. Turkey's troops are also on the ground in northern Syria and are patrolling the skies over the region as Ankara seeks to ramp up its influence there and curb the expansion of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against archenemy Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. Throughout the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained continuous contact with Russia. Netanyahu frequently travels to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Syria issue. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at the Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel's Army Radio station that the shooting down is problematic both militarily and internally from a Russian perspective. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said. The plane crashed only hours after the leaders of Russia and Turkey reached an agreement to avert an all-out offensive by government forces to retake Syria's last remaining rebel stronghold in Idlib. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday called the deal "a landmark and crucial agreement for Syria's future" and said the shooting down of the plane will have no impact on that deal. In Damascus, Syria's foreign ministry welcomed the agreement, while vowing that it will continue the fight against "terrorism until liberating the last inch of the Syrian territory, whether through military operations or through local reconciliations." Iran also welcomed the agreement, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeting: "Diplomacy works." Warren said the reception is one of her favorite parts of the process because it gives people a chance to learn about artistic inspiration. She had fabric art displayed in the first show in 2013, but took herself out of the running for future programs because of her position on the commission. In brief: Its been a busy few weeks for OnePlus, with the Chinese company making headlines related to several of its upcoming products. Now, the firm has announced it is teaming up with Google for a competition called OnePlus Crackables, which will see one lucky winner grab an ultimate gaming setup worth $30,000. OnePlus Crackables is a mobile web game that involves players competing against each other to solve a series of puzzles, or crypto-challenges. Its open to people worldwide and is accessed with a handset using a mobile web browserthere are no special apps to download. The first 1000 players who manage to beat Crackables' initial three challenges qualify for the next round and will be sent physical microcontrollers to continue playing in the competition. The ultimate prize is a 30-grand gaming setup, though OnePlus hasnt revealed any details about what it might entail. At that price, there must be some pretty serious hardwarecould an Acer Thronos-style gaming chair be included? Additionally, those who place second and third will receive mystery prizes. Crackables was developed by Sleep Deprivation Lab, which was founded by Red Dead Redemptions lead designer and co-writer, Christian Cantamessa. The company has also worked on Rise of Tomb Raider, The Crew, Forza Horizon, Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. To develop the campaign, OnePlus also worked with the APAC division of Google Zoo, which helps brands and agencies unlock the creative potential of Google technology. Crackables starts today (September 18) at 8AM EST. Head over to crackables.oneplus.com on your mobile to try it out. In other OnePlus news, the company yesterday revealed that it will expand into the smart TV market, possibly next year. Additionally, it's been confirmed that its highly anticipated OnePlus 6T won't feature a headphone jack. WTF?! Nintendos Switch is the companys most popular and best-reviewed console in years, with almost 15 million units sold in 2017more than the Wii Us lifetime sales. It seems some people will go to extreme lengths to get hold of one without paying, including sending a young child inside a BarBerCut Lite cabinet. The incident, which was captured on film at a shopping mall at Rockingham Park, New Hampshire, was shared on Facebook by Salem NH Police Department. Authorities are asking for help identifying the man, who is described as a "bearded Hispanic between 20 and 30 years old." In the videofilmed by two young boys and modified by the police department to protect the childrens identitythe man is seen peering into the BarBerCut Lite arcade game. Bandai Namcos machine uses two control buttons that move scissors, with the aim being to cut a string and drop the attached prizes, which are usually higher-value items than those found in traditional claw grabber cabinets. We see the man removing a couple of prizes before a young girl appears from inside. A hostess at a restaurant opposite alerted security after hearing customers talking about the incident. Hannah Forese, a hostess at the Red Robin restaurant, told The Union Leader that the man grabbed multiple prizes, but she only saw a Nintendo Switch and a Gameboy DS [presumably a Nintendo 3DS]. Police are asking anyone recognizing the man, who was also accompanied by a boy aged between 5 7 years old, to contact them on Facebook or call Detective Joshua Dempsey. Why it matters: Tesla CEO Elon Musk could be in hot water as the DOJ has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into Tesla over tweets he made about taking the company private last month. Musk has since said he plans to keep the company public but the potential market manipulation already took place. The Justice Department has reportedly launched a criminal probe into Tesla following statements made by CEO Elon Musk on Twitter last month. Two anonymous sources familiar with the matter tell Bloomberg News that the investigation is running alongside a previously reported civil inquiry by securities regulators. It's in an early stage, Bloomberg notes, adding that probes like this can take several months and sometimes end with prosecutors deciding not to take action. Musk on August 7 said on Twitter that he was considering taking Tesla private once its stock hit $420, adding that funding had already been secured. He later clarified that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund had expressed interest in financing the endeavor but after further consideration, decided it was best for Tesla to remain a public company. On Monday, Saudi Arabia said it had agreed to invest $1 billion into rival Lucid Motors to help with the commercial launch of its first electric vehicle in 2020. Tesla has not publicly commented on the DOJ probe as of this writing. When reached for comment by Bloomberg, Abraham Simmons, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorneys office in San Francisco, declined to comment on the matter. Share value in the company is down 4.73 percent on the news. Musk announced last night during a live webcast that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be the first person (along with eight people of his choosing) to fly around the Moon aboard SpaceXs next generation vehicle, the BFR. A Samsung Galaxy Note 9 unit burst into flames inside a woman's purse, bringing back memories of the Galaxy Note 7 exploding battery fiasco that stretched from 2016 to 2017. It is too early to say that the Galaxy Note 9 is suffering from the same quality issues that plagued the Galaxy Note 7, but it should be very concerning for Samsung to have its latest flagship device linked with the failed smartphone. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Bursts Into Flames Real estate agent Diane Chung from Long Island, New York claimed in a lawsuit against Samsung that she suffered a "traumatic" experience when her Galaxy Note 9 suddenly burst into flames inside her purse. Chung was riding in an elevator just after midnight last Sept. 3 when she felt her brand new Galaxy Note 9 getting "extremely hot" while using it. She placed it in her purse, but then heard a "whistling and screeching sound," followed by thick smoke. Chung placed her bag on the elevator floor and tried to remove its contents, burning her fingers as she grabbed the smoking Galaxy Note 9. The woman started to become "extremely panicked," as she was alone in the elevator. She pressed the elevator buttons while the thick smoke was making it hard for her to see. Fortunately, the elevator reached the lobby, where she kicked the Galaxy Note 9 out of the lift. The smartphone kept burning, until a helpful man wrapped it around a piece of cloth and dropped it in water. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Exploding Batteries A Samsung spokesman said that the company has not received any reports of similar incidents involving the Galaxy Note 9, which should be good news for now. The company certainly does not want a repeat of the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, which plagued the company for a year starting in 2016. Samsung lost billions of dollars due to the Galaxy Note 7 exploding battery issue, with the company's investigation revealing that two different battery manufacturers came with two different flaws. Samsung implemented new safety standards to make sure that the debacle will never happen again, and started working on developing solid-state batteries to replace the problematic lithium-ion batteries. Record-breaking Galaxy Note 8 preorders revealed that Samsung fans already forgot about the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco after a year. However, apparently, all it takes is one Samsung smartphone catching fire to bring up all these memories. Hopefully, the Galaxy Note 9 that caught fire was a fluke, and that the situation will not devolve into the smartphone following the flaming footsteps of the Galaxy Note 7. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Perhaps we all have a little corner in our hearts for the places where were from, where we grew up and learned how to drive, where we started becoming who we are. Im from here, I learned to drive in that Blue Cross parking lot. And, frankly, I bristle at the hate we pile on this city day in and day out. Could things be better in the BTR? Hell yes. In no order, I want better public schools, traffic solutions, less crime, more open-mindedness, fewer children living in poverty, more folks working together and to be able to go somewhere, I mean anywhere, without risking my life at the hands of Baton Rouge drivers. Everything is not perfect here, but a lot of yall act as if everythings perfect everywhere but here. The favorite pastime in Baton Rouge, when LSUs not playing, is bashing the Red Stick, as if Baton Rouge is the worst place in the world, the end of all things cultural and good, a vast wasteland devoid of value. Baton Rouges critics are quick to point out that its not New Orleans, as if folks from here ever said that it was. As if proximity to other cities dictates the worth of your own. New Orleans is an amazing city that has its own little piece of my heart. Its home to some of the best food and most vibrant culture in the world almost any city is going to feel a little less shiny next to that. And, not to pick, but go read some headlines from New Orleans. Its not all Mardi Gras Indians, beignets or whatever NOLA stereotype youve got in mind. No place is perfect. Its trite, but true: no ones going to love you until you love yourself, Baton Rouge. I dont want to be from New Orleans or Lafayette or any other town that youre going to hold up as the gold standard of Louisiana culture, to which youll say Baton Rouge will never compare. Im from Baton Rouge, where Louies makes my hash browns and Mary Lee makes my doughnuts. I remember when our mayor wasnt even from here. Where To Go, What To Eat Each week we'll highlights the best eats and events in metro Baton Rouge. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Im from Baton Rouge, where Mike is my pet and its hot and humid as hell. I lived here when we became the 225, Hurricane Gustav blew out my power for two weeks, and I watched friends houses flood not that long ago. I remember the smell of that old Goodwood Library, hiding in the stacks piling up more books than Mom would let me check out. I spent my summers playing in BREC parks, where I also had my first dance lessons. (Recitals at the Centroplex, naturally.) How can we best describe Baton Rouge drivers? 'Overly aggressive' or 'forcefully polite?' Ask anyone who drives in this town and youll get a diatribe about traffic so vicious it might bite, about backups so unnecessary theyll make I grew up in the shadow of Tiger Stadium, watched Shaq play college ball over at the PMAC. We had Sunday suppers after church and went swimming at my grandparents in Shenandoah. My grandmother made us homemade ice cream. I remember when downtown was a ghost town, then when they told us downtown was coming back. Step back and look at downtown now, bustling with events and people, no longer deserted after 5 p.m. I wore my highest heels to Tsunami when it first opened because everyone said it was too hip to be in Baton Rouge. Ive seen summer musicals at the Little Theatre and have thrown pennies in the fountains at Cortana Mall. I got my drivers license at that DMV on Independence Boulevard, which is where, incidentally, I got into my first minor wreck. No, I dont want to talk about it. I cowered in fear under the Scary Jesus at Sacred Heart Church and, perhaps, behaved slightly better during Mass under his watchful eye. I was once almost saved at the Jefferson Baptist Bible school because no one told em I was already Catholic. (My Moms friend had taken us with her for the week, because families help out other families here.) Bless Your Heart: Dating apps can turn your phone into the most awkward place in the world The other day, as I was conducting my daily swipe through of the single guys in the city, a line on a Bumble profile jumped out at me. This gu My Mama worked for the state and my Daddy did some work out at Exxon. Tonys Seafood is the best, and Ill wait in the line during Lent for it. My names on the wall at The Chimes, too. Maybe my Baton Rouge life was more blessed than most. Or, maybe we all need to stop, remember some good stuff about this place, which is both not totally broken and also worth making better. Frank Holthouse, director of career and community outreach for Leyden District 212, has been focused on expanding students knowledge of their post-secondary options at Leyden since he started in this position three years ago. Thats meant working to expand the trades fair, an event Holthouse said has been at the district for about 10 years but used to take place only at West Leyden. Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul and Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome plan to form a citizen council to advise and support the police chief in another effort to improve community-police relations and boost law enforcement transparency. The idea flows from a summer dialogue series on race and policing, where community members and leaders including local law enforcement discussed how racism has continued to influence law enforcement efforts and policy. "(The council) would certainly be a part of keeping the chief abreast of situations in the community, give their viewpoints on prevalent issues that are taking place around law enforcement and the community and also give recommendations on police and community relations," Broome said. She met last week with a group of dialogue participants, including Paul, and said she is excited to adopt their recommendations. +4 Baton Rouge's mayor sent recommendations following dialogue on race and policing A dialogue on race and policing in Baton Rouge has led to recommendations that Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome set up a council to work w However, the details for the chief's advisory council like who it will include and how it will operate have not yet been clearly set. But both Paul and Broome said they are committed to its formation and appreciate that community members will drive its work. "I envision the council will not just be to solicit input on community concerns when it relates to policing, but also to inform them of things going on in the police department," Paul said. He said he also wants the council members to receive some kind of training to understand the work of officers. Broome said she plans to have the chief's council grow from the committee she created last December to assist in the selection process for the new police chief, leading to the appointment of Paul. That committee included some elected leaders, like state Rep. Ted James and Metro Council members Tara Wicker and LaMont Cole, but also community leaders like educator and Together Baton Rouge member Jennifer Carwile, local business owner Jan Bernard and pastors Errol Domingue and Tommie Gipson. Broome said she does not plan to have any of the elected officials on the council, and then hopes to have an appointment process to expand the council. +4 Fourth and final session discussing race and policing in Baton Rouge finishes with action plans The fourth and final session of the Dialogue on Race and Policing concluded Friday with action plans formed by participants to address issues "A chiefs council is just that: they offer counsel, they offer advice, they offer recommendations," Broome said. "Their only agenda, as I saw it, was to improve relations between the police and citizens. They recognize the challenges the police officers have as well as the citizens." And while Wicker is on board with such a mission, she is concerned about how that almost directly overlaps with a body already in place: the police community ambassador's program. Wicker and Councilman Trae Welch founded the ambassador program after more than two years of collaboration from community input and conversations. "There are some concerns, and rightly so," Wicker said. "One thing we dont want to do is duplicate efforts. ... It would do us good to work all together to improve, opposed to creating things on top of each other. At the end of the day I think it confuses the community." Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up She said since they began working on the ambassador program, they have had the support from the two most recent mayoral administrations, under former Mayor-President Kip Holden and Broome, as well as Paul and former Police Chief Carl Dabadie. The group officially graduated its first 20 members into the program in February, representing all areas of the city to better merge the police and community. "I have no idea what the intentions or mission of the group are, but if it's in line with what the community police ambassador program is trying to accomplish, it would seem that system is already in place," Wicker said. "Why not work within the system?" First class of community police ambassadors graduate from training, look ahead to work awaiting them A group of some 20 people graduated Tuesday night in the first class of Baton Rouge community police ambassadors aimed at bridging the gap bet But she said, they are open to teamwork and collaboration if it turns out to be appropriate. Neither Paul or Broome would say say exactly how the two entities would operate together, because the details of the chief's council remain uncertain. Both said they hope they would work in conjunction. "The Police Community Ambassador Program will be represented on the chiefs council alongside other community organizations and community leaders," Broome said. Paul also noted that he hopes the chief's council will be a body that can help his department's employees receive a pay raise they have been pursuing for years. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome to choose new Baton Rouge police chief by end of the year East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome completed her interviews Friday of the last two of the five finalists for the Bat "Once they see what we do every day and the great work of the men and women of the Baton Rouge Police Department, (they can) help support us to pay that we need," Paul said. The summer dialogue group, led by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, a national nonprofit working to secure equal justice, and Dialogue on Race Louisiana, a local nonprofit working to eradicate racism, also recommended two other initiatives that they believe will help improve police community relations. They hope to create a procedural justice policy to standardize operations like commands and officer presence, aimed at increasing police legitimacy as well as better coordination among police officers and social services. Broome and Paul said they are also open to those concepts, and will continue working on their development, but called the chief's council their first priority. "I appreciated the specific recommendations that they had and the justification for the recommendations," Broome said. "I was grateful to have a group like this, so diverse and so committed to closing the gap between law enforcement and the community." An inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola with a pending murder case harassed an Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge from behind bars, she said in a recusal order last month. Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier removed herself from the case of Keith Kisack, whom she had sentenced to life imprisonment as a habitual offender after he was found to have a cellphone inside Orleans Parish Prison. Kisack has been at Angola since his October 2014 sentencing, but Flemings-Davillier said he nevertheless managed to threaten her from prison. In an Aug. 10 docket entry, the judge said she was recusing herself from the case due to the court having received repeated threats and false accusations by the defendant and associates in an effort to intimidate the judge presiding over the case. Flemings-Davillier said she had been the target of a letter to her home address, phone calls to the court requesting information about her, as well as Facebook posts from Kisack that tagged her. The judge did not elaborate on the nature of the threats. A publicly available Facebook page and a blog site contain accusations of bias on her part as well as promises to defeat her at the polls but no threats to her physical safety. The letter to her home has not been made public. Defense attorney Eusi Phillips, who represents Kisack in the murder case, said he did not know anything about the alleged threats. One of the blogs administrators rejected the judge's allegations. Keith never threatened her. The family never threatened her. All we started doing was putting his case out there, said a woman identifying herself as Rochelle Kisack, a cousin of Keith. In a telephone interview, the woman said Keith Kisack does not have Facebook access. Rather, she and other relatives maintain that page and the blog, she said. Still, the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections said it is disciplining Kisack. "It is against department policy for inmates to establish or maintain any social media account," said spokesman Ken Pastorick. "Because of his participation on social media, inmate Kisack has been placed in segregation. Kisack has also lost yard and phone privileges for six weeks as part of his discipline." The recusal order is the latest twist in legal proceedings that have dragged on for almost nine years since Kisacks indictment on second-degree murder. The grand jury charged him with murder in October 2009, but he has never been tried on that count. A defense attorney filed a motion to have Kisacks mental competency examined in 2010, though it was later withdrawn. Kisack was still awaiting trial the next year when deputies conducting a shakedown of the old Orleans Parish Prison found a cellphone hidden in the wall. Text messages and a selfie connected Kisack to the contraband phone. Prison authorities try to channel jail calls through official phone banks to prevent witness intimidation. Those calls are recorded, unlike chats on contraband phones. It also was revealed that Kisacks former defense attorney, City Councilman Jason Williams, had received text messages that Kisack sent from jail. Williams testified at Kisacks 2014 contraband trial that he had no way of knowing whether the holiday greetings and other messages came from Kisack or a family member. 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 A six-person jury deliberated for less than 15 minutes before convicting Kisack. A contraband charge usually carries a maximum five-year prison sentence. However, District Attorney Leon Cannizzaros office deemed Kisack a habitual offender, ratcheting up his penalty from a minimum of 20 years to a maximum of life. Kisack had prior convictions for gun charges, aggravated battery, robbery and kidnapping, along with illegal possession of a stolen auto and resisting an officer. Flemings-Davillier opted for the maximum sentence. Kisack won a shot at a shorter sentence in October, when the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the judge had erred in skipping over a required 24-hour sentencing delay after denying Kisacks motion for a new trial. Although those delays are usually nothing more than a formality, the Supreme Court held that given the life sentence Kisack received, it is difficult to conclude the error is harmless. It tossed the case back to Flemings-Davillier. Since then, the Facebook page and blog site have alleged that Flemings-Davillier is the cousin of a woman who was involved in a romantic relationship with Kisack. They claim that the judge was prejudiced against Kisack because the woman's relatives were upset about the relationship. The blog administrator said Kisack's family started the social media campaign because they were disappointed that defense attorneys did not publicize the claims. The blog and Facebook page offer no evidence to support the claims that Flemings-Davillier is biased. Efforts to contact her alleged cousin were unsuccessful on Monday. Flemings-Davillier rejected the prejudice claims in her recusal order. She also noted that Kisack was convicted by a jury, not by her. This judge inherited this case when elected to the bench. This judge had no knowledge of the defendant or his cases before then, and to date has no personal knowledge about defendants personal life, background or family, she said. The judge has no knowledge of this defendant or his false claims. The murder and contraband cases have now been transferred to Judge Franz Zibilich. Kisack was set to appear in court Monday, but he was not transported from Angola to New Orleans. The District Attorneys Office said it is proceeding with the long-delayed murder trial. Kisack is accused of killing Brandon Morgan, 26, on July 2, 2009, in the 6300 block of Hayne Boulevard in New Orleans East. Morgan is believed to have been a bystander struck during a shootout between Kisack and a drug dealer he was attempting to rob, said Ken Daley, a spokesman for the District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors presented Kisack with a plea offer of 40 years in January but he rejected the offer, according to court minutes. Zibilich scheduled a Sept. 24 status hearing for the contraband and murder cases. He may be in for social media scrutiny, too, if the Facebook page in Kisacks name is any indication. The page, which says its posts come via the Kisack family, includes a promise to investigate any judge that may sit on this case, until the full scope of this judicial system is exposed. Authorities tracked a man suspected of killing two people in Maryland to a home in south Kenner and captured him early Tuesday, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said. Tavon Powell, 37, surrendered peacefully after officials surrounded the house, said Milton Ramirez of the U.S. Marshals Office in New Orleans. Sheriffs Office deputies equipped with body armor, helmets and long guns and backed up by a helicopter crew assisted U.S. marshals in capturing the murder suspect in the 300 block of Filmore Street about 8 a.m., Lopinto said. The Sheriff's Office's SWAT team was called to the scene after Powell was initially reluctant to surrender. Authorities were waiting to search the house shortly after the arrest. Investigators in Baltimore County in Maryland allege Powell shot a man and a woman at a home in the community of Dundalk on Aug. 27. 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 Gabrielle Marie Paugh, 26, who lived at the Dundalk home, died that night at a hospital. Aaron Michael Wearins, a 34-year-old guest at Paugh's home, died two days later, the Baltimore Sun newspaper reported. Powell, who was wanted on two counts of murder, knew the victims and targeted them specifically, authorities have said. Neighbors told reporters they believed an ex-boyfriend's jealousy led to the slayings. Baltimore County Police Officer Jennifer Peach said her agency requested help from the U.S. marshals in finding Powell, and the search led to Jefferson Parish. A local law enforcement source briefed on the case said Powell had come to Filmore Street because his cousin lived there. Peach said detectives investigating the killings of Wearins and Paugh plan to come to the New Orleans area to question Powell. It was not immediately clear whether he will contest his extradition to Maryland. House prices in Australia's capital cities have fallen on an annual basis for the first time since 2012. But the drop, led by falls in Sydney and Melbourne, isn't considered significant in the scheme of things, given the dizzy heights prices had reached. Capital city house prices fell 0.7 per cent nationally in the three months to June. Credit:Rob Homer Capital city house prices fell 0.7 per cent nationally in the three months to June, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics' Residential Property Price Index released on Tuesday. They also fell 0.6 per cent during the year to June 2018, the first annual fall recorded in six years. Canberra's taxi plate owners are facing potential bankruptcy as the ACT government looks to increase the territory regulated taxi plate cap by almost 40 per cent, to 500, a move that could further devastate the local industry. The situation facing owners is increasingly dire, according to the head of the ACT's Taxi Plate Owners Association Phil Button, who is concerned about the state of owners' mental health. Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay and Greens leader Shane Rattenbury on Tuesday also confirmed the government would not offer owners of the perpetual licences bought before 1995 any compensation for losses in the value of the plates since the ACT legalised ride sharing companies in 2015. ACT Taxi Plate Owners Association head Phil Button says the ACT government's latest decision will devastate the industry. Credit:Jamila Toderas While it is unclear how much value has been stripped from the value of ACT plates, in NSW they have fallen as much as 75 per cent in recent years, as the globe grapples with how to deal with ride-sharing firms disrupting the traditional taxi market. But beneath the attractive packaging lay a box of snakes on springs. Abels first major hoax, the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, or SINA which sought to clothe all naked animals that appear in public, namely horses, cows, dogs and cats, including any animal that stands higher than 4 inches or is longer than 6 inches began in 1959. It starred his friend Buck Henry, then an unknown actor and later a well-known actor and screenwriter, as the groups puritanical president, G. Clifford Prout. The campaign, which Abel intended as a send up of censorship, proved so convincing that it found a bevy of authentic adherents, with SINA chapters springing up throughout the country. Over the next few years, the organizations activities (including a 1963 picket of the White House by Abel, who demanded that the first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, clothe her horses) were faithfully reported by news organisations. The group was exposed as a hoax by Time magazine in 1963. As Abel often had to explain, he did not perpetrate his hoaxes to fleece anyone: He made a point of returning donations sent by innocents to his spurious causes. (Notable among these was the $40,000 check he received from a well-heeled SINA supporter. Abel did allow himself to ogle the check briefly before returning it, he later said.) Far from courting material gain, the roguery that was Abels lifework appeared to be a highly personal brand of performance art, equal parts self-promotion, social commentary, study of the breathtaking naivete of press and public, and, last but far from least, pure old-fashioned high jinks. A few hundred years ago, I would have been a court jester, he told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland in 2007. His primary intent, Abel often said, was to give people a kick in the intellect. His best-known kicks included Yetta Bronstein, the phantom Jewish grandmother from the Bronx who ran for president in 1964 and at least once afterward on a platform that included fluoridation, national Bingo tournaments and the installation of truth serum in congressional drinking fountains. (Vote for Yetta and things will get betta, read a slogan for the campaign, which attracted a small coterie of actual supporters.) Never seen in person, Yetta was voiced by Abels wife, Jeanne, in a spate of telephone and radio interviews. Then there was Omars School for Beggars, a New York City institution founded amid the recession of the 1970s, which claimed to teach the nouveau poor the gentle art of panhandling. Omar (a black-hooded Abel) and his pupils (friends of Abel) were the subject of credulous coverage by many news outlets, including The Miami Herald and New York magazine. There was the putative winner of the New York State Lotto jackpot in 1990, who was billed as a cosmetologist from Dobbs Ferry, New York, but who in reality was an actress; she poured champagne by the gallon in a hired Manhattan hotel suite and threw dollar bills from the window as the news media salivated. $35 MILLION AND SHES SINGLE, the front page of The New York Post crowed the next day. There were also the Topless String Quartet, with which, Abel said, an unsuspecting Frank Sinatra wanted to book a recording session; the Ku Klux Klan Symphony Orchestra, which, he said, the failed presidential candidate and former Klan grand wizard David Duke briefly accepted an invitation to conduct; Females for Felons, a group of Junior Leaguers who selflessly donated sex to the incarcerated; the mass fainting of audience members during a live broadcast of The Phil Donahue Show; his discovery (he posed as a former White House employee) of the missing 18 minutes from the Watergate tapes; Euthanasia Cruises (For people who wanted to expire in luxury, ; Citizens Against Breastfeeding, which argued that exposure to the naughty nipple in infancy caused a plethora of problems later on; and a great many others. Alan Abel wears a mask posing as a White House official claiming to have the missing 181/2 minutes from the Watergate tapes. When the tape was played at a news conference, the reporters were greeted with silence. To some observers, Abels antics were a Rabelaisian delight. To others, especially members of the news media who had been taken in, they were an unalloyed menace. But as Abel well knew, his relationship with the media in general, and the broadcast media in particular, was utterly synergistic, for they needed him as much as he did them. They need an audience, and the only way theyre going to get an audience is to have perversions and calamities galore, Abel said in Abel Raises Cain, a 2005 documentary. They want excitement; they want drama. And I give them that. But as Abel discovered, hoaxterism carries two occupational hazards. One is penury. The other is the feeling on the part of the people you are trying to sway that you have cried wolf once too often. Alan Irwin Abel was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on August 2, 1924. He was reared 30 miles away in Coshocton, where the Abels were among the few Jewish families in town. From his mother, Ida, who once called the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report as a spy a neighbour who refused to take down a cherished portrait of Hitler, the young Abel learned the efficacy of direct action. From his father, Louis, who kept a general store, he learned the value of hucksterism. Hed put Limit Two to a Customer in front of the things that wouldnt sell, Abel told The New Yorker in 1990, and theyd be gone in a minute. According to records in the National Archives, Abel enlisted in the Army in 1943. As The Coshocton Tribune reported that July, Private Abel, who had taken up the drums as a boy, was assigned to the 29th Army Air Forces Band. After the war, he resumed his college education, earning a bachelors degree in education from Ohio State University in 1950, with concentrations in speech, English and social science, university records indicate. Alan Abel and his stooges impersonate fugutive Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Abel toured for a time as a one-man percussion act half playing, half comic patter. He soon realised he wanted to be a stand-up comic but found he could not make a career of it. He worked briefly at more conventional jobs, including one day as a liquid fertiliser salesman, but the gray-flannel life was indisputably not for him. Then, in 1959, as he often recounted afterward, he found himself stuck in backed-up traffic on a Texas highway. What had brought things to a standstill were a cow and bull in the middle of the road, in the vigorous act of making a calf. As Abel studied the aghast faces of his fellow drivers, the seeds of SINA were sown. But as he discovered, there was barely a living in hoaxing. To stage his more lavish stunts, he depended on a series of well-heeled backers of roguish bent. Over time, as one late-20th-century recession gave way to another, such angels grew harder to come by. Abel earned a modest living through his books, magazine articles and speeches. But he and his wife eventually lost their house in Westport, Connecticut, to creditors. In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife and a grandson. With Jeanne Abel, Abel wrote, produced and directed two comic mock-documentaries, Is There Sex After Death? (1971) and The Faking of the President (1976). His books include The Great American Hoax (1966), The Confessions of a Hoaxer (1970), Dont Get Mad Get Even! A Manual for Retaliation (1983) and several drum instruction guides. As Abel also discovered in plying his singular trade, if hoaxing is hard on ones pocketbook, it can be even harder on ones credibility. Any missiles would need to be specially developed, able to evade anti-missile defences and probably have multiple warheads. Theyd need to be precisely accurate. The submarine would need to be able to survive in a highly hostile environment and remain on station for months at a time. This doesnt describe our new vessels, which are intended to be used very differently, as hunter-killers. So our submarines are no answer and we return to the start point. Finding a way to deliver a bomb is possible, but doing so is likely to be both enormously difficult and expensive. Developing a proper nuclear capacity would require overcoming enormous obstacles in four discrete fields; all requiring comprehensive effort, and all incredibly complicated. Wed need to master the technology of making the bomb itself; establish an indigenous missile capability to deliver the weapon; plough money into either a submarine or long-range missile force to host this delivery system; and last (but certainly not least) implement robust command and control procedures to ensure there was no confusion about signalling our intent in during a nuclear crisis and no risk of accidental launch. None of this is impossible but its certainly not simple. So lets look at what the cost. This is where the extent of the fantasy becomes apparent. Currently, we spend about $35 billion a year on defence ($95 million a day). We havent spent more than two percent of GDP on the forces since the 70s (when, ironically, the governments take of the economy was more like 20 percent. Today its surged beyond 24 percent, but the extra money goes on health and support.). The experts conservatively assess the additional cost of developing a nuclear deterrent would be an extra $15 billion a year, growing to $30 billion for a fully operational force. This effectively doubles our defence budget. Wheres the money coming from? Schools? Hospitals? Defence pensions, pay and allowances? The ageing of Australia's population means the retirement village industry is expanding rapidly. The proportion of the population aged 65 and above has risen from less than 10 per cent 50 years ago to about 15per cent today and is forecast to surge to 25 per cent by 2042. Ethical management of the sector is fundamentally important to the wellbeing of millions of citizens, many of them vulnerable because of deteriorating health. By 2042, the number of people 65 and above will have grown to 6.2 million from 2.5 million 15 years ago. A six-month joint investigation by Fairfax Media and the ABC's Four Corners into one of the biggest companies in the sector, ASX-listed Aveo, should spark concerns across the nation. Led by Fairfax journalists Adele Ferguson and Sarah Danckert and ABC producer Klaus Toft, the investigation reveals the highly profitable Aveo is exploiting its residents through rapacious fees and other unfair policies, including voluminous and convoluted contracts. In a booming real estate market, residents have been losing tens of thousands of dollars on their properties. The company's shareholders are clearly unimpressed; the shares fell by more than 10 per cent on Monday as investors dumped the stock amid concerns about the blow to Aveo's reputation and credibility. We believe corporate and government authorities should react, too. The industry was recently significantly deregulated, allowing people to direct to service providers like Aveo the government funding they receive for low-care assistance. There should be an official review of the sector's corporate governance standards, which are overseen by under-resourced state-based consumer affairs watchdogs. We believe calls by residents and consumer groups for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to intervene have great merit. "The government does not support decisions to use illicit drugs, and does not in-principle support pill testing, as it could imply that illicit drugs are safe. "All illicit drug use contains inherent risks and even taking a known substance can result in unintended harm. It is important to note that pill testing may not be able to identify all components in an illicit substance and does not take into account any underlying health conditions a person may have or interactions with any other substances or medications a person may have taken. "Importantly, there is no legal framework currently in place and the Commonwealth will not facilitate measures to enable pill testing to take place on Commonwealth land, for the reasons I have mentioned." This came as a shock to the STA-Safe Consortium, which ran the successful Groovin the Moo trial and had filed applications to test at more events across the ACT. Canberra physician and consortium member Dr David Caldicott said the group was yet to be formally notified of any decision. "If people want to decline applications it would be interesting to hear the reasoning. No doubt there's a strong reason for that to counter the benefits we saw from the last trial," Dr Caldicott said. "To us where people can be harmed isn't dependant on whether it's Commonwealth or ACT land, people can be harmed everywhere. "Whoever has responsibility for whatever type of land it is has a responsibility to ensure they're doing everything to reduce harm." Dr Caldicott said there were inaccuracies in the authority's statement and he was happy to meet with bureaucrats and politicians to discuss pill testing. "We are very aware of the current mood in the country and the clear support there is for pill testing," Dr Caldicott said. "We accept these sort of positions can frequently change, as can ministers." Another member of the consortium, and Harm Reduction Australia president Gino Vumbaca, said the authority's position was "disappointing given what's happened on the weekend". "We understand why people may be tentative or have concerns about pill testing. One of the misconceptions is it gives a green light to drug use. That's not what we do. "What we're trying to do is inform people about what they're about to do, what the risks are and how we can mitigate those. If you provide people with information about the substance they're taking it tends to reduce drug use, not increase it. To brand pill testing as something that promotes drug use is untrue." Pill testing was "not a panacea" but in the case of Groovin the Moo, it gave 128 people the chance to talk to medical professionals about their drug use for the first time, he said. "Correct information provided by health professionals is something people would rarely argue is dangerous," Mr Vambuca said. ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris wrote to Mr Hunt last Friday, as his permission would be vital for the National Capital Authority to let pill testing happen at Spilt Milk. "I urge you to take a strong stance on this issue as your leadership has the potential to save a life," Ms Fitzharris wrote. An ACT government spokeswoman said the government was committed to providing a "supportive policy environment" for pill testing to be provided at this year's Spilt Milk. "However, agreement between all relevant parties, including the National Capital Authority as the landowner, is necessary for a pill testing service to proceed at the Spilt Milk music festival," she said. The ACT government saw pill testing as one component in harm reduction measures and was a "sensible approach to limiting the dangers of illicit drug use at ACT music festivals". "This position in no way softens the ACT governments stance on illegal drugs. The ACT government does not approve or condone illicit drug use. It is risky and dangerous to consume illicit drugs," she said. However, ACT Opposition legal affairs spokesman Jeremy Hanson said it must be zero-tolerance. "This is a matter for a coronial inquest and police investigation in NSW so I cant comment further other than to say that its clear any level of drug use is dangerous and thats the message to take out of this and we need to wait for the full review to occur to understand whats gone wrong here. But fundamentally if you take these sort of substances you then put yourself at risk and Id encourage people to be very cautious before doing that. Go to a music festival, have fun, you dont need to take these drugs," Mr Hanson said. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has appointed a panel headed by NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller to investigate how to keep people safe at festivals but said she is categorically opposed to pill testing. "It is quite shocking to me that in the last five years there have been four deaths at that festival," Ms Berejiklian said. Australia's status as one of the largest per capita greenhouse gas emitters in the world has contributed to a bottom three ranking for environmental policy among wealthy nations. But Australia has jumped four places overall in the Center for Global Development's commitment to development index thanks to effective foreign aid spending and dedication to open trading relationships. The annual index which analyses 27 developed countries for their impact on the world's poor across seven policy areas found Australia would struggle to improve on its middle-of-the-pack ranking of 14th without boosting foreign aid and efforts to address environmental issues, especially climate change. Australia's high per capita emissions reduction are hold it back, according to a new global development index. Credit:Paul Jones "Environment is one of Australias weaker policy fields on the CDI. Its low rank is largely due to its poor performance curbing climate change," the 2018 report states, noting relatively low petrol taxes, high fossil fuel production and high per capita emissions. Hi. Im Ed. Im a politician. Its been 12 months since my last tweet. On this day last year I logged off Twitter. People were perplexed. Friends contacted me to see if I was OK. Others told me how much they supported my move, while admitting they couldnt do it themselves. To be honest there were times in the last year where Ive been tempted to return. But when I thought about why, it reminded me of the reason I left in the first place. Labor's Ed Husic went cold turkey on Twitter 12 months ago today. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen To appreciate my reason for quitting, let me ask you: when you think of Twitter, whats your first reaction? You may respond approvingly, seeing Twitter as a way to get views heard at a time of deep distrust of big institutions. Sure, theres some merit in that. But when countless others think about the way Twitter and politics interact, its not positive. Id say before many post a tweet giving their opinion or view, theyre bracing themselves for a negative reaction. Or wondering how much time will pass before their mentions calm down. Six dangerous intersections across the ACT will be fixed after being selected for funding through the federal government's black spot program. ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja will make the announcement with Assistant Minister for Roads and Transport Scott Buchholz on Wednesday, with $774,200 to go to roads in the territory. An intersection where a motorcyclist died in February is included in a group of black spots to receive federal government funding. Credit:Timothy Dean Funding has been allocated to improve six road locations identified as high priority, with 31 casualty crashes recorded at these sites over the five years to 2016, including one crash involving a fatality, Mr Buchholz said. Representatives from the National Capital Authority, Pedal Power, ACT Motorcycle Riders Association, the Australasian College of Road Safety and Transport Canberra were on the panel reviewing where the funding should go. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says he is willing to employ more nurses if there's "a need", as more than 100 nurses and midwives rallied outside state parliament on Tuesday demanding formal nurse-to-patient ratios in all hospitals. The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association called on the NSW government to introduce mandated nurse-to-patient ratios: one for every three patients in emergency departments and paediatric wards and one for every four in medical and surgical wards. Nurses and midwives rallied outside NSW Parliament, calling for better nurse-to-patient ratios. Credit:Esther Han In rural and regional hospitals, nurses say it can be as low as one for every 11 patients. They say mandated ratios legislated in Queensland and Victoria will save lives, reduce errors and keep skilled staff in the system. "I understand theres a view from the nurses association that they would like a different formula to the current formula thats used and I'm certainly in discussions with them about that," Mr Hazzard said. Attorney General John Quigley has announced a review of Western Australia's powerful criminal confiscation laws, which allow the state to seize the property of those accused of criminal offences. The legislation will be reviewed by former WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Wayne Martin, who retired from the bench earlier this year. Liberal Democrat MP Aaron Stonehouse has been lobbying for a review of WA's criminal confiscation laws on behalf of Tam Nguyen who faces losing her home because of her husband's crimes. Under the legislation, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) can seize the property of drug dealers or property used in connection a criminal offence. "Back in 2000, the state parliament had intentionally designed these laws to have a very significant effect so that there is a real deterrent to those who deal in drugs," Mr Quigley said. Charlotte: Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan thought about all the spots that made Wilmington home growing up and was moved to dramatic action. "You gotta take care of home," Jordan told The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday, in an exclusive interview about his decision to contribute $US2 million ($2.7 million) to relief and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Michael Jordan Credit:New York Times/Barton Silverman Jordan was raised in the coastal city of Wilmington before moving on to star at North Carolina and in the NBA. He said scenes of the destruction from rain and wind in both North and South Carolina had him flashing back to old haunts. "Wilmington truly is my home. Kept thinking about all those places I grew up going to," Jordan said. "And the deaths - it was so sad about the babies (that died, including one in Gaston County). You don't want to see any of that anywhere, but when it's home, that's tough to swallow." Incoming Chicago star Cuba Gooding Jr. met the press at the Lambs Club on Tuesday, September 18. The Academy Award winner joins the cast as smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn for a limited engagement October 6-November 18. Gooding reprises the role that he originated in the 2018 London production of Chicago, currently playing at the Phoenix Theatre. Cuba Gooding Jr. returns to Broadway in Chicago. ( David Gordon) Gooding's breakthrough role was as Tre Styles in the feature film Boyz n the Hood (1991), followed by A Few Good Men (1992), before winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Jerry Maguire (1996). In 2016, he portrayed O.J. Simpson in the FX drama series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2013, he made his Broadway debut alongside Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams in the Tony Award-nominated production of The Trip to Bountiful. Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, Chicago features a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Cuba Gooding Jr. will play Billy Flynn October 6-November 18. ( David Gordon) Set amid the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media, and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids. Pamela's First Musical made it to its first real stage almost two-and-a-half years after the death of its book writer, Wendy Wasserstein (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Heidi Chronicles), and three-and-a-half years after the death of its composer Cy Coleman (three-time Tony-winning composer of On the Twentieth Century, The Will Rogers Follies, and City of Angels). That unlikely debut a one-night benefit concert in 2008 at New York City's Town Hall is being followed a decade later by an even unlikelier world-premiere production at Two River Theater, where the musical love letter to the theater has at long last been signed, sealed, and delivered. Adapted from Wasserstein's 1996 children's book of the same name, Pamela's First Musical joins Wasserstein's signature wit with the story of Pamela (Sarah McKinley Austin), whose eccentric Aunt Louise (three-time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello) celebrates her niece's birthday by taking her to her first Broadway musical. "We theater people never give up," said David Zippel, the show's lyricist and last remaining member of its original creative team (Zippel collaborated with Cy Coleman on City of Angels). He includes in that expression of fortitude the show's longtime director and choreographer Graciela Daniele, who has also stuck with Pamela since its earliest days and joins Zippel for its long-awaited premiere. It's been an emotional finish line for Zippel and Daniele to cross together, but a fitting piece to carry on the legacy of two artists who inspired belief in the magic of theater. Lyricist David Zippel (middle) and director Graciela Daniele (right) in rehearsal for Pamela's First Musical with playwright Christopher Durang, who signed on as co-book writer for the musical's world premiere at Two River Theater. ( John Augustine) Pamela's First Musical has had a winding journey that began over 20 years ago. David, as a member of the original creative team, can you tell me how the show first came to be? David Zippel: Wendy wrote this adorable children's book and I read it. When I called her up to congratulate her, I said, "These characters would make a great basis for a musical. What do you think?" She said, "Let's do it!" right on the spot. And then I asked her who she thought would be the best composer for this and she said Cy Coleman, and that was exactly who I had in mind. So we called Cy and he said, "Let's do it!" That was the beginning. What kind of musical did the three of you set out to make? David: We always envisioned it as a family musical. We weren't writing a children's score; we wanted to write an adult score. Wendy's intention wasn't to write something that you would want to drop your kids off at, but something you'd want to see with them. How did you get involved, Graciela? Graciela Daniele: Both David and Wendy called and asked if I would be interested in directing and choreographing it, and of course I was! I was very excited by the piece and we were ready to go ahead with a production, and then Cy passed away, which was a shock for all of us. Did work on the show stop after that? Graciela: Cy's wife had said that if we needed more music, there was a trunk full of wonderful work by Cy that had not been used and we were free to choose anything. So we started working again, and then Wendy got sick. It was a horrifying time. They were two extraordinary artists and wonderful people. David: Heartbreaking. It was such a happy team. How did the show remain in your lives? Graciela: We did a benefit concert David: Graciela and I were both mentors for Open Doors, which is the group Wendy started at the Theatre Development Fund to take children to the theater, so we did a one-night benefit for them and Broadway Cares in 2008. Graciela: I felt, at least we had shown the work to the world. But we thought OK, this is it. Goodbye. We were going to forget about it until John Dias. David: Graciela, Wendy, Cy, and I pitched it to John to do it at the Public Theater because John was an associate artistic director there and he loved the piece. But ultimately I think it was too fluffy for the powers that be at the Public. But John never forgot it. A few years ago, he called us and said, "I have a theater now. I'm the producing director at Two River and we'd like to do the show." It took a while to put all the pieces together, but here we are! Sarah McKinley Austin (Pamela) and Carolee Carmello (Aunt Louise) star in the world-premiere production of Pamela's First Musical. ( T. Charles Erickson) What has it been like for the two of you to continue working on the piece without Wendy or Cy? Do you keep their voices in mind as you develop it? David: They are so here. Last Saturday night was the first preview and I sat across the aisle from Graci. When the curtain came down, I was a little verklempt, so I walked over to Graci Graciela: And I burst into tears. David: So then I lost it. We miss them. But their work and their spirit are so infused in this show. We all know Wendy's work from her plays, but did she have a special affinity for Broadway musicals? Graciela: I don't know if it was so much about Broadway musicals, but Wendy was very involved in children in young people's knowledge about the theater. She said something that I always thought was wonderful: "Every single New Yorker has the birthright of going to the theater." That was Open Doors an institution to bring young people into theater, Broadway or non-Broadway. What were your own introductions to theater as children? Graciela: I started studying ballet in Argentina when I was seven years old at the Teatro Colon. I didn't see really musicals until I was working in Paris as a ballerina and saw the tour of West Side Story. I remember getting out of the theater thinking, "I have to go to New York to learn how to do that" believing all musicals were like West Side Story [laughs]. That's what made me come to America. David: I was 7 or 8 and my parents took me to see The Music Man in the round in a little tent in Lambertville, New Jersey. There were barely any sets, but it blew my mind. A year or two later, they took me to see Oliver! on Broadway, and by then, I was totally committed to finding a way to be in the theater somehow. Do you hope Pamela's First Musical will inspire more children to get involved in theater? David: It's not just about kids seeing the show and wanting to be a part of the theater. It's about kids seeing the show and realizing that if you can imagine it, whatever it is, you can make it happen. Graciela: It really is about a child's imagination. This child wants to write, she wants to direct it's an incentive to any young child that has that kind of call to pursue it, to go ahead and do it. Edith Wharton's 1920 literary masterpiece The Age of Innocence poses a great challenge for anyone brave enough to adapt it for a nonliterary medium: how to bring to urgent dramatic life a work in which the human drama lies as much, if not more, in what isn't said between characters than what is. For his 1993 film adaptation, director-screenwriter Martin Scorsese, along with co-screenwriter Jay Cocks, partially addressed that problem by having actor Joanne Woodward deliver large chunks of Wharton's prose via voiceover narration. In his new stage adaptation currently running at McCarter Theatre Center in a coproduction with Hartford Stage (where it received its world premiere), playwright Douglas McGrath goes one step further. Instead of preserving Wharton's omniscient narration, he has an older Newland Archer (Boyd Gaines) serve as an onstage first-person narrator, one who sometimes sits on a chair on the sidelines, and at other times follows just behind his younger self (Andrew Veenstra) on John Lee Beatty's grand and glittery set, articulating his thoughts and feelings then and now. The company of The Age of Innocence. ( T. Charles Erickson) McGrath has thus recast The Age of Innocence as a memory play, and director Doug Hughes enhances the feeling of dreamlike nostalgia by having the action take place on one static set, with only Ben Stanton's lighting effects conveying changes in location and jumps in time. This production takes place all in Newland's own mind, with divisions of time and place collapsed. Considering the perspective from which it's told that of a regret-filled upper-class man living among the rigid social customs of Gilded Age New York who repressed his desire for the freer-thinking Countess Ellen Olenska (Sierra Boggess) for a settled life with the plainer, more conformist May Welland (Helen Cespedes) this shift in viewpoint had the potential to lead to a uniquely affecting take on Wharton's novel. That potential hasn't been fully realized in this production at least. Hughes's fluid sense of pacing often threatens to make The Age of Innocence seem soap-opera trivial: little more than a forbidden love triangle, with Wharton's sharp social critique and incisive psychologizing given short shrift. (Mark Bennett's tinkling piano score, performed onstage by Yan Li, adds to the sense of triviality.) Andrew Veenstra, Helen Cespedes, Darrie Lawrence, and Deirdre Madigan in The Age of Innocence. ( T. Charles Erickson) The actors can't always compensate for the breezy storytelling style either. Perhaps, given a more deliberately paced approach, Veenstra and Boggess might have been able to develop the kind of romantic chemistry that would make Newland's obsession with Ellen organically convincing. Under Hughes's superficial direction, though, these talented performers never seem to fully inhabit these characters, making their dialogue some of it taken straight from Wharton's novel seem more arch than it ought to be. Cespedes gives the most consistent performance of the three leads as May, empathetically conveying this society girl's naivete. As the older Newland, Gaines starts out a bit too brashly in delivering his pointed jibes at the rigid customs of his society, and slightly overdoes the emoting in the play's home stretch as he realizes the fate of unfulfilled romantic desire he has consigned himself to. As uneven as his performance is, though, Gaines comes the closest to infusing McGrath's adaptation with the alternately scabrous and pained soul that it otherwise lacks. Gaines's dryly witty way with one-liners, in particular, is enough to puncture the decorous picture-postcard surfaces of both Beatty's scenic design and Linda Cho's lavish period costumes. Similarly successful in a smaller role is Tony Ward, who, as Mr. Letterblair, Newland's boss at the law firm where he works (one of three roles Ward plays), creates a brief moment of unbearable poignancy with a monologue lamenting the stagnant state of his marriage that foreshadows the life Newland is about to live with May. Such moments suggest the devastating experience The Age of Innocence ought to have been. Still, there is much to admire in McGrath's stage adaptation especially his refusal to treat the novel as a sacred text. He takes quite a few liberties with Wharton's original story and dialogue, including giving Boggess primarily known as a musical-theater performer an opportunity to sing Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer," which becomes a kind of haunted refrain for Newland. For the most part, his additions and elisions preserve the core of the novel even as they reframe it. One can imagine a future production, with a different cast under a more contemplatively inclined director, doing this Age of Innocence the full justice it deserves. The layered legacy of Ryszard Kapuscinski's journalism-adjacent novel The Emperor imposes a complex set of expectations on its latest stage adaptation, a two-person play written by Colin Teevan and making its New York premiere at Theatre for a New Audience's Polonsky Shakespeare Center (a coproduction with the Young Vic in London, where it made its world premiere in 2016). In 1974, Kapuscinski set off to Ethiopia to interview remaining members of emperor Haile Selassie's royal court to document through both facts and dramatized fiction the downfall of Selassie's 44-year regime. The book, however, is as well known for its allegorical criticism of Kapuscinski's Polish government (led by communist politician Edward Gierek) as for its insights into the corrupt machinations of the dethroned Ethiopian ruler. Judging by the splash it made in Poland when it was published in 1978, the appeal of The Emperor is not in its historical detailing but in its emotional familiarity. Teevan and director Walter Meierjohann are certainly not at a loss for modern leaders to silently impugn with their theatrical retelling, but as they open up the piece to a less particular audience than the disillusioned socialists Kapuscinski was writing for, it loses some of the power that comes from a focused punch. All of the punch it does have is channeled through the chiseled performance of Kathryn Hunter, whose shape-shifting and occasionally acrobatic portrayals of Kapuscinski's interviewees 11 in total are so deeply ingrained in her body, it's difficult to imagine what The Emperor could be without her (set and costume designer Ti Green gives her a nearly bare set, a single military uniform, and a handful of props with which to set her imagination loose). She rattles off one character after another from the emperor's doting pillow bearer to his chauffeur to the official wiper of his dog's pee all of whom share meandering memories of their beloved leader. It doesn't add up to anything for quite some time, but Hunter has a death grip on your attention with every change of posture until, finally, the pieces start to paint an edifying picture of how a dictator's delusions can become his reality and how his abused servants can remain devoted in love beyond all reason. Teevan and Meierjohann are counting on that image to ring a few bells as it dutifully does in an unimposing way. And yet, something keeps the audience's heart from getting involved while their heads are percolating input. The greatest amount of emotional tension comes through musician Temesgen Zeleke, who joins Hunter onstage with his Ethiopian krar lyre. Initially lending atmospheric music (composed by Dave Price), he gradually emerges from the shadows (crafted delicately by lighting designer Mike Gunning) as various iterations of Selassie's political adversaries, usually young students building their opposition power. As usual, it takes the booming sound of a long-silenced voice filling a room in protest to break through to the heart of the matter. Alessandra Biaggi. Photo: Alessandra Biaggi/Facebook Last Thursday night, 32-year-old Alessandra Biaggi defeated one of New York states most powerful lawmakers in a major upset victory. Shes one of several young insurgent candidates who took down a handful of incumbent state senators who were part of the Independent Democratic Caucus: a now-disbanded group of elected Democrats who caucused and voted with Republicans, blocking progressive legislation including the Reproductive Health Act, which would put New Yorks outdated abortion law in line with the protections afforded to women under Roe v. Wade. Biaggi ousted their leader, 58-year-old Jeff Klein, in New Yorks 34th District, after a highly competitive race in which Klein spent a staggering $2 million. (Klein was also accused of sexual misconduct in January of this year.) Biaggi told the Cut that she wasnt expecting to win. We played like the underdogs, she said, voice hoarse, the day after the primaries. But again, we fought for every inch. Though this is her first time running, shes hardly a political newcomer. Her grandfather was Mario Biaggi, a beloved New York congressman who served from 1969 to 1988 (he resigned and served prison time following federal corruption convictions). She cut her teeth working as deputy national operations director for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential bid and as counsel to Governor Andrew Cuomo. But in her district, which is comprised of the parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, Biaggi ran on a platform that was further left from that wing of the Democratic Party: She supports single-payer health care and decriminalizing sex work, for instance. Here, she talks to the Cut about the moment she won, her grandfathers influence, and the number one thing she wants to change about New York. What was the moment you decided to run and take on Jeff Klein? It was in December, because I had previously been working on legislation specifically for womens issues the Reproductive Health Act that was blocked by the New York State Senate and Jeff Klein specifically, because he was leading the IDC and undermining the Democratic majority. The more that I leaned into what was going on in the state senate, understanding how many bills were being blocked by the IDC and also knowing that my state senator was Jeff Klein and the leader of IDC it really made me feel like not only did I need to do something about this, but I was so angry that so much progress had been blocked in a state like New York. Having grown up here and having this person really undermine our progress was the catalyst that got me off the sidelines. But the process for actually deciding took a long time. I know that they say a woman needs to be asked like ten times I was asked at least a hundred. Every single time I was like, Yeah Im gonna do it I dont know. Yeah Im gonna do it I dont know. Im really glad that I did, but I will say that the sheer amount of work that had to go into this campaign is unbelievable. If I had known that from the beginning, I probably wouldnt have done it. Thats not to say that Im not a hard worker, but its just to say that so much of what you dont know needs to be done. It doesnt happen until youre in real time. What was the most unexpected part of campaigning? The sheer amount of decisions that need to be made in a day. The more that you pick up momentum you get an endorsement, thats great. Its not like you get an endorsement, hang it on the wall. You get an endorsement and you then you double down. Every time you get one, you double down, because you have to continue to play on the momentum of it. Going up against someone with a war chest of over $2 million made it really hard to galvanize. Were you expecting to win? I wasnt expecting to win, because we are and were the underdogs until 9 p.m., right? We played like the underdogs. What I will say though is this: As we got closer to election day, the sheer amount of support and reactions that we got were just off the walls thumbs-up from people. That made us stay positive. But again, we fought for every inch. It was definitely a really big surprise. I was at the NixonTeachout party, and when your results came in, everyone started cheering. In general, theres been a ton of support for and cross-endorsements from these progressive women all running at the same time in New York State. What was it like to work with each other? I will say, running as a suite of anti-IDC candidates was incredibly helpful because it made the message amplified in a way that touched a lot of people, because our districts are really close. It really reverberated off of the walls. In terms of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs support, she was instrumental in helping me organize. The fact that her district overlaps with mine is just remarkable because a lot of the people already knew about her, so any contact that she makes with them, she could reach our voters, too. Thats a very big deal. Having her support, especially this last spring, was just invaluable. And ironically, you used to work for her old opponent, Joe Crowley, right? I was an intern for him after college, for I think like three or four months, yeah. Speaking of that, you come from a much more traditional wing of the Democratic Party than a lot of the other upstart candidates who ran in this primary you worked for the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign and for Governor Cuomo. How did you end up moving to the left in your positions? Being a human being, experiencing a real inequality of all of the systems: education, and affordability when it comes to housing and health care. Im 32 years old, I have over $180,000 in student loan debt. I grew up in Pelham, but when you look at the housing market every place you look, its almost like a million dollars to buy an apartment or a house. Thats just crazy. Thinking about my future and the future of just, everybody making sure that we have our government work for us is one of the ways we increase quality of life. It is personal. A lot of these things are personal, and they motivated me to run. I can sit out and just say, This is bad or The way its working is not right, or I could stand up and say, No, we have to make sure everybody has health care, health care is a human right. I should want this child in every Zip Code to have access to a quality education. These are basic things, how could we not want this? You grew up in a political family. Did you often speak to your grandfather about politics, and did he know about your political aspirations? Yes, I did, actually. He lived to 97, so that allowed me to be able to hear his stories and listen to the way in which things happened and the issues that he worked on. He lived in the Bronx and he served in the Bronx, and so we spent a lot of time in the Bronx. Every time wed go out, people would just have stories throughout this whole campaign there was never one day that went by when somebody didnt come up to us and say, Your grandfather helped me with this or that. It was just incredible, things you dont hear of elected officials, right? One person told me that he changed their light bulb, what the heck is that? If you could just pick one thing you want to change about the state of New York one issue in your platform that you think is the most crucial what would it be? The Reproductive Health Act. We have to pass this bill. We gotta do it. We have to, we must. If we actually care about womens health and we actually are a state thats a leader in this country, then the Reproductive Health Act is one of those bills that will make sure that we protect women. We cant just talk the talk, we gotta walk the walk. Richardson said her husband valued family time, and that he would always come home for dinner. Some nights, he would return to work after dinner to attend a meeting or event, but he never missed dinner, she said. He always found time to help his daughters with homework and family game night, she said. Some changes would take place next year under the proposal. The district would relocate its pre-school programs from the Green Bay Early Childhood Center to Red Oak Elementary. The administrative offices now housed at the Green Bay site would be moved to the closed Lincoln School building, as would the facilities management office now based in a trailer in the Indian Trail School parking lot. An electric bike (R) used by Amazon sits parked along the pavement at a central business district in Beijing on November 29, 2012. (WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images) Amazon Struggles to Combat Bribery in Chinese Operations Amazon, the world largest internet retailer, shuffled its Chinese business recently, not to combat poor performance, but to crack down on bribery among its employees in the country. Reports say that its independent sellers paid employees for customers data as well as deleting negative reviews, and the like. In the United States, Amazon boasts 49.1 percent of the e-commerce market. Its total revenue reached $18.4 billion in 2017, highest in the global e-commerce market. Amazon China, by contrast, only has 0.8 percent of the market with about $300 million in revenue. This contributed only 1.6 percent of its total revenue in 2017. However, 34 percent of top Amazon independent sellers are based in China according to a market report of Marketplace Pulse, who sell cheap Chinese products to Amazon customers globally. Amazon has around five million sellers across 12 marketplaces. About one million of them are new members that joined this year, according to Feedback Express. Bribery may have resulted in Chinese suppliers seeing the greatest successes. Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 16 that Amazon started an investigation in May regarding bribery among its employees in China and other countries. Some employees sell company data to third parties. According to Jungle Scout, the first three products listed on the Amazon search result page get at least 60 percent of the total clicks, while products on the first page get around 80 percent of them. To get into this threshold, the seller should improve the products name and description, select the right keywords, increase the sales volume, make sure there are no negative reviews, and so on. Although Amazon has a strict requirement for integrity, Chinese suppliers have been bribing the companys staff to boost their products rankings. According to the report, a seller can pay $80 to $2000 via intermediaries to buy confidential data from Amazon, including customers email addresses and lists of popular keywords. For the right price, a seller can even restore banned accounts. For example, if a customer leaves a negative review, the seller can pay an Amazon employee $300 via an intermediary to delete the review. For a lower price, the seller also can buy the customers email and contact him or her directly with a request or incentive to delete the review. The report said that there are employees from China and other countries involved in those briberies. Following this exposure, Reuters quoted an Amazons spokesperson on Sept. 17 as saying that we hold our employees to a high ethical standard and anyone in violation of our code faces discipline. Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994. In 2004, it acquired Chinese e-commerce Joyo for $75 million and changed its name to Joyo Amazon in 2007, then Amazon China in 2011. But Amazon China has been struggling. Its market share declined from 20 percent to 0.8 percent in the past 14 years. Both of the number of its employees and the capacity of its warehouses have halved. People line up at the British Airways check-in desk at Gatwick airport, England, on May 28, 2017. (Reuters/Hannah McKay) BA Apologizes After 380,000 Customers Hit in Cyber Attack LONDONBritish Airways apologized on Sept. 7 after the credit card details of hundreds of thousands of its customers were stolen over a two-week period in the most serious attack on its website and app. The airline discovered on Sept. 5 that bookings made between Aug. 21 and Sept. 5 had been infiltrated in a very sophisticated, malicious criminal attack, BA Chairman and Chief Executive Alex Cruz said. It immediately contacted customers when the extent of the breach became clear. Around 380,000 card payments were compromised, the airline said, with hackers obtaining names, street and email addresses, credit card numbers, expiry dates, and security codessufficient information to steal from accounts. The attack came 15 months after the carrier suffered a massive computer system failure at Londons Heathrow airport, which stranded 75,000 customers over a holiday weekend. Shares in BAs parent, International Airlines Group, were down 2 percent in afternoon trading on Sept. 7. Cruz said the carrier was deeply sorry for the disruption caused by the attack which was unprecedented in the more than 20 years that BA had operated online. He said the attackers had not broken the airlines encryption but did not explain exactly how they had obtained the customer information. There were other methods, very sophisticated efforts, by criminals in obtaining the data, he told BBC radio. IT security company Avast said that based on the limited information available the attackers had probably targeted a gateway between the airline and a payment processor because no travel details had been stolen. Quite often, when its just a hack of a database somewhere it is hard to identify when something has been compromised, Avasts consumer security expert Pete Turner said. This feels much more like a transaction-type attack, where data is moving about within the system. Compensation Britains government said authorities including the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency, part of the countrys police, were piecing together what happened. Specialist officers from the NCAs National Cyber Crime Unit are managing the ongoing investigation and are on site working with BA to gain a better understanding of the incident, the NCA said. The countrys Information Commissioners Office said it had been alerted by BA and it was making inquiries. Under new GDPR data regulations, companies must inform regulators of a cyber attack within 72 hours. BA advised customers to contact their bank or credit card provider and follow their recommended advice. It also took out ads in national newspapers on Friday. Cruz said anyone who lost out financially would be compensated by the airline. Data security expert Trevor Reschke said that like any website which sees large volumes of card transactions, BA was a ripe target for hackers. It is now a race between British Airways and the criminal underground, said Reschke, head of threat intelligence at Trusted Knight. One will be figuring out which cards have been compromised and alerting victims, whilst the other will be trying to abuse them while they are still fresh. NatWest, one of Britains biggest card issuers, said it was receiving higher-than-usual call volumes because of the breach. It said in a recorded message that its security systems would likely stop any fraud as a result of the hack but anyone affected should look out for unusual activity on their accounts. American Express said clients did not need to take any action and the company would alert anyone with unusual activity on their cards. IAG said the data breach had been resolved and the website was working normally, and that no travel or passport details were stolen. After the computer system failure in May 2017, BA said it would take steps to ensure such an incident never happened again, but in July it was forced to cancel and delay flights out of the same airport due to problems with a suppliers IT systems. By Paul Sandle California to Launch Its Own Satellite to Monitor Climate Change California is planning to launch its own satellite to track climate change-causing pollutants, said Governor Jerry Brown at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco on Sep. 14. The satellite would be able to detect the point source of climate pollutants, said Brown. The project would be a joint effort between the state of California and San Francisco-based earth imaging company Planet Labs. Meanwhile, the data collected by the satellite will contribute to a new Climate Data Partnership, which serves as a platform that provides references for the government in reducing greenhouse gas emission. This groundbreaking initiative will help governments, businesses and landowners pinpoint and stop destructive emissions with unprecedented precision, on a scale thats never been done before, said Governor Brown in the announcement. Its not clear when the satellite would be launched or how much the project will cost. However, Brown claims its part of a strategy that could potentially reduce emissions equivalent to 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide globally every year. We're excited to share a groundbreaking partnership with the State of California to explore the development of new satellite technologies that can help track climate change. Read about the initiative: https://t.co/ByGcgATpaH pic.twitter.com/0BG7xka7ZW Planet (@planetlabs) September 14, 2018 The satellite project is initially funded by Dee and Richard Lawrence and OIF, as well as The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust. In 2016, Governor Brown made a similar announcement at the American Geophysical Unions fall meeting in San Francisco. He stated that California possesses enough resources both scientifically and politically to launch its own satellite. California lawmakers have taken several controversial actions in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including cap-and-trade policy and a 100% clean energy requirement from generating electricity by 2045. Governor Jerry Brown also signed two bills this month aimed at blocking the federal government from expanding offshore oil drilling along the California coast. Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 14, 2017. The orchestras fall tour will arrive in the United States on Oct. 7 and play at Carnegie Hall once again. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times) Cant Find Time to Meditate? Try Music Why music harmonizes you from the inside out A colleague recently walked up to me rolling his shoulders. He listens to the radio. He listens to rock, pop, jazz, anything. Music is something he needs in his life, hes said more than once. But something odd happened to him recently: He sat in front of a symphony orchestra, and all that familiar tension bunched up in his neck and back and shoulders just melted away. Its amazing, he explained, still moving his shoulders as if astounded by how easy it was to shrug off his pain and tension. He went on to tell me that a doctor friend of his had recently corroborated his theory: that music harmonizes you from the inside out, even to the point of relieving ailments. Theyre not wrong: Spotify data, psychologists, and researchers say that we have a preference for music of about 120130 beats per minute (bpm), which is just above the average resting heart rate (60100 bpm). This tempo tends to be found in rhythm-driven pieces with a predictable, steady beat. And this tempo isnt even for workout tracks, which tend to run even faster. Upbeat music can encourage you to keep going when the exhaustion hits, rather than giving up. Theres another layer to this, if we look at age-old wisdom. The ancient Chinese, like the ancient Egyptians, like Plato, and even the illustrious patron of the arts King Louis XIV, all adhered to the universal idea that music connected man to the cosmosthat music, above all arts, could speak directly to the soul and thus should be used to the most beneficial effect. They, too, believed that music heals. Traditional Chinese medicine has a system that looks at the five major organs, and the ancient Chinese pentatonic (five-note) scale was meant to align with these five organs. Ancient Chinese physicians wrote treatises on these relationships, and so the idea that music could heal by putting these systems in harmony and right alignment was meant in a literal sense. Slowing Down With Music Were not always running, and we dont always want to keep going, going, going with the ritualized busywork of the day. And sometimes even that meditation app on your phone or knowing that you only need to clear your head for 15 minutes doesnt help you take that first step. But music resonates with us, and live music can go straight through us, hitting us with sound waves head-on and immersing us in harmony. One might assume that this effect is purely subjectivethat the music we like most will affect us the most (or vice versa). But no, composers have long suggested that this elicited response can be intentional. An example that sticks out for me is the classically trained composer Jing Xian. She became a professional pipa player at the young age of 15 and went on to become an award-winning composer. From there, she focused on her career and making a name for herself. I was quite the braggart, she said a few years back in a mini-documentary about the music of Shen Yun Performing Arts. But her introduction to Shen Yun and to the traditional Chinese values that form the core of the dance company had her re-examining her artistic intentions. The ancients said the sage plays music according to heaven, Jing explained. That was the Chinese cultures traditional approach. In light of discovering and studying this traditional culture, Jing said, Now Im more about what the audience truly needs. Now when I write, Im in the mindset of trying to find harmony with heaven, she said, evoking the well-known masters like Bach, like Haydn, like Beethoven. The classical language is a rich one, with varied rhythms, harmonies, and structures built up in ways that are meant to resolve themselves before the music ends, putting us at peace. But what makes Jings example truly astounding is not just her change in philosophy but also the proven popularity of this music. The Music of Shen Yun Soothes the Soul Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance company, and for those who havent seen one of its performances, one of the (many) notable aspects is that each of its six touring companies travels with a full orchestra. All of the music is original and new every season. Shen Yun has somehow managed to combine traditional Chinese music with the classical Western symphony to beautiful effect, and you can scarcely leave a show without hearing audience members inquiring about the music, in the lobby afterward. The company ballooned in size, as did the number of performances, and then the orchestra did too. Due to popular demand, the orchestra that had normally accompanied the various touring dance companies put on a performance of its own. Since its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2012, again, and again, Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra has been received by packed houses and standing ovations. The ensemble combined the once nearly lost art of traditional Chinese music with the heft of Western classical music, and its after performances like these that audience members leave with a weight lifted off their shoulders and a spring in their steps. The classical canon is full of examples like these. George Frideric Handel once wrote, I should be sorry if I only entertained them; I wish to make them better. And is there not a more recognized classical music work than his Messiah? A choral conductor once told me that if happiness could be bottled, it would be the sound of that Hallelujah chorus. At Shen Yuns core, the artists of the company aim to follow the principles of traditional Chinese culture: harmony between heaven, man, and earth. They aim to show this through the stories, through each movement in the dance, and through each note of the music. The Chinese character for medicine is literally built on the character for music. Music can be used to affect many emotional states, and Shen Yuns composers seek to soothe the psyche. The orchestra just kicked off another global tour on Sept. 13 beginning in Asia. Every year, the orchestra visits more and new cities. On Oct. 7, it will be at Carnegie Hall in New York, before moving on to other cities in the United States. For those living within commuting distance of a performance, check here to reserve yourself a seat. For the rest of us, maybe take a moment to close that article on the latest infuriating political debate of the hour, and tune into Classical FM for a little while. View taken on January 30, 2015 of British hostel brand Generator's first hostel in Paris to be opened on February 1st. The Paris site is the brand's largest one with 950 beds. (ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images) China Diplomats Claim Sweden Unsafe After Tourists Get Into Row With Local Police Just after midnight in the early morning of Sept. 2, three Chinese tourists went to the Generator Hostel in Stockholm, Sweden, where they thought they had a reservation. After a receptionist told Mr. Zeng and his parents that their reservation was in fact for the following night, and that the hostel was fully booked, Zeng asked if his parents could sleep on the lobby sofas. Staff explained that the hostel could not allow this, and called the police after the three refused to leave. According to Zeng, the police dragged him and his aging and ill parents out of the hostel lobby, beat them, and dropped them off at the Skogskyrkogarden cemetery in the outskirts of Stockholm, where they were frightened by the sounds of unknown animals. With the help of passersby, the Zengs found their way back to downtown, where they booked a hotel for several hours before leaving Stockholm by air. During his altercation with the police, Zeng shot a video in which he complained about the officers behavior. In the video, Zeng yells in English this is killing, this is killing! while the officers carry his parents out of the lobby. The event did not make the news until Sept. 14, when the Chinese Embassy in Sweden issued a public notice warning Chinese not to visit Sweden on account of poor safety and abuse by the local police. Recently, Chinese tourists in Sweden have become frequent victims of theft and robbery, bringing them loss of property and endangering their safety. Lately, Chinese tourists have also encountered rough handling by Swedish public officials, reads part of the notice. Following the embassys announcement, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinas Ministry of Culture and Tourism defended the Zengs and criticized the Swedish police, and the news was spread around the Chinese public. Following the scandal, however, some Chinese internet users did more research on the story and found that Skogskyrkogarden, which the Zengs claimed was a remote rural area, is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its own metro station. It is a popular tourist location a few miles from the centrally located Stockholm Palace. Additionally, footage taken by other passersby shows that the Swedish police treated the Zengs calmly and professionally, while the Zengs were loud and displayed exaggerated reactions. Zeng throws himself on the ground after berating a female police officer. On Sept. 16, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet ran a report that included interviews with the Stockholm police, witnesses at the scene, and the Chinese ambassador, which painted a completely different picture from Zengs claimed account of the events. After staff refused to accommodate Zengs request to sleep on the sofas in the lobby, he and his parents prepared to sleep there anyway. Two hours later, a hostel worker said Zeng had made threats, and called the police for help. The police said that they had dropped the Zengs off at the Skogskyrkogarden site, away from residential areas so that the three wouldnt disturb sleeping locals. The police did not look violent at all, a passerby told Aftonbladet. They tried to calm down the situation, but these Chinese just shouted and screamed. In the same time, another Swedish media, The Local, reported that prosecutors investigated the incident and found that police did not commit any crime in their handling of the situation. Despite this, the Chinese diplomatic agencies have stood by their side of the event. In a Sept. 17 briefing, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang criticized the Swedish authorities for failing to carry out a thorough investigation. Gui Congyong, Chinas ambassador to Sweden, angrily chastized reporters and expressed confusion and shock that such an incident could happen in a country that constantly lectures about human rights and justices. Jojje Olsson, a Swedish reporter who has covered China news for 11 years, said in his report that the Chinese regime has fanned the diplomatic dispute because of the poor bilateral relations in general between Sweden and China. The Dalai Lama, whom Beijing sees as a Tibetan separatist, gave a speech in Swedish city Malmo on Sept. 12, inviting a harsh rebuke by the Chinese regime. Meanwhile, Chinese social media posts have derided the Zengs for their disgraceful behavior. One post on Chinas Twitter-like Weibo shows several photos of the Zengs smiling in the Netherlands as they continued their trip through Europe. People walk by a building on the Huawei campus in the Chinese city of Shenzhen on April 7, 2013. (Aaron Tam/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese 5G Telecommunications Equipment Rejected in India, South Korea The next generation of wireless mobile communications technologyknown as 5Gis considered key to revolutionizing many different industries: transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing, to name a few. Countries are currently vying for leadership in 5G because that is seen as critical to economic growth. Chinas ambition in the 5G race is stated clearly in its national policy. In May 2015, when Beijing first unveiled its Made in China 2025 program, it called for comprehensive breakthrough in 5G technology. The regimes 5G ambition was stressed again in the 13th Five-Year Plan (20162020), with a call for actively pushing forward 5G technology and ultra-broadband technology, and to jump-start the commercialization of 5G. But in the past few days, Indias government and South Koreas biggest mobile carrier have rejected the use of Chinese telecoms services for their 5G networks. Indias Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced that it has excluded Chinas top two telecom firmsHuawei and ZTEfrom its list of partners for the countrys development of a 5G network, according to a Sept. 17 article by Indian English-language newspaper The Economic Times (ET). We have written to Cisco, Samsung, Ericsson, and Nokia, and telecom-service providers to partner with us to start 5G technology-based trials, and have got [sic] positive response from them, Aruna Sundararajan, Indias telecom secretary and chairman of the countrys telecom commission, said in an interview with ET. For 5G, India has chosen to work with practically every major telecoms firm in the world, except Chinas: Cisco is a U.S.-based technology conglomerate, while Samsung is based in South Korea, Ericsson in Sweden, and Nokia in Finland. This appears more a move to restrict government ties with Chinese equipment makers given the sensitive nature of security issues, especially after what happened in some other countries, an Indian industry executive, who asked not to be identified, told ET. The executive didnt elaborate further. Other countries have raised their concerns about the potential for China to conduct espionage via Huawei and ZTE equipment. In August, the Australian government blocked the companies from supplying equipment for the countrys planned 5G network, in order safeguard the security of Australians information and communications at all times, according to a statement issued on Aug. 23. Meanwhile, the United States has prohibited Huawei from bidding on government contracts. In May, the Pentagon ordered all stores on U.S. military bases to remove smartphones made by either Huawei or ZTE, to avoid compromising the security of U.S. military service members. Huawei has strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). One of its founders, Ren Zhengfei, was a former engineer with the Chinese military (known as the Peoples Liberation Army), and a former representative to the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp legislature. ZTE also is considered by experts and U.S. lawmakers as too cozy with the Chinese regime. Huawei and ZTE are cats paws for Chinese Communist Party domination, and we should treat them as such in every conceivable way, according to Richard Fisher, senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center, a U.S. think tank. A few days before Indias decision, a similar choice was made in South Korea. SK Telecom, South Koreas largest mobile carrier, selected Samsung Electronics, Ericsson, and Nokia to supply necessary equipment for its 5G network, according to a Sept. 14 article by South Koreas Yonhap News Agency. The company said it ruled out Huawei in the final decision, without providing an explanation. Earlier in March, SK Telecoms CEO Park Jung-ho had told The Korea Herald that he was unsure of using Huawei due to security concerns. A South Korean newspaper, Korea Joongang Daily, said that it remains to be seen which companies will be picked by KT and LG Uplus, two other major South Korean mobile carriers, for their 5G equipment. Choosing Huawei would be a thrifty decision but would come with security concerns, Korea Joongang Daily concluded. Bates Gill, professor of Asia-Pacific security studies at Sydneys Macquarie University, explained that the 5G network is a critical infrastructure for any country. In a Sept. 3 article published in the South Korean English-language Korea Times, he fielded questions about whether South Koreans should be worried about Huaweis presence. Insider knowledge of the 5G networkwhich its builders and operators would possesscould not only provide access to sensitive information within the system, such as transport and energy grids, water supplies, financial and banking services, but also allow those builders and operators to disrupt those systems if they chose to, Gill said. Huaweis close association with the Chinese regime is also a point of concern, Gill added, saying that, The Chinese Communist Party has enormous leverage over Chinese companies and citizens to oblige them to act on behalf of Party and government interests. The key for the South Korean government is to determine whether Huaweis involvement will open access to highly sensitive information and critical infrastructure in South Korea, Gill said. A view of relics of ancient terracotta warriors is seen in the No.2 pit of the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum on October 24, 2007 in Lintong of Shaanxi Province, China. (China Photos/Getty Images) Chinese Court Sentences Police Officers Complicit in Raiding Ancient Tombs Public security authorities provided explosives and detonators used to commit the thefts Four people, including a former deputy police chief in northern China, were sentenced to life in prison for their roles as accomplices to the looting of ancient tombs. The High Peoples Court of Shanxi Province reported Sept. 12 that the previous day, 10 people had stood trial for the thefts, including former police officers tasked with protecting the ancient relics. Among the four sentenced to life in prison were Jing Yimin, the former deputy chief of the Wenxi County Public Security Bureau, and civil police officer Li Anji, who served in the ultural Relics Criminal Investigation Brigade (CRCIB). Another CRCIB officer, Li Xiaodong, and five additional people were handed prison sentences of six to 16 years. All had their assets confiscated. Shanxi Province is part of the ancient Chinese heartland. Home to the capitals of multiple dynasties and kingdoms, it is rich in cultural artifacts and tombs of monarchs and nobles; selling the relics can make raiders an overnight fortune. Previously, on March 26, Jing and other three individuals were sentenced by the Intermediate Peoples Court in the Shanxi city of Yuncheng for involvement in criminal activities that included looting ancient tombs and historical sites, and helping criminals evade justice. Another six people were sentenced for similar crimes. Jing and other defendants appealed the verdict; the case was transferred to the High Peoples Court of Shanxi, the highest court in the province. The sentences remained unchanged. The court said hat from 2010 to 2016, defendant Jing Yimin had provided asylum for members of a criminal gang, including gang leader Zhang Chengjun, who were engaged in looting ancient tombs. Jing had ordered CRCIB officers Li Anji and Li Xiaodong to deliberately make detours while patroling historical sites, to facilitate the tomb-raiding operation. Zhang was also among those who were sentenced. Zhang and seven other defendants raided artifacts from 26 ancient tombs located in nationally protected cultural sites, collecting 100 items that included ancient bronzeware. In addition to helping Zhang raid the tombs, Jing Yimin also organized thefts in 13 other tombs in the protected sites, stealing other artifacts. Jing also covered for criminals who ran gambling houses, and illegally bailed out a criminal who was guilty of assault and possession of firearms, organized gambling, and drug trafficking. In a tomb-raiding case opened last January, the police in Wenxi County were involved in the thefts. At least 13 public officials were involved, including two deputy police directorsone of them being Jingseven civil police officers, and four auxiliary police officers. The state-run Chinese newspaper Legal Evening News, reported on Sept. 6 that all personnel in the CRCIB of the Wenxi County police were implicated in connection with the charges; all received legal punishment or were fired from their posts. According to the report, the Wenxi Public Security Bureau supplied the detonators and explosives used to break into the ancient tombs. Early in January 2012, Professor Lei Xingshan, an archaeologist at Peking University, told the Guardian that more than 900 tombs in one area of Shanxi had been plundered. We used to say nine out of 10 tombs were empty because of tomb-raiding, but now it has become 9.5 out of 10, Lei told the Guardian. New Jersey Hotline to Report Priest Sex-Abuse Claims Overwhelmed by Calls, Report Says The hotline established for reporting sexual abuse by Catholic priests in New Jersey is constantly busy. It rang maybe 10 times. It hung up and a message came up saying were unable to take your call, said Joe Capozzi, who claims he was abused by his priest 50 years ago, when he was 11, CBS New York reported. The dedicated call-in center was set up Sept. 6 by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal as part of the states investigation of allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy and any efforts to cover up such abuse, within the Roman Catholic dioceses of New Jersey. When the task force was first announced, Grewals office stated the toll-free hotline would be staffed with trained professionals and operate on a 24/7 basis. The line has been so active that Grewal has had to assign more staff to handle calls, according to CBS. Grewal said he formed the task force after reading a report by a Pennsylvania grand jury alleging more than 1,000 victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests in that state going back as far as 70 years. We owe it to the people of New Jersey to find out whether the same thing happened here, Grewal said. If it did, we will take action against those responsible. The task force is headed by Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino; he reports to New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director Veronica Allende. We want victims to know that we stand ready to investigate their cases and will do everything in our power to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice, Allende said. The key is obtaining adequate evidence, and we urge anyone with information about sexual abuse by members of the clergy to contact us confidentially through our new hotline. At least seven states have started investigating sexual-abuse claims by clergy or have laid the groundwork for such inquiries since Pennsylvania issued its report in August. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Rappels Down to Check Truck Coast Guard stations from up and down the East Coast sent rescue units to the Carolinas to help with people trapped or endangered by Hurricane Florence. Coast Guard units have been investigating every abandoned vehicle and every house where there might be people or pets. Anywhere a life might be saved, the Coast Guard has been making an effort to reach. In the video above, Petty Officer 1st Class Jordon Shevlin from the Atlantic City Coast Guard station is seen checking a truck stricken by swirling flood waters for trapped passengers on Sept. 16. PO1C Shevlin stepped out of the HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter while storm-force winds bucked it around, and lowered himself on a winch to see if there was anybody trapped in the truck. In this case, the truck was empty, but the dedication of the Coast Guard rescue crew means that they always check for survivorsthey see it as their duty. Every time a storm whips up out in the ocean, the number of unsung heroes that come out and show their courage and care for others is a testament to the good in humanity. Videos like this show how hard a job it isand videos like those below show exactly why the Coast Guard and other first responders give so much of themselves repeatedly. An MH-60T Jayhawk Helicopter crew from #USCG Air Station Clearwater, Florida, evacuated three adults, one child, and two dogs from Rocky Point, North Carolina on Sept. 17. The rescues were trapped by flooding caused by Hurricane Florence, according to the Coast Guard Facebook page. A total of 26 adults, 11 children, seven dogs and four cats had been evacuated from that same neighborhood by an Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, crew a few hours earlier. Coast Guard evacuates residents from Rocky Point, NC following Hurricane Florence An MH-60T Jayhawk Helicopter crew from #USCG Air Station Elizabeth City, evacuates residents from Rocky Point, NC due to flooding caused by #HurricaneFlorence. A total of 26 adults, 11 children, seven dogs and four cats were evacuated from the neighborhood. #Florence Posted by U.S. Coast Guard on Monday, September 17, 2018 Another crew from Air Station Elizabeth City rescued a man and his dog who were trapped atop a van on Sept. 17. The man and his pet had been driving when flood waters surged over the road, trapping the van. The man and his pet climbed onto the roof of the van and watched the water rise. Before things got perilous, help arrived from above. In this video, a Coast Guard crew hoisted a woman to safety as the water slowly rose to cover the porch of her home. The lady had been without her medication for several days and was unable to eat or drink. Without the Coast Guard, she probably wouldnt have survived. Coast Guard rescues elderly woman from flooded home Watch as a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer and his crew hoists an elderly woman to safety after she spent several days without medication and was unable to keep down any food or water. #USCG #HurricaneFlorence #hurricaneflorence #SoOthersMayLive #NorthCarolina Posted by U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, September 16, 2018 More than just helicopters were deployed to help with the rescues. Boat crews scoured flooded neighborhoods looking for people who hadnt managed to get outlike this couple from Brunswick County, North Carolina, who were rescued along with their pets. #USCG shallow-water response boat team members rescue a woman, her husband and their pets in Brunswick County, N.C. during #HurricaneFlorence response. #SAR Posted by U.S. Coast Guard on Monday, September 17, 2018 The Coast Guard crew members also helped rescue pets out of their flooding homes. Shallow-Water Response Team 3 continue to rescue pets stranded by floodwater caused by #HurricaneFlorence in North Carolina. Posted by U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday, September 16, 2018 The National Guard assisted as well. Marylands National Guard sent its Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to the Carolinas. We are there solely to rescue people. Were looking for stranded individuals or someone in need of help, Justin Evans, with the Maryland National Guard, told CBS News. From NTD.tv Watch Next: Why is Falun Gong Persecuted? Although its freely practiced in over 70 countries, doing this in China can lead to unlawful arrest, imprisonment, torture, or even death. Durham Schools Respond After Holding Classes Amid Flooding, Tornado Warning Durham Public Schools have defended their decision to hold classes on Sept. 17 amid flooding from Hurricane Florence and a tornado warning. Classes were also held in Orange County. Florence, which has been downgraded to a tropical depression, has been dumping rain across North Carolina to the extent that officials warned people not to enter the state. But officials in Durham chose to hold classes on Sept. 17. Later in the day, they released a statement saying that the decision had been reached after speaking with emergency management officials and after reviewing the weather beginning at 3:30 a.m. We had every indication that today would be a good day to open schools, the district said in a statement. When weather advisories were issued and conditions began to deteriorate, buses were already en route to school. Officials said the safest choice at that point was to take the students in the buses to the school, noting: Students that have arrived at our schools are safe and sound. Anyone who didnt make it will not be counted as absent. Students wait at bus stop during a tornado warning in Durham County. Neighboring counties have closed schools. @SpecNewsRDU has ongoing coverage. pic.twitter.com/0it9oacx1A Chris Williams (@ChrisW_SpecNews) September 17, 2018 Although we made the best decision we could with the information we had this morning, we are sorry to our families and staff for the difficulties that came from our decision to open school, district spokesman Chip Suddeth added in a statement obtained by WRAL. Other districts in the area, including Wake County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City, canceled classes on Sept. 17. Orange County ended up dismissing students two hours early and canceling all after-school activities, as did Durham, the district said in a statement. We apologize for any safety issues this may have caused, in addition to the stress and inconvenience, Orange County School officials said in the Facebook post. On its website, Durham Schools said schools would be open again on Sept. 18 but would have a two-hour delay, and Orange County said the same. Here is a closer view of Mud Creek covering a bridge on Pickett Road in #Durham pic.twitter.com/lHbJuSDf6C Virginia Bridges (@VirginiaBridges) September 17, 2018 What a mess on downtown Durham this morning. This was on Morgan St. @WRAL @indyweek pic.twitter.com/cbT6FSNycg (((Sammy))) (@sbanawan) September 17, 2018 Tornado Warning and Flooding A tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service at 7:37 a.m., cleared in some areas about 15 minutes later, and reissued at 8:17 a.m. before being canceled for good around 30 minutes later. The tornado and flooding prompted classes for Duke University in Durham to be canceled. Nature threw us a curve ball this morning and Im sorry for those of you who were already on your way to classes (or in class) when the cancellation text came around, Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, wrote in an email to students obtained by The Duke Chronicle. Torrential rain from Hurricane Florence caused a number of creeks and rivers to overflow in the area, including Mud Creek, reported The News & Observer. Mud Creek flows under Pickett Road, which was flooded in some sections by the overflow. Firefighters were dispatched to the road at around 9:30 a.m. after a report of a school bus with elementary school students being stuck in the flooding. The students were ultimately picked up by school staff, though its unclear what happened to the bus. In another incident, an Orange County bus drove through a flooded section of N.C. 10 as it transported students to school. From NTD.tv Elementary School Student in Alabama Shot During Gym Class An elementary school student in Alabama was shot in the hand during gym class on Monday, Sept. 17, in what authorities said was an accident. Police officers were called to Blossomwood Elementary School around 10:30 a.m. after the gun went off. Superintendent Christy Finley told parents via a recorded phone message that was delivered after the school day that the matter was swiftly dealt with. We never put the campus on lockdown because this was an accident, she said in the message, reported AL.com. Once the accident occurred, no other students were in danger. The school was safe and class continued for our students. She said the students involved were second-graders. Lt. Michael Johnson said the gun went off when one student was handing it to another student during gym class, while Finley said the shooting happened in a restroom. The gun was immediately confiscated while the gym teacher rushed the injured student to get medical treatment. We are doing an extensive investigation into the chain of custody of the weapon, Johnson said. We are looking at the chain of events as to how the kid got the weapon. Huntsville Police Chief Mark McMurray told Patch that the student brought the gun to school as a show and tell. At this time the incident is being ruled as an accidental discharge between two students handling a small firearm. As Chief McMurray stated in the press conference, please be mindful of your weapons at home and gun safety. Huntsville Police (@HsvPolice) September 17, 2018 Parent Reacts Shawn Patrick was among those who received a notification from the school system about the shooting, prompting him to drive to the school. Patrick told AL.com that his 7-year-old son was in the nurses office when the student who was shot was escorted in. I never in my life believed my children would be in a situation where there was a shooting at their schoolespecially an elementary school, said Patrick. It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. Patrick believes the school should install metal detectors, noting that he and his wife plan to seek counseling for their son. Student shot in the hand at Blossomwood Elementary School https://t.co/EcUkHMrjwR via @whnt Brenda Formby (@maine2564478414) September 18, 2018 Mayor Speaks Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle held a press conference on Monday after the shooting. He told reporters that the incident is a reminder for parents to keep their firearms secure. The incident at Blossomwood Elementary this morning is an important reminder to us allsecure your firearms and keep them out of reach of children, he said. Huntsville Police Chief Mark McMurray echoed the advice. If you have weapons at home, be sure and lock them down, he told WHNT. Know where that weapon is. They have locks you can put on those weapons in your home. You have places you can lock them down to keep these elementary school children away from them. From NTD.tv Elizabeth Smart Describes Chilling Actions of Captor Who Is Set to Be Freed Elizabeth Smart has described the chilling actions of one of her captors, who is set to be freed from prison this week. Wanda Barzee, 72, convicted of helping former street preacher and her then-husband Brian David Mitchell kidnap Smart in 2002 from the girls bedroom, is set to be released from prison on Wednesday, Sept. 19more than five years earlier than expected. The early release is due to a miscalculation, a spokesman for the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole said. Smart said in a statement when the upcoming release was announced that she was shocked, and elaborated on her feelings in a new interview over the weekend with CBS. I Am Very Concerned Smart, now 30, said that shes very concerned that Barzee will be released. I am very concernedfor the community, for the public, as much as I am for myself, Smart said. Smart said Barzee is capable of great evil, describing how Barzee would sit nearby, even touching the girl, while Mitchell raped her. There were no secrets. She knew what was going on. And, I mean, she just was the kind of woman thatshe was just evil and twisted, Smart said. I remember when they used to force me to drink alcohol. And one time they had me drink so muchI was a 14-year-old girl, Id never touched alcohol in my lifethat I ended up throwing up and then passing out in it. And both of them just let me lie there all night. And when I woke up the next morning, I mean, my face and my hair were completely crusted to the ground. And they both laughed. She laughed. Smart, who was a captive for nine months, also revealed that sources have informed her that Barzee still carries around a book written by Mitchell. Family Refuses to Take Barzee In Barzee faces a rough re-entry as her family has said they will not take her in after shes released from prison. Tina Mace, one of Barzees nieces, said the details of the kidnapping still horrify Barzees family. It just makes you ill. How could anyone do that? she told The Associated Press. From what I know, no family can take her in or would take her in, Mace added. Federal officials have secured a place for Barzee to live when she starts her five-year supervised release but declined to state where she would live. From NTD.tv Fatality Reported After Tornadoes Touch Down Near Richmond, Virginia The extent of the damage caused by tornadoes touching down near and in Richmond, Virginia, became clearer the next day. The tornadoes touched down on Monday, Sept. 17, and pictures and footage emerging on Tuesday show some of the damage, including a building collapse that left one person dead and another injured. The Chesterfield Fire Department said that the building collapse on Speeks Drive off Hull Street Road killed one person, said Lt. Jason Elmore, public information officer for the department. Elmore shared photos taken by a drone flying over the area, showing extensive damage. The building that collapsed and killed a person was Old Dominion Floor Co., reported WRIC. The deceased was an employee of the business, as was the injured person. The victim remained unidentified but Eric Webster, another Old Dominion employee, told the broadcaster that he was a good man. We were blessed to have him there, said Webster. He was a very good man. Like hed always lighten up people that were around him. Part 2 Drone footage taken in the area of Hull Street Road/Speeks Drive today pic.twitter.com/6zVuSMHxYM Lt. Jason Elmore (@CFEMSPIO) September 18, 2018 (Part 2) Drone footage taken in the area of Hull Street Road/Speeks Drive today pic.twitter.com/KyKdd0N7x3 Lt. Jason Elmore (@CFEMSPIO) September 18, 2018 (Part 3) Drone footage taken in the area of Hull Street Road/Speeks Drive today pic.twitter.com/HypkYKPQMn Lt. Jason Elmore (@CFEMSPIO) September 18, 2018 Heres another view of the warehouse that collapsed on Speeks Drive off Hull Street Road. Still no confirmation of the possible fatality. Working to get more info now. @8NEWS pic.twitter.com/paWrwsVyk0 Nick Conigliaro 8News (@NConigliaroNews) September 17, 2018 Large tornado in Richmond Virginia, around 4 PM ET image via Pat Strepka pic.twitter.com/PCI6J5KPST Brad Sowder (@TheBradSowder) September 17, 2018 DRAMATIC VIDEO: Tornado rips through Chesterfield County business https://t.co/Xxf3OciOFX (video courtesy John Guth) pic.twitter.com/vkAnnfhZTr 8News WRIC Richmond (@8NEWS) September 17, 2018 The deadly tornado was the first in the area in 20 years, reported the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The National Weather Service planned a survey of the area on Tuesday to confirm the number of tornadoes and track their paths and intensity. Nineteen tornado warnings had been issued in the area on Monday. One confirmed tornado damaged houses and downed trees between Boydton and Chase City, while another tornado left damage in Chesterfield around the Hampton Park and Hancock Village neighborhoods before tracking north across Midlothian, Bon Ai, and Tuckahoe. A third tornado appears to have started just east of Winterpock and moved toward Richmond, the Times-Dispatch reported. According to WTVR, the tornado outbreak was caused by Florence. It said, The energy generated east of the tropic depression put us in the path of moderate wind shear. The shear, along with high humidity, spread strong storms that produced tornadoes and torrential afternoon rain. From NTD.tv A search and rescue task force patrols a flooded region by boat over a fully submerged road in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Castle Hayne, North Carolina, U.S., September 17, 2018. (By Jonathan Drake/Reuters) Florences Drenching Rains Kill 23 in the Carolinas WILMINGTON/FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.Deeper flooding loomed in the hours and days ahead from rivers in the Carolinas swollen by Tropical Depression Florence, which has killed 23 people, even if rain-weary residents got a brief glimpse of sunshine on Sept. 17. The slow-moving storm, a hurricane when it hit the North Carolina coast, has dumped up to 36 inches of rain on the state since Sept. 13, displacing thousands. The flooding could persist for several weeks in some areas. Residents of the Carolinas were starting to confront the storms after-effects, including power outages, impassable roads, and sewage spilling into flooded areas, while the hurricanes remnants headed north. For many parts of North Carolina, the danger is still immediate, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at a news conference Sept. 17. Flood waters are rising as rivers crest and they will for days. The coastal city of Wilmington was largely cut off due to flood waters from the Cape Fear River, with one single road available for emergency workers and those bringing food and water. Officials were discouraging people from returning, however. Further inland, the same river, running through Fayetteville, a city of 200,000, was expected to reach major flood levels later on Sept. 17, and would not crest until Sept. 18. A meeting was arranged between Cooper and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in Raleigh on Sept. 17. President Donald Trump also plans to visit the state this week. Major rivers are expected to remain flooded for the next two to three weeks, said Steve Goldstein, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration liaison to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The dead included a 1-year-old boy swept away from his mother as they tried to escape their car amid floodwaters. The woman had driven around barricades to reach a closed road, the sheriffs office in Union County, near North Carolinas border with South Carolina, said on Facebook. Dont drive around barricades. Were seeing this happen now and the result is not good, Cooper said. Closures and Outages North Carolina officials reported 1,200 road closures, including a stretch of Interstate 95, a major transportation artery on the U.S. East Coast. About 509,000 homes and businesses were without electricity in North and South Carolina, and surrounding states. Rex Gehring, 62, was unsure what he would do with the house he bought outside Fayetteville after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 forced its previous owner into foreclosure. Were in a floodplain but a hundred-year one, he said as floodwaters lapped at the houses front steps. I guess that means every two years now. There are currently 2,000 federal workers working on storm response, supporting state efforts, said Tom Fargione, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer. Cooper said 2,600 people were rescued in North Carolina, along with 300 animals, and that the rescues were continuing. About 14,000 people are in shelters, officials said. The sun appeared in some areas for the first time in days, allowing some people to return home to assess damage and to reckon with the problems that develop as a result of massive floods caused by several feet of rain. A power outage at a wastewater treatment plant in Wilmington resulted in partially treated sewage water being released into the Cape Fear River, said Reggie Cheatham, director of the U.S. Environment Protection Agencys Office of Emergency Management. Sewage releases in the Neuse River also were reported, as well as overflowing manholes. Overflows also were reported at several hog lagoonsused to store waste from pig farms. Sewage leaks increase the risk of outbreaks of infectious disease, said Louise Ivers, executive director for Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, an infectious disease specialist. By Ernest Scheyder & Patrick Rucker Free Enterprise, Not Free Tuition Knowledge always has a price Should everyone go to college? Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the College for All Act, which would federally fund states to reduce tuition to zero at all public colleges and universities. Like other recent big-ticket proposals from the left, its a blunt instrument, willfully throwing away important information about students and job opportunities in favor of a big, centrally planned initiative. Instead of dismissing it, lets take Sanderss proposal as a challenge. There are at least two very good reasons why the status quo in paying for post-secondary education isnt cutting it. The first is accesswe want talented low-income kids to be upwardly mobile and contribute to society. The second is student loans, which if arent a full-blown crisis, are at least a full-blown mess. Fortunately, there are exciting potential solutions to these problems that combine the power of free markets, the strength of communities, and the value of a good education. The Cost of Free Tuition Making college free would essentially treat every student, type of education, and career track the same. This approach fails on at least three accounts. First, it fails to target the right kids in terms of need. In many ways, free public college would represent a wealth transfer to upper-middle and high-income familiesthe ones who arent already receiving financial aid. Help could be far better targeted to kids currently slipping through the cracks of the financial aid system or those being saddled with student debt. Second, it fails to focus on the right kids in terms of potential. Instead of finding the most talented kids who would run with the opportunity and create a better life for themselves, college-for-all has no means of targeting based on intelligence, maturity, or desire. Finally, it fails to target the right kinds of education. At age 18, some kids should be going to universities, some to vocational schools, and some straight to the workforce. The idea that everyone should go to a four-year college is accepted as gospel by many American professionals, but that isnt always the right path to the best life. And within types of school, there are majors and tracks that will be particularly valuable for future workers. Trying to add this kind of targeting to a Sanders-style bill would still miss the mark, simply adding a layer of bureaucracy and complexity to an already fatally-flawed solution. The answer comes when we start thinking of students as individuals who merit investment rather than an automatic free education. And forget student loans, as analyst James Altucher described in an interview with The Epoch Times: The problem is, student loan debt is $1.2 trillion, and tuitions have gone up faster than inflation every single year since 1977like 9 percent faster. Health care has only gone up about 3 or 4 percent per year faster than inflation since 1977. And when I say since 1977, its every single yearin not one year, have tuitions gone down versus inflation. Thats 40 years. So you have to ask why, and this has nothing to do with whether college is a good experience or a bad experience. But it does drastically affect the way kids today are viewing their opportunities in the world versus when I was a kid. I graduated a couple of decades ago and I had student loan debt, but that was very different than the debt people graduate with now. Because that debt is guaranteed, colleges say, Oh well, we know were going to get this money. Nobody is going to prevent us from getting this money. So, colleges raise tuition every single year, and tuitions now are unbelievably huge. Dont think debt, think equity. Ownership, Not Loans or Handouts Purdue University in Indiana is a pioneer in income-sharing agreements (ISAs). If a student loan is like a bond, an ISA is like a stock. Students are given a fixed amount of money upfront to cover college costs, and then pay back a certain percentage of their income for a pre-determined length of time. The terms of the ISA vary based on major, with more favorable terms offered to more lucrative fields. For example, as Amelia Friedman wrote in The Atlantic last year, A senior majoring in economics who took out $13,000 in a Back a Boiler ISA would pay 4.39 percent of her income over 100 months, up to a maximum of $32,500. Theres generally a cap on the total amount paid back, so as not to disincentivize high earning, as well as a cap on the number of months. What if a student doesnt find a job, or makes less money than expected? Just like investing in a startup company, the investor takes a hit, and the student isnt saddled with lifelong debt. Students also are allowed to defer the start of payment for four years for a list of reasons, including family and grad school. ISAs are currently offered by Purdue itself through an endowed fund. The university even provides a calculator where students can compare likely payments for ISAs and more conventional loans for a given major and graduation date. Think about the three missed targets of the Sanders bill: need, potential, and educational track. The ISA has a way of hitting them all. Only the Beginning Purdues experiment got me thinking about other ways that ISAs could be provided. They could truly be revolutionary. Suppose, for instance, that a non-profit was started in a community with a lot of low-income students. It could be seeded by a combination of schools, donors, community members, and perhaps a fraction of the money that would have gone to making college free. An appointed board of community members and donors would select students to receive ISA backing. These wouldnt necessarily be the students with the best high school grades. Selection could take financial hardship into account, along with students fitting well in various schools and programsfrom vocational schools to the Ivy League. There are certainly risks, but if such a program were structured the right way, it could pay for itself plus returns. That would allow an ever-growing number of students to benefit down the line. With a program and cohort in place, students could also help each other. They could meet every few weeks, either remotely or in person, to discuss the challenges they face and encourage each other to keep working hard. Another requirement for successful recipients after graduation could be to mentor some of the next wave of students. Centralized one-size-fits-all approaches to policy are like putting on a blindfold before going through an obstacle course. By ignoring markets, they purport to be more humane, but fail to get the right help to the right people. Sanders and others should consider the staggering possibilities that emerge when free enterprise and a generous spirit are combined. Max Gulker is a senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. Gulker holds a doctorate in economics from Stanford University and a bachelors in economics from the University of Michigan. This article was first published by AIER.org. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A worker at the Hollywood Bed Frame Company factory in Commerce, Calif., on April 14, 2017. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images) Hispanic Middle-Class Incomes Rise Again, to Highest Ever Households headed by Hispanic Americans significantly increased their incomes in 2017, reaching a record median of $50,486an increase of almost 3.7 percent. The figure, released with 2017 Census data on Sept. 12, shows Hispanic households overtaking other groups in middle-class income growth. Overall, median incomes rose by 1.8 percent, including 2.6 percent for whites. Black middle incomes stagnated while the incomes of Asians went down by 2.2 percent, although that group maintained the highest median incomes by a large margin. Hispanic Americans have notably improved their economic well-being over the past year and a half. Hispanic unemployment over the past 12 months has fallen, to about 4.8 percent in August, breaking one record after another since December 2017. The lowest point prior to that was 5.2 percent in 2007. Nearly 350,000 Hispanic Americans have risen out of poverty in 2017, compared to the year before. Hispanics and Trump President Donald Trump has been credited with accelerating U.S. economic growth through tax cuts, deregulation, convincing companies to expand production in the United States, and other policies. His carrot-and-stick approach to trade negotiations also has started to bear fruit in recent months. Its not clear, however, whether his economic message sufficiently reaches Hispanic voters. While Trump repeatedly cheered for the record-low Hispanic unemployment, major Spanish-language news media outlets Univision and Telemundo omitted the historical significance of the numbers from their reports both for June and July. Trumps policies on some issues seem to resonate with Hispanic Americans, according to a June Harvard-Harrison poll, which focused on immigration. More than half of Hispanic people polled said current border security is inadequate and immigration law enforcement needs to be stricter, rather than looser. About 70 percent also prefer secure borders to basically open borders. About two-thirds support the Republican proposal for immigration reform, described to the respondents as a congressional deal that gives undocumented immigrants brought here by their parents work permits and a path to citizenship in exchange for increasing merit preference over preference for relatives, eliminating the diversity visa lottery, and funding barrier security on the U.S.Mexico border. A majority of Hispanics said that those crossing U.S. borders illegally should be sent home, even if they are parents with children. Among Hispanic registered voters, Trumps job approval reached 35 percent in September, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. House Bill Seeks to Stop Chinese Regime from Exploiting American Universities New legislation and new approaches by law enforcement are addressing the longstanding problem of how the Chinese regime uses the American educational system to steal secrets that damage Americas national and economic security. On Sept. 13, Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) introduced the Stop Higher Education Espionage and Theft (SHEET) Act of 2018 to stop foreign intelligence services from using college exchange programs to steal technology, recruit agents and spread propaganda. This legislation accompanies a Senate bill that was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on May 22. Rooney said in an email to The Epoch Times that he was moved to introduce the measure because China uses many methods to steal technology from the United States. Rooney said one such example is the Confucius Institutes, which allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate American universities to exploit the open research and development environment, spread propaganda and recruit agents. This threat to our national security should be taken seriously. The Thousand Talents Plan is of particular concern for U.S. officials. Established by the Chinese regime to recruit academic and research talent back to China, the program has been described by the U.S. National Intelligence Council as a means of enabling technology transfer to China from the United States. Rooney said, The SHEET Act will allow the FBI to designate foreign-intelligence threats to higher education, including professors and students associated with the Thousand Talents Plan. This authority is necessary to stop China from stealing American technology. The SHEET Act also requires stricter reporting rules by universities that receive foreign gifts, and protects civil liberties by allowing designations of someone as a foreign-intelligence threat to be appealed, similar to the way in which Foreign Terrorist Organization designations can be appealed. Cruz, who introduced the Senate bill, Stop Higher Education Espionage and Theft Act of 2018, said in a statement, The Chinese Communist Party is working to undermine American universities by meddling with curricula, silencing criticism of their regime, and stealing intellectual property. Creating accountability for Confucius Institutes is a necessary step to protect our institutions of higher learning, and Im glad that Rep. Rooney has introduced this important legislation. The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Donald Trump on Aug. 13 bars any U. S. university from using Pentagon resources for any program involving Confucius Institutes. According to Hanban (the Chinese Language Council), which governs the Confucius Institutes, as of Dec. 31, 2017, 525 Confucius Institutes, which are in colleges and universities, and 1,113 Confucius Classrooms, which are in primary and secondary schools, have been set up in 146 countries and regions. There are 161 Confucius Institutes and 754 Confucius Classrooms in the Americas. New Initiatives With the acceleration of the U.S. trade war with China, coercive technology transfer, intellectual property protection, and academic espionage and theft have all emerged as part of the battlefront. On Aug. 8, in an unprecedented gathering, FBI officials warned top leaders of Texas academic and medical institutions about classified security threats. It was said to be the first step in a new initiative that the FBI plans to replicate around the country. The gathering was attended by more than 100 academic officials from the Texas Medical Center and around the state. Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division, discussed the challenges of protecting educational and research opportunities while mitigating potential risks to U.S. national and economic security. Enhanced protection begins with enhanced awareness, he said. Another event The Impact of Espionage Investigation on the Asian American Community will be held Sept. 22 in Houston, with FBI special agents, legal experts, and academic leaders invited to discuss the Economic Espionage Act and other related policies. Messages about the FBIs new initiatives have been widely circulated among the Chinese community via social media. Some Chinese internet users commented that these efforts show that the U. S. government wants to address the problem at its root, which may have a bigger effect on China than the trade war itself. Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the number of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms. There are 161 Confucius Institutes and 754 Confucius Classrooms in the Americas. The Epoch Times regrets the mistake. Hurricane Florence Deaths: 32 People Dead, Significant Damage Done Due to Floods At least 32 people have been confirmed dead as flooding triggered by Hurricane Florence persists in the Carolinas. The Associated Press confirmed the latest death toll on Sept. 18, and the majority of them were in North Carolina. An apparent tornado spawned by Florences remnants over Richmond, Virginia, killed one person, AP noted. We can confirm one fatality at the building collapse. All other employees accounted for. We transported one other minor injury to hospital, Jason Elmore, a public information officer for the Richmond Police Department, said. North Carolina officials released the list of deaths and names on Sept. 18, bringing the death toll to 25 in the state. Flood waters are still raging across parts of our state, and the risk to life is rising with the angry waters, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said late on Sept. 17, WSB reported. He added that this storm has never been more dangerous than it is right now in some parts of North Carolina. AccuWeather forecaster Dan Kottlowski said that parts of the Carolinas were hammered with 1 to 2 feet of rain, and some spots got 3 feet of rain. Wilmington, which was cut off due to floodwaters, got 2 feet. The Cape Fear River is still slated to crest in the coming days. The river will continue to rise in the coming days, the National Weather Service said, USA Today reported. Stay safe, river flooding is still a major concern! Florence did what it was forecast to do, it produced flooding rainfall. That will be its legacy, Kottlowski said. The worst of the rain is over [in the Carolinas], but there will still be some lingering showers. Any additional rainfall will exacerbate a terrible, catastrophic flooding event, but the heavier and steadier rains are over now, Kottlowski said. A 1-year-old North Carolina boy died in Florences floodwaters when the vehicle his mother was driving was swept away. Searchers have recovered the body of one-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch. Our thoughts and prayers for the little boys family and all the search team members and law enforcement officers who helped in this matter. Very sad situation, the Union County Sheriffs Office office stated. Union County Sheriffs detectives believe the child and his mother were traveling east on N.C. 218 going toward Wadesboro. The mother drove around the barricades on N.C. 218 and continued traveling east until her vehicle encountered rushing water flowing across the road, officials said. Florence Remnants Florences remnants, described by the National Weather Service as a post-tropical cyclone, rolled over the northeast United States, hitting parts of southern New York and northern Pennsylvania. A state of emergency was declared in Tioga County due to flash flooding, according to the Ithaca Journal on Sept. 18. The weather services Binghamton branch said that some places in New York got more than 3 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Flash flooding has been a concern across the Carolinas as well as parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and into southern New England. A Japan Maritime Self Defence Forces submarine is moored at a pier in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture in Japan on April 12, 2016. (Toshifumi Kitamura//AFP/Getty Images) Japanese Submarine Conducts First Drills in South China Sea TOKYOA Japanese submarine has for the first time joined a naval drill in the South China Sea, the Ministry of Defense said on Sept. 17, in an expansion of Japanese activity in the disputed waterway claimed by China and others. The submarine Kuroshio took part in the exercise on Sept. 13 with other Japanese warships, including the Kaga helicopter carrier, which is on a two-month tour of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, a ministry spokesman said. It was the first time a Japanese submarine had conducted drills there. The exercise, which involved the submarine trying to evade detection, was conducted away from island bases built by China to push its claims in the strategic sea. However, the exercise could still anger China because submarines represent a greater potential menace to shipping than surface vessels. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also have claims to parts of it. Taiwan also claims it. Chinese naval ships and monitoring stations on its fortified islands routinely challenge foreign aircraft and vessels in the region, sources have said previously. China insists that its intentions in the South China Sea are peaceful but its more assertive stance has raised worries about confrontation. The U.S. Navy has conducted so-called freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea and has said it would like to see more countries challenge China in the waterway, through which some $3 trillion of ship-borne trade passes each year. Last month, a British Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, sailed close to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea to exercise freedom of navigation rights. Britains first such operation prompted a strong protest from China, which sent aircraft and a naval vessel to meet the British ship. In a separate announcement, the Japanese defense ministry said the Kuroshio, with a crew of 80, would make a five-day port visit to Vietnams strategic naval base at Cam Ranh Bay from Sept. 17. By Tim Kelly & Christian Shepherd I cant tell you how many times and Im being very frank here; being very frank here that at 2 or 3 oclock in the morning when youre chasing somebody, when youve lost your partner and youve come up to two or three guys who are all holding guns on each other, a couple of times did I tinkle in my pants? You better believe it, he said. A construction worker looks on as the China-funded Sinamale bridge is seen in Male, Maldives on September 18, 2018. (Ashwa Faheem/Reuters) Maldives Chinese Debt and Political Risk Could Lead to Trouble in Paradise NEW DELHIA victory for President Abdulla Yameen in a Sept. 16 election in the Maldives could ramp up pressure on its finances, as the government stays the course on a Chinese-backed infrastructure boom that is in danger of swamping the economy. The Maldives under Yameen has grown closer to Chinato the alarm of traditional ally Indiawith China funding roads, bridges, and an extension to the international airport as part of its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative of infrastructure projects in almost 70 countries from Mongolia to Montenegro. But a Chinese takeover of a port in neighboring Sri Lanka and problems in several other countries have led to fears that the initiative is a debt trap to hook countries into Chinas sphere. Yameen is seeking a second five-year term in the Indian Ocean archipelago known for its sun-kissed tourist beaches and diving. His main rivals have been jailed on charges ranging from terrorism to attempting to topple the government, leading to doubts abroad about the legitimacy of the vote. The Maldives, a small economy heavily reliant on tourism, is one of the most at-risk countries of any involved with OBOR to the distress of debt, said the Center for Global Development, a Washington D.C.-based think tank tracking the initiative. The center, using publicly available information, estimates Chinas loans to the Maldives at $1.3 billion, more than a quarter of its annual gross domestic product. An exiled former prime minister, Mohamed Nasheed, who wants to renegotiate the deals with China, told Reuters in June the loans could be more than $2.5 billion, without citing his source. Scott Morris of the Center for Global Development said Chinas loans gave it a dominant role. That raises concerns to have such a dominant role being played by another government, Morris told Reuters. You have to think about what happens in a case of distresswho calls the shots in that situation. China is not bound by the kinds of standards that other major creditors are. The two ratings agencies covering the country, Fitch and Moodys, both rate the Maldives as sub-investment grade, and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund see a high likelihood of distress if current spending continues. Moodys cut its outlook to negative in July, citing the boom in infrastructure spending as a cause for concern. They have a massive infrastructure program and, as part of that, they have been raising debt, Anushka Shah from Moodys told Reuters. There has been a big increase in debt since the infrastructure projects started. Fitch also cautioned over rising debt in its last update on the country in May. POLITICAL RISK The Maldives economy has grown by an average of 6 percent a year for the last five years, buoyed by tourism and construction, according to Fitch. But both ratings agencies urged investors to be cautious in February after the Supreme Court freed political prisoners, against the wishes of Yameen, sparking a political crisis and leading several countries including China and the United States, to warn their citizens against travel there. We take into account fairly elevated political risk in our rating, said Shah. Political tensions affect policy and could also have some spill-over into the tourism sector. The political tension had little impact on visitor numbers, the government said, reporting that arrivals rose more than 10 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2018though visits from China, its biggest market, fell by more than 8 percent. The infrastructure boom is effectively a bet on being able to grow these numbers, said Morris. But in the meantime, they have to be able to service that debt as it comes due, he said. By Alasdair Pal, Mohamed Junayd & Shihar Aneez Virginia Stanley and her fiance, Douglas Lauderdale, picking up her dress from Gritts Bridal Store (Courtesy of Virginia Stanley) Meet the People Impacted by the Waffle House Shooting Early in the morning on April 22, a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle arrived at the Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, with intent to kill. He succeeded in murdering four people, but his gun was wrestled out of his hands by a man named James Shaw Jr. before he could do any more harm. The incident was covered by news outlets all across the world, but most mainly focused on Shaw or the shooter himselfbut the true scope of this saga extended well beyond those two. It would be impossible to tell the tale of everyone affected by the events of that night, so instead well shed some light on three people with incredible stories that have gone overlooked: a father of four, his mother, and the waitress who changed both of their lives forever. Michael, the Survivor April 21 was quite the day for Michael Garth Sr, even before the incident. After a trip to the hospital for the birth of his wifes goddaughter, Ruby, and awaiting his daughters high school graduation that week, he learned that a good friend who had been away for awhile had just returned home. Hes a rapper and he was at the studio recording a song, Garth told Humanity. I just so happened to see him on Facebook Live and I saw that he was in the studio, so I rushed over just to be a part of it. Garth and his friend spent a long time in the studio. When it became late, Garth gave his buddy a ride home, stopping at a Waffle House along the way. When they arrived, the two men were about to sit at the bar but a waitress named Virginia Stanley asked them to move, seating them at a different table. She had a big load of dishes that night and she didnt want to get the men wet. Little did she know the true impact of her actions. The shooter arrived shortly thereafter but, because Stanley asked them to move, Garth and his friend were safe from harm. All I can remember is just being grateful and thankful for being spared that day. Im still kind of coming to grips with what happened, Garth said. When Garth returned home that night, he was astounded by what one of his children did for him. My wife and I were watching the news coverage of the situation and my youngest son woke up and I dont know if he could sense that something wasnt right but he just kind of came and jumped in my lap and he sat in my lap and was like I love my daddy, Garth said. I kind of had a moment there of appreciation because I almost didnt make it back. Vickie, the Caring Mother Garths mother, Vickie Davis, wasnt even in the United States on the day of the incident! Davis was vacationing in Aruba when she heard the news about the shooting. One of her friends called her shortly after she heard about the shooting on a news report. Davis assumed that her son was fine, but her friend urged her to call to see if he was okay. Davis called her daughter and asked, Is Michael OK? Thats when she learned that he was at the Waffle House during the shooting. Davis was shocked to hear the news. I wouldve taken the next flight from Aruba if Id have known! she told Humanity. When Davis returned home, she made it her mission to do something nice for the waitress who saved her sons life. While this might sound simple, tracking down this waitress proved rather challenging. She tried reaching Stanley at the Waffle House a couple times, but the woman was taking time off. Eventually, she ran into Stanley when she was getting tires. Stanley recognized Davis from an interview she had done on TV and Davis recognized the waitress through a Waffle House badge she had on her shirt. Thus began their friendship. Over the course of the past few months, Davis has been assisting Stanley in all sorts of ways, from getting her medication to helping her pay for a service dog through a GoFundMe account. Yet one particular gesture stood out to Stanley above all else. Virginia, the Unlikely Hero Having worked at the restaurant on the day of the shooting, Stanley noticed that the night leading up to it felt different than most and not in the way youd expect. Normally it we have a little rough crowd every now and then but that night, everyone was happy. People were singing. It was actually a wonderful night, Stanley told Humanity. This made the contrast even greater when the shooter walked in. Stanleys fiance, Douglas Lauderdale, was with her at the time and the two were forced into a tiny corner under the cash register while the man opened fire. [Lauderdale] was laying on top of me and the only thing that was going through my head was this man is about to come around the corner and kill my fiance and me, she said. Luckily, that did not happen. Unfortunately, though, one of Stanleys coworkers, who she used to joke around with, passed that night. Reflecting on this, it gave Stanley a new appreciation for life and how short it is. Im ready to start living life because before, I just went through life working and not really enjoying it, she said. Now Im ready to get married and have a family and kind of start my life basically. Stanley initially planned on getting married in July but she didnt have enough money to buy a dress for the weddingthats where Davis stepped in. Davis knew of a bridal store called Glitz that gave free dresses to military wives and servicewomen. She hoped that, despite Stanleys lack of military history, the store would be willing to make an exception, given what shed been through. On July 11, the store had a giveaway for first responders and firefighters. By speaking to the corporate office, Davis was able to ensure that Stanley could get a dress that day too. On that day, I met them there and I asked the ladies that were already in line if they would let her go in front of them because her PTSD is so bad that she cant deal with people and noises, Davis said. The bridal store already had a private room in the back for her so that she wouldnt have to go through all the noise and all the people. When Stanley received the dress, she couldnt help but cry. She never thought shed get to own something that nice. I was astonished Im a regular person for someone to reach out to me like that and give me the dress of my dreams to have the most beautiful dress Ive ever seenit touched my heart, she said. Its unclear when Stanley will walk down the aisle in that dress, as her big event has been put on hiatus for the time being. However, shell have her wedding fully paid for when she does, thanks to Davis and her connections with various nonprofit groups. Mr. Garth and Ms. Davis, theyre just amazing people, Stanley said. I wish there was a lot more people like them in this world. I just want [Davis] to know that I love her with every bit of my heart and I appreciate her and her son. Im never ever going to forget them, ever in my life. The Community Comes Together Since the night of the shooting, Garth, Davis, and Stanley have all noticed a greater sense of togetherness in their community. The phrases Waffle House Strong and Antioch Strong became commonplace. Garth recalled his wife and a few of her friends giving a wheelchair-bound victim a free makeover. Stanley said the Waffle House she worked for donated all of their savings for a month to the families of victims. The hero from the incident, James Shaw Jr., was very visible in his community after the shooting, even joining Garth, Davis, and their family and friends for dinner one night. It was good for my daughter and my grandkids to see a hero, and to know that this man saved Mikes life, Davis said. Shaw has stayed in contact with them since. Davis now considers him as part of her family. Its clear that, despite the horrors of April 22, Antioch has come out strong and more appreciative of life than ever before. People in the community have been trying to come together and do things for each other, try to uplift each other, Garth said. Theyre taking something that was so negative and so terrible and try to get some good to come from it. It just goes to show that even a gesture as small as asking someone to move their seat or giving them a dress can have an enormous positive impact! If you have an inspiring story to share, e-mail benjaminbrown@humanitytoday.com. This article was originally published on Humanity. Mom of 1-Year-Old Boy Killed in Florence Flood Speaks Out The mother of 1-year-old boy Kaiden Lee Welch, who died in Hurricane Florences floodwaters, has spoken out. Dazia Lee said she has been traumatized after her child was swept away in the floodwaters in Union County, North Carolina, where an overflowing creek from Florences rains washed out a road. Lee reportedly drove through police barricades and onto a road covered with moving water before her vehicle was swept away. Officials said she tried to free her son from his car seat but she lost her grip on the boy. Rescue crews saved Lee, but they didnt find the boys body until Sept. 17. This breaks my heart. The body of 14 mo old Kaiden was just found. His mother spoke with me and @RobinFox46 shortly after she got the phone call from the @UnionCoSheriff's office. Dazia Lee says she was driving on Hwy 218 when her car got swept away in the flood water. @FOX46News pic.twitter.com/qKPLpwEBbr Caroline Fountain (@FountainFox46) September 17, 2018 He was my first and only child and now hes just gone. I dont even feel like a parent no more. Hes just gone, said Lee, WCNC-TV reported. Ive been traumatized. I cant said Lee. Union County Sheriffs officials said that her car hit a tree after it was swept in 10 feet of water, the report said. Sheriff Eddie Cathey said, When she was trying to get out of the water she lost control of the child and then the rescue team rescued her but the child was lost, according to the report. Lee said that she saw other people cross the road without incident, saying that she didnt drive around a police barricade. The barricade wasnt there, she told the news outlet. I was about to detour I want to know whoever moved the barricades. I lost my son because of this, said Lee. The Charlotte Observer reported that 32 people died, including three children. The first child death from Florence was a 7-month-old who was killed on Sept. 14, and the childs 41-year-old mother was killed. A tree fell on their home. I couldnt hold on anymore, and he let go, Kaidens mother, Dazia Lee, told Fox46. The sheriff added, She was a stranger to this community driving on this road she did not know, she did drive around the barricades and proceeded on 218, WCNC reported. The only thing Im happy is they found him. Knowing that hes just gone. I just wanted to see him one more time, said Lee. The Union County Sheriffs Office and the North Carolina Highway Patrol are investigating and will see if criminal charges should be filed in the case. On Constitution Day, AG Sessions Vows to Fight for Free Speech on Campuses Responding to a trend of speech codes being instituted on college campuses, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Department of Justice is concerned about the suppression of free speech, and that it wont hesitate to get involved if it finds this right being eroded on college campuses in favor of politics, ideology, passion, and power. Last year, the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) found that of 449 colleges it surveyed, almost 40 percent had some sort of speech code that restricted the right to free speech protected under the First Amendment, which also protects the rights to assemble, to petition the government, and to freely practice ones religion. Speaking at the Department of Justice on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, Sessions said that while the United States has not always done a good job of upholding the law (he cited the Sedition and Alien acts), he quoted James Madison in saying that freedom of speech is the only effectual guardian of every other right. Since Sessions has been in office, the Department of Justice has submitted four statements of interest in cases that deal with free speech on college campuses. In one case, the University of CaliforniaBerkeley allegedly created both written and unwritten policies for high-profile guest speakers that members of the Young Americas Foundation and Berkeley College Republicans said discriminated against conservative speakers they tried to bring on campus. A judge decided in May to dismiss the universitys request to throw out the case. Pierce College in Los Angeles allegedly prevented a student from distributing Spanish copies of the Constitution outside the schools free speech zone. The suit alleged that students had to get a permit to use the free speech zone, and once the permit was issued, they were told that there were rules on what they could say in the free speech zone. In January, a judge allowed the case to go forward. Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia, also allegedly limited free speech to a zone on campus that only opened for 18 hours per week and could only be used by an applicant every 30 days. One of the two plaintiffs, a student who tried to use the free speech area to proselytize for Christianity, said he was asked to leave by campus police after they received complaints. The judge dismissed the case after the school changed its policy. The Justice Department became involved in another case brought in March against the University of Michigan by a group called Speech First for forbidding certain types of speech and creating a Bias Response Team on campus. The plaintiffs said the team was charged with investigating incidents of bias, but that later the language on the teams webpage was changed to say that it does not do investigations and does not have any disciplinary power. A federal judge sided with the university and dismissed the case. The issue is tricky for college administrators who try to foster diversity while also sending a message of inclusion and respect on their campuses. Lee Tyner, general counsel at Texas Christian University, said college administrators can get in trouble for protecting free speech, especially what is deemed as hate speech, because it can get them in trouble under the Civil Rights Acts Title 6 or Title 9, which prohibits discrimination based on appearance, national origin, or gender. The university must pick its poison, he said. The university is either liable to the speaker for prohibiting harassing speech before it breeds a hostile environment, or the university is liable to the target of harassment for failing to stop the harassing conduct before it has created a hostile environment. [Its] an impossible task to fulfill one duty without creating a liability for breaching the other. He disputed any characterization that free speech on college campuses was at a crisis point. FIRE found that 46 percent of college students and 48 percent of adults not in college believed that hate speech should be protected by the first amendment. However, opinions differed among members of different political parties. Adults who identified as Republican versus Democrat believed 60 to 38 percent that hate speech was protected, while 52 percent of Republican students versus 41 percent of Democratic students believed it was protected. A Knight Foundation, Newseum, and Gallup poll found that 78 percent of students say colleges should expose students to all types of speech and viewpoints, compared to 66 percent of adults. Sessionspointing to the 231 years that the Constitution and 227 years that the Bill of Rights have been in existencesaid the right to speak freely, no matter how offensive, is part of the United States foundation. We are going to keep fighting for the great freedoms vouchsafed to the American people, he said. And we will endeavor to do so according to the highest constitutional standards. Release of Depositions to Shed Light on Russia-Collusion Narrative Interviews could bring transparency to agency leaking and role of reporters News Analysis When the House Intelligence Committee issued its final Report on Russian Active Measures, Democrats dismissed it as politically one-sided and partisan. But a massive number of man-hours and effort went into the preparation of the committees reportincluding the review of 7,292 pages of testimony. As part of their investigation, the House committee noted that they interviewed 73 individuals, resulting in 55 transcribed interviews. The report also indicated that seven witnesses had invoked their Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination. In late June and early July 2018, House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes referred a total of 42 individuals to the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform committees for open-setting interviews. His referrals came through a series of three closely grouped letters to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va). The letters can found here, here, and here. In the somewhat cryptically worded letters, Nunes referred to discovered matters and actions taken by FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, which included information that may have been received from and/or provided to officials at the Department of State and other agencies. Nunes also noted the exchange of information to and from individuals outside government relating to the 2016 presidential election. The names referred by Nunes were grouped into three distinct categories. The first referral letter sent by Nunes focused on DOJ and FBI officials. The second letter discussed State Department officials, some Obama administration officials, and some members of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. The third and final letter focused on individuals outside the government. Many of these names were related to Fusion GPSthe opposition research company behind the controversial Steele dossier. Notably, the referred names cut off at a certain political level. Below former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates at the DOJ, below former FBI Director James Comey at the FBI, and below former Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department. A common theme is present throughout the referrals from Nunes. The individuals referred all appear to have been involved or affiliated in some fashion with the formation, use, and/or dissemination of the Steele dossier, which led to the October FISA warrant on Carter Page. It appears that Nunes obtained his referral list from the House Intelligence Committee investigation. Most of the interviews conducted by the House Intelligence Committee have the names redacted, but not all. Contained in unredacted footnotes from the House report are cited interviews with Jake Sullivan, a senior policy advisor to the Clinton campaign; Glenn Simpson, co-founder of Fusion GPS; and Marc Elias of the law firm Perkins Coie. Dan Jones of the Penn Quarter Group is listed, as well as the FBIs head of counterintelligence, Bill Priestap. Lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin was interviewed regarding his role at the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr. All of these individuals have been referred for interviews by Nunes. Following the referral list from Nunes, no additional letters were sent and no additional names were publicly referred. Everything went suspiciously quietuntil Sept. 16, when Nunes gave an interview on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo that was full of new information and provided indications of where various House investigations may be headed. He disclosed that almost 70 individuals have been subject to deposition. Even more importantly, he declared his intention to have the depositions made publicbefore the midterm elections. Nunes made the disclosure matter-of-factly, prompting a clearly shocked Bartiromo to ask for clarification: So, let me just go back herethis is breaking news right now. You are going to declassify your depositions of some 70 individuals related to the TrumpRussia collusion narrative? Nunes affirmed what he had just said, noting: Some of them are not even classified. Some of them are just held at the committee. [As a] matter of fact, I think 70 percent or 80 percent of them are not classified. He indicated the depositions that remained classified would be sent to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats for shepherding through the declassification process: We hope that would only take a matter of days. Nunes then reiterated his intention to have all the depositions made public in advance of the midterm elections. The majority of the depositions likely come from the House Intelligence Committees investigation, although notably, the number of depositions cited by Nunes exceeds the 55 transcribed interviews referenced within the Houses Report on Russian Active Measures. Its unclear where the additional depositions came from. In a potential signal of support, Trump posted on Twitter about the interview several times and encouraged folks to watch a later broadcast of the entire interview: Watch @MariaBartiromo at 6:00 P.M. on @FoxBusiness. Russian Hoax the big topic! Mainstream Media, often referred to as the Fake News Media, hates to discuss the real facts! Toward the end of the interview, Nunes shifted his focus to the topic of leaks, and specifically, leaking by the FBI and DOJ. Nunes pulled no punches, accusing both agencies of actively leaking and planting fake news stories and then using those very stories as a pretext to go out and interview American citizens. Considering Nuness role in the House Intelligence Committees investigationhelping direct the entire probe and subsequent reportthe accusations are unlikely to be the subject of mere speculation or unguarded comments. The activity that Nunes alleges is almost certainly grounded in interviews that he has seen and may have helped to conduct. He concluded the interview with Bartiromo by calling out a circle of coordinated collusion among the Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS, the FBI, DOJ, and the State Department, noting they cooperated to generate fake news storiesnot just one or two, but dozens and dozens. Those news stories were leaked to various mainstream media reporters that Nunes said numbered as many as two or three dozen. In an active effort involving circular reporting, these stories were then used as a basis for an investigation. Nunes appears to know who these leakers and reporters are. And he should. He likely has material inside knowledge, as many of these individuals were probably identified during at least some of those 70 depositionsthe same ones Nunes wants to make fully public in the coming weeks. The House Intelligence Committee also last year obtained the bank records from Fusion GPS, which detailed payments to at least three journalists. Theres one other important event occurring later this week. Bruce Ohrs wife, Nellie Ohr, is expected to testify before the same investigative committees to which Nunes submitted his referralsthe House Judiciary, and House Oversight and Government Reform committees. Nellie Ohr was an employee of Fusion GPS and likely had a meaningful role in the creation and dissemination of the Steele dossier. Thats another deposition to add to the growing list. Jeff Carlson is a CFA Charterholder. He worked for 20 years as an analyst and portfolio manager in the high-yield bond market. He runs the website TheMarketsWork.com Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A Google sign is seen during the WAIC (World Artificial Intelligence Conference) in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Reuters/Aly Song) Renault-Nissan Adopts Android in Coup for Google The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi carmaking alliance said on Sept. 18, it will adopt Alphabets Google Android operating system, handing a victory to the U.S. tech giant as it pushes for a bigger share of the infotainment market. Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, with combined sales of 10.6 million vehicles last year, said future models will integrate Google applications and services including Maps and the voice-commanded Google Assistant. The move, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, leans more heavily on Big Tech than large or luxury rival carmakers have hitherto been willing to do. Many fear losing control of customer relationships, data and potentially significant future revenue from connected services. Some smaller manufacturers such as Volvo Cars have decided to embed Android Auto in their vehicles. But the scale of the shift by Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi may cause a broader rethink of costly standalone tech strategies. Major carmakers earlier were reluctant to do business with Google, but this has now changed, said Jauke de Jong, a research analyst at AFS Group in Amsterdam. More carmakers could follow suit and partner with Google. Until now, carmakers have largely chosen Linux, Microsoft or QNX software to power infotainment. That yields clunkier platforms they can control, but which offer little scope to add new apps or functionality. Clout For Keys The news may spell trouble for certain existing auto-tech suppliers such as mapping specialist TomTom, which counts Renault among its customers. Shares in the Dutch group fell by more than a quarter after the announcement. In return for handing Google the infotainment keys, the alliance will bring the full clout of Androids thousands of apps to its brands lineups which include a strong contingent of affordably priced, no-frills models for emerging markets. The partnership promises rich user experiences that are currently available only outside the vehicle or, to a limited extent, by connecting an Android device to supported vehicles, alliance development chief Hadi Zablit said. While many volume carmakers offer infotainment mirroring to pair with Apple iPhones or Android smartphones, premium rivals such as BMW and Daimlers Mercedes-Benz are investing heavily in their own operating systems, vocal assistants and connected services. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi said the new infotainment systems would also be integrated with remote vehicle diagnostics and over-the-air upgrade capabilities, offered via the alliances own cloud-based service. After nearly two decades of partnership, Renault and Nissan are still integrating their own technologies, a process often fraught with tension. The choice of a third-party platform resolves questions of infotainment leadership neutrally. Renault owns a 43.4 percent stake in Nissan, which in turn holds 15 percent of Renault and 34 percent of Mitsubishi Motors. The first Android-equipped vehicles will launch in 2021, the alliance said, without disclosing any of the partnerships financial terms. By Laurence Frost Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) speaks at an immigration event hosted by Center for Immigration Studies in Washington on Sept. 5, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Rep. Lamar Smiths Front Row Seat to 30 Years of Immigration Policy WASHINGTONWatching unmarked, twin-engine planes flying low over his familys ranch in south Texas made immigration and border security personal to a young Lamar Smith. It was well-known that these twin-engine aircraft were flying drugs and landing in these grass runway strips in south Texas, Smith said during an event hosted by Center for Immigration Studies on Sept. 5. I was bothered by it. I didnt know I was going to be in a position to try to do something about it. As it happened, Smith was elected in 1986 to the House to represent Texass 21st district, which, at the time, shared more than 300 miles of common border with Mexico. When you share 300 miles with Mexico, that rivets your attention, he said. You are going to be interested in illegal drug-running. Youre going to be interested in illegal traffic of any kindhuman cargo, other cargo. And youre going to be interested in the number of people coming across the border illegally. When Smith started his first term in 1987, Ronald Reagan was president and a big immigration amnesty bill had just passed, which eventually granted amnesty to about 4 million illegal immigrants. Smith sought membership on the House Judiciary Committee as well as its Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, both of which he has served on for his entire tenure. He isnt seeking re-election this year and will retire in December at the age of 71. The first immigration-related bill he introduced was a direct consequence of seeing the unmarked planes fly contraband into the United States years earlier. [I] got the administration to put up five Aerostat balloons with radar on them all along the border, so they could track that aircraft, Smith said. The balloons had radar that could detect low-flying and slow aircraft. After early hiccups (involving wind and people shooting holes in the balloons), newer designs are being used that are capable of detecting movement for 200 miles. A report from Customs and Border Protection said the combination of the Aerostat balloons and on-the-ground enforcement has reduced the number of unidentified aircraft flying over the border from 8,500 to less than 10 per year. Immigration Reform The next immigration-reform package to be enacted after the 1986 amnesty bill, the Immigration Act of 1990, significantly raised the cap of legal immigration. It also revised all grounds for exclusion and deportation, authorized temporary protected status for aliens of designated countries, revised and established new nonimmigrant admission categories, revised and extended the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, and revised naturalization authority and requirements, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Smiths biggest lament is that he didnt actively oppose the increased cap. It did some things that were right. But it did raise the cap several hundred thousand, Smith said. So, it went the wrong direction, as far as Im concerned. The 1990 act also mandated the creation of an immigration-reform commission, now commonly known as the Barbara Jordan Commission, after the congresswoman who chaired it. The commissions initial recommendations were released in 1995 and Smith said he and then-Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) tried to mirror its recommendations in the 1996 legislation they introduced to the House and Senate, respectively. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1996 was born, but not before being watered down. Most of the parts that were kept related to illegal immigration and border security and are issues that continue to arise today. It doubled the number of Border Patrol agents. It made it easier to deport illegal immigrants who had committed crimes. It has the beginnings of an entry/exit system to check visa overstayers. It had the beginning of an E-Verify system to make sure that individuals applying for jobs were legally able to work in the United States. It outlawed sanctuary cities, Smith said. By the way, this is in 1996. All the law needs to be is enforced. We dont necessarily need new laws to address sanctuary cities. On the legal immigration side, the initial act reflected the Jordan Commission, which suggested increasing merit-based immigration and decreasing chain-, or family-based, migration. The commission recommended to cut the family-based categories to adult children of U.S. citizens, adult children of legal permanent residents, and siblings of U.S. citizens. Trying to make sure that legal immigrants were going to provide for the needs of America, be able to get jobs and care for their families if they got here, and not be a drain on the economy, Smith said. Smith said the bill initially had wide bipartisan support, and was backed by the Clinton administration, including then-Attorney General Janet Reno. So, we thought the wind was at our backs. Everything looked great until two or three weeks before we were due to be on the House floor, he said. And the liberal immigration-activist groups put such pressure on the administration that literally [over] two or three weeks, the administration completely reversed themselves. And Janet Reno and the president came out against the bill. So we were blindsided. We were ambushed. Smith said a subsequent amendment knocked the legal reforms out of the bill. We lost the legal immigration reforms that were still trying to enact today, he said. Here we are 22 years later, still trying to implement some of those reforms. More Liberal Smith said the extreme partisanship in Congress right now means smaller, standalone bills have more chance in passing. He said there are two reasons why Democrats have become so much more liberal, or maybe even radicalized. Part of it is the activist groups have become radicalized themselves, where theyre not really interested in border security anymore, he said. I think theres a second component, and Ill be honest about this. I think they realize that if they can achieve their goals, which is to increase immigration and give amnesty to illegal immigrants, that it is very likely that those folks are going to be voting Democratic in the future and thats going to bolster that party. However, hes hoping the two-week lame-duck session in December will see the passage of the Securing Americas Future Actwhich failed on June 21 by a 193231 vote. Many pundits are predicting that the Democrats will take control of the House in the November midterm elections, which Smith says, will herald an amnesty push for illegal immigrants, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals population. Current Laws Smith said President Donald Trump is doing more for border security and immigration than any other administration he has seen. Ive been waiting 30 years for a president who would enforce current immigration laws, he said. And I think we finally have a president who will. Smith said the medias coverage of immigration is probably the worst example of media bias and slant that Ive seen. President Trump was doing was exactly the same thing President Obama did, without the media scrutiny and without the criticism, he said, referring to the recent uproar over the temporary family separations at the border while the parents were being prosecuted for crossing illegally. Dont criticize the president for enforcing laws. Get Congress to change the law so thats no longer the law. But thats an example where I think he got unfairly criticized, Smith said. As for whats next for Smith, hes not sure, but he wants to stay engaged with immigration issues. Its a fascinating subject. I dont know of any other issue that is so complex, so emotional, so multifaceted, so intractable than immigration, he said. And it impacts every aspect of our society. I mean, you just cant name another issue that is sort of all-pervasive other than immigration. A death occurred due to an accident on the USS George H.W. Bush on Sept. 17, 2018. This general view of the dock of the carrier. On July 2017. (Ronen Zvulun/AFP/Getty Images) Sailor Death on USS George H.W. Bush Under Investigation: Navy An investigation has been launched after a U.S. Navy sailor was killed in a mishap on Sept. 18. The accident happened on the flight deck on the aircraft carrier the USS George H.W. Bush. Cmdr. Dave Hecht, a Navy spokesman, told the Associated Press that the death wasnt related to the weather. The carrier was out at sea when the death occurred. No other sailors were hurt. Family of Deceased Notified Out of respect for the Sailors family and per Department of Defense policy, the name of the individual and additional details on the mishap will not be released until 24 hours after the family has been notified, the U.S. Naval Air Force Atlantic said in a statement obtained by CBS. Hecht told The Virginian Pilot that pilots had been conducting carrier qualifications at around 4:45 p.m. on Sept. 17, the time of the death, noting it was a tragic situation. Those qualifications feature aviators honing launching and recovery skills. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family, Hecht said. Sailor killed in "mishap" during flight deck operations aboard USS George H.W. Bush in Atlantic Ocean. Naval Air Force At;antic says accident under investigation.#13NewsNow pic.twitter.com/0RqzYdPKC2 Mike Gooding 13News Now (@13MikeGooding) September 18, 2018 A US sailor has been killed in an accident aboard aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.https://t.co/hHdalAVaqo pic.twitter.com/fDOumeitzO WMAR-2 News (@WMAR2News) September 18, 2018 USS George H.W. Bush According to the Navys website, the USS George H.W. Bush is a warship designed to provide adaptable and decisive combat power to our national leadership. It added, We have many critical non-combat capabilities and responsibilitiesthey are all important. We will enthusiastically embrace and excel at any assigned mission but our ultimate benchmarks will always be combat readiness and combat effectiveness. According to Stars and Stripes, the ship is one of 25 Navy ships sent to sea last week ahead of Florence. The Navy has two ships that were prepared to help assist hurricane relief efforts but the Bush isnt one of them. Spokesman Col. Robert Manning said on Sept. 10, that U.S. Fleet Forces Command ordered all Navy ships in Hampton Roads, Virginia, out to sea, ahead of Hurricane Florence, which brought intense storm surges to the coast. Florence has since deluged the Carolinas and is headed north as of Sept. 18, with at least 32 people killed. From NTD.tv Liao Shufeng, vice president of Taiwans Association of Pyrographic Artists, enjoyed the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra's concert at the Yunlin County Cultural Affairs Departments Performing Arts Hall, in Yunlin, Taiwan, on Sept. 16, 2018. (Cheng Shunli/The Epoch Times) Upon entering the theater, I felt a kind of excitement. This is my first time seeing a Shen Yun performance, and I was so touched that I was on the brink of shedding tears of joy. My soul seemed to be purified, and my entire body was filled with energy that could help me restart. Its a kind of feeling that makes people feel joyful and delighted. The [soloists] song touched the bottom of my heart. I felt like crying. I was so touched, as if I had found my true self. Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is indeed very professional. Its perfect. Such a wonderful concert should be appreciated by everyone! I am still fascinated by Shen Yuns beautiful melodies. This concert is very interesting, as it has many stories behind [the music]. As Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is full of positive energy, I will recommend my friends and relatives to see the coming performances in Taichung City and Kaohsiung City. State Department Employee Boasts of Working for Socialist Group on Taxpayer Time A State Department employee was caught on camera boasting about spending his work hours engaged in political activism for the Metro DC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)an activity that is likely illegal. Stuart Karaffa, management and program analyst at the State Department, said he tries to hide his work for the DSA, a self-described socialist organization, from his supervisors. Karaffa is a DSA member. Im careful about it. I dont leave a paper trail, he told undercover reporters from Project Veritas. Karaffa said he worked on a data analytics program that was cut by the Trump administration. Now Im just straight like 8:30 to 5:00. So it gives me so much more time, and emotional bandwidth to do all of this stuff, he said, referring to his DSA work. So its like, [expletive] that, Im gonna do DSA work at work? the reporter asked. Yeah pretty much, Karaffa replied. Apart from working for the DSA on Uncle Sams dime, some responses of Karaffas suggested hes tried to sabotage the agenda of President Donald Trump, or supported sabotaging it. Resist everything, he said. Everything, the reporter replied. Every level, Karaffa said. [Expletive] [expletive] up. Legal Jeopardy Karaffa said he covers up his DSA work by leaving tasks that create a paper trail, like sending emails, until hes off. I leave emails, and like Any press [expletive] that comes up I leave that until after 5:30, he said. But as soon as 5:31 hits, got my like draft messages ready to send out. The activity Karaffa described appears to violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal workers from certain political activities. An employee may not engage in political activity while the employee is on duty, one statute associated with the law states. Depending on the severity of the violation, the employee may face removal, reduction in grade, debarment from federal employment for up to five years, suspension, reprimand, and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Karaffa, however, didnt appear to be too concerned. Maybe someday Ill go to board of elections jail, probably not, he said. A State Department spokesperson issued the following response to The Epoch Times: I can confirm Stuart Karaffa is a Management and Program Analyst with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. We take seriously any allegation of a violation of the Hatch Act and financial disclosure rules and are closely reviewing this matter. This is a personnel matter that we cannot comment on further at this time. Impossible to Fire While he said nobody knows about his DSA work, the history of his internet activity would likely expose him, he acknowledged. I mean I could make the case before like a court of law that Im going to the Virginia sort of, campaign finance website. That Im just interested in what people are doing politically, he said. But if they also go and look at, like, DSA minutes and, like, Officer positions theyll be, like, Thats weird, you were the co-chair of the electoral caucus. And you spent three hours on a Virginia campaign finance website. Still, he appeared confident in his job security. I have nothing to lose. Its impossible to fire federal employees, I dont know, he said. As an employee involved in government contracts, Karaffa has to disclose his official affiliations to prevent conflicts of interest. But the process is far from rigorous, as he described. I put all of my officer positions on it, and somebody just rubber stamps it and it goes forward, he said. Now I can go back and be like, you know, the ethics officer, he was aware of what I was doing, so Who is Karaffa? Karaffa comes from just outside of Chicago, Illinois, his website states. While completing International Studies at the University of Illinois, he enrolled in the Defense Departments Boren Scholarship, which paid for his studies of Mandarin in Beijing in 2007 and 2008 in exchange for a commitment to work at least a year for the federal government. After graduating, he moved to Washington and spent at least five years at the Defense Departments National Security Education Program. Federal agencies involved in national security are allowed to directly give jobs to Boren Scholars without the need for the usual competitive hiring process (pdf). Around 2016, Karaffa obtained a masters degree in Public Administration from George Washington University. Its not clear when exactly he joined the State Department. Since about 2017, hes been the treasurer of the Mount Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1D in Washington (pdf). Shortly after Project Veritas announced its series exposing the un-elected Washington establishmentthe Deep StateMetro DC DSA urged its members who work for the federal government to lock down all social media accounts and activate two factor authorization on all important accounts, Project Veritas reported. Indeed, Karaffas Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram profiles have been mostly set private, while his LinkedIn profile appears to have been removed altogether. Karaffa did not respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times. Deep State Series Project Veritas promises a lineup of exposes in a similar vein with the one on Karaffaa result of a yearlong investigation. Weve heard a lot about the Deep State; holdovers from the previous administration resisting change or nameless and faceless bureaucrats slowing things down or leaking secrets in an effort to undermine this administration, said Project Veritas President James OKeefe in a release. What is truly striking is their boldness, they are not afraid. They are even boastful about a warped reality, where they wont get caught and cant get fired even if they did. Its necessary to name these employees, OKeefe said, as they seek to undermine the fabric of our republic. Finally, we get to see the faces of these shadowy figures and hear what their motivations are, he said. And we are not the source, they are the source, in their own words. UPDATE: This article has been updated to include a response from a State Department spokesperson. Correction: The article was corrected to reflect an accurate description of Democratic Socialists of America Primmer allegedly went into a business in the 800 block of Sheridan Road ON Aug. 12 and displayed a handgun in demanding money. He took $400 from the cash register and then robbed a customer who had entered the business, telling him to lie down on the ground, Willets said. Syria Accidentally Shoots Down Russian Military Plane, Killing 15 Syrian antiaircraft defenses mistakenly shot down a Russian patrol plane, killing all 15 people on board, during an Israeli air strike on hostile positions in Syria. The Russian Ilyushin IL-20 was downed Sept. 17 by a Syrian S-200 missile, according to Russian news agency TASS. While the Russian military initially blamed Israel for the incident, claiming Israeli F-16 fighter jets used the IL-20 for cover, President Vladimir Putin struck a more measured tone at a press conference on Sept. 18, saying, It looks like a string of tragic circumstances. Israel expressed regret for the tragedy, but insisted responsibility lay with Syrian forces. Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said in a statement that Israel expresses sorrow for the death of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire, Haaretz reported. Overnight, IDF fighter jets targeted a facility of the Syrian Armed Forces, from which systems to manufacture accurate and lethal weapons were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement, according to TASS. These weapons were meant to attack Israel, and posed an intolerable threat. Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident, IDF said. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident. IDF also said the Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were inaccurate and extensive, and accused the Syrian military of failing to ensure that no Russian planes were in the air, BBC reported. Russias initial rush to blame Israel may be motivated in part by Russias inability to publicly rebuke its ally Syria, while facing internal pressure to provide a decisive response, according to BBC defense correspondent Jonathan Marcus. Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told TASS that the IL-20 maritime reconnaissance plane was struck by Syrian anti-aircraft artillery after Israeli air pilots made it vulnerable to Syrian air defense fire. Konashenkov said that the Israeli planes had put the Il-20 into the path of Syrian air-defense systems after failing to give Moscow enough warning of an imminent strike on Syrian targets. A hotline warning was received less than one minute before the strike, which left no chance for getting the Russian plane to safety, TASS reported Konashenkov as saying. Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said hes spoken with Israeli defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, according to TASS, and told his counterpart that such actions will not be left unanswered by us. Its clear to any specialist the strike was delivered using our Ilyushin-20 as cover, because they [the Israelis] thought the Syrian air-defense systems would not act in that direction, Shoigu said. Putin said at the press conference, however, that any steps taken by Russia would center on ensuring the safety of its troops. As for retaliatory measures, they will be first and foremost aimed at additionally ensuring the security of our military personnel and facilities in Syria, Putin said. When people get killed, particularly so, under such tragic circumstances, it is always a great misfortune to us, to the country and to the relatives of our late comrades. I offer condolences first and foremost to the relatives of those killed. The Israeli government is keen to prevent what it calls Irans military entrenchment in Syria and wants to disrupt shipments of Iranian weapons to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, which has a presence in Syria. Several countries have military operations underway around Syria. In some cases, those countries are backing opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Foreign powers involved in the conflictincluding Israel and Russiaoperate hotlines to exchange operational details to avoid one side accidentally attacking the others forces. Despite the presence of the hotline, diplomats and military experts have warned that the risk of inadvertent strikes is high. The Russian military has pinpointed the location where the Il-20 aircraft fell into the Mediterranean, the Russian defense ministry said, according to TASS; recovery operations are underway. Russian ships have collected debris from the plane, personal belongings, and body fragments, TASS said. Judge Brett Kavanaugh leaves the room following a meeting and press availability with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) at the U.S. Capitol July 10, 2018 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The Accuser From a Distant Past Who is Produced at the Eleventh Hour Commentary On Sept. 13, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) revealed the existence of a letter in her possession detailing the allegations of an anonymous woman who had come forward to accuse Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of having sexually assaulted her 35 years ago when they were both in high school. Yesterday the accuser went public, revealing herself to be Professor Christine Ford of Palo Alto University in California. Since this letter was leaked, its become clear that Feinstein sat on Fords allegations since July. At no time during Kavanaughs lengthy, detailed testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee upon which Feinstein sits, did she ask Kavanaugh anything about this sexual assault allegation that she was deliberately holding back. So what happened is that Senator Feinstein sat on this allegation for eight weeks and then produced it at literally the eleventh hour. The Democrats tactics during these Kavanaugh hearings have been completely deplorable. Being unable to stop Kavanaughs march to a seat on the Supreme Court with loud, constant disruptions of the proceedings using protesters they invited into the Senate chambers, Democrats are now resorting to the vilest kind of Hail Mary. It is now clear that under President Donald Trump, male Republican candidates for Senate or Supreme Court nominations will have to face The Accuser From A Distant Past Who Is Produced At The Eleventh Hour [TAFADP for short!]. These reprehensible tactics actually worked last year against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, which is why Democrats have trotted this strategy right back out again against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. In the Roy Moore case, the narrative was endlessly repeated that everybody in the community knew about the then-Senatorial candidates penchant for pursuing underage girlswhich is an incredible lie. And no matter how many times it was repeated by serious looking media people, it remained a lie. All during a highly controversial 40+ year public career, until 2017 never once had any sexually-related allegations been made against Moore, a man who had very powerful enemies who actually drove him from public life in Alabama not just once, but twice. During one of these hiatuses, Moore moved to Australia and actually became a champion kickboxer. So keep that in mind this week as all the GOP Elite & Never Trump usual suspects engage in a lot of chin-stroking and pontificating about how credible Fords accusation is and therefore its only fair to delay Kavanaughs confirmation vote. Since 1993 Justice Kavanaugh has gone through no less than five previous background checks and confirmation hearings. Just as in Roy Moores case, at no previous time in all those years had this or any other type of sexual allegation been made against him. Any Republican lawmaker or supposedly conservative pundit who is still playing the Democrats game at this point by taking their TAFADP strategy at face value and agreeing to any delays in the Kavanaugh confirmation vote is encouraging the strategy and telling the Democrats these transparent stunts actually work. Now Democrats are balking at having Professor Ford come in and testify this coming Monday, Sept. 24, before Congress under oath about this matter. Which is really no surprise. According to the story Ford is telling, she cannot remember: Where the alleged assault took place. Not just which particular house. The TOWN. Who was present as the alleged assault took place. Was it 3 people or just 4? When the alleged assault took place. She cant even narrow it down to a specific year. The one person the accuser has named as a witness of the alleged assault has gone on the record to deny that he ever witnessed any such thing. So of COURSE Ford does not want to testify before Congress under oath about this alleged incident, either next Monday or in December or ever. The goal is to delay the Kavanaugh vote past the midterms in the hopes the Democrats can flip the Congress, especially the Senate. The FBI already stated there isnt going to be any investigation opened into an incident where the alleged victim cant even nail down the place, time, or number of people present. What could the FBI possibly do to investigate in such a case? Feinstein and the Democrats who hatched this harebrained scheme are now in a total panic. They refuse to follow the process, and its clear this accuser never figured shed be asked to come in and testify under oath. After all, Roy Moore was destroyed last year without any of his accusers having to be put under oath in an official proceeding. Until a high price is exacted from the people engaging in the outrageous behavior we have been observing all through this Kavanaugh nomination, they simply will not stop. Democrats in Congress need to pay such a high price for putting the country through this insane spectacle that they are never tempted to resort to these kind of stunts ever again. Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the date that Feinstein revealed the existence of the letter. Brian Cates is a political pundit and writer based in South Texas and the author of Nobody Asked For My Opinion But Here It Is Anyway! He can be reached on Twitter at @drawandstrike Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Fang Zheng, 55, whose legs were run over by a tank during the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, prepares to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum in New York, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Bowen Xiao/The Epoch Times) Tiananmen Square Massacre Victim: The CCP Hasnt Changed NEW YORKWhy was there an order to start killing? Fang Zheng asked bluntly. His simple query, among a titanic amount of other interrelated questions, has been unanswered for nearly 3 decades. But Zhenga victim turned activistwhose legs were run over by a tank during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, is still fighting for the truth. The bloodbath, carried out by orders from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), took the lives of throngs of Chinese students protesting for democratic reform on June 4, 1989. The regime has continued to deny any involvement, and an online search of the incident or any related topic is censored inside China. The CCP had pressured Zheng, now 55, to say he was hurt in a road accident, but he refused. Zhengs story brings up images of an internationally recognized photo from the massacre known widely as the Tank Man. Zhengs pursuit of the truth has three layers of meaning, first for top-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials to admit and take responsibility for what happened. Secondly, for the people of China to learn about the incident, which has been ripped from the pages of history books. And lastly, for the CCP to release all details about the incident, including the death count. In an interview with The Epoch Times before his speech at the 2018 Oslo Freedom Forum, Zheng, now in a wheelchair, said that the CCP has not changed since the carnage. What the CCP is doing today is just a continuation of what happened 30 years ago. Though their leaders changed from Deng to Jiang to Hu to Xi, their principles and ideology has not changed, he said at the annual global conference for human rights defenders. He said the only thing that has changed is the methods the CCP uses to control its people, adding that they persecute everything that doesnt align with their interests. In one example, he said if someone were to write something related to June 4 on WeChat (Chinas most popular messaging app) it would be impossible since the authorities will track and filter their comment. They also use similar technology to put people under surveillance. They follow everyones comments on the internet and then use it as evidence of their illegal activities and arrest them, Zheng said. The modern technology becomes a useful tool for the CCP to suppress the people it makes them unable to speak. This is Chinas current state. Many Chinese, especially the youngsters, still dont know about the massacre. There are two reasons behind this, one is the control of the CCP, so unless they seek it, they wont know. Also, the environment is high-pressure, people are used to self-censoring themselves because they are afraid of getting into trouble. If you know the truth, this itself could be a crime.' An Engrained Memory Three decades ago, Zheng was just one among many such students at a packed Tiananmen Square, calling for freedom, democracy, and an end to government corruption. He recalled them peacefully exiting the square when the atmosphere took a drastic turn. We were suddenly attacked by tanks from the [CCPs] Peoples Liberation Army which came from behind Many people died there when they got run over by the tanks. Its how I lost my legs. We have no idea how many people died Who gave the order? Why give the order? This is also something we are asking and still seeking for an answer because the CCP doesnt allow people to talk about this topic at all. Although there are conflicting estimates on the death count, a secret British diplomatic cable that was leaked last year alleged that at least 10,000 people were killed during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, citing a source within the Chinese Communist regime. As the students were evacuating the area, they were hit with a gas attack. During the chaos, a female student nearby fainted from the shock and was picked up by Zheng. As he was helping her, a tank quickly approached and Zheng only had enough time to push her out of harms way. Zheng was dragged for several feet by the tank and had both his legs crushed. He was later sent to the hospital and underwent a double amputation. He also faced continual investigations by officials who accused him of being violent and provoking the attack. Despite such persecution, Zheng continued to tell the truth and fight against the governments narrative that he and his fellow protesters had sparked the attack. Zheng also asked for the female student to testify on his behalf, but she refused and denied ever being with him in order to avoid complications with the CCP. An athlete before and after his injury, Zheng went on to become a national champion in disabled discus throwing. But he was soon denied from participating in bigger events because the CCP was afraid he would tell the truth. He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and continues to advocate for the truth about Tiananmen Square and Chinas communist government. Trump Announces Tariffs on $200 Billion in Imports From China The trade war between the United States and China just got hotter as President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. The tariffs are set to begin on Sept. 24 with a levy of 10 percent, before ramping up to 25 percent on Jan. 1. In a statement, Trump warned that if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries, we will immediately pursue Phase Three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports. Trump explained that the new round of tariffs is justified because of unfair trade practices by China. [The U.S. Trade Representative] concluded that China is engaged in numerous unfair policies and practices relating to United States technology and intellectual propertysuch as forcing United States companies to transfer technology to Chinese counterparts. These practices, Trump said, plainly constitute a grave threat to the long-term health and prosperity of the United States economy. China has, for months, refused American demands that it change unfair trade practices, Trump said. This second round of tariffs follows on tariffs of 25 percent on $50 billion in Chinese goods that Trump announced on June 15. The Chinese matched those tariffs, with duties on American imports. However, because of the trade imbalance between the United States and China, Beijing wont be able to continue matching Trumps tariffs. Chinese leaders said that if Trump levied this second round of tariffs, that they would withdraw from planned trade talks. Trade talks in July were unproductive. Financial journalists have speculated that China may seek to exact pain on the United States through means other than tariffs, such as by harassing U.S. companies doing business in China, disrupting supply chains for American companies that originate in China, or causing mischief with, for instance, attempts by the United States to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear arsenal. Meanwhile, in a tweet on the morning of Sept. 17, Trump spoke of the effectiveness of tariffs as an economic weapon: Tariffs have put the U.S. in a very strong bargaining position, with Billions of Dollars, and Jobs, flowing into our Country and yet cost increases have thus far been almost unnoticeable. If countries will not make fair deals with us, they will be Tariffed! Trump Supports Legislation Banning Pharmacy Price Gag Clauses President Donald Trump urged the Senate to pass a bill that would ban contracts that prohibit pharmacists from informing customers that paying with cash may cost them less than using their insurance plans. Insurance companies sometimes write the so-called gag clauses into their contracts with pharmacies, preventing pharmacists from advising customers on low-cost routes for obtaining their prescribed medicine. While some states have banned the practice, there is no federal ban. Senators were expected to vote on Sept. 17 on a measure that would ban the gag clauses. Americans deserve to know the lowest drug price at their pharmacy, but gag clauses prevent your pharmacist from telling you! I support legislation that will remove gag clauses and urge the Senate to act, Trump wrote on Twitter. Americans overspent by an estimated $135 million in 2013 as a result of gag clauses, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study reviewed 9.5 million insurance claims and found that in almost one in four cases, customers paid more for drugs using their insurance than they would have if they had used cash. Insurance is intended to save consumers money. Gag clauses in contracts that prohibit pharmacists from telling patients about the best prescription drug prices do the opposite, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in a statement. Who would think that using your debit card to buy your prescription drugs would be less expensive than using your insurance card? Its counterintuitive. The Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act applies to insurance plans offered on the individual marketplace, including through exchanges, as well as for plans offered by private employers. A separate bill would prohibit the practice for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans. Its just wrong for people to overpay for their medication simply because their pharmacist is not allowed to tell them they could pay a lower price with cash instead of insurance, said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Aug. 29, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Trump Orders Extensive Declassification of Russia Investigation Documents Declassification to include unredacted text messages sent by James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and Bruce Ohr President Donald Trump issued an order on Sept. 17 for the immediate declassification of three series of documents related to the Russia investigation and the spying on his presidential campaign. The first set of documents relates to the FISA warrant application to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, specifically pages 1012 and 1734 of the June 2017 renewal of the warrant. The second set of documents relates to a series of FBI interviews with former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr. The third set of documents encompasses all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with the Page FISA applications. In addition to issuing the declassification order, Trump has directed the Department of Justice and the FBI to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation of former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former lead FBI agent on the Russia investigation Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, and Ohr. The released texts are to be fully unredacted. This declassification order is broader than had been anticipated. A declassification of the sequence of redacted pages from the Page FISA documents, along with the Ohr interviews, was assumed to be forthcoming. This order goes much further. Pages 1012 of the June 2017 application relate to the Russian governments efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Pages 1734 relate to Pages coordination with Russian government officials on activities to influence the election. A number of these pages are fully redacted. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) has noted that exculpatory information pertaining to Page was omitted from the FISA applications. The declassification of these sections will likely illustrate whether that did occur. Its also possible that more evidence of circular reporting between the FBI and certain journalists may be unveiled. Trump specifically selected the third and final FISA renewal dated June 29, 2017, as it is the most comprehensive of the four FISA documents, at 121 pages long. It begins on page 292 and ends on page 412 in the provided link. The June warrant renewal was signed by an unknown FBI supervisory special agent (page 380), FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe (page 389), Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (page 391), an unknown DOJ attorney (page 392), and FISA Judge Raymond Dearie (page 412). Ohr participated in a series of 12 known interviews with the FBI between Nov. 22, 2016, and May 15, 2017. Additionally, there have been reports of interviews that continued beyond this timeframe. The declassification order by Trump does not specify a date range or a specific number of interviews. The chosen wording specifies all FBI reports of interviews with Bruce G. Ohr prepared in connection with the Russia investigation. The FBI interviews may have served as a means for Ohr to transmit information from dossier author Christopher Steele to the FBI. This relationship was noted by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who said: The documents also raise questions about the role of Ohra senior Justice Department official whose wife worked for Fusion GPSin continuing to pass allegations from Steele and Fusion GPS to the FBI after the FBI had terminated Steele as a source. Ohr recently met with members of Congress and reportedly disclosed that he understood Steeles information to be raw and uncorroborated hearsay. The third portion of the order appears to relate to underlying documentation used in the Page FISA warrant, calling for the declassification of all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all Carter Page FISA applications. The requested documentation relates to the initial FISA application and the three subsequent renewals. This portion of the declassification order was somewhat unexpected and will provide a broader examination of reasoning used in obtaining the warrant to spy on Page. Notably, this portion of the declassification order likely includes debriefings and interviews of lesser-known but still crucial characters, such as FBI informant Stefan Halper, Australian diplomat Alexander Downer, and possibly Maltese professor Joseph Mifsud. It should also include all communications with Steele. This portion of the declassification order will likely help to establish whether Woods Procedures were followed. The goal of the Woods Procedures is to ensure accuracy in regard to the following: The facts supporting probable cause. The existence and nature of any related criminal investigations or prosecutions involving the subject of the FISA. The existence and nature of any prior or ongoing asset relationship between the subject and the FBI. Its the third point in regard to Page thats particularly important. Thats because Page cooperated with both the FBI and U.S. attorneys for the Southern District of New York in the Evgeny Buryakov case, involving several Russian spies. Page almost certainly was providing testimony or details about Victor Podobnyy in the Buryakov case. Text Messages The most unexpected portion of the declassification order calls for the fully unredacted release of all text messages from a number of key players in the Russia investigation. Even with redactions, a number of material admissions have been discovered within the vast set of StrzokPage texts. To this mix is being added the previously unreleased text messages from Comey, McCabe, and Ohr. Given these officials involvement in all facets of varying investigations, the texts are likely to provide a lot of new information, including the undisclosed side of previously touched on conversations. Concern of Precedent The specific language chosen in the release, at the request of a number of committees of Congress and for reasons of transparency, likely relates to concerns over establishment of precedent. White House counsel Emmett Flood had reportedly been against declassification out of the concern for the precedent it would set, as well as any unintended consequences of making the information public. In the language used in the declassification order, the White House is invoking multiple congressional committees from the legislative branch. This provides a legal shift similar to the declassification of the Nunes memo, whereby the executive branch is complying with legislative branch oversight. The reference to transparency also touches on Part I, Section 1.7 of Executive Order 13526, which governs classification processes. It states: In no case shall information be classified, continue to be maintained as classified, or fail to be declassified in order to: (1) conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error; (2) prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency; (3) restrain competition; or (4) prevent or delay the release of information that does not require protection in the interest of the national security. The invocation of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats is also important. Coats technically maintains oversight of the intelligence community. The question now becomes how quickly the various agencies will comply with the declassification order. It is likely that there would have been prior coordination and agreements reached in advance of the order. The material question yet to be answered is to what extent an agreement was reached with the DOJ and FBI. When the president issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of Americas national security interest, the DOJ said in a statement. The department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the presidents order, the statement said. Cooperation by the DOJ and FBI will be crucial, as the agencies still retain full control of the text messages of Comey, McCabe, and Ohr. It is yet to be seen whether they will fully comply with the presidential order. Attention will now be focused on Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray throughout the declassification process. Jeff Carlson is a CFA charterholder. He worked for 20 years as an analyst and portfolio manager in the high-yield bond market. He runs the website TheMarketsWork.com President Donald Trump at his Make America Great Again rally in Billings, Montana, on Sept. 6, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) White House Rolls Out New Comprehensive Biodefense Strategy The White House authorized a new comprehensive biodefense strategy on Sept. 18, establishing a Cabinet-level committee tasked with defending the United States against biological threats and coordinating the efforts of 15 government agencies and the intelligence community. President Donald Trump signed the strategy into action on Sept. 18 at the White House. The Department of Health and Human Services, which holds the bulk of the U.S. governments expertise in biological threats, will be the lead agency. While there have been at least three national biodefense strategies issued in the past two decades, the new strategy is the first to direct a government-wide survey of ongoing biodefense efforts to piece together a full picture and identify gaps, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. The new strategy also is the first to address naturally occurring biological threats. Considering that naturally occurring epidemics have killed more of the worlds population than both world wars combined, Trumps order may prove to be one of the most consequential of his presidency. National security adviser John Bolton told reporters that while the administration tends to focus on nuclear weapons, biological weapons also are very dangerous. Bio and chem is often referred to as the poor mans nuclear weapon. So, theyre particularly attractive to terrorist groups that want to try and cause great damage to us here at home, Bolton said. The prior iterations of the biodefense strategyissued in 2005, 2009, and 2012didnt create a framework for ongoing efforts to address national-security concerns on biological warfare. The new strategy directs the Biodefense Steering Committee to conduct an annual, government-wide biodefense assessment. It is really the first-ever holistic look across the government to see where are we acting, and where might there be any gaps in light of our awareness of threats, our preparedness needs, and our ability to respond, Azar said. The strategy consists of five pillars: assessment, prevention, preparation, response, and recovery. According to a senior administration official, biodefense strategies released by the Bush and Obama administrations identified only four agencies involved in addressing biological threats. The Trump administrations strategy identified 15 government agencies in addition to the intelligence community as directly involved in biodefense. Trump signed the strategy and a related national security presidential memorandum at the White House during a closed-door ceremony with senior administration officials. The signing coincided with the 17th anniversary of the anthrax attacks in Washington and elsewhere that killed five people and infected 17 others, and the centennial year of the 1918 Spanish flu, which killed 647,000 Americans. Biological threats emanate from many sources, and they know no borders. They have great potential to disrupt the economy, exact a toll on human life, and tear at the very fabric of society. Trump said in a statement. My administration is focused on strengthening our Nations defenses against the full range of threats to our health and security, including those of a biological nature, the president added. With these actions today, I am reaffirming my unwavering commitment to protecting the American people, the American homeland, and the American way of life. The strategy separates the biological threats into three categories: naturally occurring, deliberate, and accidental. The threat of naturally occurring disease epidemics spreading across the world has been amplified in recent years as a result of faster travel, urbanization, habitat encroachment, and weak health systems, according to the National Biodefense Strategy (pdf). As a result, an infectious disease outbreak in a remote place across the globe poses a threat to the United States. The strategy uses lessons learned during the anthrax attacks in 2001, the influenza pandemic in 2009, and the West Africa Ebola epidemic in 2014. The plan calls for cooperation from nations across the world, because epidemics can be thwarted if appropriate action is taken at the source. Domestic action alone is insufficient to protect Americas health and security, the strategy states. The rapid globalization of science and technology and the interconnectedness of travel and trade necessitate a strong biodefense enterprise that has global reach to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to biological incidents. The threat of a deliberate attack is real, as multiple nations have pursued clandestine biological weapons programs, according to the strategy document. Terrorist groups have tried to obtain biological weapons as well. National security officials are treating accidental outbreaks as threats as well. Poor biocontainment protocols in laboratories around the globe mean that an outbreak can occur if personnel become infected or if pathogens are accidentally released into the environment. The risks from biological threats cannot be reduced to zerobut they can and must be managed, the strategy document concludes. Wide-ranging threats require a comprehensive approach to minimizing the risks. Until officials announced incorrectly that Jerry Hobbs committed the murders, parents told reporters they were walking their children to school, and local and national reporters, as well as the curious, crowded outside of the Zion police station and near the scene of the murders as Zion police and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force investigated the crime. NORWALK Landscaping along the Merritt Parkway in Norwalk could come closer to the parkways original character as part of the overhaul of the Route 7 interchange. That means more open views rather than a tunnel of trees that grew up and was removed in recent years to improve safety for motorists. On Monday evening, the state Department of Transportation and planning consultant Stantec invited public input on the landscaping portion of the interchange-overhaul project. The project goals and objective, according to the DOT, include preserving, enhancing and/or restoring surviving historic landscapes where practical or where the landscape has been significantly altered, creating a new landscape design that is consistent with the Parkways original design and character. Alan Kibbe, a Norwalk Association of Silvermine Homeowners board member, found aesthetic and safety reasons to keep wide grass buffers with trees set back rather than have a tunnel of trees above the roadway. That green grass is safety, Kibbe said. Until they took the trees down, if you had to go off the road there wasnt much choice other than hitting a tree. More than a dozen people attended the landscape workshop at The Norwalk Inn & Conference Center on Monday. The workshop came as the DOT plans the overhaul of the Route 7/Main Avenue/Merritt Parkways interchanges. But the project isnt only about improving the interchanges and traffic flow. The views and landscaping have always been integral to the Merritt Parkway, which was built during the 1930s and is now listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. Stantec Vice President Gary Sorge, a landscape architect, said one cannot talk about the Merritt Parkway without mentioning the word landscape. The parkway was designed with the intent of healing the scar that was created when the highway was built. That meant creating a transition between the built environment and the natural landscape, according to Sorge. And to have it appear as if whats off in the distance is natural its just a natural landscape and the parkway is just perfectly fit into that context, Sorge said. So youll see critical view corridors, youll have scenic vistas off into pastures. You have might have views that terminate into a forest. Sorge asked workshop attendees to identify key views and features within the project area a half mile east of Main Avenue and half mile west of the Route 7 Connector and the most- and least-appealing landscapes and visual features. While views along the parkway have changed over the years, so also has use of the parkway. When the parkways were built, that was part of Robert Moses vision for taking people from the city out to the bucolic views of the country, said Bobbie Kinn, of Norwalk, referring to the mid-20th century builder of bridges and parkways in the New York region. And I dont think they ever envisioned 2018 where it is now a major commuter route. The purpose of the interchange overhaul is to improve connections and mobility at Main Avenue and the Merritt Parkway, as well as at the Route 7 Connector and Merritt Parkway. At present, motorists traveling west on the Merritt Parkway cannot exit to either the north- or southbound Route 7 Connector. Motorists driving either north or south on the connector cannot exit to the eastbound parkway. The interchange overhaul project was halted first by a lawsuit and later by an economic recession. Before the project paused in 2009 amid the recession, the DOT had arrived at Alternate 21C as its preferred design. The design, which emerged after numerous meetings with residents and other stakeholders, would rely upon ramps but not signals. The design would improve the existing connections and create the four missing connections between the parkway, Route 7 Connector and Main Avenue. For more information about the project, visit http://7-15norwalk.com. 5 1 of 5 Chris Marquette / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Chris Marquette / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Chris Marquette / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 WESTPORT Mold remains at Coleytown Middle School, according to Elio Longo, Chief Financial Officer for the Westport Public Schools. There are certain areas of the school that weve identified have a surface mold issue from testing as of last Friday. It is ongoing at this time, Longo told the Board of Finance at its meeting on Aug. 1 in response to BOF Commissioner Lee Caneys question of whether there is still mold at the middle school. Contributed Photo / Norwalk Police Department / Contributed Photo NORWALK Police invite the public to meet the officers who serve their town during Coffee with a Cop on Thursday morning. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the McDonalds at 531 Westport Ave. The Trump administration is disowning a plan presented by U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley for President Donald Trump to hold a meeting at the United Nations next week focused on Iran, according to diplomats familiar with the planning. Haley had announced that Trump would chair a meeting on the world's biggest diplomatic stage to "address Iran's violations of international law and the general instability Iran sows throughout the entire Middle East region." The United States will decide the meeting agenda, a centerpiece of the annual U.N. General Assembly, because it holds the rotating chair of the Security Council for the month of September. It will be Trump's first time brandishing the U.N. gavel at a table of officials representing the world's most powerful nations. Focusing the meeting on Iran, however, drew immediate concerns from U.S. allies who believed that the topic would expose sharp disagreements between the United States, France and Britain over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Trump unilaterally withdrew from in May. Other U.S. officials also voiced concerns that an article of the U.N. Charter would allow Iran to participate in the meeting because it is a "party to a dispute under consideration," raising the prospect of an awkward and contentious standoff between Trump and a representative from Iran. "Trump risked a collision with the UK and France over Iran at the U.N. Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron would have had no choice but to defend the nuclear deal in the council," said Richard Gowan, a senior fellow at the United Nations University, a global affairs think tank. "I don't think anyone liked the idea of the president having to sit through stern defenses of the Iran deal from May and Macron. He could have got very tetchy, as he did at NATO and the G-7, or walked out of the council causing a diplomatic fuss," Gowan added. Instead of leading a meeting on Iran, Trump will chair a debate on nonproliferation, constitutionalism and sovereignty, said the diplomats, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss future planning. The broad topic, which does not explicitly single out any country, does not require an invitation to be extended to Iran and reduces the likelihood of public disunity among Western democracies. Officials at the White House and the U.S. mission to the United Nations declined to comment on why the topic of the meeting is different from the Iran-centered one unveiled by Haley on Sept. 4, when she briefed reporters in New York. At the time, Haley acknowledged that Iran would make for an "uncomfortable" topic for some Security Council members but said that "I personally think that when we talk about things that are uncomfortable in the Security Council, good things happen." "President Trump is very adamant that we have to start making sure that Iran is falling in line with international order," Haley said. Haley's remarks did not exist in isolation. Earlier this month, U.S. diplomats privately told several foreign countries that Trump would chair an Iran-focused meeting at the Security Council, diplomats said. Then, on Sept. 7, the U.S. mission to the U.N. issued a statement saying the meeting would focus on a "broader range of issues," including the "proliferation of weapons of mass destruction" in addition to Iran's destabilizing activities. And last week, U.S. officials began confirming with foreign partners that Iran would not be the topic of the meeting. In addition to the concerns of U.S. allies, Russia also objected to a Security Council meeting that singled out one nation. During his debut address at the General Assembly last year, Trump emphasized the importance of the sovereignty of individual nations as opposed to multilateral approaches to global problem solving. He also referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man" and threatened to "totally destroy" his country. The president's penchant for bold and improvised remarks has captured the focus and anxieties of nation's preparing for this month's global summit in New York. But despite the lofty optics, the U.S. will be hard pressed to make any meaningful accomplishments as rivals China and Russia maintain veto power over any resolutions. Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution, said both Iran and the United States will benefit from a Security Council meeting that isn't explicitly focused on Iran. "In sparing Trump this awkward scene, his advisers also gave a reprieve to the Iranians, whose leadership faced an unpalatable choice between the domestic political indignities entailed in sending the foreign minister or another official to try to rebut its vilification and the nearly equally unpleasant fallout that would have been incurred by letting the insults go unrebutted," Maloney said. By the end of next week, more than 140 world leaders are expected to deliver addresses at the annual General Assembly. The Trump administration is expected to take a particularly hard line on China, which it accuses of promoting unfair trade practices and exploiting smaller countries across Asia. ISTANBUL - Russia and Turkey appeared Monday to avert a potential crisis in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, announcing they would establish a "demilitarized zone" to separate rebels from Syrian government troops and head off an all-out battle. The announcement, at a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, comes after weeks of speculation that an offensive on Syria's last major opposition enclave would prompt a full-scale humanitarian disaster. Idlib, in northwest Syria, borders Turkey and is home to thousands of rebel fighters and about 3 million civilians, the United Nations says. Aid organizations said they feared an assault by Syrian and Russian forces could cause widespread carnage and displace tens of thousands of people. "The people of Idlib will rest easier tonight knowing that they are less likely to face an impending assault," Lorraine Bramwell, Syria country director for the International Rescue Committee, said in a statement Monday. "This could be a win for diplomacy, and that's what Syria needs more of to solve this crisis." The precise details of the agreement between Turkey and Russia were not publicly spelled out Monday. But Putin said that a zone nine miles to 12 miles long would be carved out ahead of an Oct. 15 deadline. The zone, both leaders said, would be purged of heavy weapons and more extreme elements of the insurgency, including al-Qaeda-linked militants. It also would be patrolled by Turkish and Russian forces. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed since an uprising began there in 2011, fracturing the country and drawing in world powers. Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has helped quell the rebellion. Turkey, in turn, has backed elements of the opposition. Putin said the plan announced Monday has the support of the Syrian government. "The territory controlled by the Syrian opposition must be demilitarized," Erdogan told reporters in the Russian town of Sochi, where the two leaders met. "But together with Russia, we will put our efforts into clearing those territories of radical elements," he said. Hours after the announcement of the agreement, missiles suspected to have been fired by Israel struck a Syrian state-owned factory in the nearby province of Latakia, an Assad stronghold that hosts Russia's main military base in Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA. Videos posted on social media showed several large explosions, and SANA said the target was a facility called Technical Industries. Syrian air defenses intercepted some of the "hostile missiles," which were fired from the sea, the agency said. If confirmed, it would be the second Israeli strike in two days against Syrian targets, following an attack overnight Saturday against a warehouse at Damascus airport. Although Israel refuses to confirm or deny most of the scores of attacks it is suspected to have carried out in Syria, its leaders have maintained that Israel reserves the right to strike at will to deter the expansion of Iran and the militant group Hezbollah in Syria and neighboring Lebanon. Idlib is strategically important for both Russia and Turkey. The former wants to eliminate Syria's opposition, help the government retake territory and convince European and other powers to help reconstruct the country. The latter needs a foothold in Syria to ensure its place at the negotiating table, as the United Nations and Syria's allies decide the country's future. Turkey also wants to prevent a destabilizing influx of refugees into its territory, especially the introduction of militants. Still, it was unclear how Turkey and Russia would persuade rebel fighters to retreat and give up their heavy weaponry. Syria's rebels despise Russia for its support for Assad, who has been in power since his father, Hafez al-Assad, died in 2000. The plan also seems to require that Turkey make efforts to eliminate or isolate hardcore Islamist militants. Beginning last year, Turkey deployed troops and military equipment to Idlib, which had been designated one of several "de-escalation zones" by Russia, Iran and Turkey. The other three zones have since been retaken by Syrian government forces. But Turkey, which maintains 12 observation posts in Idlib, has avoided a direct confrontation with the extremists, many of which belong to a former al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Turkey has instead created an alternative umbrella organization - the National Liberation Front - for rebel fighters in the enclave. Turkish officials hope to peel away some of the rank-and-file Islamist militants to join the more moderate NLF, analysts say. "A head-on attack against [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] now or later would likely destabilize northwest [Syria], prompt a bloody and maybe inconclusive fight, and potentially set off retaliatory attacks inside Turkey," said Sam Heller, a senior analyst on nonstate armed groups at the International Crisis Group in Brussels. "This is why the Turks are pushing so hard for something that approximates the status quo," he said, adding that Turkey might give "safe exit" to some of the more hardcore radicals. "They're in an extremely difficult position," he said. But even as Turkey appeared to be boxed in, some analysts said that Erdogan had in fact been bolstered by support from Europe and the United States. Europe, which also fears another migration crisis, joined the Trump administration in pledging a harsh response to the use of chemical weapons by government forces in Idlib. The United States recently walked back an announcement that it would withdraw troops from Syria before the end of the year. Instead, U.S. forces will remain to push back against Iran in Syria, the State Department's new Syria envoy, James Jeffrey, said this month. The fact that Russia has agreed to at least delay the offensive "counts as a success for Turkey," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "Not because of Turkey but because of a shift in U.S. policy that says the United States is staying in Syria." "That gives Turkey room to breathe," he said, despite recent tensions in U.S.-Turkish relations. For now, it "saves Turkey from a potential crisis that would involve a large number of refugees. It might also lead Erdogan to look more favorably at his relationship with the United States." The Migrant Quilt Project humanizes the journey that Jaime and others took to be a part of our country. There is a story behind every name or unknown on the quilt, and it is important for us to think about it and remember that people want to live in this country to have a better life. One room had sprinklers installed, allowing water to pour on the fire almost immediately. The other one did not and soon thick black smoke and flames were billowing out as part of the controlled burn which after a few minutes three firefighters doused the flames. EAST ALTON East Alton resident Dennis Hunt is passionate about his faith, and passionate about a project that has become his two-fold mission bringing people together as cousins, and taking the teaching of evolution out of public schools. It all started as Hunt, like many of us, was watching the television news that depicted the violence in our society, and he became more and more concerned about where the world is heading. He decided he wanted to do something to help. He has become so enthused that he can hardly sleep at night, thinking about what he can do the next day to further his cause. Ideas come to me, and I cant wait to put them into action, Hunt said. The latest result of his work is the newly released book, My Ebenezer, where Hunt expresses his view on the teaching of the theory of evolution. Plainly put, he doesnt believe in it. For him, its creation all the way. But the point of the book is not to change everyone to his way of thinking (though he wouldnt be sad if that happened, too), but mainly, he doesnt want children to be taught evolution as fact from an early age. My Ebenezer challenges people to take a look at the teaching of evolution in public schools. As far as Hunt is concerned, the theory of evolution negates the idea of creation, making it a religion all its own. And he thinks, Fair is fair. If other religions cant be taught in the public schools, then I dont think evolution should be either, Hunt said. Im not saying anyone has to agree with what I believe, but I dont think it is right to put that theory out to children in a public setting as another option other than believing in Gods creation. Another prominent thread of the book is that mankind is all of one blood, Adams blood, which was the impetus for his first book, Becoming One Flock: My Goal as Just One Christian, earlier this year. I started out wanting to have my Bible art and lessons available even after I have left this mortal habitation. My work led me to a study that we are all one race and are all cousins of one blood, Hunt said. If thats true, then the idea of evolution doesnt work. I firmly believe that I could stand face to face with any evolutionist, maintaining a semblance of pleasantness, and make my case, he added. His Ebenezer, if you will, is something physical (a stone) to remind him of spiritual truth, especially Gods faithfulness and goodness. He has set (or raised) his stone, and now, feels God wants him to go further. My goal is clear: The evolution theory has got to die or rightly be called a religion, he wrote. In addition to his writings, his actions for change are the aforementioned wood art that visually tells the story of the Bible. A retired structural engineer, his hobby has always been woodworking. A few years ago, he began using his woodworking abilities, which has grown into a ministry all its own, continuing to evolve with his Biblical studies and understanding. With each of his creations, he writes an explanation of the deeper meaning behind it, though he prefers observers to draw their own conclusions before reading his interpretation. The art ministry has grown from wooden crosses with a heart at the intersection, to the next step adding lambs, the first with the title His sheep am I. He later added a lion; with both the lamb and lion representing Jesus. His newest pieces include I AM, which he said indicates that God is the real theme. He has now made several hundred plaques, and gives them to people to brighten their lives. Many have found their way across the country and around the world. He and his wife, Sharon, have held onto about 25 of the pieces that they couldnt bear to part with. Hunt began really reading the Bible in his early 30s. He still uses the same well-worn 1901 King James Version Scofield Bible that he got 45 years ago. He has studied the scriptures deeply for more than four decades, marking and highlighting passages along the way. I dont use the Bible as a club, but I always encourage people to read it, Hunt said. He reread it, again and again, he prayed, and now believes he has a comprehensive understanding of what the Bible says about salvation and creation. Certainly in my mind, Ive proven that the theory of evolution doesnt work, Hunt said. Ive tried every model I could think of. Thats one reason Ive taken the position of taking it out of public schools. However, he writes in his book, We do not care to stop people from believing in the theory of evolution. We want funding of their religion in our public schools to be terminated. And he believes just as fervently in everyone being of one blood. We are one race of people with different-colored skins. It is kind of difficult to call someone a racist who is in fact, of your own race, Hunt wrote. No matter what our individual skin color happens to be, Jesus only sees us as olive-skinned. We are all of one race. Through blood lines, we are brothers; Jesus and God want us to take care of our brothers. We are one flock, he said. Becoming One Flock begins with a little church mouse named Dennis (which he is quick to point out is sinned in reverse) who leads the reader along the way. Hunt has nicknamed the mouse CUZ, and continues to use the avatar in the sequel to help deliver his message. Hunts beliefs are solid as a Christian, and those beliefs lead him through life. He challenges readers to study scriptures in order to develop their own interpretation. Sometimes his beliefs which he is willing to vocalize and stand behind - have brought about heavy discussions. Whether you agree or disagree with me, the important thing is to find out what you truly believe, Hunt said. I have respect for anyone who disagrees with me, and I get excited when people want to know more. Hunt was a Corporal in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968 as part of Korea Defense. He is a certified lay speaker at East Alton First United Methodist Church, and has been a member of the United Methodist Men since 1964. He and his wife have been married for 55 years. They have a son, Daron, who lives in Texas. The newly released My Ebenezer, as well as Becoming One Flock: My Goal as Just One Christian are available at www.amazon.com. Hunt donated the proceeds from his first book to the church and intends to continue to donate profits from both books to charity. To contact Hunt, send an email to hunt1214@sbcglobal.net. EDWARDSVILLE A judge last week gave broad powers to a special prosecutor to look into public corruption in Madison County, including any corruption that might have taken place recently and any attempts to impede the investigation. Circuit Judge Jerry Crisel gave the Illinois Attorney Generals Office the authority to investigate a case that became public when a task force carried multiple computers and records from the Madison County Administration Building last January. The raid was carried out by an independent Madison County Public Corruption Task Force, set up in late 2017. Crisel is a judge in the Second Judicial Circuit, based in Mount Vernon. The case was removed there shortly after Madison County Chief Judge David Hylla ordered it. The case fell into the hands of the Illinois Attorney Generals Office after Crisel ruled that Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons could not both prosecute the case and represent county officials as one of his statutory duties as states attorney. Gibbons would not have to defend any criminal charges brought against any officials. The officials would have to hire their own attorneys for criminal defense. The Attorney Generals Office pursued a motion to appoint one of its attorneys as special prosecutor to commence and prosecute all actions, suits, indictments and criminal prosecutions related to the scope of the appointment. The special prosecutor may impanel and convene a grand jury, seek subpoenas and indictments, appoint investigators and present evidence, the judges order states. The prosecutor may seek additional search warrants, seek the authority to use eavesdropping devices, seek orders granting immunity and seek an order authorizing the use of electronic criminal surveillance. The attorney could also conduct an investigation into criminal offenses being committed by Madison County officials, officers or employees in, or related to, their official capacities from Dec. 1, 2016, until the appointment of the special prosecuted is terminated by order of the court. The prosecutor may investigate any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation, including, but not limited to, any criminal offenses being committed by persons who are not an official, officer or employee of Madison County. The prosecutor may also investigate and prosecute state crimes committed in the course of, and with the intent to, interfere with, the special prosecutors investigation and/or prosecution, including, but not limited to, perjury, obstructing justice, communicating with, intimidation of, or harassment of jurors and/or witnesses, and the destruction of evidence, and to conduct appeals arising out of this mater being investigated and/or prosecuted, Judge Crisel ordered. The prosecution would also have jurisdiction and/or powers beyond what is specified in the judges order to fully investigate the case or any new matters that come to light in the investigation. The county is responsible for any and all expenses associated with the investigation. When Crisel initially ruled that Gibbons could not both prosecute and defend the case, States Attorney Gibbons said he would accept the decision and remain independent of the task force. Judge Crisels order arises from law suits filed shortly after the raids. Attorney Ed Moorman filed suit on behalf of County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, County Administrator Doug Hulme and Information Technology Director Rob Dorman. The suit asked the court to clarify whether Gibbons should represent the three officials. Attorney Amy Sholar also filed a suit on behalf of former Administrative Director Steve Adler. The order issued applies to both cases. EDWARDSVILLE The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees last week approved Tim Schoenecker, PhD, as dean of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business, and Steve Huffstutler as associate vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer (CIO) for the SIUE campus, during its regularly scheduled meeting on the Edwardsville campus. An associate professor of management and marketing in the School, Schoenecker was named interim dean in May 2016, succeeding John Navin. Schoenecker has provided significant service to the School as a collaborative leader. He, in close partnership with faculty and staff, has contributed to the Schools growth and celebrated its accounting and business programs 2017 reaccreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a hallmark of excellence earned by less than five percent of the worlds business schools. Under Schoeneckers leadership, the School has progressed its strategic plan by boosting enrollment, continuing its tradition of internships and global engagement, building faculty resources and maintaining its momentum in development and alumni relations. Schoenecker joined the SIUE faculty in fall 1992 in the Department of Management and Marketing. His teaching interests are in the areas of strategic management and entrepreneurship. His research interests are primarily in the areas of corporate governance and top management teams. Prior to being named associate dean, he served as a consultant for both large and small businesses in the St. Louis area. Also serving as an interim leader since spring 2015, Huffstutler succeeded Jennifer Vandever and led a staff of more than 100 professionals in support of the Universitys technology service, systems, and infrastructure, including academic and administrative systems, telephony, networking and support services. He has managed a $10.5 million annual budget and led Information Technology Services (ITS) through a 17 percent budget reduction. Moreover, he and his team created more than $800,000 in cost savings by collaborating with SIU Carbondale to create shared software and system contracts in addition to renegotiating existing vendor contracts. Huffstutler has served SIUE in various capacities since 1992. Prior to his interim appointment, Huffstutler served as director of Academic and Client Support Services, acting director of Academic Computing, and manager, senior specialist and coordinator of the Faculty Technology Center. He has also served as a technology consultant for the Illinois Board of Higher Educations Middle-Level Teacher Preparation Consortium through its Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant. Its been a year, and its bothered me that we have employers in our community that dont offer earned sick time for their employees, Collison said in July. I dont like the thought that working parents have to choose between staying home with their sick child or not getting paid at work, or going to the doctor for themselves or not getting paid at work. I like the idea of another way of honoring her, Trustee Simone Boutet said. I actually think to vote no on this is actually a celebration of how many amazing people we have in our community and how many people have contributed in so many ways. I dont favor us moving forward in any way with developing a street naming program because I dont feel its the right way to honor people. Val was amazing. She was a character and she totally added to the vibrancy and unique character of our town, but I dont favor doing this or even creating a program going forward. New voting machines are on the way for Washington County. The county commissioners approved the choice of machines by the board of elections at last week's public meeting. Officials say they expect the new machines to arrive by the end of next month and they will be used in the next election. The machines, which cost $750,000, were paid for with funding from the Ohio Secretary of State's office. "What we purchased is new touchscreen voting machines," Washington County board of elections director Mandy Amos said, "and there's also scanners, so that someone can vote either on the touchscreen or on a paper ballot as they do now and the touchscreen will print out a small paper ballot like a receipt so that the person can see that their votes are correct before they put it through the scanner and have the vote counted." The current machines were bought back in 2006. The board of elections is still looking for poll workers. If interested, you can stop by their office at 204 Davis Avenue for more information. UPDATE 9/17/18 Washington County Board of Elections will receive nearly $750,000 in state funding to purchase new voting machines. The funding comes from a bill approved by the Ohio Legislature and signed by Governor Kasich earlier this summer. In total, the bill will allocate nearly $115 million to Ohio counties for new voting machines. Washington County officials say their current machines were bought in 2006 using federal funds. Officials say up-to-date equipment ensures votes are counted properly. Two types of machines we can buy is the touchscreen voting which would print out a paper that voters could verify that their selections were accurate and then the other one would be an opticla scan, which is what we have now, where you would vote on a paper ballot and then scan it through a scanner..."It would've been hard for the county commissioners to come up with that money," Washington County Board of Elections director Mandy Amos said. "They might of had to take from other departments to afford for us to purchase that type of new equipment, so it's a great help to us." Amos says the final costs will depend on what machines the board votes to purchase. The touchscreen machines are bit more expensive, while the optical scanners, where you make your selections on a paper ballot and insert the ballot into the scanning machine, is cheaper and the current type used now in the county. She added that the new machines could be in use as soon as the May 2019 primary election. UPDATE: 07/01/18 Counties would split nearly $115 million to replace voting machines around the state under a bill approved by the Ohio Legislature. Money for the new equipment would be dispersed across Ohio's 88 counties on a per-voter basis, under the bill approved this past week. Counties with more voters would get more funding. Ohio's counties will be able to choose which new equipment to purchase. The equipment would require approval by federal and state officials. The Columbus Dispatch reports most Ohio voting machines are over a decade old. About half of the state's counties use paper ballots that are optically scanned, and half use touch-screen voting. The legislation now goes to Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik). It would give counties new voting machines by the 2019 election season. ___ Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) UPDATE: 04/13/2018 3:10 P.M. Washington County residents this year will be using the same machines they have voted with in the past. But that's expected to change next year. 2019 is the year the state of Ohio says county election boards should upgrade their voting systems. Washington County has been using an optical scan system since the mid-1990's. Its board of elections has not yet decided what type of voting equipment it will use in the future. "There are several vendors who are certified at this point," says Deputy Director Peggy Byers, "and in May, we have been invited to Jackson County to a fair where all the vendors will be there. So we have studied the possibilities, and were are trying to make an educated decision." One factor in its final choice will be how much state money it get for the upgrade. The Ohio Senate this week approved $115 million to replace voting machines in all 88 counties. The Senate bill also allows counties to choose the type of equipment they want. The House of Representatives has not yet considered the bill. ORIGINAL STORY: 3/10/2018 Ohio lawmakers are considering a $115 million plan to help counties buy new voting machines. The Plain Dealer reports Sen. Frank LaRose, a Hudson Republican, presented the proposal Thursday. Lawmakers agree new machines are needed before the 2020 election yet funding for the overhaul remains an issue. LaRose's plan calls for dividing money based on the number of registered voters each county has. Counties would be able to choose between electronic machines and lower-cost scanning equipment. Both the County Commissioners Association of Ohio and Ohio Association of Election Officials support the plan. LaRose is running for secretary of state. His Democratic opponent, Rep. Kathleen Clyde, of Kent, says the state should tap the capital budget bill for funding and that LaRose's plan is a political maneuver. ___ Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Crews from a number of suburban fire departments helped battle the blaze, which continued to reignite in some spots over the course of the day. At around 10 a.m., the roof collapsed on a portion of the sixth floor directly above the unit where residents said the fire appeared to have started. Firefighters were evacuated from the building, but continued to pour water onto the roof and into the extensively damaged units on the north end while bricks tumbled onto cars parked along the side of the building below. After half a century of hype and false starts, artificial intelligence may finally be starting to transform the U.S. economy. An example is machine translation, as we found when analyzing eBays deployment in 2014 of an AI-based tool that learned to translate by digesting millions of lines of eBay data and data from the Web. The aim is to allow eBay sellers and buyers in different countries to more easily connect with one another. The tool detects the location of an eBay users Internet Protocol address in, say, a Spanish-speaking country and automatically translates the English title of the eBay offering. After eBay unveiled its English-Spanish translator for search queries and item titles, exports on eBay from the United States to Latin America increased by more than 17 percent. Other language pairs produced similarly significant gains. But the machine-learning tool is imperfect it doesnt translate the entire description of an eBay offering. Refinements would almost certainly drive even larger increases. The eBay machine-translation results show how two barriers to productivity improvement can be overcome. Thats a reason for optimism, but it also warrants a renewed effort to ensure that the economic gains from artificial intelligence are widely shared. First, the reason for optimism: Language differences that throughout history have hindered trade are steadily going to become irrelevant as machine translation shrinks the world. Historically, countries separated by languages or by geographic distance engaged in less trade than countries without those hurdles. Our research found that the increased trade enabled by machine translation was the equivalent of cutting the distance between countries by 37 percent. In addition to lowering the language barrier to trade, machine learning will overcome the historic barrier know as Polanyis Paradox: We know more than we can tell. Bilingual people switch almost seamlessly between languages, translating almost as a reflex, but theyve been unable to effectively explain to computers how to do it. Unlike previous information technologies that required humans to explicitly codify tasks for computers, machine learning is designed essentially to teach itself by automatically studying millions of examples, such as pairs of corresponding English and Spanish sentences. The machine-learning approach has proven remarkably powerful, not only for language translation but also for speech recognition (Apples Siri), facial recognition (Facebooks photo tagging), product recommendations (Amazon) and even cancer diagnoses. Machine translation is of course just part of a broader technological revolution that is on the cusp of transforming industries and professions. Bigger changes will come with smarter algorithms and faster computers. As companies adopt these technologies, we can expect a productivity boom. Surging productivity and the general rise in incomes it brings would be welcome, of course, but that isnt sufficient. The same questions being raised about the advance of robotics in the workplace apply to machine learning. While new jobs would be created, many existing jobs from doctors and financial advisers to translators and call-center operators are susceptible to displacement or much-reduced roles. No economic law guarantees that productivity growth benefits everyone equally. Unless we thoughtfully manage the transition, some people, even a majority, are vulnerable to being left behind even as others reap billions. Shared prosperity depends less on technology itself than on the choices made by each of us, as workers and entrepreneurs, and as citizens and voters. Entrepreneurs need to invent new business models, workers need access to new skills, and policymakers need to be urged by voters to invest in research that will redesign approaches to human learning for an era of machine learning. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Inclusive Innovation Challenge was inaugurated three years ago to help speed the transition to a high-growth and high-opportunity digital economy. More than $1 million is awarded annually to recognize and reward people and organizations that are working toward the goal of more widely shared participation in the digital economy. Award recipients include Laboratoria, a six-month coding boot camp that trains low-income women in both technical skills and soft skills such as teamwork and collaboration. After graduation, 80 percent of Laboratorias students find jobs that pay three times what they earned before the program. Another recipient, Apli, uses an AI-enabled chatbot to interview students, single mothers, shift workers and other job-seekers, then uses machine learning to match them with employment opportunities. This approach connects them with jobs within 24 hours rather than the 52-day average recruiting cycle. Artificial intelligence is beginning to transform the economy. Human intelligence is needed to make sure it benefits the many, not just the few. Brynjolfsson is the director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy. Hui is an assistant professor of marketing at Washington University, where Meng Liu is a visiting assistant professor of marketing. The forum is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. It will be moderated by the League of Women Voters and is co-sponsored by the Northwest Suburban American Association of University Women. Phuket beach-touring croc a saltie, DNA tests confirm PHUKET: The crocodile caught at Layan Beach in July has been confirmed by DNA tests to be a saltwater species, Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong announced today (Sept 18). marineanimals By The Phuket News Tuesday 18 September 2018, 06:57PM The crocodile, now confirmed to be a saltwater speciies, also now has a microchip implanted just before its tail. Photo; PR Dept The crocodile, now being kept in an enclosure at the marine life research centre at Baan Laem Sai in Mai Khao, Thalang, was caught on July 29 near the rocks off Koh Kata, just offshore from Layan Beach, after it eluded capture for 11 days. The confirmation that the crocodile is a saltwater species now allows the Department of Fisheries to decide where the crocodile is to be relocated to, Gov Norraphat explained at the Governor Meets the Press conference at Phuket Provincial Hall today. DNA tests have confirmed that the crocodile is a saltwater species (Crocodylus porosus). Now the Department of Fisheries will set up a committee to decide what to do with the crocodile. This is not in the power of the province to decide, Gov Norraphat said. Phuket Fisheries Chief Kowit Kao-ian noted at the meeting, Phuket people want the crocodile to be released back into the wild, but it will not be in Phuket. We need to keep people safe from crocodiles and we don;t want to go chasing crocodiles again. Mr Kowit said that experts believed the crocodile was likely to a saltie when it was caught, but had the DNA tests conducted to be sure. There was a variation of the scales common with cross-species, or crocodile freshwater hybrids (C.porosus x C.siamensis), which meant that further genetic tests were required to confirm precisely which species the crocodile is, he explained. A team of experts from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Mahidol University took blood and tissue samples from the crocodile on Aug 15 in order to conduct the DNA tests, he said. The team noted that the crocodile measures 256cm long from its snout to the tip of its tail. Its torso measures 123cm long and its tail 80cm long, with its jaws measuring 56cm long. The crocodile is healthy, strong and responsive when prompted, Mr Kowit said. It has minor wounds which occurred during the capture and transport, and some and the fresh abrasions from the concrete enclosure (where it is now being kept), he added. We are providing treatment for its wounds, and during our examinations we noticed that the crocodile has moss on top and underneath both its head and torso, which is usually indicates that the crocodile has been in a standing water for a long time before entering the sea. This is a rare occurrence in natural crocodiles, but it is always present in crocodiles, he said, without clarifying whether officials still believe that the crocodile had escaped a private enclosure. A belief that prompted a crackdown on registering crocodiles kept in private possession along with threats of heavy punishments for any persons found illegally keeping unregistered crocodiles. However, Mr Kowit did point out, The crocodile accepts chicken as a meal, but does not eat fish, which indicates that (chicken) is a familiar food that it has eaten before. The problem of the crocodile not being having a microchip implant to identify it has now been rectified, Mr Kowit added. A microchip has now been implanted on its left side before the tail, with the microchip number 900012000580231, he said. From the blood samples collected the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Mahidol University team has confirmed that the crocodile is in good health, with no infections. Overall they give the crocodile a body condition score of 3/5. We are now administering vitamins to the crocodile in order to build up its muscles, he said. Phuket weather warning remains in force PHUKET: The weather warning issued for Phuket and the Andaman coast remains in effect today (Sept 18), with the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) urging people to beware flash floods and landslides. Tuesday 18 September 2018, 09:13AM Another bleak, wet day in Phuket Town, but no floods or landslides just yet. Photo: PR Dept Strong winds will accompany rough seas reaching two to four metres high in the Andaman Sea, with waves up to four metres high in thundershower areas, the notice warned. All ships should proceed with caution, small boats do not venture out, and people along the seashore keep off the inshore surge, the warning added. Meanwhile, the Phuket Marine Office today has yet to issue a warning for boats heading offshore, or to ban any small boats from venturing out.. TMD Director-General Wanchai Sakudomchai re-issued the warning at 5am, noting that Typhoon Mangkhut in southern China is now reclassified as Tropical Depression Mangkhut, and is expected to weaken into a low pressure cell today over Yunnan, China. Regardless, the North and Northeast were specifically warned of more heavy rains today through Thursday. People in the area should beware of the severe conditions that could cause a flash flood, the overflow of rivers and landslides, the warning noted. Sri Thep proposed as World Heritage Site PETCHABUN: Thailand is preparing to propose that Sri Thep Historical Park in Phetchabun become a World Heritage Site, following the footsteps of the 700-year-old city of Sukhothai and Ban Chiang archaeological site in Udon Thani. cultureconstructiontourism By Bangkok Post Tuesday 18 September 2018, 10:10AM The Phetchabun site dates back some 2,500 years to Ban Chiang days, with details to be submitted to Unesco, seeking status as a World Heritage Site. Photo: Bangkok Post / File According to Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat, because Sri Thep also dates back some 2,500 years like Ban Chiang, its archaeological value warrants its listing as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Officials are gathering more information to be submitted to Unesco in January next year, after the proposal to list Sri Thep has been approved by the National Committee on the World Heritage Convention and the cabinet, said Mr Vira during his site visit yesterday (Sept 17). Located in Phetchabuns Sri Thep district, the ancient city was founded in an area that made it an essential point of contact with other regions. As a result, Sri Thep was influenced by the art and culture of great ancient kingdoms like the Dvaravati kingdom and Khmer empire, which is world-renowned for Angkor Wat, the Hindu temple complex in Cambodia. Sri Thep craftsmen benefited from these influences and went on to develop their own unique form of art, influenced by both Hindu and Buddhist cultures. We also found human bones at Sri Thep Historical Park, Mr Vira added. A study found that these remains date back to around 1,800 years ago. Sri Thep Historical Park has been listed as a national archeological site since 1935. The ancient city was once an important cultural centre in the region, spanning across parts of the lower north provinces of Thailand, including Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Tak, Sukhothai and Uttaradit. Phetchabun is the venue for a mobile cabinet meeting today (Sept 18), chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Before the meeting, Mr Vira plans to take the opportunity to visit various cultural areas in the province and engage local officials in discussions on how to increase Sri Theps popularity. Previously, Thailand had asked Unesco to consider listing Phu Phrabat Historical Park in Udon Thani as a World Heritage Site. The UNs cultural arm listed the ancient city of Sukhothai in 1991 Thailands first kingdom that emerged between the 13th and 14th centuries as a World Heritage Site. In 1992, Ban Chiang was listed as a World Heritage Site as it is considered as the most important prehistoric settlement in Southeast Asia. Read original story here. Tourists stranded as Phuket weather, Typhoon Mangkhut affects flights PHUKET: Ministry of Tourism & Sports (MoTs) Permanent Secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra has ordered the Tourist Assistance Centre in Phuket to provide him with daily updates on the flight situation at Phuket International Airport after 19 flights were cancelled on Sunday (Sept 16). tourismtransportweatherChinese By The Phuket News Tuesday 18 September 2018, 01:02PM Ministry of Tourism & Sports (MoTS) Permanent Secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra (centre) has ordered daily updates on flights delayed out of Phuket. Photo: MoTS Mr Pongpanu gave the order yesterday (Sept 17), and requested that Phuket Tourist Police also keep him informed on the latest developments after the mass flight cancellations due to Typhoon Mangkhut making landfall in China. Tourist Assistance Centre for Phuket Province (TAC Phuket) officials must keep a close watch on this situation and provide assistance to tourists, especially Chinese nationals. Also Tourist Police have to provide security for the tourists affected. Both (TAC Phuket and Tourist Police) are to follow up on this and report back to Bangkok headquarters every 24 hours, Mr Pongpanu said. The TAC Phuket office reported the 19 flights affected on Sunday as: KA213 Cathay Dragon, Phuket to Hong Kong TG608 THAI, Phuket to Hong Kong CZ6094 China Southern Airlines, Phuket to Shenzhen KA265 Cathay Dragon, Phuket to Hong Kong NS3522 Hebei Airlines, Phuket to Shijiazhuang (capital and largest city of North Chinas Hebei Province) HU798 Hainan Airlines, Phuket to Shenzhen (on China mainland opposite Hong Kong) MF8680 Xiamen Air, Phuket to Fuzhou (capital of southeastern Chinas Fujian province) CZ8464 China Southern Airlines, Phuket to Zhengzhou ( capital of east-central Chinas Henan province) HO1314 Juneyao Airlines, Phuket to Shanghai UO764 Hong Kong Express Airways, Phuket to Hong Kong MF8690 Xiamen Air, Phuket to Xiamen (on Chinas southeast coast, across from Taiwan) GS7954 Tianjin Airlines, Phuket to Chongqing (in southwest China, formerly romanized as Chungking) BK2868 Okay Airways, Phuket to Tianjin CZ650 China Southern Airlines, Phuket to Guiyang (capital of Guizhou Province) FM858 Shanghai Airlines, Phuket to Shanghai HO1322 Juneyao Airlines, Phuket to Shanghai HO1346 Juneyao Airlines, Phuket to Nanjing 9C8974 Spring Airlines, Phuket to Shanghai EK379 Emirates airlines, Phuket to Dubai Of note, it was not explained why the Emirates flight was affected. A TAC Phuket official told The Phuket News this morning (Sept 18) that officers provided assistance for tourists by helping them to change their flight tickets without incurring any extra cost. We dont know how many passengers were affected on Sunday. Phuket International Airport public relations did not tell us. All we were informed were the 19 flight numbers, said the official, who asked not to be named. There was no need to provide any meals, and the tourists who needed to stay overnight were taken to nearby hotels. None of the affected tourists had to sleep overnight at the airport, the official added. A public relations staffer at Phuket International Airport, who also declined to be named, confirmed this morning that 10 flights were cancelled yesterday due to the weather in Phuket. And 23 flights were cancelled due to the weather at their point of origin, while four flights were delayed from departing their point of origin due to the weather there, the staffer said. Today (Sept 18), 10 flights have been delayed so far, the staffer added. Oddly, the staffer also explained, Whether flights are cancelled depends on the airline pilot. No explanation was given as to whether any decisions are made by air safety regulators at Phuket airport in deciding whether aircraft are permitted to take off or land in Phuket for safety reasons. The staffer also refused to identify which flights had been affected today. We cant reveal the flight number due to the conditions with the airlines, the staffer said. You have call the tourist centre at 1722, the staffer added. The bout of heavy weather across Phuket comes 11 years nearly to the day since One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 crashed on the runway at Phuket airport, killing 89 of the 130 persons on board, on Sept 16, 2007. With both teams ranked and in title hunt, USD vs. SDSU never been bigger Students who raise $200 will be selected to play in an after-school game of hide-and-seek with Principal Kevin Dwyer, while students who raise $75 or more will have their names entered in a raffle for dozens of prizes, the schools parent-teacher organization said. Special prizes will also be given to classes that raise the most money, run the most laps and have the most students involved in fundraising. NORRISTOWN A Philadelphia man accused of stabbing a woman outside her Whitemarsh workplace and then driving his three-ton vehicle over her several times, crushing her, says hes indigent and has asked a judge to appoint a lawyer to represent him. Lawrence Maurice Crawley filed court papers asking a judge to appoint Carrie L. Allman, chief homicide lawyer for the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender, to represent him at his upcoming preliminary hearing on murder-related charges. Through phone calls, Mr. Crawley has indicated that he is indigent and in need of the legal services of the Office of the Public Defender, Allman wrote in court papers filed on Crawleys behalf. Crawleys preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Sept. 26 before District Court Judge Deborah A. Lukens. Due to Mr. Crawleys medical condition, this date will likely need to be moved, Allman revealed, referring to the burn injuries Crawley suffered when he set himself on fire as police approached him after stopping his vehicle in Somerset County during the investigation. Crawley initially was hospitalized in the Pittsburgh area for his injuries. However, he has since been moved to Crozer-Chester Hospital in Delaware County, according to court papers. Authorities have not released more information regarding the extent of Crawleys burn injuries. He is being held without bail. Crawley, 33, of the 800 block of North 13th Street, Philadelphia, faces charges of first- and third-degree murder and possessing instruments of crime in connection with the alleged 2:27 a.m. Aug. 3 attack of Angela Maya Stith outside Vector Security along the 5100 block of Campus Drive in Whitemarsh. Authorities believe Stith, with whom Crawley previously had a relationship, was on a workplace break at the time Crawley showed up on a rear parking lot of the business. Surveillance cameras in the area captured the fatal attack on videotape. District Attorney Kevin R. Steele previously called the surveillance footage disturbing. An autopsy determined Stith, also 33 and of Philadelphia, died from combined blunt and sharp force injuries. An investigation began when Whitemarsh police responded to Vector Security for a reported stabbing and found Stiths body in the rear parking lot of the business. Video surveillance showed Stith exiting a rear door at Vector Security about 2:13 a.m. and walking to her Toyota sedan. The victim is then observed running from her vehicle while being chased by a male suspect, Whitemarsh Detective Stephen Kerns and county Detective William Mitchell alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding Crawley is observed attacking the woman with a stabbing motion. The video surveillance showed several of Stiths coworkers appear on the parking lot and attempt to render aid to her as she lay injured on the ground, a knife protruding from her back, court papers indicate. A Chevrolet Avalanche SUV is then observed driving over the area of the victim on three occasions while the vehicle circled the parking lot, detectives alleged, adding coworkers witnessed the horrific attack. Investigators said they found the drivers side window of Stiths sedan had been smashed. Scene evidence inside the Toyota indicates the victim was initially attacked inside the driver side of the car and escaped through the passenger door. Detectives also located a single knife, a knife handle and hammer at the scene, detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit. Crawley, according to court documents, spoke by cellphone with a woman after the alleged attack and stated, I stabbed her and then I ran over her with the truck. I am going to kill myself. Crawley allegedly told the woman that voices in his head made him do it, according to the arrest affidavit. Crawley later called his mother at 2:31 a.m. and told her, Mom, Im sorry I killed her, according to the arrest affidavit. Authorities alleged Crawley fled the scene in the blue Chevrolet Avalanche SUV and was spotted several hours later by state police traveling on the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. As troopers approached the vehicle, Crawley set himself on fire inside the vehicle, according to court documents. The investigation revealed that on May 23 Crawley was arrested by state police in Montour County following an assault of Stith during which she was strangled, according to the arrest affidavit. On July 18, Crawley pleaded guilty to a charge of simple assault, court papers indicated. LANSDALE A new plan is in the works for a high-end apartment building on an industrial property along Broad Street. John Tallman, Vice President of Acquisition and Approvals for Westrum Development Company, unveiled plans for Luxor Lansdale, which he said is meant to draw millennials looking to live in a walkable downtown. Lansdale, we think, is a great place to live, to work, and to shop. Theres easy access to transportation, we love the walkable lifestyle: thats something thats really ideal for our proposed tenants, he said. Plans are still being finalized, but Tallman showed the planning commission on Sept. 17 an outline featuring a five-story apartment building of somewhere around 180 units, located on a roughly four-acre parcel east of Broad and south of the borough freight station and railroad tracks. It will be 173, 189 or 205 (units) were still working on the details at this point. And as currently reflected, we show just over 150 cars parking on the surface lots, and we project 150 cars underneath the structure itself, Tallman said. The main access and entrance to the building would be from an access road running south past the borough freight station at Broad and Vine Streets, with surface lots just north of the apartment building itself and a secondary entrance at the southern end of the property, near Blaine Street. The apartment building would feature a communal pool, lobby bar, courtyard and lounge, with a fitness center, yoga studio and dog park for residents. Units would feature Westrums Luxor styling, and range from 575-square-foot apartments, with a monthly rent range of $1,360 to $1,400 to one-bedroom units of 600 to 950 square feet for $1,585 to $1,700 monthly, and roughly 10 percent of the units would be two-bedrooms, of 990 to 1,035 square feet, with rents of $1,950 to $2,100 monthly, Tallman said. What we try and do is provide an urban lifestyle experience in a suburban location. Youre in close proximity to transportation here, were just 1,500 feet from the train, he said. Its an affordable, no-hassle lifestyle. You dont have to take care of your lawn, or anything like that. Millennials enjoy frequent travel, they like the hotel-like amenities, and no long-term financial commitment, Tallman said. Demographics of similar projects by Westrum have shown that the impact on the local school district tends to be minimal, since those living in the apartments tend to be single or unmarried, and move into larger homes when they start families. A similar project in Norristown produced only five new children out of 100 apartment units for that district, Tallman said, and each of those were children of split families who visited parents, but did not live, in the apartments. Based on current tax rates the property currently generates roughly $28,000 in annual tax revenue to Lansdale, the North Penn School District and Montgomery County combined. Developing the apartment building, which Tallman said would cost roughly $35 to $40 million, could bring that figure up to roughly $336,000 annually, with the borough share increasing more than tenfold from roughly $4,400 to $53,000. We think this is going to be a place that people are going to want to live in the borough, especially if youre a millennial, Tallman said. Its a known conclusion to an underutilized property. In this case, its an interesting industrial property: we dont know what would happen to it, but were showing you what we think we could do here, if youre interested, he said. Mike Narcowich, the boroughs liaison to the Montgomery County Planning Commission, asked for specifics on the entrances and connections to Broad, and Tallman said those are still being finalized. We just want to get a feel for how the town feels about this. Were just starting our work here, Tallman said. Commission member Nate Burns asked about the building height, and Tallman said early versions show surface parking on separate lots and below the building, with four additional floors of apartments above. Commission member John Darab asked about emergency vehicle access, which Tallman said would be handled by an access road running around the building. If anythings going to give you fits, its to get a fire engine or ladder truck in there, or around the building. Dont forget about that, Darab said. I dont disagree, and we have attempted to start to solve that with this accessway, Tallman said. Parts of the property fall within the boroughs industrial zone and others within commercial, so some zoning relief will likely be needed from council, Tallman told the commission. Depending on that zoning, relief from parking requirements could also be needed, and Borough Manager John Ernst said he would research the parking requirements for the parcel as currently zoned. Commission member Kevin Dunigan suggested the developer start talks with the parking authority on a shared use agreement to secure access from the north side. Tallman replied that hed do so through Joe Clement, the parking authoritys solicitor who is already working on the Westrum project. Theres also a building at the entrance to that parking lot that could use a little help in terms of its revitalization. Just saying, Ernst said, hinting at the freight station and plans for its redevelopment. Carole Farrell, of Blaine Street at the south end of the project, said she was concerned about drainage to remove stormwater that flows through that property. Tallman said what appears to be a creek there now is actually a drainage ditch built in the 1970s, and we are going to have to deal with that. Were not exactly sure how yet, but I will tell you, currently, it runs through the middle of the building, he said. Farrell also asked whether trees currently on the site would stay, and Tallman said details arent final, but trees will likely either stay or be added to provide more privacy for the swimming pool on that side of the property. Well give you a pool membership, Tallman said. I just want my trees, Farrell replied. Lansdales planning commission next meets at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 and borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Sept. 19, both at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine St. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.Lansdale.org or follow @LansdalePA on Twitter. Ol' mate McCartney's just scored his first no.1 record in the US for the first time in 36 years. Our friends over at Newshub report more on this story: Sir Paul McCartney's rolled back the years, picking up his first no. 1 album in 36 years. McCartney's newest effort, Egypt Station, went top of the Billboard 200 list almost four decades after Tug of War did the same in 1982. Egypt Station was released on September 7 and has gone on to sell 147,000 albums across America. READ MORE: Paul McCartney reveals how The Beatles fapped together That figure contributed the bulk of McCartney's 153,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending September 13. The other 6,000 were made up from measures of streaming and song downloads from the album. Newshub. BRUSSELSEuropean Union regulators have opened an in-depth investigation into whether automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen colluded to limit the development and roll-out of car emission control systems. The EU Commission said Tuesday that it had received information that BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, and VW units Audi and Porsche held meetings to discuss clean technologies aimed at limiting car exhaust emissions. The probe focuses on whether the automakers agreed not to compete against each other in developing and introducing technology to restrict pollution from gasoline and diesel passenger cars. If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars, despite the technology being available to the manufacturers, said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The Commission said its probe was focused on diesel emission control systems involving the injection of urea solution into exhaust to remove harmful nitrogen oxides. The probe follows a report in Der Spiegel magazine last year that the automakers had agreed to limit the size of the tanks holding the urea solution. The Commission said, however, there was no evidence the companies had colluded to develop so-called defeat devices computer software that illegally turns off emissions controls. Volkswagen in 2015 admitted using such devices and has set aside 27.4 billion euros ($41.4 billion Cdn) for fines, settlements, recalls and buybacks. The automakers said they were not able to comment on details of the case but pointed out in statements that opening a probe does not necessarily mean a violation will be found. Daimler and Volkswagen said they were co-operating with the probe; BMW said that it has supported the EU commission in its work and will continue to do so. Daimler noted that the probe only applied to Europe and did not involve allegations of price-fixing. BMW said it supported the Commission in its work from the start of the investigation and would continue to do so. The presumption of innocence continues to apply until the investigations have been fully completed, Volkswagen said in a statement. After the Volkswagen scandal broke, renewed scrutiny of diesel emissions showed that cars from other automakers also showed higher diesel emissions in everyday driving than during testing, thanks in part to regulatory loopholes that let automakers turn down the emissions controls to avoid engine damage under certain conditions. The EU subsequently tightened its testing procedures to reflect real-world driving conditions for cars being approved for sale now. Environmental groups are pushing in court actions to ban older diesel cars in German cities with high pollution levels. The Commission probe also is looking at possible collusion over particulate filters for cars with gasoline engines. The Commission said that it did not see a need to look into other areas of co-operation among the so-called Circle of Five automakers such as quality and safety testing, the speed at which convertible roofs could open and at which cruise control would work. It said anti-trust rules leave room for technical co-operation aimed at improving product quality. Anti-trust fines can be steep. In 2016 and 2017 the Commission imposed a fine of 3.8 billion euros ($5.7 billion Cdn) after it found that six truck makers had colluded on pricing, the timing of introduction of emissions technologies and the passing on of costs for emissions compliance to customers. Truck maker MAN, part of Volkswagen, was not fined because it blew the whistle on the cartel. The others were Volvo/Renault, Daimler, Iveco, DAF and Scania, also owned by Volkswagen. Read more about: On Monday, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa stood in front of a crowd of reporters at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., and declared jubilantly, Finally, I can tell you that I choose to go to the moon. And the 42-year-old announced he purchased not one but all the seats aboard SpaceXs Big Falcon Rocket. Maezawa is not only a high profile entrepreneur specializing in online retail and a world famous art collector, but hes also set to be SpaceXs first paying tourist to take a trip around the moon. Maezawas roughly weeklong journey is tentatively scheduled for 2023. Read more: SpaceX to fly Japanese billionaire on trip around the moon Every since I was a kid, I have loved the moon, he said during a news conference. Just staring at the moon filled my imagination. Its always there and has continued to inspire humanity. That is why I could not pass up this opportunity to see the moon up close. Clad in a dark blue blazer over a white graphic T-shirt, Maezawa, with a giant grin dominating his youthful features, looked more like a boy band member than a person ranked 18th on Forbess 2018 list of Japans 50 richest people. But anyone who has tracked his meteoric rise would know that being different is normal for a man whose life has been defined by surprising moments. Japanese people think Im a weirdo, Maezawa told British auction house Christies in 2017. They say, Who is this Maezawa person? To put it simply, Maezawa is a former punk rocker-turned-self-made e-commerce billionaire with a love of expensive art. More than two decades ago, Maezawa, then just a sprightly teen, had an epiphany he envisioned the rest of his life and was disheartened by what he foresaw. At the time, he was a student at a prestigious feeder high school in Tokyo, which meant he was destined for university and after that a career, most likely in business. But as he rode the train for an hour and a half every morning from his home in Japans Chiba prefecture, he told the Times in London he started noticing how all the people headed to their jobs appeared to be tired and unhappy. I think what I hated was the feeling that I was running along tracks that had already been laid down, he told the British publication in July. I could see the rails stretching in front of me school, university, career. I could picture myself as one of those people jam-packed in a rush-hour train. I wanted to derail myself. Armed with a fierce desire to be more than just a worker drone, Maezawa took swift action making a series of decisions leading to a life that has been nothing short of extraordinary. It began in the 90s when Maezawa followed his then-girlfriend to the U.S., where he spent most of his time skateboarding along the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., he told reporters. While in the U.S., Maezawa, an avid musician, also followed one of his favourite bands, the New York-based hardcore punk group Gorilla Biscuits, the Times reported. Back in Japan, Maezawa was a drummer for Switch Style, a punk band he formed with friends that achieved moderate success, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. His six-month stint in the U.S. would turn out to be a pivotal moment in his career, for it was there he got the idea to sell music merchandise from Japan, Forbes reported. Upon returning home, he launched a mail-order business selling T-shirts and CDs out of his kitchen, which became the foundation for a company he named Start Today, also the name of a Gorilla Biscuits album. It was 1998 and Maezawa was 22 years old. Still touring and recording with his band, Maezawa started getting overwhelmed by the responsibilities that came with juggling a music career and running a company. After a few years, something had to give. When it became physically impossible to handle both, I chose my company that was around when I was 25 or 26, he told the Japan Times. This was a decision that would prove fruitful for Maezawa. Start Today had shifted to focus more on fashion and apparel, eventually spawning an immensely popular e-commerce site called Zozotown. According to the Japan Times, the website now features around 6,300 brands and the company employs nearly 900 people. In July, the site launched its own in-house fashion line called Zozo, available in 72 countries, Racked reported. Maezawa now has a net worth of $2.9 billion (U.S.), according to Forbes. While his companys success earned him fame in Japan, Maezawa dominated international news last year when he dropped more than $110 million on a painting by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat at a Sothebys auction. The paintings sale price broke records and threw the art world into a tizzy. Called Untitled, the colourful graffiti-style depiction of a screaming skull became the sixth most expensive piece sold at auction, the New York Times reported. I buy things on impulse I have done since I was young, Maezawa told Christies. I have also always bought things up to my financial limit. And when I ran out of money, I would make more money then I would buy again. But the Basquiat wouldnt just be a spur of the moment purchase that would end up hanging in Maezawas home or office never to be seen by the public again. In May 2017, Maezawa posted on Instagram a series of photos of himself alongside the work, writing, When I first encountered this painting, I was struck with so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art. I want to share that experience with as many people as possible. True to his word, Maezawa has sponsored an international tour for the artwork. Earlier this year, it was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum and the Seattle Art Museum, and is now making its way through Europe. Maezawa, whose extensive personal collection features works by Picasso, Alexander Calder and Willem de Kooning, told Christies he has plans to open an art museum in his hometown of Chiba. Like his sharing of art, Maezawa said Monday that he also wants to share his experience of seeing the moon, explaining why he purchased every seat on the rocket for an undisclosed amount. I did not want to have such a fantastic experience by myself, that would be a little lonely, he said. I dont like being alone. I want to share these experiences and things with as many people as possible. The interstellar trip is all part of Maezawas grand project, which he has named Dear Moon. His plan is to bring with him six to eight artists from various disciplines, including film, architecture, painting, sculpture and photography, with the goal that upon their return to Earth they create works inspired by the experience. The idea came to him as he was looking at a Basquiat painting. I thought, what if Basquiat had gone to space and had seen the moon up close or saw the earth in full view? he said. What wonderful masterpiece would he have created? Soon, he started imagining if his other favourite artists, such as Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Coco Chanel, were also given the same privilege. These are all artists that I adore, but sadly they are no longer with us, he said. There are so many artists with us today that I wish could create amazing works of art for humankind, for children of the next generation. In a video promoting Dear Moon, which is aptly set to Claude Debussys Clair de Lune, the project is described as awe-inspiring. Maezawa said his team of artists will be recruited from around the world, adding, If you should hear from me, please say yes and accept my invitation. Please dont say no. Read more about: CALGARYA Calgary church is calling on federal MP and minister of border security Bill Blair to take action over two upcoming sermons planned by what it calls a homophobic pastor from Nigeria. (Johnson) Suleman is the general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries in Nigeria and he is scheduled to preach in Calgary, the letter states, penned by the leadership group at Calgarys Hillhurst United Church. A promotional poster online shows that Suleman is scheduled to speak at Calgarys Magnolia Banquet Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday this week at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Hillhurst is an affirming, LGBTQ-inclusive congregation; Keith Murray is Hillhursts affirming co-ordinator. Murray says he and lead minister John Pentland first came to know about Sulemans planned sermons by way of LGBTQ activists in Nigeria and from Toronto-based reverend Brent Hawkes, the long-time pastor of that citys Metropolitan Community Church, who retired in 2017 after serving in the post for 40 years. In recent sermons in Nigeria, Suleman has preached that homosexuality is the result of having demons from the pit of hell inside of them and that people need to kill the spirit of homosexuality in the name of Jesus, the Hillhurst letter states. Have your say Neither Suleman nor a representative from the Calgary branch of Fire Omega Ministries could be reached for comment by StarMetro. We have refugees in our community whove fled Nigeria, whove had attempts made on their lives, incited by this kind of hate speech, Murray said. Theyve been granted asylum in Canada. Some of those members have been threatened with violence and death, Murray said, and not just threats; actions too. He said that as an affirming church, we have to stand up to religious intolerance. Murray also pointed to section 319 of the Criminal Code, which governs hate speech. We cannot allow that type of religious violence to follow (refugees) here, Murray said. We need a firm boundary to say no, so ideally to have him stopped at the border or removed before he has a chance to speak is what were hoping for. A YouTube video posted online on Aug. 27 appears to show Suleman making homophobic and anti-gay remarks during a sermon. The Hillhust leaders also sent their letter to the Calgary Police Services LGBTQ2 liaison Dyana McElroy. McElroy was unavailable Monday, but StarMetro spoke with the Calgary Police Services Hate Crimes unit co-ordinator, senior constable Craig Collins. Collins said that his unit and the police service is aware of Sulemans Tuesday and Wednesday sermons and they have resources in place for those events, if needed. Were aware that theres a planned protest and well allow that protest to occur, he said. If spontaneous events happen, then well police those. Collins also referenced the Criminal Codes hate-speech section, adding that they cant target people for what theyve said previously. If a complaint for Sulemans sermons is launched, we would look into it and begin investigating how or if a Criminal Code violation occurred, he said. Bill Blairs office did not return a request for comment on Monday. Clarification Sept. 18, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear that Rev. Brent Hawkes, the long-time pastor of Toronto's Metropolitan Community Church, retired in 2017. Read more about: Gieranowski served at St. Stanislaus Parish in East Chicago in 1949 and at St. Thomas More Parish in Munster in 1951, the list shows. Between those places, he was in South Bend in 1951 and went on to Elkhart, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Mishawaka and, finally, New Carlisle. Gieranowski retired in July 1981, the diocese said. EDMONTONThe director of a group in British Columbia fighting for a ban on seclusion rooms was not surprised to hear news of a boy who was allegedly locked naked in one of the rooms at a Sherwood Park school. Marcy Oakes and Warren Henschel are suing Elk Island Public Schools district and the provincial government after they say their 12-year-old son, who has autism and developmental disabilities, was locked naked in an isolated room at Clover Bar Junior High three years ago and ended up covered in his own feces. Inclusion B.C. commissioned a report in 2013, and another one in 2017, to gather data and stories from parents of children being restrained and put in seclusion rooms which can also be referred to as isolation rooms, safe rooms or timeout rooms. In one of the worst cases heard by Inclusion B.C., a student was reportedly put inside a Rubbermaid storage container. People were pulled by the collar, tied to chairs, carried, dragged, knocked over, having their arms grabbed, pinned to the wall things that you wouldnt expect to see in our schools, said Karla Verschoor, acting director of Inclusion B.C. Many parents reported suffering nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder after the incidents. Read more: Sherwood Park boy with autism was locked naked in isolated room at school, parents claim in lawsuit Inclusion Alberta launched a similar online survey Friday to gather data on the use of seclusion and physical restraint of students with disabilities in Alberta schools. Verschoor said her groups 2013 survey garnered enough attention for the B.C. government to draw up a set of voluntary guidelines, but only 19 of 60 school boards opted in. When Inclusion B.C. repeated the survey four years later, it found little had changed. Verschoor called isolation an outdated practice with a legacy in institutional care that has no place in todays schools. This type of practice is quite common back in the days of institutions, where restraints and seclusion was the primary behavioural approach to young adults and students, she said. But we know predominantly that it is not best practice, and the trauma and harm that this causes people is absolutely unacceptable. She said having a child forced into isolation can be traumatic, not only for the child its happening to, but also for students who witness it. The Edmonton Public Schools district has 36 behaviour and learning assistance programs, most of which have some form of a timeout space. Edmonton Public Schools spokesperson Carrie Rosa said in an email that timeout spaces are used as a last-resort intervention for students whose behaviour puts their own safety or the safety of other students or staff at risk, such as punching, kicking, biting, spitting and throwing furniture. The purpose of a timeout space is to give the student a chance to regain control of their emotions and actions in a safe environment. Timeout spaces do not lock and are monitored at all times, she wrote. The Edmonton Catholic Schools district said it only has one school with what it calls a safe room, and spokesperson Lori Nagy also said the room is only used as a last resort and with consent from parents. More than 300 incidents of violence against teachers were recorded in Edmonton schools during the 2016-17 school year, according to documents made public following a freedom of information request, and confirmed by the districts to StarMetro. Verschoor said early intervention is the best strategy to avoid scenarios where staff view a child as being uncontrollable or threatening. That requires a school-based team trained in positive behavioural supports, as well as a team of experts that can come in for extreme situations. If a timeout is required, she said, it should be in a comfortable, safe, non-isolated environment. If (isolation) is a practice that is accepted within your school environment, it becomes a default because it appears easier than having proactive, strong behavioural support plans to prevent an incident from happening in the first place, or at least having nonviolent ways of managing it if things do happen, she said. Jacqueline Specht, chair of applied psychology at Western University and director of the Canadian Research Centre on Inclusive Education, said her first reaction when hearing about the Sherwood Park case was, I cant believe this is still happening. Specht suggested if a child is escalating, it would be better to keep them in the classroom with the teacher and a behavioural therapist or psychologist, while the rest of the class clears out if necessary. Treating students like criminals who need to be locked away gives them the message that they dont belong and are not valued, she said. We know long-term that those are quite destructive to their sense of self. Theyre more depressed, they tend to drop out of school more, get involved in gang activity, when they dont feel like they belong. Alberta Education Minister David Eggen said Monday he is building an advisory group to draw up a coherent and strict policy for the use of seclusion rooms, and he hopes to have the new guidelines in place in a matter of weeks. In the meantime, he said seclusion rooms are meant to be used only as a last resort. Oakes and Henschel are seeking $250,000 in damages for injuries to their sons emotional and psychological well-being, and $25,000 in damages for injuries to his physical well-being. The lawsuit names the minister of education as well as the Elk Island Public Schools district, the superintendent and associate superintendent, the director of inclusive learning, the student support services consultant, the principal and assistant principal, and a teacher. Elk Island Public Schools spokesperson Laura McNabb said in a statement last week that the school district will strongly defend the actions of its staff in court. The allegations made have yet to be tested in court ... as the case is before the courts, we cannot comment further on the matter, she said. Read more about: Just ask. Its a strategy to use when negotiating with large companies about a consumer problem. You never know what help is available unless you ask. Stay calm and courteous. Never insult or confront. Here are stories of three customers who asked for what they thought was right and won refunds worth $1,250 in total. Health device dies a premature death: Anne Deoni bought a Fitbit in late 2016 at HBC. A popular device that measures your heart rate and calories, the Fitbit Alta model was reduced to $130 at a Bay Day sale from a regular price of $199. Read more: Opinion | David Olive: Ten years after the Great Recession there is good reason to worry Hudsons Bay second quarter loss is up from last year, revenue falls Hudsons Bay forms joint venture with European retailer She started using it in January 2017, but it conked out within 18 months. All attempts at emergency resuscitation failed. Did a reset, booted it back up, prompted to do an update again, same result, said her daughter Sharon Gillies, who tried to revive it. Live chat online with Fitbit, where we were taken through numerous steps both on the computer and iPad app, same result. Agent indicated the Fitbit was dead, past the one-year warranty, so they couldnt replace it. Deoni was railing against Fitbit when I spoke at a Probus Club meeting in Milton. When she mentioned HBC, I knew she had a fighting chance. Retailing is a tough business for traditional department stores. HBC works hard to retain customer loyalty when I pass along complaints and, in this case, the results were better than expected. HBC called Deoni within minutes and arranged for her to pick up a new Fitbit at no charge. She can return the broken one later. I was received at Hudson Bay, Mississauga, with open arms and made to feel like a queen, she said. If a manufacturer says no to repairs or replacement, always ask the retailer to help. Stores usually have more clout with suppliers than you do. Name mixup adds to costs in real estate deal: David Bourque was applying for a mortgage to buy real estate. His lawyers found a writ filed in Ontario against a man whose last name was the same as his, and whose first name was the same as his middle name. In order for my lawyer to release my mortgage funds, I had to sign affidavits stating and proving that I was not the delinquent payer, he said in June. This is so the creditor (CIBC) will acknowledge that I am not their delinquent client. I was charged $282.50 to prove that I am not guilty. Shouldnt it be incumbent on CIBC to prove that I am their guy? Wouldnt the data, such as birth date or social insurance number, show that I am not the delinquent? By the time I caught up with Bourque, hed paid the $282.50 for the real estate sale to proceed, feeling he had no recourse. I asked CIBCs media contacts for a review, resulting in a quick refund rounded up to $300. I am very happy with the service I received from CIBC, Bourque said later. CIBC deserves a pat on the back for this one. Online review of barbecue is too hot to handle: Jan Christie bought a $750 two-burner gas barbecue grill in June. After trying out her Napoleon Legend LD325 for small spaces, she posted a critical review at Canadian Tires website. Poorly engineered, it should never have passed safety tests. I had flames shoot out the front, right above the control knobs, she wrote, using the name Mrs. BBQ. Canadian Tire wrote back to say her review could not be published. She asked what the guidelines were and redid the review to meet them: Must be careful anytime you use a BBQ, had flames shoot out the front right above the control knobs. A week later, Canadian Tire rejected her review again, saying she had probably experienced a flashback fire caused by insects building a nest inside the burner. This was not considered a product defect. No insects whatsoever, Christie said about the flashback fire theory. She cited a 2015 review posted at CanadianTire.ca, saying flames shot out the back of the same Napoleon grill. Canadian Tire eventually decided the review could be published after all. It also offered a choice of a new Napoleon grill or a different manufacturers model. Christie refused to accept a replacement. She proposed that Canadian Tire donate the $749.99 to Parkinson Canada, which it did on Sept. 7. Update: The grill in question is no longer sold at Canadian Tire. Thanks to Christie for fighting for the right to write an honest review at the retailers site. The U.S. is in the middle of a steep and sustained increase in sexually transmitted diseases. So how are public health officials responding? In northwest Oregons Clackamas County, health officials have decided to ask anyone who comes in with an STD who their sexual partners are and then track those partners down. That job falls to two women: registered nurse Mary Horman and disease intervention specialist Liz Baca. They do most of the work over the phone, telling people theyve had a partner (no name is revealed) who has tested positive for gonorrhea, HIV, chlamydia or syphilis. Its a difficult conversation. And many people cant be reached via phone. So about once a week, Horman and Baca jump into a car and start knocking on doors. It can definitely be scary at times, Baca said, especially those rural areas where youre really relying on the GPS to get you there, and sometimes there are roads that lead you to nowhere. So far, they havent gotten lost. Read more: Albertas rising STI rates about more than hookup apps, advocates say Doctors should push for STI testing: Doctors Notes Online hookups and fewer condoms may be behind rising STIs in Canada Plenty of residents in the countys outskirts own firearms, Baca said, and are comfortable displaying them if they feel they need to protect their property. I always try to make myself visible and not be fidgety, she said. Her goal is to approach with as much warmth as possible, saying, I have a nurse with me. Or, My name is Liz, and I work for Clackamas County. The women travel as a pair and never enter a home, she said. And they always carry a cellphone to keep the home office informed of their whereabouts. On the afternoon I caught up with them, Horman and Baca had already been challenged by a dog and had to leave a trailer park empty-handed. They had the right location but didnt know which door to knock on. And they couldnt just ask around, because neighbours might guess why the health department is tracking someone down, and that would be a breach of medical privacy. They next called on a 64-year-old labourer, whom were identifying only as Larry for those same privacy reasons. He agreed to talk with them, in hopes of warning other people about the substantial risks of syphilis. Baca and Horman explained how some diseases, like syphilis, are reportable meaning that as soon as Larry was diagnosed, the doctor had to inform the county, which is why they were at his door. Larry told them hes already had penicillin delivered intravenously and is healing fine. The conversation got tougher as Baca tried to understand the extent of Larrys infection by showing him graphic pictures of sores and rashes. So, another symptom of secondary syphilis is the loss of hair, she explained. So, you suddenly lose some hair. Youre thinking, Whats going on? In a couple of weeks, it resolves. And youre still infected. So do you recall any of these symptoms? I do, Larry said, smiling. And I would probably say that the lesion, I think you called it, I think occurred it was probably about 10 years ago. That means Larry was living with syphilis for at least a decade without knowing it. Many people who have syphilis are asymptomatic meaning they are carriers of the bacteria but show no obvious symptoms. And that makes the infection tougher to fight. Also, the fact that the disease was, for a time, nearly eradicated in much of the United States means some younger doctors dont readily recognize the symptoms and signs. Larry said that he used to have sex with multiple partners he found on Craigslist, but he cant remember any names. After such a long time, its too late to track down those people, Baca recalled, crestfallen. Still, she insisted, her time wasnt wasted. Being out in the field, you find individuals and you get that public health intervention that is crucial, she said. David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, echoed that the efforts of fieldworkers like Baca and Horman are vital. Disease intervention specialists are doing heroic work, he said. Theyre helping to navigate and get people into care. Twenty years ago, Harvey said, there were as many as 4,000 disease intervention specialists like Baca in the U.S. Now, because of public health costs, the number is down to about 1,400. Baca said shell continue the work, prioritizing high-risk populations like men who have sex with men and pregnant women. The public health officer for Clackamas County, Dr. Sarah Present, said syphilis in newborns can cause serious neurological complications and even death. We have now multiple cases of congenital syphilis in our county just in this year, Present noted, whereas that had been fairly unheard of for at least the last decade, if not more. Partly because of that surge in syphilis among babies, Clackamas now dedicates more resources to aggressively tracking down partners and encouraging testing, she said even if those notifications might lead to family strife. We do our absolute best to have the first person diagnosed talk to their partners for us, Present said. We dont want to have to be the bad guys. However, we can be a partner for people who have the infections, and help them figure out the best way to control the spread of the disease further. A study released by Clackamas County earlier this summer shows rates of syphilis have increased 1,300 per cent over eight years in part because the numbers involved used to be so small. Within the last year, we have seen our numbers dramatically increase to the point Im quite concerned about it, Present said. And Clackamas is no outlier. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that over the past several years, the number of gonorrhea cases has risen 67 per cent, while syphilis cases are up 76 per cent. The director of the CDCs national centre for STDs, Dr. Jonathan Mermin, said the nation is sliding backward. It is evident the systems that identify, treat and ultimately prevent STDs are strained to the near breaking point, he said. Scientists say there are many reasons for the national increase from the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, to the ease of finding anonymous sex in an era of cellphone hookup apps. Public health departments in the U.S. have substantial power. In their effort to prevent the spread of disease, they are allowed to inspect, treat and quarantine anyone even without consent. That power originates in English common law, which finds the rights of an individual can be limited for the common good. The most famous example is perhaps the Long Island, N.Y., cook, Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. She was an asymptomatic carrier and transmitter of typhoid in the early 1900s, and was forcibly isolated for years by New York public health officials. Nobodys advocating such draconian measures now, especially for sexually transmitted diseases. But public health departments can exercise significant power over certain infectious diseases (such as drug-resistant tuberculosis) that are more broadly contagious because they are airborne. Clackamas County and the two other counties that make up the Portland metro area have received substantial state and federal grants to help pay for extra public health outreach. They are taking several steps to stop the transmission of STDs such as strengthening prevention activities, enhancing screening, testing high-risk populations and educating the public. The counties also try to better support people who test positive; expand investigations; and unite community leaders on this important issue. As Baca and Horman visited with Larry on his front porch, the man thought back to when he first realized he was very sick. Once he found out why his health was failing, he said, he started to take the infection seriously. Because, really truly, for me, he said, it was going to be a matter of life and death. Getting the chance to save lives is why Baca and Horman do this work, they said, even if its sometimes uncomfortable. A few minutes later, the women climbed back into the car theyd left parked in a spot where getting away would be easy just in case Larry wasnt so accommodating. They checked their map and the next name on their list. There are those areas where youre entering a property and theres no one in sight, Baca said, and dogs can be scary. You have to run very fast if you see them. OTTAWAThe Royal Canadian Air Force is contending with a shortage of around 275 pilots and needs more mechanics, sensor operators and other trained personnel in the face of increasing demands at home and abroad. The Air Force says it is working to address the deficiencies and that they have not negatively impacted operations, but officials acknowledge the situation has added pressure on Canadas flying corps and represents a challenge for the foreseeable future. Right now were doing everything we can to make sure we recruit, train and retain enough personnel to do our current mission, said Brig.-Gen. Eric Kenny, director general of air readiness. In the next 20 years, its going to be a challenge to grow the force at the rate that we would like. The shortfall in pilots and mechanics was referenced in an internal report recently published by the Department of National Defence, which also flagged underspending on maintenance for bases and other infrastructure, as well as reductions in annual flying times thanks to Conservative-era budget cuts. Some of those issues have since started to be addressed by the Liberals through their new defence policy, but the personnel shortage remains an area of critical concern given the need for pilots and others to fly and maintain the militarys various aircraft fleets at home and abroad. Those include the planes and helicopters involved in Canadas military missions in Iraq, Latvia, Mali, and Ukraine; domestic search-and-rescue aircraft; and the CF-18 fighter jets deployed in Romania and guarding against a foreign attack on North America. The Air Force is authorized to have 1,580 pilots, but Kenny said in an interview the Air Force is short by around 17 per cent or about 275 pilots along with similar shortfalls for navigators and sensor operators, who work onboard different types of aircraft, as well as mechanics. Kenny also acknowledged the threat of burnout as service members are forced to pick up the slack left by unfilled positions, and the added burden of promised new drones, fighter jets and other aircraft arriving in the coming years, which will require even more people to fly and maintain. Efforts to address the shortfalls have looked at retaining service members with tax breaks, additional support and services for family members to ease military life, and plans to free up experienced personnel by assigning administrative staff to do day-to-day tasks. Several initiatives have also been introduced to speed up recruitment and training, and attract older pilots back into the Forces, which has borne some fruit and aimed at buying time for officials to decide whether to change the length of time pilots and others are required to serve before they can leave. This is beyond just looking at benefits, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Tuesday. Were looking at a much more holistic approach in how we look after them. But the current training system means the Air Force can only produce 115 new pilots each year, which commanders have said is insufficient to meet needs given the rate at which military pilots have moved on to commercial opportunities in recent years. Conservative defence critic James Bezan suggested one reason the military is losing pilots is because they are being asked to fly older planes, including CF-18 fighter jets that are close to 40 years old. If pilots arent getting new aircraft, why are they sticking around? Bezan said. And so, the idea of bringing in used fighter jets from Australia that are even in worse shape than the current CF-18s that we fly today, why would they stick around? The Department of National Defence is drawing up plans for a new system that officials hope will be in place by 2021 and include the ability to expand or shrink the number of trainees in any year given the Air Forces needs. Kenny said the shortfalls will remain a challenge since the current system will remain in place for several more years and because it takes four and eight years to train a pilot from scratch. We know what capabilities were receiving and now we can start working to make sure that we have personnel that are trained to be able to meet those requirements, he said. But Im not going to lie: Its definitely a challenge. OTTAWA A Federal Court judge has reluctantly decided to indefinitely delay a civil trial that would have decided Abousfian Abdelraziks $27-million compensation claim against the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Canadian government. In a six-page ruling, Justice Martine St-Louis granted the Crowns request for a long-term adjournment Tuesday, leaving the Sudanese-Canadian mans attempt to seek civil redress through the courts in legal limbo. St-Louis accepted a last-minute request by the Crown, which said trial proceedings should put off while another court undertakes a separate national security review of 5,500 documents that were already redacted and released to Abdelrazik. Those documents form part of the court record in his torture compensation lawsuit that has dragged on for nine years. The Crown said the new review could allow more information to be disclosed and give greater context for the actions of government officials. The Montreal man claims actions by CSIS, including sending questions to his Sudanese jailers in 2003 and dispatching CSIS officials to interview him in jail, were responsible for his arbitrary arrest and for what turned into a six-year ordeal of detention and alleged torture, house arrest in Sudanese government facilities, and finally his decision to seek asylum inside the Canadian embassy in Khartoum for a year. The judge put a halt to what was supposed to be at least an eight-week trial, and granted the Crowns request filed late last week. She ordered federal lawyers to provide monthly reports on progress in the document review. And although St-Louis said judicial resources would be better used by not running two parallel processes, she expressed frustration at the expenditure of time and money. She ordered the federal government to immediately pay the costs in preparation of the trial that have been thrown away as a result. Abdelraziks lawyer Paul Champ did not have a tally of what that bill will come to, but said those costs would be very substantial. His firm has had three lawyers working non-stop preparing for trial for the last several months. The decision is a disappointment to our client, who has waited years for justice so he can move on with his life. But he continues to have faith in the Canadian legal system and remains confident that justice will be done, however long it takes, Champ told The Star. While Champ said neither he nor Abdelrazik blame the judge, he was livid at the federal government for what he called a massive waste of taxpayer money and court resources. Responsibility lies with the Attorney General and the Liberal government, which rather than doing the right thing here, they are playing games with a man who was tortured and spent years in jail for nothing, said Champ. Its contemptible. Champ noted the court had already ordered the Canadian government to pay costs last spring after federal lawyers similarly pulled out of mediation hearings at the last minute. The federal government had argued an indefinite delay pending the outcome of the document review under section 38 of the Canada Evidence Act is a matter of public interest and trial fairness because it will produce a more complete public record, the judge said. And while the review may not encompass all of those documents, the judge said it would undoubtedly involve hundreds or thousands. In the end, the judge accepted the Crowns argument that its request could allow for more information to be disclosed, for summaries to be produced or for context to be added, and that the public record as it currently stands may not be final and complete. She said she considered that a trial judge should have the benefit of the most complete record possible. Amnesty International Canada in a statement called the federal governments actions disgraceful. The obvious effort to further delay this case is as cynical as it is shameful. It is a tremendous blow to justice, denied for so many long years tor Abousfian Abdelrazik. It is a move which undermines the protection and respect of human rights to which all Canadian citizens are rightfully entitled, said Alex Neve, secretary general of the Canadian branch of the non-governmental organization. OTTAWAUnder increasing pressure by the U.S. to sign a deal by Sept. 30, the prime minister and his foreign affairs minister are defending their stance that no NAFTA deal would be better than a bad deal, as American lawmakers warn time is running out. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came under fire in the Commons over trade Tuesday amid fears he would make concessions that could hurt dairy producers and Canadian manufacturers in the bid to find common ground with the U.S. after it signed a new bilateral deal with Mexico. NDP trade critic Tracey Ramsey urged Trudeau to delay implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, an 11-nation free trade deal, so Canadians can brace for a possible failed NAFTA and more U.S. tariffs. Trudeau dismissed his critics. The NDP dont want to sign any trade deals. The Conservatives are willing to sign anything they can. We know that only signing good deals for Canadians is in our best interest. As with CPTPP, when it comes to NAFTA, we will sign a good deal or we will not sign. Thats not rhetoric, said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, when asked to respond to officials in Saskatchewan and Ontario who are concerned by such statements. We absolutely believe that no deal is better than a bad deal. Let me also say that any negotiator who goes into a negotiation believing that no deal is an impossibility, any negotiator who goes into a negotiation believing that he or she must get a deal at any price, that is a negotiator who will be forced to pay the maximum price for that deal, Freeland said. Read more: Ford heads to Washington to talk trade amid NAFTA negotiations Liberals look to advance Trans Pacific bill before 2019 election Susan Delacourt | Opinion: With the White House in turmoil, Canadas NAFTA team studiously avoids the daily drama However, pressure is ratcheting up including in American quarters where Canada has courted political allies. On Tuesday, a senior Republican member of Congress, House whip Steve Scalise, took a direct shot at the Canadian team. There is growing frustration with many in Congress regarding Canadas negotiating tactics, said Scalise. Members are concerned that Canada does not seem to be ready or willing to make the concessions that are necessary for a fair and high-standard agreement. While we would all like to see Canada remain part of this three-country coalition, there is not an unlimited amount of time for it to be part of this new agreement. He warned that Congress takes seriously and intends to fully enforce the deadlines set out in the fast-track negotiating authority Congress gave President Donald Trump last year, which requires a full text of any three-way deal be publicly delivered by months end. Mexico negotiated in good faith and in a timely manner, and if Canada does not co-operate in the negotiations, Congress will have no choice but to consider options about how best to move forward and stand up for American workers, said Scalise. Freeland had not read Scalises statement but, when asked to comment, she responded only by saying from the outset of NAFTA talks Canada has been extremely co-operative. Canada is very good at negotiating trade deals. Canada is very good at finding creative compromises. Freeland heads to Washington Tuesday to resume face-to-face meetings Wednesday with her political counterpart, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. She refused to say whether Canada would insist on protection from any U.S. tariffs as part of any deal, saying her decision to stick to a promise not to negotiate in public has created a real atmosphere of trust and good faith at the negotiating table. In French she said, Compromise is absolutely always possible. Meanwhile, concerns are mounting in Canada. Premiers like Saskatchewans Scott Moe and Ontarios economic development minister, Jim Wilson, have expressed nervousness. Wilson told reporters hes worried by rumours the federal government may not want a deal. Wilson said on Monday he and Premier Doug Ford are going to Washington to say that You bloody well need to get a deal. On Tuesday, Ford told reporters My job as premier, as every other premier in this country, is to protect their sectors. He cited Ontarios agriculture, automotive, and steel and aluminum sectors among many others. And Im going to do everything I can to make sure I protect those sectors. Make no mistake about it, were standing shoulder to shoulder with our federal counterparts to get this deal done. I know the federal government wants the deal done. I know the U.S. government wants it done. But sometimes when youre negotiating a tough deal it takes a little longer, but Im confident well get this past the finish line, Ford said at the Chatham-Kent plowing match. As he has done before, Trump on Tuesday told reporters Canada has taken advantage of our country for a long time. We love Canada. We love it. Love the people of Canada. But they are in a position that is not a good position for Canada. They cannot continue to charge us 300 per cent tariff on dairy products. And thats what theyre doing. So this is a process, it takes a little time. With files from Daniel Dale and Rob Ferguson Read more about: CALGARYLetting cannabis users light up without smoke blowing into other peoples faces is a dilemma governments from coast to coast are facing. With Alberta butting out the idea of smoke lounges for now, proprietors in jurisdictions such as Ontario, British Columbia, and the U.S. state of Colorado have taken bold steps to demonstrate how such facilities can work. And some, like Tiara Sillet, are already paying their bills off of the idea. Sillet and her wife, Annelene, opened Natural Budz a cannabis lounge, head shop, and cannabis education centre in Pickering, Ont., last October. Its outfitted with a high-powered ventilation system, which Sillet said keeps most of the smoke out of the air. Their enterprise gives local cannabis smokers a place to light up or vape that isnt a street corner (or in someones face), which she says is critical. Its like a bar, right? Sillet said. You need a place for public consumption thats not literally every single place. Have your say In Ontario, just like in Calgary, lighting up a joint in public will still be illegal after Oct. 17. And the Alberta government, according to a spokesperson, has no intention of allowing cannabis lounges to open up until after the federal government puts together its regulations on edibles which could take another year. For Calgarians, the only places to legally smoke or vape weed will be inside a private home or apartment (assuming the landlord doesnt mind). The only potential workaround a series of four designated areas in public green spaces went up in smoke last week after the city said Calgarians overwhelmingly disapproved of the plan. Under a system like this, Sillet said, there needs to be options even for homeowners who can just light up in their backyards. If youre telling someone to go and use it at their private residence, and they have minors, is that not worse? Sillet said. Were putting people in a really bad position. At least one Calgary city councillor has called for the province to open cannabis lounges here to give smokers a place to toke the same way theyre able to walk into a bar for a pint. I think they should change their whole philosophy and treat (cannabis) exactly the same as alcohol, said Councillor Shane Keating of the provinces views. Read more: Ontario asking for public feedback on allowing cannabis lounges Its all unknown: Cannabis entrepreneurs attend Toronto conference to learn to navigate changing legal landscape Toronto clubs bringing together cannabis and comedy The city councillor was a vocal critic of the pot park plans, calling them ridiculous. Since the countdown to cannabis legalization began, Keating said, his constituency office has been flooded with calls and emails from residents whore against the idea of smoking in public, but want another option for smokers. In his view, that means cannabis lounges. That would (mean) youd have your lounges, the same way youd have a lounge for alcohol, Keating said referring to bars. And thats what they should have done right from the onset. But despite their apparent utility, cannabis lounges havent quite caught on in other jurisdictions. In Denver, Colo. the capital of a U.S. state that legalized cannabis in 2012 lounges and cafes were only legalized in 2016, despite a ban on public consumption. Only one licensed establishment The Coffee Joint is in operation now, with another lounge set to open by years end. There has not been a lot of interest for this licence, said Eric Escudero, a spokesperson with Denvers department of excise and licences. The answer in Denver ultimately comes down to business. Under Colorado state law, cannabis lounges arent allowed to sell cannabis, making it difficult, Escudero said, for the businesses to turn a profit. In B.C., the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club has done both. The club, started to provide medical patients with cannabis, has run a lounge for medicinal users since 2001. Ted Smith, the clubs president, said the space keeps weed smoke out of the public and doesnt bother the neighbours. You can have the ventilation systems to make sure it isnt a public nuisance in any way, shape, or form, he said. And, of course, cannabis lounges are a revenue source for towns and cities. Its business. Its taxes. Its an improved economy, Smith said. Sillet said that when they first opened Natural Budz, they told neighbours and the local police service about the business. And while theyve yet to be formally regulated under Ontario law (their provincial government is still figuring out its cannabis rules), Sillet said they havent faced complaints or legal action. In fact, she said, the plaza where Natural Budz is used to be known as the Stoner Plaza because of the number of tokers whod grab burgers and hang out, or head down to the shore of Lake Ontario. Now, were providing an area where people can smoke thats not in front of a business, or people younger than them, Sillet said. Were providing that safe area. Read more about: HALIFAXIf youre looking at labels like indica or sativa or strain names like Juicy Fruit and Green Crack to determine what kind of cannabis to buy when it becomes legal next month, you might not always get what you want. Sean Myles is an associate professor in the department of plant, food and environmental sciences at Dalhousie Universitys agricultural campus in Truro. His main focus is the genetics of important agricultural crops, primarily apples and grapes. It was a natural extension to go to cannabis because it shares a lot of properties with apples and grapes in terms of its genetics, and its a tremendously economically valuable crop that we knew nothing about, Myles said. I thought if we can be first out of the gate on this, then well certainly have something to talk about. With legalization around the corner, Myles said its important consumers realize the genetic diversity of cannabis means that what you see touted on packaging isnt necessarily what you get. Read more: With smoking ban looming, Halifax police chief says bylaw enforcement is not necessarily a good use of police resources Once cannabis is legal, dont expect Canada's grey market to vanish Bold or boneheaded, Halifax council votes to move forward with aggressive smoking ban The genetic diversity of cannabis is tremendous. The question is whether its being accurately represented to the consumer via the packaging of the product, Myles said. In 2015, Myles co-authored a research paper titled The Genetic Structure of Marijuana and Hemp. He and his fellow researchers examined the DNA of more than 100 strains of cannabis and compared the genetics to what is reported on the packaging. The first thing consumers will generally find on the label is whether the cannabis contained within is indica, sativa or a hybrid of the two. Its largely believed there are two kind of separate populations or subspecies of cannabis, indica and sativa, and that they differ genetically, Myles explained. If you just Google it briefly youll see all sorts of claims that are made about the differences between indica and sativa in terms of their psychoactive effects, their growth habits, their smells and all sorts of different things. The second thing consumers will find is the strain name. The wide variety of products boast evocative names like Master Kush, Sour Diesel, Maui Wowie, Green Crack and Juicy Fruit. Consumers are using these two things, both the ancestry labelling of indica/sativa and the strain names, as indicators of what theyre getting inside the package, Myles explained. Our research to date suggests that neither of those things are reliable predictors of the actual genetic identity of the product inside the package. The researchers determined only a moderate correlation between the genetic structure of marijuana strains and their reported sativa and indica ancestry. Researchers further noted that marijuana strain names often do not reflect a meaningful genetic identity. People are often led to believe by the people who are selling cannabis that indica is different from sativa, that you need this particular type of strain in the medicinal world at least to treat certain ailments and that sativa would be better to treat other ailments, Myles said. This dichotomy between sativa and indica doesnt hold up to any genetic scrutiny and so its not a useful piece of information to be providing to people, to consumers. Myles said that unlike with every other crop in the world, consumers cant currently be certain of what theyre getting when it comes to cannabis. When you go to the grocery store and you buy apples, you see Gala apples and Macintosh apples and Honey Crisp apples. Growers cant simply grow a Macintosh apple and throw it into the bin that says Honey Crisp and charge four times the price, he said. There are systems in place all throughout the value chain, and each of these agricultural systems ensure that the product that is being delivered to the consumer actually abides by certain standards. These standards are not in place currently for the ancestry labelling nor of the strain name labelling on cannabis products. So how do consumers, especially those new to cannabis, decide what to buy? Myles said the answer is actually pretty straightforward. THC and CBD labelling is the way to sort of measure up what youre getting, and thats a first step. Everything else is marketing, he explained. Its mandatory to report those two things on the packaging and those are tested by independent labs. Thats a great step forward that has been implemented in Canada right from the beginning. Health Canada describes delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as the most researched cannabinoid the chemicals that provide the plants medical and recreational effects. THC dictates how your body and brain responds to cannabis, including the high and intoxication. Although cannabidiol (CBD) is also a cannabinoid, it differs from THC in that it doesnt produce a high or intoxication. There is some evidence that CBD may block or lower some of the effects of THC on the mind. This may occur when the amount of CBD in the cannabis is the same or higher than the amount of THC, Health Canada notes on its website. CBD is also being studied for its possible therapeutic uses. Myles recommends consumers unfamiliar with cannabis start with a strain where the ratio is high THC and low CBD or low THC and high CBD. So try them out, not at the same time, of course, and see what kind of effect they provide to you, and that should be the evaluation of your preferences, he said. In Nova Scotia, the sale of cannabis is under the purview of the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. Come Oct. 17, recreational users in the province will be able to order cannabis online from the NSLC or shop at one of 12 storefronts. The NSLC placed its first cannabis orders last month, and earlier this summer gave media a sneak peek of what its in-store cannabis counters will look like. Cannabis products will be identified under the labels relax, unwind, enhance and centre. I think you could equally put riesling under relax and pinot noir under excitement and you could just as easily go and label four different types of wine under those four labels, and thats exactly what theyre doing with cannabis, Myles said, laughing. Theres no evidence that those strains actually have those effects beyond what theyre saying from behind the counter, which is as reliable as what you see on beer commercials. Beverley Ware, spokesperson with the NSLC, said both THC and CBD percentages will be provided on all cannabis products sold at their stores. She added that the THC and CBD information will be an integral part of conversations the corporations staff will have with customers. Educating and informing our customers is key, and we will be spending time talking with customers to find out what their experience may be whether they are a new user or an experienced user and what type of experience they may be looking for, Ware said. Cannabis products sold at NSLC stores will also be categorized based on their range of THC and CBD, she added. Myles said hes optimistic this country is poised to become a leader in cannabis genetics and science. Were really lucky in Canada because were going to be leading in this domain Its amazing what a little science can do, he said. There are companies out there now who are operating breeding facilities that are very much like strawberry breeders or potato breeders or any other kind of breeder. Once we get a serious injection of real science into this industry, then well start seeing some clarity to some of these issues for sure. Yvette dEntremont is a Halifax-based reporter focusing on health and environment. Follow her on Twitter: @ydentremont Read more about: Canadian licensed marijuana producer Tilray Inc. has received the green light from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agency to export a medical cannabis product south of the border for use in a clinical trial. The Nanaimo, B.C.-based company and a researcher at the University of California San Diego believe it is the first export of a cannabis study drug from a Canadian company to the U.S., where marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Tilray will be exporting capsules containing a cannabinoid formulation with the active ingredients cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as CBD and THC, for a study examining the drug as a potential treatment for adults with essential tremor. Getting the approval was a months-long process and required an OK from the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. DEA, said Dr. Fatta Nahab, a neurologist and associate professor of neurosciences at UC San Diegos medical school. This is an oral capsule formulation that has actual plant in it, he said. Its a purified, medical-grade formulation, and to my knowledge, thats never been imported from Canada before. While Canada has had a legal framework for medical marijuana for years and the country is preparing to legalize cannabis for recreational use next month, the drugs legal status south of the border is murky. Several states have legalized cannabis for medical or recreational use, but marijuana remains an illegal schedule 1 drug under U.S. federal law. Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era memo that suggested that the federal government would not intervene in states where cannabis is legal. However, a U.S. Senate bill was introduced in June that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exempt marijuana activity that is legal at the state level. Still, the legal landscape for the drug south of the border not only complicates matters for companies looking to operate in the U.S., it is a hurdle for research as well. Historically, the cannabis used in U.S. research was available through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and it was in form such as dried bud that needed to be smoked or vapourized, Nahab said. In those forms, it is difficult to control the dosage, he said, adding that NIDA does not have an oral formulation. This is believed to be the first study drug imported from Canada to the U.S., said Dr. Catherine Jacobson, Tilrays director of clinical research, who is based in California. Its quite significant this is the first time a Canadian (licensed producer) has demonstrated to the FDA that a study drug produced in Canada from the cannabis plant can meet its standards, she said. Nahabs team reached out to four different companies, including in the U.S., and selected Tilray. Weve got a set dosing, fixed, highly consistent, and so its really going to help us advance the field much more, he said. The study on essential tremor, a common neurological disorder which causes a part of a persons body to shake involuntarily, was partially funded by Tilray and the International Essential Tremor Foundation. The clinical trial with 16 adult participants who have been diagnosed with essential tremor is expected to begin in 2019, and will take approximately one year to complete. Tilray will not have any proprietary claim to the results, and it is largely an unfunded study, Nahab said. The next step is to receive an appropriate license from Health Canada. Tilray says an application has been submitted, and they expect to receive it in a couple of weeks. Read more about: A woman testifying in Ontario Superior Court of Justice has denied making up sexual assault allegations as a pre-emptive move in case embarrassing images of her are ever posted on the internet. Defence lawyer Zachary Kerbel made the suggestion during cross-examination of the now 22-year-old woman, who alleges Patrick Walsh forced her to have sex and then live-streamed her naked and throwing up in a bathroom. Walsh, 22, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and publishing an intimate image without consent. Youve made and persisted in your allegation of forced oral and vaginal sex to take the sting out of the embarrassment you feel (if) a screenshot or video of you in the bathroom that night made its way onto the internet, Kerbel told the witness Monday. Absolutely not, replied the petite university student. But she agreed it would be extremely embarrassing, and disturbing if the images exist no evidence has been entered at the trial that they do and surfaced online. She has testified she saw and heard Walsh using the iPhone FaceTime app to share her ordeal with laughing friends. Youre worried that a photo or video of you from that night has or may one day make its way onto the internet, arent you? asked Kerbel. It used to be a concern and it definitely is a concern, in a way, but now I realize that would be more embarrassing for the person who shares it because I think it speaks to their character, she responded. Read more: Toronto man pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting university student and live-streaming her naked and vomiting The witness, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, rejected most of Kerbels account of what happened the evening of May 12 and 13, 2016, after she and Walsh left a downtown pub and went to his mothers condo. The witness testified last week that she was perfectly fine when the two were kissing, but became increasingly uncomfortable as he became more aggressive, and ordered him to stop when he started penetrating her. Kerbel offered another perspective. You pushed him back on the bed with one hand, the lawyer said. No, she answered, but agreed that she removed her clothes. He took off his pants and shirt, you took off his underwear ... while he arched his body to allow you to do that, Kerbel said. She disagreed with that, along with his suggestion that she willingly performed oral sex. Consensually, no, she said. Last week she testified that Walsh had forced her head down to his groin area, and said she wished Id done more to resist. She acknowledged last week that she left that detail out of her initial police interview. He asked if you should get a condom, and you didnt respond (and) you put your hand behind his neck and pulled him towards you, Kerbel stated. She denied both things happened. Her evidence is that when Walsh began to penetrate her, she told him four or five times to stop. Kerbel, however, said while their genitals touched, there wasnt penetration. Essentially all the sexual contact that happened that night was 100 per cent consensual, he said. Absolutely not, she replied. The jury trial continues in front of Justice Kelly Byrne. I work in a non-union shop. We have okay pay and benefits for what we do, but nothing compared to the benefits USW members get. I wish we would organize so when our company tries to line their own pockets by ignoring the needs of the workers, we could do something other than whine about it. So, to my brothers and sisters at Arcelor-Mittal, I have one thing to say to you: Solidarity forever! Premier Doug Ford claims the move to shrink Toronto city council will save taxpayers $25 million over four years. But what about the cost to taxpayers to impose this change in the middle of an election? The move resulted in city and provincial lawyers battling in court, while the government recalled the legislature for several days including a weekend and overnight session towards implementing legislation a judge ruled unconstitutional. To date, the premier has not explained where the $25 million in savings will come from, and the city disputes this figure, saying the changes would result in savings of less than $6 million over four years. Read more: Court hearing Tuesday could decide future of upcoming Toronto election for now Tories Toronto council bill clears hurdle after lively all-night debate Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: With Doug Ford in the premiers office, why bother with democracy? While the true figure is up for debate, it is also unclear how much the public is on the hook for the ensuing fight. Heres what we do and dont know about the costs: Cost of changing the ward boundaries in the middle of the election: Last month, the city clerk Ulli Watkiss estimated it will cost $2.5 million more over the current budget of $14.9 million, to move from the 47- to 25-ward model in time for the Oct. 22 municipal election. Watkiss told council last week her office has hit a tipping point, and its becoming virtually impossible for staff to carry out the election on the planned date. Legal costs: Both the City of Toronto and the Attorney General of Ontario have several lawyers on the file. City spokesperson Tammy Robbinson said the citys legal department has not hired outside lawyers and staff lawyers, who are on salary, dont get paid overtime. In a statement to the Star late Monday night, Ministry of the Attorney General spokesperson Brian Gray said in-house government counsel provide advice to and litigate on behalf of the government in a wide range of matters. Files are regularly assigned and reassigned as needed to support the work of government. Nelson Wiseman, director of the Canadian Studies Program and professor of political science at the University of Toronto, noted the push to move the legislation through quickly is pulling people off of other files. Not just lawyers. Staff people, the attorney generals department, the political staffers, other things that ministers are working on. Here they are spending the whole night sitting there and there are files on their desks, Wiseman said. Overtime costs: Asked about overtime costs for the staffers during the special sessions, Todd Decker, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, said his office does not separately track this type of information. He said assembly staff are on salaries and would be given time off to compensate for extra work hours. Decker added the legislature is used to adapting to the needs of a dynamic and active parliament, whether for sittings of the house beyond the normal calender year or unplanned special events like a royal visit. We have always been able to manage this within approved funding allocations, he added. He did not respond to a followup question about whether this means the emergency session was pulled off without any extra cost to the taxpayer. Government House Leader Todd Smith said the costs of the extra sittings is not going to be that much. Certainly there were staff around last night and these things have happened from time to time where weve called the house back to sit, he added, noting the weekend sitting last fall when the then-Liberal government legislated college faculty back to work after their five-week strike. Smith also said the government has offered the services of Elections Ontario to ensure that the election on Oct. 22 can go off without a hitch. Travel: NDP MPP Peter Tabuns said MPPs living outside of Toronto would have had to make a special trip to Toronto for the weekend sessions. Otherwise they would have stayed in their home ridings for the weekend and then gone straight to the International Plowing Match (a five day agricultural event held at a different Ontario farm each year). This kind of travel cost would come out of MPPs travel budgets, a former political staffer told the Star. Policing and security: The Stars Queens Park bureau chief Robert Benzie counted seven Toronto Police cruisers, one SUV, and eight officers on bikes at the legislature late Sunday evening, as protesters gathered at Queens Park, decrying Fords all-night session. Asked Monday about overtime costs, Toronto Police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante said she did not have the approximate number of officers that were there, and could not confirm whether they were paid overtime or already working a midnight shift. As for Queens Park security, Legislative Assembly clerk Decker said security is run on shifts on a 24/7 basis, and so some security personnel would be compensated in pay for working shifts in addition to their normal times. He added that for security reasons the legislature does not disclose the deployment of personnel. Emergency council meetings: The citys spokesperson Tammy Robbinson said costs for two emergency council meetings responding to Fords plans to cut council and the use of the notwithstanding clause, were within the city clerks office budget. With files from Kristin Rushowy and David Rider Read more about: PAIN COURT, ONT.Premier Doug Ford dismissed protesters who unfurled a banner and shouted Dont plow our charter Tuesday as controversy over his attempt to shrink Torontos city council followed him to the International Plowing Match. They hopped in their car from downtown, the NDP, and drove up here. Thats what it was about, Ford charged at the annual farming exhibition west of Chatham on a sweltering late summer day. Hopefully were going to move on over the next couple of days, get this done, run a more efficient government in Toronto, get transit built, infrastructure, housing, he said. The shouting by three people, who held the banner with the same slogan, briefly interrupted Fords speech to several hundred spectators at the rural exposition, which continues until Saturday. Were not going to sit idly by while he stomps on the Charter, protest leader Aliya Pagani of Toronto told reporters. Read more: Toronto residents oppose Fords use of notwithstanding clause: Poll Opinion | Ottawa worried Fords Washington visit could impact NAFTA talks Is Toronto council inefficient? Maybe not compared to other levels of government Their slogan is a reference to the Ford governments effort to invoke the rarely used notwithstanding clause from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to override a judges ruling last week that it is unconstitutional for the province to cut the number of Toronto wards in the Oct. 22 municipal election to 25 from 47 in midcampaign. Ford later took a turn at a Ford tractor to plow a furrow at the match and got a good reception from attendees, frequently stopping to pose for selfies with admirers. He hopes to use his Progressive Conservative governments majority in the Legislature to pass Bill 31 known as the Efficient Local Government Act on the council cut Thursday. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said its disturbing that Ford, who never mentioned slicing Torontos council during the June provincial election campaign, is blowing off opposing views on the plan. To simply dismiss the voices of everyday people who have legitimate concerns and worries, I think thats an error, she said at a news conference as MPPs from all parties descended on the plowing match to make inroads with rural Ontarians. Mr. Ford needs to stand up and take note. This is the kind of arrogance, the kind of dismissiveness that (defeated Liberal premier) Kathleen Wynne was demonstrating in the last months and years of her mandate, the New Democrat leader added. It says that he (Ford) didnt get the message that people dont like arrogant governments. Opinion on Fords use of the notwithstanding clause to force the electoral changes on Toronto with just over a month until the fall election were mixed, but at least one Ford supporter did flag a concern. I think its a good idea but maybe not right now, Gord Johnston, a Caledon-area truck driver who was visiting the plowing match, told the Star, suggesting the province wait until the next election in four years to shrink Toronto council. Im a Ford supporter, but wait a minute, Doug, is this the hill you want to die on? he said. The optics says its a bit vindictive. Using the notwithstanding clause compounds everything and gives ammunition to the opposition, Johnston added. Its probably not the right time for it, agreed Jeff Vidler, a retiree from Erieau, south of Chatham, who mused about cutting the size of the Chatham-Kent regional council. Barry Burke, a retiree from Chatham, gave Fords move a hearty thumbs up. I think hes doing right, Burke said in an interview. Whats it mean to John Tory? He should be able to get things done. Ford also got a glowing review from Marlene Sleightholm of Listowel, who said no one in her social circle ever talks about Fords move on Toronto council, where he served as a councillor for four years while his late brother, Rob, was mayor. Hes doing pretty good so far, Sleightholm said. Got to give him a chance. The warden of neighbouring Essex County, Tom Bain, said he was worried that Ford might come after his council of 14. The premier has assured us he will not make any changes without sitting down to meet with us, Bain said. We want to be part of any changes that need to be made. Ford offered a preview of an announcement coming Friday from Finance Minister Vic Fedeli about the shape of Ontarios books following a summer-long commission of inquiry. You will be floored when you hear the numbers, the premier predicted. Weve got a serious issue on our hands. Asked if he will use the red ink to justify service cuts, Ford replied, I dont believe in cuts. I believe in efficiencies. He repeated his election campaign pledge that I dont want anyone losing their job. Critics have warned that Ford, who promised $6 billion in spending cuts, cannot avoid job losses and will have to carve deep into the health and education budgets. Correction Sept. 18, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly stated that Bill 31 is known as the Better Local Government Act. In fact, Bill 31 is called the Efficient Local Government Act. Read more about: Ontarios most recent Liberal attorney general is urging his Progressive Conservative successor, Caroline Mulroney, against overriding the courts to downsize Toronto council. Yasir Naqvi, attorney general from 2016 until his partys defeat in the June 7 election, wrote Mulroney a two-page letter Tuesday imploring her to reconsider the governments course of action. The use of the notwithstanding clause in such a cavalier manner is disturbing, wrote Naqvi, referring to Premier Doug Fords unprecedented decision to overrule the courts by invoking the Charters nuclear option. Ford is doing so to pass Bill 31 the legislation shrinking Toronto council from 47 to 25 members in the middle of the Oct. 22 municipal election because the previous legislation, Bill 5, was struck down as unconstitutional by an Ontario Superior Court justice. Mulroney is appealing the Bill 5 ruling in the Court of Appeal on Tuesday while at the same time Bill 31 is expected to pass on Thursday. If she wins a stay, the Bill 5 decision will effectively be neutralized and the government will not need to use the notwithstanding clause because Bill 31 wont be required. Her predecessor expressed concern with the Tories actions. As attorney general, you are required to overcome both political and policy considerations in order to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law that is your job above all else, he continued. Naqvi acknowledged that when he was the provinces top lawyer and there were court setbacks, he had to recommend moves that didnt sit well with premier Kathleen Wynne or other cabinet members. And each time this happened it was incumbent that the attorney general provide the best legal analysis to their fellow cabinet ministers and premier. I have had to do that, and trust me this legal advice was not always popular. The former attorney general indicated his alarm as Ford has attacked the honour of our courts, and then invoked the notwithstanding clause to fulfil his personal political agenda. It is understandable that you disagree with a courts ruling, as many attorneys general have done while in office. But it is difficult to support the manner in which you are addressing the judges decision in this instance, wrote Naqvi. Worse than the invocation of the notwithstanding clause is Fords deriding Justice Edward Belobaba as an appointed judge instead of an elected politician. What is more concerning are actions and statements by the premier and his government that undermine Charter rights, the independence of our judiciary, and the rule of law, emphasized Naqvi. In our system of democracy the legislature is supreme, but it does not have unlimited power. It must act within the confines of the law, especially the Constitution, he said. The courts play an important independent role in providing a check on parliaments power to make laws. Naqvi said he has been speaking with other former attorneys general and for very good reasons, none of us in Ontario has ever recommended the use of the notwithstanding clause to set aside fundamental freedoms and rights. I respectfully ask you to exercise that power in a manner that strengthens our democracy and its institutions. The current course is doing the opposite, he said. Ontarians, in fact Canadians from coast to coast to coast, are urging you to act now to uphold our Constitution and protect their rights and freedoms by not using the notwithstanding clause in Bill 31. It will cement your legacy as our attorney general. Mulroney was not available for comment Tuesday, but during Mondays overnight Bill 31 debate, which lasted from midnight until 7 a.m., she was unrepentant about using the notwithstanding clause, or Section 33 of the Charter. There is wide consensus that Section 33, as conceived by those who wrote and approved it, was to be a tool that balanced the role of the courts and the role of the legislature, she said. The attorney general argued the controversial provision is a safety valve, so that legislatures can have the final say on important matters of public policy. However, the three main architects of the clause, former justice ministers Jean Chretien, Roy McMurtry, and Roy Romanow, have publicly denounced the use of it in this case. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Debt, deficits and the possibility of tough economic times ahead are all cause for concern when it comes to the provinces credit rating, says the Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario. In a report released Tuesday, the FAO said that while Ontario benefits from a strong, investment-grade credit rating one that currently remains unchanged two of the four credit-rating agencies have revised their rating outlook for Ontarios debt from stable to negative, reflecting their assessment of the provinces increased credit risk. The FAO notes that the province over the next three years ... will need to refinance $75.2 billion in maturing debt. New investments in capital assets along with any funding needed to finance budget deficits will further add to provinces borrowing requirements. A credit rating downgrade could increase the cost of this future borrowing, placing additional pressure on Ontarios budget. The debt ratings by the agencies look at the provinces ability to meet its debt-related financial obligations. Read more: Ontario deficit will jump to $12B this year, watchdog warns Opinion | Ontarios spending and debt are not sustainable Horwath wants fiscal watchdog to tally price tag of Fords plan to scrap cap-and-trade system A spokesperson for Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said the Progressive Conservatives will be better financial stewards than the previous Liberal government that was defeated in the June election. The out-of-control spending of the previous Liberal government was simply unsustainable, said Robert Gibson, Fedelis press secretary. Under the previous government Ontario suffered numerous credit downgrades over the past 15 years due to ballooning deficits and sky-rocketing debt. Our government is committed to setting us on a responsible fiscal path that will strengthen our credit standing. Ontario, with the countrys largest economy, currently also has largest debt at $350 billion, which will grow if governments continue to run big deficits. All four credit agencies have warned that Ontarios rising debit could trigger a downgrade. In April, Moodys Investors Service changed its predictions on Ontarios ratings, from stable to negative after the then-Liberal government announced a pre-election budget with a $6.7-billion deficit. Ontario kept its Aa2 rating with Moodys, it was considered a sharp warning for the government. The outlook change to negative from stable on Ontarios ratings reflects Moodys expectations that spending pressure will challenge the provinces ability to sustain balanced fiscal results across multiple years, Moodys said in the spring. Furthermore, Moodys assumes that the financing requirements will be larger than previously assumed, leading to an upward trend in the debt burden and a faster rise in interest expense than previously anticipated. In terms of credit ratings, Ontario is middle of the pack the same as Quebec but lower than provinces such as Alberta and British Columbia. The credit agencies say while Ontario has the countrys biggest economy and good trading relationships, they also identified several challenges regarding Ontarios credit rating, including the provinces high and rising debt burden and the decision in the 2018 Budget to return to large budget deficits going forward. The agencies also expressed concern over the significant risks facing the provinces economy. While Premier Doug Fords election platform did not contain a thorough costing of all of his partys promises, he has said that he will find 4 per cent efficiencies or about $6 billion within the government. One Western University economist, however, who kept track of all three parties during the election campaign, had estimated a Ford government would run a deficit of $5.8 billion to $12.7 billion in 2019-20 based on their pledges. The FAO report was authored by economists Nicholas Rhodes and David West. Read more about: A court decision on whether Toronto election preparations will continue with 47 wards or return to a smaller 25-ward scenario is set to be released Wednesday at 10 a.m. But the effects of that decision may be fleeting less than 48 hours if the province plows ahead with plans to introduce new legislation that would enforce a cut to the size of city council. Even then, the legal challenges wont be over. A panel of three Court of Appeal judges Associate Chief Justice Alexandra Hoy, Justice Robert Sharpe and Justice Gary Trotter heard arguments Tuesday at Osgoode Hall on whether they should put an earlier court ruling on hold and order the city to continue preparing an election with 25 wards. Because of tight timelines leading up to the fast-approaching election on Oct. 22 and the expected legal challenges to the provinces new legislation, the Court of Appeal decision on the stay could permanently establish the ward structure for the election, making it a milestone in the ongoing council cut saga. The hearing Tuesday, which again pitted the province and citys legal teams against one another, began with an unexpected statement from Premier Doug Fords government. It came from provincial lawyer Robin Basu, who said he was given instructions to say newly-introduced legislation, Bill 31, would not be brought to a vote at Queens Park if the province got its way in court. That was a troubling position for the province to take, city lawyer Diana Dimmer argued. Its almost in the nature of a threat if everybody doesnt back off the province will continue with this chaos, she said, adding the chaos that theyre responsible for. The hearing centred on whether the judges should grant a stay of a Sept. 10 decision from Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba that deemed the provinces previous legislation, Bill 5, was unconstitutional. Ford launched a double-pronged response after Bill 5 was struck down an appeal in court and the introduction of the new Bill 31. Jennifer Pagliaro explains covering court and planning for the unexpected. Before the appeal is heard, the province argued a stay should be granted, which would essentially allow Bill 5 to continue to be in force meaning the notwithstanding clause would not need to be used and the law of the land to still be a 25-ward election for Toronto. Bill 31 is essentially a copy of Bill 5 with one important difference: Fords government took the unprecedented step of invoking the notwithstanding clause which would override many charter rights and insulate the new bill from certain legal challenges going forward. Donald Eady, whose firm Paliare Roland is representing several candidates and community groups that intervened in the earlier court case, argued the onus is on the province to prove the stay is necessary and said on Tuesday they failed to do that. They didnt provide any evidence . . . as to the sorts of things that a court would normally require to grant the stay, Eady said outside the courthouse. Really, I think what they did was they held the court hostage either you grant the stay or were going to bring in Bill 31; if you grant the stay then we wont. Well see if the court buys that. The province argued Justice Belobaba erred in several ways in his decision and said not allowing the stay would cause irreparable harm. Basu argued there is only one path forward for the clerk to have any certainty about which election to hold and that is allowing the stay and putting Bill 31 on the back burner. In blistering remarks, Dimmer said the province has failed to make the case that it is acting in the public interest. The province hasnt come forward with satisfactory evidence to justify what theyve done, she said. The residents of Toronto deserve better. Howard Goldblatt, whose firm is representing a candidate, volunteer and community group, called the provinces last-minute submission on Tuesday an affront. The public interest is in protecting the integrity of the process, Goldblatt said. That, he said, should prevail over one governments right to seek to enforce legislation which has been deemed to be unconstitutional. At the International Plowing Match west of Chatham, Ford was taking a wait-and-see approach to the decision on the stay request. Lets see what the courts decide, he told reporters. I dont want to jump ahead of things. We thought we were going to win last time, and we didnt. The timelines in the ongoing saga are incredibly tight with the fast-approaching election. The province could ultimately lose the appeal it has launched of Belobabas decision, but Basu and his team are arguing that hearing should not be held until after the Oct. 22 election to allow time for lawyers to prepare. Bill 31, if it goes forward for a vote at Queens Park, is expected to pass Thursday following rare weekend and midnight sessions of the legislature. Last week, council instructed the citys legal team to challenge Bill 31 in court if it becomes law. Winning the stay and not proceeding with the bill would allow Ford to avoid ongoing condemnation from protesters, legal experts and politicians of all stripes for his use of the notwithstanding clause. The citys ward boundaries have been a contentious issue for several years. Council, which is currently made up of 44 councillors and a mayor, hired independent consultants to study ward boundaries in 2014. The problem then, as it is now, is that rapid growth in some parts of the city have created imbalanced ward populations and skewed the weight of votes. Council approved the recommended 47-ward structure in 2016. That decision survived earlier challenges at a provincial tribunal and later in divisional court. Ford introduced Bill 5 on July 27 after his party came to power in a June election without warning or consultation. By then, the election campaign had already been underway for three months. The city and others then successfully challenged that legislation in Superior Court. If the city and the other legal teams opposing the province lose the stay request Wednesday, they could appeal that decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. Its not clear if the court would consider the case or how quickly it could be heard. With files from Rob Ferguson Read more about: President Donald Trump defended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh amid allegations of sexual assault but suggested hed be open to postponing a confirmation vote. If it takes a little delay, itll take a little delay, Trump told reporters at the White House Monday, adding that he hadnt spoken to Kavanaugh that day. The president also said Kavanaugh is one of the finest people Ive ever known. Trump dismissed a question about whether Kavanaugh offered to withdraw. Kavanaugh and the woman who made the accusation, Christine Blasey Ford, have said theyre willing to testify before the Senate as Republicans debate how to handle the allegations that threaten to derail his confirmation. The nomination is scheduled for a Thursday vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but a growing number of Republicans suggested Monday the vote may need to be delayed. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of Senate GOP leadership, said, These are serious allegations that need to be looked at closely by the committee before any other action is taken. Kavanaugh denied the allegation and said hes willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any forum to defend my integrity. This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone, Kavanaugh said in a statement issued Monday by the White House. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. Kavanaugh visited the White House for a meeting Monday morning, said a White House official who didnt give further details. Prospects for a swift confirmation were put in doubt amid calls from key GOP senators and Democrats for an investigation. Ford, a California university professor, is willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth, her attorney, Debra Katz, told NBCs Today show. Katz told CNN in a separate interview that Ford hasnt been contacted yet by the committee. The allegation puts heavy pressure on moderate senators who must decide whether to vote for Kavanaugh at the risk of angering the #MeToo movement. That growing backlash against men facing claims of sexually abusing women has already forced the resignations of top executives and some lawmakers. GOP Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska havent said whether theyll vote to confirm Kavanaugh, nor have a handful of Democrats from states that backed Trump in 2016. Its also a significant challenge for Republicans who are struggling to win suburban womens votes in the Nov. 6 election that will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate. Collins said on Twitter: Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh should both testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee. While every GOP vote in the 51-49 Senate is critical, the moderate Collins is viewed as a pivotal voice. GOP Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, a senior Judiciary Committee member and strong backer of Kavanaugh, said he spoke Monday with the nominee, who insisted that he was innocent and that he wasnt at the party where he is accused of attacking Ford. Hatch said the matter must be investigated. Even if Fords claim turned out to be true, I think it would be hard for senators not to consider who he is today, Hatch said. He has denied this and I feel bad that this happened to him. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in a statement Monday hes working to get to the bottom of these claims by setting up phone calls with Ford and Kavanaugh, an option top committee Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California has rejected as inadequate. Grassley blamed Democrats for not previously disclosing the claim by Ford, who had sought to remain anonymous before ultimately agreeing to be publicly identified. Grassley didnt say whether Thursdays committee vote will go forward. Republicans are aiming for full Senate confirmation before the Supreme Court term begins Oct. 1. The White House reiterated its support for Kavanaugh, with spokeswoman Kerri Kupec saying in an email Monday that it stands by the nominees denial. GOP Senators Bob Corker of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona joined Democrats late Sunday in seeking to delay the committee vote so lawmakers can further examine the allegations after the Washington Post published a detailed account from the accuser. Days earlier Kavanaugh had seemed on track for quick approval. The administration is gearing up for a counteroffensive, a White House official said. The Trump team plans to try to discredit the charges for surfacing late in the confirmation process and to question the credibility of the accuser because she didnt tell anybody about the incident at the time, the official said. The official said the White House wants to avoid a public hearing on the allegations a risky drama that could build sympathy for the accuser but is willing to accept a confidential inquiry. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters Monday that the accusers allegations should be heard by the Senate. She should not be insulted, she should not be ignored, she should testify under oath and she should do it on Capitol Hill, Conway said. But thats up to the Senate Judiciary Committee, they should decide the forum. And Judge Kavanaugh should also testify to these 36-year-old allegations. Flake, a Judiciary Committee Republican, told the Washington Post that Ford must be heard before the panels vote on the nomination, currently scheduled for Thursday. He has the power to stall consideration if all Democrats on the panel join him since Republicans only hold an 11-10 majority on the committee. Flakes office didnt respond to requests for comment. Corker, who isnt a member of the panel, also doesnt want the committee to vote on Kavanaughs confirmation until Fords allegations can be heard, said spokeswoman Micah Johnson. The senator wants the allegations to be heard promptly, she said. Murkowski told CNN Monday that shes open to a delay in the committee vote. If there are more questions that need to be asked and answered, then I think it would be appropriate for that time, she told the network. Rape Attempt The Post identified Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist and professor at Palo Alto University in California, as the woman whose accusation surfaced last week and raised the first serious doubts about Kavanaughs confirmation. The newspaper quoted Fords detailed description of the incident, and said it also viewed notes from a 2013 therapy session in which she had called it a rape attempt. Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the Republican senator doesnt have any immediate comment about the matter. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, also a Judiciary Committee member, said that if Ford wants to provide information to the committee, I would gladly listen to what she has to say. But he said that should be done immediately, so the process can continue as scheduled. The White House on Friday released a statement from Kavanaugh in which the nominee said, I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time. Feinstein and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York were among a number of Democrats who demanded a delay in the Senate Judiciary vote to hear from Ford, including all 10 Democrats on the committee. The controversy comes 27 years after the bruising confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was accused of sexually harassing attorney Anita Hill at two federal jobs, including when he chaired the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that handles harassment and discrimination issues. Thomas was confirmed on a 52-48 vote. Roe v. Wade Sundays development threatens what would be a major win for Trumps White House and McConnell, as they seek to give a strong rightward tilt to the federal judiciary. Republicans control of the Senate means they need no Democratic support to confirm Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh could provide the fifth vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion-rights decision. He called Roe an important precedent during his Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing but refused to say whether the ruling was correct. Kavanaughs potential impact on the abortion debate is a risk to the GOPs already lackluster standing with women, and the sexual assault allegation could make things worse. Female voters preferred Democratic candidates over Republican ones by 54 per cent to 33 per cent, while 62 per cent of women disapproved of Trumps job performance, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll in July. The Post quoted Ford as saying Kavanaugh and a friend were stumbling drunk when they took her into a bedroom during a party in a house in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. Kavanaugh pinned her to the bed and groped her through her clothes, grinding his body against hers and trying to pull off her clothes, the Post quoted Ford as saying. She said that when she tried to scream, he put his hand over her mouth. She said she believed the attack occurred in 1982. I thought he might inadvertently kill me, the Post quoted Ford as saying. She said Kavanaughs friend, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them, sending them tumbling, and she was able to escape, the newspaper reported. She said she went home and didnt tell anyone until she and her husband were in couples therapy in 2012. The Weekly Standard quoted Judge on Friday as saying no such incident ever occurred. Serious and Credible The Post said it viewed notes from that session and an individual therapy session the following year. The paper said the 2013 notes showed that Ford described a rape attempt in her late teens. Her husband, Russell Ford, told the newspaper that when she described the incident in the 2012 session, she used Kavanaughs last name and said she was concerned he might eventually be nominated to the Supreme Court. He has been a federal appeals court judge since 2006. Ford and Katz, her lawyer, didnt return calls seeking comment. Read more about: PYONGYANG, KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OFSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for his third and possibly most challenging summit yet with leader Kim Jong Un in which he hopes to break an impasse in talks with the United States over the Norths denuclearization and breathe energy into his own efforts to expand and improve relations between the Koreas. Om what are by now familiar images of the two Korean leaders hugging and exchanging warm smiles, Kim greeted Moon at Pyongyangs airport. They walked together past cheering crowds and a military honour guard then took a drive into the city, where security was higher than usual. Travelling with Moon are business tycoons including Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong, underscoring Moons hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. Moon was expected to have talks with Kim on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Moons chief of staff. Moon and Kim were also expected to hold a joint news conference on Wednesday if their two sets of summit meetings go smoothly. Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday. North Koreas state-run media reported early Tuesday that Moon was to begin a visit, but said little else. It said the two will reaffirm their previous commitments to peace, prosperity and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Security was tight. Requests by The Associated Press to go to the airport or to drive around the city were denied. This is Moons first trip to the North Korean capital, though he has met Kim twice at the border village of Panmunjom. He is under intense pressure from Washington to advance the denuclearization process. Before his departure he said he intends to push for irreversible, permanent peace and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks, Moon said Tuesday morning just before his departure. Its very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want. But his chief of staff tried to lower expectations of major progress on the future of Kims nuclear arsenal. Kim, meanwhile, is seemingly riding a wave of success. The North just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark North Koreas 70th anniversary. China, signalling its support for Kims recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. Thats important because China is the Norths biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. While signalling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kims strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. Talks between the United States and North Korea, which Moon brokered through his April and May summits with Kim, have stalled since Kims meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. To keep expectations from getting too high, Moons chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said its difficult to have any optimistic outlook for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements that fundamentally remove the danger of armed clashes and ease fears of war between the two Koreas. South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the Norths city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of progress could be on a formal agreement ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Koreas capital for summits. Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun went to Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 respectively to meet Kims father, Kim Jong Il. Those trips produced a slew of inter-Korean rapprochement projects, which were suspended after conservatives took power in Seoul. Read more about: BERLINGerman doctors treating Pyotr Verzilov, a member of Russian protest group Pussy Riot, said Tuesday that claims he was poisoned are highly plausible but stressed they cant say how this might have occurred or who was responsible. Dr. Kai-Uwe Eckardt of Berlins Charite hospital told reporters that Verzilov has been receiving intensive care since arriving in Berlin from Moscow on Saturday, but his condition isnt life threatening. Verzilovs symptoms, together with information received from relatives and the Moscow hospital he was admitted to last week, make it highly plausible that a poisoning took place, Eckardt said. By contrast, he said, Charite doctors have found no evidence whatsoever that there would be another explanation for his condition. Verzilov and other members of the Pussy Riot group served 15-day jail sentences for disrupting Julys World Cup final to protest excessive Russian police powers. Eckardt said Verzilov fell ill on Sept. 11 after attending a friends court hearing in the Russian capital, and was admitted to a Moscow hospital that evening with symptoms that included disorientation and widened pupils. Russian doctors suspected possible poisoning and treated him accordingly, emptying his stomach and performing a dialysis, said Eckardt. He said the symptoms indicate Verzilov, who arrived in Germany by private medevac Saturday, is suffering from an anticholinergic syndrome that can result from the disruption of the nervous system that regulates the inner organs. While doctors in Berlin havent yet determined what was responsible for the poisoning, they said it could have resulted from various substances including high doses of some pharmaceuticals and plants that contain particular toxins. Dr. Karl Max Einhaeupl, the Charite hospitals chairman, said doctors wanted to refrain completely from all speculation about what made these problems happen. While he wouldnt rule out that recreational drugs were responsible for the poisoning, he said such drug use is very rare. We have no evidence that there is a drug problem and it would be very unusual for someone to take a drug in the dose that it was taken, he said. That would be done with suicidal intent, but we have no indications of this. Eckardt, who heads the Charites intensive care department, said he expects Verzilov to make a full recovery and hopefully suffer no permanent damage. He said Verzilov, who also has Canadian citizenship, is already communicating with doctors but so far they havent been able to question him in detail about his medical history. A fellow member of Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, told reporters at a separate news conference in Berlin on Tuesday that Verzilov was one of the most effective activists that Russia has ever seen. She said Verzilov would likely return to Moscow once he recovers. Read more about: WASHINGTONThe White House has reviewed an incident last week in which a news photographer for the Epoch Times, a publication banned in China for its critical coverage, stepped into a restricted area and handed President Donald Trump a folder during an official event. The photographer, identified by other photojournalists as Samira Bouaou, passed the purple-coloured folder to Trump as he was walking out of the East Room on Sept. 12 after delivering remarks at a reception for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Bouaou was lined up with other photographers in an area reserved for journalists when she entered a restricted pathway where the president was walking, according to several news photographers who witnessed the incident. Trump accepted the folder and appeared to open it briefly as he departed before quickly shutting it, the witnesses said. It was not clear what was inside the folder. Photographers who asked Bouaou afterward why she did it and what the folder contained said she declined to provide details. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who discussed the incident with members of the White House Correspondents Association executive board, declined to answer questions about the matter. Bouaou was said by those who know her to have recently secured a White House hard pass from the Secret Service allowing her daily access to the press briefing room and other events. Another White House official said the matter had been dealt with. Read more: Trump has the second-most-dishonest week of his presidency: 115 false claims Trump warns he could cause the ruination of Canada Donald Trump is wrong about source behind bombshell leak: Star reporter The incident was a violation of protocol for journalists covering the White House, and it marked at least the second time an Epoch Times journalist has disrupted a White House event. In 2006, an Epoch Times reporter, who had obtained a press credential to cover Chinese President Hu Jintaos arrival on the South Lawn for a visit with President George W. Bush, shouted out, calling on Bush in English to stop Hu from killing and persecuting the Falun Gong a spiritual group that has been outlawed by the Chinese Communist Party. Your time is over, that reporter, Wenyi Wang, shouted at Hu in Mandarin. Evil people will die early. The news organization announced following that incident that it had parted ways with Wang. The Epoch Times was founded in New York in 2000 by a group of Chinese Americans in an effort to counter Chinese government propaganda. The newspaper bills itself as the largest news outlet aimed at the Chinese community outside mainland China and Taiwan, with versions in 23 languages and a reach of more than 1 million readers. The outlet has long denied having direct ties to the Falun Gong, but experts said the paper is sympathetic to the movement and has reflected the Falun Gongs political positions in its critical coverage of the Chinese government. The Falun Gong has accused the Chinese government of harvesting organs from political prisoners who are executed. Ming Xia, a political science professor at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York, said the Epoch Times has a staff made up largely of part-time employees and volunteers who also maintain other jobs. They support the Falun Gong because they are Falun Gong practitioners, Xia said. Its a way to accumulate their merit. They are not professional journalists and they do not follow the protocols professional journalists abide by. Thats how they can be very pushy and aggressive. After the spiritual group organized a series of mass demonstrations that challenged Beijings authority in the late 1990s, China outlawed the movement, calling it a harmful cult, and waged a massive crackdown against its membership, said to number in the millions. In the decades since, Chinas Communist leaders have continued to regard the Falun Gong as a national security threat while the group, driven underground and overseas, continues to be a constant thorn in Beijings side. The Epoch Times, which is blocked inside China, regularly publishes critical stories and gossip about the Communist Partys senior leadership, particularly former president Jiang Zemin. Falun Gong followers have regularly distributed flyers outside Chinese embassies worldwide and pulled publicity stunts meant to draw attention to their cause and embarrass Chinese officials. One former Obama administration official who worked on Asia policy recalled in an interview Monday that the Epoch Times has a reputation of being more activists than journalists. Xia said the Falun Gong is eager to win political recognition from high-level officials in the United States and aims to exploit the Trump administrations increasingly hardline stance against China on trade and other issues. Bouaou, whose Instagram account features photos purportedly taken by her at other White House events, congressional hearings and Trumps summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in July, could not be reached for comment. She did not reply to two messages sent to her Facebook account. Editors at the Epoch Times did not respond to several requests for comment, including emails and telephone calls. A Washington Post reporter visited the Epoch Times office in Washington but was turned away by staffers who said the publisher, Stephen Gregory, was not there. In past media interviews, Gregory has said the news outlet is not affiliated with the Falun Gong. Though news photographers captured images of the moment when Bouaou handed Trump the folder, none appears to have been published, even on news wire services. One photograph from The Associated Press that was distributed on the wire service shows Bouaou, a camera hanging from her shoulder, holding the folder as Trump approaches. Other photographers next to her have their cameras up and are taking photographs of the president. Several news photographers said they were angered by Bouaous lack of professionalism, but they also said privately that they feared if the matter was made public it could prompt the White House to further restrict access for the news photographers. As for Bouaou, other photographers said they have not seen her at the White House since the incident. Read more about: PYONGYANG, KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OFSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in began his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday with possibly his hardest mission to date brokering some kind of compromise to keep North Koreas talks with Washington from imploding and pushing ahead with his own plans to expand economic co-operation and bring a stable peace to the Korean Peninsula. Kim gave the South Korean president an exceedingly warm welcome, meeting him and his wife at Pyongyangs airport itself a very unusual gesture then riding into town with Moon in an open limousine through streets lined with crowds of North Koreans, who cheered and waved the flag of their country and a blue-and-white flag that symbolizes Korean unity. The made-for-television welcome is par for the course for Moons summits with Kim. Hours after his arrival, Moon began an official summit with Kim at the ruling Workers Party headquarters. The two were joined by two of their top deputies spy chief Suh Hoon and presidential security director Chung Eui-yong for Moon, and Kim Jong Uns powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, and senior Workers Party official Kim Yong Chol for the North Korean leader, according to Moons office. At the start of their meeting, Kim thanked Moon for brokering a June summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Its not too much to say that its Moons efforts that arranged a historic North Korea-U.S. summit. Because of that, the regional political situation has been stabilized and more progress on North Korea-U.S. ties is expected, Kim said, according to South Korean media pool reports and Moons office. Moon responded by expressing his own thanks to Kim for making a bold decision in a New Years speech to open a new era of detente and send a delegation to the South Korean Winter Olympics in February. Even though tens of thousands of people had witnessed Moons drive into the city with their leader, the arrival was not broadcast or even mentioned on the evening and night news on North Koreas central television network. The North often holds off reporting stories until it has had time to review and edit the video for maximum propaganda impact. The results of the talks werent immediately available. Seoul officials earlier said they would focus on how to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, decrease military tensions along their border and improve overall ties. The Norths media said the talks would reaffirm their commitment to Korean peace, unity and prosperity. During a conversation at the Paekhwawon guest house where Moon was to stay, Kim said North Koreans hope diplomacy will yield positive results. I think it was our peoples wish that we come up with good results as fast as we can, Kim said, according to the media pool reports. Moon responded that Our hearts are fluttering, but at the same we have heavy hearts, and added, We have built trust and friendship between us, so I think all will be well. The two are to meet again on Wednesday. More than in their previous encounters, when the mere fact of meeting and resuming a dialogue was seen as a major step forward, Moon is under pressure to leave Thursday with some concrete accomplishments. One of Moons objectives and one that also interests Kim was clear from the people he took with him. Travelling on Moons government jet was Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong and other business leaders, underscoring Moons hopes to expand cross-border business projects. Currently, however, all major joint projects between the Koreas are stalled because of U.S.-led sanctions. But the nuclear issue was sure to cast a shadow over negotiations on joint projects. Before leaving Seoul, Moon vowed to push for irreversible, permanent peace and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. This summit would be very meaningful if it yielded a resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks, Moon said Tuesday just before his departure. Its very important for South and North Korea to meet frequently, and we are turning to a phase where we can meet anytime we want. But as Moon arrived, the Norths main newspaper lobbed a rhetorical volley at Washington that could make Moons job all the more delicate, blaming the United States alone for the lack of progress in denuclearization talks. The U.S. is totally to blame for the deadlocked DPRK-U.S. negotiations, the Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial, using the initials of the Norths formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. It said Washington is stubbornly insisting that the North dismantle its nuclear weapons first, an approach which was rejected in the past DPRK-U.S. dialogues, while failing to show its will for confidence-building including the declaration of the end of war which it had already pledged. While signalling his willingness to talk with Washington, Kims strategy has been to try to elbow the U.S. away from Seoul so that the two Koreas can take the lead in deciding how to bring peace and stability to their peninsula. North Korea maintains that it has developed its nuclear weapons to the point that it can now defend itself against a potential U.S. attack, and can now shift its focus to economic development and improved ties with the South. Rarely do the North Korean official media even mention the word denuclearization. Talks between the United States and North Korea have stalled since Kims meeting with Trump in Singapore in June. North Korea has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear and rocket-engine testing sites, but U.S. officials have said it must take more serious disarmament steps before receiving outside concessions. Trump has indicated he may be open to holding another summit to resuscitate the talks, however. For Kim, the timing of this weeks summit is good. North Korea just completed an elaborate celebration replete with a military parade and huge rallies across the country to mark its 70th anniversary. China, signalling its support for Kims recent diplomatic moves, sent its third-highest party official to those festivities. Thats important because China is the Norths biggest economic partner and is an important political counterbalance to the United States. To keep expectations from getting too high, Moons chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said its difficult to have any optimistic outlook for progress on denuclearization during the summit. But he said he still expects the summit to produce meaningful agreements. Some progress along those lines is already underway. South Korea last week opened a liaison office in the Norths city of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone. Another possible area of agreement could be on a formal statement on ending the Korean War, which was halted in 1953 by what was intended to be a temporary armistice. Military officials have discussed possibly disarming a jointly controlled area at the Koreas shared border village, removing front-line guard posts and halting hostile acts along their sea boundary. Moon is the third South Korean leader to visit North Koreas capital for summits, but the first since 2007. ___ Kim reported from Seoul. AP writers Kim Tong-hyung and Foster Klug contributed from Seoul. Talmadge is the APs Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @EricTalmadge Read more about: "CPS had told us about this procedure since July, but we didn't think it would affect the staff that comes to provide a service to the school or the adult students. We realized it on the first day of school and that's when we started to spread the news," said Velazquez. "I do not agree with the way it was done. That it needs to be done, yes, I agree that it's very important for the safety of children and adults." THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDSThe International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor announced Tuesday that she is launching a preliminary investigation into deportations of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Burma into Bangladesh. Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a written statement and video message that she has begun a probe formally known as a preliminary examination to establish if there is enough evidence to merit a full-blown investigation. Bensouda said she will look at reports of a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting. Burmas military has been accused of widespread rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya villages leading about 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year. Bensoudas announcement came less than two weeks after judges at the court gave her authorization to investigate the deportations despite Burma not being a member state of the court. Judges said in their landmark ruling that because part of the alleged crime of deportation happened on the territory of Bangladesh which is a member of the court Bensouda has jurisdiction. Judges urged her to conclude her preliminary examination within a reasonable time. The ICC is a court of last resort, which steps in only when national authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute alleged crimes. Bensouda said prosecutors will be engaging with the national authorities concerned with a view to discussing and assessing any relevant investigation and prosecution at the national level. Bensoudas announcement came on the day that UN-backed investigators presented a report that painted a grim picture of crimes against Rohingya. Such reports will likely be closely studied in Bensoudas probe. The fact-finding team presented the report to the UN-supported Human Rights Council in Geneva. It reiterated earlier findings that some top Burma military leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya during a deadly crackdown that erupted in August 2017 following militant attacks on security posts in Rakhine state. Burmas new ambassador in Geneva has lashed out at what he called a one-sided report. In Washington, the State Department said it had serious concerns about the Burmese judicial systems ability to hold people accountable for abuses against Rohingya, but would not be drawn on whether it supports an ICC investigation. U.S. government . will take a very close look at what forum or what venue we think is most appropriate for handling these types of very sensitive cases, spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters Tuesday. Last week, hawkish U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton denounced The Hague-based court as a threat to American sovereignty and U.S. national security interests. Read more about: Beware politicians self-describing as the voice of the people. It takes an oversized ego and a narrow mind to make such a claim. And it never ends well. Enter Maxime Bernier, the latest pretender to the post of vox populi. His newly stamped Peoples Party of Canada claims to be the only true voice of the Canadian people. No one is speaking for the people, Bernier declared in launching his new party. News flash to Bernier: Canadians speak with many voices and viewpoints. Justin Trudeau speaks for many people in Canada. So do Andrew Scheer, Jagmeet Singh and Elizabeth May. Valuing multiple voices and views is the essence of democracy and freedom. Its rightly labelled totalitarian to declare that only one party and one leader is the voice of all the people. Naming yourself the Peoples Party is a declaration that all other parties and positions are illegitimate. Typically it is alpha-male, controlling figures who take the lead of such populist movements. The current list is long: including Trump, Putin, Erdogan and Orban abroad. Ford and now Bernier closer to home. Populism and Peoples Parties depend on two dangerous claims: First, that the leader and only the leader is the authentic voice of the people, who supposedly have singular monolithic, homogenous interest. Second, is vilifying supposed enemies of the people, whom only the self-declared peoples voice can vanquish. Read more: CPC beware meet Maxime Berniers new hard-right PP Dont underestimate Maxime Bernier Is Maxime Bernier the new Sarah Palin? Populism casts the leader as saviour, last line of defence, against purportedly grave threats to the people. Take your pick of scourges: judges, media, freethinkers, immigrants, refugees. Populism and a Peoples Party require internal enemies. They are always false enemies and scapegoats. They also require a leader with sufficient self-confidence or domineering hubris to believe only he can save the people. So Maxime Bernier has warned darkly against more diversity in Canada, and what the country will look like in 20 years unless immigration policies are changed. Citing no evidence, he decries extreme multiculturalism and is concerned that immigrants threaten Canadian values. He claims to want a debate on immigration and Canadian values. That would require good faith. Instead, Bernier has chosen to problematize immigrants and minorities as a threat. These are classic tropes of xenophobia and stereotyping. A populist leader inevitably pits people against other vulnerable people. Immigrants and minorities are the targets of choice everywhere. A true populism would prioritize quality of life, respect and opportunity for all people. This would require addressing challenging issues, such as truth and reconciliation, health care, housing, poverty, precarious employment, safety, tax evasion. A phoney populism claims the leader alone is the legitimate voice of the people even when others received more votes in elections. President Trump received millions of fewer votes from Americans than Hillary Clinton. Premier Doug Fords favoured tag line is For The People. He cites the 2.3 million votes his party received in the recent election as justification for any and all measures he takes. Left unstated is the fact that 3.3 million Ontarians voted against Ford. Ironically perhaps, only one thing can save us from the dangers of populism and peoples parties. That something is people. The road map is simple. Uphold democracy. That means the legitimacy of differing views. A balance of powers among differing institutions and interests. Distaste for scapegoating any group. And suspicion of anyone claiming to be the sole authentic voice of the people. A Peoples Party is always anti-many people, and more about the leaders drive for power. Myer Siemiatycki is professor of politics at Ryerson University. Read more about: Tories Toronto council bill clears hurdle after lively all-night debate, Sept. 17 What dire emergency could force a government to meet from midnight to 7 a.m. Monday morning? Insurrection? A natural disaster affecting much of the province? The crash of the Ontario economy? The misinterpretation by our premier of the International Plowing Match as an attack on his riding, Etobicoke North? Nope. The sun is out no buildings have fallen over. People across the province are going to work and school as usual. There is nothing to fear from the ploughing match except for politicians who dont attend it, apparently. No, the object of Mondays farce of government was to make sure that a bill taking away basic rights is passed as quickly as possible so that other basic rights can be set aside. The real issue is: Dont say no to Ford, or else not even if youre a Superior Court justice. Beyond how irrational and troubling it is to use the Notwithstanding clause to ram through Bill 31, calling a midnight session is something else. Is the premier not able to see past his overwhelming desire to cut Toronto city council? Has he lost his grip? Dudley Paul, Toronto I propose that Sept. 17 be known in Ontario as the night of the charter massacre and every MPP voting for this petty, personal, vindictive law be known as a defiler of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Tony Morra, Mississauga The legislature is recalled for a midnight sitting to deal with a major crisis. The size of Toronto council is a major crisis? Members are flown in from all over the province to deal at midnight with this major crisis? The only crisis is that our power-mad premier did not get his way. What a terrible situation for Toronto and Ontario. We are headed for disaster. Carolyn Fredenburg, Toronto To intentionally hold a session of the Ontario legislature at a time when members of the public are unlikely to attend appears to be against all common sense, regardless of constitutional correctness. Any legislation passed in such a star chamber environment must be vigorously challenged. Transit plans are insufficient, Sept. 17 Your correspondent is right. Toronto continues to demand transit funds from those of us in the rest of Ontario and Canada who cannot use Torontos transit systems. Meanwhile, commuters from outlying areas must continue to drive cars into the city despite the traffic jams, collisions and polluting emissions. Good passenger train service has always been subsidized by government in all nations where it is established. Torontos demands for our money to cover its costs of a huge council and expensively lavish mass transit would be better directed by provincial and federal governments to the kind of commuter service enjoyed in New York, Washington, D.C., and similar large urban-suburban areas. Expanding that grid from a Toronto-centred web to one reaching from smaller cities directly to other smaller cities would help redistribute population and job growth to wherever space is available and housing is affordable, while reducing Torontos commuter traffic. I advocate Ontario-wide readjustment of public transit. The insatiable Toronto black hole must stop consuming the income taxes of smaller communities with no compensating transit. Canada consists of more than just Toronto. Charles Hooker, East Garafraxa, Ont. Read more about: Ontario Premier Doug Ford reportedly let Ottawa know late last week that he was headed to Washington on Wednesday to pay a call on the Canada-U.S. trade talks. Ford also assured reporters on Tuesday that he continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government in the negotiations over NAFTAs fate. But privately, there is some nervousness within the Trudeau government about what Ford hopes to accomplish with his flying visit into the U.S. capital especially as Donald Trump and prominent Republicans are ramping up the rhetoric this week against Canada. Any suggestion that Canada doesnt speak with one voice, or that its anxious for a deal at any cost could work against this country at the negotiating table, one federal source close to the talks said on Tuesday. Were only close to a deal because the Americans think we wont take a bad one, the source said. And they think that we can take that stance because the country is united behind us. Read more: U.S. lawmaker ramps up NAFTA pressure as Freeland heads to Washington for more talks Ford heads to Washington to talk trade amid NAFTA negotiations Susan Delacourt | Opinion: With the White House in turmoil, Canadas NAFTA team studiously avoids the daily drama Thats the big question, then, as Ford heads to the U.S. capital on Wednesday is there enough goodwill between the Trudeau Liberals and the Ford Conservatives to pull off this diplomatic dance in D.C.? So far, Liberals and Conservatives generally have been making a great show of patriotic solidarity when theyre talking trade at least when its taking place in the United States. Prominent former cabinet ministers such as James Moore and Rona Ambrose are on the advisory committee and former prime minister Brian Mulroney has been talking regularly to the Trudeau team. But back here in Canada, federal Conservatives seem increasingly eager to take shots at how the Trudeau government has handled the NAFTA negotiations, lumping the lack of a new deal into what they now call a summer of failure by the Trudeau Liberals. Ford, meanwhile, has not been shy about mixing it up with Trudeau, almost from the moment he took office willing to take on everything from the carbon tax to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. One might be tempted to conclude that the premier is taking that nation part of his fordnation Twitter handle literally; that he sees his real rivals as the Liberals in Ottawa. Trade seems to be the exception for now Ford has even managed, like the other premiers, to keep quiet about any updates hes getting from the federal government. But people in Trudeaus office took note last week when the Stars Queens Park bureau chief, Robert Benzie, reported that Ford was making his controversial move on the Charter of Rights to contrast himself with Trudeau. Sources told Benzie that Fords people were keen for people to contrast the premiers bold leadership against Trudeaus leadership style specifically on how they handle negative court rulings. While the prime ministers pipeline plans have been thwarted (at least temporarily) by a court ruling halting construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline, Ford has pulled out all the stops, legally, to go through with his plans to cut Toronto city council. Trudeau, meanwhile, clearly sees Ford as the Ghost of Elections Future. While he didnt mention Ford by name in his town-hall interview with Macleans Magazines Paul Wells on Monday night, the prime minister took some shots against Fords brand of play-to-the-base politics (which is also Trumps brand.) When youre not too worried about constitutional niceties and courts and what have you, you can take a mandate and make those grand gestures and satisfy your base in a very loud way, Trudeau said. These are glimpses into whats emerging as a gaping, relational abyss between the Ford and Trudeau governments; one thats only going to get deeper as the 2019 election looms. Its worth noting that many of the people around Fords new government trace roots back to Stephen Harpers decade in power, and that Trudeaus Ottawa has many veterans of Kathleen Wynnes former provincial government. Very recent grudges and defeats are all part of the current mix of Ontario-Ottawa relations. Throwing that dynamic into the trade-negotiation pressure cooker in Washington on Wednesday could make things unpredictable or more unpredictable than they already are. The Ford and Trudeau governments will say they are solely focused on the trade talks in the U.S. capital on Wednesday, but theyre also keeping one eye on each other. Susan Delacourt is the Stars Ottawa bureau chief and a columnist covering national politics. Reach her via email: is the Stars Ottawa bureau chief and a columnist covering national politics. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: VANCOUVERTo encourage United States citizens living in Canada to register to vote for the upcoming midterm elections, a group of American citizens gathered before the Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver on Monday afternoon. The event, held by Democrats Abroad to mark the American national Constitution Day on Sept. 17, aimed to educate and register as many voters as possible. All U.S. citizens living in Canada are entitled to vote in the critical Nov. 6 election, regardless of how long theyve been here or have ever voted before, said Susan Brennan, the Democrats Abroad Vancouver chair, who is originally from Chicago. Every vote counts. But they have to register to vote, and the deadlines are soon. Cameron Mitchell Jr., an actor who divides his time between Vancouver and Los Angeles, organized the Monday event. The votes of the roughly 9 million U.S. citizens who live abroad can shape the outcome in tightly contested districts and determine the future direction of politics, he said. The midterms this year are probably the most important election weve had in the history of the country, definitely in my lifetime, Mitchell Jr. said in an interview. We are teetering on the edge here, and I think its really important that people get out and vote. You have no right to complain about anything if you havent at least made the effort to vote. According to statistics from the Federal Voting Assistance Program, Canada has the largest population of voting-age U.S. citizens in the world, with more than 600,000 eligible voters. Vancouver, London, Tel Aviv and Toronto are the cities with the highest number of voting-age Americans. The midterm elections will choose every member of the U.S. Congress, 35 senators and 36 state governors and offer an opportunity to check and balance the power of President Donald Trump, Mitchell Jr. said. Getting out to vote is the first step to allow a little more sanity in the government, he added. Thats why a similar registration event was held in Hamilton on Monday, which was also scheduled at lunchtime. But this wasnt the first time Americans have banded together to draw attention to the registration process, according to David Mivasair, the national communications officer for Democrats Abroad, who organized the Hamilton event. Registration pop-ups were held in Vancouver including at the womens march in January, the Vancouver folk festival in July, Vancouvers annual Pride in August and last week in Robson Square. Mivasair moved to Vancouver 23 years ago from Pennsylvania and relocated out east two weeks ago. He was not present at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver. But a group of volunteers were many of whom donned miniature flags, top hats and signs which they waved enthusiastically at cars passing by. Weve met Americans who came here 50 years ago as Vietnam War resisters, have never voted in the U.S. but are determined to cast their ballot this time around, Mivasair said. Were going to be on the sidewalk across from Trump Hotel at lunchtime on Monday to tell all U.S. citizens that their vote can tip the balance. Mivasair encouraged any Americans living in Canada to visit votefromabroad.org and register to vote. Read more about: ALTON The citys two public safety departments soon will share a grant-funded drone to assist in their investigations and rescues. Weve wanted to purchase the system for some time now, if there was a potential security threat we could get the drone up in the air over us, said Chief Bernie Sebold of the Alton Fire Department. We could use it if there was a lost person who walked away from somewhere, or for a damage assessment after or during a flood or high winds. Sebold said the city will buy the unmanned aerial system with $24,750 from the U.S. Coast Guard, with the money originating from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Fire Department and Police Department will share usage of the device, with police officer Dan Ludwig designated to undergo training and obtaining the commercial license to operate the drone. Sebold said he does not know when the drone will arrive in Alton because an online portal related to the grant is not yet open for access to information on the purchase. We are in a holding pattern, he said. Weve just been notified of the award. Police Chief Jason Jake Simmons said the drone could come to Alton in October or November and it would be stored at the Alton Police Department. We collaborate on projects and work together on public safety issues, Sebold said of the two agencies. Simmons said police could use the drone for reconstructing serious traffic crashes and it can carry payload such as rope that it could drop to someone at the bottom of the areas limestone bluffs. Obviously it will be able to give still images and it will have a live video feed with a gimbal device that moves the camera so the image stays still, Sebold said. It is because of our affiliation with the Coast Guard Sebold said of how the city is getting the grant. Im a sitting member of the Area Maritime Security Committee for the St. Louis Port of the Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River Region. The committee, with refinery, state and federal members from both sides of the Mississippi River, handles river security matters from Alton south to St. Genevieve, Missouri. Sebold said he wrote the narrative for the grant, getting approval from Capt. Scott Stoermer of the U.S. Coast Guard, captain of the Port Sector Upper Mississippi River, then from the Coast Guard offices in Washington D.C. Reach Linda N. Weller at 618-208-6450 or on Twitter @Linda_Weller ALTON Shop n Save stores in Alton, East Alton and Wood River are among 19 being purchased by Schnucks as part of an agreement announced Monday. Schnuck Markets, Inc. on Monday announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase 19 St. Louis-area Shop n Save stores 14 in Missouri and five in Illinois. The transaction is planned to occur with a staggered close process that is currently expected to begin on Oct. 7 and be completed by late October 2018, the company said in a news release. Schnucks plans a closure of only about two and a half days for each store during which time it intends to rebrand signage and fixtures, switch out point-of-sale systems and restock merchandise before the store reopens as a Schnucks. Schnucks is proud to be growing in our hometown of St. Louis, excited about the opportunity to serve new customers, and looking forward to welcoming the employees at these 19 stores to Schnucks, said Todd Schnuck, chairman and CEO of Schnuck Markets. We want longtime customers of each store to know that we are eager to earn your business, and well be working closely with SUPERVALU and Shop n Save to ensure a smooth and successful transition. The Riverbend-area stores affected include the Alton location at 1721 Homer M. Adams Parkway; the East Alton store at 634 Berkshire Blvd.; the Edwardsville location at 2122 Troy Road; and the Wood River store, 1900 East Edwardsville Road. Pending the results of any legally required background checks, all bargaining unit Shop n Save employees will be offered a position at the same wage rate, working a comparable number of hours and doing comparable work, the company said. Eligible employees will also receive healthcare coverage and pension contributions consistent with union agreements. All Shop n Save store directors, assistant store directors, pharmacy managers, and pharmacists will also be interviewed by Schnucks over the next week. Our intention is to make a strong offer to the Shop n Save employees at these 19 stores in hopes they choose to join the Schnucks team. They know their stores and their communities and will be an integral part of the conversion process, Schnuck said. Fifteen of the 19 acquired stores include pharmacies, which will also be purchased by Schnucks, as will one standalone pharmacy in Union, Missouri. Each of the pharmacies will remain open under the Schnucks banner. Schnucks is also acquiring the prescription files for 10 additional Shop n Save in-store pharmacy locations and transferring those prescriptions to nearby Schnucks stores. Customers of the closing Shop n Save pharmacies will be mailed detailed information on the transfer of their pharmacy files within the next several days. Information will also be available for customers at each pharmacy. More Information Schnucks locations part of the announcement 1721 Homer M. Adams Parkway, Alton, IL 62002 800 Carlyle Avenue, Belleville, IL 62221 634 Berkshire Blvd., East Alton, IL 62024 2122 Troy Road, Edwardsville, IL 62025 1900 East Edwardsville Road, Wood River, IL 62095 1253 Water Tower Plaza, Arnold, MO 63010 7909 State Highway N, Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 45 Gravois Bluffs Drive, Fenton, MO 63026 1275 North Truman Blvd., Festus, MO 63028 2183 Charbonier Road, Florissant, MO 63031 1032 Lemay Ferry Road, Lemay, MO 63125 3740 Monticello Plaza, O'Fallon, MO 63368 1421 Mexico Loop Road East, O'Fallon, MO 63366 10634 St. Charles Rock Road, St. Ann, MO 63074 60 Harvest Square, St. Charles, MO 63303 9070 St. Charles Rock Road, St. John, MO 63114 7057 Chippewa Street, St. Louis, MO 63119 5780 South Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63123 100 Jungermann Road, St. Peters, MO 63376 500 West Highway 50, Union, MO 63084 (Standalone Pharmacy) See More Collapse Schnucks will also acquire four of Shop n Saves seven fuel centers. As part of this transaction, Schnucks and SUPERVALU will enter into an agreement for SUPERVALU to serve as the primary supplier for nine of Schnucks existing stores located across northern Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. The acquisition comes on the heels of Schnucks announcing two other new store locations. Schnucks opened its Maplewood, Mo. location which had previously been a Shop n Save in August. A new Schnucks in Warrenton, Missouri is currently under construction and is scheduled to open later this fall. Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been working with Sly Hedgehog Productions for over a year aiding in its growth and achievements in hosting interactive murder mysteries. Sly Hedgehog now has its own location in Alton in the Milton Schoolhouse. Owners Libby Sykes and Jessica Napier agree that working with SBDC Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May has made the process of operating their business much more enjoyable. Most recently, SBDC has been working with Sly Hedgehog ownership regarding potential financing options if they choose to pursue that option. Sykes and Napier were unsure what route to take while trying to figure out where to begin with loans and financing. Having Jo Ann as a resource made that process easier, and now we have referrals should we need them in the future. The SBDC has offered us a highly positive experience, Sykes said. Libby and Jessica are hardworking and dedicated to creating the ultimate customer experience. They have been extremely successful, and I couldnt be more excited about their new permanent location, DiMaggio May said. I look forward to continuing our relationship and further assisting Sly Hedgehog Productions. Sly Hedgehog guests are involved in scenarios as they become detectives and seek out the murderer in the room. Events have been hosted at venues in the Metro East and St. Louis. Sykes and Napier love having various venue spaces, but wanted a place of their own, and the Milton Schoolhouse satisfied that need. The interactive themed murder mysteries have been known to be four hours and provide dinner. Now in the new Alton location, they will be able to provide more frequent events by offering miniature two-hour murder mysteries. These will still provide the same interactive experience and have a more intimate atmosphere. The first miniature mystery is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20. The theme is Lord of the Killings inspired by The Lord of the Rings. The event rate is $25 per person. Upcoming events at the Alton location include: Saturday, Oct. 13 Perilous Paper Co. inspired by The Office from 6-10 p.m., $55/person Saturday, Oct. 20 Lord of the Killings inspired by Lord of the Rings from 7-9 p.m., $25/person Saturday, Nov. 3 Death & Dinosaurs inspired by Jurassic Park from 6-10 p.m., $55/person Saturday, Nov. 10 Ghastly Golden Girls inspired by The Golden Girls from 7-9 p.m., $25/person Sly Hedgehog is also available for private events and offers fundraising options through murder mysteries. Contact Sly Hedgehog Productions at 314-384-8502 or slyhedgehogproductions@gmail.com. For more information, visit slyhedgehog.com. The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists start-up ventures like Sly Hedgehog Productions, as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE as a service to Illinois small businesses. By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining new jobs and encouraging new investment. It enhances the regions economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large. To learn about the SBDC, contact the IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at (618) 650-2929. By Allan Xu and Vivian Mao Editor: Dorcas Wong As Chinas economy slows and labor costs rise, businesses need to be more strategic about the allocation of their resources. Labor dispatching and service outsourcing are two methods that can help businesses in China circumvent tedious administrative processes and still match workforce needs. Both strategies enable firms to procure temporary and specialist talent from outside the company. It means saving on hiring costs, time, resources, and minimizing the risks and legal responsibilities. For foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in China, these two labor sourcing methods are particularly attractive where: there is an inconsistent work flow (due to the small size of the business, or in seasonal and project-based industries); the business is structured as a representative office (which are legally required to recruit through dispatch agencies); or priority is given to revenue-generating activities over recruitment. To choose the right strategy, the employer must be clear on three major fronts legal liabilities, scope of work, and points of distinction to avoid costly corrective measures and labor disputes. Labor dispatch: a form of supplementary employment With the enactment of the Labor Contract Law in 2008, it became increasingly common for employers to regard labor dispatch as a cheap and flexible alternative to hiring regular employees. In 2011, there were 37 million dispatched employees in China, accounting for 13.1 percent of total employees. This was more prominent in large manufacturing plants, which employed the bulk of their workers temporarily and under the guise of a dispatch relationship. This was partly a way for employers to evade higher social insurance obligations and abscond non-fixed contract requirements (usually eligible for employees who sign their third consecutive labor contract agreement). In 2012, the surge in this practice prompted two key legislative amendments that changed the conditions allowing recruitment through labor dispatch in China. Firstly, the PRC Labor Contract Law Standing was amended, with effect from July 1, 2013, to strictly define labor dispatch as a form of supplementary employment only. Secondly, the Interim Regulations on Labor Dispatch (Interim Regulations) was issued and came into effect on March 1, 2014 tightening the use of dispatching, remuneration, termination, and performance of labor contracts. Since these changes, employers have increasingly used the outsourcing method a substitute to dispatching, and as another alternative to avoid directly hiring employees. However, many enterprises remain unclear on the distinction between the different labor relationships, which have triggered a rising number of labor dispute cases. Hiring through labor dispatch in China Labor dispatching is the temporary supply of an employee through an intermediary human resources agency that is specifically licensed to provide such employees. The client enterprise does not have a direct labor relationship with the dispatched employees, but can engage them for work based on service contracts with the dispatch agency. The dispatching agency, on the other hand, assumes the legal responsibility of an employer and in most instances, will handle the employee payroll, individual income tax (IIT), mandatory benefits, and social security. This may serve as a cost-and-time-saving advantage for the client enterprise, but ultimately depends on the agreement that exists between the client enterprise and dispatching agency. Additionally, the Interim Regulations stipulates that dispatching can only be used where: the position is temporary, auxiliary, or replaceable (that is, non-essential staff) dispatched staff do not exceed 10 percent of the total number of a companys employees, and the term of contract cannot be less than two years. While these changes curb the abuse of dispatching as a hiring policy, it remains an attractive option for businesses looking for a simplified and temporary hiring strategy. This is particularly so in the case of hiring blue-collar laborers who usually work on a project basis, and transfer between businesses frequently. Service outsourcing in China In practice, service outsourcing usually involves the temporary supply of a service or project. Responsibility for the behavior of the outsourced service is typically borne by the company contracted for outsourcing. The outsourcing company usually retains a high-level of autonomy to direct whichever resources it feels are best for each project. Traditionally, employees engaged in providing an outsourced services are not required to work full-time and on-site, however, recently, more companies have begun requesting them to do so. Service outsourcing differs from dispatching in that the client enterprise receives a service, rather than a specific employee, to perform a given task. Put another way, the agreement does not refer to specific employees or performance criteria, but rather defines the work that needs be done. Additionally, unlike dispatching, outsourcing is usually used exclusively for roles that require a high level of specialization, confidentiality, or defined scope. Choose the right labor sourcing strategy for your business While there are some clear markers that distinguish a typical outsourcing service to that of labor dispatching, in practice, there is often some overlap between the two different labor sourcing strategies. Businesses should clearly assess the scope and relevant restrictions of direct-employment, labor dispatching, or service outsourcing relationship before selecting the option that matches best their workforce needs. A failure to choose appropriately may result in employers mislabeling a legal relationship, and risk exposure to labor disputes. EDWARDSVILLE Local school districts are benefiting from a new tax distribution schedule implemented by Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser that accelerates real estate tax distributions. I came up with the idea after meeting with Dr. Jill Griffin, the Bethalto Schools Superintendent, in August 2017, Slusser said. The distribution schedule now delivers funds sooner than expected. With the state withholding funds during the budget crisis, Bethalto schools were not going to be able to make payroll and unable to open their doors to start the school year. Slusser said the decision was made to deliver extra distributions to get the property tax funds to the taxing districts sooner than anticipated, which allowed them to make their payroll obligations. Illinois state law requires the county treasurer to distribute real estate tax funds to the local taxing districts at least once every 30 days while taxes are collected. Traditionally, distributions in the Madison County Treasurers Office were made once every 30 days, as the law required. However, under the new distribution schedule, additional payments will be made to taxing districts twice per month, allowing the funds to hit the districts accounts just prior to payroll dates. When we put our distribution schedule together for year, I reached out to some of the school superintendents and asked for feedback, Slusser said. I wanted to be helpful and accommodating to meet their needs. Griffin said Slusser made a concerted effort to reach out to school districts to ensure the local tax dollars were distributed when they were needed most. (Slusser) made school districts a priority and worked to determine how he can best serve us, Griffin said. Last school year, when state revenue stopped flowing, Chris and his team met with our district business manager and myself to determine how he could help. He changed the distribution schedule to allow our funds to arrive sooner and improve our cash flow. Griffin said Slusser also contacted her to ask about a distribution schedule that would best serve the districts needs. He was willing to make modifications to the existing schedule and again, working alongside school districts to ensure local dollars were flowing, she said. Alton Community School District Superintendent Mark Cappel echoed Griffins comments. Alton school district appreciates the accelerated tax revenue payments received from the Treasurers office, Cappel said. As an entity dependent on local tax revenue, the school district is grateful to receive funds earlier than anticipated. The receipt of the local revenues assists the district in planning and meeting its financial obligations. Granite City Community School District Superintendent Jim Greenwald agreed. The additional distributions are working well for us and our district, Greenwald said. We have been frugal through the hard times and what the treasurer is doing to help the schools is much appreciated. Collinsville Community School District Superintendent Dr. Robert Green said the additional payments improve cash flow, which benefits everyone from teachers to students. After going years with no new revenue, and with uncertainties in state funding, these additional payments have been tremendously helpful, Green said. Slusser said the additional payments do not mean districts are receiving additional revenue or any advances on future tax revenues. It simply means they will get their funds sooner rather than later, Slusser said. We can only distribute what weve collected at the time, so were somewhat limited in what we can do in treasurers office. Slusser said while the law requires a distribution every 30 days; there is nothing that says it cannot be done more than once every 30 days. We cant control what the state will do, but we can control what my office is doing, Slusser said. We thought it was the least we could do to help our local schools, who are often at the mercy of poor public policy at the state level. While every taxing district in the county will receive funds on the accelerated schedule, the greatest benefactors are the school districts. Some politicians reach out to school districts for the photo op, Dr. Barrett Deist, Bethaltos assistant superintendent of finance and operations, said. Chris Slusser reached out to our district to truly see how he could support us and continues to reach out and serve schools across Madison County. Slusser, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Christopher L. Miller on the November ballot. Two people related to a man serving 49 years in the Illinois Department of Correction for the shooting death of a Jacksonville man in September 2015 were arrested Monday after the investigation into the homicide reportedly uncovered evidence of another criminal act. Jewell R. Maul, 38, and Joyce E. Gill, 63, the daughter and wife of Robert Gill, who pleaded guilty in the 2015 death of Andrew Maul, were arrested Monday on charges of financial exploitation of a senior citizen. The charges were the result of a lengthy investigation by the Jacksonville Police Department and Special Prosecutor Ed Parkinson. Jacksonville Police Lt. Doug Thompson said evidence found at the time of the homicide investigation led to further investigation. At the time, there were some things that stood out, and we were finally able to put that information together for the special prosecutor, Thompson said. Ed Parkinson reviewed the evidence and had us proceed with the arrest. Thompson said Maul and Gill were charged after being accused of exploiting an unspecified amount of money from a victim known to them over the past 10 years. Thompson did not identify the reported victim. Police were investigating the Sept. 11, 2015, shooting death of Andrew Maul in the Jacksonville Police Department parking lot. Jewell Mauls father, Robert Gill, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He also was charged with aggravated residential arson after setting fire to the home of Mauls mother, Debbie Bartz, soon after the shooting. Robert Gill, 64, pleaded guilty in November to one count of intentional murder in Andrew Mauls shooting death and was sentenced to 45 years. He was give another four years for one count of aggravated residential arson after setting fire to the home of Andrew Mauls mother, Debbie Bartz, soon after the shooting. As a part of the deal, three counts of murder and one count of residential arson were dismissed. Both Jewell Maul and Joyce Gill are being held in the Morgan County jail pending a bond hearing. GRANITE CITY Metro East residents from Alton to Belleville and beyond can trace their ancestry back to original immigrants in Granite City, and they will soon be able to celebrate that heritage at the annual Lincoln Place Heritage Festival. But this years event is expected to be the last one, according to Norma Asadorian, president of the Lincoln Place Heritage Association. The festival is our biggest event, but we dont have the funds to continue, she said recently. Despite that, she expects the event will draw about 1,000 people if the weather is good. We do have a new performing group coming, Asadorian said. The German Cultural Society of St. Louis is going to have a youth dance group and a womens choir. Theyll be singing German folk songs. They will also have a new booth for German food. The festival, which includes folk dancing, musicians, authentic ethnic foods and a variety of other activities and events, is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Lincoln Place Community Center, 822 Niedringhaus Ave., Granite City. There will also be an All-American Apple Pie Baking Contest, with a first prize of $50. Entries must be submitted by 1 p.m. and will be judged at 3 p.m. It celebrates the cultures of the immigrant ancestors who settled in Lincoln Place, Asadorian said. It also presents a wide variety of diverse immigrant cultures. I think people enjoy that variety. While many groups have homogenized into an American culture, she said at least some members of those various ethnic and cultural groups have maintained their foods, in some cases their languages, and their music and dances. These people all have specific foods and pastries that theyre well known for, Asadorian said. Many of them have churches that are the focus of their culture, and I think that helps. The Lincoln Place neighborhood, roughly bordered by Illinois Route 3 to the west, Walnut Street to the east, Chicago Avenue and St. Louis Avenue, was originally settled in the late 1800s. Lincoln Place was originally called Hungary Hollow because Hungarians were among the first waves of immigrants to settle there. The area was also referred to as Hungry Hollow because those immigrants were generally poor. Later groups included Armenians, Macedonians, Italians, Mexicans, Russians, English, Scots, Germans and Bulgarians. In many cases, single men would come to the area and find work, then either send for their families or go back to the old country to find a bride. Most of the groups kept at least part of their national identity, including churches, stores, bars, newspapers and sometimes labor unions within factories; and Granite City had the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in North America. Around World War I, the neighborhoods name was officially changed from Hungary Hollow to Lincoln Place, part of a national trend to give patriotic names to things associated with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The association also holds a Taste of Lincoln Place food festival, and other events throughout the year. For information visit lincolnplaceheritage.wordpress.com or call 618-451-2611. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. The Safeguard Officer will mainlyoperationalize the safeguard monitoring plan, monitor implementation of theenvironmental and social mitigation measures, liaise with all relevantauthorities for proper and timely project implementation and carry out anyother duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the supervisor tomeet the future demand in line with company objectives. The InternationalLabour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency dealing with labourproblems, particularly international labour standards, social protection, andwork opportunities for all. The ILO has 187 member states: 186 of the 193 UNmember states plus the Cook Islands are members of the ILO. In 1969, theorganisation received the Nobel Peace Prize for improving peace among classes,pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technicalassistance to other developing nations. The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite... The 139th birth anniversary of E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar) was celebrated in many parts of Tamil Nadu, on September 17, with great fanfare. However, some acts of vandalism on his statues were reported in Chennai and Dharapuram in Tiruppur district. Periyar (1879-1973) is regarded as a great fighter against the caste system, superstitions and empty rituals. He was considered a proponent of rationalism, women emancipation and upliftment of the downtrodden. Both the Dravidian parties in Tamil Naduthe DMK and the AIADMKclaim their ancestry through him, and no politician in Tamil Nadu can dare criticise him. He started the self-respect movement and created the Justice Party, which later became the DK (Dravida Kazhagam). DMK was an offshoot of the same. However, in my opinion, the time has come for a fresh, objective and unemotional assessment of Periyar, and I am here presenting my own view. I do not dispute that Periyar fought against injustices in the society. But, this has to be coupled with the following considerations: 1. As is well known, the British policy in India was of divide and rule. Their efforts were directed towards sparking enmity between Hindus and Muslims (see, in this connection, B.N. Pande's speech in the Rajya Sabha, History in the service of Imperialism', and my article 'The truth about Pakistan'). They also strived for division along the lines of caste. Periyar constantly spouted venom against Brahmins and brahminism. "If you see a snake and a Brahmin, kill the Brahmin first": this was a statement famously attributed to him. Some have denied its authenticity, but there is no doubt that his hatred towards Brahmins was unparalleled, and it was not long before violence followed words. There were many incidents of attacks on Brahmins in Tamil Nadutheir tufts and sacred threads were cut offleading to a partial exodus of 'Tambrahms' from the state. I submit that, by dividing society along caste lines, Periyar was helping the British, whatever his motives may have been. There can be no denial that dalits were (and still are) treated disgracefully in our society. But the remedy is not to instigate hatred against Brahmins or other upper castes, but for dalits to join hands with the enlightened sections of the upper castes and jointly wage a struggle to put an end to this infamy. As I explained in a blog post 'The Caste System in India' (see on my blog Satyam Bruyat), the caste system, whatever be its origin, had evolved into a feudal occupational division of labour in the society, and every vocation became a caste. There was a small section of the society involved in intellectual work. They were the Brahmins, and their language was Sanskrit. There was no system of universal education in the feudal system, and the educated class in India was almost exclusively the Brahmins (just as in Europe, the educated people were mostly the priests, using the Latin language).So, the Brahmins, being the educated class, had a head start over the rest. When the British came to India, the Brahmins learnt English, gaining disproportionate representation in the bureaucracy, the judiciary, academia and other professions. So, it was not because Brahmins were intellectually superior to non-Brahmins, or because Brahmins were, by nature, tyrants, that dalits and others remained oppressed, and had far less job opportunities. There were historical reasons for it. 2. Periyar claimed to be a rationalist. That is true as far as his polemics on superstitions and empty rituals go. But, in his attacks on Hindu gods like Rama, whose picture he burnt at a Marina beach procession in 1956, he betrays a lack of scientific temper. What Periyar did not understand was that religion cannot be destroyed unless the social foundation upon which it rests is destroyed (see my blog post 'Taslima Nasreen is brave but stupid'). 3. Periyar wanted British rule in India to continue, and did not want India to become independent. He announced that August 15, 1947, would be observed as a day of mourning, since Dravidians would thenceforth be ruled by northerners and the Aryans who dominated the Congress party. 4. He wanted an independent Dravidistan, separate from north India, which he called Aryanstan. Had this happened, it would have been disastrous for the economy of Tamil Nadu. Presently, industries in Coimbatore, Karur and Erode sell their products in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. What would have happened to such industries and their employees if this market had been cut off? I think the time has surely come for a fresh, unemotional and realistic assessment of Periyar. Markandey Katju is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK Earlier this year, the Chinese government announced the most comprehensive and sweeping restructuring of its government institutions in decades. The reshuffle, which was officially passed by the National Peoples Congress (NPC) on March 17, 2018, created seven new ministries and affected the structure of almost every national-level government agency. With the changes, the tax bureau will become solely responsible for social insurance from 2019, instead of the HR bureau, which was previously responsible for it in many regions. The consolidation of responsibilities under a better-equipped tax bureau will increase Chinas capacity and willingness to enforce its social insurance regulations more uniformly. At the same time, China is working to reduce employers social insurance obligations, most notably via an April directive to local governments to formulate plans to reduce social insurance rates. Taken together, China is simultaneously increasing its capacity to collect social insurance while also decreasing the amount of social insurance that businesses need to pay. What should HR and payroll managers make of Chinas recent changes to its social insurance policies? Institutional reform Broadly speaking, Chinas institutional reform plan aims to streamline government agencies by eliminating bureaucratic overlap and making different agencies responsibilities more logical, as well as increasing the central government and Communist Party control over regional governments. The changes can be seen within the context of Chinese President Xi Jinpings idea of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, which he presented at the 19th Party Congress in October 2017. This idea espouses more strict and consistent enforcement of existing laws across the country, and less regional variation. The reform of the tax bureaus structure and responsibilities is a clear example of these policy priorities. Since China passed the institutional reform plan at the NPC, the government has released several notices outlining the new roles and responsibilities of various government agencies in greater detail. Among these announcements was the Plan for Deepening Reform of Party and State Institutions, released by the Chinese Communist Partys Central Committee on March 21, 2018. Article 46 of the plan provides that The basic endowment insurance premiums, the basic medical insurance premiums, the unemployment insurance premiums and other social insurance premiums shall be uniformly collected by the tax department. Article 46 makes it clear that the tax bureau is the sole bureau in charge of collecting social insurance premiums across the country. Previously, the 1999 Provisional Regulations for the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums provided that either the social insurance agency under the HR bureau or the tax bureau could collect social insurance premiums. This ambiguity resulted in considerable regional variation. Besides removing this ambiguity, other changes to the tax bureaus structure stand to increase its enforcement capabilities. Most notably, national- and local-level tax bureaus in all regions were merged, as of June 15, 2018. The consolidation of different levels of tax bureaus is another move to centralize and standardize their administration and should lead to less regional policy variation. Furthermore, Leading Party Groups within the tax bureau were altered to Party Committees, which increases the authority of Communist Party representatives, compared to state bureaucrats. Again, this change allows for stricter implementation of national-level policy. Additionally, compared to the HR bureau, the tax bureau is a larger and better-equipped agency for carrying out social insurance collection. Lowering social insurance premiums While changes to the tax bureau suggest that enforcement of companies social insurance obligations will become stricter, China is simultaneously lowering social insurance premiums across the country. As with the reforms to the tax bureau, the lowering of social insurance premiums can be understood within a wider policy context. A result of years of rapid economic growth, land and labor costs in China have greatly increased, outstripping gains in productivity. This has further slowed down the Chinese economy due to competition from lower-cost jurisdictions like Vietnam and Indonesia. To deal with these issues, China has been undertaking a multi-year campaign to improve its business environment and lower costs for employers. For example, earlier this year, China pledged to cut taxes for businesses and individuals by RMB 800 billion (US$116.51 billion) in 2018, including by reducing its value-added tax (VAT) rates. In China, employer social insurance contributions are a significant expense for businesses and therefore, another area that the government has targeted for cost alleviation. On April 20, 2018, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance jointly released the Notice on Continuing to Reduce Social Insurance Premium Rates Periodically, which came into effect on May 1, 2018. According to the notice, local governments shall make specific plans to reduce social insurance rates. Since then, several regions have followed through. For example, on May 17, 2018, Shanghai issued a circular to reduce social insurance rates in the city including reducing the employment insurance basic rate in several industries by 50 percent, effective from May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019. Besides reducing costs on businesses as a means to stimulate the economy, the lowering of social insurance premiums works in concert with the changes to the tax bureau. Thus while China is signaling its intent to take social insurance violations more seriously, it is also lowering the bar for businesses to comply. Doing so widens the tax base and encourages compliance among companies that previously may have skirted their obligations because of high costs. Steps HR and payroll managers should take The changes to Chinas social insurance policies mark a logical opportunity for businesses to conduct an internal HR and payroll compliance review. Chinas social insurance system consists of five different kinds of insurance pension, medical, unemployment, maternity, and work injury as well as a housing fund. Contribution rates vary widely according to the region, but the average contribution rate for employers is 37.25 percent of the employees salary. Theoretically, all businesses in China should already be contributing social insurance in accordance with the law. In practice, however, some companies might have agreements with employers that contravene social insurance rules. For example, in the past it was not uncommon for employers to pay employees a higher salary in exchange for reporting a lower salary for them on paper, meaning the employers total costs would be reduced because of lower social insurance obligations. Even if an employee willingly agrees to such an arrangement, it is illegal and can expose the employer to a labor dispute. In other cases, an employer might agree with an employee to pay their social insurance obligations in a different city where the employer has another branch or subsidiary. This is another type of behavior that regulators may scrutinize more closely going forward. Failure to comply with social insurance regulations exposes employers to a variety of risks. If an employer does not make the full social insurance payments that they are obligated to pay, employees can terminate their employment contract without prior notice. Further, such an employee would have strong grounds to sue the employer in a labor dispute. This includes cases where there is evidence of an employee agreeing to an arrangement that would skirt social insurance obligations. Additionally, regulators might deem repeated violation of social insurance regulations as seriously dishonest behavior, which could expose businesses to fines, blacklists, and potentially harsher penalties. Businesses that already believe themselves to be compliant are also advised to conduct an HR health check to ensure their affairs are in order as they face tighter scrutiny. Businesses should analyze, among other things, salary and overtime payments, social insurance contributions, work hour systems, work safety requirements, and annual leave and holiday policy. Further, already-compliant businesses located in regions where social insurance was collected by the HR bureau should prepare to create a positive working relationship with the tax bureau. Businesses can contact their local tax bureau to check in on updated policies and ask questions. Businesses should also note that, given the ongoing restructuring of government institutions, there may be a transition period where local bureaus themselves might be unsure of some of their new processes and responsibilities. From a broader cost perspective, while reduced social insurance obligations will lower costs for employers, businesses should note that labor costs in China will continue to be on an upward trajectory. Workers in Beijing, for example, now make an average of about RMB 8,500 per month, and wages will rise year-on-year. However, stricter enforcement of social insurance rules may help level the playing field between Chinese and foreign companies. Historically, domestic companies have been more likely than foreign companies to skirt their social insurance obligations, resulting in lower costs for the former. Now, both foreign and domestic companies will be under greater pressure to comply with not only social insurance obligations, but many other laws and regulations that were previously enforced sporadically or inconsistently. This article was originally published in the September 2018 edition of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Managements Human Resources Magazine. Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of allegedly raping a nun at a convent in Kerala, will move the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail on Tuesday. The move comes as the Kerala Police has summoned the Jalandhar bishop for questioning on Wednesday. Last week, the Kerala Police had asked Bishop Mullakal to appear before the investigating team on September 19. Mulakkal had assured cooperation during the course of the probe. The decision to summon the clergyman for questioning was taken last week after a meeting chaired by Sakhare, IG (Ernakulam range), which was also attended by Kottayam District Superintendent of Police Harisankar and Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K. Subhash, amid mounting pressure on police to initiate action against Mullakal. With pressure mounting, Bishop Mulakkal, had on Saturday handed over charge of his duties and responsibilities to his fellow priests. On Monday, it was reported that he had written to Pope Francis, asking to be relieved of his responsibilities of the diocese. Mulakkal denied the rape charges raised by the nun in the letter to the Pope. He also stated he was cooperating in the legal procedures. Meanwhile, the protest in Kochi by a group of people, including nuns, seeking action against Bishop Mulakkal has entered the 11th day on Tuesday. On Monday, the sister of the victim nun began a hunger strike at the same venue. There was intense speculation on Tuesday about whether Delhi Congress unit president Ajay Maken had resigned from his post owing to health reasons after it became known that he has gone abroad for treatment of an ortho-neurological problem that had affected his spine. The news of the 'resignation' was, however, rebutted by the Congress. P.C. Chacko, AICC in-charge of Delhi, said Maken had informed the party leadership about going on leave for treatment of his health condition, and that he would soon come back. Maken was especially deputed by party chief Rahul Gandhi to head the Delhi unit as a generational change was effected, with former chief minister Sheila Dikshit having to make way for the younger leader. There is no resignation. Mr Ajay Maken continues to be Delhi Congress president, Chacko said. According to Chacko, Maken is scheduled to come back on September 22, and will resume his charge. Maken has gone to Singapore for a health check-up, he said. However, there is uncertainty with regard to when Maken can resume work. According to sources, Maken had been suffering from an ortho-neurological issue for the past few months. His spine was affected, and this affected his posture and has made it difficult for him to stand or walk for long durations, said a close aide of Maken. Maken took over as Delhi Congress president in March 2015, following the party's washout in the Assembly elections in which it failed to win even a single seat. The journey so far for Maken as head of the Delhi Congress has been a tough one, with the party failing to make a comeback in the capital. After the Congress's highly disappointing show in the municipal elections, Maken had offered to resign, owning responsibility for the poor electoral outcome for the party, but Gandhi asked him to stay on. The uncertainty with regard to Maken's level of engagement with political work comes at a time when there is speculation on whether the Congress would ally with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party for the Lok Sabha polls, in line with the thought that the opposition parties should unite against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. Maken is believed to be staunchly against any tie-up with the AAP. He is of the view that the Congress's vote share has gone up over the last three years, while the AAP's popularity has decreased. Maken is of the view that in such a situation, aligning with the AAP will do the Congress more harm than good. Two years ago when Musquiqui Chihying went to Togo he was surprised to find that the first museum of African art he visited in the country was established by a Chinese collector, which evoked the visual artist's interest in Sino-African history. The Taiwan native, who's family name is Peng but doesn't use it in public, gives himself the name Musquiqui Chihying. Living both in Taipei and Berlin, he is presenting his take on the subject with an exhibition in Beijing. The ongoing show that began on Aug 25, displays videos, photos and installations. From Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) explorer Zheng He's voyage to what now is Kenya to China's late premier Zhou Enlai's diplomatic visits to 10 African states in the 1960s and a Chinese collector's donation of African sculptures to the National Museum of China in the 2000s, Chihying has also tried to show Sino-African exchanges through short videos made with documentary techniques. "Some stories in my works are not real but imagined, based on facts," Chihying, 35, says. In his 15-minute video, The Guestbook, the artist films his Togolese friend visiting three locations in Berlin with past associationsone of which is a massage parlor, which used to be the site of an early Chinese restaurant near which Zhou had stayed during a visit to the German city in 1923. Chihying "made up" a story about Zhou often eating at the restaurant for the video. In his installation, Culture Center, he has reimagined a set of coins that celebrates Sino-African ties, which was inspired by his visit to some museums and theaters built by Chinese companies. "Chinese companies not only help build roads in Africa, they also help build cultural institutions," he says. Chihying has made an artwork inspired by five buildings related to culture that were built in Africa by Chinese companies, including theaters and museums, he says. On a side of this artwork he has drawn five animals considered auspicious in Chinese mythology, such as the turtle and the carp. His other two artworks, The Mask and The Sculpture, draw inspiration from Chinese collector Xie Yanshen's private museum in Togo's capital Lome that shows African art collected from across the continent. From 2007 to 2011, Xie donated about 5,000 pieces of African wooden sculptures to the National Museum of China. Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor for Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan. However, Union Minister and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal tweeted that Swaraj "reprimanded" Sidhu for "messing up" the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and accused him of "misusing" the political clearance granted to him in visiting Pakistan recently to attend Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony. "External Affairs Minister [Swaraj] reprimands Navjot Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance granted for private visit by hugging military Chief responsible for killing our soldiers," Badal tweeted. Sources said Sidhu met Swaraj along with another senior Congress leader and a former Rajya Sabha MP to discuss the Kartarpur Sahib issue with her. Sidhu had courted controversy by hugging Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and claimed that he did so as Bajwa told him that the Pakistan government was working on the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Russia announced one of its military aircraft, with 14 people on board, disappeared from radar near Syria at the same time Israeli and French forces were carrying out air strikes on targets in the war-torn country late on Monday night. The Russian defence ministry announced early on Tuesday that the IL-20 aircraft, used for electronic surveillance, was flying over the Mediterranean Sea about 35km from the Syrian coast when it disappeared. The Russian government added that the IL-20's radar trace disappeared when four Israeli F-16 fighter jets were attacking targets in Latakia province in Syria. The Russian government also claimed that its radars detected missiles being launched from the Auvergne, a frigate of the French Navy, which was in the region. Frigates like Auvergne can carry land-attack cruise missiles and have previously struck targets in Syria. The US government contradicted the Russian claims, with an official stating Washington believed the IL-20 was shot down inadvertently by Syrian air defences. The Russian government announced a rescue operation was launched to find the missing aircraft. While major powers such as Israel, the US and Russia have created 'hotlines' to share details of their operations in Syria, there have been concerns their military forces may strike each other inadvertently. In 2015, after Russia started its military involvement in Syria, a Russian SU-24 strike aircraft was shot down by a Turkish fighter near the Syrian-Turkish border. (With agency inputs) Lucknow, Sep 18 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday announced up to Rs 200 per quintal hike in the minimum purchase price for paddy while fixing the procurement target at 50 lakh tonnes (LT) for the current crop year. The state cabinet meeting headed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath fixed the purchase price at Rs 1,750 per quintal for common variety and Rs 1770 for A variety for this year against Rs 1,550 per quintal for common variety and Rs 1590 for A variety last year. "Paddy purchase target has been fixed at 50 lakh MT in the current fiscal and purchase price of Rs 1750 per quintal as price for common variety and Rs 1770 per quintal for A variety has been fixed. Besides additional Rs 20 per quintal will be paid to farmers for its cleaning," an official spokesman told reporters here. The purchase will start from October 1 and will continue till February 28, 2019, for different regions, he said. The purchase will be online, and besides FCI, 3,000 paddy purcahse centres have been established for the same. "For selling their produce, farmers will have to undergo online registration and their payment will be made with 72 hours directly in their accounts," he said. PTI ABN MR MR A collection of fossils returned from overseas has been displayed at a hotel in the city of Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, on Monday. The nine exhibits include fossils of Beibeilong sinensis, Gansu tortoise, confuciusornis, a smilodon skull, and manchurochelys, with huge value to scientific research according to fossil experts. The Beibeilong sinensis fossil, a kind of dinosaur egg excavated in Henan in 1993, attracted the most attention among visitors. Measuring 118 cm long, it dates back at least 86 million years and was overseas for more than 20 years. In 2013, the fossil was returned to China and displayed in the Henan Geological Museum. Since the fossil protection regulation went into effect in 2011, more than 5,000 fossils taken overseas have been returned to China, according to Wang Lixia, deputy director of the state expert committee on paleontology and fossils. After the display in the Yellow River Yingbin Grand Hotel, the fossils will be exhibited in Henan Geological Museum from Sept. 21 to the end of November. Los Angeles, Sep 18 (PTI) Winter arrived early at this year's Primetime Emmys as "Game of Thrones" took home the award for Outstanding Drama Series while newcomer "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" surprised with its clean sweep in the comedy category, including the top award of the Outstanding Comedy Series. "GoT", whose eighth and final season premieres next year, won nine awards while "Mrs Maisel" took home eight trophies. The popular HBO series bested last year's winner "The Handmaid's Tale" to score its third Emmy in the category after winning the honour for two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016. Claire Foy got the parting gift by winning the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for "The Crown". It is Foy's first win, a memorable moment for the actor, who has exited as Queen Elizabeth II from Netflix's royal drama after its second season last year. The role will be played by Olivia Coleman for the upcoming third and fourth seasons and Foy tipped her hat to her fellow nominees as well as the new cast. "I know everyone is talking at the moment about women in the industry, but if that's anything to go by, bloody hell. That's technically not swearing... I was given a role that I never thought I would ever get a chance to play. "And I met people who I will love forever. And the show goes on, which makes me so proud. So I dedicate this to the next cast, the next generation. I also dedicate this to Matt Smith," she said about the show, which also won Stephen Daldry the Directing for a Drama Series Emmy. Foy mouthed an "I love you" to "Killing Eve" star Sandra Oh, who was considered the strongest contender in the category. While drama category was more about saying goodbye to beloved shows and characters, Emmys recognised the new blood in the comedy category. "Mrs Maisel" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino made history by becoming the first woman to grab both Writing and Directing awards for a Comedy Series. Sherman-Palladino began her speech with a feminist joke, "Whoever put that carpet downs hates women. I just want to say that right away. Time's up, okay?" Rachel Brosnahan, who plays a New York City housewife-turned-stand-up-comedienne in the period series, won the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series trophy. In her speech, she thanked the show's team, her family and urged the audience to vote in the upcoming Mid-terms. "One of the things I love most about the show is that it's about a woman who's finding her voice anew... (So) vote, show up, and a bring a friend to the polls," Brosnahan said. Matthew Rhys and Bill Hader won in the lead actor categories in drama and comedy, respectively. Rhys, who just finished playing a Soviet spy in "The Americans", beat fan favourites - last year's winner Sterling K Brown and Milo Ventimiglia of "This Is Us" to score his first Emmy after three nominations. He thanked the show's creator Joe Weisberg and co-star and partner Keri Russell. "The woman who truly got me this award," he said. Weisberg and Joel Fields scored in the drama writing category for "The Americans". Hader, who won his first Emmy for comedy show "Barry", said he was surprised with the win. "Westworld" star Thandie Newton won the Supporting Drama Actress trophy for her performance as Maeve. "I don't even believe in God but I'm going to thank her tonight. I am so blessed. I am so blessed. Without this, I am even -" before covering her mouth as she almost dropped an F-bomb during the ceremony. This is her second nomination after last year and first win in the category. Peter Dinklage bagged his third Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for "GoT" and thanked his co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, calling him "my brother from another mother". As is with all things "GoT", the audience interpreted this expression of gratitude as a reference to one of the biggest fans theories. They have speculated that Dinklage's character Tyrion Lannister is actually a Targaryen. In one of the best speeches of the night, Dinklage criticised the showrunners for taking away his anonymity. "Thank you (creators David Benioff and Daniel Brett Weiss) for changing my life. I cannot walk down the street anymore. George (RR) Martin for creating this darn thing," he joked. In the comedy category, Amy Borstein took home the trophy of Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for essaying Susie Myerson in "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel". Borstein, who was presented the first award of the evening, informed the audience at the outset than she "went without the bra!" and later thanked the writers, the cast and her family for her second Emmy win. "Barry" star Henry Winkler won in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role of acting teacher Gene Cousineau. It was a long overdue win after six nominations, something that he pointed out in his speech. "I wrote this 43 years ago," he joked about his speech. Topics such as #MeToo and Time's Up continued to crop up throughout the night even though the ceremony was criticised for not living up to the diversity debate propagated in their opening musical number as only two of the 12 acting awards were won by people of colour. Colin Jost and Michael Che, hosts for the night, also made a reference to ousted CBS boss Leslie Moonves while invoking the #MeToo movement. "It's great to share this night with the many, many talented and creative people in Hollywood who haven't been caught yet," said Che. PTI RDS SHD BK BK BK Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Actor Shweta Tripathi, who features in Sonam Nair's "The Trip 2", says working with the female director made her happy and proud. Shweta had a great time working on Bindaas and Disney India's TV series, "The Trip" and now she is back with its season two. "It has been directed by female director, Sonam Nair. It was a different chemistry to have a female director. I feel very proud (to be directed by female director). One can count the number of female directors we have in the film industry. "I would want more women to be there and that doesn't mean I have a problem with men. We need that push and encouragement from each other," Shweta told PTI. The first season revolved around four childhood friends who go on a road trip in Thailand to celebrate a bachelorette party. "We don't see something made which revolves around girls. This is about four girls from different backgrounds, the story is so amazing that I couldn't turn it down," she says. For this season, Shweta, 33, says the reason for the trip is "crazier" and they will be shooting in India. The "Haramkhor" actor says for her, the real fun and challenge lies when she is given a character that is completely opposite of her real self. "We (characters) are drastically opposite so I enjoy that. My family knows what I want, she doesn't know what she wants. But my character finds that voice in season two. "In real life, I already know what I want. The less similarities the better and to explore yourself as an actor. Neeraj told me actors are lucky as we get to be different characters and live various lives. No one is similar." The series will start airing from October 5. PTI KKP RB RB Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Bollywood stars Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have been signed on to promote and endorse the Skill India Mission, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The actors will next be seen in "Sui Dhaaga - Made in India", a Yash Raj Films project, which salutes India's entrepreneurs and skilled workforce, including homegrown artisans, craftspeople and weavers. Varun plays a tailor named Mauji and Anushka essays the role of his wife and embroiderer Mamta. The duo will dedicate time to promote the skilled talent in the country. "Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma, through this unique film 'Sui Dhaaga - Made in India', are bringing to focus the incredible skills and talent of our homegrown artisan and craftsmen community. "It is really heartening to see actors like them doing a film that has such a significant social message. India is one of the youngest countries in the world; and it is a matter of great pride for us to see such dedicated and passionate skilled youth with entrepreneurial skills in our country who are bringing name and fame to the nation with their work," Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said in a statement. Led by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Skill India aims to standardise vocational training, which helps in creation of latest infrastructure, ensures industry partnerships to extend technology support to make the youth more employable. "Prime Minister Modi has displayed incredible vision and genuine foresight in aiming to organise, skill, train and give financial support and backing to our craftsmen, artisans and similar workmen. "We are proud to be promoting this campaign that we feel extremely close to like our movie 'Sui Dhaaga' that celebrates self-reliance and entrepreneurship," Varun said. Anushka added, "Skill India Campaign reflects the government's determination to include and support the talented skilled force of the country. While making 'Sui Dhaaga', we came across so many stories of talented, skilled crafts people and artisans who don't get a fair chance to showcase their talents." "Sui Dhaaga: Made In India", directed by Sharat Katariya, the film hit the theatres on September 28. PTI SHD SHD Peshawar, Sep 18 (PTI) A teacher and three students were electrocuted to death on Tuesday during the morning assembly at a school in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The accident occurred when the students were hoisting the national flag during their morning assembly when when the iron pipe came in contact with an electric wire resulting in their death, police was quoted as saying by the Geo News. Three students and a teacher were killed as a result, while another teacher and a security guard were injured as they tried to save the children. The injured are being provided with first-aid facilities. The students were of fourth, fifth and eighth grade respectively, police said, adding that investigations into the incident are underway. However, the school was immediately shut down for the safety purpose for the rest of the children. PTI AMS AMS AMS Seoul, Sep 18 (AFP) South Korea's president and the North's leader Kim Jong Un drove through the streets of Pyongyang together past thousands of cheering citizens Tuesday ahead of a summit where Moon Jae-in will seek to reboot stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the United States. Kim welcomed his visitor at Pyongyang's international airport -- where he had supervised missile launches last year as tensions mounted -- the two leaders of the divided Korean Peninsula embracing after Moon walked down the steps of his aircraft. The North's unique brand of choreographed mass adulation was on full display as hundreds of people on the tarmac waved North Korean flags and unification ones depicting an undivided peninsula. The South's own emblem was only visible on Moon's Boeing 747 aircraft. Thousands more people, holding bouquets and chanting in unison "Reunification of the country!", lined the streets of the city as Kim and Moon rode through in an open-topped vehicle, passing the Kumsusan Palace where Kim's predecessors -- his father and grandfather -- lie in state. The nuclear-armed North invaded its neighbour in 1950, starting the Korean War, and regularly stresses the importance of reunifying with the now far wealthier South. Moon -- whose own parents fled the North during the three-year conflict -- is on a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the summit "will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history." The first visit by a South Korean leader to Pyongyang in a decade is also the men's third meeting this year after two previous summits in April and May in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. Moon has been instrumental in brokering the diplomatic thaw that saw a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where Kim backed denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since over what that means and how it will be achieved. The US is pressing for the North's "final, fully verified denuclearisation", while Pyongyang wants a formal declaration that the 1950-53 Korean War is over and has condemned "gangster-like" demands for it to give up its weapons unilaterally. A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, repeated the description Tuesday, saying Washington was "totally to blame" for the deadlock and adding: "The US is stubbornly insisting on the theory of 'dismantlement of nukes first'." With Seoul and Washington moving at increasingly different speeds in their approaches to Pyongyang, Kim will look to secure more Southern-funded projects in the North. For his part the dovish South Korean president is looking to tie the two tracks closer together to reduce the threat of a devastating conflict on the peninsula. Moon will hold at least two rounds of talks with Kim and try to convince him to carry out substantive steps towards disarmament that he can present to Trump when he meets him later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "If this visit somehow leads to the resumption of the US-North Korea talks, it would be significant enough in itself," Moon was quoted as saying before departure. But analysts played down expectations. The meeting "will probably generate rosy headlines but do little to accelerate efforts to denuclearise North Korea", Eurasia Group said in a note. Kim would push for enhanced North-South cooperation "especially in areas that promise economic benefits for the North", it added. "Progressives inside and outside Moon's government will have strong incentives to inflate the summit's accomplishments, initially obscuring what will likely be a lack of major deliverables." Moon was accompanied by business tycoons including Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, and is scheduled to visit key sites in Pyongyang with his delegation. Moon -- whose poll ratings have been falling in the face of a struggling economy in the South -- has been pushing inter-Korean cooperation but South Korean media have urged caution, calling for such schemes to await substantial progress towards denuclearisation. "Quite a number of people are now fed up with the surprise events between the leaders," the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. "President Moon must head to Pyongyang with the resolve that the first, second, third agenda of this summit is denuclearisation." (AFP) AMS AMS Moscow, Sep 18 (AP) Russia's Defense Ministry says one of its reconnaissance aircraft with 15 people on board has been brought down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile over the Mediterranean Sea. Rescuers are searching for wreckage but do not expect survivors. The Russian military said on Tuesday that the plane was hit by accident by one of the missiles, which were aimed at four Israeli fighter jets that were attacking targets in the coastal province of Latakia late on Monday. Russia said the Israeli aircraft "pushed" the Russian plane into the line of fire. The ministry accused the Israeli army of "intentional provocation" and said Israel did not warn Russia of its operation in the area until one minute before the strike. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast.(AP) AMS AMS Los Angeles, Sep 18 (AFP) Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has come forward to accuse US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault more than three decades ago, is a clinical psychology professor whose academic work has been widely published. Ford, 51, teaches at Palo Alto University, south of San Francisco, in a consortium with Stanford University. According to an archive of her LinkedIn professional networking page, she has worked as a research psychologist at Stanford since 1998, and also taught psychology at Pepperdine University. In the private sector, she worked as a consultant to biotech companies in Silicon Valley, specializing in biostatistics. The articles Ford has published have addressed a wide range of topics, including depression and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina and earned a Master's degree in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University. She also earned a Master's in epidemiology and biostatistics at Stanford. Ford earned her PhD in educational psychology at the University of Southern California. Ford came forward with her allegation concerning Kavanaugh in July, when she sent a confidential letter detailing the alleged assault to her congresswoman as well as veteran Senator Dianne Feinstein. She spoke out herself on Sunday, telling The Washington Post that Kavanaugh and one of his friends -- both "stumbling drunk" -- pinned her down, groped her and tried to pull off her clothes. Kavanaugh also covered her mouth when she tried to scream. Ford was 15 at the time of the alleged incident and Kavanaugh was 17. Both were attending prep schools in the Washington area. "Now I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation," Ford told the Post. Ford said she had kept silent about the alleged incident until she and her husband were in couples therapy in 2012. Ford said through her lawyer on Monday that she was willing to testify in public about the alleged attack. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation, and 65 women who said they went to high school with him have signed a letter saying that in the 35 years they have known him, he has "behaved honorably and treated women with respect." A group of women who went to Holton-Arms, the prestigious private girls' school outside Washington, are circulating their own open letter that had garnered more than 200 signatures as of Monday. The signatories said they were grateful to Ford for coming forward and urged a "thorough and independent" investigation before any vote on Kavanaugh's nomination to the nation's highest court. "Dr Blasey Ford's experience is all too consistent with stories we heard and lived while attending Holton," the letter states. "Many of us are survivors ourselves." "Holton's motto teaches students to 'find a way or make one.' We dream of making a world where women are free from harassment, assault and sexual violence," it added. (AFP) RAX RAX Moscow, Sep 18 (AP) A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 people on board, the Russian defense ministry said Tuesday. It blamed Israel for the crash, saying the plane was caught in the crossfire as four Israeli fighters attacked targets in northwestern Syria. The Russian military said that the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was hit 35 kilometers off the coast late Monday as it was returning to its home base nearby. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Russian state television quoted a Defense Ministry statement as saying that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, that Israel is "fully to blame" for the deaths. The military said Israel did not warn it of its operation over Latakia province until one minute before the strike, which did not give the Russian plane enough time to escape. A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. Russian news agencies later in the day quoted the ministry as saying that a rescue team has located the wreckage in the sea and has retrieved some bodies and some fragments of the wreckage. Both the Israeli military and Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment on the Russian claim. For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Israeli military officials have previously praised its effectiveness. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and it has two military bases in the country, including one close to the Mediterranean coast. Russia's dramatic entry into the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of the Syrian government, after a year of airstrikes by the U.S. and its coalition partners against the Islamic State group, increased the specter of dangerous confrontations in the skies over Syria. Turkey's troops are also on the ground in northern Syria and are patrolling the skies over the region as Ankara seeks to ramp up its influence there and curb the expansion of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war. But it has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes against archenemy Iran and its Shiite proxy Hezbollah. Israel has also acknowledged attacking Iranian targets some 200 times. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in postwar Syria. Throughout the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained continuous contact with Russia. Netanyahu frequently travels to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Syria issue. Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and ex-deputy director-general at the Strategic Affairs Ministry, told Israel's Army Radio station that the shooting down is problematic both militarily and internally from a Russian perspective. "I think it will impose very serious restriction on Israel's freedom of activity," she said.(AFP) AMS AMS Islamabad, Sep 18 (PTI) Pakistan government and the Opposition on Tuesday unanimously agreed to form a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations of rigging in the July 25 general elections in which the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the single largest party. Major political parties like the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have alleged that the votes cast at various polling stations were changed behind closed doors after their polling agents were thrown out. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected the claims. The National Assembly or the lower house on Tuesday approved the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations of rigging in the July 25 general elections, Express News reported. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said to have the tacit backing of the powerful military, emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats in July 25 elections. The party's number rose to 125 after nine independent members joined it and the final tally reached 158 after it was allotted 28 out of the 60 seats reserved for women and five out of 10 seats reserved for minorities in the 342-member National Assembly (NA). Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi presented the motion and it was unanimously approved at the NA session called to approve amendments to the budget. "Government and opposition will have equal representation in the committee," he assured. Qureshi said that the committee chairman will be announced by the government after consultation with Prime Minister Khan. "The committee will comprise NA members and will not include any senator," he added. The committee will prepare terms of reference (TORs) for investigation and present recommendations for measures to ensure rigging is curbed during next polls, Geo News reported. Information Fawad Chaudhry said the committee will be independent and remove any doubts the opposition may have. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Shazia Marri took to the floor and demanded that the government and opposition should have equal representation in the committee. "The Leader of the Opposition in the NA should chair the committee to ensure the probe is transparent," she added. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurram Dastgir echoed similar sentiments and demanded that Leader of the Opposition in the NA be made head of the committee. In response, Qureshi said, "We do not want to keep anything hidden. It is the Opposition's right to protest and their reservations have been registered." "Transparent elections are essential for democracy," he said. He assured that the commission will be empowered. We have to move forward despite our differences," he asserted. Following the same demand from the PPP and the PML-N, the NA Speaker Asad Qaiser said, "Whichever committee I form, it will be in accordance with rules." In August, political parties held protests outside the ECP in Islamabad and in other parts of the country. Politicians have also raised the issue of rigging within the lower house earlier, with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto highlighting it in his first address to the National Assembly and the PML-N staging walkouts in protest. PTI AKJ AKJ The "Friendship Lasts Forever" music concert was held here Sunday afternoon, offering thousands of Americans the opportunity to enjoy Chinese and American music, culture and the opportunity to celebrate China-U.S. friendship. Over 1,000 performers from both countries, including top tenor, leading pop music artists, orchestra, choir and dancers in traditional Chinese attire, performed at the two-hour gala concert at the Pritzker Music Pavilion in the Millennium Park downtown Chicago. In the concert, there were American groups performing Chinese pieces and vice versa. Chinese tenor Dai Yuqiang sang with his daughter "I Love you so," duet from the "Merry Widow" and "Drinking Song," duet from "La Traviata." U.S. soprano Juliet Petrus presented Chinese song "Mayila Variation," which drew a thunderous round of applause. A 100-person-strong choir performed both the U.S. song "America the Beautiful" and the Chinese song "Descendants of the Dragon." With over 30 art troupes from six states in the U.S. Midwest, the concert symbolizes what it means to be unified, not only in the enjoyment of performing arts but also in the sharing of culture. "Humankind has many common languages, and music is one of them," said Charlie Chen, 47, who has lived in the United States for 18 years and runs a business of his own, adding that the concert is an efficient way for American people to learn about China. Illinois State Representative Teresa Ma hailed music as an "international language" that can help people understand each other quickly. "Illinois is proud to have such strong relationship with China," she said. The China-U.S. relationship is one of the most important relations in the world, said acting Chinese Consul General in Chicago Liu Jun. "We must manage it well." He hoped the friendship between the two countries will last forever. This is the second year in a row for such a concert to be staged in Chicago. New York, Sep 17 (AFP) Woody Allen's wife, Soon-Yi Previn, broke a long silence to defend the filmmaker against allegations of sexual abuse brought by his daughter, Dylan, speaking out on the running feud between her mother, Mia Farrow, and her husband. "What's happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust," Previn said in a rare interview with New York magazine published online late Sunday. Mia "has taken advantage of the #MeToo movement and paraded Dylan as a victim. And a whole new generation is hearing about it when they shouldn't," she said. In the article by Daphne Merkin, a longtime friend of Allen's, Soon-Yi discusses her difficult childhood with her adopted mother, portraying her as bad-tempered and abusive. "Mia described me as 'elegant,'" she is quoted as saying. "It was the only positive thing she said about me." She recalls Farrow, the star of Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Husbands and Wives," holding her upside down by her feet, believing the blood draining to her head would "make me smarter or something." "I do have a little learning disability," Soon-Yi is quoted as saying, discussing difficulties with spelling and homonyms. "I've never spoken about it, because Mia drummed it into me to be ashamed about it." Now 47, married for more than 20 years and with two children of her own, Soon-Yi was a 21-year-old college freshman in 1991 when she began an affair with Allen, who was then 56. Farrow, the director's longtime partner on screen and off, discovered the affair a year later, causing an angry public break that set the rest of the family against Allen and Soon-Yi. Soon-Yi tells Merkin she "regrets" that Farrow learned of the affair by finding nude Polaroids of her at Allen's apartment. "I think it would have been horrible for her," she said. But, she added, "You know, we were both consenting adults." Later the same year, Farrow, now 73, publicly accused Allen of groping her adopted daughter Dylan, who was then seven years old. Allen insists she invented the incident out of revenge for his affair with Soon-Yi. The accusation was investigated but no evidence was found to charge the director with child abuse. However, Farrow, who has had 14 children -- 10 adopted and four biological -- severed relations with Allen. Dylan revived the scandal in a television interview in January, insisting that her father molested her during a visit to the family home in Connecticut in August 1992, after the breakup. In a statement to New York magazine, Dylan said it was "offensive" of Soon-Yi to assert that she had been pushed to accuse Allen in the wake of the #MeToo movement. "This only serves to revictimize me," Dylan said. "Thanks to my mother, I grew up in a wonderful home." After the article's publication, Dylan also tweeted a statement signed by several of Mia Farrow's biological and adopted children, attesting that their mother has always been a "caring and giving parent." "We reject any effort to deflect from Dylan's allegation by trying to vilify our mom," it said. Ronan Farrow, a biological son of Mia Farrow and Allen who won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative articles in The New Yorker that helped propel the #MeToo movement, denounced Merkin's article as "shameful." "I owe everything I am to Mia Farrow," he tweeted. "As a brother and a son, I am angry that New York Magazine would participate in this kind of a hit job, written by a longtime admirer and friend of Woody Allen's," he said, adding, "Survivors of abuse deserve better." Allen, meanwhile, has been deserted by fans and actors, his fame as a director of classics from "Sleeper" to "Manhattan" and "Annie Hall" tainted by the scandal. Since the #MeToo movement gained force, actors like Colin Firth, Mira Sorvino and Greta Gerwig have apologized for having worked with Allen. "I am a pariah," Allen told Merkin. "People think that I was Soon-Yi's father, that I raped and married my underaged, retarded daughter." (AFP) RAX RAX Jerusalem, Sep 18 (AFP) Israel's military expressed "sorrow" on Tuesday for the deaths of crew members of a Russian military aircraft accidentally downed by Syria during an Israeli strike, but blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran. "Israel expresses sorrow for the deaths of the aircrew members of the Russian plane that was downed tonight due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire," a military statement said in Israel's first reaction to the incident. "Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident. Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organisation accountable for this unfortunate incident." It said the Israeli raid late Monday targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. Iran is Israel's main enemy, while it also fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel also disputed Russia's assertion that it used the aircraft that was later downed with 15 crew aboard as cover while it carried out the strike. "During the strike against the target in Latakia, the Russian plane that was then hit was not within the area of the operation," a military statement said. It added that "when the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, (Israeli) jets were already within Israeli airspace." "Extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire caused the Russian plane to be hit and downed," the statement said. (AFP) PMS PMS Beirut, Sep 18 (AFP) Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military aircraft, killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli missile strike, Russian and Israeli forces said Tuesday. The incident late Monday was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced a deal that offered millions of people reprieve from a threatened military assault in northern Syria. There was no immediate word from Damascus, but the deadly air war sequence started when Israeli missiles struck the coastal region of Latakia on Monday. Israel confirmed that it had targeted a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It expressed "sorrow" for the Russian deaths, but insisted the Russian plane had been felled by "extensive and inaccurate Syrian anti-aircraft (surface-to-air missile) fire". The plane downed by Syria's Russian-made S-200 air defence had a crew of 15, who were all killed, Moscow said. The Russian military claimed Israeli pilots had attacked Syrian targets by using "the Russian plane as a cover, exposing it to fire from Syrian air defences". But Israel denied the accusations, saying that "when the Syrian army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, (Israeli) jets were already within Israeli airspace." The Russian government stressed that the incident would have no impact on the fledging Idlib deal, but warned Israel of reprisals and summoned its envoy in Moscow. Syria state media reported late Monday "our air defences are countering hostile missiles coming from the sea towards the city of Latakia, and a number of them have been intercepted," it said, quoting a military source. Moscow had earlier said rockets were fired from a French frigate positioned in the same area of the Mediterranean. But the French military denied any involvement, with spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger telling AFP the frigate Auvergne "did not fire anything last night". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some missiles did get through the Syrian defences and struck ammunition depots at the site of the technical industries institute. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, said at least two fighters were killed and 10 wounded in the strike. "Two bodies were found," he told AFP, adding that he could not immediately confirm whether the casualties were soldiers or militiamen from the forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel has conducted frequent raids in recent months against Syria's military infrastructure, including against bases it believes host Iranian combatants. Earlier in September, Israel admitted carrying out 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months. The Syrian blunder came hot on the heels of a major deal announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in the Russian resort of Sochi. The two main brokers in northern Syria agreed to create a 15-20 kilometre-wide demilitarised zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops in the Idlib region. That would be achieved by October 15 and would entail a withdrawal of all jihadist fighters from the area. The demilitarised zone will be secured with the help of "mobile patrol groups of Turkish contingents and contingents of Russian military police," Putin said. By the end of the year, transport routes between the key port of Latakia and Aleppo as well as Latakia and the major city of Hama must be restored, he added. Iran, the third member of the so-called Astana process aimed at ending the seven-year civil war in Syria, praised the deal as an example of "responsible diplomacy." And the European Union said it expected the accord to "guarantee the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access". Damascus, which has regained swathes of territory thanks to deadly Russian-backed offensives in recent months, welcomed the Sochi agreement. Three million people reside in the Idlib region, the last significant chunk of Syria still held by rebels. The UN had warned that a fully-fledged ground assault aimed at completing Damascus's military reconquest could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe yet in a conflict that has killed more 360,000. (AFP) PMS PMS London, Sept. 18 (PTI) UK-based Nobel Prize winning biologist Sir Venkatraman (Venki) Ramakrishnan has called for a sensible post-Brexit immigration system to ensure that mobility of scientists is maintained when Britain leaves the European Union (EU). The India-born scientist, who as president of the UKs Royal Society is the countrys key advocate for science, warned that Britain is in danger of losing its position as a leading scientific hub in the event of a no-deal or bad-deal scenario in the ongoing negotiations on the countrys future ties with the EU. We in the Royal Society and the rest of the scientific community are working very hard to have a new sensible system for immigration that would be fast, transparent, efficient and with proportionate costs, said Prof Venki, as he is known. We plan to fight very, very hard to make mobility straight forward, regulations transparent and efficient so that this is less of an issue. This is a political fight, but we intend to do our best, he said at a Royal Society event in London on Monday. Sir Venki, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for his contribution to science, was joined by two former Royal Society presidents geneticist Sir Paul Nurse and astronomer Lord Martin Rees to warn that the political aspects of the Brexit debate threatened to drown out the interests of the scientific community. Venki, who was born in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, and went on to study biology in the US before moving to the UK 19 years ago, recalled a fairly simple process he underwent at the time. The requirements today are so onerous that they act as a barrier, he said. The current immigration system for non-EU migrants is utterly not fit for purpose. It is onerous, it puts people off, it costs too much money. The present political drivers for Brexit have very little sympathy for these arguments because of the anti-immigration impact, noted Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London. The latest intervention by Britains scientists comes at a time when British Prime Minister Theresa May is getting ready to present her so-called Chequers strategy to the EU, which is based on a common rulebook approach to trade. The scientific community is calling on her government to retain a close association with European science, in the form of a closest possible associate membership within the overall deal with the EU. We feel that we are at a crossroads for British and European science as a result of the current negotiations that are going on There is a lot of talk about various issues around Brexit and we are worried that in all these talks and negotiations, somehow science should not take a back seat, said Prof. Venki. If science loses, everyone loses, he added. The Royal Society warns that a no-deal or bad-deal Brexit means the UK stands to lose access to over GBP 1 billion a year in EU research funding, access to new medicines and technologies, regulatory alignment, access to highly-skilled scientists as well as reputational damage as an open and welcoming country for talent. Countries depend on reputation for their science because we live in a global marketplace for talent and if we are perceived as an open society, thats welcoming to the best of world, then that enhances science and that is good for everybody, said Venki. PTI AK RAX RAX Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) The Maharashtra police Tuesday said it has given instructions to its unit commanders to assess the threat perception and provide necessary security to the activists and politicians on the hit list of the accused arrested in the Nallasopara explosives seizure case. "We have issued instructions to the police commissioner offices and police superintendent offices to assess the threat perception and provide security to these activists and political leaders," a senior police official said. The unit commanders will analyse the threat perception and accordingly provide security to these people, he said. The Maharashtra ATS, which is probing the Nallasopara explosives seizure case, had told the sessions court that one of the arrested accused, Avinash Pawar, had carried out reconnaissance of several people, including Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of slain rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, social activist Shyam Manav and NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad. The accused had also monitored their day-to-day activities, the police had said. The Maharshtra ATS has arrested at least 10 people since August 10 from various parts of the state and seized huge cache of explosives and arms from the accused. Some of the accused were allegedly linked to radical Hindu groups, the ATS had said. Among other things, they were planning to target a western music festival in Pune, it had said. PTI DC NP IND IND Kolkata, Sep 18 (PTI) In a tit-for-tat attack, the Trinamool Congress Tuesday questioned the BJP for winning 96 per cent of seats uncontested in the by-elections to three-tier panchayat polls in Tripura. The Mamata Banerjee-led party's attack comes after the saffron party had mocked the TMC for winning over 30 per cent of local bodies seats unchallenged in West Bengal recently. The ruling BJP has won around 96 per cent of the over 3,000 seats in gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads without contest in the by-elections of three-tier panchayat polls in Tripura scheduled to be held on September 30. "Why is the BJP silent about its victory? When we had won seats uncontested they had moved court accusing us of unleashing violence, but now they too have won seats uncontested. What would they say now?" asked State Minister and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "Those who live in glass house should not throw stones at others. If TMC wins uncontested then it is due to violence but if BJP wins then it is a victory of democracy. The BJP and opposition parties should stop come up with such childish logic." Reacting to TMC's allegations, the BJP said not a single incident of violence was reported during the panchayat polls in Tripura. "The TMC should not mix both the elections. Unlike panchayat elections in West Bengal, you cannot show a single incident of violence in the rural polls in Tripura," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told PTI. BJP Tripura spokesman Mrinal Kanti Deb told PTI that their candidates won uncontested due to "spontaneous" support of the people and that it has no comparison with the scenario in West Bengal where the poll was allegedly rigged. Elections were held in phases for 48,650 posts in gram panchayats, 825 posts in zilla parishads and 9,217 posts in panchayat samitis in West Bengal. The ruling TMC won about 34 per cent seats uncontested in May. The BJP and CPI(M) had moved court demanding cancellation of elections at uncontested seats. The Supreme Court in August turned down the pleas. It, however, took note of allegations and said the aggrieved candidate may file election petitions to challenge panchayat polls in courts concerned. The CPI(M), which is the opposition party in Tripura and West Bengal, said TMC and BJP are different sides of the same coin and it is expected that they will follow the same kind of strategy when fighting elections. "The TMC and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. They are engaged in breaking each other's records in terms of percentage seats won uncontested," CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said. PTI PNT JOY SNS IND IND New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The Congress Tuesday said External Affairs Minster Sushma Swaraj should come out with her "version" of what transpired during the meeting with Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to end the controversy over their discussion regarding the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. While Sidhu claimed that Swaraj gave him an assurance that she will write a letter to the Pakistan government on a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, just four kilometres from the Indian border, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal made the counter-claim that he was reprimanded by the external affairs minister for meddling in what should be discussed between the two governments. Responding to a question over the controversy, Congress' communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said, "We would like to hear from Sushma Swaraj rather than source-based story being planted by the BJP, as to what transpired in a conversation between two people that is Sushma Swaraj and Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu." The Punjab government minister has given his version, why does not the external affairs minister also give "her version" or issue a statement to put an end to the controversy. "Do the naysayers even realise how important a place of pilgrimage the Kartarpur Saheb corridor is for the minority Sikh community. Instead of berating Sidhu, should not the prime minister be ensuring that our Sikh brothers and sisters are permitted to have 'darshan' of a place which is important for Sikhs?" Surjewala said. He said the Congress expects the government to be not so "prejudicial" to the minority Sikh community. Sidhu may have intent, but he does not have the authority to open or not open a corridor, and the responsibility for that finally lies at the doorstep of the prime minister and the Ministry of External Affairs, Surjewala said. "They should publically say they will not permit any Sikh to go and have 'darshan' or go to 'Guru Ghar' as we call it. No problem -- I am sure Sidhu Saheb will stop at that," he said. "Why should BJP continue to nurture animosity for a person whom the defence minister also says is extremely popular cutting across lines of different political shades?" Surjewala said. His remarks came after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Sidhu's gesture of hugging Pakistan's army chief impacted soldiers back home and asserted that the Punjab minister could have "avoided it". "Sidhu has a lot of admirers...somebody of that stature going there and then hugging the chief of the army, an army about which in India we have very clear feelings, it certainly has an impact on soldiers..., it demoralises the people. I wish Sidhu would have avoided it (hug)," she said during an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corp (IWPC). PTI ASK GVS New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The Centre has not quashed any proceedings against the Adani Enterprise Limited, a senior government official Tuesday claimed. He rejected charges made by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh that the government has protected Adani and his businesses. Ramesh had Monday alleged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has tried to save industrialist Gautam Adani whenever a probe is launched against him and cited a Rs 6,500-crore alleged scam relating to the purchase of power appliances. He had asked PM Modi whether his government would appoint a special counsel to defend the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for accepting its Letters Rogatory (LRs) to seek information on the alleged Rs 29,000-crore scam in over-invoicing of coal imports by industrialist Gautam Adani-led group from Singapore. "It is factually incorrect that whenever a probe is initiated on Adani Enterprise Limited (AEL) the probe is immediately quashed by the Government of India. On the contrary, three show cause notices involving various transactions were issued during 2014 to 2016," a senior government official claimed. The government sources said notice(s) were issued to Adani Enterprise, out of which two notices were adjudicated by the competent authority in favour of the company. The other cases are still under the process of investigation/ adjudication, he said. "The Government of India has not intervened in any matter relating to tariff of power purchase agreement of the Adani Enterprise Ltd. in Gujarat. The issues of power purchase agreement with the Government of Gujarat and the burden on citizens pertains to the domain of the Government of Gujarat and may be clarified by the Government of Gujarat," the official said. PTI SKC SKC DIP DIP New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) A 53-year-old woman has been arrested by customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country 900 grams gold by hiding it in her rectum, according to an official statement issued Tuesday. She was intercepted on her arrival from Bangkok on Monday. "Her personal search resulted in recovery of two pieces of gold, crudely given a cylindrical shape, from her rectum, total weighing 900 grams, having market value of Rs 27.54 lakh," the statement issued by the customs said, adding that the passenger has been arrested and the gold seized. She also admitted to have smuggled 700 grams gold valued at Rs 21.42 lakh in the past, it said. PTI AKV SMN The Chinese TV series "Story of Yanxi Palace" has become a trend among Chinese viewers. In the 32 episode, noble consort Gao, one of the women that Emperor Qianlong loves, wants to present a breath-taking show for Qianlong's mother to celebrate her birthday. The show in the TV series is called "Wan Zi Qian Hong," which means "a blaze of color". The original show is called "Dashuhua", or molten iron throwing, not only can be seen in TV series, but also in Zhangjiakou city, Hebei province near Beijing. "Dashuhua", which has a history of 500 years, has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage in Hebei province. The most recognized one now is in Nuanquan. Many blacksmiths couldn't afford fireworks in ancient Nuanquan, while the rich around them could easily celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival or Lantern Festival via setting off fireworks. However, those blacksmiths were inspired by the sparks of the iron, they poured molten iron on the brick walls above the castle gates, and when it bounced back, it looked like splendid fireworks. With the super exciting atmosphere, the arresting "fireworks" created by blacksmith attracted many local folks who couldn't afford real fireworks, to watch it, developing the tradition that during the Spring Festival or Lantern Festival, the rich celebrate the festivals via fireworks while the regular folks celebrate it by "Dashuhua" until today. In the early beginning, "Dashuhua" was taken place on a castle wall in Nuanquan, however, with the number of viewers getting more and more, people there built a large square to hold it. The main characters of "Dashuhua" show are three masters who are over 40 years old, wearing straw hats and wearing sheepskin coats inside out. When the hot liquid iron melts the night before is poured into the pot in front of the wall, a master picking a wooden spoon comes in, as long as the white spoon in his hand reaches into the molten iron, the liquid spring up immediately. As a master pours a spoonful of liquid iron with more than 1,600 degrees Celsius over the wall, the pearly golden and red drops burst into a shower of golden sparks, like little umbrellas, making the viewers marvel at the amazing scenery. To make it more spectacular, masters usually pour the hot liquid one by one to save their energy to present it further for the viewers. If you believe it is an easy performance, then you might change your mind when you know how it is prepared. The collected waste irons weigh more than 500 kilograms and they must be melt in a furnace for half an hour with the strong fire, and the wooden spoon made of willow roots should be immersed in water for days and then dried by light fire to make it strong enough not to be burned. The show has high requirements on the master's arm strength, skills, and great courage as well, for a green hand, it is easy to be burned. The show today in Nuanquan is always accompanied by many folk performances like singing, lantern dance, paper-cutting, etc., but for the artists, the most critical section is to worship the furnace before a performance, as they put it that respect should always come first. Ahmedabad, Sep 18 (PTI) As many as 1,000 farmers affected by the proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train submitted affidavits in the Gujarat High Court Tuesday, voicing their opposition to the project. A division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi is hearing five petitions challenging the land acquisition process for the high speed rail project. Besides these petitioners, 1,000 farmers submitted separate affidavits in the high court to make a point that many more cultivators are affected by the Centre's ambitious Rs 1.10 lakh crore project and are opposed to it. In the affidavit, the affected farmers from various districts of Gujarat, from where the bullet train route will pass, stated that they do not want acquisition of their land for the project. They also said that the existing land acquisition proceedings are contrary to guidelines of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that has provided soft loan to the Indian government for the project. The farmers alleged that the Gujarat government diluted the Land Acquisition Act 2013 after Japan entered into a contract with India for the bullet train in September 2015, and that the state amendment itself violates JICA guidelines. They told the court that neither their consent was taken, nor any consultations were done with them while initiating the land acquisition. They said the social impact assessment for rehabilitation and resettlement is also not being discussed by the government and that the agencies have undertaken "unknown proceedings" (with farmers are not aware of). During the hearing, the central government sought more time to file a reply. Notably, the Supreme Court had directed the high court on August 10 to expeditiously hear matters of the bullet train-affected farmers. Farmers' lawyer Anand Yagnik told reporters that the high court is unable to hear the matter as since the last five weeks, the Centre has been consistently seeking time to submit the reply. "These 1,000 affected farmers will be approaching the Supreme Court with a prayer to stay the project. We will mention the matter before the apex court Wednesday for an urgent hearing," Yagnik said. In their petitions filed in July, the five farmers, all from Surat district, said since the project extends to more than one state (Gujarat and Maharashtra), the Centre is the "appropriate government" to acquire the land for it. Another contention of the petitioners is that the market value of the land was not revised, as required under Section 26 of the Land Acquisition Act. The petitioners have also challenged the Gujarat Amendment Act 2016 which tweaked the 2013 law. It gives "unbridled and unfettered powers" to the state government to exempt any project "in public interest" from the social impact assessment (SIA), they said. The state government, in its reply, said since the width of land to be acquired for the project is just 17.5 metres, the resettlement issues are minimal. The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September last year. The bullet train will run at a speed of 320-350 kmph, and have 12 stations across its 500 km stretch. For the project, around 1,400 hectares of land will be acquired in Gujarat and Maharashtra, 1,120 hectares of which is privately owned. Around 6,000 land owners will have to be compensated. PTI KA PD GK SNE SNE Kochi, Sep 18 (PTI) Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, Tuesday filed an anticipatory bail application in the Kerala High Court, claiming that the allegations against him were a "cooked up" story to "wreak vengeance" against him. The bishop moved the anticipatory bail plea apprehending arrest in the non-bailable offence a day before his appearance before the special investigation team of the Kerala Police Wednesday in connection with the case. The 54-year-old clergyman claimed that the allegations levelled by the nun, serving in a congregation under the Jalandhar Diocese, is "wholly concocted and cooked up only to wreak vengeance" for the actions taken by him on various complaints received against her. Claiming innocence, the bishop also said the complaint was "nothing but a fictional story" by the nun. The nun had accused the senior catholic priest of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016. The bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted," insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours. Mulakkal had on Saturday handed over the administrative charge of the Jalandhar Diocese to a senior priest. PTI COR TGB ROH ANB ANB No dissent in Cong; media reports baseless,says Siddaramaiah Bengaluru, Sep 18 (PTI) Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who heads the coordination committee of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government,today rubbished reports of dissent in the Congress and said media reports of it were 'baseless.' "There is nothing, no discord. Whatever is coming in the media does not have even an iota of truth.... It is totally baseless," he told reporters after meeting the Jarkiholi brothers. Congress has been hit by internal dissent, triggered by a faction of MLAs led by minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is locked in a turf war with another minister D K Shivakumar. The Jarkiholi brothers' activities have led to speculations that BJP was fishing in troubled waters and was in touch with them to dislodge the government. The siblings are upset over Shivakumar allegedly trying to challenge their supremacy in Belagavi district through MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar. Siddaramaiah said there are six ministerial posts to be filled and many aspirants for the posts, leading to speculation in the media about dissidence in the party. The former chief minister claimed that BJP was trying to destabilise the government as many MLAs have said that some people from BJP had approached them. "It is true that the BJP is trying to destabilise this government. They have given up all the civility to come to power.There is no discord in our party,"Siddaramaiah asserted. The chief minister said he along with Satish Jarkiholi and senior party functionaries would leave for Delhi Wednesday to meet party chief Rahul Gandhi to hold discussions on filling the six ministerial posts. Tomorrow, I will not discuss about the cabinet expansion. We will expand the cabinet at an appropriate time.. nobody has complained about the delay in expanding the ministry," he said. Earlier in the day, Satish Jarkiholi called on chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jarkiholi said he had discussions about issues pertaining to the development of Belagavi and his community and nominations to the boards, corporations and the legislative council. Another demand discussed was that one person from the scheduled tribe from Ballari should be made a minister. "There is no discord as being made out," he said. PTI GMS APR APR Ghaziabad, Sep 18 (PTI) As part of operation chakravyuh, the police seized 1,186 errant vehicles, including 28 buses, in a period of four hours here Tuesday, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said the special drive was carried out in the entire district, and police personnel were deputed at all major points for the checks. In total, 767 vehicles were fined. Last week operation T campaign had been launched against vehicles running without permits and valid documents. Yesterday, 1,138 illegally run autos and tempos were impounded. More that Rs one lakh was accrued in the form of fines, the SSP added. PTI CORR IND IND Saharanpur (UP), Sep 18 (PTI) Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Tuesday called on Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUEH) president Arshad Madani at the latter's residence in Saharanpur's Deoband. Bhim Army national president Vinay Ratan was also present at the meeting that lasted for around 20 minutes. A spokesperson for the Bhim Army told PTI-Bhasha that it was Azad's "private meeting" with Madani. "No political speculation should be drawn from the meeting. It was only a private meeting," Ajay Gautam said. Azad was released from jail last Friday. He was arrested from Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie in June last year in connection with the May 5 caste violence in which one person was killed and 16 others were injured at Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur. The Allahabad High Court had granted him bail on November 2, 2017. However, police booked him under the stringent National Security Act days before his release. Under the NSA, he was to be detained till November 1. Hours after his release, Azad said he will ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is routed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. PTI CORR CK Jammu, Sep 18 (PTI) Three persons were detained here and handed over to Income Tax (I-T) officials after Rs 9.48 lakh was seized from them, police said Tuesday. Basharat and Abdul of Srinagar, and Rehmatullah of Banihal were handed over to I-T officials for further action, a police spokesman said. "Following the seizure of the money and sustained questioning of the persons, the matter was taken up with higher ups," he said "As the matter pertained to the Income Tax Department, they along with the money were handed over to I-T department for further action," the spokesman said. He said a police team stopped a private car coming from Srinagar towards Jammu on Monday evening at a check point at Manwal near Jjajjar Kotli. During frisking, the team seized Rs 7 lakh from Basharat and Rs 2.48 lakh from Abdul, the spokesman said. PTI TAS ANB ANB Ahmedabad, Sep 18 (PTI) Former Gujarat Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela Tuesday expressed his desire to play the role of a coordinator between regional parties to forge an "anti-BJP" front in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Vaghela said though he has not been approached by any regional outfit for coordination, his supporters have urged him to unite such parties to create an "anti-BJP" front ahead of the polls. The former Gujarat chief minister said, "My supporters are of the opinion that I should play the role of a coordinator to unite various regional parties which are against the ruling BJP. Even I felt that better coordination is needed between parties." The 78-year-old politician was talking to reporters in Gandhinagar after a meeting of his supporters. "I am not in favour of a Third Front. In an election, its always one versus another. There are always two players. My idea is to create a second front. I am talking about an alliance of various parties, though ideologically opposite, which would take on the BJP by coming together," he said. To explain his point, he gave the example of the CPI(M) and the Congress, which are against each other in Kerala and West Bengal, but want to fight against their common opponent the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. "I firmly believe anti-BJP votes must never get divided. Thus, my intention is to unite regional parties such as the TRS, the TDP, the CPI(M) and the NCP, and clear their differences in order to give a united fight to the BJP," said Vaghela. He claimed BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, who represents the Gandhinagar seat in the Lok Sabha, has expressed his desire to contest the polls in 2019 too. "I met Advani and many other leaders during my travel across the country recently. Advani told me that he will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Gandhinagar," claimed Vaghela. Commenting on reports about his growing proximity with Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, Vaghela claimed he is not joining the NCP or any other party. Notably, Vaghela's son Mahendrasinh Vaghela, who was a Congress MLA till 2017, recently joined the BJP. Vaghela, a former Union minister, himself was with the BJP till 1998. The Kshatriya strongman had quit the Congress after the Rajya Sabha polls last year and floated 'Jan Vikalp', a third front, ahead of the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls. However, all the 100-odd candidates of the new front lost the polls held in December. In August 2017, Vaghela, then the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, along with seven other Congress MLAs had reportedly cross-voted in favour of the BJP candidate during the Rajya Sabha polls and then resigned from the party. Despite the cross-voting, Congress candidate Ahmed Patel narrowly won the contest by defeating BJP nominee Balwantsinh Rajput. PTI PJT PD RSY GVS New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The AAP Tuesday said its Haryana unit chief Naveen Jaihind could not articulate his views properly while condemning the BJP government in Haryana for allegedly trying to bury the Rewari gang rape case. Jaihind, the husband of Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal, Tuesday provoked a controversy over the alleged gang rape of the 19-year-old woman in the state, saying "he will give Rs 20 lakh to any BJP leader who gets sexually assaulted by 10 people". He made the remarks in Rohtak while condemning the BJP government in Haryana for giving only Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the Rewari gang rape victim. "The government thinks it can bury the issue by offering a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the victim but it will not happen. Jaihind was trying to raise this issue only. Maybe the way he articulated it was not proper,"senior AAP leader Atishi Marlena told reporters. When contacted, Jaihind said that he stands by his comments. "I stand by what I have said. You cannot disrespect any woman in society. The victim or her family are not asking for money, all they want is justice," he said over the phone. The 19-year-old woman, a Class 12 topper from Rewari, was abducted from a bus stop in Mahendragarh district Wednesday. She was allegedly drugged and gang raped in an agricultural field, police had said. Police have arrested three persons, including one of the prime accused, in connection with the incident. Two key accused are on the run. PTI VIT TDS GVS New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) JNU students' union president N Sai Balaji hit out at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her statement alleging there are forces in the varsity which are "waging a war" against India and said she herself has not answered questions on Rafale deal. Sitharaman's comments came days after candidates backed by Left groups won all four key posts in the JNU Students Union elections and clashes took place between members of the RSS-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA). When asked about developments in the JNU, she had said, "There are forces which are waging a war against India and it is they who are also seen with elected representatives of students union. That makes me feel uneasy." "The kind of things which have happened in the last few years (in JNU) are not really encouraging at all. It is very different to have a party whose ideology you may not agree with. But the way in which they were probably got led by forces which are anti-India," she said. "They are waging a war against India, say pamphlets. Their brouchers say that. Such people leading the JNUSU or JNUSU members openly participating with such forces, you do not need to hesitate to say anti-India, therefore," Sitharaman said. The JNUSU president attacked the government, saying "The government wants the country to talk about the national versus anti-national debate. They want to divert attention from the real issues - the Rafale deal, the Jio university, unemployment." Sitharaman, who herself, is a product of the JNU, has not answered questions "why Ambani was helped in the Rafale deal". "They want to end public-funded education and encourage corporatisation while the common man talks about nationalism and anti-national elements," he added. On February 9, 2016, an event against Afzal Guru's hanging was held on the JNU campus during which "slogans against the country" were allegedly raised, propelling the varsity to the centre of a countrywide debate on nationalism. A JNU panel had in 2016 recommended rustication of Umar Khalid and two other students and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kanhaiya Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event. Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. Their arrest had triggered widespread protests. PTI SLB DIP DIP An exhibition of Beijing-style qipao and related products was held in a high school in Shijingshan district on Sept. 16. More than 20 intangible cultural heritage enthusiasts ranging from 12 years old to 60 took part in it. It was organized by Great Seed, a global community platform targeting all people interested in intangible cultural heritage to communicate, share, experience and inherit intangible cultural heritage worldwide. Zhang Fenglan, the fifth inheritor of Beijing-style qipao culture, introduced the exhibited qipao, including blue and white series, ink series and bride gown series, designed and made by Zhang and her team. She said the Beijing-style qipao with less slit in the sides was more solemn and dignified than the Shanghai-style qipao. In the cultural creative products zone, Zhang shared some cultural exchange stories about the products. She said she designed a product with the colors of Chinese and Thai national flags for Thailand when she went there to hold an exhibition of Beijing-style qipao and related products. When asked about the difference between her and her masters, she said that she could innovate qipao style according to the aesthetic and demand of the masses. After the introduction, Zhang led the participants to the handwork area to experience the process of making a bud by using cloth and cotton. Many participants had handwork experience, some of them were even designers, and some of them had participated in similar activities several times. So the handcraft was relatively easy for them. A dress designer said the reason why she took part in the activity was that she wanted to know more about Chinese clothes, since she always made Western-style clothes. The 12-year-old girl said she was interested in Chinese culture, and wanted to participate more in future. There is still some good money to be made from investing in supermarket groups, according to German investment bank Berenberg. The venerable institution understands fears of a 'bloated market', given that the listed Big Three food retailers Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons have all seen their share price soar over the past year. But Berenberg's analysts, who remain bullish about the sector, reckon there are three key reasons the strong run can carry on for a while yet. First up is that price competition 'is now normalising' after several years of price wars. Second, the threat of online is becoming less of an issue for supermarkets. And lastly, High Street retailers such as Poundland are now giving back some of their market share which for years they had pinched from supermarket. Berenberg thinks Tesco up 0.3 per cent, or 0.8p, to 235.1p and its top pick in the sector should continue to benefit from 'strong growth' in its Booker division after recently taking over the wholesaler. Sainsbury's should continue to improve heading into the second half, boosted by synergies peaking from its acquisition of Argos. As for Morrisons, the bank's analysts hiked their price target to 250p from 210p as they forecast a 9 per cent rise in underlying earnings in the second half of the year, compared with 4 per cent in the first. The investment bank still has Morrisons as a 'hold', while it has 'buy' recommendations on Tesco and Sainsbury's. Morrisons shares were up 0.5pc, or 1.4p, to 258p, while Sainsbury's added 0.2 per cent, 0.5p, at 321.7p. Overall, however, investor weren't doing much shopping in the market on Monday, with the FTSE 100 index closing 0.03 per cent, 1.94 points, lower at 7302.1, while the broader FTSE 250 index lost 0.01 per cent, or 1.48 points, at 20374.39. Elsewhere among the blue-chips, Credit Suisse cut its target price for mobile phones giant Vodafone, citing recent foreign exchange movements and commentary from a management presentation, leading to lower forecasts for headline earnings and free cash flow. The Swiss bank reduced its target for Vodafone target by 10p per share to 225p, but still retained a positive 'outperform' rating on the stock and the shares managed to gain 0.4 per cent, 0.64p, at 168.08p. But broker comment weighed heavily on FTSE 250-listed software firm Sophos Group, which dropped 4.5 per cent, or 23.5p, to 494p as worries that competition in the cyber-security world is hotting up led Deutsche Bank to downgrade its rating to 'hold' from 'buy'. Further down the market, Frontera Resources fell 10.1 per cent, or 0.04p, to 0.31p as the AIM-listed oil and gas exploration company is in a dispute with a hedge fund YA II PN Ltd over the conversion of preferred shares into ordinary shares. Another AIM faller was Premier African Minerals which shed 20.5 per cent, or 0.04p, to 0.14p on news Cadence Minerals has opted not to press ahead with its planned investment in the Zulu Lithium Project At the end of June, the two parties agreed in principle for Cadence to take up to a 30 per cent stake in the project for up to $5.1m. But Cadence confirmed on Monday that it had been unable to agree final terms on the deal with Premier, which said it will provide a further update on alternative strategies for the development of Zulu over 'the coming weeks'. On the up, AIM-listed oil and gas exploration company Clontarf Energy surged 170 per cent, up 0.34p, to 0.54p after it resolved issues with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation related to a contract to develop the Tano 2A Block. And Anglo Asian Mining jumped 11.1 per cent, or 5p higher to 50p as recent exploration work at its Gedabek open-pit gold mine proved successful. Elon Musk as admitted Tesla is in 'delivery hell' amid complaints from customers over delays. Musk, 47, has recently pulled out all the stops to hit the car maker's target of producing 5,000 a week, including building vehicles in a tent in the car park of its California factory. Troubles: Musk has recently pulled out all the stops to hit the car maker's target of producing 5,000 a week But Tesla is facing troubles getting cars to buyers. Responding to a complaint from a customer about her delivery being repeatedly delayed, Musk tweeted: 'Sorry, we've gone from production hell to delivery logistics hell, but this problem is far more tractable. We're making rapid progress. Should be solved shortly.' Bosses of Australian retailer Wesfarmers were given pay-offs worth more than 500,000 each when they left following the business's disastrous takeover of Homebase. Former managing director Richard Goyder, 58, and finance boss Terry Bowen, 49, left Wesfarmers last year. On the move: In May 2018, Wesfarmers sold DIY chain Homebase for 1 after buying it for 340m in 2016 In May 2018, Wesfarmers sold DIY chain Homebase for 1 after buying it for 340m in 2016 and struggling to stem mounting losses. Analysts said the takeover had been an 'unbelievable disaster' and Wesfarmers failed to judge the UK market correctly. Wesfarmers annual report reveals Goyder got a termination payment of 529,033 while Bowen was handed 518,916 and the payments were made 'principally in relation to contractual notice period and in support of a restraint'. Their overall pay packets fell as poor performance dented share awards. Goyder received 1.4m, down from 5.5m, while Bowen received 1m, down from 3.6m. Researchers of China's Longmen Grottoes are watching closely the investigations into a stone Buddha head removed from an auction in New York, which may be from the UNESCO world heritage site, reports Henan Daily. The Buddha head listed on Sotheby's auction on September 12 has triggered disputes recently. According to Sotheby's catalogue, the Buddha head, 70 centimeters high, is believed to date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), with an estimated price of 2 to 3 million US dollars. It was tabbed from a private collection. A photo taken by Japanese scholars in 1920s and published in 1941 shows a statue at the Longmen Grottoes with a head very similar to the Buddha head put up for auction by Sotheby's. [Photo: Henan Daily] However, it was later found that the item highly resembles the head of a Buddha statue at the Longmen Grottoes, as shown in a photo taken by Japanese scholars in the 1920s at the grottoes. It is estimated that the head of the Buddha statue in the photo was stolen between 1920 and 1949. The item was then removed from Sotheby's catalogue before the auction. According to a South China Morning Post report, Sotheby's is reviewing the case. A staff member from the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute said the fracture surface, profile and style of the Buddha head put up for auction by Sotheby's, as shown in released materials, are features very similar to those of a cultural relic stolen from the grottoes. However, confirmation can only be made after checking the Buddha head itself. Researchers have made field investigations at the grottoes and will closely follow the development of the matter and collect related information, said the staff. If the Buddha head is confirmed to be from the Longmen Grottoes, they will move for its repatriation to China, the staff added. The Longmen Grottoes in central China's Henan Province was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 for tens of thousands of Buddha-related statues carved in cliffs at the site. Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Read More China's central bank governor has called for continued efforts to expand the opening-up of the country's financial sector in a proactive and orderly manner. While China has made some progress in the financial opening-up, there is still room for improvement to meet the need of the sector's development, said Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, in a book published to mark the 20th anniversary of Chinese Economists 50 Forum, an academic organization. "Sectors that are more open tend to be more competitive, and less open sectors usually lag behind and accumulate more risks, as proved by the experience from China's reform and opening-up," Yi wrote in the book. He urged further easing restrictions on foreign equity, forms of establishment, and qualification of foreign shareholders of financial institutions. Law-making and policy-making should be more transparent to create a better environment for foreign-funded financial institutions, Yi noted. The Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect programs should be improved, and the Shanghai-London stock connect program should be launched as early as possible, he said. More efforts are needed to deepen reform of the RMB exchange rate formation mechanism, so that the market plays a more decisive role in the exchange rate and the yuan has more flexibility in fluctuation, said the governor. He also called for more convertibility of the yuan under the capital account and better macro-prudential regulation over cross-border capital flows, as well as an enhanced regulatory framework and stronger financial infrastructure that match the pace of financial opening-up. "Expanding the financial opening-up will inject fresh vitality into China's financial sector, help boost its overall competitiveness, and achieve higher-level, more profound and healthier development," said Yi. WHITEMARSH Shortly after 3 a.m. Sept. 9, police were dispatched to the White Marsh Meadows section of the township for a domestic incident. A woman came home to find that her husband had changed the locks to their residence. The woman told police she had had an affair earlier this year and her husband got upset and changed the locks after finding out she had gone over to the other mans house that night for business reasons. Police made contact with the husband who said he understood that he couldnt legally lock his wife out; he just wanted to teach her a lesson. Attempted burglary WHITEMARSH At 12:38 a.m. Sept. 12, police received a report of a burglary at the Lukoil gas station and convenience store, 7 Ridge Pike. Although the initial report said that the stores window had been shattered, police arrived to find the window scuffed and scraped, but intact. It appeared that someone had tried to throw a brick through the glass but entry was never made into the store. Police are reviewing surveillance camera footage from the time of the incident. Dog bites man WHITEMARSH On Sept. 13 at 2:24 a.m., police were called to the 5100 block of Campus Drive for a reported animal bite. The victim said he was walking on the property when a pit bull ran up and bit his forearm causing a deep laceration. A witness stated the dog was being walked without a leash. The dogs owner, who was outside collecting scrap metal, said the dogs shots were up to date but had no paper work to prove it. Police informed the owner that he needed to quarantine the dog until the animals status, which was later confirmed, could be determined. The victim declined hospital treatment and the dog owner was cited for walking the dog without a leash. Hotel harassment WHITEMARSH On Sept. 14, police responded to a complaint of harassment that had occurred over the weekend at the Holiday Inn, 432 Pennsylvania Ave. An employee told police a guest spoke to her and touched her inappropriately. She said he first grabbed her forearm and began speaking disparagingly about his ex-wife. Then, she said, he became irate and started yelling and cursing when she told him he could not purchase beer after midnight. Later, the man reportedly touched her buttocks and the buttons on her shirt while making lewd comments to her. Police and hotel security are reviewing surveillance tapes to determine who the guest was. Wife charged with assault of husband PLYMOUTH Police were dispatched to the Homewood Suites, 200 Lee Drive, for a domestic disturbance that occurred around 6:30 a.m. Sept. 8. A hotel employee told responding officers a female guest had just left the lobby covered in blood. A few moments after officers arrived, the woman came back to the hotel. She told police the blood was not hers, but her husbands, who was injured in a fight they just had. Police went to the couples room to speak to the husband who was bloodied from several facial cuts. The husband told police he sustained the injuries when his wife punched him repeatedly during an altercation but he didnt want to press charges. The woman was arrested and charged with simple assault. Outlaw in-law charged with assault PLYMOUTH On Sept. 12 at 3:45 p.m. police responded to the 1600 block of Gallagher Court for a domestic disturbance involving a mother and daughter.-in-law. The caller the son and husband of the two women said his wife attacked his mother with a broomstick. Both the husband and his mother told police the wife started the argument, then went into the mothers worship room and began to damage a shrine. She then, allegedly, picked up the broomstick and struck her mother-in-law in the face with the handle. The mother-in-law had a red bruise on the right side of her face and complained of a chipped tooth. The daughter-in-law was charged with simple assault and harassment. Man charged with stalking car dealer PLYMOUTH A Collegeville man has been charged with stalking, criminal trespass and harassment after ignoring repeated orders to stay away from a local car dealer. On Sept. 12 at 2:40 p.m. the man entered Conicelli Toyota, 550 Ridge, Pike looking for an employee. According to the criminal complaint, state and local police had repeatedly advised the suspect not to show up at the business or the employees home following two incidents in August. Husband faces abuse-related charges CONSHOHOCKEN Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of West 5th Avenue around 11 p.m. Sept. 14. Officers arrived to find a woman bleeding from a deeply lacerated bottom lip. When questioned by police about how she sustained the injury, the victim said her husband bit her but he didnt mean it. Officers spoke to the husband, who was reportedly highly intoxicated. He told police I may have kissed her too hard. The woman was taken to an area hospital where she received multiple stitches. Her husband has been charged with aggravated and simple assault as well as reckless endangerment. Chinese investments in Africa have assisted African countries with independent development, according to a recent report by a leading Chinese think tank. The "China-Africa Direct Investment and Cooperation" report was jointly compiled by the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies and the Bureau of International Cooperation. According to the report, Chinese investments in construction helped African countries reduce the cost of building houses, roads, railways and bridges, while enhancing their capabilities to manage, operate and develop infrastructure through technical cooperation and training. Chinese enterprises employed an increasing number of local workers in infrastructure projects and selected African staff in key positions to attend training in China, the report said. China's investments in manufacturing in African countries have gradually shifted from "made in China" to "jointly made in China and Africa," the report read, citing an estimation that China's greenfield investments in Africa covered 77 manufacturing projects from 2003 to 2014, with a total volume of 13.3 billion U.S. dollars. The report listed more than 20 cases to illustrate how such investments enabled African countries to master new technology and improve manufacturing and exports. For example, Chinese company Good Time Steel Company Zambia Ltd. built a steel rolling mill in Zambia with 26 million U.S. dollars. The steel produced met market demand and was exported to surrounding countries. The report also analyzed challenges to Chinese investments in Africa from various perspectives and offered advice for China to expand its investments. Since 2016, China's direct investment in Africa has surpassed 8 billion U.S. dollars, according to an article by Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan in the People's Daily on Aug. 31. The article said that since 2016, China had secured more than 200 billion U.S. dollars worth of new contracts with African countries, making Africa its second largest overseas market for contracted projects. If you are a Pennsylvania resident and have not checked recently, you might be surprised what is involved in registering to vote. Do you have a Smart Phone an iPhone or Android? Do you have an Internet connection? Can you go on line? If so, there are easier ways to register than the paper form, although the paper application is still good. Here is where my thoughts wander at this time of year and my prior background as a high school social studies teacher takes over. For all matters regarding registration and voting, Pennsylvania has a handy site that can be accessed both by Smart Phone the aforementioned iPhone or Android or any phone that can get on the Internet and also by computer. Just go to www.votespa.com. As the site indicates, VotesPa can help you find your polling place, check your registration status, register online to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, and more, according to the website. Here are some things you need to know: There is a deadline to register to vote The last day to register to vote before the Nov. 6, 2018 election is Oct. 9, 2018, approximately three weeks from todays date. If you are already registered, unless something has changed you are probably OK, but you can also go to www.votespa.com to check your registration status to make sure you are properly registered. In order to register to vote in the Nov. 6, 2018 election, you must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Pennsylvania at least 30 days before the election; and you must be at least 18 years old on election day. The application will ask you why you are applying. You need to check one of the selections. The alternatives are: new registration, change of name, change of address (Note: If the change was a move from another state to Pennsylvania, indicate new registration), change of party, and federal or state employee registering in last county of residence. Have your Pennsylvania drivers license or PennDOT ID with you when you are completing the information. If you do not have one, then you will be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number. There is a telephone number you can call if you have any questions. It is 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772). Absentee ballots have deadlines. If you know you will be out of the area on election day, Nov. 6 and cannot vote at your polling place, or you are physically unable, you might qualify to vote with an absentee ballot. However, you must apply in advance for the ballot and you must be the one to return it to the County Voter Services department either in person or by mail. The process for absentee ballots is: * Complete the paper absentee ballot application and indicate the reason why you cannot get to the polling place on election day. * Send the absentee ballot application to the County Election Office. Except for members of the military, the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is one week before the election. * If accepted, you will receive the absentee ballot. Once you receive the absentee ballot you need to mark the ballot following the instructions; sign and place the ballot in the secrecy envelope and then into the official envelope; return the ballot so it arrives at the County Election Office on time. For the next election the last date to complete the request for the absentee ballot is Oct. 30. The last date when it must be received back at the County Election Office is Nov. 2. As you can see, the absentee ballot process is time consuming and it is best to submit the necessary forms earlier rather than later. We are currently within the time frame to request an application for absentee ballot. There are special rules for military and overseas voters. An additional handy tool can also be found on the www.votespa.com site to locate your polling place. Go to the polling place search tool and type the county of your residence, city, street name and house number and zip code. If you have any difficulty, contact your County Election Office or Voters Services. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. SCHENECTADY - Pat Smith wants to see more summer and after-school programs to keep wayward youngsters off the streets in her Mont Pleasant neighborhood. Camille Sasinowski lives in Goose Hill but wishes there were a mobile police command center in the community to foster a more friendly relationship between police and people. Marva Isaacs is hoping Hamilton Hill gets a grocery store. The three women, president of their respective neighborhood associations in Schenectady, are excited about the prospects of an ambitious initiative by a local foundation that is challenging people to come up with viable ideas to make their part of the citya better place to live. "This idea of a challenge is: come forward with your best ideas on what would make your neighborhood or some part of the city a more livable place, a better, a healthier or safer place," Schenectady Foundation Executive Director Bob Carreau said Monday. He noted the idea is not a new one and has been successful elsewhere. "The downtown has been well developed and is strong so let's see what we can stimulate with a grant program out in the neighborhoods of Schenectady." The kickoff of the first phase of the "Thriving Neighborhoods Challenge" is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Electric City Barn at 400 Craig St. Carreau said the philanthropic group, which partners with nonprofit organizations, has been more conscious about providing more grant money for reviving neighborhoods. He said the city is chipping in $100,000 through the community development block grant program, the foundation will contribute a six-figure amount that he refused to divulge, and several private investors are donating money into a thriving neighborhoods fund. After Tuesday's launch, organizers will embark on a tour across the city to discuss the challenge, Carreau said. The foundation will review the submitted proposals and will give a presentation to the challenge council of community stakeholders before making a recommendation to the foundation board of directors, which will pick the winners in January and determine how much money they receive. He said the foundation may also conduct focus groups and surveys. The winners will be paired with a nonprofit to help bring their ideas to life, said Carreau. "We're really trying to use both the passion of citizens and then the organizational strength of some of the nonprofits," said Carreau. Smith said her big ideas, which she has already shared with foundation staff, are geared toward providing more activities for teens. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "If you can change these kids' attitudes that there's more to life than hanging out in the streets and getting into trouble, you will within 10 years change the attitude of the neighborhood," said Smith. Sasinowksi loves what she has so far learned about the challenge especially the fact that the ideas will come from people who live in the Schenectady. "The neighborhoods are the people that know what goes on and what the needs are," said Sasinowski. In 2014, the foundation along with its partners awarded $1 million to nonprofit groups aimed at getting upwards of 1,000 needy people jobs and providing them with the support to stay employed while making the areas where they live safer and more stable. On Monday, Carreau said success of the challenge at hand will ultimately be measured in many ways, including getting projects done "so that there is something visible." Much harder, he said, will be determining "the impact of the challenge itself" and stimulating "more people to come forward and get involved. "We feel it can be a big uplift for the neighborhoods, creating more of a sense of community," said Carreau, A Lego store will be opening in Crossgates Mall in November. The store will feature a kid-chic design, innovative displays and consumer-friendly play areas, according to a press release. LEGO stores feature an assortment of product and each store features three key design components. The "Pick & Build Wall", the most popular store feature, offers the option to handpick and purchase specific LEGO bricks and elements in a variety of colors and shapes in bulk. The "Living Room" is an interactive play area in the center of the store, giving consumers a chance to get "hands-on, minds-on" with LEGO products. Finally, a "Brand Ribbon" runs the circumference of the store, featuring LEGO model displays, company history and facts to entertain guests. Kingsbury Sterigencis, which operates a medical device sterilization plant outside of Queensbury, says the facility does not pose a public health risk after a federal report issued last month was highly critical of toxic emissions at two of the company's facilities outside of Chicago. Like dozens of medical sterilization plants that Sterigenics operates around the country, the Queensbury plant uses ethylene oxide, which the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health considers a potential occupational carcinogen, which is a workplace chemical that can cause cancer. Sterigenics, which employs 30 people at its Queensbury facility, is a subsidiary of Sotera Health in Broadview Heights, Ohio. "We are confident that all of our facilities operate safely without presenting health concerns for any communities," Kristin Gibbs, chief marketing officer at Sotera Health, told the Times Union. Ethylene oxide is the most common chemical used to sterilize surgical kits and it is also commonly used to sterilize other medical equipment, which is loaded onto pallets and sprayed with ethylene oxide in special chambers. "We use state of the art emissions control technologies for the ethylene oxide sterilization services we provide," Gibbs said. "Our sterilization services are critical for safe healthcare and infection prevention." Last month, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a report that concluded that "an elevated cancer risk exists for residents and off-site workers" in Willowbrook, Ill., where Sterigenics operates two sterilization facilities. "These elevated risks present a public health hazard to these populations," the report, which was done by HHS's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, concluded. Willowbrook is a small suburb of Chicago with a population of 8,500, although 19,271 people live within one mile of the Sterigenics buildings, a radius that also encompasses four schools and a day-care center, according to the HHS report. After the publication of the report, Sterigenics defended its environmental and public health track record and said that the company was in "full compliance with its environmental permit" and did voluntary upgrades at the Willowbrook facilities that reduce ethylene oxide emissions by 90 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also been been involved. Two years ago the EPA dramatically changes its view on the potential cancer risk of ethylene oxide and began meeting with HHS earlier this year about potential sites that should be studied more because of the changes. The Sterigenics site in Willowbrook was one of those that was studied more closely. "Sterigenics understands that, based on a recent assessment by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the U.S. EPA regional staff believes Sterigenics' Willowbrook operations may present possible health risk," Sterigenics said in a statement issued Monday to the Times Union. "Sterigenics has serious concerns about whether the ATSDR report accurately reflects risk in Willowbrook." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The Willowbrook facilities use at least ten times more ethylene oxide than the Queensbury facility, which is technically located in the town of Kingsbury, just outside of Queensbury. Gibbs, the Sotera executive, said that the Queensbury sterilization plant is also subject to higher emission standards than even the federal EPA air requirements. "The Sterigenics Queensbury facility meets and exceeds stringent New York state air permit requirements," Gibbs said. Town of Kingsbury officials were concerned last year about what could happen at the Sterigenics plant in the case of a power outage. The local Sterigenics plant manager, Justin Fitzpatrick, as well as an environmental health and safety executive with the company, Kevin Wagner, spoke to the Kingsbury town board back in August 2017 about what happens at the plant during an outage. They told the town board that the facility was safe, even during such an event. "Mr. Wagner stated there are plants all over the world like the plant in Kingsbury and outages have occurred in the past, sometimes as long as a week," according to the minutes from the Aug. 21 Kingsbury town board meeting. "Because they run under a vacuum with the gas in the chamber, they can hold for a long time." Cohoes When I was a cub reporter working in Biddeford, Maine, a politician I covered taught me a valuable lesson. This guy was a powerful figure in that small mill city, a former mayor, and he was often dishonest. But he spoke with such force and conviction that his lies didn't matter. People believed him. He was that good. Heck, I usually knew when he was being dishonest, but I would catch myself nodding along as he delivered long and vehement monologues. There's something within us that wants to believe people who really seem as though they are telling the truth. That's how demagogues gain power. But just because a person seems as though he or she is speaking honestly doesn't mean that's the case, and it's a mistake to allow someone's apparent conviction to outweigh other evidence. That brings me to Shawn Morse, who on Monday gave an extraordinary press conference designed to address the domestic violence allegations that have dogged him for nearly a year. It was vintage Morse. The mayor of Cohoes was combative at times and emotional at others. He said he has been treated unfairly by this newspaper. He said he will not resign. Most importantly, he said there is no truth to the allegations. "I've never laid my hands on my kids even when I punished my kids," Morse said. "I've never laid a hand on any woman in my life." Morse has many supporters in Cohoes, and I will not be surprised if many of them became more convinced of his innocence after watching his performance. I would not be surprised if many who have never stepped foot in Cohoes feel the same way. Nobody in local politics speaks with more force and conviction. But to fully believe Morse, you have to ignore way too much. A former girlfriend says Morse repeatedly physically abused her in the 1990s. Assemblyman John McDonald, a former Cohoes mayor, says he saw Morse grab a different girl by the hair and drag her from Marra's Pharmacy in the city's downtown. "There's no question who it was," McDonald told me unequivocally in December. "There's no question that it happened." There's more, sadly. Much more. In an affidavit obtained by the Times Union, Morse's wife, Brenda, accused her estranged husband of assaulting her throughout their 19-year marriage. Brenda Morse also called 911 last November to report that the mayor grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the ground during an argument. She filed a new complaint on Friday accusing Shawn Morse of grabbing her and spitting at her outside the Denny's on Wolf Road. There are also child protective services reports with allegations that Morse regularly used physical violence against his younger daughter, now 16. He pulled her hair, threw her to the ground, choked her and punched her in the head, the reports say. This is serious and alarming stuff, and when Morse was pressed on it all Monday, his response was that all his accusers are lying. He's asking us to take his word over theirs. That's tough to do. In fact, it would require serious gullibility. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. I won't get into all the details here, but Morse used the press conference to say, essentially, that his family has been wrecked by drug abuse and mental illness. Much of what he said was difficult to hear because it was so deeply personal. Morse even played a recording of a recent argument he'd had with his wife. "These are hurtful, heart-wrenching things to share," Morse said, calling himself "a broken man with a broken family." More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse There is a political component to this, of course, given that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for Morse's resignation in response to a Times Union story with new and troubling details of alleged abuse. Cuomo, as the top Democrat in the state, was not wrong to call out a member of his party. But the governor's involvement also risked overshadowing new details in the allegations against Morse and may allow many to ignore them. To listen to Morse, the former chairman of the Albany County Legislature, he is being treated unfairly only because he's in politics. "If I were not the mayor of a city working every day to improve other people's lives, nobody would care," he said. That ignores how Morse seems to have benefited from controlling the police department called to investigate him. And it ignores that elected office comes with higher standards and special responsibility. There is, after all, the real likelihood that Morse's continuing saga will hurt his city. Still, the mayor insisted he's not going anywhere, saying only Cohoes voters have the right to eject him from office. And he said it with all the force and conviction a person could muster. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill ALBANY - The Albany Firefighters union is the first of 12 unions in the city to secure a contract through 2022. The Common Council approved transferring $131,444 from the fire departments hospital and medical insurance retiree budget line to pay for a 1 percent retroactive increase for the 250-member union from Aug. 14 through the rest of the year. The Albany Permanent Professional Firefighters Association Local 2007 previous contract had expired at the end of 2017. They had gone into arbitration earlier this year, but the union and city officials were able to strike a deal, city budget Director Michael Wheeler said. I think what really pushed this (contract) in particular was that on the previous contract, fire coming in with two zeros and no retro, really set them up for this, Wheeler said. The new contract provides a 1 percent raise in 2019, and 2 percent raises each year from 2020 to 2022. It also includes an additional holiday, according to the council budget amendment resolution. The contract was ratified by the union earlier this month after successful negotiations in August. The key to reaching agreement was a negotiation that tied together two simple objectives: meeting the needs of the taxpayers and the union membership, said union president Robert Mengel in a news release. Each of our members know that when we respond to an alarm we are making a difference in the lives of those we serve, and those who care about them. We also know, that while on duty and off, the women and men of the department are committed to the well-being and safety of one another. Of the 12 unions the city administration negotiates with, most are working under current contracts that expire at the end of 2019. But some of the unions in the Albany Police Department have been working on expired contracts for some time, buoyed only by arbitration awards given when union leadership and the city cant come to an agreement. When I came into office we didnt have any completed contracts. That was pretty typical, Mayor Kathy Sheehan said of when she first took office in 2014. Were trying to shift it so that the norm is we have labor peace, people have certainty in knowing what their salary is going to be, and we have the ability from a budgetary standpoint to plan for it going forward. Albany officials say the key to successful negotiations with the firefighters is having a good working relationship with union leadership that approaches city administration when theres an issue. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. We developed that relationship over time. We stand ready to develop that same relationship with union leadership throughout the city, Sheehan said. We want to have candid, open conversations about how we work together with our labor unions to ensure that we can balance a city budget every year. They play a really important role in that. Wheeler and Sheehan both emphasized that constantly being in negotiations or having to spend large chunks of money through arbitration awards, isnt a good scenario for the city or union members. We want to do multiyear budget planning and being able to have contracts certainly helps us to do that, Sheehan said. The other piece of this is it gets these raises into our employees pockets when they are earned, so that were not left with a big retro (payment) that were making. For the Albany Police Officer's Union Council 82, the latest award doled out earlier this year was less than what the city had offered the union, but union leadership said the members voted it down. They wound up with no raises given for 2014 and a 1 percent increase for 2015 that wasnt effective until Dec. 31, 2015 through the arbitration award. It cost the city about $600,000 upfront. Wheeler said the city continues to negotiate with the police officers union to address 2016 and beyond. The police departments supervisors also work under an expired contract and are currently in arbitration over 2014 and 2015. In 2017, the city paid out roughly $1.3 million for an arbitration award for 2012 and 2013 for the supervisors union. ALBANY The snowy white salt flats of Namibia's Etosha National Park are so huge, they can be seen from outer space and the nearby savannas are covered with golden grass, ideal camouflage for tawny lions who live there alongside elephants, ostriches and zebras. Etosha and Kruger National Park in South Africa will soon be the classroom and lab for University at Albany assistant biological sciences professor Wendy Turner thanks to a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant she won this month. She and two UAlbany student researchers will leave for southern Africa later this fall. Turner will study anthrax, a soil bacteria (B. anthracis) that can be refined into a deadly bio-terrorism weapon, that lethal white powder used in 2001 attacks in America when anthrax spores were mailed. That refined form of anthrax killed five and sickened 17. Naturally occurring anthrax spores, which Turner studies, can survive in dirt for decades where they can sicken animals then humans who use infected meat or animal hides. "Anthrax is a naturally occurring pathogen that's existed all over the world, including in the U.S.," said Turner, who earned her doctorate from University of California, Berkeley. "But ecosystems react to anthrax differently. In Africa, zebras and kudus (a species of antelope) seem the most vulnerable to anthrax." Turner grew up on a Montana ranch so naturally her parents ask her why she doesn't research how cattle contract anthrax. The answer is simple. She fell in love with Africa on an undergraduate research trip. "The technology has improved so much since then," Turner said, recalling how the animals were tagged with collars that emitted signals for a short distance over land. "We had to traipse through the brush to find the animals and observe them." Back then, the Namibian researchers' camp was mostly tents. Now, she and her two student researchers will bed down in little campers similar to Airstream trailers and prefab sheds. The bathrooms, showers and lab are in a sturdy separate building. They will fit wild zebras and kudus with GPS collars so a satellite can track where the animals roam. On her 2014 research trip, she and her student assistants noticed that the carcasses of zebras and other animals that they knew died of anthrax fertilized the soil so the vegetation grew green and lush and attracted more grazing animals. They mounted cameras near those carcasses in an effort to figure out whether anthrax was being transmitted from the vegetation. A student researcher from Taiwan blogged about the research: Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "Before getting out of a car, it is required to check whether predators are around," wrote researcher Yen-Hua Huang. "If there are predators around, you should estimate how far they are from the carcass site and how long it would take for them to reach the site. Once safety is confirmed, you can get out of the car and place the cameras... leave doors open in case quickly retreating is needed. Last but not least, when getting close to fresh carcasses, you should hold your breath if you are not familiar with working with carcasses. Otherwise, it will be like enjoying a famous food in Taiwan stinky tofu." Turner plans to bring her two daughters one just started kindergarten and the other is two years old to Africa next year for a few months. Her computer scientist husband, Yathin Krishnappa, will also join her. The project should take about four years during which Turner will make multiple trips between Albany and Africa. One of the mysteries she hopes her team can explore is whether some animal populations have genetic resistance against the anthrax pathogen or if they are just exposed less to anthrax. Her team will be working alongside scientists from the University of Maine, University of Pretoria in South Africa, University of Namibia, University of Oslo in Norway and University of Hohenheim in Germany. Poaching is such a severe problem in Namibia, that the police are brought in to escort the scientists out into the field. The policemen normally come in from distant towns and cities to work in the park. "It's partly to keep us safe from poachers but the police officers seem to enjoy it very much; the excursions are the first time most of them have ever seen a zebra or another park animal up close," she said. Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank Group, speaks at the China Development Forum Special Session in Beijing, Sept. 16, 2018. [Photo courtesy of the China Development Forum Special Session] China's opening-up offers opportunities for global growth. This was the message from the China Development Forum Special Session held in Beijing Sept. 16-17. With the theme of "A New Chapter for China's Reform and Opening-up," the event hosted global business leaders, Chinese government officials, various experts, as well as representatives of international organizations, to review the changes occurring in the past four decades and discuss future trends. Former World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick, who first visited China in 1980, said that China's accomplishments over the past 40 years had changed the world while changing the country itself. As to trade tensions between China and the U.S., Zoellick said that China's continued reform and opening-up would effectively respond to the criticisms levelled against it and rebuild the confidence of American companies in the Chinese market. He also called on the U.S. business community to move beyond their own worries and cooperate with China to resolve existing tensions. Jochen Goller, president and CEO of BMW Group (China Region), echoed Zoellick's words, saying China's opening-up was bringing opportunities to all the businesses involved. According to Goller, BMW's car deliveries in China last year exceeded the combined figure for the U.S. and Germany, its second and third largest markets. He said the slashing of Chinese tariffs on car imports from 25 percent to 15 percent sent out a clear message to the world on further opening-up, which would mean wider market access for foreign companies. Li Wei, president of China's Development Research Center of the State Council, said the nation had become an important engine driving global growth, with its contribution to the world GDP surpassing 30 percent for many years in succession. "As the world's largest exporter, China provides the global market with goods attractive in both price and quality; and as the second largest importer, China enables the flow of goods across the globe to a market with more than 1 billion consumers," Li added. He said that as the interests of different countries were becoming more interconnected because of deepening economic globalization, China's further opening-up would not only benefit its more than 1.3 billion people, but also contribute to a more robust, balanced, inclusive and sustainable global economy. ALBANY A woman pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter Tuesday morning, in connection with the overdose death of 24-year-old Keisha Richards, who was found in a snowbank in March, District Attorney David Soares said. The Albany County District Attorney's office told the Times Union on Tuesday that Richards' death is being treated as a homicide and therefore is the 12th homicide in Albany this year. Jodi Noisseau, 48, of Albany, pleaded guilty to the felony in Albany County Supreme Court. She is one of three, along with Christopher Kondracki and Tamale Harris, who have also been charged in connection to the case. Soares said that on March 14 and into March 15 Noisseau and Harris "recklessly caused the death" of Richards, a Vermont woman. More for you Albany marked 15 homicides in 2018 Richards was experiencing an overdose due to toxic consumption, but instead of calling emergency services, Noisseau and possibly others, transported her from Columbia Turnpike in the city of Rensselaer to a Partridge Street residence in Albany, Soares said. Once at the residence, Richards was left there for 12 hours without any medical attention, Soares said. Police also alleged that at that time Noisseau and Kondracki wiped Richard's body with bleach to try to destroy evidence. Richards was discarded in a snowbank, where she was later discovered. She was given CPR at the scene and taken to Albany Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Noisseau faces up to 15 years in state prison. In addition, both Kondracki and Harris have open and pending cases and pleaded not guilty on separate dates. Both were charged with second-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence, concealment of a human corpse, all felonies, and a misdemeanor for conspiracy, Soares said in a press release earlier this month. Richards' death marks the 12th homicide in the Capital City this year. The last time the city had more than 12 homicides in one year was 2000. Since 1985, the city has averaged 7.76 homicides a year. According to statistics compiled by the FBI, Albany experienced the most homicides in 1987 when 16 people were killed. Fifteen people were killed in 2000, and 13 died in 1994. In the statistics they send to the FBI, Albany police include homicides carried out by police even if the conduct of the officer is found to be justified. ALBANY Two years ago, Dante Camacho drove to a Colonie hotel room carrying condoms to meet a man who told him that he and his 13-year-old step-daughter wanted a third person to join their "party." It was a sting the man was an undercover cop and State Police arrested Camacho for allegedly trying to arrange sex with a child. Two years later, Camacho, 23, is on trial in Albany County Court charged with attempted rape and attempted criminal sex act, the legal term for sodomy. Camacho spent Monday and Tuesday testifying in his own defense. Dressed in a sweater, dress shirt and tie and speaking softly, Camacho painted the child sex sting case as one big misunderstanding involving "locker room talk" the term future President Donald Trump used during the 2016 campaign to describe a 2005 "Access Hollywood" recording of Trump boasting about grabbing women's genitals. "At no point in time did I think that was a 13-year-old," Camacho testified. He said a photo of the would-be girl that he received from the undercover officer "easily" looked like a person who was at least 18. Camacho testified as his family sat in the front row of the third-floor courtroom of County Judge Peter Lynch, who could give the case to the jury as soon as Wednesday following closing arguments. Camacho repeatedly testified he thought it was a "role-playing situation" and that he was interested in having a "threesome" with adults. He said he thought he was meeting an adult named "Chad" and that man's adult girlfriend. Even though "Chad" did not mention an adult girlfriend the undercover cop said he was married and was sleeping with his 13-year-old stepdaughter Camacho said the undercover cop led him to believe it was a girlfriend. And Camacho scoffed at the notion he went to the Radisson hotel on Wolf Road on Nov. 11, 2016 to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. His insistence came in the face of potentially incriminating text messages with the undercover officer who, at least twice, told Camacho the step-daughter was 13. Camacho bought condoms for the encounter, a receipt of which was found on him. At one point, Camacho told the undercover officer, "I would love to get some one-on-one with (the girl). Yeah man, that sounds awesome." Testimony showed Camacho and the undercover officer both used graphic and X-rated language while discussing the description of the girl and possible scenarios. Camacho said it was "locker room talk." On the day of his arrest, Camacho testified he nearly left the hotel and went home. He said he remained and knocked on the hotel room door because in the event a child was in danger and he left without trying to stop it, "I could not live with that." If convicted, Camacho faces charges that each carry up to four years in prison. Sting cases often do not make it to trial because the evidence - defendants showing up in person - can be tough to refute. One of the area's most high-profile cases took place in 2008 when ex-Assemblyman Christopher Ortloff, at the time a commissioner on the state parole board, was busted in an undercover sting at a Colonie motel trying to arrange sex with two girls through their "mother," a State Police undercover officer. In Camacho's case, the sequence of events laid out in court began on Oct. 24, 2016 when Camacho said he wanted to get back at his live-in girlfriend who, according to Camacho, had cheated on him. He testified he met "Chad" in the casual encounters section of craigslist.com and hoped to have a three-way sexual encounter with a woman and man. The ad stated: "Older and younger looking for fun in Albany area. Stepfather here and we're into some strange things so please do not judge. Contact me only if you are real." Camacho responded: "Hey there. The stranger the better. I don't judge. I love everything taboo. What things you have in mind? I'm Dante by the way." The undercover wrote back: "Me and my 13-year-old stepdaughter are looking for a third to join our party. Must be (drug and disease) free. No judgement here. Hit me back if interested." On Monday, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer McCanney asked Camacho: "When Chad says to you, 'Me and my 13-year-old stepdaughter are looking for a third to join our party,' you know that 'party' means sex, right?" "No," Camacho replied. "No? You think he's talking about a birthday party with a 13-year-old?" McCanney pressed. Camacho's lawyer, Cheryl Coleman, objected. McCanney noted the undercover officer texted Camacho a photo of the would-be stepdaughter. She said Camacho asked, in response, "So I've got to ask, how did this happen?" Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "You're asking him how did it happen that he began to have sex with his 13-year-old stepdaughter, right?" the prosecutor asked Camacho. "Absolutely not," he replied. Under cross-examination, Camacho repeatedly said he was confused at times during his text communications. He acknowledged that he suspected at times the man could have been having sex with a 13-year-old. "If you're so confused as to what's going on, are you continuing to talk to him though?" McCanney asked. "Yes," he replied. Camacho said on the day of his arrest, he remembered approaching the door of the hotel room and knocking. He said he remembered he entered, a large man was inside and that he was arrested. He said what happened in the hotel room is a blur and he called it a traumatic experience. Camacho had told police, "This is already ruining my life ... I just wanted to do the right thing and now I could not be in a more terrible position." "That's because you knew you were being arrested for trying to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, right?" McCanney asked Camacho. "No. I didn't know exactly why I had been arrested. No one was really explaining anything to me at that time," Camacho testified. "If this was a role-playing exercise and you were going to have sex with two consenting adults, would that have been illegal?" the prosecutor asked Camacho. "No," he answered. "Is having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old illegal?" McCanney asked. "Absolutely," Camacho replied. ALBANY The state Board of Regents on Monday agreed to drop a plan that would have allowed financial restrictions on schools where more than five percent of the students are boycotting or opting out of standardized math and English tests. Under the original proposal, the state Education Commissioner could have ordered schools where fewer than 95 percent of students take the tests to use some federal Title I money to develop programs to increase participation. That, however, faced opposition by parents who are part of the opt-out movement that opposes many standardized tests, and by the state's major teachers union, New York State United Teachers. While poorly understood, the proposal caused too much stress and tension, state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said Monday prior to the vote. The reversal marks the latest chapter in an ongoing struggle over standardized tests, especially for Grades 3-8, which can highlight the states highest and lowest performing schools. Teachers unions as well as parent groups opposed to the testing had been pushing against the planned financial restrictions and they welcomed the Regents move. Monday's meeting marked the Regents' 15th discussion of regulations under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act since October 2016. Federal Title I money is generally allocated for help in teaching underprivileged students in the lower grades. New York schools get about $1.6 billion in federal aid per year. New York has had substantial number of opt-outs, or students who boycott the annual math and English exams. The tests are used to gauge school performance but they dont factor into individual student grades. Last year about 19 percent of the roughly 1 million eligible students boycotted the tests, down from 21 percent two years ago. Controversy surrounding the tests may have peaked several years ago amid a proposal to tie results to teacher performance evaluations. Under the initial plan put forth by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, teachers whose students had consistently low test scores could have even lost their tenure. That provoked an outcry among teachers as well as some parents. The governor backed off and the teacher evaluation-test score link is currently under a moratorium. There have been legislative proposals that would essentially ban the linkage, but they havent passed into law. The pushback has continued though. Elia said the Education Department received about 1,900 comments on the latest plan, although the bulk were form letters from parents and teachers. The initial proposal would have let the state education commissioner to order schools to use some Title I to raise their participation rates if those rates were persistently below 95 percent. Elia stressed that the plan didnt mean schools would get less money, although some people misinterpreted it that way. It certainly was never meant in that vein, she said. The Regents PreK-12 committee approved the move on Monday with the full board expected to do the same on Tuesday. The new rules still need to be finalized after a 30-day comment period. The Regents will likely give final approval in December. The Board made other changes to the draft regulations. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Going forward, it will be harder for schools with low participation rates to be placed on state watch lists of troubled schools if their scores are high enough. And schools that are working toward a 95 percent participation rate will only have to update their plans rather than completely redo them every year. That Elia said, can be burdensome for smaller districts that have limited capacity for paperwork. We have small districts and doing these plans can be really onerous for them, Elia said. Elia noted that the changes comport with federal mandates under Every Student Succeeds Act, which calls for the 95 percent participation rate, but lets the states figure out how to reach those goals. NYSUT Vice President Jolene DiBrango said she was encouraged by the Regents move. Were really pleased to see these significant changes, she said. The union is continuing to push for a law that would totally decouple student test scores from teacher evaluations. That was proposed during the last legislative session. It was passed in the Democratic-led Assembly but didnt get through the Republican-controlled Senate. We will continue to lobby for the law to be changed, said DiBrango. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU ALBANY Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration has not received any notification that New York's ethics agency is investigating possible legal violations by the governor or a former top aide, Joe Percoco, a Cuomo spokesman told the Times Union. While that's good news for the governor, it means the Joint Commission on Public Ethics is not actually following clear requirements of state law, according to David Grandeau, the state's former top lobbying official. When a sworn complaint is filed with JCOPE, the law explicitly requires the agency to send any "subject" of such an ethics complaint a letter outlining possible legal violations, and giving them 15 days to respond, Grandeau said. In the case of Cuomo, both his Republican challenger for governor, Marc Molinaro, as well as Republican state party Chairman Ed Cox submitted sworn complaints this spring requesting JCOPE launch investigations into Percoco's possible use of state government resources while he was managing Cuomo's 2014 campaign, as well as the governor's potential knowledge of those activities. But Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo's government spokesman, said the administration had not gotten a "15-day letter." "As we have said previously, we would comply with any review into this matter," Azzopardi said Tuesday. The Cuomo campaign also has not gotten a 15-day letter from JCOPE, according to Cuomo campaign spokeswoman Abbey Collins. Grandeau, a former top lobbying enforcement official and now a frequent JCOPE critic, said that means there is "now no doubt that JCOPE is not following the law." New York law lays out a clear protocol for what should occur if JCOPE receives a sworn complaint alleging a violation of state public officer's law by someone subject to it a category that includes both Percoco and Cuomo. After receiving a sworn complaint, "the commission shall notify the individual in writing, describe the possible or alleged violation of such laws, provide a description of the allegations against him or her and the evidence, if any, supporting such allegations," the law states. The JCOPE letter also "shall" set forth the "sections of law alleged to have been violated" and "provide the person with a 15-day period in which to submit a written response," the law reads. A JCOPE spokesman, Walter McClure, declined comment, citing the ongoing litigation. Percoco was convicted this spring of taking more than $300,000 from two development firms in exchange for government favors, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday. While Percoco's possible campaign work in his state office during an eight-month period in 2014 when he was managing Cuomo's campaign, but not working for the Executive Chamber was key context in the trial, it was not the basis of any federal charges. In addition to filing a complaint with JCOPE, Cox also formally requested the Manhattan district attorney's office to launch a criminal probe of Percoco's campaign work from his taxpayer-funded office. In July, Percoco's attorney Barry Bohrer told the Times Union he didn't know whether JCOPE or the Manhattan DA's office were investigating Percoco's campaign work . In recent court papers, JCOPE's counsel, Monica Stamm, did note that the "sworn" Molinaro-Cox complaint relied on media accounts and court records in making accusations about Percoco, rather than the Republicans' first-hand knowledge of potential misconduct. It would be unduly burdensome for JCOPE if such second-hand accounts required the agency to take investigative action, Stamm argued. Percoco's crimes are a flashpoint in November's race for governor: Molinaro has repeatedly hammered Cuomo about the revelations concerning Percoco's 2014 activities, as well as his conviction. Court records show that last week, JCOPE sought the dismissal of a lawsuit filed in July by Molinaro and Cox that attempts to force the agency to reveal whether it's investigating the matter. The civil lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in Albany, seeks to compel JCOPE to take a vote on whether to investigate Percoco's activities and then disclose the results. The court records show that JCOPE has retained outside counsel, the law firm Gleason Dunn Walsh & O'Shea, after acting state Attorney General Barbara Underwood recused her office from the matter, citing a possible conflict of interest. In February 2015, state Supreme Court Judge Henry Zwack ruled against JCOPE in the similar case involving President Donald J. Trump, who was then a private businessman. Zwack's decision ordered JCOPE to take a vote on whether to investigate an ethics complaint Trump had filed against then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "Surely, the statute's plain language ... is incapable of any other understanding," Zwack wrote in his decision. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In the court filing last week, Stamm argued that there are differences between the Molinaro-Cox case and the 2015 ruling involving Trump. Stamm notes evidence in the Trump case included a number of sworn firsthand statements about the allegations from Trump, his daughter Ivanka, and their attorney Michael Cohen. The Molinaro-Cox complaint relies on testimony from Percoco's corruption trial this spring, as well as investigative news reports not firsthand accounts of the former aide's activities. If people without direct knowledge of potential ethics violations are allowed to force JCOPE to take votes on investigations, it would swamp the agency with work and "seriously disrupt" its operations, Stamm maintained. "These are significant tasks requiring much work and judgment by commission staff," she wrote. Stamm also pointed to a 2015 state court decision issued after the Trump decision in which a woman named Maureen Koetz unsuccessfully tried to force the agency to investigate former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. While the Cuomo administration said Tuesday that no "15-day-letter" had been received from JCOPE, the Executive Chamber has not yet filled the Times Union's open records request filed in late July seeking any such letters. During the eight months in 2014 when Percoco was managing Cuomo's re-election campaign after resigning from the Executive Chamber, he continued to use his desk at the governor's office in Manhattan, Cuomo staffers testified at the former aide's corruption trial. Cuomo's desk in that government office was just steps away from Percoco's, and records obtained by the Times Union show that on several days when the aide's state phone was used to make campaign-related calls, the governor was present in the Manhattan office. Cuomo has said he was unaware that Percoco was campaigning from his old office, and has claimed he believed Percoco was merely "transitioning" out of his former position as Cuomo's executive deputy secretary. Percoco's phone records show that over the eight months in question, 68 calls were made from his former state desk phone to call Cuomo's Manhattan campaign headquarters an apparent violation of state regulations. The Percoco government phone line was also often used to call Cuomo's fundraisers, campaign consultants and the campaign's election lawyer. There were 837 calls over 68 days made from the taxpayer-funded phone in Percoco's old office. Percoco's lawyer said that many of the calls were not made by his client, and that the campaign manager did not make campaign-related calls from that office. But swipe card records presented at Percoco's corruption trial indicate he was often present when those calls were made. Molinaro's campaign has also sought an investigation into Percoco's activities from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office. But in a late August letter, DiNapoli's office rejected that request, in part citing the possibility that JCOPE might also be probing the same issues. JCOPE, created in 2011, has faced abundant criticism that its rules prevent the public from knowing whether or not it is pursuing an investigation. It has also been the subject of criticism for its close ties to Cuomo, who appoints a plurality of its commissioners. Since its inception, all of JCOPE's executive directors have been former Cuomo attorneys. Its current top staffer, Seth Agata, was an administration counsel and campaign volunteer for Cuomo in 2014. He testified at Percoco's trial about offering the aide advice on his plan to seek private consulting clients after leaving the Executive Chamber. ALBANY - With nearly 19 percent of New York's 2.6 million public school pupils missing 10 or more days a year, school districts and the state Education Department need to do more to fight chronic absenteeism, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said Tuesday with the release of an audit that looked at school attendance. "Given how vital it is for our children to be in school and learning, I urge the department to do even more and re-examine the guidelines provided to local school officials to make it clearer what efforts should be taken to reduce student absenteeism," DiNapoli said in a statement accompanying the report. Chronic absenteeism, in which a pupil misses 10 or more days of school in an academic year, excused or unexcused, has long been an issue with many schools. Students who are chronically absent are at higher risk of dropping out or falling behind in their classwork. DiNapoli's audit of the 2016-17 school year explored how schools report absenteeism and it criticized the Education Department for not being more forceful in prompting schools to address the problem. While the department tracks absenteeism, it doesn't, for instance, require districts to take specific actions. In their response, the education officials said efforts to focus on absenteeism date back at least four years and initially the data gathering was viewed as a tool to help schools deal with the problem. But they expect to be offering more guidance during the 2018-19 year. Absenteeism Dinapoli by rkarlin on Scribd Tracking absenteeism is required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act that requires measurements of school climate and quality. One problem came with variability in how schools measured absenteeism. Some high schools, for example, count a student absent if he or she is not at homeroom. Others, though, wait until later in the day to take attendance. There also were discrepancies in the schools' own records and the absenteeism numbers they reported to SED. DiNapoli's auditors examined 18 school districts including Albany along with Amsterdam, Binghamton, Buffalo, Cobleskill-Richmondville, Greenville, Hadley-Luzerne, Monticello, North Colonie, Peekskill, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Skaneateles, Syracuse, Union Springs, Utica, Victor, and Webutuck. Extra efforts can include figuring out ways to get kids to school if transportation is a problem and offering encouragement for students to come to school. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Albany and Rochester were found to be making efforts beyond the typical letters and phone calls to a student's home. Absenteeism has been a major focus in Albany, said spokesman Ron Lesko who noted the district has videos emphasizing the need to be in school. The videos are used in discussions with students about attendance and are disseminated on Facebook and Twitter. "If you miss a day you're missing a whole new thing you could have learned," said a student in one of the videos. "If you miss more days, you're missing even more things you could have learned." Still, Albany until several years ago had a program with the city Police Department to help combat truancy. Attendance officers and police would go house to house looking for chronically absent youngsters and, if feasible, bring them to school. It wasn't immediately clear why that program ended. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU When Crispin Hernandez asked for a day off to meet with labor rights advocates, he was demoted from a regular cow milker to an odd jobs worker at a dairy farm in Lewis County. When he met with co-workers and advocates to discuss how to organize against working conditions, the farmer's son called the police. When he distributed fliers to rally workers, he was fired. As a farmworker, Hernandez was denied a day off, overtime pay and the chance to collective bargaining rights granted to New York employees but not farmworkers under an 80-year-old law. Hernandez sued the New York Supreme Court in Albany County in an unprecedented case. The lawsuit was dismissed in January because the judge said the law wasn't discriminatory and didn't cover farmworkers. Hernandez appealed in June and won't stop fighting in court until workers can unionize. "Farmworkers don't have any assurance that they can organize to protect their rights in the workplace," Hernandez told the Times Union in a phone interview. "They (farmers) don't give them workplace training and tell them their rights. They keep them secluded and shaded from the public view and in a slave-like relationship. They're more concerned in the well-being of the cows than the workers themselves." A majority of New York farmworkers are migrants who sometimes speak little English or lack immigration status, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation. Hernandez said many workers face wage theft, subpar housing, physical assaults and unsafe conditions like working with toxic chemicals. Hernandez, 23, immigrated to New York six years ago to support his family in Mexico. He doesn't work in agriculture anymore and now lives in the Syracuse area where he's active with the Workers' Center of Central New York, whose advocates he met before he was fired. Hernandez' lawsuit argued farmworkers should be included under a section of the New York Constitution that gives employees the right to unionize. It also said the law excluding farmworkers from unionizing is discriminatory because when it was enacted most workers were black. If they can prove the law was discriminatory, it's invalidated, said Erin Beth Harrist, attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) representing Hernandez. When the case was filed in 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration said it didn't want to fight the case and affirmed farmworkers' right to organize. Instead, the New York Farm Bureau asked the court if it could step in to defend the law. Last week, the Farm Bureau responded to Hernandez's appeal that it opposes collective bargaining because it would hinder seasonal work and burden small businesses, according to court documents. The bureau reported 99 percent of New York's estimated 35,000 farms are "characterized as family farms." The Farm Bureau in its response to the appeal said the law was designed to protect small businesses that do seasonal work. Steve Ammerman, New York Farm Bureau public affairs manager, said the industry couldn't support new labor costs like paying for overtime or days off because of low milk prices. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "New York Farm Bureau is supportive of a voluntary day of rest for farmworkers, but labor activists have refused to support legislation," Ammerman wrote to the Times Union in an email. Harrist said many businesses may be family owned but are still large. Jose Chapa, the Justice for Farmworkers Legislative Campaign Coordinator, said the agriculture lobby has successfully steered the state legislature from passing protections for farmworkers. The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act has been introduced for two decades but never passed by both the Assembly and the Senate. Lisa Zucker, working on NYCLU's legislative campaign, said changes could be introduced slowly like phasing in overtime pay or prohibiting strikes during harvests without keeping all farmworkers from unionizing. "If we ever want to have equality for farmworkers and to cure this exploitation and racial injustice, we're talking about systemic change," Zucker said. Fayetteville, N.C. The river seethed a quarter-mile away, bulging from its banks, so the patrol cars circled the neighborhood three times. "Get out now," a voice boomed from a bullhorn. "This is an emergency." Waheeda Reese and her 14-year-old daughter, Anissa, were inside watching news reports about drowned towns all over the state and rain that hadn't yet stopped. "All that water is going to come this way," Anissa said, trying to convince her mother it was time to leave. The city had taped a mandatory evacuation notice to their front door, and a friend in the fire department had called to warn: "I don't want to have to come pick you up in a boat." They still had 22 hours until a deadline to go, and Waheeda wanted to stay. She pointed out the window and said, wishfully, "Look, I think the rain's letting up." As the days drag on, Hurricane Florence has taken this deceptive turn: The violent winds that rattled shingles off houses and tore down trees have subsided, and the pounding rain has eased, lulling many in the storm's path into believing they've already weathered the worst of it even as rivers quietly churn and continue to rise. The storm has claimed at least 20 lives and an untold number of homes on its slow march across North Carolina, inundating city after city: Wilmington, New Bern, Lumberton. Now authorities are warning that by the time the Cape Fear River in Cumberland County crests Tuesday at 62 feet 27 feet over its flood stage it will threaten to swamp anything within a mile on either side of it. Its tributary, the Little River, is expected to flood, too. More than 7,000 people were ordered to evacuate by Sunday afternoon. But many, weary of a storm that has lingered on and on, did their own rough calculus of the odds and decided to stay. As the Cape Fear River swelled, rescue teams trudged along its banks, pleading with people to get out of its way. The mayor of Fayetteville presented the problem in the starkest of terms: Evacuate or notify your legal next of kin. Military trucks in rural corners of the county barreled down dirt roads quickly becoming mud pits. "Please go," soldiers asked stubborn residents along the massive river that curls downstream through small towns, farms and rural mobile home parks and into the city of Fayetteville, where the Reeses live in a subdivision that butts up against the bank. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Anissa's friend down the street was evacuating with his family and knocked on her door, begging her and her mother to come. The Reeses had packed their things just in case, tucking important documents in a water-tight bag. They stacked chairs on top of tables and moved all the family photos upstairs. Then they waited to see what would happen. A few miles away, a high-water rescue team comprising two dozen soldiers from Fort Bragg rested on cots in an arena preparing for water to surge into neighborhoods and send residents climbing out windows and onto rooftops. "I want to make sure those citizens realize the decisions they're making," said Lt. John Savage, who commands the team that knocked on doors to talk with those staying behind. Mary Ingram lives in Spring Lake with her mother and 1-year-old son. They're two blocks outside of the mandatory evacuation area, so she thought they'd be safe. Then it hit her: "My mom can't swim. So if it does flood, I can't save both her and the baby." She decided to stay, nonetheless. In the tiny hamlet of Wade, population around 570, Athena Moore has been waiting out Florence in her mobile home a quarter mile from the Cape Fear River. Many of her neighbors cleared out, but she's hosting two friends who fled from the coast as the hurricane roared ashore only to find themselves now in a flood zone. They're all planning to stay because they don't have anywhere else to go. Back in Fayetteville, as downtown streets started flooding Sunday, Waheeda Reese finally decided it was time to pack the car and get her daughter out. SARATOGA SPRINGS The Saratoga Springs City School District has taken its grounds monitors' weapons away at least until the Board of Education re-approves that they may carry them. Superintendent Michael Patton unarmed the 14 monitors, most of whom are part-time, after he discovered that the district was out of compliance with current state law. The monitors, who have worked on all eight district campuses depending on the need, differ from school resource officers as they are school employees, not employees of a law enforcement agency. Most are retired police officers and have been working on Saratoga Springs campuses for decades. To rearm them would require a majority vote from the board. This turn from business-as-usual has ignited a debate in the district over guns and school safety. "The district takes this matter very seriously, and the safety and security of students is the district's number one priority," Patton said. "The discussion has included a significant amount of research into what security options are available that will best meet the needs of our schools and community." All those who would be armed, Patton emphasized, would be either active or retired law enforcement officers. Saratogians for Gun Safety does not want to see the guns return. "It does not support the school district authorizing any school employee to carry weapons on school property, even if that person is a former police officer," Susan Steer, a co-founder of the group, said on Monday. "We are parents with children attending district schools and are just as concerned about our children's safety as anyone else. That said, having armed officers on school grounds does not make our children any safer as demonstrated by the fact that there was an armed school resource officer on campus during the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla." That school shooting, on Feb. 14, 2018, left 17 people dead and ignited protests from school students across the country calling for gun reform. Steer also pointed to the teacher and reserve police officer who accidentally fired his weapon in his classroom in Monterey County, Calif., earlier this year injuring a student, among other incidents. Saratoga Springs Assistant Police Chief John Catone, who has addressed the board on the matter, said that he believes it's safer for all concerned if the district allows its grounds monitors to be armed. "What the alternative?" Catone asked. "We have no map where the next school shooting will take place. We have to be prepared and harden our schools." He also said that any active duty police officers with the Saratoga Springs Police Department would have to step down as monitors if the rules are change. He said currently active officers are ordered to be armed while working in a security capacity. This school year, however, that would only affect one Saratoga Springs police officer, Lt. Sean Briscoe. Jay Worona, deputy executive director and general counsel of the New York State School Boards Association, said that arming school personnel must be carefully considered. "It can't be a knee-jerk reaction," Worona said. "There is no presupposition that it is safer with firearms. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't. The district needs to explore all the options." Research from the National Center for Education Sciences shows that the percentage of schools with police officers from 2005-06 school year to 2015-16 school year has risen from 36 to 48 percent. Of those schools, the percentage of officers who carry firearms is 87 percent in city schools, 97 percent in towns, and 95 percent in suburban and rural schools, according to the group's Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2017 report. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Catone said the officers the school hires usually have 20 to 35 years of law enforcement experience and are highly trained. They differ from school resource officers in that grounds monitors are employees of the district, not employees of a police force. "If they are retired, they are retired in good standing, highly qualified police officers," Catone said. "They are the cream of the crop, not the class clowns. The school is looking for people who can interact with kids. They are not going to hire anyone who hates kids. Parents are nervous. But I'm a parent who would support this." That's not enough for Saratogians for Gun Safety, which is also concerned for the cost. "Given our limited resources, we are concerned about whether the school district's insurer will indemnify any officer who carries a loaded gun, what kind of training that officer will be required to undergo and at what frequency and, how much more it will cost the school district to indemnify armed officers," Steer said. Ultimately, it's up to the board to decide. It is expected to vote on the gun issue at its next meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27. A theoretical seminar between China and Cuba's communist parties was held in Beijing on Monday with representatives from the two parties exchanging ideas and visions for the future. The Third Theoretical Seminar Between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and The Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) was hosted by the International Department of Central Committee of CPC in Beijing with the theme of "Reform, Development and the Party Building." "Under the great care and vigorous promotion of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and Raul Castro, the first secretary of the PCC Central Committee, the two-party exchanges have formed a multilevel and wide-ranging new shape," said Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC, in his opening address to the seminar. With the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, Song stressed that the CPC is willing to strengthen in-depth exchanges with the Cuban Communist Party, learn from each other, and constantly promote the building of their respective parties and countries, and jointly promote the relationship between the two parties and the two countries to a new level. Jose Ramon Balaguer Cabrera, head of the International Department of the PCC Central Committee and the PCC Central Committee Secretariat, called the CPC the model for progressive forces around the world. "It is worth remembering that we have just celebrated the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth. His thoughts are more dynamic today than ever before. The CPC and the PCC enjoy great prestige, credibility and legitimacy in their own countries and in the international community," he said in his speech delivered at the seminar. The secretariat also pointed out that in today's world, certain powers are trying to impose neoliberalism and unilateralism on people, but the CPC has reached unprecedented heights through its own strength, organization, unity within the party, and achievements in firm response to domestic and international challenges. "The CPC has demonstrated its strong ability to successfully lead the cause of reform and opening up in the past 40 years and has brought tremendous progress to the Chinese people in the economic and social fields," he said. The Cuban party leader said they are grateful to the CPC for its continued support for the Cuban people against the United States' blockade, which is the biggest obstacle to Cuba's development, saying that, "the exchanges of theory and experience we have during the seminar will further improve our work and friendship." The National Q Mark Awards 2018 nominations have been announced and Tipperary has two nominations this year. These nominations mean that these businesses are in the top 6.75% of all audits completed by the EIQA on the island of Ireland. This is a very special year for the Q Mark Awards as the EIQA celebrate 50 years. Representing Tipperary this year are: - Apleona at Abbott Vascular Clonmel - Shanahan's Centra, Cappanilly, Borrisoleigh The coveted Q Mark is awarded only to companies who achieve the highest standards of quality and excellence. The Q Mark awards celebrate the success of businesses over a range of sectors that review 100% of their processes and procedures 100% of the time so that they continually operate best practice standards. The National Q Mark Awards, sponsored by eTravel and Virgin Atlantic, will take place on Friday the 28th of September at The Clayton Hotel in Dublin 4. The impressive black-tie ceremony will be hosted by inimitable broadcaster Jonathan Healy. With more than 450 people and 135 companies battling it out for the 27 prestigious Q Mark Awards, it is no surprise that The National Q Mark Awards continue to be known as The Oscars of Business Excellence A National Q Mark Award is the highest accolade an Irish business can achieve, given both the intense competition and the exacting standards required. Speaking at the announcement Irene Collins, Managing Director of EIQA said Q Mark certification empowers companies to reach far beyond regulatory requirements. It measures customer satisfaction, leadership, growth, it recognises effective and efficient use of resources and has continuous improvement at the heart of every programme. With our origins stretching back 50 years, our expert auditors and assessors are dedicated to helping our customers make their products and services even better for their customers. Reaching the finals is great recognition for the teams behind every company that has been nominated its about inspiring Excellence and Celebrating Success! EIQA (Excellence Ireland Quality Association) has been the Irish National Quality Association since 1968. They currently audit the standards of thousands of organisations and businesses both in Ireland and Internationally. EIQA is known as the Guardian of The Q Mark which identifies its various certifications, namely: The Q Mark for Hygiene & Food Safety, The Q Mark for Quality Management Systems, The Q Mark for Nursing Homes, The Q Mark for Leisure Centres, The Q Mark for Accessibility (ABLE) Only businesses that achieve the highest scores at audit are shortlisted in their relevant category. Once shortlisted, all companies must complete a very detailed submission document. This submission document is then presented to an expert panel of independent judges from the areas of Food Safety, Employment Law, Academia, Business & Quality to name but a few. See www.eiqa.ie for details Fianna Fails Deputy Jackie Cahill has called on the Minister for Finance to instruct the Central Bank to investigate the behaviour of an Investment Company, Corestone Ltd, in relation to an estate in Tipperary Town. Rosanna Close, Rosanna Road, Tipperary Town is an estate of approximately 50 homes. Some 20 of these homes have been bought this year by an investment company, Corestone Ltd. Pepper Canister House, Mount Street Crescent, Dublin 2. These families had privately rented the homes from the previous owner with some of them being supported by RAS and HAP. They had been rented on a 12-month rolling contract. Since being purchased by Corestone the families have been written to, telling them their contracts are to be terminated. They have been informed that all 20 homes need to be vacated between November 2018 and April 2019 Cahill said he understood that Corestone intend to sell the properties. Cahill went on to say that it is the practice of these Investment Companies to purchase financially distressed properties from the banks at a huge discount, they then manufacture a situation where there is vacant possession and then sell them for a huge profit. Since 2011 these funds have entered the Irish economy and are completely unregulated by the Central Bank. Deputy Cahill said: I have been fighting this situation since I was elected in 2016 as it has caused untold damage to peoples lives and is doing so again here in Rosanna Close in Tipperary Town. We in Fianna Fail have managed to progress legislation over the past 12 months to have these funds regulated and we are confident we can get this legislation passed this autumn. I have helped many individual families in their dealings with such funds over the past two years. But this is the first wholesale sale of family homes in a small estate that I have come across here in Tipperary. The problem with these funds are that they have no stake hold in the Irish economy therefore they operate without even the minimal checks and balances that are there to regulate the regular banks, said Deputy Cahill. The impact of evicting 20 families from a relatively small estate in a small town like Tipperary is devastating not only for the individual families but for the Town in general. The County Council will have to pick up the pieces of this scandal and at a cost to the tax payer. Meanwhile this Government allows these funds operate with impunity and without regulation and this cannot continue, said Cahill. The Fianna Fail Deputy concluded by saying: I have called on the Minister for Finance to instruct the Central Bank to immediately investigate the matter. I have met with many of the families affected. I have also contacted tried to make contact with Corestone to discuss the matter with them. [September 17, 2018] Goldmoney Announces Update Relating to Mene Inc. Goldmoney Inc. (TSX: XAU) ("Goldmoney"), a precious metal financial service and technology company provides the following update in connection with its 35% shareholding in the luxury e-commerce jewelry company Mene Inc. ("Mene"), as previously announced on June 15, 2017 and December 1, 2017. Conditional Approval and Submission to Shareholders for Approval Goldmoney is pleased to announce that Mene has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") for the proposed reverse take-over transaction between Mene and Amador Gold Corp. ("Amador"), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including obtaining shareholders' approval for the transaction from both Mene and Amador and final acceptance from the Exchange. Upon completion of the reverse take-over transaction, the subordinate voting shares ("Class B Shares") of Mene will be listed on the TSXV under the stock symbol: MENE as early as October 2018. Spinning off Goldmoney Inc. Stake in Mene to Shareholders As part of its long-term spin-off strategy disclosed in its December 1, 2017 press release, the Board of Directors of Goldmoney Inc. may choose to complete a return of stated capital by distributing its currently held Mene Class B Shares, in whole or in part, to shareholders of Goldmoney on a pro rata basis. At the next annual and special meeting of shareholders to be held on October 1, 2018, the shareholders of Goldmoney will be asked to vote on a special resolution to authorize Goldmoney to reduce its stated capital by distributing Class B shares in the capital of Mene that Goldmoney owns on a pro rata basis to all shareholders of Goldmoney (the "Return of Stated Capital Shares") from time to time. This resolution will permit Goldmoney Inc. to complete such distributions in the future as shares of MENE begin to trade. The Return of Stated Capital Shares is subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals by Goldmoney, approval of the shareholders of Goldmoney and the completion of the reverse take-over transaction between Mene and Amador. The Board of Goldmoney may in its sole discretion decide not to proceed with the Return of Stated Capital Shares and there is no guarantee the Return of Stated Capital Shares will occur. Further details regarding the Return of Stated Capital Shares can be found in Goldmoney's management information circular dated August 27, 2018, which has been filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities and can be accessed at www.sedar.com. About Goldmoney Inc. Goldmoney Inc., a financial service company traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:XAU), is a global leader in precious metal investment services and the world's largest precious metals payment network. Safeguarding nearly $2 billion in assets for clients located in more than 150 countries, Goldmoney isfocused on a singular mission to make precious metals-backed savings accessible to all. Powered by Goldmoney's patented technology, the Goldmoney Holding is an online account that enables clients to invest, earn, or spend gold, silver, platinum, palladium and cryptocurrencies that are securely stored in insured vaults in seven countries. All bullion assets are fully allocated and physically redeemable property. Goldmoney Wealth Limited is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) as a Money Services Business. Goldmoney Network is a reporting entity to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), and is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the U.S. For more information about Goldmoney, visit goldmoney.com. About Mene Inc. Mene crafts pure 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry that is transparently sold by gram weight. Through Mene.com customers may buy jewelry, monitor the value of their collection over time, and sell or exchange their pieces by gram weight at prevailing market prices. Mene was founded by Roy Sebag and Diana Widmaier Picasso with a mission to restore the relationship between jewelry and savings. Mene empowers consumers by marrying innovative technology, timeless design, and pure precious metals to create pieces which endure as a store of value. For more information about Mene, visit: mene.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains or refers to certain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can often be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "potential" and "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. All information other than information regarding historical fact, which addresses activities, events or developments that the Goldmoney Inc. (the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information does not constitute historical fact but reflects the current expectations the Company regarding future results or events based on information that is currently available. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking information will not occur. Such forward-looking information in this release speak only as of the date hereof. Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: service times for transactions on the Goldmoney network; growth of the Company's business, expected results of operations, and the market for the Company's products and services and competitive conditions. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made, and involves 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 information. Such factors include, among others: the Company's operating history; history of operating losses; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; fluctuations in the market price of the Company's common shares; the effect of government regulation and compliance on the Company and the industry; legal and regulatory change and uncertainty; jurisdictional factors associated with international operations; foreign restrictions on the Company's operations; product development and rapid technological change; dependence on technical infrastructure; protection of intellectual property; use and storage of personal information and compliance with privacy laws; network security risks; risk of system failure or inadequacy; the Company's ability to manage rapid growth; competition; effectiveness of the Company's risk management and internal controls; use of the Company's services for improper or illegal purposes; uninsured and underinsured losses; theft & risk of physical harm to personnel; precious metal trading risks; and volatility of precious metals prices & public interest in precious metals investment; and those risks set out in the Company's most recently filed annual information form, available on SEDAR . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180917005850/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 17, 2018] World intelligent manufacturing comes to Nanjing NANJING, China, Sept, 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In this golden autumn, Nanjing, which is committed to building an innovative city, sends an invitation letter of 2018 World Intelligent Manufacturing Summit from Beijing to the world. On September 10, the first press conference of the 2018 World Intelligent Manufacturing Summit was held in Beijing, and world intelligent manufacturing comes to Nanjing again. The 2018 World Intelligent Manufacturing Summit will be held as scheduled from October 11 to 13 at the Nanjing International Expo Center. With the theme of "Empowering the Future through Intelligent Manufacturing", this summit will create an international communication and cooperation platform integrating industry events, advanced exhibitions, summit forums and intelligent experiences. It is expected that the key guests will exceed 200. The forum will have over 10,000 visitors and about 200 exhibiting companies, bringing together a new vision of intelligent manufacturing to lead a new future of industry. Technological innovation comes from the world, and exciting events take root here. As the capital city of Jiangsu, Nanjing has the historic Qinhuai River, and also embodies the wisdom and vitality of innovative technology. Nanjing, with its deep roots in manufacturing, has the confidence and strength to be the host of the World Intelligent Manufacturing Summit. It will provide a better solution for the re-development of intelligent manufacturing with a summit of international exchanges. The intelligent "Eye in the Sky" can find criminals in huge crowd; air-conditioner, television, sweeping robots have the smarter "brain", bringing convenience and fun to lives; 3D printing offers the "customization", as long as a drawing is uploaded, it can be "printed". "Intelligence" has already penetrated into our lives. To build an intelligent factory, the traditional production line can also renew its vitality. The development of intelligent manufacturing technology is surging, and Nanjing traditional manufacturing enterprises have seized opportunities through transformation and upgrading, delivered "intelligent" power to Nanjing's high quality development. The accelerated development of industrial Internet innovation has aroused the "chemical reaction" of "Internet + manufacturing". At present, there are 38 industrial Internet platforms in Nanjing that have external service capabilities. The number of platforms accounts for about half of the total number of Jiangsu. Steel, intelligent power grid, electronic information, rail transit, green energy-saving manufacturing, etc., showcases the amazing advantages of Nanjing's advanced manufacturing industry, characteristic traditional industries, software and Internet industries. They use the innovation of the Internet to add momentum to Nanjing's development and add well-being to people's lives. Faced with the greater demand for social development and the direction of building an innovative city, intelligent manufacturing enterprises have more firm confidence to accelerate intelligent upgrades, and strive to become a leading enterprise with more mature innovation models and vigorous development, leading Nanjing to the world. "Intelligent" manufacturing is the general trend. The success of the World Intelligent Manufacturing Summit will definitely make the city and the world smarter. Nanjing, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, welcomes visitors to paint a clearer and brighter future together. Image Attachments Links: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=319563 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-intelligent-manufacturing-comes-to-nanjing-300714159.html SOURCE The Organizing Committee of the 2018 World Intelligent Manufacturing [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 17, 2018] MMA CEO & CMO Summit Vietnam 2018 to Open on September 28 HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Organized by Vietnam Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the CEO & CMO Summit Vietnam 2018 is set to open in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time on September 28, 2018. With the theme "Shape the Future", the summit will be providing an opportunity to gather, connect, and share learning opportunities among business leaders and marketers from a variety of industries that have been using technology to build competitive advantages and sustainable business in the recent fierce environment. The future of business in the technology era 4.0 Technology plays an important role in the survival and development of many businesses. Applying technology to the right people, in the right circumstances and at the right time will help businesses bring better service to their customers. Allan Thygesen, President of Google United States, said: "Utility support is a new war for business development." As Google users are tending to search "now," he has noticed a simultaneous increase in the way marketers connect with customers. For example, Wayfair, an e-commerce site specializing in selling furniture in the United States, has allowed customers to place a virtual version of the interior into their home for review before making a purchase decision. Technology has made the connection between businesses and customers more convenient. Broadly speaking, in fact,businesses must face and respond to the changing and rapid development of technology in the 4.0 era. The story of the application of blockchain / AI / Internet of Things in advertising marketing, changes in customer approach, performance measurement, product innovation and the impact of technology to business and social, ... will be shared and exchanged directly between the leaders of the big companies in Vietnam. The sharing of Alphabeta, Facebook SEA, Fossil, SuntoryPepsico, Active, ... will surely bring participants new perspectives on business issues in the digital age. Factors of building and developing a sustainable business In addition to technological elements, leaders are still pondering on many other issues that help businesses grow sustainably, such as corporate culture and leadership styles, people, and so on. Dara Treseder, CMO of GE Ventures, said, "Today, brands and cultures are intertwined. The brand reflects the culture and culture that reflects the brand." The conference is also a place to capture more investment opportunities as well as how to successfully enter the business boat through the roundtable from CEOs of large enterprises in Vietnam. Expanding the business relationship, looking for potential partners The CEO & CMO Summit Vietnam 2018 will gather more than 300 leaders and marketers of large enterprises in different industries in Vietnam. Participants have the opportunity to expand their business relationships, seek for potential partners or prospects at the networking event. Besides, this is also an opportunity for participants to share and learn experiences from people with similar interests in business development, leading the market. Held by MMA Vietnam for the first time The CEO & CMO Summit is an annual event of MMA being held worldwide. This is the first time the CEO & CMO Summit is being held in Vietnam. MMA has affirmed its leadership in accelerating the transformation of mobile marketing and innovation as well as the role of connecting businesses and creating a platform for Vietnamese businesses to seek collaborative opportunities and development, through annual events such as CEO & CMO meetings. In particular, qualified marketers (C level) will be invited to the event. Information box: The CEO & CMO Summit, organized by MMA Vietnam, will be held on September 28, 2018 at Sheraton Hotel (District 1, HCMC). CEOs and CMOs (marketers) of enterprises in Vietnam are all invited to participate in the forum. Register at: https://www.mmaglobal.com/ceosummitvietnam2018/request-invite Media Contact: Doan Nguyenngoc +84-9-1500-4143 doan.nguyenngoc@mmaglobal.com Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180917/2239440-1 SOURCE MMA Global [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Giacom Launches Cloud Backup for Office 365 From SkyKick - A Globally Recognised Cloud Software Provider for IT Solution Partners HESSLE, England, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Giacom announced today that it has partnered with SkyKick - an award-winning market leader in cloud automation and management solutions, to bring complete Office 365 backup protection to its reseller-only channel. Newly launched in the Giacom Cloud Market, SkyKick Cloud Backup for Office 365 enables resellers to back up all their customers' Office 365 mailboxes, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, and Groups and Teams data. SkyKick's product portfolio is used by more than 20,000 partners in more than 125 countries, making it easy for IT resellers to back up and manage their customers in the cloud. With 75% of companies experiencing a data loss event due to human error, backing up data is vital for businesses. Without an Office 365 backup solution, it can take IT administrators up to six hours to recover a single email or data file. Featuring unlimited backup and retention, powerful search indexing and one-click restore that enablesIT administrators to retrieve data in minutes, not hours, SkyKick Cloud Backup can perform up to six daily backups, with data able to be restored it to its original location. In addition, the solution - which is also GDPR-compliant - has recently introduced Office 365 Groups and Teams as a backup feature, making it one of the most technically complete data protection solutions for Office 365. Mike Wardell, CEO at Giacom, said: "We're excited to be partnering with SkyKick to bring their powerful, GDPR-compliant solution to our customers. Their fast, easy and automated backup is simple to understand and easy to provision. As a value-added solution for our Office 365 customers, using SkyKick enables resellers to reduce customer churn while creating healthier margins. We're excited to partner with a distributor that shares similar DNA, relentlessly innovating to help businesses transform in the cloud," said SkyKick Vice President of Global Business Development Peter Labes. Launching our Office 365 backup solution into their vibrant Cloud Market allows Giacom to provide its 4,000+ resellers with the ability to accelerate cloud success by enhancing recurring revenue, profit and overall customer satisfaction." As the number one Cloud Distributor for SMEs in the UK, Giacom is committed to bringing its resellers leading cloud services from world-class vendors into the marketplace. Resellers can purchase SkyKick Cloud Backup for Office 365 in the Giacom Cloud Market. -------------------------------------------------- 1. IT Compliance Company Policy Group via http://www.skykick.com/backup/ 2. SkyKick, 2018 via http://www.skykick.com/backup/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Insightful Technology and DoubleEdge Partner to Deliver Disruptive Regulatory Communication Compliance and Cognitive SaaS, Soteria, to Financial Services LONDON, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Compliant voice, e-communications and cognitive services disruptor, Insightful Technology, has agreed a new partnership with agile IT and unified communications provider, DoubleEdge, as part of their growing activity in the Financial Technology marketplace. The alliance has already been celebrated with an early customer acquisition, for deployment in September. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/745260/Insightful_Technology_Logo.jpg ) (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/745261/DoubleEdge_Logo.jpg ) Insightful's Soteria platform is currently used by 9 of the top 12 global banks and now enables DoubleEdge to bridge compliance and efficiency gaps for businesses within the regulated sectors. Soteria captures and recalls any type of corporate multimedia communication in a single global view and then overlays proactive monitoring and AI services to enhance the data's value to the organisation. All in real-time and without data leaving jurisdiction, case reconstructions can be compiled in a matter of minutes with the aid of advanced keyword search algorithms and Microsoft voice-to-text transcription software. This empowers businesses to respond proactively to regulatory requests and allows regulators to remotely access a containerised view of the case. Steve Garrood, Insightful Technology's COO commented: "We strive to ensure we have th best-in-class partners who share our ethos of encouraging real business efficiency change, while solving the customers' immediate pain points around unified communications and/or compliance. DoubleEdge takes this approach and has established a solid reputation for delivering exceptional levels of customer service and support." "With Soteria, DoubleEdge now has access to a tier-4, secure and resilient cloud-based SaaS solution, that provides much-needed structure to otherwise unstructured data, in one place. There's no need for middleware or multiple disparate data silosand, given Soteria's open API design, DoubleEdge can deliver a complimentary and non-architecturally disruptive solution, that ingests data from any existing or legacy estate, be that hardware or software." Steve Burges, DoubleEdge Managing Director, added: "We work with some of the biggest players in the financial, legal and professional services sectors, providing advanced communications and collaboration solutions, plus the essential support required to meet changing requirements." "Over the past 20 years, we've witnessed growing regulatory demands across an increasingly wide range of communications. Compliance managers need a solution that is simple to deploy, quick to respond to requests from the authorities and accurate in the data supplied. Insightful Technology delivers all this with the flexibility and scalability offered by a cloud-based SaaS solution. They're way ahead of everything else out there and that's why we value this important partnership." About Insightful Technology Through our SAAS platform Soteria, we provide organisations around the world with the ability to securely capture, analyse and store business communications in real-time, regardless of the source. With an accompanying A.I. and B.I. analytics and proactive alerting suite, and the functionality to create case reconstructions immediately, as well as pre-populate CRM systems or Best Execution forms with accurate voice-to-text transcriptions, we not only drive compliance on a global scale but also enterprise agility. Our mobile voice recording solution is currently used by 9 of the top 12 tier 1 global banks, and over 170 other financial organisations, and can also be implemented by government agencies, legal institutions and pharmaceutical companies all around the world. About DoubleEdge We're an independent, specialist IT and communications service provider. We believe in the power of new technology to transform the way businesses are able to work, but we also believe that proactive, knowledgeable support from people who really care is at the heart of delivering performance improvement. Our client base includes market-leading, global companies who rely on us to address their business challenges across voice, data and mobile comms. They value an approach that combines innovative, tailored solutions, deep industry knowledge and service excellence to deliver cost savings and operational efficiencies. Contact details Carina Evison Head of Marketing & PR, Insightful Technology carina.evison@insightfultechnology.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Experience the Future of Internet of Things at the IoT India Congress 2018 BENGALURU, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Platform of Platforms for IoT to focus on leveraging the business potential of IoT The Internet of Things (IoT) Panel of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), in partnership with Exhibitions India Group, is organizing the third edition of IoT India Congress, India's largest all-inclusive platform for Internet of Things on October 9th and 10th, 2018 at the NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bengaluru. Dr. R S Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Mr. Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, MeitY, will address the delegates. Mr. K J George, Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka and Mr. Jawaid Akhtar, Principal Secretary to Govt. of Karnataka, Health & Family Welfare Services will also be present. The tracks that will be in focus this year include healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, standards, media & edutainment and smart cities. Emerging technology trends such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Skills and Last Mile Focus will serve as common threads that will bind the various tracks together. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Niti Aayog, Department of Telecommunications, CPWD, Government of India have already pledged support for this edition. The platform has, in the past gained encouragement and support from key ministries within the Government of India. Associations include Industrial Internet Consortium, IEEMA, IEEE, FISME, NASSCOM, European Business Group, Broadband India Forum and many other industrial bodies. Key highlights of this edition include: IoT Live Zones , where attendees can touch, feel and experience IoT first-hand. A primary healthcare center of the future, telecom experience zone for 5G, NBIoT, Sigfox and LoRa technologies, smart cities zone and an Industry 4.0 zone will be showcased. , where attendees can touch, feel and experience IoT first-hand. A primary healthcare center of the future, telecom experience zone for 5G, NBIoT, Sigfox and LoRa technologies, smart cities zone and an Industry 4.0 zone will be showcased. Speed Dating - a unique platform where corporates get acquainted with great start-up ideas. Led by 100 Open Start-ups, the Speed Dating segment will feature curated, focused meetings between high calibre start-ups and enterprises geared to demonstrate business outcomes. - a unique platform where corporates get acquainted with great start-up ideas. Led by 100 Open Start-ups, the Speed Dating segment will feature curated, focused meetings between high calibre start-ups and enterprises geared to demonstrate business outcomes. Innovative experience such as PoP +91 , a firs-of-its-kind Open Innovation Platform for celebrity speakers, industry experts and thought leaders which also serves as an open platform for product launches, demos, success stories and use case presentations. , a firs-of-its-kind Open Innovation Platform for celebrity speakers, industry experts and thought leaders which also serves as an open platform for product launches, demos, success stories and use case presentations. Workshop sessions to share success stories and explore business modes. An exclusive session for academia to discuss their concerns in evolving an IoT-centred curriculum and guidance to take on challenges. to share success stories and explore business modes. An exclusive session for academia to discuss their concerns in evolving an IoT-centred curriculum and guidance to take on challenges. 'Argonaut - Money on the Table', an exclusive live funding session that will provide a platform to empower the vibrant start-up ecosystem. Thought Leadership Awards, chaired by Gopichand Katragadda , CTO, Tata Sons . The Start-up Awards, instituted to recognize the exemplary work done by start-ups, will be presented by Amitabh Sinha , Co-Founder & CSO, meetingsandofffices.com. Shekhar Sanyal, Director and Country Head of the IET, said, "The first two editions of the Congress focused on unifying the fragmented IoT ecosystem and unravelling the business outcomes through IoT. This edition will focus on bringing an immersive view of the Internet of Things and the future it presents. We are excited about this edition which is set to be bigger and different in many ways." Sharing his thoughts on the upcoming Congress, Rishi Bhatnagar, Chairman, IET IoT Panel and IoT India Congress, and President, Aeris Communications (India) said, "IoT has been growing exponentially in India. There is tremendous opportunity for industry players in the country to drive innovations which not only accelerate transformation but also enhance the standard of living amongst Indian citizens. In the past two years, the IoT India Congress has served as a platform for various stakeholders including industry experts, policy-makers and regulators, to come together to provide an immersive view of IoT in India and discuss what the future holds. It is heartening to see how the Congress has been able to unite industry leaders who are focusing on future innovations. This year too we look forward to seeing great participation from IoT enthusiasts from across the country." Prem Behl, Chairman and Managing Director the Exhibitions India Group, said, "The Internet of Things is a reality that is being implemented in a range of industrial and business applications. It has potential to transform all types of businesses and our day-to-day lives. The focus of the IoT India Congress is to evangelise the Internet of Things in India, and to help accelerate its adoption, which will enhance productivity and efficiency in various sectors." About IoT India Congress IoT India Congress 2018 is the 3rd edition of India's largest Platform of Platforms for the Internet of Things. While our first edition was devoted to unifying the fragmented IoT ecosystem and building the Platform of Platforms for the Internet of Things, the second edition focused on exploiting this platform for unraveling business outcomes and demonstrating business opportunities. In this 3rd edition, we have partnered with Exhibitions India Group - India's leading trade promotions company. With our combined strength and experience, we hope to bring to you an immersive view of the Internet of Things and the future it presents. For more details on IoT India Congress, 2018, visit - http://www.iotindiacongress.com/ For details on the IoT Start-up Awards, visit - http://www.iotindiacongress.com/start-up-awards/ For details on the Thought Leadership Award, visit - http://www.iotindiacongress.com/thought-leadership-awards/ About the IET: The IET is one of the world's largest engineering institutions with over 168,000 members in 150 countries. It is also the most multidisciplinary - to reflect the increasingly diverse nature of engineering in the 21st century. The IET is working to engineer a better world by inspiring, informing and influencing our members, engineers and technicians, and all those who are touched by, or touch, the work of engineers. Institution of Engineering and Technology - India The IET office started operations in India in 2006, in Bangalore. Today, we have over 13,000 members and have the largest membership base for the IET outside of the UK. Given the increasing global importance of India as an engineering hub our aim is to make an impact that has relevance both locally and internationally. Our strategy is to make a meaningful impact on the overall competency and skill levels within the Indian engineering community and play an influencing role with industry in relation to technology innovation and solving problems of public importance. We want to do this through working in partnership with industry, academia and government, focussing on the application of practical skills within both learning & career lifecycles, driving innovation and thought leadership through high impact sectors. Our volunteer led panels are means through which we deliver our strategy. The IET India IoT Panel was born out of this focus. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Hindawi Limited Launches Open-Source Peer Review System Built on the PubSweet Framework LONDON, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A game-changing, open-source peer review system Hindawi Limited is pleased to announce the launch of a new peer review platform built using the Collaborative Knowledge Foundation's (Coko) open source PubSweet framework. This is the first complete open-source peer review system to come out of the Coko community, a group of like-minded organizations, including eLife, the European Bioinformatics Institute, and the University of California Press, keen on working collaboratively towards the advancement of openness in scholarly communications software. "The xPub project is breaking new ground as a community-built open source solution for scholarly communication," said Kristen Ratan, co-founder of Coko. "Hindawi is leading the way with this launch less than a year from starting our partnership." Hindawi's system is launching on the open access journal Bioinorganic Chemistry and Applications. The new system will power a traditional editorial workflow, led by new Editor-in-Chief Dr. Francesco Paolo Fanizzi. Gathering feedback from editors, reviewers, and authors, Hindawi plans to extend the system to serve multiple journals running several editorial models. Given the open source nature of the platform, other publishers, societies, and institutions will be freeto reuse the software and adapt the system to new uses. Hindawi Limited's Director of Product and Technology, Andrew Smeall, commented: "We are proud to be contributing a piece of open infrastructure back to the research community. We're excited to continue extending the system ourselves and to see how others in the community adapt it for their needs." Hindawi shared additional details about the system and the decision to support open source in a post on the company blog. About Hindawi Limited Hindawi Limited is one of the world's largest open access publishers providing authors with an expansive portfolio of journals each built to fit the targeted communities they serve. Driven by a mission to advance openness in research, we work with other publishers and institutions to move towards a more open scholarly ecosystem by supporting the development of open source publishing infrastructure. For additional information about Hindawi Limited, see hindawi.com. To find out more about this new peer review system, email us at technology@hindawi.com and connect with us on Twitter. About The Collaborative Knowledge Foundation (Coko) The Collaborative Knowledge Foundation (Coko) create community-owned open infrastructure for research communication that fosters collaboration, increases transparency and enables the production and dissemination of knowledge at greater speed. Coko is funded through the generosity of the Shuttleworth Foundation, The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Arnold Foundation. Coko partners with leading publishers and research communication providers such as eLife, Hindawi, the University of California Press, Wormbase, and EuropePMC. Software is a conversation. Engage with Coko: Gitlab, Mattermost, Twitter, and reach us at info@coko.foundation. Contact: technology@hindawi.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Trend Micro Launches Managed Detection and Response Service in Singapore and APAC SINGAPORE, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704 ) , a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced the Trend Micro Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service is now available for customers in Singapore and the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Regardless of their size, organizations today share a common challenge: an increase in cyber threats and IT security teams that are understaffed and overextended. Based on the estimate by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, the island nation will be short of 9,700 cybersecurity professionals by 2021[1]. This shortage situation is not exclusive to Singapore, but a widespread issue across the region. Compounding the issue is the fact that modern-day threats, such as network attacks, targeted attacks, cryptominers, fileless malware, and remote access tools, are designed to be difficult to detect and circumvent many types of security technology. Many organizations currently do not have the resources to look for these unknown threats. MDR is a recent popular approach in the cybersecurity industry that aims to address these challenges. With MDR, organizations in APAC can now offload parts of their security operations specifically threat detection, analysis, and response -- to cybersecurity professionals. Once a potential threat is correlated, Trend Micro researchers and engineers will produce a detailed analysis of the threat and determine its impact on the system. Building on Trend Micro's existing ability to automatically detect and respond to unknown threats, the new MDR service adds a layer of new capabilities across solutions for endpoint, network, and server environments. The result helps organizations correlate and prioritize contextual threat information from multiple sources and deliver an automated response. This will include three specific enhancements: AI-augmented identification and correlation of high-risk threats; Automated prioritization of threat information across user endpoints, networks, & servers and, Orchestration and response automation. "Many organizations today grapple with endpoint detection and response (EDR), responding to an avalanche of gray alerts, and not having sufficient resources to manage their security operations. Our MDR offering is designed to tackle all these challenges," says Dhanya Thakkar, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), Trend Micro. "The service was released in the US in June this year and we have already received positive feedback from our customers. We believe the MDR service will be well-received by our APAC customers as well." For additional details on the Trend Micro MDR service, please visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/business/products/user-protection/sps/endpoint/endpoint-sensor.html [1] https://govinsider.asia/smart-gov/singapore-must-plug-cyber-skills-gap-says-csa-chief/ About Trend Micro Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world's most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro secures your connected world. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. SOURCE Trend Micro [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] CIO Review Magazine named Infortrend as one of top 10 most promising storage solution providers NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Infortrend Technology, Inc. (TWSE: 2495), once again, has been recognized as one of the top 10 most promising storage solution providers in 2018 by CIO Review Magazine. This is the second consecutive year that Infortrend received this prestigious recognition. In 2017, Infortrend was chosen as one of the top 20 most promising storage solution providers along with the leaders in enterprise data storage industry such as Dell EMC, HPE, IBM, and NetApp. CIO Review Magazine acknowledges Infortrend's position as one of the top data storage solution providers in the industry, as well as its relentless drive to excel in terms of quality, reliability, choice, and value. For more than 25 years, Infortrend has provided high-performance and quality-assured redundant rack-mounted storage systems with a worldwide installed base of more than 600,000 units. Our customers are rangin from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to large-scale enterprise storage demands such as government, multinational corporations, and financial institutions. Since 2010, Infortrend's market position was recognized by Gartner Magic Quadrant in General-Purpose Disk Array category. In addition, Infortrend's product price-performance were ranked among the top in both SPC-1 and SPC-2 benchmarks by Storage Performance Council (SPC), a vendor-neutral, industry standards body focused on the storage industry. Infortrend is accelerating its innovation pace with the latest product introduction of Hybrid Cloud Storage Appliance and AI-enabled Storage. "For Infortrend, this recognition validates our efforts in providing world-class product in the competitive Enterprise Data Storage market space", said Thomas Kao, Senior Director of Product Planning. Click here to read CIO Review Magazine's full review. About Infortrend Infortrend (TWSE: 2495) has been developing and manufacturing storage solutions since 1993. With a strong emphasis on in-house design, testing, and manufacturing, Infortrend storage delivers performance and scalability with the latest standards, user friendly data services, personal after-sales support, and unrivaled value. For more Information, please visit www.infortrend.com Infortrend and EonStor are trademarks or registered trademarks of Infortrend Technology, Inc., other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] RiskIQ's Q2 Mobile Threat Landscape Report Finds Blacklisted Apps on the Rise, Scams Get Mobile Key Findings: Mirroring 2017, blacklisted apps were on the rise in Q2 Trojans and adware were the most common blacklisted app Attacks on cryptocurrency continue Malicious battery-saving scams breach the app ecosystem SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RiskIQ , the global leader in digital risk management, today released its Mobile Threat Landscape Q2 2018 Report, which analyzed 120 mobile app stores and more than two billion daily scanned resources. The findings show a spike in blacklisted apps headlined by Trojans and Adware, as well as a fascinating shift in tactics by mobile threat actors. For the second year in a row, RiskIQ observed a sharp increase in blacklisted apps between May and June. Although this spike was less dramatic in 2018 than in 2017an increase of nearly 30,000 apps in 2017 versus 12,000 in 2018it continues a trend of accelerated Q2 blacklistings following lows in January and February. In total, RiskIQ observed 52,885 Blacklisted apps in Q2, which was 4% of all apps seen by the company and a 2% increase over Q1. The Google Play store made up a large chunk of this number, hosting 28,533 blacklisted apps, which is over 20,000 more blacklisted apps than Q1 2018 and 10,000 more than what RiskIQ observed in any quarter since Q1 2017. RiskIQ also observed 11,288 blacklisted Feral apps (apps seen outside of any app store), 4,750 blacklistings in the 9Apps third-party store, and 2,985 blacklistings in the AndroidAPKDescargar third-party store. Q2 marked a shift in tactics for threat actos using the mobile vector including: Attacks on myetherwallet.net: By copying the MyEtherWallet website and adding malicious scripts, threat actors spun up a phishing page that looked and acted like the official MyEtherWallet site, but sent authentication data to C2 servers when the victim enters their password to access/decrypt their wallet. This attack highlighted the trend of threat actors targeting the cryptocurrency landscape. Run for your (Battery) life: RiskIQ spotted a mobile scam page claiming to detect and resolve battery life issues that directed the victim to a malicious battery life app hosted in the Google Play store under the name 'Advanced Battery Saver.' The app claimed very excessive permissions including the ability to read sensitive log data, receive text messages (SMS), receive data from Internet, and modify system settings. It also stole IMEI data, phone numbers, location data, and included an ad-clicker as a revenue generator for the app author. For specific metrics and more on mobile vulnerabilities and attacker tactics, download the RiskIQ Mobile Threat Landscape Q1 2018 Report here: https://www.riskiq.com/research/2018-q2-mobile-threat-landscape-report/ About RiskIQ RiskIQ is the leader in digital risk management, providing the most comprehensive discovery, intelligence and mitigation of threats associated with an organizations digital presence. With more than 75 percent of attacks originating outside the firewall, RiskIQ allows enterprises to gain unified insight and control over web, social and mobile exposures. Trusted by thousands of security analysts, RiskIQs platform combines advanced internet data reconnaissance and analytics to expedite investigations, understand digital attack surfaces, assess risk and take action to protect the business, brand and customers. Based in San Francisco, the company is backed by Summit Partners, Battery Ventures, Georgian Partners and MassMutual Ventures. Visit https://www.riskiq.com or follow us on Twitter. Try RiskIQ Community Edition for free by visiting https://www.riskiq.com/community/. 2018 RiskIQ, Inc. All rights reserved. RiskIQ is a registered trademark of RiskIQ, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Contact Holly Hitchcock Front Lines Media 805-801-9798 Holly@FrontLines.io [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Lattice launches Employee Engagement Surveys to strengthen its People Management Platform SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Lattice moved a step closer towards its promise of building the next generation people management platform by launching its second product, Engagement. While Lattice was already known for a premier performance management product used by 750+ customers, it's now become the first continuous performance system to build a full engagement survey suite. Lattice announced the new product earlier this morning on the company blog. Lattice Engagement has the traditional functionality promised by other engagement survey solutions, but what makes this engagement survey solution special is the connection to a performance management suite. Instead of two siloed systems, Lattice customers now have one place for all things people management. "Now we can help leadership understand whether high performers at a company feel that they're getting enough recognition, or whether a certain manager isn't empowering their team enough," said Jack Altman, CEO & Co-Founder of Lattice. "We believe employee engagement and employee performance are deeply related. We're excited to give our customers more insights into this connection so they can build stronger company cultures." In building Engagement, Lattice knew that in order to give companies valuble insights about their culture, a lot of thought had to go into the survey design. To ensure scientific rigor, Lattice partnered with a professor and behavioral economist at UC Berkeley, Elizabeth Linos, to design their question templates. Her research focus is on recruitment, retention, motivation, and performance in the workplace, and she's a survey design and program evaluation specialist who's worked with the big 4 tech companies. Since launching in 2016, Lattice has grown to serve over 750 customers including a number of today's best places to work like Reddit, Glossier, Asana, Button, and Cruise. Lattice's magic comes down to its ability to take a complicated management process and distill it down into an easy-to-use tool that's powerful for admins, but designed for the employee experience. As Stephanie Mardel, VP of People at Button observed, "People truly enjoy using this tool. They enjoy the user interface, the simplicity. Everyone at Button loves the Lattice platform." Lattice has put this same attention to detail and focus on the employee experience into the new Engagement product. It's an exciting time for the Lattice team as they continue to build a management platform that powers today's best places to work. To learn more about Lattice's platform, head over to their website. Related Resources: Lattice Blog: Introducing Lattice Engagement Introducing Lattice Engagement Lattice Engagement Product: https://lattice.com/engagement https://lattice.com/engagement Lattice Performance Product: https://lattice.com/performance About Lattice Lattice is a people management platform that helps companies align, engage, and grow their employees. With Lattice, it's easy to launch 360 reviews, share ongoing feedback and public praise, facilitate 1:1s, set up goal tracking, and run employee engagement surveys. By combining performance management and employee engagement in one solution, HR teams get powerful analytics that lead to actionable insights around how to create a high-performing and engaged workforce. Based in San Francisco, Lattice is backed by Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, and Slack Fund, and serves 750+ customers around the world. For more information, visit www.lattice.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lattice-launches-employee-engagement-surveys-to-strengthen-its-people-management-platform-300714135.html SOURCE Lattice [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp. to Present at LD Micro NYC Summit and Cantor 2018 Global Healthcare Conference ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NYSE American: ZOM) (TSX-V:ZOM) (Zomedica or Company), a veterinary diagnostic and pharmaceutical company, today announced that it will present at the LD Micro NYC Summit on September 25 in New York, NY, and at the Cantor Global Healthcare Conference on October 2 in New York, NY. Chief Financial Officer Shameze Rampertab, CPA, CA, will provide an overview of Zomedicas business during his presentations and will be available to participate in one-on-one meetings with investors invited to attend each conference. LD Micro NYC Summit The LD Micro NYC Summit is an invite-only event. Interested parties should contact david@ldmicro.com for further information. Cantor Global Healthcare Conference Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Time: 4:35 p.m. ET Location: InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel, New York, NY Webcast Information: Investors and other interested parties will be able to access a live webcast of the presentation by visiting Zomedicas website at http://www.zomedica.com/investor-information/events-presentations/ . A replay of the audio webcast and copies of the presentation will be accessible on the Zomedica website following the event. About Zomedica Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zomedica (NYSE American:ZOM) (TSX-V:ZOM) is a veterinary diagnostic and pharmaceutical company creating products for companion animals (canine, feline and equine) by focusing on the unmet needs of clinical veterinarians. Zomedicas product portfolio will include novel diagnostics and innovative therapeutics that emphasize patient health and practice health. With a team that includes clinical veterinary professionals, it is Zomedicas mission to give veterinarians the opportunity to lower costs, increase productivity, and grow revenue while better serving the animals in their care. For more information, visit www.ZOMEDICA.com . Follow Zomedica Reader Advisory 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 the release. Investor Relations Contacts Shameze Rampertab, CPA, CA srampertab@zomedica.com +1 647.283.3630 PCG Advisory Group Kirin Smith, COO ksmith@pcgadvisory.com +1 646.863.6519 www.pcgadvisory.com Media Contact Andrea Eberle aeberle@zomedica.com +1 734.369.2555 [September 18, 2018] Gopher Protocol Takes Next Step in MESH System Design Developing Alpha Hardware Design of the Node Gopher Protocol, Inc. San Diego, CA, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) ("Gopher), a company specializing in the creation of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technologies, including a global platform with both mobile and fixed solutions, announced today that it is moving to Alpha hardware design of its MESH system node unit. Mesh Network (also referred to Mesh Topology) is a network topology in which devices are connected with many other interconnections between network nodes. In a true mesh topology every node has a connection to every other node in the network. A node is in a location processing unit. A node can be any device that is connected to the network, such as a computer, transceiver, printer or any similar device. Every node has a unique network address, sometimes called a Data Link Control (DLC) address or Media Access Control (MAC) address. Gopher has moved to the MESH network node hardware design, where it will seek to address critical topics like GPS sync, signal lose, providing an alternative RTC (Real Time Clock) solution in order to maintain continuous system's operation and powerful MCU (Microcontroller Unit) selection in order to ensure fast and reliable response. "The node hardware design is a major step in our MESH system design and we are investing extra efforts to provide smart and efficient functionality," stated Danny Rittman, Gophers Chief Technology Officer. "We are reviewing GPS modules and in parallel looking to ensure continuous operation in the event of a GPS signal lose," continued Dr. Rittman. "It is our goal to maintain the systems smooth operation especially n times when GPS signal sync is lost. In order to achieve this goal, we are investing in the design of the RTC (Real Time Clock) sub-system. When developed, the unit's internal RTC system will kick in the event there is a GPS sync signal lose and the system will maintain its operation. In addition, during this phase, we review our node hardware components and select high performance major parts such as the MCU, RTC, GPS module and antenna. I always compare a good hardware design to a philharmonic orchestra performance. If all players do not play in meticulous harmony, the musical masterpiece will not sound well. The same applies here. If all components will not match, electrically/functionality/timing wise, the entire system will not perform well. We are now building our first, main piece in this system with the goal of creating our masterpiece!" About Gopher Protocol Inc. Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) (Gopher) (http://gopherprotocol.com/) is a development-stage company which consider itself Native IoT creator, developing Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technology. Gopher has a portfolio of Intellectual Property that when commercialized will include smart microchips, mobile application software and supporting cloud software. The system contemplates the creation of a global network. The core of the system will be its advanced microchip technology that can be installed in any mobile device worldwide. Gopher envisions this system as an internal, private network between all enabled mobile devices providing shared processing, advanced mobile database management/sharing and enhanced mobile features. Corporate Site: http://gopherprotocol.com Press page/ press kit - http://gopherprotocol.com/?page_id=228 Consumer and product website for Guardian Patch: http://www.guardianpatch.com/. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors as disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission located at their website (http://www.sec.gov). In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, governmental and public policy changes, the Companys ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all, the Companys successful development of its products and the integration into its existing products and the commercial acceptance of the Companys products. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. Attachment Gopher Protocol, Inc. Contact: Dr. Danny Rittman CTO Gopher Protocol Inc. Media: press@gopherprotocol.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Penn Dental Medicine Awarded $1M Scholarship Grant from Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Penn Dental Medicine students with a passion for serving vulnerable patients will now have a new resource to support their interests and goals thanks to a $1 million scholarship grant from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic branch of Delta Dental of Pennsylvania. Delta Dental's Oral Health Education grant will endow in perpetuity the awarding of two $25,000 scholarships each year to DMD students who desire to work in an underserved area after graduation and who have demonstrated a commitment to community outreach during their studies. The grant award was announced in August and the first application cycle will open this fall for interested candidates in the current third-year class. "While all of our students gain experience serving the underserved through our community-based service learning courses, we see a significant number of students with a great interest go above and beyond what's required and develop extensive experience in the community," says Dr. Joan Gluch, Division Chief of Community Oral Health, and co-director of the grant with Dr. Olivia Sheridan, Assistant Dean for Admissions. "What's exciting about this scholarship is that it will provide the support that some students need to ultimately pursue this path after graduation. The need is great, because approximately 48 million people in the United States live in areas with dentist shortages." The scholarships, which will not reduce a student's scholarship package from other Penn Dental Medicine resources, are intended to lighten overall expenses and debt during the recipient's fourth-year of study with the goal of clearing a path for a student to pursue a career in community-based dentistry. "The addition of this scholarship resource, even though it applies to the final stages of students' DMD time and beyond, will be a tremendous resource in our recruitment efforts as well," notes Dr. Sheridan. "The availability of scholarships to offset loans can be a deciding factor for students who may have considerable undergraduate debt, or who come from a financially challenged background." In addition to completing a minimum of 250 hours of community-based service and finishing all their DMD requirements on time in their fourth year, recipients must demonstrate employment in a medically underserved or health professions shortage area by October of their graduating year and commit to two years in that role after raduation. "We are thrilled with the generosity and vision of Delta Dental to help us widen the doors of possibility for those students committed to serving communities in need as they enter professional practice," says Dr. Mark Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean of Penn Dental Medicine. Over time, Penn Dental Medicine foresees the fund also contributing valuable data to community health needs assessment. "These new dentists will be a valuable cohort to track to assess the impact scholarships can make in drawing more dental graduates into community-based service," explains Dr. Gluch. "We will create a mechanism to remain connected to the Delta Dental scholars and to collect data on practice patterns to help inform our understanding of oral health of vulnerable patients and communities." "We're delighted to have another opportunity to work together with Penn Dental Medicine to further our Foundation's mission of increasing access to dental care in underserved communities in Pennsylvania and beyond," says Karen Robinson, executive director of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. "This scholarship fund has the potential to improve health and enhance the lives of students and communities for years to come." This $1 million Oral Health Education grant further expands a relationship between the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation and Penn Dental Medicine. In 2017, the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation awarded Penn Dental Medicine a $650,000 grant to expand PennSmiles, the school's oral health education and clinical care program for schoolchildren and their families in Philadelphia. The grant allowed for the purchase of a new, state-of-the-art mobile dental vehicle as well as the operational costs for educational programs. In addition, Delta Dental has supported Penn Dental Medicine students through its annual Student Leadership Award, a monetary award granted to an outstanding graduating dental school student. For more information about the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation and its programs, please visit deltadentalins.com/about/community/philanthropy/. This scholarship grant is a project of the Power of Penn Dental Medicine capital campaign, part of a University-wide initiative to raise support for scholarships, community outreach and access to care for vulnerable populations, research, and facilities. About the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and its affiliated companies including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., and Delta Dental of California. Since 2011, the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has awarded more than $3.6 million in the state of Pennsylvania. The Foundation's mission is to increase access to quality dental care by providing funding and support to advance research, education and access to dental care across its 15-state service area and the District of Columbia. About Penn Dental Medicine The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine), founded in 1878, ranks among the nation's leaders in oral health education, research, and patient care. The School's educational programs include a predoctoral DMD program, postgraduate programs in all the major clinical specialties as well as a Doctor of Science in Dentistry and Master of Science in Oral Biology, and a DMD program for foreign-trained dentists through its Program for Advanced Standing Students. The school is also a major provider of oral health care for the Philadelphia community, performing approximately 176,000 procedures each year in its clinical teaching facilities and serving residents throughout the region through the Penn Dental Family Practice offices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005112/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] DarwinAI Emerges from Stealth with Powerful Design, Optimization and Explainability Platform for Deep Learning WATERLOO, Ontario, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DarwinAI , a Waterloo, Canada startup creating next generation technologies for Artificial Intelligence development, announced today it is emerging out of stealth with $3M in seed funding co-led by Obvious Ventures and iNovia Capital , and angels from the highly respected Creative Destruction Lab accelerator in Toronto. The teams Generative Synthesis platform leverages AI to reduce the complexity and guesswork in designing efficient, high performance deep neural networks for real world applications. The value of deep learning, coupled with the fact that 40% of executives plan to increase their AI investments in H2 2018 (source: KPMG), is fueling adoption. However, the complexity behind building, running and explaining deep neural networks is a problem most enterprises cannot solve without highly trained data scientists and skilled experts. To combat this complexity, DarwinAI uses AI itself to understand how a neural network works. The Generative Synthesis platform generates a compact network that maintains functional fidelity and provides explanations on network predictions, which is particularly important in regulated industries. DarwinAI was founded by a renowned team of Waterloo alumni, including Dr. Alexander Wong, a professor at the University of Waterloo, Sheldon Fernandez, co-founder of Infusion, a software consultancy firm that was acquired by Avanade last year and Arif Virani, a former McKinsey & Company technology consultant to Fortune 500 Companies. The Darwin platform has produced extremely impressive results. For an image classification task, the companys technology generated a deep neural network 4.5 times more computationally efficient than the one produced by Googles popular AutoML and Learn2Compress platforms. The same technology also generated an optimized version of DetectNet, Nvidias object detecion network, 12 times smaller and 4 times faster than the original. Darwins unique approach also produced strong results during the proof-of-concept phase, enabling the generation of compact networks for clients across automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics industries that far outshine existing techniques. The technology is particularly applicable in implementing AI at the edge. From autonomous vehicles to mobile devices, we are seeing edge-based scenarios where AI is having a profound impact on business outcomes, said Sheldon Fernandez, CEO of DarwinAI. A critical challenge in this realm is designing these powerful networks to run in situations where computational and energy resources are limited. To this end, our platform is much more than an optimization tool. It allows engineers to collaborate with powerful AI to develop efficient and interpretable network models. Generative Synthesis Platform: Model Design Optimization and Explainability Generative Synthesis is the byproduct of years of impressive scholarship from Dr. Wongs team, whose previous accolades include two award-winning papers at workshops at the prestigious Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference in 2016 and 2017, respectively. This core technology, coupled with the academic team behind it, will be critical in ushering the companys next-generation tooling. Ive been spending time with development teams at some of the worlds leading tech companies to learn about the state of AI and all of their input leads back to Darwin, said Nan Li, Managing Director of Obvious Ventures, who co-led the seed investment in DarwinAI. The companys product accelerates deep learning development in two fundamentally critical areas: by enabling teams to quickly optimize neural networks design, and by shedding light on the inner workings of such networks to inform faster training and better model development. Antoine Nivard, principal at iNovia capital, Darwins other co-lead, was quick to tout the teams academic prowess and the Canadian ecosystem that produced it. Dr. Wong is a recognized authority in deep learning who has realized, practical AI solutions with resounding success, said Nivard. As a founding member of Waterloos AI Institute and Canadas Research Chair in AI, Professor Wong exemplifies the talent emanating from Canada and the innovation that is capturing the attention of Silicon Valley. The Generative Synthesis platform helps architects and developers design and build deep learning systems in the following ways: The engine uses Artificial Intelligence to obtain a foundational understanding of a neural network and then applies that understanding to generate a range of entirely new and unique networks based on user-defined requirements. The new networks are considerably smaller, infer faster and maintain the functionality accuracy of the original network. Designers collaborate and iterate with the Generative Synthesis platform to choose the right network for the task at hand (and can further generate additional networks based on finer requirements). The technology gives rise to explainable deep learning whereby developers can understand, interpret and defend the inner workings of a network and how it reaches its decisions imperative for network debugging, design improvement and addressing regulatory compliance. The platform runs natively in TensorFlow, the popular open source machine learning framework, and can thus be run on-premise in a customers private data center eliminating the need to share or upload sensitive data or proprietary models to a public cloud environment. Our initial results are noteworthy, says Professor Wong, but it is important that we innovate relentlessly as we respond to our customers needs. For me, success is Generative Synthesis enabling deep learning solutions across a variety of verticals impactful applications that we can only dimly imagine today. About DarwinAI Founded by renowned academics at the University of Waterloo, DarwinAIs Generative Synthesis technology represents the next evolution in AI development, demystifying the complexities of deep learning neural networks while unraveling their opaqueness. Based on years of distinguished scholarship, the companys patented platform enables deep learning optimization and explainability, with a special emphasis in enabling AI at the edge, where computational and energy resources are limited. To learn more about DarwinAI, visit their website at www.darwinAI.com or follow them @darwinAI_ml on Twitter. Media Contact Scott Lechner Offleash for DarwinAI (530) 521-3095 scott@offleashpr.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Tamr Secures an Additional $10 Million Investment Bringing Round to $28M Tamr Inc., the innovator in data unification, today announced that it has closed $10 million in new equity capital, including participation from Pear Tree Partners and Granite Hill Capital Partners. The new financing adds to the company's recent $18 million raise announced in July. The funds enable Tamr to continue its rapid growth fueled by new urgency in large enterprises' need to reinvent how they manage data to accelerate digital transformation. Tamr provides a machine-driven, human-guided approach to data unification that increasingly is a foundational component of large enterprise data management strategies. Tamr also announced the appointment of new Board Observers in conjunction with its recent financing including John McClellan, Partner at Pear Tree Partners; Masataka Otomo, Venture Capitalist at SBI Investment; and Mona Vernon, CTO of Thomson Reuters (News - Alert) Labs. "We've had a record start to 2018," said Andy Palmer Co-founder and CEO of Tamr. "With our round of funding now complete and the addition of highly experienced new Board Observers, we're on-track to continue our rapid growth as we redefine how companies solve intractable data unification challenges." Tamr's solutions are based on the company's patented enterprise data unification software platform, Unify (News - Alert) . The system was initially conceived by Turing Award winner Dr. Michael Stonebraker (News - Alert) and his co-inventors who published their research about the Data Tamer System for tackling large scale data curation challenges in early 2013. Tamr was founded shortly after that to commercialize the research and has become a high-growth company by enabling large enterprises to tackle previously unsolvable data problems. By applying machine learning supplemented by human expertise to large-scale data curation challenges, Tamr's agile data mastering and classification solutions are able to break through the limitations of traditional rules-based data integration approaches inherent in ETL and MDM products. Additional Resources: Learn more about Tamr: www.tamr.com Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) : https://twitter.com/Tamr_Inc Connect on LinkedIn (News - Alert) : http://www.linkedin.com/company/tamr About Tamr, Inc. Tamr is the enterprise-scale data unification company trusted by industry leaders like GE, Toyota, Thomson Reuters, and GSK. The company's patented software platform uses machine learning supplemented with customers' knowledge to unify and prepare data across myriad silos to deliver previously unavailable business-changing insights. With a co-founding team led by Andy Palmer (founding CEO of Vertica) and Mike Stonebraker (Turing Award winner) and backed by founding investors NEA and GV, Tamr is transforming how companies get value from their data. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005237/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Benhamou Global Ventures Expands Team and Cross Border Platform for Entrepreneurs Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV), an early-stage venture capital firm with deep Silicon Valley roots and an exclusive focus on the digital transformation of the enterprise with a cross-border innovation theme, announced the expansion of its team with promotion of Yashwanth Hemaraj to Partner in Palo Alto, and the hiring of CFO Susan Boehnlein in Palo Alto, and associate, Sarah Benhamou in Paris, France. In addition to the team expansion, BGV expands its outreach to entrepreneurs with the launch of Arka Venture Labs in partnership with Blume Ventures and Emergent Ventures. BGV has empowered disruptive ideas from key B2B innovation hubs spanning Israel, Western Europe and India scale up globally. The majority of BGV's current early stage portfolio is comprised of startups with global geographic diversity, anchored in Silicon Valley. Recent representative investments include Scalefast, Platform.sh and 4iQ (originally conceived in Western Europe) and Totango, SDO and Ayehu (originally conceived in Israel). BGV utilizes a structured mentorship process to connect these cross-border startups to Silicon Valley. This process includes educating entrepreneurs on the specific value drivers for establishing operations in Silicon Valley, improving their product market readiness, and finally setting up US operations. The recently launched Arka Venture Labs is an extension of the firm's cross-border investment strategy to Indian Entrepreneurs. Arka will focus on investing in disruptive B2B SaaS startups conceived in India, mentored in Palo Alto and with aspirations for global growth. Susan Boehnlein, CFO - Palo Alto Susan Boehnlein joins BGV as CFO, where she will oversee BGV's reporting to limited partners and supporting portfolio companies. Susan brings 20 years of experienced financial leadership in the VC industry with firms like Granite Ventures and Kranz. At Kranz and Associates, Susan was responsible for 17 venture funds with investments worldwide in sectors such as technology, communication and medical devices. Prior to Kranz and Associates, Susan was with Granite Ventures in San Francisco. A California CPA, Susan began her career in public account working for PWC and Arthur Andersen. She grew up in Louisiana and has a Bachelor f Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University. Yashwanth Hemaraj, Partner - Palo Alto Yashwanth Hemaraj has been promoted to partner and has been an investor at Benhamou Global Ventures for more than four years. At BGV, Yash led/co-led several investments for BGV including Tagnos, Macrometa, Totango and 6dbytes and assisted on Blue Cedar, Kaptivo, Drishti and Spikes/Cyberinc. He's also leading the BGV effort in Arka Venture Labs, an accelerator platform for India based B2B companies to scale up globally. Yash focuses on intelligent automation, robotics and customer centric applications powered by a combination of enabling technologies such as AI, ML, Blockchain and computer vision. Prior to BGV, Yash was one of the first engineers at SpiderCloud Wireless (acquired by Corning (News - Alert) Incorporated (NYSE: GLW)), a venture backed bay area startup building indoor wireless systems. He graduated with a MBA from Kellogg School of Management, MS in Electrical Engineering from University of Maryland and bachelors in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, India. He is also a fellow of the Startup Leadership Program, Silicon Valley and has been board member at various non-profit organizations. Sarah Benhamou, Associate - Paris Sarah Benhamou joins BGV as an associate in Paris, France to bolster the team's investment evaluation capacity for Western European sourced deals. Prior to joining BGV, Sarah worked as an analyst with a team of entrepreneurs turned venture capitalists focused on highly promising European startups, offering funding combined with operational support to accelerate growth. Earlier Sarah held roles in corporate finance, auditing and research and business development. Sarah earned an MBA from IDC (News - Alert) Herzliya, the Magistere BFA and DEMI2E in Mathematics from Universite Paris Dauphine. About Benhamou Global Ventures BGV is an early-stage venture capital firm with deep Silicon Valley roots and an exclusive focus on digital transformation of enterprise with a cross-border innovation theme. The BGV team has successfully built and implemented a cross-border venture investing model with companies from Israel, Europe and Asia. BGV currently has 21 active companies in its portfolio with a majority conceived outside Silicon Valley, and now headquartered in the US. The fund was founded by Eric Benhamou, former chairman and CEO of 3Com (News - Alert) , Palm and co-founder of Bridge Communications. Comprised of an experienced partnership team of global operating executives and investors, BGV is often the first and most active institutional investor in a company, leveraging a powerful network of technical advisors, executives and functional experts who actively engage with portfolio companies. The firm has offices in Palo Alto, California, Tel Aviv, Israel and presence in France and in India through the Arka Venture Labs. Website: www.benhamouglobalventures.com Twitter (News - Alert) : @BenhamouGlobalV Email: marketing@BGV.vc LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/benhamou-global-ventures View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005342/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Duos Technologies Completes Lenel Integration for Enhanced Security Offerings Companys centraco Receives Certification under the Open Access Alliance Program JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Duos or the Company) (OTCQB: DUOT), a provider of intelligent security and analytical technology solutions, has received certification under the Lenel Open Access Alliance Program (OAAP). Duos offers comprehensive security solutions through its praesidium and centraco software platform. With a certified interface to Lenels OnGuard product, Duos clients benefit from an integrated solution for access control. Lenel is a part of UTC Climate, Controls and Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). The certification of this interface expands the capabilities of the Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) component of the Duos centraco 3.0 platform. PSIM offers users seamless access controllers paired with any standard card and biometric readers from HID and other manufactures. The centraco platform, acting as an overarching central control interface, enables operators to manage an organizations system-wide door access from a single interface. Duos security offerings have been successfully implemented at government and commercial sites. Noel Heiks, Duos Technologies' President and COO, stated, The continuing integration of third-party technologies is an important part of our strategy of maximizing and expanding the capabilities and features of our centraco/sup> platform. Our software development focuses on technologies which can drive new business in our identified markets. The certification by Lenel is a step in the development and integration of the Companys core technologies and is expected to enhance Duos competitiveness in relevant markets for PSIM. About Duos Technologies Group, Inc. Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCQB: DUOT), based in Jacksonville, Florida, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Duos Technologies, Inc., provides advanced intelligent security and analytical technology solutions with a strong portfolio of intellectual property. The Companys core competencies include intelligent technologies that combine machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced video analytics that are delivered through its proprietary integrated enterprise command and control centraco platform. The Company provides its broad range of technology solutions with an emphasis on mission critical security, inspection and operations within the rail transportation, retail, petrochemical, government, and banking sectors. Duos Technologies also offers professional and consulting services for large data centers. For more information, visit www.duostech.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects, may, will, should, anticipates, plans, or similar expressions or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause Duos Technologies Group, Inc.s actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A in Duos Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and other factors as may periodically be described in Duos filings with the SEC. Contacts: Duos Technologies Corporate Tracie Hutchins Duos Technology Group, Inc. 904-652-1601 tlh@duostech.com Investor Relations Matt Glover or Tom Colton Liolios 949-574-3860 DUOT@liolios.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Global Businesses See Customer Identity Management as Competitive Differentiator as Illustrated by ForgeRock-Sponsored Research ForgeRock-sponsored research shows Customer IAM enables organizations to safeguard customer data, while addressing security and privacy concerns in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) deployments SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ForgeRock , the leading platform provider of digital identity management, today released commissioned sponsored research conducted by Forrester Consulting that showed the impact of deploying customer identity solutions for building trust with customers and achieving top-level business objectives. Among the findings, 75 percent of surveyed businesses now see customer privacy as a competitive differentiator. The survey showed that organizations face new challenges when it comes to building customer trust and deploying new technologies securely, and including security concerns with AI and IoT. The research, conducted in April 2018, included a poll of more than 400 decision-makers in the US, the UK, France, Germany, China, Japan, and Australia. The full study is available for download, and a supporting infographic is also available. Key findings from the report include: Ensuring customer privacy is more than a business priority its an opportunity for competitive differentiation Three-quarters (75%) of organizations say that they consider the safeguarding of customers privacy to be a competitive differentiator. 79% say that safeguarding customers privacy is a critical overall business priority and 80% of businesses polled said that security and privacy considerations are built in from the start when developing new products, services and apps. AI and IoT can potentially undermine customer experience, security, and privacy goals The overall objectives of organizations have been greatly influenced by the emergence and increased adoption of new technologies, particularly AI (67% say this hs been an influence) and IoT (64%). However, security concerns are hindering adoption: 60% of decision-makers feel that their organizations AI and IoT deployment times have increased due to the security methods they felt were required. 57% report that senior management fears AI and IoT will expose customers to greater security and privacy threats and 44% agree that this leads to greater resistance toward further AI and IoT deployments. More than half (55%) struggle to retain the staff necessary to ensure AI models function correctly. And, while the data generated from IoT powers digital business today, 51% of organizations find it difficult to both store and secure it. Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) supports business objectives Organizations with advanced CIAM maturity are 20 to 52% more likely to say that their security plans will enable them to achieve their organizations top-level business objectives namely winning (88%), serving (89%), and retaining (88%) customers. Respondents said that CIAM clears privacy hurdles by ensuring data collection is done strictly within the confines of consent guidelines and without reducing the value of insights generated. Most of those polled said CIAM helps them: better secure customers identities (84%); reduce the risk of breaches of customer data (86%); and generate insights from the customer data they collect (84%). Despite this, less than half of organizations say they use a dedicated CIAM solution 48% of businesses polled use a dedicated CIAM solution, with a majority (61%) relying on extensions to existing employee identity and access management (IAM) systems to serve as CIAM stand-ins. Despite this, organizations are increasingly providing customers with additional choices when it comes to identity and authorization: 62% of businesses say they deploy two-factor authentication, 61% allow customers to use their social media identities as logins, and 48% use some form of biometrics. Consumer consciousness around data privacy and security has increased immensely in the past few years, forcing businesses to make customer privacy a business imperative, said Eve Maler, Vice President of Innovation & Emerging Technology, ForgeRock. Concurrently, the influx of AI and IoT-enabled technologies has created vulnerabilities in many data chains. However, the core of AI and IoT-enabled entities is a digital identity imperative that can, and must, be understood and managed. CIAM strategies are key to unlocking the true value of AI and IoT technologies as they uniquely enable companies to deliver the highest level of customer data privacy and the seamless experience todays consumers are increasingly demanding and expecting. About the research Commissioned by digital identity company ForgeRock and carried out by Forrester Consulting, the research surveyed 409 identity and access management (IAM) decision makers in the US, the UK, France, Germany, China, Japan, and Australia at organizations with 500 or more employees. Survey participants were required to have authority over identity and access management decisions in their organizations. Respondents were asked about IAM technology usage, approaches employed, challenges faced, and benefits received. The study was completed in April 2018. To learn more about CIAM and ForgeRocks solutions, please visit www.ForgeRock.com . About ForgeRock ForgeRock is the Digital Identity Management company transforming the way organizations interact securely with customers, employees, devices, and things. Organizations adopt the ForgeRock Identity Platform as their digital identity system of record to monetize customer relationships, address stringent regulations for privacy and consent (GDPR, HIPAA, FCC privacy, etc.), and leverage the internet of things. ForgeRock serves hundreds of brands, including Morningstar, Vodafone, GEICO, TomTom, and Pearson, as well as governments such as Norway, New Zealand, and Belgium, among many others. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, ForgeRock has offices in Austin, London, Bristol, Grenoble, Munich, Paris, Oslo, Singapore, Sydney and Vancouver, Washington. ForgeRock is privately held, backed by leading global venture capital firms Accel Partners, Foundation Capital, Meritech Capital and KKR. For more information and free downloads, visit www.forgerock.com or follow ForgeRock on social media: Facebook ForgeRock |Twitter @ForgeRock | LinkedIn ForgeRock | Press Contact: Dave De Jear Dave.dejear@forgerock.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] NJFX Announces the HAVFRUE Transatlantic Subsea Cable System will Land at its Tier 3 Cable Landing Station Campus WALL, New Jersey, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NJFX, the first and only carrier-neutral Cable Landing Station Campus in the U.S to offer Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities, announces that the HAVFRUE transatlantic subsea cable system will land at its colocation campus, in Wall, New Jersey. The HAVFRUE subsea cable will be constructed between New Jersey and Denmark, with branch connection to Ireland and Norway, by a consortium that includes Aqua Comms, Bulk Infrastructure, Google and Facebook. The consortium members selected to land the HAVFRUE system in New Jersey at the NJFX Tier 3 by the Subsea Colocation campus. "NJFX welcomes the HAVFRUE cable system to New Jersey as it represents one of the most significant cable systems to ever cross the Atlantic," comments Gil Santaliz, CEO for NJFX. "We are proud to be a part of this new subsea cable system as it furthers our goal to mak New Jersey a strategic landing point for the world's subsea deployments and serve as a major interconnection for global communications." New Jersey is already rich with subsea capacity, and as the other transatlantic systems start reaching their 20-year life cycle, the HAVFRUE design will start to make the economics of the other cables unviable. In just two decades, advances in subsea cable construction have resulted in HAVFRUE's ability to deliver superior speed and lower latency design. NJFX has also collaborated with carriers to install diverse fiber to its campus supporting carrier diversity across North America with carriers such as Altice, Crown Castle Fiber, Epsilon, Windstream, Zayo and Zenfi. With the HAVFRUE system, NJFX now has four cable systems landing at its campus facility, including TGN1, TGN2, Seabras and the only subsea cable to directly connect New Jersey to New York, WALL-LI. The new HAVFRUE system joins other subsea cables on the NJFX campus that interconnect Brazil, the UK and Caribbean in a single building, making NJFX the only one of its kind in North America. The NJFX campus is dedicated for interconnections to global networks with actual physical subsea cables. For more information about NJFX, please visit www.njfx.net. About NJFX NJFX operates "Tier 3 by the Subsea," the world's first colocation campus that strategically intersects a carrier neutral subsea cable landing station meet-me room with a Tier 3, carrier neutral data center. The 64,800-square foot purpose-built data center offers direct access to multiple independent subsea cable systems that interconnect North America, Europe, and South America. High and low-density colocation solutions are available with 24/7 support as well as unique US fiber back-haul solutions that avoid traditional legacy network points of failure. NJFX's offerings provide the flexibility, reliability and security that global carriers, content providers, enterprise and government entities require to drive revenue, reduce expenses and improve service quality. For NJFX media inquiries, please contact: JSA +1.866.695.3629 ext. 13 jsa_njfx@JSA.net Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/516810/NJFX_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Ltd. to Showcase 400 Gbps Interconnect Solutions at ECOC 2018 SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Limited ("FIT"), a leading supplier of optical and copper products, will showcase its latest 400 Gbps Interconnect solutions in featured product and technology demonstrations at the 44th European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC), to be held September 23-27, 2018, at the Fiera Roma. The live traffic demonstrations will incorporate a selection of FIT's 400G QSFP-DD interconnect solutions that include various configurations of optics, cables, cages and connectors that combine to deliver 400 Gbps solutions. Conference attendees are invited to visit FIT at the Fiera Roma in Meeting Room Area SC3 Room SC3 H where the 400G products and demonstrations will be on display by appointment. Meetings can be requested through your local FOIT Sales Agent ordirectly by visiting our meeting room. "FIT is committed to the development of 400G PAM4 based products and technologies that will add to one of the broadest portfolios of transceivers, cages/connectors, and direct attach copper (DAC) on the market. The product and technology showcases that will take place at this year's ECOC demonstrate both our commitment to the QSFP-DD and OSFP MSA's, and our position as a market and technology leader," said Steve Shultis, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Foxconn Interconnect Technology. In addition to contributing to the QSFP-DD and OSFP Multisource Agreements (MSAs), FIT is one of the founding promoters of both the 100G Lambda MSA supporting single-mode fiber optic links and the new 400G BiDi MSA supporting links over widely available and deployed parallel multimode links. About Foxconn Interconnect Technology Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited ("FIT") focuses on the development, manufacturing and marketing of electronic and optoelectronic connectors, antennas, acoustic components, cables and modules for applications in computers, communication equipment, consumer electronics, automobiles, industrial and green energy field products. The FIT Optics division (FOIT) is responsible for the commercial development and production of high speed fiber optic transceivers and solutions. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/foxconn-interconnect-technology-ltd-to-showcase-400-gbps-interconnect-solutions-at-ecoc-2018-300714255.html SOURCE Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Electric Imp Announces High-Performance Integration With Google Cloud Platform to Accelerate New and Retrofit IoT Deployments Electric Imp, Inc., a global leader in secure edge-to-enterprise cloud connectivity, today announced the integration of its Electric Imp IoT Connectivity Platform with the Google (News - Alert) Cloud Platform (GCP), enabling companies to quickly develop, deploy and scale IoT solutions and maximize business value. The combined platforms provide a powerful solution for IoT applications such as asset tracking, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance that increase business efficiency, lower costs and enable new services. The Electric Imp Platform is an ideal complement to the GCP, providing a highly secure, bidirectional "first mile" link that connects devices to the cloud. The Electric Imp Platform supports a wide array of connectivity scenarios, from simple stationary applications to challenging mobile deployments. It is well suited to highly complex applications requiring both stationary and mobile connectivity thanks to its ability to easily switch between Ethernet, Wi-Fi and cellular networks. With data from these devices securely and reliably delivered to the GCP, companies can take full advantage of Google's extensive AI, machine learning and analytics tools. Many Electric Imp customers already use Google's Firebase in their IoT deployments, and this integration highlights the deepening ties between the two companies' products. "Securely and reliably connecting a large and growing number of devices is key to the success of any IoT deployment," said Antony Passemard, Head of Product Management for Cloud IoT, Google Cloud. "The Electric Imp Platform can provide this critical connectivity with our Google Cloud Platform." "Integrating the Google Cloud Platform and our Electric Imp IoT Connectivity Platform enables compnies to quickly realize the potential of IoT by reducing complexity and streamlining the effort to deploy, commission, secure and manage IoT devices at scale," said Hugo Fiennes, CEO and Co-Founder of Electric Imp. "The result is a powerful combination of secure connectivity, massive scalability and big data analytics capabilities ideal for new and retrofit IoT applications that create substantial business benefits and competitive advantages for customers." Companies can also take advantage of Electric Imp's innovative impCellular service, which reinvents cellular IoT by dramatically simplifying the process of developing, shipping and maintaining connected devices. With impCellular, companies are never exposed to SIMs, activation fees, complex price plans or burdensome carrier requirements -- connectivity is as easy as applying power. The Electric Imp Platform, already deployed on millions of devices with over 100 customers worldwide, includes: A secure, purpose-built Edge-to-Enterprise IoT Platform-as-a-Service ("PaaS") The first and only IoT platform certification for UL 2900-2-2 (Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems) Managed security and platform maintenance Customizable for a wide array of commercial and industrial applications, from asset and energy management to remote monitoring Public and private cloud capabilities More information about the GCP integration and Electric Imp's other Google-related offerings is at https://connect.electricimp.com/google-cloud-platform-iot-integration About Electric Imp Electric Imp helps more than 100 manufacturers and enterprises transform the world through the power of secure IoT connectivity. Millions of devices have been built with our highly secure platform as a service, with devices deployed and managed in 105 countries. Our unique solution - featuring fully integrated hardware, OS, security, APIs and cloud services purpose-built for the IoT - dramatically decreases cost and time to market while increasing security, scalability, and flexibility. The Electric Imp platform enables innovative commercial and industrial applications and empowers manufacturers to manage and quickly scale their connected products and services to millions of users. Electric Imp, founded in 2011, is located in Los Altos, California, and Cambridge, England. For more, visit https://electricimp.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005247/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] ChangeNOW, the Largest Positive Impact Conference in the World, Unveils the Speakers and Startups of the 2018 Edition The 2nd edition of ChangeNOW, the international summit for Positive Impact will take place the 28 and 29 September in Paris, at Station F, world's largest startup campus. More than 500 startups and speakers from around the world will present their innovative solutions addressing ocean pollution, sustainable fashion, refugees, resilient cities, renewable energy and many more topics linked to society's most pressing social and environmental issues. There is an urgent need for a space in which innovators, companies and citizens with a desire to change the world can meet and collaborate. Santiago Lefebvre, co-founder of ChangeNOW For its second edition, the ChangeNOW summit will showcase 500 innovations for the planet by way of keynotes, pitch sessions, round tables and live exhibitions. Among others: TIPA (Israel), packaging made from organic materials that looks like plastic and can be used like plastic but is 100% compostable. (Israel), packaging made from organic materials that looks like plastic and can be used like plastic but is 100% compostable. The Infinite Fiber Company (Finland), an innovative technology that creates a cotton fiber that can be recycled indefinitely. (Finland), an innovative technology that creates a cotton fiber that can be recycled indefinitely. Nereo (France), an innovative process to extract drinking water from the ocean in a low-cost, natural and sustainable manner. (France), an innovative process to extract drinking water from the ocean in a low-cost, natural and sustainable manner. Bayes Impact (France), the startup that leverages big data to provide services and support to underserved populations. (France), the startup that leverages big data to provide services and support to underserved populations. Greeneum Network (Israel), the startup using blockchain to incentivize and support green energy production on a local scale. Roberta Annan, founder of the African Fashion Fund Alexandre Mars, founder of Epic Foundation Gunter Pauli, concept creator and designer of Blue Economy models Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer at Kering Willem van Hasselt, Investors relation manager at Solar Impulse foundation Daniella Russo, founder & CEO of Think Beyond Plastic Jean-Laurent Bonnafe, CEO of BNP Paribas A delegation of 20+ mayors and representatives of international cities is also joining the summit, to meet the changemakers and establish new collaborations. Among them: the cities of Amsterdam, Dubai, Milan, Paris, Seville, Singapour and Los Angeles. ChangeNOW 2018 is organized in partnership with 100+ partners, such as Solar Impulse Foundation, Cleantech Open, Think Beyond Plastic, Ashoka, European Covenant of Mayors, INSEAD, Startup Boot Camp, and with the support of Kering, BNP Paris, Accenture (News - Alert) , Clarins and CITEO. http://www.changenow-summit.com/ Media Accreditation http://www.changenow-summit.com/media-accreditation/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005466/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Analytics 4 Life to Present at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2018 Scientific Symposium Analytics 4 Life, a digital health company dedicated to improving existing diagnostic pathways, today announced that clinical data will be presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2018 scientific symposium. Dr. Thomas Stuckey, a primary investigator on the Company's Coronary Artery Disease Learning and Algorithm Development (CADLAD) study, will be presenting the interim clinical data from the development stage of the study on September 22. Details of the two poster presentations at the TCT 2018 scientific symposium are as follows: Title: Diagnostic Accuracy of Machine Learned Algorithms Using a Novel Form of Cardiac Phase Space Tomography (cPST) Versus Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) in the Assessment of CAD Presenter: Dr. Thomas Stuckey, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Cone Health Heart and Vascular Center, Greensboro, NC Session Title, Date and Time: Moderated Poster Session: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Saturday, Sept. 22 at 10:42 a.m. PDT Location: Exhibit Hall, Ground Level, Moderated Posters 7 Poster Number: TCT-232 Title: Machine-Learned Algorithms Utilizing Novel Tomography for Evaluating Coronary Artery Disease Presenter: Dr. Thomas Stuckey, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Cone Health Heart and Vascular Center, Greensboro, NC Session Date and Time: Moderated Poster Sesion: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Saturday, Sept. 22 at 10:54 a.m. PDT Location: Exhibit Hall, Ground Level, Moderated Posters 7 Poster Number: TCT-233 TCT 2018 is being held September 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA (News - Alert) . For more information, please visit the TCT 2018 conference website at www.crf.org/tct. About the Coronary Artery Disease Learning and Algorithm Development (CADLAD) Clinical Study An investigational study was conducted at 13 sites in the U.S. and has completed enrollment of 2,622 patients. The data from this study is being used to support CorVista product development, including Phase Space Tomographic imaging and a machine-learned algorithm for assessing the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). The ongoing development and validation activities will support the regulatory filings for this new technology. About Coronary Artery Disease CAD is when the heart becomes weakened from a deficient supply of oxygenated blood due to a buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, which can lead to blood clots, chest pain, and cardiac arrest. CAD affects approximately 15.5 million Americans and is the number one cause of death in the U.S. About CorVista CorVista is designed to scan signals emitted by the body with a synchronous array of seven sensors without radiation, exercise, or pharmacologic stress. After the signals are acquired, the signal package is instantaneously transmitted to the cloud where it will be analyzed by a machine-learned algorithm to generate a Phase Space Tomographic image along with a heart model indicating areas of potential heart disease associated with the presence of CAD. The results of the test are displayed on a secure physician web portal that, in combination with a patient's medical history, risk factors, and symptoms, are used by the interpreting physician to recommend further treatment. CorVista is an investigational device limited by federal law to investigational use. CorVista is not available for commercial distribution. About Analytics 4 Life Analytics 4 Life is pioneering digital health using artificial intelligence to develop a completely new form of medical imaging. With an initial focus on coronary artery disease, Analytics 4 Life is advancing a novel, radiation-free, and exercise-free cardiac imaging technology aimed at improving existing care pathways. Analytics 4 Life is based in Toronto with U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC. For more information, visit www.analytics4life.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005285/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Galaxy Next Generation Completes 165th Interactive Flat Panel Display Installation for Carroll County School System TOCCOA, Ga., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTC: FLCR) (Galaxy), a U.S. distributor of interactive learning technology hardware and software that create fully collaborative instructional environments, is pleased to announce the completed installation of the 165th G2 SAM series interactive flat panel display for the Carroll County School Systems in Carroll County, Georgia. The multi-phased project includes outfitting each of the districts approximately 800 classrooms with Galaxys G2 SAM series interactive panels. A variety of panel sizes are included in the project, which encompasses classrooms in 12 elementary schools, six middle schools, and six high schools. The project has generated approximately $565,000 in revenue to date. Additional classroom installations, nearly 75% remain, are anticipated in average orders of 5 to 10 units. Joshua Bingham, IT Technician for Carroll County School Systems, stated, Galaxy has a great reputation and long-standing relationship with our county. The top-notch service and personal touch provided by their team gives us a great long-term value for our investment. The SAM series G2 touch-screen panels are built with industry-leading specifications, including 20 points of interactive touch, 360-degree infra-red sensors, and a built-in Android OS, bringing state-of-the-art touch-driven interactive whiteboard collaboration to classrooms and more. Its been a pleasure working with Carroll County, and we look forward to outfitting the rest of the district, commented Gary LeCroy, Fonder and CEO of Galaxy. Our work with Carroll County is just one example of what is driving Galaxys growth. With more than 22 distributors nationally, and a growing portfolio of in-demand products, we expect to generate between $20 million and $22 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, up more than 200% over the prior year results, with approximately $3 million in net income. Further growth could come from potential acquisitions, such as the LOI we announced in July to acquire KLIK Communications, which alone could add $3 million in revenue for the year. Overall, we believe we are building a solid foundation for sustained shareholder value improvement. The Companys ticker symbol temporarily changes to FLCRD for 20 trading days beginning with the opening of trading on September 18, 2018. About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. Galaxy Next Generation is a U.S. distributor of interactive learning technology hardware and software that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxys products include Galaxys own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxys distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Companys products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products comprising nearly 90% of Galaxys sales. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for FLCR's business and operations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. FLCR's forward-looking statements in this report are made as of the date hereof and FLCR disclaims any duty to supplement, update or revise such statements on a going forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, change, expectations or otherwise. In connection with the "safe harbour" provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 FLCR is identifying certain forward-looking information regarding, among other things, the merger of GALAXY into GMS, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of FLCR. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause further events or results to vary from those addressed in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties arising from the ability of FLCR to successfully complete the merger, to implementation of Galaxy's business plan; uncertainties relating to the ability to realize the expected benefits of the merger; unanticipated or unfavorable regulatory matters; general economic conditions in the region and industry in which GALAXY operates, and other risk factors as discussed in FLCR' s other filings made from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Craig Brelsford RedChip Companies 407.644.4256 craig@redchip.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] ABBYY Technology Summit 2018 Demonstrates Benefits of Content Intelligence ABBYY, a global provider of content intelligent solutions and services, will host its sixth annual ABBYY Technology Summit (#ABBYYSummit18) October 10-12, 2018 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Global customers and partners attending the summit will take a deep dive into the impact robotic process automation (RPA) is having on intelligent capture, discussions about the market need for content intelligence among organizations, and industry shifts that differentiate capabilities impacting business process management (BPM), (ECM), RPA and electronic resource planning (ERP) markets. ABBYY Technology Summit keynote speakers include industry expert Toby Bell, who will explain how to measure success along the digital transformation journey, and Sarah Burnett, Executive Vice President and Distinguished Analyst at Everest Group, who will examine the rise of robots with skills, the evolution of intelligent automation and how it is reshaping the enterprise. The technology summit agenda is packed with interactive technology sessions, industry analysts' perspectives from Everest Group, IDC and BPO Media, and best practices from global organizations such as Dell (News - Alert) . The event has a growing list of sponsors including Blue Prism, Epson, Laserfiche and M-Files. "Uncovering content intelligence from organizational data and external sources is imperative for accelerating digital transformation initiatives," stated Ulf Persson, CEO at ABBYY. "Every IT and business leader responsible for improving processes, maximizing resources and generating revenue needs to attend the ABBYY Technology Summit to learn how the latest technologies using intelligent capture, natural language processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence and text analytics can revolutionize their organization." Registration for the ABBYY Technology Summit is open to the public and group discounts are available. For additional information about sponsorship or attending, contact ats@abbyy.com. About ABBYY ABBYY is a global leader in content intelligence solutions and services. ABBYY offers a complete range of AI-based technologies and solutions transforming business documents and content into business value. By providing digital transformation solutions to financial services, insurance, transportation, healthcare and other industries, the company helps organizations achieve the next wave of growth by understanding customers and delivering responsive real-time intelligent systems. The flexibility of ABBYY AI solutions enables customers to utilize a diverse range of advanced technologies, platforms and solutions for classification, text analytics, data and entity extraction, and data validation via any communication channel and in any format. ABBYY technologies are used and licensed by some of the largest international enterprises and government organizations, as well as SMBs and individuals. The company maintains offices in Australia, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, Ukraine, and the United States. For more information, please visit www.abbyy.com/company. ABBYY and the ABBYY Logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ABBYY Software Ltd. Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby recognized. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005322/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Continuity recipient of 2018 Marcum Tech Top 40 Award Awards honor states 40 Fastest Growing Tech Companies part of ConnectiTECH Awards October 3 NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and Marcum LLP today announce the 2018 Marcum Tech Top 40, the annual recognition of the fastest growing technology companies in Connecticut. This years group of top-ranked companies will be honored at the new ConnectiTECH Awards event at the Connecticut Convention Center on October 3. Continuity will be honored with 39 other companies and two accelerator award-winners as the class of 2018. The Marcum Tech Top 40 has honored over 400 Connecticut-based technology and tech-enabled companies since 2008. The awards recognize technology leaders in six industry sectors: Advanced Manufacturing; Energy and Environmental; Life Sciences; New Media, Internet, and Telecom; IT Services; and Software. Continuity has been named a Tech Top 40 in the Software category. Continuity is a recipient of this award due to strong revenue growth of at least $3 million in annual revenue as well growth in each of the preceding four years. 2018s honorees are a diverse set of businesses from around the state. Eleven companies are publicly traded, and eight have over than $1 billion in annual revenue. Two younger companies, Farmingtons Diameter Health and Stamfords Link AKC will be honored at the Tech Top 40 as Accelerators, a classification reserved for companies that successfully scaled to $3 million in revenue in fewer than three years. Mike Nicastro, Chief Executive Officer of Continuity stated, "We are honored to have Continuity recognized as a top company in the Software category of the Marcum Tech Top 40. This recognition is a testament to the efforts put forth by the entire Continuity team to focus on our product vision and overall execution of our business plan." Marcum is extremely proud to partner with the Connecticut Technology Council to present the Marcum Tech Top 40 Awards which honor some of Connecticuts most innovative companies, said Michael K. Brooder, CPA, Marcums office managing partner in Hartford, Connecticut. This annual program over the past 11 years has allowed us a fascinating glimpse into the forward thinking that keeps Connecticut on the forefront of technology innovation and business leadership. We heartily congratulate thisyears class of winners and look forward to watching their continuing contributions to Connecticuts business environment. Bruce Carlson, CTCs President and CEO added, Growth in Connecticut must and does come from the technology sector, and these Marcum Tech Top 40 companies are exemplary of the achievements within the industry we represent in the state. As part of the ConnectiTECH Awards, the Marcum Tech Top 40 lauds the leaders in tech in Connecticut, and inspires more to follow suit. To date, this years event sponsors include: Marcum LLP and Shipman & Goodwin LLC, with support from Webster Bank. The media sponsor is WFSB. The October 3 awards program will include the presentation of the Marcum Tech Top 40 Awards, as well as two new honors: the Most Disruptive Technology and Coolest Tech Workplace Awards. These awards are designed to stimulate the celebration of rising tech businesses and innovators and showcase the culture of technology in Connecticut in conjunction with the Marcum Tech Top 40. For more information on the Marcum Tech Top 40 and the ConnectiTECH Awards, as well as registration for this and other events, visit www.ct.org. About Continuity New Haven, Connecticut-based Continuity is a provider of regulatory technology (RegTech) solutions that automate compliance management for financial institutions of all sizes. By combining regulatory expertise and cloud technology, Continuity provides a proven way to reduce regulatory burden and mitigate compliance risk at a fraction of the cost. Our solutions are designed to automate all aspects of compliance management, from interpretation of regulatory issuances through intuitive task delegation, vendor management, and board reporting. Continuity serves hundreds of institutions across the United States and its territories. For more information about Continuity, visit Continuity.net . About the Connecticut Technology Council The Connecticut Technology Council is a statewide association of technology oriented companies and institutions, providing leadership in areas of policy advocacy, community building and assistance for growing companies. Speaking for 2,500 companies that employ some 200,000 residents, the mission of the Connecticut Technology Council is to spark innovation, cultivate tech talent, foster business growth, advocate for industry-beneficial law and policy, expand the scope of industry networking and professional development, and celebrate industry achievements in the state. The CTC seeks to serve Connecticuts technology ecosystem by providing leadership, support, mentoring, and advocacy to companies across every industry and at every stage of growth. For more information, visit http://www.ct.org . About Marcum LLP Marcum LLP is one of the largest independent public accounting and advisory services firms in the nation, with offices in major business markets throughout the U.S., Grand Cayman and China. Headquartered in New York City, Marcum provides a full spectrum of traditional tax, accounting and assurance services; advisory, valuation and litigation support; and an extensive range of specialty and niche industry practices. The Firm serves both privately held and publicly traded companies, as well as high net worth individuals, private equity and hedge funds, with a focus on middle-market companies and closely held family businesses. Marcum is a member of the Marcum Group, an organization providing a comprehensive array of professional services. For more information, visit www.marcumllp.com . CONTACT: Stephanie Wandell Marketing Director Continuity swandell@continuity.net 1.866.631.5556 x233 Courtney King Marketing & Communications Manager Connecticut Technology Council cking@ct.org 860-289-0878 x338 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] MegaplanIT Named to 2018 MSSP Alert Top 100 Managed Security Services Providers List SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MSSP Alert, published by After Nines Inc., has named MegaplanIT (https://www.megaplanit.com/) to the Top 100 MSSPs list for 2018. The list and research identify and honor the top 100 managed security services providers (MSSPs) that specialize in comprehensive, outsourced cybersecurity services. The Top 100 MSSP rankings are based on MSSP Alert's 2018 readership survey combined with aggregated third-party research. MSSPs featured throughout the list and research proactively monitor, manage and mitigate cyber threats for businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations of all sizes. "MegaplanIT is honored to be recognized on the 2018 Top 100 MSSP list", said Mark Butler, CISO of MegaplanIT. "This recognition acknowledges our capabilities and daily commitment in helping our clients understand their risks, defend their environments, and continually improve their cybersecurity." "After Nines Inc. and MSSP Alert congratulate MegaplanIT on this year's onor," said Amy Katz, CEO of After Nines Inc. "As MSPs increasingly introduce managed security services, MegaplanIT continues to stand out in the fiercely competitive cybersecurity market." The Top 100 MSSPs list and research were overseen by Content Czar Joe Panettieri (@JoePanettieri). Find the online list and associated report here: http://www.MSSPAlert.com/top100. About MegaplanIT: With offices in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Chicago, Illinois, MegaplanIT provides cybersecurity testing, compliance consulting and managed security services to clients in various industries worldwide. MegaplanIT leverages innovative technology, proven processes and industry best practices into customized portfolios that support each customer's unique business, financial, and regulatory compliance goals and objectives. Established in 2009, MegaplanIT is also a PCI-ASV firm and is the platinum sponsor at the 2018 PCI-SSC North America Community Meeting, to be held Sept 25-27 at the Mirage in Las Vegas. For more information, please visit https://www.megaplanit.com/managed-security-services, or contact us at partners@megaplanit.com. About After Nines Inc. After Nines Inc. provides timeless IT guidance for strategic partners and IT security professionals across ChannelE2E (www.ChannelE2E.com) and MSSP Alert (www.MSSPAlert.com). ChannelE2E tracks every stage of the IT service provider journey from entrepreneur to exit. MSSP Alert is the global voice for Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs). View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/megaplanit-named-to-2018-mssp-alert-top-100-managed-security-services-providers-list-300714254.html SOURCE MegaplanIT [September 18, 2018] DaySmart Software to Host Women in Leadership Conference in Ann Arbor DaySmart Software, the leading provider of business management software supporting small business growth, is hosting a Women in Leadership Conference on October 17 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The event will serve as a forum for women to discuss challenges in the workplace associated with gender bias and pay inequality and hear from experts on best practices for overcoming those obstacles to become successful business leaders. In the United States, women make up more than 50 percent of the population, yet represent less than five percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. DaySmart - which provides powerful software solutions and support to thousands of entrepreneurs operating in the salon, spa, pet grooming and tattoo industries (85 percent of whom are women) - felt compelled to address this issue by creating an evening dedicated to helping aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders thrive. In addition to networking opportunities, attendees will hear from three prominent women in business: Engelina Jaspers - an author, speaker and former marketing executive for HP and Flex who will offer strategies and tips for becoming a business-first leader Cindy Schipani - a professor at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business who will address practical approaches for narrowing the pay gap Trey Boynton - Duo Security's Diversity and Inclusion Manager who will provide insight on understanding strategic positioning in workplace cultures The Women in Leadership Conference will take place at Zingerman's Greyline in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. The conference will begin with passed appetizers and drinks at 6:30 p.m. ET, and sessions will run from 7:00 - 8:40 p.m. ET. To register for the event, please visit here. About DaySmart Software Makers of the popular and award-winning Salon Iris, Orchid, 123Pet and Inkbook software, DaySmart is the leading provider of business management tools designed to make it easier for entrepreneurs to run and grow their businesses. DaySmart desktop and cloud apps are purpose-built for the salon, spa, pet and tattoo industries, and backed by a US-based support team that is dedicated to client success. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, DaySmart has been a small business champion since 1999. The company has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for eight consecutive years. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005098/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Hemispherx to Distribute Second Lot of Ampligen for use in Multiple Indications in Argentina, the United States and Europe ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE American: HEB) announced today regulatory inspection and clearance for distribution of the Companys second commercial scale lot of Ampligen (rintatolimod), which is slated for multiple uses including product launch in Argentina, where Ampligen is approved for the treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), ME/CFS expanded access program (EAP) in the United States and Europe and an EAP in the Netherlands for pancreatic cancer. This lot includes approximately 8,000 vials and is the second such lot filled and finished this year, giving a usable Ampligen supply of approximately 16,000 vials. Ampligen, a first-in-class drug of large macromolecular RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules, was approved for commercial sale in Argentina in 2016 for the treatment of ME/CFS, the first therapy ever approved for this quality-of-life impacting disease. The Argentine commercial launch is scheduled for year end and the first quarter of 2019. The Company will also provide Ampligen to medical centers in the U.S. and Europe for use in EAPs for patients with ME/CFS and in the Netherlands for pancreatic cancer. Finally, but significantly, the Company expects to commence additional clinical trials using Ampligen in combination with FDA-approved checkpoint blockade therapies in an effort to improve overall efficacy and survival in cancers such as pancreatic, non-small cell lung, ovarian and colorectal tumors, the first of which may commence within sixty days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ME/CFS is a serious, long-term illness that affects many body systems. People with ME/CFS are often not able to do their usual activities. At times, ME/CFS may confine them to bed. People with ME/CFS have severe fatigue and sleep problems. ME/CFS may get worse after people with the illness try to do as much as they want or need to do. This symptom is known as post-exertional malaise (PEM). Other symptoms can include problems with thinking and concentrating, pain, and dizziness. According to an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report published in 2015, an estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from ME/CFS, but most of them have not been diagnosed. We are pleased to announce completion of our second commercial size lot of Ampligen and excited about the opportunities availability of the therapy affords us. From a product launch in Argentina, to supporting patients trough EAPs and in evaluation for the treatment of solid tumors, we are working to advance Ampligen as rapidly as possible, and realize its potential across multiple market opportunities, said Thomas K. Equels, Chief Executive Officer of Hemispherx. While there are millions of ME/CFS patients across the globe, the approval of Ampligen in Argentina represents the first therapy ever approved for treatment of the condition. Additionally, we are hopeful that our initial trials in solid tumor indications will demonstrate the promise of the therapy in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and have a true impact on the cancer treatment paradigm. Hemispherx is working to evaluate Ampligen in several cancers, and the current supply of newly filled and finished Ampligen will support the initiation of a Phase I/II study in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of solid tumors. The Company is working closely with the internationally acclaimed cancer research centers at Roswell Park, University of Nebraska, and University of Pittsburg to launch these important programs. These planned and imminent clinical trials are based upon pre-clinical animal experiments in which potentially significant combinational synergies were observed. Proof of concept clinical trials have also been conducted in humans to confirm the changes Ampligen creates in the micro-environment of many solid tumors, which are a potential key to improving checkpoint blockade therapy efficacy. The planned oncology clinical programs follow the recent publication (Cancer Res May 31 2018 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-3985) of a head-to-head study in explant culture models that pitted Ampligen against two other TLR3 agonists to measure how each individually might enhance the tumor microenvironment for checkpoint blockade therapy. All three TLR3 agonists activated the TLR3 pathway and promoted an accumulation of killer T cells, but only Ampligen did so without causing attraction of immune suppressive elements, such as regulator T cells. This is a potentially important advantage Ampligen may have over other TLR3 agonists. Additionally, Ampligen is the only TLR3 agonist with an extensive safety profile showing it to be generally well tolerated in humans. Almost 100,000 doses of intravenous Ampligen have been administered in clinical settings. About Hemispherx Biopharma Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is an immuno-pharma R&D and emerging commercial growth company focused on unmet medical needs in immunology. Hemispherxs flagship products include Alferon N Injection and the experimental therapeutic rintatolimod (tradenames Ampligen or Rintamod). Rintatolimod is an experimental RNA nucleic acid being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system, including immuno-oncology and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Hemispherxs platform technology includes components for potential treatment of various severely debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Because rintatolimod is experimental in nature, it is not designated safe and effective by the FDA for general use and is legally available only through clinical trials. Cautionary Statement Some of the statements included in this press release may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among other things, for those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at www.hemispherx.net. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included for reference purposes only. Contact Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. Phone: 800-778-4042 Email: IR@hemispherx.net Or LHA Investor Relations Miriam Weber Miller Phone: 212-838-3777 Emil: mmiller@lhai.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Delphix Adds Penny Herscher to Board of Directors REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delphix, the company accelerating innovation through DataOps, today announced the addition of Penny Herscher to its Board of Directors, effective August 2018. With deep experience in building and growing sustainable software companies, Penny will join a seasoned board to help usher in the next phase of the companys growth. Penny has a wealth of experience helping companies grow quickly and accelerate true business transformation and Im thrilled to add her to our board, said Chris Cook, CEO of Delphix. She will be instrumental in helping us extend our leadership position in the DataOps market, freeing more companies from the pain of data friction, and empowering them to accelerate application development in the location of their choice: on public, private or hybrid clouds. An experienced tech CEO, Penny has built a career helping innovative startups break through and become category leaders and disruptors. While at top electronic design automation (EDA) pioneer Synopsys, Penny helped the company establish itself as the category leader and took it through a highly successful public offering. Then, as CEO, she took her next company, Simplex Solutions, through a successful IPO and subsequently sold it to Cadence Design Systems. Following Simplex, Penny served as Chairman and CEO of artificial intelligence and analytics company, First Rai, until its later sale. Penny also brings over a decade of Board Director leadership to Delphix, which includes leading the Compensation Committees at tech pioneer Rambus. She was one of the founding board members of Lumentum as it spun out of JDSU to form the highly successful optical leader it is today. She currently sits on the boards of four publicly traded companies: Faurecia SA (EPA:EO), Verint (NASD:VRNT), PROS (NYSE: PRO), and Lumentum Operations LLC (NASD:LITE). I see enormous potential for growth in Delphix, Penny added. Customers today need to manage extraordinary data volumes, while simultaneously supporting rapid development cycles and the move to eclectic cloud architectures. Delphix has the worlds leading solution with world-class customers and its an honor to join the team. Herscher joins the Delphix board, which is comprised of seasoned executives and investors, including Jed Yueh (Executive Chairman), Chris Cook (Delphix CEO), Asheem Chandna (Greylock), and Chris Schaepe (Lightspeed Ventures). In addition, she will help play a key role in the development of the Delphix Advisory Board, which includes three-time CEO Betsy Atkins and ex-Accenture veteran Liz Tinkham . About Delphix Delphix's mission is to free companies from data friction and accelerate innovation. Fortune 100 companies use the Delphix Dynamic Data Platform to connect, virtualize, secure, and manage data on the cloud and in on-premises environments. For more information visit www.delphix.com . Follow Delphix on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn . Contact: Alex Plant alex.plant@delphix.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Bandura Receives First-Class Rating from SC Magazine Bandura, which pioneered the Threat Intelligence Gateway (News - Alert) (TIG) industry in part with the U.S. Department of Defense, was awarded 4.75 out of 5 stars by SC Magazine's lab team during an independent review of Threat Intelligence Providers, Platforms and Gateways this past August. Aimed at preventing threats and significantly reducing the time spent on detecting and responding to security incidents, Bandura's technology is purpose-built to filter network traffic against large volumes of threat intelligence indicators. To see the full SC Magazine review, please visit their website here. According to SC Magazine expert reviewers, Matthew Hreben and Michael Diehl, Bandura's Threat Intelligence Gateway is a "great gateway device at an amazing price. This solution is worth picking up for every organization." Threat intelligence must be sifted through to be valuable, but with so much of it being generated each day, many teams simply do not have the manpower to process it properly-or to use it to prevent threats at scale. The Bandura TIG ends this threat intelligence information overload with automated threat aggregation and blocking capabilities, compiling feeds from varied sources and processing them in near-real time to produce a single stream of prioritized threat intelligence. Bandura is committed to saving organizations time and money by preventing threats before they enter the network. Current customers report significant reductions in attack surfac, alerts, and manual staff workloads. "We greatly appreciate SC Magazine's comprehensive review of our solution and are proud to have stood out among a long, competitive list of providers for our unique approach to reducing the inbound flood of attacks and the risk of outbound data leaks," said Chris Fedde, CEO of Bandura. "Fused with policy-driven automation, Bandura clears huge swaths of the threat landscape, eliminating millions of IP and domain threats before they hit an organization's perimeter." Last month, Bandura announced that it had completed a Series A round that secured $4 million in financing led by Grotech Ventures, Gula Tech Adventures, Maryland Venture Fund, and Cultivation Capital. Building on this momentum, Bandura has positioned itself as a leader in the emerging Threat Intelligence Gateway (TIG) marketplace. Most security systems today are complicated to set up, difficult to deploy, and time-consuming to manage. Bandura TIG is different - it's a plug-and-play solution. Requiring no network configuration changes, it can be installed and up and running in minutes. Bandura delivers the threat intelligence automation and control needed for companies of all sizes to block known threats at massive scale, take action with threat intelligence, and maximize existing security resources. About Bandura Bandura pioneered the Threat Intelligence Gateway (TIG) in part with the U.S. Department of Defense. Bandura's TIG is the most comprehensive, scalable and granular TIG platform on the market. Organizations worldwide use TIGs for the automation and control needed to operationalize millions of threat indicators blocking known threats before they even reach the network firewall. Underlying Bandura's robust technology are more than 50 issued and pending patents. To learn more about how Bandura's TIG reduces an organization's attack surface, operationalizes threat intelligence and helps get more out of existing security investments, visit https://bandurasystems.com. For more information on Bandura's PoliWall TIG: https://bandurasystems.com/products/poliwall/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005104/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Sky's the Limit - 62 Percent of Companies Rely on Cloud Native for More Than Half of New Applications New York, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Companies expect increased reliance on Cloud Native Applications (CNAs), however security concerns could prove to be a major obstacle, according to new research, The State of Cloud Native Security , commissioned by Capsule8 , Duo Security , and Signal Sciences . The independent research surveyed 486 IT leaders to understand the cybersecurity challenges and opportunities of the ongoing shift toward cloud native applications in production environments. The new research report was unveiled today at the first annual Cloud-Native Security Summit , a one-day, exclusive event bringing together senior security practitioners and industry innovators to discuss the changing security requirements for the cloud-native world. As organizations seek to modernize infrastructure, Cloud Native Applications (CNAs) provide huge opportunities to increase reach, scale and efficiency. Cloud native adoption is significantly on the rise with 62 percent of companies noting that they rely on cloud native for more than half of their new applications. That figure is expected to grow to more than 80 percent over the next three years. However, businesses are keenly aware of the potential security risks that come along with it and more than half of those surveyed (56 percent) believe cloud native increases risk. Growth Brings Growth - Cybersecurity Attacks Have Doubled Year-Over-Year Fueling the concern over cyberattacks is their explosive growth, which shows no signs of slowing. Accrding to the survey, 80 percent of respondents note attacks have increased at a rate of 2x or more over the last year. This is of particular concern when it comes to modern infrastructure, as production environments are not adequately protected for the amount of critical information they hold. Attacks on production environments levy significant consequences, with nearly half of those surveyed (48 percent) noting an attack has delivered damage to the system itself. Furthermore, 44 percent of those surveyed said an attack on production infrastructure has resulted in the loss of customer data. Some additional key findings include: As attacks increase, so does the rate of security alerts; only about one-third of the organizations surveyed are able to respond to more than 75 percent of alerts only about one-third of the organizations surveyed are able to respond to more than 75 percent of alerts Organizations have limited real-time visibility into attacks; 73 percent say they lack actionable, fine-grain, real-time insight into threats and ongoing attacks 73 percent say they lack actionable, fine-grain, real-time insight into threats and ongoing attacks False positives continue to plague IT and security organizations; 46 percent of those surveyed said that more than half of production environment security alerts were false positives 46 percent of those surveyed said that more than half of production environment security alerts were false positives Poor analytics are the number one cause of false positives; nearly half reported this to be the primary issue nearly half reported this to be the primary issue Organizations struggle to balance security with efficient deployment of production applications; 40 percent of those surveyed do not currently have a DevOps function in place amongst those, half said the lack of appropriate skills on the security team was the primary obstacle Overall, the benefits of modernizing production infrastructure, through cloud native deployments, are clear. To take advantage of all that cloud has to offer, businesses must understand their current posture; establish a roadmap for integrating Cybersecurity capabilities into DevOps; and push for the visibility required across this critical business infrastructure. To download the full report, The State of Cloud-Native Security, please visit: https://www.cloudnativesecuritysummit.com/report Methodology In August 2018, Capsule8, Duo and Signal Sciences surveyed 486 senior-level information technology (IT) and IT security (IT sec) decision makers. The web-based survey was executed by ResearchNow. All respondents were qualified to be senior-level decision makers with roles including CIO, CISO, VP of IT, Director of IT and senior cloud security architect, among others. All respondents are employed by companies with at least $250 million in annual revenue. Half represent companies with revenue between $250-999 million; half come from organizations with greater than $1 billion annual revenue. About Capsule8 Founded in fall 2016 and headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, Capsule8 is developing the industrys first and only real-time, zero-day attack detection platform purpose-built for modern production environments. Founded by experienced hackers and seasoned security entrepreneurs, and funded by Bessemer Venture Partners and ClearSky, Capsule8 is making it possible for Linux-powered enterprises to modernize without compromise. Learn more at www.Capsule8.com. About Duo Security Duo Security is the leading provider of Unified Access Security (UAS) and multi-factor authentication. Duo Beyond, the company's category defining zero-trust security platform, enables organizations to provide trusted access to all of their critical applications, for any user, from anywhere, and with any device. The company is a trusted partner to more than 12,000 customers globally, including Dresser-Rand, Etsy, Facebook, Paramount Pictures, Random House, Zillow and more. Founded in Michigan, Duo has offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit, as well as growing hubs in Austin, Texas; San Mateo, California; and London, UK. Visit Duo.com to find out more. About Signal Sciences Signal Sciences protects the web presence of the worlds leading brands. With its patented approach to WAF and RASP, Signal Sciences helps companies defend their journey to the cloud and DevOps with a practical and proven approach, built by one of the first teams to experience the shift. Based in Culver City, California, Signal Sciences customers include Under Armour, Etsy, Adobe, Datadog, WeWork and more. For more information, please visit www.signalsciences.com . Lisa Mokaba Communications Director, Capsule8 lisa@capsule8.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Andersen Global Continues South American Expansion With BKM Berkemeyer Andersen Global announces further growth in South America with the signing of a Collaboration Agreement with BKM Berkemeyer, one of the oldest and largest law firms in Paraguay. With two locations in the capital city of Asuncion, the firm has a headcount of nearly 150 professionals, including ten Partners and over 60 lawyers. Established in 1951, BKM Berkemeyer is led by Managing Partner Hugo Berkemeyer and provides legal solutions to both domestic and international clients. The firm delivers advice in all areas of law, including business and corporate, taxation, litigation, environment, employment and intellectual property, with a notable expertise in international transactions and business matters. BKM Berkemeyer also specializes in M&A's, joint ventures, foreign investment, infrastructure, project finance and financial transactions, advising also on issues regarding telecommunications, waer and energy projects. Hugo commented, "Our focus at BKM Berkemeyer has been to provide flexible and efficient solutions for clients, and we pride ourselves on our ability to meet their needs and exceed expectations consistently. We are excited to collaborate with Andersen Global, because this will allow us to further employ global teamwork and collaboration to provide best-in-class quality and practical advice through the member firms and collaborating firms of Andersen Global." "Paraguay is an important market and BKM is one of the largest and oldest firms in the market. They provide us with a significant presence in an important market," said Mark Vorsatz, Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen Tax LLC CEO. Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 3,500 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 114 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005012/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Wrangler is First to Adopt Dry Indigo Denim Wrangler today confirmed an agreement for denim fabric to be produced later this year with a new foam-dyeing process that will eliminate 99 percent of the water typically used in the indigo-dyeing. Wrangler is the first brand to embrace the innovative technology, which is expected to transform the denim industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005624/en/ Wrangler today confirmed an agreement for denim fabric to be produced later this year with a new foam-dyeing process that will eliminate 99 percent of the water typically used in the indigo-dyeing. (Photo: Business Wire) "While we have been able to reduce 3 billion liters of water in product finishing during the past 10 years, we know that more needs to be done across the entire supply chain," said Wrangler President, Tom Waldron. "Foam technology reduces water consumption and pollution further upstream, helping our fabric suppliers to dramatically minimize the impacts of making denim fabric blue." Recognizing the potential of this breakthrough, Wrangler and the Walmart Foundation provided Texas Tech University with early-stage funding for development of the foam-dying process. The iconic denim brand helped introduce fabric mills to the latest technology and now will incorporate the first foam-dyed denim into a line of jeans launching in 2019. "We invested in the development of this innovation, because we believe it can drastically change the denim industry for the better," Waldron said. "We're grateful to have an industry-leading patner in Royo, with whom we are taking this revolutionary step towards more sustainable denim." Tejidos Royo, a Spanish fabric mill with a reputation for prioritizing environmental performance, will be the first to integrate the foam-dye process, which it calls Dry Indigo. Royo is scheduled to receive the foam-dye equipment in October and expects to begin supplying Wrangler with denim before the end of the year. "We're excited Wrangler is dedicating an entire line of jeans to this innovation," said Tejidos Royo Sales Director, Jose Royo. "Our Dry Indigo process nearly erases the environmental impact of denim dyeing and represents the next generation of denim production." The first line of foam-dyed jeans will be Wrangler's most recent action to minimize environmental impact and save precious resources. Among the brand's demonstrated sustainability activities are the ongoing work in U.S. sustainable cotton and a commitment to reduce water usage by five billion liters by 2020. According to Royo, applying indigo dye to raw denim with foam instead of water will eliminate the need for the tens of millions of gallons of water typically consumed by conventional wet-dye systems. About Wrangler Wrangler has been an icon in authentic American style around the world for more than 70 years. With a rich legacy founded in the American west, Wrangler commits to offering unmatched quality and timeless design. Its collections for men, women and children look and feel great, inspiring those who wear them to be strong and ready for life, every day. Wrangler is available in retail stores worldwide, including owned stores in Denver and Dallas, department stores, mid-tier mass-market retailers, specialty shops, western outfitters, and online. A VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, Wrangler is backed by one of the world's largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies. For more information, visit Wrangler.com. About Tejidos Royo Tejidos Royo is a Spanish Company founded in 1903, Valencia (Spain). Leader in the textile industry in Europe and with international vocation (present in more than 30 countries). As part of its DNA, Tejidos Royo is guiding the textile industry to the new era of sustainability and Protection of Human Rights throughout the whole Value Chain. Takes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as its own (Tejidos Royo your eco-innovation partner "Fabrics with Values") TEJIDOS ROYO is committed and continuously reinvesting in talent, business innovation, technology, processes and machinery. Being innovative allows us to improve and make the world a better place for all, be more competitive and offer the market products with differential value in textile world. For more information, visit tejidosroyo.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005624/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Weapons System, Operational Flight Trainers in Final Assembly STRATFORD, Conn., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), announced today that final assembly of the first HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter Weapons System and Operational Flight Trainers is underway, supporting the smooth entry of the aircraft into the U.S. Air Force fleet in 2020. Completion of the HH-60W training systems at subcontractor FlightSafety International's facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is expected in the first quarter of 2019. The Weapons System Trainer will be based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, home of the formal HH-60W training unit. The Operational Flight Trainer will be at Moody Air Fore Base, Georgia, site of the first operational unit. The HH-60W flight trainers will conform to the highest Federal Aviation Administration standards and include the capability to link with other simulators on the Combat Air Forces Distributed Mission Operations (CAF DMO) network. The flight simulators will train the full aircrew, allowing pilots and special mission aviators to train together in the same device while experiencing more complex and realistic training scenarios. "I am excited to get these trainers in the hands of the U.S. Air Force Rescue Warriors," said Tim Healy, Director, Air Force Programs, Sikorsky. "The combat rescue mission is uniquely challenging in that it requires much of the mission planning to occur while in flight rather than prior to flight. This is due to the time-critical nature of the mission and the reality that the threat, location and condition of isolated personnel to be rescued are not fully known prior to takeoff. This requires that the aircrew become highly skilled at using the enormous networking and information capabilities that reside within the HH-60W, and that takes training and practice. These Weapons Systems and Operational Flight trainers will allow that training at the highest fidelity and realism ever seen." Sikorsky's current contract with the U.S. Air Force for the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase of the program includes delivery of nine HH-60W helicopters as well as six aircrew and maintenance training devices, and instructional courseware designed specifically for the HH-60W aircraft. The Program of Record calls for 112 helicopters to replace the Air Force's aging H-60G Pave Hawk fleet, which performs critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all U.S. military services. For more information about the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/crh. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sikorsky-hh-60w-combat-rescue-helicopter-weapons-system-operational-flight-trainers-in-final-assembly-300714546.html SOURCE Lockheed Martin [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Enterprise Engineering, Inc. Wins 2018 WealthManagement.com Award for "Innovation Platform" NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enterprise Engineering, Inc. (EEI), an industry leader and trusted advisor to the financial industry, today announced that the firm is the recipient of a 2018 WealthManagement.com Industry Award for its revolutionary Data Sharing and Exchange Software (DeX) which provides standardized, user-authorized access for bank-approved Fintech applications. The WealthManagement.com 2018 Industry Awards recognize the companies and organizations that serve the financial services industry. Six hundred entries were received from nearly 250 organizations. EEI was a finalist in two categories and won the award for Technology Providers: Innovation Platform. Were honored to receive this prestigious award from WealthManagement.com, said George Anderson, Founder of EEI. By combining deep data and industry knowledge with its premier software products, EEI has uniquely positioned itself as the Financial Industrys Data Integration Platform. Now in its fourth year, the WealthManagement.com Industry Awards is the only awards program to honor outstanding achievements by companies and organizations that support financial advisor success. The WealthManagement.com Industry Awards allows us to recognize the creativity, success and excellence of frms like Enterprise Engineering Inc., that serve the financial advisor community, said David Armstrong, Editor-In-Chief of WealthManagement.com. Congrats to this years winners, we look forward to seeing you next year. Separately, EEI will announce a spin-off of its software business at FinovateFall 2018 in New York City on September 24th. EEI and its new Software Company are one of three Gold Sponsors of the event. About WealthManagement.com WealthManagement.com, an Informa business, provides everything wealth professionals need to know to stay knowledgeable about the industry, build stronger relationships, improve their practice, and grow their business all from one site. Learn more about the WealthManagement Industry Awards Events: www.wealthmanagement.com About Enterprise Engineering Inc. EEI has been a trusted advisor to the Financial Services Industry since 1995. We work with Financial Institutions and developers to securely and reliably connect people to their money through any-and-all delivery channels. EEIs software runs every day, facilitating data access and transaction processing, aggregating data and accessing tens of millions of account records for major Financial Institutions without fail. Our goal is to continue to build leading-edge solutions that offer secure, competitive advantages to our customers. Among other industry recognition, EEI was recently named 50 Most Promising Fintech Solution Providers by CIO Review and also listed as one of the 50 Fastest Growing Companies of The Year by the Silicon Review. For more information, please visit www.joineei.com . Contact Veronica Grossman 115 Broadway, suite 1705 New York, NY vgrossman@joineei.com | 646.623.1492 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Education Publishing Veteran Margery Mayer To Join TpT Board Of Directors NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT), the site that more than 70 percent of teachers from the U.S., Canada, and Australia rely on for education resources, today announced that Margery Mayer will join the Board of Directors as an independent director. "We are thrilled to have Margery join our board," said Joe Holland, TpT's CEO. "She has a reputation as a problem solver who puts the needs of students and teachers first. She is motivated by the power she has seen in educator-created materials, and her perspective will add to our growing work with schools and our focus on helping teachers to teach at their best." Mayer brings three decades of experience as an innovator in educational publishing, having led some of the top companies that provide materials to K-12 schools. She was most recently Executive Vice President at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt where she oversaw the Heinemann brand, publisher of premium educational and instructional content. She spent the majority of her career as President of Scholastic Education, a diision she created which significantly increased Scholastic's business of selling directly to schools and school districts. "We have been talking to, learning from, and inspired by Margery for some time," said Adam Freed, TpT's Executive Board Chair. "Her values align with TpT's she's very focused on supporting teachers and their needs and her experience will help us support even more schools who need teacher-tested content that engages students and meets them where they are." Mayer began her career as a student-teacher. "I thought then, and I continue to believe, that great classroom experiences start with a supported and empowered teacher. TpT teacher-authors have created millions of powerful, classroom-tested materials that teachers want and need. I couldn't be more excited to join TpT's mission of making these incredible materials available in more and more schools and classrooms," said Mayer. Mayer is a graduate of Middlebury College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She has two children and four grandchildren. Mayer's term is effective immediately. ABOUT TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) is the world's most popular online marketplace where teachers buy and sell original educational resources. With a broad range of materials for every aspect of PreK-12 education, TpT is the go-to place for educators to find the resources, support, and inspiration they need to teach at their best and meet the evolving needs of the classroom. The site offers more than 3 million free and paid resources, created by educators who understand what works in the classroom. Find out more at www.TeachersPayTeachers.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/education-publishing-veteran-margery-mayer-to-join-tpt-board-of-directors-300714466.html SOURCE Teachers Pay Teachers [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Will Your First Smart Glasses For Daily Use be MusicLens? LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MusicLens, the first smart glasses designed for use in daily life, today announced its first $3 million seed round investment. MusicLens is virtually indistinguishable from normal glasses and can listen to music, make phone calls, receive FM radio signals and mine cryptocurrency. The lightest model weighs less than 40 grams, making them light and comfortable for everyday use. "Most smart glasses in the market are too complicated, have a poor user experience, and are very expensive," said Junyi Liu, the founder of MusicLens. "We want to create a simple, convenient, affordable pair of smart glasses which anyone can use in daily life." When do you actually need a pair of smart glasses? Using a smartphone or headphones is not suitable for many activities such as driving, biking, working and studying. People usually need to wear sunglasses outside and poor-sighted people will always need prescription lenses. In these circumstances, studies from IFPI show that more than 80 percent of people will need an audio smart device listen to listen to music, answer calls, and hear GPS navigation. "There's currently no widely-used smart glasses in the market, MusicLens can be the first affordable smart glasses for everyone because of its many practical uses," said Lance Zhou, thehead of marketing at MusicLens. "MusicLens represents the next generation of musical devices because it is a super-convenient, trendy, safe, and healthy hearing choice." MusicLens has the patent for its original high-quality sound imbedded system. With MusicLens, you don't need speakers in your ears to hear high-quality sound. Others around you also won't be able to hear what you're listening and you can also hear your surroundings clearly while using them. MusicLens does not transmit sound through your eardrums, so it won't damage your hearing. People who suffer from hearing loss will also be able to hear more clearly with MusicLens. MusicLens uses smart touch controls and has smart-wearing recognition to pause playing when taken off. MusicLens has also developed a model that lets users mine cryptocurrency by simply listening to music on the MusicLife platform. MusicLens has special sensors which gather listening data from users who opt in. In exchange for their listening data, users will earn MitCoin (MITC) directly, effectively mining cryptocurrency by listening to music. MusicLens will range in price from $129-$189 depending on the style, and plans enter mass production in late 2018. About MusicLens MusicLens is a hardware product created by Kibey Culture. Kibey Culture is an energetic team that consists of over 100 people based in Los Angeles, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. Kibey Culture understands the new generation of user's psychology deeply understand tidal music and culture possess powerful product design capabilities as well as rich fashion media resources and top content operation capabilities. MusicLens's Website: www.music-lens.com Kibey Culture's website: www.kibey.com Contact: business@music-lens.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/will-your-first-smart-glasses-for-daily-use-be-musiclens-300714385.html SOURCE MusicLens [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Wienerschnitzel Looks to College Students to Elevate the Image of the Hot Dog The World's Largest Hot Dog chain, with 340 locally owned restaurants in 11 states, is reaching out to America's future advertising and marketing leaders to help it improve public perceptions of the hot dog. Announced last month by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) as the official corporate sponsor of its 2019 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), Irvine, Calif.-based Wienerschnitzel today revealed the unique marketing challenge it will be giving the more than 2,000 advertising students participating in next year's competition at more than 150 U.S. colleges and universities nationwide. According to Doug Koegeboehn, Wienerschnitzel's chief marketing officer, instead of the usual NSAC assignment to increase sales or market share for a specific brand or business, Wienerschnitzel is using its partnership with AAF to elevate consumer perceptions surrounding one of America's favorite foods: the hot dog. "Hot dogs are universally beloved - but most people simply don't know about the quality ingredients and time-honored traditions that go into making them," said Koegeboehn. "In fact, more and more chefs today are even considering them 'epicurean.' "For example, while a hamburger is just ground beef, this is where the fun and attention to detail starts with a hot dog. The ground beef is cold-processed and seasoned with herbs and spices before a special emulsification process gives it the iconic 'hot dog' shape we all know and love. The hot dogs ae then carefully smoked over maple and other hard woods to give them their distinctive taste, It's a process that few, if any, of the most ardent home cooks could ever replicate at home. "Strengthening public perceptions about the hot dog will improve our business and elevate the entire hot dog industry, and we're looking forward to seeing how the student teams tackle the challenge." Wienerschnitzel joins previous sponsors Nissan, Snapple, Yahoo! and others to provide a "real-world" marketing challenge to advertising and marketing students who develop and pitch an integrated campaign to a panel of industry judges. The challenge brief is being distributed to schools this month, with regional competitions kicking off in April 2019 and the top student teams in each of 15 districts moving on to the semifinals in May 2019. The final eight teams will compete at the NSAC finals, held in conjunction with the AAF's annual ADAMERICA conference, in June 2019 in Hollywood, Fla. About Wienerschnitzel Founded by John Galardi in 1961 with a single hot dog stand in Wilmington, Calif., Wienerschnitzel (www.wienerschnitzel.com) is one of the real pioneers of the quick-service food industry. The World's Largest Hot Dog Chain now serves more than 120 million hot dogs annually - and fueled by a mission of "Serving Food to Serve Others," also gives back a percentage of profits to its charitable partners. Based in Irvine, Calif., Wienerschnitzel operates or franchises 340 restaurants in 11 states. It is part of the Galardi Group, which is also the parent company of Hamburger Stand and Tastee-Freez LLC. About the American Advertising Federation The American Advertising Federation (AAF), acts as the "Unifying Voice for Advertising." Its membership is comprised of nearly 100 corporate members made up of the nation's leading advertisers, agencies, and media companies; a national network of nearly 200 local clubs representing 40,000 advertising professionals; and more than 200 college chapters with 5,000 student members. The AAF operates a host of programs and initiatives, including the Advertising Hall of Fame, the Advertising Hall of Achievement, the American Advertising Awards, the National Student Advertising Competition, the Mosaic Center for Multiculturalism and AdCamps for high school students. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005198/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] NAFCU Services Announces LendKey as Preferred Partner NAFCU Services has selected LendKey, a leading full-service digital lending platform for credit unions, as the Preferred Partner for their end-to-end student loan and student loan refinancing solution. LendKey joins the distinguished group of NAFCU Services Preferred Partners who are carefully selected by three panels of credit union CEOs. LendKey's advanced lending-as-a-service model enables financial institutions to digitally lend to prime borrowers. Their cost-effective lending platform gives institutions the liquidity options, tools, and advice to maximize their loan portfolio performance, from demand generation to servicing and liquidity. By joining LendKey's fast-growing network, credit unions deliver exceptional consumer loan products seamlessly under their institution's brand. "LendKey demonstrates the innovation and thought-leadership that we value in a partner," said Randy Salser, President of NAFCU Services Corporation. "We are excited to partner with a recognized industry leader in student lending to expand the solutions NAFCU Services has to offer credit unions nationwide." Vince Passione, CEO and Founder of LendKey, commented, "NAFCU is a leading advocate an educator for credit unions nationwide. Our partnership with NAFCU demonstrates the importance that credit unions place on solving the complex digital lending needs of their members, as well as the high demand for education financing." About NAFCU Services NAFCU Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU). For over 40 years, NAFCU Services has been connecting credit unions to the best industry partners. These companies deliver vetted solutions in areas such as technology, security, risk management, operations, insurance, payments, and more. Combined, these partners support virtually 100% of all credit unions. For more information, visit www.nafcu.org/nafcuservices and follow on Twitter. About LendKey LendKey originated their lending-as-a-service model to enable white-labeled, digital lending solutions that help financial institutions acquire prime borrowers for a lifetime of lending. LendKey's customized solutions help financial institutions manage liquidity, reduce costs, and mitigate risk. The company revolutionized the lending process for institutions including demand generation, online decisioning, loan origination, servicing, compliance, and balance sheet management. LendKey works with hundreds of credit unions and banks who have deployed more than $2 billion in capital to date. Learn more at business.lendkey.com and follow on Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005596/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Express Logic's X-Ware IoT Platform Brings Industrial-Grade IoT Device Security and Safety to the Microchip SAM L11 Microcontrollers Express Logic, the worldwide leader in royalty-free real-time operating systems (RTOSes), has announced that its industrial-grade X-Ware IoT Platform-powered by the industry-leading ThreadX RTOS-now supports the TrustZone for ARMv8-M technology-based Microchip SAM L11 microcontrollers. IoT devices almost always require an RTOS and network connectivity. As device vendors open up their APIs to share data and allow more interoperability with other products and single-point devices and systems, information security and protection become significant issues. Express Logic's X-Ware IoT Platform provides a comprehensive and secure foundation that enables embedded developers using the SAM L11 microcontrollers to deliver more secure IoT devices. "Next-generation embedded IoT products demand extensive security and efficiency," said Bill Hutchings, Senior Product Marketing Manager for Microchip's MCU32 business unit. "The X-Ware IoT Platform leverages the robust security and ultra-low power features of our SAM L11 microcontrollers to enable our customers to meet the growing demand for safe, secure, and energy-efficient IoT nodes." X-Ware IoT Platform Helps Meet Growing Security and Safety Challenges Using the ARM (News - Alert) TrustZone technology for ARMv8-M with Express Logic's X-Ware IoT Platform, developers can chieve new levels of security for their IoT devices. The ARMv8-M architecture enables the ThreadX RTOS to partition the application into trusted and non-trusted memory regions. Application code in a non-trusted region is confined to that region and thereby prevented from accessing any other region including the trusted region containing ThreadX. ThreadX for ARMv8-M is able to create and schedule multiple threads for both trusted and non-trusted regions. Application code running in the non-trusted regions can access the full ThreadX API, with the approval of the application's trusted code. The trusted application can disable any ThreadX API from access by non-trusted code. In addition to the solution's security advantages, the X-Ware IoT Platform, ThreadX, FileX, and NetX Duo have attained the highest level of safety certifications. They include IEC (News - Alert) 61508 SIL 4, IEC 62304 Class C, ISO 26262 ASIL D, EN 50128 SW-SIL 4, UL 60730-1 Annex H, CSA E60730-1 Annex H, IEC 60730-1 Annex H, IEC 60335-1 Annex R, and IEC 60335-1 Annex R, UL 1998. "With over 6.2 billion deployments and the highest levels of safety certifications, the X-Ware IoT platform is perfect for the SAM L11 microcontrollers," said William E. Lamie, President, Express Logic. "Thanks to the X-Ware IoT Platform's tight integration with the resident ARMv8-M technology, embedded developers have the most comprehensive embedded safety and security solution on the market." About Express Logic Headquartered in San Diego, CA (News - Alert) , Express Logic offers the industry's most advanced run-time solutions for deeply embedded applications, including the popular ThreadX RTOS, the high-performance NetX and NetX Duo embedded TCP/IP stacks, the FileX embedded FAT-compatible file system, the USBX Host/Device embedded USB protocol stack, and the GUIX embedded graphical user interface development toolkit. Express Logic products include full source code and are available free of run-time royalties. For more information about Express Logic solutions, please visit www.expresslogic.com, call 1-888-THREADX, or e-mail sales@expresslogic.com. ThreadX, TraceX, FileX, and X-Ware IoT Platform are registered trademarks, and Safety-Critical Certification Pack, NetX, NetX Duo, USBX, GUIX, GUIX Studio, LevelX, preemption-threshold, picokernel, and UDP (News - Alert) fast path technology are trademarks of Express Logic. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005106/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The leaders of North and South Korea are meeting enthusiastically for the third time since April this year to improve the relations and create an atmosphere of trust and goodwill that ultimately may bring lasting peace and stability to the troubled peninsula. Moon Jae-in is paying a three-day visit to Pyongyang from Tuesday to hold detailed talks with Kim Jong-un, who has already created history by becoming the first leader of his country to hold summit level talks with the United States when he met Donald Trump in June. The latest summit is part of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, when Kim and Moon decided to hold a meeting sometime in the fall in the northern capital. It is of paramount importance that they have kept this promise, despite many seen and unseen hurdles. Kim has shown enormous maturity by agreeing to denuclearization for the sake of future peace and progress. He is keen to formally terminate the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice so that, technically, the two Koreas are still at war. The two sides have suffered the horrors of war and its aftermath. The families separated by the conflict have been living in isolation for decades, always hoping they would one day be permanently united with loved ones. Just think about what this means to the personal and social lives of the affected people. Though, South Korea has made good by rapidly developing its economy and carving out a place in the community of nations, but this development is only a half-achieved success given that the other half of Korean peninsula has lagged behind. The formal end of war and peaceful commercial exchanges can go a long way to help the North to realize its true potential. Both Kim and Moon deserve appreciation for not blinking in the face of daunting odds and continuing to invest time and energy in building trust and amity between the two sides. Their personal relations and efforts can also pave way in easing tension between North Korea and the U.S. Their summit is for both long- and short-term gains. Immediately, there is a roll-on effect through lowering tensions and keeping the communication lines open. The final goal is complete peace and a possibility of reunification. Currently, the issue of denuclearization is a key sticking point, especially with President Donald Trump and his administration in Washington, who want tangible progress before offering any concession on lifting the sanctions imposed against Pyongyang. Instead of just going for real politics, the stakeholders should adopt a practical approach and, instead of wasting time on unrealistic demands and failing in the process, they should give peace a chance meaning a reciprocal and simultaneous approach on all issues. The concept of reciprocity will create a win-win situation for Washington and Pyongyang. Demanding that the North should give up nuclear weapons without offering anything in response is stretching things a bit too far. There is also pressure on Trump for showing flexibility on North Korea; however, he deserves credit for his out-of-the-box thinking. He made the first ever summit with North Korea possible and he can use his powers to move the process forward. This means not setting the bar too high, and engaging in practical diplomacy. He should grab the moment as Kim has already shown willingness to be a partner on this rather perilous journey. The Kim-Moon summit once again has created a window of opportunity and Trump should follow it up by rescheduling the visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, scheduled toward the end of August but canceled at the eleventh hour due to lack of progress since the Kim-Trump meeting in Singapore. The inter-Korean dialogue is the best option to reset the tone and tenor of the bilateral and regional security environment. There should also be a broader effort to set up a regional mechanism to regularly bring the top leaders together. Dialogue is the only way for peace and stability in the world. The earliest we understand it and honestly follow it, the better it would be. Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. [September 18, 2018] Karen Simeone Joins HarbourVest's Credit Team to Broaden Capabilities in Private Credit Investing HarbourVest Partners, a global private markets asset manager, today announced that Karen Simeone has joined the firm as a Managing Director. Based in Boston, Karen will join Managing Directors Jamie Athanasoulas and Peter Lipson to expand the firm's private credit business, and specifically HarbourVest's senior credit investing capabilities. "Institutional investors are allocating to private credit strategies at a robust pace, and we are building a strong team to provide our clients with the type of credit exposure they seek," said Peter Wilson, Managing Director, HarbourVest. "Karen's 20 years of credit experience will enable HarbourVest to continue adding to our private credit capabilities in both commingled fund and separate account formats." The credit business leverages HarbourVest's decades of experience and relationships with private equity general partners to offer tailored financing solutions. HarbourVest's private credit program complements the firm's existing business practices, offering investors access to a new asset class characterized by differentiated credit deal flow, capital preservation, and current income. Prior to joining HarbourVest, Karen was a Managing Director at TCW Direct Lending (formerly Regiment Capital's direct lending arm), where she was responsible for all aspects of investing in secured debt to middle-market borrowers, including sourcing, evaluating, structuring, underwriting, and managing secured loans. Karen's previous experience includes middle-market debt investing at Stairway Capital and positions in the leveraged finance and high yield groups at J.P. Morgan. Karen received a BS from Georgetown University and studied at the London School of Economics. "Karen's industry perspective, network and expertise in senior credit and restructuring rounds out our private credit business across the credit stack," said Peter Lipson, Managing Director, HarbourVest. "The private credit asset class continues to grow in size and scope, both industry-wide and at our firm, and Karen's experience will complement well what we have built with our credit team thus far." "I'm thrilled to be joining such a talented and growing team that is well positioned for expansion," said Simeone. "This is a great opportunity to continue to build a platform that benefits investors through access to differentiated deal flow and offers private equity sponsors tailored debt and equity financing solutions. Given its breadth of relationships with buyout sponsors, I believe HarbourVest offers a unique model within the private credit universe." The combination of private equity sponsors' need for lending partners to complete deals and institutional investor appetite for private credit allocations to capture yield has led to growing demand for this asset class. HarbourVest has committed more than $550 million to 32 private credit direct investments since 20031. In 2014, after years of making private credit investments through various programs with broader mandates, HarbourVest created a dedicated program focused on junior credit investments complemented by an equity component. HarbourVest closed this dedicated private credit fund, Mezzanine Income Fund I, at its hard cap of $375 million in April 2017. For more information about HarbourVest's private credit business, please visit https://www.harbourvest.com/expertise/private-credit ABOUT HARBOURVEST HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets asset manager with more than 35 years of experience and more than $50 billion in assets under management. The Firm's powerful global platform offers clients investment opportunities through primary fund investments, secondary investments, and direct co-investments in commingled funds or separately managed accounts. HarbourVest has more than 400 employees, including more than 100 investment professionals across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This global team has committed more than $34 billion to newly-formed funds, completed over $19 billion in secondary purchases, and invested over $8 billion directly in operating companies. Partnering with HarbourVest, clients have access to customized solutions, longstanding relationships, actionable insights, and proven results. These materials do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy interests in any fund or any other investment product sponsored by HarbourVest Partners L.P. or its affiliates ("HarbourVest"), hereafter referred to as the "Fund". Any offering of interests in the Fund will be made by means of delivery of a confidential Private Placement Memorandum or similar materials that contain a description of the material terms of such investment and subscriptions will be accepted solely pursuant to definitive documentation. These materials do not purport to contain all the information relevant to evaluating an investment in the Fund. No sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation, or sale is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make the offer, solicitation, or sale. Offers and sales of interests in the Fund will not be registered under the laws of any jurisdiction and will be made solely to "qualified purchasers" as defined in the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. These materials are highly confidential and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any format without the express written approval of HarbourVest. An investment in the Fund involves a high degree of risk and therefore should be undertaken only by prospective investors capable of evaluating the risks of the Fund and bearing the risks such an investment represents. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to achieve its investment objectives or that the investors will receive a return on their capital. For additional legal and regulatory disclosures, please refer to http://www.harbourvest.com/important-legal-disclosures. 1 Source (News - Alert) : HarbourVest as of June 30, 2018. Includes all private credit direct investments made by HarbourVest since January 1, 2003, excluding certain custom accounts that may make investments outside of HarbourVest's core private credit direct investment strategy, (e.g., industry, sourcing, return profile). Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005769/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] 2018 SINET 16 Innovators Announced SINET, an organization focused on advancing cybersecurity innovation through public-private collaboration, announced today the winners of its annual SINET 16 innovation competition. The winning companies represent a range of solution providers that deliver cutting-edge technologies to address cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. Winners were selected from a pool of 123 applicants from nine countries, including Australia, Canada, France, India, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The selected companies will share their work with buyers, builders, investors and researchers during the SINET Showcase on Nov. 7-8, 2018, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Since the award program launched 10 years ago, the applicant pool of early stage and emerging technology companies with revenues under $15 million has become more and more competitive. Entries were evaluated in a two-stage process by the SINET Showcase Steering Committee, which is comprised of 100 cybersecurity professionals, including chief security information officers from leading organizations worldwide, experts in government intelligence and defense agencies, and distinguished venture capital firms. This year's 16 winners are headquartered across three countries: Canada, the U.S., and Switzerland. In the U.S., six of the winners are based in California, four in New York, and one each in Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas and Virginia. Six of the companies were founded before 2013, with all others launching by the end of 2016. The 2018 SINET 16 Innovators are: Acalvio (News - Alert) Technologies - Acalvio provides Advanced Threat Defense solutions to detect, engage and respond to malicious activity inside the perimeter. The solutions are anchored on patented innovations in Deception and Data Science. It is built on Acalvio's patented Autonomous Deception technology - Deception, SDN and AI. Avanan - Avanan, The Cloud Security Platform, protects any SaaS (News - Alert) or IaaS with the security industry's most advanced technology to protect against malware, phishing, ransomware, shadow IT, data leakage, insider threats and more. It is a single compliance policy manager with no need for proxy or agent. Bitglass - Bitglass' next-gen cloud security solutions deliver zero-day, agentless, data and threat protection for any app, any device, anywhere. Bitglass is backed by Tier 1 investors and was founded in 2013 by a team of industry eterans with a proven track record of innovation and execution. Claroty - Claroty's mission is to protect industrial control networks from cyberattacks, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of the world's most critical infrastructures. D3 Security - D3 combines security technologies, threat intelligence and dynamic playbooks to supercharge SOCs and achieve rapid incident response. D3 solves SOC and IR challenges by automating risk-based response actions, orchestrating human and machine processes and documenting every incident and action taken. Edgewise Networks - Edgewise provides cloud workload security through zero trust. Edgewise stops attackers' lateral movements and protects workloads by allowing only verified applications, users, containers, and hosts to communicate throughout companies' dynamic, hybrid cloud environments. Enveil - Enveil is a pioneering data security company protecting Data in Use. Enveil's Never Decrypt computation capability closes the last gap in data security by protecting data while it's being used. Enveil allows enterprises to securely operate on data in the Cloud, on prem, or anywhere in between. ID Quantique - ID Quantique (IDQ) is a world leader in quantum-safe crypto solutions, designed to protect data for the long-term future, provides quantum-safe network encryption, secure quantum key generation and quantum key distribution solutions to the financial industry, enterprises and government organisations globally. Illusive Networks - Having pioneered deception-based cybersecurity, Illusive Networks continues to evolve its intelligence-driven, proactive approach by leveraging a range of advanced tools to manage the entire threat life cycle -from preemption, to detection and response - mitigating advanced attacks. Nehemiah Security - Nehemiah Security is pursuing a new definition of success for cybersecurity--minimizing negative impacts to the business. Our clients rely on Nehemiah's risk quantification platform to prioritize security risks, justify spend, and integrate cyber into strategic business decisions. Payfone - Payfone's digital identity solutions protect companies & consumers against identity fraud using dynamic digital signals instead of relying on stores of static personal data. Our modernized approach enables safer, easier and more convenient digital experiences across mobile, PC, and voice calls. SecureLogix - SecureLogix is a pioneer in the enterprise voice security market. The company's solutions are currently securing six million enterprise voice and unified communications lines. The company owns 14 U.S. and international patents. Vade Secure - Vade Secure, the leading predictive email defense solution, protects 500M mailboxes globally against the most sophisticated email threats - phishing, spear-phishing, malware & ransomware. Our predictive approach leveraging AI ensures zero-day protection against unknown, dynamic attacks. Valimail - Valimail has developed the world's first cloud service that fully automates email authentication, giving brands fraud protection across mailboxes worldwide and allowing organizations to prevent phishing attacks and regulate their email domains. Very Good Security - Very Good Security's (VGS) mission is to securely power the world's sensitive data operations. With VGS, customers instantly achieve a best-in-class security posture, free from the risk of data breaches, and inherit regulatory compliances ( PCI (News - Alert) , SOC2, HIPAA, etc.) with minimal, if any, code changes. Zingbox, Inc. - Zingbox was founded to provide operational intelligence and security for Internet of Things (IoT) devices across wide range of industries. Zingbox's solution is the first AI machine learning platform designed to discover, manage, secure and optimize IoT devices w/o agents or altering the network. "The SINET Showcase is my favorite program every year, because it provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to have a voice in front of 350 attendees, many who are investors, buyers of cyber solutions and policy makers," said Robert D. Rodriguez, Chairman of SINET. "Congratulations to this year's SINET 16 Innovators, who are emerging as leaders in their field, and paving the way for critical security advancements across industries. We are proud to play a role in increasing the awareness that these technologies exist, and look forward to seeing these 16 companies continue to grow and innovate." About SINET Showcase SINET Showcase provides a platform for the business of Cybersecurity to take place. We connect innovative early stage and emerging growth Cybersecurity solution providers with system integrator, private industry and Federal Government markets including civilian, military and intelligence communities. Our goal is to highlight global entrepreneurs by increasing their product awareness to a select audience of venture capitalists, investment bankers as well as industry and Government buyers. The program is supported by the Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate. About SINET SINET is a purpose driven community. Our mission is to advance innovation and enable global collaboration between the public and private sectors to defeat Cybersecurity threats. We are a "Super Connector." SINET actively brings together innovative entrepreneurs with executives from private industry, venture capital, investment banking, system integration, policy, legal, academia and science, as well as International Government's civilian, military and intelligence agencies. Our Forums, Public Private Partnership Dinners and Workshops take place in: New York City, London, Silicon Valley, Washington D.C., Sydney, Melbourne, Paris, Davos and Toronto. For more information, please visit: www.security-innovation.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005718/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] North Florida based company selected for Silicon Valley Start-Up School JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OnDefend, a Jacksonville, FL based cyber security company, recently had an innovative cyber security product accepted into the Y Combinator (YC) Start-Up School. YC is the most prestigious and largest technology accelerator in Silicon Valley, California. Since 2005, the esteemed Y Combinator has helped launch over 1,900 companies including Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit, Instacart, Stripe, and others. Chris Freedman, co-founder and managing partner at OnDefend said, "When our Business and Technology Advisor Jack Caven saw our growth potential, he suggested we apply. With a small percentage of companies and products accepted into the accelerator each year, some say it is harder to get into than Harvard, and given the company we are in, I believe it." OnDefend, founded in 2015, alreay assists large national clients to protect their companies against cyber attacks, but now YC can help catapult the company's new product, CyberSURE into rapid growth to assist small to medium sized businesses. Billy Steeghs, OnDefend's cyber advisor, is thrilled YC recognized the importance of CyberSURE, an affordable cyber security solution. "With over 4,000 cyber attacks per day costing small to mid-sized companies millions of dollars, OnDefend saw a need. We created an innovative product to protect these sized companies to help remove their cyber risks and help them prove they are safe to do business with," said Steeghs. As a selected company, OnDefend will have exclusive access to a YC mentor, online course material and an extensive network of innovators and investors to help cultivate CyberSURE. The culminating event will occur in California where OnDefend will have an opportunity to present their cyber security solution to potential investors. For more information visit: www.getcybersure.com or http://www.ycombinator.com/ About OnDefend OnDefend, based in North Florida, is a national provider of cyber security consulting services and solutions, with clients ranging from Fortune 500 to regional corporations. Led by co-founders Chris Freedman, Ben Finke and Billy Steeghs and with a combined 40 years of applied experience, the firm has created proven security solutions to defend clients against continually evolving and persistent cyber adversaries. About CyberSURE CyberSURE gives regional sized companies and small business owners an affordable way to view their IT and Non-IT cyber risks as well as an effective way to remove those risks. The automated platform provides a visual dashboard with a real-time cyber score, which when improved, provides the client with a cyber secured certificate proving they are safe to do business with as well as access to discounted cyber insurance policies. Media Contact: Chris Freedman Co-Founder, Managing Partner 904.248.4699 c.freedman@ondefend.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-florida-based-company-selected-for-silicon-valley-start-up-school-300714644.html SOURCE OnDefend [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hylant Pioneers Haven Re Group Captive for Middle-Market Businesses Hylant, one of the nation's largest family-owned, privately held insurance brokerage firms, has launched Haven Re, a primary casualty, heterogeneous group captive designed to provide well-performing middle-market businesses an attractive cost-saving option. Haven Re is ideal for middle-market businesses with a strong commitment to safety and loss control, conservative balance sheet and consistent cash flow. Kip Irle, Senior Vice President of Captives, led the Hylant team's effort to design and structure Haven Re. "Focusing on high-performing middle-market businesses and joining them together to realize premium savings with well-designed coverage was core to the success of this captive," said Irle. Member firms can select to insure one, two or all three primary casualty coverages via the Haven Re group captive: Automobile liability and physical damage General liability including products and completed operations, and Workers' compensation and emploer's liability. Group captives combine traditional insurance with a layer of self-insurance. Group captive members can significantly reduce their insurance costs over time, better manage premium volatility, capture investment income and underwriting profits, and leverage cash flow advantages. Previously these benefits had been available only to Fortune 1000 businesses, but Haven Re is now making this a reality for smaller organizations. Hylant partnered with The Hartford, a premier "A" rated insurance company to support Haven Re. Hylant and The Hartford both have long histories rooted in providing sound counsel and effective risk management to middle-market businesses. An elite team within The Hartford will handle claim management and loss control for Haven Re members. Haven Re is domiciled onshore in Tennessee and available to all Hylant clients. For more information, visit hylant.com. About Hylant Hylant is one of the largest privately held insurance brokerages in the United States. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, we offer complete risk management services, employee benefits brokerage and consultation, loss control, healthcare management and insurance solutions for businesses and individuals locally, nationally and internationally. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005862/en/ [September 18, 2018] Stefanos Daskalakis Joins Magenic as New York City Regional General Manager MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Magenic, a Minneapolis-based business technology consulting firm, today announced that Stefanos Daskalakis has joined the firm as regional general manager of its New York City office. Daskalakis brings 30 years of experience in both technology and finance to Magenic. Most recently, he served as chief product officer with online financial data platform Money.net. His past experience also includes serving as global business manager for Bloomberg, manager of securitization services with Deloitte & Touche, principal with Dell, Inc., and analyst with Moody's Investors Services. In his new role with Magenic, Daskalakis is responsible for managing and growing the New York City office, including overseeing revenue, overhead, sales and profit; advising clients; pursuing new business; and leading and managing staff. "With his extensive experience as both client and consultant, Stef brings a keen understanding of customer needs and a rich background in building software," said John Doucette, vice president, Consulting Operations with Magenic. "This combination of capabilities will prove incredibly beneficial to our company and our customers. We are delighted to welcome Stef to Magenic." "This is an incredible time to join Magenic and further develop its New York City office," said Daskalakis. "The economy is growing, companies are investing in technology at unprecedented levels, and Magenic continues to advance its depth of expertise and services. It's a perfect storm for success, and I'm excited to help lead the charge." Magenic opened its New York City office in 2016 in an effort to better serve its existing clients throughout the northeastern United States as well as to further its growth within the financial services, pharmaceutical, and media industries. Magenic has additional locations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Southern California, and Manila, Philippines. About Magenic Based in Minneapolis, Magenic is the digital technology consulting company built for speed. Magenic has the right strategies, the right process, and the right people to get their clients' digital products to market faster. To learn more about Magenic, visit magenic.com. Contact: Patty Gibbs Patty Gibbs & Company 651.653.7302 patty@pattygibbscompany.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stefanos-daskalakis-joins-magenic-as-new-york-city-regional-general-manager-300714677.html SOURCE Magenic [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Petsky Prunier Advises Cluep on its Sale to Impact Group Petsky Prunier is pleased to announce it has advised artificial intelligence-driven digital advertising platform Cluep Inc. on its sale to grocery sales and marketing agency Impact Group, Inc., a portfolio company of CI Capital Partners LLC. Cluep will continue operating as a separate division under the Cluep brand and will complement Impact Group's sales, marketing, and merchandising expertise and value-added service offerings for CPG brands and the grocery industry. Founded in 2012 by Karan Walia, Anton Mamonov, and Sobi Walia, Cluep's artificially intelligent digital advertising platform targets potential customers based on what they are sharing, how they are feeling, and where they have been. The Toronto-based company leverages proprietary text analysis, real-time targeting, facial recognition, vision recognition, and more to identify and anticipate customer interest, and has connected more than 400 brands globally with customers through more than 1,500 campaigns. The platform offers a variety of products, including Cluep Posts, Cluep Pics and Cluep Places, and currently services high-profile brands, including Coca-Cola, Kraft, Unilever, and Walmart, among others. Impact Group has decades of combined experience in the retail broker and CPG industry, which enables clients to connect with retailers more effectively and drive aggressive growth and sales. The companyfocuses on leading change through disruptive and innovative services, including sales, merchandising, and category analytical support to more than 700 companies in the CPG industry. Impact Group is known for fostering a culture that is authentic, strategic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial. Impact Group's strategic acquisition of Cluep is a direct response to ongoing market shifts in retail and grocery. With online grocery sales projected to reach $100 billion by 2025, many brands and retailers are rethinking their approach to marketing and how they reach consumers in the digital space, including mobile, where consumers are increasingly spending their time. Having extensive industry experience, significant geographic reach, and deep relationships with brand clients and retailers alike, Impact Group gains an additional competitive advantage for its client brands through the acquisition of Cluep and its intelligent, proactive online consumer engagement. In addition to retaining Cluep's employees as part of the acquisition, Impact Group also plans to add to Cluep's resources with additional hires in the coming months. Petsky Prunier, with a team led by Sanjay Chadda, Marc Flor, and Clayton Young, served as the exclusive financial advisor to Cluep. "Petsky Prunier was an excellent advisor. Their understanding of our AI-based marketing technology business model helped them position the company in the right manner without a lot of education. They ran a great process for us, uncovered every buyer and option, and diligently managed the process allowing us to focus on our business. We really can't say enough about the strength and depth of the Petsky Prunier team - from top to bottom their entire team was tremendous and there for us 24/7." Karan Walia, CEO & Co-founder, Cluep About Petsky Prunier LLC Petsky Prunier is one of the leading investment banks to the technology, media, marketing, information, eCommerce, and healthcare industries. Our firm's merger and acquisition and private placement advisory services reflect a unique blend of product specialization and industry expertise. Together with strategic consulting firm Winterberry Group, a Petsky Prunier company, our organization represents one of the largest industry-specific advisors providing strategic and transactional services. We offer global reach supplemented through our partnerships in China and India. Securities transactions are processed through Petsky Prunier Securities LLC, a member of FINRA, and an affiliated entity. For more information, visit www.petskyprunier.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005831/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Mavrck Announces New Capabilities to Collaborate With Influencers and Track Performance on Pinterest BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading influencer marketing platform Mavrck is announcing new capabilities for influencer collaboration on Pinterest as a result of the launch of Pinterests new influencer marketing program under the Pinterest Marketing Partners Content Marketing specialty. As an official Pinterest Marketing Partner, Mavrck will be able to better understand and measure how people interact with influencer-generated content on Pinterest. With more than 250 million people around the world using Pinterest to determine what to do or buy next, Pinterest is the visual discovery engine that every brand should be using in its influencer marketing efforts. The new API will make it easier for brands to collaborate with influencers and share performance metrics on the platform. Pinterest Campaign Creation on the Mavrck Influencer Marketing Platform Were always looking for ways to help businesses extend their reach on Pinterest, said David Temple, Head of Content ad Creator Products, Pinterest. Were excited to make it easier for brands to discover and collaborate with influencers, as well as track their performance on third party platforms. Creators are essential to Pinterest and were thrilled to provide additional tools and resources for them to leverage as they build relationships with businesses. People turn to Pinterest actively looking for ideas to try and buy. 90% of Pinners say that Pinterest has helped them to make purchase decisions. And the best ideas come from innovative brands. With millions of people on Pinterest, there is a unique and timely opportunity for brands to reach consumers as theyre most open and receptive to new ideas. 97% of searches on Pinterest are unbranded, providing an opportunity for brands to win consumers at a crucial stage of the consumer journey. Mavrcks mission is to help its customers win consumers by identifying the right influencers to best represent their brands to the millions of people on Pinterest with meaningful content. Pinterests new API enables us to look more deeply and accurately into Pinners behaviors, as well as the responses from people who interact with the content that those Pinners create, said Lyle Stevens, Co-Founder & CEO, Mavrck. Additionally, real-time analytics about Pin engagements--including views, close-ups, and click-throughs--will help us to better understand Pinners abilities to drive customer behaviors for brands. Well also be able to view, via the Mavrck platform, how interactions with a piece of creator-generated content have affected downstream behaviors such as views, likes, and eventually purchases. This will prove to be invaluable to brands looking to select and activate content creators on Pinterest. This is one of many innovative efforts made by Mavrck this year as it continues to lead the influencer marketing space. In July, Mavrck launched new fraud detection tools to help combat influencer fraud. The tools were designed to assess and indicate follower and engagement fraud to empower marketers to make informed decisions about influencers based on their risk tolerances. Mavrck was also recently named Best Influencer Marketing Platform by Digiday. To learn more about Mavrck and the unique offerings that the platform provides, please visit www.mavrck.co . About Mavrck Mavrck is the leading all-in-one influencer marketing platform enabling companies such as P&G, Lindt Chocolate USA, and PepsiCo to harness the power of ideas people trust. Marketers use Mavrck to discover and collaborate with influencers, advocates, referrers, and loyalists to create trusted content and insights for customer journey touchpoints at scale. Using its self-service influencer manager, marketers can take an automated and performance-based approach to influencer marketing. Founded in 2014, Mavrck is headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in Denver, CO, has 45 employees, and has raised $13.8M in venture capital. The platform has been recognized for its superior offering by the Shorty Awards and Retail TouchPoints Retail Innovator Awards, and was named Best Influencer Marketing Platform by Digiday in 2018. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f9aa780-5d03-486f-8f03-79c6a6077e7c Media Contact: Amelia Vereb Detty Avenue A Communications Amelia@avenueacomms.com 614-286-7226 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ROTH Capital Partners, Sustain OC, CMA and Procopio to Host Cleantech Private Capital Day at The Cove at UCI Applied Innovation, Irvine, California on October 3, 2018 ROTH Capital Partners (ROTH), a full service investment bank focused on serving emerging growth companies and their investors, will co-host Cleantech Private Capital Day 2018 on October 3 at The Cove at UCI Applied Innovation. The first of its kind to be held in Orange (News - Alert) County, the event presents a unique opportunity for investors to meet the founders and C-level executives of more than 25 privately-held Cleantech companies that are leading innovation in the energy, water and transportation sectors. The event will kick off with a keynote and sector panels, and include one-on-one opportunities with participating companies. "The unique setting of The Cove and the conference format will allow attendees to meet other like-minded investors and leaders in Cleantech, and create relationships that go beyond the one-day event," said Jesse Pichel, Managing Director of ROTH's Cleantech investment banking team. "This event reflects ROTH's leadership in supporting the growth of Cleantech companies, from capital formation and advisory services to equity research and other sustainability-focused conferences held throughout the year." The event is also timely, with the CleanTech industry receiving a boost from the Governor of California who recently issued an Executive Order that set a new goal for the state to achieve carbon neutrality "as soon as possible" and no later than 2045, and then net negative emissions thereafter. This is in addition to the existing statewide mandates of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including requiring the state to double the rate of energy efficiency savings in buildings, setting a goal of 5 million zero emission vehicles by 2030, and supporting clean transportation to reduce petroleum use 45% by 2030. ROTH, Sustain OC, CMA, Procopio and other partners have reached out across the U.S. to invite the most influential private cleantech companies and most impactful investors for the conference. ROTH is a founding member of Sustain OC, a trade association with its roots in cleantech economic growth that accelerates sustainability in the greater Orange County area through innovation, collaboration and education. Current list of Confirmed Participating Companies Agilyx Avalon Battery Black Dog LED Blue Planet LTD California Ethanol and Power Chanje Concentric Power Enevate Filamento Business Wire is an event sponsor. The event is by invitation only. For more information, please contact your ROTH sales representative at (949) 720-5700 or e-mail: sustainoc@roth.com. Members of the media who would like to attend may contact Isabel Pain at (949) 720-7117 or imattson-pain@roth.com. Agenda Wednesday | October 3, 2018 8:00 am - 9:00 am | Registration and Morning Coffee 9:00 am - 9:30 am | Keynote 9:30 am - 12:00 pm | Sector Panels 9:30 am - 5:00 pm | 1-on-1 / Small Group Meetings 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch Break 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Cocktail Reception Venue UC Irvine Applied Innovation 5141 California Ave #250 Irvine, CA (News - Alert) 92617 About Roth Capital Partners ROTH Capital Partners, LLC (ROTH), is a relationship-driven investment bank focused on serving emerging growth companies and their investors. As a full-service investment bank, ROTH provides capital raising, M&A advisory, analytical research, trading, market-making services and corporate access. Headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, ROTH is privately-held, employee owned, and maintains offices throughout the U.S. For more information on ROTH, please visit www.roth.com. Since 2012, ROTH has been involved in approximately 100 transactions for its Cleantech & Industrial Growth clients, with total transaction value over $3.5 billion. ( Source (News - Alert) : ROTH Capital Partners | 09/11/2018) About Sustain OC Sustain OC, a non-profit organization, accelerates sustainability and economic growth through innovation, collaboration and education in the greater Orange County region. The organization has a ten-year history of exploring and implementing pragmatic, real-world solutions to the challenges created by growth, change and inefficiency. It conducts conferences, workshops and networking events to help in the sharing of knowledge and establish connections that have a positive impact on both the economic progress and sustainable future. For more information on Sustain OC, please visit www.sustainoc.org. About Procopio Procopio is an AmLaw 200 full-service business and litigation law firm committed to thoughtful problem solving and improving your bottom line. With more than 170 attorneys and offices in downtown San Diego, Del Mar Heights, Silicon Valley, Las Vegas and Phoenix, we're passionate about knowing your business and helping you grow and protect it for the long term. Procopio has the flexible infrastructure to support both small to mid-sized companies and large multinationals at every stage of the business life cycle. Our global reach across Asia and Latin America further expands our international partnerships and cross border capabilities. At Procopio, we are focused on what is important to you-providing smart, innovative and practical solutions in a cost-effective manner to help your business thrive. Learn more at Procopio.com. About CMA CMA is the nation's premier capital markets advisory firm that connects public and private companies to the capital market in the U.S., Canada and around the world. Led by a team of experienced investment and communications professionals with decade of experience in the capital markets, CMA delivers highly-effective strategic communications and access to a proprietary network of high-net worth investors, equity analysts, money managers, investment bankers, media and other valuable market resources. Working in partnership, CMA also connects these capital market players to investment opportunities that best match their particular criteria. To learn more, go to www.capitalmarketaccess.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005969/en/ [September 18, 2018] Orlando Tech Entrepreneur Creates Nonprofit One year ago, Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico. In the effort to rebuild, many U.S. Citizens of the island migrated to the State of Florida. With the influx of more than 500,000 people, many who are skilled workers, family leaders, dedicated professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs, the challenge exists to start over and rebuild a new life in Central Florida. Concerned with the socioeconomic immersion of U.S. Citizens of Puerto Rico migrating to Florida, Gabe Ruiz, president and CEO of Advanced IT Concepts (AITC), is uniting leading members of the Central Florida business and the Puerto Rican community to aid those that want to achieve their goals and aspirations. In July 2018, Ruiz created THE FOSTER ADVANCE INITIATIVE (FAI), a not-for-profit organization dedicating its efforts to "the empowerment and development of the population we are all part of in one way or another." By leveraging the skills and business strategies he's developed as a successful entrepreneur, Ruiz is focused on giving back to the community. Today, with the informed and generous collaboration of investors, donors, and participants from various industries, FAI's first project, the PUERTO RICO BUSINESS HARBOR was launched on the heels of the anniversary of Hurricane Maria. The PUERTO RICO BUSINESS HARBOR is a venue for structuring the thorough and effective advancement of assistance to the wave of newly displaced business entrepreneurs, workers and family leades seeking to restart their lives. The PUERTO RICO BUSINESS HARBOR objective provides wise economic integration to support entrepreneurs, business and family leaders obtain value added training, certifications, mentoring and partnerships with established businesses that will help our community prosper. "We are proud to launch this exciting initiative. Giving back is such an integral part of being successful and paying it forward can make such a positive impact. By giving a hand up and not a hand out, we can empower, mentor and support these entrepreneurs, business and family leaders to make positive contributions in our communities. Together we can rise and accomplish great things," says Gabe Ruiz, President and CEO. The PUERTO RICO BUSINESS HARBOR will have an advisory board consisting of members from the Central Florida business community. Currently FAI is raising approximately $500K to fund the first project. For more information and to be part of something great, visit fosteradvanceinitiative.org. About Advanced IT Concepts (AITC): AITC is an 8a minority and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business founded by former military information technology (IT) professionals. AITC assists government and private sector customers through design and implementation of innovative IT solutions drawing upon significant information technology systems, network, security and infrastructure experience to provide advisory services, program and project management, strategic planning, system deployment and technology implementation, as well as engineering, logistics and training support. AITC is a well renowned supplier and partner of the U.S. defense sector and has won several multi-million-dollar contract awards. AITC ensures customers' goals are met by delivering quality technical solutions and superior client services. Visit www.aitcinc.com or contact Christa Santos at christa.santos@aitcinc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005972/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Jungle Disk Announces New Software Version Including Google Cloud Platform Support Jungle Disk today announced version 3.30 of its encrypted cloud backup and storage software, which now includes Google (News - Alert) Cloud Platform as the default storage choice. With the new version of the software, small businesses will be able to take advantage of multiple cloud platform choices, increased performance, and cross-platform HIPAA and PCI (News - Alert) compliant collaboration with military-grade encryption to store and secure business critical data. The addition of Google Cloud Platform in the new software version improves data recovery time for small businesses in the event of an accident or cyber attack. Also, customers who choose to store data on Google Cloud Platform through the Jungle Disk software gain the advantage of geo-replicated data protection without the complexity of integrating into cloud APIs themselves. This ensures that if there is an outage in a single data center it will not impact daily business operations of a customer's Jungle Disk powered cloud based file server. "At Jungle Disk, we take data privacy seriously and want to ensure that our small business customers have access to enterprise-grade cybersecurity products, technology and expertise to help keep their critical data safe," said Bret Piatt, CEO at Jungle Disk. "Given the rise in cyberattacks and the major effects that data loss has on small businesses, it is important to continue to evolve our offering to allow small businesses to increase their productivity with technology while remaining safe online." According to the Verizon 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, over 58 percent of data breach victims are small businesses. To address this growing cybersecurity issue, Jungle Disk's product suite helps make it simple for small businesses t protect their critical data to prevent data loss whether it's through a cyberattack such as ransomware, human error or natural disaster. Small businesses can leverage the following benefits with Jungle Disk: Leading Cloud Platform Choices - Single off-site encrypted backup and storage solution to support laptops, desktops, workstations and servers across Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Encrypted online backup and cloud file servers now available on multiple cloud platforms including Google Cloud Platform as default and Amazon Web Services (News - Alert) as an additional option. With both cloud platform options, customers get 10 GB of storage per employee or server included with their subscription to the platform. - Single off-site encrypted backup and storage solution to support laptops, desktops, workstations and servers across Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Encrypted online backup and cloud file servers now available on multiple cloud platforms including Google Cloud Platform as default and Amazon Web Services (News - Alert) as an additional option. With both cloud platform options, customers get 10 GB of storage per employee or server included with their subscription to the platform. Encryption Standards Meet HIPAA and PCI Compliance - Separate cloud storage volumes with unique encryption keys and administratively controlled user groups enables small business to meet encryption standards for PCI, HIPAA, and other regulatory requirements. Jungle Disk provides HIPAA BAA (Business Associate Agreement), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Data Processing Addendum (DPA), and has compliance experts on staff to assist with implementation of policies to satisfy control objectives. Separate cloud storage volumes with unique encryption keys and administratively controlled user groups enables small business to meet encryption standards for PCI, HIPAA, and other regulatory requirements. Jungle Disk provides HIPAA BAA (Business Associate Agreement), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Data Processing Addendum (DPA), and has compliance experts on staff to assist with implementation of policies to satisfy control objectives. Secure Collaboration - Encrypted online storage for Windows and Mac desktops offering compliance focused collaboration for teams. Jungle Disk provides encrypted cloud storage volumes which appear as native hard disk drives to users and software applications. Files are also accessible via the web through the My Jungle Disk portal or via mobile applications on Android (News - Alert) and iOS. - Encrypted online storage for Windows and Mac desktops offering compliance focused collaboration for teams. Jungle Disk provides encrypted cloud storage volumes which appear as native hard disk drives to users and software applications. Files are also accessible via the web through the My Jungle Disk portal or via mobile applications on Android (News - Alert) and iOS. Access to Full Cybersecurity Suite - The full Jungle Disk product suite includes cloud backup for PCs, Macs and Linux, password management, network protection and email archiving. A combination of these products enables small businesses to store a safe, second copy of critical data and stop hackers from access. The new software version is available today to all new and existing Jungle Disk customers with an active subscription via the download page. To learn more about Jungle Disk, visit www.jungledisk.com. About Jungle Disk Jungle Disk, the #1 data security suite for small business, provides network protection, password management, email archiving and backup solutions to protect critical data from system failure, human error and cyberattacks. Headquartered in San Antonio, TX, the Jungle Disk team now serves over 25,000 customers across the globe with data centers in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.jungledisk.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005838/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Flash Russia and Turkey have decided to set up a demilitarized zone between the armed opposition and the government troops in Syria's Idlib province by Oct. 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday. The demilitarized zone with a depth of 15-20 kilometers will be created along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces, Putin said at a joint press conference following talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Russia's Sochi. Mobile patrol groups consisting of Turkish army units and Russian military police units will control the situation in the demilitarized zone, Putin said, according to a Kremlin press release. "Russia and Turkey reaffirmed their determination to fight terrorism in Syria in all its forms and manifestations," Putin said. "We will continue to work on the formation of a constitutional committee consisting of representatives of the Syrian leadership, opposition forces and the civil society," he said. Territories occupied by the Syrian opposition must be demilitarized, Erdogan said at the press conference, adding that the opposition will remain there but Turkey and Russia will make every effort to eliminate all radical groups from these territories. There will be no military operation against the armed opposition in Idlib and the Russian military will soon coordinate with the Syrian forces, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said following the Putin-Erdogan meeting. The Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran were preparing an offensive against the rebels' last major stronghold in Idlib, although Turkey and the United States have repeatedly warned against any operation. Ankara and Washington reject the possible offensive in Idlib, citing that it could cause great civilian casualties and even a humanitarian disaster. However, Erdogan's call for a cease-fire in Idlib, which borders Turkey, was accepted neither by Russia nor Iran at the tripartite summit in Tehran on Sept. 7. [September 18, 2018] Mount Sinai Joins Test Validation Trial of bioAffinity's CyPath Lung SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- bioAffinity Technologies, a privately held biotech company, today announced that the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) in New York, NY, will be a clinical collection site for the Companys test validation trial of CyPath Lung, a non-invasive test for the early detection of lung cancer. The study will be performed under the direction of the Clinical Trials Office in the Department of Medicine. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai As the medical school for the Mount Sinai Health System, ISMMS and its Clinical Trials Office are international leaders in medical and scientific training, biomedical research and patient care. Dr. Louis R. DePalo, clinical director of the Mount Sinai National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute and professor of pulmonary medicine at ISMMS, will supervise the study at Mount Sinai as the principal investigator. We are very pleased to be working with Moun Sinai and Dr. DePalo to advance the clinical test validation trial of CyPath Lung, bioAffinity President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Zannes said. Our ongoing validation study will benefit enormously from Mount Sinais high standards for breakthrough research and biomedical advances. ISMMS will recruit volunteers and collect sputum samples from two cohorts: individuals who are at high risk for lung cancer and do not have the disease, and patients who are confirmed by biopsy to have the disease after providing a sputum sample. The high-risk population will be screened by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to confirm they do not have lung cancer. Early diagnosis is the key to improving the survival rate for lung cancer, which until now has been notoriously difficult to detect in the early stages when it is most curable, Dr. DePalo said. Today, LDCT is the gold standard for early detection, but it has a problematic false-positive rate, which can result in unnecessary and invasive procedures to confirm the patient does not have cancer. Physicians and patients both will benefit from a test that improves the predictive value of LDCT. Clinicians would have a clearer path to determine the appropriate next steps, whether surgical biopsy or monitoring is the best option for the patient. Sputum samples will be processed and labeled with CyPath Lung, a flow cytometric test that uses a proprietary compound that binds to cancer cells and causes them to fluoresce in contrast to non-cancer cells. CyPath Lung is designed to be the most accurate and affordable non-invasive diagnostic for early-stage lung cancer on the market. The validation study will confirm the differential characteristics between sputum samples collected from three participant cohorts, including patients with lung cancer, high-risk participants without lung cancer and healthy individuals with no or minimal smoking history who are cancer-free. bioAffinity expects CyPath Lung to enter the U.S. commercial market as a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) by first quarter 2019. Medicare reimbursement codes are available for CyPath Lung. ISMMS joins five other clinical sites Summit Medical Group in New Jersey, Radiology Associates of Albuquerque in New Mexico, Waterbury Pulmonary Associates in Connecticut, Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Tennessee, and Atlantic Health Systems in New Jersey currently enrolling volunteers for the study. One additional collection site is undergoing review and approval by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to participate in the clinical trial. Nearly 14 million Americans are considered at high risk for developing lung cancer based on their smoking history. By significantly increasing diagnostic accuracy, CyPath Lung is expected to lead to improved patient survival, fewer unnecessary invasive procedures and lower medical costs. About bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. (www.bioaffinitytech.com) is a privately held company that develops proprietary in-vitro diagnostic tests and targeted cancer therapeutics using breakthrough technology that preferentially targets cancer cells. Research, optimization and commercialization of its platform technology are conducted in bioAffinity Technologies laboratories at the University of Texas San Antonio. The Companys initial product is CyPath Lung, a diagnostic assay for the non-invasive detection of early-stage lung cancer. Contact: Maria Zannes, 505.400.9747 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] ZeroStack Showcases Self-Driving Cloud Running Jenkins on Lenovo Hyper-Converged Hardware ZeroStack (News - Alert) , creators of software that automates cloud infrastructure, applications, and operations, today announced that it is joining Lenovo, a global technology leader in driving Intelligent Transformation, to demonstrate automating CI/CD pipelines at the DevOps World/Jenkins World conference in San Francisco from September 16-18. Jenkins will run as an application on ZeroStack's self-driving cloud platform - a web-managed, fully-integrated hybrid cloud platform - which will be running on Lenovo's (News - Alert) hyper-converged hardware. The demonstrations will be held in the Lenovo booth at the conference. "Our mission is to deliver a hybrid cloud platform that streamlines and reduces the cost of DevOps while giving our customers a broad range of choices in their platforms," said Steve Garrison (News - Alert) , vice president of marketing & business development at ZeroStack. "By partnering with Lenovo at the DevOps World/Jenkins World conference, we are demonstrating a owerful, turnkey solution for enterprise software development." "Our partnership with ZeroStack creates an ideal platform for DevOps environments because it offers simplified, reliable operations and complements our DevOps services and DevOps tools offerings," said John Majeski, GM software solutions at Lenovo. "Automating CI/CD tools like Jenkins on the ZeroStack cloud platform shows how easy and cost-effective it can be to create a full-featured enterprise DevOps environment." About ZeroStack ZeroStack's Self-Driving Cloud platform automates cloud infrastructure, applications, and operations, enabling enterprises and MSPs to focus on services that accelerate their businesses. With ZeroStack, enterprises and MSPs simplify operations, reduce costs, and accelerate IT by 10X over virtualized solutions while maintaining full IT control. ZeroStack enables multitenant, multi-cloud, and containerized environments with a future-ready architecture. Founded by senior engineers from VMware, the company is funded by Formation (News - Alert) 8 and Foundation Capital, and is based in Mountain View, California. For more information, visit http://www.zerostack.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @ZeroStackInc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005974/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] UTSA Receives $15 Million Gift and Parcels of Land Downtown for Construction of Proposed School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) today announced it has received a $15 million gift from San Antonio business leader Graham Weston to support the university's proposed School of Data Science. The school is a major component in UTSA's phased, 10-year approach to accelerating the development of its Downtown Campus as a destination for producing highly skilled professionals in big data and analytics, advancing economic development in the urban core and creating prosperity for San Antonio. At the same time, UTSA is actively engaged in highly collaborative discussions with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County for the transfer of downtown parcels of land, valued at $13 million, to the university. Those parcels would be the sites for the new school, a National Security Collaboration Center, and for the relocation of the UTSA College of Business. Earlier this month, The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a $70 million Permanent University Fund (PUF) allocation for the School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center. Combined with the Weston gift and an additional $5 million in university funds, UTSA has now secured the $90 million needed to fully advance those two construction projects. "The Board of Regents' recent allocation of PUF funds to support physical space needed to propel UTSA's advancement in data science and national security was a proud moment for us on many levels. While it helped to address UTSA's construction needs, it also demonstrated the Regents' confidence in the university's leadership position in addressing critical workforce areas as well as its effectiveness in developing stronger public-private collaborations to make San Antonio and Texas as competitive as possible in the cyberspace arena," said Sara Martinez Tucker, UT System regents' chairman. Weston's gift to UTSA, his largest personal gift ever, will help propel the university's interdisciplinary approach to cybersecurity, big data, cloud computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence - the engines that power the Internet. By locating the school in the heart of San Antonio's high-tech corridor, UTSA will provide ready access to faculty experts, cutting edge research and well-trained students. Once approved by UT System Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the School of Data Science will closely align its work with the National Security Collaboration Center, the state's largest hub for government, university and industry partners in the cybersecurity field. "UTSA is building the best data science program in the world. It will train the smartest students in the field and make them the hottest commodities in the workforce. We hope that as UTSA creates them, the biggest employers in the world will come to downtown San Antonio to recruit their IT workforces," said Weston. "The School of Data Science will bring thousands of the most innovative students, faculty and researchers together and will accelerate everything else in our downtown tech ecosystem." "What we are witnessing today is the creation of transformative opportunities for San Antonio for generations to come," said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. "This convergence of talent, collaboration and innovation will create new jobs and new prosperity while further elevating San Antonio as a powerhouse for cybersecurity, data science and entrepreneurship. The economic benefits to San Antoio can only be fully realized through a government-university-industry partnership of this magnitude." The City of San Antonio properties identified for transfer to UTSA include 2.5 acres at the intersection of South San Saba (News - Alert) and Dolorosa Streets and one acre on Dolorosa near South Flores Street. They would be the sites for the National Security Collaboration Center and the School of Data Science. The mechanism for the property transfers will be negotiated following approvals from the city's planning commission and San Antonio City Council. The properties are valued at $7.3 million. UTSA and the city are also actively exploring the joint development and management of the former Continental Hotel on West Commerce Street as housing for faculty and other urban professionals. The project will involve the renovation of the existing hotel and construction of a new building on the hotel's former parking lot. "These initiatives will have a profound effect on our growing technology sector in addition to UTSA's drive to become a nationally recognized research university," said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. "It will accelerate downtown San Antonio's ongoing resurgence and provide a transformative boost that enhances economic opportunity for generations to come." UTSA is concurrently in discussions with Bexar County for the potential transfer of 2.6 acres of property, valued at $5.7 million and conjoining the city parcels on Dolorosa Street, for the construction of a new building to house the UTSA College of Business, which is currently located on the Main Campus. UTSA will seek $126 million in tuition revenue bonds (TRB) from the Texas Legislature next year for that construction. "Bexar County is a leader in the emerging cybersecurity and entrepreneurship sectors and we are excited and pleased to see that UTSA is going to build a National Security Collaboration Center and School of Data Science downtown on city-owned property. As we restore the section of San Pedro Creek on land abutting this project, we look forward to exploring the feasibility of locating UTSA's College of Business on Bexar County property as funding becomes available from tuition revenue bonds or donor gifts," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. A property transfer from Bexar County would be subject to approval by the Commissioners Court. Site planning and design for the proposed School of Data Science and National Cybersecurity Collaboration Center will begin immediately, with construction expected to start next fall. The project should be completed in time for the Fall 2021 academic year. Construction of the new College of Business will begin in 2020, contingent on financing from the tuition revenue bonds. Those three construction projects -- supported by the PUF funding, Weston gift, city and county land transfers, institutional funds and TRBs - total $229 million in value once all funding and property transfers are completed. As another step in the initial phase of UTSA's 10-year vision, the university will issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) this October for the development of its Cattleman's Square property. Located within UTSA's current Downtown Campus footprint, the project would be a public-private partnership developed as a mixed use residential tower. Additional development on, and west of, the current Downtown Campus is included in the second phase of the university's 10-year plan. With the downtown initiatives underway, UTSA will have tremendous new potential at its Main Campus to further expand other academic and research programs including brain health, infectious diseases, regenerative medicine and medicinal chemistry, engineering, and liberal and fine arts. A new $95 million Science and Engineering Building is now under construction on the Main Campus and is slated to open in 2020. The 153,000 square foot facility will include classrooms, laboratories and collaborative space, and UTSA's recently added chemical engineering program. By advancing its university-wide research capabilities, UTSA intends to earn designation as a National Research University Fund (NRUF) eligible institution with a Carnegie R1 (highest research activity) classification. Those achievements would garner UTSA millions of dollars in additional research funding, further benefiting the university and the San Antonio community. About The University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a public urban serving university specializing in health, cybersecurity, energy, sustainability, and human and social development. With more than 31,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property-for Texas, the nation and the world. Learn more online, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram or on UTSA Today. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005935/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Free Telehealth Visits for People Impacted by Hurricane Florence In an effort to provide assistance and relief to individuals and families displaced by Hurricane Florence, national telehealth provider MeMD is offering free urgent care visits for common and non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries through the end of September. "We know people are facing incredible devastation right now and easy phone access to a medical provider is a significant need. With providers in all 50 states, we're grateful that we're in a position to help," said MeMD President Glenn Dean. How It Works: Residents of South Carolina and North Carolina simply need to call 844-399-5341 and provide the care coordinator with the code "FLORENCE" to start a visit with a board-certified, state-licensed medical provider. Free telehealth visits have been extended to all residents until Sunday, Sept. 30. Services are available 24/7. Additional details can be found at https://go.memd.me/hurricane-florence. What Can Be Treated: Common illnesses and injuries that can be treated over the phone include allergies, cold, flu, respiratory infections, sprains, strains, cuts, dehydration and more. When medically necessary, providers can e-prescribe medications to the patient's pharmacy of choice. For a comprehensive list of conditions that can be treated via telehealth, visit https://go.memd.me/hurricane-florence. About MeMD MeMD offers a comprehensive telehealth solution that facilitates on-demand, online care for common illnesses, injuries and behavioral health issues for consumers and businesses nationwide. The company leverages the latest technologies to treat the whole person, affordably and conveniently, from a computer or mobile device. For more information, visit memd.me. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918006067/en/ [September 18, 2018] Global Infrared Sensors Market 2018-2026: Growth Drivers & Trends and Key Player Analysis DUBLIN, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Infrared Sensors Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2018 To 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global infrared sensors market set to expand with CAGR of 7.5% throughout the forecast period to cross US$ 592.5 Mn by 2026. The overall infrared sensors market is set to witness promising growth over the forecast period owing to rise in safety concerns across industrial sector worldwide. Factors such as product affordability as well as low power consumption provided much needed impetus to infrared sensors market. Another driving factor for infrared sensors market growth is increasing initiatives for passenger safety and security by automobile manufacturers. With growing events of accidental damages, safety devices have become an imperative part of automobiles. Also, such sensors find vital application in numerous sensing devices that provide information regarding different factors ensuring comfort, safety, and security. With strong growth in automotive sector, infrared sensors expected to witness significant growth through following years. By wavelength type, the market is led by long-wave infrared sensors, accounting for over 40% of the total market value. This is chiefly due to higher utilization of long-wave infrared sensors for flame detection, in vivo imaging and collecting geothermal data among others. Asia Pacific was the largest market for infrared sensors in 2017. The region accounted for more than 30% of total market value generated worldwide. Asia Pacific is set to register the highest growth throughout the forecast period, primarily due to high penetration of infrared sensors market in burgeoning industrial centers such as Japan, China, India and Taiwan. The infrared sensors market is strongly supported by business organizations having heavy dependence over sensing activity. These type of sensors contributing important role in devices with application of safeguarding homes, conserving energy, and providing comfort. From motion & presence detection of gas to thermometry and indoor climate control applications, organizations are meeting consumers' expectations with an important role of infrared sensors. With constant rise in wirless technologies worldwide, infrared sensors are set to witness higher demand in smart modules. Infrared sensors detect and receive changes in motion, light and temperature, which is vital for communicating change in environment in the form of information. Effect of which, rising demand for wireless communication, batteries and information storage capacity stimulates the demand for subsequent infrared sensors market. Key Topics Covered 1. Preface 1.1. Report Scope and Description 1.2. Research Methodology 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Global Infrared Sensors Market Snapshot 3. Global Infrared Sensors Market Analysis 3.1. Global Infrared Sensors Market Overview 3.2. Market Inclination Insights 3.3. Market Dynamics 3.4. See-Saw Analysis 3.5. Attractive Investment Proposition, 2017 3.6. Market Positioning of Key Industry Participants, 2017 4. Global Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Wavelength Type, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 4.1. Market Analysis 4.2. Short Wave 4.3. Medium Wave 4.4. Long Wave 5. Global Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Detection Technology, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 5.1. Market Analysis 5.2. Cooled 5.3. Uncooled 6. Global Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Applications, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 6.1. Market Analysis 6.2. Climatology 6.3. Surface Feature Detection 6.4. Barcode Decoding 6.5. Flame Detection 6.6. In Vivo Imaging 7. Global Infrared Sensors Market Value, by End-use, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 7.1. Market Analysis 7.2. Oil & Gas 7.3. Mining 7.4. Aerospace & Defense 7.5. Consumer Electronics 7.6. Automotive 7.7. Manufacturing 7.8. Telecommunication 7.9. Chemical 7.10. Healthcare 8. North America Infrared Sensors Market Analysis, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 8.1. Overview 8.2. North America Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Wavelength, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 8.3. North America Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Detection Technology, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 8.4. North America Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Applications, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 8.5. North America Infrared Sensors Market Value, by End-use, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 8.6. North America Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Country, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 9. Europe Infrared Sensors Market Analysis, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 9.1. Overview 9.2. Europe Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Wavelength, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 9.3. Europe Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Detection Technology, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 9.4. Europe Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Applications, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 9.5. Europe Infrared Sensors Market Value, by End-use, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 9.6. Europe Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Country, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 10. Asia Pacific Infrared Sensors Market Analysis, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 10.1. Overview 10.2. Asia Pacific Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Wavelength, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 10.3. Asia Pacific Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Detection Technology, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 10.4. Asia Pacific Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Applications, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 10.5. Asia Pacific Infrared Sensors Market Value, by End-use, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 10.6. Asia Pacific Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Country, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 11. Rest of World Infrared Sensors Market Analysis, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 11.1. Overview 11.2. Rest of world Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Wavelength, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 11.3. Rest of World Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Detection Technology, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 11.4. Rest of World Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Applications, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 11.5. Rest of World Infrared Sensors Market Value, by End-use, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 11.6. Rest of the World Infrared Sensors Market Value, by Country, 2016-2026 (US$ Mn) 12. Company Profiles 12.1. Honeywell International Inc. 12.2. Excelitas Technologies Corporation 12.3. Bosch Security Systems, Inc. 12.4. Nippon Avionics Co., Ltd. 12.5. General Dynamics Corporation 12.6. Infratec Gmbh Infrarotsensorik Und Messtechnik 12.7. FLIR Systems, Inc. 12.8. Raytheon Company 12.9. Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. 12.10. OMRON Corporation 12.11 Texas Instruments Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ph4r73/global_infrared?w=5 Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-infrared-sensors-market-2018-2026-growth-drivers--trends-and-key-player-analysis-300714705.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Uboss Portal Delivers Perfect Cloud Management Platform for Cloudoe LONDON, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloudoe, as a business has a long history in the deployment of customer telephone systems and contact centre solutions across the Netherlands, with a focus on understanding the needs of their business and reseller clients. When the opportunity came to purchase an existing BroadSoft, they took the opportunity with both hands, knowing the pedigree and dominance BroadWorks has in the Business Cloud marketspace. However, like many Service Providers have discovered, there was no management portal apart from the BroadSoft EWS. This made day to day management difficult, BroadSoft Licence Utilisation near impossible and plotting sales growth challenging. The original deployment of the BroadSoft resulted in a number of weaknesses. Cloudoe found that the packages created within BroadSoft were often duplicated or, in some cases, different packages had the same name or there were no defined packages at all. In total, there were over 100 packages in BroadSoft before the move to Uboss; on project completion there was less than 50. Alex Inkelaar, COO at Cloudoe explained, "We needed to find a management platform that was designed to take on the challenge in the BroadSoft space but that ultimately let us extend past only delivering BroadSoft services and instead becoming a complete Cloud application provider." Once we had decided that Uboss was the platform of choice the initial requirement was to correct the errors of the past and complete the migration of all existing services and users so we were set for the future without disrupting our existing reseller, users services and revenues. Solution Uboss has deployed platforms for BroadSoft partners around the world and has a highly deployed platform of their own in the UK market, with a very broad portfolio exploiting 99 percent of the BroadSoft Services and features. For Cloudoe, the selling point was that Uboss incorporated the vital elements of multiple distribution layers (Distributor, Reseller, Agent), powerful reporting including extensive call logging and service reporting at all levels, along with an integrated billing module (optional) which could manage and distribute invoices that are localised with reference to currency, tax and language. The Uboss team knew that from previous deployments, each platform owner (in each country) will have used BroadWorks in their own unique way. Step one was to verify and cleanse the data, standardise the propositions, optimise the BroadSoft licence consumption and identify any service enhancements, for example the introduction of Surge Mail to improve the voicemail propositon to customers. Cloudoe have a number of projects and business development programs on the go, so it was also extremely helpful that Uboss is offered as an OPEX or CAPEX Model. "For now, we have taken the OPEX option to leave our capital funds available for business development programs, but in time, we will have the flexibility to move to the CAPEX model, which was a facility that set Uboss apart," Martien Verhoeven (CFO) from Cloudoe says. The Uboss and Cloudoe teams worked closely to identify, build, test and develop all the functionality needed for Cloudoe's future programs and at the same time catering for the established positions. Migration tools were used to script the existing BroadWorks customers and services into Uboss in a three-phase project to ensure control and smooth delivery. 1st phase was the provisioning capabilities, 2nd phase was the platform user billing and finally the 3rd phase was the end customer billing. This meant that, at all times, Cloudoe could include their partners in the process without a major disturbance to their business. A major additional benefit, that was not realised at the original order point, was credit locking. Cloudoe, like many other service providers, experience attempts of dial-through fraud. The existing methods of managing this through the BroadSoft Call Barring feature and other back-end processes and monitors were time-consuming and not always 100 percent effective. The Credit Lock User service was implemented and, over the course of about 5 days, it was deployed across all users. Suddenly we had daily credit limits on all users, and SIP Trunks, with auto updates of users nearing their credit limit and automatic outbound barring of a user when daily limit exceeded regardless of what time or day it was. Summary Misja Hoen (Platform Technician) from Cloudoe summarises that "the Uboss team were a pleasure to work with. They listened to our needs and plans but with such a vast experience of BroadSoft platforms being used by different operators in different ways and in different markets they were able to contribute strongly as advisors as we worked through the migration. We were also really impressed by the method and diligence used in testing and cleansing the data throughout the process. Now, with all the data held within Uboss, we can manage BroadSoft easily whilst integrating other 3rd party apps and services to enrich and differentiate the proposition. With the bonus of us being able to take the public cloud option, this means we also have no servers to invest in and support. The final point as already mentioned was the bonus of the credit locking based on daily user limits. I can certainly sleep at night now with more ease!" Cloudoe operates in a fast-moving and competitive marketplace facing stiff competition from one of the biggest BroadSoft success stories. By deploying Uboss, Cloudoe has now opened up distribution options, enhanced their Broadworks feature set, allowed the integration of 3rd party products into the portfolio, and even the packages, but kept everything in one highly capable management ecosystem. About Uboss Uboss is a technology management platform delivering an operational hub for Cloud Voice and Application providers. In a marketplace where products, services and propositions change frequently, Uboss provides continuity for provisioning, tariffing, billing, reporting, hardware fulfillment, security and service integration. In this way, Uboss helps to maximise revenue by getting Service Providers to market quicker with a more sophisticated product offering. Uboss is a trading name of DRD Communications Ltd, headquartered in London, UK. About Cloudoe Cloudoe, based in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, is an independent Telco provider and provides, among other things, SIP trunks, Hosted Voice and Unified Communications solutions. Also, Cloudoe is the Strategic Partner of the Genesys PureCloud contactcenter solution. Cloudoe delivers modern, innovative cloud services combined with old-fashioned trusted personal service. Media Contact: Charlotte Quartly Marketing Manager Phone: +44 (0)20 8288 1233 Email: c.quartly@drd.co.uk Related Links Uboss Website Cloudoe Website View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uboss-portal-delivers-perfect-cloud-management-platform-for-cloudoe-300714740.html SOURCE Uboss [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] Life Storage, Inc. to Present at Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2018 Global Real Estate Conference Life Storage, Inc. (NYSE:LSI), a leading national owner and operator of self storage properties, announced today that Joseph Saffire, Chief Investment Officer, and incoming Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a roundtable presentation at the 2018 Global Real Estate Conference hosted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The Company's presentation will be webcast live on September 26, 2018 at approximately 3:40 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors may listen to the discussion using the link on the Investor Relations page on the Company's website or at http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/baml/realestate2018/id46212328585.cfm. The replay will be available through December 24, 2018. ABOUT LIFE STORAGE, INC: Life Storage, Inc. is a self-administered and self-managed equity REIT that is in the business of acquiring and managing self storage facilities. Located in Buffalo, NY, the Company operates more than 700 storage facilities in 28 states. The Company serves both residential and commercial storage customers with storage units rented by month. Life Storage consistently provides responsive service to its 400,000-plus customers, making it a leader in the industry. For more information visit https://invest.lifestorage.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918006027/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] New Look and Name for Cayman's Insurance Association The Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC), the nonprofit organisation representing Cayman's captive and alternative risk management insurance industry, has announced the launch of its new brand identity, name, and tagline for use when it is promoting this industry to the world. IMAC will use "Cayman International Insurance - The Better Alternative" for external communications and marketing, while locally and with reference to the association itself, it will still be known affectionately as "IMAC". Originally established in 1981, the organisation acts as Cayman's industry representative, working alongside both government and regulators to ensure consistent compliance and robustness within the industry. IMAC is also famed for launching the world's largest captive insurance conference, the annual Cayman Captive Forum. Twelve months after successfully hosting its first Cayman Captive Forum, IMAC then set up its Educational Scholarship Fund in 1994. It also played a significant role in working with legislators in 2012 to modernise Cayman's insurance law; particularly laws that were related to ease of business for Cayman's Insurance Linked Securities (ILS) and reinsurance sectors. "For 37 years we've delivered the message tht Cayman is a leading domicile that is filled with opportunity," said IMAC Chair Erin Brosnihan. "And after decades of effecting change for this industry, we've come to realise that we, too, have changed. We are no longer an association trying to develop our industry - we have become the face of our industry." Brosnihan continued: "Having said that, it's also important to note IMAC will not vanish. It will still exist as a member organisation and an inward-facing entity. What has changed is our global promotion of Cayman as a domicile, which is where I am eager to see how Cayman International Insurance will unfold and develop." Brosnihan went on to explain that the name change was required to appropriately promote Cayman's multipronged insurance industry, which has now grown inclusive of reinsurance and ILS. The brand was revealed to members on Sept. 15 at the annual Black-Tie Gala, a fundraising event hosted by the association for its scholarship. "This truly is an exciting time, both for Cayman as an ever-growing domicile and for our organisation, as well," Brosnihan said. "IMAC was built on a rich history of captives, and we look forward to where Cayman International Insurance will steer us in the future." The Cayman Islands is an international insurance centre with a 40-year-plus history in international insurance products, specialising in captive insurance, ILS structuring, and reinsurance. Cayman also hosts the world's largest captive insurance conference, attracting 1,500 captive owners, directors, officers, reinsurers, ceding carriers, brokers, consultants, and service providers. The 2018 Cayman Captive Forum will be held at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, from November 27 through 29, 2018. For more information on IMAC, visit www.caymancaptive.ky. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918006084/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 18, 2018] RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc. Announces Rights Offering RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc. (NYSE: RIV) (the "Fund") announces that its Board of Directors has authorized and set the terms of an offering to the Fund's stockholders of rights to purchase additional shares of common stock of the Fund. In this offering, the Fund will issue transferable subscription rights ("Rights") to its stockholders of record as of October 4, 2018 (the "Record Date" and such stockholders, "Record Date Stockholders") allowing the holder to subscribe for new shares of common stock of the Fund (the "Primary Subscription"). Record Date Stockholders will receive one Right for each share of common stock held on the Record Date. For every three Rights held, a holder of Rights may buy one new share of common stock of the Fund. Record Date Stockholders who exercise their Rights will not be entitled to distributions payable during October 2018 on shares issued in connection with the Rights Offering. The Rights are expected to be listed and tradable on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the ticker: RIV RT. Record Date Stockholders who fully exercise all Rights initially issued to them in the Primary Subscription will be entitled to buy those shares of common stock that are not purchased by other Record Date Stockholders. The subscription price per share of common stock will be determined based upon a formula equal to 95% of the reported net asset value or 95% of the market price per share of common stock, whichever is higher on the Expiration Date (as defined below). Market price per share of common stock will be determined based on the average of the last reported sales price of a share of common stock on the NYSE for the five trading days preceding (and not including) the Expiration Date. The subscription period will expire on November 1, 2018, unless extended by the Board (the "Expiration Date"). The rights offering will be made pursuant to the Fund's currently effective shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") and only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will be filed with the SEC, but has not been filed as of the date of this release. The Company expects to mail subscription certificates evidencing the subscription rights and a copy of the prospectus supplemen and accompanying prospectus for the rights offering shortly following the Record Date. These securities described in this release may not be sold nor may offers to purchase be accepted prior to the time the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are filed with the SEC. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy. Investors should read the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, when available, and consider the investment objective, risks, fees and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a copy of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, when available, or the Fund's annual report or semi-annual report, each of which contains this and other information about the Fund, visit www.rivernorthcef.com or call 855.830.1222. Please read them carefully before investing. RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc. The investment objective of the Fund is total return consisting of capital appreciation and current income. The Fund had approximately $102 million of net assets and 5.3 million shares of common stock outstanding as of July 31, 2018. The Fund is a closed-end fund and does not continuously issue stock for sale as open-end mutual funds do. The Fund now trades in the secondary market. Investors wishing to buy or sell stock need to place orders through an intermediary or broker. The share price of a closed-end fund is based on the market value. ALPS Advisors, Inc. is the investment adviser to the Fund. RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC is the investment sub-adviser to the Fund. RiverNorth is not affiliated with ALPS or any of its affiliates. SS&C Technologies SS&C is a global provider of investment and financial software-enabled services and software for the global financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut and has offices around the world. Some 13,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest institutions to local firms, manage and account for their investments using SS&C's products and services. ALPS Advisors, Inc. ALPS, which was acquired by SS&C in April 2018, provides customized asset servicing and asset gathering solutions to the financial services community through an entrepreneurial culture based on the commitment to "Do Things Right." Founded in 1985, ALPS continues to actively promote all of its various business segments, from asset servicing through ALPS Fund Services, Inc. to asset gathering through ALPS Distributors, Inc. and ALPS Advisors, Inc. Headquartered in Denver, with offices in Boston, New York, Seattle, and Toronto, ALPS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc., today represents more than 400 employees, over 200 clients, and an executive team that has been in place for more than 18 years. For more information about ALPS and its services, visit www.alpsinc.com. Information about ALPS products is available at www.alpsfunds.com. RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC RiverNorth is an investment management firm founded in 2000 that specializes in opportunistic strategies in niche markets where the potential to exploit inefficiencies is greatest. RiverNorth is the manager to multiple registered and private funds. ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., FINRA Member. NOT FDIC INSURED | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918005911/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Flash The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the defused military tension between the two Koreas would be on the main dialogue agenda for the upcoming summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un. Im Jong-seok, Moon's chief of staff, told a press briefing Monday at the Seoul press center for the upcoming summit that Moon will make efforts to encourage the DPRK and the United States to rapidly resume sincere talks in a bid to let the DPRK advance the denuclearization and the United State take corresponding measures. He said Moon will play a role in arbitrating and facilitating dialogues between Pyongyang and Washington for the denuclearization as U.S. President Donald Trump called for Moon to play a role as a chief negotiator, while the DPRK leader also had an anticipation for Moon's role. Moon was forecast to sufficiently deliver the U.S. stance to Kim during the upcoming summit, while conveying the DPRK position to Trump as the South Korean president is set to visit New York later this month for the UN General Assembly. Moon and Trump were expected to hold a separate summit meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The presidential chief of staff declined to deliberate on what concrete measures for the denuclearization Moon and Kim would discuss and even whether their discussion could be made known to the international community, though he noted that it would be the first time for the denuclearization to be on the key agenda in the inter-Korean summit. Moon and Kim agreed to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula during their first summit on April 27 at the border village of Panmunjom. Another on the main agenda would be the eased military tension along the heavily armed inter-Korean border. Im said the leaders of the two sides will discuss ways to end the military tension and the threat of war on the peninsula. Moon and Kim, the chief of staff said, were anticipated to reach a meaningful agreement to fundamentally eliminate the threats of armed conflicts and war. The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice. Following the first summit, Moon and Kim agreed to declare the end to the Korean War by the end of this year. Military officials from the two sides discussed ways to withdraw a part of guard posts inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which left the peninsula divided, to jointly excavate the remains inside the DMZ of fallen soldiers during the Korean War, to disarm the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside Panmunjom and to ban the entry of warships into waters near the western inter-Korean sea boundary. Moon and Kim will also discuss ways to improve inter-Korean relations, especially making in-depth discussions on how to fundamentally eliminate the pain of Korean families who have been separated since the end of the Korean War, the presidential chief of staff said. The separated families have been banned from exchanging letters and phone calls, even less meeting each other. The reunion of the separated families was held in August as agreed upon during the first Moon-Kim summit. During the upcoming summit, Moon and Kim would sit face to face at least twice. Moon was expected to arrive at the Pyongyang international airport at about 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Tuesday and be greeted by a welcoming ceremony at the airport. Moon was set to stay in Pyongyang for three days till Thursday. You have reached a premium content area of TOL. To read this entire article please login if you are already a TOL subscriber. Not a subscriber? Annual membership costs only $55 per year for individuals ($33 for students) and organizational subscriptions start at $141 per year. Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Update April 29: Check out our reviews of the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus and find out how you can pre-order the Galaxy S10 5G. After months of leaks and a big Feb. 20 launch event, the Galaxy S10 has finally landed in stores. Make that three Galaxy S10 phones. Here's how they stack up. In addition to the 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 and 6.4-inch Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung is selling an entry-level model, the 5.8-inch Galaxy s10e. We've now tested all three phones, and you can read our reviews of the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus. We can even tell you which phone is best for which users and how this year's Galaxy S10 differs from the S9. But if you just want a quick rundown of the specs for Samsung's new phone lineup, this is the place to be. Here's a rundown of the specs for the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10e. We've also added the Galaxy S10 5G to our comparison table, now that Samsung's 5G-ready phone is about to ship. Galaxy S10 Tech Specs Model Galaxy S10e Galaxy S10 Galaxy S10 Plus Galaxy S10 5G Starting Price $749 $899 $999 $1,299 Screen Size (Resolution) 5.8-inch Flat AMOLED (2160 x 1080) 6.1-inch Edge AMOLED (3040 x 1440) 6.4-inch Edge AMOLED (3040 x 1440) 6.7-inch Edge AMOLED (3040 x 1440) CPU Snapdragon 855 Snapdragon 855 Snapdragon 855 Snapdragon 855 RAM 6GB/8GB 8GB 8GB/12GB 8GB Storage 128GB/256GB 128GB, 512GB 128GB, 512GB/1TB 256GB/512GB MicroSD? Yes (Up to 512GB) Yes (Up to 512GB) Yes (Up to 512GB) No Rear Camera 16-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4) 16-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4), 12-MP telephoto (f/2.4) 16-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4), 12-MP telephoto (f/2.4) 16-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (f/1.5, f/2.4), 12-MP telephoto (f/2.4); hQVGA 3D depth sensor Front Camera 10-MP dual pixel (f/1.9) 10-MP dual pixel (f/1.9) 10-MP dual pixel (f/1.9), 8-MP depth-sensing (f/2.2) 10-MP dual pixel (f/1.9), hQVGA 3D depth sensor Fingerprint Sensor Side-mounted sensor In-display ultrasonic In-display ultrasonic In-display ultrasonic Battery 3,100 mAh 3,400 mAh 4,100 mAh 4,500 mAh Battery Life (Hrs:Mins) 9:41 10:19 12:35 Not yet tested Size 5.6 x 2.75 x 0.3 inches 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.3 inches 6.2 x 2.91 x 0.3 inches 6.4 x 3.04 x 0.3 inches Weight 5.3 ounces 5.5 ounces 6.17 ounces 6.98 ounces Colors Flamingo Pink, Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Prism Green, Canary Yellow Flamingo Pink, Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Prism Green Flamingo Pink, Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Prism Green, Ceramic White, Ceramic Black Majestic Black, Crown Silver What are the biggest differences between the Galaxy S10 models? At first glance, it's pretty apparent where the new S10 models differ: They're all different sizes. The S10 Plus is the biggest of the bunch at 6.2 x 2.91 x 0.3 inches, while the S10e is a relatively compact 5.6 x 2.75 x 0.3 inches. The S10 fits right between them at 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.3 inches. The sizes of the models vary to house the different sized screens. But those differences go beyond size the S10e only offers Full HD+ resolution compared to the wide quad HD+ resolutions on the S10 and S10 Plus displays. Additionally, the S10e's panel is flat instead of curved like the other two models. Samsung made those concessions to get a lower price tag for the Galaxy S10e, which starts at $749. The S10e also foregoes the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that lives under the display on the $899 S10 and $999 S10 Plus; instead, the S10e's fingerprint reader can be found on the power button on the side of the phone. MORE: Samsung Galaxy S10 Cameras: What You Need To Know The S10e sacrifices one other feature that you'll find on the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus a third rear camera. A 12-megapixel telephoto lens joins the 12-MP main shooter and 16-MP ultrawide lens on the S10 and S10 Plus. The S10e skips the telephoto lens for a dual camera setup. There's one camera difference between the S10 and S10 Plus. The larger of Samsung's new phones adds a second front camera, with an 8-MP depth-sensing lens joining the 10-MP dual-pixel selfie cam found on the other models. Finally, all three S10 models offer different battery sizes. The S10e's power pack is the smallest at 3,100 mAh, though that's larger than the battery found on last year's Galaxy S9. The S10 and S10+ offer 3,400 mAh and 4,100 mAh batteries, respectively. The S10 Plus makes good use of that battery, lasting 12.5 hours on our battery test that places it among the longest-lasting phones we've tested. The S10e's battery life was more than 10 minutes below the average for smartphones, while the Galaxy S10 beat the average with a time of 10 hours, 19 minutes. What features are the same on the Galaxy S10 models? Regardless of which S10 you get, you'll see Samsung's Infinity O display on these new phones. That's a new screen design that house the front camera in a punch-hole cut into the display. The hole is wider on the S10 Plus to accommodate that phone's cameras. All three phones run on the same Snapdragon 855 processor, though you'll get 8GB of memory on the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus base models. (The S10e has 6GB of RAM, though another version lets you upgrade to 8GB.) Storage starts at 128GB on all models, though the S10 Plus has more options for capacity, scaling up to an almost unbelievable 1TB model. Regardless of which model you get, expect the best performance yet from an Android phone based on our S10 benchmarks. The three S10 models all ship with Android 9 Pie, with Samsung's new OneUI interface debuting on these phones. MORE: Best Galaxy S10 Deals Right Now You have similar color choices on the phones, too, with all three models coming in Prism Black, Prism White and Prism Blue. (Shoppers outside the U.S. can opt for Prism Green.) The S10e offers additional colors like Flamingo Pink and Canary Yellow. (That latter option isn't available to U.S. users) The S10+ features Ceramic Black and Ceramic White models, but only if you pay up for the 512GB and 1TB versions of that phone. While there are differences in display size and resolution, the three new Samsung phones all use the company's Dynamic AMOLED panel, which reduces blue light which can strain your eyes while also supporting dynamic tone mapping for a wider range of colors. What about the Galaxy S10 5G? There's one other model in the Galaxy S10 family, and it's quite a bit different from the three S10 devices that have been shipping since March. The Galaxy S10 5G includes a 5G modem, meaning it can connect to faster 5G networks wherever those are available. (It's not in many places right now.) The S10 5G is an exclusive to Verizon, which is taking pre-orders on the phone in advance of its May 16 launch; other carriers will offer the 5G later later. Besides 5G connectivity, the S10 5G sports the largest screen of any S10 at 6.7 inches, and it adds a 3D depth sensor to the triple camera setup you'd find on the back of the S10 Plus. There's no way to add on storage on the S10 5G, and it comes in more limited colors than the other models with only Majestic Black and Crown Silver options available at Verizon. Credits: Tom's Guide Court documents: Johnson County man accused of attacking others with machete JOHNSON COUNTY, KS. (KCTV) -- A Johnson County, KS., man is accused of attacking others with a machete over the weekend. Court documents state that Christopher Earl Coffman faces two counts of aggravated battery. Coffman is accused of "unlawfully, feloniously and knowingly cause bodily harm" to two different victims with a machete. Mugshot of the day and a look at increasing suburban frustration and rising tensions at the end of Summer. Checkit: Seg. 1: Orman Pitches Third-Party Option In Kansas. Seg. 2: Remembering Native Contributions To WWI. Segment 1: The Independent candidate discusses his race for Kansas governor. The fierce gubernatorial race between Republican Kris Kobach, Democrat Laura Kelly and Independent Greg Orman is heating up. Orman joined us in-studio to talk about his proposals for education, the economy and gun control. Arguing for a viable alternative against partisan politics as usual . . . Or not . . . Here's the world according this contender that's splitting the Kansas vote no matter how you slice it: In the Kansas 3rd District race for Congress, a debate is raging over debates. The Johnson County Public Policy Council has canceled its planned event because Democrat Sharice Davids would not commit to showing up. The Davids campaign would not commit to debates this coming Friday in Kansas City, Kansas, or the Johnson County event on Oct. "Tuesdays strike will be the first-ever nationwide walkout to protest sexual harassment. Workers in Kansas City are joining workers from nine other states with the hope to hold McDonalds accountable." Tuesday, September 18 at 11:30 AM 1:00 PM 6300 Paseo Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64131 Our blog communityand now the MSM catches up with a worthwhile report . . .More deets:The walkout is at noon but here are more deets about the public demonstration:Developing . . . Page Six: Cardi B already joking about fight with Nicki Minaj Kansas City Right Of Way Debate Arrest made following crash involving U.S. Marshal KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- A suspect is in custody following a crash near East 74th Street and Troost Avenue in Kansas City. He was caught after being involved in a crash with a U. S. Marshal, who blocked the suspect's vehicle before a chase could begin. Point Blank Golden Ghetto Murder Case Pregnant Olathe woman was shot, boyfriend faces murder case | The Kansas City Star A pregnant woman killed along with her unborn child in Olathe earlier this year died from a single gunshot wound to the head, according to testimony Monday in Johnson County District Court. A boyfriend of Ashley Harlan, accused in the January shooting and now facing a possible death penalty case, is the one who called police. JoCo Zoning Lesson In Fear Proposed development will be right next to OP elementary, raising safety concerns with parents OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Parents are raising concerns with a newly proposed development right next to Morse Elementary at 151st St and Quivira. Several members of Overland Park's planning commission said this plan is not ideal or the best option, but pushed the topic to the full commission. Show-Me Clean-Up Support Editorial: Keep the 'Clean Missouri' initiative alive for November T hink of political corruption in Missouri government as a jigsaw puzzle, composed of interlocking pieces: State legislators have freewheeling power to raise money from lobbyists. Those lobbyists can give personal gifts to those lawmakers, while urging them to pass laws that serve their high-paying clients. Worthwhile Local Lawn Effort Go-Long fund making college dreams come true for Kansas City students KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A group of business retirees in Kansas City decided 16 years ago to start a lawn business to raise money to give college scholarships to high school students. Today, the Go-Long Foundation fund has helped more than 130 students go to college. Helping Hand For KCMO Money Pit New Zoo playground now even more inclusive thanks to the gift of a cart from the Royals The playground is in one of the farthest spots from the zoo entrance Local Foodie Road Trip Guide Food Critics: Dishes Worth A Short(ish) Drive From Kansas City If you've listened to any of our previous conversations with the Food Critics, you know that there isn't a shortage of top-notch food options in the Kansas City metro area. Sometimes, though, you want a change of scenery during dinner. A quickie update with our favorite hip-hop hottie:Closer to home, these news links power our evening . . .And this is thefor right now . . . Flash President of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said Monday that she will work hard to protect multilateralism and make the UN relevant to all people. "We intend to strengthen multilateralism," she said, shortly after taking oath as the 73rd president of the UNGA, adding that "the only way to solve global problems is through a cooperative approach." Espinosa Garces said that she felt very happy to become the first woman in Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over the General Assembly. Talking about the priorities of her work for the coming year, she said that the theme of the 73rd session of the UNGA is "Making the UN relevant to all people. Bringing UN closer to the people and the people closer to the UN -- bringing a people-centered approach to our work." The UN General Assembly on June 5 picked Espinosa Garces, Ecuador's minister for foreign affairs and human mobility, to be its next president. The 193-member General Assembly, one of the highest policy-making bodies at the UN, has a woman presiding over it for the fourth time in UN history. Espinosa Garces beat Mary Elizabeth Flores Flake, permanent representative of Honduras to the UN, by 128-62 votes. She has succeeded Slovakia's Miroslav Lajcak and will preside over the 73rd session starting Sept. 18. The tenure is for a year. Chicago Trib: Bills mount for breast cancer survivors Kansas City Transit Biz Report Spurring the Economy Courtesy of BNSF Railway KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After a few days of crisscrossing this quintessential Midwestern city, you get a good sense of what the current U.S. economic boom feels like. Tragic Abuse Juxtaposition KC turns away almost 3 times as many domestic violence victims as St. Louis KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A new look at the numbers doesn't cast Missouri or Kansas City in a positive light in assessing each's ability to respond to domestic violence. According to a report released by the Missouri State Auditor on Monday, Missouri turned away more than 23 percent of people seeking help for domestic violence in 2016. KCPD Take Back Redux Kansas City Police Board Rescinds Award To Officers In Killing Of Ryan Stokes In an unexpected move on Monday, the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners rescinded an award it had given to a pair of officers involved in the killing of Ryan Stokes as he was leaving the Power & Light District five years ago. KCMO Murder Spike Solution??? Metro woman says she has key to ending rising homicide rates in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A metro group says it knows how to stop the cycle of violent crime in Kansas City; it starts with loving those left behind and teaching them how to break the cycle. When the police lights fade and the sirens stop, when the cameras quit rolling, time still marches on. Season Of FAIL Faves Who is your favorite Royals player from a bad Royals team? The Royals are bad, very bad, at least if you look at their record. But their play lately has been, well, pretty good. They have won 14 of their last 21 and are near .500 since the All-Star break at 25-29. Trout For The Troops "Fishing for Freedom" using small act to make a big difference Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT A LOCAL CHARITY IS GIVING VETERANS FREEDOM. AFTER THEY SACRIFICED FOR OURS. FISHING FOR FREEDOM TAKES THEM ON THE WATER FOR A SPECIAL WEEKEND. ROB HUGHES EXPLAINS WHY THIS ESCAPE MEANS SO MUCH. -- WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF ISSUES, EVERY WARRIOR. Kansas City QB Celebration Cont'd Is Patrick Mahomes NFL's next great QB? 'Secret's out' after record start CLOSE If you've watched any of Patrick Mahomes' NFL-record 10 touchdown passes through the first two weeks of the season -- the side-arm bullet to Tyreek Hill, one of the sideline dimes to an array of pass-catchers, the no-look flip to De'Anthony Thomas, or one of the thread-the-needle throws through tight coverage and in to Travis Kelce, any of them - and thought, "This kid's just not normal," then you're absolutely right. Quick look at top news for this double down day . . .Closer to home, these news links top our look at all things local right now . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . Independence councilman asked to step down during city hall meeting INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- An Independence city council member was asked to resign during Monday night's city council meeting. In Independence, residents are not allowed to make personal attacks against any member of the city council. Beverly Harvey broke that rule when she requested the resignation of Tom Van Camp, who serves in District 4, where she lives. First off . . . Rules that attempt to thwart public push back against politicos in this neighboring city might be unconstitutional and this week the rules & regs were ineffective at preventing arguments against an embattled council dude who confronts serious questions regarding his travel budget tactics.Take a look: Is it good enough to give the almighty Prius a run for its money? Despite the number of hybrid vehicles introduced over the last dozen years or so, none have really been able to take too big of a bite out of the sales figures for the poster child of hybrids, the Toyota Prius. Hyundai looks to change all of that with its own dedicated hybrid hatchback. The big news is that the model, dubbed Ioniq, also feature an all-electric drivetrain as in addition to the more familiar hybrid and plug-in hybrid setups you get with the Prius. As for the name, the company says it references "elements of its creation." An ion is an electrically-charged atom, linking to the cars "clever combination of electrified powertrains," while the second part of the name references it unique place in the Hyundai lineup. Finally, the "Q" is depicted in the vehicles logo "as a visual breakthrough, acknowledging the fresh new approach of this advanced, low-emission model." Granted, the Ioniq comes with a lot of fancy words, but the new nameplate does have at least one thing to brag about: its the first production car to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric drivetrain in the same exterior package. Having unveiled the Ioniq to local media at its Namyang R&D Center in South Korea, Hyundai displayed the car at both the Geneva Motor Show and New York Auto Show in 2016. Will it have what it takes to give the popular Toyota Prius a run for its money? Find out in the review below. Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric may not look like a race car, but leave it to Hyundai to create something out of seemingly nothing with the Ioniq Electric 2018 Ultimate Street Car. Developed to defend its 2017 title in the GTE class of the Optima Ultimate Street Car series, this one-off Ioniq Electric isnt for the faint of heart. It looks the part of a race car. Its fitted with a number of racing components. Most importantly, its the recipient of an electric motor transplant from the Hyundai Kona, giving it the juice to compete against the likes of Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Tesla Model S P100D. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric is scheduled to compete in the last two races of the 2018 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. What Makes the Hyundai Ioniq Ultimate Street Car Special? The Hyundai Ioniq Electrics victory in last years Search for the Ultimate Street Car in the GTE class comes with an asterisk beside it, largely because it was the only car that competed in its class. It was, for all intents and purposes, a one-car race. This year, the stakes are higher because the Ioniq Electric has competition from models like the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Tesla Model S P100D. So, is Hyundais electric racer ready to test its mettle against other EV models? Judging by the upgrades it has received, its coming into the series with every intention of defending its crown. The Ioniq Electrics exterior retains most of its standard looks. Theres a good amount of graphics and racing decals covering its body, giving it a proper race-car look. For the most part, though, it still looks like the Hyundai Ioniq. Thats because the important upgrades cant be seen with the car sitting still and posing for pictures. Beneath the matte body wrap and the race-inspired graphics is a new AC permanent magnetic electric powertrain that Hyundai took from the Kona Electric and bolted into the Ioniq Electric. Yes, the latters stock motor was taken out and replaced by a different motor that produces 201 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque. Those power figures arent going to jump off the screen, but theyre enough to give the electric racer 70 percent more power than it otherwise would have had it stuck with its stock motor. For comparison, the standard Ioniq Electric produces 118 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque. The result is a car that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph 5.8 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in 15.7 seconds. Top speed is rated at 115 mph. They call that gains in the bodybuilding world, folks. Obviously, a new and more powerful electric motor is just one piece to this puzzle. To get the racer running like a champ, Hyundai also installed higher airflow fans and dedicated air conditioning ducting to enhance battery cooling. A water-cooled AC condenser was also thrown in to improve battery cooling while the car is pitted or when its charging. Power electronics cooling was also improved, thanks largely to an upgraded radiator and electric water pumps. In order to improve launch and limit driving control, the Ioniq Electric also received torque map/rate tuning. On the suspension front, Hyundai put in lowering springs with a firmer spring rate and added a Drexler limited slip differential, tuned with a 7.05 gear ratio. Finally, the Ioniq Electric now sits on a new set of 18-inch Volk Racing wheels wrapped in 275/35R18 Bridgestone RE71 tires with new performance brake package from Wilwood, peaking from just behind the wheels. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric Ultimate Street Car is a full-fledged racer. Its going to have a challenge on its hands with actual competitors in its class now, but dont sleep on the racer to simply hand over its title without a fight. More importantly, the Ioniq Electric isnt just a race car in the purest sense of the word. Its also a test bed for Hyundais engineers, a lot of whom will rely on the car to provide important data for the automakers future electric vehicles. Further reading Read our full review on the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric. Top Selling Model: Hyundai Elantra Read more Hyundai news. Read more SEMA Show news. The T20 task force on Cooperation with Africa aims to integrate cooperation efforts with Africa broadly across G20 work-streams, strengthen G20 members commitments to Africas Agenda 2063, and explore policy options to promote sustainable development across the continent. T20 Africa, G20 and Africa: Assessing Our Impact and Influence The T20 comprises think tanks that aim at developing research and evidence-based briefs and positions to guide governments in policy development. The T20 Africa Standing Group was established in 2017 to bring together think thanks from the G20 and African countries to work together on G20 policy matters. But as of now there is little information about T20 Africas influence and impact on G20-Africa related policies. Challenge As one of the key political and economic forums in the world, the G20 Summit was created to facilitate a stable and peaceful world through promoting several development agendas. Decisions taken by this forum help to support reform at the national and international levels. Since its creation in 2012, the T20 has comprised think tanks that aim at developing research and evidence-based briefs and recommendations to guide governments in policy development. The T20 Africa Standing Group established in 2017 should monitor the extent to which its policy recommendations on Africa-related issues have influenced and impacted policies and plans that emerge out of the G20. This is particularly important for Africa with South Africa being the only African member in the G20. It is clear that African perspectives and priorities are severely underrepresented in the G20. Though the chairs of the African Union and the Heads of States and Government Coordination Committee of the New Partnership for Africas Development were accepted as observers at the G20 meetings, this level of engagement is still insufficient. Given the number of relationships and interdependencies between Africa and the G20 countries and the world and how the interests of G20 members are prioritized first and foremost, policies that emerge out of the G20 directly impact development in Africa and the world. As a result, it is critical to assess the impact of T20 Africa on the policy development process and the effects of these policies on social and economic development in Africa. The T20 was not created to bring about consensus amongst members on specific topics or to participate in the decision-making process. Instead, its objective is to provide concrete, feasible policy recommendations, ideas and visions to inform the policymaking process. Proposal Proposal 1: Collectively, as T20 Africa, Define Success The Engagement Groups were created for a particular purpose but there are no mechanisms currently in place to assess whether the groups objectives are met. In order for T20 Africa to know whether it has achieved its purpose or objectives during each Presidency, metrics of success should be developed. Indicators are useful for monitoring progress and providing feedback on areas of success and areas in which improvement may be required. They define what success and impact look like and determine whether we are moving toward achieving our desired outcomes in this case, whether T20 Africa contributed to G20 policies and Africas economic and social development. These indicators and metrics should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. For starters, simple output-oriented indicators can be developed to track the number of recommendations that emerged from T20 Africa and how many were considered. This will require a little extra work, but having this information, as the B20 does, would allow T20 Africa to collectively speak about its influence. Proposal 2: Establish a communication structure within T20 Africa Establishing a communication structure with regular feedback loops within T20 Africa would a) provide greater strategic focus for the policy briefs based on the objectives of each Presidency and b) allow for internal conversations within the group to reflect on the achievements for the year and how to improve the following year. The T20 Africa governance board is well placed for this. The T20 Africa governance board involves member think thanks from the incoming and outgoing T20 presidency as well as rotation among African think tanks. This allows for feedback loops to facilitate greater learning and knowledge sharing. Proposal 3: Monitor and Share Status of Every Policy Recommendation While the G20 is not an implementing agency, the decisions that emerge from G20 countries have significant influence. As it stands, engagement groups do not have an official, standardized and public mechanism or tool to monitor the uptake and implementation of policy recommendations. It would be highly desirable to build capacity in the T20 Africa to effectively monitor policy recommendations that emerge from the group and publicly share their status whether and when they were considered by the G20 and the implementing agency. This can be done by logging all recommendations and their status into a simple online platform. With this information, researchers can continue to track the aftermath and performance of these recommendations to assess impact to the beneficiaries. Proposal 4: Collaborate with the other T20 engagement groups For T20 Africa policies that are considered, collaboration should be sought with B20 and other engagement groups to fully assess the financial and social implications of the policy. This thorough cost-benefit analysis would shed greater light on the feasibility on the execution, on any previously unknown positive and/or negative externalities, and the associated financial gains and losses. Proposal 5: Conduct Impact Assessment in Every Presidency An impact assessment should be conducted during every Presidency focused on the priorities and agenda of that Presidency. For instance, the Argentina Presidency focuses on three key issues: the future of work, infrastructure for development and a sustainable food future. From here, we can examine the policy recommendations from T20 Africa that are considered by the G20 and begin to assess how and whether they are aligned within the current Presidencys framework. Proposal 6: Develop a post G20 Summit strategy to monitor and coordinate Africa related policies and initiatives Without sufficient African presence in the G20, it is especially important to understand what impact, if any, G20 declarations and initiatives have on African countries. As a result, a strategy should be developed to assess, monitor, and coordinate actions and initiatives related to African countries and institutions at G20 level. Additionally, this information needs to be publicly available. While the G20 Africa Monitor is one possible platform to monitor Africa related policies and coordination, serious conversation is needed in order to decide whether it is the best platform for this objective. The authors of this policy brief are Christine Hackenesch, German Development Institute (DIE); Belay Begahshaw, SDG Center for Africa; May Hui, SDG Center for Africa; Dr. Milindo Chakrabarti, Research and Information System for Developing Countries; and Dr. Grace Onubedo, The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa. Africa-G20 cooperation: reducing complexity, increasing opportunities Interest among international partners to cooperate with Africa is high. G20 countries generally follow two parallel tracks: they have their own bilateral initiatives and, in some cases, use the G20 to launch policy initiatives. These parallel bilateral and G20 processes create many opportunities for African actors. But the initiatives are not always complementary and not always sustained in the medium- to long-term. The G20 might want to broaden debates on its impact on development by better coordinating bilateral and G20 initiatives (particularly with regard to support for investments) and by including African representatives in all working groups. Challenge Africa continues to be relatively weakly represented in international debates, despite its strong membership within the United Nations and a growing number of country-to-continent dialogue formats, such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) and numerous other initiatives organised by the USA, Japan, Turkey or South Korea. Additionally, there are region-to-region dialogues between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) as well as Africa-South America Summits. Yet, in relevant global governance clubs, Africa is barely represented. The G20 is a key example: only South Africa is a member. Pan-African organisations are only observers, and do not have their own seat, unlike the EU. At the same time, developments in Africa are substantially influenced by decisions at the G20 level, e.g. in the areas of trade, taxes, macro-economic stability or climate. Competition among international partners to pursue new cooperation initiatives with Africa is high. In this regard, G20 countries generally follow two parallel tracks: they have their own bilateral initiatives and only in some cases use the G20 to launch new/different policy initiatives. These bilateral and G20 initiatives are not always complementary and they are not always sustained and followed up in the medium- to long-term. For instance, during the 2017 German G20 Presidency, Germany proposed a G20 Compact with Africa while the EU in parallel launched an EU External Investment Plan during the AU-EU summit in November 2017. Both aim at strengthening the investment environment in African countries and creating incentives for (foreign) investments in infrastructure and other areas. Both remain largely disconnected from other international partners investments in infrastructure and other areas. In 2016, the Chinese G20 Presidency launched a new but poorly followed-up G20 initiative on industrialization for Least Developed Countries, while the Belt and Road Initiative with substantial financial resources linked to it has remained a bilateral endeavor with multiple and varied implications from region to region. Whether and how the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor promoted by India and Japan will feature during the Japanese G20 presidency remains unclear so far. As development success can only be driven from within, a key success factor for international cooperation is how such cooperation is supportive of African initiatives. These numerous initiatives provide the opportunity for African countries to leverage their design and decide which cooperation initiatives to prioritise. At least in theory, African countries could also exploit this position of strength to encourage cooperation initiatives to be more aligned with African priorities. At the same time, coordination of various international actors also weighs on African (and international actors) capacities and some initiatives may not complement one another. This brief develops recommendations on how to best use the interest of G20 countries (and indeed other external partners) in collaborating with Africa to enhance sustainable development and structural transformation across the continent in line with Africas agendas. Proposal Opportunities for African actors Strengthen engagement beyond the G20 Development Working Group : PanAfrican organisations and South Africa as the only African G20 member may want to strengthen pro-active engagement with G20 working groups beyond the Development Working Group (DWG). The working groups on climate sustainability, trade and investment, agriculture, energy, employment, tax/finance might be particularly relevant as G20 policies in these areas have major direct and indirect consequences for African countries. One way of encouraging wider engagement would be for the G20 to make it a standard rule for all G20 working groups to include African representatives. This would have the further effect of widening African participation beyond South Africa and the AU/NEPAD via directly inviting particular African stakeholders, without necessarily having to change G20 membership. In line with the way in which the AU usually operates, the modality of such inclusion should be determined by the AU chair and the AUC. Co-opting individual African countries would be more ad hoc than systematically including Pan-African institutions. Increase division of labour among African actors when engaging with G20 actors : Pan-African actors could strengthen arrangements for division of labour among them on G20 engagement by identifying which Pan-African actors would lead on specific topics. They could also enhance input to the G20 from African regional organisations. In this regard, the AU and African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) could set up permanent desks dealing with and facilitating engagement with the G20. This cooperative divison of labour should be coordinated by the AU Commission. Define concrete and actionable priorities based on Africas Agenda 2063 and its 10-year implementation plan : The AU could publish a yearly list of African key priorities that could feed into G20 discussions. These would not be the kind of long-term transformative goals as seen in Agenda 2063, but derived from the long-term agenda and the 10-year implementation plan more concrete, shorter-term goals that could be made actionable by one or two G20 Presidencies. This would allow the continent to take a pro-active role in shaping G20 discussions, and should be tailored to also inform discussions in the various G20 workstreams and Engagement Groups such as the Think20, Business20 or Women20. Enhance monitoring mechanisms : In order to deal with the complexity of working with the G20 club and its individual members at the same time (as well as other international actors), and to highlight contradictions, African actors could strengthen mechanisms to monitor the launch and implementation of various international initiatives and facilitate discussion of how they fit into wider G20 agendas from year to year. This assessment could be done by the AU or the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the key findings could be presented once a year to the AU General Assembly and shared with the G20. Agenda 2063s 10-year implementation plan could be an important basis against which to assess G20 countries initiatives. Primary engagement with G20 anchored with AU Commission rather than AU Chair: The AU has started a fundamental reform process. The AUs relations with external partners as well as division of labour between AU and RECs are part of this reform debate. Debates are still at an early stage and no decisions have been taken. Until these changes have been finalised, we propose that the primary engagement between the AU and the G20 be anchored with the AU Commission, rather than the AU Chair, as is the current practice. Engagement with the AU Chair is easily disrupted because it changes annually; this disruption is exacerbated by the G20s own annual change of leadership. More systematic AU-G20 engagement would gain cross-year stability through engagement with the AU Commission under the guidance of and as mandated by the Assembly and Executive Council. What next? The G20 Presidency of Argentina : The G20 Presidency gives Argentina a historic opportunity to engage with African and other G20 actors. As the chair is traditionally the honest broker between all club members, Argentina can use the Presidecy to maintain momentum regarding the cooperation with African partners and thereby build its reputation within the G20 and beyond it. A key priority of the Argentinian Presidency should be to keep the ball in the play. With the Chinese and the German G20 presidencies, the African dimension of the G20 cooperation has gained prominence. Argentina should grasp the opportunity and support the previous presidencies initiatives, while, at the same time, prepare the ground for making cooperation with Africa a prominent topic of the Japanese Presidency. African Union and other African actors : With a view towards the Japanese Presidency, African actors should plan ahead early on. With regard to infrastructure investments, it would be very useful for African actors if conversations are encouraged between different infrastructure-focused initiatives between G20 members and Africa, notably the Compact with Africa launched under the German G20 presidency (2017), the EU External Investment Plan and the China Belt and Road Initiative. South Africa: As the only African G20 member, South Africa has an important role to play. This is a balancing act, as Pretoria cannot claim to speak for the continent. Yet, the country has experiences in engaging in structures of global governance. In 2018, South Africa is the chair of the BRICS and thus can offer a bridge between numerous engagements with the African continent and as a key partner to most external partners to the continent. Argentina has been invited to the BRICS Plus meeting on the last day of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. Both Pan-Africanism and engagement with global commercial and political partners such as the EU, China, India and Brazil remain in Pretorias self-interest, which can provide the necessary energy (and perseverance) to keep African perspectives on the G20 agenda. The authors of this policy brief are Christine Hackenesch, DIE; Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA); Cobus van Staden, SAIIA; Sven Grimm, DIE; Gamal Ibrahim, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA); and Julia Leininger, DIE. Mobilizing Private Investment and the Compact with Africa: A Preliminary Assessment and Steps Ahead The Compact with Africa (CwA) is a structured partnership between volunteering African countries and the G20 with the inclusion of key multilateral and bilateral partners and, very importantly, the private sector. It was launched by the German G20 Presidency in March 2017. As of May 2018, 11 African countries are participating in the CwA: Benin, Guinea, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia. The CwA is an opportunity for increasing private investment (particularly in infrastructure) in Africa through improved coordination and deeper stakeholder engagement. The process can increase transparency and provide better access to information on investment support mechanisms. It will, therefore, help to continue to redefine roles of development actors, including governments, international organizations, and the private sector. An pdf initial assessment of the CwA (575 KB) , one year after its inception, has indicated the need to enhance monitoring and accelerate the implementation of the initiative. Based on this initial assessment and an unattributed pilot survey among private sector actors (undertaken by the authors), the T20 Africa Standing Group proposes the G20 undertake a regular private sector survey, which shall contribute to a systematic integration of the private sector in the monitoring of the CWA, and improve investment tracking. Challenge The challenge is to ensure successful implementation of the CwA, which requires robust monitoring and appropriate remediation as well as stronger participation of the private sector in Africa more broadly. The Africa Advisory Group (AAG), an informal body comprising a sub-set of G20 members, the African Compact countries, the World Bank (WB), African Development Bank (AfDB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other stakeholders such as the OECD, governs the CwA. The AAG has adopted a monitoring framework and a light-touch independent review mechanism. Monitoring takes place biannually at the time of the WB/IMF Annual and Spring Meetings and is coordinated by the World Bank. Our own analyses of the CwA suggest that the success of the initiative will hinge on whether it manages to provide practical instruments for (potential) investors. These instruments will have to be known and accessible to the potential investors, and they should be adapted to the particular challenges of the various African investment environments in a context of technological transformation. Therefore, we agree with the conclusion of the Monitoring Report that the views of the private sector need to be better represented, ideally through a regularly conducted survey. To underscore the importance of such a private sector survey, we have undertaken a pilot survey among selected private firms. We stress that the findings of this pilot are only perceptions of the CwA and the challenges investors face in Africa. Yet, the below results highlight the potential benefits of a regular survey for enhancing and accelerating the implementation of the CwA. In the survey, some German companies emphasized the importance of support mechanisms to target not only investment, but also trade; thus stressing the strong interdependence of trade and investment. They indicated that their investments in Africa are typically preceded by entering a market through exports. Only in a second stage were trading entities set-up; and in some cases then followed by a wider range of activities including service provision (for machines or equipment) and, albeit not too often, production. The pilot survey largely indicated there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the CwA among the private sector, including global firms, banks, and industry groups. Those with some exposure to the CwA indicated there has been limited and uneven promotion of the Compact and the benefits to the private sector are not clear. That said, there was overwhelming support, in principle, for the Compact with many respondents noting the entrenched challenges, including risk mitigation and access to local finance that can only be overcome with a collaborative approach among Compact parties, the private sector, and other stakeholders. Proposal Integrating the private sector in CwA monitoring and improving investment tracking We propose that the G20 integrate the private sector into the monitoring framework of the CwA. Specifically, we propose as a first step to regularly survey private sector actors that have engaged in or are aware of the CwA to better understand their perception of progress, improvements in policy reforms, and support provided by International Organization or G20 members. The success of the CwA will hinge on strong private sector participation. Private investment is at the core of the CwA and crucial for its success. It plays a key role in an African Infrastructure Connectivity Alliance. Expanded monitoring can capture the whole picture of the CwA, therefore, it is important to include the views on successful practices and challenges for implementation of the private sector. It is furthermore important that views and perceptions of the private investors are taken into account with regard to the actions of all other G20 parties, including the CwA governments, the G20 members, and the IFIs. A full integration of private firms into the CwA monitoring framework cannot stop at surveying perceptions, but eventually should track their actual investment behavior. We therefore suggest that in a second stage each participating firm reports on its activities, e.g. by stating its planned and realized financial engagement. Such a monitoring has two major justifications: first, as soon as participating firms receive any kind of public support (bilateral or multilateral) they should be obliged to document its use in a transparent manner; and second, given that the CwAs ultimate aim is to enhance private investment, a regular stocktaking would help assess progress based on up-to-data information. This stocktaking-exercise should go well beyond showcasing successes. It should also systematically track intentions of investment that eventually did not materialize or that experienced delays. The lessons to be learnt from such failures and delays may be as important as the lessons to be learnt from success cases. The authors of this policy brief are Rob Floyd, African Center for Economic Transformation; Brahima Coulibaly, Brookings Institution Africa Growth Initiative; Jann Lay, Institute of African Affairs, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies; Rainer Thiele, Kiel Institute for the World Economy; and Jing Gu, Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development, CRPD, at the Institute of Development Studies. The 24th Session of the Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts (ICE) of Southern Africa opened in Mauritius today with an impassioned plea from Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Minister of Mauritius, Mr. Seetanah Lutchmeenaraido, for Africa to unite and work together as one if it is to bring inclusive development to its people. Mr. Lutchmeenaraido said Africa must first believe in itself with political leaders giving the right message that; We can do it. We can stand on our own feet; that South-South cooperation is a reality; that we can work together in a win-win situation with mutual respect for each other. Most importantly, he said, African nations need to trade more with each other if the continent is to emerge as a powerful continent in the next century. We have been ignored and colonized for so long that we have come to the conclusion that probably Africa is not for tomorrow and that the continent will have to wait for the millennium to emerge. This is not true, the minister said, adding that Africa will not move ahead if its people continue to stay in this mentality of being victims of colonization; victims of economic rape. If we want to emerge as a powerful continent then we have to stop behaving like victims but as builders of tomorrow. If we develop this attitude that we can do it; that we have the resources to do it and that the learning process will not be that longest time, then we can emerge. We have to trade more with each other than what is currently obtaining. He shared with the more than 80 participants, including senior Southern African government officials, how Mauritius as a country moved from being a poor country when it gained its independence in 1968 from Great Britain to being a successful country that provides universal education and health to all her citizens. We have learned to move from an island which was condemned to be a failed state to what we are now today. We survived because there was no-one on whom to rely on. We had to learn the hard way of discipline and hard work. We moved from being a one-crop economy (sugarcane) into tourism, export processing zones for industrial production, then became a financial center. We diversified in a big way and in 2014 we reinvented the whole economy, said Mr. Lutchmeenaraido. Mauritius is the new chair of the ICE of Southern Africa. Zimbabwe was the immediate former Chair that handed over to Mauritius. For his part, Zimbabwes representative at the meeting, Mr. Zvinechimwe Ruvinga Churu, a Principal Director in the Finance and Economic Development Ministry, said industrialization and strengthening regional integration remain rallying points in Southern Africa as the region endeavors to extricate itself from poverty and under-development. He said the adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in February in Kigali this year buttresses and accelerates the integration agenda through boosting industrialization and trade by complementing efforts under the Tripartite Free Trade Area. Front loading industrialization as a platform for value addition and beneficiation, the development of domestic linkages and the creation of jobs is imperative and the blue economy can anchor such endeavors through its various development levers many of which we will interrogate during this ICA, said Mr. Churu. Implementation of Regional and International Agendas and Other Special Initiatives in the Sub-region: Progress and Status of the Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) The AfCFTA presents an opportunity to leverage trade for structural transformation, economic growth and job creation in Africa. This is because intra-African trade, which is promoted by the AfCFTA, has a stronger impact on development than other types of trade. Intra-African trade comprises a far larger share of industrial, value-added and processed agricultural products than does Africas exports to outside the continent, around 75 per cent of which are extractives like petroleum oils and minerals. It is more labour intensive, helping to generate jobs for Africas bulging youth population, and relies less on the fluctuations of global commodity prices, enabling it to better fuel sustainable economic growth. On the face of it, the AfCFTA may imply adjustments to lower import tariffs on intra-African trade, but it in fact offers a pathway to medium to longer-term fiscal sustainability. This is because, as a stimulant of economic growth, the AfCFTA helps to generate economic activities in other revenue generating areas. Moreover, the quality of economic growth that is generated by the AfCFTA marks a diversification away from fiscal reliance on volatile commodity prices. As diversification engenders structural transformation, the importance of trade taxes among sources of revenue generation declines. However, even in the short term, the revenues currently collected from tariffs on intraAfrican trade account for only a small share of total trade taxes in Africa, and can be partially offset by other taxes, such as VAT, which tends to be more efficiently levied on imports. The AfCFTA as a Platform for African Trade Policy Coherence The AfCFTA is being negotiated in a changing world trade environment. The multilateral trading system is in crisis after the failure of the Doha Round and populist anti-globalization sentiments in several large trading nations have sparked concern of trade wars. The rapid rise of emerging market economies has caused a fundamental shift in the trade patterns of many African countries. Controversies surrounding the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and Brexit require new thinking on restructuring trade relations with Europe. Africas trading relationship with the United States, having developed under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), is likely to transform into reciprocal arrangements by 2025 in a post-AGOA agenda. The so-called mega-regional trade agreements that once threatened Africas preferential trade with established partners, now have evolved into a different threat of protectionism. Finally, new modes of trade such as ecommerce are putting pressure on demands for new trade rules. Whats at stake is that future external negotiations risk unravelling regional integration in Africa. This has already posed a challenge to African regional economic communities that are nascent customs unions, such as ECOWAS and CEMAC. These comprise free trade areas and a common external tariff, and are working towards single market status with the free circulation of goods. Individual FTAs unravel this progress by 'breaking' the common external tariff; those countries with external FTAs would have a different tariffs with such external countries than others within such customs unions. Without a functioning common external tariff it is impossible for these regions to move forwards towards free circulation of goods. Amongst these changes there has never been a greater urgency for Africa to consolidate its trade policy. Doing so provides Africa with the strengthened voice of 1.2 billion people in future negotiations, provides for a common position on evolving trade policy issues, and ensures that individual bilateral arrangements do not unravel the objectives and benefits of continental integration. The AfCFTA provides a strengthened platform for exactly such trade policy coherence in Africa. What must countries do next for the effective implementation of the AfCFTA? Ensure prompt ratification and conclusion of the implementation roadmap Riding on the momentum of an historic 10th Extraordinary African Union Summit and AfCFTA signing ceremony, in Kigali, on 21st March 2018, 49 African Union member states have now signed the AfCFTA with 6 having further ratified the agreement. African businesses have had their interests piqued, political leadership at the highest level is committed, and the world is watching. In addition to the 6 countries that have already ratified, it is understood that the ratification process is at an advanced stage in 7 more countries including South Africa. The African Union Commission is confident that the 22 ratifications required for the agreement to enter into force will be achieved by the first anniversary of the signing of the AfCFTA in March 2019. A further three African Union member states signed instead the Kigali Declaration, declaring their intention to sign the Agreement after concluding domestic legal processes. Three member states are yet to signal commitment to the AfCFTA. This impetus must be seized. There is a real risk that, without firm ministerial guidance, the process could derail and delays set in, as is what happened with the Tripartite Free Trade Area negotiations which have yet to be concluded despite their launch in June, 2015. To bring the AfCFTA into effect, countries must first ratify the agreement through their respective domestic legislative processes. The agreement will then enter into force once 22 African Union member states have deposited their instrument of ratification with the African Union Commission. To operationalize the AfCFTA, State Parties to the agreement must also conclude the implementation roadmap. This involves developing and submitting schedules of concessions for trade in goods. These detail, for each State Party or as the case may be customs union the particular 90 per cent of products that are to be liberalized for each State Party, as well as the sensitive products that are to be liberalized over a longer time period and the excluded products that are to be temporarily exempted from liberalization. A related complement to the schedules of concessions for trade in goods is the list of product-specific rules of origin which, alongside the general rules of origin, will enable the application of preferences under the AfCFTA. For trade in services, negotiators have agreed that five sectors are to be prioritized: communications, financial services, transport, business services, and tourism. Negotiators are now working to similarly develop and submit schedules of concessions for these sectors, identifying how barriers to entry, such as local presence regulations, can be eased to allow the local operation of service suppliers from other African countries. Featured tweet, @SabineBohlke: Seychelles notified the WTO Committee on Regional Agreements on their accession to the SADC Protocol on Trade. Seychelles is a strategic trading partner to SADC members. No doubt that the accession will enhance trade between Seychelles and SADC member states. Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts of Southern Africa: updates, documentation The 24th Session of the Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts of Southern Africa opened in Mauritius, Tuesday, with an impassioned plea from Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Minister of Mauritius, Mr Seetanah Lutchmeenaraido, for Africa to unite and work together as one if it is to bring inclusive development to its people. Mr Lutchmeenaraido said Africa must first believe in itself with political leaders giving the right message: We can do it. We can stand on our own feet; that South- South cooperation is a reality; that we can work together in a win-win situation with mutual respect for each other. Implementation of regional and international agendas and other special initiatives in the sub-region: pdf Progress and status of the AfCFTA (1.32 MB) pdf Recent economic and social conditions in Southern Africa in 2017, and prospects for 2018 (1.31 MB) : A growing battery minerals sector: Rising prices present opportunities for investment into greenfields exploration, a vital process for the sustainability of the minerals sector. For example, the projected rise in battery minerals prices lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, cobalt and copper presents opportunities for deepening the value chain in SADC given the resource base for these minerals. Lithium is an essential element in the fourth industrial revolution as a key element for rechargeable batteries and its potential in the region needs to be exploited. The increase in the price of lithium from an average of $6,500/t in 2015 to $16,000/t at the beginning of 2018 and of the price of cobalt from an average of $30,000/t in 2015 to $80,000/t in January 2018 has resulted in a steady increase in exploration for these minerals together with the other battery minerals. With the high regional prospectivity of, for example, lithium, mainly in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the worlds fifth largest lithium producer, the battery value chain should be investigated as a regional project. The market for remittance services in Southern Africa (World Bank) Since 2011, the World Bank has undertaken remittance market assessments, based on the CPMI-World Bank General Principles for International Remittance Services, in nine SADC countries: Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Remittance flows to households in SADC countries amounted to $2.5bn in 2016, out of a total $575bn received worldwide. Considering unrecorded remittance flowsthrough both regulated and unregulated channelsthe true volume of remittance flows to SADC countries is likely to be considerably higher than indicated by official estimates. Among SADC countries, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Madagascar have the highest dependence on remittances. Figure 3 displays the distribution of remittance dependencies of SADC countries in 2015. Extract: Box 3 (pdf): Innovative money transfer operators entering the remittance landscape in the SADC region. In the last few years, a number of new and innovative remittance services have emerged in the SADC region. These include remittances services that can be initiated online or via mobile phone, and that allow transfers directly into bank accounts or e-wallets, including mobile money accounts. For example, Mukuru has recently partnered with several mobile money operators in several SADC countries to allow for the receipt of remittances directly into mobile wallets. For instance: [Reuters: South African fintech JUMO to expand in Asia with Goldman Sachs backing] Rwanda Agriculture Finance Diagnostic (World Bank) Agriculture is critical to Rwandas economy and a key sector in Rwandas Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy. Agriculture finance is a national priority to achieve transformation of the agriculture sector and greater financial inclusion. Prioritizing agriculture finance has yielded substantial achievements, but farmers use of formal financial services remains sub-optimal. The report is organized as follows: Chapter 1 presents an overview of the agriculture and financial sectors. Chapter 2 presents an analysis of farmers financial access and use of financial services. Chapter 3 discusses key trends in agriculture credit and agriculture insurance markets. Chapter 4 discusses the key institutions and instruments of public sector support for agriculture finance. Chapter 5 identifies key challenges that are constraining the growth of agriculture finance, and lastly, chapter 6 identifies major opportunity areas and makes key recommendations to capitalize on the identified opportunities. Rwanda: Experts call for clear, bold industrialisation blueprint (New Times) Rwanda needs to pursue a clear and bold strategy on industrialisation if it is to achieve its ambitious midterm target of attaining upper middle-income status by 2035, according to business experts. The call comes in the wake of a review of the countrys industrial policy and experts say that a clearly defined agenda would guide the country towards its industrialisation ambition in the next decade. They were speaking at a two-day conference on industrial policy co-organised by Rwandas Trade and Industry Ministry, International Growth Centre, and the World Bank. According to Richard Newfarmer, IGCs Country Director in Rwanda, the new framework for industrialisation should be linked to promoting exports via value chains and taking into account best practices from elsewhere. To promote industry you have to promote exports. Rwanda can grow its exports and it will attain the income levels that it aspires to by 2035, he said, adding that going forward the country needs to design the strategy that will see the exports double in the next decade. For John Page, achieving industrialisation in the next ten years will depend on how Rwanda is able to bring the special economic zones up to world class. It will also require strengthening the links between the firms that operate under the special economic zones and domestic suppliers. The new industrial policy should consider all these aspects. Victor Steenbergen, the Head of Investment Climate Unit at the World Bank, said that the new policy must address the issues related to tax incentives. Currently, we are seeing that there is misallocation of tax incentives in Rwanda, like customs duty exemptions, and most tax incentives tend to favour companies that are already profitable. Chinese entrepreneur tries to bring Shenzhen miracle to Africa (Bloomberg) Helen Hai, 40, co-founded factories making childrens clothes in Rwanda, Senegal and Ethiopia, and she became the UN Industrial Development Organizations goodwill ambassador in Africa. In July, she began exploring how blockchain technology might help create jobs for the nations there and now heads the $100m Binance Blockchain Charity Foundation. Theres a golden opportunity for Africa, Hai said. What it needs now is success stories. They have a snowballing effect. Still, Helen Hai estimated theres a five- to 10-year window for Africa to capitalize. So shes forging ahead with plans to expand C&H, committing $10m over five years to create 30,000 jobs in Rwanda. The goal is to catalyze $1bn in investment, Hai said. In Ethiopia, C&H now has 1,500 workers. In Senegal, where operations just started, there are 300 workers with plans for 2,000 by the end of next year, she said. She foresaw that the garment-and-footwear industry can -- and will -- move to Africa, eventually, said Henok Assefa, founder and managing partner at Precise Consult International in Addis Ababa. Given her exposure to the demands of Western markets and her Chinese background, she brought an interesting perspective to support African policy makers. First International Association for Ports and Harbours, Africa Regional Conference: African ports and hinterland connectivity Buhari orders construction of rail infrastructure in major seaports. The president stated that the current administrations projection was that by the end of 2021, the country would have standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading routes. We understand that this interconnectivity will improve the countrys economic competitiveness as targeted under the Economic Recovery and Growth plan. So, for starters, I have directed that every port must have the complement of rail infrastructure and our projections is that by the end of 2021, we will have standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading route. The same level of serious attention is being given to the improvement of road infrastructure. At the moment, 25 major highways and 44 roads are under construction across the six geo political zones of the country. Just as we have insisted on the stimulation activities on our inland waterways, major inland river channels are being dredged with adequate channel markings for ease of navigation all the way through the Eastern and Northern parts of the country. That is the only way to go if we plan to remain competitive in the maritime industry. Next week, in Abuja: Port Concession in West and Central Africa - impact on economies of member states of the sub-region] Nigeria partners Niger Republic on establishment of Kano-Maradi rail line . Nigerias Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the rail line would start from Kano and pass through Dutse, Kazaure, Daura, Kastina, Jibia and terminate at Maradi in Niger. The decision of the rail line getting to Niger was to try to get other neighbouring countries to transport their vessels through Nigeria, looking at the economic viability of that service. Having the train in Maradi will open up trade from other neighbouring countries to ship their goods through Nigeria, from Kano to Lagos without police checkpoints or traffic. We also do not have a seaport; we are trying to get the market. We have the capacity to do that, all those big vessels that are supposed to pass through Nigeria go to Benin Republic. Benin Republic has a Deep Water Port and we dont have a sea port in Nigeria, what we have is a River port. So, that is the reason we want to build the 16 metres Lekki Deep Water Port and 17 metres Deep Water Port at Bonny to attract the market, he said. [ Tibor Nagy: US is Africas ideal partner for promoting democratic institutions and economic growth (allAfrica) This week I have the opportunity for the first time to underscore US interests in and commitment to the continent at the UN General Assembly. In dozens of meetings and conversations in New York, I will highlight the importance of a continued and strong US-Africa partnership that prioritizes the following goals: (i) Promoting stronger trade and commercial ties between the United States and Africa by establishing a level playing field across African markets; (ii) Harnessing the potential of Africas tremendous youth bulge as a force for economic ingenuity and prosperity, which is a counter narrative to violent extremism and despair; (iii) Advancing peace and security through robust partnerships with African governments via bilateral and regional mechanisms; and (iv) Most importantly, reemphasizing that the United States has an unwavering commitment to Africa. Far from being mutually exclusive, these priorities are mutually reinforcing. [The author is US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs] There are a number of topics the recommendations focus on such as the future of work, education and politics, and how to combat the effects of climate change. The proposals also suggest policies to promote gender economic equity and tackle the original challenges of the G20: international financial stability, commerce and tax cooperation and more. The pdf T20 Communique (590 KB) is the result of a great process of collective thinking. The work of 150 think tanks from 60 countries, who produced over 80 documents, is intended to propose recommendations to G20 leaders on the Global Agenda, explained Pablo Ava, co-chair of the T20s Policy and Research. Policy Briefs T20 Africa, G20 and Africa: pdf Assessing Our Impact and Influence (205 KB) The T20 comprises think tanks that aim at developing research and evidence-based briefs and positions to guide governments in policy development. The T20 Africa Standing Group was established in 2017 to bring together think thanks from the G20 and African countries to work together on G20 policy matters. But as of now there is little information about T20 Africas influence and impact on G20-Africa related policies. Our recommendations are: a) for T20 Africa to define success criteria for their group; b) establish a communication structure within T20 Africa; c) monitor and share status of every policy recommendation; d) collaborate with B20 and think tanks from the other engagement groups; e) conduct impact assessments during every G20 Presidency with the finance track; and f) develop a post-G20 Summit strategy to monitor and coordinate Africa-related policies and initiatives. Mobilizing private investment and the Compact with Africa: pdf A preliminary assessment and steps ahead (253 KB) Our own analyses of the CwA suggest that the success of the initiative will hinge on whether it manages to provide practical instruments for (potential) investors. These instruments will have to be known and accessible to the potential investors, and they should be adapted to the particular challenges of the various African investment environments in a context of technological transformation. In the survey, some German companies emphasized the importance of support mechanisms to target not only investment, but also trade; thus stressing the strong interdependence of trade and investment. They indicated that their investments in Africa are typically preceded by entering a market through exports. Only in a second stage were trading entities set-up; and in some cases then followed by a wider range of activities including service provision (for machines or equipment) and, albeit not too often, production. Our interpretation of this trend is that smaller firms, including many firms of the German Mittelstand, find it too risky to invest in unfamiliar markets. From the German interviews, it was also noteworthy that reference was mainly made to bilateral instruments, in particular export credit guarantees. Africa-G20 cooperation: pdf Reducing complexity, increasing opportunities (259 KB) Explore the full set of T20 Policy briefs here] G20 countries generally follow two parallel tracks: they have their own bilateral initiatives and, in some cases, use the G20 to launch policy initiatives. These parallel bilateral and G20 processes create many opportunities for African actors. But the initiatives are not always complementary and not always sustained in the medium- to long-term. The G20 might want to broaden debates on its impact on development by better coordinating bilateral and G20 initiatives (particularly with regard to support for investments) and by including African representatives in all working groups. African actors could enhance division of labour between Pan-African and regional institutions. Overall, Africa needs to invest in its strategic engagement with the G20, for instance by monitoring commitments against African priorities. [ The EUs bank in Africa steps up the action (EURACTIV) But while most talk in Brussels tends to focus on the amount of cash available, it is not only a question of having more money to lend but having the means to lend it, Catherine Collin, the EIBs East Africa bureau chief in Nairobi, tells EURACTIV. In the region of East Africa, we signed just over 400m of projects in 2017 compared to 100m in the previous year. 400m may not look huge but its not a bad amount for us outside the EU, says Collin, pointing out that the vast majority of the banks activities are within the bloc. Collin suggests that domestic political constraints are the main block on financing. A problem we have in the region and in Sub-Saharan Africa in general, is of very low absorptive capacity of the state. Flash At least 95 Palestinians were wounded on Monday evening in their clashes with Israeli soldiers on the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza health ministry said. Of the 95 injured, 26 were shot by live gunshots, while others suffered suffocation after inhaling tear gas, Ashraf al-Qedra, the ministry spokesman, told reporters. The protests in northern Gaza were organized by the Gaza-based highest commission of the March of Return to defy the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave. The demonstrators threw stones and burned tires close to the border fence, while Israeli soldiers used tear gas and live gunshots as reponses. According to health ministry in Gaza, Israeli forces have killed at least 177 Palestinians, and injured 19,000 others since March 30, the first day of the ongoing Palestinian "Great March of Return" rally against Israel's 12-year crippling blockade and the U.S. embassy move to the disputed holy city of Jerusalem. Efforts exerted by Egypt and UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov have so far failed to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza Strip. DUBAI Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, unveiled the groups expansion plans for the region at the Global General Managers Conference held in Jakarta, Indonesia, last week. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - September 18th, 2018 - Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, was among the top speakers today at The Hotel Show being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 16 to 18th September 2018. Participating in a panel discussion at The Middle East Hospitality Leadership Forum, Laurent highlighted the new trends in owner and operator relations. Laurent stated, New patterns of ownership, finance and management are emerging. Contract terms are swinging in favour of owners who are primarily performance driven and are no longer satisfied with long-term capital appreciation. The bottom line is the yardstick that operators are being judged by. Therefore, operators need to understand better todays owners and investors who are far more active and involved in all areas of hotel operations from selection of general managers to driving social media. Talking about the changing market dynamics, Laurent stated, The business is becoming more complex and competitive for operators who are grapping with multiple challenges. The pie is shrinking with far too many hotel brands and regional operators. Market is being disrupted by new forms of competition such as Airbnb. Rates are constantly under pressure due to oversupply of rooms. Increasing costs of operations are adversely affecting profitability. Guests profiles and preferences are changing too who are looking for greater value for money along with better quality, greater convenience and unique experiences. So, what needs to be done to manage the gabs between owners and operators? Laurent stated, Both parties have to look at the equation differently. There is need for greater communication to build lasting relationships. It is important for operators to understand and listen to owners, and react with solutions. Innovation is the key in every aspect of the business. We need to be inventive by outsourcing services, clustering roles and boosting efficiency by tapping into new technology. Alternative revenue generators should be developed. For their part owners must give operators a fair chance to implement new ideas with ample space and time. For further information visit http://www.swiss-belhotel.com For media contact: Hina Bakht Managing Director EVOPS Marketing & PR Mob: 00971 50 6975146 Tel: 00971 4 566 7355 Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com www.evops-pr.com About Swiss-Belhotel International Swiss-Belhotel International currently manages a portfolio of more than 150* hotels, resorts and projects located in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy and Tanzania. Awarded Indonesia's Leading Global Hotel Chain for six consecutive years, Swiss-Belhotel International is one of the world's fastest-growing international hotel and hospitality management groups. The Group provides comprehensive and highly professional development and management services in all aspects of hotel, resort and serviced residences. Offices are located in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, China, Europe, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. www.swiss-belhotel.com *Numbers may fluctuate ### All of this would take a lot more electricity, and right now "only 12% of the electricity produced is green. Over 80% of electricity comes from fossil sources (coal and gas) and the rest from nuclear power and other sources." Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate/Public Domain The article goes on at length, explaining the different heating technologies, without once mentioning how they plan to reduce demand by 40 percent, which seems to be a rather significant oversight. But in fact, when you read the Government's Energy Agenda, available in English here, they don't actually get a grip on this either. It is full of high-tech suggestions for mostly new construction, but acknowledge that this is not nearly enough. Terrific visionary drawings though. Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate/Public Domain All they actually come up with for existing buildings is: Continue and broaden the promotion of energy conservation through price incentives, grants, low-interest loans, information and support of innovative approaches. Where necessary impose energy conservation, or minimum mandatory levels, for offices and in the rented housing sector as already exists in utilities construction. Promote innovative technologies for further cost reduction and removing bottlenecks. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem enough to get them anywhere near 40 percent. Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate/Public Domain The transportation vision is also bizarre, without a single bicycle in sight. They do get a mention in the copy: The bicycle is an important link in short-distance personal mobility, in urban areas and for the first and final stages of a journey. With the advent of the electric bicycle and the speed pedelec, for many people the bicycle is also becoming an attractive alternative for medium-distance journeys. To promote use the Dutch government has opted for the spatial incorporation of good and safe (long-distance) bicycle links and an extra boost to cycle parks in cities. It is already possible for employers who wish to do so to use the tax-free margin in the work-related expenses scheme to provide a bicycle tax-free to employees. It is all a very impressive agenda, much larger than the original point about getting rid of gas. But while it spends a lot of time discussing the goal of Electrifying everything, it also recognizes that the most important task is to Reduce Demand. Perhaps it is all lost in translation, but I don't understand how they plan to do that. Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate/Public Domain You are here: World Flash Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on Tuesday greeted South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Pyongyang International Airport. Moon, who arrived at 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), is here for the third inter-Korean summit this year. Both of the two previous summits took place in the truce village of Panmunjom. Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju stepped out of an airport building to greet Moon as the plane landed. Several DPRK officials were already waiting beside the aircraft. Kim and Moon hugged each other and shook hands as the South Korean president got off the plane, together with his wife Kim Jung-sook. Moon has an entourage of over 150 members, including presidential secretaries, cabinet members, lawmakers, business leaders and representatives of the culture sector. The South Korean first couple were presented with flowers by two DPRK children, before shaking hands with senior DPRK officials waiting for his arrival. The DPRK officials included Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the DPRK leader and the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea (WPK). Moon and Kim inspected the guards of honor and greeted the welcoming crowd waving DPRK national flags and the white-and-blue peninsula flags. After the welcoming ceremony, Moon left in a black sedan for the Baekhwawon State Guest House in Pyongyang. Moon is scheduled to stay in Pyongyang till Thursday. Moon and Kim met for the first time on April 27 at the truce village of Panmunjom and had their second summit on May 26 there. Moon's visit to Pyongyang is the first by a South Korean head of state in 11 years. Treehugger and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Treehugger.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) Well hello, fall! Even though it happens year after year, the arrival of autumn is always a little surprising. Almost as if on a switch, one day late in the summer you feel it a subtle crispness in the air. And before you know it, its pumpkin-spice-everything everywhere. We are suddenly swathed in sweaters and wearing boots and bombarded by shades of orange, often even before the thermometer warrants it. We can thank the autumnal equinox for this shift from sultry summer to cozy fall. And while most of us are aware of when the first day of autumn lands on the calendar, theres more to the equinox than meets the eye. Consider the following. 1. When is the 2020 Equinox? This year, the autumnal equinox arrives precisely at 9:31 a.m. EDT (1:30 UTC) on Tuesday, September 22. Unlike an event such as New Years midnight, which follows the clock around the time zones, equinoxes happen at the same moment everywhere. 2. It's Fall, It's Spring! There are two equinoxes annually, vernal and autumnal, marking the beginning of spring and fall. They are opposite for the northern and southern hemispheres so for those of you in the south, happy spring! 3. It's All About the Celestial Equator The autumnal equinox happens the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky that corresponds to Earths equator. (Old Farmer's Almanac describes it as a plane of Earths equator projected out onto the sphere.) Every year this occurs on September 22, 23, or 24 in the northern hemisphere. 4. The Leap Year Plays a Part Because it takes the Earth around 365.25 days to orbit the Sun and why we have a leap year every 4 years the precise time of the equinoxes varies from year to year, usually happening around six hours later on successive years. On leap years, the date jumps back an entire day. 5. It Gives Us Longer Nights From hereon, nights are longer than days and days continue to get shorter until December, when the light will begin its slow climb back to long summer days. Winter solstice is technically the shortest day of the year, while the summer solstice in June boasts the most sunlight. 6. The Meaning of "Equinox" Equinox comes from the Latin words equi meaning equal and nox meaning night. This implies that there will be equal amounts of daylight and darkness, however, this is not precisely the case. 7. The Equinox Is Not Exactly Equal This year, the sun will rise at 6:44 a.m. EDT on the equinox and will set at 6:52 p.m., giving us ~8 minutes of day over night. Although the sun is perfectly over the equator, we mark sunrises and sunsets at the first and last minute the tip of the disk appears. Also, because of atmospheric refraction, light is bent which makes it appear like the sun is rising or setting earlier. 8. What Is The Equilux? Despite the equinox's name, equal day and night doesn't happen until sunrise and sunset occur precisely 12 hours apart, which depends on a location's latitude; the closer to the equator, the closer it is to the equinox. This day is known as the equilux from the Latin equi for equal and lux for light. 9. The Sun Signs Play Along as Well For the astrology-minded, the morning of the autumnal equinox is when the sun departs Virgo and enters Libra; the scales, how appropriate! According to astrologists, this is a good time for balance and harmony. 10. It Determines The Harvest Moon As for the other celestial orb we obsess on, the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon for the luminosity that affords farmers the ability to work late. It's also been called the Full Corn Moon (see: Full moon names and what they mean). The Harvest Moon is usually associated with the September full moon, although if the October full moon happens to fall closer to the date, she takes the title. This year's Harvest Moon happened on Friday, September 13. 11. The Northern Lights Will Be Extra Visible With more nighttime darkness, there is simply more hours for viewing; if you are close to the Arctic Circle in the summer, there is too much daylight. But the aurora is also stronger around the equinox because of the planet's 23.5 tilt and the magnetic field of the solar wind. 12. It's The Perfect Time To Get Your Bearings This year on the equinox, as happens every year, the sun will rise precisely due East and will set precisely due West. Everywhere on Earth, except at the North and South Poles, there is due east and due west point on the horizon; by observing the sun as it travels along this path on September 22, no matter where you are, you can see where that point is for your location. Pick a landmark, make a mental note, and enjoy the knowledge that while so much in this world is in flux, the sun is constant and will return to its perfect East and West on the days of equinox. Some years ago, it became trendy to favor high density living, with less sprawl and more urban-apartment-lifestyles, due to ecological benefits. By keeping people together in less space, more space is available for the non-human species. Evidence also suggests a lower environmental footprint, although Lloyd points out that the movement must target a Goldilocks density (not too much, not too little, just right). But common lore in the green community still holds that modern agricultural techniques increase pollution run-off, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil loss. Now researchers are turning common sense about the sustainability of traditional farming methods versus high-yield farming on its head. Existing studies may have overstated the benefits of traditional methods by evaluating the impact relative to the acreage in use rather than to the unit of food produced. A team of researchers led by Andrew Balmford of the University of Cambridge - and including scientists from 17 organisations in the UK, Poland, Brazil, Australia, Mexico and Colombia - analyzed key environmental aspects of farming methods. A co-author from the University of Sheffield, Dr David Edwards, notes: Organic systems are often considered to be far more environmentally friendly than conventional farming, but our work suggested the opposite. By using more land to produce the same yield, organic may ultimately accrue larger environmental costs." The study focused on four sectors accounting for large percentages of the global production: Asian paddy rice (90%), European wheat (33%), Latin American beef (23%), and European dairy (53%). The meta-analysis considered hundreds of investigations. Unfortunately, many studies of agricultural performance do not report consistent measures for the "externalities" such as water and fertilizer use or greenhouse emissions. In addition to the finding that high-yield agriculture may offer more benefits than merely profit and volume, the team reports two critical admonitions. First, we need more and better science on the give and take from farming approaches. Second, if their science is used only to support more intensive farming methods without equal weight given to protecting wildlife habitats and biodiversity, the wins from high-yield farming cannot be realized. While the idyllic vision of old-fashioned farms might make us think there is more balance with nature in history than in technology, this research proves the need for better science quantifying environmental performance, and the even greater need for good agricultural policy. The full article is behind a paywall: The environmental costs and benefits of high-yield farming ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 17 An expected bumper paddy crop this kharif marketing season makes over 3,700 rice millers of Punjab nervous after the state government has sought a bank guarantee in advance, equivalent to 5% of the acquisition cost of paddy stored in their mills. The bank guarantee is to be deposited with the Food and Civil Supplies Department, state government sources said. The state has recently notified Punjab Custom Milling of Paddy Policy for kharif 2018-19. The government officials, however, justified the bank guarantee because this would prevent defaults by the millers. District Food Supplies Controller, Amritsar, Rajnish Kumari said, the clause of bank guarantee was introduced to deter the millers from default. She said there were at least three rice mills who did not return rice after accepting paddy. One of these millers owed rice worth Rs 4 crore. Last year, some of the millers had defaulted in rice delivery valued at around Rs 200 crore, said Tarsem Lal Saini, president, Punjab Rice Millers Association. The Association has suggested the government to seek bank guarantees from big millers handling more than 5,000 MT of paddy, he added. Millers are also upset due to the rising input costs such as high power tariffs and capital costs. The millers capital would get stuck in the advance payment of guarantees, Amritsar Rice Millers Association chairman Surjit Singh Kang said. The government has imposed the bank guarantee on all rice millers who are doing government rice milling. In the border belt, 75% milling units are already closed and most of them are not in a condition to pay the bank guarantee. We request the government to revoke the decision, he said. The move has been opposed by the rice millers, particularly of the Majha region. The region anticipates good returns as the government has raised the MSP to Rs 1,750 this year from Rs 1,550-1.590 in 2017. Rice milling season 2018 12% countrys cereal production in Punjab 190 lakh MT expected paddy procurement 5% mandatory bank guarantee for millers Net sown area of paddy 2018-19 29.57 lakh hectares 2017-18 28.65 lakh hectares Flash There is a Turkish saying that goes, "A single cup of coffee is remembered for 40 years." However, a cup of Turkish coffee at Gbtimes Turkey, the first Turkish media broadcasting Chinese music, is far more than a good impression on the Sino-Turkish friendship. Against the backdrop of increasing tensions between Turkey and western countries in recent years, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become increasingly popular in Turkey, said Kamil Erdogdu, chief editor of Gbtimes Turkey, adding that the Turkish people believe that the initiative will provide mutual benefits. "Especially in the last two or maybe three years, Turkey has started talking much more than before about China, about Chinese culture and of course the Chinese economy, because of the Belt and Road Initiative," Michael Kuyucu, group CEO of Gbtimes Turkey, further explained. In Kuyucu's view, the initiative may even change the balance of the world. For more than 100 years, the center of the world has been the West; however, the East will be "more important, more popular and more dominant" in the world due to the BRI, he said. "This is not just a basic transportation project," Kuyucu said. "It is transportation of science, culture, language, economy, and everything." Yuksel Mansur Kilinc, now a deputy of Istanbul at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the country's unicameral legislature, expects more to come from the Sino-Turkish relationship. "Chinese history has much in common with Turkey's, and both countries suffered a lot in the past; however, the exchanges between Turkey and eastern countries are not as much as we expect," said Kilinc. "China and Turkey should promote their relationship to a higher level." Kilinc is also the founder of Yon Radio, a top 10 ranked station among 850 Turkish radio stations and also the best-known Turkish radio station in China. Early in 2011, according to Kilinc, Yon Radio and China Radio International (CRI) proposed building a new digital silk road between the easternmost and westernmost parts of Asia, that is, China and Turkey. He believes that such efforts, especially the BRI, will be beneficial to all human beings and drive the development of surrounding areas. "Now, as Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party deputy, I will try every means to promote Turkey-China cooperation in media and in terms of anti-terrorism cooperation," said Kilinc. Halil Ibrahim Torer, an engineer at Yon Radio, has been to China three times. With a clear and sweet recollection of Beijing duck as well as old wooden buildings and stone bridges in Wuzhen, he expressed support for the BRI, adding that the Turkish people like Chinese culture and their impression of China has been changing. "Twenty years ago, if you said 'Made in China,' it means a replica of something, not original. But now this idea has changed," said Torer. "Now Chinese commodities are good." He believes the BRI is a way that is ready to bring the two peoples closer together, not just in terms of economic and cultural improvement between the two countries. uttara@tribuneindia.com New Delhi, September 18 Bank unions have opposed the government's decision to merge Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, alleging that the move is just a diversion from the main issue of NPAs and their recovery from big corporates. According to All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), the central problem of the Indian banking industry is the enormous pile of NPAs worth over Rs 10 lakh crore, which have accumulated on account of faulty lending practices and the absence of any strategy to recover the amounts from delinquent corporate houses. The absence of strong penal action against the corporate fraudsters like Vijaya Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksey etc. reflect the lack of political will on the part of the government, it said. "In this backdrop, the announced merger of three public sector banks is nothing but a diversion away from the core issue of NPA recovery. Mergers cannot resolve or clean up the balance sheets; rather the NPAs of the three merged entities would simply add up," it said. Opposing the central government's decision to merge three banks AIBEA General Secretary CH Venkatachalam said there was no evidence to suggest that merger of banks would strengthen the banks or make them more efficient. He said no miracle happened after the merger of five associate banks with SBI. "On the other hand, it has resulted in closure of branches, increase in bad loans, reduction of staff, reduction in business. For the first time in 200 years, SBI has gone into loss," Venkatachalam said. National Organisation of Bank Worker's (NOBW) vice-president Ashwini Rana wondered the purpose of the merger is not clear and employees of these banks will be affected. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Panchkula, September 17 A 15-year-old boy, Vikas Kumar, was stabbed to death over the theft of a mobile phone outside Major Sandeep Sagar Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 7, here this afternoon. The main accused are two students of the school, who are juvenile. Eyewitnesses said some of the attackers were in ITI uniform and the incident occurred around 2.30 pm. When Vikas was attacked, Suraj, a student of Class X, rushed to defend him, but he was also attacked and suffered an injury on his hand. The victim was a student of Class XI of the arts stream in the school. His brother, Akash, was also his classmate, but he had left earlier. The school peon was the first to arrive at the scene. Teachers and students rushed both Vikas and Suraj to the General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula. Vikas was declared brought dead. He had suffered an injury in the chest. Suraj was sent home after being administered first aid. According to the police, Vikas had an altercation with the accused over the theft of a mobile phone, which resulted in the fight today. ACP Noopur Bishnoi and the SHO of the Sector 5 police station, Inspector Arvind Kumar, reached the spot. Principal Sanjay Kumar, who had come to meet the family at the General Hospital, Sector 6, said he was unaware about any old enmity of Vikas with somebody. He said he had gone for a meeting and was not in the school at the time of the incident. Similar incident On September 26, 2011, three students had stabbed a 26-year-old person to death as he tried to intervene in a scuffle between them and another student. The incident had taken place in the parking of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, Chandigarh. Later, the students were held guilty and were awarded life imprisonment. Teams sent to arrest accused, say police Panchkula DCP Abhishek Jorwal said they had identified the accused. There are two main accused in the incident, who are from the same school. It is learnt that on Saturday, there was a scuffle between the victim and the accused over the theft of a mobile phone belonging to the victims friend. It is claimed that the victim had allegedly slapped one of them, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Jorwal. He said, Today, the accused brought other boys to the school and Vikas was stabbed. The police have registered a murder case and have sent crime branch teams to arrest the accused. Once, the main accused are arrested, we will arrest the others, said Jorwal. 20-25 persons had come from outside: Employee According to Vinod Kumar, a Class IV employee of the school, there was a group of 20 to 25 people who had come from outside. He said he first forced them to leave the place. However, as the school dispersed, they came again. He said he heard about the scuffle and rushed towards the gate and chased the boys. But by then, they had stabbed Vikas. Parents blame school Vikas father Banwari Lal works in a factory as a labourer, while his mother Meena is employed as an attendant in British High School, Sector 8, Panchkula. The family lives in Railla village in Sector 12, Panchkula. Meena said, The school should have taken care of its students. They need to protect them. She said, We will not allow the postmortem and the school to function till the accused are arrested. Parents inconsolable Both Banwari Lal and Meena wanted to see the body of their son. When they were allowed inside, the mother started wailing. The father also broke down. vermaajay1968@gmail.com Sanjay Bumbroo Tribune News Service Panchkula, September 18 The tragic incident that led to the death of a Class XI student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 7, could have been averted had the police administration acted on the repeated requests made by the school management for beefing up security outside the school. The school management was worried about the security of students as brawls and eve-teasing had become a routine affair in front of the school. Even parents of girls had complained to the school management to provide security outside the school for the safety of their wards. Dr Satish Sharma, Principal of the school, said they had written to the DGP, Haryana, to provide security near the school as outsiders could be seen trying to befriend girls after the school hours. He said this created a bad impression on the minds of girls, who either asked their parents to come to receive them or left the school. He said he had urged the DGP to post women constables near the school to instil confidence among the girl students during the school opening and closing hours. Dr Sharma said two months ago, they had written to the Sector 7 police chowki to provide PCR vans near the school as anti-social elements could be seen roaming near the school. He said there was always a fear of violence near the school as earlier brawls between students and outsiders had occurred there. Had the police taken action on our requests, a precious life could have been saved, he said. DCP Abhishek Jorwal said it was not possible to provide security to every school due to a shortage of staff. He said they had already provided a police patrol party, which was stationed near schools during the opening and closing hours. He said the school managements should also take responsibility of providing security to students by appointing guards. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 17 A fight between a couple over the husbands alcohol addiction left the latter injured at their house in Khuda Ali Sher on the intervening night of September 16 and 17. The man received an injury on his neck with a blade while trying to stop his wife from slitting her veins. The police received information about an attack on a man at his house in Khuda Ali Sher after which a PCR team rushed to the spot. The police found the victim, Om Parkash, at the spot who had an injuiry mark on his neck. Investigation revealed that Om Parkash had an argument with his wife Sangeeta during night. The police said the woman took out a blade and threatened to cut the veins of her wrist. While trying to stop her, the husband got injured with the same blade. He suffered an injury on his neck, leading to bleeding, said a police official. The victims three children were also witness to the entire incident. The injured was rushed to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, from where he was referred to the PGI by doctors. The police said the victim had given a statement that he got accidentally injured while stopping his wife. The police have registered a daily diary report (DDR) at the Sector 11 police station. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Akash Ghai Tribune News Service Mohali, September 17 The number of foreign nationals arrested in Mohali district for alleged involvement in drug trafficking has doubled since last year. While this has raised concern among the police over the growing nexus of peddlers with the international smuggling syndicate, it has also revealed that most of them have been staying in India beyond their stipulated visa period. The Special Task Force (STF), constituted by the Punjab Government to tackle drug smuggling in the state, has arrested 22 foreign nationals from the district so far this year. This figure is nearly the double of last years tally when 12 foreigners were apprehended in such cases, said STF Superintendent of Police Rajinder Singh Sohal. All foreigners arrested are from African countries, he said. The total number of arrests by the STF in Mohali district has risen from 59 in 2017 to 83 this year. The force, headed by an officer of the rank of the Additional Director General of Police, had been constituted last year. We have taken note of the increase in the number of foreigners being involved in the drug trade. Last year, they accounted for about 20 per cent of the total arrests made by the STF, which has gone up to 27 per cent this year, Sohal said. These figures do not include drug cases being investigated by the district police. The police said 35 kg of drugs and narcotics had been recovered by the SFT in the past two years, of which about 10 kg were seized from foreigners. A senior police officer said investigation had revealed that most of the foreigners arrested in the state by the STF in drug cases were based in Delhi. They had come to India on different visas tourism, study or business. Trading in readymade garments and foreign goods or running salons and beauty parlours are among the activities they usually indulged in as a cover, he said. The embassies concerned that are contacted on such arrests often do not revert back on queries, which hamper investigations. The police said, We do not get information about the credentials or background of those arrested, which makes it difficult to establish whether they were long-time drug smugglers or have ventured into this after arrival in India. However, they definitely have international contacts and are a major spoke in the drug peddling business, they added. The prime source of drugs into India is from Afghanistan via Pakistan. vermaajay1968@gmail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 18 Less than a week after Air India announced discontinuation of its Chandigarh-Bangkok flight, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the airlines to file an affidavit. The direction came after the airlines told the court that the flight might be re-launched on October 1. As the petition filed in public interest for making the Chandigarh airport fully operational for international flights came up for resumed hearing, a statement on re-launching the flight was made by Air India. It came after the Bench was told about the announcement of suspension of the flight. Taking note of the developments, the Bench directed Air India to file an affidavit. The court also asked Air India to furnish details of starting a flight to Singapore from Chandigarh. The Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli, in fact, directed Air India to clarify the position regarding the Bangkok and Singapore flights by filing an affidavit. Dont compel the court to take strict action, we will not hesitate in summoning your CMD, the Bench observed. Appearing for the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Assistant Solicitor General Chetan Mittal said the authority had already started duty-free shops and related facilities at the Chandigarh airport following the start of the Bangkok flight and announcement of the Singapore flight. Mittal said it would be difficult for the AAI to manage duty-free shops just for two flights after the cancellation of the Bangkok flight. He said Air India had also cancelled its Amritsar-Birmingham flight on the same lines despite a good response. The matter had reached the High Court after the Mohali Industries Association had filed a petition in public interest, seeking directions to the Union of India to submit a status report on re-carpeting and upgrade of the runway. vermaajay1968@gmail.com Tribune News Service Panchkula, September 18 A day after the murder of Vikas Gautam, a Class XI student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 7, here, the local police arrested two minor boys. The accused are stated to be close friends of the victim. One of the accused is a school student, while the other is a Sector 12 school dropout, who was earlier booked in a theft case and is a neighbour of the victim. The body of the victim was handed over to the family by the police after a postmortem at the Civil Hospital. However, the weapon used in the crime was yet to be recovered, said investigating officer Bhagwan Dass. The police said the incident occurred at 2.30 pm yesterday. The two accused, one of them a Class IX student, along with several friends, were waiting outside the school to attack another minor student, who had lodged a complaint with the Principal, Dr Satish Sharma, about his missing mobile a few days ago. The police said the matter was sorted out after the Principal directed the disciplinary committee of the school to locate the mobile within 10 minutes. One of the accused had sought pardon after the mobile was recovered from his possession. However, to take revenge against the complainant, the accused student had called his friends, including the main accused, to teach him a lesson. As soon as the complainant came out of the school, the accused started beating him up. Meanwhile, one of the accused took out a knife to hit the complainant, but the latter sat down and the knife hit the victim in the chest, who started bleeding profusely and died on his way to the hospital. DCP Abhishek Jorwal said two accused (both minors) were arrested and would be produced before a duty magistrate. Earlier, the victims family members held a protest, saying that they would not allow postmortem. However, the Principal told them that it was necessary for carrying out the probe in the case and their denial would make the case against the accused weak. After this, they relented. Meanwhile, high drama was seen on the Zirakpur-Shimla highway as hundreds of residents of Rally village in Sector 12 here blocked the road, seeking the arrest of the accused. The police had a tough time convincing them that the accused had been nabbed. The protesters later lifted the dharna. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 17 Miscreants allegedly opened fire on the SUV of a contractor near his house in Sector 40 this morning. The victim and his driver escaped unhurt. The police said the complainant, Sunil Khasa, alias Sonu, reached the Sector 39 police station in his black Fortuner and reported that he had left his house at 10.45 am with his driver Monu in his SUV for the airport from where he was supposed to catch a flight to Delhi. He said they had just left the house when two miscreants opened fire on him with the intention to kill him. Acting swiftly, the driver sped away from the spot. They then directly rushed to the police station. The complainant said he saw both miscreants escaping in a white Scorpio bearing a Haryana number, which had two more occupants. In his complaint to the police, the victim stated that in April 2010, his brother Narender Khasa, alias Labhu, was murdered by Krishan Gatha and his accomplices Manoj Butana, Sandeep, alias Kala, Jashmer, alias Popa, Sonu Mahmodpur, Kuldeep, Naveen, alias Dosi, and others, who were later sentenced to life imprisonment. He said he was the complainant in the said case. While Sandeep, alias Kala, and Jasmer, alias Popa, are in judicial custody, Krishan Gatha and his other accomplice were on parole, but now they are absconding. The complainant alleged that these persons had threatened him many times in the past and were planning to eliminate him. The complainant alleged that Krishan and his accomplices fired on him. Based on the complaint, the UT police have registered a case of attempt to murder and under the Arms Act at the Sector 39 police station against Krishan, Sunil Choon and Pawan. The police said two bullets were fired by the miscreants on the SUV. The police said the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area was being scrutinised to get clues. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 17 The Punjab and Haryana High Court today gave the UT Administration two weeks time to apprise the court of its stand on vendors and farhiwalas. Needless to observe that the UT Administration shall be at liberty to call a meeting of the corporation and other authorities concerned before taking a stand in the court, the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta asserted. The directions came on an appeal preferred by the Union of India against the orders passed by the courts below whereby the suit of the Sabji Mandi Farhi Welfare Association was decreed, injuncting the UT Administration from evicting rehri/farhiwalas from footpaths where they were carrying their retail business of vegetable/fruits. Taking up the matter, Justice Gupta asserted that a co-ordinate Bench of the High Court on July 31, last year, framed certain questions to be adjudicated. Subsequently, various statements were made before the court on different dates of hearing. However, a clear stand on the issue was not forthcoming. Justice Gupta, on August 27, asked the Deputy Commissioner, also the ex officio secretary of the UT Marketing Board, to be present before the court in person. Pursuant to the order, the Deputy Commissioner appeared before Justice Guptas Bench. The UT senior standing counsel, after obtaining instructions from him, submitted that he would file a detailed affidavit in light of the orders passed by the court on various dates of hearing, the situation prevailing at the site and the steps, if any, contemplated for allocation of alternative sites to the vendors and farhiwalas in Sector 26 and elsewhere in Chandigarh. The High Court, in a related matter, had asked the Chandigarh Administration to frame a policy against encroachments at the Sector 26 grain market. The Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ajay Tewari had also directed the UT Deputy Commissioner to proceed against the encroachments in accordance with law. Appearing before the Bench, advocate-cum-amicus curiae in the case Divya Sharma had insisted that the Sector 26 market was in bad shape. It was tough to walk through the place also because of handcart and other vendors. She said handcart vendors were being allowed illegally. The Bench had, subsequently, directed the Chandigarh Administration and the chairman of the market committee to look into the mess existing at the Sector 26 grain market. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 17 A local court sentenced a 21-year-old youth to 15 years in jail for raping a two-and-a-half-year-old baby girl. Uma Nath, a resident of Bhaderi village in Sector 41, was convicted under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and fined Rs 1.05 lakh. The court judgment observed that while young girls were considered goddesses, the youth chose to take advantage of her vulnerability. On February 22 this year, a case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the victims mother. Uma Nath, who lived in the same house for the past five years, took the girl to the second floor of the house on the pretext of providing toffees and money. He then took her to the rooftop and committed the crime following which she began crying loudly. However, by the time the victims mother reached the roof, the convict had fled from the spot. The police were informed, who took the girl to a hospital where a medical examination confirmed rape. A formal case was then registered and Uma Nath was arrested later. The Judge observed that given the age difference, the convict should have actually been a fatherly figure for the minor. It added, instead of protecting her, he tried to satisfy his lust with such a small girl, who is considered a goddess in Indian society. Rs 1.05 lakh fine Uma Nath, a resident of Bhaderi village in Sector 41, was convicted under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and fined Rs 1.05 lakh. The court judgment observed that while young girls were considered goddesses, the youth chose to take advantage of her vulnerability. Jagtar Singh Jagtar Singh Senior journalist The recent volcanic turbulence triggered in Punjab's religio-political domain by Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015 has deeply impacted both the Sikh religio-political dynamics as well as the state's political discourse. The situation has forced five-time chief minister and the Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal to defend his legacy at the age of 93 with his back to the wall. The report has put a question mark on his legacy by bringing on record the denigration of the highest Sikh institution, including the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), by Badal and his son and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal. More than the Akali Dal, in crisis are Badal and Sukhbir, whose strategy is to create a fear psychosis by raising the bogey of threat to peace and harmony. However, the issues relate to Sikh political matrix, not the Hindu-Sikh dynamics. The Bir of Guru Granth Sahib was reported missing on June 1, 2015 from Burj village gurdwara near Bargari. Torn pages from this Bir were later found scattered in the streets of Bargari. The police opened fire on protesters at two places killing two persons at Behbal Kalan. The controversial pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh secured through the brazen misuse of Akal Takht coincided with this situation. That pardon was later withdrawn by the Akal Takht in the face of Sikh anger. One line in Ranjit Singh Commission report is very damaging personally to Badal: "One can say without fear of contradiction that such an incident may not have happened even during the Mughal rule when there was a price over the heads of the Sikhs." This was regarding the theft of Guru Granth Sahib from Burj village. Panthic organisations are staging a dharna at Bargari village since June 1 demanding action against the culprits. The Badals are alleging a nexus between the ruling Congress and the Bargari Insaaf Morcha leaders saying this party is resorting to the earlier strategy that kept Punjab aflame for more than a decade and a half. Pakistan's ISI has also been dragged into this discourse. It is ironic. It was the Akali Dal that was created as a Panthic organisation. However, it is no more Panthic and the Panthic outfits are being slammed by this party as tools of the ISI and the Congress. However, while resurrecting the narrative of a Congress hand in militancy, Badal overlooks certain facts. He has been the chief minister thrice since 1997 and could have ordered a probe to nail this party. Such a probe had been promised by the Akali Dal in its manifesto in the 1996 Lok Sabha election and a Common Minimum Programme with the BJP in 1997 Assembly elections. Badal backtracked from that promise in August, 1997. Moreover, legitimacy to the use of violence as political weapon was provided by the Akali Dal through a resolution adopted by its working committee on August 20, 1980, that stated: "The brave act of the killing of the Narakdhari (Nirankari chief Gurbachan Singh) by a valiant person is a matter of pride". Moreover, Badal is also a signatory to the memorandum to the UN Secretary General on April 22, 1992 that stated: "The Sikh nation, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples, seek an independent and sovereign state." The history of his compromised politics is long. The people sitting on dharna are the product of that compromising politics of Badal from which he subsequently managed to dissociate. Yet another dimension of his latest narrative is in the context of Sikh institutions. The radical political discourse that rocked Punjab for about a decade and a half are symbolised by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale Martyrs Memorial in the Golden Temple complex. Sant Bhindranwale was accorded the status of a martyr by the Akal Takht. The first resolution to raise this memorial was adopted by the Akali Dal on October 7, 1984 and a decision in this regard was taken by the SGPC. It is the SGPC and Damdami Taksal that should come out with their stand on this narrative of a Congress hand in militancy in the context of this memorial. Badal was present at Mehta Chowk as the chief minister when Sant Bhindranwale took over as Taksal chief on August 25, 1977. This memorial has been constructed by the Taksal after a decision by the SGPC. Badal is known to be a very calculating and shrewd politician who sailed through every crisis. However, he erred twice in the context of sacrilege and related issues. It was wrong to boycott Justice Ranjit Singh Commission. He was responsible as the chief minister for whatever happened in 2015. The second blunder was the boycott of Assembly proceedings by the Akali Dal when this report was released in the House recently. His party should have defended his legacy and regretted whatever went wrong. The Badals can't dissociate from the sacrilege and the subsequent collateral damage just like the Congress can't remove the blot of Operation Blue Star and the Sikh carnage of November 1984. The Akali Dal has a history of its stalwarts going out in ignominy and they include leaders like Baba Kharak Singh, Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh and Sant Harchand Singh Longowal. The contribution they made to the religio-political discourse was historic but they slipped at crucial junctures. So has Badal. The Sikh religio-politics always needs an ideologue like Gurcharan Singh Tohra to act as a buffer between the Akali Dal and Sikh institutions. The Badals are paying the cost of destroying that vital link by bringing in dummies. Radhika Ramaseshan Radhika Ramaseshan Senior Journalist The political cross-currents flowing through the plains of Uttar Pradesh have doubtless perturbed the BJP that sat pretty not so long ago after amassing a record number of seats in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. The BJPs sanguinity was disrupted when the states Opposition, comprising the SP, BSP and RLD, combined into a joint front to fight the BJP in four bypolls, three Lok Sabha and one Assembly polls, and made a neat haul. The Congress, a fringe player in UP for over a decade, did not figure in the trios estimation. There was no joint campaign. Barring the RLDs father-son duo of Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhary, the chiefs of the SP and BSP, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, respectively, stepped back, allowing their candidates and local leaders to run the show. The unstated rationale of the SP and BSP was an alliance cemented several months before the Lok Sabha elections, that they both direly need to stall the BJPs juggernaut. This would inevitably court trouble and come undone before the big battle. Political wisdom has it that in UP nothing is a done deal unless it is signed and sealed, so volatile is its politics. As is her wont and true to her conviction in expediency and compromises, Mayawati has beamed confusing signals that may give sleepless nights to Akhilesh Yadav and Ajit Singh. In her latest press conference, she attacked the BJP for the assault and lynching of Muslims and Dalits and raised questions over the Rafale deal. In the same breath, she held the Congress culpable for farming out bank loans to the corrupt and allowing them to abscond when the going got tough. Mayawatis comparison fits in with the BSPs basic political philosophy, expounded by her mentor Kanshi Ram who described the Congress and the BJP as two species of equally venomous snakes. As UP waits with bated breath for Mayawati to unfold her pre-Lok Sabha election move, some observers believe that the simulated suspense was intended to ratchet up her bargaining power to net a bulk of the 80 seats. Others, especially former Dalit bureaucrats who had worked with her, ridiculed her for living in la-la land and dreaming of reclaiming the Dalit votes that the BJP spirited away in 2014 and 2017. The BSP held sway over UPs Dalit politics from the nineties after its founder and ideologue Kanshi Ram worked diligently to first create support grids on the ground from the lower echelons of politically-conscious government employees and later superimposing the substructure with goodwill and help from the Dalit bureaucracy that had by then emerged as a strong pillar of the upper caste-dominated administration. Mayawati became the face and voice of the new politics of Dalit empowerment. She astutely co-opted the most backward castes who were looped out of the arc of benefits brought by Mandalisation. Chandrashekhar Azad, a law graduate from Saharanpur, threatens to upset the BSPs applecart. He was incarcerated for over a year under the National Security Act for fomenting disaffection between the Dalits and Thakurs over a localised conflict. The fact-finding accounts that came later blamed the Thakurs for inflicting the major part of the violence on the Dalits. Not one of them was arrested, lending credence to the suspicion that CM Yogi Adityanath, a Thakur, would not hurt his kinsmen. Azad was released last week. Although he claimed that he will not participate directly in the Lok Sabha elections, his help by proxy, through his mother, in the Kairana and Noorpur bypolls for the non-BJP front confirmed he nurtured political ambitions. Azad is 30 years younger than Mayawati. The Bhim Army Bharat Ekta Mission he founded in 2017 represents an admixture of philanthropy with militancy, intended in the end to take Dalit empowerment to a level beyond stagnating in the circle of bargains and many might say, self-centredness that became the hallmark of the BSP. The army runs schools funded by local donations because Azads outlook was quality education must precede emancipation. He stressed on bringing the Bahujan samaj together so that the poor and the gullible were not victimised by the self-seekers. Was that a dig at Mayawati? He clarified she was like an aunt to him because their bloodline was identical. Mayawati promptly snubbed Azad. Did she perceive him as a threat? In the past, Mayawati snuffed out her internal challengers like the Queen of Hearts. Azad may be a different kettle of fish because he harps on the Bahujan path, a departure from the BSPs inclusive sarvajan plank, uses words like honesty and transparency and makes it clear that Gandhian ideology is not for him. Those familiar with Dalit politics believe that in the backdrop of the recent victimisation of Dalits that found a focus in the Bhima-Koregaon clashes, Azads idiom and politics appealed to a new generation of Dalits in UP who increasingly perceive Mayawati as a leader under siege, but undeserving of their sympathy, because of the multiple cases of alleged corruption she is embroiled in. Akhilesh Yadav may not be that beleaguered but hes not over the hump despite claiming and possessing the inheritors title against serious odds in the SP. His uncle, Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is Mulayam Singh Yadavs younger brother, quit the SP and floated his own Samajwadi Secular Manch. Shivpal, incidentally a Mulayam favourite, plans to contest the 2019 polls. Political watchers know Shivpal as a backroom strategist and a favour-dispenser that helped create a formidable network of clients for him in the SPs borough in west-central UP. The benefactors of a politicians benevolence, so important in UP, remain beholden to him for life. Early assessments say Shivpal can potentially damage the SP in at least half a dozen seats, including those that the party managed to pick up amidst the Modi wave over four years ago. rchopra@tribunemail.com New York, September 18 An Indian citizen has pleaded guilty to operating a fraud scheme by falsely representing as an employee of the US immigration service in which he used social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to scam people seeking to obtain American visas. Kanwar Sarabjit Singh, 51, a lawful permanent resident, used Facebook and WhatsApp to falsely represent himself as an employee of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who worked in the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service and who could obtain genuine US visas in exchange for a fee of USD 3,000 to USD 4,000, US Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement. Singh pleaded guilty to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal officer and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 14. As part of his scheme, Singh created a fake photo identification document pretending to be from the DHS, which he mailed to others in an effort to show that he was capable of obtaining US immigration documents. Singh instructed individuals seeking immigration documents to e-mail him passport photographs, copies of their passports and other personally identifying information and to send him money through overnight delivery service or by wire transfer. After receiving these documents and the requested fee up front, Singh created and mailed fake letters purporting to be from the US Embassy in New Delhi which falsely represented that there was an appointment to pick up the requested visa documents. Many of Singhs victims resided overseas and were impoverished. In addition to the visa fraud scheme, Singh also admitted to engaging in an investment fraud scheme in Tennessee in 2012 in which he defrauded approximately 22 investors of approximately USD 340,000. Singh gained the trust of a local pastor and his church, including elderly members, and falsely represented to them that he owned a small company in India that provided labour for services, including data entry, to two large, international companies and that for a small, up-front investment, they would see a large return on their money. Federal authorities said those defrauded by Singh should contact the FBIs Washington Field Office. PTI shalender@tribune.com The detente was probably not meant to last for long. Days after PM Modi dialled his Pakistani counterpart, the two sides are back to acrimonious exchanges. Imran Khan had raised hopes with his famous you take one step forward and I will take two in return offer but it now appears this was more of a customary politically-correct but empty statement by a politician on assuming office. The Pakistan army, which unabashedly uses armed non-state actors as a tool of foreign policy, was not amused. Its chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa used the defence day forum to promise to avenge every drop of blood shed on the border. And now Imran Khan has nettled South Block by terming its bete noire ISI as his countrys first line of defence. The States policies and priorities have to be terribly warped when its intelligence agency is held up as the first line of defence. A normal country generally has diplomats and its soft power backed by military deterrence as its front-office to the world. The implication of a newly elected Pakistan PM talking up ISI was not lost in India. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh played the statesman by ending his barrage with the hope that Pakistan mends its ways. But the vitriol was unmistakable and undisguised. His Cabinet colleagues picked up the threads to deliver more verbal fusillade. It is hard to say whether this was a ploy to keep Pakistan under a joint Indo-US pincer pressure. A better alternative would have been to throw a few olive branches in the mix. Talks on a passage to Kartarpur could have built on recently held conversations on soft subjects. But Kartarpur seems to have fallen in the cracks of political divisiveness. Neither PM Modi at the fag-end of his term is likely to pick up the talks gauntlet nor can Imran take up a big ticket subject early in his tenure and risk a failure. Back channel, rather than public diplomacy, with its attendant domestic constraints, seems a more viable option. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Over the past week, 10 manual scavengers, one of them a woman, have died while cleaning septic tanks and sewers, with no safety gear, except for their own clothes as a protective cover against the deadly fumes. According to the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011, close to 2 lakh households are engaged in manual scavenging for livelihood. This, when the dehumanising practice was prohibited in 1993. Twenty years later, the Manual Scavengers Act was passed to reinforce the ban and undertake their rehabilitation. Expectedly, nothing much has changed for this lot that remains untouched by Indias gleaming growth story. Five of these deaths took place in the National Capital, where its Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal talks of the delivery of essential public services at the door of every Dilli-wallah. The jhadoo tokenism becomes mere mockery of the partys grand plans for the most aam of the aam aadmi. The Manual Scavengers Act makes it incumbent on local authorities to ensure that no worker is employed as a scavenger to enter septic tanks and sewers. Yet, the practice prevails across India. The Delhi administration has ordered an investigation into the deaths. No Sherlock Holmes acuity is required to know why and how it happened. How challenging would it be for a country that has achieved success in its Mars and lunar exploration missions to provide basic safety gear, comprising gas masks, to its sanitation workers? These deaths, though wholly preventable, are routine. Among Dalits, the agricultural labour class dominates their politics, perhaps the reason why manual scavenging has not faced strident opposition on the streets. Manual scavengers are among the most disadvantaged communities and the poorest of the very poor. The government must adopt effective and early measures to this end. While true rehabilitation must be speeded up, IITs can be roped in to evolve a mechanised alternative to end this appalling practice. Society cannot forever remain oblivious to these hapless beings who clean up its muck by descending into the repugnant depths of a dark pit to earn the days living, but end up dead. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Panipat, September 17 A 12-year-old Class VIII student was on Monday allegedly kidnapped by 10 persons at a village of Samalkha in Panipat district while she was on her way home from school. They allegedly molested the girl and tried to rape her. Her father, along with villagers, found her in the fields in an unconscious condition. The police registered a case and started investigation into the matter. Jagdeep Duhan, DSP (Headquarters), and the SHO, women police station, reached the spot. The victim reported that she was on her way home when around 10 youths came in a black vehicle. She reported that they made her smell some sedative, after which she fell unconscious. She reported that they took her to the fields, where they molested her and tried to rape her. The father of the victim said they were searching for his daughter because she had not reached home after school hours. He said some villagers saw her lying in an unconscious condition in the fields and informed them, after which they reached the spot and informed the police. Her parents took her to the Samalkha police station and filed a complaint. Duhan reached Samalkha to investigate the matter. He said a case was registered against 10 persons. A team was called to counsel the girl. She was sent to the General Hospital for medical examination. She refused to undergo medical examination in the presence of a doctor and the SHO, said Duhan. Made her smell sedatives editorial@tribune.com BS Malik Sonepat, September 17 Train services remained disrupted for nearly three hours on the Delhi-Ambala section on Monday morning. The railway employees blocked the railway tracks here in protest against the brutal attack on one of their colleagues. According to information, railway trackman Kundan, who was posted at the railway check post near Safiabad village in the district, was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by three motorcycle-borne assailants on Sunday night. The assailants had almost chopped off his hands besides, inflicting injuries on other parts of his body. Sources said an express train coming from Delhi stopped near Safiabad. When the driver did not get signal from the track man, he went to check the status for further journey. He saw the trackman and one more person lying unconscious in a seriously injured condition and informed the railway authorities. A team from Sonepat immediately reached the spot and brought the victims to the Civil Hospital here. Kundan was immediately referred to Delhi for further treatment. After receiving information about the incident, the railway employees blocked the tracks at the local railway junction around 10am. A number of Up and Down trains were stopped at different railway stations. On getting information, Rajiv Dhankhar, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, and the SP, RPF, reached Sonepat and accepted their demands, including arrest of the accused, police security to the trackmen and every possible help to the families of the victims. The protesters lifted the blockade around 1.30 pm. Preliminary investigations revealed that three motorcycle-borne youths wanted the level crossing gate near Safiabad village to be opened around midnight. When Kundan refused to open the gate as Mury Express was approaching, the youths attacked him as well as his friend Chandan. A case was registered at the GRP station in this regard. After surgery of more than four hours at Saroj Hospital in Rohini, Delhi, doctors restored limbs of Kundan, a resident of Bishanpura village in Banka district of Bihar. 4 trains reach late editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Karnal, September 17 Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday announced several measures for the welfare of labour class, including a board for labour in unorganised sector, hike in monthly pension from Rs1,000 to Rs2,500 of registered labour with Construction Workers Welfare Board (CWWB) and medical assistance of Rs5 lakh annually through the CWWB under Ayushmaan Bharat scheme to labour not included in Social Economic Caste Census 2014. Chairing the state-level Rajkiya Sharamik Divas Samaroh to mark the birth anniversary of Vishvakarma, he said, Around 75 per cent of the labour class is in the unorganised sector. There is a board for labour in the organised sector. We will constitute a board, Haryana unorganised labour social security board, for labour in the unorganised sector. He said, There are 7.76 lakh registered workers with the CWWB, 5.08 lakh of whom are active. The registered labour aged more than 60 years will receive Rs2,500 monthly pension from existing Rs1,000. He said the benefits of Ayushmaan Bharat scheme would be extended to around 8.5 lakh families of the 14 lakh in the state. He said the eligible labour who were left behind in this survey would get the benefits of this scheme through construction labour welfare board. The Chief Minister accepted all 33 demands raised by Minister of State Nayab Singh Saini for the welfare of the labour class. The Chief Minnister was scheduled to arrive around 11:30 am, but at that time the strength in the pandal was not even half. Though he was in the city, he reached the venue around 1 pm. When Khattar started his speech, several empty chairs in the first block greeted him. Earlier, he laid the foundation stone of Shramik Bhawan, Panchkula, Directorate office of ESI Health Care, Haryana, ESI dispensary, Panchkula, construction of kisan bhawan in Nigdhu and Nissing grain markets, and Taraori bus stand. He launched clean Karnal campaign from Valmiki Basti and inspected the site for proposed rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 1. He inaugurated a health check-up camp at Shri Ram Global School. He expressed grief over the death of former minister Jai Singh Rana at his residence. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 17 Thousands of vehicle owners in Haryana are set to pay lower one-time road tax. With the state government set to charge road tax on the actual price and not ex-showroom price (which includes taxes such as CGST, SGST and cess) of the vehicles, substantial financial relief is in store for the vehicle buyers. The matter has been considered and a proposal for charging motor vehicle tax on actual price of the vehicles, excluding tax, has been approved by the government and will be finalised soon, an undertaking filed by the Office of the Transport Commissioner before Chander Prakash, State Information Commissioner (SIC), said. Prakash had earlier issued a show-cause notice to the Transport Department on an application filed by Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate Kanwar Yuvraj Singh. He had moved the SIC against the departments failure to provide him information under the RTI Act. The government decision to charge road tax on the actual price and not ex-showroom price would correct a major anomaly and provide relief to vehicle owners. During his representations to the Transport Department, Kanwar had contended that under the predecessor Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924, and the current Haryana Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 2013, the road tax on motor vehicles could be charged on the actual cost of vehicles and not on the ex-showroom price. The Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate had asserted that in neighbouring Punjab and Chandigarh, the authorities were charging road tax on the actual price of vehicles. editorial@tribune.com Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, September 18 Devi (name changed) lodged in the Hamirpur jail has become the first woman open prisoner in the country to get a job outside the prison premises. She has been hired by an educational institution as a peon. The prisoner, who was convicted in a murder case and is undergoing life imprisonment, is out on parole and will join duty from November 1. She will draw a monthly salary of Rs 7,936 (basic pay Rs 3,620, grade pay Rs 1,200, DA Rs 2,365 and EPF Rs 850). She will be the first woman prisoner in open category who will step out of the jail to work in civil society, said Director General (Prisons and Correctional Services) Somesh Goyal, who was instrumental in getting her the job. The woman is about to complete eight years in prison, has a good conduct with no record of offence in jail and needs money to educate her son. Her daughter, who is living with her sister-in-law, is of marriageable age. I had an interaction with members of the Rotary Club in Hamirpur, seeking help for inmates so that they can earn and one of the owners of an educational institution employed her, Goyal said. There are a total of 81 women inmates lodged in 12 jails in the state. Except undertrials and the elderly, a majority of the convicts have been provided work under Har hath ko Kaam, an initiative to turn prisons into home of quality products by exploring the hidden talents of inmates and bring qualitative improvement in their lives by enabling them to earn and rehabilitate. Women make bakery items and are engaged in handloom, knitting, stitching, embroidery works, besides making sanitary napkins. Efforts will be made to encourage more women to work outside so that they can earn well and develop confidence, Goyal said. The turnover of prisons from products like bakery, handloom, articrafts, textile and others items manufactured by inmates in various jails all across the state is Rs 3.28 crore (2017-18).